RTHK: Kabul frees American in exchange for Taliban ally An American navy veteran detained in Afghanistan since 2020 was released in exchange for a Taliban ally imprisoned in the United States for heroin smuggling, US and Afghan officials announced on Monday. The Taliban government freed Mark Frerichs, who was working as a civil engineer on construction projects in Afghanistan when he was detained 31 months ago. The US government, meanwhile, released Bashar Noorzai, a former regional strongman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in an American court 17 years ago for smuggling large amounts of heroin. "After long negotiations, US citizen Mark Frerichs was handed over to an American delegation and that delegation handed over (Noorzai) to us today at Kabul airport," Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a press conference. "We are happy that at Kabul International Airport, in the capital of Afghanistan, we witnessed the wonderful ceremony of one of our compatriots returning home." Frerichs, meanwhile, flew to Qatar, a US official said, adding that he was "in stable health." "Today, we have secured the release of Mark Frerichs, and he will soon be home," US President Joe Biden said in a statement. "Bringing the negotiations that led to Mark's freedom to a successful resolution required difficult decisions, which I did not take lightly," he said. Qatari officials confirmed they played a months-long role in securing the veteran's freedom. The US government gave no other details, but diplomats told AFP that Qatar had helped US officials step up contacts with the Taliban in the months after Washington withdrew from Afghanistan. "This is one result of those contacts," a diplomat said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. More Parents Turn to Private Christian Schools, Enrollment Surges New study by DickersonBakker shows many Christian schools not ready for influx of new students, lack fundraising know-how Christian schools across the U.S. are seeing a surge in enrollment, says a new report, A National Study on Christian School Growth and Sustainability , by fundraising firm DickersonBakker ( www.DickersonBakker.com ). But many Christian schools aren't geared up for the influx resulting from the exodus of nearly 2 million students from public schools since the pandemic. NEWS PROVIDED BY DickersonBakker Sept. 20, 2022 RALEIGH, N.C, Sept. 20, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- More parents want their children in private Christian schools, but many Christian schools aren't geared up for the influx of new students, a new research study by nonprofit consulting firm DickersonBakker says. Christian schools -- including many that were until recently struggling to fill classrooms -- are seeing a surge in interest and enrollment, says the just-released report, A National Study on Christian School Growth and Sustainability. Eight out of 10 Christian school leaders say there's increasing demand for Christian education in their area, and the same number report their enrollment has grown since the pandemic. It's part of a national trend following COVID-19 public school closures when students had to switch to online classes at home -- and many parents weren't happy with what they saw. "Large class sizes, inadequate staffing, disorganized virtual education, curriculum limitations, and rapidly changing social and moral standards caused parents to take a new look at Christian schools," says the report. Public School Exodus: Opportunity For Christian Schools Public schools across the U.S. have seen an exodus of nearly 2 million students since the pandemic, according to a report last month in The Christian Post. And a recent survey by EdChoice revealed four out of 10 parents say they'd prefer a private education for their children. "For Christian schools, this represents an opportunity for unprecedented growth," said Derric Bakker, president of DickersonBakker (www.DickersonBakker.com). "But this great opportunity also presents some sobering challenges, particularly related to financial sustainability." Enrollment Surge Leads to Challenges Key challenges include balancing budgets amid soaring costs and making tuition fees affordable. Three out of every four Christian school leaders say they're struggling to hire qualified staff, a third say they don't have enough room on campus for more students, and yet only three out of 10 schools have increased their fundraising activities. "Remarkably, seven of the top 10 challenges (identified by Christian school leaders) are related to financial sustainability, and can be at least partially resolved by increasing annual fundraising," says the report. Fundraising: A Sticking Point For Many Schools Although a whopping 97% of Christian school leaders say upping their fundraising efforts is vital to the future of their school, Christian schools "on the whole are not raising money effectively," and most administrators lack training and guidance on the topic, the study concludes. "If we don't find a way to fix it, many Christian schools are going to struggle, and some might not survive," said Bakker, whose firm has helped hundreds of schools boost fundraising. DickersonBakker estimates Christian schools, on average, invest less than 3% of their annual revenues into raising funds, and nearly six out of 10 of the school leaders involved in the study acknowledge their fundraising efforts need "substantial" improvement. "The upshot of this study is that many Christian schools across the nation are seeing increased enrollment and face many challenges that come with that growth -- challenges that can be wholly or partially resolved by increasing their annual fundraising," Bakker said. "It's a new era for Christian schools in America." DickersonBakker (www.DickersonBakker.com) has been providing professional fund development consulting services to schools and nonprofit clients for over 35 years. With offices in Texas and North Carolina and full-time consultants living in several states, the firm has served hundreds of nonprofits especially faith-based organizations across the U.S., Canada and overseas. SOURCE DickersonBakker CONTACT: Stephen Reed, 843-964-9339, sreed@inchristcommunications.com The Emirates Group has returned to the Careers UAE fair, being held from September 20 to 22 the Dubai World Trade Centre, with an expansive portfolio of job opportunities in aviation and travel for UAE Nationals. Under the theme "the Future of Work", this years Careers UAE will open prolific discussions about the ever-changing work environment and the challenges of a post-pandemic marketplace. The Emirates Group has been actively seeking Emiratis to fill an array of positions across various departments in line with strong business recovery post-pandemic, and is currently offering 500 jobs for UAE Nationals that range from entry-level to graduate roles. Emirati High School Graduates have the opportunity to apply in the following: National Cadet Pilot Programme Aircraft Maintenance Engineer License Programme National Scholarship Programmes National Cabin Crew Programme Customer Service Professionals Emirati University Graduates have the opportunity to apply in the following: National Graduate Programme Technology (IT) Graduate Programme Senior Software Engineer The Emirates Group also offers an internship programme that gives recent graduates the opportunity to gain direct practical experience across a spectrum of departments within the Group. New joiners will receive on-job training and classroom training that enable them to fully integrate into their new roles and become effective contributors to the organisation and the aviation industry as a whole. Newly-joined Customer Service Professionals will undergo 12 months of extensive training that involves sharpening both their soft and technical skills. National Cabin Crew Programme candidates will undergo a 7-week Ab-initio training course before qualifying as an Emirates cabin crew that represent the UAE National workforce on board the largest international airline. As an employer-of-choice, the Emirates Group offers UAE Nationals competitive opportunities and attractive benefits through its Emiratisation strategy. The Group is constantly scouting for ambitious and talented Emiratis, and is committed to boosting their careers with multiple routes for personal and professional development, and access to world-class training courses and programmes. TradeArabia News Service " " Cost is a big reason why some cans have a pull tab and others don't. Tree4Two/Getty Images Almost everyone has a can opener available to open a can but it's way more convenient if that can comes with a pull tab. So, why do some cans have them and not others? The story goes that in 1959, a humble engineer from Dayton, Ohio, named Ermal "Ernie" Fraze was enjoying a family picnic when he realized that he forgot to bring a "church key." A church key is an old-school can opener that, in the era before pull-tab cans, was used to pop two holes in a can of beer. Advertisement Fraze searched in vain for something to open his beer and settled on the bumper of his car, which resulted in a messy beer geyser. Always the engineer, Fraze vowed to come up with an invention that would eliminate the need for a church key altogether. In 1963, Fraze patented the "easy open" lid, a scored aluminum top that could be cracked open and peeled back with a pull tab. Fraze's first customer was Iron City Beer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which marketed the revolutionary pull-tab technology as the "snap top." Fraze died in 1989, but his company, DRT, is still making its patented easy open "ends" for food and beverage cans. Tom Crothers has worked at DRT for 40 years, most recently as its VP of sales. We asked him why nearly 60 years after the invention of the easy open can only some canned foods come with pull tabs while most still require a can opener. "I wish all cans had easy open tabs we'd be even busier," jokes Crothers. "Basically, what it gets down to is a cost issue. Easy open ends are more expensive than 'sanitary ends' [the sealed lids that require a can opener]." Fox News On Hannity Monday night, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attempted to dismiss accusations that he engaged in a stunt when he flew about 50 migrants to Marthas Vineyard last week, instead claiming that President Joe Biden engaged in the biggest stunt by not going along with his predecessors immigration policies. While some have accused the governor of political human trafficking, Sean Hannity helped DeSantis portray his actions as acceptable to the public at large and welcomed by the migrants themselves. Just for the record: this was voluntary. All migrants were put up in hotels, given accommodations, they were fed, they were showered, they were offered haircuts and any other services that were needed, correct? Hannity asked. Yeah, DeSantis replied briskly. And not only that they all signed consent forms to go. And then the vendor that is doing this for Florida provided them with a packet that had a map of Marthas Vineyard. It had the numbers for different services on Marthas Vineyard. And then it had numbers for the overall agencies in Massachusetts that handle things involving immigration and refugees. So it was voluntary. And all of the other nonsense youre hearing is just not true. The nonsense DeSantis is referring to could be allegations from migrants that they were transported under false pretenses. Some Democrats have also supported investigations into possible civil rights violations and kidnapping. DeSantis pointed to the U.S.-Mexico border to defend his decision, which Hannity and other Fox hosts had a field day with last week, as Marthas Vineyard is a frequent destination for former President Barack Obama. I think what weve been able to do is show that this border is a disaster. Biden failed on this as much or more than on any other policy, and now people are talking about it, DeSantis said, later praising former President Donald Trumps border policies. (Trump, meanwhile, has reportedly bristled at DeSantis move, claiming hes trying to steal his thunder when it comes to policies targeting immigrants.) Story continues Speaking of those in the opposite party, DeSantis continued: They accused the governors of Arizona, Texas and me of political stunts dealing with illegal immigration. But the biggest stunt was Biden coming into office and reversing Trumps policies, not because Trumps policies were not working he reversed them because he wanted to virtue-signal to his base and he wanted to show that he thought Donald Trump was bad, DeSantis claimed, adding that Biden knew what would end up happening. And so he has done he has pulled the biggest political stunt. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. An interdenominational Morganton Bible study group launched its second year on Tuesday, Sept. 13, and celebrated what it believes is a unique opportunity for local deaf and hard of hearing community members. Were the first one in the U.S., that we know of, to have deaf core groups, said the Rev. Greg Poe, teaching director for the Morganton class of Community Bible Study (CBS). Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, CBS is an international, interdenominational organization dedicated to making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in our communities through caring, in-depth Bible study available to all. Poe and a small group of volunteers launched the Morganton chapter in Sept. 2021. Today, the ministry features two deaf core groups with deaf and hard of hearing people accounting for around one-third of the ministrys approximately 60 participants. Being the first CBS class to pioneer ministry to deaf and hard of hearing people is no small accomplishment in a ministry with as large of a footprint as CBS. Since 1975, CBS has grown to have chapters in 121 countries with around 616,000 people participating in small group, in-depth Bible studies in 2021. According to the CBS Ministry Manual, meetings are organized around five essentials, individual study, encouraging discussion, effective teaching, insightful commentary, and caring community. According to their website, CBS has found that participants thrive and learn best in a caring community in which open discussion is encouraged. Additionally, a critical part of the ministry is training teachers to provide historical and cultural context to help participants better understand Biblical passages and apply Biblical principles to life. In 2020, Poe held a series of organizational Zoom meetings with a few leaders in Burke County interested in bringing CBS to Morganton. During the meetings, Sally Dixon, who has ministered to deaf and hard of hearing people in Burke County for nearly 50 years, asked him how serious CBS was about the for all portion of the mission statement. We kept saying its available to all, Poe said. Sally kept questioning what about the deaf because there are a lot of deaf people here, and I said, lets see how we can make this work. Since then, the Morganton class has made it a priority to intentionally include members of the deaf community. Before I joined CBS, I always felt out of place in church because of my life experiences, said Chasity Hyatt, a deaf member of the CBS Morganton class. As time went along, I realized God does have a plan for me and I do have a place. Poe said the final meeting of last year was a particularly powerful moment for him. He said during that meeting, CBS participants shared what the group had meant to them over the past nine months. Last year, when we did our sharing day, the majority of those who spoke, or I should say signed, were the deaf, he said. This has been so impactful, and it has meant so much to them to get together in a group that really cares about them. Poe said CBS leaders have been intentional about recruiting deaf group leaders and making the material more accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people. The deaf community has a completely different language; sign language is more of a picture language from what I understand, he said. So, were working on a better way to, not necessarily translate the material, but get it to where it can be a little bit more accessible to them. Poe said national CBS leaders are taking notice of what is happening in Morganton. The word is starting to get out, he said. Weve had requests from Colorado. Some of the deaf community in Colorado would like to remote in and watch our class. He said hes also been approached by groups in North and South Carolina looking to start deaf CBS groups in their communities. Poe also hopes to see their work replicated around the world. He is currently working to bring a team to Eswatini a country in southern Africa in early 2023 to help local church leaders start new chapters of the ministry for both deaf and hearing people in that country. We actually found out, in Eswatini, there is a large deaf community, he said. So were going to take it over there to them. Community Bible Study meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the First Baptist Church fellowship hall at 502 W. Union St., Morganton. The ministry is interdenominational and not affiliated with First Baptist or any other church or denomination. CBS is open to everyone and features classes for all ages and stages of life. For more information or to register, visit morgantoneve.cbsclass.org or email Sally Dixon at morgantoncbs@gmail.com. A small number of masked White Lives Matter demonstrators paraded Saturday evening on a Main Street sidewalk in Deer Lodge. One sign implored people to Make White Children. Reactions on one Deer Lodge-focused Facebook page were overwhelmingly negative. We are not a racist community and this is not OK, wrote one woman. Another woman who witnessed the demonstration said she was taken aback. It just makes me sick, she said, requesting anonymity because of the potential for blowback. Deer Lodge Police Chief George Smith described the local police response. It looks like we received an informational call about this, he said. There doesnt appear to have been any interaction other than patrolling the area. The Southern Poverty Law Center has described White Lives Matter as a neo-Nazi group that is growing into a movement as more and more white supremacist groups take up its slogans and tactics. The Anti-Defamation League characterizes the slogan White Lives Matter as a white supremacist phrase that originated in early 2015 as a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which arose to protest against police brutality against African-Americans Critics of the Southern Poverty Law Center have said the organization should also describe Black Lives Matter as a hate group because of violent protests and what the critics have described as inflammatory rhetoric. The SPLC has refused to do so, noting that one group is founded in hateful principles and the other is not, according to reporting by The Washington Post. Travis McAdam is program director for Combating White Nationalism and Defending Democracy for the Montana Human Rights Network. He reacted to the Deer Lodge demonstration. This was the Montana chapter of White Lives Matter participating in the groups national Day of Action, McAdam said. They have done similar things over in the Bozeman/Belgrade area in recent months. It seems like the same handful of white nationalists are showing up to the public events, he said. In other words, it doesnt seem like theyre having much luck recruiting new members. McAdam said the attire of the demonstrators in Deer Lodge fits operational security guidelines for such groups. They are told to wear sunglasses, masks and hats to keep from being identified, he said. Judicial independence is a matter of Constitutional law and American tradition. By the strict design of our founders, our separate court system has been independent of party politics, and therefore not guided by party platforms and party leaders as are the other two branches of our government. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tested that separation. Frustrated by the US Supreme Courts resistance to his New Deal programs, FDR backed legislation to essentially expand the court from 9 to 15 members. With his overwhelming Democratic majorities in Congress, Roosevelt thought that for political purposes, he could easily take over the court, thus giving the executive and legislative branches controlling power over the constitutionally independent Supreme Court. Congressional leader of the opposition to the court-packing plan was Montanas highly influential Senator Burton K. Wheeler. A Democrat and new dealer himself, Wheeler was shocked by what he saw as an outrageous political power play. Wheeler recognized that many in his party agreed with him that the court bill was a direct danger to our system of democracy, but they were afraid to defy the popular will of their President. Against the odds, and through a skillful appeal to senators consciences, Wheeler killed the court bill. It was FDRs first major defeat. The Saturday Evening Post at the time lauded the Montana Senators talent as a coalition builder, and referred to him as the President-Tamer. Wheeler told me in a conversation with him late in his life, that in his opinion the safeguarding of the independence of the US Supreme Court was by far his most important achievement in 24 years as a United States Senator. Wheeler would indeed be shocked and saddened today to see the dominant political party in his home state, in firm political control of Montanas executive and legislative branches, flagrantly engaged in a political strategy to expand its influence over the Montana Supreme Court. This year, the Montana Republican Party has openly and actively thrust itself into a nonpartisan judicial campaign. They have repeatedly paid for mailers in outright partisan support of James Browns Supreme Court candidacy. Beyond his political connections, Browns career has been mostly as a lobbyist. He actually appears to have been counsel of record in something less than 100 Montana court cases. In vivid contrast, Browns opponent, Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice Ingrid Gustafson, gained valuable experience as a full time practicing lawyer in a widely varied practice for nearly sixteen years. Her record for diligence and dedication was brought to the attention of Republican Governor Judy Martz, who appointed her District Judge in the Billings district. (At that time, Brown had not even completed law school.) A recognized hard-worker, Gustafson went on to preside over nearly 15,000 cases as the people of Yellowstone County repeatedly reelected her district judge. Democratic Governor Steve Bullock recognized her ability, and appointed her to the Montana Supreme Court to which the people of Montana have since elected her. She has directly participated in about 1100 opinions in her service on the Supreme Court. Straight-arrow, non-partisan, hard-working Justice Ingrid Gustafson is experienced and qualified in all aspects of the legal profession. She is a totally impartial, fair, dedicated, and deeply qualified public servant. Comparing her record of public service and achievement to her opponents is like comparing a Mack truck to a motor scooter. Though no longer a public official, I have a career extending back for decades observing public office holders and evaluating their performances. Gustafson over Brown is as easy and obvious a choice as I can remember. MUSCATINE An investigation by the Muscatine Police Department and the Muscatine County Medical Examiner has determined a 2-year-old child who died after being found in distress had suffocated. According to a press release from the police department, it was determined the child had stopped breathing due to a foreign object that was obstructing the childs airway. The police and Muscatine Fire departments express their deepest sympathies to the family. At about 6:06 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, members of the police and fire departments responded to Eversmeyer Park in the 1100 block of Orange Street to reports of a child who had gone unconscious and was no longer breathing. CPR was in progress as paramedics arrived and the child was quickly transported to Trinity Hospital where efforts to revive him continued. Those efforts were unsuccessful and the child was pronounced deceased. Alexander Clark became extraordinarily wealthy for a Black man in 19th century America, but nobody yet has assembled all the details we could learn. Muscatines entrepreneurial barber is remembered for achievements as churchman, lawyer, masonic grand master, publisher, and statesman. I hadnt thought of Clark being involved in farming until I received this question from Louisa County historian Frank Best: Did Alexander Clark own a farm out on the Island? At least as long ago as 2009, Frank and I had compared notes about white settlers and race and Underground Railroad, but this was something new. He sent me a Muscatine Journal item (Aug. 22, 1879): George Jones, who cultivates A. Clarks farm on the Island, [raised] a monstrous double citron melon, being joined after the Siamese twin plan. The whole weighed 17 lbs. 1 oz. Frank added: I believe this may very well be my third great-grandfather, as in 1880 he was listed as a farm laborer. Before that he was always listed as a cook. We had discussed Franks Black ancestry discoveries over several years. He first told me about George Jones in 2013. June 26, 2021: He was born in Alabama and how he made it to Muscatine is unknown. His obit says he came to Muscatine around 1860, although I believe it was before that. He was listed in census records as Black and sometimes Mulatto. June 27: I believe it is my George Jones. In 1880 census there was only one other George Jones in the area. He was a farmer, but was consistently labeled as White in census records. My George Jones is listed as Mulatto in 1860, Black in 1870 and White in 1880. Looking at family DNA this would fit. I feel this has to be the same person. George lived in the Southend and was a member of the Musserville church when he passed in 1888. [He died] where the Caseys on Stewart Road is now. Dan, do you know the location of Alexander Clarks farm? I dug into the newspaper archive. Letter to the Muscatine Journal signed A. Clark (July 2, 1880): Now that the Mississippi threatens to overflow thousands of acres of Iowas best and choicest lands known as Muscatine Island, would it not be wise to ask Congress that twenty or thirty thousand dollars of the Mississippi river and harbor appropriation fund be applied to protect those lands? Muscatine Journal (May 28, 1886): County supervisors assess landowners for costs and expenses of constructing the levee on Muscatine Island in Muscatine and Louisa counties. Alex Clark and George Jones are both listed. Muscatine Journal (Jan. 13, 1888): W.H. Hoopes has an eye to business and is securing a good deal of land in the city. He lately bought Alex. Clarks place near the Hershey lower mill. With that, Frank pointed me to the parcel that was probably the site of that lower mill. Today its inside of Grain Processing Corp. * * * Muscatine Journal (Jan. 2, 1868): After prayer by Rev. Mr. Bass, the Declaration of Independence was read by George Jones. Next, someone read the Emancipation Proclamation; then came speeches by Clark and other orators. It was the annual freedom celebration held by the colored citizens. * * * Muscatine Journal (Aug. 17, 1888): Mr. Jones had resided on the Island for almost 30 years, during which time he had always been industrious, frugal, quiet, and a man who had always done all he could for the comfort of his family. Muscatine Journal (Aug. 22, 1888): He leaves a wife and nine children, four of whom are married and reside in the city. Nothing said about color. Censuses listed all survivors as white. Muscatine Journal (Nov. 2, 1888): Mrs. Victoria Jones, widow of the late George Jones, of the Island, has received$1,000, amount in full of policy held by deceased. Victoria Knapp Jones was a white woman born in France. When she died at age 87 in 1928, her obituary said her husband and three children preceded her. Husband not named. * * * Frank Best is a so-called white man, same as I am. I found, thanks to DNA, my African American family! he wrote. I am still trying to piece it all together. I feel 99.9% that my George Jones is the same one taking care of Alexander Clarks farm on the Island. Other biological decendents of George Jones you may know are: Lynn Bartenhagen who works at the museum and [another person I didnt contact]. Lynn: I have been researching my family since I was 16. I found George Jones about 35 years ago when my grandmother remembered some information that led to him. When some of my familys DNA confirmed we had Black ancestors on both sides of the family, it proved that were was a bit of truth in at least one of the long-standing family stories. Next time: More Frank and Lynn on race. HONOLULU (AP) A former Maui County official and the Honolulu businessman who paid him $2 million in bribes in exchange for more than $19 million in wastewater contracts each pleaded guilty Monday in one of the largest bribery cases ever prosecuted in Hawaii. Stewart Olani Stant, who was formerly a wastewater manager and the director of Mauis Department of Environmental Management, and Milton Choy, the owner and manager of the wastewater company H2O Process Systems LLC, entered their pleas in separate hearings at U.S. District Court in Honolulu. They are each scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4 on one count of honest services wire fraud. Stant faces up to 20 years in prison while Choy faces up to 10. In exchange for their pleas, prosecutors won't bring additional charges against them. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson told reporters after the arraignment hearings that prosecutors will seek charges against those who try to profit off public coffers through bribes or other illicit, corrupt activity. We not only have the tools to come after them, we have the motivation to come after them and we will aggressively pursue anybody who violates their public oath and anybody who wants to corruptly affect the process, Sorenson said. Stant is the latest public servant to admit to taking bribes from Choy. Two former Democratic state lawmakers in February pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud for accepting cash, hotel rooms and casino chips from Choy in exchange for influencing legislation. Prosecutors said Choy deposited money into bank accounts owned by Stant during a six-year period starting in 2012. They said Choy also handed Stant cash and gave him gambling chips during trips to Las Vegas. Choy further paid for Stant's Las Vegas airfare and hotel rooms, they said. In exchange, prosecutors said Stant directed at least 56 sole source contracts to H2O and Choy, worth $19.3 million. Court documents say Stant managed the county's Wastewater Reclamation Division from at least October 2012 to December 2015. After that, he was the director of the county's Department of Environmental Management until December 2018. Prosecutors say they will seek to have Stant forfeit the $2 million he obtained from Choy and have Choy forfeit some $15 million he, in turn, gained from the contracts. Stants attorney, Cary Virtue, said outside the courthouse that he couldnt comment on what his client needed the money for. Michael Green, Choy's defense attorney, said Stant and Choy had known each other a long time. "And then you do a favor for one person, and it goes into another favor. And then, pretty soon somebody has a mortgage payment to make, they have a car payment to make. All of a sudden, somebody is going to Vegas to see a show and it kind of escalates, Green said. Clare Connors, the U.S. attorney for Hawaii, said last week the Stant case was one of the biggest bribery cases her office had ever investigated and prosecuted. In July, former state Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for taking bribes from Choy. Former state Rep. Ty Cullen, who served as vice chairperson of the House Finance Committee, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino on Friday said the events leading to the charges occurred during the previous county administration. He said he has ordered an audit of all no-bid contracts awarded to Choy's companies. Whenever corruption undermines the public trust, those responsible must be investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law, Victorino said in a statement. Hawaii this year enacted several reform bills that lawmakers passed to clean up politics after the allegations against English and Cullen emerged. The new laws include one that prohibits holding fundraisers during the legislative session and another requiring certain nonprofit organizations operating as noncandidate committees to disclose the names of donors giving them more than $10,000. The Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, which is an independent panel created by the House of Representatives, is expected to submit recommendations in December for more reforms. Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter Inc., will be questioned under oath Tuesday in the social media companys lawsuit against his longtime friend Elon Musk, according to court filings. Dorsey, who stepped down as Twitters chief executive officer last year, had been an energetic booster of Musks $44 billion bid for the company which Twitter is suing to enforce. While Dorsey was subpoenaed last month by Musk, he will be questioned by attorneys from both sides via Zoom on Tuesday morning. Musk retreated from his offer in July, accusing the company of not complying with his contract with Twitter by providing information to assess how prevalent the bots are on the social media platform. Since then, dozens of people, banks and funds have been subpoenaed in the legal fight playing out in Delaware. The push to gather information and interview important figures in the deal comes ahead of an expedited schedule for the trial, slated to begin Oct. 17 and last five days. Every Napa Valley grape harvest presents its own unique circumstances, and this year drought, sweltering heat wave, downpour is no exception. Growers say the grapes have generally weathered what Tom Farella of Farella Vineyards calls "a wild weather ride." "The heat was substantial and signs are everywhere of damage to plants and trees but, for the most part, the vines seem to have made it through with some damage but relatively OK," Farella said. Alexander Eisele reported about an inch of rain in Chiles Valley, amounted to "a little more than just dust control" and slowing down harvest activity. No correspondents seemed fazed by the rain, and quality is reported to be high. "Although there will be less red wine made in the Napa Valley this year, the quality will be up there with notable great year vintages," said Igor Sill of Sill Family Vineyards. Heres this week's harvest report, organized by American Viticultural Area: Calistoga Matt Crafton, Chateau Montelena The whirlwind continues. The week of beautiful weather leading up to last weekends rain was a welcome reprieve but didnt seem to slow the pace of harvest. Its difficult to believe were only three weeks into September as many of the later-ripening portions of the AVA are seeing activity, some of which are four weeks ahead of average. In the winery, plentiful tank space has yielded to careful planning and extended scheduling. Picks have been lighter than expected and quality seems to be directly related to how well the vines weathered the heat. It will take some time to sort these characteristics out but the overall diversity of flavor in the fruit is something to be excited about. Howell Mountain Laura Barrett, Clif Family Winery "The Howell Mountain AVA had about 1.3 inches of rainfall over the weekend. All of the producers that I spoke to had their Zinfandel off the vine prior to the rain, so the storm impacted mainly Cabernet. The wet weather settled the dust from our volcanic soil and freshened the air. Mia Klein pointed out that the lack of fog and good drainage, two defining features of the Howell Mountain AVA, allowed for easy recovery from this weather event, leaving a few more days, or weeks, for producers to ripen their mountain Cab." Diamond Mountain District Bill Dyer, Dyer Vineyards "After the recent heat wave, Diamond Mountain welcomed over an inch of rain on Sunday. Some blocks with sufficient maturity were picked ahead of the rains, other blocks remain out, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, as its loose clusters and thick skins should not be impacted by this amount of rain. Chuck Haas: 'Haas Family Vineyard picked Cabernet on Saturday. Lower yield from the dehydration but great flavor profile.' Kevin Vecchiarelli of Diamond Mountain Vineyard: 'We picked a small amount of CS (5 tons) on Saturday We will start picking this Wednesday through Saturday. All of my best lots are holding on (two to three weeks away).' Peter Thompson of Andrew Geoffery Vineyard: 'We are planning on picking about 1/3 of our fruit on Wednesday and Thursday. The next pick should be about 10 days off.'" Chiles Valley District Alexander Eisele, Volker Eisele Family Estate "A little more than just dust control, the CVD received about an inch of rain. Because of this harvest activity has slowed. Prior to the rain, Zinfandel was being harvested, average yields with very nice quality. I imagine that things will ramp up again next week with the first Merlot and Cabernet being very close." Spring Mountain District Stuart Smith, Smith-Madrone Winery "What a difference one week makes. The extreme heat backed off and hardly a week later the Spring Mountain District vineyards are drenched with several inches of welcome rain. Most of the Spring Mountain wineries still have a substantial amount of red grapes remaining to be harvested. Its unusual to have the Spring Mountain wineries in unison, but this week we have it. The rain is giving all of us a much-needed break, its also giving us the opportunity to create some much-needed tank space and to allow the winemakers to fine-tune their picking schedules to harvest the grapes at perfect levels of maturity." Rutherford Kristin Belair, Honig Vineyard & Winery "It is all about the weather. The first half of September went from relatively calm weather to record-shattering heat and now record rainfall. Ironically, record rainfall in September, typically the driest month of the year, does not take much. The rain brought everyone a welcome break from an intense week and maybe even eight hours of sleep. Suffice to say, all Honigs Rutherford appellation fruit is in, and we are carefully planning our next moves to get the remaining half of our reds in. The upcoming weather seems to be in our favor, and it is hard not to get excited about the vintage as we taste through the fermenting tanks, despite the meteorological challenges we all have faced. Chris Phelps of Inglenook shares similar sentiments about the 2022 vintage: 'The extraction of color, aroma and texture is superb.' Oakville Jennifer Rue, Oakville Ranch Vineyards Last weeks weather was perfect for recovering from the intense heat. By Wednesday, the morning sky was lit-up with a veritable whos who of picks across Oakville each day, including Groth, Ghost Block, Oakville Ranch, Opus One, Paradigm, and Screaming Eagle. The forecast for rain on Sunday picked up the pace to bring in the rest of the thinner-skinned varietals and any Cabernet Sauvignon that was ready. Growers across the AVA report that 25-40% of blocks remain to be picked. Paradigms Mark Fasi puts it succinctly: 'Whats hanging needs more time.' Rain, followed by warmth and coupled with the resilience of Cabernet Sauvignon, made the storm a no biggie event, serving to space out what looked like a one-seating vintage gobbling up tank space. Even a few days are welcome, giving winemakers time to evaluate the character of earlier picks before bringing in the remaining lots. Mild early season conditions and the heat that followed appear to be yielding concentrated wines with an elegant and refined tannin framework." Yountville Louis Kapcsandy Jr., Kapcsandy Family Winery "For many, not all, the recent rain was a welcome sight. Accumulations of 0.75 to 1.15 inches were reported, and now with high pressure rebuilding there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Sugars, primarily concerning valley floor fruit, have decreased nearly a full Brix degree. A good portion of Sleeping Lady vineyard, later ripening blocks at Blankiet and Dominus, along with the majority of Cabernets at Kapcsandy will not come off the vine until next week. With overnight lows back into the mid-50s and below, the vines remaining to be picked are holding steady. Winemaking consultants and cellar crews will have little rest the next few weeks, as tanks are drained, pressed and refilled again. Quiet optimism is the general sentiment this week." Atlas Peak Igor Sill, Sill Family Vineyards "This weeks rain brought us much needed hydration following the heat wave and expedited the harvest pick, making this an earlier than normal ending to the 2022 harvest. As a grower and winemaker, the quality of our mountain fruit is great, but theres just not enough of it. Harvesting will continue in the Atlas Peak AVA for the next two weeks. About two-thirds of the fruit has already been picked. Our Sill Family Vineyards sits on a high plateau on Atlas Peak with lots of sunshine, low yields and minimal use of water, so our fruit ripens longer. This coming week were picking our Merlot, with our Cabernet Sauvignon following right behind, pretty much in the final ripening stages. Although there will be less red wine made in the Napa Valley this year, the quality will be up there with notable great year vintages." Stags Leap District Elizabeth Vianna, Chimney Rock Winery "Just when we thought harvest couldnt take yet another interesting turn, it did just that with some precious rain. The weather patterns have certainly wreaked a bit of havoc for winemakers in Stags Leap District and the entire valley this week. Elias Fernandez reached his SLD finish line right before the rain and declared it an Indy of a harvest. Chris Tyan and his team at Cliff Lede Vineyards completed their harvest on September 15th beating most of us. Josh Widaman, winemaker at Pine Ridge Vineyards, said, This rain was jut what the doctor ordered for us. The crew is ferociously attacking drain and presses so that we can clear out tank space for the onslaught. Although they are only one third of the way through harvest, their SLD fruit is almost all in. Carmel Greenberg, winemaker at Clos du Val, reports they are 80% finished with their SLD fruit and would pause for the rain and possibly finish later this week. Marcus Notaro, winemaker at Stags Leap Wine Cellars, had harvested some hillside Cabernets, but was waiting for the rain to pass and the next bit of heat before he continues his harvest journey. At Chimney Rock, we are in the same boat. We are about a third in, with some hillside Cabernet blocks, all our Merlot and some Petit Verdot now fermenting in tankwhile we wait for some of the other blocks to reach their perfect ripeness with the next few warm days after the rain. The canopies have held up beautifully in spite of the big heat wave and as we begin to assess the first lots, we are getting excited about the density in color and structure of these wines. It will all be well worth the wait and hard work." Oak Knoll District Jon Ruel, Trefethen Family Vineyards "Although the wild weather of September continued with a splash of rain over the weekend, our optimism for the vintage remains high. The more delicate varieties have all been picked and we are down to just Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot remaining. The rainfall awakened the smells of the oak forest around our hillside vineyard, the grapes are still tasting great and our crew is busy and happy as we enter the home stretch." Coombsville Tom Farella, Farella Vineyard "It's been a wild weather ride over the last week, with extreme high temperatures last week and now the cooler Alaskan storm dominating the harvest discussion. The heat was substantial and signs are everywhere of damage to plants and trees but, for the most part, the vines seem to have made it through with some damage but relatively OK. The wall of red grapes is still out there and very nice weather ahead should get things going later this week." Carneros Christopher Hyde, Hyde Vineyards "After a week of intense heat we had half an inch of rain in Carneros over the past weekend. Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make up the balance of what is left on the vine. The weather should warm up later in the week as harvest starts to wind down in the Carneros region." For real-time harvest photos and updates, visit the Napa Valley Vintners Harvest 2022 website at harvestnapa.com. VFS Global said that UAE nationals as well as nationals of the 75 eligible countries residing in the UAE, can apply for their Indonesia Visa on Arrival through VFS Global by submitting their documents and paying the fees online prior to their travel. VFS Global has entered into an exclusive agreement with TLP, the Immigration Department for Republic of Indonesia and Bank Mandiri, to provide online pre-payment of fees, fast-track access and concierge services to international passengers upon arrival in Jakarta. A confirmation will be sent to their registered email ID and the visa processed in advance to be stamped upon arrival. With the payment having been made online, the on-arrival process reduces to just the stamping of the visa, which can be done at the designated fast-track Visa on Arrival immigration lanes. Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer, VFS Global said: Indonesia is a popular destination for travellers across the globe, and we are excited to unveil a service that will make their visa application journey quicker and simpler. With tech-led Do It Yourself solutions becoming increasingly popular, this first-ever fast-track Visa on Arrival service is sure to offer applicants a more relaxed on-arrival experience. Indonesia received over 15 million foreign tourists in 2019 before the pandemic. Between January and July 2022, the destination has welcomed around 1 million international travellers. VFS Global will offer Standard and Express service options. Applicants opting for the Standard service will be able to submit their applications no less than 72 hours prior to the date of departure, and benefit from the fast-track immigration process. Those opting for the Express service will be able to submit their applications no less than 24 hours prior to the date of departure. The Express service additionally provides end-to-end personalised assistance and guidance, right from the arrival gate through immigration, baggage claim, and customs. Additionally, citizens and residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, who would prefer to complete the Visa On Arrival process with the assistance and guidance of trained professionals can also choose to visit the Indonesia Visa on Arrival kiosks located outside the VFS Global Visa Application Centres located at Wafi Mall, Dubai and the WTC Mall, Abu Dhabi. TradeArabia News Service Tuesday, Sept. 13 0819 Police cited a driver near Main/Charter Oak. 0819 Police cited a driver near Spring/Valley View. 1031 Police mailed a letter to the owner of an abandoned vehicle on El Bonita Avenue. 1037 Report of a landscaping crew (not Public Works) causing a traffic hazard on Spring Mountain Road. Police told the crew to move the truck that was blocking the road. 1042 An officer gave a fifth-grader a bike helmet. 1100 Report of a person with a warrant on Church Street. Police checked the area. 1221 Police cited a driver near Main/Sulphur Springs. 1854 Police cited a driver near Sulphur Springs/Main. 1900 Report of equipment being operated after 7 p.m. near Crane Avenue. Police spoke to the person responsible. 1926 A mom asked an officer about car seat laws. 2046 Report of a possible drunk driver near Main/Deer Park. Police stopped the car and determined the driver was not DUI. 2258 Police issued a parking citation on Main Street. Wednesday, Sept. 14 0929 Police cited a driver near Charter Oak/Allison. 1204 Report of high school kids speeding at 50 mph on Vallejo Street. An officer contacted the school to lecture the student responsible. 1301 Report of a reckless driver passing in the center lane of Highway 29 and almost causing an accident. 1317 Non-injury accident near Main/Deer Park. 1551 Non-injury hit-and-run on Main Street. The other driver refused to pull over and just kept saying no. 1649 Report of a white bag with boxes in the middle of the train tracks in south St. Helena. 1735 Report of two aggressive loose dogs on Spring Street. Thursday, Sept. 15 0730 Report of a student with cigarettes on Grayson Avenue. 0759 Police cited a driver on College Avenue. 0822 Police cited a driver near Main/Pine. 0943 Report of a gunshot audible from Chablis Circle. It turned out to be a vehicle, not a gun. 1213 Police cited a vehicle parked in a blue zone on Main Street. 1316 Police cited a driver near Elmhurst/Quail. 1357 Police issued a parking citation on Railroad Avenue. 1805 A wallet was returned to its owner. 1836 Report of a possible drunk driver near Main/Grayson. 2048 An officer helped jump-start a vehicle on Main Street. 2310 Police responded to a noise complaint on Kearney Street. The people responsible agreed to call it a night. Friday, Sept. 16 0816 Police cited a driver near Grayson/Main. 0855 A red bike was abandoned on Main Street. 1452 Police cited a driver near Main/Vidovich. 1808 Report of a suspicious man acting strangely inside a Main Street business. He was last seen heading north toward Calistoga. Saturday, Sept. 17 1007 Police provided traffic control after a grape spill near Highway 29 and Sulphur Springs Avenue. Public Works and Caltrans helped with the cleanup. 1012 Police cited a driver for using a cell phone on Highway 29. 1551 Police cited someone for driving with a suspended license and towed their vehicle. 1610 Report of a water leak on Sylvaner Avenue. 1944 Report of a pedestrian in dark clothing walking along Main Street carrying a skateboard. Police contacted the man and told him to be careful. 2055 Police cited a driver on Main Street. 2257 Report of two drunk people on Main Street. Sunday, Sept. 18 0054 Police cited a driver for speeding near Vidovich/Main. 0115 Lift assist on Alexander Court. 0601 Police and Public Works helped clear a fallen construction fence that was partially in the road on Sulphur Springs Avenue. 1209 Police helped with traffic control after a vehicle hit a tree on Highway 29 near Whitehall Lane. 1211 A PG&E fence got knocked over on Fountain Street. 1342 A caller was concerned about two young girls riding an ATV and going out into traffic on Main Street. 1405 The northeast corner of Main/Pope flooded because an orange PG&E cover was blocking a drain. 1454 Report of a neglected dog on Allyn Avenue. 1638 Report of street flooding at Adams/Kearney. 1830 A sewer was bubbling up on Paseo Grande Drive. Public Works responded. 1920 Medical aid on El Bonita Avenue. 2207 Police cited a driver for speeding near Main/Charter Oak. 2241 Police cited a driver for speeding near Main/Pine. 2245 Report of three dogs barking in an RV parked on Chiles Avenue. Monday, Sept. 19 0008 Police cited a driver on Highway 29 near Mee Lane. 0026 Police cited a driver clocked at 97 mph on Highway 29 near Mee Lane. 0358 Police cited a driver on Main Street. 0639 Fire, medical and police units responded to a solo accident with a vehicle into a power pole near Main/Pratt. PG&E was notified of damage to the power pole. A city sign was knocked down. Police took a report. 1246 Police cited a driver near Main Street. 1314 An officer warned someone about smoking at Lyman Park. 1513 Police cited a driver near Main/Mitchell. 1527 Police assisted with an incident involving tobacco at a school on Hillview Place. 1705 Report of a drunk man wanting to drive away from a Main Street property. Police detained the 21-year-old Clearlake man on suspicion of public intoxication. 1840 An officer picked up a canvas bag from Adams Street. 2100 Report of someone trespassing on a Main Street property. Police arrested a 42-year-old Napa man on suspicion of trespassing and violating probation. Napa County supervisors want a future report on a possibly illegal audio tape recording made of a county staff meeting, even if only to hear that an investigation has or hasnt resolved a confidential, personnel matter. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The incident happened during the July 27 county staff meeting held by former County Executive Officer Minh Tran. The recording later circulated to some members of the public. In the recording, Tran talked about his employment situation a day before the Board of Supervisors released him, depicting a unsettled situation amid county leadership. Resident Beth Nelsen quoted the tape during public comments at the July 28 Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisor Diane Dillon didnt view the tape as a legitimate whistleblower incident. She brought up the matter at two Board of Supervisors meetings, saying an ethical breach has caused a serious morale problem. And there is a definite cloud hanging over this department, Dillon said at the Sept. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting. And so I would like at a minimum for the findings of the review come back to us. Napa County supervisors release Tran from CEO job The Napa County Board of Supervisors on Thursday voted to release CEO Minh Tran with severance pay, though it also said any employer would be lucky to have him. Supervisor Belia Ramos said she was concerned the recording incident potentially broke the law and that trust has been lost. Its difficult knowing the confidentiality staff expects to work under isnt present. There is a part of me that has to question why this happened, Ramos said. It is the elephant in the room here. Weve had a rough patch. The Board's role should be to work at the policy level to make certain this type of behavior doesnt happen again, Ramos said. The Human Resources department can handle the personnel issue that might be involved. I think that is our next move, Ramos said. I certainly am not interested in continuing to relive what has been a difficult period for this entire third floor, specifically the C suite. The third floor is where county executive offices are located in the county administration building in downtown Napa. "Frankly, I anticipate there isn't going to be any reportable news," Dillon said. "And that will mean we really do need some policy around here...so it can't happen, hopefully, again." Alfredo Pedroza foes seek recall vote against Napa County supervisor In the first such recall attempt in at least half a century, Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza has been served with the first step in a process his foes hope will oust him from office. That means, in some fashion, the issue is likely to come up at a future Board of Supervisors meeting. This should be a (Human Resources department) issue and be private, but this is elevated to an item of great public interest, Board of Supervisors Chair Ryan Gregory said. I think we owe it to the public to tell them what we found. California law forbids recording confidential communications unless all parties consent. Punishment can be a fine up to $2,500 or imprisonment for up to a year or both. Also at the Sept. 13 Board meeting: Union contract County employees during public comments again asked county supervisors to complete a contract with Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents about 950 of 1,500 county workers. Sabrina Bucklin, president of the Napa Association of Public Employees, said the county and union have been negotiating for six months. The contract expired June 30. Among the issues mentioned by employees was that raises be retroactive to July 1 and that the county pay what they considered a fair share for retirement. Several said the county has problems retaining and recruiting employees. Our employees deserve this contract to be done. They deserve to be paid fairly for their time. And they deserve to be able to expect that new people will come here to work and take up some of the slack, Bucklin told supervisors. County supervisors on Sept. 13 held the latest closed session on the negotiations, but made no announcement afterward. Most of the key terms of the economic package are done, Gregory said on Sept. 15. I think were close to finished. Bucklin on Monday said the county made a last, best, final offer. "We're not finished," she said. "There will be two options. One of them will be a strike. And one will be to accept." Berryessa fire station Supervisors voted to allot $120,000 toward converting the Capell Valley fire station from a volunteer fire station to a permanently operated station and expanding fire staffing in the Lake Berryessa area. Money will go to feasibility work that would be reimbursed 50% by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Napa County is working to redevelop resorts at Lake Berryessa. It is negotiating with resort developers to determine their fair contributions to fire station improvements, a county report said. The county wants fire station improvements to coincide with resort redevelopment. Three resorts could be constructed by December 2024 and a fourth by December 2025, the report said. SACRAMENTO A Northern California mother of two was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for faking her own kidnapping so she could go back to a former boyfriend, which led to a three-week, multi-state search before she resurfaced on Thanksgiving Day in 2016. Sherri Papini, 40, pleaded guilty last spring to staging the abduction and lying to the FBI about it. As part of a plea bargain, she is required to pay more than $300,000 in restitution. Probation officers and Papinis attorney had recommended that she spend a month in custody and seven months in supervised home detention, while prosecutors wanted her to serve the eight months behind bars. But Senior U.S. District Judge William Shubb said he opted for an 18-month sentence in order to deter others. The judge said he considered the seriousness of the offense and the sheer number of people who were impacted." They included law enforcement officers who searched for her, the community that believed her for four years, those who lived in fear because of her fake story of being abducted by two Hispanic women, and the Latino community that was falsely viewed with suspicion. The nation is watching, Shubb said, paraphrasing prosecutors' argument in a court filing. They need to be sent the right message. ...We have to make sure crime doesn't pay." Papini quietly answered, Yes, sir, when the judge asked if she understood the sentence. Previously, she choked back tears as she gave a statement to the court accepting responsibility and admitting her guilt. She didn't speak to reporters as she was surrounded by more than a dozen supporters outside the courtroom, some of whom hugged her tightly. They included her husband's sister, with whom she has been living she split with her husband, who filed for divorce and sought custody of their children after she pleaded guilty. Speaking briefly outside of the courthouse after the hearing, defense attorney William Portanova called it a fair sentence, even though its longer than we wished. His client was ordered to report to federal prison on Nov. 8. Shubb ordered her to serve 36 months of supervision after her release, a year longer than probation officers had sought. The twin charges carried a maximum possible sentence of 25 years in prison. Obviously the court did what it thought was right, and frankly it's difficult to argue with the justice of the sentence," Portanova said. I'm not really surprised because I understand the court's analysis. ... To the extent the judge wanted to underline the wrongness of her actions and tattoo it further on her soul, he accomplished that for sure." Papini has never given a rational explanation for her behavior, which included months of careful planning before she disappeared and temporarily abandoned her children, who are most precious to her, Portanova said. Her actions stumped even independent mental health experts who said they didnt conform with any typical diagnosis. Portanova blamed it on what sounds like a fierce storm that was going on for a long time inside her head" but said she is now a changed woman. Papini offered no explanation during her brief, tearful comments to the judge before she was sentenced. I'm so sorry to the many people who have suffered because of me, she said. I am guilty, your honor. I am guilty of lying. I am guilty of dishonor, she said. What is done cannot be undone. It cannot be erased. But both the judge and Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Alegria said her comments were simply more manipulation. At this point she would say and do anything to mitigate her punishment, Alegria told Shubb. This case is serious and there have been very real harms to society." There was a community that lived in fear. ... Miss Papini took money from real victims, Alegria said. Victims of crimes may not believe they will be believed by law enforcement because of this hoax. Shubb said Papini's case is unique, to say the least, with little precedent to guide him on sentencing. Miss Papini is a manipulator, Shubb said. It's not as if Miss Papini has seen the error of her ways....If she had not been caught, she'd still be living the lie. Portanova said in a pre-sentence court filing that Papini was in pursuit of a non-sensical fantasy when she fled to a former boyfriend in Southern California, nearly 600 miles (966 kilometers) south of her home in Redding. He dropped her off along Interstate 5 about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from her home after she said she wanted to go home. Passersby found her with bindings on her body, a swollen nose, a blurred brand on her right shoulder, bruises and rashes across her body, ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, and burns on her left forearm. All of the injuries were self-inflicted and were designed to substantiate her story. The wounds were a manifestation of her unsettled masochism and self-inflicted penance, Portanova wrote. And once she began, each lie demanded another lie." After her arrest in March, Papini received more than $30,000 worth of psychiatric care for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. She billed the states victim compensation fund for the treatment and was ordered to pay it back as part of her restitution. As part of the plea agreement, she has agreed to reimburse law enforcement agencies more than $150,000 for the costs of the search for her and her nonexistent kidnappers, and repay the $128,000 she received in disability payments since her return. But Shubb said she is unlikely to ever be able to repay the money unless she wins the lottery. This story was corrected to reflect that the quoted court filing that begins Papinis painful early years... was written by her lawyer, Portanova, not someone named Portantini. According to information published by the Indian government on September 20, 2022, the sixth edition of the Japan India Maritime Exercise 2022, JIMEX 22 hosted by the Indian Navy concluded in the Bay of Bengal with the two sides bidding farewell to each other with a customary steam past. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Japanese JS Izumo and Indian Rajput class destroyer INS Ranvijay (Picture source: Indian government) Indian Naval ships led by Rear Adm Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Izumo and Takanami led by Rear Adm Hirata Toshiyuki, Commander Escort Flotilla Four, participated in the week-long exercise. JIMEX 22 witnessed some of the most complex exercises undertaken jointly by the two navies. Both sides engaged in advanced level anti-submarine warfare, weapon firings, and Air Defence exercises. Shipborne helicopters, fighter aircraft, and submarines also participated in the exercise. IN and JMSDF ships replenished each other at sea under the agreement on Reciprocal Provision for Supply and Services (RPSS). The exercise, which marked the tenth anniversary of JIMEX since its inception in 2012, consolidated the mutual understanding and interoperability between the two navies. About the destroyer INS Ranvijay INS Ranvijay is a Rajput-class destroyer in active service with the Indian Navy. Ranvijay was commissioned on 15 Jan 1988. The Rajput-class guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy are modified versions of Soviet Kashin-class destroyers. They are also known as Kashin-II class. The ships were built in the former Soviet Union after considerable Indian design modifications to the Kashin design. These included the replacement of the helicopter pad in the original design with a flight elevator, as well as major changes to the electronics and combat systems. Five units were built for export to India in the 1980s. All units are currently attached to the Eastern Naval Command. The INS Ranvija is armed with 8 Brahmos supersonic anti-ship missiles in aft VLS (Vertical Launching System) and four SS-N-2D Styx AShM anti-ship missiles in inclined launchers. Other armament includes Barak SAM 8 air defense cell launchers, S-125M (NATO: SA-N-1) SAM launcher, 76.2mm naval gun, AK-63M 30mm Close-In Weapon Systems, 533mm torpedo launcher, and RBU-6000 anti-submarine mortars. European governments have outlined new measures to cope with potential energy shortages this winter, Reuters reports. Spain has drawn up plans that could force energy-intensive industries to shut down during periods of peak demand, France said it was preparing to send gas to Germany starting in October, while Berlin said a European power plant was still negotiating state aid for utility Uniper. On Monday, German customers briefly reserved capacity to receive Russian gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the first time since the supply was cut off. But they soon abandoned the requests. European gas prices have more than doubled since the beginning of the year amid a decline in supplies from Russia. The German economy is already contracting and is likely to worsen in the winter months as gas consumption is cut or rationed, the country's central bank said. It added that the economy is likely to shrink even if direct rationing is avoided, as companies reduce or stop production. In France, natural gas exports to Germany could start around Oct. 10, the head of the French energy regulator CRE said after President Emmanuel Macron said the two EU neighbors would help each other with electricity and gas flows during the crisis. While French energy group EDF is rushing to repair corrosion-damaged nuclear reactors, "exceptional" measures this winter could include local blackouts if the winter is cold and EDF plans are delayed. But there will be no gas cuts for households. Spanish Industry Minister Reyes Maroto said that forcing energy-intensive companies to shut down during consumption peaks is an option to be considered this winter, if necessary. The companies would be financially compensated, she said. Finns were warned to be prepared for power outages. Finnish electricity retailer Karhu Voima Oy said it had filed for bankruptcy because of skyrocketing electricity prices. Europe's thermal coal imports in 2022 could be the highest in at least four years and could rise even more next year, analysts said Monday, underscoring the scale of the energy crisis. According to Noble Resources International Pte Ltd, European steam coal imports could rise to about 100 million tons this year, the highest since 2017, while commodity pricing agency Argus expects supplies to reach a four-year high. Meanwhile, oil prices fell more than 1 percent Monday under pressure from expectations of lower global demand and a stronger U.S. dollar ahead of a potentially significant interest-rate hike, though supply concerns limited the decline. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the US House of Representatives issued a statement Monday at the conclusion of her Congressional delegation trip to Yerevan, Armenia. The statement reads as follows: Our Congressional delegation traveled to Armenia, an important front in the battle between democracy and autocracy. Throughout our engagements in Yerevan, the capital, we conveyed a strong message of support for Armenias democracy and security, particularly following Azerbaijans offensive against Armenia. Our visit was planned before the September 12th initiation of hostilities. Members of the House Armenian Caucus Chairs Frank Pallone, Anna Eshoo, and Jackie Speier, and I began our visit by laying a wreath at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial. There, we prayed for the 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children murdered in the genocide. Congress is committed to ensuring that the truth of the genocide is never erased which is why, in 2019, we passed legislation to formally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, which President Biden echoed with his official recognition last year. It was a privilege to be awarded the Ambassador Henry Morgenthau medal from the Genocide Museum-Institute, which I accepted on behalf of the Congress for our work to recognize and raise awareness on the Armenian Genocide. Our delegation was honored to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other high-level government leaders, including Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan and Defense Minister Suren Papikyan. These engagements provided for an exchange of ideas on policies and actions to advance stability, peace, and prosperity in Armenia and the region. Important to our visit, our delegation then held a roundtable with civil society leaders, who expressed the concerns and needs of their people during this difficult time and shed their light on Armenias battle for its democracy and security. It was my honor to address those leaders in a speech at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, a crown jewel of Armenian culture, where I delivered a clear message of Americas commitment to Armenia. Later, we met with opposition leaders serving in the National Assembly. While there are disagreements about domestic policy, there was clear agreement among these leaders that Azerbaijan must immediately stop its aggression. Further informed and inspired by the reception that we received, our delegation returns to Washington proud and ready to advance the Congresss longstanding commitment to a democratic Armenia and a secure, peaceful Caucasus region. RBC: Number of cases for evading army in Russia from spring to announcement of mobilization reaches maximum in 10 years Minister: Italy will be able to survive winter with current level of gas flow, if 'catastrophic events' do not occur Russia extradites Norwegian accused of major fraud to Norway German power producer RWE to buy clean energy company for $6.8 billion Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs start meeting in Geneva Eslami: Iran's nuclear power generation capacity is scheduled to reach 10,000 megawatts Spanish MP to Ursula von der Leyen about murder of Armenian POWs: And this is your reliable partner? Armenian FM discusses video of execution of Armenian POWs with Philip Reeker Bloomberg: OPEC+ group to consider cutting oil production by more than 1 million barrels per day Delegation from Bundestag arrives in Taiwan: China protests Secretary of Armenian Security Council to go on working visit to Brussels Afghan authorities disperse women's rally in Herat Pope appeals to Vladimir Putin to 'stop this spiral of violence and death' Crown Prince of Kuwait accepts resignation of government after parliamentary elections in country Armenian FM meets with EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar in Geneva Former Ombudsman: Armenia must immediately apply to International Criminal Court Address by Alen Simonyan to National Minorities: You have been and continue to be members of our extended family Denmark declares gas leakage in damaged Nord Stream 1 pipeline stopped Ombudsman's Office about video of Armenian soldiers' shooting: We have identified the authenticity of the video Liz Truss says she should have done more to set stage for her economic plan Foreign Ministry: Armenia demands clear evaluation of blatant war crimes by Azerbaijani Armed Forces Pashinyan: Armenia will use all available international mechanisms to bring Azerbaijan to justice Latvian Prime Minister's Party wins parliamentary elections Marukyan: Azerbaijani political and military authorities must be hold accountable for this and other atrocities Armenian PM sends congratulatory message on National Minorities Day Applications to international courts will be filed tomorrow in connection with shooting of Armenian POWs Bosnia holds presidential and parliamentary elections Armenian Defense Ministry on video of execution of Armenian POWs: No doubts about authenticity Le Figaro: International media and authorities verify gruesome video of execution of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijanis Brazil's presidential and parliamentary elections begin Toivo Klaar: Another horrible video has emerged of Armenian prisoners of war apparently being executed Blinken says U.S. will help Ukraine on issue of territories Defense Ministry: As of 10 am, situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border remains unchanged At least 129 killed in stampede at football match in Indonesia EU leaders to discuss security of their critical infrastructure Lebanon says it received proposal from US for maritime border agreement with Israel Italy's Eni works with Gazprom to solve the problem of Russian gas supplies stoppage Prime Minister: There are problems in relations between OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs France can supply Ukraine with up to twelve new Caesar howitzers Over half of Britons think Liz Truss should step down as PM Kyiv's bid for accelerated NATO membership comes as surprise to Biden administration Baykar plant in Ukraine to start assembling high-altitude UAV model Bayraktar Akinci Erdogan sues German MP for calling him cesspool rat OSCE may send mission to Armenian-Azerbaijani border Erdogan doesn't rule out meeting with Pashinyan Armenian Defense Ministry urges to stop collecting food, clothing, money for servicemen Kuwait government tenders resignation following parliamentary elections Joint command and staff exercise held during CSTO military exercises in Kazakhstan Over 30 killed in Iran terrorist attack Aliyev announces plans to double Azerbaijan natural gas supply to Europe by 2027 Pashinyan: I am confident that Armenia-Cyprus cooperation will continue to be strengthened, expanded Finland, Sweden, Turkey may discuss NATO membership process this month Artsakh security council meeting to be held at parliamentary forces proposal US court orders Iran to pay $34.8M in compensation to late journalists family Armenian parliament speaker to leave for Moscow Hurricane Ian death toll exceeds 40 in Florida Armenian community stages protest ahead of Azerbaijan presidents Bulgaria visit (PHOTOS) California Governor signs bill declaring April 24 state holiday in remembrance of Armenian Genocide 2 Azerbaijanis severely injured after stepping on landmine in Karabakh FM: Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan Turkey does not recognize joining of 4 regions to Russia South Korea leader threatens with crushing response to North if it uses nuclear weapons Group of soldiers stage coup in Burkina Faso Biden signs law providing $12.4bn in additional aid to Ukraine Japan envoy to Armenia expresses concern about current situation after recent Azerbaijan military aggression Nicaragua severs diplomatic ties with Netherlands Armenia PM congratulates on 73rd anniversary of People's Republic of China World Bank approves additional $530M in aid to Ukraine Newspaper: Russians getting familiarized with options Armenia is discussing with the West Armenia soldier, 19, found dead in combat position Newspaper: Artsakh, Azerbaijan representatives to negotiate with each other? Italy strengthens naval surveillance and control of pipelines Russia vetoes UN Security Council draft resolution that does not recognize unification of new territories In phone conversation with Erdogan, Putin gives principled assessment of sabotage of Nord Streams First African-American woman to officially join U.S. Supreme Court Biden warns Putin that he will not get away with annexation of new territories to Russia U.S. Congress approves $12.3 billion in aid for Ukraine 'Armenian Crossroads': Pashinyan talks about difficulties in unblocking communications with Azerbaijan Pashinyan: Russian authorities must not take actions which cast doubt on sincerity of official positions Pashinyan: Next session of delimitation and demarcation working group to be held in November Nikol Pashinyan does not rule out meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Prague Blinken: U.S. will take action in UN Security Council to hold Russia accountable for referendums Defense Ministry: As of 10 pm situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border remains unchanged Pashinyan: Statement of Ministry of Defense says Russian Federation, but my statement does not say anything about Russia Israel says it will not recognize results of referendums on annexation of new territories to Russia Germany allowed arms exports to Saudi Arabia Putin speaks at rally-concert on Red Square: We know to whom we owe today Pashinyan: Nancy Pelosi's visit to Armenia is not anti-Russian Stoltenberg: Ukraine's admission to NATO requires consent of all members of alliance Pashinyan about Ter-Petrosyan's proposal: Quite wide range of people are aware of negotiation process Pashinyan: We don't close door to anyone Pashinyan: It is impossible to speak of memorial service for era of peace that has not yet begun Pashinyan: Names of deceased should be published through institutionally planned mechanism Japan spends record 2.8 trillion yen on interventions in foreign exchange market Nikol Pashinyan interviews with Public Television Poghosyan: During global rift, Armenia may have to choose one side U.S. imposes sanctions against Armenian company Taco LLC for supporting Russia MFA: Armenia repeatedly proposes mirror withdrawal of troops US keeps stealing Syrian oil Zelenskyy: Ukraine will not negotiate with Russia as long as Putin is president Bookings from Saudi Arabia for travel between September 22 and 25, ahead of Saudi National Day on September 22 soared by 141% in August compared to the previous month, according to Skyscanner, a leading travel marketplace. In the last week alone, week commencing 5 September, bookings for the Saudi National Day holiday period increased by 40%, revealing the appetite for those last-minute and spontaneous breaks. Top trending destinations ahead of Saudi National Day: Top trending redirect (booking) country destinations for Saudi travellers for Saudi National Day: 1. Turkiye 2. Egypt 3. India 4. UAE 5. Thailand Top trending redirect (booking) city destinations for Saudi travellers for Saudi National Day: 1. Istanbul 2. Cairo 3. Bangkok 4. Dubai 5. London Top emerging destinations for Saudi travellers in 2022: 1. Thailand + 209% 2. Albania + 125% 3. Portugal +57% 4. Austria +60% 5. Maldives +30% Skyscanners Travel Expert, Ayoub El Mamoun, said: As the Saudi National Day holiday approaches, its clear that travellers are keen to make the most of their annual leave with a long weekend break away. In fact, weve seen bookings increase for the Saudi National Day holiday period by 141% in August with destinations including Istanbul, Cairo and Bangkok the most popular for Saudi travellers. For travellers looking to book a last-minute break away, a Skyscanner Everywhere search is one of the easiest ways to get inspired to book a spontaneous break away. Ordered by price, a search to Everywhere gives travellers the very cheapest way to get away this autumn and beyond, enabling easy exploration of all the options available across hundreds of destinations. If you know your preferred destination, but are flexible on dates, use Skyscanners whole month tool to see the best value deals at a glance and pick the right deal for you. Top tips to find the best travel deals for Saudi National Day and beyond according to Ayoub El Mamoun, Skyscanners Travel Expert: Mix and match to make big savings: Mix and matching the airlines you choose to fly with can seriously cut costs. Fares dont have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another or out of one airport and back into another. Flex those dates: Searching by multiple dates and airports will give you the best chance of a bargain. Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. The whole month search tool allows you to see cheap flights at a glance and pick the right deal for you. Consider travelling a day before or a day after your original departure dates, flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper. Wanderlust calling: If you dont have a fixed destination in mind, you can search Everywhere on Skyscanner - its a great way to see whats available, ordered by price, and can inspire you to go somewhere youve never been before. Live deals (22-25 September) using Skyscanner Everywhere search:***** UAE from SR827 ($220) Egypt from SR881 Jordan from SR887 Turkiye from SR1,282 Bahrain from SR1,413 Switzerland from SR1,818 TradeArabia News Service YEREVAN. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on Monday had a meeting with Foreign Minister of Poland, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Zbigniew Rau on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am The Foreign Minister of Armenia briefed his counterpart on the details of the recent military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, considering unacceptable the targeting of civilian population and infrastructures and gross violations of international and humanitarian law. Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that with such actions, Azerbaijan clearly undermines the processes of establishing peace and stability in the region, particularly noting the importance of targeted and clear condemnation by the international community, including the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office. The urgency of implementing the existing mechanisms within the OSCE framework was also highlighted. The Armenian side stressed that the large-scale military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia grossly violates fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act. During the meeting, the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in promoting the peace process aimed at the comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was emphasized. Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, has been named the official Airline Sponsor of Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022, which is likely to see participation from 18,000 attendees. The aviation & aerospace exhibition runs from November 1 to 3 at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi. The airline will also support one of the key panel discussions: Making Aviation Green: Sustainability in the Aviation Ecosystem. The Abu Dhabi Air Expo supports development of Abu Dhabi as an aviation hub for general, business and commercial aviation. The conference will bring together insight and knowledge from local and international stakeholders to deliver engaging content, inspire new thinking and encourage aerospace development by attracting new players to the region. As the Environmental Airline of the Year we are proud to add our voice to the sustainability panel and this critical discussion around the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. We hope to influence others from industry to individuals - to encourage everyone to play their part in protecting our planet, said Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. This has been an excellent year for Etihad with record-breaking results for the first half of the year. With this positive outlook, were looking forward to welcoming the aviation industry to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Air Expo this November, concluded Douglas. Etihad Airways, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is world renowned for its service standards and operational capabilities. They also understand the strengths of the areas aviation infrastructure and we thank them for their support and their example, said Didier Mary, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Air Expo. Air Expo 2022 is a unique platform that brings together aviation and aerospace industry leaders and seasoned professionals with aviation enthusiasts, customers and students to network, exchange ideas and showcase the latest thinking, technology and equipment in general aviation. The 80,000 square metre exhibition is expected to attract 20,000 visitors and host more than 300 manufacturers and suppliers. The three-day Air Expo event will feature the latest innovations in private jet aircraft, helicopters, executive charter services, airport equipment and services, avionics systems, insurance and financing. Over 80 aircraft from ultra-light to heavy jets will be on display for delegates seeking out a variety of aircraft and aviation-related services. This years event will include a new format that divides the exhibition into three main areas: aircraft hangar, chalets and outdoor static display. It will also feature a conference program providing industry thought leaders a forum to share the latest thinking on general aviation and aerospace developments. TradeArabia News Service STEPANAKERT. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Minister of Foreign Affairs David Babayan on Monday participated in an event organized by the Armenian National Committee of the USA Eastern Region, the Armenian Assembly of America, and the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issuesat the U.S. Congress in Washington, DC. Minister Babayan delivered a speech at the event, touching upon the possible developments in the Caucasus region, the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and the current situation in Artsakh, the latters ministry of foreign affairs informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. The Minister noted that the position of official Stepanakert on the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict had remained unchanged: Artsakh considers important the peaceful negotiation process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, with the full-fledged participation of Artsakh. David Babayan also underlined that Artsakh would never be a part of Azerbaijan, stressing that the aggressive and genocidal policy of dictatorial Azerbaijan, Turkey, and international terrorists towards Artsakh is fraught with serious challenges, and the indifference, moreover, the encouragement of the militant policy would generate existential threats for the entire civilized world. Speaking about the Armenian community of America, the Artsakh FM noted that it is one of the strongest and most established segments of the Armenian diaspora. David Babayan also expressed his gratitude to the U.S. people and Government for their special attitude towards American Armenians. During the event, the Artsakh FM highly appreciated the activities of the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in protecting the rights of the people of Artsakh and condemning the aggressive policy of Turkey and Azerbaijan, considering it an exemplary manifestation of the principles of democracy and humanity. Azerbaijan's Armenophobic policy is based on religious and ethnic basis; this is manifested in the form of crimes encouraged by the countrys authorities. The former Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, told reporters about this Tuesday. He noted that the scenario of the four-day war in April 2016 and the 44-day in the fall of 2020 war is being repeated today, and footage of the brutal treatment of Armenians by Azerbaijanis is being disseminated again. According to him, this policy of the Azerbaijani authorities will not change because it is the guarantee of maintaining their rule, whereas the disappearance of the image of a foreign enemy will be their end. "It is necessary to ensure that the highest authorities of Azerbaijan are subjected to international criminal accountability. Now we are translating the videos about the atrocities of Azerbaijanis from Azerbaijani into foreign languages. We are in a war situation every day, Azerbaijan continues to strengthen its positions," concluded the former ombudsman of Armenia. The Azerbaijani side on Tuesday transferred the bodies of 95 more fallen Armenian servicemen to Armenia. Armenian News-NEWS.am learned about this from Aram Torosyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia. And asked whether the number of these returned bodies is included in the total number of Armenian casualties and missing persons publicized Monday by the Security Council of Armenia, Torosyan said: "Yes." The number of Armenian casualties and missing persons as a result of the military aggression last week by the Azerbaijani side has reached 207, including 3 civilians killed, 2 civilians are considered missing, 293 servicemen and 3 civilians were wounded, and 20 servicemen were taken prisoner by Azerbaijan. On September 17, the Azerbaijani side had transferred the bodies of 32 fallen Armenian soldiers to the Armenian side. At 12:05am on September 13, the Azerbaijani armed forces started to fire intensively, from artillery and large-caliber firearms, at the Armenian combat positions along the border; they used UAVs as well. The adversary attacked both military and civilian objects in Armenia, and carried out positional advancement in some directions. According to the Armenian MOD, as of 8pm on September 14, the fire virtually stopped. CSTO is taking measures to reduce tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said when he addressed foreign ambassadors at a credentials ceremony held in the Kremlin on Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported. Armenian Ambassador Vagarshak Harutyunyan also presented his credentials to the Russian president. "I would like to note that measures are being taken by the organization in connection with the aggravation of the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area. A special mission led by the CSTO Secretary General has been sent to the confrontation zone. It has been charged to prepare proposals for the Council of Collective Security based on the results of the study of the situation," the Russian leader said. According to Vladimir Putin, any conflict situations between states close to Russia are of serious concern. "We call on everyone to show restraint, strictly observe the ceasefire and firmly follow the trilateral statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia," Putin said. He noted that one should proceed from the fact that the key to a solution is in professional, joint work within the framework of a bilateral commission on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border with Russia's advisory assistance. In response to prime minister Modis appeal to his party to embark on Pasmanda Sneh Yatras, leaders from the Pasmanda community stated that the community required dignity and material equality, not affection. Riya Talitha | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles NEW DELHI Intellectuals and leaders from backward communities came together in the national capital on Sunday to send a categorical response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that their communities need samman (respect) and not sneh (affection). Their reply comes months after prime minister Modi had asked BJP leaders to take out sneh yatras to woo pasmanda (backward) Muslims towards the saffron party. Ali Anwar Ansari, former Member of Parliament, and one of the founders of the backward Muslim politics in Bihar was the keynote speaker at the conference. Pasmanda isnt a sect. Pasmanda isnt a caste or a religion. Pasmanda is a community, Anwar said at the Pasmanda-Bahujan Daavedari Conference. Building on his open letter in response to the PMs exhortation towards his party to embark on Pasmanda Sneh Yatras, Anwar passionately reiterated that the community required dignity and material equality, that is, saamaan, and not sneh. While speaking to a packed audience from academia, journalism, law and politics, at the Constitution Club, Anwar made a crucial point about vocabulary, reminding them of the intellectual heritage of terms like Dalit and Pasmanda, which were created to articulate political identities and self-respect. As head of the AIPMM and an OBC Muslim himself, Ali Anwar is intimately aware of his causes critics, some of whom are from the Muslim community and who think that groups like his own are un-Islamic and divisive. He took the opportunity to refute those claims, saying that the fight for Pasmanda Muslims is the very heart of Islam. We arent asking for special privileges; we are asking for the rights promised to us in the Constitution, says Anwar to wide applause. Anwar founded the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz ( the front for backward Muslims) in Patna, Bihar, in 1998, as a socio-political reform organisation seeking to liberate and empower backward caste Muslims and seek an alliance with other backward communities for larger goals of realizing equality. Alongside the AIPMM, the nineties saw the advent of anti-caste movements in Muslim society, such as Ejaz Alis All India Backward Muslim Morcha, Shabbir Ansaris All India Muslim OBC Organisation in Maharashtra, as well a few other smaller groups. Activist and journalist Sheeba Aslam Fehmi who was the only woman on the entire panel of over ten speakers spoke about the deep casteist nature of right-wing violence. Drawing from her long career in journalism and academia, as well as her personal experience of cyber-harassment, Fehmi is uniquely positioned to make the claims and arguments she makes about the nature of the right-wing Hindu ecosystem, particularly its misogyny. She also reiterated the point that the majority of those who face the brunt of Islamaphobic violence, such as lynching, riots, pogroms, and hate crimes, are from Pasmanda communities. BJP wooing Pasmanda Muslims Earlier this year, at the BJP national executive conclave in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took particular care to address the Pasmanda communities and emphasise the need for their inclusion and upliftment. Uttar Pradeshs Yogi Adityanath government responded to this directive by appointing a pasmanda Muslim party official, Danish Ansari, as Minister of State for Minority Affairs in his government. The BJP has initiated its efforts to woo backward Muslims as they constitute the majority of the minority community in the state. As part of this strategy, the party has included several pasmanda leaders in significant positions in the party like that of the State Minority Commission Chairperson Ashfaq Saifi, Madarsa Board chairperson Iftikhar Ahmed Javed and Urdu Academy Chairperson Chaudhary Kaiful Wara. The fact that the party did not field even a single Muslim candidate in the recent assembly elections stands as a contrast to this commitment. Caste census is essential The speakers included Prof. Ajay Kumar Dubey, Dr Hilal Ahmed, Prof. Suraj Mandal, Dr Tanveer Ejaz, Dr Mukesh Kumar, Prof. Ratan Lal, journalist Dilip Mondal, senior advocate Dipak Singh and Birendra Kumar. The speakers sat side by side, at a long table, under a large light blue banner displaying the conference name, organising group and the slogans Pasmanda is not merely a vote-bank, it is a part of the fight for Equality and Justice and Invading Communalism, Corporate loot, Bulldozer Raj in the Battle for, Unity, Secularism and Democracy. They dove headfirst into addressing the structural issues facing the communities that make up the Pasmanda classifications. A common strain multiple speakers emphasised was the need for solidarity between Pasmanda Muslims and other marginalised groups like Dalits, Adivasis and other religious minorities. They also spoke on the particular animosity and contempt faced by Christians and Muslims as both faiths are considered foreign according to Hindutva matrices and propaganda. As Professor Ratan Lal put it, its important to know who your enemies are and who stands with you. Professor Hilal Ahmed illuminated the political calculations taken by political parties to ensure electoral victories, drawing from his research at CSDS. Quoting Ambedkars seminal Annihilation of Caste, he explained the importance of transforming society over merely aiming to change what party is currently in power. Dr Tanveer Ejaz spoke on the labour economy of Pasmandas, pointing out that despite them being the communities that participate in production and labour, 40% are below the poverty line a statistic that has only been further exacerbated after the pandemic. In an essay published in IndiaSpend, scholar Khalid Asis Ansari explains the sheer diversity of Muslim occupational or jati groups like Dhuniya (cotton carders), Lohar (ironsmiths), Julaha (weaver), Raeen (vegetable sellers), Manihar (bangle makers), Dhobi (launderers), Halalkhors (sweepers), Ossans (barbers), Van Gujjars, etc,. There are around seven hundred such groups, despite which, according to Ansari, Ashraf (upper-caste culture) devalues the Pasmanda lifeworlds because of their folk, syncretic cultural and labour practices. Both Suraj Mandal and Dilip Kumar devoted large portions of their speeches to laying out how essential a caste census is, for accurate research, preventing misinformation on demographic statistics used to inflate communal tensions, aiding proper planning and implementation of welfare policies, and combating divisive election strategies. Just a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to provide its current stand on extending the benefits of reservation available to the Scheduled Castes to Christians and Muslims in response to a petition originally filed eighteen years ago. Multiple speakers referenced this contentious issue, and it was made clear that a current caste census will help in providing indisputable proof of the policys necessity, without which its detractors (both Hindu and Muslim) do not seem likely to sway. The conference ended with loud cheers, acknowledging the work ahead in criticizing the ruling party, raising awareness among the Pasmanda communities more effectively and building solidarity among other marginalized groups. The AIPMM plans to keep travelling around North India, organizing conferences, rallies and other public events. Riya Talitha is a fellow at the SEEDS-TCN Mentorship Program. The Russian business investment projects, the total amount of which is about $1 billion dollars, will remain in force in Armenia. Dmitry Volvach, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, told about this to a press conference Tuesday. According to him, such intentions of the Russian business were announced a year ago, but this package has changed now. "Some companies have reviewed their projects, some canceled [them] altogether. Instead, new ones have appeared. However, the total amount is approximately the same. There is a willingness to make investments, and we are working with our Armenian partners to create more comfortable conditions," the Russian deputy minister of economic development emphasized. Volvach added that Russian business is ready to invest in Armenia even in the current instability. "It knows that Russian-Armenian relations are being built for the strengthening of both countries and for a very long-term perspective. There are dozens of such investment projects," the Russian official assured. Russian and Armenian businessmen will launch a business council. Dmitry Volvach, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, told about this to a press conference Tuesday. He added that a center for strategic development of public administration will be established, too. Moreover, the Russian official explained that there was an Armenian-Russian business council before, too. "Its just that now its work will be intensified. We will receive signals about the problems and work on them to improve the business climate in our countries," explained Volvach. According to him, the Russian agency for small and medium-sized businesses is ready to provide such support to small businesses that do not have enough resources to find and establish business contacts. The Russian deputy minister of economic development added that, as a rule, only large companies have such resources. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Kristinne Grigoryan, on Tuesday received US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, and several representatives of the US Embassy in Yerevan, the Office of the Human Rights Defender informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. The Ambassador specifically thanked Grigoryan and the Human Rights Defenders Office for the large-scale and beneficial work they conducted during these days. Kristinne Grigoryan informed the Ambassador about the damage caused to the civilian population and civilian infrastructure as a result of the Azerbaijani military attack on Armenia, as well as other acts prohibited by International Humanitarian Law. The Defender also presented to the Ambassador about the crimes committed by Azerbaijani servicemen against Armenian prisoners of war and the bodies of killed Armenian servicemen; the Defender also referred to the cause of these crimes, which is the state-sponsored policy of Armenophobia by the highest authorities of Azerbaijan. The Defender also presented to the Ambassador the printed version of the ad hoc report of the Human Rights Defender, which analyzes the facts of the gross violations of human rights during and as a result of the Azerbaijani military attack. The Ambassador of the United States highlighted the fact that the Human Rights Defenders Office provided information to its partners, and put diligent efforts to verify the collected information since the beginning of the Azerbaijani military attack. The Defender also presented the conclusions of the visits conducted by the fact-finding groups of the Human Rights defenders Office to Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik Provinces. Moreover, the Defender noted that it is particularly important for Armenia international partners to familiarize themselves with the situation on-site, to hold conversations with the residents, inter allia, and to realize the humanitarian and psychological consequences of the Azerbaijani military attack. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Defender thanked the Ambassador for the constant effective communication and for the high level of cooperation. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the breaking news as of 20.09.22: Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan & Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met in New York with the mediation of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The meeting was organized at the initiative of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York following Azerbaijans large-scale attack on Armenian territory. During the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that Azerbaijani Armed Forces must be withdrawn from the sovereign territory of Armenia & that the use of force or the threat of force is unacceptable. Meanwhile, international mechanisms must be introduced to prevent further escalations. FM Mirzoyan highlighted the importance of immediate resolution of humanitarian issues, including the repatriation of POWs. Mirzoyan reiterated the readiness of the Armenian side to be involved in the process of comprehensive normalization of relations. Blinken said a strong, sustained diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone. Blinken began by offering his condolences to the families & friends of those who died or were wounded in the recent fighting last week. He said the United States is prepared to do whatever it can to support these efforts. The sides also discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month. The Azerbaijani side on Tuesday transferred the bodies of 95 more fallen Armenian soldiers to Armenia, Aram Torosyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia reported. The number of Armenian casualties and missing persons as a result of the military aggression last week by the Azerbaijani side has reached 207, including 3 civilians killed, 2 civilians are considered missing, 293 servicemen and 3 civilians were wounded, and 20 servicemen were taken prisoner by Azerbaijan. On September 17, the Azerbaijani side had transferred the bodies of 32 fallen Armenian soldiers to the Armenian side. A delegation, led by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will visit Armenia on October 4-5. The Prime Minister of Armenia has made a respective decision by which the visit of this delegation to Armenia will be ensured. In particular, it has been instructed to prepare the program of this visit, and to ensure the implementation of events, etc. during the guests stay in Armenia. CSTO is taking measures to reduce tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said addressing foreign ambassadors at a credentials ceremony held in the Kremlin on Tuesday. Armenian Ambassador Vagarshak Harutyunyan also presented his credentials to the Russian president. According to Vladimir Putin, any conflict situations between states close to Russia are of serious concern. "We call on everyone to show restraint, strictly observe the ceasefire and firmly follow the trilateral statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia," Putin said. Putin also congratulated the Armenian people on the upcoming Independence Day anniversary, and noted that Russia and Armenia are close friends and strategic allies. In his statement, Putin noted that Russia and Armenia continue their intensive political dialogue. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed a decision to make preparations for the visit to Armenia by a delegation led by Secretary General Stanislav Zas of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The decision adds that this delegation will visit Armenia from Tuesday to Sunday. Georgia is ready to act as a mediator for the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the borders of which there was an escalation last week, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili told reporters. "Georgia has always been ready to offer the country to our southern neighbors as a place where they can start a dialogue to strengthen peace. Our country's proposal in this regard is in effect again. If there is a need for our country to be engaged in the process as a mediator, we are always ready," he added. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell does not believe that a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will be productive on the margins of the UNGA. In an interview with POLITICO on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Borrell said the EU has been pushing all parties to finally run the last 10 meters in the process to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement. But he can't predict any serious progress on the issue anytime soon amid ongoing EU-led negotiations. "The activity between the parties was improving the result. But in the last weeks, this was not the case. Now we are at a stalemate. Now we are stopped," Borrell said. "The past proposal, the last request from the Iranian side, was not exactly pushing for an agreement and if we had to say today if something happened this week, I would say I dont think so." Asked by POLITICO if he was ready to meet with Raisi, who is also in New York for the General Assembly, Borrell noted that he went to Tehran in June to try to unblock the process: "They promised me, they went to Doha. They went to Vienna. He added: I dont think its something that can be solved meeting the president." EU Iran Representative Enrique Mora is also attending the UN General Assembly, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also in New York, though the State Department downplayed any possibility of a face-to-face meeting with Iranian representatives. Raisi is accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani. Privately, other officials are also pessimistic about a breakthrough deal ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, given the political sensitivity of the issue, and Republicans and even members of the Democratic Party are skeptical about restoring the deal because of fears that it would be weaker than the original 2015 agreement. Under U.S. law, Congress also has 30 days to consider any new agreement with Iran. Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer said he thinks the clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan at some level may continue. But it is difficult to say whether there will be an escalation or not, he told NEWS.am. Felgenhauer said there is always tension between the parties to the conflict and it often escalates into a serious escalation, which has happened recently. Hundreds of people killed as a result of the conflict, in his estimation, it is not very similar to skirmishes, it is already serious hostilities, but they did not pursue a decisive goal on either side. "The Armenians didn't try to go on the offensive and liberate Shushi, and the Azerbaijanis didn't seem to intend to march on Yerevan and dictate the terms of the end of the war there either. It seems that neither side has set decisive goals, but some intermediate ones," the expert added. Felgenhauer believes that the level of fighting was quite serious, although, as far as one can tell, there were no massive movements of troops or serious breakthroughs. "The level of aggravation in the future will depend on the parties' plans, political intentions, but in general such conflicts do not end so quickly, especially since no political decisions have actually been made. It shows that the situation after the conflict is not much different from the situation before the current aggravation," he said. The expert reminded that the conflict itself has been going on since the Karabakh movement began in the mid-1980s. All the serious problems, according to his estimations, are still unresolved, thus, the clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are inevitable in the future. Starting from September 13, the Azerbaijani armed forces started intensive shelling of Armenian positions from artillery and large-caliber small arms in the direction of Goris, Sotk and Jermuk. The enemy also used UAVs. Later, Azerbaijan used artillery in other directions as well. Azerbaijan's aggressive actions continued for several days. According to official data, the number of casualties from the Armenian side is 135 people. As a result of the enemy's aggression the civilians suffered and more than 200 civil objects were destroyed. Several thousands of them fled their homes. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Mirzoyan presented in detail to his counterpart the situation created as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia on 13 September, touching upon the violations of international and humanitarian law by Azerbaijan and stressing the inadmissibility of the policy of force or the threat of force and coercion by Azerbaijan. The necessity of targeted response and active steps of international community against Azerbaijan's unconstructive approaches was also stressed. Ararat Mirzoyan and Nikola Selakovic expressed satisfaction with the positive dynamics of the political dialogue between the two countries and stressed the importance of joint efforts to expand the bilateral agenda. The interlocutors also touched upon issues related to cooperation in international organizations and exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues. During the meeting, issues related to the normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations were also discussed. CORAL GABLES, Florida (September 20, 2022) International arbitration lawyer Anastasiia Sydorenko had settled into working as an associate with a prominent local law firm in Kyiv in commercial disputes and trade matters when Russia invaded her country February 24. The recent graduate with a bachelor's and master's degree in law from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and mother, brother, aunt, and cousin escaped to Berlin, Germany, as the 24-year-old's legal priority shifted to contributing to the postwar restoration of Ukraine. (Her father stayed behind in the countryside with his parents to support the war effort.) Scholarship and support Soon after the invasion, Miami Law announced two full scholarship opportunities to graduates of a Ukrainian law school. Additionally, the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP partnered with a gift to create the Orrick Graduate Law Student Support Fund at Miami Law to provide financial assistance for fees and living expenses to Miami Law graduate students pursuing an LL.M. degree who are experiencing financial and other personal hardship due to events in Ukraine. Orrick also is planning to provide mentorship support to these students. The fund provides financial assistance for fees and living expenses to graduate students pursuing an LL.M. degree at Miami Law who are experiencing financial or other personal hardship due to events in Ukraine. "This is a global humanitarian crisis and our team felt compelled to take action," said Siobhan Handley, chief talent officer for the San Francisco-headquartered international law firm. "Of course, we have team members and clients with ties to Ukraine, although it goes beyond that. Witnessing the bravery and perseverance of the Ukrainian people only strengthened our commitment. Can you imagine being a Ukrainian law student today? Their education will enable them to play a leading role their nation's recovery and it's an honor to be able to support that and to do it with Miami Law." Miami Law will welcome a second student under its scholarship program in support of graduates of Ukrainian law schools in spring 2023 to one of its international LL.M. programs, where the student will study and write on topics related to armed conflict and its aftermath, including the law of war, the use of force, humanitarian law, transitional justice, and international criminal law, as well as the effects of war on global commerce, contracts, and investments. As part of this scholarship program, Miami Law is offering a full-tuition scholarship (current value $58,300). "We all have to do our part to show our support for Ukraine," Professor Caroline M. Bradley, Dean's Distinguished Scholar and associate dean for International and Graduate Law Programs. With one of the largest number of faculty members who teach or do scholarly research in the area of international law of any American law school, the University of Miami School of Law is renowned for its global and international law programs. With an extensive course catalog in international, foreign, and comparative law, Miami Law prepares students to work in a transnational global environment, address significant international law issues, and practice and engage with global policy issues. "We believe that our strong international programs and our faculty expertise in international law, international human rights, international finance and trade, and international dispute resolution, among other subjects, can really benefit Ukrainian law graduates looking to contribute scholarly work that can support the heroic efforts of Ukrainian people now and in the future," said Bradley. Miami Law supports additional Ukrainian students by facilitating job opportunities on campus and with law firms, with generous scholarships, and by distributing funds raised through a 'Canefunder campaign for Ukraine. "The Russian war irreversibly changed our perception of the modern world, and so it did to my personal priorities," said Sydorenko, the first recipient of the scholarship and Orrick support funds. "When the naked evil revealed itself in the 21st century at the heart of Europe, ruthlessly jeopardizing all the values which determined the life on this planet since the World War II, the Ukrainian people are standing up to protect these values at the incommensurably high price." "My country and the Ukrainian people deserve the best once the peace comes. I am sure that the study and training at the University of Miami School of Law will let me deepen and broaden the expertise in the field of international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in general. As a result, I will be able to bring the best world practices, combined with my previous experience as Ukrainian law-trained lawyer, to the legal market of my country," Sydorenko said. # # # # The University of Miamis mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. www.miami.edu The University of Miami School of Laws mission is to foster the intellectual discipline, creativity, and critical skills that will prepare its graduates for the highest standards of professional competence in the practice of law in a global environment subject to continual and not always predictable transformation; to cultivate a broad range of legal and interdisciplinary scholarship that, working at the cutting edge of its field, enhances the development of law and legal doctrine and deepens societys understanding of law and its role in society; and to fulfill the legal professions historic duty to promote the interests of justice. www.law.miami.edu Kabul frees American in exchange for Taliban ally Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi speaks at a press conference. Photo: AFP An American navy veteran detained in Afghanistan since 2020 was released in exchange for a Taliban ally imprisoned in the United States for heroin smuggling, US and Afghan officials announced on Monday. The Taliban government freed Mark Frerichs, who was working as a civil engineer on construction projects in Afghanistan when he was detained 31 months ago. The US government, meanwhile, released Bashar Noorzai, a former regional strongman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in an American court 17 years ago for smuggling large amounts of heroin. "After long negotiations, US citizen Mark Frerichs was handed over to an American delegation and that delegation handed over (Noorzai) to us today at Kabul airport," Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a press conference. "We are happy that at Kabul International Airport, in the capital of Afghanistan, we witnessed the wonderful ceremony of one of our compatriots returning home." Frerichs, meanwhile, flew to Qatar, a US official said, adding that he was "in stable health." "Today, we have secured the release of Mark Frerichs, and he will soon be home," US President Joe Biden said in a statement. "Bringing the negotiations that led to Mark's freedom to a successful resolution required difficult decisions, which I did not take lightly," he said. Qatari officials confirmed they played a months-long role in securing the veteran's freedom. The US government gave no other details, but diplomats told AFP that Qatar had helped US officials step up contacts with the Taliban in the months after Washington withdrew from Afghanistan. "This is one result of those contacts," a diplomat said. (AFP) Politics back as UK's new PM makes debut trip to UN At the UN, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will seek to spur further international action to end energy dependence on Russia. File photo: AP Hours after delivering a sombre reading at Monday's funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss flew to stage her debut at the UN General Assembly. In New York this week, Boris Johnson's successor is due to meet US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron two leaders who are antagonistic towards Truss's hard line on Brexit and Northern Ireland. Truss was appointed on September 6, in one of Queen Elizabeth II's final ceremonial acts as head of state. She died two days later, triggering 10 days of national mourning during which UK political life was suspended. The respite will prove short-lived as Truss thrusts into hard-nosed diplomacy, and as her nascent government tackles a cost-of-living crisis brought on by Russia's war in Ukraine that is hurting millions at home. She is due back in London on Thursday, a day before finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng delivers an emergency budget statement after the government vowed a costly scheme to cap rocketing energy bills. At the UN, Truss will seek to "spur further international action to end energy dependence on Russia, making sure the world is never in this position again", her spokesman told reporters. She will also build on Johnson's outspoken support for Ukraine, because "the whole world suffers when a regime like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's is allowed to bully and blackmail its neighbours", the spokesman said. In her keynote speech to the UN on Wednesday, Truss is expected to say that the UK will remain "an active defender of our democratic values" against authoritarian foes. Truss was meant to meet Biden in London on Sunday, for a courtesy meeting on the margins of the queen's state funeral. That was deferred to enable full bilateral talks in New York. While the president paid fulsome tribute to Elizabeth II, his administration is fretting as her namesake prime minister threatens to rip up post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland. Truss also ruffled cross-Channel feathers when, campaigning for the Conservative party leadership last month, she said "the jury's out" on whether Macron was a "friend or foe" to Britain. The French president, in contrast, came to London for the state funeral to underline the "unbreakable" bond between France and Britain, aides said. (AFP) The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed an appeal by Tata Sons Private Ltd to grant an ad-interim injunction against Hakunamatata Tata Founders and others using the former's trademark for doing online trading in cryptocurrency 'TATA Coin.' A bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Ohri and Mukta Gupta, in the order, noted that "the appellant (Tata) is known for the quality of its goods and services. Any dubious and inferior products sold through the respondents' website, using the appellant's trademark, can seriously damage its credibility". As per Tata Sons' contentions, the respondents (Hakunamatata), registered in the UK and the US, are using its trademark for doing online trading in cryptocurrency through their website(s) 'www.tatabonus.com' and 'www.hakunamatata.finance'. It said that the websites are accessible in India and are in fact accessed by visitors from Delhi on daily basis. "In India, the trademark Tata is embedded in the subconsciousness of public. In public consciousness, the word Tata is only relatable to Tata group of companies. As pleaded, the appellant is the owner of the trademarks in question, and the said marks are used across the board by almost all the group companies of Tata. The pre-eminence of the business reputation of the Tata Group and the popularity of the trademarks is beyond contest. There is sufficient pleading in the plaint to reach the said conclusion.." the court said in the order. It was also noted that the people behind the offending website are stated to be UK nationals of Pakistani origin does make the motives suspicious, given the popularity of Tata brand among the people from Indian sub-continent. "It is not unreasonable to infer that the objective of respondent No.1 could be to target unsuspecting Indian origin public by doing trade in the name of 'Tata'. We believe the appellant has a good prima facie case to seek injunction, as far as website www.tatabonus.com, crypto products by the name of $TATA, or any other product of respondent No.1 being sold on the website www.hakunamatata.finance under the name Tata is concerned, if not for anything else, but just to avoid any confusion likely to be caused in the mind of the public in India, who might be deceived to believe that the respondents' website in question and products sold therein are the Tata Group's own website or have an association with the Tata Group. "Not granting ad-interim injunction can cause irreparable harm to the goodwill enjoyed by the appellant's trademark. The appellant is known for the quality of its goods and services. Any dubious and inferior products sold through the respondents' website, using the appellant's trademark, can seriously damage its credibility," the order said while allowing the appeal. --IANS jw/vd ( 459 Words) 2022-09-19-22:22:03 (IANS) Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 20 (ANI/PNN): Bullsmart, a new-age fintech startup based out of Bangalore, is proud to announce its participation as a Silver Partner at the Global Fintech Fest 2022. The festivities for the event start virtually on September 19, 2022, where eminent speakers from around the globe discuss the fintech landscape and the way forward for the industry. It's going to be a great learning and networking opportunity for fintech enthusiasts. And while you are here, drop in at our digital booth to say Hi and learn more about our application. Registration link for the virtual event: https://bit.ly/3znPUAP The in-person event starts off at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on 20th September 2022 with an inaugural address on 'India - Leading the global Fintech revolution, followed by a special address by Shri Shaktikanta Das (Joining In-Person), Governor, Reserve Bank of India at 10:55 Hrs. The event has a series of Panel Discussions, Fireside Chats, and Keynote addresses planned with distinguished personnel from the government, regulatory bodies, banks, businesses, and academia. Stalwarts from across the globe will discuss and debate steps that should be taken to drive progress across the four pillars that are aligned with the essential elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Planet, People, Prosperity, and Principles of Governance. Ankita Das, CEO of Bullsmart, will participate in the panel discussion on the topic 'Gamification of investing - Where to draw boundaries?'. Following the discussion, the attendees will have the opportunity to ask their questions to the panelists. Panel Discussion: 'Gamification of investing - Where to draw boundaries?' Speakers: Ankita Das, CEO, Bullsmart; Samant Sikka, Chief Dreamer & Founder, Sqrrl Fintech; Vikram Shah, CEO, and Co-Founder, Vested Finance. Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2022 Time: 13:55 Hrs - 14:45 Hrs During the 3-day event, we welcome you to visit our booth at E19, where we have a few activities planned for you. Registration link for the event: https://register.globalfintechfest.com/ The third edition of the Global Fintech Fest (GFF 2022) is being organized by the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC), Payments Council of India (PCI), and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It's going to be a hybrid event from September 19-22, 2022, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The theme for GFF 2022 is 'Creating A Sustainable Financial World - Green | Global | Inclusive.' Highlights - 125+ countries, 600+ speakers, 30000+ attendees. You can view the full list of speakers here: https://www.globalfintechfest.com/2022speakers. Bullsmart is the brand name of Dados Technologies Private Limited, registered under the Companies Act, 2013, having a CIN: U65100MH2019FTC329281, and headquartered in Singapore. Bullsmart is building an investment platform with cutting-edge investment tools to help the young start investing. Our vision is to become the most desirable investment platform in Asia and act as a catalyst for India's financial growth story. Further details are available on our website at: https://bullsmart.in/. This story has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PNN) At Queen Elizabeth's funeral ceremony on Monday, while several members of the royal family were seen sporting military uniforms, there were some who wore suits. According to People magazine, the late monarch's state funeral started with a procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey. Though King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince William sported military regalia, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry did not. It had been previously confirmed by Buckingham Palace that only working members of the royal family who hold military rank will wear military uniforms during the events leading up to and including the Queen's funeral, reported People magazine. As both Andrew and Harry are no longer senior working royals, hence they wore dark suits to join the procession. Peter Phillips, who walked beside his cousin Prince Harry, also wore a suit as he does not hold any military ranks. Netizens have been expressing their opinions on Prince Harry not being allowed to wear his military uniform. One user wrote on Twitter, "One thing I don't agree with is that Prince Harry wasn't allowed to wear his military uniform to Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Given he was the only royal to serve two tours of Afghanistan, I thought he should be bestowed this right #queensfuneral #QueenElizabethIl." Answering this, Clive Hill, whose Twitter bio says that he's an ex-REME soldier, also shared the explanation for this. He tweeted, "For all the civilians that keep asking why Prince Harry is not wearing the military uniform: He isn't the Colonel-in-Chief of any units. He's not serving & resigned his commission when he left the Army. He wore it at the vigil with dispensation from the King." Hill also shared an excerpt regarding the United Kingdom's Uniforms Act 1984 which regulates and restricts the wearing of Naval and military uniforms in the UK. It read, "If any person not serving in Her Majesty's naval or military forces wears without Her Majesty's permission the uniform of any of those forces or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform in such a manner as to bring or under circumstances as to be likely to bring contempt upon that uniform, or employs any other person so as to wear that uniform or dress, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding GBP 400, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month." It's been more than two years since Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle opted to step back from their duties as senior members of the royal family, resulting in the Duke of Sussex losing his royal patronages and military titles. Harry had officially returned the titles of Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant, RAF Honington and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command to Queen Elizabeth II, as per US Magazine. Rising to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours in Afghanistan, Harry has spent 10 years in the Army and still continues to work with fellow servicemen, sponsoring support for wounded women and men. According to People magazine, despite this rule, an exception was made for both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew to wear their uniforms once during the mourning period. Andrew wore his military garb on Friday for a Vigil of the Princes. In contrast, Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren performed a similar vigil on Saturday, with Prince Harry wearing his Blues and Royals uniform. The reason Prince Andrew was not allowed to wear his uniform is that he had been stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022, one day after his lawyers failed to convince a U.S. judge to dismiss a civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that he sexually abused her when she was 17 years old, reported E! News. Meanwhile, numerous guests ranging from political heads of countries to distinct royal family members and dignitaries from across the world landed in the UK for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's funeral is the first state funeral in the UK since Winston Churchill's in 1965. A state funeral means that the UK government has officially declared the day of the funeral as a bank holiday. (ANI) Kanye West has given yet another unusual remark! West appeared on an episode of the 'Alo Mind Full' podcast and revealed that he hasn't read a single book. He said, "I actually haven't read any book". Kanye West further told hosts, Danny Harris, and Alyson Wilson, "Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me. And talking is like getting the Giorgio Baldi corn ravioli". His statement has shocked many because ironically, Kanye runs a school in California - DONDA Academy. Also, the statement comes right after a Page Six report that revealed Kanye West's "secretive school" called Donda Academy makes parents sign an NDA or non-disclosure agreement for enrolment. The statements of two parents, whose kids have been attending the school, confirming the news were quoted by Page Six. However, Tamar Andrews, a consultant to the school, tried to debunk the families' claims. Page Six further quoted a Rolling Stones report wherein Tamar revealed that "the parents of each student only have to sign an informal agreement -- but didn't specify what that agreement was." "Honestly, we don't care if people know about the school," Andrews added. "The people that want to come to the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area and they know that we're there ... there is also certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don't know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse." Malik Yusef, Kanye West's longtime friend and collaborator, agreed, saying the school provides students with opportunities that other institutions do not. "The process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees," he added. "I don't think Kanye needs to tell the world what he's doing so that he can be under more scrutiny." According to Page Six, the tuition fee of the school is around USD 15,000 a year but nearly half the children admitted there have received some scholarship or financial aid. However, Andrews confirmed the Christian academy is still in the process of becoming accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. According to the US news portal, maybe this is why Kim Kardashian is hesitant about sending her kids to school. Earlier this month, Kanye asked Kim to send their kids to the academy and split their education between their Los Angeles school and Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California. (ANI) Actor Richa Chadha is all set to tie the knot with her beau Ali Fazal and while fans are awaiting more details about what their fairytale wedding is going to look like, we have learned that the tentative date of her wedding is October 4. A source close to the actor told ANI that she is likely to tie the knot with Ali Fazal on October 4 in Mumbai and the couple will be hosting a wedding reception a day later for their family, friends, and industry peers. Their wedding festivities will begin on September 30. There are likely to be three pre-wedding functions - Cocktail, Sangeet, and Mehendi. All three functions, as revealed by our source, are likely to be held in New Delhi. Although the outfit Richa is going to be wearing for her wedding isn't known to us yet, the jewellery has been picked from Bikaner. For the Delhi functions, the actress' jewellery is being custom-made by a 175 old jeweller family from Bikaner. The Khajanchi family are a revered family of jewellers who are known for their statement heirloom pieces and they will be designing signature pieces for Richa. The Khajanchi family are descendants of Moti Chand Khajanchi, one of the earliest art collectors in Rajasthan and the patrons of their jewellery, includes the royal family of Bikaner. Last week, Richa took to social media to confirm her October wedding with Ali in the sweetest way possible. She tweeted an image that read, "New Life, Loading." Richa captioned it with a tweet, "can't wait for October." As soon as Richa shared the post, fans chimed in the comment section to congratulate the couple. The duo was originally meant to be wedded in April 2020, but owing to covid restrictions and lockdowns, the wedding was positioned twice over. Before getting on the wedding preparations, the couple will be soon wrapping up their ongoing projects. Richa is currently working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming web series 'Heeramandi' which will stream exclusively on Netflix. The 'Gangs of Wasseypur' actor was originally meant to wrap up shooting this week, but her song shoot for 'Heeramandi' has been delayed and will now wrap up late next week. Ali, on the other hand, is currently working on the third season of Amazon Prime Video's series 'Mirzapur' in Mumbai and Lucknow and will soon wrap up his part of the shoot. Richa will soon after fly down to Delhi on September 27, and Ali will join her shortly after, in order to complete all the prep for their wedding celebrations and functions which will start in Delhi first. Richa and Ali first met on the sets of 'Fukrey' in 2012 and soon fell in love. (ANI) Members of the British Royal Family found discreet ways to honour the Queen through clothing at the Queen's funeral on Monday. Many women who were close to the queen donned jewels and outfits that had either been presented to them by the late monarch or were designed to symbolize her presence. Meghan Markle According to Page Six, The Queen gave Meghan a pair of pearl and diamond drop earrings in 2018, which she wore to the funeral on Monday. UK jeweller Maxwell Stone had earlier told Page Six, "The royal tradition of wearing pearls for mourning dates back to Queen Victoria, who was so overwhelmed with grief when Prince Albert died that she wore nothing but black for the rest of her life." Meghan wore a black cape from Stella McCartney. She wore the same one in navy blue colour to celebrate the Queen's 92nd birthday at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018. Kate Middleton The Duchess of Cornwall wore Queen Elizabeth's pearls and a black Alexander McQueen coat dress to the funeral, according to New York Post. According to Page Six, Kate wore the same pearl earrings to Prince Philip's funeral. The earrings were a gift from the Emperor of Bahrain to the Queen for her wedding in 1947. Kate also wore a black-netted veil to honour the Queen. Notably, she wore the Queen's four-row pearl choker with a diamond clasp. Camila Parker Bowles Queen Consort Camila paid an ode to the Queen by wearing her Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch. The brooch is a heart-shaped piece that has the number 60 on it. According to New York Post, it signifies the number of years in a Diamond Jubilee reign. Page Six reports that Camila also carried a clutch by Launer, one of Queen's favourite labels. (ANI) A few weeks ago, a Bollywood actor shared a picture on Instagram after he headed to Srinagar to shoot for his upcoming film. Some reports claim that the actor and the crew member faced stone pelting in Kashmir while shooting. However, Emraan dismissed the incident and took his Twitter to handle for clarification. Emraan also appreciated the warm and heartfelt welcome from the people of Kashmir. "The people of Kashmir have been very warm and welcoming. It has been an absolute joy shooting in Srinagar and Pahalgam. The news of me being injured in a stone pelting incident is inaccurate," the actor tweeted. Earlier, taking to Instagram, the 'Jannat' actor shared a picture and captioned it, "First time in the paradise city of Srinagar!! Countdown to Zero ... Lights camera ACTION." Emraan was last seen in the horror film 'Dybbuk' alongside actor Nikita Dutta, which was streamed on Amazon Prime Video. He will be next seen in a family entertainer film 'Selfiee' alongside Akshay Kumar, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty. Helmed by Raj Mehta, the film is all set to release on February 23, 2022. The actor recently shot for the song 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' which is a recreated version of yesteryear's iconic song with the same title. Apart from that, it has been speculated that the 'Jannat 2' actor is going to portray a negative character opposite Salman Khan in Yash Raj Film's 'Tiger 3'. The official announcement from the makers is still awaited. (ANI) Multiple Academy Award-winning director Woody Allen has denied reports regarding his retirement from filmmaking that surfaced recently. According to Variety, recently while working on his 50th film in Europe, Allen told a Spanish newspaper that he intends to retire from making movies and dedicate more time to writing during his twilight years. He had said, "My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing." On Monday, the 86-year-old director issued a statement clarifying what he meant. It read, "Woody Allen never said he was retiring, not did he say he was writing another novel. He said he was thinking about not making films as making films that go straight or very quickly to streaming platforms is not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience. Currently, he has no intention of retiring and is very excited to be in Paris shooting his new movie, which will be the 50th." This wasn't the first time Allen has discussed stepping back from the movie business. In a conversation with Alec Baldwin live-streamed on Instagram in June, the filmmaker said he plans to direct "one or two more" films, but also said "the thrill is gone" because of the decline of the theatrical experience, as per Deadline. Meanwhile, the veteran filmmaker has been filming more often in Europe as his support in the U.S. has plunged following the abuse accusations against him. He opened the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2022 with 'Rifkin's Festival', a movie shot in and around the tony city of San Sebastian. (ANI) Filmmaker Adam McKay, who directed the disaster-inspired apocalyptic political satire 'Don't Look Up' has taken another public step in the fight against climate change. According to The Hollywood Reporter, on Tuesday, McKay announced that he has pledged USD 4 million to the Climate Emergency Fund, which gives out grants to environmental activists. The outlet has reported that a long-time activist himself, this is McKay's largest donation ever, on any issue, as well as the largest personal donation in Climate Emergency Fund history. He has also joined the board of directors of the Climate Emergency Fund, where he will help support strategic decision-making and fundraising. In a statement, McKay said, "The Climate Emergency Fund is unique in their commitment to funding civil, non-violent, disruptive activism. We are past time for politeness, past time for baby steps. I am proud to support their efforts and call on others to join me in doing everything we can to stave off the rapidly worsening impact of the climate crisis." The filmmaker's donation will allow Climate Emergency Fund to continue its support of the disruptive-action protests in the U.S. and beyond, investing in groups that are dedicated to spurring elected leaders into taking immediate action to avert climate disaster. Directed by McKay, 'Don't Look Up', which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Cate Blanchett among others, is an allegorical movie that is a satire on climate change. The film centrally revolves around the story of two astronomers who discover that a comet is approaching Earth which would lead to the total destruction of life. They are on a mission to warn a narcissistic U.S. president and her son, as well as a pair of jaded news anchors that the Earth is about to get shattered by this comet. (ANI) Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was deplaned in Frankfurt from a Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight as he was "too drunk to walk". However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has refuted the allegations against Mann, saying the Chief Minister returned to Delhi as per schedule. According to media reports, Mann, who was on a eigh-day trip to Germany till September 18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'. However, AAP has strongly denied the charge, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it as false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals. A passenger in the flight said in a message, "The CM was not steady on his feet as he had imbibed excessive alcohol and had to be supported by his wife/security." "Our political opponents are spreading these rumours to defame our CM. They cannot digest that Mann is working hard to bring investments to Punjab. The CM returned as per schedule," the party's chief spokesperson in Punjab, Malwinder Singh Kang, told the media here. Officials in the Chief Minister's Office claimed that Mann could not board the flight because of emergent health concerns. Responding to the allegations, Cabinet ministers Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Meet Hayer told the media, "Anyone can have health issues. The Opposition does not have any issue to talk about. That is why they are highlighting this issue which is meaningless and fake." With many different versions doing the rounds, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal said the reports of the Chief Minister being deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was "too drunk to walk" have "embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe". "Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention. These reports have embarrassed & shamed Punjabis all over the globe," Badal tweeted. He also said that AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal should come clean on the issue. Badal asked the Indian government to raise the issue with its German counterpart if Mann was deplaned in Frankfurt. "Shockingly, Punjab government is mum over these reports involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Arvind Kejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. The Government of India must step in as this involves Punjabi and national pride. If he was deplaned, GoI must raise the issue with its German counterpart," Badal tweeted. Setting aside the charges, AAP's director of media communication, Chander Suta Dogra, said Mann was a little unwell. Meanwhile, Mann went to Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal's official residence upon his arrival in New Delhi amid the brewing row on Monday. The Lufthansa Group in a statement said the flight departed late due to "a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change". "Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change," it said in a statement. It added, "For data protection reasons, we do not provide any information regarding individual passengers." --IANS vg/arm ( 531 Words) 2022-09-19-20:38:04 (IANS) Bihar's Education Minister Chandrashekher Yadav on Monday said that the Nitish Kumar government will give jobs to unemployed persons but it will take some time. Interacting with media persons here, he said: "We have started the process of recruitment but it will take months to complete the promises made by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav." Nitish Kumar, during the hosting of the national flag at Gandhi Maidan on Independence Day this year, announced 20 lakh jobs. Tejashwi Yadav, during the 2020 Assembly election, also announced 10 lakh jobs after the first cabinet meeting when his party forms the government in the state. The Minister also sakid: "Those who are asking questions about the jobs should introspect. The Narendra Modi government has promised 2 crore jobs every year. Where are the 16 crore jobs in the last 8 years?" The unemployed youths of Bihar, especially those who have qualified the CTET and BTET, are holding protests every day. Sources claim that the Bihar government is using delaying tactics with an aim to provide jobs just before the 2024 Lok Sabha election to woo the voters through jobs. At present, there is provision of Rs 64,788 crore in the annual budget for the salary of employees under state government, and Rs 24,252 crore for pensions. If 10 lakh jobs will be given, the budget will go up by Rs 15,000 crore per year. --IANS ajk/vd ( 252 Words) 2022-09-19-20:40:04 (IANS) The Delhi Police has arrested two notorious automobile lifters in the national capital along with master keys with which they used to open the locks of the vehicles, an official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Karnail alias Rohit and Vicky, were involved in scores of vehicle theft cases. Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Priyanka Kashyap said a tip-off was received by the police that two people, involved in auto thefts, would be going towards No 2 Block of Trilokpuri from Kondli Bridge via Chilla Bypass Road to meet their associates. Accordingly, the police laid a trap and saw two boys on two separate motorcycles coming from the Bypass Road side. "The police team signalled them to stop but they tried to escape. However, the police party overpowered them," the DCP said. On checking, their motorcycles were found to be stolen from the Gazipur and Mayur Vihar areas. At their instance three more stolen motorcycles have been recovered. "Master keys used for stealing the vehicles have also been recovered from their possession. In total seven cases of motor vehicle theft registered in Gazipur, Mayur Vihar, Pandav Nagar and Kalyanpuri have been worked out," the official added. --IANS uj/bg ( 213 Words) 2022-09-19-20:44:03 (IANS) According to the police, Samrite had sent one package to the Parliament containing a threat letter, some flags, a copy of the Constitution and few gelatin sticks. "He had threatened that if his 70 demands were not met, he would blow up the Parliament House on September 30," said Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ravinder Yadav. Accordingly, a case was registered at the Parliament Street police station and a probe was initiated into the matter. Yadav said the accused, a former Samajwadi Party MLA who later joined the Bahujan Samaj Party, was arrested from Bhopal on Monday. The 59-year-old former legislator from Lanji Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh had first joined the NSUI before moving to the Janata Dal. In 2007, he joined the Samajwadi Party and won the by-elections from Lanji. "He remained an MLA for 10-11 months," the Special CP said. Yadav said the former legislator was previously booked in several cases related to rioting, arson, extortion etc. Samrite will be produced before a court in Delhi on Tuesday. --IANS uj/arm ( 219 Words) 2022-09-19-20:48:04 (IANS) A day after an incident of aerial firing in Vaishali, Bihar Police's ADGP, Law and Order, Jitendra Singh Gangwar on Monday denied that it was a replication of the Begusarai shooting spree that left one dead and 10 others injured. "There was a firing outside the house of ward number 1 councillor with two to three rounds fied in the air. No one was hurt in this incident. The preliminary investigation reveals that it could be a result of personal enmity. We have registered an FIR on the written complaint given by the ward councillor and the investigation is underway. The district police are scanning the CCTV cameras of the area to find some clues," he said. The Vaishali incident occurred on Sunday night when unidentified goons fired several rounds in the air in a bid to terrorise local people. It was seen at creating a tense atmosphere like it happened in Begusarai when four bike-borne assailants opened indiscriminate fire on random innocent people on September 13. That incident put immense pressure on the Bihar government. The statement of Gangwar came after Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh went to Vaishali on Monday morning and claimed that there is complete lawlessness and return of the 'Jungle Raj' in Bihar under the Nitish Kumar regime. LJP-Ram Vilash chief Chirag Paswan also demanded resignation of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, saying that there is a "double Jungle Raj". --IANS ajk/vd ( 252 Words) 2022-09-19-20:54:06 (IANS) BJP Telangana President and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, while addressing the public at Dammaiguda on Monday, attacked Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)-led Telangana government and said that the state government is on "ventilator" and will "collapse" soon. Bandi Sanjay addressed the public after carrying out his Padyatra in the Medchal constituency. During this, he walked from Yapral to Dammaiguda, from morning to afternoon. During the address, Sanjay lashed out at the KCR government over the dumping yard issue in Jawahar Nagar and claimed that the TRS government is on the "ventilator". "The TRS government is on a ventilator and the government will collapse. The dumping yard issue is affecting the public's health. BJP will take responsibility for solving the problem. I myself came here after Padyatra. If the CM had any love and respect, then he should have taken responsibility here. He should come and immediately take the responsibility," Sanjay said. "KCR has mortgaged the Medchal RTC Depot and is building shopping malls there. Let me tell you three things to solve the dumping yard problem. Catch the TRS, tie them up near the dumping yard, and give the power to BJP. We will see how the dumping yard problem is solved. Shame on some collectors and police officers who praise KCR as Ambedkar. KCR is a person who is insulting the Constitution written by Ambedkar," Sanjay added. The BJP leader further lashed out at KCR alleging charges of "rampant corruption". "For KCR family, ED means 'covid' and CBI means 'leg hurts'. There is no registration for 7000 flats in Boduppal. There is no 100-bedded hospital or degree college in this area. Land grabs are taking place. The central government funds are being diverted and tractors are being bought for commissions and they are earning hundreds of crores of assets," Sanjay said. The Telangana BJP president took a jibe at KCR by calling him "Dalit Bandhu" and accused him of not doing anything for the Dalits. "TRS is the focal point of all mafias. I want to ask how many poor have been given double-bedroom houses in the Medchal constituency? How many unemployed here got jobs and unemployment benefits? Why are Dalits not being given three acres, "Dalit Bandhu"? Why has he not made a Dalit as Chief Minister?" Sanjay asked KCR while addressing the public. Sanjay also accused KCR of talking about the Scheduled Tribes (ST) reservations because of the elections. "In the Mungode by-elections, there are more ST votes, and that's why he talks about ST reservation. He is trying to cheat people, he should answer why he has not given reservations to STs for 8 years? Even when an ST candidate Draupadi Murmu was chosen as the President, KCR didn't want it," said the Telangana BJP chief. He requested the common people to give BJP a chance and invited them for a public meeting. "The 'Praja Sangrama Yatra' is getting a special response and that's why KCR is trembling out of fear and trying to block the Yatra. Give the BJP a chance. All of you are requested to come to the public meeting in Ibrahimpatnam on the 22nd of this month," Sanjay said. (ANI) The ministers briefed the Prime Minister about the outcomes of the inaugural session of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), which was held here on September 17. This is Wong's first visit to India in his capacity as the Deputy Prime Minister. "The establishment of the ISMR is a path-breaking initiative which was envisioned by Modi and reflects the unique nature of the India-Singapore bilateral relationship. The ministers briefed the Prime Minister about the wide-ranging discussions held, especially in emerging areas of digital connectivity, fintech, green economy, skill development and food security," a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office said. The Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation and hoped that initiatives like ISMR would help further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. He also conveyed his good wishes for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the people of Singapore. --IANS ans/vd ( 180 Words) 2022-09-19-21:24:05 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the majority decision of a bench of larger strength would prevail over the decision of a bench of lesser strength, regardless of the number of judges taking the majority view. A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Justice Indira Banerjee, said: "In view of Article 145(5) of the Constitution of India, concurrence of a majority of the judges at the hearing will be considered as a judgment or opinion of the court. It is settled that the majority decision of a bench of larger strength would prevail over the decision of a bench of lesser strength, irrespective of the number of judges constituting the majority." Justice Banerjee authored the judgment on behalf of herself and also for Justices Surya Kant, M.M. Sundresh, and Sudhanshu Dhulia. Justice Hemant Gupta, in his separate and concurring judgement, said that a decision delivered by a bench of largest strength is binding on any subsequent bench of lesser or coequal strength. He noted that senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan referred to Article 145(5) to contend that a judgment of this court is mandated to be delivered with the concurrence of a majority of the judges present at the hearing of the case, but nothing in this clause shall be deemed to prevent a judge who does not concur from delivering a dissenting judgment or opinion. Thus, the Constitution itself envisaged that the judgment is by the majority of the judges. Justice Gupta said: "A decision delivered by a Bench of largest strength is binding on any subsequent Bench of lesser or coequal strength. It is the strength of the Bench and not number of Judges who have taken a particular view which is said to be relevant. However, conclusion (2) makes it absolutely clear that a Bench of lesser quorum cannot disagree or dissent from the view of law taken by a Bench of larger quorum. Quorum means the bench strength which was hearing the matter." He said it has been rightly concluded that the numerical strength of the judges taking a particular view is not relevant, but the bench strength is determinative of the binding nature of the judgment. According to this apex court judgment, in a seven-bench decision of 4:3, the majority view would prevail over the unanimous view of a five-judge constitution bench. In 2017, a two-judge bench of the apex court had referred to the matter to the constitution bench. --IANS ss/vd ( 422 Words) 2022-09-19-21:36:02 (IANS) He was received very warmly by El-Sisi who pointed out that relations between India and Egypt are well-established through history, and expressed appreciation that military-to-military cooperation between both countries has reached a new level and that signing of MoU on defence cooperation is a major achievement, a Defence Ministry statement said. Both leaders agreed to further develop military cooperation and focus on joint training, defence co-production, and maintenance of equipment. They also emphasised the need for co-production and to discuss specific proposals in that regard. While Rajnath Singh expressed appreciation for the firm stand taken by Egypt against terrorism, the President underlined the need for both countries to exchange expertise and best practices in countering the threat. The Minister acknowledged that Egypt is among the most important trading partners of India in Africa and that bilateral trade has expanded significantly. He also noted with satisfaction their close cooperation in multilateral forums. --IANS avr/vd ( 182 Words) 2022-09-19-22:02:05 (IANS) The administration in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi on Monday gave permission to the two schools to conduct renovation works, following their vandalisation earlier this year. District Collector, Sravan Kumar Jatavath was responding to an application submitted by the Latha Educational Society which manages the Sakthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School, and ECR International School. A violent mob had ransacked and damaged the two schools on July 17 after a class 12 girl student of the former was found dead near the hostel premises on July 13. This incidence of violence of torching 30 odd school buses, destroying entire school buildings, and even torching police vehicles and injuring policemen had put the state police in the dock. Top cops were shunted out after the incident and the state DGP visited the area and gave the necessary instructions to the policemen. Many people were arrested following the incident and there were complaints of human rights violations against the police for having assaulted some of the protestors in custody after theuir arrest. The permission for repair and renovation works is for a period of 45 days commencing from September 19. The Latha Educational Society has also filed a writ petition before the Madras High Court with a plea to permit the reopening of the school for regular functioning of classes. The court on August 23 directed the district collector to consider the plea and pass appropriate orders based on final merits and the Treasurer of the educational society was called for a personal hearing. The district administration has however directed the Latha Educational Society to provide the list of workmen who are being engaged to conduct repair and renovation work in the school. This includes the list of engineers, technicians, skilled labour, and other helpers who would be engaged in the works. The Collector informed the Treasurer to complete the renovation and repair work within the stipulated time frame of 45 days. The district administration has appointed a nodal officer under whose supervision the works would be carried out. --IANS aal/vd ( 346 Words) 2022-09-19-22:26:02 (IANS) As per the police, he was allegedly involved along with a group of PFI workers in preparing the list of politicians to be targeted. These leaders belonged to the BJP, CPI (M) and Youth League, the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Earlier on April 16, the RSS worker named Sreenivasan was hacked to death. Police suspected it to be in retaliation for the murder of a PFI worker named Subair a day earlier. The Police had formed special investigation teams headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order to probe the two cases. Over 13 people, affiliated with PFI were arrested in the case earlier. (ANI) Police said that based on specific input about movement of terrorists, a joint naka was established by police along with army at the Waghama-Opzan Road. "During checking, the joint party apprehended two hybrid terrorists of proscribed terror outfit AGuH identified as Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, son of Ali Mohammad Bhat, resident of Waghama Bijbehara, and Tufail Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Hassan Dar, resident of Midora Tral," police said. "During search, two pistols along with two magazines and 15 rounds were recovered from their possession." --IANS zi/vd ( 130 Words) 2022-09-19-22:34:03 (IANS) A Congress delegation, headed by state in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday and invited them for the Bharat Jodo campaign of party leader Rahul Gandhi. Sources have said that both the leaders have given their consent to participate but as the latter's health is not good, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is likely to represent him. Earlier in the day, Das, along with other leaders including state chief Madan Mohan Jha, and ministers under Congress quota in the Nitish Kumar government, were part of a meeting in the party headquarters, Sadakat Ashram. During the meeting, two proposals were agreed - on the selection of the party's state President and the national President. Jha's tenure will be over in a few days and may not continue, as per sources. As national President, they have unanimously backed Rahul Gandhi. "We have two proposals that came on Monday and the same have been sent to party headquarters in Delhi. Current party President Sonia Gandhi will take decisions on it," Das said. Das also said: "The Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi has given new energy among Congress workers in the country. He is gaining popularity in a big way. People are supporting him and we are hopeful of defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election." --IANS ajk/vd ( 243 Words) 2022-09-19-22:40:05 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal informed a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday that it would submit a report on the steps taken by it for ensuring treatment of the carriage-hauling horses in Kolkata by November 21. Earlier on Monday, the counsel for PETA India, Arunima Kedia, informed the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj that the state government has made an attempt to contradict a report of the court-appointed committee that exposed the deplorable heath condition of such horses in Kolkata. According to Kedia, on September 12, the court-appointed committee consisting of representatives of state animal resources development department, Animal Welfare Board of India, PETA India, CAPE Foundation and horse owners, carried out a scheduled assessment of horses in and around Victoria Memorial, Maidan, and Hastings area. Kedia claimed that the detailed report submitted by the committee members established that out of the 50 horses observed over about five hours, 92 per cent were extremely thin with poor body condition, while 100 per cent had swelling on one or both hind limbs, and 66 per cent had swelling on one or both fore limbs. A vast majority of them had various foot problems owing to spending their lives doing gruelling work on concrete. The report, which includes photographs and records of each horse observed, said these conditions would deem these horses unfit for tourist rides. It also said that many horses were being used to haul carriages illegally, i.e., without required licence. "However, the state animal resources department made an unscheduled visit on short notice on September 13 and hurriedly created a separate two-page report falsely showing 24 horses in the Victoria Memorial and Maidan area and 40 horses in the Hastings area in good condition. In reality, during this visit which lasted for only 50 minutes, no actual inspection or medical assessment of any horse was carried out," Kedia alleged. After hearing all the parties concerned, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court scheduled November 21 as the next date of hearing and directed the state government to submit a report on steps taken by it for ensuring proper treatment of carriage-hauling horses in Kolkata. --IANS src/arm ( 388 Words) 2022-09-19-22:58:02 (IANS) Anantnag Police told ANI that on September 18, during a film shooting at Pahalgam, the arrested person had pelted stones at the crew members. As per the police, the incident happened when the shooting was about to close. "During a film shooting at Pahalgam on September 18, at the closing of shooting at 7:15 pm, one miscreant pelted stones at the crew members. FIR number 77/2022 was registered at the Pahalgam Police Station. The miscreant was identified and arrested," said Anantnag Police. Meanwhile, Police in Anantnag along with the Army arrested two hybrid terrorists linked with the proscribed terror outfit AGuH and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession. Based on specific input about the movement of terrorists, a Joint naka was established by Police along with Army (3RR) at Waghama-Opzan Road, said the Jammu and Kashmir police. During checking, the joint party apprehended two Hybrid terrorists of proscribed terror outfit AGuH identified as Tanveer Ahmad Bhat son of Ali Mohammad Bhat resident of Waghama Bijbehara and Tufail Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Hassan Dar resident of Midora Tral, said police. During the search, two pistols along with two magazines and 15 Rounds were recovered from their possession. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath's statement "I will offer my car to those (from Congress) who are willing to join the BJP" has created a war of words between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in the state. The former Chief Minister made the remark while replying to questions on the recent exodus from Congress, saying: "What are you thinking? Congress will be finished? You are saying some people want to join the BJP. Whoever wants to join the BJP can go. We don't want to stop anyone. I would even lend them my car to go and join the BJP." To begin with, senior Congress leader Ajay Singh (Rahul) disagreed with his party chief's statement. Singh, who is the son of former MP Chief Minister late Arjun Singh and is considered opposed to Kamal Nath, said, "Yah Samay Jodne Ka hai, Chhondne Ka Nahin. (This is the time for uniting, not deserting)." Meanwhile, BJP leaders took a jibe at Congress, saying Kamal Nath would need so many cars to drop his partymen to the BJP office. Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayavargiya, who was in Jabalpur on Monday, told mediapersons, "Kamal Nath would need so many cars to drop his MLAs at the BJP office. There are several Congress leaders who are not happy with Kamal Nath's leadership." Another senior BJP leader and state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who hardly misses any opportunity to attack the opposition, said, "Rahul Gandhi is uniting the Congress and at the same time Kamal Nath is dropping party leader." --IANS pd/arm ( 279 Words) 2022-09-19-23:08:03 (IANS) High-tech FDI drives Vietnam economic evolution High-tech foreign investments will continue to propel Vietnams economic growth for years to come, Michael Kokalari, chief economist at investment fund VinaCapital, has said. Samsung Electronicss smartphone plant in Bac Ninh. High-tech foreign investments are expected to significantly boost Vietnam's GDP growth in the coming years. Vietnams economic growth has been accelerating this year, and so the World Bank, IMF and others have sharply revised up their GDP growth forecasts for the country, with an increasing number of economists now expecting it to exceed 8 per cent this year. This has prompted investors to ask what is different in Vietnam and why. In a note, Kokalari said, quoting newly published research by economists at Harvard University, that one reason Vietnam is an economic outlier is that FDI is supporting the countrys manufacturing while also driving an increase in the complexity of products produced in Vietnam. An increase in the complexity of the products a country is able to make is the single most powerful growth driver for a developing country's economy, according to the economist. The recent announcements by Samsung, Apple and others make us confident that high-tech foreign investments will continue propelling Vietnams economic growth for years to come, he said. Samsung, Vietnam's single largest foreign investor, announced that it would start producing semi-conductor parts in the country. Apple said it would begin producing watches and MacBooks in Vietnam, the first time they will be made outside China. Apple has big plans for Vietnam according to insiders, who also noted that the Apple Watch is particularly complicated to manufacture because of the challenge of squeezing so many components into such a small case. According to research by the London School of Economics and the World Bank, FDI is instrumental in helping developing economies move into higher value-added parts of the value chain, and high-tech FDI has had a big positive impact on Vietnams economy. Furthermore, Vietnam achieved the biggest jump in Harvard's Economic Complexity Index ranking in the last two decades, partly because the Samsung and Intel investments attracted a flurry of other high-tech investments from Apple, LG Electronics, Dell, and a number of Japanese firms. The primary motivations for firms to set up high-tech factories in Vietnam include a high-skill, low-wage workforce and the countrys geographic proximity to high-tech supply chains in Asia, according to Kokalari. Recent US-China trade tensions, especially the Biden administrations recent announcement it would keep Trumps tariffs on Chinese imports in place essentially ensures that multinational firms would continue pouring FDI into Vietnam for years to come, Kokalari said. Vietnams trade surplus with the US more than doubled from US$35 billion in 2018 to $71 billion (20 per cent of GDP) in 2021, during which time its trade deficit with China also more than doubled to $54 billion. Moving up value chain propels GDP growth According to economists, high-tech FDI boosts Vietnam's GDP in two ways: by lifting incomes and improving the country's capability to produce complex products. The former supports GDP growth in the short-term since domestic consumption accounts for two-thirds of Vietnam's GDP, while the latter boosts the countrys long-term economic prospects. The net result is that the production of smartphones, home electronics and other products with a relatively high degree of complexity ultimately contributed over $1,000 of Vietnam's $3,000 per capita GDP in 2020. The revenues and earnings of most companies listed on Vietnams stock exchanges are primarily linked either directly or indirectly to domestic consumption. This gives active stock managers ample opportunities to outperform the benchmark VN-Index by assessing which companies stock prices are likely to benefit the most from their exposure to the higher spending by Vietnams emerging middle-class consumers that ultimately results from increased high-tech FDI inflows. Kokalari said Foreign-owned factories in Vietnam still import most of the components/production inputs they require to make the products they export, especially high-tech products like consumer electronics and smartphones. We expect the imported content of Vietnams exports to plunge and the local content contribution to soar as local firms develop their ability to supply foreign companies with production inputs in the years ahead. Next, the nascent wave of FDI into the production of some of the most complicated products ever manufactured in Vietnam should lead to more spillover effects that will lead local manufacturers to diversify into higher value-added segments in the value chain. The plans by Apple and Samsung to produce some of the most technologically advanced products ever made in Vietnam would significantly boost Vietnam's GDP growth in the years ahead, and ensure that the economic decoupling that Vietnam achieved this year could be sustained in 2023. Our day-to-day interactions with a wide range of Vietnamese businesses from large cap listed companies to ultra tech-savvy small entrepreneurs continually make us appreciate the strong parallels between Vietnams economy in the 2020s and Japan in the 1970s, when that country embarked on its multi-decade climb up the global value chain. We remain extremely bullish on Vietnams economic prospects and by extension on the prospects for much higher stock prices in the years ahead. With the process for the Congress Presidential polls opening with the issuance of notification on September 22, it's likely that the main contest for the top party post will be between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Party sources said that interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hinted on Monday that she does not have any reservations against Tharoor running for Congress President's post. Sonia Gandhi gave her nod shortly after meeting Tharoor and a few other Congress leaders on her return following a medical check-up abroad. Tharoor, who was one of the G-23 members of the party who had demanded sweeping reforms in the Congress, is now likely to throw his hat into the ring for the race to the top party post, voting for which will be held on October 17. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Anybody who wants to contest is free and welcome to do so. This has been the consistent position of Congress President and Rahul Gandhi. This is an open, democratic and transparent process. Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest." While the notification for the Presidential election will be issued on September 22, there is still suspense over the candidates who will contest for the top party post. While the G-23 group is gearing up to field a candidate and Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor is its top choice, for party loyalists, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the preferred choice, sources said. However, Gehlot is reportedly reluctant to leave chief ministership and move to Delhi. In that scenario, former Union minister Mukul Wasnik or leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, could emerge as the front-runners, as both belong to the Scheduled Caste community. The nominations are to be filed between September 24 and September 30. Meanwhile, Congress' state units have been passing resolutions to make Rahul Gandhi the next party President, including in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, among others. However, Congress' Central Election Authority (CEA) has said that such resolutions will not have any bearing on the election process. Madhusudan Mistry, Chairman of CEA, said, "These resolutions have no bearing on the election process." --IANS miz/arm ( 372 Words) 2022-09-19-23:16:03 (IANS) As the Assembly session resumed on Monday, BJP legislator Suresh Singh Rawat had brought a cow to draw the state government's attention towards the disease. However, as Rawat was talking to media persons, the cow ran away even though his supporters were seen trying to catch it. The MLA, who was holding a stick in his hand, said that cows are suffering from lumpy skin disease but the state government is in a deep slumber. As the cow ran away, he, putting on a brave face, said: "See, the 'Gau Mata' is also angry with the government." Meanwhile, three Rashtriya Loktantrik Party members staged a protest before the Speaker's podium, and chanting "Gomata kare pukar, hum bachao sarkar". Before the session started, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told the media that the Central government should declare lumpy disease as a national calamity. --IANS arc/vd ( 191 Words) 2022-09-19-23:22:02 (IANS) Thiruvananthapuram Corporation demolished the controversial bus shelter near the engineering college, Chavadimukku for constructing a gender-neutral bus shelter. The corporation demolished the bus shelter last Friday with police protection. The bus shelter became controversial after local people had split the long seat in which three people can sit. The seat was split into three. Students protested by posting photos that girls sitting on the lap of boys. Students alleged that they were facing moral policing on the part of some local people. After that, there were discussions supporting both sides. Mayor Arya Rajendran visited the students and offered her support. The young mayor offered a gender-neutral bus stop. Later the residents made some renovations to the bus shelter and wrote that this bus shelter can be used as a bus station only and students cannot come and sit there. The Municipal Corporation demolished the renewed bus shelter and Mayor Arya Rajendran told ANI, "The construction of a new gender-neutral bus shelter will start soon. The design of the bus shelter is in the final stage and once it is completed, the work will be finished in two-weeks time." The Mayor said, "The residents association's construction was illegal and the discrimination towards students cannot be accepted." One of the students named Arjun told ANI that they are happy with the movement from the corporation and waiting for the new bus stop. "After this controversy, everything was going normal and students were busy with examinations. After that, the residential association started their own way of renovation. They have made writing that it can be used only as a bus station and students cannot come and sit here. During that time the Mayor had come here and she offered a new bus stop. Now she cleared the resident's associations bus stop and we are waiting for the new bus stop," Arjun said. (ANI) In an unusual incident, Pushkar BJP MLA Suresh Rawat reached the Rajasthan Assembly along with a cow on Monday. The act was carried out with to protest against the spread of Lumpy disease in livestock. As soon as the BJP MLA reached the spot and started giving a statement, the cow ran away. On September 19, Rajasthan Chief Minister took note of the issue and said that the addressal of the lumpy disease is the state government's priority however the vaccines for the same would be given by the Centre. "I called a meeting on August 15 regarding lumpy skin disease and called the leaders of the opposition, talked to everyone, talked to the religious leaders, our priority is how to save the lives of cows from lumpy skin disease, but the central government will give the vaccines and medicines," tweeted CM Gehlot. As per reports, Lumpy disease is a viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever and nodules on the skin and can lead to the death of the cattle. The disease had been ravaging cattle across the country with cows from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab dying in large numbers. Earlier on September 18, as many as 126 cattle died and 25 districts have been infected by the Lumpy virus in Maharashtra, informed the state's animal husbandry department on Saturday. "A total of 126 infected animals have died including 47 in Jalgaon district, 21 in Ahmednagar District, 2 in Dhule, 18 in Akola, 14 in Pune, two in Latur, six in Satara, five in Buldhana, seven in Amravati, one in Sangli, one in Washim, one in Jalna and one in Nagpur District," the release stated. The release further informed that although Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is rapidly spreading, it is not transmitted to human beings either from animals or through cow milk. "Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has been rapidly spreading all throughout the Maharashtra state. It is a cutaneous viral disease of the bovines. This disease is not transmitted to human beings either from animals or through cow milk," the animal husbandry department release stated. On August 10, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVac to protect livestock from Lumpy skin disease with an aim to provide relief to the livestock of the country. The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly). While on August 16, former Union minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal slammed the Punjab government for not taking note of the damage that the 'Lumpy Skin Disease' had been causing in the region and demanded a compensation of Rs 50,000 per animal to mitigate the burden on the rearers. She also stressed that the disease had proved to be fatal for hundreds of bovines in the northern state. "Lumpy Skin Disease is ravaging livestock in Punjab. Hundreds of bovines have died and thousands are severely infected with this contagious disease that is causing enormous economic loss to our farmers and dairy owners. Unfortunately, AAP-led Punjab govt has failed to do the needful," tweeted Badal. She further outlined the measures that can be taken by the AAP-led government and listed a compensation of Rs 50,000 per animal to mitigate the burden on rearers. (ANI) Expressing her very old wish to retire from politics, Jagadeesan said in her resignation that she was happy for Chief Minister MK Stalin to be appreciated for all his good deeds. "I am happy that now our Chief Minister MK Stalin is being appreciated by all for his good works. I wish to retire from politics for a long time. To this, I have sent my resignation from the party's designation on August 29", she wrote. Subbulakshmi Jagadheesan was also the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment from 2004 to 2009. Later, however she was not active in electoral politics, as she acted as one of the DMK's Deputy General Secretaries. In the 2021 state election, Jagadheesan contested for MLA from Modakkurichi where she lost to the BJP's C Saraswathi. The big decision of the Deputy General Secretary came a day after the party announced its 15th organisational polls and invited applications for various posts in the district units of the state. (ANI) When listing out the pride of the "Dravidian Model" at an event, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy generated controversy when he asked a Mugaiyur Panchayat leader "You are from the downtrodden community right? You are from SC right?" It's been a week since DMK MP A Raja's speech about Hinduism sparked debate. Now another controversy arose after the DMK minister's comments as it has received huge condemnation on social media from netizens. At a government event at Villupuram, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudy was listing out the achievements and pride of the 'Dravidian Model'. He said the Dravidian Model is the reason for women's reservation. He further said that earlier, women were suppressed in many ways but the "Dravidian Model" wants to give equal opportunity to women. He also said that the "Dravidian Model" provides equal opportunity to both men and women. The controversy arose when the minister said, "See who is the chairman for this village? This 'Amma'." At that time, he asked the Mugaiyur Panchayat woman leader who was also on stage that "You are from a downtrodden community right? You are ST right?" Later, people condemned Ponmudy's comments on stage and raised questions about how the minister can ask about someone's caste on stage. Dalit activists also sought an apology from the minister. Dalit activist Shalin Maria Lawrence took to Twitter and reacted, "Minister Ponmudy should apologise for insulting Dalits. What a shame! The Dravidian Model has been corrupted by these casteist men. DMK leaders have always proved that they are not progressive in any way. Dalits in important positions is a Constitutional remedy. I really don't know how DMK thinks that they have 'gifted' the positions to us like alms". (ANI) Kickstarting his two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, BJP national president JP Nadda on Tuesday flagged off the e-bikes for Namo Kisan Panchayat programme in Gandhinagar. On the occasion, Nadda listed out the welfare schemes rolled out by the Central government for the farmers and hailed PM Modi for launching the schemes. "All the leaders used the name of farmers strategically but did nothing for them. If there is anybody who has done things on the ground for the farmers in independent India, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. Listing down the schemes for the farmers, the BJP chief said that the Modi government worked to strengthen the poor during the pandemic through PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. "When the tragedy struck a century ago, more people died of starvation than from disease. The corona pandemic was the biggest tragedy of the century. Prime Minister Modi worked to strengthen the poor people by giving 5 kg wheat, 5 kg rice and pulses to 80 crore people by running PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. The scheme is ongoing even today," he said. "Nobody thought about the farmers. But PM Modi did the work of sending Rs 6,000 annually to the account of more than 11 crore farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The budget for the farmers has been increased by six times," Nadda added. Exuding confidence in the work done by the BJP government in the state and at the Centre for the farmers, the BJP chief said that the leaders of the party can confidently go among the public. "There are a few people who've always done politics in the name of farmers. But BJP has worked to alleviate the pain of farmers by understanding them. I can confidently say that it's just BJP leaders who can go among public and say we've worked for you," he said. Later in the day, Nadda will participate in a mega road show in Morbi town. On the second day of his visit, Nadda will hold organisational meetings at the state party headquarters in Gandhinagar. He will be given a detailed report card by the state party leadership about the preparations in the run-up to the assembly elections to be held later this year. Nadda will also be addressing a Professor Summit on the second day of his visit in which he will address professors and teachers from various academic institutions to talk about the BJP's vision for the country and the contributions made by the Modi government in the field of education. Nadda will also be addressing the concluding session of the mayor's conference that is taking place in the state capital. Mayors from BJP-ruled states will participate in the two-day conference that is taking place in Gujarat. Nadda will be accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP state president CR Patil during the programmes. BJP will be seeking its sixth term in office in the Gujarat polls to be held later this year. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for over 27 years with Narendra Modi serving as its longest-term Chief Minister from 2001 to 2014. (ANI) The ruling alliance of the BJP and Ekanth Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have both claimed victory in the just concluded elections to gram panchayats in Maharashtra. After results were declared of the polls held on Sunday in which voting took place on 581 panchayats spread across 16 districts in the state, both sides claimed they had won.BJP claimed that it won 274 gram panchayats along with its ally Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena winning 41 others. The party further claimed that NCP, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena have respectively won only 62, 37 and 12 gram panchayats. Speaking to ANI after the declaration of the results, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "It is a verification stamp for our Shiv Sena and BJP alliance by the people of Maharashtra." The Chief Minister, who walked out of the Shiv Sena in June after a rebellion, said that the victory is a mandate by the people that they have "accepted" the alliance between the two parties. "It also clears that we're not the Shinde faction only but we are the real Shiv Sena and people have accepted our alliance where we have won more than 300 panchayats. We will contest together in upcoming polls too," he said. Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil dismissed the BJP's claims and said that it is the MVA that has secured victory in the polls. "As there are no party symbols allotted for the gram panchayat polls by the Election Commission, so everyone can claim victory. There is no truth in BJP-Shinde faction claims but on the contrary, the real fact is that NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress, means MVA has won the elections for gram panchayat with a clear majority over BJP Shinde faction," he said. (ANI) The Assam Legislative Assembly passed the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to include penal measures against private educational institutions across the state that don't comply with the provisions of the Fee Regulation Act. The state's education minister Ranoj Pegu on Monday presented the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 on the floor of the Assembly. Then, the state assembly passed a draft amendment. The amendment Bill said that "Subject to the provisions of section l0 of the Act, the Fee Regulatory Committee shall recommend maximum limits of fees to be charged by the different categories of Non-Government Educational Institutions in every year before starting of the academic session." All the Non-Government Educational Institutions shall file applications before the Fee Regulatory Committee, either for exemption or fixation of their fee structure by October 31. All the Non-Government Educational Institutions shall have to register and apply either for obtaining an Exemption Certificate or Fee Fixation Certificate for obtaining certificates from the Fee Regulatory Committee. "If the Non-Government educational Institutions fail to apply before the Fee Regulatory Committee thereof, as mentioned under clause (2) above, penalties shall be imposed to the Non-Government Educational Institutions," said the amendment Bill. Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 said that a penalty of Rs 10,000 will be imposed if the application is not submitted on or before the October deadline. Further, an amount of Rs 5,000 will be charged as late fine for each month, if a Non-Government Educational Institution applies after the deadline. "In the event of non-submission of the proposal by the Non-Government Educational Institutions before starting of the new academic session to determine their fee structure, the Fee Regulatory Committee shall suo moto determine the fee structure of that particular institution which shall be binding on such school," said the amended Bill which was passed in the Assam assembly. The state Assembly also passed 'The Auniati University Bill, 2022', under which a teaching and research university will be set up at Teok, Kaliapani in Jorhat district aiming to provide instructions, teaching and training in Higher Education and provide quality research and for advancement and dissemination of knowledge of the most up-to-date standard within the traditional Indian systems of value and spiritual ethos and to create a higher level of intellectual abilities guided by a spirit of service to the society. Post passing of the Bill, Opposition legislature and AIUDF member Rafiqul Islam told ANI that, the state government has brought a few minor amendments in the private educational institutions' bill. "The government has made penal measures for private educational institutions of the state that don't comply with the provisions of the Fee Regulation Act, but Rs 10,000 penalty is very minimum for the private educational institutions. The government should have brought a strict provision. We now think that the government has now left the private schools and the government is going towards privatization," Rafiqul Islam said. (ANI) Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, departed for the national capital on Tuesday upon the call by the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi. According to sources close to Venugopal, he has been asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is "strictly part of organisational matters". He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This is the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today. This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president's post, sources said. Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi's go-ahead after he met her here. According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to "make internal democracy" in the party stronger. Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections. "Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor gets a nod from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to contest for the post of the party president, after he reached out to her in a meeting today, citing he can make internal democracy stronger. Sonia Gandhi, Congress interim president, replied that he (Shashi Tharoor) can contest (for the post of the party president) if he wants, anybody can contest elections," said the sources on Monday. Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, who got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray. Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is "trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi" to contest rather than his own nomination. This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party's president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19. (ANI) Patriarch Sako Sees No Issues With Assyrian Church Reunification Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako (L) and Patriarch Awa Royel III. Baghdad -- "I have studied our Eastern heritage and the writings of the Fathers of the Church and I see nothing to prevent the union of the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East under the name Church of the East", says the Chaldean Patriarch and Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who wishes to initiate a common and fraternal reflection on the possible restoration of full sacramental communion between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. He does so in a long and dense speech entitled "The unity and plurality of the Church", in which, among other things, he adds that "the same thing is true for the Syriac Catholic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church", which according to Patriarch Sako could unite under the name of the "Syrian Church of Antioch", as they share the same roots and the same liturgical, historical, linguistic and spiritual heritage. Cardinal Sako, however, in his contribution, disseminated through the official channels of the Chaldean Patriarchate, also presents these proposals as a mere "personal opinion". At the same time, the contribution provides solid arguments which are the doctrinal and theological sources on which the return to full communion is based between some Eastern Catholic Churches and the ancient Churches of the East, which share the same liturgical, theological and spiritual heritage and which, although not in full communion with the Pope, have never had direct dogmatic conflicts with the Church of Rome and her Bishop. "The Churches - argues Patriarch Sako at the beginning of his speech - have developed in different cultural, linguistic and geographical contexts, even if they share the same apostolic faith. Ecclesial unity is not the product of human organizational processes or of a parliamentary attitude, and it does not impose itself as a conformist adherence to a single model imposed from above in order to repress legitimate and fruitful differences that undermine the intensity of ecclesial life and apostolic mission enrich as gifts". "The essential unity between the Catholic Church and the ancient Eastern Churches of apostolic origin", stressed Patriarch Sako, "is also shown objectively in the common Christological declarations which these Churches have signed in the last decades of their ecumenical journey". "This unity of faith," said the Iraqi cardinal, "is real, not fictitious, and everyone recognizes it. It is a prayerful unity that is revealed even more clearly when it is reflected in the plurality of administrative, hierarchical and cultural possibilities is lived and recognized", because "what unites us is much greater than what divides us". "The source of unity between the Catholic Church and the ancient non-Catholic Churches of the East", added Patriarch Sako, lies in the common belonging to the apostolic Tradition. The potential fruitfulness of the ecumenical journey, especially when it is lived on the concrete ground of communion between Christians in their parishes and dioceses". Patriarch Sako added that the urgent need to reflect on a possible "project of unity" within the framework of a bold dialogue stems from the "state of affairs in which so many Christian communities in the Middle East find themselves, characterized by processes of emigration, which have forced our people to disperse today in the 'Diaspora'". In his contribution, the Iraqi cardinal also concludes by highlighting the fact that the Assyrian "sister Church" led by Patriarch Mar Awa III (in the photo together with Patriarch Sako) already referred to as "Holy Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Church of the East" in official statements on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Patriarchate on September 12 in Erbil. According to the petitioner's advocate the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Rane. "Bombay High Court directs BMC to demolish unauthorized construction at Narayan Rane's bungalow and also imposes a fine of Rs 10 lakhs," petitioner's advocate Aditya Pratap Singh said. The BMC had previously sent two notices, signed by a designated officer of the K-West ward of the BMC, to Rane regarding the unauthorised construction at his bungalow. The notices were issued under section 351 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act for alleged unauthorized change of use in violation of a plan approved by the city's civic body. However, when Rane's advocate sought more time from the court on Monday, it refused and said, "the required time has already been given." Narayan Rane lives in an eight-storey bungalow in Juhu owned by a company called Kalka Real Estate Pvt Ltd. After the BMC sent notices over unauthorised construction at Rane's bungalow, he challenged it and appealed to the High Court which further rejected his petition and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh. Apart from this, the court has also ordered the Mumbai Municipal Corporation to demolish the unauthorized construction within two weeks. Rane had requested relief till he files an application in the Supreme Court, but the Bombay HC rejected it too. The development came as a result of several complaints lodged by Right to Information (RTI) activist Santosh Daundkar in 2017. Daundkar and his lawyer Aditya Pratap Singh have welcomed the court's decision. (ANI) Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Tuesday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, accusing Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan of being on a collision course with the state government. In the letter, Viswan urged President Murmu to instruct the Kerala Governor for maintaining sanctity and decorum of his office while also abstaining from interference with the constitutional functioning of the Kerala government. The MP's move came a day after Governor Khan called a press conference at the Raj Bhavan in Trivandrum on Monday. "As your good self is well aware, Hon'ble Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan is on a collision course with the State Government," Viswam wrote in his letter. Terming the press conference of Governor Khan at Trivandrum Raj Bhavan on Monday, an "extraordinary move", Viswam accused the Kerala governor of "unleashing allegations, resembling a state-level politician, against the State Government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan." "The Governor has stated that he was not inclined to assent the Bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly. His practice of open collision with the State Government is clearly an anti-constitutional act. As a Governor, he is sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and law. But he has become the proverbial gold that rusts," he said. Further it said, "Parliamentary democracy with its nucleus, cabinet system, is the warp and weft of our constitutional fabric. The Supreme Court of India, in Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab (1975) unambiguously clarified that our Constitution has adopted the British Westminster system and the status of governors corresponds to that of the monarch in the United Kingdom." "Moreover, in federal system, governor is a hyphen between the Union Government and the State Government. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, one of the greatest legal minds of India ever, pointed out years back: "State level autonomy, not precarious provincialism, is a categorical imperative and shadow democracy is contra-constitutional...the governor must be strictly neutral in State politics and not use his office for politicking from within," the letter to President Murmu read. CPI MP said that Krishna Iyer's "sagacious words" were much relevant here. "Madam, I would like to submit that Krishna Iyer's sagacious words are much relevant in our times too. Hence, I most humbly request your good self to take cognizance of the gravity of the situation and to issue urgent necessary instructions to Hon'ble Governor of Kerala to maintain the sanctity and decorum of his august office and to abstain from the interference with the constitutional functioning of the State Government," he said. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday alleged that a senior political leader who is currently working in the Chief Minister's Office was involved in the heckling attack on him at an event that was held in Kannur University in December 2019. Khan further slammed the state government and said, "We live in a state where the convenor of the ruling front is banned from flying for unruly behaviour...They believe in the legitimacy of force to silence dissent, differences of opinion and liquidate those whom they consider their class enemies." The ongoing tussle between Kerala Governor Khan and the Kerala government took a hostile turn with Khan reiterating that the state government could not be given powers to appoint Vice chancellors of universities as that could mean an 'executive interference'. (ANI) These children were taken to the hospital after they complained of nausea and vomiting. "Yesterday night, 27 children from Kaga Nagar Minority Boys hostel Gurukul were admitted to a local hospital complaining of vomiting and nausea. A detailed inquiry has been ordered and we are investigating the matter," said District Magistrate, Adilabad Prabhakar Reddy. As per reports, the tragic incident took place after the cooks avoided washing grains and rice before cooking due to a shortage of staff. Further investigations are underway. In another incident from Uttar Pradesh, as many as 38 students from Kasturba Gandhi Awasiya Balika Vidyalaya in Hardoi complained of nausea and stomach ache after visiting a medical camp on Sunday. The girls had gone to the Pihani Community Health Centre (CHC) health camp. Once they returned, they started feeling nauseous and complained of stomach aches. They complained of being given the wrong medicine in the hospital. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Swati Shukla told ANI that "32 children are feeling fine after the treatment, and have been sent back. While the remaining six children have been shifted to civil hospital for treatment." SDM Shukla also said that the whole case is being monitored and the exact cause behind the incident will be investigated. "We will investigate what caused this, whether it was because of food poisoning or happened because of taking medicine," SDM Shukla said. (ANI) The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday posted for October 11 the hearing of the plea relating to the compensation to the victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy and sought the Centre's stand on the issue. A Constitution Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked the Central government about its stand on the curative petition filed by the previous government in 2010. The curative plea sought over Rs 7,400 crore as additional funds from successor firms of US-based Union Carbide Corporation, now owned by Dow Chemicals, for giving compensation to victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy. The five-judge bench comprised Justices Sanjiv Khanna, AS Oka, Vikram Nath and JK Maheshwari. The bench posted the matter for hearing on October 11. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre said that he has to take instructions from the government. "Counsel would like to obtain instructions as to the stand of the government, as the said petition has been moved by them. List on October 11," said the bench. The Centre's curative plea for enhanced compensation for the victims sought a direction to Union Carbide and other firms for over Rs 7,400 crore additional amount over and above the earlier settlement amount of USD 470 million for paying compensation to the gas tragedy victims. The government sought a re-examination of the apex court's February 14, 1989 judgment which had fixed compensation at USD 470 million, contending that the 1989 settlement was seriously impaired. The contention of the Central government was that the compensation, determined in 1989, was arrived at on the basis of assumptions of truth unrelated to realities. The Bhopal gas tragedy, touted as the world's worst industrial disaster, had claimed the lives of several thousand people after a deadly gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984. The tragedy unfolded in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, when the hazardous and toxic gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC), escaped from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) and resulted into the death of 5,295 human beings, injuries to almost 5,68,292 persons besides loss of livestock and loss of property of almost 5,478 persons. The apex court had already dismissed a curative petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2010 for enhancement of punishment. The agency had approached the Supreme Court, facing public outcry over a Bhopal court order that sentenced Union Carbide executives to two years of imprisonment. Those convicted included former Union Carbide India chairman Keshub Mahindra. Dismissing the CBI's curative plea in 2011, the top court had held that "no satisfactory explanation has been given to file such curative petitions after about 14 years from the 1996 judgment". (ANI) Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was greeted with chants of "Modi-Modi" as he arrived at the Vadodara airport in Gujarat. Later, the chants of "Kejriwal-Kejriwal" were also heard. Kejriwal is on a day-long visit to the poll-bound state of Gujarat where he will address a town hall meeting in Vadodara. Kejriwal, on being confronted with the chants of his political opponent and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name, could be seen smiling while moving towards the mediapersons. However, he did not speak at the spot and said he would interact at the press conference. Reacting to the incident, BJP's Priti Gandhi tweeted, "Arvind Kejriwal being accorded a warm welcome in Modi's Gujarat!!" The AAP is looking to set foot in Gujarat where the party could not open its account in the previous Assembly elections. After a massive victory in Punjab, the party is looking to spread its wings to other parts of the country. In his attempt to reach out to the people of Gujarat, Kejriwal has paid multiple visits to the state leaving no stone unturned in hitting out at the BJP's 27-year rule and lauding the Delhi model promising to implement the same if the party comes to power. Kejriwal has promised the people of the state a slew of "guarantees" which he claims will be fulfilled. Earlier on September 13, during his visit to Ahmedabad, the AAP leader had alleged that the BJP is trying to make Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi as the "Prime Minister through the backdoor" and "successor" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kejriwal was responding to a question about BJP leaders stating that social activist Medha Patkar would be AAP's chief ministerial candidate in the Gujarat assembly polls. "I have heard that BJP will make Sonia Gandhi as the PM candidate after PM Modi. Ask them what they have to say on this. Ask them that Kejriwal has alleged that you are going to make Sonia Gandhi PM candidate and the successor to PM Modi at the national level. What do they have to say on this? The BJP is trying to make Sonia Gandhi the PM of the country through the backdoor. Ask them this question," Kejriwal had said. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP "has not done anything" for the development of Gujarat and claimed it has "no programme for the next five years". Kejriwal also claimed that the Congress party is "finished" in Gujarat. "Congress is finished. You should stop taking their questions. People no more care about their questions," Kejriwal said in response to a query. (ANI) The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to withdraw 35 criminal cases registered in various police stations of the state. The Cabinet's decision came in accordance with the recommendation of a sub-committee. In the meeting that was held on Monday night, the Cabinet gave its nod over several matters including the appointment of civic workers as government employees. The meeting at the Vidhan Soudha concluded with the nod to approve the appointment of civic workers who were performing duties on an outsourcing basis as government employees. With this, the government will appoint 11,133 civil servants serving in the Municipal Corporations and other local bodies of the state as government employees under the special recruitment rules. 3,673 employees of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), 5,533 in municipal councils and 1,927 civil servants in municipal corporations are working on contract basis. Now recruitment will be done as government employees and the civil servants will be working under the pay scale of Rs 17,000-28,980, the meeting concluded. The meeting of the Cabinet in Karnataka also announced the merger of Pre University (PU) and SSLC exam boards. The amalgamation was agreed in view of the financial loss and the need for additional staff in these educational bodies. The Cabinet also took a call on the 'mutual transfer of teachers'. Such transfers are allowed when both teachers of the same subject agree. The Cabinet announced that a bill regarding the transfer of teachers will be presented in the House today. Meanwhile, the Basavaraj Bommai-led government has ordered to provide 75 units of free electricity to the Below the Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders of SC and ST community. The Chief Minister's Education Fund Scheme will be extended to the children of fishermen and farmers. The state Cabinet further agreed to table the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority Bill in the House. (ANI) The Union Public Service Commission made multiple recommendations to the state government to conduct examinations transparently, said officials on Tuesday. The commission has also suggested deploying a separate sector magistrate to transport the examination material. The chairman of the commission, Dr Rakesh Kumar, made a line of recommendations in a letter to chief secretary SS Sandhu. Along with the suggestion of giving special executive magistrate powers to the principal and in charge of examination centres to conduct the examination, the commission also recommended the allotment of a designate officer of administration in these centres for foolproof arrangements. Abhinav Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, told ANI, "The commission has asked to start the process in October for 4,000 recruitments. The commission has sent several recommendations to the government to conduct the examinations foolproof. A decision on this will be taken soon from the Chief Secretary level," Special Principal Secretary to Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Abhinav Kumar told ANI. Kumar also assured of helping the commission and providing desired resources. Earlier on September 9, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed that Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) deputation rules have been relaxed to encourage IAS and other All India Service Officers as well as the ones of Central Services to get posted in Jammu and Kashmir. Due to this relaxation, Singh said, 22 officers belonging to various services and different cadres have been posted in Jammu and Kashmir at various levels at a crucial time. Singh was briefing the media about several steps taken to address the shortage of officers in the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Minister said DoPT has played a major role in facilitating the induction of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services Officers into IAS by coordinating with UT of J-K, Ministry of Home Affairs and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). (ANI) The Governor conveyed the cordial relationship between Assam Rifles and the state administration and the commendable work done by Assam Rifles in managing the ongoing illegal influx of Myanmar nationals. The ongoing situation across the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB), the future course of action to control the movement of cadres, and the preparedness of Assam Rifles (AR) in case of any untoward incident or forceful entry was discussed. The DIG also mentioned the poor conditions of roads in Mizoram owing to monsoons and the need to improve the communication infrastructure to connect the remote areas of the state with the district headquarters. Having recently taken over as IG AR(EAST), the governor also wished for a fruitful tenure at the East. (ANI) The Saket court in Delhi on Tuesday dismissed an Intervention Application (IA) moved by Kunwar Mahender Dhwaj Pratap Singh, who claimed ownership rights over the Qutub Minar land while hearing an appeal that sought worship rights for Hindus and Jains inside the Qutub Minar complex. In the matter, Dhwaj Pratap Singh had claimed to be the heir of the United Provinces of Agra and said the property of Qutub Minar belongs to him therefore the minaret along with the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque should be given to him. Saket court's ADJ Dinesh Kumar while dismissing the IA said, it will hear the submissions on the main suit seeking restoration of Hindu and Jain temples inside the Qutub Minar complex on October 19. Earlier, the intervenor submitted that the government after 1947 encroached on his property and he has Privy Council records. Appearing for the Hindu side, advocate Amita Sachdeva submitted that the intervenor is claiming property rights after 102 years. "He is not interested in any kind of relief from the court. This petition is nothing more than a publicity stunt and should be dismissed with heavy costs", read the submitted report. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its fresh affidavit already submitted that the applicant claims his right over the mentioned cities in and around Delhi has not been raised since independence i.e. 1947 before any Court of Law as surmised from the submissions by the applicant. Moreover, the applicant's claim of ownership and right of prevention of interference in his property has lapsed by the principle of the case for delay and laches, since the time period to file a recovery/possession/injunction against the same, be it of 3 years or 12 years has already expired by many decades, stated ASI. During the time of declaring the property in question as a Protected Monument in 1913, the complete procedure was followed and no one came before the authorities to object, and hence counting the period from 1913 to 2022, the period of limitation has already lapsed many times over, stated ASI in the affidavit. Additional District Judge Dinesh Kumar last week kept the order reserved on the IA moved by Kunwar Dhwaj. Earlier the Court had clearly said that it will hear or decide the fresh IA first before proceeding with further arguments in the appeal. Court noted that an application was moved by Kunwar Mahender Dhwaj Pratap Singh claiming to be an heir of the United Provinces of Agra and said the property of Qutub Minar belongs to him therefore the minaret along with Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque should be given to him. The main appellant in the matter had claimed that the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, which is situated Qutub Minar complex, was built after destroying 27 temples. Appeal suit alleging that the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid situated within the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex. Advocate Vishnu Jain appearing for the petitioner (Appellant) apprised the court that Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid situated within the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex. Jain reads Section 16 of the AMASR Act 1958, "A protected monument maintained by the Central Government under this Act which is a place of worship or shrine shall not be used for any purpose inconsistent with its character", he said. Earlier Archaeological Survey of India opposed the appeal and said Qutub Minar is a monument, no one can claim a fundamental right over such a structure. As per the Ancient Monuments Act, the Qutub Minar Complex is a monument and no right to worship can be granted at this place. There is no provision under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act 1958 under which worship can be started at any living monument. The high court of Delhi has clearly mentioned in its order dated January 27, 1999, stated ASI. The suit was filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu (through their next of friends), seeking restoration of the alleged temple complex, comprising as many as 27 temples. "The suit was filed to preserve and protect the religious and cultural heritage of India and to exercise the right to religion guaranteed by Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India by restoring 27 Hindu and Jain temples with respective deities which were dismantled, desecrated and damaged under the command and orders of Qutub-Din-Aibak, a commander of invader Mohammad Ghori, who established slave dynasty and raised some construction at the same very place of temples naming it as, Quwwat-Ul-Islam mosque," the suit said. The plea claimed that according to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) 27 Hindu and Jain temples were demolished and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was raised inside the complex reusing the materials and seeking to "restore" the demolished temples. The suit sought to declare that Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Lord Sun, Goddess Gauri, Lord Hanuman, Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishab Dev have the right to be "restored" within the temple complex at the site of Quwwatul Mosque Complex, Mehrauli, south-west Delhi "after rebuilding it with the same honour and dignity. It also sought to issue an injunction directing the Central government to create a trust, according to the Trust Act 1882, and hand over the management and administration of the temple complex situated within the area of Qutub Complex in Mehrauli after framing a scheme of the administration to such trust. "Pass a decree in the nature of a permanent injunction, restraining the defendants permanently from interfering in making necessary repair works, raising construction and making arrangement for the pooja, darshan, and worship of deities in accordance with Sections 16 and 19 of 'The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958' by a trust, to be created by the Central government within the area", the suit said. (ANI) The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has summoned Twitter India and Delhi Police officials over alleged videos of child pornography and rape being shared on the social media platform. DCW took suo moto cognizance of several alleged tweets on the social media platform Twitter displaying child pornography. "Videos of child pornography were shared on Twitter and were sold for Rs 20. Twitter is yet to delete them and report it further. We have summoned the head of Twitter India and have sought a report. We have also summoned Delhi Police and have sought immediate action," DCW chief Swati Maliwal told ANI. DCW said these tweets are openly depicting videos and photographs of sexual acts involving children. In its letter to Twitter India and Delhi Police, the Commission said "Almost all the tweets are portraying children completely naked and many of them also depict brutal rape and other non-consensual sexual activities with children and women. Shockingly, some of these videos even depict rape with children and women while they are asleep!" "Some of the twitter accounts engaging in these criminal acts appear to be running a racket wherein they seek money for providing pornographic and rape videos of children and women from other users of the social media platform," said DCW. The Commission claimed there appear to be hundreds of such objectionable videos on the social media platform which are openly displaying child pornography and rape videos of women and children. DCW said it is deeply distressing that such illegal acts involving sexual abuse of children and young women are being publicized openly through the social media platform Twitter. The Commission said it wishes to ascertain the steps being taken by Twitter toprevent such "filthy and outrightly criminal acts" being propagated through its medium as well as the systems in place in the platform to immediately report the same to law enforcement agencies. "Now therefore you are hereby summoned to appear before the Commission for thepurpose aforementioned on September 26. If you fail to comply with this order without lawful excuse, you will be subjected to the consequences of non-attendance as provided in law," stated DCW. (ANI) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Ministry of railway sanctions amount of Rs 28.31 crore for compensation of acquired land of four villages for the Deoband-Rookie new railway line The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned Rs 28.31 crore as compensation to the owners of land acquired in four villages of Haridwar district for the Deoband-Roorkee new rail line, added the CMO. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has given this information to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by writing a letter. It is worth mentioning that the Chief Minister had requested this through a letter and again during the discussion with the Railway Minister on August 6, 2022, as per the CMO. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed gratitude to the Union Railway Minister for sanctioning the amount. (ANI) Sub-contractor Gul Mohammad was arrested from Sector 20, police said. They said FIR has been lodged on the basis of the complaint by the family. The Chief executive officer of the Noida Authority has confirmed that the contractor will provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the deceased's kin. Four people were killed after the boundary wall of a residential complex in Sector 21 of Noida collapsed on Tuesday morning. According to Noida District Magistrate, Suhas LY, the incident took place after the boundary wall of the Jal Vayu Vihar Society collapsed during the cleaning work of a drain adjacent to it. The Noida Authority conducted the drain cleaning. Police and fire personnel were deployed at the spot after the incident. Nine workers were rescued and personnel of NDRF and Fire Brigade are conducting searches. A guard of the society told ANI that 13 persons were deployed in the repair and maintenance of the drain when the boundary wall collapsed around 10 am. Officials said nine workers have been rescued so far. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the incident and directed senior officials to continue rescue operations on a war footing. The Noida District Magistrate said a detailed investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the wall collapse. (ANI) A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court said it would hear on October 11 a plea against the practice of ex-communication in the Dawoodi Bohra community. A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul decided to examine whether the practice of ex-communication in the community can continue as a "protected practice" despite the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2016 has already come into force. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, AS Oka, Vikram Nath and JK Maheshwari that the matter is related to religious freedoms and should be further referred to the bench which will hear the Sabarimala issue. Senior advocate Fali Nariman appearing for one of the parties in the case said the questions posed in the case have become "moot" with the enforcement of the 2016 Act, which has repealed the Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act of 1949. "The 2016 Act provides a remedy to all victims of social boycotts. A complaint can be lodged with the nearest Magistrate in case of apprehension of a social boycott by a religious body. If any member of a community is subject to ostracisation, please file a complaint. Excommunication is not legally feasible now," said Nariman. Senior advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, appearing for the petitioners, however, said that a general law on social boycott may not protect the Bohra community members facing ex-communication. Aggarwal said that the 2016 Act was a Maharashtra law and the "practice may not be confined to Maharashtra". The Constitution bench was a hearing case filed by the Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community in 1986 to re-consider and over-rule the 1962 judgment of another five-judge bench. The 1962 judgment came on a challenge by Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the head of Dawoodi Bohra Community to Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act, 1949 on the ground that the provisions of the Act infringe Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. Syedna's contention was that the Act infringed upon his constitutional freedom of religion by curtailing his right, as the religious head, to discipline the community by casting out "errant" members. The 60-year-old verdict of the Supreme Court had regarded ex-communication as a legitimate practice of a community that had to be protected under Article 26 of the Constitution, which grants individuals the freedom to manage religious affairs. The Supreme Court had concluded that the 1949 Act was unconstitutional. In 1949, in what was then Bombay Province (that included the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat), the State government passed the Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act, 1949, with the objective to protect the civil, social, and religious rights of those excommunicated by their own communities. In 2016, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Act identifying 16 types of social ostracisation and made them illegal, punishing the perpetrators with imprisonment for upto three years. One among the 16 deals with the expulsion of a member of a community. (ANI) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party's presidential elections, said sources on Tuesday. Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi leaving the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30. Earlier today, Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, arrived in the national capital upon the call by the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi. According to sources close to Venugopal, he was asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is "strictly part of organisational matters". He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This was the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today. This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president's post, sources said. Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi's go-ahead after he met her here. According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to "make internal democracy" in the party stronger. Sonia Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections. Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, also got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray. Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is "trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi" to contest rather than his own nomination. This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party's president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19. Meanwhile, various state units including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir among others have already passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to become the president of the party. The election for the Congress president is set to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared two days after the polling on October 19. (ANI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday stressed that decorum and discipline are the heart and soul of democracy and urged the elected representatives to set high standards through their words and conduct, said Vice President's Secretariat on Tuesday. Addressing the members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly during a felicitation ceremony organized in his honour in Jaipur today, Dhankhar said that the reputation of people's representatives and the efficiency of parliamentary institutions is critical to the flourishing of democracy. "Failure on these counts would adversely impact other public institutions as well," he added, as per the statement. Observing that historically, our legislative assemblies and the Parliament have largely functioned in a calm and composed way, the Vice President termed the present situation as alarming. He stressed the need for political parties to come on a common platform and resolve their differences through a consensual approach. Highlighting that guidance to governance emanates from hallowed precincts legislature, he called for taking inspiration from quality debates of our Constituent Assembly. Referring to the principle of 'Separation of Powers', the Vice President underlined that none of the three organs of the 'State' can claim to be supreme as only the Constitution is supreme. In his address, Dhankhar thanked the Speaker and all Members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for their love and warmth. Dr C P Joshi, Speaker of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Katariya, Leader of Opposition, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Rajasthan Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and members of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly were present. Prior to this, the Vice President also attended a felicitation ceremony organised in his honour by various social organisations from the state of Rajasthan. In the evening, Dhankhar attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot at his residence. (ANI) Speaking at an event, the Minister said the country is steadfastly moving ahead in the direction. However, everyone must work together for the goal. "We would like to collaborate. I use this opportunity to invite the international community to join hands with us for the benefit of coming generations," Tomar said. He noted that country's agri exports had crossed the milestone of Rs 4 lakh crores. "We are working to increase it further," he said. Tomar said that the government is constantly working to make the country "AatmaNirbhar". As a result, Indian agriculture recorded a robust growth of 3.9 per cent despite the pandemic, he said reiterating, "The government aims to make Indian agriculture internationally competitive by aiding the small farmers in the country." He alluded to several government programmes to reduce farming-related challenges. "Due to increase in investment in basic infrastructures like irrigation system, storage, warehousing, and cold storage, the Indian agriculture is expected to record robust growth in the coming years," he added. (ANI) Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha on Tuesday extended support to the resolution passed by the West Bengal assembly against the functioning of the Central probe agencies ED and CBI, alleging that they are working on the script of the BJP. Jha told ANI that according to a report in an English daily, 95 per cent of the cases probed by these agencies are of Opposition leaders. These agencies get their script from the BJP office, he alleged. Criticizing the working style of the agencies, he said, that if the person against whom the investigation is going on, if the same person goes to the BJP, then all these cases are nowhere to be seen. "Everything fades into the air. What's left to say after that?" he said. West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution against the "excesses of the central investigation agencies" on Monday. In this resolution brought under Rule 169, serious questions were raised on all the agencies, which was passed by the assembly by 189 votes against 69. However, taking part in the discussion during this, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she does not think that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behind the action being taken by the central agencies. Banerjee's statement comes at a time when many Trinamool Congress leaders are on the radar of central investigating agencies in various cases. Commenting on the remarks made by Mamta Banerjee on PM Modi, Jha told ANI, "It's Mamata Banerjee's own personal view regarding the agencies. If any person in the cabinet of the Prime Minister is taking the decision, then as the head of the cabinet, does it not become the responsibility of the Prime Minister? What statement did Modiji use to give about CBI when he himself was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and what has changed today? For years the charge sheet is not filed and the cases are kept hanging. Only one strategy has been made that if not politically advantageous, the voice of the opposition should be suppressed in this way. This should be a matter of concern. " The RJD leader also commented on the letter written by the Election Commission to the Ministry of Justice and Law regarding the ceiling on donations to political parties and termed it as a welcome step. He said that the move of the Election Commission is welcome. But, the bigger issue is that of Electoral Bonds, which is also lying in the Hon'ble Supreme Court, as its biggest beneficiary is the world's largest political party. "There is a severe lack of transparency. I understand that any funding that does not have transparency should be a matter of concern for democracy and I do not see it as a concern in the country," Jha told ANI. (ANI) The government of India is working towards developing four virology regional biosafety labs BSL-3, and ICMR-NIV Pune will be steering the project and research work. These labs will work as regional labs and ICMR-NIV Pune will look after their research work, official sources told ANI. At the time of any disease outbreak, it's important to step up quick surveillance and ensure timely diagnosis, added the sources. The centre lab will be at Jabalpur, the Northeast lab will be at Dibrugarh, the lab for the North will be at Mohali and the South will be in Bangalore. President Droupadi Murmu is likely to lay the foundation stone of one of the labs in Bangalore on September 27. "These labs will be physical labs and will be useful for future preparedness if any disease outbreak or pandemic is reported in future as strengthening of lab infrastructure is crucial and will help spread and detection of virus faster. The project of these labs comes under the PM Ayushman Bharat Health infrastructure Mission (PM- ABHIM)," said an official source. (ANI) A Delhi Court has expressed its displeasure with businessman Robert Vadra's explanation that he stayed in Dubai for a medical emergency in August this year while travelling to the United Kingdom (UK) via UAE and said this is a violation of terms and conditions of the permission granted to him. The court also issued a show cause notice asking Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi why his fixed deposit receipt (FDR) deposited in terms of the order dated August 12 be not forfeited for violating the terms and conditions of the permission granted to the applicant. The Special Judge Neelofar Abida Parveen on Monday said that she was unable to accept the assertion on the sole affirmation of applicant Robert Vadra mentioned in the affidavit that the applicant was forced or compelled under the circumstances on account of medical exigencies to stay in UAE. The court further observed that copy of the travel tickets indicated that Vadra was supposed to stay from August 25 to 29 in Dubai then he was about to travel to London on August 29. The court had granted permission to Robert Vadra on August 12 to Travel abroad to the UK via UAE, Spain and Italy for four weeks. The court noted that the flight and hotel details mentioned in the said undertaking given by Robert Vadra clearly indicated that he will travel to the UK via UAE as permitted by this Court. Vadra in his affidavit said that he stayed in UAE before embarking on his further journey because he had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his left leg and he had been advised to take proper rest between long-haul flights". During the said trip, since there was inflammation and pain in his left leg, he had to stop and seek medical advice in Dubai on August 27 at the LGA medical Facilitation Centre meant for medical emergencies of travellers in Dubai where he was advised the further medical treatment in this respect, Vadra's lawyer argued. Vadra in his affidavit stated that his stoppage at UAE during the said trip to the UK was not with the intention to violate any condition imposed nor was there any attempt to mislead, rather, was on account of medical exigencies. Court further noted that he had been allowed to travel abroad earlier for treatment and consultation of DVT by this Court in 2019 and relevant material documents have been previously filed. The Senior Advocate KTS appeared for Robert Vadra and also filed one medical certificate of the applicant. For filing of explanation and consideration, the court further put up the matter for September 21, 2022. Robert Vadra is presently on bail in a money laundering case filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED). Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has given in-principle approval for the setting up of a super speciality hospital in Uttara Kannada district, said Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar. "This fulfills the long-standing demand of the people of Uttara Kannada district for a well-equipped tertiary hospital", said Sudhakar. Dr.Sudhakar spoke to the media after a meeting with all elected representatives of the district including district in-charge minister Kota Srinivasa Poojari, MLAs, and MLCs at his official residence. "Our government is committed to ensuring the availability of quality healthcare services in Uttara Kannada district. Location and other modalities regarding setting up of hospital will be discussed with the Chief Minister. The proposal has been sent to the finance department. After discussing with CM the proposal will be tabled in the cabinet", said Dr.Sudhakar. Kumta is centrally located in the district and it is being considered for establishment as a hospital. Along with this, a 250-bed multi-specialty hospital that is being set up in Sirsi is already under construction. Karwar medical college has received approval from NMC to start functioning this year with 150 MBBS seats which will further enhance the medical infrastructure in the district. All aspects regarding healthcare infrastructure in the district including filling of vacant posts, upgradation of PHCs, and procurement of equipment were discussed in the meeting with elected representatives, said the health minister. Dr.Sudhakar said that he will visit Uttara Kannada district after the ongoing assembly session to take stock of the healthcare infrastructure in the district. Minister Shivaram Hebbar who hails from the district was also present at the meeting. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh, who had claimed that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi do not pay attention to senior leaders of the party and need to learn political manoeuvres, on Tuesday said the two leaders are like her children and her advice to them should not be misunderstood. Singh, the wife of the former Himachal chief minister Virbhadra Singh is supervising the party's campaign for the Himachal Pradesh elections. She is an MP from Mandi constituency. In a self-made video, Singh said, "There was an interview conducted recently where I spoke about the party and many other issues. But many things were misconstrued and portrayed in a different angle. Gandhi family is dear to our family. We consider them as our own family members. As far as my loyalty is concerned, my husband had an association with the party for the last 60 years." "We also follow the same step and continue our dedication to the party and the leadership. As an elderly person, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are like children to me. If I say something or give advice to my children, that should not be misunderstood. It should not convey a different meaning at all," she added. Earlier, Pratibha Singh had said there has been a growing dissatisfaction within Congress as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi do not give importance and time to senior Congress leaders. In an interview with a news portal, Pratibha Singh said Rahul Gandhi should learn political manoeuvres and take measures to address the generation gap in the Congress. She said the basic problem in Congress is that senior leaders seek attention but the younger generation does not pay attention to them. Singh stated that the new generation lacks the patience and maturity to bridge the gap. This comes at a time when several state units including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir of the party have already passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to become the president of the Congress. The presidential election in Congress is due on October 17. Asked whether Rahul should again lead the Congress, the Himachal Pradesh unit chief said it is up to the Wayanad MP if he wants to devote time to the party, or wants to do other things in life. She said in case Rahul does not want to take the charge then there are many competent leaders in Congress who can lead the party. She claimed had Rahul Gandhi listened to senior party leaders, the Congress would have been in a much better position today. Referring to veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's departure from Congress, Singh said the younger generation leaders could have called Azad and sorted out the issues. In the 2017 state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 44 of the total 68 seats and formed the government in Himachal Pradesh. Congress managed to get only 21 seats. Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party's presidential elections, said sources on Tuesday. Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi leaving the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30.The election for the Congress president is set to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared two days after the polling on October 19. (ANI) Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla along with senior officers of central and state government also took part in the meeting. Significant achievement has been made in the resettlement of Bru people displaced from Mizoram in Tripura since the signing of the agreement in January 2020. The Agreement provides a comprehensive package for each family being rehabilitated. The number of rehabilitated families in Tripura is 6,959 with total population of 37,136. So far 3,696 families have been resettled and the rest are in the process of resettlement. Construction of houses have been completed for 2,407 families so far. Various certificates like Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate (PRTC), Schedule Tribe Certificates, Aadhaar card inclusion of names in the electoral rolls are being issued for the resettled Bru families. During his visit to the national capital, Manik Saha also met Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Saha said in a tweet that a detailed discussion was held on a wide range of issues pertaining to the improvisation of existing and setting up of new health infrastructure in the state. (ANI) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police summoned Leepakshi Ellawadi, the costume designer of Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Wednesday in connection with the Rs 200-crore money laundering case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Leepakshi, who was earlier summoned on Monday, had skipped questioning, citing health reasons. On Monday, Jacqueline had appeared before Delhi Police's EOW, for the second time. Police had summoned Leepakshi on the same day in order to confront her with the actor. However, Leepakshi did not appear and was given time for Wednesday. On Monday, Jacqueline was questioned about the money trail of the gifts given by Sukesh Chandrashekhar and the diversion of funds. Further investigation on this matter will be done once Leepakshi joins the probe, a senior police official told ANI. She also gave Delhi Police a list of items that she had received from Sukesh, which allegedly were bought from the money he had extorted from Aditi Singh, the wife of jailed former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh. According to EOW sources, Jacqueline was questioned regarding the chartered flight ride booked by conman Sukesh for her. The actor accepted that she has earlier counted on him for chartered flight rides not once but multiple times. Earlier on September 14, Jacqueline appeared before the EOW of Delhi Police in connection with the case. She was confronted with Pinky Irani, who appeared to have introduced the actor to Sukesh. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Jacqueline in their chargesheet in the money laundering case that involves Sukesh. The probe agency chargesheet stated that actor Jacqueline knew about Sukesh's involvement in criminal cases but she chose to overlook his criminal past and got involved in financial transactions with him. ED had registered a money laundering case in the alleged scam over the FIR registered by the Delhi Police. The agency had earlier stated that Fernandez's statements were recorded on August 30 and October 20, 2021, where she admitted to having received gifts from Chandrashekar. It also said that Fernandez had used proceeds of crime and bought valuable gifts for herself and her family members in India as well as abroad which amounts to an offence of money laundering under section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a native of Bengaluru in Karnataka, is currently lodged in a Delhi jail and faces over 10 criminal cases registered against him. Chandrashekhar has been accused of extorting Rs 200 crore when he was lodged in Rohini jail, from Aditi Singh, the wife of jailed former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, while posing as an official from the union law ministry and the PMO, on the pretext of getting her husband out on bail. (ANI) Responding to question on several Congress Pradesh Committees passing resolution for making Rahul Gandhi as party President, grand old party's Karnataka state unit chief DK Shivkumar on Tuesday endorsed the resolution and said 'I also stand by it'. Currently, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir units of the party have passed the resolution. The Congress had last month announced that the elections for its president will be held on October 17. The result will be declared on October 19. Shivkumar also attacked the BJP and alleged Congress has always promoted Bhagwat Gita and now the Basavaraj Bommai-led government is trying to hijack it. "Education minister of Karnataka doesn't know that Rajiv(Gandhi) ji for 3-4 years came out with a scheme that everyone should see Ramayana and Mahabharata every Sunday on Doordarshan. Rajiv ji promoted Bhagwat Gita to every man and woman in this country. So this is the philosophy of congress party and now he (Karnataka education minister) is trying to hijack now," Shivkumar told ANI. Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh on Monday, September 19, announced that the Bhagavad Gita will be taught as part of the moral education syllabus in schools and colleges across the state from December. Congress Karnataka Chief met Interim party president Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath along with his brother DK Suresh over which Shivkumar said," It was a courtesy meeting and wanted to pay my condolences. she is our leader." As polls to elect the next Congress president are drawing closer, the chorus has yet again started to grow in favour of Rahul Gandhi, who resigned from the post after the 2019 general election debacle. On Monday, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor met interim president Sonia Gandhi and received the nod to run for Congress president in the upcoming election. (ANI) A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking indulgence and intervention of the Court alleging the officials of the municipal corporation along with the previous and present toll tax contractor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (now MCD) have cheated and committed theft to the Government exchequer to the tune of over Rs 5,000 crore. Plea seeks issuance of direction to constitute a five members committee headed by a retired judge of this Court or the Supreme Court of India to find out the lapses and the irregularity committed by the Toll Tax contractor and the erring officials of the respondents regarding the theft of ECC amount and Toll Tax amount. The plea also alleges that the previous and present toll tax contractor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation have indulged in serious theft of Environment Compensation Charge amount (ECC) and mismanagement of public funds in Delhi to the government agencies and the said funds are to be used for control of air pollution in Delhi protecting the environment. Petitioner Jitender Singh, Director JMJ Buildcon Private Limited states that the municipal corporation had awarded the Contract of Toll Tax Collection from the commercial vehicles entering Delhi to a private firm at an amount of INR 1206 Crore per year. The contract duration was for a period of 5 years from 2017-2022. Petitioner states that his company JMJ later entered into a cooperation agreement with the said Private firm in February 2019 for Delhi Entry Toll Tax and ECC Collection. Later JMJ team which deployed in the field noted that the private firm which initially got the 5 years contract is allegedly involved in the theft of toll tax amounts with the help of each other. The plea alleged that the ECC collection is taking place in free lanes through handheld machines by a private company staff/toll contractor. The petitioner further submits that as per the terms and conditions of the agreement no ECC and Toll Tax collection can be collected from free lanes but the same are being collected from the free lanes thus violating the terms and conditions of the contract and by-passing the orders of this Court, plea read. The petitioner further submits that the surveillance cameras are not installed correctly in free lanes by SDMC and the Technical company to monitor the traffic through free lanes. The petitioner further submits that the petitioner gave a complaint to Commissioner, SDMC on 28.08. 2020 but the Commissioner, SDMC took no action on the complaint against the culprits, plea states. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will now meet his Mizoram counterpart, Zoramthanga to hold another round of talks on the pending Assam-Mizoram border issue, on Tuesday confirmed official sources to ANI. The development comes a few days after the border talks happened between Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu and Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sources privy to the development said that Sarma who will return to the national capital late on Monday night will meet Mizoram CM Zoramthanga to hold a meeting at Assam House on Tuesday afternoon to take forward the initiative to resolve the inter-border dispute issues. Sources also say that the two leaders could meet later in the day with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to further discuss the developments. In November last year, the two CMs Met in the presence of the Union Home Minister in the national capital to discuss the decades-long pending issue. In July last year, the border dispute turned violent resulting in the death of seven personnel from the Assam police and injuring several others. Following this, a couple of rounds of meetings have taken place between the delegations from Assam and Mizoram to solve this issue amicably. In 1972 Mizoram was made a union territory. However, the UT which was carved out of Assam was made a state in 1987. After initial acceptance of the border with Assam gradually Mizoram began disputing the border. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday sent a letter to the female legislators of the state Legislature ahead of the women-only occasion on the session of September 22. The session will be held in both the legislative assembly and the legislative council explaining the 'Mission Shakti' scheme of the government and its impact on women of the state. Reaffirming his commitment to ensure the security, dignity, and self-reliance of women, the Chief Minister has also provided comprehensive information about the efforts made by the government and outcomes achieved so far under 'Mission Shakti'. "Under Mission Shakti, the perception about Uttar Pradesh has changed throughout the nation and the world as a result of the efficient implementation of policies and initiatives of the central and state governments relating to women empowerment. The Uttar Pradesh government has put a lot of effort towards empowering women over the past five and a half years while also assuring their safety and dignity," Yogi Adityanath said in the letter. "Connecting women on a massive scale to the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, increasing participation of women in government positions, and involving them in self-employment schemes among others, the Government has undertaken several initiatives to make women self-reliant," he further said. CM Yogi also gave comprehensive details of programmes relating to women's empowerment. The Chief Minister recently announced the decision to dedicate September 22 to women members of the legislative assembly and legislative council. On this day, women legislators will present their views on various topics. (ANI) In a veiled attack on Bharatiya Janata Party, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday questioned the source of money for excessive advertising and controlling the news. While addressing mediapersons in Patna, Bihar, Kumar alleged, "We do so much work but we don't do that much advertising. We don't have money for useless purposes. I don't know where some people get money for so much advertising and to control the news that news related to others never gets published." Kumar was addressing the revenue staff appointment letter distribution programme in Patna, Bihar. Earlier today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed his grief over deaths caused by lightning in the state and announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the dependants of the deceased. 11 people tragically died due to lightning in 3 districts of the state. "An ex-gratia grant of Rs 4 lakh each will be given immediately to the dependents of the deceased. Be careful in bad weather," tweeted Bihar CM. He also cautioned the public and urged them to follow guidelines issued by authorities during extreme weather. "Follow the suggestions issued by the Disaster Management Department to prevent thunderstorms. Stay at home in bad weather, stay safe," he added. On Monday, lightning killed four people in Purnea, three persons in Supal and four in Araria. Earlier this July, Nitish Kumar condoled the death of five people due to lightning and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the deceased's family members. According to a press release from Chief Minister's Office (CMO), one death was reported in Siwan, 1 in Samastipur, 1 in Gaya, 1 in Khagaria and 1 in Saran due to thunderstorms. (ANI) Jharkhand Congress on Tuesday passed a resolution to make Rahul Gandhi the party president. Meanwhile, on Monday, Himachal Pradesh Congress adopted a unanimous resolution authorising party chief Sonia Gandhi to nominate the new state Congress chief and AICC members. The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee is set to pass a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to lead the party as President. Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar units of the Congress have now passed resolutions that Rahul Gandhi should again become the party's president. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party's presidential elections, said sources on Tuesday. Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi leaving the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30. Earlier today, Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, arrived in the national capital upon the call by the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.According to sources close to Venugopal, he was asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is "strictly part of organisational matters". He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This was the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today.This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president's post, sources said. Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi's go-ahead after he met her here. According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to "make internal democracy" in the party stronger. Sonia Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections.Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, also got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray. Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is "trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi" to contest rather than his own nomination, sources said. This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party's president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19. Meanwhile, various state units including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir among others have already passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to become the president of the party.The election for the Congress president is set to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared two days after the polling on October 19. The notification for elections of Congress chief is slated to be issued on September 22 and candidates can file their nomination between September 24 and 30. The Congress central election authority has allowed Pradesh Congress Committees to adopt resolutions authorising the new Congress president to appoint the party's state unit chiefs and nominate All India Congress Committee (AICC) members. (ANI) According to police, the scuffle between airport security staff and army officers had happened when the latter tried to park their vehicle in a VIP area. The incident had taken place early on September 16 near VIP departure. Police sources said, the two officers, Captain Thakur Baruwal and Major Pusheeb Rajput, had come to the airport in the car with Jammu and Kashmir registration and allegedly tried to park on lane one reserved for VIP and CISF officers. The security guards denied them parking and asked them to park on lane 2. Sources said that at this, the officers got furious with the security guards, abused them, pushed them to the ground, and kicked them. They had attacked four security guards according to police. The KempeGowda International Airport police have taken up the case for investigation. --IANS mka/vd ( 177 Words) 2022-09-20-19:04:04 (IANS) A special CBI court on Tuesday sent arrested University of North Bengal Vice Chancellor and West Bengal School Service Commission's (WBSSC) former Chairman Subiresh Bhattacharya to the central agency's custody till September 26. Bhattacharya was arrested on Monday afternoon by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment scam. CBI counsel informed the court that the central agency sleuths have procured copies of 300 entrance examination marksheets where the marks were altered directly allegedly under the instructions of Bhattacharya. Based on altered marks, recommendations for employment to ineligible candidates were made, the CBI counsel informed the court. On the other hand, Bhattacharya's counsel argued that since the CBI has not mentioned the exact time-bracket when this alternation of marks took place, their argument on this count against his client does not stand. After hearing both sides, the court sent Bhattacharya to six days CBI custody. State Education Minister, Bratya Basu told media persons that since it is a judicial matter, he has no comments to offer in the matter. Regarding Bhattacharya's replacement as Vice Chancellor, he said that nothing has been decided in the matter as yet. "It is an extraordinary situation and so whatever decision has to be taken will be only after consultation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said. CPI-M Politburo member and the party's state Secretary, Mohammad Salim said that the arrest of a Vice Chancellor of a state university on charges of corruption was unheard of in the history of the state's education system. "The state's rich education system was our pride. The current regime has totally destroyed that education system," he said. Currently, besides Bhattacharya, the other key persons behind the scam who are in CBI custody now are the former state Education Minister Partha Chattopadhyay, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education's former President Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, WBSSC's former Secretary, Ashok Saha and WBSSC's screening committee's former convenor S.P. Sinha. --IANS src/vd ( 338 Words) 2022-09-20-19:20:04 (IANS) A canteen worker at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT Bombay) was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly recording a video of the girls' hostel bathroom. The incident occurred late on Sunday when a female student noticed a mobile phone on a window outside the bathroom of Hostel 10 on the IIT Bombay campus, and alerted the authorities. The Powai police station was informed and a team rushed there, and after conducting preliminary investigations, including questioning at least five canteen workers, identified as a 22-year-old canteen worker as the prime suspect and arrested him. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone X, Maheshwar Reddy told media persons that the mobile phone of the accused is with the police, further investigations are on, and the accused shall be produced before the court on Wednesday. The IIT Bombay issued a statement saying that "there was an attempt to violate the personal space of women residents of a hostel", by an employee of the night canteen, who was caught red-handed by the alertness of the women residents and handed over to the police. "The investigation, including cyber investigation, is being carried out by the Mumbai Police. The IIT Bombay, as per the initial report, is not aware of any footage being shared from the phones confiscated from the culprit," said the statement. As a precaution, the night canteen has been shut down immediately and will be reopened only if it can be staffed exclusively by women, the IIT Bombay said. Gaps in the pipe ducts, which may have been used by the suspect, have been closed, and further discussions are on with the students to see what additional security measures can be taken, it added. The canteen worker has been arrested under various sections of Indian Penal Code which can attract a jail term of minimum one year and can extend up to seven years. The development came just a couple of days after students of Chandigarh University raised a hue and cry about certain alleged secret videos of girl students shot in the hostel bathrooms. --IANS qn/vd ( 359 Words) 2022-09-20-19:38:03 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will be in Delhi on Wednesday and is likely to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He is then expected to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi. Gehlot is tipped to be the presidential candidate for the Congress polls. However, Sonia Gandhi has called KC Venugopal on Tuesday and spoke at length about the issues of Rajasthan, while Gehlot is pushing for Rahul Gandhi as party president. Gehlot is reluctant to move to Delhi and does not want his former deputy Sachin Pilot to be elevated to the Chief Minister's chair, sources said. Congress General Secretary, Organisation KC Venugopal after meeting Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that it is up to Rahul Gandhi to decide about contesting the elections and everything will be clear within a week. "I had some pending work of the party so I came to meet her," Venugopal added. He said that it's the party workers prerogative to pass resolutions in the state as every worker wants Rahul to be president of the party. Venugopal was in the Bharat Jodo Yatra since it started on September 7 from Kanyakumari. The Congress on Tuesday reiterated that anyone can contest the party president's poll as it was a democratic and transparent process and no nod was required from the leadership. Jairam Ramesh, party general secretary said, "Entire party is immersed in making #BharatJodoYatra a success. Even so it's important to reiterate that any member is welcome to contest for Congress president. This is a democratic & transparent process. Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest, especially that of party leadership." --IANS miz/bg ( 284 Words) 2022-09-20-20:04:02 (IANS) Finally, it's official that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will visit Delhi on Wednesday at 11 a.m. He will leave Jaipur via a special plane at 10 a.m. and will reach Delhi at 11 a.m. on the same day. In fact, Gehlot has called a late night meeting of party MLAs, which is being described as a move proving that he is under pressure from the top leadership to contest elections for party Chief. However, Gehlot reportedly remains reluctant as he may have to cede the post of chief minister to his political rival Sachin Pilot. Sources said that Gehlot shall meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi during this visit. Those close to him are anticipating his visit in the wake of filing nominations for Congress Presidential post which will start from September 24. Sources said that the Rajasthan CM will meet the party chairperson during his visit to the national capital and he is likely to file his nomination for the position of Congress Chief soon. Although there is no official communication about this, Gehlot has remained tight-lipped whenever he has been questioned on the same by the media. The process for electing President in the Congress party is scheduled in October, and the nomination process for the same will start on September 24. Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the Gandhi family wants Gehlot to take the responsibility of the party President, as Rahul Gandhi has been denying showing interest in the top post. Party workers said that Gehlot has done his homework well in wake of his Delhi visit to file his nomination papers. He has made back to back visits to different constituencies and met MLAs to ensure he enjoys a strong support if there comes any need to show the strength in wake of change of leadership. In fact, his invitation to MLAs for meeting on Tuesday night is an extension of the same exercise. Looking at his hectic visits, speculations are rife that there may be a leadership change. Party workers said that Gehlot, in such a case, is willing to depute his own man to take the coveted seat. Meanwhile, another leader confirmed that Gehlot seems to be in no mood to take the new position, however if Gandhis have decided the same, then there is no escape. Quoting an earlier incident, they said, "Arjun Singh, former CM of MP was instantly shifted as Governor to Punjab in 1985 despite being elected as CM and Motilal Vora was designated as MP CM." Meanwhile, senior workers also said that there are chances the elections will be postponed. "Assembly elections are scheduled in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh soon where AAP and BJP are posing challenges. Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has joined BJP and he might influence his community in Himachal Pradesh. In such conditions, our stability is a must and hence after nominations, there are chances that elections will be postponed," they said. "However again, if Gandhis have decided to elect non-Gandhi president, then no one will have a word to say," they added. --IANS arc/uk ( 526 Words) 2022-09-20-21:36:07 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the multi- crore coal smuggling scam in West Bengal, has summoned two key Indian Police Service (IPS) from the state to the agency's headquarter at New Delhi this month for questioning. These two IPS officers are the Additional Director General, Special Task Force, Gyanwant Singh and Deputy Commissioner, South, of Kolkata Police, Akash Magharia. While Singh has been asked to be present at ED's New Delhi office on September 26, for Magharia the date has been fixed on September 28. This is the second time that Singh has been asked to be present at ED's New Delhi office. He was summoned last month as well along with seven other IPS officers from the state. However, Singh then ducked the summons. ED sources said that during the peak period of the coal smuggling in West Bengal, all these IPS officers were holding important positions and the central agency wanted to question them on how this coal smuggling was carried out without their knowledge. Of late, ED sleuths have become extremely active in its probe on the coal smuggling scam. It has questioned Trinamool Congress national General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee thrice on this count, out of which twice were in New Delhi and once in Kolkata. The central agency sleuths have also questioned his wife Sujata Narula Banerjee and sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir in the matter. State Law Minister, Malay Ghatak has also been summoned by ED a number of times in this connection. But each time, he ducked the summon. --IANS src/vd ( 276 Words) 2022-09-20-21:40:03 (IANS) The name of Faesal among other petitioners in the plea was mentioned during its filing in the apex court in 2019. Immediately after returning from the US in January 2019, the J&K cadre IAS officer announced his resignation from the service. In 2018, he was selected as an Edward Mason Fellow at John F Kennedy School at Harvard University. Leaving his fellowship halfway, he returned to Kashmir and went into politics. Initially, he intended to join the National Conference (NC) which, according to well-placed sources, had decided to field him as its candidate in the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla-Kupwara. However, he changed his mind after some youths at his first press conference raised objections to his perceived plan, claiming that the NC did not represent their aspirations. Later in March 2019, Faesal floated his own political party, the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM). The plea was moved by this time. --IANS jw/vd ( 212 Words) 2022-09-20-21:54:05 (IANS) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that legislators and MPs should understand the basic spirit of the Constitution. Speaking at a function organised for his felicitation in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, he said, "The functioning of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies remains the asset of a healthy democracy. The working style of public representatives should be exemplary for the people to strengthen democracy," he added. Dhankhar described accountability and transparency as the main functions of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and asked the members to use the House to express their views. At the same time, he said that none of the three organs of the state - legislature, executive and judiciary - are superior to each other, they all come under the Constitution. Presiding over the programme, Assembly speaker Dr. C.P. Joshi said that the entire House is proud that the Vice President Dhankhar has been a member of this assembly. He is the second person after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to take the coveted Vice President chair. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Dhankhar on being elected to the second highest post of the country and said that it is a matter of pride for all of us in the state. He said that Dhankhar has always brought glory to Rajasthan. Even as the Governor of West Bengal, he always kept his doors open for the migrant Rajasthanis and helped everyone in every possible way. The Chief Minister said that he has full confidence that he will make every effort for the progress of Rajasthan even after being the Vice President. Leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said that it is a golden day for the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly that a member of this House and a person brought up in this part of state has attained the post of Vice President. Dhankhar inaugurated the felicitation ceremony by lighting the lamp. On this occasion, Joshi, Gehlot and Kataria welcomed Dhankhar by presenting a sapling. Earlier, the Vice President was received by Joshi and Gehlot in the assembly premises. On reaching the Assembly, the Vice President was given a guard of honour. --IANS arc/uk ( 365 Words) 2022-09-20-21:56:02 (IANS) Collecting genetic samples for small mammals can be tricky, but scientists found a noninvasive way to do it for San Francisco's endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. A study from the University of California, Davis, describes a new, noninvasive genetic survey technique for the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, which lives solely within the tidal marshes of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. In larger mammals, scientists often collect samples from scat, but the poop of small animals can be so small that it is difficult to detect in the wild. The new technique, published in the Journal of Mammalogy, uses a combination of bait stations and genetics to sample and identify salt marsh harvest mice, or "salties" as researchers affectionately call them. The species has lost more than 90% of its habitat to development and is also threatened by rising sea levels. That's why it is imperative that the remaining populations are identified accurately and efficiently, the authors note. The technique is simple: Scientists bait boxes with a snack of seeds, millet and oats, and lay down cotton bedding. The mice are free to come and go. A researcher returns a week later to collect the lab's fecal pellets for genetic sampling. There, a unique species identification test differentiates salt marsh harvest mice samples from those of other rodents that may have used the bait box. Contrast that process with the more common and intensive method of live trapping: A team of three to five researchers check traps at sunrise and sunset for several consecutive days. To prevent animal drownings, those traps must be placed above the tideline, ruling out several areas of tidal marsh habitat. But with the new, noninvasive technique, mice can leave at any time, allowing researchers to monitor more marshes and more mice, safely and efficiently. "Our genetic identification method is simple, inexpensive, and can be adapted to other small mammal systems," said lead author Cody Aylward, a recent graduate and former doctoral student of the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "I hope someone studying an endangered small animal somewhere reads this study and goes, 'That's something I can do.'" Little is known about salt marsh harvest mice, so the impacts of their potential loss are also unclear. Scientists know the species is unusual in several ways. For example, salties are strong swimmers, can drink seawater and have a unique genetic lineage, as Aylward explains: "Genetic data says there's 3.5 million years divergence between them and their closest relative," he said. "So if we lose them, that's 3.5 million years of evolutionary history that's lost." Co-authors include principal investigator Mark Statham, Robert Grahn and Benjamin Sacks from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. (ANI) Secrets of CPEC projects are guarded more than state secrets by the Pakistani government still the occasional spills suggest that these projects are facing severe challenges to sustain which is posing a great hindrance to the country's power sector growth, media reports said. The faultlines clearly highlight that as Pakistan is unable to resolve some key issues in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects the investment flow from China is drying up, Inside Over reported. Despite efforts by Pakistan keep CPEC reality a secret, different organs of the Pakistani government from time to time reveal that the projects are entangled in debt becoming a matter of local political interest and global scrutiny. For Instance, in 2020, a 'leaked' report of an internal committee formed by the Pak government put some light on the exploitative nature of power sector deals and lack of transparency under CPEC. As per the report, the projects have very high rates of return on investment assured to the Chinese companies. However, the reality was a start contrast to the promises made. The high returns condition itself translates into exorbitant power tariffs which further lead to unpaid dues at the end of power purchasing entities in Pakistan. These projects' rates of return have ballooned the circular debt in the country's power sector, reported Inside Over. The piling up of power sector debt is impacting the fiscal health of Pakistan. This grave issue is regularly raised in Pakistan's negotiations with multilateral Chinese lenders. In July 2022 for releasing a loan tranche, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was reported to have asked the country to seek some concessions from China. Pakistan owes around PKR300 billion to the Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) which is closely watched by the IMF. Pakistan's non-clearance of their dues makes the Chinese power sector investors nervous and many of them have started accusing Islamabad of breaching provisions of the agreements. Zhang Jun, Chairman Energy investment of All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association (APCEAP) recent spokes with various institutions including Prime Minister's Office. Over ten Chinese investors, who have invested in power projects have established an Association viz Energy Enterprise Association (EEA) on the pattern of independent Power Producers (lPPs) raised their issues, reported Inside Over. (ANI) The two sides discussed the potential bilateral cooperation to strengthen Foot and Mouth Disease capability to advance India's and New Zealand's primary sectors. During the meeting, both sides felt that there is much to learn from each other in the related fields. The cooperation discussed today will help enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Exchanging information and expertise will help build the knowledge and capability of each other's animal husbandry sector, which will have mutual benefits for both countries. Both the dignitaries have discussed various ideas to further strengthen the close and unique India-New Zealand friendship. India and New Zealand historically share close and cordial ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1952. Commonalities such as membership of the Commonwealth, upholding of common law practices and pursuing shared aspirations of achieving economic development and prosperity through democratic governance systems provide an excellent backdrop for deepening ongoing ties. (ANI) India pledges full support to United Nations General Assembly and commitment to multilateralism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in his talks with Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th session of UNGA, at UN headquarters in New York. One of the highlights of the discussions between the UNGA President and Jaishankar was the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda for global progress. In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "Delighted to meet President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Korosi at UN headquarters. Congratulated him on his priorities for UNGA77. Assured him of India's fullest support. Discussed the criticality of SDG agenda for global progress. Shared Indian experiences in that regard." "Reiterated India's deep commitment to multilateralism," the tweet added. Kicking off a jam-packed diplomatic week in New York, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, Jaishankar held a set of bilateral talks with his counterparts in the Balkans, Europe and the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia. Earlier, to review the gamut of bilateral strategic partnership between the two nations, Jaishankar held discussions with the UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and appreciated his insights on the global situation. In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "Always a pleasure to meet FM Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE. Reviewed the continuing progress of our partnership. Appreciated his assessments and insights on the global situation." As part of his diplomatic meetings in the US, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in a trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE-France with his counterparts and exchanged ideas between the strategic partners. EAM Jaishankar arrived here Sunday for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is likely to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several heads of state later this week. Over the course of the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral meetings. The Indian minister is scheduled to deliver on Saturday India's address at UNGA, which is meeting on the theme, "A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges". Security Council reforms will be the top item on Jaishankar's agenda as he meets dozens of world leaders during the week packed with the Assembly session and several events on the sidelines. Council reform is expected to get a boost during the session as US President Joe Biden is to present ideas for its reform and consult with other leaders, according to US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenburgh. He is also scheduled to host a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of G4, the group made up of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan that advocate for expanding the Council and mutually support each other's claim for a permanent seat. During his visit to the US beginning today, Jaishankar will also participate in meetings of Quad made up of India, Australia, Japan and the US, BRICS and several other key groupings.Commemorating the nation's 75th anniversary of Independence, the highlight of Jaishankar's visit will be an event on Saturday, "India@75: Showcasing India UN Partnership in Action", on New Delhi's cooperation with the UN and its march towards the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate. Jaishankar will be in New York from September 18 to 24, while he will visit Washington DC from September 25 to 28, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). After concluding his visit to New York on Saturday, he is scheduled to visit Washington for three days starting Sunday for what the External Affairs Ministry said for "a high-level review of the multifaceted bilateral agenda and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues to further consolidate the India-US strategic partnership". In Washington, Jaishsnkar is expected to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials of the Biden Administration. A round table focused on science and technology is also on the agenda for Washington. (ANI) As Russia becomes more desperate thanks to military shortcomings in its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, China is increasingly taking on the mantle of senior partner. At the same time, Beijing remains concerned about the signals it is getting from the USA, the latest of which was President Joe Biden's promise to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand brought together Chairman Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin for a sideline meeting on 15 September. It was Xi's first overseas trip since January 2020, and the first face-to-face meeting between the two authoritarians since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The two last met in person on 4 February during the Beijing Winter Olympics. Then, they affectionately boasted of a "friendship between the two states [that] has no limits". Three weeks later, Putin invaded Ukraine. China has been far from impressed by Russia's military performance as the war drags on. Nonetheless, China is a steadfast defender of Russia, avoiding any criticism of Putin, and even refusing to call it a "war" or "invasion". Because of this, Beijing's image has been rightly tarnished by its association with a warmonger. After the Putin-Xi meeting, careful scrutiny of a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry indicates Chinese disquiet. On the surface, things look rosy, with comments such as this: "In the face of changes of the world, of our times and of history, China will work with Russia to fulfill their responsibilities as major countries and play a leading role in injecting stability into a world of change and disorder." Yet, significantly, gone were the partners' earlier mention of cooperation on "the development of the international order and global governance towards a more just and reasonable direction". China has certainly not let up on efforts to rewrite the current international system, but it is now reticent to explicitly state that it is doing so hand in hand with Russia. This stems from diplomatic tact, for China realizes that Russia has attracted opprobrium around the world for its malignant militancy. Beijing has always looked down on Russia for abandoning the communist faith in 1989. Russia's failings on the frontlines of Ukraine are a reminder for China that Moscow's path was the wrong one, and that its own fealty to communism is the only correct way to national glory. In the readout, Xi was silent on the topic of bilateral strategic cooperation. China did mention "effective strategic communication", but that was a far cry from earlier "deepening strategic coordination of mutual support ... The two countries have never and will never waver in this choice." Perhaps this friendship is already showing signs of wavering? Xi emphasized that Taiwan remains a core interest, with Russia restating it is "firmly committed to the one-China principle and condemns the provocative moves by individual countries on issues concerning China's core interests". But perhaps the most interesting part, found in Russia's readout alone, was Putin telling Xi regarding Ukraine: "We understand your questions and your concerns in this regard." This is highly important, for it shows that Beijing has raised questions about what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Putin was almost apologetic as he publicly acknowledged that China had questions about its "special military operation". Yet why did China not raise those questions in its comments? The answer is simple. China has already expressed its support for Russia. To backtrack now would be an admission that it was wrong. Naturally, Xi and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) never make mistakes - to admit error would belie the infallibility of the CCP. Furthermore, China has always avoided making too many references to the Ukraine invasion - it likes to pretend it is not happening, or to downgrade its importance. Therefore, it can be discerned that China is backing away from its earlier stance on the merits of Russia's war. It appears increasingly unwilling to unreservedly support Putin the longer the war drags on. There is another critical dynamic apparent in the way both Russia and China wrote their readouts too. They show that China is now calling the shots, with Beijing taking the lead in the relationship as Putin becomes more desperate. Xi has gained the upper hand, although he probably thought he already had that for a long time. Indeed, Doctor Michael Clark, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies at the Australian Defence College, wrote for the Lowy Institute: "...An interests-based assessment of China's behavior since the Russian invasion of Ukraine indicates that Beijing is attempting an ungainly balancing act between its simultaneous desire to maintain the strategic partnership with Russia and minimize collateral damage to its economic interests and diplomatic reputation, while also extracting leverage from Moscow's travails." Clark noted: "Beijing's efforts to balance Sino-Russian relations with its broader economic and diplomatic interests may indeed look ungainly. However, they demonstrate that it will not sacrifice its own core interests on the altar of Putin's folly." Indeed, China is leveraging Russia's current weakness and vulnerability. Moscow has become the subordinate partner in the relationship, something that Xi has no qualms about. Nonetheless, China still needs Russia if Xi is to maintain the "struggle" and attain the Chinese dream of "great national rejuvenation". The major stumbling block to achieving that is the USA and the democratic world order that it represents. If China is to reduce and eliminate America's decline, then he still needs Russia as a strategic ally. There is already a benefit for China, since the USA is distracted by the war in Ukraine, and is depleting war stocks such as ammunition and missiles as it supplies Kyiv. Clark concluded, "This calculus means that absent a complete Russian military collapse and/or overthrow of Putin, Beijing will likely continue its attempt to preserve Sino-Russian alignment, while deflecting potential collateral damage to its own interests." It is unlikely that China will offer any overt criticism of Russia, as they are still too important to each other for China to stab Russia in the back. However, Xi probably believes that a little distance between itself and Russia's war is a good thing. Xi has other considerations too. He will be seeking a third five-year term as leader soon, and he must ensure his grip on power is tighter than ever. That means a crackdown on opponents within the CCP and more restrictions on Chinese citizens are likely. Unfortunately, as Xi attempts to emulate or even surpass Mao Zedong, the risk of miscalculation - such as a Chinese military adventure in the South China Sea or against Taiwan - grows. Nonetheless, China continues to consume Russian natural resources such as oil and gas at a prodigious rate. Russia is now China's largest source of oil, as it overtook Saudi Arabia as top supplier. Incidentally, showing its true colors and tacit support for the Ukraine invasion, China signed an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership" with Belarus the day after Xi met with Putin. Belarus is Russia's closest ally in its war with Ukraine. Shortly after all this was going on in Samarkand, American President Joe Biden confirmed, during a media interview aired on 18 September, that the USA would help defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. It was the most explicit statement so far from the USA. The comment came during a broadcast of CBS 60 Minutes. Would US forces intervene, Biden was asked? "Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack," the president promised. Biden went further than any previous president, for the USA has long observed a policy of strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwan. In May, Biden had stated the US had a military commitment to defend Taiwan. He also said something similar in October 2021. A White House spokesperson said: "The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn't changed. That remains true." However, quite apart from all the foregoing, the most significant part of the interview was Biden's view that "Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence". He added, though, "We are not moving - we're not encouraging their being independent.That's their decision." This amounts to a change from the USA's long-standing policy that it does not support Taiwan independence and is opposed to unilateral changes from either side. Thiscomment alone is likely to infuriate China far more than any promise to defend the democratic nation. This led Euan Graham, a senior fellow based in Singapore supporting the Shangri-La Dialogue, to remark, "...This is a significant departure from no unilateral changes to the status quo. A hint, at least, that the status quo is not sustainable in the long term." However, it is one thing to make promises, and altogether another one to back them up with hard action. Deterrence is all about making sure that the opposition knows you have the ability and will to make good on promises or threats. The jury remains out on American will. Remember that Biden was the president who oversaw the shambolic and shameful US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Unlike authoritarian China, where the state carefully orchestrates and controls the official narrative, the USA continues to send mixed messages to Beijing. For example, the Biden administration is somewhat watering down publicity for its new Taiwan Policy Act to prevent unnecessary antagonism of China. Yet, in almost the same breath, Biden promised to help defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression. A report published by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) this month, entitled "US-China Signaling, Action-Reaction Dynamics, and Taiwan: A Preliminary Examination", reached three conclusions about the signaling dynamics between China and the USA. The first was that Taiwan Strait policy changes, especially those towards the end of Donald Trump's administration, have had "a significant impact on China's understanding and assessment of the Biden administration's actions and policy signals on Taiwan". Example changes include the State Department's ending of restrictions on contacts between high-level American and Taiwanese officials. The report's authors commented, "But from the Chinese perspective, these are drastic changes that demonstrate the further hollowing out of the one-China policy that the United States has adhered to since the Nixon administration. These changes immensely damage the political foundation of China-US relations and intensify the already serious lack of strategic mutual trust. China must therefore plan for the worst with respect to the Taiwan question." The second conclusion was that "the Biden administration's efforts to unite allies and partners to address the China challenge have increased negative Chinese perceptions of the administration's Taiwan Strait policy". Beijing fears a greater role for Japan in the Taiwan issue, for example, something that is very sensitive for China given their bitter history. China also sees it as hypocritical that the USA should strengthen cooperation with communist Vietnam, seeing it as part of American effort to geostrategically contain China. The third conclusion by USIP is that "there are significant differences in how the two sides interpret policy signals. Policy signals can be both strong and weak, and interpreting such signals is highly subjective, which inevitably complicates the process of sending and receiving policy signals between the two countries." There is growing unease in China that the US Congress will undermine the limited consensus already reached by China and the USA. Congress signalling has always been vaguer and often more radical than that of the executive branch, and this makes it more challenging for China to correctly assess the US stance on Taiwan. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday arrived in Delhi from London after attending the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom. She was on a three-day visit to attend the funeral. She was among 500 others from nearly 200 countries and territories present at the funeral, even as a large number of UK residents formed a beeline to pay their last respects to the queen. The president's plane took off at 8.20 pm local time, few hours after the end of the late Queen's funeral service. President Murmu was among many world leaders in attendance for the funeral, even as King Charles III and other members of the British royal family walked behind the queen's coffin during the procession. Crowds watched as the state hearse passed through London, with some throwing flowers in the direction of the convoy. Murmu was accompanied by foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra during the funeral ceremony. She concluded her three days visit on Monday and will return to India on Tuesday morning. Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. It is the first state funeral in the UK since Winston Churchill's in 1965. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was lowered into Royal Vault at Windsor Castle in London on Monday after the committal service. World leaders from American President Joe Biden to French President Emmanuel Macron joined members of the public in observing two-minute silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II as the funeral service ended here with the recitation of "God Save the King", the reworded national anthem today. The coffin of the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom was carried at Westminster Abbey in London with the Royal family members and top world leaders in attendance. Numerous guests ranging from political heads of countries to distinct royal family members and dignitaries from across the world landed in the UK for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. A state funeral means that the UK government has officially declared the day of the funeral as a bank holiday. President Murmu arrived in London to attend Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on September 17 and offered condolences on behalf of the government of India. (ANI) As per the police statement, the fishermen were apprehended about 22 nautical miles from Jagadapattinam at 10.00 pm on Monday. Last month, ten Indian fishermen had been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Sri Lankan fishermen association said. Prior to that, nine fishermen travelling in a boat from the coastal district of Tamil Nadu have been arrested for allegedly trespassing and fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Rameswaram Police said the arrested fishermen from Nagapattinam are being taken to Trincomalee port. Earlier, Sri Lankan Navy rescued six Indian fishermen who were stranded after their boat drifted in Lankan waters due to a glitch. Fishermen hailing from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram went into the sea for fishing. Around 532 boats from Rameswaram fishing harbour left for the sea. But the boat owned by Sagear Pandian developed a mechanical snag in the Palk Bay area, the Indian-Sri Lankan sea border. (ANI) A group of cross-party British lawmakers is in talks with Taiwan to provide Chinese-language teachers to the United Kingdon as the government seeks to phase out Confucius Institutes, according to media reports. Chinese state-linked Confucius language learning and teaching project has been under heavy scrutiny as the bilateral relations between China and the UK continue to deteriorate. Taipei Times reported that there are 30 branches of the institute operating across the UK. Notably, the schools are effectively joint ventures between a host university in Britain, a partner university in China and the Chinese International Education Foundation, a Beijing-based organization. Earlier in 2014, current British Prime Minister Liz Truss had praised the network of Confucius classrooms. Serving as education minister at the time, she said the institutes "will put in place a strong infrastructure for Mandarin" in the UK, as per Taipei Times. However, now the last week's reports suggested that she was prepared to declare China an "acute threat" to the UK's national security, placing it in the same category as Russia. Citing a study conducted by the China Research Group showed in June, Taipei Times reported that almost all British government spending on Chinese-language teaching at schools is channelled through university-based Confucius Institutes. As per the estimates, the amounts to at least PS7 million (US$8.1 million) allocated from 2015 to 2024. Under the new proposal, the funding could be redirected to alternative programs such as those from Taiwan. Taipei Times reported that last month revealed that only 14 British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials are being trained to speak fluent Chinese each year. The lack of Chinese-language proficiency raised concerns for British diplomacy and also put language teaching under the spotlight. As per reports, such concerns are shared in the US, and Taiwan has stepped in. The development on Confucius language came after British lawmaker Alicia Kearns last month called on Taiwan to play a bigger role in teaching Mandarin in the UK to enhance public understanding about Taiwan as Britons become increasingly distrustful of the Chinese Communist Party, as per the publication. (ANI) India on Tuesday responded to a media query regarding reports on "no further financial support from New Delhi to Colombo", stating that it has extended around USD 4 billion in bilateral assistance this year for the people of Sri Lanka. Responding to a media query, the spokesperson of the High Commission of India in Colombo also advocated other bilateral and multilateral partners supporting Sri Lanka expeditiously in its current economic difficulties. "We have seen the relevant media reports. We would like to emphasise that India has extended unprecedented bilateral assistance amounting close to USD 4 billion this year for ameliorating the difficulties faced by the people of Sri Lanka. India has also advocated to other bilateral and multilateral partners supporting Sri Lanka expeditiously in its current economic difficulties," India in Sri Lanka said in a tweet. In a bid to sustain it from debt, India also extended its continuous support to Sri Lanka in all possible ways, particularly by promoting long-term investments from New Delhi in key economic sectors in Colombo for its early economic recovery and growth. "We have also noted the conclusion of a Staff Level Agreement between IMF and Government of Sri Lanka. Its further approval within IMF is contingent upon, inter alia, on Sri Lanka's debt sustainability. We continue to be supportive of Sri Lanka in all possible ways, in particular by promoting long-term investments from India in key economic sectors in Sri Lanka for its early economic recovery and growth," the spokesperson of the High Commission also said. On August 22, India handed over 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer to its crisis-ridden neighbour. Highlighting India-Sri Lanka's close and longstanding relationship, the High Commission noted that the people of Sri Lanka continue to avail of scholarships for higher education and skills training in premier Indian institutions. "In addition our bilateral development cooperation projects in Sri Lanka, which cumulatively total about USD 3.5 bn, are ongoing. Sri Lankans also continue to avail of scholarships for higher education and skills training in premier Indian institutions. These aspects of our close and longstanding cooperation with Sri Lanka also contribute to the efforts for addressing Sri Lanka's current economic difficulties," it added. India under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, has always come forward to help the debt-ridden island country. India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in the past 10 years. India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka as per their requirements and is one of the countries that have provided the maximum amount of assistance in time of need. Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in free fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. (ANI) Pakistan can import oil from Russia on deferred payment as both countries are in talks to discuss the possibility, a senior government functionary revealed on Sunday following a recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand. "What we have discussed during the recent interaction with the Russian side is the possibility of importing oil on deferred payment," the official said, adding that Russia has shown interest in consideration of the proposal, reported The Express Tribune. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly accused the US of being behind his ouster in April. Imran said he was punished for pursuing an 'independent foreign policy', particularly for his efforts to deepen ties with Russia. The US has always denied meddling in the internal affairs of Pakistan. According to The Express Tribune, the transcript released by the Russian side after the meeting between Shehbaz and Putin did not drop any hint that Moscow was not willing to work with the new government often labelled as the US "puppet" by Imran and his supporters. While the United States has set out with allies to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war on Ukraine by sanctioning a raft of Russian companies and oligarchs and adding others to a trade blacklist, Pakistan is mulling importing Russian oil. Pakistan's monthly fuel oil imports are set to hit a four-year high in June. The country's fuel oil imports could climb to about 700,000 tonnes this month, after hitting 630,000 tonnes in May, according to Refinitiv estimates. Imports last peaked at 680,000 tonnes in May 2018 and 741,000 tonnes in June 2017. Meanwhile, in June, the US blacklisted 36 companies, including those from China and Pakistan, for supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict. US President Joe Biden's administration has added five companies in China to a trade blacklist for supporting Russia's military and defence industrial base. The agency also added another 31 entities to the blacklist from countries that include Russia, UAE, Lithuania, Pakistan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, according to the Federal Register entry. Of the 36 total companies added, 25 had China-based operations, reported Al Jazeera. (ANI) During the visit, MoS will call on the Prime Minister of Djibouti Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and will hold talks with Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and other dignitaries on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. He will also interact with the Indian community in Djibouti, reported the Ministry of External Affairs press release. During the visit, an Agreement on the exemption from visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic & Official/Service Passports; and MoU between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) and the Institute of Diplomatic Studies (IDS) of Djibouti will also be signed, added the release. India and Djibouti share warm and friendly relations underpinned by historical and cultural linkages. Djibouti extended extraordinary support in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Yemen in 2015 (Operation Rahat). Under Operation Rahat, India evacuated nearly 5,600 people from Yemen. In 2015, a conflict raged between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. Thousands of Indians were stranded and Yemen was not accessible by air due to a no-fly zone announced by Saudi Arabia. Ram Nath Kovind, the then President of India, paid a State Visit to Djibouti in October 2017. India opened Mission in Djibouti in 2019. Bilateral trade between the two countries was valued at USD 755 million in 2021-22. A sizeable Indian community is living in Djibouti. The visit is expected to provide further momentum to the bilateral ties between India and Djibouti. (ANI) Pakistan Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will share the sufferings of the people of the flood-hit country in his address at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) being held in New York. "Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan's story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods. In my address at UNGA and bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan's case on issues that call for the world's immediate attention," PM Shehbaz Sharif tweeted. He arrived in New York on Tuesday to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On his arrival at the John F Kennedy International Airport today, the premier was received by Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram, Pakistan's Ambassador to Washington Masood Khan and other senior officers, reported The News International. Shehbaz will address the assembly on the concluding day of the five-day session of the UNGA being held from September 19-23 at the UN Headquarters in the US. As per a statement issued from the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, the focus of PM Sharif's speech will be the challenges faced by Pakistan in wake of the recent climate-induced catastrophic floods in the country. "The prime minister will outline concrete proposals for collectively tackling the existential threat posed by climate change. He will also share Pakistan's position and perspective on regional and global issues of concern, including Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the long-standing unresolved disputes on the UN agenda," the statement read. On Tuesday, Sharif will attend the reception of the Secretary General of the United Nations and meet French President Emmanuel Macron, the Austrian chancellor and the Spanish president, reported The News International. Besides, he will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of other countries, the UNGA president, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of different international organisations, IFIs and philanthropic organisations. On Wednesday, he will meet the President of the European Union Council Charles Michael. Apart from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Shehbaz Sharif will also have a bilateral meeting with Iran's President Seyed Ibrahim Raisi. On the sidelines of the UNGA session, the PM will participate in the Global Food Security Summit, jointly organised by the African Union, European Union and the United States, and closed-door leaders gathering on COP-27, bringing together select world leaders to discuss climate change, reported The News International. On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif will also meet Managing Director of International Monitory Fund Kristalina Georgieva and President World Bank David Mills. Later, he will also host a luncheon in honour of the President of Turkey and his wife, besides meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Other engagements of the Prime Minister include meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, President of the United Nations General Assembly, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Shehbaz Sharif will also meet the Prime Ministers of China, Japan and Luxemburg. During his visit, Sharif is accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, other members of the cabinet, and senior government officials. The 77th UNGA is being held at the UN headquarters in the US city of New York. The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Climate Change with a particular focus on the recent floods in Pakistan, post-covid recovery, covid vaccination access, and the economic situation post-covid are some major topics expected to be discussed during the five-days long session. (ANI) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Tuesday met with the New Zealand Minister of Trade and Agriculture, Damien O'Connor and held a discussion on the economic ties between the two countries. "Met New Zealand's Minister for Trade & Export Growth @DamienOConnorMP. Both countries are keen to build on their existing strong trade & economic ties and expand partnerships across new & emerging sectors," Goyal tweeted. New Zealand Trade Minister is meeting with counterparts in India this week to strengthen trade relationships. Earlier today, he met with the Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. The two ministers discussed a number of topics related to agriculture and agricultural trade in both countries. "Great meeting my counterpart Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. We have a shared commitment to strong rural communities, and I look forward to building our partnership through increased dialogue on all things agriculture," Damien O'connor tweeted. The New Zealand minister also held a bilateral meeting with the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala and discussed the potential bilateral cooperation to strengthen Foot and Mouth Disease capability with him to advance India's and New Zealand's primary sectors. During the meeting, both sides felt that there is much to learn from each other in the related fields. The cooperation discussed today will help enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Both the dignitaries discussed various ideas to further strengthen the close and unique India-New Zealand friendship. India and New Zealand historically share close and cordial ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1952. Commonalities such as membership of the Commonwealth, upholding of common law practices and pursuing shared aspirations of achieving economic development and prosperity through democratic governance systems provide an excellent backdrop for deepening ongoing ties. (ANI) Pakistan's shipping and freight industry has been facing turbulence since the outbreak of COVID-19, but the large-scale suspension of international flights and skyrocketing fuel prices have further exacerbated the suffering of the industry. Though the National Transport Policy 2018 and the National Freight and Logistics Policy (NFLP) 2021 set clear guidelines for the stakeholders, Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA) has reported the economic pains of around 600 freight and logistics companies, the Dawn reported. The shipping and freight industry is the fueling force behind the international economy. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 80 per cent of the global trade volume is managed through sea routes. Transportation of technological paraphernalia, food commodities, raw materials, and general goods is impossible without the apropos facilitation of the shipping network. But Pakistan's freight forwarding industry has been facing turbulence since 2019. As per the World Bank's latest statistics for 160 countries, Pakistan comes at 122nd place in terms of Logistics Performance Indicators (LPI), lower even than Sudan and Congo, which demonstrate a bit higher LPI scores, the Dawn reported. LPI mechanism broadly depends on six decisive parameters: customs clearance efficiency, uprightness of trade infrastructure, equitable shipment pricing, quality of logistics services, surety to track shipments, and consignment delivery standards. The performance of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan bears a big question mark because the promotion of trade is subject to infrastructural developments. Secondly, Pakistan Customs appears responsible for not smoothening the clearance procedures. Unnecessarily elongated customs clearance procedures discourage the importers. Thirdly, very few freight forwarding companies in the country have inducted operational shipment tracking systems. Finally, the non-existence of the shipment price determination system coupled with skyrocketing fuel prices pushes the industry towards regression. Difficulties faced by the cargo sector have gained momentum, especially in the wake of Covid-19. Large-scale suspension of international flights has played havoc with the aspirations of traders, the Dawn reported. According to the PIFFA's survey in this regard, 71pc of the participating freight companies reported no benefit through incentives and relief measures offered by the government. A massive loss of revenue was revealed by 96pc participants. Likewise, 70pc of the cargo companies either squeezed or suspended their operations during 2020-21. Moreover, around 77pc cargo businesses experienced cuts in overall sales volume. It left little liquidity with the freight forwarding units, leaving no room for rapid restoration of the industry. The engagement of a large number of parties in the logistics business poses yet another challenge. The freight forwarders are looking for some centralised control over the system, from booking the consignments to delivering to the right destination. There is no set mechanism for freight companies to trust the subagents, merchants, transporters, warehouse managers, and merchandise inspectors. Anything could happen with the commodities on the way, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, under the current economic situation, the acquisition of Letter of Credit (LC) facilities from international banks has pestered Pakistani importers. The foreign banks are asking for hundred per cent cash margins for opening LCs. It shows the import volume will further squeeze, reducing the freight forwarders' income in future. (ANI) The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship programme of the Belt and Road Initiative, is an economic expansionist programme aimed at conquering a key geographical location lying at the heart of Central Asia, India and China, i.e., Gilgit Baltistan (GB) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC was sold to the people of GB as a landmark project to uplift their lives and infrastructure, but it has in fact deepened their colonial subjugation, reported International Forum for Right and Security (IFFRAS). More importantly, the implementation of the project constitutes an illegal encroachment on territory that is legally a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Currently, one consequence of the imperialist conquest of GB by China has been natural resource exploitation and infrastructural development by Chinese companies in GB, whose primary beneficiary has been the Pakistani military, reported IFFRAS. Under the banner of CPEC, work has been initiated on mega dams, oil and gas pipelines, and uranium and heavy metal extraction in GB. This has come at a cost to local livelihood and environmental sustainability. More importantly, GB provides over half of the drinking and irrigation water to Pakistan. Chinese mega projects are showing an adverse impact on the local climate leading to uncontrollable pollution and irreversible depletion of aquatic ecosystems, reported IFFRAS. Moreover, the glacial death, pollution, abrupt weather transformations, loss of natural habitat and disappearance of ice sheets is not just detrimental to GB but also to Pakistan as a whole. Notably, there is more glacial ice in Pakistan than on earth outside the Polar Regions and over 80 per cent of this ice is in 7,253 glaciers in GB. Further, over 60 of the world's tallest peaks with heights above 20,000 feet from sea level are in GB. The Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush converge right where River Senge (Indus) meets River Hanisara in GB. World Bank warns that one-third of these glaciers will disappear by the end of this century causing famine of great magnitude in Pakistan. Melting ice sheets would also release viruses locked away for thousands of years causing an unprecedented rise in occurrences of rare diseases, reported IFFRAS. The other major challenge in GB is that deforestation, which causes landslides. The loss of forests to Chinese hydroelectric projects in PoK is palpable. Pakistani Army came to GB with the promise of protecting locals. However, it has transformed itself into a horde that has snatched indigenous lands and imposed Chinese interests on locals. The military has confiscated hundreds of thousands of acres of private land in Skardo, Diamer, Shigar, Ghizer, Gilgit and Hunza and awarded it to Chinese companies. In one instance, the army bulldozed and flattened homes in Maqpondass to grant private land to a Chinese company to build CPEC-related SEZ. This happened at midnight and in the Holy month of Ramadan!, reported IFFRAS. Also, the infrastructural development involves the establishment of 37 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along the route of the CPEC, nine of which are proposed to be made in GB. Moqpondass is one such SEZ being built and is rich in precious stones. All the mining contracts in the region are already being poached by China or their sponsored private contractors. This has caused displacement to thousands of residents and resulted in wave after wave of protests. Further, 1.8 million jobs promised to be generated by CPEC for GB never materialised and instead, China has sent thousands of its own workers to work on CPEC projects. Pakistan Army is committing real treason and terrorism by sacrificing the well-being of locals for China, reported IFFRAS. Further, new reports (June 15, 2022), indicate that China has asked Pakistan for permission to set up military outposts in Balochistan for the security of CPEC. If this report is correct, it will not be long before Chinese military outposts are established in GB in the name of providing security to Chinese personnel working on CPEC projects, reported IFFRAS. (ANI) China has sharpened its line of attack on the West's version of democracy ahead of President Xi Jinping's crowning achievement at the National Party Congress this October - the third term in office - a feat not achieved since the death of Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976. Chinese theorists, ministers and spin doctors came together to set out their plans for a new era of government - one they hoped would allow the Chinese Communist Party to remain in power forever while giving it the international respect it craves, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) They were annoyed at the optics of China being snubbed from US President Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy, had grown frustrated at China's economic power not being matched by its diplomatic clout, and were anxious to avoid the endless cycle of rising and fall that has bedevilled China's empires for millennia. In meetings in the capital, the officials at the State Council Office sharpened their line of attack on the West's version of democracy. They argued it was full of selfish politicians, broken campaign promises and fragmented societies, reported SMH. "There is nothing wrong with democracy per se," the advisers offered bluntly in a 50-page white paper. "Some countries have encountered setbacks and crises in their quest for democracy only because their approach was wrong." "Democracy with Chinese characteristics," they said, could unite countries behind their long-term economic goals and guarantee stability. The launch of the white paper in December was a brash affair. Fronted by Guo Zhenhua, the deputy secretary general of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Xu Lin, the minister of the State Council Information Office, it was largely dismissed by the West because of its colourful language, contradictions and propaganda, reported SMH. But between metaphors, the white paper contained a plan not just for China's future, but the push to export China's model and burnish Xi's legacy as he becomes the most powerful leader since Mao. "China did not duplicate Western models of democracy, but created its own," the State Council said. "It all boils down to whether the people can enjoy a good life." They argued what defined democracy was not whether one person had one vote, but whether the government fulfilled promises and enforced the rule of law. "There is no fixed model of democracy," the State Council said. "Whether a country is democratic should be acknowledged by the international community, not arbitrarily decided by a few self-appointed judges," referring to American-led multilateral groups such as the Quad, Five Eyes and the G7, reported SMH. The advisers acknowledged that in China's version of democracy there were no opposition parties, but argued that "China's political party system is not a system of one-party rule". Moreover, Xi now has unparalleled power at home. Chinese media reports suggest the 69-year-old is likely to be named as either the People's Leader or Chairman at the National Party Congress on October 16. But he faces trouble overseas, where China's growing aggression towards Taiwan, bellicose diplomatic rhetoric and COVID-19 response have isolated it from advanced economies. China's push to rebrand democracy is part of its global outreach campaign to developing countries that feel isolated by the West. (ANI) The delegation that arrived in the national capital on Monday visited the headquarters of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in New Delhi today. Inspector General P K Gupta and Additional Director General, SSB, B. Radhika received the delegation and welcomed them to the SSB headquarters. The Director General of SSB, Sujoy Lal Thaosen chaired and addressed the Nepal group and shared his valuable experiences. He emphasized that Nepal is our friendly neighbour since time immemorial and both countries have a "Roti-Beti" relationship with each other. The Nepal delegation will visit other Central Armed Police Force training institutions during its stay in India till September 29. "This tour will enable officers to gain exposure to various training methodologies. It will also help in strengthening relations between APFs and CAPFs in India which is based on mutual understanding and respect," said an SSB statement. The Nepalese delegation is being led by Kalidas Dhaubaji, DIG, APF Nepal and DIG (Retd), Raju Ram Suwal, APF Nepal. They gave a presentation on the working and structural deployment of the Nepal Armed Police Force and emphasized that such tours should be organized on a regular basis to strengthen the mutual understanding between both countries. (ANI) The Ahmadi community in Pakistan lives as second-class citizens, their right to propagate and practice their religion is legally denied in Pakistan. Most in the community are resigned to this fate but unfortunately even peaceful existence seems a distant dream when legal forums and mobs of attackers alike are mobilized to target the community and threaten their lives and livelihoods, reported Al Arabiya Post. The Pakistani legal system is in need of urgent reform to protect the safety and dignity of the Ahmadi community. Recently on August 22, sixteen graves belonging to members of the minority Ahmadiyya community were desecrated by unknown persons in Faisalabad, Punjab, approximately 150km away from Lahore. Ahmadiyya spokesperson Aamir Mahmood stated that the gravestones in a walled communal graveyard had been desecrated for the first time in 75 years. Mahmood claimed that the incident had been provoked by sermons given by Muslim clerics in the area who objected to the use of Islamic verses on the gravestones, reported Al Arabiya Post. This objection is enabled by provisions in the Pakistan Penal Code and has become the justification used in a number of cases where the Ahmadi community has been attacked. Section 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code elevates the discrimination against Ahmadiyyas into law. It prohibits Qadianis (Ahmadiyyas) from calling themselves Muslim or propagating their faith, reported Al Arabiya Post. The section prohibits Ahmadiyyas from representing themselves as Muslims directly or indirectly, inviting others to practice or accept their religion and concludes with a deliberately overbroad clause which prohibits them from any action that "in any other manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims". This particular section, 298-C is commonly cited when blasphemy cases are filed against Ahmadiyyas, which is an increasingly common occurrence. This trend creates extreme risks for members of the Ahmadi community as the charge carries the death penalty. At the centre of this legal persecution is a man named Hassan Muawiya, a religious cleric based in Lahore. Muawiya works with the Khatm-E-Nabuwwat Forum to pursue cases of blasphemy against Ahmadis. The prosecution of these cases is often accompanied by overt intimidation. In reality, the law itself tends to outlaw the Ahmadi faith and renders their existence conditional on the sufferance of the least tolerant Muslims, reported Al Arabiya Post. The framing of existing legislation allows any Muslim to generate a complaint if they feel that their religious feelings have been outraged by Ahmadis. This is an entirely subjective standard which is not very well suited to criminal law and encourages those who desire to target the community or abuse the legal system to settle personal scores. As it currently stands, the Pakistani legal system has two key dangers for Ahmadis. While S. 298-C is an overbroad section which practically invites parties like Muawiya to generate complaints and take offence, it has the saving grace of prescribing penalties that are not out of line with other offences. On the other hand, Ahmadis are routinely prosecuted for blasphemy which is very precisely defined but carries extremely harsh sentences including the death penalty. Many Ahmadis have been falsely accused of blasphemy and executed, reported Al Arabiya Post. (ANI) Pakistan needs a policy overhaul to restore its crisis-ridden economy which is drifting the Sri Lankan way to default. However, the present political instability and turmoil would prove a forbidding impediment in moving forward toward fundamental structural reforms. It is now being acknowledged that economic development has become a scapegoat of a political slugfest, reported European Times. There is a wide consensus among the Pak intelligentsia that Pakistan today needs to focus on self-reliant growth and capacity building to reap a comparative advantage in exports of its lead industrial products including textile and leather. It is also being realised in Pakistan that an economy can neither achieve sustained growth nor thrive on foreign aid. However, Islamabad is relying more on lobbying rather than addressing the EU and US concerns in substance and essence, reported European Times. Islamabad is now focusing on trade and making an all-out effort to retain the General System of Preferences (GSP) plus status provided by the EU post-2023 and regain GSP from the US which lapsed in 2020 by window dressing its compliance to requisite international conventions on labour and human rights. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently stated that economic diplomacy is a must for the economic stability of the country. Islamabad is first trying to play a victim card by making a pretext that without GSP facilities, its local population including workers and the poor would be hurt. Pakistan is also trying to make a point that its track record is better in compliance with international conventions as compared to the other GSP beneficiary countries, reported European Times. But in reality, the recent high-handed suppression and even brutal killings in the name of blasphemy belies Pak's claims. Besides, instances of violence against women and minorities continue unabated. Islamabad is also facing a new compliance burden in the case of the new GSP plus framework that the EU would adopt from 2023. Pakistan's dismal record in labour conditions, human rights, religious freedom and governance also act as bottlenecks for its attempt to secure GSP favour from the US. Several local and international NGOs have continuously highlighted its dismal worker conditions, including bonded labour, child/women exploitation, and human trafficking, reported European Times. Earlier, in an informal discussion with senior officials of the United States Trade Representatives (USTR), Pakistan Ambassador Masood Khan urged for advancing Pakistan's case on GSP. However, despite Pak lobbying, the US side was quite firm and particular on its expectations from Islamabad. The country is under USTR's 'Watch List' and also under the scanner for poor record in the implementation of UN Conventions on Labour and other international conventions. Besides, the US is sceptical about weak IP protection and sanitary and phytosanitary standards as well as bio-diversity standards, reported European Times. The European Commission recently found an increase in child labour and forced labour incidents in Pakistan. According to the Global Slavery Index, Pakistan is one of the top ten countries showing the highest prevalence of modern slavery. (ANI) Dmitry Medvedev, the hawkish long-term ally of Vladimir Putin, has suggested that the self-proclaimed separatist regions of eastern Ukraine should hold referendums as soon as possible to join the Russian Federation, a media report said. Medvedev said: "Referendums in the Donbas are essential, not only for the systematic protection of residents of the LPR, DPR and other liberated territories, but also for the restoration of historic justice," The Guardian reported. He argued that incorporating the occupied areas of Ukraine into Russia would change the dynamic of the war, saying: "After their implementation and the acceptance of new territories into Russia, the geopolitical transformation in the world will become irreversible. Encroachment on the territory of Russia is a crime, the commission of which allows you to use all the forces of self-defence. This is why these referendums are so feared in Kyiv and the west. This is why they need to be carried out," The Guardian reported. Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council, is referring here to concerns that should referendums be staged and produce a "yes" vote for areas like Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia joining Russia, that would in effect make any attempts to take back Ukrainian territory a direct attack on Russia itself, The Guardian reported. The Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region may stage a referendum to join Russia in the coming days, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a local Russian-installed official. It comes as Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said it was up to the people living in separatist-controlled areas of Ukraine if they wanted to hold referendums on joining Russia, The Guardian reported. "From the very beginning ... we've been saying that the peoples of the respective territories should decide their fate," Lavrov said on state TV when asked about several coordinated moves by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine on Tuesday to stage votes on joining Russia. --IANS san/arm ( 328 Words) 2022-09-20-19:50:01 (IANS) In continuation to a series of meetings with different leaders from across the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani and discussed taking forward development partnership and maritime security between the two countries. "Delighted to call on President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani. Welcomed his appreciation for India's outreach in combating Covid-19 and dengue. Discussed taking forward our development partnership and working together on maritime security," Jaishankar tweeted. Jaishankar, who arrived in the US on a 10-day visit, had also met his Nicaragua counterpart Denis Moncada and discussed the global situation and its multilateral implications. Jaishnkar is also scheduled to meet Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey later in the day. Earlier, to review the gamut of bilateral strategic partnership between the two nations, Jaishankar held discussions with the UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and appreciated his insights on the global situation. Kicking off a jam-packed diplomatic week in New York, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, Jaishankar held a set of bilateral talks with his counterparts in the Balkans, Europe and the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia. As part of his diplomatic meetings in the US, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in a trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE-France with his counterparts and exchanged ideas between the strategic partners. EAM Jaishankar arrived here Sunday for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is likely to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several heads of state later this week. Over the course of the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral meetings. The Indian minister is scheduled to deliver on Saturday India's address at UNGA, which is meeting on the theme, "A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges". Security Council reforms will be the top item on Jaishankar's agenda as he meets dozens of world leaders during the week packed with the Assembly session and several events on the sidelines. Council reform is expected to get a boost during the session as US President Joe Biden is to present ideas for its reform and consult with other leaders, according to US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenburgh. He is also scheduled to host a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of G4, the group made up of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan that advocate for expanding the Council and mutually support each other's claim for a permanent seat. During his visit to the US, Jaishankar will also participate in meetings of Quad made up of India, Australia, Japan and the US, BRICS and several other key groupings. Commemorating the nation's 75th anniversary of Independence, the highlight of Jaishankar's visit will be an event on Saturday, "India@75: Showcasing India UN Partnership in Action", on New Delhi's cooperation with the UN and its march towards the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate. Jaishankar will be in New York from September 18 to 24, while he will visit Washington DC from September 25 to 28, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). After concluding his visit to New York on Saturday, he is scheduled to visit Washington for three days starting Sunday for what the External Affairs Ministry said for "a high-level review of the multifaceted bilateral agenda and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues to further consolidate the India-US strategic partnership". (ANI) Pakistan's former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said that the decision over the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) are taken after consulting with the "convict", referring to Pakistan Muslim League (N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is a contravention. Calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, "Crime Minister", Imran Khan on Twitter said, "Crime Minister discussing appt of COAS & any other state matter with convict Nawaz Sharif & Ministers declaring they will appt COAS after consulting Nawaz Sharif are all in contravention not only of the Official Secrets Act (section 5:1) but also of their oaths of office." Earlier, while addressing a rally in Chakwal, PTI Chief on Monday said that when he says that the army chief should be selected on merit, it means Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz should not get to select the next COAS as they are the most corrupt people and do not rely on merit, reported Daily Times. "Army chief should be appointed on merit and I believe only those nations prosper which follow merit. DG ISPR, you should have got me right about [army chief appointment comments]," said Imran while referring to his controversial remarks that angered the military. "So if you want a prosperous Pakistan, the country that Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal had dreamed of, you must come out when I give the call," said Imran Khan. Imran while comparing himself with the PPP and PML-N leaders said unlike former premier Nawaz Sharif he was not "nurtured" in the establishment's nursery and came to power after 22 years of political struggle. "No country can prosper without meritocracy. Imran Khan mocked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that he felt intimidated in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reported Daily Times. He took a jibe at the premier claiming that "his legs were trembling [kanpain taang rahi theen] in the presence of Putin during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the recently held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan."Khan criticised PM Shehbaz for his recent foreign trips following flood devastations in the country and said, "Look at Shehbaz's insensitivity. He is visiting [countries] abroad during such conditions. What battle is he going to win aboard while the country has been flooded?" Khan also pointed his guns at Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari denouncing him for leaving the country during a time of crisis. "Bilawal also went abroad. They have been imposed [on us] because he will listen to their orders," Khan said. Reiterating his previous position on bringing the allegedly looted money back into the country, Khan said: "If they bring back even half the [looted] money back, then Pakistan would not have to ask for funds." (ANI) Former President Donald Trump's legal team has acknowledged that he could face criminal charges vis-a-vis the "classified documents" seized by the FBI during the August 8 search of the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The FBI seized 11 boxes of documents in the raid and the Department of Justice claimed many of them were classified documents that could come under the purview of the Espionage Act. Trump denied any wrong-doing saying he had declassified all documents that he took home but legal experts had questioned the validity of such a claim including his own White House staff saying there was no such communication and that the authority to declassify any secret document lay with the intelligence authorities. In a filing late Monday evening, Trump's team told the special master that it is hesitant to provide specifics on what may have been declassified because the issue may become a defence against future criminal charges, media reports said. If they were forced to disclose this specific declassification evidence, "the Special Master process will have forced the plaintiff to fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Court's order". The Justice Department has made it clear that the Mar-a-Lago saga is a serious criminal investigation, and Trump's team seems to be seriously contemplating the possibility of the former President's possible indictment. It is not yet known if the Justice Department will pursue criminal charges against Trump, although former Attorney General William Barr has said the evidence seems to be trending in that direction. It was revealed in unsealed court filings that Trump is being investigated under the Espionage Act as well related to laws regarding obstruction of justice. The ability of the FBI to use the records seized from Mar-a-Lago in its criminal investigation was halted by a federal judge as a special master was appointed, the reports said. Trump and some of his allies have claimed in public numerous times that he declassified all of the documents that had been at his Florida resort home of Mar-a-Lago before it was raided by the FBI in August, but those declassification arguments have not made it into Trump's court filings. "The draft plan requires that the Plaintiff disclose specific information regarding declassification to the court and to the government," Trump's lawyers said Monday. "We respectfully submit that the time and place for affidavits or declarations would be in connection with a Rule 41 motion that specifically alleges declassification as a component of its argument for return of property." Rule 41 relates to motions seeking to have cases dismissed. Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, named the special master suggested by the former President. Cannon said she did not find it appropriate simply to accept DOJ's claims that the 100 records with classification markings on them seized by the FBI are, in fact, classified government documents, and she ruled that the special master should prioritise reviewing that narrow batch to see if the records are indeed classified. The Justice Department, for its part, has pointed out in court filings that, despite Trump's public claims about declassification, his lawyers have not specifically made the declassification claims in federal court, the reports said. Special Master in Trump's documents case Judge Raymond Dearie, who notably signed off on the final FISA warrant against Trump campaign associate Carter Page when he was a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge, currently serves in the Eastern District of New York, and both Trump's team and the Justice Department referenced a "Draft Plan" that Dearie had provided them ahead of a Tuesday afternoon hearing at his Brooklyn federal courtroom. The Justice Department told Dearie on Monday that it had applied for a stay to the 11th Circuit's Court of Appeals and that if the appeals court stays Cannon's ruling on documents with classification markings, then Dearie will not review those documents, but if the circuit court does not stay that ruling, then "the government will propose a way forward". --IANS ash/vd ( 687 Words) 2022-09-20-21:16:02 (IANS) Two officers with the Windsor Police in Windsor, Ontario, are facing misconduct charges after allegedly donating $50 or less to the Freedom Convoy of Canadian truckers who drew international attention earlier this year. Constables Jason Michael Brisco and Brooke Fazekas were slapped with charges of discreditable conduct under Ontarios Police Services Act in response to allegations the pair donated $50 and $40, respectively, to the convoy, according to the Windsor Star. Brisco appeared for a Zoom hearing Monday. Brisco and Fazekas' names allegedly appeared on a convoy donor list that was hacked and leaked last winter. The convoy, which protested national vaccine mandates by snarling traffic in the Canadian capital of Ottawa for weeks, also blocked key U.S.-Canada border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, Michigan. CANADIAN CLERGY REBUKE TRUDEAU FOR INVOKING EMERGENCIES ACT, OTHER TYRANNICAL ACTIONS In a message appended to his alleged donation, Brisco thanked his fellow Canadians "for fighting for freedom at the base of Saurons Tower," a reference to the disembodied source of evil and oppression in J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord of the Rings" novels. After the Windsor Police Services professional standards branch conducted an investigation, the department also disciplined a civilian employee with a one-day suspension without pay. In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Deputy Chief Frank Providenti said: "The Windsor Police condemns the actions of two sworn members and one civilian employee who made donations to support the Freedom Convoy that blocked access to the Ambassador Bridge earlier this year." "We hold our members to the highest standards of conduct, and those who fail to maintain those principles must be held accountable for their behavior," the deputy chief continued. "By choosing to support an illegal blockade at our countrys busiest border crossing, these members demonstrated a complete disregard for our citys economy and reputation as well as for the safety of their own colleagues who were dealing with the volatile situation," Providenti added. Story continues CANADIAN PROTESTER'S TRUCK SEIZED, BANK ACCOUNTS FROZEN OVER CONNECTION TO FREEDOM CONVOY Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently blamed climate change, the mentally ill and addicts for "threats" against politicians from citizens. Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images Canada and its political leadership made international headlines and drew widespread scrutiny for their crackdown on the trucker convoy. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to quell the protests, which opened the door for the government to seize the property and freeze the bank accounts of those involved. Two bodies were found at the Rhode Island home of former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard, seen here attending her reelection party in 2005. (Photo: STEW MILNE via AP) Two bodies were found at the Rhode Island home of former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard, seen here attending her reelection party in 2005. (Photo: STEW MILNE via AP) An investigation is underway after two bodies were found in the home of a former mayor of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, authorities said. Police officers found the severely decomposed remains of an elderly woman and an elderly man Monday afternoon inside the Woonsocket residence, local station WPRI reported. Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates confirmed to HuffPost that the home belongs to former Mayor Susan Menard. As of Tuesday afternoon, it was not clear whether she was one of the deceased. There is no foul play suspected, Oates said. [Were] waiting for a positive identification, cause of death, from the medical examiners office. Officers reportedly entered the home through a rear window and found the bodies in separate rooms. (Photo: Google) Officers reportedly entered the home through a rear window and found the bodies in separate rooms. (Photo: Google) A concerned neighbor told WPRI that he called police to the home Monday after noticing a foul smell and realizing that he hadnt seen anyone at the house in a couple of weeks. Officers entered the home through a rear window and found the bodies in separate rooms, Oates told The Boston Globe. Menard was Woonsockets first female mayor and its longest-serving mayor, holding office from 1995 until 2009, according to the citys website. Menards brother, Robert Miller, died on Saturday at the age of 81, according to an online obituary. His funeral was scheduled for this Thursday. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Two people have died following a traffic crash involving a motorcycle, Melbourne police said. On Monday, officers responded to the area of College View Drive and North Wickham Road for a crash between a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Ford Focus. READ: Fiona becomes major Category 3 hurricane as it impacts Turks and Caicos Islands At the scene, they found that the driver and passenger of the motorcycle were badly hurt. Police said Brevard County Fire Rescue units rushed both men to hospitals but neither survived. MPD investigators said their initial investigation suggests that the Harley Davidson was traveling northbound on North Wickham Road on the inside lane, approaching the intersection of College View Drive. READ: Terminal C opens at OIA Tuesday. Heres what to expect Police believe the 2011 Ford Focus had pulled out of a shopping center parking lot and was attempting to cross over the southbound and northbound lanes of Wickham Road in an attempt to turn onto College View Drive. The motorcycle collided with the right side of the car in the northbound lanes of Wickham Road, police said. Investigators identified the driver of the motorcycle as Ralph Mazal, 62, of Melbourne and said his passenger was 52-year-old Mark South, also of Melbourne. Video: NASA to conduct test on mega moon rocket to see if technical issues are fixed Harry Worrall, 75, of Melbourne, was behind the wheel of the Ford Focus, according to police. Melbourne police told WFTV their crash investigation remains active. Monitor WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this story. 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. EXCLUSIVE: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will take aim at President Biden on Tuesday in a high-profile speech in New Hampshire, the state that for a centurys held the first primary in the race for the White House. "Im here because a few weeks ago, the President of the United States gave a speech and smeared half the country as enemies of the state. He essentially said if youre pro-life or you oppose his policies, youre a threat," Pompeo will charge as he headlines the latest edition of Politics and Eggs at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. The speaking series at St. Anselm College, just outside of Manchester, has been a must-stop for nearly a quarter-century for actual and potential White House hopefuls of both major parties. "Im here because Im not going to let that just slide by. Im going to stand up for the Americans that the President attacked. Because America deserves better than that," Pompeo will emphasize in his address. Excerpts of his speech were shared with Fox News on Monday. 2024 WATCH: POMPEO HEADED BACK TO NEW HAMPSHIRE Pompeo is referring to some heated language the president used recently in targeting "MAGA Republicans," who he argues have embraced "semi-fascism" due to their continued loyalty to former President Donald Trump. The president, in a primetime address at Philadelphias Independence National Historical Park, where the Declaration of Independence and the nations Constitution were debated and signed argued that "too much of whats happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic." BIDEN INJECTS SOME UNCERTAINTY INTO 2024 WITH HIS MUCH TOO EARLY RE-ELECTION COMMENTS Bidens more aggressive language of late appears to be a move to alter the midterms narrative from a referendum on Biden and congressional Democrats and their record steering the country amid record inflation, soaring crime, and border security to a choice election between Biden and Trump and a battle to save democracy. The presidents new push made national headlines but also received plenty of pushback from Republicans. Story continues President Joe Biden delivers a speech at Independence National Historical Park September 1, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. President Biden spoke on "the continued battle for the Soul of the Nation." Alex Wong/Getty Images Pompeo on Tuesday will also fire back, saying, "Mr. President: I do not know your heart. But I do know that treating your countrymen like enemies is a rejection of the principles that make America great." And he will argue that Biden gave "one of the most divisive presidential speeches in American history. He used two Marines as window dressing while he attacked half of our nation as enemies. While none of us know the presidents heart, we do know his ideology. Because we see the impact every day. I can sum up the presidents principles in three words: Woke, weak, and waffling." CHECK OUT THE LATEST EDITION OF OUR WEEKLY FOX NEWS 2024 COLUMN Pompeo, whom pundits view as a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, will also stress that "now more than ever, we need to believe that America is worth fighting for again. We need conservative leadership that believes it too; leaders who will celebrate that it is exceptional and never apologize for it." The West Point graduate and Army armor and calvary officer stationed in West Germany during the Cold War who was later elected to Congress from Kansas before serving as CIA director and Americas top diplomat in the Trump administration, has made numerous stops the past year and a half in New Hampshire as well as Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada, the other three early voting states in the Republican presidential nominating calendar. Michael Pompeo, former Secretary of State, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images Pompeo, a Fox News contributor, has repeatedly said that hell make a decision on 2024 following the November midterm elections. But last week, speaking to the Navy Seal Foundation Midwest Evening of Tribute in Chicago, Pompeo revealed more about his potential White House run. "Weve got a team in Iowa, a team in New Hampshire and South Carolina. And thats not random. We are doing the things one would do to get ready," Pompeo shared. And taking a friendly jab his former boss, Pompeo joked that "unlike others, if I go down an escalator, no one will notice." Pompeo was referring to Trumps famous ride down an escalator at Trump Tower in New York City in 2015 as he announced his White House run. College graduates. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images 22 GOP state governors urged Biden to withdraw his student-loan forgiveness plan. The White House just released state-by-state data on how many borrowers could be eligible for relief. Millions of borrowers would likely qualify for the debt cancellation in the 22 GOP-led states. Newly released data revealed the benefits of President Joe Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan could be far-reaching in the Republican-led states trying to block the policy. Just over a month after Biden announced up to $20,000 in student-debt relief for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year, the White House on Tuesday released state-by-state estimates on how many borrowers could be eligible for the relief. In 11 states, over 1 million borrowers are projected to be eligible for the loan forgiveness, per the data, with California leading the list at 3.5 million borrowers. "I've always maintained that data drives everything, and that's why this announcement today, and this data release, is just so essential," Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley said during a Tuesday press call. "I'll be honest, I was emotional walking through these numbers with my team, recognizing that behind every number, there is a person, there's a family, there's a story here." But some Republican politicians might not see it quite that way. On September 12, 22 GOP governors sent a letter to Biden urging him to "withdraw your student loan plan immediately," arguing that the policy is costly, illegal, and unfair to those who already paid off their loans. "For many borrowers, they worked hard, made sacrifices, and paid off their debt. For many others, they chose hard work and a paycheck rather than more school and a loan. Americans who did not choose to take out student loans themselves should certainly not be forced to pay for the student loans of others," they wrote. Here's how many student-loan borrowers would benefit from Biden's debt relief in each of those 22 states: Alabama: 588,000 Alaska: 60,500 Arizona: 810,800 Arkansas: 365,600 Florida: 2,427,600 Georgia: 1,506,100 Idaho: 201,400 Iowa: 408,700 Maryland: 747,100 Missouri: 777,300 Montana: 120,400 Nebraska: 232,100 New Hampshire: 175,100 North Dakota: 82,000 Ohio: 1,677,800 Oklahoma: 454,300 South Carolina: 681,100 South Dakota: 109,100 Tennessee: 795,300 Texas: 3,323,200 Utah: 282,700 Wyoming: 49,600 Story continues An Education Department official told reporters on Tuesday that the administration arrived at those estimates by using "commonly employed statistical techniques" to estimate borrowers' income, along with census data that has detailed information on income for specific groups of people. Since Biden announced his relief, Republicans have been pushing back on the policy some have even expressed intent to block the loan forgiveness in court. But the Biden administration maintains it has the legal standing to carry out this one-time blanket relief and is moving forward with implementation, planning to make an application for relief available in early October. "The analysis we are releasing today tells us that President Biden's debt relief plan will touch working families in every corner of the state of the country, in red states and blue states and everywhere in between, states and big cities, sprawling suburbs, tribal lands and remote rural towns," Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal told reporters. "Nearly 20 million borrowers will have their entire balances discharged, others will benefit from lower balances and lower payments." Read the original article on Business Insider Helping butterflies Mister Rogers taught us that if we see something sad on the news, we should look for the helpers. Well, this year monarch butterflies were declared endangered. Now we know where to look for the helpers, and even how to join them. A reader sent a note to 3 Good Things recently to tell us that many organizations nationwide are giving away milkweed plants or seeds, so we can provide more food and habitats for migrating monarchs in the years ahead. The reader specifically mentioned the Monarch Recovery Project, organized in part by the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy in Southern California. That project not only gives away milkweed plants but also tracks where the plants end up and how theyre doing. The next round of milkweed distribution will be in the spring. Monarchs should begin arriving in force in Southern California in just a few weeks. Donating billions Patagonia, the Ventura-based maker of outdoor apparel, is pioneering a bold business move. Its still a for-profit, but its profits are no longer for the family that built it. Last month they gave the $3-billion company to a nonprofit and a trust, which will invest the profit about $100 million a year in environmental causes, especially preserving undeveloped land. Yvon and Malinda Chouinard and their children Fletcher and Claire instantly became one of the most generous families in the nation, and the planet gained a long-term ally. Pursuing justice You know a conviction is messy if even the prosecutors want to vacate it and start over. That's what happened this week in the case of Adnan Syed, the Baltimore man who has served 23 years in prison for a 1999 slaying and whose case became famous in the first season of the podcast "Serial." He was freed on Monday. And one more ... The iPhone update that rolled out this month has some new privacy protections worth exploring. You can now share a contact with a third party but not share everything you've saved about that contact, such as their home address. Sneaky apps can no longer read your clipboard surreptitiously. And there's a new feature called Safety Check that will prompt users to review app permissions and will encourage occasionally changing one's Apple ID password. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Officials with Cabarrus County Schools and the Mooresville Graded School District said they evacuated students and staff from five campuses because of threats made Tuesday. The decisions come just a day after one of those schools, Northwest Cabarrus High School, evacuated for the same reason. Later Tuesday, school officials said students would be safe to return to class on Wednesday, but then another threat prompted evacuations at Cox Mill High School on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Cabarrus County Sheriffs Office announced that criminal charges are pending against a student who is accused of writing a bomb threat against Northwest Cabarrus High School. Deputies searched the students home and found that they didnt have any bomb-making materials. Also on Thursday, The Concord Police Department identified a juvenile who is accused of making telephone bomb threats to Jay M. Robinson and Cox Mill high schools this week. Earlier Coverage: According to a recorded call from Northwest Cabarrus High, a bomb threat was reported there Tuesday morning. A student was identified in connection with those threats, officials said. PREVIOUS: Parents concerned after threat triggers evacuation of high school in Cabarrus County A parent shared a message from the school district that said four total schools were being evacuated for a bomb threat Tuesday morning. The district said Cox Mill Elementary, Cox Mill High, and Jay M. Robinson High schools were being evacuated out of an abundance of caution. Our resources are currently being used to protect our students and our schools. Please understand our top priority is your childs safety. Officials with Cabarrus County Schools said they are evacuating students and staff from four different campuses because of a bomb threat Tuesday. Around 1:15 p.m. the same day, Cox Mill High was evacuated again because of a bomb threat, officials said. School dismissal was still planned for its usual time Tuesday, the district said in a letter to parents. I am here to pick up my daughter I had a call from Cabarrus County and they say there was a bomb threat at the school, parent Emmanuel Sowah said who was waiting outside Northwest Cabarrus. And this happened yesterday also and its very unnerving. I mean, its crazy. I mean, I just dont feel comfortable right now. Story continues The district said law enforcement swept all four campuses with bomb units. Sheriff Van Shaw said later in the day that his detectives identified the student responsible for the two threats at Northwest Cabarrus High this week. The name was not released. No one has been arrested yet, but they could face felony charges. UPDATE: in an email to parents the district says 4 schools are on lockdown out of an abundance of caution due to a bomb threat pic.twitter.com/pt8PEVV51S Hannah Goetz (@HannahGoetztv) September 20, 2022 By Tuesday afternoon, all threats were cleared. The most important thing, it was a false report, Shaw said. There was no threat to the students. Shaw emphasized that no one was hurt. ALSO READ: All-clear given in police investigation in uptown Charlotte Threat prompts new evacuation Wednesday at Cox Mill High School A concerned parent of a Cox Mill High student sent Channel 9 a photo from Snapchat that reads in part, Be ready tomorrow, Wednesday. I will be planting and blowing. Channel 9 sent a copy of the message to the district after Shaw said he was adding extra patrols. We will be prepared tomorrow, Shaw said. We will have individuals who are out there, resources, in close proximity to the schools if not at the schools. NOW: Several law enforcement vehicles on campus at Cox Mill High & Cox Mill Elem following threat posted on Snapchat. Both schools were evacuated yesterday due to bomb threat. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/g7nQeTwX9P Gina Esposito (@GinaWSOC9) September 21, 2022 The superintendent said there were no plans for remote learning on Wednesday. He insisted school will be safe for students and that counselors will be available on campus. By about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Cox Mill High School was placed on lockdown and then evacuated as a precaution due to a bomb threat. On Wednesday, Channel 9 could see a heightened police presence at Cox Mill elementary and high schools. The sheriff said those responsible for making the threats could face more than three years in prison if convicted. The sheriffs office is investigating whether the student they believe is responsible for the threats at Northwest Cabarrus High is involved with the threats at the other schools, or if anyone else is responsible. Cabarrus County Schools Superintendent John Kopicki said several students experienced heat exhaustion while waiting outside but none were taken to the hospital. Channel 9 is aware of threats involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Wednesday. Class remains in session for the planned early dismissal day. Channel 9 will not elaborate on these threats, in an effort to avoid copycat threats. School security expert weighs in on possible motive As the schools continue to deal with the bomb threats, Channel 9 spoke with an expert who has seen many fake bomb threats in the past about what reasoning could be behind the threats. Mo Canady is the executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, and he says that oftentimes, the suspect behind the threat wants to see a major disturbance. One of the things, in the past [with] some of these false reports regarding bomb threats in particular, that the caller wants to do is to see the school evacuate, Canady said. Thats one of their goals. Even with a pattern of false reports, Canady says that every threat still has to be taken seriously. He said that the best way to discourage others from making similar threats is the schools reaction and policy. This is a crime. The sooner we can identify this individual and bring charges against them and bring them to justice, thats gonna matter, thats gonna have some impact, Canady said. Schools policies are critically important. (WATCH BELOW: School security expert weighs in on possible motive behind school threats) Mooresville HS moves to virtual learning Wednesday after threat called in In Iredell County, the Mooresville Graded School District said someone called Mooresville High School Tuesday morning and made a threat to the building. The district said police were made aware and all students were evacuated immediately, and Mooresville High confirmed class was dismissed for the day. ALSO READ: School board considers policy change regarding controversial books in library Officials said out of an abundance of caution, all other MGSD schools have been put on a lock-in status while police investigate. We appreciate you refraining from calling the high school directly as we will keep you updated as more information comes available, the district said. Later Tuesday, MGSD announced that Mooresville High School will be on virtual learning on Wednesday. The FBI said it is working with local law enforcement and has been made aware of the bomb threats. The agencys full statement is below: FBI Charlotte is aware of numerous bomb threats at area schools and are in touch with the local law enforcement agencies involved. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately. Investigating hoax threats drains law enforcement resources and diverts us from responding to an actual crisis. Hoax threats can shut down school campuses, cause undue stress and fear to the public, and cost taxpayers a lot of money; not to mention ruin the future of those making the hoax threats as theyll likely have a criminal record, like the student featured in this video. Click here for more information from the FBI on hoax threats. Mooresville police are working with investigators in Cabarrus County to determine if the threats are connected. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. (WATCH BELOW: Student recalls running for her life at football game before threat deemed false) Developers say Mill Rig will generate enough electricity to power 21,000 homes A new 40m onshore wind farm has been granted planning permission by South Lanarkshire Council. Developers Banks Renewables have won approval for six large turbines at Mill Rig Wind Farm near Darvel. The project, which straddles the South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire border, will have a capacity of about 36MW - enough to power about 21,000 homes. Banks Renewables said the development was "on course" to become operational within three years. In a statement, the firm said the project would displace more than 18,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the UK's electricity supply grid - the equivalent of removing almost 7,000 petrol cars from the road. The Hamilton-based company plans to set up a local community fund which it has claimed will generate up to 5.4m in revenue over the expected 30-year lifetime of the project. It has also estimated that the local area will benefit from local contracts worth 11.7m during construction. Robin Winstanley, sustainability manager at Banks Renewables, said: "With the next steps of detailed design and construction, Mill Rig Wind Farm is on track to help Scotland achieve its ambitious net zero targets, bolstering the UK's energy security by producing green electricity by 2025." Forty-seven people in the northern US state of Minnesota have been charged in connection with a $240 million Covid relief fraud scheme, officials said Tuesday. "Today's indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet," FBI Director Christopher Wray said. The Justice Department alleged that the defendants diverted tens of millions of dollars disbursed under the Federal Child Nutrition Program to feed needy children during the Covid pandemic. Among those charged is Aimee Bock, 41, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a non-profit organization that was a sponsor of the Federal Child Nutrition Program. "Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota," the Justice Department said in a statement. "These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day," it said. Instead, they submitted false invoices and fraudulent meal count sheets using fake names of children. According to the Justice Department, Feeding Our Future claimed to have opened more than 250 sites throughout the state of Minnesota during the pandemic. "The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel," the department said. The defendants face an array of charges ranging from wire fraud to federal programs bribery to money laundering. cl/sw 50 Cent is suing a Miami doctor over allegations that she used a photo of the rapper to wrongly suggest he had penile enhancement surgery in order to promote her plastic surgery clinic. On Friday (16 September), attorneys for the rapper real name Curtis James Jackson III filed a lawsuit claiming that Jackson had graciously agreed to take photos with Angela Kogan, only to find out later that the unscrupulous business owner had used the picture repeatedly to promote her practice, Perfection Plastic Surgery and MedSpa. According to the court documents, the 47-year-old rapper claims that things began when Kogan and her companies posted the photos on social media. However, Jackson says that things took a disturbing turn last month when Kogan allegedly manipulated an article on The Shade Room that shockingly made the false insinuation that he had undergone penile enlargement surgery. While the article, titled Penis enhancements are more popular than ever & BBLs are dying out: Cosmetic surgery CEO Angela Kogan Speaks on it doesnt directly say Jackson had the surgery, it allegedly writes that he was a client. And with an edited collage of Jackson and Kogan next to a faceless male undergoing a penile enhancement procedure as the articles thumbnail image, the rappers lawyers say the implication was clear. Since the article was first shared, Jackson says its subjected him to lewd, lascivious, and sexually objectifying comments from members of the public. 50 Cent and Angela Kogan (angela_mk/ Instagram screenshot) His lawyers added: Kogan should have known that this could lead to vulgar and sexually charged comments about Jackson and his body, particularly in light of the ways that Black men in US history have been, and continue to be, sexualised and fetishised. Jackson is seeking a legal order to ban Kogan from continuing to use the photo, in addition to millions of dollars in potential damages from her malicious conduct. Jackson never had such a sexual enhancement procedure, he has never received plastic surgery from defendants, and he never consented to the commercialisation and publication of the Photo, his lawyers wrote. Defendants actions have exposed Jackson to ridicule, caused substantial damage to his professional and personal reputation, and violated his right to control his name and image. Five years after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island, Puerto Rico was hit by another massive hurricane, leaving thousands without power, running water and shelter. One day after Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 hurricane, hit the shores of Puerto Rico at 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, an estimated 1.5 million Puerto Ricans are without power and 196,00 are without running water. Some areas of the island endured winds reaching upwards of 130 mph, as flash flooding and landslides destroyed the island's already crumbling infrastructure sweeping away bridges and destroying homes. At least two feet of rain fell on the island over the weekend. Puerto Rico is still under a tropical storm warning, with intense rain expected to continue until Tuesday evening. A road is blocked by a mudslide caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico. (Stephanie Rojas / AP Photo) During a press conference on Sept. 19, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said the island was still in the "emergency phase" and that the island needed first responders to help with relief efforts. Earlier, President Joe Biden approved Puerto Ricos emergency declaration, allowing federal funds to be used in local disaster-relief efforts. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced via Twitter that New York City is sending 50 New York Police Department troopers to Puerto Rico immediately, and "as needs continue to arise, we will remain ready to provide help and resources wherever necessary." Hochul added that the New York Power Authority will also assist in helping to restore Puerto Rico's power grid. The following is a list of verified 501c(3) charities assisting Puerto Rico's citizens in their time of need. Hispanic Federation The Hispanic Federation is a coalition of local organizations including La Marana and ViequesLove that help to rebuild homes, health centers and farms, as well as meet both the short- and long-term needs of the island through community-based projects. Currently, the Hispanic Federation on the ground in Puerto Rico providing emergency relief services. Story continues Taller Salud A local non-profit led by women, Taller Salud is taking monetary donations, as well as asking people to donate non-perishable food items like pasta sauce other cooking essentials (like sofrito, garlic and onions), and additional items like disposable containers, toiletries, cutlery, gallons of water, water filters and solar lanterns. SBP SBP is a nonprofit disaster-relief organization based in New Orleans and started by a married couple after Hurricane Katrina. With a focus on reducing the time between when a disaster hits and when relief efforts can begin, the group announced via Twitter that when it's safe a "team will be on the ground to assess the damage and assist those impacted." Downed power lines on road PR-743 in Cayey, Puerto Rico. (Jose Jimenez / Getty Images) Fundacion Comunitaria de Puerto Rico Fundacion Comunitaria de Puerto Rico (The Puerto Rico Community Foundation) has been working to increase access to renewable energy, drinking water, housing and education for people living on the island for over 35 years. Comedores Sociales de Puerto Rico Comedores Sociales de Puerto Rico is a community-based, local kitchen with the goal of ending food insecurity in Puerto Rico. The kitchen is currently accepting financial donations to help aid their efforts. A home is submerged in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico. (Stephanie Rojas / AP Photo) Puerto Rican Civic Club The Puerto Rican Civic Club, based in San Jose, California, is taking donations via PayPal for solar lights, propane and gas generators in order to "keep the lights on or food and medicine cold." The Foundation for Puerto Rico The Foundation for Puerto Rico is a local nonprofit that provides "resources, training, funding and networks" in order to "improve the local economy," according to the organization's website. In the wake of Hurricane Fiona, The Foundation is also asking for donations and volunteers. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A former sorority treasurer stole nearly $3 million from Kappa Deltas chapter at Mississippi State University over the course of several years, federal prosecutors say. Now Betty Jane Cadle, 75, of Oxford is going to federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. Sorority representatives testified at Cadles sentencing hearing about how she had bullied the organizations members and maintained an attitude of superiority to divert questions about the chapters money, a Sept. 20 news release from the office says. At the Sept. 16 hearing, a judge sentenced Cadle to 45 months or nearly 4 years in federal prison for wire fraud after stealing $2.9 million from the Kappa Delta Sorority House Corp., according to prosecutors. McClatchy News contacted Cadles attorney for comment on Sept. 20 and is awaiting a response. Beginning in 2012 through 2019, Cadle volunteered as Kappa Deltas treasurer at Mississippi State University where she swindled the chapters funds in order to support herself and her business financially, the news release says. Kappa Delta chapter volunteers are typically alumni members of the organization or a member of the chapter advisory board, according to the organizations national website. As treasurer, Cadle was in charge of collecting sorority dues from its members, buying items for the chapter house, filing the chapters taxes and more at Mississippi State, court documents state. Cadle began stealing the sororitys money for her personal expenses, including for her childrens clothing store she owned alongside her daughter in Oxford called Belles and Beaus, according to court documents. She did so by writing checks from the sorority chapters bank account to her own bank account as well as her business account, court documents state. Belles and Beaus in Oxford is now permanently closed. (Cadle) abused her position of trust and authority by stealing money she was entrusted with for her own personal gain, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said in a statement. Story continues U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ordered Cadle to pay $2,940,853.80 in restitution at her sentencing hearing, according to the release. McClatchy News contacted Kappa Delta inquiring whether Cadle is an alumni of the organization and is awaiting a response. Kappa Delta has more than 275,000 members nationwide. Oxford is about 160 miles north of Jackson. Family of student who died after frat hazing to receive $1M from university, school says $250 million meant to feed hungry kids is stolen in massive COVID fraud, feds say Scuba dive shop workers stole millions from the VA in stunning fraud, feds say Navy sailors targeted on Tinder by men posing as women in bank fraud scheme, feds say You might want to book your holiday travel plans early to get good deals. A report form the American Automobile Association urges travelers to book early for the best combination of price and availability. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] AAA did a survey this summer and 24% of Georgia travelers had plans to take a trip during the holidays. A little over half said they would book earlier than they did in the past due to higher travel prices. Travelers expecting to fly this Thanksgiving should start locking in those plans now, said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA The Auto Club Group. TRENDING STORIES: Haas said due to airline staff shortages, there are fewer flights and higher prices. As holiday time gets closer, airfare prices are likely to change. So Haas suggests booking early. As we get closer to the holidays, airfares are likely to get even more expensive as flights fill up. Our best advice is simple. Book early. This will increase the odds of finding the flight you want at a competitive price, said Haas. According to the survey, the 62% of Thanksgiving travelers will finalize plans by the end of the September. Meanwhile, those finalizing Christmas plans are evenly spread out between now and the end of November. AAA broke down the percentages of when Thanksgiving and Christmas travel plans would be finalized. Thanksgiving travel plans would be finalized: 24% before September 38% September 33% October 5% November 0% unsure Christmas travel plans would be finalized: 9% before September 27% September 25% October 25% November 11% December 3% unsure [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said on Monday that she would welcome appearances by President Biden and Vice President Harris at campaign events. Abrams told The 19ths editor-at-large, Errin Haines, that she would have key Democrats like the president and vice president campaign for her, saying theres no reticence on her part. I know people will try to spin up stories where they dont exist. I welcome President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to come to Georgia because thats one of the ways we show Georgia what the Democrats have delivered for our state, she said. Questions about whether Abrams was trying to distance herself from Biden arose in January when she missed an event he planned in Georgia about expanding voting rights due to a scheduling conflict. Both Biden and Abrams, however, pushed back at the time on the notion that their relationship was deteriorating. While Bidens approval rating has risen considerably in the past few weeks, it remains underwater just as the midterm general election cycle is getting underway. Polling released Tuesday also shows Abrams trailing incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in the states gubernatorial race. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed Kemp leading Abrams among likely voters, 50 percent to 42 percent. The race this year will be a rematch of the Georgia gubernatorial election in 2018, when Kemp narrowly won by about 1.4 points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Air New Zealand. Philip Pilosian/Shutterstock.com Some Air New Zealand travelers' bags were left off the carrier's first flight from New York to Auckland. The bags were offloaded to make room for extra fuel on the 17-hour flight. Air New Zealand has apologized to the passengers and is flying the bags to New Zealand. Air New Zealand has apologized after around 60 passengers' bags were left behind during the airline's first flight from New York to Auckland. The bags were offloaded to make room for extra fuel on the 17-hour flight, The Independent reported. The September 17 flight from JFK to New Zealand's largest city traveled around 8,843 miles, according to FlightAware data, making it the fourth longest route in the world. A spokesperson for Air New Zealand told Insider: "Given the forecast cyclone and other conditions on the day, we prioritized getting all of our customers safely to where they needed to be. The team then worked hard to reunite customers with their bags as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, around 60 customers experienced a delay receiving their bags." "This is not the way we wanted things to run for our customers and we'll be reviewing what lessons we can take to make sure this doesn't happen again." They added that they had contacted customers individuality to offer an addition goodwill gesture for the inconvenience. Insider's Taylor Rains flew business class on Air New Zealand's maiden flight from JFK to Auckland. She reported that the flight was delayed by about two hours due to air-traffic control issues. There were also adverse weather conditions while flying over Mexico, she added. Despite these delays, the flight still landed at 8.30 a.m., only 50 minutes behind schedule. In June 2023, Australian airline Qantas is due to launch a competing route between the country and New Zealand. Read the original article on Business Insider JERUSALEM (AP) A coalition of lawyers and advocacy groups said Tuesday it has referred the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court on behalf of her family, calling on prosecutors to investigate what it described as Israels deliberate targeting of the veteran reporter. Palestinian officials, Abu Aklehs family and Al Jazeera accuse Israel of intentionally targeting and killing the 51-year-old journalist, who was wearing a helmet and a protective vest marked with the word press when she was shot last May in the occupied West Bank. An international research group also presented its investigation into the fatal shooting, implicating an Israeli soldier in her death and alleging that the timing and trajectory of the bullets suggest Abu Akleh was deliberately targeted. Israel has acknowledged that Israeli fire probably killed Abu Akleh, but vigorously denied allegations that a soldier intentionally targeted her. That point of contention has become central to Palestinian efforts to hold Israel accountable for the shooting. Abu Aklehs advocates said on Tuesday they have added her case to a legal complaint taken by the ICC that accuses Israel of deliberately killing and wounding Palestinian journalists wearing press vests in the West Bank and Gaza. Our family shouldnt have to wait another day for justice, Anton Abu Akleh, Shireen's brother, told reporters from The Hague. No other Palestinian-American or journalist family should have to endure what ours has. Filing a complaint with the court does not guarantee that prosecutors will open an investigation. If opened, such an investigation could take years, with actual prosecution far off. ICC prosecutors opened a preliminary examination into allegations of war crimes by Israel in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in 2015, but did not begin a formal investigation until last year. It is not known how long that probe will last. Story continues Abu Akleh had covered the West Bank for Al Jazeera for two decades and was a household name in the Middle East. Her death sparked outrage across the world, throwing a spotlight on Israels operations in the West Bank. Some 90 Palestinians have been killed in nightly Israeli arrest raids in recent months, many of them said to be militants or Palestinian youth protesting the raids, making it the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2016. This month Israel acknowledged for the first time there was a high probability that one of its soldiers had mistakenly killed Abu Akleh during a raid in the northern West Bank. However, the military stopped short of accepting full responsibility and said no one would be punished for the shooting. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid also rebuffed U.S. calls for Israel to review its open-fire policies. Israel has claimed that its soldiers were battling Palestinian gunmen at the time, though witness accounts and amateur video have shown the area was quiet in the moments before her shooting. On Tuesday from The Hague, the London-based group Forensic Architecture, working with the Palestinian human rights group Al Haq, presented a video reconstruction of the moments leading up to Abu Aklehs killing. Relying on what they said was previously unseen footage collected from Al Jazeera and interviews with witnesses, the groups traced at least 13 bullets allegedly fired from an Israeli armored vehicle some 200 meters (yards) up the road from Abu Akleh and her colleagues in the Jenin refugee camp. An analysis of the bullets trajectory, four of which struck a tree beside Abu Akleh, suggests careful and precise aim by the shooter who repeatedly targeted the journalists in rapid succession, the groups found. All shots were aimed above the shoulders and intended to kill, they added, noting that a reconstruction of a soldiers line of sight through an assault rifles optical scope indicated the journalists vests emblazoned with the word press would be visible. Footage also showed that a civilian attempting to help Abu Akleh, who was slumped on the ground, was targeted each time he entered the shooters line of sight, suggesting Israeli forces prevented Abu Akleh from receiving medical care, the groups said. Israel has designated Al Haq as a terrorist organization over its alleged ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine a secular, left-wing movement with a political party as well as an armed wing that has carried out attacks against Israelis. A series of investigations by international media organizations, including The Associated Press, have found that Israeli troops most likely fired the fatal bullet. The United States concluded that an Israeli soldier likely killed her by mistake, but it did not explain how it reached that conclusion. Israel had previously said only a forensic analysis of the bullet that killed Abu Akleh could confirm whether it was fired by an Israeli soldier or a Palestinian militant. However, a U.S.-led analysis of the bullet last July was inconclusive as investigators said the bullet had been badly damaged. Alex Jones launched into a furious rant as his Sandy Hook damages case resumed, calling the judge a tyrant and insisting he didnt broadcast lies about the mass shooting on purpose. The Infowars founder and conspiracy theorist is on trial in Connecticut, where the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting claimed the lives of 26 people - mostly young children - on 14 December 2012. Mr Jones lost a number of defamation cases by default after he was sued by families of victims over his false claims that the massacre was a hoax perpetrated to institute stricter gun control laws. The ongoing trial is the second proceeding determining the amount Mr Jones and Infowars must pay in damages. Outside the court on Tuesday, Mr Jones told reporters: This is a travesty of justice and this judge is a tyrant. This judge is ordering me to say that I'm guilty and to say that I'm a liar. None of that's true. I was not wrong about Sandy Hook on purpose. I questioned it just like Jussie Smollett, just like WMDs in Iraq, just like the Gulf of Tonkin. There have been a lot of staged events in history, like WMDs in Iraq, and I question every major event that we see, and so I'm being put in an impossible position inside of this courthouse where I'm being ordered to say I'm guilty, he added. Alex Jones talks to reporters before heading into Waterbury Superior Court. @RepAMNewsdesk pic.twitter.com/gn2aMDTuP0 Lance Reynolds (@LanceRReynolds_) September 20, 2022 Has anybody ever heard of someone being ordered to say they're guilty, even in a criminal trial, where they found somebody with dead bodies? If the guilty person wants to get up and say they're innocent, they're allowed to, he said. Story continues He claimed that the judiciary has been weaponized, that this trial is a struggle session right outside of South Africa or Communist China, and that he would be perjuring myself if he said he didnt profit from his coverage of Sandy Hook. This is the murder of American justice. This is extremely dangerous, Mr Jones told the press. Mr Jones returned to the assembled press to say I dont want to be the Sandy Hook man. It was a small part of what we said and did. He noted that he followed discussions on the site 4chan and other sources which turned out to be wrong. Mr Jones told reporters that this is all a larger plan to restrict and close down the free press, adding that attorneys are going to be us his case as a roadmap against others, according to Anna Merlan of Vice. He added that nobody knows the name of the gunman, Adam Lanza, who died by suicide when first responders arrived at the school almost ten years ago. I am not Adam Lanza. I did not kill the children, Mr Jones said. They really want to take me out because Ive been exposing the Great Reset. According to political scientist and writer Ivan Wecke, the set of conspiracy theories around the Great Reset are nebulous and hard to pin down, but piecing them together gives us something like this: the Great Reset is the global elites plan to instate a communist world order by abolishing private property while using COVID-19 to solve overpopulation and enslaving what remains of humanity with vaccines. When Mr Jones was asked if he considered the proceeding to be taking place in a kangaroo court, he said: Buddy, its all kangaroos and railroads, youre damn right. PARIS (AP) Paris' Champs-Elysees says it will be switching off the lights on the famed avenue hours earlier each night until further notice to help save energy as the war in Ukraine squeezes the electricity market in Europe. The plan announced Tuesday means that lights on the avenue will go dark at 10 p.m. instead of the current 1 a.m. It will take effect on Oct. 15. Shops on the avenue that remain open past 10 p.m. will naturally have an exemption, the committee governing the avenue said. The ruling affects dozens of luxury boutiques but will not affect public street lamps. The avenue's dazzling Christmas illuminations will also be affected and will now be switched off at 11:45 p.m. instead of 2 a.m. The initiatives follow plans by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to save energy across several of the City of Lights iconic monuments. Last week, it was announced that lights will be switched off at the Eiffel Tower at 11:45 p.m. as soon as the last tourist leaves instead of the current 1 a.m. Other Paris landmarks, like City Hall, will turn off their lights at 10 p.m. Hidalgo said she feared that energy demands would increase over winter and she hoped to avoid shortages. ___ Follow all AP stories on the impact of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. Disney+ As its charisma-deficient last three films underscored, Star Wars needs a new Han Solo, and it tries to fashion one with Andor, a Disney+ series about Cassian Andor, the heroic rebel leader played by Diego Luna who was first introduced in 2016s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Created and written by that films co-screenwriter Tony Gilroy, this 12-episode affair (premiering September 21) aims to put the grit and grime back into the franchise, as well as a bit of roguish magnetism courtesy of its title character, a shady me-first loner whose run-ins with the Empire stir in him a desire to use his talents for revolutionary good. Like Harrison Fords iconic smugglerat least, before George Lucas somewhat neutered him with 1997s Special EditionAndor is a man who shoots first. And like Solo, that penchant for prioritizing his own safety, no matter the cost, gets Andor into peril at the start of Andor, which takes place five years before Rogue One (and, as a result, Star Wars). On the planet of Ferrix, Andor visits a brothel in search of his sister, who like him hails from Kenari, and who well later learn he abandoned as a child due to a combination of ambition and misfortune. What he finds instead are two belligerent and corrupt contractors for the Preox-Morlana corporate security force that governs this outpost on behalf of the Empire. When they pick a fight with him at the bar and, afterward, attempt to shake him down, a scuffle ensues that leaves one dead and forces Andor to make a ruthless, self-interested decision that has lasting consequences for his safety. Stellan Skarsgard Is Finally Seizing the Spotlight Decked out in a hooded rain jacket, and with his face covered in a scruffy beard and, following this encounter, a not-inconspicuous bruise, Andor resembles a neer-do-well with whom one should not trifle, and Luna embodies him with grim, composed determination laced with simmering anger and resentment. At least in the first four episodes that were provided to press, Luna evokes Andors severity and skill with aplomb, if not many other shades of his personality. A scavenger, thief, scoundrel and mercenary who appears willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his ends, regardless of Imperial law or other mortal threats that come his way, the character has a no-nonsense attitude that fits the downbeat material and is contextualized by flashbacks to a youthful incident that set him on his current path. Still, going forward, one hopes Luna is allowed to explore additional layers of Andors fury, resolve, andfingers crossedsense of humor. Story continues In its early installments, Andor is definitely not funny. Affecting the dour tone of Rogue One, it charts the fallout from Andors disastrous skirmish, which is shrugged off by the victims boss but not by Deputy Inspector Karn (Kyle Soller), an Imperial true-believer who cant let the murder of Preox-Morlana employees go unpunished. Before long, hes on the hunt for a suspect from Kenari, thereby bringing considerable heat down on Andors head, this despite the fact that only a handful of people actually know his true origins. One of them is Maarva (Fiona Shaw), his surrogate mother, with whom he lives along with B2EMO, a stuttering droidand the most charming new voice in this sagawhich must conserve energy to accomplish its tasks. Theres also Bix (Adria Arjona), a mechanic with whom he shares some obvious romantic sparksmuch to the irritation of Bixs boyfriend Timmand who he turns to for assistance in selling a Starpath Unit for credits that will help him escape Ferrix. Andor gradually establishes not only its budding hero and his relationships, but the universe in which he operates. Gilroy takes advantage of his 12-episode order by spending time fleshing out this sprawling society, with references to long-ago battles, rituals and famous figures imparting a grander and deeper sense of this worlds multifaceted history and culture. From the brief sight of a town bell-ringer taking his duties comically seriously, to chitchat shared by passengers on a transport ship heading into Ferrix, to vast panoramas of the construction and scrap yards where spaceships are built and taken apart, this landscape feels like a living, breathing, aged civilization. Additionally contributing to that three-dimensional realism are environments that exude worn-down weight and creakiness. Gilroy relies on practical locations and effects instead of employing The Volumethe ultra-HD digital set thats gained fame courtesy of Lucasfilms The Mandalorian and Obi-Wanand it pays off, lending the proceedings a winning measure of rusty, rugged substantiality. Theres not a lot of pulse-pounding momentum to Andors initial exploits, with things only kicking into something approaching high gear once he convinces Bix to help him peddle his stolen wares and she hooks him up with Luthen Rae (Stellan Skarsgard), a mysterious buyer who proves interested in Andors goods and, moreover, in Andor himself. Whether or not Luthen is a Jedi remains, for the time being, unknown, yet by the fourth chapter, he does reveal himself to be a cagey and cunning player with deep ties to the nascent rebellion and, also, to the halls of Coruscant political power courtesy of Mon Mothma (Genevieve OReilly), a regal senator secretly working to undermine the increasingly fascistic Empire. Skarsgards gravity is a welcome addition to the series, and so too is the participation of Arjona as the fiery Bix and, later on, The Bears Ebon Moss-Bachrach as one of the insurgents Andor partners with for a daring robbery mission on behalf of Luthen. Reports are that, down the road, Forest Whitaker will reprise his Rogue One role as rebel commander Saw Gerrera, and Shaws part will undoubtedly expand as Gilroys story unfolds. For now, though, its a promising stab at bringing the franchise back down to Earth (so to speak), favoring compelling new characters and guerilla-warfare action over lavish, force-related mythologizing. Buoyed by Lunas sturdy headlining turn, Andor has the sort of jagged, weathered spirit thats been missing for too long in this far, far away galaxyeven if the jury is still out on whether Andor is truly worthy or capable of assuming Han Solos mantle. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (Bloomberg) -- The App Association brands itself as the leading voice for thousands of app developers around the world. In reality, the vast majority of its funding comes from Apple Inc. Most Read from Bloomberg The tech giant isnt a member of the association. But it plays a dominant behind-the-scenes role shaping the groups policy positions, according to four former App Association employees who asked not to be named discussing internal matters. In fact, critics note, the associations lobbying agenda tracks closely with Apples -- even when its at odds with app developers, the companies that make the individual games and programs that run on Apples iPhone and other devices. The group, known as ACT, says its not beholden to Apple, but confirmed that it derives more than half its funding from the company. The former employees say the actual percentage is much higher. The relationship between Apple and ACT illustrates how big companies quietly pour money into outside groups that promote their agenda in Washington. ACT representatives regularly testify in Congress, file court briefs in defense of Apples positions and host annual fly-in meetings for developers with lawmakers. Rick VanMeter, a former congressional aide who is the head of rival developer group Coalition for App Fairness, said ACTs purported representation of app developers is deceptive, given its relationship with Apple. When you pretend to be something that youre not in order to make a point, thats bad for the lawmaking process, said VanMeter. Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment for this story, but ACT executives defended the role of the company. ACT President Morgan Reed said in an interview that it doesnt pass the laugh test to say the association is fronting for Apple. Story continues Our job is to make sure were paying attention to the way that government can have an impact, unintended or otherwise, on all of those small businesses making cool software products, Reed said. Reed and other ACT executives said that they determine policy positions based on the preferences of their members and dont take direction from Apple, though they take Apples positions into account. ACT spokesperson Karen Groppe declined to say how much of the groups funding comes from Apple other than to say its more than half. Contributions from all donors topped $9 million in 2020, according to the most recently available data from disclosure filings, suggesting Apple makes a multimillion-dollar contribution. Apple is a major force in the industry. Its App Store is a virtual marketplace for apps, a lucrative business for both the developers and Apple. The company takes a 15% to 30% cut of sales of paid apps and subscriptions -- representing billions of dollars a year. But many app developers object to the fees and restrictions, which Apple insists it needs so it can vet the systems to ensure the safety of its users. Proposed antitrust legislation advancing in Congress would loosen Apples grip over the App Store and enable developers to circumvent the companys cut. The measure, known as the Open App Markets Act, is backed by the Coalition for App Fairness. But ACT opposes the bill, arguing it would threaten the privacy and security of the App Store, echoing Apples talking points against the bill. ACTs executive director, Chelsea Thomas, is a former lobbyist on Apples government affairs team. Understanding what bigger players in the ecosystem are thinking on policy issues is important to us to understand where the conversations are going, Thomas said. ACTs work has also drawn scrutiny from some of the developer worlds biggest players. Tim Sweeney, chief executive officer of Epic Games Inc., called the association Apples fake small app developer lobby in a June tweet. Epic Games, a member of VanMeters Coalition for App Fairness, lost an antitrust case against Apple involving the App Store last year, but did win on an unfair competition claim and some counterclaims. Both sides are appealing. ACT supported Apple in the case. ACTs website says it represents 5,000 developers and device companies around the world, though Reed said the number of active members is smaller. In addition to Apple, other corporate sponsors listed on its website are Verisign Inc., AT&T Inc., Intel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. The groups annual congressional fly-ins feature policy presentations to the developers by Apple representatives and tech industry experts. People who have attended them said ACT often shared talking points that mirrored Apples agenda before they met with lawmakers and staff. Several ACT members said they appreciate the sessions with lawmakers arranged by ACT, even if they dont always agree on the groups positions. Is it unreasonable that there is a major donor whose position also aligns and supports all the small contributors in this space? said Thomas Gorczynski, an ACT member and founder of software development agency DevScale. But VanMeter, whose coalitions members also include Apple antagonist Spotify Technology SA, said he assumed ACT was the unified voice of app developers when he received materials from them during his time in Congress. They have sown a lot of confusion, said VanMeter. (Updates with details of App Store commission fees in 11th paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. On Sept. 16, the U.S. District Court moved forward with the lawsuit against a law that would ban filming police at short distance. Leer en espanol No one showed in U.S. District court to defend the new law that would bar people from filming police at close range. U.S. District Judge John Tuchi suspended the law taking effect when he ordered an injunction on Sept. 9. As written, HB 2319 made it a misdemeanor offense to film police activity within 8 feet of it. Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law on July 6. Judge Tuchi sided with the media groups, including The Arizona Republic, which argued that the law violates First Amendment rights. He gave any agency wanting to defend the law a week, until Sept. 16, to come forward. But none did. Media companies originally filed the suit against the Arizona attorney general, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office and the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office, naming them as defendants. They all responded that they were not the appropriate agencies to defend the law. We only had a week from when we realized that the AG and the Maricopa County attorney weren't defending before the deadline hit, said the bill's author, Arizona House Rep. John Kavanagh, the Fountain Hills Republican and a former police officer. Earlier this month, Kavanaugh said he introduced the ban to protect the safety of officers. He scrambled to find an agency to defend the law, hoping to find a national police organization that would be interested, he said. The AG mentioned that he wasn't the right party. I don't really know what their rationales were, he said. The Attorney General's Office filed a note, refusing to defend the law, with state Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Rusty Bowers. Fann and Bowers said they would not be getting involved with the suit on Friday, according to a report by the Associated Press. 'Help finally give her a name': Mohave County police seek funding to identify 1971 homicide victim With respect to the House and the Senate, they had very limited funds, Kavanagh said, so I wasn't surprised that they weren't going to take on that task. Story continues The media plaintiffs were a little surprised by the outcome, said Matthew Kelley, the Washington D.C.-based lawyer who argued the case for media plaintiffs. It's not unheard of for this kind of thing to happen. So it's not totally a shock, but it is somewhat unexpected," Kelley said. He also didnt expect the attorney general to suggest that the court follow an obscure legal shortcut to a permanent injunction on the law. Instead of having another hearing, the court would use the hearing they had on Sept. 9 as a basis for deciding if the injunction would become permanent, explained Kelley. The judge was also surprised to hear the attorney general make the suggestion but was skeptical about taking that route, according to Kelley. The judge has to set up a conference to lay out the case schedule and take in written arguments, Kelley explained. It might be a while before he's able to set up that conference, Kelley said, but what happens next is that we will seek to have the injunction made permanent. Reach crime reporter Miguel Torres at Miguel.Torres@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @TheMiguelTorres. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Legislature doesn't defend law to ban police filming Two Arizona sisters were indicted this week after deputies allegedly found over 850,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl inside a vehicle they were traveling in toward Phoenix last month. Authorities did not state what the discovered pills were supposed to emulate. Kimberli Guadalupe Torres-Marin, 26, and Alexa Torres-Marin, 19, were each indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury with one count of sale or transportation of narcotic drugs, a class two felony, according to an announcement from the Maricopa County Attorneys Office on Monday. The two women, reportedly sisters, according to AZ Family, were arrested on Aug. 24 after Maricopa County Sheriffs deputies allegedly found the stash in duffel bags. The bags were in the vehicle the women were traveling in toward Phoenix. To shed light on the fentanyl crisis, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office said it will spearhead a free, public community forum Sept. 27 at Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, with experts on fentanyl to help educate parents and teens on the dangers of this drug. ARIZONA BORDER PROTECTION OFFICERS FIND THOUSANDS OF RAINBOW COLORED FENTANYL PILLS "Fentanyl is highly addictive and can be lethal if even a small amount is ingested or smoked," the prosecutors office said. "Two out of five counterfeit pills that come across our border are laced with lethal doses of fentanyl," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told FOX 10 Phoenix. "These drugs are being marketed to our youth in the most proliferous ways and are being produced in candy-like colors. We must hold those who bring these lethal pills into our community accountable." Since last month, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been sounding the alarm of the emerging trend of brightly colored "rainbow fentanyl" pills used by drug cartels to seemingly market the candy-like substance to children and young people. On Monday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director for the Port of Nogales, Arizona, said his officers stopped five loads totaling approximately 400,000 fentanyl pills over the weekend. Of that amount, approximately 30,000 were rainbow-colored. The loads also contained 152 pounds of methamphetamine, he said. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife Maria Shriver reunited for a family affair. The pair celebrated their son Patricks 29th birthday, as the actor took to his Instagram to post the special family photo. "Thx for the birthday wishes! 29! Crazy! Time flies," Patrick captioned the series of shared images. In the first photo, Patrick holds a dessert plate that said "happy birthday," featuring some sweet treats and a candle. On the left side, his mother places one hand on her sons shoulder while on the other side, the "The Terminator" actor poses closely with his family. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERS SON JOSEPH BAENA ON DANCING WITH THE STARS: DANCINGS NOT PART OF THE GENE The three are all smiles while they celebrated the 29-year-olds birthday. In the second snap, Patrick is shown cozying up to longtime girlfriend Abby Champion, with a beautiful sunset in the background. The couple have been together since 2016. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver reunited to celebrate their son Patricks 29th birthday, as the actor took to his Instagram to post the special family photo. Getty Images The Hollywood actor is also seen posing with a set of blue, yellow and gold balloons and another birthday cake in the set of Instagram photos. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son Patrick Schwarzenegger are seen in 2017. Photo by Gisela Schober/Getty Images for GQ Shriver also shared a sentimental video montage on her social media in honor of her sons birthday. The lengthy caption read "Happy, happy birthday, my beloved @patrickschwarzenegger! You are an amazing son, and I love you so much. You are smart, kind, loving, caring, fun, and funny Join me in wishing Patrick a happy birthday!" Maria Shriver filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2011 after 25 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images Schwarzenegger and Shriver share sons, Patrick and Christopher, along with their daughters, Christina and Katherine, together. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER The 66-year-old journalist filed for divorce from the 75-year-old former California governor in 2011 after 25 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." Shriver and Schwarzenegger's property settlement has kept the divorce from being finalized all these years. Schwarzenegger also has a fifth child with his former housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena, named Joseph. Around a quarter of a million people paid their respects in person to the Queen by viewing her coffin as it lay in state in London. Culture secretary Michelle Donelan gave the figure the morning after the nations longest-reigning monarch was buried at Windsor Castle. Ms Donelan said her department was still crunching the numbers to determine exactly how many people had queued for hours in London to process past the Queens coffin at Westminster Hall, but that she believed they numbered around 250,000. The royal family is observing another week of mourning for the Queen after a state funeral on Monday that was full of emotion and ceremony under the gaze of the world. Ms Donelan said most British people would see the cost of the Queens funeral as money well spent, but could not put a figure on what that cost might be. Pressed on Sky News about the cost of the funeral, she said: Im not sure of the exact costings but as I say, I think the British public would argue that that was money well spent. You saw so many thousands out there and I dont think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didnt deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years. She said it would be downright preposterous to suggest otherwise. The royal family is observing another week of mourning for the Queen following her state funeral on Monday (Gareth Fuller/PA) It was great sense of the community coming together. I always think of our late monarch as the glue that brought society together, she added. Ms Donelan described the queue for Westminster Hall as phenomenal, as she paid tribute to the volunteers who helped manage and support the proceedings of recent days, including the lying-in-state. She told BBC Breakfast: Theres no dress rehearsal is there for this kind of scenario. It has been in the plans for years, but obviously we stress-tested everything and worked with community groups. She praised the help of the Samaritans, the Red Cross, the police and establishments across the South Bank that opened their doors to those queuing. Story continues It was a real team effort to enable people to have that moment to say goodbye and I want to pay tribute to everybody that was involved - all the volunteers, all the marshals, the stewards, it was incredible. King Charles III decreed on 9 September, the day after the Queen died following her 70-year reign, that a period of mourning would be observed until seven days after the funeral. (Rupert Frere/Pool via Reuters) Members of the royal family are not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8am after the final day of royal mourning. They have been left bereft by the death of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and at times their grief was palpable with Charles looking emotional and close to tears at the state funeral. The Countess of Wessex was also seen weeping during the long day as was the Duchess of Sussex, who returned with the Duke of Sussex to the royal family to share their grief. But Charles and his family have been consoled by the support and love they have received from the public, including the tens of thousands who turned out to watch the late monarchs funeral procession make its slow journey through the capital and on to Windsor Castle for the committal service. The Queen was finally laid to rest with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh during a private evening burial service attended just by close family. The familys website said it was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, adding that the Queen was buried together with Philip at The King George VI Memorial Chapel. Additional reporting by Press Association A team of scientists from China, Hong Kong and Japan have developed a quantum simulator that allows them to observe the properties and behavior of electrons. According to the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, the research team built an atomic Lego set using graphene, a layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice nanostructure. Cheng Bin from Nanjing University, a co-lead in the study, explained that even todays fastest computers would not be able to handle calculating the electrons interactions as they exponentially increase in complexity as the electrons grow in number. The device, which was developed to allow scientists to finally study the interaction of electrons in a material, enabled Cheng and his team to observe the properties of 10,000 electrons. More from NextShark: Mystery vase that sat in UK family's kitchen turns out to be Qing-dynasty treasure worth $1.5 million In their experiment, the researchers cooled two separate pieces of double-layered graphene to almost absolute zero before applying an electric field. While in the cooled state, the electrons in the material showed high resistance, a completely altered version of the original graphene material. Tuning down the electric field triggered a phenomenon called quantum fluctuation, which caused tiny, random changes in the electrons positions. The electrons slowly began moving around until all of them eventually flowed like liquid water. More from NextShark: YouTube Showcases Anna Akana, Steve Aoki, More API Creators Across Platforms for Heritage Month Cheng called the intermediate phase between the crystal and liquid states of the electrons a quantum disorder. This phase had never been observed before. According to Cheng, the quantum disordered state is eliminated by adding a horizontal magnetic field to the material. Using the device, the researchers were also able to simulate other complex quantum processes by fine-tuning the electric or magnetic fields in the material. Story continues More from NextShark: The futuristic, transparent OLED TV wowing the internet is made by a Chinese electronics company The research team shared that their device could simulate complex systems that may result in the discovery of new materials and eventually lead to computers that process information like human brains. Featured Image via seagul More from NextShark: Women in South Korea say no to 'No 2' men when choosing who to date Reuters Former President Donald Trump's administration has not turned over all presidential records and the National Archives will consult with the Justice Department on whether to move to get them back, the agency has told Congress. A congressional panel on Sept. 13 sought an urgent review by the National Archives and Records Administration after agency staff members acknowledged that they did not know if all presidential records from Trump's White House had been turned over. "While there is no easy way to establish absolute accountability, we do know that we do not have custody of everything we should," acting Archivist Debra Wall said in a letter Friday to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. BEIJING (Reuters) -China's aviation regulator said on Tuesday it held a meeting with Boeing last week about the return of the 737 MAX to China, a day before the planemaker's top executives said they would begin remarketing some jets meant for Chinese customers. The jet has not flown commercially in China since March 2019, when it was grounded after two fatal crashes. The purpose of the meeting was to review improved aircraft training plans for the model, the regulator said on social media. CAAC said it would release a revised report when the questions raised at the meeting were resolved. The day after the Sept. 14 meeting, Boeing's top executives said the planemaker would begin to remarket some 737 MAX jets earmarked for Chinese customers because it could not wait indefinitely while U.S.-China political tensions snarl deliveries. Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said resuming deliveries in China was critical to Boeing's future, but the outlook for selling planes to China in the "near term ... a year or two" was negative. A Boeing spokesperson on Tuesday declined to comment about the meeting with CAAC, saying the company continued to work with customers and regulators including in China to safely return the 737 MAX to service worldwide. The planemaker said in July that it had about 290 undelivered 737 MAX airplanes and about half were designated for Chinese customers. (Reporting by Sophie Yu in Beijing, Jamie Freed in Singapore; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Kirsten Donovan) Who did the Bake Off judges send home in Biscuit Week? (Channel 4) The Great British Bake Off saw 18-year-old student Maisam sent home in Biscuit Week after producing the most simple Showstopper. Bakers were challenged with making a 3D decorative mask out of biscuits, and while Carole's ended up collapsing, Maisam finished way ahead of time after choosing to paint one round biscuit made of gingerbread. The youngest baker said: "I think I'm definitely proud because obviously I'm only 18, so at this age I've done something to be proud. This is definitely not the end of my baking journey - it's where it starts." The Great British Bake Off contetant Maisam. (Channel 4) The student and sales assistant was criticised by the judges in the Signature round for not adding any decoration to her carrot-shaped macarons. Read more: Bake Off: The four biggest talking points from biscuit week Judge Paul Hollywood told her: "I'd like to have seen some pipework to make them look more like a carrot." Maisam came seventh in the Technical round, making Garibaldis, aka 'squashed fly' biscuits. Coming into the Showstopper round she said: "I am a bit nervous, I'm not in a good position so that definitely puts me under pressure." As she told the judges about her plans to make a gingerbread mask decorated with painted royal icing and lemon shortbread Prue Leith asked her: "Just two kinds of biscuits?" Student Maisam was the youngest Bake Off contestant of 2022, aged just 18. (Channel 4) Finding herself finished long before the other bakers, Maisam said: "There is a side of me that's like 'Why've you finished so early, you could do something else?' But I'm very happy with it." Host Matt Lucas joked she had so much time on her hands she could pop to the shops. Hollywood told her: "It's simple but effective." However Leith cautioned: "I think in an ideal world I'd have liked you to do a little bit more." As the judges deliberate, Lucas confessed of Maisam's bake: "I thought it looked really good, but when you looked around the room and saw what the others had done you realised - in this show you do have to go that little bit further." Story continues The Great British Bake Off's Carole. (Channel 4) Supermarket cashier Carole, 59, just made it through to the next time after her mask - intricately decorated with macarons - collapsed on its stand just after she had finished, leaving her in tears. She sobbed: "You can't mend that!" Host Noel Fielding told her: "It was so beautiful, what you don't want to do now is panic, just have a minute and stay calm." The judges admired her decoration, but Hollywood said he was unsurprised it had broken. He told Carole: "Your recipe - the amount of lard that's gone in there, it's not stable enough." Maxy was named the Star Bake of Biscuit Week. (Channel 4) After sending Maisam home, Hollywood told Carole: "Next week - don't make any mistakes!" Architectural assistant Maxy, 29, was named Star Baker, after impressing with her daisy macarons - which earned a Hollywood handshake - and elaborately decorated carnival mask. Read more: John Whaite said Great British Bake Off 'derailed' him from steady life path She said: "I cant believe I got Star Baker! I didn't even think I'd get onto the show, let alone get a handshake and get Star Baker. It's definitely given me a confidence boost, I'm really happy." Watch: Bake Off's Matt Lucas says father's death inspired him to lose weight ROME (AP) Belgian bishops on Tuesday published a proposed text for a prayer liturgy for same-sex couples that includes prayers, Scriptural readings and expressions of commitment, despite a 2021 Vatican directive barring church blessings for gay couples. The Flemish-speaking bishops stressed that the moment of prayer was by no means akin to a sacramental marriage, which Catholic doctrine says is a lifelong union between a man and woman. Rather, they said their proposal is part of the Belgian churchs effort to be more responsive to its gay members and to create a climate of respect, recognition and integration. They cited Pope Francis call for the church to be more welcoming to gays. The publication of the text, first reported by the Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, marks the latest salvo in efforts by more progressive churches to extend greater outreach to gays, led by the German church and its controversial synodal process of dialogue with the German laity. Catholic teaching holds that gays must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. Last year, the Vaticans doctrine office decreed that the church cannot bless same-sex unions because God cannot bless sin. The proposed Belgian ceremony includes an opening word, opening prayer, Scripture reading as well as the texts of two proposed prayers one committing both parties to themselves and the other, a prayer of the community for the couple and ends with the Our Father prayer, a closing prayer and a blessing. Tommy Scholtes, spokesman for Belgium's bishops conference, denied the proposal amounted to a blessing much less a sacramental marriage. He said it was part of the Belgian bishops decision to create contact people within each diocese in charge of pastoral care for gays. With such point of contacts created, Scholtes said there will be an opportunity for homosexual couples to pray together, and others will also be able to pray for them. Story continues But there is no blessing, no exchange of consent, there is nothing like a marriage, he told The Associated Press. The text of the proposed commitment prayer suggests that the couple thank God for letting them find each other and pledge to be there for one another throughout their lives. The community then responds with a prayer of its own, praying for Gods grace to make their commitment to each other strong and faithful. The Rev. James Martin, who has championed greater church outreach to the LGBTQ community, said the Flemish-language text suggests a blessing. Given a same-sex couple in the prayer, "then you are asking God to be with same-sex partners not only in the home they share, but in what the prayer calls their commitment, Martin said. So, unless Im missing something in the translation, while the prayer is not a formal ratification of same-sex marriage, when you invoke the mercy of God on anyone, you are asking God to bless them. ___ Petrequin reported from Brussels. In a new Disney book, Belle voice actor Paige O'Hara said early looks for the character resembled Angelina Jolie. Disney, Gennaro Leonardi Photos/Shutterstock Belle's early look in "Beauty and the Beast" was considered too glamorous to be relatable. In "Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara," voice actor Paige O'Hara compared early concept art to Angelina Jolie. Belle was described as looking "a little too perfect." Animators changed her appearance, accordingly. Early concept art of Belle, from Disney's Oscar-winning "Beauty and the Beast" was originally considered too beautiful. According to a new book called "Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara" by Emily Zemler, the Disney princess' look was adjusted early on in conception to make her less "glamorous" and more relatable. "Original concept art for Belle shows her as a glamorous woman, but the animators quickly adapted the character's look to ensure viewers could connect to her," reads the book, which is out now. Belle was the first Disney princess who wasn't focused on finding her prince. Disney Animation "She kind of looked like Angelina Jolie very beautiful," Paige O'Hara, who voiced Belle, said in the book, which looks at the history of every Disney princess and their impact on pop culture. A team of animators, including James Baxter and Mark Henn, designed Belle. In the book, Baxter says they tried to give Belle a more European look "with fuller lips, a little bit darker eyebrows, and slightly smaller eyes" than Princess Ariel from 1989's "The Little Mermaid." Early sketches of Belle by Alyson Hamilton show the character in a pink gown with soft makeup and curled hair, tied up. "I didn't see how anybody would identify with that person," O'Hara said of Belle's original concept. "You'd look at her and put her on a pedestal. Mark and James changed the look of her. She was a little too perfect." "I knew that this was going to change the view of Disney Princesses. Belle was the first one not looking for a man. She wanted to see the world and all the places she'd read about in books," O'Hara added. Disney animators evolved Belle's look to what it is now to make sure that she was someone who viewers could connect with when they saw the film. Story continues Animators kept a board of celebrity photos on the wall while they were working for inspiration. Photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Natalie Wood were displayed on the board while working on Belle. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images According to the book, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Natalie Wood all inspired the look and feel of Belle in the 1991 film. O'Hara also served as an influence on Belle's final look. Read the original article on Insider Cafes on Hanoi train street beg to stay open Owners of coffee shops along the train street in Hanoi have asked for local authorities to allow them to continue to operate. Tourists watch a train from cafes along a rail road in Hanoi Train street which attracts lots of visitors has just been closed again and all the cafes had their licenses revoked following rail safety concerns from the Vietnam Railway Authority. In a group letter sent to the Ministry of Transport, the owners of many cafes expressed the hope that local authorities would not eliminate the popular tourist spot. According to these businessmen, they are mostly retired railway staff and were given apartments in the buildings along the railway between 1965 and 1974. "Right after moving to live here, we saw many foreign tourists coming to our house's veranda waiting to watch the passing trains," the letter said. "They talked about it and shared the photos on many travel forums, making this place famous. We decided to open coffee shops to serve the rising number of visitors." The residents said they really hoped that local authorities would have suitable measures to make this place a safe tourist attraction and at the same time ensure regular business activities for local people. Hanoi police have placed barriers on the street since September 14 following an announcement on the temporary closure of all coffee shops in the area. Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews the same day, vice chairman of Hoan Kiem District People's Committee, Nguyen Anh Quan, said that the first coffee shops became popular in 2017 and had attracted more tourists in recent years. "There are now more than 30 coffee shops along the street," Quan said. "All of them are violating railway safety regulations. We won't exchange the safety of people for any financial benefit. We'll temporarily revoke their business licenses while waiting for the final conclusion from the Hanoi People's Committee and the Ministry of Transport." The official added that they would study how to make the place a safe tourist spot with minimal disruption to the railway. "We'll work with the transport ministry to include the spot on city tours based on the train schedule and the visitor demand," he said. The two-kilometre train street starts from Le Duan, goes through Tran Phu and Cua Dong and ends at Phung Hung Street. It runs along part of the Hanoi-Dong Dang railway line. Berkeley Haas has released its MBA Class of 2024 profile showing a dramatic increase in the number of women in the program The first thing you notice about the new MBA class at UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business is the small class size. For the second year in a row, the Haas School already one of the smallest top-tier MBA programs has reduced its class by dozens of seats. The current class, announced earlier this month, is 247 students, down from 291 last fall and 331 in fall 2020. Eric Askins, executive director of full-time admissions at Haas, points to the obvious reason: the coronavirus cohort of 2020 was unusually large, given Haas (and other schools) increased capacity with remote learning. Askins adds that future Haas full-time MBA classes wont be formed based on an arbitrary number of seats, but by market demand. We dont set a specific class target size each year, Askins tells Poets&Quants, adding that in 2016 the Haas School enrolled 252 students, though it had increased by about 30 seats by the following year. Our class size often adjusts to meet market demand. Our first priority remains bringing in a class of exceptionally talented professionals. The 2020 incoming class was larger than other classes because the uncertainty around the pandemic drove more business school applications, Askins continues. We were excited to accommodate that years remote start class through our technological investments. Yet our goal was always to bring the full-time MBA experience back to a fully in-person experience and to right-size the program accordingly. FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THE APP DOWNTURN We don't know the full effect, if any, of the MBA application downturn at Haas because unlike previous years, Haas declined to reveal its application volume in the 2021-2022 cycle. (The other top-10 B-school to decline to report apps is Northwestern Kellogg.) What we do know is context and history. Last year, Haas like 18 other top-25 B-schools in the United States saw an increase in apps of about 4%, to more than 3,800, its second-most in one cycle after drawing more than 4,100 in 2016-2017. Having flown so high, it makes sense amid the continued strong economy and other macro factors that the school would experience a snap-back this year. Story continues "Weve seen the data from GMAC on the decrease in test takers in the U.S.," Askins says in acknowledging the widespread application downturn affecting most U.S. business schools. "Haas, and I imagine our peers, probably all felt the effects. Our school and our leadership team are equipped to adapt to market demand, as weve done for decades." Depending on the severity, an app decline at Haas would hardly be an outlier: Applications to full-time MBA programs in 2021-2022 dropped just about everywhere. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania saw a 14% decline in apps, and Harvard Business School was down 15.4%. At Michigan Ross the loss was 9.3%; at NYU Stern, 10%. The largest-reported app decline has occurred at UCLA Anderson, which lost 20% of its total year to year. Declines on the milder side have occurred at Duke Fuqua (6%), Georgetown McDonough (5.4%), and Virginia Darden, where they fell just 3.5%. So far one top-25 B-school, Cornell Johnson, has reported actually growing its apps this year and by an astonishing 21%. Source: Berkeley Haas 46% WOMEN & 41% INTERNATIONALS IN THE CLASS OF 2024 Probably the biggest sore point for Haas last year was its regression in the enrollment of women. The only top-10 business school under 40% women in the full-time MBA, Haas actually backslid slightly, to 37% from 39%, even as one peer school, Wharton, achieved gender parity and others inched closer. This year, however, Haas joins those schools on the precipice of parity, with a 9-percentage-point leap in women in the MBA. It's a school record, and, Askins says, a point of pride. "This is indeed the closest the school has come to gender parity and represents a significant effort by the admissions team and our student community to reach out to prospective students," he says. "Ultimately, its the strength of our program, including our Center for Gender Equity, Gender and Leadership, faculty like Laura Kray, our student leaders in Women in Leadership and our partnerships with organizations like the Forte Foundation, that have helped us reach a broader array of prospective students." And while domestic interest has declined, international interest in MBA programs is on the rise, at Haas and elsewhere. This year's 41% international composition of the MBA class is not a record that was 43% in 2014 but represents an increase from 37% last year. "Weve long benefited from the global brand recognition of UC-Berkeley and of Berkeley Haas," Askins says. "Interest in our program has held firm globally, though weve seen shifts in interest within the international community. This years 41% is well in line with prior years." Students identifying as LGBTQ remained high, at 16% of the class, while 4% are veterans. Thirteen percent of the class are first-generation college students. Haas' Eric Askins: "We are incredibly pleased with the community of students who have joined the program this year." HAAS MBA CLASS OF 2024 ACADEMIC MARKERS ARE STRONG Another school record, but one that Askins and Haas are downplaying, is the new class's Graduate Management Admission Test average of 729, which is up three points from last fall. "The average GMAT of 729 is a reflection of the preparation of our student community," Askins says. "While this is a higher figure than prior years, Im no less proud than I was of the average 726 GMAT from the prior year. In both cases we had a median of 730 and a clear reminder that an average number isnt always the best representative figure." The school's median GMAT score is once again 730 this year, and the 80% range is 700 to 760. It was a good test-taking year for Haas admits because the school also reports a new high combined quant-verbal score of 326, with equal 163 scores on each section. That's a 1-point improvement on the quant and a 2-point improvement on the verbal from last year. Class undergraduate grade point average, meanwhile, was down slightly to 3.64 from 3.67, with a "middle 80%" range of 3.4 to 3.92. Source: Berkeley Haas FEW CHANGES IN UNDERGRAD MAJOR, PRE-MBA INDUSTRY CLASS MAKEUP In terms of pre-MBA industries, in last years class, the Class of 2023, consultants accounted for 22% of the class, bankers were 17%, and techies were 12%, with health/pharma moving up from the previous year to account for 9%. This year, all of the big three ticked upward by 1 percentage point: consulting to 23%, finance to 18%, and tech to 13%. Healthcare/pharma stayed flat at 9%. Top undergraduate majors for the Haas MBA Class of 2023 were engineering (24%) followed by economics (17%), business/commerce (15%), and social sciences (14%). This fall, engineering was 23%, economics and social sciences were even at 15%, and business/commerce shrank to 13%. See above for details. "We are incredibly pleased with the community of students who have joined the program this year," Askins says. "The diversity of professional experience, the wide range of undergraduate disciplines and the strong academic indicators are all highlights of this great class." See the Haas School of Business MBA class profile page for details. DON'T MISS NORTHWESTERN KELLOGG MBA CLASS OF 2024 PROFILE: GPA, GMAT & INTERNATIONALS ALL UP and HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA CLASS PROFILE: APPS DOWN 15%, BUT HBS AGAIN ENROLLS LARGEST-EVER CLASS The post Berkeley Haas MBA Class Of 2024 Profile: Big Class Size Drop, Big Gains For Women appeared first on Poets&Quants. The Biden administration is expected to soon finalize a rule banning oil and gas leasing near a Native American historical site despite heavy opposition from local Indigenous leaders, who say the administration's rule would prevent them from collecting royalties on their land. The rule, which the Department of Interior (DOI) announced in November 2021, would implement a 20-year moratorium on federal oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile radius of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park located in northwest New Mexico. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the rule, which would amount to a withdrawal of 336,000 acres of public lands from mineral leasing, would protect the environment and "rich cultural legacy" of the region. "We're not destroying anything we are Native Americans ourselves. Nobody is destroying the park," Delora Hesuse, a Navajo Nation citizen who owns allotted land in the Greater Chaco region, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "The oil companies sure aren't destroying the park. And they have new technology." "It just seems like they are listening more to the environmentalist people," she continued. BIDEN DEPT. OF INTERIOR RELEASES NEW NAMES OF FEDERAL LANDS DEEMED RACIST AND DEROGATORY Hesuse represents a group of Navajo citizens who own land that has been allotted to them by the federal government for generations and which is often leased to oil and gas drilling and exploration companies. The group opposes the Biden administration rule, saying it would prevent them from collecting much-needed royalties on the land they've held for decades. While the administration has stated the rule wouldn't impact Indian-owned allotments, blocking federal land leasing would ultimately block development on non-federal land, according to Hesuse and other local stakeholders including Navajo Nation leadership. BIDEN ADMIN OFFICIAL HIT WITH ETHICS COMPLAINT FOR ROLE IN FEDERAL OIL LEASING PAUSE Story continues "In reality, the rule would have a devastating impact because the indirect effects would make the allottee land worthless from the standpoint of energy extraction," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer wrote in a letter to President Biden in November slamming the proposal. "To maximize full extraction of the product, a horizontal lateral crossing of two to four miles of subsurface may be required," they added. "Due to the cross jurisdictional land status in Navajo Eastern Agency, a proposed horizontal lateral may need to cross federal land." The Navajo Nation Council also condemned the proposal, saying it would instead support a five-mile radius, a compromise backed by industry. Council Delegate Mark Freeland said families from the allotted land areas were "ignored" by the DOI. BIDEN SUSPENDS ALASKA OIL, GAS LEASES IN ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE In addition, the board of county commissioners of San Juan County, New Mexico, passed a resolution in April stating that it "strongly opposes" the Biden administration proposal. The resolution noted the rule would make it impossible for owners of individual Indian allotments to drill for and extract minerals since pipelines must cross federal land below the surface. "It is really going to make an impact on the allottees if they follow through with the withdrawal of federal lands and public lands around Chaco Canyon," Hesuse said. Hesuse noted that the Navajo community is extremely impoverished and that oil and gas revenues are critical for sustaining many individuals. There are currently 53 Indian allotments located in the so-called 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon, generating $6.2 million per year in royalties for an estimated 5,462 allottees, according to the Navajo Nation. In addition, there are 418 unleased allotments in the zone that are associated with more than 16,000 allottees. "We are very poor. It's like living in a third world. No help from the government, no help from the tribe," Jean Armenta, another Navajo citizen with allotted land, told Fox News Digital. "A lot of us don't have electricity or running water." "I'm for drilling, I'm for drilling," she added. "People need the money." NAVAJO NATION CONSIDERING LEGISLATION TO LEGALIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Armenta and Hesuse both criticized Haaland for prioritizing the requests of environmentalists over Indigenous people. Navajo leaders have also accused DOI leadership of failing to properly consult with Navajo allottees on the proposal. "Assistant Secretary Newland, BLM Director Stone-Manning and leadership from both of their teams have visited Navajo Nation multiple times to meet with allottees, Navajo leaders and community members," DOI spokesperson Melissa Schwartz told Fox News Digital. "The public has also had the opportunity to provide comments." "We are deeply committed to engaging with the diverse stakeholders on this process as well as the larger Honoring Chaco Initiative, facilitated by the BLM," she continued. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS OIL AND GAS DRILLING PLANS, GUTTING TRUMP-ERA FRAMEWORK Last week, the DOI issued guidance to bolster the role of tribes in federal land management. Despite this guidance, the administration hasn't publicly acknowledged the proposed five-mile buffer zone compromise proposed by the Navajo Nation Council. "This administration talks a good talk about consulting with the tribes," Kathleen Sgamma, the president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "But when the tribes pass legislation offering a compromise to the federal government, the federal government has ignored it." Sgamma's group represents companies with active drilling projects in the Chaco region. BIDEN ADMIN SETTLES WITH ECO GROUPS TO BLOCK MASSIVE OIL DRILLING LEASES "We provide a source of livelihood in an impoverished area," she continued. "These are people that own these minerals and are property owners," she said. "When you have the federal government infringing on Navajo property owners, it's hard to say that this administration is committed to environmental justice." Overall, New Mexico is among the most fossil fuel-rich states in the nation it produced the second-most crude oil and was a top-ten natural gas producer last year, according to the Energy Information Administration. The state also has 9% of U.S. proved crude oil reserves and 6% of proved natural gas reserves, making it a major contributor to total energy supplies. The New Mexico energy industry is responsible for about 100,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $12.8 billion per year, according to the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association. "Over 100,000 of my fellow New Mexicans are employed by the oil and gas industry, which also supports our public education system through royalties and taxes," Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The Biden administration prefers freezing permits, political gimmicks, and putting up roadblocks to domestic energy innovation instead of promoting affordable, reliable, and clean energy, and American families are the ones who will bear the burden." ABC News Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a member of Republican leadership in the upper chamber, said Sunday that he does not "condone violence" after Donald Trump lashed out at Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and suggested McConnell had a "death wish"-- but Scott stopped short of condemning the former president. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social website last week, wrote that McConnell must have a "death wish" after supporting a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. Trump went on to criticize McConnell's wife in racist terms, writing that he should "seek help and advise [sic] from his China loving wife, Coco Chow!" Trump was referring to Elaine Chao, who is Taiwanese. President Biden will call on world leaders to stand up against Russias invasion of Ukraine during his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly. Biden will address the international body on Wednesday as he seeks to rally support to push back against Russia amid Ukraines recent gains on the battlefield. Among other things, hell offer a firm rebuke of Russias unjust war in Ukraine and make a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that weve seen the past several months, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday. The main thrust of his presentation will really be about the United Nations charter. About the foundational principle at the heart of that charter, that countries cannot conquer their neighbors by force, Sullivan added. Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly while facing an international crisis for a second consecutive year. Last year, Biden arrived in New York City roughly a month after the U.S. pulled its forces out of Afghanistan in a chaotic withdrawal. This year, Biden will speak at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces making advances in counteroffensives and putting Russian President Vladimir Putin on the defensive. Sullivan noted that neither Putin nor Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in New York for the meetings. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to be in attendance. Our competitors are facing increasingly strong headwinds and neither President Xi nor President Putin are even showing up, he said. Sullivan added that the Ukrainian militarys recent counteroffensive will feature prominently in his speech. The meetings in New York come amid successful counteroffensives from the Ukrainian military, which has recently regained thousands of miles of territory in the countrys northeast and forced thousands of Russian troops to retreat. Building support for Ukraine at the U.N. could prove difficult for Biden, as many members have either been sympathetic to Russia or antagonistic toward the United States. Russia sits on the U.N. Security Council, and as a result has the ability to thwart efforts to hold Moscow accountable. Story continues Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in his speech at the U.N. on Tuesday criticized the economic impact of Western sanctions, but did not mention Russia in his remarks. In the annual speech, Biden will also lay out his vision for American foreign policy and principal leadership, Sullivan said. He will make significant new announcements about the U.S. governments investments to address global food insecurity and hell lay out in detail how the U.S. has restored its global leadership and the integrity of its word on the world stage by delivering on the promises we make and he has made as president, he said. The president will hold his first one-on-one meeting with the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, and plans to host world leaders and their spouses while in New York. He will also host a session on combating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide. Ahead of the U.N. meetings, Sullivan was asked about the fallout to Biden responding yes on whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if Beijing tries to invade during a CBS News interview that aired on Sunday. We continue to stand behind the One China policy, we continue to stand against unilateral changes to the status quo, and we continue to stand for peace and stability, Sullivan said. The national security adviser argued that the president answered a hypothetical question in the interview, but did not announce a policy change, noting hed made similar comments earlier this year in Tokyo. The president is a direct and straightforward person. He answered a hypothetical, hes answered it before in a similar way and he has also been clear that he stands behind the historic U.S. policy towards Taiwan that has existed through Democratic and Republican administrations, Sullivan said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. would militarily defend Taiwan if China were to attack -- reiterating, again, his support for the island as Beijing responded with disapproval. In a "60 Minutes" interview, Biden was asked if "U.S. forces" would respond to aid Taiwan against China. He said, "If in fact there was an unprecedented attack." He was asked again, "So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. forces -- U.S. men and women -- would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?" "Yes," Biden said. His answer mirrors his response when another a reporter asked him a similar question during a press conference in Tokyo in May and is at least the fourth time hes said something along these lines, appearing to go beyond the historic U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity about Taiwan's relationship to China, which views the island as a breakaway province despite Taiwan's separate government. MORE: US consumers may suffer from Pelosi's Taiwan trip: Experts The U.S is legally required to provide Taiwan with resources to defend itself but doesnt require a U.S. military response if China were to invade. Since the '70s -- and as codified by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act -- the U.S. has acknowledged the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China while officially considering Taiwan's status as unresolved and maintaining unofficial ties with the island, which emerged as a separate faction after the Chinese civil war. At a Monday press conference in Beijing, Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning said that China had lodged complaints with the U.S. in response to Biden's comments about Taiwan. PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House, Sept. 06, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) She said China "deplores" and "firmly opposes" the president's latest statements and that China reserves the right to take all necessary measures but said the country is "willing to do our best to strive for peaceful reunification." In May, Biden said the "burden" of the U.S. "commitment" to defend Taiwan was "even stronger" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier in the year. Story continues Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said then that their government "expresses sincere welcome and gratitude to President Biden and the U.S. government for reiterating its rock solid commitment to Taiwan. A White House official insisted to ABC News at the time that Bidens comment didnt represent a shift because the president reiterated our commitment to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself. MORE: Diplomatic and military tensions continue to rise in wake of Pelosi's Taiwan visit The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year, the official said. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasnt changed. That remains true. In Tokyo, when a reporter asked Biden how the U.S. was prepared to respond if China were to invade or tried to take over Taiwan, the president first said, "Our policy toward Taiwan has not -- Taiwan -- has not changed at all." But the reporter followed up, asking, "Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, if it comes to that?" Biden responded, "Yes." Asked, "You are?" he said, "That's the commitment we made." The next day, asked if the policy of ambiguity toward Taiwan was "dead," Biden said, "No." "The policy has not changed at all. I stated that when I made my statement yesterday," he said. In July, after Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping spoke, a White House official said their discussion on Taiwan was direct and honest, with Biden reaffirming the U.S. commitment to its historic position. But the official wouldnt respond to a Chinese readout claiming that Xi said, "Playing with fire will set yourself on fire. President Xi used similar language in the conversation that the two leaders had back in November, but you know, I'm not going to get into parsing the various metaphors that the PRC regularly tends to use on these issues, the administration official said. ABC News' Justin Gomez and Karson Yiu contributed to this report. Biden says, again, that US would defend Taiwan from Chinese invasion originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Rep. Don Bacon speaks during a press conference to discuss the 'Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018' on Capitol Hill, February 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images 19 GOP lawmakers said Biden's student-loan forgiveness could hurt military recruitment. They said the promise of free education through the military might no longer be a strong incentive. Many Republicans have pushed back on Biden's debt relief, with some trying to stop it from happening. Republican lawmakers are worried that President Joe Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan will disincentive Americans from joining the military. Last week, 19 GOP lawmakers wrote a letter to Biden expressing concerns with his recently announced $20,000 in debt cancellation for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year. They said there are "unintended consequences" with Biden's one-time blanket relief when it comes to military recruiting, especially because it undermines the military's ability to use free education as a recruiting tool. "By forgiving such a wide swath of loans for borrowers, you are removing any leverage the Department of Defense maintained as one of the fastest and easiest ways to pay for a higher education," the lawmakers wrote. "We recognize the loan forgiveness programs have issues of their own, but this remains a top recruiting incentive." Rep. Don Bacon, one of the cosigners on the letter, also wrote on Twitter on Monday that Biden's "deeply flawed and unfair" student-loan forgiveness plan will impose challenges "at the precise moment we are experiencing a crisis in military recruiting." Rep. Don Bacon (@RepDonBacon) September 19, 2022 As the Republicans noted in the letter, Americans might choose to enlist in the military to receive a free education during or after completion of service a benefit first established in the GI Bill to help service members pay for college, graduate school, and training programs. But they said that at the end of last month, the Army had reached just 66% of its recruiting goal for the year, and Biden's student-loan forgiveness will "exacerbate" recruiting challenges. To that end, they requested the White House provide information on whether military recruitment was considered when Biden decided on his debt relief policy, along with how the administration plans to assist with recruiting following loan forgiveness. Story continues This is just the latest attempt by Republican lawmakers to push back on Biden's debt relief. Since the plan was announced, many Republicans slammed it as costly and unfair to taxpayers, even saying it's illegal because the president does not have the authority to wipe out millions of debt balances without Congressional approval. Some have gone so far as to threaten pursuing legal action to attempt to block the relief in court. Still, Democratic lawmakers and the White House have not caved to the GOP threats. Biden's administration has maintained it has the legal authority to cancel student debt provided in the HEROES Act of 2003, which allows modification of balances in connection with a national emergency, like COVID-19 and it plans to continue rolling out the relief, with applications for debt cancellation set to become available in early October. Read the original article on Business Insider The Daily Beast Jesse Watters, co-host of the Fox News roundtable show The Five, lambasted a colleague who criticized the outpouring of concern for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, after the NFL player suffered two brutal injuries in just four days. The 24-year-old was pummeled during Thursday nights game against the Cincinnati Bengals, after hitting his head on the ground and struggling to stand upright on Sunday while playing the Buffalo Bills.Fox News Dagen McDowell chalked up calls for firings a HOUSTON (AP) A bipartisan group of mayors said Tuesday that whatever political differences they might have, they are united in fighting against recent voting restrictions enacted in some Republican-controlled states that they view as an attack on democracy. The mayors spoke at the National Nonpartisan Conversation on Voting Rights, a three-day conference held in Houston to discuss strategies on promoting voter rights education. A similar conference was first held last year in Denver. We are all standing together, Democrats and Republicans... to say that the (voting) infrastructure should be non-partisan. The campaigns can go and do what they do, but the infrastructure, our democracy is non-partisan, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, said on Tuesday, which was also National Voter Registration Day in the U.S. Turner was part of the group of mayors three Democrats and three Republicans who co-hosted the event. John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona, said his state has introduced hundreds of pieces of election and voter related legislation since the 2020 election, prompted in part by disinformation on election integrity. Former President Donald Trumps campaign unsuccessfully tried to push officials in Arizona to help him overturn his loss in the state. Related video: DOJ joins fight against Florida's election law This is not unique to Arizona. This a corrosive trend in states across our United States, Giles said. Were all here because we agree with and want to support election integrity. The conference, which began Monday, comes as Republican lawmakers around the country have tightened voting rules, an effort that has been fueled in part by false claims from Trump and his allies about widespread fraud. Voter fraud is rare, typically occurs in isolated instances and is generally detected. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said 34 states, including Texas, Florida and Georgia, have passed new voting restriction laws since the 2020 election. He said such legislation threatens the right for many to vote, including during the upcoming Nov. 8 midterm elections. Story continues One of the Arizona officials who Trump tried to pressure was state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who spoke at the conference and recounted for those in attendance his interactions with the former president. It was a topic Bowers had previously described to the Jan. 6 committee in June. Bowers said that in addition to focusing on registering people to vote, officials and others need to also teach people what is at stake. What do we have together that we need to keep alive? What is the value of a nation that is divided versus the value and strength of a nation that recognizes that unity, the value of unity is more important than almost anything, to hold us together, Bowers said. At a Tuesday press conference in Austin, Texas Secretary of State John Scott said the new voting requirements the state enacted in 2021 ensure that we can have confidence on the way that elections are conducted. Scott pushed back on criticism that the new laws would hinder voter participation, saying the state is nearing 18 million registered votersa record high and the proof is in the pudding, the people who want to vote get out and vote. Michael Thompson, 22, from Miami, said he believes people from his generation are concerned about recently passed voting restrictions and that those new laws along with abortion rights and student loan forgiveness will be issues that will prompt younger voters to go to the polls in November. Its time to have our voice heard. I see a lot of older people always making decisions for us. We definitely need to have a seat at the table, said Thompson, who is currently studying for a masters degree in public health at Brown University in Rhode Island. ___ Associated Press reporter Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on Tuesday proposed tightening restrictions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine by setting a price cap on Russian oil and sanctioning countries that exceed a certain threshold of business with Russian energy companies. The senators introduced a framework outlining their bipartisan support for a price cap on Russian seaborne oil and petroleum products by March 2023, with the price cap lowering by one-third each year until it breaks even by the third year, according to a press release from Toomey and Van Hollen. Additionally, the framework would require the U.S. Energy Information Agency to provide a list of all the nations that do business with Russian energy, including coal, natural gas and oil. Nations that significantly exceed a pre-war benchmark of Russian energy purchases must be subject to sanctions, according to the press release. The sanctions legislation would sunset after seven years or if the president terminates it following a diplomatic agreement between Ukraine and Russia. In a statement, Van Hollen and Toomey said existing sanctions on Russia have hit the economy and [Russian President Vladimir] Putins cronies. However, we have yet to effectively cut off funding to Putins war machine by diminishing Russias revenues from energy sales, the statement reads. The Ukrainian people have inspired the world in their fight for freedom and independence, and the sanctions framework were releasing today is a critical component in helping them defeat Russian aggression. Both Van Hollen and Toomey are members of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and have previously worked together on legislation sanctioning North Korea and those involved in the brutal crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong. The news follows the announcement of a forthcoming price cap from the Group of Seven (G-7) nations, which includes the U.S. That would prohibit the shipping of Russian oil if its sold at a higher price than the cap and would cut into Russian profits. Story continues The bipartisan framework legislation introduced Tuesday works in tandem with the G-7 price cap, the senators said. By imposing strong secondary sanctions, our framework also provides the administration with the tools needed to hold accountable the financial institutions supporting those countries involved in rampant war profiteering from Russian exports, they said in a statement. A spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury department told The Hill on Tuesday they look forward to reviewing the bill. The spokesperson added the Treasury has sufficient authorities to implement a price cap and is well-equipped to advance the policy. Our goal remains to work hand-in-hand with our international partners to both keep Russian oil flowing onto global markets at lower prices and to reduce the Kremlins revenue for its illegal war in Ukraine, the spokesperson said. There is evidence this approach is already working, with public reports that Russia is scrambling to offer cut-rate discounts on oil to major importers like India and Indonesia in an attempt to get ahead of the price cap. Updated: 3:56 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. John Basco, 48, was found unresponsive in his cell early last Sunday morning, said Oklahoma County Detention Center officials. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma County inmate found dead in his jail cell last weekend was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the county alleging that in 2019, he and other inmates were tortured by jail employees who forced them to repeatedly listen to the childrens song Baby Shark for hours. John Basco, 48, was found unresponsive in his cell early last Sunday morning, Oklahoma County Detention Center officials said in a news release. He was pronounced dead after jail workers began lifesaving efforts, they said. Bascos death is the 14th this year at the jail, which has faced criticism over inmate deaths, escapes and other incidents. Jail spokesman Mark Opgrande said there were no obvious signs of foul play and that investigators will look into the possibility of a drug overdose. The State Medical Examiners Office will determine the cause of death. This undated booking photo provided by the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office shows John Basco, who was found dead in his cell early last Sunday morning, Sept. 11, 2022. It is the 14th death reported at jail so far this year. (Photo: Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office via AP) Basco, who was booked into the jail Thursday on a drug trafficking complaint, was among a group of inmates suing the county in federal court for allegedly being handcuffed to a wall and forced to listen to the song Baby Shark on repeat for hours during separate incidents in 2019. A jail lieutenant retired and two detention officers were fired in connection with the incidents, and all three face misdemeanor charges. Bascos attorney, Cameron Spradling, told The Oklahoman that he found the circumstances surrounding Bascos death disturbing and called for the preservation of all evidence as the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation probe of it unfolds. Im really bothered by this, Spradling said. One of the Baby Shark victims is conveniently dead within three days of his arrival at the jail. How does that happen? District Attorney David Prater just lost one of his witnesses for the upcoming criminal trial. For me, this one does not pass the smell test. Story continues Oklahoma prison records show Basco had a long history of criminal convictions in Oklahoma County dating back to the mid 1990s, mostly for drug, property and firearms crimes. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a second-degree murder conviction in 2000 and was released in 2007, records show. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Black inmate who sued over Baby Shark torture found dead in jail cell appeared first on TheGrio. A Boston man was arrested Tuesday in Weymouth and charged with a road-rage stabbing last week in Quincy, police said. Quincy police said in an Instagram post that Zakar Bell-Warren, 20, of Hyde Park, was taken into custody in Weymouth on Tuesday morning on an arrest warrant stemming from a stabbing in Quincy on Thursday, Sept. 15. Lights on the roof of a police vehicle. Police said Bell-Warren and the victim were involved in a road-rage incident that started in the area of Quincy Shore Drive and Sea Street and continued down Quincy Shore Drive, ending with the stabbing in the area of Glover Avenue and Pierce Street. The victim suffered serious injuries, police said. Two witnesses told police Bell-Warren had a firearm, Quincy police said. Photos: Quincy vs. North Quincy high school girls volleyball A detective obtained a warrant charging Bell-Warren with armed assault to murder (a knife) and assault with a dangerous weapon (a firearm). Police said they also obtained warrants to search Bell-Warren's vehicle and home, and that more charges might be filed. He was expected to be arraigned in Quincy District Court on Tuesday. More: Quincy College, city's public schools awarded nearly $1 million for life science education This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Boston man charged with road-rage stabbing in Quincy In todays unexpected news, Brad Pitt has been reflecting on mistakes hes made in former relationships, and hes reckoning with them through his own artwork. Which is now on public display. In Finland, of all places. Pitt, who took to pottery and sculpting during the pandemic, created a series of sculptures made from plastic and bronze that are on display until January 2023 at the Sara Hilden Art Museum in Tampere, Finland. His works are part of an exhibit called WE, which also includes sculptures and paintings by Thomas Houseago and a ceramics collection by Nick Cave. More from SheKnows Jennifer Aniston's cheeky response about her divorce from Brad Pitt proves the actress has healed and moved on from this chapter in her life. https://t.co/FF1qo4bwge SheKnows (@SheKnows) May 27, 2022 When talking to ET about the inspiration behind his sculpture collection, Pitt shared, To me its about self-reflection. Its about where I have gotten it wrong in my relationships, where I have misstepped, where am I complicit. For me, it was born out of ownership of what I call a radical inventory of self, getting really brutally honest with me and taking account of those I may have hurt, moments I have just gotten wrong. So what exactly can you expect to see if you happen to be in Finland in the next few months? According to the museums website, Pitts collection includes a plaster panel using molds made of the human body, which depicts a story-like shooting scene, as well as house-shaped sculptures made of transparent silicone placed on a stand, which have been shot with different caliber weapons, among other works. Story continues Click here to read the full article. A Brad Pitt fan account also shared a few photos of the actors artwork on Twitter, which include shots of the above pieces and two additional sculptures. Pitt has previously been romantically linked with Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Thandie Newton, Geena Davis, and a handful of other famous figures. If you find yourself getting bored this winter, book a casual trip to Finland to play Which Ex Is This Sculpture About and thank Pitt for the art-inspired adventure. Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have been engaged four or more times. Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez "These Celebrities Have All Been Engaged 40 Or More Times" Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday called for an immediate cease fire in Ukraine, while criticizing sanctions against Russia over the invasion, as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bolsonaro said Brazil does not see unilateral sanctions as the best way to handle the conflict, adding that a solution would only be reached through dialogue and negotiations. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday repeated his willingness to foster negotiations to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, calling for a ceasefire but renouncing sanctions and economic isolation. We have tried to avoid blocking the channels of dialogue caused by the polarization around the conflict, Bolsonaro said, during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly. The consequences of the conflict are already being felt in world prices for food, fuel and other supplies. This impact puts us all against the goals of sustainable development. The Brazilian president noted how some countries that were once leaders in low carbon emissions had now turned to more polluting sources of energy. Bolsonaro was the first world leader to speak during debate on the first day of the meeting. U.S. President Joe Biden would traditionally speak second, but his time was pushed to Wednesday because of the funeral of Englands queen. The far-right leader, who is seeking reelection next month, also used his speech to promote the merits of his administration. His speech focused heavily on the economy, starting with the generous welfare program distributed to millions of Brazilians during the pandemic, and which was recently renewed until December. In spite of the global crisis, Brazil reached the end of 2022 with an economy in full recovery, Bolsonaro said, stressing a falling unemployment rate and disinflation in Latin Americas largest nation. Critics of his government rebuked his claims that poverty is falling, or that the majority of Brazil's Amazon rainforest remains pristine. Recent studies show that food insecurity has been on the rise, now surpassing the world average, according to the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university and think tank. And deforestation has surged to the worst in 15 years. That led to more fires in August than in any month in nearly five years, according to Brazils national space institute. By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's leftist presidential front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to meet with the top U.S. diplomat in the country on Wednesday, less then two weeks before the first-round vote in the country's most fraught election in years. Lula, who opinion polls show has a sizeable lead over his far-right rival President Jair Bolsonaro, will meet with Charge d'Affaires Douglas Koneff, as there is currently no U.S ambassador in Brasilia. His meeting was confirmed by the U.S. embassy. "As a practice, U.S. diplomats... in Brazil regularly meet privately with political parties and candidates," it said in a statement. "We plan to continue this effort to meet with all the top presidential candidates for the October elections." The meeting underlines Lula's growing electoral momentum ahead of the Oct. 2 vote. It is also significant because Lula, a former president who was jailed on corruption charges that were overturned last year, harbors lingering suspicion of the United States, saying U.S. investigators collaborated with Brazilian prosecutors to put him in jail. Up until now, contact between Lula's camp and the U.S. government has been back-channeled via interlocutors. In May, Reuters reported that Lula had quietly dispatched his emissary, Senator Jaques Wagner, to meet with U.S. State Department officials in Washington in April. Members of Lula's camp have also met with European diplomats, as well as those from fellow BRICS members Russia, India, China and South Africa, two sources said. Lula's Workers Party (PT) is also asking foreign diplomats that in the case of a Lula victory, they quickly voice congratulations, seeking to guard against potential efforts by Bolsonaro to question results, one of the sources said. Bolsonaro has repeatedly made unfounded claims of electoral fraud, seeking to undermine the credibility of Brazil's electronic voting system. One of the sources said that Wagner and former Foreign Minister Celso Amorim will join Lula at the meeting with Koneff. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Fox News anchor Bret Baier "was ready to give into" pressure from Trump after the network said he lost Arizona, new book says. Baier argued for rescinding the news organization's Arizona call, according to the book. "'The sooner we pull it...and we put it back in his column the better we are,'" he wrote, according to the book. Fox News anchor Bret Baier "was ready to give into" Trump White House pressure in 2020 after the news organization decided on election night to call Arizona for Joe Biden ahead of other networks, according to the new book "The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021." Baier, the lead Fox evening news anchor, wanted to rescind the Arizona call, wrote New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and New Yorker staff writer and CNN global affairs analyst Susan Glasser. "'The Trump campaign was really pissed,' he wrote in an email to Jay Wallace, the president and executive editor at Fox," according to the book set for publication on Tuesday. "'This situation is getting uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. I keep having to defend this on air.'" The authors wrote that journalists on the Decision Desk thought there was "no serious question about Arizona," but Baier, in his email, accused them of "'holding on for pride,'" the book says. "'It's hurting us,'" he wrote, according to the book. "'The sooner we pull it even if it gives us major egg and we put it back in his column the better we are in my opinion.'" The authors called the statement "stunning," given that Arizona was never in the Trump column, even if his margin of defeat in the state narrowed just after the election. "The leading news anchor for Fox was pushing not just to say Arizona was too close to call but to pretend that the president had won it," they wrote. Baier said in a statement to Insider, via a FOX News spokesperson, that "The full context of the e-mail is not reported in this book." He said he noted in the email that he supported the Decision Desk's call and would defend it. Story continues Asked to comment, a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement to Insider: "FOX News made an election night call of historic magnitude and was first to do so. We stood by the call in the days that followed, it was proven correct, and other news organizations eventually joined us." Biden won Arizona by less than a percentage point. Trump publicly attacked the network and cast Arizona among the states at the center of his election denial conspiracies. Jay Wallace didn't do what Baier wanted, but he later refused to let the Decision Desk team call Nevada for Biden after other networks did because he "did not want Fox to be the first to call the election and declare Biden president-elect," the authors wrote. Afterward, two members of the Decision Desk team were fired, according to the authors, and the announcements were delayed by two months because the "executives did not want the embarrassment of publicly owning their decision to push out journalists for making the right call." One employee's departure was called a "retirement" and another's was called part of a "restructuring," according to the authors. A Fox News spokesperson confirmed the layoff was part of a post-election restructuring and did not comment on the retirement. The spokesperson noted that Arnon Mishkin, the head of the Decision Desk who was in charge at the time of the Arizona call, is returning for the November elections as Decision Desk head. Read the original article on Business Insider OTTAWA (Reuters) - Planned referendums in occupied regions of Ukraine to join Russia are "unacceptable" and Canada would never recognize such territories as part of Russia, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. "Canada denounces Russia's planned 'referendums' in occupied regions of Ukraine. We will never recognize them," Trudeau said on Twitter. "This is a blatant violation of international law. It is a further escalation of war. And it is unacceptable," he said. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Leslie Adler) Northampton, MA --News Direct-- CNH Industrial Terry McNair and Real Turf Solutions win the 2022 CASE Construction Kickstart Contest Earlier in September, CASE Construction, a CNH Industrial brand, named Terry McNair and his landscaping company Real Turf Solutions, based in Fort Valley, Georgia, USA, as the recipient of the CASE Kickstart business development program for 2022. CASEs Kickstart Contest invites landscape contractors to enter for a chance to win a prize package built to advance the capabilities, expertise and development of their operation. It aims to provide entrepreneurs in the landscape industry with the tools and resources that improve key operations and capabilities in the field. We salute Terry for his entrepreneurial spirit, people-first approach and dedication to his entire team, says Terry Dolan, Vice President North America, CASE Construction Equipment. Although we have more than 180 years of experience at CASE, we like Terry are making moves like a startup and creating solutions rooted in customer need. Through CASE Kickstart, were honored to help the men and women who operate our equipment every day further their business aspirations and reach their dreams. For McNair, the drive for meaningful change in his business started with a very real and personal experience. My oldest son was diagnosed with cancer when he was 10 and we were told hed never walk again. It changed my perspective and goals. Today he has been fully cured. After countless hours in hospitals and days away from his work, McNairs vision for his business evolved. We started to make changes. I hired a new management team and developed a culture of changing lives. Everything has changed for the better since, he said. As part of the grand-prize package, McNair will deploy a CASE compact track loader and attachment into his business for six months and receive one year of business consultation with Envisor Consulting. Owners Ken Thomas and Ben Gandy will take a deep dive into McNairs business, providing a roadmap to simplify, streamline and ensure organizational development success and long-term sustainability. Equipment support, training and related counsel is being provided by Georgia-based CASE dealer Tidewater Equipment Company. Story continues Four CASE Kickstart runners up were also named each has earned a six-month online training subscription from Envisor Academy Envisors online education hub, which houses online education courses, seminars and workshops that will help the honorees apply proven landscaping business principles to their operations. View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/case-construction-names-winner-of-2022-kickstart-business-development-contest-303672864 Discover Financial Services Many employers remain in a hiring mode, although a recession might be looming. In fact, 85% of businesses say theyre actively hiring, according to a national survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Thats up from 81% in the spring. Many Phoenix area employers are turning to job fairs and special promotions to lure applicants. They include the following: Outdoor retailers looking for help Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas, which are part of the same company, plan to hire thousands of full- and part-time employees nationally, including in Arizona, during hiring events Sept. 21 and Sept. 22. Interviews will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time both days for retail, distribution and other openings. Applications may be submitted in advance at basspro.com/careers, but walk-in applicants also are welcome. Potential workers must be at least 18 years of age for most positions. Benefits include health insurance, holiday and vacation pay along with merchandise discounts of up to 50%. Casinos seek hospitality workers Talking Stick Resort will host a job fair Sept. 27 for hospitality positions there and at sister property Casino Arizona. Openings include those for dining room hosts, servers, bussers, line cooks, kitchen stewards, room attendants, cage cashiers, security officers, front desk agents, sales staff and more. Some positions will pay a $1,500 signing bonus. Benefits include a 401(k) retirement-plan company match, education assistance and medical, dental and life insurance. Paid time off is available for full- and part-time employees. Interested parties can call 480-850-5446 or attend the Sept. 27 event from 1-6 p.m. in the Salt River Grand Ballroom, at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way. West Valley mall positions Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale will host a job fair Sept. 29 featuring more than 30 retailers. Major brands including Dillards, Macys, Sephora, H&M, Vans, LEGO, Zales and others are looking to fill openings. Story continues The event will run from 1 to 5 p.m. at the shopping center located at 7700 W. Arrowhead Center in Glendale. For more information, visit www.arrowheadtownecenter.com/jobfair. Credit card company expanding Discover Financial Services is seeking to hire around 2,000 people in customer-service roles in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Ohio and Utah. New employees at those places will have the option of working on-site, remotely or a combination of the two. Positions include those in customer service and banking as well as leadership roles. In addition to health insurance and a 401(k) match, benefits include a one-time allowance of $500 to cover home office setup and monthly internet reimbursement of $60. New hires also are eligible for a minimum of 20 days paid time off plus seven holidays each year, plus higher-education assistance. Some roles are eligible for an employment bonus of up to $2,000. The starting hourly wage for agent roles is $17, with shift-differential opportunities to earn up to $22.76 per hour. Discover operates a large center in north Phoenix. For more information and to apply, visit discover.com/customerservice. Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix area casinos, retailers. other employers hold job fairs BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top livestreaming sales influencer Li Jiaqi reappeared on screens on Tuesday, ending an over three-month-long absence that began after he was cut off abruptly, mid-show, on the eve of the anniversary of the country's Tiananmen Square crackdown. Also known by his English name Austin, Li was known for his livestreaming channel on Alibaba Group's Taobao Marketplace where he would almost every evening sell products from cosmetics to food for brands such as L'Oreal. Last year, he sold $1.9 billion worth of goods in one session. He vanished from public sight on June 3, when his show was suddenly cut short after he promoted an ice cream product that was decorated as a tank. He blamed a technical error but many online users speculated that this was uncomfortably close to the June 4 anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, when the military sent tanks into Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The day remains a sensitive one for China with internet censors quick to block related content. Li's reappearance on his livestreaming channel on Tuesday evening for roughly two hours occurred with little advance notice, with the news spreading by word of mouth. In the first hour, Taobao users paid nearly 30 million visits to his channel. Among the 26 products he marketed were modestly priced ones such as a mobile phone holder and rolls of garbage bags, most of which quickly sold out as viewers flooded the screen with comments welcoming him back. He gave no explanation for his absence and his studio did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Li, whose nickname is "Lipstick Brother", was considered to be the last surviving mega-livestreaming influencer after his biggest rival Viya was fined 1.34 billion yuan and shut down over tax evasion in December. Analysts say their disappearance from screens have hurt online sales. Li's return is favourable for upcoming big shopping festivals such as Alibaba's Singles' Day, the world's biggest online shopping fest also known as Double 11, said Jacob Cooke, CEO of e-commerce consultancy WPIC Marketing + Technologies, Story continues "Given Austin Li's popularity among consumers, his return gives Alibaba an enormous boost heading into 11/11," he said. ($1 = 7.0118 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Mark Heinrich) A Chinese state-owned business has responded to online criticism after being accused of installing cameras in employee restrooms. Battery manufacturer China Aviation Lithium Battery (CALB) denied reports that it has been using surveillance cameras in its restrooms to monitor employees who break its non-smoking policy. The company sparked outrage online after images of its purported employees hiding in the restroom while smoking emerged on social media. The company reportedly publishes such images along with each of the offenders punishments to warn other employees against disobeying rules. Two men were reportedly fired, while a third received a warning and lost his monthly bonus. More from NextShark: Bidet Sales Skyrocket 10X Because of Toilet Paper Hoarders Social media users called out the company for allegedly violating the privacy of its employees. The company should be punished for abusing surveillance cameras, wrote a commenter. Dont they know there are devices called smoke detectors that are useful for catching smokers? a user asked. More from NextShark: Former Beauty Queen Sparks Outrage After Blaming K-Pop for Filipinos 'Losing Identity' They treat people like animals, without the slightest respect and humanity, commented another. According to Sichuan news app Red Star News, a company staff member revealed that the surveillance cameras were set up earlier this year. The cameras will definitely catch private moments, but frankly speaking, the policy has advantages and disadvantages," the staffer reportedly said when asked about privacy violation concerns. More from NextShark: Queens Couple Charged for Forcing Two Korean Women Into Prostitution CALB, which is Chinas third-largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, reported 111.5 million yuan (approximately $15.8 million) in net profit last year. Featured Image via @rachel_cheung1 More from NextShark: Racist Letter Calling Chinese People 'Murderers' Posted on Shop in Melbourne Chinese social media posts shared hundreds of times ahead of the funeral for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II suggested that China was among the countries whose officials were not invited to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. This is false. Photos show Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan at the ceremony in London following the UK government's invitation. The claim was published on Twitter here on September 15, 2022. It was shared more than 400 times. The post suggests that this Chinese-language blog post failed to report China was not invited to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral along with Russia, Belarus and Myanmar. It shows a screenshot of a Chinese news article that is headlined, "Countries not invited to UK Queen's funeral confirmed: Russia, Belarus and Myanmar etc!" The simplified-Chinese caption reads: "Once again, China got left out [from the invitation], protest against this." Text superimposed on the photo suggests that China was reduced to "etc" in the Chinese report's headline. It translates as: "The country you put as etc is that country, such a shame." "The 'etc' is referring to that country you are thinking of." A screenshot, taken on September 19, 2022, of the misleading post. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, died on September 8 at Balmoral, her Scottish retreat in rural Aberdeenshire, at the age of 96. Hundreds of foreign royals and leaders attended the queen's funeral in London on September 19, making it one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades, AFP reported. Russia and Belarus were among a small group of nations to be excluded from the funeral following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a British government source told AFP. Military-run Myanmar, a former British colony, and long-time pariah North Korea were also snubbed, the British source said on condition of anonymity. The claim that China was also not invited to the ceremony in London was shared hundreds of times in other posts on Twitter and Gettr. Story continues Some social media users appeared to believe the claim. "It seems like they can't even be bothered to mention that name... because it could easily lead to humiliating China," one commented. Another wrote: "Haha so my China doesn't even deserve a name?" However, the claim is false. Beijing's foreign ministry confirmed that Vice President Wang Qishan would attend the funeral on behalf of President Xi Jinping, as reported by AFP. "At the invitation of the UK government, President Xi Jinping's Special Representative Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to be held in London on September 19," the statement on September 17 read. A photo of Wang attending the ceremony at Westminster Abbey was published here and here by AFP on September 19. He can be seen walking in front of Liu Xiaoming, the former Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom. China's Vice President Wang Qishan (C) arrives ahead of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London. ( POOL/AFP / PHIL NOBLE) Although Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the funeral in London, he offered his "sincere sympathies to the British government and people" following the queen's death. An official delegation from China was reportedly banned from attending the lying in state following an intervention by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, parliamentary sources told AFP. The snub followed China's sanctioning of several British lawmakers over their criticism of its human rights record -- and prompted a rebuke from foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who said at a press briefing on September 16 that the UK "should uphold both diplomatic courtesy and gracious hospitality". However, Wang was photographed visiting the lying in state of Queen Elizabeth on September 18, after House of Commons officials said any heads of state or representatives invited to the funeral could also visit the late monarch's coffin in Westminster Hall. AFP has fact-checked other misinformation about the queen's death here, here and here. BuzzFeed "I was surprised that food was a privilege or luxury not a given. My parents are fairly well-off, and I grew up in a house with an always-stocked pantry and refrigerator. If I was hungry, I ate without question. My wife grew up in relative poverty. If she was hungry, there was a strong likelihood there was no food in the house, and she would stay hungry."View Entire Post The dog days of summer may be coming to an end, but unleashing pets in certain areas of the city is against the law. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In an effort to combat the violations for owners of fur babies, the city of Atlanta, the Department of Parks and Recreation and Atlanta Police Department are working together to help bring attention to its new LeashUpATL campaign. The department is offering eight off-leash dog parks throughout the city, with more on the way. By law, dogs are not allowed to be off a leash in non-designated areas including parks, trails and greenspace. Dogs are not able to be off-leash at festivals that have more than 9,999 people expected to be in attendance. TRENDING STORIES: The Atlanta Police Department encourages dog owners to be responsible for their pets and their safety, said interim Chief Darin Schierbaum. We want everyone, including our canine citizens, to enjoy the parks; therefore, it is important that dog owners understand and follow the park rules and regulations. The LeashUpATL campaign will begin Tuesday and will run through the entire month of October. The city of Atlanta has dedicated off-leash park where owners can exercise their dogs. These include the following parks: Piedmont Park | 400 Park Dr NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30306 South Bend | 1955 Compton Dr. SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30315 Renaissance Park | 501 Piedmont Ave., NE Atlanta, GA 30308 Walker Park | 200 Memorial Terrace SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 Freedom Barkway | 523 Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 Kirkwood Dog Park | 1694 Wade Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30317 Mozley Park Dog Park | 1565 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30314 Melvin Drive Park Dog Park | 3847 Melvin Drive, SW Atlanta, GA 30331 Story continues [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] To find out more about the locations of off-leash park listings and laws for paws, click here. Violators can face up to the maximum fine of $1,000 depending on the crime. IN OTHER NEWS: BOSTON A civil rights law firm filed a federal class action lawsuit against Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, accusing him of orchestrating a premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme to fly dozens of migrants from San Antonio to Marthas Vineyard. The lawsuit, filed by the Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights, alleges that DeSantis and state transportation officials violated the migrants constitutional rights by coercing mostly Venezuelan asylum-seekers onto planes in Texas to the island through false promises and misrepresentations. It also accuses DeSantis of inappropriately using federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for the flights. The lawsuit also asks a judge order DeSantis to stop transporting migrants in the future. The Florida governor has promised to continue flying migrants to Democratic strongholds and on Tuesday sent White House and Delaware state officials scrambling to prepare for the arrival of more migrants in Delaware amid speculation that he was sending migrants to that state. No human being should be used as a political pawn in the nations highly polarized debate over immigration, Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is providing free legal assistance to the migrants who landed on Marthas Vineyard, said in a statement. The lawsuit represents the first legal action against DeSantis over the migrant transport last Wednesday from Texas to Marthas Vineyard. Some Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, have called on the Justice Department to investigate the Florida governor over the flights but the DOJ has not taken any action. Democrats have expressed outrage over the transports and characterized it as a political stunt with little regard for the asylum-seekers while Republicans have praised DeSantis, claiming hes brought attention to the Biden administrations border policies. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has also transported thousands of migrants from the southern border to Chicago, New York City and Washington, where they have crowded city shelters. Story continues The 35-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Boston offers one of the most detailed accounts yet of how roughly 50 migrants found themselves on two planes that unexpectedly landed in Marthas Vineyard last week, and trauma their new lawyers say theyve suffered from their ordeal and from being thrust into the center of the national debate over immigration. The plaintiffs include three Venezuelan migrants who boarded the planes to Marthas Vineyard along with their family members as well as Alianza Americas, a Chicago-based advocacy group for Latino immigrant communities. The complaint alleges that people working for DeSantis were trolling streets outside of a migrant shelter in Texas and other similar locales, pretending to be good Samaritans offering humanitarian assistance, including $10 McDonalds gift cards and free hotels while making false promises and false representations of employment, housing and educational opportunities awaiting the migrants in either Boston or Washington, D.C. They were also allegedly told they would receive assistance with their immigration proceedings at their final destination and were intentionally sequestered before their departure from Texas so they could not discuss the arrangement and so that the migrants would be less likely to leave or change their minds. Instead, the migrants were flown to Marthas Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, where no one on the island or anywhere in Massachusetts knew they were coming. They were given pamphlets lifting language from the states Refugee Resettlement Program which the lawsuit argues none of the migrants are eligible for. And the people who recruited the migrants for the flights were unreachable by phone after they landed in Massachusetts. These immigrants, who are pursuing the proper channels for lawful immigration status in the United States, experienced cruelty akin to what they fled in their home country, the plaintiffs argue. Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process, and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the federal governments exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda. Taryn Fenske, communications director for DeSantis, said the migrants were homeless, hungry, and abandoned. It is opportunistic that activists would use illegal immigrants for political theater, she said in a statement. If these activists spent even a fraction of this time and effort at the border, perhaps some accountability would be brought to the Biden Administrations reckless border policies. Lawyers for Civil Rights previously called for Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat and frontrunner for governor, and U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins to open a criminal investigation into the migrants plight. A Texas sheriff did just that on Monday: Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, an elected Democrat, said that while he could not cite specific laws that may have been broken by relocating the migrants, his office will be investigating what he called an abuse of human rights. DeSantis has continued to defend his actions, claiming last week that the migrants voluntarily boarded the flights and werent coerced. He has argued that Floridas Republican-led Legislature approved $12 million to transport migrants out of the state, though Democrats have claimed the flights are improper uses of the allocated funds. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, also a Republican, told reporters on Tuesday that Salazar did the right thing by opening an investigation into DeSantis actions and that sending migrants across the country, potentially under false pretenses, is just a really lousy thing to do. But he stopped short of directly condemning DeSantis, who he said he hasnt spoken to since the migrants landed on Marthas Vineyard last Wednesday. What I would really like to see happen is I would like to see the feds create an immigration policy that people can understand and people can enforce and people can abide by, Baker said. Gary Fineout contributed to reporting. NEW YORK (AP) Leaders from Europe, the Americas and Africa called Tuesday for urgent action and funding to ease a growing global food security crisis that has been exacerbated by Russias war with Ukraine and, thanks to climate change, threatens to get worse in coming years. Speaking at a Global Food Security Summit on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly, the leaders demanded an end to the war, with each calling it a needless aggression and Spains prime minister accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to blackmail the world with hunger by causing severe disruptions in the export of Ukrainian grain. The leaders also took Russia to task for spreading misinformation about the destination of Ukrainian grain that has been shipped out of the Black Sea under a U.N.-brokered agreement mediated by Turkey. Russia must end its illegal war against Ukraine, which has certainly been an essential source of the worlds food supply, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the gathering. The truth is that Putin is trying to blackmail the international community with a large part of the worlds food needs. We cannot combat hunger without peace. The world is expecting much from us. Lets act together, and lets act now. Last week, the U.N. food chief warned the world is facing a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude, with up to 345 million people marching toward starvation and 70 million pushed closer to starvation by the war in Ukraine. David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council that the number is 2 times the number of acutely food-insecure people before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and that there is a real risk of multiple famines this year. This is not acceptable. This is not sustainable, said European Commission President Charles Michel. Russias war against the people of Ukraine is a test a test of our international rules-based order. Story continues Along with Sanchez, the event featured Senegalese President Macky Sall, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken filling in for President Joe Biden. Michel opened the event by calling out what he said were Russias lies about Ukrainian grain not getting to countries that need it most. Contrary to Russian disinformation, this food is getting to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, he said. We must not believe Russias disinformation, Scholz echoed. Data clearly shows that the majority of grain exports facilitated goes to developing and emerging countries and has global impacts on grain availability and prices. He said next year may be even more difficult as the food shortage will be compounded by a lack of fertilizer, something Sall said was particularly worrisome for African nations. Blinken called the numbers staggering and said Biden would be announcing additional U.S. contributions to fight the crisis on Wednesday. Blinken called on other countries to follow suit. Some countries with the capacity to do more are among those doing the least, he said. That needs to change. No matter what countries have done so far, every country is called upon to do more. Blinken also called for the renewal of the July agreement on the shipments of Ukrainian grain. (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on Latin American countries to join forces to end the war on drugs during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, has long derided the global war on drugs as a failure, even using his inauguration speech in August to call for a new international strategy to fight drug trafficking. "From my wounded Latin America, I demand you end the irrational war on drugs," Petro said, while calling on the wider Latin American community to unite to defeat that "which torments our body." Drug trafficking and the war on drugs are major contributors to Colombia's armed conflict, according to a report from the country's truth commission, which was established as part of a 2016 peace deal with the now demobilized FARC guerrillas. The South American country, considered the world's top producer of cocaine, comes under frequent pressure from prime ally the United States to reduce cocaine output. In July, the U.S. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reported that Colombia's potential cocaine output fell to 972 tonnes in 2021 from 994 tonnes the previous year. Colombia's area taken up by crops of coca, the chief ingredient in cocaine, also declined last year to 234,000 hectares (578,227 acres), down from 245,000 hectares in 2020, the ONDCP said. Petro, who has also promised to ease Colombia away from its dependence on hydrocarbon exports, also criticized a global addiction to oil and coal, adding that efforts to stop global warming were not working. "The fight against the climate crisis has failed," he said. (Reporting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Marguerita Choy) A 20-year-old woman left seriously injured after a freight train slammed into the parked police vehicle she was detained in has been identified. Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, of Greeley, remained hospitalized with multiple injuries she sustained during the crash, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said on Monday. She is expected to survive. The incident unfolded around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, near U.S. 85 and Weld County Rd. 38, north of Platteville near Denver. Officers spanning several law enforcement agencies were responding at the time to a report of road rage involving a firearm in Ft. Lupton earlier in the evening, the bureau said. A Platteville police officer pulled over Rios-Gonzalez just past a set of railroad tracks, parking their patrol car behind her on the crossing. A pair of Fort Lupton officers also responded and helped place Rios-Gonzalez in the back of the Platteville police cruiser. While the officers cleared the suspect vehicle as part of the investigation, a train traveling northbound struck the PPD patrol car, the CBI said. The Platteville Police Department so far has placed one of the officers involved on paid administrative leave while an investigation into the matter is carried out, Police Chief Carl Dwyer said in an email to the Denver Post. His name has not been released. The road rage incident remained under investigation by Fort Lupton police and the Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is meanwhile looking into the womans injury while she was in police custody. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: protecting his state from immigrant hordes in Texas. (Greg Lovett / Associated Press) Just about the only thing that one can say about the migrant transports sponsored by Republican governors in the South is that the picture is sure to get uglier as more facts emerge. GOP governors Ron DeSantis of Florida, Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona have been sponsoring bus and plane transfers of migrants from their states to northern jurisdictions including New York; Washington, D.C.; and (notoriously) the island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. When southern border state governors or the governor of Florida spring busloads or plane loads of newly arrived migrants onto other states, they are contravening the very point of the union created by the U.S. Constitution. Heidi Li Feldman, Georgetown Law Let's briefly recap much of what already has been reported. The right-wing press has called the passengers "illegal immigrants," but in many if not most cases they're asylum-seekers who have completed the initial step in their processing by getting a hearing scheduled, getting fingerprinted and background checks. While awaiting their hearings, they are in the U.S. legally. Multiple reports indicate that some were defrauded into boarding the transports with promises of jobs and immigrant services and misled about their destinations. To achieve his ends, DeSantis and his minions apparently employed a shadowy character who identified herself as "Perla" and promised the Texas migrants jobs and payments in Massachusetts before she disappeared into the mist. In any event, no one has yet found her. The transports made it impossible for some to attend their scheduled hearings or other procedures; federal officials have suspended their processing until their relocations are worked out. "They're not illegal aliens," immigration attorney Taylor Levy told the immigration law podcast "Redirect." "They've been processed, they're in the system, they have upcoming court dates." DeSantis in particular may have misappropriated the state funds he acknowledged spending on the flights to Martha's Vineyard. The state budget allocated the $12-million fund at issue to facilitating "the transfer of unauthorized aliens out of the state. Story continues The flights, however, originated in San Antonio, Texas. DeSantis defended the expenditure, lamely, by asserting that the migrants would probably have ended up in Florida eventually. The lessons from this practice are highly instructive. They provide a window into how the GOP will govern if it attains control over the federal government: with ruthless heartlessness crossing the line to sadism, directed at the most vulnerable men, women and children falling within their grip. They will offer no substantive solutions to any problems facing America, only performative schemes that make those problems worse. The Republican base seems to think this situation is hilarious. They're reveling in what they see as the discomfiture of authorities at the destinations forced to scramble to bring care and services to the passengers. Never mind that the authorities are scrambling because they're trying to bring care and services to innocent people used as political pawns. There's more, much more. But it's proper first to examine the historical antecedents to these transports. They include the "Reverse Freedom Rides" of the 1960s, when White Citizens' Councils in the South placed Black families on buses and sent them north, a pushback against the Freedom Riders who were coming south to help Black residents register to vote. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library helpfully posted a 1963 newspaper article describing the experience of a Black family from Shreveport, La., sent by bus to Trenton, N.J. When it comes to lying to vulnerable people to persuade them to take actions contrary to their interests, that's a technique perfected by Nazi Germany. The Nazis persuaded Jews to enter the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau by telling them the facilities were for delousing. What's even more evocative of Nazi practice in the migrant transports is the GOP's effort to dehumanize its victims. DeSantis and other Republicans have deprived the passengers of their humanity by treating them as mere cargo. "These are human beings," Levy said. "They should not be talked about like they're being 'shipped.'" The transports seem to have stretched the news media's critical faculties to the breaking point. It's being given a purely political treatment as a battle between the major parties in the conventional "Republicans say this, but Democrats say that" model; CBS tweeted that the transports are what "critics are calling a political stunt," and called the transports "controversial." This is a remarkably pusillanimous way of framing the case. The transports have been flatly condemned by immigration experts, legal authorities and ordinary citizens, not merely Democrats. They aren't a "stunt" when the lives of innocent humans are at stake. Defenders of the transports assert that DeSantis, Abbott and Ducey are merely trying in good faith to underscore the failure of the Democratic administration to come to grips with the immigration issue. We know this is a lie. How can we tell? Simply by examining how Republicans handled the immigration issue when it was entirely within their power to address it. In 2017-2018, for example, the GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. What did the Republicans do about immigration then? They did squat. A bill crafted as a compromise within the Republican majorities failed spectacularly in the House, and immigration reform was dead. In 2006, Republicans controlled the House and Senate and George W. Bush reigned in the White House. That May, the Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which would have improved border security with new fencing while implementing a guest worker policy, among other reforms. The House refused even to take up the measure, and it died. In 2013, when Democrats controlled the Senate and the White House and Republicans the House, a bipartisan group of Senators called the "gang of eight" four from each party crafted a compromise immigration measure that passed the Senate. Then one of the "gang" members, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), abandoned his own measure, thereby cementing his stature as that rarest of God's creatures, a human invertebrate. The measure died in the Republican-controlled House. All this history seems to have disappeared down the memory hole. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) went on Fox News on Friday to "commend" Gov. Abbott for sending immigrants north and calling on GOP governors to send 500,000 more. Cruz has been in the Senate since 2013. What has he done in that time to address the issue? To ask the question is to answer it. Nothing keeps the Republican governors from addressing what they call an immigration crisis in humanitarian ways, rather than acting as sociopaths. They have sent buses and planes north without making significant efforts to notify authorities at the destinations that the passengers are coming. The two planes sent by DeSantis to Martha's Vineyard arrived unannounced. Washington, D.C., has created an extensive infrastructure of immigrant services. Instead of instructing bus drivers to drop their passengers at locations where they could access those services, Abbott's people instructed them to drop them off in front of the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris, on the edge of suburbia. Boston too has well-developed systems for serving immigrants. The city's immigration court, which adjudicates matters such as asylum applications, is the fifth busiest in the country. Air DeSantis, however, dropped its passengers without warning on Martha's Vineyard, which is miles from Boston and inaccessible except by ferry or air. The passengers were given brochures appearing to be official guides to Massachusetts immigrant services, but which were filled with what experts say is inaccurate or misleading information. Immigration authorities say that assertions in the brochures that immigrants in Massachusetts can receive up to 8 months of cash assistance" and other benefits don't apply to migrants that have begun the asylum process. Notwithstanding the southern governors' assertions that their states are alone in bearing the burden of migrants at the border, the truth is that only two of the 10 busiest immigration courts are in southern border states those in Dallas and San Francisco. (DeSantis' claim that his state is a border state is undermined by the fact that he had to go clear over to Texas to find passengers for his migrant flights.) Part of a brochure given to migrants on a flight from Texas to Martha's Vineyard includes what experts say are lies and misrepresentatations about what the passengers could expect upon landing. (Judd Legum, popular.info) The legal implications of the governors' policies remain to be worked out. Whether they have engaged in illegal trafficking is unclear the question may depend on the passengers' legal status and how they were persuaded to board buses and planes. But it's apparent that the governors' transports have interfered with some of the passengers' immigration processing by carrying them too far from their homes to meet their court schedules. The apparent lawlessness of the southern governors extends beyond their treatment of the passengers. "There are various legal mechanisms for ensuring that states coordinate and cooperate with each other," Heidi Li Feldman, an expert on immigration practices at Georgetown Law, observed via Twitter. These are provided for by the U.S. Constitution, in the form of interstate compacts essentially treaties between stated that must be blessed by Congress. Two hundred compacts exist. Some bind all 50 states to recognize reciprocal rights of their citizens, say by recognizing each others' drivers licenses or adoption rules or educational credentials. Some involve only two or three states. Westerners benefit from the seven-state compact reached in 1922 over apportionment of the waters of the Colorado River, which set the ground rules for construction of Hoover Dam. "When southern border state governors or the governor of Florida spring busloads or plane loads of newly arrived migrants onto other states," Feldman observes, "they are contravening the very point of the union created by the U.S. Constitution. ... They are trying, quite literally, to ambush the governments of their sister states." There's nothing amusing about this behavior. Nothing in it will lead to sensible, much less sensitive, reforms of immigration policies. Nothing about it makes its perpetrators look like human beings. To quote the most famous rebuke to a hypocritical politician of our timeJoseph Welch's scolding of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisc.) at the Army-McCarthy hearings on June 9, 1954, we put it to each of these governors: "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" McCarthy responded to Welch's question with a long, embarrassed silence. That's the only answer that DeSantis, Abbott and Ducey could possibly have to offer. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WASHINGTON (AP) House Democrats are voting this week on changes to a 19th century law for certifying presidential elections, their strongest legislative response yet to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and former President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The vote to overhaul the Electoral Count Act, expected Wednesday, comes as a bipartisan group of senators is moving forward with a similar bill. Lawmakers in both parties have said they want to change the arcane law before it is challenged again. Trump and his allies tried to exploit the laws vague language in the weeks after the election as they strategized how they could keep Joe Biden out of office, including by lobbying Vice President Mike Pence to simply object to the certification of Bidens victory when Congress counted the votes on Jan. 6. Pence refused to do so, but it was clear afterward that there was no real legal framework, or recourse, to respond under the 1887 law if the vice president had tried to block the count. The House and Senate bills would better define the vice presidents ministerial role and make clear that he or she has no say in the final outcome. Both versions would also make it harder for lawmakers to object if they dont like the results of an election, clarify laws that could allow a state's vote to be delayed, and ensure that there is only one slate of legal electors from each state. One strategy by Trump and his allies was to create alternate slates of electors in key states Biden won, with the ultimately unsuccessful idea that they could be voted on during the congressional certification on Jan. 6 and result in throwing the election back to Trump. "We've got to make this more straightforward to respect the will of the people," said Senate Rules Committee Chairman Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., whose committee will hold a vote on the legislation bill next week. The bills are a response to the violence of that day, when a mob of Trump's supporters pushed past police, broke into the building and interrupted Biden's certification. The crowd was echoing Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud and calling for Pence's death after it became clear that he wouldn't try to overturn the election. Story continues Democrats in both chambers have felt even more urgency on the issue as Trump is considering another run for president and is still claiming the election was stolen. Many Republicans say they believe him, even though 50 states certified Bidens win and courts across the country rejected Trumps false claims of widespread fraud. While the House vote is expected to fall mostly along party lines, the Senate bill has some Republican support and its backers are hopeful they will have the 10 votes they need to break a filibuster and pass it in the 50-50 Senate. But that could be tricky amid campaigning for the November midterm elections, and Republicans most aligned with Trump are certain to oppose it. The Senate Rules panel is expected to pass the measure next Tuesday, with some tweaks, though a floor vote will most likely wait until November or December, Klobuchar said. Even though they are similar, the House version is more expansive than the Senate bill and the two chambers will have some key differences that lawmakers will have to work out. The House legislation was introduced on Monday by House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, both members of the House panel that has been investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Like the Senate bill, the House legislation would require that there is a single set of electors from each state submitted by the governor. The House bill would also narrow the grounds on which members of Congress could object to any state's electoral votes and raise the threshold for how many objections would be needed. Currently, the House and Senate each debate and vote on whether to accept a state's electors if there is just one objection from each chamber. The House bill would require instead that a third of the House and a third of the Senate object to a particular state's electors in order to hold a vote. The Senate bill would require that a fifth of each chamber object. Two such votes were held on Jan. 6, 2021, after the rioters were cleared, because GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri joined dozens of House members in objecting to Biden's victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Both the House and Senate voted to certify the legitimate results. Lofgren said the American people should be deciding the election, not Congress. People who wanted to overturn the election took advantage of ambiguous language as well as a low threshold to have Congress play a role that they really arent supposed to play, she said. The general similarities of the House bill to the Senate version could be a signal that House members are willing to compromise to get the legislation passed. Some House members had criticized the Senate bill for not going far enough. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of both the Jan. 6 and House Administration committees, had said this summer that the Senate bill was not remotely sufficient to address the challenges presented by current law. House members know they will have to give in some, though, to pass it through the 50-50 Senate. The bill, which is sponsored by centrist Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Susan Collins, R-Maine., already has the backing from 10 GOP senators. Collins said Monday, I believe we can work this out, and I hope that we do so. The bipartisan group of senators worked for months to find agreement on a way to revamp the process, eventually settling on a series of proposals introduced in July. Cheney, a frequent Trump critic who lost her Republican primary in August, told reporters on Tuesday that the House bill was entirely bipartisan as her staff worked closely with Lofgren and other Democrats. But it remains to be seen if any other House Republicans will vote for it, as many have stayed loyal to Trump. "We need to take steps that another Jan 6 never happens again," Cheney said. As Connecticut stands up a cannabis industry, the state is launching an education campaign promoting responsible use, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday. The program is being developed by agencies that treat addiction and protect consumers, public health and mental health. Materials will demonstrate how to safely store and dispose of cannabis and cannabis waste and what to do if a child or pet accidently ingests cannabis. Videos, brochures, flyers and social media graphics can be downloaded from the states adult-use cannabis website. State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, who has opposed legalized marijuana, asked, Why all of a sudden are we concerned about cannabis consumption? The East Lyme Republican has warned of drug dependency, concerns about road safety, risks to youngsters and other potential harm. She also questioned how effective an education campaign can be because of the availability of products with high-potency THC, the substance primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a persons mental state. Lamont signed legislation in June 2021 legalizing the use, sale and cultivation of marijuana for recreational use. Educational resources were created by the state Department of Consumer Protection with the departments of Public Health and Mental Health and Addiction Services. State officials encourage cannabis and non-cannabis business owners, medical facilities, community health organizations and others to use the materials to help promote safe and responsible cannabis practices. Lamont said in a news release his administration is trying to educate the public about how to protect themselves and their families from accidental ingestion and over-consumption. We encourage adults who choose to use these products to do so responsibly, he said. Licenses are being awarded for cannabis growers, transporters and numerous other businesses that are expected to open this year and early 2023. As we work toward the launch of this brand-new marketplace, we felt it was important to begin educating the public about health and safety measures they can take to use, store and dispose of cannabis products responsibly, Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a statement. Story continues The education campaign will help inform the public to make the best decisions for their health, without concern of inadvertently putting themselves at risk, said Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani. The Department of Consumer Protection plans to add content about responsible use, where consumption is permitted and how to read and understand cannabis product labels. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will launch a multimedia campaign this fall providing information about potential impacts of cannabis. It will include TV, radio, social media, outdoor and print media. Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com. Credit - Noma Bar for TIME Nobody recognizes Adrian Fontes when he walks into a Phoenix lunch spot near his office. The former recorder of Maricopa County looks like any other Arizona dad: a neat beard, a blue button-down, the kind of guy youd see cheering on the sidelines at one of his girls softball games. He orders a burger with Swiss cheese and bacon (no bun) and launches into a monologue about his work to increase election transparency, like implementing a text-messaging system to inform voters when their ballots were received and their votes have been counted. Fontes, 52, is a sixth-generation Mexican American who can trace his Arizona ancestry back to 1695. One of his earliest memories is learning to play Youre a Grand Old Flag on the autoharp for the 1976 Bicentennial. He enlisted in the Marines at 22, willing to die for this country, he says. But Fontes doesnt think hes ever taken on a greater patriotic duty than the one hes attempting right now. This is my first time being a high-profile candidate in a nationally important race, he says, pouring hot sauce on his french fries. Where the stakes are literally the fate of the free world. High-profile is a bit of a stretch. Fontes is running for Arizona secretary of state, a typically anonymous role that oversees the tedious details of election administration: training poll workers, managing the statewide voter-registration database, verifying the accuracy of voting machines, and certifying election results. But in 2022, the job has taken on an outsize importance. Fontes opponent, Republican Mark Finchem, is an election denier: an avid promoter of former President Donald Trumps baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen through widespread voter fraud. He is one of many Republicans running to oversee Americas next elections while denying the legitimacy of the last one. Photo illustration by Klawe Rzeczy for TIME; Cassidy Araiza for TIME; David Devine; Michael Reynolds, Kyle Green, David ZalubowskiAP; Emily ElconinReuters; Stephen MaturenGetty Images; Getty Images (6) If any of these candidates win, experts warn, they would possess a broad array of powers to undermine future elections if they dont like the results. A rogue election official could attempt to prematurely stop the counting of ballots, pervert the Electoral College process, turn over the outcome of the election to partisan state legislators, or simply refuse to certify the result, all while publicly sowing doubt about the validity of the contest. It could present an existential test for American democracy. If you cant have trusted, neutral people running our elections, then you dont really have free and fair elections, says Lawrence Norden, senior director of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy institute. Then were not a functioning democracy anymore. Story continues Fontes is part of a loose brigade of unassuming public servants on the front lines of the fight to protect Americas election system from the Trump allies out to disrupt it. Theyre paper pushers and bureaucrats, not inspiring orators or ingenious policymakers or even particularly good politicians. (If they were more charismatic, they might have picked a different line of work than election administration.) They are Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and challengers, running for offices as big as governor and as small as county clerk. Many have met only in passing, if at all. They have little in common except a collective purpose: each of them ran this year for an election-oversight position against an opponent who embraces Trumps Big Lie. Fontes calls the group the most odd mutual support organization in the world. You could call them the Defenders: the people running to serve as the bulwark between the will of the voters and the conspiracy theorists willing to subvert it. Read More: TRUTH Socials Biggest Problem Is Trump Its a battle that President Joe Biden has cast as the heart of the midterm campaigns. Equality and democracy are under assault by those Republicans who refuse to accept the results of a free election, Biden declared in a prime-time speech Sept. 1 in front of Philadelphias Independence Hall. Theyre working right now, as I speak, in state after state, to give power to decide elections in America to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself. Voters recognize the stakes. An Aug. 31 Quinnipiac poll showed that two-thirds of Americans agree that democracy is in perilone of the only issues on which there was broad agreement across party, gender, and age. In an August NBC News poll, voters listed threat to democracy as the most important issue facing the country, above cost of living and other economic challenges. Yet Bidens party was slow to grasp the vital importance of down-ballot contests like secretary of state races. And even as Democrats touted the importance of protecting democracy, some party organizations, like the Democratic Governors Association and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, boosted election-denying Republicans in GOP primaries, believing they would be easier to beat in Novembers general elections. Democratic candidates and committees spent nearly $44 million to aid Republicans, including many who endorse Trumps falsehood that the 2020 race was rigged, according to an analysis from OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics. In Pennsylvania, Democratic candidate Josh Shapiro spent $840,000 on ads that helped lift election denier Doug Mastriano to victory in the GOP gubernatorial primarymore money than Mastriano spent on himself. If he wins the general election, Mastrianowho has been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee for his alleged work to overturn the outcome of the 2020 electionwould appoint Pennsylvanias next secretary of state, whose powers would include certifying the results in 2024. A single conspiracy theorist overseeing elections in a swing state could plunge the next presidential race into chaos or even change the result. If even one of these people win, and they say, We dont like these results, then were in a constitutional crisis, says Ellen Kurz, founder of iVote, which works to elect Democratic secretaries of state. They will stop at nothing, Kurz adds. So we have to stop them. Fontes at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Sept. 5 Cassidy Araiza for TIME A few weeks before visiting Fontes in Arizona, I called his opponent. I was surprised Finchem was willing to talk. A state representative and professional realtor, Finchem marched at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He is a member of the Oath Keepers, an antigovernment organization whose leader and other members have been charged with seditious conspiracy for their alleged role in the insurrection. After listening to him rattle off various debunked conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines and mules stuffing ballots in drop boxes, I asked him a key question: If Biden wins Arizona in 2024, would Finchem certify that result as secretary of state? Finchem chuckled. If the law is followed, and legitimate votes have been counted, and Joe Biden ends up being the winner, he told me, Im required under the lawif theres no fraudto certify the election. But, he added, I think youre proposing something that, quite frankly, is a fantasy. Why, I asked him, was it so impossible to believe Biden won in Arizona, as many polls predicted and postelection reviews confirmed? It strains credibility, Finchem responded. Isnt it interesting that I cant find anyone who will admit that they voted for Joe Biden? Was it possible that lots of people he didnt personally know had voted for Biden? In a fantasy world, anythings possible, Finchem said. Theres always been a political tug-of-war over how elections are administered. Over the years, members of both parties have found reasons to dispute election results they didnt like. Democratic candidates, party officials, and members of Congress questioned the legitimacy of the elections that installed Trump and George W. Bush (twice) as President, even though the Democratic nominees conceded those races. In 2018, Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams refused to acknowledge that her defeat in Georgias governors race was legitimate. But such objections were intended mostly to call attention to procedural issues, such as allegations of voter suppression and critiques of the Electoral College. They were grumblings about an allegedly unfair system, not attempts to undo the results themselves, and they did not interfere with the peaceful transfer of power. The Trumpian Stop the Steal movement is unprecedented for its scale, its longevity, its resistance to established facts, and its embrace of violence as a mechanism to overturn the will of the voters. Proponents believe that the 2020 presidential race was actively stolen, not just that the outcome was unfair. They believe this so strongly that many of them stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to stop the elections certification, breaking a nearly 250-year tradition of peacefully transferring power. They believe it even though judges found that more than 60 of Trumps postelection legal challenges were lacking in merit; even though state and federal investigations have repeatedly found no widespread voter fraud in 2020; and even though Trumps own Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department, and FBI vouched for the elections integrity. In Arizona, the Republican-sponsored audit that set out to prove mass voter fraud in the state actually revealed the opposite, uncovering a handful more votes for Biden and fewer for Trump. Read More: The Republican Party Has Distanced Itself From The Capitol Riot. But Local GOP Officials Fueled Supporters Rage Ahead of Jan. 6 Finchems refusal to accept these facts does not make him an outlier among Republican candidates. An analysis by FiveThirtyEight found that of 552 Republicans on the ballot in 2022, 201 have stated that the 2020 election was stolen or taken action to overturn the results, and an additional 61 have raised questions about the outcome. According to this tally, roughly 60% of American voters will have at least one election denier on their ballot in November. Many of them are running for statewide roles that would oversee the next election. By the end of the primaries, half of all races for governor and more than a third of all races for secretary of state included an election denier, according to States United Action, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fair elections. At least 11 GOP nominees for secretary of stateoften a states top election officialhave embraced Trumps Big Lie. Michigan secretary of state Benson, outside her office in Detroit Sept. 9 Elaine Cromie for TIME These candidates are part of a sprawling effort to respond to the result of the last election by seizing control of the next one. Trumps allies have sought to punish Republican officials who acknowledged Bidens win. Theyve joined local GOP committees as part of the so-called precinct strategy promoted by former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon, and signed up to be poll workers in order to scrutinize election systems. And theyve orchestrated what experts describe as a mass harassment campaign designed to drive impartial election workers from their jobs. According to a report by the Brennan Center, more than 60% of election workers say theyre worried about interference from political leaders. In Gillespie County, Texas, the entire elections department quit. At least 10 states have passed laws imposing large fines or felony charges on even small human errors or technical infractions by election administrators. Its about making these jobs scary so people leave them, says Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action, so people who are election deniers can take those positions. Jim Marchant, a former state assembly member and former telecommunications executive, is the Republican nominee for Nevada secretary of state. He told me its impossible to answer whether he would have certified Bidens 2020 win because he has so many suspicions about the use of voting machines. Computers are very, very hackable, and we just cant trust em, he told me, alluding to the debunked conspiracy theory that voting machines switched votes from Trump to Biden. When I asked about the multiple audits that found no significant voter fraud in 2020, Marchant responded, Those arent audits in the way that you can trust. In the Electoral College battlegrounds of Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada, election deniers have won GOP nominations for secretary of state. In all these races, Republicans see a plausible path to victory. And if Marchant, Finchem, or Michigan GOP secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamowho has also promoted baseless conspiracies prevail in November, they would be the top election official in a state that could decide the Presidency in 2024. You dont put a bank robber in charge of bank security, says Ben Berwick of Protect Democracy, a nonprofit organization focused on confronting authoritarianism in the U.S. You dont put an arsonist in charge of fire safety. Yet before the election deniers can radically reshape American democracy, they have to win their races. And thats where the Defenders come in. For many of them, what was once a bid for a routine clerical position has become imbued with the weight of saving the American experiment. After Jan. 6, we looked back and realized that was the end of the beginning, says Michigan secretary of state Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat. We had to be prepared to endure a multiyear, multifaceted nationally coordinated effort to enable those who tried and failed to undo the results in 2020 to succeed in 2024. Read More: Never Trump Groups Hope to Boost Democrats in the Midterms. But Can They Sway Their Fellow Republicans? Benson has gotten used to living under siege. Shortly after the 2020 election, she had to rush her young son into the bathtub to hide from Trump supporters who had surrounded her home to angrily protest Michigans election results. Another time, Benson was unloading groceries in her kitchen when a man started pounding on the door, forcing her to send her son into the basement and call for help. (Mom, I thought that man was going to kill you, Benson recalls her son saying.) Shes gotten phone calls about being hung from a tree. They scare her, but they dont deter her. If anything, she says, the threats have strengthened her commitment to the job. My determination to lead our states election system through this challenging time became etched in granite, she says. Steve Simon, who has been Minnesota secretary of state since 2015, says the tone of this years race is different. It used to be that angry callers to his office alleged wrongdoing by the other party, he says; now, the callers allege wrongdoing by the election administrators themselves. Simon, a Democrat, is running for re-election against a Republican who called the 2020 election the big rig and our 9/11. In the other races, it was a clash of political differences or policy differences, he says. Here the stakes are higher. Its really a referendum or judgment on the entire system. First-time candidates recognize whats at risk too. Cisco Aguilar, a former Nevada athletic commissioner and first-time candidate for elected office, says he originally decided to run for secretary of state in Nevada to streamline business licensing and protect voting rights. But when Marchant won the GOP primary, everything about the contest changed. This is now real. This is no longer rhetoric, says Aguilar, a Democrat. This is so serious that if I dont win this election, it could affect the outcome [of the presidential race] in 2024. I could totally f-ck up the country, and thats on me. At the local level, county clerk candidates are running to defeat election deniers across the country. You either believe that the election was solid and professional and done right, or you believe it was stolen, says Stacie Wilke-McCulloch, who is running for Carson City, Nev., clerk-recorder against the former chair of the local GOP. Its almost like its a one-issue campaign. At the same time, such races rarely attract sustained media coverage or fundraising interest. Lannie Chapman, a Democrat running for Salt Lake City county clerk against an opponent who spoke at a Stop the Steal Rally, has raised about $90,000a solid haul for a clerks race, but far less than candidates for higher-profile offices typically pull in. Some of the most important Defenders are Republicans who vouched for the integrity of the 2020 election while beating back election deniers in GOP primaries. Its been very challenging as an elections professional and a lifelong Republican to see people embrace that conspiracy so fervently, says Pam Anderson, who served as clerk and recorder for Jefferson County, Colorado, for eight years and was president of the Colorado County Clerks Association. In June, Anderson won the GOP nomination for Colorado secretary of state over Tina Peters, who has promoted voter-fraud conspiracy theories and was recently indicted on multiple felony charges in connection with an alleged election-security breach. (She has pleaded not guilty.) Anderson is trying to thread the needle between the two parties rhetoric about voting. Security equals suppression for the left, and access equals fraud on the right, Anderson says. I dont believe either of those things. In Nebraska, Republican secretary of state Bob Evnen circulated a detailed PowerPoint presentation, titled Fake vs Fact, debunking popular conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. In Idaho, Ada county clerk Phil McGrane defeated two election deniers to win the GOP nomination for secretary of state. One of my opponents suggested they would decertify election equipment, and thats alarming to me, says McGrane. There are some things that are just logistical and practical and have to work. Aguilar, the Democratic candidate for Nevada secretary of state Saeed Rahbaran for TIME Brad Raffensperger, who has served as Georgia secretary of state since 2019, famously resisted Trumps demands to find more than 11,000 votes to tip the results of the 2020 presidential election in the Peach State. After he refused to bow to that pressure, Raffenspergers wife was harassed with sexual text messages and his daughter-in-laws home was broken into, he told the Jan. 6 committee. In May, Raffensperger vanquished a Trump-aligned challenger to win the partys nomination. We have hinge points throughout our American history, he says, pointing to the Civil War as an example. I think that if we have people of integrity that will stand in the gap and follow the law and do their job thats how we move through this. The heat is radiating off the pavement at the Arizona strip mall where Adrian Fontes is kicking off an early Saturday morning canvass. Its the weekend before Labor Day, and signs for Republican candidates for Senate and governor crowd street corners in the Phoenix area. Roughly a dozen volunteers mill around with clipboards, preparing to disperse into the hot morning. Fontes is there to explain why voters should care about the secretary of state race. Electing Finchem, he says, would create chaos and uncertainty that would pervade everything from voting to business. Elections are the golden thread that run through the entire fabric of our society, he adds. If you pull that thread out, the entire fabric disintegrates. Read More: Why the Polls May Be Feeding Liberals Another Blue Mirage Off to the side, Steven Eshleman, 70, is wearing a hat and shirt that say Protect Democracy/Elect Fontes. Eshleman is one of Fontes most loyal supporters, showing up to many of his events. If we lose this election, our democracy is in peril, says Eshleman. Who knows what they could do next time? Other Fontes supporters say theyre annoyed so few people seem to be paying attention to the candidates trying to repel the threat. Theyre giving so much free publicity to all the Republicans, says Elaine McGuire, 71, as she hoists a Fontes yard sign at an event in Phoenix later that day. Its revving up the MAGA people. Democrats are waking up to the importance of these races. The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State has raised more than $16 million this cycle, a tenfold increase over the most recent midterm, though still a fraction of what the party raises for other races. For iVote, the group supporting Democratic candidates for secretary of state, its $15 million budget this year is more than double what it spent in 2018. We are paying more attention than we ever have before, says Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something, a group that recruits and trains Democratic candidates to run for local offices. Yet for years, Republicans have invested more in those races. We are starting at a deficit, Litman says. Fontes isnt focused on the national trends or the broader threat; hes just trying to win his race. Its weird being in the eye of the storm, he says. In the face of conspiracy, suspicion, and lies, hes motivated by a belief in his fellow Americans. Voters will see through the nonsense, he says. Once they start paying attention, they will see that the faith that theyve lost in their fellow citizens oughta come back. With reporting by Julia Zorthian and Mariah Espada Correction, September 20 The original version of this story misstated Jim Marchants tenure in the Nevada State Assembly. He is a former State Assembly member, not a current State Assembly member. A judge on Monday vacated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, years after the hit podcast Serial chronicled his case and cast doubt on his role in the 1999 slaying of former girlfriend Hae Min Lee. City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn said prosecutors made a compelling argument that Syeds conviction was flawed and that he should immediately go free. Trial prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to defense lawyers that could have helped them show someone else killed Lee, Phinn said. And new evidence uncovered since the trial would have added substantial and significant probability that the result would have been different. Phinn vacated murder, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment against Syed. The judge ordered him released without bail. Moments before the ruling, prosecutor Becky Feldman said that justice and fairness calls for Syeds convictions to be tossed. The state has lost confidence in the integrity of this conviction and believe that it is in the interest of justice and fairness that his convictions be vacated, Feldman said. It is our promise that we will do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family. That means continuing to utilize all available resources to bring a suspect or suspects to justice and hold them accountable. Syed, who has a full beard, appeared in court wearing a long-sleeve white dress shirt, dark tie and traditional Muslim skull cap. And when Phinn ordered guards to remove his shackles, Syeds supporters inside the courtroom burst in applause. Judge Phinn gave the state 30 days to decide whether to seek a new trial or potentially stop the case. Outside court, Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby was hailing the judges ruling when Syed stepped outside, greeted with cheers and then shown into an awaiting car before being driven off. Were not yet declaring Adnan Syeds innocence, Mosby told reporters. We are declaring that in the interest of fairness and justice, he is entitled to a new trial. Story continues Maryland prosecutors last week asked that Syeds conviction be vacated, stunning the victims family. Lees brother, Young Lee, wept throughout his virtual court appearance on Monday, wondering how this turn of events unfolded. Ive been living with this for like 20-plus years and every day when I think its over, whenever I think its over or its ended, it always comes back, he told the court via Zoom. And its not just me, its killing me and and its killing my mother. Steve Kelly, a lawyer for Lees family asked Phinn to delay Mondays proceedings by seven days so the victims brother could attend and address the court. The family wasnt given enough time and didnt have an attorney to make a decision about appearing in court, according to Kelly. To suggest that the States Attorneys Office has provided adequate notice under these circumstances is outrageous, Kelly told the court. My client is not a lawyer and was not counseled by an attorney as to his rights and to act accordingly. But Phinn said the family, represented by Lees brother in California, could easily jump on a Zoom to address the court. She ordered a 30-minute delay for the brother to get to computer so he could dial into the hearing. I was kind of blindsided, Lee told the court. I always thought the state was on my side, but out of nowhere I hear that theres a motion to vacate judgment and I thought, honestly, I felt betrayed. Hae Min Lee was 18 when she was killed in 1999 and her body found buried in Baltimores Leakin Park. After Syed, now 42, was sentenced to life behind bars in 2000, his case gained national notoriety from the 2014 podcast Serial. Prosecutors had relied on cellphone records that seemed to show Syed was in the vicinity of the park where Lees body was found. But they now say they question unreliable cellphone tower data used against Syed at trial, and want to look at two alternative suspects. These suspects were known persons at the time of the investigation of the case and not properly ruled out, according to last weeks filing by prosecutors. Syeds legal team has insisted that the cellphone data used against him was unreliable because carrier AT&T had said it only determined where outgoing calls were coming from, not incoming calls. The cellular evidence used at trial against Syed centered on his phone receiving incoming calls, meaning his general location around the time of Lees disappearance could not be verified. Syeds defense has also long questioned a key account by the couples schoolmate, Jay Wilds, who testified that he was with Syed when he buried her body at the park. Julia Jester reported from Baltimore and David K. Li from New York City. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A Wisconsin prisoner who was strip searched by a transgender male guard says the search unlawfully violated his Muslim faith, and a federal court has ruled it shouldn't happen again. The search of Rufus West took place in 2016 at Green Bay Correctional Institution. West sued after he was denied exemptions from such future searches, and was threatened with discipline if he continued to complain. A federal district judge dismissed the lawsuit, finding West hadn't shown a substantial burden to his free exercise of religion. Even if he had, the search was legal as the least restrictive way to further a compelling governmental interest, the judge found. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed, and granted relief to West. Writing for a three-judge panel, Chief Judge Diane Sykes found West is entitled to judgment under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, and can pursue his second claim under the Fourth Amendment. "Theres no dispute (Rufus's) objection to cross-sex strip searches is both religious in nature and sincere," Sykes wrote. "The prison has substantially burdened his religious exercise by requiring him to either submit to cross-sex strip searches in violation of his faith or face discipline." Accommodating West's religion would not discriminate against the transgender guard, the decision found. The decision also renews West's claim that the search violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches. West, 51, was convicted in 1995 in Milwaukee of armed robbery and being a felon with a gun. He is due for release in 2024. He has filed numerous lawsuits on his own, and after this one was dismissed, the 7th Circuit found a Chicago lawyer to represent West on appeal. In prison, strip searches are conducted for several reasons including when an inmate leaves or enters the prison, before certain movements within the prison, before and after visits with people from outside the prison, or during lockdowns. Story continues Prison officials argued that in more than 20 years of incarceration, West was only subjected to a strip search involving a transgender male guard once, and it was unlikely to happen again. That is not a substantial burden on his free exercise of religion, prison officials said. Sykes noted the burden exists even if it is uncertain if and when West may be subjected to a strip search by a transgender guard. The prison also argued that since any strip search violates West's religious belief that only his wife may see him naked, the one occasion involving the transgender guard wasn't that big a deal. The court said that argument seems to punish West for his willingness to compromise; he knows he can't avoid all strip searches in prison. But to West, being seen by someone biologically female subjects him to worse religious consequence. "Knowingly violating the nudity prohibition will condemn him in the afterlife, with greater condemnation resulting from cross-sex violations of the taboo," Sykes wrote. "Wests understanding of the Islamic faith draws the line at cross-sex strip searches, and 'it is not for us to say that the line he drew was an unreasonable one,'" Sykes wrote. RLUIPA bars prisons from substantially burdening an inmates religious exercise unless doing so is the least restrictive means to further a compelling governmental interest. The 7th Circuit decision says West should be exempted from searches by female or transgender guards. Contact Bruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187 or bvielmetti@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ProofHearsay. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin court says Muslim inmate exempt from searches by female or transgender guards. How many bad shows can a good actor star in before you have to start considering the possibly uncomfortable reality that they are, in fact, a bad actor? Well, this is an experiment that Keeley Hawes seems to be undertaking. Her second project of the year, after a middling adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos, is the BBCs new drama, Crossfire, written by Apple Tree Yards Louise Doughty. It finds Hawes trapped in a Spanish holiday resort as baby-faced gunmen go on the rampage. If her agent was looking for a project to make The Bodyguard look cerebral, boy did they find it. Hawes is Jo, wife of Jason (Lee Ingleby) and mother of Adam (Noah Leggott) and Amara (Shalisha James-Davis). Shes just arrived on holiday with two other couples: Vikash Bhais Chinar and Anneika Roses Abhi (Mr and Mrs Perfect, as the group knows them), and Miriam (Josette Simon) and Ben (Daniel Ryan). The trip is a disaster from the off: Jo and Jasons relationship is still recovering from an affair shes conducted, while Jason is trying to bully his wife into not returning to her high-flying career as you guessed it a police officer. You are a fundamentally dishonest and cowardly human being, Jason tells her, within earshot of their entire group. All very awkward. The vast majority of terror attacks are conducted in areas of high socio-political volatility. In 2022, for example, the deadliest shootings have been in Nigeria, Mali and Pakistan. But, needless to say, that sort of violence is not what Western TV audiences want. Instead, we demand a telegenic set of Brits stranded in a holiday resort, surrounded by gunmen with obscure (and, crucially, non-ideological) grievances. The shootings start by the pool, in a sequence that is effectively horrifying in its depiction of parents dragging children to safety while bodies fall around them. But once weve regained our bearings, the action develops a high-stakes, almost video-game quality. We have to kill them before they kill us, the hotel manager Mateo (Hugo Silva) tells Jo, which does not strike me as a very sensible approach to take. Story continues It is symptomatic of Crossfires general silliness. The resort is on an island inexplicably cut off from the emergency services, allowing most of the drama in three hour-long episodes to play out before armed police intervene. Jo is an ex-copper and Miriam a doctor, allowing the Brits to become protagonists and order around a bunch of humble, mewling Spaniards. Of course, the terror attack is really just a prop designed to expose how unhappy these couples truly are. Take my phone with you, Jo instructs Jason. Get out of the hotel right now! Naturally, this allows the sexy world of infidelity to collide with the unsexy world of terrorism (really, the whole first episode is a sexting whodunit). Crossfire is hardly the first case of Western holidaymakers fighting for survival (it evokes shades of Naomi Watts in tsunami thriller The Impossible, Armie Hammer in Hotel Mumbais take on the citys 2008 attacks, and even Sheridan Smiths sexual assault in a Turkish resort in the ITV legal procedural No Return). Perhaps it is the fictionalisation of Crossfire that allows it to play out like a zombie survival movie rather than a gritty drama. Do you know how to use a gun? Jo is asked, giving her licence to spend the rest of proceedings bursting round corners with a shotgun. The result is, unsurprisingly, rather crass. All the same, Hawes is as gripping as an action star as she is when portraying a politician, or an aristocrat, or a character from Dickens. Indeed, the mere presence of Hawes orientates viewers. In an unreliable world, she is a reliable constant. But her need for better scripts is now reaching crisis point, because even in a project in which dozens of tourists are being murdered, the waste of her talent is the biggest tragedy. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who has assailed customer disruptions after M&T Bank merged its account system with Peoples United Bank, will get daily updates from the bank, including specifics on how account holders who have complained to his office are getting their troubles resolved. Tong met Monday with M&T Bank Executive Vice President Michael Keegan, who heads community markets for the Buffalo-based bank that acquired Bridgeport-based Peoples United in April. M&T merged the account systems of the two banks over the Labor Day weekend, with some customers finding limited or no access to their accounts. Tong said Monday his office fielded nearly 50 complaints this past weekend alone and he took aim at wait times that were unacceptably long. They are appointing a president for the Connecticut portion of the bank and that person would be personally responsible for responding to me and my staff, specific customer-by customer complaints for as long as it takes, Tong said. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is running for re-election, called Friday for federal investigations into the matter. Keegan, in an interview Monday night, said the situation surrounding the account conversion has improved significantly from last week. Were in a vastly different place, Keegan said. Branches are not as crowded. People are experiencing more normal times in terms of their branch interactions. Customers are being addressed one-by-one where there was any kind of disruption for them. And youre seeing call center times returning to pre-merger levels. Were very encouraged by it. Tong, also in a re-election bid, said he demanded that M&T make customers whole, covering late fees and other charges if payments were delayed because of problems on the M&Ts end. Keegan said M&T is still trying to determine the extent customers may have been harmed by any disruption and how that is resolved will be on a customer-by-customer basis. Story continues The reality is, that weve seen so far, people who experienced some disruption may have not incurred any financial situation like a bounced check or a returned check fee or something like that, Keegan said. Keegan said, If we did something wrong, and there is a cost, weve got to make that right. Tong said there were definitely enforcement actions under state consumer protection and banking statutes as well as federal laws. Those could include fines, Tong said. But Tong said his main goal is to ensure the success of M&T and establish confidence in a new banking name to Connecticut that by acquiring Peoples United became one of the states largest banks. Peoples United had hundreds of thousands of consumer and business accounts in Connecticut. So, the spirit of the meeting was firm and I said in no uncertain terms that I was going to hold them accountable, Tong said. At the same time, I said that in the spirit of helping to make this situation better. Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Cyprus has assisted in rescue of a small wooden boat crammed with more than 300 migrants that was floating adrift 203 kilometers (126 miles) west of the island nation, a Cypriot official said Tuesday. Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center Commander Andreas Charalambides told the Associated Press that the captain of the 18-meter (60 foot) boat sent out a distress call Monday afternoon after experiencing engine trouble. A helicopter and three naval and police patrol vessels were scrambled to offer assistance to the boat that Charalambides said had departed from Lebanon three days ago and was trying to reach Italy with many women and children aboard. Authorities couldnt immediately determine the nationality of the migrants aboard the boat but there was no indication that any had experienced any health issues, Charalambides said. All the migrants were safely transferred aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Paolo Topic which was in the vicinity. Charalambides said authorities had asked the captain of the 250-meter (820-foot) Paolo Topic to set sail for the Cypriot port of Limassol so that the migrants could disembark. But he said the captain opted, under the directions of the company that owns the ship, to head to his original destination of Istanbul. Once a country that received refugees, Lebanon has become a launching pad for dangerous migration by sea to Europe. As the countrys economic crisis deepened, more Lebanese, as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees have set off to sea, with security agencies reporting foiled migration attempts almost weekly. NAIROBI (Reuters) - Deadly diseases such as measles, tetanus and whooping cough are on the rise in Ethiopia's Tigray region after vaccination rates plunged during the civil war that broke out nearly two years ago, doctors and regional health officials say. The percentage of children in Tigray receiving routine vaccines has fallen below 10% this year, data from the Tigray Health Bureau shows, undoing years of government efforts to boost immunisation rates. "The hopes of the children in the region to grow healthier and happier were snatched away in a blink of an eye," the bureau said in a letter this month to the global vaccine alliance Gavi. The letter, seen by Reuters, blamed the decline in vaccination on supply shortages caused by what it called a "siege" of Tigray by Ethiopian federal forces, power outages that have disrupted vaccine cold chains, and the inability of people in rural areas to reach health facilities. A ceasefire between March and late August between Tigrayan and federal forces allowed in a trickle of medical aid, but humanitarian access has been suspended since fighting resumed, a U.N. commission of human rights experts said on Monday. The experts said in a report that they had reasonable grounds to believe that the denial of access to healthcare and other aid by federal authorities amounts to a crime against humanity. Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu, military spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane and the prime ministers spokesperson Billene Seyoum did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the U.N. report. The government has repeatedly denied blocking aid and says the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party leading regional government, is responsible for the conflict, which has killed thousands of civilians. MEASLES OUTBREAKS Health Minister Lia Tadesse said vaccines had been provided to Tigray this year and that more were ready to be delivered once conditions allowed. Story continues In its letter, the Tigray Health Bureau said the percentage of children receiving the full three doses of the Pentavalent vaccine against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) dropped from 99.3% in 2020 to 36% in 2021 and 7% this year. The rate across Ethiopia was 65% in 2021, according to data from the U.N. children's agency UNICEF. The letter said the percentages of children being vaccinated against tuberculosis and measles have also plummeted from over 90% in 2020 to less than 10% this year. It said there have been measles outbreaks in 10 of the region's 35 districts since the war began and 25 cases of neonatal tetanus this year, compared to just two in each of the previous three years. "Vaccines are given for free across Ethiopia but they are not coming to Tigrayan children," said Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon at Ayder Referral Hospital, which he said has treated children for measles and whooping cough. Gavi, which buys and distributes vaccines for developing countries, said it had provided measles and COVID-19 vaccines during the ceasefire, but some activities had been suspended since fighting resumed. Ethiopia's health minister Lia said 860,000 doses of measles vaccines were delivered to Tigray last December and additional doses were delivered on April 2. Another planned delivery is on hold at the instruction of the U.N. World Food Progamme, which coordinates humanitarian deliveries into Tigray, Lia said in a statement to Reuters. WFP spokesperson Claire Nevill, however, said the agency was waiting on clearances from Ethiopia's government. "In the absence of these clearances, the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian supplies, including food, nutrition and medical items, will have to be on hold," she said. (This story officially corrects paragraph 15 after surgeon clarified he has not personally treated children for measles and whooping cough) (Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 19:16 The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Su-25 ground attack jet in Kherson Oblast and a Shahed-136 kamikaze drone in Mykolaiv Oblast on the evening of 20 September. Source: Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Facebook Quote: "On 20 September, approximately at 17:00, soldiers of Odesa-based anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Air Command Pivden (South) shot down another Russian Su-25 attack jet." Details: The defenders added that Shahed-136, the Iran-made kamikaze drone, which Russians mark as Geran-2, was shot down in Mykolaiv Oblast approximately at 16:00. Background: Anti-aircraft gunners of Ukraines Air Force shot down a Russian Su-25 plane in the skies over Kherson Oblast on 19 September. Defenders have destroyed 252 enemy planes and 217 helicopters since the full-scale invasion started. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A long-awaited trial in the shocking 2018 double homicide of a Columbus father and his 3-year-old son was postponed this week when the suspects attorney had a medical emergency in court. Attorneys were prepared to pick a jury Monday in Antonio Bernard Tony Willis trial when his public defender Angela Morelock told the court she was ill, having worked long days before taking more of a codeine-based cough medicine than prescribed, court officials said. After medics called to Judge Gil McBrides Government Center courtroom wheeled Morelock out on a gurney around 11:30 a.m., McBride met with remaining attorneys and announced the trial would be reset for Dec. 5. Morelocks colleague Bentley Adams IV will represent Willis, and a pretrial hearing will be Oct. 5, McBride said. The prosecutor is Assistant District Attorney Robin King. Father and son Willis is accused of fatally shooting Joseph Banks II, 41, and his son Jacaiden Banks, 3, on Nov. 27, 2018, a night so cold that pooling blood froze to the bodies found 8:38 a.m. on the ground outside a vacant home at 6 Stuart Drive, police said. Banks had been staying at the Colony Inn, 4300 Victory Drive, and investigators retracing his movements that night said four witnesses told them theyd seen him with Willis there, police said. Detectives got motel surveillance video showing Willis lifting Jacaiden into the fathers Ford pickup, so the boy could sit in the front seat between the two men. That was at 1:07 a.m., police said. Examining the 2004 Ford F-150 pickup officers later found abandoned, detectives determined the child was still seated in the middle when Willis gunned down both father and son, leaving six shell casings in the cab, investigators said. A ballistics examination showed the 9 mm bullets likely came from a Ruger brand pistol, police said. The next day Willis sent texts trying to sell a Ruger pistol, they said. Banks white pickup was left behind a vacant house on Henry Avenue near Bell Street, about 1,000 feet from where friends said they saw Willis that night acting erratic and paranoid, asking for money and eager to get out of town, Detective Robert Nicholas testified during Willis May 2019 hearing in Columbus Recorders Court. Story continues Willis left Columbus that night for Atlanta, using a fake name to book a Groome shuttle ride, detectives said. How Willis got to Groome remained unclear. The suspect claimed Banks dropped him off on Victory Drive after they left the motel, and he walked from there to the 2800 Harley Court shuttle station in two hours, though Nicholas said the 17-mile trek would have taken him twice that long. Groome security cameras recorded him arriving there about 3 hours after he was recorded leaving the Colony Inn, Nicholas said. After arriving in Atlanta, Willis remained on the run for about five months before U.S. Marshals captured him in 2019. A grand jury indicted him Oct. 30, 2020, on two counts of murder and one count each of aggravated assault and of attempting to commit a felony. The latter charge alleges Willis lured Banks to Stuart Drive while trying to rob him at gunpoint. Willis, who was 37 when the homicides happened, is 40 years old now. He faces life in prison if convicted. President Biden will rally world leaders to stand up against Russias naked aggression toward Ukraine in remarks to the United Nations General Assembly. Well dive deep into his speech. Plus, well talk about the Naming Commissions recommendations to rename or remove more than 1,100 military assets linked to the confederacy. This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Jordan Williams. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here. President speaking against Russias aggression President Biden will call on world leaders to stand up against Russias invasion of Ukraine during his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly. Biden will address the international body on Wednesday as he seeks to rally support to push back against Russia amid Ukraines recent gains on the battlefield. He will address the United Nations General Assembly while facing an international crisis for a second consecutive year. Last year, Biden arrived in New York City roughly a month after the U.S. pulled its forces out of Afghanistan in a chaotic withdrawal. A firm rebuke of Russia: Among other things, hell offer a firm rebuke of Russias unjust war in Ukraine and make a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that weve seen the past several months, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday. The main thrust of his presentation will really be about the United Nations charter. About the foundational principle at the heart of that charter, that countries cannot conquer their neighbors by force, Sullivan added. Increasingly strong headwinds: Sullivan noted that neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in New York for the meetings. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to be in attendance. Our competitors are facing increasingly strong headwinds and neither President Xi nor President Putin are even showing up, he said. Story continues A challenge ahead: Building support for Ukraine at the U.N. could prove difficult for Biden, as many members have either been sympathetic to Russia or antagonistic toward the United States. Russia sits on the U.N. Security Council, and as a result has the ability to thwart efforts to hold Moscow accountable. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in his speech at the U.N. on Tuesday criticized the economic impact of Western sanctions, but did not mention Russia in his remarks. Other things to watch for: In the annual speech, Biden will also lay out his vision for American foreign policy and principal leadership, Sullivan said. He will make significant new announcements about the U.S. governments investments to address global food insecurity and hell lay out in detail how the U.S. has restored its global leadership and the integrity of its word on the world stage by delivering on the promises we make and he has made as president, he said. The president will hold his first one-on-one meeting with the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, and plans to host world leaders and their spouses while in New York. He will also host a session on combating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide. Read the full story here. BIDEN NOMINATES RUSSIA AMBASSADOR President Biden on Tuesday nominated Lynne Tracy to serve as ambassador to the Russian Federation to navigate a tense relationship between U.S. and Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Tracy currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, a post that shes held since 2019. Before that, she was the senior adviser for Russia in the State Departments Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and was the deputy chief of mission at U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Former ambassador John Sullivan left Russia earlier this month after serving in the post for almost three years. His time in that particular position included Russias initial invasion of Ukraine in February. Biden retained Sullivan, who was former President Trumps appointee. The administration said Sullivans departure, which appeared abrupt, was planned and a new ambassador would be named soon. Read more here. Panel: Rename, remove Confederacy-linked assets The commission in charge of reviewing military bases and assets named after Confederate figures has put forward its final suggestions to rename or remove more than 1,100 items that fall under the purview of the Defense Department (DoD). In its third and final report to Congress, delivered Monday, the Naming Commission flags several of the recommended changes among the hundreds. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Congress now must sign off on the proposed changes before they can take effect. Suggested name changes: Among other suggestions, the recommendations include: Stripping the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery Altering street, school and building names Renaming two Navy ships Examining four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works The panel does not go so far as to give name recommendations for those civil works, instead punting the job to Congress due to some of the assets being jointly owned by DoD and individual states, according to the report. Earlier recommendations: Earlier this summer the group suggested the Army change the names of nine bases currently honoring Confederate generals. In part-two of the commissions report released last month, the panel identified items that carry Confederate figures names at the military academies. The groups report suggested that the West Point U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy rename landmarks and structures that commemorate Robert E. Lee and other Confederate officers. Read the full story here. ON TAP FOR TOMORROW The last day of the Air Force Associations 2022 Air Space and Cyber Conference will begin at 8:15 a.m. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies will hold a discussion on Assessing Americas Cyber Resiliency: A Conversation with The CSC 2.0 Co-Chairs at 8:30 a.m. The Defense Strategies Institute will hold the 11th Annual Military Tactical Communications Summit at 8:45 a.m. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will hold a discussion on New Paradigm for Cyber Competition: A Conversation on Cyber Persistent Theory at 10 a.m. The Stimson Center will hold a discussion on Deepening U.S.-Japan Alliance Cooperation in the Face of Global Challenges at 10:30 a.m. The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel will hold a hearing on Update on the Implementation of Recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the Establishment of the Office of Special Trial Counsel at 2 p.m. The House Oversight and Reform Committee will hold a hearing on Russias Malign Use of Private Military Companies at 2 p.m. The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on Ensuring Veterans Timely Access to Care in VA and the Community at 3 p.m. The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing To receive testimony on the status of military recruiting and retention efforts across the Department of Defense at 3:30 p.m. WHAT WERE READING Trump seeks to block DOJs latest bid to bypass special master on classified docs Senators grill Treasury officials over effectiveness of sweeping Russia sanctions Democrats and Republicans sharply divided over support for UN: poll Space Force reveals new song saluting guardians beyond the blue Thats it for today! Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow! VIEW FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden brushed off Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss latest effort to score political points by possibly sending a plane filled with asylum seekers to the presidents home state of Delaware. As local officials scrambled to prepare for the potential arrival of incoming immigrants on Tuesday, Biden refused to take the bait from reporters who shouted questions about the GOP stunt after an unrelated White House event. He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline, Biden quipped. The plane that started the day in Texas is the same aircraft that DeSantis used to ferry immigrants to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts over the weekend. But a flight tracking website said the plane was en route to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey Tuesday afternoon. It was unclear if it would continue to an airport in Georgetown, Delaware, about 20 miles from Rehoboth Beach, where Biden has a vacation home. DeSantis refused to comment on the flight or its final destination. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) slammed DeSantis for tricking immigrants into agreeing to take a flight 1,000 miles away from where they will have to appear in court to apply for asylum. What a cruel stunt to a group of folks who are applying for asylum, he said. Meanwhile, a group of Venezuelan migrants filed a class action suit accusing DeSantis and other Florida officials of tricking them into agreeing to be flown to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts. A San Antonio sheriff has opened a criminal investigation into the flights, suggesting that asylum seekers were tricked into boarding the flight by Florida officials who produced bogus brochures falsely promising jobs and benefits. DeSantis and fellow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas say they are shipping the migrants north to Democratic-run cities and states, including New York and Washington D.C., to dramatize the urgency of the situation at the southern border. Democrats call it a shameless political stunt and accuse the conservative leaders of using human beings as pawns. Story continues New York City Mayor Eric Adams has feuded with Abbott over the Lone Star States convoys of buses ferrying migrants to the Big Apple, which Hizzoner says has strained city services. A 32-year-old mother of two from Colombia who was put on a bus from Texas to New York City killed herself in a Queens shelter over the weekend, sparking a new round of recriminations. People should not be used as political pawns in any circumstances and for that, Governor Abbot should be ashamed, Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in response to Sundays suicide. Now is the time that we demand more from all levels of government to ensure the health and safety of every New Yorker whether they are newcomers or not. For most of Tuesday, officials in Delaware and members of the public checked the status of a charter flight that was supposed to travel from San Antonio to President Joe Bidens home state. The planes scheduled flight plan bore the hallmarks of Gov. Ron DeSantis operation last week to fly 48 Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to Marthas Vineyard. It was chartered by the same company, Ultimate JetCharters, that arranged the two flights to Marthas Vineyard last Wednesday on behalf of the state of Florida, and was one of the two planes used in that effort. After hours of delays, the plane finally took off Tuesday only to head for Nashville and with no indication that any migrants were on board. Before the change, the flights ultimate destination had appeared to be a Delaware airport near Bidens Rehoboth Beach vacation home, according to data posted on the website FlightAware. That followed a pattern: Former president Barack Obama owns a vacation home in Marthas Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts. Its not clear what happened and DeSantis office didnt respond to questions. The flight would have been the second instance of DeSantis using Florida taxpayer money to send migrants from a state other than his own Texas to the Northeast. The governor has said his efforts are intended as a message about the record-breaking numbers of migrants crossing the southern border which he and other Republicans blame on Biden. At a news conference Tuesday, DeSantis did not address rumors of the Delaware flight. He did, however, double down on his use of the charter flights, despite criticism from Florida Democrats that spending taxpayer money to transport migrants from Texas, rather than Florida, disregarded language approved in the state budget. Paying for flights out of Texas was necessary, DeSantis suggested, because authorities are not seeing mass movements of migrants into Florida but rather a trickle making it harder to recruit people for trips north in large numbers. Story continues If we just ignore the source, then youre gonna have people trickling in[to Florida] 5, 10 a day, 20 a day, DeSantis said. I think that at the end of the day, what were doing is not the ultimate solution. I think its opening peoples eyes to the solution, which is, lets have a secure border. Lets have Remain in Mexico. Lets take the cartels seriously. In a statement, a spokeswoman for Delaware Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, said the state had been preparing for the possibility of migrants arriving in Delaware unannounced. The spokeswoman, Emily David Hershman, said state officials were working with community organizations to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need and were also coordinating with the federal government. By Tuesday afternoon, those officials had told volunteers to stand down, according to the Delaware News Journal. Two charter flights from Kelly Field in San Antonio carried 48 Venezuelan migrants to Marthas Vineyard last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had paid for the flights. The Delaware flight had been scheduled to travel Tuesday morning from a regional airport near Longview to Kelly Field in San Antonio, where the Marthas Vineyard migrants boarded last week. Its flight plan then had it stopping in Crestview in the Florida Panhandle before touching down at Delaware Coastal Airport in the afternoon. The airport is about 40 minutes from Bidens vacation home. There was little sign of activity at Kelly Field on Tuesday morning when Herald reporters visited. Some migrants said they had been lured onto the Marthas Vineyard flights with promises of jobs and aid that turned out to be false. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office announced Monday it was opening an investigation into whether any of the migrants were victims of a crime. San Antonio is in Bexar County. During an appearance on CNN Tuesday, Sheriff Javier Salazar didnt name DeSantis but said that people that may have been associated with him or employed by him or contracted by him ... may have broken the law. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the possible flight to Delaware a political stunt at a daily press briefing. The migrants, who are seeking asylum and have legal status in the United States, are fleeing persecution only to be used as a political pawn by the Florida governor, Jean-Pierre said. Asked to comment on DeSantis actions by reporters, Biden responded with an invitation to his home state: He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline. U.S. Secret Service agents are seen in front of President Joe Bidens vacation home near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, last year. Florida Democratic legislators have called on DeSantis to stop using state money for the relocations. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bipartisan budget that authorized a $12 million program for removing unauthorized aliens from this state. But none of the migrants have set foot in Florida, except when their planes landed to refuel in the Panhandle on their way north. At a Monday news conference, Florida House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne of Dania Beach said the flights were about politics, plain and simple, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. State records show the Department of Transportation recently paid $1.565 million to a contractor with ties to the Panhandle for the relocation program. Its not yet clear what role Oregon-based Vertol Systems Company Inc., which has operations in Destin, played in flying the migrants to Marthas Vineyard. Vertol Systems has also received roughly $25 million in federal contracts since 2004, mostly from the Department of Defense, according to a review of a U.S. spending database. Most of the contracts were for flight training, the database shows. A Venezuelan migrant reacts as he is led onto a bus at St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass on the island of Marthas Vineyard. A group of 48 migrants was flown to the island from Texas earlier this week. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware on Tuesday called DeSantis decision to charter the flights profoundly regrettable. Coons, a Democrat, declined to say if he thought the action was illegal. What theyve done is certainly, I think, inhumane, he said during an interview on MSNBC. Ill leave it to the sheriff in Texas whos investigating this to conclude whether or not this was actually luring under false pretenses, the legal standard that amounts to human trafficking or kidnapping. DeSantis had previously talked about busing migrants to Delaware, although he seemed to drop the idea. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has bused migrants to Northeastern cities including dropping some off at Vice President Kamala Harris residence in Washington, D.C. Abbotts office told the Herald that Texas had sent more than 8,100 people to D.C., more than 2,600 to New York City and more than 675 to Chicago as of Monday. Miami Herald Staff Writers Mary Ellen Klas, Bianca Padro Ocasio and Ana Ceballos, Bradenton Herald Staff Writer Ryan Callihan and McClatchy DC Staff Writers Michael Wilner and Ben Wieder contributed to this report. Delaware officials and the White House said they are monitoring for the potential arrival of planes of migrants and illegal immigrants expected from Florida and/or Texas on Tuesday. "Were aware of the reports and continue to prepare for the possibility of migrants arriving in Delaware unannounced," Democratic Gov. John Carneys director of communications, Emily Hershman, told Fox News Digital. "Our teams at [Delaware Emergency Management Agency] and [Delaware Department of Health and Social Services] are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need." White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also acknowledged the reports. "Yes, we've we have received word of the flights. And, yes, we are coordinating closely with state officials and local service providers who are prepared to welcome these families in an orderly manner as they pursue their asylum claims," Jean-Pierre told reporters. NYC MAYOR ADAMS CONFIRMS MIGRANT DEATH BY SUICIDE AT CITY SHELTER, BLAMES TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT President Biden rides a bike through Gordon's Pond State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on July 10, 2022. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP The News Journal, based in Wilmington, Delaware, reported that the governors office and community groups were mobilizing to Georgetown, Delaware, for the possible arrival of migrants at Delaware Coastal Airport. According to the newspaper, at least one plane was expected to take off from Texas and stop over at Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Florida, before heading to Delaware on Tuesday afternoon. Its unclear if the plane has yet departed Texas on Tuesday or if a second plane already made it to Florida Monday night. Fox News Digital also reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts offices for comment. At a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis would not confirm he was sending a plane to Delaware. A reporter is heard saying, "Public records show that Florida is sending a million dollar sending a plane right now, from Texas to Delaware. First, can you confirm that?" Story continues Delaware Gov. John C Carney Jr. speaks at the Delaware Memorial Day Ceremony, in New Castle on May 30, 2019. Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images "I cannot confirm that. I cant," DeSantis said, adding though, that intelligence shows between a third to 40% of migrants crossing the southern border illegally are seeking to end up in Florida. "If you can do it at the source and divert to sanctuary jurisdictions, the chance they end up in Florida is much less." Abbott has been busing migrants from the southern border to so-called "sanctuary" destinations for the past several months. Groups of migrants wait outside the Migrant Resource Center to receive food from the San Antonio Catholic Charities on September 19, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. The City of San Antonio Migrant Resource Center is the place of origin of the two planeloads of mostly Venezuelan migrants who were sent via Florida to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images Texas has sent at least 8,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., since April and more than 2,500 migrants to New York City since August 5, according to the Texas governors offices latest figures. More than 600 migrants from Texas have arrived in Chicago since late August. Meanwhile, DeSantis joined the effort to shed light on the Biden administrations inaction on the immigration crisis last week by flying 48 illegal immigrants from Venezuela to the ritzy Massachusetts island of Marthas Vineyard. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted that Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where Biden has a vacation home should be next, tagging both Abbott and DeSantis. Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report. Homes are flooded on Salinas Beach after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo Hurricane Fiona strengthened to a Category 3 storm on Tuesday after slamming into Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The National Hurricane Center said Fiona could grow more powerful as it approaches Bermuda later in the week. Rising global temperatures contribute to more intense storms, according to a growing body of research. Hurricane Fiona tore through Puerto Rico as a Category 1 storm on Sunday, cutting power to the island's 3 million residents and leaving most of them without water. "We woke up without water. Most people don't have electricity, but thankfully I have solar panels. There's long lines for gas to power generators," Ruth Santiago, an environmental lawyer and advocate who lives in the town of Salinas in southern Puerto Rico, told Insider in Spanish on Tuesday morning. But by Tuesday, after it ripped through the Dominican Republic, Fiona strengthened to a Category 3 with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. That makes it the first major hurricane of the 2022 season. It's expected to bring "hurricane conditions" to Turks and Caicos and portions of the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center said it could strengthen further into a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Bermuda later in the week. A vendor works amid the debris of his small business of umbrella rentals and food after they were felled by Hurricane Fiona on the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez In Puerto Rico, the storm unleashed severe flash flooding, with one weather station reporting more than 2 feet of rain in 24 hours. Officials said more than 900 people were rescued across the island and at least 1,300 people spent the night in shelters, according to The Associated Press."There's water all over the place," Santiago said, adding that one of the offices she works out of is flooded, after the roof collapsed. "Localized additional flash and urban flooding is possible in southern portions of Puerto Rico," the National Weather Service warned, adding that another 1 to 4 inches of rain will fall over much of Puerto Rico into Wednesday morning. FEMA officials said the agency is currently in the reponse phase. "We are really stressing all impacted individuals look into the local emergency managers and focus on safety, and make sure that they watch out for floodwaters," Keith Turi, FEMA's assistant administrator for recovery, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. "This is still very much a life saving mission at this point, and that's our focus." Story continues "We'll be sending hundreds of additional staff over the next couple of days and we continue to assess the need," Turi added. "We've got a few 100 responders that are already on the ground" in Puerto Rico. A woman and her dog take refuge in a shelter from Hurricane Fiona in Loiza, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo At one point on Sunday, the entire island was without power. According to LUMA Energy the private company that operates power transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico power had been restored to more than 286,000 customers as of 6:30 a.m. ET Tuesday. The company said it could take days to fully restore service. "I hope that the government both the Puerto Rican government and FEMA incorporate solar panels so folks, like me, can have electricity in these kinds of disasters," Santiago said. Jose Luis German Mejia, an emergency management official, told CNN, that more than one million people in the country are without running water after the storm knocked 59 aqueducts out of service. On Tuesday, FEMA officials told reporters there were four confirmed fatalities following the storm. CNN reported a 58-year-old man was washed away by La Plata River behind his home in Comerio. In a separate incident, firefighters in the city of Arecibo said one man died from burn wounds after attempting to fill his generator with gasoline. The storm killed at least one man in Guadeloupe, and one person died in the Dominican Republic after being hit by a falling tree, reports The New York Times. Nelson Cirino secures the windows of his home as the winds of Hurricane Fiona blow in Loiza, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo The blow from Hurricane Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to fully recover from 2017's Hurricane Maria. "If the government didn't learn their lesson with Maria, I hope this disaster wakes them up to our reality," Santiago said. Human-caused climate change is making hurricanes like Fiona more dangerous, according to a growing body of research. Earth's warmer and moister atmosphere and warmer oceans provide fuel for hurricanes, causing more intense rainfall and wind speeds. This story has been updated with new information. Read the original article on Business Insider Digital bank Revolut, which includes crypto trading among its services, suffered a breach that may have exposed the data of over 50,000 customers. Revolut notified the Lithuanian State Data Protection Inspectorate (VDAI) last week regarding an incident in which access to its database was obtained by phishing. The data of 50,150 customers, including 20,687 in the European Economic Area (EEA), comprising such items as names, addresses and email addresses, may have been affected. Revolut said the number accounts for 0.16% of its customers. "We immediately identified and isolated the attack to effectively limit its impact and have contacted those customers affected," a Revolut spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The firm has over 20 million customers worldwide and now offers exposure to around 80 crypto assets. Crypto trading accounts for approximately 10% of Revolut's annual revenue, which stood at 261 million British pounds ($300 million) in 2020. Read more: OpenSea Reports Email Data Breach Mayor Quinton Lucas said he was frustrated the Board of Police Commissioners didnt discuss the probe in a closed meeting Monday. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into allegations of discrimination against Black officers by the Kansas City Police Department that reportedly begins during hiring and extends to promotions and discipline. The federal agency announced the inquiry in a letter sent Monday to the Board of Police Commissioners and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. It did not elaborate on how it was alerted to the concerns. The announcement comes after The Kansas City Star published a series of stories examining allegations of racism and harassment within the citys police force. The newspaper found that the number of Black officers was lower than it had been decades ago, that Black officers were disproportionately disciplined by KCPD, and at least 18 officers had left because of racism over a 15-year period. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (center) speaks at the White House in May as Detroit Police Chief James White (left) looks on. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Interim police chief Joseph Mabin vowed in a statement to cooperate fully with the investigation. I am committed to ensuring every member experiences a safe and fair work environment and every applicant receives fair treatment throughout the hiring process, said Mabin, a 22-year veteran of the department who is Black. Schmitt declined to comment on the announcement. Jeanene Kiesling, a spokeswoman for the local union the Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police, didnt immediately return a text message seeking comment. Mabin, who has said he does not plan to seek the permanent position, replaced embattled Chief Rick Smith, who is white. Smith retired this spring after 34 years in the department, the last five as chief. Civil rights activists pushed for years to have Smith retire or be fired, citing his departments handling of excessive force complaints and the shooting of Black men by officers. Mayor Quinton Lucas, who also is Black, said during a news conference that he was frustrated the Board of Police Commissioners, a state-appointed board that controls the citys police department, did not discuss the investigation during a closed meeting on Monday. Story continues We cannot just be responsive time and time again to new lawsuits, to new investigations from federal officials, to voices outside, Lucas said. This department, and its board, need to be the ones that are launching these types of investigations to make sure we are doing right by our community. Several community groups immediately applauded the announcement that there would be a federal investigation, including the Urban League of Greater Kansas City and the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity. The Department of Justice stressed in its letter that it hadnt reached any conclusions and a spokesperson said Monday that the agency had no comment. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post DOJ probes racism allegations in Kansas City police force appeared first on TheGrio. After weeks of widespread heavy rain at times, we are entering a stretch of mainly drier days. Action News Jax Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh says we wont be completely rain-free, but showers will be isolated. Theyre not going to last long with a tendency to get pushed south and west of the area as we go through the afternoon, leaving us with what looks to be a mostly dry late day commute. Buresh said. LISTEN: Mike Buresh All the Weather, All the Time Podcast Temperatures will climb into the upper 80s this afternoon, and even hotter for Wednesday and Thursday. The record of 96 degrees on Thursday was originally set in 1990. However, a cool front rolls through on Friday and brings more pleasant temperatures and humidity into the upcoming weekend - the final homestand for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. TROPICS: Hurricane Fiona is now a major category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph (as of 5 am Tuesday). Fiona is about 45 miles SSE of Grand Turk Island this morning. The hurricane is forecast to strengthen more into a category 4 storm over the next 24 hours as it moves NNW. It will travel well east of the U.S. this week and be near Bermuda by Thursday night / Friday morning. Rough surf and rip currents will arrive at our local beaches as early as tomorrow. No local rain from Fiona. We are also monitoring a tropical wave in the North Central Atlantic that has some potential to develop briefly. A tropical wave is moving to the west this morning east of the Lesser Antilles. Some development is possible as it moves through the Caribbean this week. We will watch this one as it potentially moves into the Gulf of Mexico late next week. We are tracking a big warmup before a cold front arrives and cools us down. #FirstAlertWX pic.twitter.com/6J1Ljrou5J Garrett Bedenbaugh (@wxgarrett) September 20, 2022 E.O. Smith High School in Storrs was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after administrators notified the Connecticut State Police of an email threat. The threat was not deemed credible by Troop C, but the school was evacuated and a search of the building was conducted out of an abundance of caution, state police said. State police said they could not reveal the contents of the email message. The investigation is in its early stages, state police said. (Reuters) -Ecuador has reached an agreement to restructure its debt with Chinese banks, the government said in a statement on Monday, providing relief worth some $1.4 billion until 2025. Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso announced in February that he was looking to restructure the country's debt and improve the conditions of long-term oil sales contracts with Beijing. China has become Ecuador's main financial partner in the past decade. Agreements were reached with both the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) for loans worth $1.4 billion and $1.8 billion respectively, extending the loans' maturity and reducing amortization. "As a result of these agreements, the maturities are extended to 2027 for China Development Bank and 2032 for Eximbank, allowing the cash-flow relief to support government priorities," the president's media office said in the statement. Ecuador also managed to reduce certain applicable interest rates and suspend all amortizations with China Eximbank for a six-month grace period, the government said. The loans were agreed during the government of former President Rafael Correa, while several were linked to long-term oil sales contracts with Chinese companies. The agreements also involve freeing up certain amounts of exports to Chinese oil company CNPC under oil-backed contracts, allowing Ecuador to sell an unspecified quantity of oil at market prices, the statement said. State-owned energy company Petroecuador reached an agreement with Petrochina last week on a number of crude oil deliveries. Since taking office last May, Lasso has turned to multilateral organizations for financing to reactivate Ecuador's economy, which was battered by the coronavirus pandemic, and renegotiated a $6.5 billion credit agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which ends this year. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Monday that Lasso had announced a deal to with China to restructure $4.4 billion worth of debt. Story continues China is the world's second-largest economy and the biggest bilateral creditor globally, but discloses little about lending conditions or how it renegotiates with borrowers in distress. The poorest countries face $35 billion in debt-service payments to official and private sector creditors in 2022, with over 40% of the total due to China, according to World Bank data. Zambia and Sri Lanka are also seeking debt relief from China. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito and Jahnavi Nidumolu in BengaluruWriting by Oliver GriffinEditing by Lincoln Feast.) NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. Lockheed Martin has eight completed F-35 fighters it is waiting to ship to the U.S. military after the discovery of a Chinese alloy in the aircraft prompted the Defense Department to halt further deliveries. In an interview with Defense News on Tuesday, Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martins executive vice president for aeronautics, said the company has continued to build F-35s while it awaits a waiver from the department allowing deliveries to resume. Ulmer said it would take about a month or two of building undelivered F-35s before the company would run out of space to store the finished fighters. But he added that Lockheed does not think it will reach that point and expects the department to issue the waiver sooner rather than later. Theres quite a bit of room locally, so I dont necessarily see that as an issue, Ulmer said at the Air Force Associations Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. My belief is we would get through the waiver before that. The Pentagon on Sept. 7 announced it had temporarily halted F-35 deliveries after it was discovered a magnet one part of a key Honeywell-made component in the aircrafts engine was made with a cobalt and samarium alloy that came from China. This raised concerns that the magnet may violate the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the F-35 Joint Program Office ordered the Defense Contract Management Agency to stop accepting F-35s for the time being. The JPO said earlier this month the part does not transmit information, nor jeopardize the security or flight safety of the aircraft. Ulmer said Lockheed Martin is working with its network of subcontractors to find out how the Chinese alloy entered its supply chain for years. Lockheed has long had a process under which subcontractors and even their subcontractors deliver certificates of conformance verifying the origins of the parts and materials they deliver, Ulmer said. But at some point it failed, he added. Story continues Were doing our homework and diagnostics to go [review the process] all the way down the chain, to figure out where in the chain it broke, Ulmer said. Thatll help inform us what we need to do to change the approach, not just from an F-35 perspective but, more broadly, relative to our supply chain. Ulmer said he has no reason to believe someone in the process deliberately obfuscated the origin of the material, but that the investigation will continue. In a roundtable with reporters at the conference later on Tuesday, Andrew Hunter, the Air Forces assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said issues like this and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the complexity of the supply chain networks on which the Defense Department relies. That alloy was something that should never have been in our supply chain, and it should have been detected much earlier, Hunter said. These supply chains are not static. So it does require constant vigilance to make sure that our supply chains are resilient, they are secure, and that we know where stuff is coming from and whether theyre compliant. A former elementary school principal arrested last October on aggravated assault charges entered a plea deal in Orange County court. According to court records, Kimrey Sheehan will serve 18 months of probation in a plea deal with prosecutors on Sept. 8. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< As part of the agreement, prosecutors dropped the more serious charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and agreed to let Sheehan plead no contest to two charges of disorderly conduct and one charge of reckless driving. Sheehan, the former principal at Hunters Creek Elementary School, was arrested on Oct. 26 in connection with a July incident during which she almost hit three people with her car while they were walking their dogs. Read: With both middle fingers up: Elementary school principal arrested after neighborhood dispute When the men told investigators they were walking their dogs on Hart Branch Circle, near Narcoossee Road and State Road 417, just after 6 p.m, they heard a car engine revving loudly. The report said that when the men turned in the direction of the noise they saw a black BMW driving toward them at high speed. Read: Driver and student taken to hospital after car slams into school bus in Daytona Beach One of the men said they jumped out of the way of the car, fearing they would be hit and that as the car passed, he could see the driver, later identified as Sheehan, with both middle fingers up. Deputies said that when they tried to speak to Sheehan at her home, they were met by a man, claiming to be her husband, who said Sheehan was asleep, and he would not wake her up. Read: Texas sheriff opens investigation into DeSantis role in flying migrants to Marthas Vineyard Sheehan was relieved of duty immediately following her arrest and later retired from her position with Orange County schools. 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. Prince Harry was seen puffing out his cheeks as he left the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan Markle, were seen leaving St Georges Chapel in Windsor Monday afternoon after the service for the late monarch. Other royals, including King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, were also pictured leaving the venue. The late monarch was buried with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a service conducted by the Dean of Windsor in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The burial was not televised. Her casket was placed alongside those of her late husband, Prince Philip and her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Earlier on Monday, Harry joined other royals and thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries at Westminster Abbey for the late monarchs funeral service. Prince Harry was also pictured being emotional during the procession and inside the church. The Duchess of Sussex was also seen wiping away tears at the ceremony. At the conclusion of the service, the Duchess of Sussex was seen standing outside Westminster Abbey alongside Queen Consort Camilla and Kate, the Princess of Wales. The latter was joined by her and Prince Williams two oldest children, Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven. Meghan caught her nieces eye and was seen giving a comforting smile. During the service, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also appeared to comfort each other as they sat in the second row while holding hands. The Queens state funeral on Monday was the culmination of a 10-day mourning period, which consisted of several events honouring the Queens legacy since her passing on Thursday 8 September. A shortage of mustard has even French citizens road-tripping and queuing up to try to get their hands on a jar of quality Dijon, Germany public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reported. Theres no mustard to be found in the supermarkets. At least no Dijon mustard, retired schoolteacher Cecile Martin told DW. Martin said she drove from northern France to the mustard producing region of Dijon in an attempt to get a coveted jar of the condiment. Its really hard to imagine French cuisine without it, she added. Dijon mustard is made by grinding up brown mustard seeds with wine both of which are currently encountering climate-induced shortages. Canadas brown mustard seed harvest which accounts for 80 percent of French supply fell by half in 2021 as climate change worsened heat waves, DW reported. To make matters worse, local French production fell as well due to a warm winter. And climate change is also leading to heat, floods, fire and hail that are threatening or even destroying global wine grape yields, The Guardian reported. With the pungent condiment in short supply, French cooks are trying to adapt. We try and make fewer dishes based on mustard. Weve adapted our cooking to use less of it, chef Guillame Royer told DW. We try and replace mustard often with a spice, or another dressing or some lemon juice or citrus fruit juice to compensate, Royer added. Over the longer term, however, the solution lies in diversity of supply, including more local production, according to Burgundy Mustard Association president Luc Vandermaesen. We cant put all our eggs in one basket, Vandermaesen told DW. Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Were Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin. Send us tips and feedback. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here. Today well visit Puerto Rico, where the lights are still off as Hurricane Fiona continues its path across the Caribbean. Then well see why water pollution left the population of Flint, Mich., with a follow-on epidemic of PTSD. Finally, well look at how extreme weather in the United States has put global food security back by at least two years. Story continues Most of Puerto Rico still without power post-Fiona About 80 percent of Puerto Ricos population still lacked power on Tuesday, after Hurricane Fiona swept through the island over the weekend and into Monday, AccuWeather reported. Electricity and economic losses: As most of Puerto Rico waited in the dark, AccuWeather estimated that Fionas economic toll on residents would amount to about $10 billion. About 1.2 million customers out of 1.47 million had no power on Tuesday, AccuWeather reported, citing data from PowerOutage.US. Updates, exact numbers and restoration timelines are not available, according to the site, which aggregates live power outages from U.S. utilities. Deadly storm: Officials have thus far attributed four deaths in the northern Caribbean to the storm, AccuWeather reported. Puerto Rican authorities linked one death to Fiona itself a man swept away by the rains and a second to faulty generator use. A third fatality occurred in the Dominican Republic after a tree fell on a man, AccuWeather reported, citing local Spanish-language media. Another individual died in Guadeloupe due to flooding, prior to Fionas arrival in Puerto Rico, according to Reuters. A far-ranging trajectory: After battering Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic through Monday, Fiona strengthened into a Category 3 storm overnight before careening across the island chain Turks and Caicos, AccuWeather reported. Fiona was next expected to make an ominously close pass by Bermuda on Thursday night, before speeding up toward Newfoundland and Labrador, The Washington Post reported. Devastation persists in Puerto Rico: Fionas fury struck while Puerto Rico was still struggling to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid five years ago, according to The Associated Press. Unclear when the power will be back: Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) did not say how long it would take to restore power on the island but indicated that for most customers it would be a question of days, the AP reported. For now, residents wait: LUMA Energy, which operates Puerto Ricos grid, said on Monday that its crews were working with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and private producers to increase generation, according to Reuters. Since Hurricane Maria, the electricity authority and the state government have been mired in bankruptcy, while the islands finances have been administered by a federally appointed oversight board. The power company said on Monday that it had restored power to more than 100,000 households, but that full restoration could take several days, according to Reuters. PTSD, depression plague Flint years after crisis One in 4 adults surveyed in Flint, Mich., were experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) five years after enduring a citywide a water disaster, a new study has found. PTSD and depression persist: The disaster in question, which became known as the Flint water crisis, was a 2014 lead contamination debacle in which the neurotoxicant infected an entire citys water supply. Years later, residents were still reeling from the events. In addition to those suffering from PTSD, 1 in 5 individuals polled had clinical depression, according to the study, published in JAMA Network Open on Tuesday. A continuing crisis: The mental health burden of Americas largest public-works environmental disaster clearly continues for many adults in Flint, first author Aaron Reuben, a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University, said in a statement. Citywide effects: The Flint water crisis began in April 2014, when the city of Flints drinking water source changed from Detroits water network to the adjacent Flint River. Because that resource was not properly treated, corrosive river water damaged the citys pipes leading to the discharge of pollutants into Flints drinking water system. Nearly all Flint residents were exposed to bacteria, disinfection byproducts and lead, which has toxic effects on the nervous system, the study authors noted. The crisis didnt end there: Flint returned to Detroits water system a year and a half later, but the citys drinking water was not declared lead-free until January of 2017, according to the researchers. Troubling findings: The researchers surveyed 1,970 adults from Flint between August 2019 and April 2020 collecting data on perceived exposure to contaminated water, as well as the development of PTSD and depression in the past year. They found that 480 people (24.4 percent) met the criteria for PTSD, while 435 individuals (22.1 percent) met the criteria for past-year depression. And 276 respondents (14 percent) met the criteria for both disorders. But mental health services were minimal: The vast majority of our respondents were never offered mental health services, Reuben said. Only 685 respondents (34.8 percent) were ever offered such treatment services, and 79.3 percent of those who were offered the services never utilized them, according to the study. To read more about these findings, please click here for the full story. World two years behind on food supply It will take at least two years of good harvests in the Western Hemisphere to ease global food instability and quell surging prices, senior agribusiness executives told The Wall Street Journal. Tough times: When it comes to the global food-supply situation, I think things are going to continue to be tight for the time being, said Werner Baumann, chief executive of Bayer. A disappointing U.S. grain harvest is driving a larger global downturn and grain production, according to a September report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDAs Economic Research Service downgraded its estimate of both soybean and corn harvests by 3 percent. On a local scale, those losses may be even more dramatic South Dakotas grain outlook has dropped by 25 percent. Climate and conflict fuel disruption: In the US, extremes of wet and dry led to slumping harvests, the Journal reported. In the U.S. breadbasket of the Great Plains, drought cut into harvest yields that would already have been smaller than usual after spring planting was delayed by unseasonal rains. In South America and particularly in key commodity producer Brazil persistent cycles of heat, freeze, drought and flood have also slashed harvests. Then theres the war: While Ukraine saw grain exports fall to 40 percent of normal levels between March and August, though those numbers are beginning to creep back up, the Journal reported. A July grain export deal with Russia raised Ukraines exports closer to 60 percent. September could see Ukraine reach as much as 90 percent its usual output, Juan Luciano, CEO of Archer Daniels Midland, told investors earlier this month. But supplies are still tight: U.S. exports fell by 2 million tons this year straining global food supplies, according to the USDA. In a separate September report, the USDA estimated that 1.3 billion people around the world didnt have reliable access to food up 10 percent from its estimates at the same time last year. Conflict, climate change fuel coal demand Soaring coal prices in Europe are pushing up production in Tanzania and Madagascar countries once considered too remote for their coal to be worth exporting beyond East Africa, Reuters reported. Changing bets: Europes looming energy drought and the soaring price of gas, the continents preferred energy source for the last decade has changed both economic and climate calculations, according to Reuters. Commodities giant Cargill transported 9 million tons of coal between June and August. Thats 28 percent more than last year. Maritime coal shipments hit their highest level in July a fact that spells trouble for global climate commitments. European players, after the Russian war, are going to any place where there is coal. They are offering to pay very good prices, Rizwan Ahmed of Tanzanian coal mining firm Bluesky Minings told Reuters. Climate coal connection: The situation facing China illustrates the paradox of a surge in coal demand versus an increasingly climate-concerned world. The Peoples Republicimported its highest levels of coal in five years, as utility operators struggled to meet the air conditioning demands of record heat waves, Reuters reported. While coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel, with the highest amount of greenhouse gas emissions, it is unmatched as a source of on-demand power that is easily shipped, stored and burned using existing infrastructure. That means its a perfect short-term fix for the unprecedented heat that scorched China this summer even if burning it ultimately worsens global heating, Reuters reported. Transport Tuesday Amazon seeks to power its deliveries with electrofuels, a Quebec-based lithium mine could drop electric vehicle costs and the Navajo Nation gets the beginnings of an electric school bus fleet. Amazon fleet to get infusion of electrofuels next year Amazon-backed startup Infinium announced on Tuesday that it would provide low-carbon electrofuels to the e-commerce sites trucking fleet next year, Reuters reported. Electrofuels fuels powered by carbon waste and renewables could reduce Amazons emissions on about 5 million miles of travel per year, Infinium told Reuters. North Americas second lithium mine readies for opening A Quebec-based lithium mine set to open by 2023 would be just the second North American source of the critical mineral potentially helping drive down the cost of electric vehicles from a current average of $66,000, The New York Times reported. But like other new mines in planning across the continent, the Quebec site has sparked concern as to whether it will yield sufficient resources to budge prices, according to the Times. Navajo Nation school district gets electric buses The Navajo Nations largest school district has received the first of three electric buses, in a move to become more energy and financially efficient, Phoenix area station KTAR-FM reported. Chinle Unified School District serves 3,300 students in eight schools, including the biggest reservation high school in the U.S., according to KTAR-FM. Please visit The Hills Sustainability section online for the web version of this newsletter and more stories. Well see you tomorrow. VIEW FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) A spokesman for Tigrayan authorities said Tuesday that Eritrea has launched a full-scale offensive along the country's border with northern Ethiopia in what appears to be an escalation of last month's renewal of fighting. The Eritreans are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces, including commando units, as well as allied militia, said Getachew Reda. Eritrea is deploying its entire army as well as reservists. Our forces are heroically defending their positions, he said on Twitter. It was not immediately possible to obtain a comment from authorities in Ethiopia or Eritrea, which lies north of Tigray. Britain and Canada issued travel advisories last week telling their citizens in Eritrea to be vigilant after authorities there called up citizens to report for military duty. Eritrean forces fought on the side of Ethiopian federal troops in Tigray when war started in November 2020. Eritrean forces were implicated in some of the worst atrocities committed in the conflict charges they deny. The war reignited in August after a lull in fighting earlier this year. The conflict is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and left millions without basic services for well over a year. Inside Tigray, millions of residents are still largely cut off from the world. Communications and banking services are severed, and their restoration has been a key demand in mediation efforts. Motley Fool As they enter the final quarter of calendar year 2022, many investors are probably wondering when the sell-off will end. This year has tested the patience of even the most experienced investors as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is down over 30% from its all-time high while the S&P 500 remains down over 20%. Brandon Armstrong and Jordin Sparks. ABC/Eric McCandless Season 31 of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" premiered Monday on Disney+. This season's celebrity performers include Charli D'Amelio, Selma Blair, Jordin Sparks, and Vinny Guadagnino. D'Amelio and partner Mark Ballas took home the top score, earning 32 out of 40 for their cha-cha. SAFE: Vinny Guadagnino and partner Koko Iwasaki scored 17 out of 40 for their salsa to Bad Bunny's "Titi Me Pregunto." Koko Iwasaki and Vinny Guadagnino perform during the season 31 premiere of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless While the duo had the lowest score of the evening, they ultimately made it through to next week. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Guadagnino, of "Jersey Shore" fame, that he had "presence" but let Iwasaki "do all the work." ELIMINATED: Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd earned 18 out of 40 for their cha-cha to "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, which wasn't enough to save them. Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd perform during the season 31 premiere of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless "It's week one so it can only get better," judge Derek Hough said of the duo's routine. After landing in the bottom two, however, Lewis and Murgatroyd were eliminated. SAFE: Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov got sultry with their tango to "We Found Love" by Rihanna, earning a 20 out of 40. Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov on the season 31 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless The duo landed in the bottom two, but ultimately advanced to the next round after the judges saved them. Judge Bruno Tonioli told Giudice to use her "passion" and "fire" when she danced, and Inaba advised the former "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star to "take up space." SAFE: Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke also received a 20 out of 40 for their foxtrot to Elton John and Britney Spears' "Hold Me Closer." Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke dance the foxtrot during the season 31 premiere of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless All four of the judges awarded Champion and Burke fives for their performance, with Hough telling the weathercaster that he had timing issues. Despite landing in the bottom three, the pair were able to advance to the next round. SAFE: Jessie James Decker and Alan Bernstein's cha-cha to "Sweet Home Alabama" earned them a 20 out of 40 as well. Jessie James Decker and Alan Bernstein perform during the season 31 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless Several judges told James that she should work on improving her leg movements. SAFE: Cheryl Ladd and Louis Van Amstel received a 21 out of 40 for their spirited cha-cha to Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up." Story continues Louis Van Amstel and Cheryl Ladd perform during the season 31 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless "Cheryl Ladd has swagger," Inaba said of the performance, while Tonioli encouraged the "Charlie's Angels" star to "release her devil." SAFE: Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater performed a quickstep to "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol. The judges also gave them a 21 out of 40. Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater dance a quickstep on the season 31 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless Tonioli told Donovan that he "has the talent," and Inaba echoed his statement, saying: "Do not be afraid of dancing, because you can dance." SAFE: Joseph Baena and Dani Karagach's jive to "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas garnered them a 21 out of 40 from the judges, too. Joseph Baena and Dani Karagach perform during the season 31 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." ABC/Eric McCandless The judges had plenty of encouragement for Baena, a fitness influencer who's the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his former housekeeper, Mildred. Tonioli told Baena that he was "charming" and had "good musicality," while Inaba called the 24-year-old "fascinating to watch." SAFE: Heidi D'Amelio and her partner Artem Chigvintsev's cha-cha to "Lady Marmalade" earned them a 24 out of 40. Heidi D'Amelio and Artem Chigvintsev. ABC/Eric McCandless Inaba told the "D'Amelio Show" matriarch Heidi that "mama got the moves" and the other judges encouraged her to work on her confidence. SAFE: Jordin Sparks danced a "precise" cha-cha to a Whitney Houston classic with her partner Brandon Armstrong and earned a 26 out of 40. Brandon Armstrong and Jordin Sparks. ABC/Eric McCandless The former "American Idol" winner danced to her late friend Houston's hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Head judge Len Goodman described their cha-cha as "clean," "clear" and "precise." SAFE: "Coda" star Daniel Durant impressed everyone with a tango to "Barbara Streisand" by Duck Sauce that earned him a 27 out of 40. Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant. ABC/Eric McCandless Durant, who is deaf, picked a song with a strong bass so he could feel the music. The judges said he had a fantastic frame and Tonioli called him a "magnetic" performer. SAFE: A tango to The Pussycat Dolls' hit "When I Grow Up" earned Shangela a 28 out of 40 as she made history with partner Gleb Savchenko. Gleb Savchenko and Shangela. ABC/Eric McCandless Shangela is making history on season 31 as the first drag performer on the show. "You were totally in charge," Tonioli said of the performance. SAFE: Selma Blair also received a 28 out of 40 for her Viennese Waltz to David Cook's "Time Of My Life" with partner Sasha Farber. Sasha Farber and Selma Blair. ABC/Eric McCandless Inaba told the "Cruel Intentions" star, "you danced that like a true artist," and Hough's only comment was that he wished the dance went on longer. SAFE: "Bachelorette" star Gabby Windey was one of three celebs to get a 28 out of 40 with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy for their jive to a Harry Styles hit. Val Chmerkovskiy and Gabby Windey. ABC/Eric McCandless The reality star's technique was praised by all of the judges after she jived to the Harry Styles hit "As It Was." "First jive, first class," said Tonioli. SAFE: Wayne Brady's cha-cha to "She's A Bad Mama Jama" earned him and his partner Witney Carson second place on the leaderboard and a 29 out of 40. Witney Carson and Wayne Brady. ABC/Eric McCandless Inaba told Brady he "owned the floor" and the judges advised he work on balancing performance with his skills. SAFE: TikTok star Charli D'Amelio topped the leaderboard with partner Mark Ballas and her score of 32 out of 40. She danced to "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion. Charli D'Amelio and Mark Ballas. ABC/Eric McCandless Charli and her mom Heidi are making "DWTS" history as the first mother-daughter duo to compete against each other on the show. The TikToker out-danced everyone and earned the highest score of the night. "You are such a nuanced performer," said Inaba. Read the original article on Insider Republicans are growing more concerned that President Trump could be a drag and not a help in tight midterm races that will determine the majorities in the House and Senate. Trump remains overwhelmingly popular among Republican voters, but hes just as unpopular with Democrats, and there is a growing body of evidence that he is losing more support from independent swing voters as he grapples with a slew of investigations. A new NBC News poll released Sunday found just 34 percent of registered voters said they have a positive view of Trump, compared to 54 percent who said they have a negative view of him. Thats the lowest Trump has polled in NBCs survey since April 2021. While Trump has defended himself since the FBI conducted a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified records, the controversy appears to be hurting him. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in late August found half of Americans think Trump should be prosecuted over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House, including 52 percent of independent voters. An NPR-Marist poll released on Sept. 7 found 67 percent of independents say they dont want him to run for president again. And in another indictment of Trumps standing with moderate voters, a New York Times-Siena survey conducted earlier in September found him trailing President Biden in a hypothetical rematch by 3 percentage points, despite just 39 percent of independents in that poll saying they approve of Bidens job performance. These candidates have to fight kind of two-fold battles, said John Thomas, a Republican strategist. Can you move your base turnout margin ever so slightly? I think Trump has utility there. And can you win with independent swing voters on issues that arent Trump-related? Trump wont be on the ballot this fall, but hes closely associated with GOP Senate candidates Herschel Walker, Blake Masters, J.D. Vance and Mehmet Oz, all of whom got across the finish line in their respective Senate primaries with the former presidents support. Story continues Senate candidate JD Vance, left, greets former President Donald Trump. As a result, its possible those candidates could be hurt by Trump as they seek to move to the middle for the general election. Trump, who held a rally in Ohio on Saturday for Vance, pushed back strongly at any suggestion he isnt helping GOP candidates. He also held a recent rally in Pennsylvania and plans to hold similar events in Michigan and North Carolina. Both J.D. Vance and Dr. Oz asked me to do big Rallies for them in Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively, and I did, Trump wrote in a post over the weekend on Truth Social, his nascent social media platform. The Pennsylvania Rally was a massive success, packed with great American Patriots, and the Ohio Rally is a likewise sold out juggernaut Look at the massive crowds, Trump wrote. Both candidates wanted this and I, as usual, delivered, Trump continued. ALL Republican candidates want Rallies. Without the Rallies and, even more importantly, the Endorsements, most would lose. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, left, is joined by former President Donald Trump at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, left, is joined by former President Donald Trump at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. A former Trump campaign aide argued Trumps value depends on the state, pointing to Ohio and Georgia as redder states where he helped earn Vance and Walker the nomination and could make a difference in a general election. But in more purple states such as Arizona, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the former aide acknowledged, Trump could ultimately be more of a drag. One GOP strategist in Arizona expressed skepticism about whether Kari Lake and Blake Masters, the Republican gubernatorial and Senate candidates, respectively, would be able to expand their appeal beyond hardcore Trump voters to win in a state that sent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) to Washington and narrowly backed Biden in 2020. Theres no doubt Trump is popular with the GOP base, and few Republicans will want to send any signals of criticism toward him. A USA Today-Ipsos poll in late August found Trump had an 81 percent approval rating within the Republican Party. J.D. is kissing my ass. He wants my support, Trump said in Ohio on Saturday, arguing that wouldnt be the case if he were politically toxic. But Republican candidates will have to overcome a trend of Trump voters failing to turn out in droves when the former president is not on the ballot. Enthusiasm for Trump carried him to the White House in 2016 and earned him more than 74 million votes in 2020. Republican turnout dipped in 2018 without Trump on the ticket, and the party lost its House majority. Trump was again not on the ticket in early 2021 when two Georgia Senate seats went to Democrats in runoff elections. Some Republican candidates who hugged Trump closely in primary races have already tried to pivot away from the former president on certain issues, especially around the 2020 election. Dan Bolduc, a GOP Senate candidate in New Hampshire who insisted as recently as August that Biden was illegitimately elected in 2020, made a complete reversal after winning his primary last week, telling Fox News he had concluded after talking to voters the election was not stolen. Bolduc won his New Hampshire primary last week. Oz, who with the help of Trumps endorsement emerged from a crowded primary field in Pennsylvanias Senate race, said earlier this month he would have voted to certify Bidens victory. Trump and many of his supporters remain outraged that then-Vice President Mike Pence certified the Electoral College results on Jan. 6, 2021. Biden won New Hampshire in 2020 by roughly 60,000 votes, and he won Pennsylvania by roughly 80,000 votes. Democrats have been happy to take advantage of Trumps prominent role in the midterm elections, believing his lack of appeal with independent voters and the cloud of investigations hanging over him make it possible to turn the vote into a referendum on the former president rather than the current one. In a memo late last week, Nevin Nayak, president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, wrote that so-called MAGA Republicans, or those who are part of Trumps Make America Great Again movement, have turned off voters with extreme views on abortion, election security and other issues. With the primary season having concluded the general election is officially upon us, Nayak wrote. The dangerous MAGA agenda is giving voters a very clear choice this November and thats causing major headaches for the Republican Party. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Marilyn Flynn, 83, second from left, walks into U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, escorted by her attorneys Vicki Podberesky, left, and Brian Hennigan, second from right. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) For more than two decades leading USC's social work school, Marilyn Flynn seemed like the model university dean. She launched a unique program on military social work and secured millions of dollars in congressional appropriations for research on veterans and their families. She made USC the first university to offer a master's degree in social work online, using generous scholarships to secure high-profile students like Rep. Karen Bass. Under her tenure, enrollment grew from about 500 to 3,500 making USC the largest social work program in the world. USC's former provost praised Flynn as "innovative and entrepreneurial." Flynn described herself as an institution builder who helped bring "novel, disregarded or even forbidden possibilities to prominence." But that quest for growth led to a litany of problems: a financial crisis, aggressive recruitment of students, diluted academic standards and a corruption scandal involving one of L.A. County's most powerful politicians. Flynn, 83, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of bribery, admitting that in her desire to secure the renewal of an L.A. County contract for USC's online mental health clinic, she had agreed to route money from then-Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to his son's newly formed nonprofit. Appearing in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Flynn said that she accepted $100,000 from Ridley-Thomas' political campaign and in turn had USC transfer the money to his son's group a scheme that prevented it from "being publicly known that the money came from him." Flynn said that Ridley-Thomas knew she wanted her contract for USC's telehealth clinic approved, and that she needed the green light of a high-ranking L.A. County official to seal the deal. Flynn said she agreed to route the money for Ridley-Thomas because "implicitly, I understood" that he would help her set up that meeting. After Flynn recounted her conduct, U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer asked, "How do you plead?" Story continues "I plead guilty," the former dean replied. Vicki Podberesky, one of Flynn's defense attorneys, said federal prosecutors had initiated contact in recent weeks to negotiate the plea deal. As part of the agreement, prosecutors will recommend at sentencing scheduled for March 2023 that Flynn be punished with home confinement and a fine of no more than $150,000. Under the terms, she is not required to testify or cooperate. "What drove Dean Flynn is not personal benefit or reward or personal gain," Podberesky said. "Everything benefited the community and USC and social work and people who are suffering." Citing the pandemic's impact on healthcare and the wider adoption of virtual appointments, Podberesky called her client a "visionary," adding, "Telehealth has turned out to be quite an important tool for all of us." Flynn had faced multiple counts in what prosecutors characterized as a complex corruption conspiracy involving Ridley-Thomas. A trial for the pair was scheduled Nov. 15. Both were alleged to be in a quid pro quo that involved Flynn routing the $100,000 for Ridley-Thomas but also working to admit his son, Sebastian, and provide him with a full-tuition scholarship and hire him as a professor. In return, prosecutors say, Ridley-Thomas pushed through favorable and lucrative county contracts sought by Flynn. Flynn's plea strikes a blow to Ridley-Thomas' reputation, with his co-defendant now admitting to joining a bribery scheme in which both had an "implicit" understanding. But the guilty plea also accomplishes what Ridley-Thomas' lawyers had unsuccessfully sought earlier this summer, when they filed a motion to sever the case and have the two separately go before a jury. Without Flynn at the defense table next to Ridley-Thomas, the trial later this year will probably be narrower in scope, with less testimony about the inner workings of USC and more centered on the vast bureaucracy of L.A. County. But prosecutors could still introduce evidence related to Bass (D-Los Angeles), now a front-runner for mayor. The congresswoman accepted a full scholarship from Flynn in 2011 during her first term in office and later proposed legislation with "input" from the dean. The U.S. attorney's office in L.A. said earlier this month that Bass was not "a target or a subject of our offices investigation." When Ridley-Thomas sought to separate his case from Flynn's, his lawyers argued that the Bass scholarship predated the charges in the case and was unrelated to him. Prosecutors countered by saying that evidence of Bass' scholarship "would be admissible at a severed trial," showing the wider context of alleged corruption. "Limiting instructions are more than sufficient to counsel the jury about how it should consider that evidence," prosecutors wrote in a July court filing. Ridley-Thomas' lawyers said in a statement Monday that the agreement signed by Flynn makes "erroneous assumptions" about their client's thoughts and objectives in dealing with USC. "Councilman Ridley-Thomas continues to maintain his innocence regarding the misguided charges levied against him by the government. While Ms. Flynn accepted a plea deal, that in no way means Mr. Ridley-Thomas intends to accept a plea deal," said Galia Amram, one of his defense attorneys. We look forward to our day in court and to clearing Councilman Ridley-Thomas good name a name that his constituents have respected and relied upon for decades. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Senators Warren And Murray Hold News Conference On Abortion Rights Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks about abortion rights during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol building on June 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. Credit - Joe RaedleGetty Images Senate Democrats are asking the countrys largest network of anti-abortion pregnancy centers to provide information about how the organization gathers, protects, and shares the personal data of pregnant people who seek out its services, spotlighting concerns that the data could be used in abortion-related prosecutions. The letter, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and first reported by TIME, requests a response from the anti-abortion organization Heartbeat International by Oct. 3. Anti-abortion pregnancy centers, sometimes called crisis pregnancy centers, have proliferated in recent years. Even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer, there were more than 2,500 such centers across the U.S., outnumbering abortion clinics 3 to 1. While the centers often look similar to medical facilities, they are typically faith-based and aim to dissuade people from having abortions by offering counseling and resources such as free pregnancy tests, baby clothes, diapers, and parenting classes. More from TIME A recent TIME investigation into the pregnancy centers found that they have collected vast troves of sensitive personal information about their clients that legal experts say pose a major privacy risk, especially as more states criminalize abortion. Despite presenting themselves in ways that evoke medical clinics and asking clients to sign intake forms that look like those someone might find at a doctors office, these crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are typically not licensed medical facilities. Their forms and websites often contain fine print that explain they are not bound by federal privacy laws and can share client information with a range of other partners and organizations. Now, citing TIMEs story in their letter, Warren and six other Democrats including Senators Mazie Hirono, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, and Richard Blumenthal, want to further examine the centers handling of this data. Story continues Read More: Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers Are Collecting Troves of Data That Could Be Weaponized Against Women After luring pregnant peoplemany in desperate situationsto affiliate CPC facilities by using a variety of false and misleading tactics, Heartbeat International then collects a significant amount of their personal health care information, which in many cases does not appear to be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Senators wrote in their letter. We fear that, in the wake of the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that stripped women of their right to an abortion, this information may be used to put womens health and freedom to choose in jeopardy, and to put them and their health care providers at risk of criminal penalties. Heartbeat International, which has 1,800 affiliates in the U.S., uses a data collection system that categorizes women seeking help at its centers based on how likely they are to get an abortion, and runs a 24-hour hotline and online chatbot that require visitors to provide their name, location, demographic information, and what they plan to do with their pregnancy. This is naked politics intended not to help women but to influence elections, Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey said in a statement on Sept. 20 in response to the letter. What we do is safe, secure, and legal. Heartbeat has been providing help for more than fifty years and never once did we receive any of these questions or concerns until recently, and then from those with a clear abortion agenda. Its politics, and we regret only that its a distraction to our important work of helping women find alternatives to abortion. The organization previously told TIME that it protects its clients privacy. That data is secure, Heartbeat International spokeswoman Andrea Trudden said in June. Any information that we publish and pull is just numbers, so were not looking at any of that [personal] information. But Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates note that the situation presents conflicts of interest. Heartbeat International filed an amicus brief encouraging the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and then celebrated the Courts decision doing so, which has allowed a wave of laws criminalizing abortion to take effect. In the months since, the anti-abortion movement has doubled down on its investment in crisis pregnancy centers. Some centers have opened new locations while others have reported increases in visitors, and Heartbeat International has said it expects its centers to be busier in the future. Now is the time for us to step up and be ready to help more moms, Godsey said in a video after the Dobbs decision. More and more women are going to need the help that pregnancy help centers and pregnancy help organizations are there to provide. The letter is the latest example of congressional Democrats trying to protect digital privacy and other issues that could affect abortion access following the Dobbs ruling. Even if people have not interacted with an anti-abortion pregnancy center explicitly collecting information about their pregnancy plans, privacy experts warn that everything from internet search history to location data to text messages and phone records could be used as evidence by those seeking to prosecute people who have abortions or help facilitate them. In response to these concerns, Democratic lawmakers have introduced a number of bills promoting digital privacy reform. The My Body, My Data Act, for example, would create a national privacy standard for reproductive health data collected by apps, cell phones, search engines and potentially entities like pregnancy centers. Another bill, the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation (SAD) Act, aims to crack down on misleading advertising by anti-abortion pregnancy centers, and the Health and Location Data Protection Act seeks to ban data brokers from selling or transferring individuals medical and other sensitive personal information. While some of these bills have gotten attention from Democrats as more states have banned abortion, none are likely to pass while Democrats hold slim majorities in Congress. Democrats in the House passed legislation that would codify broader abortion rights protections, but that bill has repeatedly failed to make it through the Senate. Lawmakers note that these fears are not hypothetical. This summer, prosecutors in Nebraska charged a mother and daughter over a self-managed abortion in a case where police obtained their Facebook messages through a search warrant. In 2017, prosecutors used internet searches for abortion drugs as evidence against a Mississippi woman charged with the death of her fetus, and in 2015, a woman was convicted of child neglect and feticide after prosecutors examined text messages about abortion pills. Advocates worry cases like these could become increasingly common now that abortion is more severely restricted in many states. There have already been alarming cases where digital trails were used as evidence by prosecutors, and we are concerned that the lack of transparency and lack of protection will allow the data Heartbeat International and its affiliates collect to be used in pregnancy- and abortion-related prosecutions, the Senators wrote in the new letter. Some of the Senators who have signed on to the Heartbeat International letter have already seen results from similar efforts. After Warren and other Democrats wrote to two data brokers this spring, those companies, SafeGraph and Placer.ai, committed to stop selling the location data of people who visit abortion clinics. Another group of Senators also wrote to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in May asking what steps it was taking to protect data privacy, and in August, the FTC sued data broker Kochava for allegedly selling information that could be used to track people who visited places like abortion clinics and domestic violence shelters. (Kochava said in a statement on Sept. 20 that it operates legally and that it has introduced a new feature to block location data around sensitive sites. Kochava operates consistently and proactively in compliance with all rules and laws, including those specific to privacy, Brian Cox, general manager of the Kochava Collective, said.) Republic Airways said that its plan could help tackle the pilot shortage. AP Photo/Jenny Kane The FAA blocked Republic Airways' request to cut the number of hours first officers need to fly for training. Republic Airways said the proposal would help address the pilot shortage, but the FAA disagreed. The FAA said in a denial exemption that Republic's request "would adversely affect safety." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has refused to allow a US regional airline to employ first officers with less experience amid a shortage because it believes the move would impact safety. The Associated Press reported the news. Republic Airways, which operates on behalf of American, Delta, and United Airlines, asked the FAA in April for permission to recruit pilots out of its training academy program with a minimum of 750 hours of total flight time. Commercial co-pilots, who are second-in-command but their official title is first officer, are required to fly for at least 1,500 hours before they can serve airlines. Military pilots can qualify with fewer flying hours, however. Republic said in the request that its pilot school would "exceed the safety standards" of military aviation training. According to a denial exemption released on Monday, the FAA disagreed. "The FAA has determined that the relief requested is not in the public interest and would adversely affect safety," per the denial exemption. The FAA said Republic's pilot training cannot be compared with military training programs, per the denial exemption. The agency added the argument that Republic's request would address "a perceived pilot shortage" was "overly simplistic." Republic CEO Bryan Bedford said in a statement to AP that the airline's request would "enhance safety" because it would offer student pilots a "highly structured, mission-specific training approach." He added that the FAA's decision was disappointing but not surprising, per AP. The FAA told Insider in a statement: "The FAA denied a request by Republic Airways to allow the airline to reduce the number of hours needed to become a co-pilot. The agency determined that the airline's new training program does not provide an equivalent level of safety as the regulation requiring 1,500 hours of flight experience before a pilot may work for an airline." Story continues Republic didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of US operating hours. Carriers are struggling to fill their flight schedules because of a shortage of pilots. Insider's Taylor Rains previously reported that airlines are dropping some requirements and trying to cut training hours because they are so desperate to hire more pilots. Read the original article on Business Insider (Reuters) - The death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran's morality police in Tehran has ignited nationwide anger. Here are some facts about the morality police, known as the Gashte Ershad or guidance patrols, tasked with detaining people who violate Iran's conservative dress code in order to "promote virtue and prevent vice". - The morality police, attached to Iran's law enforcement, are tasked with ensuring the respect of Islamic morals as described by the country's top clerical authorities. - The typical unit consists of a van with a mixed male and female crew that patrols or waits at busy public spaces to police non-proper behaviour and dress. - People apprehended by the morality police are either given a notice or, in a few cases, taken to "correctional facilities" or a police station where they are lectured on how to dress or act morally before being released to their male relatives. - Fines are sometimes given, although there is no general rule about pecuniary punishment. - In Islam, hijab refers to what is deemed modest attire. Under Iran's sharia, or Islamic law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. - Decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, clerical rulers still struggle to enforce the law, with many women of all ages and backgrounds wearing tight-fitting, thigh-length coats and brightly coloured scarves pushed back to expose plenty of hair. - The morality police are often made up of and backed by the Basij, a paramilitary force initially mobilized to fight in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. - Basij have a presence in every Iranian university to monitor people's dress and behaviour as higher learning is where Iranian male and females meet for the first time in a mixed educational environment. HISTORY - The fight against "bad hijab" is as old as the Islamic Revolution, which has erected the conservative dressing of women as one of its pillars. Story continues - Over the revolution's early years, the state gradually imposed rules to enforce the wearing of Islamic attire by women. - Buoyed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's claims in favour of hijab after the Shah's fall, revolutionaries took it upon themselves to enforce their leader's positions by attacking unveiled women in the streets and shouting "Woman, wear a veil or eat my hand". - Following several circulars shared by high clerics and ministers, unveiled women were no longer allowed in public buildings and the non-wearing of the veil became punishable by 74 lashes after a 1983 law. - Iran's revolutionary state struggled to control self-styled elements such as the Jundallah group patrolling streets to "combat bad hijab" and decided to institutionalise a morality police. - Under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, state fervour to control dressing and behaviour in public spaces subsided but at the end of his term in 2005, the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution adopted the resolution named "strategies to develop a culture of chastity". - Under Khatami's successor, the ultra-conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the morality police took their current Persian name of Guidance Patrols (Gasht e Ershad) and increased their presence in the streets of Iran's large cities. - The need for a morality police was subsequently debated in the 2009 presidential elections, with reformist candidates calling for the dissolution of the force. However, no action has so far been taken to remove the morality police with many videos shared online of their sometime heavy-handed approach. (Editing by Michael Georgy and Alex Richardson) Associated Press Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told members of the faith on Saturday that abuse was a grievous sin that shouldn't be tolerated and would bring down the wrath of God on perpetrators. Let me be perfectly clear: Any kind of abuse of women, children or anyone is an abomination to the Lord, Nelson, who members of the faith believe is a prophet, said in Salt Lake City at a church conference. The AP's investigation found the hotline the church uses for abuse reporting can be misused by its leaders to divert accusations away from law enforcement and toward church attorneys. Hualun Wang, father of Peng Wang, a cinematography grad student at Chapman University who was killed while making a student film, holds a selfie-portrait of his son. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The family of a cinematographer killed on a USC student film shoot in April has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the prestigious school and two of its students. The parents of Peng Wang, a Chapman University student who died after the off-road vehicle he was in rolled while traversing the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, alleged the university had sanctioned the project and knew that the team would be using off-road vehicles and shooting in the desert, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday. The family is seeking unspecified damages. "We are honored to represent Peng Aaron Wangs parents, and look forward to demonstrating that USC needs to improve the way it manages student films in order to adequately protect young people like Aaron from injury or death," Brian Strange, lawyer to the family said. . USC officials previously suggested that the students had gone rogue in making the short film "Finale," that the school was unaware of any requested or granted approvals to use off-road vehicles and shoot in a remote expanse of desert that is three hours and more than 230 miles from the USC campus. USC was not responsible for Mr. Wangs tragic death. We will be sharing the facts about our robust safety procedures and safety record in court, USC said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Felix Woo and Jason Liang, lawyers for USC students Biangliang Li and Ting Su, respectively, had no comment. The 29-year old's death was a shock to the tight-knit student communities at both Chapman and USC, where memorials for the young Chinese cinematographer were held earlier this year. His death was yet another reminder of the dangers of film shoots and came months after Halyna Hutchins, a rising cinematographer, was accidentally shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsals on the set of the movie "Rust." "Safety should trump everything on student film projects made in fulfillment of USC class requirements," the family said in their suit. "USC has a responsibility to return the people who make its films back to their families intact. USC is liable for its negligent failure to exercise control over, and to ensure safety on, the 'Finale' student film project. That negligence resulted in [Wang's] death and the ensuing damages for which plaintiffs bring suit to recover." Story continues Following Peng Wang's death, his father, Hualun, traveled to Southern California for memorial services this summer and to find out more about his son's accident. Wang, who went by the name of Aaron on campus, died just weeks before the end of his master's in fine arts course. He was awarded the degree posthumously by Chapman, which is in Orange County. His remains were finally laid to rest in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, according to a death certificate. The cause of death was listed as blunt neck trauma as a result of the off-road accident. Wang had joined the USC students to help them complete one of three films they were making as part of a directing class at the film school, according to the suit. The short film called "Finale" was about the hallucinations and death of a man in the desert and was scheduled to film in the Glamis Dunes east of Brawley, Calif. The accident happened around 1 p.m. on April 15, the first day of filming, when the crew, including Wang, were traveling across the sand dunes, according to the complaint. The driver, Li, lost control of the vehicle, which rolled down one of the dunes, the suit stated. Wang, who was sitting in the rear of the vehicle, had been wearing a helmet but not been belted into his seat and was partially ejected during the accident, according to a police report. "An experienced driver, or one with proper training, familiar with the dunes would not have made this obvious error," the family wrote in the court filing. Su had to help Wang put on his helmet because he was unfamiliar with the gear used when traveling off-road, according to the lawsuit. "This should have placed Su and Li on heightened alert regarding [Wang's] lack of familiarity with the proper operation and safety protocols for the [off-road vehicle]," the family said in the suit. At the time of the accident, USC said student films shooting more than 50 miles from campus or involving all-terrain vehicles require specific approvals, but none had been requested or obtained. However, in their lawsuit, the family noted that USC's film school had approved a "student certification" for the film that was submitted on April 5, assigning it a production number. The budget for the film listed charges for the rental of an off-road vehicle, the use of lodging and an RV, and that the film was shooting in the desert. Wang was listed as director of photography. "In other words, the location of the shoot, and the intentions of the students in regard to filming, were open and obvious to the faculty and staff at USC who were in charge of approving the project," Peng Wang's family wrote in their filing. California Highway Patrol officers previously recommended that the Imperial County district attorney bring charges of involuntary vehicular manslaughter against the driver, Li. Mario Vela, senior deputy district attorney, told The Times on Tuesday that he is not going to file charges. "I have reviewed the case, and I found that the suspect did not commit any criminal act," Vela said in an interview. "This was just a terrible accident that unfortunately resulted in a tragedy, but there was no criminal offense committed." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Fashion 4 Development held its second annual sustainable goals banquet Monday night, kicking off a week of social impact events for the fashionable and philanthropic set. Convening world leaders, first ladies, diplomats, philanthropists, climate change activists, entrepreneurs and more, the banquet kicked off with a VIP red carpet and coincided with the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. True to the mission that F4D founder and president Evie Evangelou held when founding the organization in 2011, the platform supports the aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through partnerships, events and social impact-themed programming something fashion has become quite accustomed to in recent years. More from WWD F4D awarded Agents of Change awards to those addressing food security, extreme poverty, education, and those taking action for a healthier planet, preservation of culture and gender equality. Awards went to: Hugh Evans and Simon Moss of charitable music festival Global Citizen, for Impact to End Extreme Poverty. The award was accepted by Liza Henshaw, president of Global Citizen, (celebrating its 10th run this weekend in New York Citys Central Park and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana); Houston-based Texas Biotechnology Inc. for Impact in Food Security with its RezFree product that nurtures soil, accepted by Yunus Dogan, chairman of Texas Biotech; Odessa Rae, filmmaker and producer, CNN documentary film Navalny for Impact Through Film; Richard Kane, chief executive officer of the private jet company Verijet for Green Travel, and Education Above All for Impact Through Education. Mubarak Al-Thani, EAAs head of development, accepted the award on behalf of the foundation, which was founded by Her Royal Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. We have successfully convinced governments to rethink their debts and [prioritize] education, said Al-Thani, upon accepting the award. The EAAs campaigns have reached 11 million people. Story continues Filmmaker Odessa Rae, upon accepting her award, addressed the importance of film to achieve democracy. Her documentary Navalny follows Putin critic Alexei Navalny in his campaign against the Russian president. I think its our responsibility as producers to never underestimate the power of cinema to communicate a message and use that power, she said. Performances were many, starting with a voguing session complete with elaborate glittering costumes (one standout wig being a delicate shrub with flowers) and gilded mannequins throughout the Park Avenue event hall. Dionne Warwick, in a white suit topping a shimmering purple sequined blouse, also performed her 1966 song What the World Needs Now, after playing a recording of the new song Free, written by award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and produced by Warwicks son, Grammy Award-winning producer Damon Elliott. The song is part of the initiative Musicians in the Key of Free, in support of refugees worldwide. Trailing the banquet is the 10th Annual First Ladies Luncheon Tuesday celebrating Ten Decades of Fashion 1920 to 2020, with special remarks by New York State Senator and Fashion Act sponsor Alessandra Biaggi, as well as a film presentation at the Museum of Modern Art Wednesday. In partnership with the Human Kind Institute, the film screening will debut Human Kind based on the book Be Your Own Harmonist by Lola Till. Click here to read the full article. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Justice Department Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ORG XMIT: DCSW325 WASHINGTON Federal authorities unveiled charges against 47 people accused of siphoning $250 million from a coronavirus pandemic relief program designed to provide meals for children in the largest pandemic-related fraud scheme brought so far by the Justice Department. Prosecutors described "a brazen scheme of staggering proportions" that exploited a federally funded program to serve needy children in Minnesota during the pandemic. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger, the chief federal prosecutor in Minnesota, said the suspects used a local nonprofit known as "Feeding Our Future" as cover to claim reimbursements for meals never provided, and allegedly used the federal money to buy luxury cars, houses, jewelry and resort property abroad. More: Iowa businessman charged with fraud, failure to pay over $440,000 in employment taxes "I commend the work of the skilled investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the lies, deception, and mountains of false documentation to bring this complex case to light," Luger said. Attorney General Merrick Garland described the federal action as the most extensive fraud case to emerge from the government's massive pandemic relief effort. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the allegations represented "an egregious plot" led by suspects who "went to great lengths" to divert a quarter-billion dollars to enrich themselves. FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday in Washington, D.C. More: Coronavirus Watch: COVID telehealth fraud cost Medicare $128M in first year The Minnesota nonprofit, according to court documents, redirected money provided by the Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to provide free meals to children in need. Federal prosecutors said the operation allegedly was overseen by Aimee Bock, founder and executive director of the local nonprofit, whose federal aid disbursements dramatically increased from $3.4 million in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. The organization, according to court records, "fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed." Story continues "The defendants created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. The defendants also created shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme," prosecutors said. Prosecutors accused the suspects of submitting false meal counts, fake food purchase invoices and fabricated attendance rosters, some of which were drawn from a website that produces lists of random names. "Because the program only reimbursed for meals served to children, other defendants used a computer formula to insert random ages, between 7 and 17, into the age column of the rosters," officials said. When the Minnesota Department of Education sought to verify the nonprofit's activities, Bock allegedly "gave false assurances" that the organization was monitoring its 250 sites across the state and was serving the meals as claimed. "When MDE employees pressed Bock for clarification, Bock accused MDE of discrimination and unfairly scrutinizing Feeding Our Futures sites," prosecutors asserted. Bock's group, according to court documents, went as far as filing a lawsuit against the state when the Education Department began denying the group's applications for future feeding sites. Bock's group accused the state of discrimination in violation of Minnesota's Human Rights Act. "Exploiting a government program intended to feed children at the time of a national crisis is the epitome of greed, said Justin Campbell, special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. As alleged, the defendants charged in this case chose to enrich themselves at the expense of children. Instead of feeding the future, they chose to steal from the future." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 47 charged with siphoning $250M from COVID-19 child meal program Puerto Rico residents anger and frustration at the state of their crumbling electric grid was building long before Hurricane Fiona triggered an island-wide blackout Sunday. The U.S. territorys power system has never recovered from the devastation wreaked five years ago by Hurricane Maria, which caused an estimated 2,975 deaths and decimated Puerto Ricos power, water and health care systems. Since then, residents have suffered from frequent power outages, with the grid so fragile that every one of the islands 1.5 million customers lost electricity even before Fiona pounded the island. Residents have directed their anger for months at Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a member of the islands New Progressive Party, who called the system stable in an interview with POLITICO earlier this year but also at LUMA Energy, the private entity that took over management of the electric grid in June 2021. A protest against LUMA in August led to a clash where police pepper-sprayed demonstrators and journalists near the governors residence. The grids struggles go back years, stemming partly from under-investment in basic maintenance by the bankrupt, government-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, as well as the slow flow of billions of dollars in federal disaster aid. But the predominantly Spanish-speaking islands problems are also rooted in its status as a U.S. territory with no voting representation in Congress and no electoral votes for the presidency. The privatization of the grids management has attracted much of the recent fury, with calls for the Puerto Rican government to take steps to terminate LUMA's control of the grid as soon as November. Puerto Ricos non-voting representative in Congress used a hearing last week to question why LUMA should remain in charge of the grid, and other critics point to figures showing that outages have become longer on average under the companys management. History is repeating itself because now we dont have Hurricane Maria, but Hurricane LUMA, said Ruth Santiago, a community and environmental attorney in Puerto Rico and a member of the activist group Queremos Sol, days before the storm hit. Story continues Julio Lopez Varona, co-chief of campaigns for the Center for Popular Democracy, said Monday that the grids weakness in the face of Fiona was all too predictable. The sad part is that we knew a lot of this would happen, he said of the island-wide power outage. Its kind of a reckoning and it was a bad one. LUMA, which has blamed the fragility of the system on decades of mismanagement and neglect, said Monday that it has restored power to more than 100,000 customers. We will continue to work non-stop until every customer is restored and the entire grid is reenergized, LUMAs public safety manager, Abner Gomez said in a statement. Fiona hit Puerto Rico as a Category 1 hurricane the weakest of the five hurricane tiers but also dumped an estimated 32 inches of rain in some parts of the island, which triggered flooding and mudslides. LUMA said its crews are working tirelessly to restore service across the island, but full restoration could take several days. The unplanned outages cause major damage to equipment essential for businesses and hospitals, along with freezers and refrigerators needed to store medication. And drinking water has been disrupted on the island at least partly due to the lack of electricity and flooding that has overrun systems. Authorities have blamed at least one death on the storm. Heavy rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and rough seas from Fiona continue to lash Puerto Rico even as the storm batters the Dominican Republic, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of the San Juan metro area had power and water as of Monday, but full restoration of both services has not happened yet, according to people on the ground. Guaynabo, a suburb of San Juan in the northern part of the island, did not have electricity or water service. Significant flooding has occurred in the southern and central parts of the island where rainfall was especially heavy, including the town of Salinas. Many of the islands power plants are located in the southern parts of Puerto Rico, which then feed electricity lines to transport energy to the more densely populated areas up north. The storm arrived two days shy of the fifth anniversary of Maria making landfall on the island as a Category 4 hurricane. Maria, the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in nearly a century, arrived just two weeks after Hurricane Irma, causing widespread power outages and water service interruptions. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set aside billions of dollars for reconstruction of Puerto Ricos power grid following those two storms, that money has trickled out slowly. LUMA said it has initiated 225 projects with FEMA, representing more than $5 billion worth of federally funded projects, since it took over management of the grid. The frequent outages have continued, however. In April, parts of Puerto Rico remained without power for five days following an island-wide blackout due to a possible equipment failure. In August, LUMA launched an effort to curb the island's frequent and lengthy power outages amid growing pressure from activists who want to cancel its 15-year contract. LUMA, a joint venture of Canadian utility holding company ATCO and the U.S. construction firm Quanta Services, was selected by the government-owned Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority in June 2020 to manage the grid. The government could cancel the deal as soon as November when a supplemental agreement to the contract is scheduled to expire. LUMA has responsibility for the ongoing power issues because they took the contract and they are taking the money, said Lopez Varona, of the Center for Popular Democracy, which organizes communities in favor of a just recovery for Puerto Rico. Lopez Varona considers himself one of the lucky ones because his home has a solar panel system that has performed well during Fiona. Energy experts and activists also fault Puerto Ricos government and the territorys Financial Oversight and Management Board, which Congress created to oversee and approve Puerto Ricos budget. The board has imposed austerity measures such as cuts in education funding and school closures and reductions in public sector pensions that advocates say has worsened the islands poverty. The board has also privatized the publicly owned power grid, which activists say has contributed to the power crisis. One of the biggest things we need to do is to eliminate the fiscal control board from its existence, said Lopez Varona. His organization has published a report on the five-year anniversary of the creation of the federal law that aimed to relieve Puerto Ricos debt crisis the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act and deemed it a failure. Matthias Rieker, a spokesperson for the financial board, said its critics very often leave open what they define as austerity, but the organization is focused on restructuring the islands debt and achieving fiscal responsibility. Part of that entails breaking the territorys government-owned utility, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, into two parts: one that deals with the grid and one that deals with power supply and turning management over to private entities. LUMA is just one part of this effort but has drawn much of the ire from residents. The islands non-voting Republican congressional representative, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, questioned officials from FEMA and LUMA Energy during a hearing Thursday about how much of the billions the federal agency has obligated for Puerto Ricos recovery has actually gone out the door. That hearing focused on the rebuilding of the power grid and other essential infrastructure in the five years since Maria hit both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Gonzalez-Colon also questioned why LUMA should remain in charge of the grid. Im really concerned about the outages on the island even when there is no disaster on site, she said last week. Shay Bahramirad, senior vice president of LUMA Energy, called the design of the power system very poor but said at the hearing that it has improved since the company took it over. She called the road to recovery a journey. Bahramirad cited data she said showed that an average customer in Puerto Rico experiences 7.6 outages in a year, down from 10.6 outages when the grid was still being managed by PREPA. But a report by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau showed an overall increase in outage duration per customer every month since January and no improvement in the frequency of interruptions. I dont think we can describe this in any way as progress, Santiago said. The House Natural Resources Committee was scheduled to conduct an oversight hearing this coming Thursday about PROMESA and the LUMA contract, but that has been canceled because of the storm, a committee spokesperson said Monday. While the fiscal board does not have direct oversight of LUMA, it reviewed the companys contract as part of its requirements for scrutinizing all deals valued at $10 million or more, Rieker said. Those reviews are intended to ensure that contracts are awarded in a competitive fashion and comply with the financial plan established by the board. No question we thought LUMA was the right candidate, given the fairly extensive search process, he said. He added that the island has seen improvements in service and safety under LUMA. The problem LUMA is struggling with is that the outages are longer, he said. That gives people on the island the impression that the outages are worse than they were under PREPA. The complaints about the state of the grid are intertwined with a fierce debate over shifting Puerto Rico toward solar power and away from its traditional reliance on fossil-fuel energy and long-distance power lines. Renewable energy advocates are pushing FEMA to use the $9.5 billion obligated for reconstruction of Puerto Ricos power grid to put rooftop solar on the homes of residents who cannot otherwise afford the upfront costs of the systems. They say this would make people less vulnerable to outages, including those caused by storms such as Fiona. Anne Bink, associate FEMA administrator for the Office of Response and Recovery, pledged last week that the money would be completely utilized in a way that complies with the islands renewable energy goals. Under the 2019 Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act (17-2019), PREPA is required to obtain 40 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025, 60 percent by 2040 and 100 percent by 2050. The law also requires it to phase out coal-fired generation by 2028. While it takes time to get there, we think its time well spent because the island will be more resilient, more independent from an energy perspective going forward, Bink said at last weeks hearing. Soaring fossil fuel expenses for an island that imports much of its energy resources have driven electric rates from 18.2 cents per kilowatt-hour in January 2021 to 33.4 cents today on an island where the median income is $21,000, according to Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. PREPAs rates are higher than the average household on the mainland U.S., with ratepayers paying 8 percent of their income for electricity compared with the U.S. average of 2.4 percent. People cant pay any more, Santiago said. Isabel Dobrin contributed to this report. Reuters The first hearing in the DOJ's Trump probe involving the special master started on a chaotic note. All callers were left unmuted, and shouted over each other in the early minutes of the hearing. During the hearing, Dearie initially pushed back on some of the Trump team arguments. The opening of special master Raymond Dearie's inaugural hearing sounded like a garble of white noise as technical difficulties marked the start of the highly consequential proceeding. Staff in the Brooklyn courtroom scrambled to get the audio right as the volume for all audio callers was left unmuted, leading to a shouting match in the early moments of the hearing before serious national security matters were discussed. After the chaos at the hearing, Dearie pressed former President Donald Trump's lawyers about their arguments that they had already declassified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago. According to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney, participants who were left unmuted spoke simultaneously, causing havoc in the courtroom. One participant sang America the Beautiful, while another repeated the phrase "Trump is a criminal." Over the cacophony of voices, people yelled at each other to mute themselves. "Mute the phones, assholes! Mute the phones, assholes!" someone calling into the hearing said, according to Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake. In a Tuesday court filing, Trump's lawyers claimed that some of the documents stored at Mar-a-Lago may be privileged because Trump left handwritten notes on them. During the hearing, Dearie seemed to agree with the government's assessment of which documents are classified, saying, "What business is it of the court? As far as I'm concerned that's the end of it." Read the original article on Business Insider President Joe Bidens primetime television speech earlier this month, where he disparaged MAGA Republicans, has prompted a Fishersville man and Capitol riot defendant to file a motion seeking to dismiss all of his charges based on the presidents rhetoric. The defendant, Jeffery McKellop, 56, is one of more than 860 people charged in connection with the attacks on Jan. 6, 2021. About 90 of those defendants, including McKellop, are charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. McKellop, of Fishersville, has been held since his arrest in March 2021. In the presidents Sept. 1 speech, Biden referenced MAGA Republicans numerous times and made it clear he feels this particular segment of the Republican Party contains extremists who are a threat to the republic. MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people, Biden said in the speech. Later in the speech, the president added, MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. During the speech, Biden said Americans are at an inflection point and said it was time to halt what he described as an assault on democracy. MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies, Biden said. There were several more mentions concerning MAGA in the presidents televised remarks. The nations major networks declined to show Bidens speech, although it was picked up by CNN and MSNBC, according to The Washington Post, and widely reported on by national media. About a week after Biden spoke, McKellops attorney, John C. Kiyonaga, filed a motion to dismiss all of his clients charges because the speech intentionally and irreparably poisoned the entire nation as a jury pool. Story continues In his motion, Kiyonaga pointed to a portion early in the speech where Biden said MAGA forces promote authoritarian figures and fan the flames of political violence. They look at the mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6th brutally attacking law enforcement not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger to the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots, the president said. Kiyonaga claims Bidens speech urged the hatred of the January 6th defendants as a patriotic duty, thus harming his clients ability to receive a fair trial. Citing the United States v. Thomas, Kiyonaga said the president is depriving the accused of his right to a forum where impartiality is not impaired. Based on online federal court files, no ruling has been made on the motion. According to an affidavit from the FBI, two witnesses identified McKellop as being part of the mob in the attacks at the U.S. Capitol some twenty months ago. Federal authorities accuse McKellop a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who reportedly donned a helmet, tactical vest, protective eye wear and a gas mask that day of assaulting officers, throwing bottles at police and allegedly picking up a flagpole and striking an officer in the face, injuring the officer. McKellop then reportedly threw the flagpole at the same officer like a spear, documents allege. He faces 17 federal counts. McKellop, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, is not accused of breaching the Capitol Building. He will be tried in February 2023, according to his court file. Prosecutor: Waynesboro man spied on teen, secretly filmed her for nearly 5 years Staunton City Council race: Yvonne Wilson aims for improved infrastructure and more Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Fishersville man wants case tossed after president's 'MAGA' speech County clerks in Oregon are inundated with public records requests stemming from the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen, even while theyre already busy preparing for the November election, the secretary of state said Monday. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has been visiting Oregons 36 counties to speak with county clerks and other elections officials, and said shes seen the strain imposed by the avalanche of requests, from populous counties around Portland to Lake County, in southern Oregon near the California border, with only 5,590 registered voters. In recent weeks, weve seen an influx of public records requests still based on the big lie the big lie is that the 2020 election was stolen, Fagan said. The lie is still impacting the operations of our elections workers, nearly two years later. Fagan said in a Zoom news conference that as shes traveled around the state, shes noticed fatigue among county clerks and other county elections officials. [DOWNLOAD: Free KIRO 7 News app for alerts as news breaks] These are seasoned folks whove been doing this for decades in Oregon in an extremely nonpartisan way (but) they get so sick of the noise, and its just overwhelming, Fagan said. Several county clerks are retiring in the next year or so, representing over a century of combined elections experience, Fagan said. [SIGN UP: KIRO 7 Daily Headlines Newsletter] How many of those retirements are due to added stress that elections officials are facing was not immediately clear. The main myths that elections officials in Oregon are confronting are that the 2020 election was stolen, that vote-by-mail elections cant be trusted, that machine tabulators are fraudulent and that ballot boxes are not secure, said Oregon Elections Director Deborah Scroggin. A recent conference hosted by MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, a major 2020 election denier, caused a flood of demands for information, Scroggin said. Lindell hosted a conference in Springfield, Missouri, in August focusing on conspiracy theories. Story continues These are sort of copy-and-paste records request that were being flooded with, she said. Earlier, they focused on forensic audits. These days, there have also been calls for hand-counts, voting system certification and attempts to undermine trust in drop-off ballot boxes. Harney County Clerk Derrin Dag Robinson, in sparsely populated southeastern Oregon, said hes had about 16 requests regarding the 2020 election as well as dozens of notices of litigation most of them being identical. Robinson and the county counsel are the only staff to handle them and it is time consuming to say the least, he said. Oregon elections officials are combatting false information with public service announcements on radio, TV and the internet, describing election integrity and the ease of voting in Oregon. Oregon was the first state to institute vote-by-mail, in which ballots are mailed to voters who can return them either by mail or at official, secured, drop-off boxes. Monday marked one month before ballots will start to be mailed out to voters in Oregon, on Oct. 19, Scroggin said. The last day to print and mail ballots to military and overseas voters is Saturday. Its not just in Oregon that elections officials are swamped by records requests. Its also happening in many parts of the country. Fagan said her office will go to the Legislature to request a fulltime public records person to help deal with the requests received by the secretary of state and county elections officials. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis smiles during a press conference announcing expanded toll relief for Florida commuters, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, in Miami, Florida. Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed cutting $1.1 billion in taxes for Floridians. DeSantis is facing off against Democrat Charlie Crist in November. The governor promised he would propose even more cuts in the weeks ahead. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed an additional $1.1 billion in tax cuts presented weeks ahead of his November reelection bid. DeSantis is asking the Florida legislature to permanently lift the state's 6% sales tax on baby necessities including on cribs, strollers, clothing, shoes, baby wipes, and diapers. He also wants the state to nix the sales tax on medical equipment and on medicines for pets. DeSantis billed his proposal as an inflation-fighting measure to provide relief on items such as high grocery prices, though it's not clear it would have the intended effect. He promised to announce more tax cuts in the weeks ahead. "I'm concerned about some of the turmoil that's yet to come," DeSantis said during a press conference in Bradenton, Florida, referring to lingering inflation and investor trepidation about forthcoming economic turmoil. But tax breaks won't necessarily alleviate inflation. Some analysts, such as Howard Gleckman at the Tax Policy Center, have warned that tax breaks could actually worsen inflation because people will spend and consume more at a time when supplies are limited. Still, some of the tax cuts DeSantis is proposing come on items that families find essential and that they'd likely buy with or without a tax break. Certain proposals DeSantis presented Tuesday would be temporary. They include lifting the sales tax for a year on children's books, on athletic equipment, and on toys, as well as a proposal to suspend the sales tax on pet food and on household items that cost $25 or less. The latter would include items such as laundry detergent, paper towels, and toilet paper. A more temporary tax holiday, of two weeks, would come for back-to-school items ahead of both the fall and spring semesters. Story continues DeSantis said that, taken together, the proposals would equate to $1.1 billion in tax cuts. In early September DeSantis already proposed slashing all Florida tolls by half for drivers who commute frequently. Later in the day on Tuesday, speaking at a campaign event in Palm Beach, Florida, DeSantis said the tax cuts would add up to $2 billion once he announces additional proposals. GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis will face off against former Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist in November 8 general election in Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images and Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo DeSantis up for reelection in November DeSantis won't be able to implement his tax plan unless he first wins reelection in Florida on November 8. He's set to face off against Democrat Charlie Crist, a congressman from St. Petersburg who was previously a Republican governor of Florida. Crist hasn't released a tax cut plan but proposed a slew of affordability measures to lower housing costs, including on homeowner's insurance, as well as the costs of utilities such as electric bills. Crist is the underdog in the race because registered Republicans in the state outnumber Democrats. Plus, DeSantis is considered to be a top contender for the White House in 2024, particularly if former President Donald Trump doesn't run. In the last few days DeSantis has grabbed national headlines for a political stunt in which he directed state funds to relocate migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. DeSantis won't be the only decision maker on the tax package. But the governor has proved to have significant influence with a legislature that has been largely deferential to his priorities. Florida is one of nine states that doesn't have a state income tax, and tax cuts are typically a major part of GOP platforms. The state has wiggle room on spending because it finished the most recent fiscal year, in June, with a $22 billion surplus. But in general, states all over the country have been awash with cash from President Joe Biden's COVID stimulus, called the American Rescue Plan, and after they took in far more revenue than they expected during the pandemic. The GOP-controlled legislature and DeSantis tapped into $200 million-worth of Biden's COVID stimulus to fund a 25-cents-per-gallon gas tax holiday in Florida that starts in October. DeSantis' tax plan on Tuesday did not contain an explanation concerning whether the funds for the tax break would come from the COVID stimulus or from the state's reserves. His office did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the matter from Insider. The matter may fall to the legislature to decide. DeSantis first previewed the proposed tax cuts during a press conference at the end of August. In May, DeSantis signed a tax holiday bill into law that included $1.2 billion in tax breaks on a slew of items from diapers to mobile homes. Read the original article on Business Insider New footage shows a forensics team working for allies of former President Trump spent hours handling voting equipment in a Georgia county elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, two months after the 2020 presidential election and the day after riots at the U.S. Capitol over the results. According to reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times, the videos show the Trump contractors copying data from voting machines in rural Coffee County, Georgia, as they handled poll pads with sensitive voter data. The footage reportedly also shows former Georgia GOP official Cathy Latham spent more than four hours at the elections office during the contractors visit. The videos of Latham in the office, interacting with the forensics team, contradict her prior sworn testimony that she had stopped by the building but not gone into the office, according to the reports. Latham was a fake elector in 2020, one of a handful of state Republicans who signed a certificate shortly after the 2020 election falsely asserting that then-candidate Trump had won Georgia. A recent court filing argues Latham helped to coordinate the Trump-aligned forensics team on Jan. 7 and instructed them throughout the day as they copied the voter machines, according to The Associated Press. The release of the videos comes amid a wider criminal investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Among the group of forensics experts that arrived in Coffee County that day were members of SullivanStrickler, a firm reportedly hired by Trump adviser Sidney Powell. Investigators from the office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also appear on the videos a spokesman for his office told the New York Times he had no idea why they were there. Trump called Raffensperger after the election to ask him to find votes that would overturn his loss to now-President Biden in the state. A Georgia special grand jury, led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is looking into those and other efforts by the former president and his allies to challenge the 2020 election. Latham and other 2020 fake electors were subpoenaed as part of the DAs probe in July, according to a filing shared by Georgia Public Broadcasting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A former columnist who previously raised rape allegations against Donald Trump will file a new lawsuit. E Jean Carroll, who wrote the Ask E Jean column from 1993 until she was fired in 2019, plans to claim battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Reuters reported. The allegations will be raised in civil court under the New York states Adult Survivors Act. Ms Carroll first accused the former president of rape in 2019. Trump has denied ever assaulting Ms Carroll. More to follow ... A former teacher at Highland High School in Medina County has been sentenced to prison for having inappropriate sexual contact with a female student at the school. Kyle Robert Brooks, 55, of Akron, pleaded guilty Monday in Medina County Common Pleas Court to two counts of sexual battery, a third-degree felony. Judge Joyce Kimbler immediately sentenced Brooks to five years in prison, the penalty agreed upon by the attorneys. He accepted full responsibility for his actions and was genuinely remorseful, said Don Malarcik, Brooks Akron attorney. Brooks was arrested in April after investigators talked to the student. He immediately resigned from Highland and surrendered his teaching license. Kimbler designated Brooks a Tier 3 sex offender, which means he will be required to register his address for the rest of his life. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Highland teacher sentenced to prison for sexual battery The former Louisville Metro Police officer charged with unreasonable use of force in the lead-up to West End barbecue stand owner David McAtees death in 2020 may plead guilty to a misdemeanor instead of a felony in her federal case and thus avoid a longer prison sentence. Federal prosecutors indicated Tuesday in a superseding indictment that Crews may get up to one year in prison instead of the 10-year sentence she initially faced. Former officer Katie Crews was indicted in March on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after a grand jury found she willfully deprived McAtees niece, Machelle McAtee, of her constitutional right "to be free from an unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer." The indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice did not name Machelle McAtee but said that on June 1, 2020, Crews fired a pepperball at M.M., striking M.M., while M.M. was standing on private property and not posing a threat to (Crews) or others. The nonlethal pepperball projectile caused bodily harm to the victim. Crews, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was 29 at the time of her indictment and initially pleaded not guilty in March. She was eventually released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, according to court records. During a status conference last week, prosecutors and the ex-officer's attorney, Steve Schroering, agreed to set a change-of-plea hearing for Oct. 11 before U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton. Other LMPD cases:These are the ex-Louisville Metro Police officers charged by feds with unlawful force The federal government indicated in a superseding indictment filed Tuesday she could face up to one year in prison and/or a $100,000 fine and up to a year of supervised release. She initially faced a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and $250,000 fine. Schroering, who often represents current and former LMPD personnel in legal matters, declined to comment. Story continues Crews was on paid administrative leave from June 1, 2020, until LMPD fired her in February 2022 following internal investigations into her actions and also into a Facebook post published days before the McAtee shooting in which she celebrated a protester getting shot by pepperballs, according to the department. Katie Crews Crews was among the LMPD officers and Kentucky National Guard members who responded shortly after midnight on that June night to a crowd that had gathered near David YaYa McAtees barbecue stand at 26th Street and West Broadway after a 9 p.m. curfew that Mayor Greg Fischer put in place amid protests over Breonna Taylor's killing. The night would end with National Guard and LMPD personnel shooting and killing David McAtee, with investigators determining the fatal shot came from a National Guard member. David McAtee was 53 years old. Fischer fired LMPD Chief Steve Conrad after learning the officers did not have their body cameras on during the shooting. A lawsuit later filed on behalf of David McAtees mother and niece describes the scene of YaYas BBQ that summer as a safe haven in the West End, blocks away from downtown protests and unrest over the police killings of Black Americans like Taylor and George Floyd that had begun a few days earlier. "There were no known protestors at the location, and no law enforcement intelligence suggested that violent protestors were meeting up in the area," says the pending lawsuit. But now-former LMPD Lt. Josh Judah allegedly then called the departments command center and, per the lawsuit and reports, told officials, Check out what we're about to do, before National Guard and LMPD personnel moved in to clear a crowd mostly gathered in the Dinos Food Mart parking lot across the street from McAtees barbecue business. Machelle McAtee previously told The Courier Journal she was standing in the doorway of her uncle's shop just after midnight when she was hit at close range with at least three projectiles before her uncle pulled her inside. Attorneys for slain David McAtee's family released photos that show McAtee's niece, Machelle McAtee, was hit by pepper balls shot by at least one LMPD officer. Video footage from a neighboring business shows Crews standing at the fence line shooting projectiles at McAtee's door, even though no one was outside. Machelle McAtee contends Crews did not give her any verbal commands. Crews later admitted to investigators she had fired at Machelle McAtee that night. "She was standing, I wouldnt say in an aggressive manner, but she was not going to go inside," Crews told investigators five days after the incident. "After giving her verbal commands, I did shoot more pepper balls in her direction. She still refused, so I did shoot off more. After Crews fired the pepper balls, a rush of people from the street pushed their way into the kitchen of YaYa's BBQ, where David McAtee lived and worked, sometimes feeding police officers on the beat, according to those who knew him. Interior surveillance footage shows that after pulling his niece inside from the doorway, David McAtee leaned out the door, fired his handgun twice above his shoulder and was almost immediately hit by return fire. An investigation determined the bullet from a Kentucky National Guard member killed him instantly, though another Guard member and two LMPD officers, Crews and Officer Austin Allen, also fired their weapons. In May 2021, Jefferson Commonwealths Attorney Thomas Wine announced he would not prosecute the two Guard members or LMPD officers for firing weapons that night. He said Crews violated department policies, but her actions didn't rise to the level of a crime. Along with Crews, at least three other now-former LMPD officers have faced federal charges since 2020 that relate to the unlawful use of force against civilians. Breonna Taylor case:Trial for ex-LMPD Detective Brett Hankison in Breonna Taylor case delayed nearly a year In addition, the DOJ announced indictments in August against four LMPD personnel accused of lying on the drug-related search warrant or recklessly firing bullets into a neighboring apartment during the raid that brought police to Taylors South End apartment in March 2020. The raid, which would go on to garner international attention, resulted in the officers fatally shooting Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, after her boyfriend fired what he called a "warning" shot at the group he said he thought were intruders, not police. No drugs or money were found in Taylors home. Reporter Kala Kachmar contributed to this story. Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: David McAtee case: Louisville officer Katie Crews may plead guilty Sep. 20The former director of the Maui County Department of Environmental Management and a Honolulu wastewater executive entered pleas of guilty in federal court Monday morning in connection with a six-year bribery scheme that steered more than $19 million in contracts to one company in exchange for $2 million in cash, trips, casino chips and other compensation. The former director of the Maui County Department of Environmental Management and a Honolulu wastewater executive entered pleas of guilty in federal court Monday morning in connection with a six-year bribery scheme that steered more than $19 million in contracts to one company in exchange for $2 million in cash, trips, casino chips and other compensation. Stewart Olani Stant, 55, was charged Aug. 31 with conspiracy to deprive the public of their right to honest services. Stant entered a guilty plea to the single count. Milton J. Choy, owner and manager of H2O Processes LLC and Central Pacific Controls LLC, pleaded guilty to a single charge of bribery of a federally funded program. Choy, a Honolulu businessman, is at the heart of two separate federal public corruption probes targeting state lawmakers and appointed officials. Starting in October 2012 and continuing until December 2018, Choy, 59, allegedly paid Stant about $2 million in cash, direct deposits, wire transfers, Las Vegas casino chips, first-class airfare, hotel rooms and other items. In exchange for that money, Stant, who worked as a solid waste division manager for Maui DEM from 2009 until 2015 before a mayoral appointment elevated him to the director's office, steered $19.3 million through 56 sole source contracts to Choy's company, according to the plea agreement. "I think all of the public is harmed when their public officials don't demonstrate the fidelity and honesty in their relations and how they act, " said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson, who is prosecuting the case for the government, speaking outside court Monday morning. "If your public officials are taking money on the side, they are not acting in the public's interest. They are acting in their own in terest, and that is a real problem." Story continues Stant did not disclose any of the gifts from Choy on his county financial disclosure form, as required by Maui County's charter. Maui County receives more than $10, 000 in federal funds annually, qualifying it as a federally funded program. Stant and Choy were charged Aug. 31Stant with conspiracy to deprive the public of their right to honest services, Choy with bribery of a federally funded program. Both entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson. Stant faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250, 000 ; Choy faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250, 000. The government indicated it will seek to seize more than $15 million from Choy and more than $2 million from Stant in forfeiture proceedings. Stant and Choy are scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 4 at separate times. During the six years the alleged scheme occurred, Choy made more than 40 deposits or transfers totaling $733, 176 into Stant's bank accounts. Choy also allegedly gave Stant cash, through deposits or in-person exchanges, totaling $644, 570 during the same time period, according to federal court documents. Choy allegedly paid for $424, 987 in travel expensesincluding first-class airfare to and from Las Vegas and high-end hotel staysfor Stant, who traveled and gambled with Choy on multiple occasions over the course of their 30-year friendship. Las Vegas gaming records document $183, 000 in casino chips cashed out by Stant that he did not purchase, according to federal court records. "He took full responsibility for his actions, " said Stant's attorney, Cary Virtue, speaking outside of court. Stant declined to comment. Virtue declined to say what Stant did with the money he received from Choy. "He (Stant ) lived very well, " said Sorenson. "Anybody who tries to profit off of the public coffers through any kind of illicit or corrupt activities ... needs to be aware that we not only have the tools to come after them, we have the motivation to come after them. We will aggressively pursue anyone who violates their public oath and anybody who wants to corruptly affect the process." After the U.S. Department of Justice alerted Choy that he was the target of the Maui probe, he became the government informant who helped the FBI set up a sting operation that led to the arrest of two former state lawmakers, both of whom pleaded guilty to taking money. "He was a valuable asset, " said Sorenson, speaking of Choy's cooperation. "Anybody who knows something who can be cooperative and who does want to work with us, we appreciate that. And we're going to demonstrate that." While entering his plea with Watson's court Monday, Choy admitted to paying Stant to steer contracts to his company. "I'm prepared to accept the consequences, sir, " said Choy, addressing Watson in court Monday. "All bribes to Stewart Stant were paid by me. ... I plead guilty, sir." Choy's attorney, Michael Green, said within 24 hours of learning that federal investigators were on to him, about 3-1 /2 years ago, Choy sat down with federal agents, without an attorney, and "told them everything he did." "The things that he told them, they were investigating and knew about. There were other things he told them, they didn't know about, " said Green, speaking outside of federal court. "He was complete. He was honest. ... He just kind of gave it up. He spoke to them (federal investigators ) for a long time." donor to Hawaii campaigns, and his involvement in the federal sting operation that brought down former state Sen. Majority Leader J. Kalani English and the former vice chair of the House Committee on Finance, Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen, made a lot of lawmakers nervous. As of Monday, 31 incumbent candidates have returned $142, 650 in contributions from Choy to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. "I suspect after today I'll stop getting phone calls from lawyers who have been asked to represent certain people in the Legislature wondering whether or not they're targets, " said Green. "I think as of now this is it. The government kind of cleaned up what they needed to clean up." Once Choy was arrested for his role in the Maui County case, he helped the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office by bribing English, 55, of Maui, and Cullen, 41, who represented Central Oahu. Federal court documents outline how the two lawmakers introduced, managed and killed legislation at Choy's request in exchange for Las Vegas casino chips, cash, hotel rooms and dinners for family members. He was not charged with bribing Cullen and English, both of whom pleaded guilty to taking bribes. "I think there is a little bit to that old adage 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.' ... From a mental standpoint I think these guys think that, and indeed that's what we found, " said Sorenson, speaking outside of court. "Vegas is one of the tools, I think, that those who want to corruptly influence public officials will utilize in their efforts to get what they want." in July to 40 months in federal prison for accepting $18, 305 in cash from Choy in exchange for inside information on the Legislature and managing legislation to benefit H20 Process Systems between 2014 and 2021. Cullen is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 20. Also Monday, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino ordered an audit of all no-bid contracts awarded to Choy's companies. "Allow me to be crystal clear. The events that led to corruption charges involving former Maui County official Stewart Stant and Honolulu businessman Milton Choy occurred during the previous administration, " said Victorino in a statement. "Hawaii's procurement laws ensure fair and transparent handling of government purchases. Whenever corruption undermines the public trust, those responsible must be investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law. I cannot, and I will not, tolerate such betrayals of public trust." In this image from video, Eric Herschmann, an attorney for President Donald Trump, answers a question during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Senate Television via AP Eric Herschmann warned Trump about the legal risk of keeping classified documents, NYT reported. Sources told NYT Herschmann was no longer working as Trump's lawyer at the time of the warning. Trump returned some documents to the National Archives and Records Administration in late 2021. Three sources with knowledge of the matter told The New York Times that former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann warned former president Donald Trump about the legal risk of holding on to presidential records and classified documents. The meeting with Herschmann who was no longer serving as legal counsel for the former president at the time occurred in late 2021, nearly a year after Trump left office, NYT reported. Herschmann stressed the significant legal liability of maintaining the classified records and the possibility that Trump or his aides engaged in obstruction through storing them, sources familiar with the matter told NYT. The following January, Trump returned the first batch of documents to the National Archives and Records Administration. It contained letters from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who Trump said he exchanged "beautiful" love letters with while in office, and a letter that former President Barack Obama left for Trump in 2017. In the historic August 8 search of Mar-a-Lago, the FBI found 12 additional boxes worth of documents Trump had retained in his Palm Beach, Florida, home. The documents are currently at the center of a legal battle between Trump and the Justice Department. The office of former President Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider A Miami man accused in Friday's kidnapping and carjacking told authorities he was unemployed and desperate when he stole a pickup with a toddler inside at a busy gas station. During a brief media address, Fort Myers Police Capt. Victor Medico provided some background related to the arrest of Fredy Omar Ramirez, 48. Medico said at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday a woman was pumping gas in the Citgo gas station, in the 4300 block of Palm Beach Boulevard, when a masked man grabbed her from behind with an implied weapon and forced her to the ground. "The perpetrator then entered the victim's pickup truck and fled the scene with knowledge of the victim's 3-year-old child still in the backseat," Medico said. Capt. Victor Medico, with the Fort Myers Police Department, addresses media on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, as Fort Myers police announce the arrest of a man accused in Friday's kidnapping and carjacking on Palm Beach Boulevard. Medico added they used all resources available. They located the stolen pickup behind a store two blocks from the Citgo. "Detective Laynor Rodriguez has been working relentlessly day and night to acquire evidence," Medico said. Hours prior to the press conference, Medico said officers located Ramirez and apprehended him after a brief pursuit Detectives then brought him in for questioning, where he confessed, they said. Video surveillance helps investigation Ramirez will be charged with carjacking; kidnapping; child neglect; criminal mischief; and resisting officers, Medico said. "Video surveillance from local businesses played an integral part of this successful conclusion to this investigation," Medico said. "This is another example of a strong partnership between your police department and our community working together to make the city of Fort Myers safe." Ramirez, of Miami, has lived in Fort Myers for about five months, officials said. Police said Ramirez had remained out of sight during the weekend and was apprehended when he stopped hiding Tuesday morning. As officers attempted to arrest Ramirez, he fled down Palm Beach Boulevard. He was side-swiped by a car but wasn't injured, officials said. Story continues "So basically what he told me is he didn't have a job and he was desperate," Rodriguez said during Tuesday's press conference. "That's one of the reasons why he committed this crime." Jail records for Ramirez weren't available Tuesday evening. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and TikTok @tomasfrodriguez. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Miami man arrested, accused in kidnapping, carjacking, police say A Fort Worth gunman was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison in the shooting death of a man in a business parking lot that was captured on video in 2019. As part of a plea agreement, Damorian Allen, 30, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to murder as a Tarrant County jury was deliberating toward a verdict in the May 21, 2019, killing of 28-year-old Tony Austin. Allens murder trial began Monday in Criminal District Court No. 4 in Fort Worth, and jurors began deliberations Tuesday. Austins death was one of 10 shootings during that time, including three homicides, that authorities said were connected to an ongoing gang feud. Three other men were charged in the case and they have been sentenced. Allen was the gunman who killed Austin, authorities have said. In video obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2019, Allen, who was in the same car as Austin, can be seen exiting the front passenger side and firing a handgun, appearing to shoot Austin in the head. Austin, who had just gotten out of the car, collapsed in the parking lot. A warrant in the case gave this brief account of the shooting: About 12:15 p.m. on May 21, 2019, a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu with Texas license plates arrived at Ace Auto Repair & Tire in the 1300 block of East Berry Street. A man walked out of a maintenance bay and talked to the driver and a back seat passenger, but later walked back into the business. Austin, who was the back seat passenger, got out of the Malibu, armed with what appeared to be a handgun in his right hand. At about the time Austin got out of the car, another Malibu with temporary tags pulled into the parking lot. A passenger in that second Malibu got out of the car and exchanged words with Austin. During the argument, a man later identified as Allen got out of the front passenger door of the car Austin had been in. That man fired a handgun over the top of the car toward the Malibu with temporary tags, but the shot appeared to hit Austin in the head. Austin collapsed and dropped his handgun, according to the warrant. Story continues The man who had first opened fire shot again toward the Malibu with temporary tags. He then got back in the car, which accelerated in reverse out of the parking lot and drove away. As the first man was shooting, another man ran through the parking lot and appeared to turn and try to shoot back at the car that Austin had been sitting in, the warrant says. The man didnt immediately shoot back because the car he had exited from was in between him and the other shooter. The man later moved behind a truck and fired three times, the warrant says. He then ran to the alley of the business, where the Malibu with temporary tags picked him up and drove away. That man was later identified as Avery Colter, 27, of Fort Worth. A witness told detectives that Colter was the man who had gotten out of the Malibu with temporary tags and argued with Austin, leading to the exchange of gunfire. Colter was the first person arrested and called a suspect in the case, but his attorney told the Star-Telegram that Colter was not the man seen shooting Austin in the video. Colter was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2020 for deadly conduct and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in the case, according to Tarrant County criminal court records. Daquan Ackerman, 29, of Fort Worth, was sentenced in 2021 to two years of probation on a charge of deadly conduct, and Patrick West was ordered to go to prison in 2021 for four years on a charge of tampering with physical evidence. (Evening Standard) Sports Direct owner Frasers Group today announced that founder Mike Ashley is to step down from the board after next months AGM. Ashley set up the business in 1982 when he opened his first sports and ski shop in Maidenhead before overseeing its transformation into a FTSE 100-listed company with brands including House of Fraser and Jack Wills. Central banks, meanwhile, are poised to announce more big interest rate hikes this week, with the US Federal Reserve expected to hike rates by 0.75% on Wednesday and the Bank of England to increase by 0.5% to 2.25% on Thursday. Read more on Mike Ashley FTSE 100 Live Tuesday B&Q owner Kingfisher reports 30% profits fall Choppy trading ahead of UK/US rates decisions CEO exit speculation hits Future shares Not so certain Future as shares dip on CEO departure confirmation 15:25 , Mark Banham Shares in publisher Future whose magazine brands include Marie Claire, Total Film and Metal Hammer, dropped by nearly 20% today on the confirmation that boss Zillah Byng-Thorne will depart the business by the end of next year. Future said it had made it clear in last years annual report that CEO succession planning was an ongoing focus of the board and nomination committee. Zillah Byng-Thorne, CEO, joined the business in November 2013 and is approaching nine years at the group, it added. The company said that she remains committed to the business, and has not resigned, but that Byng-Thorne had informally indicated that she would like to step down by the end of 2023. Last week, Manchester-based online shopping platform THG announced that Byng-Thorne would be standing down as a senior independent director. FTSE 100 falls in afternoon trade as consumer stocks and housebuilders hit by rate expectations 15:09 , Michael Hunter Londons FTSE 100 was down in afternoon trade with investors across global markets in cautious mood ahead of a run of rate calls from major central banks, at which more aggressive action against inflation was expected. Story continues The main UK stock index lost over 50 points to 7185.20, a drop of 0.7%, amid growing talk that the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve could be about to vote through further super-sized rate hikes this week. Consumer stocks made notable drops after the owner of the B&Q home improvement chain, Kingfisher, reported a 30% fall in profit. Its shares were down almost 3% at 241p. Housebuilders, sensitive to the outlook for rising interest rates which can constrain the availability of the mortgages on which the sector depends, were lower. Persimmon fell 7% to 1325p Berkeley Group lost 2.7% to 3497p. Wall Street falls in opening trade as speculation on super-sized Fed rate call deepens 14:47 , Michael Hunter New York stocks were down at the start of a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting at which US interest rates could be increased by 1% according to a growing number of City experts who expect US policy makers to intensify their fight against inflation. The S&P 500 fell 37 points to 3862.98, a decline of 1%, with Ford making the biggest single fall, of over 8%. The carmaker highlighted the problems posed by inflation, warning that costs in the the third quarter would br $1 billion higher than previously thought as rising prices echo through its supply chain. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: The main factor spooking markets right now is how much higher will rates have to go. The last few days has seen the market narrative start to shift quite markedly from optimism over some form of Fed pivot, to increasing concern over a hard landing for the global, as well as the US economy. More rate rises are coming over the next few days, that much is not in doubt, its more a case of by how much. tui holidays fly back to 2019 levels 12:44 , Simon Hunt Travel group Tui said UK bookings for summer holidays this year rose above pre-pandemic levels amid a frenzy to get away, while sales of winter breaks are on course to follow. The worlds biggest tour operator reported a total of almost 13 million bookings for the whole summer, 1.4 million more than at its last trading update. UK cumulative bookings are 4% ahead of summer 2019 despite the chaos at some airports caused by staffing shortages. Tui said that departures in the key months of July and August reached 94% of 2019 levels across the group. Winter bookings are already at 78% of 2018/19 and Tui expects business to be at normalised pre-pandemic levels. Shares in Tui were up 3.4% at 141p early today. Nightmare for eve Sleep as losses double to 4.6m 11:34 , Simon Hunt Mattress company eve Sleep saw UK revenues plunge 18% this year in what it called truly unprecedentedly appalling market conditions. The business said it had been hit by the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and the domestic financial squeeze which had led to reduced spending on furniture. It came days after sofa giant DFS and John Lewis reported results ravaged by the downturn. Eve said its overall revenue fell 16% to 11.6 million in the six months to end of June, while losses doubled to 4.6 million. In response, Eve cut its annual overheads by 2.5 million, reduced salaries and restructured its staff. In June it began exploring a potential sale, and other financing options. CEO Cheryl Calverley said everything possible was being done to keep the business afloat. Rate hike of 1% from Swedens central bank highlights expectations of big move from BoE and Fed 10:46 , Michael Hunter Market expectations of further, super-sized interest rate hikes this week from the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve were highlighted by a big move from Swedens Riksbank today. It made the biggest rate rise the Scandinavian country has seen in 10 years, with a hike of 1% to 1.75%, in the latest sign of the determination among global monetary policymakers to tame inflation. The Bank of England is due to make its September rate call this Thursday at midday, an announcement put back by a week after the death of the Queen. There has been speculation that it could increase base rates from the current 1.75% by a further 0.75%. It would be the seventh increase since last December, after a 0.50% increase last time, and it would match the size of increases already adopted by the Fed. Later in the week, the new UK government will also reveal more detail of its tax and spending plans in what it has referred to as a fiscal event, which City experts have described as an emergency budget. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: All the focus this week will be on interest rate decisions in the US and UK and a so-called mini budget from new chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday. The Federal Reserve starts a two-day rate-setting meeting today, with an announcement due tomorrow. There are also rate announcements this week from the Swiss National Bank and the Norges Bank of Norway. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: More rate rises are coming over the next few days, that much is not in doubt, its more a case of by how much. The last few days has seen the market narrative start to shift quite markedly from optimism over some form of Fed pivot, to increasing concern over a hard landing for the global, as well as the US economy. In the meantime, the pound was steady just above $1.14, a level it lost for the first time since the mid-1980s last week. Asia-focused stocks lift FTSE 100, Future shares down 14% 10:12 , Graeme Evans The FTSE 100 index is 4.32 points higher at 7241, having lost an initial 1% improvement. Asia-focused stocks offered some support after Hong Kong announced plans to review its Covid quarantine policy and more major China cities exited lockdowns. Insurer Prudential, whose recent pivot towards Asia markets has been hampered by the regions pandemic restrictions, topped the FTSE 100 risers board with a gain of 2% or 19.4p to 977p and Burberry improved 15p to 1739p. Higher oil prices on expectations of a China demand boost meant BP and Shell shares were 2% higher. In the FTSE 250 index, shares in magazine publisher Future tumbled 14% in their first session since Sky News reported that chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne intends to step down next year. She took over the running of Future in April 2014 when it was worth 30 million, before a series of acquisitions that have recently included rival publisher Dennis and the parent company of comparison website Go Compare. Rapid expansion in the United States also contributed to shares hitting a high of 3940p at the end of 2021, with Byng-Thorne being named CEO of the year in Marchs PLC Awards. The FourFourTwo and Country Life publisher has fallen back to 1,430p for a 2 billion valuation since then, including todays decline of 227p following the unconfirmed departure speculation. Future was joined at the top of the FTSE 250 fallers board by greeting card business Moonpig, even though its AGM update reiterated guidance for full year revenues approximately double the level achieved three years ago. Shares slid 11% or 22.5p to 117.5p as Londons second tier experienced another session of underperformance, falling 1% or 205.43 points to 18,591.71. Kingfisher shares take a hit on consumer uncertainty 09:40 , Simon English THE DIY boom that began during lockdown may have slowed, but it certainly isnt over, Kingfisher insisted today. The Anglo-France business behind B&Q and Screwfix has seen a shift to DIFM Do it For Me now the pandemic has mostly past. But chief executive Thierry Garnier says sales were 16.6% ahead of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of the year. He said: This was driven by the extension of share gains in all our key markets, reflecting successful execution of our strategy, and resilient sales from both DIY and trade customers. We are now back to pre-pandemic levels for in-store product availability and maintaining competitive pricing across our banners. Profits fell 30% to 474 million. Richard Hunter, Head of Markets at interactive investor, said: Kingfisher is swimming against a strong tide of tough comparatives and a deteriorating economic outlook, although over a longer-term view progress is still being made. The dividend is unchanged at 3.8p, but there is a share buyback programme in place which should boost shareholder value. There wasnt much sign of that today the stock fell 5% to 235p. It is down 36% in a year. The company says it remains vigilant against the most uncertain economic outlook for the second half FTSE 100 up 1% but Kingfisher 3% lower 08:41 , Graeme Evans A stronger-than-expected session for Londons top flight included gains of 3% for British Airways owner IAG as the FTSE 100 index lifted 1% or 75.26 points to 7311.94. Shares in another widely-held stock, the Asia-focused insurer Prudential, rose 2% after Hong Kong announced moves to change its Covid quarantine policy. Other stocks on the risers board included consumer healthcare business Haleon after its maiden interim results showed double-digit revenues growth and no change to full-year guidance. The shares have fallen from 330p since the companys July demerger from GSK, but were 5.8p higher at 265.2p today. B&Q owner Kingfisher stood 3% or 7.5p lower at 239.8p after it announced first-half pre-tax profits had fallen by 30% in a performance in line with expectations. The FTSE 250 index rose 0.2% or 37.29 points to 18,834.43. FTSE 100 higher after Wall Street rally 08:04 , Graeme Evans Last nights late rebound on Wall Street has meant a positive start for European markets ahead of a busy few days of central bank decision making. US benchmarks recovered from an uncertain start to close up by around 0.7%, meaning the FTSE 100 index has opened 54.22points higher at 7290. On Friday, Londons top flight fell by 0.6% and the FTSE 250 index by 0.5% as a difficult week ended with figures showing a larger-than-expected slide in retail sales in August. Sterling dropped to its lowest against the dollar since 1985 at $1.14, a move that also reflected expectations for another hike in interest rates of at least 0.75% by the US Federal Reserve when its monetary policy meeting concludes tomorrow. The Bank of England follows with its decision on Thursday, when policymakers are likely to increase the base rate by another 0.5% to 2.25%. Decisions from central banks in Japan and Switzerland are also due this week. Minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australias most recent meeting were published this morning and included a line that members saw the case for a slower pace of increase in interest rates as becoming stronger. Gabby Petitos father Joseph honoured his 22-year-old slain daughter a year after the YouTubers body was found and called for an effort to bring missing people home. Law enforcement officials had found Petitos mortal remains on 19 September last year, weeks after the social media influencer went missing during a dream cross-country trip from New York to Oregon with her fiance Brian Laundrie. Her body was later found, with officials saying she was strangled to death in Wyoming national park and declaring Laundrie as the person of interest. About a month later, authorities found Laundries skeletal human remains inside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. Autopsy results showed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a notebook found near the remains contained a note claiming responsibility for Petitos murder. Reflecting on his loss, Mr Petito shared a post on Monday and wrote: I want to thank everyone for the love and support you have shown our families. Its because of all of you we were able to bring [Gabby Petito] home. Today is particularly hard for us but if you can, please take a moment and share a [missing persons] story to help bring them home safe, he added. The family had started the Gabby Petito Foundation in October last year. The foundation aims at addressing the needs of organisations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organisations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness and prevention strategies. The case had grabbed national headlines last year after Petitos mother, Nicole Schmidt, reported her missing on 11 September, days after Laundrie returned home to North Port, Florida, in the couples white Ford transit van without her. She was last seen on 24 August when she checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Laundrie, her partner of two-and-a-half years. The couple had been documenting their travel experiences as van lifers since setting out from New York on 2 July via a YouTube channel called Nomadic Statik. Story continues Petito would regularly FaceTime her mother from the road, causing Ms Schmidt to grow concerned when she failed to hear from her daughter for several days. On 15 September, North Port Police in Florida revealed Laundrie to be a person of interest in the case. Two days earlier, Laundrie himself had gone missing, although his family did not report his absence to the police for several days. He was believed to have headed to the nearby Carlton Reserve with just a backpack, prompting an intense manhunt in the area. While law enforcement was searching for Laundrie in Florida on 19 September, investigators announced they had located a body believed to be that of Petito in the eastern portion of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The discovery was aided by another travel YouTuber who spotted Ms Petitos van in a video they had been editing. On 20 October, Laundries remains were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, connected to the Carlton Reserve, close to where his personal belongings were found earlier in the day. Gay Comedian Reveals He Was Raped in a New Zealand Sauna This article first appeared in The Advocate. In a new book, British author and comedian Adam Kay revealed he was raped in a sauna while visiting New Zealand, and that his attacker thanked him after the assault. The former doctor who turned his working diaries into the hit book and television series, This is Going to Hurt, frankly recalled the rape and its emotional aftermath in his latest book, Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients. Kay wrote how he was married, in the closet, and still working as a doctor who did comedy on the side when he received the opportunity to perform his comedy act at a medical conference in New Zealand. While he hoped this would be his breakout comedic performance, he also planned to use the trip to have an extramarital affair with another man before returning home to his wife and a heterosexual life. He rationalized his infidelity by deciding sex with a man wasnt really cheating. He chose a sauna as the most likely place to find men willing to have sex with him. Using a fake name and French accent, Kay checked into the unnamed sauna. Once inside, a man led Kay to a secluded section of the sauna where he proceeded to rape the frightened comedian despite his pleas to stop. I was clear, Kay wrote. I said no when it became obvious he wanted this interaction to go a lot further than I did. I said no, again, when he started. I said no when he overpowered me and pushed my head into a wipe-clean cushion that stank of antiseptic. Kay wrote how he screamed but they went unheard, drowned out by the loud and pounding music playing from the saunas speakers. After the ordeal was over, the rapist said thanks to Kay before leaving. Thanks. You dont say thanks to someone youve just raped, do you? Was coming here in the first place my consent? Kay wrote. The traumatized Kay did not go to the police, fearing they would say he couldnt be raped if he went looking for sex. And he didnt tell his friends and family. Instead, he spent years wondering if he was to blame for the assault. Story continues Not pulling my hand away when he took my arm was that a way of saying yes, in a language I'd never been taught, negating everything I would say afterwards? he wrote. Kay eventually retired from the medical profession following a difficult stillborn birth that left the mother fighting for her life and Kay emotionally traumatized. He turned to comedy and later wrote This Is Going to Hurt in support of junior doctors who were under criticism in the media at the time. The book describes the long hours, near impossible working conditions, and low pay of junior doctors. This Is Going to Hurt was adapted into a television series by AMC+ and starred Ben Whishaw. His new book, Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients, is on sale now. A major general in the Army who has faced off against a couple of Fox News hosts is being probed over his use of social media, an Army spokeswoman confirmed. Spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement that Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe has been temporarily assigned to be a special assistant to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command pending an Army Department review. As the Armys review process is ongoing, we cannot provide any additional information at this time, Smith said. Multiple news outlets reported in May that Donahoe planned to retire from his position as the commanding general at Fort Benning in Georgia in July. But his profile page on the Armys website does not list him as being in the retirement process and notes his position as special assistant since last month. Donahoe was among a group of top military leaders who pushed back against comments that Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson made in March 2021 in which he said the Army was becoming too feminine because of efforts to attract more women to join the military. Donahoe posted a video of himself conducting a reenlistment ceremony for a female soldier as a reminder that @TuckerCarlson couldnt be more wrong. Fox host Laura Ingraham attacked Donahoe last July over him grappling online with a veteran who was arguing against the militarys COVID-19 vaccine requirements. A source familiar with the situation told the Military Times that Donahoe is likely to face discipline for his conduct on social media, but the type of discipline is not clear. Donahoe did not immediately return a request from The Hill for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Facebook/Venmo They are not going to let me go love you there is a key to the house in the blue flower pot by the door. That was the chilling Venmo message Deborrah Debbie Collier sent her daughter around 3:17 p.m. on Sept. 10along with approximately $2,300before the 59-year-old left her Athens, Georgia home in a rented SUV and vanished. Less than 24 hours later, authorities would discover her body, nude and severely burned, in a ravine about an hour away. According to a Habersham County Sheriffs Office incident report, obtained by The Daily Beast on Tuesday, investigators found Collier on Sept. 11 laying on her back, grasping a small tree with her right hand. Colliers remains [were] apparently burned with what appeared to be charring to her abdomen, the report added, noting that remnants of a burned tarp and a red tote bag were nearby. The grisly details have only sparked more questions about a harrowing case that investigators are treating as a homicide. So far, authorities have not yet identified any suspects or provided a cause of death for Collierbut have noted that a number of search warrants and interviews have been conducted. Missing High School Students Turn Up Dead on North Carolina Trail An Athens-Clarke County missing persons report, obtained by The Daily Beast, says Colliers daughter, Amanda Bearden, reported her mom missing on the evening of Sept. 10 after receiving the Venmo payment. (The Venmo payment, reviewed by The Daily Beast, shows that Collier used her husbands account, which she appeared to do in previous transactions. The Colliers also appeared to share a Facebook account, which included several pictures of the pair.) Bearden told police the message scared her and got her worried for her mom, so she tried calling her but she did not pick up. Amanda also informed that her mother did not take anything with her but her driver's license and debit card, the report states. Bearden said Collier left the house in a rented black Chrysler Pacifica because her car had recently been in a crash. Story continues Police also spoke with Colliers husband, Steven, on Sept. 10. He told police he had not seen his wife of nine years since the evening of Sept. 9, when he went to bed around 9 p.m. He said when he left for work in the morning, Colliers rental car was still in the driveway. He clarified that he and Deborrah sleep in separate bedrooms due to his snoring, the report states. Both Amanda and Steven stated this is unusual for Deborrah to do this. She has not done anything like this before. At around 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, Habersham County dispatch was contacted by a Sirius XM service representative who said they had gotten an alert that Colliers car was in their area. The representative said that the car was either stopped or pulled over about an hour away from Colliers home. The incident report states that when officers arrived, they found the unlocked car pulled off near an old logging road. Collier was found yards away near a red tote by an uprooted tree. Next to the tree appeared to be the remains of a fire, the report added. Eventually, Bearden arrived at the scene in a hysterical state and began screaming that the vehicle belonged to her mother. The officer briefly asked Bearden about her mothers mental state to which she insisted that her mother did not have any history of mental health issues and denied any suicidal tendencies. She also stated that her mother had a bad back, and couldnt have walked far, the incident report states. Colliers family did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment Tuesday. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister on Tuesday called on Iran's leadership to listen to the women protesting in the streets over the death of a woman in police custody, saying they were standing up for basic human rights. Mahsa Amini, 22, from Iran's Kurdistan province, fell into a coma and died while waiting with other women held by Iranian morality police, who enforce strict rules in the Islamic Republic requiring women to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes in public. Her death has sparked popular unrest throughout Iran, during which at least three people have so far been killed. "They must be listened to, as these women are demanding rights that all people should have," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Reporting by Alexander Ratz in Berlin; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Howard Goller) MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday urged the Mexican government to stand with Europe in opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, invoking the spirit of one of Mexico's legendary leaders in his appeal. In a speech to the Mexican Senate following a meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Steinmeier said failure to close ranks against Moscow's attack on Ukraine posed a threat to global democracy. "For us, Germans and Mexicans, for the democratic world to emerge stronger from this conflict, a common position must be held," Steinmeier said. "We must be united in isolating an aggressor that attempts to replace the strength of the law with the law of the stronger," he added. Lopez Obrador has condemned Russia's invasion but strived to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict, declining to participate in sanctions against Moscow and criticizing western powers for supplying arms to Ukraine. Steinmeier said that to normalize "border violations and land grabs" would be to open "Pandora's box" and ultimately threaten the whole world. "It is to leave once and for all the path taken by Benito Juarez, who said: 'respect for the rights of others means peace'." A 19th century icon of Mexican politics who opposed the French invasion of his country in the 1860s, Juarez has been described by Lopez Obrador as the best president in Mexico's history. Lopez Obrador has himself repeatedly made reference to the words of Juarez quoted by Steinmeier when urging countries to show mutual respect. (Reporting by Dave Graham; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer) Golden Globes Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Hollywood Foreign Press Association It's official: The Golden Globes are coming back. The yearly awards ceremony will return to NBC in January, the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced. The 2023 Golden Globes will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Jan. 10 a Tuesday, rather than the traditional Sunday night slot. NBC canceled the 2022 Golden Globes amid revelations that the group behind the ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, did not have a single Black member. A Los Angeles Times report also said the HFPA "issues substantial payments to its own members in ways that some experts say could run afoul of Internal Revenue Service guidelines," and a lawsuit accused the non-profit of a "culture of corruption." The backlash against the HFPA became so widespread that Tom Cruise even returned his Golden Globes at the time. The HFPA did give out awards in January, but at a private event that wasn't televised or streamed online, and questions remained about whether the show would ever return to the air. But the HFPA has since instituted various reforms, including by adding Black members to its voting body, and on Tuesday, NBCUniversal executive Frances Berwick said "we recognize the HFPA's commitment to ongoing change and look forward" to welcoming the show back. According to an HFPA press release, the Golden Globes' voting body is now 51.5 percent "racially and ethnically diverse," including 19.5 percent Latinx, 12 percent Asian, 10 percent Black, and 10 percent Middle Eastern. How eager potential nominees will be to embrace the HFPA again, though, remains to be seen. You may also like Princess Charlotte wears horseshoe brooch that the queen gave her at funeral Russian pop icon Alla Pugacheva criticizes Ukraine invasion, asks to be labeled 'foreign agent' Trump lawyers acknowledge criminal peril from classified documents in 1st filing with special master Two top Republican campaign committees are launching a pipeline to elevate state GOP candidates to Congress while keeping the partys power at the state level. The joint effort is between the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), which supports GOP candidates for down-ballot state-level offices, and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the campaign arm of House Republicans. Under the agreement, the plans of which were first shared with The Hill, the RSLC formally commits to financial investments to replace Republican state lawmakers who run for Congress. The NRCC, in turn, commits to support mentorship programs with former state lawmakers now in Congress giving advice to the next generation of state lawmakers. Todays state legislatures provide tomorrows Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said in a statement. We are thrilled to partner with the RSLC to continue cultivating the type of Republican leadership we need to bring common sense back to Washington. Republicans have control of more state legislative seats and bodies than Democrats and hope to expand their reach in states this fall. According to the RSLC, there are more than 100 GOP nominees for the House who are current or former state legislators, while 13 nonincumbent GOP nominees are current state lawmakers. State lawmakers running for Congress who are participating in the NRCCs Young Guns program include Kevin Kiley, a California state representative running in an open seat, and Jen Kiggans, a Virginia state senator challenging Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) in a highly competitive seat. The more formalized partnership builds on the RSLCs Right Leaders Network launched last year, which aims to recruit more diverse candidates for office and includes a mentorship component with former state lawmakers who went on to higher office. Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson (Iowa) and Young Kim (Calif.) sit on the programs advisory council. Given the fantastic track record Republicans have in advancing the conservative movement in state legislatures across the country, its no surprise that they make strong recruits for Congress, RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a statement. We are incredibly proud of how many state legislators are making that jump this cycle, and we are committed to ensuring Republicans continue to hold the line in the states by retaining these critical seats. Doing so will allow us to deliver even more policy wins at the state level while replenishing our Partys pipeline with leaders who will continue going on to transform the entire country for the better in Washington. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MIAMI (AP) Theyve delivered migrants on planes and buses to Washington, D.C., New York City even Marthas Vineyard. And the Republican governors of Florida and Texas may be just getting started. Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas insist such dramatic steps are need to highlight a genuine crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, where thousands of migrants stream into the country illegally each day. But weeks away from their own competitive reelections, friends and foes alike acknowledged that such hard-line tactics have effectively refocused Novembers midterm elections at least, temporarily away from abortion rights and toward an issue more favorable to Republicans. A defiant DeSantis on Tuesday blasted the Biden administration's inaction on the Southern border and celebrated his own policies for making illegal immigration a front-burner issue ahead of the midterms. It will be a big issue in the elections, I can tell you that, DeSantis said. Its already made more of an impact than anyone thought it could possibly make. But were going to continue to make more of an impact. Indeed, DeSantis and Abbott are pressing forward with and even expanding on controversial campaigns to ship thousands of immigrants from Texas to Democratic-led states and cities. Beyond shifting the national debate, their divisive moves could also serve to strengthen their national brands and help legitimize their controversial policies as they consider 2024 presidential bids. I personally thought it was a good idea," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. The governors' rhetoric is reminiscent of former President Donald Trumps dire warnings ahead of the 2018 midterms that a migrant caravan threatened the Southern border. Trumps GOP lost 40 seats in the House and gained two Senate seats that year. Democrats from Connecticut to California have generated momentum in recent weeks by campaigning on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the GOP's subsequent push to outlaw abortion in dozens of states. Republicans, meanwhile, want to make the midterms a referendum on President Joe Biden and concerns about the economy, crime and immigration. Story continues This week, at least, immigration is leading the national debate. What theyre doing is raising the salience and relevance of the immigration issue, which is important to Republican voters and can help drive turnout, said veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. For the voters were appealing to, for the most part, the benefits outweigh the risks by a considerable margin. There are real risks, however, particularly for DeSantis, who has taken credit for two weekend charter planes that carried about 50 migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, a small, wealthy island off Massachusetts' coast. The immigrants were told they were going to Boston. A Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into DeSantis' flights, though the law enforcement official, an elected Democrat, did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes from San Antonio, the first stop for many migrants who cross the border. A lawsuit was filed Tuesday against DeSantis and his transportation secretary on behalf of several of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, alleging the two politicians engaged in a "fraudulent and discriminatory scheme to relocate them. DeSantis' office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, has called on the Justice Department to investigate the flights as well. These guys are immature, sadistic Trump imitators. Thats what they are, Castro said of Abbott and DeSantis. This is sadistic behavior. Whatever political point they were trying to make has been made a long time ago. DeSantis, who has stepped up travel on behalf of GOP candidates in the midterm elections, vowed to spend every penny of $12 million set aside by the state legislature for such relocation programs. On Tuesday, local officials in a Delaware community close to Biden's vacation home were preparing to receive another one of DeSantis' planes full of migrants from Texas, although the Florida governor refused to confirm the development. Despite fierce criticism and potential legal liabilities, there has been little evidence of widespread political backlash in either state. Democratic sympathizers in Florida staged news conferences in recent days condemning the governors while others compared DeSantis to late Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Spanish radio. But the number of Venezuelan voters in the state remains relatively small. Much of the community that exists has formed a coalition with Cubans, a crucial bloc in Florida that has increasingly voted Republican. Governors Abbott and DeSantis have had enough of it and decided to do something for people to pay attention, said Ernesto Ackerman, a Republican who heads the Independent Venezuelan American Citizens. This is a country of laws, not of scoundrels and tramps. In Texas, Abbott has spent the past two years pushing a series of provocative immigration measures that have elevated his national profile and kept critics on his right at bay. The two-term governor converted a former prison near Texas southern border into a jail for migrants, gave the National Guard extraordinary arrest powers and gridlocked some of Americas busiest ports for a week by mandating additional inspections for 18-wheelers crossing into the U.S. The Abbott administration has been busing migrants to Washington, Chicago and New York City for months. The busing campaign includes two busloads of people who were dropped off outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence last weekend. Longtime Abbott adviser Dave Carney said Texas would expand its operation this week to include new drop-off locations in other states. Weve been focused on this for two years. Its got nothing to do with politics. The communities are screaming bloody murder, Carney said, referring to border towns flooded with immigrants apprehended at the border and subsequently released. Republicans cast the border crisis as a failure of the Biden administration. The federal government this week reported that authorities stopped migrants 2.15 million times from October through August, the first time that measure has ever topped 2 million and a 39% increase from the same period a year earlier. Border crossings have been fueled partly by repeat crossers because there are no legal consequences for getting caught under a pandemic-era rule that denies a right to seek asylum. Even so, the numbers are extraordinarily high. While Abbott and DeSantis have also highlighted their accomplishments on issues related to the economy, neither has taken steps to moderate their immigration policies as the November election nears. Abbott is running against former Democratic Rep. Beto ORourke, who has outraised Abbott in a contest that represents the toughest challenge of the governors political career. Immigration remains a crucial issue for Democrats who have long believed Texas booming cities and shifting demographics would eventually turn Americas biggest red state blue. But in overwhelmingly Hispanic counties on the border, Republicans are making an aggressive play for three congressional seats this fall after Trump made major gains in the region in 2020. It was much the same in South Florida, where Trump's GOP performed better than expected in the last election. DeSantis is running against former Rep. Charlie Crist, whose campaign has charged in recent days that the governor shot himself in the foot by shipping immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts. The move sparked a fundraising surge for Crist that exceeded $1 million over a 48-hour period, according to spokesperson Samantha Ramirez. Republican candidates on the November ballot don't seem worried. I think it is a valid maneuver to use in order to try to wake up or at least expose the hypocrisy of progressive Democrats that say the border is secure and theres no problem down here whatsoever, said Joseph Swiger, one of dozens of Republicans running for local office in Texas border counties where the GOP seldom bothered to recruit candidates in the past. ___ Peoples reported from New York; Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report. The Asian American Power Network, a progressive advocacy group, has launched a $10 million effort to turn out Asian American voters in seven key battleground states ahead of the midterms. The funds are meant to help mobilize AAPI voters who speak different languages in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania. With more support for door knocks and phone calls, progressives hope to spur an increasingly powerful bloc to the ballot box while Republicans attempt to do the same. The effort comes ahead of a number of tight races that will determine the balance of power in Washington come November and amid record increases in voter turnout in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in recent years. Between 2000 and 2019, the growth rate of Asian Americans in the U.S. was higher than that of any other race or ethnicity, at 81%, a 2021 Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. census data showed. In the 2020 presidential election, the number of Asian Americans who voted in five battleground states was larger than the presidential margin of victory, according to the nonpartisan group Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, or APIAVote. The Asian American electorate has been higher on the radar of political campaigns since 2018, Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research at the nonprofit group AAPI Data, told NBC Asian America. That midterm election cycle saw an increase in competitive congressional districts with significant Asian populations, he said. I think what these investments speak to is the growing competitiveness of many suburban districts, he said. Asian Americans are part of that. Nadia Belkin, executive director of the Asian American Power Network, said the investment will support the groups longer-term efforts to encourage nontransactional engagement with AAPI voters by, for example, communicating with them in their native languages in hopes of boosting turnout in the midterm elections, which historically have lower turnout than presidential elections. Story continues In North Carolina, the group hopes to reach voters in 18 languages. In Pennsylvania, voter outreach will be done in 15 languages. Our community does face some interesting and unique barriers to the political process, Belkin said. We need to address and meet the moment. In a survey of more than 1,600 registered Asian American voters conducted this year by APIAVote, more than half of respondents said they planned to vote in the midterms. But less than half said they had been contacted by at least one of the two major political parties. Just over 40% of Asian American voters who spoke a language other than English at home said they would use voting assistance if it was available in their own language, the survey showed. The survey showed that the three most important issues to Asian American voters were health care, the economy and crime. Issues around the economy in particular inflation, job security, access to health care all of those issues are issues that our community is very concerned about, Belkin said. The Republican National Committee set up a new minority outreach center in Issaquah, Washington, in late August in an effort to reach Asian American voters amid a congressional race where their turnout could play a key role. The center is one of five across the country, three of which are located in Georgia, California and Texas that will have been operating for more than a year by Election Day, according to a spokesperson for the RNC. Registered Asian American voters say they are more likely to vote for Democratic House and Senate candidates, according to the APIAVote survey, with Indian Americans most likely to vote for Democrats and Vietnamese Americans leaning toward Republican candidates in House elections. Ramakrishnan said the combination of redistricting and Roe v. Wades reversal is adding to campaigns uncertainty about voter behavior in November, so Asian American voters could play a key role. Seventy-four percent of Asians in the U.S. support abortion access, Pew reported. It could be a game of inches and not yards, he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A man in Hong Kong who played a pro-democracy tune on a harmonica at Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral vigil in Hong Kong was arrested. Thousands of mourners gathered outside the British consulate in Hong Kong during Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral to pay tribute on Monday evening. A 43-year-old man, surnamed Pang, reportedly played songs on a harmonica as attendees outside the consulate shone their phone lights, sang along and applauded the performance. Pang played the British national anthem and the song Glory To Hong Kong, which became known as a pro-democracy song during the citys anti government protests in 2019. The song contains the protest chant liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times, which the courts have previously declared to be a threat to national security. Many mourners also chanted the protest Hong Kongers add oil at the vigil, while expressing nostalgia in the former British colony. More from NextShark: Woman Bashes Asian Victims Head With a HAMMER After Demanding to Remove Mask in NYC Hong Kong was a British colony for over 150 years before it was returned to China in 1997. Following the queens death, more than 13,000 people have lined up to sign a book of condolences in the citys British consulate. Pang was arrested outside the consulate on Tuesday for seditious acts under the British colonial-era sedition law, which national security police have been known to use to arrest activists. His arrest marks the first time an individual has been arrested for playing music. More from NextShark: Man in China sentenced to 10 years in jail for selling his 5 children for $28,000 Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested at least 60 people under the same law since September 2020, including Filipino Hong Kong busker Oliver Ma when he sang the English version of the protest song on Hong Kong streets. The law has also been known to send politicians, journalists and civil society figures to prison. Featured Image via AP Archive Story continues More from NextShark: Organ-dwelling parasite is a Japanese aquarium star because it looks just like sushi Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! COVID-19 Researcher On Verge of Breakthrough Found Shot to Death in Pittsburgh NEW YORK The young Colombian mother who took her own life at a Queens homeless shelter this past weekend was found dead by her teenage son and he blamed himself for her suicide in a heartbreaking interview with NYPD officers, according to neighbors and city officials. I heard him talking to the two policemen. He said, Its my fault, a migrant who lived next door to the shattered Colombian family at the shelter told the Daily News in Spanish on Tuesday. The 15-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister had been sent out to play by their mother on Sunday afternoon, according to the neighbor. While they were out, the 32-year-old mother, whose name is being withheld by The News, took her own life at the shelter in Hollis before the boy returned to find her, city officials and the neighbor said. The neighbor, who did not want to be named, said she tried to console the shell-shocked son. I said, No, no, not your fault, she said. He thinks its his fault because he left her alone. Since the Sunday tragedy, the teen and his sister have been staying at another Queens shelter with a family friend from Bogota, Colombia who also recently made the trek to the U.S. in hopes of seeking asylum, the friend said. They returned to the Hollis shelter on Tuesday afternoon to retrieve some of their belongings. The son was barely able to speak, but asked to describe his mother, he told The News: She was perfect. The familys father has tried to join his kids and wife in the U.S. several times since they first arrived in May after crossing into the U.S. from Mexico, the family friend said. But he was sent back to Bogota each time, and his children are now going to travel back to Colombia to be with him, the friend said. The kids father wont let them stay, she said. The moms death added a devastating note to the migrant crisis unfolding in the city shelter system. More than 13,000 migrants fleeing violence and economic devastation in their South and Central American home countries have poured into New York since May, according to city officials. Story continues Some 9,500 of them were staying in city shelters as of Tuesday, and dozens more migrants continue to arrive weekly, Mayor Eric Adams said during an unrelated press conference at City Hall. Adams said his administration is investigating the Sunday suicide at the Hollis shelter, but declined to share more details, telling reporters that the law precludes him from disseminating that type of information. We always do investigations after a death no matter what happens, whether its inside one of our facilities. So, yes, we will and we will release the outcome of that, Adams said. The children are in the hands of the proper care that they need. Many of the Latin American migrants in New York ended up in the city because Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent them here on buses often without alerting local authorities as part of a political feud with President Joe Biden over border policies. The influx of migrants has brought the citys already overcrowded shelter system to the brink of collapse, resulting in Adams administration failing to provide beds for dozens of homeless people on at least two occasions this summer in apparent violation of the local right-to-shelter law. Immigrant rights activists and some local Democratic politicians have accused Adams administration of not doing enough to accommodate the waves of migrants. But most of Adams critics have also joined him in singling out Abbott for the city shelter crisis. People should not be used as political pawns in any circumstances and for that, Governor Abbot should be ashamed, Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in response to Sundays suicide. Now is the time that we demand more from all levels of government to ensure the health and safety of every New Yorker whether they are newcomers or not. (New York Daily News' Michael Gartland contributed to this story.) Photo credit: Getty Puerto Rico was hit by another devastating hurricane on Sunday, five years after Hurricane Maria killed over 3,000 people and severely damaged the island's power grid. While the destruction caused by Hurricane Fiona over the weekend is still too recent to assess the damages, the storm brought over 100 mph winds and up to 30 inches of rainfall. According to AP News, rivers over-flooded across the island submerging ground-floor homes, cars, an airport runway, and a recently constructed bridge. Hundreds of residents were reportedly evacuated, and as of Sunday afternoon, Puerto Ricos governor, Pedro Pierluisi, confirmed on Twitter that electricity was out across the entire island. In response, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for federal resources, but the lasting effects of the storm are continuing to ravage Puerto Rico. Hurricane Fiona is also moving to neighboring islands as the days progress, including the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos. If you're looking to help, the best way to get involved is by providing additional disaster relief. According to Luma, a private company that tracks electrical distribution across the island, they've been able to restore power to nearly 1,000 residents as of Monday morning, but the process could take days to complete. Puerto Rico has also set up an official website to update residents with information, resources, and many ways to help. The PRxPR Relief and Rebuild Fund Run by the Conservation Trust in Puerto Rico, the PRxPR Relief and Rebuild Fund is donating 100% of the money received to local Hurricane Fiona relief. As the infrastructure of the country is ravaged, the group works with local organizations to restore access to clean water and repair damaged roofs. Over the course of their work, the organization has supplied children and the elderly with over 100,000 meals and fully repaired over 120 residential roofs. The Hispanic Federation The Hispanic Foundation has been working to repair homes and health centers across the island ever since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico five years ago. The organization also supplies over 25 chartered planes to carry 7.4 million pounds of food, water, medicine, and solar panels to fully-organized donation drop-offs in cooperation with town mayors. Story continues Taller Salud The women-led nonprofit Taller Salud is accepting non-perishable food, diapers, and gallons of water in Loiza, Puerto Rico. For those outside the country, they are also accepting monetary PayPal donations that will go toward water filters and solar lanterns. American Red Cross Thanks to millions of dollars in donations to the Red Cross, the organization has been able to provide over 120 emergency shelters and set up temporary solar grid power systems. The group has also helped local hospitals, supplying blood packets needed to support injured patients. People in non-impacted areas are urged to give blood and platelets by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, but those outside the country can also help by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund. World Central Kitchen After crossing the borders to help people in Ukraine, Chef Jose Andres's World Central Kitchen announced on Twitter that teams in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were already preparing meals for those in need. Those who can donate to the organization's efforts are urged to help so they can reach as many hungry and displaced residents as possible. You Might Also Like Hundreds of Vietnamese workers register to return from Cambodia Border guard officers in Tay Ninh Province on September 19 worked with local police to repatriate nearly 80 Vietnamese nationals from various localities in Cambodia including Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Bavet. Border guard officers in Tay Ninh Province work with local police to repatriate nearly 80 Vietnamese nationals in Cambodia on September 19 According to the Tay Ninh Provincial Border Guard Command, they had recently received repatriation requests from between 20-50 Vietnamese in Cambodia daily. "Most of them are workers at casinos, shops, and factories in Cambodia who were previously brought to the country illegally and have no papers," the border guard command said. "As Cambodian police have recently conducted various raids at local casinos which employ workers without permits, these people have decided to return home." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with Cambodian authorities to bring home 67 workers who fled a casino in the country on September 17. According to the ministry, 60 workers fled a casino in Bavet City in Cambodia on the afternoon of September 17 and attempted to return to Vietnam. They went towards the Bavet Border Gate to find a way to the Moc Bai Border Gate in Vietnam's Tay Ninh Province. However, four were caught by the casino guards. Cambodian police held 56 others for investigation. By late afternoon the same day, Cambodian police demanded the casino hand over 11 more Vietnamese citizens, bringing the total number of people involved in the case to 67. The group is now being protected by Cambodian police. Forty Vietnamese including 35 men and five women previously crossed the Binh Di River in An Giang Province's An Phu District from Cambodia. Every vote counts! Dancing with Stars is filled with changes this season, including the move to Disney+ and new co-host Alfonso Ribeiro. But one thing remains the sameyou can still vote for your favorite celebrity on season 31. Wondering how you can help decide which celebrities keep their dancing shoes on for a chance at the Mirrorball Trophy every week. Here's how to vote on DWTS in 2022. When can I vote for DWTS? Each week's voting period will open when that week's Dancing With the Stars episode begins airing live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+. Unlike in previous seasons where viewers on the West coast, Canada and Puerto Rico were shut out of voting, this season will be airing coast to coast at the same time. That means ALL viewers will get a chance to vote this season. What time does voting close on Dancing with the Stars? Voting closes 10 minutes before the end of the two-hour episode. Get your votes in by 9:50 p.m. ET/6:50 p.m. PT. How can I vote for DWTS online? Fans can vote during the appropriate period every week at disneyplus.com/vote. A Disney.com account is required in order to vote online. However, registration is easy to do and only requires your email address. You must be at least 18 years old and in the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada to vote online. Related: DWTS season 31 Is Back! Here Are All the Pro-Star Pairings How to vote on Dancing with the Stars via text To vote by text, you must have a U.S. wireless carrier and be located in the U.S. or Puerto Rico; message and data rates may apply. Simply text the proper celebrity name to the DWTS SMS keyboard to cast a vote for them. SMS voting is not available to viewers in Canada. Related: Tyra Banks Says She Doesnt Care About Fashion What are the SMS keywords to text for voting? Text CHARLI to 21523 to vote for Charli DAmelio Text CHERYL to 21523 to vote for Cheryl Ladd Text DANIEL to 21523 to vote for Daniel Durant Text GABBY to 21523 to vote for Gabby Windey Text HEIDI to 21523 to vote for Heidi DAmelio Text JASON to 21523 to vote for Jason Lewis Text JESSIE to 21523 to vote for Jessie James Decker Text JORDIN to 21523 to vote for Jordin Sparks Text SAM to 21523 to vote for Sam Champion Text SELMA to 21523 to vote for Selma Blair Text SHANGELA to 21523 to vote for Shangela Text TERESA to 21523 to vote for Teresa Guidice Text TREVOR to 21523 to vote for Trevor Donovan Text VINNY to 21523 to vote for Vinny Guadagnino Text WAYNE to 21523 to vote for Wayne Brady Story continues How many times can I vote each week? You are allowed 10 votes per voting method (online or SMS) during every week's episode. If you vote via ABC.com, you can change your vote distribution at any time during the voting window, as long as you click the "Save Votes" button afterward. Next, watch judge Derek Hough's romantic return to the DWTS dance floor. A Hocking County couple is accused of sexually abusing four children in their care including a then-3-year-old child as well as producing child pornography and possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse. Robert Gemienhardt, 37, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Columbus to sexually exploiting a minor a crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison and possessing child pornography. His significant other, Carrie Daniels, 41, is expected to plead guilty on Oct. 5 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Crimes against childrenArrest made in rape of Ohio girl that led to Indiana abortion drawing international attention According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip in December from Kik, a messaging app, regarding Gemienhardts online child exploitation activities. The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Hocking County Sheriffs Office began investigating the allegations in February. Gimienhardt was previously registered as a Tier 1 sex offender in Ohio after he pleaded guilty in 2021 in Franklin County to sexual imposition and was sentenced to probation. The Hocking County Sheriffs Office used the sex offender registry to locate his home in Logan, about 48 miles southeast of Columbus. Authorities discovered that four minor females ranging in age from 5 to 17 lived there with Gimienhardt and Daniels, according to court records. Crimes against childrenColumbus City Schools employee arrested on child porn charge to resign Search warrants executed by the Hocking County Sheriffs Office in conjunction with the FBI led to evidence that Gemienhardt and Daniels were producing child pornography by grooming and sexually abusing the four girls, court records indicate. Authorities found more than 1,000 images and 350 videos depicting child sexual abuse on Gemienhardts cellphones and computer, according to court documents. Some of those images were made in 2020 and depicted the youngest child in their home, then 3 years old, in sexual acts with Daniels and/or Gemienhardt, court records state. Story continues Gemienhardt and Daniels exchanged thousands of text messages describing their sexual fantasies about the minor victims and their plans to act on some of those fantasies, according to court documents. jlaird@dispatch.com @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hocking County couple charged with sexually exploiting four girls Editor's note: Police announced Tuesday afternoon they had found the suspect's vehicle, but it was unoccupied and the suspect is still on the run. Charles Tart, 52 of Springfield, was known for his jokes, according to Candy Fulks, a friend of Tart. Affectionately known as Joker, Tart was always joking around and making others laugh, Fulks said. "He was always the jokester. Thats why he was nicknamed joker," Fulks said. "If asked, he always had a joke." Full of life and a great friend, Fulks said besides jokes, Tart loved riding motorcycles. "He even lost his leg, but he still rode," she said. Tart was shot and killed Friday morning. Police found Tart with gunshot wounds in a vehicle on West Lyon Ave. Police have identified Robert Parmley Jr., 40 of Springfield, as a suspect but have not been able to locate him and are asking for the public's help in locating him. There were a few possible sightings over the weekend, but Parmley is still on the loose, police say. He was last seen driving a 2006 Ford Expedition with a Missouri license plate reading TJ2G1L. He should be considered armed and dangerous, police say. More: Springfield police looking for suspect in deadly Friday morning shooting Fulks said she will miss Tart immensely and considers him a brother. "He was like a brother to me and I will never forget our talks about life in general, good or bad, and the long hugs only a brother can give," Fulks said. Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Homicide victim remembered as jokester, suspect still on the loose BRUSSELS (AP) Hungary needs time and is urging its European Union partners to be tolerant, the country's justice minister said Tuesday, after the bloc's executive branch recommended suspending billions of euros in funding over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money. Justice Minister Judit Varga said that Hungary has proposed 17 measures which are capable of remedying all the concerns expressed by European Commission. EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn recommended over the weekend that 7.5 billion euros (dollars) from Hungarys EU funds be frozen. Time is needed, because even if there are accelerated procedures to adopt laws and amend legislation, you need to set up new institutions. For that, you have to hire new personnel, Varga told reporters in Brussels. She said she expects Hungary to have until mid-November to show its on the right track. The commission on Sunday took the unprecedented action of recommending that Hungarys 26 EU partners vote to suspend the payments to ensure the protection of the EU budget and the financial interests of the EU against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary. The commissions fears focus on public procurement purchases by the state of goods and services or for the execution of projects using EU funds in particular that around half of the tender procedures have only involved one bidder. Critics say the awarding of such contracts have allowed Prime Minister Viktor Orbans nationalist government to channel large sums of EU money into the businesses of politically connected insiders. The commission also has serious concerns regarding the detection, prevention and correction of conflicts of interest, and is reluctant to see EU money put into some public interest trusts which manage significant funds, notably in the area of education. Despite the concerns, Hahn welcomed Hungarys offer to fix the problem, saying that its proposed remedial action goes in the right direction. EU member countries have one month to decide whether to freeze the funds, but can in exceptional circumstances extend that period to two months. Story continues Varga called on Hungarys EU partners to be tolerant, to be positive, to be constructive and forward-looking because ultimately the main aim of the commissions so-called rule of law action is prevention not sanctioning. There is no danger, she said. EU lawmakers see it differently. It is fatal that Viktor Orban can still avert these sanctions before the end of the year with a few pseudo-reforms, said German Green Daniel Freund, a lead lawmaker on the rule of law. A decisive stance is needed, not just a few improvements in Hungarian public procurement law. In contrast, officials in Orbans government have depicted the commissions decision as a victory, and emphasized their commitment to carrying out reforms they believe will unlock the funds. In a tweet Sunday, the premiers political director, Balazs Orban, called the decision good news. He wrote that Budapest will fulfill 100% of its commitments & submit the necessary bills to Parliament, so there will be no obstacles to close the discussions in 3 months and to receive EU funds. ___ Justin Spike contributed to this report from Budapest, Hungary. BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's foreign minister said on Tuesday the European Union should not consider new sanctions against Russia as that would only deepen the energy supply crisis and hurt Europe. "The EU should ... stop mentioning an 8th package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis," Peter Szijjarto said in his statement. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Andrew Heavens) The Lubbock County Courthouse. Amanda Lucio sat before Gabriel Lopez on Tuesday and told him that his actions more than 20 years ago plunged her family into a never ending nightmare. She told him the years he'll spend in prison won't compare to the despair and hopelessness her family felt when he left her husband to die on a driveway 24 years ago. Warrants issued in '98 homicide case Lopez, 44, was sentenced to seven years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea to a count of manslaughter, which carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison. He has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since June 21, 2019. Lopez was one of two men arrested in 2019 in connection with the Jan. 1, 1998 death of 26-year-old Jessie Ordonez at a home in the 2400 block of Third Street. Lopez admitted to recklessly causing Ordonez's death by striking and kicking him. Lopez's brother, Lee, 42, is also charged with manslaughter in the case and is in being held at the Lubbock County Detention while awaiting trial. The charges against the brother's stem from a Lubbock police investigation that began when police officers responding to a Jan. 1, 1998 call about an injured man found Ordonez lying in the home's front yard. Officials said Ordonez was in distress and was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center where he died less than an hour later. For years, Ordonez's killing was unsolved. Ordonez's case, as well as other unsolved homicides, were taken over by the Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit when it was activated in December 2018. The unit is a partnership with the Lubbock Police Department and the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office designed to pool resources and people into solving major cases including homicides. In June 2019, arrest warrants for the Lopez brothers, who were living in Canyon County, Idaho, were issued. "We looked at everybody to try to have a kind of a think-tank approach to whatever it takes to get this solved," said Lubbock police Sgt. Brandon Price, who investigated Ordonez's case. Story continues Price said he couldn't comment on a motive for the killing but said Ordonez was at a New Years Eve party at the home that lasted into the next day and he got into a fight. Investigators at the time learned that Ordonez was severely beaten by two men, police officials said. The Lopez brothers, who moved to Idaho shortly after Ordonez's death, were identified as suspects in Ordonez's slaying. In 2007, Lubbock County prosecutors presented a manslaughter case against the brothers to a grand jury who declined to indict the men. Investigators re-interviewed witnesses and Price traveled to Idaho where he spoke with an eye-witnesses who provided crucial information about the case, and helped secure the warrant for the Lopez brothers. "I can just tell you this, that it was an eye-witness to what occurred here in Lubbock," Price said in 2019. "We ended up finding this individual there and (the witness) was able to provide details that occurred during the altercation and the assault that ultimately led to the death of Mr. Ordonez, that was able to corroborate stuff that we also had from the autopsy report." Lucio told Lopez that she couldn't understand how he lived with himself the past 24 years knowing that he'd killed someone and destroyed a family. "What you did was wrong," she said. "You took away a very loved man; a man who loved his children and family like no other." Lucio also read letters from their son and other family members. Ordonez's son, also named Jessie, told Lopez that his actions decades ago robbed him of his childhood, forcing him to go through life without a father to guide and teach him. He recalled learning how to play football by himself, throwing the ball as high as he could so that he could catch it on his own. "Because I had no one to play catch with," he said. In his letter, he told Lopez he also robbed his sisters of precious moments they could have spent with their father, such as daddy-daughter dances and donuts with dad. Lopez's attorney, Nick Olguin, said after the hearing that his client, who was set to stand trail on Monday, was sympathetic to Ordonez's family and wanted to bring them closure. "He wanted to take care of it and put it behind him," he said. Lucio told Lopez that her husband was loved by so many people and didn't deserve to die the way he did. "You transformed the lives of his family and children into a nightmare they couldn't wake up from," she said. "We couldn't even have an open casket, we couldn't even see him one last time." This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Man pleads guilty to 1998 beating death in Lubbock Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department on Friday moved to expedite its appeal of an order appointing a special master to review records the FBI seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. In a court filing late on Friday, the Justice Department said its inability to access the non-classified documents is still hampering significant aspects of its investigation on the retention of government records at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. The Justice Department is asking the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to order all papers be filed in the case by Nov. 11, and hold any necessary hearing in the case as soon as that briefing is completed. Selected for main competition, Pornomelancolia premiered at San Sebastian over the festivals first weekend. A Latin American buzz title at the festival last year when it played in pix-in-post section WIP Latam, Pornomelancolia opens a window onto the behind-the-scenes life of a porn influencer, Lalo. But, Argentine director Manuel Abramovich who won the 2019 Silver Bear at Berlin with his short film Blue Boy told Variety, Pornomelancolia is not a film about pornography, it is a film about how we face the gaze of others. Pornomelancolia was formed as part of 2018s Ikusmira Berriak, a residency program in San Sebastian which is one of Spains foremost development labs. The film is lead produced by Gema Films in Argentina, with Brazils Desvia Filmes, Bordeaux-based Dublin Films and Mexicos Marthfilms. Luxbox handles international sales; Filmin will handle distribution in Spain. More from Variety Variety spoke with Abramovich. The film is about the private life of a public figure. How did you go about finding the right tone to create such an intimate story about such a public aspect of Lalos life. In my films, I am interested in reflecting on the different characters we play in order to live and survive in society, in families, or institutions. I am interested in inviting people to become characters, to explore those fictional spaces that we create in our own lives. These are works based on trust and collaboration that seek to find ways to stage intimacy. Pornomelancolia is not a documentary about Lalo Santos. It is a film made with him. Together during the process, we talked about all these issues and transformed them into scenes. Combining elements more typical of documentary, along with others closer to fiction. It was a process of testing and experimentation that was only possible thanks to our complicity and the support of the team. This was our starting point and permanent return to build concrete ways to collaborate together. Story continues I was intrigued with how Lalo manages the relationship with his Mother, can you describe the importance of the Mother figure and why that is so important for Lalo? I always think of the family as the first dramatic space in our lives, the first stage. I think of the mother mothers as a space of containment, of love and care, as a safe space to turn to in contrast to the general melancholy state of the film, and above all in contrast to masculinity as an oppressive system that encloses us and distances us from our feelings. That is why I decided that the mother should be an out-of-field construction, that we should never see her directly. An emotional space to which Lalo or the viewer could resort during the film to feel cared for and loved. In the film, moreover, I made the conscious and political decision to highlight the absence of women, which is something that struck me when I began the research for this project in the context of the gay porn world. In that sense, I decided that the few women who appear in the film would fulfil specific roles of care and authority. Porn is a really strange baseline for stories, even in our modern-era. Did you find it difficult to work in that world? And how did you approach the visual aspect of it? Do you feel that in our contemporary world storytellers can base their narratives around porn with more acceptance from audiences? It is incredible that in 2022 sex is still a taboo in our lives. However, there is less and less modesty to talk about sex, and it is less complex to access these representations since sexuality has also invaded social networks and has made anyone able to be a porn producer. In the film, pornography is a context to talk about the characters we create of ourselves and how we deal with the gaze of others in these digital times. Why did you feel it was important to tell Lalos digital story? That first scene sums up the film for me. The feeling of being surrounded by people and at the same time feeling completely alone. Pornomelancolia is not Lalos story, but everyones story. It is a reflection of a feeling of this time, especially after the pandemic. We live in such a perverse system that makes us believe we are free because we can consume, communicate, show ourselves, generate avatars of ourselves. We live staging our lives through social networks, turning them into fiction for a virtual audience that through likes, makes us feel less lonely. Inserting a digital screen into a film is something relatively new. How did you approach that and, especially, why did you choose this option to show Lalos digital interaction, given its importance for the audience? The phone screen is perhaps, at this moment in the world, the most intimate space in our lives. Many times what we see in a virtual conversation, a post or a Tweet carries a work of creation behind the scenes that is invisible. It seemed interesting to me to create a device to access that intimacy, to show the seams of our social interactions in virtual life. I was interested in seeing the movie screen on a phone screen, as if we were inside the phone itself, facing that single screen without being able to look at anything else. To reveal through the screen the social interactions, based on superficial exchanges that most of the time impoverish our personal exchanges. How would you describe the tone of Pornomelancolia? I would prefer not to frame the film in a single tone and invite those who see it to find their own definitions and questions. I like to think of Pornomelancolia as evidence of a moment in history, this time we are living in: Where the image we project of ourselves constantly becomes a show for others, a fiction. Intimacy becomes so public that it is almost pornographic. I think the title which came from the protagonist himself sums up this feeling very well. Pornomelancolia is not a film about pornography, it is a film about how we face the gaze of others. This interview is abbreviated for publication purposes. Manuel Abramovich Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) -India said on Tuesday it had begun talks with Sri Lanka on restructuring its debt and promised to support the crisis-hit neighbour mainly through long-term investments after providing nearly $4 billion of financial aid. Sri Lanka, a tourism-dependent South Asian country of 22 million, is struggling with its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades, which has led to shortages of essentials and the ouster of a president. The country earlier this month reached a preliminary deal with the International Monetary Fund for a loan of about $2.9 billion contingent on it receiving financing assurances from official creditors and negotiations with private creditors. The High Commission of India in Colombo said it held the first round of debt talks with Sri Lankan officials on Sept. 16. "The discussions held in a cordial atmosphere symbolise India's support to early conclusion and approval of a suitable IMF programme for Sri Lanka," the High Commission said. Sri Lanka will make a presentation to its international creditors on Friday, laying out the full extent of its economic troubles and plans for a debt restructuring. The Indian High Commission also said New Delhi would continue to support Colombo "in all possible ways, in particular by promoting long-term investments from India in key economic sectors". India's support to Sri Lanka this year has included a $400 million currency swap, a $1 billion credit line for essential goods and a $500 million line for fuel. In addition, India has also deferred payment on Sri Lankan imports of about $1.2 billion and given a credit line of $55 million for fertiliser imports. Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that India did not plan to provide fresh financial support to Sri Lanka, as the island's battered economy had begun to stabilise. The High Commission said India had ongoing development projects worth about $3.5 billion in Sri Lanka, whose president earlier this month asked his officials to resolve obstacles to projects backed by India. He did not specify the obstacles or the projects. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said Sri Lanka will turn a free trade agreement with India into a comprehensive economic and technological partnership. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Mark Heinrich) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said on Tuesday it had started bilateral discussions with Sri Lanka on restructuring the crisis-hit neighbour's debt. The first round was held on Sept. 16 "in a cordial atmosphere" that showed India's support for an early conclusion and approval of an International Monetary Fund loan programme for Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Louise Heavens) Lord Louis Mountbatten, viceroy of India, discusses Britain's partition plan with Hindu and Muslim leaders in the summer of 1947. AP Photo/Max Desfor India and Pakistan inherited the same economic legacy of underinvestment and neglect from Britain when they became independent states following the Partition on Aug. 15, 1947. Their colonial economies were among the poorest in the world. For both nations, independence almost immediately led to strong growth and fueled significant gains in education, health care and other areas of development. But it was Pakistan that saw faster growth rates during the first four decades or so, while India lagged behind. Something began to change around the 1990s as their roles reversed and India vaulted ahead of Pakistan, eventually becoming the worlds third-biggest economy by purchasing power and the I in BRICS an acronym referring to a bloc of five key emerging market countries. What accounts for Indias growth spurt? As a scholar of international political economy, I believe Indias stronger embrace of democracy at the same time that Pakistan experienced frequent military dictatorships and changes in government has a lot to do with it. A colonial inheritance From 1857 to 1947, Britain ruled directly over most of the territory that became the independent states of India and Pakistan. Economic growth under British rule was minimal, averaging just 0.9% a year from 1900 to 1947. This happened largely because the colonial Indian economy was mostly agricultural, and yet the British made little investment in improving farm productivity. Additionally, Great Britain made limited investments in the well-being of the people of India, notably by underfunding their education and health care. As a result, colonial India had one of the lowest literacy rates in the world at about 17%, and life expectancy was in the mid-30s. Britains neglect of the plight of Indians is perhaps best illustrated by the 1943 famine in Bengal in eastern India, in which over 1.5 million people died as result of policy failure. Post-independence growth, led by Pakistan Britain decided to give up its jewel in the crown and partition the region into Hindu-dominated India and Muslim Pakistan after facing mounting pressure from the local population and a growing nationalist movement. Story continues This led to one of the largest forced migrations of the 20th century: Nearly 9 million Hindus and Sikhs moved into India and about 5 million Muslims to a geographically separated East and West Pakistan over the next two decades. An estimated 1 million people died amid mass violence. Economic growth, however, took off, with both new countries growing at 3% to 4% in the first decade or so of independence as the respective governments invested more into their economies. But soon, differences emerged. While both economies were largely state controlled, Indias government curtailed exports and adopted a protectionist trading policy in the 1960s that limited growth. Pakistan, on the other hand, benefited from significant trade from its East Pakistan region. The newly created Pakistan was geographically separated by India on one side of it was West and the other side East Pakistan. Each was carved out by the British due to its Muslim majority. Pakistan lost its growth engine in 1971, when East Pakistan became Bangladesh following a war of independence. Pakistan also received billions of dollars in military aid from the U.S. Fellow oil-rich Muslim countries in the Middle East have also given aid to Pakistan. As a result, Pakistans growth accelerated to about 6% a year from 1961 to 1980, compared with 4% for India. India vaults ahead The growth script flipped in the 1990s, with India growing at a 6% rate over the next 30 years, outpacing Pakistans 4%. What explains the role reversal? Economics and politics both played a part. Pakistan has long relied on external sources of funding more than India has, receiving $73 billion in foreign aid from 1960 to 2002. And even today, it frequently relies on institutions such as the International Monetary Fund for crisis lending and on foreign governments like China for aid and infrastructure development. The aid has allowed Pakistan to postpone much-needed but painful reforms, such as expanding the tax base and addressing energy and infrastructure problems, while the loans have saddled the country with a large debt. Such reforms, in my view, would have put Pakistan on a more sustainable growth path and encouraged more foreign investment. While India also got a fair amount of support from international aid groups and a few countries such as the U.S. earlier in its existence, it never depended upon it and has relied less on it in recent decades. In addition, in 1991, India liberalized trade, lowered tariffs, made it easier for domestic companies to operate and grow, and opened the door to more foreign investment. India has become a major exporter of advanced goods such as software and vaccines in recent years. AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool These reforms paid off: By integrating Indias economy to the rest of the world, the reforms created market opportunities for Indian companies, made them more competitive, and that, in turn, led to higher growth rates for the overall economy. Another way to measure the different paths is in gross domestic product per person. In 1990, India and Pakistan had almost identical per-capita GDPs, a little under $370 per person. But by 2021, Indias had surged to $2,277, about 50% higher than Pakistans. The reasons for their different choices have a lot to do with politics. Pakistan has suffered from near-constant political instability. From 1988 to 1998 alone, it had seven different governments as it alternated between civilian and military governments following coups. This discouraged foreign investment and made it much harder to make reforms and follow through on them. Through all these changes, Pakistans military spending as a share of its GDP remained higher than Indias during the entire post-independence period. India, on the other hand, has managed to maintain a steady democracy. Though its far from perfect, it has kept leaders more accountable to the people and led to more inclusive growth and less reliance on foreign institutions or governments. In one decade alone, India lifted over 270 million people out of poverty. At a time when democracy is under threat in so many parts of the world, this history, in my view, reminds us of the value of democratic institutions. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Surupa Gupta, University of Mary Washington. Like this article? subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Read more: Surupa Gupta 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 their academic appointment. Every investor in Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 58% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Institutional investors endured the highest losses after the company's market cap fell by US$18b last week. However, the 81% one-year returns may have helped alleviate their overall losses. We would assume however, that they would be on the lookout for weakness in the future. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Exxon Mobil. See our latest analysis for Exxon Mobil What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Exxon Mobil? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that Exxon Mobil does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Exxon Mobil's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Exxon Mobil. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.8% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 6.9% and 5.6% of the stock. Story continues On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Exxon Mobil While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that Exxon Mobil Corporation insiders own under 1% of the company. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own US$442m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership With a 42% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Exxon Mobil. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Exxon Mobil better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Exxon Mobil (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian official on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of three people during days of protests in the Kurdistan region of Iran, semi-official Fars news agency reported, calling the deaths "suspicious" but without elaborating. "A citizen of Divandarreh was killed with a (type of weapon) that isn't used by the armed forces. Terrorist groups are looking to kill, so families should take care of their children," said Kurdistan Province Governor Esmail Zarei Koosha. Protests have taken place in several cities across Iran after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, fell into a coma and died after her arrest in Tehran last week by the morality police for "unsuitable attire". (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny appears from prison on a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, at a courtroom in Vladimir, Russia, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. AP Photo/Vladimir Kondrashov Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny questioned whether Russia even has a military anymore. This came in response to footage that appeared to show a mercenary group attempting to recruit prisoners. Russia has suffered staggering troop losses in Ukraine. Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny questioned the state of the Russian military amid the war in Ukraine as he offered his thoughts on a video that appeared to show an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin attempting to recruit prisoners. "As an inmate of a maximum-security prison, I too would like to give my opinion on the recruitment of criminals for the war," Navalny said in a statement released via Twitter. "I think the first thought of any convict who saw this video was: 'Dear God, if they are recruiting us for the war, then what is the state of the regular Russian army? Does it not exist at all anymore?'" Though he's behind bars, Navalny has been able to communicate with the outside world through his lawyers. That said, the Russian opposition leader has recently complained of authorities limiting access to his legal team. In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned in Siberia with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. After being treated in Germany for several months, Navalny returned to Moscow and was promptly arrested on charges widely decried as politically motivated. The anti-corruption campaigner has been behind bars in Russia since early 2021, and earlier this year, he had more time added to his sentence. Navalny has been a fierce critic of Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine, calling on Russians to stage mass protests against it. The war has been disastrous for the Russian military, which has suffered staggering troop losses since Putin ordered the invasion in late February. Western intelligence has suggested that the Wagner Group, which has close ties to the Kremlin, would seek to recruit prisoners to fight in the war as Russia struggles with manpower issues. Footage that recently surfaced appeared to show Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Putin ally believed to be the head of Wagner, telling Russian prisoners they would be pardoned if they fought for the mercenary group in the war. Many Russian prisoners are refusing this offer, a US official told reporters on Monday. "Our information indicates that Wagner has been suffering high losses in Ukraine, especially and unsurprisingly among young and inexperienced fighters," the official said. Read the original article on Business Insider TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will release an updated list of members who have had connections with the controversial Unification Church, its secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday. Links between the church and LDP have been in focus after former premier Shinzo Abe was shot during an election rally. The suspected killer blamed him for supporting the church, which he said had bankrupted his mother. The church has declined to comment on her donations and has also said it no longer accepts donations that cause financial hardship. The LDP this month said that 179 out of 379 members it surveyed were found to have interacted with the church. In a cabinet reshuffle last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida removed seven ministers who had disclosed connections to the church in an attempt to reverse a slide in his approval ratings. However on Tuesday, Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa admitted in a news conference he had attended a Unification Church-sponsored event in 2018 that he had not previously reported to the party. Asked whether he would consider stepping down as minister, Yamagiwa said he would take responsibility by staying on as minister and carrying out the administration's economic stimulus measures. "This is the work I need to fulfill," he added. Amid increasing public scrutiny into the party's relationship with the church, the cabinet's approval rating has plunged to around 30% in recent polls compared with a peak of around 60% earlier this year. The low ratings are close to what political analysts see as a danger level beyond which Japanese prime ministers may find it difficult to carry out their agenda. A survey conducted by Jiji news agency last week found nearly two-thirds of respondents disapproved of Kishida's handling of the church matter. (Reporting by Elaine Lies and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Kim Coghill, Christian Schmollinger and Edwina Gibbs) US president Joe Biden and Prime Minister Liz Truss (PA) (PA Wire) The Special Relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States was always going to be a little different in Joe Bidens tenure. In his first words to the British people as president-elect, an impromptu response to a question from a BBC reporter, he gave a hint of his true feelings: aaThe BBC? Im Irish, he quipped , before briskly walking away without another word. It got off to a rocky start under the leadership of Boris Johnson, whom Biden had called a physical and emotional clone of Donald Trump in 2019. It continued with disagreements over the status of the Irish border as the result of complications from Brexit. And it looks set to continue under the new leadership of Liz Truss, who is set to meet with Biden in her first bilateral meeting with the US as prime minister on Wednesday. It so happened that in the days ahead of the sitdown, both leaders were focused on selling their respective economic agendas to domestic audiences Ms Truss in a preview of her first mini-budget, and Mr Biden in campaign mode for the midterms. And it so happened that those agendas are diametrically opposed. Speaking to reporters ahead of her departure to New York, Ms Truss said of her forthcoming economic plan: Lower taxes lead to economic growth, there is no doubt in my mind about that. The very next morning, Mr Biden tweeted: "I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked." I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked. We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out. President Biden (@POTUS) September 20, 2022 The timing could be a coincidence, perhaps. But a fundamental disagreement about how to help their citizens, coupled with a laundry list of political and ideological differences that touch on trade and borders, do not bode well for the future of US-UK relations. Story continues It was not always thus. In the 1980s, Britain and the US were in lockstep on their economic policy. Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, once described as political soulmates , helped strengthen the special relationship when they both sought to shrink the size of the state, turbo boost privatisation and reduce taxes. After their first meeting, Mr Reagan wrote in a letter to the then-leader of the Conservative Party: "You have an enthusiastic supporter out here in the colonies." But as close as Reagan and Thatcher were, Mr Biden and Ms Truss are as opposed. While Ms Truss sees herself as an heir to Thatcher, Mr Biden has involved Franklin D Roosevelt and the New Deal. Mr Biden has governed on the premise that massive government investment and higher taxes for the wealthy would result in a stronger economy. He passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in March 2021 in an effort to jumpstart the US economy after the slump of the pandemic. In August of this year, he passed another spending bill that would invest some $260bn over 10 years to reduce climate emissions and lower healthcare costs, while also raising taxes by $326bn in the same period. Ms Trusss prescription for economic growth, meanwhile, involves cutting taxes and removing limits on bankers bonuses. She said that she was prepared to be an unpopular prime minister in order to fulfil her vision. "What is important to me is that we grow the British economy, because that is what will ultimately deliver higher wages, more investment in towns and cities across the country, that is what will ultimately deliver more money into peoples pockets, and it will also enable us to fund the services like the National Health Service, she told Sky News. "And in order to get that economic growth, Britain has to be competitive, she added. And while Mr Biden is raising taxes on the rich, Ms Truss is going the other way. "I dont accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair," she told Sky News. "I mean, what we know is that people on higher incomes generally pay more tax. So when you reduce taxes, there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place, she added. Ms Truss will also be heading into the meeting with Mr Biden without any expectation of striking a trade deal with the US, which was a key aim of both of her predecessors and a Brexit campaign pledge. The Irish border will also likely be high on the agenda. Ms Truss has indicated that she plans to override the Northern Ireland protocol in legislation to rewrite the Brexit agreement struck with the European Union. Mr Biden has raised concerns previously that the imposition of border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland would undermine peace agreements between the two sides. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that Northern Ireland would be a focus of the talks. Mr Biden "will encourage the UK and the European Union to work out a practical outcome that ensures there is no threat to the fundamental principles of the Good Friday agreement," Mr Sullivan said, referring to the 1998 agreement that paved the way for peace in Northern Ireland. The two will have at least some common ground, however. After the US, Britain has been one of the top contributors of aid to Ukraine in its effort to repel Russias invasion. Ms Truss said her priority for the meeting was making sure that we are able to collectively deal (with) Russian aggression, and ensuring we are not strategically dependent on authoritarian regimes. I want to work with our allies like the United States, like France, the EU, the Baltic States, Poland to take on the challenge we face from Russian aggression, she said. That should be our priority. When Donald Trump flooded the federal bench with judicial appointments, a leading critique was that they were Federalist Society clones who favored muscular executive power and rejected what some perceive as meddling by the courts in executive branch affairs. Judge Aileen Cannons recent orders in the fight over the classified records the former president is accused of keeping at Mar-a-Lago have turned that perception on its ear. A 41-year-old former federal prosecutor and Trump nominee, Cannon issued a series of decisions last week granting unusual requests from the former president in the probe over the storage of files in his home. The judge appointed a semi-retired jurist to oversee the the review process, ordered that Trumps attorneys be given copies of everything that was taken and, in the governments view, effectively halted the investigation by declaring that prosecutors and the FBI could not use the seized records to question any witnesses. The rulings were widely chastised by a wide array of legal experts, including many from the right, who noted how far out of the conservative judicial mainstream they were. Cannon, during her confirmation process in 2020, had included on her relatively-thin resume that shed been a member of the right-leaning Federalist Society for a decade-and-a-half, since around the time she entered University of Michigan law school. However, many lawyers who support sweeping executive authority say despite that affiliation, aspects of Cannons directives appear at odds with the prevailing views among the prominent conservative lawyers group. A robust view of executive power says its really not the job of the courts to decide whats classified or unclassified, said University of California Berkeley Law Professor John Yoo. I think most people who agree on the unitary executive also think its the president who decides whats classified and unclassified--the current, incumbent, sitting president. Story continues Trump is challenging both those principles in his effort to fight back against the unprecedented FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 based on a search warrant seeking evidence of illegal retention of classified information, theft of government records and obstruction of justice. Cannon hasnt ruled firmly in Trumps favor on the substanceyet. But the special master process she has adopted also appears to indulge the possibility that she or the master, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Raymond Dearie, might conclude Trump declassified the records with markings like Top Secret/SCI or that he has some right to control their use. Its a bizarre posture, said one former Trump administration official and attorney close to many Federalist Society leaders. Its a waste of timeHow is a judge going to determine whether or not something will gravely injure the national interest? Thats not what their competence is. To many conservative lawyers, Cannons ordersparticularly her decision to put a hold on the criminal investigation against Trump while the document review is underwaysmack of a deference to the former president that targets of national security-related investigations never receive. Ive never, in 35 years, seen an order like that in a criminal case, said Edward MacMahon Jr., a Virginia-based criminal defense attorney who has represented accused spies and terrorists. Every espionage client Ive ever had would really like to have had this judge and get a special master approved and slow down the process. Itd be very helpful. The idea that a judge would try to halt a criminal investigation is particularly galling to lawyers who favor a strict separation of powers between the executive, judicial and legislative branches. The power to investigate and prosecute rest wholly in the executive branch, MacMahon said. The judge has no authority to stick their nose into an investigation and stop the executive branch from doing what its doing. The prosecutors handling the Trump documents investigation are also tailoring their arguments to the possibility that the 11th Circuit--whose bench is dominated by Trump appointeesincludes some judges who will respond to arguments about the need for autonomy at the Justice Department and for the executive branch to maintain its nearly unfettered authority over matters of national security, including classified information. Courts have exercised great caution before interfering through civil actions with criminal investigations or cases, prosecutors wrote in their motion Friday asking the appeals court to carve-out the 100 or so documents marked classified from the broader review Cannon ordered. The Justice Department also quoted an opinion issued just last year by the 11th Circuit in litigation stemming from the feds controversial decision in 2008 not to prosecute financier Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking in connection with his sexual encounters with teenagers. Epstein was hit with similar charges in 2019 and, about a month later, died of suicide in a federal prison in New York City. The notion that a district court could have any input on a United States Attorneys investigation and decision whether to ... bring a case is entirely incompatible with the constitutional assignment to the Executive Branch of exclusive power over prosecutorial decisions, Judge Gerald Tjoflat, an appointee of President Gerald Ford, wrote. Two Trump appointees, Judges Kevin Newsom and Barbara Lagoa, joined Tjoflats opinion. The Justice Departments brief seeking relief from the appeals court in connection with the Trump search closes by declaring that Cannon erred by departing from that fundamental principle of judicial restraint. Not all conservative lawyers have joined in the chorus of criticism of Cannon for usurping executive authority. Some note she hasnt made any definitive rulings yet and is simply trying to set up an orderly process in a highly unusual dispute that involves a former president. Given the factual disputes between DOJ and Trumps lawyers regarding both attorney-client privileged materials and classified documents, her appointment of a special master is a reasonable step, said David Rivkin, a longtime Federalist Society member who served in the White House counsels office at the Justice Department under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. It is designed to buttress public confidence that these matters are handled fairly and doesnt impose an undue burden on the governments legitimate prosecutorial and national security interests. Other prominent Federalist Society veterans say Cannon is simply creating space for the judicial system to address issues that may be implicated by the search, like whether Trump retains some degree of executive privilege in the documents seized from his Florida home. Its an unresolved question to what extent a former president can assert the privilege even when hes out of office, said C. Boyden Gray, who served as White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush. I dont think it makes any sense to say the privilege dies with the president when he leaves office. The idea is more far-reaching than that. The idea is protect the president or his advisers to allow them to play devils advocate or allow them to advocate for some policy and not have it released like a year later. However, to strident critics, Cannons orders thus far in the Trump Mar-a-Lago documents fight fuel questions about whether Trump-appointed judges are adhering to principles many in the Federalist Society have espoused. Among those is the so-called unitary executive theory, which asserts that every employee of the executive branch works for the president and that the president has sweeping authority over all executive powers. What she is doing is obviously inconsistent with the unitary executive theory, said Georgia State University Law Professor Eric Segall. Obviously, a president who is no longer in officeexcept for getting Secret Service and security briefingsis basically a civilianI just cant even believe these orders. While the Federalist Society was founded in 1982 and it has steadily grown in prominence, Trump was the first presidential candidate to effectively outsource much of the judicial nominating process to the organization. He also publicly adopted lists of potential Supreme Court nominees vetted by the society and the Heritage Foundation. Trump-appointed judges havent been on the bench for long, but theres some evidence that they may be more hostile to law enforcement than their Republican-appointed predecessors and even many judges named by Democratic presidents, raising the possibility that Trumps public pillorying of the FBI has found some resonance with the judges he put on the bench. Segall said he thinks theres a difference of opinion about Cannons rulings between the academics who are part of the Federalist Society and the Washington lawyers affiliated with the group. I think theres a division there, the liberal professor said. Of the Federalist Society professors I follow and I know, the vast majority think this is incredibly wrong. Kudos to them. Kyle Cheney contributed to this report. A judge has temporarily suspended civil proceedings against Alan Moran and his company in a lawsuit by a Hancock county couple over their minor sons claims that he was sexually assaulted at work by the ex-politician. However, Judge Randi Mueller ordered pre-trial action to proceed in the same case against the defendant, Philips Pest Control Co. LLC, a company owned by Morans father, state Sen. Philip Moran. Attorney David Baria is representing the Hancock County couple who filed the lawsuit against Moran, his company, A&M Foam Spray Insulation LLC, and his fathers company. Baria went before the judge Thursday, arguing against a request by Alan Morans attorney, Donald Rafferty, to suspend action in the civil case against Moran and his company pending the resolution of the criminal case. Attorney Charles Wimberly represented Sen. Morans company. In the civil suit filed in Hancock County Circuit Court, the teens parents claim that Alan Moran committed assault and battery, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the couples then 17-year-old son on Valentines Day in Hancock County. As part of those claims, the couple alleges that Alan Morans behavior was part of a pattern of sexual abuse against young male employees who are minors, and, therefore the pest control company and A&M Foam Spray LLC are liable for gross negligence and negligence for failing to stop the alleged abuse. Snapchat, surveillance video, sex toys: New details surface in case against Alan Moran Negative impact on criminal case? At the hearing, Rafferty said any testimony his client could give in the civil matter at this time could have an enormous negative impact on his criminal matter. The criminal matter, Rafferty said, takes precedence over the civil litigation. Still, Baria noted Moran could invoke his fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination when each question is asked if he feels that is needed. Story continues It is concerning that 30 days after the alleged incident, they are filing a lawsuit on damages and alleging they suffered some type of economic loss or injury that they should be compensated for, Rafferty also told the judge, adding, and ... my client is fighting for his life to stay out of jail. The suit was filed shortly after Morans initial Valentines Day arrest on misdemeanor charges of simple assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor for alleged crimes against the couples son. Attorney wants GPS data, subpoenas sheriff for criminal complaints against Coast councilman Hancock County sheriffs deputies later arrested Moran on an additional felony charge of touching a minor for lustful purpose. Grand jury action is pending in the case. Wimberly tried to get the civil action against Sen. Morans company stalled because the company is owned by Morans father. Alan Moran However, Baria noted, and the other attorneys acknowledged that a corporate entity like the two targets in the civil litigation could bring in or hire a representative to answer the questions in the civil litigation so it can continue to proceed. Im trying to break this log jam so I can get the depositions I need so I can get my (civil) case ready for trial, Baria told the Sun Herald after the hearing. I think these defense lawyers are trying to avoid presenting their clients for depositions, and they are using the fact that Alan Moran is under criminal (investigation) for the delay. Not an employee of the pest control company? At the time of the arrest, authorities said Moran was working as a manager at the pest control company his father owns. However, Rafferty said Thursday that Alan Moran did not work for the pest control company at the time of his arrest. The charging documents in the case paint a different picture. State Sen. Philip Moran In the affidavits filed in March 2022, Moran is identified as a person of trust over the alleged victim because Moran was the teens employer at the time. The records also clearly say the minor was under Alan Joseph Morans direct supervision, as the teen was driving Morans mosquito spray truck, conducting mosquito control operations, and Moran was in the passenger seat directing the teen at the same time. Alan Moran has also been repeatedly identified as a manager at Philips Pest Control on the company website before and immediately after his arrest. However, that information has since been removed. Ex-councilman Alan Moran arrested on felony child sex crime charge. His total bond? $12,000 In addition, Alan Moran is identified as the manager of the pest control company on reports and invoices submitted to Hancock Count supervisors for years for the now defunct mosquito control contract Hancock County had for years with the pest control company. Rafferty said he expects to be questioned on that exact information but believes he will be able to show that Alan Moran was not working for Philips Pest Control at the time of the Valentines Day encounter. Judge Mueller considered the argument before later issuing the order. DALLAS (AP) A Texas judge has thrown out a lawsuit that the state bar brought seeking to discipline the top deputy to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over the Republican's failed effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election based on bogus claims of fraud. A similar case against Paxton remains pending in another court. Judge John Youngblood dismissed the case against First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster with prejudice last week, ruling that his court lacks jurisdiction over the petition brought by State Bar of Texas under the separation of powers doctrine." The ruling is a partial victory for Paxton as he seeks a third term as Texas' top lawyer against Democratic challenger Rochelle Garza. I am glad that the court dismissed these utterly meritless charges against my first assistant and sent the clear message that I work for Texas, not for unelected bureaucrats at the State Bar, Paxton said in a Tuesday statement. The bar last year began investigating complaints over Paxtons lawsuit that sought to block President Joe Bidens election victory. In May, it asked separate courts to impose unspecified discipline on Paxton and Webster, alleging that their petitioning of the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Donald Trump's defeat was dishonest. The high court threw out the 2020 case and Trumps own Justice Department found no evidence of fraud that could have changed the elections outcome. A spokesman for the bar, which is an arm of the Texas Supreme Court, declined to comment or say whether it will appeal. Youngblood, a Milam County Republican, appears to have accepted the argument from the attorney general's office that because it is an executive branch agency and the bar is part of the judicial branch, the case against Webster ran afoul of the state constitution. It remains to be seen whether the same argument will be persuasive to the Dallas-area judge hearing the case against Paxton. A former church pastor accused of child physical and sexual abuse has been denied bond and will remain in jail, court records show. The defense for Paul Dyal, the former pastor of the Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ Church, filed a motion in July asking Circuit Court Judge Tatiana R. Salvador to reconsider releasing Dyal ahead of his trial due to health issues. Salvador wrote in her ruling on Sept. 12, that Paul Dyals medical records indicate that he has been treated for his conditions and is stable. Dyal and two other men, Jerome Teschendorf and Vernon Williamson, were arrested in March after an investigation revealed both long-term sexual and physical abuse of minors in the church spanning a period of over thirty years, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said at the time of the arrests. Dyal was originally denied bond in April. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] In July, the court considered the defenses motion to reconsider bond and examined how Dyals medical conditions were being handled in jail. In August, no decision had been made on Dyals bond as the judge was still considering information given by doctors. The defense presented Dyals medical records, which included: Podiatrist records indicating the Defendant has an ingrown toenail which has gotten cut on a regular basis approximately every 60 days. St. Vincents medical records indicating the Defendant has high-blood pressure and diabetes, for which he takes medication, and he has a circulatory disorder due to morbid obesity. Jail records indicating the Defendant is allergic to statin medications. Eye surgery center records indicating the Defendant had a retinal detachment and decreased peripheral vision and had surgery on January 13, 2022, for same. Clay eye medical records indicating the Defendants vision was stable post-surgery, with no pain and irritation. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The court found, Salvador wrote, that for the conditions outlined in the medical records, and the Defendants current medical state, the county jail and, if need be, the local hospital through protocol with the jail, can provide the Defendant the necessary medical treatment for his conditions. Story continues Dyal is due to appear in court Wednesday. Read the full motion below: Paul Dyal "Motion to Reconsider Pretrial Release" denied by ActionNewsJax on Scribd Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Associated Press Thousands of people in hundreds of cars took over northern Nevada parking lots and intersections Friday night and into Saturday, performing stunts in souped-up vehicles and leading to crashes and arrests, police said. Police beefed up nighttime staffing after social media posts urged people from San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, to come to the sideshow in Reno, Police Lt. Michael Browett said. The disturbances started late Friday as several hundred cars and their occupants met in the parking lot of a still-open Walmart store. Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer refused to step down from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting case Monday, dismissing a defense demand filed Friday as legally insufficient. Its the only comment a judge is allowed to make when asked to recuse oneself, and Scherer did it in writing, handing copies of her ruling to attorneys on both sides without addressing it in open court. Confessed gunman Nikolas Cruz appeared in court on Monday along with his legal team from the Broward Public Defenders Office, prosecutors and the judge, who are wrangling over what the state will and will not be allowed to say during its rebuttal case, which gets underway next week. The rebuttal case gives prosecutors a chance to address the arguments defense experts made seeking mercy based on the mental health issues suffered by Cruz throughout his life, based on alcohol and drug abuse by his biological mother while she was pregnant. The defense wanted Scherer off the case because, in their eyes, she took her criticism of their team too far when they rested without warning last week. The judges comment that her criticism of lead prosecutor Melisa McNeill was long overdue proved that she had a bias against the defense that has infected this entire trial, the defense argued. Prosecutors, in their response, argued that the judges comments were not heard by the jury and did not jeopardize the defendants right to a fair trial. Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Jury selection in the sentencing trial began in April, and the jury of seven men and five women is tasked solely with determining whether Cruz should be sentenced to death or life in prison. Scherer said she will issue written rulings this week on two defense motions. The first limits the extent to which prosecutors can address the swastikas and hate speech found in Cruzs possessions and correspondence. The second challenges a new expert witness who, defense lawyers say, will not be available for a pre-trial interview until Friday, giving the defense team no time to prepare for an effective cross-examination. ------- A jury has awarded a $3 million judgment to a garbage contractor that sued Opa-locka in 2017 alleging corruption and extortion in a city that has for years been plagued with financial and political turmoil. After a 5-day civil trial, the jury returned the verdict on Friday. They found that the city failed to act in good faith with Universal Waste Services of Florida, Inc. (UWS), the contractor that sued. The verdict is the latest blow to a city that has been under state financial oversight for the past six years and a reminder of its history of corruption, including a 2016 FBI probe that led to the conviction of several city officials. Representatives of UWS made accusations of extortion against former City Commissioner Terence Pinder, who died in an apparent suicide in 2016, two days before he was scheduled to turn himself in on state bribery charges. One of the messages in the verdict is that, in addition to the public officials risking jail time, the cities are going to risk multimillion-dollar judgments if they are not vigilant in making sure this type of stuff doesnt happen, said attorney Michael Pizzi, who represented UWS. I think the entire courtroom was stunned by the explicit attempts by Opa-locka officials to extort bribe payments in exchange for extending a contract. You could hear a pin drop. Pizzi was referring to testimony from UWS operations manager Robert Turitto, who is also a former New York Police Department sergeant. Turitto testified that his company invested $3.5 million in new equipment after agreeing to take over the contract from the previous garbage collector for the approximate year and a half left on the citys contract with the previous company. Once UWS assumed the contract and began to work, Turitto testified, the city was going to grant a 3-year contract extension. Without the promise of that extension, he said, UWS would not have invested in a new fleet of trucks, cans and other equipment, according to trial transcripts. Story continues But the city eventually canceled the contract after UWS refused to pay a six-figure sum, Turitto testified. That left UWS in financial shambles, he said. According to Turittos testimony, he and UWS CEO Joseph Spiezio III, who died in 2021, met with Pinder at the UWS yard in 2015. Pinder allegedly told them that the contract was a good opportunity for UWS, but that the company needed to share the wealth. He then promised them five city commission votes in favor of the contract extension in exchange for a $125,000 payment, Turitto alleged. Obviously, my jaw drops, Turitto testified in court last week. During two subsequent meetings, Turitto testified, the company again refused Pinders offer. After those three meetings, he said, the city denied a contract extension for UWS and eventually awarded the contract to a competitor. While the jury verdict favored the contractor, jurors also found in Opa-lockas favor for seven out of nine of the citys affirmative defenses, including that UWS fraudulently induced a contract by omission; that UWS agreed to cancel its residential and commercial solid waste contracts to substitute new contracts in their place; and that UWS was required to provide a performance bond to the city but failed to do so. Attorney Miguel De Grandy, who represented the city of Opa-locka in the trial, said the findings for those affirmative defenses negate the $3 million judgment. One cannot recover on a contract that one has fraudulently induced to enter into, De Grandy said. We will be proposing a judgment to the court that is consistent with the verdict. De Grandy said the city will be filing the appropriate motions, but declined to specify what those filings will entail. He added that he is not aware of the citys finances, so he does not know whether or not Opa-locka has the ability to pay the $3 million. Pizzi said he intends to collect on the verdict: Our expectation is that the city will pay every penny of it. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas man who admitted running an illegal autopsy scheme has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for wire fraud. Shawn Parcells, 42, who lived in Topeka and Leawood, was sentenced Monday in federal court to one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He pleaded guilty in May. As part of the plea deal, nine other fraud counts were dropped. Parcells, a self-taught pathology assistant with no formal education, as owner of National Autopsy Services persuaded a client to pay $5,000 for an autopsy, according to court records. The client received an emailed autopsy report that appeared to be authored by Parcells. No pathologist was involved in the examination or report, which is illegal. Parcells gained national attention in 2014 when he assisted a privately hired pathologist in an autopsy of Michael Brown, the unarmed Black 18-year-old from Ferguson, Missouri, who was fatally shot by a white police officer. The autopsy was commissioned by Browns family and no allegations of wrongdoing were raised in relation to it. But Parcells' frequent media appearances led to scrutiny, including a CNN story revealing he had no specific certification or training. Between 2016 and 2019, Parcells made more than $1.1 million in Kansas from more than 350 clients for autopsies, most of which he did not perform, according to court records. Parcells, who ran three companies, was also charged in 2019 by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt with conducting illegal autopsies. In August, Parcells was banned from doing business in Kansas and ordered to pay more than $700,000 in restitution and fines for the state cases. He was also ordered to pay over $250,000 in restitution to 82 people that used his services. That came after he was convicted in November of three felonies and three misdemeanors related to providing illegal autopsies in Wabaunsee County. Prosecutors discovered that Parcells collected more than 1,600 biological samples, mostly human tissue, as part of the scheme. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment took custody of the samples and victims have until Oct. 6 to claim them. A Kansas man who illegally provided private autopsy services has been sentenced to more than five years in prison. Shawn Parcells, 42, pleaded guilty May 26 to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced Monday in a Topeka federal court. He is accused of scamming people out of more than $1 million through his autopsy business. During their most vulnerable state, Mr. Parcells willfully defrauded individuals while they were grieving the loss of a loved one, said Charles Dayoub, FBI Special Agent in Charge. As the owner of National Autopsy Services LLC, Parcells charged a client $5,000 to conduct an autopsy that the 42-year-old was not qualified to produce. He showed the client false credentials and sent him a final autopsy report made within a certain degree of medical certainty as a Forensic, Neuro, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Fellow, according to July 2016 court documents. No licensed pathologist participated in the report, which is illegal. Parcells went on to collect fees from over 350 clients between 2016 and 2019. He received a total of $1,166,000 and in many cases failed to provide clients with completed autopsy reports. Many cases have been filed against Parcells and his three companies, which provided clients with illegal autopsy services. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed a case against Parcells in 2019 for conducting autopsies without any supervision and in accordance with Kansas law. Prosecutors discovered that Parcells collected more than 1,600 biological samples, mostly human tissue, from his cases. Those were placed into the custody of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment by court order in November 2019. That year, a Shawnee County judge temporarily banned Parcells from conducting autopsies, forensic pathology and tissue recovery under a court order issued more than three years ago, pending the outcome of the cases against him. A federal grand jury indicted Parcells on 10 counts of wire fraud in November 2020. He was also convicted in Wabaunsee County of three misdemeanor counts of criminal desecration and three felony counts of theft, according to 2021 court documents. All three of his private autopsy companies were permanently banned and required to pay over $400,000 in penalties for violating Kansas law and business standards in August 2022 in Shawnee County District Court. The judge also ordered Parcells to pay over $250,000 in restitution to 82 people that used his services. Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales travel by car from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch after the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. (Getty Images) The relationship between Princess Charlotte and her elder brother Prince George has been compared to that of King Charles III and his sister Anne, Princess Royal. Royal expert Victoria Arbiter - the daughter of the Queen's former spokesperson Dickie Arbiter - praised the Prince and Princess of Wales for how they're bringing up Charlotte. "I so admire the Waleses raising Charlotte to be George's supporter," she wrote on Twitter. Charlotte and George were front and centre at the Queen's funeral yesterday, walking with their parents in the procession behind the late monarch's coffin once it was inside Westminster Abbey. Prince George and Princess Charlotte watch as the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II moves off in the state hearse from Wellington Arch. (Getty Images) The funeral gave the public the opportunity to see the close relationship between the siblings, something that has previously only been seen at times of celebration. Arbiter added that Charlotte's visible support of George was reminiscent of the "way the Princess Royal has always supported her elder brother" King Charles. During the royal mourning period, Anne has received much praise for the dedication she showed to her late mother, the Queen and the Royal Family. Anne was at Balmoral with her mother in the Queen's last hours and travelled with the Queen's coffin on every step of its final journey back from Scotland. She said "I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother's life. It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys." Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence are greeted at the Royal Air Force Northolt. (Getty Images) She added a tribute to her brother, saying: "I am so grateful for the support and understanding offered to my dear brother Charles as he accepts the added responsibilities of monarch." Anne also made history during the mourning period by being the first woman to take part in the Vigil of the Princes, whilst the Queen was lying-in-state. While Charles had to throw himself immediately into his new role of monarch, Anne supported him by taking a central role in the mourning rituals and ceremonies. Charles and Anne are known to get along well. Last year, a clip of the then Prince of Wales sneaking up on Anne and making her laugh circulated. The easiness and affection between them was clear to viewers. Story continues Queen Elizabeth II with her children Charles and Anne at Balmoral, 1952. (Getty Images) Charles is two years older than Princess Anne, the same age gap that separates George and Charlotte. The final balcony appearance during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations was another recent example of Charlotte supporting her older brother. She was captured on camera seemingly reminding him to keep his arms down while they were and not to lean on the balcony edge. Similarly at the Queen's funeral Charlotte was seen reminding her brother George beforehand to bow when the coffin was to go past them. As it happened, George could be seen glancing towards his sister who had sunk into a curtsey and followed her lead. (L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Sophie, Countess of Wessex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. (Getty Images) After the Committal Service at King George VI's chapel, a private burial took place and the Queen was laid to rest. Michael Carneal told a parole panel Tuesday that he heard voices 25 years ago telling him to shoot students at a high school in western Kentucky. He said he still hears those voices today. Carneal was a 14-year-old freshman when he used a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol he had stolen from a neighbor to open fire in Heath High School, near Paducah, Kentucky, as students were gathered for a before-school prayer circle. It was one of the nation's first school massacres. Carneal, now 39, is one of the only perpetrators to be considered for parole. Carneal, who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder, attempted murder and burglary, was sentenced to life, but because of his age, he was entitled to be considered for parole after serving 25 years. He attempted to convince a two-person panel Tuesday he should be freed. 'He should stay there': As Michael Carneal seeks parole, victim says forgive but don't forget His testimony came one day after victims of the shooting and their family members told board members in emotionally wrought testimony that he should serve the rest of his life sentence for killing three girls at Heath High School and wounding five other students. But the board was unable to reach a unanimous decision. Parole Board Chair Ladeidra Jones told Carneal after his testimony that the two members were referring his case to the full board, which meets on Monday and will decide whether to grant his parole request, defer the decision to a later date, or could order him to serve the rest of life behind bars. Related video: Judge scolds Parkland school shooter defense for 'unprofessionalism' Carneal apologies to victims, says he feels partially responsible for subsequent attacks Wearing a tan prison uniform, Carneal testified remotely from a hallway of the Kentucky State Reformatory and answered questions about his actions and whether he was a risk to the public. Carneal admitted that as recently as two days earlier, he heard voices in his head telling him to jump down a set of stairs. But he insisted he was able to resist those voices now and hadnt acted on them for decades. Story continues Still, board members Ladeidra Jones and Larry Brock expressed strong reservations that it would be safe to release him. Jones noted Carneal had a clear record at the Kentucky State Reformatory for nine years but that a report from mental health officials there said his prognosis was poor and he was still experiencing paranoid thoughts with violent imagery. Carneal expressed sympathy for his victims but showed no obvious emotions. Jones made him recite the names of all eight of his victims, and he acknowledged that most were friends of his. He said he was particularly close to Nicole Hadley, a 14-year-old whom he killed. She was one of my friends, and I killed her," he said. And he said another girl who died, 15-year-old Kayce Steger, let him sit next to her on the bus one day when nobody else would. Ill never forget that, he said. Carneal said the voices told him to steal a 22. caliber pistol from his neighbors garage three days before the shooting, and to pull it out of his backpack and start firing. There is no excuse for what I did, he said. I am just trying to explain it. Asked by Jones how he feels now about killing his friend, he said, I feel terrible about hurting anyone. But pressed by both board members, he admitted he knew right from wrong at age 14, despite his hallucinations. He said he takes three medications a day for his mental illness he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and would continue to do so if released and placed with his parents, who live in Northern Kentucky. Carneals parents have promised to take him in and to ensure he continues to receive treatment. I know I need to receive mental health care, he said. Asked if he deserved parole, Carneal said, I dont know: Sometimes I think I deserve to be killed. Asked what he thinks people in the Paducah community think of him, he said, That I am a monster. Can you blame them? Brock asked. I understand why people would think that, he replied. He said he feels "responsible at some level when asked about subsequent school shootings and that after the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in April 1999, he became suicidal and had to be treated at a hospital. Carneal said he wants to help society and thinks he has something to offer, even if it is just to listen to other people. "I think I can do a lot of good out there, he said. Asked if there was anything else he wanted to say, he said, I would like to say to my victims and their families, I am sorry for what I did. Gun violence report: Shots fired in US schools spiked dramatically last year Victims, survivors say Carneal sentenced them to life of suffering Survivors and relatives of those killed in the shooting testified remotely Monday before members of the panel. During the shooting, Carneal killed Nicole Hadley, Kayce Steger, and Jessica James, 17, and injured Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed from the chest down, and Hollan Holm, Shelly Schaberg, Kelly Hard Alsip and Craig Keene. Chuck and Gwen Hadley described the anguish of never being able to see their daughter graduate from high school or college, or celebrate other milestones, like having children or getting married. Nicole didnt get a second chance, Gwen Hadley said. The shooter should stay where he is. Andrew Hadley, Nicole's younger brother, said he has suffered from anxiety and depression since his sister was gunned down and struggles to answer when his own daughter, 5, asks when she is going to meet her Aunt Nicole. Nicole's sister, Christina Hadley Ellegood, remembered her as a kindhearted, caring and funny girl who was friends with everybody." Nicole hoped to graduate as valedictorian, go to the University of North Carolina because she worshipped Michael Jordan, then work in the WNBA as a physical therapist. My world was turned upside down, Christina Hadley Ellegood said. Victims testify: Kentucky school shooting survivors say Michael Carneal sentenced them to life of suffering Missy Jenkins Smith told the panel Carneal sentenced me to life in a wheelchair without the possibility of parole. She said she would never be able to take a walk in the woods with her sons, 12 and 15, or be able to dance at their weddings. She said if Carneal is released, there are no assurances he could live in the outside world and continue taking his medications. There are too many what ifs, she said. The lone witness Monday who supported Carneal's release with conditions was Hollan Holm, whom Carneal shot in the scalp but survived with no permanent physical injuries. Holm mentioned how he still gets anxious in crowds or when he hears fireworks and went through counseling for post-traumatic stress. But Holm, an attorney, said Carneal has spent two-thirds of his life behind bars and that if mental health professionals think he can survive outside, he should get that chance. I know that is not a popular stance, Holm said. They survived school shootings: Now their own kids are in classrooms amid rising epidemic. Follow Andrew Wolfson on Twitter: @adwolfson. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky school shooter Michael Carneal tells parole board he hears voices VALENTYNA ROMANENKO TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 17:09 Russian soldiers vent their hatred after suffering defeats against the Armed Forces of Ukraine on civilians by raping women. Source: intercepted phone conversation of Russian invaders published by the SSU Details: The Security Service of Ukraine released a statement, containing details of an intercepted phone conversation with a Russian soldier, whose unit was surrounded on the Donetsk front. His unit faces a shortage of weapons, and the Russian command cannot withdraw them. The soldier was intercepted, saying "Khokhly are everywhere" and they are suffering colossal losses: "the entire battalion was killed." ["Khokhol" ("khokhly", pl.) is a derogatory word used by Russians to refer to Ukrainians; the word is derived from a Slavic term for a sheaf or tuft of grain and may be derived from the resemblance of an ethnic Ukrainian Cossack hairstyle and had been previously used in a non-derogatory way at times.] Facing the powerful counteroffensive by the Ukrainian troops, Russian occupiers unload their despair and hatred on the civilian population. In the intercepted conversation, the Russian soldier notes that everyone there hates them, even the children. Meanwhile, Russian soldiers rape local women. The Russian soldier is losing his nerve and wants to return home, but the Russian army does not conduct rotations or grant leaves. Russian command keeps Russian soldiers from fleeing by executing them. In its statement releasing the intercepted call, the SSU reminds of another way out for Russian soldiers, which is to surrender to the Ukrainian army; however, the Russian occupiers will bear responsibility for war crimes that they committed, anyway. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! If convicted of possessiing an offensive weapon, the woman could face a maximum of up to three years in jail. (PHOTOS: miseneri/TikTok screencap, SPF) SINGAPORE A 53-year-old woman who wielded a knife at police officers outside St Hilda's Secondary School and stabbed herself on Monday (19 September) will be charged in court on Wednesday. She will be charged with possession of offensive weapons in a public place, said the police in a press release on Tuesday. The woman will also be investigated by the Central Narcotics Bureau for suspected drug-related offences. The press release also included two photos of weapons seized from the woman during the incident a 21cm-long yellow-black knife with a 10cm blade that she wielded and a 13cm-long penknife blade found in her bag. "The police have zero tolerance towards acts of violence that threaten the safety of the general public and public officers performing their duty. Offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law," said the police. Police officers had attended to the incident at about 6.30pm on Monday regarding the woman who was near Block 840 Tampines Street 82, opposite the school. The woman, who had refused to comply with polices instructions, stabbed herself in the abdomen as well as placed the knife on her neck, and threatened to further harm herself. One of the officers discharged a taser to prevent the woman from further injuring herself. The woman was later arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act for alleged drug-related offences. In videos circulating on social media, at least 10 police officers could be seen surrounding the woman outside the school. At least two of them were carrying plastic shields, while others were carrying what appeared to be submachine guns. Several officers could be heard telling the woman to put down her knife. The woman seemed agitated and shouted at the officers while pacing along the school's gate and waving an item in her hand. The bottom half of the woman's top looked to be soaked with blood. At least one taser discharge could be heard in one of the videos. The woman was later seen speaking on a mobile phone. She was kicked by an officer after she dropped an item and bent down to pick it up. The other officers rushed in to subdue the woman by pinning her to the floor. Story continues If convicted of possessing an offensive weapon, the woman could face up to three years in jail. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Kyrgyzstan's leader said Tuesday he is prepared to negotiate as long as it takes with Tajikistan to resolve a deadly border dispute, while also vowing his forces would not cede "a centimeter" of land. The worst violence between the two ex-Soviet countries in years erupted last week on their contested border, raising fears of a large-scale conflict. At least 94 people have been killed, according to the two governments. Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, said some 140,000 Kyrgyz civilians have been evacuated from border settlements and were being provided assistance. "For the sake of my people, I am ready to spend... as much time as possible to solve this issue once and for all," he said of the tensions which have simmered and occasionally spilled into open conflict. "Of course, whatever the solution is, it should be mutually beneficial," he said. Clashes regularly erupt between the two Central Asian neighbors, as around half of their 970-kilometer (600-mile) border is still to be demarcated. Japarov said there was a "will and readiness on our part" to continue negotiations under any legal format with Tajikistan, adding that he welcomed any mediation efforts by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Japarov met on Friday with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon at a summit in Uzbekistan, where the two ordered their forces to draw down after a tentative ceasefire was reached. While declaring his openness to further talks, Japarov also directly accused Tajikistan of "unjustified armed aggressions" against Kyrgyzstan and said his country reserves the right "to respond accordingly." He also said Kyrgyzstan has "documented evidence" of the "illegal and ill-intentioned actions of the Tajik side." Japarov emphasized: "the Kyrgyz side does not claim foreign lands, nor does it intend to give a centimeter of its land to anyone." On Sunday Tajikistan said 35 of its citizens had been killed, including 12 who died in a drone strike on a mosque, while Kyrgyzstan said 59 people died in the southern border region of Batken. mlm/sct/caw Rain falls in San Francisco's Chinatown on Sunday. (Bronte Wittpenn / San Francisco Chronicle) Northern California received a deluge of rain over the weekend, the Central Coast saw record-breaking rainfall Monday and other parts of the state saw a trickle. Los Angeles County didn't get anything from the Northern California storm system. L.A. County, like most of Southern California, remained dry Tuesday and it won't get any rain next week, when temperatures will start to climb, according to the National Weather Service. Starting Wednesday, clear skies will make way for a warming trend that will see temperatures reach the low 80s in L.A. County, and heading into the weekend, they could hit the 90s. Ventura County recorded some light showers Tuesday morning that could make their way to L.A. County, but it's not expected to bring much rain, according to meteorologists. "It's no drought buster here," said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. On Monday, Santa Maria received a month's worth of rain in one day. The weather station at Santa Maria Airport recorded 1.77 inches of rain, smashing the previous record of 0.16 inches of rainfall recorded in 1959. The rainfall total also broke the total September record of 1.74 inches of rain set in 1976, according to the National Weather Service. Paso Robles also recorded a record-breaking rainfall total at a quarter of an inch of rain. The previous record was 0.16 inches of rain set in 1966, according to meteorologists. "It's a little unusual to get that much rain in September," Boldt said. The steady rainfall is thanks to a slow-moving, low-pressure storm system off the Northern California coast that drenched the region from Santa Maria down south to Point Conception. The system is also responsible for heavy rainfall further north, slowly passing over the region. "The storm stalled on the Central Coast and is slow-moving," Boldt said. Further north, scattered showers and thunderstorms dogged the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley over the weekend. Debris flows and flash floods were a major concern for meteorologists, especially in areas where vegetation burned in recent wildfire. Story continues The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings Monday for the Sacramento area and Yolo County. Authorities were especially concerned about debris flow near where the LNU Lightning Complex fire burned more than 360,000 acres across several counties in 2020, according to meteorologist Anna Wanless with the National Weather Service office in Sacramento. Officials also issued a flash flood watch for debris flow near the Mosquito fire, which is currently burning in El Dorado and Placer counties. While the rainfall is forecast to taper off, officials still caution people to be aware of falling debris in areas where vegetation has been burned and the ground remains loose and muddy. "This rain has been largely beneficial," Wanless said. Closer to the coast, showers and isolated thundershowers continued to linger on Tuesday. The storm system brought heavy rainfall to western Mendocino County Sunday into Monday, according to meteorologist Jeff Tonkin with the National Weather Service office in Eureka. Ukiah saw 1.89 inches of rain, which fell short of a 1959 record when the area saw 1.94 inches of rain. "I wouldn't call it record-breaking, but it was a lot of rain," Tonkin said about the rainfall recorded in the last few days. While some parts of the state saw a trumpet's blast of rain, other parts of the state saw only a flute's note of rain. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties saw 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, but all of that is dissipating. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The League of United Latin American Citizens met with migrants on Sunday in the border town of Eagle Pass and informed them of their civil rights before bussing about three dozen to Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. LULAC National President Domingo Garcia said the organization is trying to counter the "lies and misinformation recruiters are using to entice men, women and children in despair." "I have spoken with many of the refugees personally and know all they want is to work and to have a safe place to live while they await their court date," Garcia said in a statement. "Instead, Governors Abbott and DeSantis, and others are toying with them like political pinatas with no concern for their well-being." Gov. Abbott has bussed more than 10,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago over the past few months in an effort to bring light to the record numbers of migrants coming across the border. FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS SAYS FUNDS ARE IN PLACE TO BUS ILLEGAL MIGRANTS OUT OF HIS STATE Gov. DeSantis chartered two flights of 48 migrants from San Antonio with a final destination of Martha's Vineyard last week. The DeSantis administration has denied reports that the migrants were promised jobs in Martha's Vineyard and said that they were given "multiple" opportunities to decline the trip. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, announced a criminal investigation on Monday into whether migrants were "lured" from the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio under "false pretenses." LULAC is offering a $5,000 reward for information on a woman named Perla who allegedly told migrants that they would have three months of work lined up if they got on the plane to Martha's Vineyard. DeSantis' office said that migrants have been "left to fend for themselves" in Bexar County. "Unless the MA national guard has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing and more options to succeed following their unfair enticement into the United States, unlike the 53 immigrants who died in a truck found abandoned in Bexar County this June," DeSantis' office said, referencing dozens of migrants who were found dead in a sweltering tractor trailer in San Antonio. Tom Schmerber, the sheriff of Maverick County, where Eagle Pass is located, said this month that his priority is the safety of his county. "I'm very worried with reference to who's coming through. I know there's people that want to make a better life, but there's also people who want to take advantage of the situation, the criminal element," Schmerber told Fox News. Latvia calls to give Ukraine more weapons and introduce new sanctions against the Russian Federation Read also: Russia will never admit defeat and give up, expert warns Apparently Russia is moving ahead with organizing fake referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine, he wrote. The international community must reject this move, more sanctions must follow. Rinkevich added that the international community had to say "no" to Russian blackmail and give Kyiv more weapons. Ukraine must get more weapons to liberate its territory, we must say no to Russian blackmail, he concluded. On Sept. 20, the Kremlin's puppets in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts also announced the holding of "referendums" on Sept. 23-27. Read also: Russia planned to hold sham referendum in November on joining Kharkiv Oblast to Russia The same dates for a pseudo-referendum on joining Russia were announced by the invaders in Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that no pseudo-referendum that Russia is trying to organize in the occupied territories will help the Kremlin. The Kremlin decided to hold its fake referendum following the military successes of the Ukrainian army, in the hope of illegally annexing at least those territories that still remain under the control of invading Russian forces. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Relatives of a man killed in an execution-style slaying in a parking lot will get $1 million from the insurer of a Columbia-area convenience store where the killing took place. A civil lawsuit in state court in the case alleged negligence by an on-duty store clerk at Motor City Market, 5601 Fairfield Rd., who purportedly sold alcohol to two drunk men, both of whom he saw carried guns. The clerk then failed to call police when he observed successive situations develop that endangered the lives of peaceful customers. The alleged shooter, James Toatley, 33, is being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center without bond. He is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. According to evidence in the case, Toatley shot and killed two men sitting in a car, Corey Smith and Curtis Dinkins, during an argument. Dick Harpootlian, the attorney who represents Smiths family, said there was doubt the owner of Motor City Markets would be able to pay any large award and its insurer, State Farm, while not admitting liability or responsibility, was paying $1 million to Smiths family. Judge Jocelyn Newman signed the order approving settlement in late June. Even though a civil case has been settled, the criminal case is still pending. Toatley was arrested by a Richland County sheriffs and U.S. Marshals task force in North Charleston two months after the Dec. 19, 2021, killings at the convenience store. At the time of the double homicide, Toatley was a fugitive, being sought by federal authorities because he had disappeared while on supervised release after serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison for drug trafficking, according to court records. Marsha Toatley, who was released from federal prison in April 2020, was also wanted by the Richland County sheriffs department on car theft and domestic violence charges, according to court records. Harpootlian said the family would like 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson to explain why he is not calling for the death penalty in this case. Story continues Two people were killed, and under South Carolinas capital punishment law, that meets the criteria for the death penalty, said Harpootlian, a former prosecutor who has tried death penalty cases. Harpootlian said evidence in the case is clear-cut because events leading up to the shooting, and the shooting itself, were captured on the stores multiple video cameras. In an interview, Gipson chief prosecutor in Richland and Kershaw counties said no final decision has been made on whether to seek the death penalty but he indicated there were numerous obstacles to doing so. Before we made a decision, we will, number one, look at the facts and than make a determination as to, number one, whether the death penalty is the appropriate remedy, and two, whether it is something that would result in a likely conviction, Gipson said. Our biggest concern, Gipson said, is to get a conviction. In any case, Gipson said, there is currently no mechanism for putting condemned killers to death because the state has been unable to buy the drugs for lethal injection for years and executions by the states two other methods firing squad and electric chair are on hold while the S.C. Supreme Court considers whether the those methods are lawful under the state constitution. Also, if a killer is condemned to death after a jury trial, that triggers successive appeals that may take an additional 15 or 20 years. The closure that a family seeks, they generally will not have, Gipson said. And we have over 180 pending murders that were working on. The Lebanon County District Attorney's office is attempting to gain funds from a $50 million state grant designed curb the rise in gun-related crimes, including homicide. Officials are applying for $250,000 through the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution, or GVIP, grant. The goal of the grant is to allow district attorney offices and police investigative units to have the tools and resources that they need to investigate and help prevent gun violence crimes. The county law enforcement community talked about an increase in homicides due to gunshots when discussing applying for the grant, District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said. "What we are hoping is that the items we'd like to apply for will increase the investigation resources of the county detective division," she said. "Our office really does respond to just about every homicide call-out that occurs in the county." Graf's office researched figures as far back as 2017, and she said there has been an increase in gun-related homicides. The district attorney's office is looking to purchase an estimated $100,000 for equipment, and another $100,000 in software. Graf did not give details on what that equipment would be or who the manufacturers are at a county commissioner's meeting Thursday. "What we are hoping to bring in with the tools and the equipment allows for a better investigation, a more thorough investigation," Graf said. "It also allows us to assist the other municipal police departments, and even state police, in additional ways." Child Sexual Assault:Police: 47-year-old Palmyra man arrested for decades-old sexual assault case in Virginia Meth Lab Explosion:57-year-old Lebanon man's alleged meth lab caused Sunday fire, city police report The coroner's office investigated five homicides in Lebanon County in 2021, County Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Yocum said at the March county commissioner's meeting. There have been several reported homicides in 2022, most of which involved firearms, according to law enforcement officials. Story continues Lebanon city Lt. William Lebo died March 31 in a shootout with a man who had broken into a home on the 1100 block of Forest Street in Lebanon. Lebo was 30 days from retirement. Lt. William Lebo:Lebanon City Police Lt. William Lebo remembered as happy husband, mentor to younger cops On Feb. 25, Lebanon City Police took Jouse Ortiz Serrano, 18, into custody in connection with allegedly shooting Jean Alvarado Rosado, 32, in the 300 block of North 8th Street on Feb. 22. Rosado was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he died of his injuries. Serrano has been charged with homicide and is currently incarcerated at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility without bail. Before 9 p.m. Feb. 15, Jason Rivera was shot and killed in the 300 block of Vine Street in South Lebanon Township, just outside the city's southern limits. A resident of the Palm City Mobile Home park, Cory Heft, 41, was shot and killed when two masked intruders broke into his home Feb. 16. Police have not made an arrest in Rivera's or Heft's case as of Monday afternoon. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon County DA looks for state funds to curb gun violence The Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London (Frank Augstein/PA) (PA Wire) Liz Truss has described feeling hugely honoured that one of the Queens last acts was formally asking her to become Prime Minister. She praised the huge outpouring of love and affection for the late monarch and recognised the huge amount of warmth towards her successor King Charles. Ms Truss was speaking as she flew to New York for a United Nations summit after attending the Queens funeral on Monday. The Queens death came two days after she formally appointed Ms Truss as Boris Johnsons successor during a meeting in Balmoral Castle. In an interview with reporters, Ms Truss said: It has been a momentous period and a period of great grief and sadness in the United Kingdom, and I think you have seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth towards King Charles III. Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen that from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers. From my own point of view, I am hugely honoured to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts. Since then, I have had two audiences with His Majesty and what I have seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and for the whole royal family. Ms Truss made an address to the nation from Downing Street on September 8, just as the world was learning of the Queens death after seventy years on the throne. The Prime Minister praised the support of civil servants, despite having been seen to have created friction with them in recent months. First of all, I have had the most tremendous support from the civil servants whove worked on the Bridges Secretariat (those who helped plan the Government response to the Queens death), she said. I want to praise the work theyve done, the work the royal household has done, the armed forces. The way what has been a very difficult moment for our nation has been handled tremendously. The Civil Service praise came amid a fall-out over the swift sacking of Treasury permanent secretary Sir Tom Scholar shortly after Ms Truss came to power. Amid widespread criticism during the Tory leadership contest, she abandoned plans to cut civil servants pay outside London. STANISLAV POHORILOV TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 12:49 Aleksandr Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, has declared that there would be no attack on Russian troops through the country. He has called for the borders with Ukraine to be covered, and, if necessary, for military forces to be put on alert. Source: Pro-government Belarusian news agency Belta Quote from Lukashenko: "And do not accuse us of intending to wage a war in Ukraine and the so on. We have to protect our fatherland. As for support for Russia, I once again reaffirm: there must be no attack from behind, to the side, from the side or from the flanks on Russian troops through Belarus. And there will be none." Details: Lukashenko also recollected that he had already instructed to work out the practice of military actions on the border with Ukraine, taking into account the "counteraction experience", as well as the border coverage. Lukashenko called the situation "dangerous" in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, and urged the authorities under his control not to be afraid of anything and to alert not only regular troops, but also the people's militia, which is allegedly being formed. Quote from Lukashenko: "There is no need to be afraid of anything. [If] we need to put some military unit on alert according to the norms of wartime, we have to [do it]. [If] we have to mobilise it to see whether the people assigned to this unit are alive, we must mobilise it. [If] it is necessary to alert the territorial defence [forces], then we must do it. [If] we need a people's militia to check on the spot what kind of fighters we have, and what weapons they have, then we must do it." Background: It was reported on 17 September that military training in Belarus had been extended again until at least 24 September. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! What would you do if you were accidentally given a big payout? This engineer chose transparency. It's been a little over 3 weeks since Google randomly sent me $249,999 and I still haven't heard anything on the support ticket. Is there any way we could get in touch @Google? (it's OK if you don't want it back) pic.twitter.com/t6f7v5erli Sam Curry (@samwcyo) September 14, 2022 Last week, Sam Curry shared on Twitter that he unexpectedly received nearly $250,000 from Alphabet Inc.s GOOGL Google. Its been a little over 3 weeks since Google randomly sent me $249,999 and I still havent heard anything on the support ticket, Curry tweeted. Is there any way we could get in touch @Google? He added: Its OK if you dont want it back In his Twitter bio, Curry describes himself as a hacker and bug bounty hunter, who runs a blog to better explain web application security. According to NPR, Curry also does bug bounty work for companies such as Google. Bug bounties are paid out by companies and other organizations when someone discovers a vulnerability in their systems and reports the vulnerability, or bug, back to them, MarketWatch describes. Two questions Curry had about the situation happened to be how there was a link between bug bounty hunting for Google and the random payout, as well as how frequently it occurs at the company. Hes also a staff security engineer at Yuga Labs the web3 platform that created Bored Ape Yacht Club. As previously reported by AfroTech, the NFT collection became popular among many including celebrities in 2021. Following Curry publicly reaching out, the tech giant responded back with the next steps to resolve the mishap. Google did indeed contact me and Im going to head into the bank today to pay it back, Curry told MarketWatch, about three days after his tweet. According to the outlet, the big error was caused by someone on Googles team. Our team recently made a payment to the wrong party as the result of human error, a spokesperson for Google shared, according to the outlet. We appreciate that it was quickly communicated to us by the impacted partner, and we are working to correct it. A man has jokingly called out promotional emails from Citibank after the bank offered customers who deposit more than $10,000 into a new savings account a $40 bonus. Peter, a paediatrician who goes by the username @doctor.disney on TikTok, took to the platform to share his amusement over the offer in a video posted this week, in which he noted the bonus would be enough to buy a pizza. In the clip, the doctor began by noting that the video was for the person who works at Citibank who is in charge of sending the promotional emails. My friend, I dont know who is making you do this, but you gotta stop. You gotta stop, Peter said. It has to stop. I cannot lets just show you. The paediatrician then used his screen to show a screenshot of an email hed just received from Citibank, which he said was sent with the subject: Claim your bonus reward right now. And its talking about how you should start a savings account with Citibank and I have laughed at this email several times. And it just came in again and I have to make a video about it, he continued. Peter then showed the different tiers that Citibank said customers can deposit into a savings account, with the first option showing $10,000 to $29,999. After noting that the email offers customers who deposit $10,000 to $29,999 a bonus, Peter asked his followers to guess the bonus amount offered. Can everyone just drop a guess how much your bonus will be for giving Citibank $30,000, Peter continued while laughing. They need to stop, this is unhinged. The video then saw Peter reveal the bonus offered by Citibank, with the TikToker giggling while adding: For putting $10,000 to $30,000 dollars in Citibanks pocket, your bonus isdrumroll 40 bucks. You can buy pizza, Peter continued as he laughed hysterically, before adding: Citibank, its not a good look my friend. Story continues As of Tuesday, Peters video has been viewed more than 354,000 times, with viewers also sharing their amusement over the banks offer in the comments. Ah yes Ive finally saved enough money to earn a free tank of gas, one person wrote, while another said: I was lowballing at $100 and was shocked. According to someone else, the banks $40 bonus offer is somehow even funnier than $0. I bet they put the $40 in the chart and were confident people would appreciate it, someone else suggested. The video also prompted others to question how much someone who deposited $1m would receive, according to the Citibank email, with Peter revealing in the comments that the bank was offering a bonus of $3,500. $3,500, which when compared to $1,000,000, he wrote alongside a laughing emoji. The Independent has contacted Citibank for comment. Sep. 20In Wyoming County Court on Monday, a 54-year-old Factoryville man admitted he sexually abused a child, authorities said. Todd Alan Kendall, 225 Schlesser Road, pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault without consent, District Attorney Joseph Peters said in a statement Monday. The plea came shortly before he was slated to begin what prosecutors anticipated would be a five-day trial. Kendall could face up to 20 years behind bars, Peters said. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. "We left the courtroom this morning knowing that not only will this predator remain off the streets, but by virtue of the guilty plea, this brave, young victim was spared having to relive her trauma at trial," Peters said. The Times-Tribune does not identify the victims of sexual assault. Tunkhannock police initially charged him in July 2021 with rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, child endangerment and corruption of minors. Borough police began investigating a month prior when the victim, then 10, disclosed during an interview at the Children's Advocacy Center of Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties in Montrose she had been sexually abused, police said. Kendall's sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, Peters said. Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter. (Bloomberg) -- Senator Joe Manchin pleaded for Republican support to help pass his plan to fast-track energy permitting projects Tuesday as the prospects for his legislation falter amid pushback from the GOP lawmakers and progressive Democrats. Most Read from Bloomberg The legislation, which Manchin said would be released Wednesday, is slated for inclusion on a must-pass stopgap funding bill needed to keep the government operating past the end of this month. But the West Virginia Democrat said Republicans are opposing legislation they would typically support as political payback for his pivotal vote on Democrats climate and spending legislation. Its like revenge politics, Manchin said during a Capitol Hill news conference. This is not about me. Manchin has estimated he needs as many as 20 GOP votes in the Senate to overcome Democratic defections on his permitting overhaul plan, which could speed approval of Equitrans Midstream Corp.s stalled $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline as well as stream-line the federal approval process for clean energy and fossil fuel projects alike. Manchin has been for days making the case Republicans wont get another chance to achieve the permitting reform they, and their supporters in the energy industry, have sought for years. Read: Manchin Plan to Fast-Track Energy Projects Headed for Showdown But Republicans have balked at supporting a bill they have yet to see, and some have said they felt betrayed by Manchin who initially opposed Bidens $2 trillion economic agenda only to vote for a smaller version of it. They argue that the permitting bill is a political payoff for that vote and they want no part of it. Story continues There is not a lot of enthusiasm for helping Senator Manchin out of his bind, Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said. A Republican version of the bill, introduced by Manchins West Virginia colleague, GOP Senator Shelley Moore Capito, has the backing of 46 other Republicans, potentially sapping the partys support for Manchins measure. Manchin on Tuesday said the plan was still to attach his bill to the government funding legislation, which was the product of a deal between Manchin, Democratic leadership and the White House in return for his vote on the earlier climate package. The White House has been extremely supportive of his bill, as has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Manchin said. But passage is far from certain given pushback from both Republicans and progressive Democrats who see the legislation as counter to their climate agenda. Thats setting up a showdown, which could force a government shutdown Oct. 1 if its not resolved over the next week. If they are going to say we are going to vote to shut down the government because of a personal attack on me we are basically not looking at the good of the country, Manchin said. In addition to opposition from more than 70 House Democrats, Green New Deal author Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts said last week he doesnt support attaching Manchins permitting bill to government funding legislation. Senator Bernie Sanders has said hed vote against the stopgap if Democratic leaders added it. The Senate is not expected to take up the government funding legislation until the middle of next week, just ahead of an Oct. 1 shutdown deadline. (Updates with Republican reaction in sixth, seventh paragraphs) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) condemned what he described as revenge politics as many Republicans have resisted his efforts to speed up the approval process for energy projects. Its like the revenge politics, basically revenge towards one person: me. And Im thinking, this is not about me, he told reporters on Tuesday. Im hearing that the Republican leadership is upset and theyre saying were not going to give a victory to Joe Manchin Joe Manchins not looking for a victory, he added. Weve got a good piece of legislation thats extremely balanced and I think itll prove itself in time. The bottom line is, how much suffering and how much pain do you want to inflict on the American people for the time. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., listens to a reporter speak during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Republicans, along with Manchin, have long complained that the approval process for energy and infrastructure projects known as permitting has been too lengthy and stalled important projects. When he agreed to pass the Democrats climate and tax bill, Manchin struck a deal with Democratic leadership to also pass permitting reforms. But, as he has tried to push a package of changes through, Manchin has met Republican obstacles, as some members feel slighted over the West Virginia Democrats passage of the climate bill. Republicans have felt spurned after Manchin announced his support for the Democratic bill hours after a bipartisan chips and science bill passed the Senate. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had previously threatened that bills passage if Democrats pursued their bill. The GOP has also complained that Manchins changes may not go far enough. Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, a coalition of liberal Democrats has also come together to resist the effort, arguing that it will undercut the environmental inspections that often draw out the permitting process. But Manchin said on Tuesday that we do not bypass any of the environmental reviews, which he said was the main difference between his package and a separate proposal from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Story continues The senator also told reporters that the text of his proposal would be released on Wednesday, and that it would explicitly speed up the approval process for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a controversial proposed project that would carry natural gas from West Virginia to Virginia. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. If you think the Hollywood hype surrounding the forthcoming Barbie movie feels a bit excessive, dont worry Margot Robbie understands your frustration. The two-time Academy Award nominee dropped by The Tonight Show Monday to promote her new film, Amsterdam. Still, the chat inevitably turned to Barbie, in which the actor plays the iconic Mattel doll opposite Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend, Ken. This summer, paparazzi snapped countless photos showing Gosling and Robbie on the films set, dressed in head-to-toe fluorescent costumes and rollerblading on the beach. Though it was easy to assume the films creative team may be orchestrating the publicity blitz, Robbie said that wasnt the case. I cant tell you how mortified we were, by the way, she told host Jimmy Fallon. We look like were like laughing and having fun, but dying on the inside. Dying. I was like, This is the most humiliating moment of my life. Watch Margot Robbies appearance on The Tonight Show below. Given that scenes in Barbie were shot on location in Los Angeles, Robbie said she couldnt believe how many people turned up to watch them film. Theres probably going to be a little crowd of people who are going to stand out, because, you know, we stand out a little in those outfits, she said. So I knew there was going to be a little bit of attention, and probably some photos would get out there, but not like it did. It was like mad. It was like hundreds of people watching. While the photos of Gosling and Robbie may have whetted fans appetites for Barbie, very little has been made public about the movies plot. Several of Robbies co-stars have already praised the screenplay, written by Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, as well as Gerwigs direction. Margot Robbie (left) and Ryan Gosling on the set of Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie (left) and Ryan Gosling on the set of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie." (Photo: MEGA via Getty Images) This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Mariah Carey has said she is planning to release the secret alt-rock album she recorded in 1995. The singer sparked a fan frenzy when she first disclosed details of Someones Ugly Daughter, which came about while she was working on well known records such as Fantasy. At the time, Carey claimed she was blocked from releasing it by her record label, Columbia, and her vocals were originally replaced by her friend Clarissa Dane under the band name Chick. In a new interview, Carey says she and her team have managed to unearth the original recordings, and she is working on a version that she hopes will be fit for release. [It] will become something we should hear, but also, Im working on a version where there will be another artist working with me, she said onRolling Stones Music Now podcast. Possibly something built around the album, she added. Carey also discussed the time when she originally recorded the songs: "This was my outlet and nobody knew about it. I would just write these things. Id say, Can you play [sings guitar part] to the guitar player who happened to be there while were working on records like Always Be My Baby and One Sweet Day and eventually Fantasy and whatever from that era, she told host Brian Hiatt. It was like, Let me just do this. Because after the session, why not? Theres energy. And we were like working for whatever, 15, 16 hours on scrutinising stuff. And then we just made this record at the same time. I would write the lyrics, go and sing it. Describing why the record was not released at the time Carey said: There was a fear [from the record company] because some of the lyrical content was not what people were [expecting]. I honestly wanted to put the record out back then under the same pseudonym and just let them discover that its me, but that idea was kind of stomped and squashed. So Clarissa came in. Celebrities Gang Indictments (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) During this time, the singer was still married to ex-husband Tommy Mottola also the CEO of her label, Sony Music. The singer officially divorced from her Mottola back in 1998. Story continues I had no freedom during that time. That was my freedom. I would drive around with my assistant with the top down in upstate New York and be screaming the lyrics to these songs that nobody else knew. It was my release and it was just fun, she recalled. And I started out like, Oh, this is just for laughs, whatever, like were having fun. But then I was like, No, this is me screaming. This is literally what Im going through, she said of those years. The singer has previously spoken about the time of recording in a recent episode of Meghan Markles new Spotify podcast, Archetypes. Carey told the Duchess of Sussex how her 1997 album Butterfly was a pivotal moment in my life Writing and producing and living in the studio and leaving the past life that I had with my first ex-husband behind was extremely difficult, the singer said, explaining the circumstances in which the album was created. Describing the title song coming to her like a gift Carey said: In my first marriage, I was very much whats the word? I was kind of locked away and I was sort of given the rules and had to stick with them. By David Shepardson BETHESDA, Maryland (Reuters) - Marriott International Inc believes its new $600 million high-rise headquarters will entice workers to return after more than two years mostly working at home. The U.S. hotel company that owns and licenses about 8,100 hotels in 139 countries cut the ribbon Monday on the building near Washington, D.C. Marriott Chief Executive Anthony Capuano told Reuters workers will want to return. "People crave that interaction," Capuano said. "I'm not sure we have to pull that hard." During construction, Marriott turned 20% of fixed workstations into "collaboration spaces." "We find that more and more of the work we're doing is projects across disciplines... sometimes for a day, sometimes for a week, maybe for a year or longer," Capuano said. The 21-story headquarters features a 11,000-square-foot child care center, 180 conference rooms, high-end cafeteria and design lab. Capuano said employees are not required to be in the office but Marriott is "encouraging folks to be here several days a week -- and not just for meetings." The new headquarters can accommodate about 3,500 workers. Capuano said over 1,000 are at the office on a typical workday. Most workstations are shared and employees use an app to reserve a desk in a "neighborhood" near other workers with similar jobs and can use a locker for storage, Capuano said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The president of the Marshall Islands on Tuesday welcomed what he called progress towards a new association agreement with the United States, but said it is vital to better address the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing and climate change. David Kabua made the remarks at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he also appealed more broadly for help and action to address climate change, to which his low-lying Pacific island nation is especially vulnerable. The Marshall Islands and other Pacific island states, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Palau, signed agreements known as compacts with the United States in the late 1980s that give the U.S. defense responsibility and the right to military bases in return for economic support. The compacts, which expire in 2023, and in 2024 in the case of Palau, are being renegotiated, and experts and former U.S. officials warn the states could look to Washington's geostrategic rival China for support should the talks fail. "While we have shared goals and a strong partnership with the United States of America, we also have grave development challenges and essential needs," Kabua said. "We welcome recent progress with the United States of America towards a renewed Compact of Free Association and with it a targeted trust fund, he said. However, he added: "It is vital that the legacy and contemporary challenges of nuclear impact testing be better addressed, that climate change be addressed with the urgency and commitment it deserves, and that our voice as an equal partner is strengthened." Kabua said Washington was emphasizing its renewed engagement with the Pacific islands and added: "It is essential for all of us to ensure that words are met with action." The Marshall Islands comprises about 30 far-flung tropical atolls between Australia and Hawaii. Their average elevation is roughly two meters (6.5 ft) above sea level and tidal waves flood the land regularly with increasing ferocity. Story continues Islanders are also still plagued by health and environmental effects of the 67 U.S. nuclear tests conducted from 1946 to 1958, including "Castle Bravo" at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest U.S. bomb ever detonated. Kabua was pointedly critical of China, highlighting human rights issues in its Xinjiang region and its military pressure on self-ruled, Chinese-claimed Taiwan, while calling on the United Nations "to better welcome Taiwan, and its people into our global family." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to host a meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of UNGA aimed at better coordinating assistance to the Pacific island region in the face of Chinese competition. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; writing by David Brunnstrom; editing by Grant McCool) BOSTON (AP) Management at a Massachusetts car dealership accused in a lawsuit filed by the state for illegally charging Black and Hispanic customers more for remote starters, paint protection and other add-on products than it does for white customers is denying the allegations. The attorney general announced Monday that the complaint alleges that Jaffarian Service Inc. engaged in unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory pricing practices in violation of the states Consumer Protection Act and the Public Accommodations Law. Jaffarian Volvo Toyota ... has never received any complaint from any customers regarding discrimination in its sales, pricing or services and denies the Massachusetts Attorney Generals claims of discrimination, the dealership said in a statement. The Haverhill-based dealership said it is cooperating with the attorney generals office, has supplied the office with thousands of documents and has offered to sit down to discuss the documents. President Gary Jaffarian said a significant proportion of the companys employees are Black and Latinx, and it serves an area with a significant Latinx population, so by discriminating we would be hurting ourselves. Jaffarian appears to have charged Black and Hispanic customers, on average, about $500 more and $400 more respectively for add-on products, the complaint alleges. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Queen Sugar Studio owner, Khiana Morton, shows her clients the sweet side of hair removal. A proud graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, Morton leans on 13 years of previous experience in mental health to provide services that celebrate the beauty of all women and inspire a positive self-image. Her studio, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is not only Black-owned but also Black-operated, with the fusion of mental health and self-care in mind. Morton took a chance to turn her side hustle into a full-time passion after her mental health gig cut her pay. Her love for empowering women reflects her teams personable and efficient hair removal and other beauty services. I realized that I was supposed to be right here where I am, Morton explained, according to WCNC Charlotte. It is one of the most ironic, yet beautiful bridges of any two industries that I could have ever imagined. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queen Sugar Studio (@queensugarclt) The Queen Sugar Studio stuns on the inside as much as it strives to contribute to healthy skin and speak encouragement into women. As the lead esthetician, Morton handpicked and trained each team member to ensure clients leave silky, hairless, and full of joy, according to a post via Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queen Sugar Studio (@queensugarclt) Specializing in the art of body sugaring, Mortons studio has created a fun, peaceful, yet vibrant atmosphere for clients to learn the benefits of sugaring and waxing as an alternative to shaving. This process includes using lukewarm sugar paste to be applied to the skin, allowing the paste to seep into the hair follicle, and then removing the unwanted hair in the natural direction of hair growth. The studio also offers traditional waxing, Vajacials, skincare treatments, and eyebrow and lash services. Story continues People are literally the reason why we started this, Morton said, per the news outlet. [Im] in the business of making people feel happy and making people feel good about themselves. The self-care boss is even inspiring her team to dream bigger. Ive never worked for a Black female boss, said Areriana Herring, a body sugar specialist at the Queen Sugar Studio. By watching her, Im watching where I can go and how far horizons can be. Meghan Markle has had an unsteady relationship with fans of the royal family over the past several years, but according to one royal expert, the Duchess of Sussex might have won some people over throughout the week. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family including Markle and husband Prince Harry were reunited all week long to pay respects to the late monarch. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8. The queen's state funeral was held on Monday. According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, this is the "first time" since Megxit that "Meghan has won a few more fans in the U.K." Harry and Markle moved to California after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is seen during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Now that the queens funeral services have concluded, heres a look at what is next for Markle, Harry and the members of the royal family. Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped away from their senior royal titles and moved to California in January 2020, the duchess has made negative remarks about the royal family, some of which involves racism. FOR MEGHAN AND HARRY, DINNER IS SERVED; AND ON THE MENU IS REVENGE: ROYAL EXPERT Markle recently shared on an episode of her podcast, "Archetypes," that she only felt like a Black woman when she married into the royal family. With these comments, Markle has reunited with the people shes been talking about for the past two years and did well, according to an expert, even winning some people over in the U.K. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, may have won over some people in the U.K. after the way she handled the royal duties, a royal expert shared. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images "I mean, she's fired out all these accusations, but now you have to spend the best part of a week on television with the people that you've criticized," Larcombe shared. "So, it must have been a really difficult week for Meghan, but I think it might have actually, for the first time since they left Britain, Meghan has won a few more fans in the U.K." Larcombe noted that the last few days must have been "quite difficult" for Markle, and he said shes done very well given the circumstances. Story continues "Weve got to be honest, Meghan has been the subject of much criticism in Britain. [She] and Harry decided to leave, and Meghan may have enjoyed sitting down with the queen of the sofa with Oprah Winfrey, but this must have been quite a difficult few days, and I think she's actually done really well," Larcombe said. "She hasn't appeared like she's trying to come over and muscle in on anything. She's just basically gone and done whatever was required," he noted. At the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday, one member of the royal family in particular seemed to be overcome with emotion: Prince Harry. "Harry just looked traumatized," Shannon Felton Spence, a royal expert, told Fox News Digital. An emotional Prince Harry and Meghan pay their respects in the Palace of Westminster after the procession for the lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 14, 2022. Christopher Furlong The late monarch's grandson sat next to Markle at the funeral. The couple were seated in the second row directly behind King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. PRINCE HARRY ISSUES FIRST STATEMENT AFTER THE QUEEN'S DEATH: 'THIS FINAL PARTING BRINGS US GREAT SADNESS' Harry, who did not arrive to Balmoral Castle in Scotland before Elizabeth passed, has had the spotlight on him over the last several days during his return to the U.K." "Harry just had almost the same expression etched onto his face throughout this whole period since she died," Larcombe shared. "Obviously in photographs, when there's thousands of pictures taken. You could probably pick any expression you want, but certainly from the TV viewers point of view, it looks like Harry was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders." Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has had a somber look on his face since the queen died on Sept. 8, 2022. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images The world has been watching Harrys every move since the queens death on Sept. 8. It is expected that Harry and Meghan will return to Montecito, California, now that Elizabeths funeral services have concluded. Their two children, Archie, 3 and Lilibet, 1, were missing from the funeral service on Monday. It is believed that their children never made the trip overseas and have remained in the United States. King Charles III is now the reigning monarch in Britain with wife Camilla as Queen Consort. "What we've seen in Camilla since the queen's death and talking of people that have gone up in the popularity poll, the woman that Diana famously dubbed the Rottweiler certainly, finally [showed] that her bark is a lot worse than her bite because actually now, I think if you took a straw poll of the British public, I would guess that you probably find most people would just be happy that King Charles is actually with someone that maybe will make him a better king," Larcombe shared. King Charles III took over the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's death. Karwai Tang/WireImage Much like Markle, Camilla was not the publics favorite after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. WHO IS QUEEN CONSORT CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES? A LOOK AT THE WIFE OF KING CHARLES III "It's almost like they're exonerated in where they were a couple whose relationship caused great embarrassment, shame and criticism, and so you know, finally, I think all of those demons have been [exorcised]," Larcombe said of Charles and Camillas relationship. Much like Meghan Markle, left, Camilla was not always loved by the public. Chris Jackson/Getty Images "I haven't seen anybody say that she shouldn't be called Queen Consort with any particular voice," he added. Prince Andrew has faced his fair share of scandal throughout the past several years. The Duke of Yorks military affiliations and patronages were returned to the queen in January, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. Andrew, who was accused of sexual assault of a minor in the United States, recently settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, and his reputation was permanently soured. Prince Andrew was considered to be Queen Elizabeth II's favorite child, a royal expert shared. Chris Jackson/Getty Images "Prince Andrew is finished," Larcombe said plainly. WHERE IS FERGIE? DUCHESS OF YORK'S ABSENCE FROM ROYAL MOURNING OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II EXPLAINED "As a royal, as a working member of the royal family, there's no way back for him. He may not have been found guilty in any court of law, but in the court of public opinion, I think the verdict has been fairly unanimous on Prince Andrew," he continued. Andrew was very close to his mother and many deemed him as being Elizabeths "favorite" child. The Duke and Duchess of York gave Her Majesty two of her favorite breed of dogs just last year after her late husband, Prince Philip, died in April 2021 in efforts to lift her spirits. Prince Andrew stands with the queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy, outside Windsor Castle on Sept. 19, 2022, ahead of the committal service for Queen Elizabeth II. Glyn Kirk/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Muick and Sandy, the queens beloved corgis, are reportedly being taken care of by Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. "He was the queen's favorite. Andrew was really quite close to the queen, and I suppose in a way out of respect for the queen was allowed to play such a prominent role," Larcombe said. QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S CORGIS WILL BE CARED FOR BY PRINCE ANDREW AND SARAH FERGUSON: REPORT "I think it's too early to say whether that is just a temporary suspension of reality to get through this week for the Royals, or whether it marks a turning point for the likes of Andrew and Harry to come back into the fold, but I don't think so," the royal expert added. "I think Prince Andrew, though we've seen a lot of him in the past few days, I think we'll see very little of him in the next few years." Prince William and Kate Middleton have been closely watched over the last 11 days. As the heir to the throne, there has been a lot of attention on William as he is expected to be "king for an era." "Weve just come out of the second Elizabethan era. I don't think Charles is destined to be king for an era," Larcombe said. "I think this is a kind of almost interim, steady the ship, continue the queen's legacy and prepare the way for the next great monarch in Prince William, a guy who is probably looking at 30 or 40 years on the throne." Kate Middleton and Prince William are now the Prince and Princess of Wales. Samir Hussein/WireImage The Prince and Princess of Wales opted to bring two of their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to Elizabeths funeral service on Monday. According to Larcombe, "It was the right thing to do," bringing the young royals to the funeral service. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "I think there is a sense that when William and Kate brought along George, and I'm so pleased that they did, there was some clearly behind-the-scenes discussion on whether or not it was fair to George. I think one image that is likely to linger the most, I would argue, is that sight of a young king [George] to be standing, trying to understand what is going on around him. I can't imagine what that must be like for him," he said. Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2022. Karwai Tang/WireImage According to the royal expert, the Prince and Princess of Wales are "devoted" parents who prioritize their three children: George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4. Kate and William balance their roles as senior members of the royal family and raising their children. "The question is: how much pressure is that going to put on them as a family? Just think of the pressure that's on that little boy; watching this, let alone the pressure that's on William and Kate," Larcombe added. Larcombe also noted that William and Kate "are by far and away the most popular couple now." "Certainly before the queen's death, William and Kate were by far the most popular and respected royals, ahead of King Charles. A lot of people talked about William being a more suitable king than his father and some even suggested that the whole structure of the royal family should change, but it doesn't work like that, they're not elected," Larcombe stated, adding that the couple's "credentials as members of the royal family is not in question." By Brendan O'Boyle MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - It did not take long for the memes to start in Mexico, offering a needed bit of levity on Monday after a powerful quake left buildings and people shaken on the anniversary of two of the country's most devastating earthquakes. On WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and beyond, anxious Mexicans found humor in the unexplainable - that an earthquake would strike just an hour after a scheduled earthquake drill in Mexico City and other major cities. "These Mexicans are hardcore, they do earthquake drills with live earthquakes," one meme said, showing an image of an impressed Barack Obama. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which left at least one person dead, struck on the same day as a 1985 earthquake that killed an estimated 10,000, and one in 2017 that killed at least 350 people. Mexico is among the world's most seismically active countries, home to a population that is well-versed in speedy and often surprisingly calm evacuations. The uncanny timing of Monday's quake was the subject of many memes, like one of a bird reading a book titled "how to skip from Sept. 18 to Sept. 20." One meme, mimicking an announcement by the Mexican government, invites outsiders to "Visit Mexico" and "on every Sept. 19, come live the experience of a real temblor." Some memes cast a suspicious eye on official reports that the timing of another Sept. 19 earthquake was just a coincidence. Others got political, like a meme depicting President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador saying the ground shook but it shook more under his predecessor's government. The pugilistic leader often rails against his predecessors. Several memes embraced the fear of living with the possibility of the ground suddenly shaking. One academic study released prior to the latest quake showed that three in 10 people who experienced the Sept. 19, 2017 quake suffered effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Story continues Geophysicist Carlos Valdes pushed back in an interview against suggestions that Sept. 19 is a cursed day on the Mexican calendar, chalking up the most recent earthquake to coincidence as well as pointing to the meme machine as a needed tonic. "I think it's a way to shake off the stress and the fear," he said. (Reporting and writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Additional reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) A woman robbed a man in Louisiana after the pair met online and she gained his trust, getting away with $4,500 worth of items, police said, before she was arrested in another state. St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs detectives arrested Jessica Penton, of Mississippi, after they say she gained a man's trust and robbed him when he left the house for work. The man contacted the sheriff's office on Sept. 8 and said someone he knew stole an AR-15, a laptop, computer equipment, a camera and an Xbox from his home. He said he met the woman, Penton, online and let her stay at his place. Stolen items, some of which were taken from an Abita Springs man after he met a woman online. Dating apps and crime: Washington man held hostage, robbed at gunpoint and ordered to undress on first date gone wrong Sexual assault: NYC man indicted in 3 sexual assaults after one woman was rescued via Grubhub order After an investigation, deputies found out she lived in Magnolia, Mississippi. With help from the Pike County Sheriffs Office, deputies found her on Sept. 12. Police had to chase Penton before arresting her after she wrecked the Chevrolet pick-up truck she was driving, police said. Both the pickup and a gun found inside the vehicle were reported stolen in Mississippi, police said. Police said Penton also had the stolen AR-15 in the truck when she was arrested, in addition to another weapon that was in her possession. Investigators also found other items reported stolen in Louisiana when they searched Penton's residence in Mississippi, police said. Penton faces several charges for the incidents in Mississippi and will be taken back to St. Tammany Parish for felony theft charges, officials said. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a news release that "unfortunately, there are people out there who like to prey on other individuals." "Please be cautious when meeting people online and allowing them into your home," he said. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757 and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louisiana man robbed while he worked by woman he met online: Police New Mexico's Human Services Department made back-to-back announcements Monday providing low-income households assistance with rising utility costs and coverage of summer meals for qualifying public school students. Residents approved for the Low Income Home Energy Program between October of last year and September of this year will share in $10.9 million of aid, paid directly to their utility providers. Funding for the program comes from the federal American Rescue Plan. LIHEAP is a $3.8 billion federal program managed by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. Individuals do not apply for the program, but rather states, territories and tribal entities which allocate the assistance to households. Recipients receive one payment for the year to help with household heating and cooling costs. Besides the state of New Mexico, Native American nations within the state receiving LIHEAP funding include theJicarilla Apache Nation and the pueblos of Jemez, Laguna, Nambe and Zuni. New Mexico Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase, who is also the acting head of the state health department, is seen during a livestreamed news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. The HSD said customers should ensure their current contact information, including phone number, is on file with the agency, and said updated information can be provided online via http://yes.state.nm.us. Questions or requests for assistance can be made by telephone at 800-283-4465 Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, over $89 million will be allocated to the families of 227,735 students for summer school meals provided in June and July of this year. Children who qualified for free or reduced meals, either through the National School Lunch Program or because their school was eligible for free meals during the last school year, will be issued a single payment of $391 to their Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) cards to cover the summer meals. The P-EBT program issues cards to school children that can be used to purchase food. State Human Services Deputy Secretary Angela Medrano said in a statement, "The goal of Summer P-EBT is to help provide good nutrition to New Mexico's children for the months they are not in school due to the summer break." Story continues The department said students do not need to be receiving SNAP benefits to qualify for the cards. Families may check to see if their child qualified for the new payment online via https://www.yes.state.nm.us/yesnm/pandemic/pebt, or simply going to https://www.yes.state.nm.us, scrolling down, and click the box that says "Pandemic EBT Verification." On Monday, the page was not yet available, stating, "The system is currently under maintenance. Please try again later." The P-EBT hotline is available for questions at 833-415-0569, and the HSD telephone hotline listed above is also a resource for P-EBT Families were also advised to keep their child's P-EBT cards, even if they had reported a change of address. When parents or guardians report a new address at the school, a new card is to be mailed to their household between Sept. 18 and 26, with delivery anticipated to take up to 10 days. Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico announces utility and school meal assistance A suspected Michigan robber accused of helping steal dozens of firearms was nabbed by authorities after the man reportedly bragged about being on the news for the crimes and showed photos of guns to a friend who ultimately reported him to authorities. Police arrested Keondrick Rayford earlier this month after a string of robberies in Dearborn Heights and Westland, Michigan. Rayford admitted to participating in two separate robberies at the same pawn shop, which together resulted in 50 guns being stolen, according to Fox 2. Four robberies were carried out across Sept. 11 and 12 in Westland and Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where suspects stole at least 76 firearms and multiple bottles of alcohol, Click on Detroit reported. In one of the robberies on Sept. 11, the suspects drove a stolen Kia SUV through the front of Freedom Holster Gun Shop, and seven suspects ran into the store. They managed to steal at least 50 guns from the store in less than a minute, Click on Detroit reported. AT LEAST 12 NEW FORD MUSTANGS STOLEN FROM MICHIGAN ASSEMBLY PLANT About 30 minutes later, two suspects broke into a CVS and stole bottles of liquor. Authorities determined at least one of the men involved in the CVS robbery was also involved in the gun shop heist based on him wearing what appeared to be the same clothing in surveillance footage. At roughly the same time as the CVS robbery, another stolen car this time a Dodge Journey smashed through the front of CC Coins Jewelry and Loan. Three suspects managed to get away with 22 guns in that incident. Authorities say at least one of the three suspects was also involved in the gun store robbery based on comparing surveillance footage and clothing the suspects were wearing. The following day, at about 12:15 a.m., CC Coins Jewelry and Loan was again targeted. Another stolen car crashed through the store, and three men took "multiple firearms." They left the establishment, only to return to take more guns. Story continues DETROIT COP RESIGNS AFTER RACY ONLYFANS PAGE DISCOVERED BY DEPARTMENT An agent with the ATF investigated the string of robberies and determined that the same group of suspects carried out the heists, Click on Detroit reported. The agent noted that the robberies were carried out in similar fashion, some suspects were wearing the same clothing in the different incidents, and the stores were within miles of each other. MAN CHARGED IN RANDOM DETROIT SHOOTINGS THAT KILLED 3 Surveillance footage of the incidents was soon posted by the Dearborn Heights Police Department, as well as shown on the news. Authorities also alerted the public that the ATF was offering an up to $20,000 reward for any tips on the suspects. A friend of suspect Keondrick Rayford said he saw the footage of the robberies and could match his friends clothing to what he was wearing when he visited his home on the night of Sept. 11. He wanted to cooperate with police for reward money, Click on Detroit reported, citing authorities. Keondrick Rayford reportedly shared a link to a news article about the heists with his friend and sent him a photo of a gun that matched the description of a gun stolen from the pawn shop. Police arrested Keondrick Rayford, as well as his brother Kendrick Rayford, on Sept. 13, according to Fox 2. FORMER DETROIT POLICE OFFICER, HEAD OF INTEGRITY UNIT, PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY SCHEME Keondrick Rayford confessed to the C&C robberies. His brother said he was not involved with the heists, but admitted to taking photos of the guns to help move them from his brothers possession, Fox 2 reported, citing a federal court filing. Brandon Carter, who is accused of acting as a getaway driver for the CC Coins Jewelry and Loan heist, was also arrested and admitted to being at both of the thefts at the pawn shop, according to the criminal complaint. His brother, Damond "Turk" Jordan Jr., was also arrested and accused of helping sell the stolen guns. Authorities say there is probable cause to charge Keondrick Rayford and Carter for theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and knowingly possessing stolen firearms. Officials said there is also probable cause to charge Kendrick Rayford and Jordan for knowingly possessing stolen firearms, Click on Detroit reported Tuesday. Fox News Digital reached out to the Dearborn Heights Police Department on Tuesday inquiring if any of the other suspects in the cases have been arrested. Dearborn Heights and Westland are located approximately 20 minutes from the city of Detroit. After Florida Governor Ron DeSantis arranged flights for 48 mostly Venezeulan migrants from Texas to Massachusetts last week, immigration attorneys and elected officials are demanding criminal investigations, and one Texas sheriff is probing allegations that the group was lured to planes with false information. Delaware agencies, meanwhile, are preparing for another potential flight due to arrive on Tuesday near President Joe Bidens beach home in Rehoboth Beach. State agencies and community groups are preparing humanitarian aid. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at an event on Tuesday he cannot confirm another flight of migrants is leaving Texas for Delaware, though he criticised president Biden, who he said created a crisis at the border. Governor DeSantis and his aides and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have defended sending migrants to Democratic-leading states and cities in protest of what they characterise as the presidents open border policy. Lawyers for one group of migrants, who were moved to a larger shelter operation in Cape Cod on Friday, argue that they were deceived with false promises of financial aid and housing but were instead dropped off unannounced on Marthas Vineyard last week. Key points Migrants received false brochures promising refugee aid Texas sheriff announces investigation into DeSantis flights Marthas Vineyard migrants lawyers request criminal investigation Mother seeking asylum dies by suicide in NYC shelter Migrant stunt putting Florida legislative seats in play on state and local levels Biden taunts DeSantis over reported migrant flight to Delaware: He should come visit, we have a beautiful shoreline 18:42 , Josh Marcus President Joe Biden responded to reports that Florida Gov Ron DeSantis may be sending another plane of migrants to the northeast, with the latest flight scheduled to arrive in Delaware near the US presidents home. In unscripted remarks to reporters after speaking on campaign finance, Mr Biden goaded Mr DeSantis over the political stunt. Story continues He should come visit, we have a beautiful shoreline, Mr Biden told reports when asked to respond to Mr DeSantiss latest gambit. Alex Woodward is following the White Houses response. Biden taunts DeSantis over reported migrant flight to Delaware ICYMI: Florida and Texas migrant transports moved over a dozen kids 18:30 , Josh Marcus The migrant flights and bus trips from Florida and Texas to liberal locales are controversial for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the large number of children on board. By The Independents count, over a dozen kids were aboard the transports. Heres our look at how children got ensnared in the immigration stunts of governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott. Florida and Texas migrant transports moved over a dozen kids, including one-year-old White House preparing for DeSantis migrant flights to Delaware as state agencies ready response 18:17 , Josh Marcus The White House is coordinating with state officials and aid groups preparing for the potential arrival of a plane with migrants sent from Texas to coastal Delaware near the beach home of President Joe Biden. The flight, due to arrive on Tuesday afternoon, could mark the second flight within a week organised by Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss administration to move people seeking asylum in San Antonio to northeastern towns. We are coordinating closely with state officials and local service providers who are prepared to welcome these families in an orderly manner as they pursue their asylum claims, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. Alex Woodward is following the story for The Independent. White House preparing for DeSantis migrant flights to Delaware Ron DeSantis tears into Biden and avoids comment on rumoured Delaware flight during event 18:13 , Josh Marcus Florida governor Ron DeSantis tore into Joe Biden during an event on Tuesday.He inherited a border that wasnt like this, Mr DeSantis said. He has created a crisis. The Republican denied that the migrant flights he sent to Marthas Vineyard were a stunt and called on Mr Biden to reinstate Trump administration policies like Remain in Mexico, which stranded tens of thousands of legally protected asylum seekers in squalid camps on the Mexican side of the border for months, where they were the targets of exploitation. The biggest stunt was Biden coming in as president and reversing Trumps policies just so he could virtue-signal that he was against Trump, Mr DeSantis said. The impact has been devastating. Mr DeSantis also said he cannot confirm another migrant flight is headed from Texas for Delaware. The Republican governor claimed Democrats were being hypocritical about the flights, when they have tried to downplay the challenge of the high numbers of migrants who have crossed the border this year. I didnt hear any outrage about that, Mr DeSantis said. The only thing I hear them getting about is you have 50 that end up in Marths Vineyard. Then they get really upset. And Im sorry, those migrants were being treated horribly by Biden. They were hungry, homeless, they had no opportunity at all. Later in the event, Mr DeSantis acknowledged that Florida itself hasnt had much trouble with high immigration numbers, even describing migrants entering the state in mere onesie-twosies Were not seeing mass movements of them into Florida, Mr DeSantis said. Delaware braces for a migrant flight of its own 17:50 , Josh Marcus Cities and states across the country have struggled to respond to surprise flights and buses full of migrants sent from Republican border states. Delaware could be next. The governors office and community groups were preparing on Tuesday for an influx of asylum-seekers, after reports of a plane scheduled to leave Texas and land near Joe Bidens beach home in Rehoboth Beach. Our teams at [Delaware Emergency Management Agency] and [Delaware Department of Health and Social Services] are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need, a spokesperson for governor John Carneys office told Delaware Online on Tuesday. Earlier this week, senator Ted Cruz singled out the presidents vacation home as a target for another migrant transport. Governor Ron DeSantis press conference starting now 17:37 , Josh Marcus Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently holding an event in Manatee County to tout his budget and tax agenda, but theres a chance hell address the growing scandal of the migrant flights his government funded to Marthas Vineyard. You can watch the live stream of the event here, and we will be monitoring for updates. Migrants sent to Marthas Vineyard were given brochures with false promises of aid and jobs. Who made them? 17:33 , Josh Marcus Before they boarded planes bound for Marthas Vineyard, a group of about 50 migrants in San Antonio, Texas, were handed a trifold brochure titled Massachusetts Refugee Benefits. A front cover included a photograph of a Massachusetts Department of Transportation highway sign reading Massachusetts Welcomes You above an illustration of the state. On the back, printed in English and Spanish was the name and phone number and website for the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, a state agency that aids resettlement agencies and works with community groups to provide assistance to newly arrived refugees. But the agency had nothing to do with the flier. The flier was mocked up to look like a government document, falsely suggesting that the group of mostly Venzeulan people seeking asylum in the US would be eligible for cash assistance, housing, food, job training, job interviews and other benefits. Alex Woodward investigates. Migrants were given brochures with false promises of aid. Who made them? 05:58 , Shweta Sharma We are closing the live coverage of the blog. But you can find news reports on the topic on our website. Thank you for staying with us. Explained: Are the migrants staying legally in US 05:46 , Shweta Sharma Tens of thousands of migrants who cross the border illegally from Mexico are allowed to stay in the US temporarily. After being arrested are released in the US each month with notices to appear in immigration court to pursue asylum or on humanitarian parole with requirements to report regularly to immigration authorities. Migrants may seek asylum if they enter the country illegally under US and international law, and US authorities have broad authority to grant parole based on individual circumstances.They must keep a current address with authorities, who schedule appointments in a city with the nearest court or immigration office. They must apply separately for permission to work.Last year, the backlog in immigration courts mushroomed to more than 1.9 million cases, according to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.To avoid massive overcrowding in detention facilities, the administration began releasing many migrants on humanitarian parole. Ron DeSantiss office says immigrants were willing to leave 05:15 , Shweta Sharma A spokesperson for Florida governor Ron DeSantis said immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned after a criminal investigation was opened. Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected, DeSantis communications director, Taryn Fenske, said in an emailed statement. Unless the MA national guard has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazars office announced on 19 September that his office is working with attorneys who are representing the victims as well as advocacy organizations regarding this incident. Migrants from Venezuela soared in August 04:34 , Shweta Sharma A spokesperson for Florida governor Ron DeSantis said immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned amid a criminal investigation. Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected, DeSantis communications director, Taryn Fenske, said in an emailed statement. Unless the MA national guard has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazars office announced on 19 September that his office is working with attorneys who are representing the victims as well as advocacy organisations regarding this incident. Area schools prepared for migrant students sheltering at Cape Cod base 04:30 , Alex Woodward The Bourne Public Schools district told The Cape Cod Times that officials have been in touch with Joint Base Cape Cod where a group of migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard now are sheltering - about migrant children attending nearby schools. While no final decisions have been made regarding the status of the children, the Bourne Public Schools are ready, willing and able to provide a public school education to these children should the need arise, Superintedent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou told the newspaper. It is not clear how many children are currently housed at the shelter. The district has previously served children at the base, including military families and children who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The districts relationship with Joint Base Cape Cod is extremely positive, and we are familiar with the process of collaborating with families residing there, Ms Quinlan-Zhou told the newspaper. ICYMI: New York could use cruise ships to house migrants sent north by Republican states 03:30 , Alex Woodward New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he is considering whether he can use cruise ships to temporarily house migrants sent by Republican governors to his state in protest of perceived sanctuary cities that GOP officials have accused of fueling migration to the US. Were examining everything, from the legality of using any type of cruise ship for temporary housing. Were looking at everything to see how do we deal with this, Mr Adams told CBS2. New York mayor may use cruise ships to house migrants being sent north by Republicans Migrants sent to Marthas Vineyard were given brochures with false promises of aid and jobs. Who made them? 03:00 , Alex Woodward Before they boarded planes bound for Marthas Vineyard, a group of about 50 migrants in San Antonio, Texas, were handed a trifold brochure titled Massachusetts Refugee Benefits. A front cover included a photograph of a Massachusetts Department of Transportation highway sign reading Massachusetts Welcomes You above an illustration of the state. On the back, printed in English and Spanish was the name and phone number and website for the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, a state agency that aids resettlement agencies and works with community groups to provide assistance to newly arrived refugees. But the agency had nothing to do with the flier. The flier was mocked up to look like a government document, falsely suggesting that the group of mostly Venzeulan people seeking asylum in the US would be eligible for cash assistance, housing, food, job training, job interviews and other benefits. So much remains unclear about the migrants journey from Texas to Massachusetts, how Florida officials are identifying and collecting migrants in other states to be sent to so-called sanctuary states and cities, and how state funding earmarked for Governor Ron DeSantiss maneuver is paying for it from several states away. Lawyers are demanding answers. The Independents Alex Woodward reports: Migrants were given brochures with false promises of aid. Who made them? ICYMI: Florida Democrats demand answers from DeSantis 02:30 , Alex Woodward Florida state Rep Fentrice Driskell criticised Governor Ron DeSantis for using the state as a stepping stone for his political ambitions after using state funds to find migrants in Texas to ship to Massachusetts. Democratic officials told reporters on Monday that they were still working to determine how a state budget line for $12m to remove migrants living in Florida has allowed for the governor to contract with people in Texas to remove people from that state. The group of mostly Venezeulan migrants flown out of Texas last week already had been processed after being detained after arriving at the US-Mexico and were waiting for their asylum cases to be heard. Lawyers groups have blasted the governor for disrupting their immigration cases by putting them on planes and sending them 2,000 miles away. Migrant families in good health and good spirits, state lawmaker says 01:30 , Alex Woodward State Rep Dylan Fernandes, who represents Marthas Vineyard in the state legislature, said he met with migrant families who arrived on the island last week and have since been moved to a larger shelter facility in Cape Cod. Every person I spoke with was in good health and good spirits. Every family has their own space. Every individual has their own room, though friends are choosing to room together, he said. Earlier today, I met with the immigrant families. Every person I spoke with was in good health and good spirits. Every family has their own space. Every individual has their own room, though friends are choosing to room together. Dylan Fernandes (@RepDylan) September 19, 2022 they expressed deep gratitude for how well they are being taken care of, he added in his update on Twitter. In the dining hall, there is not only food but tables lining the walls where humanitarian organizations, legal services, and interpreters are working to connect the families with every resource they need. He said children were playing, and one child will meet with a pediatrician for the first time in their life tomorrow. Deeply grateful to our community and state for showing these families the dignity [and] respect they deserve, he said. Texas sheriff to investigate Florida for flying migrants to Marthas Vineyard 01:00 , Alex Woodward Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazars office announced on 19 September that his office is working with attorneys who are representing the victims as well as advocacy organizations after migrants alleged that they were coerced or lured with false promises before boarding planes to Marthas Vineyard. The investigation marks the first law enforcement agency to launch a probe following demands from immigration attorneys and advocates and lawmakers to investigate allegations of fraud and kidnapping, among other charges. What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people who are already on hard times, they are here legally in the country at that point, Sheriff Salazar said during a press conference on Monday. They have every right to be where they are, and I believe they were preyed upon somebody came from our of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for, with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could be offered... to just be exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip, he said. Texas sheriff to investigate Florida for flying migrants to Marthas Vineyard ICYMI: Mother seeking US asylum dies in NYC shelter, mayor says Tuesday 20 September 2022 00:30 , Alex Woodward A woman who fled to the US to seek asylum died while in a New York City shelter over the weekend, according to Mayor Eric Adams. It was unclear if the woman was part of the group of migrants who had been moved to the city as part of Texas Governor Greg Abbotts Lone Star Operation, a scheme that credits sending 2,500 migrants to New York City since 5 August and has sent several more thousand to Chicago and Washington, DC since it began back in April. But Mayor Adams said the woman was traumatised by this whole experience and said that the failure was the governors that sent people on multi-day bus rides. We didnt fail in the city. This city is helping people, he said. The Independents Johanna Chisholm reports: Young mother seeking US asylum dies in NYC shelter, mayor says NEW: Texas county sheriff will open criminal probe into migrant flights Monday 19 September 2022 23:46 , Alex Woodward Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar announced on Monday that his office has opened an investigation into whether a group of migrants were lured from a migrant centre in San Antonio before they were flown to Massachusetts, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Marthas Vineyard. We are also preparing to work with any federal agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction, should the need arise, he added. Texas Governor Greg Abbotts lead over Beto ORourke stretches to nine points in new poll Monday 19 September 2022 22:30 , Alex Woodward Republican incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbotts lead over Democratic challenger Beto ORourke has stretched to nine percentage points, according to a new poll from the University of Texas at Tyler and The Dallas Morning News. Forty-seven per cent of registered voters polled in the survey selected Abbot, while 38 per cent picked ORourke. The Independents Andrew Buncombe breaks it down: Texas Gov Greg Abbotts lead over Beto ORourke stretches to nine points in new poll While DeSantis defends shipping migrants, his campaign releases anti-immigrant campaign ad Monday 19 September 2022 22:00 , Alex Woodward Despite persistent right-wing stump speeches and talking points falsely linking immigrants to crime rates, consensus reporting in peer-reviewed research finds that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crime than US citizens, and immigrants with legal permission to remain in the US are even less likely to do so. But while his administartion continues to defend shipping migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard an island 2,000 miles from where their asylum cases are being heard, out of immediate reach of immigration advocacy groups and refugee assistance Governor Ron DeSantiss campaign released an ad linking illegal immigration to the death of a Florida resident. My child was killed by someone who should not have been here, a woman says in the video. My child was killed by someone who should not have been here We released a new ad today to tell the story of a mother who tragically lost her son as a result of illegal immigration. This tragedy is a result of open border policies & why @RonDeSantisFL fights to keep FL safe. pic.twitter.com/3nt57oCjzM Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) September 19, 2022 Human trafficking victims and a one-month-old: Florida and Texas migrant transports moved over a dozen kids Monday 19 September 2022 21:30 , Alex Woodward Last week, the Republican governors of Florida and Texas sent well over a dozen migrant children, including one as young as one month old, on highly controversial plane and bus trips to liberal locales across the East Coast. The children were among the over 100 people seeking asylum, many of them Venezuelan dispatched to Marthas Vineyard, New York City, and Washington DC. The Independents Josh Marcus reports: Florida and Texas migrant transports moved over a dozen kids, including one-year-old Wanted: Seeking female. Spotted near migrant resource center. Goes by Perla' Monday 19 September 2022 20:45 , Alex Woodward The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest Latino civil rights organisation in the nation, is circulating Wanted fliers in San Antonio seeking information about a woman that a group of migrants sent from Texas to Marthas Vineyard said deceived them with false promises of employment and aid. There is a $5,000 for information leading to her identification, arrest and conviction. The group said she is wanted for aiding and abetting in a conspiracy to have innocent refugees commit crimes by offering work without legal work permits, lying and deceiving them while being used as political props, and fraud and possible civil rights violations. LULAC is looking for the Florida contractor who recruited migrants in Texas for the flights to Martha's Vineyard. The civil rights group says it's considering legal action "against Perla and her accomplices." pic.twitter.com/UMOqZG3Ql8 Greg Allen (@gallennpr) September 17, 2022 Website for company hired by Florida for migrant flight has gone down Monday 19 September 2022 20:22 , Alex Woodward Vertol Systems Company was given a check for $615,000 on 8 September by Floridas Department of Transportation. The reason: RELOCATION PROGRAM OF UNAUTHORIZED ALIENS, according to state records. The Oregon-based aviation company has divisions in Florida. One week later, a group of roughly 50 migrants were flown from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, a project organised by Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss administration. By Monday, the companys website was no longer operation. Requests for comment from The Independent including how the company uses state funds have not been returned. Massachusetts refugee office did not print or distribute brochures, agency tells The Independent Monday 19 September 2022 20:07 , Alex Woodward The Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, which has a number and website on a brochure-like document given to migrants on the Texas to Marthas Vineyard flight, had nothing to do with printing or distributing them, the agencys chief of staff told The Independent. These brochures are not ours and not sure who prints or distributes them, at this point, according to a statement. (Lawyers for Civil Rights) ICYMI: Texas sends migrants to VPs residence twice within one week Monday 19 September 2022 19:30 , Alex Woodward A group of migrants were bused to the Naval Observatory in Washington DC, vice president Kamala Harriss residence, for the second time within a week on Saturday. In a recent interview with Vice, Ms Harris called the stunts orchestrated by Texas Governor Greg Abbott the height of irresponsibility and frankly, a dereliction of duty, when you are an elected leader, to play those kinds of games with human life. Migrants sent to VPs residence from Texas for second time this week Donald Trump reportedly enraged that DeSantis stole his idea Monday 19 September 2022 19:00 , Alex Woodward Rolling Stone reported that former president Trump has reportedly fumed over Governor DeSantis using the migrant flights to prop up his national profile ahead of a potential bid for the White House. Trump rages that DeSantiss Marthas Vineyard stunt was his idea US attorney pressing DOJ for response to DeSantis stunt, lawmaker says Monday 19 September 2022 18:30 , Alex Woodward Massachusetts State Rep Dylan Fernandes, who represents Marthas Vineyard, said he has spoken with US Attorney Rachael Rollins about a federal inquirity into Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss stunt. Ms Rollins told him she is pushing for a response from the US Department of Justice, he said. We are requesting that the Department of Justice open an investigation to hold DeSantis & others accountable for these inhumane acts. Not only is it morally criminal, there are legal implications around fraud, kidnapping, deprivation of liberty, and human trafficking. Dylan Fernandes (@RepDylan) September 18, 2022 Philosophy professor compares DeSantis stunt to mini-ethnic cleansing with genocidal precedence Monday 19 September 2022 18:15 , Alex Woodward David Livingstone Smith, a professor of philosophy at the University of New England who has studied the politics and legacies of demunaisation, told The Guardian that Ron DeSantiss move to send a group of roughly 50 migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard is comparable to a mini-ethnic cleansing with genocidal precedence. Of course this is not genocide, but it is somewhat reminiscent of awful things that have happened in the past, he told the newspaper. As soon as you start treating human beings as undesirable problems to dump on others, you are in very dangerous territory. ... What frightens me most actually is that someone who does these sort of acts is capable of doing much worse. The author of Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization said DeSantis is intimating that this is an ethnic cleansing operation, that he will take these so-called undesirables and pick them up and dump them in the lands of [his] political enemies. New York mayor may use cruise ships to house migrants being sent north by Republican states Monday 19 September 2022 18:00 , Alex Woodward New York City Mayor Eric Adams is considering is examining the legality of acquiring temporary housing for migrants sent to his city, including the potential use of cruise ships docked along the Hudson River. "We're examining everything, from the legality of using any type of cruise ship for temporary housing. We're looking at everything to see how do we deal with this," Mr Adams told CBS2. New York mayor may use cruise ships to house migrants being sent north by Republicans Mother seeking asylum dies by suicide in NYC shelter Monday 19 September 2022 17:25 , Alex Woodward A mother seeking asylum in the US died by suicide in a New York City shelter on Sunday, according to city officials. The thousands of asylum seekers we have seen arrive in our city came to this country seeking a better life. Sadly though, yesterday, an asylum seeker in one of our facilities took her own life, Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement on Monday. It was not immediately clear when she entered the shelter or whether she was among a group of migrants who were recently bused to the city by Republican governors. Mayor Adams, addressing the suicide during an unrelated press conferenec on Monday, blamed Governors Abott and DeSantis, and said the woman was traumatised by this whole experience and that the failure was the governors that sent people on multi-day bus rides. We didnt fail in the city, he said. The city is helping people. Civil rights group offers reward for information leading to Perla' Monday 19 September 2022 17:01 , Alex Woodward The League of United Latin American Citizens, the countrys oldest and largest Latino civil rights organisation, has issued a nationwide plea for information leading to the identity of a woman that migrants identified as Perla who allegedly enticed them to board flights from Texas to Massachusetts with promises of jobs and housing. The group has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to her identification and arrest. LULAC is taking this action of offering a $5,000 reward to help stop the deliberate and possible illegal actions of deceiving people by enticement, president Domingo Garcia said in a statement. The group has asked people with information to message domingo@dgley.com. Florida Democrats demand DeSantis stop inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars' Monday 19 September 2022 16:35 , Alex Woodward Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers approved a massive state budget document with a $12m line that allows the DeSantis administration to move migrants out of the state. Democratic officials blasted the inclusion of the programme during debate earlier this year. ICYMI: During the 2022 Legislative Session, myself alongside @RepDotieJoseph & @Annette_Taddeo asked questions about the Governors $12M anti-immigrant plan. GOP colleagues either lied or just couldnt/wouldnt answer our questions. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/gt8zSVtzVQ Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (@AnnaForFlorida) September 18, 2022 Democratic state lawmakers Evan Jenne and Fentrice Driskell wrote in a statement to Republican leadership to formally object to the use of state funds to send migrants in Texas to Massachusetts, the inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars for political purposes. The legislature gave me $12m. We are going to spend every penny of that to make sure we are protecting the people of the state of Florida, DeSantis said last week. State records show the Florida Department of Transportation paid Oregon-based company Vertol Systems Company $615,000 on 8 September as part of the relocation program of unauthorized aliens. It is unclear how the DeSantis administartion targeted migrants in another state. The Independent has requested comment from Vertol Systems Company and requested additional details about the use of state funds in its operations. Did Ron DeSantis break the law by sending migrants to Marthas Vineyard? Monday 19 September 2022 16:15 , Alex Woodward Immigration attorneys say migrants were falsely promised jobs and expedited legal status. Officials suggested they were kidnapped. Legal analysts argue the stunt is a moral failure, but was a crime committed? The Independents Alex Woodward reports: Did DeSantis break the law by sending migrants to Marthas Vineyard? Migrants received false brochures promising refugee aid they were ineligible for Monday 19 September 2022 15:42 , Alex Woodward An allegedly false brochure advertising refugee services was provided to migrants who were flown by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis from Texas to Marthas Vineyard last week. A copy of a brochure obtained by Popular Information provided by Boston group Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is representing 30 migrants, advertises benefits for refugees who have been referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and are authorised to live in the US. They are not available to the migrants , who were awaiting their asylum claim cases when they were put on the planes. 6. Matt Cameron, a Boston-based immigration attorney, explained that migrants who boarded the planes "absolutely do not have access to cash, housing, and other resettlement benefits"https://t.co/MXdhOY0s89 pic.twitter.com/aDgI2x6r2y Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 19, 2022 Last week, migrants reported receiving similar promises of financial and employment assistance from a woman who helped them board the flights. Lawyers for Civil Rights has pressed the US attorneys office in Boston and the state attorney general to investigate the numerous false promises to [the groups] clients including of work opportunities, schooling for their children, and immigration assistance in order to induce them to travel. [T]hose who had induced our clients to travel under these false pretenses disappeared, leaving our clients to learn that the offers of assistance had all been a ruse to exploit them for political purposes, the group wrote in a letter. Florida Democratic officials blast DeSantis as they work to address state budget that allowed governor to ship migrants Monday 19 September 2022 15:23 , Alex Woodward Florida state Rep Fentrice Driskell criticised Governor Ron DeSantis for using the state as a stepping stone for his political ambitions after using state funds to find migrants in Texas to ship to Massachusetts. Democratic officials told reporters on Friday that they were still working to determine how a state budget line for $12m to remove migrants living in Florida without legal permission has allowed for the governor to contract with people in Texas to remove people from that state. The group of mostly Venezeulan migrants were not in the country illegally; they had been processed after being detained after arriving at the US-Mexico and were waiting for their cases to be heard in Texas. Lawyers groups have blasted the governor for disrupting their immigration cases by putting them on planes and sending them 2,000 miles away. Opinion: Republicans care about the leftist Venezuelan dictatorship until Venezuelan migrants arrive Monday 19 September 2022 15:01 , Johanna Chisholm Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Texas governor Greg Abbott and their colleagues like to talk about the dangers of socialism and how Venezuela was crippled by a leftist dictatorship, writes Venezuelan journalist Germania Rodriguez Poleo, but when Venezuelan asylum seekers come to their states, they have very different reactions. Despite all their talk about combating illegal immigration, Abbott and DeSantis are now serving as de facto coyotes, trafficking vulnerable migrants to places where they have no roots or connections. Germania Rodriguez Poleo Read the full opinion piece from Germania Rodriguez Poleo with The Independent here: Ironically, most of the migrants sent away by Abbott and DeSantis were Venezuelan Illinois senator calls Republican governors sending migrants to sanctuary cities pathetic' Monday 19 September 2022 14:45 , Johanna Chisholm Illinois Senator Dick Durbin shamed Republican governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis for sending migrants out of their states and onto northern cities, calling the actions pathetic. These governors are taking advantage of these helpless people, making promises to them to get on the bus and life is just going to be fine, the Democratic senator said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Why is it when the Republicans want to enforce their immigration theories, its always the kids that end up being the victims?. Durbin on Meet the Press on the Abbott/DeSantis migrant flights: "It is pathetic that these governors are taking advantage of these helpless people ... why is it when the Republicans want to enforce their immigration theories, it's always the kids that end up being the victims?" pic.twitter.com/mxgPKVO6hG Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022 Migrants lawyers call for criminal investigation into DeSantis Marthas Vineyard stunt Monday 19 September 2022 14:15 , Johanna Chisholm Lawyers representing many of the Venezuelan migrants flown on two planes to Marthas Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have called for a criminal investigation into the Republican publicity stunt. The organisation Lawyers for Civil Rights has called on probes to be launched by both federal and state governments into the widely-condemned incident. It is representing more than 30 of the undocumented migrants who were dumped on the upscale island off the coast of Massachusetts where Barack Obama has a $12m home. Lawyers in Boston have asked the Massachusetts AG to open a probe into this illegal act. "It was only when the flight was in mid-air that they were informed they would be flown to Martha's Vineyard, rather than to Boston as many had been told. 1/2 https://t.co/soRsmr2NqG David L (@DavidLrsn) September 19, 2022 Lawyers for Civil Rights has now written to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and US Attorney Rachael Rollins calling for them to investigate the shameful political stunt. Individuals, working in concert with the Florida governor, made numerous false promises to our clients, including of work opportunities, schooling for their children and immigration assistance, in order to induce them to travel, wrote Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director, and Oren Sellstrom, litigation director. Continue reading more about the lawyers who are calling for a criminal investigation into potential abuses of immigrants on Marthas Vineyard here from my colleague Graeme Massie: Migrants lawyers call for criminal investigation into Marthas Vineyard stunt NYC mayor says Republican governors cover up erosions of basic human rights Monday 19 September 2022 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander .@NYCMayor on migrant relocations: "These are two governors who are hiding up some of the actions that they've done. [...] This is their way of covering up what many people have been really concerned about the erosions of basic human rights." https://t.co/Jyn54dzhnG pic.twitter.com/CYhdnyPIri The Hill (@thehill) September 18, 2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist calls out Republican challenger DeSantis Monday 19 September 2022 13:42 , Johanna Chisholm The gubernatorial race in Florida is heating up, as Democratic candidate Charlie Crist works to capitalise on the negative press the Republican opposition is facing in light of the governors recent actions to send nearly 50 migrants from the southern border to Marthas Vineyard last week. A free state under Ron DeSantis is only free if you look, act, and think like him. Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) September 19, 2022 Over the weekend, while the Republican governor gave himself a pat on the back, Mr Crist -- a former Republican governor of the Sunshine State who is now running on the Democratic ticket to challenge Mr DeSantis -- took to news programs and social media to campaign against the governors controversial immigration policies, which he labelled inhumane. We need a DOJ investigation to learn more about how our taxpayer dollars were used in this inhumane stunt. What we already know is why he did it: to change the subject and avoid answering questions about his extreme abortion ban, which has no exceptions for rape or incest. pic.twitter.com/ptpf0HL7Wp Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) September 18, 2022 DeSantis administration paid aviation company $615,000 to relocate migrants out of state, report says Monday 19 September 2022 13:18 , Johanna Chisholm New state records have revealed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis paid an aviation company $615,000 to send migrants out of his state last week, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Records reportedly read that a payment to Oregon-based company Vertol Systems Company Inc was made on 8 September. Less than one week later, on 14 September, a plane carrying 50 migrants touched down on Marthas Vineyard after reportedly taking off from Texas. We need a DOJ investigation to learn more about how our taxpayer dollars were used in this inhumane stunt. What we already know is why he did it: to change the subject and avoid answering questions about his extreme abortion ban, which has no exceptions for rape or incest. pic.twitter.com/ptpf0HL7Wp Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) September 18, 2022 The Florida Department of Transportation made the payment to the company, which has operations in Florida, under the description that the funds were for a relocation program of unauthorized aliens. Ron wont answer questions so we looked ourselves: FL paid Vertol Systems $615,000 on Sept 8th out of the $12m deportation fund. So Floridians paid $12,300 for each refugee DeSantis trafficked for his own political purposes. More to come. pic.twitter.com/4IqxD82whf Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) September 16, 2022 Earlier this year, the states department of transportation received $12m to transport unauthorized aliens from this state to other parts of the country. DeSantis says migrants hit jackpot while Trump fumes privately that the governor is stealing his limelight Monday 19 September 2022 12:43 , Johanna Chisholm As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly congratulated himself for sending 50 migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard last week, an incident that has been criticised as a dangerous political stunt, former President Donald Trump was reportedly left fuming by his fellow Republicans antics. At a speech in Wisconsin for GOP candidates, the Florida governor claimed that all of the individuals that hed paid to fly from Texas to Massachusetts, who he repeatedly labelled illegals and illegal aliens, had hit the jackpot to be in the wealthiest sanctuary jurisdiction in the world. He went on to criticise the affluent island residents, many of whom rushed to the aid of the unannounced migrants who arrived last Wednesday under false promises of jobs, housing and healthcare, and claimed that so-called liberal sanctuary cities were not as welcoming as they publicly purport themselves to be. Youre talking about 50 people. Did they get them employed? Did they get them set up? No, Mr DeSantis said, before adding that the liberals were just self-congratulatory virtue signaling. The stunt that has launched Mr DeSantis once again to the national stage, earning outspoken support from most of his Republican peers, has reportedly irked one of its bread-and-butter figures: former President Donald Trump. Rolling Stone reported over the weekend that the one-term president had confided privately to aides that he feels the Florida governors recent stunts are stealing the limelight away from him. Two sources close to the twice-impeached president, who asked to remain anonymous with the news outlet, say that Trump is concerned that Mr DeSantis is using the countrys southern border issue to generate enthusiasm for a potential challenge for the Republican ticket in the 2024 presidential election. The former president has reportedly also levelled private accusations at Mr DeSantis, who has not publicly declared his intentions for running in 2024, for allegedly taking one of my ideas, specifically referencing the recent flights that lifted migrants from the southern border and dropped them off on Marthas Vineyard. Trump says death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers is very humane Monday 19 September 2022 12:30 , Gustaf Kilander Donald Trump said that the death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers is very humane during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio. Speaking on Saturday, the former president said that much of the crime wave is caused by drug dealers who during the course of their lives, will kill an average of 500 American citizens not to mention the destruction of millions of American families who are so devastated by drugs. Its an invasion of crime, he added. And remember much of the crime that we talk about is caused by drugs. And Im calling for the death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers. The suggestion was met with cheers from the crowd. Mr Trump claimed that the new policy would reduce drug distribution and crime in our country by much more than 75 per cent. Thats in one day. Read more: Trump says death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers is very humane Democratic senator blasts Abbott and DeSantis over migrants stunt: Its always the kids that end up being the victims Monday 19 September 2022 11:00 , Gustaf Kilander The Democratic Senate Majority Whip, Dick Durbin of Illinois, has blasted the Republican governors of Texas and Florida for using migrants as political pawns. Meet the Press host Chuck Todd of NBC News asked Mr Durbin on Sunday if he thinks the federal government should step in and prevent conservative governors from sending migrants to Democratic areas. Well, I can tell you this. Ive been to the Salvation Army rescue centre in Chicago and Ive met with people who came off the buses. I sat down with one of the families and they told me the story. It is pathetic that these governors are taking advantage of these helpless people making promises to them to get on the bus and life is just gonna be fine, Mr Durbin told NBC News. And off they go into places far removed from where theyre supposed to be appearing under the requirements of our law in a matter of weeks and months. So its jeopardising their stay in the United States when each governor makes his decision, he added. Why is it when the Republicans want to enforce their immigration theories, its always the kids that end up being the victims? he asked. We saw it with kids in cages. We saw it with [the] forcible removal of children from their parents, some whove never been reunited with their families. And now once again, its the kids and families that are put on these buses and transported for political purposes across the United States. Read more: Democratic senator blasts Abbott and DeSantis over migrants stunt Once McCain's party, Arizona GOP returns to far-right roots Monday 19 September 2022 09:30 , The Associated Press Simmering discontent among a segment of Arizona Republicans over John McCains famous penchant for bucking his party boiled over in the winter of 2014 with the censure of the longtime U.S. senator. McCains allies responded with an all-out push to reassert control over the Arizona Republican Party. Censure proponents were ousted or diminished, and McCain went on to defeat his far-right challenger in a blowout during the 2016 primary. Less than a decade later, the right wing forces that McCain marginalized within the Arizona GOP are now in full control, with profound implications for one of the nations most closely matched battlegrounds. Arizona Republicans have traded McCain for Donald Trump. We drove a stake in the heart of the McCain machine, Kari Lake, making a dramatic stabbing gesture, said in a speech days after she won the Republican primary for governor in early August. Lake, a well-known former television news anchor, has delighted segments of the states GOP base that have long been at odds with their partys establishment and want their leaders to confront Democrats, not compromise with them. Read more: Once McCain's party, Arizona GOP returns to far-right roots Former Republican Representative says DeSantis and Abbott performed cruel political stunts Monday 19 September 2022 08:00 , Gustaf Kilander These are cruel political stunts and lets be clear, especially what DeSantis did. Republican former Representative @WalshFreedom tells @TheRevAl that Texas Governor Abbott and Florida Governor DeSantis are contributing to a broken immigration system. pic.twitter.com/7Sh4lDCDyc PoliticsNation (@PoliticsNation) September 17, 2022 Lawyer and chief tormentor of Ron DeSantis says since he trafficked these 48 migrants, it made it much easier to legalize them Monday 19 September 2022 06:30 , Gustaf Kilander If a person has been trafficked or a victim of any of the crimes on the second page of the form, I 918 B, and they can get law-enforcement to sign off that they were a victim, they can apply for a U visa, which, if approved, leads to permanent residency/the green card, which then Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) September 18, 2022 Tallahassee-based immigration attorney Elizabeth Ricci explains there's a "good faith argument" to be made that luring the migrants onto planes with the promise of jobs makes them crime victims. And that means they could automatically qualify for a visa, she said. Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) September 18, 2022 RNC chair goes after Biden as migrants reported to be sleeping on streets of Texas town Monday 19 September 2022 05:01 , Gustaf Kilander "We have a process in place to manage migrants at the border" Joe Biden, three days agohttps://t.co/ljF25JnvWT Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) September 18, 2022 DeSantis gets standing ovation from GOP voters Monday 19 September 2022 04:47 , Sravasti Dasgupta Florida governor Ron DeSantis received a standing ovation from GOP voters in Kansas when he talked about the southern border and referred to the headlines he instigated when he flew 50 migrants from the border to Marthas Vineyard. This is a crisis. Its now getting a little bit more attention, he said on Sunday. At another event in Wisconsin he said that the migrants crisis is an election issue for the upcoming mid-term polls in November. This border is now an issue in these elections, Mr DeSantis said. And I think its something that our candidates need to take. Last week, the White House lashed out at Mr DeSantis and his Texas counterpart Greg Abbott for sending migrants to Washington DC and Marthas Vinyard, calling it an illegal stunt. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at an event on 19 August (Getty Images) Democratic candidate for Florida governor says migrant stunts are a race to the bottom of a lack of decency' Monday 19 September 2022 03:30 , Gustaf Kilander Between Abbott and DeSantis, its like a race to the bottom of a lack of decency, says @CharlieCrist, commenting on the recent transfers of thousands of migrants across state lines. He described the transfers as beyond the pale'' & has called on the DOJ to investigate #velshi pic.twitter.com/kc1XERaz9N Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) September 18, 2022 RNC chair called a ridiculous person and a liar after claiming Biden had nothing to say about 53 migrants dying in Texas' Monday 19 September 2022 02:00 , Gustaf Kilander youre a ridiculous person and I guess also a liar. https://t.co/MDubBhS7K8 Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 18, 2022 Florida Lt governor claims its categorically false that migrants were misled Monday 19 September 2022 00:30 , Gustaf Kilander Florida Lt Gov Jeanette Nunez claims on Fox & Friends that it's "categorically false" migrants Florida paid to have transported to Martha's Vineyard were misled. (This is contradicted by what the migrants themselves say.) pic.twitter.com/JsfMY8xZwb Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022 Photos: Migrants cross the Rio Grande to request asylum Sunday 18 September 2022 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander Asylum-seeking migrants, mostly from Venezuela, walk near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents to request asylum in El Paso, Texas, U.S. (REUTERS) Migrants gather to received donated clothes near a bus station after being released from U.S. Border Patrol custody in El Paso, Texas, U.S., September 17, 2022 (REUTERS) Reymara, 7, a migrant girl from Venezuela traveling with her family, plays with other children after being released from U.S. Border Patrol custody in El Paso, Texas, U.S., September 17, 2022 (REUTERS) Asylum-seeking migrants, mostly from Venezuela, are seen after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents to request asylum in El Paso, Texas, U.S. (REUTERS) VIDEO: Texas Governor sends out more migrant buses Sunday 18 September 2022 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander VIDEO: More Migrants Arrive In DC As White House Slams Republican Governors Sunday 18 September 2022 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander Migrant stunt putting Florida legislative seats in play on state and local levels Sunday 18 September 2022 19:45 , Gustaf Kilander WATCH: The decision to fly Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard could complicate politics in Fla., says @AlCardenasFL_DC. "It's putting at play three or four [fairly close] state legislative seats, maybe one congressional seat ... where all of these Venezuelans live." pic.twitter.com/7jPyF1lwwJ Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 18, 2022 Marthas Vineyard migrants lawyers request criminal investigation Sunday 18 September 2022 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander Lawyers for some of the migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard from Texas by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have called for a criminal investigation to be opened. The lawyers have said that the migrants were induced to board airplanes and cross state lines under false pretences, according to The Guardian. The Boston group Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) represent 30 of the 48 migrants flown to the Massachusetts island on Wednesday. Individuals, working in concert with state officials, including the Florida governor, made numerous false promises [to the migrants] including of work opportunities, schooling for their children, and immigration assistance in order to induce them to travel, they said. We strongly believe that criminal laws were broken by the perpetrators of this stunt, the group said in a letter to US attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey. This cowardly political stunt has placed our clients in peril. Upon arrival, numerous individuals had to be rushed to the hospital, in need of medical care. Some now have immigration hearings as early as Monday thousands of miles away, they said in a statement. Trump claims he invented the word caravans to describe groups of migrants as he dubs them murderers and rapers Sunday 18 September 2022 18:15 , Gustaf Kilander Donald Trump claimed that he invented the word caravans to describe groups of migrants as he dubbed them murderers and rapers in a rally speech in Ohio. The former president appeared to recount a previous conversation, saying that you wont take these horrible convicts and other people that you released into our country illegally and you put them in caravans. I came up with that term by the way, Mr Trump claimed. That was my term and fake news and lots of other terms we came up with. Crooked Hillary, we came up with a lot of terms, he added. The way Trump casually refers to immigrants as murderers and rapists isnt new but remains notable, journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted. They dont want to have these people, Mr Trump said, referring to migrants. Many of them are murderers, rapers. Trump claims he came up with the term "caravans" pic.twitter.com/ueyFgic2Rf Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022 Read more: Trump claims he invented the word caravans to describe groups of migrants Dem Senator blasts Abbott and DeSantis: Its always the kids that end up being the victims Sunday 18 September 2022 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander Durbin on Meet the Press on the Abbott/DeSantis migrant flights: "It is pathetic that these governors are taking advantage of these helpless people ... why is it when the Republicans want to enforce their immigration theories, it's always the kids that end up being the victims?" pic.twitter.com/mxgPKVO6hG Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022 NYC mayor says its time for Greg Abbott to be the chief executive that he is' Sunday 18 September 2022 16:45 , Gustaf Kilander NYC Mayor Adams tells @jonkarl that it is time for Texas Gov. Abbott to be the chief executive that he is and coordinate on immigration. We dont have to stand up on the border to state that the crisis he created is a real crisis. https://t.co/UU81hurDNj pic.twitter.com/yAYLzKg5G0 ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 18, 2022 Colorado Republican Senate candidate says DeSantis and Abbott were right with migrant stunts Sunday 18 September 2022 16:03 , Gustaf Kilander On Meet the Press, Colorado Republican Senate candidate Joe O'Dea dodges a question about Trump's responsibility for January 6. He also says DeSantis and Abbott were "right" to bring visibility to border issues with their migrant flights. pic.twitter.com/qoqaZA72Eo Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022 Isnt there a degree of trolling going on here?: Republican Senator asked about governors migrant stunt Sunday 18 September 2022 15:25 , Gustaf Kilander "Isn't there a degree of trolling going on here?" CNN's @JakeTapper asks @SenatorRounds (R-SD) if he has any issue with Texas governor Greg Abbott dropping off migrants, including a one-month-old baby, in front of Vice President Kamala Harris' home. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/gZTH4IqM3d CNN (@CNN) September 18, 2022 AOC shames Ted Cruz over treatment of nuestra familia Latina after he backed migrant stunt and calls him una verguenza Sunday 18 September 2022 14:48 , Graeme Massie Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shamed Ted Cruz over the treatment of nuestra familia Latina and branded him una verguenza for backing the GOP migrant stunts. The US senator from Texas has publicly supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flying two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to the upscale island of Marthas Vineyard. And Mr Cruz even called for half a million migrants to be moved from Republican states to Washington DC as the GOP attempts to punish Blue states over immigration policy. Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, took to Twitter and called Mr Cruz an embarrassment in Spanish. Her tweet was in response to Mr Cruz tweeting, The rich, liberal people of Marthas Vineyard DEPORTED THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WITHIN 24 HOURS. Read more: AOC shames Ted Cruz over treatment of nuestra familia Latina DeSantis opponent in governors race calls for DOJ probe: Its inhumane, lets not forget that' Sunday 18 September 2022 14:12 , Gustaf Kilander DeSantis' opponent Rep. @CharlieCrist (D-FL) calling for a DoJ investigation: "It's unbelievable. State funds are being appropriated to move migrants from TX to MA. None of them were in Florida. It's inhumane, let's not forget that. You're just luring people in with lies ..." pic.twitter.com/Lt4GGPVfnm The Recount (@therecount) September 18, 2022 DeSantis stunt could undercut Hispanic voter support in November Sunday 18 September 2022 13:48 , Gustaf Kilander Ron DeSantiss political stunt of flying migrants to Marthas Vineyard could backfire and undercut his support among Hispanic voters in November. Democratic State Senator Annette Taddeo told Politico, from a Miami perspective, its a huge mistake. All these Republicans ... historically talk about socialism and communism and that we are standing up to these horrible dictators. The migrants are fleeing exactly what Republicans say they are fighting against, she added. The Florida GOP has attempted to win over Venezuelan Americans in recent years. A lot of them left Venezuela in the last ten years following the political and economic chaos that erupted under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez before him. While Venezuelan Americans make up a small part of Florida, estimated at around 200,000 people, the community is growing. I have friends and neighbours who fled Venezuelas brutal dictator, and to cruelly treat anyone in that spot like a political pawn or fundraising gimmick, is simply repulsive, Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, according to the outlet. Ron DeSantis slammed by gubernatorial opponent for migrant stunt Sunday 18 September 2022 13:00 , Gustaf Kilander Ron DeSantis is running for re-election this year against Democrat Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor of the state. Mr Crist told The Orlando Sentinel that his opponent is taking these actions to rile up his base and use people as punching bags while he tries to run for president and distracts from the issue of this election being pro-choice. University of Florida political science chair Daniel Smith told the paper that the depths to which one can fall in terms of virtue signalling to the MAGA base are unplumbed. We dont really have a precedent for this type of action in political science, he said. Hes not thinking of 2022. Hes more focused on the primary season for 2024, Mr Smith said. This is not about migrants in Florida, clearly. I think hes overplaying his hand, he added. Will he be hoisted on his own petard? States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as sanctuary states, DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said in a statement to the paper. Ted Cruz suggests Obamas host migrants at their Marthas Vineyard mansion Sunday 18 September 2022 11:30 , Graeme Massie Ted Cruz has suggested that the Obamas host migrants at their Marthas Vineyard mansion. I commend Greg Abbott for sending the immigrants to these Blue cities, I commend Ron DeSantis for doing so and they need to do more, said Mr Cruz on Sean Hannitys Fox News show. Tomorrow Marthas Vineyard needs a hundred, the next day they need 200, the next day a thousand. DC says its a crisis to get 6,000, they need 10,000, they need 100,000 they need 500,000. Because, Joe Biden has allowed 4.2m people to come in illegally and I know these rich billionaires say Well gosh, you people, just let them eat cake. Well, how about the Obamas host these 50 people in their $12m compound. Ted Cruz says Joe Biden is the biggest human trafficker on the face of the planet' Sunday 18 September 2022 10:00 , Graeme Massie Ted Cruz has claimed that Joe Biden is the biggest human trafficker on the face of the planet. Speaking to Sean Hannity of Fox News, the Texas Senator was forced to admit that the transportation of undocumented migrants from Florida to Marthas Vineyard by Ron DeSantis was likely illegal. Mr Hannity asked him if the law was clear on human trafficking, to which Mr Cruz uncomfortably admitted, it is clear. He then quickly turned his attention back to the White House. Right now the biggest human trafficker on the face of the planet is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. The group of migrants sent by Mr DeSantis to the Massachusetts island has now been transported to a large shelter operation supported by state agencies in Cape Cod. Harris says White House is looking at root causes of migration issues Sunday 18 September 2022 08:30 , Gustaf Kilander Kamala Harris has said that the White House is looking at the root causes of the migration issues the administration is facing. Were looking at the cause. Why do people leave home? Most people dont want to leave home, Ms Harris told Vice News on Friday. Im in charge of coordinating what we call a root causes strategy. We have now raised $3.2bn to help the folks in those countries stay by giving them opportunities for them to take care of themselves in their home country, in their own country, which is frankly what they want to be able to do. Kamala Harris blames Trump administration for migration issues Sunday 18 September 2022 07:00 , Gustaf Kilander Kamala Harris has blamed the Trump administration for the immigration problems the White House is dealing with. Under the previous administration, they decimated a system that was designed to address immigration, she told Vice News on Friday. And so we have been spending in the last 18 months an incredible amount of time and work and resources to reconstruct that system. The first piece of legislation that we offered, back in January of last year, was for a pathway for citizenship. People are playing political games with that, and its going nowhere. Migrant says he was paid to recruit migrants for Floridas controversial Marthas Vineyard flights Sunday 18 September 2022 05:30 , Josh Marcus More details are emerging about how nearly 50 migrants, many of them from Venezuela, ended up on a pair of surprise flights that the state of Florida sent to Marthas Vineyard, a ritzy vacation island in Massachusetts, in a widely criticised political stunt. Migrants say they were promised work papers, jobs and even paid to board the flight and encouraged others to join them. A 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Emmanuel told San Antonio Report that a woman named Perla gave him $200 from an anonymous benefactor to recruit fellow asylum-seekers outside a city-run migrant centre in San Antonio, Texas, where the flights originated. Perla informed me that in those sanctuary states, the state has the benefits to help migrants, Emmanuel said. Ive just been the mediator because I like to help people. A lot of people really come without plans, they want to come and just work and they have a hand thatll provide them shelter, he added. I just saw it in that way, like a sweet way, doing it for good. Read more: Migrant says he was paid to recruit others for Marthas Vineyard flight Photos: Migrants arrive outside vice presidential residence Sunday 18 September 2022 04:00 , Gustaf Kilander A group of mainly Venezuelan migrants, who were sent by bus from detention in Texas and then dropped off outside the Naval Observatory, the official residence of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, wait for transport in Washington, U.S. September 17, 2022 (REUTERS) A group of mainly Venezuelan migrants, who were sent by bus from detention in Texas and then dropped off outside the Naval Observatory, the official residence of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, wait for transport in Washington, U.S. September 17, 2022 (REUTERS) A one month old baby is placed into a vehicle for transport to a safe place (REUTERS) The whole group is pretty upset: Migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard speak out Sunday 18 September 2022 02:30 , Gustaf Kilander Some of the migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have spoken out. When we got on the plane, they told us they would give us jobs, a place to live, everything, Everlides Dela Hoz told USA Today via a translator. The whole group is pretty upset. But they did take us to a nice place. I simply feel misled because they told a lie and it has come to nothing, Pedro Luis Torrelaba, 36, told the paper on Friday. I want peace, Carlos Munos said. Tranquility. VIDEO: Dozens of migrants flown from Texas to Martha's Vineyard Sunday 18 September 2022 01:00 , Gustaf Kilander Newsom issues debate challenge to DeSantis after migrants flown to Marthas Vineyeard Saturday 17 September 2022 23:30 , Gustaf Kilander Calfornias Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a debate challenge to Florida Republican Ron DeSantis after he flew migrants to Marthas Vineyard. Hey @GovRonDeSantis, clearly youre struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with peoples lives. Since you have only one overriding need -- attention --lets take this up & debate. Ill bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day, Mr Newsom tweeted in response to a post by former news anchor Dan Rather. Heres an idea for Chris Licht, the new head of @CNN. Set up a debate one-on-one between @GavinNewsom and @RonDeSantisFL. Two governors of big states, potential presidential candidates. Prime time. Ratings I bet would be huge. Who would have the courage to show up? the ex-anchor wrote. Hey @GovRonDeSantis, clearly you're struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with peoples lives. Since you have only one overriding need -- attention --let's take this up & debate. Ill bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day. @CNN https://t.co/vTJHQxfArW Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 16, 2022 Kamala Harris slams GOP governors for dereliction of duty as more migrants sent to her residence Saturday 17 September 2022 22:15 , Gustaf Kilander Vice President Kamala Harris has slammed Republican governors transporting migrants to progressive, including her Washington, DC residence, for their dereliction of duty. Speaking to Vice News on Friday, Ms Harris said these are political stunts with real human beings who are fleeing harm. The vice president was asked if she could understand the point Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott were trying to make by sending migrants to several areas, including Washington, DC, New York City, and Marthas Vineyard, Masschusetts. Theyre playing games, she said. I mean, do you know whats happening in Venezuela right now? There were children, people being put on a bus or a plane who didnt know where theyre going or where they were being sent. Human beings, real people who have fled harm, who came to the United States of America seeking refuge, asylum, Ms Harris told Vice. Read more: Kamala Harris slams GOP governors for dereliction of duty Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Marthas Vineyard is illegal in Sean Hannity interview Saturday 17 September 2022 21:00 , Graeme Massie Ted Cruz was forced to admit by Sean Hannity that the transportation of undocumented migrants from Florida to Marthas Vineyard by Ron DeSantis was likely illegal. The Florida governor has been widely criticised for flying two planeloads of Venezuelans to the upscale island, where Barack Obama has a $12m home, as part of a Republican immigration publicity stunt. Mr Cruz, a US Senator from Texas, cast doubt on the legality of the move when he appeared on Sean Hannitys Fox News show. Hannity asked the Canadian-born lawmaker whether he would likely face arrest if he had personally taken a truck, collected immigrants from the border, and driven them across the country. For you, a citizen, you could easily be arrested, although to be honest Joe Bidens Justice Department wouldnt arrest you, replied Mr Cruz, who is a lawyer. Read more: Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Marthas Vineyard is illegal Ted Cruz says half a million migrants should be sent to DC Saturday 17 September 2022 20:15 , Graeme Massie Ted Cruz has called for half a million undocumented migrants to be sent to Washington DC as part of a Republican attempt to punish Democratic-supporting areas of the country over immigration policy. The Canadian-born US senator has thrown his support behind Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florid Governor Ron DeSantis for their widely-criticized immigration publicity stunts. Earlier this week Mr DeSantis, a Republican who faces re-election in November, sent two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to the upscale island of Marthas Vineyard where Barack Obama has a $12m home. And Mr Abbott, who is also up for re-election later this year, continued his policy of removing migrants out of his own state by sending a bus to the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in DC. I commend Greg Abbott for sending the immigrants to these Blue cities, I commend Ron DeSantis for doing so and they need to do more, said Mr Cruz on Sean Hannitys Fox News show. Read more: Ted Cruz says half a million migrants should be sent to DC DeSantis hammered in Florida newspapers for political stunt flying Venezuelans to Marthas Vineyard Saturday 17 September 2022 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander Ron DeSantis is getting slammed in Florida newspapers for his political stunt flying migrants to the Massachusetts island of Marthas Vineyard. The governor likes to pander to communities like mine, traumatized by political persecution and violence, Maria Corina Vegas, deputy state director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, told The Miami Herald. This is a new low, even for this governor. Mr DeSantis flew the refugees from Texas to Marthas Vineyard using taxpayer funds to boost his potential 2024 presidential campaign, critics told the Orlando Sentinel. I think this is outrageous. We are better than this as a state and as a nation, Tallahassee immigration lawyer Elizabeth Ricci told the paper. Under the principles of federalism, the state doesnt have the authority to enforce any federal laws ... and the governor knows this. University of Florida political science chair Daniel Smith told the paper that the depths to which one can fall in terms of virtue signalling to the MAGA base are unplumbed. Read more: DeSantis hammered in Florida newspapers for political stunt flying Venezuelans to Marthas Vineyard Migrants sent to VPs residence from Texas for second time this week Saturday 17 September 2022 18:45 , Gustaf Kilander A group of migrants have been sent by bus from Texas and dropped off outside the vice presidents residence in Washington, DC for the second time this week. A further 50 migrants were driven to the Naval Observatory, where Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff live, in northwest Washington on Saturday morning. The migrants were mostly from Venezuela, with one of the arrivals being a one-month-old baby. They were picked up by aid workers who took them to a shelter, Fox News Digital reported. Four buses were also sent to New York City as Republican governors have been criticised for using human beings as political pawns in a cynical game. Two buses carrying migrants first arrived at the Naval Observatory on Thursday morning. Read more: Migrants sent to VPs residence from Texas for second time this week Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for Bidens impeachment over migrants Saturday 17 September 2022 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander Governors should have the same right as Marthas Vineyard. They should be able to deport illegal migrants out of their states and out of the country. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Mayorkis are enabling a massive daily invasion endangering all Americans. Impeach! Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) September 17, 2022 Ted Cruz admits transporting migrants across state borders is illegal Saturday 17 September 2022 17:15 , Gustaf Kilander Hannity bizarrely gets Ted Cruz to admit that transporting migrants across state lines is illegal and would result in his arrest for human trafficking if he did it pic.twitter.com/uW7tZlQf7g Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2022 Ted Cruz urges GOP governors to send half a million migrants to Washington, DC Saturday 17 September 2022 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander Ted Cruz says Republican governors should send 500,000 migrants to DC pic.twitter.com/K19t9JvAIU Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2022 DeSantis hammered by Florida newspapers for 'political stunt' flying Venezuelan to Martha's Vineyard Saturday 17 September 2022 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander Wow. Ron DeSantis is getting decimated on the front pages of Florida papers for his disgusting attack on Venezuelan families and kids fleeing communist dictatorship. pic.twitter.com/IipWKpNWSp Zac Petkanas (@Zac_Petkanas) September 16, 2022 Migrants sent to VPs residence from Texas for second time this week Saturday 17 September 2022 15:19 , Gustaf Kilander Minutes ago, a bus of migrants sent from Texas arrived outside the Naval Observatory in Washington DC. Were told theyre from Venezuela and Nicaragua. Men, women, children - even newborns. This is the second bus to arrive outside of the VPs residence this week. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/P7dHGQ3CMJ Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) September 17, 2022 Watching: Karine Jean-Pierre shuts down Fox News reporter Saturday 17 September 2022 05:00 , Alex Woodward White House press secretary Jean-Pierre spent a significant portion of Fridays briefing discussing the Biden administrations response to Republican governors using buses and airplanes to send asylum seekers to Democratic-led jurisdictions to punish state and local leaders for not supporting harsher border policies. At one point during the daily briefing, she was asked if the administration had considered moving migrants from the communities where they entered the US to other parts of the country to relieve overcrowding in those areas. ICYMI: JFK Library compares DeSantis migrants move to historic Reverse Freedom Rides Saturday 17 September 2022 04:00 , Alex Woodward The Reverse Freedom Rides scheme carried out by Southern segregationists sought to retaliate against Northern liberals at the height of the US civil rights movement. In 1962, around 200 African Americans from the South were deceived by the White Citizens Council in New Orleans into moving cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. The JFK Library this week appeared to make an unflattering comparison to Republican governors shipping migrants to other states in protest of what they have characterised as President Joe Bidens open border policy. JFK Library compares DeSantis migrants move to historic Reverse Freedom Rides ICYMI: Biden and White House slam GOP governors migrant flights Saturday 17 September 2022 03:30 , Alex Woodward Speaking at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institutes annual gala on Thursday night, President Joe Biden slammed GOP governors less than a day after Greg Abbott sent two busloads of South and Central American asylum seekers to Washington and Ron DeSantis funded a planeload of migrants transportation from Texas to Massachusetts. Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props, Biden said. The Independents Andrew Feinberg on White House reaction: Biden slams GOP governors migrant flights: Playing politics with human beings Did Ron DeSantis break the law by sending migrants to Marthas Vineyard? Saturday 17 September 2022 03:00 , Alex Woodward Immigration attorneys say migrants were falsely promised jobs and expedited legal status. Officials suggested they were kidnapped. Legal analysts argue the stunt is a moral failure but likely not a crime, The Independents Alex Woodward reports: Did DeSantis break the law by sending migrants to Marthas Vineyard? Watch: Scenes from Marthas Vineyard as migrants transported to Cape Cod shelter Saturday 17 September 2022 02:30 , Alex Woodward Tears, cheers, high fives, hugs and photos were shared on Marthas Vineyard on Friday morning as the group of 50 migrants who arrived on the island said goodbye to volunteers and residents who helped shelter them after their surprise arrival this week, The Marthas Vineyard Gazette reported. The group spent two nights at St Andrews Episcopal Church on the island, and volunteers and community- and faith-based groups provided them with food, clothing, toys for children and cell phones. Get together everyone I want to know everyone who helped! a man named Rafael called out to volunteers as they departed, the Gazette reported. Thank you everyone! Blessings to everyone! Migrants are now being housed at Joint Base Cape Code, a large shelter operation with health and counseling services, legal aid and separate beds and rooms for families. Watch the smiles and hugs between Martha's Vineyard residents and the Venezuelan migrants, who were recently flown there by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in a political stunt, as they board buses to Joint Base Cape Cod. pic.twitter.com/FqLZbWoE32 The Recount (@therecount) September 16, 2022 ICYMI: Migrants relocated to larger shelter facility in Cape Cod Saturday 17 September 2022 02:00 , Alex Woodward Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced he plans to activate the National Guard, among relief efforts his administration is supplying for the group of migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard under Governor Ron DeSantiss controversial relocation programme. The island communities are not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation, and state officials developed a plan to deliver a comprehensive humanitarian response, the governors office said in a statement on Friday. The group arrived at Joint Base Cape Cod shortly after noon on Friday. Several state and local agencies offering support, including shelter, medical services, counseling and legal aid. Families will not be separated. The Independents Johanna Chisholm has more: National Guard activated to assist migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard by DeSantis ICYMI: State records show flight company hired for $610,000 to transport unauthorized alients' Saturday 17 September 2022 01:30 , Alex Woodward State records first reported by the Miami-Herald reveal that Floridas Department of Transportation paid $615,000 to an Oregon-based flight company with divisions in Florida earlier this month for a relocation program of unauthorized aliens. Ive got $12m for us to use, so were going to use it. Youre going to see more and more, Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters on Friday, referring to the state budget item earmarked for removing migrants from the state. Im going to make sure we exhaust all those funds. The governor did not clarify how migrants were identified in Texas as bound for Florida, or why the state was investigating cases several states away. The Independent has requested comment and clarification from the flight company in its role in Floridas programme. Germania Rodriguez Poleo: Republicans care about the leftist Venezuelan dictatorship until Venezuelan migrants arrive' Saturday 17 September 2022 01:00 , Alex Woodward Following a massive refugee crisis from political fallout and violence in Venezuela, millions have fled, with many making a difficult and dangerous journey through Central America and Mexico for the chance of claiming asylum in the US. Germania Rodriguez Poleo writes for The Independents Voices: Republican politicians and pundits love using the Venezuelan tragedy to score political points. They especially love talking on podiums and at rallies about how socialism destroyed what was once Latin Americas wealthiest nation. Yet once Venezuelan asylum seekers come to the US for refuge from that oppressive regime, theyre immediately dehumanized; no longer victims but illegals to be weaponized and rejected wholesale. Ironically, most of the migrants sent away by Abbott and DeSantis were Venezuelan Ron DeSantis breaks fundraising record amid Marthas Vineyard immigration stunt Friday 16 September 2022 23:45 , Alex Woodward Ron DeSantis has broken a fundraising record for a gubernatorial campaign, raising $175.8m for his campaign committee and affiliated political action committee, according to a disclosure he filed on Friday. The number exceeds that of all other fundraising except for money that candidates give to their own campaigns. By comparison, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is running for reelection, raised $116.8m as of 30 July 2022. The Independents Eric Garcia reports from Washington: Ron DeSantis breaks fundraising record for governors Democratic lawmakers in Florida to respond to DeSantis Friday 16 September 2022 22:39 , Alex Woodward House Democratic leadership in Florida will discuss plans for the state legislature to cease Governor Ron DeSantiss inappropriate use of taxpayer money to transport people seeking asylum to other states. This use of state funds is not what was intended or described in law, nor was it what was discussed in debate, according to a statement from House lawmakers Evan Jenne and Fentrice Driskell. Officials will hold a press conference outlining next steps on Monday at 10am EST. The governor has repeatedly defended his scheme, part of a $12m state budget line approved by lawmakers earlier this year to remove migrants from the state. His aides and campaign also have sneered at Democratic lawmakers who voted to support the state budget, which included the programme intended to remove unauthorized aliens. State records show that the state paid an Oregon-based flight company more than $600,000 a week before two planes in Texas were loaded with mostly Venezuelan migrants, whose asylum claims were being processed in Texas, and sent to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts on Wednesday, at the governors request. White House press secretary loses patience with repetitive question from Fox New reporter on migrants Friday 16 September 2022 21:51 , Alex Woodward White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday ended up in a testy exchange with Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, as Ms Jean-Pierre spent a significant portion of the briefing discussing the Biden administrations response to Republican governors using buses and airplanes to send asylum-seekers to Democratic-led jurisdictions to punish state and local leaders for not supporting harsher border policies. The Independents Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington: White House press secretary loses patience with repetitive question from Fox reporter Migrant claims he was paid $200 to recruit others to board planes Friday 16 September 2022 21:20 , Alex Woodward A 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant told the San Antonio Reportthat he was paid $200 in cash torecruit people from outside the San Antonio Migrant Resource Center to board a flight to Marthas Vineyard. He said a woman named Perla instructed him to identify migrants; he gave her the names of 10 migrants he met near the centre. Perla informed me that in those sanctuary states, the state has the benefits to help migrants, he told the outlet. Ive just been the mediator because I like to help people. DeSantis claims migrants signed release as he pledges more and more flights and buses Friday 16 September 2022 20:30 , Alex Woodward Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claims migrants signed release forms and were provided a packet with a map of Marthas Vineyard before they were put on planes from Texas to the Massachusetts island. He said migrants were identified as likely to come to Florida, where they would impose a lot of cost on the community, so were trying to avoid that. The governor did not clarify how migrants were identified in Texas as bound for Florida, and why the state was investigating cases several states away. He said theres a bunch of stuff thats gone into creating the infrastructure to move migrants out of states. Ive got $12m for us to use, so were going to use it, he told reporters on Friday. Youre going to see more and more. Im going to make sure we exhause all those funds. Don Jr jokes about violence against migrants in Instagram post as he backs DeSantiss Marthas Vineyard stunt Friday 16 September 2022 20:15 , Alex Woodward The former presidents oldest son appeared to joke about violence against migrants arriving in the US while criticising progressive border policies by sharing a series of memes that depict scenes where migrants were attacked by border officials on the US southern border. You know its coming, he said in an Instagram post showing a photoshopped image of a Border Patrol agent on horseback chasing Haitian migrants seeking asylum along the US-Mexico border. Don Jr jokes about migrants in Instagram post as he backs Marthas Vineyard flights Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website The group of Venezuelan migrants flown from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Mass., last week by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) filed a class-action suit against the governor and the states transportation secretary on Tuesday. The suit provides a detailed account of how the migrants came to board the two planes allegedly under false pretenses, arguing the relocations violated their Fourth and 14th Amendment rights and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These immigrants, who are pursuing the proper channels for lawful immigration status in the United States, experienced cruelty akin to what they fled in their home country, the suit alleges. More from The Hill: Who is Javier Salazar, the sheriff investigating Texas migrant flight to Marthas Vineyard? Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Governments exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda, it continues. The suit, filed in a federal trial court in Massachusetts, asks a judge to declare DeSantiss relocations illegal under the Constitution as well as federal and state laws. It also asks the judge to prevent Florida from inducing immigrants to travel across state laws by fraud and misrepresentation. Taryn Feske, DeSantiss communications director, said in a statement that the relocations were done on a voluntary basis. DeSantiss office also provided a copy of consent forms, which list Massachusetts as the final destination, they say the migrants signed. The immigrants were homeless, hungry, and abandoned and these activists didnt care about them then, said Feske. Floridas program gave them a fresh start in a sanctuary state and these individuals opted to take advantage of chartered flights to Massachusetts. It was disappointing that Marthas Vineyard called in the Massachusetts National Guard to bus them away from the island within 48 hours. Story continues DeSantis became the latest GOP governor to relocate migrants to northern areas of the country in protest of President Bidens immigration policies and so-called sanctuary cities. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has bused migrants to Washington, D.C., while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has sent individuals to D.C., New York City and Chicago, arguing the moves relieve border communities overwhelmed by an influx of migrants. The relocations have fueled fury among Democrats, who accuse the GOP governors of using the migrants as political pawns a sentiment echoed throughout the class action suit. A Texas sheriff separately opened an investigation into the Marthas Vineyard flights on Monday. DeSantis said the flights were paid for using a $12 million fund approved by the state legislature for migrant relocations. The suit names the state transportation department and its head as defendants, as the fund was appropriated to the department. Alianza Americas, a network of groups supporting immigrants, filed the class action suit with three unnamed migrants DeSantis relocated, claiming the scheme also constituted intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and fraud. Boston-based group Lawyers for Civil Rights said its attorneys, who have been on the island since last week, are representing the plaintiffs. For the Governor of Florida to cynically use recently arrived immigrants who have applied for asylum in the U.S. to advance a hate-driven agenda intended to create confusion and rejection throughout the country, is not only morally despicable, but utterly contrary to the best traditions of humanitarian protection embraced by most Americans, Oscar Chacon, Alianza Americas executive director, said in a statement. The complaint lays out the most detailed narrative yet as to how the migrants came to board the flight. The plaintiffs allege the migrants were located at a migrant resource center in San Antonio, Texas and other localities, where individuals who identified themselves as Perla and Emanuel approached them and offered items like $10 McDonalds gift cards for those experiencing food insecurity. The individuals, portraying themselves as good Samaritans, collected some of the migrants immigration paperwork, and if they fit the bill, the individuals proceeded to make false promises of benefits if they agreed to board flights to other states, according to the suit. The migrants were then allegedly given free hotel stays in Texas until they left for the airport. The plaintiffs said the migrants boarded the flights with the belief they would land in Washington, D.C. or Boston, but they were told while in the air they would instead be arriving in Marthas Vineyard. They were also allegedly given a brochure that outlined support services in Massachusetts, but the programs referenced had highly specific eligibility requirements that the migrants did not meet, the suit said. Once the individual Plaintiffs and class members landed, it became clear that the promises made to induce them on the planes were in fact bold-faced lies, it stated. The migrants have since been relocated to a military base elsewhere in Massachusetts. DeSantis has said the flights were just the beginning of relocation efforts. Updated: 9:38 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When roughly 50 migrants were flown from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, under a new program by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to highlight illegal immigration, they were given a brochure about housing, cash assistance and jobs for refugees. But theres one problem with what the brochure was promoting: The migrants arent anywhere close to being classified as refugees, a specific term under U.S. immigration law. The implicit promises of help, therefore, were misleading and potentially criminal, according to Lawyers for Civil Rights, a nonprofit legal aid group representing 30 of the people who landed on the Massachusetts island last week. The Boston-based group of attorneys, which posted images of the brochure Monday on its website, has asked state and federal authorities to investigate the flights, and it is considering filing a civil lawsuit against Florida, said its litigation director, Oren Sellstrom. This is additional evidence that shows in writing that those false representations were made in order to induce our clients to travel, Sellstrom told NBC News. The brochure was first reported by the website Popular Information. Amid the condemnation from immigrant-rights groups and the White House, DeSantis and his administration have denied that any laws were broken, and he pledged to push ahead with a new $12 million program to relocate unauthorized aliens to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have said they would welcome migrants and asylum-seekers. These are just the beginning efforts, DeSantis said Friday at a news conference, vowing to spend every penny he can on the program. DeSantis said he chose the tony and exclusive island of Marthas Vineyard for Wednesday's trip because it calls itself a sanctuary destination. It's also known as a wealthy vacation spot for high-profile liberals. DeSantis, who's considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, hasnt revealed the destinations of any subsequent trips for migrants. Story continues DeSantis modeled his program on one started by a fellow GOP governor, Greg Abbott of Texas, who has sent thousands of migrants from his state to Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C. Florida is supposed to move migrants from this state, according to the state budget for the new program, but the migrants' legal aid group said its clients nearly all of whom are from Venezuela were first approached in the San Antonio area by unknown people working for Florida. They, the people that were on the ground in Texas, recruiting our clients for this stunt, held themselves out as people that could be trusted. They preyed on our clients vulnerability in order to gain their trust, Sellstrom said. Late Monday, the Democratic sheriff of the Texas county where the migrants were picked up as part of DeSantis new program announced he was opening an investigation. Migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua have been flocking to the U.S. in increasingly large numbers, and theyre rarely returned to their home countries once they cross the border because of hostile relations with the U.S. Many seek and are granted asylum in the U.S., and most of the migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard were asylum-seekers or plan to be, according to Lawyers for Civil Rights. Joseph Lackey, a Miami-based immigration attorney who isnt representing any of the people who were flown to Massachusetts, said handing out information that's tailored to refugees is confusing to recipients who fall into other categories. Under immigration law, he said, asylum-seekers have to go through a process before they can are granted asylum and then apply for refugee status to receive benefits, such as those promised in the brochure given to the Martha's Vineyard migrants. If they used the word refugee, that is absolutely misleading, Lackey said. Refugee is a particular status, which none of these people have until after they win their asylum claim. That takes years. Refugee is not used in the colloquial sense, like Im fleeing from my country. Refugee is a term of law. It has a very specific meaning. Lackey said he believed an argument could be made that the migrants could qualify for a special type of U visa given to victims of crimes because they are alleged to have been hoodwinked into traveling to Massachusetts by false promises of jobs and housing, which could be a form of human trafficking. You know what that means? That means DeSantis little gambit could actually come back to haunt him if these people get legal status because of what was done to them, because of what he did to them, Lackey said. In a call with reporters Monday, a senior DeSantis administration official repeatedly characterized the flights to Martha's Vineyard as voluntary and a net positive for the migrants, who were described as homeless and hungry. At no specific time was anybody given some promise of a specific job, said the state official, adding that Florida paid to house and feed them in Texas before the flights to Massachusetts. Many sanctuary states advertise resources that are available there, resources more likely to be available and offered at these destinations than those available within Florida, since we are not a sanctuary state, the official said. These were homeless people that were in a rough situation and undoubtedly had their circumstances improved. In fact, several have already communicated their thanks for the opportunity to go to the sanctuary state. DeSantis communications secretary, Taryn Fenske, argued the information in the refugee brochure wasn't "fraudulent or incorrect" because it was directly from the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts agency couldnt be reached for comment. Sellstrom, of Lawyers for Civil Rights, said not much is known about the officials involved in the Florida relocation scheme. He said an unknown woman, whom some migrants identified as Perla, distributed fast-food vouchers and even offered to buy a man a new pair of shoes because his were worn out during the long trek through Central America and Mexico. They gained their trust, then made false representations about what would be available to them, in order to induce them to do this. And then, when they landed on the ground in Marthas Vineyard, those people were nowhere to be found, Sellstrom said. So yes, this brochure is certainly additional evidence of that kind of misrepresentation and fraud, but its very consistent with what our clients have told us they were being orally represented, as well. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Putin still has not dared to announce mobilization The analyst, from the open-source military analysis group Conflict Intelligence Team, was commenting on Russian dictator Vladimir Putins possible next steps and the opinion of Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. Berrier believes Putin may change the goals of the war in Ukraine due to the recent failures of Russian forces on the battlefield. If it were some kind of normal government that was clearly aware of the problems facing it, it (Putins regime) would now have moved to strategic defense on the entire front and would have carried out partial mobilization, Mikhailov said. But, as we understand, Putin is afraid of this, because even according to Russian polls, half of the country already says that its necessary to start negotiations, although they express their support (for the special military operation). The CIT expert believes the majority of Russian society is indifferent both to the death of Ukrainians and the war in general. However, if the war comes to the Russians houses in the form of mobilization, this indifference may begin to shake, and this is exactly what Putin fears, Mikhailov says. In such a case (the dictator) has no good options left, so to say, he said. He can hope that (Russia) can hold out in the winter, when Ukraines support from European countries is supposed to be shaken somehow. But,first of all, European countries are not the main suppliers of weapons to Ukraine now. Secondly, Europe hates Putin, hates Russia, hates the Russian army. This is what the polls say. Members of Russias State Duma on Sept. 20 unanimously adopted in the second and third readings amendments to the Russian Criminal Code relating to the concepts of mobilization, martial law, and armed conflict. Desertion, non-appearance for military service and voluntary surrender into captivity will be punished in Russia. Voluntary surrender into captivity (up to 10 years in prison) and looting (up to 15 years) are among the new articles of Russias Criminal Code included in the draft law. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A "critical missing" disabled man the Milwaukee Police Department had asked for the public's help in locating has been found safe. Daveon Archibold, 23, had last been seen at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the 4600 block of North 79th Street, according to Milwaukee Police. Later Monday night, police said Archibold had been "located safe." Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Critical missing man Milwaukee Police asked for help locating is safe Online posts and fake newspapers circulating in Illinois claim a law provides for the automatic release of accused criminals across the US state. This is misleading; while legislation passed in 2021 does eliminate cash bail, legal experts say judges can still jail those who may pose a threat to the community. "Illinois non-detainable offenses Beginning January 1, 2023," says text in a September 14, 2022 Instagram post with more than 248,000 likes. Below the text is a list of crimes, including kidnapping and second-degree murder. "Under this new law, after being charged with the crimes listed, those arrested would be released without bail pending a court date," the post says. Screenshot of an Instagram post taken September 19, 2022 Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act into law in January 2021. Proponents of the legislation say its provisions -- including the elimination of cash bail by January 1, 2023 -- will help reform police accountability, sentencing and electronic monitoring. This is in response to the nationwide movement for equity within the criminal justice system, one that disproportionally affects underprivileged communities and leaves many languishing in jail without a conviction because they can't afford to post bail. However, many Republicans opposed the legislation due to public safety concerns. Now, as midterm elections approach, the law has again become a point of controversy. One video of Orland Park, Illinois Mayor Keith Pekau criticizing the measure received more than 8.7 million views on TikTok. Similar posts have circulated on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And in Chicago, a series of conservative-funded mailers made to look like newspapers claimed the SAFE-T Act would automatically release those accused of serious crimes into the community. In the Chicago Suburbs, an fake newspapers are being delivered to residents with conservative fake news. Here's a picture of the "DuPage Policy Journal" pic.twitter.com/nVIlFeKiSk King Qenny (@AKBrews) September 2, 2022 But such claims are misleading, according to legal experts and one of the bill's sponsors. Story continues "The bail reform provisions of the SAFE-T Act empower judges to focus solely on defendants' threats to public safety and keeping dangerous criminals off the streets," said Illinois state Representative Justin Slaughter, a Democratic sponsor of the bill, in an email. What the law does The claims circulating online relate to the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA), a component of the SAFE-T Act that changes the processes for pretrial release and detention hearings. While the legislation would eliminate cash bail, which many courts use as a guarantee that defendants will return for trial, it would not prevent judges from jailing those accused of serious offenses while awaiting trial. Sharone Mitchell, public defender of Cook County, Illinois -- home to Chicago -- told AFP in an email that the legislation creates "a detention hearing in which the judge must consider evidence brought by the prosecution and then make a decision regarding pretrial detention." "For serious, violent crimes, prosecutors can argue for detention based on public safety or flight risk standards," he said. "Prosecutors can also seek detention if the person violated the terms of their release or sentence in a previous case." The crimes listed in the posts -- second-degree murder and aggravated battery -- are offenses for which judges could deny defendants pretrial release, according to the PFA. David E. Olson, co-director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy and Practice at Loyola University Chicago, said the claims circulating online are "providing an incomplete picture" of the law. "Part of the argument for the law is that if someone poses a danger to society, and they're charged with a serious offense, then we should hold them to protect society," he said. "We shouldn't make public safety contingent on whether or not they or their friends or family can come up with enough money to get them out." Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center Clinic at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, said judges "always have had the capacity to hold people no bonds if they present a real safety threat that is shown by clear and convincing evidence." "And that won't change," she said. "The difference now is that judges can't just use cash bonds in lieu of evidence of a threat to hold people." PureWow One of the most highly-anticipated films of 2022 was Blondea Netflix drama based on the Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, which tells a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe's life and stars Ana de Armas (Knives Out) in the lead role. And although the film met a mixed reception (including from PureWow) upon its release, it still managed to sit strong at the number-one spot on Netflix's most-watched movies list from the day it premiered. That was, until a new movie just overtook it. Th Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday indicated he liked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' controversial stunt that sent 48 migrants to Martha's Vineyard last week under what several of the migrants and immigration attorneys have said were false pretenses. At a news conference in Washington, D.C., McConnell who's married to an immigrant, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao acknowledged "there's been a good deal of talk about what some of the governors have done to transport illegal immigrants up to other parts of the country. "I personally thought it was a good idea," he said Tuesday afternoon. "But if you added up all of the (immigrants) who've been taken to Chicago or Washington or Martha's Vineyard, it would be fewer than people down in Texas have to deal with on a daily basis." Mitch McConnell:Kentucky senator slams Biden for forgiving $10K of student loan debt DeSantis is one of the GOP governors who did that. So are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who authorized spending millions of dollars on the state-sponsored transport of close to 11,000 migrants, collectively, to Washington and New York City in recent months. Abbott recently designated Chicago as another selected destination. These cities' governments are all led by Democrats. The Republicans paired these actions with criticism of President Joe Biden's U.S.-Mexico border policies. DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard stunt, in particular, has become a big controversy over not just the morality of it but the legality of it. A woman, who is part of a group of immigrants that had just arrived, holds a child as they are fed outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration's failed border policies. A Texas sheriff and Democrat announced a criminal investigation into whether the Venezuelan migrants were "lured" onto flights DeSantis orchestrated from San Antonio to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Several migrants on those flights have said they were promised jobs and housing, which didn't materialize once they landed in Martha's Vineyard. Millions of people have left Venezuela, where they lived under a dictatorial regime and a depressed economy. Story continues Kentucky abortion:Post Roe v. Wade, abortion is the X factor in Kentucky's 2022 election One of the migrants who got on a plane, 36-year-old Pedro Luis Torrelaba, said he was told there would be work, food and housing and thought he was going to New York. I simply feel misled because they told a lie, and it has come to nothing, he said. DeSantis has claimed no one was misled. A spokesperson for him said he arranged for migrants to be sent to Martha's Vineyard because he'd said he'd "drop off undocumented migrants in progressive states." Massachusetts officials and Martha's Vineyard residents quickly took action to help the migrants, who needed housing, food and other support after DeSantis' flights landed, unannounced. The migrants soon were sent from Martha's Vineyard to Joint Base Cape Cod a five-agency military base for shelter as authorities dealt with the situation. Joe Gerth on McConnell:Does he only call out racism when it benefits him and his career? McConnell criticized the Biden administration as lacking solutions as record-breaking numbers of immigrants from Central and South America come to the U.S.-Mexico border. The Kentucky Republican depicted DeSantis as having "helped" the migrants he sent to Martha's Vineyard, saying in a Senate speech Tuesday: The governor of Florida helped a tiny number of illegal immigrants, about four dozen, secure transportation to the wealthy liberal destination of Marthas Vineyard, filled with millionaires mansions, which appointed itself a so-called sanctuary destination back in 2017," he said. "Democrats, liberal activists, and the media are predictably melting down. There are absurd accusations flying around that it is somehow evil or illegal for Republican officials to help illegal immigrants move within our country." USA TODAY contributed to this report. Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mitch McConnell: Ron DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard stunt was 'good idea' By Nate Raymond (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday tossed most of a University of Kansas chemical engineering professor's conviction for concealing work he did in China while conducting U.S. government-funded research, in the latest setback for a crackdown on Chinese influence within American academia. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, ruled prosecutors presented insufficient evidence to support Feng "Franklin" Tao's conviction on three wire fraud counts in April by a jury in her courtroom. She upheld his conviction on one count of making a false statement. Prosecutors had accused him of concealing his affiliation with Fuzhou University in China from the University of Kansas and two federal agencies that provided grant funding for the professor's research. But Robinson said that while Tao was "deceptive" in not disclosing his activities in China, there was "no evidence that Tao obtained money or property through the alleged scheme to defraud, as required under the wire fraud statute." The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. Tao is one of about two dozen academics who have been charged in the Justice Department's "China Initiative," which was launched during former President Donald Trump's administration to counter suspected Chinese economic espionage and research theft. The Justice Department in February ended the initiative following several failed prosecutions and criticism that it chilled research and fueled bias against Asians, though it said it would continue pursuing cases over national security threats posed by China. "This will hopefully drive a final stake through the heart of these China Initiative cases," Peter Zeidenberg, Tao's lawyer, said regarding Tuesday's ruling. Prosecutors said Tao was working on renewable energy projects at the University of Kansas when, in 2018, he signed a contract with Fuzhou University that required him to be a full-time employee. Prosecutors asserted that Tao falsely claimed in reports filed with the University of Kansas that he had no conflicts of interest, allowing him to defraud the school, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. He denied wrongdoing. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Howard Goller) (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling junta on Tuesday warned the public against showing moral support for a "terrorist" resistance movement, threatening jail terms of up to 10 years just for liking or sharing its content on social media. Myanmar has been plagued by violence since the military seized power early last year, with clashes on multiple fronts between junta forces and militias allied with a shadow government and pro-democracy groups. The junta's information minister and spokesperson Zaw Min Tin said "terrorists" were seeking funds to kill innocent people in their campaign to destabilise the country, so support for them would be dealt with severely. He said social media endorsements of the National Unity Government (NUG) or its armed affiliates, the People's Defence Forces (PDF), could lead to prison terms of three to 10 years, and worse for those providing even small amounts of money. "If you donate money or support terrorists and their acts, you will face harsher punishments. We're doing this to protect innocent civilians," he told a televised news briefing, which included a presentation detailing the penalties for aiding resistance groups. Since the coup, opponents of the military have used social media platforms to try to communicate their message more widely, with citizen journalists often posting images of protests and alleged atrocities by the army. The United Nations has accused the junta of mass killings and crimes against humanity in its crackdown on opponents since its coup last year. Thousands have been arrested and many imprisoned during secret trials. It recently executed four democracy activists, accusing them of facilitating attacks by militia groups. International calls have grown for deeper engagement with NUG and for it to be included in any peace process in Myanmar, which the junta refuses to allow, citing the need to restore order. The U.N. Human Rights office in a report last week called for the military to be isolated further and said it had failed to govern the country in a meaningful and sustainable way, or resolve a "profound financial sector crisis". (Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Ed Davies) BANGKOK (AP) Myanmars military-ruled government on Tuesday denied reports it carried out an air attack on a school in the countrys turbulent north-central region that killed at least seven children, accusing the media of distorting the truth. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the ruling military council, acknowledged at a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw. that there had been fighting last Friday in Tabayin township in Sagaing region. However, he blamed the governments armed opponents for the casualties, which in addition to children sheltering at the school included six adult villagers. Witnesses told The Associated Press and other media that two helicopters fired machine guns and heavier weapons at a school in a Buddhist monastery in the village of Let Yet Kone attended by 240 students from kindergarten to Grade 8 taught by about 20 volunteer teachers. A school administrator said that after about an hour of continuous shooting, about 80 soldiers charged into the monastery grounds, firing their weapons. The administrator, who used the pseudonym Mar Mar so she would not be identified by the authorities, said about 30 children were wounded, and 20 were taken away by soldiers along with three teachers. The number of children killed in the air strike appeared to be the highest in a single day since the army seized power in a coup in February last year, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The armys takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide, but when the military and police responded with deadly force, armed resistance arose in the cities and the countryside. Fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where the military has launched several offensives, in some cases burning down villages, and displacing more than half a million people. There are six camps hosting displaced people in Tabayin, which is also known as Depayin. Zaw Min Tun told journalists on Tuesday that the incident occurred when soldiers went to check on information that there were members of the armed anti-government Peoples Defense Force and their allies from the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic rebel group, in Let Yet Kone. The Peoples Defense Force was established last year to oppose military rule. Story continues He said the armed groups members herded the villagers into the monastery ahead of the fighting. They forced the people to stay under the main building of the monastery. And then they started to fire on the security forces while using the villagers as human shields. The army shot back at them, Zaw Min Tun said. He said the army rescued the people hiding at the monastery after the armed groups ran away, and that when the soldiers found two children with serious injuries, they were immediately taken by helicopter to a military hospital. Other wounded villagers were taken to nearby hospitals, he said. He charged that the accounts of the attack on the school were made up to come just ahead of the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, where Myanmars violent crisis will be debated. His account of the incident was challenged by the school administrator. What Zaw Min Tun said at the press conference were words opposite to the truth. Teaching the students every day is our job. No one forced us into the monastery and there was no armed group in the village, Mar Mar said by phone on Tuesday. Gregory Edward McLean, 38, is facing charges of two counts of distributing videos of sexual abuse towards children and one count of possessing such video files. According to the Department of Justice media release, if McLean is convicted, he is facing five years of prison and up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. McLean was arrested on Sept. 19 and he is currently in jail awaiting trial. The indictment notified McLean that his two cellphones, a Western Digital hard drive, and a USB drive were confiscated due to suspicion that these devices were used during these offenses. Read: Metal dock off Wheeler Street Boat Ramp in St. Marys collapses with 16 people on it, police say This case was brought up by Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative under the Department of Justice. This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Rhode Island State Police, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. Read: Brianna Williams sentenced to life in prison in murder of daughter, 5-year-old Taylor Williams [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Westside High School employee accused of sexual conduct with student; charges dropped [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. If you frequently fly into or out of New York City, you know the three main airports are JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. Although Newark Liberty International Airport is in New Jersey, its proximity to Manhattan makes it a convenient location for many. Starting next month, Newarks airport will not be considered an NYC airport. Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash Related: Heres A Peek Inside Newark Airports Secret, Invitation-Only Restaurant Newarks separation A Lufthansa Group memo was circulated last week on Twitter, revealing that the airport would be separated from the other NYC airports. According to the memo, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has introduced a new standard for Multi-Airport Cities. Multi-Airport Cities are large cities that have multiple airports sharing an IATA city code. How could this change impact travelers? The primary way this change could impact travelers is by limiting their options to freely change flights. Currently, many airlines allow travelers to switch flights within a city code say, from arriving in JFK to arriving in LGA without a penalty. Removing EWR from the NYC city code could restrict that option for many passengers, says Scott Keyes, founder of Scotts Cheap Flights to Travel + Leisure. Although all three airports have their own airport codes (JFK, LGA, and EWR), they are all listed under the city code NYC. This change is set to go into effect on October 3rd, removing Newark from the NYC city code and giving it its own. This means that Newark will have its own pricing structure, which will differ from JFK and LaGuardia. This announcement is still developing. Travelers will still see the Newark (EWR) option when searching for flight options to or from New York City. Related: Spirit Airlines To Add New Routes From Newark To Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, & More A parole decision for 39-year-old Michael Carneal, who shot and killed three girls and injured five others in a 1997 school shooting at Heath High School, has been postponed until Monday. This decision came Tuesday morning from state Parole Board Chair Ladeidra Jones and parole board member Larry Brock, following an eligibility hearing with Carneal. Carneal, who opened fire in the lobby of the high school in McCracken County December 1997, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and one count of first-degree burglary nearly 25 years ago. He was sentenced to life in prison with an opportunity for parole after 25 years, according to court records. Hell reach 25 years of incarceration this December. Jones and Brock were unable to make a unanimous decision on Carneals parole after a two-day hearing process that included testimony from victims, victims families and Carneal himself. James and Brock have referred his case to the full parole board, which will meet Monday morning. Carneal, speaking to Jones and Brock during his parole hearing Tuesday, said he heard voices at the time of the shooting that told him to act out violently. He said he still hears these voices today. (The voices told me) to pick up the gun out of a backpack, point it in front of me and shoot, he said on Tuesday. There is no justification or excuse for what I did. Carneal told Jones and Brock he still has violent voices in his head, which told him to jump off the stairs as recently as two days ago. Despite this, he said he keeps up with his mental health through multiple counselors, which he feels helps him differentiate between what is real and avoid committing acts of violence against himself. I dont remember firing the gun or how many times I fired During his hearing, Jones and Brock had a chance to ask Carneal questions about his mental health, discuss the shooting, his criminal history, the programs he completed in prison and future plans he had if he were granted release. Story continues Carneal said he stole guns and ammunition from a neighbors home days before the shooting. He also took guns from his father. When he arrived at the school on Dec. 1, 1997, Carneal said he had one gun in his backpack and others wrapped in a blanket. He told those who asked that the items concealed in the blanket were for an English project, which they accepted as an answer. I got to the lobby and set them down, and stood around for a while and stood there and then went and got the gun out of the backpack and held it in front of me, he said. I dont remember firing the gun or how many times I fired. The next thing I remember is people laying on the ground. Killed in the shooting were 14-year-old Nicole Hadley, 17-year-old Jessica James and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. Among those injured was Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed after she was shot by Carneal and uses a wheelchair. Other victims were Shelley Schaberg, Kelly Hard Alsip, Hollan Holm, and Craig Keene. The parole board heard victim impact statements on Monday from several involved in the shooting including Holm, Jenkins Smith and the family of Hadley. Carneal acknowledged Tuesday who his victims were, explained how he knew them, and said some of them had been his friends. He said of Kayce Steger, She was one of my victims. We were in a band together, he said. She offered me a seat next to her on the bus one time Ill never forget it. No one would let me sit next to them, and she said You can sit here, and I will never forget that. Despite this, he said there were no intended targets and that he knew there were people just standing there. He didnt know who it was, he said. He said in the days leading up to the shooting, he had thoughts of standing in an empty school or an empty mall and shooting, just wanting people to run around. (The shooting) was not justified at all, Carneal said. There was no excuse for it at all and the reason it happened was just like a combination of factors in my life and when I look at it now, it was because I was a coward. During his 24 years of incarceration, Carneal has completed anger management classes, graduated from the correctional psychiatric unit, received his GED and completed some college courses. He has received continuous mental health counseling, and doctors still consider his prognosis as poor, and said he still has visions of violent imagery, according to comments from Jones. Does Kentucky school shooter think he deserves parole? Carneal said that if he was released, hed continue his mental health regimen, which he felt could help him be a productive member of society. He also said he had plans to live with his parents for several years and work to earn a living with any job he could get. Carneal said his age, his under-developed maturity and his mental health at the time caused him to commit the shooting. I was 14 at the time, and I had not experienced life and didnt know exactly the effects of what I would do eventually, Carneal said. I didnt know what that would actually mean. I didnt know the hurt and pain it would cause people, I was ignorant to that. However, he did tell Jones and Brock he knew what he did was wrong. When asked if he felt he deserved parole, Carneal said he did not know. It depends on when you ask me, he said. Sometimes I think I deserved to be killed. I think that honestly. And other times I think that due to the fact that I could do some good for a lot of people, maybe, it would be beneficial if I were released some day. He said he knew people on the outside thought of him as a monster. I believe that is what people think of me, Carneal said. I dont blame them for that, I understand that. I understand why people would think that. ... I am sorry for what I did. It is not going to change what happened, and it is not going to make anything better, but I am sorry for what I did, he said. Norfolk city officials might shut down another nightclub on Granby Street as part of its widening crackdown following several late-night shootings downtown. California Burrito, which has a nightclub called The Back in the rear of the building, received notice this week that the City Council will consider revoking its conditional use permit because of repeated fire code violations, an action that could shut down the establishment entirely. The club has a predominantly Latino clientele and frequently hosts Latin dance and DJ nights on weekends. Its the fourth downtown establishment targeted by the city for closure over permitting violations this month. California Burrito is directly across the street from Chichos Backstage where a shooting left three dead in March, including a Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press reporter. City documents show California Burrito has been cited for overcrowding violations on three occasions since October 2020. The club is allowed a maximum of 49 people inside the building. On two occasions, city inspectors found the club allowed more than 100 patrons inside. They also found electrical, food safety and security violations, including that the clubs security cameras were not working, during a 2020 inspection. For those reasons, the city government is recommending City Council revoke California Burritos permit. If its taken away, the action would force California Burrito to close until it obtains a new zoning certificate to operate as a restaurant. It could then reopen without alcohol sales and with a nightly closing time of midnight. Miguel Roldan, the owner of California Burrito, declined to comment at the advice of his lawyer. Molly Dey, the owner of the building that houses California Burrito, also declined to comment. Norfolk city officials have offered limited information about how the city is determining which businesses are targeted for closure, and the order in which they are being brought before council. Story continues Norfolk spokesman Chris Jones told The Virginian-Pilot on Tuesday the city is calling in business operators with multiple violations. Whenever city staff encounters repeated violations, a business operator will be called in. Such action doesnt necessarily mean a business will have its use permit revoked, but the operators will need to appear and address the matter. The council will then act accordingly, based on the facts presented, Jones said. But there are some clubs on Granby Street with past fire code violations that have not been called before council that have been near the scene of a violent incident, according to the citys open data website, which publicizes all city fire code violations. Chichos, for instance, logged four fire code violations in 2019, according to city data. But the club has not had its conditional use permit revoked by the city. Jones said the city and police investigated Chichos and did not find evidence of any violation of its conditional use permit. There is likewise no evidence to date suggesting Chicos practices contributed to the violence that occurred outside of the business on March 19, 2022, Jones said. There has also been little explanation from the city government about how shuttering nightclubs will prevent gun violence from occurring. Most of the citys shootings occur outside the downtown area, according to police data obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. Councilman Tommy Smigiel said the citys efforts are aimed at freeing up additional police officers who are spending an increasing amount of time patrolling downtown Norfolk and Granby Street on weekends. We need to continue to hold the night clubs accountable that are operating bad businesses and bringing bad actors to our city, Smigiel said in a recent social media post. Policing downtown Norfolk on Granby St. is eating up our police officers time when they could be providing additional patrols in our neighborhood(s). The crackdown on nightclubs began shortly after a quadruple shooting at Legacy Restaurant and Lounge that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 5. City Manager Chip Filer held a press conference the same day announcing that conditional use permits for downtown businesses would be evaluated. Since then, city officials closed Culture Restaurant & Lounge for violations of its restaurant zoning certificate, and City Council voted to close Legacy on Sept. 13 for violating security protocols. The council will vote on whether to revoke Scotty Quixxs permit Sept. 27 for a meals tax violation, and will vote on whether to revoke California Burritos permit Oct. 11. The council adopted a new policy prior to revoking Legacys permit that changed the citys existing restaurant and nightclub permitting rules. The policy effectively shutters nightclubs and restaurants when a permit is revoked by banning the sale of alcohol. In the past, a permit revocation allowed the nightclubs to continue selling alcohol on premises with reduced hours. Daniel Berti, daniel.berti@virginiamedia.com Photo credit: NurPhoto - Getty Images North Koreas government passed new laws authorizing a nuclear counter strike if North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is killed. In the event North Koreas leadership is incapacitated, the military is authorized to launch a counter strike. No matter what Kim says, however, the hard reality is that the use of nuclear weapons would mean the end for him and his regime. North Koreas government has spelled out brand new conditions under which it would use nuclear weapons, and theyre fairly broad. The country will launch a preemptive nuclear attack if it detects signs another country is preparing to attack ita break from previous policy. The regime spelled out what other conditions could lead it to using nukesincluding tactical nuclear weaponsto reverse failures on the battlefield. Dont miss any of our best-in-class military and defense coverage. Join our squad. The laws, NK News reports , were passed at the Supreme Peoples Assembly held in North Koreas capital city Pyongyang, on September 9. The Supreme Peoples Assembly is North Koreas version of the U.S. Congress but completely lacking in political opposition, resulting in a legislative body that rubber stamps any laws Kim Jong-un wants passed. This gives the dictators reign a thin veneer of legitimacy. The laws loosen the circumstances in which the country would use nuclear weapons. According to the new laws, North Korea will now not only retaliate if attacked, it will launch a preemptive attack if it detects signs that it is about to be attacked. It can also launch due to unspecified reasons that threaten the survival of the regime and its people. Photo credit: AFP Contributor - Getty Images The law also expands the use of nukes outside of strategic, all-out nuclear warfare, allowing their use when it is unavoidable due to tactical reasons. This hints at the use of smaller tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, in case North Korea invaded South Koreaor vice-versa. It can also be used to respond to non-nuclear attacks. Attacks against the countrys core strategic targets would also face a nuclear response. Story continues One of the biggest changes is a new policy of what nuclear experts call pre-delegation, in which the sole decider for launching nuclear weapons sets conditions for others, usually the military, to act in their absence. Under the new policy, the North Korean Peoples Army can launch its nukes automatically if the core command leadership (read: Kim Jong-un) is in danger or already killed. This policy is in direct response to South Koreas buildup of conventionally-armed precision-guided cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. This arsenal has one goal: to decapitate North Koreas leadership and decouple it from its nuclear arsenal in a crisis. The reasoning is that Kim Jong-un himself must be made to fear for his life if there is a crisis, to dissuade him from using nukes; or barring that, separate him from the ability to issue launch orders. Kim has apparently taken these preparations personally, and South Koreas plans for a decapitation strike have clearly gotten under his skin. Under the new law, if Kim is trapped by a South Korean attack in an underground bunker, his internet and telephone lines cut, his generals will still retaliate with nuclear weapons. Photo credit: Handout - Getty Images North Koreas old nuclear policy was actually fairly restrained. Previously, North Korea stated it would only use nukes in the event it was first attacked with nukes. This policy, known as No First Use , is the official policy of China and India and is meant to be stabilizing in a crisis. If youre at war with either Beijing or Delhi, you dont have to worry about their nukes, unless you plan on using your own. The problem with Kim Jong-uns policy is that its made by a dangerous dictator, accountable to no one, who can easily change his policy at a moments whim. So, his policy doesnt really mean much. How much of a big deal are Kims new nuclear laws? A lot of this is merely window dressing: in a dictatorship like North Korea, whatever Kim wants is the law and thats that. Passing a law during a meeting of the enormous Supreme Peoples Assembly just amplifies the message and ensures that everyone hears about it. Photo credit: JUNG YEON-JE - Getty Images Another inspiration for the new laws is probably the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russias invasion of Ukraine, once considered by some an inevitable victory for Moscow , has run into serious problems, and the war is now in doubt. North Koreas ability to invade South Korea has been degrading for decades, as the countrys economy makes it no longer possible to fully modernize and supply its massive, 1.2-million-member army. North Koreas statement it could use nukes for tactical reasons in wartime is likely meant to put teeth back into any invasion threat. The official policy of the United States is to still aim for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the National Security Council, as reported by Politico. And despite Kims big reveal, North Korea has to operate under one dominating constraint: if it uses nukes, the United States will likely launch a devastating nuclear counter strike that will kill Kim Jong-un and the rest of the countrys senior leadership. Kim must walk a fine line between saber-rattling and boasting, and being seen as a rational actor who understands this new existential danger he has put his countryand himselfin. You Might Also Like The Redding Fire Department got the typical call on Monday morning to help remove an animal stuck in a tree. What wasn't typical was the critter they were called upon to help. "That's not a kitty cat," the fire department posted on social media, with a photo of firefighters pulling a sleepy bear out of a tall conifer. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers were on the scene at 1120 Olive Ave. in west Redding to rescue the black bear from the deodar cedar. The animal was resistant to anesthesia. It took three tranquilizer darts to knock him out, CDFW Information Officer Peter Tira said. When the bear finally went to sleep in the tree, he got stuck. Redding firefighters were a "huge help" at that point, Tira said. They extended their fire engine's ladder up to the bear and rolled the groggy animal onto the ladder's tip, then lowered the ladder and "gently brought him to the ground," the fire department said. The bear is a young male adult, three to four years old, Tira said. He weighs between 125 and 175 pounds. He was likely attracted to a creek near the Olive Avenue home until he encountered a dog, Tira said. "We think this bear got chased up a tree by a dog. He took a swipe at the dog," he said. The dog needed stitches, but is doing fine. Wildlife officers moved the bear to what the fire department called a "more natural habitat" than the neighborhood off Eureka Way. They also put an ear tag on him "in case he wanders back into town," Tira said. He's safe, healthy and back in the forest where he belongs. Bears often end up in California suburbs, Tira said. "We see it a lot in the fall with young bears," he explained. Their mothers send them out on their own, especially their male offspring. They're young and confused, and often wander around a bit. When black bears feel threatened or scared they usually climb a tree, Tira said. It's best if the bear comes down on its own usually at night but that's problematic in an urban area. If people or dogs are at the base of the tree, "that bear won't come down." Story continues "Firefighters always get called to very unique incidents," the fire department said. More bear news: Monarch butterflies endangered; What to do if you see a bear in town Adopt me!: See pets from North State rescues in September 2022 Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Black bear stuck in Redding tree gets rescued A woman and her daughter place a heart on a fence at a growing memorial in front of the Debert School April 20, 2020 in Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada Families of the victims in Canada's deadliest mass shooting say an inquiry into what happened has left them with "more questions than answers". The joint provincial and federal inquiry is hearing from family members and their representatives as it wraps up months of public hearings this week. Twenty-two people died in the April 2020 attack in Nova Scotia. The inquiry was launched following fierce criticism of the police response to the mass shooting. Investigators want to know what happened when Gabriel Wortman, a 51-year-old dental technician, went on a 13-hour shooting spree that spanned two days and 100km (62 miles) in rural Nova Scotia. He was eventually shot dead by police. "After more than two years and millions of dollars spent on this inquiry, I have more questions than answers," said Tara Long, sister of Aaron Tuck, who was killed alongside his wife Jolene Oliver and daughter Emily in the community of Portapique. Ms Long praised the heroism of Constable Heidi Stevenson, who died while attempting to stop the gunman, but said she felt frustrated that the force held a procession for their fallen colleague in the days after the attack while "my family was still laying dead at their house". She said the inquiry has made her lose faith in the RCMP. She also accused the federal government of trying to politicise the tragedy to push gun control legislation - an accusation made earlier this year in notes by a local RCMP officer, which were released as part of the inquiry. "The police don't always show up when you need them, especially in rural areas, so we must be able to protect ourselves," Ms Long said. "If Aaron had a gun that night, this tragedy would've stopped at his house." Both RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have denied meddling in the investigation. When testifying before the inquiry in August, Ms Lucki apologised for her force's failure to meet the expectations of the public during the 2020 shooting. Story continues "I don't think we were what you wanted us to be or what you needed us to be," she said. The inquiry has heard from dozens of witnesses since February, including responding police officers and senior RCMP officials, the gunman's former spouse and various experts. It has published thousands of pages of documents related to its initial findings. But families have long held questions about the overall integrity of inquiry after disagreeing with some of its procedures. Lawyer Sandra McCulloch, who represents most of the victims' families, said her clients felt "devalued", and their faith in the process is "dwindling or lost". The commission maintains its work is open and independent. The inquiry's final report is scheduled to be released in March 2023. Following months of anticipation and controversy among its add-in board partners, NVIDIA's 40 series GPUs are finally here. The company unveiled the GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 today at its GTC 2022 keynote. Taking full advantage of its new "Ada Lovelace" architecture, NVIDIA says the two GPUs offer significantly better ray tracing performance. The company worked with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to co-develop a new "4N" fabrication process that NVIDIA says is up to two times more power efficient than the 8nm process it used for its 30 Series cards. Ray tracing performance is significantly improved thanks to Ada Lovelace featuring NVIDIA's new third-generation RT Cores, and the inclusion of a new rendering technique called Shader Execution Reordering and DLSS 3.0. In some games, NVIDIA said you can expect two to three times better ray tracing performance than what was possible with its Ampere GPUs. The company demoed Cyberpunk 2077 running at a near consistent 100 frames per second with all of the game's ray tracing features set to max. NVIDIA said rasterization performance is up to two times faster thanks to the new architecture. The first of NVIDIA's new Ada Lovelace GPUs will arrive next month when the GeForce RTX 4090 goes on for sale for $1,599 on October 12th. With 24GB of GDDR6X memory, NVIDIA claims its latest flagship is two to four times faster than the 3090 Ti while consuming the same amount of power. Good thing too because it's starting at $100 more than its predecessor. Inside of the RTX 4090, NVIDIA has managed to fit 16,384 CUDA Cores clocked at a base speed of 2.23GHz. Alongside the 4090, NVIDIA will offer two different variants of the RTX 4080. The base model, starting at $899, features 12GB of GDDR6X memory, while the 16GB version will set you back a cool $1,199. Both configurations will arrive sometime in November. However, NVIDIA will only sell a Founders Edition model of the more expensive model. For the 12GB version, you'll need to look to the company's partners, which may make it hard to find models that actually start at $899. Story continues GeForce RTX 4080 In terms of performance, the 16GB 4080 features 9,728 Cuda Cores and a base clock of 2.21GHz, with a maximum boost clock of 2.51GHz. Meanwhile, the 12GB model features a more modest 7,680 CUDA Cores but 100MHz faster base and boost clocks. Thankfully, you probably won't need to upgrade your power supply if you plan to upgrade from a 3070 or 3080, with NVIDIA recommending a 700-watt PSU for the 12GB variant and a 750-watt power supply for its more powerful sibling. However, should you decide to buy a new PSU, you'll want to wait until more ATX 3.0 PSUs arrive later this year. That's because at least the Founders Edition models will support the new PCIe Gen-5 16-pin connector standard. That said, NVIDIA will also include an 8-pin adapter for those who don't want to rewire their system. NVIDIA's 40 Series GPUs arrive at a difficult time for the company. For much of the pandemic, it was impossible to buy the latest GeForce GPUs at MSRP due to demand from both gamers and crypto miners. That all changed in recent months due to the recent crypto crash and Ethereum's much-anticipated switch to proof-of-stake minting. As a result of those events, the used market was flooded with 30 series GPUs, making it nearly impossible for the company's AIB partners and retailers to sell new video cards at MSRP. New York should feel proud of its diverse education landscape. People can send their children to the local public school, or they may enroll them in an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva, a Catholic school, a Waldorf school or even homeschool them. Families feel better about education when they have a say in the experience. Nobody likes to be bossed around.With the passage of the final substantial equivalence regulations, however, the New York Board of Regents have foreclosed many educational choices in the state. If you want your children to go to a school that differs from the local public schools, you are out of luck. The new regulations give teeth to the Compulsory Education Law requiring all nonpublic schools to be substantially equivalent to the local public schools. Recently, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told Republican politicians to leave the state and head to Florida: Get out of town. Because you dont represent our values. In a similar spirit, the Regents are telling anybody unhappy with the local public schools: You dont like this kind of education? Then leave the state. The Compulsory Education Law has been on the books since 1895, but it reflects an era when white protestant Americans expected immigrants to assimilate in a hurry. I wish that my grandparents had taught my father Italian, but like many immigrants at the time, they wanted their children to speak English like everyone else. In hindsight, though, Americans realized that the melting pot idea harms families, traditions and communities and denies the rest of society the contributions of other cultures. Today, more and more Americans appreciate that the country is richer when many cultures contribute their entree to the cultural potluck. Orthodox Jews chose to leave Europe after the Holocaust and rebuild their communities and schools in New York. America is the land of opportunity and religious freedom, and Orthodox Jews have been part of the fiber of New York City for decades. Story continues What districts face: NY Regents boost private school education oversight Earlier:NY rules for reviewing private school academics may be approved in days Orthodox Jews do not want substantially equivalent schools Many Orthodox Jews have protested the states new regulations for nonpublic schools. Here are excerpts from letters raising concerns from Jewish constituencies about the new regulations: Lawyers: Aside from our core religious tenet as Jewish parents to transmit Jewish learning and values to the next generation, we want our children to enjoy the rich educational experience we were afforded. The proposed Regulations hamper our ability as parents to direct our childrens education as we see fit. Software engineers: While the proposed regulations entirely discount the value of our Jewish studies, our clear experience has been that the intensive logical reasoning skills cultivated through those very courses are at the bedrock of our outstanding success as engineers. Mental health professionals: Professional codes of ethics for mental health practitioners emphasize respect for diversity and for cultural values of minorities. We urge you to do the same by considering the many strengths that are unique to yeshiva education rather than seeking to replicate the public-school experience. The state education department says that it has reviewed over 350,000 comments about the regulations and decided that they do not regulate religious instruction. One can only conclude that the state education department has not heard what the Orthodox Jews are saying. Or they have heard and do not care if Orthodox Jews are happy or remain in the state. Students in yeshiva start the day early and go until dinner time. Students learn Biblical Hebrew, Mishnaic Hebrew, Aramaic, and English and read the Torah, Talmud, and commentaries on both. One scholar compares yeshiva education to upper-level humanities coursework in a university. Students cannot do this kind of education and have enough time to check off all the items on the regulatory to-do list. Yeshivas may offer a better kind of education for some students than public schools. But the Regents are not interested in a healthy competition between school models. A recent New York Times article called yeshivas failing private schools flush with public money. The total education budget for New York City is $31 billion in fiscal year 2023, and New York Hasidic schools have received $1 billion in the last four years. A drop in the bucket. Furthermore, the scandal identified in the article is that yeshiva students fare poorly on state tests when they take them. Nicholas Tampio The state can force yeshivas to offer more secular education to raise test scores, but they would be destroying much of what makes them unique. The regulations will also affect every other kind of education that does not presently focus on improving test scores. New York education policymakers could have tried to make public schools more attractive to families. Instead, they are forcing all New York students to attend schools that are nearly the same, whether families like it or not. Nicholas Tampio is a professor of political science at Fordham University. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY substantial equivalence: Dismal future for nonpublic schools Law enforcement experts are raising their eyebrows over New York Citys "gun free zone" law, which established a perimeter lined with laminated signs prohibiting the public from carrying firearms within, as one longtime police executive said the new legislation doesnt "make sense" and is "extremely confusing." "I didnt like the idea of setting up special zones where permitted gun carrier holders could not go," said Terence Monahan, formerly the highest-ranking uniformed member of the New York Police Department. Monahan spent just months shy of 40 years with the NYPD before he retired as Chief of Department in 2021. He said when he first heard the news of the "gun-free zones," it "didnt make sense." "Its going to make things very confusing for police officers on the street dealing with it," he told Fox News Digital. "If someone is law enforcement, retired law enforcement, theyre allowed to have firearms in these zones. But other permit holders have to stop at a certain street and turn around if they have their firearms, cant go into certain stores or locations." NEW YORK GUN FREE ZONES GO INTO EFFECT Monahan further called it "an extremely confusing law," and said police should be focusing instead on the illegal gun-holders. "In 40 years of policing, the main thing I always wanted was that illegal gun carrier someone who never had a permit, someone whos out there looking to do harm with that gun," he said. "Thats what the police need to focus on." NEW YORK LEGISLATION DESIGNATES TIMES SQUARE A 'GUN FREE' ZONE Just last week, New York City Council officially defined the perimeter of the zone from Sixth to Ninth avenues and West 40th to West 53rd streets, local news station NY1 reported. New York City Mayor Eric Adams first announced the state legislation at the end of August. The law took effect September 1 in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that shot down the state requirement that people show their specific need for a gun in order to be granted a concealed carry permit in New York City. Justices wrote that the mandate violated Americans Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms." Story continues People walk past a "Gun Free Zone" sign posted on 40th Street and Broadway on August 31, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images While it loosened the requirements for those who want to carry concealed weapons in New York City, New York State responded by adding more requirements for city permit applicants including requesting applicants share information regarding their social media accounts and complete training courses and establishing the "gun-free zones." In addition to Times Square, the City also barred guns from being brought into other "sensitive areas," such as churches, parks and theaters. A general view of the Times Square in New York City, United States on September 16, 2022. Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images But not without some pushback. Brooklyn City Council Member Kalman Yeger argued Wednesday that the council neglected to fully address the citywide gun violence, NY1 reported. "The people who are doing the crime in the city, the people who are killing each other, are not the guys with licenses," Yeger said, according to the report. Monahan echoed Yeger's sentiment, telling Fox News Digital that a criminal who wants to bring a gun into Times Square "is going to carry that gun into Times Square, same as he is going to carry it into a development somewhere in Brooklyn in [Bedford-Stuyvesant]." "You're not going to prevent that based on these laws, but you will prevent a law-abiding citizen who rightly got his permit from walking into that area," he went on. A general view of the Times Square in New York City, United States on September 16, 2022. Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Monahan also stressed that he was not "looking to see citizens arming themselves or using firearms." NYC AX-WIELDING SUSPECT IN MCDONALD'S CAUGHT-ON-CAMERA RAMPAGE RELEASED WITHOUT BAIL: REPORTS "Thats not what we need. We have 35,000-plus New York City police officers out on the street. We dont need the confusion of anyone pulling out a gun." A general view of the Times Square in New York City, United States on September 16, 2022. Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images New York City is still rebounding from the drastic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, both on the tourism industries and on the commuter lifestyle both of which were effectively drawn to a halt for months at a time. A record 66.6 million out-of-staters visited New York City in 2019, and spent $47.4 billion while there, according to the New York State Comptrollers Office. The $72 billion tourism industry from 2019 plummeted, data show. A general view of the Times Square in New York City, United States on September 16, 2022. Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images About 34.6 million people visited New York City in 2021, and 56.4 million are expected to visit by the end of 2022, city tourism department NYC & Company reported. Meanwhile, the city is also seeing the continued re-emergence of office-goers returning to work, including those who will be passing through Times Square. NYPD data shows crime was down during the most recent week-long period, which ended on September 18. But total index crime remains up by 34.2% as of the 18th, the police figures show. People stand in line outside "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Times Square on January 25, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images John Jay College of Criminal Justice adjunct professor Joseph Giacalone called the gun-free zones "low-hanging fruit" and told Fox News Digital he believed people viewed them as "a joke." "Even if it did stop people in Times Square, stop criminals in Times Square carrying guns, the subways are still a problem," said Giacalone, also a former NYPD detective sergeant. "You can bring as many signs as you want. Listen, we still have no parking signs and people still double park signs dont do anything." Fox News Digital's Matteo Cina contributed to this report. The gunman who shot a Danish tourist in a botched mugging is behind bars, police said Tuesday. Narada Hayles, 36, was arrested Monday and charged with attempted murder, assault, gun possession, reckless endangerment and attempted robbery. He was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday night. After following his victim for several minutes around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Hayles confronted him on West End Ave. near W. 103rd St. on the Upper West Side and asked him for just $1, according to cops and court documents. The 31-year-old victim, who had just left a party and was headed back to his hostel, ignored the request and kept walking, authorities said. Hayles allegedly shot the man in the back at close range as he walked away, and then ran off himself. Surveillance footage showed Hayles returned home 15 minutes later, then roaming the streets armed with the pistol he used for the shooting for about 36 hours, according to court documents. The bullet penetrated the unsuspecting victims spleen and lodged near his pelvis. Doctors had to remove part of his colon in their efforts to save his life, court records showed. The tourist was rushed to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital in stable condition. He was expected to recover. Hayles was arrested at his home, a community residence for people with mental illness just a few blocks from the crime scene, according to court records. Cops said they recovered an unloaded .380 caliber pistol in his pocket, matching the caliber of the shell casing found on scene. When interviewed by detectives, Hayles denied the shooting itself, but admitted to possessing the gun and identified himself in several video stills where he is wearing the clothing from the shooting. Hayles had a pending grand larceny case in Queens for swiping a phone from a sleeping passenger on a J train, authorities said. He was caught in that case when the victim used a train conductors phone to call himself, according to the criminal complaint. Hayles has other arrests on his record, including another one for grand larceny, plus petty larceny and theft of service, police said. He was set to return to court Sept. 23. and faces up to 25 years in state prison if convicted, prosecutors said. Authorities on Monday were making contact with remote villages along Alaskas western coast to determine the need for food and water and assess damage after a massive storm swamped the states coastline over the weekend. Members of the Alaska National Guard and the American Red Cross were deployed to affected areas to determine the need for food, water, and shelter. The state identified five communities Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok, and Nome most impacted by the storm and flooding. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced on Twitter Monday that he will request a Federal Disaster Declaration and federal assistance as soon as authorities "gather the necessary information." If the requests are approved, at least 75% of eligible disaster costs will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dunleavy declared a state of disaster Saturday and the American Red Cross designated the storm as a Level 4 disaster, allowing the organization to fundraise directly for recovery efforts, according to Dunleavy. State emergency teams and staff from organizations such as the Red Cross of Alaska are being deployed today, Dunleavy said in a tweet Monday. All guardsmen and state defense forces in the entire western region are being activated. As of Sunday, three communities Elim, Unalakleet, and Hooper Bay had a boil advisory in effect. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths from the storm. FIONA SLAMS PUERTO RICO: Hurricane overwhelms the island with flooding, mudslides, massive power loss Expected freeze-up in coming weeks About 21,000 residents living in small communities along the western Alaska coast were impacted by the storm. As floodwaters receded, damages to homes, roads, and other infrastructure were revealed. Many homes were flooded or moved from their foundations by the rushing waters and strong winds. The state transportation department said most airports in the area were open, and officials were making either temporary or permanent repairs to the runways that still have issues, according to Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Story continues Zidek said state officials are also reaching out to every community in the region because of the numerous reports of damage. While the needs may be greater in some, we dont want to neglect those other communities that have minor issues that still need to be resolved, he said. However, efforts to reach some communities have been difficult due to downed communication lines. The communities of Kotzebue and Kivalina were both still without power Monday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo. To address the aftermath of the storm, all members of the Alaska National Guard in the western region of the state were activated and the American Red Cross sent 50 volunteers to communities most in need. The state's emergency operations center is also fully staffed with military, state agencies, and volunteer organizations to help provide aid. Recovery efforts are urgent as a freeze-up, or the start of winter is expected in about three weeks. Dunleavy declared to get communities up and running again as soon as possible during a news conference Sunday. "We just have to impress upon our federal friends that it's not a Florida situation where we've got months to work on this," Dunleavy said during the conference. "We've got several weeks." PEAK HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE: You could see the names Fiona, Julia and Karl soon. Where is the storm now? Remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused the massive storm along Alaskas 1,000-mile stretch of the western coastline, where strong winds and high water surges flooded the sparsely populated region. AccuWeather called the former typhoon one of the most intense storms to impact the state in recent history after it transitioned from a tropical cyclone to a powerful, non-tropical wind and rainstorm. The surge of water from the Bering Sea came on Friday bringing significant coastal flooding and wind gusts that could reach hurricane strength, according to the Weather Service. By Sunday, Dunleavy said the storm settled over the Chukchi Sea. The storm remained stalled Monday near northwest Alaska as it weakened after its most powerful stage. Coastal flood warnings were extended until Monday for an area north of the Bering Strait since water will be slow to recede in towns like Kotzebue, Kivalina, and Shishmaref, Lardeo told the Associated Press. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Western Alaskan storm: Damage assessments begin in remote villages Typical "Police Line Do Not Cross" barricade tape, often seen cordoning off crime scenes. Oklahoma City police are investigating two possible homicides after discovering bodies Monday morning. Officers were first called at 8:39 a.m. to an apartment on NW 26 to do a welfare check, where they found Jason Toland, 53, dead. Toland's injuries were "consistent with homicide," according to police. More:Pastor Derrick Scobey and Adam Luck appointed to Oklahoma County jail trust A little over an hour later, police were called to an apartment complex on SE 54 by an employee who found a person they believed to be deceased inside a vacant apartment. Officers found 26-year-old Dwayne Mack dead, again with "injuries consistent with homicide." No arrests have been made in connection with either death. These investigations bring the number of suspected homicides in Oklahoma City to 56 in 2022. More:What we know about the two new prospective Oklahoma County jail trust members Police encourage anyone who might have information to call the Homicide Tip-Line at 405-297-1200. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC police investigating two suspected homicides; no arrests made yet The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the governor's influence over school mask mandates in an opinion issued Tuesday, ruling in favor of doctors and parents who challenged a state law that at one point effectively blocked masking requirements in public schools. The court decided a crucial provision in Senate Bill 658 that made school mask mandates contingent on the governor declaring a state of emergency is impermissible and denies school districts local control. The decision means public schools wouldnt have to wait for a governors emergency order to require face coverings, though few schools, if any, still mandate them. We are pleased the Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with local control and upheld the ability of schools to protect their students and staff, said Oklahoma State Medical Association President Dr. David Holden, whose organization sued to overturn the law. We are currently reviewing the ruling and will discuss any next steps with the other plaintiffs. Students arrive in the drop-off lane at Rockwood Elementary for Oklahoma City Public Schools' first day of class on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. Gov. Kevin Stitt said repeatedly he would not declare another state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic. The court said this meant the law acted as a state wide prohibition for masks for public schools. Local control of schools is usurped by requiring the Governor to exercise executive authority to declare a state of emergency, Justice Yvonne Kauger wrote in the courts majority opinion. The law took effect July 1, 2021. Shortly afterward, the highly transmissible delta variant ratcheted up cases across the state only to be followed by an even more contagious omicron variant later that winter. Some school districts, including Oklahoma City Public Schools and Santa Fe South Charter Schools, began requiring masks despite the law, as COVID-19 infections quickly became overwhelming among students and teachers. The state medical association and four mothers of public school students filed a lawsuit Aug. 12, 2021, in Oklahoma County District Court to challenge SB 658. They contended the law denied children a safe learning environment and was unconstitutional because it applied only to public schools, not private schools. Story continues While public schools were prohibited from mandating masks, private schools freely required them. "This is not a political stance; it is about public health and common sense, then-OSMA President Dr. Mary Clarke said at the time. If schools can send students home for a lice infection, they should have the latitude and ability to issue a mask mandate." District Judge Natalie Mai put a temporary stop to the bill, allowing public schools to issue mask mandates as long as parents had the choice to opt out their children from the requirement. "Parental choice is extremely important to the Legislature," Mai said in a Sept. 1, 2021, court hearing. "Any requirement whatsoever must have that option available to the parent." The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced it would not enforce the mask mandate prohibition in light of the district court decision. The Oklahoma Judicial Center, pictured on July 23, 2019, is the headquarters of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Judiciary of Oklahoma. Attorney General John O'Connor appealed Mais ruling, and the Supreme Court agreed to review the case. The court determined SB 658 removes a school boards ability to act independently and instead hands over that control to the governor who has neither constitutional nor statutory authority over the operation of schools. Rep. Kevin West, an author of SB 658, said on Tuesday he wouldn't take issue if a school district implemented a mask mandate without the governor first giving an emergency order. More:COVID-19 or allergies? When to get tested and 3 things to watch for, per an Oklahoma expert West, R-Moore, said he prioritized other parts of the law that compel a school board, if it does require masks, to explain its reasons for the mandate and to review the requirement at every regularly scheduled board meeting. "I was much more concerned about the interaction with the parents and keeping them informed," West said. "I didnt see it as overstepping our bounds by putting that (emergency order clause) in there, but like I said, it just wasn't as big of a sticking point as the rest of the bill was to me." Oklahoma public schools widely ended their mask mandates this year, though COVID-19 cases remain elevated. From August into early September, Oklahoma has recorded between 9,000 and 10,000 new COVID-19 cases a week; that dropped to about 6,800 in the states most recent epidemiology report. Those figures don't include any at-home testing, so the true number of infections is almost certainly higher. Both cases and hospitalizations are still well below the highs they reached in early 2022. As of last week, the statewide average levels of COVID-19 in wastewater were low. Wastewater testing is considered an accurate way to measure community spread of the virus because it doesnt rely on individuals obtaining COVID-19 tests and having it reported by the state. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Rep. Kevin West, an author of SB 658. Contributing: Reporter Dana Branham Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Court strikes down school mask mandate ban Firefighters spray water on a shoe factory in Dnipro, Ukraine, destroyed by a Russian airstrike March 11. (Emre Caylak / AFP via Getty Images) No. That was President Bidens response earlier this month when a reporter asked whether the Russian Federation should be added to the Department of States sponsors of terrorism list. Bidens terse reply was disappointing, particularly when there is bipartisan support in Congress for adding Russia to the rolls of repressive regimes that have previously been declared terrorist states. The executive branch despises being pressured on terrorist sanction issues. I know because for more than 10 years as head of the department office responsible for deciding who should be added to the list I directly observed how dismissive we were when the legislative branch tried to compel us to designate as terrorist groups the Islamic extremist organization Boko Haram and the Haqqani network, a powerful offshoot of the Taliban. A similar adversarial bureaucratic knife fight is playing out today with Russia and Bidens one-word rejection will not help the executive branch preserve its highly prized flexibility. The administration fears that adding Russia to the state-sponsored terrorism list will limit options on how to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and other highly contentious bilateral issues. Yet a convincing case has not been made that adding Russia to the list would limit flexibility. The argument it would limit diplomatic solutions to the Ukrainian conflict is a red herring. Adding countries to the list does not constrain diplomacy. The incentive to be removed from it is great. Libya gave up its chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear aspirations with the promise of having its state-sponsored terrorism designation rescinded; dictator Muammar Gaddafi found the allure of being welcomed back by the international community intoxicating. In 2008, my first year leading the office, the United States leveraged de-listing of North Korea for nuclear-related concessions. To demonstrate its seriousness, North Korea imploded a water-cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility. Not long afterward, the country was removed from the list. Along the way, for many months, U.S. and North Korean diplomats engaged in high level talks. North Koreas placement on the state-sponsored terrorism list did not stop a deal from occurring. Flexibility remained. Story continues While Iran was a designated terrorist state, the Obama administration reached a landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2015. Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it resulted in major Iranian nuclear-related concessions. Adding countries to the state-sponsored terrorism list is not a death knell for diplomacy. Even countries on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, such as the United States and Iran, can negotiate the terms of a major international nuclear agreement while the cloud of terrorism sanctions hangs overhead. However, the U.S. has sparingly used this sanction tool, an extreme economic option, because it has far more impact than any other sanction including those already deployed against the Russians. It would trigger secondary sanctions against countries that continue to support the Russian war effort, and it would increase Russias exposure in U.S. courts putting its assets in the U.S. at risk of being forfeited and seized. Still, Biden could retain diplomatic flexibility even if Russia were added to the terrorism list because the underlying laws afford the president the ability to issue waivers, subject to congressional notification, in the interests of national security effectively providing the administration an ability to pick and choose how to deploy secondary sanctions. For instance, if Russia were on the list and received military assistance from China, the Chinese government could become subject to U.S. sanctions but the president could waive the imposition of the penalties. The timing of any sanction is important. There are good reasons why such a listing should be sequenced carefully. For instance, the listing could possibly complicate U.S. efforts to negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American, Paul Whelan who both may endure unjust prison sentences. Whelan's sister, who supports Russias inclusion on the list, has expressed concern that doing so could make it more difficult to secure her brothers release. So the U.S. may want to strike a deal with Russia related to the prisoners' release before adding a new irritant to the countries relationship. After countries are on the list, the U.S. can still productively engage in diplomatic negotiations with them. Adding Russia should not get in the way of carrying out meaningful dialogue on a range of issues, whether that applies to the conflict in Ukraine or the release of U.S. prisoners from jail. These arent either/or choices. The world deserves a nuanced response that explains why Russia wont be added to our state-sponsored terrorism list. If that does not happen, the executive branch will risk the ire of Congress, which can unilaterally act on the matter and pass a bill labeling Russia a terrorist state (which, yes, Biden could veto but Congress could overturn). That would truly limit the executive branchs flexibility. Jason M. Blazakis is a professor of practice at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. He was director of the State Departments Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office in the Bureau of Counterterrorism from 2008 to 2018. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. As kids don their backpacks to go back to school, the rhetoric of the midterm elections and associated culture wars is rising. The country cant agree on how to talk about race, sexuality, even history. Even in the midst of COVID, Americans cant agree on when young people should wear a mask or attend school in person. However, there is agreement on helping young people launch into the next phase of their lives. This is a game changer for the current generation and a powerful opportunity for the nation. While the divides seem stark between red states and blue, policy leaders and practitioners from Texas to Tennessee and California to Colorado are collaborating to create innovative career pathways for students. No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep the 74 free for everyone with a donation during our Fall Campaign. In my home state of Delaware, were constantly learning from those other states. John Fitzpatrick, executive director of Educate Texas, serves on the board at my nonprofit, Rodel, and has urged the nation to rethink early college high schools and the expansion of Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-Tech), in which students earn credit toward an associate degree and hands-on work experience in high-demand, high-wage careers. I serve as an adviser to some exciting work that Colorado Succeeds is leading called Path 4Ward, in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Higher Education. This initiative recognizes that not all students want or need to graduate high school in four years and provides scholarships for college courses and high-demand certificate programs. More formally, the nonprofit skill-building organization Jobs for the Future has created Pathways to Prosperity Network, in which states across the nation, from blue California to red Tennessee, learn with, and from, one another. Related: Fueled by Grants, States Bet Innovative Career Training Programs Will Lure Disengaged Youth Back to School After COVID Starting in Middle School Story continues What are the products of these collaborations? Students gaining meaningful work experience through internships, apprenticeships and completed college coursework or certifications before theyre 18. These pathways a combination of targeted in-school curriculum and outside, real-world experiences are aligned with broad sectors like health care or information technology. For example, as fintech is big in my state, a new LLC under Rodel called the Delaware IT Industry Council is building stronger connections among employers, training providers and high schools. The work across sectors in Delaware is so popular that it has grown from 27 students in 2015, to over 26,000, or more than half of the states high schoolers, in 2022. These efforts include traditional vocational education but are meant for all kids, regardless of what they want to do after high school. Pathways are not about locking a young person into a career choice at age 14; rather, about helping them make better-informed choices. But as the hard lines between school and work soften what Jobs for the Future calls the big blur career exploration is starting earlier and is expanding into middle school. This reflects a historic shift. In 1910, about 7% of Americans had a high school diploma. By 1940, that figure approached 70%, giving the U.S. the best-educated workforce in the world for much of the 20th century. But many countries have caught up or surpassed us, and a high school diploma isnt enough anymore. Economists project that by 2027, 70% of family-sustaining careers will require a degree or certification beyond high school. Related: Rosen: To Build a Pipeline of Workers for the Economy of the Future, High School Students Need CTE Training in Green Jobs. Federal Funding Can Help Even before the pandemic, the pathways idea was gaining steam. Young people want agency over when, how, what and where they learn. Pathways give them a chance to learn important people skills, and to figure out what they want to do (and dont want to do). Pathways make sense to parents as well. Given the cost of college, families like the idea of their kids getting up to 15 college credits while still in high school and making sound postsecondary decisions to avoid dropping out with massive debt. Building seamless connections among business, high schools and colleges helps young people and their parents struggling to navigate smart postsecondary decisions, and it helps employers struggling to find talent. And a well-built pathway for an 18-year-old can also work for a 48-year-old looking to update needed work skills. Its a policy two-fer. What to do with this common ground? At the federal level, policymakers can set some North Stars. For example, what would it take to increase apprenticeships tenfold? There are only 440,000 registered apprentices in the U.S. today. If America created as many apprenticeships as a share of its labor force as England, Australia and Canada, that number would climb to around 4 million. Related: Allan: With $175G Grants, Accelerate ED Looks to Better Link K-12, College & Work Similarly, although a growing number of good jobs do not require a four-year degree, federal funds tend to heavily favor bachelors degree attainment over other training models. Deepening investments in one- and two-year certification and degree programs would not only even the playing field for new entrants, but aid millions of mid-career professionals. The upcoming reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act presents an opportunity to remedy this. At the state level, governors and legislatures have a unique opportunity to not only advance an issue thats good for students and their states, but for the country. Leveraging 50 state-level experiments could create a national conversation to jump-start Americas reinvention and add to the international discourse on how to provide all young people with a fair shot at a meaningful career and a good life. Orlando police shared pictures of a man Monday who they say followed a woman to her downtown Orlando apartment and attacked her there. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< By releasing the pictures, investigators are hoping someone from the public can help identify the man. READ: Georgia man found with enough fentanyl to kill populations of Flagler, Putnam counties Police say the incident happened on September 5 at approximately 2 a.m. The victim said the man shown in the pictures followed her to her apartment, managed to get inside then assaulted her in the apartment. READ: More than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with opioid use disorder in 2021 The suspect was described as a tall, black man with a muscular build. Hes bald with a beard and was described as wearing a black shirt, black pants, and black sneakers with a gold necklace around his neck. Police noted the suspect also had club bands and an Apple watch on his wrists. He has multiple tattoos on his upper body, including a distinct Japanese symbol for strength on his upper left arm, according to investigators. READ: Serial subject Adnan Syed to be released after judge tosses 2000 conviction Theyre asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to call their non-emergency dispatch line at (321) 235-5300 or contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477 or by texting **TIPS (8477). Tips reported to Crimeline can be made anonymously and may be eligible for a reward if they lead to an arrest. 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. VIENNA Ukrainian forces have recently pushed Russian troops back across thousands of square miles in northeastern Ukraine, liberating dozens of towns and cities from Russian rule. But for millions of Ukrainians living in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, the reality of life under Russian proxy rule is grim. And for Ukrainians suspected of collaborating with Kyiv and trapped behind enemy lines, its even worse. In June, POLITICO reported on hundreds of local staffers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitoring mission who were working in eastern Ukraine to support the missions efforts in observing a fragile ceasefire. Many of them were left behind when foreign staff were evacuated in the wars first days. Now, two of these team members have been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars in sham trials by separatist courts in Luhansk. On Monday, Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine sentenced OSCE mission members Dmitry Shabanov and Maxim Petrov to 13 years in prison for alleged treason. They are accused of having passed secret information to U.S. intelligence services, charges the OSCE vehemently denies. The legal proceedings against Shabanov and Petrov were only launched last week by the so-called Supreme Court of the unrecognized Luhansk peoples republic in eastern Ukraine. The court proceedings were held entirely behind closed doors. OSCE chairman-in-office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid unequivocally condemned the sentencing in a joint statement. Our colleagues remain OSCE staff members and had been performing official duties as mandated by all 57 participating States, Schmid said. I call for their immediate and unconditional release, along with our other colleague who is also being detained. Our Mission members have been held unjustifiably for more than five months in unknown conditions for nothing but pure political theatre. It is inhumane and repugnant, Rau added. Story continues For Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Ukraines ambassador to the OSCE, it was no longer a moment for diplomatic words. Russia is terrorizing the OSCE by illegally detaining three local OSCE staff members he told the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, the weekly meeting of OSCE ambassadors in Vienna. Shabanov served as a security assistant in the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the OSCEs flagship operation in eastern Ukraine. In a 15-second video shared by the Luhansk separatist authorities last week, Shabanov is seen in handcuffs, his head bowed, being dragged into what is supposed to be a courtroom. Petrov, who worked for the OSCE as an interpreter, was also seen sitting in a cage, dressed in a black jacket with a blank stare on his face. The Vienna-based OSCE, the worlds largest security body, is concerned about their well-being for good reason. The U.N. has documented arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances of more than 400 people, including former public officials, journalists and human rights activists in the territories controlled by Russia and its proxies since the start of the war. Anyone who is perceived as having ties to Ukrainian institutions or who is considered to be holding anti-Russian views is at risk. The U.N. has also corroborated numerous accounts of torture and of forced confessions accounts that paint a dark picture of a total lack of rule of law or fair legal proceedings. Many of the victims are also transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation a process that has become known as filtration where they are held in penal colonies, often in horrific conditions. Until Russias invasion of Ukraine, the OSCE oversaw a Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of 689 unarmed, international civilian monitors and 478 Ukrainian staff members who were stationed mostly in eastern Ukraine to observe a fragile ceasefire. The mission was first deployed to Ukraine on March 21, 2014, following a request from Ukraine and a consensus decision by all 57 OSCE participating states, including Russia. But when Russian tanks rolled across the Ukrainian border and missiles came raining down on Feb. 24, the OSCE decided to evacuate its international mission members for security reasons. Some of the Ukrainian staffers who typically held posts such as translators, administrative assistants, security advisers and drivers were given the possibility to join evacuation convoys or to relocate within the country. In the ensuing panic and chaos, and given the OSCEs lack of a detailed plan to react to a full-scale Russian invasion, the majority of national staffers could not flee, which led to disastrous consequences for some of them, as POLITICO investigated. Shabanov had initially made plans to join an OSCE evacuation convoy of international mission members, but the day before the evacuation, he decided to remain in Luhansk, according to a former colleague. During a meeting between Western diplomats and the former Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission Yasar Halit Cevik that took place in the days prior to the Russian invasion, it became apparent that the leadership of the OSCE mission did not take the threat seriously enough, according to people familiar with the matter. This led a number of Western nations, including the U.S., the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, to unilaterally evacuate their nationals from the OSCE mission in Ukraine. Another OSCE mission member, Vadim Holda, who has been held in Russia-controlled Donetsk since April, and who worked as a security adviser for the OSCE mission, has been charged with espionage. Legal proceedings have not yet been launched. The continued detention of our Mission members and the so-called legal proceedings against them are completely unacceptable. They are held unjustifiably on fabricated charges, Polish foreign minister Rau said. Meanwhile, the OSCE continues to try to secure the release of the three mission members. The OSCE remains in close contact with relevant stakeholders, including other international organizations, to facilitate the release of detained SMM staff, the OSCE said in a statement. The organization also says that it will continue to take steps to pursue all available channels to secure the privileges and immunities of current and former OSCE officials. The OSCE declined to comment further due to the sensitivity of the situation. ABC News The National Archives has still not recovered all the presidential records that should have been turned over at the end of the Trump administration, according to a new letter to Congress from the acting archivist. "We do know that we do not have custody of everything we should," Debra Steidel Wall, acting archivist of the United States, said in her letter to Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., suggesting that former officials had still not turned over electronic messages of official business done on personal accounts. Wall's letter was a response to a Sept. 13 request from Maloney seeking an "urgent review" of "whether presidential records remain unaccounted for and potentially in the possession of the former president." Noor's son Saeed needs an urgent blood transfusion, having contracted a severe form of malaria "I can't stand the sight of my baby suffering," says Noor Zadi, as she cradles 10-month-old Saeed Ahmed in her arms. Just weeks after she lost her home in Pakistan's deadly floods, Noor is now terrified for her son. "We are poor and we are really worried for him," she says. As a doctor inserts a cannula into his tiny ankle, gently easing a needle into his delicate skin, he screams in pain. Saeed is in need of an urgent blood transfusion, having contracted a severe form of malaria. Noor's family is one of thousands now facing a double burden. Health officials here in Sindh Province - the worst-affected region - say they've seen a dramatic spike in cases of malaria, dengue and diarrhoea, as displaced families live in the open next to stagnant water. Saeed isn't the only baby receiving life-saving treatment in the emergency ward of Thatta District hospital. Seated on the other end of the same stretcher as Noor, another mother looks on in anguish as her child is connected to a drip. Almost all of the patients on this ward are young children, almost all of them suffering from flood-related illnesses, says Dr Ashfaque Ahmed, the hospital's medical officer. As he shows us around the ward, Dr Ahmed tells me he's facing an acute shortage of anti-malarial drugs. On the adjacent bed, a woman named Shaista lies motionless on her side. Seven months pregnant, and also from a flood-impacted area, she's extremely unwell and is being transported to a bigger hospital further away, Dr Ahmed tells us. Every few minutes another patient arrives. As Ghulam Mustafa enters the ward, his two-year-old granddaughter Saima clings tightly to his shoulders. "My house was completely flooded," he says, "I took her to the doctor in the camp where I'm staying but they couldn't help, so I came here." Ghulam Mustafa brought his granddaughter to hospital after a doctor was unable to treat her at a relief camp Not everyone can get to a hospital. Half an hour away, we visit a camp in the Damdama area of the province, which has become home to hundreds of thousands of flood refugees. Story continues As we drive towards the area, swathes of land are covered by water - the roofs of a few homes peek out from below. Along a riverbank we pass what seems like an endless row of makeshift tents, built with the most primitive of means. Sticks hold together pieces of cloth, or leaves, to create a flimsy structure - barely enough to provide shelter from the intense heat, let alone the rain. Many of those living here are young families, as we approach the camp several people run up to ask us if we are doctors. Relief camps have become home to hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their houses to the floods A woman carries her young son in her arms, he's had a fever for days and she doesn't know what to do. Underneath a basic tent is where we find Rashida and four of her seven children, who are unwell. Eight months pregnant and worried for her unborn child, she says she doesn't have money to take them to a doctor. "They've got fever and they're throwing up loads of mosquitoes have bitten them. My children are crying for milk," she says. Rashida says she hasn't received any food aid, or a tent from the authorities. Others who shared similar stories say they feel abandoned. Dr Ghazanfar Qadri, a senior government official in Thatta, admitted there was a scarcity of tents, but said food aid was being sent to as many areas as possible. "There might be some pockets which have not been covered, but in my knowledge the entire area has been covered by rations," he told the BBC. As Rashida awaits the birth of her next child, those words provide her with little comfort. Rashida says she hasn't received any food aid, or a tent from the authorities Officials say it could take months for the water levels to recede. Pointing across the swollen river, she shows me where she once lived. "Our house was washed away. We have nothing." By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Palantir Technologies Inc announced on Wednesday it signed a deal valued at $20 million over five years to expand its partnership with South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, one of the world's largest shipbuilding conglomerates. The conglomerate's shipbuilding affiliates including Hyundai Heavy will use Palantir's operating system, known as Foundry, to strengthen data-driven decision making, Palantir's Chief Operating Officer Shyam Sankar told Reuters. Companies in the export-driven economy, faced with supply chain snarls and volatility for raw material prices, are increasingly seeking to make interconnected decisions with their data that help get immediate results in weeks, Sankar said. "The operators... understand this in their stomach," he added. "These are companies that have global operations." The deal is in addition to existing agreements with the conglomerate's refinery affiliate Hyundai Oilbank and construction machinery maker Hyundai Doosan Infracore, valued at over $25 million combined - expanding Palantir's footprint in the country. "The approach is... start with the decision they make... and make you better at each decision by improving the amount and surface area of data," instead of first looking to data then trying to make decisions - a novel approach for many customers, Sankar said. Palantir is also actively working to extend partnerships with South Korea's government as well as private sectors, and has formally opened an office in Seoul. In five years, Sankar estimated the United States will likely still take up about 60% of Palantir's sales, but Asia's portion in the remaining 40% will grow to be a large part as the firm seeks to expand in the region. The firm is currently focused on building its business in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The firm co-founded by billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel in 2003 to aid in U.S. counter-terrorism operations now derives almost half its sales from the private sector. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by David Gregorio) A rare operation by the Palestinian Authority security forces to arrest a Hamas member sparked clashes in the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, killing one. A statement from the security forces confirmed the death of bystander Firas Yaish and said they were "waiting for a medical report," on the circumstances of his killing. He was killed "in a place where no security personnel were present," forces spokesman Talal Dweikat said in a statement. Unrest persisted through the morning, with hundreds of youths hurling rocks at PA armoured vehicles and the sound of gunfire ringing out across the city centre, AFP correspondents reported. Ahmed, 26, a protester who declined to give his family name citing personal security concerns, told AFP the protesters' anger was fuelled by "security coordination between the PA and the occupation (Israel)." "Go away Abu Mazen," he said, referring to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. "You are not the Palestinians but only one man -- and a man who wants to fill his pocket with money," he said. Hamas, historic rivals of the Abbas's secular Fatah movement that controls the PA, condemned the arrest of 30-year-old Musaab Shtayyeh, calling it a "kidnapping... a national crime" and a "stain" on the PA's image. It demanded the immediate release of Shtayyeh and Ameed Tbaileh, who was arrested with him, and blasted the PA for keeping up security coordination with Israel. "The authority has positioned itself as an exclusive agent of the occupation (Israel) in the face of our Palestinian people," the statement said. While Abbas's forces maintain security ties with Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, PA raids targeting Hamas members are not common. Fatah and Hamas have made various reconciliation attempts in recent years but relations remain tense. Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007, when it ousted PA forces from the coastal enclave in deadly street battles. - 'Maintain order' - The northern West Bank has suffered near daily violence in recent months. Story continues Israel has conducted dozens of night-time raids in the area, particularly in Jenin, pursuing wanted individuals. Dozens of Palestinians, including fighters, have been killed in the raids that began after a series of deadly attacks against Israeli targets in March. Israel has put mounting pressure on the PA to crack down on alleged militants in the West Bank. Last week, after two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in clashes near Jenin, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he would "not hesitate to act in any place that the Palestinian Authority does not maintain order". Earlier this month, Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi said the "helplessness of the Palestinian Authority security forces" was providing fertile ground for the armed groups. bur-gb-gl/bs/kir NABLUS, West Bank (AP) Palestinian security forces exchanged fire with militants in the center of the West Bank's second-largest city Tuesday as angry residents pelted an armored jeep with objects and chased it away. One man was reported dead. In separate violence, Israeli police said late Tuesday that an 84-year-old woman was beaten to death in central Israel and that they were searching for a Palestinian suspect. Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the killing pure evil. The fighting in Nablus, sparked by an arrest raid against local militants, marked a rare case of deadly internal Palestinian fighting in the occupied West Bank. It also reflected the deep unpopularity of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which is widely seen as collaborating with an entrenched and unbearable system of Israeli military domination. Amateur videos posted to social media showed local youths pelting a Palestinian military-style jeep with bricks, stones and metal bars before chasing the vehicle from the central Martyrs Square. The sound of gunfire echoed through the city, known as the West Bank's business capital, for several hours. The violence was reminiscent of how Palestinians typically protest against Israeli troops. By midafternoon, the Palestinian forces had withdrawn and the city remained quiet. The northern West Bank is known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants, and the Palestinian Authority has frequently had difficulties maintaining control in the area over the years. The authority maintains close security ties with Israel in a shared struggle against Islamic militants. This has helped fuel the perception that the PA is merely a subcontractor for Israel interested more in its own survival than improving the lives of its people. Israels military occupation of the West Bank is now in its 55th year, with no signs of ending anytime soon. The last substantial round of peace talks ended in 2009. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, home to some 500,000 Israeli settlers, as the heartland of a future independent state. Story continues In recent months, the PA's standing has been further weakened as Israel carries out nightly arrest raids. A survey published Tuesday found that 26% of Palestinians are satisfied with the performance of President Mahmoud Abbas, while 74% are hoping for his resignation. It also projected that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would defeat Abbas in an election, even in the West Bank. The survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research questioned 1,270 people and had a margin of error of three percentage points. Israel launched the West Bank crackdown last spring after a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, some of which were launched by militants from the area. Some 90 Palestinians have died in the arrest raids, many said by Israel to have been militants, or local youths who came out to protest the raids. Israeli police released few details about the deadly attack in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon. But they released a photo of a young Palestinian man from the West Bank wanted in the beating and asked the public for help in finding him. Lapid, who was at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, called the killing a shocking attack by a despicable and cowardly terrorist. Israel says it is forced to act because the Palestinian security forces have failed to do so. The Palestinians say it is difficult and humiliating to cooperate with the Israelis at a time when there is no political horizon. Earlier Tuesday, Lapid met with Jordan's King Abdullah II. In a brief statement, Lapid's office said he talked about the need for calming the situation on the ground and halting terrorism ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays. Abdullah, whose country borders the West Bank and has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies there, called for maintaining a comprehensive calm during the upcoming period. In a statement released by his office, Abdullah called for a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace" that would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. He also called for granting the Palestinians their just and legitimate rights. The United States has pushed both Israel and the Palestinians to restore quiet. But the Biden administration has failed to present a diplomatic plan, focusing instead on small measures to improve the Palestinian economy. Palestinian officials refused to comment on Tuesdays operation. But two Hamas militants were arrested in the raid, according to the mens families. One of them was close to another militant who was recently killed in an Israeli raid. Residents accused the Palestinian security forces of making the arrests on behalf of Israel and began shooting into the air and burning tires. Palestinian security responded with tear gas, and exchanges of fire took place. Hisham Yaish, a local resident, wrote on Facebook that his 53-year-old brother Firas was killed in a gunfight. He did not accuse either side of firing the deadly bullet, saying only his brother was killed in the tragic incidents. But Hamas, which is locked in a bitter rivalry with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, said the Palestinian security forces had killed him. Hamas condemned the raid and accused the Palestinian Authority of collaborating with Israel. While the enemy continues to carry out killings, arrests, Judaization and settlements, the authority identifies with it by continuing security coordination, suppressing our people, and pursuing and arresting resistance fighters in behavior outside all our national norms, Hamas said in a statement. In a statement to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Palestinian security spokesman, Maj. Gen. Talal Dwaikat, confirmed Yaish's death. He said the cause of the death was unknown, but claimed an initial report found that security forces were not in the area where he was killed. Testimonies of eyewitnesses who were present in the area of the unfortunate accident confirm the authenticity of this account, he said. STORY: Islamist armed group Hamas, rival of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), said the PA had arrested one of its senior members wanted by Israel and another gunman, in the city of Nablus. There was no immediate comment from the PA, which has come under criticism from Israel and the United States for not doing enough to rein in gunmen in militant strongholds such as Nablus and the nearby city of Jenin. Confrontations broke out in both cities overnight. Gunshots were fired at the PA headquarters in Jenin, witnesses said. Shops shuttered and the An-Najah National University instructed students to stay home. Witnesses said PA policemen fired tear gas against youths hurling stones. It was not immediately clear if the 53-year-old man killed in the clashes was hit by PA or militant fire. By Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) -Palestinian gunmen clashed with Palestinian Authority security forces in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday and one man was killed in the confrontations, which broke out after the arrest of two militants, witnesses and medics said. Islamist militant group Hamas, rival of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), said the PA had arrested one of its senior members wanted by Israel and another gunman, in the city of Nablus. The PA said the reason for their arrest would be published at a later time. The PA has come under criticism from Israel and the United States for not doing enough to rein in gunmen in militant strongholds such as Nablus and the nearby city of Jenin. Confrontations broke out in both cities overnight. Gunshots were fired at the PA headquarters in Jenin, witnesses said. Shops shuttered and the An-Najah National University instructed students to stay home. Witnesses said PA policemen fired tear gas against youths hurling stones. It was not immediately clear if the 53-year-old man killed in the clashes was hit by PA or militant fire. Talal Dweikat, spokesman of the PA's security body, said the death was being investigated. Violence in the West Bank has surged in recent months after Israel stepped up raids into the territory following a spate of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israel. PA leaders have said the Israeli incursions weaken its rule, while Israel says it must operate there in order to prevent more attacks and has demanded the PA crack down on militants. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was expected to discuss the West Bank with Jordan's King Abdullah when they meet on Tuesday in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel collapsed in 2014. Since then, the domestic credibility of the PA has waned, while Hamas leaders regularly calling on militants in the West Bank to step up attacks on Israel. Story continues The Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Hamas rules Gaza, which it seized from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah in a brief 2007 civil war. "The Palestinian Authority has positioned itself as an exclusive agent of the (Israeli) occupation against our Palestinian people," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. Dweikat called for calm. "Now more than ever, we are in need of unity," he said in a statement. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta; Additional reporting and writing by Nidal Almughrabi in Gaza; Editing by Alison Williams) US supports Ho Chi Minh City to accelerate green growth The US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Peoples Committee on Tuesday launched a project to accelerate renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions to the citys urban energy challenges. Delegates at the event Joining in the event were USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs, HCMC Peoples Committee Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan, Acting Consul General Graham Harlow, General Director of HCMC Department of Industry and Trade Bui Ta Hoang Vu, and representatives from provincial departments. Speaking at the event, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Grubbs said that the US was at the forefront of supporting Vietnams transition to a clean, secure, and market-driven energy sector. Through our latest energy project, we are proud to partner with Ho Chi Minh City to power its green growth through more renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions," he said. "Together, we will attract green investments that bring a cleaner environment and lower energy costs to residents, and further cement Ho Chi Minh Citys role as a driver of Vietnams green economy. The United States and Vietnam are approaching 10 years of comprehensive partnership, and this event demonstrates how our two countries work together to address a growing demand for cleaner, more reliable energy options. The new, $14 million project, called USAID Vietnam Urban Energy Security, works with the Ho Chi Minh City and Danang city governments to improve urban planning related to clean energy, mobilize investment, and integrate clean energy solutions into the power system. These include rooftop solar, electric vehicles, waste-to-energy, and other energy efficiency solutions. For HCMC, the project plans to deploy at least 400 megawatts of clean energy, mobilize at least $540 million in public and private investments, and take at least 15 innovative solutions to urban energy issues to market. STORY: Islamist militant group Hamas, rival of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), said the PA had arrested one of its senior members wanted by Israel and another gunman, in the city of Nablus. The PA said the reason for their arrest would be published at a later time. The PA has come under criticism from Israel and the United States for not doing enough to rein in gunmen in militant strongholds such as Nablus and the nearby city of Jenin. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was expected to discuss the West Bank with Jordan's King Abdullah when they meet on Tuesday in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel collapsed in 2014. Since then, the domestic credibility of the PA has waned, while Hamas leaders regularly calling on militants in the West Bank to step up attacks on Israel. Stock image of woman sitting on a bed, facing a window For the first time, a US government-backed expert panel has recommended that adults under 65 should be screened for anxiety disorders. The influential US Preventive Services Task force also said that all adults should be checked for depression, consistent with past guidance. The change follows widespread warnings from experts on the mental health toll of the Covid-19 pandemic. The task force stopped short of a screening recommendation for suicide. The panel acknowledged that suicide is a leading cause of death among American adults but said there was "not enough evidence on whether screening people without signs or symptoms will ultimately help prevent suicide". In April, the panel issued similar guidance for children and adolescents, recommending anxiety screening for those aged between eight and 18. The draft guidance is aimed at young and middle-aged adults, including those who are pregnant and post-partum. It envisions the mental health screening as part of routine visits with primary care physicians, said Dr Lori Pbert, a task-force member and professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School. "When you go to your primary care provider, you get screened for many, many preventive conditions - blood pressure, heart rate, all kinds of things," she said. "Mental health conditions are just important as other physical conditions, and we really need to be treating mental health conditions with the same urgency that we do other conditions." The task force, comprised of 16 independent volunteers, provides guidance on preventive care measures. Insurance companies are often forced to cover services recommended by the task force, under a provision in the Affordable Care Act (informally known as Obamacare). Tuesday's report referenced studies showing that screening improved identification and treatment of anxiety. The recommendations are only for those who do not have a diagnosed mental health disorder or do not show recognised signs or symptoms. Story continues "Anyone showing signs or symptoms of depression, anxiety, or suicide risk should be connected with care," Dr Pbert said. Anxiety disorders - including generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety, among others - are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting some 40 million adults every year. "More common than strep throat," said Eugene Beresin, a psychiatrist who works as the executive director for the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds. The number of people suffering from mental illness jumped significantly over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. A study published last year in the Lancet estimated that the pandemic led to an additional 53.2 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorder across the world. Experts have applauded the screening recommendation, but some - like Dr Beresin - have warned that screening alone will be insufficient to address a mounting mental health crisis. "The problem is we don't have the work force to really take care of this," he told the BBC, adding that the country's 258 million adults had around 125,000 psychiatrists and psychologists between them. "So what are we going to do?" he said. Dr Pbert said she shares his concern. The hope, she said, is that wide-spread screenings can bring awareness to an overburdened system. "We know that we have an undersized mental health care workforce," she said. "We'll need to expand that workforce to meet the demand." The Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City is pictured Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Two new trustees were appointed to oversee operations of the Oklahoma County jail Monday. Pastor Derrick Scobey and Adam Luck, former Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board chair, were unanimously appointed to the Oklahoma County jail trust by the Board of County Commissioners. Both committed to following their conscience while carrying out their new role. Although District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan previously told The Oklahoman the two were "controversial choices," there were no comments directly opposing Scobey or Luck. However, several public comments said the trust has not improved conditions of the jail since taking over operations from the sheriff's office in 2020, and one commenter, Mark Faulk, advocated for disbanding the trust. "The trust has and always will be a scam," said Christopher Johnston during the public comment period. More:What we know about the two new prospective Oklahoma County jail trust members The Rev. Derrick Scobey, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, speaks Jan. 17, 2022, during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Oklahoma City. Pastor Scobey, new jail trustee, willing to spend 72 hours in jail Jabee Williams, local rapper and activist, told the board Monday he and others would like to see the members of the jail trust spend 48 hours in the jail. Scobey told The Oklahoman he is willing to spend 72 hours in the jail, as long as there are no legal barriers to trustees doing so. "I would want no favoritism or anything of that nature," Scobey said. "The only thing that I would ask, if this would be granted to me to be able to go and invest those 72 hours there, to get a first-hand experience is that I would be able to get a notebook and pencil pen immediately. I probably wouldn't do a lot of sleeping, so I will do some writing." The Rev. Derrick Scobey was arrested Nov. 17, 2021, after standing in the middle of NE 23 Street against orders of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Scobey was participating in a protest in support of Julius Jones, a death row inmate who was later granted clemency. Scobey was arrested in November 2021 during a prayer vigil for former death row inmate Julius Jones, for which he spent 46 minutes in the jail and was not taken to a holding cell, he told The Oklahoman Monday. He was charged with two misdemeanors relating to the impeding of the flow of traffic. Scobey told the board Monday he will not be afraid to speak up when he sees injustice or something that needs to change. He won't "go along to get along," he said. Story continues As a pastor of over 25 years, currently leading Ebenezer Baptist Church at NE 36 and Kelley Avenue, Scobey said he has a "higher calling" to advocate for Oklahoma County's most vulnerable people and that's how he will approach his time on the trust. Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts attended Monday's meeting to show his support for Scobey's appointment. More:Oklahoma County approves first round of ARPA funding, contracts for new jail Oklahoma appointments show Luck will do the right thing, he says Bettering the Oklahoma County jail is something Luck has been interested in for a long time, Luck told the board. His appointment is not something he will take lightly, he said. "I'm familiar with the challenges associated with the jail and wanted to be a part of making it better, to the extent that that building can be better," Luck said. "There's also a lot that I don't know, and I look forward to learning more." In this March 13, 2019, photo, Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board members Adam Luck, left, and Larry Morris watch family members leave after speaking on behalf of their loved one who is being considered for parole. Luck resigned from the Pardon and Parole Board at Gov. Kevin Stitt's request in January 2022 due to their differing beliefs on the death penalty. He voted for clemency in the five death row inmate clemency hearings the parole board heard between October and December. "I hope that, if anything, by my service in state-appointed capacities, there will be some amount of trust that when it comes down to it, I'll do what I feel like is right, regardless of the cost," Luck said. Luck is the CEO of City Care Inc., which operates Oklahoma City's no-barrier night shelter and supportive housing and provides mentorship and literacy programs for children. He also served on the Oklahoma Board of Corrections under Gov. Mary Fallin. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County appoints Rev. Derrick Scobey, Adam Luck to jail trust Correction: A previous version of this article misstated some of the penalties for companies for missing benchmarks under the new legislation. The story has been edited to clarify the penalties. This story was updated on Sept. 21, 2022 at 10:14 AM after the Senate passed the bill. WASHINGTON Congress could pass legislation as soon as this week to reauthorize a small business innovation grant program favored by the Pentagon after reforms addressing concerns over the abuse of the rewards process persuaded Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to drop his opposition to the program. Paul told Defense News on Tuesday that he will not block a unanimous consent request for the Senate to pass the bill reauthorizing the Small Business Administrations Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer awards for three years. Those programs are set to expire by the end of the month. We were happy to get some reforms in it, the Kentucky Republican said. Paul had used his clout as the top Republican on the Small Business Committee to block reauthorization of the program. The 43-page compromise legislation, first seen by Defense News, is the product of months of negotiations meant to assuage Pauls concerns. The reauthorization bill includes new provisions to address ties between some program awardees and China, while adding additional performance benchmarks aimed at commercializing projects to attract more private capital investment. Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., told Defense News that he filed the reauthorization bill Tuesday, and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent shortly thereafter. The House is expected to easily pass the bill as soon as this week under expedited procedures. The Defense Department accounts for the majority of the SBIR and STTR awards, which ballooned to nearly $3.3 billion in 2011. The program is awarded jointly by 11 federal agencies, and individual awards range from tens of thousands of dollars to more than $1 million for a two-year grant. Story continues The programs incentivize small businesses to engage in early-stage research and development for technologies and products that companies might otherwise shy away from given uncertain returns on investments. SBIR grants that were awarded by the Air Force to AeroVironment led to the development of the small, kamikaze Switchblade drones, which the United States has sent to Ukraine as it fends off Russias invasion. The Pentagon also relies on SBIR and STTR grants to spur technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence, data processing and munitions development. Still, Paul had argued that the two programs lacked protections against China gaining access to U.S. technology and that some companies rely entirely on the grants to sustain themselves without spinning off new businesses or products. Chinese state-sponsored companies have targeted U.S. firms that receive the grants, hoping to benefit from the investments. A 2021 Pentagon report on a small sample of SBIR awardees found China was the ultimate beneficiary of the grants, not the United States. Under the reauthorization bills new guidelines, SBIR or STTR applicants must now disclose whether the company has ties to any foreign country of concern, including the Peoples Republic of China. The Defense Department and other agencies must deny awards to applicants that have ties to Chinese companies or have high-level employees that are part of a malign foreign talent recruitment program. The bill requires each federal agency that awards the grants to coordinate with the Small Business Administration in the creation of a due diligence program to assess security risks presented by small business concerns seeking a federally funded award. The Small Business Administration and the White Houses Office of Science and Technology must also consult with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to establish best practices to guide these due diligence programs. Additionally, the enhanced performance benchmarks differentiate between Phase I and Phase II SBIR and STRR grants. Under the program, Phase I awards range from $50,000 to $250,000 for six to 12 months. Phase II awards range from $750,000 to nearly $2 million for two years. There are also direct to Phase II awards, which allow companies to receive Phase II grants without first competing Phase I research. The new legislation doubles the minimum performance standards for each small business that receives more than 50 Phase I grants within five years. Additionally, a small business that has received more than 50 Phase II awards within the past 12 years must garner an average of $250,000 of aggregate sales and investments for each of those awards. And a company with more than 100 Phase II awards within the past 12 years must earn an average of $450,000 in aggregate sales and investments. If a company does not meet these standards, then it may not receive more than 20 total SBIR and STTR Phase I and direct to Phase II awards for one year per agency. They may still receive unlimited Phase II awards. The military may have been too hasty in rejecting the vast majority of vaccine-exemption requests submitted by service members, the Pentagons oversight agency concluded. Sean ODonnell, the Pentagons inspector general, wrote in a June 2 memo to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin obtained by Military.com calling attention to a concerning trend in which military brass rushed to reject vaccine-exemption petitions rather than giving each request due consideration. We found a trend of generalized assessments rather than the individualized assessment that is required by Federal law and DoD and Military Service policies, he said. Some of the appellate decisions included documentation that demonstrated a greater consideration of facts and circumstances involved in a request. ODonnell calculated that officials likely gave each appeal a cursory glance rather than a thorough examination, possibly opening the door to litigation from service members who had to resign after they failed to obtain exemptions. Across all the branches, there were about 50 denials per day in a 90-day period, he determined. Over a thousand Coast Guardsmen have already tried to launch a class-action lawsuit in response to their being refused religious exemptions, the publication noted. The volume and rate at which decisions were made to deny requests is concerning, the memo read. Assuming a 10-hour work day with no breaks or attention to other matters, the average review period was about 12 minutes for each package. Such a review period seems insufficient to process each request in an individualized manner and still perform the duties required of their position. Austin imposed a vaccine mandate for troops in August 2021 as the pandemic escalated, forcing service members to either get the shot or, in many documented cases, be discharged. The militarys largest branch, the Army, has approved just 24 religious exemption requests out of a total 8,514 requests submitted by active duty soldiers. Meanwhile, 1,602 requests have been rejected and the rest remain pending. Story continues Legal challenges were initiated months ago while the vaccine exemption applications were still an active issue, in some cases yielding favorable court outcomes for the service members who claim they were discriminated against. In late March, a Texas judge blocked the Navy from dismissing sailors with pending exemption requests, Military.com noted. In August, a Florida federal judge ordered class action relief and granted an injunction barring the federal government from enforcing the vaccine mandate for the Marine Corps. For the last year, military has been struggling with a recruitment problem. As of July, with only three months left in the fiscal year, the Army had met only 40 percent of its recruitment goal and reduced its active-duty force by 12,000 troops. More from National Review STORY: Location: Mexico City These pet dogs are being trained to be rescuers They're learning how to sniff out their owners after natural disasters Basic training involves going through tunnels, navigating obstacles, and calling for help After the two-month course, the dogs attend a graduation ceremony with their owners [Rosalinda King, Dog owner] "Nix is a very calm dog, and his mood has improved with the course. He loves to come to this kind of course; he gets very happy when we come to classes and he loves it. I loved it because this is a new stage, a different stage, knowing that he could find someone in a disaster." More than 30 canines of all shapes and sizes took part Phase Two of the Cross Island Line was announced by LTA. (FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore) SINGAPORE Phase Two of the Cross Island Line - from Bright Hill to Jurong Lake District - will comprise of six underground stations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced in a media release on Tuesday (20 September). This stretch is approximately 15 kilometres long and, when ready by 2032, is set to improve public transport accessibility for those living in areas such as Sunset Way and West Coast, which are not currently served by an MRT line. The six underground stations are: Turf City, King Albert Park, Maju, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Lake District. Two of the stations will be interchange stations, with King Albert Park station connecting commuters to the Downtown Line, and Clementi station to the East-West Line. Construction works are expected to commence in 2023. Shortening travel times to and from western S'pore Together with the 12 stations in Phase One of the CRL and four stations on CRL Punggol Extension, Phase Two will provide alternative travel options for commuters and help to redistribute commuter load across the entire rail network, LTA said in its media release. CRL will shorten travel times for commuters travelling to and from the western parts of Singapore. For instance, a student travelling from Hougang to Ngee Ann Polytechnic will enjoy travel time savings of up to 30 minutes, from more than an hour by train and bus today to 35 minutes on the CRL. The CRL is Singapores eighth and longest fully-underground MRT line, at more than 50 kilometres long. Almost half of the CRL stations are interchange stations, making it easier and more convenient for commuters to travel across the rail network. The line will be constructed in three phases. Announced in 2019, Phase One is 29 kilometres long, and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. A 7.3-kilometre extension to CRL, which connects Pasir Ris to Punggol, was announced in 2020. Four-in-one East Coast Integrated Depot Minister for Transport S Iswaran announced the new stretch of CRL during a visit to LTA's East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID) project site on Tuesday. When completed in 2025, the ECID will be the worlds first four-in-one depot, integrating three train depots and one bus depot within a single site. Story continues The complex will house three MRT Lines the Downtown Line Depot underground, the Thomson-East Coast Line Depot at-grade and the East-West Line Depot elevated on the level above. The three train depots have been designed to operate independently of one another, with a total stabling capacity of around 220 trains. The bus depot will be an independent structure located next to the train depot complex. The ground level will house the maintenance depot while the upper levels will provide parking for about 760 buses. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Alexis Vidrio was sentenced to three years probation after he pled guilty to negligent homicide in the death of his cousin, Valerie Arreloa. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced a Phoenix man to three years' probation after he pled guilty to the accidental deadly shooting of a 15-year-old girl in August 2021, according to court documents. Alexi Vidrio, 23, pled guilty to negligent homicide in December 2021, after he claimed he accidentally shot his 15-year-old cousin, Valerie Arreloa. Superior Court Judge Justin Beresky sentenced Vidrio to three years' probation in January, noting Vidrio had no prior convictions and Arreloas family agreed that the shooting had been an accident, according to court records. What happened in this case The gun used in the shooting belonged to an older cousin of Vidrio. The cousin left the gun out on a dresser where Vidrio and Arreloa were hanging out. At one point, Arreloa picked up the gun, placed it on her legs and set it back down, the records read. Vidrio took the gun, removed the guns ammo clip and pointed the gun at a window, according to his statements in the records. The gun went off in his hand, shooting Arreloa in the head. She died later that day after being taken to a hospital by emergency crews. Arreloas mother called police, claiming that her daughter had shot herself. When police arrived, Vidrio and other family members explained that he had accidentally shot the girl. Background on Alexis Vidrio Vidrio has held a number of jobs after dropping out of high school in Peoria, including construction, janitorial and service industry. While under probation, Vidrio will live with roommates and attempt to get his GED diploma, according to court records. Arreola had just turned 15 and was looking forward to celebrating her quinceanera, according to family. Why we're reporting on this This reporting follows a crime The Republic began to cover in 2021 and is part of our commitment to tell the story from start to finish. Reach crime reporter Miguel Torres at Miguel.Torres@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @TheMiguelTorres. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Alexi Vidrio sentenced in shooting death of Valerie Arreloa Phoenix police. Phoenix police are investigating a shootout that left one dead and one injured in central Phoenix near Interstate 17. Phoenix police responded to a call at around 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, about a reported shooting near 24th Drive and Thomas Road. Upon arrival, officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound, Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Melissa Soliz said in a statement. He was later identified as Michael Medina. He was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries but was pronounced dead at the hospital, Soliz said. Police then found a teenage man or boy who had a gunshot wound that was not life- threatening. Phoenix police say they believe Medina, 21, fired the first shot at the unidentified teenager, who returned fire. The suspect has been released pending further developments in the investigation. Reach breaking news reporter Kye Graves at klgraves@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police investigating Thomas Road fatal shooting A Pitbull named Nazi mauled its 60-year-old owner in northeast Thailand. Nazi reportedly attacked its owner, identified as Supaporn, after it saw her feeding a stray dog at 2 p.m. local time on Monday in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Korat rescue workers responded to the two-story house on Soi Thaekingphon 5 in Mueang district, where they found Supaporn lying in a pool of blood with gaping wounds on her neck and upper arm. The victim was given first aid treatment before she was taken to the hospital. Her condition is currently unknown. More from NextShark: Thai activist sent back to prison for writing about his prison sexual experiences on Facebook According to her husband, pulling Nazi off of Supaporn was difficult. He used an iron rod to pry the dog away. The husband was able to then trap the dog back inside the house. Nazi is reportedly 6-years-old and has been under the care of the couple since he was a puppy. His fate following the attack is unknown at this time. The dogs name, which is used to describe a member of the German fascist party under Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1945, was not viewed as unusual in Thailand. More from NextShark: Mentally disabled Malaysian man to be hanged after Singapore court dismisses final appeal Nazi chic has been a pop culture phenomenon in Thailand, especially among its youth. Nazi symbols, such as swastikas and depictions of Hitler, can be seen on Nazi-themed clothing and restaurants and in numerous celebrations. The craze has sparked outrage among several international organizations since 2013. Officials and critics have blamed the culture on the lack of historical awareness and sensitivity in the country. More from NextShark: Yishiji, popular Chinese content creator, comes out as gay in suicide note Featured Image via @ASEANNOWTH Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Suspect in two deadly assaults in Edmonton's Chinatown is arrested For hours Tuesday, Delaware officials prepared for a possible unannounced wave of migrants sent by Gov. Ron DeSantis to land at an airport less than 20 miles from the vacation home of President Biden near Rehoboth Beach. But by Tuesday night, a planeload of migrants had not arrived in Delaware, and the officials and volunteers who had waited for their arrival began to go home. Speculation arose early Tuesday after one of two planes that flew 48 mostly Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard last week was scheduled to leave San Antonio and travel to Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown, Delaware, according to FlightAware, an aviation-tracking website. Our teams at [Delaware Emergency Management Agency] and [Delaware Department of Health and Social Services] are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need, Emily David Hershman, a spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. John Carney, told the Delaware News Journal early in the day. At a news conference in Bradenton, DeSantis said he could not confirm that the new flight was carrying migrants to Delaware. But he repeated his assertion that because so few migrants were coming to Florida, his administration has to go to other states to find people who might potentially want to come here. If I could do it all in Florida, I would, he said. But if we just ignore the source we are going to have people trickling in five, 10 a day ... and there is no way to track all that because its on such a small scale. Asked about DeSantis possibly sending migrants to Delaware, Biden responded: He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline. DeSantis has vowed to spend every cent of the $12 million allocated to move migrants. The same contractor that organized last weeks operation, Vertol Systems, an aviation consultant based in Destin, has been paid $950,000 by the Florida Department of Transportation for two more flights to relocate unauthorized aliens. Story continues On Monday, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office in Texas announced a criminal investigation into the first transfers carried out by Floridas governor. Bexar Sheriff Javier Salazar revealed the criminal probe, saying the original group was lured to the planes in his county with false promises of jobs and other benefits. Appearing on Fox News with commentator Sean Hannity on Monday night, DeSantis the flights were clearly voluntary and all the other nonsense you are hearing is just not true. DeSantis paid Vertol $615,000 in taxpayer money to charter the two jets and other expenses for what his critics have called a possibly illegal political stunt. The funds were among the billions of dollars sent to the state by Congress for COVID pandemic relief. DeSantis was authorized by the Legislature to spend $12 million of that pot of money to move migrants out of Florida, not from other states. The Department of Transportation was put in charge of the program and was supposed to seek two bids before awarding the contract. Those two irregularities prompted state Democrats to ask Republican leaders of the Legislature to bar him from using the funds. While DeSantis calls them illegal immigrants or illegal aliens, the sheriff and others have pointed out the migrants from Texas were in the U.S. legally awaiting hearings seeking asylum. TBILISI, Georgia (AP) Police in the country of Georgia said 12 people who were held hostage in a bank by a gunman for hours Tuesday have been freed and hostage-taker has been arrested. Georgian media reported that the gunman at the bank in the city of Kutaisi had demanded $2 million, a helicopter to leave the country and a Russian flag. The gunman reportedly announced his demands in a video posted on one of the hostages' Facebook page. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Ketevan Kovziashvili later said the hostages were freed and the gunman detained, but there were no further details. Kutaisi is a city of 147,000, located 180 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. A victim of a hit-and-run in South Carolina was dragged for several miles, police said. The victim was the driver in a one-car crash early Saturday in Florence and was 3 miles away from the crash site, investigators said. A passenger in the car told officers who responded to the crash that the driver has disappeared. About 15 minutes later, police received a call about an unresponsive person that turned out to be that driver, authorities said. ALSO READ: I-77 reopens after train snags power lines in south Charlotte; power restored for 2,000 Investigators are looking for a dark-colored pickup truck with damage to the front passenger side around the headlights. The truck has taller than normal wheels and a tool box in the bed, Florence Police told media outlets. Officers are also trying to determine what streets the truck drove while dragging the victims body, authorities said. The name of the victim has not been released. (WATCH BELOW: Man arrested, victim named after fight over parking spot ends in deadly hit-and-run, police say) Orlando police are searching for a man they say attacked a woman in her downtown Orlando apartment on Sept. 5. Detectives have not released many details about the attack, but did release photos Monday evening asking for the publics help in identifying the man. Police said the incident happened on Labor Day around 2 a.m. Read: Woman attacked while jogging on trail in Seminole County The victim told police the man followed her to her apartment and after getting inside, assaulted her. The man was described as a tall, muscular Black man with a beard, bald head and with multiple tattoos on his upper body, including a distinct Japanese symbol for strength on his upper left arm. Read: Former condo association president charged with video voyeurism arrested again Police said photos show him wearing a black shirt, black pants, black sneakers and a gold necklace around his neck. Investigators said the man also appeared to have several club bands on his wrists. Read: Deputies investigating after man found dead inside car near Sanford Police ask anyone who may recognize the man to call the Orlando police department at 321-235-5300 or contact Crimeline at 800-423-8477. 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. A picture was shared thousands of times in posts claiming it shows a portrait of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi displayed at the home of a family that opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal visited while campaigning in Gujarat in September 2022. Posts mocked Kejriwal for visiting people who apparently backed his rival. However, the image has been doctored. The portrait actually showed a different person, not Modi. "The people Kejriwal visited turned out to be fans of Narendra Modi. They made a fool out of Kejriwal," reads a Hindi-language tweet posted on September 12. The picture shows a group of people including Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and head of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is a rival to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kejriwal visited the home of an auto rickshaw driver on the campaign trail in Gujarat, where he is vying to knock out the BJP's Bhupendrabhai Patel as chief minister in December elections and install an AAP candidate. They appear to be standing next to a wall featuring various portraits, including one of Modi. The post, which attracted more than 2,000 retweets, was shared by Wasim R Khan, president of the BJP's Mumbai Minority Morcha. Screenshot of the false post, taken on September 15, 2022 Many comments appeared to believe the image showed a genuine photo. "This dog is a traitor. He shouldn't even ask for water," read one comment. "This picture proves that Modi resides in the heart of Gujaratis. Even if he (Kejriwal) keeps sweeping," another said, apparently referring to the AAP's symbol, which is a broom. The picture was shared in similar posts on Twitter and Facebook here and here. However, the image has been altered. Doctored image A Google reverse image search found the original photo on Kejriwal's official Twitter account. Kejriwal's tweet, posted on September 12, read in Hindi: "In Ahmedabad, auto driver Vikrambhai Dantani lovingly took me home for dinner, introduced me to the whole family and offered me delicious food with great respect". Story continues "Heartfelt thanks to Vikrambhai and all the auto driver brothers of Gujarat for this immense affection." The photo in the tweet shows a different picture on the wall. The doctored image showing Modi's portrait (L) and original photo (R) Kejriwal posted the same photo on Instagram. The Indian Express published a similar photo, credited to India's PTI news agency, showing the same portrait from a different angle. Xiaoxing Xi, a physics professor at Temple University, remembers trying to make sense of what was happening to him and his family that early morning of May 2015, when armed FBI agents swarmed his Philadelphia home before daybreak, shining flashlights in their eyes and rounding them up at gunpoint. Xi was arrested on a charge of economic espionage. The case against Xi seven years ago revolved around a personal invention and his alleged disclosure of manufacturing information with his research community in China. Though Xis case was abruptly dropped four months after his arrest, he said it's taken a toll on his family and he's now taking legal action. My wife was telling me that her biggest concern was trying to help our younger daughter, who was 12 years old at that time, to not suffer the mental damages because of this traumatic thing, Xi said. She kept telling her that this was just like a movie, trying to minimize the fact that this was happening. While lower courts dismissed his case, Xi, who is among several other Chinese scientists to have been falsely accused of economic espionage, appeared before an appeals court last week in hopes of moving forward with a suit. The Department of Justice had accused Xi of sharing schematics for a pocket heater with peers in his research community in China. Xi, who had previously signed a nondisclosure agreement over the blueprint, was described by prosecutors as engaging in an effort to assist Chinese entities in becoming world leaders of the superconductivity field. Theyve done wrong and they should be held accountable, said Xi, whos backed in part by the American Civil Liberties Union. Its also important for the community in general, because of all the Chinese scientists and scientists of Chinese descent many of them are being falsely charged. And if we are not able to hold the government accountable, theyre going to do more of this. Xis team called on the court to reinstate his claims for damages against the U.S. government, who they allege violated his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and against being compelled by the government to provide incriminating information, respectively. Story continues Xiaoxing Xi and his wife, Qi Li. (Hannah Beier / ACLU) He was threatened with up to 80 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Xi, whos since been reinstated as a professor, was also stripped of his position as the interim chairman of the physics department at Temple University and placed on administrative leave for a period of time. Temple University declined NBC News request for comment. But testimony from physicists showed that the blueprints were not at all for the technology in question, but for his own invention. Interactions with Chinese contemporaries appeared to be legitimate normal academic collaborations. And by September 2015, the DOJs case fell apart. The motion to dismiss the case stated that additional information came to the attention of the government. The Justice Department did not respond to NBC News request for comment. Xi, who initially sued the government in 2017, alleges that the prosecution wasnt just a misunderstanding in technology, but FBI agents had made knowingly or recklessly false statements to support their prosecution. His arrest, Xi claimed, was discriminatory. And he was targeted due to his ethnicity, much like many other scholars of Chinese descent. Though Xi's case was dismissed last year, his appeal will set in motion a case whose decision will likely take several months. The challenge will be difficult. In an amicus brief filed in support of Xi earlier this year, dozens of organizations noted that the Supreme Court significantly narrowed its already restrictive standard of holding federal agents accountable for violating constitutional rights. But Xi and his family say that theyre prepared to keep fighting, so that, at least some positive change can come out of their trauma, daughter Joyce said. The arrest, Joyce added, altered the familys lives in unmeasurable ways. She recounts being home from college at the time of the arrest and hearing strange voices through the darkness, telling her to come out with her hands raised. Watching my dad get arrested he was pinned up against the wall, she recalled, her voice shaking from the memory. They dragged him out. They didnt even let him put shoes on. Xi said that when he was being driven away he attempted to flip through years of memories, conjuring anything at all that couldve prompted such actions. But he was left puzzled. And for the next several months, the confusion would only continue alongside psychological stress his family would endure, his daughter said. Theyd routinely find news crews pointing cameras into the blinds of their house, and they began feeling paranoia over mundane things like opening emails. Professor draws parallels to the plight of academics living in Cultural Revolution China As puzzling as the arrest was for his family, Xi said he felt some pangs of familiarity. The ordeal harkened back to emotions he felt while living under the Cultural Revolution in China. The sociopolitical movement, led by Mao Zedong in 1966, resulted in the persecution of scholars, who were labeled as a stinking ninth caste for their independent thought. At the time, Xi was sent to work in the countryside like millions of other Chinese youth. By the end of the revolution, when he finally had the opportunity to pursue an education, he said he felt grateful. He picked up physics without much thought. Leaving his village for new opportunities was a great feeling, he said. But amid the crackdown on intellectuals, he witnessed many lives being thrown into disarray, he said. We dont expect that in this country. But it did happen like what had happened during the Cultural Revolution, he said. It was absolutely not unusual that people were taken away and not knowing when they will see their family again. In some ways, Xi said, his childhood had informed him of how to handle this ordeal. Many people who could not take it anymore either committed suicide or died of their sufferings, he said of the scholars who were persecuted. When the Cultural Revolution ended, and many people got rehabilitated, their names got restored. So, in the minds of myself and my wife, we were very clear. We had to live. We had to live through this so that we could clear our name. Xi is part of a long history of Chinese American academics and scientists who have been wrongly accused of spying for China. A couple years after Xis arrest, the Trump administration formalized a program called the China Initiative, aimed at addressing Chinese economic espionage. However, as many like Xi were falsely accused of espionage and their lives thrown into disarray, a growing number of scholars alleged that it instead encouraged racial profiling. The Biden administration ended the program earlier this year. These days, Xi said he no longer applies for federal funding on his research. His program is much smaller, he adds, and the fear of a repeat incident is always in the back of his mind. Joyce, who was a chemistry major at the time of the arrest, said the ordeal rerouted her life completely. After graduation, she thrust herself into advocacy work to protect others from being racially profiled. All these other people that are also facing this horrible situation its the kids too. Its their families. Its not just an individual whos being targeted, Joyce said. Several other scholars who have been falsely accused of spying struggle to recount the emotional toll the incidents took on their families. Gang Chen, an MIT professor who was similarly arrested for espionage in 2021 and exonerated earlier this year, told NBC News that he was also arrested in front of his family. He struggled to form words around how the arrest impacted his loved ones, only saying that he was lucky to have their support. I can only say that its not a pain that can go away, Chen said. A survey of almost 2,000 scientists across the country, released last year by the Committee of 100, showed that more than 50% of scientists of Chinese descent feel considerable fear and/or anxiety that they are being surveilled by the U.S. government. And among those who have had research with China prematurely suspended over the past three years, almost 80% of scientists of Chinese descent said they wanted to distance themselves from collaborators in China. I know its difficult, but we suffer, Xi said. If we dont do anything, thats the end of the story. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com PROVIDENCE -- A 23-year-old city employee has been accused of delivering fentanyl while he was working on duty with the Department of Public Works. That was the finding of investigation that led to the arrest of Christopher Anderson, and the seizure of about 1,175 bags of suspected fentanyl, according to a news release from the office of Providence police Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr. Anderson was arrested Thursday without incident and charged with unlawful delivery of fentanyl, Clements said in the news release. Police said he allegedly gave out the fentanyl at a public works facility. The investigation was carried out by members of the Providence Police Departments Intelligence and Organized Crime Bureau. Former CVS store off Kennedy Plaza: Innovative RISD projects tackle opioid crisis and stigma through design Providence police accuse a city employee of distributing fentanyl, on the job, in small blue bags. What are ghost guns?: Police say they pose a growing threat in Rhode Island. Anderson appeared before Judge Melissa Dubose Tuesday morning in District Court, Providence. Anderson was released after he posted bail. The judge had set his bond at $50,000 with surety, meaning he had to deposit $5,000 with the court or give the court a lien on property worth $50,000. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence DPW employee charged with delivering fentanyl while working Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. Buying under-rated businesses is one path to excess returns. For example, long term InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG) shareholders have enjoyed a 16% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market decline of around 8.2% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 3.8% , including dividends . While the stock has fallen 4.1% this week, it's worth focusing on the longer term and seeing if the stocks historical returns have been driven by the underlying fundamentals. See our latest analysis for InterContinental Hotels Group In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During the last half decade, InterContinental Hotels Group became profitable. That would generally be considered a positive, so we'd expect the share price to be up. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We know that InterContinental Hotels Group has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, InterContinental Hotels Group's TSR for the last 5 years was 30%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. Story continues A Different Perspective It's nice to see that InterContinental Hotels Group shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 3.8% over the last year. That's including the dividend. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 5% a year, is even better. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with InterContinental Hotels Group . Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here DENVER A man who had been convicted of bilking investors out of thousands of dollars and who professed his love for God while selling tiny homes online swindled homebuyers out of their life savings for dwellings that were never delivered, three alleged victims said in lawsuits filed in federal and state courts. Developer Matt Sowash, founder of the Colorado-based nonprofit Holy Ground Tiny Homes, promoted the small residences on social media, including to his 80,000 TikTok followers, with short videos portraying an upbeat, God-fearing man selling the American Dream affordable homes with financing and no credit checks. For people that cant pay for a house all at once, we can finance you. Holy Ground Tiny Homes. Get yours today, Sowash said in one TikTok video. Great house, available now, around $45,000 is what this goes for. Come in and take it away, he said in another video, wearing a T-shirt adorned with Faith Over Fear. Sowash said in an interview that he never set out to take advantage of homebuyers, but hes not sure hell be able to build the 250 homes already paid for, in full or in part. He acknowledged that because of supply chain problems and the rising costs of construction materials, his nonprofit is up to three years behind schedule. The homes are made at a warehouse in Arapahoe County, Colorado, where he employs at least 25 workers. A smart businessman would have filed for bankruptcy, and then hes off the hook and can start fresh again, Sowash said. Then all those people lose. Im obviously not a smart business guy, because I cant sit back and watch all those people lose homes. A plaintiff in one of three lawsuits filed against Sowash said in an interview that the builders persuasiveness and Jesus-loving persona convinced her to part with her hard-earned cash. A 14' tiny home (via YouTube) Thats part of what sold me. Hes charming, convincing and I believe in God, said Clara Virginia Davis, 24, an elementary schoolteacher in upstate New York. Story continues Davis wired $42,000 to Sowash in January for an 8-by-28-foot modular home with an open floor plan, front porch and wood-burning stove. It was supposed to be delivered by Aug. 1, in time for the first day of school, but it never arrived. I gave him my life savings, Davis said. Davis filed a lawsuit against Holy Ground in August in U.S. District Court in Colorado, seeking a refund and other damages. She said she is living in a camper without insulation and unless her house arrives before winter, shell be forced to quit her new job and move in with one of her parents in New Jersey. Im just extremely desperate, Davis said. Sowash said he tried to call Davis about her home but never heard back until her lawyer reached out a couple of weeks later wanting to negotiate a settlement. Sowash said the home was not scheduled to be completed until next month but construction was supposed to have started three weeks ago. In another lawsuit filed in June in Arapahoe County District Court in Colorado, Robyn and Mark Bellamy, who live in Oregon, said they paid Holy Ground nearly $70,000 last year for two modular homes they never received. The Bellamys and their lawyer could not be reached for comment, but the lawsuit lays out their case: Robyn Bellamy paid $47,924 in February 2021 for a home that was scheduled for delivery five months later. When the deadline approached, Holy Ground informed her that delivery would be delayed. Then it was delayed again and again and again. She was last informed her home would be delivered in May, but she still has not received it. She demanded a refund, but Holy Ground said it could give her the money back only if it was able to sell the unbuilt structure to someone else, according to the suit. Mark Bellamy said he agreed to pay Holy Ground $32,477 in installments over 12 months for a tiny home of his own two months after his wife bought hers. But as uncertainty about the company became apparent because of his wife's experiences, he stopped making payments after having already dropped $21,600. He demanded a refund but was never given one. "Were still in the process with that suit, Sowash said. "They were on our build list. I had called them up to start working on their (floor) plans and they said to stay in contact with their lawyer. Sowash has faced plenty of legal problems in the past. He was sentenced in 2009 to five years in prison for bilking more than $470,000 from investors who gambled on an amateur poker league he had founded and for stealing $140,000 from three other investors who thought he was looking for investment opportunities for them. He ended up serving about two years of his sentence. Sowash was also the target of a 2007 murder plot devised by a dissatisfied league investor and a private investigator the investor had hired, according to law enforcement officials in Colorado. The men planned to kidnap Sowash, force his legs into a box with poisonous rattlesnakes until they bit him and then take him to a hiking trail where he would be left to die. The plot was never carried out and each man pleaded guilty to one count of extortion. Sowash, who is currently on parole, said he found God while serving his prison sentence 13 years ago. I was saved in a prison cell back in 2009 and from that point on, God gave me a vision to love and serve the community, he said. I thought building tiny homes would be a great way to provide finances for that. A self-proclaimed lifelong handyman, Sowash said he built his first tiny home out of his garage in 2019, selling it for $12,000. From there, requests for homes began rolling in, he said. The structures are all 8-feet wide but can be as long as 14 feet, with the average cost being about $29,000, he said. His latest legal trouble came on Sept. 2 when lender Kinetic Direct Funding filed a lawsuit against him and his nonprofit, Revelations in Christ, in state court in Brooklyn, New York. Sowash said he took out a $400,000 loan from Kinetic to build the tiny homes, but he couldnt keep up with payments because of a high interest rate. I just couldnt do it, he said. Kinetic Direct Funding officials did not return phone calls seeking comment. Sowash informed his customers in an Aug. 31 letter that home deliveries were up to three years behind schedule. The past several months have been very exhausting in terms of the struggles associated with making sure everyone either gets the home they ordered or receives a refund, Sowash wrote. Sowash said in the letter that Holy Ground has delivered more than 250 homes in the past 20 months, but nearly 100 were sold at loss of $8,000 to $10,000 each because of high material costs. For Theresa Meggitt of Lakewood, Colorado, who paid $14,000 for a tiny home in February 2021 that she never received, Showashs explanation doesnt cut it. Nobody will do anything, and Im frustrated, said Meggitt, 54. They still havent started on my home, and I dont think they have intentions to. Meggitt said she hasnt filed a lawsuit because shes still holding out hope her home will be built. Shes definitely one of the ones on our build calendar that is coming up very shortly, Sowash said. Holes that homebuyer Alexandra Maes marked with blue tape. (Alexandra Maes) Alexandra Maes, 28, of Greeley, Colorado, said she was touched by Sowashs professed love of God and talk of using some of the proceeds to build a sober living center for people in recovery. She used her and her partners life savings of $25,000 to buy their dream home, she said. A section of a cracked door. (Courtesy Alexandra Maes) It arrived in November, six months late, but there were holes in the walls throughout the house, which she marked with blue tape, and another hole that was covered up with pieces of wood, among other defects, she said. Sowash refused to make repairs, she said. Sowash said he didnt remember Maes but that he has always repaired homes if there is structural damage upon delivery. Theres never been a customer that we have refused to go out and take care of, Sowash said. I would love to be able to look into that further. Maes said she cant afford to file a lawsuit or repair the house. I dont have the money, said Maes, a mental health counselor. Its been a nightmare from the beginning. He ropes you in on religion. He proclaims to be a Christian man helping people with recovery. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday days after he endorsed Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, Russian and Serbian media reported. During a rare visit to Moscow by a politician from Europe, the Russian president praised his country's strategic partnership with Serbia. The visit came amid repeated warnings from the European Union that Serbia must align its foreign policies with the bloc if it really wants to become a member. Dodik, a Serb member of Bosnias tripartite presidency, has frequently met with Putin, especially ahead of elections when he wants to show to the highly pro-Russian Bosnian Serb electorate that he has Putin's support. Dodik last met Putin in June, months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. Moscow has often been accused by the West of seeking to destabilize Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans through its proxies in Serbia and Bosnia. Dodik has openly advocated tearing away the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia from a Bosniak-Croat federation and joining it up with neighboring Serbia. A U.S.-brokered peace deal in 1995 ended a war in Bosnia that left at least 100,000 people dead and millions homeless, but left the country deeply divided between its three main ethnic groups. Moscow has been exploiting the divisions by tacitly supporting Dodik's separatist policies. On the eve of his visit to Moscow, Dodik gave an interview to Russias state TASS news agency where he repeated his separatist views but also added his endorsement of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For many years the West did not react to the extermination of the Russian population in Ukraine, there were daily murders and bombings in Donbas, Dodik claimed in the interview, referring to the separatist pro-Russian region in eastern Ukraine. All this was clear, and Russia was forced to retaliate. Putin also sent a separate message to Serbia and its populist President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday. Serbia is the only nation seeking EU membership that has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Story continues Russia and Serbia are linked by a strategic partnership, Putin said, according to the Serbian media. I regularly talk to President Vucic during personal meetings and telephone conversations about key issues for the further development of the cooperation. Although officially seeking EU membership, Serbia has during Vucics 10-year autocratic rule slid ever closer to Russia under Putin. Vucic is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly session, where he says he intends to send a message that Serbia has, under international law, the same rights to fight against the independence of its separatist former province of Kosovo as Ukraine has for those regions occupied by pro-Moscow separatists. Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians represent more than 90% percent of the population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly 10 years after NATO intervened to stop a bloody Serb carnage against independence-seeking Kosovo Albanians. Despite housing millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals, the Passaic chlorine plant that was almost engulfed in a massive fire earlier this year was not required to register its stockpile with the federal government or develop a special safety plan, according to a report released Tuesday by a watchdog group. The Qualco chlorine plant falls outside the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Management Plan and its most recent revisions designed to prevent chemical disasters like the one that nearly unfolded in January. "A stronger rule is needed to ensure that hazards are removed, or we will continue to see more chemical disasters," said Steve Taylor, a director at Coming Clean, an environmental nonprofit group based in Vermont. Elias Rodriguez, an EPA spokesman, confirmed that Qualco is not in the EPA's program because it "does not meet threshold quantities of RMP-regulated substances." Several federal representatives, including Sen. Cory Booker, urged the EPA to lower its threshold so more facilities like Qualco would be covered under the RMP and be required to develop a safety plan that shows the potential effects of a chemical accident, lists steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident and designs emergency response procedures. Story continues after the gallery The 11-alarm fire that started late on Jan. 14 destroyed several buildings in the city of Passaic. But firefighters were able to contain it before it reached Qualco, a supplier of chlorine tablets and water clarifiers that has housed as much as 3 million pounds of chemicals on site, according to a 2020 inventory list sent to state regulators. The fire prompted calls for residents to close windows and shelter in place for hours. Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said the fire could have been "one of the biggest disasters in the country" if it had reached Qualco. For subscribers:The climate future is now. Humans navigate a Perilous Course on the East Coast. Story continues The federal Chemical Safety Board declined to investigate the fire after a request by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson. In a February letter, the board's chairwoman told Pascrell that Qualco did not have a risk management plan on file with the EPA, but the board stopped short of conducting an investigation. Chairwoman Katherine Lemos wrote that the incident was a "fire event only" and outside the board's jurisdiction. "We would refer to this event as a close call and a serious wake-up call from a plant operations, safety and community awareness perspective," she wrote to Pascrell in early February. Pascrell said Tuesday that facilities like Qualco need to maintain stringent fire safety protocols. "Providing more federal flexibility over chemical fires and other mishaps strikes me as a commonsense approach," he said. The report Tuesday by Coming Clean analyzed three fires at U.S. chemical plants in January and found that each lacked enough federal oversight. If Qualco were in the program, the EPA would require the company to conduct a worst-case release scenario, coordinate incident planning with local first responders and consider measures to prevent a chemical disaster. The report's authors said the EPA's revised rule should be expanded to include more chemicals that are flammable, explosive and reactive so facilities like Qualco are covered by the RMP. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Qualco chemical plant lacked EPA oversight at time of Passaic fire Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral drew a peak of 27 million viewers in the U.K., equating to a 95% audience share. The vast majority of those watching in the U.K. on Monday some 18 million were tuned into the BBC, who began their coverage from 8am before finishing at approximately 5.30pm, reported Broadcast, citing Overnights TV. In second place was ITV with an audience of 4.5 million followed by BBC2, BBC News and Sky News, which came in fifth with 700,000 viewers. More from Variety Crucially, the numbers do not include those watching via digital. Sky reported 12.4 million tuned in to Sky News coverage of the funeral across all Sky TV channels, the Sky News app and the Sky News website. The 27 million peak came as the funeral cortege left Westminster Abbey, where the first service was held, before winding its way past Buckingham Palace towards Windsor Castle, where she was interred. Meanwhile the average audience during the first service was 26.2 million viewers across all channels. The numbers eclipsed the 16 million who tuned in to watch as the Queens death was announced at 6.30pm on Sept. 8 and those who watched King Charles IIIs first address to the nation the following evening, which drew 13.5 million viewers. Those figures equated to an 85% and 82% audience share respectively. By contrast, coverage of the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations in July drew 13.2 million viewers on BBC One, making it the most-watched show in the first half of 2022, while the most-watched show of 2021 was the England vs. Denmark soccer game in the Euro 2020 competition, which scored 24 million viewers. While ITV reportedly charged up to 500,000 (approx. $570,000) for a 30-second commercial during the Euro 2020 soccer game, they along with other commercial broadcasters dispensed with all advertising during the funeral. Story continues As for Paramount Global-owned U.K. network Channel 5, it attracted a peak audience of 145,000 to The Emoji Movie, which it showed during the funeral as part of its children-oriented broadcasting. Meanwhile, in Germany an average of 2.91 million viewers (28.7% audience share) watched the entire funeral service between 9am and 6pm local time while 11.54 million are believed to have watched at least a minute of it, according to local newspaper Handelsblatt. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. File photo of a mourner placing a flower bouquet outside the British Consulate General A Hong Kong man who went to the British consulate on Monday night to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, among scores of mourners, has been detained. Local reports say the man, 43, played several songs on his harmonica, including one linked to 2019 protests, as well as the British national anthem. He was detained under the colonial-era sedition law, police told BBC Chinese. This law had until recently been rarely used by prosecutors. But the past few months have seen an increasing number of people charged under this law, including five speech therapists who were found guilty earlier this month of publishing "seditious" children's books. Footage shared widely on social media shows the man standing outside the consulate playing "Glory to Hong Kong", the unofficial anthem of protesters during 2019 pro-democracy protests, on his harmonica. A large crowd, which had gathered to watch an online live broadcast of the later Queen's state funeral in the UK, is seen singing along to the tune. The song's lyrics make reference to the "tears on our land", and also mention "democracy and liberty". Police told the BBC the man had been detained on suspicion of carrying out an "act with seditious intent". Hong Kongers have over the past week been lining up for hours to pay their respects to the Queen, in what has been perhaps the biggest display of affection for the late monarch seen outside the UK. The city, formerly a British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Under the terms of the handover, China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for the next 50 years. But a crackdown on protests, Beijing's imposition of its national security law and only allowing "patriots" to govern are seen by many as reneging on that promise. HM Queen Elizabeth II 640x55 This was history - solemn, spectacular and intense The photos that defined the day Emma the pony and other personal moments at funeral Queen Elizabeth IIs horse trainer and close friend has opened up about being overcome with emotion during the late monarchs committal service at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. On Monday, Monty Roberts, from California, joined royals and dignitaries from all over the world, and members of the Queens Household, for the service, which took place after the Queens state funeral service at Westminster Abbey. According to Roberts, who formed a friendship with the Queen more than 35 years ago, after she first learned of his gentle horse-training methods, and who spoke to People after the service, he had never seen Windsor Castle like he did during the British rulers funeral. Ive spent a lot of time at Windsor Castle. But Ive never seen it like that. It was just a different world, he said. As the 87 year old prepared to witness his longtime friends funeral, Roberts said he worried he would be emotionally disturbed or cry during the service, which he described as reverent. However, he told People that, when the Queens coffin was brought into St Georges, he couldnt help but display his emotions. When they brought in the coffin I stood up and told myself youre not going to cry, he recalled. Then it hit me and the water just started running out of my eyes. I thought: What is this? It was really tough on me. According to Roberts, who noted that he hadnt been prepared for his emotional response, he asked a surgeon friend who had also been in attendance about his reaction after the funeral was over, at which point he learned that his reaction was likely caused by inner sadness or anxiety. He said the surgeon told him: Weve learned about that. Its inner sadness or anxiety that you couldnt hide - and the water just runs straight out without you gasping or crying in the usual way. The medical explanation for his response to the service ultimately made the horse trainer feel better, as he told People: He made me feel a lot better because I do have inner sadness. Story continues While speaking to the outlet about the Queens funeral, Roberts also spoke highly of the monarchs horse groomer Terry Pendry, who was widely praised after he was seen accompanying the late rulers beloved horse, Carltonlima Emma, as she bid farewell. During the emotional moment, Pendry accompanied the black fell pony, nicknamed Emma, as she stood on the grounds wearing the monarchs head scarf draped on her saddle as the Queens coffin made its way up the Long Walk to St Georges Chapel. He has been such an incredible asset to her life and stable, Roberts said of the Queens head groom, who held the position for the past 25 years. I dont know how Terry did it today. He was as good as gold. He hosted us afterward and he was okay. He was smiling and laughing - hes handled it very well. As for his own relationship to the Queen, the pair first met in the 1980s after the monarch learned about Roberts horse-training methods. While speaking to USAToday about their friendship, Roberts said that hed make half a dozen trips each year to advise the Queen on her horses, and that he and the monarch would often talk on the phone. She called me on the phone directly a few times, Roberts said. Though most of the time I called her. That was the arrangement. I called about 200 times. Not one was rejected. Once I got pretty close, though. She was in Northern Ireland at the time. While an aide was telling me she couldnt take the call, I heard her in the background saying: Is that Monty? Well, she immediately got on the line and said her meeting had ended. A piper plays during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Images The Piper to the Sovereign played a 15-minute tune every morning for the Queen wherever she was. A funeral was held for the Queen Monday, where the royal family paid their final respects. The Queen's Piper played a final lament as her coffin was lowered into the royal vault. The Queen's Piper played for the Queen most mornings until she was laid to rest at St. George's Chapel on Monday, where he played a final lament for the late British monarch. A funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II took place on Monday at London's Westminster Abbey where she was also married and coronated in 1947 and 1953 respectively. The Queen died on September 8 at 96 years old, ending her unprecedented 70-year reign. Her son, King Charles III, and other members of the royal family paid their final respects to the monarch as her coffin was taken to St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for a smaller committal ceremony, signifying the end of her reign after the crown, scepter, and orb were removed from atop the coffin. Pipe Major Paul Burns played a final lament, "A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith," as the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, where she was laid to rest with her husband Prince Philip, who died in April last year. At the Queen's request, the Piper to the Sovereign a position dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria in 1843 concluded the committal service playing "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep." The royal piper, whom the monarch affectionately referred to as "Pipes," served as somewhat of a personal alarm clock for the Queen over her decades-long reign. In an interview with the BBC last week, Pipe Major Scott Methven, who served as the Queen's piper from 2015 to 2019, recalled his time serving the monarch, saying "she enjoyed the bagpipes, but she got to know you as a person." Methven, who was the Queen's 15th piper, said she had a "quick wit," recalling a moment he accidentally referred to her as "Her Royal Highness." Story continues "I said 'I do beg your pardon, good afternoon Your Majesty' and she grabbed me by the arm and said 'Pipes, it has been 60 years since somebody called me Your Royal Highness, and I quite liked it,'" he said. The former royal piper also remembered Elizabeth's kindness when he lost his parents and wife while in his role, and the Queen excused him from his royal duties to mourn. "I was standing with the Queen, and she said, 'If you're not here in the morning and you don't play the bagpipes, then I know you're away. Don't wait to ask anyone, just go home if your family need you because it's family first,'" he said of the conversation. He added: "She grabbed me by the arm again and said, 'You know, Pipes, if anyone has a problem with that, you tell them that I said it was OK to go.'" Read the original article on Insider Ryann McEnany, the sister of White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, is leading the outreach for a new dating app called, The Right Stuff, to lure conservative women on Capitol Hill to the app. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images A dating app called The Right Stuff that hopes to attract conservatives is set to launch this month. Ryann McEnany, Kayleigh McEnany's sister, is leading outreach on Capitol Hill, per The Daily Beast. The app is having trouble getting Republican women on the Hill to sign up before launching. A new dating app aimed at hopeful, conservative romantics is facing hesitance from some Republican women on Capitol Hill to sign up, according to a Daily Beast report. Recently, the app which was founded by former Trump administration officials John McEntee, Daniel Huff, and Isaac Stalzer has been conducting outreach to conservative women in D.C., offering exclusive access ahead of its launch this month. The company's spokesperson Ryann McEnany, the sister of former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, has led the outreach and sent direct messages on Instagram to Republican staffers, The Daily Beast reported. In the messages reviewed by the outlet, McEnany wrote: "Hi. I'm working with John McEntee's team on an exclusive conservative dating app called The Right Stuff that's expected to launch this summer! We would love to get you on our list for early access to the app." But two Republican staffers on the Hill who anonymously spoke to The Daily Beast said many who received the message have ignored the solicitation and privately joked about it in their own circles. One Republican operative, as The Daily Beast described, expressed doubts about the company's strategy of focusing its launch in D.C. "It's all of Mitch McConnell's staffers," the operative told the outlet. Others shared concerns that it might attract trolls or liberals acting like conservatives. In an email to Insider, co-founder and the former director of the White House presidential personnel office McEntee, wrote that trolling "will not be a problem because our initial users are all young conservatives and will only invite other like-minded individuals." "Also it's a dating app so you can simply unmatch or report anyone that's using the platform in a mean-spirited way," he wrote. Story continues McEntee also disputed the idea that women were not signing up for the app. The "majority of early sign-ups are women so I don't even understand that point," he said. McEntee did not immediately respond to a follow-up question on data points the company may have showing the number of early sign-ups. One Republican staffer also questioned why the app was necessary when other dating apps, such as Hinge or Bumble, already allow users to filter by political affiliation. "You can meet other conservatees on normal dating apps," she said. "It's something you can filter for." McEntee defended the app, saying that "right now conservatives are spread out across a lot of different platforms and we need to consolidate that. Not to mention most are too scared to put conservative on their profiles due to the hostility they face. On our platform everyone can be themselves openly!" The app, which billionaire Peter Thiel backed with $1.5 million in seed funding, has marketed itself as the antithesis of modern-day dating apps, which might require users to input preferred pronouns or, in one case, the type of unconventional sex they seek. Users of The Right Stuff don't have to list their pronouns, but if they do, they can only identify themselves as male or female, according to the company's pitch deck that was previously reported on by Insider. A spokesman for Thiel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Huff, one of the co-founders, also told The Hill in August that the app would first focus on heterosexual relationships before it potentially expands to same-sex relationships. "We're sorry that you had to endure years of bad dates and wasted time with people that don't see the world our way the right way," McEnany said in an ad spot for the app. The app follows a trend in conservative-centric platforms that have popped up in the last few years after many Republicans have expressed frustrations with the policies of major tech platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Startups like Parler, Donald Trump's Truth Social, and Gab launched within the past six years all purporting to be havens for free-speech enthusiasts. Read the original article on Business Insider Sep. 20A retired Honolulu police sergeant and a Maui police sergeant have been arrested in connection with separate sex assault investigations. A retired Honolulu police sergeant and a Maui police sergeant have been arrested in connection with separate sex assault investigations. Justin Mauliola, 35, of Wailuku, a 13-year veteran of the Maui Police Department, was arrested Monday for first-degree sexual assault, according to a department news release. Mauliola was placed on administrative leave, his police powers suspended, and his credentials and firearm have been temporarily confiscated. MPD did not disclose any other details about Mauliola's arrest. First-degree sexual assault is a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Also Monday, Fredrick Patrick Apo, 62, was charged with continuous sexual assault of a 13-year-old child who lived with him, according to police booking records. Apo was arrested Friday afternoon at his home in Kapolei. He was charged with continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14 and is being held in lieu of $250, 000 bail. The charge is also a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Apo served as an HPD officer for 25 years, retiring from HPD as a sergeant in December 2019. According to court documents, between about March 1, 2021, through Sept. 1, Apo allegedly sexually assaulted the teen in his home. Last week the child's parent was granted a petition for a temporary restraining order against Apo. In the petition, Apo is accused of exhibiting "manipulative, coercive and threatening " behavior. Sep. 20A retired Honolulu police sergeant with 25 years of experience on the force was arrested Friday and charged with continuous sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl, according to police booking records. Fredrick Patrick Apo, 62, was arrested at 2 :20 p.m. Friday at his home on Kaupea Street in Kapolei. He was charged today with continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of fourteen years and is being held in lieu of $250, 000 bail. The charge is a class "A " felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Apo retired from HPD as a sergeant on Dec. 30, 2019. He started serving in the department in 1994. Between about March 1, 2021, through Sept. 1, Apo sexually assaulted the girl in his home, according to court documents. Apo would ask the teen to massage him before turning over the key to the mailbox, according to the criminal complaint filed in state court. When confronted by the teenager's family, Apo denied assaulting the child. On Sept. 12, the child told the principal of the middle school the teen attends about what Apo allegedly did to her. The child's parent was granted a petition on Sept. 14 for a temporary restraining order against Apo. In the petition, Apo is accused of exhibiting "manipulative, coercive and threatening " behavior. Apo is a "retired Honolulu police officer with access to firearms, " that he keeps locked in a safe in the garage of his home in Kapolei. "There are many instances of abuse while residing with the respondent (Apo ), " the petition alleged. Correction : An earlier version of this story gave the wrong gender for the victim of the alleged crimes. The Real Housewives of Atlanta fans were not happy to see Marlo Hampton sending her two nephews to live with her sister for 30 days, and Andy Cohen put her in the hot seat. Hampton had been raising the two young men, Michael and William, for the past three years but admitted it had become too much for her, accusing the teenage boys of not listening to her rules and acting out. Her decision was met with swift backlash from viewers. During the reunion host, Andy Cohen questioned her about it. Cohen asks Hampton about kicking out her nephew According to All About the Real Housewives, during part 2 of the RHOA, Cohen had a chance to ask Marlo Hampton what really happened and asked for clarity. He noted the decision was not well received by Hampton. I wanna talk about your decision to send Michael and William away for a month because we got a lot of viewer feedback; it was really negative. I respect that you were possibly protecting them and you from yourself and bad impulses that you might have, Cohen told Hampton. Hampton told Cohen that she felt it was in the best interest of her nephews at the time. It was about them. You know, I think when I say I kicked him out, thats awful, she said. But she says it was necessary in order for her not to lose her cool with them. "Me and the way I say things and deliver the message, but I wanted to say is I need a reset button, she explained. She said she was losing control and that their household lacked structure. Andy, Im used to being a fabulous muntie. You call me; you get spoiled, you get pizza if you need me, with Cohen interjecting: But that doesnt work. Hampton agreed. Oh no, it doesnt work, it doesnt. It doesnt work if they stay there and I beat them, or if I freak out like my mom, so I was worried like you need to get yourself out of control because you dont have control of your house. I went into this thinking, I got this right away, but I needed to reset, she concluded. The Carlisle Barracks Main Post Cemetery still holds the remains of at least 171 Native youth. (Photo: Jenna Kunze) Last summer, the Department of the Army, which controls the site of the former Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, said it stands ready to assist any tribe or family member who wishes to disinter their relatives and bring them home from the cemetery there. In 1879, what was then the Carlisle Barracks became the site of the nations first Indian boarding school, which was operated by the Department of the Interior until 1918. During those 39 years, it forcibly assimilated 7,800 Native American children from more than 140 tribal nations through a mix of Western-style education and hard labor. At least 194 children from 59 different tribes died there, of disease often made worse by poor living conditions and abuse, and were buried at the school. Exhumations from the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery began in 2017, when Yufna Soldier Wolf of the Northern Arapaho Tribe won her 10-year battle to return three Arapaho children. They were reburied on the reservation in Ethete, Wyoming. The Army has since returned a total of 28 children in five disinterment projects. Each project was conducted for about a month during the summer. A team of professionals from the Army Corps of Engineers Center of Expertise for Curation arrives to carry out the process of exhuming and identifying each childs remains. The team consists of 13 people: three tribal liaisons, who oversee family coordination, tribal consultation, and travel logistics; three specialists from the Office of Army Cemeteries, who oversee the site layout, manage all the equipment, and ensure security and privacy; three forensic archaeologists, who exhume the remains; and four biological anthropologists, who conduct forensic analyses on the remains to ensure they match their description. The Army spent over $600,000 in each of the past two summers 2021 and 2022 to return seven to ten children, according to spokesperson John Harlow. However, at least 171 children are still buried at the Carlisle Barracks, according to records kept by the Carlisle Indian School Digital Research Center, run by Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Fourteen of those children are under headstones marked unknown. Story continues Based on the Army's current projections and the pace of disinterment, it will take 17 years and about $10.2 million to return each child from the Carlisle cemetery, if every child is claimed. To help elucidate the process, Native News Online spoke with a few relatives who have successfully brought their ancestors home from Carlisle, plus a spokesperson from the Army. Step 1: Locating your relative According to Renea Yates, director of the Office of Army Cemeteries, the Army notified all 574 federally recognized tribes that it had Native children buried in its cemetery back in 2016, and will do so again this fall. The Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center has been digitizing Bureau of Indian Affairs documents kept on the school and its students for eight years. As a result, anybody can search through detailed student records, which include their age, tribal affiliation, family background, admission and discharge dates, school activities, health reports, and even sometimes school newspaper clippings. For those unsure of whether they have tribal relatives buried at Carlisle, there is also digitized cemetery information that includes the deceaseds dates, plot location, and primary documents on the death and burial of a student. In 2021, Lauren Peters (Agdaagux Tribe) successfully brought her great-aunt, Sophia Tetoff, home to Saint Paul Island in Alaska. She told Native News Online that the Digital Resource Center was a critical resource for gathering the information she needed. She recommends asking archivists there for help navigating that information. If you contact Dickinson [the Digital Resource Center] directly, they're very open about leading you through the database, and how to find all the different pieces of information, Peters said. She warns that name misspellings and incorrect tribal affiliations listed in the documents could have derailed Sophias return. Sophia, who was about 17 years old when she died in 1906, was a member of the Unangax Nation, but her student card garbled that, listing her as part of the Aleut tribe. So if I had visited the cemetery, I might not have put those two things together, Peters said. (Photo: Courtesy Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center) Student information card of Sophia Tetoff, a member of the Alaskan (Aleut) Nation, who entered the school in June 1901 and died there in May 1906. She was buried in the cemetery on the school grounds. (Photo: Courtesy Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center) Step 2: Initiating paperwork The Army has made clear that it does not believe it is compelled to repatriate human remains under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), because the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery does not constitute a collection. Many tribal Nations and Native attorneys dispute that. Instead of following NAGPRA, the Army follows its own rule for exhuming Native American remains: Army Regulation 290-5, which requires that a lineal descendant make the request for disinterment. Under Army policy, and because we have the custody of the remains, we have to allow the family to be the one that notifies us, Renea Yates said during a press conference last year. Tribal requests cannot be made. It has to be the individual closest family member. How to find the closest living relative In several instances, tribal historic preservation officers have been able to locate the closest living descendant through their surnames, research provided from the Digital Resource Center, and consulting with tribal elders. For a few disinternments during the summer of 2022, the Army contacted the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska. The museum took on the role of locating the next of kin for three Alaska Native girls. Relatives of Anastasia Ashouwak, who went home in July, used Ancestry.com to prove their lineal relation to her. The most significant question to answer and/or research is the family tree and who is the senior living descendent that is able to take responsibility for claiming the remains, Lara Ashouwak, whose husband, Ted, is related to Anastasia, told Native News Online in an email. We were lucky because I had worked on Ted's genealogy and already knew the answers re: who was who, our relationship to Anastasia, and the line of seniority. What happens if you cant find a closest living relative? This is where the process can get a bit tricky. One girl buried at Carlisle was unable to be returned home in 2022 because the museum responsible for initiating the returns couldnt locate a living descendant. In such instances, the Army requests that a tribal official contact them directly. The Army recognizes that almost none of the Native children buried at CBPC [Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery] had detailed parent information listed on the school burial records, spokesperson John Harlow told Native News Online. The closest living relatives of the deceased may only be distantly related. We understand that Native American Traditional Knowledge may likely be the basis to determine who is the closest living relative. What to do once youve found the closest living relative Tribes who have found the closest living relative can request disinterment by submitting two documents to the Office of Army Cemeteries. One is a notarized affidavit by the closest living relative of the decedent, requesting the disinterment and including the reason for it. The other is a notarized sworn statement by a person who knows that the person who supplied the first affidavit is the closest living relative. Requests should be emailed to: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-anmc.mbx.accountabilitycoe@army.mil. Yufna Soldier Wolf, the Northern Arapaho tribal member who was the first to return her relatives from Carlisle, created a 23-page document summarizing the Carlisle disinterment process as a tool for other tribal nations. She recommends getting your paperwork in early. Plan to get it in before Christmas, Peters echoed. And if you can't, lower your expectation that this is going to happen in six months. Planning for the next years disinterment project begins around the 4th of July, as soon as the current years project is complete, Harlow said. The detailed planning, preparation and funding is completed by 15 January of each year in order to publish the list of children for disinterment in the Federal Register and properly plan for the families to travel to Carlisle for the next planned disinterment, he added. (Photo: Brian Adams) Anastasia's descendant, Ashouwak, carries her remains to the cemetery for reburial after a long journey home this summer. (Photo: Brian Adams) Step 3: The Return Once the Army receives and approves your paperwork, they will put you in touch with someone to coordinate logistics, Lauren Peters said. She said it connected her with a tribal liaison, and led her through an orientation over Zoom prior to her trip to Pennsylvania. It included details on what the disinterment will look like, how the transfer will be set up, what your privacy will be like. Family members can choose which cultural protocols for the ceremony they want, and who will be allowed to come in and out of a secure tent during the ceremony. The Army reimburses the cost of travel and expenses associated with the exhumation and burial, but only for two people. Peters recommends getting clear assurances ahead of time about what costs will be reimbursed. It cost $18,000 for her and her son to travel to Carlisle, plus a second leg for her and an additional son to go to St. Pauls Island in Alaska. The Army reimbursed her for $12,000, she said, and she got the balance covered through a grant from her university. Funding is a tough one, Peters said. Know that you might have to do some fundraising. I think if your expectation is that [the Army is] gonna take care of everythingand I think we all feel that they should, for as many people that need to go out there and witness it[youll see] thats the difference between being a tribal government and the U.S. government. Soldier Wolf recommends that family members ask the Army ahead of time for a printed packet of information and guidelines, so they can know what to expect. She also recommends having someone knowledgeable in archaeology and anthropology to walk the tribe through the process on the ground. If the tribe repatriating doesnt agree or want things done differently, they have the person who can help them understand and communicate to the Army how the tribe wants it and then move forward, she wrote. Peters said that the team working to disinter Sophia was exceptionally respectful, and didnt make a single decision without first consulting with her. Any time there was the slightest question, they stopped everything and they came to me and my son, and they asked: How do you want to do this? she said. Sometimes there was a delay while I called up to St. Paul, and that was totally fine with them. What surprised Peters most about her trip was how she felt once the process was set in motion. All the right things were set up, but still I didn't anticipate the panic attack I had on the airplane on the way there, she said. She recommends preparing a support system for yourself while youre in Carlisle, spending time in nature, and possibly planning to speak to a talk therapist or a spiritual leader once the process is completed. (Photo: Jenna Kunze for Native News Online) The community of Old Harbor, Alaska, gathered in July to rebury Anastasia Ashouwak beside her relatives. (Photo: Jenna Kunze for Native News Online) Step 4: The Reburial Each tribe that has completed disinternments from Carlisle navigated their reburial process differently, but many tribal nations organized large gatherings for their ancestors reburial on their homelands. Some family members, including Lauren Peters and Lara Ashouwak, have sought permission from the bishop of the Orthodox Church in Alaska to have the church participate in their ancestors' welcome home and reburial. Soldier Wolf recommends that, no matter how you and your tribe decide to handle reburial, make sure you have a plan in place for how to address the media. Our tribe has a media policy and procedure they follow along with our elders tribal protocol for dos and donts for the media, Soldier Wolf wrote. Without any of this guidance, it would have been a lot of stress for me to deal with, as I had all types of famous and local news agencies calling for stories and interviews. She recommends implementing a media plan to determine who will speak; following a process or assigning a person to respond to media requests; ensuring that elders and descendants are okay with the plan, and reassuring them you are doing this for their privacy; and making consistent responses to the media. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct age of Sophia Tetoff, who was about 17 years old when she died in 1906, as well as the number of children whose remains has been returned and the timing of the Army's outreach to federally recognized tribes about the Native children buried in its cemetery. About the Author: "Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the publication's lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York." Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com An immigrant mother and child stand outside a church on Martha's Vineyard on Sept. 15, 2022. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The unexpected arrival of approximately 50 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants on Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, on Sept. 14, 2022, has prompted legal questions about how and why, exactly, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chartered planes to drop them in this unlikely destination. The move is part of a broader campaign by Republican politicians to transport large numbers of migrants to liberal states and cities. Since then, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has activated 125 National Guard members to help distribute food and other necessities to the migrants, now living at a Cape Cod military base. And a Texas county sheriff announced Sept. 20 that he was launching an investigation into allegations that a Venezuelan migrant was paid to recruit the other migrants for the trip. Lawyers for 30 of the migrants have been asking for a legal investigation into what they call a political stunt. Many of the migrants said they were falsely promised housing, jobs and expedited work permits if they boarded planes in Texas set for Massachusetts a likely preferred alternative to the San Antonio shelter where they were temporarily staying. As an immigration law professor, I think it is important to understand that the answer to whether it is legal to move migrants potentially against their will and transport them across states is complicated and depends on several unknown factors. Many of the 50 Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who were left on Marthas Vineyard are asylum seekers, lawyers say. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The intent behind the drop-off First, there is an open question of whether the migrants were illegally staying in the United States at the time they were transported to Marthas Vineyard. There is a federal law, called 8 U.S.C. 1324, that criminalizes transporting an undocumented migrant anywhere within the U.S. if the migrant has entered the U.S. unlawfully or remains in the country without a visa or other documentation. This law also prohibits someone from even helping or planning to transport undocumented migrants. But someone who is found guilty of this law must have also known and disregarded the fact that the migrants were in the U.S. without legal paperwork or other permission from immigration officials. Story continues Transporting consenting migrants who have the paperwork to be in the U.S. is legal. But certain factors like DeSantis intent and knowledge of the migrants immigration status could create potential civil and criminal liability. The migrants might legally be in the U.S. One key issue, then, is whether the migrants are legally authorized to be in the U.S. and if not, whether DeSantis, his team and the charter airplane company helped the migrants illegally stay in the U.S. by flying them to Marthas Vineyard. Some of the migrants are reportedly asylum seekers and not illegal immigrants, as DeSantis office has said. Generally, a migrant who is seeking asylum in the U.S. is not violating immigration law. That is because immigration asylum law authorizes migrants to enter the U.S. and apply for asylum meaning that they ask for the legal right to stay in the U.S. because they have legitimate fears of returning to their own countries. Asylum seekers are allowed to temporarily stay in the U.S. while they await an immigration judges decision on their asylum application. Migrants might also get temporary permission to stay in the U.S. for other humanitarian reasons. It is unknown how many of the migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard were authorized to remain in the country or have pending asylum applications. Moving migrants within the US Another major question is whether transporting migrants could somehow help or promote their potentially undocumented immigration status. In 1999, for example, a U.S. federal court of appeals determined that an individual transporting two undocumented migrants from New Mexico to Colorado in search of employment violated immigration law, since the move advanced the undocumented migrants unlawful presence in the U.S. Perhaps there is evidence that DeSantis, or members of his team, helped or advanced the migrants unlawful entry or continued illegal presence in the U.S. by transporting them to a sanctuary location within Massachusetts. Ultimately, DeSantis decision to fly migrants to Massachusetts likely frustrated the Biden administrations immigration law enforcement. Randomly moving migrants across states makes it harder for the government to process asylum applications and to deport migrants who are not eligible for asylum. A volunteer hugs a Venezuelan migrant outside of a church on Marthas Vineyard on Sept. 16, 2022. Carlin Stiehl for the Boston Globe via Getty Images The known unknowns Other factors could determine whether DeSantis potentially violated human trafficking laws, as some immigrant advocates have said. This includes what the migrants were told and by whom. Deceiving people and then moving them from one place to another could constitute kidnapping. Falsely promising available work permits is also illegal. Human trafficking, according to U.S. law, must include exploitation resulting in some kind of material gain. While there is nothing to indicate that DeSantis received compensation for flying the migrants to Massachusetts, the private airplane charter company did receive money to transport them. The identities and knowledge of the government officials involved in the entire Marthas Vineyard scheme have not been publicly released. A formal investigation into the migrants individual circumstances and an examination of those involved with the flight to Marthas Vineyard could determine whether this incident resulted in legal violations of civil or criminal laws. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Jean Lantz Reisz, University of Southern California. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. Read more: Jean Lantz Reisz receives funding from California Department of Social Services for immigration legal services. Russia continues forced mobilization on the territory of Ukraine Furthermore, 500 employees of a steel plant in occupied Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast, had their military exemption cancelled. Read also: Reintegration Ministry shares tips for Ukrainians on how to avoid Russias forced mobilization Russian dictator Vladimir Putin remains reluctant to order a general mobilization in Russia itself, due to the inherent risks this would pose to political and social stability of the country, and the future of his regime. As a result, Moscow has been forced to resort to recruiting convicted felons to replenish its frayed forces in Ukraine. Read also: As in Kharkiv Oblast, life will return to Crimea once it is liberated, says Zelenskyy Even previously the pro-Russia population living in Ukraine under Moscows occupation since 2014 is resisting the forced mobilization and refusing to fight. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 06:07 Russia has reinforced its presence in the Black Sea, deploying a total of 10 ships. Source: Operational Command Pivden (South) on Facebook Quote: "As the storm subsides, the enemy fleet [deployed in the Black Sea] has grown to 10 ships that are continuing to stay close to the Crimean coast. Three [Russian] naval missile carriers armed with 24 Kalibr cruise missiles and three dock landing ships are on standby [in the waters of the Black Sea]." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The flags of 193 UN member states fly in front of the entrance to the Palais des Nations in Geneva, where the institutions of this organization are located To put an end to this, the participants of the Kick Russia out of the UN initiative have set out to prove that Russia illegally appropriated membership of the international organization. In December 2016, when Russia decided to create a so-called joint group of troops in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia, the Ukrainian delegation repeatedly called on the UN Security Council to consider the situation in Georgia and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country within its internationally recognized borders. Read also: The most comprehensive answer to the question: is Russia a fascist state? Taking advantage of its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia blocked this proposal. In March 2017, when sham voting took place in occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ukraine once again initiated discussions at the UN Security Council. Russias provocative actions are similar to its policy of militarization in the Crimea and its complete disregard for human rights on the Ukrainian peninsula, Volodymyr Yelchenko, the then Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, said at that meeting of the Security Council. Most of the member states of the Security Council condemned Russias aggressive policy and called on Moscow to stop its occupation of Georgian territories, but Russia again blocked the adoption of the statement confirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. Such decisions, as well as resolutions on the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces, require the consensus of the five permanent members of the Security Council the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, and Russia. But there are many examples of the latter (and China) abusing its veto rights, blocking consideration of issues and decision-making aimed at ensuring peace and guaranteeing security in the world. This has been the case with the wars in Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine. Story continues Due to the presence of such a member of the Security Council as the Russian Federation, this UN body is currently de facto non-working, says Serhiy Haidai, a political technologist who, together with his communication agency, undertook to ensure public support for the Kick Russia out of the UN initiative. Maksym Baryshnikov, a lawyer and one of the initiatives founders, goes as far as to describe the very membership of Russia in the Security Council illegal. Also, in his opinion, its termination will contribute not only to the effective work of the Security Council, but also to the earliest possible victory of Ukraine and the establishment of long-term sustainable peace. Two months ago, the initiative group founded by members of the Public Hub NGO, mainly lawyers, decided to seek consideration of the issue of the illegality of Russias presence in the United Nations and, as a result, the deprivation of its powers on the Security Council and other bodies of this organization. Read also: UN announces team to investigate deadly attack on colony with POWs in occupied Olenivka The main argument of the Kick Russia out of the UN group is not even that Russia is an aggressor country in the organization that is supposed to prevent wars, but that Russia has never gone through the statutory procedure of admission to the United Nations, and so is not a legal member. How Russia usurped the Soviet Unions place in the United Nations In April 1945, representatives of 50 countries gathered in the U.S. city of San Francisco, where for two months they drafted and eventually signed the UN Charter. This document announced the creation of the United Nations, a new international institution that would prevent another World War like the one the world had just experienced. Unlike Russia, Ukraine, at that time the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (UkrSSR), was one of 50 founding countries that signed the Charter. The document, which in fact became the constitution of the newly created organization, enshrined its key values: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity. As well as the procedure for accepting new members through the decision of the General Assembly based on the recommendation of the UN Security Council. Read also: UN hopes to prolong grain deal, but Russia seeking to limit Ukrainian exports In addition to the Ukrainian SSR, the founding countries also included the Byelorussian SSR and the Soviet Union itself. So, when the latter ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine and Belarus became independent states and simply changed their names in the register of UN members. But Russia declared itself not only the heir, as each of the former Soviet republics was recognized, but also the successor of the Soviet Union. And thus took its place in the UN and the Security Council. However, the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a legal entity, which Russia also recognized in some documents, Baryshnikov notes. So, if the Soviet Union does not have a continuation, then what could the successor countries be? What is also interesting, Baryshnikov continues, is that Russia is not mentioned in Article 23 of the UN Charter, which lists the states that are permanent members of the Security Council the Soviet Union is still listed there. But why did Russia take its place, and not another former republic of the Soviet Union? In response to this question, the Russians refer to the Almaty Declaration. In late 1991, the heads of states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (i.e. parts of those countries that were formed on the territory of the Soviet Union) gathered in Almaty, where Russia requested and received their support in its desire to take the place of the Soviet Union in the United Nations. After that, the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin wrote a corresponding letter to the then Secretary of the United Nations, in which he called on the organization to consider Russia as the legal successor of the Soviet Union. Based on this letter, the nameplate Soviet Union in the United Nations was replaced by Russia. Russia simply sat down in the chair of the Soviet Union and changed the nameplate with the tacit consent of other members, says Haidai. Read also: Russia preventing access to Ukrainian war prisoners, says UN But in other, similar situations, the organization has insisted on going through the acceptance procedure, he noted. For example, when Yugoslavia fell apart, Serbia wanted to take its place in the United Nations, but it was forced to go through the procedure stipulated by the Charter. In the case of Czechoslovakia, both newly formed countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, were also accepted through a corresponding vote. What is more, while studying the documents regarding Russias entry into the United Nations in 1991, the members of the initiative group found a conclusion by the organizations legal advisor, who at that time said it was not possible for Russia to assume membership of the UN without going through the required procedures. Articles 3, 4 and 110 of the UN Charter establish three stages of such a procedure: an application by a country that is not waging an aggressive war or threatening it, with a request for membership, then a conclusion by the Security Council, and finally the vote of the General Assembly, says Baryshnikov. In addition, the parliament of a candidate state for joining the United Nations must ratify the Charter of the organization and send a letter of ratification to its secretariat. Russia hasnt fulfilled any of these conditions, the lawyer says. At the same time, membership in the United Nations is highly valued by Russia. Russians consider it as one of the three main pillars-guarantees of the security of the countrys existence, say Baryshnikov. He mentions the recent statement of Russias former president and deputy head of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who included Russias thousand-year history, its status as a nuclear power, and its place in the UN Security Council among such pillars. So, our effort to deprive Russia of this place will contribute to increasing Ukraines security, Baryshnikov says. Whats next In order to gain public support both in Ukraine and abroad, the initiative group created an international petition titled Kick Russia out of the UN! It contains a call to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to provide documentary evidence of the reasons for Russias membership in the UN. In the absence of such documents, we demand that Russias fictitious membership of the United Nations be terminated, the document reads. The petition has gathered almost 90,000 signatures in two months. The initiators of the group are aiming to collect one million. Such a number of people supporting the initiative is necessary to draw the attention of the world media to it, explains Haidai. This will help make the problem of the illegitimacy of Russias membership of the United Nations a matter of global discussion, and then it will be difficult for politicians of other countries to ignore it, he comments. In addition to collecting signatures for the petition, the initiative group is also working in other areas, for example, it is preparing a rally at UN headquarters in New York, where a general debate will take place on Sept. 20-26 within the next session of the General Assembly. On an ongoing basis, the members of the group establish contacts with the ministries of foreign affairs of the UN member states and have already sent their materials and proposals to more than 60 foreign agencies. They are also conducting a dialogue with academic circles in the United States and the United Kingdom to raise the issue of Russias membership of the United Nations for discussion among specialists in international law and international relations. Read also: Ukraine plans to seek at least $300 billion in war reparations from Russia Were trying to knock on every door we see and enter every hall, and theyre opening to us more and more often, says Baryshnikov. In addition, the Public Hub is in constant communication with Ukrainian authorities. On Aug. 23, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations officially appealed to the secretariat of the organization with a request to provide documents on the legality of Russias UN membership. This is a big step, since Ukraine has never taken such actions before, Haidai says. In addition, as far as we know, with this request, for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the procedure of non-confirmation of the credentials (of a member of the organization) has been initiated due the appeal of an individual country, Baryshnikov added. If the United Nations recognizes that Russias membership is illegal, the organizations next step is to strip the powers of the Russian delegation in the Security Council and the General Assembly, the lawyer says. There have already been such precedents in the history of the organization. For example, the long-term deprivation of the powers of the delegation of the South African Republic due to the policy of apartheid, says Baryshnikov. Later the United Nations can launch an operation to support peace and security, e.g. with the use of its own air forces on the territory of Ukraine. If there were no Russia in the Security Council, the United Nations could have taken measures from closing the skies over Ukraine up to (introducing) a military contingent, Haidai says. In addition, the issue of reparations will arise after Ukraines victory on the battlefield and the restoration of its state borders, and this issue should be decided by the United Nations, he added. But, if Russia remains in the organization, it will be impossible to make such a decision, he said. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Two people can be under the rubble of a high-rise building Kyrylenko also posted a video showing the results of the Russian airstrike, adding that two people are thought to be trapped under the rubble. Rescue services noted on their Facebook page that the fifth to first floors collapsed at the first entrance way to the building, while the fifth to third floors collapsed at the fourth entrance as a result of the air strike. They also added that a fire broke out at the scene over an area of 100 square meters, but that it was being brought under control. Read also: 45% of Donetsk Oblast still under Ukrainian control Kyrylenko also said that last night the village of Khromove also came under fire from the Russian invaders. One person was injured in that enemy attack. The city of Siversk was also shelled overnight. At least two private houses were destroyed. Information about the victims has not yet been received. Russian troops also shelled the old part of Avdiyivka, aas well as the central districts of the city. There were no casualties. Read also: Slovyansk power plant under attack The village of Bohoyavlenka of the Vuhledar municipality was also hit by enemy attacks, with the volume of destruction there currently being assessed. After the almost complete capture of Luhansk Oblast, invading Russian forces now attack settlements in Donetsk Oblast on a daily basis with all types of weapons, including missiles. Read also: Russian troops shell city of Kherson, potential civilian casualties, Ukrainian official says The government has requested civilians in the region to evacuate. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Reuters) - Russian-backed separatists in the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) will hold a referendum on joining Russia between Sept. 23-27, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the separatist deputy speaker of the region's parliament. The Russian-backed separatist parliament passed a law earlier on Tuesday outlining the details of the proposed vote, though the document made no mention of a date for the vote. Russian forces took full control of the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine earlier in the conflict, but Ukrainian officials on Monday said they had recaptured a village inside territory claimed by the LPR. Russian-appointed officials in several regions of Ukraine that have been seized by Russian forces have stepped up their efforts to stage votes on joining Russia in coordinated moves. The Kremlin has yet to comment on the prospect of votes to incorporate these regions into Russia. It previously said the votes were a matter for local Russian-installed officials and people living in the regions. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Jon Boyle) Izyum, Ukraine Ukraine's lightning counteroffensive against the Russian invaders continues to see success. Ukrainian armed forces now have their sights set on reclaiming the city of Lysychansk, which has been under Russian control since July. But as Ukraine's forces regain more ground from the Russians, they uncover more horrors left in their wake. CBS News correspondent Debora Patta has seen first-hand disturbing evidence of an alleged Russian torture chamber in the liberated city of Izyum. As towns and villages across the northeast Kharkiv region have been liberated from Russian occupation, the awful truth of exactly what Vladimir Putin had in mind for Ukraine continues to emerge. Ukraine calls Russian shelling near nuke plant "nuclear terrorism" Patta visited a police station in Izyum that was used by Russian troops as a local headquarters. CBS News entered it after it was demined, and as Ukrainian detectives began their grim work. Patta was led through rooms that Ukrainian locals and police say were used as torture chambers. Russian soldiers slept there, ate there, and meted out the terror used to keep civilians and captured Ukrainian fighters under control. The walls of the police station's dark, damp basement were lined with egg cartons, as it had previously been used as an underground shooting range. It was already soundproofed. That meant the screams would be muffled. Scattered all around the basement, Patta saw things left behind by the occupying forces. Many looked innocuous a coat-hanger, old electrical devices, masks and other household items but police have taken testimony from victims who say they were all wielded as implements of torture. Gas masks and a wooden club, allegedly among the items used by occupying Russian forces to torture prisoners, are seen in the basement of the police station in Izyum, a town in northeast Ukraine recently reclaimed by Ukrainian forces, in September 2022. / Credit: CBS News Unused electric shock devices were also found. Patta met local resident Anatoly Garagatny last week, who broke down sobbing as he described being electrocuted at the police station. Prisoners like Garagatny were kept in cramped jail cells filled with the stench of urine from overflowing buckets. The walls are peppered with rows of little pencil strokes, marking the days prisoners spent locked inside. In some spots, there are more than 50 marks. Story continues Police Chief Sergei Bolsenov is leading the investigation into what happened in his town, including at his department's headquarters. "We collect evidence of fingerprints and DNA from this place," he told CBS News, to determine whether the people who were recently held there are even still alive. Russia has dismissed the discovery of mass-burial sites in Izyum as "lies." But when he spoke to Patta, Garagatny was already exhausted after cordoning off more than a dozen crime scenes like the one in the police station. "This is the aftermath of terrorism," he told CBS News. "Russia was trying to strangle the local people, to make them suffer to make them so scared, they'd forget about freedom." The effort has failed. Like so many Ukrainians who've suffered under Russian occupation, the people of Izyum have not had their spirit broken. Their fear has turned into defiance. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger discusses midterm voting process Why does Puerto Rico's energy grid keep failing? Mar-a-Lago special master holds preliminary meeting with DOJ, Trump's legal team Vladimir Osechkin In a livestreamed interview with journalist Yulia Latynina, he said Bellingcat investigator Christo Grozev, who had previously warned him of a possible murder attempt, had saved his life. Osechkin said the attempt had been prepared by a person closely connected with the FSB (Russias security service) and organized crime who came to Biarritz from Russia. According to the human rights activist, after receiving information about the planned assassination attempt, he and his family evacuated to the mountains for two days, and when they came back, someone tried to shoot him. I was carrying plates (of food) into the hall to give to the kids, and in my peripheral vision, on one of the terraces, I saw a red dot moving over the terrace railing and further along the wall toward me, he said. Osechkin said he and his family had undergone special training in this case. We were prepared for this, we were trained so that, if anything, we would not delay and not wait for them to shoot us, he said. Of course, we put the lights out at once, the kids got on the floor, they and my wife spent about an hour in one of the most protected rooms. According to Osechkin, when the police arrived at the scene, they interviewed the neighbours, who said they had heard some shots. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Olga Skabeyeva said Russia should have launched a nuclear strike on the UK on the day of the Queen's funeral. (Russia-1) A presenter on Russian state TV has said Moscow should have bombed the UK during the Queen's state funeral. Controversial TV host Olga Skabeyeva made the comment on Russian state television on Monday. She was agreeing with panelist Andrey Gurulyov, a retired military commander and deputy in the Russian federal assembly, who said his country should target the UK with a nuclear strike. In a video flagged by Russian Media Monitor Julia Davis, Skabeyeva said with a smirk: "We should have done it today, all the best people are there for the funeral." Gurulyov had told state channel Russia-1: "Why would we bomb Ukraine or Germany, when there is Britain, the root of evil? Read more: World should prepare for the collapse of Russia, warns former US general Russian president Vladimir Putin has suffered a series of setbacks in Ukraine in recent weeks. (AFP via Getty Images) "When Britain is turned into a Martian desert, will they defend a Martian desert as per their fifth article? There will be nothing left." This is a reference to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), which provides that an attack on one Nato ally will be considered an act of violence against all members. But Gurulyov said: "I assure you, everyone will back down, they will not use the strategic nuclear forces." Russian state television is routinely used by Moscow to broadcast its propaganda. It is believed Russia-1, has the second largest audience in the country. Watch: Bodies of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers found near border town Skabeyeva has been nicknamed the "Iron Doll of Putin TV" because of her continuous spouting of pro-Kremlin views. It isn't the first time Gurulyov has called for a nuclear strike on the UK. Last month, he told Russian state television that the quickest way to defeat Ukraine was to "wipe out the British isles" and turn it into a "third world country". He said this would make it easier for Russian president Vladimir Putin to continue with his invasion of Ukraine. Read more: How the Ukraine war went catastrophically wrong for Putin Ukrainian soldiers ride in a tank on Monday in the town of Izium, recently liberated from Russian forces. (Getty Images) Despite the overblown rhetoric, the situation on the ground has deteriorated for Moscow in recent weeks, with Ukrainian forces reclaiming large swathes of land in the Kharkiv region. Story continues Those losses finally sparked some Russian commentators to take to state TV to question their country's methods in Ukraine, suggesting the Kremlin's grip over its control on public pronouncements is weakening. According to a survey published last month by independent pollsters Rosmir, a quarter of Russians have stopped watching state-run channels because they are tired of its propaganda surrounding its invasion of Ukraine. The Moscow Times reported that only 65% of Russians are watching state-run stations, a drop from 86% at the beginning of the invasion in February. Watch: Russia 'likely to concede area half size of Wales' in Ukraine TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 22:37 In anticipation of a speech by dictator Vladimir Putin, which did not take place as expected on 20 September, Russians began to actively search up how to leave the country and how to defer army service. Source: Telegram channels Mozhem obiasnit (We can explain) and Meduza Details: Google searches for the phrase "How to leave Russia" reached a peak on 20 September. This happened amid speculation about forthcoming mobilisation in the Russian Federation and preparations for unlawful "referendums" in the occupied territories of Ukraine. The searches peaked at 18:00, according to Google Trends data. Shortly before this, reports had been circulating that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu would make speeches that evening. People living in the Khabarovsk region, which borders China, were the most interested in the question of emigration. There was an upsurge of interest among Russians in the issue of mobilisation this Tuesday. But the level of interest is lower than it was in May (when it was the subject of intense debate in the run-up to Victory Day). Residents of Belgorod Oblast were the most intensely interested in it. Russians started googling how to defer military service. The peak was at 13:00, after the first posts about mobilisation came up. On the afternoon of 20 September, the Russian State Duma introduced the concepts of "mobilisation" and "wartime" into the Criminal Code, and it also approved amendments on liability for desertion during mobilisation or wartime. Speeches by Putin and Shoigu were expected to be broadcast this evening - but they were first rescheduled, then postponed. According to Russian propagandists posts, they have been moved to 21 September. This is all happening in light of the rapid preparations underway for a "vote" on the annexation of new territories: the occupiers are going to hold pseudo-referendums on the accession of the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts to Russia between 23 and 27 September. As expected, these unlawful "referendums" could untie Russia's hands, because it will then be able to call Ukraine's counteroffensive an attack on its territories and announce open mobilisation in the Russian Federation. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 21:45 Russian soldiers damaged and took a lot of medical equipment from hospitals that were occupied [in Kharkiv Oblast.] Source: Maksym Khaustov, Director of the Department of Health in Kharkiv Oblast, on Ukrainske Radio Kharkiv, cited by Suspilne Quote: "Many establishments are destroyed; we are examining other buildings, community clinics in order to bring some equipment there. Unfortunately, Russian troops have destroyed a lot of equipment, or took it with them. We estimate losses of equipment to be approximately 95%." Details: According to Khaustov, residents of liberated Kupiansk, Strilecha, Velykyi Burluk and Vovchansk need the most medical and psychological assistance. Khaustov said that a hospital had been damaged in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, and occupiers had stolen a medics car there. Occupiers also had looted a dispensary in Bilyi Kolodiaz of Vovchansk hromada [amalgamated territorial community - an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories]. The windows in intensive care and paediatric ICU premises, as well as in Balakliia Central District Hospital, are shattered. Quote: "At the moment, medical brigades are already working in the recently liberated territories where there is no shelling risk. Medical assistance is coming; the medical system is starting to operate, too. A lot of questions have arisen: [ranging from] diabetes to simply psychological help that is needed. We are providing it." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! PureWow Kelly Ripa's new memoir, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, is officially out in stores, and besides her U.S. tour, the Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host is finding other creative ways to promote her new book. In a recent post on Instagram, the 51-year-old talk show host shared an alternate cover, which featured none other than her husband, Mark Consuelos, 51. And as to be expected, it was quite a cheeky pic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kelly Ripa (@kellyripa) Ripa shared th Killing Eve star Sandra Oh has been tapped to narrate Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March, a PBS documentary exploring the rising anti-Asian hate in the United States following the 2021 spa shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead. The documentary, which will premiere on Oct. 17, examines the rise of anti-Asian racism and documents a growing movement to fight back and stop the hate following the events of last years Atlanta spa shootings where six Asian women were killed. With this documentary, we hope to examine this troubling escalation of racism against the AAPI community, pay respect to the lives lost and impacted by the violence, and champion those coming together to fight against the hate, executive producer Gina Kim said in a recent press release. The tragedy of the Atlanta shootings and the events of the past two years have compelled a deep reflection within the community about our place in the American polity. It has galvanized the Asian American community to speak up and speak out," director Titi Yu added. More from NextShark: Junji Ito announces Netflix horror anthology series coming in 2023 Narrated by Oh, who was recently made a representative of Canada for Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral in London, Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March will feature music created by Academy and Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste and Grammy-nominated musician Cory Wong. Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March will highlight interviews with Robert Peterson, the son of one of the Atlanta shooting victims, as well as other community leaders and politicians, including Rep. Grace Meng (D, NY-6) and former Georgia State Rep. Stacey Abrams. Produced by Repartee Films LLC in association with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the PBS documentary is part of The WNET Group's "Exploring Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and Extremism, an initiative that looks into the origins of hate in America and other parts of the world. Story continues More from NextShark: French tattoo model earns Guinness record for world's largest Studio Ghibli memorabilia collection Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March is set to premiere on Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS. Featured Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live More from NextShark: Donnie Yen to Play a Chinese Mexican Drug Kingpin in 'Golden Empire' Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Netflix Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month With Daniel Dae Kim, Lana Condor and More (Getty Images) Scammers are using the death of the Queen to trick people into cryptocurrency and NFT schemes, security experts have warned. The malicious scheme involves sharing investment projects offering crypto tokens and NFTs named after Elizabeth II as a way of paying tribute to Her Majesty. These sites are new and may not be secure, so any crypto wallet data that users enter might be at risk if the sites database is leaked. Unsuspecting users are also being offered commemorative coins or T-shirts on websites where personal information is not secured in any way, and during payment, the user is not transferred to a special secure page. This means that card data, addresses, and usernames could be stolen if the database is compromised. The death of Queen Elizabeth II has shocked the world, resonating in the hearts of millions of people. To pay tribute to Her Majesty, many users seek to buy a commemorative product or token with her image on it. However, the sites where such goods are offered are mostly hastily created by people who dont even think about their security, said Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky. When buying from such sites, remember that many of them are not secure and the data entered on such pages are likely to be at risk of leakage, so remember to use a robust secure solution to protect yourselves. Also choose to buy only from trusted stores and be suspicious of super low prices on goods - it can be used by cybercriminals as a lure to get your payment details. The UKs National Cyber Security Centre has also issued a warning against scams during the mourning period, as there may be an increase in phishing emails that attempt to get personal data via malicious links. As with all major events, criminals may seek to exploit the death of Her Majesty the Queen for their own gain. While the NCSC which is a part of GCHQ has not yet seen extensive evidence of this, as ever you should be aware it is a possibility and be attentive to emails, text messages, and other communications concerning the death of Her Majesty the Queen and arrangements for her funeral. Scientists have said that three earthquakes occurring on the same date in Mexico years and decades apart is a coincidence. The alerts for Mondays incoming earthquake came within the hour of the warning systems being used in a drill to commemorate the previous earthquakes on 19 September in 1985 and 2017. In 1985, an 8.0 quake struck near the coast of the state of Guerrero, killing at least 9,500 people, according to the Associated Press. In 2017, more than 360 people died in a 7.1 earthquake and on Monday, 19 September 2022, a quake killed at least two people. US Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle told the AP that this is a coincidence. Theres no physical reason or statistical bias toward earthquakes in any given month in Mexico, he added. The seismologist told the news agency that theres no particular season or month for major quakes anywhere in the world. But people tend to look for coincidences that appear to be a pattern. We knew wed get this question as soon as it happened, he said. Sometimes there are just coincidences. Dr Earle said the quake wasnt linked to the exercise that had occurred an hour before and also had no connection to the quake in Taiwan on Sunday. According to Laura Velazquez, Mexicos national Civil Defense Coordinator, the two deaths on Monday were caused by the partial collapse of buildings. Ten people were injured, nine of whom were in the state of Colima and one in the state of Michoacan. Dozens of schools and health clinics were damaged, Ms Velazquez said on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. In total, more than 200 buildings were damaged. Most of that damage happened in Colima and Michoacan, with around 20 buildings suffering minor damage in Mexico City. The coincidence has led to a rise in anxiety for many. Call centre coordinator Jorge Ornelas told the news agency that its really strange, but a lot of people already dont like that day. He said many start to worry about a quake as the month of September arrives. Story continues If we keep thinking that every September 19 its going to shake, its going to continue happening every year, because what you think is always what happens, Mr Ornelas, 35, added. Seismology researcher Xyoli Perez-Campos at the National Autonomous University of Mexicos Geophysical Institute told the AP that theres no physical reason for significant quakes to occur on the same date. He added that the quake on Monday was prompted by the interaction of the Cocos plate with the North America plate, similarly to the earthquake in 1985. The territory of Mexico runs across parts of five plates. The plates break when its their time to break, the researcher said. What are they going to know about the calendar? Brad Pitt has made a surprise debut as a sculptor in a lakeside art museum in Finland. The 58-year-old actor unveiled nine of his sculptures at the Sara Hilden Art Museum over the weekend as part of a larger exhibition by British artist Thomas Houseago and a ceramic series by Australian musician Nick Cave. For Nick and I this is a new world and our first entry. It just feels right, Pitt told the Finnish broadcasting company Yle at the opening ceremony. To me its about self-reflection. Its about where I have gotten it wrong in my relationships, where have I misstepped, where am I complicit, the Fury star said at the opening. For me, it was born out of ownership of what I call a radical inventory of self, getting really brutally honest with me and taking account of those I may have hurt, moments I have just gotten wrong. Pitts sculptures consisted of a moulded plaster panel under the title Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound to the House which was made of trapped bullets crystalised in platinum silicon. Smaller pieces from Pitt included Candle Holders For Loved Ones which the artist said were made in the time of Covid. Another artwork was titled Aiming At You I Saw Me But It Was Too Late This Time, which was a bronze box with hands, feet, and faces. Pitts visit to Finland was a complete surprise, as his involvement in the exhibition was not previously announced. Big news! @SaraHildenArt in #Tampere #Finland presents Thomas Houseagos 1st exhibition in the Nordic countries. In the exhibition you can see his sculptures & paintings alongside a ceramic series by Nick Cave and sculptures by Brad Pitt . Photo: Jussi Koivunen #VisitTampere pic.twitter.com/OFixSLj9tp Visit Tampere (@VisitTampere) September 17, 2022 This is the first time the largely self-taught American actor has presented his sculptures to the public. Treasury and Justice department officials defended the effectiveness of wide-ranging U.S. sanctions placed on Russia following the countrys invasion of Ukraine despite indications that Russias economic pivot toward Asia has buoyed the country. Officials told the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday that Western sanctions have siphoned money away from the Russian war effort and helped Ukraine achieve significant military gains, like the 8,000 square kilometers wrested back from Russian control in recent weeks. The sanctions that the United States and over 30 countries have put in place alongside export controls have had a powerful economic effect in achieving our goal, depriving Russia of revenue and of military equipment to wage its brutal war, Elizabeth Rosenberg, assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes in the Treasury Department, told the committee on Tuesday. Half of Russias foreign exchange reserves have been locked up. Russia has been forced to resort to draconian capital controls. It is burning through its fiscal buffers, heading toward fiscal deficit by the end of the year, she said. Andrew Adams, the director of a Department of Justice task force targeting assets of Russian officials and businesspeople, said that the U.S. sanctions regime has gotten stronger and more effective as cooperation and intelligence sharing with European allies has increased. As the European Union, as our partners in the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the globe, have come into alignment with our sanctions regime, it has greatly increased our ability to effect seizures, to effect requests for searches, to request arrests, he said. That, I think, will only continue. But despite recent territory losses by the Russian army, many economic metrics for Russia are showing that the country is faring better than expected in the face of Western sanctions, suggesting that Russia could continue its military campaign well into the future. Story continues Lawmakers on Tuesday expressed concern that Russian energy exports, which are one of the countrys primary revenue sources, are largely unaffected by Western sanctions. Despite decreases in export volumes of about 15 percent in the months following the invasion, high crude oil and fuel prices even allowed Russia to increase its energy export revenues in May. And despite an embargo on Russian oil enacted in the U.S. in March and various European and Russian measures that have resulted in fewer natural gas shipments to Europe, India and China have picked up the slack in oil markets and allowed Russia to keep export volumes at levels comparable to what they were before the war. The outlook for world oil supply has been revised upward, with more limited declines in Russian supply than previously forecast, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) wrote in its August report. While Russias exports of crude and oil products to Europe, the US, Japan and Korea have fallen by nearly 2.2 [million barrels per day] since the start of the war, the rerouting of flows to India, China, Turkiye and others, along with seasonally higher Russian domestic demand has mitigated upstream losses, the IEA report found. This rerouting has caught the attention of U.S. lawmakers assessing the impact of sanctions. Weve seen a huge increase in Indian and Chinese purchases of oil just as U.S. and European purchases have declined. In fact, those purchases have fully offset the decline of the U.S. and the EU, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said during the Banking Committee hearing Tuesday. My concern is that China and India will continue to buy Russian oil, he added. Democrats have also taken notice of the fact that global energy markets have found a way to skirt U.S. and European sanctions. Indias importation of Russian oil has skyrocketed, helping it to maintain Russias exports, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said. To deal with the issue of global energy markets getting around Western sanctions, the Group of Seven major world economies has introduced a price cap on Russian oil, a complex policy that is in various phases of implementation. However, industry analysts say that the policy will be difficult to enforce. I call this a price cap fantasy, Phil Flynn, an analyst with the Price Futures Group, said in an interview. Sure, it would be beautiful to say, Hey, Russia, were only going to pay you X amount for your oil. But to assume Russias going to be OK with that is ridiculous. Already weve heard from the Kremlin that any country thats involved with the price cap just wont get any oil. Rosenberg, the assistant Treasury secretary, said that even though India and China dont have to join the group of countries setting the price cap on Russian oil, they can still take advantage of its existence. By design of this policy, its not essential for such countries, such major importers of Russian oil, to formally join this group. They can nevertheless use the existence of the price cap to leverage lower prices from Russia, she said. Another part of the Russian economy thats doing well despite sanctions is the currency. The Russian ruble is stronger today than it was before the invasion of Ukraine in late February, despite Russia being denied access to many of its foreign currency reserves. Over the summer, the ruble maintained a ratio to the dollar of about 60-to-1, climbing back from a deficit of more than 130-to-1 in the immediate onset of the war. Between 2020 and the February 2022 invasion, the ruble had an exchange rate with the dollar of about 73-to-1. The International Monetary Fund revised its 2022 GDP forecast for Russia up a remarkable 2.5 percent points from April to July, though it still expects Russias economy to shrink by 6 percent on the year. It seems that the sanctions, specifically with regard to their ability to produce and to market oil, doesnt seem to have worked as well as we hoped, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- There is no chance that Serbia will let Kosovo join the United Nations despite intense pressure from the US and European nations, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said. Most Read from Bloomberg Serbia still regards its former province, which declared independence in 2008 almost a decade after the two sides fought a war on mostly ethnic lines, as its territory. Belgrade relies on veto-wielding UN members China and Russia to oppose Kosovo receiving international recognition. Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, Vucic said that even if Serbia doesnt fully recognize Kosovos sovereignty, youd never be able to kick Pristina out of the UN once it gains a seat. Theres no chance that we let Kosovo into the United Nations, Vucic, who has refused to sever ties with Russia or join western sanctions intended to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, said in an interview with Serbian Pink TV. Serbia is bracing for economic fallout because of its defiance after years of EU-mediated talks that have failed to break the deadlock over Kosovo, Vucic said. Brussels is demanding both sides normalize ties if they want to join the bloc, but the Serbian leader has refused to budge. Last week, he met with Balkan envoys representing the EU, France and Germany as part of the diplomatic efforts. He said he turned down a proposal for a deal that would enable Kosovo join the UN. The intensifying pressure for Serbia to change its stance is complicating the countrys position regarding energy security -- for which it depends largely on Russian gas exporter Gazprom -- and procuring food and other imports, Vucic said. Story continues He has instead looked elsewhere for economic support, arranging a $1 billion bilateral loan from the United Arab Emirates last week and exploring a possible deal with the IMF to bolster Serbias finances. Rejecting proposals from the EU, which is by far Serbias biggest trading partner, comes at a price, he said. Big and fierce pressures will continue, Vucic said. We have to take care how were going to live. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Sherri Papini. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli Sherri Papini, a Northern California woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year to lying to federal agents about being kidnapped, was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison. Papini, 40, created a "nonsensical fantasy," her lawyer said, referring to Papini claiming in November 2016 that she had been abducted at gunpoint by two Latinas. Papini had been missing for 22 days, and when she returned home with bruises and a branding, she said the women had suddenly decided to set her free. At first, Papini was hesitant to talk to law enforcement about the ordeal, and her husband passed along details to officers, including that the room Papini had been held in had orange carpet. During and after her disappearance, the Papini family received tens of thousands of dollars in GoFundMe and victim's compensation funds. Nearly six years later, federal prosecutors announced Papini had made everything up, and continued to lie about the kidnapping even when investigators presented evidence against her. They said Papini contacted an ex-boyfriend living in Southern California and told him her husband was abusive and she needed help leaving. On Nov. 2, 2016, the day Papini disappeared, the former boyfriend drove up to Shasta County, picked her up, and took her back to his apartment, where she spent the next three weeks. Papini returned home with self-inflicted injuries, a criminal affidavit states. "Ex-boyfriend explained that Papini created the injuries while staying with him, including hitting herself to create bruises and burning herself on her arms," the affidavit said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Algeria said in court filings that this hoax was "deliberate, well-planned, and sophisticated" and not "something she invented after her return to avoid the repercussions of running away from her husband and family." During her sentencing, Papini apologized "to the many people who suffered because of me," and said she is "guilty of lying, guilty of dishonor." She will start her prison sentence in early November. Story continues You may also like Princess Charlotte wears horseshoe brooch that the queen gave her at funeral Russian pop icon Alla Pugacheva criticizes Ukraine invasion, asks to be labeled 'foreign agent' Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky had similar responses to Ken Starr's death Patrol Officers responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of Hunt Street in Richmond early this morning, according to a media release from Richmond Police Department. >>Dayton man convicted of shooting man in the back of the head When officers arrived on scene they found 24-year-old Tyrus Malik Bell-Adcock with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. The release said he was transported to Reid Health and then onto Methodist Hospital to receive treatment for injuries that were believed to not be life threatening at the time. A vehicle leaving the area at a high speed caught the attention of responding officers and a high-speed pursuit began before the driver stopped in the 1200 block of Abington Pike, police said. >>Man killed in Springfield shooting; Suspect arrested The driver was identified as 21-year-old Chandler Patrick Walker. According to the release he was arrested for Battery with a Weapon, Possession of a Handgun and Resisting Law Enforcement. Police investigations took place in the area of the shooting and the car stop to gather evidence and attempt to speak with witnesses, police said. Richmond Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call the police department at 765-983-7247. Shorewood Police are investigating a shooting after two men engaged in a physical altercation during which one of them shot the other in the arm on Saturday. Shorewood Police are investigating a nonfatal shooting at the Metro Market, 4075 N. Oakland Ave., on Saturdayand subsequent chase through the village and crash. Police responded at about 6:45 p.m. to the Metro Market, where one man shot another in the arm after the two got into a physical altercation there. The suspect fled in a car, driving up to 80 mph around the village while being pursued by Shorewood Police, said Capt. Fernando Santiago. The suspect crashed into another vehicle at about 7 p.m., according to police. Milwaukee Police are investigating the crash at East North Avenue and North Booth Street, according to their report. The suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Two people who were in the vehicle the suspect crashed into were also taken to the hospital with nonfatal injuries, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. They are a 43-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man, both from Milwaukee. Metro Market and the surrounding streets were not closed after the shooting and crash, Santiago said. Shorewood Police are seeking charges against the suspect through the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. Whitefish Bay Police assisted in the response, Santiago said. The investigation is ongoing, but there is no longer a threat to the public. Anyone with information should call the Shorewood Police Department at 414-847-2610. Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Shorewood Police investigating non-fatal shooting at Metro Market Abdul Nasir Rahimi told the BBC finding a job had helped to restore his hopes When Abdul Nasir Rahimi started his job hunt in the US, employers didn't quite know what to make of him: a former interpreter for the US military in Afghanistan with a law degree and experience overseeing major infrastructure projects. He made little headway submitting his CV online. Finally at a job fair he managed to land a role as a security manager for the Hilton hotel company. "I told them I'm not overqualified. I'm ready to work. I have to start from somewhere," the 36-year-old recalls. As the flight of millions of people from Afghanistan and Ukraine push the world's refugee crisis to a brink, America's corporate world is starting to respond. Hilton is among the more than 40 major companies, including Amazon, Pfizer and Pepsico, that pledged this week to hire nearly 23,000 refugees over the next three years - one of the biggest public commitments to date. Their promises do not match the surge in new arrivals. But the interest from the business community marks a massive shift from just a few years ago, says billionaire US businessman Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of the Chobani yogurt company, who started a non-profit in 2016 that works with firms to ease employment barriers for refugees and coordinated the promises. "It's been a really slow start," said Mr Ulukaya, who said that anti-migrant "propaganda" during years that Donald Trump was president had slowed the willingness of companies to participate. Hamdi Ulukaya made a fortune selling creamy Greek-style yogurt Under Mr Trump, the US slashed its refugee allowance and all but closed its borders during the pandemic, admitting fewer than 12,000 refugees in 2020 and 2021. That number is now on track to double - but it will fall far short of current President Joe Biden's 125,000 pledge. Emergency programmes, which do not carry the same kind of financial support, have allowed another nearly 82,000 Afghans and over 100,000 Ukrainians to enter the US in recent months. A spokesperson for the US State Department said the refugee programme was "decimated under the previous administration" and continues to feel the impact of staffing cuts and Covid. Story continues "We are rebuilding it in a strategic, sustainable way that positions the program on a durable foundation for the future and modernizes the program to be responsive to evolving needs and opportunities," he said, adding that the government had "resumed refugee interviews in significant numbers". Companies are turning to the new arrivals amid an outpouring of concern over the plight of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, and an exceptionally tight US labour market that has made it hard to find workers. "Demand for labour is really high and in many ways it's one of the most powerful factors," says Erica Bouris, director of economic empowerment for the International Rescue Committee, which has found that Afghan refugees helped by their organisation typically found jobs in about four months, earning an average hourly wage of about $17. Jonas Prising says some firms remain hesitant Though most of the new arrivals are authorised to work, many firms in the US remain concerned about getting entangled in complex visa situations, says Jonas Prising, chief executive of the staffing giant Manpower Group, which received some 13,000 applications from refugees in Europe and has placed 1,200 refugees in jobs there. The company has also committed to finding work for 3,000 refugees in the US. "The business case for hiring refugees is very, very strong. And it is the right thing to do," he says. "What's a little bit different if you compare this to the reaction in Europe, is that the complexities around the work permit, and how this is facilitated by the government... are complex. "A lot of businesses are still hesitant here in the US. Although they have the intention to hire, they don't really know how," he says. Today, Mr Ulukaya's Tent Partnership for Refugees works with some 260 companies around the world, providing advice on everything from visa rules to suggestions about helping new arrivals find transportation to get to the new jobs. But until relatively recently much of their work was focused outside the US. "Companies need to play a role in this," says Mr Ulukaya, but he also knows the renewed interest could crumble in a different economic or political climate. In 2016, his championship of refugee hiring drew death threats. "This level of participation and willingness to be part of solving this... is very fragile," he says. "That's why it's a great responsibility for us... to make sure that we take advantage of this moment." A Smyrna restaurant owner was charged with tax evasion. The owner of a Smyrna barbecue restaurant has been indicted on charges of felony tax evasion, according to a spokesperson from the Tennessee Department of Revenue. On Sept. 8, the Rutherford County Grand Jury indicted Kinfolks BBQ owner Scharneitha Britton on one felony charge of theft over $60,000 and 13 counts of money laundering, both Class B felonies, and 36 felony counts of tax evasion. Agents from the Special Investigations Section of the TDR conducted the investigation that led to the indictment. TDR agents arrested Britton Monday. A bond was set at $25,000. The indictments allege Britton underreported taxable sales and failed to remit additional sales tax collected from Kinfolks BBQ, which Britton opened in 2013 at 1203 Hazelwood Drive in Smyrna. Investigations, such as this one, should warn retailers that failing to properly remit all the sales tax monies they collect is a crime, Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said in an email. The taxes collected from customers are property of the state and local governments at all times. Customers have a right to know that the tax they pay will be remitted to the state. If convicted, 66-year-old Britton could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $3,000 for each count of tax evasion, and 12 years and fined up to $25,000 for money laundering and theft. The department is pursuing this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Jennings Jones office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll[1]free tax fraud hot line at 800-372-8389 or visit tn.gov/revenue. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Kinfolks BBQ restaurant owner indicted on charges of tax evasion VALENTYNA ROMANENKO TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 10:32 On the morning of 20 September, what sounded like explosions and gunfire were heard in the central part of Sevastopol. Source: correspondent of RFE/RL's Krym.Realii [Crimea Realities] project Details: According to the correspondent, the first "explosion" was heard at 04:51, it was distant, indistinct and did not resemble the operation of an air defence system. The second was heard at 06:05, and was louder and clearer, but it was difficult to determine from which direction the sound was coming, while no smoke was visible. Around 06:45 in Sevastopol, according to the correspondent, chaotic small arms shooting began, approximately from the area of Korabelna or Inkerman and lasted for about one minute, but no explosions were heard this time. The Russian-controlled "authority" of Sevastopol has not yet commented on these events. Since August, the sounds of explosions can be heard almost every day in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. Russian authorities explain this away as the downing of "Ukrainian drones" and "the work of air defence". Against the background of reports of explosions in Sevastopol, shelters began to be checked. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! UNITED NATIONS (AP) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need for wealthy nations to share their advanced technologies and innovations with developing countries, particularly when it comes to closing the education gap and fighting infectious diseases. In the era of digital sophistication, one of the most urgent tasks for the global community and the U.N. is promoting global cooperation to narrow the digital divide which exacerbates polarization between nations, Yoon told leaders gathered in New York Tuesday for the U.N. General Assembly. Yoon said his country will continue to widely share its advanced digital technology and data, and spare no effort in providing support and in investing in education. He also noted that South Korea has helped accelerate research and development for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines by pledging $300 million toward the ACT-A, a global initiative that pools together resources from governments, health organizations, scientists, businesses and philanthropists to counteract the pandemic. At the same time, the country is increasing its contribution to the Global Fund to fight against infectious diseases including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Yoon, who was elected earlier this year, acknowledged on Tuesday the threat to humanity posed by nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction but made no mention of the threat on South Koreas own doorstep North Korea. Last month, after the North had test-fired two suspected cruise missiles, Yoon said that his government had no plans to pursue its own nuclear deterrent, instead calling for more diplomacy. Yoon closed his speech Tuesday by pointing out that the first mission of the U.N. after its founding in 1945 was to approve South Korea as the sole legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula and to also help defend the country against the North during the Korean War by sending in U.N. forces. Thanks to such efforts by the United Nations, Korea was able to become what it is today, he said, invoking his nation's formal name: As such, the Republic of Korea will protect and expand the freedom of global citizens; and together with the United Nations, we will fulfill our responsibilities to promote peace and prosperity around the world. ___ Pia Sarkar, a Philadelphia-based journalist for The Associated Press, is on assignment covering the U.N. General Assembly. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PiaSarkar_TK Over the weekend, Terraform Labs' CEO and co-founder Do Kwon took to Twitter to say that he was not "on the run" or "anything similar." He made the statement after South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him and five other people connected to Terraform Labs for violating the country's capital markets laws last week. But Korean prosecutors aren't convinced, especially since authorities in Singapore, where Kwon flew to back in April, said he was no longer in the country. Now, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office is asking the Interpol to place him in the agency's red notice list and to revoke his passport, according to The Financial Times. According to the Interpol's website, a red notice entails seeking "the location and arrest of wanted persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence" and is commonly issued for fugitives. As Yonhap News notes, Kwon flew to Singapore in late April around the time he dissolved his company's office in Korea. His family members and other key Terraform Labs personnel reportedly followed him to the city-state in May. The executive and other Terraform Labs' personnel are under investigation for financial fraud and tax evasion following the collapse of the company's stablecoins, TerraUSD and Luna. $40 billion of investor money was wiped out from the even. And those investors, who lost their life savings to the crash, filed complaints that accuse him of running a Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors believe he left Korea to "evade investigation," seeing as Kwon also apparently told them through his lawyers that he didn't intend to appear before them for questioning. A spokesperson for the Seoul prosecutors' office told The Times that they're doing their best to locate and arrest him. "He is clearly on the run as his companys key finance people also left for the same country during that time," they added. Kwon has yet to respond to the prosecutors enlisting the Interpol for help in finding him. On Twitter, his location is still set to Singapore, and his latest tweets were still from the weekend, denying that he was trying to avoid being captured by law enforcement. NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. Successful military operations must move beyond data collection to focus on rapid and thorough analysis of information streams, according to the U.S. Space Force director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Today, the core value proposition is no longer collection. We have plenty of collection, whether its airborne, space-based, or cyber-based, Brig. Gen. Gregory Gagnon said Sept. 20 at the Air Force Associations Air, Space and Cyber Conference. What we need is sense making, or fusion, or analysis. That is the core value proposition moving forward for an intelligence service. Improved distillation of information will better inform U.S. policies abroad as well as make the military more effective, according to Gagnon, who previously served as the director of intelligence at U.S. Space Command. The Department of Defense has cited artificial intelligence and machine learning as means to rapidly make sense of reams of data, on and off the battlefield. The Pentagon is juggling more than 685 AI projects some associated with major weapons systems as of February, according to the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog. Manpower still matters, said Gagnon, who described himself as a believer in AI and ML while also being a realist. Our value proposition moving forward as a workforce is how do we use those new tools to help tackle challenges, he said. We always talk about going fast. What matters is that youre outpacing, outthinking, out-deciding your adversary. US Air Force picks 5 companies to take on battle management challenges The U.S. regards China and Russia as the two most significant national security threats. The former poses longer-term hazards, according to a public summary of the National Defense Strategy; the latter, more immediate. Collection, review and dissemination of imagery and other information ahead of and during Russias latest invasion of Ukraine helped galvanize Western efforts, according to Gagnon. Publicly accessible sources played a major role. In the past, the United States intel community and our national leadership have told our allies what we thought was going to happen, and our allies didnt always believe us. And they had reason to doubt us, based on past performance, he said. But based on this year, we told them there was proof that we could drop on the table. And what we dropped on the table were wonderful images not wonderful images, horrible images of Russians troops massing on the border. The story became way more powerful, he added, when you had the proof of commercial assets that are at unclassified levels. If Donald Trump thought the special master assigned to review records seized during an an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago last month would do him some special favors, he was mistaken. Federal Judge Raymond Dearie repeatedly chided the former presidents lawyers for refusing to provide evidence to back up Trumps claim that all those highly sensitive documents related to national security that were discovered in his Florida residence and private club were actually declassified. In a letter to Dearie on Monday night, the lawyers said that issue could be part of Trumps defense if hes indicted, according to The Associated Press. However, Dearie seemed skeptical. He told Trumps lawyers on Tuesday that if they will not actually assert that the records have been declassified and if the Justice Department makes an acceptable case that they remain classified, then as far as Im concerned, thats the end of it. You cant have your cake and eat it, is how Dearie summed up his position. Although Trump keeps claiming that all of the records believed to have been in his possession were declassified, his lawyers have not made that argument to the court, though they have repeatedly asserted that a president has absolute authority to declassify information. Julie Edelstein, a Justice Department lawyer, told the court she was hopeful that the department could get the documents digitized and provided to Trumps lawyers by early next week, according to the AP. Edelstein also noted that the DOJ had given Trumps legal team a list of five vendors approved by the government for the purposes of scanning, hosting and otherwise processing the seized records. Dearie told Trumps lawyers to agree on a vendor this week, according to The New York Times. Trumps lawyers argued in a separate filing on Tuesday that the Justice Department had not proved that the records remained classified. In the case of someone who has been president of the United States, they have unfettered access along with unfettered declassification authority, James Trusty, one of Trumps lawyers, said Tuesday. Story continues Dearie reminded the lawyers that they were the ones with the burden of establishing the former presidents right to relief not the Department of Justice. Dearies cake comments gave many Twitter users food for thought. He said I guess my view of it is that you cant have your cake and eat it. In other words, thats fine if Donald Trumps lawyers dont want to present evidence of classification at this juncture, but then Dearie would look at them as classified documents. Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) September 20, 2022 To be fair, Trumps life has been defined by no cake limits. https://t.co/BMrvychurv Schooley (@Rschooley) September 20, 2022 Someone with actual authority actually tells Trump You cant have your cake and eat it too. https://t.co/Km7UU7ugmo Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 20, 2022 Don't look now but a judge showed up today in the MAL matter-- Special Master Raymond Dearie, who put an end to Trump's foolishness about "maybe he declassified" by saying you can't have your cake and eat it too. Looking forward to discussing on @DonLemonTonight at 11 PM ET. Harry Litman (@harrylitman) September 20, 2022 JUDGE DEARIE: You can't have your cake and eat it too. TRUMP: I never declassified the cake and the FBI planted it. If this guy doesn't give me my cake, there will be trouble the likes no bakery has ever seen. Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) September 20, 2022 This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... The judge assigned to review the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago pushed back against attorneys for Donald Trump on Tuesday as they dance around whether the former president ever declassified the documents in his home. Trumps attorneys rebuffed a request from Judge Raymond Dearie, one of Trumps candidates chosen to serve as the special master in the case, in a Monday filing that sought more details about the former presidents claims around declassification. In a Tuesday conference, Dearie appeared unsatisfied with the response, indicating that further explanation would be necessary only if criminal charges were filed. He said if Trumps lawyers will not actually assert that the records have been declassified and the Justice Department instead makes an acceptable case that they remain classified, then as far as Im concerned, thats the end of it. James Trusty, a lawyer for Trump, said the legal team was not in a position to say whether the documents were declassified without first reviewing them, to which Dearie responded, You did bring a lawsuit. Trumps lawyers have failed to assert in court that Trump declassified the documents even as they seek to cast doubt on whether the documents are still classified. You cant have your cake and eat it, Dearie said. Dearie also seemed to cast doubt on whether Trumps legal team would be able to review all the classified documents, noting that some of the records are restricted to those with a need to know. The Department of Justice (DOJ) noted that some of its own investigators would not have sufficient clearances to review the documents, prompting Trusty to say it was astounding that the government would argue Trumps legal team wouldnt have a need to know. The exchanges took place in the first conference between Dearie and both parties following a ruling from a Florida judge granting Trumps request for a special master. The decision also blocks the DOJ from accessing the documents, including the classified material, until Dearies review is completed as late as Nov. 30. The Justice Department has appealed that decision, asking the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant a request that would allow them to begin reviewing just the 100 classified records taken during the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sep. 20A Spokane County Superior Court judge last week denied a neighborhood group's request to block homeless housing projects from coming to the West Hills area. Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods, which registered with the state several weeks ago as a nonprofit, sued Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, the Empire Health Foundation and Spokane earlier this month. Their lawsuit sought to prevent the defendants from creating housing for the homeless in the West Hills area. The most notable homeless housing plan mentioned in the lawsuit is Catholic Charities' Quality Inn project, which would turn the Sunset Boulevard hotel into emergency supportive housing for 100 to 120 adults. Catholic Charities on Sept. 12 finalized its purchase of the hotel. Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods also highlighted Empire Health's proposal to establish 75 tiny, home-like shelter units that could house 125 people. Empire Health officials, however, say they are not actively pursuing a shelter village now. Both the Quality Inn and tiny home proposals have been part of Spokane's effort to move residents at Camp Hope the homeless encampment off of Interstate 90 into permanent housing. The Washington Department of Commerce has made more than $24 million available to the city to find housing for residents of Camp Hope, which sits on land owned by the state Department of Transportation. Representatives for Catholic Charities and the city of Spokane declined to comment on Plese's ruling. Dunn and Black attorney Michael Brandenberg, representing Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods, could not immediately be reached for comment. In its lawsuit, Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods argued that the defendants were failing to analyze the potential adverse impacts of homeless housing proposals. The lawsuit stated that neighborhood residents would be "adversely affected, damaged, and prejudiced," by an increase in nearby homeless housing availability and that an increase in homeless individuals in the area would "implicate and raise concerns regarding loss of public safety, loss of residential housing development opportunities, and lost tax revenues." Story continues Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods also said in its lawsuit that without additional environmental review the Quality Inn project would "cause increased likelihood of imminent unlawful use, damage, and pollution to the Finch Arboretum." Catholic Charities has previously called Spokane for Safe Neighborhoods' lawsuit "frivolous" and "completely without merit." In its response to the lawsuit, the organization rebuffed the neighborhood group's argument that the Quality Inn project would be detrimental to the area. "The Plaintiff's allegation of imminent harm is based upon nothing more than the conclusory assertion that homeless people are undesirable neighbors," Catholic Charities wrote in its response. "The Court should not countenance prejudice masquerading as evidence." NextShark Top high schools in New York City are expected to tighten their admissions criteria with the return of grade-based admissions. On Thursday, City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks announced that the city is rolling back a controversial pandemic-era moratorium that allowed more low-income students to enter some of the citys most elite schools. The move, which will regrant selective high schools the option to reserve admissions for top-performing students, comes in response to complaints by parents and groups that the random lottery implemented for middle school students was unfair. As Sri Lanka's public healthcare system faced growing pressure amidst an unprecedented economic crisis, social media users in the island nation claimed that a "miracle porridge" could "kill cancer cells". The posts -- shared hundreds of times -- advised people to drink the purported remedy on an empty stomach. But Sri Lankan oncology specialists and indigenous medicine practitioners warned there was no scientific evidence that it can cure cancer. A recipe for the "miracle porridge that kills cancer cells" was published in this Facebook post on September 9, 2022. It has been shared more than 150 times. The post's Sinhala-language caption translates to English as: "Please share as much as possible. May all cancer patients heal and recover." The purported recipe reads: "Add cinnamon, garlic, curry leaves into a pot with one cup of coconut milk and bring to a simmer while stirring it. "Then, add the juice of katupila leaves and water into the porridge, and drink it on an empty stomach." Flueggea leucopyrus Willd., known as katupila in Sri Lanka, is a herb used in indigenous and ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of conditions. Screenshot of the Facebook post captured on September 13, 2022 The claim circulated online as the island nation's universal healthcare system, once the envy of its South Asian neighbours, buckled under the strain of an unprecedented economic crisis. Supplies of surgery equipment and life-saving drugs have been almost exhausted, while chronic petrol shortages have left both patients and doctors unable to travel for treatment, AFP reported. The same image was shared almost 100 times alongside a similar claim in Facebook posts published here, here and here. In response to the posts, however, oncologists and indigenous medicine experts said there was no single substance that has been proven to cure cancer. 'No scientific evidence' Commenting on the porridge recipe being touted as a cancer cure, Dr Nuradh Joseph, consultant oncologist and vice chair of the Sri Lanka Cancer Research Group, told AFP: "There is no credible, scientific evidence to prove this claim." Story continues He said that although katupila has been touted as a cancer cure since at least 2009, he had not witnessed a patient who was "cured" with it. "In fact, combining this herb together with western treatment regiments or relying on this treatment alone can have detrimental impacts on a patient," he said. Other health experts in the Asia-Pacific region have previously told AFP that cancer patients should rely on proven treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy. "There is no one substance yet discovered in the world that can be used to cure all forms of cancer," Professor Myung Seung-kwon from the National Cancer Centre of South Korea said. "Cancer is treated through a variety of proven methods, including through chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy, among others". Indigenous medicine Dr L. P. A. Karunathilake, a senior lecturer of indigenous medicine at the University of Colombo, told AFP there is no "one-size-fits-all" remedy for cancer patients. "A patient diagnosed with cancer cannot simply drink this porridge and expect to be rid of cancer," he said. He went on to say that healthy people should not drink the porridge remedy as it could result in other health complications. "This herb is used in a paste form most commonly, and there will be no benefit for a healthy person to drink the juice of its leaves," he said. "The prolonged use [of this remedy] could result in various side effects if used by a healthy person." In the Asia-Pacific region, AFP has debunked other misleading posts touting various herbal remedies as "cures" for cancer, including here, here and here. Tears were shed when the Sri Lankans reconnected with loved ones by phone Ukraine's recapture of the city of Izyum has brought multiple allegations of atrocities under Russian occupation. Among the accounts emerging is that of a group of Sri Lankans held captive for months. Here, they tell their story. "We thought we would never get out alive," says Dilujan Paththinajakan. Dilujan was one of seven Sri Lankans captured by Russian forces in May. The group had just set out on a huge walk to safety from their homes in Kupiansk, north-eastern Ukraine, to the relative safety of Kharkiv, some 120km (75 miles) away. But at the first checkpoint they came across, they were captured by Russian soldiers. The Sri Lankans were blindfolded, their hands tied, and taken to a machine tool factory in the town of Vovchansk, near the Russian border. It was the start of a four-month nightmare which would see them kept prisoner, used as forced labour, and even tortured. WARNING: You may find some of the details below about abuse distressing. The group had come to Ukraine to find work, or study. Now, they were prisoners, surviving on very little food, only allowed to use the toilet once a day for two minutes. On the occasions they were allowed to shower, that too was restricted to just two minutes. The men - mainly in their 20s - were all kept in one room. The only woman in the group, 50-year-old Mary Edit Uthajkumar, was kept separately. Mary Edit Uthajkumar, 50, said months of solitary confinement had taken a toll "They locked us in a room," she said "They used to beat us when we went to take a shower. They didn't even allow me to meet the others. We were stuck inside for three months." Mary, her face already scarred by a car bomb in Sri Lanka, has a heart condition, but didn't receive any medicine for it. But it was the impact of the solitude which really took its toll. "Being alone, I was so tense," she says. "They said I was having mental health issues and gave me tablets. But I didn't take them." Others have been left with even more visible reminders of what they had endured: one of the men removed his shoes to show his toenails had been torn off with pliers. A second man reportedly also suffered that torture. Story continues The group also spoke of being beaten for no apparent reason - of Russian soldiers who would get drunk and then attack them. "They hit me across the body many times with their guns," said 35-year-old Thinesh Gogenthiran. "One of them punched me in the stomach and I was in pain for two days. He then asked me for money." "We were very angry and so sad - we cried every day," Dilukshan Robertclive, 25, explained. "The only thing that kept us going was prayer - and family memories." Russia has denied targeting civilians or committing war crimes, but the Sri Lankans allegations come alongside many other reports of atrocities committed by Russian occupying forces. Ukraine has been exhuming bodies from a burial site in forest near Izyum, some of which show signs of torture. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said "more than 10 torture chambers have already been found in the liberated areas of Kharkiv region, in various cities and towns". The liberated Sri Lankans with Ukrainian police in Kharkiv Freedom for the seven Sri Lankans finally came when the Ukrainian military began retaking areas in eastern Ukraine earlier this month - including Vovchansk. Once again, the group was able to begin their walk towards Kharkiv. Alone, and without their phones, they had no way to contact their families. But finally, their luck changed: someone spotted them along the way and called the police. One officer offered them their phone. The moment Ainkaranathan Ganesamoorthi, 40, saw his wife and daughter on the screen he broke down in tears. Other calls followed, more tears flowed. Eventually, the group huddled around the surprised police chief, engulfing him in a hug. The group have been taken to Kharkiv, where they are getting medical attention and new clothes, while sleeping in a rehabilitation centre with a pool and gym. "Now I feel very, very happy," says Dilukshan, with a broad smile. War in Ukraine: More coverage Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny is hoping to get the better of Scotland counterpart Steve Clarke for a second time (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire) Stephen Kenny has told his Republic of Ireland team to forget about their resounding Nations League win over Scotland as they prepare to head to Glasgow for the return match. The two sides meet again in the same competition at Hampden Park on Saturday evening with Ireland determined to repeat Junes 3-0 victory over their neighbours and the Scots desperate to avenge it. However, Kenny has warned his players those heroics at the Aviva Stadium will count for nothing on the other side of the Irish Sea. FT | Ireland 3-0 Scotland What a result Goals from Michael Obafemi, Troy Parrott and Alan Browne secure the win for Ireland #COYBIG | #WeAreOne | #IRLSCO pic.twitter.com/VsoBXApaWP FAIreland (@FAIreland) June 11, 2022 Asked if that win had represented his best day yet as manager, Kenny replied: I havent really thought of it like that, to be honest, but it was a very good performance. It wasnt perfect we conceded a couple of chances in the game and I think there are areas of that performance we can improve on, numerous areas we can improve on. It was a very, very good performance, but we have to move on from it. That was then, now weve got to go to Hampden very determined because Scotlands home record is excellent. Were going to have to put in a really brilliant performance to get a result there and thats what were trying to do. It is a big game, a great game. Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny The win over Scotland was just Kennys third competitive victory in 18 attempts and was followed by a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Ukraine in the Polish city of Lodz. Story continues The result and performance in both games signalled an upturn in fortunes for Ireland after they had opened their League B1 campaign by losing in Armenia and at home to the Ukrainians. Understandably, they are keen to build upon that foundation against the Scots before the Armenians visit Dublin on Tuesday evening. Kenny said: The players were terrific in the last window. We had a mixed window, if you like we started slowly and were disappointed, and then we finished strongly, and did brilliantly against Scotland. Both games against Ukraine were very evenly contested, so it is a big game, a great game. Wolves defender Nathan Collins is sent of for a challenge on Manchester Citys Jack Grealish (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire) Kenny, who led Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup final at Hampden in 2007, has big decisions to make ahead of his return with key men Seamus Coleman, Matt Doherty, Shane Duffy and Michael Obafemi not currently playing at their respective clubs. He said: Its not ideal any of the players not playing in their teams, it is not an ideal situation, particularly over a long period of time. You wouldnt want to go in with too many players not having played matches. One man who has been playing is Wolves defender Nathan Collins, whose involvement against Manchester City on Saturday lasted just 33 minutes before he was sent off for an ugly challenge on Jack Grealish. Asked if he had spoken to Collins about the incident, Kenny said: I havent discussed it with him yet. I may do, between now and Saturday. It is uncharacteristic of Nathan, he is quite disciplined. I am sure he will learn from it. Sometimes its the children who know best. Steve Harvey, whose real name is Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr., once offered his eldest son Broderick Jr. a position working for him. While he declined the job, he had a good idea of someone that he thought might be the better candidate. I wanted my son to help me run my company, my oldest son Broderick whose in television, said Steve during an appearance on Earn Your Leisure. Instead, his son told him that if Steve really wanted his business to grow, it was best he hired his best friend. And that was smart of him because he couldve taken that check, Steve also said. He encouraged his father by explaining that the young man had more experience that would help to grow his business. At the time, his sons friend had just graduated from Morehouse College with honors and had offers on the table from Ivy League institutions across the nation. He had plans of attending and getting into exports and imports. Steve took his sons advice and decided to give him an opportunity within his company. I hired him and gave him a salary that would save all that going to school for him, said Steve, who also explained why his sons friend has managed to stay with the company for all of these years. The way we started was, I gave him $400,000, and said, Hey man, show me what youd do in the stock market,' Steve explained during the episode. He continued: When I tell you that he gave me ten times that money in two years and then has quadrupled it again. That money is just sitting over there making money. According to a previous report from AfroTech, Steve Harveys net worth sits at $200 million. While he may be a well-known entertainer and businessman today, prior to his rise to fame, the 65-year-old worked several jobs before landing a gig in stand-up comedy. And, the rest is history. A Republican super PAC with ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) confirmed on Tuesday that it is slashing spending in the Arizona Senate race, eliminating a more than $9 million ad campaign. Jack Pandol, a spokesperson for the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), confirmed to The Hill that $9.6 million in ad buys is being slashed between Oct. 4 and Election Day, and that the majority of that ad reservation more than $7.5 million had already been made up by a slew of outside groups. Axios was the first to report the news. Among the groups that have pledged money toward the race include Sentinel Action, Saving Arizona, Our American Century, the Senate Republicans campaign arm, Club for Growth and Restoration PAC, according to Pandol. He noted that a nonprofit with ties to SLF, One Nation, had already funneled $5.2 million into the race this summer. Steven Law, the president of the super PAC, said in a statement that the move would allow them to maximize their investments and pursue opportunities elsewhere. Were glad to see Republican outside forces showing up in a big way in Arizona, with millions in new spending pledged to take down Mark Kelly in the final stretch. This allows us to pursue offensive opportunities, maximize our investment in existing commitments, and concentrate our efforts to win the Senate majority, he said. We remain optimistic that the issue environment is in our favor, we have multiple pathways to obtain the majority, and we are spending heavily and strategically to achieve that goal. But McConnell is still involved in the race, according to The Washington Post, which reported that he would be participating in a fundraiser with Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters (R). Pandol noted that the super PAC would be spending $3.76 million in Georgia, $2.1 million in Nevada and $2.4 million in New Hampshire this week and had already launched ads in all three states, a move that suggests SLF is focusing its efforts on several other competitive Senate races. The Arizona Senate race, however, is still critical for determining which political party controls the Senate next year, and the race has been rated as a toss up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A map of the San Fernando Valley shows the location of Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City A man suspected of stabbing a Panorama City hospital employee was at large Monday evening, according to authorities. Officers were called at 6:41 p.m. to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon by a man wielding a knife, said Officer Annie Hernandez, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson. Units responded to Mission Community Hospital in the 14800 block of Roscoe Boulevard. They found one male victim who'd been stabbed, Hernandez said. Craig Garner, a hospital spokesperson, later identified the victim as a hospital employee and said the stabbing occurred somewhere outside the hospital. "The employee was transferred in stable condition to another facility," Garner said. Police remained on the scene Monday night after conducting a search to ensure hospital safety, he said. Hospital officials will continue to monitor the injured employee's condition. Hospital officials did not know whether the assailant and employee knew each other, or whether the attack was random, Garner said. Firefighters responded at 7 p.m. and transported the victim to a trauma center, said Nicholas Prange, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson. The suspect was described as a Latino male, possibly 40 to 50 years old; 5 feet, 7 inches tall, about 140 pounds; and wearing a hoodie, shirt, hat and backpack, all in black, Hernandez said. His identity was not known, she said. The suspect fled and his whereabouts were unknown Monday night. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ZURICH (Reuters) - Activists have withdrawn their campaign to stop Switzerland from buying 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets after the government signed a $5.5 billion procurement deal without waiting for a referendum. Switzerland chose the F-35 last year as its next-generation fighter jet, angering opponents who said they would ensure a referendum to overturn what they called an unnecessary "Ferrari" option. Parliament approved the deal last week, and a contract was signed on Monday even as opponents were gathering signatures to force a referendum under the Swiss system of direct democracy. "The Alliance against the F-35 will not lend a hand for a pseudo-referendum in which the electorate cannot decide on the actual purchase decision," the group said on Tuesday. "A vote after the contract has been signed is nothing but a democratic farce. For this reason, the Alliance against the F-35 will withdraw its popular initiative, but remains convinced that the F-35 is a bad purchase and a billion-dollar risk for Switzerland." (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan is "proud" of its efforts to help Ukraine in the country's struggle to defend itself and those efforts must continue, President Tsai Ing-wen told a conference taking place in New York. Ukraine's plight has won broad sympathy in Taiwan, where many see parallels between Ukraine's situation and the threat Taipei's government says it faces from China, which views the island as its own territory. Taiwan has donated more than $30 million for humanitarian relief, mostly raised from the public, and joined in Western-led sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February. Moscow calls its actions "a special military operation". "As we watched the carnage of the Russian invasion, Taiwan is proud to play a role in the effort to assist the Ukrainians in their struggle to defend their country and freedom. We must continue with our efforts," Tsai said in remarks pre-recorded from her office and played at the Concordia Summit on Monday. Taiwan has been confronted by increasingly aggressive threats from China, she added. "We have to educate ourselves on the authoritarian playbook, and understand that Taiwan's democracy will not be the only thing the PRC seeks to extinguish," Tsai said, referring to the People's Republic of China. "Securing Taiwan's democracy is imperative in securing freedom and human rights for our collective future." The Concordia Summit takes place at the same time as the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Taiwan is not a UN member due to China's objections, which considers the democracy one its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims, and has sought to gain admission to the United Nations. "With the inclusion of Taiwan in the UN system, I am confident that we can work even more closely to face future challenges and safeguard the rules-based international order," Tsai said. Story continues Taiwan held China's United Nations seat under its formal name the Republic of China until 1971, when it was replaced by the People's Republic of China. The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) By John Irish UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of a modern day imperialism that was based on the law of the jungle and pleaded on Tuesday for neutral countries to stop being complicit by remaining silent about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a speech to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, Macron warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was dividing the world and restoring the "age of colonialism." "Those who remain silent today - despite themselves or secretly with a certain complicity - are serving the cause of a new imperialism, a contemporary cynicism that is destroying the world order," Macron said in a 30-minute speech that called on countries to no longer sit on the fence. "When I hear Russia saying it's ready for new cooperation and a new international order without hegemony, that's a tall story. On the basis of what? Invading your neighbour, non-respect of borders you don't like. What's this order? Who is hegemonic today? Russia," he said. Macron dismissed the narrative that the West was trying to defend outdated values to serve its interests and that the rest of the world had suffered because of it. "I call on all the members of this assembly to support us on the path to peace and act to force Russia give up the choice of war so that it realises the cost on itself and us and ends its aggression," he said. "It's not about choosing a camp between East and West, but the responsibility of everybody to respect the UN charter." Western powers are hoping to use this week's gathering in New York to convince neutral states to apply more pressure on Moscow. Macron ended by stressing Russia's limitations. "Who was here during the pandemic? Who offers financing to help the climate transition? Not those who are coming to you today with the idea of a new world order. Not those who didn't a have a vaccine that worked and offer nothing in the face of climate change," he said. (Reporting by John Irish; editing by Grant McCool) KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban's supreme leader issued an order on Tuesday announcing a reshuffle of several national and provincial positions, including replacing the acting education minister. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released the list of changes, saying they were by order of the Taliban's supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, who is based in Kandahar, the southern province that is the movement's birthplace. Acting education minister Noorullah Munir would be replaced in the role by the head of Kandahar's provincial council, Maulvi Habibullah Agha. No reason was given for the reshuffle. Afghanistan's education system has been in the spotlight since the Taliban took over the country just over a year ago. The group had largely banned education of girls when last in power two decades ago but had said its policies had changed. The education ministry initially said all schools would open in March, but secondary schools for girls have mostly stayed shut, a sudden U-turn that took even some Taliban members by surprise and left some girls who had turned up to class in tears. The Taliban now say they are working on a plan to open secondary schools for girls but have not given a specific timeframe. Taliban and diplomatic sources told Reuters that last week several ministers had gathered in Kandahar for a cabinet meeting led by the supreme leader. The Taliban's information ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request to confirm the cabinet meeting had taken place. Tuesday's order also announced that acting Deputy Interior Minister Mullah Mohammad Mohsin would be appointed to run the northern province of Panjshir, replacing a provincial governor who would be reassigned as governor of eastern Logar province. Resistance groups have said they have been carrying out operations in the Panjshir and clashing with Taliban fighters. The Taliban said last week they had killed 40 rebel force members, including four commanders, in Panjshir. However, the group has denied widespread fighting, saying it has established control of the entire country. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Peter Graff) Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts office is firing back at New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he said the city was considering taking legal action against Texas over the busloads of migrants being sent from the Lone Star State to the Big Apple. Adams made the comments during a Sunday appearance on CBS 2 after more buses carrying migrants arrived Sunday morning in New York City. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have feuded over immigration. Getty Images "We believe there are some options we have, because when you involuntarily place someone on a bus, we believe that actually skates the law Were not leaving any stones unturned to make sure that New Yorkers are [not] being treated in an unfair way." In a statement to Fox News Digital, Renae Eze, press secretary for Gov. Abbott, accused Mayor Adams of "flat-out lying." "(Mayor Adams) knows these migrants willingly chose to go to New York City, since his staff saw firsthand on their secret trip to Texas as migrants raised their hands to go on buses to his sanctuary city," Eze said, noting that migrants sign a voluntary consent waiver available in multiple languages upon boarding that they agree on the destination. NYC MAYOR ADAMS CONFIRMS MIGRANT DEATH BY SUICIDE AT CITY SHELTER, BLAMES TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT "And they were processed and released by the federal government, who dumped them in small Texas border towns," Eze said. "Instead of spreading falsehoods and complaining about a couple thousand migrants being bussed into his sanctuary city, Mayor Adams should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the bordersomething the President continues failing to do." When reached for comment, the mayor's office directed Fox News to statements Mayor Adams' made over the weekend. At a Q&A on Monday, the mayor clarified that his legal team was "looking at all our legal options around this entire event" and did not "pinpoint any particular place." FILE: Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference about the mass shooting at Uvalde High School on May 27, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images "As our counsel said last week, we are looking at the right to shelter aspects of it. We are strongly in support of right to shelter, but there are aspects of it that we want to look at," Mayor Adams said. "And so we're looking at our legal options on all of what we are seeing, how to address this. And once we identify what legal actions we're going to take, we're going to announce that." Story continues Republican governors have been sending more migrants released at the U.S. border with Mexico to Democratic strongholds, raising questions about their legal status, how they are brought on board buses and planes, and the cost to taxpayers. Since April, Texas has bussed about 8,000 migrants to Washington, 2,200 to New York and 300 to Chicago. Arizona bussed more than 1,800 to Washington since May, while the city of El Paso, Texas, bussed more than 1,100 to New York since Aug. 23. Florida's Ron DeSantis flew about 50 Venezuelans last week to the small, upscale island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. During the weekend, Texas' Greg Abbott bussed more migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' Washington home. Fox News Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Authorities in Texas are investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over an operation to fly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts last week, a move that has infuriated many Democrats and angered locals on the island. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, said he was opening up a criminal investigation over migrants who were "lured" from the Migrant Resource Center under "false pretenses" and flown to Florida, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Marthas Vineyard, he said in a video message to announce the probe. "Here we have 48 people that are already on hard times. They are here legally in our country at that point," he said. "I believe that they were preyed upon. Somebody came from out of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is absolutely what they were looking for." Salazar said his office was working with lawyers and advocacy groups. FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS SAYS FUNDS ARE IN PLACE TO BUS ILLEGAL MIGRANTS OUT OF HIS STATE DeSantis, a Republican, has said he is responsible for two charter flights that flew Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to Florida and onward to Martha's Vineyard. In a statement, his office said migrants have been abandoned in Bexar County and "left to fend for themselves." "Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected. Unless the MA national guard has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing and more options to succeed following their unfair enticement into the United States, unlike the 53 immigrants who died in a truck found abandoned in Bexar County this June," the statement said, referring to the deaths of 53 migrants found in a locked commercial in San Antonio truck earlier this year. The arrival of the migrants took city leaders and homeless advocates on the island by surprise. Story continues "Dealing with immigration populations is nothing new to us, however with a plane landing, and you don't even know it's coming, that kind of puts a different level of crisis intervention into it," Sue Diverio, executive director for Harbor Homes, a shelter that was helping to shore up resources to care for the migrants, told Fox News Digital last week. "It was definitely an unexpected arrival of refugees." A Texas sheriff on Monday said he is launching a probe against Florida over the transportation of migrants in his county to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The move also angered many Democrats, who criticized DeSantis as playing with people's lives to win political points. Some have said the move was illegal and likened it to human trafficking. The DeSantis administration said the migrants were informed of their destination and were given "multiple" opportunities to decline the trip. Officials said the individuals were offered hotels, meals, showers and haircuts for a couple of days before the trip and that some indeed declined to go. The administration also said the rumors about the migrants being promised jobs in Marthas Vineyard were also untrue, and that the individuals were simply presented with information about the benefits and services that are commonly found in sanctuary states. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate whether DeSantis could be charged with kidnapping, despite launching a program as San Francisco mayor that bussed thousands of homeless people out of San Francisco and the state. Fox News' Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report. Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar opened an investigation on Monday into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) controversial transport of approximately 50 migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Marthas Vineyard, Mass. We are opening up a case, an investigation, with regard to the suspected activities involving the 48 migrants from Venezuela, Salazar said in a news briefing. The sheriff said that the group of Venezuelan migrants were lured from a migrant resource center into traveling to Marthas Vineyard under false pretenses. According to Salazar, one Venezuelan migrant was paid to recruit the others, who were allegedly promised work and other benefits, before the group was flown first to Florida and then to Massachusetts. They were taken to Marthas Vineyard for, from what we can gather, for little more than a photo op, video op and then they were unceremoniously stranded in Marthas Vineyard, he said. DeSantis flew the group of migrants north on Wednesday in an effort to draw attention to his stance against liberal immigration policies. Democrats and immigration advocates called for a probe into DeSantiss actions, saying he may have broken laws against fraud or human trafficking. Immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned, homeless, and left to fend for themselves,' DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske told The Hill in an email. Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected. Unless the MA national guard has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing and more options to succeed following their unfair enticement into the United States, unlike the 53 immigrants who died in a truck found abandoned in Bexar County this June. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) had previously sent busloads of migrants to Democratic-run cities, including Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago, claiming that Democratic leaders support immigration laws that hurt border states without experiencing their negative repercussions. Story continues Two buses of migrants last week arrived in front of the Naval Observatory in, the D.C. residence of Vice President Harris, after being sent by Abbott. VP Harris claims our border is secure & denies the crisis, said Abbott in a statement about the transported migrants. Were sending migrants to her backyard to call on the Biden Administration to do its job & secure the border. Both Abbott and DeSantis are up for reelection this year, and are said to be eyeing potential 2024 White House bids. Salazar said on Monday that the migrants from San Antonio were exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip to Florida and then onward to Marthas Vineyard for what I believe to be nothing more than political posturing to make a point. What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people that are already on hard times, they are here legally in our country at that point, they have every right to be where they are, and I believe that they were preyed upon, he said. The Hill has reached out to Salazar for further comment on the investigation. Updated at 8:37 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) Several thousand people rallied in the Slovak capital on Tuesday to protest the government amid soaring energy prices and to demand an early election. The protest was organized by the opposition leftist Smer-Social Democracy party of former populist Prime Minister Robert Fico and included supporters of other groups, including the far right. Fico blamed the coalition government led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger and President Zuzana Caputova for being partially responsible for the high inflation now hitting the EU nation, claiming that was due to their firm support of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Most speakers attacked the European Union's sanctions against Russia and praised Hungary for how it is dealing with the energy crisis. Hungary is heavily dependent on fossil fuels from Russia, and last year signed a 15-year agreement with Russian energy company Gazprom for the purchase of natural gas. Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has fought vigorously against EU sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine. The Slovak government has been weakened after a junior coalition partner withdrew from the governing four-party coalition earlier this month, leaving Heger without a parliamentary majority. The parliament is debating possible changes to the constitution to allow an early election either called by a decision by lawmakers or by a nationwide referendum. Three people have been killed during protests in Iran's Kurdistan province over the death of a young woman after she was arrested by "morality police", the region's governor said on Tuesday. Public anger has grown in Iran since authorities on Friday announced the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, after her arrest by the police unit responsible for enforcing a strict dress code for women. The death of Amini, who had fallen into a coma after being detained for wearing "improper" hijab, has triggered violent protests as well as rare outspoken criticism from senior officials in the Islamic republic. On Sunday, police made arrests and fired tear gas in Amini's home province of Kurdistan, where some 500 people had protested, some smashing car windows and torching rubbish bins, reports said. On Monday, several hundred protesters in Tehran, including some women who took off their headscarves, were dispersed by "police using batons and tear gas", according to Fars news agency. Kurdistan governor Ismail Zarei Koosha said on Tuesday that three people had been killed during the protests in the province, blaming the deaths on "a plot by the enemy". "One of the citizens of the city of Divandarreh was killed with a type of military weapon that none of the ranks of the armed forces use," he was quoted as saying by Fars, adding another person was killed in the city of Saghez and "left near a hospital in a car". He did not give any details about the third death or say when the killings occurred. - Social tensions - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative paid a visit to Amini's family at their home in the northern Kurdistan province, Tasnim news agency said on Tuesday. "I assured the family... that all institutions will take action to defend the violated rights of Miss Amini and none of their rights will be ignored," the representative, Abdolreza Pourzahbi, was quoted as saying. Amid growing controversy over the conduct of the morality police, known formally as the Gasht-e Ershad or "Guidance Patrol", parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday that the police unit's conduct should be investigated. Story continues "In order to prevent repetition of such cases, the processes and the method of implementation in guidance patrols... should be investigated," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. The state-affiliated Organisation for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, set up to encourage good behaviour and prohibit immoral activities, said the police unit should not arrest people for breaking dress regulations. "The view of this issue should be changed," the influential organisation said in a statement, stressing that it opposed "the arrest and trial of ordinary people" for clothing infringements. "The criminalisation of those not wearing a headscarf and the arrest, filing of cases and the prosecution of people which will only cause social tensions... should be amended in law," it added. The death of Amini has caused international consternation, including from the United Nations. The United States criticised her death and the way it said security forces handled the ensuing protests. - 'Tragic death' - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday rejected the criticism and said a probe had been ordered into the "tragic death" of Amini, who he said, quoting President Ebrahim Raisi, "was just like our own daughters". Inside Iran, and following protests in Tehran and a number of other provinces, lawmakers have also raised their voices. Jalal Rashidi Koochi, a member of parliament, told the ISNA news agency the police unit was a "mistake" as it only resulted in "loss and damage" for Iran. Another lawmaker, Moeenoddin Saeedi, said the unit "should be removed" and shut, ILNA news agency reported. Clerics have also spoken out. Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat Zanjani, a senior religious figure whose guidance many follow, on Saturday criticised the events leading up to Amini's death. "The set of behaviours and events that caused this unfortunate and regrettable incident are illegal, irrational and illegitimate," the cleric said in a statement. bur/dv (Getty Images) The Jane Doe accusing Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spencer of child sexual abuse has withdrawn her case. In a lawsuit filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court on 30 August, a 22-year-old woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe alleged that the two comedians forced her and her 15-year-old brother pseudonym John Doe separately to perform inappropriate acts on camera when they were both minors. Representatives for Haddish and Spears denied the allegations in separate statements on 1 September. In new court documents obtained by TMZ, the plaintiff reportedly asked the judge to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. In a statement published by TMZ, Jane Doe said: My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us. We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us. The statement does not mention Aries, who is also cleared following the dismissal. Tiffany Haddish (Getty Images) The plaintiff had previously accused the pair of intentional infliction of emotional distress, gross negligence, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse of a minor. According to the complaint, Spears played a paedophile in the video, which included scenes of him massaging oil onto Johns back, among other sexually suggestive acts. The lawsuit claimed that after the shoot ended, [John] called his mother crying, saying he did not want to film anymore. The report indicates that at the time, Jane was 14 years old and John was seven. Aries Spears (Getty Images) Elsewhere in the suit, Jane claimed Haddish recruited her to film a commercial after she attended a comedy camp where Haddish was a guest speaker. According to the legal documents, Haddish and Spears allegedly had Jane watch a video in which a man and woman shared a sandwich in a manner that simulated the act of fellatio while moaning and making sexual noises. Spears then allegedly told Jane to mimic what she had seen on the screen, including the noises precisely like what she heard throughout the video. In an Instagram post shared 5 September, Haddish wrote: Clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasnt funny at all and I deeply regret having agreed to act in it. If youre worried about a child, even if youre unsure, you can contact professional counsellors at the NSPCC for help, advice and support by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or calling 0808 800 5000. For those 18 or under, Childline offers free, confidential advice and support whatever your worry, whenever you need help. Call 0800 1111 or Contact Childline. The Los Angeles District Attorneys Office has said it is investigating claims that Tory Lanez assaulted August Alsina last September. Alsina claimed on Instagram that the alleged assault took place after Alsina declined to shake his hand when the pair met in Chicago. A video allegedly showing the aftermath of the incident was shared by US news website TMZ. In the footage, Lanez can be seen appearing to celebrate, high-fiving others on the scene. Alsina shared a post to Instagram in which he was pictured with a bloodied mouth and damage to his skin, claiming that Lanez and his team have footage of the entire alleged altercation. In a statement provided to Pitchfork, the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office said: We are aware of the allegations that the defendant attacked artist August Alsina and are investigating these claims. The allegations are serious and will be thoroughly examined. Lanez is currently facing assault and weapons charges following the alleged shooting of Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The Canadian rapper, real name Daystar Peterson, is out on bond and awaiting a trial. Alsina has suggested that the dispute originated in comments Lanez allegedly made regarding his past romantic relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith. The Independent has contacted representatives for Lanez and Alsina for comment. By Kane Wu and Anshuman Daga HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -U.S. private equity firm TPG Inc is set to reach first-close of its new Asia-focused fund at more than $3 billion, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. TPG kicked off fundraising of its eighth private equity fund for the region in January, targeting $6 billion, the company said during its March earnings call. If successful, the fund will be its largest Asia fund to date. The Fort Worth, Texas-based firm is expected to announce the first-close in November, said one of the two sources and a third person with knowledge of the matter. Private equity funds typically begin investing after their first-close, when they have received an initial round of commitments from investors. TPG declined to comment. The sources declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media. TPG is among a slew of global and regional private equity firms that are raising new funds for the region this year. Hong Kong-based Baring Private Equity Asia last week announced it had closed its eighth, and largest, pan-Asia fund at $11.2 billion. TPG's U.S rival Carlyle Group is aiming to raise $8.5 billion in a new Asia fund, according to separate people familiar with the situation. Carlyle declined to comment. The first-close of the TPG fund will come against the backdrop of a challenging global macroeconomic and geopolitical environment that has triggered a sharp sell-off in markets and a rise in financing costs. Funds in Asia are sitting on $521 billion worth of unspent cash, or 'dry powder', according to data provider Preqin. In the region, the total value of deals backed by private equity in 2022 up to Sept. 15 was $121.5 billion, plunging 41% from a year earlier, according to Refinitiv data. The slowdown is more significant in China, with total deal value down 72% on 2021, as coronavirus-control measures in many parts of the country hurt the economy and prevented potential transactions from going ahead. Story continues TPG's new Asia fund will have about 20% of its capital allocated to China investments, as did its last two funds, according to the third source. TPG declined to comment on allocations to specific markets. Since its inception in 1994, TPG Asia has invested more than $13 billion across its core regions and sectors, according to its website. It last raised a $4.6 billion Asia fund in February 2019. Its Asia portfolio includes Chinese financial services firm Du Xiaoman, Australian entertainment business Funlab, and Hong Kong telecom operator HKBN, the website showed. (Reporting by Kane Wu in Hong Kong and Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Additional reporting by Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore; Editing by Louise Heavens, Bradley Perrett and Muralikumar Anantharaman) The criminal trial of David G. Jungerman will resume Wednesday morning after a Jackson County judge declared that the 84-year-old millionaire accused in the shooting death of a Brookside attorney is mentally competent to stand trial. During a 90-minute hearing Tuesday, defense attorneys argued that Jungerman was cognitively impaired and unable to testify on his behalf or assist in his defense. Jurors were not present during the hearing. The criminal trial, which began last week, has been delayed since Friday due to a possible COVID exposure. A court official would not identify who had the exposure. During the delay, defense attorney Daniel Ross requested Jungerman undergo a mental health evaluation. Jungerman, who is accused of killing lawyer Tom Pickert on Oct. 25, 2017, showed signs of mental lapses and could not remember the names of his criminal attorneys representing him, Ross said. Lisa Witcher, a forensic psychologist, testified Tuesday that she examined Jungerman at defense attorneys request and found he suffered from a neurocognitive disorder and performed poorly on several tests. Lisa Witcher, a forensic psychologist, testified for the defense Tuesday afternoon during a hearing in the trial of David G. Jungerman, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kansas City attorney Tom Pickert. Ross asked that the trial be further delayed to allow an independent neurologist to evaluate Jungerman. But Tim Dollar, an attorney working on behalf of the Jackson County Prosecutors Office, said prosecutors used William Blessing, a neuropsychologist, to examine Jungerman. Blessing found Jungerman was mentally competent, Dollar said. In making his ruling, Circuit Court Judge John M. Torrence noted Jungermans age and that he has been in custody for almost five years. I think it goes without saying thats going to have an impact on a person of his age and I think were seeing that, Torrence said. I think based upon everything Ive heard and read that theres not any substantial evidence of neurocognitive disorder that would promote the idea that the defendant is unable to assist in his defense or understand the legal proceedings. David G. Jungerman was wheeled out of court Tuesday afternoon by his defense attorney, Daniel Ross, after a judge decided he was mentally fit to stand trial for the murder of Kansas City lawyer Tom Pickert in 2017. Jungerman faces first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges in the killing of Pickert, 39, who was gunned in the front yard of his Brookside home moments after walking his sons to school. Story continues Pickert, a personal injury attorney, had recently won a $5.75 million judgment for a homeless man who Jungerman shot in 2012 because he thought the man was stealing copper from the property of Jungermans baby furniture business. Jungerman emerged as a suspect within hours of the shooting because of his connection to Pickert. Yet the killing went unsolved for months. Kansas City police said at one point that Jungerman, who was the focus of media scrutiny, was not a suspect in the deadly shooting. Defense attorney Daniel Ross, right, tried Tuesday to convince a judge that his client, David G. Jungerman, in white shirt, was not mentally competent to stand trial for the murder of Kansas City attorney Tom Pickert in 2017. A week before the shooting, Jackson County court officials had started the process of seizing Jungermans real estate to pay the $5.75 million judgment. Earlier in the criminal trial, Pickerts widow, Emily Riegel, testified that she was preparing for work on the morning of the shooting when she heard gunfire. Riegel said she raced outside and found her husband sprawled on the sidewalk in front of their home, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. She saw a white van with a driver inside pulling a black mask or hood over his face and driving away. After the shooting, Riegel told investigators that her husband had won a multi-million dollar verdict against Jungerman. Defense attorneys are expected to present their evidence and call witnesses beginning Wednesday. The First Alert Weather Team is tracking Tropical Storm Gaston. On Tuesday at 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Tropical Depression 8, located over the north-central Atlantic Ocean. The system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Gaston at the 5 p.m. Tuesday advisory. WATCH THE FORECAST | DOWNLOAD THE APPS Currently, Gaston poses no threat to the United States and has winds of 40 miles per hour. Action News Jax First Alert Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh said the storm is far to the east of Bermuda & southwest of the Azores will move more north then slowly northeast so no chance to move across the Atlantic, but the system may very well have some impacts on the Azores by late week into the weekend. The NHC said there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but interests in the Azores should monitor the progress of the system. Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona became the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, strengthening into a Category 2 late Monday then to a Category 3 early Tuesday. Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh says the average date for such an occurrence is Sept. 1. Get the full break down of Fiona and TD 8 in Talking the Tropics with Mike LISTEN: Mike Buresh All the Weather, All the Time Podcast Follow Action News Jax Meteorologists on Twitter for updates: Mike Buresh | Garrett Bedenbaugh | Corey Simma INTERACTIVE RADAR: Keep track of the rain as it moves through your neighborhood SHARE WITH US: Send us photos of the weather youre seeing in your area President Joe Biden takes his seat with other heads of state and dignitaries at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held in London, England, on September 19, 2022. Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sat in the 14th row for the Queen's funeral on Monday. Trump mocked Biden for where he was seated, saying that he would have had a better seat. Seating arrangements seemed to prioritize Commonwealth leaders and royalty. Former President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would have gotten a better seat than President Joe Biden at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The state funeral on Monday was one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever, with more than 500 foreign heads of state, monarchs, and dignitaries descending on Westminster Abbey in London to honor Britain's longest-serving monarch. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were placed in the 14th row of Westminster Abbey's south transept, only seven rows from the very back, The Times of London reported. Trump took the opportunity to mock the president, writing on his Truth Social, his social-media platform, on Monday: "If I were president, they wouldn't have sat me back there." But Biden's position was likely decided by factors that would not be different if Trump were president, including how he traveled to the funeral and because he is not related to the Queen, he is not a monarch, and the US is not a member of the Commonwealth. A seating chart published by The Times of London shows that those seated appeared to be arranged in the following order: the family of the Queen, monarchs, leaders of the Commonwealth, and other world leaders. The Telegraph also reported that leaders of Commonwealth countries were put in front of other leaders "due to protocol." Trump mocked Biden by posting a photograph that showed all of the assembled world leaders sitting in the abbey, with a red arrow pointing to the president towards the back. "This is what's happened to America in just two short years. No respect!" Trump posted alongside the picture. "However, a good time for our President to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries. If I were president, they wouldn't have sat me back there and our Country would be much different than it is right now," he said. Story continues It is unclear which leaders Trump meant when he referred to "Third World countries." One hour later, the former president doubled down, writing another post that said: "In Real Estate, like in Politics and in Life, LOCATION IS EVERYTHING!!!" The Guardian also noted that Biden's seating position may have been influenced by the fact that he traveled in his own armored car nicknamed "the Beast" to the funeral, while most other heads of state and government were bussed to the location. Biden was the only American leader who attended the funeral. Politico reported that only heads of state and their spouses were invited to the funeral and not former leaders, as otherwise there would be too many guests. The leaders of New Zealand and Canada, which are both Commonwealth countries, sat in front of the Bidens. The Bidens sat in the same row as China's representative, with Jill Biden sitting beside Switzerland's president. They sat behind Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland; and in front of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala. Other royals, including King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Emperor Naruhito of Japan, sat in front of the Bidens, the Times of London reported. Trump was a vocal fan of the Queen and posted a long tribute to her after her death on September 8. Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Donald Trump or members of his administration could be called as witnesses in the trial of Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Trump accused of unlawfully lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, a federal judge said Tuesday. On Monday and Tuesday, Judge Brian Cogan repeatedly asked potential jurors who had indicated they had strong opinions of Trump if they could be impartial if he were called as a witness. "It's possible in this case that maybe former President Trump, maybe someone from his administration, might be called as a witness," Cogan told one possible juror Tuesday. Potential jurors in Barrack's trial have all filled out forms that include questions about their opinions of Trump and others in his orbit, such as former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser. The judge's references to Trump do not definitively mean he will be called, but Cogan said several times on Monday and Tuesday that he could. A spokesperson for the Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn declined to comment, as did attorneys for Barrack. Attorneys for Trump did not respond to requests for comment. The case centers on allegations that Barrack traded on his friendship and access to Trump to benefit the UAE government. Thomas J. Barrack, a billionaire investor and close friend and adviser to Donald Trump, delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016. / Credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images Federal prosecutors say from 2016 to 2018, while Barrack was serving as an adviser to the Trump campaign and administration, and as chair of the presidential inaugural committee, he sought to advance a UAE "wish list" of foreign policy positions. The indictment cites communications in which Rashid Al Malik, an Emirati citizen then living in California, allegedly texted Barrack proposed language for a speech sent by a UAE official. Prosecutors also noted Barrack emailed Al Malik about a TV interview he had done. Barrack was charged in July 2021 with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the UAE, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI about his dealings. Story continues Barrack, who at the time was executive chairman of investment firm Colony Capital, has entered not guilty pleas to the charges. The company is now known as DigitalBridge. An employee, Matthew Grimes, entered not guilty pleas to charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Al Malik, who was also charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, has not been located by law enforcement. Prosecutors cited text messages and emails between Barrack, Grimes and Al Malik that they say show Barrack's efforts to influence the administration. Barrack's attorneys have said his communications with UAE officials were related to the company. And they said Trump and the U.S. State Department were aware of Barrack's international business relationships. Opening statements in Barrack's case are expected to begin Wednesday. The trial comes as Trump and many of his allies are at the center of a swirl of legal scrutiny. In another courtroom in the same building where jurors were questioned Tuesday, lawyers for Trump met with a special master appointed to oversee the government's handling of documents seized from Trump's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Barrack's trial is expected to last between four and five weeks, according to Cogan. In late October, when the trial may be nearing its end, a different jury is scheduled to begin meeting in a courthouse just across the Brooklyn Bridge, to consider criminal fraud and tax evasion charges against the The Trump Organization. The judge in that case is also presiding over state criminal proceedings against Bannon, who entered not guilty pleas Sept. 8 to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and a scheme to defraud. Trump has repeatedly criticized the investigations into him and his companies, denying all allegations and calling them a "witch hunt." Clare Hymes contributed reporting for this story. Howard University acquires photos of influential Black photographer Panel recommends anxiety screening for adults under 65 Special master in Trump document probe hears arguments Photo: The Canadian Press Ukrainian national guard servicemen carry a bag containing the body of a Ukrainian soldier in an area near the border with Russia, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. In this operation seven bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were recovered from what was the battlefield in recent months. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A Russian missile blasted a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Monday, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting its three reactors. Ukrainian authorities denounced the move as an act of nuclear terrorism. The missile struck within 300 meters (328 yards) of the reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, leaving a hole 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) deep and 4 meters (13 feet) wide, according to Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom. The reactors were operating normally and no employees were injured, it said. But the proximity of the strike renewed fears that Russia's nearly 7-month-long war in Ukraine might produce a radiation disaster. This nuclear power station is Ukraines second-largest after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has repeatedly come under fire. Following recent battlefield setbacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Throughout the war, Russia has targeted Ukraines electricity generation and transmission equipment, causing blackouts and endangering the safety systems of the country's nuclear power plants. The industrial complex that includes the South Ukraine plant sits along the Southern Bug River about 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital, Kyiv. The attack caused the temporary shutdown of a nearby hydroelectric power plant and shattered more than 100 windows at the complex, Ukrainian authorities said. The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said three power lines were knocked offline but later reconnected. Ukraines Defense Ministry released a black-and-white video showing two large fireballs erupting one after the other in the dark, followed by incandescent showers of sparks, at 19 minutes after midnight. The ministry and Energoatom called the strike nuclear terrorism. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on the attack. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, since early after the invasion. Shelling has cut off the plant's transmission lines, forcing operators to shut down its six reactors to avoid a radiation disaster. Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for the strikes. The IAEA, which has stationed monitors at the Zaporizhzhia plant, said a main transmission line was reconnected Friday, providing the electricity it needs to cool its reactors. But the mayor of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia plant is located, reported more Russian shelling Monday in the city's industrial zone. While warning Friday of a possible ramp-up of strikes, Putin claimed his forces had so far acted with restraint but warned if the situation develops this way, our response will be more serious." Just recently, the Russian armed forces have delivered a couple of impactful strikes, he said. Lets consider those as warning strikes. The latest Russian shelling killed at least eight civilians and wounded 22, Ukraines presidential office said Monday. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, now largely back in Ukrainian hands, said Russian shelling killed four medical workers trying to evacuate patients from a psychiatric hospital and wounded two patients. The mayor of the Russian-occupied eastern city of Donetsk, meanwhile, said Ukrainian shelling had killed 13 civilians and wounded eight there. Patricia Lewis, the international security research director at the Chatham House think-tank in London, said attacks at the Zaporizhzhia plant and Monday's strike on the South Ukraine plant indicated that the Russian military was attempting to knock Ukrainian nuclear plants offline before winter. Its a very, very dangerous and illegal act to be targeting a nuclear station, Lewis told The Associated Press. Only the generals will know the intent, but theres clearly a pattern." What they seem to be doing each time is to try to cut off the power to the reactor," she said. Its a very clumsy way to do it, because how accurate are these missiles? Power is needed to run pumps that circulate cooling water to the reactors, preventing overheating and in a worst-case scenario a radiation-spewing nuclear fuel meltdown. Other recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure have targeted power plants in the north and a dam in the south. They came in response to a sweeping Ukrainian counterattack in the country's east that reclaimed Russia-occupied territory in the Kharkiv region. Analysts have noted that beyond recapturing territory, challenges remain in holding it. In a video address Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said cryptically of that effort, I cannot reveal all the details, but thanks to the Security Service of Ukraine, we are now confident that the occupiers will not have any foothold on Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainian successes in Kharkiv Russia's biggest defeat since its forces were repelled from around Kyiv in the invasion's opening stage have fueled rare public criticism in Russia and added to the military and diplomatic pressure on Putin. The Kremlin's nationalist critics have questioned why Moscow has failed to plunge Ukraine into darkness yet by hitting all of its major nuclear power plants. In other developments: A governor said Ukraine had recaptured the village of Bilogorivka in the Russian-occupied eastern region of Luhansk. Russia didn't acknowledge the claim. The Russian-installed leaders of Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson regions reiterated calls Monday for referendums to be held to tie their areas formally to Russia. These officials have discussed such plans before but the referendums have been repeatedly delayed, possibly because of insufficient popular support. The Supreme Court in the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk convicted a former interpreter for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and another person whose duties were not specified of high treason Monday. Both were sentenced to 13 years in prison. The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania closed their borders Monday to most Russian citizens in response to domestic support in Russia for the war in Ukraine. Poland will join the ban on Sept. 26. Mega-pop star Alla Pugacheva became the most prominent Russian celebrity to criticize the war, describing Russia in an Instagram post Sunday as a pariah and saying its soldiers were dying for illusory goals. Valery Fadeyev, the head of the Russian presidents Human Rights Council, accused Pugacheva of insincerely citing humanitarian concerns to justify her criticism and predicted that popular artists like her would enjoy less public influence after the war. Former US President Donald Trump. Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images Trump's lawyers said classified Mar-a-Lago documents could be privileged because they contain his handwritten notes. Trump is backing up an order preventing DOJ from reviewing classified records seized from his home. A "special master" appointed to review those records held an initial hearing Tuesday. The Justice Department has not minced words in its appeal for access to classified materials seized from former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. Without the ability to review those records, it argued, the "government and the public would suffer irreparable harm." But on Tuesday, Trump's lawyers suggested that those concerns and clear classification markings may not be enough to overcome the power of the former president's pen, or Sharpie. "The fact the documents contain classification markings does not necessarily negate privilege claims," Trump's lawyers said in a new filing with the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. They went on to note that according to court documents, some of the classified records seized from Mar-a-Lago "allegedly contain what appear to be President Trump's handwritten notes." "Those notes could certainly contain privileged information; further supporting the need for an independent, third-party review of these documents," they added. Tuesday's filing came in response to the Justice Department's appeal of a court order temporarily halting its review of about 11,000 documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, including more than 100 that were marked classified. Judge Aileen Cannon refused last week to stay her ruling and appointed Raymond Dearie, a former chief judge of the federal court in Brooklyn, to serve as special master an outside arbiter who reviews materials and sifts out any that could be covered under attorney-client or executive privilege. The Justice Department, in appealing Cannon's order, said it "impedes the government's efforts to protect the nation's security." But lawyers for the former president said handwritten notes trumped the urgency of that concern. Story continues Trump has also frequently claimed without evidence that he had a "standing order" to declassify all the records that were moved to Mar-a-Lago. But more than a dozen of his former aides told CNN they had no knowledge of such an order, and Trump's legal team has not made the claim in any of its filings. In court filings, Trump's lawyers have not echoed his declassification claims, but they have asserted that a current president has absolute authority to declassify information. On Monday, they said the government "has not proven" the records with classified markings were still classified, adding that "this issue is to be determined later." Dearie, the newly appointed special master, held an initial hearing Tuesday to address how his review process will unfold over the next two months. Ahead of that hearing, Trump's lawyers opposed Dearie's request for more information about the classification status of the seized documents. The response was notable because Trump's lawyers acknowledged the possibility of an indictment on charges related to the removal of records from the White House. Handing over information about records' classification status would force Trump to "fully and specifically disclose a defense" that he might use in the event of a "subsequent indictment," his lawyers argued. The FBI searched Mar-a-Lago on August 8 as part of an inquiry into possible violations of the Espionage Act and other laws, according to a search warrant that was unsealed with redactions. In court filings, the Justice Department has noted that the Espionage Act makes it a crime to retain government records pertaining to the national defense regardless of classification status. The Justice Department's inquiry is also examining possible violations of laws that criminalize the concealment, removal, and destruction of government records also regardless of classification level. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden on Monday for his 14th-row seating assignment at Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral service in Windsor Castle. This is whats happened to America in just two short years. No respect! the former president wrote on Truth Social on Monday. However, a good time for our President to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries. In Real Estate, like in Politics and in Life, LOCATION IS EVERYTHING, Mr Trump added. President Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden arrived in London over the weekend to pay their respects during the Queens memorials. Our hearts go out to the royal family, King Charles and all of the family. Its a loss that leaves a giant hole and sometimes you think youll never overcome it, Mr Biden said on Saturday.So to all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you. You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years, he added. We all were. The worlds better for her. Only current heads of state were invited to the funeral service in St Georges Chapel. An estimated 500 foreign dignitaries were present. Those in attendance included European monarchy, such as Spains King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as Denmarks Queen Margre the II. Additionally, elected leaders like Frances Emmanuel Macron, New Zealands Jacinda Ardern, Canadas Justin Trudeau were present. As were leaders of the Commonwealth like current chair Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda. Though Mr Trump was not invited to the service in London, the British government did invite the former president for another memorial event planned in Washington that will take place in the National Cathedral. The former president was an admirer of Queen Elizabeth. He said the two had automatic chemistry and called her a spectacular woman after her death. The meeting with the Queen was incredible, I think I can say I really got to know her because I sat with her many times and we had automatic chemistry, you will understand that feeling, he boasted to Fox News. There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time, he added. CNN anchor Jake Tapper became the subject of a mini-scandal after suggesting President Biden could invite Mr Trump for the Queens funeral. Former President Donald Trump. Joe Maiorana/AP Photo Donald Trump once threatened to use his role as president to prosecute his political foes. A White House attorney had to explain to the then president that he had no such power. The episode was chronicled in "The Divider," a new book obtained by Insider ahead of its publication. Former President Donald Trump once required a civics lesson from White House counsel on the limits of his power after he suggested that as president, he could and would prosecute his political enemies, according to a new book from Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. Throughout his tenure, Trump had a penchant for skewering his foes via Twitter takedowns and public lashings. But some of his adversaries irked the then-president so much so that he sought a more permanent form of revenge against them. According to "The Divider," which Insider obtained ahead of its Sept. 20 publication, Trump frequently pressured Former US Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr to bring criminal charges against his opponents, including Hillary Clinton and former FBI director James Comey. "At one point in the spring of 2018, Trump instructed [former White House Counsel] Don McGahn to direct Sessions to prosecute Clinton and Comey and, if the attorney general refused, said he would do it himself as president," Baker and Glasser wrote. "McGahn had to explain that the president had no such power." "You can't prosecute anybody," McGahn told Trump, according to the book. McGahn followed up his explanation with an "extraordinary memo" explaining to Trump the illegal nature of using his position as president to go after his political enemies, comparing such a move to that of a dictator, according to the book. "'Congress could seek to 'impeach and remove' the president if it concluded that he abused the power of intervening in a criminal matter,' McGahn wrote, using boldface and italics to emphasize his point," Glasser and Baker wrote. Story continues A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Several former Trump White House and government officials have since recounted similar stories that suggest the former president was unfamiliar with the logistics of his newfound position. Earlier this year, Barr said Trump didn't have a "good idea" of what the roles of the president or Justice Department entitled throughout his time in office. In the 2021 CIA publication, "Getting to Know the President," author John L. Helgerson, a former intelligence officer, said Trump was the most difficult incoming president to brief, and an August New York Times report cited intelligence officials who said they often withheld information from Trump for fear of the "damage" he might do if he knew. Included in "The Divider" is an anecdote about Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly, whom the authors said purchased a book "to understand the president's particular psychoses" in an attempt to cope with the former president's erratic behavior. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump has come under fire for his descent into the QAnon conspiracy theory movement during his Youngstown, Ohio rally in support of Republican Senate candidate JD Vance. This is the week when Trump became Qanon. This isnt a political statement; it just is, however disturbing. Week began with images of Trump on Truth Social wearing a Q pin and promoting their slogans; it ends with Q music and the Q one sign by crowd at his rally, CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem tweeted on Saturday. Author Kurt Eichenwald added that this week, Trump posted QAnon memes, played QAnon theme music at his rally, and stood by as the crowd raises their fingers in the QAnon salute. This is the GOPs supposed leader. Every Republican needs to be asked about it - and dont let them walk away. Do you support QAnon? He has gone full QAnon, and that cult knows it. Trump has always been mentally ill, but this is a whole new level. He has gone completely insane, he tweeted. The author went on to lay out a lot of the bizarre theories within the movement. With Trump now leaning so hard into QAnon, anyone who interviews him *must* ask Do you believe there is a global cabal of elites who are kidnapping children, taking them to underground tunnels, murdering them, eating them and drinking their adrenochrome to stay young forever? Have you secretly been president since 2020, while Biden has actually been a clone? Were Hillary Clinton and Anthony Fauci taken to gitmo and executed? And if you dont believe these things, why are you posting QAnon memes, playing their music, and encouraging their salutes? he tweeted. The storm is coming is shorthand for something really dark that hes not saying out loud, McIntosh said. This is a way for him to point to violence without explicitly calling for it. He is the prince of plausible deniability. https://t.co/tGQZeiLC7V Robert Costa (@costareports) September 18, 2022 After last nights rally, theres no denying that Trumps fully embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory. Republicans in Congress will still try, claiming they havent seen the video. If youre interviewing them, SHOW IT TO THEM, then ask again whether they support Trump and QANON, Citizens for Ethics wrote. New analysis shows Donald Trump is overtly encouraging his base to embrace QAnon and related violence; experts say thats encouraging actual violence, including a Michigan man who shot his family and a Pennsylvania man who brandished a gun at Dairy Queen, gun control advocate Shannon Watts write, citing a report from the Associated Press. Donald Trump is openly promoting a dangerous conspiracy about the storm, where hell regain power & his political enemies will be tried & potentially executed on live TV. This is incredibly dangerous & irresponsible -- just like Trump always has been, Illinois US House candidate Jesus Garcia tweeted. TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia's anti-terrorism police detained for one day Ali Laarayedh, a former prime minister and senior official in the Islamist opposition Ennahda party, after an investigation into suspicions of sending jihadists to Syria, lawyers said on Tuesday. In the same case, the police postponed the hearing of Tunisia's Islamist opposition leader and speaker of the dissolved parliament Rached Ghannouchi to midday on Tuesday, after waiting for about 14 hours. It is expected that Laarayedh will appear before a judge on Wednesday, lawyer Mokthar Jmayi told Reuters. "We are shocked..the file is completely empty and without any evidence", Samir Dilou, another lawyer said. Ennahda denies accusations of terrorism, calling it a political attack on a foe of President Kais Saied. Ghannouchi, 81, has accused Saied of an anti-democratic coup since he seized most powers last summer, shutting down the parliament and moving to rule by decree, powers he has largely formalised with a new constitution ratified in a July referendum. Last month, several former security officials and two Ennahda members were arrested on charges connected to Tunisians travelling for jihad. Security and official sources estimated that around 6,000 Tunisians travelled to Syria and Iraq last decade to join jihadist groups including Islamic State. Many were killed there while others escaped and returned to Tunisia. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Kim Coghill and Lincoln Feast.) By Humeyra Pamuk UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters on Tuesday that he has received "positive" feedback from two U.S. senators he met in New York on their potential support for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to his government. Turkey made a request in October to the United States to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. Sentiment toward Turkey in the U.S. Congress has turned sour over the past few years after Ankara acquired Russian-made defense missile systems, triggering U.S. sanctions and Turkey's removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. That sentiment could derail the F-16 sale. "They're speaking positively," Erdogan told Reuters at the United Nations before his meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Erdogan is attending the annual U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) of world leaders. In recent days in New York, Erdogan met with U.S. senators Lindsey Graham and Chris Coons. Asked if he would meet U.S. President Joe Biden, the Turkish leader said he will be attending a reception to be hosted by Biden. No formal meeting is set for now, according to the official schedules of both presidents. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Grant McCool) During the United Nations General Assembly, Turkish President Erdogan, via a translator, calls on Russia's war with Ukraine to be resolved through peace negotiations. The Turkish President is one of the few leaders that is still communicating with Russias President Putin and recently met with him in Uzbekistan last week. President Erdogan has been a complicated figure in the Russia-Ukrainian war and as a member of NATO since he has frequently been the sole party to disagree with the general NATO consensus. ERDOGAN: We have proven our stance while we were fighting against the crisis created as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The Ukrainian conflict is exceeding the seventh month threshold and we think that the war will never have a triumph and a fair peace process will not have a loser. This is important because we are always underlining the significance of diplomacy in the settlement of the dispute should through dialogue once and for all. Feng Wang is clearly angry. I think I should not be charged this amount of money! he says. Wang is the owner of an E-ZPass, a product issued by the Pennsylvania Turnpike that promises lower fares when you drive on the highway just pass through the electronic tollgate, which senses your E-ZPass. Not so E-Z Pass: Pennsylvania Turnpike problems with electronic tolling subject of 11 Investigation The only problem? An 11 Investigates probe first broadcast in September 2021 revealed something startling. For years, some E-ZPass drivers were getting blindsided. Instead of getting charged a lower toll rate, in many cases they would be charged a much more expensive V-toll of $10. On top of that, state toll authorities werent bothering to make their customers aware of the penalty charge. Pennsylvania lawmaker calls for immediate action at Turnpike following Ch. 11 Investigation Just ask customer Wang. On a business trip this past August, he went from Monroeville to Butler Valley. The cost? In the morning, it was $2.90, he says. But on the trip back home on the same day, he got V-tolled for $10 when the toll plaza failed to electronically read his E-ZPass, costing him three times more than earlier that day. 11 Investigates learns details on which customers Turnpike will notify about E-ZPass penalties To me, its not fair, he says. You didnt tell me. We also discovered that Feng is hardly alone. In 2021, state figures show nearly 300,000 E-ZPass drivers were hit with V-Tolls. For 2022 so far, that number is up, with 430,000 $10 V-tolls fined to drivers. At first, tollway officials told 11 Investigates that they were notifying customers of these penalty charges sneaking onto their monthly bills, but later they admitted that they hadnt alerted drivers about the toll in years. Pa. Turnpike beginning to notify customers about excessive V-tolls When we spoke with state politicians, they were not happy. Nobody knew the magnitude of the problem until you did your investigation, and thank you for that, said Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster. Story continues Brewster is supporting a bill introduced in direct response to our investigation to increase transparency for the V-toll charges. House Bill 2139 passed the state House unanimously in May and is now making its way through the Senate. It would require by law that the turnpike notify customers about V-tolls. Its needed for fairness and transparency, said state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Fayette County, who sponsored the bill. If youre being charged for something, you should have an idea of what and how youre being charged. Thats the bottom line. E-ZPass customers could get more transparency on penalty charges as bill moves forward As the bill makes its way through the Senate, with a possible final vote in October 2022, turnpike officials say they have started to notify customers about the penalty tolls. In an email to 11 Investigates, the agency wrote: As of August 4th, we send daily notifications to customers who had $10-v-tolls posted to their E-Z Pass account. In addition, the turnpike tells 11 Investigates that new software allows them to reduce V-tolls by checking plate numbers against E-ZPass account records. So even if your cars pass isnt detected when you drive through, they say this new software will match your license plate to your E-ZPass account so you dont get the penalty toll. In the meantime, in a just-released state audit, the auditor general confirmed the tollway failed to collect $104 million in tolls since switching to all-electronic tolling in 2021 and that the problem is likely to get worse unless action is taken. 2022 Turpike Audit 9.6.22-- June 1, 2018 to June 13, 2022 by WPXI Staff on Scribd The report recommended that the Pennsylvania Legislature do something to help. As a result, if passed, HB 2139 will not only force the turnpike to alert drivers about any V-tolls, but will also give them stronger penalties against turnpike drivers who dont pay their toll-by-plate bills. This 11 Investigates update features the Turnpikes new software that helps reduce incorrect V-tolls. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: State police in Greensburg asking for help finding missing man Man dies after vehicle, motorcycle crash in Pittsburghs Carrick neighborhood Pittsburgh police investigating after 2 people fell from balcony in Mount Washington VIDEO: Bethel Park police investigating distraction thefts from purses at grocery stores DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A former executive officer of a U.S. Navy littoral combat ship now based at Naval Station Mayport has been indicted after videos and images of sexual abuse of children were uncovered, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Cmdr. Gregory Edward McLean, 38, of Jacksonville was officially indicted Tuesday with two counts of distributing videos depicting the sexual assault of children and one of possessing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children, the indictment reads. If convicted, McLean faces five to 20 years in prison on each count, prosecutors said. Two cellphones, a hard drive and a USB drive are evidence that prosecutors claim were used in the offenses. McLean will remain detained pending trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Guilty plea: Ex-Jacksonville sheriff's dispatcher produced photos and video as he sexually abused 2 children Navy sailor arrested: Couple charged with cruelty to children as video shows baby strangling According to a brief biography posted by the Navy League of Minnesota, McLean was born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is a Florida State University graduate. He served on Navy destroyers in Norfolk, Va., and Jacksonville from 2006 to 2014 before being assigned to Mayport's littoral command center in 2015. His service biography, provided by Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2's public affairs office at Mayport, also lists multiple commendations and medals. Making commander on Sept. 1, 2021, he served as the executive officer of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul from its pre-commissioning until relieved of his duties on Nov. 15, 2021, according to LCSRON-2. That was before the ship arrived at its homeport at Mayport on July 11, the Navy said. McLean remains an active duty member of the Navy. Guilty of child abuse: Ex-Jacksonville Beach City Attorney Christopher Ambrosio avoids prison Sentenced to almost 6 years: Ex-Jacksonville teacher said he fantasized about touching children The six-page indictment reveals little about what led to McLean's arrest, other than each charge states that visual depictions of a "minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct" were found in computer files and were knowingly distributed. The indictment also said he operated under the aliases twisteddesire3210 and twisteddesire3213 as videos were distributed online from November 2020 to November 2021. Story continues The Navy had no comment on the arrest other than to provide McLean's background information. The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Rhode Island State Police, as well as the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, prosecutors said. dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549 This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Navy commander Gregory McLean arrested in child sex videos case Photography festival in ancient Chinese town attracts over 12,000 int'l works Xinhua) 09:16, September 20, 2022 People visit the Pingyao International Photography Festival in Pingyao County of Jinzhong, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 19, 2022. The 22nd Pingyao International Photography Festival kicked off here on Monday, displaying works of over 1,200 photographers from home and abroad. This event will last until Sept. 25. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan) TAIYUAN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd Pingyao International Photography Festival kicked off Monday in Pingyao, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site known for its well-preserved ancient architecture, in north China's Shanxi Province. Themed "A world of light and shadow, for a bright shared future" this year, the week-long festival has attracted more than 12,000 works by 1,200 photographers from 28 countries and regions. A photo exhibition featuring the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is on display during the festival. "Pingyao nourishes the exhibition with its profound culture while the exhibition repays the ancient town with a unique photographic art show," said Wei Jiangfeng, director of the organizing committee of the festival. Launched in 2001, the annual festival has attracted photographers from more than 100 countries and regions, and is considered an important platform for cross-cultural communication. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Photo: The Canadian Press At least six people were rushed to hospitals after being injured when an explosion Tuesday tore through the top floor of a Chicago apartment building, officials said. The explosion at the three-story, 36-unit apartment building in the South Austin neighborhood occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m., officials said. At least 10 ambulances were on the scene, according to the Chicago Fire Department, which requested help searching the structure. Requesting manpower for searches in structure, the department tweeted. Photographs and video posted on the Chicago Fire Departments twitter page shows that much of the top floor of the four-story brick apartment building on the citys West Side was destroyed by the blast. Scores of bricks and other debris had fallen onto the street, crushing at least one car and seriously damaging two others. Several people who lived in the building said they were home when the explosion rocked the entire building. I was asleep, and all of a sudden there was a loud booming, Lawrence Lewis, who was asleep at the time, told WGN television. I woke up to my windows gone, my front door blown open. I just saw smoke, and I ran out of the house. I was asleep. Im shook up right now. No cause of the explosion had been determined. The department said in a series of tweets that the Chicago police bomb squad and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on their way as well. The Fire Department said conditions of three victims range from serious to critical. LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Liz Truss condemned provocations over Taiwan by China in a meeting with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida at the United Nations General Assembly, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Tuesday. "The Prime Minister condemned China's recent provocations over Taiwan, which threatened Japan's Special Economic Zone," a statement said. "The leaders resolved to work together to tackle the strategic threat posed by China." Truss and Kishida agreed on the importance of democracies working together, including through international institutions such as the G7, to constrain economic and security threats from "authoritarian regimes", the statement said. Truss, who also met French President Emmanuel Macron in New York, plans to use her first trip abroad since taking office on Sept. 6 to pledge billions of pounds of further support for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia. (Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Grant McCool) Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will join the Prime Minister in New York this week (PA) (PA Wire) The Foreign Secretary will this week join the Prime Minister at a United Nations summit in the US, where he is expected to sharply condemn Russias atrocities in Ukraine. James Cleverly, in his first overseas trip since taking on the role, will speak during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday. World leaders and top diplomats from across the globe are gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly, with Mr Cleverly attending as part of a UK delegation headed up by Liz Truss. The war in Ukraine continues to overshadow global affairs and the visit will see Mr Cleverly meet US secretary of state Antony Blinken later on Tuesday. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 September 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/gmR2GIiKs1 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/svK8sD2icX Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 20, 2022 He will also meet Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba during his trip. Mr Cleverly, in a statement before his arrival in New York, called the world increasingly unstable and divided. As Foreign Secretary, I will work to bring countries together to tackle aggression, overcome challenges and promote our democratic values, he said. We will judge others on actions, not words. (3/3) Guaranteeing the Black Sea Fleets Crimea basing was likely one of Russian President Vladimir Putins motivations for annexing the peninsula in 2014. Base security has now been directly undermined by Russias continued aggression against Ukraine. Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 20, 2022 Every day the devastating consequences of Russias barbaric tactics become clearer. Story continues There must be no impunity for (Russian President Vladimir) Putins hostility. The key event of the week will be a special UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, where attendees are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and how to hold Russia accountable. Mr Cleverly will join fellow G7 foreign ministers for an event on nuclear safety. Russian proxy states in Donbas to hold referendum on joining Russia this week, as Russian Duma passes harsh new penalties for deserters and draft dodgers. Mobilization may be imminent. Russian men who dont want to die in Ukraine may only have a few days to leave the country. Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) September 20, 2022 It comes amid ongoing concerns about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine after shelling in and around the plant. Mr Cleverly will also meet Indias Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Canadas Melanie Joly, as well as Australias Penny Wong, this week. The visit will also see stability in the Middle East discussed, while Mr Cleverly will also attend a global food security event hosted by the US, EU and African Union. (Bloomberg) -- Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, made the case for more weapons from the west to secure the gains from its recent counteroffensive. Most Read from Bloomberg Ukraine said Russian forces targeted an artillery strike near a nuclear plant north of the city of Mykolayiv, raising new concern of a potential atomic disaster in addition to worries surrounding the occupied Zaporizhzhia power station. A travel ban forbidding Russian tourists from entering Poland and the three Baltic states took effect, restricting one of Russians main avenues to travel to the European Union in the wake of Moscows invasion of Ukraine. (See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.) Key Developments Send More Weapons, Ukraines Foreign Minister Urges the West Ukraine War Lifts Chinas Alumina Exports and Caps Grain Imports Hungary Pledges to Obey EU Requirements After Fund Cutoff Threat Why Increasing Russia-China Ties Worry Democracies: QuickTake Zelenskiy Says Russia Responsible for Graves Found in Izyum On the Ground In the past day, Russia fired more than 90 shells from multiple rocket launchers into Ukraine, with more than 30 settlements sustaining damage, the countrys general staff wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian forces remain likely to regain much if not all of western Kherson Oblast in the coming weeks, according to the latest report by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. In the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate positions on the east bank of the Oskil River despite Russian efforts to contain them. Story continues (All times CET) Aircraft Losses Hindered Russia, US General Says (3:30 a.m.) Ukraine air defense forces, firing mainly Soviet-era SA-10 and SA-11 anti-aircraft systems, destroyed at least 55 Russian aircraft, most at the start of the invasion, General James Hecker, the head of US Air Forces in Europe, said Monday during a meeting with reporters at the annual Air & Space Forces conference. Asked if there was a correlation between the loss of those aircraft and Russias failure to establish air superiority over Ukraine, Hecker said Yes -- definitely yes because as soon as they got shot down Russian aircraft in moved back their operations and they didnt go after any of the Ukrainian integrated air defenses. Send More Weapons, Ukraines Foreign Minister Urges (10:38 p.m.) Ukraines Foreign Minister Kuleba urged western nations to supply more weapons so his government can press ahead with its counteroffensive against Russian forces. Kuleba said in an interview Monday with Bloomberg Television that Ukraine wants to add to its recent territorial gains and deny Russian President Vladimir Putin any strategic advantage gained since his army invaded on Feb. 24. Ukraines counteroffensive is a clear message to everyone that it works, that it makes sense to help Ukraine with weapons because we can defeat President Putin and his army in our territory, Kuleba said. He said the recent counteroffensive was a thoroughly planned and well-thought military operation. Wagner Group Is Failing to Recruit Convicts as Fighters, US Says (10:28 p.m.) The Wagner Group, the private Russian military company, is falling short so far in its effort to recruit convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine as official Russian troops dwindle, a US defense officials told reporters on Monday. The official also said the US is increasingly focusing on Ukraines longer-term security needs for Western-type weapons as Soviet-era ones, such as tanks, are running out. Tanks are under consideration for future supplies, but Ukraine will need the ability to maintain and sustain the modern tanks in order to receive them, the official added. Germany to Send More Howitzers to Ukraine (4:49 p.m.) Germany will send four more self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. The 22 that Germany and the Netherlands have sent so far have proved to be more than effective on the battlefield, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in an emailed statement. Germany will fulfill Kyivs call for more howitzers by sending them directly from manufacturers because the German army no longer has any left, Lambrecht said. Russia Still Outnumbers Ukraine in Troops, Weapons (4:17 p.m.) Ukraine is in the process of stabilizing security in the estimated 8,500 square kilometers of territory it liberated from Russia this month, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on TV. There is still active fighting along the 1,300 km front line, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region and in southern Ukraine, and the militarys main focus is to prevent Russians from advancing, she said. Russia still outnumbers Ukraine in terms of troops and weapons. We shouldnt underestimate the enemy, she said. The fact that the enemy isnt advancing into the depths of Ukraine is already a victory. EU Pulls Russia Tycoons Sister From Sanctions List (1:39 p.m.) The EU removed the sister of Russias sixth-richest man and the ex-wife of another billionaire from its list of sanctions that it imposed in response to the invasion, following legal challenges to their inclusion. Saodat Narzieva, a sister of metals tycoon Alisher Usmanov, and Olga Ayziman, the ex-wife of billionaire investor Mikhail Fridman, were deleted from the list of 548 people sanctioned by the EU, according to the blocs Official Journal. Deceased Russian populist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky was also removed. Russian Tourist Ban Takes Effect in Poland and Baltics (12 p.m.) Monday marked the start of a travel ban that forbids Russian tourists from entering Poland and the three Baltic countries, which have been one of the main entry points into Europe since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February. Border authorities in Lithuania, which shares a border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, said it turned away 11 Russian citizens in the first nine hours after the visa restrictions took effect. Political leaders in the Baltics, who have so far not persuaded peers to enact an EU-wide ban, have also called for expanding the measures to Belarusian nationals. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. KYIV (Reuters) -Any referendums on joining Russia in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories would destroy any remaining window for talks between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukrainian publication Liga.net cited the Ukrainian president's office spokesman as saying on Tuesday. "Without the referendums, there is still the smallest chance for a diplomatic solution. After the referendums - no," Liga.net quoted Serhiy Nykyforov as saying. He made the comments in response to Russian-installed officials in four occupied Ukrainian regions announcing plans for referendums over the next week on formally joining Russia. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter later that any referendums should be met by an increase in economic sanctions on Russia and arms supplies to Ukraine, including ATACMS missiles that have a longer range than any known Ukrainian weapon system at present. "Kremlin opposes the supply of modern tanks and ATACMS to Ukraine? It is time to give (them)," he said. (Reporting by Max HunderEditing by Mark Heinrich) By Pavel Polityuk, Humeyra Pamuk and Caleb Davis KYIV/NEW YORK/GDANSK, Poland (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's first wartime mobilisation since World War Two on Wednesday, shocking citizens with what Western countries described as an act of desperation in the face of a losing war. Putin made the announcement in a televised address in which he also announced moves to annex swaths of Ukrainian territory and threatened to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia, declaring: "It's not a bluff". Flights out of Russia quickly sold out, and jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny called for mass demonstrations against the mobilisation. Russians said some people were already receiving call-up notices, and police were barring men from leaving one city in the south. Independent protest monitoring group OVD-Info said more than 1,300 people had been detained in protests by Wednesday evening. In a country that counts millions of former conscripts as reservists, Putin's "partial mobilisation" decree gave no clue as to who would be called up. Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 people would be mobilised from a pool of 25 million. Contracts of professional troops would be extended indefinitely. Putin also effectively announced plans to annex four Ukrainian provinces, saying Moscow would assist with referendums on joining Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Russia, and implement the results. Offering no evidence, Putin accused officials in NATO states of threatening to use nuclear weapons against Russia. They should know that "the weathervane can turn towards them", he said, adding that Russia "also has various means of destruction". "When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. It's not a bluff." Biden, in a speech to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, responded: "Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, in a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime." Story continues Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, due to address the U.N. General Assembly later on Wednesday, said he thought Putin would be unlikely to use nuclear weapons, but that the threat itself showed why it was vital to stand up to him. "Tomorrow Putin can say: 'Apart from Ukraine, we also want a part of Poland, otherwise we will use nuclear weapons.' We cannot make these compromises," Zelenskiy told Germany's Bild newspaper. European Union foreign ministers, in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, called an emergency meeting for late Wednesday to discuss new sanctions and weapon deliveries for Kyiv after Putin's order. "It's clear Russia wants to destroy Ukraine," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. "We will not be intimidated." RECRUITMENT DRIVE Calling a mobilisation is possibly the riskiest domestic political move of Putin's two decades in power, and follows months of Kremlin promises it would do no such thing. The war has so far appeared to enjoy popular support in a country where independent media have all been shut down and all public criticism of the "special military operation" is banned. But for many ordinary Russians, especially in the urban middle classes, the prospect of being sent to fight would be the first hint of the war affecting them personally. "It is clear that the criminal war is getting worse, deepening, and Putin is trying to involve as many people as possible in this," jailed opposition leader Navalny said in a video message recorded and published by his lawyers. "He wants to smear hundreds of thousands of people in this blood." Moments after Putin's announcement, recruitment offices had already handed packs of conscription papers to homeowners' associations, said St Petersburg human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov, who advises clients on conscription. Medics in Moscow were "receiving summonses from recruitment offices en masse to come and receive mobilisation orders", he said on Telegram. In a note seen by Reuters, one major company told staff: "We already have employees who have received summonses for tomorrow. Everyone should be aware that it is possible they will be summoned in the morning and be unable to work the next day. "Keep managers informed so we don't lose track of each other," it said. On the Moscow metro, men could be seen studying call-up papers. "You always feel worried at moments like these. Because you have a wife and kids and you think about it," one resident told Reuters. In the city of Kursk, closer to Ukraine, a woman married to a soldier said: "They're not letting people out of Kursk. There are police cordons everywhere, checking each car. If a man is driving, they inspect; if it's a woman, they ask her to open the luggage compartment. If the man is from Kursk, they turn you back." 'SIGN OF RUSSIAN WEAKNESS' Putin's announcement came after weeks in which Russia's invasion force was routed in northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have captured some of the main supply routes that had served Russia's front line in the east, and say they are now poised to push deeper into territory Moscow had captured over months of heavy fighting. "No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah," said British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. Several Western military experts said drafting in hundreds of thousands of new troops would take months, do little to slow Russia's losses, and could even make matters worse by drawing resources away from the battlefield to train and equip recruits. "Jaw-dropping. A new sign of RU weakness," tweeted Mark Hertling, a former commander of U.S. ground forces in Europe. "Placing 'newbies' on a front line that has been mauled, has low morale & who don't want to be (there) portends more RU disaster." (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Alison Williams, Hugh Lawson and Rosalba O'Brien) TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 21:20 As of late 20 September, Ukraines defence forces have confirmed several cases of Russians using Iranian UAVs. Efficiency of this weapon is being analysed, and the counteraction to it is being developed. Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force Command, in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda Details: There are two confirmed cases where Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have been shot down by the units of the Air Forces or other units of defence forces of Ukraine. Ihnat explained that Shahed 136 is barely visible on radars; its a relatively small aerial target that flies mainly at a low altitude. It can be shot down with different air defence systems, or even small arms. But the best options in this case would be anti-aircraft guns or, for example, such air defence systems as Ukraines ZSU-23-4 Shylka or Germanys Gepard. Such drones can be taken down with electronic warfare systems, too. According to the spokesperson of Ukraines Air Force, currently, theres no telling how efficient Shahed-136 is at the moment. Its also uncertain whether it has been the only kind of UAVs Iran provided Russia with, or there are others. Background: The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Su-25 ground attack jet in Kherson Oblast and a Shahed-136 kamikaze drone in Mykolaiv Oblast on the evening of 20 September. On 13 September, Ukrainian forces confirmed the first downing of an Iranian-manufactured drone, Shahed-136, which had been purchased by Russia; the Ukrainian defenders shot it down near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! OLHA HLUSHCHENKO TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 07:16 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have repelled Russian attacks near Maiorsk, Vesele, Kurdiumivka and Novomykhailivka over the course of the past 24 hours. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 20 September Quote: "Russian occupiers carried out 10 missile strikes, 15 airstrikes and more than 56 MLRS attacks on targets across the territory of Ukraine over the course of [19 September] in violation of the norms of international humanitarian law and the wars and customs of war. The Russian attacks damaged infrastructure in more than 33 cities, towns and villages, including Slavhorod, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Maiorsk, Vodiane, Dorozhnie, Soledar, Novopil, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Oleksandrivka, Snihurivka, Nova Odesa, Shyroke, Bilohirsk, Myroliubivka and Bila Krynytsia. There is an ongoing threat of [Russian] airstrikes and missile strikes across the territory of Ukraine." Details: There were no changes on the Volyn and Polissia fronts. On other fronts, the Russians continued to fire on military and civilian targets using tank guns, mortars and various types of artillery: On the Sivershchyna front : areas in and around Mykolaivka (Chernihiv Oblast) and Novovasylivka, Slavhorod and Riasne (Sumy Oblast); On the Slobozhanshchyna front : areas in and around Kozacha Lopan, Shevchenkove, Derhachi, Kamianka, Strilecha, Hlyboke and Dvorichna; On the Kramatorsk front : Oleksandrivka, Donetske, Raihorodok, Shchurove, Kryva Luka, Ozerne, Bilohorivka, Pryshyb, Hryhorivka and Siversk; On the Bakhmut front : Maiorsk, Mykolaivka, Verkhnokamianske, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Vesela Dolyna, Odradivka, Vesele, Vyimka, Mykolaivka Druha, New-York, Bilohorivka, Yurivka, Spirne, Zaitseve and Yakovlivka; On the Avdiivka front : Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Novomykhailivka and Pervomaiske; Russian forces did not undertake active operations on the Zaporizhzhia and Novopavlivka fronts , but used artillery to fire on Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, Mykilske, Mali Shcherbaky, Novomaiorske, Mala Tokmachka, Chervone, Pavlivka, Huliaipole, Novopil and Vremivka; On the Pivdennyi Buh front, Russian forces fired on over 28 towns and villages, including Oleksandrivka, Novohryhorivka, Zoria, Shevchenkove, Myrne, Shyroke, Bilohirka, Bezimenne, Myroliubivka, Vysokopillia and Olhyne. Story continues The Ukrainian defence forces [a collective name for all forces fighting for Ukraine - ed.] have repelled Russian attacks near Maiorsk, Vesele, Kurdiumivka and Novomykhailivka. Over the course of 19 September, aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force carried out airstrikes on 24 areas where Russian military personnel and equipment were concentrated, four Russian anti-aircraft defence systems and a Russian ammunition storage point. Meanwhile, Ukraines anti-aircraft defence units shot down a Russian Su-25 jet, a guided missile and three UAVs. Ukraines missile forces and artillery units fired on 16 Russian targets, including six areas where Russian troops and military equipment were concentrated, seven artillery positions, and three ammunition storage points. Russias total losses have yet to be confirmed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! STANISLAV POHORILOV TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 09:22 Over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine killed 160 Russian Federation soldiers the total number of their personnel losses has reached 54,810; 1 aircraft and 5 UAVs were also destroyed. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The Russian Federation suffered its greatest losses on the Bakhmut and Donetsk fronts. Details: Total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February and 20 September 2022 are estimated to be [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses - ed.]: Approximately 54,810 (+160) military personnel 2,216 (+4) tanks 4,724 (+4) armoured combat vehicles 1,323 (+10) artillery systems 318 (+6) multiple-launch rocket systems 168 (+0) air defence systems 252 (+1) planes 217 (+0) helicopters 925 (+5) operational-tactical UAVs 239 (+1) cruise missiles 15 (+0) ships/boats 3,587 (+6) vehicles and tankers 125 (+0) special vehicles Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! NEW YORK (AP) U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss said Tuesday that shes ready to make unpopular decisions such as boosting bonuses for wealthy bankers in order to get the country's sluggish economy growing. Speaking before an emergency government budget statement on Friday, Truss said tax cuts were key to spurring economic growth, even though they benefit the wealthiest more than the poorest. We do have to take difficult decisions to get our economy right, Truss said. We have to look at our tax rates. So corporation tax needs to be competitive with other countries so that we can attract that investment. Truss, who has been prime minister for just two weeks a period overshadowed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II faces immediate pressure to deliver on her promises to tackle a cost-of-living crisis walloping the U.K. and an economy heading into a potentially lengthy recession. She has already announced a cap on household energy bills that means average costs for heating and electricity will be no more than 2,500 pounds ($2,872) a year far less than has been forecast. And she says businesses will find out details of similar relief on Friday. But Truss has ruled out extending a windfall tax on oil and gas companies imposed under the previous government of Boris Johnson, and is scrapping plans to increase corporation tax. Critics say her pro-free market, low-tax economic views, inspired by the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, is the wrong response to the crisis. Truss, who is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, confirmed the budget statement will reverse an income tax hike brought in this year to help fund health care and will scrap a plan to raise corporation tax. She also made clear that the government will lift a cap on bankers bonuses imposed after the 2008 global financial crisis, with the aim of attracting more jobs and money to London's financial district. I dont accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair, Truss told British broadcasters in interviews on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building. Story continues We should be setting our tax policy on the basis of what is going to help our country become successful what is going to deliver that economy that benefits everybody in our country. What I dont accept is the idea that tax cuts for business dont help people in general. Truss denied her plans would hurt the already battered U.K. economy. The pound has fallen to almost four-decade lows against the dollar, to about $1.14. She said her priority was getting the economic fundamentals right. She acknowledged the U.K. faces incredibly tough economic times, driven by Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has sent global energy prices soaring. But she denied her plans would cause pain to millions or ordinary Britons and could prove electorally disastrous. What I think working people will judge me and my government on at the next election is, have I got a good job, are my wages going up, have I seen improvements in my town or my city? she said. Thats what people care about and I believe thats what people will vote on. As she was speaking, and seemingly by coincidence, U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted criticism of the type of economic policy Truss advocates. The two leaders are due to meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. summit. I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked, he said. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran faced international criticism on Tuesday over the death of a woman held by its morality police, which ignited three days of protests, including clashes with security forces in the capital and other unrest that claimed at least three lives. The U.N. human rights office called for an investigation. The United States, which is trying to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, called on the Islamic Republic to end its systemic persecution of women. Italy also condemned her death. Iranian officials dismissed the criticism as politically motivated and accused unnamed foreign countries of fomenting the unrest. Separately, an Iranian official said three people had been killed by unnamed armed groups in the Kurdish region of the country where the protests began, the first official confirmation of deaths linked to the unrest. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported that around 300 protesters had gathered in downtown Tehran on Tuesday, chanting Death to the dictator." AP reporters later saw a heavy deployment of police in the area, as well as torched trash bins and rocks strewn across some intersections. The governor of Tehran province, Mohsen Mansouri, accused foreign embassies of fanning the protests and said three foreign nationals had been arrested. He did not specify the nationality of the embassies or the detainees. The U.N. body said Iran's morality police have expanded their patrols in recent months, targeting women for not properly wearing the Islamic headscarf, known as hijab. It said verified videos show women being slapped in the face, struck with batons and thrown into police vans for wearing the hijab too loosely. A similar patrol detained 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last Tuesday, taking her to a police station where she collapsed. She died three days later. Iranian police have denied mistreating Amini and say she died of a heart attack. Authorities say they are investigating the incident. Story continues Mahsa Aminis tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority, said Nada Al-Nashif, the acting U.N. high commissioner for human rights. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Amini should be alive today. Instead, the United States and the Iranian people mourn her. We call on the Iranian government to end its systemic persecution of women and to allow peaceful protest," he tweeted. Italy's Foreign Ministry called for the perpetrators of this cowardly act to be held to account, saying violence against innocent people, especially women and girls, can never be tolerated. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian rejected the criticism, accusing the U.S. of shedding crocodile tears. An investigation was ordered into (the) tragic death of Mahsa, who, as (the) President said, was just like our own daughters, he tweeted. To Iran, human rights are of inherent value unlike those who see it (as) a tool against adversaries. Iranian police released closed-circuit video footage last week purportedly showing the moment Amini collapsed. But her family says she had no history of heart trouble. Amjad Amini, her father, told an Iranian news website that witnesses saw her being shoved into a police car. I asked for access to (videos) from cameras inside the car as well as courtyard of the police station, but they gave no answer, he said. He also accused the police of not transferring her to the hospital promptly enough, saying she could have been resuscitated. He said that when he arrived at the hospital he was not allowed to view the body, but managed to get a glimpse of bruising on her foot. Authorities then pressured him to bury her at night, apparently to reduce the likelihood of protests, but Amini said the family convinced them to let them bury her at 8 a.m. instead. Amini, who was Kurdish, was buried Saturday in her home city of Saqez in western Iran. Protests erupted there after her funeral and police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators on Saturday and Sunday. Several protesters were arrested. The governor of Irans Kurdistan province, Esmail Zarei Kousha, told Fars that three people were killed by unnamed armed groups, linking the violence to the unrest. He did not identify the victims, but said one was killed in the town of Divandarreh by a weapon not used by Iranian security forces. He said the second body was found in a car near Saqez and that the third killing was completely suspicious. The province has seen past violence between Iranian security forces and Kurdish separatists. The protests spread to Tehran and other cities on Monday. A news website affiliated with state TV said 22 people were arrested at a protest in the northern city of Rasht. State TV showed footage of protests on Monday, including images of two police cars with their windows smashed. It said the protesters torched two motorbikes as well, and that they burned Iranian flags in Kurdish areas and Tehran. The state-run broadcaster blamed the unrest on foreign countries and exiled opposition groups, accusing them of using Amini's death as a pretext for more economic sanctions. Iran has seen waves of protests in recent years, mainly over a long-running economic crisis exacerbated by Western sanctions linked to the country's nuclear program. Authorities have managed to quash the protests by force. Photo: hanniussupreme/TikTok It's still not clear how much damage was caused by Sunday's riot at the PNE, but representatives for the venue say it's hundreds of thousands of dollars. Of the 5,200 people who were at the PNE's Amphitheatre for the Breakout Festivals closing act, Lil Baby, the majority left peacefully when told the headliner wouldn't be performing just before he was supposed to take to the stage, but hundreds remained and turned to violence and vandalism. "Approximately 1,000 of the guests turned their disappointment into a violent outburst that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to PNE property inside the Amphitheatre and in Hastings Park," states the PNE in a press release. "It is our understanding that there was additional damage to property outside of Hastings Park, in the community and to local businesses. For this we are incredibly sorry to our neighbours." The park and PNE are owned by the city and run by a not-for-profit organization. While it's unclear exactly how much damage was done to the PNE and Hastings Park, a spokesperson tells Vancouver Is Awesome "it is in excess of $200,000 in damage." "We will also be working with any members of our neighbourhood, businesses or residences who were affected in order to ensure we can help support them," reads the statement from the PNE. "We are still working through logistics of how this will work and will keep stakeholders advised." They note they're working with the festival promoter and an insurance company to repair the site. Field Level Media MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies gave center Steven Adams a multiyear contract extension Saturday after the center's strong first season with the team. Adams averaged career highs of 10.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists to go with his 6.9 points per game in 76 games after being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans. The 6-foot-11 native of New Zealand set a franchise record and led the NBA with 349 offensive rebounds, an average of 4.6 per game. By David Shepardson (Reuters) - United Airlines removed 25 of its Boeing 777-200 airplanes from service this week after discovering it had failed to perform required inspections on the wing leading-edge panels. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airline had disclosed the issue to the agency after an internal audit and proposed a plan to complete the inspections. United said on Tuesday it had canceled around 18 flights on Monday night and Tuesday morning to conduct the inspections but did not expect to cancel additional flights because of the issue. "We've completed inspections on 10 of those aircraft, and are working with the FAA to return others to service while inspections are ongoing over the next two weeks," United said Tuesday. The FAA said it was reviewing United's inspection plan "as well as looking into the circumstances that led to the missed inspections." In May, the FAA cleared United's 52 Boeing 777 planes equipped with Pratt & Whitney (PW) 4000 engines to return to service. The jets were grounded after a United flight to Honolulu suffered engine failure and showered debris over nearby cities and made an emergency landing in Denver in February 2021. No one was injured and the plane safely returned to the airport. United said Tuesday the wing leading-edge panel inspections of some of those 777-200s are not related to engines or recent engine work. The said the inspections in most cases can be completed overnight. The inspection issue was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler) As a proud alumnus of the University of Florida, I have quite the soft spot for my school; I love my alma mater so much, I still open UFs marketing emails when they land in my inbox. The most recent one, instead of proclaiming the typical water-into-wine scientific breakthrough by Jesus (who happens to work in UFs chemistry department), conveyed an announcement that many are already familiar with: UF is still a (tied-for) top five (public) school. Cue a sigh of relief from everyone. While many are looking at UFs retention of its top five ranking as a triumph, I have to admit, I feel something more like trepidation. UFs overall ranking fell from 28 to 29. A student studies in the Reitz Union on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville FL. Sept. 9, 2022. As noted in the press release, UFs reputation score of 3.8, a key metric in the ranking analysis, remained unchanged from last year. At the same time, other indicators like our alumni giving rate made robust gains. I wasnt previously familiar with the metric of a reputation score. If it were like unweighted GPA, 3.8 out of 4 would be great. Unfortunately, the reputation score is out of five. If UF were an Airbnb, itd be delisted. If it were a restaurant on Google Maps, I probably wouldnt eat there. (Its funny because eating and sleeping were the two main things I did at UF.) Its quite a shame. Billions of dollars spent and while our school has unquestionably gotten better, peoples impression of our school apparently hasnt. I mean, its no question why: whether it be barring professors from testifying against Floridas partially unconstitutional election law, giving a clown a second chance at life as Floridas surgeon general or culling a well-liked Honors program director, some leaders in our university and perhaps particularly in our state government have given people reason to look at our school with disdain. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, front left, gestures as speaks to supporters and members of the media before a bill signing by Gov. Ron DeSantis, front right, Nov. 18, in Brandon, Fla. But to be fair, other comparable universities have taken hits to their reputation as well. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is tied with UF for the top five spot, had its own national scandal when its Board of Trustees briefly denied tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project. Story continues The University of California at Santa Barbara, which tied for fifth with UF and UNC-Chapel Hill last year, had its own issue when the school, spurred on by a donor, figured itd be a smart idea to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build a mostly windowless dorm. We got lucky. Out of a national tidal wave of malfeasance and stupidity stemming from external influences, UF has emerged not ahead but also not quite behind. Weve stagnated. More from Zachariah Chou: Farewell to UFs Karl Marx study room, more perplexing in death than life My race may have played factor in college rejections, but I support affirmative action UF needs comprehensive diversity education Imagine being on a plane that is taking off. After gaining altitude, the plane stalls. It is no longer gaining altitude and is about to drop out of the sky. Yet people are cheering and clapping? The pilot, after a long and honorable career also happens to be retiring midflight. The next pilot may or may not have experience flying a plane. The passengers sitting in economy seating would prefer having a pilot who knows how to fly a plane. The board of trustees, sipping champagne in first class, may have a different idea of what qualifies someone to fly a plane. (No, being a politician does not qualify someone to fly a plane). University of Florida President Kent Fuchs speaks to the graduates at the Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on April 29. Fuchs plans to retire by the start of next year. I hope the best for my alma mater but boy, am I worried. I dont want our university to come out ahead in the rankings just because it fell behind in the clownish race to the bottom against other universities in making stupid decisions. A quote attributed to Warren Buffett goes, It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. I hope UF administrators and especially our board of trustees and state lawmakers will take note. And I hope Im wrong about all of this its not too late for course correction. After all, there is still a little bit left to climb. Zachariah Chou graduated from UF in 2020 with degrees in political science and journalism. Join the conversation Letters to the editor present the opinions of readers on news stories and other pieces published by The Sun. Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Zachariah Chou: UFs top five ranking is no cause for celebration A University of Tampa student was fatally shot early Saturday while trying to get into the wrong car, police said. The student, who had been with friends, took an Uber to his home near the campus in Florida and tried to get into a parked car, Tampa police said in a news release. The person in the car fatally fired on the student. The shooter told police that he feared for his life, officials said. Police have not publicly identified the victim or the shooter. The student was pronounced dead on the scene about 1:30 a.m., police said. The shooter remained at the scene and cooperated with detectives. Police investigate the shooting death of a college student in Tampa, Fla. (WFLA) The University of Tampa issued a statement of mourning Saturday. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the students family and friends, as well as all who were affected by this incident," the statement said. "The University values all members of the community and mourns this tragic loss." A spokesperson said the school didn't have consent from the student's parents to release any identifying information. The investigation continues, and any potential charges will be decided by the State Attorney's Office, police said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Sep. 19A Florida man has been charged with murder in connection with the 2006 murder of a young woman found on Interstate 70 in Frederick County, police said. Garry Artman, 64, of White Springs, Florida, is charged with first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault, according to a Maryland State Police news release. On May 4, 2006, a passing motorist found the body of Dusty Myriah Shuck, 24, of Silver City, New Mexico, lying on the shoulder of I-70 east, east of New Market, the release said. She was found without shoes or any identification. She had on a tank top, a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, the release said. The only identifiers she had were two dragon tattoos on her back with the words "Gypsy Rose" underneath them. Shuck was last seen in New Mexico on April 24, 2006, at a local hotel, the release said. In 2006, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Shuck's death a homicide from stabbing and blunt force trauma, the release said. Maryland State Police investigated, but there was limited evidence at the scene. There were no surveillance cameras in the area and no witnesses with relevant information. Message board signs usually used for traffic safety messages were used to try to get information, but there were few leads, the release said. Given the location of the body and where Shuck was from, police suspected that a truck driver killed her, the release said. Police went to local truck stops for potential leads. They ruled out possible suspects. Police checked missing person databases and tattoo parlors throughout the region, as well, but again found no leads, the release said. Two years later, on Aug. 18, 2008, a search of the Combined DNA Index System resulted in a DNA match between an unsolved 1996 homicide of a Michigan woman and Shuck's case. Without a known DNA match of the murderer, the case remained open, the release said. On Aug. 17, 2022, the release said, Maryland State Police received a call from a detective with the Kent County Sheriff's Office in Michigan. Artman had been identified as a suspect in the 1996 Michigan case. Story continues Michigan's Kent County Sheriff's Office arrested Artman on the same day in Mississippi. He was later taken to Michigan, where he's currently being held in connection with the 1996 homicide. With a search warrant, police collected his DNA, the release said. On Aug. 18, Artman's DNA was confirmed to be a match with the 1996 Michigan case and the 2006 Maryland case, police said. On Aug. 31, the Michigan sheriff's office searched a storage unit in Florida that they believed belonged to Artman. Inside, they found several pieces of women's underwear, which they took to determine whether there are other victims, the release said. Maryland State Police investigators traveled to Michigan for interviews and to gather more information for Shuck's case. They are working with police in Michigan, the release said. This story will be updated. Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States rejected plans to hold referendums in Ukraine and will never recognize any Russian claims to annex parts of Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday. Sullivan said Moscow may be making the move to recruit troops in those areas after suffering extensive losses on the battlefield. Sullivan called the referendums an affront to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said President Joe Biden, at his speech on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, will issue a "firm rebuke" to Russia for its war against Ukraine. "If this does transpire, the United States will never recognize Russia's claims to any purportedly annexed parts of Ukraine. We will never recognize this territory as anything other than a part of Ukraine. We reject Russia's actions unequivocally," Sullivan told reporters. Sullivan cited public reports from the region as evidence that Russia may be wanting to draw military recruits. He said Russia is currently "scraping for personnel" to put into the fight against Ukraine. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) (Bloomberg) -- After years of unmitigated growth, the USs busiest port complex is facing calls to lower its carbon footprint from Southern California communities plagued by the health and environmental impacts, said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. Most Read from Bloomberg The Port of Long Beach, and the adjacent Los Angeles port, together handle 40% of US container imports. Over the past several years, supply chain chaos, record-breaking trade volumes and the pandemic-fueled boom in e-commerce have highlighted weaknesses in the ports infrastructure -- including its contribution to the regions poor air quality, which ranks among the worst in the US. There are a lot of jobs tied to the port, clearly, but the impact on the pollution side is real, Garcia said in an interview at Bloombergs Los Angeles bureau. They want to know when we talk about ports growing -- when we talk about Long Beach -- that it has to grow in a way thats headed toward zero-emission growth. Garcia said efforts are underway to cut emissions from the thousands of mostly diesel-powered trucks that operate in and around the ports, hauling cargo off the docks to distribution centers and warehouses. In April, cargo owners began paying a new fee averaging about $10 to $20 per load that goes to a Clean Truck Fund, helping subsidize the move toward zero-emissions fleets. While the investments mark a step toward electrifying cargo transport, those efforts must also co-exist with plans to expand charging-station infrastructure, especially to give options to truck drivers on longer-haul routes, said Garcia. In another initiative, the Port of Long Beach is also due to begin next year a project to connect the ports terminals to trains, which is billed as a more efficient and cleaner alternative to the trucks that are now used. Story continues It makes zero sense to add more diesel and dirty trucks onto the freeways, he said. Garcia, a two-term Democratic mayor who is running for a House seat in the November mid-terms, said he would use his position in Congress to fight for changes to federal maritime laws to rein in highly-polluting cargo vessels. Research cited by the American Lung Association shows that ships pollution levels from a 20% increase in cargo volume at the Los Angeles and Long Beach hub over nine months in 2021 were equivalent to the emissions that would spew from 5.8 million cars and 100,000 diesel trucks. Read: Chief of Second-Busiest US Port Sees Strike-Free West Coast Deal Theres already evidence of communities putting industrial initiatives on hold. Some city councils in the Inland Empire -- a warehousing and logistics mecca located southeast of Los Angeles -- are placing moratoriums on new industrial developments to more closely examine the impact theyre having on the community. We should not fear this focus on sustainability and fear losing cargo because we are trying to take care of our communities, Garcia said. If it means were going to be green and have cleaner air, and do right by the community -- and that causes us to lose some cargo to other ports -- Im OK with that. It cant come at the cost of peoples lives. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. With its stock down 12% over the past month, it is easy to disregard Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO). However, the company's fundamentals look pretty decent, and long-term financials are usually aligned with future market price movements. In this article, we decided to focus on Valero Energy's ROE. Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors money. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments. View our latest analysis for Valero Energy How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? ROE can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Valero Energy is: 32% = US$7.4b US$23b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022). The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each $1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made $0.32 in profit. Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth? So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features. Valero Energy's Earnings Growth And 32% ROE To begin with, Valero Energy has a pretty high ROE which is interesting. Second, a comparison with the average ROE reported by the industry of 26% also doesn't go unnoticed by us. For this reason, Valero Energy's five year net income decline of 20% raises the question as to why the high ROE didn't translate into earnings growth. We reckon that there could be some other factors at play here that are preventing the company's growth. For example, it could be that the company has a high payout ratio or the business has allocated capital poorly, for instance. Story continues As a next step, we compared Valero Energy's performance with the industry and found thatValero Energy's performance is depressing even when compared with the industry, which has shrunk its earnings at a rate of 3.4% in the same period, which is a slower than the company. Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is VLO fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know. Is Valero Energy Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits? Valero Energy's declining earnings is not surprising given how the company is spending most of its profits in paying dividends, judging by its three-year median payout ratio of 56% (or a retention ratio of 44%). With only very little left to reinvest into the business, growth in earnings is far from likely. Additionally, Valero Energy has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company is expected to keep paying out approximately 49% of its profits over the next three years. Regardless, Valero Energy's ROE is speculated to decline to 14% despite there being no anticipated change in its payout ratio. Conclusion Overall, we feel that Valero Energy certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Although, we are disappointed to see a lack of growth in earnings even in spite of a high ROE. Bear in mind, the company reinvests a small portion of its profits, which means that investors aren't reaping the benefits of the high rate of return. Additionally, the latest industry analyst forecasts show that analysts expect the company's earnings to continue to shrink in the future. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Family members of Fernando Alban are seen mourning outside the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service in 2018 after the opposition lawmaker allegedly committed suicide while in custody. Roman Camacho/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Venezuelan government is responsible for "crimes against humanity," per a United Nations report. Security forces are repressing dissent with torture and sexual violence, according to the report. "[G]rave crimes and human rights violations are being committed," the UN's Marta Valinas said. Venezuelan asylum seekers like those recently flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are fleeing a government that has engaged in "crimes against humanity," including the use of torture and sexual violence to repress dissent, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday. Based on interviews with nearly 250 people, including victims and former members of the security forces, the UN's independent fact-finding mission for Venezuela determined that crimes against real and perceived opponents of the government were orchestrated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials. "Our investigations and analysis show that the Venezuelan State relies on the intelligence services and its agents to repress dissent in the country," Marta Valinas, chair of the UN mission, said in a statement. "In doing so, grave crimes and human rights violations are being committed, including acts of torture and sexual violence." Venezuela has been mired in a political and economic crisis since the death of former leader Hugo Chavez. Maduro, his hand-picked successor, in 2016 sought to circumvent the opposition-held legislature by creating a new, legally dubious "constituent assembly," prompting the resignation of the country's attorney general. In 2018, he won a six-year presidential term in the face of an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging, a victory that the United States and allied nations have refused to recognize. Although nominally socialist, the Maduro government has sought to weather an economic collapse sparked by a fall in oil prices and widespread corruption and exacerbated by US sanctions imposed during the Trump administration by privatizing state-held sectors of the economy. It has also relied on repression, including of left-wing parties and labor unions, to maintain its grip on power. Story continues UN researchers documented 122 cases where real and perceived opponents of the Maduro government were tortured, raped, or otherwise ill-treated by members of Venezuela's military counter-intelligence service. Dozens more cases of torture or degrading treatment were carried out by agents of the national intelligence service too, the report said. "The human rights violations by state intelligence agencies, orchestrated at the highest political levels, have taken place in a climate of almost complete impunity," Francisco Cox, a member of the UN mission, said in a statement. Venezuela's economic collapse and democratic erosion have prompted a mass exodus. Since 2014, nearly 7 million people have fled the country around 1/5th of its population. Most have remained in South America but thousands have also continued north, hoping to find refuge in the United States, where they recently have become objects in a partisan battle over border policies. In the fiscal year 2020, Venezuelans accounted for 24% of all asylum applications in the US, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Nearly half of migrants encountered at the southwest US-Mexico border are now from Venezuela and other "[f]ailing communist regimes," Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus said Monday, identifying the others as Nicaragua and Cuba. Over the weekend, dozens of Venezuelan asylum-seekers were lured by Florida's Republican governor onto flights that took them to Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. The administration of President Joe Biden also continues to expel Venezuelan asylum seekers, putting those who previously resided there on flights to Colombia without processing their claims for protection. Venezuelans already in the US, however, have been granted temporary protection from deportation. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider (Reuters) - Venezuela's state security agencies use arbitrary arrests and torture, which represent crimes against humanity, to repress the country's opposition in a plan directed by President Nicolas Maduro, according to a United Nations report published on Tuesday. The report, produced by the U.N. independent international fact-finding mission on Venezuela, found that both Venezuela's general office of military counterintelligence (DGCIM) and the Bolivarian national intelligence service (SEBIN), used sexual- and gender-based violence to torture and humiliate detainees since at least 2014, and continue to do so. The findings were based on 471 interviews with victims, their family members and legal representatives, as well as at least 50 people who previously worked for the DGCIM, SEBIN or other government entities. Venezuela's ministry of communication did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Real or perceived government opponents and their relatives were subjected to unlawful detention, followed by acts of torture," the report said. Detainees were subject to being beaten with blunt and sharp objects, electric shocks, and force-feeding of feces and vomit, it added. Various sources, including former high-ranking employees of the DGCIM and the armed forces, with direct knowledge of how such decisions were made, reported that Maduro relayed the orders to the DGCIM's director, General Ivan Hernandez Dala, via telephone. Detainees included military officers deemed risky due to the respect they commanded and others suspected of taking part in attempted coups, as well as opposition politicians, social activists, and advocacy-group employees. Witnesses told the fact-finding mission that activities by the SEBIN and DGCIM are intended to dissuade others from opposing the ruling party, the report said. The fact-finding mission also reported that human rights violations are also taking place in key areas for mining as the government seeks to boost its income. "In the countrys southern Bolivar state (...) state and non-state actors have committed a range of violations and crimes against local populations in gold mining areas," it said. (Reporting by Vivian Sequera; writing by Oliver Griffin; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Photo: The Canadian Press Jennifer Charlesworth, is seen in Victoria on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. British Columbia's independent representative for children and youth, is calling on the province to start collecting provincial mental health data for children in government care. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner British Columbias representative for children says shes concerned that neither the province nor the country gathers data on the rate of mental health disorders for children in care, especially when other jurisdictions show a much higher rate. A report from the Childrens Health Policy Centre at Simon Fraser University found children in comparable jurisdictions in Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom had "dramatically higher rates" of mental health disorders when compared with the general population. The report was commission by Jennifer Charlesworth, B.C.s representative for children and youth, and analyzed programs that prevent children from entering care, the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth in care and effective programs for preventing and treating mental disorders. It found anxiety disorders are more than three times higher among children in care, depression is nearly 10 times higher and post-traumatic stress disorder is 40 times more likely. Charlesworth says in a news release that she's not surprised by the statistics, noting the figures are likely similar in B.C., but lack of government data remains a critical concern that should be addressed. She says the government and health authorities in B.C. have successful programs to prevent child maltreatment, but have not yet implemented mental health prevention and treatment programs for young people in care. Charlesworth says that a reasonable parent who knows their child has a 50 per cent chance of experiencing a disorder would make sure that child was screened and given the resources needed to help. But that is not the case with children in care in B.C. None of the research-based programs identified as successful in the (policy centre) review have been implemented systemically in our province. They should be considered for implementation. The Ministry of Children and Family Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the study. For the second time in two months, dozens of veterans and military advocates are holding an around-the-clock vigil outside the U.S. Capitol in an effort to advance legislation they say will save lives. But unlike in early August, when the protest focused on better benefits for victims of military burn pits, this effort is centered on aiding Afghan allies in their attempts to escape Taliban persecution amid worsening conditions in their home country. These people have a knife hanging over their heads, and were telling them it could take years before [the United States] helps them, said Safi Rauf, a Navy reservist who spent four months in Taliban captivity after he was caught trying to aid allies trying to escape Afghanistan. The toll this is taking on peoples mental health is unimaginable. Vets holding around-the-clock protest outside Capitol to push for new toxic exposure bill Supporters are pushing for Congress to immediately pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, legislation concerning the vetting and processing of Afghans applying for permanent legal status. Individuals who submit to additional background checks could receive permanent humanitarian status in America. The bill would also expand eligibility for special immigrant visa access to Afghan refugees, and make improvements to those assistance programs. On Friday, a coalition of 24 veterans organizations including The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America sent a letter to congressional leaders calling for the measure to be included in must-pass budget legislation scheduled for later this month. For two decades, we fought shoulder-to-shoulder with brave Afghan allies who served with and protected American forces, fighting for the freedom of Afghanistan and its people, the groups wrote. Many of us made personal commitments to our allies, and we believe that the United States has a sacred obligation to the people of Afghanistan. We must honor the promises we made as a nation and are duty-bound to fulfill. Story continues Since U.S. military forces withdrew from Afghanistan and Taliban forces took control of the country in August 2021, nearly 80,000 refugees have been evacuated from the country. But many remain in legal limbo, as processing of immigration applications have dragged on for months. Tens of thousands of others left overseas face even bleaker odds and limited access to embassy services that could help speed up their escape from Taliban persecution. There are people who arent going to make it through the winter unless this law gets passed soon, said Matt Zeller, a senior advisor at IAVA and a longtime advocate for support services for Afghan allies who worked alongside American military forces. We all see it happening, he said. And there are people all over the world right now who partner with the United States who are watching this and wondering if we are trustworthy. US ending Operation Allies Welcome, shift to new Afghan refugee help So far, the legislation has been stalled by concerns largely from Republican lawmakers over whether the would-be immigrants pose a security threat. For the past six days, supporters have camped out near the Capitol steps with signs and flyers disputing those concerns and pleading with lawmakers for action. Every evening, the number of protestors swells ahead of a daily dinner rally. Every morning around 4 a.m., the group clears its lawn chairs and supplies from the Capitol lawn to avoid a soaking from the Capitols sprinkler system. Shershah Wahidi, an Afghan national who worked with the United Nations there until the Taliban takeover, was evacuated from Kabul International Airport on Aug. 21, 2021. His escape traversed through the same airport gate where a few days later a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. servicemembers and hundreds of civilians. I came here with my four kids, fearing for our future and our safety, he said. I applied for asylum, but I still havent heard anything back and my [temporary immigration] status expires next year. Everything is just up in the air at this point. Wahidi, who works as a financial analyst at George Washington University, said he hopes his presence at the Capitol puts a human face on the suffering that the pending legislation could help alleviate. That worked for the toxic exposure bill passed last month. After months of procedural delays in Congress, a coalition of veterans groups held a five-day, round-the-clock protest outside the Capitol to bring public attention to their ongoing health issues and the need for additional research into burn pit injuries. The burn pits protest drew national headlines, in large part because of high-profile partners like comedian Jon Stewart. The new protest (which features several veterans who took part in the last event) entered its sixth day on Tuesday. It hasnt gained the same level of attention, but Zeller said the need for action is just as urgent. Congress must pass a budget extension before Sept. 30 or trigger a partial government shutdown. If the Afghan Adjustment Act is attached to that spending measure, the changes could be signed into law before the start of October. If its not, however, supporters will have to wait until mid-November for any hope of action. Lawmakers are scheduled to go on a pre-election break starting Oct. 1, and are not scheduled to return to Washington until seven weeks later. Zeller said the protestors are prepared to spend the next two months camped outside the Capitol if Congress doesnt act on the issue. These Afghan allies are the hardest people on the planet, he said. Theyve been through 40 years of war and famine. So, theyre going to be here, and were going to be here, until this law gets passed. Viola Davis pauses at the premiere of "The Woman King" during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press) Oscar winner Viola Davis has responded to critics of her latest film, "The Woman King," after they called for a boycott of the movie because it isn't entirely historically accurate. The film follows the story of the all-female military unit, known as the Agojie, that guarded the West African kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to 19th centuries. "First of all, I agree with [the film's director] Gina Prince-Bythewoods saying is youre not going to win an argument on Twitter," Davis said of the criticism in an interview with Variety. "We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads. They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasnt until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be." Julius Tennon, one of the movie's producers and Davis' husband, also talked about the criticism. "Its history but we have to take license. We have to entertain people. If we just told a history lesson, which we very well could have, that would be a documentary," Tennon said. "We didnt want to shy away from the truth. The history is massive and there are truths on that that are there. If people want to learn more, they can investigate more." The main point of contention by online critics is that the movie seemingly uplifts the women without fully acknowledging that the Dahomey tribe sold other Africans into slavery. "Time to Boycott the Woman King movie. The film is about the Dahomey & Benin that traded slaves into the transatlantic. #BoycottWomanKing," tweeted @tonetalks. "This may be the most offensive film to Black Americans in 40-50 years." Twitter user @EqualityEd wrote, "Lets be honest folk. Its movie about a African tribe famous for selling slaves to Europeans that was made into a female empowerment story by two White women writers. You dont have to be very woke to see the problem here. #BoycottWomanKing." Dana Stevens and Maria Bello, both white women, are credited as the storywriters of the movie. Story continues Others online defended the movie. "Y'all want to boycott a movie that is literally ABOUT the thing you're complaining about," tweeted @JazminTruesdale. "The movie speaks on how EVERYONE (including African tribes) participated in the slave trade and it's specific impact on black women. It's a Masterpiece!" @lmona823 tweeted, "Do NOT #BoycottWomanKing Instead, learn more. The movie delves into the horrors of the slave trade and how it affected black women, especially. It doesn't glorify slavery, it condemns it." By 1823, the kingdom of Dahomey was under the thumb of the Western-influenced, richer Oyo empire. It was forced to pay tribute in the form of virgins, guns and captives to be sold into slavery to European colonizers. Prince-Bythewood spoke with The Times about the difficulties of telling a nuanced and holistic narrative of the woman warrior group. The biggest eye-opener was how much misinformation there is about these women and this culture given that so much of their history was written from the colonizers point of view," she said. "So it was really about separating the texts that were from that point of view, which were so disparaging and disrespectful, from the truth. She enlisted historians to consult on how and why these women inhabited their noteworthy social roles. Id read this article in the Washington Post that was written by a descendant of these women, and so we reached out to him, Prince-Bythewood said of Princeton professor Leonard Wantchekon. Hes an academic and scholar about Benin and the kingdom and he was such an incredible consultant for us. He has a whole team that we were able to reach out to anytime we had a question about food, dress, politics in the kingdom they knew everything. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Once a bustling agricultural center, most of the storefronts in Lawrenceville, Virginia now sit empty. "This is a poor county, this is country, farm, agricultural county, doesn't have a lot of industry," Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Roberts said. Brunswick County does have one major economic lifeline: Lawrenceville Correctional Center - a level three state prison. "I do not want the prison to close. This is a small community, impoverished community, we do not need to lose any jobs," Roberts said. Roberts started working for the Sherriff's Office in Brunswick County 25 years ago, the same year the Lawrenceville Correctional Center opened. "In the first half of life of the prison, it was an asset," Roberts said. But recently, Roberts said, the prison has become a liability. Problem Solver Melissa Hipolit investigates. A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in Istanbul (AFP via Getty Images) As a female Muslim journalist and modest fashion enthusiast, most of the stories that I write about hijab for news outlets in the West have a distinctively defensive stance, and explicit motivation to dispel Islamophobic myths about veils being a symbol of oppression. Some days, I condemn European nations that enforce bans on burkas, burkinis and hijabs; on others, I try to shed light on the female Muslim entrepreneurs, designers, models and bloggers proving that when followed by choice, a lifestyle of covering up ones body can be incredibly empowering. There are times, however, when current events involving the hijab fall squarely into the realm of oppression. The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini is a prime example. The young Iranian woman died in Tehran over the weekend after being arrested and allegedly beaten by Irans morality police last Thursday, for donning what they deemed to be bad hijab. Iranian officials are attributing her sudden death to a heart attack; however, her family claims she had no prior issues with her heart, and her father alleges that bruising on her body shows she was assaulted during her arrest. Whether or not the cause of her death was suspect, the fact remains that a young woman was whisked away from her family and detained, on the premise of requiring re-educating on the proper ways to cover herself. And while this all might be done under the guise of religion the country calls itself the Islamic Republic, after all theres nothing Islamic about the morality polices approach to bullying women into covering their hair. In Iran, hijab has been enforced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution prior to which veiling was in fact banned under the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi. After Pahlavis 1935 nationwide hijab ban, soldiers were known to forcibly remove the headscarves of women who wore them in public. Veiled women were not allowed to work in professional capacities, and werent permitted entry into restaurants or theaters. Only a few decades later were these policies completely reversed, and Iran became and remains the only country in the world (besides the Talibans new Afghanistan) where women must legally cover their hair. Story continues Frankly, this fickleness when it comes to approaches towards hijab goes to show that Muslim women are often the first casualty in a war of politics that aim to promote some sort of dogma whether its Western-inspired liberalism or extremist, religious bigotry. Be it in the East or the West, state-sanctioned patriarchy takes many forms. Sometimes, it looks like the American Supreme Court curbing womens constitutional rights to seek abortions. Other times, it looks like the systemic oppression of Muslim women through enforced dress codes masked as markers of piety. The latter often occurs in the Middle East, and while the word hijab may seem fundamentally religious in nature, forcing women to cover their hair has nothing at all to do with piety or spirituality. After all, in order for faith and conviction to truly be sincere, practices that are supposedly religious must be fulfilled voluntarily. One of my favorite Quranic verses is the one that states: There is no compulsion in religion. And, when it comes to Quranic commandments regarding hijab and modesty, religious scholars offer numerous interpretations. Some claim that veiling was prescribed only to the Prophet Muhammads wives, rather than to all Muslim women. While Muslim historians, scholars and jurists might hold differing views, most agree that the Quran is clear in that its purpose for prescribing the veil to protect the Prophets wives from being harassed on the street. Ironically, forced veiling in Iran has led to women being harassed on the streets by the nations morality police, called the Gashte-Ershad, who have the power of arbitrarily deciding what constitutes bad hijab, and are at liberty to round up women, arresting, detaining and re-educating them. While many Muslim women do freely make the choice to cover their hair, the veil has nonetheless become a symbol of control, linked inextricably with culture and politics. But when authoritarian men make decisions about what Muslim women can and cannot wear, their approaches, actions and intentions are entirely un-Islamic. As Iranian-American activist Hoda Katebi tweeted recently: This has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with a government that uses what it can to maintain power. In fact, most rulings on Muslim womens attire be it burkini bans in France or mandatory hair-covering in Iran have little to do with Muslim women themselves, and are instead a means of cementing patriarchal control over women. In the West, men may want women to shed their clothing to depict a more sexualized image that they prefer to see. In the East, conversely, men often want women to cover their bodies, lest they tempt fellow men to perform illicit sexual activity. When validated by those in power, the tendency to police womens bodies has a trickle-down effect. Instagrams haram police who gratingly criticize images of modest fashion bloggers and point out flashes of skin are an extension of this same pernicious approach to controlling Muslim womens bodies. Tehrans police chief maintains that Mahsa Amini was dressed inappropriately and has called her death unfortunate. Meanwhile, anti-government protests and demonstrators have erupted across the nation, with many women taking off their headscarves or chopping their hair in solidarity. It might seem mind-boggling that in some areas of the world, women are protesting for their right to cover their hair, while in places like Iran, they are protesting for their right to uncover it. It can certainly confuse those who might be unfamiliar with the nuances of hijab and modesty. Is the headscarf inherently repressive? Can modest fashion be a liberating, feminist flip-off to societal beauty standards that measure a womans attractiveness by the amount of skin she shows? At the end of the day, the issue at the crux of the hijab debate is agency, and womens lack of it, or empowered implementation of it, in determining how they dress. Men discussing, proscribing and enforcing womens dress codes must be abolished, or at least rendered irrelevant, in order to prevent senseless tragedies like the death of Mahsa Amini. Egyptian-American scholar Leila Ahmed, in her seminal text, Women and Gender in Islam, calls discourse surrounding the hijab a male-engendered debate about women, with its fixation on the veil. She also calls the energy spent on such discourse frustrating and ludicrous. I couldnt agree more. Hafsa Lodi is a freelance journalist and the author of Modesty: A Fashion Paradox A protester of the National Council of Resistance of Iran gestures during a demonstration over the death of Mahsa Amini (EPA) As a female Muslim journalist and modest fashion enthusiast, most of the stories that I write about hijab for news outlets in the West have a distinctively defensive stance, and explicit motivation to dispel Islamophobic myths about veils being a symbol of oppression. Some days, I condemn European nations that enforce bans on burkas, burkinis and hijabs; on others, I try to shed light on the female Muslim entrepreneurs, designers, models and bloggers proving that when followed by choice, a lifestyle of covering up ones body can be incredibly empowering. There are times, however, when current events involving the hijab fall squarely into the realm of oppression. The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini is a prime example. The young Iranian woman died in Tehran over the weekend after being arrested and allegedly beaten by Irans morality police last Thursday, for donning what they deemed to be bad hijab. Iranian officials are attributing her sudden death to a heart attack; however, her family claims she had no prior issues with her heart, and her father alleges that bruising on her body shows she was assaulted during her arrest. Whether or not the cause of her death was suspect, the fact remains that a young woman was whisked away from her family and detained, on the premise of requiring re-educating on the proper ways to cover herself. And while this all might be done under the guise of religion the country calls itself the Islamic Republic, after all theres nothing Islamic about the morality polices approach to bullying women into covering their hair. In Iran, hijab has been enforced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution prior to which veiling was in fact banned under the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi. After Pahlavis 1935 nationwide hijab ban, soldiers were known to forcibly remove the headscarves of women who wore them in public. Veiled women were not allowed to work in professional capacities, and werent permitted entry into restaurants or theaters. Only a few decades later were these policies completely reversed, and Iran became and remains the only country in the world (besides the Talibans new Afghanistan) where women must legally cover their hair. Story continues Frankly, this fickleness when it comes to approaches towards hijab goes to show that Muslim women are often the first casualty in a war of politics that aim to promote some sort of dogma whether its Western-inspired liberalism or extremist, religious bigotry. Be it in the East or the West, state-sanctioned patriarchy takes many forms. Sometimes, it looks like the American Supreme Court curbing womens constitutional rights to seek abortions. Other times, it looks like the systemic oppression of Muslim women through enforced dress codes masked as markers of piety. The latter often occurs in the Middle East, and while the word hijab may seem fundamentally religious in nature, forcing women to cover their hair has nothing at all to do with piety or spirituality. After all, in order for faith and conviction to truly be sincere, practices that are supposedly religious must be fulfilled voluntarily. One of my favorite Quranic verses is the one that states: There is no compulsion in religion. And, when it comes to Quranic commandments regarding hijab and modesty, religious scholars offer numerous interpretations. Some claim that veiling was prescribed only to the Prophet Muhammads wives, rather than to all Muslim women. While Muslim historians, scholars and jurists might hold differing views, most agree that the Quran is clear in that its purpose for prescribing the veil to protect the Prophets wives from being harassed on the street. Ironically, forced veiling in Iran has led to women being harassed on the streets by the nations morality police, called the Gashte-Ershad, who have the power of arbitrarily deciding what constitutes bad hijab, and are at liberty to round up women, arresting, detaining and re-educating them. While many Muslim women do freely make the choice to cover their hair, the veil has nonetheless become a symbol of control, linked inextricably with culture and politics. But when authoritarian men make decisions about what Muslim women can and cannot wear, their approaches, actions and intentions are entirely un-Islamic. As Iranian-American activist Hoda Katebi tweeted recently: This has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with a government that uses what it can to maintain power. In fact, most rulings on Muslim womens attire be it burkini bans in France or mandatory hair-covering in Iran have little to do with Muslim women themselves, and are instead a means of cementing patriarchal control over women. In the West, men may want women to shed their clothing to depict a more sexualized image that they prefer to see. In the East, conversely, men often want women to cover their bodies, lest they tempt fellow men to perform illicit sexual activity. When validated by those in power, the tendency to police womens bodies has a trickle-down effect. Instagrams haram police who gratingly criticize images of modest fashion bloggers and point out flashes of skin are an extension of this same pernicious approach to controlling Muslim womens bodies. Tehrans police chief maintains that Mahsa Amini was dressed inappropriately and has called her death unfortunate. Meanwhile, anti-government protests and demonstrators have erupted across the nation, with many women taking off their headscarves or chopping their hair in solidarity. It might seem mind-boggling that in some areas of the world, women are protesting for their right to cover their hair, while in places like Iran, they are protesting for their right to uncover it. It can certainly confuse those who might be unfamiliar with the nuances of hijab and modesty. Is the headscarf inherently repressive? Can modest fashion be a liberating, feminist flip-off to societal beauty standards that measure a womans attractiveness by the amount of skin she shows? At the end of the day, the issue at the crux of the hijab debate is agency, and womens lack of it, or empowered implementation of it, in determining how they dress. Men discussing, proscribing and enforcing womens dress codes must be abolished, or at least rendered irrelevant, in order to prevent senseless tragedies like the death of Mahsa Amini. Egyptian-American scholar Leila Ahmed, in her seminal text, Women and Gender in Islam, calls discourse surrounding the hijab a male-engendered debate about women, with its fixation on the veil. She also calls the energy spent on such discourse frustrating and ludicrous. I couldnt agree more. Hafsa Lodi is a freelance journalist and the author of Modesty: A Fashion Paradox Tucker Carlson is known for airing controversial, far-right views on his show (Fox News) Tucker Carlson is at it again. The far-right Fox News host spent much of his show last night stoking hatred and, as Kat Abu of Media Matters tweeted, openly calling for violence against teachers and LGBTQ+ people. Abu included in her tweet a truly chilling clip of Carlson from his show, ranting about LGBTQ people allegedly grooming children an age-old homophobic trope used to position gender and sexual minorities as perverts and threats. No parent should put up with this for one second, no matter what the law says. Your moral duty is to defend your children, Tucker told viewers in the clip. This is an attack on your children, and you should fight back. That attack, in Carlsons mind, is the very existence of LGBTQ people in the public sphere. Using an extreme example of a Canadian transgender teacher wearing shockingly large prosthetic breasts, Carlson went on to insist that LGBTQ teachers and lessons about LGBTQ people are grooming and sexualizing children. Doctors treating transgender children, drag queens, and LGBTQ rights activists are all frequent targets of Carlsons vitriol. Indeed, Carlson spent so much time railing against the LGBTQ community last night that it is hard to know where to begin unpacking his bigotry. As such, let me start where we agree. Parents should have a say in what their children are learning at school, and they should be allowed to discuss threats of grooming and sexually inappropriate behavior around children, regardless of anyones identity. No one should be exempt from child safeguarding not you, not me, not even far-right gadflies like Tucker Carlson. But lets take another example from Carlsons recent monologue. If you were walking through the park with your kids and a stranger came up and started talking to them say to your fifth grader, your five-year-old, even your 14-year-old about sex, what would you do? he asked his viewers. Well, you would call the police, of course. Thats not allowed, its a crime because they are children. But teachers are allowed to do it and then to brag about it. Story continues To be clear: No, they are not. If a teacher approached a child in a park and started talking about sex, they ought to be arrested like any other creep. Thats not what is happening, though. Rather, Carlson is drawing a false comparison between a predator in a park and qualified and vetted professional educators leading age-appropriate lessons on the existence of LGBTQ people. That is entirely appropriate. It is also, crucially, unrelated to the case of the Canadian teacher mentioned earlier. That person teaches shop class, not sex and relationship education. Sartorial and cosmetic issues are not the same as issues with lessons on gay people or trans people, both types of people who exist in our society who children are likely to encounter and who deserve to see themselves reflected in the countrys school curricula. Of course, these discussions should be age-appropriate but there is nothing inappropriate about the existence of LGBTQ people. Carlsons inability to distinguish between gay people and gay sex is a problem, but it is not a problem that should lead schools to cease teaching about gender and sexual diversity. Whether anyone likes it, LGBTQ people are real. Children ought to be taught as much. I can already hear Carlsons voice in my head, whining that I called him names while denying that groomer is an insulting, homophobic slur. That is, of course, because Carlson has an agenda here. His hateful and homophobic rhetoric has become more toxic as time goes by, indicating that his intent is not to protect children as he would have us believe but rather to ensure that LGBTQ people are marginalized, excluded, and forced back into the closet violently, if need be. On August 18, Carlson called gender-related healthcare for minors sexual mutilation of children, despite the fact that what is known as gender-affirming surgeries on the genital regions are not done until the age of consent is reached. This is true of Boston Childrens Hospital, which guests on Carlsons show have falsely attacked for performing gender-related genital surgeries on minors. Subsequently, the hospital and its doctors have received threats of violence, including a bomb threat, from far-right extremists. And last year, Carlson leveled homophobic attacks at openly gay Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for taking paternity leave. In 2018, GLAAD accused him of inciting violence against a survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre. In April, he encouraged parents to go in and thrash the teacher if they teach children about transgender folks. Discussing Floridas homophobic Dont Say Gay bill with fellow far-right extremist Matt Walsh, Carlson said any talk of LGBTQ people in kindergarten is sexual abuse a prejudiced and hateful view that fails to differentiate between gay people and gay sex or trans people and fetishism. It gets worse. In his college yearbook, Carlson claimed to be a member of the Dan White Society, a group many suspect was named for the infamous assassin of Harvey Milk, the nations first openly gay elected official. In 2006, Carlson used a homophobic slur while recording an episode of the Bubba the Love Sponge Show. On that same show in 2009, Carlson defended child marriage while claiming that was not what he was doing: Im not defending underage marriage at all, he said, while discussing one horrific case, before going on to argue that the rapist, in this case, has made a lifelong commitment to live and take care of the person, so its a little different. I mean, lets be honest about it. Clearly, Carlson does not care about sexually exploiting children if hes going to offer even a tepid defense of a child rapist. This is all about his hatred of LGBTQ people. Carlson is very clearly stoking hatred and encouraging violence against teachers, against doctors, and against the LGBTQ community. He is doing all of this while making conversations about individual behaviors and incidents into attempts to scapegoat the entire LGBTQ community, misconstruing facts, and even deliberately lying. We can no longer pretend that this is only an issue of free speech or media sensationalism. Tucker Carlson is an active threat to innocent LGBTQ people, and he should be treated as such. Its time to call him what he is. Derryl James after voting in the primary election at Crenshaw High. The general election is Nov. 8. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) California's midterm election is Nov. 8. County election officials will send ballots to registered voters no later than Oct. 10. Here's how to register, how to vote by mail or in person, what to do if you don't get a ballot or if you lose it and how to get more information about the election. How do I check if I'm registered to vote? Californians can check their status at https://registertovote.ca.gov/. You'll need your California driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. You may have to register again if you've moved and didn't notify the Department of Motor Vehicles or Postal Service, or if you changed your name since the last time you voted. How do I register to vote? Californians can register at https://registertovote.ca.gov/. What is the deadline to register? Voters must register no later than 15 days before an election. So the registration for the Nov. 8 general election must be postmarked or submitted electronically on or before Oct. 24. If you miss this deadline, you can still cast a ballot. Visit a county elections office or voting center to complete a conditional voter registration up until election day. This will allow you to cast a ballot, which will count after verification by county election officials. Where can I find a voter guide? The voter guide that the secretary of state's office mailed out Sept. 29 is also available online. What if I need a guide or voting instructions in another language? Voting information is available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese. Can I vote if I don't have a permanent address? Absolutely. Your right to vote isn't canceled if you're homeless, living off the grid or don't have a fixed place. You must be 18 or older on election day, a U.S. citizen and a state resident to qualify to vote. Addresses are requested when registering because it helps election officials determine which races you're eligible to vote on. Plus, it allows them to mail you a ballot and voter guide. But voters can fill out the address section with the place they spend most of their time. Story continues What happens if I dont get a ballot or if I lose it? If you don't receive your vote-by-mail ballot or lose or destroy it, you can contact your county elections official to be sent a second one. If you don't have a ballot and can't vote in person at a voting center, you can apply in writing for a late vote-by-mail ballot by taking the application form to the county elections official. The late ballot can't be returned by mail; it must be returned in person by the voter or the voter's representative. How do I return my mail-in ballot? Ballots can be placed in drop boxes or submitted in person at voting centers. To find your closest drop box or center, enter your city and ZIP Code here. Ballots can also be mailed to county election officials if they are postmarked on or before Nov. 8. (Don't forget to sign the return envelope.) To be counted, a ballot must be received no later than Nov. 15. I want to vote in person. How do I find out where to go? Your sample ballot will have an address printed on it showing your local polling site. If an address isn't listed, you can call the secretary of state's voter hotline or check online. In L.A. County, the registrar's Norwalk headquarters opens to in-person early voting Oct. 10. In Orange County, vote centers open Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, according to the registrar. In Riverside County, vote centers are anticipated to open as early as Oct. 10, according to the registrar's calendar. San Bernardino County residents can vote early at the registrar's office beginning Oct. 11. How can I make sure my vote gets counted? After you've sent your ballot, check here to track it online. You'll be able to see when it was received and when it was counted. What happens after election day? County election officials will count ballots and certify the results. In many races, results may not be known for days, because mail-in ballots postmarked on election day have until Nov. 15 to arrive. County election officials must send official totals to the secretary of state by the 31st day after the election. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Walmart and CVS Pharmacy have settled with the state of West Virginia for a combined total of $147 million in a lawsuit over the companies' roles in contributing to the oversupply of prescription drugs that fueled the opioid epidemic in the country's most impacted state, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday. Walmart and CVS were two lawsuits that were part of a larger trial that was pushed back to June of next year along with Kroger and Walgreens. Morrisey recently announced a settlement with Rite Aid for up to $30 million to resolve similar litigation. The lawsuits allege the pharmacies contributions to the oversupply of prescription opioids in the state have caused significant losses through their past and ongoing medical treatment costs, including for minors born addicted to opioids, rehabilitation costs, naloxone costs, medical examiner expenses, self-funded state insurance costs and other forms of losses to address opioid-related afflictions and loss of lives. It brings the total settlements by the state in opioid lawsuits to $875 million, including $296 million with manufacturers, $400 million with wholesalers and $177.5 million involving pharmacies. Related video: Delaware County to receive $62 million in historic opioid settlement These settlements wont bring back the lives lost from the opioid epidemic, but these and other settlements will hopefully provide significant help to those affected the most by this crisis in our state, Morrisey said during a news conference. This development also avoided a costly and lengthy trial and at the end of the day, West Virginia will have the highest per capita settlement results in the nation fighting for our people. Walmart agreed to a settlement of just over $65 million and CVS for $82.5 million. Morrisey said the deal with CVS includes a provision that means West Virginia can still receive money from any future national settlements that arise. The money from all opioid settlements will be distributed throughout the state to abate the opioid crisis. In August, West Virginia cities and counties reached a $400 million tentative settlement with three major U.S. drug distributors: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. In April, Morrisey announced the state would receive $99 million in a settlement finalized with Johnson & Johnsons subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. With state data projecting at least 10% drops in student enrollment over the next decade in some California counties, superintendents are worried. Some of them are scratching their heads, saying This is something we didnt expect, and it is hard to know if this is our new enrollment trend, said Suzanne Speck, executive vice president of Sacramento-based School Services of California. Registrations are pouring in for a webinar the consultant group is holding next month on declining student enrollment. So much has been on their plates for the last 30 months. New data shared exclusively with The 74 suggests the challenges caused by a shrinking K-12 population wont be ending anytime soon. Conducted by Tyton Partners, a consulting firm that examines pandemic-related shifts in education, the survey shows that between spring 2021 and spring 2022, there was a 9% drop in families saying their children are enrolled in traditional public schools a plunge that translates into over 4 million students. Charters and private schools, meanwhile, saw increases in the survey, as did homeschooling. No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep the 74 free for everyone with a donation during our Fall Campaign. The figures amount to a threefold increase over the drastic 3% decline K-12 schools saw two years ago. According to the U.S. Department of Education, that was the largest single-year drop since 1943. Experts were quick to signal caution about Tytons numbers parent surveys are not the same as official data but said both are important for understanding the massive changes the K-12 system has weathered since March 2020. These are wakeup calls, said Jenn Bell-Ellwanger, CEO of the Data Quality Campaign. Is there something bigger happening here that we need to understand? The results, she said, should prompt district leaders to interrogate their own enrollment data, especially at key transition points like kindergarten and middle school. If families arent coming back, she said, officials should ask why. Story continues States will begin posting official figures later this fall. A few, including Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina, post enrollment more than once a year, but their spring 2022 counts show negligible changes nowhere close to a 9% nosedive. State figures dont separate district and charter schools all are public. But even when the Tyton researchers grouped both sectors together, there was still an 8% drop in parents saying their children were enrolled in a district school. The researchers task was to get a parent perspective as opposed to a policy perspective, and to offer results that were more uniform across the country, said Nicholas Java, a director at Tyton. Tyton works with organizations throughout the education sector, including nonprofits, corporations and major philanthropies like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Walton and Stand Together Trust, which support alternative models to traditional education, helped fund the parent survey. Tyton was also among the first to collect data on families use of pods and microschools. Ultimately, most states are unlikely to see such dramatic declines. But trends in several large districts show that a nearly double-digit decrease over a short period of time isnt far-fetched. Enrollment has fallen almost 10% in New York City schools since the beginning of the pandemic and dropped almost 6% in Los Angeles Unified last school year. The Chicago Public Schools is also expecting to lose more students and is on track to fall out of its spot as the nations third-largest district. Related: Those Kids Did Not Come Back: Exclusive Enrollment Data Shows Students Continue to Flee Urban Districts as Boom Town Schools and Virtual Academies Thrive Data quality The Tyton survey of almost 3,100 K-12 parents reached a mixture of low-, middle- and high-income parents across the political spectrum. The results mirror recent trends in states like North Carolina, which has seen growth in homeschool and charter populations, and Arizona, where families are registering to take advantage of the states new universal voucher program. Adam Newman, managing partner at Tyton, attributed most of the enrollment drop in the survey to experiences parents had as a result of the pandemic, a desire or a sense that they needed to go someplace else. Related: California Poll Finds Parents Leaving Traditional Public For Charter Schools Thats the conclusion Deanna Sheaffer reached after watching her youngest son Rush fall behind especially in language arts during remote learning at Mark Twain Elementary School in Houston. Her experience reflects that of parents who responded to Tytons survey. Let me tell you what 10- and 11- year-olds do when theyre on Zoom Grammarly, Sheaffer said, referring to an app that corrects spelling and grammar. He didnt learn how to spell. Deanna Sheaffer of Houston transferred her son Rush into private school after two rough years in his elementary school. (Courtesy of Deanna Sheaffer) The daughter of a former public school teacher, Sheaffer and her husband chose their neighborhood because of the quality of its public schools. But with three older boys, she knew Rush should have been getting a higher level of schoolwork in fourth and fifth grade. She didnt want to take a chance with a district middle school and enrolled him this fall at Trafton Academy, a private school, for sixth grade. Its a trend districtwide, with enrollment this fall still well below pre-pandemic figures. Thomas Dee, a Stanford University education professor who has been closely following enrollment trends, noted that Tytons sample of at least 3,000 could give you nationally representative estimates. But he warned that the surveys design could introduce what researchers refer to as noise in the data. He said, for example, that hes perennially surprised by parents misunderstanding of charters, which could lead more to respond that their children are in private schools. Related: Teachers Leaving Jobs During Pandemic Find Fertile Ground in New School Models Confusion over remote learning could also impact some parents responses, added David Houston, a researcher at George Mason University in Virginia. At the height of the pandemic, what did homeschooling mean? he asked. Houston co-led Education Nexts recent parent survey, which also showed declines in parents saying their children attend district schools. But he said the authors downplayed those responses in their report because the enrollment question is uniquely difficult to answer with surveys. A recent parent survey from Education Next showed declines in traditional schools and increases in other models. (Education Next) Whatever discrepancies exist between survey results and more official enrollment data, no one questions that the K-12 system continues to confront an unprecedented loss of students one that is forcing leaders to make tough decisions about staffing and class sizes. Speck, with School Services, said some California districts probably should have downsized years ago, but most arent talking about it. While districts know that they will need to contemplate staffing reductions and school closures now or in the future, the larger community is quick to focus on How are we going to get kids back? Their constituents dont want to talk about letting staff go and closing schools, she said. Under this kind of community pressure, it is difficult for district leaders and [school] boards to think about the long-term impacts of declining enrollment. Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation and Stand Together Trust supported the School Disrupted 2022 project at Tyton Partners and provide financial support to The 74. Walgreens is spending nearly $1.4 billion to buy the remaining stake in Shields Health Solutions it doesnt already own as it pushes into the fast-growing specialty pharmacy business. The drugstore chain hopes to close on the remainder of the company by the end of the year. Walgreens started building a minority investment in the privately held Shields in 2019 and that stake reached about 70% last year. The 10-year-old company helps health systems set up and run specialty pharmacies, which manage medications for people with complex and chronic medical conditions. Shields, based in Stoughton, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, works with nearly 80 health systems that represent about 1,000 hospitals nationwide. Insurers and employers see these expensive specialty drugs as a major factor behind rising health care costs and they are focusing more on managing or controlling related expenses. The deal also reflects Walgreens expanding roll outside of its retail stores. The company, with about 13,000 locations worldwide, has moved into areas like care delivery and trying to free up its store pharmacists to work more on answering patient questions or helping to manage their health. The company has invested billions of dollars in care provider Village MD and is opening primary care practices next to its drugstores. The goal is to have the pharmacies and the physician offices work together to help keep patients healthy. Walgreens also said Tuesday that company president and former Rite Aid Corp. CEO John Standley will leave the company in November to pursue other opportunities. He will be replaced by Shields CEO Lee Cooper and Walgreens executive Tracey Brown. They will run the pharmacy and retail sides of the business, respectively. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., based in Deerfield, Illinois, slipped 1% Tuesday amid a broader market sell-off. Georgia's Senate and gubernatorial midterm races are tightening, as a new poll found the majority of voters in the state hope to see Republicans pick up control of Congress in November. A new Atlanta Journal Constitution poll found that if the election were today, 51% of registered Georgian voters would like to see Republicans in control of Congress, giving them a strong eight-point edge over the 43% who would hope Democrats hold onto their majority this fall. With less than 50 days until the midterms, Democrats appear to be facing a tough election in Georgia, after President Joe Biden received a job approval rating of 37% among voters in the Peach State, with a total disapproval rating of 58%. In the state's Senate race, the AJC poll found Trump-backed Republican nominee Herschel Walker only holds a slim lead of 1.6 percentage points over Democratic opponent Sen. Raphael Warnock, 45.8% to 44.2%. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS BUILD MOMENTUM, BUT GOP STILL HAS THE ADVANTAGE Another poll released Tuesday from Marist tells a different story, with Warnock up 47% over Walker's 42%. If no candidate reaches 50% of the vote in Georgia, the top two contenders in the race will go to a runoff election. Other polls and polling averages show Warnock a few points ahead of Walker, but a spokesman for the Democratic candidate told Fox News that the campaign isn't taking anything for granted. A spokesperson for Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., told Fox News Digital Tuesday they believe "this race will be close." Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images "There are going to be polls in all directions over the course of this campaign," Quentin Fulks, campaign manager for Warnock, told Fox News Digital Tuesday in response to the new poll. 11 SENATE RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE CHAMBER AFTER MIDTERM ELECTIONS "Here's what we know: this race will be close, which is why we can't take anything for granted and are working hard every day to reelect Reverend Warnock, so he can continue fighting in the Senate to protect and save jobs, lower costs for hardworking families and stand up for Georgia service members and veterans," Fulks said. Story continues Former pro-football star Herschel Walker is Republican Senate nominee in Georgia. Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg Before facing off on the ballot this November, the two candidates agreed to a debate sponsored by Nexstar Media Group that will take place in Savannah, Georgia, on Oct. 14. According to the survey, a whopping 90% of Republicans and 69% of independents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, compared to only 45% of Democrats who feel it's on the wrong track. Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams (L) and incumbent Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg, Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., has a strong advantage in the state's gubernatorial race, with 50% of registered voters choosing him as their midterm pick and only 42% vying for a Stacey Abrams win. The Atlanta Journal Constitution poll was conducted by University of Georgias School of Policy and International Affairs from Sept. 5-16, 2022 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday sounded the alarms on the potential of Russian elites using cryptocurrency mixers as a way of avoiding U.S. sanctions placed on the country and many of its oligarchs in the wake of the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. Crypto mixers are used to increase the anonymity of users and their transactions, including as a way to disguise the origins of their funds. Mixers are typically used by crypto holders to maintain privacy on the Ethereum blockchain, sometimes for legitimate reasons; however, some officials worry that they can also be used to launder money. During Tuesdays Senate hearing on Russian sanctions, Warren denounced the crypto industry, pointing to Tornado Cash, a prominent mixing service, which was recently sanctioned by the Treasury Department for laundering over $7 billion in virtual currency. Ive had serious concerns about Russian elites potentially using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions, Warren said at the hearing. We already knew that countries like North Korea had used crypto to skirt sanctions and launder at least hundreds of millions of dollars, and Russia could easily be part of that. Warren also criticized Coinbase, the largest U.S.-operated cryptocurrency, which has backed a lawsuit by users of Tornado Cash against the Treasury Department, alleging that the department went beyond its authority in issuing such sanctions. Elizabeth Rosenberg, an assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes at the Treasury Department told Warren that it is possible Russian oligarchs could use these currencies to evade sanctions. But Rosenberg added that sanctions such as those imposed on Tornado Cash could serve as a deterrent for future money launderers. Thats an effective avenue we can use in order to signal that we can not tolerate money laundering, so whether thats for a Russian criminal actor, Iranian, North Korean, or wherever they may come from, she said. Story continues In March, Warren introduced the Digital Asset Sanctions Compliance Enhancement Act, aimed at providing additional sanctions towards Russia, as well as more transparency when it comes to digital assets. One thing Ive learned over the past couple of years is when the crypto boosters cry the loudest, youre probably on to something, Warren said. If crypto has nothing to hide on money laundering or oligarchs or drug lords or tax evaders, then they shouldnt mind a little transparency. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sep. 20Event will have team memorabilia WATERLOO The history of the Waterloo Wonders, the legendary basketball team from Lawrence County, will again be honored on Oct. 1. Waterloo Wonder Day will take place from noon-5 p.m. at WOW Ministries in Waterloo, featuring food, games, a chance to view historical memorabilia on the team and fellowship. The event, which began annually in 2018 pays respect to the team, considered one of the best in Ohio's history, who won two class B state championships in 1934 and 1935 a winning record of 94-3. The event will take place at WOW Ministries, located located at 12335 County Rd 14, which features a memorial garden and a museum of artifacts relating to the team. Members of the British royal family follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral. Gareth Cattermole/Pool Photo via AP The royal funeral for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2022, was a public ceremony on a truly global scale. In the days before, long snaking queues of mourners waited to file past her coffin as it lay in state in Westminster Hall. Hundreds of the worlds leaders descended upon London for the event while international media covered the pageantry with seemingly endless interest. After the funeral at Westminster, the late queens body was taken to Windsor Castle for burial. Yet Elizabeths death added a remarkable new chapter to the long relationship between English sovereigns and the complex of buildings at Westminster that form the seat of the modern British state. The sight of scores of sailors pulling the queens coffin on a gun carriage and the distinctly Tudor-style red uniforms of the Yeomen of the Guard were among the many details of the royal funeral that evoked powerful ties to Britains imperial past. However, many aspects including the sailors are by no means ancient. Despite their emphasis upon tradition, royal ceremonies have always been somewhat fluid and reflective of the politics of their day. As a historian early modern England, I am conscious that the public rituals of monarchy in the 16th and 17th centuries sought to project reassuring elements of continuity amid dramatic changes. Modern royal weddings and funerals at Westminster Abbey have been similarly adapted to contemporary needs, and are largely products of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Westminster Palace, dominating the skyline with Big Ben and the Victoria Tower, is of a similar vintage. Built to replace the ramshackle old medieval and Tudor Westminster Palace which burned down in 1834, the current Westminster Palace complex was designed to provide a suitably historic-looking new home for the Houses of Parliament. However, nearby Westminster Abbey and Westminster Hall, the major surviving section of the old structure, hark back to Englands medieval past. They offer genuinely ancient settings for the modern rituals of monarchy, often televised for a global audience. Story continues Projecting power Westminster Abbey became a church of royal importance in the 1040s, when Edward the Confessor, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England, replaced an older monastery dedicated with a new construction of suitably royal proportions. The project was so important that Edward and his new royal abbey were featured in the famous, 70 meter-long Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066 after Edwards death. Edward himself was buried within the Abbey, and canonized as a saint a century later, turning his tomb into a royal shrine. Westminster also served as the venue for the coronation of Edwards eventual successor on the throne, William the Conqueror. Williams crowning began a tradition of coronations in the abbey that will presumably continue with Charles III some time in 2023. Edward the Confessor on his throne, in a scene from the Bayeux Tapestry. Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Hulton Archive via Getty Images Edwards Westminster Abbey was replaced in the mid-1200s with the modern-day building, although the two great towers that now loom above the abbey were not added until the early 18th century. This rebuilding was carried out during the long and tumultuous reign of Henry III, whose father King John had famously been forced to agree to the Magna Carta, which put limits on the monarchs power. Henry endeavored to rebuild authority in response to royals troubles during his fathers reign, not to mention his own. Part of this plan involved trying to bring Westminster Abbey even greater fame, especially since he regarded Edward the Confessor as his patron saint. Henry presented its monks with a crystalline vial of what was supposedly Christs own blood, brought from Jerusalem by Crusaders. Matthew Paris, a monk and chronicler in the 13th century, describes how the king himself carried the dubious relic on foot from St. Pauls Cathedral in London to Westminster Abbey on the feast day of St. Edward the Confessor in 1247. A more enduring addition by Henry III was the so-called Cosmati Pavement, a mosaic installed by craftsmen from Rome in 1268 to 1269. Laid in front of the abbeys high altar, the pavement ensured that subsequent kings of England would not only be crowned while seated upon the throne of Edward the Confessor, but also within a 24-foot square artwork which symbolically represents the cosmos and represented the new sovereign as the motivating force of the universe. King, queens and poets Westminster Abbey has also been a frequent venue for royal funerals and burials. Since the early 19th century, almost all British sovereigns have been buried at Windsor Castle, including Elizabeth II. However, most earlier kings and queens were interred in tombs and vaults at Westminster. Perhaps the most spectacular contribution to this tradition was the new chapel at the eastern end of the abbey, which was built in the early 1500s by Henry VII. The first of the Tudor sovereigns, he had a tenuous dynastic claim on the throne and, by the end of his life, a heavy burden of tyranny and illegality and the chapel was a way to atone. It became the final resting place for most of the Tudors, arguably Englands most famous and glamorous royal dynasty. Westminster Abbey was never solely a burial place for monarchs and their families, however. For centuries, aristocrats and favored commoners have also been interred there. One part of the abbey is known as Poets Corner, where a selection of illustrious literary figures have been buried, beginning with Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, in 1400. In 1599, he was joined by Edmund Spenser, whose allegorical poem The Faerie Queene included elaborate praise for Elizabeth I. Spensers coffin was accompanied to his grave by the leading poets of Elizabethan London, including William Shakespeare. When Shakespeare himself died in 1616, he was buried at his hometown church in Stratford-upon-Avon, but a memorial in his honor was installed at Westminster Abbey in 1740. Other illustrious individuals interred there include scientists Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking. The Shakespeare statue in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey. Prisma by Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Over the centuries, Westminster Abbey has endured a variety of dangers: everything from 17th-century Puritans trying to destroy religious images inside, which they considered idolatrous, to a homemade nail bomb planted by a suffragette in 1914, to the bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Westminster has done more than recover; the church has effectively become a kind of national cathedral. It offers a deep sense of historical continuity, which reassuringly obscures the relative modernity of many public rituals of monarchy the same ones millions of people around the world have watched play out this week. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Paul Hammer, University of Colorado Boulder. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. Read more: Paul Hammer has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The devastation in Puerto Rico has so far sparked a quick response from Washington, but the federal governments effectiveness is poised to be tested by the territorys structural issues that remain fragile exactly five years after Hurricane Maria wrecked the island. Hurricane Fiona again knocked out power island-wide, caused landslides and flooding and destroyed infrastructure, sights that are all too familiar for Puerto Rico after Maria in 2017. It wasnt as destructive because there wasnt as much wind, but there was a lot of flooding, said Puerto Rico Health Secretary Carlos Mellado. It affected a lot of places that flooded where typically there is no flooding. Fiona was a tropical storm when it hit the island, growing into a Category 1 hurricane during its path over Puerto Rico. President Biden issued an emergency declaration hours before the storm was upgraded Sunday morning. While the flooding, power and water outages and landslides present a very real danger to an already-traumatized population, Fiona pales in comparison to the sheer destruction of Maria, which struck with 200 mile-per-hour winds. Still, Fiona dumped 25 to 27 inches of rain on the island, the equivalent of 1.1 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, compared to about 32 inches during Maria. Biden activated emergency funds after Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) declared a state of emergency. The White House has not yet said if the president will visit Puerto Rico, since he returned to the U.S. after a short trip to London for Queen Elizabeths funeral on Monday and then left for the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. In a call with Pierluisi during his flight back from London, Biden and the governor discussed the immediate needs of Puerto Rico, including federal support to the island. At the Cabinet level, federal officials contacted their Puerto Rican counterparts, including Mellado, who coordinated with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Story continues Biden said there are over 300 federal personnel already working to assist and that, in the coming days as damage assessments are conducted, the number of support personnel will increase substantially. Meanwhile, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The administrations efforts so far are a stark contrast to former President Trumps response to Maria, which was marked by a slow deployment of aid and disbursement of funds for reconstruction projects. A trip to the island by Trump was overtaken by images of him throwing rolls of paper towels at a group of people at a relief center. At the time, Democrats blasted the Trump administration for what they saw as an inadequate response to helping a U.S. terrority. As many of you remember, Maria exposed the weaknesses of the infrastructure on the island, and the callousness remember the paper towels? the callousness of the federal response by the Trump administration, said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) at an event observing the five-year anniversary of Maria in the Capitol Tuesday. Still, in the first days after Maria hit, the Trump White House telegraphed an intention to quickly respond. Im not going to defend Trump, said Carlos Mercader, a political consultant who in 2017 was heading the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, the territorys office in Washington. From the start, I had conversations with the president. I wasnt even the governor and I talked to the president twice, and the governor talked to him about four times, said Mercader. But Mercader said Trump himself and his top officials [then-director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick] Mulvaney was a despot blocked relief and recovery funds with red tape, implementing accounting processes designed to slow disbursements to the island. Having said that, there was communication, there was help. What happened is nobody was ready for a hurricane like Maria, said Mercader. Still, Trumps reluctance to release funds aggravated conditions on the ground, drawing condemnation, and the White House was further criticized after Trump celebrated the federal governments reaction to Maria as an unsung success. I think in general, their message is that were more competent, and this falls into that category and they will likely not follow the same playbook, Ivan Zapien, a Democratic lobbyist and former executive director at the Hispanic Leadership Council of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said of the Biden White House. Bidens response will be watched by voters, especially Hispanic voters, who are being aggressively courted by Republicans ahead of the midterms. I think its critically important that he respond effectively and aggressively, just overall to show voters that his administration can get the job done. And I do think that many families and friends and particularly the state of Florida, where theres big Puerto Rican communities, will be paying attention, Zapien said. In large part driven by the difficulties of reconstruction after Maria, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida, changing that states electoral landscape. While many recent arrivals are reluctant to participate in elections particularly midterms a high diaspora turnout in Central Florida could shift the balance for statewide races. The Biden administrations disaster response started on the right foot, but Puerto Ricos myriad structural issues could complicate the path forward. Mellado said when he talked to the head of FEMA in Puerto Rico to ask for a power generator he immediately got one. He said most hospitals have working power generators, a massive upgrade from five years ago when some health centers were left without power for months. But Puerto Ricos health system is still underfunded, as the territory receives only a portion of the Medicare and Medicaid funds it would receive if it were funded on parity with the states. While Mellado said there are funds coming to cover costs of treating certain diseases, including Zika, expected to spread in coming weeks, hes concerned about longer-term prospects. What Im worried about is the long-term access to Medicaid, which would help us because weve had many delays in identifying patients and giving them adequate treatment, he added. But perhaps Puerto Ricos biggest structural deficiency is its power grid, a jury-rigged system with 1950s technology that completely collapsed after Maria and has not yet been fully rebuilt. The power grid has been managed by a private entity since June 2021 and its stability is a contentious topic of debate on the island, where residents have pushed back against privatization. The hurricane and island-wide blackout it caused raises more tensions over the U.S. territorys infrastructure because it appears to be just as fragile in the five years since the last devastating hurricane. Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, a senior economist at the policy research organization RAND, argued that not everything Puerto Rico wanted to do to strengthen the infrastructure could have been done in five years. Fixing the problem in Puerto Rico that we had takes time, he said. It takes a long time to move and change the design of the grid that Puerto Rico had that was kind of centralized, to a more decentralized system that might be more resilient to these kind of problems, hurricanes but also to earthquakes. But civil society in Puerto Rico is impatient after years of power grid mismanagement, and a privatization process that was closely linked to the islands debt restructuring. Five years ago when Hurricane Maria hit, we were talking about how unprepared Puerto Rico was, how the electrical grid could not sustain a hit from a hurricane, and how the debt crisis of Puerto Rico was taking money away from the islands recovery, said Julio Lopez Varona, co-chief of campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy. Puerto Ricans are in a place of distrust, sadness and frustration because we know there were conscious decisions made to pay the debt while theyre closing hospitals and schools. We know that there are millionaires coming here every year who dont have to deal with these direct effects of climate change, said Lopez Varona. Meanwhile, the White House touted Bidens focus on infrastructure throughout his administration to highlight the federal response to Hurricane Fiona. And, it took a stab at Trump for his attempt to implement his own infrastructure policy. Weve heard from the last administration it was a joke about how we were going to improve our infrastructure. This is a president, along with Congress, that made it happen because of his leadership, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The White House has been in touch with officials in Delaware amid reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) may be flying migrants to President Bidens home state. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the administration is coordinating with state officials and local service providers in Delaware to ensure they are prepared to welcome migrant families upon their arrival. Officials are bracing for the arrival of migrants in Bidens home state after reporters noted that a plane DeSantis used to fly migrants to Marthas Vineyard, Mass., last week is scheduled to travel from Texas to Delaware. Jean-Pierre would not say how the White House was alerted to the potential arrival of migrants in Delaware, but that it did not come from DeSantiss office. I can tell you weve been closely coordinating with the folks in Delaware, the officials in Delaware, she said. I can tell you our heads up did not come from Gov. DeSantis, because his only goal, as hes made it really clear, is to create chaos and use immigrants fleeing communism as political pawns. Asked if the White House had reached out to DeSantis about the issue to foster some sort of understanding, Jean-Pierre said, Theres no understanding to be reached. Theyre using people who are leaving communist countries as a political stunt. The debate over immigration has heated up in recent days as the number of arrests along the southwestern border in one year hit 2 million, a new record. DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) have been flying and busing migrants to sanctuary jurisdictions that say they wont report immigrants who entered the country illegally to law enforcement. DeSantis flew two planes of migrants to Marthas Vineyard on Wednesday, an action that is under investigation by Texas authorities. Abbott has repeatedly made similar moves, including sending two buses of migrants to Vice President Harriss residence in Washington that arrived on Thursday. The White House and other Democrats have derided the governors tactics as political theater that endanger the migrants being sent to unknown locations under false pretenses. Jean-Pierre on Tuesday responded to questions about the border by arguing the Biden administration inherited a broken immigration system and pointing to a legislative framework the president put out when he took office 20 months ago. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON Democrats this week plan to draw a contrast with Republicans on the issue of disclosing so-called dark money in elections, scheduling a Thursday vote in the Senate on legislation known as the Disclose Act. This will be the first time in 10 years that the Senate will vote on the campaign finance proposal originally introduced in the wake of the Supreme Courts 2010 ruling in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), would require all groups spending money in elections or in support or opposition of a judicial nominee to disclose donations of $10,000 or more. Republicans previously filibustered the bill three times most recently in 2012. Theyre expected to do so again this time. So why is a campaign finance disclosure bill getting precious floor time before the Nov. 8 election while other legislative proposals antitrust, Electoral Count Act reform and same-sex marriage protections wait their turn? The answer is rather simple: Its good politics. It turns out that the press has missed a message, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, told HuffPost. Its one of these questions when polled, its overwhelming. People are sick of these campaigns and how much money is being spent. And now, Leonard Leo has crossed the campaign Rubicon with a billion-dollar effort, its just completely out of hand. And so its a bigger issue than you think. Its a red hot issue in the polls. It shows that this is a priority for the Democrats, Adam Bozzi, spokesperson for End Citizens United, a PAC affiliated with the Democratic Party that advocates for campaign finance reforms, said in an email. Its both good policy and good politics. President Joe Biden even gave a prepared speech in support of the Disclose Act on Tuesday, another sign that Democrats see the issue as good politics ahead of the midterms. Dark money has become so common in our elections and I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant, Biden said at the White House, referencing a famous line by Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in support of transparency. Story continues Recent polls show that the corrosive influence of money in politics remains a major concern for Americans. Seventy-two percent of Americans said that democracy is threatened in a late August CBS/YouGov poll. The influence of money in politics topped the list of such concerns, with 86% of those who felt that democracy is under threat citing it. Threats to democracy also appeared as the top issue of concern in an NBC News poll released on Sept. 18, although when provided an open-ended question to explain what threats meant to them Democratic respondents mostly gave answers related to Donald Trumps ongoing efforts to delegitimize elections. Still, it is clear that Democrats see the corrupting influence of money in politics as an issue that excites their base and has strong cross-partisan appeal. Its a big part of the reason they combined campaign finance reform, including the Disclose Act, with voting rights into their top messaging bill, the For The People Act, in both 2019 and 2021. And they and their affiliated outside groups are making it an issue in the midterm elections. Senate Majority PAC, the leader Democratic Senate super PAC, partnered with End Citizens United for a $1.9 million ad buy on Sept. 16 hitting Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) tying the contributions hes received from the oil and gas industry to the rising cost of gas. In House races, Democrats lead super PAC House Majority PAC has already put out ads knocking Republicans on issues related to campaign money in races in Maine and Michigan. There will be consequences to this vote and [End Citizens United] will work to make sure they are felt, Bozzi said. Republicans, however, remain both opposed to the disclosure bill and mystified by why Democrats are giving it a vote. I think they were looking for kind of stink bomb votes going into an election that they think will put Republicans on defense, but I dont think this really qualifies as that, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, told HuffPost. Its really kind of an obscure issue. Current campaign finance disclosure rules require candidate and party committees, PACs and super PACs and 527 nonprofit groups to disclose their donors, but do not cover donations to nonprofits organized under section 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) of the tax code when they spend money to expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a federal election candidate. This lack of disclosure emerged as an issue after the Supreme Courts decision in Citizens United freed corporations, unions and other groups, including certain nonprofit groups, to receive and spend unlimited sums on electoral efforts. Following the decision, undisclosed election spending by nonprofits, known as dark money, surged north of $100 million in each of the last five elections. Democrats introduced the Disclose Act in 2010 in an immediate response to the courts decision, but it failed to clear GOP filibusters twice by votes of 57-41and 59-39. The last time it came up for a vote in 2012, it again failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to clear a filibuster by a vote of 53-45. Most recently, Republicans blocked a unanimous consent request to pass the bill in 2021. One big change in the Disclose Act since it was last voted on in 2012 is the extension of disclosure requirements to groups spending on judicial nominations. This was added to the bill by Whitehouse in response to the multimillion-dollar campaigns run by conservative groups connected to Federalist Society co-founder Leonard Leo that aided the GOP blockade of 2016 nominee Merrick Garland and promoted the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Leo, the architect of the GOPs takeover of the Supreme Court, has since made news after ProPublica and Lever News reported that a group he runs received a $1.6 billion donation from an obscure conservative donor a donation that would otherwise be unknown absent ProPublicas report. While dark money spending on elections was initially dominated by Republican-allied groups thanks to the big spending of billionaire fossil fuel titans Charles and David Koch and the late casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, Democratic-allied groups have since taken the lead in the past two election cycles. Despite this newfound advantage, there are no Republican lawmakers who support legislation to mandate disclosure for this type of campaign spending, which Biden made a point of noting. I acknowledge that its an issue for both parties, Biden said, but here is the key difference: Democrats in the Congress support more openness and accountability. Republicans in Congress, so far, dont. I hope theyll come around. This article has been updated to reflect that the Senate vote on the Disclose Act will occur on Thursday. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. The first person taken into custody after Sunday mornings triple shooting outside the Chicagoan Bar in North Miami-Dade told police that he fired the Diamondback rifle in his hands. But the only person arrested and charged was the person hit by the bullets from that rifle. Thats because, an arrest report says, surveillance video shows 30-year-old Kijuan Sears firing into a crowd of people outside 10702 NW Seventh Ave., hitting two men around 4:40 a.m. Sunday. Sears was hit in the left arm, police say, when the rifle owner fired back in what they said was defense of the crowd from Sears gunfire. Sears sits in Miami-Dade Corrections custody on two counts of attempted murder, one count each of tampering with physical evidence, discharging a firearm in public and perjury by contradictory statements. He was given no bond on the attempted murder counts. When Miami-Dade police officers got to the Chicagoan Bar, where five people were shot and one person was killed in January, they say they found a man lying across Northwest 107th Street with bullets in his lower back and left leg. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took him along with Sears to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The other man, hit in the left foot, drove himself to North Shore Hospital. Before leaving, Sears said his only role in the whole mess had been helping to break up a fight. The person who showed up with a Diamondback rifle was taken into custody. But when detectives checked out the surveillance video Sunday afternoon, the arrest report says, Sears was seen firing into the crowd and the Diamondback owner shooting in response. Pope Francis on his three-day trip to Kazakhstan in September 2022. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Pope Francis spent three days in Kazakhstan, starting Sept. 13, 2022, to attend the Seventh Congress of World and Traditional Religions. The pope met with religious leaders, called for increased religious freedom and condemned religious justifications for war and violence. The popes appeal for peace in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan was especially significant in light of Russias ongoing war in Ukraine, which he called senseless. Most Christians in Kazakhstan belong to the Russian Orthodox Church, whose leader, Patriarch Kirill, has justified the Russian invasion as a moral crusade. Francis had hoped to meet with Kirill, who chose not to attend the congress. In Kirills absence, Francis addressed his remarks to the Russian Orthodox delegation. As a scholar who has spent over 30 years studying Christianity in the former Soviet Union, Ive followed the popes visit with keen interest. He has chosen to highlight the causes of peace and religious freedom matters of particular concern to Kazakhstans Catholic minority. Christianity in Kazakhstan Although Kazakhstan is predominantly Muslim, over 4 million Kazakhstanis profess Christianity. This represents over a quarter of the countrys total population of 19 million. Over 80% of Kazakhstans Christians are ethnic Russians. Christian missionaries brought their gospel to Central Asia as early as the third century after Christ. By the seventh century, Christians had established important centers along the Silk Road, the trading routes from China to Constantinople. The Assyrian Church of the East, a branch of Christianity that developed in the Persian Empire, had a significant presence on the territory of Kazakhstan well into the 12th century. After the Muslim conquest of Central Asia in the seventh and eighth centuries, Christianity slowly lost influence and began a long decline. In the 14th century, Franciscan missionaries from Italy briefly created a diocese in todays southeastern Kazakhstan. Story continues The Russian conquest In the 17th century, Russia began its expansion into Siberia and the northern Kazakh steppes. Cossack soldiers, who belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church, established military outposts, where they also practiced their faith. In addition, the Old Believers religious dissenters who broke with the official Orthodox church over ritual questions fled to Siberia and northern Kazakhstan to escape persecution. Old Believers continue to maintain their communities in eastern Kazakhstans Altay Mountains. The Russian conquest of Central Asia in 1860s and 1870s further increased the numbers of Christian settlers in the region. In 1871, the Russian Orthodox Church established the Diocese of Turkestan, which included much of todays Kazakhstan. The diocesan center was the town of Vernyi, which is now called Almaty and is Kazakhstans largest city. The Russian Orthodox Church also tried, with limited success, to convert the nomadic Kazakhs, who practiced Islam. In 1881, it created a special missionary society to preach the gospel to the Kazakhs. The mission translated the Bible and some liturgical texts into Kazakh. Despite these efforts, most Kazakhs remained Muslim. Seeking new farmland, German Mennonites and Russian evangelical Christians settled in Kazakhstan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These colonists established a Protestant presence in this increasingly diverse territory. Religion in Soviet Kazakhstan The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which overthrew the imperial government, ushered in a period of severe anti-religious persecution. Most churches and mosques were closed by 1939. The Soviet authorities also forced the Kazakh nomads to settle in collective farms, destroying their traditional way of life. Kazakhstan became the site of a chain of collective labor camps housing political prisoners. In campaigns of ethnic cleansing, the Soviet government deported thousands of Poles and Germans to Kazakhstan in the 1930s and 1940s. Most of Kazakhstans small community of Catholics, which numbers about 125,000, descends from these deportees. Religious persecution today People attend a Mass presided over by Pope Francis at the Expo Grounds in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 14, 2022. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Kazakhstan became an independent country. According to the latest census, conducted in 2009, about 70% of the population professes Islam. Christianity, at 26%, is the second-largest religion. Pope Francis specifically called for Kazakhstan to increase religious liberty, which he described as a basic, primary and inalienable right. The human rights organization Forum 18 reported that in the calendar year 2021, Kazakhstani authorities convicted at least 114 people and five organizations for exercising their religious faith without state permission. Such convictions usually result in heavy fines. For example, police raided the worship service of an unregistered Baptist congregation in the town of Oral in January 2021. Church leaders each had to pay one months average wage for the violation. Despite their significant numbers, Christians especially those in smaller denominations have experienced persecution. In 2011, Kazakhstan adopted a law on religion that instituted a laborious process of registration for religious organizations. According to the U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom, Kazakhstani authorities arrest and imprison people for their religious beliefs. For example, in 2019 three pastors of Almatys New Life Pentecostal Church were each sentenced to prison terms ranging from four to five years for their religious activities. For their part, Kazakhstans leaders have been more concerned about ensuring the security and stability of the state than advancing individual religious liberty. They have preferred to favor what they consider to be traditional world religions such as Hanafi Sunni Islam, the Russian Orthodox Church, Catholicism, Lutheranism and Judaism. To this end, in 2003 the president of Kazakhstan created the Congress of World and Traditional Religions. Pope Francis chose this venue to voice his concerns about the controversial topics of peace and of religious freedom. Time will tell whether or not his appeals have any success. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: J. Eugene Clay, Arizona State University. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Read more: J. Eugene Clay receives funding from Social Science Research Council, the International Research and Exchanges Board, the National Endowment for the Humanities. The outside of Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago is seen during an April 2021 news briefing. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Lurie Childrens Hospital has increased security and moved a transgender youth support group from in-person meetings to virtual ones after it became the latest childrens hospital to face criticism online over its gender development program. An account called Libs of TikTok posted a number of tweets late last month criticizing Luries program, which aims to support the physical, mental and social health of patients and their families as youth progress through gender identity development, according to Luries website. Many of the programs patients are gender-nonconforming children, gender-questioning youth and transgender and gender-fluid youth. Advertisement In recent months, Libs of TikTok has criticized a number of childrens hospitals across the country for their care of transgender youth. Hospitals criticized by the account have sometimes received threats. Lurie spokeswoman Julianne Bardele said Lurie has not received any recent threats but is monitoring the situation. The youth group is now meeting virtually out of an abundance of caution in response to all harassment including Libs of TikTok but not solely because of Libs of TikTok, she said. Advertisement We stand in solidarity with our transgender patients and families, community, and colleagues who are providing gender-affirming care. We strongly condemn any threats on and harassment toward the transgender community, Lurie said in a statement late last month when the comments were first posted on Twitter. Lurie Childrens has long supported gender-affirming care for transgender youth, Lurie said in the statement. All young people should have access to comprehensive, gender-affirming, and developmentally appropriate health care that is provided in a safe and inclusive environment. Libs of TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The account also frequently criticizes drag shows that children are allowed to attend. Previously, Libs of TikTok falsely accused Boston Childrens Hospital of performing gender-affirming hysterectomies on kids. A number of threats followed, including a hoax bomb threat against the hospital in late August. A Massachusetts woman was charged Thursday in connection with that threat, which led to a lockdown of the hospital and the use of a bomb squad, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts. Other hospitals including Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D.C., Akron Childrens Hospital and St. Louis Childrens Hospital have also been targeted by the account, which has 1.3 million followers. Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said he has no plans to resign after Wichita Police Department leaders sent a blistering letter to City Hall on Monday threatening a lawsuit if he didnt immediately step down. No, Im not going to resign, Layton told The Eagle on Monday. He also pushed back against the letter, which alleges a pattern of misconduct, collusion and cover-up involving him, Human Resources Director Chris Bezruki and the Fraternal Order of Police, calling the charges outrageous and inaccurate. Theres so many things that are being thrown out, and with just a quick review, many of these things are just not accurate, Layton said. I dont want to give it credibility by going point-by-point, but it bothers me that these kinds of allegations can be made and then given credibility as if they are truth and fact. Attorney James Thompson sent the letter Monday to the city on behalf of former Chief Gordon Ramsays executive team Deputy Chiefs Jose Salcido, Chet Pinkston and former Deputy Chief Wanda Givens who have been criticized for their handling of an investigation into racist and inappropriate text messages sent by members of the SWAT team. The letter requests a $2.1 million payout to Salcido, Pinkston and Givens to settle out of court. To avoid a lawsuit, they asked for Layton and Bezruki to immediately resign and recuse themselves from any disciplinary proceedings involving Salcido or Pinkston. Among a tranche of allegations, the letter says there remain small pockets of corruption, sexism, homophobia, racism, and violence operating within the Wichita Police Department and City of Wichita, and that City Manager Bob Layton, Human Resources Director Chris Bezruki, the Fraternal Order of Police and others resisted, or outright defied, actions by the executive staff (of the Police Department) to address these issues. Ramsays leadership team has come under heightened scrutiny after it failed to discipline the officers involved in the text message scandal. Three officers were later suspended by Interim Chief Lem Moore and Layton after an Eagle investigation into inaction by the city. A committee report from the city managers office blamed police leadership including Ramsay, Salcido and Pinkston for mishandling the internal investigation. Story continues Ramsays executive team says in the letter that they didnt discipline the officers because they wanted to avoid the humiliation of being undermined by the citys human resources manager. Theyre seeking a public apology from the city of Wichita and claim they are being scapegoated. The police leaders accused Layton of lying when he told City Council members and The Eagle that he did not know about the text messages until Feb. 25, the day after the Citizen Review Board initially received a briefing on how the Professional Standards Bureau handled the case. Layton said he does not remember being told by Ramsay or anyone else about the text messages before February. The letter alleges that Bezruki received gifts and expensive meals in exchange for favorable treatment of the union in contract negotiations and when union members were brought up on disciplinary complaints. Layton said an investigation into Bezruki did not find any inappropriate relationship or gifts from the Fraternal Order of Police. We have not found any merit to that allegation, Layton told The Eagle. And we asked for evidence that would help us review that, and we have not been able to obtain that. The letter also suggests Layton and Bezruki knew each other before he was hired as the HR director and that Bezruki was the only applicant for the job. Layton said he did not know Bezruki before he applied and that Bezruki was one of six candidates for the job. The letter outlines multiple instances alleging Bezruki overruled Ramsays leadership team on officer disciplinary action before and after Ramsays team decided not to pursue discipline for the text messages. Bezrukis reversals sent a clear message to the executive staff that Bezruki controlled discipline over the officers, and the FOP controlled Bezruki, the filing states. Layton said that characterization is simply untrue. One alleged instance of Bezruki undermining police leadership is in the case of Sgt. Maurice Mitchell, who was charged with misdemeanor battery in September 2020 after he slapped the buttocks of a female co-worker during a training exercise. The filing states that, at the recommendation of Givens, Ramsay demoted Mitchell from sergeant to officer and a non-supervisory position after an internal investigation. The police union appealed the demotion. Despite Mr. Mitchells admission as part of the diversion process, Bezruki, as HR director, repeated on at least three occasions that not only was slapping the ass of a female officer not a sexual battery, he declared it was not even sexual harassment, the letter states. The claimants say police leadership attempted to mediate the matter but Bezruki, unilaterally, or with the approval of Layton, reinstated Mitchell to sergeant and reversed the decision of executive staff. Layton would not discuss the personnel matter with The Eagle, other than to say Bezruki did not make the decision to reinstate Mitchell. That doesnt accurately reflect the final resolution of the case, Layton said. Chris (Bezruki) did not make the final decision in this case. It came out of the mediation and a settlement of mediation. Givens filed a grievance with the city against Bezruki after the incident, but the filing alleges that the HR director refused to meet with a city investigator over the course of several months. Soon after, Givens retired from the department rather than continue subjecting herself to continued discrimination and a hostile work environment, the letter says. Two other inaccuracies surround the selection of an interim chief and a search for a permanent replacement for Ramsay, Layton said. The letter states Layton is telling applicants he wants them to come in and discipline Deputy Chief Salcido and Deputy Chief Pinkston. Layton said he has not talked to any applicants for the chief job and that was never our intention. The letter also questions the hiring of Troy Livingston, who was named interim chief by Layton last week. Livingston served as a deputy chief under Ramsay until 2019, when he retired. The letter says Livingston, while a deputy chief, conspired with the FOP and Bezruki to rehire (an officer Ramsay had fired in 2017). It claims Livingstons previous employment with WPD ended when it was suggested he retire because of poor performance and he eventually had his access card revoked as he was physically escorted out of the building. Layton said he is unfamiliar with the specifics of the Livingstons involvement in the 2017 reinstatement. But, if Ramsays executive team had a problem with it, they did not include it in his employee evaluations, which were very positive, Layton said. I dont know why the attempt to cast some type of aspersions on his reputation, but its not fair, Layton said. Another (inaccuracy) I can talk about is their attempt to malign Troy Livingston, Layton said. We reviewed Troys evaluations that are in his file, and Troy got very positive evaluations, including the last one he got before he left. He said he was not escorted out of the building. Despite the public fight, Layton said he remains confident in work of the police department. We have a pretty professional department, and their day-to-day activities are not going to be swayed by some kind of conversation at the administrative level. They have pretty serious work to do day in and day out in public safety, and I think thats what people are going to be focused on in the department. Layton said he looks forward to a review of his actions and the actions of other city leaders by Jensen Hughes, a consulting firm hired to look into the citys policing problems. Whats important here is that we have to learn from whats happened over the past few years in the police department, Layton said. Weve brought in a nationally recognized firm to review police operations and culture and also the checks and balances that we have in place for not just the police department but other departments. When the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reunited following the death of Queen Elizabeth earlier this month, it marked the first time the two couples had appeared together in public in more than a year. Since Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle stepped back as senior members of the royal family and moved to California in 2020, their joint public appearances at official royal events have been few and far between. Harry and William's first public appearance together since the step back, for example, came in April 2021 at their grandfather Prince Philip's funeral. However, before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their senior roles, the couples once nicknamed the Fab Four attended plenty of events together, including church services to standing stand-by-side on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Color ceremony. Heres a look back at some of their most notable times the royal couples have appeared together through the years. December 2017: Christmas Day service Kate Middleton, Prince WIlliam, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) The two couples joined Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne and other members of the royal family for a Christmas Day service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Kings Lynn, England. Prince Harry and Meghan had gotten engaged the month before. February 2018: Royal Foundation Forum Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (Chris Jackson / WPA Pool / Getty Images) Prince Harry and Meghan joined Will and Kate on a panel in London to discuss the work of The Royal Foundation, a charitable organization headed by the Prince and Princess of Wales. This marked their first official event as a group. Catherine, Harry and I are delighted to be here this morning and were particularly happy to be at our first Royal Foundation event with Meghan, Prince William said in his opening remarks. March 2018: Commonwealth Day service Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) The couples arrived together at the Commonwealth Day service at Londons Westminster Abbey. The annual service celebrates the unity and diversity of Britains Commonwealth nations. Story continues June 2018: Trooping the Color The former Meghan Markle made her first Trooping the Colour appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018. (Samir Hussein / WireImage) Not long after her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018, the Duchess of Sussex attended her first Trooping the Color ceremony in June. The couple joined Queen Elizabeth, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the former Prince Charles, now King Charles III, and other royal family members on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they watched a traditional procession of British military members. July 2018: Buckingham Palace balcony flypast Members Of The Royal Family Attend Events To Mark The Centenary Of The RAF (Anwar Hussein / WireImage) Prince Harry and Prince William stood side by side with their spouses next to them as they watched a Royal Air Force flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018. September 2018: A royal birthday celebration Wishing a very Happy 70th Birthday to The Prince of Wales! Two new photographs of The Prince of Wales and his family, taken by @ChrisJack_Getty in the garden of Clarence House, have been released to celebrate HRHs 70th birthday. Visit @ClarenceHouse for more pic.twitter.com/nQwDOPGVkx The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 13, 2018 Prince Harry, Prince William and their wives posed for an official family portrait honoring the former Prince Charles 70th birthday. December 2018: Christmas at Sandringham The Royal Family Attend Church On Christmas Day (Stephen Pond / Getty Images) The couples came together for a traditional Christmas Day service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at the royal familys Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. March 2019: Westminster Abbey service Commonwealth Day 2019 (WPA Pool / Getty Images) The royal couples appeared together at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2019. June 2019: Trooping the Color Trooping The Colour 2019 (Anwar Hussein / WireImage) Both sets of royal couples once again joined the queen and other senior members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the annual Trooping the Color ceremony. July 2019: Archie's christening About two months after welcoming their first child, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posed for an official christening photo with other members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, also posed for the photo, along with the former Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The Sussex Royal Instagram account shared photos from the special day. March 2020: Commonweath Day service Commonwealth Day Service 2020 (WPA Pool / Getty Images) Both Meghan and Kate wore bright jewel tones to this annual Commonwealth Day service Meghan's third, and a significant one for her and her husband. Falling two months after announcing their decision to "step back" as senior royals, Commonwealth Day marked their final engagement as working members of the royal family. September 2022: Honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II The Prince and Princess of Wales Accompanied By The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Greet Wellwishers Outside Windsor Castle (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Following Queen Elizabeths death at 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, Prince Harry, Prince William, and the former Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton made their first joint public appearance in quite a while over two years, since the last Commonwealth Day service. Two days after the queens death, they walked together around the grounds of Windsor Castle, greeting mourners and looking at floral tributes to the late monarch. Both couples also attended Queen Elizabeths funeral service at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19. It is unclear when the royal couples may next appear in public together. Prince William, Prince Harry and their spouses may possibly all attend the coronation of King Charles III, which may take place sometime next year. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Video still from Notes Toward a Model Opera (William Kentridge) A solo exhibition in the Royal Academys vast Main Galleries is a privilege given only to the most major artists. Following on from shows by heavy-hitters Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, South African artist William Kentridge is the latest artist to be accorded the honour. But its an honour that doesnt come without a degree of risk.Gormley and Kapoors shows were both solid crowd-pullers, but both were widely criticised for being bombastic and overblown. While the Johannesburg-based Kentridge is less well-known, hes similarly aged in his late-sixties no less fond of the grand gesture, and unafraid of massive jumps in scale: from exquisitely made artist books to truly epic live events. But though Kentridge is a brilliant illustrator and stage designer Ive never been entirely convinced by his art as, well, art. Born in 1955 to lawyer parents, both active in the Anti-Apartheid struggle, Kentridge worked in theatre and television as an actor before turning seriously to art. And that feels significant as the vast majority of work in this show relates to film or performance in one way or another. Drawing has always been Kentridges main medium, and the earliest works are some of the strongest. Koevoet (Dreams of Europe) (1984-5), a charcoal triptych showing surreal goings on in cafe, has a gauche but compelling rawness that is soon lost as Kentridges signature style sets in. Were shown vast numbers of large, densely worked charcoal drawings, all in a highly proficient, illustrative realist style that clearly isnt supposed to be taken at face value though Ive never been sure how it is supposed to be taken. While Kentridges focus is on Africa, with hyenas making hallucinatory appearances in night clubs and migrant workers queuing in the vastness of the veldt, his artistic sources are entirely European: Goya, German expressionism, even a touch of Hogarth. This makes sense in the many images of patently bad white bankers in their boardrooms, but the light in these entirely monochrome images is so oppressively overcast that sun-baked savannah can easily be read as snowbound steppes and lines of tramping Africans as refugees in, say, Poland. The irony of the fact that Kentridges Jewish forebears fled Eastern Europe to escape oppression isnt, as far as I can tell, explored. Almost all of these images are working drawings for animated films, six of which are shown simultaneously in the enormous Gallery 3. Kentridge makes his drawings move by rubbing out areas, redrawing them and filming the ongoing process. Its as though the continually pulsing charcoal images are being drawn on the screen as we watch in films such as Tide Table (2003) and Other Faces (2011). Signature Kentridge tropes are established early on, such as having the image break down into abstract elements that reform as, say, maps or bureaucratic forms and Kentridge loves this sort of printed ephemera, which appears by the shedload, in various forms, throughout the exhibition. Story continues If its impossible not to be impressed by Kentridges sheer industry, the narratives are hard to follow and its difficult to know whats being said about South Africa today; though in Other Faces a figure looking very like Kentridge gets in a screaming row with a shopkeeper in which race inevitably intrudes. If such harsh realities must be hard for Kentridge a former anti-Apartheid activist to face, the painful, paranoid actualities of contemporary South Africa are kept mostly at a rarefied or historical remove in the rest of the show. Ubu Tells the Truth (1997), an animated retelling of Albert Jarrys absurdist drama Ubu Roi, starts as a whimsical cartoon, but becomes a punchy and brutally humorous response to the horrific revelations of the post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But by the time he gets to Black Box (2005), an automated miniature theatre with film and real-life animated objects, Kentridge has become absorbed in the intricacies of multi-media collage almost to the exclusion of his subject matter. We spend a lot of time watching a slow-dancing Anglepoise lamp, but the ostensible theme of the work, the genocide of the Herero people of South-West Africa, is barely discernible. A roomful of tapestries, with Kentridges densely patterned ink drawings blown-up to wall-filling scale, impresses amid the prevailing monochrome flatness because these are at least sensual, tactile objects and they even include touches of colour! A tapestry of shadowy figures packed into an open boat is clearly derived from an old photograph or painting. Yet its impossible not to interpret it is a scene of contemporary migrants, making this one of the most powerful images in the show. Drawing for Other Faces by William Kentridge (Courtesy of the collection) Two rooms of large brush and ink paintings, one of vases of flowers, the other of trees in the veldt, demonstrate Kentridges skills in creating seductive monochrome textures, but dont convince as significant works of art. The addition of faux-profound inscriptions such as Oh to Believe in Another World and A Bird Shall Carry the Voice simply compound their slightness. Kentridge is at heart a collagist rather than a painter. Hes at his strongest when intercutting his painted and graphic work, often extremely cleverly, with other media. Notes Towards a Model Opera (2015), a three-screen video, offers most of the best of Kentridge in just over 11 minutes. The content feels a bit of a muddle: addressing the human disasters of Mao-Tse Tungs revolutionary China from an African perspective, with reference to Chinas current economic ambitions across the continent. But the crackling, rapid-fire layering of media across the three screens keeps you entranced. Pages from old Chinese books, maps, bits of Kentridges own sketchbook buzz and flash, with Chinese calligraphy morphing into birds that resemble Picassos doves, but reference the tragicomic role of sparrows in Maos mad schemes. Live action dancers move through it all wielding flags, climbing out of dustbins and performing teetering ballet steps. The presence of the human figure, even if only on film, provides the animating factor. A similar array of elements are presented in the final room in relation to a 2019 dance drama called Waiting for the Sybil. But while the production looks astonishing in photographs in the catalogue, the design elements, presented in isolation from the performers, look merely decorative. Video still from Notes Towards a Model Opera' (William Kentridge) Kentridges art is best understood in relation to performance understandably, given those beginnings as an actor and director. Theres something theatrical even in his early drawings and the way they were translated into film. Its no surprise that hes had a successful side-career as a designer and director of operas. This show does him a considerable disservice by underplaying this aspect of his art in a misguided attempt to make him appear more the serious artist. This large exhibition feels a shade overstretched in these very large spaces, where it could have been brimming with life. Royal Academy, from 24 September to 11 December Wilmer Valderrama on saying "yes" to his daughter and how his dog prepared him for parenting. (Photo: Getty; designed by Quinn Lemmers) Welcome to So Mini Ways, Yahoo Life's parenting series on the joys and challenges of child-rearing. What's it like to be a first-time dad at 41? Wilmer Valderrama compares it to being Keanu Reeves's character Neo in The Matrix. "All the way up to having a kid, you think that you've learned most of what you need in life skills ... But as soon as the baby is born, all of a sudden you're like, 'I know kung fu,'" he tells Yahoo Life's So Mini Ways. "Like, all of a sudden, something else wakes up something uploads into your brain and you are a father now. "You are the same guy with a new set of skills that you did not know were in there," he adds. Valderrama says he "always wanted a family," but it wasn't until February 2021 that he and fiance Amanda Pacheco welcomed their daughter, Nakano, who is now 19 months old. Nakano's first language is Spanish, says the Miami-born actor, who credits his Colombian mother with helping to keep those cultural ties strong. After playing and having breakfast with her parents, Nakano heads to her grandmother's house Valderrama bought her the property next door to his for a few hours. "It is only Spanish, only salsa music, only Spanish television," he says, adding with a laugh, "I think she's starting to watch telenovelas, to be honest." Valderrama, who also has Venezuelan heritage, says that his daughter is exposed to "very, very, very Latino influences daily." That includes her food. "When she goes to my mom's house, it's all, like, South American soups, arepas in the morning with eggs she's eating better than me, I'll tell you," he quips. To hear the NCIS star tell it, Nakano who is also picking up a bit of sign language has it pretty good. Valderrama admits that his little girl has him wrapped around her finger. "The word that comes out of my mouth daily when it comes to my daughter is 'yes,'" he says. "Or like, 'absolutely we need it' or like, 'absolutely buy it.' Or 'yes, she needs that dress.' Everything is yes when it comes to my daughter." Story continues And it's not just Nakano who gets special treatment. The former That 70s Show star says that his dog, Marrok who has his own Instagram account, by the way is "incredibly spoiled." Though he says the connection between him and his daughter is "on a different planet," Valderrama notes that being a dog owner helped prepare him for the gentler communication techniques he tries to use as a parent. "I don't yell," he explains. "I don't like barking orders; I don't like doing that. When I train my dog, I train him by talking to him. If he was barking and crying, then he didn't get what he wanted to do. But if he asked nicely and level and took a deep breath, then he gets everything he wants, you know?" He laughs. "I don't know if that's gonna translate over time [with Nakano], because I feel like whatever she wants she's gonna get from me." The Encanto star recently joined forces with Purina Dog Chow in support of its first Visible Impact Award, which recognizes the PTSD service dogs who are working in aid of military veterans; voting runs through Oct. 17. The campaign, which is part of the brand's annual Service Dog Salute program, struck a chord with Valderrama, who has spent the better part of two decades visiting troops and military families around the world. "If I never got to wear the uniform and serve my country, I felt that this may be another calling of service," he says of championing military-related projects that are "actually leading with solutions and not a Band-Aid mentality." Supporting service dogs in particular also appealed to the lifelong animal lover. "I've grown up with dogs my whole life, and dogs have been a big part of my upbringing and a big part of the companionship in my life," Valderrama says. "There were times in my career where I felt somewhat lonely. I give myself completely to my art, to my entrepreneurship and all of that, so when you come home, you're kind of drained; your tank is empty. And the only thing that kind of sometimes fulfills you is that innocent, unconditional love that you get from a canine. I learned to need it; I needed my dog. At the end of the day, I was looking forward to watching a movie with him, because there was something peaceful about that." Fatherhood has been a "whole different adventure," Valderrama says, but one in which his relationship with Marrok remains a "beautiful complement." "[Having a child] became an extension of what we were already doing, and it evolved into a family," he says. Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here. Madison, Wis. On Monday, the University of Wisconsin released its official injury report ahead of its week four matchup vs. the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. The unranked Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) already have five players ruled out due to injury against Ohio State and four others listed as out for the season. Wisconsins secondary has already gone without its No. 1 cornerback Alexander Smith for the entire non-conference slate. Now, it appears he will miss a fourth consecutive game after being quickly ruled out for their week four matchup against the Buckeyes. Its also worth noting that starting right tackle Riley Mahlman, who missed the past two weeks, isnt listed on the injury report signaling a chance of returning in week four. Logan Brown and Trey Wedig have filled in at tackle during his absence, with varying degrees of success. UW will need all hands on deck in a David vs. Goliath matchup in Columbus this weekend. Here is a look at Wisconsin footballs injury report for Week 4: OUT: Cam Large, TE Nov 9, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers helmet during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports OUT: Alexander Smith, CB Credit Kelli Steffes, UW Athletics OUT: Aaron Witt, OLB Wisconsin outside linebacker Aaron Witt (59) in action in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Wisconsin won 49-11. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) OUT: Hunter Wohler, S Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler (24) against Eastern Michigan during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis) OUT: Chase Wolf, QB Oct 2, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Chase Wolf (2) looks to throw a pass during the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports OUT FOR SEASON: Travian Blaylock, S Story continues Sep 22, 2018; Iowa City, IA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Travian Blaylock (26) celebrates with teammates during the third quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports OUT FOR SEASON: Mike Jarvis, DE Nov 9, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers helmet during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports OUT FOR SEASON: Luna Larson, ILB Nov 9, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers helmet during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports OUT FOR SEASON: Isaac Townsend, DE Nov 9, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; A Wisconsin Badgers helmet during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff. Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire An 89-year-old woman died days after her and her grandson were attacked by pit bulls at a Colorado home, police said. The Golden Police Department said officers were dispatched to home just west of Denver on Sept. 14 "regarding an animal bite." When officers arrived at the home, they found blood leading into the home, and found two pit bull dogs attacking the woman, the department said. Officers attempted to get in between the dogs and woman, and tried to use tasers and "less lethal shotguns" to create distance, but were unsuccessful. "Each time the officers approached the victim, the dogs would circle the officers. Less lethal options were not effective," authorities said. More officers responded to the scene and were able to hold the dogs off while emergency services attended to the woman. The woman was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, while the child, who had serious injuries and was at a neighbor's house trying to get help, was taken to a nearby children's hospital. More: Mail carrier dies after being attacked by five dogs in rural Florida, authorities say Bear attack: A Vermont woman was attacked and bitten by a mother bear. Her dog may have saved her life. In an update Monday, the department said family members confirmed the 89-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning. The 12-year-old child had been released from the hospital, the family said. The two dogs involved in the attack were taken to a veterinary hospital to be treated and evaluated. Authorities said one of the dogs was euthanized soon after the incident from injuries it had sustained. In the update, the department said the second dog was later euthanized after the dog's owner surrendered ownership to the shelter. Police said the two victims had been acquainted with the dogs, and the department is still investigating the incident. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado woman, 89, dies after pit bulls attack her and her grandson A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini (via REUTERS) The death of a 22-year-old woman detained last week by Irans morality police for allegedly not wearing proper Islamic hijab has sparked a wave of fiery protests across the country. The outbreak of domestic political unrest and anti-regime anger over the death of Mahsa Amini coincides with President Ebrahim Raisis arrival in New York for the start of the United Nations General Assembly summit. On Tuesday, a fifth day of protests over Aminis death erupted, with little sign that anger was abating. Protests were reported in several cities, including Qazvin, Arak and Mashhad. There have also been protests in the capital Tehran. A reformist news site published an interview with the victims father that provided fresh details about her detention by morality enforcers and raised troubling questions about her death. When we went to the hospital, they didnt let us see Mahsa, Amjad Amini told the reformist website Rouydad 24. They had covered her whole body so we couldnt see the bruises. I could only see my daughters face and the soles of her feet. But of course, I could see bruises on Mahsas feet. Protests over Aminis death have also raged across the western Kurdish provinces from which Amini, an ethnic Kurd, hailed. Demonstrators chanted against Supreme Leader Ali Khameneri, ripped down Islamic Republic flags and insignia. There were reports of dramatic violence and chaos, often documented in short shaky video clips uploaded to the internet despite an apparent throttling of bandwidth in some regions. In one video clip, Iranian women can be seen and heard clapping and chanting peacefully and joyously until a motorcycle presumably driven by a regime enforcer prompts panic and screaming as the women run. In another segment, a commander on a megaphone warns protesters to disperse as dozens of black-clad riot police gather around a police wagon and prepare to pounce. Another video from western Iran on Tuesday showed what appeared to be a lifeless young child being hurriedly carried away by protesters after being allegedly shot by security forces. Story continues Iranian security forces have tried to quell the demonstrations with teargas, water cannons and riot police, as well as dispatching pro-regime paramilitary operatives into crowds of protesters, who sometimes respond by battling against them with stones and torching police vehicles. Videos showed protesters pelting fleeing police and plainclothes Basji with stones. I will kill, I kill, he who killed my sister, they chanted. Death to the Islamic Republic. A protester of the National Council of Resistance of Iran gestures during a demonstration over the death of Mahsa Amini (EPA) At least two people have been killed, according to unofficial reports. Authorities have downplayed the protests and claim they are being exaggerated and exacerbated by foreign media channels, including the Persian-language service of the BBC. Analysts said it was too early to assess whether the protests would threaten the regimes stability. Authorities used violence and arrests to crush protest movements in 1999, 2009 and 2019, as well as sporadic outbreaks of labour, student, ethnic and regional unrest in recent years. While protests in recent years were focused on specific economic grievances, the focus on the issue of hijab and the role of the security forces in the systematic harassment of Iranian women makes the protests qualitatively different, with women taking a lead role. There was a wildfire that was triggered by the hijab issue, with most protests led by students and women, said Ali Fathollah-Nejad, an expert on Irans domestic politics at the American Council on Germany. It was not triggered by socio-economic degradation. It was triggered by socio-cultural grievances. The regime will respond with an iron fist, and they will probably be successful at crushing this Ali Fathollah-Nejad The protests are distinguished by outpourings of solidarity between groups often pitted against each other, with men filling the ranks of protests led by women, and urban elites voicing support for ethnic Kurds who are often treated as an underclass in Iran. Still analysts acknowledged that the protests remained too small and scattered to challenge the regime, which has deep layers of security forces it has yet to deploy. The regime will respond with an iron fist, and they will probably be successful at crushing this, said Mr Fathollah-Nejad. As usual with these protests, there is no organisation or leadership and that is preventing them from becoming a threat. This latest wave of street protests began after the 13 September arrest of Amini by the dreaded guidance patrols while she was visiting Tehran from her hometown, the ethnic Kurdish enclave of Saghez. According to her father, she was with her 16-year-old brother at the time, accosted by the morality police as she emerged from a metro station. She begged the police not to separate her from her minor brother, but they refused. Mr Amini told Rouydad 24 that a physical altercation took place during her argument on the street. One of the officers pushes Mahsa and physically assaults her, he reportedly said. After he was put in the police van, and that other women inside the vehicle had told him she was roughed by the security forces. She was rushed to the hospital 15 September after purportedly collapsing at the Vozara detention centre where alleged moral crimes are processed in Tehran. News of her death triggered protests outside the hospital, which spread elsewhere. Analysts said the death resonated with Iranians, as Amini was no political activist or journalist, but just a young woman going about her life. She could have been anyones daughter, and in that sense some have likened the death and the ensuing uproar to the case of George Floyd, the Black man whose death at the hands of American police in 2020 led to nationwide unrest. A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amin in Tehran (via REUTERS) Its about her being a young woman and a totally ordinary person, said Azadeh Pourzand, an Iran researcher at the School for Oriental and Asian Studies in London, and a former Tehran resident. Every single one of us has been through Vozara at least once. Every Iranian woman in Tehran has been taken to Vozara because of the veil. So this resonates with many people. Senior Iranian officials have called for an investigation into the young womans death but have also alleged she collapsed on her own, perhaps due to a congenital condition, a claim her father has rejected. The familys outspokenness is also unusual and may have contributed to the gelling of a movement around Aminis cause. Usually regime officials threaten or offer incentives to family members of victims in order to keep them quiet. The Aminis have declined to buckle to pressure to keep quiet whilst also showing political savvy by speaking to domestic media outlets rather than satellite channels abroad. They said that Mahsa has a heart disease and epilepsy, while I, who am her father and raised her for 22 years, say loudly that Mahsa did not have any disease and was in perfect health, Mr Amini told Rouydad 24 . The person who hit my daughter should be tried. I will not allow my daughters blood to be trampled on. Mr Raisi, who has admitted to playing a role in the mass executions of thousands of political prisoners in the late 1980s, was already a controversial figure in the West, and often shunned at international forums. The latest unrest will likely contribute to his reputation, though he is scheduled to meet with European Union officials on the sidelines of the General Assembly this month. If there was any consideration of a meeting between Raisi and any western leaders, this would make it even less of a priority and he will become even more toxic, said Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, of the Royal United Services Institute. The protests will hamper engagement or bilateral relations between Iran and European leaders. Some Iranian activists have urged the West to take a tougher stance on Iran over Aminis death. Both the White House and the United States Department of State have issued condemnations. Many are outraged that Mr Raisi is to appear before the UN, while others are calling for an end to talks to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal which would offer Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its atomic technology programme. They are murderers you cannot sit at the table negotiating and talking with them, Darya Safai, a member of Belgiums parliament who focuses on Iran, said in an interview. JCPOA and talking with ayatollahs wont be possible. We cannot give them the instrument to survive. A newspaper with a cover picture of Mahsa Amini (VIA REUTERS) But Ms Tabrizi said she doubted the killing or the subsequent unrest would impact the drive to restore the JCPOA, which appears to be in trouble anyway. And in any case Iranians may not be counting on international help in their quest. What is so beautiful about todays Iran and the way women are not waiting for a saviour, said Ms Pourzand. They are well aware that they are on their own, and have to take control and determine their own fate. PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore SINGAPORE A woman stabbed her elder daughter repeatedly in the neck and torso, after hearing voices telling her that her eight-year-old was an evil spirit. CNA reported on Tuesday (20 September) that the High Court found the 36-year-old mother had killed her daughter on 10 August last year at a residential unit in Geylang Lorong 31. However, it acquitted the Singaporean woman of a murder charge due to her mental incapacity, as she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and found to be of unsound mind at the time of the killing. Instead, the court ordered for the woman - who cannot be named because of a gag order - to be kept in safe custody and for the case to be reported to the Minister of Home Affairs. According to Section 252 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the minister may then order her to be confined in a psychiatric institution, prison or another suitable place of safe custody during the President's pleasure. Behaving strangely, rambling incoherently The woman had two daughters after getting into a relationship with a man in 2007. They did not get married. Around 2014, the woman's boyfriend returned to China for work, while the woman stayed in Singapore with her daughters. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the woman and her daughters moved into the Geylang Lorong 31 unit to live with her other family members. According to The Straits Times, the woman began hearing voices in her head in March 2021, telling her that her food and water were being poisoned, and that her elder daughter was an evil spirit. Her family members also noticed that she behaved strangely. For instance, she suspected her phone and laptop were hacked, and that people were following her. In the two days prior to the killing, the woman behaved erratically and was caught on surveillance cameras aimlessly taking the MRT. On the morning of 10 August 2021, she began rambling incoherently, rattling off names of Chinese historical figures. Her family members heard cries from the two girls and found the elder girl motionless on the floor while the woman was naked and holding a pair of scissors. The woman's brother saw a bloodstained knife on the floor and threw it towards the kitchen, while his wife called the police. Story continues Schizophrenia untreated for several years CNA reported that investigations revealed the woman was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the offence. It had gone untreated for several years and worsened in severity as time progressed, and she was suffering her first psychotic episode at the time of the murder. A psychiatrist assessed the woman and said she was severely psychotic at the time of the offence and was incapable of knowing the nature of her acts. Her psychosis caused her thinking and judgment to be so distorted and out of touch with reality that she was unable to differentiate between right and wrong, both morally and legally. The prosecution urged the court to acquit the woman of her murder charge on the basis of an unsound mind, and defence lawyers Choo Si Sen and Choo Yean Lin agreed with the prosecution's submissions. "A young innocent life is lost. That cannot be undone. However, moving on, we pray that the (woman) could recover speedily so she can be reunited with her aged parents and her youngest daughter," Yean Lin said. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. A woman was hit several times by stray bullets while she was asleep in her Oakland, California, home last month. The woman in her 60s was sleeping alongside her husband in their Little Saigon residence at the 1100 block of 10th Avenue when was shot three times shortly before 5 a.m. on Aug. 17, reported ABC7. Officers responded to the scene and recovered multiple shell casings. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where she is now listed in stable condition. The victim is reportedly an immigrant who fled to the U.S. from the war in Vietnam in search of a better life. She settled in Little Saigon with her husband and gave birth to five children. More from NextShark: Andrew Yang, Democrat for over 25 years, goes independent The victim has also been robbed and physically assaulted in the past, according to her daughter Roxana. Shes gone through all of that, but this is the scariest moment of her life, because she almost died, Roxana told ABC 7 News. She still has all the bullet fragments inside her. Its embedded deep inside. We cant do anything about it. Shes in so much pain. We just want her to get better. They don't know this is our lives we're talking about. Its more than hell; its a living nightmare, she added. I cant sleep at night. Its an emotional rollercoaster every single day. Im scared for my moms safety, Im scared for her health and Im scared shes going to leave this world. More from NextShark: Japanese Company Regrets Using 'Animal Crossing' For Work-At-Home Conferencing No suspect information has been released regarding this case. There is still an ongoing investigation by the Oakland police. Roxana has called for change to gun laws and says she hopes the Oakland police will provide their family with an update soon. Its yet another tragedy and another indication that we need to get guns off the street. We need to do everything possible to reduce the level of gun violence, Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas told KTVU. Story continues More from NextShark: Teen girl arrested for stalking, brandishing box cutter at member of Japanese boy band 7 Men Samurai A GoFundMe page has been set up by the victims family to help cover her medical expenses. Everything is still unknown on her health status, our mother has three holes in her body, multiple bullet fragments still inside her body, Roxana wrote on the fundraising page. The last three weeks have been difficult, as she has been in and out of the ER multiple times. She is in constant pain and in need of help just to get up or move. Her wounds are severe, with inflammation and hematoma. We are still waiting to hear back whether the doctors would be able to remove any fragments, or whether her injuries are still too severe for any surgery. More from NextShark: Repeated Attacks on Buddhist Temples in Canada are Being Investigated as Hate Crimes Featured Image via ABC7 News STORY: Video obtained by Reuters shows protesters chanting Women, Life, Liberty in Kurdish and Down with the Islamic Republic / Death to Khamenei in Farsi while three women cut their hair. More than five hundred people, including Kurdish, Iranian, German women, took part in the demonstration, according to organizers "Say It Loud", a solidarity group supporting Iranians. The protest was held in memory of Mehsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iran's Kurdistan province who fell into a coma after being arrested by Iran's morality police for "unsuitable attire". Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said an investigation had been ordered into what he called Amini's tragic death. Chefs Beverly Kim, left, and Johnny Clark are seen at their restaurant Parachute on May 26, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) A James Beard award-winning chef will host a Ukrainian dinner series to raise funds for a humanitarian crisis with family connections. Chef Johnny Clark named the project in honor of his late maternal grandmother, Anelya Ochatchinskiya, who was from Kharkiv in Ukraine. Clark owns the critically acclaimed restaurants Parachute and Wherewithall with his wife, chef Beverly Kim, in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago. Advertisement We had initially done a couple weeks of Ukrainian dinners back in May, he said. They gave me the idea to do something more substantial to help raise funds for the humanitarian crisis thats still unfolding in Ukraine. The chef wanted to highlight the food more in depth, but did not have many family recipes with which to work. Advertisement My grandmother only cooked about five different Ukrainian dishes, Clark said. Because during her lifetime, growing up in Ukraine, there wasnt a lot of food. She did make borscht and varenyky, the dumplings similar to pierogi. During Soviet times, they tried to suppress Ukrainian culture, he said. So they did that even through food. Clark found help for his menu from a recent refugee. Marina Yakush and her husband came through the United States refugee program. Theyre now living near the city with a family friend. They connected when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, and the chef looked for ways he could help. I read (about) this chef, Igor Mezencev, whos from my grandmothers hometown in Kharkiv, Clark said. I reached out to him on Instagram, saying I dont know if theres anything I can do, but if theres something I can do for you, let me know. Mezencev told him about Yakush. She had opened and run restaurants, but most recently headed a symposium for chefs and Ukrainian food culture in Kyiv. Marina knows a lot about Ukrainian food and history, Clark said. Shes going to help me cook, and talk about the history of these dishes during the dinners. Advertisement Anelya will take over the private dining space at Wherewithall on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning this Friday through Dec. 3. Space is limited to 12 diners at a communal table, with five courses per night. Tickets are $225 per person. When guests arrive, theyll start with Ukrainian aperitifs. And hors doeuvres, or zakuski its called, Clark said. Different fermented pickles, chilled sausages and assorted snacks. On the opening menu, a tomato salad will feature brynza, like a cross between feta and farmers cheese, he said. Then were going to do borscht, but with duck, said the chef. Theres a different borscht for every region of Ukraine. Theyre making one similar to the soup Yakush grew up with in Zaporizhia, but the duck is not traditional. Theyre also offering three different kinds of varenyky. Advertisement Were also doing halupki, Clark said. Typically its stuffed cabbage, but were using Swiss chard, with sturgeon and caviar. Theyll end the dinner with honey cake. Its graham cracker-type layers, layered with honey cream, he said. Its iced with the same cream, and sits overnight to hydrate into this soft, but dense honey cake. After dinner drinks, tea and coffee will conclude the evening. Wherewithall will continue to operate normally. The private dining room is detached from the main dining room on the same property through a small courtyard. Its going to feel very homey, Clark said. Almost like a home dining room. Advertisement All profits will go to BlueCheck Ukraine, an aid network co-founded by actor Liev Schreiber, whose late maternal grandfather, Alex Milgram, was also a Ukrainian immigrant. The chef also connected with Schreiber through Instagram, and worked closely with the organization to create Anelya. If you really want to donate to Ukraine, I think BlueCheck is the best way to do it, Clark said. Because its going directly to the people doing the hard work on the ground. He and Kim continue to do their own work in Chicago, with two restaurants, three children and numerous fundraisers. They also founded The Abundance Setting to support working mothers in the culinary industry, early in the pandemic. The Tribune recognized them with a Critics Choice award for best new industry resource in 2021. Beverly and I, when we have feelings for something, we want to be able to contribute in the best way we can, Clark said. Our lives are quite chaotic. Maybe its a way of escaping from the stresses of the past three years. Anelya at Wherewithall, 3472 N. Elston Ave., 773-692-2192, wherewithallchi.com Advertisement More notable chef fundraisers, in alphabetical order: Chicago Chefs Cook for Tigray Ethiopian chef Tigist Reda, owner of Demera restaurant in Uptown, will host Chicago Chefs Cook for Tigray on Wednesday. Proceeds will support humanitarian relief, with an emphasis on women and children living in Tigray, Ethiopia, and refugees in Sudan. Health Professionals Network for Tigray heads disaster relief programs, and Reda founded the nonprofit in 2020 to aid her hometown amid a devastating conflict that has left an estimated 6 million people without access to medical care, sufficient nutrition and clean water, and other critical needs. Previously, event organizers raised more than $600,000 with the Chicago Chefs Cook for Ukraine event at Navy Pier in March. Tickets are $150 per person for the walk-around event at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The impressive lineup includes many returning chefs and restaurateurs, ranging from fine-dining establishments such as Esme and GT Prime Steakhouse, to award-winning chefs Erick Williams (Daisys Poboy and Virtue), Noah Sandoval (Pizza Friendly Pizza), Dana Cree (Pretty Cool Ice Cream), Johnny Clark and Beverly Kim (Wherewithall) and Paul Kahan and Greg Wade (Publican Quality Bread). Some of the citys most popular restaurants, from Rose Mary to Avli Taverna, will also take part. Find the full list of participating chefs and restaurants here. Advertisement Chicago Chefs Cook for Tigray, givebutter.com/EXKQu4; National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division St., 773-486-8345, nmprac.org Kitchen Possible Empowering Menus On the local front, chefs at 35 restaurants have collaborated with Kitchen Possible for an Empowering Menus fundraiser with selected dishes across the city and suburbs. Katie Lowman founded Kitchen Possible in 2017 to build empowered mindsets in kids through cooking. Shes taught weekly cooking lessons to kids aged 8 to 12 in Pilsen, East Garfield Park and Englewood. Chefs and other volunteers have joined her, including Darnell Reed of Luellas Southern Kitchen and, full disclosure, this writer. Among the fundraisers participating chefs, Jenner Tomaska of Esme first taught a recipe to a Kitchen Possible class back in 2019. In 2021, he volunteered for an eight-week session to work personally with a team of three kids, Lowman said. The chef showed up every Saturday, she added, while opening his debut restaurant, which earned a Michelin star in its first year. Tomaska has created a 15-course tasting menu at Esme inspired by and in support of Kitchen Possible, now through Oct. 31. Each course ties to one of the life lessons in the class curriculum for example, getting out of your comfort zone or resourcefulness. They are presented as nostalgic and whimsical experiences with rainbow bendy straws and school lunch trays. Tickets for the Esme x Kitchen Possible dinner are $235 per person. Advertisement Along with a portion of proceeds from the Esme dinner, money from each of the dishes sold at the following restaurants will go to Kitchen Possible until the end of September, unless noted otherwise: All Together Now, fried goat cheese curds Avli, flambeed cheese (saganaki) Bang Bang Pie, Key lime pie Bar Goa, lamb keema Batter and Berries, butter cookie French toast Advertisement Big Jones, fried green tomatoes Birrieria Zaragoza, quesabirria Boeufhaus, short rib beignets Boka, beef tartare Chefs Special Cocktail Bar, Whiskey Bird cocktail Coalfire, Margherita pizza Advertisement Daisies, over priced tomato Dear Margaret, duck liver mousse Dos Urban Cantina, chicken enchilada dinner The Duck Inn, duck wings Esme, Esme x KP tasting menu (through Oct. 31) Gaijin, shirokuma kakigori (polar bear shaved ice) Advertisement Galit, gazoz (spirit free seltzer) Giant, saffron tagliatelle HaiSous, bo nuong toi (grilled rib-eye) Honey Butter Fried Chicken, honey butter fried chicken sandwich Luellas Southern Kitchen, chicken gumbo Lula Cafe, spaghetti pancetta, queso fresco plus sweet and spicy chile salsa rosa Advertisement Mi Tocaya Antojeria, steak burrito Monteverde, spaghetti al pomodoro Pan Artesenal, cookie monster concha Parachute, haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) Peanut Park Trattoria, polpette (beef and pork meatballs) Rooh, Bengali lamb shank Advertisement Scofflaw, steak frites Segnatore, freestyle lasagna Soul & Smoke, pulled pork sandwich Steingolds, Uncle Steven sandwich (pastrami-spiced turkey, bacon and pimento cheese) Superkhana International, butter chicken calzone Tempesta Market, The Dante sandwich Advertisement Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Kitchen Possible, kitchenpossible.org; Esme, 2200 N. Clark St., esmechicago.com Tripping Billy Billy Zureikat, aka Tripping Billy, will offer his new TriBillys pizza bread at TriBeccas Sandwich Shop in Avondale on Saturday and Sunday, until its sold out. A portion of each sale will be donated to Zureikats Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser, which has raised more than $13,000 since November, helping people living with muscular dystrophy, as he does, as well as ALS and other neuromuscular diseases. Zureikat describes his dish as cafeteria pizza on steroids. Its focaccia with J.P. Graziano giardiniera, topped with housemade pizza sauce, Muenster cheese, Italian sausage and even more giardiniera. Follow the home cook, pizza maker and baker on Instagram for more in his ongoing fundraising guest chef series at restaurants around the city. Tripping Billy, instagram.com/therealbillyz; TriBeccas Sandwich Shop, 2949 W. Belmont Ave., 773-878-2717, tribeccas.com Advertisement Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. WORCESTER Some climate activists are disappointed with what appears to be a decision by the city administration not to make an attempt to become one of 10 cities and towns in Massachusetts to ban fossil fuels in some buildings. John Odell, the citys chief sustainability officer, told the Green Worcester Advisory Committee Monday night, "We think theres a better option (for Worcester)," instead of an outright ban on fossil fuels in new construction and major renovation projects. Odell told the committee the city administration will wait for the states updated stretch building code before it decides how it wants to proceed. Its anticipated the updated code will give communities the option to ban fossil fuels in new construction and major rehabilitation projects as the state moves toward its goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The state Department of Energy Resources is expected to issue the final stretch code in December. John Odell, the citys chief sustainability officer, outside of Sullivan Middle School where solar panels are in use Nov. 9, 2020. "We dont have all the answers now, said Odell during Monday nights meeting. This is something, we as a department and administration as a whole, are well aware of, and were actively moving forward to put together a plan that actually works. Boston vote Odells comments came less than a week after the Boston City Council voted 9-3 to submit a home rule petition to state lawmakers to become one of the 10 communities to restrict fossil fuels in new construction and major renovation projects. The 10 city/town ban is a pilot program spelled out in the climate energy bill signed into law last month by Gov. Charlie Baker. Any community that wants to be in the top 10 must submit a home rule petition to state lawmakers for approval. If the green light is given, then each of the ten communities can adopt a local ordinance to ban fossil fuels in new construction and major renovation projects. Disappointed Im obviously disappointed the city is going slowly, said David Coyne, a member of an interfaith group called Worcester Congregations for Climate and Environmental Justice. Story continues Coyne tied his disappointment to Boston approving a petition roughly one month after Mayor Michelle Wu said she wanted it done. Feeling that Worcester leaders don't share Bostons sense of urgency to fight climate change, Coyne that its not up to city administration to decide on a petition. That is up to the city council, and Coyne said that while activists are having discussions about the possibility of calling on the council to support a petition, Odells comments likely mean such a move could take a little longer. "We need six councilors to support the position, and its harder to do if city administration is pressing councilors not to vote on a home rule petition, said Coyne We remain optimistic to get the city administration and city council to move forward. It may be more of an uphill climb and take longer than were hoping. No time to waste "Personally, I would put our hat in the ring right away (for a home rule petition), only because theres no time to waste to address climate change, said Paul Popinchalk, a member of 350 Central Mass, a grassroots climate-action organization that is affiliated with 350.org. Odell is being cautious and his comments make sense, Popoinchalk said, but its up to the city manager to decide how Worcester fights climate change. Acting City Manager Eric D. Batistas views on the environment are unknown, Popinchalk said, adding there is a silver lining to all of this the few months before the updated stretch code is released to educate the city council and residents on the importance of combating climate change. As for when or if climate activists will call on the city council to vote on a petition, Popinchalk said it could take a few months, and activists will work with District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj to, get her sense of the layout of the land. Haxhiaj previously stated she supports a petition and said activists have to get the ball rolling by coming to the council to ask for a vote. Calls and an email to Haxhiaj that requested comment were not returned. John Odell, citys chief sustainability officer, says green energy systems in the new Doherty Memorial High School, under construction next to the current one, proves the city is making strides to move from fossil fuels to renewable systems. Pillars Odell's comments to the Green Worcester Advisory Committee included pillars that will be the citys foundation to make the transition to clean energy. They include working with National Grid, the citys electricity supplier, on issues like beefing up the public utilitys power grid in Worcester. Another is working closely with real estate developers, including organizations like the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Worcester Business Development Corporation, to get a handle on how the energy transition impacts this sector. A critical piece, said Odell, is educating the public about the intricacies of the transition including challenges, benefits and how it relates to their lives. People are concerned about their utility bill. Beyond that, they have the rest of their lives to live, and this is not front and center," said Odell. This is a herculean effort. It affects everybody. Residents need to be knowledgeable enough to make good decisions about their own heating systems and be climate savvy. Finally, there are costs of making change, but the negatives of not taking action could far outweigh them. "People often look at the costs of making change, but never the costs of not making change, which is harder to define," said Odell. As important as implementation costs are, in this case I would argue the costs of not making change are more (damaging). One pillar is problematic One Worcester climate activist takes issue with one of the pillars. Gaylen Moore is the coordinator of the Worcester chapter of Mothers Out Front, a volunteer organization that supports a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While Odells comments indicated the city will work with National Grid, Moore said the public utility raked in record profits this year on the backs of ratepayers who were forced to choose between paying their utility bills and feeding their families. The utility, according to Moore, has known for some time that it needs to upgrade its power grid in Worcester, plus meet state regulations to cut carbon emissions. Moore worries residents will be hit with higher utility bills to pay for grid upgrades. National Grid representatives telling city officials that making long-overdue upgrades to the grid will force it to raise rates on residents is a disgusting tactic, and the city needs to stand up for its residents and push back, stated Moore in an email to the Telegram & Gazette. During Monday nights meeting, Odell mentioned that National Grid is committed to the states plan to achieve net zero by 2050 by investing $5 billion in the effort. And, the city is committed to working with the utility to get it done. Additionally, Odell highlighted green energy systems in the new Doherty Memorial High School, currently under construction, that proves the city is making strides to move from fossil fuels to renewable systems. Time to work together Moore declined to respond directly to Odells comments that the city administration preferred to wait for the updated stretch code instead of backing a fossil fuel ban for some buildings. But she said there is room for the city and activists to work together. I think there are shared goals between city and climate activists in the city, and were committed to working together to understand and explore different pathways to meet those goals, she said. When asked if activists will present a home rule petition to city councilors, Moore said, Conversations are ongoing, and a home rule petition is one of several possible pathways to achieve our climate goals. Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: fossil fuels renewable energy climate change Boston global warming (Bloomberg) -- The most severe blackouts in South Africas history have left the government struggling for ways to mitigate their impact on businesses and livelihoods, with efforts to buy more power from private producers and neighboring countries. Most Read from Bloomberg Africas most industrialized nation is facing more than four hours of electricity cuts at a stretch because state-owned utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. cant produce enough power from its old and poorly maintained plants to meet demand. Although the country has faced rolling blackouts since 2008, a succession of action plans have failed to provide lasting solutions. The governments latest pledge to intervene comes after 6,000 megawatts of capacity was cut from the national grid over the weekend as power stations malfunctioned. The crisis is hammering an economy thats been struggling to rebound from the pandemic and rebuild battered business confidence. The duration and frequency of the outages dont allow for batteries used as backups to be recharged and some firms are running up huge bills buying diesel for their generators. Small businesses have been hit particularly hard. We have a backlog and I had to cancel some orders because we couldnt accept them due to the prolonged power cuts, said Sibongile Mufamade, a laundromat worker in Radiokop, west of Johannesburg, who fears losing her job. This is the worst weve experienced and its hurting small businesses. President Cyril Ramaphosa cut short an overseas trip to oversee the governments response to the crisis and is due back in the country later on Tuesday. He said hed held an emergency virtual meeting with his ministers and officials, and solutions were being formulated and implemented. Story continues We will remain seized with this issue until the situation is resolved, he said in his weekly newsletter to the nation. The recent power cuts have reminded us how unstable our aging power stations are. It has given greater urgency to the measures we announced two months ago to stabilize our electricity supply, he said. Eskom, which supplies more than 90% of South Africas electricity, on Monday said it intended to begin signing deals this week to buy 1,000 megawatts of additional power. The utility has a nominal generation capacity of about 45,000 megawatts, but more than half of that has been off line due to breakdowns or scheduled repairs, and it has previously warned that as much as 6,000 additional megawatts is needed to stabilize the system. The Department of Public Enterprises, which oversees Eskom, has meanwhile announced plans to buy 200 megawatts of power from other countries through the regional Southern African Power Pool. The rand hit 17.7975 per dollar on Monday, its weakest weakest level since May 2020, and was at 17.7690 by 3 p.m. in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index rose as much as 1.5%, after declining for five straight days. Mining and manufacturing companies have been the hardest hit. A number of mining companies have announced plans to build their own power plants, but it will be some time before those are operational. Its hard to say what the impact on production will be. For now smelting has been significantly impacted but the impact on mining has been limited, Johan Theron, a spokesman for Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. said via text message: We are minimizing use of our furnaces and other auxiliary equipment to prioritize available power for mining activity. Battery Backup Vodacom Group Ltd., South Africas market-leading wireless carrier, said it has spent about 2 billion rand on batteries over the past two years to help keep base stations running during outages, but longer and more frequent interruptions may only allow intermittent service. Rival MTN Group Ltd. has deployed more than 2,000 generators and thousands of batteries to keep its customers connected, but the current severity of the power cuts made charging them a challenge, according to Michele Gamberini, its chief technology and information officer. There have been a total of 106 days of outages in 2022, Bloomberg calculations show. On Tuesday, Eskom removed 5,000 megawatts of capacity from the grid, after bringing some tripped units back on line, but its executives have warned that theres a risk the situation could deteriorate again. South Africas growth potential continues to diminish every day that the power cuts continue, economists at Rand Merchant Bank said in emailed comments. The outlook remains one of more pain to come as South Africa assets are fragile and prone to weakness in an environment of deteriorating fundamentals. Ramaphosa last announced emergency measures to curtail the outages on July 25, including increasing Eskoms maintenance budget and ramping up power purchases. Radiokop resident Tapiwa Chasakara said hes grown increasingly frustrated at the governments and Eskoms inaction. These power cuts are the worst weve seen because they happened so quickly and without warning, he said. The longer hours without power are impacting our quality of life and even our finances because you find yourself having to buy takeaways when you could have just cooked at home. I dont have backup power. (Updates with comment from mobile phone companies after Battery Backup subheadline) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. ATLANTA (AP) Kyle Wright didn't exactly feel sluggish, just not quite on top of his game. Even so, his performance, which Wright said was just OK," was good enough to move him closer to 20 wins. The more times I can go out there and pitch as long as I can, however long that may be, and hopefully give us chance to win thats what I think Im the most proud of," he said. Theres just a lot more confidence when I take the mound." Wright won his major league-leading 19th game, Austin Riley and Eddie Rosario homered and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Monday night. The defending World Series champions won their ninth straight home game to improve to 92-55. Atlanta remained one game behind the first-place Mets in the NL East after New York won 7-2 at Milwaukee to clinch a playoff spot. Wright (19-5) won his sixth consecutive decision, allowing two runs and eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. The Braves improved to 22-6 in Wrights starts this season, including seven straight wins. Wright threw 64 of 88 pitches for strikes. Hes been sharper, but youre doing something right when you win that many games and youre keeping your club in there, and its not going to be just without flaws or smooth sailing all of the time," manager Brian Snitker said. And probably most of the time not. And the fact that you can maneuver and do things when youre not hitting on all cylinders is what winners do." Riley hit his 37th homer, second-best in the NL, and his eighth against the Nationals in 14 games this year. He went deep in the first off Cory Abbott, his 368-foot shot barely clearing the wall in left field. Rosario connected off Steve Cishek to make it 5-2 in the seventh, his fifth homer traveling 392 feet to right. Last-place Washington dropped to 51-96 and lost for the seventh time in nine games. Theyre getting an opportunity to play and theyre showing me some things I want to see, and theyre doing well," manager Dave Martinez said. Were looking for players, right? Come spring training, these guys can make a good case for themselves." Story continues Wright is 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts this year against the Nationals. The No. 5 overall draft pick of 2017 gave up a single in the first, the second and the fourth but didnt allow a runner into scoring position until Ildemaro Vargas doubled to begin the fifth. Vargas advanced on C.J. Abrams single and scored on Victor Robles sacrifice fly. Wright issued his lone walk before Alex Call doubled to drive in Abrams to trim the lead to 4-2. Wright gave up singles to Joey Meneses and Vargas in the sixth but struck out Riley Adams to end the threat. Jesse Chavez faced the minimum in the seventh, Raisel Iglesias faced four batters in the eighth his 18th consecutive scoreless appearance and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his NL-leading 35th save in 42 chances. The Braves scored three runs in the fourth. Riley walked and advanced on a double by Matt Olson that ended an 0-for-22 stretch, then scored on Travis dArnauds single. Michael Harris II followed with an RBI single. He stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by Adams and scored on William Contreras sacrifice fly. Olson began the game with four hits in his last 66 at-bats dating to Aug. 28. It hasnt been the easiest go for me personally, but its a crazy game and you just stay on top of stuff," he said. Weve been winning some games and thats all that matters at the end of the day. Trying to get it going in the right direction. A good baby step." Atlanta has outscored opponents 39-12 during its home winning streak. The Braves last won nine straight as part of a modern era-record 13-game home winning streak in 2019. At 51-25 at home, the Braves are second in the NL in home winning percentage. Facing Atlanta for the first time, Abbott (0-3) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, his ERA rising 51 points to 5.70 in seven starts this season. Meneses went 4 for 4, each of his hits a single. The Braves improved to 11-3 against Washington this season. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: Martinez said DH Nelson Cruz (eye inflammation) is doing better after taking eye drops but might need a couple more days before he rejoins the lineup. ... LHP MacKenzie Gore (left shoulder inflammation) will throw a bullpen Tuesday. If that goes well, he will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester. ... C Keibert Ruiz (testicular contusion) and RHP Cade Cavalli (right shoulder inflammation) are traveling with the team but arent expected to return this season. ... RHP Victor Arano (right shoulder strain) played catch. STERLING SEASON Wright is bidding to become the first Braves pitcher to lead the NL in wins since Russ Ortiz had 21 in 2003. The last Atlanta pitcher to lead the majors in wins was Tom Glavine in 2000. The Hall of Famer won 21 times that year. UP NEXT Braves RHP Charlie Morton (8-6, 4.17 ERA) will face LHP Patrick Corbin (6-18, 6.11) as the teams play the second game of a three-game series Tuesday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Tuesday called for a federal investigation into Puerto Rican energy provider Luma Energy after Hurricane Fiona swept through the U.S. territory and initially knocked out power throughout the island. James sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging them to probe the frequent and lengthy outages throughout Puerto Rico since Luma Energy took over operations of the electric grid in 2021. While I fully support relief efforts underway to help Puerto Rico, I am convinced that we need long-term structural support for the island, not just band aids that take us from one crisis to the next, James said in a statement. One of these structural challenges is the power grid and the electrical supply Puerto Ricans rely on for basic necessities. Puerto Ricans are rightly concerned about the failures of LUMA, the islands electric supplier, she added. The Hill has reached out to FEMA, FERC and the DOE for comment. After Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sunday, it knocked out power for the roughly 1.5 million customers on the island. The entire grid ultimately failed, affecting Puerto Ricos more than 3 million residents. President Biden has declared an emergency for Puerto Rico, and FEMA has sent hundreds of emergency responders to the island. As of Tuesday, more than a million customers on the island are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us, and many Puerto Ricans lack access to potable water. The defeat of the power grid is a reminder of the stark failures after 2017s Hurricane Maria, which caused billions of dollars in damage and the longest blackout in U.S. history as some customers waited months for power to come back online. Luma Energy, created by a Houston company and a Canadian business, took over from the state-run Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) in the summer of 2021 to privatize the grid in the wake of the failures caused by Maria. Story continues But James on Tuesday said Luma Energy has failed to keep the power running reliably several times, including two blackouts last month, and said customers face long delays in getting power back on. She called into question the billions of federal dollars that have flowed to Puerto Rico to strengthen its grid. On Monday, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) postponed a hearing that was set for this week that would have examined concerns with PREPA and Luma Energy. Grijalva said he still planned to investigate. There are no words to describe how devastating it is to witness Hurricane Fiona wreak havoc in Puerto Rico, especially as the destruction of Hurricane Maria still lingers on the island five years later, he said in a statement. I also want to make it abundantly clear that the people of Puerto Rico deserve an electrical grid and other critical infrastructure that is built to endure these kinds of natural disasters and other effects of climate change. But for too long, they have been living with a power utility that hasnt delivered on that obligation, the lawmaker added. Others are also raising questions about Puerto Ricos long-standing issues with its energy grid. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the award-winning musical Hamilton, wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Tuesday that Puerto Rico is in a state of increasing vulnerability after Fiona and Maria, arguing more businesses and people across the mainland U.S. should assist the island in addressing the persistent issues. Solving its energy crisis, the effects of climate change and continued migration off the island are essential priorities for both the citizens of this island and the nation of which it is a part, Miranda wrote in the opinion piece with his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr. James on Tuesday also said the rates for electricity are about double the U.S. national average in a territory where more than 40 percent of the population lives in poverty. As Puerto Rico begins to recover from Hurricane Fiona, LUMA must be held accountable, she wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. YORK, Maine A proposed new cell tower in York Village hit a dead zone last week after the town's Appeals Board rejected a variance request for the 120-foot monopole. The board voted unanimously Sept. 14 to reject Vertex Towers' request to erect the tower in the woods at 162 York St. behind the First Parish Church. Vertex told board members the federal Telecommunications Act precludes local boards from preventing towers where coverage gaps exist, but board members said they were bound to reject the variance by town ordinance and state law. Plans for a cellphone monopole that Vertex Towers is looking to build in the woods behind First Parish Church in York, Maine. Board members determined the project violated at least one of the four criteria required by state law for a variance to be granted that the project would not alter the essential character of the locality. Vertex has proposed dressing the monopole to appear as a tree, but board members said they doubted the tall structure would go unnoticed. I find it totally in askance to believe that a 120-foot tower structure in the middle of a forest does not alter the essential character of the locality, said board member Michael Swant. That is preposterous to me. Previous story: Vertex Towers threatens lawsuit if York rejects 120-foot cell tower project Board members said the towns own ordinance also prohibited the Appeals Board from granting variances for uses that are otherwise prohibited in a given zone. That alone was enough for board member Michelle Marean to vote against the project. When it says, A variance shall not be granted to permit a use or structure otherwise prohibited, why do we go further with that? asked Marean. My vote would be to stick with the first sentence of the ordinance. More: No one wants to pay $400K for rat-infested York home: Heres towns next move Legal counsel gives green light to reject cell tower Cell towers are allowed in two areas of town called overlay districts, one that runs along Route 1 and Interstate 95, the other being in the western part of the town. Vertex first came before the board in August requesting a variance to allow them to build a tower where the use is prohibited. They are simultaneously seeking approval from the Planning Board for the project, with whom they were scheduled to meet Thursday, Sept. 22. Story continues When Pigs Fly Breads: Meet the brothers that look to bring York-based company to new level Vertex representative Francis Parisi told the board at the August meeting they were obligated to grant the variance under federal law, which he said preserves the right for companies to build towers where a gap in coverage exists and no other alternative can be found. He said Vertex had submitted to the town an extensive review of why no alternative exists and that a rejection would likely lead to action in federal court. The federal law, to be fair, does not say you have to say yes. It just says you cant say no without sufficient reason, Parisi said. Theres a gap in coverages, and theres no viable alternative. Board members postponed their August vote to September because they wanted to wait for advice from town counsel. They received a letter that was read during the Sept. 14 meeting from attorney Mary Costigan, who advised that the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate there is a significant gap in coverage. Board members took her letter as assurance they were not obligated to grant the variance. We got distracted by the threat, at the time it felt like a threat, of a lawsuit, Marean said. Mary (Costigan) has come back and said, You may ask for a technical review, or we may follow the ordinance, and that is our decision. Maine Lobster Week: Here is a sneak peek at what local restaurants have planned York divided over cell towers Yorks residents have debated the issue of cell towers for years, both on whether and where to allow them in town. The towns Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance was first enacted in 2002, establishing the two sections of town known as overlay districts where towers are allowed to be placed. A citizens petition sought a moratorium on cell towers in York at this years May referendum, though voters turned the article down. Cell towers have become the center of local battles around the country as wireless communications companies seek to expand coverage against the will of municipal and state laws. York resident James Kences is seen outside York Town Hall on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, protesting a proposal to build a cell antenna array atop the Roots Rock Road water tower. He spoke out last week against another proposal to construct a tower behind First Parish Church. The project proposed by Vertex in York has not gone without local support, as York Village Fire Chief Chris Balentine wrote a letter to the Planning Department June 22 stating the new tower would help emergency services. He said there has been an increase in calls, and that the improved service is something they sorely need for coverage in York Village and York Harbor areas. The York Fire Department supports the communications upgrades by Vertex, Balentine wrote. I feel this will be a definite enhancement for emergency services due to the increase in the level of service. York to caretaker: Work with us or town will demolish historic beach home hit by fire The Appeals Board heard from several residents in their meeting last week that opposed the tower. Former selectman Torbert Macdonald said Vertex and the board had not considered repeaters to extend coverage, as was done in the harbor section of town recently. The fact of the matter is, with repeaters and microcells, you can get coverage anywhere in town, Macdonald said. Local historian James Kences, a member of the First Parish Church, lamented the church for considering the project. He criticized the church leadership as stewards and described their agreement with Vertex as treating the land like a commodity. The very time church leadership has dedicated itself to concern for the environment as a focus of activity, it somewhat schizophrenically is also intent on desecrating the church woods with a fake tree, Kences said. How seriously can we consider the churchs commitment to the environment? Parisi responded to statements made by the public, saying repeaters and microcells were practical in urban settings where coverage is already ubiquitous and only a small gap needs to be filled. He said that made sense in York Harbor where a repeater was recently installed, but not for widespread coverage needed across York. He also responded to Kences by saying the church had made the decision to allow the tower with great thought and through many meetings. Parisi said he had met with church trustees that day and that they were working with Vertex as a benefit for the town. They are representatives of this community as well, Parisi said. They are clearly behind this project, not from a financial standpoint. The money is insignificant. Its the benefit of the town. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York ME rejects 120-foot-tall cell tower to fix dead zone Ludwig Anders Ahgren has 3.5 million YouTube subscribers. Ludwig via YouTube and Roy Rochlin/Getty Images. A YouTuber said he traveled from California to Panama to film a YouTube video with MrBeast. YouTuber Ludwig said the trip was "awkward" because MrBeast's crew was "constantly filming." "It's 24 hours of living and then they use it for 90 seconds of the video," he said. A California-based YouTuber said he traveled to Panama, Central America, to film a video with influencer MrBeast, describing the experience as "awkward" because crew members were "constantly filming" him during the trip. Ludwig Anders Ahgren, known as "Ludwig" on YouTube, typically posts gaming, comedy, and challenge videos to his 3.5 million subscribers. In a September 9 episode of "The Yard," a podcast he co-hosts with three other creators, he teased an upcoming collaboration with YouTube superstar MrBeast, who has 104 million subscribers. Ahgren said that filming took place in Panama, which is roughly 2,950 miles from his home in Los Angeles, saying he expected that only snippets of the footage involving him would make it to the final cut. "It's 24 hours of living, and then they use it for 90 seconds of the video. It's just weird," he said, adding that he felt that he constantly needed to play up to the cameras while filming with MrBeast. "You have to kind of be weirdly on for a stretch when any moment could be used because they're like constantly filming, which I find weird," he said, adding, "it was awkward." The YouTuber did not explain what his purported collaboration with MrBeast was about in the episode, and a collaboration between Ahrgen and MrBeast set in Panama has not currently been posted on either YouTuber's channel. Ahgren appeared to tease the collaboration in a series of Instagram pictures showing him standing with MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. Donaldson is one of the most-followed and highest-paid creators on YouTube. He is known for posting extravagant, high-budget competitions on YouTube involving up to hundreds of featured guests. Story continues In November 2021, Donaldson recreated the set from the Netflix series "Squid Game" and invited 456 contestants to compete for a prize of $456,000 provided by a video game company. His most recent video posted on September 3 involved him playing hide-and-seek with 100 of his subscribers, with an opportunity for each person to win $10,000 by evading capture. In 2018, Donaldson told The Verge that he funds such projects by reinvesting YouTube ad revenue into new videos. "Every dollar I've ever made came from YouTube, and YouTube just pays better than you think," he said. Donaldson and Ahgren have filmed several video collaborations together in the past, for example, when the two played a game of poker against one another in September 2021. Ahgren is primarily known for posting gaming content, first making his name on streaming platform Twitch in 2018. In 2021, Ahgren pivoted from Twitch to YouTube, continuing to post gaming content and also launching an in-person YouTube game show called Mogul Money, which featured famous YouTube and Twitch streamers such as Pokimane and Mizkif as contestants. The show's concept was similar to American gameshow "Jeopardy!" with contestants having to submit answers around a given theme in the form of a question. Ahgren and Donaldson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here. Read the original article on Insider FOX13 has learned new details about another person connected to a standoff at a local fast food restaurant involving a man armed with a machete. The incident unfolded Monday evening near a McDonalds in the 3800 block of Hacks Cross and a Zaxbys next door. According to an arrest affidavit, Shelby County Sheriffs deputies arrived at the Zaxbys just after 8:30 p.m. for an armed party call. MORE: Man charged in machete standoff arrested for similar incident at local Half Shell, records show They encountered the store manager, identified as Kendall Hamilton, 38, holding a man with a machete at gunpoint. Records show the man with the machete was cornering Hamilton and another person, a female, while Hamilton pointed a gun at him. Deputies ordered the men to drop their weapons, and only Hamilton complied, records show. The man with the machetes attention was drawn to the deputies, allowing Hamilton and the woman to escape. Hamilton then put the gun, a blue Taurus pistol, in his vehicle, according to the affidavit. While a deputy was canvassing the area during the incident, he noticed the gun was later missing from the car. Hamilton said he had moved the weapon because he is a convicted felon, according to the affidavit. He said he went into the restricted crime scene, removed the weapon, and gave it to a fellow employee. Hamilton was detained while deputies searched for the employee. He was located in the 7900 block of Centennial and the gun was found in his waistband, records show. The gun was shown to be stolen, but SCSO could not find any felony convictions for Hamilton, according to the affidavit. The employees mother arrived, and he was released without charges. Hamilton was taken to 201 Poplar. Hes charged with Tampering With/Fabricating Evidence, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Theft of Property $1,000 - $2,500. PHOTOS: Man with machete in standoff with SCSO deputies Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Story continues Trending stories: Five months after walking the banks of the James River in Amherst County to observe the need for protection of a sanitary sewer line, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., announced recently the county is on track to receive $2 million for the project as part of federal spending for fiscal year 2023. Warner and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in a joint news release announced the Amherst sewer project is included in nearly $135 million in federal funding for Virginia projects in pending government funding bills. The next step for the legislation is a markup and advancement to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is expected later this year, followed by Senate floor consideration, according to the release. During Warners April 13 visit to Amherst County he was told by Bob Hopkins, director of the countys service authority, how land erosion is threatening the sewer line along the river. The Amherst County Service Authority sought $2 million for installation of a stone revetment structure to completely stabilize the utility line. While speaking on the project with county officials in April, Warner said failure of the sewer line on the river would be disastrous and the project is a prime example of common sense infrastructure needs across the commonwealth. And we finally have the resources to make it happen, Warner said at the time. Warner visited Amherst as part of a four-day swing across Virginia touting the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November. In this release, Warner said he is proud to have worked to secure investments for communities all throughout the state. By propelling impactful local projects, these dedicated federal dollars will further build on the progress weve made through the bipartisan infrastructure law and the many rounds of COVID-19 relief funding authorized by Congress. I look forward to seeing these diverse projects generate jobs, support Virginias tourism economy, make neighborhoods safer, and bring communities together, Warner said. Kaine said in the release the annual federal budget is always an opportunity to fight for Virginia priorities and hes pleased with how the effort is shaping up for the upcoming fiscal year. I will keep fighting to keep the many critical components of these bills intact as we get this budget across the finish line from keeping Virginia communities safe from gun violence, COVID, and future health crises; to addressing food insecurity and the root causes of migration, Kaine said. Fiery wreck kills one, injures two in Campbell County A three-car crash Tuesday morning on U.S. 460 in Campbell County killed one driver and sent two others to the hospital, according to Virginia State Police. The crash happened at 7:24 a.m. A 2019 Toyota Corolla was eastbound on U.S. 460 when it was hit from behind by an eastbound 2012 Honda Civic. A 2006 Dodge Dakota, also traveling east, could not avoid the first crash and rear-ended the Honda Civic, causing both vehicles to catch fire, according to a state police news release. The Toyota driver, Alicia M. Flander, 26, of Madison Heights, and the Dodge driver, James F. Brown Jr., 65, of Evington, received minor injuries and were taken to Lynchburg General Hospital for treatment, the release states. Both wore seatbelts. The driver of the Honda was killed in the crash, the release states. The body was taken to the medical examiners office for examination, autopsy and positive identification. The crash remains under investigation. Miles Teller poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Top Gun: Maverick" at the 75th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, May 18, 2022. (Vianney Le Caer/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP) NEW YORK Straight out of Top Gun: Maverick, actor Miles Teller will host the opening episode of the 48th season of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 1. Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar will be the musical guest on opening night, his third appearance on SNL, NBC said on Tuesday. Advertisement It promises to be a transition season for NBCs comedy institution, which has seen the departure of eight cast members. Actor Brendan Gleeson, star of the upcoming film The Banshees of Inisherin, will host the Oct. 8 edition of the show. Willow makes her SNL debut as musical guest. Advertisement Megan Thee Stallion earns double duty on Oct. 15 as the host and musical guest, NBC said on Tuesday. The Lorne Michaels-produced show soldiers on this season minus cast members Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Christopher Redd, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Aristotle Athari and Melissa Villasenor. The show has named four new cast members as replacements. CEDAR RAPIDS Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken denied allegations that he grabbed and kissed a former campaign staffer without her consent after the conservative news website Iowa Field Report detailed a police report alleging unwanted advances. According to the report, the person, assumed to be Franken, grabbed the collar of the vest of a former female campaign staffer in March and kissed her on the mouth after meeting for drinks in Des Moines. The assistant Polk County attorney found no criminal act had been established and closed the investigation as unfounded. No charges were filed. The name of the person investigated was redacted from the police report, but the name of the woman making the complaint Kimberly Strope-Boggus was included. Franken, though, told reporters at a Social Security Works town hall meeting in Cedar Rapids on Monday that he met with former campaign staffer Strope-Boggus, 43, that night at her request, after she reportedly had been fired from his campaign, and I had a glass of beer. Franken repeatedly denied the allegations in the police report. It never happened, Franken, 64, told The Gazette. He said he was not interviewed by police, who he said investigated the report and found the allegation baseless. Franken accused Republicans of targeting him ahead of a critical midterm election. He is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. It is nonsense, but its kind of traditional for the Republicans to drum something like this up, right? Franken said. Im surprised that they would come after a person like myself. But thats fine, you know. Thats expected, I guess. And you know, Im not at all surprised in many respects. Strope-Boggus did not return a message seeking comment. NO CRIMINAL INTENT The police report, which Strope-Boggus filed with Des Moines police April 12, states Assistant Polk County Attorney Meggan Guns determined there was insufficient evidence to support that a criminal act occurred and to pursue a criminal investigation. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, in a statement, said the Des Moines Police Department investigated this matter as they would any other complaint. The investigator determined there was no criminal intent on the part of the individual against whom the complaint was made, Sarcone said. According to the report, Strope-Boggus did not describe any sexual intent (by Franken) nor any intent to harm either her or the other women. Our attorney properly decided not to file a criminal charge because we could not establish there was criminal intent involved, Sarcone said. Des Moines Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said our detectives followed the appropriate investigative strategies. According to the police report, Strope-Boggus worked as a campaign manager for Frankens 2020 U.S. Senate race when he lost to fellow Democrat Theresa Greenfield in the primary election. Strope-Boggus began working for Franken again on his current U.S. Senate campaign until she and another staffer were fired. On March 18, Strope-Boggus told police she met Franken for drinks at the Dam Pub. When they left the bar, as they were walking to their vehicles, she said Franken grabbed the collar of the vest she was wearing and kissed her on the mouth. According to the report, Strope-Boggus pulled away, and Franken stopped the contact and walked away without saying anything further. Asked if she believed Franken grabbed and kissed her in an aggressive or sexual manner, Strope-Boggus told police no, according to the report. Rather, Strope-Boggus described Frankens behavior as old school, saying he has 1950s interactions with women, and she believes that he thinks kissing and hugging women is part of his charm. She accused Franken of doing the same thing to other women. Strope-Boggus told the investigator she told her wife about the kiss in April and decided to file the report after her wife advised her to report the kiss to police. Strope-Boggus also alleges in the report that a day before her conversation with the investigator, Frankens campaign contacted her attorney after she reposted negative comments from her wife on Twitter about Franken. In the police report, Strope-Boggus said she signed a separation agreement with the Franken campaign that included a non-disparagement clause. These allegations are false, Julie Stauch, Franken for Iowa campaign manager, said in a statement. This accusation was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Polk County Attorneys Office, who found no wrongdoing and closed the case as unfounded. CANDIDATES ABSENT Franken was in Cedar Rapids on Monday for a Social Security Works town hall meeting with Jon Bauman Bowzer from Sha Na Na. Franken was to be joined by Iowa Democratic state lawmakers and congressional candidates Christina Bohannan and Liz Mathis, both of whom were conspicuously absent. Bohannans campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Mathis campaign said it was notified Sept. 8 of the possible town hall but had not received confirmation as of Friday afternoon and bumped the Franken event for another engagement. Although it is my understanding investigators found that no criminal act occurred and the case was closed after being deemed unfounded by police, it is an important reminder that workplaces and law enforcement should encourage women to feel comfortable coming forward with any allegations of inappropriate conduct, Mathis said in a statement. From my work as an advocate for victims of neglect and assault, I reaffirm my victim-focused and zero-tolerance stance against all forms of sexual harassment. ASHLAND The last time John Edson and his friends stepped foot into the fuselage of a KC-97 tanker plane was on the eve of possible destruction. In 1962, the 98th Air Refueling Wing had been called to the tropical climes of the Azores for a temporary assignment. Along for the trans-Atlantic trip were technicians including Edson who serviced the engines of the KC-97s as part of the 98th Field Maintenance Squadron stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base. It was supposed to be a routine tour 120 days in paradise. On the way there, the crew played cards on the fuselage floor. Then came the Cuban Missile Crisis. We found ourselves sitting on a rock in the middle of the Atlantic when the whole world was in an uproar about the Russians bringing atomic weapons to Cuba, Edson said. Suddenly, the crews of the KC-97s, and the B-47s in the 98th Bomb Wing they refueled, were thrust into action. One of their tasks was to search the ocean for Soviet ships. The Cold War tensions eventually eased. The heated arms race cooled. The 35 or so technicians returned to Lincoln and then either stayed or scattered across the country to Texas and Ohio and Minnesota and beyond. They married and had kids and worked at airplane factories or grain mills. And they stayed in touch. The technicians' first reunion was in 1975, but they didn't start meeting annually until 2002. They would go to Seattle, Alaska, Colorado and Lincoln, of course. But as the years went on, the ranks dwindled. Today, there are 10 left from the 98th Field Maintenance Squadrons Reciprocating Engine Shop. And this years reunion where for the first time since that trip to the Azores 60 years ago, they stepped into the belly of a KC-97 at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum could very well be their last. Its pretty much the end of the road for us, said Chuck Dehne of Houston. But its been a good ride. 'We were all just teenagers' The Greyhound bus dropped off the young man from St. Petersburg, Florida, across the street from the Cornhusker Hotel in the October sleet. The first thought John Edson had was how he was going to get out of Lincoln. Hed been assigned to the reciprocating engine shop at the city's burgeoning Air Force Base. Edson had just graduated high school in 1960 and enlisted in the Air Force to see the world, not Nebraska. All he knew was that Lincoln was the state capital and Charles Starkweather had lived there. I thought, Im going to put in for a transfer as soon as Im eligible,' he said. Chuck Dehne was stationed on the base for three years after going to tech school in Wichita Falls, Texas. He worked mainly on the engines of H-19 helicopters that supported missile silo sites throughout the state. His eventual wife, Kathie, didnt know where Lincoln was. When I called her, I told her, Well I got my orders, Im going to Nebraska, and she said Oh, youre going overseas, he said with a laugh. But soon the unlikely band of technicians warmed up to Lincoln and each other, working on the engines of the bulky, propeller-powered KC-97s that were commissioned in the 1950s to support the 100 or so B-47 bombers stationed in Lincoln. We were all just teenagers when we came to Lincoln, Edson said. We depended on each other for virtually everything. Theyd play cards on the base at night or head downtown, drawn by the allure of O Street. G.I.s could wait at the base's main gate and in less than 10 minutes could get dropped off at Ninth and O streets and head to Golds or Miller & Paine. Wed hit places like Kings for hamburgers and Acme Chili Parlor, Edson said. Those lucky enough to have cars would take trips to Linoma Beach near Ashland or Marysville, Kansas, where they could legally sip 3.2% beer. Edson bought his own car, a 1951 Mercury, for $100 from a used car lot. Many found jobs on the side at businesses that were more than happy to hire air base personnel, like Abel Construction and U-Save gas stations. And that kid from St. Petersburg who wanted nothing more than to leave Lincoln began to call it home. "60 years after, I'm still in Lincoln," Edson said. "I'm a native Nebraskan." 'They had a big role' As the Cold War heated up, the Lincoln Air Force Base was activated in February 1954 as an extension of the Strategic Air Command in Bellevue. The first major aircraft to land on its runways was the KC-97. A descendant of the B-29 bomber, the large tanker planes part of the 98th and 307th Air Refueling Squadrons based in Lincoln could lug thousands of gallons of fuel to resupply B-47 jets mid-air. Soon, the base was buzzing with thousands of servicemen, including highly specialized technicians to service practically every facet of the planes, from the landing gear to the engines. The first members of the 98th Field Maintenance Squadron arrived in 1958, living in the barracks two to a room or off base. Perhaps the biggest role they played was in 1962, when the Soviet Union deployed ballistic missiles to Cuba. "They had a big role searching for Soviet ships, and these guys were supporting that," said Rob Branting, a Lincoln Air Force Base historian who recently wrote a book on the airfield. By the next year, the 98th Air Refueling Squadron was deactivated, but the KC-97s stayed on until 1965, according to Branting. The Air National Guard continued to fly the planes into the 1970s before the KC-97s were phased out altogether. The last of the engine shop techs left in 1964, two years before Lincoln Air Force Base was shuttered, but three of the guys Jim Finnell, George Skorohod and Edson stayed in Lincoln. Finnell, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, went to work for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a time before finding a job at Gooch Milling and Elevator now ADM Milling where he stayed for 35 years. "I liked it here," Finnell said. "I never even dreamt of going back to my hometown." Most from the shop returned home or found work in other cities. Dehne went to work as a mechanic for American Airlines first in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, and then in Houston, where he still lives. But whether they stayed or left, their time on the base remained with them. "It was the place where the brotherhood was formed," Dehne said. It was also the place where the men and their spouses started families, where their children were born. "They went home to Toledo and Minneapolis, etc., but forever more on the birth certificate, it said (St. Elizabeth's) or Bryan hospital," Edson said. "And none of them have ever forgot that." 'It's been really fun' Larry Mau was the man behind the first reunion. The Toledo, Ohio, native had located a former engine shop buddy online nearly 40 years after they had all dispersed. He continued researching for a couple of years and organized the first meetup of the crew and their spouses in Lincoln in 2002. The men had gotten together in 1975 not long after the Air Force Base closed but not in the intervening years. "The conversation didn't stop for three days," Edson wrote in an editorial for the Journal Star not long after the 2002 reunion. Thus began the string of annual reunions that was only interrupted once by the pandemic in 2020. They were in Lincoln a few times. It was a central location where everyone could meet. Otherwise, they traveled to Seattle, Texas, Alaska, Colorado and Missouri. "It's been really fun," said Judi Schleicher, whose husband, Don Schleicher, served on the base. "The numbers have dwindled, of course. Many are not able to travel or have passed on, but we keep hanging in there." Last week, the remaining members of the engine shop and their spouses came to Mahoney State Park for what Edson says could be their last reunion. It was a week of sharing old stories. They made a trip to Fremont to check out some hot rods. Nearly everyone in the group is a gearhead. And Wednesday, they rolled up to the SAC Museum for a tour and a chance to step back in time. As they walked through the narrow, dark fuselage of the KC-97, they recalled that trip to the Azores in 1962. The men pointed out the hollow at the back of the plane where the boom to refuel the bombers was located. The tanks that lined the walls and the benches where they sat. It was just as they remembered it. But in the end, they weren't here for the plane. As engine techs, they rarely ever got a chance to climb aboard them anyway. They were here for each other, just as they had been on the Air Force Base. "You don't forget those people," Edson said. "They're brothers in every sense of the word." We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Somalia is seeing gains in the fight against the Somali-based, al-Qaida-affiliated Islamist militant group al-Shabab, and seeks support from the United States to help the country finally eliminate this threat to its national security, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said during his visit to Washington last week. In a speech to the Somali diaspora community in Washington, Mohamud said his government is organizing a strong military front in the southern Jubaland state of Somalia. We see a strong momentum against al-Shabab and want to sustain it to defeat a group that has proven to be remorseless and [like the] mafia, which has attained economic autonomy through intimidation and the murder of innocent people, he said, adding that his governments new approach is being encouraged by the resistance of local clan militia, who keep fighting al-Shabab in the central Somali regions. Only hours after the Mohamuds speech in the US state of Virginia, a government-allied Somali militia said it killed at least 45 al-Shabab fighters, as citizens in central regions of the country increasingly take up arms against the insurgents. The Somali president told the press that during his visit to Washington, he discussed new government strategies to fight al-Shabab with top US government officials, who he said pledged full support for his government. According to Mohamud, his trip to Washington has been mainly focusing on two things, security and the drought, which is feared to cause famine in parts of Somalia from October through December. Investing in long-term gas projects in Africa as countries wrestle with powering their development with clean energy may not be a very good idea, United States special envoy on climate John Kerry has noted, as African countries denounce developed nations pledge to curb fossil fuel investment is unfair. We are not saying no gas, he told the media on the sidelines of an African environment ministers conference in Dakar, Senegal, last week. What we are saying is, over the next few years, gas replaces coal or replaces oil, Kerry said, adding that gas can be used as a transition to cleaner energy sources, though after 2030, it will be important to capture the emissions from gas too. Almost half of Africas population, or more than 600 million people, lack access to electricity, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Energy Agency. Therefore, in order to boost their electricity production, power industries and curb energy poverty, Senegal and other African countries in the region aim to start producing oil and gas. And continued financing of oil and gas projects on the continent is also expected to be a hotly contested issue during a United Nations climate summit in Egypt in November. Meanwhile, Kerry has also pledged US support to help Nigeria mitigate the effects of climate change, saying Africas most populous nation would benefit from a $12 billion fund for climate action. During his recent two-nation West Africa visit in the Nigerian capital, the former US secretary of state said the agreement allows the US government to assist Nigeria in developing technologies for cleaner fuel sources, including gas, wind and solar energy. Nigeria is a very important, if not one of the most important, countries in terms of the direction of dealing with climate for all of Africa, because Nigeria is a major producer of gas and oil and how Nigeria approaches the climate crisis will send a message to the rest of the continent, will help set the direction of our dealing with the climate crisis, Kerry said. Forbidden Stories, in collusion with the Bertha Foundation, a pro-polisario entity, is trying to attack Morocco once again with unfounded and meaningless revelations. The tandem has just published an investigation in what it called spoliation of Soulaliyates land in Morocco to the detriment of the interests of vulnerable owners, and claims to have new elements on the matter. The Soulaliyates land is monitored by a competent governmental committee, as well as by activists from civil society and womens associations. A certain French media, nostalgic of the colonial era and hostile to Morocco, seek ceaselessly to harm and denigrate the Kingdom through whatever cases: Pegasus, human rights and, now, Soulaliyate lands. The problem of Soulaliyate lands is a legacy of the time of the French protectorate which made them incontrovertible, indefeasible and non-transferable. This matter does not conceal any hidden side or sensitive underside, except for a few marginal associations such as ATTAC. In February 2019, law 62-17 on the administrative supervision of ethnic communities and the management of their lands was promulgated. The injustice towards women, who did not have access to ownership of Soulaliyate land, is finally lifted. Thanks to this new law, rights claimants, men and women, who until now only had the right to use the land, are now be able to become owners of this land. According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, 4,631 ethnic communities and nearly 10 million people are concerned by the measure. The Soulaliyate land reform is likely to generate sustainable development at the territorial level, thanks to Moroccan human capital, an idea that some French media and the Forbidden Stories consortium do not like particularly, and prefer to defend the economic hegemony of France, which draws on African resources. The autonomy plan offered by Morocco under its sovereignty for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Sahara regional conflict was at the center of a meeting held over the weekend in the French city of Nancy. The event was organized by the Sahrawi Association for Autonomy Project and Sustainable Development. It featured a series of activities, including an exhibition of Saharan handicraft and arts. Lectures were given by former founding member of the polisario, Mahjoub Salek; French-Swiss political expert, Jean-Marie Heydt; university Prof. Mohamed Mraizika; and Head of International Observatory for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Geneva Aicha Douihi. Debates focused on the growing international support for the autonomy plan presented by Morocco, a plan described by the United Nations and the international community as the ONLY viable and realistic solution to the Sahara conflict, a conflict fueled by Algerian military junta to serve its hegemonic agenda and deflect the attention of the pro-democracy protesters demanding regime change. The lecturers decried the deteriorating living conditions of the sequestered Sahrawis in Tindouf camps, southern Algeria, and denounced the abuses, serious human rights violations and crimes committed by the armed polisario militias in these camps in connivance with Algerian rulers. Three Sahrawi activists, who escaped from the polisario-controlled camps, offered moving accounts of the sufferings, torture, ill-treatment and oppression perpetrated by the corrupt and reckless polisario thugs under the watch of the Algerian Generals. Head of Moroccos national security and domestic intelligence agency Abdellatif El Hammouchi and Avril Haines head of the US national intelligence discussed in Rabat the means to further bolster bilateral cooperation to counter mounting security challenges, including threats emerging from the nexus between terrorist and organized crime groups. The meeting was a follow up of a visit paid by Hammouchi to Haines in the US on June 13-14, the Moroccan security institution said in a statement. It was a chance to review the security conditions at the regional level and to examine new threats posed by the connivances between terrorist and organized crime groups which are increasingly affecting the cyber sphere. They also discussed the means to bolster security and intelligence cooperation between Morocco and the US to reflect the quality of strategic cooperation between the two countries in favor of regional stability and security. The talks confirm Moroccos status as a reliable security partner and an oasis of peace and stability in a region beset by unrest and in-fighting. Moroccan security agencies have acted in tandem with Western peers offering tips that helped foil many terrorist attacks in Europe and beyond. A decree signed by President Felix Tshisekedi has put 4,000 civil servants of the public administration of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on retirement as authorities seek to revamp state institutions. The decision was announced by Jean-Pierre Lihau, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Public Service. Lihau was quoted by RFI as saying that 6,000 workers will be put on retirement by October this year. He added that 300,000 are expected to retire in five-year time. The Deputy Premier also reportedly announced that positions must be filled by young people. The civil service has already announced the recruitment of 5,000 young people in November. Authorities of Africas second largest country want to revamp the public administration with fresh skills and staff. The recruitment is subject to national tests. The public administration in the country is marked by the presence of thousands of ghost workers, duplicates and deceased who have not been replaced. The gap between jobs filled and salary records shows a significant difference, Lihau indicated. In the 1840s, Adolphe Sax revolutionized music with a new instrument just not in the way he expected. Somewhere between brass and woodwind, his saxophone was designed for symphonic playing. But when it came to orchestras, the saxophone never quite stuck, mostly appearing as a novelty. Advertisement Turns out Sax just had to wait a century or two. These days, the saxophone is a favorite chamber and solo instrument of classical composers the world over and Chicago is a leading crucible of that repertoire, thanks to an influential studio at Northwestern University. Recent graduate Steven Banks was one of just five young artists to receive a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant this year, and ~Nois, a nationally touring saxophone quartet thats become Gen Zs answer to the PRISM Quartet, is fiendishly good and fiendishly goofy in equal measure. But and this is a capital B but for all that sax-y goodness, it remains rare to hear a concerto for the instrument, backed by a whole orchestra. Advertisement Luckily, Chicago Sinfonietta has made an Olympic sport of high-jumping over classical convention for 35 years, and didnt bat an eye in engaging ~Nois saxophonist Julian Velasco as a soloist for its season opener on Saturday and Monday. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old Los Angeles native won Cedille Records inaugural Emerging Artist Competition, beating out violinists and pianists for a record deal with the prestigious classical label. Released last month, As We Are is a birds-eye view of Velascos range, both as an infectiously joyous interpreter of new music and a monster improviser. Roberto Sierras Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra proved a perfect vehicle for Velasco to toot both horns. (Literally: The concerto requires the soloist to swap between soprano and tenor saxophones.) When he wrote it 20 years ago, Sierra blocked out sections for jazz uber-virtuoso James Carter, the pieces dedicatee, to improvise freely. Carters improvisational DNA is braided throughout the concerto, as it was in Velascos performance at Symphony Center on Monday ozone-scraping altissimos, mouthpiece pops and blistering multiphonics. Saxophonist Julian Velasco and Chicago Sinfonietta conductor Mei-Ann Chen, and the orchestra, at Symphony Center in Chicago Sept. 19, 2022. (Kyle Flubacker photo / HANDOUT) The musicality, however, was all Velascos. The young soloist played his saxophone like a one-pipe organ, conjuring distinct timbres on a dime burly passages evaporated into wispy harmonics and arpeggios flowed with the liquid ease of a bowed instrument. Stylistic pirouettes seemed just as effortless. During his hammy final cadenza, Velasco parlayed a bebop-y solo into a spirit-band-style ditty, all served with a generous heaping of stank. Play Careless Whisper! one of Velascos ~Nois comrades bellowed from the back of the hall when he returned to the stage for an encore; laughter rippled through the crowd. (I did say fiendishly goofy, didnt I?) Instead, Velasco busted out a stage-stomping Libertango, beginning the Piazzolla chestnut on soprano and ending, boisterously, on tenor. Music director Mei-Ann Chen and the Sinfonietta landed one of their most sensitive supporting performances in recent memory in Sierras concerto. Both it and Nkeiru Okoyes Voices Shouting Out (2001) a driving and zestily orchestrated five-minute work were worthy comebacks after the orchestra led with an unsettled, unbalanced take on George Gershwins Cuban Overture. But there were further heights still to come, like Chen and Sinfoniettas crisp, striding account of Ottorino Respighis Pines of Rome. Chen, who tends to fire on all cylinders early on and stay there in extroverted rep, reined in the majestic final movement so the orchestra didnt fully crest until the pieces end. The payoff was sublime, as were inner-movement solos by principal clarinetist Leslie Grimm and English hornist June Matayoshi. That Pines of Rome was the kind of music-making every musician aspires to achieve in their life, at least once. If youre extra fortunate, you get to do it with your favorite people. By that metric, Terrance Malone Gray was a very, very lucky man. A founding Sinfonietta violinist and associate conductor of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Gray died suddenly on June 26 at the home of his friend, violinist Rachel Barton Pine. The Sinfoniettas season opener not only marked its 35th season but the beginning of its first without Gray, and the first time it had performed as an ensemble since his death. Advertisement Assistant principal cellist Edward Kelsey Moore shared memories of the man he called his best friend in remarks from the stage. Terrance was more comfortable saying I love you than anybody I know, Moore said. If youre talking to someone who makes you laugh, who makes you a better version of yourself, say those words. Members of the orchestra were visibly overcome playing a wrenching Nimrod from Edward Elgars Enigma Variations, one of Grays favorite pieces, in his memory. After the final, benedictory chord, Chen set a bouquet on Grays old seat in the first violin section, sitting empty. It remained there through Pines of Rome, soaring climax and all. What else is there to say but this: The Chicago Sinfonietta loved Terrance Gray. And how we love our Sinfonietta. Hannah Edgar is a freelance writer. The Rubin Institute for Music Criticism helps fund our classical music coverage. The Chicago Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content. Cherif Mahamat Zene, Chads Foreign minister, submitted Monday his resignation to President Mahamat Idriss Deby, decrying repeated interference and encroachment on his mandate. For several months, my commitment and my will to serve my country have been thwarted by parallel initiatives of members of your cabinet and government, undertaken without my knowledge and on your instructions, Zene said in his resignation letter. Given this situation as unhealthy as it is confusing and unacceptable, purposely maintained, and stripping the department I lead of all its prerogatives, and reducing me to a mere figurehead, it seems to me neither opportune nor responsible to continue to hold my position, the letter added. Zene according to RFI which spoke to people in the entourage of former top diplomat, was angered by a series of appointments within his ministry without his approval. The last nail in the coffin was Monday when he was replaced by cabinet spokesman Abderamane Koulamallah to chair a meeting between the state and the diplomatic corps in capital NDjamena. The 58-year-old man has reportedly fell out with President Deby. A state source contacted by RFI argues that Zene was absent from the country for five months. Did he want our diplomacy to be paralyzed all this time? the source wondered before slamming Zene as a man without principle who left the boat at such a crucial time for Chad. President Kais Saied of Tunisia has led his country to become a vassal state of its autocratic neighbor Algeria, a status that is now taken as a fact by international media. To mention but a few, two leading publications in Europe and the US have told the story of Tunisias fall from a model of democracy in the Arab world to a vassal state surviving on the charity of its military-run neighbor. Foreign policy was the latest of international media to take interest in Tunisias eroding sovereignty in tandem with its economic demise. In an article entitled Is Tunisia Abandoning Morocco for Algeria?, Simon Speakman Cordall explains how Tunisia has abdicated sovereignty over its foreign policy in exchange for Algerian gas and few tourists. The narrative of Cordall, a Tunis based reporter, remains flawed with a pro-Algerian narrative in support of the Polisarios waning separatist cause. He spoke to Polisario members only to corroborate his arguments and omitted any reference to a Moroccan source, leaving his article biased and unbalanced to say the least. Few days ago, Le Monde senior foreign policy specialist captured the key moments that led to Tunisias transformation into a vassal state of Algeria. In an article entitled Western Sahara: Algeria recruits Tunisia in its conflict with Morocco, Frederic Bobin explains how Algeria weaponized gas and tourism flows to force Tunisia to abandon its neutral stand on the Sahara. Fearing a normalization of ties between Tunis and Tel Aviv, Pro-Iran Algeria used its resources to force Tunisia to become a satellite state. Tunisia was the weak link to control at all costs, wrote Bobin, who recalls that President Saied understood that to keep buying gas at lower prices he had to trade his countrys neutrality on the Sahara issue at the expense of ties with Morocco. Algeria took advantage of Saied and placed him between the Polisario militias chief and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian authority during the independence anniversary parade in Algiers. Afterwards, Saied offered a reception to Polisario chief treating him like a head of state as an ultimate prize to the Algerian regime. Abdou Semmar, an Algerian dissident journalist based in France, said now no major decision can be taken in Tunis without the approval of Algeria. He said this domination of Algerias military regime augurs ill for Tunis which has become an Algerian province where human rights violations and autocracy are on the surge. Algerian security apparatus is now free to act in Tunis, arresting people and opponents like Slimane Bouhafs, a Kabyle independence activist who was registered with the UNHCR as a political refugee. The erosion of Tunisias independent foreign policy came as Tunisia heads straight to bankruptcy with queues for sugar, flour, coffee and other basic goods becoming an ordinary scene in Tunisian streets just like in its mentor state Algeria. The two countries are now partners in autocracy and bad governance. The Moroccan-US disaster management exercise Morocco Mantlet 2022 is held this September 12 to 23 at the Rescue and Salvage Unit of the Military Engineering and the 3rd Air Base of the Royal Air Forces in Kenitra. The exercise, held at the instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), features seminars and training sessions for the benefit of executives and intervention modules as well as field trainings. American and Moroccan military authorities are planned to visit the various training sites, said the FAR General Staff in a statement. On the sidelines of this exercise, Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, Inspector General of FAR and Commander of the South Zone, received this Tuesday, in Rabat, Major General Michael Turley, Commander of the National Guard of the State of Utah, who is paying an official visit to the Kingdom, at the head of a military delegation, September 19 to 22. The two officials reviewed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, while stressing the importance of the commitment of the National Guard of the State of Utah and FAR to further strengthen their partnership as well as the ties that exist between Morocco and the United States, the statement said. Morocco Mantlet is a combined disaster management exercise that annually brings together specialized FAR disaster management teams and Utah State National Guard teams as well as the U.S. Risk Management Agency. One of its goals is to develop technical and procedural interoperability between the specific modules of the responders. Morocco and the US have a close military relationship that includes over 100 annual joint military training operations. The annual African Lion exercise program is the culmination of this relationship and is the largest annual military exercise in Africa. About one hundred Mauritanian companies took part Tuesday in Casablanca in the 2nd Moroccan-Mauritanian economic forum, a platform seeking to enhance dialogue and contacts between the business communities of the two countries. Organized by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the National Union of Mauritanian Employers (UNPM), the forum was an opportunity for entrepreneurs to discuss joint ventures and partnership projects in agriculture, energy, agri-food business, pharmaceutical industry and finance. In her opening address, Moroccan Minister of Economy & Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui said the meeting has enabled the two countries businessmen to meet in person after the Covid-19 restrictions and explore joint investment opportunities offered in various sectors. For his part, Chakib Alj, President of CGEM, urged Moroccan and Mauritanian companies to invest in sustainable and innovative agriculture to mitigate the impacts of climate change and drought on the two countries economies. Investors of both countries showed interest in other sectors such as fisheries, energy, agribusiness and health. Mauritania has a new investment code which aims to attract more investors in various sectors, said Mr. Mohamed Zeine El Abidine Sheikh Ahmed, President of UNPM. He also affirmed that his country has huge untapped natural resources and intends to develop its industry, inviting Moroccan economic operators to capitalize on the investment opportunities. To give new impetus to Moroccan-Mauritanian partnership, Chairman of CGEM stressed the need to improve the logistics, roads and transportation infrastructures for the development of intra-African trade through the Dakar-Nouadhibou-Nouakchott-Casablanca axis. A 24-year-old North Platte man pleaded no contest Monday to an amended count of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child that was alleged to have happened numerous times over a six-year span. Daniel E. Scollin, appeared by video in Lincoln County District Court and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 28. He was arrested on Sept. 23, 2021, and initially charged with first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child. According to court records, the arrest was made the same day that Lincoln County Sheriffs Office investigators were called to the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center, where staff had completed a forensic interview with the victim. Investigators determined there was probable cause to arrest Scollin, who declined a police interview and asked for an attorney. In other cases Monday (defendants are from North Platte unless otherwise noted): John D. Hagle Jr., 55, pleaded guilty to a felony count of operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest stemming from an Aug. 12 incident. A charge of driving under the influence-third offense was dismissed in the plea agreement. According to court records, law enforcement clocked Hagles car at 69 mph on North Jeffers Street at roughly 2:18 a.m. A pursuit ensued and Hagle continued to the North Platte River bridge where he made a U-turn and headed east into Cody Park. Hagle was clocked at roughly 60 mph inside the park before he lost control of his vehicle, slid sideways and took out two small fence polls and then eventually the car spun around into a larger pole. Hagle was sentenced to 120 days in jail and credited with 38 days served. His license also will be revoked for two years. Steaven A. Nolda, 27, admitted to violation of conditions of his post-release probation term stemming from an initial charge of third-degree domestic assault in November 2020. Nolda was sentenced to 18 months in prison and credited for time served. Shane A. Plaster, 38, pleaded no contest to a charge of possession of clonazepam stemming from a May 30, 2021, arrest. Plaster also pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree forgery with a value of $1,500 to $5,000 in a separate case. Charges in two additional, separate cases were dismissed in the plea agreement. Plaster received a term of 24 months of specialized substance abuse supervision. Robert A. Quintana, 24, pleaded no contest to amended charges of attempted resisting arrest-second offense, and attempted possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. Both charges stem from a May 27 incident. Quintana was sentenced to 320 days in jail on both charges and the terms will run at the same time. He was credited with 115 days served. Jeffrey T. Denson, Jr., 31, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of third-degree assault for an incident in the Lincoln County Detention Center on June 3. Denson was sentenced to 180 days in jail and credited with 98 days served. Mindi L. Schiley, 37, of Grand Island pleaded no contest to a charge of attempted methamphetamine possession and theft by receiving stolen property with a value of $500 or less. Schiley also pleaded no contest to charges of aiding and abetting a forgery and theft by receiving stolen property with a value of $500 or less in a separate case that stems from an incident in Logan County. Schiley was sentenced to 12 months probation in both cases and the terms will run at the same time. Kurt A. Snider, 37, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of third-degree assault. He received a 14-month probation term. Luke C. Ressegieu, 33, admitted to the violation of the conditions of his post-release supervision term stemming from an initial charge of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person in August 2021. Ressegieu was sentenced to one year in prison and credited with 329 days served. He also received a 12-month PRS term. Irma A. Divas Domas, 23, of Lincoln admitted to the violation of the conditions of her post-release supervision term stemming from a driving under the influence charge in April 2020. Domas was sentenced to 30 days in jail and credited with 27 days served. Her license will be revoked for six months as well. Justin Coccorese, 35, of Ravenna pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child and criminal child enticement. A Nov. 28 status hearing was scheduled. Jackson L. Seitz, 24, pleaded not guilty to counts of kidnapping, first-degree assault, first-degree imprisonment, the use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and making terroristic threats that all stem from a July 31 incident. Seitz also pleaded not guilty to a count of first-degree assault in a separate case that stems from an May 16 incident, and a burglary charge in a third case. A Dec. 19 status hearing was scheduled for all three of cases. Shelby L. Vargas, 29, of Thedford pleaded not guilty to six counts of cruel neglect of an animal-injury or death. The charges stem from rabbits and a python that were found dead in and outside of her camper in North Platte in early June. A Dec. 19 status hearing was scheduled. Kyle Tatlow, 26, pleaded not guilty to a felony count of intentional child abuse with no injury. A Dec. 19 status hearing was scheduled. Graham T. Jones, 38, of Sulphur Springs, Texas, pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm with a felony drug violation and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. An Oct. 17 status hearing was scheduled. Emilio A. Vera, 22, pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. According to court records, law enforcement found 211.23 grams of marijuana at Veras house during a search warrant on Nov. 19. 2020. A Nov. 28 status hearing was scheduled. Anthony J. Loftus, 42, pleaded not guilty to a methamphetamine possession charge. Loftus also pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft by unlawful taking with a value of $1,500 to $4,999 in a separate case, and charges of possession of between 28 to 139 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm with a felony drug violation in a third case. A Dec. 19 status hearing was scheduled for all three cases. 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. The City of Opelika has suspended the enforcement of its rental ordinance and is evaluating its options after the Supreme Court of Alabama rejected a similar ordinance in another city in the state. On Aug. 26, after hearing the case of "The City of Center Point v. Atlas Rental Property, LLC, and Spartan Invest, LLC," the court ruled that Center Points rental ordinance violated the Alabama Uniform Residential and Tenant Act. The court informed the city to stop taking registration fees and stop conducting inspections. Opelikas ordinance, which went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year, requires that in order to rent residential dwelling units, a landlord must have the property inspected for compliance with the property maintenance code and be granted a rental occupancy certificate. When a unit becomes vacant, the property must be inspected again and a new rental occupancy certificate issued if three years have passed since the last inspection. A building may be re-inspected earlier, however, if a citizen files a complaint alleging code violations. In Dec. 2021, a month before the ordinance began to be enforced, three Opelika rental property owners, Edna Ward, Eleanor Perry and SMB Rentals, managed by Susan Bolt, filed a lawsuit against the city stating that the ordinance is an overreach of the government. They are represented by attorney Albert L. Jordan from Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff and Brandt LLC in Birmingham and Al Agricola from Agricola Law in Opelika. The City of Opelika is represented by Joshua Jackson of Samford & Denson, LLP from Opelika and David Canupp of Lanier Ford from Huntsville. During a hearing in March 2022, Lee County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Hughes decided to take the case under advisement. Both parties submitted additional information for his review and the case has been pending since then, Jordan said. Jordan said Monday that the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Alabama shows the court will likely agree with the arguments he and his clients are making against Opelika. What it means as a practical matter is that the Supreme Court that supervises Lee County just like it supervises Jefferson County has constrained the Landlord Tenant Act to prohibit cities from imposing registration requirements and inspections for residential rental property, Jordan said. Theres a strong implication that any other cities that were to try the same thing would lose. Jordan said he and his clients maintain that Opelikas rental ordinance violates the Landlord Tenant Act, the same statute that the court ruled that Center Points ordinance had violated. Therefore, Opelika needs to face the question of whether they really want to keep on doing this or whether they want to repeal their ordinance because it seems likely that theyre going to lose, Jordan said. Agricola said that on Aug. 29, the Monday after the Supreme Court of Alabama's ruling in the Center Point case, he was informed that the City of Opelika had stopped taking registration fees and is no longer doing inspections under the ordinance. It looks like theyve stopped enforcing their ordinance and thats a good thing, but we dont know for sure whether they may start back up, Jordan said. In a release issued by the City of Opelika on Tuesday, City Attorney Guy Gunter confirmed that the city is evaluating both the Center Point case and the lawsuit against Opelika, and that it has suspended the enforcement of the rental ordinance. "The City of Opelika will begin determining the best way to move forward in the coming weeks," Gunter said in the release. The release stated that the purpose of the rental ordinance, which was approved in September of 2021, was to keep residents of the City of Opelika in safe and comfortable residential rental dwelling units." According to the release, the ordinance has enabled city inspectors to catch problems such as windows being nailed shut, improperly maintained natural gas fixtures and the absence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and that most rentals passed after the first inspection. We are extremely disappointed and have deep concerns for the tenants in some of our rental properties, Mayor Gary Fuller said in the release. We are grateful that we do have many landlords who do the right thing. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body The Auburn University-National Cheng Kung University Taiwan Center of Chinese Language and Culture, or AU-NCKU, in the Office of International Programs is offering several Chinese culture classes this fall. All classes are free and will be taught by a Taiwanese visiting scholar. Registration is open and available to all Auburn University faculty, staff and students. Space is limited to 10 people per class, so register now at this link. Below is a complete list of the culture class schedule. Ink Painting: Novice Level - Oct. 4 and Nov. 10 - Noon 1 p.m. in 209 Foy Hall or 242 Foy Hall Facial Makeup in Operas: Novice Level - Oct. 13 and Nov. 1 - Noon 1 p.m. in 209 Foy Hall The AU-NCKU Taiwan Center of Chinese Language and Culture and its programming is an outcome of a joint agreement signed in September between Auburn, NCKU and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta. The goal of the Center is to promote joint educational and cultural collaboration, and in turn, establish a long-lasting friendship and cooperative partnership that enhances the educational experience at Auburn and NCKU. To learn more about the Office of International Programs and its internationalization efforts, visit this link. For all the jokes made at their expense, Chicagos official trash collectors actually move trash cans at a formidable pace. Thats a view born of years of observation, sometimes with late garbage bags in hand. The new play at Northlight Theatre in Skokie is set in New York but in that alley-challenged city, too, Ive witnessed workers moving like lightning from one street corner to the next. And that kind of pace and professional determination is fundamentally whats missing from Cody Estles new production of Lindsay Joelles The Garbologists, a two-person show composed entirely of on-the-job conversations between two garbage collectors, each with a chip on their shoulder. Advertisement Granted, the device here is that the two characters, Marlowe (Tiffany Renee Johnson) and Danny (Luigi Sottile) grow closer as they work together, even though one is female and the other male, one Black and one white, one the degreed child of college professors and the other a working-class man from Staten Island. And that takes conversation, as the more experienced Danny tries to mentor the newbie Marlowe, who is mostly resistant to the kind of advice he has to offer. Were asked to believe that all of this is taking place amid day-to-day work, yet everything here seems to be happening at half speed. Thats despite a fun setting from Collette Pollard that comes with a facsimile of a real truck and trash compactor, not to mention a stage full of trash bags. Advertisement That slowness also impacts the conversations, which need far more urgency to be credible, especially given Dannys mouthy kind of character. The show also needs a lot more emotional oomph and vulnerability from these actors; you feel like the characters are talking to each other but the script is actually asking each one to change how the other truly feels. Thats not so credible, especially when conversational reality is hard for these actors to achieve here. Joelle is a talented writer and there is certainly a need for a script clearly designed to show that were all not as different as we think. The Garbologists, which has had just a couple of previous productions and likely would make a good TV pilot, also is courageous enough to probe the intersection of race and class, which is hard enough to do that many young playwrights avoid the challenge. That said, I wish Joelle had shown us two working-class characters, rather than a trash collector with Ivy League humanities degrees and a highly privileged background. I dont doubt there are such persons picking up garbage for a living but this also is a proud, union, blue-collar profession and if the aims are to make these characters emblematic, which feels like the case, it would surely have been interesting to probe two characters with more frequent referents in reality. To put that another way, I liked the writing and the aims of the piece very much and Sottile, especially, is often funny. Its a likable piece in many ways. But on this outing, anyway, I resisted believing that the scenes I was watching were taking place in a world both recognizable and true. The show needed its actors to relax, inhabit the characters, to open up their ears and hearts more to each other, and to watch a few more garbage collectors at work to catch the accurate rhythms of the street. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@chicagotribune.com Review: The Garbologists (2.5 stars) Advertisement When: Through Oct. 2 Where: Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Tickets: $30-$89 at 847-673-6300 or northlight.org Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Three Auburn University doctoral students and one postdoctoral scholar will join the Southeastern Conferences (SEC) Emerging Scholars Program later this month to gain insightful professional development and networking tools for building careers in higher education. The program was established in 2021 by conference institutions' provosts to help support current doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers from historically underrepresented groups who are considering becoming faculty members. In line with Auburns efforts to increase learning opportunities for underrepresented students, the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, or OID, is Auburns designated representative for the initiative and worked collaboratively with the Graduate School to select three doctoral students and one postdoctoral fellow to participate this year. Taffye Benson Clayton, associate provost for Inclusion and Diversity, and veterinarian Dr. Bruce Smithwho serves with Clayton on the Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equitywill travel with the scholars to represent Auburn. I am honored to accompany these promising scholars as they continue to grow and develop their career prospects for post-graduation, Clayton said. We are excited to continue this conference-wide commitment to developing a talented and diverse future of the professoriate. The University of Missouri will host emerging scholars and representatives from each SEC institution from Sept. 27-29 for a series of workshops and talks moderated by SEC administrators and faculty. These sessions will focus on topics including applying and interviewing, navigating bias, presenting yourself, navigating your early career as a faculty member and more. This collaboration among the SEC provosts will allow us to prepare the future generation of higher education leaders and cultivate a talented and diverse pipeline from our universities to the outside world, said Vini Nathan, interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. I am thrilled to have partnered with my colleagues in the conference to help these talented students gain such invaluable career development experience. Auburns participants in this years Emerging Scholars program are: Sharday Ewell, a postdoctoral neuroscience fellow in the College of Sciences and Mathematics Jordan Alvarez, a counseling psychology doctoral student in the College of Education Kaniz Afroz Tanni, a pharmaceutical sciences doctoral student in the Harrison College of Pharmacy Will Dwayne Thomas, a history doctoral student in the College of Liberal Arts This workshop can help me gain a comprehensive understanding of the academic environment and culture in the U.S., said Tanni, a native of Bangladesh. I think this workshop will also provide me with an in-depth overview of the job search process and delineate the ways I can improve my job application. On one hand, the prospective faculty members will bring fresh ideas to the table, and on the other, the SEC university administrators with extensive experience will offer valuable insights. Im excited to discuss teaching and research effectiveness strategies with them. After completing the program, students will be more prepared to navigate the initial stages of their tenure-track careers and will have the opportunity to share what they have learned with their classmates and peers. Last years inaugural experience was virtual, and eight Auburn students participated: Akilah Alwan, College of Sciences and Mathematics; Andricus Burton, College of Sciences and Mathematics; LaVarius Harris, College of Education; Jessica Renee Norton, College of Human Sciences; Kamia Slaughter, College of Education; Jalia Taylor, College of Education; Ashley Williams, College of Sciences and Mathematics; and Shaniqua Lanea Williams, College of Liberal Arts. For more information on the SECs academic collaborations and programs, visit thesecu.com. For more on Auburns commitment, initiatives and progress toward building a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus, visit the Office of Inclusion and Diversity. OID can be contacted at diversity@auburn.edu. Me too. Im tired of Reboots. Reply Thread Link The only reboot I REALLLLLY want if I'm being honest Original Cindy is..Dark Angel. Reply Parent Thread Link it's fucking time Reply Parent Thread Link UGHHH my heart Reply Parent Thread Link I am liking this slight Sarah Michelle Gellanaissance Reply Thread Link it's just the beginning, according to her Reply Parent Thread Link Bash is a name? Sebastian had no business spawning. Reply Thread Link sounds like he named his son Sebastian after himself and Bash is a nickname. Reply Parent Thread Link Ok Im glad this was cancelled too, as that wouldve meant Annette truly did not love herself. Reply Parent Thread Link he wouldn't have been able to name his son... he died. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The only Bash worth a damn is Bash from Glow. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I rewatched this only a week ago for the ~nostalgia but wow. This did not age well. It was so bad. So so bad. I also don't buy that Sebastian was a ladykiller lothario at all of what, 18 or something, he was so smug and gross. Reply Thread Link i'm glad it fell through. it hasn't aged well, but i still love the original movie. especially this scene. Reply Thread Link I remember everyone wanted to do this monologue in drama. We got our hands on some of the original scripts from the film to do our assessment scenes around and they were different from the final script and we were all so confused. I think I was Annette? And her last name was different in the OG script too. We were like 13 and so confused. But my friend killed her scene as Kathryn in this monologue and everyone thought she was so cool, lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I watched this movie once. According to Letterboxd, I gave it 2 stars. Reply Thread Link Glad that it happen. Cruel Intention is one of those movies that doesn't need a reboot or a continuation. Reply Thread Link who is she kissing in the gif Reply Thread Link nathalie kelley, its from the cruel intentions pilot Reply Parent Thread Link ohhh Nathalie is rly hot too damn does this continue where the movie left off or? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link team Kathryn forever Sebastian's the real villain of the movie Reply Thread Link I remember trying to create my own scandalous~~ journal after seeing this movie at 10 years old. In retrospect, there were no movie restrictions at my house, huh. I am glad this movie led me to the Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, though. Reply Thread Link I remember buying one of those stash necklaces that Kathryn had, because apparently teen me thought it was cool to look like I secretly did coke Reply Parent Thread Link Oh no!! lol. I get it though. She had a very cool aesthetic, especially at that time. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol i saw it as a child and didn't get what she was doing until i was a teen. How embarrassing Reply Parent Thread Link ... I have looked at buying one of those as an adult. I have trash taste. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like I still need one, but it would have to be filled with crushed up ibuprofen tbh. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I want all the best roles for her. Im loved her in Do Revenge. Also, she was super hot in that movie omg. Edited at 2022-09-20 12:33 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Name one reboot that has actually been better than the original? None come to mind. Reply Thread Link Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reply Parent Thread Link Friday Night Lights. Reply Parent Thread Link Reboot or Remake? The Thing The Fly Invasion of the Body Snatchers Remakes/Reboots on par with original (not necessarily better): House on Sorority Row/Sorority Row Funny Games/Funny Games Reply Parent Thread Link I don't fully understand what the difference is between a remake and a reboot but if reboot means taking an established IP and doing something new with it with the same name or specific premise, I have some mostly lol suggestions if they count (this was honestly just fun for me to think about): The Parent Trap (Lilo version) The Addams Family (the 90's movies vs the show) 10 Things I Hate About You (Reboot of Taming of the Shrew?) Dune (I like the OG but, foreal) Charlies Angels The Mummy (BFrasier version) The Invisible Man Godzilla (the Bryan Cranston one vs the Matthew Broderick one) Poseidon Superhero movies also have quite a few iterations later on that I think are better than other attempts but there's so many now it's like idk (?). Reply Parent Thread Link The Dark Crystal TV show was incredible and I am so bummed it got cancelled :( Reply Parent Thread Link Battlestar Galactica. Reply Parent Thread Link Some movies should just not be remade. Reply Thread Link Technically it was gonna be a television sequel series, not a reboot or remake. Reply Parent Thread Link who is in your icon? it keeps looking like someone familiar to me and then not like the next time i see it. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link That gif is making me think about the what could have been of Faith/Buffy if BtVS was a more recent show, I'm going to AO3 now folks! Reply Thread Link Cruel Intentions the movie might be terrible, but Cruel Intentions the soundtrack remains perfection! Reply Thread Link Colorblind Reply Parent Thread Link I still listen to Secretly by Skunk Anunsie on a regular basis Reply Parent Thread Link That wax figure is incredible tbh Ive never seen a better one either! Also lmfao @ his bigot crush Reply Thread Link Madame Tussauds artisans did an excellent job on that statue. When they get it right they get it right! Also, is there someone at the protest in a Pilgrim outfit? Reply Thread Link It's not a pilgrim outfit, it's just a very ugly dress Reply Parent Thread Link Imagine doing this while wearing a shirt that says Christs forgiveness. Reply Thread Link i hate that he has to deal with this shit, but my god i don't know anyone who trolls back better. Reply Thread Link Omg he is just so good at social media (and so funny) Reply Thread Link That wax figure is legit incredible! Reply Thread Link I love him. Hes my level of troll and I must respect it lol. Reminds me of this ugly straight homophobic guy at the bar I run who claimed I was staring at him (I was looking at the tv directly behind and above him). He told my bartender to tell the faggot to stop staring at him. I told my bartender to send him a shot and tell him its from the AGM. I winked at him when he got it and then had my security escort him out because I dont tolerate discrimination in my bar. Lol Reply Thread Link Lmao me trying to sound out agm A gay manager , americas got talent, areu gay maam? Whatt?? Ooooh duh assistant general manager. Literally right in front of me Reply Parent Thread Link I mean I am a gay manager so youre right on that front. I am American and Im somewhat talented. You were right bb! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link doing the lord's work, i hope he rewards you by having stanley tucci come to your bar in a tight henley tee with the buttons undone, amen Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Bless this thread for the joy all the wholesome interaction brought me just now, amen. I love knowing there are people as petty as I am in the world. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol irl at mystery of love being used Reply Thread Link He's so funny. Easily one of the best people on twitter. Reply Thread Link He's so funny lmao This wax figure is fantastic, and I love that this outfit was chosen Reply Thread Link Impressive. I couldn't even tell which one was the wax figure until I hit play. They did an amazing job! Reply Thread Link this kid is sf funny, but i hate that he has to deal with this shit, i feel super protective over him Reply Thread Link Thats the best wax figure Ive ever seen, wow. Reply Thread Link Easily one of the best wax figures I've seen yet! Reply Thread Link i would detransition just for the chance to top him. Reply Thread Link yo this is wild af LMFAO Reply Parent Thread Link omg Reply Parent Thread Link I want to frame this comment. I want to frame this comment. Reply Parent Thread Link comment of the year OFFICIALLY Reply Parent Thread Link It's even better knowing he would cackle at this comment and love it Reply Parent Thread Link The facility will use a byproduct of the whiskey-making process to make the natural gas, a process that will create high-quality fertilizer that it intends to make available to local farmers. The renewable energy revolution just got a whole lot more fun. The Beam Suntory company has announced that its going to be increasing its production of Kentucky bourbon using the power of renewable gas. In order to meet the growing demand for whiskey, Jim Beam is going to increase capacity by a whopping 50% at its Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky while also reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by the same percentage. A recent press release from Jim Beam and its Japanese parent company Suntory announced a $400 million investment in a renewable biogas system. This expansion will help ensure we meet future demand for our iconic bourbon in a sustainable way that supports the environment and the local community that has helped build and support Jim Beam, CEO Albert Baladi said. Beam Suntory is building its renewable biogas facility 36 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky. The facility, which will be built across the street from the Booker Noe distillery, will use otherwise wasted byproduct (known as spent stillage) from the whiskey-making process to be converted into fuel through the use of digesters. The result is a so-called renewable natural gas that will be piped right back into the distillery in a sustainable closed-loop system. The digesters will also produce a high-quality, low-cost fertilizer which Beam Suntory says they will make available to local farmers, thereby supporting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. Renewable natural gas is an industry term for a biogas that has been upgraded to be used in place of fossil fuels. Its often seen as a bridging fuel which diverts methane and carbon emissions by making use of waste products, allowing entities like Beam Suntory to lower their carbon footprint without totally revamping their infrastructure. As such, biofuels are a lower-emissions stepping stone between our current carbon-based economy and a future energy landscape that wont revolve around fuels that emit any greenhouse gasses whatsoever. Biomethanes and biogases such as the renewable natural gas to be produced for Jim Beam have much lower carbon dioxide and methane emissions than standard natural gas, but their emissions are not null in fact, they are underestimated. While biogas and biomethane are not perfect, they are a huge step in the right direction and will create a considerable positive impact on Jim Beams ecological footprint all while ramping up production of the good stuff. The biogas-fuelled expansion project is supposed to be completed by 2024. By then, Suntory Bean says that the Booker Noe distillery will be 65% renewable natural gas-powered. Whats more, the project is expected to be a considerable job creator in the region. As natural gas prices soar around the world, the move makes good economic sense, and will hopefully set a precedent in Kentucky, where 95% of the worlds bourbon is made. Lowering production costs is a good goal in any environment, but its especially attractive now when demand for both natural gas and alcohol is soaring. In the first half of 2022, Beam Suntorys global net sales grew by 13% according to company reports. Alcohol consumption climbed to new heights during the pandemic, ushering in a new golden age for the booze industry, as well as some very worrying trends for the health sector and addiction specialists. And alcohol demand is expected to keep climbing. A market analysis report from Grand View Research finds that the global alcoholic drinks market size was valued at USD 1,448.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2022 to 2028. For those of us who enjoy a responsible nip now and then, the whiskey-fuelled renewable revolution does seem like a golden age, indeed. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The upstream industry in Texas has added 44,700 jobs over the past two years, although the growth could slow down if drillers run out of low-cost locations While job growth in August was slightly lower than in July, Texas still added a remarkable 2,600 new oil and gas jobs in the upstream sector last month. Two years ago, the Texas oil and gas industry was suffering through a major downturn, but now employment in the industry is booming. Two years ago, oil and gas companies in Texas were laying off employees amid the most severe downturn in the industrys history. This year, job growth in Americas oil and gas heartland has been so strong that labor shortages have prevented the industry from expanding. According to the latest data, Texas added 2,600 new oil and gas jobs in August in the upstream sector. That was a decline from July when the upstream industry added 3,100 new jobs, but still a robust number and the latest proof that oil and gas companies are over the pandemic. Upstream employment is growing steadily alongside the worlds demand for affordable, reliable energy. The Texas oil and natural gas industry continues to play its leadership role in enhancing national and energy security in our nation and for our trade allies around the world, said the president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, commenting on the numbers released by the Texas Workforce Commission. The data shows that since September 2020, the trough of the latest downturn, the upstream industry in Texas has added jobs at an average monthly rate of 1,943, for a total of 44,700 jobs added over the past two years. As of August, the total number of people employed by Texas upstream businesses stood at 201,700. Upstream oil and gas employment is growing strongly in New Mexico as well: Texas and New Mexico share the Permian basin, seen as the top performer in the U.S. shale patch. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions expects employment in that sector to expand by 10.8 percent by 2028. Even with these strong employment growth rates, U.S. oil and gas is being plagued by a labor shortage that is interfering with growth plans, as frugal as these plans are. A lot of the limited production growth in the shale patch has been blamed on shareholders insisting they see some cash returns after years of backing drillers, but the lack of workers has also had a part to play. Back in April this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Permian was running out of the workers, cash and equipment needed to produce more oil. Author Collin Eaton noted that many workers who were let go during the pandemic simply did not return to their old jobs when those became available. Some, he noted, left mid-project to look for higher wages elsewhere. Since then, the number of oil and gas jobs has continued to grow, but not fast enough, it appears, compounded by shortages of materials and equipment, too. Shareholders in public companies are still the biggest culprit, according to analysts and to the companies themselves. Investors generally dont want shale companies to pursue a growth model, Ben Dell, chief executive of private equity firm Kimmeridge Energy, told the FT this month. The capital availability is extremely limited. According to data from Baker Hughes and Primary Vision, drilling activity in the U.S. shale patch is slowing down from its strong post-pandemic growth. Even in the Permian, cited as the biggest growth engine of the shale patch, the number of active rigs in the basin fell two weeks in a row leading up to the most recent data release. A recent Wall Street Journal attributed this slowdown to private drillers running out of low-cost drilling locations. If this is indeed the case, it does not bode well for the near future of the industry. And it does appear to be the case, based on the Enverus data the WSJ cited: private drillers in the Permian have an inventory averaging some six years of low-cost locations. What all this implies for employment in the U.S. oil industry is that growth there may well slow down at some point in the near future as analysts expect the limited inventory of private drillers to prompt another consolidation wave. For now, the going is good, but it wont last forever. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Over the past couple of years, Wall Street banks, E&P companies and investors have faced mounting pressure to disinvest in fossil fuels. Last year, BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK), the worlds largest asset manager with $10 trillion in assets under management (AUM), sent shockwaves through the fossil fuel sector after it vowed to double down on climate activism by backing more shareholder resolutions on climate change and social issues. Fossil fuel financing remains dominated by four U.S. banks--JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America--who together account for one quarter of all fossil fuel financing over the last six years. Indeed, Rainforest Action Network has lambasted JPM as the world's worst banker of climate chaos by far. In 2019, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) became the first big U.S. bank to rule out financing new oil exploration or drilling in the Arctic, as well as new thermal coal mines anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, dozens of large European banks have cut financing to fossil fuel. But oil and gas companies do not appear to be in danger of running out of backers any time soon. Whereas the likes of GS have cut financing to fossil fuel, the massive private equity industry is happily taking their place. According to a recent analysis from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project and Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF), the eight largest buyout firms have put nearly as much money into coal, oil and gas as the big bank. According to the nonprofit groups, the PE firms, which include Apollo Global Management, Blackstone Group, Brookfield Asset Management, Carlyle Group, KKR and Warbug Pincus, collectively oversee $216 billion worth of fossil-fuel assets--on par with the amount of money that big banks put into fossil fuels last year. Related: Europes Scramble For Oil And Gas Is Causing A Tanker Shortage Another surprising find: the 10 largest private equity funds have 80% of their energy investments in fossil fuels. "The billions of dollars private equity firms have deployed to drill, frack, transport, store, refine fossil fuels and generate energy, stand in stark contrast to what climate scientists and international policymakers have called upon to align our trajectory to the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming scenario," states a report cosigned by major climate groups including Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Project, Sierra Club and the Sunrise Project. "These polluting assets are shifting from the public markets, where there is greater amount of regulatory and public scrutiny, into the shadows of our financial industry, where private equity usually operates," Riddhi Mehta-Neugebauer, research director at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, has told CBS News. Climate Resolutions Are Failing in the Face of Big Money "Private equity firms are emerging as pollution financiers of last resort," Oscar Valdes Viera, research manager at AFREF, has told CBS MoneyWatch. The report notes that the Blackstone Group is not only one of the world's largest private equity funds but is also one of the worst polluters. In 2020, Blackstone-backed power plants generated 18.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the same as 4 million gasoline-burning cars, according to calculations by PESP . The report reveals that Carlyle Group still maintains $24 billion in carbon-based energy through NGP Group, in which it holds a stake, despite earlier this year pledging to have net-zero emissions by 2050. Indeed, the report notes that 60% of Carlyle's profit in the first half of this year came from NGP. Its going to be a lot harder to persuade these PE firms to stop financing fossil fuel projects if this years happenings on the climate front are any indication. Back in April, shareholders at Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs voted on resolutions recommending the companies stop any additional financing for fossil fuel projects. All the resolutions failed spectacularly, managing to garner just over 10% of the vote. In May, nearly two-thirds of investors in ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) rejected proposals for the oil giants to align their climate strategies with the Paris agreement. It was yet another resounding defeat for climate activist investors, who are having a less successful proxy season this year than in 2021, as fossil fuel firms reap record profits fueled by the war in Ukraine. Just last year, activist investor Engine No. 1 managed to install three directors on the board of Exxon with the goal of pushing the energy giant to reduce its carbon footprint. That was despite the firm only owning 0.02 percent of Exxons shares. But these companies, their shareholders and PE firms simply are not going to pass up an opportunity to reap billions of dollars from the oil and gas boom. Its a sentiment that was present in commentary by a Carlyle executive who disagreed with the environmentalists' timeline on how quickly it's possible to retire fossil-fuel plants. "Carlyle's approach to invest in, not divest from, the energy transition is a different one, grounded in seeking real emissions reductions within portfolio companies over the long term. In order to work toward meaningful progress on climate change, we will continue to partner with companies across the energy spectrum to collect better data and strive for clear progress reducing greenhouse gas emissions," the company said in a statement. The fund says its focused on energy security as much as sustainability, which means keeping natural-gas plants online longer than initially planned. Meanwhile, theres an issue of accountability. Whereas banks and oil firms are accountable to their shareholders and to the public, private equity firms are only accountable to their limited partners. PE firms raise and manage investment funds on behalf of large investors, including public pension plans thus making them more resistant to public criticism. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Amid heightened tensions between Russia and Kazakhstan over the war in Ukraine, Astana is betting on high-level diplomacy to build international support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pope Francis visit on September 13 for a highly publicized global interreligious summit coincided with the first post-pandemic international trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met with Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 14. The two leaders then took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations (SCO) summit in neighboring Uzbekistan. Next, Tokayev headed to New York for the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 1920, where he will seek Western backing for Kazakhstans security. This years gathering for the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was one of the most important for Kazakhstan, which is trying to boost its international standing as Russian military ambitions continue to threaten Central Asia. Pope Francis called for dialogue and peace in the face of Russias senseless and tragic war in Ukraine. He earlier had described the conflict as a war of particular gravity, in terms of the violation of international law, the risks of nuclear escalation and the grave economic and social consequences (Vatican.va, September 8). Pope Francis was still in Kazakhstan when the graves of victims of war crimes, evidently murdered by the Russian military, were found in liberated Izyum in eastern Ukraine (Ukrainska Pravda, September 15). President Xis remarks, however, were surprisingly direct in offering strong support for Kazakhstan, as hostile Russian rhetoric against the country increases. No matter how the international situation changes, we will continue our strong support of Kazakhstan in protecting its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as firm support of the reforms you are carrying out to ensure stability and development and strongly oppose the interference of any forces in the internal affairs of your country, Xi was quoted as saying during his meeting with Tokayev (Akorda.kz, September 14). Threatening messages toward Kazakhstan coming from Russian politicians and propagandists have undoubtedly alerted Chinese leadership (Eurasianet.org, April 28). With a 3.5 million ethnic Russian minority (18 percent) settled mostly in the northern regions close to the 4,750 mile-long border with Russia, the Kazakhs are worried about becoming another target of President Vladimir Putins Russian World concept that was used to justify the invasion of Ukraine (Eurasianet.org, April 28). The war has polarized society, with ethnic Kazakhs firmly opposing Russias invasion of Ukraine, while many Russians have been influenced by Kremlin propaganda (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, August 29). As the country is embarking on political and economic reforms, following public unrest in January 2022, ethnic peace will be essential for the successful implementation of these changes (See EDM, January 21). The Kazakhstani government has tried to retain a neutral position on the war in Ukraine but has refused to assist Moscows military campaign, either by sending troops or providing direct military assistance. In addition, Astana has also declined to recognize the proxy Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics, citing the UN principle of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders (DW, June 17). Since Kazakhstan borders Russia to the north and China to the east, any instability in Central Asias largest economy will impact not only Beijings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and trade corridors but also the security of Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. During the public unrest in Kazakhstan in January, Beijing did not welcome the dispatch of troops by the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), as China does not want to see a strong Russian presence in Kazakhstan (News18.com, January 12). Thus, President Xis statement during his stopover in Kazakhstan was a sharp message to Moscow to refrain from any actions that could destabilize the country. Later, in Samarkand, Xi also expressed concerns about the war in Ukraine while meeting with Putin, which the Russian leader surprisingly admitted to in a later press conference (Golosameriki.com, September 16). Related: Goldman Warns EU Energy Price Freeze Could Backfire Among notable recent events was Kazakhstans refusal to send troops to Karabakh on the request of Armenia to quell fresh violence with Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan is a founding member of the CSTO, whose Article 4 establishes that aggression against one signatory would be perceived as an aggression against all. It is clear that in a situation of conflict with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan is in no way interested in sending troops there, somehow supporting Armenia to the detriment of our relations with Azerbaijan, Aidos Sarym, a member of the Majlis (Kazakhstans lower house of parliament) Defense and Security Committee, told a Russian radio station (Govoritmoskva.ru, September 14). The refusal triggered rumors that Kazakhstan will leave the CSTO next year, which were denied by the authorities in Astana. In addition to new security concerns, Kazakhstan is also facing enormous economic challenges as Russia remains a major trade partner. Although a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan has now complied with the US and EU sanctions regime against Russia to avoid secondary sanctions. Kazakhstani authorities continue to refuse to trade with Russia in a way that circumvents sanctions, despite Moscows pleas for an increased import of goods to replenish empty shelfs. Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said that transactions between Kazakhstani companies and the Russian Federation, which could potentially violate the sanctions regime, are subject to regular consultations with the US and EU authorities (The Moscow Times, September 14). In sum, unlike Russia, which just incorporated the Russian World concept in its foreign policy, Astana is deepening relations with neighbors and Western partners based on the principle of equality. As Kazakhstan needs international support to weather security and economic challenges, it can also offer the world its energy supplies and food production, especially grains, which are in acute shortage due to Russias all-out war against Ukraine. By The Jamestown Foundation More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO, but is especially reliant on Russian gas and to a lesser extent oil. Szijjarto said, "The EU should...stop mentioning an eighth package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis." Hungarys Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is warning that further EU sanctions on Russia would only hurt the blocs members. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has urged EU officials to avoid talk of further sanctions on Russia over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, repeating Budapest's warnings that such moves hurt the bloc's 27 members. Szijjarto said in a statement that "The EU should...stop mentioning an eighth package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis." Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO, but is especially reliant on Russian gas and to a lesser extent oil. Hungarian leaders including Prime Minister Viktor Orban have criticized Moscow's decision to attack Ukraine but resisted punitive measures including gas, oil, and other sanctions while also meeting repeatedly with Russian leaders. Budapest's relations with Brussels have also gradually soured over rule-of-law and political issues currently driving a bitter dispute that threatens billions of euros' in EU subsidies earmarked for Hungary. Orban, who was reelected for a fourth consecutive term in April, said earlier this year that the West was "shooting itself in the lung" through its unprecedented trade and economic sanctions and other punitive steps toward Russia since its full-scale invasion began in February. His government has publicly resisted sanctions and military shipments to aid Ukraine's defense and continued warming relations with Moscow, including negotiating a new boost in Russian gas shipments. Orban was alone among Western leaders in traveling to the funeral in Moscow of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev earlier this month, and Szijjarto made a surprise Russian visit in July. Related: Saudi Arabia And Russia Both Want $100 Oil A Kremlin spokesman on September 19 praised Hungarian leadership for what it described as Budapest's willingness to take "sovereign positions" on issues within the EU. Critics in Brussels have accused Orban and his Fidesz party of democratic backsliding, corruption, an assault on free media, and attacks on LGBT rights during the past 12 years in power. Last week, the European Parliament approved a resolution saying Hungary was no longer a "full democracy," Hungary's justice minister, Judit Varga, said on September 19 that the government has submitted a bill to parliament aimed at avoiding the loss of the EU billions. The proposal modifies legislation relating to Hungary's cooperation with the EU's anti-fraud office and rules affecting state asset management foundations. The day before, the EU's executive called for the suspeion of 7.5 billion euros ($7.5 billion) in EU funding pledged toward Hungary over corruption, rights, and rule-of-law disputes. By RFE/RL More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: China stepped up crude oil imports from both Russia and Saudi Arabia last month, with the Saudis returning to the top spot of Chinese oil suppliers. Citing customs data from Beijing, Reuters reported that Russian oil shipments to China went up by 28 percent on the year in August, to 1.96 million barrels daily. Saudi oil imports, meanwhile, rose by 5 percent on the year to almost 2 million barrels daily. Earlier this year, Russia replaced Saudi Arabia as Chinas largest supplier of crude thanks to the price discount prompted by European Union sanctions. On a year-to-date basis, Russian oil exports to China were 7.3 percent higher on the year while Saudi exports to Asias powerhouse were down by a modest 0.3 percent on the year. Oil imports from Brazil and Angola were a lot more substantially down last month, the data showed, with shipments from Brazil down by 47 percent last month and those from Angola down by 34 percent. Chinas total oil imports in August fell by 9.4 percent on the year, to some 9.5 million bpd, data released earlier this month showed. This was due to lukewarm demand from refiners amid refinery outages and unappealing refining margins. Run rates among independent Chinese refiners were lower during the month, at some 65 percent, which contributed to lower demand. The August import average was, however, higher than the average for July, which stood at 8.79 million bpd. The average of oil imports into China for the first eight months of the year stood at 9.92 million barrels daily, the data showed. The eight-month oil import average was a 4.2-percent decline on the year and largely the result of Covid-related restrictions as Beijing remains firm about its zero-Covid policy despite its effect on economic activity and oil demand specifically. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: The EU may have a plan to ban all Russian diesel purchases in February, but in the meantime, European buyers are happy to pay more for Russian diesel now than they did back in May, industry sources told Reuters. The ban on Russian seaborne diesel imports, set to go into effect as part of a larger strategy to cut off Russias revenue stream, follows the EUs crude oil ban set to go into effect in December. Two months later, the ban on Russian diesel importsand all its refined productswill go into effect. The discount on Russian diesel was at $30 per tonne in May, according to Reutersbut it is now just $6 per tonne in northwest Europe and $10 per tonne in the Mediterranean on the back of rising demand. Europe is on a mission to increase its inventories to a level that will carry them safely through the winter months. And for now, Russias discountalthough smaller than it was in Maystill looks attractive. Those that can, will buy Russian and stockpile. Gas-to-oil switching has added to demand and were switching to winter diesel. This is one of the factors why Russian stuff is not as cheap as it used to be, one European trader told Reuters. But not all European countries are buying Russian diesel. In fact, as a whole, Europe has increased its diesel purchases from non-Russian suppliers in September, according to data from Vortexa. Europe is on track to import 1.65 million bpd of diesel in September, an increase of 190,000 bpd over August levels. Meanwhile, Europes imports of Russian diesel totaled 44% of Europes total diesel imports so far this month, down from 51% in August and 60% in July. Its intake of Middle Eastern diesel has grown to 30%, up from 23% last month. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Gazprom will suspend natural gas deliveries via the Power of Siberia pipeline to China between September 22 and 29 due to scheduled preventive maintenance, the Russian gas giant said on Tuesday. The Power of Siberia pipeline went into operation at the end of 2019, after eight years of construction. Under the sales and purchase agreement between Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for gas supply via the route, preventive maintenance of the equipment along the pipeline is carried out twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, Gazprom said today. Russia and China plan another major pipeline to carry Russian gas to China, but it will take years to complete and commission. China and Russia have grown their energy cooperation closer, as Russia is looking east to sell its energy that is now being shunned and sanctioned in the West. China, for its part, has been the main beneficiary of the biggest change in energy trade flows in recent memory as Russia pivots to Asia to sell the oil and coal banned in the West and looks to build another major natural gas pipeline to China. Russia has said it will increase further its shipments of oil to Asia after the G7 finance ministers announced a price cap on Russian oil and fuels, to enter into effect from December 5, 2022, and February 5, 2023, respectively. Early this month, CNPC signed a deal with Gazprom related to the Power of Siberia gas pipeline from Russia to China. Gazprom, for its part, said it discussed with CNPC the progress of the project for Russian gas supplies to China via the Far Eastern route. The Russia-China ties were cemented during last weeks meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinpingthe first such summit since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The German government, energy giant Uniper, and its majority shareholder, Fortum, have reached a preliminary agreement under which Germany will nationalize the countrys largest gas importer, sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg on Tuesday. The German government looks to make the announcement of the nationalization as early as this week, according to Bloombergs sources. Germany aims to save its energy companies which have been amassing losses with the lack of contracted Russian gas supply and the high price they have had to pay on the spot market to replace lost Russian volumes. Last week, Uniper said it was in discussions with Germany about transferring an even bigger stake of the troubled utility to the government, which doesnt rule out a nationalization of the energy giant that had already received a $15 billion bailout package in July. Under the package, the German government bought a 30% stake in Uniper and made available further capital to help the company. The parties are looking into alternative solutions, inter alia a straight equity increase that would result in a significant majority participation by the German Government, Unipers statement from last week said. Since the July bailout of Uniper, losses at the German company have continued to mount as the energy crisis in Germany and Europe has worsened. Last month, Uniper reported first-half 2022 losses of some $12.5 billion, with losses incurred due to the necessity of buying natural gas on the spot market as Russia cut flows to Germany. Unipers parent firm, Finland-based Fortum, put out a statement last week in which it said that since the July bailout, the parties joint priority has been the implementation of the stabilisation measures and a long-term solution for Uniper. Due to the increased uncertainties in the operating environment, the parties are also looking into alternative solutions. The German government is also considering buying majority ownership in two other gas importers, VNG AG and Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE), formerly Gazprom Germania, Bloomberg News reported last week. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Despite the fact that the company is having trouble securing the political support to expand its Germany manufacturing facilities, Tesla is still seeking to double vehicle sales in the country to 80,000 this year, a new report from Bloomberg says. The company sold 39,714 units in 2021 and so far has sold 24,734 units through August of 2022. The company is going to try and lure in additional customers via "the opening of stores and improved servicing offers," the report says. Recall just days ago we reported that a vote on the expansion of Tesla's German factory in Grunheide had been been delayed, according to reports from German Media. A planned discussion about the plants development that was planned for a September council meeting will no longer take place, according to translated versions of the report, which cites the mayor of Grunheide, Arne Christiani. Tesla is seeking to expand its 300 hectare factory by another 100 hectares, the report notes, in order to build a freight depot and expand production capabilities. Christiani said he wasn't sure if the topic could even be brought up this year. He took the item of the agenda after, in June, the Grunheide main committee had approved plans for the expansion and had recommended that the local council draw up a plan. Bloomberg reported that the expansion was "postponed indefinitely". Christiani said there is still a need for clarity about the expansion, according to the German media report. Building in Germany has been one headache after the next for Tesla, who has dealt with local red tape in addition to pushback from environmentalist groups, over the last several years. Recall, last summer, we commented on the ongoing war between Tesla and German environmentalists who were trying to prevent the erection of the plant. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Canadas benchmark heavy oil price could soon see a boost as U.S. refiners are expected to return to buying large volumes of Canadian crude once the massive releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) by the Biden Administration end in October, traders and analysts tell Reuters. The U.S. Administration authorized in March the release of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) from the SPR over a period of six months in a bid to lower oil prices and potentially boost domestic production through contracts with companies to purchase future oil at fixed prices. The SPR releases are a response to the disruption of global oil markets caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions that have led to soaring oil and gas prices. Since the 180-million-barrel SPR release over six months is mostly of sour crude, the discount of Western Canadian Select (WCS)the benchmark price of oil from Canadas oil sands delivered at Hardisty, Albertarelative to the U.S. benchmark WTI has widened this summer. With the expected end of the SPR releases next month, U.S. refiners are set to boost imports of crude from Canada and from other producers of sour and heavier crudes. When the SPR releases finish, these refiners will look to lean harder again on Canadian barrels or seaborne imports, Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kpler, told Reuters. This would narrow the discount of the Canadian oil benchmark to the U.S. benchmark, analysts say. This summer, the WCS discount has widened to $20 per barrel below WTI. Last year, the WTI-WCS price differential averaged $12.78 per barrel, according to the Alberta Energy Regulator. Before the market turmoil caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the SPR releases in the U.S. in response to the high oil prices, the regulator expected the WTI-WCS price differential to average $14.00 per barrel this year. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: LINCOLN The Nebraska Board of Pardons took less than two minutes Monday to dash the hopes of Earnest Jackson and his family and friends. The three board members Gov. Pete Ricketts, Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen voted unanimously to deny Jacksons request for a sentence commutation. The vote was taken without discussion or testimony. Before the vote, Ricketts offered only general comments about the process. He said the board does not take testimony on applications that do not meet the boards guidelines, either because not enough time has passed since completion of the sentence or because of the gravity of the facts of the conviction. He did not say which situation applied to Jackson. The Omaha man, then 17, was convicted in the September 1999 shooting death of Larry Perry, also 17, near 46th Street and Redman Avenue. Jackson, now 40, and his supporters maintain that he is innocent and is being wrongly imprisoned. They point to the confession of a co-defendant, Shalomar Cooperrider, who testified at his own trial that he was the person who shot Perry. He also said Jackson did not participate in the shooting. Neither Cooperrider nor the other co-defendant, Danti Chillous, testified at Jacksons trial. Both were tried after Jackson and were acquitted based on self-defense. The Pardons Board decision left Jacksons supporters stunned and frustrated. Many had filled the State Capitol hearing room, wearing T-shirts and buttons of support, only to file out as the board took up the rest of the days cases. I was hoping they would do something right, said Jason Witmer, a friend of Jacksons and a board member for ACLU of Nebraska. Ive never seen such disrespect. Elizabeth Smith, the mother of Perrys son, said the decision leaves her family without closure. Having Jackson spending years behind bars for a crime she does not believe he committed piles tragedy upon tragedy, she said. Without a pardon and commutation, Jackson is eligible for parole in 2029 and must be released in 2039, at which point he will be 57 years old. It makes me kind of lose a little faith in the justice system, Smith said. Smith and Michael Hatcher, the son she shares with Perry, wrote letters to the Pardons Board in support of Jacksons request for commutation. She said she had always thought Jackson was innocent but became strongly convinced of that position about 10 years ago after spending time talking with neighbors, friends and family members near the shooting scene. At Jacksons trial, a witness identified him as one of the men who pistol-whipped and shot Perry. The jury convicted Jackson of felony murder but did not find him guilty of an accompanying gun charge. Jacksons former attorney, Jeff Pickens, said that led him to believe the jury had convicted Jackson as an accomplice, rather than as the shooter. But the man who confessed to being the shooter ended up being acquitted. We have a man in the prison system for a crime that is legally impossible, said Daniel Gutman, Jacksons current attorney. You cannot be an accomplice to something that is not a crime. Gutman said hes not sure where Jackson and his supporters will go from here but believes something should be done sooner than 2029, when Jackson can seek parole for the first time. Jackson already struck out before the Nebraska Supreme Court, which reviewed the case and upheld the verdict. The court ruled that Cooperriders testimony was not newly discovered, but only newly available and therefore not sufficient to warrant a new trial. State law allows a person to be granted a new trial if there is newly discovered evidence that could not have been produced at the original trial. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha introduced a bill last year that would have allowed Jackson to win a new trial. Legislative Bill 28 would have expanded the definition of newly discovered to include testimony or evidence from a witness who had previously asserted their right not to incriminate themselves. Wayne tried and failed to get his measure amended onto another bill. Sen. Robert Hilkeman of Omaha, the sponsor of the other bill, objected, saying the amendment would draw a gubernatorial veto. LB 28 was opposed by the Nebraska County Attorneys Association and the Attorney Generals Office. The federal government on Tuesday released the number of borrowers in Nebraska who will be eligible for student debt relief. In a press release, the White House estimated that about 232,100 borrowers, including 136,000 Pell Grant recipients, will be eligible for the one-time debt relief plan announced by President Joe Biden last month. Eligible borrowers can apply for debt relief when an online application becomes available by early October. Under Bidens plan, borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year, or families earning less than $250,000, would be eligible for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness. Pell Grant recipients would be eligible for loan forgiveness amounts of up to $20,000. Bidens plan has drawn strong opposition from Republicans, including Nebraskas congressional delegation and Gov. Pete Ricketts, and the threat of legal challenges. Among other arguments, critics said Bidens plan shifts the cost burden onto Americans with more limited financial means. In Tuesdays press release, the White House said nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to those earning less than $75,000 per year. The White House added that no relief will go to any individual or household in the top 5% of incomes in the United States. By targeting relief to borrowers with the highest economic need, the Administrations actions are also likely to help narrow the racial wealth gap, the release said, adding that nearly 71% of Black and 65% Latino undergraduate borrowers are Pell Grant recipients. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to release more details about the student debt relief plan in the coming weeks. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has extended executive orders intended to ease health care workforce pressures through the end of the year. Ricketts has signed an executive order extending two previous executive orders issued in August and October of last year when hospitals, pharmacies and other health care facilities were tasked with caring for COVID-19 patients, vaccinating people for flu and COVID and keeping up with patients other health care needs. The new order, among other provisions, authorizes the credentialing of retired or inactive health care professionals, defers certain continuing education requirements and suspends some statutes to allow new health care providers seeking licenses to begin practicing. It also temporarily suspends some state licensing requirements for health care facility administrators and practitioners such as audiologists, alcohol and drug counselors and speech pathologists. Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, thanked Ricketts on behalf of the groups 92 member hospitals for his support of hospitals and health care in the state. This will help our members in both hospital planning and efforts to strengthen our workforce across the state, he said in a prepared statement. NEW YORK (AP) Leaders from Europe, the Americas and Africa called Tuesday for urgent action and funding to ease a growing global food security crisis that has been exacerbated by Russias war with Ukraine and, thanks to climate change, threatens to get worse in coming years. Speaking at a Global Food Security Summit on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly, the leaders demanded an end to the war, with each calling it a needless aggression and Spains prime minister accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to blackmail the world with hunger by causing severe disruptions in the export of Ukrainian grain. The leaders also took Russia to task for spreading misinformation about the destination of Ukrainian grain that has been shipped out of the Black Sea under a U.N.-brokered agreement mediated by Turkey. Russia must end its illegal war against Ukraine, which has certainly been an essential source of the worlds food supply, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the gathering. The truth is that Putin is trying to blackmail the international community with a large part of the worlds food needs. We cannot combat hunger without peace. The world is expecting much from us. Lets act together, and lets act now. Last week, the U.N. food chief warned the world is facing a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude, with up to 345 million people marching toward starvation and 70 million pushed closer to starvation by the war in Ukraine. David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council that the number is 2 times the number of acutely food-insecure people before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and that there is a real risk of multiple famines this year. This is not acceptable. This is not sustainable, said European Commission President Charles Michel. Russias war against the people of Ukraine is a test a test of our international rules-based order. Along with Sanchez, the event featured Senegalese President Macky Sall, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken filling in for President Joe Biden. Michel opened the event by calling out what he said were Russias lies about Ukrainian grain not getting to countries that need it most. Contrary to Russian disinformation, this food is getting to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, he said. We must not believe Russias disinformation, Scholz echoed. Data clearly shows that the majority of grain exports facilitated goes to developing and emerging countries and has global impacts on grain availability and prices. He said next year may be even more difficult as the food shortage will be compounded by a lack of fertilizer, something Sall said was particularly worrisome for African nations. Blinken called the numbers staggering and said Biden would be announcing additional U.S. contributions to fight the crisis on Wednesday. Blinken called on other countries to follow suit. Some countries with the capacity to do more are among those doing the least, he said. That needs to change. No matter what countries have done so far, every country is called upon to do more. Blinken also called for the renewal of the July agreement on the shipments of Ukrainian grain. LAS VEGAS (AP) A local elected official got court-appointed attorneys during his arraignment on Tuesday in the stabbing death of a Las Vegas investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of him and his managerial conduct. Robert Richard Telles, the Clark County public administrator, stood in court with shackles on his wrists, waist and ankles but no longer with bandages on his forearms while a Las Vegas judge told him he was charged with the unlawful, senseless and heinous murder on Sept. 2 of veteran Las Vegas Review-Journal staff writer Jeff German. Telles spoke only to acknowledge that he understood the charge. He was not asked to enter a plea. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Pro Tem William Jansen scheduled an Oct. 26 preliminary hearing of evidence to determine if Telles should stand trial in state court. A plea would be entered at that time. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said he will determine in coming weeks whether Telles, 45, will face the death penalty. German was 69, and prosecutors added an age enhancement to the charge against Telles. Edward Kane, a veteran deputy Clark County public defender, told Jansen that Telles would not immediately seek bail and that his office would determine whether Telles can afford his own attorney. The judge let Telles' previous attorney, Travis Shetler, withdraw from the case. Kane and colleague David Lopez-Negrete declined to comment outside of court. Wolfson said after the hearing that hes seeking a court order to remove Telles from his elected position heading the county office that handles the assets of people who die without a will or family contacts. Such court action could take several weeks. Wolfson said Telles, who has been jailed since Sept. 7, is unable to perform his duties. Police said Telles was hospitalized briefly after his arrest for treatment of self-inflicted injuries to his arms. Telles' term in office expires Dec. 31, but Clark County officials said he was been banned from county offices or property pending a review of his position as an elected official. Telles is accused in a criminal complaint of lying in wait for German, who authorities say was stabbed seven times. German lived alone, and his body was found the following day. The Clark County coroner ruled his death a homicide. Telles was arrested several days later, after police asked for help during the Labor Day weekend to identify a person seen wearing an orange work shirt and a wide-brim straw hat toting a shoulder bag and walking toward Germans home on the morning of Sept. 2. Police also released images of a distinctive SUV seen near Germans home that was driven by a person wearing an orange shirt. A Review-Journal photographer snapped photos Sept. 6 of Telles washing the same type of vehicle in his driveway. Police allege that Telles shut off his cellphone and waited in a vehicle outside Germans home until the attack. It was characterized as a planned response to articles that German wrote about turmoil and internal dissension in Telles' office. Telles lost his primary bid for reelection in June after articles in May aired claims of administrative bullying, favoritism and Telles relationship with a subordinate staffer. County lawmakers appointed a consultant to address complaints about leadership in his office. German was widely respected for his tenacity, and his colleagues said he was working on follow-up reports about Telles and the public administrators office when he was killed. The published articles ... ruined (Telles) political career, likely his marriage, and this was him lashing out at the cause, Chief Deputy Clark County District Attorney Richard Scow told a judge on Sept. 8. That judge, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Elana Lee Graham, called the police report detailing the attack chilling and said it described German fighting for his life. She spoke of apparent defense wounds on Germans arms and said DNA believed to be from Telles was found under Germans fingernails. Police said a search warrant turned up items at Telles home including blood-stained shoes and a straw hat that had been cut into pieces. Police said they did not immediately find the weapon used to kill German. Although police said security video showed Telles near Germans home, Wolfson said authorities do not have video showing the attack. The Nevada Press Association announced that German will be inducted this Saturday into the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. German joined the Review-Journal in 2010 after more than two decades at the rival Las Vegas Sun, where he was a columnist and reporter covering courts, politics, labor, government and organized crime. Telles grew up in El Paso, Texas, and lived in Colorado before moving to Las Vegas. He worked as a heating and air conditioning technician and graduated in 2014 from law school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He practiced probate and estate law before he was elected public administrator in 2018, replacing a three-term predecessor. Court and police records show that Robert Telles was arrested at home in Las Vegas in February 2020. He was accused of grabbing his wife in a bear-hug position and of resisting efforts by two police officers to handcuff him. During his arrest, Telles was recorded on police body-worn cameras acknowledging that he had been drinking alcohol and repeatedly identifying himself as a public official. The case was dismissed and closed in March 2021 after Telles paid a $418 fine, attended counseling and stayed out of trouble. In a jailhouse interview on Friday with the Review-Journal, Telles acknowledged mistakes including alcohol abuse and his arrest, but denied hurting his wife or children. He refused to answer questions about German's killing. China, Russia hold meeting on law-enforcement, security cooperation Xinhua) 09:18, September 20, 2022 Guo Shengkun, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, co-chairs the 7th meeting of the China-Russia law-enforcement and security cooperation mechanism with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) FUZHOU, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Monday co-chaired the 7th meeting of the China-Russia law-enforcement and security cooperation mechanism with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in east China's Fujian Province. Guo, also secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era has maintained a momentum of sound and steady development. Since the establishment of the law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism, China and Russia have cooperated closely in areas such as safeguarding national political security, anti-terrorism, drug control, and combating transborder crimes. The mechanism has achieved fruitful results and played an irreplaceable role in safeguarding the sovereignty, security, and development interests of the two countries, Guo said. Guo said China is willing to work with Russia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the SCO Samarkand summit. China will give full play to the role of the law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism to meet various security risks and challenges. Patrushev said Russia is ready for closer exchanges with China at all levels to create a sound security environment for the smooth development of bilateral cooperation in various fields. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Eritrea on Tuesday launched a full-scale offensive along the country's border with northern Ethiopia in what appeared to be an escalation of last month's renewal of fighting against Tigray forces. Tigrayan authorities in turn told their people to get ready for war. The Eritreans are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces, including commando units, as well as allied militia, according to Tigray spokesman Getachew Reda. Eritrea is deploying its entire army as well as reservists. Our forces are heroically defending their positions, he tweeted. Later Tuesday, Tigrayan authorities, in a statement citing the region's existential challenge, asked their people to make themselves fully available for the all-round war we are waging to spoil our enemies dreams and aspirations once and for all." A humanitarian worker in the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat told The Associated Press that Eritrean forces were shelling the surrounding areas. The worker spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety fears. It was not immediately possible to obtain comment from authorities in Ethiopia or Eritrea, which lies north of Tigray. Britain and Canada issued travel advisories last week telling their citizens in Eritrea to be vigilant after authorities there called up citizens to report for military duty. The war in Tigray is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and left millions without basic services for well over a year. Eritrean forces fought on the side of Ethiopian federal troops in Tigray when war started in November 2020. Eritrean forces were implicated in some of the worst atrocities committed in the conflict charges they deny. The war reignited in August after a lull in fighting earlier this year. The U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa told reporters Tuesday that Washington has been tracking Eritrean troop movements across the border. They are extremely concerning, and we condemn it, Mike Hammer said of the troop movements. All external foreign actors should respect Ethiopias territorial integrity and avoid fueling the conflict. He reiterated a call for the warring sides to enter into talks saying that there is no military solution to the conflict. Inside Tigray now, millions of residents are still largely cut off from the world. Communications and banking services are severed, and their restoration has been a key demand in mediation efforts. The full-blown entry of Eritrea into the Tigray war looks set to complicate any peace efforts between Tigrayan leaders and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who mended ties with Eritrea as soon as he rose to power in 2018. But that rapprochement was viewed suspiciously by Tigrayan authorities, for whom Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki remains a foe two decades after Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody border war. Associated Press reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report. A former fire chief in Alvo, Nebraska, has entered a plea of no contest to three misdemeanor charges in connection with the embezzlement of nearly $18,000. Benjamin A. Glantz, 38, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors after repaying $17,965, Cass County Attorney S. Colin Palm said Tuesday. The money was deposited in a trust fund and will be returned to the Village of Alvo. Glantz, who will be sentenced in November, originally was charged with felony theft of over $5,000, but that was amended to misdemeanor theft under $1,500 after restitution was made. He also pleaded no contest to official misconduct and misuse of public funds. An investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska State Auditors Office found that Glantz had taken village funds during a 20-month span. The investigators said Glantz used money from the fire departments public account to make his mortgage and credit card payments. Glantz took control of a bank account that belonged to the Alvo Fire Department in April 2018. He was a member of the Alvo Board of Trustees and was the village water operator and fire chief when the investigation was conducted. Investigators found numerous instances of misuse of funds. A transaction of more than $3,800 was made to a financial company in October 2018 for past-due payments on a home mortgage. The investigation into Glantzs improper spending came not long after former Village Clerk Ginger R. Neuhart pleaded guilty to embezzling $105,000 from Alvo. Neuhart, who died in 2018, also admitted to embezzling $200,000 from two other villages she worked for, Memphis and Ithaca. Alvo is about 20 miles east of Lincoln. NORMAL Normal Mayor Chris Koos has been named as a vice president of the Illinois Municipal League. I look forward to working with mayors from across the state to address the complex issues our communities face, Koos said. Together, we can successfully advocate for local government at the state and federal levels and help build stronger communities across Illinois. The Illinois Municipal League is a statewide organization representing local communities since 1913, working with the municipalities across the state to provide a voice on matters involving common interests. The election took place Saturday at the league's annual business meeting in Chicago. Members also elected River Forest Village President Catherine M. Adduci to serve a one-year term as president. Koos has served as mayor of Normal since 2003, the longest-running term of any mayor in the town's history. He serves as a member of the advisory board of Transportation for America and as a vice chair for Passenger Rail with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. PONTIAC Evenglow Senior Living's plans to construct a 20-unit independent living facility are coming into fruition now that a five-year property tax abatement on the project has been approved. The brand new facility, which will be called the Residences at Evenglow, is part of a multi-phase expansion plan by Evenglow to provide additional care for its residents. Under the abatement agreement, any property taxes collected on any new value attributed to the construction would be abated for five years. This will go in effect the first year the new project is fully assessed by the Livingston County assessor. In the last week, the the city of Pontiac, the Livingston County Board, Pontiac Consolidated Community District 429 and Pontiac Township High School District 90 voted in favor of the abatement. Adam Dontz, CEO of the Greater Livingston County Economic Development Council, said although there was some dissent among the Livingston County Board, the project has received nearly unanimous support from each governing body. "Out of nearly 50 votes cast by local elected officials, the support exceeds well over 90% of those voting, so the community demonstrated overwhelming support of the project," Dontz said. According to the tax abatement application, construction is expected to begin in February 2023, and the building should be operational by September 2024. To accomplish this, the seven-story Evenglow Lodge in Pontiac's downtown area will have to be demolished. The cost of land and site development is estimated at about $1.7 million. The estimated cost of construction is about $12.2 million, about $257 per square foot. Amy Eppel, marketing and communications director for Even Glow Senior Living, said there will be an array of amenities at the new building, including a bistro, wellness gym and an indoor parking garage. Apartments will range from 700 to 1,060 square feet. The first phase of the expansion will be the development of the Lodge at Evenglow, an assisted living facility adjacent to The Inn at Evenglow in northwest Pontiac. Once this building is complete, assisted and independent living residents from the former downtown Lodge building will relocate to the new facility. Independent living residents will then move to the Residences at Evenglow once that project is complete. The current downtown facility has 73 assisted living units, but the plan is to have 76 units at the new site. Residents would receive hands-on care, three meals a day and access to physical therapy. Ground broke on this expansion in November 2021. The ceremony had been scheduled for April of last year but was pushed back due in part to delays in the release of government funding. Evenglow employs 170 full- and part-time workers. Eppel said she anticipates a growth of 33 full-time employees with the expansion. For updates on the construction of the Residences at Evenglow, visit www.evenglow.org. In line with Access Bank Ghanas goal of building resilient, thriving businesses among Ghanaian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, the Bank in partnership with Graphic Business organized its third edition of SMEs' Clinic at the Akromah Hotel in Takoradi, the Western regional capital. The clinic on the theme 'Unlocking the potential of SMEs through digitalization' brought together seasoned entrepreneurs and experts in the field, business owners in and around Takoradi and virtual participants, to share insights into digital trends that SMEs could leverage to thrive. Speaking on behalf of Access Banks Managing Director Olumide Olatunji, Kafui Bimpe, Group Head of Business Banking for Access Bank noted that statistics show that SMEs contribute about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. This notwithstanding, SMEs are grappling with the negative impacts of global health crisis. Results from a COVID-19 Business Tracker Survey conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2020 revealed that about 35.7% of firms had to close, 46.1% reported reduction in wages, 4.0% reported staff layoffs during the peak of COVID-19 in Ghana. Kafui observed that in recent times, the 3Cs -Covid, Climate change and Conflict appear to deepen the plight of SMEs thus the need to consciously deepen discussions and proffer solutions. In view of these, Access Bank has partnered with Graphic Business to reach SMEs with skills in digitalization to empower them to be resilient. We identified through engagements, key areas for support at the previous SME clinics held in Accra and Kumasi, and helped to proffer solutions such as funding, business advisory, and equipping them with digital skills to make them resilient in supporting our nation's economy even better than before. The guest speaker for the event, Prof. Bokpin, an Economist and professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School, touched on important factors SMEs need to thrive. Among others, Prof. Bokpin explained that SMEs needed to understand how technology apps could be used to manage businesses. He said Digitalization is not only for people who are skilled in using computers. It is an asset everyone can leverage. He stressed the need for a management team, proper bookkeeping, customer service, and the need to avail themselves for training as measures SMEs could take to succeed. He encouraged participants to make use of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) which Ghana has signed up to. The AFCTA has given a wide market to SMEs. Now you have access to over one billion people to transact with, but it also means you must position yourselves to be identified for business, he added. Abigail Padi, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business Studies, Takoradi University, also touched on the importance of utilizing crowd funding, a digital means of raising funds, for SMEs during the panel discussion. She explained that SMEs needed to increase their level of funding to sustain their businesses and said one way to achieve that was through crowd funding. In the past, people relied only on friends and family for their capital, but that trend has changed: digitalization is the way to go Madam Padi said. She encouraged SMEs to leverage social media platforms to promote their businesses. Ebenezer Ato Yawson, Chief Information Security and AML Officer of IT Consortium who also touched on building resilient SMEs, reiterated the power of digital fundraising such as using CHANGO (a crowdfunding app) to raise capital in addition to bank loans. Rebecca Oduro, CEO of Akroma Plaza Hotel, spoke on the importance of succession plans and the value digitalization brings to businesses. She said, her business has survived after years of the founders demise because there was a succession plan. We have also broadened our payment collection points to include mobile money payment and online reservation options. We are embarking on more online marketing as this reaches more people and brings in more returns As a go-to Bank for SMEs, Access Bank remains committed to its promise of providing more than banking to customers. Over the years, the Bank has developed a deep understanding of its customers, delivering excellent services and empowering them to achieve more through financial inclusion leading to several awards including the Most Innovative SME Banking Brand in 2022. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has told all diasporans, other nationals and Canadian organisations to take charge of the several business opportunities in Ghana and direct their investments into the country. The Minister who described Ghana as the land of golden opportunities said, there are several opportunities available which makes a better investment destination of choice than its counterparts on the continent. According to her, organisations in Canada should make it their priority to partner Ghanaian firms, some of whom she said already have footprints on the continent, to export goods and services across Africa and beyond. The Ablekuma West lawmaker made this known when she was speaking at the Ghana-Canadian Investment Summit (GCIS) in Toronto, Canada, organized by the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) designed specifically to engage the Ghanaian Diaspora in order to attract long-term investments and partnerships for Ghana's development. Ghana is the second most visited country on the African continent for African diasporans in Canada. This means that there are several investment opportunities in Ghana for the African diaspora, and as it stands, we have just scratched the surface. Ghanas investment climate is favorable, provides for an enabling environment that is suitable for investment in ICT, especially with several companies around the world rushing in to set up their businesses in Ghana. I want to entreat you all diasporans, other nationals and Canadian organisations to come to Ghana and invest in the land of golden opportunities she said. She reteritated the point for the Ghana-Canada relationship to develop to higher heights for progress and sustainable development to be sustained. Ghana has had cordial relations with Canada spanning over six decades. Over the years, the bond has been strengthened through our shared values, commonwealth and diplomatic camaraderie and bilateral trade. As fate would have it, the two countries even share a common National Day of July 1. Ghana has been a strategic partner with a substantial number of Ghanaian professionals and businesses in Canada keenly contributing to developing Canadas economy she added. The GCIS brought together delegates from the international investor community, especially from Canada, venture capitalists, private equity fund managers, among others. The participants discussed and explored viable investment opportunities within various sectors of the Ghanaian economy. There were also collaborations with the Diaspora, Canadian investors and local entrepreneurs and the creation of awareness of the potential of Diaspora Direct Investment and the need to increase trade between Ghana and Canada. Also present at the Summit were a number of state officials, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shelly Ayorkor Botcwey, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Dr Awal Ibrahim Mohammed, GIPC boss, Yofi Grant and other well-known dignitaries. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST), Edwin Alfred Provencal, has celebrated the work attitude of his staff for aiding him to revamp the company. BOST which was debt-ridden has been turned around, the Managing Director disclosed in an interview on Peace FM's morning programme "Kokrokoo" on Monday, September 9, 2022. According to the BOST MD, the staff have worked so hard to rescue his company from debt. "I salute them big time!", he exclaimed. "Yes, we've gone through challenges but guess what? They were towards a very good thing because since I assumed office, I haven't brought any new people. The same people who we had lost hope in, today, I salute them. "I salute them very well for picking a company that was making a loss of GHC 456 million, from a company that was known as a contaminated company, fast-forward to today; those same people have chalked a profit of GHC 160 million and today, banks are rushing to BOST to do business with BOST", he expounded. Mr. Alfred Provencal assured Ghanaians of a great performance of BOST. Wreaths Earlier this year, some aggrieved workers of BOST welcomed to work on Monday, February 7, 2022, the Chief Executive Officer when they laid wreaths at the entrance of the office bearing the name of Edwin Provencal. The wreaths laid at the entrance had the inscriptions which read "RIP Mr. Edwin Provencal", "Rest well", "Rest in peace in advance Edwin Provencal", among others. It was however, not clear the intentions of the workers. Mr Provencal believed an attempt to make things right and put an end to the rot at BOST caused him some disaffection. He said: "I am not surprised because it could also be because some disgruntled staff are worried about the introduction of rigorous performance management systems to drive performance." But now, it seems the relationship between both parties is cordial resulting in a thriving BOST. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Two persons believed to be illegal miners have drowned in a mining pit at Yaw Brefo, a small farming community near Sefwi Bonsu Nkwanta in the Sefwi Juaboso District of the Western North Region. The two illegal miners died instantly and their bodies have since been deposited at the Sefwi Juaboso Government hospital pending autopsy. According Comfort Abugri, a sister of one of the deceased who spoke in an interview with UTV News, her brother, Kelvin Abugri just completed his Senior High School education and decided to go and work for money to further his education. She said after close from work, his brother (Kelvin Abugri) decided to go and wash down with some water in an abandoned Chinese galamsey pit but unfortunately luck was not on his side as he slipped into the abandoned galamsey pit. She told UTV News Western North Regional correspondent, Kwabena Dickson that in an attempt to save Kelvin Abugri out, his friend and co-worker, Dramani also fell in the pit and they both drowned. "My brother Kelvin just completed KTI and have not even gone for his certificate to further his education before his sudden demise. I have all his possessions with me here, but I can't see my brother," she cried. An eye witness who is also a friend to the deceased, Kelvin Abugri and Dramani who wouldn't give his name also confirmed the incident to Kwabena Dickson. He confirmed to UTV News that it's not a river but rather an abandoned Chinese galamsey pit that trapped his friends. Arrest of Sefwi Elubo Chief This sad incident follows a few days after illegal mining activities at Sefwi Elubo led to the arrest of the Sefwi Elubo Chief, Nana Anim Baffour and his brother, Kwadwo Affi. The Western North Regional Police Command on September 16, 2022, arrested the chief of Sefwi Elubo and his brother and are pursuing six others in connection with illegal mining in Sefwi Elubo township. Police say the investigation has so far discovered dug-out pits from the compound leading to the bedroom of the chiefs brother. Four other deep dug-out pits have also been uncovered by the Police in other houses in the same vicinity. Investigation has further revealed that the chief, his brother and six other suspects who are on the run are the main people behind the illegal mining activities. Police further assured the public that all those involved will be brought to face Justice. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Editor of the Informer Newspaper, Andy Kankam, has called on President Akufo-Addo and responsible authorities to implement strict sanctions against all persons involved in illegal mining activities. According to him, the selective prosecution in the fight against galamsey will only frustrate governments efforts, causing more damage to the countrys forests and water bodies. Andy Kankam citing the involvement of political actors in the menace added, a top former minister told me when it comes to galamsey, most politicians do not agree. Some of these politicians join forces to mine gold illegally and that is why we need to severely punish any and all persons involved in galamsey. If we dont do this the people will suffer a lot. He charged the nations leadership to walk the talk to save its people. If our laws are in place and working, then we must punish all those involved in galamsey. The news editor further criticized Ghanaians who lead Chinese to engage in illegal mining activities and appealed to them to be patriotic. Ghanas tradition of artisanal gold mining and the gold price boom which began in 2007 led tens of thousands of Chinese migrants to seek their fortunes in Ghana. Bringing heavy machinery, illegal Chinese gold miners precipitated economic and social instability as well as increases in gun violence, drug trafficking and corruption Ghana is working hard to fight against illegal mining or galamsey but widespread corruption has hamstrung government efforts. Source: happyfm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Peacefmonline.com has gathered that the police will continue to maintain law, order and security in Wa Municipality and its environs. Suspect Kankani Adongo, who was arrested on 19th September 2022 is in custody assisting with the investigation. Analysis of intelligence gathered so far suggests that there may be more than one person involved in this heinous crime and we will do whatever it takes to get them arrested to face justice. Meanwhile, the special purpose intelligence and investigation team as part of their surveillance during the night of 19th September 2022 recovered a body of a male adult at Bamahu. After the necessary crime scene examination, the body was removed and deposited at the Regional Hospital, Wa awaiting autopsy. A pathologist from the Police Hospital is leading a team to Wa as part of an investigation into the incidents. the police have urged anyone with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward and share it with the Police. In line with this, a reward of GHC100,000 has been set aside for anyone who provides information in that regard. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vodafone Ghana has partnered with TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC to provide Wi-Fi for customers who visit service stations, lube bays, restaurants, and its newly launched electric vehicle (EV) charging docks. The Wi-Fi internet access is free for TotalEnergies customers on all networks. Based on Vodafone Ghanas Enterprise Wi-Fi service, the partnership underscores the companys commitment to reaching more customers with fast, accessible, and reliable wireless internet solutions. Vodafone Ghanas internet solution will keep customers reliably connected anytime they visit TotalEnergies service stations. It also facilitates employee efficiency and productivity, as they can work from anywhere on the business premises. Speaking on this collaboration, the Director of the Enterprise Business Unit at Vodafone Ghana, Tawa Bolarin, said the initiative will allow Vodafone Ghana to expand internet connectivity to its customers no matter where they find themselves. "We are leveraging this partnership to enhance the customer experience in internet connectivity. In recent times, more people are working remotely, sometimes multitasking at different locations. As a company whose hallmark has been to drive the nations digital transformation, we are excited to extend Wi-Fi access to Ghanaians through our partnership with TotalEnergies." Tawa lauded TotalEnergies innovation and revealed that customers can expect the service at many more locations in the coming months. "We are particularly excited to partner with TotalEnergies to launch this service, which offers free Wi-Fi powered by Vodafone Ghana at selected TotalEnergies Service Stations. This site is the first of manythere will be three additional sites in Accra and Kumasi by the end of 2022," she announced. "For Vodafone Ghana, this is another milestone in our digital transformation journey. We are proud to partner with Total Energies in this venture," she concluded. Managing Director of TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC, Mr Olufemi Babajide, stated that partnership with the private and public sectors is crucial for accelerating change and promoting innovation and new technologies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the various institutions that have helped in making this possible, he said. Vodafone Ghanas Enterprise Wi-Fi is a wireless internet solution that businesses can use to keep their customers and employees connected at their premises. Its features include Quota Management, Rich Analytics Dashboards, Social Media Integration, SMS and Email Integration, and more. To sign up, email [email protected] or call 0201826962. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The West African Director of Samaritan Strategy, Dr. Christopher Ampadu, has urged Ghanaians to be vigilant in their daily activities to avoid dangers. Dr. Christopher Ampadu admonished the citizenry to be on the lookout for possible danger so that they don't fall prey to assailants. His admonition comes on the heels of recent killings at Wa in the Upper West Region. Wa is in a state of mourning due to the recent killing of some persons in the Region. The Police have arrested one suspect in connection of the killings and are on a hunt for other perpetrators. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has assured the community that the Police will arrest all the perpetrators. Be assured that we will keep improving on the security situation because we are there for you, IGP assured the residents. Discussing the matter during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Dr. Christopher Ampadu commended the Police for their swift response to the incident. He reposed confidence in the security service to apprehending the perpetrators but advised the residents to be watchful. To him, although the Police is responsible for the security of the nation, it is however incumbent on the individuals to be very observant and volunteer relevant information to the Police to swoop down on criminals. "Everybody must be alert so that if you are your own watchman, you can pass to the Police or security personnel because they can't be at all place all the time. We all have to be watchful...We have a role as far as national security is concerned", he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Managing Director of the Intercity STC, Nana Akomea says the fight against galamsey cannot be won any time soon. Speaking to Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Nana Akomea noted that the galamsey fight was earlier thought to be easy but now realized it is a difficult task demanding more effort to combat it. "It is not a fight we can win in about three months or a year. It's become like a guerrilla warfare . . . I hear the number of people involved in galamsey exceeds 5 million. So, something that about 5 million people are doing across the country isn't something you can stop in 3 months. So, the time has come for us to move away from that mentality that the galamsey is done by one or two people in a forest, thus we can surround them and arrest them," he said. He, however, believed that Ghana will not lose the fight and encouraged the leadership of the nation not to relinquish. "The government is fighting it, so eventually there will be victory . . . We can't end the fight today or tomorrow. The fight must continue . . . There have been sucesses but it's not done yet. It's like a moving target, so we must continue." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The state funeral of the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is estimated to have cost around US$9 million. According to a post shared by AJ+, a social media publisher owned by Al Jazeera Media Network, the amount will now add to the estimated $116 million bill UK taxpayers pay every year to support the royals. Queen Elizabeth's funeral cost an est. $9 million adding to the est. $116 million bill UK taxpayers pay every year to support the royals. Due to the ceremony, hospitals canceled "non-urgent" services like cancer treatment and many food banks have closed "out of respect, the post shared on Twitter read. On Monday, September 19, dozens across the world witnessed the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II who died on September 8, 2022. The British Monarch has been lying in state from Edinburgh in Scotland all through to Westminster Hall in London with a final ceremony held at Westminster Abbey, where her final funeral rites was held in front of an expected crowd of about 2,000 persons. Dozens of heads of state and dignitaries including Ghanas President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo have travelled from all over the world to London for the funeral. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A mum-of-two has said that going to pay her last respects to Queen Elizabeth was better than having her children. A woman, Sarah and her partner Mark appeared on BBC Ones coverage of the late Queen's state funeral on Monday morning, September 19 where they revealed they were among some of the last people to see her coffin before being laid to rest. Speaking to presenter Sophie Raworth, Sarah said that she headed down to join the queue of mourners late on Sunday night after pleading with her mother to help care for her kids. Describing the experience, Sarah said that it was better than childbirth; Amazing, I think its the best thing Ive ever done in my life. Even having my children, Lily and Luca, I think this tops that. It was just amazing. Im so pleased we did it. She explained that the trip down to London was a last-minute decision. I couldnt find anyone to look after my own children, so I asked my mum, she continued. It just came over us and we said weve got to go. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Co-Founder and Board Chair, Afrobarometer, Monday said despite the recent gains in democratic governance, Africas two-decade journey towards democracy and accountable governance has run into headwinds. We are seeing multiple signs of retrogression and backsliding across the continent even in countries hitherto deemed on track to democratic consolidation, such as Benin, Ghana, Senegal, and South Africa, he said. Prof Gyimah-Boadi said this in Accra at the opening of a five-day Stakeholder Engagement on Governance, Democracy and Human Rights in Africa. He said elections were being held regularly but their overall quality was declining due to voter intimidation and electoral violence and were increasingly likely to result in retention of power by incumbents, due to vote-buying and other manipulation. The programme was organised by the Data for Governance Alliance (D4GA) consortium, in collaboration with the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) with funding support from the European Union. It seeks to enhance the capacity of pan-African civil society organisations in the use of data to guide their advocacy and policy engagements. This is the first of three convenings planned for 2022. The second convening would take place in Cape Town in South Africa from October 3 to 7, and the final one would be held in Nairobi, Kenya from October 17 to 21. Prof Gyimah-Boadi said Africa had recorded several significant democratic milestones in recent months; saying In Kenya, presidential power was smoothly transferred just two weeks ago (Monday, September 5) from Uhuru Kenyatta to William Ruto, after a highly competitive but peaceful presidential election about a month earlier. "That was, however, followed by an unsuccessful challenge at the Supreme Court by the losing candidate and others," he said. Angola held its second transition elections also in August, the incumbent party retained power, but the opposition recorded significant electoral gains, he said. Prof Gyima-Boadi noted the absence of credible regulation of political parties and candidate financing, with lax or zero enforcement of the few existing regulations. Parties and candidates enjoy practically unfettered access to funding from a range of illicit financiers who expect payback, he said. Elite democracy capture also enables political leaders to get away with gross corruption, impunity, low levels of trust and unresponsive governance. All of this is causing loss of faith in the status quo of the multi-party democratic order. He said the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies reports that 22 African rulers had tried to remove or modify term limits since 2015. That, notwithstanding, findings from Afrobarometer surveys spanning over two decades and covering 80 per cent of the continents adult population in close to 40 countries, authoritatively affirm that Africans preferred to live in a democratic political order, he said. Dr Kojo P. Asante, the Director of Programmes and Advocacy, CDD-Ghana, said through the Afrobarometer surveys, the D4GA project would produce data on African citizens perceptions of several governance issues, including human rights, corruption and security. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The International Monetary Fund has appointed Dr. Leandro Medina to serve as the new country representative for Ghana. According to a Joy Business report, Mr Medina takes over from Dr. Touna Mama whose Duty Tour was completed last week after serving in the position since 2018. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Medina served as the senior economist in the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department and the Macro Policy Division at the IMF. He has also served in various IMF departments in countries such as the Middle East, Central Asia and the African Department of the Fund, particularly in Mozambique and Ghana. Before joining the IMF, Dr. Leandro Medina worked as an international consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank, participating in Portfolio Review and Policy Dialogue missions to Argentina and Uruguay. Dr Medina comes to the position at a time that Ghana is seeking US$3 billion from the fund to help stabilize the economy which has been impacted by both internal and external factors such as the depreciation of the cedi, revenue generation constraints, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war and among others. On July 1, 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ordered Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to present an economic rescue programme to the IMF following the current economic conditions in the country. A team from the Fund led by Carlo Sdralevich subsequently visited Ghana between July 6 13, meeting with relevant stakeholders. Meanwhile, Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgiva, recently said her outfit is determined to reach an agreement with the Government of Ghana by the end of this year. She added that constructive discussions have so far been held with Ghanaian authorities for a possible economic support programme. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the La Beach Road project in Accra. I am certain that this whole project will be completed in the first quarter of next year; we will also do our part to ensure that it does not go beyond April next year. Approximately, within six months, the works here will be completed and all the inconveniences will come to an end, Mr Amoako-Attah said, while urging road users to bear with the inconveniences that came with the work. The minister, who was on an inspection tour of the project yesterday, also inspected work on the flyover at the Flower Pot Roundabout. Flower Pot project Work on the Flower Pot project is scheduled for completion in December next year. Briefing the minister, the Project Director, Emmanuel Degbotse, said on the original design, we have done about 50 per cent, but because the project has been reviewed and expanded, we are now at 25 per cent. If everything goes well and we have good cash flow, we will complete it in December next year, he said. The tour was to enable Mr Amoako-Attah to get first-hand information on the progress of work so far on some road projects within the national capital. He was accompanied by some directors from the sector ministry. Scope of work The GH147-million project is being undertaken by China Railway NO.5 Engineering Ghana Limited. It involves the construction of an 800-metre viaduct across the Accra-Tema Motorway and the Flowerpot Roundabout along the Spintex Road. The scope of work includes a dual carriageway on the viaduct, with asphalt concrete surfacing and a ramp from Shiashie onto the viaduct towards Airport Hills. It also includes a ramp from the viaduct onto the Motorway towards Tema and a slip from the Motorway to the Boundary Road Roundabout. Additionally, a new road will be constructed through the old tunnel at East Legon, as well as an additional exit into Cantonments from the Giffard Road Interchange. During the visit, there was massive work going on, with the construction of a dual carriage road and drainage systems which were near completion, while work on other service lanes had been completed. Piers had also been mounted, while traffic management had begun around the Palace Mall to create space for the erection of more piers around the area. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency and minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency on galamsey. He further asked the President to deploy the military to galamsey areas where the illegal activities can be put to a total stop. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey cannot be won with this kind of kids gloves approach, adding that it is about time government deployed some strict measures to tackle the galamsey menace if it is really bent on finding a lasting solution to it. "The President and Commander-in-Chief should deploy the Ghana Armed Forces . . . in full-blown war and let us end all mining," he said. "I believe that government should not politicize the war against illegal mining because it affects every body. I'm sure that no one will be spared when there is water shortage across the country. Already the engineers at the Ghana Water Company Limited are complaining about how they are spending millions of Ghana cedis to treat water due to the hazardous effect of the galamsey activities." The minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs added that the country is not even raking in the expected revenue from the illegal mining activities due to the illegal sales of the acquired gold. "I can certainly tell you that the country makes more revenue from the sales of bush meat than illegal mining and if the country is losing why should the government entertain an activity which is not only denying the country of the proper and expected revenue but also destroying livelihoods, homes and the natural vegetation," he added. The government did place a ban on small-scale mining in 2017 as part of its bid to fighting illegal small-scale mining. The ban was however lifted in December 2018 after over 1,300 small-scale miners were vetted and allowed to continue operations. Watch Video Below Meanwhile, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame has filed new charges against galamsey queen, Aisha Huang in respect of offences committed between 2015 and 2017.The new charges were filed on Friday September 16, 2022. They are:Count One: Undertaking a mining operation without a licence contrary to section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703 as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019, Act 995.Count Two: Facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation contrary to section 99 (2)(a) & (3) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703 as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019, Act 995.Count Three: Illegal employment of foreign nationals contrary to section 24 of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).Count Four: Entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry contrary to section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573.The Chinese national was arraigned on Friday before the Criminal Division of the High Court presided over by Justice Lydia Marfo and hearing conducted virtually. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Political analyst, Yaw Asani Tanoh, has called out Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (rtd), counsel for Galamsey 'queen', Aisha Haung, for seeking to trivialize the issue of illegal mining. Effah-Dartey defending his client said: my worry is that the media has overhyped this small matter of mining without a license and doing mineral sales without license. It's a small matter, it happens every day in Ghana. So I don't see why the media should even write an editorial on this matter. And it is that which is creating the problem and giving all manner of insecurity to the issue. In a subsequent interview, he claims "my only worry is that I find it difficult to get access to my client. I feel the state is not treating her fairly." Asani Tanoh, speaking to the issue on Neat FM, expressed surprise at comments from the lawyer and questioned if Effah-Dartey is truly a Ghanaian. "When you are a Ghanaian and you know that the menace of galamsey is destroying the society and you trivialize it; describing it as something small and further blaming it on the media, I feel sorry for him . . . because of money, you are now blaming the media? She's married to a Ghanaian and so what?" he questioned while contributing to a panel discussion on "Me Man Nti" programme. Listen to him in the video below Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey, lead counsel for illegal mining (galamsey) kingpin, Aisha Huang, has justified his decision to render legal services to the embattled Chinese national. Amidst public criticisms for his provision of legal service to Aisha Huang, Captain Effah-Dartey, who is a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, says his service to his client is largely for its monetary benefits. "People who are blaming me for defending Aisha Huang don't know what they are saying. "I have a wife, children and grandchildren, so I'm only working for my daily bread. "I'm defending Aisha Huang for my daily bread," he said. He was speaking with Kwesi Parker-Wilson on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM's news analysis show, 'Ghana Te Sen', and monitored by GhanaWeb. Asked if he would withdraw his services should the Akufo-Addo-led government appoint him, he said, "If government gives me an appointment to stop defending Aisha Huang, of course, I will stop." He added tha,t "anytime you see me defending Aisha Huang, it means she has paid me fully. As we speak, I've been paid fully." Meanwhile, the lawyer expressed concern about access to his client, saying, "my only worry is that I find it difficult to get access to my client. I feel the state is not treating her fairly." He, however, expressed optimism that his client will be discharged of the charges pressed against her as he believes the state lacks evidence to prove the charges. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video US President, Joe Biden has defended his scandal-plagued son Hunter and praised him for overcoming addictions to drugs and prostitution. In a CBS '60 minutes' interview that aired Sunday night, Biden told correspondent Scott Pelley that his son's foreign business dealings did not cause any conflicts when Biden was vice president under Barack Obama. Hunter Biden's foreign business ties were the subject of a federal tax fraud probe that had been heating up earlier this year but a Republican led senate committee cleared him of wrong doing. Asked by the correspondent if Hunter Biden's work or past struggle with drugs could be a liability on the 2024 campaign trail, President Biden replied; 'I love my son, number one,' The president continued, 'He fought an addiction problem and he overcame it, he wrote about it.' 'And no, there is not a single thing that I've observed, at all, that would affect me or the United States relative to my son Hunter.' Prosecutors were reportedly weighing whether charges should be levied but were also wary of Department of Justice guidelines that advise against bringing potentially politically charged cases to the forefront so close to an election. in a new development, Senate Republicans on Monday, September 19, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking him to grant U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who is overseeing the Hunter probe, special counsel protections. 'Given that the investigation involves the Presidents son, we believe it is important to provide U.S. Attorney Weiss with special counsel authorities and protections to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide additional assurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden investigation is free from political influence.' the letter states. HUNTER BIDEN: On "60 Minutes," President Biden was asked if the troubles of his son Hunter Biden "have caused conflicts for you or for the United States." pic.twitter.com/1bN6HiyF0U Forbes (@Forbes) September 19, 2022 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has underscored the central role played by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in building Ghanas first national political party. Pratt explained on Pan-African TV over the weekend that despite joining the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) later on, Nkrumah proved to be a game-changer for the group. He argues that despite UGCC having founders, they were only a group of friends who engaged in passive politicking and mobilization and who only grew the UGCC in three areas. "The UGCC had only 3 branches, the Accra, Saltpond and the Sekondi-Takoradi branch... within a year or so, after (Kwame Nkrumah) assuming office as the General Secretary of the UGCC, it was everywhere in Ghana. So, who built the UGCC? Who built the UGCC which led Ghana to independence? Are we talking of that UGCC which had only three branches or we are talking about that nationwide movement, which had branches everywhere, which of them led Ghana to independence? By the time Nkrumah joined the UGCC, the UGCC was just a coffee-drinking club of friends, of lawyers and so on. They met, signed petitions to the governor, to the Queen of England and so on. Nkrumah transformed it into a militant mass movement. Built a womens wing, built a youth wing in addition to that linked directly to organized labour, that I what gave the UGCC its strength, he explained. Thanks to Nkrumah, the UGCC became a mass base political movement, the first in Africa and led the struggle for national independence, he added. Nkrumah later left the UGCC and former the Convention Peoples Party, CPP, on whose ticket he run and emerged Prime Minister and later President of Ghana. Pratt will be speaking at the Socialist Movement of Ghana, SMG, Placard Parade on Tuesday, 20th Sept. 2022 from 8am to 12noon at Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. The event is to celebrate the memory of the first President of Ghana. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Koku Anyidoho, the Chief Executive Officer of the Koku Anyidoho institute, has asked former President John Dramani Mahama to stop whining & telling lies about his emoluments. This comes after former President Mahama revealed that the NPP government had scrapped all privileges due him. Mr Mahama has revealed that he pays for things like water, electricity, rent, fuel, medical care, and plane tickets himself. I receive only my monthly pension like [former] President Kufuor, and [late former] President Rawlings was receiving [it] before he died. That is all I get, he said in an interview. He added, I pay the electricity bill for my house and my office; I pay the water bill for my house and my office. I live in my own accommodation so the State does not pay me anything for accommodation. According to Koku Anyidoho, documents available suggests that the state pays when an ex-President travels abroad for official assignments and are entitled to 2 holidays in a year. He questioned why Mahama wants the state to fund all travels including ones he went to have fun. As John Dramani Mahama continues to whine about his emoluments, I ask: John Dramani Mahama, what did you do for the late President Atta-Mills? The man who made you, Running Mate & Vice President for you to become President. John Dramani Mahama is whining & telling lies about his emoluments. Per documents, State pays when an ex-President travels abroad for official assignments also entitled to 2 holidays in a year. So, if u travel on ur own account to have fun, why shd the State pay?, Koku said. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Executives of the National Democratic Congress in the Central Region have praised former finance minister and leading member of the party, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, for envisioning and sponsoring the AHOTOR business initiative whose purpose is to financially empower and strengthen the party grassroots as part of the main opposition partys reorganization efforts. This was during the presentation of the AHOTOR business collection of items to six (6) constituencies in the Central Region in the past week. Each of the beneficiary constituencies received four sets of canopies, 100 plastic chairs, and a complete public address system unit at the total cost of GHS 30,000.00 each. Assin North, Assin Central, Assin South, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Awutu-Senya East and Gomoa East constituencies are the first constituencies in the Central Region to receive the AHOTOR business collection of items. Each of the beneficiary constituencies from now will generate revenue through the rental of the items for social events such as funerals, outdoorings, weddings, and political rallies amongst others; and will use this revenue to finance party activities at the grassroots level of the NDC. Isaac Boadu, Branch Communications Officer at the Awutu Senya East Constituency expressed excitement about the AHOTOR project during the presentation ceremony. These items will help the party at our constituency level. We are happy that Dr. Kwabena Duffuor is thinking about us at the grassroots level. He continued, Whenever we want to organize party events, we usually worry about how to get money to rent a public address system but now we dont have to worry about it." NDC Women's Organizer at the Gomoa East Constituency, Lamin Aziz Wuru alias Mama G said she is happy because the project will bring relief to party members at the grassroots in terms of their social lives. These days, we usually delay our social events like marriages or outdoorings because it is too expensive to rent a public address system for such social events but now, with the AHOTOR sound system, chairs and canopies, we the party members can rent at lower costs so this is a big relief; may God bless Dr. Kwabena Duffuor." Constituency party executives called on other party leaders to emulate the generous example of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor. We have heard of the NDC AHOTOR project for a very long time but today, we received our share, said Rasta, a Deputy Youth Organizer of the Awutu Senya East Constituency. He added, "If all the party leaders can think about the party and help like Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, our party will move forward." Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, also a former governor of the bank of Ghana, has repeatedly assured the party grassroots that he has many more of such empowering projects in the pipeline for the NDC with his main goal being to empower the NDC party structures to be able to kick the NPP out of power in 2024. The party grassroots must be financially and logistically resourced for the battle ahead in 2024. This is what the AHOTOR project is all about. This is only the first of many other projects that we will be implementing for the benefit of the NDC grassroots, he has said. The NDC AHOTOR business project secretariat has said the initiative will reach all 275 constituencies throughout the country by the kind courtesy of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor. The leading NDC financier, who is widely tipped to challenge former President John Mahama in the leadership race for the NDC's 2024 presidential candidate, recently said no amount of criticisms or insults from anti-AHOTOR campaigners will stop him from helping to strengthen the NDC party grassroots with his AHOTOR business project as the party reorganizes towards the next general elections. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mexico's foreign minister is facing backlash in his home country after he shared a selfie of himself and his wife prior to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Marcelo Ebrard posed alongside his wife, Rosalinda Bueso, as the couple smiled before he uploaded the picture to his Twitter account Monday evening, September 19. 'At the State Funeral of HM (Her Majesty) Queen Elizabeth II,' wrote Ebrard before he joined other world leaders at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England. His tweet was labeled as tasteless and a lack of respect towards the Queen, who died September 8 after 70 years as the head of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. 'I find it disrespectful to take selfies at a funeral,' one person tweeted. Another user on the platform lashed out at Ebrard for not showing decency. 'I find it disrespectful to take selfies at a funeral,' the person wrote. 'You're not at a birthday party to be taking selfies, Marcelo. Act accordingly. You are representing Mexico.' One follower said he displayed behavior that some vacationers tend to display when visiting The Tower of London. 'Marcelo is the typical tourist who goes to bother the Beefeaters and the royal guards to see if they move,' the user wrote. 'He is the typical tourist who goes and wants to touch the Mona Lisa. He is the typical tourist who puts the name of Mexico in the sewer. Thank you, I am honored by your visit.' Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chief Executive Officer of the Intercity STC, Nana Akomea says Ghana's first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is not the founder of the country as widely known by the citizenry. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is held in high esteem as the founder of Ghana for his immense role in the country's independence from the British colony. As a result, every Founder's Day was to remember Dr. Nkrumah until President Nana Addo came into power in 2017 and canceled the practice, ensuring Ghanaians accord his (Kwame Nkrumah) collaborators the same attention. Therefore, August 4th is a national public holiday to commemorate the contributions of all the people who led the struggle for Ghana's independence, notably called the "Big Six". However, not to downplay the great effort by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the struggle, September 21st has been named Nkrumah's Birthday and is a statutory holiday as well. This notwithstanding, the debate about whether August 4th should be Founder's Day or Founders' Day remain unabated and particularly when tomorrow, September 21, 2022 is to be declared a national holiday; 'Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day' discussion was revived on "Kokrokoo" show on Peace FM Tuesday morning. To the STC Boss, calling Dr. Nkrumah the founder of Ghana is a violation of the country's history. "Let's even accept that we (Ghana) have a Founder but it can't be only one person of the name Kwame Nkrumah. I don't believe that. In fact, the history doesn't support that only one person brought us our independence," he said. He explained that celebrating all the actors in Ghana's struggle for independence is the right way to go, hence applauding the Akufo-Addo administration for re-naming August 4th as 'Founders' Day'. As to what to call Dr. Kwame Nkrumah regarding the topic of whether or not he is the Founder of Ghana, Nana Akomea asserted; "The people who led us to 6th March are independence leaders but we have taken it as Founders' Day and fighting over it. The basis for my statement is that before the people came, the country was already existing as Gold Coast and when they came too, Gold Coast which today called Ghana is the same country that's there. When you take Africa, we are not the only ones who had independence. "Togo also got independence, so if you call yourself the founder because you led us into independence, it means Robert Mugabe is founder of Zimbabwe. Nelson Mandela is the founder of South Africa . . . But there is nothing like that. I haven't heard anywhere that Nelson Mandela founded South Africa or Kenneth Kaunda is the founder of Zambia. They are all independence leaders." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Frimprince Music Production a few days ago announced the termination of contract between him and Gospel Musician, Diana Asamoah. Announcing the 'breakup' in a letter, Mr. Frimpong noted that on several occasions, Diana Asamoah has breached the verbal agreement that binds them thus the termination. She has further been banned from performing songs under the production which include Wo Na Mani Agyina Wo, Mabowodin, Akoko Abon, Madansidie, Pentecost Gya, Momomme, Wo Damu Fua, Tetelesta and Pentecost Soree. Renowned Ghanaian preacher, Prophet Nicholas Osei, well known as Kumchacha reacting to this said he saw this coming because "Diana is now walking in the flesh". "she's is rushing; even more than Satan. I know her very well but for some time now her behaviour has changed. So I wasn't surprised by the termination of contract. It seems she is suffering from depression, bipolar, dementia...now it's too much. She is no longer being led by the Spirit but by the flesh" he said on UTV's United Showbiz programme. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ramon Abass commonly called Hushpuppi, who is one of the most notorious cyber-criminal, Has opened up about his fraudulent career which he claimed to have only made $300,000 from. Hushpuppi who has been in U.S prison since June 2020 following his extradition from Dubai awaits his final sentencing. Ahead of scheduled sentencing on Monday, Hushpuppi penned a handwritten apology to the preceding judge, Otis Wright, where he thanked the FBI for doing a great job to make the world safer from criminals like himself. In the note acquired by the Peoples Gazzette, Abbas hinted at how he became rich from hawking sneakers, and clothes from his car boot. He further added that masterminding cybercrimes only made him as much as $300,000 while pleading for a reduced sentence up to 65 percent. According to report, Hushpuppi registered Moneabbas Nigeria Ltd on August 4, 2016, with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission. In April 2021, Mr Abbas pleaded guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud charges and entered a plea bargain with the U.S. authorities in July 2021. Intelligence agencies recorded multiple crimes, including money laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, criminal impersonation, scamming individuals, banking fraud and identity theft committed outside the United Arab Emirates. Mr Abbas has been in custody since his arrest in Dubai and transferred to the United States in June 2020. In the letter, Mr Abbas claimed he was tortured at the time of his arrest, and he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to it. Mr Abbas apologised to the federal judge for his crimes, saying he would use his personal funds to pay the victims. Your honour, I totally recognise the seriousness of my offence, and no amount of sorry can write(sic) my wrong in the hearts of the victims, and this is why I have decided to use my personal money to offset all of the entire $1,700,000 restitution even though I only benefited a fraction of $300,000, Mr Abbas wrote. Lead prosecutor Khaldoun Shobaki argued that Mr Abbas should also be asked to pay $1.7 million in restitution, $500,000 in fines and $100 in administrative fees. On Friday, Mr Wright reversed an earlier decision and denied Mr Abbass requests to view case files of the Juma case, where disgraced police officer Abba Kyari was an accessory to the crimes committed. A request to reschedule the sentencing date from September 19 to November 3 was also denied. The Gazette had reported a deadlock between Louis Shapiro, Mr Abbass attorney, and federal prosecutors over the proposed delay in the trial ahead of sentencing on Monday. Mr Shapiro argued that Mr Abbas would be unable to prepare for his sentencing hearing without all the documents relating to the Juma case, where Mr Abbas and Kenyan national Abdulrahman Imraan Juma conned their victim into paying $330,000 to fund an investors account to facilitate a $15 million loan. The police officer Abba Kyari had been indicted in the Juma case by the governments investigation, named among five of Mr Abbas co-conspirators in a $1.1million fraud charge. Mr Abbas had hoped to reduce his impending jail sentence from 11 years as suggested by prosecutors. He had employed the services of Washington-based top criminal defence attorney John Iweanoge, but Mr Iweanoges application to practice across state lines was struck out from court records over inconsistencies in the filing. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama is delighted to know that business tycoon Manny Pangilinan is now considering investing P1 billion in the construction of additional ramps for the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX). In a report from the Cebu City Public Information Office on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, Rama said Pangilinans plan will further make the Singapore-like vision for Cebu City a reality. The mayor also welcomed Pangilinans enthusiasm to further pursue the proposed Metro Cebu Expressway project from Naga City to Danao City but without compromising the protection of watershed areas. These will further help us realize soon our vision for a Singapore-like Cebu City, nine years in just three years, said Rama. When Rama traveled to Manila last August 9 to conduct his investment begging, the mayor reminded the business tycoon about the original plan of CCLEX to include a ramp that will connect Barangay Guadalupe. Several days after the inauguration of CCLEX, Rama had already vowed to push for the construction of the additional ramp. Structure of human NKR-P1 showing the unique dimerization interface. Panel (a) compares crystal structures of the NKR-P1 receptor binding domain dimers. Panel (b) shows a structural comparison of LLT1 (green) and NKR-P1 (cyan) dimers prepared by overlapping only one monomer from each dimer (middle). Although they both share a similar structure, their dimerization mode is quite the opposite. Credit: Charles University The discovery of a peculiar protein structure and the quest to confirm it has led to the description of interacting receptor clusters on natural killer (NK) cells. The study by the research team of Dr. Ondrej Vanek from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, and his colleagues from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in the center BIOCEV was recently published in the journal Nature Communications. The Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry of Immune Recognition, led by Dr. Ondrej Vanek, produced an exciting story. It all started a few years ago with observing an unexpected protein structure of a receptor, and ended with a detailed description of specific structures and interactions of the immune system. "We are interested in how the immune system cells recognize whether other cells in our body are healthy or unhealthy," explains Dr. Vanek. His research team focuses primarily on NK cells, which are part of innate immunity, and if they sense that another cell in the body is not healthy, can quickly eliminate it. Structural immunology here seeks to discover how receptors on the surface of immune cells recognize proteins (or other structures) on the surface of another cell. "These proteins tell the NK cell whether or not all is well. What ends up happening is not just the interaction of two proteins, but it is the interplay of a number of interactions, and ultimately either an inhibitory or an activating signal will prevail," Dr. Vanek explains. The study just published focuses on two proteins and their interaction. One of them is a receptor on NK cells, called NKR-P1. This receptor is interesting because it serves as one of the main surface markers by which NK cells can be defined, although its structure has been unknown until now. The NKR-P1 receptor is also found on the surface of some specific subpopulations of T lymphocytes, which are implicated in several autoimmune diseases. In this context, however, its action is not yet well characterized, probably changing from purely inhibitory to costimulatory and thus contributing to the development of these diseases. The second protein the study focuses on is the ligand of the NKR-P1 receptor, the protein called LLT1. This protein is normally found on other cells of the immune system, and as Dr. Vanek describes, "When cells interact and touch each other's surface, it makes them say they know about each other and everything is fine." However, the last fifteen years of research have evidenced that in many cases of cancer, the LLT1 protein is expressed on the surface of cancer cells, where it serves to inhibit the immune response. Dr. Vanek adds, "Unfortunately, the worse the tumor type, the higher surface expression of LLT1 protein." He and his colleagues were the first to describe the structure of LLT1 in 2015. This paper describes the two proteins and their interaction at many levels, from the atomic structure to the cellular level. The research team first produced the proteins, crystallized them, and solved the structure of their complex. "The result was quite unexpected and interesting. One wonders at that moment whether this is just an artifact of the crystal or whether such a structure really exists on the cell surface," Dr. Vanek observes. The next rather complex step of the research was super-resolution microscopy, and the following phases of the study were carried out on the cell surface and live NK cells isolated from donor blood. By combining several methods, the research team verified previous observations in the crystal structure of the complex of both proteins and described the resulting functional consequencesunder what conditions the NKR-P1 and LLT1 proteins must meet to produce an inhibitory signal. Both the NKR-P1 receptor and its ligand LLT1 are homodimers, i.e., they always form pairs of two identical chains on the cell surface, connected by disulfide bonds. So far, the idea has been that when the two proteins interact, one dimer of the receptor binds one dimer of the ligand. However, thanks to the crystal structure of the NKR-P1 complex with LLT1, we know that this is not true: Half of the receptor dimer interacts with half of the ligand dimer, allowing the formation of binding clusters of these molecules on the surface of the NK cell when it interacts with the target cell. It took several years of research to test this hypothesis from the atomic to the cellular level. The affinity of the studied proteins is very weak, and it is only through clustering that it does become strong enough for the NK cell to sense the inhibitory signal. The necessity for multiple molecules to meet is thus a kind of evolutionary protection against unnecessary or false stimuli, and thanks to the new study, we can see exactly how this interaction works at the structural level. This may help design therapeutic proteins that could desirably influence the interaction between the immune system and cancer cells. The study was carried out by Dr. Ondrej Vanek's team at the Faculty of Science of Charles University in collaboration with the team of Dr. Jan Dohnalek from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (BIOCEV), who was involved mainly in the structural analyses. Two researchers from the University of Oxford also contributed significantly to the research, performing crystallization and X-ray diffraction measurements. "Several generations of students from our lab have been involved in this study, and the first author, Jan Blaha, did his Ph.D. on this research. Gradually, we learned more and more methods, and the students advanced a lot. Some of them are now working at some of the best European research institutes," Dr. Vanek explains. Jan Blaha, the first author of the study and now a postdoctoral fellow at EMBL Hamburg, says, "The most interesting thing for me while working on this project was discovering new insights in relatively common data that led us to more complex experiments. I learned not to be afraid to follow my own crazy ideas as long as they are based on the data. I have come to understand that many of the world's experts are only human, and the most passionate ones are playful and willing to help with any crazy scientific idea." More information: Jan Blaha et al, Structure of the human NK cell NKR-P1:LLT1 receptor:ligand complex reveals clustering in the immune synapse, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Jan Blaha et al, Structure of the human NK cell NKR-P1:LLT1 receptor:ligand complex reveals clustering in the immune synapse,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32577-6 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain I know that there is a great deal of ideological intensity in our culture today: our attention is constantly drawn to distinctions between red states and blue states and between conservatives and liberals. While conservatives often oppose government action to remedy problems, most environmental problems are plain to see, and there is more consensus than you'd think on the need to keep our air, water, and land free of poisons. We agree there is a problem, we don't always agree on the solution. Throughout the 21st century Gallup has asked its respondents: How much do you personally worry about the quality of the environment? In March of 2001, 77% responded: "a great deal" or a "fair amount" and 22% said "only a little" or "not at all." In 2021, the response was 75%24%, and this past March, 71%28%. Given the margin of error in those surveys, those responses are substantively the samemost Americans are worried about environmental quality. In 2001, 57% of those sampled thought the environment was getting worse, and 36% thought it was getting better. This past spring, 59% thought it was getting worse, and 35% thought it was getting better. The stability of these perceptions of the environment is striking. Americans in the 21st century worry about the environment, but unlike 20th century Americans, they no longer identify with environmentalism. Gallup paints a picture of an American electorate that does not consider itself to be "environmentalists"57% rejected that label in 2022. But at one time, many more Americans considered themselves environmentalists. In 1989, 76% said they were environmentalists, and only 20% said they weren't. What changed? People still see the problem, but they have come to mistrust the solutions proposed by "environmentalists." The image of environmentalism has suffered as environmental advocacy left the political center and became a left-wing issue. But paradoxically, most Americans care about environmental quality and for a long time have worried that it is getting worse. Environmentalism and environmental advocacy have become victims of America's polarization politics. People continue to worry about the environment, but is environmental quality actually getting worse? The issue is complicated. Some environmental resources, such as America's air and water, are cleaner today than they were in 1970 when we established EPA. We have moved millions of people out of pathways of exposure to toxic waste. But biodiversity is threatened, invasive species have increased, and the climate is being altered. Drinking water and sewage infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate. I think Americans are correct to worry that the environment is getting worse. More to the point, when we ignore the environment, it gets worse; when we apply attention, ingenuity, and new technology to its care, it gets better. Despite many more motor vehicles in 2022 than in 1970, air pollution from motor vehicles is lower today than it was 50 years ago. But what happened to environmentalism? What went wrong? In my view, there have been two forces at work here. One is corporate and conservative propaganda arguing that regulation harms the economy. That is the "job-killing regulation" argument. The fact that regulation tends to create jobs as industry complies with new standards seems to be ignored. The second force that has harmed environmentalism is self-inflicted. It's the arrogant scolding attitude of some environmentalists: Shaming families for buying SUVs. Telling people that their consuming behaviors are unethical. The first environmentalists were conservationists aiming to preserve forests and lands for posterity but also for hunting and fishing. With over six million members, the National Wildlife Federation is America's largest environmental organization. It was founded in the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression. Its founders and many of its members were and are hunters and anglers. Vegetarian environmentalists came a little later. What is needed is a big-tent version of environmentalism comprised of rural hunters and anglers, environmental justice advocates, and environmentalists willing to work with people who share environmental values but differ on other issues. That coalition is sitting there, ready to activate. While the last few decades have made environmental protection a more partisan issue, there is strong evidence that young liberals and conservatives are more concerned about the environment than older conservatives. Cary Funk and Brian Kennedy of the Pew Research Center wrote in 2020 that: "There is strong consensus among Democrats that the federal government is doing too little on key aspects of the environment, such as protecting water and air quality and reducing the effects of climate change. But among Republicans, there are sizable differences in views by generation. Millennial and younger Republicansadults born in or after 1981are more likely than Republicans in the Baby Boomer or older generations to think government efforts to reduce climate change are insufficient (52% vs. 31%)." Young conservatives do not buy the solutions to environmental problems proposed by liberals and supported by young progressives, but they understand the problem. Part of the reason for this growing awareness is that senior-level private sector managers have begun to see both the risk and opportunity in environmental problems. The opportunity lies in the new products and services that are finding market appeal because they appeal to environmental values. Investors are devoting capital to electric vehicles, sustainable fashion, physical and nutritional wellness, nature excursions, and sustainable supply chains. Corporations are conducting life cycle analyses of their products to identify places to reduce waste, costs, and environmental impacts. Agri-businesses like Land O'Lakes are using automation, artificial intelligence, and satellite data to precisely calibrate the water, fertilizer, and pesticides they apply to cropsreducing pollution run-off while saving massive amounts of money. Investors have begun to see the financial risks posed by environmental degradation. They are demanding that companies analyze and disclose those risks, and the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission is proposing a complex rule governing the requirements for soon-to-be-mandated climate risk disclosures. Extreme weather, sea level rise, and shifting climates are impacting agriculture, manufacturing, shipping, and virtually all economic activities. Young conservatives are unlikely to reject an assignment from their CEOs to analyze and discuss climate risk. CEOs need to understand that risk since it has started to hit their bottom line and investors need to understand environmental risk to assess the financial risk of their investments. What we are seeing is that environmental awareness has come full circle. In the 1970s and 1980s, preventing pollution was a consensus issue since pollution was observable and obviously dangerous. It is returning to consensus status for the same reason. In the later part of the 20th century, air, water, and toxics regulation stimulated private sector technological innovation: water filtration, sewage treatment, waste-to-energy, catalytic converter, and stack scrubber technologies enabled cost-effective compliance with environmental rules. Climate policy is starting to do the same thing in the 21st century. Advances in renewable energy and battery technologies are occurring with growing frequency. Electric vehicles are no longer visionary prototypes but mass market production models. Anyone paying attention realizes we are on a more crowded and polluted planet. If we are to continue to grow our economies, we need to pay greater attention to the environmental impact of our production and consumption. The field of sustainability management has been developed to ensure we learn how to do that, and the entire field is built on a growing awareness of the needs of environmental sustainability. Objective conditions have always been the foundation of environmental policy. You could see and smell polluted air, water, and toxic waste. Moreover, cause and effect could also be observed: You could see the pipes and smokestacks spewing out poison. Climate change and biodiversity are more subtle and less easily observable problems, and, unlike many 20th-century issues, the cause and effect are global and beyond the reach of sovereign states. Nevertheless, the impacts predicted by climate modelers decades ago can now be seen, and the risks posed are being internalized by capital markets resulting in the demand for corporate climate disclosure. Ideological efforts to oppose these disclosures will have the same impact as a move to end financial accounting might have: no impact whatsoever. Growing environmental threats have increased environmental awareness throughout society and increased the prominence of our efforts to ensure that economic growth is accomplished with as little environmental impact as possible. Explore further Building an American political consensus behind environmental sustainability Provided by State of the Planet Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers from Bocconi University, Singapore Management University, and INSEAD published a new article in the Journal of Marketing that shows that disclosure of advertising spending significantly lowers investor and analyst uncertainty and allows them to better understand how a firm is achieving its financial performance. The study is authored by Sungkyun Moon, Kapil R. Tuli, and Anirban Mukherjee. Apple Inc. increased its advertising spending from $933 million to $1.8 billion in the period from 2011 to 2015, but in 2016 the company stopped disclosing details of this spending to investors. Analysts and investors bemoaned this decision since information about advertising spending allows them to better understand how a firm is achieving its financial performance. Apple is one of several publicly listed firms that does not disclose advertising spending. Other prominent examples include Campbell Soup Company that did not disclose advertising spending for 1997-2009 and Eli Lilly and Company that did not disclose its advertising spending until 2018. Current Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations allow firms the discretion to disclose (or not) advertising spendingeven though both the SEC and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) mandate that firms provide disclosures that lower investor uncertainty about the future financial performance of the firm due to idiosyncratic risk. The term idiosyncratic risk reflects investor uncertainty about future cash flows due to firm-specific factors and not due to stock market returns and systematic risk factors. Moon says that "disclosure of advertising spending is useful for investors and analysts because it gives a more complete picture of advertising expenses incurred by the firm even if estimates of this metric are available from data providers." The research team's analysis of 2,285 publicly listed firms over 25 years shows that disclosure of advertising spending lowers idiosyncratic risk by about 7%. It also finds that the negative effect of advertising spending disclosure on idiosyncratic risk is partially mediated by its effect on lowering the uncertainty about the firm's future financial performance among financial analysts. "We also find that firms' financial structure, overall disclosure quality, and competitive intensity moderate the negative effect of disclosure of advertising spending on analyst uncertainty," adds Tuli. The negative effects of disclosure of advertising spending on analyst uncertainty are 41% greater for firms with high (vs. low) liquidity and 34% greater for firms in more (vs. less) competitive industries. Additionally, the negative effects of disclosure of advertising spending are 28% greater for firms with low (vs. high) disclosure quality and 20% greater for firms with low (vs. high) leverage. The impact of disclosure of advertising spending on idiosyncratic risk and analyst uncertainty supports recent calls by researchers for greater disclosure of this metric. A potential concern is that disclosure can reveal proprietary information and have an adverse effect on firm valuation. The study's additional analyses, however, find no support for this argument. Results show that the disclosure of advertising spending enhances firm valuation for firms across industries such as manufacturing and business services, hi-tech, and healthcare. Given the increasing relevance of communications with investors and analysts, these findings are of direct relevance for Chief Marketing Officers who face increasing calls to play a more prominent role in investor relations. "Our findings support calls by the Marketing Accountability Standards Board for more disclosures of marketing actions of publicly listed firms," claims Mukherjee. From a regulatory perspective, this study suggests that there is strong merit for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Accounting Standards Board to reconsider current regulations that allow publicly listed firms the discretion to disclose (or not) their advertising spending. More information: Sungkyun Moon et al, EXPRESS: Does Disclosure of Advertising Spending Help Investors and Analysts?, Journal of Marketing (2022). Journal information: Journal of Marketing Sungkyun Moon et al, EXPRESS: Does Disclosure of Advertising Spending Help Investors and Analysts?,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/00222429221123013 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Sen. Lindsey Graham has proposed a national U.S. abortion ban barring the procedure after 15 weeks. This push to restrict abortion access across the country follows a rash of new state laws passed by Republicans after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. If American history is any guide, these efforts will ultimately neither reduce abortions nor remain settled law. I am a historian who has studied American culture and law in the wake of the 1873 Comstock Actthe first U.S. effort to restrict access to birth control and abortions. My research finds that previous state and federal efforts to regulate the sexual expression and reproduction of Americans led to unintended consequencesand, in the long term, these laws failed. Already, I see signs that new anti-abortion laws are triggering a similarly undermining backlash. How 'obscene' In 1873, Congress hurriedly passed a law making it illegal to send "obscenities" through the U.S. mail. The legislation was branded the Comstock Act after its most vigorous proponent: Anthony Comstock, a U.S. postal inspector and evangelical Christian who believed sexual activity was a sin unless it occurred between a married man and woman for the purpose of procreation. Birth control and substances used to induce abortion were included in the definition of "obscenity," because Comstock and his supporters believed that life and death were God's decisions. The law also banned mailing erotic images and literature. In Comstock's expansive view, this category included images of athletes wearing tights. State versions of the original Comstock Law soon swept the United States. By 1900, 42 states had passed similar legislation outlawing the production, sale, possession or circulation of "obscene" matter in their own jurisdictions. These statutes ruled until the Supreme Court declared a right to privacy in medical decision-making nearly 100 years later, in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). This is the same ruling that was cited eight years later to protect the right to have an abortion in the now defunct Roe v. Wade. Impractical enforcement Comstock zealously enforced the laws he'd advocated for, both as a detective for the privately funded New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, and as an inspector for the U.S. Post Office Department. In attempting to eradicate contraceptivesincluding condoms and early forms of diaphragmsComstock organized the arrests of numerous defendants. However, he had difficulty getting prosecutors, juries and judges to see the seriousness of many of the "crimes" he investigated. In the late 19th century, wealthier Americans already regularly used birth control. "Of all the indictments prior to 1878, pending in the Court of General Sessions, not one has been tried the past year," Comstock wrote in his 1879 annual report for the society. In one of these cases, the New York Times reported, Comstock was chastised by a New York City district attorney named Phelps for his "sharp practice" in investigating Dr. Sarah Blakeslee Chase. These included his posing as a client to obtain birth control products and repeatedly harassing the suspect. A grand jury threw out the case, stating that it "did not think it for the public good." Even when Comstock obtained a conviction, many defendants were pardoned immediately. Enforcing new anti-abortion laws is similarly unpopular with many legal professionals today. Shortly after the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs, more than 80 elected prosecutors vowed not to bring indictments in cases involving abortion. As they recognize, conservative courts in jurisdictions with zealous anti-abortion prosecutorswho in some states are already enforcing new lawswill soon be filled with a host of extremely sympathetic defendants: relatives who assist children who are victims of rape in obtaining an illegal abortion, doctors saving the lives of mothers at risk, and those who choose to help pregnant cancer patients in making the best possible decisions for their health. Enforcement of America's new Comstock laws will likely once again make witnesses and defendants more sympathetic in the eyes of judges and jurorsand the publicundermining whatever support remains for these laws. Beyond prosecutions, the tactics necessary to prevent women from obtaining abortions are even less practical today than they were in the late 19th century. Enforcing anti-abortion laws may include restricting interstate travel, blocking interstate and international postal services and attempting to censor information about sexual health. All of these would require laborious investigations and extensive cooperation from law enforcement agencies and private corporations who will likely have little desire to involve themselves in unpopular prosecutions. And that's assuming that any of these methods survive court challenges. Uniting disparate factions By the time of Anthony Comstock's death in 1915, backlash to his zealous overreach had provoked growing solidarity among activists and attorneys determined to defeat his agenda. Women's rights activists, including Margaret Sanger, Emma Goldman and Mary Ware Dennettformerly focused on competing goals and strategiesjoined in common cause to repeal the Comstock laws. Their efforts led to the creation of new and powerful national civil liberties organizations, including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union. Both used lobbying and lawsuits to contribute to the death of the original Comstock laws. These groups are still fighting new abortion restrictions today. And once again, post-Dobbs, disparate individuals and groups are raising their voices in common cause. Obstetricians from around the country have begun lobbying politicians and forming their own pro-choice political action committees for the first time. TikTok influencers like Olivia Julianna are rallying young citizens to vote for pro-choice politicians. And diverse podcasters, from one-time provocateur Howard Stern to the hosts of the true crime show "My Favorite Murder," are sharing resources with their listeners and expressing support for abortion rights. Ballot box backlash Newly registered and energized voters are turning out to support candidates and ballot initiatives that reflect the nation's majority support for abortion rights. Kansas roundly rejected an anti-abortion referendum in August 2022. And more states will soon vote on state constitutional protections for abortion, including Michigan. The Comstock laws were not repealed quickly. And it's now clear that American women's right to reproductive health care remained tenuous after their demise. Viewing the past as prolog, however, suggests that, once again, unpopular anti-abortion laws will cause unintended consequences that, in the long run, will render them both ineffective and ultimately futile. Explore further Biden to sign executive order protecting women traveling for abortion This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This undated handout photo shows members of the National Guard providing hurricane assistance in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Fiona, a powerful Category 3 storm, was battering the Turks and Caicos islands on Tuesday after leaving two people dead and triggering major flooding and power outages in the Caribbean. "Hurricane Fiona has proven to be an unpredictable storm," Anya Williams, the deputy governor of the British Overseas Territory, said in a broadcast. Williams said no casualties or serious injuries had been reported in the Turks and Caicos overnight as heavy rain and strong winds lashed the islands but she urged residents to continue to shelter in place. Blackouts had been reported on Grand Turk and several other islands in the archipelago and 165 people had been admitted to shelters, she said, adding that Britain's Royal Navy and the US Coast Guard are standing by provide assistance if needed. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Fiona was packing maximum winds nearing 115 miles (185 kilometers) per hour, making it a major hurricane, and is expected to become even stronger. "Heavy rains around the center of Fiona impacts the Turks and Caicos through this afternoon with continued life-threatening flooding," the NHC said. Fiona has left two people dead so far: one man whose home was swept away in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and another in the Dominican Republic who died while cutting down a tree. A young person rides his bicycle in Nagua, Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three eastern provinces to be disaster zones: La Altagraciahome to the popular resort of Punta CanaEl Seibo and Hato Mayor. Several roads were flooded or cut off by falling trees or electric poles around Punta Cana where the power was knocked out. Footage from local media showed residents of the east coast town of Higuey waist-deep in water trying to salvage personal belongings. "It came through at high speed," Vicente Lopez, in the Punta Cana beach of Bibijagua told AFP, bemoaning the destroyed businesses in the area. The NHC said "heavy rainfall and localized life-threatening flash flooding" would continue over part of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden has meanwhile declared a state of emergency in Puerto Ricowhere the storm hit a day earlierauthorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance in the US island territory. Governor Pedro Pierluisi said the storm had caused catastrophic damage since Sunday, with some areas receiving more than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain. Map showing the projected path of Hurricane Fiona. 'I have food and water' Across Puerto Rico, Fiona caused landslides, blocked roads and toppled trees, power lines and bridges, Pierluisi said. A man was killed as an indirect result of the power blackoutburned to death while trying to fill his generator, according to authorities. On Monday afternoon, Nelly Marrero made her way back to her home in Toa Baja, in the north of Puerto Rico, to clear out the mud that surged inside after she evacuated. "Thanks to God, I have food and water," Marrerowho lost everything when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico five years agotold AFP by telephone. Fiona knocked out power to much of Puerto Rico, an island of three million people, but electricity had been restored for some customers on Monday, the governor said. The hurricane has also left around 800,000 people without drinking water as a result of power outages and flooded rivers, officials said. The five categories in the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. After years of financial woes and recession, Puerto Rico in 2017 declared the largest bankruptcy ever by a local US administration. Later that year, the double hit from two Hurricanes, Irma and Maria, added to the misery, devastating the electrical grid on the islandwhich has suffered from major infrastructure problems for years. The grid was privatized in June 2021 in an effort to resolve the problem of blackouts, but the issue has persisted, and the entire island lost power earlier this year. Explore further Hurricane Fiona leaves one dead in Dominican Republic after ravaging Puerto Rico 2022 AFP Workers sort coal near a coal mine in Datong, China's northern Shanxi province on November 2, 2021. Burning the world's remaining fossil fuel reserves would unleash 3.5 trillion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissionsseven times the remaining carbon budget to cap global heating at 1.5Caccording to the first public inventory of hydrocarbons released Monday. Human activity since the Industrial Revolution, largely powered by coal, oil and gas, has led to just under 1.2 degrees Celsius of warming and brought with it ever fiercer droughts, floods and storms supercharged by rising seas. The United Nations estimates that Earth's remaining carbon budgethow much more pollution we can add to the atmosphere before the 1.5C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is missedto be around 360 billion tonnes of CO 2 equivalent, or nine years at current emission levels. The UN's annual Production Gap assessment last year found that governments plan to burn more than twice the fossil fuels by 2030 that would be consistent with a 1.5C world. But until now there has been no comprehensive global inventory of countries' remaining reserves. The Global Registry of Fossil Fuels seeks to provide greater clarity on oil, gas and coal reserves to fill knowledge gaps about global supply and to help policymakers better manage their phaseouts. Containing more than 50,000 fields across 89 countries, it found that some countries on their own held reserves containing enough carbon to blow through the entire world's carbon budget. For example, US coal reserves embed 520 billion tonnes of CO 2 equivalent. China, Russia and Australia all hold enough reserves to miss 1.5C, it found. All told, the remaining fossil fuel reserves contain seven times the emissions of the carbon budget for 1.5C. "We have very little time to address the remaining carbon budget, said Rebecca Byrnes, deputy Director of Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, who helped compile the registry. "As long as we're not measuring what is being produced, it's incredibly hard to measure or regulate that production," she told AFP. Transparency, accountability The registry has emissions data for individual oil, gas or goal projects. Of the 50,000 fields included, the most potent source of emissions is the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia, which churns out some 525 million tons of carbon emissions each year. The top 12 most polluting sites were all in the Gulf or Russia, according to the database. Byrnes said that the inventory could help apply investor pressure in countries with large hydrocarbon reserves but saw little prospect of popular pressure to shift away from fossil fuels. "This just demonstrates that it is a global challenge and many countries that are major producers but aren't as democratic as the US for examplethat's where transparency comes in," she told AFP. "We're not kidding ourselves that the registry will overnight result in sort of a massive governance regime on fossil fuels. But it sheds a light on where fossil fuel production is happening to investors and other actors to hold their governments to account." The inventory also highlighted large variability in the price of carbon between countries, with taxes on emissions generating nearly $100 per tonne in Iraq but just $5 per tonne in Britain. Simon Kofe, Tuvalu's foreign minister, said the database could "assist in effectively ending coal, oil and gas production". "It will help governments, companies, and investors make decisions to align their fossil fuel production with the 1.5C temperature limit and, thus, concretely prevent the demise of our island homes, as well as all countries throughout our global community." Explore further First public global database of fossil fuels launches 2022 AFP Measurements being performed on the Maludam, a tropical peat-draining river in Malaysia. The typically dark color of the water indicates a high levels of dissolved carbon, which is why peat-draining rivers are also known as blackwater rivers. Credit: Alexandra Klemme, University of Bremen The Earth is warming up at an increasing rate. A contributing factor is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a greenhouse gas, prompting researchers to investigate methods to reduce levels. In her dissertation at the University of Bremen, Dr. Alexandra Klemme discovered that the "enhanced weathering" strategywhich, until now, has been considered a promising methodis not suitable for removing CO 2 from tropical peat soils. The research findings have now appeared in Communications Earth & Environment. "Various strategies for extracting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere are being discussed around the world. One of these methods is enhanced weathering," explains Dr. Alexandra Klemme. She studied the effects of enhanced weathering on tropical peat soils as part of her Ph.D. thesis, concluding that this approach is not suitable for reducing CO 2 in these areas. Dr. Klemme conducted her research at the Institute of Environmental Physics at the University of Bremen (Dr. Thorsten Warneke, Professor Justus Notholt) in close cooperation with the Bremen-based Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (Dr. Tim Rixen) and Swinburne University in Malaysia (Dr. Moritz Muller). Why 'enhanced weathering,' and why tropical peat soils? Weathering is a natural process in which a chemical reaction binds CO 2 with rock and water, thereby removing it from the atmosphere. "This happens extremely slowly, and a reduction in atmospheric CO 2 is only noticeable when we look at the trend over thousands of years," says Dr. Klemme. The enhanced weathering method involves crushing rocks into powder. "This increases the surface area where the chemical reaction takes place, which accelerates the weathering process. Spreading pulverized rock over landfor example agricultural landis being discussed as a possible method for reducing atmospheric CO 2 ." Warm and humid conditions further accelerate the weathering process, making tropical peatlands one of the possible target areas for enhanced weathering. About half of these peatlands are located in Southeast Asia. They store huge amounts of carbon and, in their natural state, absorb CO 2 from the atmosphere. Today, a large proportion of these peatlands have been converted into agricultural land. "In most cases, this is associated with drainage and leads to peatland transforming from CO 2 sinks into CO 2 sources," explains Dr. Klemme. It is hoped that using enhanced weathering in these regions will counteract these CO 2 sources. "In addition, enhanced weathering would increase the pH value in the acidic soils. The agricultural industry would welcome this because it increases plant growth." Increased pH value destabilizes peat soils However, this approach will not have the desired effect, because increasing the pH value through enhanced weathering would destabilize the peat soils. Beyond increasing CO 2 emissions from peat soils, Dr. Klemme discovered that this technique resulted in more carbon leaching into rivers, thus raising CO 2 emissions from rivers and coastal areas. The research was based on measurements from peat-draining river flows in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Institute of Environmental Physics, the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, and Swinburne University have been taking the measurements over the past 10 years. The study shows that an increased pH value could lead to total CO 2 emissions exceeding the expected CO 2 uptake through enhanced weathering. "Therefore, this method can be ruled out," says Dr. Klemme. Explore further Researchers address environmental weathering of microplastics, pollutant uptake More information: Alexandra Klemme et al, Destabilization of carbon in tropical peatlands by enhanced weathering, Communications Earth & Environment (2022). Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment Alexandra Klemme et al, Destabilization of carbon in tropical peatlands by enhanced weathering,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-022-00544-0 Provided by Universitat Bremen In this March 11, 2009, photo, a line of Holstein dairy cows feed through a fence at a dairy farm outside Jerome, Idaho. The University of Idaho's plan to build the nation's largest research dairy and experimental farm has cleared a big hurdle. Idaho Gov. Brad Little and two other statewide-elected officials on the Idaho Land Board on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, approved the university's plan to use $23 million to buy roughly 640 acres of farmland in south-central Idaho, the heart of the state's dairy industry. Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield, File The University of Idaho's plan to build the nation's largest research dairy and experimental farm cleared a big hurdle on Tuesday. Idaho Gov. Brad Little and two other statewide-elected officials on the Idaho Land Board approved the university's plan to use $23 million to buy roughly 640 acres of farmland in south-central Idaho, the heart of the state's dairy industry. That would be the main focus of the school's proposed Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, or CAFE. Idaho's dairy industry is the third-largest dairy producer in the nation, behind California and Wisconsin. But the industry in Idahoand in generalfaces a range of challenges with greenhouse gas emissions from animals, land and water pollution, and waste systems from dairies that can have thousands of cows that produce tons of manure. University of Idaho's president Scott Green, who called the vote a big win for the state, the university and the dairy industry, said the school hasn't been able to do the large-scale research the industry needs to find solutions for those and other complex problems. "The research that we do there is going to help us improve the water quality within the state," Green said after the vote. "It's going to help us utilize waste products from the dairy industry in a way that's beneficial to the environment and to agriculture." Green said students will get the education needed to work on the cutting edge of agribusiness and dairy sciences. He also said CAFE opens the doors for the school to receive millions in research grant money, potentially leading to new ideas and innovation. If CAFE succeeds as envisioned, the operation would include an experimental farm and 2,000-cow research dairy in Minidoka County. Classrooms, labs and faculty offices would be constructed in Jerome County near where Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 93 intersect. A food processing pilot plant with a workforce training and education facility would be located at the College of Southern Idaho campus in Twin Falls County. The state's dairy industry has supported the plan, donating more than $8.5 million to date, according to state officials. Specifically, the board on Tuesday voted to use $23 million from the 2021 sale of 282 acres of endowment land in Caldwell benefitting the University of Idaho's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to buy roughly 640 acres of farmland in Minidoka County north of Rupert owned by the universityturning that into endowment land. The school will now use that endowment land and money to build the research dairy. Endowment land is land Idaho received at statehood and that the Land Board manages to produce the maximum return over the long term for beneficiaries, mainly public education. Land Board members had other options for the money. It could have transferred the $23 million to a fund that would generate money through investments. It also could have kept the money for potential investments in timberland, the most dependable revenue generator for state land. Choosing the university option was unique in that it recognized research as an asset. "If this was more affordable research, private industry would be doing it," Little said after the meeting. "These are the kinds of things government has to do, these long-term, low-return (investments). If we get research out of this that creates a more sustainable, cleaner way to have a dairy industry in Idaho, that's a win-win for everybody." Immediately after the vote, applause broke out in the meeting room at the Statehouse, an unusual occurrence at a Land Board meeting that typically deals with staid financial management decisions involving the state's 3,900 square miles (10,100 square kilometers) of endowment land. Explore further Wildfire smoke exposure negatively impacts dairy cow health 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Classes of transcription clusters. In a self-sustaining transcription cluster, a TF and the gene encoding that TF are both present. The inter- and intra-chromosomal examples in (a) and (b), respectively, illustrate this phenomenon where in a we see the TF of interest (orange triangle) circulating at the cluster, its binding motif present on the chromatin (orange portion), and its corresponding gene expressed (orange rectangle on Chromosome 6). The gray shapes represent additional TFs with binding motifs (gray portion of chromatin) at the cluster. Black rectangles on Chromosomes 3, 9, and 19 represent additional genes present in the cluster. c An analog-independent class of transcription clusters where we observe a TF (red square) bind at a transcription cluster (red cluster) and its corresponding gene expressed in a separate transcription cluster (gray cluster), yet not in the same cluster. d An analog-independent class of transcription clusters where we observe a TF (green circle) bind at a transcription cluster (green cluster) and its corresponding gene expressed but not within a transcription cluster. e Genome-wide cell type-specific self-sustaining transcription clusters extracted from multi-way contact data and decomposed into Hi-C contact matrices at 100 kb resolution. Contact frequencies are log-transformed for better visualization. Frequencies along the diagonal indicate interaction between two or more unique multi-way loci that fall within the same 100 kb bin. Axis labels are non-contiguous 100 kb bin coordinates in chromosomal order. Multi-way contacts that make up the self-sustaining transcription clusters are superimposed. Multi-way contacts with green-colored loci represent 'core' transcription clusters - transcription clusters containing a master regulator and its gene analog. An example read-level contact map for the inter-chromosomal FOXO3 self-sustaining transcription cluster is denoted by the orange highlighted box in the adult fibroblast contact matrix and a read-level contact map for the intra-chromosomal ZNF320 self-sustaining transcription cluster is denoted by the blue highlighted box. Values along the left axis of these read-level contact matrices are base-pair positions of the contacting loci in the genome. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32980-z Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's third law says that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Indika Rajapakse, Ph.D., is a believer. The engineer and mathematician now finds himself a biologist. And he believes the beauty of blending these three disciplines is crucial to unraveling how cells work. His latest development is a new mathematical technique to begin to understand how a cell's nucleus is organized. The technique, which Rajapakse and collaborators tested on several types of cells, revealed what the researchers termed self-sustaining transcription clusters, a subset of proteins that play a key role in maintaining cell identity. They hope this understanding will expose vulnerabilities that can be targeted to reprogram a cell to stop cancer or other diseases. "More and more cancer biologists think genome organization plays a huge role in understanding uncontrollable cell division and whether we can reprogram a cancer cell. That means we need to understand more detail about what's happening in the nucleus," said Rajapakse, associate professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics, mathematics, and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan. He is also a member of the U-M Rogel Cancer Center. Rajapakse is senior author on the paper, published in Nature Communications. The project was led by a trio of graduate students with an interdisciplinary team of researchers. The team improved upon an older technology to examine chromatin, called Hi-C, that maps which pieces of the genome are close together. It can identify chromosome translocations, like those that occur in some cancers. Its limitation, however, is that it sees only these adjacent genomic regions. The new technology, called Pore-C, uses much more data to visualize how all of the pieces within a cell's nucleus interact. The researchers used a mathematical technique called hypergraphs. Think: three-dimensional Venn diagram. It allows researchers to see not just pairs of genomic regions that interact but the totality of the complex and overlapping genome-wide relationships within the cells. "This multi-dimensional relationship we can understand unambiguously. It gives us a more detailed way to understand organizational principles inside the nucleus. If you understand that, you can also understand where these organizational principles deviate, like in cancer," Rajapakse said. "This is like putting three worlds togethertechnology, math and biologyto study more detail inside the nucleus." The researchers tested their approach on neonatal fibroblasts, biopsied adult fibroblasts and B lymphocytes. They identified organizations of transcription clusters specific to each cell type. They also found what they called self-sustaining transcription clusters, which serve as key transcriptional signatures for a cell type. Rajapakse describes this as the first step in a bigger picture. "My goal is to construct this kind of picture over the cell cycle to understand how a cell goes through different stages. Cancer is uncontrollable cell division," Rajapakse said. "If we understand how a normal cell changes over time, we can start to examine controlled and uncontrolled systems and find ways to reprogram that system." Explore further Unveiling the mysteries of the genome structure in the human cell nucleus using a 3D computational simulation More information: Gabrielle A. Dotson et al, Deciphering multi-way interactions in the human genome, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Gabrielle A. Dotson et al, Deciphering multi-way interactions in the human genome,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32980-z Screenshot of the interactive map tool. Credit: Cognability Does your neighborhood help protect your cognitive health as you age? A new tool, an interactive map developed by University of Michigan researchers, allows you to plug in your address and assess how your neighborhood could support healthy cognitive aging under a theory U-M scientist Jessica Finlay and colleagues developed, called "cognability." The theory suggests that an older adult's access to civic and social organizations, cultural centers such as museums and art galleries, and recreation centers may help protect against cognitive decline as a person ages. The theory is underpinned by a growing body of research led by a group at the U-M Institute for Social Research and U-M School of Public Health. The group recently published a study in Social Science & Medicine finding that unequal distribution of hazards such as pollution and access to amenities such as museums and recreation centers, and civic organizations, where people can gather and connect, may help account for inequities in cognitive health among older adults. "I wanted to think about how neighborhoods contribute to risk for Alzheimer's and dementia," said Finlay, a research investigator at ISR's Survey Research Center. "There are hints in the literature that neighborhoods actually could play a really big role, but they're largely overlooked. We don't often pay attention to the neighborhood context for people as they develop and navigate cognitive decline as they age. The goal is to make this work accessible." Specifically, the study found that neighborhood features such as recreation centers, civic and social organizations, fast-food and coffee shops, arts organizations, museums and highways all were significant predictors of people's cognitive function scores. People who lived in neighborhoods with ready access to civic and social organizations displayed higher cognitive scores than those who lived in neighborhoods with no immediate access to such organizations. This is similar to about a two-year difference in people's age. The researchers also showed that people who lived in neighborhoods with high exposure to highways displayed lower cognitive scores than those who lived in neighborhoods with few highways. This again translates to a two-year difference in people's age. Other features such as neighborhoods with high densities of coffee shops and fast food establishments were associated with slightly lower levels of cognitive function. "This is really groundbreaking work. Cognability helps people to think about their neighborhood environment with respect to their cognitive health," said study co-author Philippa Clarke, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health and research professor at ISR's Survey Research Center. "Most research on cognitive function and dementia focuses on mitigating individual risk factors, but cognability redirects attention to those features in the surrounding environment that may go a long way to mitigating cognitive decline with aging." Finlay and fellow researcher Michael Esposito previously assessed single features of neighborhoods to determine their impact on cognitive function. But now, the researchers wanted to compare a collection of 15 features to see which may be the most strongly associated with cognitive function among older adults, said Esposito, an assistant professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. The group included cognitive scores from more than 20,000 participants in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a national sample of older Black and white adults in the United States. Esposito, who led the statistical analysis portion of the study, created a conservative model that assumed none of the 15 neighborhood features impacted cognitive health. Then, using a statistical learning approach, he let the model run through each of the 15 features of a neighborhood's cognitive function. "Our starting assumption in the model was that none of these features matters. We only wanted features to remain in the model that have a strong enough association to break free of that assumption," Esposito said. "In the final output, after we tried to eliminate the association, we can check to see if it's still there. If it can pass this test, the feature is probably a salient predictor of cognitive health." The researchers weren't able to control for factors such as wealth, which they note likely drives a person's ability to buy into a neighborhood with greater access to many of these features. But in future work, they plan to test for such indicators, Esposito said. "The fact that we're living in a country where people's access to be healthy varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, that health is conditional on where you live, is important to demonstrate," he said. The team also ran models to see if differences in cognitive function within neighborhoods existed by race, gender and education (a proxy for socioeconomic status), but these early models didn't find significant differences. "I will say this was a very exploratory and early approach to this work," Finlay said. "We need more theoretically informed and targeted investigations of how neighborhoods and cognitive health might vary by race, ethnicity, gender, education and wealth." Finlay hopes the website will provide evidence about healthy aging to neighborhood residents, policymakers and those who provide community services. "The idea is really just awareness and education. Dementia-friendly and aging-friendly efforts often lack real concrete evidence about what to build and how to support communities," he said. "These don't need to be huge overhauls. It could be adding shaded benches or a bathroom or outdoors exercise equipment targeting older generations to existing playgrounds and parks. It can be small increments to what we're doing to help accommodate people ages eight to 80." Explore further Communities for cognitive aging: How neighborhoods may protect the cognitive health of older Americans More information: Jessica Finlay et al, Cognability: An Ecological Theory of neighborhoods and cognitive aging, Social Science & Medicine (2022). Journal information: Social Science & Medicine Jessica Finlay et al, Cognability: An Ecological Theory of neighborhoods and cognitive aging,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115220 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Despite major COVID-19 disruptions, a survey study involving more than 8,300 students at 29 colleges and universities revealed that most maintained their trust in their institutions, at least in the early pandemic months. In the study, published in the journal American Behavioral Scientist, the researchers found steady trust among many student demographics including white and Hispanic students even as the pandemic started moving many campuses online. There were notable exceptions, however, with trust falling among Black students and students whose parents had not attended college. "There is a tension between ensuring campus safety on the one hand and being mindful of the vulnerabilities that students may have on the other," said lead author Shannon Calderone, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Washington State University Tri-Cities campus. "We can learn from these experiences, but on the whole, many institutions were responsive in terms of making decisions and acting on them." The survey answers did not reveal the reasons why some students lost trust, but the researchers noted that the decreases tended to occur among groups who already had some distrust in higher education. For students from lower-income households, the pandemic also meant they were likely sent back to homes without key resources such as high-speed internet that more advantaged students had. "A couple of reasons might explain these differences and one is the students' historical relationships with their institutions," said Calderone. "Also, the more vulnerable students tend to be, the more that may have also shifted trustespecially when substantial changes were taking place in a very short period of time, that vulnerability could be exacerbated." For this study, Calderone and co-author Kevin Fosnacht from Indiana University, Bloomington, analyzed student answers to a special set of trust questions added to the National Survey of Student Engagement. The survey period spanned from February 2020 to May 2020 just as pandemic measures started impacting campuses nationwide. Among the positive results, students with disabilities showed an increase in trust at the start of the pandemic. "This suggests that institutions were pretty responsive in creating environments through this transition that would allow students with disabilities to be successful," Calderone said. While the overall results showed steady or increasing trust among students, the researchers emphasized a need for college and university leaders to communicate well with students of all backgrounds to better understand and address their needs. "Unfortunately, we're bound to have something like this happen again, so one big lesson from this is to really be thinking about how we bring other voices into the dialogue around decision making," Calderone said. Explore further What factors help students with disabilities transition to college? More information: Shannon M. Calderone et al, Student Trust in Higher Education Institutions: How the Pandemic Influenced Undergraduate Trust, American Behavioral Scientist (2022). Journal information: American Behavioral Scientist Shannon M. Calderone et al, Student Trust in Higher Education Institutions: How the Pandemic Influenced Undergraduate Trust,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/00027642221118263 John Clauser standing with his second quantum entanglement experiment at UC Berkeley in 1976. Credit: University of California Graphic Arts / Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory In the 1930's when scientists, including Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrodinger, first discovered the phenomenon of entanglement, they were perplexed. Entanglement, disturbingly, required two separated particles to remain connected without being in direct contact. Einstein famously called entanglement "spooky action at a distance," since the particles seemed to be communicating faster than the speed of light. To explain the bizarre implications of entanglement, Einstein, along with Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen (EPR), argued that "hidden variables" should be added to quantum mechanics to explain entanglement, and to restore "locality" and "causality" to the behavior of the particles. Locality states that objects are only influenced by their immediate surroundings. Causality states that an effect cannot occur before its cause, and that causal signaling cannot propagate faster than light-speed. Niels Bohr famously disputed EPR's argument, while Schrodinger and Wendell Furry, in response to EPR, independently hypothesized that entanglement vanishes with wide-particle separation. Unfortunately, no experimental evidence for or against quantum entanglement of widely separated particles was available then. Experiments have since proven that entanglement is very real and fundamental to nature. Moreover, quantum mechanics has now been proven to work, not only at very short distances but also at very great distances. Indeed, China's quantum-encrypted communications satellite, Micius, relies on quantum entanglement between photons that are separated by thousands of kilometers. The very first of these experiments was proposed and executed by Caltech alumnus John Clauser (BS '64) in 1969 and 1972, respectively. His findings are based on Bell's theorem, devised by CERN theorist John Bell. In 1964, Bell ironically proved that EPR's argument actually led to the opposite conclusion from what EPR had originally intended to show. Bell showed that quantum entanglement is, in fact, incompatible with EPR's notion of locality and causality. In 1969, while still a graduate student at Columbia University, Clauser, along with Michael Horne, Abner Shimony, and Richard Holt, transformed Bell's 1964 mathematical theorem into a very specific experimental prediction via what is now called the ClauserHorneShimonyHolt (CHSH) inequality (Their paper has been cited more than 8,500 times on Google Scholar.) In 1972, when he was a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Clauser and graduate student Stuart Freedman were the first to prove experimentally that two widely separated particles (about 10 feet apart) can be entangled. Clauser went on to perform three more experiments testing the foundations of quantum mechanics and entanglement, with each new experiment confirming and extending his results. The FreedmanClauser experiment was the first test of the CHSH inequality. It has now been tested experimentally hundreds of times at laboratories around the world to confirm that quantum entanglement is real. Clauser's work earned him the 2010 Wolf Prize in physics. He shared it with Alain Aspect of the Institut d' Optique and Ecole Polytechnique and Anton Zeilinger of the University of Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences "for an increasingly sophisticated series of tests of Bell's inequalities, or extensions thereof, using entangled quantum states," according to the award citation. Here, John Clauser answers questions about his historical experiments. We hear that your idea of testing the principles of entanglement was unappealing to other physicists. Can you tell us more about that? In the 1960s and 70s, experimental testing of quantum mechanics was unpopular at Caltech, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and elsewhere. My faculty at Columbia told me that testing quantum physics was going to destroy my career. While I was performing the 1972 FreedmanClauser experiment at UC Berkeley, Caltech's Richard Feynman was highly offended by my impertinent effort and told me that it was tantamount to professing a disbelief in quantum physics. He arrogantly insisted that quantum mechanics is obviously correct and needs no further testing! My reception at UC Berkeley was lukewarm at best and was only possible through the kindness and tolerance of Professors Charlie Townes [Ph.D. '39, Nobel Laureate '64] and Howard Shugart [BS '53], who allowed me to continue my experiments there. In my correspondence with John Bell, he expressed exactly the opposite sentiment and strongly encouraged me to do an experiment. John Bell's 1964 seminal work on Bell's theorem was originally published in the terminal issue of an obscure journal, Physics, and in an underground physics newspaper, Epistemological Letters. It was not until after the 1969 CHSH paper and the 1972 FreedmanClauser results were published in the Physical Review Letters that John Bell finally openly discussed his work. He was aware of the taboo on questioning quantum mechanics' foundations and had never discussed it with his CERN co-workers. What made you want to carry through with the experiments anyway? Part of the reason that I wanted to test the ideas was because I was still trying to understand them. I found the predictions for entanglement to be sufficiently bizarre that I could not accept them without seeing experimental proof. I also recognized the fundamental importance of the experiments and simply ignored the career advice of my faculty. Moreover, I was having a lot of fun doing some very challenging experimental physics with apparatuses that I built mostly using leftover physics department scrap. Before Stu Freedman and I did the first experiment, I also personally thought that Einstein's hidden-variable physics might actually be right, and if it is, then I wanted to discover it. I found Einstein's ideas to be very clear. I found Bohr's rather muddy and difficult to understand. What did you expect to find when you did the experiments? In truth, I really didn't know what to expect except that I would finally determine who was rightBohr or Einstein. I admittedly was betting in favor of Einstein but did not actually know who was going to win. It's like going to the racetrack. You might hope that a certain horse will win, but you don't really know until the results are in. In this case, it turned out that Einstein was wrong. In the tradition of Caltech's Richard Feynman and Kip Thorne [BS '62], who would place scientific bets, I had a bet with quantum physicist Yakir Aharonov on the outcome of the FreedmanClauser experiment. Curiously, he put up only one dollar to my two. I lost the bet and enclosed a two-dollar bill and congratulations when I mailed him a preprint with our results. I was very sad to see that my own experiment had proven Einstein wrong. But the experiment gave a 6.3-sigma result against him [a five-sigma result or higher is considered the gold standard for significance in physics]. But then Dick Holt and Frank Pipkin's competing experiment at Harvard (never published) got the opposite result. I wondered if perhaps I had overlooked some important detail. I went on alone at UC Berkeley to perform three more experimental tests of quantum mechanics. All yielded the same conclusions. Bohr was right, and Einstein was wrong. The Harvard result did not repeat and was faulty. When I reconnected with my Columbia faculty, they all said, "We told you so! Now stop wasting money and go do some real physics." At that point in my career, the only value in my work was that it demonstrated that I was a reasonably talented experimental physicist. That fact alone got me a job at Lawrence Livermore National Lab doing controlled-fusion plasma physics research. Can you help us understand exactly what your experiments showed? In order to clarify what the experiments showed, Mike Horne and I formulated what is now known as ClauserHorne Local Realism [1974]. Additional contributions to it were subsequently offered by John Bell and Abner Shimony, so perhaps it is more properly called BellClauserHorneShimony Local Realism. Local Realism was very short-lived as a viable theory. Indeed, it was experimentally refuted even before it was fully formulated. Nonetheless, Local Realism is heuristically important because it shows in detail what quantum mechanics is not. Local Realism assumes that nature consists of stuff, of objectively real objects, i. e., stuff you can put inside a box. (A box here is an imaginary closed surface defining separated inside and outside volumes.) It further assumes that objects exist whether or not we observe them. Similarly, definite experimental results are assumed to obtain, whether or not we look at them. We may not know what the stuff is, but we assume that it exists and that it is distributed throughout space. Stuff may evolve either deterministically or stochastically. Local Realism assumes that the stuff within a box has intrinsic properties, and that when someone performs an experiment within the box, the probability of any result that obtains is somehow influenced by the properties of the stuff within that box. If one performs say a different experiment with different experimental parameters, then presumably a different result obtains. Now suppose one has two widely separated boxes, each containing stuff. Local Realism further assumes that the experimental parameter choice made in one box cannot affect the experimental outcome in the distant box. Local Realism thereby prohibits spooky action-at-a-distance. It enforces Einstein's causality that prohibits any such nonlocal cause and effect. Surprisingly, those simple and very reasonable assumptions are sufficient on their own to allow derivation of a second important experimental prediction limiting the correlation between experimental results obtained in the separated boxes. That prediction is the 1974 ClauserHorne (CH) inequality. The 1969 CHSH inequality's derivation had required several minor supplementary assumptions, sometimes called "loopholes." The CH inequality's derivation eliminates those supplementary assumptions and is thus more general. Quantum entangled systems exist that disagree with the CH prediction, whereby Local Realism is amenable to experimental disproof. The CHSH and CH inequalities are both violated, not only by the first 1972 FreedmanClauser experiment and my second 1976 experiment but now by literally hundreds of confirming independent experiments. Various labs have now entangled and violated the CHSH inequality with photon pairs, beryllium ion pairs, ytterbium ion pairs, rubidium atom pairs, whole rubidium-atom cloud pairs, nitrogen vacancies in diamonds, and Josephson phase qubits. Testing Local Realism and the CH inequality was considered by many researchers to be important to eliminate the CHSH loopholes. Considerable effort was thus marshaled, as quantum optics technology improved and permitted. Testing the CH inequality had become a holy grail challenge for experimentalists. Violation of the CH inequality was finally achieved first in 2013 and again in 2015 at two competing laboratories: Anton Zeilinger's group at the University of Vienna, and Paul Kwiat's group at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. The 2015 experiments involved 56 researchers! Local Realism is now soundly refuted! The agreement between the experiments and quantum mechanics now firmly proves that nonlocal quantum entanglement is real. What are some of the important technological applications of your work? One application of my work is to the simplest possible object defined by Local Realisma single bit of information. Local Realism shows that a single quantum mechanical bit of information, a "qubit," cannot always be localized in a space-time box. This fact provides the fundamental basis of quantum information theory and quantum cryptography. Caltech's quantum science and technology program, the 2019 $1.28-billion U.S. National Quantum Initiative, and the 2019 $400 million Israeli National Quantum Initiative all rely on the reality of entanglement. The Chinese Micius quantum-encrypted communications satellite system's configuration is almost identical to that of the FreedmanClauser experiment. It uses the CHSH inequality to verify entanglement's persistence through outer space. No evidence of increased aggression in rabid male vampire bats prior to death. Panel (a) shows timeline of aggression event counts for each rabid (orange points) and non-rabid (blue points) vampire bat across three groups. Point size reflects the rate of observed events per hour. Red circles show RABV positive saliva sample. Panel (b) shows mean rate of aggression events per hour with 95% CIs for rabid and non-rabid bats starting one day after inoculation with RABV. Panel (c) shows the standardized mean difference with 95% CIs between rabid bats and healthy cagemates in the three-day time interval before death. Outlier is one rabid bat (group 2-i) that showed high aggression 16 days post-challenge (2 days prior to death). Credit: Biology Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0298 Vampire bats infected with the rabies virus aren't likely to act stereotypically "rabid," according to a new studyinstead, infected male bats tended to withdraw socially, scaling back on the common habit of grooming each other before they died of the disease. The study was the first to observe how rabies affects vampire bat social behavior, and one of only a few research efforts to understand how rabies infection impacts behavior in one of the species most responsible for causing rabies outbreaks in humans and livestock in Latin America. The virus is typically transmitted to other species by direct contact between vampire bats' infected saliva and the broken skin of the livestock or other animals (and, rarely, humans) they bite to feed on blood. In the roost, vampire bats might infect each other through the licking and chewing that constitute the grooming behavior they engage in for up to 5% of their active time, said Gerald Carter, senior author of the study and assistant professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University. "Despite that possibility, no previous studies had tried to quantify changes in grooming habits in vampire bats infected with rabies," Carter said. "It could be that vampire bats' tendency to withdraw from social activity when they're sick that we've seen in our earlier work lowers the likelihood for rabies transmission to groupmates despite living in close quarters inside the roost." The study was led by co-first authors Sebastian Stockmaier, an Ohio State University President's Postdoctoral Scholar in Carter's lab, and Elsa Cardenas-Canales, then a Ph.D. student and now a postdoctoral scholar in pathobiological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research was published recently in the journal Biology Letters. Previous research in a variety of animal species and humans has shown that there are two observed responses to rabies infection: "furious" symptoms of increased aggression, or "paralytic" symptoms that lead to lethargy and paralysis. The furious response is expected to increase transmission to other hosts. In this work, the researchers equipped a lab with infrared surveillance cameras to observe 40 male common vampire bats that were part of a larger sample of bats used to test a rabies vaccine candidate. Groups of bats subjected to three treatmentsoral vaccination, topical vaccination or placebowere placed together in cages for four months before being challenged with a coyote variant of the rabies virus. One day after the challenge, the team began quantifying behaviors from three one-hour sample periods each night, recording the absence or presence of either grooming or aggression. The team analyzed the resulting 18,808 behavioral samples to estimate behavior rates. "We were generally interested in how social behaviors that might be relevant to rabies transmissionallogrooming and aggressionchanged when vampire bats were infected," Stockmaier said. All bats showed low rates of aggression and, compared to their healthy cagemates, rabid vampire bats showed a reduction over time in giving and receiving grooming. The effect was first seen about 12 days after inoculation with the virus and got stronger closer to when the bats died. The researchers can't be sure what caused the decrease in groomingwhether it resulted from a general immune response that made the bats sick and lethargic, and therefore less social, or from dysfunction of the central nervous system from the rabies infection. Cardenas-Canales noted that signs of either the aggressive or paralytic forms of rabies are the last to show before the animal diessuggesting that disease transmission can occur without any obvious changes in behavior. "In some cases, asymptomatic bats fly, forage and interact normally while having infectious salivamaking every bite, by feeding or fighting, potentially infectious," she said. "We could learn even more by measuring how often bats in the late stages of disease shed virus in their saliva and get fed by others, and what this might implicate for rabies transmission." The results, in male vampire bats, which can be aggressive toward each other, actually raise a question about a common idea regarding rabies infectionthat the virus manipulates its host into becoming aggressive to improve the chances for viral transmission. "Rabies might not have to manipulate the behavior of its host if the host is frequently aggressive anyway or if it is likely to bite other animals to feed," Stockmaier said. "This remains to be tested." Another possible explanation for not observing increased aggression is that the behavioral effects of rabies are highly variable and might differ by the viral strain. The researchers noted that bats infected with variants from other populations or other species did not show clear "furious" rabies in six other cases, but three observational studies did record signs of increased aggression, and these were all in vampire bats that were naturally exposed to rabies in the wild. Explore further Mayo Clinic Minute: Bats can be a rabies threat More information: Elsa M. Cardenas-Canales et al, Social effects of rabies infection in male vampire bats ( Desmodus rotundus ), Biology Letters (2022). Journal information: Biology Letters Elsa M. Cardenas-Canales et al, Social effects of rabies infection in male vampire bats ( Desmodus rotundus ),(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0298 Study shows that overconfidence and the income-ability gap play a role in preferences for income equality. Credit: Tomoko Matsumoto from Tokyo University of Science Overconfidence in one's ability is not uncommon among humans. It can be observed in areas ranging from driving ability and productivity to calculating returns on investment projects. Overconfidence can also lead people to think that they aren't earning as much as they think they can. This consideration should encourage overconfident people to think that society is unfair. Furthermore, this effect should increase the support for more concentrated efforts, including government interventions, to reduce the income inequality and mitigate the perceived unfairness of society. However, is this really the case? A new study by researchers from Tokyo University of Science and Princeton University seeks to answer this question. The research team, which included Junior Associate Professors Tomoko Matsumoto and Daiki Kishishita from Tokyo University of Science and Atsushi Yamagishi from Princeton University, aimed to find out how the preferences of overconfident people, specifically those concerning income inequality, change when they are made aware of a gap between their economic status and their self-evaluated ability. The study was made available online in the European Journal of Political Economy. "There is a large variation in the level of inequality in countries with similar levels of income redistribution, in terms of the degree to which people support or oppose income redistribution. We are interested in understanding why those who benefit economically from the implementation of income redistribution policies oppose such policies, and have focused on the nature of the 'self-confidence overload'," says Dr. Matsumoto, explaining the rationale for their study. To this end, the researchers conducted an online survey in the United States with 4,471 participants. The survey was framed in such a way that the questions reinforced a participant's self-perceived income-ability gap randomly. The novelty of the study stems from the fact that previous studies have been lab-controlled experiments. However, this study tests the presented theory in a real economic environment using the actual income values of the participants. The study yielded a number of surprising results. The researchers found that participants who stated that their income was lower than their ability to earn lose their confidence in meritocracy and their faith in the economy being fair. They view the economy and society as being unfair, which hinders them to earn to their full potential. The researchers also noted that people believed that negative income-ability gap was a result of an unfair economy and not an individual responsibility. Upon realizing the negative income-ability gap, more left-wing participants were in favor of reducing income inequality than right-wing and centrist participants. However, people across the political spectrum did not favor government intervention as a way to reduce income inequality. Government intervention did not garner a lot of support even among left-wing participants with high trust in the government. Explaining this anomaly, Dr. Matsumoto says that "scholars have previously argued that characteristics such as party ideology or family and personal values are major determinants of preferences for redistribution and changing a belief about social and economic environments may have a limited role. Their limited effect on preferences for reducing income inequality may stem from a similar mechanism." Interestingly, it was noted that people following a right-wing ideology showed higher support for ensuring that people get paid according to their ability than government intervention. The researchers believe their findings would be relevant in countries apart from the United States, as overconfidence in one's ability is prevalent across the world. However, they anticipate differences based on the population's belief in the state of their economy. Addressing the implications of their findings, Dr. Matsumoto says, "I believe that identifying who is for and who is against reducing inequality will help to alleviate social conflicts in a society where inequality is growing and polarization is increasing." Explore further New method of measuring economic inequality could improve policy outcomes More information: Daiki Kishishita et al, Overconfidence, income-ability gap, and preferences for income equality, European Journal of Political Economy (2022). Daiki Kishishita et al, Overconfidence, income-ability gap, and preferences for income equality,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2022.102279 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Students at high schools with prominent security measures have lower math scores, are less likely to attend college and are suspended more compared to students in schools with less surveillance, finds a new Johns Hopkins University study. The drop in average test scores and college enrollment persists even for students who haven't been suspended, suggesting the consequences of surveillance intended for students perceived as troublesome spills over into the educational experience of all students. The findings, in one of the first studies to measure the effects of school surveillance on educational outcomes, suggests negative implications as school systems nationwide further bulk up security in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting. "When schools feel like prisons, the impact isn't localized to the students perceived as problematicit has collateral consequences for kids irrespective of their behavior," says author Odis Johnson, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and STEM Equity. "We're suggesting there is a safety tax that all students pay in those schools." The work is newly published in the Journal of Criminal Justice. Johnson, who is also executive director of the university's Center for Safe and Healthy Schools, studies racial disparities in education and law enforcement, including the effect of school discipline on young people's achievement. Knowing discipline has an effect, here his team wanted to know: What about the surveillance in itself? School security measures the study considered include metal detectors, random metal detector checks, closing campuses for lunch, random dog sniffs, random contraband sweeps, drug testing, uniform requirements, strict dress codes, clear book bag requirements, student identification badge requirements; faculty dentification badge requirements, and security cameras. "We understand that surveillance is part of schools' security and safety responsibilities but we also know that the primary mission of schools is to educate kids and we wanted to know if fortifying schools in this way related in any way to the primary mission of educating kids and sending them off to college," Johnson said. Using national survey data, Johnson and co-author Jason Jabbari, research assistant professor at University of Washington, St. Louis, created a model that allowed them to evenly compare educational outcomes at high surveillance schools with schools that have less intense surveillance. The model allowed the team to factor out social and economic background data. They found: High surveillance schools had higher suspension rates. Greater detection led to greater punishment, regardless of the demographics of students that attend these school. Students at high surveillance schools had significantly lower math test scores. Students at high surveillance schools were significantly less likely to go to college Black students were four times more likely than students of other races to be enrolled in high surveillance schools. Black students were also more likely to be suspended When the researchers controlled for in-school suspension, surveillance still had a negative impact on math and college going. "We're saying lower scores and lower chances of going to college aren't due a student being suspended, this is just isolating the impact of being in a school that surveils more heavily," Johnson said, adding that all students in a high surveillance school pay this "safety tax," but students who are also regularly punished due to the measures pay it double, with even worse educational outcomes. When the model factored out surveillance, young Black women became more likely to enter college than other women. And the math testing shortfalls disappeared for Black male students. This suggests a path toward greater parity in STEM achievement and college attendance would be reducing the use of excessive social control measures, Johnson said. Next the researchers hope to study what causes kids who are not targeted by suspensions to have lower test scores and less of a chance of attending college. Johnson suspects the reason has to do with the message that heightened security sends: students aren't safe here. And even students who aren't targets of the surveillance see it happening to their peers and develop feelings of mistrust. "These are ways," Johnson says, "that students feel less like students and more like suspects." Explore further High schoolers who change schools during academic year are 40% more likely to drop out More information: Odis Johnson et al, Infrastructure of social control: A multi-level counterfactual analysis of surveillance and black education, Journal of Criminal Justice (2022). Odis Johnson et al, Infrastructure of social control: A multi-level counterfactual analysis of surveillance and black education,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2022.101983 GRAIL gravity model GRGM1200B (left), and GRGM1200B with 5197 crater gravity anomalies removed (right). Credit: The Planetary Science Journal (2022). DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/ac8c39 The moon's craters preserve billions of years of history. Scientists have learned about the conditions of our early solar system by studying the composition, size, and distribution of these holes in the moon's surface, created long ago by collisions with asteroids. But instead of directly studying the characteristics of these holes, a team based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, decided to try something different. Using computer simulations, they "erased" thousands of craters from the moon's surface, as if turning back the clock 4.25 billion years to a time before the craters formed. They found that the locations of the moon's north and south poles moved slightly over this time period. As the moon shifted this way and that from the effects of asteroid impacts, the location of the poles "wandered" 10 degrees in latitude (or 186 miles / 300 kilometers), scientists reported on Sept. 19 in The Planetary Science Journal. Geographic north and south poles lie where a celestial body's rotational axis intersects with its surface. In this case, the moon's rotational axis, the imaginary line that passes through its center and around which it rotates, stayed the same as the body of the moon shifted. Information about wandering poles can be useful for understanding the evolution of the moon; specifically, the condition of resources, such as water, on its surface. Scientists have found frozen water in shadowed regions near the moon's poles, but they don't yet know how much is there. If the moon had drastically shifted the locations of its poles toward a warmer, less shadowed region, such as the equator, some frozen water could have sublimated (changed from a solid state to a gaseous state) off the surface, with new water having had less time to accumulate at the new poles. But, says Vishnu Viswanathan, a NASA Goddard scientist who led the study, "Based on the moon's cratering history, polar wander appears to have been moderate enough for water near the poles to have remained in the shadows and enjoyed stable conditions over billions of years." The phenomenon behind the shifting poles is known as True Polar Wander, and it's what happens under the laws of physics to an object, in this case the moon, that's trying to keep itself spinning when faced with obstacles, such as changes to the way its mass is distributed. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio As asteroid impacts excavated mass, leaving depressions in the surfaceor pockets of lower massthe moon reoriented itself to bring those pockets toward the poles, while bringing areas of higher mass out toward the equator via centrifugal force. It's the same force that acts on dough when a pizza maker tosses and spins it in the air to stretch it out. To determine the degree of the moon's polar wander, Viswanathan partnered with several scientists, including David E. Smith, principal investigator for the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. Smith became interested in using gravity data to figure out how far the moon's poles have wandered after serving as deputy principal investigator of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. GRAIL mapped the moon's gravity field in great detail before the mission ended in 2012. "If you look at the moon with all these craters on it, you can see those in the gravity field data," said Smith, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. "I thought, 'Why can't I just take one of those craters and suck it out, remove the signature completely?'" Smith, Viswanathan, and their team worked with about 5,200 cratersranging in size from 12 miles (20 kilometers) to 746 miles (1,200 kilometers) wide. They designed computer models that took the coordinates and widths of all these craters from topographical maps of the moon made with LOLA data and then found their corresponding gravitational signaturesor pockets of higher or lower gravityon a gravity map from GRAIL. The scientists then ran simulations that removed the gravitational signatures of each crater sequentially by age, essentially rewinding the evolution of the moon and inching the poles back towards their ancient locations with each impact eliminated. While other researchers studying polar wander have removed craters from the record, they've removed only a couple dozen of the largest ones. "People assumed that small craters are negligible," said Viswanathan. "They're negligible individually, but collectively they have a large effect." Viswanathan said his team is getting closer to figuring out the true degree of polar wander on the moon, but the scientists still need to refine their estimate. They plan to erase more small craters from the moon and to remove other features, such as volcanic eruptions, that could have contributed to shifting the poles. "There are a few things that we haven't taken into account yet, but one thing we wanted to point out is those small craters that people have been neglecting, they actually do matter, so that is the main point here," said Sander Goossens, a Goddard planetary scientist who participated in the study. Explore further NASA Artemis1 to carry ASU CubeSat into space More information: David E. Smith et al, The Contribution of Small Impact Craters to Lunar Polar Wander, The Planetary Science Journal (2022). Journal information: The Planetary Science Journal David E. Smith et al, The Contribution of Small Impact Craters to Lunar Polar Wander,(2022). DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/ac8c39 SA agriculture exports. International trade has been at the core of South Africa's agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. The country exports roughly half of its produce in value terms. The top exportable products are high value and labor-intensive horticulture produce, a subsector that expanded significantly over the past two decades. Citrus, table grapes and a range of deciduous fruits dominate the export list. This means international trade has become crucial for sustaining farm profitability and job creation in South African agriculture. Over the past decade, agriculture and agro-processing exports have averaged 11% of the country's overall exports, up from 9% in the decade before. This shows South Africa's success in opening export markets, and farmers' ability to produce high quality products that meet global standards and needs. Even though agriculture's share of gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of economic output, has shrunk over the years, from just under 10% in the 1960s to around 2.5% now, the sector has grown in both output and value terms. Trade has been the core of the sector's growth. Still, South Africa's agricultural sector remains vulnerable on two fronts. It is too reliant on a few markets. And there are inefficiencies in the domestic logistics chains. It is against this background that talk about potential expansion of production should be viewed. First there should be a greater effort to increase access to existing and new markets. There should also be a sharper focus on improving the efficiency of logistics to move produce domestically and to export markets. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of efficiency challenges in the domestic ports and market access constraints in key export markets such as the EU. These could hinder long term growth of the sector, as new land comes into production to expand output. Recent challenges in key agriculture export markets An example of South Africa's vulnerability to a lack of diversification was illustrated recently by two events. China temporarily banned imports of South African wool and the EU restricted citrus imports. This mattered because outside the African continent, South Africa's agricultural exports are heavily concentrated in a few Asian countries and the EU. Export diversification contributes to a country's economic resilience, especially in the face of disruptions to global supply chains or if one of the major markets imposes non-tariff barriers to protect its producers from competition, as it is increasingly the case. Recent challenges regarding South Africa's access to the wool market in China have now been resolved. But the losses from when the ban was in place are clear in the trade data. Wool exports fell by 42% in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the corresponding period in 2021. For citrus, which continues to experience protectionist tendencies in the EU after changes in plant regulations, the impact could show more pointedly in the third quarter of the year. Still, a lot will depend on the engagements between the South African and EU authorities on the new plant safety regulations, which involve stringent new cold treatment requirements. In the second quarter of this year, citrus was still the top exportable agricultural product by value in South Africa, although down by 22% from the second quarter of 2021. The loss of the Black Sea market since the start of the Ukraine war might have also contributed to the slowing of exports. Before the war, Russia accounted, on average, for 7% of South Africa's citrus exports in value terms. It also accounted for 12% of South Africa's apples and pears exports. The other challenge is logistics. The state-owned tranport facility Transnet showed great agility in rebuilding the port of Durban after the destructive floods in April this year. Similar energy and focus are necessary to improve the ports and rail functioning. Another example is the road network that is in disrepair across numerous agricultural towns. It could slow export activity if not properly improved. What's driving growth In the second half of this year, South Africa's agricultural exports rose by 5% year on year, reaching US$3.4 billion. The top exportable products were citrus, maize, apples, pears, wine, grapes, figs, dates, avocados, nuts, fruit juices, wheat, wool and sugar, among others. We expect some of these products to have continued to dominate the export list in the third quarter. Underpinning this robust export value are the sizeable agricultural output in the 2021/22 production season and generally solid global demand, even at higher commodity prices for maize. Maize, apples and pears, grapes, and sunflower oil saw a significant uptick from the first quarter of 2021, and thus overshadowed the decline in citrus exports during the period under review. There are still ample agricultural and beverage exports, which should support the activity in the third and last quarter of the year. The African continent remained South Africa's largest agricultural exports market in the first quarter of this year, accounting for 35% in value terms. Asia was the second largest region (28%) and the EU held the third position with a 21% share. The UK is one of the most important agricultural markets for South Africa and accounted for 7% of overall exports in the second quarter. The balance of 9% value constitutes the Americas and other regions of the world. The country's trade policy and activity are not one-directional. South Africa is also a significant importer of agricultural products. It relies on other countries for crucial food products such as wheat, rice, palm oil, sunflower oil and poultry. Policy direction South Africa's agricultural sector is export-oriented. Thus, any improvements in production through various development plans, such as the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, should be anchored on expanding export markets. Japan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the Philippines and South Korea are key markets in which South African agribusinesses and farmers are interested in expanding their presence. It's also important to maintain a relationship with the existing key markets. All this should happen while domestic efforts to improve the functioning of the network industries are under way. This will be the only realistic path to maintaining the growth of this sector and, with that, job creation and vibrancy of the rural towns. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Dave Catalfamo, Republican candidate for state Assembly District 113, pledged on Tuesday that he would introduce legislation that would bar registered sex offenders from taking classes on college campuses. The pledge is inspired by a SUNY Adirondack student, Destiny Rose, who began a petition to remove a registered sex offender, Timothy Philmon, 50, of Glens Falls, from campus, and switch him to virtual learning. Catalfamo said a story in Tuesdays Post-Star is what prompted his pledge. As of Tuesday afternoon, the petition had 1,001 signatures. Philmon was convicted of second-degree sodomy in 1997 involving three male victims, ages 12, 13 and 15, according to the New York State Sex Offender Registry. Rose and other students first became aware that Philmon would be attending the college in the fall when the college administration sent out an email on Sept. 8 an action that is required by law. It is outrageous that the state is allowing a convicted sex offender to wander freely through a campus filled with young people and minors who fit the profile of his victims, Catalfamo said in a news release. Catalfamo said during a phone interview on Tuesday that he does think sex offenders have a right to an education, though he thinks all sex offenders should not be permitted to wander on campus. On the sex offenders Instagram social media page, Philmon described himself as the High Priest of the International Church of Homosexual Pedophilia. The page appeared to have been taken down by Monday evening. When asked if Catalfamo would have taken a lighter stance on Philmon had he not described himself as such, the candidate replied that his legislation would not make any exceptions for any registered sex offender. SUNY Adirondack President Kristine Duffy said Monday that she is aware of the petition, but at this time it would be against the law to switch Philmon to virtual learning. Were following the law. We appreciate peoples opinions, but at this point he is allowed to be here, Duffy said. Catalfamo, referring to the current law, stated in his news release: This is just another example of the soft on crime policies supported by Carrie Woerner and her New York City pals that puts criminals rights ahead of citizen safety. Like the bail laws, it must be fixed. Woerner, D-Round Lake, currently represents the 113th District in the Assembly. Catalfamo said he is unsure what Woerners stance is on this particular issue, although he said she supports recent state bail laws. The Post-Star reached out to Woerner on Tuesday, but she was not available for comment. QUEENSBURY Starr Regan DiCiurcio thinks people shouldnt shy away from hot-button topics. Way too often, people say, dont talk about religion or politics. In fact, I think thats what we really need to talk about in an open way, she said, and maybe more than talk about it, we need to listen to each other. DiCiurcio is a writer, artist and interfaith minister, who has released a book titled, Divine Sparks: Interfaith Wisdom for a Post-Modern World. Ordained through One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, DiCiurcio has been planning retreats, offering spiritual direction and meditation instruction for 15 years. The focus of her work has been on interfaith outreach, reconciliation and celebration. She is also ordained in the Order of Interbeing of Thich Nhat Hanh, named after a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, which was the subject of her first book she wrote and self-published 22 years ago. The new book presents practical wisdom from the worlds great religious traditions. It offers guidance to readers of all faiths and to those who have none. We have this great growth of people who check off the none box, she said. So I see a lot of those people in spiritual direction, but these also were a lot of the folks that came on retreats. She has written down her retreat plans and turned them into this book. She hopes it will help people overcome what she calls spiritual wounding, those who have been hurt in some way by religious communities. I think the important thing when I work with folks who are experiencing that is not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, she said. To try to reshape a spiritual experience in a way that really nurtures and really works for the person. The 207-page book includes essays on topics like simplicity, beauty, forgiveness, gratitude, joy, meditation, creativity and saving the planet Earth. Each chapter is accompanied by a meditation or prayer. Its kind of a close personal companion for someone, she said, and I hope thats true. The paperback is available online at Amazon.com for $15.99 or at bookshop.org for $14.87. The book has garnered two awards first place from the Chanticleer International Book Awards and silver from the Nautilus Book Awards. DiCiurcio will sign books from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council offices in Glens Falls. What I would really, really hope is that people will feel encouraged to know that they are their best teacher, she said, that everything they need is within them, and that the process of leading a spiritual life will enhance their whole life. QUEENSBURY While a student-organized petition against a registered sex offender has garnered nearly 1,000 signatures at SUNY Adirondack, college administrators say they are unable to do what students are asking for. After the college sent out an email on Sept. 8 alerting students that a Level 3 registered sex offender would be attending the college this fall, a student named Destiny Rose started a petition. The online petition, which has gained 967 signatures as of Monday evening, is calling on the administration to switch Timothy Philmon, 50, of Glens Falls, the sex offender, from on-campus classes to virtual learning. The president of the college, Kristine Duffy, said Monday that she is aware of the petition but that it would be illegal for the college to switch the student to virtual learning. Were following the law. We appreciate peoples opinions, but at this point he is allowed to be here, Duffy said. In an email to a concerned resident, the college administration said: By law, a sex offender has protected rights to pursue an education. The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 guarantees sex offenders the right to attend classes, as long as they notify certain authorities (which the student in question did). Rose said that she and others frequently see Philmon using the gym in the dorm building. There are no cameras inside the dorm building. He could go up to someones door. I know some people who are carrying pepper spray with them at all times now, Rose said. Everyone I have spoken to is feeling uncomfortable about it. Attempts by The Post-Star to reach to Philmon were unsuccessful. Rose is a sophomore from Saratoga Springs and lives in the dorm. She is studying education and wants to eventually be a teacher. She said she is very concerned because theres a day care center very close to the dorms. Rose spoke to the dean for student affairs, Kathryn OSick, who said it was a good idea to start a petition, but theres nothing the college can do as it is a law enforcement issue. OSicks memory of the conversation is different. When she learned Rose planned to create a petition, the dean referred her to the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 a federal law outlined on Page 68 of SUNY Adirondacks Student Handbook that states unlawful use of information for purposes of intimidating or harassing another is prohibited and suggested Rose not name Philmon in the petition. We encourage our students to participate in civic activism, of course, but we also want to make sure in doing so, they arent violating another students rights, OSick said. Philmon was convicted of second-degree sodomy in 1997, involving three male victims, aged 12, 13 and 15, according to the New York State Sex Offender Registry. A resident whose partner is an adult-learner at the college, and who did not want to be identified, said that it is a huge issue because Philmon wrote on his Instagram page: I am the High Priest of the International Church of Homosexual Pedophilia. Late Monday, it appeared the page was no longer available. There are some high school students who are taking college level classes on campus, and are now using the buddy system when traveling across campus, according to Rose. UPPER DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP Two South Jersey men died in a plane crash Monday afternoon in the township. Kristopher Noone, of Pennsauken, Camden County, and John Noone III, of Elmer, Salem County, were flying in a Champion Aeronca 7 AC when it crashed into a residential yard about 2 p.m. on Parvin Mill Road, State Police Trooper Brandi Slota said Tuesday. The pair were a father and son, according to a GoFundMe page created following the accident. The family lost a son, a brother, and a father doing what they passionately loved, the page says. Theyll always be together soaring through the sky. The plane had left Bucks Airport in Pennsylvania. National Transportation Safety Board investigators dont have details about where the aircraft was headed, agency spokesperson Keith Holloway said Tuesday afternoon. While the agency doesnt identify crash victims, Holloway confirmed the victims were a father-son duo. Pair killed in Cumberland County plane crash UPPER DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP Two people were killed when a small airplane crashed in Cumberlan The plane, according to Federal Aviation Administration records, is registered to Terri Air Service LLC, with an address in Wilmington, Delaware. The address checks back to Delaware/Yacht Registry Ltd. An employee for the business declined to comment Tuesday morning. The NTSB is leading a joint investigation with the FAA, an FAA spokesperson said Monday. The crash investigation is in its early phase, in which teams will examine the aircraft, request air traffic communications, gather radar data, review weather reports and search for witnesses. An investigator also will collect the planes maintenance records, as well as pilot records and medical history, Holloway said. The plane was removed from the scene and taken to a secure location Tuesday, Holloway said. It is important to note that it is very early in the investigation, Holloway said, adding a preliminary report may be completed within 10 business days. NTSB does not determine cause in the early part of the investigative process. This is considered the fact-gathering phase of the investigation. A full NTSB plane crash probe can take upward of 12 to 24 months, Holloway said. ATLANTIC CITY The Board of Directors of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on Tuesday supported a plan to create a cannabis-friendly Green Zone Redevelopment Plan in the city, despite a request from a casino industry representative for a delay. The zoning amendment is set for a public hearing and final vote by City Council at 5 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 1301 Bacharach Blvd. The proposal would make all classes of state-licensed cannabis businesses a permitted use within the zone, which would run from Boston to Maryland avenues along both sides of Atlantic and Pacific avenues. It also includes the Orange Loop district running from Pacific Avenue to just shy of the Boardwalk between New York and Tennessee avenues. Mayor Marty Small Sr., who is a CRDA board member, urged support for the zone, which is aimed at encouraging economic development in the area. He said there has already been a lot of work put into the proposal. Small and other supporters say the proposal will mean jobs in Atlantic City and bring more tourism. Marijuanas here. Its going to be a big boom for the city, Small said. Atlantic City looks to weed to spark up economy ATLANTIC CITY In the late 1970s, Atlantic City looked to legalized gambling to revive its Nicholas Moles, a vice president and general counsel for Resorts Casino Hotel, spoke at the remotely held meeting Tuesday afternoon. He cited a letter from the Casino Association of New Jersey requesting a 30-day delay in the vote so the trade organization would have time to hire a professional planner to review the proposal. The letter was not read into the record at the Tuesday meeting, although board Chairman Modia Butler said members had seen it. There was no immediate response from the Casino Association of New Jersey to a request for a copy. Speaking at the public comment portion before the vote, Moles said the casino industry should have more of a chance to comment on the matter. Reminding the board that the casinos are the largest employers in the city and the region, Moles cited concerns with crime in the Tourism District, traffic on Pacific Avenue and pointed out that while marijuana may be legal in New Jersey, the federal government still classifies it as a Schedule 1 narcotic, a classification reserved for the most dangerous drugs. The process began months ago. There have been a number of avenues to have input, said Butler. He said the city administration has a sense of urgency about the proposal. Were going to move forward with a vote today. There were some abstentions, including from Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, also a CRDA board member, but no votes against the proposal. The plan also received the backing of the Atlantic City Planning Board last week. CRDA to consider weed store for Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY As New Jersey gets ready for the first legal recreational cannabis sales thi Lance Landgraf, director of planning and development for the CRDA, said the proposed zone is consistent with the adopted master plan and includes design standards for the cannabis businesses. The outlined area does not go within 200 feet of the Boardwalk, he said. It also does not include residential neighborhoods. Atlantic City is not the first casino town to address legal cannabis. Las Vegas has had dispensaries since soon after Nevada legalized the drug in 2017. Moles pointed out that in that case, there were specific limitations on how far a licensed cannabis business could operate from a casino. In response to a question, Landgraf told the board that the Green Zone proposal does not relate to smoking in public. It is a land use ordinance, and public consumption would be a police matter. But he added that the zone would allow for consumption lounges, where patrons could smoke the legal cannabis. That has been an issue for several tourist destinations in the past, where consumption is limited to private property. Casinos can risk license problems if they allow cannabis smoking, and most hotel rooms and rental properties ban smoking of any kind. The lounges, some of which are already proposed, would need to have air filters to keep the aroma from seeping outside, Landgraf said at the meeting. Several cannabis-related applications are expected to come before the CRDA board in the near future. The proposed Green Zone ordinance would make room in Atlantic City for all classes of state cannabis licenses, including cultivation and manufacturing. Last week, CRDA staff reviewed a proposal for a cultivation operation on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where there is now a vacant property. Representing a property owner, attorney Kevin Sheehan objected to that part of the plan, not because it involved cannabis but because it would be an industrial use. He said large-scale manufacturing of cannabis-growing facilities would not be consistent with the citys tourism zone. Landgraf said no master plan in New Jersey was written to address cannabis as a permitted use, unless it was completed in the last year or two. But he said the site in question has been vacant for decades, with the cannabis proposal being the first real interest he has seen in the site. Butler said each proposed use would still need a site plan approval before the CRDA, although cannabis businesses would no longer require a use variance. That would include reviewing parking, lighting, security, traffic and other site plan issues, Landgraf said. At the same meeting, the CRDA approved a use variance for MPX New Jersey LLC to operate a recreational cannabis business at 153 S. New York Ave., where the company already holds a license to sell to the medical marijuana market. The site is close to the citys first legal cannabis shop, The Botanist at 1301 Boardwalk. City officials have said no to allowing sales to the adult use market on the Boardwalk. No one from MPX New Jersey responded to a request for comment Tuesday. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP The Township Council authorized a report on Sept. 13 that lays out new, local standards on the growing marijuana industry. The standards, which concern marijuana cultivation, come after residents raised concerns about potential odor from a proposed cultivation facility. Township Redevelopment Attorney M. James Maley Jr. said that Galloway was a pioneer in developing the new standards. He noted how new the industry was and said officials were trying to ensure it benefited the entire township. We set it up in terms of a redevelopment process as a way to allow the township to have more involvement in the specifics of these businesses, because theyre new, were not used to them, Maley said. Through a redevelopment agreement, it will give us a basis to make sure that the businesses run in a way that works for all of the community. The resolution said that the Galloway Township Cannabis Operation Standards for Indoor Cultivation, as the report is called, was written after months of research, delving into scholarship on marijuana cultivation, national association publications and comparable marijuana regulatory regimes. The report principally deals with heating, ventilation and air conditioning, particularly as it concerns air quality and odor. The Blue Heron Pines Homeowners Association spearheaded the effort to have this process implemented, with its representatives raising concerns about the impact marijuana businesses could have on the community. Township officials said the group has sent them hundreds of pages specifying what they want implemented. In response, the township formed a cannabis committee, which devised recommendations for months, making their final revisions just days before the Sept. 13 council meeting. It wasnt something that we threw together, it wasnt something we did half-heartedly, it was something where we listened to the community and we received a lot of information, Township Councilman Rich Clute, one of the three councilman on the committee, said at the Sept. 13 council meeting. Bob Mueller, the Blue Heron Pines Homeowners Association president, said he believed the new standards would benefit both his neighborhood and Galloway as a whole. Maley said officials solicited input from both the community and the marijuana industry. While the community would have some of its concerns addressed, business owners would get clear guidelines, so there is less uncertainty when they move forward with their investments, Maley said. Maley cautioned the Township Council that the marijuana standards are extraordinary. There is no other industry in the township, Maley said, that the township regulates in a similar fashion, meaning marijuana developers could complain they are being unfairly targeted. Theres this balance that we have to do, Maley said. Mayor Anthony Coppola said he understood those concerns. He said that some residents had contacted him worried that the standards might be too stringent, leaving the township vulnerable to a legal challenge. Despite those concerns, he said he was confident he could leverage redevelopment agreements with property owners to enforce its new standards. We took the position that we want to be cautious moving forward, we want to put standards in place, Coppola said. We want to put developers on notice that were going to have strict requirements to obtain a redevelopment agreement in this town and to put a shovel in the ground, youre going to have to meet some very strict standards. Maley said people involved in marijuana businesses told him the proposal was feasible and reflected current best practices. Township officials described the new standards as a living document. As new technology is developed in the marijuana industry and new best practices emerge, the township can update its standards. Blue Heron Pines residents began to grow concerned over the possibility of a marijuana-cultivation business coming to town last year. Chief among their concerns were that offensive odors from a facility could dampen their quality-of-life and depress property values. Mueller said he wanted to ensure that township authorities can punish a business that runs afoul of the township, and that the rules had teeth. Maley, responding to those concerns, said the new standards were the first part of a regulatory process for marijuana in Galloway. To be able to punish non-compliant businesses, the township would likely have to agree to terms in individual agreements with business owners, along with additional changes to other processes to make explicit the townships enforcement powers. The standards that we adopt are like a step, Maley said. Well have those other teeth in place with that agreement when that gets adopted. New Jersey citizens voted to legalize recreational marijuana in a 2020 referendum by a 2-to-1 margin. The state Legislature, however, allowed for municipalities to create local standards, including the ability to ban certain kinds of marijuana businesses within their municipal limits. The township chose to legalize the operations of marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and distribution in the township last year while under the administration of then Mayor Jim Gorman. It prohibited the retail sale of marijuana locally. Township officials stressed on Sept. 13 that meeting the new standards would be necessary, but not sufficient conditions for operating a marijuana business in the township. Blue Heron Pines members said they wanted to make sure the community is included in conversations about bringing additional marijuana businesses here. They also asked that the township make sure to respond to changes to state law that could give municipalities more authority to regulate the marijuana business. Amidst the efforts to manage the marijuana industry, it continues to grow apace. The Township Council adopted a resolution endorsing GRC NJ LLC to receive a license from the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission for marijuana-cultivation business. MAYS LANDING U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew will not participate in Tuesday nights Atlantic County League of Women Voters debate at Oakcrest High School, his campaign manager Ron Filan said Monday, calling the groups debate organizers biased against Republicans. Lets be clear, this allegedly non-partisan debate was organized by an active member of our opponents campaign team who is all over social media recruiting Democrat volunteers, soliciting contributions for his campaign, and organizing protests at our campaign events, all while spewing vile hate-filled rhetoric equating Republicans with terrorists, Filan said in a statement Monday. Filan also said the League scheduled the debate for a time when they knew Van Drew could not attend, because he is in Washington, D.C., for voting sessions. Filan attached screen shots of League debate organizer Victoria Drudings Facebook posts, which make fun of Republicans, promote fundraisers for his Democratic opponent Tim Alexander, and encourage people to attend protests against Van Drew at various events. He also cited League Chair Ro Goldbergs listing on the Atlantic County Democratic Committees website as holding fundraisers last year for a Democratic candidate in Galloway. Reached late afternoon Monday, Druding said the League is nonpartisan, but its members are allowed to have political affiliations as individuals. That has never gotten in the way of fairness, she said, and Van Drew should know that. We cant even have a moderator from CD2. Instead someone from Gloucester County will moderate, Druding said. We would never do anything to any candidate to disparage them or ... to not treat them well. There are no zingers or hard balls. The League doesnt roll like that. While she and other Atlantic County League members write the questions, some will also come from high school students, Druding said. She also said she has sent three certified letters to Van Drews office and spoken to his staff, but never received an answer about whether he would participate or not. Alexanders Campaign Manager Zacharia Hartman responded to Filans statement with one of his own. The League of Women Voters has been hosting debates between candidates at all levels of office in a fair, non-partisan manner since the 70s, Hartman said. The claim by Van Drews team that the integrity of that process is suspect due to the activities of two cherry-picked members in their private lives is laughable. In the Nov. 8 general election, Van Drew is facing Alexander, a civil rights attorney and former police officer from Galloway Township, as well as Libertarian Mike Gallo, of Villas in Lower Township. Alexander and Gallo have accepted the Leagues invitation, according to an email Sunday from Druding. Also on the ballot is perennial independent candidate Anthony Parisi Sanchez, who has refused letters from the League and will not participate. Parisi has been arrested in the past for threatening Van Drew. Van Drew changed parties from Democratic to Republican in December 2019, after refusing to vote to impeach Trump. He was reelected as a Republican in 2020. Van Drew will participate, however, in an Oct. 19 debate sponsored by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University and the Press of Atlantic City, Filan said. It really is sad to see how Atlantic County Democratic operatives have hijacked a once well-respected organization like the League of Women Voters and absolutely destroyed its credibility, Filan said. Druding said Van Drew should have told them he couldnt make that date, and the League would have rescheduled for him if he would participate. We are going to have some disappointed children and participants, Druding said. Its so obnoxious its funny, but not funny for democracy. The League debate will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday at Oakcrest High School. The Debate will promote the Leagues New Jersey initiative Energizing Young Voters, Druding said in the Sunday email. Students from Oakcrest, Absegami and Cedar Creek high schools submitted questions that the League will use along with League questions. The Oakcrest ROTC Color Guard will present the national anthem and students will shadow League members that evening to be part of the process, Druding said in the email. Months before the director of the youth center at the Rock Island Arsenal was convicted of felony sexual assault of a minor, the whistleblower in the case resigned over its handling. Joseph West, 32, of Alpha, Ill., was found guilty in an August bench trial in Henry County and is to be sentenced next month on three felony charges. West was serving as director of the School Age Center at the Arsenal when one of his subordinates reported him to the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, and the Henry County Sheriff's Department. Andrea Flannery said she and others had for many months been suspicious of Wests behavior, particularly where one child was concerned. He seemed "obsessed" with the boy, she said, and West was "distraught" when the child spoke of a girl. The boy was enrolled at the youth center, Flannery said, though he was not a frequent user of its programs and services. A public information officer at the U.S. Army Garrison previously said West's victim was not associated with the center. The assaults occurred in Henry County. A family member in law enforcement urged Flannery to gain Wests confidence, she said, so she could determine whether her suspicions were founded. As assistant director at the youth center, she was a mandatory reporter, but Flannery said she simply didnt have anything concrete, despite the red flags. She and West were socializing in October 2021, she said, when he confessed to his relationship with the boy, even showing her a picture of the two kissing on the lips. I turned him in instantly, she said. Authorities respond to accusation Flannery's complaint to DCFS was deemed "unfounded," she said, but West was arrested about five months later, following a domestic incident at his home. This time, the evidence was sufficient to convict him. Flannery was one of the witnesses at trial. Even after he confessed to me, after alcohol was found in his office refrigerator at the youth center on the island and the Arsenal was presented with text messages and videos related to driving a government vehicle drunk, they moved him into another division at the Arsenal with an $8,000 raise," she said. They tried to shame me for reporting him. All that evidence and they moved him into IT, where he had access to all childrens files, including photos and addresses. This was after they knew the allegations against him. I walked away from a 10-year job and people I adored. I couldnt go along with them. I quit because I couldnt work with someone who was protected as a sex offender. She said evidence at trial showed West was the subject of at least one other complaint before coming to the Arsenal about three years ago. That complaint, she said, was leveled while he was serving at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Others suspicious too Peter Baltos was third in line at the youth center, serving under Flannery and West. He said he also had concerns about West's conduct. "He was notorious for stalking (the child victim) on his phone, using a location tracker," Baltos said. "I heard a lot of profanity coming out of his office when the child showed an interest in a girl. That really set Joe off." With 20 years of experience in child care, Baltos said, he saw "warning signs" with West. "In the summer of 2021, there were some boys with discipline issues he took in his office with the doors closed," he said. "There are cameras all over the center. The only places that don't have them are the restrooms and the directors' offices. "At least three people told Joe (West) he shouldn't do that." Baltos said he reported West to higher-ups after he witnessed him returning to the center in a government-owned vehicle one evening after several hours at a nearby bar. When West was moved to another position following Flannery's complaint, Baltos said, workers found beer and a frozen margarita in his office refrigerator. He hoped to share what he knew with investigators, but he was out of town when questions were being asked, he said, and no one ever approached him. "You're the first person who's ever asked me questions about this," Baltos told a reporter. "They were willing to overlook so much of what he did: drunk driving on the island, erratic behavior, booze in the fridge, that first allegation by (Andrea) Flannery. "It's like the priests who were accused of abuse and were sent to other parishes. That's what I thought of." Baltos also left his job at the Arsenal, though it was not entirely because of the handling of the West case. "One thing that was really concerning to me when they put him in IT was that he had access to all video cameras, servers and hard drives for the building and all kids' programs," he said. "This was after they became aware of the complaint." Response by Rock Island Arsenal Those who knew West as director of the Child Age Center say they also were familiar with the victim, who was enrolled there. But they also confirm that West's relationship with the child was not directly related to his work on the island. After West's arrest in March, Mark Kane, deputy public affairs officer for U.S. Army Garrison, said West no longer worked at the School Age Center, but he did not say West was reassigned on the island. When specifically asked, Kane declined to say when or if West was terminated. On Monday, Staci-Jill Burnley, public affairs officer at the Garrison, supplied this statement in the case: "Rock Island Arsenals paramount goal is the safety of all children in our programs. The criminal matter related to Mr. West was within the full jurisdictional control of the Henry County Sheriffs Office and has concluded in a conviction. "His misconduct has no known connection to the Rock Island Arsenal CYS (Child and Youth Services) program." Specific questions related to the Arsenal's response to the whistleblower complaint, including whether an internal investigation was conducted, could not be addressed, Burnley wrote. Management matters, she said, are private and protected by federal law. "We took immediate action necessary to ensure the employee was not in direct contact with children or family members throughout the entire investigative process conducted by Henry County," she wrote. "The individual in question is no longer an employee with RIA, and we are unable to provide further comment on the individuals former employment with the U.S. Army." West is in the custody of the Henry County Sheriff's Department, pending sentencing. "As a reminder, the criminal investigation was not related to Rock Island Arsenal and was in the jurisdiction of the Henry Country Sheriffs Office," Burnley concluded. DES MOINES Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said voters deserve clear answers about accusations that his Democratic opponent grabbed and kissed a former campaign staffer without her consent, but he said he doesnt plan to make a campaign issue out of it. Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, has denied the incident happened, and his campaign pointed to the fact that the April police report detailing the incident was closed as unfounded. Anyone who wants to run for the Senate whos been accused of something like this owes Iowans a clear and honest explanation, he told Jeff Stein on News/Talk 1540 KXEL radio on Tuesday. The allegations were made in a police incident report filed by Kimberly Strope-Boggus, a former member of Franken's campaign staff, in April. Strope-Boggus, who was fired from the campaign in February, told police that after meeting for drinks in March, the person, who is not named but presumed to be Franken based on the context, grabbed the collar of her vest and and kissed her on the mouth. When she pulled away, he stopped the contact and walked away without saying anything, the report says. In the report, Strope-Boggus told police she did not think the kiss was done in an aggressive or sexual manner or with intent to harm. Franken has denied the report, telling reporters on Monday, It never happened. Franken acknowledged that he met Strope-Boggus that night, which he said was at her request, and he said he had a glass of beer. The case was closed as unfounded by the Des Moines Police Department, and the Polk County Attorney declined to open a case after determining that no criminal intent was established. 'Not a campaign issue' Grassley told Radio Iowa he doesnt plan to make the reported incident into a campaign issue, but other Iowa Republicans, and his campaign staff, have called for more answers from Franken and Democrats. Franken made this a campaign issue, I think, by his comments, Grassley told Radio Iowa. But its not a campaign issue Im going to follow up on. Still, Grassleys campaign spokesperson Michaela Sundermann said in a tweet on Tuesday that the allegations would continue to be an issue in this campaign. So far, Mike Franken has only issued blanket denials effectively calling his own former campaign manager a liar but hes yet to address the specific charges in the police report, Sundermann said in a statement on Tuesday. Asked for a response to Grassleys comments about the reported incident Tuesday morning, Franken for Iowa campaign manager Julie Stauch referred to a statement from Monday saying the allegations were false. After Sundermann's press release, Stauch provided another statement criticizing the difference in tone between Grassley and his campaign. "Chuck Grassley said on the record Tuesday morning this is 'not a campaign issue' but hours later, his staff is issuing lengthy press releases and continuing to push false allegations that were already determined to be 'unfounded.' Who exactly is in charge over at Team Grassley? Stauch said. Republicans call for NDA release In the incident report, Strope-Boggus said she was asked to sign a separation agreement that included a stipulation not to make disparaging remarks about the candidate or his campaign. Strope-Boggus did not return a message from the Gazette seeking comment on Monday and hasnt spoken to other media outlets. Republicans, and Grassleys campaign, have called on Franken to release Strope-Boggus from the non-disparagement agreement, which they say would allow her to speak more freely about the situation. Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said the non-disparagement agreement is a method of silencing Strope-Boggus. Hes calling the victim, the accuser, a liar, and she is unable to respond, Kaufmann said. Theres something inherently wrong about that. Sundermann called the report disturbing and said Strope-Boggus should have the opportunity to be heard. She pointed to legislation supported by Grassley, the Speak Out Act, which would prohibit the enforcement of non-disclosure agreements when workers report sexual misconduct. If the allegations are false, as Mike Franken claims, then there is no reason to prevent his staff from speaking freely so Iowans can determine for themselves what is credible, Sundermann said. Pennington County Emergency Management Director Dustin Willett can now quantify 30 years of service in public safety under three very important letters: CEM. CEM, or Certified Emergency Manager, is an international certification granted by the International Association of Emergency Managers and widely recognized as the most prominent certification in emergency management. For Willett, its both validation of his work and efforts in emergency management and an opportunity to elevate them. Really, the value is being exposed to facets of emergency management that I would not have otherwise been exposed to, he said. Having to learn skills and knowledge that I may not have gotten just in my role here in Pennington County. While the IAEM shares many structural similarities and goals with the South Dakota Emergency Management Association, from which Willett and his team already have certification, SDEMAs sphere is local. IAEM forces you into a bigger world of emergency management, he said. It also had a more rigorous application process. The SDEMA application is about 10 to 15 pages, while the CEM was hundreds. The SDEMA certification doesnt require a written test or a formal education, both of which Willett needed to obtain his CEM certification. Both organizations focus on best practices, Willett said. SDEMA provides an opportunity for other emergency managers in South Dakota to share challenges facing their jurisdictions and how they can help each other. IAEM takes the same concepts and networking opportunities, but with a broader spectrum of emergency managers. These are people that are at the top of their emergency management game, Willett said. And going through that process with them and networking with them, really forces you to expand your horizons. He said the CEM process brought into focus the solid guidance documents, written in blood and written in experience by the brightest and best emergency management practitioners of the past four decades. The knowledge isnt meant to supplant local expertise, he noted, its meant to build upon it and bring validation to the program theyre building in Pennington County. Its not just Dustins idea of emergency management, he said. Its shaped by a lot of very high-level practitioners in the emergency management world. The certification has been on Willetts mind since he joined emergency management about 10 years ago, but his public service reaches back much further. Beginning in high school, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps, fought wildland fires out of Hill City for the U.S. Forest Service, joined Hill Citys local volunteer fire department, local ambulance service and the Pennington County Sheriffs Office as a reserve deputy. While in Hill City, he got his paramedic certification and eventually worked for Hill City Ambulance as a paid employee, before moving to California for a few years as a paramedic. Since moving back to Rapid City, hes worked for the past 19 years with the Rapid City Fire Department. In his history with the Rapid City Fire Department, hes been associated with the Hazardous Materials Team, the Water Rescue Team, has been the public information officer and training captain. And the last 10 years Emergency Management director. Along the way, hes also been a hazardous materials technician on South Dakota Taskforce 1 and is currently a planning section chief for the South Dakota Incident Management Assistance Team and chair for the State Emergency Response Commission. So all of those experiences, all that training, and the classes and experience, and the service that comes with all of those roles its cumulative," Willett said. Having been aware of the certification since his first IAEM conference nearly 10 years ago, hed also told himself every year since thats probably something I should look into. A few years ago, he finally locked himself in. The two components the application and the written exam required that once one is submitted, the other has a deadline. Willett took the test and started the clock. A self-professed overachiever, he spend a cumulative six months gathering documentation for the massive application. If a category required 100 hours, he submitted 255. Assembling the application gave Willett the unique experience of seeing three decades of his life laid out before him in hours, training, courses and what he called the most humbling aspect letters of recommendation. Once submitted, the application went before a review commission. Last month, he got his letter. The certification wasnt just a validation of the experience hed accumulated over the years, he said, but the people hed experienced it with. Its the people Ive worked with for 30 years that keep me excited to come back to the job, he said. A small group of people that share not only mundane day to day experiences, but these are the people that you put your life in the hands of and respond to some pretty horrendous things in a community. The people he has called friends, colleagues and coworkers over the past 30 years have been a huge component of this, Willett said. He called the CEM certification both rewarding and humbling, and validation "on a lot of levels." Grayson Chapeau told every member of the Militiamen Veterans Motorcycle Club to line up to give him a hug Saturday morning. Veterans clad in leathers, boots, bandanas and militiamen jackets gathered around the 12-year-old, who wore a club vest, Fight the Good Fight T-shirt and glasses with an Iron Man patch. It was the third year both parties met to hand over hundreds of soda pop tabs. Chapeau, known as the Pop Tab Kid, has collected tabs for about five years. This year, his goal is 3,000 pounds of tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House in Denver, which houses families of children in in-patient care as they receive treatment for cancer. It was never a house Chapeaus family stayed in, but they understand the fight against cancer all too well. Chelsey Chapeau, Graysons mom, said her son was diagnosed with an astrocytoma, a malignant tumor of the brain, when he was four years old in October 2014. Three and a half weeks prior, Grayson started vomiting on and off, a symptom of brain cancer. On Oct. 10, 2014, Grayson was non-responsive. He wouldnt wake up and he was very much still in survival mode, Chelsey said. Grayson was taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital, now Monument Health. The next morning, he was life-flighted to the Minneapolis Childrens Hospital where he underwent surgery and ended up with hydrocephalus. Grayson received an external drain to relieve the pressure that was building up on the ventricles of his brain. After a biopsy, the Chapeaus learned Grayson was battling brain cancer by his thalamus, a dangerous spot for any operation. The doctors presented them options, which included radiation and chemotherapy. Chelsey said she asked what would happen if they didnt do anything. He said, then you would slowly see him decline even more and more and see the same symptoms that we had been seeing for three and a half weeks, she said. It would get to the point where he would just not wake up one morning or one night after a nap. My husband and I both decided that we had no other option but to go forward and do radiation and chemo. After treatment in Minneapolis and a targeting drug every three months, the Chapeaus decided to move treatment to Denver in 2017. The tumor reduced in size and Grayson went about 20 months without any medicine or medication. In October 2019, Grayson went back in for a scan that showed the tumor had grown significantly and there was no option but to do a laser surgery, which was an MRI guided surgery with a robotic arm. Chelsey said it had never been done before. In 2020, the tumor was still growing and Grayson was able to do radiation again over Christmas break. Chelsey said in April 2021, Grayson started having double vision. He started having headaches, too. Which is always a really scary indication of something happening when you have brain cancer, she said. In October 2021, Chelsey said Grayson woke up from a nap and it looked like he had a mini stroke. His pupils were fully dilated and were not reacting to light, and I freaked out, she said. The family returned to Denver. Chelsey said it was like deja vu. At the hospital, Grayson had a seizure and he was taken to Omaha. He was later transported to Denver. Chelsey said they stayed in the hospital 26 days, the longest amount of time theyve ever needed to stay over seven years. She said the past year has been the hardest. Grayson has been the toughest kid I know, she said. Grayson has had to do a lot of physical therapy and occupational therapy, learning to use a walker and later a wheelchair, and hes received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Despite the challenges cancer brought, Grayson has never been the kid with cancer. Instead, he focuses on helping people have a great day, choosing joy and collecting pop tabs. Chelsey said the pop tab collection began after one of her friends asked her to bring pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis. She said Grayson was intrigued and wanted to collect and donate them. The first year, the family collected 88 pounds. The next year, he set a goal of 100 pounds of pop tabs. Grayson recruited his classmates and through word of mouth, they collected 433 pounds. We were floored, she said. Of course you cant stop, youre already in, so he set another goal for 500 pounds. They ended up with 867 pounds. In October 2019, he set a goal for 1,000 pounds and collected 1,700 pounds. The next year, his goal was one ton, or 2,000 pounds. They raised 2,677 pounds, or about 3.5 million soda pop tabs. Students in Oklahoma City collected and donated them, and over the years, the Chapeaus were joined by the Militiamen Veterans Motorcycle Club. The club joined around 2019 after Randy Houghton reached out to the family. He said he had a good friend who had a daughter diagnosed with leukemia and ended up beating it. Ever since that, child cancer has kind of been stuck to me and it scares me, he said. I want to do everything I can to support (fighting it) and help it. Houghton said a former club member came to him and said they should save their tabs, told him about Grayson and brought it back to his chapter. The first year, the club raised around 40 pounds. The second year they raised about 90 words and the club donated about 150 pounds Saturday. The second year Tye Roy took over the collection from Houghton. Roy said he has made a special connection with Grayson and the Chapeaus. He said his brother died of cancer. Roy said when he met Grayson, his heart melted. He said Grayson has taught him his phrase of making today great. I think theres a life lesson in that for everyone, and if we choose to everyday, get up and make that our motto for the day, I think that will make the world a better place, he said. We need more of that right now, especially in our country. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month and the color that represents that is gold. Soda pop tabs can be donated throughout the Black Hills. Locations and more information can be found on the Prayers for the Pop Tab Kid on Facebook. LPR Head signs law on referendum as to region's accession to Russian Federation MOSCOW, September 20 (RAPSI) The Head of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), Leonid Pasechnik, has signed the law on a referendum on the issue of the regions accession to the Russian Federation on Tuesday, the Lugansk Information Center reports. According to Denis Miroshnichenko, Chairman of the People's Council of the LPR, the referendum will be held on 23 through 27 September. Earlier, the law on the referendum was adopted by the Republics lawmakers at a plenary session. The day before, members of the Republican Civic Chamber presented to Pasechnik and the LPR People's Council the initiative to immediately hold the respective referendum. Russia recognized the sovereignty of the LPR and Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) on February 21. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik signed an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the two states. Later, the independence of the republics was recognized by Syria and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will be hosting two Eastside Highway open house opportunities in September for the public to learn more about updated design components, project progress and future construction details. An in-person event will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Lone Rock School on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in the multi-purpose room. In addition, a virtual open house will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. via Zoom. Both events will include the same information. We also held an open house last November, District 1 Construction Engineer John Schmidt said. Now, we have additional updated information wed like to share with the community for this open house. Were glad to have another opportunity to connect and chat about these critical roadway improvements. Reconstruction of this section of highway will include widening the roadway from 24 feet to 44 feet, consisting of two 12-foot travel lanes, a 12-foot center two-way left-turn lane, and four-foot shoulders. Additional improvements include flattening of roadside slopes to improve safety and upgraded drainage features. Sharp horizontal curves will be replaced with a large radius curve at Rathbun Lane and with a four-legged roundabout at Ambrose Creek Road. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2024/2025. The in-person open house will be held on Sept. 21 in the Lone Rock School Multi-Purpose Room (1112 3-Mile Creek Rd, Stevensville, MT 59870). No formal presentation will be made, and visitors are welcome to drop by any time between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. to view display boards and talk directly to the project team. The Sept. 21 virtual open house will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. via Zoom, and registration is required. Anyone interested in attending may register at https://mt-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7qDrnkjKRg6lViGB7AlUnw. This open house will consist of a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Those who cannot attend but would like more information are encouraged to email Becca MacLean at becca@bigskypublicrelations.com or call 406-207-4484 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Edith Turner was born and raised in Mathews County, and for as long as she can remember, a statue honoring Confederate soldiers has sat in the middle of town. It was never a welcome sight for Turner, president of the Mathews County NAACP. But she didnt give the monument much thought until pro-Confederacy groups started decorating the area with flags and sporadically sending armed guards to protect it following nationwide racial unrest in 2020. It was very concerning, she said, adding she feared the situation might turn violent. Turner said her NAACP branch is urging the Mathews County Board of Supervisors to remove the statue. In turn, pro-Confederacy groups have asked the county to instead give the monument and immediate surrounding land to them. But the Mathews County NAACP is warning the board it might take legal action if the statue is handed off. Citizens, meanwhile, can weigh in during a public hearing slated for Wednesday. We want Mathews County to be a comfortable place for everyone to live, Turner said. Last week, the Mathews County NAACP urged the board not to gift the monument to the United Daughters of the Confederacy or the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The County must refrain from favoring Confederate displays, which would be the obvious result of deeding the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and surrounding public land to groups with a pro-Confederate view, the letter states. Actively supporting the ongoing display of Confederate flags or other memorabilia on the Mathews Courthouse Square creates a hostile and unwelcoming environment for Black families in Mathews County and interferes with the rights of Mathews County residents. The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans did not respond to a request for comment from The Virginian-Pilot. The letter further asserts that any action by the board to promote Confederate messages would likely violate the federal Constitution, the Virginia Constitution, and federal and state laws including the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Fair Housing Act. If the board gives the statue to pro-Confederacy groups, the Mathews County NAACP will subsequently be forced to consider legal action, the letter states. Several board members, including the chair, did not respond to requests for comment. The boards agenda states a public hearing is set for Wednesday on the deeding of a public property to a private entity. A county representative said Monday the hearing is intended to address the overall issue of selling public land to private groups. The NAACP had not received a response as of Monday, said Kaitlin Banner, deputy legal director for the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs. But she hopes the supervisors take it seriously. By privatizing the land, the county would lose all control over it, she said. They cant at some point in the future determine that they might want to move the statue or take it down. Banner added it would send a strong message that Black residents were not welcome in the community. (Image: The Star) Global financial services firm Ernst & Young Tax Consultant Sdn Bhd (EY) has forecasted that the goods and services tax (GST) will stand at a rate of between 4% to 6% if it were to return under Budget 2023. This is following an assessment of the potential revenue that the government can obtain via GST to support its spending. EYs tax managing partner, Farah Rosley noted that GST as a broad-based consumption tax will contribute to Malaysias revenue collection. However, the government must ensure that its reintroduction will not burden Malaysians. The implementation and compliance process, too, has to be simplified so that it will cause minimal disruption to businesses. Communication with stakeholders, including businesses, is key while expediting GST refunds and (having) a simplified and transparent system are also paramount to the successful reintroduction of the GST. Adequate time must be given for businesses to prepare for the implementation, Farah further said in an email interview. The suggestion to reintroduce the GST was first brought up by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin back in 2020, in response to strong criticisms against the current sales and services tax (SST). Following that, the Finance Ministry emphasised that in-depth studies are required for the reintroduction of the GST. More recently, current prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob also expressed a keenness to eventually reintroduce the GST with improvements, although Deputy Finance Minister I, Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said that it will not be done at this point in time. Aside from commenting on the GST, Farah also discussed other tax matters, such as the possible renewal of the prosperity tax (Cukai Makmur) in Budget 2023 and the implementation of the global minimum tax on certain multinational companies (MNCs) in 2023. She further stressed the necessity of a thorough study and public consultation prior to introducing any new taxes. Furthermore, Farah suggested that the government could consider releasing a tax roadmap that highlights potential key changes to the tax regime in the country. It should include key details, including a timeline for consultation and an estimated introduction date, as well as the rationale for the introduction of the new taxes. (Source: The Star) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE Roanoke County will serve as the new regional hub for a specialty manufacturer that plans to invest $2 million in a facility near Starkey, according to an announcement issued by the governors office. North American Specialty Laminations LLC, a maker of lamination products for the building industry, picked the county for its new mid-Atlantic operations center. The 57,000-square-foot production and distribution site that will be launched will serve the companys east and southeast customers. Its projected to create 44 jobs. In Tuesdays announcement, North American Specialty Laminations said the state and regional business climate clinched its decision. With our extensive analysis, we selected Virginia for its consistent pro-business stance, progressive supporting programs, and skilled workforce in the greater Roanoke area, CEO Doug Rende said. Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Mahoney said the project reinforced the regions efforts to cultivate a strong ecosystem for manufacturers. North American Specialty Laminations decision to establish its mid-Atlantic operation confirms Roanokes building industry sector, the strength of our transportation logistics, and the reliability of a skilled workforce, he said. We are pleased to welcome NASL to the valleys diverse manufacturing community. The new facility, which will be located at 5185 Benois Road, is set to open in October. The project will be eligible for recruitment and training support for its new employees through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he welcomed the addition to the Roanoke Valleys business landscape. Advanced manufacturing companies are a strong cluster in the region, which offers the skilled workforce and higher education connections to guarantee a robust talent pipeline for the future, he said. We look forward to supporting NASL as they ramp up in the commonwealth. The new production hub will specialize in profile lamination and fabrication for building products that include windows, doors, cabinets, wall panels, fencing and molding, according to details from North American Specialty Laminations. Founded in 1999, the company provides differentiated lamination solutions for the makers of building products around the world. Its based in Osseo, Wisconsin, but has production facilities across the U.S. and Canada. Its part of the portfolio of Boston-based private equity investment firm Building Industry Partners. Yokohama Tires plant in Salem has reached a new four-year contract agreement with its workforces union representatives. The agreement in principle, announced Tuesday, would replace a prior contract signed in 2018, said Tetsuro Tex Murakami, president of Salem-based Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia. Negotiations once again went well as both sides were professional and worked diligently throughout the process, Murakami said in a statement. Representatives from both sides agreed this is a fair and equitable contract thats beneficial to all parties involved. The plants union, United Steelworkers Local 1023, represents about 500 people at the site on Indiana Street. The agreement in principle comes after several rallies were organized by the union, according to posts on the locals social media. The possibility of striking was also discussed over the summer, according to earlier announcements. In at least one recent post, members were discouraged from doing interviews commenting on the details of the negotiations. Tuesdays announcement didnt include any details about the agreement reached. Yokohama referred questions to Local 1023s offices. Someone who answered the phone there advised no one was available to talk, and the line disconnected afterward. A band that turned on FloydFest crowds in July is returning to Southwest Virginia. Bellas Bartok plays Parkway Brewing Co. on Wednesday. The band can move from dirty, upbeat blues to vaudeville to pop and thats just in one song, Tooth and Claw from the bands recent EP, Autoerotic for the People. Youll hear splashes of klezmer, Romany, punk, classical and straight-up rock music, with horns, accordion and a driving rhythm section fueling frontman Asher Putnam. This reporter caught much of one energetic, expertly performed set at FloydFests Throwdown tent in what was a weekend-long, return engagement for the Northhampton, Massachusetts, band. 10/10 would recommend, in the parlance of our times. Convicted embezzler Robert Jeffrey Jr. lost a legal challenge Tuesday to his removal from the Roanoke City Council and a special election to replace him that begins this week. A judge dismissed Jeffreys challenge as the result of a Tuesday hearing. In so doing, the court affirmed that Virginias law that casts out officeholders turned convicted felons remains in effect against Jeffrey, who is currently serving his 30-month sentence. Yet, further Jeffrey appeals are a possibility, his attorney said. Early voting in the Nov. 8 election will begin Friday as planned, said Deirdre Martin, city deputy registrar. Back in March, then-councilman Jeffrey pleaded no contest and was convicted of a felony embezzlement charge. Circuit Judge David Carson found Jeffrey guilty of taking money from the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization, a Roanoke nonprofit that provides affordable housing. Jeffrey had had access to the groups bank accounts under a contract to manage its property. A jury also convicted Jeffrey in a separate felony case of illegally obtaining pandemic relief funds with false applications made to the city Economic Development Authority. At the citys request, Circuit Judge Onzlee Ware ruled that, through his embezzlement plea, Jeffrey had forfeited his council seat under state law. The city proposed that the council would name an interim successor to serve through the end of this year and that the city would hold an election to pick a permanent successor to serve in 2023 and 2024. Voters had elected Jeffrey in 2020 to a four-year term and he took office on Jan. 1, 2021, but had served only about 14 months when convicted. After Ware approved of the citys plan, the council chose Anita Price to serve until Dec. 31. Election officials then arranged for a special election to take place Nov. 8, the same date as this years regular council election. Republican Peg McGuire and Democrat Luke Priddy will appear on the special ballot and voters will choose one. Nine people will appear on the regular election ballot and voters will choose three. After a lengthy delay to determine Jeffreys penalty, Carson sentenced Jeffrey on Aug. 22 to serve two and a half years in prison and pay $216,000 in restitution, about $200,000 of which will go to the NNEO if paid. Jeffrey, a 53-year-old Democrat, has been held in the Roanoke City Jail. Jeffrey that same day challenged the forfeiture-of-office ruling, saying proper procedures werent followed. Jeffreys challenge was also assigned to Ware, who took up the matter Tuesday. Jeffreys attorney, Melvin Hill, asked Ware to reverse his March finding that Jeffrey forfeited his office, saying the officeholder must first be not only convicted but sentenced and without any further options to appeal. Neither was true about Jeffrey at the time, Hill said. City Attorney Tim Spencer previously said the city and court followed proper procedures. Even more basic, Spencer argued Tuesday that the forfeiture action became a closed legal matter not subject to change 21 days after Ware ruled, given the absence of any challenge or appeal in those three weeks. In brief remarks, Ware agreed with Spencer. The judge dismissed the case. Hill said after court that Jeffrey was considering an appeal. The early voting in the council elections is set to start at 8 a.m. Friday at 317 Kimball Ave. N.E. It will continue during normal business hours up to the election, with voting also possible on the two Saturdays before the in-person vote. The elections office is distributing mail-in ballots to those who request them and they can be submitted anytime. RICHMOND A former sales associate for Virginia ABC has pleaded guilty to felony computer trespass and embezzling the authoritys inventory list of high-demand and limited-availability bourbons that was allegedly sold to online bourbon hunting groups. In front of Hanover County Circuit Court Judge John Overton Harris on Monday, Edgar Smith Garcia, 28, of Manassas pleaded guilty to computer trespass. He was sentenced to two years in prison, which were suspended for five years on the condition of good behavior, according to Virginia ABC. Garcia must pay a $600 fine and is banned from all Virginia ABC property. Three other charges for embezzlement, conspiracy to embezzle and conspiracy computer trespass were dropped as part of the plea agreement. Earlier this year, conspiracy theories about an employee selling insider information was flying among whiskey enthusiasts, and Virginia ABC pulled allocated bourbon from its shelves. In April, Virginia ABC rolled out a new randomized way to purchase in-demand allocated bourbon. Garcia was a lead sales associate from Feb. 14, 2020, through March 25, 2022. The charges were based on allegations that Garcia, as an ABC employee, had access to an internal list of the agencys allocated liquor products that was not available to the public. Garcia then provided the information to Robert William Adams, 45, of Newport News, who had a private Facebook page, and Adams would release the information to his subscribers who would pay him $300 each for access. ABCs Bureau of Law Enforcement initiated a criminal investigation in partnership with other enforcement entities, which led to the two men being charged. Adams is scheduled to appear in Hanover Circuit Court on Dec. 12. The cases are being tried in Hanover because thats where Virginia ABC recently moved its new headquarters and distribution center from Hermitage Road in Richmond. Earlier this year, ABC conducted an extensive internal review of its limited availability products distribution following complaints of unfair sales activity. The investigation focused on various labels of high-demand, limited-availability bourbons allocated by the government-run liquor monopoly. The agency has compiled a list of more than 100 products that are not readily available to meet public demand, but occasionally offered for sale at randomly selected ABC stores at one bottle per customer per day. Some of the sought-after bourbons include Buffalo Trace, Bookers Bourbon and Blantons Single Barrel. In the spring, the agency rolled out a new randomized program of selling allocated bourbon and other spirits that Virginia ABC CEO Travis Hill said at the time was designed to give all interested parties an equal shot at buying the liquors. The goal was to make the products as accessible as possible and correct a system where bourbon hunters or whiskey enthusiasts were camping outside Virginia ABC stores when they thought or caught wind that a shipment of allocated whiskey was coming in. Now, Virginia ABC announces on its Spirited Virginia Facebook or Instagram page that certain stores will have the allocated bourbon for purchase. That system has been in place since April. During the investigation, ABC worked with the Virginia State Police Criminal Investigation Division, which assisted with serving search warrants and analyzing electronic evidence. Evidence uncovered during the investigation led to the charges against Garcia and Adams. We identified a case where an employee worked with an outside individual in violation of ABC policy and Virginia law in the use of inventory information, Hill said. We are pleased with todays outcome in Hanover Circuit Court and confident that new distribution methods put in place in April with lessons learned by this incident ensure an equitable environment for customers. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close " " Magnets are attracted to materials that have unpaired electrons that spin in the same direction. Shutterstock/New Africa If you've read How Electromagnets Work, you know that an electrical current moving through a wire creates a magnetic field. Moving electrical charges are responsible for the magnetic field in permanent magnets as well. But a magnet's field doesn't come from a large current traveling through a wire it comes from the movement of electrons. Many people imagine electrons as tiny particles that orbit an atom's nucleus the way planets orbit a sun. As quantum physicists currently explain it, the movement of electrons is a little more complicated than that. Essentially, electrons fill an atom's shell-like orbitals, where they behave as both particles and waves. The electrons have a charge and a mass, as well as a movement that physicists describe as spin in an upward or downward direction. Advertisement Generally, electrons fill the atom's orbitals in pairs. If one of the electrons in a pair spins upward, the other spins downward. It's impossible for both of the electrons in a pair to spin in the same direction. This is part of a quantum-mechanical principle known as the Pauli Exclusion Principle. Even though an atom's electrons don't move very far, their movement is enough to create a tiny magnetic field. Since paired electrons spin in opposite directions, their magnetic fields cancel one another out. Atoms of ferromagnetic elements, on the other hand, have several unpaired electrons that have the same spin. Iron, for example, has four unpaired electrons with the same spin. Because they have no opposing fields to cancel their effects, these electrons have an orbital magnetic moment. The magnetic moment is a vector it has a magnitude and a direction. It's related to both the magnetic field strength and the torque that the field exerts. A whole magnet's magnetic moments come from the moments of all of its atoms. In metals like iron, the orbital magnetic moment encourages nearby atoms to align along the same north-south field lines. Iron and other ferromagnetic materials are crystalline. As they cool from a molten state, groups of atoms with parallel orbital spin line up within the crystal structure. This forms the magnetic domains discussed in the previous section. You may have noticed that the materials that make good magnets are the same as the materials magnets attract. This is because magnets attract materials that have unpaired electrons that spin in the same direction. In other words, the quality that turns a metal into a magnet also attracts the metal to magnets. Many other elements are diamagnetic their unpaired atoms create a field that weakly repels a magnet. A few materials don't react with magnets at all. This explanation and its underlying quantum physics are fairly complicated, and without them the idea of magnetic attraction can be mystifying. So it's not surprising that people have viewed magnetic materials with suspicion for much of history. Measuring Magnets You can measure magnetic fields using instruments like gauss meters, and you can describe and explain them using numerous equations. Here are some of the basics: flux , are current . Magnetic lines of force, or, are measured in Webers (Wb) . In electromagnetic systems, the flux relates to the flux , is measured in webers per square meter . In equations, the symbol B represents field strength. A field's strength, or the density of the, is measured in tesla (T) or gauss (G) . One tesla is equal to 10,000 gauss. You can also measure the field strength in. In equations, the symbolrepresents field strength. amperes per meter or H represents it in equations. The field's magnitude is measured inor oersted . The symbolrepresents it in equations. Read More COLUMBIA, S.C. Vice President Kamala Harris visited two historically Black colleges in South Carolina to push for voter registration as she focuses on places and demographics that will be key to Democrats chances to hold on to Congress in the midterm elections. In remarks Tuesday to first-year students at South Carolina State University, an Orangeburg HBCU where President Joe Biden addressed graduates last year, Harris highlighted what she characterized as the need for young voters to participate in political pushes to protect voting rights and oppose efforts to restrict abortion. Once again, your nation turns to you, Harris said, highlighting the fight for civil rights by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn a S.C. State alumnus and South Carolinas lone congressional Democrat when he was arrested during protests while in his early 20s. Because to move America forward, we need you. We need your passion, your purpose and your excellence. The South Carolina trip, Harris third to the state as vice president, is part of her increased travel schedule ahead of the midterms. She talked reproductive rights in Chicago on Friday, and shes heading to Wisconsin on Thursday to speak at the Democratic Attorneys General Conference. Earlier this month, she traveled to Houston for the National Baptist Convention. Harris trips are designed to prevent, or at least limit, any drop-off in turnout among voters of color and young people, important parts of the Democratic coalition. Earlier Tuesday National Voter Registration Day she participated in a roundtable with students at Claflin University, another HBCU, where she touted the administrations actions around race and education and emphasized the need to invest in mental health. We recognize that over the last couple of years through the pandemic, we literally told people to isolate, which means people were literally by themselves, Harris said. Suffering from all that the pandemic represented in terms of loss of life, loss of normalcy, for so many people, loss of job. And so the effects of that all still linger in a very profound way. In South Carolina, which holds the first presidential balloting in the South, Black voters play an outsized role in the Democratic voting electorate. During a June visit to the state, Harris expressed appreciation for South Carolina Democrats, whose key support for Biden in the first-in-the-South primary in 2020 helped turn around his campaign and build momentum in later contests that led to the partys nomination. Harris arrival in South Carolina follows shortly after Bidens noncommittal response to CBS 60 Minutes when asked if he would run again in 2024. My intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again, the president said during a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday. But its just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen. Biden noted in the interview that declaring his intention to seek reelection would put him afoul of campaign finance laws, which could have complicated spending by the Democratic National Committee ahead of the midterms. White House officials said Biden is continuing to lay the groundwork for a 2024 run. Allies, though, acknowledge that he could always decide against seeking reelection before a formal announcement, which is expected in the first half of 2023. Earlier this year, Biden committed to tapping Harris as his running mate for the 2024 reelection campaign. Her visit comes as Republicans considering White House bids of their own including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to crisscross the state. Some native South Carolina Republicans have also been testing the 2024 waters. Nikki Haley, who served the state for six years as governor before joining the Trump administration as U.N. ambassador, lives in the Charleston area and has been visiting other early voting states, as has U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. Associated Press writers Chris Megerian and Zeke Miller in Washington and James Pollard in Orangeburg, S.C., contributed to this report. Our friends at The Remake Co. a label under the FilmSharks sales banner out of Buenos Aires brought to our attention that they sold the Spanish remakes rights to the Uruguayan Fantasy RomCom Ghosting Gloria. A single 30-year-old who has never had an orgasm, finally finds her ideal lover but the only caveat is that he doesn't inhabit the world of the living. Ghosting Gloria was fun but what tickles me so is that these rights were acquired by Igancio G. Cucucovichs Mother Superior Films. We've know Cucucovich and their work primarily in the realm of horror films. They produced Gustavo Hernandezs upcoming Big Bad Wolves remake Lobo Feroz, Virus-32, and You Shall Not Sleep (No Dormiras). They are most definitely not romcoms. The film will be helmed by Nacho Alvarez whose debut feature film was the musical My Heart Goes Boom! So at the very least they've got a director attached who can approach the lighter fare of original and not spray the walls with blood. That would be key. SIOUX CITY A Sioux City teenager awaiting sentencing for murder was sentenced last week to five years in prison for possession of marijuana. Dwight Evans, 18, on Wednesday entered a written plea of guilty to possession with the intent to deliver marijuana. Senior Judge Jeffrey Poulson ordered the prison term to be served concurrently, or at the same time, with his pending sentence for murder. A Woodbury County jury on Aug. 4 found Evans guilty of first-degree murder and going armed with intent for the May 1, 2021, shooting death of Martez Harrison outside Uncle Dave's Bar in Sioux City. Evans faces life in prison for murder and five years for going armed with intent. Because Evans was 17 and a juvenile at the time of the shooting, Poulson must decide if and/or when he could be eligible for parole. Had Evans been an adult, he would automatically have been ineligible for parole. A Nov. 18 hearing is scheduled to hear evidence and arguments on whether Evans will be eligible for parole. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16. Evans approached Harrison, who was fighting with Lawrence Canady, outside the bar at 1427 W. Third St. and shot him in the left flank and chest, apparently as revenge for Harrison striking a friend's girlfriend days earlier. Harrison, 22, died a short time later at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. Evans' attorneys didn't deny Evans pulled the trigger, but tried to convince jurors he was intoxicated at the time and was defending himself and others. Evans was arrested three hours later near Canady's house and was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp after police found marijuana and a scale in his room during a search of his home while investigating the shooting. Prior to Evans' murder trial, Poulson ordered a separate trial on the drug charges. As part of Evans' guilty plea, the drug tax stamp charge was dismissed. Canady, 22, of Sioux City, is serving a 16-year prison sentence after a jury in December found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, willful injury causing bodily injury and serious assault. CHEROKEE, Iowa A former Cherokee police officer has been placed on probation for failing to stop his pickup truck after striking a 6-year-old girl at a street intersection. Michael McGee, 53, of Cherokee, pleaded guilty Friday in Cherokee County District Court to failure to stop at the scene of an accident, a serious misdemeanor, and failure to yield, a traffic violation. McGee faced up to a year in jail for the misdemeanor, and in his plea agreement the sentencing decision was left up to the judge. District Associate Judge Andrew Smith deferred judgment on the failure to stop charge and placed McGee on one year probation. McGee also must pay a $430 civil penalty, plus a $135 fine for the traffic ticket. McGee struck the girl on May 20 with his Dodge Ram pickup at the intersection of North Roosevelt and East Indian streets. Off duty at the time, McGee was carrying several children's swimming pools stacked in the back of his pickup and was driving north on North Roosevelt Street when the girl and two other children were either crossing the street in a crosswalk or were entering the street. McGee braked his pickup and later told investigators he did not think he had hit anyone and continued driving north. He went to the city garage and placed the pools and other potentially identifying items into a garbage bin and told investigators that when he heard an ambulance was dispatched to the intersection, he panicked and returned home. McGee and his pickup were identified by witnesses, and he was located and charged. The girl, who is from Cherokee, suffered a concussion and other non life-threatening injuries. McGee is no longer with the police department. SIOUX FALLS -- The bookkeeper of a Lesterville, South Dakota, church has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $320,000 from two church parishes. Steven Bares, 53, of Tabor, South Dakota, pleaded guilty Sept. 13 in U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls to wire fraud. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 12. From January 2013 to March 2020, while serving as the bookkeeper for St. John the Baptist parish in Lesterville and St. Wenceslaus parish in Tabor, Bares embezzled $324,001 from the two parishes. In May 2021, the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese hired an accounting firm to perform a forensic audit at the request of the parishes. Auditors discovered numerous checks made out to companies belonging to Bares that didn't correspond to any service or equipment purchased from them. The checks were deposited into accounts held by Bares. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Community School District has paid $12,500 in settlements to parents who filed two separate lawsuits after their children were injured in middle school buildings. The district paid $7,500 to Chad and Mandy Sorensen and $5,000 to Jennifer Pottorff. The settlements were paid by the district's insurance carrier. Both lawsuits, filed in Woodbury County District Court, have been dismissed. District communications director Leslie Heying said the district does not comment on litigation or legal matters. The Sorensens sued the district in January, saying their son was attacked and cut at East Middle School in December 2020 during a confrontation with two female students. The boy, who was 12, received a minor laceration on the back of his head from an "X-acto" style cutting tool used for crafts and hobbies that one of the girls had in her possession. The girl was referred to Juvenile Court Services on a charge of willful injury. The Sorensens said their son's injury was the result of negligence by the school's staff to adequately supervise students in hallways and to allow weapons in the school. The girl's mother also had been named in the lawsuit, and the settlement included her dismissal. Pottorff sued the district for negligence in March 2021 for injuries her then-sixth-grade daughter sustained in February 2020, when, she said, two girls pressured her daughter into a "Skull Breaker Challenge" during a physical education class at West Middle School. Pottorff also sued the PE teacher, saying he was sitting at a table focusing on his cell phone during the prank in which the girls grabbed the top of her daughter's hoodie, told her to jump, then let go of her and kicked her feet out from under her while she was in the air, causing her to fall and break her arm and elbow. Both settlement agreements say the payments are not an admission of liability by the district. SIOUX CITY A Sioux City woman has pleaded not guilty of playing a role in the gunpoint robbery of a woman outside a convenience store. Shalee Parker, 25, entered her written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of first-degree robbery, prohibited transfer of ownership of a pistol or revolver and felon in possession of a firearm. Parker is accused of driving Asa Starr to and from the June 27 robbery of a woman who was filling her car with gas at Select-Mart, 4103 Floyd Blvd. According to court documents, Parker pulled into the Select-Mart, where Starr exited the vehicle, approached the woman and demanded her belongings while displaying a gun. The woman grappled with Starr before complying with his demands for not only her debit card, but a bag inside her vehicle. Starr got back into the car, and Parker drove away from the scene. The two later were spotted in Plymouth County, where, according to court documents, Starr fired the gun at another person after discarding some of the stolen items at the person's property. Starr was seen burying what was believed to be a pistol in a dirt pile at a third location, and police retrieved a .25-caliber handgun from the site. Parker gave Asa Starr the gun for letting her live with him at his mother's house, court documents said. She was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction. Starr, 18, was arrested in July and has pleaded not guilty of first-degree robbery, going armed with intent, assault while participating in a felony and felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to stand trial in October. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Council deferred a vote Monday on the first reading of an ordinance that would treat other domestic animals the same as dogs and cats. Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr said she would like to have a discussion on the number of animals that are allowed. The item is expected to be back on the council's agenda on Oct. 3. Responding to the removal of over 50 snakes in a Sioux City home in July, city staff is proposing new household limits on such pets. The city currently allows no more than three dogs or cats, with a limit on no more than two of the same species. For example, residents can own two dogs and one cat or two cats and one dog. The proposed ordinance would expand the definition of domestic animals to any species that "normally is bred, raised, and is accustomed to live in or about human habitation." The list of domesticated animals would include, but not be limited to, dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, and birds, according to the ordinance. Hamsters, guinea pigs and fish would be excluded from the per household limits. The ordinance also would exclude K-9 dogs and other animals owned by the Police Department, animals in a zoo and livestock at a farm. Resident Rande Giles told the council that the limiting of animals doesn't prevent hoarding and neglect. "There's like no magic number of pets that guarantees the quality of care. It could possibly burden law enforcement and animal control, as well," she said. "There's plenty of people who are capable of taking care of five birds. So, they're inevitably being punished." Resident Mark Solheim asked the council if a person who had three or four parakeets in their home would be grandfathered in or have to get an excess animal permit. "That's another one of the topics that we're going to be looking at -- the birds," Schoenherr said. The ordinance, follows the city's removal of 58 snakes from a townhouse at 4624 Harrison St. on July 11. Animal control officers removed them after one of the 50 ball pythons escaped from an enclosure in Parker Moos' home and the owner of the adjoining townhouse found it in her garage and called police. Ball pythons are among the species classified under city code as dangerous animals, and are not permitted within city limits. Authorities on July 26 returned 50 ball pythons to Moos, who found a temporary home for them at a rural residence near Lawton, Iowa. He previously told The Journal he still has three king snakes and about a dozen corn snakes at his townhouse. Such non-venomous snakes are both permitted under city code. The ordinance, if it gets council approval, would likely force Moos to find new homes for many of his remaining snakes. During Monday's meeting, Moos read a statement from the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, which opposes the proposed amendment to the City Code redefining the term "domestic animal." "If the city is unaware, there is a legal precedent in which the court ruled that legislation seeking to control ownership of animals based solely on numbers is invalid," Moos read. Moos said he has moved his snakes into one room. He said the doors and the vents are "blocked" and that there's no way for them to get out. He said his rodents have been moved to an outdoor shed. "We haven't had any issues with escapes aside from this situation that occurred. I feel for my neighbors. That was a bad situation that happened. I've apologized to them," he said. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance, with amendments proposed by Mayor Bob Scott, that increases rates for municipal parking ramps and meters, as well as overtime parking and fines. Scott motioned during Monday's council meeting to set parking meter rates at $.75 for the 10-hour meters, the bagged meter fee at $14 per day and fines for overtime meters at $12. He proposed that the fee for using one space at Rivers Landing and Discovery parking ramps be $52, 2-100 spaces used $47 per space, 101-199 spaces used $42 per space, 200 plus spaces used $40 per space. While at Heritage and MLK parking ramps, one space would be $60, 2 to 100 spaces used $54 per space, 101-199 spaces used $48 per space and 200 plus spaces used $45 per space. "The second part of my motion, before this gets third reading, is that this will be brought back every September 1 for review," Scott said before the council voted 4 to 0 in favor of the ordinance's first reading with Scott's amendments. Councilman Matthew O'Kane abstained from voting since he is a Sioux City Community School District art teacher who works downtown and must pay for his own parking. City staff say rate increases are needed to provide revenue to service the debt for repairs to the parking ramps and to buy new parking meters. The last rate increase for street meter fees occurred in 2007, while ramp fees and parking fines were raised in 2019, according to city documents. Currently, metered parking is $.60 per 30 minutes, $.75 per hour for the one, two and four-hour meters and $.50 for per hour for the 10-hour meters. City staff requested that those fees be increased to $.80, $1 and $.65. Staff had meter overtime fines increasing from $10 to $14. After 30 days, those fines would jump from $15 to $21, and after 90 days from $30 to $42. Other parking-related fines would increase from $35 to $50, after 30 days from $40 to $55, and after 90 days from $50 to $70. At Heritage, Rivers Landing, MLK and Discovery parking ramps, staff requested the following rate increases for monthly users: 1 space used $50 to $55 2 to 100 spaces used $45 per space to $50 101-199 spaces used $40 per space to $45 200 plus spaces used $38 per space to $43 SIOUX CITY In a split decision Monday, the Sioux City Council voted against a resolution adopting plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the replacement of 2,300 more plastic seats at Lewis & Clark Park. The vote was 4 to 1, with Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore casting the lone vote in favor of the project, which the city's engineer estimated would cost $433,727. Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said the city last year budgeted around $135,000 to cover the replacement of 770 seats. Those seats were supposed to arrive in August, but Salvatore said they are "still in production." Now, he said the seats won't get here until January and won't be installed until next spring. "We're just doing the lower bowl right now. We saved a little bit of money, but not enough of the money to cover all of this," Salvatore told the council. "That would have to be covered during the CIP process." In April, Explorers owner John Roost told The Journal the team might not play in the city-owned Lewis & Clark Park this season if the city didn't replace all 3,070 box and general admission seats. Roost said the deteriorating condition of the plastic seats presents a danger to fans and a financial liability for the team and city. The Explorers' home opener went on as scheduled on May 17. "I realize we had some issues this spring with that, but those issues are not so great for me that I want to do this out of sequence," Mayor Bob Scott said before the vote. "This project for the additional seating should go through the (Capital Improvement Program) hearings just like every other one. We rarely move project up." Salvatore said waiting for CIP hearings would delay installation of 2,300 more seats until after the 2023 season. City officials have told Roost they don't have sufficient funds to replace all of the seats this year, but have offered to do so in phases over several years. "I know that we had plans to address the seating. It was, a little more like you said, Mayor, extended out," Councilman Alex Watters said. "If there are serious concerns, we do it incrementally -- a portion at a time. I would love to pack the stands every single game. But, every seat is not being used every game. If you did a section at a time and blocked it off, that would make more financial sense." Scott asked Salvatore how many of the seats at the ballpark broke this year. Salvatore told him some of the seats broke, but that he doesn't have an exact number. As The Journal first reported on April 14, Roost sent a letter to Scott and the four City Council members in which he again asked the city to replace all of the parks plastic seats, which he described as being in "serious and poor condition." During a follow-up interview on May 2, Roost told The Journal by phone that the seat problem is "not a new problem" and dates back to when Paul Eckert was the city manager. Roost said he has been personally involved with extricating fans from failed seats at the stadium. Responding to the removal of over 50 snakes in a Sioux City home in July, city staff is proposing new household limits on such pets. The city currently allows no more than three dogs or cats, with a limit on no more than two of the same species. A new mural is joining others in Sioux City. Artist David Manzanares is working on a creation on the west side of a building at 809-811 W. Seventh St., facing Hamilton Boulevard. The finished mural will face Hamilton Boulevard and includes depictions of Estrellas de Jalisco, a local dance group. Manzanares, a native of Mexico who lives in Omaha, said he expects to have the mural completed in approximately two weeks. Work began on the mural Saturday. Manzanares derives influence from ancient Mexican art and his grandmother, an indigenous medicine woman skilled in textile weaving who taught him handcrafting from a young age, according to a press release from the city. The mural project coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Several million dollars have been invested in a revitalization project on West Seventh Street, including a complete street reconstruction and aesthetic improvements. This mural is the third of several to be painted along the West Seventh corridor. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa A Rock Valley man was killed early Sunday in a one-vehicle crash near Sioux Center. According to the Iowa State Patrol, Reyes Felipe Lopez-Lopez was westbound in a Mercury Mariner SUV on Sioux County Road B40 at 6:22 a.m., when he left the road for an unknown reason near the intersection with Garfield Avenue. The vehicle entered the north ditch, vaulted a culvert and struck an embankment. Lopez-Lopez, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers, Marco Vincio Lopez-Lopez, 32, and a 3-year-old girl, both of Rock Valley, were transported to the hospital in Sioux Center and later flown to a Sioux Falls hospital for treatment of their injuries. Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor to the crash, according to the State Patrol accident report. LE MARS, Iowa The Iowa State Fire Marshal's office has issued an open burning ban for Plymouth County. The ban takes effect at noon Tuesday. It will be in effect until further notice. Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Dave Schipper requested the ban Monday on behalf of all fire departments in the county because of the continued dry conditions in the area. The Fire Marshal's Office approved the request, ruling that open burning would present a danger to life and property. Anyone violating the burning ban could be charged with a simple misdemeanor. 'Our world is in peril': At UN, leaders push for solutions UNITED NATIONS (AP) The worlds problems are seizing the spotlight as the U.N. General Assemblys yearly meeting of world leaders opens. It began Tuesday with dire assessments of a planet beset by escalating crises and conflicts that an aging international order seems increasingly ill-equipped to tackle. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world is gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction. He and others pointed to conflicts ranging from Russias six-month-old war in Ukraine to the decades-long dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. Speakers worried about a changing climate, spiking fuel prices, food shortages, economic inequality, migration, disinformation, discrimination, hate speech, public health and more. 4 Ukrainian regions schedule votes this week to join Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The separatist leaders of four Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine say they are planning to hold referendums this week for the territories to become part of Russia as Moscow loses ground in the war it launched. The votes will be held in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. The announcement of the balloting starting Friday came after a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that they were needed. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also said that folding Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine into Russia itself would make their redrawn frontiers irreversible and enable Moscow to use any means to defend them. Fiona swipes Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico faces big cleanup CAYEY, Puerto Rico (AP) Hurricane Fiona is blasting the Turks and Caicos Islands as a Category 3 storm after devastating Puerto Rico, where most people remain without electricity or running water. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's eye passed close to Grand Turk, the British territorys capital island. The government imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas. The storm could raise seas by 5 to 8 feet above normal. Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and was moving north-northwest at 9 mph early Tuesday. The Hurricane Center says the storm is likely to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Bermuda on Friday. Arbiter in Trump docs probe signals intent to move quickly WASHINGTON (AP) The independent arbiter tasked with inspecting documents seized in an FBI search of former President Donald Trumps Florida home says he intends to push briskly through the review process. Raymond Dearie, the veteran Brooklyn-based judge, also appeared skeptical of the Trump teams reluctance to say whether it believed the records had been declassified. The purpose of Tuesday's meeting was to sort out next steps in a review process expected to slow by weeks, if not months, the criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. FDA concedes delays in response to baby formula shortage WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. health regulators say their response to the ongoing infant formula shortage was slowed by delays in processing a whistleblower complaint and test samples from the nations largest formula factory. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday published its first formal report detailing the factors that led to the shortage, which has forced the U.S. government to import formula from overseas. The report highlights several key problems at the regulatory agency. Those include unclear procedures for vetting whistleblower complaints about company violations. The agency also says it needs more funding and authority to regulate food manufacturers. EXPLAINER: How alleged plot exploited pandemic to net $250M MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Department of Justice has charged 48 people in what prosecutors have called a scheme to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the U.S. government of $250 million. Prosecutors say the defendants obtained government funds under the guise of providing food to underprivileged children. But just a small fraction of the money went toward feeding kids and the rest was instead laundered through shell companies and spent on property, luxury cars and travel. Prosecutors say it is the largest fraud case to date that deals with the misuse of government funds during the pandemic. Aaron Judge hits 60th homer, within 1 of Maris' AL record NEW YORK (AP) Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run, matching Babe Ruth and moving within one of Roger Maris American League season record. The New York Yankees slugger drove a 3-1 sinker from Pittsburghs Wil Crowe 430 feet to the left field seats leading off the ninth inning. Judges third home run in two games and ninth in September thrilled a screaming crowd at Yankee Stadium. He answered pleas for a curtain call despite New Yorks 8-5 deficit. He equaled Ruths total for the 1927 Yankees and has 15 games remaining to match and surpass Maris total for New York in 1961. 'Serial' host: Evidence that freed Syed was long available The creator of a true-crime podcast that helped free a Maryland man imprisoned for murder said that she feels a mix of emotions over how long it took authorities to act on evidence thats long been available. Podcast host Sarah Koenig released a new episode of Serial on Tuesday, a day after a judge vacated Adnan Syed's conviction and allowed him to walk out of court after more than two decades. Koenig noted that all of the evidence cited in prosecutors motion to overturn the conviction was available since 1999. She argued that the case against Syed involved just about every chronic problem in the system. Migrants sue Florida governor over Martha's Vineyard flights BOSTON (AP) Venezuelan migrants flown from San Antonio to the upscale Massachusetts island of Marthas Vineyard have sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his transportation secretary for engaging in a fraudulent and discriminatory scheme to relocate them. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Boston. It alleges that migrants were falsely told they were going to Boston or Washington and were induced with $10 McDonalds gift certificates. DeSantis office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, the sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, which includes San Antonio, opened an investigation into the flights but didnt say what laws may have been broken. NTSB wants all new vehicles to check drivers for alcohol use DETROIT (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all new vehicles in the U.S. be equipped with blood alcohol monitoring systems that can stop an intoxicated person from driving. The recommendation, if enacted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, could reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes, one of the biggest causes of highway deaths in the U.S. The new push to make roads safer was included in a report released Tuesday about a horrific crash last year in which a drunk drivers SUV collided head-on with a pickup truck near Fresno, California, killing both adult drivers and seven children. GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) An 89-year-old woman has died after she and her 12-year-old grandson were attacked by two pit bulls last week at a home west of Denver, family members said. Golden police say the two were attacked Wednesday afternoon, and both dogs have since been euthanized. The woman's family confirmed on Sunday that she died and said the boy, who was seriously injured, has been released from the hospital. The victims' names have not been released. Officers called to the scene of the attack found blood leading into the home and immediately went to the backyard, where the dogs were mauling the woman. They used stun guns and less-lethal shotguns but weren't able to separate the dogs from the victim until additional officers arrived. The boy, who escaped the attack and sought refuge at a neighbor's home, was ultimately air-lifted to a children's hospital, and his grandmother was hospitalized with critical injuries. Police say the boy and his grandmother were acquainted with the dogs. The City of Golden does not have laws that ban certain dog breeds. The separatist leaders of four Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine say they are planning to hold referendums this week for the territories to become part of Russia as Moscow loses ground in the war it launched. The votes will be held in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. There are reports that more migrants are on the move and will land in President Joe Biden's home state of Delaware. A British official says around a quarter of a million people joined the huge queue to see Queen Elizabeth IIs coffin lying in state in Londons Westminster Hall. The figure was released a day after Britain ended 10 days of national mourning for the late monarch. Jimmy Kimmel is celebrating his 20th anniversary as ABCs late-night host early, signing a three-year contract extension for Jimmy Kimmel Live! His show debuted in January 2003, and the new deal means he will remain with it into the 2025-26 season. After a year spent off air, the Golden Globe Awards are returning to NBC in January, when the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association will seek a primetime comeback. The 80th Golden Globes will be held January 10, airing both on NBC and Peacock. Federal authorities have charged 47 people in what they're calling the largest fraud scheme yet to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic by stealing and defrauding the government of $250 million. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are resisting independent arbiter Raymond Dearie's request for information about whether the seized records had been declassified, as Trump has maintained. In a letter to Dearie on Monday night, the lawyers said that issue could be part of Trumps defense in the event of an indictment. After bashing the proceedings on his web show, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has made his first appearance outside a courthouse in Connecticut where a jury will determine how much in damages he should pay for telling his audience the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. Jones showed up and made comments outside, but left a short time later. An influential health guidelines group says U.S. doctors should regularly screen adults for anxiety. Its the first time the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended anxiety screening in primary care for adults without symptoms. National ICYMI: Today's top US news Here's a look at the latest news and most interesting developments today. Earnest Jackson is innocent and should be released from prison, say two family members of the man hes convicted of murdering. Their public support of Jackson is the latest twist in a nearly quarter-century-long saga about a North Omaha killing that gets its next chapter Monday, when the Nebraska Board of Pardons decides whether to release Jackson or keep him behind bars. Elizabeth Smith gave birth to Larry Perrys son just before Perry was shot and killed in 1999. Michael Hatcher is that son. In an interview with the Flatwater Free Press, Smith argued that the evidence proves Jackson didnt kill Perry or participate in the killing. She and Hatcher submitted written testimony supporting Jacksons immediate release testimony meant to be viewed by the Nebraska Board of Pardons before the boards three members, Gov. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen, decide the prisoners fate during a hearing Monday. During a phone interview Wednesday, Smith said that she was 18 and she and Perrys son Mike was just 3 months old when Perry was shot 19 times and killed during a dispute near his North Omaha home. In the 23 years since Perry died, Smith has married, moved to Council Bluffs and now raises three teenagers as a stay-at-home mom. As the years passed, she has also thought often about Sept. 1, 1999. She has talked about it with neighbors, friends and family members near the scene that night. And she said she is plagued by the constant thought that she needs to do something to help Jackson, who remains imprisoned for the killing. Because Earnest Jackson didnt kill Larry Perry, she said. He wasnt even there, she believes. It makes it a double tragedy that an innocent man is in prison, you know? Smith said. Larry wouldnt have wanted him in prison for something he didnt do. The victims family members join a growing chorus Jacksons current and former lawyers, family members, friends and two volunteer groups advocating his release who say Jackson has served 22 years for a crime he didnt commit. In the fall of 1999, after the 17-year-old Perry was killed at 46th Street and Redman Avenue during a dispute about stolen tire rims, Omaha police arrested three people for the crime Jackson, Shalamar Cooperrider and Dante Chillous. Jackson, also 17, went to trial first. Why? Because his case number happened to be the lowest, said Jeff Pickens, an Omaha attorney who represented Jackson for years, but didnt represent him during the original trial. I think his conviction was the result of bad timing, Pickens said. And because of that quirk of fate Jackson simply going to trial first I think an innocent person is in prison. The order of trials proved to matter greatly, Pickens said, because the two other men arrested for Perrys murder, still awaiting their own trials, declined to testify at Jacksons. During his trial, Jackson maintained his innocence, said that he wasnt at the scene of the crime and denied any involvement. But prosecutors in the case had an eyewitness who placed Jackson at the scene, pistol-whipping Perry during the argument, though defense lawyers questioned that testimonys accuracy. Jackson was convicted of first-degree murder, but acquitted of using a deadly weapon, meaning the jury didnt believe he pulled the trigger himself. He was sentenced to life in prison. Then things got stranger. Cooperrider stood trial next. At that trial, he outed himself as Perrys shooter, said he killed Perry in self defense and told the courtroom that the already-convicted Jackson had nothing to do with the shooting. He was acquitted. Then he took the stand at Chillous trial and repeated the same information. Chillous was acquitted, too. That left Jackson in the Nebraska State Penitentiary for being an accomplice to a murder that two subsequent juries said wasnt a murder and that the self-admitted shooter said Jackson had nothing to do with. It makes no sense, said Daniel Gutman, an Omaha attorney now representing Jackson. Its legally impossible. We need to recognize that there is no valid justification for why Earnest Jackson is sitting in a prison cell, he said. You can search and search for it, but at the end of the day, this is an injustice in our state and a guy is sitting in prison on a legally impossible sentence. Prosecutors defended the guilty verdict, both at the time and during a 2016 resentencing that happened after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a minor couldnt be sentenced to life in prison for murder. Jackson was re-sentenced to 60 to 80 years. Prosecutors have said during trials and in interviews that Jackson received a fair trial and that his jury believed the eyewitness. The Nebraska Supreme Court also upheld the conviction, ruling that Jackson wasnt eligible for a new trial because Cooperriders testimony was not newly discovered, but only newly available. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha has twice introduced a bill that would expand the states definition of newly discovered evidence to include testimony from witnesses, like Cooperrider, who previously asserted their constitutional right to avoid testifying. Essentially, it would have allowed Jackson a chance at a new trial. In 2021, the bill tacked on as an amendment to another bill failed by a single vote. Wayne plans to file it again next session. Even if the Board of Pardons commutes Jacksons sentence on Monday, theres still more work to be done, Wayne said. A pardon is about forgiveness. My bill is about making sure our judicial system is just, Wayne said to the Legislatures Judiciary Committee in 2021. A just judicial system is about allowing someone the ability to prove their innocence rather than ask for forgiveness. Its powerful that the shooting victims son and the sons mother have submitted written testimony advocating for Jacksons release, said the state senator who represents parts of north and northwest Omaha. I think it goes to the point that our judicial system worked for everybody else involved in this matter, except for (Jackson.), Wayne said during a phone interview Wednesday. That even the alleged victims are saying it wasnt himIt shows that we still have a long way to go for justice for everybody. Jackson is eligible for a parole hearing in 2029. By that time he will be 47 years old and would have served 30 years in prison. But a group of friends, family members, lawyers and supporters who have organized into two volunteer groups, Send Earnest Home and Free Earnest Jackson, now hope that the Board of Pardons commutes Jacksons sentence and releases him after Mondays hearing. That group now publicly includes Mike Hatcher Larry Perrys son. As an adult, Hatcher requested a phone call with Jackson. He was nervous to talk to the prisoner, he wrote in a statement sent to the Board of Pardons, because he knew nothing of him beyond his conviction. Since then hes gotten to know Jackson, who graduated from college while in prison and has started an inmate mentoring program. My impression of Earnest that Ive gathered over time is that he is a remarkable man, he wrote in a two-page letter supporting Jacksons release. In an email Wednesday, spokesperson Alex Reuss declined to say whether Ricketts, one of the pardons boards three members, had read the letter, saying the governor doesnt comment on individual cases prior to pardons board hearings. In Hatchers statement, he implores the pardons board Nebraskas governor, secretary of state and attorney general to release the man convicted of murdering his father after Mondays hearing. I wont be able to come to peace with everything that has happened until he is granted freedom and mercy by the State of Nebraska, Hatcher wrote. I am speaking up and asking for a commutation of Earnests sentence because it is the right thing to do. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. HARRISBURG In bone-dry Banner County, clouds of dirt drift into the sky as rumbling tractors till the sun-baked soil. We get very little rain, said Jim Young, standing in a field thats been in his family for 80 years. And we get a lot of wind. Some of the countrys best wind, in fact. Thats why 16 years ago, wind energy companies started courting landowners on County Road 14 north of Kimball on wind speed maps, a deep-purple smear through the Nebraska Panhandle that signifies high-speed, reliable wind. This county of just 625 people stood poised to become home to as many as 300 wind turbines. It would have been the largest wind project in the state, bringing in money for landowners, developers, the county and local schools. But then, a roadblock: The U.S. Air Force. Under the dusty fields are dozens of nuclear missiles housed in silos more than 100 feet underground. For decades, tall structures such as wind turbines needed to be at least a quarter-mile from the missile silos. Earlier this year, the military changed its policy. Now turbines cant be within 2 nautical miles of the silos. The switch ruled out acres of land energy companies had leased and wrested a potential windfall from dozens of farmers. The stalled Banner County project is unique, but its one more way that Nebraska struggles to harness its main renewable energy resource. Nebraska ranks eighth in the country in potential wind energy, according to the federal government. It continues to lag behind neighbors Colorado, Kansas and Iowa, all of whom are national leaders. The Banner County projects would have grown Nebraskas wind capacity by 25%. Its now unclear how many turbines will be possible because of the rule change. This would have been a big deal for a lot of farmers. And it would have been an even bigger deal for every property owner in Banner County, Young said. Its just a killer. Dont know how else to say it. Living with nukes John Jones was driving his tractor when helicopters suddenly whizzed overhead. His tractor had kicked up enough dust to trigger a missile silos motion detectors. Jeeps sped up. Armed men jumped out to inspect the threat. I just kept farming, Jones said. Banner County residents have coexisted with the missile silos since the 1960s. To keep up with Soviet nuclear technology, the U.S. planted hundreds of missiles, positioning them to shoot over the North Pole and into the Soviet Union at a moments notice. Today, 82 missile silos in the Panhandle are still active, manned 24/7 by Air Force crews. The 80,000-pound warheads can fly 15,000 miles per hour and do damage 20 times greater than the nukes dropped in World War II. If we ever get bombed, they say this is the first place theyre going to bomb, because of the silos, said farmer Tom May. Every acre of Mays property sits within the 2 miles of a missile silo, he said. Under the new Air Force rule, he cant put a single wind turbine on his ground. Sixteen years ago, wind turbine developers held a meeting at the school in Harrisburg. Banner County had what developers called world-class wind. Many landowners were eager they could make $15,000 per turbine per year. The turbines would also pump money into the county and school system, said county officials. In Banner County, it would have reduced property taxes to damn near nothing, Young said they were told. Eventually, two companies Invenergy and Orion Renewable Energy Group finalized plans to put up wind turbines. But discussions with the military starting in 2019 brought the projects to a screeching halt. Wind turbines pose a significant flight safety hazard, an Air Force spokesman said in an email. Those turbines didnt exist when the silos were built. Now that they dot the rural landscape, the Air Force said it needed to reevaluate its setback rules. The final number it settled on was 2 nautical miles 2.3 miles on land so helicopters wouldnt crash. In May, military officials traveled from Wyomings F.E. Warren Air Force Base to break the news to landowners. On an overhead projector at Kimballs Sagebrush Restaurant, they showed enlarged photos of what helicopter pilots see when flying near turbines in a snowstorm. For most landowners, the news came as a gut punch. They said they support national security and keeping service members safe. But they wonder: Is eight times as much distance necessary? They dont own that land. But all of a sudden, they have the power to strike the whole thing down, telling us what we can and cant do, Jones said. Young agreed. When you can land a helicopter on top of any hospital in the country, theyre saying that this is too close, he said, pointing to a nearby missile silo and a distant tower less than 2 miles away. Now you know why were pissed, right? Wind energy improving, but still lags Nebraska built its first wind turbines in 1998 two towers west of Springview. Installed by the Nebraska Public Power District, the pair were a test run. Iowa had been promoting wind energy since the early 1980s. By 2010, Nebraska was 25th in the country at producing wind-generated power the bottom of the pack among windy Great Plains states. The reasons fueling the lag were uniquely Nebraskan. Nebraska is the only state served entirely by publicly owned utilities, mandated to deliver the cheapest electricity possible. Federal tax credits for wind farms only applied to the private sector. With a smaller population, already cheap electricity and limited access to transmission lines, Nebraska lacked the market to make wind energy worthwhile. A decade of legislation helped change that calculus. Public utilities were allowed to buy power from private wind developers. A state law diverted taxes back to the county and school district the reason the Banner County wind farms may have shrunk taxes. Now, Nebraska has enough wind turbines to generate 3,216 megawatts, moving to 15th in the nation. Its modest growth, experts said. But with new federal incentives, and the three largest Nebraska public power districts committing to going carbon-neutral, wind energy in the state is expected to accelerate. The biggest obstacle now may be Nebraskans who simply dont want turbines. Turbines are noisy eyesores, some say. Without federal tax credits, they arent necessarily a financially wise way to generate electricity, said Tony Baker, legislative aide for Sen. Tom Brewer. In April, Otoe County Commissioners imposed a one-year moratorium on wind projects. In Gage County, officials passed restrictions that would prevent any future wind development. Since 2015, county commissioners in Nebraska have rejected or restricted wind farms 22 times, according to energy journalist Robert Bryces national database. The first thing we heard out of everyones mouth was how, We dont want those damn wind turbines next to our place, Baker said, describing visits with Brewers Sandhills constituents. Wind energy tears apart the fabric of communities. You have a family that benefits from it, wants it, but everybody that neighbors them doesnt. John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said pushback comes from a loud minority. Eighty percent of rural Nebraskans thought more should be done to develop wind and solar energy, according to a 2015 University of Nebraska-Lincoln poll. Its that NIMBY problem, Hansen said, using the acronym meaning, Not in My Backyard. Its, Im not against wind energy, I just dont want it in my area. Their goal is to make sure that no project gets built, period. For Nebraska towns facing shrinking populations, wind turbines can mean economic opportunity, Hansen said. In Petersburg, the influx of workers after a wind farm was built led a failing grocery store to instead build a second location, he said. Its the equivalent of a part-time job for farmers who agree to turbines. Its like having an oil well on your land without all the pollution, said Dave Aiken, a UNL ag economics professor. Youd think it would be a no-brainer. The landowners arent sure whats next. Orion said the Air Force decision rules out at least half its planned turbines. It still hopes to have a project running in 2024. Invenergy declined to detail any future plans. This resource is just there, ready to be used, said Brady Jones, John Jones son. How do we walk away from that? At a time when were passing legislation that would vastly increase investment in wind energy in this country? That energys got to come from somewhere. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken denied allegations that he grabbed and kissed a former campaign staffer without her consent after the conservative news website Iowa Field Report detailed a police report alleging unwanted advances. According to the report, the person, assumed to be Franken, grabbed the collar of the vest of a former female campaign staffer in March and kissed her on the mouth after meeting for drinks in Des Moines. The assistant Polk County attorney found no criminal act had been established and closed the investigation as unfounded. No charges were filed. The name of the person investigated was redacted from the police report, but the name of the woman making the complaint Kimberly Strope-Boggus was included. Franken, though, told reporters at a Social Security Works town hall meeting in Cedar Rapids on Monday that he met with former campaign staffer Strope-Boggus, 43, that night at her request, after she reportedly had been fired from his campaign, and I had a glass of beer. Franken repeatedly denied the allegations in the police report. It never happened, Franken, 64, told The Cedar Rapids Gazette. He said he was not interviewed by police, who he said investigated the report and found the allegation baseless. Franken accused Republicans of targeting him ahead of a critical midterm election. He is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. It is nonsense, but its kind of traditional for the Republicans to drum something like this up, right? Franken said. Im surprised that they would come after a person like myself. But thats fine, you know. Thats expected, I guess. And you know, Im not at all surprised in many respects. Strope-Boggus did not return a message seeking comment. No criminal intent The police report, which Strope-Boggus filed with Des Moines police April 12, states Assistant Polk County Attorney Meggan Guns determined there was insufficient evidence to support that a criminal act occurred and to pursue a criminal investigation. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, in a statement, said the Des Moines Police Department investigated this matter as they would any other complaint. The investigator determined there was no criminal intent on the part of the individual against whom the complaint was made, Sarcone said. According to the report, Strope-Boggus did not describe any sexual intent (by Franken) nor any intent to harm either her or the other women. Our attorney properly decided not to file a criminal charge because we could not establish there was criminal intent involved, Sarcone said. Des Moines Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said our detectives followed the appropriate investigative strategies. According to the police report, Strope-Boggus worked as a campaign manager for Franken's 2020 U.S. Senate race when he lost to fellow Democrat Theresa Greenfield in the primary election. Strope-Boggus began working for Franken again on his current U.S. Senate campaign until she and another staffer were fired. On March 18, Strope-Boggus told police she met Franken for drinks at the Dam Pub. When they left the bar, as they were walking to their vehicles, she said Franken grabbed the collar of the vest she was wearing and kissed her on the mouth. According to the report, Strope-Boggus pulled away, and Franken stopped the contact and walked away without saying anything further. Asked if she believed Franken grabbed and kissed her in an aggressive or sexual manner, Strope-Boggus told police no, according to the report. Rather, Strope-Boggus described Franken's behavior as old school, saying he has 1950s interactions with women, and she believes that he thinks kissing and hugging women is part of his charm. She accused Franken of doing the same thing to other women. Strope-Boggus told the investigator she told her wife about the kiss in April and decided to file the report after her wife advised her to report the kiss to police. Strope-Boggus also alleges in the report that a day before her conversation with the investigator, Frankens campaign contacted her attorney after she reposted negative comments from her wife on Twitter about Franken. In the police report, Strope-Boggus said she signed a separation agreement with the Franken campaign that included a non-disparagement clause. These allegations are false, Julie Stauch, Franken for Iowa campaign manager, said in a statement. This accusation was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Polk County Attorney's Office, who found no wrongdoing and closed the case as unfounded. Candidates absent Franken was in Cedar Rapids on Monday for a Social Security Works town hall meeting with Jon Bauman Bowzer from Sha Na Na. Franken was to be joined by Iowa Democratic state lawmakers and congressional candidates Christina Bohannan and Liz Mathis, both of whom were conspicuously absent. Bohannans campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Mathis campaign said it was notified Sept. 8 of the possible town hall but had not received confirmation as of Friday afternoon and bumped the Franken event for another engagement. Although it is my understanding investigators found that no criminal act occurred and the case was closed after being deemed unfounded by police, it is an important reminder that workplaces and law enforcement should encourage women to feel comfortable coming forward with any allegations of inappropriate conduct, Mathis said in a statement. From my work as an advocate for victims of neglect and assault, I reaffirm my victim-focused and zero-tolerance stance against all forms of sexual harassment. Olivia Nuzzi, Washington correspondent for New York magazine, has Hunter Bidens laptop in her officewell, sort of. Its a copy of what some Republican operatives say was once Hunter Bidens laptop, which seemed to contain a whole lot of selfies, some homemade pornography, and email messages hinting at cozy relationships between him and businesspeople from China and Ukraine. If you dont read the tabloids or watch Fox News, this laptop may have fallen off your radar, even though its emails burst onto the scene in October 2020just before the presidential election. They suggested Joe Bidens son was profiting off the family name, developing close ties to business people abroad and even introducing them to his father. The New York Post was the first journalistic outfit to get its hands on this correspondence, allegedly buried on Hunters computer; it had come to the paper from the Trump campaign. Though the story never took off in the mainstream media, this laptop has become iconic anyway, even inspiring Breitbart to make a film. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Nuzzi about why more reporters arent talking about the laptop, how it became a lightning rod for the right, and why Democrats need to reckon with that. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: The story starts in Wilmington, Delaware, in April 2019, when Joe Bidens son allegedly brought his laptop to a repairman named John Paul Mac Isaac, a Trump supporter whos become a bit of a regular on Fox News over the past few years. Mac Isaacs repair shop had a boilerplate customer service agreement: You leave your gear in the store for longer than 90 days, and it becomes Mac Isaacs property. Three months after Hunter Biden left his laptop behind, Mac Isaac says, he got pretty familiar with Hunter Bidens digital life. And it wasnt pretty. Olivia Nuzzi: Mac Isaac claims that the device was in such a state of disrepair that the way you had to transfer materials from it was basically by dragging and dropping files to load them onto a hard drive. He made it sound like it was something you could do passively, but while youre doing it, if youre paying attention, youre going to see a lot of personal stuff. Advertisement Advertisement Once the 90-day period elapsed, Mac Isaac tried to connect with the FBI. Why did he want to do that? So, at the same time that Mac Isaac has this device, Trumps first impeachment is coming to a boil, and Mac Isaac recognizes the name Burisma on the device, so he thinks that perhaps what hes in possession of could aid Trumps defense. Advertisement The mention of a Ukrainian gas company known as Burisma wouldnt have been the first thing to catch the eye of most people looking at Hunter Bidens laptop, which, Mac Isaac says, had pornographic images, pictures of a dying Beau Biden, and family complaints passed back and forth over text. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma while his father was vice president, reportedly earning $1 million a year. It was a role that concerned the State Department at the time. Trumps first impeachment laid out how his administration wanted to exploit this concern, painting Hunter and, by extension, his father, as corrupt. Mac Isaac is a solid Trump supporter, so, after contacting the FBI, he sent messages to Rudy Giuliani. Giulianis attorney reached out to Steve Bannon. Bannon tipped off the New York Post. By now, Trumps impeachment is long over. The 2020 election is just a month or two away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that point, a month before election, every incremental piece of news is worth posting because everybody will be sharing itnot because its the most important thing in the world, but because any information about the person vying for our most powerful office is information worth sharing. Advertisement Advertisement So you saw this story trickling out there. But no one knew what to do with it. And then it just was completely just cut off. And it didnt go away. It didnt go away, but anyone who shared the Post link had to delete it if they wanted to get back into their account. Huh? There was no explanation from Twitter until much later in the day. There was a Twitter safety account claiming this was a violation of the general rules about doxing and harassment, because there were peoples emails and other personal information that the Post had published, according to Twitter. And that was a violation. Later on, there was a more robust explanation that factored in the idea of disinformation. Then, five days after publication, intelligence chiefs wrote a letter saying this appeared to be disinformation in the style of Russian propaganda. Then it was like the conversation was over. Advertisement Advertisement Do you think it was the right call for Twitter to pull the emergency brake on this one? No, I dont. At the time, I thought that it was the wrong decision, and I publicly said as much. Like, what would it look like if this same factor were utilized by the Trump administration? Advertisement I feel like were all struggling with how we deal with the threat of misinformation as well as the idea of someone being doxed. So all of these organizations may be trying to make the right decision, but doing it awkwardly and probably badly. So hopefully well do better next time, but it was a tough call. Advertisement I agree with that completely. At the same time, though, in trying to banish this topic, and in accusing all the people who care about this thing on the right of being in a bubble, I think that actually the people who ended up being in the bubble are the people in the mainstream media and liberal establishment who have no fucking idea what the basic facts of this thing even arehave no idea if there ever was a laptop, if theres data, if it was hacked. Advertisement At this point the hard drive has been through so many intermediaries, people who have organized and reorganized the content. Its possible that, along the way, they inserted something completely fraudulent. Some allege there is proof here that Joe Biden knew about and profited from his sons relationships with foreign businesspeople. But the so-called smoking gun is a little strange: an email from a Burisma board adviser thanking Hunter for inviting him to D.C. and giving him the opportunity to spend time with Joe Biden. Theres no reporting on Hunters reply. Advertisement Advertisement Nothing that has been alleged about what is on the laptop has been proved. What I mean by that is not that we dont know for sure if the emails in question are legitimate, but more like we dont know that the emails were actually reflecting a situation that was real or that was real at one time. The most damning suggestion from the people who are promoting the contents of the laptop is that it shows proof Joe Biden was not just aware of Hunter Bidens business activities. What Bannon wants with the laptop is a confirmation of his worldview, specifically his view of China. What Rudy Giuliani wants in the laptop is a confirmation that Joe Bidenwhom he absolutely hates in a deeply personal way because Joe Biden destroyed his chances of being president in 2007is a shitty person, a shitty father, and a criminal. And he wants to find evidence about Hunter Biden and Ukraine. They couldnt do to Joe Biden what they did to Hillary Clinton, right? No nicknames stuck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Hunter Biden is maybe different. Yeah, they found in Hunter Biden someone who could animate Trump supporters. To me, the data in this laptop raises the question of, when is this a problem voters need to worry about? Advertisement I think the lack of a vocabulary makes it hard to find a way to talk about it. The White House is certainly not offering up a narrative to run with, or facts to counter the right-wing narrative. So what you end up with is Amy Klobuchar going on Bill Mahers show and stumbling through a conversation where Maher knows a lot about the laptop and is accusing the media of a cover-up, while Klobuchar is saying she doesnt think thats true but cant outright deny any potential for wrongdoing. That seems like a real liability. Right. So, going into the midterms, and into a potential Republican-controlled House where the GOP is vowing and planning to investigate the contents of the laptop as well as the medias and the intelligence communitys handling of the laptopit seems potentially not great to not know what it is were even talking about here, which was sort of the motivation for looking into this in the first place. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. On Wednesday, two planes chartered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis transported about 50 asylum-seeking individuals from San Antonio, near where they had crossed the Mexican border, to Marthas Vineyard, the high-end vacation destination off the coast of Massachusetts. The members of the group reportedly originated from Colombia and Venezuela, and the expectation inherent in the stunt was that the Vineyards left-leaning summer residents would treat them as unwelcome burdens in a way that DeSantis (and Tucker Carlson, who had suggested this very idea on his Fox News show) believed would demonstrate the hypocrisy of elite liberalism. Advertisement Putting aside the issue of whether the migrants were actually received poorly (numerous donations of food and clothing were reported), the contradictory symbolism of conservative politicians characterizing individuals fleeing Venezuela as resource-sponging nuisances when they usually tout the U.S. as a sanctuary for victims of Latin American leftism, and the subject of which political party benefits more from the optics of the story, one question that remains is whether DeSantis administration behaved illegally when it convinced the migrants in question to leave the shelter where they were staying in Texas. A great deal of MAGA attention is paid to the imaginary human trafficking featured in QAnon conspiracy theories; itd be a little ironic if DeSantis did the real thing in the process of trying to impress primary voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign Up for the Surge The most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Saturday. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. On that point, a pamphlet published by progressive journalist Judd Legum on his site, Popular.Info, may be evidence of something. According the Lawyers for Civil Rights organization, which says it is providing legal support to the migrants, the brochurepictured at the top of this postwas distributed to them at some point during their expulsion and relocation. Titled Massachusetts Refugee Benefits, it seems to have been designed by someone with, at best, an elementary understanding of word processing and publishing software. The Bulwarks Sonny Bunch noticed that it features a state flag-type image that is not actually Massachusetts state flag but is the first result on the site Imgur for the search term Massachusetts state flag: Advertisement One odd thing about the brochure is the flag on it, the white one with the flower. I think it's ... this? "New Massachusetts State Flag. Not officially or anything I just think the current one blows so I made this one featuring the state flower."https://t.co/2O62HpXF8E https://t.co/6ptZKx4mnk pic.twitter.com/LWZYQaS9VV Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) September 19, 2022 Advertisement The text of the pamphlet is copied from the state of Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants website and promises cash assistance, assistance with housing, and other benefits that do exist, but are only available to refugees who have already been identified as such by the United Nations and who have been formally accepted into the U.S. for resettlement. The individuals on the DeSantis flights are seeking asylum, which is a similar status, but they havent been granted it yet; the pamphlet thus advertised benefits that none of its recipients were eligible to receive. (Other reports say some migrants attested to having been told they were traveling to Boston and/or promised jobs at their destination.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did individuals acting on DeSantis behalf produce the flyer with the intent of tricking migrants at a shelter into getting on the stunt flight? Did they not even understand the distinction between refugee and asylum-applicant status themselves? Advertisement Unraveling that would require finding out who exactly did the recruiting, about which little is currently known besides several migrants having said that a woman named Perla was involved. (She is said to be tall. Intriguing!) The Miami Herald notes, in its story about the matter, that the funding DeSantis administration used to charter the planes is allotted in Floridas budget to facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens from this state, as in, not other states. DeSantis has claimed vaguely that he hasnt violated this provision because his representatives on the ground in Texas have figured out how to identify immigrants who are trying to come to Florida before they do it. Said DeSantis: What were trying to do is profilewho do you think is going to try to get to Florida? Its Minority Report, but stupid! Advertisement The Herald reports, though, that the migrants its reporters have spoken to said their goal was to get to New York. Talking Points Memos Josh Marshall is following the story and, for his part, suspects DeSantis may have outsourced the work to a right-wing activist organization. Whatever its role in the details of the affair, a spokeswoman for the Florida governors office did comment on the refugee pamphlet to argue that it isnt fraudulent because its text was taken from a real government website. In any case, the Democratic sheriff in Bexar County, Texas, (home to San Antonio) says he has opened an investigation into whether the migrants were persuaded to board the planes under false pretenses. And Judd Legum observes that public flight-tracking information indicates one of the planes used for the Vineyard trip is scheduled to fly on Tuesday from San Antonio to Delaware, where Joe Biden has two homes. God willing, Perla will take some long strides off that plane and we can get this all sorted out! Last week, Don Bolduc became the last Republican to win a Senate primary, in New Hampshire. He had campaigned on the right-wing red meat of 2020 election denialism, Sparta cosplay, and accusing the states popular Republican governor of being a Chinese communist sympathizer and globalist world-government guy. (In the previous election cycle, Bolduc had spread conspiracy theories about vaccines containing microchips.) He defeated the more moderate candidate, state Senate president Chuck Morse, with a little help from meddlesome national Democrats. Advertisement Given that the primary was dead-last and less than two months before Election Day, Bolduc has had to work quickly to soften his image for centrist voters ahead of the general election. Still, the speed with which Bolduc threw the primary-season iteration of himself under the bus was gob smacking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive done a lot of research on this, he said on Fox News two days after winning the primary. And Ive spent the past couple weeks talking to Granite Staters all over the state from every party, and I have come to the conclusionand I want to be definitive on thisthe election was not stolen. This was a new view! I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying that Trump won the election, and, damnit, I stand by my letter, he had said during the primary. Im not switching horses, baby. This is it. Watch the clip. The crowd is loving it. He gives a little wink! It wasnt the only time he said this. Advertisement Advertisement When asked about this change, he said: We, you know, live and learn, right? This unbelievable about-face is something more than a post-primary pivot. Its more than flip-flopping. Its closer to attempting interdimensional travel between separate realities. Mere pivoting after a primary win is a fact of life. If done properly, it doesnt necessarily require changing a position, but changing an emphasis. A Democrat might emphasize the need for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in a primary, for example, while emphasizing the need for stronger border security in the general. A Republican might emphasize their pro-life credentials in the primary and emphasize abortion exceptions in the general. (Seeing a lot of this right now!) Its an art. Advertisement Advertisement There is little room for art in Donald Trumps Republican Party. Either you question, or outright dispute, the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential electiona conspiracy theoryor you risk, and likely receive, Trumps enmity. Most were not willing to risk that. A Washington Post analysis late this summer found that across the battleground states that decided the 2020 vote, candidates who deny the legitimacy of that election have claimed nearly two-thirds of GOP nominations for state and federal offices with authority over elections. Advertisement Advertisement Some of them, like gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, are true believers whove remained committed to the cause. Well see how that works out for him. Others clearly just said stuff to get through the primary. In tight races, where Republicans have to make some inroads with the suburban, college-educated voters they lost during the Trump years, a certain adjustment is necessary. Advertisement Advertisement And Bolduc is hardly the only one doing this. In Arizona, Blake Masters, whom Trump endorsed, offered the following words on his website during the primary: We need to get serious about election integrity. The 2020 election was a rotten messif we had had a free and fair election, President Trump would be sitting in the Oval Office today and America would be so much better off. All of those words except the first sentencewe need to get serious about election integrityare gone. Advertisement Advertisement In Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz, whom Trump also endorsed, never went whole-hog on election denial claims. His efforts to not go whole-hog could make for some excruciating moments, in fact. During a debate, Oz said that we cannot move on from the 2020 election, and that we have to be serious about what happened in 2020, and we wont be able to address that until we can really look under the hood. When pressed to follow up on what that meant, though, he wouldnt go so far as to use the word stolen or rigged. Once into the general election, he was eager to say that he would have voted to certify the election results. Advertisement Herschel Walker had also called the election stolen. When asked in May if Biden was lawfully elected, he said I dont know. Et cetera. The thing is, you dont get to do this. You do! But you dont. Advertisement The legitimacy of the 2020 election is not a campaign issue. Social Security is an issue. Abortion is an issue. Guns are an issue. The size of the federal budget, immigration, education policy, water rights, land use, climate change, trade, paid leave, prescription drug costs, campaign finance, health care, student loans: These are issues. Stupid things are issues, too. Whether your opponent looks or acts or walks funny, that is an issue. An issue is something on which a position can be taken. A pivot is when you change emphasis of your position. A flip-flop is when you change your position. Advertisement Advertisement And its shredding the space-time continuum when you go through the primary insisting that someone who did not win the election may have won (or did win!) the election, only to say thats not true when you get to the general election. It is saying during the primary that the sky is neon green with maroon dots, and saying during the general election that it is, on average, blue. Its nice that the 2020 election was no longer stolen now that primary season is over. But this isnt an ordinary subject, and thats not a normal pivot that should be chin-stroked away as typical campaign strategy. As a former federal prosecutor and white-collar criminal defense attorney in New York for more than four decades, I have been continually amazed by the inexplicable choices made by so many of the lawyers representing Donald Trump. Tuesdays hearing before Eastern District of New York Senior Judge Raymond Deariewho was appointed by Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon as special master to determine the validity of Trumps claims of executive and related privileges covering the documents seized at Mar-a-Lagoonly reinforces the belief that Trumps lawyers penchant for undermining their clients position continues unabated. Advertisement The Mar-a-Lago madness is, of course, only the most recent example. On the extreme end, we have the astounding degree to which members of his legal team have made public statements and court filings containing specious legal arguments and readily provable lies about the 2020 election. Their willingness to cross ethical boundaries very few lawyers would even approach is beyond comprehension, as such conduct is the antithesis of what lawyers are educated, trained, and required to do. Not surprisingly, some of the Trump lawyers are beginning to face the consequences. Rudy Giuliani has reportedly been a target of more than one grand jury investigation, has had his license to practice law in New York State suspended, and faces potential financial ruin in a civil lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.* John Eastman, who was told by a White Counsel staff member that he needed to get a effing great criminal defense lawyer because of his unlawful attempts to overturn the 2020 election, had his cell phone seized by federal agents. Jeffrey Clark, who Trump tried to install as attorney general as part of his effort to overturn the last election, had his home searched. Election conspiracy advocate Sidney Powell is reportedly both a grand jury target and a co-defendant in the Dominion lawsuit. Most recently, Trumps Florida counsel Christina Bobb signed and submitted to the FBI what appears to be a false affidavit concerning the presence of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Trumps former, longtime lawyer Michael Cohen went to prison for Trump because of an illegal effort during the 2016 election to coverup an alleged affair with an adult film performer. And this is not even a complete list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even many of the Trump lawyers actions that do not cross legal or ethical lines cannot be rationally explained, which brings us to Tuesdays hearing. I and so many others have been unable to figure out why in the world the Trump legal team nominated Judge Dearie to serve as Mar-a-Lago special master in the first place. Yes, Judge Dearie is apparently a Republican, and yes, he was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan. But, really, Judge Dearie? Didnt Team Trump know that the person they were choosing to uphold their dubious legal position is among the most respected members of the New York federal judiciary, admired for decades by prosecutors and defense counsel alike for his rational, by the book approach? Advertisement Given Judge Dearies reputation for integrity and objectivity, it is no surprise that the Department of Justice quickly agreed to his appointment. After all, DOJ is appropriately convinced its legal position on the Mar-a-Lago seizure will be upheld by any fair minded, experienced judge, one like, say, Raymond Dearie. But from the Trump perspective, having lucked into the clearly sympathetic Judge Cannon to oversee the Florida seizure litigation, why would they let a model of judicial objectivity serve as special master to make key rulings in a matter in which they are, as a matter of law, flying by the seat of their pants? Why not just nominate another member of the Federalist Society with ties to the Republican right? Had they done so, the Department of Justice would have surely objected to both of their nominees, leaving it to Judge Cannon to make the selection. Given her rulings thus far, it would have been a good bet she would have chosen a Trump nominee, or at least selected a new special counsel of her choice who might have had sympathies consistent with her own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As evidenced by Tuesdays proceedings, there can be little doubt that the Trump team will not be pleased with Judge Dearies ultimate findings. The judge pressed team Trump to establish by sworn affidavit any declassification of the documents seized as Trump has asserted publicly, but his defense team has refused to say clearly one way or the other in court. When Trump lawyer James Trusty objected to providing such detail, saying to do so would fully disclose the Trump defense to any potential indictment, Judge Dearie responded that Trusty could not have his cake and eat it too. Given the pending appeal of Judge Cannons earlier rulings, and her ultimate oversight of Judge Dearie, how this ultimately plays out is unclear, but Team Trump did not have a good day. Advertisement In the end, both Trump and Judge Cannon will be hard pressed to preclude the inevitable result: the DOJ Mar-a-Lago probe will proceed, classified documents in hand. While this will surely be unwelcome news for Trump, who will find it difficult to attack a judge he himself recommended, it may be a blessing for Judge Cannon. Judge Dearies ability to satisfactorily resolve the executive privilege claims at the center of the dispute, the credibility of which will be enhanced by his reputation, gives Judge Cannon the perfect exit vehicle to uphold what is left of hers. Advertisement Advertisement Which brings us back to the mystery of how Trumps legal team undermined its own litigation strategy with the Dearie recommendation. A recent Axios article offers a possible explanation that if true, only underscores the problematic nature of their selection analysis. According to Axios sources, the Trump lawyers picked Judge Dearie because years ago, in his FISA Court role, he approved search warrants in the Carter Page investigation unaware that the FBI statements he relied upon were both materially false and incomplete. As a result, per this analysis, they believed Judge Dearie became a deep skeptic of the FBI and would perform his special master role with that jaundiced perspective. So, if this information is accurate, these lawyers concluded that a judge known for his integrity, objectivity, and career-long determination to follow the law, who served on the FISA Court for seven years and, thus, regularly came face to face with the enormous task our intelligence services have in keeping the country safe, would be influenced by a years-old grudge he very likely never had, to conduct himself in a manner completely antithetical to experience and, most importantly, to his very core. Whether or not this explanation is true, the decision to nominate Judge Dearie was an easily predictable gift to prosecutors. Expecting Raymond Dearie to blindly uphold their extreme legal position is also evidence that the Trump legal teams addiction to self-inflicted wounds continues, as does the hemorrhaging of their clients ability to avoid criminal prosecution. Chinese premier, Vietnamese PM hold phone conversation Xinhua) 09:31, September 20, 2022 BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday talked over phone with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on bilateral ties. In the phone call, Li said China and Vietnam are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong communicate frequently, strongly promoting the development of bilateral relations. He said the Chinese side is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the Vietnamese side and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields. This will not only benefit peoples of the two countries, but also be conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability, to boosting common development and prosperity. Li said that at present, the world economic recovery is sluggish, and various uncertainties and complex factors are intertwined. Affected by unexpected factors, the Chinese economy is withstanding downward pressure, making efforts to stabilize employment and prices and keeping major economic indicators within an appropriate range and showing an overall recovery trend. Li said that China is glad to see the steady growth of Vietnam's economy, which is conducive to the stability of the industrial and supply chains in East Asia. He added that China is ready to work with Vietnam to give full play to the complementary advantages of their industries, expand economic and trade cooperation, ensure smooth customs clearance at border crossings, import more marketable high-quality agricultural products from Vietnam, welcome Vietnamese students who are willing to go back to China on the premise of good epidemic prevention and increase direct flights between the two countries. Li stressed that peace and stability in the South China Sea are in the common interests of all parties. The Chinese side, Li said, is ready to work with ASEAN countries to take the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as an opportunity to strive for an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by giving full play to the wisdom of all parties, focusing on the overall interests, promoting cooperation and managing differences, so as to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. For his part, the Vietnamese prime minister said that consolidating and developing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. The Vietnamese side stands ready to maintain regular high-level exchanges with the Chinese side, strengthen strategic coordination, properly handle differences, and continuously deepen biliteral cooperation in such key fields as investment and trade, customs clearance, culture and people-to-people exchanges, so as to bring more positive results to biliteral relations, he said. Chinese State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Xiao Jie attended the event. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Renovation will cost more than 4.2 million. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled For years, Soviet soldiers have both welcomed and waved goodbye to passengers of the railway station in Cierna nad Tisou. One of the paintings in the entrance hall depicts them as liberators. The picture shows 1945 Prague with soldiers sitting on a tank and nearby people welcoming the army. On the left is Prague Castle, on the right Red Square in Moscow. Unchanged for decades, this image in the railway station is not the only thing reminiscent of the former regime. Related article Related article A turning point in the refurbishment of the dilapidated main station in Bratislava Read more The station building is also an important symbol of August 1968. From July 29 to August 3, negotiations between the Czechoslovak and Soviet delegations about developments in the country took place there, resulting in the Soviet invasion and occupation. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The national carrier ZSR is planning a radical transformation of the station, both outside and inside. The question of when "Project documentation was developed for the needs of the reconstruction of the building. Currently, engineering work is being carried out for the purposes of issuing a building permit," said Barbora Sugarova from the ZSR Department of Communication and Marketing. https://sputniknews.com/20220919/powerful-tropical-cyclones-fiona-nanmadol-devastate-puerto-rico-japan-simultaneously-1100985285.html Powerful Tropical Cyclones Fiona, Nanmadol Devastate Puerto Rico, Japan Simultaneously Powerful Tropical Cyclones Fiona, Nanmadol Devastate Puerto Rico, Japan Simultaneously Meteorologists have warned that global warming is making tropical cyclones stronger, since they are driven by warm, moist air found over bodies of water. In... 19.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-19T23:23+0000 2022-09-19T23:23+0000 2022-09-19T23:20+0000 world hurricane typhoon japan puerto rico /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/12/1100914078_0:172:1648:1099_1920x0_80_0_0_de62b9ed378b8b0eeb6f8e6c53c5793e.jpg Hurricane Fiona hit the US-controlled island of Puerto Rico with a broadside of powerful storms on Sunday, resulting in the collapse of the islands fragile electrical grid, plunging it into total darkness just as nearly 18 inches of rain was falling.In some places, more than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain have fallen in just a couple of hours. Although Fionas eye passed just west of the island, nearly all of its thunderstorms were being dragged behind it, to the eyes east, meaning the brunt of the storm swept across Puerto Rico from the south.Puerto Ricos already-fragile grid was totally destroyed in 2017 when Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane and one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, passed directly over the island. At least 3,000 people were killed in Puerto Rico alone by Maria. The rebuilding effort was ham-fisted and inadequate, leaving the island vulnerable to a storm like Fiona, a comparatively weaker Category 1 storm.On Monday, 1.3 million Puerto Ricans remained without power. Authorities had not reported any deaths yet, but Governor Pedro Pierluisi described the damage as catastrophic.Typhoon Nanmadol Strikes Southern JapanWhile Puerto Rico was being pummeled by Hurricane Fiona, 8,800 miles away in southern Japan, the island of Kyushu was bracing for impact from super-Typhoon Nanmadol.The powerful storm was equivalent in strength to a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Its eye wall, where the strongest storms are located, hit the port city of Kagoshima. It is the fourth-strongest storm to ever make landfall in Japan.Mountainous like Puerto Rico, Kyushus residents were warned of the high probability of mudslides amid the heavy rains and flooding. To make matters worse, landfall came just hours after nearby Taiwan was wracked by a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake, triggering tsunami warnings across the region.At least two people have been killed by the storm in Japan. puerto rico Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier hurricane, typhoon, japan, puerto rico https://sputniknews.com/20220919/report-pentagon-orders-review-of-us-clandestine-ops-after-social-media-takedowns-of-fake-accounts-1100982978.html Report: Pentagon Orders Review of US Clandestine Ops After Social Media Takedowns of Fake Accounts Report: Pentagon Orders Review of US Clandestine Ops After Social Media Takedowns of Fake Accounts Internet researchers Graphika and the Stanford Internet Observatory revealed in late August that over 150 false personas and media websites formed in the... 19.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-19T23:53+0000 2022-09-19T23:53+0000 2022-09-19T23:50+0000 americas us us pentagon investigation special forces special operation psychology psychological abuse facebook twitter /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/06/1083320993_0:46:3477:2002_1920x0_80_0_0_43e029dba9d2d4053d0b0d47dafd9a08.jpg Major social media firms discovered and removed phony accounts believed to be operated by the US military in violation of the platforms' policies, prompting the Pentagon to request a thorough examination of how it conducts clandestine information warfare, the Washington Post reported on Monday.According to the report, after the White House and some federal agencies expressed growing concerns over the Defense Department's attempted manipulation of audiences abroad, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, reportedly instructed the military commands that engage in psychological operations online last week to provide a complete accounting of their activities by next month. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) is one of the agencies whose operations are under investigation, the undisclosed sources claimed, despite the fact that the researchers from Graphika and Stanford did not link the phony accounts to the military. The takedowns of bogus accounts happened during the last two or three years, per the report. The researchers did not specify when the takedowns happened. They claimed several were recent and involved articles from the summer that promoted anti-Russian narratives by referencing the Kremlin's "imperialist war" in Ukraine and announcing the conflict's direct effects on Central Asian nations. Importantly, they discovered that overt accounts actually drew more followers, and that false personas, which used strategies allegedly popular in nations like Russia and China, did not acquire much traction. With its headquarters in Tampa, CENTCOM oversees military operations in 21 Middle Eastern, North African, Central Asian and South Asian nations. At a virtual meeting called by the National Security Council, Kahl reportedly announced his review and said he wanted to know what operations had been conducted, who they were targeting, what tools were being used, why military commanders had chosen those tactics, and how successful they had been, according to the report. One defense official reportedly stated that essentially the message was: "You have to justify to me why you're doing these types of things."However, the Pentagon's press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder is quoted in the report as saying that the military's information operations "support our national security priorities," and that they must be carried out in accordance with applicable laws and procedures. Inflammatory Posts From Fake Accounts That Violate RulesThe accounts that were deleted, per the report, included one for a fictitious Persian-language media outlet that disseminated posts that were copied from Radio Free Europe and Voice of America Farsi, which are supported by the US government. Another, it alleged, was connected to a Twitter account that previously claimed to operate from CENTCOM. According to the article, one bogus account tweeted an emotional message saying relatives of deceased Afghan refugees had informed them that bodies had been returned from Iran with missing organs. The tweet reportedly contained a link to a video included in an article published on a website with ties to the US military.While CENTCOM has not confirmed or denied the existence of such accounts under its control, according to a defense official, it would "absolutely be a violation of doctrine and training practices" if the tweet about organ harvesting is proven to be connected to the military.Officials familiar with the situation indicated that Facebook disabled in 2020 fictitious personas purportedly developed by CENTCOM to combat "misinformation" spread by China that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was developed at a US Army lab in Fort Detrick, Maryland. The fake profiles were reportedly used to spread "truthful" information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the virus' origin in China, according to the officials. They were active in Facebook groups where people conversed in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu.Despite being permitted by law and policy, the US government's use of fictitious social media accounts has reportedly caused controversy inside the Biden administration, with the White House urging the Pentagon to explain and defend its procedures. Several US officials quoted in the report revealed that the White House and officials within the State and Defense departments are worried policies are too open-ended, and could allow for strategies that, even if they are used to spread accurate information, run the risk of undermining American credibility.'You Got Caught, That's the Problem'Pentagon doctrine and policy forbid the military from spreading lies, but there are purportedly no regulations requiring the use of accurate information in psychological operations. For instance, the military occasionally uses fiction and humor to persuade people, but normally communications are expected to stick to the facts, according to officials. Officers from Facebook and Twitter contacted the Pentagon in 2020 to voice their concerns about the fake accounts they were being forced to delete because they appeared to be connected to the military. That summer, Christopher Miller, the assistant director for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, who is in charge of overseeing influence operations policy, had a conversation with David Agranovich, Facebook's director for global threat disruption, in which the latter cautioned him that if Facebook could detect them, so could US adversaries.According to the report, Miller failed to take adequate action due to the fact that the Trump administration's term was already approaching its end.Kahl requested a study of Military Information Support Operations, or MISO the Pentagon's term for psychological operations in response to concerns from the Biden White House. According to the report, a draft detailed that communication with other agencies, like the State Department and the CIA, needed to be strengthened, and that regulations, training, and monitoring all needed to be tightened. The unnamed officials claimed that while there have been instances when the military has promoted false information, these were due to insufficient control over contractors and staff training rather than systemic issues. The same officials stated the Pentagon leadership did not do anything with the review before Graphika and Stanford released their findings on August 24.Covert Psy Ops to Counter Washington's RivalsMilitary leaders have long sought to counter - including online - the rise of Russia and China as their strategic rivals. Congress has also agreed with that goal; in fact, congressional lawmakers passed legislation in late 2019 confirming the military could conduct operations in the "information environment" to defend the US and combat foreign disinformation aimed at undermining its interests.This was done in response to frustration with what was perceived as legal barriers preventing the Defense Department from carrying out covert activities in cyberspace. The law, known as Section 1631, reduces some of the friction that previously prevented such operations by allowing the military to conduct covert psychologic operations without infringing on what the CIA claims to be their covert power.The insider added that military officers lacked necessary skills to supervise "technically complex operations conducted by contractors" or coordinate such endeavors with other interested parties within the US government.Moreover, an unnamed US diplomat told the Washington Post that the US "shouldnt be employing the same kind of tactics that our adversaries are using because the bottom line is we have the moral high ground."Military psychological operations to advance American narratives abroad are surely nothing new, but the widespread use of Western social media has led to an expansion of strategies, including the employment of manufactured personalities and images often known as "deep fakes." According to the argument, opinions given by someone who looks like, for example, an Afghan woman or an Iranian student, may be more convincing than if the US government were overtly promoting them. However, the majority of the military's influence activities are open, supporting American policies in the Middle East, Asia, and other regions under its own name. Officials have noted there are legitimate reasons to employ covert methods, such as attempting to eavesdrop on a closed terrorist discussion group.Is It Even Worth It?Currently, determining whether the military's clandestine influence efforts are producing outcomes is a critical concern for senior politicians. According to the report by Graphika and Stanford, the covert operation had little effect. It stated that only 19% of the fabricated accounts had more than 1,000 followers, and that the "vast majority of posts and tweets" examined got "no more than a handful of likes or retweets." The two most-followed assets in the data provided by Twitter were accounts that openly declared a connection to the US military, according to the report.*Facebook is banned in Russia over extremism. https://sputniknews.com/20220830/social-media-giants-shut-down-fake-accounts-using-deceptive-tactics-for-pro-us-influence-ops-1100148410.html https://sputniknews.com/20200504/us-covid-psy-op-against-beijing-is-one-of-five-strategic-battles-to-undermine-chinas-rise--prof-1079194000.html https://sputniknews.com/20220711/report-us-intel-operatives-backed-plans-to-buy-infamous-nso-group-before-negotiations-were-axed-1097164780.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev us, us pentagon, investigation, special forces, special operation, psychology, psychological abuse, facebook, twitter, psyops https://sputniknews.com/20220919/south-africas-ramaphosa-to-return-home-instead-of-attend-unga-due-to-electrical-crisis-1100984050.html South Africas Ramaphosa to Return Home Instead of Attend UNGA Due to Electrical Crisis South Africas Ramaphosa to Return Home Instead of Attend UNGA Due to Electrical Crisis With his country beset by a growing energy crisis, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has elected to return home instead of staying in the United States... 19.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-19T22:55+0000 2022-09-19T22:55+0000 2022-09-19T22:55+0000 africa south africa electrical power power outages cyril ramaphosa /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107308/78/1073087803_0:166:3055:1884_1920x0_80_0_0_0960248a8f4245a5367f616ff2bbb2f4.jpg "The president will no longer be attending the UNGA due to the unfolding energy crisis at home," Vincent Magwenya, a spokesperson for the South African president, told Sputnik on Monday. "The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation will now lead the South African delegation and deliver the South African statement."Ramaphosa traveled to Washington, DC, last week to meet with US President Joe Biden to discuss a range of issues, including the countrys energy crisis. Ramaphosa used the occasion to speak out against attempts by Washington to change his governments neutral position on the Ukraine crisis and condemn Russias special operation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted the same last month in Pretoria and was trounced by his South African counterpart, who told him to be equally concerned with the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian authorities.The ongoing crisis initially reached Phase 6 on a scale of 1 to 8 in June, designating a critical situation in which scheduled lengthy power outages are used to keep the power grid from overloading. At the time, the cooler winter months put extra demand on the grid as residents tried to keep warm, but the recent crisis was created by the failure of 45 power generation units in just a weeks time, which must now be fixed.Eskoms leadership has long been accused of corruption and mismanagement. A report delivered in April, the product of a three-year-long investigation, recommended criminal charges be brought against Eskoms entire board from 2014 for irregular procurement in breach of both the law and Eskom policies, and ... fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the face of legal instruments that enjoined them to act otherwise."Dennis Bloem, a spokesperson for the small left-wing Congress of the People (COPE) party, on Monday demanded Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter and Eskoms entire board resign.It is very clear that Andre De Ruyter, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Pravin Gordhan dont understand the devastation that this load shedding is causing to the already struggling economy of this country. Load shedding is a serious disruption to our lives. De Ruyter and the entire Eskom Bard must go now, he added.South Africa gets 80% of its electricity from coal. south africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier south africa, electrical power, power outages, cyril ramaphosa https://sputniknews.com/20220920/armenia-expresses-readiness-to-normalize-relations-with-azerbaijan-1100990923.html Armenia Expresses Readiness to Normalize Relations With Azerbaijan Armenia Expresses Readiness to Normalize Relations With Azerbaijan YEREVAN (Sputnik) - Yerevan is ready for a comprehensive settlement with Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a meeting with his... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T06:03+0000 2022-09-20T06:03+0000 2022-09-20T07:00+0000 armenia azerbaijan world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107337/42/1073374299_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_33693b2974906a24f46a11ff02524685.jpg The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan held a meeting mediated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 19 as part of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly."Mirzoyan confirmed the readiness of the Armenian side to participate in the process of a comprehensive settlement of relations," it said.On September 12, hostilities broke out on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, with both states accusing each other of aggression. Both countries reported losses among military personnel. By next morning, the sides agreed on a ceasefire.Head of the Russian Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee Grigory Karasin told Sputnik the ceasefire was achieved thanks to the efforts of Russia, including after a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and the work of the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to the senator, there is a lot of work to be done, since Yerevan applied to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). armenia azerbaijan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International armenia, azerbaijan https://sputniknews.com/20220920/biden-on-taiwan-protests-in-europe-dod-investigates-its-own-propaganda-1100981644.html Biden on Taiwan, Protests in Europe, DOD Investigates Its Own Propaganda Biden on Taiwan, Protests in Europe, DOD Investigates Its Own Propaganda China reacts after US President Joe Biden says the US would defend Taiwan in a Chinese invasion. 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T09:40+0000 2022-09-20T09:40+0000 2022-09-20T09:40+0000 energy grain pentagon cia political misfits radio radio sputnik ukraine joe biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/13/1100981447_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_b49106037d0302bdab56c75195f84c90.png Biden on Taiwan, Protests in Europe, DOD Investigates Its Own Propaganda China reacts after US President Joe Biden says the US would defend Taiwan in a Chinese invasion. International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins Misfits John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte to discuss Joe Bidens latest commitments to future conflict. He also breaks down the impact on Europe of cheap Ukrainian grain and expensive energy, discusses the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and offers prospects for a prisoner trade between the US and Russia.Ariel Gold, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the oldest peace and justice organization in the US, discusses recent protests by women in Iran, the state of negotiations for a new Iran nuclear deal, and the role sanctions play in bolstering nationalism and oppression.Kevin Gosztola, journalist and writer for shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, discusses the Pentagons new audit of its own bot networks, shifting the blame for attacks on Linda Sarsour to Russia, the fog of war over Ukraine, and ongoing coverups of the CIA torture program.Max Wilbert, environmental activist and author of the book Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It," talks about the energy requirements of a wholesale shift to electric vehicles, and breaks down the problems with trusting climate solutions pushed by major fossil fuel companies.Monica Jimenez, assistant professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas, Austin, and US-Puerto Rico legal history expert, discusses the impact of Hurricane Fiona on Puerto Rico and the islands electrical nightmare.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik armenia azerbaijan puerto rico Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg energy, grain, pentagon, cia, , radio, radio sputnik, ukraine, joe biden, armenia, azerbaijan, hurricane, puerto rico https://sputniknews.com/20220920/former-madhya-pradesh-lawmaker-arrested-for-threatening-to-blow-up-indian-parliament--1100991698.html Former Madhya Pradesh Lawmaker Arrested for Threatening to Blow Up Indian Parliament Former Madhya Pradesh Lawmaker Arrested for Threatening to Blow Up Indian Parliament The controversial politician from central India has been charged in 17 criminal cases in total. In 2012, he accused Congress politician Rahul Gandhi of... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T07:47+0000 2022-09-20T07:47+0000 2022-09-20T07:47+0000 india madhya pradesh parliament bombing bomb threat bombings bombers bomber bombing new delhi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100993734_95:0:1233:640_1920x0_80_0_0_675b80ba9f894778187e06d8e010d388.jpg Delhi Police on Monday arrested former lawmaker Kishore Samrite from Madhya Pradesh after he reportedly threatened to bomb the Indian Parliament. He also sent threats to the General Secretaries of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha (upper and lower houses) of the Parliament, police said.Samrite is the founder and president of a Madhya Pradesh-based party, the Samyukta Kranti Party. However, before launching the party, Samrite was an active Youth Congress member and later joined the Janata Party. In 2007, Samrite switched to the Samajwadi Party and won the election from the Lanji constituency. However, his tenure lasted only for 11 months. madhya pradesh new delhi Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg madhya pradesh, parliament, bombing, bomb threat, bombings, bombers, bomber, bombing, new delhi https://sputniknews.com/20220920/guterres-its-essential-to-remove-obstacles-to-export-of-russian-fertilizers-1101010149.html Guterres: It's 'Essential' to Remove Obstacles to Export of Russian Fertilizers Guterres: It's 'Essential' to Remove Obstacles to Export of Russian Fertilizers UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on world leaders to continue to work on removing obstacles to the export of... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T13:23+0000 2022-09-20T13:23+0000 2022-09-20T13:23+0000 istanbul grain deal un russia sanctions fertilizer /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/05/1d/1095862711_0:0:3552:1998_1920x0_80_0_0_cb62fc304d07d1b37ee46dd63797d3fd.jpg It is essential to continue removing all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia, Guterres said in his remarks at the opening of the UN General Assembly High-Level week.He noted that although such exports do still face obstacles, these Russian products are not subject to any sanctions.Guterres commended the international community for the the progress achieved in eliminating indirect effects of sanctions on these exports.He also expressed concerns over the impact of high gas prices on the production of nitrogen fertilizers, stressing that this could have negative effects on global food supply.On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered initiative to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports. Three key Ukrainian ports Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne were unblocked to resume exports. The Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center (JCC) was set up to monitor the implementation of the initiative, including ensuring that cargo ships do not carry unauthorized goods or personnel.The UN-brokered initiative consists of two package documents. The first one, a memorandum, stipulates the obligation of the UN to remove various restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets. The second defines the algorithm for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products from the Black Sea ports controlled by Ukraine. Moscow has pointed out that the first memorandum of the grain initiative is not working yet. https://sputniknews.com/20220907/myanmar-to-import-fertilizers-fuel-from-russia-prime-minister-says-1100495830.html https://sputniknews.com/20220920/ukraine-and-food-crisis-expected-to-be-focus-of-un-high-level-week-1100993473.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International un, russia, sanctions, fertilizer https://sputniknews.com/20220920/india-facing-tough-decision-over-fate-of-worlds-largest-free-food-program-1101005613.html India Facing Tough Decision Over Fate of World's Largest Free Food Program India Facing Tough Decision Over Fate of World's Largest Free Food Program The free food ration program was launched in April 2020 during the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Under it, five kilos of wheat or rice and one of grains... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T16:20+0000 2022-09-20T16:20+0000 2022-09-20T16:20+0000 india narendra modi narendra modi inflation inflation food food food food scheme /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1101012728_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_01bdac232c8105cae929e833b6773517.jpg Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to take a hard decision on whether to extend the world's largest free food program, known as PMGKAY, which is set to expire this month.In June, the Department of Excise and Expenditure advised the government not to prolong PMGKAY, citing financial and food security concerns. However, the federal government extended it to September 2022 nonetheless.The PMGKAY has not only supported the most vulnerable people during the pandemic but also helped the ruling BJP to retain many Indian states, opined Sameer Chougaonkar, a senior journalist and political analyst."In the Uttar Pradesh state election that was held in February, during poll campaigning Narendra Modi and even [the] BJP Party cited the schemes and how their government helped the marginalised. Despite not liking the candidate put up by the BJP in their electoral constituency, a lot of people voted for the BJP, saying [that] since they had enjoyed Modi government's free food, it's time to return the favor," Chougaonkar said."Now, in markets, food (grain) is not costly because everyone knows that the government is supporting at least 800 million people. Imagine the moment when the scheme will be rolled back, and hoarders and black-market will start raising the price," he stressed.In a note to the central government, the Department of Expenditure said the scheme was "beyond the need at a non-pandemic time"."Running the food scheme for another six months would drain another INR 700 billion ($8.7 million) from the budget, narrowing the fiscal deficit to 6.4 percent of gross domestic product for 2022-2023.Anirban Bhattacharya, Team Lead for National Finance at the Centre for Financial Accountability, said, "Ration distributed to the marginalised during the lockdown till April is about INR 3.4 trillion ($42 Billion). More than double the amount could have been generated with a 2 percent wealth tax on the top 1 percent." Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg narendra modi, narendra modi, inflation, inflation, food, food, food, food, scheme https://sputniknews.com/20220920/indian-actress-deepa-found-dead-leaves-suspicious-suicide-note---reports-1100991921.html Indian Actress Deepa Found Dead, Leaves Suspicious Suicide Note - Reports Indian Actress Deepa Found Dead, Leaves Suspicious Suicide Note - Reports The 29-year-old actress, Pauline Jessica, also known as Deepa, from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, shot to fame for her roles in Tamil language... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T08:02+0000 2022-09-20T08:02+0000 2022-09-20T08:02+0000 india celebrity dead celebrity celebrity gossip celebrity scandal celebrity suicide suicide suicide /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100995895_0:20:600:358_1920x0_80_0_0_52cb1c826512bd17ab8d008c59ffb6e5.jpg The sudden demise of Indian actress Pauline Jessica from Tamil Nadu state, who allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her apartment in Chennai city on Sunday morning, has left her fans shocked.Police officials are inquiring about the man mentioned in her diary to determine the exact reasons for the actress' death. Meanwhile, her friends have taken to social media to express their grief. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg celebrity, dead celebrity, celebrity gossip, celebrity scandal, celebrity, suicide, suicide, suicide https://sputniknews.com/20220920/indian-man-makes-brahmos-missile-replica-to-promote-military-accomplishments-1100999516.html Indian Man Makes Brahmos Missile Replica to Promote Military Accomplishments Indian Man Makes Brahmos Missile Replica to Promote Military Accomplishments The artist said the main goal of his initiative is to "raise the interest of people in our country about the sacrifices made by defense personnel." Being an... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T10:10+0000 2022-09-20T10:10+0000 2022-09-20T10:10+0000 india army brahmos brahmos aerospace limited art /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102381/17/1023811712_0:94:2001:1219_1920x0_80_0_0_4d0f13bebb03c633341235253df49a6c.jpg Sarvesh, a painter from Jaunpur, a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has been working on prototypes of the famous BrahMos cruise missile and helicopter for the past two years.The artist used his own savings to create models, but when his budget ran out, he had to stop. An artist at heart, Sarvesh works as a laborer, but is still trying to save up at least a small amount of money, not willing to give up on his hobby. He remains committed to his goal of spreading the word to his countrymen about the sacrifices made by the Indian Army. By doing this, Sarvesh wants to arouse respect and interest in the national military.The BrahMos missile is a ramjet-propelled supersonic cruise missile launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land. The joint Russian-Indian venture was established in 1998, and is currently focuses on the hypersonic version of the missile for naval-, underwater-, shore-, and air-based platforms.A BrahMos hypersonic missile may be created in 2027-2028, co-director Alexander Maksichev told Sputnik last month. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Alan Dzhigkaev Alan Dzhigkaev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Alan Dzhigkaev army, brahmos, brahmos aerospace limited, art https://sputniknews.com/20220920/iran-to-start-getting-9mln-cubic-meters-of-gas-daily-from-russia-via-azerbaijan-reports-say-1100992642.html Iran to Start Getting 9Mln Cubic Meters of Gas Daily From Russia Via Azerbaijan, Reports Say Iran to Start Getting 9Mln Cubic Meters of Gas Daily From Russia Via Azerbaijan, Reports Say MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran will soon begin to purchase 9 million cubic meters of gas daily from Russia and have it delivered through the territory of Azerbaijan... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T06:38+0000 2022-09-20T06:38+0000 2022-09-20T06:38+0000 russia iran gas gas deliveries /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/101409/51/1014095162_0:31:3041:1742_1920x0_80_0_0_300183409e1b1fca2bec89e90ce98f84.jpg National Iranian Oil Company and Russian energy giant Gazprom signed the agreement in July. The companies will explore the possibility of cooperation in the development of Iranian oil fields, the implementation of LNG projects and the construction of gas pipelines.Iran will soon start imports of gas from Russia, which will be delivered through the territory of Azerbaijan, the report said.In addition, Gazprom will reportedly supply another 6 million cubic meters of gas to Iran daily for swap supplies in the form of liquefied natural gas to other countries south of Iran. iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International iran, gas, gas deliveries https://sputniknews.com/20220920/iranian-cyberattack-exposed-britains-secret-talks-with-albania-on-illegal-migrants-report-1100998313.html 'Iranian Cyberattack' Exposed Britain's Secret Talks With Albania on Illegal Migrants: Report 'Iranian Cyberattack' Exposed Britain's Secret Talks With Albania on Illegal Migrants: Report Earlier this month, Tirana severed diplomatic relations with Tehran after accusing Iran of trying to launch a cyberattack against Albania's online public... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T10:03+0000 2022-09-20T10:03+0000 2022-09-20T10:29+0000 world albania iran government middle east uk cyberattack hackers documents /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100992944_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_81690c9ca272367b4cb4d925dc66695f.jpg A purported Iranian cyberattack on Albanias IT systems earlier in September exposed secret negotiations between Tirana and London on measures to tackle organized crime and illegal immigration in and out of the Balkan nation, according to the The Telegraph.The newspaper reported that the sensitive UK government documents were ostensibly compromised by Iranian hackers and leaked onto the encrypted Telegram channel over the weekend.The documents reportedly include the February 2022 email correspondence between Albanias then-director of police Gledis Nano and UK ambassador to Albania Alastair King-Smith.In one email, the Albanian police chief thanks King-Smith for his help, adding that they indeed need his support now and in the future for the Tirana-London joint efforts against organized crime.A memo, revealed in the email, mentions the UK Border Forces proposal to send its officers to Albania in order to advise on security measures that could be taken to combat illegal immigration and the import of cocaine into Europe by organized crime gangs in the Balkan state.It follows Albanias parliament agreeing on a memorandum last week to share criminal and biometric data on Albanian migrants crossing the English Channel illegally with UK law enforcement agencies. The Albanian migrants currently account for up to 60 percent of all small boat arrivals in Britain.In a separate development earlier this month, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama ordered all Iranian diplomats and Embassy staff to leave the country in 24 hours after breaking off relations over an alleged attempted cyberattack plot by Tehran.Rama charged Iran with trying to paralyze public services, erase digital systems and hack into state records, steal government intranet electronic communication, and stir chaos and insecurity in the country.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani in turn called Tiranas decision to break off the Albania-Iran ties injudicious and said that the cyberattack claims were baseless and unsubstantiated. https://sputniknews.com/20220907/albania-accuses-iran-of-cyberattack-and-breaks-off-diplomatic-relations-prime-minister-says-1100493676.html https://sputniknews.com/20200105/iran-cyber-security-group-reportedly-hacks-us-federal-depository-library-program-website--1077947497.html albania iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg albania, iran, government, middle east, uk, cyberattack, hackers, documents . 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You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. https://sputniknews.com/20220920/liz-truss-expects-no-uk-us-trade-deal-talks-anytime-soon-1100999380.html Liz Truss Expects No UK-US Trade Deal Talks Anytime Soon Liz Truss Expects No UK-US Trade Deal Talks Anytime Soon MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Tuesday that a trade agreement with the United States is not foreseen in the coming years. 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T09:33+0000 2022-09-20T09:33+0000 2022-09-20T09:33+0000 world united kingdom us trade talks /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/0d/1100703811_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_305c6264960aa05f1409180d98ecaae5.jpg The prime minister is currently focused on the issue of cooperation with international allies to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and is set to put it on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly in the coming days, the report said.At the same time, Truss plans to develop cooperation with Eastern countries, India in particular. According to Sky News, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised New Delhi to conclude a trade agreement by the end of the year.In addition, Truss intends to strike a deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.Truss is also working on the UK accession to one of the largest trading blocs, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which brings together 11 countries, including Australia, Canada and Japan.Truss arrived in the US to participate in the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. The high-level week of the UNGA session will be held from September 20-26 in New York.The participants include US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. China will be represented at the level of a deputy prime minister.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will head the Russian delegation and is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24. united kingdom Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International united kingdom, us, trade talks https://sputniknews.com/20220920/medvedev-donbass-referendums-are-crucial-for-restoring-historical-justice-1100993990.html Medvedev: Donbass Referendums are Crucial for Restoring Historical Justice Medvedev: Donbass Referendums are Crucial for Restoring Historical Justice On Monday, the Civil Chambers of the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics urged the local government to hold referendums to join Russia. The call came as... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T07:14+0000 2022-09-20T07:14+0000 2022-09-20T08:41+0000 ukraine donbass russia russia dmitry medvedev dpr lpr referendums special operation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100994204_0:152:3082:1886_1920x0_80_0_0_aeca2de1bf84733b5b160319af3badbf.jpg Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has underscored the significance of holding referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR, respectively).Medvedev also stressed that after the DPR and the LPR join Russia, the country can use force to protect itself, because encroachment on its territory will be considered a crime, which he said would "allow Russia to use all means of self-defense." He added that none of the future leaders of Russia could reverse the decision on the Donbass republics joining the country. According to him, after holding [referendums] and accepting new territories as part of Russia, the geopolitical transformation in the world will become irreversible.The remarks come as DPR head Denis Pushilin said that specialists in the Donbass republics' administrations had started actively studying the issue of preparing a referendum on joining Russia.Since yesterday evening, specialists from the heads' administrations [] have already begun a very active study of the issues [related to the referendum], Pushilin told the Solovyov Live show, adding that he has no doubt regarding the results of the referendum.This was preceded by the head of the DPR Civil Chamber Alexander Kofman calling on the republic's authorities to hold a referendum to join Russia "immediately".He also said that the DPR's people want a Russian border to separate them from Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, the LPR's Civil Chamber also expressed a desire that local authorities hold a referendum to join Russia. The head of the chamber later noted that holding a referendum is a matter of more than one day, but expressed hope that it will be held soon.Ukrainian forces have been shelling the Donbass republics for eight years, since they declared independence following a nationalist coup in Kiev in 2014. Russia recognized the DPR and the LPR in February 2022 and signed friendship treaties with them. On February 24, Moscow responded to a request from the DPR and the LPR to protect them against Kiev's attacks by starting a special operation to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine. https://sputniknews.com/20220724/ukrainian-troops-target-donetsk-using-grad-rockets---dpr-mission-to-jccc-1097733210.html donbass russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg ukraine, donbass, russia, dmitry medvedev, dpr, lpr, referendums, special operation https://sputniknews.com/20220920/queen-elizabeths-funeral-biden-again-vows-to-defend-taiwan-zelensky-deletes-nazi-symbol-photo-1100984379.html Queen Elizabeth's Funeral; Biden Again Vows to Defend Taiwan; Zelensky Deletes Nazi Symbol Photo Queen Elizabeth's Funeral; Biden Again Vows to Defend Taiwan; Zelensky Deletes Nazi Symbol Photo Ukrainian president Vlodomir Zelensky is caught deleting a photo of his bodyguard sporting a totenkopf symbol, worn by a number of Hitler's Nazi forces, on his... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T09:50+0000 2022-09-20T09:50+0000 2022-09-20T09:50+0000 ron desantis alexis tsipras queen elizabeth ii armenia nancy pelosi taiwan strait the critical hour radio radio sputnik /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/13/1100984233_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_72c0b594f0f07e2af63e0777ba0df23a.png Queen Elizabeth's Funeral; Biden Again Vows to Defend Taiwan; Zelensky Deletes Nazi Symbol Photo Ukrainian president Vlodomir Zelensky is caught deleting a photo of his bodyguard sporting a totenkopf symbol, worn by a number of Hitler's Nazi forces, on his uniform. Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the Ukraine crisis. Ukraine wants the US to send more powerful long-range weapons. Also, President Putin has warned of a "serious response" to terrorist acts and the Kremlin argues that Ukraine is preparing another provocation similar to the Bucha scenario.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the Queen's funeral. As Queen Elizabeth is laid to rest we also discuss the reaction to her passing from the perspective of nations that have suffered economic and physical genocide at the hands of the British Empire.K. J. Noh, peace activist, and writer, joins us to discuss China. President Biden has again claimed that the US will enter war between China and Taiwan on behalf of the breakaway province. Also, America is losing the technology race to China.Regis Tremblay, an American citizen, living in Crimea, joins us to discuss the Biden administration's support of the Nazi ideology. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is caught deleting a photo of his bodyguard sporting a totenkopf symbol, worn by some Hitler's Nazi forces, on his uniform. Also, we discuss the promotion of the Ukrainian fascist ideology in Canada and a Nato official who wore socks with a Russian slur.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The Washington Post is claiming that US hostages were released by the Taliban in exchange for a Guantanamo detainee. Also, Iran says that it will not agree to a nuclear deal unless the US guarantees that it won't walk out again.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of "Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity," joins us to discuss the Russia/China strategic alliance. Russia's security chief has argued that the development of a partnership with China is the nation's unconditional priority. Also, Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia and former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras says that the Ukraine crisis could turn existential for the EU due to a lack of leadership, vision, and strategy.Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss the Global South. Chile refuses accreditation of an Israeli envoy due to the killing of a Palestinian teen. Also, Marco Rubio criticizes President Biden's reported intentions to recognize Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela.Carlos Castaneda, immigration lawyer, joins us to discuss immigration. Migrants confirm that they were misled when they were transported to blue states. Also, Senator Markee is calling for a federal probe into the shipping of migrants as another bus load is sent to Kamala Harris's house in DC.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik armenia taiwan strait Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg ron desantis, alexis tsipras, queen elizabeth ii, armenia, nancy pelosi, taiwan strait, , radio, radio sputnik https://sputniknews.com/20220920/rappin-republican-granny-drops-a-sick-beat-in-bid-for-mormon-utah-senate-seat-1101009763.html Rappin' Republican Granny Drops a Sick Beat in Bid for Mormon Utah Senate Seat Rappin' Republican Granny Drops a Sick Beat in Bid for Mormon Utah Senate Seat The western US state of Utah is known as the home of the Mormon faith and Senator Mitt Romney, who former president Donald Trump has dubbed a RINO Republican... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T15:25+0000 2022-09-20T15:25+0000 2022-09-20T15:25+0000 hip-hop utah us republican party viral /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/08/1080702116_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_71ea8081e675bb90f2fe2dcac74bd310.jpg A Utah grandmother is trying to rhyme her way into the state senate with a hip-hop campaign video. Linda Paulson is running on the Republican Party ticket in the 12th district of Utah, the state better known as the refuge of the teetotal Mormon church."I tried to get another conservative to run. Nobody could do it. So I'm getting it done," she adds in a dig at fellow Republicans.Not breaking her flow, Paulson lays out her political platform: pro-religious freedom, pro-life, pro-police pro-gun ownership and pro-free speech.Religious conservative rapper Bryson Gray, who caused a YouTube sensation last year with his diss track 'Let's Go Brandon', put out his own remix tribute within days.Some Twitter users hailed Paulson as the new kween of hip-hop.Others thought she was just too cringeworthy. But the video had been watched 81,000 times on her YouTube account by Tuesday, proving that there's no such thing as bad publicity. Better-known Republican rappers include Kid Rock, while 50 Cent briefly endorsed Republican president Donald Trump in the 2020 election after Democrat rival Joe Biden pledged to raise taxes on the wealth so high they would make him "20 Cent".Trump later issued pardons to hip-hop stars Lil' Wayne and Kodak Black before leaving office in January 2021. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 James Tweedie https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png James Tweedie https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 James Tweedie https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png hip-hop, utah, us, republican party https://sputniknews.com/20220920/saudi-aramco-ceo-eu-energy-bill-freeze-not-viable-long-term-solution-1101018541.html Saudi Aramco CEO: EU Energy Bill Freeze Not Viable 'Long-Term Solution' Saudi Aramco CEO: EU Energy Bill Freeze Not Viable 'Long-Term Solution' Consumers in some European countries face skyrocketing energy bills due to a surge in gas prices on the European market. EU countries blame Russia, even though... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T16:45+0000 2022-09-20T16:45+0000 2022-09-20T16:45+0000 energy crisis in europe saudi arabia saudi aramco european union (eu) europe /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/05/0b/1095429670_0:0:3083:1734_1920x0_80_0_0_e1e652f7790e66a54e2dcc3cb40b7005.jpg CEO of global energy giant Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, has criticized EU measures proposed to tackle the ongoing energy crisis. He argued that imposing greater taxes upon energy companies, when the countries equally request output increases, is a poor idea and won't help solve the problem.He found another measure to redistribute profits from the new windfall tax among needy citizens also "not helpful" in terms of tackling the energy crisis.Nasser argued that underinvestment in hydrocarbon extraction was the root cause of the current crisis, which was the result of fossil fuel supply shortages compared to surging global demand. He characterized the investments in extraction as "too little, too late, too short-term" at a time when alternative, green energy sources are still in short supply.The Saudi Aramco CEO suggested that demand will persist despite global economic turbulence, eating up the few added supply lines that have emerged in the market.At the same time, the head of the energy giant dismissed claims that the conflict in Ukraine exacerbated or outright caused the energy crisis. Nasser stressed that even were the conflict to end today, the crisis would persist, given that its root causes lie deeper.EU countries, which are suffering the biggest blow of the energy crisis caused by skyrocketing gas prices ahead of winter, blame the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. The Kremlin, in turn, has pointed to the trouble that western anti-Russian sanctions cause, namely preventing the timely maintenance of Nord Stream 1 turbines abroad. The failure to maintain the turbines caused Russian gas giant Gazprom to pause the pipeline in September, severely reducing gas exports to the continent.Additionally, many European countries turned down the Kremlin's demand to pay for gas by converting euros into rubles in a Russian bank. Moscow said the move to switch to ruble payments was prompted by the European sanctions. https://sputniknews.com/20220828/gas-prices-in-europe-close-to-record-highs-amid-limited-supplies-from-russia-1100081713.html saudi arabia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International saudi arabia, saudi aramco, european union (eu), europe Beijing Changier Education Foundation has carried out field surveys on the rural vitalization and high-quality development of Huade county in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region recently. During the surveys, a symposium was held to gather representative from the foundation and officials from the county to discuss about how to better fuel the growth of the county's education sector. Zhang Yinjun, chairwoman of Beijing Changier Education Foundation, also paid visits to local primary schools, kindergartens and vocational schools to probe into the demands of the faculty and students. Meanwhile, the foundation has donated 100,000 yuan ($14,250) for the county to distribute subsidies for 50 students from impoverished families, as well as online tutorials that help improve students' psychological health and disinfection products to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The foundation plans to build libraries for eight middle schools and primary schools in the county and help cultivate local teachers' ability of giving psychological counseling for young students in the future. https://sputniknews.com/20220920/scos-role-in-afghan-issue-constructive-as-us-led-involvement-leaves-devastation-1101014276.html SCOs Role in Afghan Issue Constructive as US-led Involvement Leaves Devastation SCOs Role in Afghan Issue Constructive as US-led Involvement Leaves Devastation The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has always paid great attention to the Afghan issue. Especially after US' hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan in... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T14:53+0000 2022-09-20T14:53+0000 2022-09-20T14:53+0000 world asia shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) afghanistan china xi jinping /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/08/0d/1099545057_0:0:3419:1924_1920x0_80_0_0_d8cb6d4a1cbc73f9d8374aed3837ec7a.jpg Days before the SCO Samarkand summit, which just concluded on Friday, many foreign media outlets highlighted the Afghan issue as one of the crucial topics for the meeting. Both the remarks delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 22nd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on Friday and the Samarkand Declaration signed by the SCO member states on the same day underlined the Afghan issue, which fully demonstrated the great importance the SCO has attached to Afghanistan.In comparison to the US and Western countries or the blocs headed by them, the SCO's manner in dealing with the Afghan issue is obviously more constructive for Afghanistan and its people. The US and Western countries have always attempted to transform Afghanistan by ideological infiltration and export of Western-style "democracy." They tend to support one faction against another by resorting to military means, which has triggered even more violence and conflicts rather than settling them. This can be illustrated by the 20-year war in Afghanistan - What it left for the country has been nothing but complete devastation and more hardships that the Afghan people had to suffer, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.By contrast, the SCO, under the guideline of the "Shanghai Spirit," which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development, has always played the role of a promoter, an aid provider, a mediator as well as a contributor to push the settlement of the Afghan issue.President Xi said at the SCO Samarkand summit that "We should ensure that the SCO-Afghanistan contact group and the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan's neighbors continue to play their roles."Almost all SCO member states including China have participated in various mechanisms to address the Afghan issue, sticking up for Afghanistan's sovereignty and independence, support the "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" principle, the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, and not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs, in the hope of Afghanistan achieving its peaceful development.The Afghan issue is definitely the main concern of the SCO, given its member states' geographic positions, as well as the purpose of the group itself. In terms of geography, almost all SCO members are Afghanistan's peripheral countries. The situation of Afghanistan will certainly affect the security and stability of these countries.The SCO was born more than two decades ago with a fundamental mission to combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Afghanistan is precisely the country where extremist and terrorist forces have been rampant, affecting surrounding regions such as Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. Despite the so-called war on terror that lasted 20 years, the ground that breeds terrorism in Afghanistan has not been removed, and the international community is still vigilant about whether extremist forces will rise in Afghanistan.These factors can explain why SCO member states said in the Samarkand Declaration that the coordination of the situation in Afghanistan at an early date is one of the important factors for maintaining and consolidating security and stability in the SCO region.The declaration also stressed the member states "consider the active engagement of the international community in facilitating their [Afghan refugees'] dignified, safe and sustainable return to their homeland to be essential."This is because the Afghan issue is very complex. Essentially, it is a mess left behind by the US and US-led NATO, under the banner of "anti-terrorism." For both Afghanistan's internal issue and the spillover of the Afghan issue through extremism and terrorism, it requires joint efforts from not only the SCO and regional countries, but also the international community, especially the US and the West, said Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University.The SCO member states also underline "the value of the long-standing hospitality and effective assistance extended by regional and neighboring countries to Afghan refugees" in the Samarkand Declaration.This is indeed the case. One year ago, the US pulled out from Afghanistan hastily and irresponsibly, leaving behind a devastated country and parties without a peace agreement. But Afghanistan is still in a manageable situation, not completely out of control and fell into large-scale disorders. This can be largely attributed to various bilateral and multilateral efforts of the SCO and its member states, noted Liu. In the face of many humanitarian crises and Afghan people's hardships, the SCO and many of its member states have always been willing to provide Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance.This article was originally published by the Global Times. asia afghanistan china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International asia, shanghai cooperation organisation (sco), afghanistan, china, xi jinping https://sputniknews.com/20220920/ukraine-and-food-crisis-expected-to-be-focus-of-un-high-level-week-1100993473.html Ukraine and Food Crisis Expected to Be Focus of UN High-Level Week Ukraine and Food Crisis Expected to Be Focus of UN High-Level Week UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The situation around Ukraine and the food and energy crisis will be among the main topics of the upcoming high-level week of the UN... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T07:01+0000 2022-09-20T07:01+0000 2022-09-20T07:01+0000 world un united nations ukraine special operation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/0a/1083353164_0:123:2367:1454_1920x0_80_0_0_f737657aeb0f3247f1acb3025a8ed9ad.jpg The General Assembly is taking place against the backdrop of the most powerful geopolitical divisions since the Cold War. The Russian delegation to the United Nations, which had problems obtaining US visas, is expected to work in the hostile atmosphere created by Western countries that have previously unleashed a sanctions war against Moscow, as well as a proxy war in Ukraine.Among Western leaders, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are expected to be at the high-level week among the speakers.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian leader Ibrahim Raisi are expected to speak. Brazil is expected to have President Jair Bolsonaro. China will be represented at the level of a vice-premier.Key Events & SpeechesThe Russian delegation to the UN is headed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He is scheduled to address the high-level week's general debate on September 24. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Lavrov would take part in a number of bilateral meetings and multilateral events. About two dozen bilateral meetings are expected.On the sidelines of the high-level week, a traditional meeting of the heads of the foreign ministries of the BRICS countries is planned. Lavrov will also meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Guterres, in an interview with Sputnik, said that he plans to discuss a grain deal with Lavrov, as well as the export of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets.Ukraine is represented at the general debate by President Vladimir Zelensky, however, as it turned out, he will not come to New York in-person. Despite the fact that this year's debates involve only face-to-face participation, Kiev managed to achieve a decision in the General Assembly to go around Zelenskys presence.Zelensky's pre-recorded video speech will be shown in the General Assembly hall. Kiev argued this is for security reasons, saying that Zelensky cannot leave Ukraine. Meanwhile, Richard Gowan, an expert at the International Crisis Group analytical center, believes that if Zelensky did come, his reception at the UN would not be as warm as he would like.According to Gowan, the African and Latin American member countries of the UN gradually "got tired of the Ukrainian topic," and many do not want to constantly attack Russia.Meanwhile, a number of diplomats told Sputnik that they have heard rumors about the alleged arrival of Zelenskys wife for a high-level week. Sputnik has not yet been able to confirm this information officially.Also, as it became known to Sputnik from a source, one of the European countries plans to bring Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as part of its delegation. As of now, it became clear that the country is - Estonia.Such a step, according to the UN source, may lead to thoughts that the Belarusian opposition is financed by the West and is used as a lever to undermine the situation in Belarus.Significant adjustments to the list of speakers were made by the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. By tradition, on September 20, after the President of Brazil, the American leader should speak. However, after it became known that Biden had flown to London for the funeral, his speech was moved to September 21.The speeches of some other heads of states and ministers, as many attend the funeral, also shifted.Ukraine, Food & Energy ThemesExperts agree that the issue of the Ukrainian conflict will be one of the central issues this high-level week. In particular, a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine at the ministerial level is expected on September 22.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba will participate. Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are expected to take part as well. As Gowan believes, during the high-level week, Biden and most Western leaders will repeat their theses against Russia, accusing it of "aggression" against Ukraine.Meanwhile, it will be interesting to hear what the nuances in the speeches will be, for example, the French leader Emmanuel Macron, who often stressed the need for diplomatic engagement with Moscow, will say.Another key topic this week will be food security and the crisis in the energy markets. According to Gowan, a summit on the topic of the global food crisis, hosted by the US, EU and African Union, is expected.In general, the world will have to hear a huge number of statements from Western leaders about what they are going to do to combat the global food crisis. united nations Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International un, united nations, ukraine, special operation https://sputniknews.com/20220920/us-general-says-ukraine-wont-receive-f-16-fighter-jets-anytime-soon-1101001974.html US General Says Ukraine Won't Receive F-16 Fighter Jets Anytime Soon US General Says Ukraine Won't Receive F-16 Fighter Jets Anytime Soon The Biden administration has provided more than $15 billion in military assistance to Ukraine so far, including HIMARS, drones and armored vehicles. Moscow... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T11:47+0000 2022-09-20T11:47+0000 2022-09-20T11:47+0000 americas us ukraine russia f-16 special operation military aid /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100999118_0:90:1024:666_1920x0_80_0_0_93b3246a50653191db458dcdaf09ef6c.jpg US Air Forces in Europe and Africa Commander General James Hecker has stated that Ukraine will not receive F-16 multi-role fighters in the near future.Speaking at the annual Air Force Association conference, Hecker said that the warplanes would not arrive in Ukraine for two to three years after any political decision was made to send them, due to training and logistical issues.The F-16 jet, which made its maiden flight back in 1974, is no longer being purchased by the US Air Force, even though improved versions are being built by Lockheed Martin for export.Heckers remarks come after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last week that he was authorizing Washingtons twenty-first drawdown of US arms and equipment for Ukraine since September 2021."A number of US media outlets, including CNN and CBS News, meanwhile reported that billions of dollars of military aid that the US is sending to Ukraine does not always make it to the front lines. CNN cited unnamed sources as admitting earlier this year that there is a grave risk of American weaponry ending up in the hands of criminal and terrorist groups.Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that providing Kiev with Western arms does not contribute to a resolution of the Ukraine conflict and will only have negative consequences. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek in April that Western countries directly take part in Ukraine hostilities by "pumping" Kiev with weapons and ammunition, something that he said provokes further bloodshed.Antonov warned that any supply of weapons and military equipment from the West, carried out through the territory of Ukraine, would be seen as a "legitimate military target" for the Russian armed forces.Russia launched a special operation to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine on February 24th following requests from the Donbass republics to protect them from Kiev. Western countries responded by slapping packages of sanctions on Moscow and intensifying their military aid to Kiev. https://sputniknews.com/20220908/pentagon-quietly-deployed-deadliest-artillery-shell-in-uss-inventory-to-ukraine-report-1100551504.html americas russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg us, ukraine, russia, f-16, special operation, military aid https://sputniknews.com/20220920/us-may-trade-military-planes-to-uzbekistan-and-tajikistan-for-aid-in-afghanistan-reports-suggest-1100994523.html US May Trade Military Planes to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan for Aid in Afghanistan, Reports Suggest US May Trade Military Planes to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan for Aid in Afghanistan, Reports Suggest MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States is considering the possibility of providing 50 military aircraft to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in exchange for help in... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T07:32+0000 2022-09-20T07:32+0000 2022-09-20T07:32+0000 world us afghanistan tajikistan uzbekistan aircraft /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102794/17/1027941787_0:83:5749:3317_1920x0_80_0_0_27d14f59929793e592ea592cba274660.jpg The deal covers the US-donated aircraft which Afghan air force pilots used to flee the country to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan after takeover by the Taliban* last summer, the report said.According to one of the officials, the goal is to provide part of the aircraft in exchange for an informal agreement with the Tajik and Uzbek governments to "deepen security relationships" on border security and counterterrorism.The Taliban demand the return of the aircraft, a mixture of light attack planes and helicopters, that the US supplied to the ousted Afghan government, as they consider it their property.Uzbek authorities said in August that they do not plan to return said aircraft to the Afghan side as those were the property of the US.The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and prove unable to curb the deepening economic, humanitarian and security crises in the country. Thousands of Afghans have fled the country fearful of the Taliban, widespread violation of human rights, and the deprivation of women and girls of their freedoms.*under UN sanctions over terrorist activities afghanistan tajikistan uzbekistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, afghanistan, tajikistan, uzbekistan, aircraft https://sputniknews.com/20220920/venezuelan-journo-in-donbass-kiev-tries-to-kill-as-many-people-as-possible-1100986732.html Venezuelan Journo in Donbass: Kiev 'Tries to Kill as Many People as Possible' Venezuelan Journo in Donbass: Kiev 'Tries to Kill as Many People as Possible' Kiev troops subjected the Donbass republics to almost daily shelling long before the start of the Russian special military operation at the end of February of... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T02:49+0000 2022-09-20T02:49+0000 2022-09-20T02:46+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine ukraine crisis russia donetsk people's republic donetsk donetsk region reporter interviews venezuela /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1100988405_10:0:1109:618_1920x0_80_0_0_fba5e2f60eec03d765d4f13b9cb348c1.jpg Alejandro Kirk, a special correspondent for teleSUR and HispanTV news channels in Donbass, has told Sputnik in an interview that people living in the republics are aware of the fact that "a Ukrainian projectile can fall at any time and anywhere," as he was wounded during a Ukrainian attack on Donetsk this weekend.Kirk expressed his belief that such shellings are "punitive attacks," since "they punish ordinary people just for living here."Kirk claimed he heard "the characteristic whistling sound of 155-mm shells and an explosion a few meters to the north, on Artyoma Street, exactly where the buses run," so he turned his camera only to see a brief flash and feel the impact on his right shoulder. "No noise or pain," he noted, adding that the fragment also hit his right eye, causing his vision to become blurry.Sputnik: How do you rate medical care in Donetsk? Have you already been operated on? What is your condition and prognosis for your recovery?Kirk: In my case, the medical care was exemplary. My colleagues took me to the government hospital, and within a few minutes, they were washing my wound and examining me. Then, they conducted an X-ray and CT scan. I was hospitalized for follow-up at the weekend, and from Monday as an outpatient, with daily check-ups. After the wound has healed, it will be decided when to remove the fragment.Sputnik: What are your feelings about what happened?Kirk: The impact of the projectile was such that it made a hole of about an inch in diameter in the shoulder. The fragment hit me in the rib and fractured it. The impact occurred 15 centimeters from the face and neck, 25 centimeters from the heart. The rib saved the lung, and the sunglasses saved the eye. That's a lot of luck, isn't it? Therefore, it's impossible not to think of this easily happening and about what actually happens to many people every day in Donetsk: that they do not have the same luck and the shrapnel kills them. Here people go shopping with a bag, a girl leaves a dance lesson, a cook prepares lunch for children, or, for example, here is a girl walking in one direction, apparently she forgot something, stops, or just some woman is returning home from work. These are the people I saw and wrote about in my time. That's why my thoughts are always with these people, they just became easy enemies to annihilate with impunity.Sputnik: What is the current situation in Donetsk?Kirk: Unfortunately, the residents of Donetsk live in terror. Many have left, and those of us who are still here know that at any moment, in any place, a Ukrainian shell could fall. These are punitive attacks: they punish ordinary people just for living here. It seems that the defense systems are not able to detect and prevent this terrorism. We know that these are mobile, long-range artillery systems that are very difficult to detect. That is why many are demanding more decisive action, not against troops and weapons, but against those who command this barbarity, in Kiev and elsewhere in Ukraine. Sputnik: How long have you been in Donetsk? What else have you seen?Kirk: I came to Donbass in March last year. I toured the two republics and liberated areas in southern Ukraine, such as Kherson and Zaporozhye. I was able to witness the struggle for Mariupol and the current reconstruction process. In Lugansk, I have seen the liberation of such cities as Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, the tragedy of Popasnaya. I'm helping with a humanitarian aid project called Bukhanka, after a Russian UAZ van nicknamed this way, which delivers food and water to small, recently liberated villages where state aid has not yet arrived. We go mostly unaccompanied and without an escort or military presence. This standalone project, promoted by journalist Nikita Tretyakov, allows me to talk to dozens of ordinary people who tell us their story, and the story is always the same: the indifference of the Ukrainian authorities, which contrasts with the humanity of Russian soldiers or Donbass militias, who often share their rations with them. Of course, not everything is unanimous, but it is remarkable that people in the worst conditions, living in basements for months, have never, with the exception of one person, told me that they prefer the return of the Ukrainian military or ultra-nationalist battalions.Sputnik: After the injury, do you plan to continue working in Donetsk? Kirk: My editors are now assessing the situation, but I have the determination and desire to stay here for as long as I can. After all, I too have spilled my share of blood on this soil.Sputnik: Could you tell us about the recent attacks in Kuibyshev. What do you think the Kiev authorities are trying to accomplish?Kirk: Nine 155mm shells fell in Kuibyshev, one of these shells killed nine people at noon. This was praised on Ukrainian channels as an example of efficiency. They target streets rather than buildings, places where a higher concentration of people is expected. I saw a simultaneous attack on two schools in Donetsk on Monday at 11:00 a.m., when parents and teachers gathered. Friday night attacks on Pushkin Boulevard, where restaurants are located. At noon on the same boulevard where families walked. The residential and industrial districts of Kuibyshev, Kievsky, Petrovsky, Leninsky, were attacked day and night. All this cannot be the idea of a creative artillery commander, this is undoubtedly a political decision of the highest level. https://sputniknews.com/20220804/ukrainian-troops-shell-donetsk-drama-theater-hosting-farewell-to-deceased-colonel-kachura-1098102976.html https://sputniknews.com/20220919/dpr-civic-chamber-urges-for-immediate-referendum-to-become-part-of-russia-1100974866.html https://sputniknews.com/20220729/ukrainian-strike-kills-53-ukrainian-prisoners-of-war-in-dpr-donetsk-says-1097922539.html russia donetsk donetsk region venezuela chile Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev ukraine, ukraine crisis, russia, donetsk people's republic, donetsk, donetsk region, reporter, interviews, venezuela, chile https://sputniknews.com/20220920/we-want-them-to-be-set-up-on-their-own-brits-vents-anger-over-hosting-ukrainian-refugees-1101011852.html We Want Them to Be Set Up on Their Own: Brit Vents Anger Over Hosting Ukrainian Refugees We Want Them to Be Set Up on Their Own: Brit Vents Anger Over Hosting Ukrainian Refugees A recent poll indicated that at least 30% of current or previous UK sponsors of Ukrainian refugees said that the rising cost of living had considerably... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T14:40+0000 2022-09-20T14:40+0000 2022-09-20T14:50+0000 world europe uk ukraine refugees government special operation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/14/1101002423_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_eb3d385bc7278dffe9c897d998ddf5c0.jpg Lisa Raynes, a resident of the UK city of Stockport, has told the Manchester Evening News how she now feels about hosting two Ukrainian refugees who earlier fled their country following the start of the ongoing Russian special military operation.Raynes noted that she wants the two to set up a new life and to be set up on their own, adding that neither the refugees nor her family can relax properly.According to Manchester Evening News, Raynes is currently eager to find a compassionate landlord who is willing to take the Ukrainian family on as tenants once they receive their housing benefit.Her remarks followed The Mirror reporting that about 50,000 Ukrainian refugees could be made homeless in the UK by 2023 as sponsors of the governments British Homes for Ukraine scheme are hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis.More than 90,000 refugees from Ukraine have been matched with UK sponsors since the beginning of the Russian special operation on February 24. With the sponsors getting 350 ($398) a month to house the refugees for at least half a year, official figures suggest that 26% of Britains 25,000 hosts have decided against extending the arrangement.Last month, a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that less than 25% of Brits who have sheltered Ukrainians under the scheme agree to keep housing them for more than a year.The poll was preceded by another survey indicating that at least 45 million Brits may be in the grip of fuel poverty by January 2023 due to the looming energy price cap increase.Although British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced that energy bills would be capped at 2,500 ($2,857) per year from October 1 in line with her plan to tackle the crisis, opposition parties remain downbeat about the move, with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey arguing that this phony freeze will still leave struggling families and pensioners facing impossible choices this winter as energy bills almost double.In late August, UK energy regulator Ofgem revealed that the energy price cap would rise 80% to 3,549 ($4,056) per year for an average British household from October 1.In February, then-British Foreign Secretary Truss warned that packages of sanctions that London - along with other western countries - had slapped on Moscow in retaliation for its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine would worsen the UK cost-of-living crisis, and that Britain should take an economic hit. Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, stressed earlier this year that the Wests anti-Russian sanctions backfired on those who imposed them. https://sputniknews.com/20220904/uk-police-brace-for-surge-in-crime--civil-unrest-amid-soaring-energy-bills-cost-of-living-crisis-1100352140.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg europe, uk, ukraine, refugees, government, special operation https://sputniknews.com/20220920/we-were-treated-like-terrorists-brits-charged-with-racial-hatred-over-russian-flag-speak-out-1100986918.html 'We Were Treated Like Terrorists': Brits Charged With Racial Hatred Over Russian Flag Speak Out 'We Were Treated Like Terrorists': Brits Charged With Racial Hatred Over Russian Flag Speak Out The charges have been dropped and the group is pursuing legal action against the arresting officers, a spokesman told Sputnik. He condemned the UKs dystopian... 20.09.2022, Sputnik International 2022-09-20T01:10+0000 2022-09-20T01:10+0000 2022-09-20T01:07+0000 world uk russian flag arrest charges essex uk police /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105974/58/1059745868_113:0:1807:953_1920x0_80_0_0_32ce2c56ad35a2463f462c00838e90ce.jpg British protesters who were taken into custody on charges of inciting racial hatred for displaying Russian flags in public earlier this year are suing the police, a spokesman for the demonstrators told Sputnik News.Footage recently published on social media shows Essex police arresting all six activists holding Russian flags as they protested official government Covid policies outside the Colchester General Hospital on March 15.In the video, an officer is shown telling the group that theyve committed a public order offense because people are taking offense to the Russian flags that you are displaying as there is currently a war going on in Ukraine with Russia. The activists would ultimately be charged with not only disturbing the peace, but also using threatening or abusive language, as well as inciting racial hatred.For Ian Drew, a 72-year-old retiree who serves as spokesman for the unnamed and loosely-organized coalition thats been protesting government injustice since 2020, the only offense committed that day was carried out by the police.We were wrongfully arrested and imprisoned.Drew confirmed that the arrests had a chilling effect on the groups freedom of expression, noting they havent used the Russian flag so much since being detained for doing so.The group is reportedly now pursuing legal action against Essex police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment in an effort to clean up the police.According to Drew, the previous week the activists brought larger Russian flags to a demonstration, and at one point explained to officers they were supporting the Russian people because we felt that they are being persecuted over what's happened in Ukraine. But on the day of the arrest, they were actually carrying a seven-meter-long bunting, which contained the flags of every nation in the world.But officers apparently decided to move in anyway. The aging activist, whos affectionately known around town as the protesting pensioner, says he and all five of his compatriots were quickly arrested by police several of whom were armed with pistols and held overnight on charges which would ultimately be dropped four months later.For Drew, it wasnt his first run-in with the cops in Essex. Our faces are known by the police, he explained, describing frequent surveillance from officers, who seem to be monitoring the groups online activity:In their last contentious interaction with police, Drew says while officers may not have agreed with their message, they at least allowed them to express it. That came in recent months amid nationwide protests which called on the government to alleviate British motorists pain at the pump as Western nations sanctions on Russia hit their working populations hardest.Drew characterizes the sanctions regime as an intentional effort by the ruling class to wipe out small businesses by making their fuel bills so high that they can't work. He adds, this is another way of getting control of everybody.While gas prices have subsided somewhat since August, Drew predicts the government will gradually start pulling [the cost] up again and blaming [Russian President Vladimir] Putin when they do.They didn't take part in lockdowns. They had their parties and all the little scams they were involved in, where they were getting money for all the PPE stuff that had to be bought for covid.Allegations of rampant bribery and nepotism were widespread in Britain during the early days of the pandemic. A report from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2021 found that a fifth of UK government contracts awarded to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic last year contained red flag indicators of possible corruption.They were all in on it, says Drew. And people have been told this and they still trust the government.Until more Brits wise up, the fiery group has pledged to continue their efforts.Were still supporting people who are affected by wars around the world, says Drew. As for the latest act of police intimidation?Its not gonna stop us. essex Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Wyatt Reed Wyatt Reed News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wyatt Reed uk, russian flag, arrest, charges, essex, uk police Little Fork Volunteer Technical Large Animal Rescue Team recently conducted yet another successful, albeit very complicated livestock save in Orange County. This time, the animals in need of help were a pair of calves who fell into an old concrete septic tank with about two-feet of water on the bottom. The Rixevyille-based large animal rescue team, the only such volunteer unit in Virginia, received a call at 1:20 p.m. on Sept. 14 about the calves, each weighing approximately 450 pounds, that had fallen into the hole in the ground the day before. The team assembled and moved a set of Amkus battery powered extrication tools from a fire dept. pumper to the rescue team trailer including an O-cutter, hydraulic rams, and a spreader tool, according to a post from Little Fork VFD Chief Doug Monaco. Arriving on the scene about 45 minutes later, the rescue team learned one of the lids collapsed into the tank, used for storing spring water, leaving a hole for the two youngsters to explore. Chaos and Calamity, named by the rescuers, both fell into the tank, and were being fed and given water by buckets lowered to them. A plan was developed in which the team applied the Becker sling to each calf and lifted them out using a farm tractor. It was a challenge to apply the lifting sling and even more so the task of placing chest and butt straps across the calves without direct access. Team members used metal strop guides and hoof hooks to place webbing under Chaos. Carabineers and ropes were attached to the straps to hold them in place, a spreader bar was hooked to the straps and the tractor was brought forward. During this lifting process, it was discovered a major tree limb needed to be removed from the area, halting the process. On the second attempt, Chaos was raised slightly to install chest and butt straps for more security. The tractor operator was instructed to immediately move backwards as the calfs main body cleared the hole. The tractor lifted Chaos higher and reversed to a safe area. SuccessChaos was freed and walking around, eating grass. The process was repeated by Calamity who decided to lay down due to exhaustion and the fact that the rescue team was trying to place webbing around the mid-section. This proved more challenging, Monaco said. A line was worked under the calf and used for encouragement to stand, allowing a second strap tobe placed in position. Calamity was removed from the tank and placed a safe distance away. We took some pics, gathered our tools, and returned to the station. We had to drive around a large pile of gravel that had been delivered while we were working. That pile would be used to immediately fill the old concrete tank that Chaos and Calamity had discovered and fallen into, Monaco said. Six volunteer team members who responded to the nearly five-hour incident while another crew staffed the Little Fork ambulance and engine. Donate to the all-volunteer organization on PayPal or at littleforkvfrc.org. BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. The 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard, will conduct a readiness exercise at Western Nebraska Regional Airport, Scottsbluff, Sept. 22-25. Wing personnel will conduct 24-hour training operations in a simulated combat environment, meaning the local community can anticipate an increase in flight activity and noise level during this period to include evening flying operations. We have been preparing for this very important exercise over the past several months and plan to continue honing our warfighting skills in late September as we serve our state and nation, said U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Southard, commander, 140th Wing. This multi-day exercise is designed to establish a learning environment for Airmen to exercise their plans and procedures for upcoming deployments in an ever-evolving operational environment. Southard said that the communitys patience and understanding of these necessary training activities is greatly appreciated. The training gained from these exercises will significantly improve the 140th Wings ability to prepare and respond to mission-essential functions carried out every day in support of national security. The wings real-world mission and emergency response capability will not be affected and will take priority over exercise actions. The saying the chickens have come home to roost seems to apply to the immigration policies of the Biden administration, sanctuary cities and states. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) have been sending hundreds of people who have illegally crossed the border into their states to Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) sent 50 migrants to the uber-liberal town of Marthas Vineyard. Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker (R-MA) promptly ordered the National Guard to send them to Joint Base Cape Cod. That should preserve property values in a town where wealthy residents, including former President Barack Obama, own homes. The saying about roosting chickens refers to the unpleasant effects of actions someone has taken. Having declared their cities and states safe havens for migrants, Democratic mayors and governors are now loudly complaining they dont have the room or resources to care for them. They dont mind burdening states with Republican governors for the cost, housing, health risks (few appear to have been tested for COVID-19) and other challenges, but instead are taking a not in my backyard position when forced to deal with the U.S. governments failure to control the border. Illegal immigration has ebbed and flowed under previous administrations, but has reached new and unsustainable levels under the current one. Busing migrants to these liberal bastions is a clever political move, which even some on the left have acknowledged. The latest occurred when two busloads of them were dropped off outside the Washington, D.C., residence of Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News is one of the few media outlets to consistently cover the border crisis, including human and human traffickers and the smuggling of fentanyl into the country, a drug that has become the number one cause of death among 18- to 45-year-olds. That other media have largely ignored or downplayed the immigration crisis is journalistic malpractice. Biden administration officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Vice President Harris, have claimed the border is closed. Video shows that is not true. To paraphrase another familiar saying: are you going to believe them, or your lying eyes? It is amusing to listen to the squealing of those politicians who self-righteously claimed to offer open arms to all migrants but then turn on them, as though they were a vast migration of Republicans. Some of these politicians have quoted the Emma Lazarus poem engraved on the Statue of Liberty about sending us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. They now have flipped, preferring a version of the Little Richard song Keep A-knockin, but you cant come in. Do our immigration laws mean nothing? Dont our leaders take oaths to uphold the laws of the United States and protect and defend the Constitution? Those laws were passed by Republican and Democratic members of Congress and signed by presidents of both parties. President Biden is violating his oath of office, as is his secretary of Homeland Security, when they refuse to enforce them. There are checkpoints where people fleeing their countries for humanitarian reasons can be legally processed while their claims are validated. No nation can maintain its character and existence if it does not control its border. Illegal immigration has ebbed and flowed under previous administrations, but has reached new and unsustainable levels under the current one. Why have past administrations, and now this one, allowing uncontrolled immigration, along with a flow of deadly drugs? Why is so much of the media ignoring it? If Republicans win a congressional majority in the November election, they must hold the administration accountable, even to the point of impeachment. To do otherwise would be chicken-hearted and invite even more bad policies home to roost. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the seventh China-Eurasia Expo, which opened Monday in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Full of vitality and potential for development, the Eurasian continent is a key region for international cooperation on jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said in his letter. In recent years, China's Xinjiang has given full play to its location advantages to actively advance the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and promote the interconnectivity, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development between China and Eurasian countries, with positive results being achieved, said Xi. He stressed that China is willing to work with other countries to promote the Silk Road spirit that incorporates peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning as well as shared benefits, with the China-Eurasia Expo being a platform. Meanwhile, China is ready to work with other countries to pursue high-standard and sustainable development that benefits the people, and explore new spheres for Eurasian cooperation, elevate the cooperation to new levels, and promote common development and prosperity, Xi added. The expo is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Mooresville High School was one of five campuses in the region that were evacuated Tuesday morning after a bomb threat. The Mooresville Police Department said that due to the length of time it would take to check the high school, the decision was made to dismiss students at 11:16 a.m. Mooresville Graded School District officials, out of an abundance of caution, decided to place other schools in a lock-in as a result of the threat. Tuesday afternoon, school officials said that while nothing was found on campus, the decision has been made to move to a virtual learning day at MHS Wednesday. Officials said they understand there is trepidation among students, parents and staff after Tuesdays threat. The Iredell County Sheriffs Office sent bomb-sniffing K-9s, and as of noon, teams were continuing to clear the facilities. In Cabarrus County, Northwest Cabarrus High, Cox Elementary, Cox Mill High and Jay M. Robinson High schools were evacuated as well due to threats. Northwest Cabarrus indicated the evacuation was due to a bomb threat. The Mooresville Police Department said it was working with law enforcement in Cabarrus County. As of noon Tuesday, Mooresville Fire and Rescue, police, Iredell EMS and Iredell County Sheriffs Office personnel were still at Mooresville High investigating the threat. Saturday evening was about reconnecting, remembrance and dedication as more than 200 people gathered at the Statesville Country Club to support the Gordon Hospice House. Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC) hosted the 10th Bi-annual Hospice House Gala and raised $180,000 for patient care at the Gordon Hospice House on Saturday. Our hope is that we can all reconnect with family and friends this evening. We also want to remember those who are no longer with us. We have lost so many in these last few years as a community. Let us remember and celebrate them all this evening. Finally, we want to dedicate this evening to all who support this event and the Gordon Hospice House so that we can continue to provide extraordinary care, said Mike Smith, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County CEO, as he addressed the crowd. The special evening also welcomed an opportunity to recognize gala founder and former HPCIC board chair, Margaret Johnson. Tonight, you are experiencing a vision Margaret had many years ago when she started the Gordon Hospice House gala. It is part of her legacy to this community that is carried forward by a strong and hardworking committee here in this room tonight, Charles Ashe, chief administrative & compliance officer explained in a speech honoring Margaret. Gala co-chairs, Margert and Thom Kincaid and Katie and Brian Long shared their very personal stories about why they continue to support the Gordon Hospice House. Margaret shared her experience of her fathers passing at GHH, stating, I may not remember everything that was said or done in those 24 days my father was at the hospice house, but I will never forget how they made me feel. Katie shared her hospice experience with her mother, who was just 59-years-old. My mother was an unbreakable force and was not ready to die. The staff at the Gordon Hospice House were none other than angels on earth, said Katie. Both touching stories reminded all why raising funds is so important. Guests enjoyed a sit-down dinner, drinks, auction, raffle and dancing with live music from Johnny White & the Elites. WAME Radio Talent, Billy Buck, served as the evenings master of ceremonies and invited Melissa Neader to join him when encouraging to the crowd to donate. We are incredibly thankful to the amazing gala committee who worked hard to make the evening a success. Our communitys generosity of this wonderful organization never ceases to amaze me. We are overwhelmed with the support shown for the Gordon Hospice House, said Director of Development Mindy Rice. HPCIC thanked the presenting sponsors of this years gala, the Gordon family, Lil Shavers Wood Shop, Raymer Oil and the Carney and Lucktong families. As a nonprofit organization, the Gordon Hospice House provides services to all in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Gordon Hospice House and all of Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County recently celebrated their seventh consecutive Hospice Honors Elite Award and the revealing of the new Medicare.gov star rating system, which ranks HPCIC as a five-star hospice. The only hospice in the area with that rating and one of only nine in the entire state of North Carolina. The parents of an infant are facing charges after authorities responded to a CPR in progress call near Mooresville on Sunday afternoon. Adrian Rashaun Lyons, 25, of Teeter Road, Mooresville, was charged with felony intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. Lyons appeared before a magistrate who ordered him held without bond due to Lyons being on probation for a prior conviction of felony child abuse in Davie County from 2019. Calinda Linelaine Steinseifer, 29, also of Teeter Road, was charged felony negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. A magistrate set bond at $150,000. Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell said that deputies responded to a residence on Teeter Road after receiving a call about CPR in progress on an infant. When the deputies arrived on the scene, they learned Iredell County EMS had transported the child to a local medical facility with CPR still being performed. The deputies then located and interviewed the childs father, Lyons, who said he found the infant unresponsive and called 911, Campbell said. Iredell County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigators arrived on scene and started an investigation to determine what had occurred to cause the child to be unresponsive. Steinseifer was interviewed by investigators and she told them she had been asleep when Lyons woke her up, saying they needed to go to the emergency room because something was wrong with the child, Campbell said. Lyons told the investigators he had fed the baby and then put her down to sleep. He then checked on her 30 minutes later and found her limp and unresponsive. When the investigators arrived at the hospital, they were briefed by the attending medical staff. They learned the infant had brain swelling, bleeding on the brain and hemorrhages. Medical staff described this as un-accidental brain trauma. The infant was airlifted to Levines Childrens Hospital for more advanced treatment. After receiving this information, the investigators re-interviewed both Lyons and Steinseifer. Lyons admitted running into a door and striking the infants head two weeks ago, Campbell said. He went on to say the baby would not eat, was crying a lot and twitching, authorities said. Steinseifer admitted to knowing about the incident, but did not seek medical attention for the infant for fear of getting in trouble, Campbell said. Due to the circumstances and the condition of the infant, detectives obtained felony arrest warrants for Lyons and Steinseifer. The Iredell County Department of Social Services was also notified as this is an ongoing investigation. Lyons history includes felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon, driving while consuming while under 21, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and improper equipment. Steinseifers history includes misdemeanor assault, DWI and numerous driving-related charges. After serving tours in Iraq and two different branches of the military, James Hamby came home with a traumatic brain injury and a case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He said he spent nearly a year barely able to leave his house. That all changed when he was paired with a golden retriever named Pokey. For Hamby, who lives in Hiddenite, Pokey represents more than a companion. His calming presence can be summed up in one word freedom. Hamby, a native of Newton, said joining the military was something he seemed destined to do from an early age. His father, his uncle and grandfather all served. It was what I always wanted to do, he said. He did decide to take a slightly different route in serving his country than they did, however. He joined the Marines. A few years later, with bases closing, and chances for reenlistment drying up, Hamby said, he had to choose staying in the military or returning to civilian life. He wanted to stay in the military so he joined the Army in 1997. During the ensuing years, Hamby said, he served several tours in Iraq. From 2003 to 2009, he said, he several multiple tours in Iraq. In those years he endured a number of close calls including one instance when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by several rockets. I didnt think I was going to make it home, he said. He did make it home but came back damaged with the slightest thing triggering his PTSD. I could be driving down the road and see a box that dropped onto the road and Id slam on my brakes wondering is that going to explode, he said. Hamby tried therapy but that wasnt an ideal solution for one simple reason. Hamby had difficulty leaving his home. It was hard for me to go anywhere, he said. I spent close to a year not being able to leave my house. Then his wife, Diane, a nurse, heard about a group called Patriot Rovers that provided service dogs to veterans. Hamby applied and was accepted, and soon he was paired with Pokey. That was in 2011. Pokey, he said, changed his life completely. I can do what I want, go where I want and he has brought me back out into the world, Hamby said. A trip to the grocery store, even traveling to see his children and grandchildren, would not have been possible without Pokey, he said. Hamby said he soon realized Pokey was more than just a service dog. One day, he said, Pokey began licking his leg. A diabetic, Hamby decided to check his blood sugar. It was low. Another time, Pokey repeated his sudden licking and Hamby again paid attention, checking his blood sugar and realizing it was high. Its not something he was trained for, he said. Knowing that Pokey is looking out for him in several respects also gave Hamby the courage to work on getting healthy. He said both he and his decided they wanted to lose some weight and began looking at joining a gym. That led them to Planet Fitness in Statesville and total acceptance from the beginning, he said. They were judgment free from the start, Hamby said. With September designated as National Service Dog Month, Hamby said, he wants people and business owners to understand the importance of service dogs and realize service dogs unlike emotional support or therapy dogs can go wherever their handler goes. He hopes other businesses take a cue from the acceptance hes found at Planet Fitness. He said he found that open acceptance at every Planet Fitness hes been to something he doesnt always find with a service dog. Ive had the most trouble at restaurants, he said. Hes called the corporate headquarters on some and received an apology and gift card. Whether they retrain their staff I dont know, he said. But some restaurants have been more than accommodating, he said. One restaurant owner in Taylorsville, he said, treats Pokey just like any other customer. She goes in and fixes hot dogs for him, he said. She just loves him. The employees at Planet Fitness in Statesville feel the same way, Hamby said. He goes up and says hi and they give him treats, he said. Ironically, Pokey gave Hamby his freedom and he soon may be doing the same thing for Pokey. Pokey got his name from a soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2008. Michael Phillips was nicknamed Pokey and the trainers at Patriot Rovers named what became Hambys service dog in honor of the member of the 101sth Airborne. Pokey is nearing retirement, likely by the end of this year, and if Phillips parents are willing, he will join them in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to live out the remainder of his life. That is Hambys choice. Pokey can remain with Hamby who will be getting a new dog soon. Tanner, a Labrador retriever, will finish his training in December or January. Sometimes, he said, bringing in a new service dog with an existing one can create problems. However, if the Phillips family decides not to take Pokey, Hamby said, his 17-year-old son is going to become his new owner as Hamby and a new service dog acclimate to each other. Phillips parents, Dave and Angeline, are friends of Hambys and they attended Pokeys graduation from training many years ago. Letting go of Pokey, he said, will be difficult but he is comforted by the thought that the dog can live out his life with people who have a special connection to him. Hamby said he will forever be grateful to what Pokey has brought to him over the past decade unconditional love and freedom. Eric Esrailian, producer of 'The Promise', posted on his Instagram page about canceling his subscription to The New York Times. Esrailian said it was necessary for the New York Times. He is sure his one subscription will go unnoticed, but the newspaper's sharp language in its coverage of Nancy Pelosi and her visit is embarrassing. Esrailian noted that the newspaper should not have allowed Carlotta Gall, who is sympathetic to human rights violating dictatorships, to comment on any material related to Armenia. One of the world's most influential leaders and his team in Congress visited Armenia and spoke about the "illegal and deadly Azerbaijani attack" as well as the history of the Armenian Genocide. Since Gall is still a participant in presenting the barbaric massacres against Armenians as something natural, Esrailian said it's time to cancel his subscription. Earlier, the producer had published a piece about the ongoing fighting on the southeastern border of Armenia. On September 13 from 12:05 a.m. the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire in the direction of Vardenis, Sotk, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, Goris and Kapan in the direction of the Armenian positions. According to the information of the Armenian Defense Ministry the fire was ceased on September 14 at 8pm. At the moment 207 dead and missing are known. Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram ANCHORAGE, Alaska An Alaska Native regional corporation is working with state transportation officials and the Denali Borough on a proposal for a new airport that would allow Lower 48 tourists to fly directly to the doorstep of Denali National Park and Preserve. Doyon Ltd. says the Denali Airport, as it describes the concept in a 22-page booklet, could be built north of Healy on state land, allowing tourists to quickly reach the park after jetting in from, say, Seattle, San Francisco or Anchorage. The project must overcome high costs, permitting requirements and other challenges. But if built, it could provide a new travel option for the parks 600,000-plus annual visitors who want a close-up view of North Americas tallest mountain. Those visitors now often spend a chunk of their day traveling overland to the park as part of a cruise package, especially from Anchorage, more than five hours away by bus and longer by train. Over the last few years as Doyon has been building our presence in tourism, people in the industry kept using the phrase Move the mountain closer, said Aaron Schutt, Doyons chief executive, in an interview. Thats what Doyon, the Fairbanks-based Native corporation for Interior Alaska, is trying to do, he said. One thing about cruise add-ons is you maybe have three days or five days, and if youre spending a day on a bus, you just burned one of those days, he said. As Doyon sees it, a relatively small airport could be built at one of two preferred locations off the Parks Highway, according to the booklet. One is about 20 minutes from the park, near Healy. The other is about 45 minutes away, near the community of Clear. But to accept 737 jets with close to 200 passengers, an airport with a runway more than a mile long could cost well over $50 million, according to estimates in the booklet. Under the plan, the runway would be built by the state, using federal funding wherever possible, Schutt said. The proposed terminal, filled with cultural amenities and dining areas, could be built and owned by Doyon, Schutt said. It could cost $18 million. Schutt said the project could boost Doyons own tourism enterprises associated with the park, such as a lodge, bus tours and a joint venture providing many park services. But it would also enhance tourism statewide, he said, potentially freeing up visitors time for more Alaska travel. We are creating a bigger pie for hopefully all of us that creates more opportunities throughout the state, Schutt said. The idea is drawing some concern in Fairbanks that it may reduce the number of tourists who travel there before heading to Denali, said Scott McCrea, president of Explore Fairbanks. But Doyons proposal is so fresh that Explore Fairbanks needs to learn more from the Native corporation, he said. The group has not taken a position on the idea, he said. A bus ride from Fairbanks to the park can take more than two hours. We support infrastructure growth and bringing more visitors to Alaska and the Interior, but dont want it to be a detriment to tourism in Fairbanks, he said. In recent months, the Denali Borough and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities have been meeting with Doyon to help advance the idea, Schutt said. The local government and the state agency had already been looking at replacing the small Healy airport when Doyon came along, said Judy Chapman, planning chief for the transportation agencys northern region. All three entities have been working on different iterations of planning for a similar facility, she said in an email. All efforts came together due to mutual/overlapping interests and are being advanced at the same time, she said. The borough for many years has been pursuing the concept of a regional airport, to expand aviation options beyond the small airports in the area, said Clay Walker, the boroughs mayor. Regional airports can typically accept domestic flights. We are pretty underserved aviation-wise here, Walker said. The borough is excited to be working with Doyon and the state to find ways to bring a regional airport to the area, he said. It could support new jobs and improved emergency and cargo services, he said. There could be a range of economic benefits, he said. Doyon has done early engineering and architectural work for more than a year as it has looked for an appropriate site for a runway and terminal, Schutt said. Plans show construction ending around 2028. Its not just the funding, but getting the process approved by the Federal Aviation Administration will be a long and hard effort, Schutt said. We understand that going in. With tourism expected to continue growing in Alaska, the proposed airport isnt the only effort underway to attract visitors to the state. Projects include Huna Totems plans to build a cruise dock in Whittier, while the Alaska Railroad is taking steps to replace and expand an old cruise dock to handle new, large ships in Seward. Nolan Klouda, head of the Center for Economic Development at the University of Alaska, said he sees the airport and a new travel option to the park as a possible benefit for tourism in Alaska. It probably has the potential to grow overall visitation more so than poaching from other destinations, he said. Some organizations that support tourism in Alaska, including the Alaska Travel Industry Association, said they needed to learn more about the details of the concept. Without knowing detailed plans, ATIA is always interested in learning more about new tourism product and development to enhance visitors experiences, said Sarah Leonard, chief executive of Alaska Travel Industry Association. Doyon sees the airport as part of a cultural corridor its developing in Alaska with Huna Totem, a Native village corporation from Southeast Alaska. The corridor focuses on underexplored visitor opportunities across the state, according to the booklet. The airport could eventually support trips to, say, villages off the road system, Schutt said. He said it could also potentially remain open in winter, maybe serving tourists who want to see the northern lights or other attractions. As for the terminal, it would be built as something of a destination unto itself, with views of mountains, interpretive trails and exhibits highlighting the areas environment and culture, Schutt said. Airports are transportation hubs, not tourism hubs, generally, Schutt said. Were trying to change that up a little with this one. 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. Harassment Longview police Friday arrested Christopher Richard Grasseth, 47, of Longview on suspicion of felony harassment. Failure to register Longview police Friday arrested Gregory George Mack, 52, of unknown residence on suspicion of failure to register as a sex offender on two or more prior occasions. Burglary Longview police Saturday arrested Austin Allen Darnell, 25, of Longview on suspicion of residential burglary and two counts of violating a protection order. Burglary Woodland police Saturday arrested Edward Eugene Shrull, 48, of Longview on suspicion of second-degree burglary and second-degree theft. Burglary Longview police Monday arrested Aaron Thomas Sjoblom, 45, of unknown residence on suspicion of second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, resisting arrest and obstructing a public servant. 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. VANCOUVER Clark College President Karin Edwards invoked the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson in her summary of the year of goals and challenges that lies ahead for the school. The mind, once stretched to a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions. In Clarks case, Edwards applied the proverb to the notion that the role of higher education in the coming years cant seek to return to a pre-pandemic state of operations. There are lessons that have been learned, and there will certainly be more. Monday marked the first day of the new school year at the community college, where students returned to the highest number of in-person classes since 2019. Approximately 40 percent of the schools classes, Edwards said, have an in-person component. The majority will continue to be either fully remote or a hybrid of sorts. Maintaining the flexibility of hybrid options, Edwards said, isnt something that will be done away with anytime soon. For some students, its a wonderful opportunity to continue their education, Edwards said. Specifically for community college students. One term to the next, if something comes up, they dont have to interrupt their education because that virtual option is available. The important thing for us is to provide the same quality online and in-person. Leo Sanchez, a second-year student at Clark hoping to graduate at the end of the fall term, was disappointed that one of his in-person statistics classes was canceled due to low enrollment. He typically likes his math classes to be in-person, but he has embraced the availability of remote options as a benefit for himself and other students. My accounting classes, for example, I definitely prefer to be online, Sanchez said. That balance will stick around because so many students enjoy having stuff be online. In Clarks Gaiser Hall, a particularly bustling building near the heart of campus, a handful of different service desks aid students in registration options, finding out where to go next and assessing potential remote options for certain classes. The one-stop desk, for example, is among Clarks new additions to help students navigate the puzzle of schedule-building, according to a school spokesperson. In many ways, the school has pivoted to prioritize assisting students in creating a flexible education, much like what was outlined by leadership at neighboring Washington State University Vancouver at the beginning of its school year last month. In developing their new strategic plan, Clark officials are focusing on enhancing services like mental health aid and the provision of resources for housing and food insecurity as a new primary role for the school going forward. As a community college, they also want to do more to allow students to take a pause from learning and come back when theyre able to, even years later. Two resources they encourage students to take advantage of this year in particular, for example, are the Penguin Pantry an on-campus center that provides monthly food boxes to students who may need them and Workforce Education Services, which maintains programs for students pursuing vocational careers or apprenticeship programs. If theres any uncertainty in your future, we can help with that. We can help provide a path to clarity, Edwards said. Its definitely an opportunity for us in the new year to work toward doing more for our students in that way. Crews on both ends of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are continuing work on containing wildfires burning in difficult-to-reach terrain. The Kalama fire, located just southeast of the Kalama Horse Camp Campground north of Cougar, grew minimally over the weekend to about 215 acres. About 5% of the fire perimeter was contained as of Monday morning. Cooler weather and light rain Friday helped firefighting efforts over the weekend, according to the latest update from the incident command team. Seasonably warm weather and dry conditions were expected Monday and Tuesday, but the National Weather Service forecast calls for 20% chance of showers Wednesday into Thursday. Existing evacuation orders, road and trail closures remain in place. Goat Rocks fire The Goat Rocks fire, which has burned 3,338 acres northeast of Packwood, also saw little growth over the weekend. On Saturday, officials lifted the evacuation orders in Packwood and all areas southwest of Butter Creek, including High Valley. Areas northeast of Butter Creek and north of Highway 12, including lower Timberline and Goat Rock, remain at a Level 1 Ready evacuation status. Upper Timberline, areas south of Highway 12, remain at Level 2 Set evacuation. The fire grew about 60 to 70 acres since Friday, mostly in the western Coal Creek Bluff area and in some spots above Forest Road 4612, according to the incident command teams update. More smoke could be visible over the next few days as warmer and drier conditions may increase fire activity. Firefighters have not been able to safely engage the fires edge because of difficult terrain, the update stated. Crews have been constructing control lines along the existing road systems around the fire and clearing woody material around structures in the area. This year, Washington and Oregon have seen 61 large fires burning 469,390 acres so far, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. Thats nearly 70% less than 2021, when 84 large fires burned 1,503,030 acres. More than 200 area nonprofits Thursday aim to raise a collective $3.5 million in 24 hours during the annual Give More 24! virtual fundraiser to benefit Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties nonprofits. About 36 Cowlitz County organizations are participating in this years annual online fundraiser, which starts at midnight Thursday and runs through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Last year, more than 200 nonprofits participated overall, raising about $3.3 million from about 6,600 donors. The online fundraiser also includes in-person events. Southwest Washington Symphony is scheduled to showcase live music from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Grants at the Monticello Hotel in Longview. Thursday events include the Art Renaissance Teams tea time from noon to 7:30 p.m. at Teagues Interiors in Longview and Heritage Bank hosting an open house with Community Home Health & Hospice, along with appetizers and drinks from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Commerce Avenue bank. More events and donation links are available at www.givemore24.org. The General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has issued a regulation on improving the framework of systems for strictly managing and overseeing leading officials. The regulation aims to improve the mechanism for selecting and appointing leading officials, selecting outstanding individuals to take up posts and awarding them while filtering out the more mediocre officials. It mainly offers clear and specific provisions for regulating the organizational adjustments to leading positions that are not suitable for current officials. The general office also issued a circular demanding that all localities and government departments strictly abide by the regulation, adding that the regulation is of great significance to building a contingent of competent key officials for governance. An area on the border of Pierce and King counties is being considered as a potential site for an airport, and many locals are fighting against that possibility. Weve got some of the last and best farmland in ... the Puget Sound area. Its very productive farmland that would essentially be destroyed, said Tim OBrien, president of the Enumclaw Plateau Community Association. The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission created by the state Legislature must recommend a location that could house a new airport facility as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will soon reach capacity, according to the state Department of Transportations website. Sea-Tac typically serves 50 million passengers per year, according to a study from the Puget Sound Regional Council. Come 2050, that number will increase as the population and jobs continue to grow in the region. Two types of locations are considered in this process: greenfield locations and existing airports. Greenfield locations are undeveloped land where a new airport would be constructed from the ground up. The two existing airport sites on the table are Bremerton National Airport and Snohomish County (Paine Field) Airport. The commission initially identified six existing airports before narrowing it down to two. The 10 greenfield locations are: Skagit County Northwest, Skagit County Southwest, Snohomish County Northwest, Snohomish County Southeast, King County Southeast, Pierce County East, Pierce County Central, Thurston County Central, Thurston County South and Lewis County. The greenfield locations were judged based on their terrain, impact on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) and low-income communities, and the possibility of flooding, among other factors. The King County Southeast site had the best rating out of the 10 greenfield locations, according to CACCs rating system. Of all the greenfield locations and existing airport sites, the top two will be recommended to the Legislature in October. By June 2023, the commission will narrow its options to one, according to the WSDOT website. Members of the Enumclaw Plateau Community Association learned about the King County Southeast site proposal about two months ago, OBrien said. Many are opposed to redeveloping the site for various reasons, including potential environmental impacts. The Green River Coalition, a nonprofit organization, has been a steward of the river for many years, vice president Bernie McKinney said. The Green River Gorge has plants that do not grow anywhere else, and it is a habitat for Chinook salmon, he said. It would be a shame to wipe it out with an airport, McKinney said. He worries an airport would drive away ducks, geese, and other species that live in and along the river. Traffic would also become an issue as state Routes 164, 169 and 410 are already clogged during rush hour, OBrien said. Theres very limited space to expand roads and bridges in the area to accommodate increased traffic, OBrien said. The Bonney Lake City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Aug. 16, declaring the citys opposition to the King County Southeast site. The resolution said: Bonney Lake citizens would be heavily impacted in a negative way by having a commercial airport so close. Having an airport in such close proximity would add traffic beyond the already stressed and failing intersections in the city. The Muckleshoot Tribal Council sent a letter to the commission on Sept. 7, requesting that the King County Southeast site be removed from the list of recommendations. The tribe and our partners ... have invested many millions of dollars to improve salmon habitat, remove salmon passage barriers and protect wetlands and watersheds. Introducing a commercial airport ... would put those investments in jeopardy, Vice Chair Donny Stevenson wrote in the letter. Potential sites, including King County Southeast, were considered because they are west of the Cascade Range. That makes them easier to access during inclement weather, among other things, according to WSDOTs Washington Aviation System Plan. CACC spokesperson Christina Crea said she cannot comment on if the King County Southeast site will make it to the top two recommendations. We appreciate all the public engagement and spreading the word because that will help CACC make their decision, Crea said. NASA has discovered that the poles on the Moon changed with time, the agency revealed in a recently published blog. Heres what NASA said. Did you know the Moon also has North and South poles, just like the Earth? NASA scientists have recently discovered that not only were the lunar poles were present billions of years ago, but they also moved over time. The Moon has vast craters on its surface from asteroid impacts over millions of years. These craters preserve the history which can help scientists study about the early years of our solar system. In a recent NASA blog, scientists have revealed that the lunar poles have actually moved over time. A team of scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland conducted an amazing study to find out the lunar conditions billions of years ago. According to the blog, scientists used computer simulations to turn back the clock and remove thousands of craters from the Moon's surface, revealing what the Moon was nearly 4.2 billion years ago. They made an astonishing discovery when they found out that the Moon's North and South Poles moved a little over billions of years. The study has been published in the Planetary Science Journal. Due to the constant bombardment of asteroids, the Moon moved a little distance over time. As a result, the Moon's poles shifted by a distance of 10 degrees in latitude, which is roughly 300 kilometers, calling it the wandering of the poles. Vishnu Viswanathan, NASA Goddard scientist who led the study said in the blog, Based on the Moon's cratering history, polar wander appears to have been moderate enough for water near the poles to have remained in the shadows and enjoyed stable conditions over billions of years. Although a similar attempt to study the lunar conditions by removing craters has been tried before, only large craters were removed and the smaller ones were neglected. However, this team removed thousands of craters, big and small alike, from the lunar surface. Sander Goossens, a Goddard planetary scientist who was also involved in the study said in the NASA blog, here are a few things that we haven't taken into account yet, but one thing we wanted to point out is those small craters that people have been neglecting, they actually do matter, so that is the main point here. Participants in the experimental group had to complete a visually demanding secondary task on a tablet which was installed in the vehicle. Credit: DEKRA With automated driving, drivers are able to perform secondary activities under certain circumstances, like checking email, reading the news or watching a movie, while driving. At the same time, however, they must remain alert so that they can quickly take back control of the vehicle in critical situations. In December 2021, the first automated vehicle system (Level 3) in Europe was officially approved by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority. But what if, in a critical situation, the vehicle fails to prompt the driver to take over control? Scientists at the TU Dresden and DEKRA have addressed this question in a recent study. Thirty-six subjects took part in the field study at the DEKRA Lausitzring. Since it is well known that each system is subject to errors, it must certainly be assumed that not every takeover situation in automated driving will be correctly recognized and displayed. With this in mind, four different takeover situations were examined during the test drives: In one condition, a takeover warning was given even though there was no critical situation (a so-called false alarm). In three other conditions, the takeover warning was not given despite a critical situation. These critical situations involved driving over a stop line with a stop sign, slowly drifting over to the opposite lane, and performing a sudden evasive maneuver to avoid an erroneously detected obstacle. All four takeover scenarios were triggered after the test subject had already driven around the circuit several times without encountering any unusual events. Subjects in the control group were supposed to passively monitor the automated driving and intervene when they thought it necessary. Participants in the experimental group had to complete a visually demanding secondary task on a tablet which was installed in the vehicle. A takeover was categorized as successful if the driving person performed the correct takeover action before reaching the potential collision point. Overall, the response after a false alarm proved to be of little concern: control and experimental groups successfully took over vehicle control. In contrast, difficulties were evident in vehicle takeover when the automated system failed to warn in a critical situation. Here, the proportion of successful takeovers reduced to about half between the experimental group as compared to the control group. Thus, engagement with the secondary activity reduced the likelihood of a successful takeover when no alarm was given by the vehicle. Of particular importance is the finding that individuals who were not engaged in a secondary task also experienced significant difficulties to takeover the vehicle control in some cases. Depending on the critical situation, between 58 and 89 percent of takeovers in the experimental group were unsuccessful in the absence of a takeover warning. In the control group, the values were between 24 and 61 percent. For Sebastian Pannasch, professor of engineering psychology at TU Dresden, the results of the study are worrying: "We will be exposed to considerable risks in future automated driving. Automated vehicles will not be able to recognize and report all critical situations. Our results illustrate that even if we monitor vehicles while driving, correct takeover is not guaranteed in a critical situation. Based on current in-vehicle behavior, we can assume that we will definitely engage in secondary tasks during automated driving. As the study results show, this significantly increases the risk that we will not be able to react appropriately in critical situations without warning." In the view of DEKRA experts and TU scientists, there has been a real gap in research to date, particularly in the aspect of missing takeover prompts: Less than ten percent of papers published to date deal with so-called "disengagement situations" (system failures caused by an error). Prof. Pannasch views the current development, which is primarily driven by technology, with great concern: "Not everything that is technically feasible should necessarily be implemented. Against the backdrop of the current findings, the promise of increased safety that is often made in connection with automated driving remains extremely questionable. The next study on automated driving is already being planned, and will examine the factor of trust in technology." Credit: Dresden University of Technology Explore further Gender significantly affects takeover performance in automated vehicle driving activities Elon Musk said SpaceX will ask the US government for a sanctions exemption to offer internet connectivity in Iran. SpaceX will apply for an exemption from US sanctions against Iran in a bid to offer its satellite internet service to the country, owner Elon Musk said on Monday. "Starlink will apply for an exemption from sanctions against Iran," Musk said in response to a tweet from a science reporter. Musk had initially announced that the Starlink satellite internet service had been made available on every continent"including Antarctica"with the company planning to launch up to 42,000 satellites to boost connectivity. Iranian-born science journalist Erfan Kasraie had said on Twitter that bringing the service to Iran could be a "real game changer for the future" of the country, which elicited Musk's response. Launched at the end of 2020, Starlink offers high-speed broadband service to customers in areas poorly served by fixed and mobile terrestrial networks through a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit. The service received notoriety after supplying antennas and modems to the Ukrainian military to improve its communications capabilities in its war with Russia. Starlink is monetized through the purchase of antennas, modems and subscriptions with rates that vary by country. Nearly 3,000 Starlink satellites have been deployed since 2019 and SpaceX is conducting about one launch a week, using its own Falcon 9 rockets to speed up its deployment. Iran has been under a tightened US sanctions regime since former president Donald Trump terminated a 2015 agreement over its nuclear activities. While current President Joe Biden supports a renegotiation of the deal, Iranian insistence on long-term guarantees from Washington has stalled discussions. New rounds of sanctions were imposed on Iran this month after a Tehran-based company helped ship drones to Russia, and in response to a massive cyberattack targeting Albania in July allegedly carried out by Iran's intelligence ministry. Explore further Musk activates Starlink internet service in Ukraine 2022 AFP SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) The South Dakota Highway Patrol is struggling with a shortage of officers after over two dozen left the agency this year, the head of the department told state lawmakers Thursday. The departures leave the highway patrol's force short 22 troopers, which is nearly 10% of the force, Secretary of Public Safety Craig Price told the Legislature's Appropriations Committee. Even with a recent pay raise approved by Gov. Kristi Noem, the highway patrol's starting pay has lagged behind other law enforcement agencies in the state's largest cities and counties. The shortage comes despite the Republican governor's attempts to recruit officers from across the country with promises that the state supports law enforcement officers. The highway patrol has lost 27 officers so far this year more than any in the previous six years. Price told lawmakers he hoped that a $1.50 hourly wage increase would alleviate the shortages. But he added its likely that we will lose more in the next four months because of the way things have lined up. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike questioned Price aggressively at times Thursday. He pointed out that in exit interviews, departing officers cite either pay or benefits as their reason for leaving 39% of the time. We take this low-wage strategy, and then we are surprised that we have hiring and retention challenges, state Sen. Reynold Nesiba, a Democrat, said. The appropriations committee pressed Price to return to the Legislature with a plan for addressing the troopers' departures. We are in this crisis mode, said Republican Sen. Jean Hunhoff as she challenged Price to come up with ways to retain officers. On this episode of Here Weed Go!, host Eddie Celaya is in New York City and he's talking about just how widespread this marijuana movement is in the land of the free. To help give some context to just how far the country has come in the last 10 to 15 years when it comes to pot, the guest for this episode is Ricardo Baca. As the original marijuana editor for the Denver Post, Baca covered the first-of-its-kind adult-use recreational rollout in Colorado. More recently, as the founder and CEO of Denver-based, cannabis-focused PR/ad firm Grasslands, Baca has helped companies, brands and individuals within the industry tell their stories to a larger, more mainstream audience. The discussion touches on how much public perception on cannabis has changed, what new emerging cannabis-friendly state investors and tourists should look out for next, and just how close the industry is to producing its first huge (think Coca-Cola or Kleenex) mainstream brand. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe TOPEKA, Kansas (KCTV, KSMO) -- Traveling across Kansas in an electric vehicle will soon be easier thanks to a federal grant of nearly $40 million. That will help people taking longer trips than their usual commute, but the benefit could extend even to those who dont drive electric vehicles. And the long game isnt just about the Teslas you see driving around town. The impact could be felt in trucking and shipping, where their bottom line can trickle down to consumers. John Puetz got his electric car about a year ago and is loving it. Just the ability to basically not have to pay for gas. Not paying for gas, especially with the gas price being so high. Its really nice, said Puetz while charging his Tesla at the Hy-Vee in Mission, Kansas. But long trips can take some serious planning to find stations along the way and the typical charging stations involve a lot of sit-and-wait time. He was using a Tesla super charge station, which is only compatible with Tesla vehicles. Ordinary charging stations, he said, typically require six hours to get a full charge. The additional charging stations being put in by KDOT use a newer technology called direct current fast chargers (DCFC). Cory Davis, KDOT director of multimodal transportation and innovation, said there are currently 454 publicly operated charging stations and 951 ports in the state, but only 24 of those are DCFC. The grant will help fund 16 more along designated EV charging corridors, which include I-70, I-35 and US-400. The federal program requires that they be spaced about 50 miles apart to provide good coverage along those corridors. The ultimate plan is to build out those corridors at first to allow travel within Kansas and then ultimately travel to destinations within Kansas and local communities and tourism type markets, Davis said. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program will provide $39.5 million to Kansas Department of Transportations Charge Up Kansas NEVI Plan over the next five years to help build a high-powered EV charging network across the state. Davis said there are currently more than 4,000 electric vehicles registered in Kansas, and that number has been growing by 34 percent each year. Not all of them are passenger vehicles. At the Hy-Vee charging station, KCTV5 happened upon an executive for EO Charging, an international company that builds behind-the-fence charging depots for fleets. Last-mile delivery is kind of the hottest sector now for commercial EVs, EO Charging president of the Americas Tim Weaver said. School buses are catching up very, very quickly. Last-mile delivery refers to the final step of the delivery process when a package goes from its warehouse to a retail store or your front door. A Prime example (pun fitting but not intended) is an Amazon delivery truck. The advantage of last-mile [for EV] is theres no range anxiety. To a tenth of a mile, those vans and trucks go the same route every day, explained Weaver, but as you break out over those routes, you start to look at freight corridors, and thats where a combination of public and private charging really pays off and extends what an EV can do. In other words, a fast-charging and strategically spaced network along major transportation corridors is essential for EV to work for freight service. Weaver said the evolution of EV matters for clean air, but it also affects the bottom line. The fuel and the service are about 70 percent less electric versus diesel, Weaver said. If you still want free delivery five years from now, Amazon has to be doing it with an EV. Diesel is too expensive. The federal grant does require a local match. Davis said that could include a variety of funding sources both public and private. For example, a truck stop might want to partner on the project because the charging station would bring them additional business. He added that the federal program does provide the first two years of funding upfront. We do have the first two years of federal funding. Were confident in local partnerships to come up with that local match. And the plan being approved allows us to go out and spend those funds now, said Davis. KDOT intends to do a call for projects in the first quarter of 2023 and have the first set of charging stations up and running by late 2023 or the start of 2024. The map below shows intended locations. The purple and green are existing DCFC locations. The blue are locations where building is already underway. The red are the locations targeted by the grant. Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. Uber on Monday disclosed more details related to the security incident that happened last week, pinning the attack on a threat actor it believes is affiliated to the notorious LAPSUS$ hacking group. "This group typically uses similar techniques to target technology companies, and in 2022 alone has breached Microsoft, Cisco, Samsung, NVIDIA, and Okta, among others," the San Francisco-based company said in an update. The financially-motivated extortionist gang was dealt a huge blow in March 2022 when the City of London Police moved to arrest seven individuals aged between 16 and 21 for their alleged connections to the group. Two of those juvenile defendants are facing fraud charges. The hacker behind the Uber breach, an 18-year-old teenager who goes by the moniker Tea Pot, has also claimed responsibility for breaking into video game maker Rockstar Games over the weekend. Uber said it's working with "several leading digital forensics firms" as the company's investigation into the incident continues, in addition to coordinating with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department on the matter. As for how the attack unfolded, the ridesharing firm said an "EXT contractor" had their personal device compromised with malware and their corporate account credentials stolen and sold on the dark web, corroborating an earlier report from Group-IB. The Singapore-headquartered company, the previous week, noted that at least two of Uber's employees located in Brazil and Indonesia were infected with Raccoon and Vidar information stealers. "The attacker then repeatedly tried to log in to the contractor's Uber account," the company said. "Each time, the contractor received a two-factor login approval request, which initially blocked access. Eventually, however, the contractor accepted one, and the attacker successfully logged in." Upon gaining a foothold, the miscreant is said to have accessed other employee accounts, thereby equipping the malicious party with elevated permissions to "several internal systems" such as Google Workspace and Slack. The company further said it took a number of steps as part of its incident response measures, including disabling impacted tools, rotating keys to the services, locking down codebase, and also blocking compromised employee accounts from accessing Uber systems or alternatively issuing a password reset for those accounts. Uber didn't disclose how many employee accounts were potentially compromised, but it reiterated that no unauthorized code changes were made and that there was no evidence the hacker had access to production systems that support its customer-facing apps. That said, the alleged teen hacker is said to have downloaded some unspecified number of internal Slack messages and information from an in-house tool used by its finance team to manage certain invoices. Uber also confirmed that the attacker accessed HackerOne bug reports, but noted that "any bug reports the attacker was able to access have been remediated." "There is only one solution to making push-based [multi-factor authentication] more resilient and that is to train your employees, who use push-based MFA, about the common types of attacks against it, how to detect those attacks, and how to mitigate and report them if they occur," Roger Grimes, data-driven defense evangelist at KnowBe4, said in a statement. Chris Clements, vice president of solutions architecture at Cerberus Sentinel, said it's crucial for organizations to realize that MFA is not a "silver bullet" and that not all factors are created equal. While there has been a shift from SMS-based authentication to an app-based approach to mitigate risks associated with SIM swapping attacks, the hacking of Uber and Cisco highlights that security controls once considered infallible are being bypassed by other means. The fact that threat actors are banking on attack paths such as adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) proxy toolkits and MFA fatigue (aka prompt bombing) to trick an unsuspecting user into inadvertently handing over One-Time Passcode (OTP) or authorizing an access request signals the need to adopt phishing-resistant methods. "To prevent similar attacks, organizations should move to more secure versions of MFA approval such as number matching that minimize the risk of a user blindly approving an authentication verification prompt," Clements said. "The reality is that if an attacker only needs to compromise a single user to cause significant damage, sooner or later you are going to have significant damage," Clements added, underscoring strong authentication mechanisms "should be one of many in-depth defensive controls to prevent compromise." On Sept. 27, Ludmilla Millie Tedford of Clarks will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of her late husband, Spencer Tedford, who was part of a top-secret commando mission to Burma in World War II. Spencer Tedford, who died in 2019 at the age of 95, was part of a unit called Merrills Marauders. That group was a U.S. Army long-range penetration special operations unit. The Congressional Gold Medal is a unit award, rather than an individual award. So the medal will be presented in honor of Merrills Marauders. They were officially the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), commanded by Brigadier Gen. Frank Merrill. The group was active in the China Burma India Theater. The groups first mission was to travel deep into the Japanese-held Burmese jungle. To accomplish their mission, Merrills Marauders marched almost 1,000 miles. The unit was described as expendable, which means it was a suicide mission. A plan existed on paper to get us into Burma, but no plan existed to get us out, Lt. Gen. Sam V. Wilson, a member of Merrills Marauders, wrote in 2014. Winston Churchill, Britains prime minister at the time, described Burma as the most forbidding fighting country imaginable. Gen. George C. Marshall, then Army chief of staff, said the Burma mission was one of the most difficult of the war. Merrills Marauders achieved their final objective on May 17, 1944. They captured north Burmas only all-weather Myitkyina airstrip, defeating Japans much larger 18th Division in five major battles and 30 minor engagements. Of the almost 3,000 Merrills Marauders, only two are still alive. The oldest, who is 101, lives in Alabama. The other survivor, who is 98, lives in Pennsylvania. Millie Tedford will be presented her husbands Congressional Gold Medal on her 88th birthday. The presentation will be made at 1 p.m. at the Clarks VFW Post. A New Hampshire native, Spencer Tedford was wounded while fighting on the Khaki Combat Team, Third Battalion. He received a Purple Heart for his heroism. He was awarded the Bronze Star from Chinese leader Chaing Kai-shek. Tedford was honorably discharged in 1945, but reenlisted in 1948, and fought in the battle for the Pusan perimeter in Korea in 1950. He was again honorably discharged. Millie Tedford has had an interesting life herself. She was born in Shanghai in 1934. Her family fled from Russia during that countrys 1917 revolution. Her father died in Shanghai when she was young. One of her two brothers died during World War II. In 1950, her family was placed in a camp with 5,000 other Russian refugees on the island of Tubabao. A church in San Francisco brought Millie and her brother to California, and they were reunited with their mother four years later. Spencer and Millie met in California, where they were both working at a cannery. In 2009, they moved to Nebraska. They made their home near Grand Island and Central City, before settling in Clarks. In 2020, Congress passed the Merrills Marauder Congressional Gold Medal Act. Millie Tedford has received assistance in the Congressional Gold Medal project from her neighbor, Sharon Russell. Both women were married to veterans. They travel together to their husbands graves at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. The story of the Tedfords is included in a book called Nebraskans Remember, co-written by Barbara Micek of Fullerton, who is editor of the Nance County Journal. Earnest Jackson's mother, Brenda Jackson (in orange shirt) and supporters, lock arms in silence after the denial of Earnest Jackson's commutation. (Jazari Kual/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Without comment, the Nebraska Board of Pardons on Monday rejected the commutation request of Earnest Jackson, whose supporters filled a State Capitol hearing room. Those supporters maintain that Jackson has spent 22 years in prison for a murder he didnt commit and that he is victim of a horrible injustice. Ive never seen such disrespect, one of Jacksons supporters, Jason Witmer of Lincoln, said after the board didnt take or make comments. Even the son and girlfriend of the man killed in 1999 were supportive of Jacksons release, Witmer noted. Another man charged with Jackson confessed to the killing but was acquitted due to self-defense. During his trial, he testified that Jackson was not present during the fatal confrontation. The third person charged was acquitted because of the second mans confession. But Jacksons trial preceded the other trials, and he was found guilty without the benefit of the testimony of the other co-defendants. Jacksons attorney said the Pardons Boards rules allow it to reject commutation requests without comment. Just prior to the boards 3-0 vote, Gov. Pete Ricketts told the packed hearing room that the board can reject requests en masse and without comment based on the gravity of the facts. It took the board just over three minutes to reject Jacksons request along with requests by three other convicted felons. Jacksons attorney, Daniel Gutman of Omaha, said he was unsure what steps can be taken next earn Jacksons release from he calls a legally impossible verdict guilty of being an accomplice to a self-defense slaying. Jackson, Gutman said, is first eligible for parole in 2029. But I dont think people are going to be willing to sit back and wait until 2029, the attorney said. After court challenges have failed to free Jackson, his supporters turned to the Board of Pardons in hope they could take action to free him. Witmer said that Jackson, in a phone call to supporters before the brief Pardons Board hearing, urged his supporters not to be destructive in response to the boards decision and to remain hopeful. Its not a gray area, Witmer said of Jacksons innocence. But it is a gray area politically. That release could not be found. President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war? You voted: Arnold Toynbee once said, America is a large friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair. Im one 100% sure that Im in agreement with his thoughts on America and certainly this fits some of our politicians. But for many of our politicians, I would change friendly dog to vicious dog, for some politicians are like a vicious dog in a small room. When they open their mouth, its never truthful as that word is not in their vocabulary. How did we get to this degraded and pitiful state of being? Lying and crooked politicians brought us to this level of disgrace. We, like all free nations have always, at various times experienced disgraceful events. With human kind being in charge this can be expected, when words spoken are taken out of context and re-worded. The Cult, once the Republican Party has thrown America many spitballs. While Trump, the President that thought he was God, changed the whole body of our great nation to a situation we never experienced before. The constitution was just a piece of paper to him, rules and regulations meant nothing. To overthrow an election was just an opportunity for him to hold office that he had lost in the election. As president during the beginning of the epidemic of COVID-19, he did very little to help the cause. He was a president that encouraged the takeover of the capitol by domestic terrorists. A life was lost in this effort. He called the terrorists great Americans. (I felt like I was living in Germany in the late 30s and early 40s, when he made that statement on T.V.) Trump must be given credit, for he is a great teacher. Many congressmen in the House and Senate have followed his teachings, lying is the only way to go. Many in his cult are backing him. To hear them speak about him, I think he has convinced them that he is God. It is astonishing to me that these suckers have been attracted to Trump. Not only the politicians but so many of the Republican voters have been drawn into the web of the cult, with Trumps activities. This is the part that fascinates me, as to how they can follow one of his kind. They will only lose, for no man can replace God. Bring back the old GOP that we were familiar with and liked. Dr. Erica S. Taylor has been named the assistant superintendent for communications, business and community partnerships for Orangeburg County School District. Taylor is a 20-year education communications veteran and will be supporting Superintendent Shawn Foster and Orangeburg County School District by leading the communications and technology program of work for the district. Taylor will begin in her position on Oct. 4. Before joining OCSD, Taylor served Charleston County School District for nearly 10 years, with her most recent position being the district's chief of staff. Taylors responsibilities included but were not limited to all internal and external communications, governmental relations, partnerships, Freedom of Information requests, grants, intercultural relations, family and community engagement efforts, translation services, and provided counsel to the superintendent and district leaders. Dr. Taylors extensive experiences cover a gamut of communications, from community partnerships to fundraising, grant writing and public relations, Foster said. Additionally, her work history in public schools is impeccable and her leadership throughout the state in K-12 and post-secondary education is second to none. She also led the Charleston County School Districts 2017 Strategic Plan and the 2018 district-wide accreditation process. In addition, during the 2021-22 academic year, Taylor led the creation of two new offices -- the Office of Family and Community Engagement and the Office of Translation and Interpretation Services. Both offices enhanced and created an engagement strategy that included parents, community members, students, teachers, and business partners. Before joining CCSD, Taylor served at South Carolina State University from 2002-2012. Active in the community, Taylor is the chairperson of the board of directors for the Charleston Urban League and serves on the board of the Charleston Leadership Foundation and the board of the Lowcountry Food Bank. She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America, a Paul Harris Fellow in the historic Rotary Club of Charleston, an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. member, and a member of The Charleston (SC) Chapter of the Links Incorporated. She attends First Baptist Church on James Island. Taylor holds a doctor of education from Charleston Southern University, a master of science in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University and a bachelor of arts in professional English from South Carolina State. She also has a certificate in fundraising from the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University. She is the wife of Major Nathaniel Taylor Jr. and the mother of three children Nathaniel (Trey) III, Jaxon Evan, and Lacee Christina. 2 to 2:15 p.m. VP speaks Vice President Kamala Harris speaks: To Marching 101 Band: Thank you for doing your thing. They do not disappoint. It is an honor to join you at convocation. To freshmen: This is the beginning of a great journey for you. There is no obstacle you cannot overcome and there is no barrier you cannot break. To students: We turn to you, once again. Your nation turns to you. We need your leadership to build on an economy that works for everyone. We need your leadership on the climate crisis. Your generation has experienced the 10 hottest summers on record. We must treat the climate crisis like the climate that it is. We need architects to help us build more sustainable homes in communities. Work ongoing: This administration is investing in apprenticeship programs. Weve increased Pell Grants by $400 per student per year. This is a center of academic excellence. Weve seen great accomplishments but theres still more to do. We need to make community college free to everyone. We still need to address the epidemic of gun violence. Your vote is your voice. We need you to lead America forward. 1:50 p.m. Education secretary speaks Following musical selections from the Marching 101 Band, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cordona delivered remarks. He said the Biden administration is investing in HBCUs, which is investing in America. Students, you are leading the way; we are here to inspire you, he said. 1:15 p.m. The ceremony is underway with music. 12:45 p.m. 12:05 p.m. Watch the event live Less than a hour to go until the SC State Convocation featuring Vice President Kamala Harris will begin at 1 p.m. Here are links to watch the event live: Facebook: Youtube: 11 a.m. SC State convocation prep underway Sound checks, security scans and some rehearsal types of activities are underway at the Smith-Hamilton-Middleton Memorial Center on the campus of S.C. State University. The big event is the universitys fall convocation, scheduled for 1 p.m. This is the universitys largest freshman class in 15 years. Keynote speaker -- Vice President Kamala Harris -- has not yet arrived but security is heightened in preparation of her visit. Everyone who enters the SMH memorial center, located at 300 College St. in Orangeburg, is required to undergo TSA-style screenings by the U.S. Secret Service. The Times and Democrat is covering the vice presidents visit with stories, photos and video. Stay with us. Members of the White House Press Corps as well as local an national reporters are converging on SHM for the event. 10 a.m. Republican statement No event involving a national political leader is devoid of comment by the opposition. In advance of the vice president's visit Tuesday, the S.C. Republican Party issued the following statement: Vice President Harris has been to South Carolina more than the border (Columbia, S.C.) Vice President Kamala Harris is returning to South Carolina today, the third time she's visited the state as Vice President. Here is South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick's full statement: "Kamala Harris has been to South Carolina more times during her Vice Presidency than she has been to the southern border. Maybe this time shes just escaping the reality of the hundreds of illegal immigrants dropped off outside her residence in D.C. We already know Congressman Jim Clyburn wont be there. But what about Joe Cunningham? Will he help welcome the Vice President, one of the leaders of his party, to South Carolina? And if he wont be in attendance, why?" VP visits today U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will address South Carolina State University students and faculty at the universitys Fall Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. Because of necessary security measures and capacity limitations, attendance will be restricted to the SC State campus community and a limited number invited guests. The vice president is also holding a meeting with students at Claflin University during her visit. Harris will be accompanied in Orangeburg by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Flash Britain held a state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, the country's longest-reigning monarch, at Westminster Abbey on Monday, attended by a host of world leaders, royalty and other dignitaries. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, aged 96, at Balmoral in Scotland after a 70-year reign. Her eldest son, Charles, succeeded the throne. The funeral followed a national mourning period that began on Sept. 9, which saw hundreds of thousands of people laying flowers at royal palaces across Britain and queuing for hours to see the late Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall. "Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service ..." said David Hoyle, dean of the Westminster Abbey, who led the funeral service broadcast live. A two-minute national silence was observed in remembrance of the late Queen at the end of the state funeral. Following the service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen's coffin will be taken to Windsor Castle where she will be buried together with her husband Prince Philip, who died last year at 99. Due to staff shortages, Dutch airline KLM was forced to cancel 42 flights on Monday, including one from Schiphol to Findel airport. While both the 12.50pm and 8.55pm flights will still take place, KLM was forced to cancel the Amsterdam-Luxembourg connection at 5pm today. The series of cancellations came as a response to a demand from Schiphol airport to limit the number of departing passengers due to security staff shortages. However, the biggest Dutch airline has also noted that there are no plans to cancel any further flights. The respective statement, in which KLM expresses its disatisfaction over the request from airport management, can be found via this link. Schiphol airport recently announced plans to reduce the number of daily departing passengers by 9,250 in an attempt to ease the work load of security personnel and reduce waiting times. The 70-year-old politician has shared his intentions of leaving the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) while staying on the Bascharage municipal council as an independent. Last week, Hames drew criticisim after describing the Young Greens as "a bunch of green terrorists" and lamenting that "Europe and her culture will go down because of these good-for-nothing morons" on social media. According to reports from Letzebuerger Wort, the municipal councillor is set to hand in his formal resignation as a CSV member before the end of the week. However, Hames also intends on staying on the council as an independent. The politician will discuss his future during a press conference, to be held at 25 Rue Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City on 28 September. The respective address is the same as the office of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) parliamentary group. In conversation with our colleagues at RTL, CSV MP and co-president Claude Wiseler described Hames' statements as inappropriate and ensured that he will discuss the matter with him. At the moment, a coalition between CSV and the Greens is in charge of the Bascharage municipal council. Minister for the Environment Joelle Welfring had a discussion with members of the Parliamentary Environment Committee on Monday about the nature conservation law. "The very important nature conservation law is about preserving our livelihoods, but we will adapt some articles," the Minister explained after her meeting with the committee members. In a ruling in July, the Administrative Court held that the state's application of the law goes against the constitution. While the Environment Committee on Monday spent an hour and a half on forests, the nature conservation law was discussed for barely ten minutes. The Administrative Court's ruling on the development of a house in a green zone, which the Ministry should have allowed, according to the Court, must be accepted by the politicians. One or two articles out of 85 need to be adjusted, according to the Minister, who again assured that it was her job to push through adjustments as a priority so that nature does not suffer. After the exchange of views, the MPs and not only those from the opposition were not entirely convinced that the rights of citizens would be respected. Martine Hansen from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) had summoned the Minister to the Commission but thought that the discussion was too brief. Hansen stated that she does not see how citizens would get more rights. Before 2018, an appeal for re-determination would have been possible, which means that a judge who had overturned the decision could also have given immediate permission. "Some people did not really like that," Hansen noted, "so it was changed to an annulment appeal". The CSV MP said that she does not know whether there really is a will to change the situation at the Ministry. MP Fred Keup from the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) also regrets the lack of concrete statements. It will now take "several months," Keup bemoaned, which is "a pity" because he expected more concrete help for people living in green zones. Meanwhile, MP Max Hahn from the Democratic Party (DP) said that one should take it very seriously when things that do not make much sense are left unresolved, and this was confirmed to him in the meeting on Monday. No details have yet been provided, according to MP Cecile Hemmen from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP). A healthy balance should be found, so that those who have a property in a green zone can keep it, Hemmen argued. The committee meeting ended without further details, but the majority of MPs nevertheless seem to have confidence in the minister. The full report on RTL Tele (in Luxembourgish): A planned Casper abortion clinic will likely delay its opening until next year after an arsonist burned much of the building in May. Clinic founder Julie Burkhart had initially estimated the damage would take between four and six months to repair, which would have put the clinics opening near the end of 2022. But between a lengthy insurance process and supply chain issues, thats been pushed back. Burkhart hopes the clinic will be open and accepting patients by the end of March 2023. Unfortunately, things have been moving like molasses, which I think is just par for the course with something like this, she said Tuesday. As of this week, the Second Street building had been gutted and is awaiting reconstruction of the interior. The fire destroyed much of the buildings interior and several pieces of medical equipment that had been moved inside in anticipation of a June 1 opening. The investigation into the arson is still ongoing, said Casper police Lt. Jeff Bullard on Monday. The department is working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In June, Casper police released photos and a short video showing a suspect, likely a woman, dressed in a hoodie and surgical mask while carrying a gas can inside the clinic. Were still following leads its still a priority to identify who that suspect was, Bullard said. Bullard said the department received a lot of information after releasing images of the suspect. We dont take things like that lightly, and were definitely trying to figure out who that person is so we can bring them to justice, he said. Burkhart, the clinics founder, said she checks in on the investigation weekly and is still hopeful that investigators may find the suspect. Thats unsettling, knowing that person that started that fire is still out there, she said. Burkhart is also a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit contesting Wyomings abortion ban. For now, that suit has temporarily paused the ban and kept abortion services legal in the state. If it does go into effect, the ban would allow exceptions for pregnancies that threaten the life of the mother or that result from incest or rape. Burkhart said she would have to consult legal counsel before deciding whether to offer abortion services under those exceptions. Dr. Giovannina Anthony, another plaintiff and a provider at the only clinic currently offering abortions in Wyoming, also previously told the Star-Tribune that her office would not provide abortion services under the exceptions out of fear of prosecution. Many people hired to staff the clinic for the June opening still plan to work there once it opens, Burkhart said. Shes also gotten some interest from locals looking for medical or administrative jobs. The Wyoming Rescue Mission is suing state and federal equal employment agencies after being threatened with punishment for refusing to hire a non-Christian employee. The Rescue Mission operates a homeless shelter, meal service, recovery program and two thrift stores in the Casper area. In a federal complaint filed Tuesday, the organization alleges that the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is preventing them from hiring open positions out of fear of violating the law. The complaint comes after an applicant was not hired for a clerk position at the Rescued Treasures thrift store in 2020 after saying she was not Christian, court documents say. The organization is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a national conservative Christian coalition of lawyers. The coalition is representing the Mission pro bono, said Arizona-based senior counsel Jeremiah Galus. ADF also recently moved to join an ongoing lawsuit over Wyomings abortion ban, in an effort to present more arguments against providers who say the ban is too vague and may delay or deny prenatal care. The job applicant who lodged the initial complaint in October 2020 reportedly did not provide an interviewer the name of a church she attended or a spiritual reference, which the organization reportedly asks of all applicants. According to the complaint, the Mission hired a coreligionist, or someone with the same Christian beliefs, instead. Now, the Rescue Mission is asking a federal judge to rule that it has a constitutional right to exclusively hire Christians who share the organizations beliefs. The Wyoming Rescue Mission shouldnt have to sit idle and under threat of substantial fine and penalty and not knowing what it can and cannot do, Galus said. Job postings for the Rescue Mission state employees are required to be a person of strong faith. Federal and state policies say employers cant discriminate against potential hires on the basis of religion or creed, in the state of Wyoming. A lawyer for the Rescue Mission said that since it is a religious organization, it is exempted from those policies. But according to court filings, DWS told the Mission those exemptions only applied for ministerial employees who lead worship or conduct religious ceremonies. We consider every position ministry, I mean, its serving the Lord, Executive Director Brad Hopkins said. Theres no less value on somebody if theyre preaching a message in a pulpit or, you know, fixing a leaky plumbing issue. After being denied the job, the applicant filed a discrimination complaint with DWS and the EEOC, the federal agency that enforces fair employment laws. Following a nine month investigation, court filings say, DWS concluded that the Mission had discriminated against the applicant and perpetrated a violation of state and federal statutes. DWS also proposed that the Rescue Mission pay the applicant more than $3,000 in back pay and stop hiring on the basis of religion. When the Mission declined that arrangement, the complaint was sent to the federal agency. The EEOC, after its own investigation, also reportedly found the Mission was not covered by those exemptions and had likely discriminated against the applicant. Job postings for openings at the Rescue Mission have not been allowed on the DWS website since 2019, after the department said it would not list jobs requiring certain religious beliefs. The Mission also alleged in court filings that the investigations have also stopped them from taking disciplinary action against a current employee who openly expressed disagreement with the Missions beliefs. Hopkins said that, to his knowledge, this is the first formal complaint of religious discrimination lodged against the Mission. The Wyoming Rescue Mission is the main homeless shelter in central Wyoming. The nonprofits services are heavily influenced by its Christian values. Its addiction treatment program uses a Bible-based, 12-step curriculum, according to the Missions website. Clients take part in a series of educational courses and do volunteer work, in addition to undergoing addiction treatment, Christian counseling and case management services. Annual contributions to the organization have more than doubled in the last decade. Before 2016, the Mission was pulling in less than $2 million in donations every year, according to a nonprofit database maintained by ProPublica. Since 2017, the organization reported contributions between $3.4 million and $4.4 million annually. In August, the Mission opened a new $3.3 million center on its Casper campus for its addiction treatment program. It was the second phase of a years-long campaign to grow the organization and its services. After refusing to immediately comply last week with a Billings judges order issued from the bench, the state health department said Monday it would follow the courts direction to revert to a 2017 rule allowing transgender Montanans to update their birth certificate using a form. The department has received the courts order clarifying the preliminary injunction and despite disagreeing with it, intends to comply with its terms, spokesperson Jon Ebelt said in an email Monday. However, it was unclear when the department would have the process in place to allow people to make updates to their vital records. At least one person trying to change their document was unable to Monday afternoon. Citing the departments past actions, one of the plaintiffs in the case said late Monday they were waiting to see how the department would act. Based on the conduct of the department through the course of this litigation, we are absolutely in a place of actions speak louder than words, said Alex Rate, the legal director of ACLU of Montana. Until we see actions by the agency, its difficult to take them at their word. In a sharply written version of his Thursday bench order, Yellowstone County District Court Judge Michael Moses took the state to task Monday for what he called its demonstrably ridiculous claims of confusion over his previous order to revert to the 2017 rule. This spring Moses preliminary injunction blocked a 2021 state law that required a person to have gender-affirming surgery and petition a court to be able to change the sex marker on their birth certificate. The state held a rules hearing in June on a proposal to only allow people to update birth certificates if there was a data entry error on the original document. By Sept. 10, the state health department permanently adopted that rule. Ebelt said in the email Monday that the department stands by its actions and analysis concerning the April 2022 preliminary injunction decision, as set forth in its rulemaking that addressed critical regulatory gaps left by the court. Since the department has now received the courts clarification, it is carefully considering next steps in the litigation. In his written order, Moses rebuked the health departments actions, writing the state interpreted his order as allowing them to have carte blanche to enact whatever regulations they want. Moses order rejected the argument by the state that his initial injunction left no regulatory process for changing ones sex on a birth certificate and that the order put DPHHS in an uncertain regulatory situation. Indeed, the court finds these claims are demonstrably ridiculous, Moses wrote. He also attached the 2017 rule to his written order to make his directions plainly clear. The court attaches, as Exhibit A, the 2017 DPHHS regulations that defendants will return to, for clarity for defendants, and to avoid any future claims of confusion, Moses wrote. If defendants require further clarification, they are welcome to request it from the court rather than engage in activities that constitute unlawful violations of the order. Moses in his Monday order did not issue any contempt findings against the state, but did say motions for contempt based on continued violations of the order will be promptly considered. Ebelt did not provide a timeline for when the state would start using the 2017 rule again to update birth certificates. On Monday after Moses released the written version of his order and before Ebelt said the department would comply with it Shawn Reagor, the director of equality and economic justice with the Montana Human Rights Network, called the state Department of Public Health and Human Services Office of Vital Records seeking to update his birth certificate. Reagor was told his call would be sent to the person that handled those requests. He was then directed to the departments public information office, where he left a message that had not been returned by Monday evening. After the departments statement saying it would comply with the order was released, Reagor was in the Office of Vital Records in Helena but was told his birth certificate could not be updated and that he needed to speak with Ebelt. Reagor also said he spoke with the departments chief legal counsel Monday afternoon, who told him the department was still analyzing the ruling. Reagor said he would next try the departments director, followed by Gov. Greg Gianfortes office. The court makes it very clear they need to be making changes now, but I keep being sent to someone who will not call me back and refuses to make changes, Reagor said in a text message Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Reagor said the administration is continuing to attack the trans community and continuing to try and make it difficult for trans people to live in this state. In a statement Monday, Gianfortes office said The governor has the utmost confidence in DPHHS and the Montana Department of Justice as they carefully consider and take next steps. Rate said he was frustrated with how long it has taken since Moses Thursday bench order for the state health department to comply. He added the plaintiffs will be actively monitoring what the department does next. The department knows how to implement that order because they did so without incident for years, so it should take no time at all for them to revert and begin processing applications, Rate said. I have a 10-year-old. Sometimes it takes two or three reminders for my 10-year-old to do what they (were told to). In my legal experience, I have never seen a defendant, much less a sophisticated state agency, require not one, not two, but three clear court orders to do what they are legally obligated to do. Moses order is part of a lawsuit filed last year where the ACLU of Montana sued the state on behalf of two transgender Montanans over the 2021 law passed by GOP state legislators. The lawsuit is on behalf of Amelia Marquez, a Billings resident, and a trans man identified as John Doe in court proceedings. It is against the state of Montana; Gov. Greg Gianforte; the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, which handles birth certificates; and department Director Adam Meier. Meier has since left the position and was replaced by Charlie Brereton. CHEYENNE The unexpected closure of a military-like academy for Wyoming high schoolers in Guernsey drew concern and sadness, sentiments that were universally expressed among all of the stakeholders who reacted to the disclosure. Some thought the news emerged in a disorganized fashion. Parents can pick up their kids, as in-person teaching is winding down this month. The youth can go to other states similar programs, or they can participate remotely in academics, through their current term that lasts a few more months. I think most of the parents will agree that they need to go to one of these programs in other states, including Nevada, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Pritchett of the current crop of cadets. We want to make sure that the cadets maintain their academic goals, even after the residential portion closes, Pritchett, who helps to oversee WCCA, among other duties, said later in the interview. Right now, its just a very rapidly evolving situation. On Wednesday night, following the Wyoming Tribune Eagles inquiries, the Wyoming Military Department confirmed the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy would shut down at least for now. In the news release and in Thursday interviews, officials cited difficulties staffing WCCA, even with an infusion of help by way of military volunteers. The academy could reopen, perhaps in 2025, and in a more urban area of the state and in other facilities that could be repurposed for WCCA. In interviews and email exchanges, all stakeholders agreed the academy was a big help to the thousand-plus cadets it educated over close to two decades. They said it assisted the teenagers, some from fraught family situations and who struggled in traditional high schools, with completing their high school education. The regimentation the attendees aged 16-18 found at WCCA was said to have gotten them on the right track, and they learned life and other skills, too. Among the many things that are taught during the approximately five-and-a-half-month residential portion of the program are skills participants need to hold a job, along with what Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, described as life and coping skills. Hygiene, health and physical fitness are also taught, along with leadership, added Pappas. He said WCCA has taught what is known as cowboy ethics, an ethos that stresses personal action and responsibility. The lawmaker, who is a retired brigadier general, was previously a mentor to a WCCA attendee whose family he knew. When he was commander of the Wyoming Air Guard, he got to know the program firsthand. It really is a boon to the nontraditional type of student who has had some type of issues in their lives, Pappas said. At the time we stood it up, it was difficult finding staff to go to a location like Guernsey and live there. If it was in another location, Cheyenne or Casper or some other location, it might not be so bad to be able to attract folks. Other officials made similar statements. Although Pritchett said its way too soon to make any concrete predictions, he, too, mentioned hypothetically Cheyenne and Casper as the type of places where WCCA might be able to draw a sufficient number of staff. I am very sad to see that we had to curtail it for a little while, Pappas said of the program. I have seen it change these kids lives. He recalled of cadets that they gain confidence, they look you in the eye, it changes their lives afterward. Other legislators also want to see WCCA reopen. They voiced hope it may eventually be possible. They noted that funding wasnt the problem; finding employees who were a good match and would stay was the hurdle. Amy Behrens is among the fans of WCCA who reacted to its post on its Facebook page Thursday announcing the closure. She said her son attended in 2020, graduating late because the class was paused during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the WTE found Behrens based on her Facebook comments, additional parents, mentors and others themselves reached out to express their dismay about the new development. I have recommended it multiple times because I do not know where he would be now without it, Behrens said of her son, speaking by phone. He would not have a high school diploma now, I guarantee that. Although the family lives in Geneva, Nebraska, they sent their child to Guernsey. He enjoyed the program and benefited from the mentorship that followed, Behrens recalled. Officials said such mentorship includes several substantive conversations over the course of the roughly yearlong mentoring period. Behrens said her sons mentor would call, as would others from WCCA, and he keeps in touch with fellow cadets. Her son has since moved out of the family home and supports himself by working full time, she said. I was so shocked at the news of the impending wind-down, Behrens said. I know the whole world is feeling short staffed. Still, she continued, it just blows my mind that they are going to take that away. If the academy is going to close, thats fine, but just finish out the current cadet residential program term, she said. The chairs of the Legislatures committees dealing with military affairs said they were concerned by the shutdown, in statements responding to the WTEs query. Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, wrote that his main concern is for the cadets and their families. I have been assured that the Military Department is doing everything they can on that front. WCCA has served us well and provided a lifeline for students in need of a second chance or simply need a more structured environment, he continued. It is important, from a policy standpoint, that we visit about what it will take to stand the academy back up. Rep. Don Burkhart, R-Rawlins, said the closure is a matter of serious concern to me.The safety and security of the cadets is the main concern, and that requires adequate staffing levels. The Wyoming Military Department is working on resolving the staffing issues and hopefully the Academy can reopen in the future. LEGAL MINDS: Attorney General Reginald Armour, from left, with president of the Industrial Court Deborah Thomas-Felix and Chief Justice Ivor Archie at a special sitting of the Industrial Court for the opening of its 2022-2023 law term at the Industrial Court Building in Port of Spain yesterday. Photo: ISHMAEL SALANDY You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada on Monday, during which both sides agreed to seize the opportunity presented by the one-year anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries and take the bilateral ties to a new level. Meeting his Nicaraguan counterpart on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have drawn a blueprint for the bilateral relations since the two sides resumed diplomatic ties in December last year, which has led to rapid development in the bilateral relations where fruitful early harvests have been achieved. It is a proven fact that restoring diplomatic ties is in complete accord with the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, Wang said. China, Wang said, is firmly committed to developing ties with Nicaragua and supporting Nicaragua's effort to defend its sovereignty, independence and national dignity. Noting that Nicaragua's independent choice of development path has the full backing from China, Wang said China will continue to uphold justice on issues related to Nicaragua. Wang said China appreciates Nicaragua for its unwavering support for the one-China principle, believing that Nicaragua will continue to support China's just stance on issues related to China's core interests. The Chinese side, Wang told Moncada, is willing to strengthen cooperation with Nicaragua regarding jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and synergizing the two countries' respective development strategies. It is expected that political mutual trust between the two countries could translate into momentum for comprehensive cooperation, he added. Noting that the arrangement for "early harvests" under a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) has been signed by the two sides, Wang expressed the hope that consensus will be reached as soon as possible on a comprehensive FTA, of which the negotiation process has already been initiated. Wang added that China will continue to lend support to Nicaragua in the Central American country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Wang also told Moncada that the Communist Party of China (CPC) will hold its 20th National Congress next month, adding that the CPC and Nicaragua's ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front have similar governing ideas, and the CPC looks forward to enhancing exchanges of experience in state governance between the two parties. Moncada, for his part, said the Nicaraguan side treasures its brotherly friendship with China, and will continue to abide by the one-China principle and firmly support China in its defense of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nicaragua wishes the 20th CPC National Congress a full success. Moncada said Nicaragua is pleased to see the signing of the arrangement for "early harvests" under the bilateral FTA, and is looking forward to the further enhancement of experience exchanges on state governance between the two parties and two countries. Nicaragua is willing to deepen cooperation in various fields and develop a sound bilateral relationship with China. Moncada also stressed the utmost importance of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi, adding that the Nicaraguan side fully supports and is ready to participate in the initiatives, practice multilateralism and contribute to world peace, security and development. PRIME MINISTER, Dr Keith Rowley came out swinging on Friday night addressing a captive audience at the Mt Hope/Mt Lambert community centre as he responded to the Oppositions, bad news and bile, critique of the 2022-2023 budget. Flash Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday talked over phone with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on bilateral ties. In the phone call, Li said China and Vietnam are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong communicate frequently, strongly promoting the development of bilateral relations. He said the Chinese side is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the Vietnamese side and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields. This will not only benefit peoples of the two countries, but also be conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability, to boosting common development and prosperity. Li said that at present, the world economic recovery is sluggish, and various uncertainties and complex factors are intertwined. Affected by unexpected factors, the Chinese economy is withstanding downward pressure, making efforts to stabilize employment and prices and keeping major economic indicators within an appropriate range and showing an overall recovery trend. Li said that China is glad to see the steady growth of Vietnam's economy, which is conducive to the stability of the industrial and supply chains in East Asia. He added that China is ready to work with Vietnam to give full play to the complementary advantages of their industries, expand economic and trade cooperation, ensure smooth customs clearance at border crossings, import more marketable high-quality agricultural products from Vietnam, welcome Vietnamese students who are willing to go back to China on the premise of good epidemic prevention and increase direct flights between the two countries. Li stressed that peace and stability in the South China Sea are in the common interests of all parties. The Chinese side, Li said, is ready to work with ASEAN countries to take the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as an opportunity to strive for an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by giving full play to the wisdom of all parties, focusing on the overall interests, promoting cooperation and managing differences, so as to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. For his part, the Vietnamese prime minister said that consolidating and developing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. The Vietnamese side stands ready to maintain regular high-level exchanges with the Chinese side, strengthen strategic coordination, properly handle differences, and continuously deepen biliteral cooperation in such key fields as investment and trade, customs clearance, culture and people-to-people exchanges, so as to bring more positive results to biliteral relations, he said. Chinese State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Xiao Jie attended the event. Arizona ports of entry saw the highest amount of fentanyl seized in August and more than at the rest of the U.S. border with Mexico plus the border with Canada. Customs officers at Arizona ports seized more than 1,300 pounds of fentanyl in August, according to Customs and Border Protection data released Monday. The August amount was more than twice as high as Julys, which was also a record-setter and more than twice as high as in most previous months. Away from the ports, seizures are made by Border Patrol agents and at ports theyre made by Customs officers. Customs officers at Arizona ports in August seized more fentanyl than all other officers and agents throughout the countrys border regions combined, which had a total of 975 pounds of fentanyl seizures in August. The Nogales port of entry is the main place Arizona seizures are made. By the end of July, Nogales port seizures had exceeded 5 million fentanyl pills this fiscal year. There have been many more seized since then, including 1.57 million fentanyl pills over one weekend in August, about 400,000 fentanyl pills over last weekend of which about 30,000 were rainbow colored like candy; and about 36,800 fentanyl pills and 4.85 pounds of fentanyl powder found in the gas tank of a vehicle in Nogales on Monday. Border Patrol seizures of fentanyl in Arizona also set records in August. The Border Patrol seized 207 pounds in the state. While thats much less than at the ports, it is still substantially higher than any other month on record, with the closest being 150 pounds in October 2021. Like at the ports, individual seizures are getting larger. We continue to see a rising number of seizures of fentanyl over time ... but we really cant comment as to why there is an increased flow, said Customs and Border Protection spokesman John Mennell. CBP officers and agents make the seizures as people attempt to smuggle the drugs across the border, but agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigate where the drugs originate from. The main states for fentanyl smuggling are Arizona and California. Typically, ports on the southern border in California see higher amounts. In July, the San Diego Customs officers had a record amount of seizures at 1,121 pounds. But as the amount skyrocketed in Arizona, it fell in San Diego to only 368 pounds seized at ports in August. Just because Arizona surpassed Southern California for one month doesnt mean that is a trend, but it is something law enforcement is monitoring, said Scott Brown, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix special agent in charge. California saw more personal-use seizures while Arizona saw more bulk-quantity smuggling. Despite the large increase in the amount of fentanyl seized, the number of seizure events at Arizona ports in July and August was identical, which was because of a few very large seizures, Brown said. Hopefully, those seizures will convince them that maybe smuggling in that kind of quantity is a risk to their business model, he said. The main reason fentanyl numbers are so high in Arizona is because the Sinaloa Cartel, in Sonora, is the primary producer of the synthetic opioid. The cartel also has a significant footprint south of San Diego, Brown said. As they consolidate that power, which is something theyre always striving to do, were going to see increased fentanyl coming into our state, Brown said. While this fentanyl is entering the U.S. in Arizona, it is intended to go throughout the country. Transnational criminal organizations have moved toward fentanyl as the demand for it in the U.S. has grown. Part of the increase in demand is due to the fact that regular fentanyl users develop a tolerance and need to take larger quantities to get the same high, Brown said. So now were getting to the point where we have people addicted to fentanyl, who are having to take more and more, and certainly the cartels are willing to supply more and more to meet that demand, he said. Along with the increase in amounts, there is also a higher purity, which increases the risk of overdoses, he said. There were nearly 81,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. involving opioids in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a 15% increase over 2020. Here in Pima County, opioids in general, including fentanyl, contributed to at least 71% of the 498 overdose deaths during the 2021 calendar year, the county health department said. Aside from what law enforcement agencies do to intercede drugs coming into the country, there also needs to be a strong effort at making sure there are treatment options for those who have become addicted, Brown said. We are trying to make sure there are treatment resources out there, he said. Again, like many things, theres a problem where law enforcement plays a piece of it, but its not a problem that were going to arrest our way out of or seize our way out of alone. PHOENIX The states chief election officer told a federal judge there is merit to claims that two new laws could interfere with the rights of some people to register and vote. In new court filings, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said she is not taking an official position in the lawsuit filed against her and Attorney General Mark Brnovich by the Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity Coalition, which seeks to block the new laws. But Hobbs told U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton there are definite harms that can occur if the judge allows the laws to take effect as scheduled on Saturday. At the very least, Hobbs said, the two laws are unnecessary. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Arizona that threatens election integrity or impacts election results, Hobbs, a Democrat who is running for governor in November against Republican Kari Lake, said in the court filing. Hobbs said the challenged provisions in the law do not advance any legitimate regulatory interest in ensuring free, fair, and secure elections, furthering the orderly and efficient administration of elections, or preventing fraud in elections. But her admissions in the legal documents come even as Brnovich is asking Bolton to dismiss the entire lawsuit. The Republican attorney general is telling the judge that only election regulations imposing a severe burden are subject to strict scrutiny by federal courts. These laws, Brnovich argued, do not, meaning they must be upheld if they serve a legitimate purpose. He said thats clearly the case here. The dignity and very concept of citizenship are diluted if noncitizens are allowed to vote, Brnovich said. He argued that the information the new laws demand facilitates ascertaining if a registrant is a U.S. citizen. The two measures were approved earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Legislature. HB 2492 is designed to require proof of citizenship from anyone who registers to vote. That is largely aimed at the approximately 12,000 people who registered using a special federal form. Unlike the state form, it does not require citizenship proof. But those who use the form are entitled to vote only for federal candidates including president and members of Congress. Under HB 2492, however, presidential votes by those using the federal form would not be counted. It isnt just the coalition challenging the law. At least five other lawsuits have been filed, including one by the U.S. Department of Justice, which contends Arizona has no legal right to demand proof of citizenship from those who use a federal voter registration form to vote in federal elections. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who heads the agencys civil rights division, said that runs afoul of the National Voter Registration Act, which permits those who use the federal form to cast ballots for those running for federal offices. Hobbs said that, as chief elections officer, she agrees that the citizenship proof requirement conflicts with the federal law. She said she is also concerned that the measure requires county recorders to cancel registrations when they receive and confirm information the person is not a citizen. HB 2492 does not specify what information establishes a voter is not a United States citizen currently, the Hobbs filing reads. HB 2492 may subject individuals to investigation and prosecution based on certain citizenship information derived from potentially outdated and unreliable sources. Hobbs told Bolton that HB 2492 does not provide notice to a voter before his or her right to vote for president is canceled. Similar problems exist, she said, with HB 2243, the other challenged law. That measure requires county recorders to cancel someones registration after obtaining information and confirming the person is not a citizen. And if the person does not respond within 35 days, his or her name would be forwarded to prosecutors. The problem, said Hobbs in her new filing, is that the legislation will subject voters to investigation by the attorney general based on potentially unreliable and outdated U.S. citizenship data. She also told the judge theres no legitimate reason for some of the new requirements. One spells out that people registering must provide a place of birth. Brnovich said that, along with proof of citizenship and proof of residency, helps election officials verify the eligibility of would-be voters. Hobbs disagreed. A voters place of birth is immaterial to a voters qualifications to register and vote, she said. Bolton is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday, Sept. 22. Fiona dumps more rain on Puerto Rico; troops rescue hundreds SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Hurricane Fiona unleashed more rain on Puerto Rico on Monday, a day after the storm knocked out power and water to most of the island, and National Guard troops rescued hundreds of people who got stranded. The governor warned that it could take days to get the lights back on. The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island are still covered by blue tarps. The storm stripped pavement from roads, tore off roofs and sent torrents pouring into homes. It also took out a bridge and flooded two airports. Authorities reported two deaths from the hurricane a Puerto Rican man who was swept away by a flooded river and a person in the Dominican Republic who was hit by a falling tree. Queen Elizabeth II mourned by Britain and world at funeral LONDON (AP) The United Kingdom and the world bade farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers and crowds in the streets of London and at Windsor Castle to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age. In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchills was filled with spectacle: Before the service, a bell tolled 96 times once a minute for each year of Elizabeth's life. Then, 142 Royal Navy sailors used ropes to draw the gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey, where pallbearers carried it inside and about 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers gathered to mourn. The trappings of state and monarchy abounded: The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard and atop it was the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereigns orb and scepter. But the personal was also present: The coffin was followed into the church by generations of Elizabeths descendants, including King Charles III, heir to the throne Prince William and 9-year-old George, who is second in line. On a wreath atop the coffin, a handwritten note read, In loving and devoted memory, and was signed Charles R for Rex, or king. Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer, the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told the mourners. Serial case: Adnan Syed released, conviction tossed BALTIMORE (AP) A Baltimore judge on Monday ordered the release of Adnan Syed after overturning Syeds conviction for the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial, a true-crime series that transfixed listeners and revolutionized the genre. At the behest of prosecutors who had uncovered new evidence, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered that Syeds conviction be vacated as she approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars. There were gasps and applause in the crowded courtroom as the judge announced her decision. Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syeds defense. She ordered Syed to be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring. The judge also said the state must decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days. All right Mr. Syed, youre free to join your family, Phinn said as the hearing ended. Minutes later, Syed emerged from the courthouse and flashed a smile as he was shepherded to a waiting SUV through a sea of cameras and a cheering crowd of supporters. Ukraine warns of 'nuclear terrorism' after strike near plant KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Russian missile blasted a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Monday, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting its three reactors. Ukrainian authorities denounced the move as an act of nuclear terrorism. The missile struck within 300 meters (328 yards) of the reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, leaving a hole 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) deep and 4 meters (13 feet) wide, according to Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom. The reactors were operating normally and no employees were injured, it said. But the proximity of the strike renewed fears that Russia's nearly 7-month-long war in Ukraine might produce a radiation disaster. This nuclear power station is Ukraines second-largest after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has repeatedly come under fire. Following recent battlefield setbacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Throughout the war, Russia has targeted Ukraines electricity generation and transmission equipment, causing blackouts and endangering the safety systems of the country's nuclear power plants. On sidelines of UN, a push for China's abuses to be punished NEW YORK (AP) The United Nations will be judged by how it addresses Chinas persecution of ethnic minorities, diplomats and human rights advocates charged Monday on the sidelines of the bodys General Assembly, calling for forceful action after a report raised the specter of crimes against humanity. For years, rights watchdogs and journalists have exposed brutal treatment of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the far western region of Xinjiang, where China is accused of a ruthless campaign of torture, sexual assault and ethnic cleansing. Those accusations have been widely accepted in the West, but were given a new imprimatur with the landmark report released last month by the U.N. human rights office. Inaction is no longer possible, Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations special rapporteur on minority rights said at a forum sponsored by the Atlantic Council and Human Rights Watch as world leaders descend on New York. If we allow this to go unpunished, what kind of message is being propagated? Jeffrey Prescott, a deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, suggested the integrity of the institution was at stake in its response to China. How these atrocities are addressed goes ultimately to the credibility of that system, to the credibility of our international system itself, he said. Its deeply disheartening to see a country that has been so central to the creation of the modern U.N. system, and enjoys its status as a permanent member of the Security Council, so profoundly violating its commitments. Strong earthquake shakes Mexicos Pacific coast; 1 killed MEXICO CITY (AP) A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Mexico's central Pacific coast on Monday, killing at least one person and setting off a seismic alarm in the rattled capital on the anniversary of two earlier devastating quakes. There were at least some early reports of damage to buildings from the quake, which hit at 1:05 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey, which had initially put the magnitude at 7.5. It said the quake was centered 37 kilometers (23 miles) southeast of Aquila near the boundary of Colima and Michoacan states and at a depth of 15.1 kilometers (9.4 miles). President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said via Twitter that the secretary of the navy told him one person was killed in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima when a wall at a mall collapsed. In Coalcoman, Michoacan, near the quake's epicenter, buildings were damaged, but there were not immediate reports of injuries. US court awards $73 million for Venezuelan opponent's death MIAMI (AP) A federal judge in Miami has awarded $73 million in damages to the family of a prominent opponent of Venezuela's socialist government who died while in custody in what he described as a murder for hire carried out by a criminal enterprise led by President Nicolas Maduro. Fernando Alban was arrested in 2018 upon arrival to the international airport in Caracas from New York, where he was part of a delegation that had denounced Maduro's government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He died three days later in what authorities initially described as a suicide jump from the 10th floor of a building belonging to Venezuela's intelligence services. Alban's death provoked international outrage and condemnation from the U.S. Last year, his widow and two children sued Maduro and several high-ranking members of his government for carrying out the kidnapping, torture and murder of the one-time Caracas councilman. The family accused the men of belonging to the Cartel of the Suns, a purported drug-smuggling ring involving top Venezuelan officials and guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia a designated terrorist group that allegedly sends 200 metric tons of cocaine from Venezuela into the U.S. each year. Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a default judgment against the cartel for failing to respond to the lawsuit in a previously unreported ruling last week. In it, the court found that what it calls the Maduro criminal enterprise is liable for federal racketeering offenses in Alban's death because its entire purpose is to "exercise unlawful authoritarian control over Venezuela" through narcotics trafficking, acts of terrorism and human rights violations. US contractor freed by Taliban in swap for drug trafficker WASHINGTON (AP) An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years has been released in exchange for a convicted Taliban drug lord jailed in the United States, the White House said Monday, announcing a rare success in U.S.-Taliban talks since the militant group took power a little more than a year ago Mark Frerichs, a Navy veteran who had spent more than a decade in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor, was abducted in January 2020 and is believed to have been held since then by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network. He was traded for Bashir Noorzai, a Taliban associate convicted in a heroin trafficking conspiracy who had spent 17 years behind bars before his release Monday. The exchange is one of the most significant prisoner swaps to take place under the Biden administration, coming five months after a deal with Russia that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed. Though his case has received less public attention than those of some other Americans held abroad, including WNBA star Brittney Griner and corporate security executive Paul Whelan who are both held in Russia and whose relatives met with President Joe Biden on Friday U.S. officials said the deal for Frerichs was the result of months of quiet negotiations. Those discussions gained new momentum in June when Biden agreed to grant Noorzai relief from his life sentence, setting the stage for what one administration official described as a very narrow window of opportunity this month" to complete the deal. Biden said in a statement released by the White House, Bringing the negotiations that led to Marks freedom to a successful resolution required difficult decisions, which I did not take lightly." Storm damages space center in Japan, 130K still lack power TOKYO (AP) A tropical storm that dumped heavy rain as it cut across Japan moved into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday after killing two and injuring more than 100, paralyzing traffic and leaving thousands of homes without power. New damage was reported in southern Japan, where Typhoon Nanmadol hit over the weekend before weakening as it moved north. On Tanegashima island, south of Kyushu island, a wall was damaged at a Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agencys space center, the Economy and Industry Ministry said. The extent of damage to the building used for rocket assembly was being assessed. Two deaths were reported in Miyazaki prefecture on Japans southern main island of Kyushu on Monday, when the storm was more powerful, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. One was a man was found in a car sunk in a flooded farm in Miyakonojo town, and another was found underneath a landslide in Mimata. One person was missing in the western prefecture of Hiroshima, and 115 others were injured across western Japan, the agency said. Most of injuries were minor, with people falling down in the rainstorm, hit by shards of broken windows or flying objects. 'Out of control' STD situation prompts call for changes NEW YORK (AP) Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year are prompting U.S. health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. It is imperative that we ... work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the U.S., said Dr. Leandro Mena of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a speech Monday at a medical conference on sexually transmitted diseases. Infections rates for some STDs, including gonorrhea and syphilis, have been rising for years. Last year the rate of syphilis cases reached its highest since 1991 and the total number of cases hit its highest since 1948. HIV cases are also on the rise, up 16% last year. And an international outbreak of monkeypox, which is being spread mainly between men who have sex with other men, has further highlighted the nation's worsening problem with diseases spread mostly through sex. David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, called the situation out of control. Fiona dumps more rain on Puerto Rico; troops rescue hundreds SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Hurricane Fiona is dumping more rain on Puerto Rico. The deluge comes a day after the storm knocked out power and water to most of the island. National Guard troops have rescued hundreds of people who got stranded. The governor warned that it could take days to get the lights back on. The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island are still covered by blue tarps. Queen Elizabeth II mourned by Britain and world at funeral LONDON (AP) Britain and the world said farewell to Queen Elizabeth II with pomp and pageantry. Crowds massed in the streets of London and at Windsor Castle to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an era. The first state funeral since Winston Churchills drew world leaders and other royalty. Before the service, a bell tolled 96 times for each year of Elizabeths life. Royal Navy sailors pulled a gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey before pallbearers carried it inside. Atop the coffin was a handwritten note from King Charles III. After a committal service at a chapel in Windsor Castle, the coffin was lowered into the royal vault. Serial case: Adnan Syed released, conviction tossed BALTIMORE (AP) A Baltimore judge has ordered the release of Adnan Syed after overturning Syeds conviction for a 1999 murder that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial. Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn on Monday ordered that Syeds conviction be vacated and she approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars. Syed has always maintained that he never killed his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. The case received widespread attention in 2014 when Serial focused on Lees killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used. Last week, prosecutors filed a motion saying a lengthy investigation had uncovered new evidence that could undermine Syed's conviction. Ukraine warns of 'nuclear terrorism' after strike near plant KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Russian missile has blasted a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting its three reactors. Ukrainian authorities denounced Monday's attack as an act of nuclear terrorism." Ukraine's nuclear operator said the missile struck within 300 meters (328 yards) of reactors at South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The strike followed warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin of possible stepped-up attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure after his forces suffered humiliating battlefield setbacks. It also renewed fears of a possible radioactive disaster in the near seven-month war. One Western analyst said the Russian military was apparently trying to knock Ukrainian nuclear plants offline before winter sets in. On sidelines of UN, a push for China's abuses to be punished NEW YORK (AP) Diplomats and human rights advocates speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly are calling for forceful action on China's alleged persecution of ethnic minorities. Abuses in the far western region of Xinjiang have been exposed for years by watchdogs and journalists, but were given a new imprimatur with a report released by the U.N.'s human rights office last month detailing a ruthless campaign of torture and ethnic cleansing. Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations special rapporteur on minority rights, said Monday that inaction is no longer possible and if we allow this to go unpunished what kind of message is being propagated? China has called the report a patchwork of false information." Strong earthquake shakes Mexicos Pacific coast; 1 killed MEXICO CITY (AP) A magnitude 7.6 earthquake has shaken Mexicos central Pacific coast, killing at least one person and setting off an earthquake alarm in the capital. The quake hit at 1:05 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey. And it caused at least some damage near the epicenter Alarms for the new quake came less than an hour after a quake alarms warbled in a nationwide earthquake simulation marking major quakes that struck on the same date in 1985 and 2017. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the secretary of the navy told him one person was killed in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima. US contractor freed by Taliban in swap for drug trafficker WASHINGTON (AP) An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years by the Taliban has been released. The White House and family members said Monday his release came in an exchange for a convicted Taliban drug lord jailed in the United States. Mark Frerichs, a Navy veteran who spent more than a decade in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor, was abducted in January 2020 and is believed to have been held since then by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network. Negotiations for his release centered on a deal that also included the release of Bashir Noorzai, a notorious drug lord and member of the Taliban. Witnesses: Myanmar air attack kills 13, including 7 children BANGKOK (AP) A school administrator says government helicopters have attacked a school and village in Myanmar, killing at least 13 people including seven children. The number of children killed in the government attack last Friday in Sagaing region appears to be the highest since the army seized power in February 2021. The armys takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide. The military and police responded with deadly force, resulting in the spread of armed resistance in the cities and countryside. The fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where several military offensives have displaced more than half a million people, according to UNICEF. 'Out of control' STD situation prompts call for changes NEW YORK (AP) Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases are prompting U.S. health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. Infections rates for some STDs, including gonorrhea and syphilis, have been rising for years. But recently released statistics show that that last year the rate of infectious syphilis cases reached its highest since 1991 and the total number of cases rose 26% to hit its highest since 1948. Experts are calling for reducing stigma, broadening screening and treatment services, and supporting the development and accessibility of at-home testing Diggs scores 3 TDs for Bills in 41-7 rout of Titans ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes, including three to Stefon Diggs, and the Buffalo Bills rolled past Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans 41-7 in their home opener. The Bills followed a season-opening 31-10 rout of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams by throttling an opponent that has been their nemesis in each of the past two seasons. Fullback Reggie Gilliam and linebacker Matt Milano, with a 43-yard interception return, also scored touchdowns for Buffalo. Buffalo's defense limited Tennessee to 182 yards of offense and 12 first downs, while registering two sacks and forcing four turnovers. The Titans fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2012. CHICAGO (AP) A Chicago state senator was indicted Tuesday on federal charges that he sought a bribe to oppose legislation that would have required a statewide evaluation of red-light camera systems. Sen. Emil Jones III, the latest public official implicated in the bribery scheme, also was charged with lying to the FBI, prosecutors said. Prosecutors allege that Jones, a South Side Democrat, told an individual with an interest in the camera system operator SafeSpeed that he would protect it from legislation in the General Assembly in exchange for $5,000 and a job for an unnamed associate. Prosecutors did not name the red-light camera company, but SafeSpeed issued a statement Tuesday indicating that a former associate was involved. As new developments in federal investigations come to light, SafeSpeed remains both shocked and saddened that one of its former colleagues was engaged in criminal conduct, the company said. Neither SafeSpeed nor its current owners have been charged with any wrongdoing. WASHINGTON More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. What I want to be really clear about is the books are a pretext, Ashley Hope Perez, an author of a banned book, said. (Book banning) is a proxy war on students who share the marginalized identities of the authors and characters in the books under attack. In 2015, Perez wrote Out of Darkness, a young adult romance about a Mexican American girl and an African American boy set in the 1930s, but the book was banned from school districts last year. The states with the most incidents of banning are Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, according to an updated report released Monday by PEN America, a group that is dedicated to fighting book bans and advocates for the First Amendment. Overall, there were 2,532 incidents of banning across the United States. [T]he scope of such censorship has expanded drastically and in unprecedented fashion since the beginning of the 202122 school year, the report found. In total, there are 1,648 unique book titles that were banned in 2021-2022. PEN previously published a report in April that found 1,586 instances of individual books banned, affecting 1,145 titles, in 86 school districts across 26 states. Groups demand bans The new report found that 50 groups at the state, national and local level, with as many as 300 chapters, have played a role in at least half of the book bans enacted across the country during the 202122 school year. Of those groups, 73% were formed in 2021, according to the report. Those who are advocating on this issue are within their rights, their freedom of assembly, mobilization, using their voices, and thats perfectly appropriate, Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America, said during a press briefing with reporters Monday. But when the end goal is censorship, as a free expression organization, its our obligation to call that out and to point out that even the use of legitimate tactics of expression can sometimes lead to a spurious and speech-defeating result, she said. Some of the states with book bans, according to the PEN report, include Idaho, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota and New Jersey, among others. The unprecedented flood of book bans in the 202122 school year reflects the increasing organization of groups involved in advocating for such bans, the increased involvement of state officials in book-banning debates, and the introduction of new laws and policies, according to the report. More often than not, current challenges to books originate not from concerned parents acting individually but from political and advocacy groups working in concert to achieve the goal of limiting what books students can access and read in public schools. Book Ban Week The report was released in connection with Book Ban Week, an annual campaign by the American Library Association and Amnesty International to celebrate the freedom to read and to push back against censorship. The ALA also released its own report that found from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 of this year, there were 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, and 1,651 unique titles were targeted. Some of those groups that have challenged school boards include Moms for Liberty, an organization formed in 2021 that has strong GOP ties and local chapters that target local school board meetings, school board members, administrators, and teachers to push right-wing policies, as reported by Media Matters. Moms for Liberty has about 200 local chapters across 37 states. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a Moms for Liberty convention in the summer, where he touted parental rights, and praised the group for its efforts to get books banned from public schools. In Florida, there are 566 books that are banned, according to the report by PEN. Republican lawmakers at the state level are also joining the movement to ban books from public schools and libraries. Nossel said this idea of parental rights is sort of the rubric that gets used to promote these movements. She said its beneficial for parents to be involved in their childrens education, but that is not what this is about when parents are mobilized in an orchestrated campaign to intimidate teachers and librarians to dictate (to) them certain books be pulled off shelves even before theyve been read or reviewed. The trends are very clear that this is a targeted effort, said Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America and lead writer of the report. Friedman said that book bans occurred in 138 school districts, representing 5,049 schools, across 32 states. He added that the bans affect nearly 4 million students. Overwhelmingly we are seeing people Google what books have LGBTQ content whatsoever. Even just a book that has an illustration of a same-sex interracial couple gets thrown onto one of these lists and ends up banned in some districts, he said during the press call. PEN found that 41%, or 74 of the 1,648 unique titles that addressed LGBTQ+ themes or featured main or secondary characters who are LGBTQ+, were banned. Bans tied to sense of power Cheryl Lewis Hudson, an author and publisher specializing in childrens books celebrating Black culture and Black history, said that book bans are about power and that they are nothing new. She said the trend of book bans is not only censorship, but erasure of marginalized communities. We can recall historically that in the United States, enslaved persons were prohibited by law from learning to read or write, and slave masters really understood that this special control of slaves was a sense of powerif you couldnt control slaves bodies, you could control their minds by denying them access (to knowledge, she said. Hudson said Jim Crow laws prevented her from accessing public libraries, and she was not able to get her first library card until she was 13. She added that the segregated school she attended did not have a library for students. So banned books is not new, nor is the access to knowledge, and the data that PEN is providing reveals really alarming trends in terms of access to ideas, she said. She and her husband founded a publishing company that published more than 50 books featuring Black historical figures and culture. Hudson said the common theme in books that are being banned is not the content of the books, but because the authors of those books are African American, the contributors of those books are from multicultural or non-white backgrounds. PEN found that 40%, or 659 of 1,648 unique titles, that were banned had main or secondary characters of color, and also found 20%, or 338 titles, that addressed race and racism were also banned. So there is a trend and an underlying pattern of white supremacy, really that is challenging the actual existence of people of color in a democracy, Hudson said. A multifamily property in the Tulsa Arts District has been sold for $17.4 million. Houston-based Shakiba Capital purchased the five-story, 63-unit Flats on Archer, 110 N. Boston Ave., from SATTCOM Investments, LLC. Situated at the corner of Archer Street and Boston Avenue, the parcel originally was obtained through the Tulsa Development Authority, one of the citys urban renewal arms. Ryan Gorman and Carey Velez of Tulsas Legacy Commercial Property Advisors brokered the deal working on behalf of the buyer and seller. The Flats on Archer marks the fourth acquisition by Shakiba Capital in the Tulsa metro and its fifth overall across Oklahoma and Arkansas. Kyle Hubbard with Gateway Mortgage provided the financing, and Winfield Property Management will assume daily operations. The multifamily portion of the building has a conference room, one- and two-bedroom units (all with balconies) and a rentable rooftop space that can accommodate about 118 people, the previous owners said. There is a 33-space enclosed parking area and additional parking at a nearby lot. SATTCOM Investments is a partnership formed by Sam Combs and Howard Aufleger, longtime friends who attended Stillwater High School together. The building was completed in early 2019. We saw just a great opportunity to get involved in an awesome neighborhood, Howards son, Seth Aufleger of Stillwater-based CStar management and former operator of the property, told the Tulsa World in 2019. Featured video: The River Parks Authority announced Monday evening that Sand Springs Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Edwards will be its new executive director and CEO. The announcement follows the impending retirement of longtime River Parks Authority Executive Director Matt Meyer. After conducting a national search, the search committee came to a unanimous decision that Jeff is the right leader for River Parks Authority, said Marvin Jones, the authoritys board chairman. He is highly respected in the community and has a work ethic and passion for outdoor recreation that is unmatched. Edwards is a certified parks and recreation professional with 19 years of management experience. He specializes in design, construction, project management, park maintenance, recreational activities, community events, fiscal budgeting and long-range master planning and fundraising, according to the authority. I have known Jeff for about 15 years, and he is a true parks and recreation professional, Meyer said. Hes been a great leader for Sand Springs Parks and Recreation. He is well-respected and brings high energy and good character to the organization. Edwards began working for the city of Sand Springs in 2005 and has led its Parks and Recreation Department since December 2017. He said Monday evening that he is sad to leave a workplace where fellow employees really feel like close family members but that the opportunity to serve as the next executive director and CEO of Tulsas River Parks is beyond exciting for me personally and professionally. I would put this position as one of the top three parks and recreation jobs in the state of Oklahoma, he said. Edwards said he is proud to become only the third person to lead the River Parks Authority, an entity that began in 1974 under Jackie Bubenik, who was succeeded by Meyer in June 2003. Thats inspiring because you see stability there, Edwards said, adding that hes eager for the opportunity to continue this passion of mine to provide more to the community whatever community Im working for. Really, the Arkansas River is what were trying to highlight here, he said, adding that while he isnt looking to mimic city or county parks, we need to be cohesive. River Parks is a public-private partnership between Tulsa County and the city of Tulsa, which provide most funding for day-to-day operations, with additional funding from private benefactors. Edwards is a board member and past president of the Oklahoma Parks and Recreation Society and has received numerous accolades while working for the city of Sand Springs, including being named Employee of the Year. An outdoorsman and athlete, Edwards completed the Ironman Tulsa triathlon in May. Sand Springs City Manager Mike Carter said he wishes nothing but the best for Edwards. Thats a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so were just really happy for him, he said, adding that Edwards is still going to be a great asset to the city because we partner with River Parks. To know that River Parks saw in Jeff what we do is just a testament to who he is. Jones said the River Parks Authority board is thankful to Meyer for his many years of excellent service to the community and is excited for the future of River Parks. Meyer, who announced his retirement March 17, said then that he hoped to retire in September but would be willing to work with his successor for as long as needed. Edwards said it looks like that transition will take place over the next month or so. The future is bright (for River Parks), Meyer said in March. I am not leaving because things are bad. Featured video: Commentary: SCO en route to promising future with Shanghai Spirit as guide Xinhua) 10:25, September 20, 2022 BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has just wrapped up his two-nation trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and attendance at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), during which he delivered a keynote speech. His words summarized the successful experience of SCO's growth, emphasized upholding the Shanghai Spirit, strengthening solidarity and cooperation, and promoting the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future. To translate such proposals as the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative into real actions, China announced at the summit a series of tangible measures, which are set to meet the needs of various countries. China will establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, host an industrial and supply chains forum, and set up a China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center and provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan (about 214 million U.S. dollars). Meanwhile, the new and the largest round of SCO expansion at the summit also demonstrates the vitality, cohesion and attraction of the Shanghai Spirit, featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. Since its inception more than two decades ago, the SCO has upheld its bedrock Shanghai Spirit and gradually found a path for the growth and expansion of a new type of international organization. Practice has shown that the Shanghai Spirit has always been the source of strength for the development of the SCO and the fundamental guide that the SCO must continue to follow in the years to come. The world today is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, and has entered a new phase of uncertainty and transformation. Human society has reached a crossroads and faces unprecedented challenges. Under these new conditions, the SCO, as an important constructive force in international and regional affairs, should keep itself well-positioned in the face of changing international dynamics and better assume its historical mission. Countries should enhance mutual support and work together to cope with complex changes in the external environment. In today's world, conflicts are looming large between unity and division, cooperation and confrontation. The SCO is under great test in maintaining regional peace and security, and its member states face severe challenges in maintaining their own security and stability. Only by strengthening high-level exchanges and strategic communication, deepening mutual understanding and political trust, guarding against attempts by external forces to instigate "color revolution" and jointly opposing interference in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext, can countries safeguard their security and development interests and hold their future firmly in their own hands. Countries should expand security cooperation and jointly uphold long-term peace and stability in the region. Over the years, with an eye on common security, the SCO member states have carried out practical and efficient security cooperation, which has ensured the overall security and stability in the region. Amid a complex and volatile regional security landscape, it is all the more important to stay true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, constantly upgrade the level of law enforcement and security cooperation within the SCO, and strictly prevent terrorist and extremist forces from destabilizing regional security. Countries need to deepen practical cooperation to materialize a shared vision of development and rejuvenation. Common development is real development, and sustainable development is good development. All SCO countries are at a crucial stage of development. They should leverage their unique strengths of geographical proximity and intertwined interests. They should uphold the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth to achieve integrated regional economic development, energize growth vitality and deliver a better life to their people. Countries should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges to consolidate public support for the long-term development of the SCO. The most solid foundation for SCO's development lies in mutual learning among civilizations and the most profound strength lies in people-to-people ties. They need to promote exchanges, dialogue and harmonious co-existence among different civilizations, deepen cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology, culture, health, media, radio and television, and build bridges of mutual understanding and amity between the peoples. Countries should uphold multilateralism and work together to make the international order more just and equitable. As a Chinese saying goes, "power may win for the time being, but justice will prevail for the long run." Faced with power politics, bullying and hegemonic practices, the SCO should assume its due international responsibility by safeguarding the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, promoting the common values of humanity, expanding SCO's exchanges with other international and regional organizations such as the UN, and improving global governance, so as to make greater contributions to world peace and development. Over the years, with its own development, China has propelled the development of countries in the region, brought more benefits to people around the world, and continuously injected vigorous impetus into the SCO development. China-proposed initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a community with a shared future for mankind, have been included in the outcome documents of the SCO mechanism. Its proposals, such as the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, have also been highly praised by leaders of various parties within the SCO. At the summit, China called for continued efforts to achieve the complementarity of the BRI with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. This call has received active response from relevant parties, who agreed that the BRI is an important engine for building a community with a shared future for mankind. Building on past achievements, countries should continue to act in the Shanghai Spirit, work for the steady development of the SCO, and jointly build the region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a portion of a law that put restrictions on when schools could require students to wear masks. The suit was filed by doctors, parents and the Oklahoma State Medical Association. The state and Gov. Kevin Stitt were named as defendants. The states high court struck down a portion of Senate Bill 658 by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman. The bill was passed and signed in 2021 and contained a section that said schools could only require masks if the governor declared a state of emergency. The Supreme Court found that it was an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution. If the Governor, as he has publicly indicated, will not declare a state of emergency due to COVID, then the statute acts as a statewide prohibition for masks for public schools, the ruling said. Local control is usurped or impeded by requiring the governor to declare or not declare a state of emergency, according to the ruling. The statutes remove the school boards authority to act independently and exercise the authority granted to the school board and it grants that authority to the Governor who has neither constitutional nor statutory authority over the operations of schools, the ruling said. The suit was filed in Oklahoma County District Court, where a judge blocked enforcement of the masking portion. The State of Oklahoma and Governor Kevin Stitt are enjoined from enforcing certain sections of SB658 enacted in 2021 against any board of education of a public school district that has exemptions as described herein, reads the order signed by District Judge Natalie Mai. Any mask mandate or requirement for students in a K-12 public school must include the same exemptions that are present in (the state vaccine statute citation). The state appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which vacated the district courts order. We are grateful the court recognized and protected the constitutional and statutory role of the local school board, said Shawn Hime, Oklahoma State School Boards Association executive director. Elected school boards ensure that the best interest of local students and communities are at the center of decision-making, and the ruling reinforced the foundational value of local control. On Tuesday afternoon, the school board presidents for the Jenks, Union and Tulsa districts echoed their appreciation for the rulings emphasis on recognizing local-level decision makers. Jenks Public Schools had an opt-out masking policy for most of the fall 2021 semester, while TPS opt-out policy was in place most of the 2021-22 school year. Both board presidents also said their districts do not have any plans to reinstate those policies in light of Tuesdays ruling. This issue in particular was very difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach across the state, JPS school board President Melissa Abdo said. I do appreciate that, especially in this instance, the respect for local control. So many communities look different, have different population densities, rates of spread and different rates of staffing shortages. The goal was always to keep kids in school safely, and there were different tactics that communities needed at different times, Abdo said. We appreciate the wisdom of the Supreme Court justices in recognizing the importance of local control when making decisions about the health and well-being of schoolchildren, the Union school district said in a statement. We are grateful for the Oklahoma Supreme Courts decision that reinforces the role of locally elected school boards and clearly establishing that the governor does not have statutory or operational authority over school districts, TPS school board President Stacey Woolley said. World staff writers Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton and Andrea Eger contributed to this story. Featured video: When should you seek the updated COVID booster shot? State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who is running for governor, announced Monday that she will be seeking a $5,000 across-the-board teacher pay hike by including it in her agencys annual budget request to the Oklahoma Legislature. The budget request is to be presented to the Oklahoma State Board of Education at its next meeting Thursday. The estimated cost of the raise for Oklahomas 52,850 current certified teachers is $310 million. The states public school teachers received an average increase of $1,220 in 2019 and an increase of $6,100 in 2018, after teachers from across the state staged a walkout at the Capitol. Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is running for reelection, has discussed the possibility of a pay for performance system that would make it possible for the best and the brightest classroom teachers to earn as much as $100,000 annually. Weve significantly raised teacher pay in recent years, but so did our neighboring states with whom we are competing. This investment is vital to our ability to build a sustainable teacher workforce, necessary for providing the high-quality education Oklahoma students need and deserve, said Hofmeister. In the midst of an unprecedented and worsening teacher shortage, it is imperative we look for long-term solutions to show that Oklahoma values and respects its teachers. State education officials report that Oklahoma currently ranks fourth in the region for teacher pay with its average annual salary of $54,096, trailing New Mexico at $54,256, Texas at $57,090 and Colorado at $57,706. And New Mexicos governor recently signed legislation that will boost teacher salaries there an additional $10,000. Featured video: In just two months, about 5,000 Oklahomans have dialed 988 seeking help for their brain health, a good sign people are getting to know the new three-digit code. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was ahead of the federal July deadline that revised the national suicide and crisis hotline. The agency planned enhancements such as follow-up calls and organized crisis teams dispatched for in-person intervention. Callers have crisis counselors available and can set up appointments with providers. The hotline improves linking providers to residents and getting immediate help for those in crisis. Those are crucial services, and we appreciate the agencys work in creating a seamless transition and improved hotline. But, Oklahomans must understand this is one part of a complex system. The hotline doesnt expand services, add therapeutic beds, put licensed counselors in schools, break down stigmas or ensure parity among insurance plans. That takes a lot more work, and Oklahoma needs it. For residents ages 10 to 34, suicide is the second leading cause of death. Its the third leading cause of death for ages 35 to 44. Last year, 72% of Oklahoma communities did not have enough mental health providers to serve its residents, according to federal guidelines. Mental Health America ranks Oklahoma as 11th worst among the states and Washington, D.C., for prevalence of any mental illness among adults (23%) and 14th highest for adults with mental illness reporting unmet needs (23%). The hotline assists in cutting through a complicated provider system with advocates guiding the way. In this, 988 is a welcomed improvement. A benefit of the number is that it keeps the crisis caller in the realm of mental health services, rather than calling law enforcement. National officials say emergency units with police were dispatched in about 2% of calls to the former hotline last year in cases of imminent danger. The overwhelming majority of calls were handled by service providers and counselors, as it should be. It allows law enforcement to focus on crime and not on mental health crises. The 988 hotline is a part of a larger system and often used at the emergency end of the continuum of care. New crisis centers, mobile response teams and expanded contracted services are being implemented to beef up critical treatment. We urge lawmakers to start focusing on prevention as well. The state must provide the type of services for residents to head off more expensive and life-threatening situations. Oklahoma isnt faring well, affecting other areas from education to workforce availability. We are optimistic about whats happening, including the 988 line, but are hopeful for more significant gains. Preben Elnef, vice-president of LEGO Group, shared the reasons why the Danish company chose Vietnam as the first country in Southeast Asia to build a US$1 billion factory during a conference in southern Binh Duong Province last week. LEGOs $1 billion factory in Binh Duong Province will be the groups sixth factory in the world and its second in Asia, Elnef stated during the conference on a supply chain shift organized in Binh Duong last Thursday. The construction is being expedited so that LEGOs factory in Vietnam will be able to produce its first products in July 2024. LEGO is also boosting the recruitment of employees in Vietnam to prepare for the operation of the plant. It saw the best conditions to build a modern factory in line with the group's business and production orientation and the goal of being carbon neutral, the vice-president elaborated. Cheap labor cost was not the reason why LEGO chose Vietnam, Elnef stated, adding that the group saw growth opportunity here as well as the possibility to expand global supply chains. Having a factory in Vietnam will also help LEGO quickly respond to the changes in consumer demand in Southeast Asia. The price of LEGO products is considered quite high compared to the income of Vietnamese people, and the presence of a factory here will help more children access the groups toys. Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia that LEGO has decided to invest in because it has a workforce that meets all the requirements. Binh Duong Province has seen great development in recent years with modern infrastructure, matching LEGOs development plan for its factory in the next 20 years. Aside from building a plant and selling products in Vietnam, LEGO also wants to diversify its supply chain and seeks cooperation with other businesses. LEGO has a team dedicated to forming partnership with Vietnamese businesses, Elnef said, adding that five other LEGO factories in the world also want to cooperate with enterprises in Vietnam. In its development strategy, the group always prioritizes local suppliers. In order to become a LEGO supplier, businesses need to meet the requirements, especially those related to sustainable development and environmental protection. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Following Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's expose of substandard vegetables labeled with Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) tags flooding WinMart supermarkets and WinMart+ convenience stores, WinCommerce, a subsidiary of Vietnam's consumer goods giant Masan Group operating these outlets, immediately ceased the sale of such products. A WinCommerce representative confirmed to Tuoi Tre on Monday that Trinh Nhi Agricultural Products Co. Ltd. (TNFoods), which has a factory at Phu Hoi Industrial Park in Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province, supplies vegetables to its outlets. Trinh Nhis vegetable products were found to be allegedly sourced from wholesale markets and failed to meet VietGAP standards but were labeled with VietGAP tags and supplied to local supermarkets. VietGAP is short for Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices, or the application of production methods to turn out clean and safe fruits and vegetables. WinCommerce also requested Trinh Nhi to explain its violations against its commitments to the quality and origin of products as stated in their contract. The retail giant will provide more information later on. A worker sticks VietGAP labels on vegetables bought from wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre WinCommerce affirmed this is not its business policy, saying that it always complies with regulations on food safety with its strict quality control process to protect consumers health. The group also claimed responsibility for the issue and promised that it will review all remaining suppliers and tighten its quality control. Substandard vegetables flood supermarkets Many consumers are willing to pay higher prices for vegetables meeting safety or VietGAP standards. However, they never imagined that some companies might take vegetables from wholesale wet markets, randomly put VietGAP labels on them, and then sell them to supermarkets. Investigating a vegetable processing unit located at the headquarters of Viager Co. Ltd. in Binh Chieu Ward, Thu Duc City, a district-level unit under Ho Chi Minh City, between August and mid-September, Tuoi Tre's undercover reporters learned how the facility turned vegetables bought from wet markets into VietGAP products and claimed they had sourced them from Da Lat City, a clean greens hub. Every day at 10:00 pm, a man stopped his old motorbike in front of the processing unit, unloaded large bags of vegetables, and weighed them. An old female worker named L. hurriedly recorded the vegetable volume before asking other workers to check whether the vegetables were withered or bruised. After receiving batches of vegetables, including spring onion, coriander, dill, perilla, and basil, from the man, some workers discarded withered leaves while others packed the remainder. Trinh Nhi Companys vegetable products attached with VietGAP labels are put up for sale in a WinMart supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre From 11:00 pm to 3:00 am, several other people also handed over vegetables, such as mustard greens, amaranth, water morning glory, bitter melon, gourds, pumpkins and carrots. Workers later continued processing and packing them. The processing unit even appointed an employee named Th. to negotiate, buy, and change vegetables with these delivery men. Between 6:00 am and 8:00 am, workers of the processing unit stuck labels on vegetable bags and promptly handed them to drivers who transported the vegetables to supermarkets. The labels include the phrase vegetables from Da Lat,' the information about Trinh Nhi Company, and even the VietGAP logo issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Trinh Nhis vegetables are found to be supplied to well-known and large retailers. The Tuoi Tre reporters later saw a truck of Viager Co. Ltd. parked in front of Trinh Nhis vegetable processing unit every morning. The truck driver and many employees loaded vegetables on the vehicle. The first destination of the truck was the Linh Xuan Warehouse and Logistics Center on National Highway 1 in Thu Duc City. At the center, D., an employee, said this was the vegetable and fruit warehouse of WinMart for the central and southern parts of Vietnam. D. said he had repeatedly informed Trinh of the poor quality of the vegetables. He even showed his text messages with Trinh. In addition, the packaging dates on the labels on vegetables were in the future. In other words, the products are delivered today but the printed packaging date is the next day. A worker chooses fresh chilies and packs them into new plastic bags. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre The Tuoi Tre reporters later followed a delivery driver from Trinh Nhis processing unit to a venue in Tan Binh District called TikiNow Smart Logistics.' Employees there said it was the warehouse of Tiki Ngon, an arm of the ecommerce platform Tiki, and showed a list of vegetables bought from Trinh Nhi. On another day, the delivery driver was found to be traveling to a 3Sach food store on Hoang Dieu Street in District 4 and another on Tran Nao Street in Thu Duc City. Vegetables from wholesale markets One night, a vegetable delivery man said the herbs he transported to the vegetable processing unit in Thu Duc originated from the southwestern region. If the unit needs any kind of vegetables, he will help buy them. He added that he and his wife sell vegetables at Thu Duc wholesale market, which is several hundreds of meters from the processing unit. In August, the Tuoi Tre reporters came to the vegetable stall of the delivery man and said they wanted to buy vegetables for sale in supermarkets. G., the delivery mans wife, briskly introduced products and her text messages with Th. and Le Dang Nhat Trinh, director of Viager on Zalo, a Vietnamese chat app. She said her husband regularly hands over vegetables to the above-mentioned processing unit and they know that the unit purchases vegetables for sale to supermarkets. As for the origin of her products, she said she buys them from any source with low prices in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City; Da Lat; Vung Tau; and Tien Giang to compete with other traders at the wholesale market. When asked if the vegetables meet VietGAP or other standards, the trader said no with a shake of the head. In general, we just buy the products. We do not have any certificates. Neither do others at this market, she added. After determining the specific position of the vegetable stall, the Tuoi Tre reporters kept a close watch on the process of transporting vegetables from the wholesale market to Trinh Nhi Company. At 9:00 pm on August 24, G. and her husband arranged vegetables in a basket tied on a motorbike without a number plate. The vehicle ran from the wholesale market to the processing unit, where its workers weighed and processed the vegetables. The reporters on September 4 returned to ask G. about the VietGAP certificate, G. said farmers plant vegetables on a large scale and do not register for certificates, so they cannot provide them for traders. Being asked about the supply of VietGAP vegetables, G. said the market sometimes fails to supply enough vegetables. We find it hard to sufficiently supply vegetables meeting VietGAP standards, G. admitted. The trader also said it is normal when her customers buy vegetables, stick VietGAP labels on them, and sell them to supermarkets at high prices as they have to spend money hiring processors, inventory managers and accountants, and buying packaging products. Meanwhile, most customers doing the shopping at supermarkets are rich and upper-class people. Thus, VietGAP labels are aimed at ensuring supermarkets business." Admitting violations On September 14, a woman named Tr. representing Trinh Nhi Company said that the firm supplies products to many distributors, mainly supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City. A trader at a wholesale market delivers vegetables to Trinh Nhi Companys processing unit. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre Vegetables were sourced from Da Lat City and Thu Duc wholesale market as well, Tr. admitted. However, she affirmed that her company signed contracts to buy only products meeting VietGAP standards from Thu Duc wholesale market. Meanwhile, the trader providing vegetables to Trinh Nhi Company said they have no VietGAP certificates for their products. T., owner of a vegetable stall at Thu Duc wholesale market, said she could provide VietGAP certificates but the certification is used for bad situations only. T. added that many distributors choose greens at wholesale markets due to their low prices. They find it hard to compete with their rivals if they supply high-cost VietGAP products. Many traders at Thu Duc wholesale market have also packed vegetables in small trays weighing 300-500 grams each and supplied them to food stores and minimarts in apartment buildings. Introducing trays of tomatoes, baby cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, bitter melons, courgettes, and corns with VietGAP labels, B. said that the vegetables were mainly sourced from Da Lat. Only bitter melons were purchased from the southwestern region of the country. Despite them being marked with VietGAP labels, she admitted no vegetables at this market meet VietGAP standards. Explaining why she does not sell VietGAP vegetables, the trader said their prices are high. The prices of goods sold at traditional markets fluctuate daily while the prices of VietGAP products are fixed, so they cannot be sold at the markets, she said. In particular, the prices of VietGAP vegetables may be VND4,000-5,000 (US$0.17-0.21) higher than normal greens. Most buyers at the wholesale market care about prices first. It is not important if products meet VietGAP standards or not. VietGAP vegetables are rarely available at the market and they have no buyers, the trader added. B. said sticking VietGAP labels on vegetables makes them more desirable. At another stall, Th. introduced many kinds of vegetables, including hydroponic ones. Besides a few trays of vegetables labeled with VietGAP tags, others are stamped with tags containing the phrase 'Da Lat clean vegetables' and the vendors phone number. However, just some products were packed in and transported from Da Lat. Labels are not important. Many people like the labels. VietGAP labels can be put on products easily, Th. shared frankly, adding that no one at the market vends VietGAP goods. Meanwhile, on the website of Trinh Nhi Agricultural Products Co. Ltd., it proudly states that all products of the company are strictly controlled, from input materials to the production process to ensure the quality for consumers." In addition to the Da Lat origin and Global Gap certificates, the company boasts that it has received the ISO 22000:2005 certificate for its food safety management system and the VietGap certification. Besides being labeled with VietGAP tags, vegetables bought from wholesale markets were put on a dirty floor when being processed, while workers wore shoes and walked on the floor. Unpacked vegetables would be left on the floor to be packed the following day. Meanwhile, vegetables meeting VietGAP standards, after being harvested, must be processed, classified, cleaned, packaged, sealed off, and transported to outlets within two hours after being packaged to ensure hygiene and safety. VietGAP vegetables are kept at 20 degrees Celsius for no more than two days. Furthermore, workers have to process some 650 kilograms of vegetables or more than 90 kilograms per person daily. They were asked to buy gloves themselves so most of the workers chose not to wear them to save money. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A powerful earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday on the anniversary of two devastating temblors, killing at least one person, damaging buildings, knocking out power and sending residents of Mexico City scrambling outside for safety. One person was killed in the Pacific port of Manzanillo when a department store roof collapsed on them, the government said. Authorities also reported damage to several hospitals in the western state of Michoacan near the epicenter, which was in a sparsely populated part of Mexico. One person was injured by falling glass at one of the hospitals, the government said. The magnitude 7.6 quake hit shortly after 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) near the western coast and close to the Michoacan border with the state of Colima - where Manzanillo is located, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. The quake was relatively shallow, at only 15 km (9 miles) deep, which would have amplified its impact. A general view shows vehicles damaged by the collapse of the facade of a department store during an earthquake, in Manzanillo, Mexico September 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for parts of Mexico's coast, saying waves reaching 1 to 3 meters (3 to 9 feet) above the tide level were possible. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said there were no immediate reports of major damage in the capital after the tremors, which rumbled through Mexico on the same day as destructive quakes battered the country in 1985 and 2017. "It seems like a curse," Isa Montes, a 34-year-old graphic designer in the city's central Roma neighborhood, said of the quake's timing as helicopters flew overhead, surveying the city. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of the country's most prestigious seats of higher learning, said there was no scientific explanation for three major quakes on the same day and attributed it to pure coincidence. People gesture at an area cordoned off by police after an ornament fell off from a church during an earthquake, in Guadalajara, Mexico September 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters But others could not quite believe it. "It's this date. There's something about the 19th," said Ernesto Lanzetta, a business owner in the Cuauhtemoc borough of the city. "The 19th is a day to be feared." Thousands of people were killed in the Sept. 19, 1985 earthquake and more than 350 died in the Sept. 19, 2017 quake. Many Mexicans reacted to the latest quake by posting an array of memes online venting their amazement. Before first announcing the death in Manzanillo, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had said there was material damage near the epicenter. Images posted on social media showed buildings badly damaged. Mexican authorities said the seismic alert had sounded nearly two minutes before the quake struck, giving residents time to evacuate their homes. Still, some people in the capital struggled to grasp it was a real quake as the government had already sounded the alarm earlier in the day as a practice exercise commemorating the past earthquakes on the same day. People attending an event to honor the children who died in the Enrique Rebsamen school during an earthquake in 2017, embrace as another earthquake is felt in Mexico City, Mexico, September 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters Power out In Coalcoman, Michoacan, not far from the epicenter, pictures showed shingles knocked off homes and building walls cracked by the force of the quake. In one store, merchandise was scattered across the floor. Power was knocked out in parts of Roma in Mexico City, some 400 km (250 miles) from the epicenter. The national power utility said outages hit 1.2 million users. Residents of Roma stood on the streets cradling pets, while tourists visiting a local market with a guide were visibly confused and upset. Traffic lights stopped working, and people clutched their phones, sending text messages or waiting for calls to get through. Clara Ferri, who owns an Italian bookshop in Roma, said she told a customer to get out as soon as she heard the windows rattle, her senses attuned to the sounds of incipient earthquakes after 16 years in the location. People react during a quake in Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters "It was like the dentist's drill for me," she said. The rumbling grew in intensity, and as Ferri gathered with neighbors at an intersection, she looked up to see the eight-story building that houses her shop sway from side to side. When she returned, shelves had toppled like dominos, sending over 1,000 books into heaps on the floor. Officials roped off the sidewalk, which was littered with masonry that appeared to have fallen off the building. Residents trickled out with pets and suitcases, preparing to spend the night elsewhere, and a woman carefully escorted her 89-year-old uncle in his blue-and-white striped pajamas. People stand in the street during a quake alarm in Mexico City, Mexico, September 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined phone talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Monday, discussing measures to achieve stable and balanced growth in bilateral trade, the Vietnam Government Portal reported. The two premiers expressed their delight at the development of ties between the two Parties and countries despite unpredictable changes in the international and regional situation and the complicated COVID-19 pandemic. The two sides agreed to facilitate visits at all levels, deepen practical ties, and promote exchanges between their people. PM Chinh asked China to join hands and solve existing problems in several cooperation projects between the two countries. He suggested that both sides lift two-way trade in a stable and balanced manner. The premier requested China to create favorable conditions for customs clearance, facilitate the import of Vietnamese farm produce, fully resume the operation of border gates, and utilize the opportunities from multilateral free trade agreements. He proposed that China enhance high-quality investment in fields that suit Vietnam's demand and sustainable development strategy. Premier Li suggested that both sides enhance strategic connectivity, step up ties in economic matters, trade and investment, manufacturing, and agriculture, maintain supply and manufacturing chains, and uphold each sides strengths to tap into the global market. Both sides promised to continue maintaining channels to discuss border issues on the mainland and at sea, as well as properly settle differences to maintain common peace and stability. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Up to ten storms and tropical depressions are forecast to hit the East Vietnam Sea in the remaining months of 2022, most of which will occur in October and November. Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, recently sent a document to authorities in provinces and cities regarding the response to natural disasters in the last months of this year. Natural disasters have repeatedly occurred in many localities since the beginning of the year, causing great damage to the lives, properties, and production of local residents, the document stated. The situation will continue to be complicated and unpredictable in the remaining months of 2022. About eight to ten storms and tropical depressions will be active in the East Vietnam Sea, of which five may directly affect the countrys mainland, the document quoted the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting as saying. Most of the storms and tropical depressions will occur in October and November. Rainfall in the northern, central, and Central Highlands regions will be higher than the average of previous years, posing a high risk of flash floods, landslides, and inundation. In order to properly prevent and respond to upcoming natural disasters, as well as overcome the consequences, Deputy PM Thanh asked all localities to make necessary preparations, stay updated on the weather development, and prioritize the protection of peoples lives. The deputy premier requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to work with relevant agencies to provide prompt and accurate forecasts and assessment. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a teleconference with heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad on Monday to discuss the enhancement of economic diplomacy to contribute to national development. -- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang expressed their delight at the development of ties between the two Parties and countries during their phone talks on Monday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Society -- A 23-year-old woman and her three-year-old son drowned while bathing at a shrimp farming pond in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on Sunday, authorities confirmed on Monday. -- A man turned himself in to police in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City and handed over the body of his girlfriend on Monday after allegedly murdering the victim over a conflict. -- Police in Hanoi confirmed on Monday they had apprehended a 29-year-old man on suspicion of robbing multiple women and threatening them with a knife. -- Vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Vo Van Hoan has been reprimanded by the prime minister due to his violations and shortcomings while performing duties. -- A group of cyclists were seen riding in the automobile lane of Pham Van Dong Boulevard in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City early on Tuesday morning, putting themselves and others at risk of traffic accidents. COVID-19 Updates -- The Ministry of Health reported 1,778 COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the national tally to 11,460,227, with 10,579,588 recoveries and 43,141 deaths. Lifestyle -- Hanoi has welcomed more than 13.8 million visitors and earned nearly VND40 trillion (US$1.6 billion) in tourism revenue in the first nine months of 2022. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An old problem to many cities around the world, public urination leaves a stench at many busy places across Ho Chi Minh City, where public toilets are scarce. Puddles of urine soak the roads in the citys central District 1 so badly that no one can walk by without feeling nauseous. Informal gig workers like motorbike taxi drivers and street vendors spend a lot of time outside without access to proper sanitation facilities, forcing them to urinate in public. A Grab motorbike partner urinates onto a fence of the 23-9 Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Luu Duyen / Tuoi Tre The odor of urine is particularly strong in busy areas, such as bus terminals, bus stops, and crowded streets like Nguyen Huu Canh in Binh Thanh District, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai in District 1, and Vo Van Tan in District 3, where it is difficult to find a restroom. Ngo Thi Anh, 52, a beverage street vendor at the 23-9 Park in District 1, said she often witnesses people peeing on the street. A man urinates into a row of decorative green bushes in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Luu Duyen / Tuoi Tre To many pedestrians annoyance, like Anh, it is also common for them to come across a random person that is about to pee in public places. They have to walk fast while covering their noses and mouths to avoid the unsightly scene. A man urinates into a canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Luu Duyen / Tuoi Tre According to Anh, using bathrooms inside shopping malls and at bus stations is not an option for motorbike taxi drivers, because to get there, they would have to park their vehicles. They also refuse to use sidewalk public toilets for the same reason -- no one guards their motorcycles while they relieve themselves. A man urinates onto a fence of the Bui Huu Nghia Bridge in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Anh claimed that people could actually find the nearest toilet to urinate but had just grown accustomed to the bad habit. While Vietnamese law stipulates fines between VND150,000 (US$6.3) and VND250,000 ($10) for urinating and defecating in unauthorized places, but, like many other cities in the world, the problem persists. A man urinates onto a row of decorative green bushes next to a sign warning against public urination at Mien Dong Bus Station in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Luu Duyen / Tuoi Tre Residents of New York City, for example, rely on the toilets inside Starbucks coffee shops, according to the New York Times. Paris tried to control rampant public urination with sidewalk urinals, the U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) reported in 2018. A Be motorbike partner urinates onto a fence on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Le An / Tuoi Tre San Francisco painted nine walls with a repellent paint that makes pee spray back on the offender, the New York Post reported in 2015. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Working with a team of friends, an IT major with spastic cerebral palsy developed an AI-based app that can help transcribe the voices of people with speech impairments into natural voices. He is Nguyen Duc Thuan, 20, a student from Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, which is about 30 kilometers from the capital Hanoi. During his middle school years, Thuan was always ridiculed by his mischievous friends because of his neurological condition. Sometimes, he was even beaten by some children who called him 'a paralyzed boy.' "We hope the app we developed can help people with speech disabilities communicate more easily so that their lives have fewer difficulties," Thuan said. Accompanying the son In the memory of Do Thi Hoai, Thuan's mother, her son's childhood meant a series of long days in the hospital. Because he was born with spastic cerebral palsy, Thuan had to receive so many treatments to be able to go to elementary school. Because of his illness, Thuan often stayed at the National Hospital for Acupuncture in Hanoi for nearly 12 months a year. He only took one week off a month to go home and had to return to the hospital for treatment. In the early days at school, Thuan had little difficulty in learning only by drawing characters. However, in the third grade, when he had to take notes more quickly, his characters turned into something like 'noodles' that he eventually could not read by himself. He tried to memorize the material and then wrote down as much as he could on later tests. "While his friends took about 50 minutes to think and 10 minutes to write down the answer on a math test, my son took 10 minutes to think and 50 minutes to write it down, quite the opposite," Thuan's mother recalled. Although his health is not too weak, he cannot sit on a chair in a stable posture and has issues walking more than a few steps. In addition, the muscles in his legs and arms become stiff, and his body is so wobbly on his feet that he is in danger of falling at any time. "What I can do is encourage him to do his best to overcome the obstacles in life and also in his studies," Hoai said. "I advised him to see the challenges as steps on the way to higher achievements." The breakthrough came when Thuan was given an old computer by some friends who were co-workers of his father. The young man developed a special passion for programming. Hoai, who stood by her son in all circumstances, accompanied him almost every day to Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted in Bac Ninh City, where Thuan could pursue his passion. The mother and her son patiently traveled from their home in Que Vo District to Bac Ninh City daily, despite the unpredictable weather, especially the heavy rain and biting cold on the worst days. Their efforts finally paid off. As an 11th-grade student, Thuan won the third prize in the national exam for excellent students in computer science. Thanks to this achievement, he was awarded a place in grade 12 at Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted, where he had previously failed the entrance exam. 'Speaking' on behalf of the disabled Thuan spends a lot of time reading books on meditation and Buddhism, including many by the late Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. His favorite, however, is The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista), a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, translated into Vietnamese by Le Chu Cau. Thuan was given The Alchemist by a teacher, Do Duc Dong, whom he met a few years ago at a summer camp of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union in outlying Can Gio District. Dr. Dong, an IT lecturer at Thuan's school, the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, advised him to try to 'develop' the coding in his brain accurately before presenting it on the computer to reduce the time for wrong calculations, which is harder for him than others because of his condition. He also encouraged Thuan to join the research team, led by Associate Professor Dr. Le Thanh Ha, to find ways to recognize the voices of people with speech disabilities using AI software and convert them into normal voices. "Considering Thuan's neurological condition, he has managed to do what is difficult even for an able-bodied person," Dong remarked. "We can see that he must have remarkable strength and intelligence." The software developed by Dong and his team can help transform the voices of people with speech problems into more natural ones with more rhythm. The algorithms can 'self-learn' to effectively transcribe a person's voice based on personal data. So, if the software was used with each individual, it could work more accurately, according to Thuan. Thuan wants to use the software for deaf-mutes, people with speech disorders, and those who, like him, cannot communicate normally with others. His team is still finalizing the software to integrate the app with smart devices such as smartphones and laptops. In order to carry out this project, Thuan had to acquire as much knowledge as possible, including foreign languages, AI skills, and advanced coding skills. Right now, team members are working on a technological solution to regenerate the voices of people with speech impairments, a condition that often occurs in the elderly or disabled. According to Thuan's research, there is now a lot of foreign software that supports people with speech disabilities, but none supports the Vietnamese language. "The pronunciation of our language is quite complicated and has different accents," Thuan explained. "Moreover, there is not enough data to 'train' AI-based software for it, which results in the app unable to distinguish between very similar words. "Therefore, we are trying to find solutions to the problem." At the Vietnam Glory 2022 event held in Hanoi on September 10, Nguyen Duc Thuan was one of six people honored for their contributions in the category of outstanding personalities. His previous achievements also include a first prize in the 2020 National Youth Computer Science Competition and a second prize in the 2021 National Selection Competition for Excellent Students in Computing. Thuan was also one of 15 Vietnamese students who participated in the Asia-Pacific Computer Science Olympiad APIO 2021. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Sevens Farmer Wants A Wife has partnered with Queensland rural charity, Drought Angels, to help provide financial assistance and relief to primary producers across Australia impacted by drought and natural disasters. Wednesdays episode will see Farmer Paige takes part in a community fundraising event for Drought Angels. Seven has delivered additional support to Drought Angels through the creation of a free television commercial that will run on air and 7plus. Seven West Media Chief Marketing Officer, Charlotte Valente, said: In the past two years our Australian farmers have experienced drought, floods, fires, mouse plagues and COVID-19. Recently farmers on the east coast have endured Australias costliest flood in history. They need our support more than ever before and we hope our important partnership with Drought Angels helps raise awareness and provide meaningful relief and support to our farmers and their families. Natasha Johnston, CEO of Drought Angels, said: Throughout the years we have forged amazing relationships with Australian farmers. During that time, we have seen love blossom and babies born. When times have been tough, we have proudly been there to assist, helping with birthday presents and putting Christmas dinners on tables. But there is also a flip side. Due to the remote nature of the farming lifestyle, many farmers live alone. We have witnessed the isolation of many farmers as they endure ongoing disasters without that special person by their side. Supporting those in our backyard right now has never been more important. 7:30pm Wednesday on Seven. This weeks episode of Foreign Correspondent is a report from French broadcaster M6, which gains inside access to a polices elite drug squad as it tries to bust open the drug trade. The French port city of Marseille is caught up in a drugs war. Fuelled by big profits, rival gangs have gone to war with each other and with police. The gangs have access to powerful weapons, and that means people are dying. The dealers operate out of the housing estates on the citys outskirts, where theyve set up sophisticated and lucrative networks, selling cocaine, cannabis and MDMA. Were just traders, says one gang boss. Our mothersthey cant even pay the rent so they cant even support us. We have to do all this alone. In this dramatic documentary, French broadcaster M6 gains rare, inside access to the polices elite drug squad as it tries to bust open the drug trade. The cameras capture the high-risk operations as heavily armed police units raid the estates, arrest the dealers and confiscate their stash. The French filmmakers also gain access to the drug gangs who explain their hierarchical structure, from the teenagers who act as lookouts at the estates entrances to the managers who oversee the street dealers. Its a business, everyone has a role to play, says one organiser. The gang members also reveal that the threats from rivals means they need to be armed. Always keep something aside, in case they want to attack, says one organiser. Between Marseille and the Kalashnikov, its always been a love story. Every problem has a solution. And with a Kalashnikov, the solution is quick. 8pm Thursday on ABC. It was a moment that would have made Honey Badger Nick Cummins proud. Farmer Paige last night sent home both her remaining suitors, deeming neither of them worthy of pursuing romance any further on Farmer Wants a Wife. Sorry Dylan and Glen. Im not actually going to be asking either of the gentlemen to come on a date with me, said Paige. I made the decision to send both boys home. I wouldnt have been true to myself if I kept things going further. I came here to find love and nothing was growing with Dylan and Glen. There was no other option today but end this chapter. Shock, horror. But thankfully producers had a twist of their own up their sleeve with Sams Choice. Didnt any of them read the 2022 Upfronts releases? Sam Armytage told all the farmers, I have been searching the country and Ive found two more partners for each of you to meet. Youre gonna have some time with each of them, one-on-one, so at the end of today, you must choose one to invite back to your farm stay. Thank goodness while Armytage is still on contract to Seven she has time to search the country and save the day. For Paige she managed to find new singles Cody & Ayden. Paige beamed with, I want love, so Sams choice is a second round for me and I cant believe that Im being given that opportunity, but we have gone down this path before. I, sort of, tiptoed into it and now Im like lets actually just jump off the cliff. You dont turn down an opportunity like this. I really like how humble Ayden is. He just seems really certain about himself and where hes going and that makes me excited to find out more why hes taken this opportunity with me. Farmer Wants a Wife continues 7:30pm tonight on Seven. A US photographer is suing Network Seven following comments made by Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, during a Sunrise interview in September 2021. The Australian reports in the interview Markle Snr. implied Mr Rayner is a dishonest management consultant who conned Mr Markle (by deceiving his daughter Samantha) into participating in a photographic shoot as part of a plan to disrupt the royal wedding of Meghan Markle. Mr Markle claimed Mr Rayner worked for Harvey Weinstein, taking compromising photographs of his victims, according to court documents. He states that Seven should have been aware there was a reasonable likelihood that Markle would have made defamatory comments about him due to previous comments made. The respondents nonetheless broadcast the interview live, without pre-recording, reviewing and editing its contents prior to publication, the statement of claim said. The day after the interview aired, David Koch told viewers, On yesterdays program in a live interview, Thomas Markle Sr., not uncharacteristically went a bit rogue, making some pretty wild and unfounded allegations, including against Dylan Howard, an Australian journalist now living and working in the US, and Jeff Rayner, a Los Angeles-based photographer. Seven did not intend for such allegations to be broadcast and has subsequently removed them from all versions of the program, said Natalie Barr. We would like to apologise to those gentlemen named by Mr Markle that the allegations went to air. Mr Rayner is now seeking an unspecified amount in aggravated damages due to hurt and harm caused by the comments. A senior Seven source said the network was perplexed by the action as they had previously agreed a form of apology with Mr Rayner and will be vigorously defending the matter. -The signing ceremony of strategic partnership between representative blockchain rewards platform, MiL.k and airasia rewards, the loyalty program of the airasia Super App was held in Kuala Lumpur. -MiL.k is a representative lifestyle blockchain service provider which integrates rewards points and connects top services of each sector such as Yanolja (No.1 OTA), CU (No.1 convenience store), etc. -In 2022, MiL.k surpassed over 1.1 million users in South Korea, and it aims to expand its strategic partnerships globally to provide cross-border services. - Through the partnership, airasia Super App with 51 million users across Asia is participating in the MiL.k Alliance. Two companies will collaborate on point integration and co-marketing activities to provide benefits to global users SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Milk Partners (CEO Jayden Jo), which operates the blockchain-based loyalty platform "MiL.k," announced on the 20th that the company has signed a contract focused on point integration with BIGLIFE, which operates and manages the airasia rewards program. Blockchain-based loyalty platform MiL.k signed a partnership contract with airasia rewards, starting its global expansion in SEA. The signing ceremony was attended by Jayden Jo, Chief Executive Officer of Milk Partners, which operates MiL.k service to 1.1 million users in South Korea, and Ong Wai Fong, Chief Loyalty Officer of airasia rewards under the airasia Super App, which has over 51 million users across Asia. Through this partnership, the two companies plan to integrate the airasia rewards programme with MiL.k platform and its token, Milk Coin (MLK). With the integration, airasia Super App's loyalty points, also known as airasia points will be connected with MiL.k's point ecosystem, and various co-marketing activities will be held targeting global users of airasia and MiL.k. It will be a huge step for MiL.k to connect its 1.1 million users that are primarily from Korea to Asia's fastest growing travel & lifestyle super app platform & ecosystem. Furthermore, the partnership will be the first use case of airasia Super App to join a blockchain ecosystem, which is closely connected to users' daily lives. Story continues Airasia points from airasia rewards, the airasia Super App's customer reward benefit, is used to purchase various services and products on the platform. In addition, it is possible to use the points of global companies that are affiliated with airasia by exchanging them for airasia points through the 'airasia xchange' service in the app. Airasia members can use airasia points to pay for travel products such as flights and hotel stays, and non-travel products such as food delivery, ride-hailing, duty-free shopping, and lifestyle deals, all on the airasia Super App. A wide range of services are also available via the Super App such as financial services, insurance, courier services, on-demand professional learning courses and others. Airasia rewards CLO, Ong Wai Fong said, "MiL.k is one of the most successful examples of global blockchain projects" and "We plan to work closely together to raise awareness of the airasia Super App in the global blockchain industry. and provide a more satisfying point experience and benefits to customers of both companies." Milk Partners CEO Jayden Jo said, "The partnership with airasia Super App is one of our remarkable accomplishments of global expansion. Starting with this partnership, we will continuously enlarge the ecosystem of MiL.k in the global market. Southeast Asia will be the starting point, and our vision is to become the first cross-border platform on blockchain." "MiL.k," a blockchain-based point integration platform operated by Milk Partners, is a service that allows users to exchange and integrate points from various partners through the digital asset "Milk Coin (MLK)." In less than 2 and a half years since the service started in April 2020, it has shown rapid growth by forming partnerships with various companies representing their sectors and earned over 1.1 million users. MiL.k has been making partnerships with top services in Korea such as "Yanolja" the No.1 OTA service, "CU" the top convenience store brand operated by BGF Retail, "INTERPARK" the leading e-commerce platform, "Shinsegae Duty Free" the duty-free branch of retail giant Shinsegae group, "Megabox" one of the top movie theater franchises, "Jin Air", the LCC branch of Korean Air, etc. As a prime example of a blockchain-based service, MiL.k is expected to grow its ecosystem by enlarging its strategic partnerships in SEA this year. SOURCE Milk Partners Exclusive-German utilities close to long-term LNG deals with Qatar, sources say FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The logo of German energy utility company Uniper SE is pictured in the company's headquarters in Duesseldorf By Marwa Rashad and Christoph Steitz LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) -German utilities RWE and Uniper are close to striking long-term deals to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar's North Field Expansion project to help replace Russian gas, three sources familiar with the matter said. Talks between Germany and Qatar have been fraught with differences over key conditions such as the length of contracts and pricing but the industry sources, who declined to be named, said the parties were expected to reach a compromise soon. Europe's biggest economy aims to replace all Russian energy imports by as soon as mid-2024, a Herculean effort for a country that mainly relies on natural gas to power its industry. While supply deals with Qatar would be positive for Germany, they would not offer an imminent solution to Berlin's energy crisis as the vast North Field Expansion project is not expected to come online before 2026. Reuters reported in May that the talks had run into difficulties because Germany was reluctant to commit to deals for at least 20 years and also wanted prices linked to Dutch benchmark gas prices, rather than oil. One of the sources said the talks were now more constructive than a few months ago. Another source said the utilities were likely to agree 15-year deals, while a third source said a deal could be reached within weeks. Qatar Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Uniper told Reuters on Monday that it remained in talks with Qatar but had not reached a deal. "Uniper is currently working hard to diversify its sources of gas supply. Qatar also plays an important role in this," it said. RWE told Reuters it was in "good and constructive" talks with Qatar, without being more specific. GULF TRIP At the moment, the two utilities buy LNG from Qatar on the spot market. RWE signed a deal with Qatar in 2016 for up to 1.1 million tonnes of LNG a year, but that expires next year. Story continues German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for a two-day visit to the Gulf region that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Scholz is expected to sign LNG contracts during his visit to the UAE, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said. RWE and Uniper are unlikely to sign agreements with Qatar during Scholz's visit as government representatives typically strike broader agreements first, which then lay the ground for commercial sides to finalise details, one of the sources said. Uniper said it would not be taking part in Scholz's trip. The North Field Expansion project includes six LNG trains that will ramp up Qatar's liquefaction capacity from 77 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 126 mtpa by 2027. Qatar is partnering with international companies in the first and largest phase of the nearly $30 billion expansion that will reinforce its position as the world's top LNG exporter. Qatar has signed agreements with TotalEnergies, Eni, Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp and ConocoPhillips for stakes in the project. (Reporting by Marwa Rashad in London, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, Andrew Mills in Doha, Tom Kaeckenhoff in Duesseldorf and Francesca Landini in Milan; Editing by Veronica Brown and David Clarke) Liz Truss will meet Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron in New York against the backdrop of Brexit tensions and questions over whether she regards the French leader a friend or foe. In her first foreign trip as Prime Minister, Ms Truss was flying overnight to the States for the annual United Nations General Assembly (Unga). The visit will contain a series of meetings, including with the EUs Ursula von der Leyen, and a speech to world leaders. It comes as political action resumes after the period of national mourning for the Queen. Ms Truss hopes the focus will be largely on energy security and combating Russias war in Ukraine, but clashes over the Northern Ireland Protocol are bound to feature. Mr Biden, the US President with proud Irish heritage, has raised concerns about Brexits threat to the peace process and has downplayed the chances of striking a free-trade deal. His French counterpart, Mr Macron, has long been a critic of Brexit and has been firm in pressing the UK to keep to commitments on Northern Ireland and fishing rights. Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she declined to give a clear answer when asked if the president of the allied nation was a friend or foe. Instead, the then-foreign secretary said last month that the jurys out. Ahead of the visit the Prime Ministers spokesman described France as a longstanding ally and insisted relations between London and Paris, as well as with the EU, are good. Asked if the meeting with Mr Macron will be uncomfortable, the spokesman said: No, the Prime Minister wants to build a constructive relationship with President Macron. But the spokesman maintained the position on the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which the EU and others say will break international law. Ms Truss will meet Mr Macron and Ms von der Leyen on Tuesday, before seeing Mr Biden on Wednesday. She had been set to talk to the US President in Britain over the weekend as he visited for the Queens funeral, but the meeting was postponed. Story continues French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Ms Truss for what could be a tricky meeting (Phil Noble/PA) She is not scheduled to receive the White House visit that Boris Johnson was treated to during his visit to Unga last year. Meetings with Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Spains Pedro Sanchez and Israels Yair Lapid are also scheduled, and Ms Truss will warn that now is not the time to take our foot off the gas in opposing Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. We will continue to act to restore sovereignty and self-determination to Ukraine because this isnt just Ukraines fight, the whole world suffers when a regime like Putins is allowed to bully and blackmail its neighbours, her spokesman said. She will seek to use the visit to spur further international action to end energy dependence on Russia making sure the world is never in this position again. In the short term that means increasing the supply of gas and other sources of energy and in the long term it means democracies tapping into our shared resources, natural, technological and entrepreneurial to develop alternative sources of energy. Before leaving the States on Wednesday evening, Ms Truss will use her summit speech to say the UK under her leadership will be an active defender of our democratic values and will work to counter authoritarianism with allies. The trip kicks off a frantic few days of political action in Ms Trusss fledgling premiership, with details on how businesses will be helped through the energy crisis and a major announcement on the NHS billed. Ms Truss, who was being joined by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in the US, will then return ahead of Chancellor Kwasi Kwartengs mini-budget on Friday. Labour urged the Prime Minister to use the trip to start rebuilding our countrys diplomatic influence. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who was also attending Unga, said: Twelve years of Conservative governments making diplomatic gaffes, announcing plans to break international law, failing to live up to promises on climate action and cutting international aid have damaged relations with the US and left Britain isolated on the global stage. After being snubbed by the Biden administration within her first weeks in office, Liz Truss urgently needs to wake up to the damage her reckless approach to foreign policy is doing to the UKs national interest. The Prime Minister must use the UN General Assembly to bring the UK back in from the cold and begin rebuilding our countrys diplomatic influence. Mr Cleverly will call for action on Russian barbarity in Ukraine in a series of meetings with his counterparts, including US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. He will take part in a foreign minister-level UN Security Council meeting focused on the Russian invasion on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Norwegian central bank, where Norway's sovereign wealth fund is situated, in Oslo By Victoria Klesty OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's $1.2 trillion wealth fund, one of the world's largest investors, said on Tuesday it would push the companies it invests in to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. Institutional investors are increasingly looking to reduce the role they play in global warming through their investments, with Norway's move coming ahead of the next round of global climate talks in Egypt in November. The fund invests the revenue from Western Europe's biggest oil and gas producer for future generations in stocks, bonds, property and renewable projects abroad. It owns on average 1.3% of all listed global stocks and its holdings equate to $219,000 for every Norwegian man, woman and child. Under the new plan, the fund will prioritise dialogue with the 174 companies that are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases and account for 70% of the fund's emissions via its shareholdings. "They will be the priority," fund CEO Nicolai Tangen told Reuters. "So more frequent follow-ups, and more specific follow-up. They will see more pressure from us than other companies." The fund has engaged with the companies it invests in on climate change for over a decade by, for instance, setting out its expectations as a shareholder on climate change. Tuesday's plan follows a proposal made in April by the government, which said the fund should push the 9,300 companies it invests in to cut their net emissions to zero by 2050. GRAPHICS: https://graphics.reuters.com/NORWAY-SWF/lgpdwajadvo/chart.png Still, the fund reiterated it would not divest from big emitters to achieve these targets. Instead, it will be an "active shareholder" to effect change. "The easy way to cut down emissions is to sell out," Tangen told a news conference. "But someone needs to own these companies and it does not solve the problem, quite the contrary." Story continues All companies the fund invests in will need to have a plan to cut emissions to net zero by 2050. As of now, only 10% of the companies in the fund's portfolio had a credible plan, representing 38% of the fund's value, it said. The fund will not publicly name the worst offenders. "To name and shame you need to be very sure and certain, and you need, in my mind, to have audited numbers and evidence," Tangen said. The fund will likely be more active in voting against whole boards, and also become active in making shareholder proposals, though details of what they could look like "remains to be seen", he added. As a last resort, the fund could sell out of a company if it saw no evidence of it moving in the desired direction. "It will take a little bit of time, you have to give them the opportunity to react," said Tangen. (Reporting by Victoria Klesty Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter) Year 2020 was so traumatic for young people that it stunted their social development, says study The year 2020 was so traumatic for young people that their social development has been stunted, researchers have claimed. A new study has found that young adults were less satisfied with their relationships, felt less intimacy, and felt less supported by their friends in the year of the pandemic, compared with 2019. As a consequence, academics claimed that those affected suffered enough missed opportunities to impact their development. The study, which was published in Social, Psychological and Personality Science journal, compared the social development of 415 young people from California aged between 18-35-years-old over eight months in 2020, with that of 465 young Californians of the same age bracket in 2019. Participants shared updates on factors relating to their development with researchers. They discovered that while young people in 2020 described feeling more stress and anxiety than in previous years, they did not report feeling more lonely than in other years, surprisingly. If everything goes well, young adults select into social networks, initiate friendships and romantic relationships, and find their occupational niche, lead study author Dr Janina Buhler, of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, said. Our findings, however, show that external stressors and environmental variations may set young adults on a less fortunate path. Seismic events in 2020 had a significant impact on many young people (Getty Images) She added that small effects could have lasting consequences. Environmental conditions and contexts are critical for development, because they provide the opportunities that people need to grow in a healthy way, she continued. In 2020, the average young person may have had fewer of these opportunities, causing fear and anxiety while potentially hindering their development. The US presidential election, the killing of George Floyd and other seismic global events were also cited as key stressors for many young people, although this varied between participants. Researchers concluded that additional studies examining how people who were less impacted coped could lead to better resources and support for struggling youngsters being developed. Story continues The news follows a February report by The Princes Trust which found that happiness in young people was at its lowest point in 13 years. A survey of 2,106 16 to 25-year-olds commissioned by the charity, revealed that almost a quarter (23 per cent) of young people in the UK believe they will never recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, more than one in four (44 per cent) are more anxious now than they were at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jonathan Townsend, the UK chief executive of The Princes Trust said the past two years could be a scar for life on young people unless urgent action was taken. Additional reporting by SWNS SOPA Images/Getty Images The small Delaware town of Rehoboth Beach, where President Joe Biden has a vacation home, scrambled Tuesday to prepare for the expected arrival of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis next round of expensive migrant flightsbut the day only ended with more confusion in the Diamond State. Instead, confusion swirled as the chartered plane that was scheduled to leave Texas on Tuesday morning, filled with migrants, departed hours late and bound for a different cityNashville, Tennesseewith no passengers on board. Delaware officials had sprung into action on Monday night after word got out that the same plane DeSantis used to fly migrants from San Antonio to Marthas Vineyard last week was listed on a public schedule to fly to Delaware, via Florida, on Tuesday morning. There was also a $950,000 payment made by Florida to Vertol Systems Company Inc, the same charter company that flew migrants to Marthas Vineyard. Once word spread, however, DeSantis lost the element of surprise that marked his Marthas Vineyard stunt. This time, city, state and federal officials immediately began preparing for a possible arrival. We are aware of the situation and are working with state and local partners to compassionately address this situation and take care of the migrants who may arrive, a spokesperson for Rehoboth Beach, a city of 1,108 people, said in a statement to The Daily Beast on Tuesday morning. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told CNN on Tuesday that he spent much of Monday night on the phone, coordinating with community leaders to make sure that we provide an appropriate, welcoming and supportive reception in Delaware. Why Doesnt DeSantis Ship Cuban Refugees to Marthas Vineyard? The White House also indicated that federal agencies had reached out to coordinate with Delaware Gov. John Carney and service providers in a bid to prevent a repeat of the Marthas Vineyard episode. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that while the administration did have advance notice of the planes supposed arrival, it did not come from the man who apparently coordinated it. Story continues Our heads up did not come from Governor DeSantis because his only goal, as hes made it really quite clear, is to create chaos, Jean-Pierre said. Its about creating political theater for him. Its not about getting to a solution. Public flight plans initially showed that the plane used to whisk migrants to Massachusetts was set to embark on a similar flight path Tuesday, departing from Texas, with a stopover in the Florida Panhandle before arriving in Georgetownthe closest airport to Rehoboth Beach, 19 miles awayat 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday. The flight was then delayed for unknown reasons before its route changed entirely. It departed for Nashville around 2:30 p.m. ET, where it reportedly landed without a single migrant on board 90 minutes later. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are a frequent presence in Rehoboth Beach, where they own a summer home. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Georgetown Mayor Bill West confirmed to The Daily Beast late Tuesday that state Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, a Republican, told him they should no longer expect a migrant flight that day. Pettyjohn, who told The Daily Beast he spent Tuesday tracking the suspected flight on an app, said state officials were never notified about the plane ahead of time, nor were they alerted when the expected operation was called off Tuesday. We kept, kept an eye on it throughout the day, he said. The scheduled departure time from Texas came and went and eventually the flight plan disappeared and it was no longer showing as coming to Georgetown anymore. West had told The Daily Beast that nonprofits began calling him around 10 p.m. Monday, and the city quickly arranged housing for an expected 30 to 33 migrants. He said he was hoping the aircraft wasnt too big because the runway at Delaware Coastal Airport, about 200 feet outside the town line, cant accommodate big jetliners. But the city was nevertheless more than proud to take care of them. Its a situation that I wish wasnt occurring, but we have to deal with it as its provided to us, he said. In the great state of Delaware, government works. Furious Texas Sheriff Announces Criminal Investigation Into Marthas Vineyard Migrant Flights The advance notice allowed for some coordination by non-profit organizations and church groups, said Mike Brickner, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware. Whether they arrive today, tomorrow, or next week, there is a statewide, coordinated effort to ensure everyone who might be sent to Delaware as a result of these tactics is treated with dignity and respectand will get the services they need, said Brickner. What these politicians did not count on is the generous and welcoming spirit of Delawareans, who will come together to care for these victims of a craven political stunt. That coordinated effort, Brickner said, had largely been between local groups and state leaders, but he welcomed additional resources from the Biden administration. The primary concerns would be shelter and legal assistance, he said. A spokesperson for Gov. Carneys office said the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and Delaware Department Health and Human Services was working with community organizations to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need. But Jill Fredel, a Delaware DHS spokesperson, told reporters on the tarmac in Georgetown that the specifics of that support have not yet been ironed out because no one has arrived yet. Biden, for his part, welcomed at least one more person to visit his home state, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that DeSantis himself should come to Delaware. He should come visit, Biden said. We have a beautiful shoreline. DeSantis has threatened to continue his stunts despite a sheriff in Texas announcing Monday that his office planned to open a criminal investigation into whether the DeSantis administration broke the law with his first stunt. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the migrants involved were lured under false pretenses to stay at a hotel for a couple of days, shuttled to a plane, flown to Florida, and eventually transported to Marthas Vineyard, where they had been promised work, aid, and cashbut instead arrived to chaos. Now Texas Guv Has Dumped Baby Migrant on Kamalas Doorstep Tuesdays episode was expected to be the latest attempt by DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to spend big bucks to shuttle newly arrived migrants to liberal-leaning cities far from the southern border. On Friday, Abbott had buses of migrants dropped at the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. DeSantis office did not return multiple requests for comment from The Daily Beast on Tuesday morning. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, however, he said he could not confirm that a flight was organized by him to land in Delaware. Vertol Systems Company Inc. operates as Ultimate Air Shuttle with the FAA, but primarily uses the name Ultimate Jetcharters. The company could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. with additional reporting by Zachary Petrizzo Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. People walk past a destroyed building in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, on September 19, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images) Deadly blasts have killed 13 in the separatist-run city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, its Russian-backed mayor has said. Alexei Kulemzin blamed punitive" Ukrainian shellfire for the fatalities but there was no comment from Ukrainian officials. Donetsk has been controlled by a Russian-backed proxy since 2014. Ukraines forces have launched extensive counter-offensives in the south as well as the north-east, regaining swathes of territory in the Kharkiv region. It comes as a Russian missile hit a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Monday, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting any of the plants three reactors. Ukrainian authorities have denounced the move as an act of nuclear terrorism." The missile struck within 300 metres of the reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, according to Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom. The proximity of the strike renewed fears that Russia's nearly 7-month-long war in Ukraine might produce a radiation disaster. This nuclear power station is Ukraine's second-largest after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has repeatedly come under fire. Throughout the war, Russia has targeted Ukraine's electricity generation equipment, causing blackouts and prompting concerns about nuclear power plant safety. Patricia Lewis, the international security research director at the Chatham House think-tank, said attacks at the Zaporizhzhia plant and Monday's strike on the South Ukraine plant indicated that the Russian military was attempting to knock Ukrainian nuclear plants offline before winter. It's a very, very dangerous and illegal act to be targeting a nuclear station, Ms Lewis told The Associated Press. Only the generals will know the intent, but there's clearly a pattern." What they seem to be doing each time is to try to cut off the power to the reactor," she said. It's a very clumsy way to do it, because how accurate are these missiles?" The Ukrainian successes in Kharkiv, Russia's biggest defeat since its forces were repelled from around Kyiv at the beginning of the war, have fueled rare public criticism in Russia. Some of the Kremlin's pro-nationalist critics have pressured Moscow to plunge Ukraine into darkness by hitting all of its major nuclear power plants. Fossil eggs unearthed in China suggest dinosaurs were already in decline before asteroid impact Dinosaurs were already in decline before the large asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago contributed to their extinction, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal PNAS on Monday, assessed 1,000 fossilised dinosaur eggs and eggshells from the Shanyang Basin in central China, and found that dinosaurs were not very diverse before their extinction during the last part of the Cretaceous era about 100-66 million years ago (mya). In the study, scientists, including those from the Chinese Academy of Sciences created a timeline of about 2 million years at the end of the Cretaceous era the period right before the extinction of dinosaurs. They found a decline in dinosaur diversity based on the Shanyang Basin data. Citing an example, researchers say the 1,000 dinosaur egg fossils collected from the basin represent only three different dinosaur species: Macroolithus yaotunensis, Elongatoolithus elongatus, and Stromatoolithus pinglingensis. Two of the three dinosaur egg species are from a group of toothless dinosaurs known as oviraptors, while the other is from the plant-eating hadrosaurid group, the study found. Tyrannosaurs and sauropods also likely lived in the area between about 66.4 and 68.2 million years ago, scientists say. Based on the analysis, researchers say there was a low diversity of dinosaur species in central China for the last 2 million years before the mass extinction. The findings, according to the scientists, suggest that dinosaurs were in decline globally before the Cretaceous/Paleogene extinction event that wiped them out. Our results demonstrate low dinosaur biodiversity during the last 2 million y of the Cretaceous, and those data indicate a decline in dinosaur biodiversity millions of years before the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary, scientists wrote in the study. Researchers speculate that factors like global climate fluctuations as well as massive volcanic eruptions such as from the Deccan Traps in India may have already led to long-term decline in dinosaur diversity through the end of the Cretaceous Period and sustained low number of dinosaur lineages for the last few million years. These factors, they suspect, led to ecosystem-wide instability and primed the surviving species to mass extinction linked to the asteroid impact. The end-Cretaceous catastrophic events, such as the Deccan Traps and bolide impact, probably acted on an already vulnerable ecosystem and led to nonavian dinosaur extinction, scientists noted. Global media outlets widely shared a video they attributed to Russian state energy company Gazprom in articles published on September 6, 2022. The video, which was circulated online by pro-Russian users, showed the company halting its flow of natural gas to Europe. However, our journalists investigated the origins of the video and discovered that it likely wasnt made by Gazprom. "Gazprom is threatening Europe with a freezing winter", "Russian gas company taunts Europe, "The mind-blowing propaganda video by Gazprom": just some of the headlines from several French media outlets on September 6 and 7, 2022. These articles claimed that Russian energy company Gazprom which specialises in extraction as well as the treatment and sale of natural gas put out a video showing what it would look like if they stopped all gas flow to Europe. The story was picked up by multiple media outlets, some in different countries. The video was also broadcast by several television channels and widely shared online, especially by pro-Russian accounts. The video shows a man said to be a Gazprom employee shutting off a tap, and then several aerial images of European cities plunged into an icy winter darkness. The images were set to a song called "", which roughly translates to "This winter will be grand", a Soviet patriotic anthem composed by Yuri Vizbor. Video nowhere to be found on Gazproms social media account But what is the exact origin of this propaganda video? There are a few clues that make it seem unlikely that the video was created by Gazprom. First, it wasnt shared on any of the social media accounts run by the giant. None of Gazproms official Twitter accounts in Russian, English and German, to name a few shared this video. There is no sign of this video on Gazproms official site, or even its page on Russian social media network Vkontakte, where the company is extremely active. Same deal for Gazproms YouTube channel, where the company shares all of its ads. Story continues A montage made up of other videos When we took a look at Gazproms YouTube channel, we realised that the video in question is actually a montage made from other images already circulating online. For example, the image showing the back of a Gazprom employee as he walks towards a factory was used in a video published on September 9, 2019 on Gazproms YouTube channel. The video, however, also contains footage that doesnt feature on any of Gazproms sites like the footage at the end of the video that shows a tall, glass skyscraper emerging from a sea of clouds. The building is the Lakhta Center, a skyscraper in St. Petersburg built by a team of Russian, British, Turkish and American architects and companies. Gazproms headquarters have been located there since 2019. If you run a YouTube search using the words " ", which means "Lakhta Center clouds" in Russian, then youll pull up the original video featuring this footage. It was taken from a video posted online on August 23, 2018 on , the skyscrapers official channel. Turns out, this footage comes from British company The B1M, which often makes videos that serve as architectural models. Their YouTube channel, which has 2.6 million followers, is full of these videos. Some of the footage in the propaganda video actually still has the The B1M logo on it proof that this footage does indeed come from the British company. Is Gazprom actually threatening a Russian town? The video also shows images of a town plunged into a freezing winter, which is supposed to represent European cities suffering from a lack of natural gas. However, these images actually show a town in Russia. Using geolocation techniques (check out our guide), we were able to identify that some of the footage in the video shows the Vinogradovsky bridge, located in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. There are a number of images of this bridge on Google Street View. A Russian journalist actually claims that he made the video And then the final clue on September 6, 2022, Fontanka.ru, a Russian investigative media outlet based in St. Petersburg, published an article about a Russian journalist who claims that he actually made this video. Artur Khodyrev told Fontanka.ru that he and a colleague made the video together. Khodyrev said, however, that it was a personal initiative and neither were paid. The video actually appeared on Artur Khodyrevs Vkontake page on the morning of September 6, 2022. Gazprom, for its part, hasnt commented. The France 24 Observers team attempted on several occasions to contact the Russian company but we have not yet received a response. Hurricane Fiona: Puerto Ricans show how they have saved themselves from power outages with solar panels As Hurricane Fiona swept across Puerto Rico this week, power outages followed leaving essentially the entire island in the dark at one point during the storm. While most of Puerto Rico remains without power, even as the storm has moved on, some residents have kept the lights on by supplementing the islands electrical grid with solar panels. Solar powers success during the hurricane was limited to a few select communities that have had solar arrays installed. But even this limited success demonstrates a potential climate-friendly way to mitigate the impacts of increasingly extreme disasters. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, some areas of Puerto Rico were without power for months on end, debilitating the island and setting up the long and ongoing challenge of rebuilding. The islands power grid still isnt where it needs to be as evidenced by this weeks massive blackouts during Hurricane Fiona. But there has been some progress in the past five years. Since Maria hit, about 45,000 rooftop solar panels have been installed on homes and other buildings compared to about 5,000 solar panels that had been installed before the 2017 storm, reported Canary Media. Those panels became vital during Hurricane Fiona this week. Many buildings with solar panels had power during the hurricanes wrath even as much of the island went dark, the outlet reported. One fire station in a coastal town told Canary Media that solar power kept electricity on during the storm, which allowed them to receive and respond to emergency calls. Casa Pueblo, a Puerto Rican environmental non-profit, has helped install solar panels on homes of some low-income people and those suffering with chronic diseases, Arturo Massol-Deya, the organizations director, told the Houston Chronicle. Over the past few days, the organization has shared stories on Twitter of the storms impact on the island, and how solar arrays were helping to keep electricity flowing when the grid shut down. Story continues Aun con la sombra por las nubes de #Fiona, aprovechando un poco de luz. Esta entrando 5.4kW de un maximo por diseno de 13kW y 0 de LUMA, suficiente para suplir la demanda actual y llenar la cisterna de la bateria. pic.twitter.com/Z2GJeSLwim Casa Pueblo (@casapuebloorg) September 19, 2022 Five years after Maria, we are better prepared for disaster like the one we now face today, Mr Massol-Deya wrote. Solar power has not been a panacea for the islands electrical woes, however. The vast majority of homes in Puerto Rico still lost power during Hurricane Fiona with no potential backup or backup based on fossil fuel-powered generators. Part of the problem is the expense. Installing solar panels on a rooftop in Puerto Rico can cost upwards of $20,000, reported Quartz meaning that other than some community projects or non-profit work, getting solar power backup may only be achievable for the wealthiest communities and families. And the power grid, which really supports the island, still failed. Without widespread adoption of rooftop solar or system-wide overhauls of Puerto Ricos energy system, most people are likely to lose power again during the next big storm. On Tuesday afternoon, most of the island was still without working electricity, according to poweroutage.us, two days after the rains started. LUMA Energy, the company that controls the grid, has said that theyve restored power to around 100,000 customers, out of a total of 1.5 million. Many Puerto Ricans have expressed frustration at LUMA for ongoing energy issues. After Hurricane Maria, the islands power grid was transferred to LUMA in a privatization deal finalized in June 2021. But outages have continued since then, with some residents saying that theyve even gotten more frequent, according to Reuters. Others have blamed these failures not just on grid management, but also on decades of under-investment from the federal government, Politico notes. Puerto Rico is a US territory, and residents are US citizens, but the island lacks voting rights in Congress or for the presidency. These challenges are only likely to grow in the coming decades as the climate crisis deepens and the planet heats up. Warmer air and oceans can supercharge a hurricane making winds stronger and creating the potential for a lot more rainfall. Over the past four decades, the percentage of tropical cyclones reaching Category 3 or higher considered major storms has been increasing, according to the United Nations leading climate science panel. School Shooting Parole (ASSOCIATED PRESS) A Kentucky man who killed three students and injured five more in a school shooting a quarter century ago has a chance at parole this week. Michael Carneal was a 14-year-old freshman in 1997 when he fired a stolen pistol at a before-school prayer group in the lobby of Heath High School, near Paducah, Kentucky. He received a life sentence with the opportunity for parole after 25 years, the maximum allowed at the time for someone his age. In one of the few interviews he has given since then, he told Kentucky newspaper the Courier Journal in 2002, I perceived my life as miserable. Nobody loved me and nobody cared." Carneal said then that he was sorry for what he had done and acknowledged that he was only thinking of himself at the time, not the people he would hurt and kill. He said there was no simple answer for why he lashed out, but he was suffering from delusions and paranoia at the time. He said that therapy and medication he received in prison had stabilized his mental health. It seems weird to say, but I am not really a violent person, he added. Carneal, who is now 39, did not respond to a recent written request for an interview from The Associated Press. Carneals parole hearing is scheduled to start on Monday with testimony from those injured in the shooting and close relatives of those who were killed. On Tuesday, Carneal will make his case for release from the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grange. If the board rules against him, they can decide how long Carneal should wait before his next opportunity to seek parole. Killed in the shooting were were 14-year-old Nicole Hadley, 17-year-old Jessica James, and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. The injured include Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. She met with Carneal in prison in 2007 and had a long conversation with him. He apologized to her, and she said she has forgiven him. A lot of people think that exonerates him from consequences, but I dont think so, she said, adding that she is opposed to his release from prison. She worries that he is not equipped to handle life outside of prison and could still harm others. She also doesnt think it would be right for him to walk free when the people he injured are still suffering. Story continues Commonwealth's Attorney Daniel Boaz, the lead prosecutor for the area that includes Paducah, wrote a letter to the Kentucky Parole Board on Sept. 9 opposing Carneal's release. I experienced and witnessed the immediate effects of Michael Carneal's actions on December 1, 1997 and have dealt with the effects of his actions since then, Boaz wrote. The families of the children who were killed suffered a loss is too vast to be put into words, he wrote. While incarcerating Carneal for the rest of his life may seem like a harsh penalty, it is only a pittance in comparison to what these families suffer. When Curtis Hertel Jr. became one of just 10 Democrats in the Michigan state Senate in 2014, the idea that his party might one day regain control of the state legislature was beyond far-fetched. Republicans have held firm majorities in the state Senate since 1984 and the state House of Representatives since 2011. In the last round of redistricting, the GOP gerrymandered the body to the point that it was essentially impossible for them to lose. But everything has changed ahead of this years midterm contests. In 2018, Michigan voters put an independent redistricting commission in charge of drawing new district maps. Last year, the commission approved maps that were significantly more competitive than their predecessors, a change that has fueled Democratic hopes that the state Senate majority and potentially control of the state House too is finally up for grabs in 2022. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like were playing on an even playing field, Hertel told HuffPost. Weve been playing a rigged game for three decades here in Michigan, and finally for the first time, its not rigged. We have maps that are even. Democrats have routinely been hammered at the state legislative level over the last decade: Between 2010 and 2018, the party lost hundreds of state legislative seats nationwide, and successful Republican gerrymandering schemes have rendered many majorities almost totally out of reach. In 2020, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a party political arm, poured record sums of money into such races, but failed to flip a single state legislative chamber. The independent redistricting commission, though, has suddenly provided Democrats a path forward in Michigan, turning it into the biggest state legislative battleground of the 2022 cycle. We see Michigan as a huge opportunity because of the newly drawn fair maps, said Jessica Post, the DLCCs president. Its at the top of our flip list. Story continues The creation of an independent redistricting commission has fueled Democratic hopes that issues like abortion access and voting rights could help them retake control of the Michigan state legislature, which Republican gerrymandering practices had long put out of reach. (Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY via Getty Images) The creation of an independent redistricting commission has fueled Democratic hopes that issues like abortion access and voting rights could help them retake control of the Michigan state legislature, which Republican gerrymandering practices had long put out of reach. (Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY via Getty Images) Republicans currently hold a 22-16 majority in the Michigan state Senate, and a 56-53 grip on the state House, where one seat is held by an independent. But other developments have bolstered Michigan Democrats beliefs that they can flip one or both chambers: The Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, has seemingly upended a midterm landscape that seemed heavily tilted toward the GOP. Michiganders will vote on an abortion rights referendum in November, after the state Supreme Court ruled against the Republican legislative majoritys efforts to block it from appearing on the ballot. The issue is driving Democratic campaigns from the top of the ticket, where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has made protecting abortion rights a central focus of her reelection message, to the bottom: In May, just days after the draft Supreme Court decision overturning Roe leaked, Democrat Carol Glanville upset a GOP opponent in a special state legislative election. The victory may have portended a larger shift: Michigan is among the states that have seen a surge in women voter registrations since the Roe decision, according to Democratic strategist Tom Bonier. The abortion fight is a lens, Democrats and progressives say, into how the gerrymandered legislature protected GOP majorities even when they were out of step with public sentiment. Polls show that a majority of Michiganders support legal access to abortion; in an election that may be defined by that issue more than any other, the fairer maps mean that the composition of the state legislature and the Senate in particular will likely reflect the majority of votes cast in such races across the state. Instead of a state legislative majority focused on banning life-saving health care or looking the other way while poisonous water flowed from families taps, with fairer districts for the first time in decades, there could be a majority in the legislature that represents the views of Michiganders not right-wing extremism, said Simone Leiro, a spokesperson for the States Project, a progressive organization that focuses on state legislatures and has also made Michigan a priority in 2022. Despite Democrats enthusiasm for it, the independent redistricting commission did not result from an effort to boost them in particular. It instead grew out of a Facebook group of voters who were frustrated with a legislature that over the last decade had morphed into one of the most heavily gerrymandered bodies in the nation. In 2014, as the nonprofit news outlet Bridge Michigan noted, Michigan Republicans won 27 of 38 state Senate races even though the overall vote count was almost evenly split between the parties. Two years later, Michigan Democrats narrowly won a slight majority of votes cast across all state House races. But at the end of election night, Republicans controlled 63 of 110 seats. No voter in Michigan, regardless of party, thought that politics and politicians were working for them. It was an issue, gerrymandering, that brought voters together across the political spectrum.Nancy Wang, Voters Not Politicians By 2017, Voters Not Politicians, a grassroots organization that sprung out of the original Facebook discussions, had collected 425,000 signatures on a petition calling for the adoption of an independent redistricting commission. The campaign took advantage of a quirk in Michigan law that allows citizen petition drives to propose constitutional amendments directly to voters if they obtain the requisite number of signatures. Rampant gerrymandering practices, the group argued to voters, had created a litany of districts in which lawmakers were insulated from real threats to their seat, unless it came from a member of their own party. It created a legislature that was unresponsive to voters and their needs, and helped the GOP govern without much fear of blowback. Regardless of party affiliation, it was very clear that our politicians were not working for voters, said Nancy Wang, a law professor at the University of Michigan who in 2017 co-founded Voters Not Politicians, a grassroots group that led the push for an independent redistricting commission. They were using their political power to to serve special interests, and to keep themselves in power. That November, 61% of Michiganders voted to approve the creation of a 13-person redistricting commission that would feature four Democrats, four Republicans, and five nonpartisan commissioners. No voter in Michigan, regardless of party, thought that politics and politicians were working for them, Wang said. It was an issue, gerrymandering, that brought voters together across the political spectrum. The new maps are significantly more competitive, as differing analyses of them makes clear. The commission itself used data that showed they would still slightly advantage Republicans. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project, though, sees both the state Senate and state House maps as slightly favorable to Democrats. In the past, we would identify a handful maybe half a dozen frontline seats that were winnable, said state Rep. Rachel Hood (D), whose Grand Rapids district became more competitive. Now, with this sort of flood of more moderate seats, we have arguably between 15 and 25 seats in play, with 5-point plus or minus margins. That has already changed Michigan politically, regardless of who ultimately controls the state legislature after Novembers elections, Wang argued. Thats what happens when you unrig your elections, she said. You see a lot of candidates have to fight for votes, they have to persuade voters to vote for them. And there are a lot more competitive districts. The independent redistricting process was not free of controversy or criticism, even from Democrats who are happy with the overall outcome. The new maps reduced the number of majority-minority districts in the state legislature from 15 10 in the state House and five in the state Senate to just five, according to Bridge Michigan. Theres not a single Black-majority district in the state Senate. The changes will hit metro Detroit particularly hard: The new maps carved up the states most populous city in a way that could make it much harder for Black candidates to win legislative seats. Before the maps were finalized, Black lawmakers and voting rights groups accused the commission of misinterpreting data and called for it to redraw new districts. The commissions maps diminish the voice & representation of Black people and our issues, state Sen. Marshall Bullock, a Democratic member of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, said in a statement last December. It is unacceptable and must be addressed and corrected immediately. A coalition of lawmakers and outside groups ultimately sued this year, alleging that the maps violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The commission defended the maps and argued that they were in compliance with federal law. The Michigan Supreme Court dismissed the suit in February. Democrats in Michigan and nationally are still broadly upset about the state House maps, a caveat nearly all of them append to otherwise enthusiastic praise for the commissions work. Post, of the DLCC, also cautioned that independent redistricting commissions are not necessarily a blanket solution to gerrymandering. Democrats have raised issues with the independent redistricting process in Arizona, and the concerns about Black and minority representation in Michigan are evidence, she said, that the independent commissions do not automatically guarantee totally fair representation. With the new maps in effect, Voters Not Politicians has continued to spread the word about independent redistricting, encouraging voters to turn out for the first elections held under them. Its a new world here in Michigan, because we took the power to gerrymander away from politicians and now that power is in the hands of voters, Wang said. This is going to be our first election under fair maps, where voters votes will determine who is elected. And we feel that energy on the ground. Democrats are hopeful that energy will pay dividends for the partys candidates, who have homed in on the issues where the GOPs deadlock on the legislature has allowed it to race Michigan to the right: A Democratic majority, theyve argued, could seek to protect abortion access, implement new gun control measures, roll back Michigans anti-union right-to-work law and expand voting rights. What we want to do is what Michiganders want, Hertel said. These are all policies that have been protected by a gerrymandered majority. They are majority opinions that have been stuck because of a gerrymandered legislature. And I think this is the year we change that. Roe is on the ballot. Democracy itself is on the ballot. The rights of our friends and neighbors are on the ballot. That doesnt mean Democrats are assured control of the state Senate or state House in November. But at least now, he argued, they have a chance. Under the old maps, we could get everything right and still lose, he said. Under these maps, I strongly believe that the opportunity is there, and were in a fair fight. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... New Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said the prospect of him calling a pre-Christmas Assembly election is not an idle threat. Mr Heaton-Harris has also urged people to judge him by his actions and words, rather than his reputation, as he continued his meetings with Northern Ireland political party leaders. It came after Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie called the prospect of a winter Assembly election while people are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis absolutely diabolical. Mr Heaton-Harris met with Mr Beattie in Belfast on Tuesday and had a phone conversation with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long. Among the subjects discussed were the cost-of-living crisis, the absence of an executive at Stormont and the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol. The DUP is blocking the functioning of the power-sharing institutions in Belfast as part of the partys protest against the trading arrangement. Political opponents have heavily criticised the DUP boycott, insisting it is hampering efforts to support families struggling amid the cost-of-living crisis. The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by way of a negotiated compromise with the EU or through controversial domestic legislation that would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels. Current rules stipulate that without a functioning Executive, ministers must stand down on October 28 and the Government must call an election within 12 weeks. Asked if he would call a winter election if the Stormont powersharing institutions cannot be restored, Mr Heaton-Harris said: That is what the legislation says. I probably will. The legislation says that and I have no intention of changing the legislation. The appointment of both Mr Heaton-Harris and Steve Baker, two prominent Brexiteers, to the Northern Ireland Office, was criticised by some nationalist politicians in the region. But the new Northern Ireland Secretary said: I am always keen to be judged on what I actually do rather than what people expect or think they know of me. Story continues I have got a strong friendship with (Irish Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Coveney, I have already reacquainted myself with him by phone. I am quite looking forward to working with him because I think there is a positive place we can get to, a landing zone that would mean the executive could re-form and I really want to aim for that. You can judge me on my actions and my words in this area. It wont be long because this all needs to move forward very quickly. Asked about whether calling an election before Christmas was an idle threat, he said: Is it an idle threat? I dont think so. It is no threat at all, it is a fact that the legislation says that is what I have to do on October 28. The Assembly at Stormont has not been functioning after the DUP blocked it as part of a protest against the NI Protocol (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Beattie said he expected that an election would take place on either December 8 or 15. I think it is absolutely diabolical that we are going to go back out to put posters up, knocking on doors to tell people to vote for us in the cost-of-living crisis, when people are sitting in their homes hungry and cold and we are asking them for a vote when we have already failed them. I think an election in the winter would be absolutely diabolical, but if that is what has to happen that is what will happen. Asked if he thought the Government could introduce legislation to defer a winter Stormont election, Mr Beattie said: I dont get a sense they are going to do that. If you were going to change that it would take primary legislation and I dont see any appetite for that. He added: I got a sense that the sad circumstances of the last number of days has created a degree of goodwill and there is going to be new impetus put into negotiations between the UK and the EU in regards to the Northern Ireland Protocol, and a change in language I think. Northern Ireland cannot be treated differently from the rest of the United Kingdom, but having no executive is incredibly difficult. Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie said a pre-Christmas election would be diabolical (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) Asked about the prospect of an early election, DUP Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said: Ultimately, that is a decision for the Secretary of State and the Government to make. I think instead of focusing on an election right now, what we should be focusing on is getting a solution to the problems that we face because an election could come and go again. But that doesnt ultimately solve the problems that we are facing. So lets make sure that we can sort out the problems that we have right now lets deal with the protocol and the issues that it is causing. I would rather see that done in a negotiated way where people come together and try and that out. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is there and I hope that in the absence of a negotiated outcome that it makes its way through Parliament and that it gets enacted. Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said problems caused by the NI Protocol needed to be resolved (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Heaton-Harris replaced Shailesh Vara as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland two weeks ago as part of Liz Trusss new cabinet. He met Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle ONeill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson shortly before the death of the Queen led to the pausing of political negotiations. He had been criticised at the time for not meeting the smaller parties. He is due to meet SDLP leader Colum Eastwood later this week in London. Ms ONeill said she had stressed to Mr Heaton-Harris that people in Northern Ireland are desperate for the restoration of the Executive, while Sir Jeffrey insisted his party was under no pressure from the Government to re-enter power-sharing. The new Secretary of State also met King Charles last week when the new monarch visited Hillsborough Castle. Speaking on Tuesday he said he was impressed how people in Northern Ireland came together in a respectful way following the death of the Queen. Millions around the world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest in a state funeral. Guests, including U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, were among the many leaders and dignitaries attending Westminster Abbey in London, England for the service. The sombre ceremony began with a grand procession to Westminster Abbey with the King and Royal family following the coffin, featured sermons on the Queen's extraordinary life of service, and ended with a national 2-minute silence. These were the views from the historic funeral for Britain's longest-reigning monarch, a sight unlike any seen for a generation. When Queen Camilla arrived for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral Monday, a shimmering piece of jewelry stood out on her traditional black mourning attire: Queen Victoria's Hesse Diamond Jubilee brooch, which was fastened to the left side of the Queen Consort's neckline. The heart-shaped pin, which features three blue sapphires, holds great significance to the British royal family. It was a gift given to Queen Victoria by her grandchildren on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, which was officially celebrated June 22, 1897, to mark her reign reaching 60 years. The number 60 is depicted on the brooch in diamonds. Queen Victoria became Great Britain's second-longest reigning monarch before her death on January 22, 1901. Her record of 63 years was broken by Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated 70 years on the throne at her Platinum Jubilee in June, months before she died "peacefully" at her beloved Scottish residence on September 8. Camilla and Queen Victoria Patrick van Katwijk/Getty; Universal History Archive/Getty RELATED: Queen Camilla Wears Brooch Gifted to Her by Queen Elizabeth During Cathedral Service Victoria designated the brooch as an heirloom of the crown, allowing it to pass to future generations of royals, according to The Court Jeweller. For more on Queen Elizabeth's funeral, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. The piece was a favorite of another Queen Consort, the late Queen Elizabeth's mother, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, who became known as the Queen Mother or Queen Mum upon the death of her husband, King George VI, in 1952 when her daughter ascended to the throne. Jubilee Queen Victoria W. & D. Downey/Hulton Archive/Getty While other women in the royal family, including Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, opted for traditional diamonds and pearls for Monday's services for the late monarch, Camilla's choice in wearing the Hesse Diamond Jubilee brooch was a "very personal tribute to the Queen," according to Rachel Garrahan, British Vogue's jewelry and watch director. Story continues RELATED: Crown Jeweler Removes Crown, Sceptre and Orb from Queen Elizabeth's Coffin Before Her Interment Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. Samir Hussein/WireImage RELATED: See How the Royals Honored Queen Elizabeth with Their Style Choices at Her Funeral "The Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch was unseen for more than a century when Camilla started wearing it, and is believed to have been passed down from the Queen Mother, whose jewelry she wears regularly." Garrahan said. "It is one of Camilla's oldest pieces and its royal story links to her past and the monarchy's future." As Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla has worn the brooch for several important events since joining the royal family in 2005. The piece, reportedly worth more than $20,000, was spotted on Camilla during state visits to Philadelphia in 2007, Japan in 2008 and Canada in 2009. She also wore it, appropriately, during a Scandinavian tour with then-Prince Charles, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee more than a decade ago. Queen Elizabeth was buried following the state funeral at Westminster Abbey and a committal service at St. George's Chapel within Windsor Castle. Elizabeth's final resting place will be near her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, and by the side of her husband of 73 years Prince Philip. The Russian Navy's improved kilo-class submarine Kolpino sails during the Navy Day parade in Sevastopol (Reuters) - Russia's Black Sea fleet has relocated some of its submarines from port of Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk in Krasnodor Krai in southern Russia, the British military said on Tuesday. The relocation is likely due to the recent change in the local security threat level in the face of increased Ukrainian long-range strike capability, the Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Twitter. (https://bit.ly/3f4iTC0) "In the last two months, the fleet headquarters and its main naval aviation airfield have been attacked", the Ministry added. (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill) Liz Truss has promised the UK will not ration energy, but warned "we cannot jeopardise our security" for the sake of keeping costs down. The prime minister said she supports energy efficiency measures, but will not be encouraging people to use less energy this winter like other countries - such as Germany - have done. After winning the Tory leadership race on 5 September, Ms Truss outlined her plans to deal with soaring energy bills, including an energy price guarantee to limit how much suppliers can charge for each unit of energy. Green levies will also be removed from bills, and the government will pay for both measures by borrowing. Speaking on her way to New York for a United Nations General Assembly (Unga) on Tuesday, Ms Truss said: "We are not talking about [the] rationing of energy." She added that she supported her predecessor Boris Johnson's view that higher energy bills for standing up to Russia over Ukraine was a price worth paying. "It's right that we cannot jeopardise our security for the sake of cheap energy," the PM said. "That is the mistake the entire Western world made," she added. "It was becoming too dependent on authoritarian regimes, not just for energy supplies, but also for other critical minerals and other goods and so on. "What we can't allow to happen is for that cost to go on the bills of people in the UK." She added: "We are going to put in place an energy price guarantee to make sure people are able to get through this winter and next winter without those very high bills that we feared." Read more: What is the energy price guarantee? Spending more on military aid to Ukraine 'will cut energy bills' The PM has made it her mission in New York to get other countries on board to continue supporting Ukraine in its attempt to combat the Russian invasion. She said the "number one issue is global security", but reiterated that she did not want to pass the buck on to the British people. Story continues "It is a price worth paying for Britain because our long term security is paramount," the PM added. "What I don't want to happen is for that to be passed on to bill payers beyond that energy price guarantee that I have outlined. I don't think that's right." Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts Attacking previous administrations, Ms Truss said there should have been "more investment 20 years ago in nuclear power, for example". "That's why we do need to make sure we are guaranteeing people are not paying fuel bills that are unaffordable," she said. The Telegraph Amanda Owen is dressed for a day in the city. Her hair is styled, her make-up is professionally applied, and shes wearing a lilac polka-dot dress by Coco Fennell, a celebrity favourite. We are in the library of a boutique London hotel for a photoshoot and the Telegraph photographer has just asked if Owen can possibly adjust her pose for his next shot. She finds the politeness of his request quite comical. Of course I can! she says. If I can shear a sheep, I can lean over a sofa. A young sailor accused of setting fire to a US Navy warship was angry about being assigned to deck duty after failing to become a Navy SEAL, according to prosecutors. Ryan Sawyer Mays, 21, is accused of aggravated arson and the wilful hazarding of a vessel - charges he has denied. On the first day of the court martial at Naval Base San Diego, prosecutor Commander Leah O'Brien described Mays as arrogant, adding that the fire had been "a mischievous act of defiance gone wrong". The USS Bonhomme Richard burned for nearly five days in July 2020, sending smoke over San Diego, where the ship had been for a major upgrade. Some 115 sailors were on board and nearly 60 suffered heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and minor injuries. The ship was so badly damaged that it had to be scuttled. But Mays' military defence counsel Lieutenant Tayler Haggerty said prosecutors had presented no physical evidence proving he was behind the fire. She said investigators had ignored evidence and witness accounts so they could find a scapegoat for the loss of a costly ship that had been badly managed by senior officers. Sarcastic and flippant Once they had decided the culprit was Mays, a sailor known to be sarcastic and flippant, "nothing else mattered", she added. "Just because the government eliminates, ignores, pieces of evidence, it doesn't mean the court should." The trial, which is expected to last two weeks and is before Navy judge Captain Derek Butler, has been hampered by the inability of many witnesses to remember what happened on the day of the fire. 'I can't remember a lot' Petty Officer Jeffrey Garvin, the warship's former fire marshal, fought back tears when asked by the prosecution about the day, saying: "I'm still trying to work through this in therapy myself. I apologise." Later, he said: "I can't remember a lot." More than 20 senior officers and sailors were disciplined by Navy leaders in connection with what were described as widespread leadership failures that contributed to the disaster. Story continues A report by the Navy last year said that the fire damage was preventable and unacceptable, blaming a lack of training, coordination, communication, fire preparedness, equipment maintenance and command and control. Some of the crew members who testified said that the lower vehicle storage area where the fire started was filled with bottles, tools, generators, tractors, and other equipment. Defence lawyers said investigators ignored the fact that lithium batteries were stored next to combustible material such as cardboard boxes, and that there was evidence pointing to another sailor who has since been fired from the Navy. The trial continues. Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix - Netflix Netflix is back with another true crime offering: chilling three-part documentary, Sins of Our Mother. Released last week (14 September), the three-part series focuses on the shocking story of Lori Vallow Daybell who stands accused of murdering two of her children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, seven. The 49-year-old mother is currently in jail waiting to stand trial for conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her fourth husband (Charles Vallow) and her fifth husbands wife (Tammy Daybell) as well as her two youngest children. Tammy was originally thought to have 'died in her sleep', with police later becoming suspicious over the circumstances. So, what do we know about Tammy's cause of death? Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix - Netflix Sins of Our Mother: How did Tammy Daybell die? Tammy Daybell was the wife of Lori's fifth husband, Chad Daybell. In October 2019, around the same time that Lori's children went missing, Tammy (who was married to Chad at the time) 'died in her sleep'. However, when Lori and Chad secretly married in Hawaii two weeks after Tammy's death, police became suspicious that Tammy didn't die of natural causes after all and that the new couple may have murdered her and skipped town. As for how Tammy died, a coroner initially determined the cause of her death to be natural. According to reports, the coroner listed Tammys immediate cause of death as a cardiac event. It was also reported that pulmonary edema - caused by too much fluid in the lungs - was a condition leading to Tammy's death. Chad Daybell's children told @CBSNews and @JonVigliotti that they were told their mother, Tammy, died of asphyxiation--but they have not seen the autopsy. Chad is facing First Degree Murder, however their children believe he is innocent. #azfamily MORE: https://t.co/tKKsF9r8rO pic.twitter.com/YC0ub3wl57 Kim Powell (@KimPowellTV) August 31, 2021 In December 2019, police began to find Tammy's death suspicious. Her body was exhumed in order for an autopsy to take place, although the results have not been publicly released. However, in an interview with CBS, Tammy's son Garth Daybell reportedly said he was told that his mother had been "asphyxiated" (when someone dies by being deprived of air). Story continues Elsewhere in the case, court documents reportedly revealed that Lori Vallow's now-deceased brother Alex Cox attempted to shoot Tammy around ten days before she died. Lori Vallow Daybell and current husband Chad Daybell now both face charges related to Tammy's death. Sins of Our Mother is streaming now on Netflix. You Might Also Like The much-vaunted post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and US could be years away, Liz Truss admitted as she landed in the US before her first official bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden. The prime minister, en route to the United Nations General Assembly, told reporters on Tuesday: "There aren't currently any negotiations taking place with the US and I don't have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term." Ms Truss, a former foreign and trade secretary, said her priority with international allies was to "collectively deal with Russian aggression". Her focus for trade deals had moved eastwards, she said, citing her desire for a trade deal with India. Her predecessor, Boris Johnson, pledged in June to secure one by the end of the year. Ms Truss also wants a deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The third target is to achieve UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) grouping of nations that takes in Australia, Canada and Japan and is one of the world's biggest trading blocs. "Those are our trade priorities," she said. Northern Ireland Protocol question Her remarks come after the White House warned this month that any attempt to undo the Northern Ireland Protocol, which governs trade rules between the EU, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, could hurt chances of a bilateral trade agreement. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said there is "no formal linkage" between the two issues but also said any effort to undo the Northern Ireland Protocol "would not create a conducive environment, and that's basically where we are with the dialogue". President Biden made similar remarks a year ago when he said in the Oval Office - with Mr Johnson, who was the prime minister at the time, sitting next to him - that while the issues of a US-UK trade deal and the Northern Ireland Protocol were "separate", he felt "very strongly" that he did not want a change to the Irish accords resulting in a closed border. Story continues Read more: US warns trade deal at risk over protocol change The UK and EU remain in dispute over the trading arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the UK insisting physical checks on farm produce and other goods are removed. The UK has also insisted it will act unilaterally if a solution cannot be found and has drawn up legislation to enable the UK to tear up part of the protocol. Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts The bill was tabled by Ms Truss this summer and is expected to reach the Lords in mid-October, and threatens to further escalate tensions between the EU and potentially the US as well. Mr Johnson and his government had championed a US trade deal as a big Brexit bonus, while President Trump insisted in 2017 the UK was "at the front of the queue". But Mr Johnson was forced to admit in 2021 that the US has "a lot of fish to fry" and that a trade deal might not be secured by the 2024 general election. "The Americans do negotiate very hard," he said. Ms Truss now appears to have mothballed a free trade deal with Britain's closest ally and the world's biggest economy and wants to use her trip to the UN to focus on Ukraine and collectively tackling Russian aggression. 'We're being stripped of our basic rights': Years of neglect leave Rome a no-go for the disabled In the Italian capital Rome, mobility can be a challenging experience for people with disabilities. Under the current legislation dating back to 1986, Italian municipalities are obliged to remove all architectural barriers - but less than 5 per cent of them have actually done so. People with reduced mobility are often the first ones to pay the price; not lease because of obstacles but also for the citys waste management problems with rubbish often getting in the way as they try to move around. Romes new mayor Roberto Gualtieri has pledged to transform the capital and address some of its long-term issues using both funds for the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025 and the EU's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (or Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, PNRR, in Italian). Years of mismanagement and lack of maintenance works have badly affected public transport services around the city. One person is who suffering from the years of neglect is Dario Dongo, a lawyer and the founder of Egalite, an association that has been fighting for the rights of disabled people in Italy and specifically in Rome. His organisation has reported Atac (Romes municipal unit for public transport services) several times to local authorities for its poor service to disabled people but little has changed so far. Dario Dongo from Egalite in Rome - Euronews Dongo took Euronews along on his daily commute, which involved trying to avoid holes in the pavements, and navigating missing ramps and steps. At one point, he is forced to travel in the middle of the road. On arriving at a metro station in the heart of Rome's historic centre, Dongo is forced to wait at a non-functioning stairlift for 30 minutes only to be told he needs to make a connection to another metro station. 'Working non-stop to get back to normal' "For the past 14 years our systems and infrastructures have not been maintained and they have not been revised. So, today we have inherited quite a heavy legacy which means that for the next three years well have to work non-stop to bring everything back to normal," Eugenio Patane, is the Deputy Mayor for Mobility, Municipality of Rome, told Euronews. Story continues "That means new investments and funds which we have thanks to the PNRR plan and the upcoming Jubilee. All we need now is to make them fully operational. We have to organize tenders and do proper maintenance works but most importantly we need planning". Despite the challenges, Dongo doesnt want to stop moving around and says that he hopes that his battle may help improve the situation for everyone. "Only by doing, so things they can change, especially by putting pressure on those in authority from the ground up. We should all expect things to [change] and complain if they don't, otherwise theyll never be fixed". You can watch the full report on Dario Dongo's daily commute in the media player above. The royal family have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth credit:Bang Showbiz The royal family have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth on social media. The late monarch was buried in The King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle on Monday (19.09.22), and her family has posted a tribute to the queen on Twitter. Alongside a photo of the monarch, the family said: "May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. "In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. "1926 - 2022 (sic)" The quote in the Twitter post is borrowed from 'Hamlet', by William Shakespeare. In the tragedy, Horatio holds his dying friend in his arms and pays tribute to the Prince of Denmark. He says: "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." King Charles actually made reference to the famous line during his television address after the queen's death on September 8. The 73-year-old king said in his speech at the time: "We owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example. "To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. "Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. "May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest." Meanwhile, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales paid tribute to Britain's longest-serving monarch on social media after her burial. Alongside a black-and-white photograph that was taken during the funeral, they said in a heartfelt Twitter post: "Goodbye to a Queen, a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother." A NANG The central city of a Nang is seeking to develop tourism products that are tailored to suit the taste of vacationers from India and the Middle East, which are defined as important markets for the city's tourism in the future. Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Truong Thi Hong Hanh said that since the Government fully reopened domestic and international tourism on March 15, a Nang has focused on promotion and communication activities to resume international flights and markets, in which India will be an important market during the post-pandemic recovery period. Experts say India's positive open-door policy and the great travel demand of its people can help Viet Nam make up for the number of visitors from the traditional Northeast Asian markets, which have not yet reopened fully after the pandemic. a Nang has organised programmes to introduce its attractive destinations in India, and welcome delegations from the country to survey tourism products and services in the city. The Middle Eastern region, especially nine nations in the project on "Developing relations between Viet Nam and countries in the Middle East Africa for the 2016-25 period", is also one of the strategic markets in tourism cooperation and development of Viet Nam in general and a Nang in particular, according to Hanh. She said to attract more holiday-makers from India and the Middle East, the municipal Department of Tourism had worked with the citys Tourism Association, Tourism Development Promotion Fund, tourist sites, travel agents, and airlines to build attractive product packages. The city would continue developing products especially designed for these markets, especially high-class ones, including wedding and resort tourism products that suit the needs and tastes of Indian and Middle Eastern tourists. According to Tran uc Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to Qatar, tourists from the Middle East and India prefer to go to private beach resorts and combine travelling with looking for commercial and investment opportunities, and therefore prefer not to travel in tour groups. Hanh said that Vietjet Airs opening of the two first direct air routes linking a Nang to Indias largest and most important cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in October would create favourable conditions for both sides to boost tourism. In addition, the city planned to send delegations to Middle Eastern countries to introduce its tourism, and work with the Qatar side to soon resume the Doha a Nang air route, she added. Vietjet Air has also announced that the airline will operate three new routes to a Nang from Indias Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on November 28, November 29 and December 1, respectively. Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Ha Van Sieu said that India and the Middle East were considered potential markets that would need to be prioritised in the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy by 2030. Statistics from Google Trends showed that the number of searches about Viet Nam from the Indian market has been increasing. This reflects the demand from India, which has a population of more than 1.3 billion and will become the most populous country in the world by 2023 with more than 1.4 billion people. By the year-end, there will be 21 direct air routes, with over 60 flights per week, connecting Viet Nam with India. There are also direct flights linking Viet Nams major cities such as Ha Noi, a Nang and HCM City with the capitals of Middle East countries. The central city of a Nang has witnessed a strong post-pandemic rebound across various fields, especially in tourism and investment. According to the municipal Department of Statistics, total revenue from accommodation and catering services in the city in the first eight months of 2022 reached an estimated VN11.85 trillion (US$503.7 million), up 56.1 per cent year-on-year. a Nang welcomed nearly 2.4 million visitors in the period, including 221,000 foreigners, up 125.7 per cent and 144.9 per cent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. It raked in over VN1.2 trillion from tourism activities, up 483.9 per cent year-on-year. VNS MEKONG DELTA Construction of the Chau oc- Can Tho- Soc Trang Expressway section in An Giang Province will start on April 30 next year, the province has said. It will start at National Highway No.91 in the provinces Chau oc city and end at Tran e Port in Soc Trang, passing also through Hau Giang Province and Can Tho City, all in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. It will have a total length of 188.2km and four lanes in the first phase, and is budgeted to cost VN44.7 trillion (US$1.9 billion) with the money coming from the Government. It will require 1,205ha of land. Preparations for the construction have begun. The major sections are expected to be built by 2025, and the entire expressway by 2027. In An Giang, it will run 57km in Chau oc city and the districts of Chau Phu, Chau Thanh and Thoai Son, respectively meeting provincial road Nos. 945, 941 and 943 in the three districts. It will require nearly 380ha of land, affecting 1,990 households, and cost VN13.8 trillion ($581.2 million). Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the An Giang Peoples Committee, said the expressway was the largest project in the province so far. Land acquisition was expected to be finished by April to start construction on Reunification Day (April 30). Le Hong Quang, secretary of the An Giang Province Party Committee, said it was a national project and key to promoting socio-economic development in the province and delta. He urged related agencies to ensure the land would be available in time, identify an experienced and capable contractor, mitigate problems that arise, and strengthen appraisal and inspection of the construction. VNS The Indochina Kajima joint venture will be assisted by VietinBanks know-how in financial services and more With an investment commitment of $1 billion in Vietnam, Indochina Kajima aims to develop a portfolio of resorts, urban hotels, residential areas, offices, and industrial projects. It is committed to creating innovative real estate, enriching the communities in which it operates. The companys first statement in Vietnam is Wink Hotels a chic, fun, vibrant hotel brand born in Vietnam for Vietnam with a pipeline of over 20 hotels across the nation. Indochina Kajima last month celebrated the opening of Wink Hotel Saigon Centre in District 1, which was followed by a groundbreaking ceremony for a luxury resort project in Bai Nom, in the central province of Phu Yen. The company is also looking to develop industrial and logistics real estate in major markets such as Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Bac Ninh, Danang, Vinh Phuc, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong. This partnership aims to strengthen cooperation at a higher level between Indochina Kajima and VietinBank in activities including financial services, banking services, branding, and communications, said VietinBank CEO Tran Minh Binh Both companies will leverage advantages and strengths to support one another in our business expansion and development, in compliance with the laws. Indochina Capital CEO Peter Ryder added, Indochina Kajima has a clear strategy that addresses the current and future demands of the market while maintaining unwavering commitment to architectural excellence, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. We believe all our developments are more than just a building or a brand, but all part of a lifestyle movement, changing the way people travel, work and live. We are proud to have VietinBank join us as a strategic partner in this transformational journey. VietinBank is a leading commercial bank in Vietnam in terms of total assets and accounting for nearly 12 per cent of lending market share, with stable capital and a solid customer base. VietinBank has maintained its position as a key commercial bank, a major contributor to the development of Vietnams banking industry, and to the socioeconomic development of the nation. VietinBank has been a partner to Indochina Kajima in various projects and the bank will be providing banking and financial services to Indochina Kajimas future projects in Haiphong, Hanoi, and Phu Yen, among others Indochina Capital, founded in 1999, is one of Vietnams leading real estate advisory, investment, and development companies with a portfolio of iconic landmarks including the Four Seasons the Nam Hai, Six Senses Con Dao, Hyatt Regency Danang, Indochina Plaza Hanoi, and Indochina Riverside Towers Danang. Founded back in 1840, Kajima Corporation is one of Japans top contractors and real estate developers with a global footprint including some of the worlds most iconic properties, such as the Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii, Saint Endreol Resort in France, and Senayan Square in Jakarta. Indochina Capital first entered into a joint venture with Kajima Corporation in 2016. to launch real estate development platform Indochina Kajima. The venture is fully committed to creating innovative real estate developments that build value for partners, clients, and investors, while providing fulfilling opportunities for employees and enriching the communities in which it operates. From November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston three of the biggest business hubs in the US will be able to easily connect to United flights to and from nearly 200 cities across the Americas on a single ticket. At the eight other US airports served by Emirates Boston, Dallas, LA, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle, and Washington DC both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place. United will launch a new direct flight between New York (Newark) and Dubai starting in March 2023. From there, customers can travel on Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 cities. Tickets for Uniteds new Dubai flight are now on sale. Emirates and United announced their agreement at a ceremonial event at Dulles International Airport, hosted by United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates president Sir Tim Clark, featuring United and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight crews from each carrier. Sir Tim Clark said, Two of the biggest and best-known airlines in the world are joining hands to fly people better to more places at a time when travel demand is rebounding with a vengeance. Its a significant partnership that will unlock tremendous consumer benefits and bring the United Arab Emirates and the United States even closer. We welcome Uniteds return to Dubai next year, where our hub essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa, and the Middle East via the combined network of Emirates and flydubai. We look forward to developing our partnership with United for the long term. United CEO Scott Kirby said, This agreement unites two iconic, flag carrier airlines who share a common commitment to creating the best customer experience in the skies. Uniteds new flight to Dubai and our complementary networks will make global travel easier for millions of our customers, helping boost local economies and strengthen cultural ties. This is a proud moment for both United and Emirates employees, and I look forward to our journey together, he said. Emirates customers can connect on United to nearly 200 new cities in the Americas, through Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston. Customers of both airlines can soon book these connecting flights on a single ticket making check-in and luggage transfer faster and easier. For example, travellers can visit the United website or use the United app to book a flight from Newark, New York to Karachi, Pakistan or go to the Emirates website to book a flight from Dubai to Atlanta or Honolulu. This agreement will also give the loyalty programme members of both airlines more opportunities for more rewards. Emirates Skywards members can soon earn miles when they travel on United-operated flights, and United Mileage Plus members flying on Uniteds New York (Newark) to Dubai flight can earn and redeem miles when connecting on Emirates and flydubai. Eligible customers travelling on codeshare flights will also soon enjoy access to Emirates and United lounges. More details on frequent flyer awards and lounge-sharing benefits will be announced in the coming weeks. Both airlines have recently announced significant investments in their customer experience. Emirates will retrofit more than 120 aircraft as part of a $2 billion effort that includes elevated meal choices, a brand-new vegan menu, a cinema in the sky experience, cabin interior upgrades, and sustainable choices. United will add 500 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft to its fleet with a focus on a new signature interior that includes seat-back screens in every seat, larger overhead bins, Bluetooth connectivity throughout, and the industrys fastest available in-flight WiFi. Emirates spreads wings in hardest times As airlines have been among the hardest-hit businesses during the global health crisis, international carrier Emirates had to find immediate solutions to not only cope with the reduction of revenues for its passenger services but also position itself as a reliable partner. Mohammed Alwahedi, Emirates country manager in Vietnam, described to Etienne Mahler the airlines approach during these difficult times as well as its strategies in the next year and beyond. Emirates marks its 10-year presence in Vietnam This year marks the 10-year milestone for the United Arab Emirates carrier in Vietnam. Country manager of Emirates in Vietnam and Myanmar - Mohammed Alwahedi talked with VIRs Bich Ngoc about the airlines business and the development strategy in the future. Korean investors have proposed solutions to improve the investment environment. At a working session between the government and the foreign business community on September 17, Han-Yong Kim, chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce (KorCham), mentioned four proposals to deal with problems that foreign investors, particularly those from Korea, face. One of their concerns is the transfer pricing and the Advance Pricing Agreement (APA). According to KorCham, taxpayers who do business with foreign-related parties are exposed to the risk of double taxation due to transfer pricing, and to prevent this risk in advance have applied for APA, but negotiations have not been made so far due to the revision of Vietnam's tax management act. We hope that The General Department of Taxation of Vietnam will introduce detailed guides for existing APA applications and new applicants with the amended law, and guide us to achieve tangible results through mutual agreement procedures this year, he said. There has cases in Vietnam where foreign-invested enterprises collectively attract research and development (R&D) personnel who have been painstakingly nurtured, but later they go elsewhere. Han-Yong Kim is concerned that if R&D labour flows out, there will be no incentive for foreign-invested companies to train in R&D or expand in Vietnam, and there is a worry that it will limit investment. Businesses hope that The General Department of Taxation of Vietnam will distribute detailed guides for existing APA applications and new applicants as per the amended law, and guide us to achieve tangible results through mutual agreement procedures this year. To prevent manpower leakage we suggest that the provisions of the legislation to prevent it is reflected in the Intellectual Property Law and the Competition Law, he said. KorCham members agree with the legislation for the Enforcement Decree of Personal Information Protection. However, they see the fine of up to 5 per cent of Vietnam's sales for the violation, which is mentioned in the Draft Decree on Personal Data Protection, as too high. Thus, to avoid putting an excessive burden on companies, they hope a more balanced bill can be enacted that is more predictable, such as calculating fines based on a fixed amount (for example, VND500 million) rather than sales. The Korean business community has also proposed that Vietnam has a more open visa policy to become a global tourism powerhouse and attract more investment. The issuance of visa-related documents for those who work or invest in Vietnam is an obstacle to investing because the documents they prepare for obtaining a status of residence in Vietnam are so complex and numerous. If this is resolved, it is believed that more investment will come to Vietnam, he said. Airports, airlines asked to announce RoKs latest entry regulations The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airports and airlines to announce the Republic of Korea (RoK)s latest regulations on compulsory COVID-19 testing before entering the East Asian country. Haiphong reaps sweet fruit from investment promotion event in South Korea Haiphong Peoples Committee granted the investment registration certificate for three projects with the total capital of over $150 million following an investment promotion conference organised in South Korea. Google, Meta face record fines in South Korea over privacy violations South Korea has fined Google and Meta more than $71 million collectively for gathering users' personal information without consent for tailored ads, regulators said Wednesday, the country's highest-ever data protection fines. South Korean startups eye Vietnam takeover In preparing for digital transformation acceleration in Vietnam, South Korean startups are increasing expansions in the country to tap into growing demands. In the draft, which the ministry recently made public for comments, the ministry added a new section on Term for apartment ownership with two options. Illustrative image (Photo: Internet) In the first option, the term for apartment ownership would be defined based on the lifespan of the building. In the second option, there would be no change, meaning that there would be no regulation about the ownership term. Experts said that it was essential to give careful consideration to the proposal of limiting apartment ownership terms because this was a new thing in Vietnam and could have a significant impact on the market and residents. The view of the first option was similar to the proposal setting a limited term of 50-70 years for apartment ownership raised four months ago which had caused a stir among the public. Most residents and experts did not agree with the proposal, pointing out that a limited term for apartment ownership was not appropriate for buildings that were developed on long-term residential land as apartment owners still had the right to own the land in the long term following the established land laws. Van Quang, who lives in an apartment building in Binh Thanh district, HCM City, said that his family saved up for 10 years to buy the apartment. He was worried he would lose his biggest asset when the ownership term expired. Another resident said that he planned to sell a house to buy an apartment close to the city centre which was more convenient for traveling to work. However, when he heard about the ministrys proposal, he changed his mind. If the proposal was passed, people might rush to buy land instead of apartments and this would cause a problem for the market, he said. According to David Jackson, general director of property market research firm Colliers Vietnam, in any approach, the Ministry of Construction aimed for stable growth of the real estate market, and clarifying issues related to house ownership and ownership terms was an important part of the process. It was necessary to have an appropriate approach with a specific roadmap and transparent regulations, which would help diversify the housing market and open up more opportunities for customers and real estate developers, he said. Limited-term apartment ownership was currently applied in many countries in the world but is a completely new thing in Vietnam, thus, careful consideration was needed to harmonise benefits and achieve long-term development goals, he said. Limited terms for apartment ownership were expected to tackle difficulties in urban development and management, he said, pointing out that like other types of housing, the quality of apartment buildings gradually decreased years over years, affecting the safety and lives of residents. He said applying limited ownership terms would also bring many opportunities for redevelopment and change of land use purposes, thereby better serving social needs in the future while providing access to housing for the next generations as land was a finite resource. Nguyen Duy Thanh, Chairman of Global Home, said that it was important to have solutions to handle construction works that expired and ownership issues to protect the legitimate rights of residents. If the buildings had to be demolished and rebuilt, the old owners should have the right to receive compensation at market prices to settle down, he said, stressing that every building had its lifespan and would degrade over time. In response to the public, Deputy Director of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department under the Ministry of Construction Nguyen Manh Khoi told Viet Nam News Agency that the proposal was raised to tackle existing difficulties in the renovation and rebuilding of old and degraded apartment buildings. Many buildings had degraded and seriously affected the lives of residents, but it was difficult to demolish and rebuild because ownership was permanent, he pointed out. He said that in the first option, there was no specific limit on the number of years for ownership, but it would depend on the works lifespan in accordance with the law on construction. Khoi said that the ministry would listen to every contribution and ensure benefit harmonisation in policy-making, in which the benefits of residents would be the top priority. He said that with the limited-term apartment ownership, some people would switch to buying land but not the majority. The regulations on apartment ownership terms might affect housing prices and create conditions for prices to drop, he said. The Ministry of Construction was making public for comments two draft amendments to the Law on Housing and the Law on Real Estate Business, both had significant impacts on the real estate market and enterprises operating in the industry. The amended Law on Real Estate Business was expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in May 2023 and passed in October 2023 while the amended Law on Housing was scheduled to be discussed by the National Assembly for the first time in October and passed in May 2023. Both are expected to come into force on January 1, 2024 to put the development of the real estate market on track. Other points in the drafts which are drawing attention include the legal framework for condotels, officetels and shophouses, the operation of real estate brokers, house ownership of foreigners, and transactions via real estate trading centres. People will benefit from limited-term apartment ownership: expert In the controversy over limited-term apartment ownership, some experts see positives and say it could change the situation of slum areas and reduce housing prices. Quang Ninh Mong Cai city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, is planning to develop renewable energy on Vinh Thuc and Vinh Trung islands in the near future. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Ho Quang Huy said Mong Cai is working to carry out the announced strategies and plans to gradually modernise infrastructure, especially in coastal areas. Among those strategies and plans, the city will boost the development of renewable energy to switch from traditional energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas to green and safer ones like wind, solar, hydrological, and biological energy in line with the common orientations set up by central and provincial agencies, he noted. According to an adjusted general planning for the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone approved by the Prime Minister, the zone has a total area of about 121,197 hectares, including 66,197 hectares on land and 55,000 hectares on water that includes such islands as Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc of Mong Cai city and Cai Chien of Hai Ha district. Mong Cai city and the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone boast a long coastline, favourable weather conditions for developing renewable energy like solar and wind power, as well as resilience to storms, making them ideal places for long-term and stable power generation. Huy said municipal authorities are moving to adjust the planning of Division D1 in the vicinity of Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc islands to suit the clean and renewable energy development directions issued by the Quang Ninh administration and central agencies. After the planning is finalised, Mong Cai will invite capable and experienced investors to develop a wind power system, the official went on, adding that the development of clean and renewable energy will help create an impulse for the local economy to grow, natural values to be upheld, the citys standing in the common development trend to be elevated, and related policies and resolutions of central and provincial administrations to be implemented. He added that his city will maximise maritime potential while enhancing the monitoring and protection of the marine environment to help sustainably develop sea-based economic activities. As a coastal city with rich potential for economic development, Mong Cai holds a strategic position in Quang Ninh province and Vietnam as a whole. Over the past years, it has always attached importance to preserving and bringing into play natural values and promoting renewable energy, Huy said. In March this year, the Quang Ninh Peoples Committee issued a document on studying the potential of offshore and land-based wind power in the province. It assigned the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to coordinate with some units to survey areas for wind power development, including Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc islands. Meanwhile, in a draft planning of Quang Ninh by 2030 submitted to the Prime Minister, the province identified several focuses, including developing an environmentally friendly energy industry, maintaining its role as an energy centre of Vietnam and a wind and LNG-fired power centre in the northern region, gradually switching to clean and renewable energy, and developing land-based, inshore, and offshore wind power with total initial capacity of about 2,500 MW. On February 11, 2020, the Politburo issued Resolution No 55-NQ/TW on orientations for the national energy development strategy by 2030, with a vision to 2045, which gives priority to the capitalisation of renewable, new, and clean energy sources. On October 2 the same year, the Government released Resolution No 140/NQ-CP on an action plan for implementing the Politburos resolution. Investors satisfied with Quang Ninh performance during COVID-19 Up to 81.6 pc of domestic private firms and 100 pc of foreign investors in Quang Ninh felt satisfied with the northern province Quang Ninhs response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the PCI 2021 survey, attesting to the localitys efforts to assist them in all fields. The brand new office shows remarkable success in business development for RSM Vietnam. The opening ceremony of the new office left a lasting impression on a welcoming environment, and the firms Board of Directors and employees were all present to witness the moment. Le Khanh Lam, chairman of RSM Vietnam, delivered a passionate speech in which he congratulated the firm on its remarkable achievements and expressed his gratitude to all members of the management team and employees who work tirelessly to make it a reality. The modern, dynamic, and open design of RSM Vietnams new office space enhances the connection between departments and employees, boosting work efficiency and creating more value for its clients. This is a great step forward for RSM Vietnam to implement the strategic goal of Transforming Together, bring a more comfortable office environment to employees, attract more excellent talent, and better show the strength of RSM Vietnam in delivering high-quality services to clients, Lam said. RSM Vietnam celebrates opening new office in Ho Chi Minh City The new office is expected to create a new atmosphere, a new journey and a new chapter in the development of RSM Vietnam to achieve its long-term and outstanding goals in the future. All the management team hopes that in the new office environment, employees can enjoy their work, be inspired, strive for perfection, and provide better client services. RSM Vietnam taking advantage of central region recovery to expand operations As Vietnam is among the top choices for global investors, RSM Vietnam continues to increase its operations to support the expansion efforts of foreign groups. Firm grasp of rules crucial in handling customer info The State Bank of Vietnam has issued a formal request to credit institutions and foreign bank branches for cooperation and information sharing with tax administration organisations. Le Khanh Lam, tax partner at RSM, discussed with VIRs Le Luu how banks and tax agencies can harmonise the fresh legislation, and how barriers can be overcome without compromising customers rights. Of 21 securities firms under the supervision, seven companies were periodically inspected while 14 were irregularly checked. Tan Hoang Minh logo. Three securities firms were fined in connection with Tan Hoang Minh's bond issuance scandals. Photo vietnamfinance.vn As a result, six securities companies violated regulations on providing private placement bond services. Specifically, VISecurities was fined VN250 million (US$10,562) for providing consulting services on private bond offering dossiers, providing depository services, and transferring private placement bonds without the SSC's approval. Thanh Cong Securities JSC (TCSC) was fined VND50 million for disclosing information not in accordance with the regulation on early bond redemption. Tien Phong Securities JSC (TPS) violated regulations on providing consulting services on corporate bond offering documents. Three other securities companies Everest Securities (EVS), KIS Vietnam Securities (KIS) and An Binh Securities (ABS) were subject to unexpected inspections related to the Tan Hoang Minh case. Thereby, the authorities also detected violations that did not ensure the accuracy and verifiability of the information in the dossiers of the offering or private placement and violated the regulations on information disclosure. Meanwhile, after inspecting nine issuers, eight out of nine companies violated regulations on bond issuances. Of which, Apec Group JSC and VsetGroup JSC published bonds to the public without registering with the SSC as prescribed. The SSC has fined each enterprise VND600 million and requested to withdraw the issued bonds and refund the bond payment if requested by investors. In addition, results from a sudden inspection of Hong Hoang Investment Trading JSC and Seaside Homes Real Estate Investment and Development Company Limited under the direction of the Ministry of Finance show that both businesses violated regulations on time of disclosing information as prescribed by Decree 153 and shall be fined VND70 million. Other four issuers were found to be in violation of their information disclosure obligations during periodic inspections. They were Dong Nai Traffic Construction Investment JSC, Tan Phu Vietnam JSC, Danh Khoi Group JSC, and VRC Real Estate and Investment JSC. The Ministry of Finance is handling these cases according to regulations. According to a review of investors' filling, the SSC has sanctioned Viet Hung Industrial Investment JSC against violating information disclosure on time. Widening the space to access credit for real estate businesses Real estate businesses are under great pressure as loans are limited and bond issuance is no longer easy. Capital has been an extremely painful problem for the real estate market recently. Since April market liquidity has been low, including primary and secondary goods. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the market benchmark VN-Index fell 2.32 per cent, to 1,205.43 points. A gas supply system of PV Gas Ca Mau under PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS). GAS lost 2.7 per cent on Monday.- VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung The southern market index had lost 1.18 per cent last week, marking its third straight weekly decline. The market's breadth was negative with 399 stocks declining while only 64 stocks rose. The market liquidity was high as over VND16.7 trillion (US$705.5 million) was poured into the southern bourse, equivalent to a trading volume of nearly 702 million shares. The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks in market capitalisation on HoSE, dropped 1.83 per cent to 1,229.88 points. There were only two advancers in the VN-30 basket. FPT Corporation (FPT) rose 0.7 per cent, Vingroup (VIC) gained 0.6 per cent. In the opposite direction, losers included Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), down 5.2 per cent, Tien Phong Bank (TPB) losing 4.9 per cent, Sacombank (STB) declining 3.8 per cent and Military Bank (MBB) down 3.7 per cent, Hoa Phat Group (HPG) dropping 1.5 per cent, Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BID) losing 3.7 per cent, Phat Dat Real Estate (PDR) falling 4.7 per cent, PVPower (POW) declining 5.3 per cent, and Vincom Retail (VRE) dropping 2.5 per cent. Banking stocks fell and put great pressure on the overall market, with losers including Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID), Vietcombank (VCB), Sai Gon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (STB), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB), Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), Military Bank (MBB), VPBank (VPB), Techcombank (TCB), Tien Phong Bank (TPB) and Lien Viet Post Bank (LPB). Energy stocks also lost ground with losers such as Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (PLX), PVPower (POW), PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS), PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services Corporation (PVD), Drilling Mud Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) and PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS). "Although there were few times of support at 1,230 points, the cash flow signal did not improve, causing VN-Index to lose this support area and 'slope down'," said Viet Dragon Securities Co. "Markets drop was temporarily restrained in the end, showing the lower shadow, when the VN-Index retreated to the support area of 1,190 1,200 points. "Currently, this level may still have a supportive effect and help the market recover technically, with the resistance zone of 1,220 1,230 points, to re-test the balance of supply and demand. "However, its worth noting that the market's overall trend is still weak and there is no reliable support signal. Therefore, investors still need to be cautious and observe supportive money flow signals. "In the meantime, its still advisable to take advantage of the recovery span to continue restructuring the portfolio in the direction of minimising risks." Meanwhile, on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index lost 3.16 per cent to close at 264.25 points. Market awaits Fed's rate hike decision The stock market witnessed turbulence in the last few sessions, with the VN-Index down for a third straight week. Analysts said that the market is now focusing on the US Federal Reserves monetary policy this week. The fuel tariff increase has caused steel producers' power bills to rise by about 50%, said Pravit Horrungruang, adviser to the EAF Long Product Steel Producers Association. Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA) "Many companies want to increase the prices of their steel products in accordance with the higher costs of raw materials, energy, logistics and wages in order to remain competitive or survive in business," Pravit was quoted by the newspaper as saying. In Thailand, prices of steel products, especially steel bars which are used in construction, are regulated by the Ministry of Commerce. Many countries, such as Turkey, have recently announced an increase in steel prices of 20-40 USD per tonne, according to the association. The price of steel rebars in Thailand currently stands at 699 USD per tonne, which is lower than 738 USD per tonne in Singapore,740 USD per tonne in Turkey, and 852 per tonne in China, it said. The association said the price of steel scrap in the global market is around 658 USD per tonne this year, up 42% compared to 464 USD per tonne in 2021. Pravit said that the construction sector should sign long-term contracts with steel manufacturers to avoid price fluctuations, adding that if energy cost is added to the price, the price of steel will rise to 700-800 USD per tonne. Thai oil refining firm TOP to expand operation in Vietnam Thai Oil PLC (TOP), Thailands largest oil refining company by capacity, will select Vietnam as one of three destinations for its investment expansion, along with Indonesia and India. Indonesia surpasses Thailand, Malaysia in tourism index Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan has said Indonesia's Travel and Tourism Development Index score increased, from 4.2 to 4.4 and rose from the 44th ranking to 32nd. As business leaders recognise the transformative ability and importance in almost every part of a business, technology is no longer viewed as a mere cost of doing business but as a source of fundamental competitive advantage. More than half of all GDP created going forward will be because of digital transformation. This is due to the role technology can and must play if we are to solve some of the most enduring challenges that face businesses, governments, and society today. Today, IBM is announcing five transformative examples that demonstrate its commitment to clients: Sacombank (Vietnam), AMRET (Cambodia), VNPT Group (Vietnam), TPBank (Vietnam) and the University of Management and Technology (Vietnam). As one of the largest commercial banks in Vietnam, Sacombank has seen increased use of digital channels by millions of its customers and needs to ensure its IT infrastructure can keep up with growing transactions. IBM LinuxONE has been the core system underpinning Sacombanks uninterrupted banking services, providing vertical scalability and the highest level of security and compliance without sacrificing the speed of innovation. The system has brought Sacombank improved system performance, transaction time, and software licensing costs, with many savings over six years. IBM LinuxONE today gives Sacombank the capacity to innovate and quickly introduce new digital financial services that are significant to its customers financial health and wellbeing while helping the bank advance towards its sustainability goals. Le Duc Huy, deputy director of the Digital Transformation Center at Sacombank, said, IBM LinuxONE is helping us to securely deliver uninterrupted banking services to our customers as our enterprise database infrastructure solution. It provides vertical scalability and the highest level of security and compliance, which is critical for our business, without sacrificing the speed of innovation." "It allows us to be more efficient in using IT resources and helps us to achieve our sustainability goals. We saw improved system performance and transaction time and an improved experience for our staff and customers. Meanwhile, Amret has been devoted to improving financial inclusion by bridging physical distances and making its microfinance banking services available to millions of people and businesses across Cambodia, wherever they are and whenever they need help. The high availability and reliability of Amrets microfinance banking services were made possible for years by the underlying sophisticated technological platforms, which include IBM LinuxONE. The next step in Amrets digital transformation journey not only requires the bank to be equipped with a highly robust and reliable infrastructure to support its mission-critical operations but also scalable and future-ready platforms at the core to help the bank for sustainable future growth. Businesses in Vietnam made great strides in digital transformation across Cloud, AI, and Good Tech with IBM technologies. Amrets chief digital and information officer Sajjad Khan said, We are committed to investing in advanced technologies, providing omnichannel solutions and staying focused on our customers needs. Customer experience is critical to us, along with our digital platforms' availability, performance, and security. "IBM LinuxONE has run our core banking system for many years without disruptions. The high availability and reliability of this strategic platform allow us to serve the needs of our customers in todays fast-growing and increasingly digital market. We have seen many positive results and improvements in serving our customers and increased internal productivity, Khan said. To help accelerate the use of data without sacrificing security and usability, IBM also introduced the IBM Data Lake solution to enable VNPT Group to use data across borders in a secure, automated, and compliant manner. A VNPT spokesperson said the company was looking for a solution to simplify the landscape by consistently controlling data access, centrally enforcing enterprise data policies, and intelligently moving data for different data users. The capabilities of IBM to build a data lake for analytics and AI essentially made this ideal come true. As businesses become increasingly data-driven, they must find suitable solutions to achieve the desired business outcomes while maximising data availability and protection. By working together with VNPT, we helped them to build a data lake for analytics and AI where they can now collect, store, govern and secure raw data from across their businesses anywhere, either on premises or on the cloud, said Pham Thi Thu Diep, country and technology leader of IBM Vietnam. TPBank is transforming its critical banking processes with IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation to achieve faster processes and shorter waiting times to support their internal users and external clients. The bank accelerated the automation journey with internal processes for IT operations and then expanded the scope to cover the lending processes and further domains in the near future. According to TPBank, by collaborating with IBM, it has built the platform they need to decrease time to market and lower integration costs while they continue building on and enhancing the banks services. IBM Cloud Paks for Business Automation running on Red Hat OpenShift is expected to enable TPBank to deliver greater customer satisfaction by providing fast and seamless, end-to-end services without queuing and lead time. At the same time, IBM Vietnam is working with the University of Management and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City (UMT) to provide education and career readiness resources to students, staff, and community members in the southern city. According to Huynh Thuy Phuong, vice-chairperson of UMT, IBM is UMTs first partnership with a global technology leader, enabling UMT students, staff, and the community to use all resources in the IBM SkillsBuild platform to reinforce their digital skills. The cooperation with IBM will help UMT to take the next step to affirm its commitment for students to access the right skills in education so they are ready to become global citizens in todays dynamic environment. Students of UMT can acquire the latest digital skills through the online learning and career readiness platform IBM SkillsBuild. When they complete the courses, students will be awarded digital badges by IBM recognised by the IT industry and other employers worldwide. IBM Vietnam will also offer workplace skills and experience sharing to help students enhance their human-centric, professional skills, such as collaboration, presentation, and problem-solving, nurturing digital-ready talent for Vietnam. The digital transformation is creating jobs that require new skills, and there is a need to upskill workforces quickly and at scale. By collaborating with UMT through IBM SkillsBuild, IBM is helping to address the skills gap and accelerating the talent pipeline. The tie-up will provide the new generations of workers with the digital skills they need to build a better future for themselves and society. This collaboration is part of IBM's global pledge to provide 30 million people of all ages, particularly those from under-resourced or traditionally under-represented populations, with the new skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow. IBM announces breakthrough hybrid cloud and AI capabilities US tech giant IBM announced advances in AI, hybrid cloud, and quantum computing at the companys Think 2021 conference early this week, helping its clients and partners to accelerate their digital transformations, return to work smarter, and build strategic ecosystems that can drive better business outcomes. Taking the right steps for successful digital transformation With Vietnam accelerating the development of its digital economy, businesses are now in an all-out rush to adopt technology, invest in and develop digital solutions, and move on platforms to exploit larger markets without geographical boundaries. Pham Thi Thu Diep, technology and country leader at IBM Vietnam, spoke with VIR's Bich Thuy about the strategic steps enterprises should take to enable a successful digital transformation. Rome Nearly 100 delegates representing Vietnamese and Italian organisations and businesses attended the Vietnam-Italy trade promotion forum in Rome on September 19. Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung addresses the forum. (Photo: VNA) Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung highlighted the strong growth of the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership in all fields, especially economy. He pointed to the four factors that ensure the future development of the ties, namely the sound traditional friendship and political determination of both sides, the stability and attractiveness of the Vietnamese economy, the legal framework promoting import-export and investment activities, and Vietnams advantages from free trade agreements. The ambassador said he believes that the forum will help businesses of both sides foster their connections to optimise the unexploited cooperation potential for mutual benefits, and pledged to stay ready to support and accompany with localities and enterprises of both sides to tap business and investment opportunities. President of the Italian Trade Agency Carlo Ferro said that Vietnam and Italy can still do more to promote economic and trade relations, building on previous successes in enabling businesses to meet and increase the exchange of goods, not only agricultural products and fashion but also many others such as industrial machinery and 4.0 technology. Vietnam is currently the largest trade partner of Italy among the ASEAN countries, with two-way trade reaching 4.25 billion USD in the first eight months of 2022, up 13.9% year on year. About 6,000 Italian firms are investing in Vietnam. Particularly, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which eliminates import taxes for 99% of tariff lines, has special meaning to bilateral ties when Italy and Vietnam have opened their economies and relied heavily on exports. Vietnam is still a gateway for Italy to enter the 600-million-strong ASEAN market. The Waco City Council is set Tuesday to approve selling a 10-acre lot at 1324 La Salle Ave. for $2 million to The Salvation Army, which plans to consolidate its homeless shelters and other services there. The city bought the land in January with the intention of selling the land to the charity, which has outgrown its downtown facilities. The council granted the Salvation Army a special permit that outlines requirements for the land. Maj. Jim Taylor, commanding officer for The Salvation Army in McLennan County, said theres no timeline or price tag on the project yet. The finished product will consolidate the organizations social, housing and meal services to one location. I dont have an architects agreement yet, so everything that we have planned we dont really have a firm dollar number, Taylor said. Taylor said the organizations church could be the first building among several that residents will be able to see when driving down La Salle Avenue. Also set to be housed on the lot are administration and the Center of Hope, which will consolidate the organizations social services, all of its sheltering services and the community kitchen, he said. The move will free up a cluster of Salvation Army downtown buildings, including Sallys House and the Red Shield Mens Lodge, both homeless shelters. The new development will expand transitional housing The Salvation Army is currently able to provide to homeless families, growing from just three family-sized apartments at Sallys House to as many as 15 transitional apartments, Taylor said. He said the transitional shelter will provide a space for people to settle while they get back on their feet. Theres a great need in Waco to have more apartments for homeless families, Taylor said. Although the new location on La Salle Avenue will consolidate most of the Salvation Armys services to one place, it will also distance people in need from other resources, many of which are housed downtown. Moving the services could double the distance some people travel every day for meals and other vital resources. The citys special permit lists transportation as a condition for the transitional housing to land on La Salle Avenue, stipulating a Waco Transit stop to be created on or near 12th Street. Taylor said there has even been discussion about the possibility of adding the stop on The Salvation Armys campus. Onsite security is another condition listed in the special permit, calling for the construction of a police substation or reporting station at the new facility. Taylor said not only is 24-hour security important for The Salvation Armys safety, but it can also bring comfort to the surrounding neighborhood. Taylor said the next steps for the organization are to finalize drawings and bid out for a contractor, but it could take up to four years before the organization will be ready to make the transition. Its not anything thats going to happen quickly, Taylor said. He said The Salvation Army will start a campaign soon to raise money for the project. He said there are currently no plans for what will happen to the existing downtown buildings other than selling them, and he hopes the proceeds will help fund the project going forward. WATERLOO Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye is stepping down from her role as director of the Black Hawk County Public Health Department effective October 21. She will be moving into a leadership position with Molina Healthcare of Iowa, the department announced Monday in a news release. Molina was recently chosen to be one of the three companies to manage Iowas $7 billion privatized Medicaid program that provides health care for more than a quarter of the population. The companys contract begins in July 2023. It has been an honor of a lifetime to have led this health department. Together, we have achieved much, Egbuonye reflected in an email shared with her staff. I know this team and I know that you all will do your very best to continue the work. Your shared values and work ethic will carry this department beyond my tenure. I am so grateful that none of the hard work we accomplished was done by one person. It takes everyones effort to make a collective impact. Egbuonye has led the department since coming to Iowa in August 2016 from Texas A&M University, where she worked in education and research. Her tenure included restructuring and rebranding for the department and she played a key public information role for the county at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very appreciative of all the hard work Dr. Egbuonye has done over the past six years, the Rev. Mary Robinson, Board of Health chairwoman, said in a news release. She provided the Department with impeccable leadership, as it underwent reorganization, during the Pandemic, and with other supportive services. She also brought us to new heights when we gained National Accreditation. This was historic, Robinson added. And most importantly, she was instrumental in ensuring that all county residents knew about and had access to Public Health Services. We wish her the very best. Egbuonye and her family will remain in Iowa and plan to stay active in the community. Deputy Director Kaitlin Emrich will oversee the department in the transition. WATERLOO Bond has been set at $200,000 for an Independence man suspected of trying to send large amounts of cash and a firearm to California as part of a drug ring. Darrell Daniel Jones Jr., 35, was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for possession of more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of more than 500 grams of cocaine with intent to deliver. Court records indicate Jones and others were under surveillance in August when he allegedly frequented a Waterloo apartment and brought a large cardboard box to Staples in Waterloo for shipping. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the package and found a bulk amount of cash and a gun on Aug. 30, according to court records. Authorities allege the package was headed to a drug source in California, records state. Officers then searched addresses at 119 Terrace Drive in Independence and an apartment at 1446 Oelson Road in Waterloo associated with Jones. In Independence, police found 28 firearms, a large number of THC vape cartridges and orange pills. At the Waterloo apartment, police found more than 40 pounds of meth, 4 pounds of cocaine and more orange pills, according to court records. The case was investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force along with special agents and Task Force officers with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation and special agents with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. These search warrants were executed with the assistance of the Independence Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department Tactical Unit and the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office Tactical Team. SUMNER A rural Sumner sex offender has been arrested after allegedly summoning emergency responders to his home without an emergency. According to court records, Jason William Gruenberg admitted he had an infatuation with emergency vehicles after Fayette County sheriffs deputies answered a LifeLine call to his Y Avenue home around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. It was the second of two calls to the address in less than an hour. Gruenberg, 35, had reported the he was suicidal, had consumed alcohol and took four different types of medication, records state. Upon arrival, he told deputies he wasnt suicidal, but he was intoxicated, records state. Authorities have been called to the address 19 times with similar results since May. Deputies arrested him for one count of making a false report to a public safety entity. Gruenberg pleaded guilty to the charge during an initial court appearance and was fined $300 plus costs and surcharge and ordered to complete 25 hours of community service. Gruenberg is on the Iowa sex offender registry for convictions for indecent contact with a child and enticing a minor in 2010 in Marshall County. In 2011, he was arrested after he allegedly photographed children at West Fest in West Union. Photos: Missing children in Iowa CEDAR FALLS The City Council in a split vote Monday turned down an opportunity to apply for federal funds to help remove an unused railroad spur. If awarded, the city would have received up to $9.76 million. But the councils 4-3 vote against seeking the funds hinged on what the city would be required to pay $1.22 million, or half the match for the projects estimated $12.2 million cost. The railroad company would have paid the other half of the match. Representatives of the Iowa Northern Railway Company and Cedar Falls Utilities spoke to the benefits of the city applying for the money to deal with removing unused railroad tracks that cut through residential areas and downtown. Grant funds would come from the Federal Railroad Administrations new Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, created by the bipartisan infrastructure law. The tracks have sat fairly idle for the last 15 years, and its not like we have this immense need to remove them, said Councilor Gil Schultz after the meeting. He was joined in his opposition to the applications submission by councilors Dave Sires, Susan deBuhr and Dustin Ganfield Theres not a huge safety issue with really no trains on them, Schultz noted. And its more than a $1 million expense that just popped up and we didnt budget for. Cedar Falls school board hears fundraising update on Tiger Performance Center "We just wanted to help. We sat around and had coffee, and seven months later, we have pledges and donations of $3.6 million, said one parent helping to raise funds. Additionally, there was concern CFU might need to use the tracks, despite the municipal utility having not utilized them for coal delivery since 2010. General Manager Steve Bernard projected it could be another 10 or 20 years before CFU brings in more coal. I truly believe we need to keep the track intact in case CFU needs it, Sires told The Courier. CFU is a gem for this city, and what they provide in terms of electricity and internet. DeBuhr said she didnt have enough information to justify spending $1.2 million. Ganfield also wanted more time to hash out the details in committee, but was concerned about the dollar figure and losing the potential for coal delivery via the railroad. Bernard said the days of using massive amounts of coal are probably behind us, and supported the project for reasons such as it making the streets safer and more aesthetically pleasing. CFU has a stockpile of coal, and could lean on truck delivery or out-of-area rail lines to obtain the commodity, he said. Coal is really important for us as a backup fuel, Bernard added. We used it extensively in February 2021 when we had the extremely cold stretch. Natural gas was really, really scarce at that point and extremely expensive. Developer of 'Jackpot Party Casino' embarks on new stage of life The founder and chief gamer of SciPlay, a graduate of Janesville High School, is stepping back from his day-to-day role as part of an 'evolution' in the job. Approximately 11,642 linear feet of track, or a little more than two miles, runs near the intersection of Iowa and West First streets next to McDonalds, through the downtown, and several hundred feet past Cedar Falls Utilities to an area near Pfeiffer Springs Park off Grand Boulevard. Now that its been denied, the company could try finding a customer to locate along the line thats only used for railroad car storage at this time. But that seems unlikely since its rail yard is located in a flood plain, Iowa Northern Railway General Manager William Magee told the council. Iowa Northern is a good citizen. Weve always stuck by CFU, Magee said. Weve always been here. The problem weve got is what else the line can be used for to generate any revenue for the railroad. After the meeting, he said abandoning the tracks has been a consideration for 20 years and the company may try to gain the councils blessing for an application again next year. The train tracks have been rehabilitated over the years but have followed the same path since 1871, Magee said. One positive touted about the endeavor was making the streets where the line runs more safe. The track itself can pose a threat to pedestrians and cyclists as can the standing rail cars that sometimes attract people who climb on them. Another benefit was that the federal funding could have been used to cover a bulk of the citys future street reconstruction costs in the area. What we are projecting within this grant is total reconstruction of many of those streets Iowa Street, Fifth Street and it would be about $1.3 million and that would just be a fraction of what that would cost for reconstruction of those corridors, said City Administrator Ron Gaines. Additionally, possible future improvements, like a new trail connection, could have happened because of the tracks removal with the help of the funds. I feel its important to foster relationships and work with both CFU and the railroad company on this project, said Councilor Simon Harding, who voted in favor of submitting the application. They have a deep understanding of what will work for each entity, and I trust their input. On top of everything, its a large federal grant in this situation, and is a win win for everyone, he added. WATERLOO After six years of work, the City Council has amended its code of ethics. The changes were approved unanimously Monday. The council suspended its rules to approve the ordinance a second and third time, putting it into effect immediately. Im glad were dealing with (the code of ethics) because this has been going on for years, Councilor Dave Boesen said. Most of the modifications involve complaints and censures. There are a few changes regarding the publics role in meetings. Residents can no longer request that items on the consent agenda be removed and considered separately. The new code states the public instead should contact council members with questions. One resident, David Dreyer, objected to this change. He said when he asks members questions he rarely receives a response. The councilors and mayor said they would work on their response rates. Citizens may now only speak for a maximum of three minutes instead of five. However, the public is not required to preregister to speak during public comments. Ethics violation reports will be more extensive under the changes. For elected officials, a city councilor or mayor should write a complaint that includes specific allegations with evidence supporting that a code was violated. It would also need to have specific references to code sections or city policies. The complaint must include specific dates the alleged violations occurred. Complaints must now be filed within three months of discovering an alleged violation. This comes after the council decided the time frame should be shortened from six months. The code states complaints filed after the time limitation will be rejected. After the complaint is made, the mayor or mayor pro tem will forward the complaint to the proper authority, such as the police chief, human resources director or city attorney, for example. Thirty days after a complaint is filed, the mayor or mayor pro tem will write a report that states if a censure is warranted. If so, a resolution recommending censure will be placed on the council agenda within two weeks of the date of the report. If a censure is not needed there will not be any disciplinary action. For non-elected city officials, any employee can file a written complaint against the individual. A new addition regarding retroactive censure was implemented as well. Complaints about the conduct of a former elected official while they were in office can be brought to a current elected official. The complaints against the former official will then be filed and investigated. If the complaint results in censure, the accused former elected official can give their side of the story before a vote is taken. The public censure process was first proposed in 2019, dividing the council at the time. Ultimately, it was approved, becoming part of city code in December 2020. Waterloo is the only city in Iowa to have a censure policy. Last year, the council censured Margaret Klein after a complaint by Pat Morissey that she had nine violations of city code. The city attorney found she violated five. The violations dated back to 2018. Klein, who ran unsuccessfullly for mayor, is no longer on the council. SEATTLE (AP) Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has named Adrian Diaz as the citys new police chief. Harrell on Tuesday announced his intent to appoint Diaz, who has served as interim police chief since September 2020. Throughout this process, weve heard Seattleites clear expectations for the Seattle Police Department: effective public safety, meaningful community engagement, and a commitment to accountability and continuous improvement," Harrell said in a written statement. I am confident that Chief Adrian Diaz will provide the leadership necessary to advance these critical priorities and make Seattle safe for all residents. Harrell had encouraged Diaz to apply for the permanent role and chose him after a committee appointed by the mayor identified Diaz, Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Eric Greening and Tucson Police Assistant Chief Kevin Hall as finalists for the position, The Seattle Times reported. The Seattle City Council must confirm Harrells selection. In a public forum last week, the finalists fielded questions about alternatives to police response, culture within the department and violence in the city. Diaz indicated support for increased policing alternatives and reform within the department, but he spoke more about his previous experience than about new ideas. Diaz joined the agency in 1997 and has worked in the Seattle Police Departments patrol and investigations units. He also served as assistant chief of the collaborative policing bureau before he was promoted to deputy chief. Diaz said in a statement Tuesday that he was committed to ensuring that community is at the forefront of the department's work and engagement. I approach this work with optimism, mindful of the trust that was shattered by the events of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, of the combined trauma of community and our officers alike, and of the long path towards reconciliation ahead of us," Diaz said. Former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best resigned in August 2020 after a tumultuous summer of racial justice protests in Seattle and nationally, sparked by the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis. Best, Seattles first Black police chief, said at the time that she quit in protest of efforts to decrease police spending. The Seattle City Council voted in late 2020 to shrink the budget of the Seattle Police Department by about 18%, which was less than the proposed cuts that prompted Best to resign and far less than the 50% some advocates had sought. The council at the same time approved hiring more than 100 officers and has since approved money for incentives as it has, like many cities, struggled to retain and attract police. City Council members and residents had criticized Best for the departments response to the 2020 protests against police brutality which at times included tear gas, pepper spray and other less lethal weapons. As interim chief, Diaz reworked the department's crowd management policies and procedures, reducing the need for police use of crowd control tools, the statement from the city said. Harrell and Diaz have said little about how they will navigate reform within the department, which has been under a federal consent decree for a decade because of sustained issues of force and bias within the department. Harrell said in the statement that Diaz understands the department must continue striving for excellence, reject bias and complacency, and act on the needs of the city's communities. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) A Nebraska man who maintains he wasn't even at a fatal 1999 shooting he was convicted of being involved in was denied a pardon Monday despite having the support of the victim's family. Earnest Jackson asked the state Pardons Board in intervene in his case because two other men who were charged in the shooting of Larry Perry in Omaha were both acquitted, and one of those men took responsibility for the shooting and testified that Jackson wasn't there. That man claimed he shot Perry in self defense and was found not guilty. The third man was acquitted because of the second man's confession. But Jackson, 40, had already been convicted before those other two trials were held and his court appeals have failed, so he has spent the last 22 years in prison. Nebraska's top three elected officials all Republicans who serve on the board rarely approve any pardons. Gov. Pete Ricketts, Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen didn't even discuss Jackson's case before voting to reject his application Monday along with three others. Jackson won't be eligible for parole until 2029 on his 60-to-80-year sentence, but his lawyer, Daniel Gutman of Omaha, told the Nebraska Examiner online news site that it shouldn't even be legally possible for Jackson to be guilty of being an accomplice to a shooting done in self defense. Jackson's supporters, like Jason Witmer of Lincoln who attended Monday's hearing, believe politics is playing a role in keeping him behind bars even with all the evidence in his favor. Its not a gray area, Witmer said to the Nebraska Examiner about whether Jackson is innocent. But it is a gray area politically. As part of his application for a pardon, Jackson submitted letters of support from Perry's son and his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. I am speaking up and asking for a commutation of Earnests sentence because it is the right thing to do, Perry's son, Mike Hatcher, said in a letter. As a Christian, I believe in forgiveness and mercy. This will help me find healing even though I cant change the past and meet my father. I hope that these words reach your hearts and lead each of you to grant Earnest a second chance at life to do impactful things in his community. Before Monday's hearing, Jackson told KOLN-TV in Lincoln that he hoped the Pardons Board would free him. A lot of people on the outside you know believe in our system, Jackson said. Im a person that understands and believes in our system, but I also understand no system is perfect. State licensing officials have sanctioned pharmacies in nine of Iowas Walgreens stores for a variety of alleged violations, including missing narcotics, a lack of qualified personnel and issues that caused some Iowans to lose access to their medications. Seven of the stores that the Iowa Board of Pharmacy imposed sanctions against at its August meeting mostly faced an identical set of charges and $10,000 of penalties. Among those is the Walgreens at 111 W. Ridgeway Ave. in Waterloo along with others in Clive, Ankeny and Des Moines. The Waterloo Walgreens store and five of the others were each charged with failing to maintain accountability of controlled substances and records, and with failing to create and maintain complete and accurate records of all controlled substances on hand. According to the board, each of them reported losses of controlled substances to the board in November 2020, which Walgreens attributed to employee theft. The available documents made public by the board do not disclose the full scope of the theft. The board later asked Walgreen Co. to perform an audit of all controlled substances at the six stores, from June 2019 through June 2021. The audit reports for each of the pharmacies showed a large number of drug products which were found to have losses or overages, the board alleged, and Walgreen Co. was unable to definitively determine what led to the loss of so many controlled substances. According to the board, the audit indicated that many of the inventory quantities that showed zero controlled substances on hand must have been inaccurately entered at the time of the annual inventory, although its not clear from the board records what that means with regard to actual losses versus inaccurately reported losses. In September 2021, the store was inspected. At that time, the stores on-hand count of hydrocodone was short 247 tablets, after which a board compliance officer requested a full audit of all Schedule II controlled substances. That audit identified a shortage of 44 tablets of oxycodone, and a shortage of 60 capsules of dexmethylphenidate. The license of each of the six pharmacies, as well as the license of the Des Moines store on Southeast 14th Street, have been placed on probation for one year, and each store has been fined $20,000, although only $10,000 of that needs to be paid depending on compliance with other board requirements, with the remaining $10,000 in penalties considered stayed. In addition, all permanent pharmacists and technicians employed at the seven stores must complete two more hours of education on inventory management and commit to implementing a new inventory management system by the end of October. Also, any discrepancies between the actual and expected counts of controlled substances shall result in a $500 civil penalty, and delays in implementing the inventory-control system shall result in $1,500 penalties, with both to be drawn from the $10,000 in stayed penalties. The two other stores sanctioned by the board for different reasons are in Mason City and Des Moines. The store denied the allegations but agreed to a settlement that entails a $4,500 civil penalty. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. CEDAR RAPIDS Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken denied allegations he grabbed and kissed a former campaign staffer without her consent after the conservative news website Iowa Field Report detailed a police report alleging unwanted advances. According to the report, the person, assumed to be Franken, grabbed the collar of the vest of a former female campaign staffer in March and kissed her on the mouth after meeting for drinks in Des Moines. The assistant Polk County attorney found no criminal act had been established and closed the investigation as unfounded. No charges were filed. The name of the person investigated was redacted from the police report, but the name of the woman making the complaint Kimberly Strope-Boggus was included. Franken, though, told reporters at a Social Security Works town hall meeting in Cedar Rapids on Monday that he met with former campaign staffer Strope-Boggus, 43, that night at her request, after she reportedly had been fired from his campaign, and I had a glass of beer. Franken repeatedly denied the allegations in the police report. It never happened, Franken, 64, said. He said he was not interviewed by police, who he said investigated the report and found the allegation baseless. Franken accused Republicans of targeting him ahead of a critical midterm election. He is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. It is nonsense, but its kind of traditional for the Republicans to drum something like this up, right? Franken said. Im surprised that they would come after a person like myself. But thats fine, you know. Thats expected, I guess. And you know, Im not at all surprised in many respects. Strope-Boggus did not return a message seeking comment. No criminal intent The police report, which Strope-Boggus filed with Des Moines police April 12, states Assistant Polk County Attorney Meggan Guns determined there was insufficient evidence to support that a criminal act occurred and to pursue a criminal investigation. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, in a statement, said the Des Moines Police Department investigated this matter as they would any other complaint. The investigator determined there was no criminal intent on the part of the individual against whom the complaint was made, Sarcone said. According to the report, Strope-Boggus did not describe any sexual intent (by Franken) nor any intent to harm either her or the other women. Our attorney properly decided not to file a criminal charge because we could not establish there was criminal intent involved, Sarcone said. According to the police report, Strope-Boggus worked as a campaign manager for Frankens 2020 U.S. Senate race when he lost to fellow Democrat Theresa Greenfield in the primary election. Strope-Boggus began working for Franken again on his current U.S. Senate campaign until she and another staffer were fired. On March 18, Strope-Boggus told police, she met Franken for drinks at the Dam Pub. When they left the bar, as they were walking to their vehicles, she said Franken grabbed the collar of the vest she was wearing and kissed her on the mouth. According to the report, Strope-Boggus pulled away, and Franken stopped the contact and walked away without saying anything further. Asked if she believed Franken grabbed and kissed her in an aggressive or sexual manner, Strope-Boggus told police no, according to the report. Rather, Strope-Boggus described Frankens behavior as old school, saying he has 1950s interactions with women, and she believes that he thinks kissing and hugging women is part of his charm. She accused Franken of doing the same thing to other women. Strope-Boggus told the investigator she told her wife about the kiss in April and decided to file the report after her wife advised her to report the kiss to police. Strope-Boggus also alleges in the report that a day before her conversation with the investigator, Frankens campaign contacted her attorney after she reposted negative comments from her wife on Twitter about Franken. In the police report, Strope-Boggus said she signed a separation agreement with the Franken campaign that included a non-disparagement clause. These allegations are false, Julie Stauch, Franken for Iowa campaign manager, said in a statement. This accusation was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Polk County Attorneys Office, who found no wrongdoing and closed the case as unfounded. Candidates absent Franken was in Cedar Rapids on Monday for a town hall meeting with Jon Bauman Bowzer from Sha Na Na. Franken was to be joined by Iowa Democratic state lawmakers and congressional candidates Christina Bohannan and Liz Mathis, both of whom were conspicuously absent. Bohannans campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Mathis campaign said it was notified Sept. 8 of the possible town hall but had not received confirmation as of Friday afternoon and bumped the Franken event for another engagement. Although it is my understanding investigators found that no criminal act occurred and the case was closed after being deemed unfounded by police, it is an important reminder that workplaces and law enforcement should encourage women to feel comfortable coming forward with any allegations of inappropriate conduct, Mathis said in a statement. From my work as an advocate for victims of neglect and assault, I reaffirm my victim-focused and zero-tolerance stance against all forms of sexual harassment. Caleb McCullough of The Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report. Member States of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) attended Russian-led conference in Geneva from September 5 to 9 held due to the violation of the articles I and IV of the abovementioned Convention by the U.S. and Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence of Russia has analysed the data of U.S. and Ukrainian representatives speeches, the working documents of the member States, joint statements and the outcome document of the conference. The Russian Federation has raised over 20 questions related to the illegal activity of Kiev and Washington within the BTWC. Here are some of these questions. What was the reason for choosing the pathogenic microorganisms examined in Ukraine within the Biological Threat Reduction Programme and why was the range of the studied pathogens not related to current healthcare problems as, for example, Tap-6 project dedicated to examining agents of glanders that had never been recorded at the territory of Ukraine? How shout the accumulation of most dangerous infections strains and sending them to other countries contribute to improving the situation related to the contagious morbidity? Why was the main emphasis made on examining the natural focal and most dangerous infections that, according to the lists of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, are considered possible agents of biological weapons? What researches that supposed using agents of contagious diseases and toxic substances were Ukrainian servicemen and mental patients involved in, being one of the most vulnerable categories of citizens? Why do the U.S. and Ukraine obscure the military-biological cooperation in international reports under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), while the U.S. has been blocking the development of its verification mechanism since 2001? The participants of the conference received the copies of genuine documents previously mentioned by Russian Defence Ministry, as well as the physical evidence that proved the implementation of works within military-biological programmes in Ukraine. There was no delegation that doubted the authenticity of the presented documents, including those related to the accumulation of pathogenic materials in Ukrainian laboratories counting the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Institute. @mod_russia_en Briefing by the Chief of nuclear, biologic and chemical protection troops of Russian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov on recent consultative meeting of member States of Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Full text Screens Documents @mod_russia_en Ukraine has recognised the fact of inspecting the Institute by a commission from Healthcare Ministry, emphasising that 80% of infringements have been eliminated. At the same time, Ukrainian party has totally ignored the questions related to unreasonable volume of storaging dangerous biological agents at the establishment and the detected gross infringements of their storage conditions: accumulating biological materials at staircases, absence of proper control system that provides access to pathogenic microorganisms. No explanations on the range of the accumulated strains of dangerous pathogens have been received, though there had been implemented 19 researches related to examining possible agents of biological weapons (Congo-Crimean fever, hantaviruses, anthrax and tularemia) within UP and Tap projects since 2008 in Ukraine, as well as economically important infections (African and classical swine fever, Newcastle disease). Neither Ukraine, nor the United States have presented convincing evidence to prove that the cooperation contributed to improving the sanitary-epidemiological situation after recent 15 years of its steady deterioration. The outcome of the activity carried out by the U.S. Defence Departments DTRA in Ukraine presented at the meeting was limited by showing several pictures of repaired laboratory premises. There have probably been no results achieved, apart from the abovementioned pseudo-achievements. @mod_russia_en The US and Ukrainian explanations regarding the export of strains and biological materials of Ukrainian citizens, as well as the observance of ethical standards while conducting research on military personnel, low-income citizens and one of the most vulnerable categories of the population, patients of psychiatric hospitals, looked extremely unconvincing. While discussing this issue, the U.S. delegation recognised these facts emphasising that the pathogenic biological materials were seldom sent to the United States. Apart from this statement that does not allow to evaluate the volume and the frequency of sending biological assays, the participants of the meeting have received no other explanations. The questions related to the reasons of emergency elimination of documentary evidence of the military-biological activity have also remained with no comment. At the same time, Ukrainian delegation stated that it is not a trial and we are not at a cross-interrogation. @mod_russia_en Russia presented the documents that proved Ukraines interest in receiving technical equipment for delivering biological weapons. This refers to a request by the Ukrainian company Motor Sich to the Turkish manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles Bayraktar Akinci, dated 15 December 2021, to equip the UAV with aerosol spraying systems and mechanisms with a capacity of over 20 litres, to which the Turkish party responded negatively. Having no other points, Ukraine expressed doubts about the authenticity of this document, with the far-fetched argument that Ukrainian state institutions do not use Russian language in their correspondence. I would remind that Motor Sich is not a Ukrainian state-run company and it uses Russian and English languages to communicate with the Turkish party, that were the languages of the document we have presented. However, Motor Sich itself refrained from commenting. I would like to particularly focus on the U.S. response to patents on technical equipment for delivering and using biological weapons, including an unmanned aerial vehicle to spread infected insects in the air. The U.S. delegation stated that the development and production of biological weapons is prohibited in the U.S., and any violation is punishable by penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. However, the decision to grant the patent does not violate U.S. obligations under the BTWC and does not mean that the U.S. government condones the inventors claims . This statement is fundamentally contrary to the U.S. patent code that clearly states that a patent in the U.S. cannot be granted in the absence of a full description of the the device actually existing and its expertise. Attempting to evade the raised questions, Kevin Garrett, Deputy Director of the Biological Threat Reduction Programme, spoke exclusively about the historical aspects of the programme. However, Garrett havent pointed out that the real goals of the programme, which were aimed at reducing the weapons of mass destruction potential of the former Soviet Union, and which had been achieved as early as 2008. Within the congressional hearings, it was reported that the goals of the programme had been achieved, after which it was extended to other regions of the world. Within the congressional hearings, it was reported that the goals of the programme had been achieved, after which it was extended to other regions of the world. @mod_russia_en We would like to emphasise the documents confirming Ukraines attempts to end its cooperation with DTRA. Thus, in April 2013, an interdepartmental commission consisting of representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and the State Veterinary Service of Ukraine jointly decided that it was unreasonable to continue DTRA projects in Ukraine, but the US administration continued to impose them on Kiev. A confirmation of the U.S. administrations pressure is the address on the slide from US Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft, dated 8 February 2013, in which he demands the Head of Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food to influence his subordinates to extend the DTRA project for another four years. Even though the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food tried to refuse to participate in the Biological Threat Reduction Program in its response of 13 March 2013, the project continued. @mod_russia_en We have said that in the run-up to the event, the US persistently demanded from the participating states on a joint statement on the supposedly peaceful nature of the Biological Threat Reduction Program, and some countries signed the statement. Fearing the US reaction and the threat of sanctions, many countries abstained from attending the meeting, as a result of which only 89 countries out of 184 BWC member states participating. Only 43 delegations took the floor during the event, of which more than half (22 states) either supported the Russian position or took a neutral position. 21 states, among them Ukraine, the US and most of their NATO allies opposed, but even among them there was no unanimity. Thus, the Russian speeches have caused many states to pay attention to the risks of cooperation with the Pentagon in the military-biological sphere, as well as to take a fresh look at the necessity and feasibility of such relations. The emotional pro-American speeches were directed by the head of the US delegation, Kenneth Ward, who is currently the US special representative to the BTWC. I would like to recall that he was the US Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from 2015 to 2019. Before his arrival, the work of the organisation was constructive and focused on specific issues. One of the results of Wards work has been to transform the professional, highly technical organisation into a politicised structure, with roles for the foreign policy goals of Washington and its NATO allies. Within his time at the OPCW, Ward worked closely with the so-called White Helmets, who staged the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces in Khan Sheikhoun in 2017. Using this provocation as a pretext, and without waiting for an investigation to be launched, the Americans launched a missile attack on the Shayrat airbase, thereby grossly violating international law. In the coming year, following another White Helmets provocation in Duma, a missile strike was launched against a Syrian scientific research centre, already a well-established scenario. It is obvious that Wards destructive activities on the BTWC platform are aimed at achieving similar goals and will help tweak the Convention mechanisms to suit Washingtons goals. @mod_russia_en We have repeatedly spoken about the true nature of the Pentagons military-biological programmes outside national territory. While the stated goals are to monitor infectious diseases and assist developing countries, in reality we see a capacity-building of US military and biological capabilities to circumvent BTWC commitments. This manifests itself in the construction of military laboratories along the borders of geopolitical adversaries; the collection of strains of particularly dangerous micro-organisms specific to certain territories; and the testing of toxic drugs on humans. In the case of Ukraine, we see that the declared nature of interaction was only superficially in line with Article X of the BTWC (international cooperation and information exchange for peaceful purposes). As a result of the DTRA projects, there has been no improvement in the disease situation and the situation in the countries bordering Ukraine has deteriorated in a lot of aspects. Other signs of peaceful cooperation were also absent. @mod_russia_en As the event resulted in a zero, non-binding report, we proposed initiatives to strengthen the BTWC. The first is the resumption of negotiations on a legally binding protocol to the Convention that includes lists of microorganisms, toxins, equipment (similar to the CWC control lists), is comprehensive and has an effective verification mechanism. I would like to recall that the draft protocol was prepared by an international expert group, VEREX, back in 2001. The second is the establishment of a scientific advisory committee with broad geographical representation and equal rights of participants, while respecting the so-called principle of ten, according to which a decision must be taken taking into account the alternative viewpoint, even if it is expressed by only one state. The third is the expansion of confidence-building measures with mandatory declaration by states of their activities in the biological field outside national territory. As questions remain about the US and Ukrainian military-biological programmes, the Russian Defence Ministry will continue to take further steps to clarify the situation. Full text Screens Documents @mod_russia_en WtR Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (September 20, 2022) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. High-precision attacks launched at the provisional bases of 81st Airmobile and 66th Mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Chervony Oskol and Studenok (Kharkov region), 93rd Mechanised Brigade near Bogorodichnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic) have resulted in the elimination of over 120 Ukrainian servicemen, 3 tanks and 12 motor vehicles. High-precision attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces at the provisional bases of 35th Marines Brigade of the AFU and 114th Territorial Defence Brigade near Novogrigorovka and Novaya Odessa (Nikolayev region) have resulted in the elimination of over 70 nationalists, more than 15 units of special military equipment and motor vehicles. Concentrated fire attacks launched at the combat positions of 59th Mechanised Infantry Brigade near Ternovka and Andreyevka (Kherson region) have resulted in the elimination of up to 100 servicemen and 7 combat armoured vehicles. Moreover, the workshops of an armoured vehicle plant in Nikolayev tasked to repair the military equipment of the abovementioned formation has been destroyed. Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 6 AFU command posts near Dolina, Tatyanovka, Artyomovsk (Donetsk Peoples Rrepublic), Lezhino, Kirovo (Zaporozhye region), as well as 49 artillery units, 142 AFU manpower and military equipment concentration areas. 5 missile, artillery armament and munitions depots have been destroyed near Seversk, Katerinovka, Dobrovolye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Braginovka (Dnepropetrovsk region) and Stepnoye (Zaporozhye region). Fighter aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 Su-24 airplane of Ukrainian Air Force near Novozhelannoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Air defence facilities have shot down 12 unmanned aerial vehicles near Petrovskoye, Khanzhenkovo, Blagoveshchenka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Molodyozhnoye, Priozyornoye, Muzykovka, Zelenovka, Posad-Pokrovskoye and Lyubimovka (Kherson region). 2 U.S.-manufactured HARM anti-radar missiles have been shot down near Kherson. Moreover, 27 projectiles launched by U.S.-manufactured HIMARS and Olkha MRLS have been shot down near Donetsk, Chervonopopovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Novaya Kakhovka, Berislav, Verovka, Tomarino and Vesyoloye (Kherson region). In total, 295 airplanes and 155 helicopters, 2,007 unmanned aerial vehicles, 375 air defence missile systems, 5,038 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 839 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,403 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 5,719 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Kiev regime continues its provocations aimed at creating a possible technological disaster at Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Over the past 24 hours, 5 artillery attacks launched at an electrical substation located near the power plant have been recorded. A total of 24 artillery projectiles have been launched from Kiev-controlled Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region). One of the engineering buildings has been damaged. AFU artillery units that had been shelling the territory of the nuclear plant are neutralised by counterfire. The radiation environment at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant remains normal. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #report @mod_russia_en WtR The Kremlin refused to speak by telephone with Macron https://t.me/ukraina_ru/101398 And? No one in the west has a brain to even talk to in the first place Germany does not recognize referendum on joining Donbass and liberated territories to Russia German Chancellor Scholz We dont give a flying flipping middle finger Referendums organized by Russia are an insult to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity White House Again, we dont give a flip But yet again, the west is losing its gord WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form FILE - A Republic Airways jet is seen at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., June 2, 2021. Federal officials have rejected a request by Republic, which is facing a pilot shortage, to hire co-pilots with half the usual minimum amount of flying experience, saying it would reduce safety. The creator of a true-crime podcast that helped free a Maryland man imprisoned for murder said that she feels a mix of emotions over how long it took authorities to act on evidence thats long been available Family Dollar issued two separate recalls on more than 40 over-the-counter health products that were stored at improper temperatures and shipped to stores between May and June 2022, the company said in a notice shared by the Food and Drug Administration. Among the items are toothpaste, bandages, denture cream, pregnancy tests and condoms. In July, Family Dollar stores recalled more than 400 products that were stored at the wrong temperatures, including pain relievers, deodorant, toothpaste and soap. Products in one recall were shipped to select stores from about May 1 through June 10. Stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Alaska or Hawaii did not receive any recalled products. The full list includes brands such as: At Home Biotrue Clearblue Clear Eyes Curad Dentemp Dr Talbots First Response Fixodent K-Y Lifestyles New Skin Opti-Free Polident Poligrip Simply Saline Skyn Trojan Veriquick The other recalled items include a number of Colgate dental products that were shipped to stores in Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Utah from about May 1 through June 21. To date, Family Dollar has not received any consumer complaints or reports of illness linked to the recalled products. The company has notified its affected stores and asked them to check their stock and discontinue the sale of the items. Customers may return any of the recalled items to the store where they were purchased. No receipt is necessary. Any questions regarding the recall can be addressed by phoning Family Dollar Customer Service at 844-636-7687 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. Anyone who experiences any problems that may be related to using these products should contact their physician or health care provider. Negative reactions or quality issues resulting from use of recalled items may also be reported to the FDAs MedWatch adverse event reporting program in the fol lowing ways: Complete and submit a report online. Regular mail or fax: Download the form for consumers, or call 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form. Complete and return to the address listed on the form, or submit by fax to 800-332-0178. During his eight years in the service, the self-identified Chicano, an American of Mexican descent, remembers encountering only a few soldiers with the same heritage as himself; he formed friendships with them that he still values today. An illustrious career When Espinoza left the military in May 1962, he started focusing on his artistry, calling upon his upbringing, love of art and respect for the military. After he graduated from the old Rocky Mountain School of Art, he helped found the multi-institutional Auraria Campus, where he taught art, Southwest history and art history. His platform and influence would help him become a well-known Chicano artist throughout the Southwest. Some of my sculpture work is related to Indians in the Southwest. Ive gotten a lot of Mexican portraits and studies that Ive done, he says. I even wrote a manuscript about the history of Chicano music, which one day I hope to be published. Espinoza estimates that he has written 10 manuscripts, 2,000 songs and 10 poetry books. Thats why my memory is active, he says. Throughout his career, Espinoza maintained a platform of using his art to give back to his Chicano and military communities. In 1970, he conducted a study in hopes of improving the federal food stamp program and advocated for funds to train artists to expand awareness of Mexican culture and history. Later, in honor of the Marines, he painted and dedicated a mural in downtown Denver to the those who served and died during war. A dream realized Although he recorded songs in Spanish and worked with a record label in Colorado, Espinozas dream was to record a country music record in Nashville. Thats when he reached out to AARPs Wish of a Lifetime. Further Prospective Drilling Results from Mt Sheelite Brisbane, Sep 20, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Tombola Gold Ltd ( ASX:TBA ) is pleased to announce continued positive results from the Company's initial drilling program at the Mt Scheelite Target, situated to the west of the highly prospective Golden Mile Complex in Cloncurry, Queensland. Tombola Gold Chairman & Managing Director, Byron Miles, commented: "It is very encouraging to see continued positive results at the Mt Scheelite Gold Project which in only a short period of time is shaping up to increase the Golden Mile resource base. The mineralised zone is open at depth and further testing is required along strike, particularly to the north where outcropping quartz has been mapped for another 500m, and we look forward with anticipation to drilling the deposit further in the next drill program." "The Company's focus remains very much on first gold production in the December quarter, and importantly these results deliver the potential for Mt Scheelite to be a key contributor to the Golden Mile / Mt Freda operations in the future." Mt Scheelite Drilling Program An initial four-hole drilling program was previously carried out at the Mt Scheelite Target in April / May this year (refer previous ASX releases "Exploration Success to Extend Mineralisation at Mt Freda (16th May 2022), and "Further Significant Gold Intersections at Mt Scheelite" (9 June 2022)). In this program, all four holes drilled (MS22RC001 - 004) encountered strong gold mineralisation within 50m of surface, interpreted within sub-vertically dipping quartz-sulphide veins. Significant intersections previously reported included: - 21m @ 3.27 g/t from 34m; (MS22RC001), including: - 4m @ 11.53 g/t from 34m - 19m @ 1.5 g/t Au from 51m; (MS22RC002), including: - 5m @3.35 g/t Au from 51m - 6m @ 6.9 g/t Au from 47m; (MS22RC003) - 18m @ 5.1 g/t Au from 23m; (MS22RC004), including: - 6m @ 5.5 g/t Au from 23m; 3m @ 1.8 g/t Au from 30m & 5m @ 8.7 g/t Au from 36m Results from Current program An additional 20 RC holes have been completed at Mt Scheelite (bringing the total number of holes drilled to 24 in the initial program) testing along a 380m north-south strike, drill testing the length of the interpreted quartz veining in outcrop and costeans previously mapped and excavated. The main zone of gold mineralisation is now seen to have a length of around 150m and is open at depth with more drilling also required along strike, particularly to the north where outcropping quartz has been mapped but not previously drilled. The initial drilling program at Mt Scheelite has now been completed with twenty-four (24) RC holes drilled (for a total RC drill meterage of 2,060.6m) with all assays now returned. One diamond drill hole was also drilled (MS22DD001) in the drilling program to 90.6m, with assay results from this hole still outstanding (MS22DD001). The program aimed to test the strike extent of the mineralisation encountered in the first holes drilled (MS22RC001 - 004) and has increased the along strike length of the mineralised zone to >150m. The next program, planned to resume in two months, will aim to both infill and extend the current zone of mineralisation both along strike and at depth. Following completion of the drilling, the next objective will be to complete a maiden resource estimate for Mt Scheelite that an be fed into the future development plan. It is important to note that Mt Scheelite is approximately 700m from the current Golden Mile producing centres of Comstock and Shamrock (Figure 2*) and can leverage off established site infrastructure. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/DB9I0643 About Tombola Gold Ltd Tombola Gold Ltd (ASX:TBA) is a company assembled by experienced, exceedingly well-qualified and all very well rounded team members that have previously floated exploration companies which achieved major resource discoveries and success. Between the Tombola team members, Tombola as a company have well over 100 years of accumulated experience in the mining, exploration and resource sector. Tombola principal objective is to acquire assets to explore for and develop a large IOGC or porphyry deposit funded by low-risk gold production resources. To that end, Tombola has a license covering 970 sq km prospective for gold/copper in the Mount Bryan-Red Banks-World's End area near Burra in South Australia; with strategic agreements with Queensland Mining Corporation. Strategic Alliance with Helmerich and Payne, Inc Sydney, Sep 20, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Tamboran secures a $22 million strategic investment and drilling contract from Helmerich & Payne, Inc. Tamboran Resources Limited ( ASX:TBN ) ( TBNNY:OTCMKTS ) has entered into a strategic alliance and has secured $22 million (US$15 million) equity investment from a subsidiary of Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (H&P), ( NYSE:HP ), the largest drilling solutions provider in the US. The investment forms part of Tamboran's $138 million equity placement, announced on 20 September 2022. Tamboran will utilise the proceeds from the recent equity placement to focus on the development of the Beetaloo Basin. Additionally, the strategic alliance with H&P, which has significant expertise in deep unconventional shale drilling, is expected to assist Tamboran in accelerating development drilling in the region at a reduced cost. Tamboran has finalised a drilling contract with H&P for a super-spec FlexRig(R) for a two-year term. The rig will mobilise into Australia for the Company's 2023 proposed drilling campaign. The drilling activity, if successful, is expected to position Tamboran for the sanctioning of the proposed Amungee Pilot Development by the end of 2023. As part of the strategic alliance, H&P will have the right of first refusal until 2033 to provide Tamboran all subsequent rigs required to accelerate the Company's 1 billion cubic feet per day (BCFD) development plan at market rates. Once imported into Australia, H&P's super-spec FlexRig(R), with more than 2,000 horsepower and one-million-pound hookload, will be one of Australia's most powerful onshore drilling rigs. Capable of drilling more than 4,000-metre horizontal sections within the Mid-Velkerri "B Shale", the rig is expected to support a material reduction in cost per unit of recoverable gas and minimize the environmental footprint. Tamboran Resources Limited Managing Director and CEO, Joel Riddle, said: "We are extremely excited to work with H&P to bring one of the largest US onshore drilling and service providers into the Beetaloo Basin. The strategic alliance with H&P, alongside their $22 million equity investment in Tamboran, aims to bring unrivaled US unconventional expertise and knowledge into the development of our significant low-CO2 natural gas resource and materially reduce costs. The equity investment reflects H&P's confidence in the quality and focus of Tamboran's assets and operational team. "We look forward to working together with H&P as we progress the development of the proposed Amungee Pilot Development, which aims to supply approximately 100 terajoules per day of low-CO2 gas to Australia's East Coast gas market by the end of calendar year 2025." John Lindsay, H&P's President and CEO commented, "We are excited about our investment in Tamboran as well as the opportunity to work with the company to unlock the potential in the Beetaloo Basin. Our strategic alliance creates a win-win scenario. H&P supporting Tamboran's development plans in the Northern Territory, while at the same time executing on H&P's strategy to gain more international exposure, utilising our FlexRig(R) fleet, technology and drilling expertise to develop unconventional resources outside the US." About Tamboran Resources Limited Tamboran Resources Ltd (ASX:TBN) is a natural gas company that intends to play a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future by developing low CO2 unconventional natural gas resources in the Beetaloo Sub-basin within the Greater McArthur Basin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Tamboran's key assets are a 25% working interest in EP 161 and a 100% working interest in EP 136, EP 143 and EP(A) 197 which are located in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal The arts in New Mexico remain a driving economic factor. New Mexicos eight state-run museums and seven historic sites brought in $2.8 million in revenue in fiscal 2022, close to the $3 million brought in during pre-pandemic 2019. We are pleased to see a rapid rise in attendance and revenue across the agency this past year, said Debra Garcia y Griego, Cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. In fiscal year 2022, 636,177 people visited the state-run attractions more than four times what it was in fiscal 2021, when the pandemic closed the museums for eight months. The visitor numbers totaled only 149,316 that year. The number was 617,407 in 2020, when the sites were closed for four months. Attendance has yet to reach the pre-pandemic levels a total of 992,574 visited the states cultural sites in fiscal year 2019. But attendance is returning, said Daniel Zillmann, Cultural Affairs spokesman. And Garcia y Griego noted Cultural Affairs employees provided innovative programs for New Mexicans during the pandemic. Serving the people of New Mexico through the stewardship of our states cultural resources is at the center of our mission, she said. Our staff are proven innovators of programs that reach across the state through exhibits, engaging educational activities, virtual programming and the distribution of hands-on activity kits and books. She also noted that the social media and engagement numbers have also increased. During the pandemic, as the museums and sites were closed to the public, each museum took to social media to create engagement in and outside of the state. According to the fiscal year 2022 data, theres been a 7.4% increase across all of the department with 398,271 impressions. As for visitors, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science remains the states most visited museum with 198,347 visitors during the last fiscal year. That is down from the pre-pandemic fiscal year 2019, when 293,817 people visited the museum. The Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe is the second most visited museum with 71,595, and Alamogordos New Mexico Museum of Space History comes in third with 69,472 visitors. The National Hispanic Cultural Center was No. 7 on the list compared to being the second most visited museum in fiscal year 2019. In fiscal year 2022, it had 36,433 visitors. The NHCC, like some other state-run entities, has seen a change in its leadership during that time. It is our hope that every New Mexican will find an opportunity to visit our museums and historic sites for inspiration, for recreation, and for learning, said Garcia y Griego. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE With New Mexico rebuilding its child care network amid the reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is bringing preschoolers into some state government buildings. The Democratic governor and top Cabinet officials on Monday opened the first on-site child care facility for state workers in Santa Fe. The facility has slots for more than 40 children between the ages of 2 and 5 a lottery system will be used to determine acceptance with a smaller number of slots for even younger children at a different state building in the states capital city. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a mix of curious toddlers, parents and state officials, Lujan Grisham said working parents need to have greater access to child care around the state. We didnt have enough child care centers in 2019 and the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, said the governor, who last year raised New Mexicos income eligibility threshold for child care assistance to the nations highest level. One state employee whose daughter is enrolled in the new preschool program said he was grateful for the option. Finding quality, safe daycare is extremely difficult, said Will Schettmann, an employee of the state Children, Youth and Families Department. While Lujan Grisham said New Mexicos child care efforts could make the state a pioneer of sorts nationwide, there are looming challenges that include a decrease in licensed child care centers around New Mexico after the start of the pandemic and limited capacity in many rural parts of the state. In an attempt to expand the states early childhood workforce, the state in May launched a program offering stipends of up to $2,000 per semester for students enrolled in early childhood education programs at state colleges and universities. In addition, the income eligibility expansion now means New Mexico families can qualify for free child care if they make up to 400% of federal poverty level or currently $111,000 a year for a family of four. That also applies to state employees whose children are enrolled in one of the new on-site programs, meaning many state workers will not have to pay for the provided child care. Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky said the states partnership with a licensed child care provider to run the new facility the Rio Rancho-based Little Explorers Child Development Center makes sense. The agency used federal pandemic relief funds to renovate what had been largely empty office space in the Joseph Montoya Building into the new daycare facility. We know that state employees, like so many New Mexicans, struggle to find child care, especially in Santa Fe, Groginsky said during Mondays news conference. She also described the model as one that could be replicated in other parts of the state. Currently, New Mexico spends the 10th most per capita on prekindergarten of any state, and ranks 11th-best in pre-K access for 3-year olds and 13th-best in pre-K access for 4-year olds in the nation, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. NAME: Miguel P. Garcia POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic OCCUPATION: Retired APS Spanish language arts teacher; organic farmer; author CITY OF RESIDENCE: Ranchos de Atrisco RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: New Mexico State Representative, 1997 to present, serving the District 14 communities and neighborhoods of Alamosa, Atrisco, Armijo, Barelas, Country Club, Five Points, South Broadway, Sky View West, Stinson/Tower, and West Central neighborhoods south of Central SW. Co-chair and founder of the Legislative Land Grant Interim Committee, 2003 to 2022. Chairman of the Labor & Human Resources Committee, 2005 to 2014. Chairman of the Local Government, Land Grants, & Cultural Affairs Committee, 2017 to 2022. Member of the Labor and Veterans Affairs Committee, 2017 to present. Member of the Legislative Health and Human Services Interim Committee, and the Legislative Investments and Pensions Oversight Committee. Twenty-three years as a community and Chicano civil rights leader in Atrisco and the South Valley prior to being elected in 1996. EDUCATION: M.A. in Elementary Education, Spanish immersion focus, University of New Mexico, 1993. B.A. in secondary education, Spanish and history majors, Eastern New Mexico University, 1973. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: N/A 1. New Mexico is highly reliant on the oil and natural gas industries to generate revenue to fund state programs, as evidenced by recent oil boom and bust cycles. What steps should the Legislature take to diversify the states economy and revenue base? Dependency on oil/gas revenues will exist as long as the legislature continues to have a laissez faire relationship with that industry. Price gouging left us with gasoline at $5 a gallon. Industry pollution exacerbated death and destruction worldwide. Decoupling the industry by prohibiting fracking is a start to diversification. 2. During the last regular legislative session, there was an unsuccessful push to make it easier to keep certain defendants behind bars until trial. Should New Mexico law be changed to make it easier to hold individuals charged with violent offenses such as murder and first-degree child abuse behind bars until trial? Yes, with the understanding that the individuals detained are afforded a speedy trial. 3. What steps should the Legislature take to address crime and public safety as New Mexico faces one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation? Continue to provide funding to advocates for victims of homicide. I will propose legislation to prohibit heart wrenching and deafening modified mufflers on roadways; provide for automated red light and speeding cameras tied to the Motor Vehicle Code; create with DOT a Brake on Yellow, Stop On Red educational program. 4. Given the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, do you support or oppose codifying abortion protections in state law? And do you support or oppose enacting any restrictions on abortion in New Mexico? When it comes to the issue of protecting the reproductive health rights of New Mexico women, it is reasonable to codify such protections in statute, and oppose any restrictions in their entirety. Adhering to these practices reduces the risk of unsafe abortions, and therefore reduces the risk of maternal mortality. 5. New Mexico has already implemented several gun control laws in recent years. Would you support or oppose legislation that banned or restricted the sale of AR-15-style semi-automatic weapons, such as raising the age limit for purchasing such weapons? And what about making it a crime to fail to safely secure firearms around children? I support a ban on military style assault firearms like the AK-47 and the AR-15. These firearms were made for the battlefield to take out a human life and not for target practicing or deer and elk hunting. I support the safely secure legislation and to make illegal the manufacturing of ghost firearms. 6. The state agency tasked with keeping New Mexico children safe has faced recent scrutiny over transparency issues and its handling of high-profile child abuse cases. What changes would you support to improve the operations of the Children, Youth, and Families Department? CYFD has always seemed to lack a steadfast leader who is willing to weather the storms. The appointment of Barbara Vigil as secretary of CYFD is a step in the right direction. What would improve prompt services and interventions to its clients would be a 24/7 work schedule. 7. What changes, if any, should New Mexico make to its gross receipts tax code? Create a staggered tax for New Mexico owned small business start-ups, with 50 or less employees, starting at 2.125% and growing the rate one percent yearly for four years fixating it at the current rate. Eliminate exemptions and deductions for businesses that have never grown since the break was given. 8. New Mexico is currently the only state that does not pay its legislators a salary, though lawmakers do get per diem payments and can qualify for a legislative pension. Do you support or oppose a salaried Legislature and, if so, how much should lawmakers be paid? Yes, I support a salaried Legislature. They should be paid the average salary of a New Mexico elementary school teacher, or the average salary of a municipal refuse collector whichever is greater. 9. What more, if anything, should the Legislature do to address a court ruling that found New Mexico is failing to provide a sufficient education to all students, especially Native Americans and those who dont speak English as a first language? The court should continue to provide oversight monitors observing the progress of the four student groups that the lawsuit contested that there were constitutional violations in providing these students with a sufficient education. We should provide differential pay to teachers who teach content in a language other than English. 10. In recent years, New Mexico has steadily increased spending on early childhood programs, such as home visiting, prekindergarten and child care assistance, and created a new early childhood trust fund. Do you support or oppose the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would withdraw more money from the states permanent school fund to increase funding for early childhood services and K-12 education? Yes, I wholeheartedly support the November ballot initiative. 11. In order to address climate change and air quality issues, do you support or oppose legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the state achieve net-zero emissions by 2050? Support. The state should strive for 100% energy efficient buildings by 2025. It should achieve a 100% renewable energy goal of heating, cooling, and powering our buildings by 2028. It should create a 100% transition of their car fleets from gasoline powered to electric or alternative fuel by 2025. 12. Do you believe changes should be made to the emergency powers held by a governor during a pandemic or other time of crisis. If so, do you believe such powers should be expanded or reduced and in what specific ways? Our current governor acted appropriately in systematically dealing with the COVID pandemic. The measures that she took were timely in trying to reduce contamination and minimize deaths. The process that was undertaken serves as a template for us to use in future pandemics or health crisis. 13. Would you support a merit-based evaluation system to determine how the state spends its capital outlay funding? I could possibly support such a system if all 112 legislators had equal input in determining such a system. I would not support a system concocted only by the Legislative Finance Committee. 14. Do you believe former President Donald Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election. No. 15. What changes, if any, would you support to New Mexicos election law? Same day voter registration up to election day. Allow 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections. Prohibit an individual from filing a Declaration of Candidacy if he or she has been convicted of a felony. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens? No. 2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding? No. 3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunk driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain. No arrests for drunk driving or felony. In 1971, while a sophomore at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, I was arrested for a sit-in at the Presidents Office. Chicano students were demanding an end to discriminatory hiring practices of native Indo-Hispanos. In 1971, ENMU had approximately 110 professors. Only one was Chicano. Within the administration and departments, no Chicanos or Chicanas were to be found as deans, directors, or supervisors, with a smattering of Chicanas in the clerical field. On the other hand, upwards of 90% of the janitorial and maintenance positions were held by Chicanos. Chinese defense minister meets Pakistani chief of army staff Xinhua) 10:27, September 20, 2022 XI'AN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Monday met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa. Wei said that, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, China and Pakistan will always be trustworthy and the most reliable friends and brothers, no matter how the global situation changes. The two sides should continue to enhance their capabilities to jointly address various risks and challenges, and work together to safeguard the common interests of both countries, as well as peace and stability in the region, said Wei. Bajwa thanked China's aid after Pakistan's flood disaster. He said Pakistan will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and expressed the hope that the two militaries will further enhance cooperation on joint exercises and training, as well as in other fields. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (4th R) meets with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here on Monday with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Those who attended the meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly included Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, which now holds the rotating presidency of the GCC, GCC Secretary-General Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, as well as representatives from Qatar and Oman. In the meeting, Wang said that with the attention and guidance of the leaders of China and the GCC, the relations between the two sides have been healthy, stable and growing in an all-round manner, and are at the forefront of China's relations with Arab countries. Noting that China has been the largest trading partner of the GCC for a long time, Wang said last year, trade between China and the GCC increased by 44 percent against the trend, practical cooperation between the two sides in various fields are fruitful, people-to-people exchanges are becoming increasingly close, and China-GCC relations have become a model for cooperation between China and developing countries. Under the current situation, China and the GCC countries, as good friends, partners and brothers, should continue to help and support each other, Wang said, adding that China is willing to join hands with the GCC to consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation and push relations between China and the GCC countries to a new level. Wang also said that China appreciates the GCC countries for their upholding justice on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and human rights, as well as their understanding of and support for China's legitimate demands. China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in safeguarding sovereignty, independence, security and stability, support the GCC in promoting integration, and oppose interference in the internal affairs of the GCC countries by anyone, Wang said. The Chinese side is ready to work with the GCC countries to defend non-interference in internal affairs, which is a basic norm governing international relations, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, he added. Members of the GCC said that China, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an important partner of the Gulf countries, plays an important role in maintaining regional and world security and stability, and in promoting global development. The GCC, they said, is full of expectations for the bright future of China-GCC relations, adding that it is willing to consolidate mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, ensure food and energy security and supply chains stability, and jointly meet global challenges. The GCC side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, they said, adding that both the GCC and China uphold the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. It is ready to continue strengthening communication and cooperation with China in international affairs so as to maintain peace and stability, and promote development and prosperity, they added. Wang stressed that China fully supports a diversified economic development of GCC countries, and is willing to strengthen the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of the GCC countries, continuously deepen cooperation in energy, infrastructure, finance, investment, high technologies and other fields, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and create more cooperation highlights. China supports the GCC countries in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the GCC on multilateral platforms, jointly practice the true multilateralism, and work together to safeguard regional and world peace and stability, Wang added. Both sides agreed that they should make joint efforts to reach an agreement on a free trade agreement between them at an early date, so as to send a positive signal and promote their own development. The two sides also agreed to deepen strategic mutual trust, lift the positioning of bilateral relations, and speed up the formulation of a strategic cooperation plan for the next step. The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue, the situation in Yemen and other topics. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NAME: Maggie Toulouse Oliver POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic OCCUPATION: New Mexico Secretary of State CITY OF RESIDENCE: Santa Fe RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Almost 6 years as New Mexico secretary of state; 10 years as Bernalillo County clerk; president, National Association of Secretaries of State; president-elect, National Association of Secretaries of State; treasurer, National Association of Secretaries of State; 2x Elections Committee co-chair, and 2x Cybersecurity Committee co-chair National Association of Secretaries of State EDUCATION: B.A. in political science and Spanish; and M.A. in political science from the University of New Mexico; Ph.D. candidate in political science, University of New Mexico CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: maggietoulouseoliver.com 1. What would be your top priorities as secretary of state? 1. Continuing to make voting more accessible. 2. Continuing to shine a light on dark money and make New Mexicos campaign finance system more transparent. 3. Combating election disinformation and helping voters find accurate information. 4. Continuing to make the business services division more accessible and business-friendly. 2. Do you support or oppose using ranked-choice voting in statewide elections? I support increasing the prevalence of ranked choice voting at the local level before we completely transition to statewide elections. Passing a constitutional amendment to allow runoff voting at the state level would potentially pave the way for such a change, without mandating it. 3. Given the recent increase of absentee voting, do you support or oppose requiring New Mexico counties to provide ballot boxes for voters? I have implemented the statutory requirement for secured, monitored containers for use by voters in every county as one option for returning their absentee ballots. Theyre safe, efficient and increase voter accessibility. New Mexico has some of the highest security standards in the nation for their use. 4. New Mexico is currently not one of the 35 states that require voters to show some form of identification at the polls. Would you support or oppose imposing a voter ID requirement? I support policies that ensure the integrity of our elections. New Mexico requires voters to provide personal identifier information when voting in person, with increased ID requirements for absentee voting. Photo voter ID laws, however, can make it harder for some communities to vote. I do not support this policy. 5. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party and not requiring them to change their political affiliation in order to vote? Yes, I support it. 6. Do you believe former President Donald Trumps claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election? (Yes or No answer only, please) No. 7. Do you believe New Mexicos campaign finance laws and rules should be revised? If so, what changes would you propose? Although we have made significant improvements to New Mexicos campaign finance statutes, written long-overdue rules, created a campaign finance guide, and closed the dark money reporting loophole during my administration, there is always room for improvement. Further closing of reporting loopholes, improvements in enforcement, and expanding public financing are future priorities. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens? No. 2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding? No. 3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain. No. NAME: Laura M. Montoya POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic OCCUPATION: Independent contractor CITY OF RESIDENCE: Rio Rancho RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Elected 2 term 4-year Sandoval County treasurer; Finance, Pension & Intergovernmental Affairs, vice chair; N.M. Tax Policy Committee member; 23 years federal, state, tribal and local government experience, predominately in finance; N.M. State Treasurers Office; N.M. House of Representatives; N.M. Senate EDUCATION: B.A. political science, psychology with a minor in sociology; M.A. public affairs; Rotary scholar University of Costa Rica international relations and Spanish; certified public official (NM EDGE NMSU); certified public manager (NM EDGE NMSU); certified treasury official (NM EDGE NMSU); 600+ credit hours in finance, business, investments, economics, and management. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: LauraMontoya4NM.com 1. What would be your top priorities as state treasurer? Work on policies to ensure transparency, accountability, fairness and equitability. Help remove the gap of inequity with fair and equitable laws. Provide outreach, resources and assistance to tribal, county and municipal government entities especially with the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP). Support financial literacy. 2. As a voting member of the State Investment Council, would you support or oppose taking more money from the states Land Grant Permanent Fund to increase funding for early childhood programs and K-12 education? I will vote for the amendment and encourage others to do so. Our children are the most important investment we can invest in. The return on our investment is endless. The 1.25% of the five-year average of year-end market values will occur only if the fund stays above $17 Billion. 3. Would you support or oppose the creation of a New Mexico public bank to make more funds available for lending? I am the only state treasurer candidate that testified in support of keeping the conversation alive regarding the state bank. If there is potential to assist rural New Mexico, especially after a pandemic, fires and lack of water, I want to have real discussion if it is feasible. 4. Do you support or oppose the New Mexico Work and Save Act that was approved in 2020? What changes, if any, do you believe should be made to the program? I have concerns with the recent proposal regarding cost and forced implementation on small business owners during a time in which they are still trying to recover from a heartless pandemic. I believe in helping New Mexicans build their retirement, but it must be structured thoughtfully. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens? No. 2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding? No. 3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain. I have never been arrested or convicted of a crime. In 2014, I was charged with a domestic violence misdemeanor based on a false allegation and the case was dismissed based on the evidence presented to the judge. CAYEY, Puerto Rico Hurricane Fiona blasted the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm after devastating Puerto Rico, where most people remained without electricity or running water and rescuers used heavy equipment to lift survivors to safety. The storms eye passed close to Grand Turk, the small British territorys capital island, on Tuesday morning after the government imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas. Storm surge could raise water levels there by as much as 5 to 8 feet above normal, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. While the storm was still lashing the archipelago late Tuesday, officials reported only a handful of downed trees and electric posts and no deaths. However, they noted that telecommunications on Grand Turk were severely affected. Fiona definitely has battled us over the last few hours, and were not out of the thick of it yet, said Akierra Missick, minister of physical planning and infrastructure development. Late Tuesday night, the storm was centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of North Caicos Island, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the center. Premier Washington Misick had urged people to evacuate. Storms are unpredictable, he said in a statement from London, where he had attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and was moving north-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph), according to the Hurricane Center, which said the storm was likely to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Bermuda on Friday. Rain was still lashing parts of Puerto Rico Tuesday, where the sounds of people scraping, sweeping and spraying their homes and streets echoed across rural areas as historic floodwaters began to recede. In the central mountain town of Cayey, where the Plato River burst its banks and the brown torrent of water consumed cars and homes, overturned dressers, beds and large refrigerators lay strewn in peoples yards Tuesday. Puerto Rico is not prepared for this, or for anything, said Mariangy Hernandez, a 48-year-old housewife, who said she doubted the government would help her community of some 300 in the long term, despite ongoing efforts to clear the streets and restore power. This is only for a couple of days and later they forget about us. She and her husband were stuck in line waiting for the National Guard to clear a landslide in their hilly neighborhood. Is it open? Is it open? one driver asked, worried that the road might have been completely closed. Other drivers asked the National Guard if they could swing by their homes to help cut trees or clear clumps of mud and debris. The cleanup efforts occurred on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which hit as a Category 4 storm in 2017 and knocked out power for a year in parts of Cayey. Jeannette Soto, a 34-year-old manicurist, worried it would take a long time for crews to restore power because a landslide swept away the neighborhoods main light post. Its the first time this happens, she said of the landslides. We didnt think the magnitude of the rain was going to be so great. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi requested a major disaster declaration on Tuesday and said it would be at least a week before authorities have an estimate of the damage that Fiona caused. He said the damage caused by the rain was catastrophic, especially in the islands central, south and southeast regions. The impact caused by the hurricane has been devastating for many people, he said. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the agency announced it was sending hundreds of additional personnel to boost local response efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on the island and deployed a couple of teams to the U.S. territory. The broad storm kept dropping copious rain over the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where a 58-year-old man died after police said he was swept away by a river in the central mountain town of Comerio. Another death was linked to a power blackout a 70-year-old man was burned to death after he tried to fill his generator with gasoline while it was running, officials said. Parts of the island had received more than 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain and more was falling Tuesday. National Guard Brig. Gen. Narciso Cruz described the flooding as historic. There were communities that flooded in the storm that didnt flood under Maria, he said, referring to the 2017 hurricane that caused nearly 3,000 deaths. Ive never seen anything like this. Cruz said 670 people have been rescued in Puerto Rico, including 19 people at a retirement home in Cayey that was in danger of collapsing. The rivers broke their banks and blanketed communities, he said. Some people were rescued via kayaks and boats while others nestled into the massive shovel of a digger and were lifted to higher ground. He lamented that some people initially refused to leave their homes, adding that he understood why. Its human nature, he said. But when they saw their lives were in danger, they agreed to leave. The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island are still covered by blue tarps. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he would push for the federal government to cover 100% of disaster response costs instead of the usual 75% as part of an emergency disaster declaration. We need to make sure this time, Puerto Rico has absolutely everything it needs, as soon as possible, for as long as they need it, he said. Authorities said Tuesday that at least 1,220 people and more than 70 pets remained in shelters across the island. Fiona triggered a blackout when it hit Puerto Ricos southwest corner on Sunday, the anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, which slammed into the island in 1989 as a Category 3 storm. By Tuesday morning, authorities said they had restored power to nearly 300,000 of the islands 1.47 million customers. Puerto Ricos governor warned it could take days before everyone has electricity. Water service was cut to more than 760,000 customers two thirds of the total on the island because of turbid water at filtration plants or lack of power, officials said. Fiona was forecast to weaken before running into easternmost Canada over the weekend. It was not expected to threaten the U.S. mainland. In the Dominican Republic, authorities reported two deaths: a 68-year-old man hit by a falling tree and an 18-year-old girl who was struck by a falling electrical post while riding a motorcycle. The storm forced more than 1,550 people to seek safety in government shelters and left more than 406,500 homes without power. The hurricane left several highways blocked, and a tourist pier in the town of Miches was badly damaged by high waves. At least four international airports were closed, officials said. The Dominican president, Luis Abinader, said authorities would need several days to assess the storms effects. Fiona previously battered the eastern Caribbean, killing one man in the French territory of Guadeloupe when floodwaters washed his home away, officials said. ___ Associated Press reporters Martin Adames in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Maricarmen Rivera Sanchez in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed. PADUCAH, Ky. A Kentucky man who killed three students and wounded five more in a school shooting 25 years ago told a parole panel on Tuesday that he is still hearing voices like the ones that told him to steal a pistol and shoot into a crowded high school lobby in 1997. The two-person panel hearing Michael Carneals testimony deferred a decision until Monday, when the states entire parole board will meet and could decide to grant his parole request, defer his next parole decision to a later date, or determine that he must spend the rest of his life in prison. Carneal was a 14-year-old freshman on Dec. 1, 1997, when he fired the stolen pistol at a before-school prayer group in the lobby of Heath High School, near Paducah, Kentucky. School shootings were not yet a depressing part of the national consciousness, and Carneal was given the maximum sentence possible at the time for someone his age life in prison with the possibility of parole. A quarter century later, in the shadow of Uvalde and in a nation disgusted by the carnage of mass shootings, Carneal, now 39, tried Tuesday to convince the parole panel he deserves to be freed. Parole Board Chair Ladeidra Jones told Carneal after his testimony that the two members had not reached a unanimous decision and were referring his case to the full board, which meets on Monday. Only the full board has the power to order Carneal to serve out his full sentence without another chance at parole. Speaking on a videoconference from the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grange, Carneal told the panel that at the time of the shooting, I was hearing in my head to do certain things, but I should have known that stealing guns was going to lead to something terrible. He said he has been receiving therapy and taking psychiatric medications in prison but admitted that he still hears voices. As recently as a couple of days ago, he heard voices telling him to jump off the stairs. Jones told Carneal that his inmate file lists his mental health prognosis as poor and says that even with mental health services, he is still experiencing paranoid thoughts with violent imagery. Asked how the board could be assured that he would not act on those thoughts, Carneal said he has learned to ignore them and hasnt acted on them for many years. He said there are days that he believes he deserves to die for what he did, but other days he thinks he can still do some good in the world. It doesnt have to be something grand, he said. Every little thing you do affects somebody. It could be listening to someone, carrying something. I would like to do something in the future that could contribute to society. Carneal attributed the shooting to a combination of factors that included his mental health and immaturity, but added that it was not justified at all. Theres no excuse for it at all. Killed in the shooting were 14-year-old Nicole Hadley, 17-year-old Jessica James, and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. Carneal said he knew all of his victims. Nicole was a very good friend, he said. Some of them I knew more than others, but it was a small school and a lot of these people were in band with me. Id went to several of thems birthday parties. None of them do I have any negative memories of them. He ended with an apology. I would like to say to you and the victims and their friends and families and the whole community that Im sorry for what I did. I know its not going to change things or make anything better, but I am sorry for what I did. Watching from her home in Kirksey was Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed by one of Carneals bullets and uses a wheelchair. Her friend Kelly Hard Alsip, also wounded that day, and their children and other relatives were crowded onto a large sectional sofa. They scoffed as they heard Carneal say he had not targeted the prayer group but simply shot at random. They also reacted with disbelief when he said he had heard voices just two days ago. After the hearing, Jenkins Smith said she doesnt like having to wait another week to find out what will happen, but at least hes not being released. She had testified to the parole board panel on Monday that she believes there are too many what ifs with Carneal. What if he stops taking his medication? What if his medication stops working? Continuing his life in prison is the only way his victims can feel comfortable and safe, she said. She also said it would be unfair to the girls he killed and their loved ones for Carneal to be released. They will forever be a 17 year old, a 14 year old, and a 15 year old allowed only one full decade of life. A consequence of Michaels choice, she said. Also testifying Monday was Christina Hadley Ellegood, whose younger sister Nicole was killed in the shooting. Ellegood has written about the pain of seeing her sisters body and having to call their mom and tell her Nicole had been shot. I had no one to turn to who understood what I was going through, she said. For me, its not fair for him to be able to roam around with freedom when we live in fear of where he might be. The two-person panel of the full parole board only has the option to release him or defer his next opportunity for parole for up to five years. They could not agree on those options and sent the case to a meeting of the full board next Monday. Hollan Holm, who was wounded that day, spoke Monday about lying on the floor of the high school lobby, bleeding from his head and believing he was going to die. But he said Carneal was too young to comprehend the full consequences of his actions and should have a chance at supervised release. When I think of Michael Carneal, I think of the child I rode the bus with every day, he said. I think of the child I shared a lunch table with in third grade. I think of what he could have become if, on that day, he had it somewhere in him to make a different choice or take a different path. The creator of a true-crime podcast that helped free a Maryland man imprisoned for two decades said Tuesday that she feels a mix of emotions over how long it took authorities to act on evidence thats long been available. The judges order to release Adnan Syed and vacate his murder conviction Monday came after the local prosecutor started a unit to review sentencing and a new Maryland law relating to juvenile sentencing provided a mechanism for reexamining the case, all after the Serial podcast in 2014 turned the details of the case into an obsession for countless amateur sleuths. Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby immediately applauded the judges decision as a victory for justice, but Syeds win came as a bittersweet reminder to those who had been aware of the gaps in the case for years. In a new episode of Serial released Tuesday, host Sarah Koenig noted that most or all of the evidence cited in prosecutors motion to overturn the conviction was available since 1999. Yesterday, there was a lot of talk about fairness, but most of what the state put in that motion to vacate, all the actual evidence, was either known or knowable to cops and prosecutors back in 1999, Koenig said. So even on a day when the government publicly recognizes its own mistakes, its hard to feel cheered about a triumph of fairness. Because weve built a system that takes more than 20 years to self-correct. And thats just this one case. Koenig argued that the case against Syed involved just about every chronic problem in the system, including unreliable witness testimony and evidence that was never shared with Syeds defense team. On Monday, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn in Baltimore ordered Syeds release after overturning his conviction for the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee, Syeds ex-girlfriend. Syed, 41, has always maintained his innocence but in 2019 the states highest court had rejected his appeal for a new trial. At the behest of prosecutors who said they had recently uncovered new evidence, Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syeds defense. The judge said the state must decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days. Mosby, who entered office in 2015, filed a motion last week to vacate Syeds conviction, a filing that Koenig described as a firework coming from the same office that asked a jury to convict Syed years ago. In the Serial episode posted Tuesday, Koenig broke down prosecutors motion and described how some evidence they cited was featured in the podcast, while other evidence including the evidence of other possible suspects became public more recently. Key to Mondays outcome was evidence uncovered by a unit that Mosbys office launched to reexamine cases in which juvenile defendants were given life sentences. That worked in tandem with a 2021 Maryland law that enables someone convicted as a juvenile to seek a reduced sentence after serving at least 20 years. Syed was 17 when Lee was killed. Prosecutor Becky Feldman led the unit and found notes written by one of her predecessors describing two phone calls in which people gave them information before Syeds trial about someone with a motive to harm Lee. That information wasnt given to the defense at the time, according prosecutors, an omission that Phinn said violated Syeds rights. Koenig noted that she knew who these two new potential suspects were and so did detectives who investigated Syed two decades ago but declined to name them because they havent been charged. One of (the suspects) was investigated at the time, submitted to a couple of polygraphs. The other was investigated also, but not with much vigor, as far as I can tell, she said. Other supporting evidence on the unreliability of a key witness and questions about cellphone data was previously featured on Serial, Koenig said. If youve listened to our show you probably remember all of this, Koenig said. Koenig said the show delved into questions about cellphone data that prosecutors used to bolster the witnesss testimony. But she acknowledged that expert analysis used by prosecutors to arrive at their current motion wasnt fully explored on the show. We didnt get to the bottom of this incoming call problem back when we were reporting this story, she said. In the years since Serial chronicled Syeds case and transformed the true-crime genre, a number of breakthroughs have come in other cases examined by like-minded podcasters. In Sydney, Australia, last month, a 74-year-old man was convicted of killing his wife in 1982, charges brought after police launched a renewed investigation based on a circumstantial case made against him in the popular podcast The Teachers Pet. A lengthy murder trial is also underway in Salinas, California, against a man for the death of Kirstin Smart, a freshman who vanished from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 1996. The sheriff has said the Your Own Backyard podcast helped produce new information and prompted witnesses to speak with detectives. And the podcast In the Dark obtained a recorded recantation from a jailhouse informant that, together with an analysis of racial bias by a Mississippi prosecutor in jury selection, preceded the U.S. Supreme Courts 2019 decision to overturn the murder conviction and death sentence of Curtis Flowers. Flowers, a Black man, had been convicted in the shooting death of four people in a furniture store in 1996. Mississippi prosecutors later dropped charges against him. ___ Associated Press Writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Taos Municipal Schools students were in remote learning Tuesday after a student was stabbed by a man outside of Taos High School on Monday, according to court documents and a statement from the school district. A statement of probable cause filed in Taos Magistrate Court says a man named Brandon Bryce McMillian, 27, of Midland, Michigan, approached the front of the school at about 4:30 p.m. and told a teacher he was at the school to pick up his son. A cross country runner sat on a bench nearby. When the teacher turned to make a phone call, McMillian approached the runner, told him he was his father and tried to take him. The student responded, Youre not my dad, the statement says. Thats when McMillian pulled a knife from behind his back, walked up to the student and proceeded to stab (the student) in the neck area, the statement says. The student ran from McMillian, who chased after the student and stabbed him multiple times in the abdomen as the student tried to take cover in a nearby blue GMC SUV, according to police. A parent and teacher then detained McMillian until police arrived. Police also spell his name McMillan in a news release. Police said in the court filing that there appears to be no relation between McMillian and the student. McMillian was charged with assault with intent to commit a violent felony (with intent to commit murder), aggravated battery (use of a deadly weapon) and aggravated assault (use of a deadly weapon). He was booked into the Taos County Adult Detention Center. Student and staff safety is a priority and we ask that our entire school community take a moment to send thoughts of strength and recovery for our student, Valerie Trujillo, the interim superintendent, said in a statement posted to the districts Facebook page. The high school student was taken to a local hospital and then a trauma center to be treated for his injuries. He was in stable condition on Tuesday, according to police. Local, state and tribal authorities responded to the incident, the district said, adding that in-person learning would resume Wednesday. Counselors will be available at the high school and middle school for any student who needs assistance upon returning to school, the statement says. MINNEAPOLIS United States authorities charged 48 people in Minnesota with conspiracy and other counts in what they said Tuesday was the largest pandemic-related fraud scheme yet, stealing $250 million from a federal program that provides meals to low-income children. Federal prosecutors say the defendants created companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the U.S. Department of Agricultures food nutrition programs. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served, and the defendants used the money to buy luxury cars, property and jewelry. This $250 million is the floor, Andy Luger, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said at a news conference. Our investigation continues. Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies claims for reimbursement. Feeding Our Futures founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, was among those indicted, and authorities say she and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks. Bocks attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said the indictment doesnt indicate guilt or innocence. He said he wouldnt comment further until seeing the indictment. In interviews after law enforcement searched multiple sites in January, including Bocks home and offices, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice made prosecuting pandemic-related fraud a priority. The department has already taken enforcement actions related to more than $8 billion in suspected pandemic fraud, including bringing charges in more than 1,000 criminal cases involving losses in excess of $1.1 billion. Federal officials repeatedly described the alleged fraud as brazen, and decried that it involved a program intended to feed children who needed help during the pandemic. Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis FBI office, called it an astonishing display of deceit. Luger said the government was billed for more than 125 million fake meals, with some defendants making up names for children by using an online random name generator. He displayed one form for reimbursement that claimed a site served exactly 2,500 meals each day Monday through Friday with no children ever getting sick or otherwise missing from the program. These children were simply invented, Luger said. He said the government has so far recovered $50 million in money and property and expects to recover more. The defendants in Minnesota face multiple counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. Luger said some of them were arrested Tuesday morning. Authorities announced 47 indictments at the news conference. A 48th person, who according to a criminal complaint was scheduled to board a one-way flight to Ethiopia on Tuesday evening, was arrested sometime after the prosecutors press conference. According to court documents, the alleged scheme targeted the USDAs federal child nutrition programs, which provide food to low-income children and adults. In Minnesota, the funds are administered by the state Department of Education, and meals have historically been provided to kids through educational programs, such as schools or day care centers. The sites that serve the food are sponsored by public or nonprofit groups, such as Feeding Our Future. The sponsoring agency keeps 10% to 15% of the reimbursement funds as an administrative fee in exchange for submitting claims, sponsoring the sites and disbursing the funds. But during the pandemic, some of the standard requirements for sites to participate in the federal food nutrition programs were waived. The USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate, and allowed food to be distributed outside educational programs. The charging documents say the defendants exploited such changes to enrich themselves. The documents say Bock oversaw the scheme and that she and Feeding Our Future sponsored the opening of nearly 200 federal child nutrition program sites throughout the state, knowing that the sites intended to submit fraudulent claims. The sites fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed and despite having few, if any staff and little to no experience serving this volume of meals, according to the indictments. One example described a small storefront restaurant in Willmar, in west-central Minnesota, that typically served only a few dozen people a day. Two defendants offered the owner $40,000 a month to use his restaurant, then billed the government for some 1.6 million meals through 11 months of 2021, according to one indictment. They listed the names of around 2,000 children nearly half of the local school districts total enrollment and only 33 names matched actual students, the indictment said. Feeding Our Future received nearly $18 million in federal child nutrition program funds as administrative fees in 2021 alone, and Bock and other employees received additional kickbacks, which were often disguised as consulting fees paid to shell companies, the charging documents said. According to an FBI affidavit unsealed earlier this year, Feeding Our Future received $307,000 in reimbursements from the USDA in 2018, $3.45 million in 2019 and $42.7 million in 2020. The amount of reimbursements jumped to $197.9 million in 2021. Court documents say the Minnesota Department of Education was growing concerned about the rapid increase in the number of sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future, as well as the increase in reimbursements. The department began scrutinizing Feeding Our Futures site applications more carefully, and denied dozens of them. In response, Bock sued the department in November 2020, alleging discrimination, saying the majority of her sites were based in immigrant communities. That case has since been dismissed. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque police released the names of three men fatally shot in separate incidents across the city. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said the deaths of Victor Lopez-Quiroz, 37, Jeffrey Campbell, 47, and Jonathan Lindsey, 33, are being investigated as homicides. No arrests have been made in the three cases. Gallegos also said the fatal shooting of 56-year-old Carlos Romero near Old Town on Monday afternoon was being investigated as a possible justifiable homicide that occurred in self-defense. He said Romero confronted a 37-year-old man before being fatally shot. The deaths of Lopez-Quiroz and Campbell happened overnight on Sept. 15, within hours of each other. Police responded around 11:40 p.m. to the Four Hills Mobile Home Park, near Juan Tabo and Southern SE, and found Lopez-Quiroz shot to death outside a mobile home. Then, around 1:15 a.m., first responders were called to a heart attack in the 200 block of Espanola SE and found Campbell lying in the street with a gunshot wound. On Sunday, officers were called to a reported shooting near Trumbull and Dallas SE and found Lindsey dead from a gunshot wound. A GoFundMe written by family said Lindsey was a father to a 1-year-old boy. To say that we are shocked is an understatement, according to the website. We are lost without him. The page said Lindsey was a kind, gentle giant with a big heart, who loved to tell stories, and had a playful and mischievous streak. Of his son, the GoFundMe said, Sadly Noah wont have the opportunity to know Jonathan like we did. WASHINGTON The independent arbiter tasked with inspecting documents seized in an FBI search of former President Donald Trumps Florida home said Tuesday he intends to push briskly through the review process and appeared skeptical of the Trump teams reluctance to say whether it believed the records had been declassified. Were going to proceed with what I call responsible dispatch, Raymond Dearie, a veteran Brooklyn judge, told lawyers for Trump and the Justice Department in their first meeting since his appointment last week as a so-called special master. The purpose of the meeting was to sort out next steps in a review process expected to slow by weeks, if not months, the criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. As special master, Dearie will be responsible for sifting through the thousands of documents recovered during the Aug. 8 FBI search and segregating any that might be protected by claims of executive privilege or attorney-client privilege. Though Trumps lawyers had requested the appointment of a special master to ensure an independent review of the documents, they have resisted Dearies request for more information about whether the seized records had been previously declassified as Trump has maintained. His lawyers have consistently stopped short of that claim even as they asserted in a separate filing Tuesday that the Justice Department had not proven that the documents were classified. In any event, they say, a president has absolute authority to declassify information. In the case of someone who has been president of the United States, they have unfettered access along with unfettered declassification authority, one of Trumps lawyers, James Trusty, said in court Tuesday. But Dearie said that if Trumps lawyers will not actually assert that the records have been declassified, and the Justice Department instead makes an acceptable case that they remain classified, then he would be inclined to regard them as classified. As far as Im concerned, he said, thats the end of it. In a letter to Dearie on Monday night, the lawyers said the declassification issue might be part of Trumps defense in the event of an indictment. And Trusty said in court Tuesday that the Trump team should not be forced at this point in the investigation to disclose details of a possible defense based on the idea the records had been declassified. He denied that the lawyers were trying to engage in gamesman-like behavior but instead said it was a process that required baby steps. He said the right time for the discussion is whenever Trump presses forward with a claim to get any seized property back. Dearie said he understood the position but observed, I guess my view of it is, you cant have your cake and eat it too. The resistance to the judges request was notable because it was Trumps lawyers, not the Justice Department, who had requested the appointment of a special master and because the recalcitrance included an acknowledgment that the probe could be building toward an indictment. Despite the focus on whether the seized documents are classified or not, the three statutes the Justice Department listed on a warrant as part of its investigation do not require that the mishandled information be classified in order for prosecutors to initiate a criminal case. The Trump team has also questioned the feasibility of some of the deadlines for the special masters review. That work includes inspecting the roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 marked as classified, that were taken during the FBIs search. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who granted the Trump teams request for a special master, had set a Nov. 30 deadline for Dearies review and instructed him to prioritize the tranche of classified records. Dearie, a Ronald Reagan appointee whose name is on the atrium of his Brooklyn courthouse, made clear during Tuesdays meeting that he intended to meet the deadlines, saying there was little time to complete the assigned tasks. Julie Edelstein, a Justice Department lawyer, said she was hopeful that the department could get the documents digitized and provided to Trumps lawyers by early next week. She noted that the department had given the legal team a list of five vendors approved by the government for the purposes of scanning, hosting and otherwise processing the seized records. After some haggling, Dearie instructed Trustys lawyers to choose a vendor by Friday. Earlier Tuesday, the Trump legal team urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to leave in place Cannons order temporarily barring the Justice Departments use of the classified records for its criminal investigation while Dearie completes his review. The department is also contesting Cannons requirement that it provide Dearie with classified materials for his review, saying such records are not subject to any possible claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. The department has also said that Cannons order has impeded its investigation. Trumps lawyers called those concerns overblown in a response Tuesday, saying investigators could still do other work on the probe even without scrutinizing the seized records. Ultimately, any brief delay to the criminal investigation will not irreparably harm the Government, Trumps lawyers wrote. The injunction does not preclude the Government from conducting a criminal investigation, it merely delays the investigation for a short period while a neutral third party reviews the documents in question. _____ Sisak reported from New York. Follow APs coverage of the search at Mar-a-Lago at https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago NAME: Jeremy Gay POLITICAL PARTY: Republican OCCUPATION: Attorney CITY OF RESIDENCE: Gallup RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: As a U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate, I investigated and prosecuted criminal offenses and defended fellow service members. As a special assistant U.S. Attorney, I prosecuted, trained and assisted federal law enforcement officers in investigating and prosecuting crimes. As an attorney, I fight every day to protect New Mexican families, businesses and veterans. EDUCATION: Bachelors Ave Maria University, Juris Doctor Ave Maria School of Law CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: jeremygay.com 1. What would your top priorities be as attorney general? As attorney general my top priorities are to make New Mexico a safer place to live, raise a family, study, work, or grow a business. As attorney general I will focus the resources of the office to building a culture of efficiency and competence throughout the criminal justice system of the state. 2. What would be your strategy for handling the ongoing water lawsuit between New Mexico and Texas? In cases this critical, reaching a settlement agreement may be more prudent than risking a court decision that could result in a devastating outcome for New Mexicans. I will invite community water stakeholders to the table for input and impact statements before binding New Mexico and our future generations water. 3. Crime has become a top concern among many New Mexicans. As attorney general, what would you do to tackle the states high violent crime rate? Violent criminals very rarely start their criminal records with felony offenses. Criminals often have two, three, or four-plus dismissed misdemeanor property or domestic battery offenses before they gravely injure or kill an innocent bystander. As attorney general I will prioritize restoring the rule of law and consequences for crimes. 4. Given the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, what would be your approach for providing legal protections to out-of-state residents who come to New Mexico to access abortion services? As attorney general, I will be dedicated to making New Mexico a safer place for our families and those who visit our communities. When out-of-state residents come to New Mexico for any reason they will be required to obey the laws of New Mexico nothing more, nothing less. 5. Do you support or oppose changing New Mexicos open records law to allow the names of applicants for some top government positions to be kept secret? I oppose. 6. If elected, would you hire outside firms to represent New Mexico in some court cases? If so, what would be your criteria for determining when such an approach to litigation should be used? Yes. As attorney general, I would hire outside firms in limited circumstances under the following criteria: that the hiring of outside counsel is required by the complexity of the case, that a transparent open-bid contract is used to hire, and that the office retains supervision and oversight throughout the case. 7. As a related question, would you change the states legal representation in ongoing cases involving outside law firms? If yes, how would you ensure such changes did not hurt the states legal case? I would not arbitrarily change representation currently managed by outside law firms unless it was completely necessary to protect the people of New Mexico. If a change of counsel is required, I would communicate early and often to ensure adequate turnover of research, legal strategy, and case records/notes. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens? No. 2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding? No. 3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain. No. MOGADISHU, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on Tuesday released new guidance on the eligibility for refugee status of Somalis fleeing their country. The UNHCR's new guidelines assert that States must allow people fleeing Somalia to seek safety and that their refugee claims be assessed according to international law. "Those found to be fleeing violence, human rights abuses, and persecution would meet the criteria for refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention, or under regional instruments, or UNHCR's broader mandate," the UN agency said in a statement. According to the UNHCR, the guidance aims to assist those adjudicating international protection claims by asylum seekers from Somalia and those responsible for setting government policy on this issue. There were 836,300 Somali refugees and asylum seekers worldwide at the end of 2021, most of them -- almost 80 percent or more than 650,000 -- hosted in neighboring and regional countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen, Djibouti, Uganda, and Sudan, the UNHCR said. Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR's Director of International Protection, applauded the commitment of neighboring countries to upholding their international legal obligations by keeping their borders open to Somalis who are fleeing in search of safety. "But we urge all countries to do the same. They can also help provide further support to regional host countries, and increase resettlement places for Somali and other refugees at heightened risk in countries of asylum," said Tan. Somalia is facing its worst drought in 40 years and there is a risk of widespread famine in the coming months, according to the UN. The UNHCR said the worsening security situation, including human rights violations, exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, undermining the government and humanitarian actors' ability to respond. YINCHUAN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- For a long time, the Chinese people typically believed that the best wines could not be manufactured domestically, but that is no longer the case. As a thriving wine industry develops in China, an increasing number of winemakers and professionals from around the world are flocking to China to pursue their winemaking dreams here. Since the beginning of the wine grape harvest season in early Autumn, Maria Teresa Romero Ponce has been hard at work in a vineyard in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region along with her coworkers and the locals. "China has the potential to produce really good wines," said the 30-year-old viticulturist at Stone & Moon Winery, one of over 200 trendy wineries located at the eastern foothills of Ningxia's Helan Mountain. "We cultivate the varieties suitable for our region and produce wine in a manner that expresses Ningxia." Ponce has traveled to many renowned wine regions across the world, including France, Spain and her native Chile. But she believes that Ningxia, where she first set foot last year, is an ideal destination to help her achieve her dream of being a top winemaker. The unique climate here contributes to the production of high-quality wine grapes, making the region a rising star on the world wine map, Ponce said. After spending over a year and a half in Ningxia, Ponce feels that she still has a lot to learn and she can share the knowledge she has gained in Ningxia with winemakers worldwide. Over the years, Ningxia has grown into a major wine-producing region in China with an annual output of 130 million bottles. According to official data, the coverage of vineyards in Ningxia reached 35,000 hectares in 2021, accounting for nearly one third of China's total. About 60 international winemakers from over 20 countries have been invited by the regional government of Ningxia to help enhance local vineyard management and winemaking skills. The region's burgeoning wine industry has also attracted winery owners and promoters from around the world. Christelle Chene, 36, was born in Burgundy, France, a place with a long-standing reputation for winemaking. Before coming to Ningxia, she worked for a wine company, selling French wines to Chinese consumers. However, since 2019, she has been working for Xige Estate at Helan Mountain, promoting Ningxia wine to the international market. She initially thought it would be a tough job as few wine importers outside China knew about Chinese wines. But as a result of China's vast and rapidly expanding wine market, more and more people are paying attention to wines produced here. Chene said she would send samples to wine vendors worldwide, and the quality is often convincing enough for them to consider further business cooperation. Moreover, Ningxia wine has won many awards in international competitions in recent years, which has greatly improved its popularity. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on global logistics, Xige Estate's wine sales have remained stable. "An increasing number of Chinese people and expats in China are willing to choose local wines and it's a good change," Chene said. Chene's career has flourished in Ningxia, where she has also witnessed the development of China's wine industry. She purchased a home in Ningxia and plans to stay here for the next few years. "I've tried my best to promote Ningxia wine. It's not just a job, but a passion for me," she said. How can the world ensure the ethical and fair use of Artificial Intelligence? Is it even possible, given the democratisation and ubiquity of AI tools with each passing day? Does the world need an AI ethics code? In this two-part Indepth report, Adgully attempts to answer these questions with insights from a cross-section of industry experts. Part 1 of the report asked the pertinent question does Artificial Intelligence need an ethical code? Part 2 of the report will dwell on AI and the social biases. The tech world and international NGOs like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) are already responding to the ethical aspects of AI. In 2018, more than 4,000 workers at Google opposed the companys decision to associate with Project Maven, a defence department initiative for developing better AI for the US military. Employees petitioned Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, asking for the cancellation of the project. Also read: Does Artificial Intelligence need an ethical code? - Part 1 Theres an unholy alliance between government and the tech industry, because so many governments see tech as the solution to their economic woes, observes Karen Yeung, Interdisciplinary Professorial Fellow in Law, Ethics and Informatics at the University of Birmingham. Dealing with biases AI systems take decisions based on training data fed by humans, whose biases invariably creep in. The algorithms may be able to reduce the impact of human biases. But what if they (the algorithms) contribute to the problem by using biases at scale in crucial applications and use cases? A well-documented case has been the one found in the 2016 investigation by ProPublica. An algorithm-based criminal risk assessment tool used in Broward Country, Florida, wrongly labelled African-Americans as high risk as compared to white defendants. Now, with the industrialisation and commercialisation of AI at scale, the risks are increasing. So, what do AI ethics even entail? How do we keep social biases from being embedded in and amplified by AI? AI ethics, to my mind, in its crude form is about templatising acceptable cultural or societal norms, says Munavar Attari, Managing Director, Fleishman Hillard India. It is also about enabling technology to understand the difference between is and ought. The only way to mitigate social biases in mass AI technology products will perhaps be to find the least common denominator as far as moral issues are concerned. A fair sense of morality, justice, and transparency that is accepted by all societies. This could mean that a body like UN may have to relook at global proclamations such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights or progressively provide a global ethical framework that can be put together basis an intra-national public consultation process. In short, we may have to put a check on the checker. And communications will play the role of the cog in the wheel for the success of AI adoption by societies at large, says Attari. Ethical AI implies that the use and adoption of AI should be transparent, accountable, responsible, and sustainable, notes Codvo.ai Managing Partner Amit Verma. If a system makes decisions on our behalf and gives us suggestions, those decisions should be justifiable and explainable, he says. Accordion to him, our social biases are inherent in the past data. If that is the data fed into the AI model without correction, the output will also be biased. For unbiased AI systems, we need periodic monitoring of AI algorithm performance. By keeping a tab on the results of AI algorithms, we can understand if the output is biased. Additionally, firms should make conscious choices about the customers and partners they work with, the composition of data science teams, the data they collect, and how they use it, Verma adds. AI ethics is a framework that helps discern between use and misuse of the technology. It is a set of guidelines that advises on the design and outcomes of artificial intelligence, says Devang Mundhra, Chief Technology & Product Officer at KredX. Over the past few years, says Mundhra, there has been a lot of deliberation over how human biases can impact artificial intelligence systems with harmful results. At this time, companies are looking at deploying AI systems by implementing necessary measures to avoid any risks and misuse of the technology. To avoid any social biases, business leaders should ensure that they stay up-to-date on this fast-moving field of research. They should consider using a portfolio of technical tools, as well as operational practices such as internal teams, or third-party audits. Moreover, engaging in fact-based conversations around potential human biases could work as running algorithms alongside human decision-makers, comparing results, and using explainability techniques could help point out what could lead the model to reach a decision in order to understand why there may be differences. Additionally, considering how humans and machines can work together to mitigate biases, including with human-in-the-loop processes and investing more, providing more data, and taking a multi-disciplinary approach in bias research, while respecting privacy, would help continue advancing in this field. Lastly, a more diversified AI community would be better equipped to anticipate, review, and spot biases and engage communities affected, says Mundhra. At the same time, he adds, it is equally important to be very careful about training data, and feedback loops. Adding enough examples of all kinds of data by noting down actual human biases, or historical biases that would have impacted models, and then explicitly building careful counters to any historical prejudices built on the model. In many ways AI needs to be built on top of an accurate representation of human society and anything that has been built in a way that is not respecting the differences, and the multi-faceted dimension of identity in my books would be unethical, explains Siddharth Bhansali, Founder, Noesis.Tech and CTO at XP&DLand and Metaform. He pinpoints the crucial issue of ownership of AI creations. In a lot less esoteric manner, Bhansali adds, what will happen with AI ethics is when you are or co-creating with AI, theres lot of talk about DALLE 2 which is Open AI s art generation or image generation tool where you give it a prompt and it creates art based on data its been trained with. (The Scenario No. 1) Now here, when you create or lets say co-create anything with AI, whos the owner? Is it the AI? Is it the creative who gave it the prompt? Is it distributed across all the billions of terabytes of data that it was trained on? So, this whole question of ownership is a real big problem for a lot of people to solve. That is around co-creating with AI: that AI has been trained through the creation of other people. Similar to DALLE 2, in the software engineering world, there is an AI bot called co-pilot that has been developed by a company called GitHub. GitHub is the world's most famous repository for the largest number of open source projects. So developers go and they save their code into GitHub and it gets accessible for everyone. GitHub AI bot co-pilot has been trained on these open source libraries; they've been trained on these open source materials, which have been contributed by millions and millions of developers out there. So tomorrow, I'm building an application and I use the assistance of a co-pilot to co-create a module; who is the actual owner of the application and who is the owner of the technology? So the ethics is very grey, both from the point of view of who owns the output of something generated by AI, as well as, how is AI being trained? Because if I really wanted to create an AI that fulfilled a particular worldview, it's very easy. I just want to control the data set. So how do we ensure that the data sets being used are governed through an independent and able body that is able to recognize this data center, this training center that we used to train this AI is A] legally sourced; it is data that is allowed to be used for the training of AI bots and B] is representative of a larger world view, and not just that of the creators of that technology company or all of that too, Bhansali elaborates. According to DaveAI CTO & Co-founder Dr Ananth, the biggest source of bias in AI is the data itself. It is important to have data collection sources scrutinised by the population at large, which allows different individuals and companies to explore opportunities to understand and fix these biases in the data. Huhtamaki India Limited, a leading provider of primary consumer packaging and labelling solutions in India and part of Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions based in Finland, has announced the appointment of Dhananjay Salunkhe as the Managing Director of Huhtamaki India. Dhananjay is a seasoned business leader with a track record of growing and building businesses in India. In his previous stint, Dhananjay has worked as the CEO of Packaging and Printing Business at ITC Limited (a large diversified conglomerate in India), where he led the packaging business and supervised four manufacturing plants producing cartons, flexible packaging and rigid boxes. Commenting on the announcement Marco Hilty, President, Flexible Packaging at Huhtamaki, said, We are pleased to welcome Dhananjay to the Huhtamaki India team. He comes with extensive leadership experience from the packaging and printing business and holds great records in driving businesses towards significant growth. We are certain that his rich experience and knowledge will play a vital role for the India market as we continue to grow and accomplish our goals towards becoming the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions. Talking about his new role, Dhananjay Salunkhe, Managing Director, Huhtamaki India, said, I am impressed with Huhtamakis principle and high-performance culture that focuses on the core values of Care Dare Deliver. I am excited and looking forward to developing the company further by harvesting new opportunities, accelerating growth with a vision to deliver on its 2030 ambitions. Prior to ITC, Dhananjay spent nine years with 3M, starting as Plant Head for their Pimpri manufacturing unit. As a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt holder, Dhananjay has been instrumental in driving significant process improvements and was recognized with the Transformational Leader Award in 2015. Dhananjay started his career as a Graduate Engineer Trainee at PMP Auto, followed by stints at Sulzer India, a Swiss pumps & compressors company, and GKN Sinter Metals. The career-tech platform, Internshala has launched a new initiative, September Internship Jackpot for the college students of India. The initiative aims at providing part-time internship opportunities to the students so that they can earn valuable internship experience along with managing their college education. All the aspiring students with relevant skills for the internships of their interest are eligible to apply by 23rd September 2022. Under the initiative, the students will be able to apply to internships in various profiles of their interest including but not limited to content writing, data entry, operations, graphic designing, digital marketing, human resources, and web development. All the internships under the initiative come with an assured stipend for the selected interns. The highest stipend offered is 1.7 lakh for the entire duration of the internship. On the launch of the initiative, the founder and CEO of Internshala, Sarvesh Agrawal said, At Internshala, we aim to cater to all kinds of internship requirements of the college students of India. Part-time internship opportunities are quite popular among the Indian student community who want to get internship experience and manage their college studies at the same time. We have launched our initiative, September Internship Jackpot aiming at catering to this exact demand of the Indian student community and to help them advance in their career journey. BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cristian Menendez scored twice and was sent off as Atletico Tucuman remained top of Argentina's Primera Division standings with a 2-1 away win over Argentinos Juniors on Monday. The veteran forward netted in the 29th and 38th minutes before David Zalazar pulled a goal back for the hosts in second-half stoppage time. Menendez went from hero to villain in the 72nd minute when he was shown a second yellow card for a bad challenge on Miguel Torren. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors held on to end a four-game winless run and stay two points clear of second-placed Gimnasia in the 28-team standings. Argentinos Juniors are eighth with 30 points from 20 games. In other Primera Division fixtures on Monday, Boca Juniors were held to a goalless home draw by Huracan, Defensa y Justicia won 2-1 at Estudiantes and Independiente prevailed 1-0 at Union Santa Fe. Shyam Steel, launched its new digital campaign Apna Ghar featuring Bhojpuri actors Pawan Singh and Harshika Poonacha. The campaign aims to create awareness about the holistic solutions provided by the Shyam Steel Apna Ghar App amongst the individual home builders. The film will be promoted digitally with a specific focus on the Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and the north-eastern markets. Shyam Steel Apna Ghar App is a one stop solution from Neev se Pravesh Tak which is an online platform, and a mobile App for consumers providing a holistic solution to individual home builders. This is a breakthrough in the steel and manufacturing industry and has acted as a problem solver by entering a digital world which has made life easier for all the home builders. The tagline Neev Se Pravesh Tak is self-explanatory when it comes to catering home building needs. The home builders will be provided with relevant information, inspirational ideas and reliable contacts at their fingertips. Through this campaign Shyam Steel has tried to reflect the essence of this App through a happy Indian couple who is planning to build their new home. Speaking on the campaign launch, Mr Lalit Beriwala, Director, Shyam Steel said " We have received an extremely positive response from our consumers on the Apna Ghar App. The campaign will help us in making the consumers aware of the Apna Ghar App and its benefits. Shyam Steel has always been in the forefront with its consumer driven technology and innovation. The App will aim to address all the concerns of individual home builders and scale-up businesses of the dealers by way of opening newer market geographies. Shyam Steel Apna Ghar app will also be an added advantage for us to actively engage with our target audience and business partners The film showcases the dilemma faced by a married couple in building their new home. While the wife searches for solutions, her husband shows him the Shyam Steel Apna Ghar App which provides holistic information on building their home and connects them with the experts for solutions. The film ends with the couple being satisfied over their decision to use the App for building their dream home. Through this campaign Shyam Steel aims to drive across the message that Shyam Steel Apna Ghar App will act as an expert guide for all building construction activities. Shyam Steel with an annual turnover of Rs 4,500 crores is now on a steady expansion mode braving the disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The Company, an integral partner of building new India, is committed to meaningfully contribute to the realization of the target of 300 million tonnes steel production by 2030-31. Shyam Steel has signed Sonu Sood as their Build India Brand Ambassador. The brand is also associated with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma as the face of the company. Suba Group of Hotels, one of Indias fastest-growing hotel chains, announces the opening of Quality Inn Bhagsu Heritage property in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala and invites tourists to stay and enjoy their hospitality. Quality Inn Bhagsu Heritage is a newly built hotel inspired by local Tibetan architecture with a heritage look and feels to it. The property is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, close to the home of his holiness the Dalai Lama. It is well-situated and is close to the main square of McLeodGanj and Namgyal Monastery and a few minutes away from the famous Bhagsu Nag Temple and waterfall. One can easily walk from this property and explore the town and its popular places of interest. The hotel is a unique blend of warm and cozy interiors with sophisticated facilities. There are 32 well-appointed spacious rooms, a multicuisine restaurant, and a specialty rooftop restaurant that serves Tibetan and Chinese delicacies. Inviting people to enjoy the property, Sidharth Sood, MD of Quality Inn Bhagsu Heritage, says, McLeodGanj has been a popular tourist destination for both domestic as well as international tourists for years. Keeping in line with the multicultural tradition of the town and tribal communities, we have designed our property with much love and care to reflect the warmth and sophistication of Tibetan architecture. Our hotel is surrounded by mountains and valleys and is close to Bhagsu Falls and the Bhagsunath Temple. He further adds, We have ensured that our property offers spacious and sophisticated rooms with all facilities and comfort to every kind of traveler. We have dynamic venues for hosting weddings, events, exhibitions, yoga and conferences and serve a delightful dining experience at our signature restaurants and cafes. Part of the Choice Hotels Asia Pacific Group, Quality Inn Bhagsu Heritage is managed by the Suba Group of Hotels. Commenting on the opening of the hotel Mr Mansur Mehta, MD of Suba Group of Hotels, says, Quality Inn McleodGanj is a premium property at reasonable prices. Every room in the hotel offers a scenic view and is a great property to spend relaxing and enjoyable moments with family and friends. It is an instagrammable property for the new age traveler and we are happy to be an integral part of a heritage property offering the best-in-class service quality. McLeod Ganj is an internationally acclaimed tourist destination and home to his holiness 14th Dalai Lama. It is also the base camp for reaching the summit of the picturesque Triund Trek, starting from Dharamkot in McLeod Ganj. Dharamshala, a popular tourist destination, is 12 km away from the hotel and can be accessed from Delhi and Chandigarh by road. The nearest airport is Dharamshala airport which is only 19km away from the hotel. Sightseeing attractions like Dhauladar ranges, Dal Lake, Norblingka monastery, Karmapa monastery, Tibetan Market, Tsuglag Khang, St John Church, and the international cricket stadium can be easily explored from the hotel. September 19: Respected Morari Bapu's Ram Katha was organised in Zanzibar in East Africa's Tanzania from September 10 to 18. This was the first time a Ram Katha took place at Zanzibar. The Katha was presented in front of a large audience comprising devotees from Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, India, IS, the UK, and other places. On Saturday afternoon, Morari Bapu visited a Hindu temple in Zanzibar and offered prayers. He also paid a courtesy visit to Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. The Hon'ble President expressed his happiness on meeting the noted spiritual leader. Respected Morari Bapu described the Hon'ble President as a smiling and simple president and felicitated him. Local parliamentarian Bhagwanji Bhai and other prominent members of the Indian community were present during both engagements. ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's government on Tuesday evicted scores of militants of the al-Qaida terrorist group from the country's southern province of Abyan following days of armed confrontations, a military official told Xinhua. "Military units of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which are part of Yemen's government, attacked al-Qaida hideouts and positions in various mountainous areas of turbulent Abyan, making headway on the ground," the local military source said on condition of anonymity. STC troops' anti-terror operations is still in progress and have forced al-Qaida militants to leave various strongholds in Abyan, including the large valley of Omaran, after leaving al-Qaida casualties, the source confirmed. "After expelling al-Qaida militants from their bastions in Abyan, the STC troops backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition began preparations to storm more mountainous areas controlled by al-Qaida," he said. Last month, the STC troops launched a major anti-terror operation code-named "Arrows of the East" in Abyan to combat terror groups. The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces. The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country. My husband, who was a Marine during the Vietnam War, was always talking about the IQ levels of fellow soldiers, and he would express surprise at the low level of intelligence of some draftees. We would then get into arguments on the validity of IQ testing, which I questioned did not take into consideration an individuals environment. But considering the past decade as the utter complete dumbing down of our populace, maybe I should reconsider my dismissal of testing. What exactly does a persons IQ mean? Modern intelligence tests often focus on abilities such as mathematical skills, memory, spatial perception, and language abilities. The capacity to see relationships, solve problems, and remember information are important components of intelligence, so these are often the skills on which IQ tests focus.-(verywellmind.com) Now whats missing from this description? How about the ability to reason? How about the ability to figure out what is total nonsense and check out whos spouting that nonsense? How about the ability to recognize that the media and certain politicians on both side of the aisles are self-serving and unconcerned about your best interests unless it lines their own pockets? Having a degree from an ivy league university and several letters after your name doesnt necessarily mean that you can reason well and not fall prey to indoctrination from the public academia system. Thats why my husband and I scraped and saved to have all six of our kids attend parochial school and our kids are doing same with our grandchildren. Full disclosure--they are all super smart and conservative. My youngest daughter was tested in first grade and scored in the genius level. She graduated summa cum laude from St. John's University with a B.S. degree in computer science. She constantly dismisses the appellation of genius by saying shes just good at taking tests. She may humbly say this but the truth is shes a bona fide super intellect and my personal IT wizard. Maybe the modern IQ tests are all deliberately off base and thus give the impression that some people are really smarter, but theyre not. Im willing to bet that there are more high IQ geniuses among the deplorables than there are among the pink pussy hat-wearing Hillary supporters who broke down in tears in 2016. Every time I read that some indisputably brilliant person (e.g., Alan Dershowitz) admits to having voted for Biden, then I view that as evidence that theyre not really all that bright. When I was at the New York Sun, I received a call from the great Nat Hentoff who told me he had no intention of joining the anti-war protestors against the Iraq War. Hentoff was an activist against the Vietnam War in the 60s but he said this situation was completely different. This was about 9/11 and he couldnt understand how some New Yorkers just didnt get it. Hentoff, who was a libertarian and an atheist, nevertheless became a strong advocate for the pro-life movement and was vilified by his former cohorts for it. He said: Here were liberals, decent people, fully convinced themselves that they were for individual rights and liberties but willing to send into eternity these infants because they were imperfect, inconvenient, costly. I saw the same attitude on the part of the same kinds of people toward abortion, and I thought it was pretty horrifying. The slippery slope business began to make sense to me then, he says. From there it was ineluctable not just abortion, but euthanasia as well. Nat Hentoff was a very wise man and no doubt highly intelligent because he was able to change his opinion on important issues once he viewed them in an unobscured light. Seriously smart people have the ability to change their minds when their brain alerts them that they are being hoodwinked. Since the beginning of this century, it seems to have been super easy to convince people of the most absurd notions that only the most intellectually impaired would accept. Gender status is now fluid even though there are only two genders, male and female. A planet that has existed for billions of years is in danger unless we recycle cans and bottles and eat less meat because cows farts are killing the planet. Who is shilling out this nonsense and why? Its all about the money and power. Journalism is dead, but there should still be some investigative souls who will do some digging and find out who have became billionaires from the climate change hoax and the insidious, malevolent and criminal pandemic overkill. Why have so many bright Americans caved in to swallow senseless ideologies? When did they stop thinking for themselves instead of losing themselves in groupthink? Where are the mavericks, the innovators, the rebels in our government? Both Elon Musk and Joe Rogan have concluded that voters should vote for Republicans next time. We, the unwoke Trump supporters, welcome them to the real world. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Billionaire George Soros is that rare megalomaniac who not only believes hes a god but revels in behaving like one. Its a sort of a disease when you consider yourself some kind of god, the creator of everything, but I feel comfortable about it now since I began to live it out, he once boasted to The Independent. This god complex, combined with his downright amorality and bizarre ideas about society, makes the 92-year-old extremely dangerous to democracies, especially America. The warning comes loud and clear in Matt Palumbos recent book, The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros, which documents Sorossdecades of financial dealings, political operations, and nefarious networks. Early in the book, Palumbo highlights Sorossamorality, planted perhaps when his Hungarian Jewish family assumed Christian identities and collaborated with the invading Nazis. The teenaged Soros accompanied his phony godfather, who inventoried properties seized from Jewish families sent to concentration camps. Yet, he says he feels no guilt, only detachment. I was only a spectator; the property was being taken away. I had no role in taking away that property. So, I had no sense of guilt, he said in a 1998 interview on 60 Minutes. He likened his actions then to his playing the markets later. In a funny way, he said, its just like in the markets that if I werent there of course, I wasnt doing it but somebody else would would be taking it away anyhow. He recounts that period as probably the happiest year of my life and a very happy-making, exhilarating experience. Image: George Soros. YouTube screen grab. Besides hubris and amorality, two major ideas drive Soros. He has a personal theory of reflexivity and the philosophy of Karl Popper, his guru at the London School of Economics (LSE). Both have inbuilt ironies. While reflexivity might be just an eccentric speculators hobby horse, Poppers ideas, riding on Sorossmind and money, could lead the free world into an anarchist-leftist hell. Simply put, reflexivity says the world is very complex, so humans use perceptual shortcuts like generalizations, dichotomies, metaphors, and decision rules. These, in turn, affect reality via the changes they cause in human behavior. Soros believes that, guided by this concept, he has gamed the markets by recognizing when perception and reality are at enough variance for betting big. Like all systems to beat the casino, this is humbug and hubris, for it posits someone immune to the perceptual shortcomings that, by the premise, afflict everyone. But every successful speculators theorizing gains some indulgence, never mind the informants and networks hell never mention. Nor is Soros innocent of insider trading, either. That is Sorossbusiness. What should worry us is his obsession with implementing Poppers ideas. In The Open Society and Its Enemies, Popper propounded that no single philosophy possesses the truth, no society is superior to another, and closed cultures are built on taboos and a single version of reality. In Sorosswords, in open cultures, nobody has a monopoly on the truth; a society which is not dominated by the state or any particular ideology, where minorities and minority opinions are respected. This may seem idealistic. But, quoting Eduardo Andino of Philanthropy Daily, Palumbo points out that, if groups must let go of their truth, the open society becomes the overarching truth by which its members must live, leaving no diversity. Witness how conservatives and others resisting the lefts anarchic impulses are denounced as authoritarian. Much of that is because Soros funded leftist causes like Antifa, and BLM through his Open Society Foundation (OSF), the NGO he set up with $32 billion to spend on disruption. He is the largest donor in American politics, spending billions on political projects in 37 countries through over 50,000 grants. With sociopathic aplomb, he has destabilized and toppled governments, broken currencies, and attacked Western democracies and institutions, all in the name of freedom, rights, and equity. Palumbo calls Soros a Schrodingers meddler, both denying and boasting about his activities. When President Eduard Shevardnadzes government fell in 2003, Soros said it was the Georgian peoples will, and he had nothing to do with it. Months later, he told the New York Times: Im delighted by what happened in Georgia, and I take great pride in having contributed to it. Sorossinitial projects involved anti-communist activities in Poland, ousting a popularly elected president in Ukraine, and anti-Gorbachev interventions in Russia. The last denied Russians, emerging from 70 years of communism, any chance of economic freedom. As a one-size-fits-all globalist, he sees the European Union as the embodiment of the idea of the open society, where like-minded states surrender their sovereignty for the common good. But Sorossbiggest mission is Americas downfall, which he considers the biggest impediment to an open society. He entered American presidential politics in 2003, opposing George W. Bush and the war on terrorism after 9/11. He started numerous left-wing organizations to influence Americas social fabric. As tax-exempt groups, they receive unlimited funds and use them to influence elections. Using his hold on the media, universities, and the White House, Soros has been able to push his ideas on racism; ecology and conservation; welfare for illegals; legalizing drugs; going soft on crime; automatic voter registration; canceling student; housing; and medical debt; and cutting military budgets. Equally, he has pushed socialist agendas, such as increasing government dependency, unionizing all jobs, and advancing racial and gender diversity. This may seem unusual coming from someone who made billions in the markets, but its a potent strategy to destroy the American ideals of competition, merit, and excellence. In 2015, Soros began backing state prosecutors who want to dismantle the criminal justice system, portraying it and America itself as systemically racist. According to him, one should blame the system, not the criminal, who is the real victim. Around the time BLM was growing, he spent hundreds of millions to back candidates who were anti law and order, weak on crime, tough on gun control, and opposed to cash bail. After donating heavily to Barack Obamas Senate and presidential races and pouring money into Hillary Clintons campaign, Soros spent even more to defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election. He told the World Economic Forum that Trumps America First agenda ran counter to the globalist project. While criticizing big moneys influence in politics, he injected $81 million (including $70 million of his own) through the Democracy PAC. Using the pandemic as an excuse, his funding vehicles sought to increase vote-by-mail, expanding opportunities for vote tampering and harvesting. He war-gamed election outcomes and, visualizing a despotic Trumps refusal to leave office, started the Transition Integrity Project, a backup plan of civil disobedience and revolutionary protests. He infiltrated the Biden-Harris team even before it took office by raising $20 million for transition teams of officials to prepare the duo to hit the ground running on Day One. The same year, Soros budgeted over $63 million to further progressivism in higher education, beginning with the Central European University (CEU) in his native Hungary. He also brought together world leaders and Harvard liberals to create a multilateral economic system where America is not dominant. When Victor Orban forced him out of Hungary for supporting mass refugee resettlement in Europe, he turned to funding universities in America and other countries. Palumbos painstakingly researched book also traces Sorosshand in the media, including journalism schools which is why they push his pet issues and put out fact checks to deny his infamous past. Thus, he can shape narratives and target those who dont match his global vision. As he angles to perpetuate his influence beyond the grave, through his son Alexander, his second wife Susan Weber, and other acolytes, free societies worldwide should brace for a long battle. I think that we fossil-fuel fans can see light at the end of the tunnel as the global government green energy transition experiences a head-on collision with reality. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but really, it's the only way to tell the climatatistas that their God is Dead. Facts and logic won't do it. Instead, the believers must experience decadence and nihilism and dead bodies floating down the Rhine and know, in their eternal recurrence, that their climate god isn't going to save them. It's Not Funny, but the prospect of a cold winter without Russian gas in Europe seems to be the one thing that the Klausi babies and the Greta Thunbergs and the gubmint-funded scientists didn't think about in planning their glorious Great Leap Forward to the green energy transition. Good point, young Mao, in the back row. If backyard steel plants were such a good idea, why don't we all cook up lithium batteries on the backyard barbie? A question for you sons-of-Mao green energy geniuses. Are there not wars? Are there not rumors of wars? Or did you think that your highly elevated discussions up on WEF's Magic Mountain were above all that grubby stuff? Some people might say that this all proves Nassim Nicholas Taleb's notion of The Black Swan. I think not. If you believe that the current green energy meltdown is a totally unpredictable Black Swan event, I got a bridge... I think it proves instead Taleb's recommendation in Antifragile, that you really want your life, your home, your nation, your WEF meeting up in Davos, Switzerland, to be able to continue despite minor glitches in the supply-chain arising out of sordid little quarrels that flare up from time to time between the inheritors of the glorious Ancient Rus. But the rubble bouncing in the Ancient Rus is the least of the green energy problems. See, geniuses, there is this little concept called time preference. It says that humans discount possible events in the future. That's because it is more important to put gas in the car right now -- or plug your climate-friendly EV into the free recharging station at the supermarket -- than to worry about what gubmint- and billionaire-funded scientists say about the climate in 80 years. And it is really not a good idea to wreck the economy with green energy subsidies and pay-to-play research grants, just because you can. And another thing, the gubmint scientists may be wrong. Ask Trofim Lysenko, Stalin's pet scientist, about that. I fearlessly predict that by the end of the 21st century the Big Thing will be the grandsons of Elon Musk fighting over their SpaceX inheritance to see who gets to make the next trillion by sending people to Mars on the Starship Premium Frequent Flyer Program. And, finally, humans have thrived thus far not through fearless predictions about the future -- despite the union of seers and prognosticators insisting on rigidly defined areas of prediction and prophecy -- but from humans adapting, again and again, to new conditions. Yes, cupcake. That's what The Science says, ever since Darwin. Species survive and thrive by adapting to changes in their lived environment, not from top-down edicts from the great and the good or from the shop stewards of the union of seers and prognosticators. Of course, I am rather more advanced in my understanding of the world than that. I subscribe to the latest hottest science -- that for some reason has not yet become fashionable among leading hostesses on Martha's Vineyard -- that we live in The Self-Creating Universe of J.J. Clarke, and that the new things "emerge" from the various Keystone Kops pratfalls of gasses, liquids, solids, plants, animals, humans, and fossil-fueled SUVs and we don't know why. We cannot know yet how big the butcher's bill for green energy will be. But we do know this: the sooner the moment of truth arrives the less ordinary humans will suffer. Naturally, we all hope that the liberal ladies of Martha's Vineyard won't be inconvenienced too much. The whole green energy roadshow demonstrates why the market economy beats elite diktats every time it is tried. It is because nobody knows which of a hundred brilliant new ideas will work, or what will stave off disaster, or whether the climate will heat up or cool down. All we know is that a thousand Anybody business owners will outperform an administrative hierarchy of Somebody elitists by a couple of orders of magnitude, every time. All the flap about green energy has helped me appreciate what an amazing boon to humanity gasoline is: with a hundred pounds of gas in the tank you can drive the kids all day across the fruited plain to grandma's house. But it takes 6,000 pounds of battery to get your EV halfway to grandma's: assuming that the charging stations have electricity, California. Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class. But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheeps clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves. From their fruits ye shall know them. Jesus of Nazareth, in Matthew: 7:15-16 President Ronald Reagan once opined that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were these: Im from the government, and Im here to help. Americans laugh at this Reaganism only because its so true. What is also true, although its in no way funny, is the fact that Dr. Anthony Fauci who has been helping since 1968 has rendered aid to Americans that has taken the sinister form of medical coercion: Get a vax, or lose your job! This government guidance was executed by corporatist entities, in an effort to make an end-run around the Constitution. Every experimental vaccine was given without receiving the informed consent of the patient. A terrible result of this unethical coercion a reality that patently defies the Nuremberg Code has been a wave of mysterious deaths; even typically healthy athletes have been hard-hit. This has earned Dr. Fauci the reputation of having become an Angel of Death a veritable Dr. Mengele in sheeps clothing. The late Dr. Vladimir Zelenko referred to the COVID jab as poison death liquid. Zelenko pointed out that, in 1976, the swine flu vaccine killed 26 people. The entire program was scrubbed. In the fall of 2021 when Zelenko spoke out, the VAERS database reported upwards of 16,310 deaths due to the COVID shot. So, why is it that long after these grave consequences came to light Fauci still saw fit to promote this poison death shot? Dr. Fauci falsely claimed that Hydroxychloroquine was ineffective against SARS-CoV-2 (aka COVID-19), although his own National Institute of Healths Virology Journal published a renowned article, in 2005, stating that chloroquine has strong antiviral effects on SARS-CoV infection of primate cells. The NIH verified that Fauci ranked thirteenth among the most-cited authors from 1983 to 2002 among the several million authors in all science fields, so it would be difficult to believe that such a notable virologist as he could be ignorant of the important facts reported by the famed article. Because the SARS-CoV-2 virus (aka COVID-19) shares 79% of its genome with SARS-CoV-1, both viruses use the same host cell receptor to gain entry to a victims cells. Thus, Hydroxychloroquine, a milder form of Chloroquine, has proven to be effective against COVID-19. It is import to note that Fauci likewise denounced Ivermectin, another cure for COVID, calling it horse paste although it is common knowledge globally that Ivermectin, like Hydroxychloroquine, has the power to cure COVID-19. The upshot of the growing awareness that two effective therapeutics for the treatment of COVID preexisted the pandemic is that people are now realizing that the jab was manifestly unnecessary, and that the governments war on Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin caused a fatal crisis of major proportions. There is no excuse for Faucis criminal behavior over the last two years, since the medically proven therapeutic effects of Hydroxychloroquine against COVID have been well-known, since 2020, with the effectiveness of Ivermectin having been widely established as well. Although a one-size-fits-all prescription for every member of the general public is pure quackery, Fauci and his governmental partners in crime issued pharmaceutical diktats that amounted to just that. Dr. Russell Blaylock has warned patients not to trust the assertions of self-serving policymakers. Fauci and his dictatorial collaborators encouraged many a willing doctor into committing malpractice, lest he or she suffer loss of license, removal of hospital privileges, shaming, destruction of reputations and even arrest for refusing to follow government guidance. While many members of Congress preserved their own lives by using therapeutics, not all Americans were so lucky. On Twitter, Dr. Pierre Kory shared this fun fact: Between 100-200 United States Congress Members (plus many of their staffers & family members) with COVID were treated by a colleague over the past 15 months with ivermectin & the I-MASK+ protocol at flccc.net. None have gone to hospital. So, as Fauci promoted potentially lethal injections for average Americans, government elites received restorative cures. According to The Hill, the OneAmerica life insurance company found that the U.S. death rate is up 40%, primarily among working aged people between the ages of 18 and 64 who are covered by OneAmericas group life policies. These are the workers who were bullied into taking the Fauci-prescribed jabs for jobs at the highpoint of the vaccine push. In the aftermath of this medical coercion, the trajectory of workers collective life expectancy took a nosedive. Even NBC News felt obliged to report that American life expectancy was 78 years, 10 months, in 2019[,] but last year, it fell to about 76 years, 1 month. There is little doubt that the shorter lifespan came about due to the utter disregard for long-accepted medical ethics established by the Nuremberg Code. Physicians and scientists in 34 countries, however, have now issued a declaration, warning of an international medical crisis due to the diseases and deaths co-related to the administration of products known as COVID-19 vaccines. These righteous petitioners for redress are calling for a cessation of COVID vaccines worldwide, along with an investigation into the sudden deaths of all vaccinated people who were healthy previous to receiving the jab. The experimental injections for treating COVID have already proven more deadly than the Nazi medical experiments in Hitlers Germany. It has been confirmed that at least 4,364 fatalities occurred under Hitler, due to medical coercion, while the death toll under Biden is 30,935 fatalities and mounting. Dr. Josef Mengele, the most notorious of Hitlers death-dealing doctors, escaped justice and never stood trial. Fauci, however, has committed his crimes in plain sight and inhabits a world where digital tracking would render escape significantly more problematic than in the day of Mengele. Michael R. Marrus wrote that the standards set during the Doctors Trial at Nuremberg were admirably high and were solemnly declared. He also quotes Justice Robert Jackson, from his opening address at the Trial: The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated. As a result of the Doctors Trial, the Nuremberg Code was established to prevent the future recurrence of a governments intentional enabling of such perilous medical protocols. Given the unethical practices perpetrated by the U.S. government of Joe Biden, under the medical malfeasance of Anthony Fauci, perhaps a do-over of the Nuremberg Doctors Trial is in order. With a Republican Red Wave in the offing, come November, this possible future reality has become more likely, perhaps even probable. In the Nuremberg Doctors Trial, the first case prosecuted was United States of America v. Karl Brandt, et al. Perhaps as a result of Faucis own crimes against humanity, United States of America v. Anthony Fauci, et al. may now be firmly within the realm of possibility. Paul Dowling has written about the Constitution, as well as articles for American Thinker, Independent Sentinel, Godfather Politics, Eagle Rising, and Free Thought Matters. Image: NIAID, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons RAMALLAH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday condemned the Israeli decision to deduct 2.9 million U.S. dollars from the Palestinian tax revenue dues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order to deduct 2.9 million U.S. dollars from the Palestinian tax revenue dues. The sum is transferred by the PA to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to Israeli media reports. Head of the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority, Qadri Abu Bakr, said in a press statement sent to Xinhua that he condemned the Israeli decision. He added that the Israeli decision comes within an Israeli policy to restrict the Palestinian prisoners and their families and to embarrass the PA under the pretext of fighting terrorism. "The decision is a violation of international norms and covenants," Abu Bakr said. According to the 1993 Oslo peace accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel collects tax revenues on behalf of the PA and transfers the money to PA on a monthly basis. Israel often withholds the transfer as a way to apply pressure on the PA. According to the Israeli media report, the Israeli decision to deduct the money comes within the scheme's framework "to combat terrorist organizations and the payments that the PA transfers to Palestinian detainees." The report said the confiscated sum is related to 86 Palestinian detainees and their families, adding that the Israeli authorities had instructed Israeli banks in which there are accounts for the detainees and their families to seize their money. The burden, after the hoax of Russiagate, is on The New York Times to prove that its reporting on Russia is not fraudulent, is not a forgery, is not an anti-Russian variation on the anti-Semitic theme of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Accordingly, today's story about Russian trolling of the Women's March (against Trump) and the pushback against Linda Sarsour for her anti-Semitism for purpose of causing chaos (NYT forgot the sowing discord part) is facially not believable. (Since when have Russians made anti-Semites uncomfortable?) September 19, the lead story in The New York Times carried this headline in the print edition: "Trolls in Russia Schemed to Divide Women's March." (The online title is "How Russian Trolls Helped Keep the Women's March Out of Lock Step." Do we need further evidence that the Times demands no deviation from the party line it hands down daily?) According to the Times article, by Ellen Barry, the week after the January 21, 2017 Women's March described as "a mobilization against President Donald J. Trump" teams assigned by the Russian government, operating "at bland desks in St. Petersburg ... test[ed] out social media messages critical of the Women's March movement." (Ms. Barry's article does not provide information about how she knew that the teams worked at "bland desks." Or is that a play on the alias "Bob Bland"? See that name below.) The article indicates that the Russian effort focused on Linda Sarsour, "a Palestinian American activist" who served as one of four co-chairs of the march: Over the eighteen months that followed, Russian troll factories and its military intelligence service put a sustained effort into discrediting the movement by circulating damning, often fabricated, narratives around Ms. Sarsour, whose activism made her a lightning rod for Mr. Trump's base and also for his most ardent opposition. (Emphasis added.) The Kremlin wanted to bring President Trump's opposition into the ranks of his base? Taking note of Ms. Barry's euphemistic reference to the "activism" of Ms. Sarsour, this observer googled this phrase, "Linda Sarsour anti-Israel activist," and came up with a "Forward" link reporting that the Joe Biden campaign disavowed Ms. Sarsour after she spoke at an event at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Sarsour, an anti-Zionist who supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, received criticism when she led the Women's March due to her past ties to the antisemitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Republicans quickly jumped on Sarsour's virtual presence at the DNC. "It is outrageous that the Democratic National Committee would allow Linda Sarsour to represent their party to American voters," Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks said in a statement. "Sarsour's blatant anti-Semitism finally made her so treif that the radical Women's March organization had to force her out of her leadership role, but she's still kosher for the Democrat Party." How long do we have to wait for the Times to describe the Biden campaign, in distancing itself from Ms. Sarsour, in 2020, as a gullible swallower of Russian trolling? But wait. Ms. Barry goes on, at page A12, to acknowledge that the Women's March was "[a] fractious coalition to begin with," in view of "its co-chairs' association with Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader, who is widely condemned for his antisemitic statements." Ms. Barry continued, "When this surfaced progressive groups distanced themselves from Ms. Sarsour and her fellow co-chairs, Carmen Perez, Tamika Mallory, and Bob Bland, and some called for them to step down." Bob Bland's real name is Mari Lynn Foulger. In addition to being n activist, she is a fashion designer and, in 2019, distanced herself from the Women's March movement. Ms. Perez, Ms. Sarsour, and Ms. Mallory have no problem with Louis Farrakhan, apparently. See this Atlantic piece on Ms. Mallory's refusal to condemn Farrakhan. The Barry story proceeds over most of six columns on pages A12 and A13 and includes references to concern about the anti-Semitism of Linda Sarsour, but arguably enough been recited here to now wonder: was the January 21, 2017 global Women's March movement the result of the alleged Russian plot to sow chaos and discord in the United States as, in 1903, anti-Semites forged a Jewish plot to sow chaos and discord to gain world domination? The Times includes this legend in a small box on page A12 (italics in original): Democracy Challenged This series is part of an ongoing examination by the Times. of challenges to democratic norms in the United States and around the world. Ms. Barry noted before the midway point in her "the Russians are still coming; the Russians are still coming" piece, "Many people know the story about how the Women's March fractured, leaving scars on the American left" to be charged against Russian interference more than six and a half years after the fact? Occam's razor suggests that we take a look at the calendar, realize that there are less than two months until the midterm elections, and that the Times is straining mightily to revive the idea of a Russian bogeyman. For what purpose? To divert attention from the left's goal of ending our two-party system, replacing it with Stalinist hegemony. And The New York Times accuses conservative populists of threatening the spirit of American liberty? What arrant nonsense. What despicable propaganda. What a Big Lie. Image: Adam Jones via Flickr (cropped). It was all too cliche. Two people one was even a man fumbled around with a propane hose at what looked like a gas station, trying to fill up the tires of their electric vehicle, which, of course, had a California license plate (language warning). Holy Fuck. pic.twitter.com/A7BhfYezf5 Nevada Memes for Liberty (@1864Memes) September 18, 2022 Now, I don't presume to know the political leanings or affiliations of these people, or where they stand on climate policy (although I think you could safely speculate), but this does highlight a growing trend that threatens the prosperous freedom that is so uniquely characteristic of the traditional American way of life. In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner presented what is commonly known as "The Frontier Thesis." The historical theory was profound, but for the sake of the argument at hand, I would like to notate one brief passage: From the conditions of the frontier life came intellectual traits of profound importance. ... And these traits have, while softening down, still persisted as survivals in the place of their origin, even when a higher social organization succeeded. The result is that to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics. That coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and inquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom [emphasis added][.] The "why" aside, Turner articulated (to a phenomenal degree) that from the beginning of European migration to North America, what came to be the American mind was highly developed, analytical, resourceful, etc. that mind was thinking and the intellect remained through the ages. Well arguably, it endured until sometime this century, and it's really taken a nosedive in recent years. This is the deeply concerning national trend of which I speak. You could argue that intellect expired at any number of events. Maybe the foolishness began to spiral when the American citizenry allowed a central bank to creep back in 1913, despite Jackson's dire warning from decades before: The bold effort[s] the present (central) bank had made to control the government ... are but premonitions of the fate that await the American people should they be deluded into a perpetuation of this institution or the establishment of another like it. Or you might reason it spiraled when the public stood down as Congress usurped states' rights and created a federal Department of Education in 1979. Actually, this is quite a strong position to take, if you can tell where I'm headed next... At least by 1979, there has been an agenda to dumb down America and it's clearly worked. Among other things, this came in the form of "common core" curricula, the "No Child Left Behind Act," and the elimination of standardized testing. It's likely we've all seen those man on the street interviews, where young people are asked extremely simple questions that they can't answer (language warning). The goofs trying to use flammable gas to inflate their tires are not an anomaly; they're simply one more symptom in the cancer of stupidity and ignorance risking the very survival of America as we remember it. Image: Free image from Pixabay, no attribution required. Radicalizing today's youth is a worldwide epidemic. From online chat rooms, university professors, and extremist prison imams to far-left and far-right political and religious organizations, parents are losing their young teens at an unprecedented rate. The radicalization process is defined by the adoption of an extreme political, social, or religious ideology to reject the status quo for an extreme view of the world. During the course of my work, I spoke with bereaved parents who lost their children to ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terrorist organizations who wished that they had understood this process before they watched their child's radical behavior changes. This week, I introduced the Arian Lev Institute to experts attending the Annual Counter Terrorism World Conference at Reichmann University in Israel, where new deradicalization methods were discussed. For over 14 years, Arian Lev has worked with over 8,000 people to free their subconscious minds from destructive conditioning. Lev stated that "only 5% of our thoughts, feelings and choices are made consciously." The other 95% are controlled by the subconscious a deep abstract area we don't have control over, according to Lev. The brain activates itself, reacting and operating according to an individual web of conditionings based on memories stored in the subconscious. Lev discussed "22 obstructive conditionings that hinder growth and prevent renewal and progress." It is these conditionings that create blocks between true desires and the ability to manifest them. Extremist recruiters use this technique against prospective recruits to reel them into their web of destruction. Feisal, an ISIS recruiter, met Alex, an American Sunday school teacher, in an online chat room, and they became "friends." Trained recruiters understand how to manipulate the subconscious by finding the triggers and weaknesses of each individual recruit. As Alex entered the deep subconscious realm of radicalization, undercover FBI agents intercepted her tweets and warned her and her grandmother about the danger of the ISIS recruiter. At this point, Alex's emotional ties with Feisal were so strong that she was unable to let him go. She had become so isolated and dependent on him that her emotional conditioning controlled her. The known deradicalization techniques that the FBI employed were able to assist Alex. This is the point where Lev's conditioning could have changed Alex's subconscious mind with new and positive experiences. But it was too late, and Alex disappeared. Her whereabouts are unknown. It is best to stop radicalization before it happens, but once it has taken hold, deradicalization techniques must be implemented. Currently, there are thousands of jihadis who will be released from American prisons, returning into American society. There are no programs to be implemented to change the radical mindset of prisoners before they finish their sentences. To make matters worse, American prisons are known for deep radicalization by other prisoners and radical imams. Inmates are a captive audience for extremist ideologies. They have been given no opportunity to change their viewpoints, given their surroundings in prison. Melvin Bledsoe lost his son, Carlos, who was recruited to kill the infidel and is now serving a life sentence in a Tennessee prison. Melvin told me, "If I had some understanding of radicalization before my son Carlos was manipulated and brainwashed by his professor, I might have been able to stop him from killing. I might have saved a man's life." It is time to demand that known terrorists undergo some type of process before they re-enter American society to repeat the same atrocities that put them into prison in the first place. The innocent American has the right to some semblance of safety and security. Valerie Greenfeld is the author of Backyard Jihad: How Parents Can Detect the Invisible Threat of Radicalization. Reach her at vgreenfeld@icloud.com. Image: Isis. The good news is that Monday was Queen Elizabeth's day. Yes, the wonderful lady from the U.K. was buried today, and Tuesday's headlines will be about the beautiful ceremony and whatever is going on between William and Harry. The bad news is that the White House will turn on all of its energy to clean up after President Biden's latest TV appearance. President Nixon had the plumbers, and now President Biden has the floor-moppers. First, he said the pandemic is over: President Joe Biden said 'the pandemic is over' in discussing Covid during an interview that aired on Sunday evening on CBS' '60 Minutes.' 'The pandemic is over,' the president told Scott Pelley as they talked last week at the Detroit Auto Show. 'We still have a problem with Covid. We're still doing a lot of work on it ... but the pandemic is over. if [sic] you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing.' No one is wearing masks? Secondly, President Biden sent shockwaves among the millions who have sons and daughters in the U.S. armed forces, declaring this about China and Taiwan: 'So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir,' Pelley said, 'U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?' 'Yes,' the president said. As you can imagine, the White House ran to the microphone and sort of said the president was not speaking for the U.S. and that U.S. policy has not changed. Thank God that China did not call the president's bluff. Furthermore, thank God someone actually knows what U.S. policy is. What we have in President Biden is a man who cannot do interviews. It started in the 2020 campaign, when he spent most of the time in the basement, selectively choosing interviewers. We are now in the Oval Office act of the story, with more bombshells every time he speaks. The best thing going for President Biden at the moment, or his "staying in office for the time being insurance policy," is that V.P. Harris's gaffes would be worse. Yes, designating the old man for assignment and replacing him with the V.P. is not a move that his party wants to make. It'll be a long time before President Biden sits down with anyone in the media. PS: Check out my videos and posts. Image: Free image from Pixabay, no attribution required. September 18, the day after the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, which created the federal system, the front page of The New York Times print edition shouted, "DEMOCRACY CHALLENGED." (Worth noting, neither The Times nor the Biden administration took note of the anniversary of our basic document of federal governance perhaps because the factor of the states' involvement in our government has become inconvenient for the Stalinists, as indicated by the very overlong "DEMOCRACY CHALLENGED" article.) Complete with an image of a fraying and butchered American flag, the online title of the piece is "A Crisis Coming: The Twin Threats to American Democracy[.]" (Do the headline writers at The Times compete to see who can be the most polemical?) The subheading in the political propaganda section "news" is no longer apposite in this case reads, "Twin Threats to Governing Ideals Put America in Uncharted Territory[.]" What are these "twin threats"? First, the "growing movement ... of ... the Republican Party ... to refuse to accept defeat in an election." The second, "The power to set government policy is becoming increasingly disconnected from public opinion." (Translation: The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.) As of September 21, the midterm elections are just seven weeks away. This four-page propaganda spiel, credited to David Leonhardt, amounts to, how else to put it, a hysterical cry: "The Republicans are coming; the Republicans are coming. Take arms." Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky is cited for the warning our election method, once nonpartisan, now "tilts" towards the Republicans. Why? Because the Electoral College facilitates the large, leftist populations of a few big states like California and New York to see their votes "wasted," because a presidential election is based on the combined electoral votes of the states, not on the popular vote. Leonhardt opened the concluding paragraph of this four-page screed with this assertion: "The makeup of the federal government reflects public opinion less closely than it once did." Omitted is that the federal government would not have been established, 235 years ago, but for the Electoral College compromise, giving the small states an off-setting power to elect a president. The argument of the Stalinists is essentially with the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, not with the Republican Party. To read "DEMOCRACY CHALLENGED" an odd title, given that the Founders created a republic, not a democracy is to understand that the Stalinists refuse to accept the election of Republicans that is, they refuse to accept the idea of a two-party system, and they won't end their assault on the Constitution until they gain full control over all facets of governance in the U.S. If The Times were held to a truth-in-reporting standard, the article would have carried this umbrella title: "The Two-Party System Challenged." For the Stalinists, to question the result of the 2020 presidential election is to state "a big lie," not merely to express an opinion. Consider, however, Leonhardt's assertion that Republicans have refused "to accept defeat in an election." Does this suggest that Republicans will, in future elections, try to defeat the Democrat candidates? Yes. Does this state as fact that any Republican has overturned an election? Of course not. Leonhardt's insinuation that Republicans would overthrow a duly elected Democrat (as the left tried to overthrow President Trump) is the "big lie." Leonhardt ignored the debunked lie that President Trump was a tool of Russia, as well as the suppression of Hunter Biden's scandalous conduct, recorded on his laptop computer, that might have derailed his father's election in 2020. The Leonhardt article, augmented by another article in the September 18 "Sunday Opinion" section which was titled "The Greatest Threat to Democracy Is a Feature of Democracy" suggests that the Democrat campaign program for the midterm elections does not focus on dealing with the economy, illegal immigration, or a nuclear Iran. There are two elements, and two elements alone, to the Democrat political handbook this election season: 1. The Republican Party must be destroyed by transforming our system of government. 2. Citizen Trump must be sent to prison for the rest of his life. The first element is inferred from the Leonhardt article. The second element is indicated by the opinion piece asserting that the Republican opposition to investigations of Citizen Trump represents "not just political cover to subvert the rule of law [emphasis added] but also the power to create their own alternative reality." Apparently, Donald J. Trump is to be investigated without end by leftists living in their own alternative reality. Of Citizen Trump the authors would screech, "Lock him up!" indicated by their assertion that the January 6 hearings "established a forensic record of a deliberate effort to undermine a peaceful transfer of power[.]" (Let's pause here. Those hearings represent an illegitimate partisan effort to undermine the 2022 congressional midterm elections.) The authors next announce that "the only way to confront a seditious conspiracy is to prosecute the criminals" note the absence of the word "alleged." (For Stalinists, an indictment is a conviction.) The authors continue, "If that means indicting Mr. Trump if there is sufficient evidence for possessing classified documents [at Mar-a-Lago] and lying about it and barring him from political office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, so be it." How desperate the Trump-haters are to grasp at straws to put Citizen Trump on trial and to get him barred from serving a second term as president. Now a questionable raid by the anti-Trump FBI should yield a criminal charge. Why don't Illing and Gershberg cut to the chase and declare, "Damn the Constitution's ban on bills of attainder; throw the scoundrel in a dungeon?" This observer infers that the title of this effort at political propaganda would blame the democratic system of democracy for demagogues who become tyrants (as Hamilton warned in Federalist Paper No. 1). Surely some of the blame should go to the leader who spouts political hate in front of Independence Hall, while professing to urge unity throughout the land. Image: Free image from Pixabay, no attribution required. Google Search is getting some significant updates today, allowing users to make more eco-friendly travel plans via trains, airplanes, and hotels. Thats based on recent reports detailing the changes. Now, the latter change for hotels is rolling out now but not quite fully fleshed out just yet. Thats down to Google working with the US Green Building Council and Global Sustainable Tourism Council to begin importing databases associated with eco-certified hotels. So the databases may not be fully available for any individual user. However, starting today, users who search Googles page for travel will find an Eco-certified filter in the mix. Thats used to filter and show only properties that have been eco-certified by those groups. Advertisement How is Google Search improving for eco-friendly travel elsewhere? Google is also rolling out more eco-friendly options for planes and trains in its travel-related Search tools. For instance, users will be able to filter results in the Flights tab for emissions. Specifically, with Any or Low emissions only options. The results will either show all flights or only flights with comparatively low emissions, respectively. For trains, Google is now allowing users to purchase those tickets in Search. For instance, allowing users to select a departure time and date and then buy those tickets they want directly through partner sites via an on-page link. Better still, users will be able to search for those tickets with lower prices. And tickets will be shown with complete details such as the agency, times, duration, and whether its a direct route or not. Just as with the current setup for plane ticket purchases, as shown in the sample images provided by the source and included below. Advertisement The ability to buy train tickets on Search will be expanded in the future. And the company plans to add the ability to buy bus tickets too, for intercity trips. For now, only users in select countries can access the train ticket feature. Among those are Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Samsung seems to be undecided on whether to use in-house Exynos processors on its flagship smartphones anymore. Theres reportedly an internal conflict over the matter. Tipster Ice Universe is claiming that the companys mobile division doesnt want to ship the Galaxy S23 series with Exynos chipsets (via). It wants to use Qualcomms Snapdragon solutions on its 2023 flagships globally. But Samsung Electronics is pressuring it to continue using in-house processors at least in some markets. Samsung has long sold its flagship smartphones with Exynos and Snapdragon chipsets depending on the market. The company has faced a lot of backlash for it, particularly because of the performance gap between the two solutions. Exynos have always underperformed competing solutions from Qualcomm. This gap has widened in recent years, forcing Samsung to use Snapdragon processors in more markets. Only about 30 percent of the Galaxy S22 phones sold this year featured the Exynos 2200. The rest (70 percent) used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. With the Korean firms chip division seemingly failing to improve things with the Exynos 2300, its mobile division wants to entirely rely on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy S23 series. While there hasnt been concrete evidence of it, we have come across some half-hearted rumors supporting this possibility. Turns out Samsung itself is undecided yet. Perhaps the company may eventually end up using the Exynos 2300 in a few markets. But the share of Snapdragon solutions may still go up. We expect to get a confirmation soon as the Galaxy S23 phones are already deep in development. Advertisement The Exynos 2300 is in development too Even if Samsungs mobile division ditches processors made by its sister firm, the company will continue making them. The Exynos 2300 is already in development with model number S5E9935 and the codename Quadra. It would be a GAA-based (gate-all-around fabrication process) 3nm chipset featuring ARMs v9 CPU cores, including the Cortex-X3 super core, Cortex-A715 mid-core, and Cortex-A510 efficiency cores. It should also use AMDs new mobile graphics solution. Precise clock speeds and other details are not known as of now. Samsung is looking to supply the Exynos 2300 to Chinese phone makers such as OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi. But time will tell whether the solution will also find a place inside the Galaxy S23 phones. The chipset will be certainly ready in time for the next-gen Galaxy flagships. We will keep you posted with all the latest developments around this. The Galaxy S23 phones are said to arrive in February 2023. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The aid community in South Sudan seeks safe passage of aid for thousands of displaced people in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. "We call for respect for international humanitarian law to allow aid workers to reach people in need," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Conflict continues to displace civilians in the northeast, with some reports indicating more than 3,600 homeless in villages and islands south of New Fangak in Jonglei, it said. In recent weeks, OCHA said that several attempts to transport food from Malakal to people in need in Panyikang, Fangak and other areas failed because of worsening security and access denials. The humanitarians anticipate finding more than half of the people in Fangak and Canal/Pigi counties in emergency or famine-like conditions. The office said that a World Food Programme convoy carrying more than 1,100 metric tons of food to counties with high food insecurity rates turned back on Sept. 10 due to fighting. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 20 - Fridays for Future said Tuesday that marches will take place in 70 Italian cities for the international movement's global climate strike this Friday, which is also the last day of campaigning for Sunday's general election in Italy. Fridays For Future Italia (FFF Italia) said the climate crisis has been largely ignored during the election campaign even though, with extreme weather events such as last week's deadly storms in Marche following months of drought that wreaked havoc on the country's agriculture, the effects of the emergency are being felt here in a big way. "The aim of the protest is to put the climate crisis and the solutions needed to address it, the great absentee of the election campaign, back at the centre of the public's attention," said FFF Italia spokeswoman Agnese Casadei. "The disaster that occurred a few days ago in Marche reminds us of the consequences of ignoring the climate crisis. "Our chances of averting a catastrophic rise in temperatures depend on the next five years and we risk wasting them with a parliament that does not see the climate question as a priority. "We cannot allow this to happen. Politicians must realize that ignoring this problem is not an option if they want to obtain citizens' support. "They must realize that not taking action today is equal to being the criminal accomplices of the biggest crisis in human history". (ANSA). (ANSAmed) - ROVIES, 20 SET - (by Patrizio Nissirio) The skeletons of charred trees line the roadside and stretch over hills and valleys in the north of the Greek island of Evia - a terrible reminder of the fires that in August 2021 devastated these areas, burning for 10 days thousands of hectares of woods and olive groves, destroying homes and economic activities, forcing thousands of people to flee by sea. But at an intersection near the village of Rovies, a sign left by an unspecified group of 'friends of Rovies' signals the presence of three small pine trees 'planted in 2022'. A minuscule but important sign of rebirth. And the desire for a new beginning is also symbolized by the exhibit of Venetian illustrator Lucio Schianon, 'Levante', hosted by a Medieval Venetian tower in downtown Rovies. The show is curated by Myth Euromed and, on the ground, by researcher Dimitris Georgiou, under the patronage of the Greek tourism agency and with the support of the Italian embassy and the Italian cultural institute in Athens, whose director Francesco Neri attended the inauguration. His welcome address, along with many other speeches at the inauguration, recalled the deep connection of these places with the Serenissima, the Republic of Venice, as well as with contemporary Italy. The portraits of historic Venetian figures made by Schiavon with his contemporary style focus on how the two cultures continue to interact and how the 'Venetian' contribution is today symbolically relevant to leave the wildfires of 2021 behind. The itinerant show, which adds a new image during each step of the way, debuted in June on Corfu: in Rovies, the Medieval tower of the local Papadopoulos family reopened after years. "Northern Evia embraces an endless landscape of excellence and cultural heritage, which ranges from antiquities to industrial archaeology", explained Georgiou. It is a territory that must be discovered "slowly, in honor of sustainability, through experiences like 'from the sea to the table" and the tasting of local products. All these experiences can be savored while "immerged in a unique cultural and natural landscape amid maritime towns, olive groves and mountain woods. Honey, pomegranates and the olives of Rovies PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), together with fish of which Evia's gulf is rich, are only a few of our territory's excellent offerings", added Georgiu. The area is thus investing on a varied offer, which still needs to be discovered, along with cultural signals, in particular from Italians, in this part of the great island east of Athens only 3% of foreign visitors, according to local economic operators. Under the destroyed woods - with the fire also burning the so-called 'Bride', a 2,500-year-old olive tree, locals recall - greenery can once again be spotted, in another good sign, along the rocky coasts that encompass the small port village of Limni down to the sea, with small pebbly beaches which can only be accessed by wild goats. In front, sea bass and sea brim farms and fishing pots for langoustines and shrimps dot the gulf, where it isn't a rare occurrence to spot dolphin pods. It is a Greece far from the 'Cycladic' image which is as rich of marvels - and surprises. (ANSAmed) (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, SEPTEMBER 20 - The number of people who have reached Italy from Tunisia and Libya have increased by 33% in 2021 compared to 2020, said the mission chief for Tunisia of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Azzouz Samri. He made the statement at the opening session of the seventh edition of the "Summer school on migrations", organized by IOM, in collaboration with the Tunisian national institute for labor and social studies (Intes), this year under the theme "children and migrations". Italian authorities have reported the irregular arrival of nearly 10,000 children in 2021, including 2,700 Tunisians, said Samri on the sidelines of the event. He added that among the 8,000 migrants in Tunisia, 1,800 are children, and 400 migrants have benefited from social and judicial protection measures. "The delegates for the protection of minors have adopted 39 preventive measures between 2020 and 2021 to house unaccompanied minors, as well as for the treatment of 113 migrant minors exposed to risks", he stressed. "Social marginalization in many countries of the southern Mediterranean and the civil war in Libya, as well as economic and social crises, are at the foundation of irregular migration". For his part, the director general of the National observatory of migrations (ONM), Ahlem Hammami, told Tunisian news agency Tap that Tunisia has ratified all conventions on the right of the child and adhered to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) which includes 152 member countries. "The fight against the irregular migration of children is a collective effort and a shared responsibility between the State, civil society and international organizations", he added. During the seventh edition, participants discussed the socio-economic causes of migration towards the northern shore of the Mediterranean, warning against the dangers of the exploitation of minors and organ trafficking. (ANSAmed) (ANSA). Measures on rule of law in due time: Hungary It won't be before mid-November (ANSA) - BRUSSELS, SEP 20 - "We want to move forward quickly, and the summer has been very constructive in consultations. The 17 measures proposed by Hungary are suitable to block the EU proceeding based on the conditionality mechanism, and Hungary is fully committed to implementing such measures." Hungary's Minister of Justice, Judit Varga, said, arriving at the General Affairs Council in Brussels. "Before mid-November," we cannot implement these measures, "it's a mathematical certainty. We have to set up the new institutions and hire staff," Varga added, asking member states to be "positive, constructive, and tolerant." (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Greece-Turkey: Athens' PM, 'we will not rise to the bait' Mitsotakis spoke before UN General Assembly (ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 20 - Ankara's increasingly aggressive posture is motivated by domestic political considerations, but Greece will not bite, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday as he prepared to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, according to the daily Kathimerini. "We choose not to bite," Mitsotakis said in an interview with Sfera radio, sending a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also attending the summit. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved West Bank: Nablus, PNA presidency calls for national unity New clashes in city between demonstrators, security forces (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, SEPTEMBER 20 - An urgent appeal to the population "to maintain national unity and respect law and order" was launched Friday by Nabil Abu Rudeina, the spokesperson of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The appeal followed incidents last night in Nablus (West Bank) between armed militants and security forces of the Palestinian National Authority in which a 53-year-old man was killed. "We must focus on our main battle against the occupation and for the liberation of Jerusalem", added Abu Rudeina. Meanwhile new clashes were reported in Nablus. The university and schools remained closed in protest against the security services of the PNA. A similar appeal for calm - Palestinian news agency Wafa reports - also came from the PNA's government, according to which Palestinians must be "wise" and "responsible" to deal with Israeli activities in the West Bank. The government has also promised that it will shed light on the circumstances of the death of the man who died during clashes. Local sources said that on Friday morning gunshots were heard in downtown Nablus and that demonstrators erected barricades along a road. Websites reported that demonstrators threw stones against security vehicles of Abbas and that PNA snipers were deployed on the roofs of a number of homes. Local media said a teen reported back injuries during these incidents. Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other political forces have harshly attacked Mahmoud Abbas for the arrest of a militant wanted by Israel, which sparked protests. They have also called for the immediate cessation of cooperation on security between the PNA and Israel. (ANSAmed) Greece-Turkey: 'We won't give in to provocations'-Mitsotakis 'What unites us is more than what divides us', Greek PM (ANSAmed) - ATHENS, 20 SET - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said "63% of Turks don't consider Greece as a threat", during an interview to Greek radio Sfera, shortly before leaving for New York to attend a UN General Assembly. "We are destined to coexist, what unites us is more than what divides us". Interviewed on Greek-Turkish relations, which are at the moment extremely tense, the Greek premier responded: "Our choice is not to fall into the trap of provocations" and said he is convinced that the recent escalation of threats against Athens is part of a "pre-electoral strategy" adopted by Ankara ahead of elections to be held in Turkey next year. "I will be very strict on the limits to set, everybody knows that they are not playing with Greece, on the other hand we must discuss and resolve our differences or discuss and accept to disagree without fighting. Do we need this tension and this poison every day?", added the Greek premier. (ANSAmed) West Bank: Abbas forces against militants, one dead Violence in Nablus. Shootout against PNA office in Jenin (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, SEPTEMBER 20 - Tension is worsening in the West Bank where the security forces of Mahmoud Abbas have been deployed (under strong Israeli pressure) against members of Palestinian militias. Yesterday, officers of the Palestinian National Authority captured in Nablus Mussab Ashtayeh, a militant tied to the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. Palestinian news agency Maan reported that widespread uprisings were reported in the city, during which a civilian was killed (Firas Yaish, 53), shot in the head by Palestinian officers. In nearby Jenin, militants fired weapons against the headquarters of PNA forces. The website Risala (close to Hamas) reported that, after the arrest of Ashtayeh in Nablus, groups of demonstrators erected barricades. According to the website, militants engaged in a prolonged shootout with PNA security forces. "The city seemed in a state of war", according to the site. Today, the funeral of the man shot dead by Palestinian officers will take place in Nablus. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have meanwhile called for the immediate release of Ashtayeh. His comrades have warned that they will not lay down arms. (ANSAmed) JERUSALEM, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- An 84-year-old Israeli woman was beaten to death in central Israel on Tuesday, in a case the police said they investigate as a "terror attack." The attack took place in the afternoon in Holon, a southern suburb of Tel Aviv, the Hebrew-language Haaretz newspaper reported. Surveillance video footage showed a man approaching the woman from behind and hitting her with an object, according to the report. She was pronounced dead by the Israeli Magen David Adom, the country's emergency medical service. She was found with injuries to her face, the service said in a statement. "We are after a serious attack," police Chief Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene after about six hours of investigation. "Currently it appears as a terror attack," he said, adding that the police "are currently searching close by and further away to locate the attacker." Israel's state-owned Kan TV news identified the suspect as a 28-year-old man from the city of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank who worked at a construction site in Holon, near the location of the attack. The victim lived meters away from the crime scene and was on her way back home when the suspect attacked her, Kan reported. The attack came amid rising clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Biden to tell Truss in some detail that the UK must negotiate with EU on NI Joe Biden will tell Liz Truss she must work with the EU to find a negotiated outcome to solve post-Brexit tensions over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the White House has said. The US president and the Prime Minister will hold a delayed meeting in New York on Wednesday, as Ms Truss attends a United Nations summit. She declined to discuss the protocol with Frances Emmanuel Macron a day earlier, and No 10 did not say if she will raise it with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. But US national security adviser Jake Sullivan made it clear will discuss it in some detail with Ms Truss. Ms Truss is pushing ahead with her controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, that the EU and other critics say will breach international law by suspending elements of the agreement. There have also been suggestions she could unilaterally trigger Article 16 of the protocol, to override parts of the agreement brokered as part of the Brexit divorce deal. Mr Biden and Ms Truss will also meet after a tweet from the president sent just as the PM was discussing her economic policy, which said he was sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked, he said. The comments underlined the differences between the two leaders stances just as Ms Truss says she wants to foster closer ties with international allies. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said it was ludicrous to suggest Mr Biden was criticising UK policy, arguing each country is facing different economic challenges. Mr Sullivan told reporters the president will encourage the UK and the European Union to work out an effective outcome that ensures there is no threat to the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement. And he will speak in some detail to her about that, he added. Joe Biden (James Manning/AP) The adviser said Mr Biden will communicate his strong view that the Good Friday Agreement which is the touchstone of peace and stability in Northern Ireland must be protected. And we must collectively take steps the US, the UK, the parties in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland to ensure that it is protected, he added. Ms Trusss official spokesman said on Tuesday that the protocol is an issue we want to resolve this with the EU when questioned why she did not discuss it with Mr Macron. Mr Sullivan welcomed Ms Trusss robust and unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and said Russias invasion would be a point of conversation. The challenges posed by China, the energy crisis and the economic relationship between the US and the UK were also billed. He accepted Ms Trusss prediction that a comprehensive US-UK trade deal, which Brexit supporters touted as a major prize of leaving the EU, is years away. Ms Truss had told reporters: There arent currently any negotiations taking place with the US and I dont have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term. Mr Biden was meant to hold talks with the Prime Minister in the UK as he visited to attend the Queens funeral, but they were delayed until Ms Trusss US trip. The parents of Madeleine McCann are naturally disappointed at losing their legal battle over comments made by a retired Portuguese detective but said they only took action to protect the search for their daughter. Lawyers for Kate and Gerry McCann had argued that Portuguese authorities had breached their right to respect for a private and family life in the way the courts there dealt with their libel claims against Goncalo Amaral. He claimed in a book, TV documentary and newspaper interview that the McCanns were involved in their daughter Madeleines disappearance. In a judgment published on Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights rejected the couples arguments, finding that there was extensive publicity around the claims against them before Mr Amaral published his book in July 2008. Three-year-old Madeleine vanished during a family holiday to Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007 (Family handout/PA) The McCanns said in a statement issued through their lawyers: We are naturally disappointed with decision of the European Court of Human Rights announced today. However, much has changed since we started legal proceedings 13 years ago against Mr Amaral, his publisher and broadcaster. We took action for one and only one reason: Mr Amarals unfounded claims were having a detrimental impact on the search for Madeleine. If the public believed that we were involved in her disappearance, then people would not be alert for possible clues and may not report relevant information to the relevant law enforcement agencies. The focus is now rightly on the search for Madeleine and her abductor(s). We are grateful for the ongoing work by the British, German and Portuguese police. We hope that, with the help of the public, hard work and diligence we can eventually find those responsible for Madeleines disappearance and bring them to justice. Three-year-old Madeleine vanished during a family holiday to Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007. Earlier this year German investigators said they had new evidence against prime suspect in the case and convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, and in April he was officially declared a suspect by Portuguese officials as a 15-year legal deadline approached. Goncalo Amaral made claims about the McCanns in a book, TV documentary and newspaper interview. (Ellen Branagh/PA) The ECHR found that Mr Amarals claims had not had a negative effect on the McCanns social relations or their campaign to find their daughter. It said: While the Court understood that the books publication had undeniably caused anger, anguish and distress to the applicants, it did not appear that the book, or the broadcasting of the documentary, had had a serious impact on the applicants social relations or on their legitimate and ongoing attempts to find their daughter. The court also said that the McCanns right to respect for their private and family life had to be balanced against Mr Amarals freedom of expression. The ECHR said: The Court considered that, even assuming that the applicants reputation had been damaged, this was not on account of the argument put forward by the books author but rather as a result of the suspicions expressed against them, which had led to their being placed under investigation in the course of the criminal investigation (the prosecutors office decided to take no further action in July 2008) and had led to intense media attention and much controversy. The information had thus been brought to the publics attention in some detail even before the investigation file was made available to the media and the book in question was published. It followed that the national authorities had not failed in their positive obligation to protect the applicants right to respect for their private life. The applicants complaint concerning their right to be presumed innocent was also rejected, because Mr Amarals book was published three days after the decision to take no action against them. The McCanns will not appeal against the decision. The Government is working to find a good solution to the specific problem of delivering UK-wide energy support payments to consumers in Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State has said. Chris Heaton-Harris said he was aware that the energy market in the region was significantly different to the one in Great Britain. On Wednesday, the Government is expected to outline further details on how state-funded mitigations against spiralling energy bills will be applied in Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Liz Truss (PA) Earlier this month, Prime Minister Liz Truss tabled plans for an energy price guarantee, with a pledge to cap average household bills at 2,500 for the next two years. At the time, the Government acknowledged that a different approach would be required in Northern Ireland but did not outline any details, other than a pledge that a similar level of support will be offered to people in the region. Northern Irelands market has its own regulator and does not have the energy price cap system that operates in the rest of the UK. A higher percentage of householders in the region rely on home heating oil than fellow consumers in GB. The picture is potentially complicated further by the absence of a functioning devolved executive in Northern Ireland. The DUP has blocked the formation of an executive in protest at Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. Some ministers remain in post in shadow format but they are limited in the decisions they can take. On a visit to Belfast on Tuesday, Mr Heaton Harris said: I know there is a specific market identity in Northern Ireland. On my first day, Id only been in the job less than 12 hours, we had questions to me on the floor of the House and lots of people made the point that 68% of people here in Northern Ireland use heating oil for their primary source of heat. So, we have a specific market and a specific problem and Ive been working across government to try and find a good solution that works. Mr Heaton-Harris highlighted that some support payments have already be paid to eligible recipients in Northern Ireland. On Tuesday, 150 was set to be paid out to some welfare claimants and pensioners. Economy Minister Gordon Lyons (PA) DUP Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said Northern Ireland should be included in a UK-wide scheme. Some of those details are still being worked out, we clearly have a different way in which our energy system works here in Northern Ireland, he told the PA news agency. But Ive always believed that the best way and the quickest way to get money to people was directly through a UK-wide scheme and I believe thats what will happen. Mr Lyons said he did not expect all the details to be confirmed this week. Well, I think that therell always be a little bit of teasing issues out and that applies to the whole of the of the UK, there will be a number of issues that need to be addressed, he said. And we will see the broad picture of where it is that we are at. But Ive made clear in my conversations with UK Government ministers that this support is essential, and it needs to happen as quickly as possible, and I believe that we will see progress on that. The Government has also committed to delivering a 400 energy bill discount to people in Northern Ireland. There had been uncertainty how the scheme, which was announced earlier this year, would be rolled out in the region without a functioning ministerial executive. Last month, the Government said it would be delivered as soon as possible but did not set out a firm timeframe. At the time, Mr Lyons said he believed the scheme would be delivered in November by way of a one-off lump sum to energy companies. On Tuesday, Mr Lyons expressed confidence that timetable could still be met. I hope that that will still be the case, he said. Obviously, the death of her majesty the Queen has meant that Parliament hasnt met over the last 10 days. Legislation will need to be brought forward for that scheme. But I still believe that were on track to get that up before the end of this year. But I hope sooner, and I still think that its possible that will happen. Student Maisam became the second contestant to leave The Great British Bake Off, as biscuit week saw extravagant bakes and cracked showstoppers. The second episode of the Channel 4 show saw the 11 contestants tasked with baking signature macarons, Garibaldi biscuits and 3D masquerade ball-inspired showstoppers. Libyan-born Maisam, 18, from Greater Manchester, was eliminated after failing to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith with her Venetian mask showstopper or her carrot-shaped signature biscuits. In a letter shared on Twitter, she said: Bake Off is simply life-changing and one of the best decisions I have made in my life. You shouldnt underestimate your passions because they can take you places that youd never imagine.Very wise words from Maisam in her lovely letter to Bake Off fans. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/ttZFeGYspS British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 20, 2022 It has taught me to become a risk taker and representing my Libyan heritage in the tent is something I am really proud of. To go from baking in my own kitchen and into the tent just shows that you shouldnt underestimate your passions because they can take you places that youd never imagine. Swedish-born architectural assistant Maxy, 29, won star baker after receiving a coveted Hollywood handshake for her impressive signature performance. Afterwards, she said: I didnt think Id even get on to the show let alone get a handshake and become star baker so Im really happy. Its definitely giving me a confidence boost. The contestants were first challenged to create 12 identical macarons that were disguised to look like something other than the familiar French biscuits. We want to see colourful, we want to see vibrant, and we want to see a little bit of personality coming out, said Hollywood. Produce something that packs a punch and looks amazing, dont try and overdo it at this stage. The contestants opted for a wide range of macaron disguises, with Carole and Sandro opting to make biscuit burgers, Janusz choosing watermelon shapes and Maxy going for daisies. Huge congratulations to our Biscuit Week Star Baker Maxy! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/Ot73ozf1UE British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 20, 2022 Maisam went for carrot-shaped biscuits, telling host Matt Lucas that the creations were inspired by her mothers favourite flavours. What could go wrong with a macaron? Everything. Everything can go wrong with a macaron, she said. Hollywood said the texture of her biscuit was spot on but the flavour of orange blossom was too strong and that he wanted to see more definition in her bake. The round saw two Hollywood handshakes given out, to Dawn and Maxy for their signature bakes. Have you washed it yet? Never wash off the Hollywood, presenter Noel Fielding later told Dawn. You let it seal up like a resin and then you peel it off like a glove. In the technical challenge, the contestants made 12 Garibaldi biscuits, with feathered chocolate decoration, with Dame Prue warning contestants: Dont get creative. Just stick to the recipe and dont dare disappoint, she said. Baker Syabira appeared to have misunderstood the brief of feathered chocolate placing full white chocolate feathers on top of her biscuits, which made Dame Prue chuckle. Its quite original its not what we asked for though, she said, while Hollywood described them as ridiculous. Electronics engineer Abdul placed last in the challenge as his creations were later labelled a mess, with the look of the biscuits being criticised by Hollywood as just one of the problems. The technical was won by Northern Irish masters student Rebs, with James and Sandro coming second and third respectively. I really dont know how that happened, Rebs said, after looking visibly surprised by her win. But her luck did not last, with the biscuit base of her showstopper mask breaking in the oven before assembly in the final challenge. The contestants were tasked with creating 3D biscuit masks, with several bakers opting for various elaborate designs. The beautifully crafted Biscuit Mask Showstoppers from our bakers. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/TEbzDFEEpD British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 20, 2022 Forced to redo the base of her Venetian-style fascinator mask, the size of Rebs final creation was noted by both Hollywood and Dame Prue. I think its very charming, its perhaps a bit small, said Dame Prue, with Hollywood adding: I think you could have done more. On the biscuits taste, he added: I think the spices are too hot for a ginger biscuit, its quite soft, in fact its more cookie-like than it is biscuit-like. Dame Prue added: I think you could be a fascinator designer. Disaster also struck for Carole in the showstopper, when her mask cracked and caved in, minutes before the end of the challenge. The baker had added lard to her mixture which, Hollywood pointed out, made the biscuit soft and unstable. Its a shame because it is beautiful and I love the taste of (the macarons), he said. Maisam created a Venetian mask for her showstopper, describing the design as simple but effective. Dame Prue admitted: In an ideal world I would like you to do just a little bit more. The popular baking show returned to Welford Park in Berkshire for this series after two years of filming at Down Hall in Hatfield Heath, Essex. The Great British Bake Off continues at 8pm on Tuesdays on Channel 4. From the taxation of trade routes to Vietnam War parallels, the Star Wars franchise has always featured pronounced elements of political allegory. And that tradition continues in Andor, the latest Disney+ series set in George Lucas's far, far away galaxy. Set five years before the events of the 2016 blockbuster Rogue One which introduced the title character, Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna the show depicts the origins of the Rebel Alliance, which goes on to confront the Galactic Empire run by the Sith lord Emperor Palpatine. "It's always been very political," Luna tells Yahoo Entertainment. "This [show] is relevant, because it's been made by people that live in this time, and our references are connected to the world out there." (Watch our video interview above.) In the run-up to Andor's Sept. 21 premiere, Luna's castmate, Fiona Shaw, remarked that the series unfolds in a "Trumpian world" where "people's rights are disappearing." And Luna agrees that the show's overarching narrative echoes the rise of the Resistance that emerged during former President Donald Trump's time in the White House. "It's about the need for an articulated civil reaction," the Mexican actor notes. "It's a moment to bring change and change is going to come by that articulation. There's not a single man that will bring it." Diego Luna reprises his Rogue One role as Cassian Andor in Andor. (Photo: Lucasfilm/YouTube) "There is no one with superpowers that will come and fix things for us," Luna continues. "It's about our reaction. It's about what we can do together, and the strength we have in our numbers. This is the most grounded Star Wars it's about real people, regular people doing extraordinary things." One of Andor's difference makers is politician Mon Mothma, who made her first franchise appearance in 1983's Return of the Jedi, played by Caroline Blakiston. Irish actress Genevieve O'Reilly inherited the role in the 2005 prequel Revenge of the Sith and has portrayed the Rebel leader in subsequent live-action and animated Star Wars stories. Andor is one of Mon Mothma's biggest showcases and O'Reilly says that she looked to real-world female politicians for inspiration, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as U.S. congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Liz Cheney. "I did look to female leaders around the world to remind myself of what those women are fighting for, and to see how standup to navigate, to see how they navigate a still very male-dominated world," she explains. "All those women have moments and very public moments that we've seen recently where they've had to stand up for themselves." Genevieve O'Reilly drew on real-world female politicians to play Rebel leader, Mon Mothma, in Andor. (Photo: Courtesy of Disney+) Andor is overseen by Tony Gilroy, who extensively retinkered Rogue One after original director Gareth Edwards turned in a first cut that Lucasfilm and parent company Disney weren't satisfied with. Despite his turbulent behind the scenes experience, Luna says that he's still "proud" of the film, which saw him becoming the first Latino actor to have a starring role in a Star Wars film. (Jimmy Smits had a small part in the prequel trilogy, while Oscar Isaac's flyboy, Poe Dameron, was a supporting character in 2015's The Force Awakens, before getting more screen time in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, both of which were released after Rogue One.) In fact, Rogue One is still the most diverse Star Wars movie ever, with a cast that includes Felicity Jones, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed and Forest Whitaker. "The film we made was risky," Luna says. "It was pertinent in many ways, obviously in the diversity that the film brings in terms of accents, and cultures and races and backgrounds. ... It's quite unique and special. I am very proud of Rogue One and I'm happy for what Rogue One has brought to my life. ... This series we are introducing now is all because of Rogue One." While Luna is Cassian Andor's biggest fan, he admits that he's also harbored a lifelong affection for his alter ego's nemesis, Darth Vader. "He's just such a strong one to beat, you know?" the actor says with a smile. "The first [Star Wars book] I ever got was a Darth Vader story that's how long our connection is." Video produced by Kyle Moss and edited by Jimmie Rhee Andor premieres Sept. 21 on Disney+ JERUSALEM, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli imports of goods from China rose by 31.2 percent year on year in the first eight months of 2022, excluding diamonds, the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. Israel imported 8.92-billion U.S. dollar value of goods from China in January-August, compared to 6.8 billion dollars in the same period last year, the bureau's data showed. In August, Israeli imports of goods from China amounted to 1.22 billion dollars, which was 13.7 percent of all goods imports in the month. Israel's exports to China totaled 3.01 billion dollars in the first eight months, reflecting an annual increase of 4.2 percent. Total Israeli imports, including diamonds, increased by 23.9 percent to 74.1 billion dollars in January-August, a rise of 23.9 percent year on year, while Israeli exports totaled 48.5 billion dollars, an increase of 26.3 percent. Businesses must be given certainty about support to tackle soaring energy bills, Jacob Rees-Mogg has been told, as he puts the finishing touches to his package to help struggling firms. The Business Secretary is expected to announce on Wednesday how firms, schools, hospitals, charities and other non-domestic consumers will be spared some of the pain of rising gas and electricity bills. The Government has already announced that bills for an average household in England, Scotland and Wales will be capped at 2,500 from October 1, but while businesses have been promised equivalent support they have been waiting for details as officials have been drawing up a bespoke scheme. Today, I am announcing urgent action to reform the United Kingdom's broken energy market.https://t.co/qqqKFE3Smj pic.twitter.com/k3MYGQxLza Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) September 8, 2022 As businesses have not benefited from the existing energy price cap and are not always able to fix their energy price through fixed deals, many are reporting projected increases in energy costs of more than 500%. The Government plans a six-month scheme for all non-domestic energy users, but this will then be replaced with a targeted system focused on the most vulnerable industries. Prime Minister Liz Truss suggested pubs could be covered by the longer-term support. She told ITV News in New York: The Business Secretary is conducting a review of exactly which businesses will be included that review will be completed within three months. I can reassure people who own pubs that they are exactly the type of businesses that will get that longer-term support. Were providing support with #EnergyBills for businesses, charities and public sector organisations. Those on variable contracts, whose fixed contract is coming to an end or who have agreed a new contract recently will be eligible. https://t.co/CqB8otkPyf pic.twitter.com/6cVdAIuNtX Dept for BEIS (@beisgovuk) September 8, 2022 Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: Our latest research shows near two-thirds of small firms are paying more for energy this year compared to last year, with two in five seeing double, triple or even higher increases in their bills. We hope the energy price guarantee means an equivalent amount of support per unit of energy, to the support which households are receiving. It should give businesses some degree of certainty over their energy prices for six months, so they can plan confidently for the winter. At the moment they cannot plan, and they are awaiting the announcement tomorrow to be the moment when they can. The complexity of setting up a new scheme has led to concerns support for firms may not be in place by October 1, and the FSB said help should be backdated if the system is not up and running by then. Many small firms have October 1 as their start date for new contracts, so wed like to see the price guarantee comes into effect then for those who sign new contracts from then, but also those who have been locked into contracts since prices in quotes rose astronomically in recent months, Ms McKenzie said. There should also be a backdating commitment now, especially if its not rolled out until November. She also raised concerns about the prospect of a cliff edge in six months for businesses which may not qualify for ongoing support. There are no such things as vulnerable sectors and non-vulnerable sectors when it comes to these energy hikes, so we will be encouraging Government to take a broader approach to this so that all those that continue to be deeply affected are covered. President Biden brushed off Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss latest effort to score political points by possibly sending a plane filled with asylum seekers to the presidents home state of Delaware. As local officials scrambled to prepare for the potential arrival of incoming immigrants on Tuesday, Biden refused to take the bait from reporters who shouted questions about the GOP stunt after an unrelated White House event. He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline, Biden quipped. The plane that started the day in Texas is the same aircraft that DeSantis used to ferry immigrants to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts over the weekend. Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette/) But a flight tracking website said the plane was en route to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey Tuesday afternoon. It was unclear if it would continue to an airport in Georgetown, Delaware, about 20 miles from Rehoboth Beach, where Biden has a vacation home. DeSantis refused to comment on the flight or its final destination. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) slammed DeSantis for tricking immigrants into agreeing to take a flight 1,000 miles away from where they will have to appear in court to apply for asylum. What a cruel stunt to a group of folks who are applying for asylum, he said. Meanwhile, a group of Venezuelan migrants filed a class action suit accusing DeSantis and other Florida officials of tricking them into agreeing to be flown to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts. A San Antonio sheriff has opened a criminal investigation into the flights, suggesting that asylum seekers were tricked into boarding the flight by Florida officials who produced bogus brochures falsely promising jobs and benefits. DeSantis and fellow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas say they are shipping the migrants north to Democratic-run cities and states, including New York and Washington D.C., to dramatize the urgency of the situation at the southern border. Democrats call it a shameless political stunt and accuse the conservative leaders of using human beings as pawns. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has feuded with Abbott over the Lone Star States convoys of buses ferrying migrants to the Big Apple, which Hizzoner says has strained city services. A 32-year-old mother of two from Colombia who was put on a bus from Texas to New York City killed herself in a Queens shelter over the weekend, sparking a new round of recriminations. People should not be used as political pawns in any circumstances and for that, Governor Abbot should be ashamed, Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in response to Sundays suicide. Now is the time that we demand more from all levels of government to ensure the health and safety of every New Yorker whether they are newcomers or not. The father of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old travel influencer who was found dead following a road trip with her fiance, called on internet users to share stories and photos of their missing loved ones to mark the one-year anniversary of when his daughters body was finally found. I want to thank everyone for the love and support you have shown our families. Its because of all of you we were able to bring #Gabbypetito home, Joseph Petito wrote. Today is particularly hard for us but if you can, please take a moment and share a #missingpersons story to help bring them home safe. Every story deserves the same attention. The still-grieving father shared his call to action on Instagram Monday evening alongside a photo of a younger Gabby sporting a New York Jets jersey. And yes I shared this picture because the @nyjets won on Sunday, Petito added. On July 2, 2021, Petitos 22-year-old daughter left their native Long Island for a cross-country journey with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. Her family grew concerned when her husband-to-be returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Fla., on Sept. 1. Her disappearance sparked a massive search effort that culminated in the discovery of her body on Sept. 19 at a campground near Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. Gabbys cause of death was later ruled to be homicide by strangulation. Upon returning home, Laundrie reunited with his parents, and then almost immediately left with them for a camping trip on the beach at Fort De Soto Park, south of St. Petersburg. But he never returned from the trip, and after months of speculation regarding his whereabouts, Laundrie was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Oct. 20. In the pages of his notebook, later discovered by authorities, Laundrie confessed to killing his would-be-bride. Earlier this year, Gabbys parents filed a civil lawsuit against the Laundries, accusing them of failing to come forward amid the search for their daughter despite knowing that she was already dead. Liz Truss has described feeling hugely honoured that one of the Queens last acts was formally asking her to become Prime Minister. She praised the huge outpouring of love and affection for the late monarch and recognised the huge amount of warmth towards her successor King Charles. Ms Truss was speaking as she flew to New York for a United Nations summit after attending the Queens funeral on Monday. The Queens death came two days after she formally appointed Ms Truss as Boris Johnsons successor during a meeting in Balmoral Castle. In an interview with reporters, Ms Truss said: It has been a momentous period and a period of great grief and sadness in the United Kingdom, and I think you have seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth towards King Charles III. Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen that from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers. From my own point of view, I am hugely honoured to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts. Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government. The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced (Jane Barlow/PA) Since then, I have had two audiences with His Majesty and what I have seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and for the whole royal family. Ms Truss made an address to the nation from Downing Street on September 8, just as the world was learning of the Queens death after seventy years on the throne. The Prime Minister praised the support of civil servants, despite having been seen to have created friction with them in recent months. First of all, I have had the most tremendous support from the civil servants whove worked on the Bridges Secretariat (those who helped plan the Government response to the Queens death), she said. Ms Truss, shown in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace, has noted the huge amount of warmth towards King Charles (Kirsty OConnor/PA) I want to praise the work theyve done, the work the royal household has done, the armed forces. The way what has been a very difficult moment for our nation has been handled tremendously. The Civil Service praise came amid a fall-out over the swift sacking of Treasury permanent secretary Sir Tom Scholar shortly after Ms Truss came to power. Amid widespread criticism during the Tory leadership contest, she abandoned plans to cut civil servants pay outside London. Critics led by The View co-host Ana Navarro have lit into major media outlets for blanket coverage of Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral as Hurricane Fiona devastates Puerto Rico. Folks, I respect the Queen as much as the next person, Navarro tweeted Monday. I offer my condolences to the Brits and all who loved her. But can I please get some news and footage of the effects of Fiona in Puerto Rico? For those who need reminding, they are American citizens in distress. Homes are flooded on Salinas Beach after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. Homes are flooded on Salinas Beach after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. (Alejandro Granadillo/) The View was preempted by coverage of the Queens funeral, and many major broadcast networks and cable channels were covering the historic ceremony live. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8 at age 96, the longest-serving monarch the United Kingdom had ever seen. Ana Navarro attends Politicon at The Pasadena Convention Center on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. Ana Navarro attends Politicon at The Pasadena Convention Center on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. (Colin Young-Wolff/) Others joined in the questioning, while still speaking of the importance of the Queen. I am an admirer of Queen Elizabeth II and will watch her funeral, tweeted law professor and Former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter. Still, U.S. news outlets should spend at least as much time today reporting on our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who are without electricity, food and fresh water. Fiona hit Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon as a Category 1 storm drenching parts of the U.S. territory with up to 30 inches of rain in the central mountains, and cutting off power and water as pumping stations failed. King Charles III and the Queen Consort follow the coffin during the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, Monday Sept. 19, 2022. King Charles III and the Queen Consort follow the coffin during the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (Ben Birchall/) About 1.3 million people were still without power Monday as LUMA Energy, the main power utility in Puerto Rico, warned of a slow restoration process starting with hospitals and airports. Only about 30% of the island has running water. More than 1,000 people had been rescued from floodwaters, rooftops and elsewhere. Rain continued to drench the island as the storm pulled away on Monday, heading for the Dominican Republic as it barrelled toward Turks and Caicos. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) An executive of a vegan food products company has been charged with felony battery and making a terroristic threat after a fracas outside a football game in which hes accused of biting a mans nose, officials said. Beyond Meat Chief Operations Officer Doug Ramsey has been accused of a road rage attack outside Saturdays game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri State Bears in Fayetteville, Arkansas, according to Fayetteville television station KNWA. A police report says the 53-year-old Fayetteville man attacked another man who tried to inch in front of him in a parking garage traffic lane and made contact with a wheel on Ramseys sport utility vehicle. A police officer responding to the reported disturbance arrived to find two males with bloody faces, the report states. After speaking with Ramsey, the other man and a witness, the officer determined that Ramsey had gotten out of his SUV and punched through the back windshield of the other car. The driver of the other vehicle said he emerged from his car and Ramsey pulled him in close and started punching his body" and also bit the owners nose, ripping the flesh on the tip of the nose," the officer reported. That man and the witness also reported hearing Ramsey threaten to kill the man. Beyond Meat has not responded to messages from the station and The Associated Press seeking comment. USA TODAY asked people to tell us about their experiences during home service calls. The most common word used to describe uncomfortable encounters: creepy. Say youve got a home service issue scheduled for the day internet repair, an appliance delivery, or your maintenance person is coming to fix something in your apartment and youre home alone. Do you feel comfortable letting in someone you dont know? Youve done it many times before. But then the service person asks whether you have a boyfriend. How would you feel? What would you do? When USA TODAY asked people to tell us about their experiences during home service calls, responses came in from across the country describing encounters that left them feeling uncomfortable angry behavior, inappropriate sexual comments, or leering, or texting afterward that stretched late into the night. Though some incidents didnt amount to assault, they were alarming enough to make people feel vulnerable in their own homes. The most common word used to describe the encounters: creepy. Some people reported the incident to the company, the police or both but many had to navigate the companys maze of contacts or received little to no follow-up from anyone. Some chose not to report at all, fearing retaliation from the service person, and quietly hoped it would go away. For 66-year-old Susan Hawkins of Fort Worth, Texas, a 2016 encounter with a cable man left her scared, shocked and embarrassed. On the day of the installation, she was excited. She usually had her grandchild with her, but that day she was alone. When she was talking to the cable man about the bill, she said he told her he had a deal for her: He would waive the installation fee if she had sex with him. She froze, said no and went to her room. When she returned, the man exposed himself to her. I was so embarrassed, Hawkins said. He kept urging her to touch him and have sex with him. She told him to leave. When he realized she was serious, he told her he would finish installing the cable, then leave. He stayed for an hour, she said. Hawkins kept her front door open, thinking what shed have to do to defend herself if he attacked her. She could have hurt him, she said, but didnt want to. I felt so vulnerable with him, she said. Hawkins never told anyone what happened. She is a Black woman, and he was a white man. Filing a complaint against him would have meant going up against the world, she said. She just wanted it all to go away. Since that incident, she says she has stranger danger, rarely leaves the house and finds it hard to trust people. Looking back, she now suspects the cable man had gotten away with that behavior before. She feels angry knowing other women likely faced similar situations. At the time, she said, I thought I was just the only one. Watchdog report: When house calls turn deadly: Are cable companies responsible for workers' violent crimes? Outcome: Cable company ordered to pay $7 billion to family of Texas woman murdered by repairman Why reporting is hard and why it matters Jim Willshier, chief public affairs officer at The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, said women especially dont report because they feel nobody will believe them, including close friends and family. Men and women alike may be afraid to come forward because they dont want to be ridiculed or perceived as weak. Some may feel that reporting the incident will trap them in a long bureaucratic process. Help us investigate: Fill out this form to share your stories with our consumer watchdog Willshier notes that the reporting process doesnt have to start with contacting police or the company; it can mean telling someone the person trusts, like a family member or close friend. Telling your inner circle can help you process the incident, so you dont second-guess yourself, he said. It also can help you take the next step, to report to the company or police. Sometimes, why someone might come out months or years later, and just now reach a point where they're able to come forward, is because they just need to get it out, he said. He advises the person listening to help the victim be believed if they go forward but says sometimes just listening is enough. Just be the sounding board, Willshier advises. We all have different experiences and we all experience things differently. So, our path to healing and what we want is different from person to person. Trish Hoffman, a retired lieutenant with the Albuquerque Police Department and founder of Women Against Crime, a self-defense training company, said that if a scary situation doesn't get reported to police or the company, the same thing could happen to somebody else. Even if you feel you are not being heard, reporting leaves a paper trail that later can identify a pattern of unusual behavior. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely. But it takes some guts, Hoffman said. So many times, we dont listen to our gut instinct about someone being creepy, and... blow it off. When reporting doesnt go anywhere When 50-year-old Angela Fabian, of Denton, Texas, tried to report her incident to the company, she was sent in circles. It happened during the onset of the pandemic in 2020, when Fabian, a single parent, was home-schooling her 10-year-old son. They were so isolated that she figured getting cable television would help pass the time. She was alarmed to see two men at her door. They were not wearing the company uniform, but claimed to be with the cable provider. Then, they stared at Fabians chest. The whole situation made me very uncomfortable, she said. She didnt want to let them in, but thought that because they would be working outside, it would be OK. They drilled holes into the side of the house and damaged her roof. She couldnt clearly communicate with them, she said, because they relied on their phones to translate most of the conversation into and out of Spanish. They were at her home for at least three hours, and she found herself wondering whether they were scoping out her house to return later. After they left, Fabian called the company about the damage, but was instead directed to international call centers. She asked for different departments, but nobody knew what she was talking about. She said some of the representatives laughed at her and hung up. She eventually got through to someone in technical support who was able to contact the cable men about the damage they had done. That night, one of the men called and texted her at 10 p.m. wanting to come over to fix the problem they had caused. That is so creepy! How did you get my number? Fabian remembers thinking. She never responded to the text. The next day, the company emailed her a performance survey to rate the service, and she reported everything that had happened: the damage to her house, the leering, and the late texts. The cable man texted her again saying he wanted her to change her answers because he got in trouble. It concerned her that her survey response wasnt anonymous, and her information somehow made it back to the cable man. She got really scared, thinking he would retaliate. I felt threatened, she said. She called the company again, and they told her to call the police. But when she did, she felt the police didnt take her concerns seriously. Neither the company nor police followed up with her. So, she decided to reactivate the security system that had come with the home, even though she couldnt afford it. She even bought a gun. It turned out that the cable men were third-party contractors. When she took her complaint to them, that contracting company started sending people out to look at the damage, and she was hopeful that her house would be repaired. The contractor presented her with a document that released the company from liability in exchange for the repair, a document she refused to sign. So, her house remains damaged. And Fabian is still damaged, too. Ever since the incident, shes been wary of letting anybody into her house, unless her boyfriend is around. Willshier urges people to trust their gut feeling or sixth sense that something is wrong. It is OK to remove yourself from the situation, he said, if you are uncomfortable when someone acts unprofessionally. As time passes, some interactions seem creepier When Alexa Carrillo, now 28, looks back at her experience, she sees what happened to her very differently. Carrillo, of Tucson, Arizona, said that when she was 19, she lived with her boyfriend in a small apartment. A man knocked on their door with a work order to replace the toilet. Carrillo was getting ready for work, using her makeup vanity in the living room, when she noticed the man looking at her. Your husband is a very lucky man, she recalls him saying. I didnt respond to him, but I felt very uncomfortable after that; I could feel him continuing to watch me, she said. Today, she wishes she had reported him, but at the time I didnt feel like I was in much danger; I just felt creeped out. What does it mean when someone is described as creepy? Hoffman says the term itself is too vague and broad. That isnt a description of what someone is doing, she said. Thats just something that we feel, but its not an actual act. Thats why she advises people to be as detailed as possible when making a report to the company or police. Explain the behavior by detailing the remark or the gesture that bothered you. We have to have enough confidence in our skills, in our mindset, and our ability, that when we know something isnt right, we do something about it versus just blowing it off, because it could change the outcome of what happens to us, she said. In your mind, if youre threatened, you have to commit to protect yourself. How to report an incident Hoffman says a lot of police departments allow online reporting, a good place to start. But, if you cant reach the companys complaint department, here are some other avenues: Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria is the consumer watchdog on USA TODAYs investigations team. Send her your tips at asandhulongoria@usatoday.com, @AmritpalKSL, or on Signal at (434) 473-4073. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Creepy' experiences with repair people in the home: What you can do Category 3 Hurricane Fiona, the first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, is continuing to move north away from Turks and Caicos as it pummels the region Tuesday. The storm is expected to further strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center is also watching Tropical Storm Gaston in the north-central Atlantic, and a disturbance near the Caribbean that could turn into a tropical depression in the next few days. Forecasters on Tuesday afternoon also began watching a disturbance that is off the African coast, though that system has low formation chances. While Fiona is not a threat to Florida or the rest of the United States, the countrys East Coast could feel ocean swells, which could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Where is the storm going and how strong will it get? Heres what the forecast shows: Where is Hurricane Fiona now? Hurricane Fiona was about 95 miles north of North Caicos and about 760 miles southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Centers 11 p.m. advisory Tuesday. Fionas hurricane-force winds extended 45 miles from its center, a slight growth from earlier Tuesday, and its tropical-storm force winds extended out 160 miles. Where is Fiona going? Fiona is moving north near 8 mph, a slowdown from earlier Tuesday, and a turn toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected by Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to move away from the Turks and Caicos tonight and Wednesday, and approach Bermuda late on Thursday, the hurricane center said. Hurricane Fionas forecast cone as of the National Hurricane Centers 11 p.m. advisory. Forecasters think Fiona will strengthen into a Category 4 storm by early Wednesday afternoon. The forecast shows the system as a Cat 4 with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph by the time it nears Bermuda. Once the storm passes Bermuda, the forecast shows Fiona starting to weaken as it begins to interact with a vigorous mid-troposphere trough and the system is expected to become a large and powerful extratropical cyclone near Atlantic Canada, the hurricane center said. Forecasters say this should start Fionas extratropical transition, though once complete, Fiona will still be a large and powerful cyclone. READ MORE: Shutdown ordered as Turks and Caicos Islands brace for Hurricane Fiona Hurricane Fiona watches and warnings Here are the hurricane centers watches and warnings for Fiona: Tropical Storm Watch in effect for: Bermuda. As of the 11 p.m. advisory, all warnings for Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos have been discontinued. Fionas hazards Flooding rain is forecast to impact the Turks and Caicos through Tuesday night, continuing a risk of flooding, according to the hurricane center. Forecasters expect Turks and Caicos could see an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain with storm totals of 5 to 10 inches, with the southeast Bahamas seeing 1 to 4 inches of rain. Forecasters expect heavy rain will also continue over portions of the Dominican Republic Tuesday. READ NEXT: Do you want to help the people impacted by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico? Heres how How much rain? The eastern section of the Dominican Republic will likely see a total rainfall of up to 20 inches from Fiona, forecasters said. Fionas swells are also continuing to affect the northern coast of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos islands, and the southeastern and central Bahamas. These swells will continue to spread westward across the southwestern Atlantic toward the northwestern Bahamas and the East Coast of the United States during the next day or two. Swells from Fiona are expected to reach Bermuda by early Thursday, the hurricane center said. The swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. For the second time in five years, Puerto Rico has been blasted with a massive hurricane, causing widespread flooding and power outages, and the increasing severity of these storms is caused by climate change, according to studies. The island, a U.S. territory that has still not fully recovered from Hurricane Maria in 2017, was hit by Hurricane Fiona on Monday. Parts of Puerto Rico received 30 inches of rain, causing landslides and overflowing rivers. Some rural roads have become impassable and have stranded residents. As of Tuesday morning, 1.17 million of Puerto Ricos 1.47 million utility customers were without electricity, according to estimates from PowerOutage.us. Hundreds of Puerto Ricans have been forced from their homes, and the storm is gaining strength as it moves eastward to the Dominican Republic and north to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of "life-threatening" flooding in those nations on Tuesday. Now a Category 3 storm, with winds reaching 115 miles per hour, it has caused deaths in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Guadeloupe. The Caribbean has always experienced hurricanes in late summer, but the storms have become more intense, on average, as a result of global warming. For each additional degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) of temperature, the air holds 7% more moisture. More water in the air leads to stronger storms. According to NASA, the average global temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, as humans have emitted heat-trapping gases by burning fossil fuels. Storms are also made stronger by warmer ocean temperatures, which provide the energy that powers hurricanes. Two women stand next to a house destroyed by a river flood in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Guayama, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A research paper published in April in the journal Nature Communications examined rain in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, one of the most active on record, and found that climate change caused a 10% increase in rainfall during the heaviest three-hour period of storms. Hurricanes are also featuring faster wind speeds, according to NASA. Last year, a study of satellite images going back to 1979, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that climate change had increased the chance that a hurricane would reach Category 3 or higher by roughly 8% each decade. A Category 3 hurricane is defined as one with sustained winds of at least 110 mph. The trend is there, and it is real, James P. Kossin, a researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the lead author of the study, told the New York Times. Theres this remarkable building of this body of evidence that were making these storms more deleterious. A flooded street in Catano, Puerto Rico, on Monday. (AFP via Getty Images) Its not that more rain will necessarily fall in total over the course of a year, but that rain is becoming more concentrated in specific extreme events, in between which many areas of the world are experiencing devastating droughts. (Current drought-stricken areas include the American West, much of Europe and the Horn of Africa.) Thats why, in the last few decades, a higher proportion of total precipitation has come from extreme single-day heavy rains. Other parts of the United States have recently experienced this phenomenon, which can lead to deadly flash floods. Earlier this summer, three different areas were hit with 1-in-1,000-year rains a name derived from the fact that they are expected to occur only once in 1,000 years on average in one week. Southern Illinois received 8 to 12 inches of rain in 12 hours. Six to 10 inches fell in seven hours in St. Louis, and up to 14 inches were recorded in eastern Kentucky, causing 39 deaths. According to data from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the Midwest gets 42% more heavy precipitation events per year than it did 60 years ago, and the Northeast gets 55% more. A sailboat dragged to the shore by strong waves after the passage of Hurricane Fiona in Samana, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday. (Erika Santelices/AFP via Getty Images) Alaska was battered by a typhoon on Friday, washing away roads and causing power outages. The floodwaters began to recede on Sunday. For years, scientists have expressed concern that climate change has set the stage for greater impacts from large nontropical cyclones in Alaska, the Washington Post noted. Calling the storm unprecedented, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, declared an emergency on Saturday in the face of the storm. It may have been unusual in the past, but coastal areas from Alaska to Puerto Rico should expect that more extreme storms will be headed their way in the future. GENEVA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Human rights violations committed by mercenaries and private security companies create serious challenges for victims seeking justice and redress, a United Nations (UN) report said Tuesday. In a report presented to the ongoing 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, experts from the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries stressed that the use of mercenaries and private security companies increases violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and there is little accountability in this area. "Deplorable gaps in accountability, access to justice, and remedies for victims of violations perpetrated by such actors are rampant," said Sorcha MacLeod, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, when presenting the report to the Council. Reasons for the lack of accountability include the secrecy surrounding the activities of mercenary-related actors, their complex business and corporate structures, issues related to jurisdiction, and gaps in national and international regulation. "States have obligations under international human rights law to prevent, investigate, and punish violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to provide effective remedies and reparation to victims of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors, and private military and security companies," the report said. In 2020, the then-President of the United States Donald Trump pardoned four employees of U.S. private military company Blackwater, who had committed massacres and war crimes in Iraq. This led to widespread concern from the international community. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that pardoning the Blackwater employees contributed to impunity, and emboldened others to commit such crimes. Meanwhile, the chairman of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries said that the pardon was an affront to justice, as well as to victims and their families. "The Geneva Conventions oblige States to hold war criminals accountable for their crimes, even when they act as private security contractors. These pardons violate U.S. obligations under international law and more broadly undermine humanitarian law and human rights at a global level," said Jelena Aparac, the then-Chair of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries. FILE - Shawn Parcells speaks during a news conference in St. Louis County, Mo., on Aug. 18, 2014. Parcells, a Kansas man who admitted running an illegal autopsy scheme, has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for wire fraud. He was sentenced Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in federal court for one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office said. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas man who admitted running an illegal autopsy scheme has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for wire fraud. Shawn Parcells, 42, who lived in Topeka and Leawood, was sentenced Monday in federal court to one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He pleaded guilty in May. As part of the plea deal, nine other fraud counts were dropped. Parcells, as owner of National Autopsy Services, persuaded a client to pay $5,000 for an autopsy, according to court records. The client received an emailed autopsy report that appeared to be authored by Parcells. No pathologist was involved in the examination or report, which is illegal. Between 2016 and 2019, Parcells, a self-taught pathology assistant with no formal education, made more than $1.1 million from more than 350 clients for autopsies, most of which he did not perform, according to court records. Parcells, who ran three companies, was also charged in 2019 by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt with conducting illegal autopsies. In August, Parcells was banned from doing business in Kansas and ordered to pay more than $700,000 in restitution and fines for the state cases. He was also ordered to pay over $250,000 in restitution to 82 people that used his services. That came after he was convicted in November of three felonies and three misdemeanors related to providing illegal autopsies in Wabaunsee County. Prosecutors discovered that Parcells collected more than 1,600 biological samples, mostly human tissue, as part of the scheme. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment took custody of the samples and victims have until Oct. 6 to claim them. Haitis metastasizing gang violence and civil unrest have generated calls for international troops from many quarters, but for the most part not from Haitians themselves. Haitians insist with history and local knowledge on their side that another foreign military mission would be an expensive, brutal failure. Instead of troops, they want the United States to simply stop propping up the corrupt, repressive Haitian government that is fueling the violence. The calls for international troops come from the Washington Post, the Organization of American States (OAS), retired diplomats and foreign-policy experts. Their premise that Haiti is a mess, suffering from a breakdown in governance, widespread gang violence and inhuman living conditions is broadly shared in Haiti. But Haitians know that the proposed solution international military intervention will not address the root causes of the crisis and likely will make Haitis misery even worse. Haitis gang violence is a symptom of the governments inability to provide basic government services. Without schools and jobs for young people or an adequate police force, gangs are inevitable. But in the short term, gang violence has spiked under the ruling PHTK party, because it systematically diverted massive amounts of money from already inadequate public services to fund its unprecedented corruption, while it politicized the police. The PHTK even allied itself with gangs to suppress dissent. The last foreign military intervention against gang violence in Haiti was an expensive, deadly failure. MINUSTAH, a U.N. peacekeeping mission, spent $9 billion from 2004 to 2017. Under pressure from U.S. officials, the U.N. soldiers aggressively and illegally pursued suspected gang members. In one July 2005 attack, peacekeepers sprayed more than 22,000 bullets, 78 grenades and five mortars into the thin-walled and densely packed houses of the Cite Soleil neighborhood. The United Nations claimed that all these bullets killed six gang members. But hospitals and journalists reported that the bullets also killed at least a dozen people who were not gang members, including women and children. MINUSTAH commander Gen. Augusto Heleno later bragged about the extrajudicial executions, proclaiming, We must kill the bandits. More U.N. executions of suspected gang members followed, which did reduce gang activity, temporarily. But the killings, the equally illegal arrests and subsequent cover-ups eroded the rule of law in Haiti. Before MINUSTAH left, what is now the PHTK party took power in 2011 with support from the United Nations and the United States and started dismantling Haitis democracy. With few other opportunities for young men, and a decreased deterrence from law enforcement, gang activity predictably rebounded, eventually skyrocketing far beyond what anyone could have imagined when MINUSTAH started to help Haiti. By some estimates gangs now control more than 60% of the country. But the United Nations and the OAS have declined to meaningfully criticize the PHTK for corruption, repression or its support for gangs. One foreign official who tried, Ambassador Susan Page, was removed as head of the U.N. justice mission in Haiti in 2018 because PHTK President Jovenel Moise protested her diplomatic calls for accountability for corruption and police violence. When Haitis government proposed inviting foreign troops a year ago, a broad spectrum of Haitian society denounced it. Last month, the Groupe de Travail sur la Securite, a Haitian security-policy think-tank, rejected the recent calls for international military intervention under the false pretext of helping us restore a climate of security. Haitians are now taking the streets throughout the country to protest gang violence, hunger, corruption and misrule. Some are attacking property, but the vast majority of protesters are peaceful. They are demanding that the PHTK resign to make way for fair elections. They are demanding that the international community, especially the United States, stop obstructing the restoration of democracy by propping up the PHTK. Unfortunately, international experts dismiss their insistence on a Haitian-led solution as unrealistic. But the experts do not explain how an already disproved solution is more realistic, or why Haitians who better understand the risks and have the right to make the call should be ignored. Mario Joseph is managing attorney of the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux in Haiti. Brian Concannon is executive director of the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. Both are human-rights lawyers. Joseph One month after a man from Florida was charged in one womans cold-case murder, he faces murder charges in connection with a second womans death 16 years after her body was found in Maryland, state police say. In 2006, a driver discovered a murdered woman, who died from blunt force trauma and stabbing, along I-70 near a rest stop in Maryland, according to state police. A pair of dragon tattoos on her back helped identify her as Dusty Myriah Shuck, 24, of New Mexico after she was last seen at a local hotel in her home state. Shucks murder case remained cold for over a decade until Maryland state police received a call from a sheriffs office in Michigan on Aug. 17 about a suspect identified in a 1996 cold-case murder of a Michigan woman, a Sept. 19 news release says. Now Garry Artman, 64, of White Springs, Florida, faces charges in connection with Shucks 2006 death after his DNA linked him to the earlier cold-case, according to the release. Information for Artmans defense attorney was not provided by authorities. Artman was arrested in connection to Sharon Hammacks 1996 murder in Michigan by detectives working for the Kent County Sheriffs Office, according to an Aug. 19 Facebook post from the sheriffs office. Hammock was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. In 2008, Hammock and Shucks deaths were linked after a search of the national Combined DNA Index System returned an unknown DNA match, Maryland state police say. However, without a known DNA profile match at the time, the investigation remained open. Due to advancements in technology, Artmans DNA was ultimately found to be connected with Hammacks death, according to the Kent County Sheriffs Office. As a result, sheriffs office detectives located Artman in Mississippi and arrested him in the state before he was extradited to Michigan, the office says. Afterward, investigators gave Maryland state police Artmans DNA, confirming his connection to Shucks murder, according to state police. Now the Kent County Sheriffs Office and Maryland state police are analyzing several pairs of womens underwear found in a Florida storage unit believed to be Artmans following the execution of a search warrant, state police say. The underwear were seized for biological evidence to determine whether there are other victims, according to the release. Authorities in Maryland and Michigan are working together in their ongoing investigation of Artman, the release says. Remains of 29-year-old missing since 2017 found by woman looking for dog, Ohio cops say DNA helps solve case 39 years after womans body found in river, CA officials say Remains found in CA desert 30 years ago just identified, thanks to DNA, officials say Womans body was found in a plastic bin 16 years ago. Three just arrested in WA case Texas authorities are investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis transport of two planeloads of asylum seekers to Marthas Vineyard last week for its potential criminal implications. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office has opened an investigation into the migrants that were lured from the Migrant Resource Center, located in Bexar County, TX, and flown to Florida, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Marthas Vineyard, MA, Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a news release and press conference Monday. Additionally, we are working with private attorneys who are representing the victims, as well as advocacy organizations regarding this incident, he said. We are also preparing to work with any federal agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction, should the need arise. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar (Sam Owens/) Many of the 50 Venezuelan migrants said they were approached by a woman named Perla who said jobs and assistance awaited them if they agreed to fly to Massachusetts. The promises turned out to be untrue, especially since neither Texas nor Florida officials notified anyone in Massachusetts that they were coming. They even got brochures that contained the phone number and website of the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, the Bradenton Herald reported Monday. Salazar noted that Texas had plenty of help available for the migrants. Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette/) I believe there is some criminal activity involved here, Salazar said, without mentioning DeSantis. But at present we are trying to keep an open mind and we are going to investigate to find out what exact laws were broken if that does turn out to be the case. The migrants also said they had been told they were going to Boston. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pictured April 9, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pictured April 9, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida. DeSantis office said Massachusetts had offered the migrants more opportunities. Immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned, homeless, and left to fend for themselves, DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said. Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been busing thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City and now Chicago for months, including two busloads dropped off near the residence of Vice President Harris last week. DeSantis reportedly financed the cost of chartering the planes, and claimed responsibility. With News Wire Services KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Russian missile blasted a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Monday, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting its three reactors. Ukrainian authorities denounced the move as an act of nuclear terrorism. The missile struck within 300 meters (328 yards) of the reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, leaving a hole 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) deep and 4 meters (13 feet) wide, according to Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom. The reactors were operating normally and no employees were injured, it said. But the proximity of the strike renewed fears that Russia's nearly 7-month-long war in Ukraine might produce a radiation disaster. This nuclear power station is Ukraines second-largest after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has repeatedly come under fire. Following recent battlefield setbacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Throughout the war, Russia has targeted Ukraines electricity generation and transmission equipment, causing blackouts and endangering the safety systems of the country's nuclear power plants. The industrial complex that includes the South Ukraine plant sits along the Southern Bug River about 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital, Kyiv. The attack caused the temporary shutdown of a nearby hydroelectric power plant and shattered more than 100 windows at the complex, Ukrainian authorities said. The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said three power lines were knocked offline but later reconnected. Ukraines Defense Ministry released a black-and-white video showing two large fireballs erupting one after the other in the dark, followed by incandescent showers of sparks, at 19 minutes after midnight. The ministry and Energoatom called the strike nuclear terrorism. A crater left by a Russian rocket is seen 300 meter from the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, in the background, close to Yuzhnoukrainsk, Mykolayiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. (South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Press Office via AP) The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on the attack. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, since early after the invasion. Shelling has cut off the plant's transmission lines, forcing operators to shut down its six reactors to avoid a radiation disaster. Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for the strikes. The IAEA, which has stationed monitors at the Zaporizhzhia plant, said a main transmission line was reconnected Friday, providing the electricity it needs to cool its reactors. But the mayor of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia plant is located, reported more Russian shelling Monday in the city's industrial zone. While warning Friday of a possible ramp-up of strikes, Putin claimed his forces had so far acted with restraint but warned if the situation develops this way, our response will be more serious." Just recently, the Russian armed forces have delivered a couple of impactful strikes, he said. Lets consider those as warning strikes. The latest Russian shelling killed at least eight civilians and wounded 22, Ukraines presidential office said Monday. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, now largely back in Ukrainian hands, said Russian shelling killed four medical workers trying to evacuate patients from a psychiatric hospital and wounded two patients. The mayor of the Russian-occupied eastern city of Donetsk, meanwhile, said Ukrainian shelling had killed 13 civilians and wounded eight there. Patricia Lewis, the international security research director at the Chatham House think-tank in London, said attacks at the Zaporizhzhia plant and Monday's strike on the South Ukraine plant indicated that the Russian military was attempting to knock Ukrainian nuclear plants offline before winter. Its a very, very dangerous and illegal act to be targeting a nuclear station, Lewis told The Associated Press. Only the generals will know the intent, but theres clearly a pattern." What they seem to be doing each time is to try to cut off the power to the reactor," she said. Its a very clumsy way to do it, because how accurate are these missiles? Broken windows are seen in an industrial area building of the South Ukraine nuclear power plant after a Russian rocket strike 300 meter from the plant close to Yuzhnoukrainsk, Mykolayiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. (South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Press Office via AP) Power is needed to run pumps that circulate cooling water to the reactors, preventing overheating and in a worst-case scenario a radiation-spewing nuclear fuel meltdown. Other recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure have targeted power plants in the north and a dam in the south. They came in response to a sweeping Ukrainian counterattack in the country's east that reclaimed Russia-occupied territory in the Kharkiv region. Analysts have noted that beyond recapturing territory, challenges remain in holding it. In a video address Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said cryptically of that effort, I cannot reveal all the details, but thanks to the Security Service of Ukraine, we are now confident that the occupiers will not have any foothold on Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainian successes in Kharkiv Russia's biggest defeat since its forces were repelled from around Kyiv in the invasion's opening stage have fueled rare public criticism in Russia and added to the military and diplomatic pressure on Putin. The Kremlin's nationalist critics have questioned why Moscow has failed to plunge Ukraine into darkness yet by hitting all of its major nuclear power plants. In other developments: A governor said Ukraine had recaptured the village of Bilogorivka in the Russian-occupied eastern region of Luhansk. Russia didn't acknowledge the claim. The Russian-installed leaders of Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson regions reiterated calls Monday for referendums to be held to tie their areas formally to Russia. These officials have discussed such plans before but the referendums have been repeatedly delayed, possibly because of insufficient popular support. The Supreme Court in the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk convicted a former interpreter for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and another person whose duties were not specified of high treason Monday. Both were sentenced to 13 years in prison. The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania closed their borders Monday to most Russian citizens in response to domestic support in Russia for the war in Ukraine. Poland will join the ban on Sept. 26. Mega-pop star Alla Pugacheva became the most prominent Russian celebrity to criticize the war, describing Russia in an Instagram post Sunday as a pariah and saying its soldiers were dying for illusory goals. Valery Fadeyev, the head of the Russian presidents Human Rights Council, accused Pugacheva of insincerely citing humanitarian concerns to justify her criticism and predicted that popular artists like her would enjoy less public influence after the war. Viola Davis pauses at the premiere of "The Woman King" during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press) Oscar winner Viola Davis has responded to critics of her latest film, "The Woman King," after they called for a boycott of the movie because it isn't entirely historically accurate. The film follows the story of the all-female military unit, known as the Agojie, that guarded the West African kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to 19th centuries. "First of all, I agree with [the film's director] Gina Prince-Bythewoods saying is youre not going to win an argument on Twitter," Davis said of the criticism in an interview with Variety. "We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads. They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasnt until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be." Julius Tennon, one of the movie's producers and Davis' husband, also talked about the criticism. "Its history but we have to take license. We have to entertain people. If we just told a history lesson, which we very well could have, that would be a documentary," Tennon said. "We didnt want to shy away from the truth. The history is massive and there are truths on that that are there. If people want to learn more, they can investigate more." The main point of contention by online critics is that the movie seemingly uplifts the women without fully acknowledging that the Dahomey tribe sold other Africans into slavery. "Time to Boycott the Woman King movie. The film is about the Dahomey & Benin that traded slaves into the transatlantic. #BoycottWomanKing," tweeted @tonetalks. "This may be the most offensive film to Black Americans in 40-50 years." Twitter user @EqualityEd wrote, "Lets be honest folk. Its movie about a African tribe famous for selling slaves to Europeans that was made into a female empowerment story by two White women writers. You dont have to be very woke to see the problem here. #BoycottWomanKing." Dana Stevens and Maria Bello, both white women, are credited as the storywriters of the movie. Others online defended the movie. "Y'all want to boycott a movie that is literally ABOUT the thing you're complaining about," tweeted @JazminTruesdale. "The movie speaks on how EVERYONE (including African tribes) participated in the slave trade and it's specific impact on black women. It's a Masterpiece!" @lmona823 tweeted, "Do NOT #BoycottWomanKing Instead, learn more. The movie delves into the horrors of the slave trade and how it affected black women, especially. It doesn't glorify slavery, it condemns it." By 1823, the kingdom of Dahomey was under the thumb of the Western-influenced, richer Oyo empire. It was forced to pay tribute in the form of virgins, guns and captives to be sold into slavery to European colonizers. Prince-Bythewood spoke with The Times about the difficulties of telling a nuanced and holistic narrative of the woman warrior group. The biggest eye-opener was how much misinformation there is about these women and this culture given that so much of their history was written from the colonizers point of view," she said. "So it was really about separating the texts that were from that point of view, which were so disparaging and disrespectful, from the truth. She enlisted historians to consult on how and why these women inhabited their noteworthy social roles. Id read this article in the Washington Post that was written by a descendant of these women, and so we reached out to him, Prince-Bythewood said of Princeton professor Leonard Wantchekon. Hes an academic and scholar about Benin and the kingdom and he was such an incredible consultant for us. He has a whole team that we were able to reach out to anytime we had a question about food, dress, politics in the kingdom they knew everything. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WNBA stars for years have spent their offseasons playing in Russian pro leagues, lured by seven-figure paydays that trump their salaries back home. No more. With Brittney Griner detained in a Russian prison and the war in Ukraine still raging, WNBA players are sitting this season out. Breanna Stewart, a four-time WNBA All-Star and a former teammate of Griner's on Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg, explained her decision to the Associated Press. Honestly my time in Russia has been wonderful," Stewart said. "But especially with BG still wrongfully detained there, nobodys going to go there until shes home. I think that, you know, now, people want to go overseas, and if the money is not much different, they want to be in a better place." Instead, Stewart plans to play for Turkish team Fenerbahce. There, she'll earn a six-figure salary instead of the approximately $1.5 million she normally earns in Russia, per AP. By comparison, the WNBA's supermax salary for 2022 was $228,094 with opportunity to make more in bonuses and marketing deals. It's easy to understand why WNBA stars made the offseason trek to Russia on a yearly basis. But Stewart's not alone in shunning the opportunity this year. Per AP, none of the nearly dozen WNBA players who suited up for Russian teams last winter plan to do so again for the upcoming season. Brittney Griner was recently sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for less than a gram of cannabis oil. (Evgenia Novozhenina/AFP via Getty Images) Fellow WNBA All-Stars and former UMMC Ekaterinburg players Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot are among them. Jones is likewise planning to play in Turkey for Mersin. Vandersloot, who has dual United States and Hungarian citizenship and plays for Hungary's national team, will play in Hungary. She spoke to the allure of playing in Russia under normal circumstances. The thing about it is, we were treated so well by our club and made such strong relationships with those people. I would never close the door on that, Vandersloot told AP. The whole situation with BG makes it really hard to think that its safe for anyone to go back there right now. Griner was detained by Russian authorities after being found with less a gram of cannabis oil at a Russian airport on Feb. 17. A week later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Griner's been detained since and was sentenced by a Russian judge to nine years in prison on Aug. 4 on a charge of drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent. She and fellow American prisoner Paul Whelan remain at the center of complex diplomatic negotiations involving President Joe Biden amid the backdrop of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine at the behest of President Vladimir Putin. The WNBA, meanwhile, has made raising awareness for Griner's plight and bringing her home a priority. Commissioner Cathy Englebert addressed the issue ahead of the recently concluded WNBA Finals while calling Griner's ongoing detainment "unacceptable." I recently received a handwritten letter from BG, and I am so inspired by her courage in the face of enormous adversity, Engelbert said on Sept. 11. We are fully focused on getting her home safely, and she remains such an important part of the WNBA family. Jones addressed her decision to play instead for Turkey to the New York Times in August. While Griner's detention is the primary factor, the ongoing war remains a clear deterrent. What would make me feel comfortable about going back to Russia? Jones asked. BG being home, first and foremost. USA and Russia relations being better. The war in Ukraine being over with. Plans for a tourism tax in Wales that would see money reinvested into communities has attracted criticism from businesses. A public consultation into whether to give councils the power to charge visitors who are staying overnight in the country was launched on Tuesday. The Welsh Government said it would be following in the footsteps of more than 40 countries around the world which have introduced a form of visitor levy, including Greece, France, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and the US state of California, if it were to go ahead. How much visitors could be charged has not yet been decided, but finance minister Rebecca Evans said it would be a small contribution that would go towards maintaining local amenities such as beaches, pavements, parks, toilets and footpaths. But many reliant on tourism have said now is not the time to impose such a tax in case it deters visitors who are already cutting back on holidays and short breaks away due to higher bills. Warning that it could severely affect businesses which are already struggling due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the now soaring energy and food prices. Chairman of North Wales Tourism Christopher Frost said: We can appreciate the motivation for the tourism levy following the pressures over the last few years, especially to honey pot locations. We can also appreciate that the government feels that a call for a tourism levy is legitimate and has the backing of the electorate following the last election here in Wales. However, the economic and social landscape has changed exponentially since the last election. The biggest change in the economic landscape is clearly the cost-of-living crisis, which has seen an enormous surge in the price of energy, utilities and food. For many, prices have in some cases doubled or tripled and for many businesses this has made the cost of doing business extremely high. With the sector skills shortage, the challenges from an unregulated Airbnb market, the rise in employment costs, this is the wrong time to launch a consultation on a bed tax that will add further to the cost of doing business, will hit the confidence of an industry that has not yet overcome the challenges of the pandemic and will create further bad publicity for an industry that is already struggling. Earlier this year the owner of one of Wales biggest attractions, Dan-yr-Ogof at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, banned Welsh Government ministers including the First Minister Mark Drakeford from the site over what he called their anti-tourism policies. Dan-yr-Ogof at the Welsh National showcaves (Alamy/PA) The Welsh Tories have said the tax poses grave dangers for Wales and would leave jobs hanging in the balance, with the party calling Welsh Labour arrogant for pressing ahead with the plans despite near-unanimous opposition from the Welsh tourism industry. The Conservatives have claimed that if the Welsh levy is comparable to those imposed in other European countries, a family of four staying in the country for six nights could be charged on average around 75. Ms Evans said: These proposals are about preparing for the future. Our intention is to bring about a sense of shared responsibility between residents and visitors, to protect, and invest in, our local areas. By asking visitors whether they have travelled from within Wales or from further afield to make a small contribution towards maintaining and enhancing the place they are visiting, we will encourage a more sustainable approach for tourism. The proposed levy is one of the policies brought about through the Welsh Governments co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. It could take a number of years for the levy to be brought in should it be approved by the Senedd. Plaid Cymrus Cefin Campbell said: While Wales may be the first place in the UK to introduce such a levy, we do not believe it will be the last as we have seen recently, a visitor levy may soon be introduced in Edinburgh so Wales is not alone. Should local authorities decide to implement a visitor levy, it could make a real difference in communities across Wales to help develop and protect local services and infrastructure. People will be able to submit their views on the levy on the governments website from Tuesday afternoon. Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results RTHK: Politics back as UK's new PM makes debut trip to UN Hours after delivering a sombre reading at Monday's funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss flew to stage her debut at the UN General Assembly. In New York this week, Boris Johnson's successor is due to meet US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron two leaders who are antagonistic towards Truss's hard line on Brexit and Northern Ireland. Truss was appointed on September 6, in one of Queen Elizabeth II's final ceremonial acts as head of state. She died two days later, triggering 10 days of national mourning during which UK political life was suspended. The respite will prove short-lived as Truss thrusts into hard-nosed diplomacy, and as her nascent government tackles a cost-of-living crisis brought on by Russia's war in Ukraine that is hurting millions at home. She is due back in London on Thursday, a day before finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng delivers an emergency budget statement after the government vowed a costly scheme to cap rocketing energy bills. At the UN, Truss will seek to "spur further international action to end energy dependence on Russia, making sure the world is never in this position again", her spokesman told reporters. She will also build on Johnson's outspoken support for Ukraine, because "the whole world suffers when a regime like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's is allowed to bully and blackmail its neighbours", the spokesman said. In her keynote speech to the UN on Wednesday, Truss is expected to say that the UK will remain "an active defender of our democratic values" against authoritarian foes. Truss was meant to meet Biden in London on Sunday, for a courtesy meeting on the margins of the queen's state funeral. That was deferred to enable full bilateral talks in New York. While the president paid fulsome tribute to Elizabeth II, his administration is fretting as her namesake prime minister threatens to rip up post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland. Truss also ruffled cross-Channel feathers when, campaigning for the Conservative party leadership last month, she said "the jury's out" on whether Macron was a "friend or foe" to Britain. The French president, in contrast, came to London for the state funeral to underline the "unbreakable" bond between France and Britain, aides said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China's GX Foundation signs MoU to help eliminate cataract blindness in Cambodia Xinhua) 10:54, September 20, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's GX Foundation signed here on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help eliminate cataract blindness in Cambodia's southeastern Prey Veng province, according to a press statement from Cambodia's health ministry. Under the MoU, the GX Foundation will provide two mobile eye treatment centers and a 35-seat bus as well as send Chinese doctors to work with their Cambodian counterparts to offer free cataract surgery to patients in Prey Veng province, the statement said. Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng said the project was initiated under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Cambodia and China. "I would like to thank the government and people of China for having provided a great amount of aid to Cambodia for the development of health infrastructure and human resources," Bunheng said in the statement. GX Foundation is a Chinese non-profit and non-governmental organization registered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the aim of providing humanitarian aid in the public health sector. It was established in 2018 for realizing people-to-people connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) JUBA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan and Djibouti on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to connect fiber optic cable running from Djibouti through Ethiopia to South Sudan. South Sudan's Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that the MOU will be followed by the formation of a technical team from both countries to deliberate on the project. The deal was signed by South Sudanese Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth and senior officials from Djibouti. South Sudan said it is working closely with the World Bank to connect the country with another fiber optic cable from Kenya. The country aims to lay the fiber-optic network to link the national capital Juba with the rest of the world as well as cut the high cost of using the internet. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The Environment and Subsoil Inspection Agency dispatched its specialists to the town of Jermuk as part of an administrative proceeding. Together with experts from the Hayantar forestry agency and local authorities the specialists examined 7 hectares of forest area which caught fire as a result of the latest Azerbaijani bombardments. Authorities are assessing the damages to the nature. by Guido Alberto Casanova Following Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral, delegations are expected to be in Tokyo on 27 September for a final farewell to Japans former prime minister who was killed in July. However, polls indicate that more than 60 per cent of the Japanese population is now opposed to solemn celebrations. The countrys main opposition party has also announced that it will not attend. Tokyo (AsiaNews) Less than ten days after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which was broadcast and followed worldwide, another major funeral is coming up. Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be laid to rest next week, on 27 September, in Tokyo. Abe, who was killed in an attack two months ago, is set to receive a state funeral, the second time in post-war Japan that a former prime minister is granted this privilege. However, the ambiance around the Nippon Budokan arena is likely to be very different from what was seen yesterday at Westminster Abbey Over the past few weeks, the decision to grant Abe such an honour has been at the centre of a growing controversy that has divided public opinion, drawing multiple criticisms from both civil society groups and opposition parties. Opposition to the state funeral is growing. In July, when the decision was made to hold such a ceremony, 43 per cent of the population were in favour of a state funeral for the former prime minister; at present, support has dropped to 33 per cent while opposition has almost doubled to 60 per cent. Last month, protests were held in Tokyo demanding the funerals cancellation, with demonstrators shouting various reasons linked the former prime minister's controversial political life. Some are against Abe because of his attempts to amend the country's pacifist constitution, while others felt that his involvement in corruption scandals did not make him worthy of a state funeral. Some expressed doubts about the cost of the funeral at a time of economic hardships, with others slamming the decision to organise the funeral for the simple reason that most Japanese are against it. In early September, 400,000 people signed a petition against the state funeral, which was sent to the Cabinet Office. Some Japanese see the decision to hold the state funeral as undue pressure to show grief for a leader who polarised the country, not to mention the fact that many believe it goes beyond the powers of the government and so it is illegal. The whole affair is having a major political impact. Although the incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tried to explain the reasons for the funeral in parliament and to his fellow citizens, polls indicate that more Japanese disapprove of his work than approve. In this context, the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, announced that none of its members would attend the funeral. This attitude is not shared by all opposition parties though since some have stated that they would take part in Abes funeral. KAMPALA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Health experts on Tuesday urged Uganda to focus on preventing and controlling the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, noting that there is no vaccine against the rare Sudan strain that broke out in the country. This follows a Tuesday announcement by the country's ministry of health that the Ebola virus had broken out and has so far left one confirmed case dead and six other unverified deaths. Bayo Fatunmbi, head of disease prevention and control at the World Health Organization office in Uganda, told reporters here that the Sudan strain is rare and had only occurred in Sudan in 1976 and in Uganda in 2011. "We have done something before in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but we find that the vaccination that worked with the Zaire virus (strain) will not be useful for this particular Sudan strain," he said. He said there is another type of vaccine that is being tested currently. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at the ministry of health, said while the country has the vaccine for the Zaire strain, there is no vaccine for the Sudan strain. Atwine said a team of epidemiologists has been sent to the central Ugandan district of Mubende to investigate the source of the index case, a 24-year-old male who died on Monday. She said there is no need for countries to issue travel advisories to Uganda, noting that the government has the capacity to contain the outbreak. "There is no need to panic at all because Uganda is well known for handling epidemics. We have built capacity, and we want to assure the public that we shall contain this epidemic," she said. Atwine said Uganda is working with partners like the WHO to contain the spread of the deadly disease. The Ebola virus is highly contagious and causes various symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise, and in some cases, internal and external bleeding. According to the WHO, the fatality rate for those who contract Ebola ranges from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on the viral sub-type. by Dario Salvi The decision by some Arab parties to run alone might give the former prime minister an edge in Israels upcoming election. Turnout among Israeli Arabs might prove crucial one way or the other. However, Israeli Arabs are dissatisfied and surveys indicate that only 40 per cent plan to vote. Milan (AsiaNews) Amid great uncertainties, Israels Arab electorate will play a crucial role in the countrys upcoming election on 1st November, the fifth in three and a half years. Unlike the recent past, Arab parties will not run united; the latest split came a few days ago and this is likely to spark different reactions among voters. According to some observers, this will lead to greater internal competition, as well as different and even contrasting electoral approaches and strategies. The result could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Arab voters might be motivated to go to the polls, with a large turnout like in the last election; on the other, some might be turned off and stay at home with disastrous electoral results and negative political implications. This could pave the way for former Prime Minister Benjamin Bibi Netanyahu to make the umpteenth comeback, a master at building his success on the divisions among his rivals. Parties and top candidates The deadline to submit party lists for the 25th general election to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, was last week. Parties include the right-wing Likud led by former Prime Minister Netanyahu, which once again is running for the prime ministers office; whether he gets the top spot in the government will depend on the results and horse-trading among allies. In the political centre, we find the secular oriented Yesh Atid party of incumbent Prime Minister Yair Lapid who succeeded Naftali Bennett on 1 July in accordance with a rotation agreement. Bennett, a former Yamina party leader, is not running this time. The National Unity Party, which includes the Blue White movement, is led by Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar. The far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, founded in 1998, is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir. The socially conservative religious camp includes Yitzchak Goldknopfs United Torah Judaism, and the ultra-Orthodox Shas, under Arye Dery. Also on the right, which has dominated Israels political landscape for a long time, we find Avigdor Liebermans Israel Beiteinu, while Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) is an extreme right-wing religious Zionist party led by Ayelet Shaked. The reformist camp includes Merav Michaeli's Israeli Labour Party and, further to the left, Zehava Galon's Meretz party. Lastly, Arab parties, which are more fragmented than in the last election, include Ta'al, Hadash of Ayman Odeh, the United Arab List (Raam) of Mansour Abbas, the wild card in the last elections, and Balad of Sami Abu Shehadeh, a left-leaning Arab nationalist party, The (dis)united Arab front Unlike the 2021 election, Arab parties have failed to present themselves united to voters, many of whom are dissatisfied if not disillusioned, which could lead to a low turnout . The Joint List , which united four ideologically different parties (communism, nationalism political Islam), won 15 seats in 2020, thanks to a high voter turnout among Israeli Arabs (65 per cent). However, in the March 2021 election it won only six seats after one of its members, Abbas's conservative Ra'am (close to the Muslim Brotherhood ), joined the coalition government led by Bennett-Lapid, ousting the hitherto unsinkable Netanyahu. However, the new governing coalition was only held together by opposition to the former prime minister, then on trial for corruption, and was unable to withstand the first shocks, thus forcing the country to vote again. With Arab parties clearly split, the influence of Israeli Arabs in Israeli society and political institutions will likely diminish. The Arab nationalist Balad party will run alone, and so if it fails to meet the 3 per cent threshold, it wont elect any MKs, and its votes will be wasted. The latest surveys indicate that intra-Arab divisions are likely to result in a low turnout among Israeli Arabs, one in five Israeli, with some projections suggesting that only 40 per cent will cast their ballot. This will certainly get Netanyahu and his alliance of right-wing, ultra-nationalist and religious Jews back into power. An uncertain future For some observers, if turnout among Israeli Arabs drops below 55 per cent, Bibis success is almost certain. Conversely, a high turnout combined with divided Arab parties might pave the way for centre and centre-left parties to work together, ending once and for all the Netanyahu era, who has made several comebacks in the past and has played a central role in Israels political life for the last quarter-century and more. Balads leader Sami Abou Shahadeh accuses the other two Arab parties (Hadash and Ta'al) of abandoning him a few hours before the deadline to submit electoral lists. Israeli Arabs have close family ties to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and identify largely with their cause, leading them to be viewed with suspicion by many Israeli Jews. Nevertheless, Israeli Arabs have achieved considerable gains in recent decades in healthcare and many other fields, but they still experience widespread discrimination. The latest polls suggest a direct fight between Netanyahu and Lapid. This time too, the Arab vote could make a difference. Yet, should the various alliances fail again, a sixth election is more than likely. GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY TUESDAY, CLICK HERE. Today's headlines: Saudi GDP set to grow by the highest figure in the last decade; Shanghai launches a 260 billion development plan; Pakistan's high court clears former premier Khan of terrorism charges; a giant statue of Padre Pio is to be erected in Cebu in a pilgrimage site; Moscow patriarchate says the meeting between the pope and Kirill is still possible and desirable. JAPAN For the first time in history, Japanese people over the age of 75 exceeded 15% of the total, reaching 19.37 million (+720 thousand). A confirmation of the rapid ageing of Japanese society, with a record figure this year also among the over-65s (36.27 million, or 29.1%). The Rising Sun is at the top of the world ranking for oldest society, followed by Italy and Finland. SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product (GDP) is set to grow at the highest rate in a decade, at 7.5% in 2022. According to S&P data, the projected surplus for the state budget is around 6.3%. According to the rating agency, production capacity will also increase in the long term due to the development of finances and economic reforms. CHINA In the morning, the Shanghai authorities launched eight infrastructure projects with a total value of almost EUR 260 billion. The focus is on the development of new energy and mobility plans for citizens including urban transit, railways and improved housing. Specific projects also include an ecological park, offshore wind energy, security and drinking water. PAKISTAN The High Court ordered the dropping of terrorism charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The indictment was related to a public speech in which he allegedly threatened police officers in response to the failure to release one of his aides on bail. The case was therefore transferred from the anti-terrorism court to an ordinary criminal section. PHILIPPINES A giant statue of Padre Pio stands on a hill overlooking Cebu, part of the shrine dedicated to the saint from Pietralcina (Italy) in the village of Pulangbato, which is a pilgrimage destination. The inauguration took place on 17 September, in the presence of Archbishop Jose Palma and members of the contemplative community of Padre Pio. An oratory will also be built at the foot of the work. RUSSIA - VATICAN The 'Foreign Minister' of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan of the Antonij has reiterated that a second meeting of Kirill with Pope Francis is still possible and desirable. He added that Jerusalem would be the ideal place to realise it, but "now the ball is in the hands of the Vatican". TURKMENISTAN The recently imposed ban on termination of pregnancy in Turkmenistan has so far not led to a decrease in the number of abortions, Radio Azattyk reports. What has changed is the sharp increase in the bribes women have to pay to medical personnel to terminate pregnancies after the fifth week after conception. by Steve Suwannarat Originally set up for 70-80,000 students, a loan fund has benefitted up to 6.2 million beneficiaries but many cannot pay back. A bill to provide interest-free loans to students has put the spotlight on household debt, which is currently at its highest in the last 16 years. Critics argue that the situation risks becoming unsustainable for the state coffers. Bangkok (AsiaNews) A student loan bill approved by Thailands House of Representatives pending before the Senate has sparked debate, generating a broader critique of government policies, deemed inappropriate and seemingly designed to curry favours with voters at the expense of the public purse. The bill in question would provide interest-free loans for borrowers and no fines for those who default on their repayments. According to former Prime Minister and current House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, this has negative implications. Many educational institutions already try to minimise the negative consequences for students who have problems in paying off their debt. When Chuan was prime minister (1997-2001), a student loan fund was set up with a budget of three billion baht (US$ 80 million) able to help 70-80,000 students. Since then, the fund has grown exponentially, both in terms of funding and number of beneficiaries, 690 billion baht (US$ 18.6 billion) for 6.2 million students. Out of those, some 2,5 million have been unable to repay their debt, which is part of a broader problem of private debt. According to the Bank of Thailand, the countrys household debt now stands at 89.2 per cent of GDP, slightly less than in the previous two years but with a lower GDP. In August, the annual survey of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce showed that Thai households are struggling with the highest level of debt in 16 years with an average load of about half a million baht (US$ 13,500). Debt rose by almost 4 per cent over the previous year with 99.6 per cent of respondents saying they are in debt. This is only partly due to the stagnation caused by the pandemic. Other factors that favour indebtedness are easy credit, insufficient income at a time of rising cost of goods and services, the greater propensity to purchase durable goods, and the need for money for investments. The picture is not entirely bad because it reflects known situations, but it could get out of hand if Southeast Asias second-largest economy misses its growth objectives amid uncertain economic conditions. by Vladimir Rozanskij US House of Representatives speaker on mission after fresh clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh. Washington's role in mediating the cease-fire. Many Armenians call for abandonment of Russian-led Csto for NATO partnership. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Armenia immediately after the violent clashes with Azerbaijan in the disputed areas of Nagorno Karabakh. The speaker of the US House of Representatives condemned the attacks in Baku as an aggression against the sovereignty of Armenia, "a country that has great significance for us in the US," she explained in her meeting with Yerevan National Assembly representative Allen Simonyan. The United States is co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group for Peace Agreements, and intends to do everything to ensure that the conflict is not resolved by military action, as Pelosi recalled: 'I hope that it will be possible to make progress through negotiations, and we will continue to uphold Armenia's territorial integrity against all those who endanger it'. The fragile truce signed on 14 September is largely thanks to Washington's mediation. Pelosi then commented on social media that 'our founders in 1787 preferred democracy to autocracy, and from generation to generation we have defended and cherished their choice. This is what we do today, from the US to Ukraine, Taiwan, Armenia, all countries that are facing this choice... The decision in this case is up to Armenia, but we declare our readiness'. Asked whether the US is also willing to provide military support to Yerevan, Pelosi did not respond directly, merely saying that 'the importance of our visit lies in being here to listen, to understand what can be done and what is expected of us, and we have discussed many economic and security issues'. She was also asked why the US has not issued sanctions against Azerbaijani President Aliev, and the speaker assured that 'we will continue to work on these issues, we invited Armenia to the summit of democratic countries and we condemned the Armenian genocide, we will see what decisions we make on this matter'. Pelosi's visit was greeted in Yerevan by groups of demonstrators calling for Armenia's exit from Csto, the Russian-obedient 'Eurasian NATO', to place itself under American protection as Mnna, 'Mayor non-NATO ally', with a group of observers being sent to protect the Armenian territories under attack. The head of the Csto peace mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border himself, Anatolij Sidorov, admitted that 'both in these territories and on the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan borders, many difficulties have arisen for our mediation efforts'. Csto secretary Stanislav Zas will be arriving in Armenia in the coming days to figure out what to do at this juncture. The 82-year-old Italian-American congresswoman from California, who was elected to Congress 35 years ago, has been in the front row at the inauguration of seven US presidents, from Reagan and G.W. Bush to Trump and Biden, and today appears as the most influential woman in US politics. Having gone 'from the kitchen to politics', as she herself has repeatedly reminded us, she now represents the rights of women and the weakest in the face of the arrogance of the powerful all over the world, as was also the case with her recent trip to Taiwan, which aroused the ire of Beijing. In spite of her long career and advanced age, Pelosi says she has no intention of retiring from public activity, and as it was written in her biography, 'she won't even tell her husband when she will retire'. Best Heavyweight Tees for Men Add Weight to Add Style & Prepare Yourself for the Fall The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Were in that weird in-between stage of the year, caught between summer and fall, when the days are still warm but the nights are chilly. Sure, you could pack a sweater and just rely on layering to keep you warm, but you can also opt for a more versatile clothing choice: the heavyweight t-shirt. RELATED: Best Anorak Jackets for Men First, a history lesson: most t-shirts defaulted to heavy in the not-too-distant past, when fabric options were limited and people spent a lot more time outdoors, but as weve made fine-spun fabrics cheaper and easier to work with, t-shirts have dropped in thickness and weight. But dont think that lighter is always better. Sailors, soldiers, farmers and workers of all trades have known the importance of heavyweight fabrics for a long time, so they most definitely have a place in your wardrobe, especially if you live somewhere with cold temperatures. But what is a heavyweight t-shirt? In America, shirts over six ounces are typically classified as heavyweight, whereas in Europe and Britain, they use a metric called GSM (grams per square meter) to compare shirt weights, with shirts over 200 grams-per-square-meter being classified as heavy. To simplify your life and perhaps inspire you to put on a weighted shirt this fall, weve put together a handy list of some of the most stylish and comfortable heavyweight tees for men: Carhartt University Script T-Shirt Carhartt Carhartt is famous for making tough, durable clothing for rugged, hard-working people, and their University Script T-Shirt is no exception. Its made from 100% cotton, but with a weight of 230 grams per square meter, its definitely going to feel weighty. $55 at Carhartt.com Banana Republic Heavyweight Cotton T-Shirt Banana Republic If youre gearing up for fall and want a heavy, long-sleeve t-shirt thats both stylish and comfortable, look no further than this Heavyweight Cotton T-Shirt from Banana Republic. Its made from 100% machine-washable cotton, with extra-dense knitting to add weight. The straight hem and chest pocket add a little flair, and help make this shirt versatile enough to dress up or down. $22.97 at BananaRepublic.Gap.com Everlane Premium-Weight Crew Everlane Available in 13 colors and made from dense and durable 6.2-oz cotton, the Premium-Weight Crew from Everlane offers a stylish cut and relaxed fit without being billowy or shapeless. The knitted construction feels heavy to wear but doesnt chafe or irritate the skin, and prolonged wear and washing only makes this shirt softer, so you can look forward to future comfort as well. $45 at Everlane.com Taylor Stitch The Heavy Bag Tee Taylor Stitch Rugged, stylish and sustainable, the Taylor Stitch Heavy Bag Tee is the perfect triple-threat shirt for sliding into the cooler weather of fall. Its made from upcycled fabrics, shredded and respun into something gloriously weighty and soft (and saving about 1,200 gallons of water per shirt in the manufacturing process), making this the ideal rugged shirt. $45 at TaylorStitch.com Dickies Short Sleeve Heavyweight Crew Neck Dickies Dickies is known for making quality apparel at affordable prices, and their Heavyweight Crew Neck shirt is no exception. Its available in four colors and 12 sizes, so its easy to find your perfect fit, while the heavyweight jersey construction adds heft and comfort. Quality of life details, from the tagless back to the tapered neck and shoulder seams, make this shirt comfortable for long-term wear. From $14.99 at Dickies.com Buck Mason Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee Buck Mason Built from the same cotton used in ultra-rough rugby jerseys and then pre-washed to soften the fibers, the Buck Mason Field-Spec shirt is available in five colors and seven sizes, each offering a comfortable and stylish fit with a clean design. $48 at BuckMason.com 3Sixteen Heavyweight T-Shirt 3Sixteen If youre after a value buy that doesnt sacrifice quality, check out this two-pack of heavyweight shirts from 3Sixteen. The 225 gsm jersey fabric is knit in Canada while the shirt itself is assembled in the United States, where careful triple-needle stitching is applied to the flat collar. This is a stylish choice, but beware that it is designed to shrink after a first wash (1 in the chest and 2 in the length), so consider sizing up. $76 (2-pack) at 3Sixteen.com You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Email Newsletters Get the best of The Aspen Daily News in your inbox. Our newsletters are free, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Artists work on their pieces of artworks at a marketplace in Okahandja, Namibia, on Sept. 20, 2022. Namibian artists are maximizing wood carving tradition to preserve cultural heritage and access bigger markets from an open space along the main road in Okahandja, a town 70 km north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) WINDHOEK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Namibian artists are maximizing wood carving tradition to preserve cultural heritage and access bigger markets from an open space along the main road in Okahandja, a town 70 km north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The artists are inheritors of the time-honored wood carving craft in Kavango East and West regions in north-eastern Namibia, known as the country's native land of wood carving. The skills are carried on from one generation to another. Over the decades, artists progressively moved to other parts of the country to explore alternative markets, such as Okahandja. Banking on his skills, Hiipo Johannes is one of the artists from the Kavango East region now sculpting wooden products in the open space in Okahandja. Trading from the informal marketplace in the town has catapulted him into business. "My father taught me how to carve wood into useful products and decor items. I never dreamt of commercializing the wood carving business, but exposure here changed that. The art business is now my lifeline," said Johannes in his 40s. To date, he has created more than 5,000 products made out of wood from there. The carvings include wooden products such as plates, holders, cups, canoes, and even statues of wild animals. Products are sold to locals and overseas visitors. It is not easy being an artist, he said. "Though the passion for wood carving is inherent, at times, sales are hard to get by," Johannes said. To create a niche, the artists are strategic in their approach. They accord clients a chance to observe first-hand how the products are made. "This is done for clients to fully immerse in the culture and appreciate the products they buy. Such items carry sentimental value to them," said Jack Moyo, another artist at the art marketplace, Tuesday. The artists also employ small electric-powered machines to improve primitive woodcarving techniques by hand. In addition, environmental preservation is central to wood carving. They source wood from local trees categorized as a weed by the local municipality. "Not only is it cost-effective and reduces transporting of raw material, but that way, we contribute to environmental sustainability and ecosystem," Moyo said. Meanwhile, the artists established a cooperative body that facilitates marketing and division of labor. Proceeds are shared proportionally. "Some members sculpt the wood into art, and others market and sell the products. That way, we tap on the diverse skills to establish an effective supply chain, especially after a sluggish performance due to the COVID-19 outbreak," Moyo said. This business model has enabled more than 50 artists operating from the open space to generate income and support their livelihood. "Wood carving from here has transformed my life, which I would not have been able to if I remained in the village. I have been able to put my children through school and now, eke out a living," Johannes said. They also hope to leverage social media platforms to boost business activities. "As more tourists return after the full opening of the economy, social media will market us to reach more international clientele. We aspire to serve as a one-stop hub for handmade artwork, showcasing Namibian rich culture through art," Moyo said. The southwestern African nation celebrates the annual Namibian Heritage Week from Sept. 19 to 25. An artist works on a piece of artwork at a marketplace in Okahandja, Namibia, on Sept. 20, 2022. Namibian artists are maximizing wood carving tradition to preserve cultural heritage and access bigger markets from an open space along the main road in Okahandja, a town 70 km north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) An artist arranges artworks at a marketplace in Okahandja, Namibia, on Sept. 20, 2022. Namibian artists are maximizing wood carving tradition to preserve cultural heritage and access bigger markets from an open space along the main road in Okahandja, a town 70 km north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) Share This: Seven Midwest states entered a coalition to pursue clean hydrogen development as an alternative to gas and diesel fuel. The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin signed onto the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition. The coalition will accelerate clean hydrogen development, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and other industries. The development of clean hydrogen markets will create jobs and strengthen industries across our state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. I am proud to join a coalition that will work to expand the clean energy economy and reduce climate impacts on future generations across Minnesota and the U.S. The memorandum of understanding says the seven states have advantages in the production, transportation and end-use of hydrogen. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the U.S. Department of Energy $8 billion for clean hydrogen hubs. The M-H2 Coalition will evaluate possibly pursuing a Hydrogen Hub application. Applications are expected to open in the fall of this year. The M-H2 Coalition will develop partnerships with commercial, university, research and nonprofit organizations to a market for clean hydrogen. Hydrogen is colorless and odorless gas. Hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy, nuclear, natural gas and coal and oil, but most hydrogen is produced nationwide via natural gas, according to the DOE. When hydrogen is used in a fuel cell, the only byproduct created is water. We dont have to choose between clean energy and clean air and... Qantas, the Australian flagship airline, has been teasing Project Sunrise since 2019, aiming to launch nonstop flights from Sydney to New York and London. After several roadblocks, its set to finally launch them by 2025. Until then, it looks like New Zealands flagship carrier, Air New Zealand , made it first to the finish line.The carrier completed its maiden voyage on the New York-Auckland route. The first flight from Auckland to New York arrived on Saturday, and the New York-Auckland flight arrived on Monday morning (or Sunday afternoon, New York time) after 16 hours and 36 minutes in the air.This isnt the worlds longest flight (still claimed by Singapore Airlines, covering almost 10,000 miles/16,093 km from Singapore to the JFK Airport in New York), but it occupies the honorable fourth place.Its a strategic milestone for New Zealand, meant to expand the countrys tourism significantly. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern was also supposed to be on this historic nonstop flight to New York but had to cancel in order to attend the Royal funeral in UK, The Points Guy reports.This new thrice-weekly service will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with a special premium configuration, boasting more business-class seats and premium economy recliners compared to the other Dreamliners operated by Air New Zealand.A few months ago, the carrier revealed a new luxury cabin concept, featuring innovative sleeping pods, special lighting, a configuration that allows more privacy, and even meditative media content all with the purpose of making the ultra-long flights of the future as comfortable as possible. At the moment, the military branch in engaged in a two-front operation to streamline the tanker fleet. On one hand, it plans to reduce the number of flying gas stations to about 450 (and that'll still be a huge number). On another, its looking for replacements for the aging KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus.Until now, we only knew of one other plane being in the works for this task, the Lockheed Martin - Airbus LMXT . But as of this week, a new player is at the table, the so-called Agile Tanker being put together by Embraer with the help of L3Harris Based on the Embraer KC-390 Millennium, the Agile Tanker should take advantage of several improvements, including important ones made to the boom and mission systems. The exact scope of the modifications, as well as a potential date for when they should be fully implemented were not announced, but were promised the plane will become a serious competitor for the USAFs attention and money.The KC-390 Millennium is itself a modified variant of the C-390 Millennium transport aircraft, which has been in testing ever since 2015. The plane is powered by a pair of turbofan engines that give it a top speed of 988 kph (614 mph). The cargo variant can carry up to 26 metric tons of cargo at heights of up to 36,000 feet (11,000 meters) and for distances of up to 1,690 miles (2,720 km).Like most other machines of this kind, the plane can also be used for medical evacuation, search and rescue, humanitarian relief, and firefighting. The modifications for aerial tanker duties should take place at the L3Harris Waco, Texas, aircraft modification center. kWh EV One of the UKs charging providers decided to establish a flat rate of 1 ($1.14) per. This means the price wont change, regardless of usage. Customers who pick slower AC charging will pay the same. Therell be no differentiation.This hike has been made official by Osprey Charging Network which has CCS, CHAdeMO, and Type 2 chargers scattered across the UK. Covering most of England, Wales, and only some parts of Scotland, this company doesnt require any membership, doesnt apply surprise fees, and does not require minimum spending.In July, this company was charging 0.66 ($0.75) per kWh, while in August 2021, the price was 0.40 ($0.46) per kWh. Before August 2021, Osprey had a flat rate of 0.36 ($0.41) per kWh. The price of charging anwith this provider almost tripled in a little over a year.Tesla made almost the same decision. The automaker sent emails to owners that use Superchargers and notified them about an adjustment. But unlike Osprey, Supercharging rates across various European countries have risen by about 10% to 25%. France has the cheapest rates thanks to its nationalized energy companies and investments in nuclear power plants.Moreover, Tesla has different prices for EV owners that have a membership or drive a vehicle made by another manufacturer. Thats why the most expensive Supercharging is done in Belgium, where membership holders currently pay 0.74 ($0.74) per kWh and others have to deal with a rate of 0.89 ($0.89) per kWh. In the U.S., Teslas stalls now generally have a fee of around 0.29 ($0.29) per kWh at night and 0.58 ($0.58) per kWh during the day.Lastly, another important European EV charging provider is Ionity . Their rates for customers who do not have a contract with a manufacturer or are not signed up for membership have changed as well and are kind of similar to what Tesla charges almost everyone will pay 0.79 ($0.79) per kWh. Excepting France, of course! They pay 0.69 ($0.69) per kWh. The main difference is that Ionity charges customers that dont use fast charging options less 0.49 ($0.49) per kWh. EV To experience an EV is to love an EV. Im excited to share @GM and @Hertz are driving a major #EV expansion, in which Hertz plans to order up to 175,000 GM EVs, which could support customers traveling more than 8 billion EV miles. https://t.co/GGsZif6Jkd pic.twitter.com/9VbxYpbxtP Mary Barra (@mtbarra) September 20, 2022 GM CEO Mary Barra confirmed Tuesday on Twitter that Hertz will buy up to 175,000 EVs from various brands that are under the companys corporate umbrella. The acquisition plan extends over a five-year period in which Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, and BrightDrop models will join the car rental companys fleet.Surprising almost everyone, the deal begins this year, and it will end in 2027. Both companies argue this is the largest expansion of EVs among fleet customers and the broadest because it spans a wide range of vehicle categories and price points.Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr said hes excited about the collaboration with General Motors and argued both entities are iconic American companies that have shaped the evolution of transportation for more than a century. Mary Barra , on the other hand, said this deal is a step forward for emissions reduction and EV adoption. Shes also confident that the renting experience will help Americans understand that GMs products are better than the competition and hopes this will attract more buyers.The first GM deliveries will include Chevrolet Boltand Bolt EUV models. This is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. But Hertz is expected to add a lot of interesting vehicles from GMs portfolio, including electric SUVs.Hertz is planning on making 25% of its fleet completely electric and aims to provide customers with ways in which their mobility wont contribute to the growth of the individual carbon footprint.General Motors aims to reach an EV production capacity of around one million units per year by 2025. This will be made possible mostly thanks to the plants in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan. The custom Honda is called La Poderosa, which is Spanish for powerful. We have no idea why Spanish was chosen to name a Japanese motorcycle re-made over in Canada, but hey, who are we to judge, especially when the name fits.The bike was put together over in Ontario by a crew called Augment Motorworks. You might know the name, as its been recently linked to the triad of factory-backed, custom BMW R 18s presented by the Bavarians back in April, or from the recent coverage we did on another Augment build, the Panster Back to the Honda, this example of the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) is so different from stock that its hardly recognizable.Well start with the least obvious changes made, and they include the complete rebuild of the engine (which now uses a Dynatek ignition system and a new Cyclexchange exhaust), front fork and braking hardware. This work is complemented by the fitting of progressive suspension, and a new front end cannibalized from a 1975 Honda GL1000.Its the front end that impresses these eyes the most, thanks to the cockpit-like fairing and plastic, curved windscreen that seem to flow into the fuel tank, and from there right into the custom and simply beautiful seat.Sporting a two-tone black cherry paint scheme, the Japanese wonder on two wheels is at the time of writing listed on top of the shops project list, meaning, most likely, its Augment's most recent build. We have no info, sadly, on how much it cost to put together. BEV VDC kWh kW On July 18th, during a pre-delivery inspection, a Nikola employee discovered a Tre BEV with the shoulder anchorage on the passenger side seatbelt disconnected from the B-pillar adjuster. The issue was immediately reported to Iveco, the Italian automaker that manufactures the cab and sources the seatbelts from an Italian company by the name of MCF Safety.Indeed, the Nikola Treand Iveco S-Way cabins are very similar. From August to September, the Italian partner informed Nikola that the final torque on the passenger seatbelt shoulder anchorage was not installed to specification. Iveco further notes that its highly susceptible to cross threading and that the condition may exist on other Nikola Tre BEV units.The Vehicle Defects Committee launched a field investigation to verify torque, determining that an improvement can be made to the original design. More specifically, the seatbelt shoulder anchorage could be improved by reducing the size of the spacer between the bolt and adjuster. Thethen decided to issue a recall encompassing 93 examples of the breed, all-electric workhorses produced between November 5th, 2021 and June 30th, 2022.Nikola isnt aware of any warranty claims or complaints related to the described condition. The remedy component is narrower than the recalled component, allowing for complete thread engagement of the assembly. The planned owner notification dates range from October 1st to November 1st.Eligible for incentives in California and New York, the Tre BEV is a Class 8 truck designed for metro-regional applications. The 753-battery pack is good for up to 350 miles (563 kilometers) of driving range. It can be charged from 10 to 80 percent at 240in approximately two hours. Capable of up to 75 mph (120 kph) and 645 ponies, the Nikola Tre BEV flaunts a gross combined weight rating of 82,000 pounds (37,195 kilograms). Russia has been working on domestically-produced airliners and aircraft engines for a long time in an effort to diminish its dependency upon foreign manufacturers and suppliers. The drastic international sanctions imposed as a result of the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year left Russia with no option but to bring these airliners to the forefront, even if they might not be up to par just yet, or ever. 6 photos ABS MV Agusta created the F3 800 Ago as an homage to the legendary Giacomo Agostini, producing a mere 300 units for the 2015 model year. This particular specimen comes with a mere six miles (9.7 km) on the clock, and the condition its in appears to be irreproachably pristine from every angle!Within the confines of its trellis frame and fairings, the Italian stunner hosts a fuel-injected 798cc inline-three power source, which is mated to a slipper clutch and a six-speed cassette transmission. Featuring dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and a massive compression ratio of 13.3:1, this liquid-cooled beast can unleash as much as 148 hp at 13,000 rpm.Lower down the rev range, its crank-measured torque output digits will plateau at a healthy 65 pound-feet (88 Nm). When all this power makes contact with the asphalt, it gives Agusta s warrior the ability to hit a top speed of 167 mph (269 kph).To make its grunt a little more manageable for mere mortals, the F3 brings about a ton of electronic aids such as Bosch 9 Plus, traction control, and rear wheel lift-up mitigation. As one might expect from an exotic MV produced less than a decade ago, a premium quickshifter enables clutchless transitions while ascending through the gearbox.At the front, stopping power comes from 320 mm (12.6-inch) floating discs and four-piston radial Brembo calipers. On the other hand, the bikes rear OZ Racing hoop is brought to a halt thanks to a single 220 mm (8.7-inch) brake rotor and a two-piston caliper.Finally, suspension is taken care of by upside-down 43 mm (1.7-inch) Marzocchi forks and a piggyback monoshock from Sachs. The F3 800 Ago pictured in these photos is now heading to auction on Bring a Trailer , where youll find it listed until tomorrow afternoon (September 21). Currently, one would need twelve grand to best the top bid, though its rather unlikely for this sum to meet the reserve. MANILA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines reported 1,600 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,925,326. The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases dropped to 27,257, while 33 patients died from COVID-19 complications, taking the death toll to 62,587. Metro Manila, the capital region with over 13 million people, recorded 743 new cases. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said infections in Metro Manila continued to rise, adding that COVID-19 infections in the rest of the Luzon island and Mindanao region in the southern Philippines show signs of "plateauing," while the Visayas region in the central Philippines "maintain a slow downward trend." Vergeire said that severe and critical admissions and those patients needing intensive care in Metro Manila hospitals continued a "slow uptrend." She attributed the rise in daily new infections to people's mobility following the opening of face-to-face classes and businesses. The Philippines reported its highest COVID-19 single-day tally of 39,004 new cases on Jan. 15. The country, with a population of around 110 million, has fully vaccinated over 72.9 million people. Its almost impossible for us to imagine the hurdles that ancient mariners faced when sailing their wooden ships. Not only was there no technology available, but the sails back then were fixed, so they couldnt be set at different angles. This left vessels highly vulnerable in front of the powerful winds that made the Mediterranean particularly difficult to cross during the summer.A researcher from the University of Haifa, Israel, wanted to study the mystery of how mariners in those times managed to get their sailing ships loaded with cargo from the East back to Rome. This meant carrying out a challenging windward journey, he told Stars and Stripes. For his research, David Gal, a PhD candidate who had previously served as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force for 20 years, needed to study the weather and needed a vessel similar to the ancient ones. This complex project took years, but the results were finally published this summer in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.It all started with the discovery of a shipwreck off the coast of Israel, back in 1985. The Maagan Mikhael ship was dated to 400 BC, which makes it more than 2,400 years old. It took several years for the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa to excavate it.Luckily, a pretty big part of the hull, made from a species of Pine (Pinus brutia) native to the eastern Mediterranean region, survived. The reassembled shipwreck was then exhibited at the Hecht Museum, at the University of Haifa.But it was also used to build a full-scale replica. The latest technology, including computer-aided design and model building, was used to recreate a vessel that was thousands of years old. This is how the Maagan Mikhael II was born, in March 2017.It was 16.6 meters (54.4 feet) long, with a single mast carrying a single square sail. After the Ministry of Transport deemed it seaworthy, it set off on a maiden voyage in Haifa Bay.One year later, after several other trips that served as practice, the Maagan Mikhael II replica ship embarked on a trip to Cyprus, during November. This was part of the research project studying how the ancient mariners were able to return from what was known back then as the Levant to Cyprus and Greece.The crossing took 74 hours, during which the crew had to face winds of up to 25 knots (28.7 mph/46 kph) while the ships maximum speed was 4.9 knots (5.6 mph/9 kph).The greatest success was in replicating the conditions of the practical sailing and navigation of an ancient ship, according to the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and Department of Maritime Civilizations. This was the first project of its kind in Israel and one of the few worldwide.Back to David Gal, he discovered that ancient sailors had to learn when brief reverses in wind patterns were coming and used those short windows to sail back to Rome. Plus, the extensive data, which he collected and compared led him to conclude that wind patterns and those particular breeze cycles have stayed basically the same over thousands of years, unchanged to this day.While the highly-advanced technology of our times is making things much easier for modern navigation, Gal confirms that It took tremendous expertise to do what they did back then. EV Been chatting with some folks on TMC about a penetrative maintenance process for older Model S battery packs (pre ~04/2015). With more data on this than anyone outside of Tesla, 057's developed an inspection process for checking these vehicles for known issues, and are also ... Jason Hughes (@wk057) September 19, 2022 Hughes is the owner of 057 Technology, a shop that repairs Tesla vehicles. Over the years, he became a valuable information source about everything involving themaker. This is why he is also known as Tesla Hacker.In a TMC post , Hughes shared that he is wondering about preventative and affordable measures for the vehicles affected by these two moisture-ingress problems. The AC drain hose with the rusted steel fuse box is just one of the worries. The other one relates to deteriorated side rail vents. According to Hughes, they were supposed to be sealed one-way vents for safety purposes.The Tesla Hacker said that the issues affect Model S units from day 1 builds up to about Q4 2014 and some even Q1 2015. If the Tesla Hacker is aware of the problem, the EV maker most certainly knows about it for years. Regarding more recent Model S units that also present these failures, Hughes said that any cars that have had Tesla-refurbished packs installed will also face them.Hughes is wondering about a scheduled service that will retrofit some custom-made parts in these older battery packs to prevent water from getting inside the battery pack. 057 Technology will also test the battery packs for moisture ingress and use custom equipment to remove any signs of water inside the components. The issue is that it may not be enough.According to the Tesla Hacker, the ultrasonic welds Tesla uses on the sense connections are pretty sensitive to moisture and can fail unexpectedly even after we remove internal moisture and correct the underlying ingress issues. In these cases, removing the water only works for a certain amount of moisture. Above that limit, that failure is pretty much imminent, even if it can be delayed.For battery packs that exceed that moisture limit, Hughes may offer a full rebuild of the battery pack. Predictably, it should be a longer process and a bit more expensive, but certainly not as costly as replacing the battery pack for more than $20,000, as Zelaya heard from his Tesla Service Center . In this rebuild, 057 Technology would then inspect and test all of the 100+ sense connections within the battery, update other components as needed (contactors, fuse, etc.), and basically do a full refurbishment on the battery pack.Curiously, Hughes said he doesnt think Tesla is under any obligation to do anything about this. The Tesla Hacker also does not believe the EV maker did anything wrong or that it should take measures to fix these battery packs. That depends on whether the battery packs are still under warranty or not.In Zelayas case, the warranty for his 2013 Model S expired on June 19, 2020, eight years after he bought the EV. He argued that Tesla could have detected the water invasion much earlier if it had properly inspected the battery packs. Hughes said Tesla started fixing the issue in early 2019 with a software change. In other words, before Zelayas Model S battery pack warranty expired.What Hughes thinks that Tesla failed to do was that it doesnt seem to always correct the underlying issue on their refurbished batteries that they sell to customers. This would be why newer vehicles present the same moisture-ingress issues as older Model S units.In Zelayas case, Transport Canada seems to have dismissed the need for a recall because his case could be isolated. Hughes confirmed it isnt. In fact, he stated that 057 currently has over twenty customer vehicles in the shop (...), all of them with essentially the same battery issue, and he wants to offer his preventative measures to a huge percentage of early (Model) S vehicles being affected by this problem.This is another example of something extensive testing would have pointed out before the Model S was put for sale. Philippe Chain asked Elon Musk to do that with the electric sedan for 1 million miles in a six-month long-term durability evaluation before the EV was introduced in June 2012. Musk said he could do it but that the launch date would not be postponed. Any issues would be repaired with recalls and over-the-air (OTA) updates . Ask the Model S owners with these moisture-ingress issues which one they think will fix their cars. DOHC The iconic DB4 foreshadowed a new era for Aston Martin and was the first production car able to go from 0 to 100 mph to 0 in under 30 seconds, reaching the 100 mph mark in 21 seconds.Considering only 70 DB4 Convertibles were made during a three-year production window, and only 10 of them featured a left-hand-drive configuration, its a rare occasion to see one coming up for sale. Bonhams will present an exquisite left-hand-drive 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Convertible at its upcoming Zoute Sale in Belgium on October 9.The vehicle in question comes with chassis No. DB4C/1069/L and is a matching-numbers example that still preserves its original engine, overdrive gearbox, and roof.Manufactured as a left-hand-drive example, the car features Tourings Superleggera body with lightweight alloy panels fixed to a delicate framework of steel tubes welded to a platform chassis.Normally, the DB4 Coupe comes with the twin-cam straight-six engine built by Tadek Marek, a 3.7-literpower plant with twin SU carburetors capable of delivering 240 hp. This engine was an Aston Martin signature for more than a decade and, with increased displacement and improvements, was deployed in the manufacturers vehicles up to the final 1971 DB6 Mark II.Chassis No. DB4C/1069/L, though, had its engine upgraded to the higher-output Vantage specification, so it is capable of 270 ps (266 hp) and 346 Nm (255 lb-ft) of torque.As if this DB4 Cabriolet example werent rare enough already, it wears its original Dubonnet Rosso color scheme on the exterior, complemented by a leather interior in Fawn, rolls on Borrani wire wheels, and still has its original removable roof.According to the listing, this DB4 unit was initially purchased by Robert Salant of Long Island, N.Y. in July 1962 and was delivered with some non-standard equipment, including overdrive, drivers side wing mirror, chrome wheels, block letter initials to the doors, and a GB plate.The classic car has had several other owners through the years and has traveled to Chicago, Illinois, and Luxembourg. A major service was carried out by Aston Martin specialists Noble House in the Netherlands, and new brakes, tires, and fuel tank were fitted.If you like what you see here, maybe its time to arrange a meeting with your accountant, as this Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Convertible is expected to fetch between $1.2 million and $1.4 million when it goes under the hammer. EV The company is already making an effort to add more electric vehicles to its fleet via its Comfort Electric option, which is now available in 15 additional U.S. cities, bringing the total to 25 cities/states in North America, reports CBS News However, the ultimate goal is to have a fully electric fleet, which means finally giving internal combustion engine cars the kiss of death.We have a target to be fully electric in the U.S., Canada and Europe, explained the CEO.When asked whether a driver who has a gas-powered car will be allowed on the platform in this not-too-distant future, Khosrowshahi clearly stated: No, if were doing our job, were gonna be all-electric.According to the EPA, transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and EVs are expected to help with this issue. Unfortunately, battery electric models dont come cheap (they cost an average of $60,000) - although Uber plans to spend $800 million to help offset the cost for its drivers.The company will also pay drivers a dollar for everytrip they make, while also providing discounts on charging. Just recently, Uber teamed up with Hertz in a bid to give drivers the option of renting Teslas on a weekly or monthly basis.One Uber driver , Mallissa Gilgen, has been renting a red Tesla since March of this year and shes been making $200 more per week because of it.I dont know about you but $200 a week adds up you know? For me and my family, that is like a weeks worth of groceries right there.She also said that fewer people have been cancelling their trips once they see theyre getting picked up in a Tesla, and then leave larger tips. Few luxury yachts out there are such a fascinating mix of culture and modern luxury. The Dunia Baru was literally built in the jungle. It was a massive, challenging project for Mark Robba, who decided to build this instead of a house in Bali.At the time, he had been living in Indonesia for a long time. The vessel would end up costing six times more than the original estimate, but it was worth it. The 167-foot (51 meters) Dunia Baru is a luxury wooden ship inspired by Indonesian phinisis.Phinisis are two-mast ships that carried expensive goods during the 17th century. They are part of the Indonesian sailing heritage, recognized by UNESCO as such. The Dunia Baru claims to be the first and only BKI-Classed wooden vessel operating in Indonesian waters, a confirmation of its high safety standards. Built by local carpenters on a site near the jungle of Sulawesi, this masterpiece with black sails is handcrafted from traditional Ulin Ironwood and some teak.Jing-Yi Wee told Boat International that she ended up buying Dunia Baru straight from Robba after initially wanting to build something similar. It turned out that it was almost impossible to do that, so the only option was to buy the original boat. The interior styling was redone, using the most sophisticated materials and authentic local artwork.Such a unique boat had to be shared, so the new young owner continued to offer it for charter. A week onboard costs around $120,000, according to Y.CO , and this traditional ship is also surprisingly family-friendly. Theres plenty of space on board for kids to play safely, and convertible seating was added on the deck, turning it into a huge daybed, perfect for lounging.Dunia Baru can welcome 14 guests in seven cabins, including a gorgeous master suite with a private office. It cruises comfortably at only eight knots (9 mph/14.8 kph), inviting guests to fully enjoy the unique Indonesian experience. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. While describing Armenia as a close friend and strategic ally of Russia, Putin again stopped short of voicing support for Yerevan in the face of what it sees as Azerbaijani military aggression. Let me emphasize that any conflict situations between states close to us cause us serious concern, he said after accepting the credentials of recently appointed ambassadors of 24 nations, including Armenia, at a ceremony held in the Kremlin. We call on everyone to show restraint, strictly adhere to the ceasefire, and firmly follow the tripartite statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, he added in a speech. Putin portrayed the border clashes, which left at least 280 Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers dead, as a territorial dispute. He said Baku and Yerevan should resolve it by demarcating their long frontier with advisory assistance from Russia. The Armenian government says that Baku resorted to military action in a bid to force it to fully accept the Azerbaijani terms of a bilateral peace treaty and open an exterritorial corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave. The Azerbaijani side denies this and blames the Armenians for the dramatic escalation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians government appealed to Russia for urgent military intervention just hours after the outbreak of the fighting on the night from September 12-13. It asked Moscow to put into action relevant articles of a Russian-Armenian treaty on mutual defense. The apparent lack of such assistance has prompted criticism from Armenian leaders in recent days. They have been even more critical of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Putin and the presidents of other CSTO member states discussed a separate Armenian request for aid at an emergency video summit chaired by Pashinian late on September 13. They refrained from openly siding with Yerevan and decided instead to send a fact-finding mission to Armenia. Putin pointed on Tuesday to the dispatch of the mission. I note that measures are being taken through this organization [CSTO] in connection with the aggravation of the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area, he said. Blinken tweeted after the positive meeting that they discussed, among other issues, U.S. efforts to mediate conflict in the South Caucasus. He gave no details of that discussion. According to U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, Blinken told Cavusoglu that the United States continues to engage to facilitate dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and help achieve a long-term political settlement to the conflict. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Cavusoglu praised Blinken for hosting talks between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in New York on Monday. The talks came one week after the outbreak of fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border which left at least 280 soldiers from both sides dead. No concrete agreements were announced as a result of them. Armenia says that Azerbaijani forces attacked various sections of the border as part of Bakus efforts to clinch far-reaching concessions from Yerevan. Azerbaijan as well as Turkey, its main ally, blame the Armenian side for the worst violence in the conflict zone since the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. They both denounced on Monday U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi for accusing Baku of military aggression against Armenia. Pelosi condemned the illegal and deadly attacks on the Armenian territory during a weekend visit to Yerevan. Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said the White House must clarify whether her statements reflect the official U.S. policy on the conflict. In a September 13 phone call, Blinken urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to cease hostilities and voiced serious concern over reported strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Decades after declaring cheetahs extinct from their Indian habitat, the Indian government last week formally reintroduced them from Namibia to the country for the first time. The aim is to revive their lost population and provide them suitable environment in India again. Last week, eight cheetahs, five females and three males, were flown all the way from Windhoek in Namibia to the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in a customized cargo plane. Upon their arrival at the state's Gwalior airport, they were flown in a helicopter to Kuno National Park, their new home. The felines were accompanied by biologists, wildlife experts and veterinarians during their transcontinental journey. While the project appears quite challenging, the mission to revive the extinct species of cheetahs in India seems exciting at the same time. The cheetahs were welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who released them to Kuno National Park from the enclosures. Each cheetah is fitted with a satellite radio collar to monitor its location, and a dedicated team of volunteers will monitor its movement. Prior to extinction from India in 1952, cheetahs used to share space with other big cats like lions and tigers in the forests. The Indian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) described the reintroduction of cheetahs into India as "historic", and stated their introduction would go a long way toward reviving open forest and grassland ecosystems in India. Cheetah is the world's fastest land animal, capable of running 113 km an hour. At present it is in 19 African countries and in Iran. Officials said additional 12 cheetahs are scheduled to come to India from South Africa this year to boost India's cheetah population. Parveen Kaswan, an Indian Forest Service officer, said the next 20 years will be challenging and exciting vis-a-vis the survival of cheetahs in India. According to Kaswan, not only cheetah but most of the charismatic animals were hunted in the old days by kings and the British. "Until the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was passed, it was very late. Cheetahs were already extinct from India," he said. Experts say conservation plans like reintroduction and rewilding are long-term projects. "To have definitive opinions on whether they are good or bad ideas are not possible for at least 15 years. This is the average amount of time it takes for a species to adapt, rewild, breed and thrive well enough to become part of the new landscape to which they have been introduced," writes Swati Thiyagarajan, conservation journalist on the reintroduction of cheetahs in India. "Experts on both sides, Indian and African, are involved in this reintroduction and the animals will be very closely monitored and every opportunity will be made possible for the success of the programme, but ultimately it comes down to the animals themselves." Kuno National Park is a sprawling sanctuary spread over a 289-square-mile area. It has grasslands mixed in with forest cover and hilly terrain. The prey available for the new cheetahs would be chitals, nilgai, sambar, wild pig, chinkara and others. The symposium, which takes place at 4 p.m. in Gasson 100, will launch a yearlong exploration of the vital relationship between journalism and democracy, the challenges these institutions face, and what might be a hopeful path forward for both. Even as weve slowly emerged from the pandemic, another crisis has become evident: that the United States is fighting to preserve its democracy, said Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence, director of the Clough Center. COVID helped reveal the stagnant inequalities, growing polarization, backsliding democratic institutions, and retreating federal government that weigh heavily on American political life today. Nor is this phenomenon limited to the U.S.: The German, French, and Italian governments are facing threats from the far right; Tunisias new president has snuffed out the lone parliamentary democracy in the Arab world; and Russia has invaded and occupied the fledgling democracy of Ukraine. While these and other crises have complex and multifaceted origins, a common culprit is the threat to credible sources of news and information. Democratic societies depend on the press to hold the powerful to account, keep their citizens informed, and keep the processes of democratic communication and deliberation alive. At this symposium and throughout the academic year, the Clough Center will celebrate the democratic press, which helps keep our system runningbut also inquire how best to improve it. Schudson, a faculty member at the Columbia Journalism School, will present the opening keynote, What Values Guideor Should Guidethe Practice of Journalism in a Democracy?; Associate Professor of English Angela Ards, who directs BCs interdisciplinary minor in journalism, will serve as discussant and moderator for an audience Q&A. Next will be a roundtable discussion, What Can Journalism Do for Democracy? with Boston Globe associate editor and columnist Renee Graham; Piotr Smolar, Washington, D.C.-based international correspondent for Le Monde; and Charles Sennott, founder, CEO, and editor of The GroundTruth Project and creator of its local reporting initiative. WBUR Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing, a former Boston College School of Social Work faculty member, will be the moderator. Acostas address will close the symposium, followed by an audience Q&A moderated by Associate Professor of Communication Michael Serazio. For symposium information and registration, and to learn about other events, visit the Clough Center website. University Communications | September 2022 SUVA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Mental health stigma is deeply rooted and has become a major concern amongst the youths in Fiji, said mental health and disability advocate Rosie Catherine on Tuesday. During the Youth Mental Health Forum 2022, Catherine said some of the contributing factors of mental health issues are due to financial problems, depression, stress, gender based violence and trauma, according to reports by the Fijivillage news website on Tuesday. She said there are some youths and students who do not speak about their problems and issues as they feel shy or scared of being judged. Therefore, to overcome and deal with these issues, there are university policies on students' well-being and creative safe spaces where students can express themselves through art, music and talk sessions to de-stress themselves. Catherine said it is important that students do not give up hope and should always reach out to someone for help or seek a counsellor when feeling down. President of the Fiji National University (FNU) Students Association Ketan Lal said FNU has a child protection policy, bully and harassment policy, counsellors and peer mentors in place for students who need counselling and support. Lal said some of the mental health issues are due to education pressure, exam stress, workload pressure and relationship problems. He said that more outreach and awareness programs are needed to further address such issues, and students need to be open-minded to get assisted and supported. Kuala Lumpur plans to press ASEAN into deciding the fate of its five-point consensus on Myanmar before the regional blocs summit in November, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Monday in New York on the eve of high-level proceedings at the U.N. General Assembly. By November the bloc will need to decide whether the consensus its leaders had agreed on with Myanmar in April 2021 should be junked, said Malaysias outspoken top diplomat, who has consistently taken the lead on post-coup Myanmar issues at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Saifuddin spoke to reporters as part of a panel after he met with Burmese opposition members in New York. Mondays meeting took place amid reports that the junta forces had fired on a village school in Myanmars Sagaing region, killing at least seven children, in what appeared to be the deadliest incident involving children since last years military coup. Saifuddin questioned the validity of the consensus. Between now and November ASEAN must seriously review if the 5-point consensus is still relevant and decide if it is still relevant. By the time we meet in November, we must ask hard questions and have an answer, Saifuddin said as he addressed reporters afterwards at Malaysias diplomatic mission to the United Nations. If it is not working we have to decide whats next. We cannot go in November and then start talking about it. We have to do the groundwork now. The Myanmar military meanwhile has blithely ignored the five-point consensus it agreed to with ASEAN last year, one of the main points of which was an end to violence. Its forces have also killed more nearly 2,300 people since the generals seized power by toppling an elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. In July, Saifuddin had raised the prospect of scrapping the consensus to resolve Myanmars post-coup crisis, after the Burmese junta made a mockery of it by executing four political prisoners. The consensus had called for an end to violence; constructive dialogue among all parties; the mediation of such talks by a special ASEAN envoy; the provision of ASEAN-coordinated humanitarian assistance and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation to meet with all parties. Activists and analysts have lambasted the Southeast Asian bloc for the failed five-point plan to restore democracy to Myanmar, because the junta and its leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, have ignored every point they agreed to 17 months ago at an emergency ASEAN summit in Jakarta. On Monday, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights called the five-point consensus an unmitigated failure. We have to develop a new model, the way forward is the NUG should be a part of this, said APHR Chairperson and Malaysian MP Charles Santiago, who attended the press briefing with Saifuddin. The NUG has no role to play in the existing model, but now the NUG should be part of the rebuilding of Myanmar, Santiago added. The NUG, or the National Unity Government, is the parallel civilian government of Myanmar. On Monday, Saifuddin also expressed his disappointment with the extent of ASEANs dialogue with the Myanmar opposition, namely the NUG and the NUCC, a body of opposition stakeholders. Malaysia is not satisfied with the engagement [of ASEAN with the NUG and NUCC] because we have made this call months ago that ASEAN should engage with the NUG and NUCC, he said. There must be consultation between ASEAN and stakeholders, with a clear endgame and the endgame is return to democracy in Myanmar. Malaysia was the first ASEAN member to officially contact Myanmars shadow, civilian government. Saifuddin said the NUG in recent months had worked to bring together all the ethnic communities of Myanmar. In the past few months, the NUG has done a wonderful job of confidence building in all stakeholders. We have probably not seen such unity among all stakeholders ever, he said. ASEAN must engage with the NUG, and this is something we will again bring up on the 22nd, he said. ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to meet informally Sept. 22 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. U.S. security deals in the northern Pacific are up for renewal in the next two years. Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama (left), Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum (center), and David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, take selfies at the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, July 14, 2022. Updated at 9:02 p.m. ET on 2022-09-20 The outcome of U.S. funding negotiations with three remote Pacific nations will be an important signal of Washingtons commitment to the region as China presses its campaign for greater influence with Pacific Island states, a new report says. The Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau are independent countries that have ceded their defense and security to Washington in exchange for economic assistance, access for their citizens to some U.S. federal programs and the right to live and work in the United States. Home to about 200,000 people, the islands are spread across a vast area of ocean in the northern Pacific between the Philippines and Hawaii and are part of the U.S. militarys capacity to project power in the region and Asia. Their compacts with the United States are up for negotiation in the next two years. Washington is the mainstay ally of the three countries, sometimes known as the Freely Associated States (FAS), but the relationship cant be taken for granted, said the report by former diplomats and other experts for the United States Institute of Peace, a congressionally funded research institution. For U.S. treaty allies, especially those in East Asia, a deterioration in US-FAS ties could be seen as an indicator of a lack of U.S. commitment to the region, the report said. Island nations in the South Pacific also see the strength of the US-FAS relationship as a bellwether of Washingtons commitment to the Pacific Islands region as a whole. Chinas efforts to build influence in the Pacific have mainly focused on South Pacific island states. Earlier this year it signed a pact with the Solomon Islands, giving it the right to send security forces to the country to protect its interests there. An attempt by Beijing to get 10 Pacific nations to sign up to an economic and security pact was rebuffed by them in May. Chinas aid and infrastructure spending in the Pacific are likely aimed at further reducing Taiwans diplomatic space, gaining more supporters in international bodies such as the U.N. and establishing a military presence. The United States Institute of Peace report said China was poised to take advantage of any deterioration in the U.S. relationship with the three north Pacific countries, putting the onus on Washington to boost its support. A stalling of negotiations or outcomes that are considered unfair could also risk the fragmentation of the Federated States of Micronesia into smaller states and strain the Marshall Islands and Palau, providing an opportunity for China, the report said. Robust refunding could address economic grievances, which have propelled secessionist movements in the Federated States of Micronesia, it said. This story has been updated to correct the population figure for the three Pacific nations. Thai Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn delivers a speech at the Huawei Connect 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 19, 2022. The Huawei Connect 2022, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, is held here on Sept. 19-21. (Xinhua/Lin Hao) BANGKOK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Southeast Asian countries are looking at China's digital technology, as they are engaged in post-pandemic economic recovery and national digital transformation. During the Huawei Connect 2022 on Sept. 19-21, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, Thai Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said Thailand should turn to a knowledge- and innovation-intensive economic model that prioritizes digital transformation as a key driver of economic growth in the post-pandemic era. Among Southeast Asian countries, Thailand's digital transformation started early and achieved rapid development. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the penetration rate of major digital technology applications, such as mobile payment, e-commerce, cloud applications, has increased by more than 20 percent, according to Chaiwut. From the installation of 5G stations to smart hospitals and floating solar farms, Chinese technologies can be seen in many aspects of the country's digitalization journey. Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow thanked Huawei for its contribution in the country's transformation, especially with regard to 5G and cloud applications, and expressed his hope for comprehensive collaboration to achieve a better and greener Thailand. To better facilitate the digital development of the region, Huawei launched its latest "Go Cloud, Go Global" Plan at the 3-day event, aiming at expanding their partner network to deepen the company's position in areas such as 5G, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI). Thailand is aiming for the digital economy to account for 30 percent of its GDP by 2027. Other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, similarly raised the priority on digital transformation as part of the national development strategy. Indonesia has made digital transformation one of the key priorities of this year's G20 summit, and aims to achieve a more inclusive global economic recovery mainly through digitalization of SMEs and focus on building digital infrastructures, said Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs. Huawei addresses the regional requirement for digital infrastructure by operating data centers in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as by launching new data centers in Indonesia later this year. While the development of the digital industry offers opportunities to boost economic growth, it also creates an unprecedented demand for digital skills, especially among young people, according to Yang Mee Eng, executive director of the ASEAN Foundation. She mentioned the Seed for the Future Project, launched this year by the foundation in partnership with Huawei, which is meant to unlock local potential in the ICT sector by training and knowledge transfer. Huawei's Rotating Chairman Hu Houkun has committed to train an additional 500,000 ICT professionals in the next five years through the project and other company initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Visitors are seen at the Huawei Connect 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 19, 2022. The Huawei Connect 2022, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, is held here on Sept. 19-21. (Xinhua/Lin Hao) A staff member (1st L) introduces the exhibits to visitors at the Huawei Connect 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 20, 2022. The Huawei Connect 2022, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, is held here on Sept. 19-21. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Visitors are seen at the Huawei Connect 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 20, 2022. The Huawei Connect 2022, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, is held here on Sept. 19-21. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow delivers a speech at the Huawei Connect 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 19, 2022. The Huawei Connect 2022, an event gathering global ICT (Information and Communications Technology) industrialists, is held here on Sept. 19-21. (Xinhua/Lin Hao) BISHKEK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a protocol to resolve their armed conflict on the border, the press service of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security reported Tuesday. This is a result of negotiations and in pursuance of the previously reached agreements on a ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation, the report said. The latest development provided for a complete cessation of hostilities, a withdrawal of troops and military equipment to their places of permanent deployment, joint inspection of border outposts and commandants' offices, and the conducting of a thorough investigation of armed clashes on Sept. 14 and 16 this year, the report added. The protocol was signed by Chairman of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiev and his Tajik counterpart Saimumin Yatimov. The parties would continue to jointly work for a speedy restoration of peace and stability in the border area, the report added. 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. Republican governors have been sending more migrants released at the U.S. border with Mexico to Democratic strongholds, raising questions about their legal status, how they are lured on board buses and planes, and the cost to taxpayers Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. Rep. George Till of Jericho is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has served in the Vermont State Legislature since 2008. He is also an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UVM School of Medicine. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. Honey cake, a springy loaf called lekach in Yiddish and traditionally served at Rosh Hashana, is not my favorite holiday dessert. So I was thrilled when, in the 1990s, Charles Fenyvesi, a colleague of mine at The Washington Post, shared a tantalizing family recipe for a Hungarian honey cake with thin, biscuit-like gingerbread layers. Essentially, its an icebox cake with a gingerbread crust. Layered with a buttercream based on Cream of Wheat (yes, Cream of Wheat) and either apricot or sour cherry jam, it must sit to soften for a day. But the recipe didnt quite work as Id hoped. (The torte is more like a stack of thick graham crackers and the filling a runny soupy mess, read one comment on Epicurious, where it was published. I also included the recipe in one of my cookbooks.) Recently, I tried a better version of this cake, making it for Steven Fenves, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor whose family recipes had been preserved and translated. At age 13, Fenves was taken from his home in Hungarian-occupied Subotica, in what is now Serbia, and sent to Auschwitz, where he was separated from his family. As locals looted the Fenveses house, Maris, the family cook, grabbed a red-clothed book of handwritten recipes. Fenves mother and grandmother died at Auschwitz, and his father, so weakened by the experience in the camps, died shortly after they were released in 1945. The two children returned to Subotica, where Maris cared for them; she returned the slim handwritten cookbook 16 years later, when they had settled in Chicago with relatives. A year or so ago, Alon Shaya, the chef of Saba in New Orleans, shared the contents of the book with me. Among them was a minimalist recipe for mezeskalacs from Fenves grandmother: just a paragraph for the gingerbready dough with a few measurements in dekagrams and vague instructions describing thin layers of cake. Cakes with thin layers, called flodni in Hungarian or fluden in Yiddish, have long been trademarks of Hungarian and Hungarian Jewish baking. Andras Koerner, author of Jewish Cuisine in Hungary, suggests that they were invented in the second half of the 19th century, an evolution of a medieval filled pastry. The Cream of Wheat filling a far more recent addition is meant to mimic a European gruel called griess, made with semolina or any hard wheat flour. Last spring, when Shaya was looking for a space to prepare some of Fenves dishes for supporters of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, I agreed to hold the event at my home. For two days, Shayas chefs took over my kitchen, preparing beef and vegetable goulash with noodles, crisp semolina sticks, sweet-and-sour cabbage, walnut cream cake, recipes reconstructed from a familys distant past. As the almost 100 guests, including Fenves and his family, tasted the dishes at a buffet in my dining room, I waited for the right moment to present him with a version of his grandmothers cake, which I layered with jam and cream fillings. Bringing out a slice, I watched as Fenves lifted his fork and tasted. He took another bite. A faint glimmer of memory took hold in his eyes. All of a sudden, I remembered our dinner table, he told me later. Of my sister quibbling about something, my father who was a newspaper publisher coming straight out of his office and telling us about world events, even at my very young age. As Fenves dipped his fork into the rich cake again and again, he asked politely if he could take the rest of the cake home. HUNGARIAN HONEY CAKE This Hungarian honey cake is deeply flavored with ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. The dough is more like a gingerbread biscuit than a tender sponge cake; it softens as it sits. Its best made at least a day in advance, resting until the icebox-like crust absorbs its sweet surrounding layers of filling. The buttery, vanilla-scented filling is so pleasant to the tongue but so rich you may want to cut small cake slices. Hungarian honey cake was popular before the Holocaust, but sadly this version was largely lost with the cooks in concentration camps. Its been adapted in the United States by survivors and other family members using Cream of Wheat filling, which resembles the European gruel made with semolina or hard wheat flour, and enriched with lots of butter. This special cake brings back the memory of their former lives. Yield: One 9-inch cake Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus at least 3 hours chilling and 25 hours resting INGREDIENTS For the filling and frosting: 4 cups milk or soy milk 1 cup Original 2 1/2-Minute Cream of Wheat 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into chunks 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1 1/2 cups thick, chunky apricot or sour cherry preserves For the Torte: 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup milk or soy milk 3 tablespoons dark wildflower honey 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 large eggs 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon fine salt DIRECTIONS Prepare the filling: In a medium pan over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer, then whisk in the Cream of Wheat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool slightly, then stir in the butter, sugar and salt. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight. Once youre ready to assemble the cake, bring the filling back to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Beat in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a spoon until fluffy. While filling chills, make the torte: Warm the sugar, milk, honey and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring well until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted and ingredients are thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes until lukewarm, then pour into a stand mixer. Add the eggs and mix with the paddle attachment on medium just until incorporated. Sift together the 4 1/4 cups flour with the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, coriander and salt, then add to the bowl of the mixer. Mix on medium-low until a smooth, not sticky, dough is formed, adding more flour if needed, a few teaspoons at a time. Using a dough cutter, divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Set on a plate and cover with a towel; let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly dust each ball of dough all over with flour before placing it in the middle of a sheet of parchment paper. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into approximately a 10-inch circle, about 1/8- to-1/4-inch thick. Cut out a circle using a sharp knife and a 9-inch-round dinner plate or baking pan. Save the scraps of dough, pushing them to the sides of the parchment paper, away from the circle. Transfer the paper with the circle and the scraps to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough balls. You can use 4 separate baking sheets (or use 2 baking sheets at a time and then repeat). Bake 2 sheets at a time until the top of each round is slightly puffed and set, about 7 to 10 minutes. (Watch carefully, as they can burn quickly.) Let cool, then pulverize the scraps in a food processor or blender. Reserve the crumbs in an airtight container to decorate the cake. Assemble the cake: Tear a sheet of parchment into several wide strips and use the strips to line the bottom of a serving plate in a circular pattern. (These will be removed before serving and will help keep the plate clean while you decorate the cake.) Place the first baked cake layer on top of the parchment and spread with 1 1/2 cups of filling. Top with a second cake layer and then spread the apricot or sour cherry preserves on top, leaving 1/2-inch border uncovered along the perimeter. Top with a third cake layer and spread with 1 1/2 cups filling. Add the final cake layer, then spread 1 1/2 cups filling on top and the remaining 1 1/2 cups filling on the sides. Pat the reserved crumbs over the top and sides, just enough to lightly cover, reserving the rest. Let cake stand at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, for at least 24 hours or, ideally, 2 days. (Refrigerating the cake would cause the frosting to firm up, preventing the cake layers from soaking it up and softening as they are intended to do.) To enjoy, sprinkle more of the reserved crumbs all over the cake to add texture. Carefully slide out and discard the parchment paper strips before cutting into slices to serve. More like this: Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. A utility project on Lenox Mountain in Richmond left trails and woodlands scarred. Now the DCR is poised to repair the damage KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's exports surged 48.2 percent year on year to 141.33 billion ringgit (31.03 billion U.S. dollars) in August, official data showed Tuesday. The export expansion was attributed to higher shipments of electrical and electronic (E&E) products, petroleum products, palm oil and palm oil-based agriculture products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as optical and scientific equipment, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement. According to the statement, exports of petroleum products, LNG as well as optical and scientific equipment registered the highest monthly value. Meanwhile, Malaysia's exports to major trading partners notably China, the United States, the European Union (EU) and Japan recorded double-digit growth. Business writer Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224. PITTSFIELD Travel nurse Rebecca Whitehead once used her own money to buy a severely burned patient something special to wear for her sisters wedding, and then arranged for the ceremony to be held in her patients hospital room. For this, Whitehead in 2018 won The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Now Whiteheads travel nurse colleagues at Berkshire Medical Center still reeling from her death in a Sept. 10 crash in Ashfield are raising money in her honor for The DAISY Foundation, which provides grants and a number of benefits to nurses who win the award. Whitehead, 53, was killed instantly in a head-on collision with a pickup truck while en route to Greenfield. She was headed to the Franklin County Fair to support a BMC co-worker whose band was playing there. Luci Acosta, a friend and operating room travel nurse at BMC who trained Whitehead, said her sudden death has left them all in shock. Searching for a way to honor and remember her, they decided to raise the money to honor nurses who give so much of themselves and then some. We all are heartbroken. Were still recovering, Acosta said. Weve become a really tight family. She had no husband or kids so she really depended on us. She said Whitehead was one of many travel nurses at BMC who come from other states, and make up most of the operating room nursing staff. Many of them, like Whitehead, live in hotels. Acosta said Whitehead is originally from Mississippi, and had been living in Winston-Salem, N.C. She had four older brothers, Acosta said. On her days off, she worked in the kitchen at Holiday Inn cutting vegetables for large events. DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system. A family started the nonprofit in memory of their son, who died of an auto-immune disease. His parents witnessed the dedication of a team of compassionate, skilled nurses who tended to him. The nonprofits mission is to inspire more acts of great nursing, as well as compassion in health care overall. Acosta said Whitehead embodied this. We just want to spread her legacy, she said. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. On Tuesday, the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) approved a request by the University of Idaho (U of I) to purchase land central to its Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE). In November 2021, 282 acres of Agricultural College endowment land in Caldwell was sold for $23,250,000, as it was no longer used for experimental farming. The funds were placed in the Land Bank fund to be used for the acquisition of real property. With Tuesday's vote, which was unanimous, the Land Board approved the use of proceeds from the Caldwell property to acquire 638 acres of farmland north of Rupert currently owned by U of I. The universitys College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will now use the land from the endowment and the remaining funds to construct a state-of-the-art milking parlor on that property capable of serving a 2,000 head dairy herd. Agriculture remains Idahos number-one industry with livestock production accounting for more than 60% of the states agricultural cash receipts, said U of I President C. Scott Green. This facility will serve our students well, preparing them to work on the cutting edge of agribusiness and dairy sciences. Economically, CAFE opens doors for U of I to receive millions of dollars in grant funding for research, unleashing new ideas and innovative solutions for Idahos and the nations dairy industry, he added. Research at CAFE will also help develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from animals, housing areas, waste systems, and in-field applications, advancing the dairy industrys nationwide net zero initiative. The Land Board determined buying the property and investing in the milking infrastructure as part of the CAFE project is in the best long-term interest of the beneficiary. This development of CAFE will yield good returns for students today and well into the future, said Governor Brad Little. The important research will help the dairy producers, manufacturers, and University of Idaho agricultural students and future veterinarians who will assist with the vast spectrum of research. It will ensure our industry thrives, adding to Idahos diverse and vibrant economy, as well as preparing students to thrive in this industry, he added. To learn more about the University of Idaho CAFE project and its many benefits for Idahos students and economy, click HERE. ULAN BATOR, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian police seized 827 dead marmots this year, which could have spread the bubonic plague, health authorities said Tuesday. According to the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, the marmots were found in vehicles heading to the capital city of Ulan Bator. While hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians ignore the law and regard the rodent as a delicacy. Since the beginning of this year, six suspected cases of bubonic plague have been reported across Mongolia, two of which were confirmed by laboratory tests in the western province of Khovd, Nyamdorj Tsogbadrakh, the center's director, told a press conference. One of the two infected people recently died, and more than 40 people in close contact with the deceased are now being quarantined, said Tsogbadrakh. COLVILLE - Earlier this month, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff investigated four wolf depredations in the Leadpoint wolf pack territory, in addition to a depredation confirmed on Aug. 22. On Sept. 1, WDFW staff investigated a dead calf that had been reported by a range rider in a private pasture in northeast Washington's Stevens County. The investigation revealed lacerations and punctures in the right groin and hindquarter and around the hock of the leg with associated subcutaneous hemorrhaging. Staff from WDFW classified the incident as a confirmed wolf depredation attributed to the Leadpoint pack. It is estimated the calf was killed less than 24 hours prior to the investigation. WDFW staff removed the carcass and disposed of it at a carcass sanitation pit. On Sept. 16, WDFW staff investigated a dead cow found by a range rider in a private pasture in Stevens County. The investigation revealed lacerations with associated subcutaneous hemorrhaging on the right flank. Staff classified the incident as a confirmed wolf depredation attributed to the Leadpoint pack and estimated the calf was killed less than 24 hours prior to the investigation. The livestock producer buried the carcass. On Sept. 19, WDFW staff investigated two injured calves in a private pasture in Stevens County. On the first injured calf, staff identified several lacerations on the left hindquarter and evidence of hemorrhaging through the presence of swelling on the calfs inner right hindquarter. Staff estimated the injuries to be no more than 72 hours old. The producer is treating the calf at their home place and it is expected to make a full recovery. On the second injured calf, staff discovered large, open puncture wounds and lacerations around the groin, hindquarters, and along both hamstrings. Staff noted swelling in the area around the punctures. These incidents were classified as confirmed wolf depredations attributed to the Leadpoint pack. Staff estimate the injuries were sustained within 24-48 hours of the investigation. The affected livestock producer utilizes a Cattle Producers of Washington range rider and added a second rider on Sept. 2. Riders and producers aimed to keep cattle in the valley bottom and out of a treed area, and trees and brush were removed in an area wolves like to cross. Sick or injured livestock were removed from the pasture when found and carcasses were properly disposed of. WDFW staff deployed a radio-activated guard box and several Fox lights in the area where the depredation events occurred. WDFW says the five depredation events resulted in three dead and two injured livestock since Aug. 22 attributed to the Leadpoint pack. WDFW staff are discussing the depredations and use of non-lethal measures in this pack territory. Staff will discuss how to most effectively address this situation moving forward and provide a recommendation to the WDFW Director. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, a preview of the latest entry into the "Killing" series, "Killing the Legends." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices New commitment increases the Foundation's support to $30 million (2020-2025) for the Global Fund's efforts to build resilient and sustainable health systems US-based Rockefeller Foundation has announced that it will commit $15 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria ahead of the Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference on September 21. This year, the Global Fund partnership aims to raise $18 billion to protect hard-fought gains against these infectious diseases in the face of COVID-19 and to finance ongoing projects through 2025. "Fifty million people are alive today because of the Global Fund's work to fight HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria," said Dr Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. This year, The Rockefeller Foundation's Global Fund pledge will finance the Laboratory Systems Strengthening Catalytic Fund, a mechanism for accelerating the development of public health laboratories across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Dr Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation said, "The Global Fund gives labs the resources to expand their workforce and build networks for sharing information about emerging threats. Robust labs are key for preventing the next pandemic, and that's why we're proud to support the Laboratory Systems Strengthening Fund." According to the Fund's newly released 2022 Results Report: 23.3 million people have received lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for HIV; 5.3 million people have been treated for TB; 148 million cases of malaria have been treated. In 2020, for the first time in its history, the Global Fund saw declines in key health indicators across all three priority diseases. That year, HIV testing fell by 22% and prevention services by 11%. TB deaths increased, fueled by a surge in undiagnosed and untreated cases. Malaria deaths also significantly increased in 2020, due in part to Covid-19 disruptions for critical health services. To help build the human resource capacity of the Expanded Programme on Immunization and national health data centre The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $10 million grant under its Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility to help Maldives upgrade storage facilities and strengthen the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Through the governments Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), more than 70% of Maldives population has received the first two COVID-19 vaccine doses while nearly 30% has received at least one booster shot as of mid-September. Booster vaccination is ongoing and has recently been extended to cover people aged 1249. The government is also planning to expand initial two-dose vaccination to 511 year-olds starting September. The project will construct a central cold storage facility in Hulhumale that is climate-resilient and powered by renewable energy, replacing the temporary facility in Male. This comes with adequate space to properly store vaccines, medical supplies, and laboratory equipment. There will be dedicated areas for repairing and maintaining cold chain equipment, managing vaccine waste, and hosting a backup server for national immunization data. ADBs financing will promote the digitalization of vaccine information management by providing equipment to set up a national health data centre and mobile devices for public health staff collecting data at all health centers. This will help link the national health networks to all islands, atolls, and the Greater Male area. InnAccel Technologies, C-CAMP, and USAIDs SAMRIDH Initiative convene to strengthen respiratory support for newborns in Assam Bengaluru-based startup InnAccel Technologies and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) have joined hands with the SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility to strengthen respiratory support for newborns and paediatric populations in Assam with an indigenous life-saving technology to reduce neonatal mortality due to Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in the state. SAMRIDH is a multi-stakeholder innovation and financing platform supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global. Respiratory Distress Syndrome is the cause of over 1.5 lakh deaths among newborns annually in India, with one-third of deaths occurring during transport to hospitals with Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) capabilities. In Assam, there are 40 deaths per 1,000 live births, which makes it the state with the third-highest infant mortality rate in India. Through this partnership, InnAccel Technologies will receive access to affordable finance and technical assistance to expand the production and distribution of SAANS, which is the world's first infrastructure-independent, easy-to-use, portable neonatal CPAP system that can provide lifesaving breathing support to infants in hospital settings, as well during transport. The partnership between InnAccel, C-CAMP and SAMRIDH, with support from the National Health Mission - Assam and the Government of Assam, will help deploy 307 units of SAANS in Assam, which are expected to meet almost 100% of the states current demand to supplement respiratory support technology. The launch of Amazon in South Africa next year continues to cause speculation in the market and, while the world's biggest digital marketplace remains tight-lipped about details, there are some surprising lessons to be learned from other global markets, all of which can help shed some light on what to expect. Source: Super Straho Unsplash with the launch of Amazon in South Africa next year, local brands need to be prepared Ulrik Grevenkop-Castenskiold, head of marketplaces (Nordics), Incubeta explains that when Amazon opened in Sweden two years ago, it immediately created a strong interest from brands in the other Nordic regions. Not only is Sweden a common market for most Nordic brands, but it was useful to give them a good idea of what to expect when Amazon expanded into their own countries, says Grevenkop-Castenskiold. However, some of them were in for a nasty surprise. Not only were many of their brands and products already listed, but their content was poorly translated, and often with incorrect prices, he says. Shocked brands into action According to Grevenkop-Castenskiold, this almost beta version-like launch shocked many brands into action, and the marketplace specialists had to work hard with their Nordic clients to regain control of their brands. When Amazon moves into a new market they will often offer products from other regions that they feel will work in the new market. However, he says, the machine translation for the descriptions tends to be very poor and the products are often represented in a way that companies would not find acceptable. The first step in brand safety was to register their brand and then, once the brand had regained ownership, we could begin the process of bringing content back up to standard, he says. Unsurprisingly, there was a good deal of negative reaction from media and consumers alike. Not only were they shocked at the poor quality of Amazons first impression in Sweden, but consumers were also disappointed that there were no real price savings, which is a global hallmark of the shopping platform, he says. Grevenkop-Castenskiold, however, points out that this could have been a considered tactic from the global megastore, forcing brands to proactively begin engaging with the platform rather than biding their time before making a move. Version 2.0 restores faith Once local brands had flocked to the marketplace mostly to protect their brand and pricing Amazon upgraded its Swedish search engine and the marketplace settled into a gradual maturation as consumers became more familiar with the service. Data analysis of the performance as well as benchmarking of other European markets have shown us that Amazon is growing quite rapidly, albeit off a very small base, he says. He adds: It is worth noting that the e-commerce market in the Nordics is highly fragmented and doesnt have the two or three dominant e-commerce marketplaces as you will see in other markets such as the Netherlands, for instance. This could have made Amazons growth easier and faster. By way of comparison, Naspers-owned Takealot and Superbalist dominate online sales in South Africa, followed by Woolworths and Mr Price. Brick and mortar retailers threatened Grevenkop-Castenskiold says the Nordic retailers have been fairly welcoming of Amazon, believing it will boost the overall interest in e-commerce, but the retailers that have both brick and mortar as well as online outlets have seen the behemoth as a threat. When Amazon launches Prime in a market, it is a game-changer, and the only way retailers can respond is to significantly improve their logistics. Its hard to compete with next- or even same-day delivery, he warns. Grevenkop-Castenskiolds insights were expanded on by Incubetas global marketplaces lead, Tim Van Der Bilt, and Incubetas Niamh NicLiam, client service director, who presented at the recent e-commerce Live event held in Sandton. The consensus from the three is that the first thing local brands should do is to register their brand on the platform. If you dont, others will. And once you have lost control, its hard to get it back, states Van der Bilt. Other markets have shown that even newcomers to the e-retailing game can quickly gain a competitive edge. Whats more, we have seen that early leaders seldom lose their number one position. While the exact launch dates are still not clear, NicLiam sums up by advising local brands to get familiar with existing marketplaces ahead of an Amazon launch: Start by trading on Takealot or other relevant marketplaces to test your consumers buying behaviour and tweak your strategy accordingly. There is a lot to learn, and it can take time. The significance of 'joy' for the next generation is a choice, not just a feeling. This is the strategic insight borne out of Wunderman Thompson SA that informed the manifesto of the latest BMW brand campaign. Targeting new luxury consumers, mostly millennials and GenZs, the campaign aims to drive growth in a declining premium segment and establish relevance for #NextGenJoy. Agency executive creative director, Theo Ferreira, shared, Our research uncovered a segment of professionals across race, ethnicity and genders that will drive the future growth; The Henrys (high-earners-no-rich-yet). These individuals fall under the middle and middle-upper class household income group and are defining the global luxury market. Henrys resonate with brands that express their values and identity. They reject traditional status symbols and believe luxury is a state of mind. They embrace rebellious joy or break away from antiquated expectations and social norms. This is perfectly summed up for us as #NextGenJoy. The campaigns #NextGenJoy positioning conveys a bold and meaningful joyous movement. It challenges the world to see an expanded definition of joy. Choosing joy is seen as an act of resistance in a world filled with so much pain and trauma. "BMW has always exhibited a remarkable ability to reinvent itself. This brand campaign, which is the first iteration of its kind globally, reflects BMW's place within the psyche of South Africans as more than just a brand they once aspired to. It is a brand that, through demonstrating its vision of the next generation of joy, also reveals that after close to 50 years in the country, BMW is still able to tap into the zeitgeist of ordinary (and extraordinary) South Africans," expressed Thilosh Moodally, general manager: customer and brand for BMW South Africa. Working with Massif's multi-award-winning and internationally recognised film and commercials director, Dean Blumberg, helped bring this concept to life. Ferreira added, "Dean is obsessed with story and performance. He is a born storyteller, with a chameleon-like ability to adapt and evolve." Parusha Partab, group strategy director: Wunderman Thompson SA, said, "BMW is an adored brand in South Africa, and this campaign is about centring the people that love this brand and sharing its audacious attitude and progressive spirit. The questions asked throughout the advert call for a more inclusive and bolder vision of ourselves and the next generation of BMW drivers. One that's not defined by preconceptions but rather reimagined with our agency and creativity. Each line reframes an accepted norm and old troupe, and every visual is vibrant and reflective of the diversity of South Africans driving both BMWs and our next generation of joy." The integrated campaign includes a 90 showcase on YouTube, TVC spots (60 and 30), digital and social (15 and 6 clips), radio and OOH. The European Film Festival in South Africa is going hybrid for its 9th edition in October. Festival co-director Magdalene Reddy explains that the festival will continue to cater for its viewers and followers who have become accustomed to the ease of watching films in the comfort of their own homes, while also providing for those who long to return to the full cinema experience. This is our transitional approach of coming back to theatres gradually, she says. The online screenings will be free while a ticket price will be charged for the theatre screenings. Each film will have a single screening at both Ster-Kinekors The Zone in Johannesburg and at The Labia in Cape Town. Sixteen award-winning films, eight of them by women directors, will be screened. This years theme, Innocence and Beyond, explores innocence not just as a legal concept, but as a human quality. This includes two stand-out perspectives through the eyes of children in Petite Maman and Playground. About the screened films Petite Maman is a tender tale of memory, friendship, and family by the gifted and often unpredictable French filmmaker Celine Sciamma, while in Playground Belgian director Laura Wandel deploys cameras rigged at child level to effectively portray the emotions and experiences of school bullying from a childs point of view. There is no set age for when loss of innocence can occur and a number of films focus on youth as they navigate the often turbulent process of growing into adults. From the Netherlands, Shariff Korver's slow-burning psychological thriller Do Not Hesitate depicts unprepared Dutch youths thrown into the crucible of war, a situation complicated by their naivete when encountering other cultures. Swiss film Olga, by Elie Grappe, is a tense but sensitively handled tale of exile reflecting the clash between the personal and the political in a young Ukrainian gymnast's search for identity against the backdrop of revolution in her mother country. The riveting women-driven film Small Body is an adventure story infused with a wonderful mythological sensibility that earned Laura Samani the best new director prize at Italys David dDonatello awards. How much does innocence inform a young woman's quest for love and meaning as she enters her 30s without any idea about her identity and purpose in life? This is the question in Joachim Triers The Worst Person in the World, a Norwegian/ French/ Danish/ Swedish co-production that earned two Oscar nominations this year. A scene from As Far As I Can Walk Then, Stefan Arsenijevics Serbian/ French/ Luxembourgian/ Bulgarian/ Lithuanian co-production As Far As I Can Walk highlights that its not just securing a roof over ones head but also the challenges of emotional and intellectual deprivation that young migrants in Europe face today. Is innocence solely about whats right and whats wrong? Sometimes its about what we dont do. Sometimes its about making choices that impact both ourselves and those around us and in some cases society and the wider world? Silent Land, by Polands Aga Woszczynska, is a case of what the protagonists didnt do, and how that leads to the collapse of a relationship. The film is also about the collapse of value systems in the modern world, a general indifference to reality, and about social lethargy. Erik Poppes Swedish film The Emigrants is an epic period drama about a poverty-stricken family who emigrate from Sweden to the United States in the 1800s. Told from a womans perspective, their search for a second chance in life is, like the stories of migration in our current era, about a journey of hope. From the Republic of Georgia, Levan Koguashvilis comedic Brighton 4th is a portrait of parental sacrifice and the love of a father for his son that also offers an authentic look at the immigrant experience and the elusiveness of the American Dream. Enveloped in music and humour, Ali and Ava, written and directed by one of the UKs most distinctive cinematic voices, Clio Barnard, is about a couple from different cultural backgrounds beginning a relationship with a mixture of nervous excitement, openness and innocence. The Good Boss, directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa, is the Spanish film in this years festival its a hilarious satirical comedy about the indignities of working life, with the questionable innocence of Javier Bardem in the spotlight. Overturning conventional definitions of innocence Austrian Sebastian Meises Cannes-winner Great Freedom explores tenderness, love, lost time, and the tenacity of the human spirit while chronicling an ignominious chapter in queer history. A scene from Silent Land Portuguese director Catarina Vasconceloss unorthodox film The Metamorphosis of Birds sifts through the memories and dreams of her ancestors in an extraordinary homage that demonstrates how something deeply personal can be profoundly universal. Is a humanoid robot innocent? Thats one of the questions in the witty and delightfully entertaining German film Im Your Man by Maria Schrader. Its a spunky sci-fi dramedy that also asks what it is that humans want in relationships and if AI beings should have rights. Finally, the world is again witnessing and affected by a terrible war, and innocence is an unfortunate casualty during wartime, at all levels. Along with the already mentioned war drama Do Not Hesitate, there is director/screenwriter/editor Maryna Er Gorbachs Ukrainian-set drama Klondike. About the travails of parents-to-be living near the Russian border this film couldnt be more timely as it exposes the absurdity of war and how it affects those who aren't directly involved just as easily as those who are. The EU Ambassador to South Africa, Sandra Kramer, says This years European Film Festival has been inspired by innocence as a human quality. The festivals theme Innocence & Beyond tries to capture our loss of innocence on a number of levels as we deal with the present and lay foundations for the future. I invite you to join us for the best of European cinema: award-winning films that will not only offer a temporary escape, but also a space for pause and reflection. This years festival is extending its reach to neighbouring countries eSwatini and Lesotho with three-day programmes of screenings and discussions taking place at the Alliance Francaise in Mbabane (21 to 23 October) and the Alliance Francaise in Maseru (28 to 30 October). Side events Real-time Zoom panel discussions and Q&As with film directors aim to enrich the experience and understanding of the filmmaking processes and motivations as well as the topics raised in the films, while a programme of Filmmaker Engagements is formulated to inspire young filmmakers at film schools in South Africa. In addition, with an emphasis on youth, the festival will again provide a number of screening and discussion programmes at select secondary schools and community centres in different parts of the country. The festival will take place from 13-23 October. For more information, go here. Benjamin Franklin famously noted that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Until not that long ago, a third could have been added: retirement. You worked until you reached a defined age, at which point you duly received your carriage clock before heading off into the sunset to enjoy the fruits of your labour. These days, the notion of a defined retirement age seems as outdated as a carriage clock, and the pandemic (of course) has only served to accelerate this. Further, some employees have had to rethink their retirement plans in light of financial hardship, and the dramatic shift towards remote working has made flexi-retirement that much easier. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that employers are struggling with the notion of when they can and cant dismiss an employee on the grounds of age. A couple of recent cases before the Labour Court in South Africa highlight some of the pitfalls for employers in this area, but equally help us understand how those pitfalls can be avoided. Dismissal on the grounds of age is automatically unfair unless the employee has reached the normal or agreed retirement age for persons employed in that capacity (section 187(2)(b) of the Labour Relations Act, 1995) a deceptively simple test. Employers often run into issues when they seek to amend the retirement age unilaterally. By definition, a unilateral change cannot be agreed and so an employer would need to argue that the revised retirement age was the normal retirement age all along. This is essentially what the respondent municipality argued in Imatu obo SP Hlabisa and 7 others v Umkhanyakude District municipality, when it sought to dismiss a number of employees aged between 60 and 63. The municipality argued that as the normal retirement date, as defined in the pension funds of which the employees were members, was 60, this was their normal retirement age and so it was lawful for it to dismiss employees aged 60 and above. Despite this, the Court found that the normal retirement age was 65 for two main reasons. Firstly, the employers policy (in practice; this was not documented), which was to allow employees to retire from age 60 but to require them to retire at age 65, supported the position that 65 was the normal retirement age. Secondly, the Court was persuaded by the applicants argument that the normal retirement date as referred to in the context of the pension funds was that the date after which, if an employee were to take a pension from the fund, the pension would not be reduced for early payment. Enforcing retirement More helpfully from an employers perspective, in another recent case, the Court confirmed in Solidarity obo Gerhardus Viljoen Strydom v Sita that an employer can enforce an agreed retirement age even when the employee works past this age. This decision follows a consistent line of authorities which stem from the fact that section 187(2)(b) says that a dismissal is fair if employees have reached retirement age, not "when they reach" in other words, the section refers to a continuing right rather than a right which arises at a single point in time. In this matter, Sita served notices of retirement on a number of employees aged over 60. It was common cause that age 60 was the agreed retirement age, but the applicants claimed that their dismissals were automatically unfair on grounds of age, because the parties had tacitly agreed to extend the retirement age to 67. The employees position derived from a contractual term that an employee who has reached normal retirement age of 60 may, subject to Sitas consent, remain in service until age 67. The employees contended that Sita had given its consent as it had previously provided them with salary adjustment letters. The Court found that the scope of application of these letters was limited to an amendment of the employees salaries and so did not constitute consent on Sitas part to the employees remaining in service. It found that on the evidence, the agreed retirement age of 60 remained "uninterrupted and binding". All in the contract Although the employer was successful, this case demonstrates that even though the principle is clear that employers have an ongoing right to dismiss an employee once they have reached an agreed or normal retirement age, the evidence, and in particular the wording of employment contracts, policies and retirement fund rules, is crucial in establishing whether an employer has compromised this right. What these cases have in common is that they demonstrate how important it is that either normal retirement age is specified in the employment contract or that the contract refers to a policy or the retirement fund rules, where normal retirement age is clearly stated. Similarly, any retirement policy must be unambiguous. And if an employer is seeking to make a change to the normal retirement age, it cannot do so unilaterally. In the present working environment, many employers will want to give their employees the option to continue working beyond normal retirement date, but in so doing, they should not open themselves up to risk. The DStv International Seminar of Creativity is back with a full day's lineup of international speakers. Left to right: Monique Nelson, Natalie Lam, Mariana O'Kelly, Debbie Vandeven, Karin Onsager-Birch, Esra Gulmen and Allan Sperling Here are the speakers and a little more about who they are: Natalie Lam Lam is chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. With her roots in design, a strong digital background and being a hopeless romantic for big ideas, Her seminar topic, What rivers, widows, near-misses, repeat visits and more taught me a thing or two about creativity, will see Natalie sharing some important learnings that helped her through her career path. Debbie Vandeven Vandeven is the global CCO for VMLY&R Kansas City. Throughout her career, Vandeven has continually fostered a collaborative creative environment that delivers smart and innovative solutions in partnership with clients across the globe. Vandeven will share insights themed around her topic Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Esra Gulmen Gulmen is an artist and designer from Berlin. After graduating from Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Interior Design she worked as an assistant professor and taught basic design at the same faculty. She continued her career at Ogilvy Amsterdam as an art director and four years as a head of design at Heimat Berlin. She shares building her art while working in advertising and how she approaches and develops ideas with her topic But is this Esra enough. Karin Onsager-Birch Onsager-Birch is the vice president creative of Lyft San Francisco. Karin joined Lyft as VP creative in February 2021 to steer the iconic rideshare and micro-mobility brand. She leads an entrepreneurial in-house creative team and agency partners to make bold work that shines across every brand touchpoint. Join Onsager-Birch with The Art of Disruption Starts From Within - how an existential un-crisis led one CCO to jump ship and find a bigger creative platform. Mariana OKelly OKelly is the Global ECD at Ogilvy Chicago. She is a human-first creative leader, who is driven by the love of people and her belief in the immense creative power they hold inside them. She has over 27 years of experience working for top global brands and agency networks. Her seminar topic Lost in Translation explores how we are finding ourselves in a post-Babel period of advertising and communication. Monique Nelson Nelson is chair and chief executive officer of UWG, New York. Nelson contributes to many organisations and charities. She sits on the Audacy Board of Directors (AUD), Advertising Week Global Board, AdWeek Diversity and Inclusion Council, The Brandeis Board of Trustees, The Eagle Academy Board, and the New York Advisory Board for The Posse Foundation, of which she is an alumna and is a participant in the ANAs Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing. Her topic is Global Growth through Black Creativity". Allan Sperling Sperling is the executive head of content at Showmax. As a content and long-form production extraordinaire, Sherling is responsible for commissioning, acquiring and curating a diverse slate of international and local content for SVOD across the African continent and diaspora. He rounds up the day with an exploration into Content Creation and Brand Integration in the SVOD space. The DStv Seminar of Creativity takes place on 6 October from 10am to 3pm at The City Hall, Cape Town. Tickets are limited and are on sale here. Ticket price includes a light lunch. Jan-Aug FDI up 16%, likely to grow this year By ZHONG NAN (China Daily) 11:14, September 20, 2022 An employee works on the production line of a foreign-funded machinery manufacturer in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. (ZHAI HUIYONG/FOR CHINA DAILY) China's many strengths, advantages seen attracting foreign capital flows Bright prospects for growth, further opening-up measures and sufficient power supply at a reasonable cost will keep China's attraction for global capital strongand foreign investment will likely grow by double digits this year, said experts and business executives on Monday. Foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland expanded 16.4 percent year-on-year to 892.74 billion yuan ($127.24 billion) in the first eight months of this year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. Backed by a complete industrial system, a massive market and social stability, China has created a solid foundation for the growth of foreign-funded companies despite challenges that are threatening the global economic recovery, said Wang Wen, executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, which is part of Beijing-based Renmin University of China. "As Chinese companies have leapfrogged ahead of many global businesses in newly emerging fields like electric vehicles, cross-border e-commerce, artificial intelligence and green development, foreign players also wish to partner with them to seek more growth points," he said. China's services sector received 662.13 billion yuan in foreign investment between January and August, up 8.7 percent year-on-year, while FDI in high-tech industries surged 33.6 percent. Meng Wei, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, said the government will expedite the new edition of the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment. This will further expand the scope of foreign investment in advanced manufacturing, scientific and technological innovation and modern services in China's central, western and northeastern regions. FDI in China's eastern region grew by 14.3 percent year-on-year during the January-August period. The corresponding figures for the central region are 27.6 percent and 43 percent for the western region, official data showed. Addressing a news conference in Beijing, Meng said the government will support foreign companies in the manufacturing sector to further boost foreign trade activities. Benefiting from free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and many countries' growing demand, the foreign trade value of foreign-funded companies in China rose 2.4 percent year-on-year to 9.17 trillion yuan between January and August, accounting for 33.6 percent of China's total trade value, according to the General Administration of Customs. While many parts of the world are contending with energy supply shortages and related surges in prices, China's efforts to keep power prices down and boost its well-developed infrastructure facilities like power generation plants, roads and ports will continue to bolster the confidence of global companies in the country, said Zhao Ping, vice-president of the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in Beijing. By the end of August, the government had abolished, revised or enacted 520 regulations to improve the legal environment for foreign investment, according to information released by the Ministry of Commerce. Attracted by China's lucrative market, FDI from the Republic of Korea grew 58.9 percent year-on-year in China in the first eight months, while investment from Germany and Japan climbed 30.3 percent and 26.8 percent, respectively. "For Japanese businesses, the unified consistency of the Chinese market is rare, even unique, in terms of language and culture on a global scale," said Kenichi Tanaka, president of Fujifilm (China) Investment Co Ltd. Though some companies plan to implement the "China Plus One" strategy by diversifying their supply chains to disperse risk, the country still has advantages in its complete industrial chains and broad market prospects, he said. "With China deploying more resources to push digital transformation, peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, our healthcare and highly functional materials businesses will be two key areas for future growth in the country," he said, adding China contributes about 13 percent of the group's annual sales. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) GARDEZ, Afghanistan, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Police found a drug processing lab in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province and arrested 14 people, the provincial police said in a statement on Tuesday. The lab, according to the statement, was discovered in the Sayed Karam district on Monday evening, and police took 14 people into custody, including the owner of the lab, and began an investigation. In a similar operation, police discovered 600 kg of illicit drug including opium poppy and hashish in the western Farah province on Monday, the provincial department of Information and Culture has confirmed. The Taliban-run caretaker administration has vowed to crack down on poppy cultivation, processing and drug trafficking until the country gets rid of the menace. International trade has been at the core of South Africa's agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. Source: Ivan Kruk via 123RF The country exports roughly half of its produce in value terms. The top exportable products are high-value and labour-intensive horticulture produce, a subsector that expanded significantly over the past two decades. Citrus, table grapes and a range of deciduous fruits dominate the export list. This means international trade has become crucial for sustaining farm profitability and job creation in South African agriculture. Over the past decade, agriculture and agro-processing exports have averaged 11% of the countrys overall exports, up from 9% in the decade before. This shows South Africas success in opening export markets, and farmers ability to produce high quality products that meet global standards and needs. Even though agricultures share of gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of economic output, has shrunk over the years, from just under 10% in the 1960s to around 2.5% now, the sector has grown in both output and value terms. Trade has been the core of the sectors growth. Still, South Africas agricultural sector remains vulnerable on two fronts. It is too reliant on a few markets. And there are inefficiencies in the domestic logistics chains. It is against this background that talk about potential expansion of production should be viewed. First, there should be a greater effort to increase access to existing and new markets. There should also be a sharper focus on improving the efficiency of logistics to move produce domestically and to export markets. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of efficiency challenges in the domestic ports and market access constraints in key export markets such as the EU. These could hinder long term growth of the sector, as new land comes into production to expand output. Recent challenges in key agriculture export markets An example of South Africas vulnerability to a lack of diversification was illustrated recently by two events. China temporarily banned imports of South African wool and the EU restricted citrus imports. This mattered because outside the African continent, South Africas agricultural exports are heavily concentrated in a few Asian countries and the EU. Export diversification contributes to a countrys economic resilience, especially in the face of disruptions to global supply chains or if one of the major markets imposes non-tariff barriers to protect its producers from competition, as it is increasingly the case. Recent challenges regarding South Africas access to the wool market in China have now been resolved. But the losses from when the ban was in place are clear in the trade data. Wool exports fell by 42% in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the corresponding period in 2021. For citrus, which continues to experience protectionist tendencies in the EU after changes in plant regulations, the impact could show more pointedly in the third quarter of the year. Still, a lot will depend on the engagements between the South African and EU authorities on the new plant safety regulations, which involve stringent new cold treatment requirements. In the second quarter of this year, citrus was still the top exportable agricultural product by value in South Africa, although down by 22% from the second quarter of 2021. The loss of the Black Sea market since the start of the Ukraine war might have also contributed to the slowing of exports. Before the war, Russia accounted, on average, for 7% of South Africas citrus exports in value terms. It also accounted for 12% of South Africas apples and pears exports. The other challenge is logistics. The state-owned transport facility Transnet showed great agility in rebuilding the port of Durban after the destructive floods in April this year. Similar energy and focus are necessary to improve the ports and rail functioning. Another example is the road network that is in disrepair across numerous agricultural towns. It could slow export activity if not properly improved. Whats driving growth In the second half of this year, South Africas agricultural exports rose by 5% year on year, reaching US$3.4 billion. The top exportable products were citrus, maize, apples, pears, wine, grapes, figs, dates, avocados, nuts, fruit juices, wheat, wool and sugar, among others. We expect some of these products to have continued to dominate the export list in the third quarter. Underpinning this robust export value are the sizeable agricultural output in the 2021/22 production season and generally solid global demand, even at higher commodity prices for maize. Maize, apples and pears, grapes, and sunflower oil saw a significant uptick from the first quarter of 2021, and thus overshadowed the decline in citrus exports during the period under review. There are still ample agricultural and beverage exports, which should support the activity in the third and last quarter of the year. The African continent remained South Africas largest agricultural exports market in the first quarter of this year, accounting for 35% in value terms. Asia was the second largest region (28%) and the EU held the third position with a 21% share. The UK is one of the most important agricultural markets for South Africa and accounted for 7% of overall exports in the second quarter. The balance of 9% value constitutes the Americas and other regions of the world. The countrys trade policy and activity are not one-directional. South Africa is also a significant importer of agricultural products. It relies on other countries for crucial food products such as wheat, rice, palm oil, sunflower oil and poultry. Policy direction South Africas agricultural sector is export-oriented. Thus, any improvements in production through various development plans, such as the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, should be anchored on expanding export markets. Japan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the Philippines and South Korea are key markets in which South African agribusinesses and farmers are interested in expanding their presence. Its also important to maintain a relationship with the existing key markets. All this should happen while domestic efforts to improve the functioning of the network industries are underway. This will be the only realistic path to maintaining the growth of this sector and, with that, job creation and vibrancy of the rural towns. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Speaking at the recent Tourism Business Council of South Africa's maiden Leadership Conference on Friday, 16 September, South African Tourism Acting CEO, Mzilikazi Themba Khumalo officially announced the opening of registrations for Meetings Africa 2023. Meetings Africa is a Pan-African business events trade show, showcasing Africa's diverse offering of services and products, where African associations and African meetings industry professionals can partner to help transform our continent. The next edition of Meetings Africa will take place in a physical format at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 28 February to 1 March 2023, with Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) preceding the show on 27 February 2023. In 2022, Meetings Africa brought together 161 buyers and 216 exhibitors from 13 African countries. "Meetings Africa 2023 aims to amplify the continents stories of success and to showcase to the world what Africa has to offer as a business events destination," says Zinhle Nzama, acting chief convention bureau officer at the South African National Convention Bureau. Nzama says that the SANCB is also excited to launch Meetings Africas new positioning, Africas success built on quality connections" because it encompasses exactly what Meetings Africa aims to do; creating a platform for African exhibitors to showcase to international buyers, for Africas success. To wrap up Meetings Africa 2022 and in preparation for the 2023 edition, the Meetings Africa team conducted debriefing sessions, one-on-ones and focus group sessions. During these sessions, the post-show survey results were shared, and insights derived from the sessions have been used to actively enhance the show offering. To register for the show, visit the Meetings Africa website, email az.oc.acirfasgniteem@rotibihxe or call 011 476 5104. The UCT Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing has released the much-anticipated report on the economic state of South Africa's Black Middle Class. The institute is supported by Liberty. It has been over 15 years since the Institute conducted its first study into South Africas fastest growing consumer segment. At the time, the research into the then termed Black Diamonds garnered widespread attention as the emergence of a Black middle class was unprecedented due to centuries of economic discrimination and exclusion. In 2012, the Institute noted this dramatic growth of the Black middle class, which for the first time in South Africas modern history, outstripped that of its White Middle Class counterparts. The latest report reflects on its significant and continued rise, the nuanced changes over the years and trends likely to influence and entrench the Black Middle Class as the foremost consumer market into the future. The South African Black Middle Class landscape South Africa has high inequality levels, so it is difficult to contemplate what barriers define the Black Middle Class. However, according to the new report, the Black Middle Class constitutes 3.4 million people, making up 7% of South Africas Black African population with a spending power of R400bn per year. The study was conducted over a year with a survey of over 1,900 middle class households along with over 300 interviews. In addition, the research was infused by engagement with marketing experts as well as research from Black Middle Class champions Kaya FM. Finally, participants from the initial 'Black Diamond' studies were brought back to share how their middle-class experience has been shaped in the last decade. The report defines this consumer segment as households with an income of R22,000 per month and above, and further distinguishes this segment between the middle, and upper Black Middle Class. How it is further differentiated from the Lower Middle Class is the lack of government support required and the fact that despite low economic growth, the number of high-earning taxpayers has grown from 1,02 million in 2017 to 1,28 million in 2019. This conclusive definition is one of many held by economists and marketers in South Africa. Locating a single-minded point of view Dr James Lappeman, head of projects at the institute and report co-author said: One of the challenges we had in establishing one single narrative was that there wasnt a single narrative. If you look at the news headlines, for instance, its either a case of the middle class struggling with debt or middle class thriving. "One of the reasons for this report is that we havent seen enough nuance in the media about this segment. One of our main findings was this idea of a paradox of struggling but thriving within the Black Middle Class. Lappeman said the Black Middle Class had shown incredible resilience, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and while there were fears of slipping back, the Black Middle Class of today was different to when it was first studied by the institute 15 years ago. The impact on their finances during the Covid-19 pandemic was seemingly limited, 70% of the Black Middle Class citing that they were not worse off financially as a result of the pandemic. Even though there is evidence of resilience, finances were a major source of stress with many households reporting challenges with mental health. Other areas of concern included their health, crime, their children's future and not being able to support dependents financially. The pandemic did create a bit of fear about "slipping back into a place of uncertainty." Building blocks of wealth creation The report also found that there had been a maturation of the Black Middle Class over the last 15 years with a new concerted focus on creating generational wealth. There is now access to better education and the benefit of a longer time spent in the middle class which has strengthened financial decision making and created a stronger long-term financial outlook. We are now seeing more and more second-generation Black Middle Class families emerging, more children are being born middle class. So, the parenting experience is also different. There are also changes in identity, Lappeman stated. The term used 10 years ago to characterise the spending power and habits of this then emerging class, was asset catch-up built on a notion that once financially resourced, Black people in post-Apartheid South Africa still needed to buy the car or house as they didnt have the privilege of inheriting assets as did their White counterparts. "That narrative has now shifted to wanting to create generational wealth which wasnt seen 10 to15 years ago, Lappeman continued. Travel wasnt a strong part of the narrative 10 to 15 years ago either, but the researchers said this was increasingly noticed as a feature where this segment was using their spending power. Paul Egan, managing consultant at the institute, and report co-author, explained that education particularly tertiary education was also noted as a catalyst for enhanced economic outcomes in the Black Middle Class. The correlation between economic outcomes and education is very strong (in terms of breaking into Black Middle Class). Completing a tertiary qualification enhances outcomes significantly. There will always be unemployed university graduates, but as a proportion of the unemployed, they are relatively small. What it means for like-minded partners Thabang Ramogase, Libertys chief marketing officer said: It is encouraging to see that despite all the challenges the last few years have imposed on the South African economy, this consumer segment remains ever-evolving, growing and resilient. He continued: What was true of the Black Middle Class in 1994, changed in the 2000s and has even further shifted in 2022 which is why understanding this market holistically and what drives it is so vitally important. "A deep understanding of the nuances that drive these consumers' 'why', will better inform our product designers and actuaries, to produce more compelling propositions that solve real problems. Ramogase added that those same learnings would undoubtedly form the bedrock of an expanded consumer knowledge base in other industries, including the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods industry. So, what is next? Looking into the future, the study's researchers said they see the continued growth of the Black Middle Class, with them not only growing in confidence but also owning their own narrative a lot more. Lappeman said: In the next 20 years were going to be seeing the first major wave of Black Middle Class retiring. What this will look like is still open to interpretation as research into Black Middle Class retirement is still limited. "However, the study's researchers noted that major shifts in this regard should be anticipated, and cautioned that companies should be careful to not just copy and paste strategies from the past. The report is available to subscribers of the UCT Liberty Institutes research library and parts of the findings will be made available to the public through the media over the next few weeks. I think that all of America should be appalled that Americas doctor, the leading expert on COVID in public health, doesnt want to divulge information, doesnt want to divulge his communications with Big Tech, Paul urged, adding that Faucis modus operandi is to cover up. A month before that, Senator Paul spoke after first ever Senate hearing on gain of function research, having revealed that there is a committee that is supposed to oversee such experimentation with potentially lethal viruses, but that it is above the oversight of Congress. We dont know the names. We dont know that they ever meet, and we dont have any records of their meetings, the Senator reiterated, adding Its top-secret. Congress is not allowed to know. So whether the committee actually exists, were uncertain. We do know that theyve met three times and there are thousands of gain-of-function research proposals. Theyve only met three times, theyve only reviewed three projects, Paul continued. The Senator added that When Dr. Fauci said, Oh, weve reviewed this and the experts have looked at this, and said its not gain-of-function, even that wasnt true. There was a committee that was formed after 2017 to look at this dangerous research. They didnt look at this research at all because they never reviewed it. So no one reviewed this to say it wasnt gain-of-function research. They didnt review it, period. So we learned a lot of things, but I think we reconfirmed that Dr. Fauci is not being honest with us, Paul urged, adding Yes, the NIH funded gain-of-function research. Yes, it was dangerous. And yes, nobody looked over this. Nobody reviewed the research. Yes, a million people died. And there still seems to be a significant lack of curiosity on the part of Democrats. Of course, Fauci shrugged this off as just more 'vast-right-wing-conspiracy-theory' or some-such. But, Dr. Fauci has a problem now... Just The News' Greg Piper reports that the former Center for Disease Control and Prevention director who was cast as a conspiracy theorist for saying the evidence supported the lab-leak explanation for COVID-19 allegedly provoking death threats claims that the real "conspiracy is Collins, Fauci, and the established scientific community." Robert Redfield told former Senate Finance Committee investigator Paul Thacker that National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci "knew" he funded gain-of-function research that makes viruses more dangerous, and "misled Congress" when he denied it." Rand Paul was right after all... and it wasn't a vast right wing conspiracy? Shock horror! "Everyone had to agree to the narrative" pushed by Fauci and then-National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from a "wet market" in Wuhan, not the Fauci-funded Wuhan Institute of Virology miles away, to avoid becoming a public target of the two officials, he said. Redfield said he believes The Lancet spring 2020 letter that lumped in the lab-leak hypothesis with "conspiracy theories" was "orchestrated ... under direction of Fauci and Collins, trying to nip any attempt to have an honest investigation of the pandemics origin." "There was nothing scientific about that letter. It was just an attempt to intimidate people," he also said. "I was threatened, my life was threatened," he said. "I have letters I got from prominent scientists, that previously gave me awards, telling me that the best thing I could do for the world was to shoot myself because of what I said." He believes that "Fauci and Collins were behind a lot of" the conspiracy and "anti-Asian hate" claims about the lab-leak theory So, finally, we ask, how has Fauci been able to survive all this (politically, bureaucratically, and freedom-wise)? Dr.Redflied has the answer - and you won't like it: "[n]othing's going to happen as long as the Biden administration is here." The part of science, though, remember! Professor of clinical psychology at Ghent University Mattias Desmet is the worlds leading expert in the phenomenon known as mass formation, which is a type of hypnotic state that occurs when people are isolated from one another and free-floating anxiety is prevalent, as in during the COVID-19 pandemic. Desmet believes the world is now seeing a new form of totalitarianism, spawned in the last couple of decades and fostered by mass formation during the pandemic. What youre dealing with now is not a communist or not fascist authoritarianism. It is the emergence, I think, of technocratic totalitarianism, Desmet said during a recent interview for EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program. This new form of control will not be led by gang leaders such as Stalin or Hitler, but by dull bureaucrats and technocrats, added Desmet, citing the work of 20th century political philosopher Hannah Arendt. This type of totalitarian technocracy believes the answer to the anxiety in society is more control. A technocracy is a system led by technical experts and not by democratically elected politicians, said Desmet. The Origins of Technocracy What we see now during the last decades is the emergence of a technocratic ideology, the belief that the problems of society, the belief that the objects of fear and anxiety in a societysuch as terrorism, or climate change, or the Coronavirusthat they should be controlled, or that we should fight these objects of anxiety by controlling them in a technological way, he said. As in the case of the pandemic, those in power thought it best that those with technical knowledge about viruses should decide policies, not democratically elected politicians, said Desmet. I believe that the technocratic system is the ultimate consequence of this rationalist ideology that emerged since the beginning of the tradition of enlightenment, he added. There are limits to this rationalist view of understanding life, and Desmet believes people must focus on ethical principles or the principles of humanity to create a harmonious and free society. If you follow rational understanding, and youre not humble and honest enough to admit that at a certain moment, there is a limit that your rational understanding, that your rational mind will never be able to grasp the essence or the phenomenon that youre studying, you lapse into complete radical, absurd irrationality, said Desmet. Mass Formation, Mass Media, Technocracy This type of state control is a desperate attempt to erase uncertainty from human existence, and to impose one state certainty, one shared certainty to every individual life, said Desmet. In addition, mass media plays a major role in solidifying this mass formation and thereby state control. This mass formation usually starts with a narrative that is being distributed through the mass media, indicating an object of anxiety, and at the same time providing a strategy to deal with the object of anxiety. What happens then, all this free-floating anxiety in the population suddenly connects to this object of anxiety provided in a narrative, said Desmet. And people are willing to go along with the irrational, faulty strategy, proposed by the authorities, he added. When the general public doesnt know why it feels anxious, frustrated, and aggressive, that is the perfect environment for mass formation, said Desmet. The root cause of the mass formationwhich was always loneliness, the disconnectedness that existed before the mass formation startedseems to be solved. People seem to feel connected again. I say seem, because they are not really connected again, said Desmet. People do not connect to each other but to the collective ideal, Desmet said. All the psychological energy, all the love, you could say, between individuals is extracted from the individual social bonds and injected in the bonds between the individuals and the collective. At the end stage of mass formation, people are in a paranoid state where they snitch on their neighbors and colleagues for not following the rules and blindly go along with irrational policies, as in the case of the COVID lockdowns, he said. These policies are reinforced by mass media and people go along with them because it gives them a sense of control, they have the feeling that they know now what they were anxious for, and that they can control their anxiety by participating in the strategy to deal with the object of anxiety. For instance, lockdown to deal with the virus, said Desmet. In a mass formation, people seem to choose to deal with uncertainty by just accepting everything the group believes in, they believe altogether, and the same dogmatic ideas and the same narratives that shouldnt be questioned anymore, said Desmet. The isolation and dependency on technology can reinfuse people with the propaganda, causing the hypnosis to last a long time, said Desmet. With the emergence of the mass media, that mass formation can last for a long time because people can be constantly, time and time again, be reinfused by this same propaganda, the same narratives, said Desmet. Like all totalitarian control, technocracy does not tolerate dissent, he said. It is as if all the uncertainty disappears under a collective narrative, that should not be questioned anymore, and that leads to this famous intolerance for dissident voices, said Desmet. To what extent this totalitarianism will succeed in destroying everyone who doesnt want to go along with it, that will depend on what those people do, who are not in the grip of this mass formation. Unhypnotized People Must Speak Up Those who were not hypnotized by the narrative could see that many of the COVID-19 measures were fundamentally and intrinsically irrational, said Desmet. The people who criticized these irrational policies and mandates and dissented were censored and in some cases punished, which is a hallmark of totalitarianism. In addition, totalitarianism requires that society should be led on the basis of indoctrination, propaganda, instead of truth speech, which is something a person genuinely believes and tries to share with others, said Desmet. From the First World War onwards, weve seen the emergence of an impressive propaganda machinery in the Western world through which a population was constantly manipulated without them knowing it, said Desmet. The remedy for this mass formation and to prevent atrocities from occurring is to speak out, he said. If you want to disturb the mass formation, then you have to speak out, said Desmet. The ancient Greeks called this parrhesia, like a kind of bold, courageous speech, practiced by individuals who refuse to go along with the narratives of a group or dominant narrative. Desmet urges all people to find the courage to speak out against irrational, totalitarian policies, not to convince anyone but to exercise their inalienable rights. Ukraines Foreign Minister: Every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say. Via: Reuters: Russia on Tuesday gave support to plans by separatists which it backs in Ukraine to hold referendums paving the way for the annexation of swathes of additional territory, a direct challenge to the West that could sharply escalate the conflict. After nearly seven months of war, including a critical battlefield defeat in northeastern Ukraine, Putin is pondering his next steps. In what appeared to be choreographed requests, Russian-backed officials across 15% of Ukrainian territory an area about the size of Hungary or Portugal lined up to request referendums on joining Russia. The self-styled Donetsk (DPR) and the Luhansk Peoples Republics (LPR), which Putin recognised as independent just before the invasion, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have asked for votes over less than 24 hours. Its easy to become discouraged about the state of our nation. Were drowning under the weight of too much debt, too many wars, too much power in the hands of a centralized government, too many militarized police, too many laws, too many lobbyists, and generally too much bad news. Its harder to believe that change is possible, that the system can be reformed, that politicians can be principled, that courts can be just, that good can overcome evil, and that freedom will prevail. So where does that leave us? Benjamin Franklin provided the answer. As the delegates to the Constitutional Convention trudged out of Independence Hall on September 17, 1787, an anxious woman in the crowd waiting at the entrance inquired of Franklin, Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy? A republic, Franklin replied, if you can keep it. What Franklin meant, of course, is that when all is said and done, we get the government we deserve. Those who gave us the Constitution and the Bill of Rights believed that the government exists at the behest of its citizens. It is there to protect, defend and even enhance our freedoms, not violate them. Unfortunately, although the Bill of Rights was adopted as a means of protecting the people against government tyranny, in America today, the government does whatever it wants, freedom be damned. We the people have been terrorized, traumatized, and tricked into a semi-permanent state of compliance by a government that cares nothing for our lives or our liberties. The bogeymans names and faces have changed over time (terrorism, the war on drugs, illegal immigration, a viral pandemic, and more to come), but the end result remains the same: in the so-called name of national security, the Constitution has been steadily chipped away at, undermined, eroded, whittled down, and generally discarded with the support of Congress, the White House, and the courts. A recitation of the Bill of Rightsset against a backdrop of government surveillance, militarized police, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, eminent domain, overcriminalization, armed surveillance drones, whole body scanners, stop and frisk searches, vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and the like (all sanctioned by Congress, the White House, and the courts)would understandably sound more like a eulogy to freedoms lost than an affirmation of rights we truly possess. What we are left with today is but a shadow of the robust document adopted more than two centuries ago. Sadly, most of the damage has been inflicted upon the Bill of Rights. Here is what it means to live under the Constitution, twenty-plus years after 9/11 and with the nation just emerging from two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates. The First Amendment is supposed to protect the freedom to speak your mind, assemble and protest nonviolently without being bridled by the government. It also protects the freedom of the media, as well as the right to worship and pray without interference. In other words, Americans should not be silenced by the government. To the founders, all of America was a free speech zone. Despite the clear protections found in the First Amendment, the freedoms described therein are under constant assault. Increasingly, Americans are being persecuted for exercising their First Amendment rights and speaking out against government corruption. Activists are being arrested and charged for daring to film police officers engaged in harassment or abusive practices. Journalists are being prosecuted for reporting on whistleblowers. States are passing legislation to muzzle reporting on cruel and abusive corporate practices. Religious ministries are being fined for attempting to feed and house the homeless. Protesters are being tear-gassed, beaten, arrested and forced into free speech zones. And under the guise of government speech, the courts have reasoned that the government can discriminate freely against any First Amendment activity that takes place within a so-called government forum. The Second Amendment was intended to guarantee the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Essentially, this amendment was intended to give the citizenry the means to resist tyrannical government. Yet while gun ownership has been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as an individual citizen right, Americans remain powerless to defend themselves against red flag gun laws, militarized police, SWAT team raids, and government agencies armed to the teeth with military weapons better suited to the battlefield. The Third Amendment reinforces the principle that civilian-elected officials are superior to the military by prohibiting the military from entering any citizens home without the consent of the owner. With the police increasingly training like the military, acting like the military, and posing as military forcescomplete with heavily armed SWAT teams, military weapons, assault vehicles, etc.it is clear that we now have what the founders feared mosta standing army on American soil. The Fourth Amendment prohibits government agents from conducting surveillance on you or touching you or encroaching on your private property unless they have evidence that youre up to something criminal. In other words, the Fourth Amendment ensures privacy and bodily integrity. Unfortunately, the Fourth Amendment has suffered the greatest damage in recent years and has been all but eviscerated by an unwarranted expansion of governmental police powers that include strip searches and even anal and vaginal searches of citizens, surveillance (corporate and otherwise), and intrusions justified in the name of fighting terrorism, as well as the outsourcing of otherwise illegal activities to private contractors. The Fifth Amendment and the Sixth Amendment work in tandem. These amendments supposedly ensure that you are innocent until proven guilty, and government authorities cannot deprive you of your life, your liberty or your property without the right to an attorney and a fair trial before a civilian judge. However, in the new suspect society in which we live, where surveillance is the norm, these fundamental principles have been upended. Certainly, if the government can arbitrarily freeze, seize or lay claim to your property (money, land or possessions) under government asset forfeiture schemes, you have no true rights. The Seventh Amendment guarantees citizens the right to a jury trial. Yet when the populace has no idea of whats in the Constitutioncivic education has virtually disappeared from most school curriculumsthat inevitably translates to an ignorant jury incapable of distinguishing justice and the law from their own preconceived notions and fears. However, as a growing number of citizens are coming to realize, the power of the jury to nullify the governments actionsand thereby help balance the scales of justiceis not to be underestimated. Jury nullification reminds the government that we the people retain the power to ultimately determine what laws are just. The Eighth Amendment is similar to the Sixth in that it is supposed to protect the rights of the accused and forbid the use of cruel and unusual punishment. However, the Supreme Courts determination that what constitutes cruel and unusual should be dependent on the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society leaves us with little protection in the face of a society lacking in morals altogether. The Ninth Amendment provides that other rights not enumerated in the Constitution are nonetheless retained by the people. Popular sovereigntythe belief that the power to govern flows upward from the people rather than downward from the rulersis clearly evident in this amendment. However, it has since been turned on its head by a centralized federal government that sees itself as supreme and which continues to pass more and more laws that restrict our freedoms under the pretext that it has an important government interest in doing so. As for the Tenth Amendments reminder that the people and the states retain every authority that is not otherwise mentioned in the Constitution, that assurance of a system of government in which power is divided among local, state and national entities has long since been rendered moot by the centralized Washington, DC, power elitethe president, Congress and the courts. Thus, if there is any sense to be made from this recitation of freedoms lost, it is simply this: our individual freedoms have been eviscerated so that the governments powers could be expanded. It was no idle happenstance that the Constitution opens with these three powerful words: We the people. As the Preamble proclaims: We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America. In other words, its our job to make the government play by the rules of the Constitution. We are supposed to be the masters and theythe government and its agentsare the servants. We the American peoplethe citizenryare supposed to be the arbiters and ultimate guardians of Americas welfare, defense, liberty, laws and prosperity. Still, its hard to be a good citizen if you dont know anything about your rights or how the government is supposed to operate. As the National Review rightly asks, How can Americans possibly make intelligent and informed political choices if they dont understand the fundamental structure of their government? American citizens have the right to self-government, but it seems that we increasingly lack the capacity for it. Americans are constitutionally illiterate. Most citizens have little, if any, knowledge about their basic rights. And our educational system does a poor job of teaching the basic freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For instance, a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that a little more than one-third of respondents (36 percent) could name all three branches of the U.S. government, while another one-third (35 percent) could not name a single one. A survey by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that only one out of a thousand adults could identify the five rights protected by the First Amendment. On the other hand, more than half (52%) of the respondents could name at least two of the characters in the animated Simpsons television family, and 20% could name all five. And although half could name none of the freedoms in the First Amendment, a majority (54%) could name at least one of the three judges on the TV program American Idol, 41% could name two and one-fourth could name all three. It gets worse. Many who responded to the survey had a strange conception of what was in the First Amendment. For example, a startling number of respondents believed that the right to own a pet and the right to drive a car were part of the First Amendment. Another 38% believed that taking the Fifth was part of the First Amendment. Teachers and school administrators do not fare much better. A study conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis found that one educator in five was unable to name any of the freedoms in the First Amendment. Government leaders and politicians are also ill-informed. Although they take an oath to uphold, support and defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic, their lack of education about our fundamental rights often causes them to be enemies of the Bill of Rights. So whats the solution? Thomas Jefferson recognized that a citizenry educated on their rights, interests, and duties is the only real assurance that freedom will survive. As Jefferson wrote in 1820: I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of our society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power. From the President on down, anyone taking public office should have a working knowledge of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and should be held accountable for upholding their precepts. One way to ensure this would be to require government leaders to take a course on the Constitution and pass a thorough examination thereof before being allowed to take office. Some critics are advocating that students pass the United States citizenship exam in order to graduate from high school. Others recommend that it must be a prerequisite for attending college. Id go so far as to argue that students should have to pass the citizenship exam before graduating from grade school. Heres an idea to get educated and take a stand for freedom: anyone who signs up to become a member of The Rutherford Institute gets a wallet-sized Bill of Rights card and a Know Your Rights card. Use this card to teach your children the freedoms found in the Bill of Rights. A healthy, representative government is hard work. It takes a citizenry that is informed about the issues, educated about how the government operates, and willing to do more than grouse and complain. As I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, we the people have the power to make and break the government. The powers-that-be want us to remain divided over politics, hostile to those with whom we disagree politically, and intolerant of anyone or anything whose solutions to what ails this country differ from our own. They also want us to believe that our job as citizens begins and ends on Election Day. Yet there are 330 million of us in this country. Imagine what we could accomplish if we actually worked together, presented a united front, and spoke with one voice. Tyranny wouldn't stand a chance. WC: 2308 The FBI has downgraded child sex abuse material investigations to focus on prosecuting and inflating the threat of "domestic violent extremists," according to an FBI whistleblower. Tucker Carlson talks about how a whistleblower says the FBI is "breaking its own procedures to create the illusion that new domestic extremism cases are popping up all over the United States." pic.twitter.com/vAgWIfyZPi The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 20, 2022 #BREAKING: New whistleblower information reveals that the FBI is moving agents off of child sexual abuse investigations to instead pursue political investigations. The whistleblower recounted being told that child sexual abuse investigations were no longer an FBI priority. pic.twitter.com/EBXrnVWhO6 House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) September 20, 2022 From Breitbart, "Whistleblower Alleges FBI Schemed to Distort January 6 Cases into Nationwide 'Domestic Violent Extremism' Epidemic": A whistleblower has accused the FBIs Washington Field Office of using cases related to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot to "overstate" the threat of "domestic violent extremism" in America, according to Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). The whistleblower alleged the FBI office did not follow standard investigative practices for the January 6 cases when it moved the cases to various local Field Offices around the country based on where the case subjects were from, Jordan revealed in a letter addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday. January 6 cases "should all be officially led by the WFO [Washington Field Office] and categorized as WFO cases," according to the letter, but instead, a "task force" dispatched instructions to open January 6 investigations to local field offices nationwide. Those local offices received the cases, making it look as if they were conducting the investigations on the cases, when, in reality, the Washington Field Office continued to conduct the bulk of the work, according to the letter. The whistleblower told Jordan: The manipulative casefile practice creates false and misleading crime statistics. Instead of hundreds of investigations stemming from a single, black swan incident at the Capitol, FBI and DOJ officials point to significant increases in domestic violent extremism and terrorism around the United States. Jordan noted in the letter, "Such an artificial case categorization scheme allows FBI leadership to misleadingly point to significant' increases in DVE threats nationwide," which supports a narrative being perpetuated by the Biden administration. The whistleblower also alleged that January 6 cases were inappropriately taking priority over other cases, citing an instance of being "told that child sexual abuse material investigations were no longer an FBI priority and should be referred to local law enforcement agencies," according to the letter. Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds and Telegram. SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The customs agencies of South Korea and Thailand have jointly confiscated drugs set to be smuggled into South Korea through a four-month operation, the South Korean customs office said Tuesday. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) and its Thai counterpart conducted a joint crackdown on the drug smuggling for about four months through August. The agencies impounded 22 kg of methamphetamine, around 290,000 tablets of yaba, a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine, and other types of drugs. The joint crackdown came amid a recent surge in drug smuggling from Southeast Asian nations into South Korea. In 2021, the South Korean customs agency detected 79 cases of methamphetamine smuggling from Southeast Asia, or 64 percent of the total. The United Nations is getting an upgrade to prepare itself for the post-Great Reset era. The WEF and UN are all but physically merged into a giant public-private partnership to transform the world through Innovation, Data, Strategic foresight, Results orientation, and Behavioural science. Remember that Technocracy was defined as the Science of Social Engineering as far back as 1937. TN Editor Civic participation is seen as an important component in fulfilling the UN agenda. Citizens must be made more involved. It all sounds wonderful. But when looking closer, it seems to be mostly about legitimising UNs own agenda and fostering more obedient citizens. The UN only listens to the citizens and groups that say what they want to hear. Criticism and opinions that do not support the UN climate action, migration policy, or health mandates are generally disregarded, dismissed, ridiculed, and thrown in the bin. The eighth commitment involves the appointment of a High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilaterism , chaired by former heads of state and government, and is focused on improved governance of our global commons. It also includes the re-establishment of the Secretary-Generals Scientific Council and the UN taking part in more listening, participation, and consultation (including digitally) from the public. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for a Quintet of Change for an upgraded UN 2.0: Innovation, Data, Strategic foresight, Results orientation, and Behavioural science. According to Guterres, the United Nations needs to be adapted for the digital era. The High-Level Advisory Board which I described in the introductory post Multilateralism with teeth will develop proposals for the following: Improving the governance of global public goods and other areas Anticipate how sustainable development and climate measures will be handled after 2030 Peace and security, for the new peace agenda Digital technology, for the Global Digital Compact Outer space, seek consensus on the sustainable and peaceful use of outer space, move towards a global regime to coordinate space traffic and agree on principles for the future governance of outer space Global major risks and agreement on a Global Emergency Platform Subsequent generations, for possible agreement on a declaration of future generations. The United Nations intends to upgrade the global governance of the world. This includes listening to the citizens. To make the United Nations more effective, we will develop new capabilities that promote agility, integration and cohesion across the system. This will be part of a wider transformation towards a United Nations 2.0, a new version that is able to offer relevant and system-wide solutions to the challenges of the twenty-first century. The basis for everything is data. According to the Secretary-Generals data strategy, UN Secretary-Generals Data Strategy 2020-22, this should permeate everything and lead us through the Great Transformation. This data strategy means the upgrading and digitisation of the United Nations. It outlines how to use all the data that is collected (Big Data, sensors/IoT, sound, image, text, etc.).[1] The global sustainable development goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 are to be reached with the help of digital technology. This includes areas such as climate change, gender equality, human rights, peace and security, governance as well as future ethics, data protection, and privacy. Making better use of data with approaches grounded in UN values and human rights is integral to our future and service. Recognizing that we have not fully unlocked our data and analytics potential, this Strategy will guide us through a long-term transformation: So that everyone, everywhere nurtures data as a strategic asset for insight, impact and integrity to better deliver on our mandates for people & planet. Data should not only be collected it should be combined, analysed and evaluated with scoreboards within each sub-area. This is the digital crystal ball that will be used to monitor and predict world developments in order to take appropriate action. we will master analytics capabilities that help us better understand what happened, why it happened, what may happen next and how to respond with insight, impact and integrity. This data collection has already begun and the goal is to have it fully operable by the year 2025. COVID-19 provided an opportunity to test existing and developing technologies and gives an indication of how the collected data is intended to be used. Among other things, the number of infected, vaccinated, and the social consequences of the pandemic were analysed here. This is now to be applied to pretty much everything. Partnerships with data specialists and various stakeholders are also proposed. This includes, among other things, data philanthropy programs where data must be shared between public, private, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The UN assures us that this must be done with respect for both human rights and privacy, but the arrangement raises questions about how reliable such assurances really are. Through behavioural analysis, the UN can gain knowledge about how citizens think and respond to the implementation of their programs and at the same time manage unwanted responses. Behavioural changes are key, according to the UNs Behavioral Science Report. Strategies of this kind have already been used by the WHO in the context of COVID-19. WHOs Western Pacific Office is focusing on capacity building for the creation of social listening systems (i.e. the monitoring of publicly available social media channels). Behavioural and perception data are used to inform communication strategies and support decision-making of the COVID-19 response. Behavioural design is also being integrated in the design of COVID-19 campaigns. Another initiative is Climate Neutral Now, which aims to enable individuals, organisations and civil society to calculate their climate footprint and encourages them to reduce their non-compensated emissions using certified carbon credits. This constitutes a soft exercise of power where citizens are given choices but where they are encouraged to choose the goals that the UN has already established as worthy of pursuit. Civic Participation For the data strategy to be effective, citizens data needs to be made available. To achieve this, an enhanced dialogue is required. Citizens must be more involved in the process while their actions and opinions can be analysed at the same time. In this way, their relationship to climate change, COVID-19, gender equality and hate crimes can also be made visible and, if necessary, corrected. In this way, any security risks are also minimised. This is what is meant by putting citizens at the center and that no one should be left behind. It is total digital surveillance that applies to obtain protection and security with a scorecard for each individual. Greater civic participation from citizens is seen by the UN as a guarantor of creating a better common future. The partner World Economic Forum is also involved in this. As described in the WEF report Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures Rebuilding Social Cohesion and Trust through Citizen Dialogues: Collective intelligence and deliberative processes that enhance civic participation have the ability to transform how we approach our common future, leading to better decisions and outcomes for all..[2] However, upon closer examination, the civic participation is all about supporting the UN and Agenda 2030 rather than raising any direct criticism. A citizen dialogue, about what decisions needed to be made so that future generations would be proud of us, and which was held by the organizations Civis, Confkids, Isha Foundation, Missions Publiques, United World Colleges (UWC), and the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in December 2020 gave a clear message: The message to global leaders is this: human beings the world over share the same vision for the future, one that is more equal, just and that puts people and the planet first. The question is, is there anyone who does not believe that we want a just world where we take care of both people and the planet? But do we really have a common vision for how it should be done? There is no real space for critical voices. The course has already been set and any views on climate and health that do not align with this are frowned upon. Instead, this citizen participation project seems to only be used to legitimise and drive the global transformation they intend to implement. For example, the report specifically highlights that several participants in the citizen dialogue expressed concern about misinformation around COVID-19 being spread in the news and in social media. According to the report, this shows the need for truthful communication from governments and authorities, but it is also emphasised that the citizens themselves are responsible for the misinformation they share. This is where the need for UN truth verification comes in (see my previous post Ministry of Truth). It is the votes of the obedient citizens that count, while those who disagree are largely lumped together as conspiracy theorists, science deniers or malicious internet trolls spreading misinformation. By using on a number of pre-determined questions to a select group of citizens regarding the creation of a just world, a biased selection of their views is made. This applies, among other things, to the view on the distribution of vaccines: One first step identified to ensure equality post-COVID-19 is a vaccine distribution strategy that is fair and needs-based. A cohesive and well-reasoned global plan should be created to realise this. It is also about the climate crisis being handled through radical changes to energy sources and that citizens give their support to the need for a more inclusive and progressive education where young people must challenge the opinions of their parents/guardians (just like under the Cultural Revolution in China). The latter is described as a way to create an environment without discrimination and with respect for others, but it has greater implications. Among other things, this includes the current social trend of allowing children and youth to make life-changing decisions about gender corrections at a sensitive age.[3] In addition, it opens the door for manipulation of a group that lacks life experience and can thus be more easily influenced and controlled. Young people are also generally more radical and open to system changes. This is a proven strategy in totalitarian systems and was tested on a large scale in Nazi Germany. I will return to this in the post on Commitment 11: Listen to and work with youth. Not surprisingly, Jacinda Arderns (a WEF Young Global Leader) New Zealand is highlighted in the report as a leading country in terms of popular support: New Zealand has been praised for the way it has managed the pandemic and was recently ranked as the country with the best COVID-19 response, in part due to its focus on social cohesion in its response. Conference on the Future of Europe The report also mentions that the EU intends to strengthen citizen influence. The EU acts in many ways as a testing ground for the UN agenda. On this basis, an online Conference on the Future of Europe was held between April 2021 and May 2022 to give people from all over Europe the opportunity to share ideas on how to shape our common future.[4] At the center of citizen influence were 800 randomly selected citizens who were already part of the European Citizens Panels four sub-panels (Economy, Democracy, Climate/Environment/Health and Migration) while 5 million people had visited a Multilingual Digital Platform to make contributions to the panels work. This resulted in 43,734 entries. The participants had to express themselves in nine predetermined areas as well as the category other questions. These areas were: Climate change and the environment Health A stronger economy, social justice and jobs EU in the world Values and rights, rule of law, security Digital transformation European Democracy Migration Education, Culture, Youth and Sports The various topics were presented by external experts who also participated as resources during the conferences. This procedure, of course, helped steer the panel in the direction desired by the Commission. According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the collective reply from the citizens dialogue was unequivocal: You have told us that you want to build a better future by living up to the most enduring promises of the past. Promises of peace and prosperity, fairness and progress; of a Europe that is social and sustainable, that is caring and daring. The person who asks the questions and compiles the results has, of course, an interpretative priority. In this case, it is presented as if the citizens have largely given their consent to the EU Commissions priorities (which fully coincide with Agenda 2030). This applies in particular to the health agenda and the climate, where participants reportedly often expressed their concern about climate change and its consequences, and call on governments and the EU to take immediate action and introduce a stronger European environmental policy to combat climate change. Coincidentally, the contributors also emphasised the need for continued digitisation to deal with the climate as well as other future challenges. This also concerns the issue of Digital Identity, which is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of the new system. It also ties in with the EUs continued federalisation and exercise of power. The idea of federalisation is prominent. Contributions range from calls to take steps towards a federal union in specific areas to establishing a European Constitution. On the other hand, some participants are sceptical or call rather for decentralisation, with greater powers for Member States Apparently, skepticism towards federalisation were also expressed. If one digs deeper into the reports elaboration, concerns are also expressed about digital surveillance as well as the treatment of unvaccinated people. Another group of contributions underlines the need to lift COVID-19 measures once the effects of the pandemic allow, in order to ensure a return to normality and restore citizens freedoms. In this regard, there is also a call to prevent discrimination against citizens who have chosen not to be vaccinated or undergo regular tests to gain access to basic facilities.[5] However, this did not make any major impression with the Commission and was not mentioned in the summary. Instead, it is determined how free speech should be guaranteed by fighting hate speech, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news.[6] This was something that the Commission worked on intensively during the pandemic in order to deal with opposition to mass vaccination programs, mandatory mask wearing, and lockdowns.[7] As part of work to address the negative effects of conspiracy theories, the European Commission and UNESCO published educational infographics to help citizens identify and counter conspiracy theories. The same, of course, applies to all criticism levelled of the climate agenda. The view reflects that expressed by the World Economic Forum in its Strategic Intelligence. Misinformation campaigns have too often led people to ignore science-based recommendations meant to limit the spread of the pandemic, to fail to appreciate or understand guidance from experts on the crucial importance of vaccines, or to accept climate change denial.[8] Serious criticism is deceptively mixed with the vast amount of real misinformation and unsubstantiated speculative theories that have spread online in recent years. von der Leyens closing speech after the conference gave a clear indication of which points of view the Commission chooses to listen to, including giving the EU greater powers regarding health policy with binding regulations and decisions. You have told us where you want this Europe to go. And it is now up to us to take the most direct way there, either by using the full limits of what we can do within the Treaties, or by changing the Treaties if need be. In June 2022, von der Leyen proposed how participatory democracy should become part of the EUs future decision-making. Among other things, there is the Have your Say Platform, which will form the basis of a new ecosystem for democratic engagement.[9] Here you can submit your views on new and existing laws. To do this, however, you need to register an account with personal data to the platform. This takes place through verification methods such as mobile numbers, e-identification or social media accounts such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. This also means that the opinions can theoretically be stored and linked to the person who submitted the opinions.[10] Data that can then be used for your personal scoring board (social credits). But of course the EU would never do such a mapping? The question is how much of an impact the public involvement has? Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of submitted views opposed an extension of the EUs digital Covid Certificate until 30 June 2023, the Council gave the go-ahead to extend the regulation on 28 June 2022 [11] Already in the 2000s, the European Commission ran a public online forum where anyone could become a member (under any name) and express their opinions. Unfortunately, the citizens did not express the right opinions (about e.g. the climate threat or the many intrusive EU directives) and was therefore shut down around 2010. It is this type of democratic commitment that Antonio Guterres now wants to implement for the UN as well. With listening that appears more like eavesdropping and where the purpose is to record and if necessary correct. Everyone must join our common future Next time I will look at how the UN should be financed and expand its cooperation with the G20 Ensure Sustainable Financing. In a well-choreographed made-for TV political drama, DeSantis recently shuttled dozens of illegal immigrants to the neoliberal wonderland that is Marthas Vineyard. It had everything one could want in a juicy culture war soap opera: exposure of hypocrisy on a grand scale, comeuppance for the elites wrecking the nation, corporate media news actors crocodile tears. Remember when then-candidate Brandon encouraged literally everyone in Latin America seeking asylum to surge through the border as soon as he got into office? Biden calling on immigrants to surge through the border. pic.twitter.com/moYGRmd4P2 Corn Pop (@Corn_Pop_) September 12, 2022 Apparently he forgot the caveat: just not to Marthas Vineyard where my donors have summer homes. This is the modern tale of two cities: When the privileged Country Club classes that populate Marthas Vineyard are made to bear the brutal impacts of their policing its theatre and a political stunt. When average people in smalltown Texas get flooded with illegal immigrants, thats just another Tuesday. If they complain to the government thats supposed to control border crossings, theyre denounced as bigots. We dont have the resources to house them, lamented the Marthas Vineyard homeless shelter coordinator. Imagine the gall. Marthas Vineyard is one of the wealthiest locales in the whole country. If it cant swing the resources to house and feed 50 new immigrants, how can cash-strapped cities across the US like Brownsville, Texas be expected to handle millions of migrants every year illegally trampling over the border into its hands? The reality is that she doesnt care how, or even if, these immigrants eat, or what effect their illegal presence will have on the society or economy of the mainland. As she explains in the clip, she just wants them off her lawn out of sight, out of mind so she and her neighbors can get back to the real work of virtue-signaling in peace. Within less than 48 hours of their arrival to Marthas Vineyard, the newly arrived Sacred Immigrants of Color, Our Greatest Strength, whom the islands residents uniformly adore and celebrate as a matter of religious conviction, were unceremoniously shipped off to a nearby military base. Indelible mark translated: One of the brown people stepped on my porch for a photo-op and I had to powerwash it with bleach to decontaminate. It grossed me out and probably lowered my property value, so I had them deported. - When the corporate state overlords become first in line to feel the pain, theyre likelier to act responsibly. We have to force them to reckon with the consequences of their own policies. This cant be a one-off thing. Further planeloads of sacred, diverse Immigrants of Color should be distributed to their backyards post-haste. In addition to continuing nonstop service to Marthas Vineyard, regular planeloads/busloads of new arrivals should be regularly delivered supply chain-style to: The Hamptons Suburban DC Silicon Valley/Palo Alto Beverly Hills Berkeley Department of Homeland Security headquarters 30 Rockefeller Plaza (NBC headquarters in Manhattan) Wall St. Every blue state governors mansion In addition, the government actors, nonprofit philanthropists, and corporate social engineers should also be the very first in line to be made to: Eat crickets and ants and whatever other bugs they want to mandate us to eat as their main protein source Wear carbon trackers to track their consumption (their frequent private jet-setting would break the meter) Receive, under threat of imprisonment or fines pursuant to the brutal vaccine mandates they championed, the experimental drugs that they fraudulently push through the regulatory process without following normal testing procedures Whats good for the goose is good for the gander! UN Report: America becoming a Third-World country The US, the Shining City on a Hill famous the world over, now lands between Ukraine and Bulgaria on the UN development rankings, which uses metrics such as clean water and sanitation, education, health, and poverty levels. This isnt to say that immigrants are to blame for Americas descent into a coast-to-coast shanty town thats obviously the doing of the multinational corporate state that views the middle class as its primary enemy and has been stealthily working on its annihilation for the past 40-50 years. That said, importing millions of new people from the Third World into an already-collapsing system wont help anyone, documented or undocumented, outside of a tiny elite minority. What mass importation of non-Western, non-educated people will do is further drive down wages, collapse the middle class, and pour fuel on the raging culture war along ethnic lines. All due credit to DeSantis for the ingenious play aside, it was, at the end of the day, a theatrical production not serious policy. Watching the melodramatic meltdown by neoliberals who purport to love diversity, but actually go to great lengths and expense to avoid it, was super cathartic. But it was also, lets be real, silly Twitter clickbait for silly people obsessed with viscerally pleasing culture war wins. Yes, the decadent creatures that populate Marthas Vineyard deserve to taste their own bitter neoliberal medicine. Yes, they are unbearable hypocrites they actually deserve much worse than the temporary discomfort of being forced to reckon with a consequence of their own obscene policies. Almost as quickly as they came, though, the migrants were cleared out and shipped elsewhere within the US territory to become a burden to the middle and working classes as designed. In the absence of further, more meaningful action, the islands inhabitants, by way of their vast resources and political influence, will make sure no such event occurs again. Illegal immigration will continue unabated. In the final analysis, nothing will have changed aside from, perhaps, DeSantis poll numbers. Real border security, and other means of effective governance, require buy-in from all of the members of the society in question. We cant maintain a functional system with a group of psychotic elites in charge who, for a variety of reasons, hate the native population and want to displace it. Localization which includes local border control is the answer. Enlist in a parallel society/economy and leave the ruin behind. Ben Bartee is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff via Armageddon Prose and/or Substack, Patreon, Gab, and Twitter. Bitcoin public address: 14gU3aHBXkNq8bDqmibfnubV7kSJqfx5LX Photos: W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation NEW YORK, NY September 19, 2022 The W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation Sunday unveiled plans and renderings for the new W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Complex in Accra, Ghana, designed by Sir David Adjaye, the internationally acclaimed architect of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. The expansion, transformation, and repositioning of the Du Bois Centre in Ghana will turn into a dramatic global center for tourism, study, and celebration of the Pan African diaspora and will bring to a new generation the vision and writings of W. E. B. Du Bois, the most important African American intellectual of the 20th century. It will serve as the starting point for visitors returning to Africa to explore their roots, and include a scholastic institute, library, outdoor auditorium, memorial pavilion, craft shops for artisans, a cafe, and large open spaces for formal gatherings and lectures. Redeveloping and restoring this historic center is crucial in preserving the legacy of the father of Pan-Africanism so that generations to come can see how his work contributed to American History, said the Chairman of the W. E. B Du Bois Foundation, Daniel Rose. It has been my mission to honor Dr. Du Bois and his family. My hope is that this center will be a mecca for intellectual thought and excellence; and a catalyst in bridging our communities across the diaspora together. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois virtually invented modern African American letters and inspired the work of practically all other modern African American intellectuals to follow. More than that, he reshaped how the complex experience of America and African America could be understood. He left AmericansBlack and whitea legacy of intellectual tools, a language with which they might analyze their present and imagine a future. He played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century Black protest in America and was one of the founders of the NAACP. Du Bois collection of essays, The Souls of Black Folk, is a seminal work in African American literature and a founding work in the literature of Black protest. In it, he eloquently affirmed that it is beneath the dignity of a human being to beg for those rights that belong inherently to all mankind. The expansion of this museum is a pivotal moment in American and Ghanaian history. Seeing my great grandfather honored in this way, knowing his legacy and work will continue to have an impact on the lives of so many now and in the years to come is truly a special moment for me and my family, said Jeffrey Peck, great grandson of W. E. B Du Bois. Kwame Nkrumah, then President of Ghana, invited Dr. Du Bois to move to Ghana to undertake an Encyclopedia Africana, an interdisciplinary global publication to document the experience and historical contributions of African peoples in the world, where he died on August 27, 1963the day before his American compatriots assembled for the March on Washington. The Du Bois Centre is the burial place of both Du Bois and his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois, also a prolific American award-winning author, playwright, composer, and activist for African American and Chinese causes. As part of the renovation the museum will be transformed, repositioned, and expanded while keeping the current structures, the Bungalow and the Gazebo Mausoleum, which will be incorporated into the new W.E.B and Shirley Du Bois Memorial Pavilion. The Bungalow will be restored, as closely as possible, to its original state. A separate Museum and Library will be built to house the books, journals, papers, and other written and visual collections of the Du Bois family. The complex will be completed and dedicated by 2025. Plans and three-dimensional renderings of the new complex were unveiled by NYC Mayor Eric Adams, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Greenfield, and Ghana Tourism Minister Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, who joined American business leader and philanthropist Daniel Rose, Founder and Chairman of the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, and the great grandchildren of W.E.B Dubois, Jeffrey Peck and Arthur McFarlane II. The W.E.B Du Bois Museum Foundation is a New York-based non-profit organization established in 2019, with the exclusive mission of honoring the life, purpose, and legacy of the celebrated father of Pan-Africanism, Dr. W. E. B Du Bois, by redeveloping and rebranding his final resting place in Accra, Ghana. The interest and dedication of the Foundation is to revive the current Du Bois Memorial Centre into a Museum Complex and as a destination for scholars, artists, and heritage tourists alike. The complex will consist of these core facilities: (1) W.E.B and Shirley Du Bois Memorial Pavilion: The W.E.B. and Shirley Du Bois Memorial Pavilion will be the heart of the complex and the most solemn, revered, and dignified place to visit for contemplation. It will incorporate the current gazebo tomb/shrine that holds the mortal remains of Dr. Du Bois and his wife. (2) The Du Bois Bungalow: The refurbished and restored bungalow where W. E. B. Du Bois lived, worked, and died with his wife will have flooring, windows, furniture, and fixtures restored to their original states. (3) Institute Building: This is the largest building in the complex, which features a fully curated Museum/Gallery; the library/research/reading room and administrative offices. (4) The Museum/Gallery: This will exhibit historical pictures, mementos (University Gown/Robs/Hoods), gifts and other items belonging to Dr. Du Bois and his wife Shirley Graham. (5) The Library: This will be another important feature of the Complex containing books, periodicals, journals, papers, and publications by and about Dr. Du Bois and his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois, as well as the Pan African movement. It will include a rare books room for the delicate and personal books and papers of Dr. Du Bois and Shirley Graham. (6) Outdoor Auditorium: This will be used for cultural and artistic performances, informal and formal gatherings, conferences, lectures, shows and special events. (7) Marcus Garvey Guest House: The Marcus Garvey guest house will be renovated with new roofing, flooring, furnishing, and fixtures to accommodate visiting scholars, visitors, and special guests of the museum. BUCHAREST, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Romania has reached the target of 80 percent natural gas storage set by the European Commission for Nov. 1, the country's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said Monday. "We are continuing the projects already started to ensure Romania's energy independence, such as the extraction of natural gas from the Black Sea, which covers approximately 10 percent of the country's consumption needs," Ciuca said on Facebook. Romania will have enough gas for the winter, he noted. The Eastern European country has a storage capacity of over 3 billion cubic meters in six depleted natural gas fields, while total consumption amounts to 11-12 billion cubic meters per year, according to official figures. It is therefore in line with the European average, whereby a country can cover a quarter of its annual consumption through storage. Unlike many other European Union (EU) member states that have to import their winter reserve, Romania sends gas to storage sites from its own production. Before the Ukraine conflict, Romania counted on Russia for 15 percent of its natural gas imports. The European Council announced on June 27 the official adoption of new rules obliging member states to fill their underground storage facilities to 80 percent capacity by Nov. 1, 2022. NICOSIA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot rescuers saved at least 477 irregular migrants in two separate operations in unfavorable sea conditions in the past 24 hours, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said here on Tuesday. It said that in one operation, the JRCC responded to a distress call for an 18-meter boat with more than 300 people on board, which was drifting about 110 nautical miles off the west coast of Cyprus. A JRCC spokesman said that the call was received by JRCC's Larnaca headquarters at 7 p.m. local time on Monday. The boat was experiencing engine trouble. After a helicopter spotted the boat, two navy ships and a nautical police patrol boat were dispatched to the area and at the same time, all ships sailing nearby were asked to help in the rescue operation. "The weather in the region was bad, but fortunately a Russian-owned cargo vessel registered in the Marshal Islands was very close and responded to the call. It took aboard all the passengers from the boat in distress," the spokesman said. He said that the captain of the cargo vessel was asked to take the migrants to the Cypriot port of Limassol, but he opted to follow his company's instructions and head to his original destination of Istanbul, Turkey. The JRCC spokesman said the second rescue operation was mounted in the early hours of Tuesday after a distress call, also citing engine trouble, was received from a boat that was drifting with 177 people on board about 30 nautical miles south of Larnaca. The spokesman said that the two navy ships returning from the first rescue operation and a marine police vessel were diverted to the Larnaca area. The rescue operation lasted well past midday. The rescue boats docked at Larnaca late in the afternoon, where civil defense groups and medical staff cared for the exhausted migrants. The migrants told the authorities that they had sailed from Lebanon and headed for Italy. Jordan Feliz- Beloved | hoganson media RIAA Gold-selling, Dove Award-winning pop recording artist and songwriter Jordan Feliz was inspired by his firstborn baby girl, Jolie, to write and record Beloved, the title track to his debut album released in 2015. The song went on to encourage millions of listeners around the world, including noted childrens author Jes Woller and illustrator Hilary Griffith, who combine their talents for the heartwarming childrens hardcover book, Beloved, releasing today (Sept. 20) via Centricity Music in conjunction with Callawind Book Publishing. The book is available now to order from https://jordanfeliz.com/belovedbook. Written by Woler, edited by Centricity Musics Director Of Marketing and Communication, Kory Henkel, and beautifully illustrated by Griffith, this precious, 24-page read-aloud storybook for two- to six-year-olds teaches young children about finding their value not in the things of this world, but rather in the love of Jesus. Jolie, my love. Beloved started as a reminder for you. A telling of the simple truth that you are loved and cherished by the creator of the universe, says Feliz to his real-life daughter. It is my deepest desire that you would never forget that it is in Him where your worth is found. Now it is a prayer that we get to proclaim over our entire family and the world! I pray that everyone who reads this book would be reminded of Gods love for them and that their identity in Him would be more solidified, continues Feliz. Beloved shares the story of a little girl, appropriately named Jolie, who spends a day at the beach with her father. Her dad, who bears a remarkable resemblance to the Beloved songs author in the picture-book, tells his daughter she is beloved. Jolie spends the fun-filled day wondering about the meaning of the word, and how she can continue to be beloved by her daddy. Tucking her in bed as the day comes to a close, her father reveals that she will always be loved by him and her mommy, and even more so by Jesus, and goes on to share with his daughter the hope-filled message she enjoys as a child of God. "It was such a privilege to work on this project and offer a reminder to children that they are loved and cherished, regardless of circumstances or their own efforts, says Woller. Beloved is a beautiful song, and my prayer is that this book can further emphasize how much value God places on us and how deeply each one of us is beloved." We loved the song Beloved since the first time we heard it, adds Henkel. We knew it was a special story and we wanted to give it a new life and relevance even seven years after it was first released. Jes wrote such a lovely manuscript and Hilary brought it to life in a remarkable way. Were very proud of who Jordan is, not just as an artist, but as a dad. Were thrilled to be able to bring this special song to life in a unique way. Singing Beloved, fan favorites and No. 1 radio hits like Jesus Is Coming Back and Glorify from his current, third full-length album Say It, Feliz recently wrapped his Jesus Is Coming Back headline tour with special guest Jonathan Traylor and is currently on the Jesus People tour with three-time GRAMMY nominee and American Idol alum Danny Gokey. Co-produced by Jordan Mohilowski and Felizs longtime collaborator Colby Wedgeworth, Say It combines pop, gospel and soul along with some of Felizs most transparent and personal lyrics to date. Slowly but sooner than you may think this country, so proud to be a nation of home owners, is turning into a nation of renters. Perversely, its happening because we value home ownership so highly. And weve never much worried about what happens to those who dont make it onto the home owners merry-go-round. Illustration: Simon Letch. Credit: Historically, the reason we want so much to own the home we live in is security of tenure. We dont want to be beholden to a landlord deciding whether we stay or must go. We dont want to live in a place where someone else decides if we can have a pet, whether we can knock a nail into a wall, whether the place needs a coat of paint, or when theyll get around to fixing the leaky toilet. Steven Spielbergs The Fabelmans, a memoir about his early family life and love for cinema, has emerged as a leading Oscars contender by winning the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Chosen via online vote by audience members, the Peoples Choice Award at the festival has previously been claimed by such future best picture winners as Nomadland, Green Book, 12 Years A Slave, The Kings Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, American Beauty and Chariots of Fire. Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg attend the premiere of The Fabelmans at the Toronto International Film Festival. Credit:Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Another memoir of a filmmakers childhood, Kenneth Branaghs Belfast, won the same award at Toronto last year before getting a best picture nomination, just as JoJo Rabbit, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, La La Land, Room, The Imitation Game, Silver Linings Playbook and Precious have done since 2010. The Fabelmans, which stars little-known Canadian-American Gabriel LaBelle as aspiring teenage filmmaker Sammy Fabelman, has been described as a self-portrait of one of cinemas most famous directors. Michelle Williams plays his mother, with Paul Dano as his father. PARIS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 300 French companies have alerted the country's government to the negative effects of the surging energy prices, Minister Delegate for Industry Roland Lescure said here on Tuesday. Lescure told French broadcaster Sud Radio that the risk of the companies going under remains limited, and that the government has no plans to extend the energy tariff shield to companies with more than 10 employees. According to Lescure, these companies have long-term supply contracts that protect them from the increase in energy prices. More than one out of two French industrial companies said they had suffered consequences from the energy crisis and that their production bottlenecks had affected profitability. According to recent surveys, 80 percent of the country's small and medium-sized enterprises fear for their survival. Glassware manufacturer Duralex said that the company's energy bill increased from 2 million euros (2 million U.S. dollars) the previous year to 13 million euros this year. The energy price crunch has also led to employers resorting to short-time working in France. The Arc glass factory has put 1,600 of its workers on two days per week of partial activity until December. At a press conference after a Council of Ministers meeting on Sept. 14, Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the energy tariff shield would concern all companies depending on the percentage of the turnover they use to cover their energy bills. The NSW government will provide taxi drivers with an extra $500 million in payments as part of a $645 million assistance package to deregulate the industry. Treasurer Matt Kean said $145 million had already been paid out and additional payments would be made early next year after laws to deregulate the industry are passed in Parliament. NSW Treasurer Matt Kean Credit:Rhett Wyman To help existing taxi licence holders adapt to these changes, the package will provide $100,000 for each eligible Sydney metro taxi licence up to six licences per owner. It will provide up to $130,000 for each taxi licence outside of Sydney with no cap on the number of licences per owner, he said. Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said taxi drivers had suffered greatly over the past several years, financially and emotionally. The NSW government should consider returning privately operated bus networks into public hands, according to a new parliamentary report, linking the privatisation of public transport with a stark decline in service quality and higher costs for commuters. The NSW Legislative Council report, released on Tuesday, found privatisation of Sydneys bus network had incentivised cost-cutting, which unfairly impacted vulnerable people. Privatisation of Sydneys bus network has led to a decline in service, a parliamentary report has found. Credit:James Alcock The report recommended that the government consider winding back the privatisation of bus contracts in the inner west, the eastern suburbs and northern beaches once they expire. A dissenting statement also was lodged in the report by the three government members involved in the upper house committee, who labelled the report a political document. Queensland will lift its mask mandate for public transport, taxis and ride-shares from Wednesday, in another relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions criticised by the countrys peak medical lobby. The move follows similar decisions in all other Australian jurisdictions except Victoria, amid a broad unwinding of pandemic measures and powers by governments. Masks would no longer be required on public transport throughout the state from midnight, DAth said on Tuesday. However, I ask everyone to respect peoples individual rights to feel safe and to wear masks when they feel it appropriate, she said. The culture that beautiful Maori culture was everywhere. Photos, artwork, paintings, music, signage in the Maori language. To see an Indigenous culture so prominent made me so proud. Then I was hit with another feeling. Sadness, emptiness, disappointment. Disappointment in the fact that there is barely a skerrick of Aboriginal culture on show at places such as Australian airports. Seeing this display of Indigenous culture at New Zealand airport really brought it all home. Aboriginal culture is near invisible in Australia. We as a people are nearly invisible. We have been fighting for recognition since colonisation began when the first British ships swept onto our shores. The beginnings of colonisation were brutal and rapid, and the impacts continue to be felt today. Our people were treated as part of the fauna and would not be counted as part of the population of Australia until the 1967 referendum. They were rounded up like cattle and put on missions and reserves. Children taken from the arms of their mothers and fathers. Families torn apart which continues to this day. The introduction of new illnesses and diseases. Loading Massacres. These brutal acts devastated our culture and took away our identities as a people. These brutal acts continue to have a major impact on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. Make no mistake our community are still doing it tough. Our people are in a constant state of mourning. This morning a cheeky journalist asked me if the Aboriginal flag was flying at half-mast for the Queen. I told them that our flag is always flying at half-mast. This year alone weve had three Aboriginal deaths in custody two of those in the last five weeks. There have been more than 500 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the 1991 royal commission. We have lost a number of our much-loved Elders and leaders. Then there is the intergenerational trauma, higher rates of mental illness, higher rates of chronic disease, institutionalised racism, and barriers to access in health and aged care services. But Aboriginal leaders and advocates continue to fight hard for our people. For over 200 years our people have fought tooth and nail to restore our identity, our dignity, and our way of life. Its been a long and painstaking process. In 1933 William Cooper set up the Australian Aborigines League one of our earliest advocacy organisations. The League fought for our recognition. The league fought for that visibility visibility in our own country. Nearly a century later that fight continues. The premiers decision to rename the Maroondah Hospital after Queen Elizabeth II indicates that we still have a long, long way to go. Loading This is the man the leader of our state who did incredible work and showed great leadership by putting Treaty on the table. If he and his advisers do not understand why the name change is an issue then we are in big trouble. Maroondah is a Woiwurrung word meaning leaf, which symbolises Maroondahs green environment. To have things named in Aboriginal language gives us a sense of pride for ourselves and as a people. Replacing our word Maroondah with the name of a former British leader is just so hurtful for our people. It is yet another example of the ongoing impacts of colonisation. It is another example of our culture being erased. It is a big step backwards. The other big disappointment is the lack of consultation that came with the decision. I am not disrespecting the Queen it is not about the Queen. It is about this government disrespecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with this name change. I have heard talk of potential plans to build new hospitals in the west plans for one in Melton for example. If the premier wants to honour the Queen please, by all means, name the new Melton hospital after Queen Elizabeth II. I respectfully request the premier to please reconsider the decision. Please take some time to consult with a delegation of Aboriginal leaders with a view for reconsidering. Loading We need to be moving forward not backwards. We need to see more of our culture not less. I still hold out hope that one day I will see rich, vibrant, powerful Aboriginal culture, art and language on display right across the country. I also hope that it happens in my lifetime. Aboriginal language and cultures need to be visible in a modern Australia. The Closing the Gap Partnership Forum, which said the proposed new name for the hospital was not a serious or respectful choice for a government doing treaty, criticised Andrews for his slap down of the Assembly. The premier has responded to criticism of his decision by dismissing it, said the group, a committee of peak Aboriginal organisations. Daniel Andrews doubled down on the hospital renaming on Tuesday. Credit:AAP If the premier is committed to the treaty process, he will have to have many tough conversations with our communities. It is not a good sign that he has run so quickly from this discussion. As the criticism of the hospital name change mounted, the Victorian Greens introduced a motion to the upper house on Tuesday calling on the government to immediately reverse the decision. The motion is likely to go to a vote on Wednesday. Changing the name of the hospital from a First Nations Woiwurrung word to the name of a foreign monarch on the other side of the world, who represents colonisation to so many, is utterly disrespectful, said the leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam. Its the sort of decision that calls into question the governments approach to treaty, when it doubles down and refuses to listen to First Nations people. Greens senator Lidia Thorpe and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam. Credit:Wayne Hawkins Despite the protests, Andrews has repeated his commitment to rename the hospital. Its going to get a new name, and its going to be absolutely fantastic: 9000 extra patients admitted every year, 24,000 extra patients receiving emergency department care. Thats my focus, he said on Tuesday. Itll be in the city of Maroondah, the whole local government area is named Maroondah, and itll be quite close by to the Maroondah highway. Andrews revealed his governments $1 billion plan on Sunday, describing the Queen as a longstanding supporter of Victorias healthcare system, comments he reinforced on Tuesday. The Queen was a very strong supporter of the NHS in Britain, he said. She was a very strong supporter of public hospital patients. A patron. Someone who opened hospitals in Victoria. I dont think anybody could question her compassion and her genuine interest in care, in patients in hospitals and our health system. Construction on the hospital upgrade would begin in 2025 and open in stages from 2029. The project would create around 2500 jobs. Several Indigenous groups and leaders have criticised Andrews plan since the announcement. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) said it was deeply insulted by the decision to rename the facility in honour of the late monarch. The government is under fire over plans to rename the Maroondah Hospital. Credit:Eddie Jim The disappointing name change comes on the back of the federal governments insensitive decision to ask us to mourn a person who represented an empire that took so much from First Peoples, the organisation said. This weeks day of mourning is yet another insult when Aboriginal people have been advocating to declare January 26 a day of mourning for decades. Loading VACCHO executive officer Jill Gallagher, a Gunditjmara woman from western Victoria and the states former treaty commissioner, described the name change as hurtful. There are already countless statues, landmarks and venue names dedicated to colonial-era British people. There are two entire states named after queens. The capital of Victoria is named after a British prime minister it never ends, Gallagher said. This is a time when our society is in desperate need for increased recognition of Aboriginal leaders, words and culture. The chief executive officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Nerita Waight, echoed the condemnation of the decision. Words matter, and the premiers choice of words are another reminder that our people dont matter. Our lives dont matter to the systems and people who have power in Victoria, Waight said. Victorian Greens senator Lidia Thorpe also said the decision was an insult. This is not what treaty looks like, Dan, Thorpe wrote on Twitter. The premier found an unlikely ally in outgoing Liberal Kew MP Tim Smith, who defended the name change and pushed for other Liberals to support it in a post on Twitter on Monday. I cant believe this, and Ive barely said it in eight years, but someone in the opposition needs to say, Yes, Andrews idea of renaming Maroondah Hospital after the late Queen Elizabeth II is a good idea, he wrote. The first verdict on Anthony Albanese since the death of Queen Elizabeth shows the prime minister was right to exercise caution and care with every step in the protocol to mark the transition to King Charles. Albanese did not want to rush into a debate on the republic and nor did most Australians. He captured the national mood by saying now was not the time for that discussion. The republican movement faces a mighty challenge to shift public sentiment. Credit:Getty If he had stumbled, we would know it. What we know instead is that he kept his net approval rating at around 35 percentage points from the remarkable boost in his support one month ago. This political leap is certain to be temporary because judgments change when leaders make tough calls, which is inevitable for Albanese and his ministers as they head to their first budget in October and (a bigger challenge, with harder decisions) their second in May. London: King Charles III has flown to Scotland with his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, to grieve privately for his mother after 10 days of public appearances and a state funeral following her death. The King, who is 73, appeared exhausted and emotionally drained at his mothers services on Monday, having marched for several kilometres on at least three occasions in military processions over the past week. King Charles III appeared emotional and exhausted at his mothers funeral on Monday after 10 days of public engagements following her death. Credit:Getty Images British media reported the pair were seen arriving at RAF Northolt, a military base outside London, on Tuesday morning London time when they boarded a flight to Aberdeen. The couple is thought to have gone to Balmoral, where the Queen spent her final weeks before she died aged 96 on September 8. Members of the royal family had rushed to Scotland earlier that day after doctors became concerned for her health. New York: Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has declared Australia is back when it comes to climate change, telling world allies the nation could be a renewables powerhouse now that its no longer consumed by domestic debates over global warming. In his first trip to the US since the Albanese government was elected, Bowen will also warn that the world is in the grip of an energy crisis caused primarily by Russias illegal and immoral actions against Ukraine, which had made the shift to renewables all the more urgent given Europes reliance on Russian gas. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen To be frank, it has been difficult for Australia to play a constructive role, let alone a leadership role in international climate discussions when we have been too focussed on domestic debates over climate for the last decade, the minister will say in a speech to the American Australian Association on Tuesday night (US time). That period is over. Australia is back and is a constructive partner for ambition in international discussions. Under the new government, well be playing an active, not a recalcitrant role in international climate change negotiations. As many as 35 have submitted 79 applications under the for specialty steel, Union Minister of said on Tuesday. The minister shared the information while speaking at the 'National Management Convention' organised by the All India Management Association (AIMA) in the national capital. "We closed all the applications two days ago and we received close to 79 applications from 35 . Looking at putting in place a capacity close to 28 million tonne per annum (MTPA) of new specialty capacity which will result in the creation of 70,000 jobs," he said. The applicants include major players like Tata Steel, JSW Steel, JSPL, AMNS India and SAIL, a senior steel ministry official told PTI. However, there was no proposal from any foreign entity. After shortlisting the proposals, the government will come out with a final list which would take around 35-40 days, the official said. September 15 was the last date for manufacturers to apply to avail the benefits under the PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) scheme for speciality steel. Earlier, the deadline was March 29. The deadline was extended multiple times post discussion with the stakeholders who had raised certain concerns over the scheme. The scheme covered five categories of speciality steel -- coated/plated steel products, high strength/wear-resistant steel, speciality rails, alloy steel products, steel wires and electrical steel. The Union Cabinet in July last year approved a Rs 6,322-crore to boost production of speciality steel in India. The move is expected to attract an additional investment of about Rs 40,000 crore and generate 5.25 lakh job opportunities. (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.) After reporting a loss of Rs 4,588 crore in the 2021 fiscal, Byju Raveendran, the founder and CEO of the worlds most valuable firm Byjus has told employees that the firm has already started shifting its focus toward profitable growth. He said revenue of $2 billion was within sight of the firm. The April-June 2022 (period) was our best ever quarter by far, said Raveendran in a letter addressed to the employees and reviewed by Business Standard. In fact, we have clocked more than Rs 1,000 crore in sales in each of the last five months. Byjus, which is valued at $22 billion, said last week it had earned Rs 2,428 crore in revenues in FY21 and incurred a loss of Rs 4,588 crore. The adjusted revenue of Byju's in FY20 was Rs 2,511 crore and the adjusted loss was Rs 300 crore. However, Raveendran said in the letter that the firm has received a clean and unqualified audit report for FY21. "Around 40 per cent of our pre-audit revenue for FY21 has been deferred to subsequent years but the incurred costs have all been subsumed in the same year. It means this entire deferred revenue will be directly contributing to our profits in FY22 and FY23. The change in our accounting methodology and the high cost of multiple acquisitions is reflected in the Rs 4,500 crore loss figure for FY21, said Raveendran in the letter. He said the firms FY22 revenue is nearly Rs 10,000 crore, or $1.3 billion. This means we are now a billion-dollar-plus revenue company, said Raveendran. He said in the K12 (kindergarten to class 12) segment, Byjus revenue is nearly 20 times that of the next two competitors combined. The revenue of Aakash Education has nearly doubled since it joined hands with Byjus. Raveendran said the companys learning app, Byjus Tuition Center (BTC), Live Classes and Aakash Byjus are now working in sync to bring the hybrid model to life. The Bengaluru-based firm has 50,000 employee base globally. Byjus has been a subject of intense scrutiny, coming 18 months after the period of coverage ended in March 2021 and prompting the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to ask the company to explain the delay. Byjus did not keep to three or four deadlines, all self-imposed, for announcing its results, reportedly because its auditor was not signing off on the accounts. It said in a press release on Wednesday that the FY21 numbers had received an unqualified report from the audit firm, Deloitte Haskins & Sells. The last six months have been tough, humbling, and--on a positive note--a great learning experience, said Raveendran, in the letter. 2022 has not been an easy year for us. This year is not--to quote from the movie Rocky Balboa--The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows for any start-up anywhere in the world and we have been no exception. But unlike many other startups, which have faced external challenges, Raveendran said Byjus issues have largely been internal. As you all may be aware, our FY21 audit got very delayed. With the media spotlight that is always on us, many baseless theories got floated around to explain the delays, which may have caused anxiety for some of you. If it did, I am sorry about that, said Raveendran. He said Byjus was not adequately prepared to handle the audit for the size of the company it has grown to. The firm also had to make a change in its revenue recognition to account for a new business model it launched during Covid. And finally, we had numerous acquisitions to account for. All of this really stressed our systems, our people and resulted in inordinate delays, said Raveendran. He said FY22 was the companys best year so far and that 2022-23 is set to be even stronger. Going forward in FY23 and beyond, Raveendran said Byjus will combine growth with efficiency to ensure sustainability. He said, "A strong 2022 in the face of adverse macroeconomic conditions makes me even more confident that Byjus is built to last many generations. As the great philosopher Albert Camus said, In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer', Raveendran said in the letter. PARIS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Tuesday a second bicycle fund of 250 million euros (250 million U.S. dollars) for 2023. After launching the first bicycle fund four years ago when she was minister of transport, Borne said that the idea is to provide the means to transform France into "a bicycle nation." In 2021, the bicycle was the best-selling means of transport in France. In the past four years, 14,000 km of cycle paths were added in France, and more than 170,000 young French people learned how to ride a bike. The Olympic and Paralympic Games in the country in 2024 will confirm the importance of the bicycle in France, Borne said. In 2018, the first bicycle plan was set up, with a budget of 350 million euros for 2018-2025. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional 150 million euros were added from the recovery plan. (1 euro = 1 U.S. dollar) KEC International, an company, has seen a sharp uptick in the order book for the ongoing financial year at Rs 6,000 crore as the government increases its spending on new projects and capital expenditure by private picks up. The company reported Rs 23,716 crore of order book value in the fiscal year ended March 2022, up 18 per cent over the previous year, and plans to bid for orders worth Rs 1.1 trillion are in the pipeline. We are constructing several new cement plants by ACC, Ambuja, Ultratech. Shree Cement across the country. We are also doing the civil construction for Grasims new paints plants, said Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, . The company is also executing civil work on seven Metro rail projects, two depot projects, and data centres. Our new order wins, especially from Indian railways, is witnessing a gradual uptick through orders in both conventional and new segments. The business has secured its maiden order in the anti-collision segment under Kavach, which aims to enhance safety of Indian Railways with world class technology, Kejriwal said. The orders in transmission and distribution have expanded our order book, especially the third order from PowerGrid in quick succession. These orders, along with the orders announced earlier during the year, will significantly contribute towards our growth in the domestic T&D market. The order in the oil and gas pipelines further enhances the business order book, Kejriwal said. Cashing in on resurgence Governments thrust on Infrastructure, metro, and water supply projects Return of private in cement, paints, data centres Enhanced by Gulf countries backed by high oil prices Uptick in tendering activities of Domestic T&D and Railways In its civil construction business, the company is getting into constructing airports and high courts and plans to expand its footprint in data centres. The T&D business of the company is now contributing half its Rs 13,742 crore revenues as compared to 83 per cent in 2016 showing a sharp rise in railways and civil businesses. The company acquired a transmission tower manufacturing facility in mainland Dubai in fiscal 2020 and ramped up its production capacity from 36,000 MTs to 50,000 MTs this year. The company secured orders of Rs 600 crore in the last 18 months from third-party customers, including maiden EPC orders, and has leveraged the Dubai facility to significantly enhance business in the middle-east and North American markets. The company also acquired KEC Spur Infrastructure, an EPC company, for accelerated business growth. It now has an order book of Rs 1,000 crore as it taps the annual domestic market opportunity of Rs. 6,000 crore. The company has secured order intake of over Rs. 600 crore post-acquisition. Kejriwal said the company is getting several orders from Indias water supply scheme for each household. The company has orders of over Rs. 2,500 crore and is providing water supply to 6,00,000 households across various villages under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said. The Ltd (NRL) has planned to invest Rs 35,000 crore for completion of its five major ongoing projects, including the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL), in the next five years, a top company official said on Monday. The company is determined to execute the major ongoing initiatives, namely, expansion, Paradip Numaligarh crude oil pipeline and crude oil import terminal at Paradip, 2G ethanol project and IBFPL, Chairman cum Managing Director Ranjit Rath told reporters after the annual general meeting. "In the next five years, the company has planned to invest more than Rs 35,000 crore in completing these projects," he said. The projects will enable long-term business growth, and completion of these initiatives without any time and cost overrun remains the core focus area of the company, Rath said. The approved cost of the expansion project is Rs 18,968 crore and as on June 30, 2022, the physical progress was 14.1 per cent and the cumulative financial commitment was Rs 11,996 crore, he said. The approved cost of the crude oil pipeline and terminal projects is Rs 9,058 crore and by the end of the first fiscal of the current fiscal, the physical progress was 27.5 per cent while the financial progress was 33.01 per cent. Regarding the IBFPL project, the CMD said it has been targetted to be commissioned by October, 2022 and the overall physical progress till June 30 this year is 92.7 per cent. "The financial year 2021-22 ended on a positive note, despite challenges and uncertainties which the company successfully surmounted, leveraging on resilience, adaptability and robust systems and procedures," he said. During the 2021-22 fiscal, NRL achieved a throughput of 2,624 TMT that included 23 TMT of imported crude oil. The refinery also commenced a 10 per cent blending of ethanol in motor spirit (petrol) at its Siliguri and Numaligarh Marketing terminals, which is gaining momentum in the current financial year, the CMD pointed out. He also allayed fear over safety procedures and asserted that the international practices were being followed after elaborate discussions with experts and other stakeholders. Sales during the year comprised 56 TMT of Gas Oil exported to Bangladesh and 125 TMT of Naphtha to Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) from external sources. NRL Managing Director B J Phukan and other senior officials were also present on the occasion. The company has achieved the highest ever turnover of Rs 23,546 crore in the last fiscal, up by 26.95 per cent from the previous year, Rath said. The record sales were due to the increase in product prices, he said. Addressing the 29th annual general meeting of the company, Rath said that the turnover has increased from the previous year's Rs 18,548 crore. The company has declared a dividend of 150 per cent during the financial year 2021-22, he said. It posted a record profit of Rs 3,562 crore in FY22 as compared to Rs 3,036 crore in the previous year. The net worth of the company has increased to Rs 8,388 crore as on March 31, 2022 as compared to Rs 5,596 crore in the previous year. It has contributed Rs 5,809 crore to the government exchequer in the form of taxes, duties and dividends. Products sold during the year, however, marked a decline at 2,799 TMT as compared to 2,924 TMT the previous year. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telecommunications (telecom) have petitioned the Union government to repeal certain Sections of the antiquated Indian Telegraph Act (ITA) of 1885. These Sections involve criminal action against employees, but are currently irrelevant due to technological advances. The have asked the Centre to strengthen some Sections by imposing stringent fines, making them non-bailable, and repurposing others to protect telecom companies (telcos) assets. The move comes amid the preparing a framework to replace the old ITA for which it has sought stakeholder feedback before the final draft is released. Through the (COAI), telecom operators have identified seven Sections that require repeal/repurposing and strengthening. Under Section 27, the Act enforces imprisonment/fine if a telegraph officer transmits by telegraph any message on which the charge prescribed by the Union government has not been paid. Telcos want this Section repealed, saying it is obsolete due to technological advancements because human intervention is no longer required for transmission. They have also identified Section 28, which states that any telegraph officer working in a telegraph office is guilty of any misconduct as defined under the Act, which leads to delay or disruption in the correct transmission of any message. Such an officer may be punished with imprisonment for a term extending to three months or with a fine up to Rs 100, or both. Telcos say this Section has become obsolete, and licensees deal with such misconduct in accordance with the prevailing employment and policies, and hence the same should be repealed. Section 30 of the Act calls for imprisonment/fine or both if a person fraudulently retains, conceals, removes, holds without any reason any message which ought to have been delivered to some other person or, being required by a telegraph officer to deliver any such message, neglects or refuses to do so. It has asked for its repeal since there is no such human intervention. The COAI has also asked that Section 29A of the Act be repurposed to address the menace of widespread tower frauds (where documents are forged) by introducing criminal prosecution and punishment as a cognisable offence and sending a strong signal of deterrence to perpetrators. The current law imposes a fine of only Rs 50. COAI has proposed to introduce a minimum penalty of Rs 1 lakh and/or imprisonment of six months for the first offence and a fine of Rs 5 lakh and/or imprisonment up to two years in the case of each subsequent offence. It has recommended that the offence be made cognisable and non-bailable. The telcos have also demanded that Section 20 be amended to make offences relating to establishing, maintaining, or working unauthorised telegraph without proper licence or authorisation from the government cognisable and non-bailable. They argue that the quantum of fines should be substantially enhanced to create deterrence and compensate the government for revenue loss. Under the existing Act, it is non-bailable and non-cognisable with a fine which may extend to only Rs 1,000, making it easy for fraudsters to get off scot-free. They are also pushing for firming up Section 23 to make offences relating to intrusion into signal rooms, trespass on the telegraph office or causing obstruction non-bailable and cognisable. Currently, such violations only attract a maximum penalty of up to Rs 5,000 and are bailable. They have asked for it to be raised to Rs 1 crore per offence to be paid to the affected telco or telecom licensee since these entities incur considerable cost in acquiring licences for setting up necessary infrastructure and operations. The telcos have also asked for amendment to Section 25A to cover damages to all kinds of infrastructure, such as optical fibre cable, base transceiver stations, exchanges, etc, created by telcos (currently, it covers telegraph line and post and has a maximum fine of Rs 1,000) for delivery of their services to customers. Through COAI, they have recommended enhancement of the penalty, proportionate with the loss or damage suffered by the telecom service provider/licensee through an illegal act. Working for more than one company at the same time doesnt build trust and "new generations" must realise this, said Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of and its former CEO, joining a IT industry debate on the ethics of moonlighting. Infosys, Indias second-largest IT services company, Wipro chairman Rishad Premji, and IBM India managing director Sandip Patel have criticised the practice in recent weeks. I am unable to understand where the new generations comes [sic] from. Importantly, if you want to give your 100 per cent to the task that you have been given then you need to be fully committed. If you want to build trust, you should be working for one organization. How can you work for 2-3 at the same time, Gopalakrishnan told 'Business Standard' on Tuesday at the sidelines of the Global Fintech Fest at Mumbai. Maybe you can work in an organization and work for a cause like an NGO or a charity. Gopalakrishnan cited his example to say, Till the time I stepped down from Infosys, I was not on board, I was not investing in any other company nor was I working for any another company. I am unable to understand where the new generations come from. Moonlighting made headlines after food delivery firm Swiggy said in early August that it would allow employees to work on external projects for money or pro bono. Infosys, Indias second-largest IT services company, in September sent an email to its employees titled No Double Lives and said dual employment is not permitted as per the Employee Handbook and the Code of Conduct. The email said that the rule disallowing moonlighting is mentioned in offer letters and the companys consent is important. The consent may be given subject to any terms and conditions that the company may think fit and may be withdrawn at any time at the discretion of the company. Wipros Premji, in a Twitter post on August 20, called moonlighting cheating. Patel, director of IBM India, said his companys job contracts disallow moonlighting. In yet another case of in government-run schools in Telangana, 31 students of a minority residential school in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district have taken ill. The students of the residential school for boys in Kagaznagar town complained of stomach ache and vomiting after the dinner on Monday. As word spread about the incident, local media persons reached the school but the staff did not allow them to enter the premises. The staff tried to shift the students from the rear door. Police reached there and shifted the affected students to the hospital in their vehicles. District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Prabhakar Reddy said the condition of the students was stable. He ordered an inquiry into the incident. Officials said it appeared that due to the shortage of staff, rice was not washed before cooking. Students said that they had complained to the principal about insects found in the food which was served to them, but no action was taken. This is the latest in a series of incidents of at the government-run residential educational institutions in the state. A recent study by an NGO revealed that 1,100 students in the government-run school suffered during 2022. According to Kota Neelima, director, Institute of Perception Studies, lizards, frogs, earthworms and insects were found in the food served to students Anti-corruption activist Vijay Gopal suspects a conspiracy behind the series of incidents. "Hard to believe that all these are accidents anymore, with so many instances, occurrences and what not? Are we giving c grade quality food/services at Govt schools, so 100% of citizens can be moved to Pvt.? Is this some kind of a strategy?," tweeted Vijay Gopal, who tagged education minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy. --IANS ms/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 21 years after an FIR was registered against three on the charge of criminal conspiracy for running a spurious soft drink factory, a has acquitted the trio, saying investigation was not done with the sincerity required. The court also acquitted them of the charge of infringement of copyright, and said the manner in which the prosecution witnesses were examined, seemed it was only paperwork without a specific target in mind. The court was hearing a case against Shankar, Mahesh and Bhupinder Singh, who were arrested for allegedly running a factory where some spurious drink was filled into empty soft drink bottles of Pepsi and Coca Cola in Sudarshan Park area of west Delhi on June 18, 2001. In my opinion, the accused have been able to raise a probable defence creating doubt about the existence or veracity of the prosecution version which renders the same untrustworthy. Accordingly, accused persons are acquitted of the charge levelled against them, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kapil Kumar said in an order on Monday. The court noted that according to the deposition of the sub-inspector, who had arrested the accused, two officials of Pepsi and Coca Cola companies came to the spot after the raid and after comparing the bottles, concluded that the recovered bottles were not of companies concerned. Despite the fact that the case remained at the stage of prosecution evidence for more than 10 years the prosecution could not examine these witnesses, who could have deposed as to what they observed in the bottles recovered from the spot vide which they concluded that the bottles were not of Pepsi and Coca Cola companies, the court said. This turns out to be fatal for the case of the prosecution, the court added. The court further said that as the bottles with the alleged counterfeit mark were not produced in the court, it was a "major blow to the prosecution's case. The prosecution did not bring on record the machinery used for making spurious cold drinks, nor did it produce the existing copyright certificate in favour of the complainant company, the court said. The court further said it seems that the prosecution lost track as to whether they are examining witnesses for infringement of copyright or of infringement of designs. The raid in the residential locality did not instil the faith of the court as no sincere attempts were made to join public witnesses, it said. Noting that the seizure memos were prepared prior to the registration of the FIR, the court said either the FIR was recorded prior to the alleged recovery of the case property or the number of the FIR was inserted in the document after its registration. The seal handing over memo was not placed on record and there was a delay of around one year in sending the exhibits for chemical examination, the court said. The investigation was not done with the sincerity which was required in the facts of this case, the court said. The alleged recovery of the bottles even if taken as proved, for the sake of arguments, cannot prove the case of prosecution for the infringement of the copyright and the manner in which the prosecution witnesses were examined, seems to be paperwork only without a specific target in mind, the court added. The Moti Nagar police station had registered an FIR against the accused person under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC along with relevant sections of the Copyright Act. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asia's low-fare carrier, AirAsia, is reportedly offering five million free seats to its passengers to celebrate its rapid comeback. According to a report in Mint, the launched a sale on tickets on September 19. The customers can buy tickets with offers till September 25. The report further said that the offers will be valid if the travel dates lie between January 1, 2023, and October 28, 2023. The offer can be availed on the airline's website and mobile application. It can be availed by clicking on the "Flights" icon on the app or website. We wish to thank our loyal passengers who have had our back through thick and thin with the biggest ever FREE Seats* campaign. Not only have we resumed many of our much-loved routes, but were also introducing new and exciting ones for greater value and choice," Karen Chan, group chief commercial officer, AirAsia, was quoted as saying by Mint. "This extra special sale was also put together to celebrate our 21st birthday and the gradual reopening of borders worldwide and with all of that, we encourage everyone to take advantage of our Big sale and commitment to always make air travel accessible to everyone. As always we expect the best value fares will be snapped up fast which is why we urge value seekers to get in quick," Chan added. The offer is available to travellers from several ASEAN countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Two months ago, had given away free trips to passengers. Former Delhi MLA Asif Khan on Monday come out in support of AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan, who was arrested by the ACB, saying the government at the Centre is "misusing" its agencies to "harass" minorities. Amanatullah Khan was nabbed by the Branch (ACB) on September 16 in connection with a graft case. The ACB is probing alleged irregularities in the recruitment in the Delhi Waqf Board, which Amanatullah Khan heads as the chairman, and conducted raids at four places, including his residence in Okhla. Asif Khan claimed that the raids by the ACB at the AAP leader's house and other places has created panic among the local people in the area. However, he clarified that he was not giving a clean chit to the AAP MLA. "Why is the ACB harassing Khan's family and creating panic in Jamia Nagar area? I am totally against the misuse of agencies, particularly against minorities, by the government at the Centre," said the leader. The ACB had claimed that obstructions were created during its raids at the AAP MLA's residence. Four people were arrested for allegedly obstructing officials from discharging duty. Some Delhi leaders said Asif Khan's decision to support the AAP MLA is his "personal matter" but he should have avoided it. Meanwhile, Asif Khan said he was a "staunch" Congressman and will remain so. "I am not supporting the AAP, my support is for Khan and his family. There is great resentment among the locals and as a politician I have sympathised with them. This will ultimately benefit the Congress," he said. Asif Khan is a two-time MLA from the Okhla constituency. In the 2015 Assembly polls, he was defeated by Amanatullah Khan. According to the ACB, Amanatullah Khan while working as chairman of Delhi Waqf Board illegally recruited 32 people violating all norms and government guidelines and amid allegations of corruption and favouritism. (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 Tuesday, the (SC) of India referred a case related to framing the uniform rules around capital punishment to a . The SC stated that it is necessary owing to differences in various judgements on the issue of the validity of the death penalty. What is a A is a bench consisting of five or more judges of the that is set up to decide a case based on the interpretation of the Constitution. In India, these benches are temporary and are dissolved once a legal question or issue is resolved. Generally, cases are heard by a bench with two or three judges, called a division bench. Who can constitute a constitution bench? The constitution bench can be appointed by the Chief Justice of India. In the case related to the validity of capital punishment, the constitution bench has been proposed by CJI UU Lalit. When is a constitution bench formed? Article 143 of the defines the conditions in which a constitution bench can be formed. Currently, there are four situations when such a bench can be formed. First, if a case involves a "substantial question of law" related to the interpretation of the Constitution. Second, a bench can be formed if the President seeks SC's opinion on law or fact. In this case, however, the apex court's decision is not binding on the President, and they can take a different point of view. Third, a constitution bench can be formed when a two-judge bench and later a three-judge bench deliver conflicting judgements on the same issue. Lastly, it can be formed if a three-judge bench delivers a judgement that is different from the judgement delivered by a previous three-judge bench on an issue. Largely, the constitution bench gives an overarching view on a question of law and defines a path the law will take in the future. In India, DY Chandrachud has been a part of 21 constitution benches, the highest in the country. He is followed by Justices AM Khanwilkar and Ashok Bhushan with 15 and 10 benches, respectively. The Opposition Congress and the lone Independent MLA staged a walk-out in the Assembly on Monday as the government refused to forward a bill that seeks to amend parts of the Police Act to a select committee on the last day of the autumn session of the House. The bill proposes to amend sections of the Police Act, 2007, on the establishment, power and functions of the District Accountability Authority. The Assembly later passed the Police (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika introduced the bill in the House on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who also holds the Home and Political departments. Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said that as per the amendment, a DIG-level officer will head the accountability authority which will deal with cases of misconduct' against officers in the rank of inspector and below. The Congress MLA said a retired judge should head the panel, asserting that it was mandated in a Supreme Court verdict in the matter earlier. Independent MLA also opposed this provision, alleging that it will give a free hand to the police officials to cover up lapses by their own personnel. Opposition AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam and CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar also supported the demand for a retired judge to head the committee. Hazarika said the committees will be formed at the police range level and will only deal with non-grievous misconduct, while the cases of grievous misconduct' like murder and rape will be forwarded to the state-level accountability authority as is being done now. The minister also claimed that such police accountability committees in different states are headed by senior officials from the department itself. The Congress MLAs and Gogoi continued to demand that the bill be sent to a select committee of the Assembly and the concerns raised by them be addressed. A select committee is a panel made up of some members of the House to deal with particular areas or issues. As the government pressed ahead with the passage of the bill, the Congress members and Gogoi staged a walk-out. The amendment bill was passed by a majority voice vote later. (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.) by Yosley Carrero HAVANA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cuba continues to promote cigar exports for economic recovery as the country braves the headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. trade embargo. Situated on the outskirts of the Cuban capital city of Havana, the El Laguito cigar factory is well known for producing Cohiba cigars over the past five decades. The factory, one of the five making cigars for exports in Havana, has some 250 workers, with 70 percent being women. Among them is Nelsa Leonard, a 75-year-old roller, who started working at El Laguito in 1968. She expects Cuban cigar production to help the Caribbean nation's economy recover amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "These are the best cigars in the world and Cohiba is our top brand," she said. "We are doing our best to sell as many Cuban cigars as possible to the world." Official data showed that in 2021, the Caribbean nation reported record sales of its hand-rolled cigars worth over 507 million U.S. dollars, as the tobacco industry is one of the four core sectors that contribute most to Cuba's GDP. Oscar Rodriguez, director of El Laguito cigar factory, said that they are now making some 9,000 Cuban cigars a day. "We continued to work despite the COVID-19 pandemic as this is a critical sector for the performance of the economy," he said. "This factory is projected to deliver 2 million Cuban cigars by the end of the year." Moreover, "incomes from Cuban cigar sales are redistributed to improve living conditions of people," female roller Marilyn Sanchez said. "With that money, the government repairs hospitals and schools." The upcoming Cuban tobacco harvest is scheduled to start in October this year, said the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture. It comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensification of the U.S. trade embargo on the Caribbean nation. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez said that in the first 14 months of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, the embargo has caused Cuba economic losses of around 6.3 billion dollars. First imposed in 1962, the embargo was tightened by Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, who imposed more than 240 sanctions against the island. The United States "persists in ignoring the demands of the international community and has intensified the blockade to unprecedented levels," he said. The island's economy started to see a slight recovery during the first half of the year. However, "the U.S. blockade, which remains almost invariable, continues to be the main obstacle to the development of Cuba," said Cuban economist Jose Luis Rodriguez. The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested North Bengal University Vice-Chancellor Subires Bhattacharyya in connection with an assistant teachers' scam in in 2016. The arrest took place on Monday after the probe agency called him for questioning at the office in Kolkata and found him "non-cooperative", according to the officials. Bhattacharyya's arrest comes after his residence and office were searched by the agency in August this year. Bhattacharyya is also a former School Service Commission (SSC) Chairman who is accused of being involved in the irregularities in the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the state, according to the central agency sources. He chaired the commission from 2014 to 2018. The probe was taken up by the after directions from the Calcutta High Court. Also, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet before a court in Kolkata in connection with the scam. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 15 arrested the former president of the Board of Secondary Education, Kalyanmoy Ganguly, for his alleged involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) scam case. "It was alleged that the accused extended undue advantage and in conspiracy with others had facilitated illegal appointment to the undeserving and unlisted candidates to the post of Group-C staffs in various schools across the state of West Bengal," read a statement by . CBI registered the instant case in May this year. On Thursday, CBI conducted searches at six locations in Delhi and Kolkata at the premises of a software company in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) scam. A special court in Kolkata had extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, till September 14 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) scam case. Calcutta High Court on August 18 had ordered West Bengal TMC leader Anubrata Mondal's daughter Sukanya Mondal to produce her Teacher Eligibility Test certificate before the court.She was appearing before the court in connection with a petition filed alleging she was recruited as a teacher without clearing the TET exam. Accused in the case, Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee were arrested in July in connection with the recruitment scam. The Enforcement Directorate had raided several premises allegedly linked to Arpita Mukherjee in the scam. The probe agency has recovered cash worth about Rs 50 crore, foreign currency, jewellery and gold biscuits in connection with its raids into the scam. Chatterjee was education minister from 2014 to 2021 in the Trinamool Congress government. Following Chatterjee's arrest, he was removed as a minister and suspended from the Trinamool Congress. (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 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a charge sheet against Rana Kapoor, the then MD and CEO, Yes Bank Ltd, and Gautam Thapar, Chairman, Avantha Group and Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd in connection with Rs 466.51 crore bank fraud case. The had registered the case against Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd, Gurugram, and others on June 2, 2021 on the complaint from Yes Bank, alleging that the accused had committed criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery for misappropriation of public money, during the period 2017-2019. As per an official, the had gathered a lot of evidence and after making a water tight charge sheet, they filed it before the competent court. It was found during investigation that the company had availed credit facilities from Yes Bank but diverted these to its holding company and other group companies, which were in financial stress and where direct lending by any bank would not have been feasible. The role of the accused, who, in conspiracy with each other, were instrumental for the fraudulent transactions which led to the loss of public money to the tune of Rs 466.51 crore also came to light. --IANS atk/vd (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.) Youth and student wings of will hold 'Insaaf' rally at Esplanade in the heart of on Tuesday to seek justice for Anis Khan, a student leader who died mysteriously in February. The Left party's youth wing DYFI and students' body SFI will hold the rally which may cause traffic snarls. The 'Insaaf' (justice) rally will be attended by students, youths and people from various walks of life seeking justice for Anis Khan, a DYFI leader said. While Khan's father Salem has alleged that his son was assaulted and thrown over from the third floor of their house in Amta in Howrah district by people dressed in police and civic volunteer uniforms, the police have denied the allegation and claimed that he had fallen accidentally leading to his death on February 19. The Left parties have held several agitations since then over the incident. (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 Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Monday that it has seized estimated to be worth Rs 48 crore from the Mundra Port in on September 16 as part of its operation to combat smuggling of e-cigarettes, the use and sale of which is banned in India. An official said that acting on a tip-off that were being smuggled by way of mis-declaration and concealment through Mundra Port, a container was identified and tracked. Once it reached Mundra Port, the container was inspected. "Investigation revealed that the goods were wrongly declared as 'floor cleaning mop'. During examination of the container, all the cartons inside it were opened. It was found that apart from some cartons containg floor cleaning mop, several boxes contained hand massager, LCD writing pad, and Silicone pop-up toys which were not declared," the official said. Further search revealed that there were 250 more cartons which contained contained 2 lakh pieces of e-cigarette of 2500 puff variant, while one carton contained 400 pieces of of 5000 puff variant, all of 'Yuotoa' brand, made in China. The e-cigarettes and all other accompanying goods in the container were seized under the provisions of Customs Act. The official said the market value of the seized e-cigarettes will be around Rs 48 crore. --IANS atk/arm (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 surge in violations over the years has caused an uptick in the number of issued in India. According to a report published in The Economic Times, authorities issued over 19.8 million worth Rs 1,898.73 cr in 2021. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, informed the Lok Sabha that authorities issued over 4 million worth Rs 417 crore for violations across the country between January 1 to March 15, 2022. A challan is an official bill issued by the traffic police to those who violate traffic rules and regulations. The amount of the owner of the offending vehicle will be required to pay depends on the nature of the violation. In order to curb the rising number of cases of road accidents in India, the government of India introduced a CCTV-enabled e-challan system. Traffic officials use a swiping equipment that enables them to issue a printed challan immediately after seizing an offender. The generated e-challan also adds a real-time entry to the servers of traffic police. The cameras mounted on roads capture the movement of vehicles constantly, while also taking a picture of the offender. The police have to document the violation in their records, along with a picture of the violator from the footage. The RTO then provides all the details of the vehicle owner, including their contact details, on which the e-challan is forwarded in the form of an SMS. An e-challan is an electronically generated ticket that is issued to the defaulters. The process was initiated to make traffic services convenient and easy, while also maintaining transparency with the general public. It was also introduced to avoid cash transactions and citizens who indulge in bribery. With the e-challan system in place, effective and strong monitoring of the traffic violators has now become easy for the traffic police. Citizens can now pay their e-challan either online or offline, depending on the facility provided by their city/state. Here's how you can pay your e-challan online: Go to the official website of transport department in your state Click on the link that reads 'e-challan payments' or ' payment' Click on the violation you are paying for Enter your e-challan or vehicle identification number If you are paying the by debit or credit card, continue by providing your payment information After paying the fine, you will receive an SMS on your registered mobile number confirming the same You can also use Paytm to pay the penalty Here's how you can pay the e-challan offline: You can pay the e-challan amount in cash through prosecuting officer of traffic police having an e-challan machine You can also visit the traffic police headquarters in your city to pay the challan with all the relevant documents You can also opt to pay the e-challan through Cheque/Demand Draft (DD)/Pay order by post or courier The Tuesday kept in abeyance an order of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) asking US-based e-commerce giant to recall sold domestic pressure cookers that did not meet quality . The high court, however, asked to deposit within a week Rs one lakh penalty imposed on by CCPA for selling cookers, which violate mandatory standards, on its platform. Justice Yashwant Varma said Amazon shall be liable to notify buyers of all these 2,265 pressure cookers that these items do not meet the required quality . The high court said the issues raised in the petition require consideration and till the next date of hearing, while the petitioner (Amazon) shall be liable to notify buyers of 2,265 pressure cookers, the CCPA order on recall of products and reimbursement of prices to buyers is placed in abeyance. The high court, which listed the matter for further hearing on November 16, asked CCPA to file its response to Amazon's petition. The high court was hearing a plea by Amazon challenging CCPA's August order imposing a penalty of Rs one lakh on the e-commerce giant for selling domestic pressure cookers that did not meet quality and directing the company to notify the consumers of all these 2,265 pressure cookers sold through its platform, recall the products, and reimburse the prices to buyers. The counsel for CCPA submitted that the investigation report has confirmed what the cooker manufacturers had said, that is, they do not have ISI marks on the products. CCPA's counsel urged the court not to stay the order. Amazon's counsel said when the company came to know that the sellers were selling cookers without ISI mark, it offloaded them. He said the investigation report of CCPA has not been shared with the company and added that the authority has no power to levy a penalty on it. During the hearing, the court asked CCPA's counsel as to what action has been taken against the manufacturers of these pressure cookers. If not on Amazon, they must be selling it on other platforms now, the judge said. The Department of Consumer Affairs, in its statement in August, had said that the authority passed the order against Amazon for allowing the sale of domestic pressure cookers, in violation of mandatory standards, on its platform. Earlier, Amazon's counsel had submitted that as per the relevant provision under the Consumer Protection Act, the scheme is if there is a prima facie finding, the matter has to be referred for investigation, and based on the investigation, an order has to be passed. In this case, it has been completely given a go-by apart from the fact that there is a penalty which is imposed and which is not warranted by any provision of the Act, the counsel had said. The CCPA had initiated suo-motu action against e-commerce platforms for the sale of domestic pressure cookers in violation of compulsory standards and it had issued notices to major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall, ShopClues, and Snapdeal as well as the sellers registered on these platforms, the statement had said. "After examination of the response submitted by the company, it was observed that a total of 2,265 pressure cookers not conforming to mandatory standards were sold through Amazon after notification of the QCO (Quality Control Order). The total fee earned by Amazon on sale of such pressure cookers through its platform was Rs.6,14,825.41," it had said. The statement said that Amazon admitted it earned a 'sales commission' fee for the pressure cookers sold on its platform. The CCPA had observed that when Amazon earns commercially from each sale of the product listed on its e-commerce platform, it cannot disassociate itself in case of issues arising from the sale of these items. Amazon has been asked to submit a compliance report within 45 days. "The company was also directed to pay a penalty of Rs one lakh for allowing the sale of pressure cookers in violation to the QCO on its platform and violating rights of consumers, the statement had said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As part of his diplomatic meetings in the US, External Affairs Minister participated in a trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE- with his counterparts and exchanged ideas between the strategic partners. In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "A productive first trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE- . Active exchange of ideas between strategic partners and UNSC members. Thank Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for hosting Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and me." and France are maritime nations with dynamic maritime economy sectors like marine technology and scientific research, fisheries, port and shipping, to name a few. Possessing vast exclusive economic zones, their fate is closely linked to the sea and the ocean. Both nations intend to make the blue economy a driver of the progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity. Both countries aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law. and France have traditionally close and friendly relations. In 1998, the two countries entered into a Strategic Partnership which is emblematic of their convergence of views on a range of international issues apart from a close and growing bilateral relationship. and enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on age-old cultural, religious and economic ties between the two nations. They established diplomatic relations in 1972. While the opened its Embassy in India in 1972, Indian Embassy in UAE was opened in 1973. The traditionally strong bilateral relations enjoyed by India & UAE have received an impetus with regular exchange of high-level bilateral visits from time to time. The momentum generated by visits at the highest level was sustained by back-to-back reciprocal visits at the level of Foreign Ministers too. Kicking off a jam-packed diplomatic week in New York, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, Jaishankar on Monday held an in-person meeting with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi. Jaishankar held a set of bilateral talks with his counterparts in the Balkans, Europe and the Caribbean. Over the course of the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral meetings. After concluding his visit to New York on Saturday, he is scheduled to visit Washington for three days starting Sunday for what the External Affairs Ministry said for "a high-level review of the multifaceted bilateral agenda and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues to consolidate the India-US strategic partnership further". In Washington, Jaishsnkar is expected to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials of the Biden Administration. A round table focused on science and technology is also on the agenda for Washington. (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.) Apprehending that their protests against the government for accepting a proposal to use 1932 land records to determine who are local inhabitants might cause breach of peace, the SDO's court has issued notices asking six people to appear before it on Monday. The six residents of Ranchi, to whom the notices were served under CrPC section 107, include Kailash Yadav who formed an organisation, Nav Nirman Manch (JNNM), to protest against the decision of the state Cabinet. "Our lawyer appeared before the court of SDO today. We pleaded to submit our reply on September 22, which was accepted," Yadav told PTI. Yadav, the president of JNNM, claimed that the decision is against the interests of the state. We received the notices on Sunday soon after we formed the JNNM to fight against the 1932 Khatiayn decision. Of the six residents, three including me are from the Manch, he said. Yadav said that the government cannot scare them with such notices and that the protest against the decision will be stronger. Making 1932 the cut-off year for the domicile policy will help descendants of those, who were living in present-day prior to that year, get benefits in various schemes such as getting government jobs. The decision was taken on September 15 in the backdrop of tribals' demand that the last land survey (khatiyan) conducted by the British government in 1932 be used as the basis for defining locals. Congress MP Geeta Koda has earlier claimed that the domicile decision was against the people of the Kolhan region comprising three districts East and West Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharswan as the last survey was carried out there in 1964. The Congress is part of the JMM-led government of the state. (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.) After a row over Punjab chief minister Bhagwant allegedly being deplaned on a Delhi-bound flight from Germany allegedly because he was inebriated, Union Civil Aviation Minister on Tuesday said he will investigate the matter and has sought a detailed report from Airlines. On Monday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal levelled serious allegations against Mann and asked him to clarify media reports of him being deplaned from a flight from Frankurt to Delhi on Sunday as he was "too drunk to walk" leading to a 4-hour delay in the flight. Scindia on Tuesday said that he will investigate the matter based on the requests made to him. "This was an incident on international soil, will have to make sure to verify the details and facts. It's up to airlines to provide that data," Scindia said. India's aviation ministry received details about Mann's last-minute skipping of his Airways flight and on the basis of the details, the ministry decided to seek a report in detail from Lufthansa. "Based on a request which has been sent to me... I will certainly look into the matter," Scindia told mediapersons. The Punjab chief minister was on a visit to Germany from September 11-18 to attract investments and strategic alliances in various sectors. Notably, Mann returned from his eight-day trip from Germany on Monday. Lufthansa Airlines had, meanwhile, on Monday issued clarification regarding the 4-hour delay of its Delhi-Frankfurt flight. According to Lufthansa News, Frankfurt to Delhi flight departed later than its scheduled time due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change. "Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change," Lufthansa News tweeted replying to a user asking about the delay in the flight. In another tweet by a user asking whether CM was "drunk", Lufthansa News tweeted that it can't provide information regarding individual passengers due to data protection reasons. "For data protection reasons we do not provide any information regarding individual passengers," Lufthansa News said in another tweet. SAD's Badal said: "Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention. These reports have embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe." Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also dismissed the Badal's charge that Mann was deplaned from the flight because he was inebriated and said that the Opposition doesn't have issues to talk about and the Punjab Chief Minister had health problems. Responding to the allegations, AAP leaders Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Meet Hayer held a joint press conference and said, "Anyone can have health issues. The Opposition does not have any issues to talk about. That is why they are highlighting this issue which is meaningless and fake. "Earlier, Badal slammed the Punjab government over their silence on the issue and sought clarifications on the incident. He also asked AAP leaders, including party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to come clean on the issue. "Shockingly, the Punjab government is mum over these reports involving their CM . Arvind Kejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. The government of India must step into this, as it involves Punjabi and national pride. If he was deplaned, the government of India must raise the issue with its German counterpart," he added. Previously on August 31, a delegation, including SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and demanded a CBI inquiry into the state excise policy alleging a scam in the policy. "There has been a scam in Punjab Excise Policy just like it happened in Delhi. Just like the Delhi LG has ordered an inquiry into the Excise Policy case, we demand a CBI inquiry along the same lines in Punjab," said Badal. (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 many as 49 new cases of and one death due to the disease have been reported in Maharashtra's district, a health official said on Tuesday. With the addition of the latest cases and death on Monday, the infection tally in the district, which is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, has gone up to 7,44,504 and the fatality toll to 11,959, he said. There are currently 731 active COVID-19 cases in Thane, he said, adding that the count of recoveries has reached 7,32,518. (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.) Out of total worth Rs 23,700 crore given by Indians between October 2020 and September 2021, the maximum went to religious organisations. A recent study showed that 64 per cent of all the went to religious organisations and the highest number of were made by lower-income and middle-class households. The study, "How India Gives 2020-21", was released by the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) to find out the pattern of donating money in India. According to a report in the Indian Express (IE), the amount donated was higher in urban areas, while the number of donations was more in India's rural areas. Most Indians prefer cash over kind in donations, the report added. were preferred recipients of donations in India, receiving total donations worth Rs 2,900 crore, nearly 12 per cent of all the donations. They were followed by "family and friends" receiving Rs 2,000 crore in donations. The "household staff" received Rs 1,000 crore in the period. The survey further pointed out that males prefer donating to religious organisations, and family and friends. Women, on the other hand, prefer donating to and household staff. The highest number of donations was made by east Indians followed by north Indians. Among the money donated to "non-religious organisations," the biggest amount went to NGOs, trusts, foundations and schools. This was followed by the PM CARES fund, and CM CARES fund. handled over 130,000 passengers each on Saturday and Sunday its highest single-day traffic since the reopening of air travel in May 2020. The Sunday rush included 98,000 domestic and 32,000 international passengers. Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said in a press statement that increased connectivity launch of new destinations and rise in the number of flights contributed to the traffic growth. Go First, and accounted for the highest number of domestic passengers, while Air India, Emirates and were top airlines on the international routes, it said. Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai were the top three domestic destinations, while Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore took the top three positions for highest international traffic. On May 21, the airport had handled 123,442 passengers, had said in a release in July. Air travel is on an upward trend on a nationwide basis over the last few months. Airlines flew 37 per cent more flights and carried 50 per cent more passengers on domestic routes last month compared to August 2021. On the international side, too, airlines have added flights to India with scheduled flights resuming from March-end. The easing of pandemic restrictions globally, too, has boosted travel, resulting in new services from Mumbai to Poland, Finland and Vietnam, among other countries. Between January and June, handled nearly 17 million passengers, a growth of 132 per cent over the same period last year. This included 13.36 million domestic and 3.48 million international passengers. With Dr Randeep Guleria's second extended tenure as the director of AIIMS, ending on September 23, the names of two doctors have been recommended for the top job in the premier institute, sources said. It has been learnt that the names of Dr M Srinivas, Dean of Employees' State Insurance Company (ESIC) Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad, and Dr Sanjay Behari, Director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum, have been sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for approval. Interestingly, neither Dr Srinivas nor Dr Behari had not applied for the post, the sources told PTI on Tuesday. Earlier in March, names of three doctors -- Nikhil Tandon, head of the department of endocrinology; Rajesh Malhotra, chief of Trauma Centre and the head of the department of orthopaedics; and Pramod Garg, professor in the gastroenterology department in the institute -- shortlisted by a search-cum-selection committee and subsequently approved by the Institute Body, the top decision-making body of the AIIMS, were sent to the for approval. The headed by the prime minister on June 20 sought a wider panel of names for the post of director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. Following this, names of MV Padma Srivastava, chief of Neurosciences Centre; Dr Balram Bhargava, former ICMR director general; and Dr Rakesh Aggarwal, director of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry; were sent. "Now names of Dr Srinivas and Dr Behari have been sent to for final approval," a source said. Dr Srinivas was a professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Delhi before he joined ESIC Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad in 2016. Dr Behari was professor and head of Neurosurgery department at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences Lucknow before he took charge as the director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum in April. The tenure of the incumbent Dr Guleria which was till March 24 was extended by three months. It was then subsequently extended by another three months. Dr Guleria was appointed as director for a term of five years on March 28, 2017. (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 Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a Maoist identified as Samrat Chakraborty alias Amit alias Argha from West Bengal's Mahispata for his involvement in the CPI (Maoist) case of Cachar District of . Chakraborty was arrested on Monday. The case relates to the arrest of veteran Maoist leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee alias Jyotish alias Kabir, alias Kanchan Da of West Bengal, a Central Committee Member and an ideologue and strategist of CPI(Maoist). The accused Kanchan Da had been assigned the task to establish the organisation in and to further spread the roots Northeast in particular. On September 2, the filed the charge sheet against six arrested accused before the special Court in . Further investigations in the case revealed that accused Samrat Chakraborty alias Amit alias Argha alias Nirmal alias Nirman alias Nilkamal Sikdar was an active member of CPI (Maoist) organisation based in West Bengal. He was a linkman in clandestine communication between the top hierarchy of CPI (Maoist) organisation and the arrested accused Kanchan Da. Samrat Chakraborty had visited Cachar district of Assam on several occasions to assist senior Maoist leader Kanchan da in furthering the activities of the CPI (Maoist) organisation in Assam and NE states on the specific instructions of the Eastern Regional Bureau of the party. Further investigation in the matter is on. --IANS atk/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Monday thanked the for making the wheel of the 13th century Konark temple the logo of the Interpol general assembly to be held in India next month. The logo unveiled recently by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), organising the event, shows a motif with tricoloured leaves arranged in a circular fashion with Ashok Chakra' in the middle. Filled with pride that @INTERPOL_HQ has unveiled the logo for 90th Interpol General Assembly to be held in New Delhi, inspired by intricately craved chariot wheels of #KonarkTemple. Thank for conceiving the idea of featuring the iconic wheels for the international meet, Patnaik said in a Twitter post. The CBI, which is the central bureau for India to liaison with Interpol conceived the idea of the logo from the stone-carved temple in the form of a chariot of Sun God with 24 individual wheels and 16 spokes. The general assembly will be attended by law enforcement officers from 195 countries. (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 will on Tuesday virtually inaugurate the two-day ' Mayors' Conference' to be held in capital Gandhinagar, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. As many as 121 mayors and deputy mayors of BJP-ruled urban local bodies across the country will participate in the two-day event, which is being organised by the party's 'sushasan (good governance) cell, BJP secretary Rituraj Sinha said. "PM Modi will (virtually) inaugurate the Mayors' Conference on Tuesday morning by delivering his address. He will guide the invited guests on urban development," Sinha told reporters in Gandhinagar on Monday. BJP national president JP Nadda will also attend the inaugural ceremony, while others who will take part in the conference over two days include Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, he said. "Fadnavis will share his vision for urban development and Puri will brief the guests about various government schemes for urban local bodies. In all, mayors, deputy mayors and other elected representatives from 18 states and Union Territories will participate in the conference and share their views on topics like waste management, traffic management and water-logging etc," Sinha informed. Mayors of Surat, Indore, Kanpur and Panaji will brief the audience about the work they have done in waste management, cleanliness and increasing revenue, among other areas, in their respective cities, he 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.) External Affairs Minister on Monday held several bilateral and multilateral meetings as he began his hectic diplomatic week at the high-level session of the here. Jaishankar, who arrived here Sunday, began the UNGA meetings with the India-CELAC Quartet. A statement issued after the meeting said India-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Quartet Meeting, held under the pro-tempore presidency of Argentina, took stock of development towards a post COVID pandemic economic recovery, and agreed to work closely in sectors including trade and commerce, agriculture, food and energy security, health, vaccine production, traditional medicines and logistics. The CELAC Quartet was represented by Foreign Minister of Argentina Santiago Cafiero, Foreign Minister of Guatemala Mario Adolfo Bucaro Flores, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Amery Browne and Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of Colombia Laura Gil Savastano. The statement said both sides expressed satisfaction at revitalising the India-CELAC forum. They expressed happiness at the growing engagements of India with Latin American countries, and reviewed the entire spectrum of India-CELAC relations. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues of mutual interests. Both sides acknowledged their cooperation in UN and other multilateral bodies, and agreed to work together on global issues including UN reforms and Climate Change. During his meeting with Malta's Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta Ian Borg, Jaishankar congratulated them on their election to UNSC and also agreed to deepen cooperation in the UN and Commonwealth. They also "explored strengthening our bilateral economic ties". With Trinidad and Tobago foreign minister Browne, Jaishankar noted "our celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations. Look forward to strengthening our traditionally strong cooperation. He also met Olta Xhacka, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania. Valued our close cooperation in the UN Security Council. Discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship. Exchanged views on Ukraine and energy security, Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. (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.) Saying that a special cell has been constituted under the Disciplinary Committee to examine the nature of offences of involved with Chinese companies, President of Institute of of India(ICAI) Debashis Mitra said that the cases are likely to be disposed of at the end of the year on a fast track basis. We have compiled a list of companies where CAs were involved and have issued notices to all of them, he said. Explaining the process, he said first a notice is said to the accused CA. When he/she replies, the Director of Discipline committee has to determine whether the person is prima facie guilty or not. The President also informed the mediapersons that there have been 400 cases this year related to misconduct of . Out of those accused, 50 percent of them are CAs. Commenting on the nature of the alleged misconduct of CAs, he said that some had registered the address of a particular place on paper but in reality their office did not exist there. Some shell companies were also formed by giving the address of the CAs as the address of the company. There are a substantial number of such cases. How many exactly I cannot comment on. But these cases will likely be disposed of in 3-4 months. Among such cases, most of the companies are not listed companies, he said. When asked what action can be taken against CAs who are found guilty, Mitra said they could be removed from their post for as long as their lifetime. He also said the ICAI is trying to educate the CAs on the ethics of the profession. We a have zero tolerance policy for professional misconduct, he said. Saying that they have not been asked for their views by Sebi related to changes in Section 135 of Companies Act(Corporate Social Responsibility), he said personally he thinks it is not a bad idea. Recently, the (MCA) proposed amendments to the Companies Act that proposes to mandate joint audits for a certain class of companies. We agree with this proposal, Mitra said. Recently EY split up its audit and consulting business. When asked whether this would help improve the audit quality, Mitra said EY has a separate entity as a consultant. We have set up a centre of audit quality and the centre has developed audit quality maturity. These are a set of questions by the means of which a firm of can self evaluate. Where exactly it stands vis a vis audit quality is to be determined, he said. Talking about the mandatory rotation of auditors in the company Mitra said they will conduct a study on its impact. Mandatory auditor/audit firm rotation requires that companies change their auditor after a legally set period of time. We will definitely do an independent study on the effects of its policy on the independence of auditors, he said. A special court has rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) closure report on the mysterious death of cadre Anurag Tiwari. The special judicial magistrate ( court) passed the order on a protest petition filed by Mayank Tewari, Anurag's brother who had opposed the report. The had filed the closure report in the case twice -- on February 19, 2019 and on January 28, 2021. The court has now fixed October 14 for the next hearing. Anurag Tiwari was found dead under mysterious circumstances on his birthday on May 17, 2017 near the state guest house on Meera Bai Marg in Hazratganj. A resident of Bahraich district, Anurag is survived by his parents and brothers Alok and Mayank Tiwari. He was the youngest. Anurag was posted as commissioner, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department in Bengaluru. The Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue. Later, the state government ordered a probe by the after Anurag's family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. --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.) The Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended 8 from near here, for alleged maritime boundary violation, officials said on Tuesday. The fishermen hailed from Pudukottai district in . They were picked up by the Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in that country's waters between Mullaitheevu and Neduntheevu late on Monday, Fisheries officials said. One boat was also detained. (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 paddy harvesting begins in parts of Punjab, the Bhagwant Mann-led (AAP) government is struggling to deal with the menace of . Farmers have indicated that they will continue with the practice unless the government compensates them suitably for the expenses they will incur by adopting alternative methods of disposing of crop residue. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is mooting a stricter framework for identifying beneficial owners (BOs) of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in the country. Corporate Indias investment in assets, such as plants, equipment, land, buildings, and acquisitions, grew 9.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in FY22, faster than 7.4 per cent YoY growth in in the previous year. Read more on these in our top headlines. moots stricter framework for identifying FPI beneficial owners The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is mooting a stricter framework for identifying beneficial owners (BOs) of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in the country. The regulator is studying the viability and impact of lowering the threshold for BOs for providing additional information, said people aware of the discussions. Read more India Inc's FY22 rises 9.1% YoY but lags pre-Covid growth Corporate Indias investment in assets, such as plants, equipment, land, buildings, and acquisitions, grew 9.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in FY22, faster than 7.4 per cent YoY growth in in the previous year. Still, average capex growth in the past couple of years was significantly slower than that during the preceding two years in the pre-pandemic period. Read more Takeover scare for as Carbon Resources picks up over 5% stake McLeod Russel, the largest bulk tea producer in India, is facing a takeover threat from Carbon Resources, a company manufacturing input materials for ferro alloys, aluminium and steel industries. In a surprise move on Friday, Carbon Resources bought more than 5 per cent stake in McLeod from the open market. On the same day, it made a non-binding offer to McLeods lenders in the middle of a debt resolution process for a one-time settlement of dues. Read more India to push big for multilateral reforms of WTO, as Chair As India readies to take over the presidency of G20, one of the key agenda items it will push for will be reforms in institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make them more attuned to the needs and aspirations of developing economies, Business Standard has learnt. Long-pending reforms in multilateral institutions is something that India, as chair, would like to see a solution to, sources say. The belief here, and in almost all developing economies, is that there is under-representation of the global south nations from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and a bias towards European and North American nations. Read more purchase price may be hiked by up to Rs 2 per litre next year The Centre may raise the purchase price of across all categories by up to Rs -2 per litre for the 2022-23 season (December-November). On the contrary, the manufacturing industry is bullish on a steeper increase in the price at which oil marketing companies (OMCs) would purchase ethanol from them next year. Read more Ambuja, ACC capacity to double to 140 mtpa in 5 years: Gautam Adani The capacity of Ambuja Cements and ACC will increase from the current 70 million tonnes to 140 million tonnes in the next five years, and both companies will become the countrys most profitable cement companies as margins will go up due to rising demand, Adani group Chairman said a day after closing the Ambuja transaction. Read more Turkish President on Tuesday once again raked up the during his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly session here. "India and Pakistan, after having established their sovereignty and independence 75 years ago, they still haven't established peace and solidarity between one another. This is much unfortunate. We hope and pray that a fair and permanent peace and prosperity will be established in Kashmir," Erdogan, a close ally of Pakistan, said at the General Debate. His comment comes less than a week after he met Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Friday during which they reviewed the full range of bilateral relations and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in diverse sectors. In recent years, the Turkish leader has referred to the in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly sessions, causing strain in ties between India and Turkiye. India in the past termed his remarks as "completely unacceptable", saying Turkiye should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply. (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.) Students and teachers of Class 8 will have to wait three more months to receive the tablet computers (tabs) promised by the government. Though the state government announced it will distribute tabs to 4,59,564 students and 59,176 teachers in government and aided schools in September, "supply issues" are said to be pushing the delivery date further to December. The total 5,18,740 tabs will cost the government Rs 664 crore and are supposed to come with pre-loaded Byju's academic content for Class 8, sources in the Education Department said. The AP Technology Services finalised the deal with a private supplier for the Samsung T220 Lite Tablet PC, with the delivery schedule supposed to start this month. In the first phase, the department planned to distribute the tabs in 15 districts spread over north coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema by September 30. The remaining 11 districts in coastal Andhra were supposed to be covered in the second phase by October 31. However, Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana told the Legislative Council on Friday last that the tab distribution would be done on Children's Day (November 14) across the state. "But we may not meet even that timeline now because of paucity of the gadgets. Eventually it may happen only in December," a senior official of the Education Department said. This apart, sources said, there were also some technical issues involved that needed to be sorted out with the content provider. The tabs will come loaded with a feature that enables tracking of usage by students and teachers. Initially, the government proposed to give the gadgets only to students of Class-8 but the state Cabinet gave its approval on September 7 extending the facility to the teachers in government and aided schools as well. Sources in the Education Department said the government entered into an agreement with the vendor on September 5 under which each Tab with a 64 GB memory card will be supplied at Rs 12,843, as against the market price of Rs 16,446. Originally, the state government promised to distribute laptop computers to students from classes 9 to 12 (Intermediate) in lieu of the Rs 13,000 per annum Amma Vodi dole. The plan was aborted after the suppliers quoted a base price of Rs 24,000 for each laptop. The government then came up with the tabs idea, to be distributed to Class-8 students every year from now on, which they will have to carry to classes 9 and 10. (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 Union has notified the Rules on Tuesday as (Amendment) Rules, 2022. The Rules made provisions for all class A manufacturers to register themselves through an identified online portal established for the purpose. Class A are those with low-to-moderate risk to the patient or user (like surgical dressings). All class A and class B manufacturers are required to transition to the licensing regime by October 1. Several manufacturers are awaiting audits from the licensing authorities. Online registration with self declaration would make this transition process easier. The manufacturer has to give an undertaking stating that the proposed device is class A non-sterile and/or non-measuring. This was a long-standing demand from the medical devices industry. An undertaking (is needed) from the manufacturer stating that the proposed device is class A (non-sterile and/or non-measuring), according to First Schedule of the said rules, the notification read. The manufacturer will have to self-certify that the product is conforming to the essential principles checklist of safety and performance of such devices, the said in the notification. It added that the manufacturer shall self-certify to comply with the standards prescribed in the Medical Devices Rules, 2017. After furnishing the information on the Online System for Medical Devices established for the purpose, registration number will be generated. In case of an importer of medical devices, the importer will upload the name and address of the importer and the manufacturing site together with details of medical devices. The importer, too, will have to give an undertaking stating that the proposed device is a class A medical device, and it conforms to essential principles of safety. In case of importers, a self-attested copy of the overseas manufacturing site or establishment or plant registration in the country of origin issued by a competent authority would be necessary. The manufacturer or importer is required to maintain records of manufacturing, import along with sales and distribution. They would have to produce such records upon request by the licensing authorities, the notification said. The licensing authorities may verify the records, documents at any point of time and investigate quality or safety-related failures or complaints, it added. The state or central licensing authority may cancel the registration number or suspend it, if the manufacturer or importer fails to comply with these rules. British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said on Tuesday that the best way to celebrate this year will be the finalisation of the free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom (UK). This is the first event that the British High Commissioner attended since the 10-day national mourning in the UK, following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II. Ellis also stressed on the need for increased trade and investment between both nations. Free trade agreements (FTAs) are an effective way to increase employment and growth in our countries, he said at an industry event organised by body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). He added that there is "high ambition to complete the India-UK FTA by Diwali--a deadline set earlier by both nations, adding that it would be an auspicious date. The best thing that both nations have done together in the last two years is to combine the UKs academic and research excellence with Indias manufacturing power to create the Covishield vaccine, he said. Currently, both countries are at the last leg of negotiations towards a trade deal that kick-started in January. Rajendra Ratnoo, joint secretary DPIIT, who was also present at the event said that a major part of the trade deal has been thrashed out while certain areas remain which are being discussed. There is considerable positive sentiment over the potential of the foreign trade agreement between India and the UK and the anticipated economic benefits to businesses on both sides. The zeal and enthusiasm with which the FTA negotiations are progressing are a testimony to our commitment to double bilateral trade by 2030, said Ratnoo. Ratnoo added that the trade pact is expected to provide certainty, predictability, transparency, and create a more bilateral facilitative and competitive services regime. India is expected to register a quantum jump as the FTA will give a major thrust to and labour-intensive sectors like leather, textile, jewellery etc. Services like IT, ITES, nursing, education and healthcare are also likely to get huge thrust, he said. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is set to attend the three-day Group of 20 (G20) nations trade, investment, and industry ministerial, which begins on Wednesday in Bali, Indonesia. Member nations are expected to thrash out key trade issues related to market access, building sustainable supply chains, reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), among others. There could also be discussions on industrys responses to pandemics, digital trade, and sustainable investment for global economic recovery. The meeting takes place at a time when the world is yet to fully recover from the Covid-19 pandemics shock and is staring at recession, thanks in part to the geopolitical tensions triggered after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the sidelines of the ministerial, India will try to woo its trading partners to negotiate free trade agreements (FTAs) fast, people aware of the matter said. One of the points that India may highlight is that by 2047 the Indian economy will grow tenfold. This should be kept in mind while signing FTAs are these pacts are typically long term. On the other hand, Indias competitors may not grow at a similar pace, including the developed nations with whom India is signing FTAs. This must be kept in mind during negotiations, one of the officials said. Goyal is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Indonesia, Canada, United States, and South Korea, the official told Business Standard. India has already signed two trade agreements earlier this year with the UAE and Australia, though the latter is yet to be ratified by the Australian Parliament. India is currently negotiating FTAs with the UK, Canada, and the EU. Discussions for a trade deal with the (GCC) countries and Israel are also on. According to a media report, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai has convened a meeting of trade ministers to discuss issues related to the WTOs dispute settlement mechanism. The outcome document of the WTO ministerial has promised to revive the dispute settlement body in next two years. The is a strategic multilateral platform connecting the worlds major developed and emerging economies. member nations represent more than 80 per cent of the worlds gross domestic product (GDP), 75 per cent of international trade, and 60 per cent of the worlds population. In line with the maiden India- Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) to firm up economic ties between the two nations last week, an Indian delegation on Tuesday presented investment opportunities in the Indian green energy sectors to the deputy prime minister of Lawerence Wong, Business Standard has learnt. Wong who also is the finance minister, is on his maiden visit to India after being declared the deputy PM. An Indian delegation led by Parmeswaran Iyer, chief executive officer, Niti Ayog, along with G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, hosted a roundtable discussion on and green hydrogen, said sources. The meeting also saw participation from secretary ministry of power Alok Kumar, secretary (East), ministry of external affairs Saurabh Kumar, Ajay Seth, secretary, department of economic affairs and secretary, ministry of new and I S Chaturvedi. Among industry participants were Gurdeep Singh, chairman and managing director, NTPC Ltd which is the countrys largest power producer. From the private sector, there were representatives from ReNew Power, ACME Solar, Greenko, L&T, Adani Energy, India Energy Storage Alliance and India Alliance. Bilateral funding from and low-cost finance for green projects formed the core of the discussion between the delegations of the two nations. India is expected to pitch green bonds and similar such new age financing tools for investment in the Indian sector, this paper has learnt. Joint public and private partnership between the two nations along with research and development in the upcoming green sector would also be explored. Development of a hub will also be explored with Singapore. This would pertain to production of cheaper renewable energy for manufacturing green hydrogen, electrolyser manufacturing, and hydrogen storage technologies. Along with that, India also plans to propose to utilise Singapores maritime expertise for green hydrogen transportation, said sources. In 2021, India had announced a National Hydrogen Mission and launched a Green Hydrogen Policy earlier this year. The Centre is aiming for annual production of five million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. Both India and Singapore are part of the First Movers Coalition formed at the COP26. The Coalition is aimed at decarbonising industry and transport sectors responsible for 30 per cent of global emissions. This paper recently reported, the green hydrogen market in India is heating up with marquee names in India Inc and renewable energy companies announcing their manufacturing plans, despite the policy being in early stages. From RIL to Adani, Hinduja Group, ReNew Power, ACME, L&T have announced their investment plan in green hydrogen manufacturing. While for some such as RIL, green hydrogen would replace fossil fuel usage, others like Adani are looking at the commercial viability of this new fuel as several industries will shift to green fuels in their bid to decarbonise. Under the green hydrogen policy, the Centre is looking to aggregate demand for green hydrogen from key sectors such as fertilisers, steel, and refineries and offer them as a mega tender. The Centre has proposed to set up manufacturing zones for production of green hydrogen and ammonia. The policy also said the manufacturers "shall be allowed to set up bunkers near Ports for storage of Green Ammonia for export /use by shipping. At least 20 ships are waiting to load around 600,000 tonnes of at Indian ports as New Delhi's surprise export restrictions have trapped cargoes for nearly a fortnight, forcing sellers to pay demurrage charges, industry officials told Reuters. India banned exports of broken and imposed a 20% duty on exports of various other types on Sept. 8, as the world's biggest exporter of the grain tries to boost local supplies and calm prices after below-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting. The surprise move trapped cargo that was moved to the ports or was in transit before the government made the announcement, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of The Exporters Association (TREA). "We have requested the government to provide concession to this transitional cargo as we are paying hefty demurrage charges," he said. Apart from 600,000 tonnes rice that is waiting for the loading at berthed vessels, a further 400,000 tonnes of rice is stuck at port warehouses and container freight stations (CFS) even though contracts are backed by letters of credit (LCs), he said. Broken rice shipments are stuck because of the ban, while in the case of white rice buyers and sellers are not willing to pay the 20% duty over the agreed price, dealers said. "When contracts were signed there wasn't any tax on the exports. Since exports now attract the tax, there is dispute who will pay the tax over the agreed price," said a New Delhi-based dealer with a global trading firm. In similar circumstances, New Delhi has in the past provided exemptions for contracts backed by LCs, or payment guarantees, issued until the day the government made a policy change. But that has not happened this time. Stuck broken rice shipments were heading to China, Senegal, Senegal and Djibouti, while other grades of white rice were bought by buyers in Benin, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, exporters said. India exports rice to more than 150 countries and any reduction in shipments would increase upward pressure on food prices, which are already rising because of drought, heatwaves and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; editing by David Evans) (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 the Centre gears up to privatise banks including the IDBI Bank, it is tightening disclosure norms for bidders. Bidders will have to share the details of legal proceedings against them, if any, until the completion of sale transactions, a report in Economic Times (ET) stated. The main idea is to seek the type of cases that the bidders are facing and the government is amending the bid document, an official told ET. The amendments will clarify which cases will disqualify the bidders from the process. The development comes after the bidding for . A company had completed the bidding process, but the transaction was halted by the (NCLT). stated that the financial health of Almas Global Opportunity Fund (AGOF), the majority stakeholder in Star9 Mobility was poor. Star9 Mobility had won the bid. AGOF had outstanding dues worth Rs 578 crore which it had to pay to EMC Ltd in return for acquiring it. This raised eyebrows about the company's financial stability. The Centre is reportedly cautious and does not want to jeopardise the privatisation process in later stages. It has stated that the current bidding rules require disclosure of legal proceedings, but they are now being tightened to provide more clarity. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave in-principle approval for strategic and transfer of management control in in May 2021. Currently, the government holds 45.48 per cent in the bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India, which is currently the promoter of the bank, owns 49.24 per cent. The Centre can invite the bids for soon. The has asked (UCBs) with deposits above Rs 10,000 crore to appoint a chief compliance officer (CCO) by April 01, 2023, to improve corporate governance. These are categorised as tier-4 entities. gave tier-3 those with deposits above Rs 1,000 crore and less than Rs 10,000 crore time till October 01, 2023, to appoint CCO. As for UCBs under tier-1 with deposits up to Rs 100 crore and tier-2 with deposits more than Rs 100 crore and up to Rs 1,000 crore the existing norms will continue. Under the current guidelines, compliance is one of the major responsibilities of directors and the audit committee of the board and a senior official is designated as 'Compliance Officer'. Also Read: Analysts see RBI delivering another 35-50 bps repo hike on Sep 30 RBI, in communication to chief executives of the UCBs, said this directive should be placed in the immediate next meeting of the Board of Directors for information. They should devise an implementation strategy under the boards supervision in a time-bound manner, added. defines compliance risk as the risk of legal or regulatory sanctions, material financial loss, or loss of reputation due to failure to comply with laws, regulations and norms applicable to its activities. The compliance function is an integral part of effective governance, along with internal control and risk management processes. RBI said the CCO shall have direct reporting lines to the Managing director and Chief Executive Officer (MD&CEO) and/or Board/ Board Committee. In case the CCO reports to the MD & CEO, the board or its panel will meet the CCO at quarterly intervals on a one-on-one basis, without the presence of the senior management, including the MD & CEO. The compliance chief will not have any reporting relationship with the business verticals. Further, the board or its committee will review the performance appraisal of the CCO, it added. Reserve Bank of India today removed the from the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework on complying with parameters like net non-performing assets (net NPAs) and capital ratios. While removal paves way for normal functioning for business growth, Mumbai-based public sector lender would still be subject to certain conditions and continuous monitoring. RBI had placed Central Bank under in June 2017 due to high net NPAs and negative return on assets. Central Bank was the last of the public sector lenders to come out of . Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank were removed from the framework last September. Central Bank's stock closed 0.49 per cent up at Rs 20.35 per share on BSE on Tuesday. RBI said in a statement that Central Bank's performance was reviewed by the Board for Financial Supervision. According to the assessed figures of the bank for the year ended March 31, 2022, the lender is not in breach of the parameters. Its net NPAs stood at 3.93 per cent at end of June 2022, down from 10.20 per cent in March 2017. The capital adequacy ratio was 13.33 per cent at the end of June 2022, up from 10.95 per cent in March 2017. The bank has maintained that it was complying with the parameters under the PCA framework of the RBI for five quarters. RBI said the bank is committed to comply with the norms of Minimum Regulatory Capital, Net NPA and Leverage ratio on an ongoing basis. It has also appraised about the structural and systemic improvements made which would help the lender in continuing to meet these commitments, RBI added. on Tuesday said its board has approved the sale of stressed assets worth around Rs 48,000 crore to JC Flowers ARC, which has turned out to be the sole bidder for the portfolio. The US-based asset reconstruction company (ARC) had in July this year emerged as the base bidder for the proposed sale of the identified stressed loan book of aggregating up to Rs 48,000 crore. As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines on transparent bidding process, the private sector lender had conducted a Swiss challenge for inviting challenger bids. The Swiss challenge process has now concluded and the bank has not received any challenger bids to the base bid, said in a regulatory filing. "The board of directors of the bank, at their meeting held on September 20, 2022, has approved the declaration of JC Flowers ARC as the winner of the Swiss Challenge process," the bank said. As per the binding term sheet between the bank, JCF ARC LLC and JC Flowers for sale of the identified portfolio, the board members also approved the necessary investment for acquisition of up to 19.99 per cent equity stake in JC Flowers ARC by the bank, it said. The picking-up of stake is subject to required regulatory approvals. "The bank will now proceed towards negotiating definitive agreements," Yes Bank 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.) After a majestic funeral service at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was interred alongside her husband, late Prince Philip, at a private burial at St. George's Chapel on Monday evening. "The Queen was buried together with the Duke of Edinburgh, at The King George VI Memorial Chapel," the Buckingham Palace stated on the official Royal Family website. Earlier, the roughly 40-km route by road from Westminster Abbey in London, the site of a grand state funeral attended by thousands earlier in the day, to Windsor included the coffin processing by state gun carriage and then in the state hearse, a customised Jaguar, to the steps of the chapel. Thousands lined the streets on the route of this final procession, which Buckingham Palace said had been drawn up with the public in mind, and the Order of Service for the Committal Service was discussed with the late monarch over a number of years. "We have come together to commit into the hands of God the soul of his servant Queen Elizabeth, said the Dean of Windsor, who led the service. "In the midst of our rapidly changing and frequently troubled world, her calm and dignified presence has given us confidence to face the future, as she did, with courage and with hope. As, with grateful hearts, we reflect on these and all the many other ways in which her long life has been a blessing to us, we pray that God will give us grace to honour her memory by following her example, and that, with our sister Elizabeth, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal, he said. Much of the music at the Committal Service has been composed by Sir William Harris, who served as the Organist at St. George's Chapel between 1933 and 1961 and much of the Queen's childhood. The young Princess Elizabeth is said to have often visited the Organ Loft to watch him play, and it is believed he taught her to play the piano. Prior to the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the orb and the sceptre known as the Instruments of State were removed from the coffin by the Crown Jeweller and, with the Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms, passed to the Dean who placed them on the Altar. At the end of the final Hymn, King Charles III placed the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. At the same time, the Lord Chamberlain the most senior officer of the royal household made the ceremonial gesture to "break" his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin. This, the palace said, is to create a symmetry with the three Instruments of State that have been removed. The Camp Colour and the broken wand are both to be buried with the coffin. The coffin was then lowered into the Royal Vault as the Dean of Windsor read from 'Psalm 103' which includes the traditional line, Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul'. The Sovereign's Piper played a Lament entitled A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith' as the final fade away music. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, pronounced the final blessing which was followed by the singing of the national anthem, God Save The King', marking the conclusion of the Committal Service and the public aspect of the funeral service. The King and senior members of the royal family then departed for the private burial ceremony, which saw the Queen's coffin buried with that of her late husband, Prince Philip, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel an enclave at the historic chapel on the late monarch's Windsor estate. The funeral service for Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was conducted at the same chapel in April last year. Other members of Queen Elizabeth II's family also lie buried there, including her mother also Elizabeth, father King George VI, and sister Princess Margaret. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's former prime minister on Monday reiterated that the new army chief should be appointed on merit, asserting that the coalition government should not be allowed to appoint the next head of the powerful army. Addressing a rally in Punjab's Chakwal district, he also talked about the traitors who toppled his government and the failure of the current government to fix the economy. "Army chief should be appointed on merit and I believe only those nations prosper which follow merit, Khan said. Army chief General Javed Bajwa, 61, would retire on November 29 and his successor is expected to be announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is legally authorised to appoint the army chief. No country can prosper without meritocracy. You have no future when our 60% cabinet members are out on bail and our leaders are Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, he said. Khan also said that the nation will not forget those traitors who imposed this "imported government" upon them, accusing the incumbent rulers of destroying the country's economy. I will not accept these thieves and will continue to compete with them and their backers till I am alive, he said. Khan said all sectors of the economy were flourishing during his tenure when the then opposition along with the conspirators toppled his government which he said triggered economic crisis in the country. They run a propaganda campaign against my government with the help of their paid media houses that the country's economy was sinking during my tenure, he said. While addressing the traitors', Khan said: The nation and Allah will not forgive you for subjecting the country to oppression by imposing thieves upon the masses. He, however, didn't explain whom he was terming as traitor. He said that government committed an economic murder of the farmer, while exports were falling, industry was shutting down and unemployment was rising. Khan was removed through a no-confidence vote in April and he blamed the US for bringing his downfall with the help of the current rulers. He has also blamed the army for doing nothing when his government was being removed through a conspiracy. However, the US as well as the Army rejected the claims. (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 UK's 10-day state mourning came to an end with national flags back at full mast across government buildings on Tuesday, a day after Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in London and a private burial ceremony in Windsor. The royal family will continue to observe another week of mourning announced by King Charles III, who flew to Scotland with Queen Consort Camilla for a period of private mourning. Senior royals are not expected to carry out any public duties during the extended mourning period and the flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast till next Tuesday. The Queen, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died peacefully at her Balmoral Castle residence in Scotland on September 8. She was laid to rest beside her late husband, Prince Philip, in a private burial service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The government said over 250,000 people had turned out to queue for many hours over the past week to file past the Queen Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall ahead of her state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday. "The queue was phenomenal. It was a real team effort to enable people to have that moment to say goodbye. I want to thank everyone involved, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan told the BBC. The Mayor of London's office said an estimated 80,000 people were in Hyde Park to watch the funeral events on Monday, with several thousand gathered around large screens in all parts of the . The route from London to Windsor was lined with an estimated 100,000 people, according to Thames Valley Police. President Droupadi Murmu represented the Indian government at the state funeral, which was attended by over 500 world leaders dubbed the largest gathering of global heads of state and government in history. About 100 presidents and heads of government were in the Abbey including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Royal families from around the globe were also attended, including kings, queens and emperors from Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia and Jordan. It was a very moving, sombre and emotional ceremony and a real honour to represent Britain's Hindu community at the funeral, said Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary of the Hindu Council UK, who formed part of a multi-faith procession at the funeral. It involved a spectacular day of ceremonial events that included a grand procession through London and on the approach to the Queen's final resting place in Windsor Castle. Millions around the world watched her coffin lowered into the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel after the Instruments of State the Imperial Crown, Orb and Sceptre were removed as a symbolic end of an era. The private burial, attended only by close family, coincided with the release of a photograph of the Queen walking in Balmoral, Scotland, in 1971. May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 - 2022, the palace tweeted with the photograph on Monday evening. British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said she was "hugely honoured" to have been invited to form a government by the late Queen just two days before she passed away. Truss was the late Queen's 15th Prime Minister, her first being war-time leader Sir Winston Churchill. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a first, CEO Sunder Pichai visited the Embassy of India here in the American capital and held discussions with India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, on various aspects of the tech company's activities in the country, particularly its aggressive push towards digitization. Thank you Ambassador Sandhu for the great conversation, Pichai said in a tweet after his visit to the in downtown Washington DC late last week. This is for the first time that a top Indian American tech CEO has visited the embassy here. Appreciated the chance to discuss Google's commitment to India and look forward to continuing our support for India's digital future, said Pichai, who in January this year was named among the 17 awardees to receive Padma Bhushan. Technology that transforms; ideas that enable! tweeted Sandhu. Delighted to receive and Alphabet CEO at the Embassy, he said. Exchanged thoughts on expanding India-US commercial, knowledge & tech partnership with Google, the Indian envoy said. under Pichai has made massive investment in India and phenomenally expanded its footprint in a wide range of sectors including its training to the younger generation. It has announced an investment of about USD10 billion under Google for India digitization. It also has partnerships with Reliance's Jeo as well as with Bharti Airtel. In addition, it is partnering with India on workforce development and skill development. They are working with the government on Digital India Program, and national digital literacy mission. During the meeting with the Indian Ambassador, Pichai was very appreciative of the very initiatives that have been taken by India and underscored how Google is looking at India in a very positive framework. The Ambassador highlighted the knowledge and education partnership. The Google CEO, during the conversation, is also believed to have discussed various ways in which its partnership with India forward in particular in the education sector. They also discussed digitization efforts in India in which Google is involved including digital payments and infrastructure digitization. The Indian Ambassador noted that Google is an important partner in India's digital transformation, which is a priority for the government. Notably Google and its parent company Alphabet played an important role in the COVID-19 crisis last year. They put a lot of money in terms of supporting India, and they were part of the global task force of American CEOs set up in this regard. The Indian government has intensified its engagement with American CEOs. The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had a meeting with a number of CEOs from the Silicon Valley during his trip to California early this month. Sandhu himself met several CEOs during his recent trips there. He also visited the universities in the Silicon Valley which are considered to be the hub of such innovation. They also had a number of venture capitalists and start up entrepreneurs in San Francisco as part of India's latest push to have greater engagement with the American tech sector. (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.) Indonesian producers are whittling down their hefty inventory overhang with discounts versus rivals and aggressive sales to India, where demand is picking up for next month's Diwali festival, industry officials said. Backed by Jakarta's waiver of export levies, which was recently extended to Oct. 31 and reversed course from an export ban in May that had shut them out of global trade, producers are moving in to lighten up their stocks at tempting prices. And India, the world's biggest importer of vegetable oils, is buying - offering potential support to benchmark futures prices while threatening to undercut imports of rivals soyoil and sunoil. "India has been aggressively buying palm oil from since prices are attractive and festival demand is approaching," said Sandeep Bajoria, the chief executive of vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy Sunvin Group. "We are expecting imports of 2 million tonnes between August to November." That would be triple India's palm oil imports from Indonesia, the world's largest producer, in the previous four months, from April to July, according to data compiled by trade body The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). The momentum in shipments could help to bring Indonesia's palm oil stocks, which ballooned to 6.69 million tonnes by end-June from around 4 million tonnes at end-2021, back to 4.5 to 5 million tonnes by end-September, said Eddy Martono, Secretary General at the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI). The drawdown will also get some help, he said, from a slowdown in production now that the peak harvest period has passed. The stocks were built up during Jakarta's steady escalation of export restrictions early this year, culminating in the drastic three-week export ban. The government was aiming to bring down local edible oils prices but in the process caused world prices to surge, hitting a record 7,268 Malaysian ringgit ($1,598) per tonne. Producers in Malaysia, the second-largest palm oil producer, along with rival oils like soyoil and sunoil, rushed in to grab Indonesia's market share. Sunvin Group's Bajoria noted that soyoil and sunoil, usually substantially more expensive than palm oil, became comparable in price for a few months and squeezed demand from India. Malaysia has also displaced so far in the 2021/22 marketing year to end-October as the top palm oil supplier to India, according to SEA data. The Indonesian government ended up scrapping the ban, and in mid-July also began waiving export levies that had been used to fund biodiesel and replanting programmes, growing more worried instead about bulging palm oil stocks and beleaguered palm farmers. "Indonesian sellers are now trying hard to regain the lost market share by offering discounts," a New Delhi-based palm oil dealer said. Palm oil futures prices have now dropped by nearly half from their record high and palm oil is again at a sizeable discount to rival oils, offered at $940 a tonne including cost, insurance and freight (CIF) to India for September shipment, compared with $1,288 for crude soyoil, dealers said. And Indonesian producers are taking back business from their Malaysian neighbours with aggressive discounting. "Right now, sellers are very competitive compared to Malaysia. They are giving a discount of up to $5 per tonne under Malaysia," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. They had been offering discounts of as much as $15 in July-August, when the export levy was first removed, he said. Indonesian Trade Minister Zuklifli Hasan also urged India to buy more palm oil from his country when he visited India last month, said a senior industry official who attended the minister's meeting with Indian buyers. The official asked not to be named as the meeting was private. With Indonesia's stocks returning to normal during this window of waived export levies and robust India demand, however, market players expected it was only a matter of time before Jakarta returns to its typical export levies. "Once stocks come down, it will start levying the exports," said a Mumbai-based dealer. "Palm oil is big contributor in its tax kitty. It can't waive off taxes indefinitely." ($1 = 4.5480 ringgit) (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai and Bernadette Christina in Jakarta; Editing by Edmund Klamann) (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 coalition of and that includes Allianz SE, the California Public Employees Retirement System and Zurich Insurance Group AG have committed to managing $7.1 trillion of assets in line with the Paris Agreements goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The United Nations-convened Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance said in a statement Tuesday that 44 of its 74 members are setting 2025 targets that support the Paris climate objective, up from 29 firms last year. Alliance members, which also include Aviva Plc, Axa SA and Swiss Re AG, together oversee $10.6 trillion of assets. They must adopt five-year targets within 12 months of joining and are expected to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 across their entire portfolios. As providers of capital and loss protection, investors and insurers can use their financial firepower to drive the transition to a greener global economy. They can do so by divesting from high-carbon companies, boosting their stakes in clean-energy businesses and pushing existing portfolio companies to meaningfully reduce their carbon footprints. The speed and scale of those decisions will be vital. Scientists say that global greenhouse-gas emissions need to halve by 2030 to avoid catastrophic impacts of . Also Read : How Patagonia and Yvon Chouinard plan to save the earth? This years progress is noteworthy because of the war in Ukraine and a global energy crisis, Gunther Thallinger, chair of the alliance, said in an interview. In today's world, where there's a lot of tension in terms of energy markets and the possibility to do something at all, here is a group of investors who have set targets and who performed against these targets, Thallinger said. They simply do emissions reduction by changing their portfolio companies. In another sign of progress, members investments in so-called climate solutions such as clean technologies or green infrastructure rose almost threefold to $253 billion this year from $87 billion in 2021, the alliance said. The group is trying to make its target-setting approach more robust. In January, it said it would require members to slash between 49% and 65% off their carbon footprint by the end of the decade, including Scope 3, or financed, emissions. Scope 3 emissions emanate from a companys broader value chain. They typically make up 95% to 97% of an investors emissions and can be especially hard to curb. Getting behind the 1.5C ambition is both a climate imperative and smart business, the asset owners said in a report. The very future of the financial system depends precisely on it taking responsibility for emissions facilitated through investment, underwriting, and lending, the group said. Russia is likely to ship more fuel to Asian nations in the coming months as tightens sanctions to step up its response to the invasion of Ukraine. The country is also considering to raise taxes on the oil and gas sector to the tune of 3 trillion roubles ($50 billion) in 2023-2025 in order to plug the budget gap, The Kommersant Daily said on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The finance ministry declined to comment. The two regions ( and the Middle East) have already been taking a greater share of Russian exports since the war broke out, according to data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea, highlighting the as-yet-unfinished reconfiguration of global energy flows. The European Union is set to bar most imports of Russian crude from December 5, followed by a prohibition on oil products thatll kick in from February, ramping up the pressure on Moscow to redirect more of its energy output. India and China took a combined 2.7 million barrels a day of Russian crude and products last month, according to Morgan Stanley. Thats 54 per cent higher than a year ago. Smaller nations, dubbed the rest of the world, boosted imports to 926,000 barrels a day from 561,000, the bank said in a recent note. While buyers in some nations such as Myanmar or Sri Lanka have acknowledged taking Russian cargoes as the war drags on, others have been more circumspect. As the trade continues to evolve, Russian sellers have been employing a variety of tactics to develop existing as well as find new outlets, including re-exports and ship-to-ship transfers. An uptick in flows may spur competition, hurting prices and undermining refining margins. The finance ministry expects a budget deficit of 1.2 per cent of GDP this year and 1.1 per cent of GDP in 2023 amid spending for what Moscow calls a special military operation in Ukraine and sweeping Western sanctions. The ministry has also proposed hiking the oil export duty and increasing state revenue from the oil products trade. The newspaper said the finance ministry seeks to raise some 1.4 trillion roubles in 2023 alone by hiking export duties and mineral extraction tax on commodities. The measures, which also include a possible rise in the oil exports duty in 2023 by 50 per cent , will be considered at a government meeting later. SCO has succeeded in exploring new path for development of international organizations 11:16, September 20, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping makes remarks while attending the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the International Conference Center in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) On Sept. 16, local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an speech at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In the speech, he offered strategic views of and guidance on the development of the SCO, and made major proposals for SCO member states to enhance solidarity and promote SCO's future development. The Chinese proposals conform to the trend of the times and meet the demands of all parties relevant. They will help the SCO make greater achievements on a new journey and inject more energy in maintaining peace and prosperity in Eurasia and even the world at large. The SCO Samarkand Summit was one attended by the most state leaders and yielding the most deliverables in the history of the SCO. Under the joint efforts of Xi and other participating state leaders, the summit adopted more than 40 documents covering such areas as economy, finance, science and technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges, institution building and external interactions. In addition, the summit also adopted four important joint statements on safeguarding global food security, international energy security, addressing climate change, and maintaining a secure, stable and diversified supply chain under the promotion of China. These deliverables fully demonstrate the vitality of the SCO and indicate that the organization is an important force maintaining world peace and development. Global media commented that the SCO has set a good example of mutually beneficial cooperation for the international society. It has been shown that the Shanghai Spirit is the source of strength for the development of the SCO, and also the fundamental guide the SCO must continue to follow in the years to come, Xi said in his speech. "We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead," he added. Xi said political trust, win-win cooperation, equality between nations, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice are what make the SCO successful. These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. The five points answer to the questions of what kind of regional cooperation shall be promoted in the new era and how it should be promoted. They offer important guidance on the construction of the SCO and promoting healthy development of international relations. The five points will help SCO member states strengthen solidarity and cooperation and build a closer SCO community with a shared future. Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with other leaders and guests ahead of the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 16, 2022. Xi attended the meeting and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Li Tao) The successful experience of the SCO achieved in the past over 20 years fully proves that the five points will better bringing together countries from different regions, at different stages of development, and from different civilizations and traditions, and help foster a stronger force of collectivism, solidarity and cooperation. The world today is not a peaceful place. Rivalry between two sets of policy choices "unity or division", "cooperation or confrontation" is getting more acute. The SCO is facing multiple challenges in maintaining regional peace and security, and its member states are also confronted with mounting challenges in keeping their own security and stability. In the face of the complex situation, the SCO needs to keep itself on the right course, deepen cooperation in various fields, and continue to foster a favorable environment for the development and rejuvenation of member states. The five points will help the SCO promote true multilateralism in the global context and give the organization a greater role in building a fairer and more equitable global governance system. The five points put true multilateralism into practice and are beyond bloc politics. Today, some countries are following fake multilateralism that places their own interests above everything and trying to establish exclusive cliques, which seriously threatens the stability of the international order and the peaceful development of the world. The SCO remains committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as the principle of equality among all countries regardless of their size. SCO members states respect each other's core interests and choice of development path, keep to the path of win-win cooperation toward common prosperity, and stand for harmonious coexistence and mutual learning between different countries, nations and cultures, dialogue between civilizations and seeking common ground while shelving differences. The SCO Samarkand Summit witnessed the largest membership expansion of the SCO, which fully indicates that the organization is bearing a connotation bigger than just regional cooperation. As long as SCO member states keep carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit and march forward along the new path for the development of international organizations they have explored, they will be able to maintain long-term and stable development of the organization and jointly build their region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Du Mingming) Russian-installed leaders in occupied areas of four Ukrainian regions set out plans for referendums on joining this week, a step an ally of President said would alter the geopolitical landscape forever. Russian officials portrayed the move as one that would give Moscow a claim to territory that it could defend with any means possible. dismissed it as a stunt by to try to reclaim the initiative after crushing losses on the battlefield. "Sham areferendumsa will not change anything," tweeted Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. " has been and remains an aggressor illegally occupying parts of Ukrainian land. has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say." Russian-installed officials announced planned referendums for Sept. 23-27 in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, representing around 15% of Ukrainian territory or an area about the size of Hungary or Portugal. Russia already considers Luhansk and Donetsk, which it partially occupied in 2014, to be independent states. and the West consider them parts of Ukraine illegally occupied by Russian invaders. In a post on social media addressed to Putin, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, wrote: "I ask you, as soon as possible, in the event of a positive decision in the referendum - which we have no doubt about - to consider the DPR becoming a part of Russia." Some pro-Kremlin figures framed the referendums as an ultimatum to the West to accept Russian territorial gains or face an all out war with a nuclear-armed foe. "Encroachment onto Russian territory is a crime which allows you to use all the forces of self defence," Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and now hawkish deputy chairman of Putin's Security Council said on social media. "This is why these referendums are so feared in Kyiv and the West," he wrote. "They would completely change the vector of Russia's development for decades. And not just of our country. The geopolitical transformation of the world would be irreversible once the new territories were incorporated into Russia." Washington and the West have so far said weapons they supply to Ukraine should not be used to fire on Russian territory, though they have not extended this to territory they view as unlawfully annexed, such as Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the pro-Kremlin RT TV station, said the votes could either deliver a victory for Russia or a much wider and more serious war. "Today a referendum, tomorrow recognition as part of the Russian Federation, the day after tomorrow strikes on Russian territory become a full-fledged war between Ukraine and NATO and Russia, untying Russia's hands in every respect," Simonyan, who is regarded as a hardliner, wrote on Telegram. But Ukrainian officials portrayed the move as one of desperation at a time when Russian forces are being pushed back. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, dismissed the threat of referendums as "naive blackmail" and as a sign that Russia was running scared. "Fighting for every centimetre" Russia has declared capturing all of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces to be the main aim of its "special military operation" since its invasion forces were defeated in March on the outskirts of Kyiv. It now holds about 60% of Donetsk and had captured nearly all of Luhansk by July after slow advances during months of intense fighting. But those gains are now under threat after Russian forces were driven from neighbouring Kharkiv province this month, losing control of their main supply lines for much of the Donetsk and Luhansk front lines. The referendums were announced a day after Ukraine said its troops had recaptured a foothold in Luhansk, the village of Bilohorivka, and were preparing to advance across the province. Russia controls most of Zaporizhzhia but not its regional capital. In Kherson, where the regional capital is the only major city Russia has so far captured intact since the invasion, Ukraine has launched a major counter-offensive. "The occupiers are clearly in a panic," Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said in an overnight televised address. Unverified footage on social media showed Ukrainian forces in Bilohorivka, which lies just 10 km (6 miles) west of the city of Lysychansk, which fell to the Russians after weeks of some of the war's most intense fighting in July. "There will be fighting for every centimetre," the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai, wrote on Telegram. "The enemy is preparing their defence. So we will not simply march in." Pro-Russian officials have said the referendums could be held electronically. Russia staged a referendum in Crimea eight years ago before declaring it annexed. Western countries have dismissed such votes as illegal and fraudulent. In a move designed to shore up Russia's military in Ukraine, Russia's parliament on Tuesday also approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination, if they were committed during military mobilisation or combat situations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has arrived in New York to attend the (UNGA) and hold a series of summits on the sidelines, including a highly anticipated meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The New York visit, the second stop on Yoon's three-nation swing, follows his attendance at Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in London and comes ahead of a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa, reports Yonhap News Agency. The President will stay in the city for four days and deliver his first address to the UNGA on Tuesday before engaging in bilateral meetings with his US counterpart Joe Biden, Kishida and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, among . Yoon will make his debut on the UN stage with a speech outlining his vision for increasing solidarity among freedom-loving nations, according to his office. The speech will also likely underscore South Korea's commitment to defending peace against the threat of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, together with allies such as the United States. The meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister will be the first summit between the two nations since December 2019, raising hope of improving relations badly frayed over wartime forced labour and other issues related to Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Details of the meeting, including the date and agenda, have not been confirmed, but South Korean officials maintain it will go ahead as agreed upon. Japan, meanwhile, has expressed reservations about holding a summit before progress is made on the issue of compensation for Korean forced labour victims, according to Japanese news reports. Yoon and Kishida met during the NATO summit in Madrid in June, including in trilateral talks with Biden, but did not sit down for one-on-one talks. The meeting with Biden will be Yoon's second since taking office in May, following their summit in Seoul that month. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) intends to seek an Indian or Chinese credit line for the purchase of solar panels as a solution to mitigate the high cost of electricity tariffs, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Tuesday amid calls by the influential Buddhist clergy to protest against the rising electricity price. We have the problem of foreign exchange, making it difficult to pay for imports. One solution we have to think is to have a credit line from India or as panels are imported from them," Wijesekara told parliament. In August, hiked the electricity tariff by an average of 75 per cent, after nine years. The government is facing criticism from the Buddhist clergy, who claim that their monthly bills had reached unbearable levels. The influential Buddhist clergy has called on the public not to pay the electricity bills in protest. Wijesekara said there are over 48,000 consumer connections for religious places. Over 15,000 of them were consuming less than 30 units per month and therefore are not affected in a big way by the tariff hike. Wijesekara said for the rest of the religious sites, which include Buddhist temples, churches, Hindu kovils (temples) and mosques, he was advising to install solar panels. He said the electricity supply to religious sites had been always subsidised. He said the tariff hike was the first since 2013. The state fuel entity Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was highly indebted. The CEB has over 80 billion rupees to pay for fuel and another over 46 billion to be paid to renewable energy suppliers to the national grid. The Opposition urged the government to consider the supply of electricity at concessional rates to religious institutions. India has been the biggest provider of aid this year to its southern neighbour, which is fighting its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades and struggling to pay for imports. The Indian government's assistance to crisis-hit has reached almost USD 4 billion since January this year. Sri Lanka had seen months of mass unrest over the worst economic crisis, with the government declaring bankruptcy in mid-April by refusing to honour its debt. (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.) Inc will question under oath in Delaware next week as part of the litigation in the billionaire's bid to walk away from his $44 billion deal for the social media company. A Tuesday filing in Delaware's Court of Chancery said Musk's deposition is scheduled for Sept. 26-27 and may stretch into Sept. 28 if necessary. The two sides are locked in an increasingly acrimonious legal battle that has swept up of some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Subpoenas have being issued to billionaire Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp, Intel Corp's former Chief Executive Officer Robert Swan and co-founder Jack Dorsey, who is currently chief executive of Block Inc. A five-day trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 17 in Wilmington, Delaware. Each side has accused the other of breaking the April takeover agreement. wants a judge to order Musk, who is chief executive of Tesla Inc and the world's richest person, to buy the company as agreed for $54.20 per share. Shares in San Francisco-based company were down slightly in early Tuesday trading at $41.54. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General on Monday called for action in five areas to transform education. Guterres stressed the need to protect the right to quality education for everyone, especially girls, everywhere, Xinhua news agency reported. "Schools must be open to all, without discrimination. We must recover the years of education lost around the world because of the pandemic," he said. "From this platform, I appeal to the authorities in Afghanistan: Lift all restrictions on girls' access to secondary education immediately. Girls' education is among the most important steps to deliver peace, security and sustainable development, everywhere," he added. As teachers are the lifeblood of education systems, there is a need for a new focus on their roles and skillsets, he said. Today's teachers need to be facilitators in the classroom, promoting learning rather than merely transmitting answers, he said. "We also need to tackle the global shortage of teachers, and look at increasing their quality by raising their status and ensuring they have decent working conditions and continuous training and learning opportunities, and receive adequate salaries." Schools must become safe, healthy spaces, with no place for violence, stigma or intimidation. Education systems should promote the physical and mental health of all students, including their sexual and reproductive health, said Guterres. The digital revolution must benefit all learners, he said. "I urge countries to improve connectivity for students and educational institutions." None of the above will be possible without a surge in education financing and global solidarity, he warned. "During these difficult times, I urge all countries to protect education budgets and ensure that education spending translates into progressive increases in resources per student and better learning outcomes. Education financing must be the number one priority for governments. It is the single most important investment any country can make in its people and its future." --IANS int/shs (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 federal judge in Miami has awarded USD 73 million in damages to the family of a prominent opponent of Venezuela's socialist government who died while in custody in what he described as a murder for hire carried out by a criminal enterprise led by President Nicolas Maduro. Fernando Alban was arrested in 2018 upon arrival to the airport in Caracas from New York, where he was part of a delegation that had denounced Maduro's government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He died three days later in what authorities initially described as a suicide jump from the 10th floor of a building belonging to Venezuela's intelligence services. Alban's death provoked outrage and condemnation from the US. Last year, his widow and two children sued Maduro and several high-ranking members of his government for carrying out the kidnapping, torture and murder of the one-time Caracas councilman. The family accused the men of belonging to the Cartel of the Suns, a purported drug-smuggling ring involving top Venezuelan officials and guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia a designated terrorist group that allegedly sends 200 metric tons of cocaine from into the US each year. Judge Darrin P Gayles issued a default judgment against the cartel for failing to respond to the lawsuit in a previously unreported ruling last week. In it, the court found that what it calls the Maduro criminal enterprise is liable for federal racketeering offenses in Alban's death because its entire purpose is to "exercise unlawful authoritarian control over Venezuela" through narcotics trafficking, acts of terrorism and human rights violations. Adopting the earlier findings of a magistrate judge, the court said operatives for the Maduro government tailed Alban while he was still in New York, taking surveillance photos and sending information back to that facilitated his kidnapping and murder upon his return home. "Mr. Alban's murder was a murder for hire because members of the Maduro Criminal Enterprise who committed the murder received payment (in the form of salaries) from the Maduro regime, the court said. The court found that the Cartel must pay USD 73 million to Alban's estate for the pain and suffering caused by his death. However, it's unclear how the survivors will collect such a large reward. While Maduro and other defendants named in the original complaint including his Defense Minister and the head of Venezuela's supreme court have been criminally charged in the US with narco-terrorism and corruption, they're under little pressure from Alban's former cohorts in the opposition to abandon power. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has shown a willingness to ease sanctions on the oil-rich OPEC nation in exchange for progress in talks with the opposition aimed at fostering a more democratic environment for the 2024 presidential election. Additionally, the only alleged cartel ringleader who is in US custody, retired Army Gen. Cliver Alcala, is represented by a court-appointed legal team after claiming he was unable to pay for his defense. A lawyer for Alban's family declined to comment. Alban's case has also been denounced at the Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of torture and killings by Maduro's security forces. In late 2021, Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced that two members of the feared SEBIN intelligence service had been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for negligence in connection to Alban's death while in their custody. (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 number of Venezuelans, Cubans and Nicaraguans taken into custody at the US border with Mexico soared in August as migrants from Mexico and traditional sending countries were stopped less frequently, authorities said Monday. US authorities stopped migrants from Venezuela, and about 56,000 times last month, up from 49,826 times in July and 23,141 times in August 2021, according to administration officials. At the same time, fewer migrants were stopped from Mexico and the Central American Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras for a third straight month. Overall, migrants were stopped about 203,000 times. They were stopped 1,99,976 times on the US border with Mexico in July and 2,13,593 times in August 2021. The growing numbers from Venezuela, and Nicaragua, are the latest sign of rapidly changing migration flows as US authorities wrestle with unusually large influxes. While no single reason can be pinpointed, it is extremely challenging for the US to expel migrants from those countries under a pandemic-era rule known as Title 42, which US officials invoke to deny a chance at seeking asylum on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. US relations with all three countries are deeply strained, making it difficult to impossible to send them home. Mexico agrees to accept migrants expelled under Title 42 if they are from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, in addition to Mexico. While the rule applies to all nationalities in theory, people from those four countries are most affected. The Biden administration has leaned on other countries in the Americas to absorb more people fleeing their homes, including Mexico, Costa Rica, which is home to many Nicaraguans, and Colombia, which has taken in millions of Venezuelans in recent years. Venezuelan migration plummeted early this year after Mexico introduced restrictions on air travel but has increased in recent months as more come over land through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap in Panama. In July, Venezuelans were stopped 17,651 times on the U.S. border with Mexico, the vast majority of them in and around Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas. Reminders of their presence are in daily headlines. The roughly 50 migrants that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew to the upscale Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard were all Venezuelan, as were five of the six bodies that US authorities found drowned to death in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Labor Day weekend. The sixth was from . (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of edible oil companies (AWL) and Patanjali Foods were locked at 5-per cent upper circuit band each on the BSE on expectation of higher demand ahead of festive season. Individually, AWL hit nearly four-month high of Rs 770.05, having surged 39 per cent in the past three months. With this, the Adani Group company regained Rs 1-trillion market capitalisation (market cap) today. The company's flagship brand 'Fortune' is the largest edible oil brand in India. The stock was trading at its highest level since May 25, 2022. It had hit a record high of Rs 878.35 on April 28. Average trading volumes on the counter more-than-doubled with a combined 4.6 million equity shares having changed hands on the NSE and BSE till 01:33 PM. There are pending buy orders for 460,000 shares. Meanwhile, shares of Patanjali Foods, too, saw its average trading volumes jumping over 100 per cent with 435,000 equity shares changing hands, so far, in trades today. The stock was trading at Rs 1,401.45, having rallied 25 per cent in the past one month. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up less than 1 per cent during the period. Patanjali Foods also regained Rs 50,000 crore market-cap today. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,415 on September 12. Analysts at HDFC Securities have initiated coverage on Patanjali Foods with a 'buy' rating. "For two quarters' time horizon, the base fair value of the stock is Rs 1,490, while bull case fair value is Rs 1,602," the brokerage firm said in its report. The brokerage believes Patanjali Foods is well positioned for accelerated growth and consistent value creation for shareholders going forward. Patanjali Foods is market leader in the branded TSP (Textured Soya Protein) space, under Nutrela brand; it is one India's largest integrated edible oil company having presence across the entire value chain of palm and soya segment with a healthy mix of upstream and downstream business. Besides the consumer facing business, Patanjali Foods is one of the largest oil palm plantation companies in India with allocated area of ~5 lakh hectares across 10 states. "Given the predominance of oil business even after 2 years from now, the valuations of Patanjali Foods may still be short of its peer FMCG companies. However, it may grow much faster than its peers over the next two years. We have taken this into account while arriving at the price targets," the brokerage firm said. Meanwhile, AWL intends to achieve a steady growth and become the largest food FMCG company in India across all key packaged food segments. Furthermore, the company aims to bolster its distribution network and ensure uninterrupted supply lines to make inroads into Tier-III cities and rural landscape. Besides this, the company intends to capitalize untapped and expand its product line up with ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat segments. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Adani Enterprises: The company hasraised Rs. 100 crore by allotment of 1,000 Rated, Listed, Secured,Redeemable, Principal Protected Market Linked Non-Convertible Debentures(MLD) of the face value of Rs. 10,00,000/- each on private placement basis. CEAT: The board of directors of CEAT has allotted Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) on a private placement basis aggregating to Rs 150 crore. Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company: A meetingof the board of directors of the company will be held on 22 September 2022,to consider proposal of raising of funds by issue of equity shares by way of a rights issue to the eligible equity shareholders of the company. Ircon International (IRCON): The company has been awarded the work of Stage-III i.e. Detailed Engineering and Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Services for 'Development of Rail Infrastructure for proposed 02 nos. RLS (20 MTY) for Ananta OCP of Jagannath Area at Talcher' by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at total value of Rs.256 crore. IFCI said that the meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled on 27 September 2022 to consider and approve preferential issue of equity shares to the Government of India. Future Supply Chain Solutions: The company has called off proposal to proceed with sale / disposal of the the warehouse assets (Business Undertaking) and has decided to explore other opportunities for rehabilitation of business operations. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company spurted 6.12% to Rs 106.70 after the company said its board on 22 September 2022 will consider a proposal of raising funds by issuing equity shares on rights basis. Shares of Bombay Dyeing fell 4.65% in the past two trading sessions. Bombay Dyeing offers linens, towels, home furnishings, leisure clothing, kids wear and a whole range of other products across 350+ exclusive Bombay Dyeing Retail or 2000+ multi-brand stores. On a consolidated basis, Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company reported net loss of Rs 76.82 crore in Q1 June 2022 as against net loss of Rs 107.91 crore in Q1 June 2021. Net sales rose 59.21% to Rs 606.37 crore in Q1 June 2022 over Q1 June 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Coffee Day Enterprises announced that in connection with a loan of Rs.100 crore raised by a subsidiary company, the lender of the subsidiary company has filed a petition before the Principal Bench, National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru under Section 7 of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 for initiating Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) against the Company for Rs 122.50 crore. The Company has requested the subsidiary for amicable settlement vide discussions with the lender of the subsidiary company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Natco Pharma advanced 2.24% to Rs 651.65 after the Delhi High Court permitted to launch Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR) and its formulations, through its non-infringing process. CTPR technical is formulated into broadspectrum insecticides used across wide range of crops for pest management. As per Natco, the current market size of CTPR containing products in India is over Rs 2,000 crore. The company plans to launch its products very shortly. Natco said that it is the first company in India to have received its registration approval given by Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) for indigenous manufacture of CTPR. Natco Pharma is a vertically integrated and R&D focused pharmaceutical company engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing of finished dosage formulations ("FDF") and active pharmaceutical ingredients ("APIs"). It markets and distributes products in over 40 countries. On a consolidated basis, net profit of Natco Pharma rose 327.20% to Rs 320.40 crore on 115.60% increase in net sales to Rs 884.60 crore in Q1 June 2022 over Q1 June 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The headline equity indices traded with major gains in the morning trade. Postive global cues boosted the sentiments. The Nifty marched above the 17,850 mark. Auto stocks rise for the second day. At 10:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 760.43 points or 1.29% to 59,901.66. The Nifty 50 index added 235.60 points or 1.34% to 17,857.85. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 1.72% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index increased 1.44% The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,417 shares rose and 792 shares fell. A total of 120 shares were unchanged. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 312.31 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 94.68 crore in the Indian equity market on 20 September, provisional data showed. Buzzing Index: The Nifty Auto index rose 2.17% to 13,357.45. The index added 3.1% in two trading sessions. TVS Motor Company (up 3.95%), Tata Motors (up 3.63%), Bharat Forge (up 3.52%), Tube Investments of India (up 3.35%), Hero MotoCorp (up 2.83%), Eicher Motors (up 2.42%), Bajaj Auto (up 2%), Sona BLW Precision Forgings (up 1.79%), Bosch (up 1.57%) and Ashok Leyland (up 1.55%) advanced. On the other hand, Escorts Kubota (down 1.3%) declined. Stocks in Spotlight: Wipro rose 1.59%. Dhruv has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, specializing in consulting, digital engineering, IoT, and emerging technologies across Japan's automotive, manufacturing, and hi-tech sectors. Wipro on Tuesday (20 September 2022) announced the appointment of Dhruv Anand as country head & managing director for operations in Japan. IRCON International jumped 3.47% after the company said that it has been awarded work valuing Rs 256 crore by Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL). The company informed that it has been awarded the work of stage-III i.e. detailed engineering and project management consultancy (PMC) services for development of rail infrastructure for proposed 02 nos. RLS (20 MTY) for Ananta OCP of Jagannath Area at Talcher by Mahanadi (MCL) at total value of Rs 256 crore. Olectra Greentech advanced 2.70% after the company's consortium with Evey Trans received letter of award from one of the State Transport Corporations for 123 electric buses. This order for supply of 123 electric buses is on gross cost contract (GCC) / OPEX model basis for a period of 15 years (contract period). Value of this contract is approximately Rs 185 crore to the company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the paddy-harvesting season almost at hand, none of the northern rice-growing states seems to have a workable strategy in place to prevent farmers from burning crop residues, which aggravates air pollution in the National Capital Region in October-November every year. The massive amount of smoke and toxic gases that the crop fires exude causes health problems, ranging from eye and breathing troubles to more serious illnesses. The offer of the Delhi and Punjab governments to spray the microbial stubble decomposer, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, on the harvested paddy fields has been rejected by the farmers as an impractical proposition. It takes 20-25 days to decompose the leftover biomass, which is too long for them to wait for sowing the next crop. The use of crop residue management machinery, which seems a feasible solution, involves additional expenses, which the farmers find unaffordable without financial assistance. Such assistance does not seem to be forthcoming in most states. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Rajasthan Chief Minister has called a meeting of MLAs on Tuesday night, a sudden move ahead of his Delhi visit amid speculation that he may contest for the post of party president. The Legislature Party meeting was scheduled to begin at the CM's residence at 10 pm, after a dinner being hosted there for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, ruling party sources said. Some party leaders say the meeting is merely meant to discuss the ongoing assembly session. Gehlot will leave for Delhi on Wednesday. He may then proceed for Kochi to participate in the party's Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. The process of filing nominations for the organisational elections in the begins on September 24 and will end on September 30, and Gehlot is increasingly being seen as a top contender for the post of the party's national president. The Rajasthan CM, however, has so far denied that he is a candidate and said he will try to convince Rahul Gandhi to contest. The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has taken the lead in passing a resolution backing Gandhi for the post, triggering similar expressions of support from the party units in several other states. Shashi Tharoor looks set to contest the election for the party's top post. Tharoor met party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday and expressed his intention to contest the polls. The Congress president is learnt to have conveyed to Tharoor that she would stay "neutral" in the elections. Gehlot is considered a candidate favoured by the party's top leadership, according to some sources. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19. (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.) With the process for the Congress Presidential polls opening with the issuance of notification on September 22, it's likely that the main contest for the top party post will be between Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader . Party sources said that interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hinted on Monday that she does not have any reservations against Tharoor running for Congress President's post. Sonia Gandhi gave her nod shortly after meeting Tharoor and a few other Congress leaders on her return following a medical check-up abroad. Tharoor, who was one of the G-23 members of the party who had demanded sweeping reforms in the Congress, is now likely to throw his hat into the ring for the race to the top party post, voting for which will be held on October 17. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Anybody who wants to contest is free and welcome to do so. This has been the consistent position of Congress President and Rahul Gandhi. This is an open, democratic and transparent process. Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest." While the notification for the Presidential election will be issued on September 22, there is still suspense over the candidates who will contest for the top party post. While the G-23 group is gearing up to field a candidate and Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor is its top choice, for party loyalists, Rajasthan Chief Minister is the preferred choice, sources said. However, Gehlot is reportedly reluctant to leave chief ministership and move to Delhi. In that scenario, former Union minister Mukul Wasnik or leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, could emerge as the front-runners, as both belong to the Scheduled Caste community. The nominations are to be filed between September 24 and September 30. Meanwhile, Congress' state units have been passing resolutions to make Rahul Gandhi the next party President, including in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, among others. However, Congress' Central Election Authority (CEA) has said that such resolutions will not have any bearing on the election process. Madhusudan Mistry, Chairman of CEA, said, "These resolutions have no bearing on the election process." --IANS miz/arm (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 Bharatiya Janata Party held a massive protest over the death of thousands of in Rajasthan due to Lumpy skin disease. As per reports, Lumpy disease is a viral disease that affects . It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever and nodules on the skin and can lead to the death of the . Rajasthan chief Satish Poonia climbed atop a police barricade during the party's protest in . Earlier, in an unusual incident on Monday, Pushkar MLA Suresh Rawat reached the Rajasthan Assembly along with a cow. The act was carried out with the aim to protest against the spread of Lumpy disease in livestock. As soon as the MLA reached the spot and started giving a statement, the cow ran away. On September 19, Rajasthan Chief Minister took note of the issue and said that the addressal of the lumpy disease is the state government's priority however the vaccines for the same would be given by the Centre. "I called a meeting on August 15 regarding lumpy skin disease and called the leaders of the opposition, talked to everyone, talked to the religious leaders, our priority is how to save the lives of cows from lumpy skin disease, but the central government will give the vaccines and medicines," tweeted CM Gehlot. The disease had been ravaging cattle across the country with cows from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab dying in large numbers. Maharashtra's animal husbandry department informed on Saturday that as many as 126 cattle have died and 25 districts were infected by the Lumpy virus in the state. The release further informed that although Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is rapidly spreading, it is not transmitted to human beings either from animals or through cow milk. On August 10, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVac to protect livestock from Lumpy skin disease with an aim to provide relief to the livestock of the country. The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly). While on August 16, former Union minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal slammed the Punjab government for not taking note of the damage that the 'Lumpy Skin Disease' had been causing in the region and demanded a compensation of Rs 50,000 per animal to mitigate the burden on the rearers. She also stressed that the disease had proved to be fatal for hundreds of bovines in the northern state. "Lumpy Skin Disease is ravaging livestock in Punjab. Hundreds of bovines have died and thousands are severely infected with this contagious disease that is causing enormous economic loss to our farmers and dairy owners. Unfortunately, AAP-led Punjab govt has failed to do the needful," tweeted Badal. She further outlined the measures that can be taken by the AAP-led government and listed a compensation of Rs 50,000 per animal to mitigate the burden on rearers. #WATCH | A huge crowd of BJP members gather in protest in Rajasthan's Jaipur over the death of thousands of cattle in the state due to lumpy skin disease pic.twitter.com/8WpMtW3n1O ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2022 (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda will be on a two-day visit to from Tuesday during which he will participate in a host of events and hold meetings with local leaders, a leader said. Nadda's visit holds significance as the state Assembly elections are due in December this year. The president will flag off e-bikes at the BJP's Kisan Morcha event near state capital Gandhinagar on Tuesday morning, general secretaty Pradipsinh Vaghela said on Monday. Nadda, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and unit chief C R Paatil will attend the inaugural session of the National Mayors' Conference to be held at a five-star hotel in Gandhinagar on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mayors and deputy mayors of the BJP-ruled urban bodies in Gujarat will take part in the conference, he said. "On Tuesday afternoon, Nadda will be in Rajkot to address a gathering of BJP's elected representatives in urban, panchayat and cooperative bodies. Paatil, Patel and other senior leaders will attend the gathering," Vaghela told reporters. From Rajkot, Nadda will travel to neighbouring Morbi town to hold a road show in the evening. He will also attend 'Viranjali' event in Gandhinagar in the evening, where artists will pay tributes to national heroes through their songs and plays. On Wednesday, the BJP president will hold meetings with senior Gujarat BJP leaders at the party headquarters, Shree Kamalam, in Gandhinagar. He will address professors at Tagore Hall in Ahmedabad on Wednesday afternoon and talk about BJP's ideology, Vaghela said, adding that Nadda will also attend the closing ceremony of the mayors' conference in the state capital. (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.) Aam Aadmi Party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister will be on a day-long visit to on Tuesday and will address a town hall meeting in . The Assembly elections in BJP-ruled are due later this year and the AAP leader has visited the state multiple times in the recent past to interact with people. On Tuesday, Kejriwal will hold a press conference before attending a town hall meeting to "give his message to the people of Gujarat," state AAP president Gopal Italia said. On Wednesday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will visit Ahmedabad and offer prayers at the Sabarmati Ashram before embarking on the party's campaign in north Gujarat, he said. Kejriwal had last week also held town hall meetings in where he interacted with auto-rickshaw drivers, lawyers and other people. During his multiple visits to Gujarat in the recent past, Kejriwal had announced a slew of "guarantees", including free electricity up to 300 units per month, allowances for women and unemployed youth, free and quality healthcare and education and creation of jobs. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Tuesday announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's scheduled two-day visit to north Bengal from September 21 stands postponed, attracting jibes from opposition parties, who have linked the decision with the arrest of North Bengal varsity Vice Chancellor Subiresh Bhattacharya in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment scam. During her two-day visit, the Chief Minister was supposed to attend three programmes at Uttarkanya which is considered as the mini-secretariat in north Bengal, Bagdogra and Bagha Jatin Park at Siliguri. Accordingly, the district administrations were getting prepared. But then came the last moment announcement that her scheduled visit has been cancelled. legislator from Siliguri Assembly constituency in Darjeeling, Shankar Ghosh, said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's scheduled visit is a deliberate face- saving exercise on her part after the arrest of Bhattacharya in connection with the WBSSC recruitment irregularities scam. "Not the people from North Bengal but people from other parts of the state are raising the same question. Nothing can be more shameful than the arrest of a Vice Chancellor of a prime state university for alleged association financial scam and unfortunately the fraudsters have the backing and support of the Chief Minister of the state," he claimed However, Trinamool Congress's Darjeeling district president, Aloke Chakraborty said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's visit has nothing to do with the developments on part of the central agencies. "The opposition is just trying to resort to political mud-slinging over a routine administrative announcement," he said. --IANS src/vd (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 (NCP) on Monday attacked the Centre and the over the suicide of a farmer in Pune, with party chief saying those in power in the state should decide their priorities, an apparent swipe at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Addressing reporters, spokesperson Mahesh Tapase claimed the farmer had blamed the Modi government for agrarian distress. "Dashrath Laxman Kedari, a farmer from Junnar (in Pune district) died by suicide on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (September 17). He blamed the Modi government for farmers in distress in the country. We condemn the Modi government. When an annadata (food provider) commits suicide, then the government has to give a justification for this, Tapase said. Reacting to the farmer's suicide, Pawar said those in the power in the state, where farmers have to resort to suicide, should decide "what to celebrate and what to appreciate". Pawar was apparently referring to CM Shinde's recent visit to several Ganesh pandals. The farmer, Dashrath Kedari, had consumed pesticide before jumping into the pond in Wadgaon Anand village in Junnar tehsil in the Pune district on Saturday, prima facie over not getting the MSP for onions, according to the Pune police. The farmer had left behind a suicide note in which he purportedly extended birthday wishes to PM Modi and urged that he ensure guaranteed price for onions and other crops. Tapase also targeted the state government over its handling of the lumpy virus disease in cattle. He said the state government did not look committed to tackling the spread of lumpy skin disease, which has killed several thousand heads of cattle nationwide. He slammed the Shinde- Fadnavis government over the delay in the cabinet expansion which was expanded 41 days after Shinde and Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister and deputy chief minister on June 30. (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.) Amidst speculation that Thiruvananthapuram MP is likely to contest for the post of the Congress chief, senior party leader K Muraleedharan on Tuesday said the state party would vote only for those who recognise the prominence of the family. He also expressed his desire for Rahul Gandhi to take up the party chief post and said his unwillingness to accept the top position was a cause of worry for everyone. "There is no dispute among anyone that Rahul Gandhi should come and take up the post. But, it is up to him whether to accept the post or not," he told reporters here on the sidelines of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Lok Sabha MP said a clear picture about the Congress president poll can be known on September 30 and the Yatra would cross the state's borders the next day. "Anyway, we will cast our votes only for those who recognise the prominence of the family," Muraleedharan added. After over two decades, the Congress is likely to see a contest for the post of party chief with looking set to enter the fray after his meeting with Sonia Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot being seen as the other contender. Tharoor on Monday met Sonia Gandhi and expressed his intention to contest the upcoming AICC president polls, while the Congress chief conveyed that she would stay "neutral" in the elections, according to sources. The upcoming polls would certainly be historic as the new president would replace Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party chief who has been at the helm since 1998, barring the two years between 2017 and 2019 when Rahul Gandhi took over. The process for filing of nominations for the election will be from September 24 to 30. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian middle class appears to be on a spending binge. Credit card spends topped Rs 1.16 trillion in July, a 6.5 per cent growth month-on-month and 54 per cent year-on-year. Spends have stood at Rs 1 trillion for five running months now. Fresh card issuances were at 1.53 million in July and crossed the 80-million mark. led the issuer pack with 344,364 credit cards added in July and its base stood at 17.94 million, followed by Axis Bank with 227,614 cards (9.93 million cards), and with 218,933 cards (14.5 million). Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Apple Inc's new iPhone 14 base model looks similar to its predecessor but is redesigned on the inside, making it much easier to repair cracks in the back glass, repair firm iFixit said in blog post Monday. Glass backs returned to in 2017, but the way they were attached made them difficult to replace. Apple charged up to $599 to repair the back glass on some models, though much less for customers with AppleCare+, Apple's device insurance program. IFixit, which assesses the reparability of consumer electronics, said on Monday Apple has made major changes to the iPhone 14 base model. Previous had back glass glued to the phone's frame and buried under other components, meaning the device had to be almost totally disassembled to fix it. In the iPhone 14, the back glass is held in place by just two screws one connector, making it easy to remove. Apple did not mention the internal redesign when it announced the iPhone 14 earlier this month. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Given the cost of previous repairs "everyone was just living with phones with tape on the back," iFixit Chief Executive Kyle Wiens told Reuters. "This gives people a shot at getting them fixed. It also creates opportunities for local repair shops." The costlier iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max still have the older style of glued-in glass back. Apple's phones have long been a target of repair industry critics who argued the devices were so hard to fix that consumers were more likely to discard them and buy a new device. Apple has slowly started to embrace the repair industry in recent years as part of its environmental sustainability efforts. In 2019, Apple started selling tools, parts and manuals to independent repair shops. Last year, Apple began offering those items to the general public. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis; Editing by Richard Chang) (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.) After offloading Air India in October last year, the government has now kicked off the process to sell its stakes in its subsidiaries which were not part of the deal. Air India has four subsidiaries which are Air India Airport Services Ltd, or AIASL, Air India Engineering Services Ltd, or AIESL, Alliance Air Aviation Ltd, and Hotel Corporation of India Ltd. And, the process to offload AIASL and AIESL is on. The government is also moving ahead with the of IDBI Bank. DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has confirmed it this month, saying that the department would soon invite preliminary bids. The government holds a 45.48 per cent stake in the bank, while the Life Insurance Corporation of India, which is the promoter of the bank, owns a 49.24 per cent stake. The government will also reportedly invite financial bids for the of Bharat Earth Movers Limited in the December quarter. But, notwithstanding these moves, the overall picture regarding the government's disinvestment plans looks gloomy. For the current financial year, the government has budgeted to raise 65,000 crore rupees from disinvestment. But, even as half of the fiscal year is over, it has raised only about 25,000 crore rupees so far. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed the of two public sector banks in her 2021-22 Budget Speech. But, the amendment to the banking laws, which would have enabled the government to offload its stakes, has not been passed so far. Also, a research paper in the August issue of the Reserve Bank of India Bulletin lauded the role of PSBs. It argued that big-bang PSB privatisation would not be a panacea. While clarifying later, the RBI said that a gradual approach, as announced by the Centre, would result in a better outcome. Now, in September, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri indicated that the much-delayed BPCL privatisation may not happen in the near future. Puri made it clear that there was no proposal whatsoever on his table for now. And earlier this year, the Centre had announced the sale of Pawan Hans to a consortium. But, the sale was scrapped later as questions of impropriety and non-payment of dues were raised about a company that was part of the consortium. The privatisation of Central Electronics Ltd may also be called off and that of the Container Corporation of India Ltd is yet to be initiated. In May, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the sale of the governments entire remaining stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd, or HZL. The sale of the entire 29.5 per cent stake is estimated to fetch 38,062 crore rupees. But, this sale is also yet to go through and the government is in the process of appointing financial and legal advisors who will see it through to its conclusion. All of this has raised the question, is the government going slow on privatisation? The prevailing investment and economic atmosphere may have made the government go slow on privatisation, but going ahead, every such decision will also have to face another headwind, the fast-approaching 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Privatisation has always been a politically-sensitive topic, and thus, there may be doubts about the government going in for any big-ticket privatisations, especially of the two PSBs, during the remainder of its term. Arch Bishop Andrew Nkea TeboPost "The devil is a liar and the devil can never win" Arch bishopAndrew Nkea demonizes amba fighters in an interview with the BBC following kidnapping of priests and religious The former bishop of Mamfe diocese during interview with the BBC today September 19th 2022 disclosed that amba fighters are demanding 100,000 USD from the church before the kidnapped persons are released "They have been bringing it down, they started with and have ended around 50,000 USD" The prelate said.. He also added that, the fighters say the church has not been supporting the struggle hence, reasons for the mass kidnapping and burning of church in Nchang, Mamfe few days ago But perhaps the most interesting part of the interview is the fact that the Arch Bishop said the church won't pay even a dime to the seperatist fighters, saying it will be a dangerous precedence. BERLIN (AA) - Germany accused Russia on Tuesday of organizing sham referendums in the regions of eastern Ukrainian to formally annex the occupied territories. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the referendums are a breach of international law and will not be recognized by the international community. It is very clear that these sham referendums cannot be accepted, they are not compatible with the international law, he told reporters in New York where world leaders are meeting for the UN General Assembly. Scholz also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of pursuing imperialist goals and said Germany will continue to stand by Ukrainians. Ukraine has every right to defend its sovereignty, [territorial] integrity and democracy. We support Ukraine for this, he said. Russian-backed representatives of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts announced Tuesday they will hold referendums on joining Russia in the coming days. Moscow has welcomed the move, while Kyiv accused Russia of hybrid warfare to annex Ukrainian territories. Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. AA/Berlin Jake Sullivan AP Photo 'We know that Russia will use the sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories,' says senior US official WASHINGTON (AA) - The US said Tuesday it will "never" recognize the results of "sham" referendums in Ukraine planned by Russia and its proxies, maintaining that the forthcoming polls are acts of desperation. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Russia is "rushing" to hold the polls after it was routed in Ukraine's northeast, and ahead of a potential mass mobilization in Russia to bolster its flagging war effort. "These referenda are an affront to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that underpin the international system and lie at the heart of the United Nations Charter," he told reporters at the White House as world leaders convene at the UN headquarters in New York. "We know that these referenda will be manipulated. We know that Russia will use the sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories either now or in the future. Let me be clear: If this does transpire, and obviously it's not a done deal yet, but if this does transpire, the United States will never recognize Russia's claims," he added. Michael Hernandez/AA Russian Tanks in Ukraine ABC Russian-backed representatives of at least four regions in Ukraine have said they will hold a referendum on joining Russia in the coming days. MOSCOW (AA) - Russian-backed representatives of at least four regions in Ukraine have said they will hold a referendum on joining Russia in the coming days. Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions will hold referendums on joining Russia on Sept. 23-27, representatives of the separatist regions said on Tuesday. "The referendum on the issue of joining the Luhansk People's Republic to the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation will be held from Sept. 23 to 27," Denis Miroshnichenko, speaker of the People's Council of the Luhansk People's Republic, the parliament established by pro-Russian protesters in April 2014, said on Telegram. In a separate statement, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said a referendum in Donetsk regions on joining Russia will take place on the same dates, Sept. 23-27. Pushilin appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying: "I ask you, as soon as possible, in case of a positive decision on the results of the referendum, about which we have no doubt, to consider the issue of the Donetsk People's Republic becoming part the Russian Federation." On Monday, public chambers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics urged the heads of the separatist administrations to immediately organize a vote on the entry of the Donbas territories into Russia. Authorities in Zaporizhzhia also announced that the region will hold a similar vote on the same dates as Donetsk and Luhansk. "(...) We want certainty and a stable, happy future," Vladimir Rogov, head of Zaporozhzhia region, said at a meeting in Ukraine's city of Melitopol just hours before the announcement. Separatist leaders in Kherson have also said they are going to organize a similar referendum. "I inform you that the referendum will be held in the period from September 23 to 27, 2022," Vladimir Saldo, head of Kherson region, said on Telegram. - Russia welcomes move Commenting on the announcements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: Donbas people want to be masters of their own destiny. From the very beginning of the special military operation and in the period preceding it, we said that the peoples should decide their fate. And the whole current situation confirms that they want to be the masters of their destiny, Lavrov said in the Kremlin, on the sidelines of a ceremony for ambassadors from 24 countries to present their credentials. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russias lower chamber of parliament -- the State Duma, promised support to the Donbas regions in case they decide to join Russia. "If in the course of a direct expression of their will they decide that they want to be part of Russia, we will support them," Volodin said. Elena Teslova/AA Vladimir Putin AP Images President discusses deliveries to war zone with Russia's weapons manufacturers MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed arms producers Tuesday to ship weapons in the shortest possible time when he discussed deliveries to the zone of special military operation in Ukraine. "Today, taking into account the situation, challenges and threats that our country is facing, defense industry enterprises are working in a tense, intensive mode, he told representatives of the Russian defense industry in Moscow as he identified the most pressing problems -- organizational, financial, technological. Putin said Russia's weapons show high efficiency against the West in Ukraine, especially aviation, high-precision missiles, rockets, tanks. "(Those means) make it possible to destroy the military infrastructure, control points, enemy equipment, hit the locations of nationalist formations, while minimizing losses among personnel," he said. Putin noted that "all NATO's arsenals" are collected to help Ukraine, which makes it possible for Russia to capture and study them to improve its weapons. "We must and can study the arsenals. What is there and what is being used against us, qualitatively increase our capabilities and based on the experience gained, improve, where necessary, our equipment, our weapons, he said. "This process is natural and, of course, we need to take advantage of it. And we have to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible," he added. Elena Teslova/AA Sometimes its good to be reminded of just how good a car is by giving it go once more. In the case of the Mitsubishi Xpander, its the smal... Photo: Photo: Rob Kruyt. Expansion of FortisBCas Tilbury facility continues to face criticism from local governments and residents Community and environmental groups continue to express disbelief at B.C.s processing of a controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant expansion application despite significant local opposition. But federal and provincial authorities reiterated that the $3 billion Tilbury LNG Phase 2 expansion operated by FortisBC will continue to have its application processed under a Jan. 20 agreement under which the provinces review process will replace the federal impact assessment. The Tilbury Phase 2 expansion, which includes a new marine jetty for loading LNG tankers as well as additional on-site production and storage capacity, would raise the sites annual production load to 3.5 million tonnes from the current 2.6 million tonnes. The added 142,000-cubic-metre storage tank and the jetty form a key part of FortisBCs plans to establish Vancouver as an LNG bunkering and export hub. In a response to recent outrage expressed by local community groups, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada said it did not find enough reasons to create a review panel to assess the Tilbury expansions potential environmental harms including possibly negatively affecting Code Red (or high productivity) salmon habitat as outlined in Metro Vancouvers Fraser River Estuary Management Program (FREMP). The Tilbury expansion has so far drawn opposition from municipal governments in Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster and Port Moody. Delta, where the plant is located, has not expressed the same opposition; neither has the Musqueam Indian Band, which signed an agreement with FortisBC that will see the First Nation acquire an unknown amount of equity ownership at Tilbury. According to a statement provided by the B.C. Ministry of Environment, there will be no review panel to study the impact of the Tilbury expansion, because the timing for creating the panel usually independently operated and associated with more in-depth assessment and public input has passed. The province, however, did note that there is still an opportunity for further public input. Because Tilbury Phase 2 is in the application development phase of its environmental assessment, officials say there will be a public comment period after FortisBC develops and submits its application. But the government response has not quelled the disappointment among environmental and community opposition. Susan Jones of the Boundary Bay Conservation Committee, who joined other groups in holding a protest in July outside the Tilbury site, said she is still in disbelief that federal and provincial officials did not find enough reasons to create a panel assessment for a project that she says will damage vital fish habitat in the Fraser River estuary. Another major controversial project in the area the Vancouver and Fraser Port Authoritys (VFPA) multibillion-dollar proposal to create Terminal 2, a landfill container terminal at Roberts Bank underwent a full independent panel review that resulted in a significant list of recommendations. The VFPA consequently had to spend an extra year tweaking its application and is still awaiting federal government approval for the project. They [the province and Ottawa] dont mention the red zones at all, Jones said, referring to the possibility that the Phase 2 expansion infringes on habitat that according to FREMP supports critical fish and wildlife. The federal government is just going to rubber-stamp the B.C. assessment process, and they say they have people on their scientific advisory committee, but the public doesnt know what they are saying. Jones also criticizes the level of scientific expertise in Canada to assess environmental impacts. She said critics have noted a decrease in the volume and quality of content from government experts after funding cuts introduced under former prime minister Stephen Harper. But despite efforts such as protests and over a thousand public submissions, all the efforts on getting regulators to slow Tilburys application for a closer review have been met with silence, Jones said. Its extraordinary because basically we are losing salmon like they did with cod on the East Coast. And we are just trashing all the habitat right along the Fraser Estuary and throughout the Fraser watershed, and nobody is doing anything about it. Jones said the next step might be going to other provincial organizations such as the BC Utilities Commission because the dispute involves natural gas. FortisBC said it is still working on Tilbury expansion details and continues to incorporate community comments into its application. In response to community feedback during the Environmental Assessment the project design was altered to reduce its overall footprint and possible impacts to fish and fish habitat, FortisBC said in a statement. In addition, existing marine infrastructure will be removed from the river and lost habitat will be offset to create a net gain. The company added that it has committed to additional studies of fish and fish habitat beyond the project area to broaden understanding of the river, and there will be ongoing monitoring and follow-up programs to ensure mitigation measures are working as designed. Kicking off a jam-packed diplomatic week in New York, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held an in-person meeting with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi. This comes as the 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will take place in November 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. The Summit will be the pinnacle of the G20 process and intense work carried out within the Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups throughout the year. Jaishankar held another set of bilateral talks with his counterparts in the Balkans, Europe and the Caribbean. On the solemn occasion of 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday and held discussions with Amery Browne, the Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. EAM Jaishankar arrived here Sunday for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is likely to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several heads of state later this week. In a tweet, following talks with his counterpart in the Caribbean nation, Jaishankar wrote, "Great to catch up with FM of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Amery Browne this morning. Noted our celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations. Look forward to strengthening our traditionally strong cooperation." Apart from discussions with Foreign Minister Browne, Jaishankar also held talks with Foreign Minister of Malta, Ian Borg and agreed to step up cooperation on international forums including the United Nations. "A warm meeting with FM Ian Borg of Malta. Congratulated them on their election to UNSC. Agreed to deepen cooperation in the UN and Commonwealth. Also explored strengthening our bilateral economic ties," Jaishankar tweeted. On the same day, Jaishankar, who is on a 10-day visit to US, held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Albania where he held discussions to strengthen the bilateral ties with the nations. The meeting with the Albanian counterpart was centred around exchanging views on Ukraine and energy security and cooperation in the UN Security Council. In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "Pleased to meet FM Olta Xhacka of Albania. Valued our close cooperation in the UN Security Council. Discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship. Exchanged views on Ukraine and energy security." Over the course of the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral meetings. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj and Consul General (New York) Randhir Jaiswal received Jaishankar on Sunday afternoon on his arrival here. Over the course of the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral meetingsThe Indian minister is scheduled to deliver on Saturday India's address at UNGA, which is meeting on the theme, "A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges". Security Council reforms will be the top item on Jaishankar's agenda as he meets dozens of world leaders during the week packed with the Assembly session and several events on the sidelines. Council reform is expected to get a boost during the session as US President Joe Biden is to present ideas for its reform and consult with other leaders, according to US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenburgh. The former diplomat is also scheduled to host a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of G4, the group made up of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan that advocate for expanding the Council and mutually support each other's claim for a permanent seat. During his 11-day visit to the US beginning today, Jaishankar will also participate in meetings of Quad made up of India, Australia, Japan and the US, BRICS and several other key groupings. Commemorating the nation's 75th anniversary of Independence, the highlight of Jaishankar's visit will be an event on Saturday, "[email protected]: Showcasing India UN Partnership in Action", on New Delhi's cooperation with the UN and its march towards the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate. Jaishankar will be in New York from September 18 to 24, while he will visit Washington DC from September 25 to 28, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). After concluding his visit to New York on Saturday, he is scheduled to visit Washington for three days starting Sunday for what the External Affairs Ministry said for "a high-level review of the multifaceted bilateral agenda and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues to further consolidate the India-US strategic partnership". In Washington, Jaishsnkar is expected to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials of the Biden Administration. A round table focused on science and technology is also on the agenda for Washington. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday participated in the India-CELAC (Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States) Quartet Meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In the meeting held under the pro-tempore presidency of Argentina, CELAC Quartet was represented by Foreign Minister of Argentina Santiago Cafiero, Foreign Minister of Guatemala Mario Adolfo Bucaro Flores, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Amery Browne and Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of Colombia Laura Gil Savastano. Both sides expressed satisfaction at revitalizing the India-CELAC forum after a gap of 5 years. They expressed happiness at the growing engagements with Latin American countries, and reviewed the entire spectrum of India-CELAC relations. (ANI) Also Read: Joe Biden says US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion Pakistan sees a mixed export trend between July and August 20 September 2022 Pakistan's cement and clinker exports earned revenue of US$17.217m by dispatching 329,128t of cement and clinker overseas in the first two months (July-August) of the current financial year FY22-23 (July 2022-June 2023), compared to US$21.389m from 534,808t of exports in the year-ago period. Therefore, the sector saw a fall of 19.5 per cent in dollar terms and of 38.5 per cent in volume during the first two months of the export period. However, exports valued in Pakistani rupees rose by 9.8 per cent to PKR3.795bn (US$15.9m) during this period. On a positive note, in August 2022 alone, export revenues saw an increase of 105.9 per cent MoM to US$11.589m on the shipment of 223,987t, compared to US$5.628m from 105,141t of exports in July 2022. The quantity increased by 113 per cent during this period. However, compared with August 2021 earnings of US$9.423m from 235,203t, this represents a drop of 4.8 per cent, but volumes rose by 23 per cent YoY. Experts believe exports have been falling due to high freight costs for overseas shipping, and poor economic and political conditions in neighbouring markets such as Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. However, DG Khan Cement is selling cement to a far-off market such as the USA after signing a deal with a contractor in the USA. As a result, the company will send 50,000t of cement twice every month, which might keep cement exports from slipping too far down. Moreover, the margin on export is expected to remain low, given the rising cost of coal. In contrast, export prices stay the same, AKD Research observed. Pakistan has been exporting clinker/cement to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania and India. Published under Bangladesh cement exports rise 114% in July-August 20 September 2022 During the first two months - July and August of FY22-23, Bangladesh cement exporters brought home an export revenue of US$1.65m on cement exports, which rose 114.29 per cent over the same months last year. The figure also includes a minor amount of salt, stone and related products, says the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. Bangladesh has set an export target for the cement industry at US$11m during the 12 months of the ongoing financial year, ending 31 June 2023, compared to US$9.57m earned in FY21-22. This translates to expected growth of 15 per cent YoY, according to EPB. More than a dozen companies export cement to India, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Published under Perus cement market expands 3% in August ICR Newsroom By 20 September 2022 Cement dispatches in Peru edged up by three per cent YoY to 1.227Mt in August 2022 when compared with 1.192Mt dispatched in August 2021, according to the countrys cement association, ASOCEM. Of this total, 1.167Mt was delivered by its members. Cement production saw a two per cent uptick YoY to 1.145Mt in August 2022 from 1.126Mt in August 2021. Clinker output slipped by two per cent to 0.843Mt in August 2022 from 0.86Mt in the year-ago period. Perus cement producers exported 15,000t of cement in August 2022, down 17 per cent from 18,000t in August 2021. Clinker exports dropped by 75 per cent to 31,000t in August 2022 from 124,000t in the previous year. To supplement domestic supply, 7000t of cement was imported, down 88 per cent YoY from 63,000t. Of this total 4400t was imported from Chile while Vietnam imported 3100t into Peru. Clinker imports advanced eight per cent YoY to 77,000t in August 2021 from 71,000t. Published under This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Susan G. Komen will hold an in-person MORE THAN PINK Walk to raise funds that support breast cancer patients and research for those impacted by the disease. The Walk will be held on Oct. 1 at Hamilton Place. We look forward to creating a community for anyone impacted by breast cancer as we gather, in person, for this years Walk. Funds raised from the MORE THAN PINK Walk will fund cutting-edge research aimed at improving outcomes for all and bringing us closer to the cures for all breast cancers, said Joshua Daniel, development director, at Susan G. Komen. Komen announces returning sponsors this year: Bank of America, Walgreens, Hamilton Place Pointe Property Group, Erlanger Health System, Pfizer Oncology, Parkridge Health System, Food City and Path Group. Participants can expect to enjoy the following at the Walk: Remarks from local survivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer; Hope Village, a place for survivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer to gather; "We Remember Tent" honoring those whose lives have been lost to breast cancer; and A continued celebration inside the mall with live music, face painting, character appearances, pink treats, giveaways and more. Schedule of events: - 7 a.m.: event opens - 9 a.m.: opening ceremony - 9:30 a.m.: walk begins Register online at www.komen.org/chattanoogawalk. Leading up to The Walk, Hamilton Place will host The Power of ONE Week, a series of fun-filled events and deals from participating retailers from Sept. 26-30, giving the community even more opportunities to get involved in this cause. These events include: Sept. 26 | ONE Mission Monday Team Trivia Night at the mall! Party Fowl will be hosting trivia night that includes trivia about breast cancer and statistics. Sept. 27 | My ONE Tuesday Tie-Dye Night at the mall! Molly Green will be co-sponsoring this event, providing white bandanas for tie-dyeing Sept. 28 | ONE Community Wednesday On Wednesdays We Wear Pink Dinner Party at your favorite Restaurant at the mall! Mall sit-down restaurants will be participating in a giveback to Komen night. Sept. 29 | Celebrate ONE Thursday Zumba Party at the mall: Get Fit & Get Fitted! Zumba party by the mall stage and exclusive discounts with Athleta and Tradehome shoes to get fitted for the walk. Sept. 29 | ONE Funday Friday Share Team Social Posts and ONE Team receives a donation from the mall! Teams will be encouraged to rest up and prepare for the big walk on Saturday. They will be invited to post their outlandish pink team photo on social channels and tag @HamiltonPlaceTN. Hamilton Place will share all photos tagged and will select one team to receive a donation towards their fundraising goal. The Tennessee Valley Authoritys STEM Classroom Grant Program for science, technology, engineering and math education is open for applications through Oct. 17. The program funds STEM learning projects in classrooms and schools in TVAs seven-state service area and is sponsored by TVA in partnership with the TVA retiree organization Bicentennial Volunteers Inc. TVA is proud to support educators and students to pursue excellence in STEM subjects, said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. We are building the energy system of the future, and our regions future workforce must be prepared to continue innovating for the decades ahead. Last years program awarded $1 million in grants to schools across the Tennessee Valley. Teachers can apply for funding up to $5,000 for STEM projects with preference given to applications that explore TVAs primary area of focus: environment, energy, economic and career development, and community problem-solving. Eligible applicants are teachers or school administrators in public or private schools, grades K-12. Schools must be in the TVA service area and receive electricity from a local power distributor served by TVA. Visit the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network to learn more about grant requirements, see examples of previously funded projects, and apply for funding. Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. announce shareholder Laura McKinney is the new section chair for the firm's business and mergers and acquisitions practice groups, which routinely counsel clients on strategic business transactions and general corporate matters. "Laura's extensive industry exposure has enabled her to quickly demonstrate her qualifications and capability to go above and beyond in this role," said President and Managing Shareholder Mark Cunningham. "She is flat-out brilliant. We are excited to see the growth and client advancement that are cultivated in these sections under her leadership." Ms. McKinney frequently counsels clients in several industries, such as manufacturing, energy, food and beverage, logistics, chemical, and mining, on various matters including asset and stock purchase transactions, preparation and negotiation of commercial contracts, entity formation, corporate governance, cross-border distribution, and regulatory issues. With over a decade of experience in multiple jurisdictions, Ms. McKinney helps navigate the diverse business and legal obstacles that local, national, and global companies encounter. Clients view her as a reliable resource and advisor who can help bring peace of mind and provide strategic, forward-thinking advice, said officials. "It's an incredible opportunity to be chosen for this new role and to assist the firm by helping further enhance this already exceptional group," said Ms. McKinney. "Our goal has always been to ensure our clients achieve their business objectives and know they can depend on our team. I intend to make sure we continue to do just that by building on the talent and experience represented in each of these practice groups." Ms. McKinney received her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University before attending Harvard Law School and is licensed to practice in Tennessee and New York. She currently serves on Chambliss' Executive Committee. Blue Sky Couriers honors and supports the children in our communities with the companys Couriers for Kids initiative. Most recently, this support came in the form of a $500 gift to Donate Life Tennessee, the organization supporting organ and tissue donation across the state, in honor of pediatric organ donor heroes and transplant recipients. Tennessee Donor Services is one of our countrys leading organ donation organizations," said Kevin Peirne, Blue Sky Couriers regional operations manager. "Blue Sky Couriers is honored to be their trusted partner in the life-giving process, transporting tests and organs. As a responsible corporate citizen, we feel its important to give back to the communities we serve and thats why we started the Couriers for Kids initiative. We are proud to give and support their great work." During the check presentation at the weekly BNI Nooga Exchange meeting in Chattanooga, Mr. Beirne said he was particularly moved by the story of Grayson Meadows, the 4-year-old boy who died from injuries suffered in the April 2020 tornado in Chattanooga. Grayson was an organ donor, and a virtual honor walk was held for him at Erlanger Childrens Hospital at the time of his donation. Support from partners like Blue Sky Couriers enables Tennessee Donor Services to fulfill our mission to save and improve lives through organ and tissue donation, said Dawn Benjamin, TDS External Affairs coordinator. We deeply appreciate Blue Skys generous donation as we work together to provide hope and healing to those in need of live-saving transplants. On the Nov. 8 ballot, Tennessee voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that establishes a framework for a temporary transition of power for the highest elected official in the state. If approved, the amendment would be invoked if the governor is temporarily incapacitated and unable to perform his or her duties, most likely due to a medical emergency. Tennessee is the only state that does not have a provision in its state constitution to address this issue. State Senator Becky Massey (R-Knoxville) and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) sponsored this initiative in the General Assembly. Senator Massey says it is critical for a definitive protocol to be in place, just in case. In the unusual event the states highest elected official is temporarily unable to meet the needs of the office, it is important for the stability of our state that Tennessees constitution lays out a clear path for the transfer of power, said Senator Massey. It is good practice to plan for all scenarios. I hope we never need to invoke this provision, but if it is ever needed, it will be really needed. Its time Tennessee joins all other states and adds this provision to our constitution. I urge all citizens to vote 'yes' on Amendment 2. The initiative will be on the November ballot as Constitutional Amendment 2. The proposed constitutional provision states that if a governor is unable to perform his or her duties because of temporary incapacitation, then the powers and duties of the governor will be discharged by the speaker of the Senate, who also serves as the Lt. Governor of the state. If it is a planned incapacitation, such as a major surgery, then the governor would declare in writing that the powers and duties of the office will be temporarily discharged by the Senate speaker. If it is an unplanned incapacitation, then a majority of the governors cabinet will submit the written declaration. The acting governor would be authorized to continue to perform the duties of the office until the governor transmits that he or she is able to resume responsibilities. We certainly hope this is something we will never need, but its necessary to have a plan in place that secures our democracy in such a crisis, Rep. Lamberth said. Voting 'yes' on Amendment 2 will strengthen our constitution and our state government by ensuring there is no extended period in Tennessee where its unclear how executive powers are to be carried out. If the Senate speaker is acting governor, the speaker will not be required to resign as speaker or as a member of the General Assembly. However, he or she will not preside as speaker or vote as a member in order to maintain separation of powers between the legislative and executive branch and because the Tennessee Constitution does not allow an elected official to hold two offices at the same time. Other states have used similar provisions only a few times. Most recently, Indiana Governor Frank OBannon had a massive stroke, and his office was temporarily assumed until his death. Tennessee already has a provision in place for the death of the governor. This has only been used once in Tennessee history when Governor Austin Peay died in 1927. He was replaced by Speaker of the Senate Henry Horton. Proposed Constitutional amendments are presented as yes or no questions. A yes vote is a vote to amend the Constitution and adopt the proposed language in the amendment. A no vote keeps the current language in the Constitution unchanged. Two things must happen for an amendment to pass and become part of the Constitution. The first is the amendment must get more yes votes than no votes. The second is that the number of yes votes must be a majority of the total votes cast in the gubernatorial election. While still coming out from under the impact of the pandemic, the Chattanooga Airport continues its long legacy of service and providing customers with what they need, said Vice Chairman of the Airport Board of Directors Dan Jacobson, at the September board meeting. National airline predictions show just a gradual increase of airport usage throughout the country until 2025 when the number is predicted to be 111 percent of the pre-pandemic numbers. But the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is expanding the terminal along with making multiple improvements and additions to taxiways and hangars and will be prepared for the future. Operational statistics for the airport in August show that year-to-date enplanements are up 25 percent through the first eight months of the year, and are projected to reach 425,000 for the year, up from 377,000 in 2021, said Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport President and CEO Terry Hart. A slowdown is being seen now, however, with the number of seats going down due to the pilot shortage which has resulted in the airlines scheduling fewer flights. But bookings locally increased in September, said Mr. Hart, with last week being the highest since March 2020. He said it is encouraging that operations have been staying above where they were in 2021. Cargo is also up this year through August. Mr. Hart noted that in the industry overall this year, the carriers, American, Delta and United, have dropped all service in 59 cities. The majority of those are regional markets like Chattanooga. Meanwhile, an expansion that began three months ago is underway at the Chattanooga Airport. The groundworks, which includes site preparation, and building foundations and columns, is in process now and will be followed with stormwater drainage lines being put into place. The first steel beam was put up last Monday. Another active project is the installation of security cameras in all parking areas. Delays in getting equipment caused by the supply chain problems are causing a slowdown of the work. The Chattanooga Airport received $5 million from this years federal infrastructure bill which can be used for this terminal expansion, said Mr. Hart. This is the only airport in the state of Tennessee that received money. Allen & Hoshall has been chosen as the architects to design and engineer four of the infrastructure projects. Vice President of Operations Jack McAfee received approval at the Monday meeting to move forward with all four budgeted projects. These include $70,200 for the final design of a taxiway connector for the West Side development adding taxiways and hangars on the last undeveloped areas at the airport at the cost of $131,400. This is for general aviation use. Other projects are the final design of another site where more hangars will be built at the cost of $126,100, and another taxiway for $69,800. The demolition of an old runway that will fully remove all the old paved surfaces, wiring and lighting will be done for $998,276. That area will then be graded and drainage systems added and it will be planted with grass. Mr. Jacobson said he is encouraged to see the progress being made at the Airport especially with all the chaos and confusion with air travel on a global scale. Enplanements are up, expansion of the terminal is on schedule and in budget and the new screening system is moving along as planned. And he recognized the successes and growth at Wilson Air Center, the fixed base operator that provides general aviation services for private aircraft. The TBI is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to the capture of a Chattanooga man wanted for attempted murder. Ronald Spence, Jr. is also sought by the Chattanooga Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic assault, aggravated assault, aggravated child abuse or neglect, especially aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm while In commission of a felony, and reckless endangerment. Spence should be considered armed and dangerous. Major Martin Joachim Burelbach and May Burelbach were the only occupants of a house they built at the top of Fourth Street high on the side of Cameron Hill. They lived nearby at 236 Arcadia Ave., then moved into 510 West Fourth St. in 1917. Fourth Street went up the hill until it hit a steep section at Cypress Street. There was a jag to the left on Cypress, then Fourth went another block up to Pleasant Street (later made part of Cypress). It was in that top block of Fourth where the Burelbachs settled. The couple had no children. The site where the Burelbachs built had long been a part of the Hooper House property. This historic home that faced Cedar Street near Fourth had been used as the headquarters of General George H. Thomas during the Civil War. When the rear of the Hooper property was partitioned off, the Burelbachs were able to obtain one lot Martin Burelbach was born Sept. 18, 1884, in Perham, Minn., the son of Matt and Sophia Doll Burelbach. He joined the Army and came to Chattanooga in 1905. He spent three years at Fort Oglethorpe with the 12th Cavalry. He graduated from his training camp as a captain, and he had reached the rank of major when he left the Army in 1920. He afterward held a commission with the National Guard. He married May Dunbar, of Chattanooga and Crossville, on July 19, 1911. She was the daughter of Henry G. and Susan W. Dunbar. Martin Burelbach operated the Arts and Crafts Store at 318 West Eighth St. Then from 1915 to 1917 he was Scout Executive with the Boy Scouts of America with offices in the Chamber of Commerce Building. Prior to becoming Scout Executive, he had "shown marked ability both as a Scoutmaster and in handling weekend hikes and short-time camps." He had previously operated private camps for boys. Due to limited funds, he was only paid $80 per month for his Scout duties. He kept costs down by furnishing his own typewriter, doing his own stenographic work, and walking or riding streetcars for business travel. He sought to expand Scouting in Chattanooga, including starting new Scout patrols in the Jewish synagogues. After war was declared on Germany on April 6, 1917, Major Burelbach had to leave the Scouts and go on active duty. After the war, he was involved in cutlery, then for many years he was the attendance officer for the City Schools. Later in life he developed an interest in photography and won many prizes for his prints. He won a national Eastman photography award with a picture of his mother-in-law baking pies. His photos won international interest with one set of prints being shown in 20 exhibits in South America. One of his pictures won a $500 prize. He also published many articles in nature and outdoor magazines. He was elected as an associate of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1940. May Burelbach for many years worked in the offices of attorney Joe V. Williams and Joe V. Williams Jr. Major Burelbach died in Chattanooga on Jan. 26, 1952. After the death of her husband, May Burelbach stayed on in the house at 510 West Fourth. She stayed until she was forced out by the Chattanooga Housing Authority. May Dunbar Burelbach was living at Crossville when she died in October 1970 - far from the old homeplace that was no more on Cameron Hill. Photos have not yet been located of the Burelbach homes on Cameron Hill. A woman at Young Life, 757 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., told police she had received permission from an employee and was asleep in front of the business when she was startled awake as two males approached and walked by her. She had been attacked recently and has been on alert ever since. Police spoke with a man who said he and the woman are acquaintances and have interacted in the past without issue. Police also spoke to the other man who said he had just been walking down the sidewalk where the woman was sleeping. * * * A woman called police and said she was traveling southbound on Highway 153 nearing the I-75 exit. She said a bucket flew off a white Ford F250 and the lid to the bucket hit her windshield causing a hole. The lid had a metal ring to it and several items fell out of the bucket. The woman said the truck was hauling a boat, but the trailer did not have a tag. She sped up and got the tag off the truck. She said her mother was in the car with her and witnessed the incident. She also took pictures of the truck. She was clear on contacting her insurance. * * * A woman called police and said her Jeep had been broken into while parked at the Guild-Hardy Trailhead at 498 Ochs Hwy. She said they broke a window and moved property inside it while it was parked in the parking lot. She said nothing was taken from the Jeep. * * * A man called police and said someone called him and identified himself as H. Baker, a PayPal employee. The man said he was told that an account was opened in his name and $800 in Bitcoin was purchased. The man was told to purchase four $500 ATM cards from Target. He didnt purchase the cards. * * * A man at Volkswagen at 8001 Volkswagen Dr. told police his drivers side door was damaged. He said it didnt look like another vehicle had hit it and doesnt know where the damage came from. * * * A woman on Brighton Lane called police to say she had been talking to a person over the phone about a job interview. She was sent a check with no return address. When she took the check to a bank, she was informed it was fake. She wanted information on how to cut ties with the person she thought she was interviewing with and also wanted police aware there was a scam on the Internet. The officer told her to block forms of communication with the person and told her of the dangers of Internet scams. No police action was necessary. * * * An employee of the Hamilton County Clerk Tag and Registration office at 6135 Heritage Park Dr. told police a customer attempted to register a 2014 Durango with a fake title from Texas. The employee told police the registration office had a lot of issues with sellers using Washington, D.C. as their address. She showed police a seller who uses Washington, D.C. as his home address. Police had the employee run the Durango's VIN which came back to an owner in Georgia. The employee said there is nothing in her records that show the vehicle is stolen. Police spoke to the customer who said she owns a company which registers vehicles for people. The customer said her client is a long-time client and she has never had an issue. Police spoke to an investigator who said he would visit the clients address. Police requested that the customer not reach out to the client. Police ran the Durango's VIN using Georgia as the state which came back to an owner. Police collected all documentation and turned it over to Property. * * * A woman told police her Jeep Compass broke down on Shepherd Road. She was able to get the vehicle out of the roadway and left it on the side of the road until she got paid. She checked on her vehicle several times a day and removed all the items from it. When she got back to her Jeep, she found that the drivers side window was busted. She knew that she left a magazine to a firearm in her vehicle but it was not hers. She said that she did not know anything about the magazine or the firearm. The recreational center where the vehicles was parked should have some video evidence of the incident and police will attempt to get the video as evidence. * * * The manager of Circle K at 3743 Cummings Hwy. told police a couple was seen arriving in a dark gray small vehicle, possibly a Nissan Rogue. The suspects parked the vehicle at pump 6 and both came inside the convenience store. They selected a few items and, when they tried to pay with a card, for some reason it was declined. The video surveillance showed the female suspect placing all the items in a plastic bag. She told the clerk she was going to the vehicle to get her cellphone to pay for the items with a pay app while the male suspect waited inside the store. When the clerk got distracted, the male suspect exited the convenience store quickly, jumped in the drivers side and left. The vehicle was seen going north on Cummings Highway towards I-24. The total loss was calculated at $36.89. * * * A woman on Merriam Street told police someone went into her unlocked SUV and took it. She said the key fob was inside the vehicle. The vehicle was entered into NCIC as stolen. Later, while patrolling the area of E. 17th Street, an officer saw a dark Rav4 matching the description of a stolen auto that fled from the officer the previous day. At that time, the officer found that it was stolen. On call auto crimes was contacted and requested to have the vehicle towed to the back lot at 3410 Amnicola Hwy. by Mostellars Towing. Police searched the area for cameras that would have possibly captured the suspects, but did not find them. The vehicle was removed from NCIC. * * * A woman on Pembrook Lane called police because she couldnt find her car keys. She asked police to watch her purse while she looked for her keys. After a few minutes the woman returned with her keys and drove off. My morning readings have increasingly included much about Queen Elizabeth II since her death on Sept. 8 and prior to her funeral on Monday, it became clear the one mortal or commoner, I can compare her to during my lifetime is my grandmother, the late Elizabeth McDonald. Mammaw was the Godliest woman who Ive known. Just like the Queen, Mammaw embodied Christ in a way that, long after she died, I realized was by example. She didnt have to talk about it, or espouse her unwavering belief, but lead by such a high standard her 15 grandchildren adored her, just like thousands of Britons stood patient in line for up to 18 hours to pass in love and respect to the Queen. N.T. Wright, a British theologian who was once the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England, wrote a beautiful memoir to the Queen that appeared on FoxNews.com over the weekend and as I read it, it proved to my soul I am right; Queen Elizabeth and my Mammaw Elizabeth shared a very equal Guiding Light. May God bless these two servants/saints. * * * THE QUEENS LEADER WAS JESUS AND SHE WASNT SHY SAYING SO NOTE: This story was written by Rev. N. T. Wright, formerly Bishop of Durham in the Church of England, and now Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. It appeared on FoxNews.com on Feb.18, 2022 - - - Christmas lunch, for many British families, has regularly concluded with everyone gathering around the television to hear the Queens annual message to the nation and the Commonwealth. About twenty years ago it was widely reported that some of Her Majestys advisors had suggested to her that, now that Britain was home to many different religious traditions, she might want to play down the specifically Christian aspect of her message. The Queens response was robust. That Christmas she was more explicit than ever. The Jesus whose birth we celebrate, she said, and his teaching, have been my companion and guide throughout my life, and with his help we can go forward into another year. Or words to that effect. I remember staring at the television in surprise and delight. She had preached the Gospel to an audience of millions. She had completely outflanked the fussy, compromised political correctness of the time, both by what she said and by how she said it. The second is just as important as the first. Her Majesty spoke with calm, humble assurance. She wasnt talking about herself, but about the Jesus she knew and served. She cherished and valued the millions around the world people of very different cultures and traditions who looked to her for leadership. But her own leader was Jesus, and she wasnt shy about saying so. And it is crystal clear, as we look back with gratitude on her extraordinarily long life and reign, what it meant for her to follow Jesus. It didnt mean bombastic dogmatism, laying down the law. It meant humility, faithfulness, steadfast commitment, selfless service to others. She gave of herself to people of all sorts, with genuine interest and concern, with humor and grace. We sometimes speak of "a long obedience in the same direction". Well, how long is "long"? Will seventy years of unswerving devotion do? I should say so. Her own personal spirituality was deep and heartfelt, unfussy and unshowy. She got to know Billy Graham on one of his early visits to the UK, and it wouldnt surprise me if he helped to draw out into more explicit form the personal faith which she had from her early days. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, one of her "chaplains" clergy on whom she would call for advice and spiritual wisdom was the Reverend John Stott, perhaps the best known evangelical leader of that time. But, as in political life, Queen Elizabeth stood well back from church parties and controversies. Her own preferred style of worship was that of the traditional Anglican neither "high-church" nor "low-church," but focused on the Bible, especially the Psalms and the Gospels, and on the Prayer Book. I remember her expressing surprise when, at a large service in Westminster Abbey, most of the congregation received communion standing up. For her, kneeling was a vital sign of her humble devotion to Jesus. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, one of her "chaplains" clergy on whom she would call for advice and spiritual wisdom was the Reverend John Stott, perhaps the best-known evangelical leader of that time. But, as in political life, Queen Elizabeth stood well back from church parties and controversies. Her own preferred style of worship was that of the traditional Anglican neither "high-church" nor "low-church," but focused on the Bible, especially the Psalms and the Gospels, and on the Prayer Book. I remember her expressing surprise when, at a large service in Westminster Abbey, most of the congregation received communion standing up. For her, kneeling was a vital sign of her humble devotion to Jesus. I suspect that many forthcoming obituaries will list her interests and achievements and then add, as a kind of footnote, something about her personal faith. Thats how many like to see Christianity: an added extra, a little religious hobby, off on the side. But that would be profoundly untrue to Queen Elizabeth II. Everything else she did, including her vibrant love of life, of horses and dogs, of the countryside, of family and friends, was shaped and colored by her being first and foremost a follower of Jesus. To follow Jesus is to affirm and celebrate the goodness of Gods creation in all its aspects, even while grieving as she often had to do over a world groaning in travail, awaiting Gods ultimate new creation. And the sheer hard work of the Head of State all those red boxes, all those meetings, official occasions, endless streams of people to see, people to be encouraged, congratulated, consoled, advised that work was her faithful service, not just to her people though she loved them, and that was obvious, which is why we loved her back but to her Lord. Many years ago I heard a sermon explaining why, in Jesus parable, the workers in the vineyard all got paid the same wage, despite their very different days work. They all alike, said the preacher, came when they were called; they went where they were sent; and they did what they were told. Queen Elizabeth found herself called, at a young age and a challenging time. She offered herself, her life, in response. And she did what she was told, following Jesus command and example into a life of humble, faithful service. We preachers talk a lot about Christianity. She got on and did it. Thank God for Queen Elizabeth. * * * N.T. Wright is now Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Among his recent books are "On Earth as in Heaven: 365 Days with N. T. Wright" (HarperOne) and Galatians, in the Christian Formation commentary series (Eerdmans). His online courses can be found in the Christian Formation commentary series (Eerdmans). His online courses can be found at www.ntwrightonline.org at www.ntwrightonline.org royexum@aol.com The Dalton Police Department will once again host a public safety fair for the community in observation of National Night Out, and this year for the first time it will be held at Burr Park. The event will be held Oct. 4th from 6-9 p.m. and it will feature food, fun and games for the whole family. Officials said, "The National Night Out campaign is a nationwide effort to bring communities together with the public safety professionals who serve them. The event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live and work. "The only interaction that most people have with first responders comes during some of the worst moments of their lives, whether theyve been the victims of crime, a fire, accident or other emergency. The event at Burr Park is a chance for residents to meet with police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel in a non-emergency setting." Joining the Dalton Police Department at the event will be representatives of the Dalton Fire Department, Georgia State Patrol, the Whitfield County Sheriffs Office, Whitfield County Fire Department, Department of Natural Resources, Whitfield County EMA and 911, Hamilton EMS and Life Force. Police cars, fire trucks and other equipment will be on display for the kids. The event will feature free hot dogs, cotton candy and popcorn for visitors while supplies last. Public safety employees will also have free pamphlets with safety information for parents. For more information on the National Night Out program, visit the organizations website at natw.org. Magnolia Trust Company, a Chattanooga-based trust administrator serving high-net-worth clients across the Southeast, has named Todd McMullen president and CEO of the company. Mr. McMullen has served as a Magnolia board member since the company was founded in 2019 and brings a perspective built on more than three decades of experience and an approach to preserving family legacies. Throughout his career, Mr. McMullen has been selected by clients to lead succession and strategic planning initiatives based on his diligence, integrity and extensive understanding of legacy preservation, asset protection and strategic planning, among other areas. His experience advising business owners of family-owned, privately-owned and private equity-owned companies on successful strategies and solutions will enhance Magnolias fiduciary and trust services in Chattanooga and beyond, said officials. Its a privilege to join Magnolia Trust Company as we continue to build upon the strong foundation established over the last three years, said Mr. McMullen. Im deeply impressed by Magnolias phenomenal growth and commitment to delivering the highest level of service to clients throughout the region. Its an honor to be part of this results driven team. Alongside leading Magnolia, Mr. McMullen serves as partner and vice chair of Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors, Magnolias sister company headquartered in Atlanta. Moore Colson was founded in 1981 and is an award-winning accounting, consulting and advisory firm. Mr. McMullen joined Coopers & Lybrand (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in 1985 and served as a business assurance manager until joining Moore Colson in 1993. Mr. McMullen received his bachelors degree in business administration with a concentration in accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. Hes a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Georgia and a member of the American Institute of CPAs as well as the Georgia Society of CPAs. Magnolias Chattanooga office is located downtown in the historic Volunteer Building. Progressives are always raising awareness. Its our turn now. Governor Gavin Newsom, pompous Democrat of California, went into a tizzy calling for a DOJ investigation over Texas and Florida sending illegal migrants to the so-called sanctuary cities. By Abbot and DeSantis sending illegals to these northern cities, they raised awareness of what is a real crisis for them. Seventy-eight plane loads of illegals landed in Jacksonville over a six month period (News4JAX, V Micolucci, 11/16/2021) and hundreds of thousands have flooded small Texas border towns since Biden wandered into the White House. So what about Newsoms history? As mayor of San Francisco, he had homeless sent away under a program called Homeward Bound. He claimed Texas accounted for the highest number with 827 sent to Texas of the 12,268 removed. This could not be verified as their own surveys showed a large majority lived in San Francisco before becoming homeless (Northern California Public Media Newsletter). Marthas Vineyard progressives want you to believe they welcomed migrants. Lisa Belcastro, coordinator of their homeless shelter, claims they have to go because we have a housing crisis (Newsweek, 9/16/22). A check of Air B&B online indicated many rooms were vacant. So why fly migrants off their island? Perhaps its for the same reason Newsom sent over 12,000 homeless out of San Francisco and Lori Lightfoot bussed migrants to suburbs outside Chicago with no notice (ABC7 Chicago, 9/10/22). Sanctimonious progressives welcome homeless and illegal migrants, but they welcome them to your town, not theirs. Ralph Miller Life in Paris is a dream come true for Real Girlfriends in Paris star Victoria Zito. Bravos new reality TV series follows Zito and her five American expat friends as they explore new romances and build their careers in the City of Lights. Victoria Zito has worked hard to get where she is today in the fashion world, but what exactly does she do for work? Learn more about the RGIP star and her career below. Real Girlfriends in Paris star Victoria Zito | Fred Jagueneau/Bravo Real Girlfriends in Paris star Victoria Zito is starting a new romantic life in Paris Zito was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She had always dreamed of working in fashion, but her mother wanted her to stay close to home. Then, she landed a scholarship at the art and design school Parsons Paris and moved to France in 2017. Real Girlfriends in Paris documents Zitos new adventures as she explores dating in Paris. She was previously married, but she got divorced after her move to Paris. Zito also came out as bisexual, so she now finds herself in new territory with dating. I think that [divorce] happening in Paris made me develop a sense of f*** it, she told E! News. This is my life and this whole new chapter of my life, especially since we divorced, is about living my most authentic self and I feel like I couldnt do that without just being open and honest. In addition to showing Zitos romantic adventures, Real Girlfriends in Paris showcases Zitos life at her job, which can sometimes be stressful for her. Heres a closer look at what Victoria Zito does for work. RELATED: Real Girlfriends in Paris: Follow the Cast on Instagram for a Taste of Life in France Victoria Zito works as head designer at fashion brand Chloe Colette Bold all-over leather looks from the Autumn-Winter 2022 collection are cut from lustrous hides. pic.twitter.com/qWqQ0S7umT Chloe (@chloefashion) September 17, 2022 Zito has revealed on the show that she is the head designer for nascent clothing brand Chloe Colette in Paris. According to the brands website, Chloe Colette was founded by Jenny Rizzuto, who discovered that the fashion industry lacked beautiful pieces of clothing that were flattering and elegant while still comfortable. Today, Chloe Colette sells elevated basics for all occasions, from staying in to a night out in the City of Lights. Zito has shared a bit more about her career on LinkedIn. Before Chloe Colette, she worked in production at JJ Production and Indigital. The RGIP star has also worked in social media management, but her true passion seems to be fashion design. What draws me the most to the world of fashion and art is collaboration in every form, her bio reads. The way a designer gets to collaborate and communicate to the wearer without saying a word, or in a more direct collaborative setting, I believe there is nothing more beautiful than getting to dive into someone elses universe, learning about them, while having the opportunity to give a piece of yourself. The fashion designer faces challenges at work in a new episode of Real Girlfriends in Paris When things get stressful at work NATURALLY you pop a bottle of champs!? Things are getting real on #RGIP, and you can catch up on the first 3 episodes on @peacock now before Monday's all-new episode at 9/8c! pic.twitter.com/XjRyKCCHZC Bravo (@BravoTV) September 16, 2022 Real Girlfriends in Paris fans will see more of Zito at Chloe Colette in the new episode on Sept. 19. A sneak peek at the episode shows Zito under stress as she has to design several pieces under a tight deadline. Literally, by Friday night, I need to have the entire collection drawn, she says. Unfortunately, her co-worker isnt doing his job, which puts Zito under more stress. He hasnt been working on casting for their upcoming event, which led Zitos general manager to confront him. It is Yoannes job to do all casting for Chloe Colette events, and if hes not answering emails or picking up calls, thats a big problem. We cant drop the ball on this, Zito says in a confessional. I am at my boiling point with Yoanne. He is late, he is slacking off, and on top of that, he is going behind my back and hustling my friends, which is really not OK. New episodes of Real Girlfriends in Paris air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. RELATED: Real Girlfriends in Paris Cast Reveals the Key Difference from Real Housewives The sun sets over the Colorado River at Guano Point on the Hualapai reservation Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, in northwestern Arizona. Roughly 600,000 tourists a year visit the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai reservation in northwestern Arizona an operation that's the tribe's main source of revenue. The United States Supreme Courts decision in Yeshiva University v. YU Pride Alliance may seem like it spells trouble for Christian colleges that hold conservative positions on sexuality and gender identity. After all, the court held that the orthodox Jewish university must formally recognize an LGBT student group. But a more complete reading of the decision forebodes a favorable outcome for Christian higher education in the future. The case was decided on what observers refer to as the Supreme Courts shadow docket, where the justices make substantive rulings without oral arguments and competing legal briefs. Here, the justices ruled that Yeshiva University did not actually qualify for the courts review, denying the universitys claim that a trial court order to recognize the student group violated its religious mission. It would be easy to read this decision as a blow to the religious freedom of colleges with codes of conduct speaking to sexual orientation. But the ruling is a textbook example of the Supreme Court relying on process and requiring aggrieved parties to exercise all possible legal options before asking the highest court to weigh in. Simply put, its a mistake to read too much into what the court would do if it were to decide this case in a holistic manner. In Yeshiva, the 54 majorityincluding two conservatives, John Roberts and Brett Kavanaughheld that the university had not yet exhausted its options in seeking to overturn a state trial courts decision. Importantly, the justices reached no conclusion on the merits of the case, or what the outcome would be if they were evaluating the constitutional arguments in play. Clues to the future of this case can be found in the decisions dissenting opinion, from Samuel Alito and three other justices. Does the First Amendment, Alito begins, permit a State to force a Jewish school to instruct its students in accordance with an interpretation of Torah that the school, after careful study, has concluded is incorrect? The answer to that question is surely no. Alito goes on to say there are enough justices to grant the case full review (a case needs just four), and that Yeshiva would likely win if its case came before us. There are many reasons to believe that Alito is right in claiming that, should this case reach the Supreme Court for full review, a majority of the justices would side with Yeshiva University. First, the courts recent record on religious freedom cases is squarely in line with Yeshivas arguments. From Fulton v. City of Philadelphia to Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru to Carson v. Makin, the courts most recent decisions involving the Free Exercise Clause have sided squarely with expanding religious freedom protections. Nothing in the details of Yeshiva herald a departure from this recent trend. Second, this case would give the Supreme Court a clear opportunity to correct a head-scratching decision from 2010. In Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, the court ruled that a University of California chapter of the Christian Legal Society could not keep its school funding while denying leadership positions to students who didnt affirm the chapters faith statement. Martinez has been critiqued on Free Exercise grounds, yes, but also on other First Amendment grounds, including the freedom of assembly. Yeshiva seems like a reasonable way for the court to revisit this odd precedent, especially with just one justice from that majority coalition still on the bench. Finally, Yeshiva would eventually give the Supreme Court another opportunity to balance the inevitable conflicts between religious freedom and LGBT rights. In Bostock v. Clayton County, the court held that sexual orientation and gender identity are covered by federal civil rights law, while also stating that the decision does not shrink religious freedom protections. Article continues below The judicial branch was poised to do what the legislative branch could not: Strike a compromise between these competing rights claims. A future decision in favor of Yeshiva University would be another step in this direction. Its tempting to respond to any Supreme Court decision in a knee-jerk fashion by decrying unfavorable outcomes as evidence of impending doom. In one recent article, First Liberty Institute lawyer Keisha Toni Russell interpreted the courts Yeshiva decision as opening the door for legalized ideological supremacy against religious institutions. Ben Shapiro called the decision an example of the cultural imperialism of the Left. And Yoram Hazony, chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, tweeted that Orthodox Judaism can no longer be practiced freely in New York. Taking a step back, though, and looking at the bigger picture usually brings clarity. Though Yeshiva University did not get the outcome it wanted from the nations highest court, this is by no means the end of the story. Should it exhaust its legal remedies at the state level, an appeal to the Supreme Court will be forthcoming. And as Alito noted, the court is well positioned to correct any decision that curtails the mission of a distinctly religious collegesomething Yeshivas attorneys appear to realize. Time and time again, the Bible urges Christians to practice discernment. Thats true as we seek the wisdom of God and our growth in the Holy Spirit, but its also true in our interactions with the world. While the Supreme Courts recent ruling was certainly not the optimal outcome for religious colleges and universities, the dynamics of the decision mean this is far from the end of the conversation. In that context, Christians have an opportunity to be among the first to recognize a nuanced situation like this one, and do so with confidence that our hope ultimately lies elsewhere. Daniel Bennett is an associate professor of political science at John Brown University and assistant director at the Center for Faith and Flourishing. Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication. For the first time since anyone can remember, members of Myanmars majority Bamar people are seeking long-term solidarity with the countrys ethnic minorities. Since a coup in February 2021 stunned the world, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has violently cracked down on both the Bamar and ethnic minority citizens protesting its takeover. Its tactics have included burning down entire villages and firing heavy artillery against its own people. So far, more than 2,000 people have been killed in its countrywide civil war with the poorly armed Peoples Defense Force (PDF). Christian NGO Free Burma Rangers (FBR), which has trained 6,000 ethnic minorities as first responders in the past two decades, has observed this growing unity up close. Increasingly, young Bamar people from cities like Yangon and Mandalay have left their college studies and careers to help the growing popular resistance. Some have gone to the jungles to learn from ethnic armed groups how to fight the Tatmadaw. Others have joined FBR trainings, where trainees alternate between intense physical training and learning how to dress a gun wound or navigate dense jungle terrain. Even as Myanmar faces its worst fighting in its 70 years as a free nation, many point to the unprecedented unity across ethnic and religious divides. While the countrys Buddhist nationalist leaders previously declared that Myanmar belonged solely to the Buddhist Bamar, now people of all backgrounds have banded together against the common enemy of the military junta. This has never happened in Burma, never in my 29 years here, said Dave Eubank of FBR. What you have is hope. You are not authentic Burmese Religion and ethnicity have long been intertwined with politics in Myanmar, also known as Burma: The country comprises approximately 130 ethnic groups with the largest being the Bamar, who make up 68 percent of the population. The Bamar also make up most of the countrys elite, including the Tatmadaw, and have long clashed with other ethnic groups seeking greater autonomy. Most Bamar practice a mix of Theravada Buddhism and indigenous Burmese folk religion. Buddhism is the state religion, and almost 90 percent of the population are practicing Buddhists. Christianity, which is mainly practiced by Kachin, Chin, Karenni, and Karen ethnic groups, makes up about 6 percent of the population, and Islam, practiced by the Rohingya, makes up 4 percent. During the time of British colonial rule (18241948), Buddhist nationalism sprang up as the British suppressed Buddhist practices and promoted secular education. This anti-Western movement led to the creation of the Burma Independence Army, which the Tatmadaw view as their predecessor, in December 1941. The country gained its independence in 1948. Post-independence, Buddhist nationalism was marked by an anti-ethnic minority and anti-non-Buddhist movement, according to David Moe, a Chin scholar at Yale University who wrote his dissertation on Buddhist nationalism. Former prime minister U Nus slogan encapsulated this idea: only the Bamar race, only the Burmese language, and only the Buddhist religion. This underlying thinking led not only to discrimination against those outside the Bamar Buddhist group but also to the worlds longest civil war. They feel that this nation belongs to Buddhist people only, Moe said. And they also say that in this Buddhist nation, if you are not a Buddhist, you are not authentic Burmese. In 2010, the military junta introduced some freedoms, released democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and allowed the people to elect some of its leaders. But the Buddhist nationalism ideas remained. Suu Kyi became widely reviled by the West as she defended the atrocities committed by the Tatmadaw against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minorities. Last years coup appears to have shaken this persistent fault line, as the Tatmadaw violently cracked down on Bamar protesters angered by the takeover. Soldiers shot peaceful supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement on the streets and threw movement leaders in prison, where torture is common. The Tatmadaw also sentenced Suu Kyi to 20 years in prison, including three years of hard labor, for election fraud and a myriad of other charges. Facing the brutality of the military firsthand, many Bamar apologized to ethnic minorities for turning a blind eye to their plight. Bamar students, civil workers, and teachers in the cities trekked into the jungles to learn how to shoot a gun or assemble a homemade grenade from ethnic armed groups such as the Karen National Liberation Army. Returning home, they used what they learned to create their own PDFs and defend their communities. Fighting has increased in both ethnic areas like Moes hometown of Mindat in Chin State and Bamar-majority areas like Sagaing Region. In Mindat, residents were the first to pick up knives and hunting rifles to create a local militia to fight against the military. The fighting intensified, and in May 2021, the military imposed martial law on the city, destroying homes and attacking the resistance with heavy weapons. Thousands of residents, including Moes family and friends, fled the city to villages and internally displaced people (IDP) camps in the jungles. Sagaing Region has also seen some of the most intense fighting between the military and local PDFs. Villagers reported the Tatmadaw have indiscriminately attacked communities, killed civilians, burned homes, and forced thousands to flee. In total, more than 1 million people in the country are internally displaced. The government-in-exile, called the National Unity Government (NUG), is drafting a federal constitution that would allow seats at the table for different ethnic groups, which has never been done before in Myanmar. Susana Hla Hla Soe, a NUG cabinet member, apologized that she did not raise a voice for our brothers and sisters from the ethnic areas, including Rohingya brothers and sisters. Still, Moe notes that the change of heart is mostly among the young people of Myanmar, especially Generation Z. While he believes this unity can remain if and when the common enemy of the Tatmadaw is defeated, he notes that in this new government, the Bamar will still remain the majority group. I am optimistic, but on the other hand, I need to be very speculative, he said. Because of love As the Tatmadaws attacks have spread and increased in intensity, it has led to an increased need for FBRs services providing medical care to resistance forces and food to IDPs. The military has increased the number of airstrikes in Kachin State and expanded them into Karen State (also known as Kayin) and Karenni State (also known as Kayah), said Eubank. FBRs deputy director, a 54-year-old Karenni man known as Monkey, said that after the coup, many Bamar people contacted FBR, mistakenly thinking they could learn how to fight or even assassinate the Tatmadaw. Yet Monkey would tell them thats not FBRs mission. We help get people out of the fire zone, he said. We just help people because of love. Some leave disappointed, but others join the training. In contrast to the ethnic-minority trainees, many of the Bamar from the cities show up in jeans and have no experience with living in the jungle. But what they have lacked in physical fitness, says Eubank, they make up for in their ability to quickly navigate with a GPS or suture a wound. Unlike ethnic people, most of whom have only an eighth grade education, many Bamar trainees have at least some college education or worked civil jobs before the coup. Monkey noted that typically during the beginning of the training, there are tensions between the ethnic and Bamar trainees as they dont seem to trust each other. But over time they realize they are part of the same team. Going on dangerous missions to provide aid for ethnic groups fighting the Tatmadaw especially draws the different groups together, Monkey said, as they realize they need to lean on each other to survive. As a Christian, Monkey noted that while FBR stands with the people, we are not against the enemy. We pray for them before and after the missions. We pray every day for the Burma army to see the truth. FBR has seen some soldiers defect and repent of their actions. Monkey found that as the trainees pray for their enemy together as a group, the Buddhists join in praying as well. Without God, we cannot do it, said Monkey. China sees rapid development of logistics equipment manufacturing 11:25, September 20, 2022 By Li Xinping ( People's Daily Robots sort express parcels in a distribution center of ZTO Express in Fuyang, east China's Anhui province, November, 2018. (Photo by Wang Biao/People's Daily Online) China has ranked at the top of the world in express parcel volume for eight consecutive years since 2014. Its express parcel volume surged 18-fold from 5.7 billion pieces in 2012 to 108.3 billion pieces in 2021. However, the capacity of express warehouses was often overwhelmed due to the rapid-growing business volume, which remained a serious challenge for the industry. Since 2009, the industry has been flooded with express parcels during the Double 11 shopping festival, the largest and most popular annual global shopping festival in China that falls on November 11. The parcels were often stranded in transfer centers, terminal service stations and other links of the logistics system, which significantly prolonged the delivery. To tackle the challenge, market players fell back on technology. In May 2016, a cross-belt sorter for express parcels was developed by Li Gongyan and his team. In the same month, Li established Wayz Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd. (Wayz Intelligent), a solution provider of intelligent logistics systems, together with a Beijing-based investment company subordinate to the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The first step is always the most difficult, but we had a good opportunity," said Yao Yi, general manager of Wayz Intelligent. In 2016, electronic shipping bills largely replaced handwritten ones, which laid a solid foundation for achieving automatic sorting of parcels. Besides, consumers' demand for faster delivery also urged courier companies to make a change. Express parcels are sorted in a distribution center of China Post in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu province, November, 2019. (Photo by Meng Delong/People's Daily Online) STO Express, one of China's top delivery companies, was the first client of Wayz Intelligent. In November 2016, Wayz Intelligent's automatic sorting system was officially put into use in a distribution center of STO Express in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong province. With the system, the distribution center reduced its staff from 400 to 85, but increased its daily handling capacity from 400,000 to 500,000 pieces, and the accuracy has also been lifted to 99 percent. Gradually, more and more intelligent logistics devices have been developed across China, which has accelerated the steps of innovation for the whole logistics industry. In 2018, Libiao Robotics in east China's Zhejiang province developed a robot that she light on the automatic sorting of the express delivery industry. In Libiao Robotics' design, distribution centers are two-storey structures. Robots in the upper storey automatically identify shipping addresses and then drop parcels in designated sorting areas in the lower storey. The robots, after being unveiled, were soon put into use in STO Express' distribution centers in Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan provinces. Ever since, China's logistics equipment manufacturing industry has entered a period of high-speed development. As of the end of 2019, the automatic production lines of China's courier industry added up to over 5,000 kilometers, which was equivalent to the total mileage of subways across the country. According to statistics, the Chinese automatic sorting equipment market was worth around 26 billion yuan ($3.71 billion) last year, with an annual growth rate of 21.8 percent on average. The top 13 equipment manufacturers reported 14.81 billion yuan in revenue, a 44.2 percent increase year on year. Code reading is the most important process for automatic sorting. When parcels are moving along sorting belts, their barcodes, which indicate their next destinations, should be timely recognized. This cannot be achieved without the intelligent vision system. So far, Wayz Intelligent has achieved domestic development of the algorithm, structure and key units of its code scanner. The identification accuracy of the company's independently developed code scanner is 0.5 to 1 percent higher than that of its foreign rivals, and the scanner is able to recognize tainted, wrinkled, deformed and blurred codes with an accuracy of over 99 percent. A man scans the code on an Express Parcel in a warehouse of a logistics company in Suining, southwest China's Sichuan province, September, 2020. (Photo by Liu Changsong/People's Daily Online) In recent years, courier companies have started cooperation with suppliers for synergetic development. For instance, another leading express delivery firm in China, YTO Express, has established a joint team with suppliers for closer integration of digital tools and automation equipment. At present, a distribution facility of the company in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, is able to handle 190,000 parcels each hour with an accuracy of nearly 99.9 percent. Besides, Alibaba's Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited, one of China's courier giants, as well as JD.com and SF Express have made great efforts to advance the development and manufacturing of radio-frequency identification, or RFID tags. RFID tags are as soft as transparent tapes, said Xu Jun from the technology department of Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited. According to him, RFID tags call for lower standards of manufacturing techniques than smart phone chips, but have a higher threshold regarding algorithm. Compared with retailing scenarios, logistics has a more complicated application environment and thus a higher requirement for the accuracy of identification. Therefore, Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited optimized the design, reader development and algorithm of RFID and lifted identification accuracy to 99.97 percent. Besides, the company has joined hands with semiconductor suppliers to develop RFID tags exclusively for logistics scenarios. Thanks to their efforts, the unit price of RFID tags has been lowered to 0.1 to 0.2 yuan, which lays a solid foundation for the massive application of RFID tags in the logistics industry. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Du Mingming) Pastor Allen Jackson talks trouble ahead for the Church, Christian nationalism and public education Pastor Allen Jackson talks challenges ahead for the Church In the spring of 2020, World Outreach Church Pastor Allen Jackson found himself having to close his Nashville, Tennessee-based megachurch due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. His reflections on that experience and what he learned are part of the new book, Big Trouble Ahead: A Real Plan for Flourishing in a Time of Fear and Deception. Now when I have the privilege of being with Gods people, I understand the tremendous honor it is. I will never take it for granted again, wrote Jackson. "COVID-19 was a tremor, a foreshock of the challenges ahead," he added. "I pray we are learning lessons to enable us to respond with faith, boldness, and courage." These challenges, according to Jackson, included lockdowns that were unfair to churches, debates over public school curricula, antipathy toward police officers, and biases found in major news media. Jackson stressed this point in an interview with The Christian Post, in which he said that he realized that we were going through something that was about more than a virus from Wuhan, China. His goal with Big Trouble Ahead was to help God's people be prepared to respond to the challenges to churches in the United States with something other than just fear and anxiety. In a Q&A with CP, Jackson shared what the COVID-19 pandemic revealed to Americans and what Christians need to be on the lookout for that he details in BigTrouble Ahead. CP: I got the sense from your book that the COVID-19 pandemic simply accelerated a lot of preexisting spiritual and social problems you described. Do you believe this to be the case? Jackson: I think it would be accurate to say that the pandemic accelerated or maybe even unmasked it, because I think the roots to the things that we're watching now have been in place for quite a period of time. Its almost as if we were awakened. When you're asleep, you're uninvolved, unconcerned, and when you're awake you can be engaged in something. And I think we were just unconcerned and uninvolved in a lot of these things that were happening. Our schools didn't just become woke. Our college campuses didn't become closed to free speech. That didn't all happen in the spring of 2020. The CDC didn't become unreliable in a week. I think all of those things had been taking place, we just weren't awake to them. And I think what the pandemic did was awaken us to some circumstances. So, I think in that sense, it was a gift from the Lord. CP: In Chapter 5, you wrote: "Judeo-Christian values based on the Ten Commandments have provided that framework in the United States for over two hundred years, and that is what separates us from many cultures of the world." How do you respond to those who might view such a comment as evidence of Christian nationalism? Jackson: Well, I think we have to define Christian nationalism. If you mean by that, as a Christian do I have a love of country where I reside and a sense of patriotism, yes. If you define Christian nationalism as someone who imagines a superiority because of their faith and a diminishment of every other human being in the culture, then I would reject it. I don't think love of country gives you permission to whitewash immorality or injustices among us. And I think its being used as a bludgeon to try and intimidate Christians not to be affirming of our nation. It's more popular and more chic these days to be angry at our history and angry at our heritage than it is to celebrate it. And I think that attitude reflects one of two things: a willful desire to diminish our nation or a real ignorance of the global community. Because we are uniquely blessed, we have more freedom and liberty and abundance than almost any place on the planet, and I believe that it's not difficult to recognize the correlation between that and our biblical worldview. It gives dignity to every citizen; it isn't based upon our gender, our ethnicity or our nationally. We are a nation that is a melting pot. What binds us together is a set of values that goes all the way back to [Alexi]de Tocqueville. That's not some Evangelical minister who is a firebrand pounding a pulpit. That was an observation by an outsider. And that has stood us in good stead, provided the underpinnings of our legal system of our notions of free speech and of individual rights. The framers of our founding documents recognized a Creator God that individuals were endowed by a Creator with certain rights, they're not given to us by a government. All of those things emerge from a biblical worldview, and I believe its an appropriate response to God and our culture to recognize we've been beneficiaries of those things in this nation. CP: In Chapter 7 you warned against the dangers of socialism, writing: "The only money the government has to spend is what it takes from someone else and redistributes. Every time we take those unearned resources, we forfeit some independence." When do you believe the government should step in to provide aid to those in need? Jackson: I would make a distinction between helping those in need and having an intentional plan to redistribute wealth. I think entitlement is destructive, and I think responsibility for ourselves is a much more biblical view. Now, there are times we all need help. The Bible teaches us to have compassion for the least of these among us. And that's reiterated through the Hebrew prophets and the teachings of Jesus and the Epistles of the New Testament. But I think we have taken that and extrapolated it into a place where we have made a god out of the government. And we trust the government to secure our future and provide for our children's education and to provide for our healthcare. God's intent is that He be the One that we trust. Paul talked about our responsibilities to widows and orphans. He gave us a list of character attributes that were necessary for a woman to be included on the widow's list, and its a pretty intimidating list. It was not a list I would even want to implement publicly in the congregation I serve. I think we have taken those biblical notions of compassion and we have interpreted them to empower a government for whom we give over a great deal of our autonomy and certainly our spiritual freedoms. CP: In multiple places in the book, you talked about how public schools and even some private schools have become "indoctrination systems." In response to this, do you believe that Christian parents should take their children out of these schools to another alternative like private schools or homeschooling, or do you believe parents should instead influence school boards and curricula through advocacy? Jackson: I am a product of the public schools, so I am always an unrelenting advocate for public schools. But I think parents have to stay aware of and engaged in what's being taught in our public schools. And I reject the notion that our faith has no place in the public academic system. A biblical worldview doesn't necessarily exclude the introduction or the discussion of other worldviews. It can have a tolerant component to it. In recent decades, if there was a biblical worldview expressed, and someone objected, we were told we should withdraw from the arena, that it should be absent, that biblical worldview. And yet, today we find ourselves both in the public schools or the corporate boardrooms and in so many other places where there is a worldview very aggressively being put forward and if we raise our hands and object that it conflicts with our biblical worldview, we're told to be silent or we are canceled. At this point, I am a bit embarrassed that I wasn't more intensive and more aware of what was happening. Because I knew what was happening, I experienced it, particularly at the college and university level, but I just went along with the system in order to earn the degrees I wanted. So, I think parents have to be involved; I think we have to be advocates. We have a right to be heard in the public square. It doesn't have to be exclusively Christian, but we have a right to the idea of the marketplace of ideas just as certainly as any other worldview does. CP: What do you hope readers take away from your book? Jackson: I hope that they would take away with it a sense that there's a response that will bring us to a better future. That when we look through the windows of our homes or our churches, we don't want to be filled with fear or panic or anger. We don't want to respond aggressively or certainly not violently, but we want to begin to respond assertively with the truth that we believe. We've got to lead with our faith. And if we do that, I believe we have a very hopeful future. If we fail to do that, I believe we'll experience the judgment of God. I don't believe that we can continue on the pathway we are on and expect a wonderful outcome, but we are not powerless. There's a long tradition through Scripture and the history of the Church that when God's people will humble themselves and repent and seek His Face, He brings about redemption. Its not about a 51% majority, its about the hearts of God's people. So, we are empowered and we have an opportunity, and I pray that we take it. Newsom billboard campaign cites Bible to promote abortion 'freedom' in bid for reelection A new billboard campaign promoting abortion services in conservative states cites a Bible verse with the words of Jesus as an apparent endorsement. Last Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom posted images on social media showing billboards set to go up in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and four other "anti-freedom" states where abortion is prohibited or significantly restricted. Newsom's tweet read in part: "To any woman seeking an abortion in these anti-freedom states: CA will defend your right to make decisions about your health." Newsom tagged several Republican governors, including Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, with whom he shared a billboard image that reads: "Need an abortion? California is ready to help." @tatereeves the people of Mississippi deserve to know they have access to the care you are refusing to provide. This will be launching in your state today. pic.twitter.com/8qg7psYT2j Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 15, 2022 The billboard partially quotes Mark 12:31: "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these." Funded by Newsom's reelection campaign, the billboard omits the context of the exchange in the previous verse, in which Jesus is asked by a scribe, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus is quoted as reciting the Shema prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, saying, "This is the most important: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." He then says in verses 30-31: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Another billboard features the words "Texas doesn't own your body." A similar billboard was also made for Indiana. In all, billboards are set to go up in seven states Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Oklahoma all of which are roundly pro-life. Joy Stockbauer, a policy analyst for the Center for Human Dignity at the Washington-based Christian conservative advocacy group Family Research Council, told The Christian Post that Newsom's reelection campaign is "disturbing." "Governor Newsom's disrespect for the sincerely held religious convictions of Bible-believing Americans is disturbing, but sadly nothing new from far-left extremists within the Democratic Party," wrote Stockbauer via email. "Perhaps Newsom wouldn't be so desperate to draw vulnerable women to California if his actual constituents weren't fleeing the state in droves due to his unwillingness to address the rampant violent crime problem." In recent months, California has taken several steps to position itself as an abortion "sanctuary state" after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, allowing states to restrict abortion access. Last week, California launched a $1 million state-run website promoting abortion to minors, immigrants and women who live in states that restrict abortion. The website is funded through a $200 million budget package funded by taxpayers as the state seeks to be a sanctuary for abortion. "Abortion is legal, safe and accessible here in California whether or not you live here, know that we have your back," said Newsom following the website's launch. "As Republican states continue rolling back fundamental civil rights and even try to prevent people from accessing information online or crossing state lines for care, you're welcome here in California and we'll continue to fight like hell for you." The website offers residents and non-residents information about abortion facility locations, how to access abortion pills, financial help and assistance with traveling for an abortion. The website also states that California law allows minors to "independently consent to their own abortion care" despite any objections from their parents. The website links to TeenHealthRights.org, which tells minors they "do not need your parents' or caregivers' permission to get an abortion if you are under 18" and that it is their "choice whether to tell your parents about it if you do get an abortion." The state's website also informs undocumented migrants seeking an abortion that they may be able to obtain California Medicaid coverage for the procedure. Earlier this summer, the California legislature passed over a dozen bills this week expanding and protecting abortion access and protecting abortion providers from criminal prosecution. Televangelist Juanita Bynum defends $1,500 prayer course: This is not some cheap-based class Calling herself a pioneer in high-level prayer and pointing to her decades of experience as a minister of the Gospel, televangelist and self-proclaimed prophetess, Juanita Bynum, defended her $1,499.99 price tag for a four-week intensive prayer course, and dismissed criticism she has been facing online over it as an insult. Im not going to insult myself to even discuss the price. Its an insult to who I am after being in ministry for over 50 years and for I know, at least 35+ years have done nothing but been a pioneer in the things of prayer and helping people to understand prayer and letting them watch me doing [it] so that they can know that there is different dimensions and different levels to prayer, the 63-year-old Bynum declared in a Facebook Live Broadcast addressing the controversy last Thursday. And how do I know that there are different levels and different dimensions? Well, its simple. Its called results. When you get the results, you know the person absolutely knows what they are doing. And thats what I want to do, Bynum said. The course, which starts on Oct. 6, will accommodate 150 people and feature seven two-hour sessions of intensive teaching at an undisclosed location in Atlanta, Georgia. Course registrants will also receive a tote bag, a binder, a prayer shawl and sacred anointing oil, as well as a Q&A at the end of each teaching session with Bynum. Bynums response last Thursday came a day after Chicago-based internet preacher and U.S. Army veteran Marcus Rogers talked about the course with his nearly 1 million followers on Facebook, calling the $1,499.99 price tag, which is a discount on its regular $1,999.99 price, outrageous. As you guys know, I never charge to travel and preach and I never charge for classes. I feel like God freely gave it, so I freely give it to help His people. I know there were a few pastors who don't like that I do that because I teach everything they charge for free. So I want to hear yall hearts on this. I just think this is outrageous, Rogers wrote. The post attracted more than 3,700 comments and emoji reactions both for and against Rogers position. Comedian Wellington Juku joked in a Facebook video that when he first heard about Bynums prayer course he thought she was giving lessons on her OnlyFans page. Some critics compared Bynums course to a prayer meeting, but Bynum in her address said the course is part of the launch for her prayer institute. This is not some cheap-based class where were going to be in there swinging from chandeliers and giving you two tots about some Scripture in the Bible and were going to call that a school of prayer. No, were going to school and were going to learn as much as I can deposit in you in 14 hours. Im going to do my very best, Bynum added. This is not a revival. This is not a prayer meeting," she continued, in response to "those that have said that I am charging to pray. All of these years that you have seen me on social media praying and laying on the floor and doing the completionist course for 30 days straight and doing 5 a.m. prayer, I dont think anybody can remember me charging you to pray for you. Thats ridiculous. Its absolutely ridiculous, especially in the last several years that I have traveled in ministry giving away more money than I want to think about right now. Preaching at conferences and not taking a dime, which I recently did and have done and have stacks of letters to prove that. Bynum said that in the course shell be teaching about prophetic dreams and how to operate in the prophetic understanding, how to hear from God and how to separate your emotions from what God is saying, and how to be able to determine whether or not that is something youre feeling in your emotion or is that really a word from the Lord. Its going to be a very intensive class, not a class for the faint-hearted. Not a class for people who want to just sit there and eat bubble-gum and play with your phone. Youre going to have to stay focused and pay attention because you are walking out of there with the ability to take some of the tools that Im giving you and teach them to your prayer meeting. Teach them to your prayer group, and teach them to your church, she added. She said that in the last 14 years, God has also led her into a study of the brain and shown her how prayer can be used to bring order to the brain. What the Lord began to teach me is how to bring order to the brain so that when you get in prayer, you know what part of your brain is either being attacked or either being intercepted as to the reason why you cant get a breakthrough in prayer because the mind must be involved, and so this is levels that Im teaching, Bynum said. This is levels about how the brain functions in prayer. What part of the brain reacts to prayer? What you can do to avoid those interruptions, and these are things that I walk through, and these are things that I practice in my own walk with God. So when I get in times of prayer, I dont ever doubt whether its going to be heard or whether or not its going to be successful or whether or not Im going to get the results that Im praying about, the televangelist continued. And then even understanding mentally that if its not the results that Im praying about then I also know what else is happening as a result of that which youll just have to come to class to find that out. Bynum shot to fame after her 1997 "No More Sheets" sermon at Bishop T.D. Jakes "Woman Thou Art Loosed" Conference. In that sermon, she discussed her battle with her sexuality and her longing for a husband. She described the bedsheets as all the empty sex she'd had with men. "Why am I not married?" she asked the women at the conference. " ... I find it very difficult to listen to anybody preach to me about being single when they got a pair of thighs in [their] bed every night ... and you keep telling me to 'Hold on, honey, stay there by yourself' ... and you goin' home to big old muscles and thighs? ... I wanna hear 'hold on' from somebody that knows my struggle!" By about 2002, the year she got married to the Rev. Thomas W. Weeks, Bynum was no longer a featured speaker at the conference after discord strained her relationship with Jakes. Five years later, Bynum and Weeks headed for divorce after a public beating in an Atlanta parking lot. She later confessed in 2012 to using drugs and engaging in same-sex relationships. "I've been there, and I've done it all. I did the drugs, I've been with men, I've been with women. All of it," she said on the "Frank & Wanda in the Morning" radio program. "I took full responsibility in every area because every choice that I made, nobody put a gun to my head. I made those choices due to a lack of wisdom." Valedictorians professional license in jeopardy over graduation speech on life, love Academic freedom is under global assault. Students and professors in places of higher learning around the world are forced to censor what they say or suffer the consequences. Despite the fact that we all possess the inherent human right to freedom of speech, now more than ever, we are being silenced and sanctioned in the classroom. A startling case of academic censorship currently is being adjudicated in Mexico. Christian Cortez Perez, a university student who was valedictorian of his class, may lose his license to practice psychology because of his graduation speech in June. Perez was a star student top of his class at Mexicos Autonomous University of Baja Californias School of Medicine and Psychology. Following his impassioned commencement address about the sanctity of life and protection of the family, Perezs professors initiated a campaign to cancel his career. Specifically, university professors came together to produce a manifesto outlining their complaints about the speech. They delivered the manifesto to the university, calling for the school to withdraw Perezs academic merit award, withhold his professional license, and issue a nationwide notice to psychology associations. The university has launched formal proceedings against Perez, threatening the very career he enrolled at the university to pursue. In his graduation speech, Perez delivered this message: Today, we are deep into a real anthropological struggle to redefine the human being, the human person, man, through the implementation of ideologies and fashions of thought that always end up undermining dignity and freedom. Devoid of hatred or ill will of any kind, he encouraged his peers to live in solidarity with one another, stating: You have to love. No one seeks the good of the other if he does not love him. For expressing views shared by many, Perez now could suffer irrevocable professional and personal damage. He responded with a counterclaim to the university, noting, Public universities must respect the free speech rights of all students, and I am committed to obtaining justice not just for myself but for all Mexicans interested in preserving the right to freely express themselves. In response to his opponents, Perez takes an unequivocal stance in favor of free speech for all. To those that disagree with me, he wrote, I have one response: I firmly respect your right to freedom of speech too. Academic censorship is a problem across the world, and Christian Perez is but one brave example of what it looks like to stand up for free speech. Public universities should be marketplaces of ideas, not assembly lines for one type of thought. Moreover, it is deeply unjust for professors to wield this kind of power over their students. If the vindictive attack on Perez is successful, he risks losing everything he has worked for, and we all stand to lose from the undermining of free speech rights. Although it seemingly is far away in Mexico, the outcome of this case will reverberate globally and send a clear signal about the right to speak ones mind not only in school, but beyond. Stifling free debate in academic settings has cataclysmic results for society as a whole. Now is the time to reject dangerous censorship campaigns that threaten all fundamental freedoms. As Christian Perez awaits judgment from his university, let us raise a resounding cry in defense of his free speech rights. You dont have to agree with what he said, just his right to say it. Originally published at The Daily Signal. Christians 'became obsessed with politics': Michael Brown warns Jan. 6 'hurt our cause deeply' Are Christian conservatives who support former President Donald Trump confusing the temporal for the eternal? That question is the focus of The Political Seduction of the Church: How Millions of American Christians Have Confused Politics with the Gospel, a new book from author and radio host Michael Brown that looks at whether the Trumpian political climate has hindered believers in Jesus from carrying out the Great Commission. Brown says he voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections and wants readers to know there's nothing wrong with being involved in politics, as long as the ultimate goal is advancing God's Kingdom, not man's. "I do believe Christians should be involved in politics and should have a positive impact on politics, but somehow, especially in the last election cycle, we became obsessed with politics," Brown told The Christian Post. "We became more concerned with winning the election than winning the lost." And while Brown believes the 2024 presidential election will be just as consequential as the previous two, he says the problem occurs when Christians merge the Gospel with the elections "as if a political party was the key to advancing God's Kingdom on the earth." Brown, a Messianic Jew, is a familiar voice for CP. He is the author of over 40 books and over 2,000 op-ed pieces. He also hosts the nationally syndicated radio show "The Line of Fire." With Political Seduction, Brown hopes to take a deliberate and measured approach in assessing the marriage of politics and faith under Trump, including the ongoing national debate over Christian nationalism, both its definition and application. For Brown, there are three basic versions of Christian nationalism. The first is what he calls the "healthy" version, which essentially says, "I love Jesus, and I love my country," approximating the sentiments of tens of millions of American Christians. Brown says there's also the "unhealthy" version, which equates America and her destiny with the Kingdom of God, merging Christian identity with Americanism. But it's the "very dangerous" version of Christian nationalism that most concerns Brown. Just as the Founding Fathers waged a war against British tyranny in the Revolutionary War, there are modern-day Christians who say, "We're we're going to have to take up arms against the government in the name of Jesus." "That's what I warn about in the strongest terms" in the book, Brown added. While he wouldn't completely write off the distant possibility of another Civil War at some point, Brown said he doesn't think that's something that will happen anytime soon. "I do not believe we are anywhere near that point, and I believe we need to be sober and careful in our rhetoric because there are a lot of irresponsible people Christians in name only that could get stirred by this, and it could lead to real harm," he said. If Christians first begin to look in the mirror and "put emphasis on repenting from sin in our own lives" instead of prioritizing a political movement or political figure, the country will recover from the turmoil of recent years. "If the Church will be the Church, we can avert bloodshed," said Brown. It's no surprise that the first chapter of Political Seductiontakes a closer look at the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. As Congress met to certify the election results, hundreds of Trump supporters many of them Evangelical Christians violently stormed Capitol Hill, claiming the election was either stolen or fraudulently conducted. According to the DOJ, hundreds of individuals were charged with various offenses for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, including a youth pastor from Colorado Springs. Five people died during or after the attack, including four protesters and one police officer, while approximately 140 officers suffered injuries. Unarmed veteran Ashli Babbitt was the only person killed by lethal force during the riot. She was shot trying to climb through a smashed door pane into the House Chamber. U.S. Capitol Police concluded the officer who shot Babbitt acted lawfully when using deadly force. Three others died of natural causes, and 34-year-old Trump supporter Rosanne Boyland was trampled to death by protesters fighting a police line. Brown said while "only God knows" whether the 2020 election was fraudulent, Christians across the nation "prayed and prayed" for God's will to be done. "If this went all the way through the courts, and no one overturned what happened, then we must accept this is the result," he added. "Maybe it's divine discipline. Maybe things were stolen. But we prayed, we cried out, this is what we got." "I accept this as the will of God," he said. Despite his personal views, Brown said he understands why some Christians don't agree. He urged them to use "legal means" to expose any alleged fraud, adding: "Just don't break the law." While he doesn't believe any "organized insurrection" was involved on Jan. 6, Brown said the way Trump handled the rally before the event was "abysmal." He pointed to crowds chanting, "Hang [former Vice President] Mike Pence." "The rhetoric leading up to it was dangerous," said Brown. "It gave the Left all the ammunition they needed to make all of us who voted for Trump into 'white supremacist insurrectionists.'" "This hurts our cause deeply, and it was part of the downside of the president," Brown stressed. "He was irresponsible in his actions on that day." 48% of Evangelical leaders report being blacklisted over beliefs, guilt by association Nearly half of Evangelical leaders said in a new survey that they have been disinvited, blacklisted or excluded because of their point of view or guilt by association, according to the National Association of Evangelicals. The NAE's July/August Evangelical Leaders Survey revealed that 48% of Evangelical leaders said they have been canceled by others as a way of expressing their disapproval for the leader or the leaders point of view. The findings are part of a monthly poll of the NAEs Board of Directors, which includes the CEOs of denominations and representatives of diverse Evangelical organizations, such as missions, universities, publishers and churches. Cancel culture is the practice of excluding any person, organization or work as a way of expressing disapproval, NAE President Walter Kim explained. While it is important to be clear about unacceptable behavior and unorthodox positions, this phenomenon makes it difficult to have meaningful, vulnerable and open dialogue about the real challenges that we face, he said. Some leaders said the Evangelical leadership should expect to be canceled because it has become commonplace. However, the reality of cancel culture can make leaders wary of communicating their positions on complex issues for fear of retribution, the association fears. Last month, Pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, said Facebook removed a paid ad for his sermon Woke or Awake. Well, I got canceled this week, Young said, according to Church Leaders. Our friends at Facebook just canceled me. Our incredible media team put together these ads, and we showed these ads. And, for some reason, Mark Zuckerberg and his friends didn't dig them. Many Evangelical leaders think being open and willing for respectful conversations could be the way to engage. I have made it a policy to welcome comments and open the door to discussion. People have disagreed with statements that I have made and contacted me to share their concerns, Ron Hamilton, conference minister at Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, was quoted as saying. Those who said they had not been canceled also noted that they might have been unknowingly rejected or not invited due to their beliefs or engagement. Not to my knowledge! I have no idea whether my views were the reason I was not invited to speak in the first place, Rich Nathan, founding pastor of Vineyard Columbus, was quoted as saying. Some leaders said guilt by association was also a basis for cancellation. I served as the primary speaker for an annual event (for about nine years) at a major Christian university. Although my ministry remained consistent and my views had not changed at all my relationship with people outside their doctrinal distinctives caused me to be disinvited, Daniel Henderson, president of Strategic Renewal, was quoted as saying. Kim said while individuals and organizations need to be held accountable for their actions, people should not be punished for holding beliefs that may be different. We need to encourage conversations across differences. Let us open our doors and ask those with differences to pull up a seat at the table. After all, that was the way of Jesus, he concluded. Voice of the Martyrs offers resources for churches ahead of Persecution Sunday Ahead of the annual International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians, Voice of the Martyrs ministry has released resources to help churches pray for the hundreds of millions of believers facing threats of violence or being killed because of their faith. The VOM, a nonprofit thats provided practical and spiritual help for persecuted believers since the 1960s, has released resources for churches, small groups and families that inspire prayer weeks before the IDOP, which will be marked on Nov. 6 this year. The resources include prayer banners, prayer guides, slides and bulletin inserts. You can hang a prayer banner in your church as a reminder to pray for persecuted Christians in hostile areas and restricted nations, the ministry says of those who are frequently ostracized or rendered homeless in many parts of the world. You can share Global Prayer Guides with church members to help them learn who the persecutors are in these countries and how difficult it is to get a Bible there. And you can order bookmarks that provide 10 ways to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Around the world, more than 360 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus thats one in seven believers worldwide, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List, which ranks the top 50 countries where Christians experience the worst persecution for their faith. The 2022 World Watch List, which looked at incidents reported between Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, found at least 5,898 Christians were killed, 5,110 churches were attacked or closed, 6,175 Christians were arrested without trial, and 3,829 Christians were kidnapped. The year 2021 saw a 24% increase in Christians killed for their faith. The VOM has also released a video titled Rebecca: Nigeria, featuring the story of a woman who watched helplessly with her daughter as Boko Haram militants killed her husband and son, and burned her home. When she searched the charred remains of her home, she found the Bible that she and her husband had received on their wedding day. I still use this Bible, she says in the video. It reminds me of Gods faithfulness. Earlier this month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom warned that religious freedom is deteriorating in Nigeria because of rising violence by non-State actors, mainly militant Islamist groups, and poor governance. The group has called on the State Department to utilize the power that it has to take action against the government. According to a recent study from the Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, at least 60,000 Christians have been killed in the past two decades in Nigeria alone. The organization reported that hundreds of churches had been threatened, attacked, closed, destroyed or burned in 2021 alone. Churches around the world have observed the IDOP on the first Sunday of November since the World Evangelical Alliances Religious Liberty Commission launched the first Persecution Sunday in 1996, encouraging churches worldwide to dedicate a Sunday to pray for persecuted Christians. Cameroon: Gunmen kidnap 5 priests, nun and churchgoers after setting fire to church Gunmen kidnapped five priests, a nun and two churchgoers after setting a Catholic church on fire in western Cameroon. The region has been the scene of a bloody conflict between anglophone separatists and the countrys government for several years. Those who were abducted from St. Marys Church in the town of Nchang remained missing Tuesday, AFP quoted the bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Bamenda as saying as they expressed their shock and utter horror. Archbishop Andrew Nkea said the kidnappers had given no concrete reason for last Fridays attack. The bishops said they strongly condemn all these attacks against the church and her ministers, and appealed to those who have taken the priests, the nun, and the Christians in Nchang to release them without further delay, Catholic News Agency reported. We insist on this because this act has now crossed the red line and we must say that enough is enough, they added. A wave of persecutions against the hierarchy of the church is now the new game of the struggle, and all kinds of threat messages are sent out against missionaries who have surrendered their lives to work for the people. Cameroons security forces have been battling rebel groups that are seeking independence for the countrys northwestern and southwestern parts, also known as the Anglophone region, to create a new country, Ambazonia. French is spoken in other parts of the country. About two-thirds of Cameroons population is Christian and Muslim constitute about 30%. Armed separatist groups emerged in 2017 after the government cracked down on protests. Cameroons President Paul Biya called the groups terrorists. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced as many as 500,000 since 2014, CAN said, noting that on Sept. 6, suspected militant separatists opened fire on a bus in Muyuka, killing at least six civilians. In their statement, the bishops said attackers had increasingly targeted the Catholic Church along with Presbyterian and Baptist churches. Last February, the countrys defense forces were accused of killing at least 32 people, including a pregnant woman and 14 children, in Cameroons English-speaking region. We outrightly condemn the killing of children, women and the entire household in Ngarbuh Ntumbaw. We equally denounce the ungodly act of burning a PCC house of worship at Mbufung Bali, the Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, said in a statement at the time, according to Cameroon-Info.Net, which pointed to the role of defense and security forces. Planned Parenthood received record gov't funding amid abortion increase, decline in health services Planned Parenthood received record taxpayer funding amid an uptick in abortions and a decrease in healthcare services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its recently released 2020-2021 annual report. The nation's largest abortion provider released the report earlier this month, showing the organization's affiliates conducted 383,460 abortions in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2021. This figure constitutes an 8% increase from the 354,871 it performed in the previous year, as documented in its 2019-2020 annual report. The most recent Planned Parenthood report reveals that its affiliates provided services to 2.16 million clients during its reporting period, a decrease from the 2.4 million it served in the same period the year before. Services and testing for sexually transmitted infections decreased from over 5.4 million the year before to over 4.4 million in its most recent report. Meanwhile, cancer screenings decreased to nearly 417,000 from almost 599,000 the year before. Contraceptive services decreased to almost 2.2 million, down from over 2.5 million the year earlier. The number of adoption referrals provided by Planned Parenthood decreased from 2,667 to 1,940. Planned Parenthood reported receiving over $633 million in "Government Health Services Reimbursements & Grants" for the year ending June 30, 2021, which equaled more than a third of its total revenue. The nonprofit received over $618 million in government reimbursements and grants the year before. Planned Parenthood acknowledged that the "COVID-19 pandemic meant that many patients had to put off care to avoid exposing themselves and their loved ones to the deadly virus." "Planned Parenthood health centers are proud to provide abortion," the report states. "That's never been more true than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Abortion is essential health care that cannot wait for the end of a pandemic or the whims of politicians." In a Tuesday statement, Lila Rose, president and founder of the pro-life activist organization Live Action, said that Planned Parenthood has made a "mockery of our healthcare system." Rose noted the increase in the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood and the methods used to terminate pregnancies, including the "poison of the abortion pill regimen" and "the clamps and blades used in surgical abortions to kill and dismember preborn children." "This barbaric butchery should be illegal, but instead, it is subsidized by the American public, with taxpayers contributing an all-time high of $633.4 million to the abortion giant, an over $15 million increase from the previous year," Rose said. While the amount of taxpayer money Planned Parenthood received increased over the past year, government funding as a share of its overall revenue remained nearly steady, dropping slightly from 38% to 37%. In a breakdown of the most recent annual report, Carole Novielli of Live Action News pro-life pointed out that within the past decade, the number of clients Planned Parenthood serves has declined by 30% from 2009-2010 and nearly 35% from 1996-1997. From 2000 to 2020, Planned Parenthood conducted 6.4 million abortions while offering a little over 303,000 prenatal care services to pregnant women, according to Live Action. "To put it in perspective, Planned Parenthood has committed about the same number of abortions every year that it offered in prenatal care services over two decades combined," Novielli wrote. Michael New, a research associate at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, notes that Planned Parenthood released its report over half a year after it usually does. "The release of this report comes unusually late in the calendar year," he wrote. "Planned Parenthood had released their last four annual reports in the months of January or February. This 2021 report provides further evidence that Planned Parenthood continues to prioritize abortion." Ryan Bomberger, a pro-life advocate and co-founder of The Radiance Foundation, questioned the timing of the release of the report. "This year, PPFA released their latest annual report in a Friday news dump hidden beneath obsessive coverage of the British Monarchy and the passing of Queen Elizabeth," he wrote in an op-ed for The Christian Post. "In a pandemic where they provided 200,000 less breast cancer exams and Pap tests (combined) than the previous year, PPFA somehow managed to have plenty of time to kill more human beings than ever in their history," he added. "Even though they served 260,000 fewer clients than the year prior, they managed to rake in the most taxpayer dollars ever. ... Drastically fewer clients + drastically fewer medical services + stolen taxpayer dollars + more abortions = pay dirt." Rose called for the halting of government support of Planned Parenthood, a demand pro-life activists have made for years. "Every day that Planned Parenthood receives taxpayer money is a day where every American is involuntarily complicit in the ableism, misogyny, and violence inherent to Planned Parenthood's business model," she added. "Planned Parenthood must be defunded immediately, and their violent business shut down." The release of the latest Planned Parenthood annual report comes less than one month after advocacy and political organizations affiliated with the abortion provider announced that they would spend $50 million on the 2022 midterm elections in an effort to elect "champions for sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights, including abortion, up and down the ballot." The $50 million commitment follows a previous pledge from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY's List to spend $150 million on the midterm elections. OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that keeps track of the money spent by political groups to influence American politics, reported last month that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund spent over $569,000 on lobbying efforts in the second quarter of 2022. The money spent by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in the second quarter of 2022, when the news of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide first broke, marked a record for the most money raised by the pro-abortion group in the second quarter of a year. OpenSecrets identified the legislation the Planned Parenthood Action Fund lobbied for, including the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the right to abortion established in Roe into federal law. The U.S. House of Representatives most recently passed the bill in a 219-210 vote in July. The legislation remains stalled in the U.S. Senate, where it has previously failed to garner the votes necessary for passage. California launches $1M website informing minors, out-of-state women how to get abortions California launched a $1 million website last week as part of the state's efforts to strengthen abortion access through a $200 million budget package funded by taxpayers, part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's vow for the state to serve as a sanctuary for women seeking abortions. The website offers residents and non-residents information about abortion facility locations, how to access abortion pills, financial help and assistance with traveling for an abortion. It also instructs minors that California law allows them to "independently consent to their own abortion care" despite any objections from their parents. The website links to another website called TeenHealthRights.org, which tells minors they "do not need your parents' or caregivers' permission to get an abortion if you are under 18" and that it is their "choice whether to tell your parents about it if you do get an abortion." The state's website also informs undocumented migrants seeking an abortion that they may be able to obtain California Medicaid coverage for the procedure. "Abortion is legal, safe and accessible here in California whether or not you live here, know that we have your back," Newsom said in a statement. "As Republican states continue rolling back fundamental civil rights and even try to prevent people from accessing information online or crossing state lines for care, you're welcome here in California and we'll continue to fight like hell for you." The site explains the different types of abortions and contains a map of 166 facilities in the state. It tells people outside of California who may be unable to visit a clinic that they may be able to obtain the pills for a chemical abortion by mail. Women who undergo a chemical abortion are typically given two drugs, mifepristone (RU-486) and misoprostol. The first pill blocks the effects of the natural hormone progesterone while the second induces contractions and expels the unborn from the woman's body. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration lifted in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion pill, enabling women to obtain it by mail without seeing a doctor. The FDA had previously suspended in-person requirements during the coronavirus pandemic but made the decision permanent last year. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, allowing states to once again restrict abortion, California has been working to increase access to the procedure. Earlier this month, the state passed over a dozen bills dubbed "historic" by the national media as California furthered its efforts to become a "reproductive freedom" state. Newsom is expected to sign the bills into law. While abortion advocates praised the passage of the bills, opponents argue that the bills go too far, claiming that they will "erase" the notion of an illegal abortion. Mary Rose Short, director of outreach for the pro-life advocacy group California Right to Life, told The Christian Post earlier this month that she believes the California legislature is "too far gone at this point." She pointed to how the organization has tried to reach the public through social media, emails and online articles. Short outlined one bill, in particular, AB 2223, which removes the requirement for a state coroner to investigate deaths related to self-induced or criminal abortions. It also prevents charges or civil actions from being brought against those involved in the abortion based on statements made by the coroner in the fetal death certificate. "AB-2223 erases the idea of an illegal abortion," Short contends. "It means that if the mother consents or desires her baby to be dead, she should be completely, illegally immune. And anyone who assists her in reaching that outcome of a dead baby, there's no legal repercussion there." Short also stated that the bill's language grants legal immunity regardless of the type of abortion method used or the child's age at the time the pregnancy was terminated. Another bill included in the package is SB 1375, which makes additions to existing law to allow nurse practitioners to commit first-trimester abortions without the supervision of an experienced physician or surgeon. Under the law, practitioners will be allowed to do abortions after completing board-recognized training. Trans care group removes age guidelines for puberty blockers, disfiguring sex change surgeries A leading trans health associations latest guidelines omitted minimum age requirements for gender-confused youth to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or genital mutilating surgeries, a major change from earlier editions. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) released its Standards of Care 8th Edition in the International Journal of Transgender Health earlier this month. The journal published a correction on Thursday, removing sections related to "suggested minimal ages" for offering so-called gender-affirming care or surgical treatment, such as experimental puberty-blocking drugs and performing operations such as breast amputations on girls and removing boys' genitals. WPATH did not respond to The Christian Posts request for comment about the changes. In Chapter 6, the new guidelines claim that chest masculinization surgery, better known as a double mastectomy, can alleviate chest dysphoria in girls who are led to believe that in order to be happy, they must remove their beasts. The guidelines further argue that boys suffering from gender dysphoria can obtain improved psychosocial functioning if they allow a surgeon to perform a vaginoplasty by removing penis tissue to create a fake vagina. While the sample sizes are small, these studies suggest there may be a benefit for some adolescents to having these procedures performed before the age of 18, the new guidelines claim. Among 20 surgeons affiliated with WPATH, more than half said they have "performed vaginoplasty [on] minors," according to a 2017 study titled Age is Just a Number that was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. One surgeon said he had performed the surgery on a boy as young as 16. The new guidelines also suggest that obtaining parental consent should not be a requirement before minors undergo disfiguring surgeries or obtain cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers that stop their natural development. We recommend when gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments are indicated for adolescents, health care professionals working with transgender and gender diverse adolescents involve parent(s)/guardian(s) in the assessment and treatment process, unless their involvement is determined to be harmful to the adolescent or not feasible, the guidelines state. The trans health group claims that the primary goal is to help youth work alongside their parents or caregivers regarding important gender care decisions. It adds, however, that the critical evaluation process must determine if there are cases where parents have rejected their childs gender needs. In these situations, youth may require the engagement of larger systems of advocacy and support to move forward with the necessary support and care, the new guide advises. In an opinion piece published in The Christian Post earlier this month, Brandon Showalter noted that "minors are being surgically disfigured under the banner of a non-existent gender identity in clinics and hospitals around the country. He added that the corporate press that has largely supported the movement to halt puberty and give children puberty blockers will not be able to "feign ignorance" ... as more and more de-transitioners who were sterilized and disfigured as minors start to raise their voices and as others around the world begin filing lawsuits against the medical institutions that harmed them." Let us not forget the LGB when pushing back against the T It is not just Christian conservatives who are pushing back against transgender activism these days. Prominent liberals, along with well-known gay and lesbian activists, have also been raising their voices, especially when it comes to transitioning children. Together with conservatives, they are protesting the insanity of biological males competing against biological females or against putting young children on puberty blockers and performing sex-change surgery on minors. But that is only one side of the coin. The flip side of all this is that homosexual practice has become more and more accepted to the point that fewer and fewer conservatives will tackle it head on. Is this a direct result of the Supreme Court redefining marriage in 2015? Or because gay conservatives have become political allies? Or because a loving, adult, consensual relationship is a lot less offensive than removing the breasts of a healthy 14-year-old girl? Or because of personal relationships with LGB couples or individuals? Or because of the relentless media bombardment going back more than three decades? Whatever the cause, the fact is that, as much as opposition to transgender activism has increased, opposition to LGB activism has decreased. This is a serious error, theologically, morally, and practically, since the transgender movement is just the logical extension of the homosexual movement, the inevitable next step on the LGBQ trajectory. As Francis Schaeffer pointed out in his 1968 book The God Who Is There, But much modern homosexuality is an expression of the current denial of antithesis. It has led in this case to an obliteration of the distinction between man and woman. So, the male and the female as complementary partners are finished. As I noted in a 2018 article, Yes, Schaeffer saw this 50 years ago, one year before the Stonewall Riots and the rise of the militant gay revolution, and long before the push for same-sex marriage. Schaeffer added, It is imperative that Christians realize the conclusions which are being drawn as a result of the death of absolutes. In response, I wrote in 2018, How much more imperative is it that we realize this today, as society pushes hard to destroy the gender binary and as male-female distinctives are considered an enemy? Without any possible doubt, if we do not reaffirm our position that homosexual practice and same-sex relationships are sinful in Gods sight and detrimental to society, we will lose the moral battle for our nation. If we do not reaffirm our belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, we will see a continued downward spiral into sexual and gender confusion. There is nothing more fundamental to a society than the institution of marriage, and once you redefine that, you redefine everything. Once you say that biology does not matter when it comes to marriage, its a small jump to say that biology doesnt matter when it comes to gender identity, and from there, its an even smaller jump to putting children on puberty blockers and subjecting them to mutilating surgery. And once kids are raised in a same-sex environment with two mommies or two daddies, no matter how loving and caring those parents might be, it will bring confusion to the next generation. Or do you think its just a coincidence that 21% of Gen Z young people now identify as somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum (according to Gallup; according to Barna, the number is 40%) as compared to 2.8% of Baby Boomers? Mark it down and archive this article for your records. Everything will reproduce after its own kind. You can count on it. If we accept LGB, we will get T. Thats why some of us on the front lines of the culture wars were able to predict the current developments years ago. It was not because we were prophets (although Schaeffers insights were filled with prophetic insights). It was because we could see the inevitable trajectory and because we took the comments of LGBTQ+ activists seriously. Thats why the last chapter in my 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America was titled GLBT and Beyond: Reflections on Our Current Trajectory (back then, the G came before the L). Thats why the opening quote at the beginning of the chapter was drawn from the book Genderqueer: Voices Beyond the Sexual Binary. It stated, In recent years gender identity has galvanized the queer community perhaps more than any other issue. The questions go beyond the nature of male or female to a yet-to-be transverse region that lies somewhere between and beyond biologically determined gender. But of course. Thats why I wrote in that chapter: Without a doubt, those of us who oppose the current trajectory of GLBT and beyond will be told that we are on the wrong side of history, that we have branded ourselves as intolerant bigots, that we have marginalized ourselves to the point of no return. So be it. It is better to stand up for what is right than to have the approval of the masses. It is better to swim against the tide when it is going in the wrong direction then to be carried along with the (always fickle) whims of current public opinion. I continued: Do we really have a choice? Can we simply sit back and let gender anarchy rule the day? What will we say to our children and grandchildren? How will we explain to them that it was on our watch that Mother and Father became Parent A and Parent B? That North American courts ruled that the public use of certain verses in the Bible was a hate crime punishable by law? That businesses were penalized because they would not support gay activism? That college professors were fired and university students dismissed because they took issue with homosexual practice? How will we justify our silence and inaction? Those questions remain just as pertinent today. Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that, by opposing radical transgender activism, we can stem the larger decline into sexual confusion, which itself is the natural fruit of the sexual revolution, which quickly went from hetero to homo to beyond. By all means, let us truly love our neighbors as ourselves and practice decency and civility. But we can do that without affirming that which violates Gods fundamental order and plan. To ignore the LGB while opposing the T is a shortsighted counsel of despair. Revelation 3: The church that was lukewarm Jesus final letter to the seven churches of Revelation is to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). The citys name means the rights of the people. It is good to remember there is a message in each of these letters for every church of every age. Still, each letter remarkably correlates with seven periods of church history, and Laodicea (1900-rapture) aptly sets forth the current era. Today everything is about the rights of the people. There is an emphasis on economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights. There is a spirit of ultra-democratization. Indeed, defense of the peoples rights is of tremendous importance, but never at the expense of Gods rights. The former president and chancellor of Moody Bible Institute marvelously described our day in a sermon, saying: Ours is the day when many voices are raised in defense of human rights the rights of those accused of criminal acts, the rights of men and women to use or misuse their bodies as they wish, the rights of individuals to pollute the public mind in order to make money. We hear about the right of women to cut off the lives of infants they have helped conceive. We hear about the rights of those who deny the existence of the God who gives them breath. But what about Gods rights? What about his first rights as Creator, his rights as our Redeemer? Does he have a prior claim to obedience, to trust, and to worship? You men who are mechanics, what would you do with a machine which could not be controlled? What would you cooks do with a quickly spoiled dessert that no one could enjoy? Does not God have rights over his creation? Yet, by and large, men and women ignore these rights, neglect his Word, and choose their own prerogatives. This spirit is also quite pervasive in the church, too. In his book, The Days of Vengeance, David Chilton captures a better understanding of Jesus complaint that the church in Laodicea is neither cold nor hot but lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15-16). Chilton contends that the thrust of our Lords complaint was not so much about godly enthusiasm (hot) or ungodly antagonism (cold) but more about the churchs ineffectiveness as a transformational force. Laodicea, says Chilton, was located between two important cities, Colossae and Hieropolis. Colossae was watered by icy streams flowing down the mountainsides. Hieropolis was noted for its hot mineral springs, which flowed out of the city and across a high plain until it cascaded down a cliff which faced Laodicea. Chilton adds: By the time the water reached the valley floor, it was lukewarm, putrid and nauseating. At Colossae, therefore, one could be refreshed with clear, cold, invigorating drinking water; at Hieropolis, one could be healed by bathing in its hot, mineral-laden pools. But at Laodicea, the waters were neither hot (for health) nor cold (for drinking). In other words, the basic accusation against Laodicea is that it is ineffectual, good for nothingThe church provided neither refreshment for the spiritually weary nor healing for the spiritually sick. It was totally ineffective and thus distasteful to its LordThe Christians calling is not to blend in with a pagan environment but to convert it, reform it, reconstruct it in terms of the whole counsel of God as mandated in his Word. Approximately two decades ago, Don Wildmon, the founder of the American Family Association, penned something that aptly describes modern Laodiceanism. He wrote: Today, 4,000 innocent precious lives of unborn babies were snuffed out And 300,000 pulpits are silent The networks make a mockery of Christians, the Christian faith and Christian values with nearly every show they air. Greed, materialism, violence, sexual immorality are standard fare. Program after program, movie after movie contains anti-Christian episodes and plots. News articles condescendingly refer to the fundamentalists, right-wing Christians. Those who speak out for the sacredness of life are branded as extremists. And 300,000 pulpits are silent. Teenage suicide is the highest it has ever been [its higher now than a decade ago] Christian morality cannot be taught in schools, but atheistic immorality can And 300,000 pulpits are silent. Rape has increased 700 percent in the last 50 years, and that takes into consideration the population growth ... And 300,000 pulpits are silent. Rock music fills the airwaves and our childrens minds with music which legitimizes rape, murder, forced sex, sadomasochism, adultery, satanic worship, etc. And 300,000 pulpits are silent. A majority of states now have lotteries [gambling has been legalized, no longer a crime]. And 300,000 pulpits are silent. What important matters are being dealt with in our churches? The church bulletin says there will be a meeting to plan the church-wide supper. We are raising money for a new floor cover in the kitchen. (The old one doesnt match the new stove and refrigeratorwe must deal with important things first.) The sermon subject last Sunday was How to Have a Positive Attitude. And best of allwe are organizing a softball team Not much has changed, except for the worse, since Wildmon authored those words. Mainly speaking, churches today are self-satisfied, proud, and self-righteous. They consider themselves rich but fail to recognize their spiritual poverty, blindness, and nakedness. Myriads of pastors and church members know nothing of the new birth in Christ, which makes it impossible for them to discern or explain the things of God. Most conservative evangelical churches insist on not getting involved in politics and tip-toeing around social issues, lest they offend and complicate efforts to present the Gospel, they say. But what kind of Gospel but a false one fails to speak boldly to the moral issues of this day and age? How can people be saved unless they repent of their sins? What kind of emissaries of Christ but counterfeit ones fail to warn society about the inevitable wrath of God if it neglects his commandments? Chilton writes, [W]hatever the excuse, such a church is disobedient to the Word of God. If a church is not transforming its society, if it is not Christianizing the culture, what good is it? If the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men (Matthew 5:13). Jesus says lukewarm churchmanship makes him sick. I will spit you out of my mouth, he says. Nothing could be sadder or more tragic than hearing Jesus say, You make me sick! What a terrible charge! What an indictment! Yet, because of the Saviors love for his church, he issues such harsh words, calling on his people to be zealous therefore, and repent (v. 19). Jesus adds, Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me (v. 20). The irony that Jesus stands outside the very place he has a right to be inside the church patiently knocking to come in is truly mind-boggling grace. Christ also has the right to your heart. Will you turn away from your sins and let him inside? This is the day of the peoples rights Laodicean times. It cant be very long before Christ comes again. Hes coming to set up his Kingdom here on the earth. No one can be a part of that Kingdom who hasnt first surrendered his perceived rights for Gods sovereign rights. Jesus is knocking on the door of lukewarm churches. Jesus is knocking at your hearts door. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (v. 22). The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. Even if you do not plan to stay in Canada, you may still face problems due to criminal inadmissibility while in transit. Inadmissibility: How to transit through Canada Even if you do not plan to stay in Canada, you may still face problems due to criminal inadmissibility while in transit. Inadmissibility: How to transit through Canada Even if you do not plan to stay in Canada, you may still face problems due to criminal inadmissibility while in transit. Inadmissibility: How to transit through Canada Even if you do not plan to stay in Canada, you may still face problems due to criminal inadmissibility while in transit. Julia Hornstein Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A If you are a foreign national who has been arrested or convicted of a criminal offence, you may be considered criminally inadmissible to Canada. Even if you are only in transit through Canada and not plan to stay in the country, being criminally inadmissible can pose problems to travelers. Schedule a Free Legal Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm If a traveller is flying through Canada and taking a connecting flight, they are often still required to go through Canadian customs. In the eyes of the Canadian border authorities, there is no difference between entering Canada to stay and entering Canada to transit through to another country. Therefore, being criminally inadmissible to Canada can be problematic either or not you are staying in Canada. Ways to overcome inadmissibility for the purpose of transit through Canada Fortunately, there are solutions available to you as long as you prepare in advance of your trip. There are three main ways for those who will be in transit through Canada to overcome criminal inadmissibility: Submit a Temporary Resident Permit application Submit a Criminal Rehabilitation application Legal Opinion Letter Temporary Resident Permit Application A Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) is an option for an individual considered criminally inadmissible as it grants temporary access to Canada for a certain period of time. A TRP is used in situations where a traveler has a valid reason for entering into Canada and the benefits of their entry outweigh any risks to Canadian society. A TRP application can be granted for up to three years, depending on the reason of entry. A person can apply for a TRP at any point and does not require the completion of a criminal sentence. Criminal Rehabilitation Application The Canadian Government offers the opportunity to submit a criminal rehabilitation application to permanently clear your past criminal history for the purposes of entering Canada. The criminal rehabilitation application is a one-time solution that does not require renewal. Upon receiving approval for criminal rehabilitation, an individual is no longer considered inadmissible and would not require a TRP for entry into Canada. In order be eligible for criminal rehabilitation, you must meet the following criteria: must have committed an act outside of Canada that would be equivalent to an offence under the Canadian Criminal Code, must have been convicted of or admitted to committing the act, and five years must have passed since the sentence has been completed. This includes jail time, fines, community service or probation. The most critical requirement is determining and understanding the equivalent offence in Canada. Per Canadas Criminal Code, the nature and the gravity of the offense is important, as Canadian immigration authorities characterize offences based on serious versus non-serious criminality. Legal Opinion Letter The legal opinion letter will explain the consequences of a conviction for the Canadian immigration purposes, including a legal analysis of your case and how it fits into the context of Canadian law. The letter cannot override criminal inadmissibility, but it can explain why you are not inadmissible in the first place. The letter can be submitted along with a TRP application or a criminal rehabilitation application. It can also be submitted if you have been convicted of a crime but charges are still pending. Schedule a Free Legal Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm CIC News All Rights Reserved. Discover your Canadian immigration options at CanadaVisa.com. What is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program? An option for foreign workers to find employment in Canada. What is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program? An option for foreign workers to find employment in Canada. What is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program? An option for foreign workers to find employment in Canada. Asheesh Moosapeta Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is a government program administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); to allow companies to hire temporary foreign workers (TFWs) where there is a need for them in the Canadian labour force, and for foreign workers to seek employment with companies in Canada. The program allows Canadian employers to hire talent from abroad to meet labour shortages within Canada while ensuring that workers in Canada receive first preference for these roles. The government offers a multitude of different programs (over 100) by which foreign nationals may work in a Canadian company temporarily these are classified broadly into either the TFWP or the International Mobility Program (IMP). The main difference (among many) between these two programs is the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the TFWP. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm What is an LMIA? To successfully work under the TFWP as a foreign worker, one needs to obtain a positive or neutral LMIA, in order to receive a Temporary Work Permit. The LMIA is Canadas labour market test. Companies are required to submit an LMIA before hiring a foreign worker, to determine whether there will be a positive or neutral impact on Canadas labour market, should the employer choose to hire said worker. Employers should be aware of the requirements that follow the application for an LMIA, including wages, advertisement efforts, exceptions to advertising requirements, and the application process and waiting times for an LMIA. Completing an LMIA is the first step an employer must undergo when they are looking to hire a foreign worker under the TFWP. Exemptions to the LMIA There are also exemptions to the need for an LMIA. For example, jobs that do not fall under the purview of the TFWP; as well as offers to foreign nationals that are done through the IMP, do not require an LMIA. There are also Quebec-specific exemptions and variations to the LMIA. Specialized Applications The TFWP also features specialized applications, which employers can apply for, if the TFWs profession falls under specific categories or if their application/hiring is within the circumstances outlined. These special professions include: Specialized applications are additionally relevant in circumstances where TFWs are: Applying for permanent residence (with the help of an employer) through Express Entry; Hired as part of the Global Talent Stream (for uniquely skilled workers in ICT or STEM fields); Applying for positions in Quebec. Non-compliant Employers and Foreign Workers Rights Employers must observe a large degree of compliance when hiring a temporary foreign worker. If an employer is found to be non-compliant with the required standards, they can be subject to either, or both a: Monetary penalty A ban from hiring temporary workersx These non-compliant companies are even listed in a directory on the IRCC website. Even TFWs are given rights under Canadian law. Among these, an employer must: Pay for the work of a TFW Ensure the workplace is safe for them Give TFWs breaks during the work day, and time off Respect the terms of the written contract Similarly, an employer cannot: Force a TFW to perform duties that they were not hired or trained to do Force a TFW to work if they are sick or injured Take their passport or work permits away from them Have a TFW deported from Canada, or change their immigration status Make a TFW pay the employer back for fees they paid to hire them The TFWP provides a pathway for Canadian companies to pick and hire the best and most needed talent from around the world, to help aid and grow their businesses; while simultaneously allowing foreign nationals the opportunity to live, work, and potentially even immigrate fully to Canada. Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Dow is reaping the benefits of a year-long program to roll out new digital technologies to one of its largest manufacturing sites, resulting in improvements in performance, reliability, and employee experience. Its over five years since Dow Chemical merged with DuPont to form DowDuPont and three since they split up again to form a new agricultural supplies company, Corteva; a specialist chemicals manufacturer, Dupont; and a supplier of commodity chemicals, Dow. Melanie Kalmar was Dows CIO through all of that. It was one of the largest spinouts ever that Im aware of, and it was one of the most complex projects Ive worked on, she says. As we spun out as a new company, we also wanted to be a more digital Dow. But its not about being digital for its own sake: Its about changing how people do their work to be more effective, more efficient, and to drive growth for the company by being able to focus on higher value activities, she says. One of the first fruits of that new approach was a program to get IT out of the office and accelerate the deployment of digital technologies across manufacturing and maintenance areas. Its a project that has earned Dow a CIO 100 Award for IT innovation and leadership. The goal was to improve the productivity, safety and reliability of manufacturing assets Dows term for the vast expanses of concrete and steel and the sprawling outdoor networks of pipes and controls that characterize its production facilities. Melanie Kalmar It really all starts from a drive to be the most reliable supplier in our industry, she says. Thats a big deal for Dows customers after two years of lockdowns, worker shortages, extreme weather events and other supply chain disruptions. Rather than begin with a small site as a pilot, Kalmar and colleagues went big 7,000 acres big choosing Dows largest production site in Freeport, Texas, for their first deployment. We wanted to show the payback of doing something like this, and if you go to a smaller site, youre going to get a smaller payback, she says. On a site like Freeport, says Kalmar, most of the employees will be found in the control room, monitoring which valves are opening and closing from a dashboard. Previously, if they had to go out to perform maintenance, or do a round of physical checks, theyd walk back and forth between the assets and the control room to pick up work orders or print off documentation. Now, they access that information in a secure cloud via a safety-hardened device connected to a site-wide private 4G wireless network. Weve put all that information at their fingertips now on these mobile devices, she says. The speed to maintain, correct or fix something out in the plant has tremendous impact on the overall reliability. The employees are ecstatic about it as well, having what they need on site in an instant and and not having to print paper, especially if its raining or if its windy and the papers are blowing around, Kalmar says. IT workers who have struggled to pull Ethernet cables through ducts across an office or even a small factory will understand the appeal of wireless on a site the size of Freeport but Kalmar says it has its own challenges: At a manufacturing site, you dont just go in with a backhoe and dig anywhere to put a pole up. All that planning and execution was very new for my team. This would have been a difficult undertaking in a lot of companies, where IT and operations technology (OT) organizations dont work together, but thats not the case at Dow, says Kalmar. One of the early things I did was partner with the VP of manufacturing, she says. We agreed that we could do this better for Dow if our teams work together. Part of Dows largest production site in Freeport, Texas. Key to that collaboration, she says, was recognizing that it wasnt about learning one anothers skills but leveraging them: collaborate, but leave certain tasks to the experts. Weve gone through the whole RACI process and identified whos responsible, whos accountable, for all aspects of what happens with technology at our sites. We have a much stronger partnership by working through that together, and are even looking at career ladders across the two organizations. Such department-spanning career ladders already exist in other specialist areas at Dow, such as data science, where experts might find themselves working in IT, manufacturing, R&D or supply chain management. Youve just got to get in there and start breaking down those silos that have historically and traditionally existed across organizations, she says. If everything you do is driven by improving the customer and employee experience, those opportunities really start presenting themselves. Its really changed the mindset for us at Dow. There are still boundaries, however. Manufacturing, for example, is still responsible for the control systems that run the manufacturing assets, although IT is starting to get more involved in the network those control systems run on, she says. The IT organization also had to skill up for the project, adding cloud, networking, and security expertise. The biggest need, though, was for change management skills. Kalmar expanded her leadership team to include someone specifically accountable for enterprise change. Their remit included identifying who to onboard first to drive adoption rather than merely offer training on the new systems. Who has cycles in our run-the-business organization to even consume and accept this new stuff when it comes out? Kalmar says. Were looking at change very differently. Ready to step up to 5G For now, Dows private wireless network uses LTE, a 4G technology, but it will be ready for 5G when 5G is ready for it. Everybodys hyped up about 5G networks, but you have to have devices and applications that work on 5G, so were not going to jump there yet but well be prepared to go there and make that switch. The infrastructure that weve put in place will be able to transition to 5G, she says. Using an older and slower wireless technology hasnt hurt the project, though. According to Dow, more than 3,600 employees have been trained on the new tools, enabling them to perform in less than a minute data-related tasks that once took half an hour or more. In deploying to a giant site such as Freeport, says Kalmar, its important to recognize early on that one-size-fits-all solutions dont always work, and to spend time up-front speaking with colleagues and getting the right inputs. Adjust your traditional program approach and be open to large-scale pilot implementations, she says. Learn as you go, communicate your wins, and continue to listen to your stakeholders. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Title: Extension of the public street lighting system in Rusestii Noi commune, Ialoveni raion - EXTENDED Tender identification number: FY23-CM-RUN (01) Launch date: August 26, 2022, 17:00 (Chisinau local time) EXTENDED Deadline: September 26, 2022, 10:00 (Chisinau local time) Contracting authority: Public Association International Research & Exchanges Board, Representation in Moldova "IREX" (PA IREX Moldova) Comunitatea Mea Program, a program administered by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) and funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), invites competent and experienced contractors to submit a Bid for the extension of the public street lighting system in Rusestii Noi commune, Ialoveni raion. The Rusestii Noi Mayoralty is the Beneficiary of this project. Scope of Work: The scope of the project is to improve the safety of the community of Rusestii Noi by improving the street lighting system and consists in of following works: Installation of 50 LED lamps - nominal power 30W; Installation of 71 LED lamps - nominal power 50W; Installation of 4 LED lamps - nominal power 150W; Installation of 32 LED lamps - nominal power 240W; Installation of circa 4,140 m of suspended cable; Installation of 69 pilons de reinforced concrete; Installation of 8 pilons de zinc plated steel. The estimated period for the completion of the works is maximum four (4) months. This announcement refers to the extension of the FY23-CM-RUN (01). The tender FY23-CM-RUN (01) represents a relaunch of the tender FY22-CM-RUN (02) "Extension of the public street lighting system in Rusestii Noi commune, Ialoveni raion" launched on May 13, 2022. IMPORTANT! To the attention of potential bidders: section III Technical Requirements for the tender FY23-CM-RUN (01) includes some modifications compared to the section III Technical Requirements for the tender FY22-CM-RUN (02). Thus, for the purpose of preparing the bidding documents, the updated version of that section shall be carefully reviewed. TENDER DEADLINES (all mentioned times are local, Chisinau time): REGISTRATION: Interested Bidders must register their firms by 17:00, September 13, 2022 by filling out the Registration Form and sending it ONLY to tender.cm.md@irex.org. THE EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS 17:00, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022. PROJECT SITE VISIT: IREX will organize a Project site visit on: Date: September 05, 2022 Time: 12:00 (Chisinau local time) Location: in front of the Mayoralty of the Rusestii Noi commune, Ialoveni raion The IREX focal point for the arrangement is: tender.cm.md@irex.org -------------------------------------- Please, confirm your participation at the Project Site visit, ONLY by email to tender.cm.md@irex.org by September 02, 2022, 17:00 (Chisinau local time). A representative of IREX and LPA will be available to meet the intending Bidders at the address indicated above. The IREXs representative will not be available at any other time and day for Project Site visits. The costs of visiting the Project Site shall be the Bidders own responsibility. The Bidders can raise questions, see technical documentation, check the Project Site environment. If the Bidders have questions or clarifications during and after the Project Site Visit, they can submit the questions or clarifications ONLY to tender.cm.md@irex.org until 10:00, September 07, 2022 indicating the tender number in the subject title. IREX shall forward copies of its response to all registered Bidders as a Bid Bulletin, as well as the Bid Bulletin will be available to all prospective Bidders on https://tender.md.irex.org/en/info on the same page as the Bidding Documents, including a description of the inquiry, but without identifying its source. No verbal statement made during the Project Site visit shall modify the terms and conditions of the Bidding Documents, unless specifically incorporated in the Bid Bulletin of the Bidders Project Site visit or issued as an amendment to Bidding Documents. EXTENSION N/A REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATIONS/QUESTIONS FROM BIDDERS: If the Bidders have questions or clarifications, they can submit the questions or clarifications ONLY to tender.cm.md@irex.org until 10:00, September 07, 2022 indicating the tender number in the subject title. THE EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS IS 10:00 ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2022. BID SUBMISSION: Bids must be received by IREX ONLY at tender.cm.md@irex.org not later than 10:00, September 16 2022. Bids received after the deadline, as well as incomplete Bids will not be considered. THE EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR BID SUBMISSION IS 10:00, SEPTEMBER 26, 2022. Please refer to Bid Bulletin no.1 for more information. PLEASE NOTE: try to submit your bid a day prior or well before the closing time. Do not wait until last minute! Bid proposals can be submitted electronically only. Financial offers shall be made in MDL (Moldovan Lei). Detailed information regarding the submittal of the bids is presented in the Bidding Documents. No appeal against contract decision award is allowed. Documents/bid proposals sent electronically need to be addressed ONLY to the following e-mail address tender.cm.md@irex.org not later than deadline mentioned in the timeline above. If the electronic files are more than 25 MB in memory, the Bidder may submit the Technical and Financial Offer by saving the files on one of the file sharing platforms such as Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, send.Tresorit.com etc. and submitting a link ONLY to tender.cm.md@irex.org IMPORTANT: For electronic submission, in order to secure the secrecy of the financial bid, please archive the financial offer into an encrypted zip file. DO NOT SEND THE PASSWORD with your original electronic submission, but instead save it securely and send the zip file. The password shall be requested by IREX for successful technical offers after the technical evaluation will be complete and final records of the technical score have been made. The financial offers that were not password protected, IREX will still consider and protect their secrecy but at least 1 (one) person from IREX would be able to access the file and this will be considered acceptable by the bidder. PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF BIDS: Bids must remain valid for 90 (ninety) days after the bid submission deadline date specified in Bidding Documents. The period of the validity of Bids shall be until December 15, 2022, inclusive. The EXTENDED period of the validity of Bids shall be until DECEMBER 25, 2022, inclusive. Details are provided in the Bidding Documents. BID SECURITY: The Bidder must furnish as part of its bid, a bid security in the total amount of 22,775 MDL and shall be valid for a minimum of twenty-eight (28) days after the expiration of the period of validity of the Bidders Bid mentioned in the Bidding Documents. The Bid security shall be valid for a minimum until January 12, 2023, inclusive. The Bid security shall be valid for a minimum until JANUARY 22, 2023, inclusive EXTENDED DEADLINE. Details are provided in Bidding Documents. ATTENTION: The beneficiary of the bid security is the Public Association International Research & Exchanges Board, Representation in Moldova "IREX". Evaluation Method for the Award of Contract: IREX will consider a combination of technical score and financial score, with a ratio of 50-50. Detailed evaluation criteria and formulas are provided in the Bidding Documents. Please go to https://tender.md.irex.org/ro/info for more information By applying to this Tender, the Bidder agrees and accepts all conditions and rules, listed in this Bidding Documents. Bidders shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of their bids and contract negotiation. Comunitatea Mea will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the tender. Participation of Bidders in this Tender will not generate any IREX obligations toward any Bidder. Comunitatea Mea reserves the right to accept or reject any bid that does not conform with the requirements of the bidding documents or to annul the entire tender process and reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to any Bidder. All personal data are for the internal use of IREX and confidentiality is guaranteed. In 2000, a court in Maryland sentenced a teenager named Adnan Syed to life in prison. He had been convicted of the murder, a year earlier, of Hae Min Lee, his former high school girlfriend, who was strangled to death and buried in a Baltimore park. Syed said that he had nothing to do with the murder, but prosecutors claimed he had grown jealous after Lee started dating someone else, and an acquaintance of Syeds testified that he helped bury the bodya claim, prosecutors said, that was supported by cellphone location data. As the years passed, Syed maintained his innocence; in the mid-2010s, he was granted a new hearing, then a new trial, before, in 2018, an appeals court vacated his conviction. Syed remained behind bars, thoughand, a year later, Marylands highest court ruled that he wouldnt get a new trial after all. The US Supreme Court then declined to take up Syeds case, without citing a reason. This was not the end of the matter, though. Last year, Syeds lawyers asked prosecutors to modify his sentence, citing a recent Maryland law making certain long-term felons convicted as juveniles eligible for reconsideration. That request wasnt supposed to trigger a reevaluation of the evidence in Syeds case, but thats what ended up happening inside the prosecutors office; meanwhile, Syeds lawyers asked for new DNA testing to be performed, citing developments in technology since his conviction, and prosecutors agreed. While the DNA analysis has not yet thrown up any conclusive findings, the prosecutors broader review did unearth new evidence in the case, not least details concerning two alternative suspects, that was not made available to Syeds lawyers at the time, in apparent violation of the law. The review also cast fresh doubt on the testimony of Syeds acquaintance and the reliability of the cellphone data. Last week, prosecutors asked a judge to vacate Syeds conviction for a second time, acknowledging that they no longer had confidence in its integrity. Yesterday, the judge concurredand this time, Syed was allowed to walk out of prison. There were gasps inside the courtroom. Outside, there were cheers. ICYMI: The rise and rise of partisan local newsrooms Syeds case, for all its twists and turns, would not have been a big national news story yesterday if it hadnt intersected, a few years ago, with a moment of media history: the birth of the investigative podcast Serial and, with it, the enduring craze of real-life-mystery narrative audio (even if, as CJRs Brendan Fitzgerald wrote at the time, Serial didnt bill itself in such terms). Serial launched in 2014 as a spin-off of the high-end public-radio mainstay This American Life, as that show explored the possibilities of telling a single compelling story episodically (hence: Serial), rather than many compelling stories over the course of a series. Our hope is to give you the same experience you get from a great HBO or Netflix series, where you get caught up with the characters and the thing unfolds week after week, and you just have to hear what happens next, but with a story thats true, This American Lifes Ira Glass wrote at the time. Like House of Cards or Game of Thrones, but you can enjoy it while youre driving. Sarah Koenig, a onetime criminal-justice reporter at the Baltimore Sun, had already been investigating Syeds case for This American Life, where she now worked, when she decided to build the story out into its own series. The formpodcast documentarywas relatively novel, but the basic concept wasnt. Trying to do it as a serialthis is as old as Dickens, Koenig said. Koenig had been turned on to Syeds story by Rabia Chaudry, a lawyer and old friend of Syeds who has been vocal in asserting his innocence. Rather than wrapping up her investigation, then packaging it, Koenig continued to report as Serial started to roll out, meaning that, even as her findings became public, she didnt know precisely where they would lead. In the end, the show did not take a conclusive position on Syeds guilt or produce a smoking gun. But it did raise serious questions about due process. Some of these concerned the reliability of the cellphone data and the fact that key evidence was never tested for Syeds DNA. Koenig also tracked down and interviewed a possible alibi who claimed to have been with Syed at the time of Lees killing. By the time the series wrapped up, it was not only a huge hitit was a cultural phenomenon. Millions of people downloaded it, and many got hooked, including other journalists, who publicly dissected every narrative turn. Slate made a podcast about the podcast; BuzzFeed called it The Years Best New Crime Drama (And Its Not on TV). It was praised for shining a light on the broader inequities of the criminal-justice system and for its radical novelty of journalistic form; writing in CJR, Joyce Barnathan hailed it as groundbreaking in its real-time transparency of craft. The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia launched its own probe of Syeds case. (Syed is now represented by a lawyer from an Innocence Project clinic at the University of Baltimore.) So did legions of amateur sleuths, who traded findings, tips, and speculation in online forums, not least Reddit. Subcommunities spawned subcommunities. (There has always been a conflict on this subreddit between those of us who wanted to pursue the case quasi-independently and those who didnt want to spoil Koenigs narrative, one user, Thousandshipz, told The Guardian at the time.) Syeds family listened, too. Some days Ill be like, This is a really great episode, Yusef, Adnans brother, said, and some days Ill feel down and depressed. Sign up for CJR 's daily email As is usually the case with cultural touchstones that generate outsize attention, not everyone liked the series. Some listeners felt that its denouement fizzled into dissatisfying irresolution; others felt that the show painted an overly generous portrait of Syed and even that it cherry-picked details. (Koenig has always stressed that she is a reporter who seeks facts, not easy answers or a cinematic ending.) It was criticized for not shining enough of a light on the broader inequities of the criminal-justice system and for its radical break with journalistic form. Writing for the (now sadly defunct) Awl, Jay Caspian Kang took issue with Koenigs rendering of the distinct immigrant communities from which Syed (who is Pakistani American) and Lee (who was Korean American) hailed, adding, I can think of no better definition of white privilege in journalism than that. And the shows obsessive fanbase was criticized, too, or at least urged to remember the very human consequences of Lees murder. TO ME ITS REAL LIFE, a user claiming to be Haes brother wrote in a Reddit post at the time. To you listeners, its another murder mystery, crime drama, another episode of CSI. The mass appeal of Serial endured regardless, outlasting the Syed story. The show produced a second season, on the strange story of the abducted US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, then a third, charting a year inside a typical American courthouse, in Cleveland. In 2017, Serial, itself initially a spin-off, launched a spin-off of its own, S-Town. In 2020, Serial Productions, the company behind both shows, was acquired by the New York Times in a deal aimed at bolstering the Times growing audio footprint and helping Serial Productions to produce more. The partnership has since spawned shows about white parents and public schools, a real-life election-fraud case in North Carolina, and institutionalized Islamophobia in the UK. Then there were all the serialized true-crime series, in audio and other media, that had nothing to do with Serial but borrowed from its approach to varying extents. In 2019, Glasss hopes for Serial came full-circle, in a sense, as HBO picked up Syeds story in a documentary that, while also ending without a smoking gun, broke the news that Syeds DNA was not found on Lees body or car. Prosecutors, of course, would later grant Syeds lawyers official new DNA testing, though by that point, the reevaluation of his case triggered by his sentencing request was underway and officials cited the latter as the impetus for agreeing to the DNA step. Indeed, from the outside at least, its hard to satisfyingly pinpoint the impact that Serial and, later, HBOs show had on the events that led to Syed walking out of prison yesterday: they raised and then kept huge public attention on his case in a way that cant easily be separated from the progress of the case itself, and yet the vacating of his sentence took years, and ultimately flowed from a new law and an official procedure. In a follow-up episode of Serial released this morning, Koenig, who was at the courthouse yesterday, described the motion to vacate as having burst like a firework out of the prosecutors office and said that she had herself been working to understand what had happened, eventually reporting that a new prosecutor, who formerly worked as a public defender, read Syeds file after fielding his sentence-review request and grew concerned. Ultimately, all the actual evidence underpinning prosecutors motion to vacate was known or knowable to cops and prosecutors back in 1999, Koenig concluded. Its hard to feel cheered about a triumph of fairness, because weve built a system that takes more than twenty years to self-correct. Syeds story is still not resolved, even now. He has not been exonerated and will be detained at home for at least the next thirty days, during which time prosecutors will have to decide whether to drop the charges or start a new trial. Koenig describes the odds that Syed will be prosecuted again as remote at best. Even then, though, the key question in the caseWho killed Hae Min Lee?will remain unanswered, at least in the short term. Yesterday, Lees brother Young Lee addressed the court via Zoom. He said that he does not oppose a new investigation in the case if justice demands it. But he also expressed anguish at all the twists and turns along the way. Whenever I think its over, and its ended, it always comes back, Young Lee said. This is not a podcast for me. This is real lifea never-ending nightmare for twenty-plus years. Below, more on Syed, Serial, and true crime: Other notable stories: Starting from today, this section of the newsletter will be compiled with help from CJRs new fellows: Pesha Magid, Mercy Orengo, and Emily Ann Russell. ICYMI: Widening the lens on democracy Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Legalizing recreational pot in North Dakota could cut the number of people who are registered to use the drug as medicine by at least 80%, due to access to bigger quantities and more varied products, a health official said last week. Supporters of legalizing recreational marijuana in North Dakota succeeded last month in bringing the matter to a public vote in November by submitting more than the required 15,582 valid petition signatures to get it on the ballot. The state has issued more than 8,200 identification cards to qualifying patients since North Dakota voters approved medical marijuana in 2016. North Dakotas approved medical marijuana forms are dried leaves and flowers, concentrates, tinctures, capsules, topicals and transdermal patches. Medical pot dispensaries are located in Fargo, Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Jamestown, Grand Forks, Minot and Williston. Edibles were part of the original initiative but the state Legislature removed them from the list, fearing they could get in the hands of children. The initiative on the ballot in November would allow people 21 and older to legally use marijuana at home as well as possess and cultivate restricted amounts of cannabis. The state could register up to seven marijuana manufacturing businesses and 18 dispensaries. Edibles would be allowed. Medical Marijuana Division Director Jason Wahl said thousands of patients holding medical pot cards likely will opt to purchase from recreational sources if the measure is approved. Medical marijuana users, for example, may only purchase 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower in a 30-day period. If approved by voters, recreational marijuana users could potentially illegally purchase at least that amount in a day, as none of that is tracked, Wahl said. Medical pot is taxed at the states 5% sales tax rate, plus local taxes. Recreational marijuana would be taxed at the same rate. Wahl told a legislative panel Monday that North Dakota could expect $1.3 million in revenue in the next two-year budget cycle from application and registration fees from manufacturing businesses and dispensaries, which would cover the cost of state oversight. Wahl said the state Tax Department has not calculated the amount that could come from recreational pot sales because the product cost and level of sales is unknown at present. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Floodwaters were receding in parts of western Alaska battered by the worst storm in a half century, leaving behind debris flung by powerful Bering Sea waves into beaches and seaside communities. The remnants of Typhoon Merbok were weakening Sunday as the storm system moved north from the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea on Alaskas northwest coast, where it still threatens smaller communities, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo. This guy is going to hang out in the Chukchi Sea for the next few days and just rapidly weaken because its so stationary, she said. Several communities reported homes were knocked off their foundations by the force of the incoming water, often propelled by winds gusting near 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour). One house in Nome floated down a river until it got caught under a bridge. Many homes were flooded and about 450 residents on the western coast sought refuge in shelters, with more than half of them at a school in Hooper Bay, where they ate processed moose donated by village residents. Others rode out the storm on higher ground outside their communities. It was a massive storm system big enough to cover the mainland U.S. from the Pacific Ocean to Nebraska and from Canada to Texas. It influenced weather systems as far away as California, where a rare late-summer storm dropped rain on the northern part of the state, offering a measure of relief to wildfire crews but also complicating fire suppression efforts because of mud and loosened earth. The storms crashing waves caused widespread flooding and damage along 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of the Alaska coastline, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said. There have been no reports of injuries, deaths or missing people in Alaska, the governor said during a Sunday news conference. A child reported missing Saturday was later found, he said. Dunleavy said roads are damaged and state officials are assessing potential damage to seawalls, water and sewage systems, airports, and ports. He identified five communities Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok and Nome as being greatly impacted by a combination of high water, flooding, erosion and electrical issues in either the towns or their airports. Emergency management and American Red Cross personnel will deploy to those communities as soon as Monday, while Alaska National Guard members will be sent to Nome, Bethel and Hooper Bay to assist residents. Red Cross volunteers from the Lower 48 will also conduct needs assessments for food, water and shelter in other flooded villages. The storm caused Nomes highest water level since 1974 11.1 feet (3.38 meters) above the normal tide and other communities may have surpassed levels seen in 48 years ago. One of the big features of this storm was the wide swath of significant damage, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. So, did it live up to the hype? I would say absolutely, he said of the storm. Becca Luce and her family live about a half mile from the Bering Sea coast in Nome. We have a pretty good view of the ocean from our living room, she said. We could see the waves crashing from our window and going over the road. Nome itself was inundated, including Front Street, the citys main business thoroughfare that also doubles as the finish line for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. One downtown restaurant, the Bering Sea Bar and Grill, was destroyed by fire Saturday night, but the cause and whether it was related to the storm is not yet known, said interim city manager Bryant Hammond. The receding water revealed the detritus left in streets and yards, including trash, logs and other organic debris, rocks, and asphalt, Hammond said. Part of a highway was washed out in Nome, forcing residents to use a bypass to reach the community of Council, adding up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the 72-mile (116-kilometer) trip, he said. Another major concern is that freeze-up is near, and all of this damage to the roads will need to be repaired before the month ends, Luce said, using the local term for the onset of winter, which is in October in many parts of Alaska. And its hard to say if that will be possible, especially for the remote village villages without as many resources as Nome has. Dunleavy, who issued a state disaster declaration Saturday and is considering seeking a federal disaster declaration, said Alaska officials intend to get communities up and running again as soon as possible. We just have to impress upon our federal friends that its not a Florida situation where weve got months to work on this, he said. Weve got several weeks. The rain in Northern California helped firefighters increase containment on the biggest wildfire in the state so far this year. The Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento was 34% contained after downpours early Sunday. More rain was expected, which fire spokesman Scott McLean called a mixed blessing. It did help a bit to stifle that aggressive fire, McLean said. But were going to have new safety issues now with all the mud thats out there. And the ground moisture could cause some of those damaged trees to fall over. An average of a quarter-inch (2 centimeters) of rain fell overnight across Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties north of San Francisco, with more than double that amount recorded in some mountain areas, the National Weather Service said. Winds gusting up to 40 mph (64 kph) were forecast Sunday along Northern California coastal areas and at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. Gusts that strong can blow down branches and drought-stressed trees and cause power outages, warned weather service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun. He said thunderstorms were expected on and off until at least Monday. Weber reported from Los Angeles. AP journalist Nishit Morsawala contributed to this report from London. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ARVADA, CO - OCTOBER 26: The Colorado Supreme Court, including left to right, justices Carlos A. Samour Jr., Richard L. Gabriel, and Monica M. Marquez, hear two cases at Pomona High School before an audience of students on October 26, 2021 in Arvada, Colorado. The visit to the high school is part of the Colorado judicial branchs Courts in the Community outreach program. (Photo By Kathryn Scott) Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gorge Social Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Umesh replaces COVID-struck Shami for Australia T20 series Veteran Indian pacer Umesh Yadav has been drafted into the Indian team as seamer Mohammed Shamis replacement for the three-match T20I series against Australia. Shami was ruled out of the rubber, starting today, after he had tested positive for COVID-19. Fast bowler Mohd. Shami will not be able to take part in the upcoming three-day Mastercard T20I series against Australia after testing positive for COVID-19. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Umesh Yadav as his replacement, the BCCI said in a statement. Shami was ruled out of the rubber, starting today, after he had tested positive for COVID-19. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@ddsportschannel The Board also said that pacer Navdeep Saini has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match one-day series between India A and New Zealand A after sustaining a right groin injury on the first day of the ongoing Duleep Trophy semi-final match between North Zone and South Zone. Rishi Dhawan has been named as Sainis replacement in the India A squad. He (Saini) is ruled out of the ongoing tournament and also from the upcoming three-match one-day series between India A and New Zealand A. Saini will now head to the NCA for further management of his injury. The 35-year-old Umeshs comeback is nothing short of a fairytale. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@ddsportschannel Umesh, who played the last of his seven T20Is in 2019 against Australia, was back in the scheme of things after recovering from a quadriceps injury he suffered during his county stint in England. The 35-year-old Umeshs comeback is nothing short of a fairytale as his county stint with Middlesex was cut short by the quadriceps injury. He had a terrific first leg in the 2022 IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders when he swung the ball at great pace. Read more Cricket News and Covid-19 News here Japan should destroy ACWs in China as soon as possible 13:15, September 20, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily A delegation of over 40 members recently paid a virtual visit to China regarding the destruction of Japan's abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) in China. The delegation included Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias, as well as diplomatic envoys or representatives from a number of countries to the OPCW. During the visit, all the participants were briefed by China and Japan on the overall situation and destruction progress of Japan's ACWs in China, and took a virtue visit to Haerbaling, Dunhua, northeast China's Jilin province, the largest burial site of Japan's ACWs in China. The delegation agreed that Japan's ACWs in China must be destructed as early as possible and said it would work for the early realization of "a world free of chemical weapons." Japan employed a huge amount of chemical weapons during its aggression against China. To cover its crimes, it buried many of the chemical weapons on the spot or threw them into rivers and lakes before it surrendered. Today, Japan's ACWs are found at over 120 sites in 18 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. It is estimated that around 330,000 pieces of such weapons remain buried in Haerbaling alone. Both the range of the burial sites and the number of the ACWs are astonishing. Japan's ACWs are one of the monstrous war crimes committed by Japanese militarists. They have long threatened people's lives and health, as well as ecological security in relevant regions in China. To comprehensively, completely and thoroughly destroy Japan's ACWs in China and eradicate the poisonous legacy of Japanese aggression is a solemn promise made by the Chinese government to the Chinese people, as well as an implication of the victorious outcome of the World Anti-Fascist War. Since 1990s, China has launched negotiation with Japan over the destruction of Japan's ACWs in China. In 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) came into force. Under the efforts of China and the support of the international society, the CWC stipulates that the abandoning state party shall provide all necessary financial, technical, experts, facility as well as other resources to destroy the ACWs. Under the strong pressure from politics, legal documents and public opinion, Japan had no choice but to admit its crimes. In 1999, China and Japan signed a memorandum on the destruction of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan, which marked the official start of the destruction work. However, the destruction process didn't go very well. According to the CWC, Japan should've destroyed all its ACWs before 2007, but the process has been significantly delayed as Japan was not paying enough attention to the matter and lacked investment. So far, Japan has only excavated and recovered over 90,000 items of the weapons and destroyed more than 60,000. This is clearly not satisfying for the Chinese people and the international society. Japan has never provided China with complete and accurate information about its ACWs. Both the total amount and specific locations of Japan's ACWs in China still remain unknown today. These weapons have been buried for decades and caused huge soil pollution in China, but the Japanese side refuses to fulfill its responsibility. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties, which provides an important opportunity for the two sides to review history and shape the future together. The issue of Japan's ACWs tests whether Japan can face up to history. It is also a touchstone that tests whether the country can make contributions to regional peace, stability and development. Japan should see clearly that saying one thing and doing another on the issue of ACWs will not work. The Chinese people will never let it go as long as Japan's ACWs in China are not completely destroyed. The CWC has been implemented for 25 years. It's a common aspiration of the international society to solve the issue of ACWs at an early date and realize "a world free of chemical weapons." Japan should show the political will to fulfill its international obligations and the political courage to redress its historical crimes, and earnestly increase input to completely and thoroughly eliminate the harm of ACWs as soon as possible and return a clean land to the Chinese people. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) Uber has linked its recent cyberattack to an actor (or actors) affiliated with the notorious LAPSUS$ threat group, responsible for breaching the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, Samsung, Nvidia and Okta this year. The announcement came as the ride-hailing giant continues to investigate a network data breach that occurred on Thursday, September 15. Attacker gained elevated permissions to tools including G-Suite and Slack In a security update published on Monday, September 19, Uber wrote, An Uber EXT contractor had their account compromised by an attacker. It is likely that the attacker purchased the contractors Uber corporate password on the dark web, after the contractors personal device had been infected with malware, exposing those credentials. The attacker then repeatedly tried to log in to the contractors Uber account. Each time, the contractor received a two-factor login approval request, which initially blocked access, it added. Eventually, however, the contractor accepted one, and the attacker successfully logged in. From there, the attacker accessed several other employee accounts, which ultimately gave the attacker elevated permissions to tools, including G-Suite and Slack. The attacker then posted a message to a company-wide Slack channel and reconfigured Ubers OpenDNS to display a graphic image to employees on some internal sites. Ubers response includes key rotating and re-authentication Outlining its response, Uber said its security monitoring processes allowed its teams to quickly identify the issue. Our top priorities were to make sure the attacker no longer had access to our systems, to ensure user data was secure and that Uber services were not affected, and then to investigate the scope and impact of the incident, it wrote. According to the firm, its actions included: Identify employee accounts that were compromised or potentially compromised, either blocking their access to Uber systems or requiring a password reset. Disable affected or potentially affected internal tools. Rotate keys (effectively resetting access) to internal services. Require employees to re-authenticate and further strengthen multi-factor authentication (MFA) policies. Add more monitoring of the internal environment. Sensitive user data, accounts appear to remain protected Uber assured users that, while the attacker accessed several of its internal systems, its investigations have (so far) not revealed unauthorized access to the production (i.e., public-facing) systems that power its apps, any user accounts, or the databases it uses to store sensitive user information such as credit card numbers, user bank account info, or trip history. We also encrypt credit card information and personal health data, offering a further layer of protection, it stated. Uber also said that it reviewed its codebase and has not found that the attacker made any changes, nor have they accessed any customer or user data stored by is cloud providers. It does appear that the attacker downloaded some internal Slack messages, as well as accessed or downloaded information from an internal tool our finance team uses to manage some invoices. We are currently analyzing those downloads, it wrote. The attacker was able to access our dashboard at HackerOne, where security researchers report bugs and vulnerabilities. However, any bug reports the attacker was able to access have been remediated. Uber said it is working alongside several leading digital forensics firms as part of the investigation and is in close coordination with the FBI and US Department of Justice on this matter. Just as the emergence of COVID-19 led to changes in how threat actors launched attacks, the return to work and school that began in the second half of 2021 (before Omicron reared its ugly head in November) resulted in a number of changes on the part of cyber attackers. One of the more noticeable changes has been an increase in attacks that target specific industries. With these direct-path attacks, threat actors target individual organizations rather than indiscriminately targeting customers of communications service providers (CSPs) such as internet service providers (ISPs) and wireless carriers. Specifically, threat actors launched two direct-path packet-flooding attacks of more than 2.5 terabits per second using server-based botnets in 2H 2021. These are the first terabit-class, direct-path distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that have been identified, and they signal that changes are afoot in attacker strategy. Here comes the rain again At one time, attackers were limited in their ability to carry out attacks by limited bandwidth and the tools they used. But thats far from the case today. In fact, attackers can use DDoS-for-hire services to completely bypass the technical knowledge needed to launch a massive DDoS attack. Moreover, they continue to make use of established direct-path DDoS attack mechanisms such as SYN, ACK, RST, and GRE floods. In terms of flooding attacks, SYN-flood was the most popular DDoS attack vector from 1996 to 2018, when it was overtaken by DNS reflection/amplification. This changed again in 2021 when direct-path DDoS attacks became the leader. This can easily be seen through the sharp increase in ACK flood attacks against online credit card processors and other financial services organizations that we reported in the 1H 2021 NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report. Likewise, the 2H 2021 Threat Intelligence Report shows that SYN floods and ACK floods are the top two vectors for 2H 2021. The increase in direct-path DDoS attacks is directly tied to two factors: Anti-spoofing: Network operators have focused increased attention on implementing source-address validation (SAV), or anti-spoofing. Although those efforts have been ongoing since the early 2000s, SAV still is not universally deployed. Because reflection/amplification DDoS attacks require a spoofed IP address, this anti-spoofing capability is a vital element of cybersecurity for network operators. Not only does SAV make it impossible for attackers to emit spoofed attack initiator traffic from their networks, but it also limits the DDoS-for-hire services and bespoke attack infrastructure that can launch reflection/amplification attacks. This isnt meant to imply that direct-path DDoS attacks dont generate considerable negative collateral impact. On the contrary, almost all DDoS attacks, including direct-path attacks, are overkill and can cause significant interference in how unrelated parties conduct online activity. Because of the high-bandwidth focus of reflection/amplification attacks, however, their collateral damage footprint tends to be even more wildly disproportionate than most direct-path DDoS attacks. Server-class botnets: As discussed in a recent blog, attackers are subsuming server-class nodes into mainstream Mirai botnets to launch multiple simultaneous direct-path DDoS attacks while retaining the ability to direct high amounts of attack traffic toward targets on demand. TCP-based direct-path DDoS attacks do not have to be spoofed. When a sufficient number of bots participate in an attack, exhausting state on the attack target can still occur. Learn more about the factors driving a marked increase in direct-path DDoS attacks during 2021and why we anticipate their popularity to continue growing by reading the 2H 2021 NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report. Have you ever mused over a painting and wondered about the name of that artist? The simple italic letters give you the title, medium and persons name of that piece. Can you put a face to the name? Does the name add to the painting? Or does it deconstruct the idea of whats happening within the canvas? On one hand, a persons name can say a lot about who they are and where theyre from. Its attached to tradition and history. On the other hand, it can create an identity that loses your individuality and labels you as such. As we head into Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), theres an exhibit called Mas Fuertes Juntos (Stronger Together) that encapsulates these ideas of who we are as artists. The small collection is at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield, and the exhibit will be there until the 23rd. It showcases several local artists in the Eugene area some with history in the Hispanic community and others who grew up in Eugene or along the West Coast. I do feel like my artistic ability is gifted to me from a previous time, from somebody else who brought it to me, like my grandparents, Rogene Manas, one of the artists that contributed to the collection, said. She currently has two paintings on display of Frida Kahlo, a mixed media work that she put together of the painter; one as a saint and the other piece as Frida herself painting a portrait with a halo over her head. A few years ago, Manas learned that her father's last name was actually Manas, a Spaniard that moved to the States in the late 1920s. He dropped the tilde in his last name for fear of deportation and being labeled as an immigrant. However, regardless of where her name came from, she still found a profound way to connect that message, to still be Manas and Manas, and neither. But if I can get out of my own way then my work becomes so much better, so I keep choosing art styles and art forms that require a lot of patience to be with and let materialize, Manas said about her work. She mentions that creativity doesnt come from someone or belong to someone, but goes through someone as they create their art. Of course, as you continue to jump around with Mas Fuertes Juntos, youll notice another piece that draws you in: Jute Handbag. This piece is woven by an artist named Magdalena Portillo. It is framed by an orange skirt that she stitched herself, reflecting something indigenous but uniquely different. Conoci a un grupo de chicanos y mexicanos en esa epoca conocido como MEChA (I met a group of Chicanos and Mexicans at that time known as MEChA), Portillo said. Portillo, born in Mexico, was still raised in and out of California, trying to make a life for herself. She studied to be an accountant at Los Angeles City College, however, that's where she found a group of actors and artists Called MEChA (Movmiento Estudiantil Chican/o de Aztlan), that brought out her creative side. The group was a theater at the time that showcased plays and brought people from the Latino community together to express themselves. I used to love the theater and I love to perform, Portillo said. Not only did she contribute to the gallery, but she also volunteers there helping to build a framework of art for the Eugene community. Although her piece may be subtle, it weaves together an individual idea of who we are as a mixed culture. Putting ourselves together not just by name but by being Stronger Together (Mas Fuertes Juntos). Of course, you still have the other frames that cant go unnoticed, works that include Annalee Fuentes and her oil paintings on linen, which show her depiction of food trucks both when theyre open and closed; the bizarre world and lines of Efrain M. Diaz-Horna, showing a smiling skull and cranium as different and intricate; and other pieces that you can only picture through name and color. As Latin culture mobilizes the start of fall this month, look out for these exhibits and workshops happening throughout the city. Mas Fuertes Juntos is only one spot of many showcasing the essence of Hispanic Heritage month, capturing the faces and names of those whove contributed to this community and the culture from which they've come. The BBC has received a lot of criticism over the years, not least from my pen, for being metropolitan centred in many of its preoccupations, and sometimes out of step with much of the country. Lets face it: Auntie often looks at the world through a slightly Left-wing lens. Witness Emily Maitlis, now departed from the BBC, whose opinionated monologues were an extreme example of the Corporations political bias. So when I heard of the Queens death I inwardly trembled at the prospect of coverage on the Beeb reflecting the republican prejudices I imagine many of its journalists privately hold. I need not have harboured such fears. Of course, we all knew that the BBC has long shown amazing technical prowess in conveying the pageantry of royal occasions, and yesterdays coverage of the Queens funeral, the stirring processions, and the committal in Windsor has been no exception. The camera work was superlative. So, too, was the commentary from Huw Edwards, who has proved himself a worthy successor to the veteran David Dimbleby, who nonetheless popped up as the BBC commentator during the committal service. Mr Edwards is well-informed, while wearing his knowledge lightly. He wisely said relatively little and nothing at all during the funeral service so as not to interrupt the reflections of his audience. Huw Edwards wisely said relatively little and nothing at all during the funeral service so as not to interrupt the reflections of his audience But the achievement goes far beyond the BBCs traditional brilliance in the coverage of state ceremonies. What has surprised and heartened me over the past few days is the respect our national broadcaster has shown for Queen Elizabeth, King Charles and the institution of the monarchy. Not that the Beebs tone has been servile or Pravda-esque to use the word rashly applied by the Economist magazine to some recent media coverage, drawing an odious comparison with the slavish obedience of the Communist Partys official organ during Soviet times. The BBC has simply grasped the public mood, which is overwhelmingly sympathetic to our late Queen, the new King, and the monarchy as an institution. Rather miraculously, it has set aside whatever private reservations its journalists may have. There have been exceptions, to be sure. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was said to be infuriated and rightly so by a report a week ago on BBC1s News at Ten, which suggested that Scotland has grown so far apart from the rest of the UK that it might separate during the new Kings reign. Such an interpretation seemed to be at odds with the many protestations of love and loyalty shown by tens of thousands of people north of the border towards the deceased Queen of the United Kingdom, and her successor. But false notes have been rare. Even normally abrasive characters have been on their best behaviour. Yesterday morning I held my breath when the historian David Olusoga was interviewed by Huw Edwards, alongside the Mails Robert Hardman. Mr Olusoga, who perennially berates Britain for its part in the slave trade, couldnt have been more reasonable. Meanwhile, BBC Home Editor Mark Easton, who is normally no friend of the Tories and seemingly tacks to the Left, has produced some perceptive and balanced appreciations of Queen Elizabeths reign for BBC News. Even last weeks scabrous The News Quiz on Radio 4 somehow caught the mood of the nation, with naturally subversive contestants lining up to say constructive things about the Queen. What has happened? Some will attribute the BBCs new-found restraint to executive pressure. Last year, its Director-General, Tim Davie, said he would tackle accusations of bias with an impartiality crackdown, which includes controls on staff sharing their opinions on social media, and emphasises the need for neutrality. Its possible that the Beebs new chief executive officer of news and current affairs, Deborah Turness, is also having an effect. Her reputation is that of a professional journalist who has no time for news reporters ventilating their private opinions. But something else may also be at play. Is it conceivable that the BBCs journalists succeeded at this solemn moment in setting aside their personal inclinations so as to respect viewers feelings about the monarchy and the country? Some will attribute the BBCs new-found restraint to executive pressure. Last year, its Director-General, Tim Davie (pictured), said he would tackle accusations of bias with an impartiality crackdown Incidentally, I dont at all doubt that ITV and Sky News have also provided marvellous, balanced coverage, which in many cases has been quite as good as Aunties. But the point is that the BBC is our national broadcaster, funded by the licence payer. Serving the British people is fundamental to its charter. It is an interesting reflection that the Corporation, one hundred years old this year, shares something vital in common with the monarchy. It is one of our few remaining national institutions. Devolution has had the effect of fragmenting our national political life. Our Armed Forces are still widely revered but, being much depleted, are much less of a presence throughout the land. The BBC remains what it has always been the British Broadcasting Corporation. In recent days it has widened its horizons to embrace the whole country, and reminded us of the unifying role it can play in our national life. I dont want to sound weak-headed or sentimental. Tomorrow, or at least next week, Auntie may return to type. But in recent days we have seen the BBC at its best, reflecting the people it is supposed to serve. There were many reasons our late Queen was held in such deep affection and so widely admired; but one of them, I think, was her quiet humility. For all her titles, she was the opposite of entitled. We saw that not only in her attitude towards her duties, but in her personal habits too. She was thrifty, she abhorred waste, she was not afraid to get her hands dirty. She judged people by their actions, not their status, and was just as comfortable spending her days with the daughter of a docker Angela Kelly, her dresser and confidante in later years as any high-born duchess. The Crown was hers to inherit; but she worked tirelessly to prove that she was worthy of wearing it. Whatever the privileges of her position, she never took any of it for granted. All this is a very hard act to follow and yet it is the task that faces her successor, King Charles. For now, of course, he must rest, having lived through a deeply tiring, traumatic and emotionally charged few days. But if he is to guide the monarchy successfully into its next chapter, he must show that he understands that the true mark of a monarch is determined not by the symbols and trappings of power, but by concrete actions. There are many pressing issues that await his attention, and he cant just dismiss them with a grimace and a petulant wave of his hand, as he did with that pesky pen last week That said, if I were King Charles, I would not rush to book the Abbey. I would give myself a bit of time, a period of reflection, and focus on getting my house in order first Already we have seen just how much the King is capable of. A whirlwind tour of the country, procession after procession, addressing the nation, solemn speech after solemn speech, endless walkabouts, greeting of dignitaries, shaking of hands and, of course, the hardest thing of all: standing vigil at his mothers coffin before finally laying her to rest and assuming the mantle of power himself. There arent many 73-year-olds who could endure such a punishing schedule, let alone while dealing with the huge emotional turmoil of losing someone who was not only a beloved parent but also an icon against which he will inevitably be judged. I hope Camillas got him on the cod liver oil. But the real test will be over the next few weeks and months, as he settles into his new role and the character of his reign begins to take shape. There are many pressing issues that await his attention, and he cant just dismiss them with a grimace and a petulant wave of his hand, as he did with that pesky pen last week. First and foremost is the question of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They just about fell into line for the sake of the Queens memory, but it still feels more like a temporary truce than a lasting peace. Certainly nothing fundamental seems to have changed in the demeanour of Prince Harry, especially after he made it known how upset he was about having the Queens initials removed from his Army uniform as he stood vigil over his grandmothers coffin. There were many reasons our late Queen was held in such deep affection and so widely admired; but one of them, I think, was her quiet humility, writes Sarah Vine (pictured) It wont be long before he and Meghan are back in California, and without the benign influence of his grandmother to keep him in check, it could well be all-out war. Unless, that is, the King can persuade Harry to abandon his plans for a tell-all book and find other ways of earning a living that dont involve trading off his and Meghans so-called misery. Prince Andrew, too, is a problem although perhaps less so, since he doesnt have a vast social media following and an army of adoring fans to egg him on. But there are difficulties beyond the immediate family, too. First and foremost is the question of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They just about fell into line for the sake of the Queens memory, but it still feels more like a temporary truce than a lasting peace Britons are facing a winter of hardship, with soaring energy prices and increases in the cost of living. The late Queen, with her two-bar electric heater at Balmoral Castle, would have had no trouble resisting criticism of the royal lifestyle; this may be trickier for King Charles. Especially given his pending Coronation, which is likely to take place next spring or early summer. Already there are questions about whether, given everything, a full-blown state occasion is appropriate. The optics of opulence have rarely been harder to justify, and even a pared-down ceremony is likely to draw criticism, especially from those who see the death of the Queen as an opportunity to undermine the monarchy. Personally, I think if youre going to have a Coronation, it should be bells and whistles. After all, Britain is a monarchy, and thats what monarchies do. That said, if I were King Charles, I would not rush to book the Abbey. I would give myself a bit of time, a period of reflection, and focus on getting my house in order first. I would begin to put in place measures to slim down the monarchy; deal with the more pressing matters at hand; support the new Prime Minister (after all, they are both newbies together) and generally work on building allies and goodwill. That way, when the Coronation finally happens, it will feel entirely justified: a well-deserved celebration of a great British institution and not, as its enemies will doubtless try to frame it, an empty extravagance we can ill-afford. What on earth are they going to do with all the Queens outfits? When the Queen Mother died, 20 years ago, a friend who lives near Ballater, in Royal Deeside, noted that the local second-hand clothes shop had suddenly acquired an influx of exquisitely-made items. Will the Knightsbridge branch of Save the Children (assuming there is such a thing) suddenly be full of an array of brightly coloured hats and dresses? Dashing equerrys our kilty pleasure The Queens funeral was a sensational moment, but also a reminder of how much we like a man in a uniform. King Charless equerry, Major Jonathan Thompson of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment, has set social media on fire with his absurd good looks and dashing demeanour King Charless equerry, Major Jonathan Thompson of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment, has set social media on fire with his absurd good looks and dashing demeanour. He is known for his fur sporran in all weathers. And no, that is not a euphemism. A Swiss politician has caused outrage by suggesting that people save energy by sharing showers. I wouldnt necessarily share a shower; but we do get the most out of a bath in my house. Its me first, then my teenage son, then the dogs. The dogs are understandably outraged about this arrangement. New Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, was doing the media rounds yesterday morning and boy was she impressive. Interviewer after interviewer did their best to trip her up, as relatively fresh meat. New Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, was doing the media rounds yesterday morning and boy was she impressive But she bested all of them, including Kay Burley on Sky, who looked a complete fool after she attempted to belittle Donelans record at the Department for Education and then tried to catch her out for taking a payoff which, as Donelan patiently told her, she never actually received. One to watch. A priceless memory for Louis to treasure I understand why the Prince and Princess of Wales left Prince Louis at home for the funeral too young for such a solemn occasion. But one of the last pictures of the Queen sees her dressed in Wedgewood blue, leaning on her cane on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a huge grin on her face as he claps his hands over his ears to block out the roar of the fly-past something that in years to come he will treasure But one of the last pictures of the Queen sees her dressed in Wedgewood blue, leaning on her cane on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a huge grin on her face as he claps his hands over his ears to block out the roar of the fly-past something that in years to come he will treasure. What a shame his cousin Archie, three, wont share such memories. If I had to pick one moment from Mondays funeral, it would be the lone piper who closed the Westminster Abbey ceremony with a rendition of the traditional lament, Sleep, Dearie, Sleep. On a day of great pomp and pageantry, for some reason the austerity of that moment struck me as the most beautiful of all. SHOPPING: Products featured in this article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. She's been traveling across the world on her highly successful Chromatica Ball tour. And ahead of her next concert date, Gaga took her style to the next level in a chic all-black getup to enjoy an evening out in Miami, Florida. Lady Gaga doesn't like to do things by halves. She put her own twist on the tailoring trend with this double breasted blazer dress by Saint Laurent, which features exaggerated shoulders that are just so Gaga. Add in Laruicci mismatched earrings, ripped skinny jeans also by Saint Laurent and a Lanvin bag - we're simply loving this look. Gaga topped off her look with her signature Pleaser platform boots too! Shop her blazer dress here for $3590, or save with one of these similar styles from some of our favorite brands. Advertisement Royal family members yesterday paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with their accessories when attending Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey. The Queen, who died at Balmoral aged 96 on September 8, was rarely seen without her pearl earrings throughout her 70-year reign and was known for her elaborate collection of brooches. In her honour, family members donned thoughtful jewellery and accessories as a mark of respect at the monarch's funeral. From Sarah Ferguson's diamond swallow brooch with subtle undertones to Meghan's pearl earrings that were a gift from the Queen, the royal family have used their accessories to express their love and respect. The Queen Consort wore a brooch to mark the Queen's long reign, whilst Lady Louise Windsor chose a horse pendant to express a shared passion. SARAH FERGUSON SWALLOW BROOCH IS A SYMBOL OF SAFETY Sarah Ferguson (pictured) was among many royals who paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral, through their accessories Fergie donned a diamond swallow brooch to attend the state funeral at Westminster Abbey. She pinned it against her peter pan collared jacket Fergie is pictured here with her two sons-in-law Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank. It has been speculated that she opted for the swallow diamond brooch as a mark of respect for her former mother-in-law The Duchess of York, 62, elevated her outfit with a pair of diamond earrings and pinned a diamond-encrusted swallow brooch to the lapel of her coat. HELLO! reported that Elmwood's jewellers recognise swallows as a poignant motif in Victorian jewellery, deemed a symbol of safety as legend dictates swallows meant land was nearby, helping sailors navigate their way home. Due to the face that swallow brooches were given to loved ones when they embarked on a journey to keep them safe until they returned home, Fergie may have chosen this motif as a mark of respect for her former mother-in-law. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE HORSESHOE FOR GAN-GAN The daughter of the newly appointed Prince and Princess of Wales pinned a diamond brooch in the shape of a horse shoe to her black mourning clothes Pictured here with her brother Prince George, Princess Charlotte's horseshoe brooch was a nod towards the Queen's love of horses Princess Charlotte also paid a subtle tribute to her great-grandmother at Her Majesty's state funeral. The seven-year-old daughter of the newly appointed Prince and Princess of Wales, pinned a diamond brooch in the shape of horseshoe to her black mourning clothes. The brooch was a dainty nod to the Queen's love of horses, who had her first riding at the age of three and was gifted a Shetland pony when she was just four-years-old. This was the young Princess's first-ever piece of poignant jewellery. PEOPLE revealed that the sentimental brooch was gifted to the young princess by Queen Elizabeth II. It is a love shared by her great-granddaughter; Kate was quoted in 2018 as saying that her only daughter had inherited the Queen's passion for horses. PRINCESS OF WALES QUEEN'S PEARL NECKLACE AND EARRINGS The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, wore two pieces of jewellery once belonged to the late monarch, her husband's grandmother The Princess, 40, wore a four-strand pearl choker with a centre diamond clasp, which the Queen previously wore for a state banquet in Bangladesh in 1983 Princess Kate wore a pair of Bahrain pearl drop earrings that were a gift to the Queen for her wedding in 1947 Kate Middleton, 40, also honored Queen Elizabeth II at the state funeral by donning two pieces that once belonged to the late monarch, her husband's grandmother. The Princess of Wales arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing a pair of Bahrain pearl drop earrings and a four-strand pearl choker with a centre diamond clasp. Both of these items were from the Queen's personal collection and the Queen previously wore the choker for a state banquet in Bangladesh in 1983 and the Bahrain earrings were a gift to the Queen for her wedding in 1947. The pearls of the choker were reportedly a gift from the Japanese government, possibly acquired during the 1970s, when she made a state visit to that nation. The necklace was constructed by Garrard. Princess Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey in the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings and four-strand pearl choker with center diamond clasp, both from the Queen's personal collection. Kate previously wore the pieces for the funeral of the Queen's husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 2021 and was spotted in the earring during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June this year. In November 1982, the Queen famously loaned this choker to her new daughter-in-law, Diana, the Princess of Wales, to wear during a state visit from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings were part of Queen Elizabeth IIs royal collection. They feature round diamond studs, with baguette-cut diamonds in an arrangement typical of the late 1940s, as well as pearls at the drop. QUEEN CONSORT QUEEN VICTORIA'S DIAMOND BROOCH Camilla, Queen Consort, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Sophie, Countess of Wessex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II The Queen Consort, Camilla, who is often seen wearing pearls in public opted for a diamond brooch on the day of the Queen's funeral, which once belonged to Queen Victoria Camilla, 75, with her husband King Charles III. Her diamond brooch was gifted to Queen Victoria to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee Camilla's unique brooch was worn by Her Majesty herself during the Diamond Jubilee. The heart-shaped pin features the number 60 in Slavonic numerals wrought in diamonds, surrounded by a cabochon sapphire at the top and two large sapphire drops at the bottom The Queen Consort, Camilla, who is often seen wearing pearls in public opted for a diamond brooch on the day of the Queen's funeral, which once belonged to Queen Victoria. The unique brooch was worn by Her Majesty herself during the Diamond Jubilee. The heart-shaped pin features the number 60 in Slavonic numerals wrought in diamonds, surrounded by a cabochon sapphire at the top and two large sapphire drops at the bottom. The brooch was gifted to Queen Victoria by her grandchildren. And Camilla may have worn it to mark the fact that Queen Elizabeth II was the longest serving monarch. In October 1897, the Glasgow Herald reported that Victorias Diamond Jubilee gifts had been placed on display at the Imperial Institute in London. The brooch was among the numerous gifts displayed. ZARA TINDALL PEARL EARRINGS The Queen's eldest granddaughter Zara Tindall (pictured) also paid tribute to her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her state funeral, opting for a pair of pearl earrings The daughter of Princess Anne wore a smart black outfit, which she paired with a black pillbox hat and a pair of pearl earrings, an accessory the Queen was rarely seen without Zara and her husband Mike Tindall leaving Westminster Abbey after the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II The Queen's eldest granddaughter Zara Tindall also paid tribute to her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her state funeral. Princess Anne's daughter wore a smart black outfit, which she paired with a black pillbox hat and a pair of pearl earrings. The Queen was rarely pictured without her beloved pearls during her 70-year reign. Wearing pearls has become a royal family mourning tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria. DUCHESS OF SUSSEX PEARL AND DIAMOND EARRINGS FROM THE QUEEN Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, (pictured) also opted for pearl earrings at the Queen's funeral as a mark of respect Wearing pearls has become a royal family mourning tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria Meghan Markle notably wore the pearl and diamond drop earrings that the Queen gave her during their first engagement together in 2018. A smaller version of the Queen Marys Button Earrings the royal wore nearly almost every day, the pair reportedly came straight from Her Majestys personal jewelry collection. The Duchess of Sussex also wore the special set on Wednesday, as the Queens casket was transported from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Meghan's choice of pearl earrings are significant as the royals' tradition of wearing pearls dates back to Queen Victoria. LADY LOUISE WINDSOR HORSE NECKLACE FOR 'GRANNY' Lady Louise Windsor, (pictured) who is the eldest child of the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, wore a simple silver necklace with a horse pendant to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II Lady Louise Windsor pictured here leaving the state funeral with her brother James, Viscount Severn. Her horse pendant was a nod to the Queen's love of horses Younger members of the royal family also paid tribute to the late monarch through their sartorial choices. Lady Louise Windsor, who is the eldest child of the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, wore a simple silver necklace with a horse pendant to the funeral. Like Charlotte, Lady Louise's choice is believed to symbolise a shared love of horses with the Queen. Louise paired the necklace with a traditional all-black outfit, along with a padded headband complete with a bow. Lady Louise was thought to be one of the favourite grandchildren of the late Queen, and shared an enjoyment of carriage driving with Prince Philip. Pranav Bhanot noticed 'how supportive Harry was to Meghan' and he 'wanted to ensure she was comfortable' Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are based in the US, were both deeply emotional yesterday at the event Advertisement Prince Harry gave Meghan Markle's hand a 'firm squeeze' as the couple left Westminster Abbey following the Queen's state funeral yesterday, a fellow funeral-goer has revealed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are currently living in the US having stepped back from royal duty last year, are believed to be in Windsor today after the extraordinary funeral and burial of the late monarch yesterday. And now a fellow mourner who attended the event has opened up about the couple's behaviour at the event. According to funeral guest and attorney Pranav Bhanot, he noticed 'how supportive Harry was to Meghan', telling People: 'When they went their separate directions after the ceremony, he gave her a firm squeeze of the hand. I felt he wanted to ensure she felt comfortable.' The couple, who became known for their constant hand holding during their time as working royals, appeared keen to comfort one another after the service, and were photographed clasped hands as they came together. Prince Harry, 38, gave Meghan Markle's hand a 'firm squeeze' as the couple left Westminster Abbey following the Queen's state funeral yesterday, a fellow funeral-goer has revealed The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, 40, who are currently living in the US having stepped back from royal duty last year, are believed to be in Windsor today after the extraordinary funeral and burial of the late monarch yesterday Elsewhere, Pravnav said the Duke offered the Duchess 'reassurance' when they were walking together before going in different directions. The loving gesture is just the latest in a long line of public displays of affection between Harry, 37, and Meghan since they first went public with their relationship in 2017. Pictured together at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, the pair, in the early stages of their courtship, leaned into one another and beamed in delight. In a now famous picture, Harry leaned into Meghan's ear to whisper something, while Meghan crossed her legs and leaned forward clearly delighted by what the Prince was saying. Meghan and the Duke of Sussex appeared deeply emotional as they left following the long and difficult day of the Queen's funeral Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex follow the bearer party with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is taken from Westminster Abbey An emotional Meghan Markle joined other senior members of the royal family in St George's Chapel today as she arrived for the Queen's Committal Service this afternoon During the State Funeral in London this afternoon, the Duchess of Sussex was openly weeping, and brushing tears away from her cheeks (pictured) The Duchess has been pictured dozens of times putting her hands on Harry's back, while Harry is fan of clasping Meghan's hair and gently caressing her ponytail. At the start of the day members of the Royal Family - including Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, - and thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries congregated at Westminster Abbey for the late monarch's funeral service. Harry, who is mourning his beloved grandmother, was visibly emotional during the procession and inside the church, as was his wife the Duchess of Sussex, who was seen wiping away tears at the ceremony. Meghan leaves the funeral in a car alongside Sophie, the Countess of Wessex Meghan walking down the nave of Westminster Abbey during a royal procession behind the Queen's coffin this morning The Duchess of Sussex, 41, walked into the historic church in a sombre procession behind the Queen's coffin. In front of her was Kate, the two eldest Cambridge children, and Prince Edward and his wife, the Duchess of Wessex Meanwhile the royal mother-of-two was carrying her black gloves as she arrived at the service earlier this morning Later the Duke was seen walking solemnly on the grass outside St George's Chapel in Windsor ahead of the Queen's committal service, and speaking with his aunt Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. At the service Her Majesty was laid to rest with Prince Philip, along with her husband, father, mother and sister as her 70-year reign came to an end with the removal of her crown, orb and sceptre from her coffin. Her eldest son and the new monarch, King Charles III, looked deeply moved as his mother's remains descended on a day where he appeared tearful on a number of occasions as he said goodbye to his mother, the 12th British monarch to be buried at Windsor. Yesterday evening, Prince Harry was seen puffing his cheeks as he got into a car with his wife, Meghan, following an emotional day which saw the Queen finally laid to rest with her beloved husband Prince Philip. Britain's Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, walking outside Westminster Abbey, on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth Meghan Markle cut a solemn figure as she arrived for the funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey alongside her husband Prince Harry today The Duke and other royals, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, were pictured leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday afternoon after a moving committal service for the late monarch. In what was the longest of days for the royal family, relatives of the Queen went back to Windsor Castle for some rest before returning to St George's Chapel for a private burial service later that night. There they witnessed Her Majesty being buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in a service conducted by the Dean of Windsor in the The King George VI Memorial Chapel. It was one of the only parts of yesterday that was not be televised, with billions of people around the world thought to have seen some part of the processions and services in honour of Her Majesty. A smaller, more private burial service took place on Monday night, with the Queen's family finally given the chance to pay their respects and mourn her passing away from the public's gaze. It come royal reporter Neil Sean claimed Meghan has requested a 'one-to-one' meeting with King Charles to heal rifts before her departure to California with Harry after the Queen's funeral. Neil said that he had heard from a 'very good source' that the American actress had sent a letter requesting a private conversation with the King. Mr Sean claimed that Meghan wants to 'clear the air' amid reports the couple will fly back to the US as soon as they can to see their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. Advertisement Queen Elizabeth's beloved pony and Corgis made an appearance outside Windsor Castle yesterday to pay their respects on the day of her funeral. But they weren't the only four-legged royal fans paying tribute. Pooches from all over Britain also honoured Her Majesty as she was laid to rest in the state funeral. Frank a Pomeranian, from Surrey, said farewell to the monarch by dressing as her favourite Paddington Bear. Pooches from all over Britain also decided to honour Her Majesty during her final farewell ahead of her Committal Service on Monday including Frank a Pomeranian, from Surrey, who said farewell to the monarch by dressing as her favourite Paddington Bear He looked adorable in a little red hat and a sweet blue jacket that resembled that of the famous bear. While a very upset Labrador, from Northumberland, howled his way through the full funeral service. Another adorable Labrador 'sat to attention' during the procession until the Queen's coffin reached the Abbey. Every time the bagpipes played during the funeral three cute Dalmatians sang along in Scotland. This very upset Labrador from Northumberland howled his way through the full funeral service during the emotional day yesterday Every time the bagpipes played during the funeral, these cute Dalmatians from Scotland showed their support by singing along Milly, in Londonderry, kept her stare fixed on the telly as the funeral procession of servicemen followed the Queen to Westminster Abbey In spite of the sun shining down, Maisie, also in Londonderry, looked saddened as she watched the live coverage of the Monarch's state funeral yesterday. Lifelong royal watcher Pickle Ginger-Richardson, the cockapoo from Buckinghamshire, stood to attention to watch her beloved Queen laid to rest as a single tear rolled from her eye. Pickle is pictured shortly after she raised her paw in salute Another adorable Labrador 'sat to attention' during the procession until the Queen's coffin reached Westminster Abbey for her state funeral While Archie, a Collie from Wigan, looked emotional as he watched the Queen's funeral service yesterday with his owner at home Another adorable miniature schnauzer called Ludo, from Kent, looked sombre as he watched the funeral service with his family Ben, Nicola, Isabella and Alexia yesterday From USA with love. All the way from Dallas, Texas, Bertie the Corgi looked pensive as he gazed at a portrait of Her Majesty adorned with roses Royal mourner Lady the dog, age three, from Hull in East Yorkshire, travelled to London to watch the Queen's funeral and pay her respect Macy, a little rescue who was found as a stray in Romania and adopted by a British family in Kilmarnock showed their respects for the Queen with their bandana From Reggie to Regina! This rescue from North Devon looked somber as he sat on the couch with his family to watch the procession This sweet cocker spaniel, aptly named Prince George, was mourning the Queen while looking out his window at a flag at half-mass Dexter, from Falmouth Cornwall, looked incredibly sad as he cuddled up with his toy corgi to watch Her Majesty been laid to rest Juno, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, looked glum as he watched the Queens funeral service from the corner of his owner's armchair Newfoundland puppy, Dolly, from Kent, was looking glum yesterday as she watched the service on TV, her head rested on an Union Jack pillow Algy the pug and lurcher Connie, from Melton Mowbray. Leicestershire, bowed their heads in respectful silence for the Queen and watched her funeral at home Dog Mac cried while he watched the late Monarch's breath-taking funeral at home in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, with his owner on Monday While world leaders met for the 'banquet of the century' on Sunday, labradoodle Jaxon, from Glenrothes Fife Scotland, put on his best pearls and his jacket for the event Honey, a long haired chihuahua from Richmond, West London, paid her respects as she watched the funeral quietly with her family yesterday Blue, 12, and Cooper, three, from Marple, Stockport, looked serious as they also paid their respects to the late Monarch yesterday While Archie, a Collie from Wigan, looked emotional as he watched the service with his owner. It comes after The Queen's Corgi's Muick and Sandy, who were entrusted to the Duke of York after the Queen died on Thursday 8, were seen on the steps of Windsor Castle, flanked by two aides. The dogs were a gift to the Queen from Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie 32, to help her cope with the death of Prince Philip last year. It all got a bit too much for Bonnie Ginger, the Pembrokeshire corgi, from Buckinghamshire, who was forced to turn away from the sad events unfolding on television before her so she could collect her thoughts, and reflect upon her own cherished memories of Her Majesty, the Queen Five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Esme put on her very fine regalia and her own cape and crown to watch the Queen's funeral yesterday A moment of sombre reflection: Eight-year-old miniature schnauzer Ringo (far left) and his little brother, one-year-old George, from Emsworth in Hampshire, wore bandanas emblazoned with the Union Jack in honour of Her Majesty Riley, from Weybourne, North Norfolk, sat quietly as he watched closely as the Queen left Buckingham Palace yesterday ahead of the funeral Red-haired royal subject Daisy trotted into her owner's living-room to watch the royal hearse pass by on the television screen as the nation mourned 11-year-old English sheepdog Stanley took his carriage to watch the many tributes left for the Queen in Green Park in London and wore his best Union Jack harness Rescue dog Ollie, from We live in a village called, near Belfast, lifted his head and made howling sounds during the Monarch's ceremony However, it wasn't just dogs who mourned the loss of the monarch as this sweet cat called Bruce, from Chichester, spent the day watching the funeral It comes after The Queen's Corgi's Muick and Sandy, who were entrusted to the Duke of York after the Queen died on Thursday 8, were seen on the steps of Windsor Castle, flanked by two aides The Monarch's last two Corgis, escorted by two royal aides walking them on a leash, could be seen quietly resting on the side of Windsor Castle Prince Andrew was seen speaking to the aides and giving the Corgis a sympathetic pet as he drew a breath before returning to yesterday's solemn proceedings The Monarch's last two Corgis, escorted by two royal aides walking them on a leash, could be seen quietly standing on the side of Windsor Castle. Prince Andrew was seen speaking to the aides and giving the Corgis a sympathetic pet as he drew a breath before returning to yesterday's solemn proceedings. It was confirmed by the BBC that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson would be looking after the Corgis at Royal Lodge, in Windsor, where they live together. The Queen returned to Windsor yesterday- and is reunited for eternity with her beloved husband Prince Philip. She was greeted with a carpet of flowers as mourners arrived at St George's Chapel for the Queen's Committal service. Tens of thousands of people lined The Long Walk and applauded as the flower-covered hearse carrying the late sovereign's coffin slowly processed towards her Berkshire castle, where she spent most of her final years before her death at Balmoral 11 days ago. Advertisement Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday - before joining senior royals at the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The two eldest children of the Prince and Princess of Wales remained dignified throughout their appearance as they kept close to their mother, Kate, 40, and were comforted by various members of the royal family - including Sophie Wessex. Prior to the Queen's state funeral, George, nine, Charlotte, seven, had proved they could be trusted to deal with the spotlight after successfully appearing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June and Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving in March. William, 40, and Kate decided the brother and sister duo were 'up to' going to Her Majesty's funeral but Louis was 'too young'. The four-year-old prince dominated headlines following his cheeky displays throughout the Jubilee events. Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday - before joining senior royals at the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Prior to the Queen's state funeral, George, nine, Charlotte, seven, had proved they could be trusted to deal with the spotlight after successfully appearing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June and Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving in March (pictured) Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee on June 02, 2022 in London Princess Charlotte and Prince George visit Cardiff Castle on June 04, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales, for the Platinum Jubilee Sources called the decision to include George and Charlotte, who are second and third in line to the throne, in yesterday's event a 'collective family decision'. 'As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them,' a source told The Daily Mail. 'Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it.' It came after they appeared at the funeral of Prince Philip, their great-grandfather last year, and their attendance at yesterday's farewell events gave them a chance to say goodbye to Her Majesty, who they affectionately called 'Gan Gan'. The Daily Mail understands that William and Kate thought 'long and hard' about whether their two eldest children should join them. But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfather's memorial in March, William and Kate decided they could cope with the solemnity of the occasion. Louis, the couple's youngest, is just four and did not join. The older siblings also showed their maturity when attending the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - with both George and Charlotte being well behaved throughout the four-day occasion. They even joined the Prince and Princess of Wales on a visit to Cardiff, and took part in a walkabout at Cardiff Castle. William, 40, and Kate (pictured in Cardiff with George and Charlotte) decided the brother and sister duo were 'up to' going to Her Majesty's funeral but Louis was 'too young'. The four-year-old prince dominated headlines following his cheeky displays throughout the Jubilee events William and Kate stand with their children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen's Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are pictured alongside the Queen as they wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5 Prince George and Princess Charlotte depart the memorial service for the Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told FEMAIL: 'Some will have been surprised that nine- year-old Prince George, who is second in line to the throne and his sister Princess Charlotte who is seven and third in line, attended both the late Queen's funeral and the subsequent Committal Service at Windsor. 'However the way their parents have involved them in public events meant that they were in fact prepared for what for some would have been onerous, especially when so young. 'This year George has been seen in public a good deal. Appearances at Prince Philips Memorial Service and at several events during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and also at the Six Nations Rugby match where he chatted publicly and seemed to enjoy himself will have made him confident. 'It can be seen that both have been well trained in public appearances and they would undoubtedly have wanted to attend events honouring their beloved Gan-Gan. 'They behaved impeccably and also gave the watching world a glimpse of the future of the monarchy. This was a day which honoured one of the greatest ever Britons and in participating they were walking with history.' Yesterday, Kate offered constant reassurance to George and Charlotte throughout the Queen's funeral to help the young royals cope with the most difficult day of their young lives. Sibling unity: The young royals were inseparable throughout the day and were barely seen away from each other's sides. Pictured here at Wellington Arch following the funeral service at Westminster Abbey A reassuring hand: The Princess of Wales puts her hand on the knee of her eldest son, Prince George, during the service at Westminster Abbey Princess Charlotte and Prince George were sitting alongside their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex yesterday afternoon At one stage, Prince William offered Prince George a comforting look during the Committal Service in Windsor The Wales family were sitting alongside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Peter Philips and Zara Tindall in St George's Chapel Heir-to-the-throne George and his younger sister Charlotte joined senior royals at the historic event, beginning their day bypassing thousands of mourners on the streets of London as they travelled to Westminster Abbey with the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales. Kate, clearly aware that her two elder children would find the day emotionally difficult, provided a constant source of comfort to George and his younger sister, who wore a smart black hat with a bow and a horseshoe brooch given to her by the late Queen, as they prepared to bid a final farewell to their beloved 'Gan-Gan'. It was clear from the first sighting of the siblings, who travelled in a royal car with their parents before later transferring to a procession car with Kate and Camilla that both children appeared to grasp the enormity of the day in spite of their tender years. The Queen's great grandchildren cut solemn figures as they were driven to Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen's state funeral, which saw 2,000 dignitaries, foreign royals and politicians pour into the historic London abbey. Her Majesty made her final and saddest journey from Westminster Hall as Britain mourned its longest-serving monarch and the royals bade goodbye to a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. A long and memorable day: Kate Middleton accompanied her children into the second service of the day held at Windsor Castle The pair were seen walking side by side into Windsor Castle, the final resting place of their precious great-grandmother The Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Committal Service for the Queen held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire For George and Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, 40, provided a reassuring presence throughout, tightly holding onto her daughter's hand as the family arrived at Westminster Abbey - and offering a pat on the knee to her eldest son as the family were seated ahead of the service. Princess Charlotte wore a black mourning coat with velour collar and matching wide-brimmed hat, while George was dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie. George appeared mature beyond his years, appreciating the history of the moment, and waiting patiently as his father Prince William arrived into the Abbey after walking behind the Queen's coffin. The Princess of Wales continued with a series of supportive gestures to her daughter, including guiding her into the Abbey with a gentle hand as the family walked through the oak doors. Kate and William are believed to have brought the second-in-line to the throne to the historic event after senior palace advisers them to consider letting him attend the state funeral because of the powerful symbolic message it sends. Princess Charlotte was often seen holding her mother's hand, with Princess George watching on at his beloved 'Gan-Gan's' funeral Charlotte of Wales - her new title - stands next to Prince George of Wales at Wellington Arch after the State Funeral of the Queen - their beloved great-grandmother The Queen's great grandchildren, clearly aware of the enormity of the day, stand quietly by their mother's side as they await the arrival of their father. To their right, the Duchess of Sussex stands next to them Responsibility: Heads bowed, Prince Charlotte and Prince George walk in-between the Prince and Princess of Wales as they follow the Queen's coffin into the church Sombre: George and Charlotte sing hymns during the funeral service, each seated beside their mother, the Princess of Wales A family in grief: From left: The Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex stand outside Westminster Abbey after the state funeral The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey past the grave of the Unknown Soldier The death of their great-grandmother the Queen will be a heavy blow to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as they and their parents begin a new life at Adelaide Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle - where Her Majesty spent most of the year. During royal walkabouts and engagements this week, the Princess of Wales has offered a glimpse into the grief of her children, saying that Prince George has a greater understanding of their Gan-Gan's passing. Days ago, Prince William said the couple are 'trying to keep everything constant' for their three children since the death of their beloved Grannie. While speaking with well-wishers outside the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, the Queen's grandson Prince William told royal fans the children are 'settling in' after their great grandmother passed away during 'the first week of school'. But he added they were 'doing ok'. He told well-wisher Karen Anvil: 'We're trying to keep everything constant and settled for them.' As royal fans chatted with the Prince of Wales, he admitted there was lots of talk of the Queen's death among the pupils - and agreed it was the 'only talking point'. The King's goddaughter, India Hicks, has shared photos of herself wearing her mourning attire with fans on Instagram, following the Queen's state funeral on Monday. Hicks, 55, shared two images with her 345,000 followers on Instagram - including one with her mother Lady Pamela Hicks, who also attended the service at Westminster Abbey yesterday. In an emotive post, Hicks, who was bridesmaid at the King's wedding to Princess Diana in 1981, said it had been a 'privilege' to attend the service. In the photos, Hicks is seen wearing a fitted black dress with an ornate pattern, matched with a striking tilted headpiece with oversized floral decoration; the socialite and mother-of-five also wore black suede knee-high boots for the historic occasion. Scroll down for video King Charles' goddaughter India Hicks, 55, accompanied her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, 93, a bridesmaid for the Queen, into Westminster Abbey yesterday, posing for photos in their mourning attire In the photos, Hicks is seen wearing a fitted black dress with an ornate pattern, matched with a striking tilted headpiece with oversized floral decoration Lady Pamela Hicks, who is Prince Philip's cousin and the daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, looked straight at the camera for the photograph of herself with her youngest daughter. Wearing a stylish pleated dress, with patent black loafers and a wide-brimmed hat, the aristocrat belied her 93 years. Both ladies wore brooches, with Lady Pamela donning a diamond bow brooch, alongside a five-string pearl necklace. Hicks captioned the photos on her social media account, saying: 'What a privilege. To have seen the sun set over Westminster Abbey last night and to return today, beside my mother, for the State Funeral, followed by the Committal Service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.' India has remained in the country for the period of mourning and tied her hair into a low bun and opted for a black fascinator for the service India, who shares sons Wesley, 24, Felix, 24, Amory, 22, Conrad, 18, and daughter Domino, 13, with her partner David Flint Wood, lives in the Bahamas but was in the UK last week to celebrate her one year wedding anniversary when the Queen passed away aged 96 India, 55, looked sombre in all black including a long sleeved black dress with and knee-high Louboutin boots, as she walked alongside her wheelchair-bound mother Lady Pamela Hicks into Britain's most historic church King Charles' goddaughter India Hicks shed a tear as she walked into Westminster Abbey on Monday to say her final goodbye to the Queen India, who shares sons Wesley, 24, Felix, 24, Amory, 22, Conrad, 18, and daughter Domino, 13, with her partner David Flint Wood, lives in the Bahamas but was in the UK last week to celebrate her one year wedding anniversary when the Queen passed away aged 96. Lady Pamela's father, Earl Mountbatten, was affectionately known as 'Uncle Dickie' by Prince Philip and the Queen, and was seen as hugely influential in the early life of both royals. Through her father she is a great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, also making her a distant cousin of the Queen. India was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. She is pictured second left at the wedding with the Queen and Diana Lady Pamela is the daughter of Earl Mountbatten, the brother of Prince Philip's mother. She previously served as a lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty. The pair have been lifelong friends, pictured throughout their life Lady Pamela has previously shared insight into family life for the Windsors. She recalled in a podcast interview last year how the Queen was always 'patient' and 'kind' to her mother-in-law Princess Alice of Battenberg, who could be 'very sharp and difficult 'I remember, she was staying at Windsor and we were waiting to go into lunch,' Lady Pamela recalled. 'The equerry had come to collect her for lunch with the Queen. Lady Pamela Hicks was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of Prince Philip to Princess Elizabeth in 1947 'He was a new equerry, a young man of about 20, and thought he must entertain Princess Alice and talk to her. 'He unwisely asked, "and what have you been doing this morning, Ma'am,' to which Princess Alice replied: "And what has that got to do with you?"' Lady Pamela also explained that, despite living under the same roof as her son, Princess Alice and Prince Philip led very separate lives. 'She was in a dressing gown, by choice, in the attic,' Lady Pamela said. 'While Prince Philip was very busy down below.' Married At First Sight UK is back - and this series promises to be more sexy, shocking and scandalous than ever before Experts Paul C Brunson, Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling are back on the show to guide the couples through their Married at First Sight journey THE GROOMS NAME: Adrian AGE: 37 HOMETOWN: Manchester OCCUPATION: Digital designer Adrian is a confident and caring northerner with a heart of gold. He's a creative person who loves expressing himself through fashion and takes time on his appearance. He loves socialising on a night out, hosting dinner parties and movie nights at home. Adrian hasn't had the best experience with the relationships he's been in and puts it down to people taking advantage of his nice guy persona. He says he's been a serial dater for the last three years, but is now ready to settle down. He's looking for an upbeat and positive partner who'll make him laugh, be up for an adventure and, most importantly, be someone he can trust. He explained: 'I hope that this experiment goes really well, and we end up falling in love.' Adrian, 37, is a digital designer from Manchester who describes himself as a 'serial dater' looking for an upbeat and positive partner. Can he find his match? NAME: Duka AGE: 31 HOMETOWN: Birmingham OCCUPATION: HR Coordinator Duka has lived in the UK since he was 10 years old, when his family fled the former Yugoslavia to escape conflict. He arrived not speaking a word of English and was bullied because of it. His struggles growing up had a definitive role in shaping the man he's become; he finds it difficult to let people in and puts up his guard when people start to get close emotionally. Nowadays Duka's a man about town. He says women fall at his feet, but they're never the right girl. He finds that the girls he fancies are often superficial and he gets bored of them easily. Duka loves art and poetry and wants to find an 'Instagram girl' that loves looking after herself, but can also have a deep conversation about world issues. He explained: 'People see me and think 'oh he's a d**k head'but that's not the case people are too quick to judge me.' Duka, 31, from Birmingham, is a HR coordinator who came to the UK aged 10 when his family fled the former Yugoslavia to escape conflict NAME: George AGE: 40 HOMETOWN: Worcester OCCUPATION: Financial Advisor Father-of-four George is generous, loyal and dedicated to his kids. After divorcing from his wife, George has struggled to find that special someone who he can share his life with. He loves his life in the countryside and lives with his two eldest children, whilst his two younger daughters live with their mother. George is content with everything in his life, but there's something missing - he hopes the relationship experts can solve this for him. George is a true and old fashioned romantic and was heartbroken when his relationship with his wife broke down. He wants someone who excites him, someone to keep him on his toes and who can be open emotionally. The single father revealed: 'I might not be good enough for her. ' Financial advisor George, 40, from Worcester, is a father-of-four who is an old-fashioned romantic and wants a partner who can keep him on his toes NAME: Jordan AGE: 29 HOMETOWN: Darlington OCCUPATION: Account Manager Jordan is a fun, outgoing guy with a massive sense of adventure. He's a spontaneous guy who owns his own home, has a great job, is close to his family and does all his own cooking by his own admission 'I'm a great catch!' Jordan's open about his emotions and feelings. However when it comes to relationships, he is not willing to settle with someone and cruise through life for the sake of being comfortable. He wants to find true love and a real connection. In the past it has been known for Jordan to overthink situations, and he is not someone to stick around if he believes someone isn't right for him. He acknowledges that he's single because he's too particular about what he wants and knows he needs to relax and give girls more of a chance. But Jordan said he does ultimately want to settle down, adding: 'I want to get married and have kids, and the clock is ticking.' Jordan, 29, from Darlington, is an account manager who describes himself as a 'great catch' who doesn't wan to settle. Will his bride catch his eye? NAME: Kwame AGE: 42 HOMETOWN: London OCCUPATION: Business Consultant Kwame is a confident and sophisticated business owner who exudes charm and style. He says he's done it all: he's travelled extensively, established himself in a successful career, got married, had kids and got divorced. He's a self-professed ladies man who can talk the talk and although he admits he's a bit cocky, he also says he's a nice guy and not arrogant. Growing up, Kwame lacked confidence. He puts this down to his appearance, but this changed once he reached college where he bulked up and grew his beard. With his newfound confidence he entered and won Mr Ghana in 2000 and has never looked back since. Kwame came from humble beginnings, but his father pushed him towards education and he is now a successful bachelor who wants another chance at finding love. He added: 'It's not just a match ' it's a wife. ' Kwame, 42, from London, is a business consultant and a self-professed ladies man. This former Mr Ghana 2000 wants to wife not just a match, but a wife NAME: Pjay AGE: 31 HOMETOWN: Birmingham OCCUPATION: Dancer/ Performer Birmingham boy Pjay wants to find love with someone with whom he can create a peaceful and loving environment. Pjay is part of the world famous, Dreamboys. He's never been short of attention, yet he can't seem to find the right person that he wants to settle down with and his job has been a barrier to finding the right woman. His ex-partners have struggled with trust, but he's a firm believer in providing reassurance when he's off touring and performing for thousands of screaming fans. His best friends are his mum and his sister. He tells him mum everything and his future wife will need her seal of approval! Pjay explained: 'I want to find out who I really am. I've got a lot of love to give and I just want to give it 110 per cent' A a member of the Dreamboys, Pjay is not short of female attention, but is looking to settle down with someone who can create a peaceful and loving environment NAME: Richie AGE: 51 HOMETOWN: Sheffield OCCUPATION: Sales Advisor Richie worked in the music industry for 23 years, and was constantly on the road, meeting new people, which he credits with keeping him young. He's written a song, which appeared on a Russell Watson album, and boasts that he'd be able to get him to perform at his wedding. Richie has also done session work with Sheryl Crow ( but didn't manage to get her number). Richie considers himself to be deep, emotional, a good laugh, clever, and socially and emotionally intelligent. He explained: 'I don't care what the consequences are or what they uncover never underestimate a man who has got nothing to lose.' At 51, sales advisor from Sheffield Richie has been all about his career in the music industry for the past 23 years, and even worked with Sheryl Crow NAME: Thomas AGE: 31 HOMETOWN: Liverpool OCCUPATION: Mental Health Care Assistant Thomas is bursting with energy, sarcasm, and bawdy humour and, for as long as he can remember, he's always loved being the centre of attention. He's extremely sociable, unapologetically loud, and not one to back down in an argument. Thomas' worst nightmare would be for someone to describe him as 'nice'. When he enters a room, Thomas is used to having all eyes on him. He's looking for a partner to help balance him out. He explained: 'I'm really concerned they might not like me. That's ok, but I don't want to waste their time or my own time.' Thomas, 31, from Liverpool, is a mental health care assistant bursting with energy, who wants a partner who will help balance his impulsive side out AND THE BRIDES... NAME: April AGE: 32 HOMETOWN: London OCCUPATION: Dress Designer April is a dress designer and successful wedding dress designer and former Miss Great Britain. However, she's not so good at finding the right guy; in fact April's friends joke about her being 'always the bridal designer, never the bride'. For April this joke is wearing a bit thin. Determined to change this label, she's ready to take the plunge and put her love life in the hands of the relationship experts. April thinks she is the most driven and ambitious person she knows and her friends say she won't stop until she succeeds in anything she gets involved in. In her first two Miss GB beauty pageants she came second but, not to be deterred, she came back the next year to win it. April considers herself a positive, bubbly sociable butterfly, with a 'live everyday like it's your last' ethos, and says her personality can be quite silly and jokey, but also sensitive and empathetic towards others. April wants someone who won't mind her being independent and who wants to live life to its fullest with her. It's a dealbreaker if they don't love cheese. She revealed: 'The experts have a great success rate, so I feel like I've got nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain.' April, 32, from London, is a dress designer and a former Miss Great Britain, hopes to finally get to design her own wedding dress for once NAME: Chanita AGE: 29 HOMETOWN: Derby OCCUPATION: Social Worker Chanita is a caring, loyal and protective social worker from Derby. After leaving school, she decided she wanted to spend her life helping young people and has dedicated her life to being a social worker. She makes friends wherever she goes and is always checking in on them to make sure they're all okay lots of people think of her as their best friend. Having come out of a 10-year relationship two years ago, Chanita feels now is the time for her to meet her future partner. Other than helping young people through her work, Chanita's big ambition is to be happily married with a family and a stable home. She revealed: 'It's so hard to pick out the right people, so I thought why not give the experts a challenge and they can do all the hard work for me.' A 29, Derby social worker Chanita has dedicated her life to her work. She just came out of a 10-year relationship two years ago, and feels it's time to write the next chapter of her love life NAME: Jenna AGE: 32 HOMETOWN: Blackpool OCCUPATION: Zero Waste Shop Owner Small business-owner Jenna never envisaged herself getting married. She hated the traditional concept of marriage, as it did not sit right with her that traditionally the woman would take the man's name. She wants to find love, commit to someone and build a long life together. She explained: 'I don't like dating apps and I don't go out anywhere to meet anyone, so this is the only way I'm going to find love hopefully.' Zero waste shop owner from Blackpool Jenna, 32, wants to find love, and admitted she doesn't like dating apps, and says the experiment is the only way for her to find love NAME: Jess AGE: 31 HOMETOWN: Cambridgeshire OCCUPATION: Dental Hygienist Jess describes herself as unique, weird, but extremely fun and outgoing. For Jess, the key ingredient to life is laughter and enjoying herself. She is not afraid to do something that will make her look silly; she will happily get up on a table and start dancing and believes she needs her future partner to match the same energy as her. Equally, Jess says if she has the hump with someone, then they will know about it. Her face often says it all! If she wants to do something, she will do it and does not necessarily think about the consequences, which has hindered her relationships in the past. Jess admits that jumping into something quickly does get her in trouble sometimes and she thinks that this is the main reason why she is still single. She has a habit of moving fast in relationships and tends to skip the 'dating' bit. A self-proclaimed Harry Potter fan, she will happily force her future partner to watch a Harry Potter marathon with her and wear one of her cloaks, even if they hate it! She said: 'On dating apps, people just want to get their leg over they don't want to settle down. I want to settle down!' Jess, 31, from Cambridgeshire, is a dental hygienist looking to sink her teeth into a new romance. She admitted she tends to fall fast and hard NAME: Kasia AGE: 36 HOMETOWN: London OCCUPATION: Businesswoman Kasia left school at 16 to have her first child and says she felt that the odds were stacked against her. However, through sheer graft and determination, Kasia has not only managed to raise two children and have a successful career, but she's also launched her own business, a successful body contouring clinic. Now that her kids are older, she's decided to focus on herself and (hopefully) meet a partner that she can settle down with forever. She's a calm, focused, and extremely driven individual who won't let anything stand in her way until she finds the right guy. Kasia hasn't worked a 9-5 since 2015 and loves the freedom it brings. Her appearance is very important to Kasia, she loves makeup and making the best of herself. Despite being the boss at work, she's after a man who can take the lead, but shares the same drive and passion that she does. She said: 'I'm successful in a lot of other areas in my life and I've been through a lot, but the one area that I'm not successful in is my love life. ' At 36, Londoner Kasia, had her first child aged 16 and says she felt the odds were stacked against her. But she is now a successful mother-of-two and businessman, looking for a man who can take her on NAME: Lara AGE: 49 HOMETOWN: Nottingham OCCUPATION: Waitress Canadian ex dancer Lara has lived an extraordinary life. She's been married and divorced twice and has led a luxury lifestyle. She once flew from Japan to New York for dinner and was used to spending vast sums on clothes. Her life is very different today though. Lara's relationship role models are her parents who have been married for 51 years and are one another's best friend. Lara says they are madly in love all these years later. Lara finds herself trying to force every relationship she has to be like theirs, often letting red flags slide to try and make the relationship work. Although she's been single for 12 years now, Lara still believes in fairy-tale romance and is forever looking for her prince, to introduce to her two sons. She confessed: 'The experts couldn't pick any worse than I could pick.' At 49, Lara, a waitress from Nottingham originally hails from Canada and is twice married and divorced, having led a life of luxury NAME: Whitney AGE: 31 HOMETOWN: St Albans OCCUPATION: PA Fun, confident and sexy, Whitney isn't short of male attention, but in order for her to settle down and commit, a man has got to tick all of her boxes. This has never happened. After losing her mother, Whitney has had a tough couple of years. Her mum was her best friend, and though she had a strict upbringing, she's proud it made her the strong and independent woman she now is. Although she has dated lots of men on a superficial level, she's never found anyone good enough to bring home to her family. She has such high expectations for her potential partner and worries she'll never actually let anyone in. Now her biggest fear is ending up 50 and single, alone with her dogs! Finally, she feels ready to give someone a chance, and thinks that putting the responsibility of finding her partner into the experts' hands might be her only solution. She said: 'I need to get my s**t together and embrace the situation.' Whitney said she isn't short of male attention, and has dated a lot of men on a superficial level, but she's never brought anyone home to her family NAME: Zoe AGE: 30 HOMETOWN: West Midlands OCCUPATION: Quantity Surveyor Zoe is an outgoing, ambitious and successful professional. She works hard and plays even harder. She describes herself as dominant and assertive but is looking for a genuine connection, someone she can share her softer, more intimate side with. Having recently turned 30, Zoe no longer wants to be known as a serial dater. She is bored with the stale repetition of dating and wants to settle down and eventually start a family. Zoe is hoping 2022 will be the year she finally finds true love. She said: 'I've never been with someone and thought 'I want to grow old with you'.' Princess Charlotte has been inundated with praise by royal fans for 'that hair flip' as she arrived at the Queen's state funeral in London yesterday. The Prince and Princess of Wales' two eldest children, George, heir-to-the-throne, nine, and his younger sister, seven, joined senior royals at the Queen's funeral yesterday, attending both the state funeral in London and comital service in Windsor. As the little princess arrived at the service, the schoolgirl repeatedly flicked her dark blonde locks - and those on social media were quick to go wild over the moment. One commented: 'She is queen material!!! Love this child!' while another added: 'Charlotte will be something special for sure she radiates it'. Princess Charlotte has been inundated with praise by royal fans for 'that hair flip' as she arrived at the Queen's state funeral in London yesterday As the little princess arrived at the service, the schoolgirl repeatedly flicked her dark blonde locks - and those on social media were quick to go wild over the moment A third jokingly added: 'Already an icon and she got her Mama signal hair flick. Anna Wintour probably thinking, I can't wait for her to turn 18 so she can be in the cover of Vogue.' Another wrote: 'Princess Charlotte has a powerful presence for one so young!' 'Princess Charlotte was definitely the star of day,' another added. 'Her little horse shoe brooch is a gift from The Queen.' Another agreed, adding: 'Love her! I think she is my new favourite Royal!' Many royal fans went wild online after spotting the adorable moment from the little Princess (pictured left and right) The little royal could be seen flicking her hair behind her shoulder as she arrived at the event yesterday The seven-year-old reached up and brushed her hair from her chest and behind her shoulder ahead of the service One commented: 'So young and yet so poised.' Another added: 'She's definitely going to be in charge, just like her Aunt Anne!' 'What an adorable little lady Princess Charlotte is,' a third commented. And it's not the first time Princess Charlotte has been seen performing the gesture in recent years. Many royal fans spotted the then-four-year-old princess flicking her hair in a similar way when she arrived at Thomas's Battersea in South London for her first day of school in 2019. Many royal fans have been going wild over the moment online, and praising Charlotte's 'powerful presence' Yesterday marked Charlotte's highest profile appearance to date, with the little princess appearing pensive and deep in thought as she attended the historic Queen's funeral. Her Majesty made her final and saddest journey from Westminster Hall as Britain mourned its longest-serving monarch and the royals bade goodbye to a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. r Majesty made her final and saddest journey from Westminster Hall as Britain mourned its longest-serving monarch and the royals bade goodbye to a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. For George and Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, 40, provided a reassuring presence throughout, tightly holding onto her daughter's hand at the family arrived at Westminster Abbey. A smile for 'Gan-Gan': Princess Charlotte shyly smiles as she stands with her brother and senior royals at Westminster Abbey (Pictured from left: Meghan Markle, Sophie Wessex, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Kate Middleton) A guiding hand, the young royals pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey ahead of the funeral Responsibility: Heads bowed, Prince Charlotte and Prince George walk inbetween the Prince and Princess of Wales as they follow the Queen's coffin into the church Princess Charlotte wore a black mourning coat with velour collar and matching wide-brimmed hat, while George was dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie. Prince George appeared mature beyond his years, appreciating the history of the moment, and waiting patiently as his father Prince William arrived into the Abbey after walking behind the Queen's coffin. Princess Charlotte was seen giving her older brother Prince George a lesson in royal protocol during a moment of levity amid the Queen's final send off. The youngster was spotted telling her sibling that he 'has to bow', as the Queen's coffin went past while en route to Windsor, following Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday. Sombre: George and Charlotte sing hymns during the funeral service, each seated beside their mother, the Princess of Wales The Queen's great grandchildren, clearly aware of the enormity of the day, stand quietly by their mother's side before as they await the arrival of their father. To their right, the Duchess of Sussex stands next to them A family in grief: From left: The Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex stand outside Westminster Abbey after the state funeral Princess Charlotte is seen adjusting her hat; the youngster wore a horseshoe brooch on her mourning coat, which was a gift from her great-grandmother the Queen. Right: Princess Charlotte is seen adjusting her hat; the youngster wore a horseshoe brooch on her mourning coat, which was a gift from her great-grandmother the Queen As the casket passed the young royals, Princess Charlotte could be seen telling her brother 'you need to bow'. The older child appeared to take his sister's instruction on board, lowering his head as the monarch's coffin passed him. The Wales are believed to have brought the second-in-line to the throne to the historic event after senior palace advisers them to consider letting him attend the state funeral because of the powerful symbolic message it sent. The couple's elder children appearing at the funeral did come as somewhat of a surprise. The Daily Mail reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales thought long and hard about whether their two eldest children, aged nine and seven, should join them. But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfathers memorial in March, William and Kate decided they could cope with the solemnity of the occasion. As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them, a source said. Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it. A supportive hand: Kate Middleton touches her daughter's shoulder as the family make their way to their seats Royal fans have gone wild over the striking similarity between Prince George and his father Prince William at the Queen's state funeral yesterday. Nine-year-old George, who is second-in-line to the throne, joined his parents and younger sister Charlotte, seven, to say goodbye to his beloved 'Gan-Gan' at Westminster Abbey, followed by the Committal Service at Windsor Castle. He remained on his best behaviour despite the enormity of the occasion, winning praise from viewers of the coverage. Daddy's double! Royal fans have gone wild over the striking similarity between Prince George and his father Prince William at the Queen's state funeral yesterday They took to Twitter to share their amazement following the state funeral in London Others noted he looked particularly like his father, the Prince of Wales, 40, with one tweeting: 'George looks so much like William. The future if the Monarchy is exciting.' Another messaged: 'George is spitting image of Will, with a touch of Dianas eyes.' A third wrote: 'Charlotte and George resemble each other and look like William.' Kate Middleton allowed her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte to have a last-minute extra role in the funeral of their beloved 'Gan Gan' as they walked behind her coffin. After the children attended Her late Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, they travelled with their mother Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, to St George's Chapel in Windsor for a Committal Service, where the Queen was laid to rest. Prince George (right) and Princess Charlotte (centre) seen at Wellington Arch where the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was transferred into the hearse before a final trip to Windsor The children stand between Kate Middleton and Queen Consort Camilla as the coffin of the late Queen arrives at Wellington Arch The young royals, seven and nine, followed the procession behind the Queen's coffin as it entered St George's Chapel in what appeared to be an unplanned change to the order of service Many royal fans expected Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, not to have a role in the Committal Service, however they were pictured walking into the Chapel behind Her Majesty's coffin. The children's inclusion in the service appears to be a last-minute decision from their parents Kate Middleton and Prince William, The Mirror reports. It was difficult to spot the miniature royals as they walked behind the adult members of the Royal Family before the Committal Service, but the young Prince and Princess dutifully followed their great-grandmother's coffin as it was led into the chapel. Earlier today Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Wales stood in the front row at Westminster Abbey as they sang hymns while standing with their parents at the state funeral of Her late Majesty. The Princess of Wales, 40, provided a reassuring presence throughout, tightly holding onto her daughter's hand at the family arrived at Westminster Abbey - and offering a pat on the knee to her eldest son as the family were seated ahead of the service. At one stage, Prince William offered to offer Prince George a comforting look during the service this afternoon in Windsor The Wales family were sitting alongside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Peter Philips and Zara Tindall) today in St George's Chapel Sibling unity: The young royals were inseparable throughout the day and were barely seen away from each other's sides. Pictured here at Wellington Arch following the funeral service at Westminster Abbey Princess Charlotte and Prince George were sitting alongside their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this afternoon The Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Committal Service for the Queen held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire Sibling love: The pair were seen walking side by side into Windsor Castle, the final resting place of their precious great-grandmother Prince George and Charlotte joined their mother Kate as they left the vehicles to enter St George's Chapel for the service this afternoon Riding together: The children were accompanied in their car by their mother, the Princess of Wales, and Camilla, the Queen Consort The children could be seen looking out the window as they were driven from London to Windsor this afternoon between the two services Princess Charlotte wore a black mourning coat with velour collar and matching wide-brimmed hat, while George was dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie. On Charlotte's coat was a sweet tribute to her Gan-Gan, as she wore a horseshoe brooch that had been given to her by the late Queen. Prince George appeared to become emotional as he was pictured wiping his eyes outside Westminster Abbey, while his younger sister put on a brave face. Princess Charlotte was often seen holding her mother's hand, with Princess George watching on at his beloved 'Gan-Gan's' funeral Charlotte of Wales - her new title - stands next to Prince George of Wales at Wellington Arch after the State Funeral of the Queen - their beloved great-grandmother The foursome travelled in the car at several points throughout the long day, which began at 11am with the Queen's funeral service in Westminster Abbey The foursome travelled in the car at several points throughout the long day, which began at 11am with the Queen's funeral service in Westminster Abbey A day in history: Prince George, nine, left, and Princess Charlotte, seven, are pictured travelling by car with the Queen Consort, who waved to crowds, and their mother, the Princess of Wales, to the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey today The brother and sister look out across London's historic streets, with the Queen Consort seated behind them, as thousands of mourners line the streets The Queen's great grandchildren, clearly aware of the enormity of the day, stand quietly by their mother's side before as they await the arrival of their father. To their right, the Duchess of Sussex stands next to them The Princess of Wales is seen walking hand-in-hand with her daughter as the family arrived at Westminster Abbey's hallowed doors ahead of the 11am service Prince George and his sister Princess Charlotte are shepherded to their seats by their mother the Princess of Wales Arrival: The new Princess of Wales and her daughter exit the royal car at Westminster Abbey; the senior royal gently guides the seven-year-old in the right direction A smile for 'Gan-Gan': Princess Charlotte shyly smiles as she stands with her brother and senior royals at Westminster Abbey (Pictured from left: Meghan Markle, Sophie Wessex, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Kate Middleton) A guiding hand, the young royals pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey ahead of the funeral Princess Charlotte stares out of the window from the royal car that carried herself and her older brother to Westminster Abbey Prince George, seated beside the Prince of Wales holds onto his order of service during the funeral for his great grandmother Prince George, seated beside the Prince of Wales holds onto his order of service during the funeral for his great grandmother Three generations: Prince George walks next to his father, as Prince Harry and Prince Edward walk ahead and behind Responsibility: Heads bowed, Prince Charlotte and Prince George walk inbetween the Prince and Princess of Wales as they follow the Queen's coffin into the church Sombre: George and Charlotte sing hymns during the funeral service, each seated beside their mother, the Princess of Wales A family in grief: From left: The Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex stand outside Westminster Abbey after the state funeral Princess Charlotte is seen adjusting her hat; the youngster wore a horseshoe brooch on her mourning coat, which was a gift from her great-grandmother the Queen. Right: Princess Charlotte is seen adjusting her hat; the youngster wore a horseshoe brooch on her mourning coat, which was a gift from her great-grandmother the Queen Pictured from above: The Princess of Wales is seen guiding her two children into the Abbey; while Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte wore traditional black mourning dress, Prince George opted for a navy blue suit with a black tie Prince George and Princess Charlotte were the youngest members of the royal family to accompany the coffin down through the Abbey, (The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured four rows from the back of the central aisle) The Queen's great grandchildren sat in front of their mother, the Princess of Wales and the Queen Consort as they made their way to Westminster Abbey in the claret royal car Prince George casts a glance at the crowds who've turned out to mourn his great grandmother The young heir to the throne en route to a final farewell to his beloved 'Gan-Gan', with his mother and the Queen Consort seated behind him The Princess of Wales cut a pensive figure as she joined her mother-in-law and two of her three children for the short journey - while the King and Prince of Wales marched behind the Queen's coffin Solemnity: The family sat in hushed silence as the car drove past crowds of mourners gathered on London's streets The family pictured walking into the Abbey, bypassing royal guards in traditional uniform, ahead of the state funeral A supportive hand: Kate Middleton touches her daughter's shoulder as the family make their way to their seats A supportive hand: Kate Middleton touches her daughter's shoulder as the family make their way to their seats Kate Middleton speaks to a member of the clergy welcoming the royal family to the Abbey, while holding Princess Charlotte's hand Advertisement While the Duchess of York attended the Queen's funeral, despite her marriage to Prince Andrew ending 30 years ago in 1992, other former partners of royal family members didn't receive a similar invite. Sarah Ferguson, 62, who shares daughters Princesses Eugenie, 32, and Beatrice, 34 with the Queen's second eldest son, has remained on close terms with both her ex-husband and senior royals, and according to one royal expert, is an exception to protocol. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told FEMAIL: 'Because it was a state funeral protocol had to be enforced. All the Heads of State, Commonwealth leaders and foreign Kings and Queens had priority over friends. 'The committal service at Windsor was more for family and friends and former and current staff from the royal households. So Fergie was invited as a personal friend of the Monarch as well as the mother of Beatrice and Eugenie the only two of the Queens grandchildren to have been made Princesses. 'Unless they remain close for other reasons, the line is usually drawn at former royal husbands or wives.' Here, FEMAIL looks at who might have been expected at the Queen's state funeral at Westminster Abbey - but didn't appear on the 2,000-strong guest list... History: The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in a Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre arrives during the State Funeral Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday The Duchess of York has showed its possible to maintain harmony with the royal family after a marriage breakdown; despite her divorce from the Queen's second eldest son in 1992, Fergie was present at yesterday's services SERENA SNOWDON, FORMER WIFE OF THE EARL OF SNOWDON Happier times: Serena, Countess of Snowdon, and David Armstrong-Jones, pictured in 2019 before the couple announced their marriage of 27 years had come to an end. Serena didn't attend the Queen's funeral on Monday Many would have expected the Countess of Snowdon, who was firmly a part of the royal family for the 27 years she was married to David Armstrong-Jones, the Queen's nephew, to have been in attendance at Westminster Abbey Instead, the Earl of Snowdon attended the service with family members. Pictured: Royals follow the bearer party carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into Westminster Hall; from left, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Edward, Earl of Snowdon and Meghan Markle David Armstrong-Jones holding forth with the Prince of Wales, left, and Prince Harry, right, as Princess Anne, front, walks by Upon hearing the news in 2020 that her nephew David Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, was set to divorce his wife Serena after more than 27 years of marriage, the late Queen was said to be 'saddened'. Many watching the Queen's funeral service might have expressed surprise that Serena, the daughter of the 12th Earl of Harrington, wasn't among the mourners. The Monarch had enjoyed a close relationship with both her nephew and his former wife, with the couple frequently visiting Sandringham at Christmas and Balmoral in the summer. The couple wed in October 1993 and have two children Viscount Linley, Charles Armstrong-Jones and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones. They were married at St Margaret's Church in Westminster in October 1993, with guests including the Queen, David's divorced parents, Princess Diana and the Aga Khan. Armstrong-Jones, Princess Margaret's son from her marriage to Lord Snowdon, announced the 'amicable' split from Serena three years ago and the couple were officially divorced in 2020, releasing a statement at the time which read: 'The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced. They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family.' Friends blamed the amount of time Armstrong-Jones spent away from home on business and insisted no one else was involved. He inherited the title Earl of Snowdon on the death of his father in January 2017, and is known as the 'royal carpenter' because of his high-end furniture business, Linley. A key member of the peripheral royals, Armstrong Jones is 20th in line to the throne, has lectured around the world and written books about furniture and styling the home. AUTUMN PHILLIPS, EX-WIFE OF PETER PHILLIPS, THE QUEEN'S GRANDSON Princess Anne's former daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips also didn't attend the funeral for Her Majesty; Autumn divorced the Queen's grandson in 2021 after the pair were wed in 2008 While the Phillips' two daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, attended the funeral with their father Peter Phillips, their mother (pictured at Royal Ascot in 2019) was not at Westminster Abbey. The breakdown of Autumn and Peter's marriage was considered as particularly painful for the Queen, who enjoyed a close relationship with her grandson's wife Just weeks before the Earl of Snowdon announced he was separating from the Countess of Snowdon, Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips announced his own separation - from long-term love Autumn Phillips. The couple wed in 2008, but Peter divorced Canadian national Autumn officially last year and it was a surprise that she didn't attend the funeral. Autumn continues to live on Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire five minutes from Cirencester Park which hosted the horse trials so she can co-parent 11-year-old Savannah and ten-year-old Isla with Peter. The breakdown of Autumn and Peter's marriage was considered as particularly painful for the Queen, who enjoyed a close relationship with her grandson's wife. The couple first met on a business trip at the 2003 Montreal Grand Prix, where Autumn was working as a Budweiser girl at the event. Not realising he was the Queen's grandson, the pair embarked on a relationship and Phillips popped the question after a few years of dating. The newlyweds faced public scrutiny when their wedding photos were sold to Hello! magazine for a reported 500,000 fee. Peter Phillips asked the Tindalls to take care of his daughters while he joined in the procession at the Queen's funeral, pictured, left, with Prince Andrew Princess Anne's eldest grandchildren Savannah, 11, and Isla Philips, 10, far left, and second from left, were accompanied by the Tindalls for the service at Westminster yesterday Yesterday, the Queen's eldest grandson attended the funeral with family members only, including his daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10. While Peter took part in the procession to Westminster Abbey, his daughters stayed with Zara and Mike Tindall, accompanied by their eldest daughter Mia. Mia's younger siblings, Lena, four, and Lucas, one, were not in attendance. Mia Tindall and her first cousins have grown up together on Princess Royal's Gatcombe Estate, and stayed close to one another as they walked into the service in Westminster Abbey yesterday. Their mother is thought to be in a relationship with Irish construction company boss Donal Mulryan. The new couple, who have been dating since last year, were photographed together with Savannah and Isla on a Mother's Day outing to the Cirencester horse trials in March. Mulryan is close friends with Prince Albert of Monaco, having lived in the principality with his socialite wife Louise before they split several years ago. In his 30-year career, the 52-year-old London-based property magnate has built 6 million sq ft of hotel, residential and commercial property in the UK. CAPTAIN MARK PHILLIPS, PRINCESS ANNE'S EX-HUSBAND Captain Mark Phillips and Princess Anne pictured in 1981; the former couple who share children Zara, 41, and Peter, 44, have remained on friendly terms, although protocol might have dictated why the father of the Queen's grandchildren wasn't at the funeral Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Anne's second husband has remained a constant by her side since the Queen's death was announced on September 8th (Pictured on Monday at St George's Chapel, Windsor) Much water has passed under the bridge since Captain Mark Phillips, 73, and the Queen's only daughter, 74, announced they were ending their marriage in 1992 - the same year that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorced. While Princess Anne has been happily settled with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence since that period, her ex-husband has also had numerous relationships, including reportedly finding new love recently with a woman thought to be in her 40s. Phillips, is said to be currently 'inseparable' from Belgian equestrian Florence Standaert, who is thought to be around the same age as the former Olympic gold medallist's daughter, 41-year-old Zara. Supportive: Captain Mark Phillips was not thought to be at the Queen's funeral but enjoys a close relationship with both of his children. (Phillips pictured with daughter Zara Tindall at Cheltenham Festival in March Phillips divorced Princess Anne in 1992 after 19 years of marriage (pictured on their wedding day in 1973) The Queen's granddaughter was cheered on by both her father, who turns 74 this month, and Standaert, as she competed in the long-awaited return of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. It's thought that Captain Mark and Princess Anne still enjoy a friendly relationship and her former husband might well have been on the guest list were the numbers of dignitaries, politicians and global and European royals not so closely curtailed. Anne's first marriage finally fell apart after she embarked on an affair with now-husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence in the late-1980s. The couple married in December the same year she divorced Phillips. Meanwhile, the Olympic gold medal winner married American dressage rider Sandy Pflueger, 67, in 1997, but it was confirmed in 2012 that they had separated. Phillips, who has a reputed fortune of up to 20 million, had already become involved with another woman, Lauren Hough, 45, an American showjumper. Friends speculated in 2015 that he and Hough would soon get engaged, but the announcement never came. Advertisement Prince George was snapped sticking his tongue out on his way to Windsor after the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday. Amateur photographer Matt White, 30, captured the photograph, showing the nine-year-old pulling the funny face out of view of his mother the Princess of Wales, who sat behind her two eldest children, George and Princess Charlotte, seven. George, who is now second in line to the throne, and Charlotte remained dignified during their appearance at the historic abbey as they kept close to their mother, Kate, 40, and were comforted by various members of the royal family - including Sophie Wessex. They joined the rest of the senior royals at the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor, journeying via car, which is when Matt, from Greenhithe, Kent, caught the candid snap of George. His brother Prince Louis, four, dominated headlines following his cheeky displays throughout the Platinum Jubilee events in June. Prince George was snapped sticking his tongue out on his way to Windsor after the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday Amateur photographer Matt White, 30, captured the photograph, showing the nine-year-old pulling the funny face out of view of his mother the Princess of Wales, who sat behind her two eldest children, George and Princess Charlotte (pictured), seven Matt stayed out all night between Sunday and Monday to get a front row seat on the Queen's funeral parade. The sales consultant said he didn't sleep a wink throughout the night, but that the wait was completely worth it. He said: 'The atmosphere through the whole night was just amazing. It was such a great crowd and we were on the barrier so got a great view. I wasn't expecting it to be as big and great as it was. 'We were told to take down our tents at about five in the morning, which we'd had up since about eight in the evening. Initially we'd put them up at about seven, but had to take them down because police said we had to wait an hour. 'Some of us slept, but with all the noise and it being quite cold and uncomfortable I just stayed up overnight. It was quite a sombre day, but a hell of a day overall. The procession was just absolutely amazing.' A long and memorable day: Kate Middleton accompanied her children into the second service of the day held at Windsor Castle Charlotte of Wales - her new title - stands next to Prince George of Wales at Wellington Arch after the State Funeral of the Queen - their beloved great-grandmother Responsibility: Heads bowed, Prince Charlotte and Prince George walk in-between the Prince and Princess of Wales as they follow the Queen's coffin into the church Matt said he didn't even realise he had taken the photo of Prince George until Monday afternoon. He added: 'I'm just a bit of an amateur photographer, so I borrowed a camera for the day to get some better photos. 'I'd seen Prince George and Kate go by and snapped a photo of their car, but it was only a very quick photo so I didn't think it would be that good. I only realised later when I was looking through the photos that George was pulling that face. 'It was quite a funny thing to get a photo of - especially as he's now second in line for the throne and his brother did the same thing at the jubilee.' The Queen's great grandchildren, clearly aware of the enormity of the day, stand quietly by their mother's side as they await the arrival of their father. To their right, the Duchess of Sussex stands next to them A family in grief: From left: The Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex stand outside Westminster Abbey after the state funeral The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey past the grave of the Unknown Soldier How Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, proved they were ready for the enormity of the Queen's state funeral after flawless high-profile outings at the Platinum Jubilee and Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday - before joining senior royals at the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The two eldest children of the Prince and Princess of Wales remained dignified throughout their appearance as they kept close to their mother, Kate, 40, and were comforted by various members of the royal family - including Sophie Wessex. Prior to the Queen's state funeral, George, nine, Charlotte, seven, had proved they could be trusted to deal with the spotlight after successfully appearing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June and Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving in March. William, 40, and Kate decided the brother and sister duo were 'up to' going to Her Majesty's funeral but Louis was 'too young'. The four-year-old prince dominated headlines following his cheeky displays throughout the Jubilee events. Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Her Majesty's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday - before joining senior royals at the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Prior to the Queen's state funeral, George, nine, Charlotte, seven, had proved they could be trusted to deal with the spotlight after successfully appearing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June and Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving in March (pictured) Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee on June 02, 2022 in London Princess Charlotte and Prince George visit Cardiff Castle on June 04, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales, for the Platinum Jubilee Sources called the decision to include George and Charlotte, who are second and third in line to the throne, in yesterday's event a 'collective family decision'. 'As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them,' a source told The Daily Mail. 'Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it.' It came after they appeared at the funeral of Prince Philip, their great-grandfather last year, and their attendance at yesterday's farewell events gave them a chance to say goodbye to Her Majesty, who they affectionately called 'Gan Gan'. The Daily Mail understands that William and Kate thought 'long and hard' about whether their two eldest children should join them. But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfather's memorial in March, William and Kate decided they could cope with the solemnity of the occasion. Louis, the couple's youngest, is just four and did not join. The older siblings also showed their maturity when attending the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - with both George and Charlotte being well behaved throughout the four-day occasion. They even joined the Prince and Princess of Wales on a visit to Cardiff, and took part in a walkabout at Cardiff Castle. William, 40, and Kate (pictured in Cardiff with George and Charlotte) decided the brother and sister duo were 'up to' going to Her Majesty's funeral but Louis was 'too young'. The four-year-old prince dominated headlines following his cheeky displays throughout the Jubilee events William and Kate stand with their children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen's Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are pictured alongside the Queen as they wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5 Prince George and Princess Charlotte depart the memorial service for the Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told FEMAIL: 'Some will have been surprised that nine- year-old Prince George, who is second in line to the throne and his sister Princess Charlotte who is seven and third in line, attended both the late Queen's funeral and the subsequent Committal Service at Windsor. 'However the way their parents have involved them in public events meant that they were in fact prepared for what for some would have been onerous, especially when so young. 'This year George has been seen in public a good deal. Appearances at Prince Philips Memorial Service and at several events during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and also at the Six Nations Rugby match where he chatted publicly and seemed to enjoy himself will have made him confident. 'It can be seen that both have been well trained in public appearances and they would undoubtedly have wanted to attend events honouring their beloved Gan-Gan. 'They behaved impeccably and also gave the watching world a glimpse of the future of the monarchy. This was a day which honoured one of the greatest ever Britons and in participating they were walking with history.' Yesterday, Kate offered constant reassurance to George and Charlotte throughout the Queen's funeral to help the young royals cope with the most difficult day of their young lives. Sibling unity: The young royals were inseparable throughout the day and were barely seen away from each other's sides. Pictured here at Wellington Arch following the funeral service at Westminster Abbey A reassuring hand: The Princess of Wales puts her hand on the knee of her eldest son, Prince George, during the service at Westminster Abbey Princess Charlotte and Prince George were sitting alongside their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex yesterday afternoon At one stage, Prince William offered Prince George a comforting look during the Committal Service in Windsor The Wales family were sitting alongside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Peter Philips and Zara Tindall in St George's Chapel Heir-to-the-throne George and his younger sister Charlotte joined senior royals at the historic event, beginning their day bypassing thousands of mourners on the streets of London as they travelled to Westminster Abbey with the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales. Kate, clearly aware that her two elder children would find the day emotionally difficult, provided a constant source of comfort to George and his younger sister, who wore a smart black hat with a bow and a horseshoe brooch given to her by the late Queen, as they prepared to bid a final farewell to their beloved 'Gan-Gan'. It was clear from the first sighting of the siblings, who travelled in a royal car with their parents before later transferring to a procession car with Kate and Camilla that both children appeared to grasp the enormity of the day in spite of their tender years. The Queen's great grandchildren cut solemn figures as they were driven to Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen's state funeral, which saw 2,000 dignitaries, foreign royals and politicians pour into the historic London abbey. Her Majesty made her final and saddest journey from Westminster Hall as Britain mourned its longest-serving monarch and the royals bade goodbye to a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The pair were seen walking side by side into Windsor Castle, the final resting place of their precious great-grandmother The Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Committal Service for the Queen held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire For George and Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, 40, provided a reassuring presence throughout, tightly holding onto her daughter's hand as the family arrived at Westminster Abbey - and offering a pat on the knee to her eldest son as the family were seated ahead of the service. Princess Charlotte wore a black mourning coat with velour collar and matching wide-brimmed hat, while George was dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie. George appeared mature beyond his years, appreciating the history of the moment, and waiting patiently as his father Prince William arrived into the Abbey after walking behind the Queen's coffin. The Princess of Wales continued with a series of supportive gestures to her daughter, including guiding her into the Abbey with a gentle hand as the family walked through the oak doors. Kate and William are believed to have brought the second-in-line to the throne to the historic event after senior palace advisers them to consider letting him attend the state funeral because of the powerful symbolic message it sends. Princess Charlotte was often seen holding her mother's hand, with Princess George watching on at his beloved 'Gan-Gan's' funeral Sombre: George and Charlotte sing hymns during the funeral service, each seated beside their mother, the Princess of Wales The death of their great-grandmother the Queen will be a heavy blow to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as they and their parents begin a new life at Adelaide Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle - where Her Majesty spent most of the year. During royal walkabouts and engagements this week, the Princess of Wales has offered a glimpse into the grief of her children, saying that Prince George has a greater understanding of their Gan-Gan's passing. Days ago, Prince William said the couple are 'trying to keep everything constant' for their three children since the death of their beloved Grannie. While speaking with well-wishers outside the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, the Queen's grandson Prince William told royal fans the children are 'settling in' after their great grandmother passed away during 'the first week of school'. But he added they were 'doing ok'. He told well-wisher Karen Anvil: 'We're trying to keep everything constant and settled for them.' As royal fans chatted with the Prince of Wales, he admitted there was lots of talk of the Queen's death among the pupils - and agreed it was the 'only talking point'. A family friend of the Queen has spoken about his memories of the monarch following her funeral yesterday. Harry Herbert, the son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon and brother of the current Earl, spoke to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning, about his and the Queen's shared love of horse racing. He revealed the Queen gave him permission to use one of her 'reserved race horse names' for his race horse. He explained how he wrote a letter to the monarch to ask if he could use the name 'Heritage' and the royal said 'of course you can I hope hes lucky for you. Harry Herbert, who grew up knowing the Queen, spoke about his fond memories with Her Majesty, on This Morning following her funeral yesterday Harry pictured with family friend Queen Elizabeth at a horse racing course together in Newbury in 2015 Harry's father Henry Herbert, also known as Lord Porchester, was a personal friend of Queen Elizabeth for over 20 years and the monarch used to regularly visit their family home. Speaking about his time growing up around the Queen he said: 'My dad was her best friend for many years and confidant and so myself my sister Carol and my brother Geordie, we grew up knowing the Queen from a young age. 'We were surrounded by her, every part of her, her character, and she came to stay often at Milford which was my family home.' The CEO of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing and of The Royal Ascot Racing Club continued: 'After my dad died in 2001, my brother-in-law John took over the role of her racing manager and she also became a confidant. 'He was telling me the other day that he had spoken to Her Majesty every day for the past probably on average every other day for the past 21 years.' ITV's Chef Clodagh McKenna married Harry in 2021 at Highclere Castle after they got engaged in 2020 Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning, the son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, revealed the Queen gave him permission to use one of her 'reserved race horse names' for his race horse Speaking about the horse Heritage which holds a special memory for Henry he said: 'naming a race horse is really important and Heritage seemed a wonderful name. 'So I looked it up and the security at the races said that's one of Her Majesty's reserved names, so I gave my dad a call to see if he could work his magic and he said "absolutely not, you do your own dirty work".' After he wrote to the Queen himself she wrote back granting him permission to use the name. He said: 'She wrote back by return of post and said "of course you can use the name, and I hope he is very lucky for you." Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother with with Henry Herbert, Lord Porchester enjoying the Epsom Derby at Epsom racecourse in 1991 The Queen Mother, Prince Charles, the Queen at The Derby with the Queen's racing manager Earl Of Carnarvon (formerly Lord Porchester) in 1993 He went onto to speak about a 'strange coincidence' two years later when Heritage was running at Ascot he won and the Queen toasted his victory with him at Buckingham Palace. Harry's father met the Queen during their teenage years, and they shared a great love of the countryside and horses. The 7th Earl, whom the Queen affectionately called Porchey, was not only her racing manager from 1969 until his death on September 11, 2001, but her confidant. Because he died on the same day as the 9/11 atrocities, when Her Majesty made her emotional address to those who had lost loved ones in New York, many felt she also spoke of her dear friend Porchey when she said with heartfelt sadness: Grief is the price we pay for love. ITV's Chef Clodagh McKenna married Harry in 2021 at Highclere Castle after they got engaged in 2020. The Queen's final journey down the aisle of Westminster Abbey yesterday before going to her resting place in Windsor Princess Anne looked at her mother's coffin and the crown on a sad day for Britain and the world The Duke of Kent was the only person to walk in both the Queen's funeral and the funeral of her father King George VI, royal fans have noted. Prince Edward, 86, who has been described as a 'whisper-close' confidant of the late Sovereign, walked behind the Queen's coffin yesterday as it arrived in Westminster Abbey for her state funeral, and later in Windsor for her Committal Service. He was just 16 years old when he walked in the procession at the 1952 funeral of Her Majesty's father, George VI. The Duke of Kent, the son of George VI's brother Prince George of Kent, is understood to be the only member of the Royal Family to have walked in both funeral processions. Black and white pictures shared by royal fans on Twitter have showed a fresh-faced Duke walking behind the late King's coffin. Prince Edward, 86, who has been described as a 'whisper-close' confidant of the late Sovereign, walked behind the Queen's coffin yesterday as it arrived in Westminster Abbey (pictured) for her state funeral, and later in Windsor for her Committal Service The Duke, circled, was 16 when her father passed in 1952, ands walked in his funeral aged 16, in the same line as the Duke of Edinburgh and is thought to be the only person to have walked in both processions The Queen was joined by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent on the balcony at Buckingham Palace today in her first balcony appearance since the death of Prince Philip. The Duke, who was wearing his military uniform for the occasion, looked pensive yesterday as he took his place behind his cousin's coffin. He was seen walking in line with the late Monarch's other cousins, Prince Michael of Kent, 80, and the Duke of Gloucester, 78. The Duke, was thought to be a close confidant of the Queen, and he stepped up to be by her side Jubilee fly-past this summer after the death of her dear husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Since the Duke of Edinburgh retired from public duties in 2017, the Duke of Kent has been at The Queen's side for many state events and during the pandemic, he was the only member of The Firm to accompany to her scaled down birthday celebrations. The pair have previously been described as 'whisper-close confidants' and Prince Edward has been praised for his tireless stoicism and work for the Firm. The Duke arrived at his cousin the Queen's funeral in his uniform, walking alongside Prince Michael of Kent, 80 Prince Edward walked behind the Monarch's coffin both as it entered Westminster, and for her Committal Service in Windsor He is 86 now and though the higher-profile activities of young royals such as William, Kate, Meghan and Harry grab the headlines, the Duke of Kent carries serenely on with his duties with a quiet, unfussy dignity and absolute contentment. According to royal expert Richard Kay, it would 'be hard to find another Royal Family member who embodies the qualities of loyalty and obligation to Queen and country more than Edward Kent'. Affectionately known in the family as 'steady Eddie', he is the grandson of George V and Queen Mary, and the nephew of the Queen's father King George VI. Through his mother, Princess Marina, the duke is a cousin of Prince Philip, while his father Prince George was the younger brother of the exiled Duke of Windsor. The duke published his memoirs earlier this year, in which he shared the inside story 'behind the scenes of the world's most celebrated family'. The Duke, top right, is the son of Prince George of Kent - the brother of the Queen's father - making him the late Monarch's cousin The Duke of Gloucester walked behind the coffin of King George Vi with, from left to right, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Windsor and the Duke of Kent The young royal, wearing a top hat, bottom right, was among the first men to walk behind the King's coffin in 1952 A key part of the royal family, he has labelled his role in the Queen's Coronation in 1953 'daunting' - and admitted his 'chief anxiety was that I'd forget my lines'. In his book 'A Royal Life,' Her Majesty's cousin detailed the events following his uncle King George VI's death at Sandringham at the age of 56 - including the Queen's Coronation. He recalled in his memoir, which was released this summer, how he was nervous about his lines after being told he would have a prominent role in the ceremony. Then aged 17, the Duke was informed he would be seated in front of the peers alongside his cousin Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his uncle, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, as one of the three royal dukes who would pay homage to the Queen after the Archbishop of Canterbury. Her Majesty's first cousin, 86, stepped up to support her. Previously, she was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, who died aged 99 in April 2021 The Queen was accompanied by her cousin, the Duke of Kent, at this year's Trooping the Colour. They are pictured together in 2013 'My chief anxiety was that I would forget my lines. I had been given the impression that I had to remember them so I had learned them by heart,' he recalled. As Vice Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board, and later of British Trade International (1976 2001), The Duke of Kent has undertaken more than 60 overseas trips to promote British trade and exports, including to Europe, Japan, Australia and the Middle East. He was also the first member of the Royal Family to make an official visit to China. Extremely hard-working, he is involved with more than 140 different charities, organisations and professional bodies which cover a wide range of issues, from commemorating the war dead, to fostering the development of British technology and industry. Advertisement Queen Letizia of Spain left Queen Elizabeth II's funeral after the Westminster Abbey service to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, local reports have claimed. The mother-of-two, 50, did not attend Her Majesty's Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor - leaving her husband King Felipe, 54, to attend with his 83-year-old mother Queen Sofia. Footage shared online by royal fans show Letizia leaving the Spanish Embassy in London on Monday, where she had been staying since arriving alongside Felipe the day before. It is thought the Spanish Queen was unable to attend the Windsor ceremony due to 'scheduling reasons', according to Hola!; the royal is understood to be undertaking meetings with UNICEF and an audience with the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, as well as marking World Cancer Research Day during the two-day visit. 'This trip to the Big Apple is one of the most important events of the year on Letizia's international agenda and... it has been in preparation for a long time, so it cannot be modified, not even for the funeral of Elizabeth II,' reported Vanitatis. Thanks to family ties that date back generations, many European royals have a close relationship to the Queen, with King Felipe fondly referring to Her late Majesty as 'Aunt Lilibet'. Queen Letizia of Spain went straight back to her royal duties as she hosted a meeting wit UNICEF mental health experts at a hotel in New York Letizia, 50, was back to royal duties the day after attending the Queen's state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday The Queen of Spain was pictured shaking hands with officials at the UNICEF meeting in New York, a charity of which she is honorary president in Spain Letizia proved she takes her role with the charity seriously as she met with mental health experts at the engagement in New York Queen Letizia of Spain left Queen Elizabeth II's funeral after the Westminster Abbey service (pictured left) to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, local reports have claimed. Pictured right, Letizia outside the Spanish Embassy in London According to reports, the mother-of-two, 50, did not attend Her Majesty's Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor - leaving her husband King Felipe, 54, to attend with his 83-year-old mother Queen Sofia (pictured) Footage shared online by royal fans is said to show Letizia leaving the Spanish Embassy in London on Monday, where she had been staying since arriving alongside Felipe the day before. Pictured, the Spanish royal couple at the Westminster Abbey service Keen to express their grief, Felipe and Letizia were among the first monarchs to view Her Majesty lying-in-state at Westminster Hall on Sunday - before joining other world leaders and royals at the Buckingham Palace for the so-called 'reception of the century', hosted by King Charles III and the Queen Consort. The pair looked solemn and bowed as they paused to look at the late monarch's coffin on the catafalque in Westminster Hall. Felipe also made the sign of the cross over his chest as he appeared to say a little prayer for the Queen. The Spanish King and Letizia linked arms as the royal couple, both dressed in black to symbolise their mourning, arrived at the palace in London on Sunday evening. On Monday, the couple walked arm-in-arm into Westminster Abbey to join 2,000 British and European royals, world leaders, VIPs and hundreds of members of the public for the state funeral. Letizia, who worked as a journalist before marrying Felipe, appeared deeply solemn as the couple arrived for the historic event. They were joined by Felipe's parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. The mother-of-two, who attended the funeral without her two daughters, Leonor and Sofia, wore a black belted dress with a black fascinator and net detailing for the occasion. Queen Letizia of Spain, 50, joined her husband King Felipe VI, 54, for the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday Queen Letizia looked sombre in a black mourning dress as she filed into the event in London with her husband King Felipe VI, who wore full military uniform The couple pictured inside Westminster Abbey; they visited the Queen lying in State on Sunday afternoon Wearing a pillbox hat, with her hair loose, the Spanish Queen donned a simple mourning dress, belted at the waist for the funeral King Felipe VI dressed in full military uniform as the couple joined dozens of other senior royals from European and global monarchies. The Spanish King is related to the Queen on both sides of his family and has often referred to how he would affectionately nickname Britain's late monarch as 'Aunt Lilibet'. His mother, Queen Sofia, was a third cousin of the Queen and a first cousin once removed of the Duke of Edinburgh. Felipe's father, Juan Carlos, is a descendant of Queen Victoria. His grandmother, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, was the daughter of Queen Victorias youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings. In a letter to King Charles posted on the Casa Real Twitter account following her death, King Felipe said he would 'dearly' miss his aunt. The Spanish royals made the short journey from Madrid this weekend to mourn England's Queen The Spanish royals walked into Westminster Abbey behind Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan Thanks to family ties that date back generations, many European royals have a close relationship to the Queen. King Felipe has previously recounted how he would refer to the Queen as 'Aunt Lilibet' He wrote: 'Your Majesty, dearest Charles. Deeply saddened by the sorrowful news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, your beloved mother. 'I would like to offer Your Majesty and the British people, on my behalf and on the behalf of the Spanish government and people, our most heartfelt condolences.' He continued: 'Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has undoubtedly witnessed, written and shaped many of the most relevant chapters in the history of our world during the last seven decades. 'Her sense of duty, commitment and a whole life devoted to serving the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland set an example for all of us and will remain as a solid and valuable legacy for future generations. 'Queen Letizia and I send Your Majesty and the whole family our love and prayers. You are all in our hearts and thoughts. We will miss her dearly.' King Felipe VI, who was related to the Queen, looked solemn as he prepared to bid a final farewell The Spanish royals, who were attending without their daughters Leonor and Sofia, make their way through the Abbey Carrying two orders of service and with one hand touching his red military belt, King Felipe VI walks alongside his wife Letizia The simple committal service at St George's Chapel contrasted with the earlier state funeral, with the Queen's close staff represented, including her senior dresser and personal adviser Angela Kelly, alongside individuals like Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Baron Parker - the Lord Chamberlain and a former MI5 chief, and the most senior official in her royal household - 'broke' his wand of office by dismantling it into two halves and laying them on her coffin. As the committal service drew to a close the sovereign's piper, Pipe Major Paul Burns played a lament and walked away from the congregation, his tune fading into the chapel air. Earlier in the day, the state funeral at Westminster Abbey was attended by dignitaries including hundreds of heads of state, and with London full with mourners the event called for the largest policing operation undertaken by the Metropolitan Police. Among the 2,000-strong congregation at the abbey were foreign royalty, leading figures from UK life and world leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The couple joined royals from across the globe, pictured here with Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium European royals unite: Netherland's Queen Beatrix, front left, walks with Netherland's King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, Sweden's King Carl Gustaf XVI and Queen Silvia and Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at Westminster Abbey Revealed: How the monarchies of Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg are related to the Queen During his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury told the congregation the outpouring of emotion for the Queen 'arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us'. Justin Welby described the Queen as having touched 'a multitude of lives' and being a 'joyful' figure for many. He told mourners: 'People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. 'But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are forgotten. 'The grief of this day - felt not only by the late Queen's family but all round the nation, Commonwealth and world - arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us. She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.' Mr Welby, standing in the church where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066, also said that the Queen had declared on her 21st birthday 'that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth'. He added: 'Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen.' Amelia Windsor sported an outfit that was a world away from her black mourning clothes at the state funeral of the Queen on Monday, as she attended a flea market in London this afternoon. Amelia, 27, is the second daughter and youngest child of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews and 43rd in line for the throne, and was among the members of the extended royal family who attended the late Monarch's emotional funeral in London and Windsor. The model, who has been dubbed the 'most beautiful royal,' and who looked sombre yesterday as she attended the sad event with her family, looked relaxed today in a pair of cargo pants and a puff jacket. Amelia, who is known for her love of sustainable fashion, bought a bag by Oshana, a collective of Syrian refugees selling handmade accessories and homeware and showcased it on her Instagram account, alongside other pictures from her day. Amelia Windsor, 27, revealed she went to a flea market this Tuesday after attending the Queen's funeral yesterday Amelia, 27, is the second daughter and youngest child of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews and 43rd in line for the throne, and was among the members of the extended royal family who attended the Monarch's emotional farewell in London and Windsor 'Off to the market. Thank you @oshana_co for this gorgeous handmade bag created by a brilliant craftswoman named Dalal,' the royal, who is the Duke of Kent's granddaughter, posted. 'Oshana work with Syrian refugee craftswomen, celebrating their fantastic artisanal skills in exquisite homeware and fashion pieces,' she added. The stylist royal shared a snap of herself holding the colourful bag she had just purchased in her snap. She was wearing a brown corduroy trousers with black trainers, and a light yellow jacket that had a fuzzy blue collar. Amelia shared another picture of her visit to the market where she and a friend posed in front of a mirror, among a selection of other homeware items A third pictured showed a frame cross stitch work representing a tropical landscape. Amelia has spoken in the past of her love of quirky accessories and art, and loves to decorate the apartment she shares with her sister, Marina in Notting Hill Her blonde locks cascaded straight down her shoulders and the natural beauty sported a fresh-faced look without any makeup. Amelia shared another picture of her visit to the market where she and a friend posed in front of a mirror, among a selection of other homeware items. A third pictured showed a frame cross stitch work representing a tropical landscape. Amelia has spoken in the past of her love of quirky accessories and art, and loves to decorate the apartment she shares with her sister, Marina in Notting Hill. Yesterday, Amelia and her siblings were among the mourners at Westminster Abbey during the Queen's funeral. The Tatler cover girl is 43rd in line to the throne and was famously dubbed the most beautiful member of the royal family when the magazine launched her into the spotlight in 2016. Lady Amelia, her older sister Lady Marina, and her brother Edward Windsor are the grandchildren of the Queen's first cousin, the Duke of Kent. The beautiful royal made her debut into society after leaving St Mary's Ascot at the age of 18, alongside Italian aristocrat Donna Melusine Ruspoli and Indian royal Princess Akshita Bhanj Deo, at the Bal des Debutantes in 2013. Lady Amelia Windsor (pictured) was one of the many extended members of the royal family to attend the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey today Like many other royals, Amelia has a philanthropic attitude to business and a passion for climate activism and is an ambassador for the non-profit organisation No More Plastic and has worked with Fashion Roundtable, a sustainable fashion outlet. The model lives with her sister, 29, in Notting Hill and often shares snaps of herself practicing yoga and meditation. But much like other millennials, the beauty loves nothing more than to relax at home, cooking pasta and taking care of her plants in a flat carefully curated with family mementos and quirky artwork. The royal was snubbed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 when she failed to receive an invitation to the 'wedding of the year.' The 27-year-old, who is 43rd in line to the throne was famously dubbed 'the most beautiful member of the royal family' by Tatler magazine, which featured her on its cover in 2016 The 27-year-old, who attended the service with her parents and 29-year-old sister Lady Marina, donned an all-black outfit, including a fascinator with veil for the sombre occasion today However, she was amongst the mourners paying their respects to the Monarch yesterday. On an highly emotional occasion for Britain and the world, the Queen was carried in her oak coffin to the gun carriage used by her parents and was followed through Parliament Square by her son, the King, and her relatives including the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex. Andrew, the Duke of York, appeared to be crying. Outside the Abbey an estimated 2 million people are in central London along procession routes and watching on big screens. The State Gun Carriage carrying the Queen's coffin began its funeral procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey at around 10.45am, arriving just before 11am. A single toll from Big Ben signalled the start of the service at Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned and buried since 1066. Her Majesty will be laid to rest at Windsor next to her beloved husband Prince Philip and her parents, George VI and the Queen Mother. Despite the huge crowds, there was absolute silence as around 200 pipers and drummers of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas and RAF played as the procession went through Parliament Square. The Queen's own piper played a lament that echoed through the heart of London. Brigitte Macron has returned to her duty following the Queen's emotional funeral yesterday. The French first lady, 69, who attended the sad ceremony in Westminster Abbey with her husband Emmanuel, 44, was spotted in New York City today. Brigitte looked typically stylish as she attended the United Nation's 77th session in the Big Apple today and watch her husband deliver an impassionate speech. She wore an elegant navy blue sweater dress for the occasion, and looked poised as she paid close attention to today proceedings. The French first lady, 69, who attended the sad ceremony in Westminster Abbey with her husband Emmanuel, 44, and the late Monarch's Committal Service in Windsor later in the afternoon, was spotted in New York City today Her blonde hair was styled in her usual coiffed blonde bob, with her impeccable fringe falling flawlessly above her eyebrows. The French First Lady sported a natural makeup, with a sculpted brow and a smoky eye, and kept her lip nude. Her comfortable sweater dress was adorned with golden cufflinks, and she completed the look with a sparkling ring with blue gems. The indefatigable French first lady arrived in London on Sunday, ahead of a reception held for heads of state and their spouses in memory of the Queen in London, before attending the funeral on Monday. Brigitte looked typically stylish as she attended the United Nation's 77th session in the Big Apple today and watch her husband deliver an impassionate speech The indefatigable French first lady arrived in London on Sunday, ahead of a reception held for heads of state and their spouses in memory of the Queen in London, before attending the funeral on Monday She then travelled to New York for the UN, which was also attended by Letizia, Queen of Spain, who reportedly left the Queen's funeral before the committal service in order to attend the event. Brigitte and Emmanuel arrived in London clad in black and hand-in-hand at Westminster Abbey, where they were joined by Joe and Jill Biden, as well as right-wing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Around 500 emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and other heads of states from around the planet descended on London for Her Majesty's state funeral at Westminster Abbey, as the world paid respect to the nation's greatest ever monarch. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron of France are pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to the Queen Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron gallantly offered his wife his arm as they were shown to their seats inside Westminster Abbey Snipers were positioned on top of a West London hospital, where VIPs were expected to gather before being bussed to Buckingham Palace yesterday. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were spotted in Westminster walking around 'incognito' in sunglasses and trainers to see the queue and share the pain of the British people before changing into formal attire to visit Westminster hall. Mr Macron, who is seldom seen out of his trademark blue suit, was seen in a more understated dark navy jacket, charcoal grey trousers and black trainers alongside his wife, who dressed in a similar fashion. French press reported he was going 'incognito' to gauge the mood of the British public before changing back into his more formal wear. The pair donned sunglasses and trainers as they strolled through central London, flanked by aides and security guards as they viewed the queue of people waiting to see the Queen, who is lying-in-state before funeral ceremonies tomorrow. Mr Macron, who is seldom seen out of his trademark blue suit, was seen in a more understated dark navy jacket, charcoal grey trousers and trainers alongside his wife, who dressed in a similar fashion French President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) and his wife Brigitte Macron (C-R) arrived at Westminster Hall to pay their respects to Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II in London, Britain, 18 September 2022 The French president and his wife then changed into more formal wear before visiting the Queen at the historic Westminster Hall. After paying their respects to the late monarch, the French President and First Lady will join King Charles and scores of other world leaders and royals for a reception at Buckingham Palace, where they will present the new king with a book of pictures celebrating the Queen's visits to France. 'From her coronation on, she knew and spoke with all of our presidents. No other country had the privilege of welcoming her as many times as we did,' Macron said last week in a tribute to the queen, whose last official visit to France took place in 2014. People from all walks of life and from around the world filed past in a constant, emotional stream, many queuing overnight to see Her Majesty before her funeral yesterday. SHOPPING: Products featured in this article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. Jourdan Dunn turned out for the Christopher Kane show during London Fashion Week on Sunday and to honor Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the 32-year-old model dressed in black. However, the look wasn't all solemnity and modesty. Jourdan chose a frock that, while figure-hugging and midi in silhouette, featured sexy cutouts that has us all rethinking our summer/fall transitional wardrobes. Jourdan is wearing Christopher Kane's cutout midi dress with self-tie straps, cutout details below the bust and a fluted hem. We can easily see this dress dominating the last summer days. However, it would also look stunning underneath a blazer, or tailored knit sweater. We say, pick this dress up before it sells out forever. Alternatively, recreate Jourdan's look with Nasty Gal, Forever 21 and Mango. We've got all budgets covered. The Danish royal family was forced to leave Princess Mary at home after her invite to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was rescinded just days before due to a 'regrettable error' from the British Foreign Office. Eagle-eyed royal commentators noted the distinct absence of the Australian-born Mary despite her husband Prince Frederik and mother-in-law Queen Margrethe II sitting in the front row of Westminster Abbey which was packed with royalty from around the world. The Danish royal family was expected to attend in full force after they made an official announcement on September 13 but six days later Mary, the 50-year-old mother-of-four, was nowhere to be seen. 'HM The Queen and the Crown Prince Couple [will be] present at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022 at Westminster Abbey in London, Great Britain,' the statement last week said. Princess Mary's initial invitation to the funeral on Monday was made in error according to a statement from the Danish royals. 'There has been a regrettable error in the invitation from the British Foreign Office's protocol. It is thus only the Queen and the Crown Prince who, from the Danish side, will participate in Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday,' The Royal house confirmed to Danish tabloid BT. Every royal family and dignitary invited was permitted to bring one extra person with them, which is likely the reason why Mary was excluded. Eagle-eyed royal commentators have noted the distinct absence of Australian-born Princess Mary of Denmark at the Queen's funeral The Danish royal family were said to be attending in full force when they made an official announcement on September 13 but six days later the 50-year-old mother-of-four was nowhere to be seen Photos and video footage shot at the funeral showed Prince Frederik and Queen Margrethe - now the only reigning Queen left in the world - sitting opposite King Charles III and his family on Monday BT's royal correspondent Jacob Heinel Jensen said the Danish royal house would have been 'upset' by the eleventh hour change. 'It's really clumsy and unfortunate... It has meant that the Royal House must now say that a mistake had been made, and that is embarrassing,' he said. 'I think the Royal House easily understands that a mistake has been made. I wondered myself when I was in London and the British media wrote that there were only two invitees per country. 'After all, you got the feeling that there really must be extra close ties between Denmark and Britain's royal house if we got three invitations.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Danish royal family for further comment. The last time she was seen: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at Christiansborg palace for the gala diner during the 50 years anniversary of Her Queen Margrethe II of Denmark accession to the throne on September 10 Hundreds of emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and other foreign dignitaries were in London for Her Majesty's state funeral at Westminster Abbey. Representatives of more than 20 Royal Families were at the funeral, including the reigning monarchs of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Japan's Emperor Naruhito, who rarely makes overseas visits, was among the guests along with King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and the Sultan of Brunei. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, were among the first monarchs to view the monarch lying-in-state at Westminster Hall. Queen Margrethe held a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II and was among the first international monarch to pay tribute to Her Majesty. She was also spotted shedding a tear in front of the Queen's coffin before the funeral on Monday. Both Queens are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria - making them third cousins - with Margrethe often looking up to Elizabeth like a big sister. In May, Margrethe told the UK's ITV news that Elizabeth, 14 years her senior, was a 'huge inspiration' to her as the only other living Queen. With the death of Elizabeth II, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world '[Queen Elizabeth] was 26 when she became Queen. When I was growing up, I hoped I wouldn't be as young as that when my father died. It made an enormous impression on me. The fact that she was dedicating her life. I understood what that meant. This is for life. That is the whole point of my life. And I know she sees that too,' she said. 'When I was growing up, my mother and father said to me, "look at what they do in England" and I could see that it could be done and it was worthwhile and you could live a very full life with it, even with a heavy schedule and demanding job.' The mother-of-two added that both Queens see their roles as 'dedication' and 'a job' and the way that Elizabeth 'faced her duties' 'inspired her'. 'The way she has faced her duties, the way she has dedicated her life, and she does it with a smile. She has been through many things,' she added. 'When you get to my age, you don't have the emptiness, what am I going to do tomorrow? I know jolly well what I am going to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the following year.' Queen Margrethe of Denmark has lead the foreign royals paying tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96. They are pictured in 2000 at London's Natural History Museum The pair, also had sweet nicknames for one another. Margrethe called Elizabeth by her childhood nickname 'Lilibet' while Elizabeth called Margrethe 'Daisy'. The Danish monarch is known as 'Aunt Daisy' to many in her family as she was named after her grandmother, Princess Margareta of Sweden, and her name is similar to the Nordic word for the daisy flower. 'We are definitely affectionate, but I don't want to splash it all over the place,' she told ITV of Elizabeth II. The pair also have a love of dogs in common. While Elizabeth will forever be associated with corgis, Margrethe is known in Denmark for her love of dogs. While Elizabeth got her first corgi as a child, it was Margrethe's late husband Prince Henrik who introduced her to dachshunds. The Danish royal family, including Hobart-born Mary, shared a close connection with Elizabeth. Pictured in 2016 Margrethe was also among the first royals to pay tribute to the Queen upon her death last week. In a statement she wished the new King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla her 'deepest thoughts and prayers' after Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral. Speaking on behalf of the Danish family she was 'deeply moved' by the sad news of her 'beloved mother's death'. 'I send you and Camilla my warmest thoughts and prayers,' she said. 'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly. 'Her 70 years of reign and service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth are an unprecedented and remarkable achievement. In February, Margrethe and Mary, met with Kate Middleton, who and officially welcomed her to Copenhagen 'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly,' she wrote 'We shall always remember her important contributions to their development and prosperity.' The Danish royal family, including Hobart-born Princess Mary, shared a close connection with Queen Elizabeth. In February, Margrethe and Mary met with Kate Middleton, and officially welcomed her to Copenhagen. Mary has also previously attended Royal Ascot horse race with the Queen and Prince Edward. Despite Christmas being more than three months away, Kmart has already started selling festive decorations. A Reddit user shared an image on September 10 of shelves lined with Christmas trees and ornaments, sparking a debate online. 'How soon is too soon to start selling Christmas decorations?' the user wrote, and many questioned if September is 'too early' to release the festive products. A customer shared an image on Reddit of a Kmart store starting to place Christmas products on shelves (pictured). Many online questioned if September is 'too early' to release the festive products Poll Is September too early to sell Christmas products? Yes No Is September too early to sell Christmas products? Yes 21 votes No 20 votes Now share your opinion 'Completely ridiculous. What the hell,' one person commented. Another added: 'Seriously? It's not Christmas season yet, tis Spooky Season.' But others didn't seem too surprised and said Christmas decorations are released every September. 'It was around about this time last year, that they started selling Christmas stuff,' one person wrote. 'The market only cares about demand. If people are buying, they're selling,' another commented. Some Reddit users seemed perfectly content with the new line of products and pointed out Bunnings Warehouse and Coles are also getting ready for the festive rush Others didn't seem too surprised and suggested Christmas decorations are released every September Another Reddit user said they noticed Coles has started sell mince pies Some Reddit users seemed perfectly content with the new line of products. 'I'm okay with this. Some people like to start buying their Christmas stuff early so they can spread out the expense over a few months, rather than throwing down a huge chunk of cash in late November,' another added. A former Kmart employee also jumped in the conversation and provided some clarity. 'Worked at Kmart for a few years, this happens same time every year. Halloween and Christmas stock comes in at the same time,' the ex-staff member wrote. 'Store has no control over it, so they have to put it out or it takes up valuable space out back. Christmas music starts in store mid-October.' In August photos of new Christmas trees and festive products stocked on shelves at Costco surfaced online In August customers also noticed Costco started selling Christmas products more than four months ahead of the holiday. Mum-of-two Mykayla spotted the buys in Ringwood, Victoria and shared the snaps to a Christmas-themed Facebook group. While some were keen to score a deal ahead of time, others slammed the early stocking as 'pure madness' and a 'money grab'. While some were keen to score a deal ahead of time, others slammed the early stocking as 'pure madness' and a 'money grab' The images show Christmas trees on display along with Disney Mickey Mouse Nutcracker statues, priced at $119.99 for a set of two (pictured) Photos show Christmas trees on display along with Disney Mickey Mouse Nutcracker statues, priced at $119.99 for a set of two. 'No! I'm not ready for Christmas yet,' one person commented and didn't sound pleased. But another wrote: 'This makes me so happy, I can't wait to decorate again.' Others found it hilarious the Christmas products were readily available four months ahead of the big day. The large Christmas tree, which stands nearly 3m tall, also retails for a whopping $1199.99. Those wanting to shop at Costco require a membership. In honour of her regional Australian roots one of the Aussies selected to attend the Queen's funeral wore a special black hat 'shaped like an Akubra' that was whipped up at the last-minute for the occasion. Founder of the Sober in the Country charity, Shanna Whan, was selected to accompany Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in travelling to London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday. Last week Ms Whan posted a request to Facebook seeking help in sourcing an appropriate frock and hat to follow the strict dress code - with expert milliner Fiona Schofield heeding the call 250km away from Ms Whan's home in central west NSW. Neil Grigg, who designs hats for racing royalty Gai Waterhouse, also offered a custom-designed piece, which was worn by fellow Aussie in attendance, Saba Abraham. Founder of the Sober in the Country charity, Shanna Whan, was selected to accompany Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in travelling to London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday In honour of her regional Australian roots one of the Aussies selected to attend the Queen's funeral wore a special black hat 'shaped like an Akubra' that was whipped up at the last-minute for the occasion (pictured with the other Aussies chosen to attend) Last week Ms Whan posted a request to Facebook seeking help in sourcing an appropriate frock and hat to follow the strict dress code - with expert milliner Fiona Schofield heeding the call 250km away from Ms Whan's home in central west NSW 'I'm honestly so thankful I could weep, and I did. The community support emerging this week from Australia is indescribable,' Ms Whan, who was awarded the Australian of the Year Local Hero award for her advocacy to change the culture of drinking in country Australia, said. 'This bush gal of basic means and basic wants is a little overwhelmed. What I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that between these hats and the designs of Carla Zampatti I can represent us with style and grace. 'To the countless extraordinarily kind magical unicorns who've gathered on the interwebs this week to transform me from boots and jeans and ancient flannos - I bloody love you all.' Excluding dignitaries such as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his partner Jodie Haydon and some Diggers, only ten civilians were invited to the service in London's Westminster Abbey. Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott was in attendance, after making Her Majesty giggle during a Zoom call in May. Excluding dignitaries such as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his partner Jodie Haydon and some Diggers, only ten civilians were invited to the service in London's Westminster Abbey (Shanna Whan pictured) 'I'm honestly so thankful I could weep, and I did. The community support emerging this week from Australia is indescribable,' Ms Whan, who was awarded the Australian of the Year Local Hero award for her advocacy to change the culture of drinking in country Australia, said Legendary racehorse trainer Chris Waller also received a formal invite, although declined for 'Covid-19 reasons'. Valmai Dempsey, the 2022 senior Australian of the Year, who has volunteered for St John Ambulance for more than 50 years, was there. Dr Miriam Rose, the 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, was named on the attendance list. She became the Northern Territory's first fully qualified Aboriginal teacher in 1975 and pioneered a unique brand of education, fusing Western knowledge with cultural learning. Saba Abraham, a local hero from Queensland, was also named by Mr Albanese to attend. She is an Eritrean refugee and played a vital role in combatting the spread of Covid as the Chairperson of the Brisbane Community Leaders Gathering. Ms Abraham helped translate vital health updates into various languages. Kim Smith, a local hero from Tasmania, was given the green light to go. He oversaw the formation of Reclink, which organises sporting activities to support young people struggling with drug addiction. The royals stand to welcome the Queen's coffin into Westminster Abbey on Monday Trudy Lin, the 2022 Young Australian of the Year, and one of only 20 practising specialists in Australia's Special Needs Dentistry, was also invited. Danny Abdallah, a co-creator of I Forgive Day after his three kids died when they were ran over by a drunk driver, also attended. RSL Australia president Greg Melick also attended on behalf of the organisation, of which the Queen was a patron. 'She dedicated her life to the service of her nation and the peoples of the Commonwealth and never shirked this great responsibility,' Mr Melick said on the Queen's death. 'The RSL will be forever grateful for her commitment, encouragement and support for our veterans and service personnel.' Australian war hero Ben Roberts-Smith flew to London for the occasion, having been awarded the prestigious military honour of the Victoria Cross. There were 2,000 mourners from various parts of the world in attendance on Monday Victoria Cross recipients are invited to funeral commemorations by Buckingham Palace as protocol. Mr Roberts-Smith is suing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times for defamation over 2018 reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan including murder, and acts of bullying and domestic violence. Proceedings in the Federal Court case ended on July 27 after more than 100 days of hearings. Despite most of the attendees being named Australians of The Year, last year's award winner Grace Tame did not attend. 'The Australians who have been invited I think, embody an extraordinary contribution to our nation,' Mr Albanese said. The Australians joined US President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden at the service. Ebola is spreading in Uganda for the first time since before Covid. A 24-year-old man has already died after catching the virus, which is thought to kill up to half of people it strikes. Officials in the African nation are now scrambling to contain the outbreak before it has chance to spread further. The victim lived in the central district of Mubende, located 90 miles (145km) west of the capital, Kampala. A 24-year-old man has already died after catching the virus, which is thought to kill up to half of people it strikes. The victim lived the central district of Mubende, located 90 miles (145km) west of the capital, Kampala The virus which tore through West Africa during a devastating epidemic a decade ago spreads very easily Health chiefs currently have no idea how he became infected. The virus which tore through West Africa during a devastating epidemic a decade ago spreads very easily. It naturally resides in fruit bats, monkeys and porcupines living in the rainforest, and can be transmitted through eating uncooked 'bushmeat'. But it can also be passed on between humans through direct contact with the blood, saliva, urine or vomit of an infected person. The virus can also live on contaminated surfaces, similar to Covid. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of Uganda's health ministry, revealed the man's death at a news conference. It followed an investigation into six suspicious deaths in Mubende from what locals had called a strange illness. She said the patient had a fever, diarrhoea and abdominal pains and was vomiting blood tell-tale signs of the virus. He had initially been treated for malaria. There are currently eight suspected cases receiving care in a health facility, WHO's Africa office said. Uganda has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds. Its most recent was in 2019, when at least five people died. Cases previously have been traced back to outbreaks in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC last month recorded a new case in its violence-wracked east, less than six weeks after an epidemic in the country's northwest was declared over. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Africa's regional director, added: 'Uganda is no stranger to effective Ebola control. 'Thanks to its expertise, action has been taken to quickly to detect the virus and we can bank on this knowledge to halt the spread of infections.' The victim tested positive for the 'relatively rare' Sudan strain of the virus which Uganda hasn't detected since 2012. Other outbreaks have been triggered by the Zaire strain. The WHO said ring vaccination of high-risk people with the Ervebo vaccine had been highly effective in controlling Ebola's spread in recent outbreaks. But this vaccine had only been approved to protect against the Zaire strain. Another vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson may be effective but has yet to be specifically tested against the Sudan strain, it added. Chinese citizens shouldn't touch foreigners to avoid getting monkeypox, one of the country's top health officials has said. The warning came as the country confirmed its first confirmed case of the virus, in a person who had recently arrived from overseas. It prompted Dr Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDP), to tell the public to avoid 'skin-to-skin contact' with foreigners. Posting on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, he added avoiding such contact was considered part of a 'healthy lifestyle'. 'To prevent possible monkeypox infection and as part of our healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that you do not have direct skin-to-skin contact with foreigners,' the full guidance read. Dr Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised the country's citizens to avoid touching foreigners after the nation recorded its first case of monkeypox (pictured here in 2014) A total of 3,407 cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the UK since the start of the global outbreak in May, the majority in London. Other global monkeypox hotspots include the US, Spain, Brazil, France and Germany It was later softened, following backlash over the comments online. Dr Wu, who was honoured by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year, also said citizens should avoid contact with their fellows who had recently travelled overseas. He praised China's strict Covid restrictions for helping to prevent the spread of the tropical smallpox-like virus. Beijing's draconian lockdowns have seen millions of people confined to their homes for weeks at a time. However, Dr Wu said the country must remain vigilant and not allow cases to 'slip through the net'. His post was widely shared on Weibo, with some warning his comments could lead to racist attacks on foreigners who have been living in China for many years. Others said it drew parallels to the violence Asian people faced at the start of the Covid pandemic due to the association of the virus with people of Chinese heritage. 'Does he know that many foreigners have been staying in China for years?' said one. In another post following the backlash, Dr Wu softened his comments. He advised citizens to avoid 'intimate' contact with foreigners or other people returning from countries where monkeypox cases had been reported. He added that as the monkeypox outbreaks in North America and Europe appear to be subsiding, the chance of the disease spreading in China is low. Under China's harsh zero-Covid policy, people entering the country must typically complete between one and two weeks of isolation on arrival. The country's first ever confirmed monkeypox patient was spotted in the southwestern city of Chongqing and was 'immediately isolated'. The CCDP said the patient was a 29-year-old salesman who had sex with men while on a trip to Germany. Local health officials said the risk of further transmission in the city was low. The UK's monkeypox outbreak has largely faded into the background with only 10 new cases recorded on September 12 In the US the monkeypox outbreak has been far larger in scale though like the UK has been on an overall decline in recent months. However, a there has been a slight uptick in the most recent data with 271 new cases on September 19 Monkeypox, a disease which sprang to global attention earlier this year, causes painful skin lesions and flu-like symptoms. It is usually found in central Africa but the current outbreak has seen the virus spread to some over 100 countries, with more than 60,000 cases worldwide. So far the UK has nearly 3,500 confirmed cases. Although, the outbreak has slowed over recent months, with only 62 new cases in the week to September 12, the latest data available. The US has recorded nearly 24,000 cases and at least one confirmed death, though like Britain the outbreak also appears to be running out of steam. Historically, the virus has spread via direct contact with lesions, body fluids and respiratory droplets, and sometimes through indirect contamination via surfaces such as shared bedding. But in this outbreak, there is evidence that sexual transmission is also playing a role. Earlier this year the WHO has recommended that men at high risk of the disease temporarily consider reducing their number of sex partners or refrain from group or anonymous sex to reduce their risk of catching the virus. In the UK a vaccine is currently being offered to close contacts of people who have caught monkeypox, men-who-have-sex-with-men, and health workers treating patients with the disease. This jab is actually a smallpox vaccine but is still effective as as the diseases are closely related. How DO you catch monkeypox and what are the symptoms? EVERYTHING you need to know about tropical virus How do you catch monkeypox? Until this worldwide outbreak, monkeypox was usually spread by infected rodents including rats, mice and even squirrels in west and central Africa. Humans can catch the illness which comes from the same family as smallpox if they're bitten by infected animals, touch their blood, bodily fluids, or scabs, or eat wild game or bush meat. The orthopoxvirus, which causes monkeypox, can enter the body through broken skin even if it's not visible, as well as the eyes, nose and mouth. Despite being mainly spread by wild animals, it was known that monkeypox could be passed on between people. However, health chiefs insist it was very rare until the current outbreak. Human-to-human spread can occur if someone touches clothing or bedding used by an infected person, or through direct contact with the virus' tell-tale scabs. The virus can also spread through coughs and sneezes. In the ongoing surge in cases, experts think the virus is passing through skin-to-skin contact during sex even though this exact mechanism has never been seen until now. How deadly is it? Monkeypox is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease kills up to 10 per cent of cases. But this high rate is thought to be in part due to a historic lack of testing meaning that a tenth of known cases have died rather than a tenth of all infections. However, with milder strains the fatality rate is closer to one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. The West African version of the virus, which is mild compared to the Central African strain, is behind the current spread. How is it tested for? It can be difficult to diagnose monkeypox as it is often confused with other infections such as chickenpox. Monkeypox is confirmed by a clinical assessment by a health professional and a test in the UK's specialist lab the UKHSA's Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory. The test involves taking samples from skin lesions, such as part of the scab, fluid from the lesions or pieces of dry crusts. What are the symptoms? It can take up to three weeks for monkeypox-infected patients to develop any of its tell-tale symptoms. Early signs of the virus include a fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion meaning it could, theoretically, be mistaken for other common illnesses. But its most unusual feature is a rash that often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body, commonly the hands and feet. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. How long is someone contagious? An individual is contagious from the point their rash appears until all the scabs have fallen off and there is intact skin underneath. The scabs may also contain infectious virus material. The infectious period is thought to last for three weeks but may vary between individuals. What do I do if I have symptoms? The UK Health Security Agency advises Britons to contact their sexual health clinic if they have a rash with blisters and have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case or have been in West or Central Africa in the last three weeks. Britons are asked to contact clinics ahead of their visit and avoid contact with others until they have been seen by a medic. Gay and bisexual men have been asked to be especially alert to the symptoms as most of the cases have been detected in men who have sex with men. What even is monkeypox? Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent. The UK, US, Israel and Singapore are the only countries which had detected the virus before May 2022. Is it related to chickenpox? Despite causing a similar rash, chickenpox is not related to monkeypox. The infection, which usually strikes children, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. For comparison, monkeypox like smallpox is an orthopoxvirus. Because of this link, smallpox vaccines also provide protection against monkeypox. Are young people more vulnerable? Britons aged under 50 may be more susceptible to monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization. This is because children in the UK were routinely offered the smallpox jab, which protects against monkeypox, until 1971. The WHO also warns that the fatality rate has been higher among young children. Does it spread as easily as Covid? Leading experts insist we won't be seeing Covid-style levels of transmission in the monkeypox outbreak. A World Health Organization report last year suggested the natural R rate of the virus the number of people each patient would infect if they lived normally while sick is two. This is lower than the original Wuhan variant of Covid and about a third of the R rate of the Indian 'Delta' strain. But the real rate is likely much lower because 'distinctive symptoms greatly aid in its early detection and containment,' the team said, meaning it's easy to spot cases and isolate them. Covid is mainly spread through droplets an infected person releases whenever they breathe, speak, cough or sneeze. Is there a vaccine for it? The smallpox vaccine, called Imvanex in the UK and Jynneos in the US, can protect against monkeypox because the viruses behind the illnesses are closely related. There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox, including the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January Data shows it prevents around 85 per cent of cases, and has been used 'off-label' in the UK since 2018. The jab, thought to cost 20 per dose, contains a modified vaccinia virus, which is similar to both smallpox and monkeypox, but does not cause disease in people. Because of its similarity to the pox viruses, antibodies produced against this virus offer cross protection. Are there any drugs to treat it? There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox. This includes the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January. Tecovirimat prevents the virus from leaving an infected cell, hindering the spread of the virus within the body. An injectable antiviral used to treat AIDS called cidofovir can be used to manage the infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also works by stopping the growth of the virus. A farmer died after accidentally swallowing a fish bone, doctors in Sri Lanka have revealed. The 61-year-old, who wasn't identified, had no idea he had ever ingested the 2cm (0.8in) shard. It was only found after he went to hospital three days later, complaining of crippling stomach pain and bouts of vomiting. Surgeons in the coastal town of Mannar, who operated on him, discovered that it had pierced his bowel an let faeces trickle out. This led to a life-threatening infection that triggered sepsis, when the body's immune system overreacts and starts to damage its own organ and tissues. The man died of a cardiac arrest a potential sepsis complication eight hours after he was admitted. A 61-year-old farmer from Sri Lanka died after swallowing a 2cm fish bone that pierced his bowel and caused a fatal infection What is peritonitis and how is it treated? Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum a silk-like membrane that lines your inner abdominal wall and covers the organs within your abdomen that is usually due to a bacterial or fungal infection. There are two types of peritonitis: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis . Sometimes, peritonitis develops as a complication of liver disease, such as cirrhosis, or of kidney disease. . Sometimes, peritonitis develops as a complication of liver disease, such as cirrhosis, or of kidney disease. Secondary peritonitis . Peritonitis can result from rupture (perforation) in your abdomen, or as a complication of other medical conditions. Peritonitis requires prompt medical attention to fight the infection and, if necessary, to treat any underlying medical conditions. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, low urine output, constipation, fatigue and confusion. Treatment usually involves antibiotics and, in some cases, surgery. Left untreated, peritonitis can lead to severe, potentially life-threatening infection throughout your body. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement His tale was reported in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports. Dr Chathura Karunatileke and colleagues at Mannar's District General Hospital said: 'Gastrointestinal perforations are rarely caused by fish bones. 'But the presentation is largely nonspecific and frequently diagnosed during surgical interventions. 'The outcome is favorable in most instances, however, late presentation narrows the crucial recoverable therapy window. 'Low resources such as lack of advanced imaging modalities confound the outcome by delayed diagnosis.' The man's illness came on slowly over the three days. He was confused on arrival to the hospital and his stomach was swollen and sticking out. It led doctors to suspect he was in septic shock. The man, who had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, was rushed to intensive care. Scans showed his abdomen was filling with fluid, a sign that his kidneys had suddenly stopped working properly which can be caused by sepsis. Surgeons operated on him for two hours, discovering the fish bone had caused a 5mm hole in his small intestine. It resulted in faecal peritonitis, the medical term for an infection in the inner lining of the stomach that is specifically trigger by faecal matter. Yellow pus built up around the hole and the intestine swelled in size because of the reaction. They cut out a 10cm stretch of the bowel and drained the fluid, with the goal of reattaching the healthy bowel back together in a second surgery. But his condition worsened during the procedure. Sixteen million Britons could be left without a GP within a decade without 'huge investment', doctors argued today. Doctors' Association UK (DAUK) warned physicians would 'either quit the NHS, the profession or the country unless the new Health Secretary stops the rot'. Writing in a letter to Therese Coffey, the group added the postcode lottery seen in dentistry 'could soon be replicated across general practice'. The group of frontline medics called for practice funds to be increased based on how many contacts GPs make, as opposed to the current patient-list sizes. Under their 10-step plan, they also called for paid administrative time to cope with paperwork, as well as a pause on 'activity towards extending access'. Family doctors have been told they must start offering weekday evening and weekend consultations from October. DAUK claimed the current workload is 'making us ill' and warned the NHS is a 'sinking ship'. Sixteen million Britons could be left without a GP within a decade without 'huge investment', doctors warned today. DAUK GP lead Dr Lizzie Toberty claimed the exodus of family doctors would create a 'public health catastrophe' There were just 27,558 full-time equivalent, fully-qualified GPs working in England last month, down 1.6 per cent on the 18,000 recorded in June 2021. It was down 5.3 per cent on the more than 29,000 working in June 2017 Map shows: The proportion of GP appointments made in-person in July across England's integrated care boards NHS Digital figures show 65 per cent of consultations were made in-person across England in July, compared to more than 80 per cent before Covid Meanwhile, the figures also showed fewer than half of appointments across the country were with a fully-qualified GP Just over a third of consultations in Lincolnshire were with a doctor. The rest were seen by other staff, including nurses, physiotherapists and even acupuncturists. Map shows: The proportion of appointments seen by a fully-qualified GP in ICBs across England in July Doctors' Association UK 10 solutions to the GP staffing crisis Continuity of care : Focus on prioritising patients are treated by the same doctor rather than increasing hours and access to GPs across the board An overhaul of the way practices are paid : Finances need to reflect the number of contacts GPs deal with, rather than the current blanket 'per patient, per year fee' Paid administrative time : 'Hospital doctors have this as the norm' Extending sickness self-certification to 28 days : To free up appointments made simply to certify absence from work Empowering pharmacists : To make appropriate substitutes 'would be helpful' in reducing appointments for prescribed medications, for example with HRT Training and development for additional roles : Improve training of non-doctor, non-nurse staff to improve patient care Removing revalidation the final five years of a GP's career : To incentivise those who wish to keep working Allow practices to use extra funding in the best way possible : Allow individual primary care networks to decide how they spend additional money New purpose-built premises : Current buildings are 'cramped, old and are not energy-efficient' Investment in high quality IT systems : Current software systems are 'unreliable' Advertisement Dr Coffey is expected to outline her 'ABCD' plan for the health service in detail later this week, as part of a plan to ensure the service is 'delivering for patients'. She has not yet, however, made clear how she will deal with doctor and dentist staffing levels. Medical unions say the workforce issue is central to the GP crisis, and is one of the main factors behind why millions of patients struggle to see their doctor. The number of full-time GPs working in Britain has been plummeting for the last five years, dropping to its to its lowest level on record in June the most recent date data is available for. There were around 27,500 fully-qualified, permanent family doctors working in the NHS in England that month, down from about 28,000 in June 2021 and 1,500 fewer than five years ago. Almost half of family doctors are planning to quit by 2027, according to stark forecasts by the Royal College of GPs. Swathes of doctors, who earn 110,000 per year on average, are also reducing their work hours, retiring early or moving abroad. Many say ever-increasing hours, mountains of admin work and a rising number of patients are putting them under too much strain. Some have also blamed aggressive media coverage. DAUK's estimate of one in four patients being left without a GP in the next decade was based on numbers from the Health Foundation thinktank. It projected 8,800 GPs will leave the NHS by 2030. The DAUK calculation is based on the average GP looking after around 2,000 patients. Yet MailOnline analysis earlier this year revealed the proportion could be as staggeringly high as one doctor for every 14,000 patients in parts of the country. The group's GP lead Dr Lizzie Toberty said: 'GPs will cut their hours, quit the NHS, or quit the country. 'We fear patients will suffer the same "postcode lottery" for seeing their GP as many do now with getting an NHS dentist.' She claimed the exodus of family doctors would create a 'public health catastrophe'. Dr Toberty said: 'We are hurtling rapidly towards the end of the NHS as we know it, where those who can pay and those who can't suffer. 'And just like in dentistry, there is evidence of a rapidly expanding private GP sector. 'For those who cannot pay, my worry is they will die young of entirely preventable diseases. We are about to see health inequalities get a whole lot wider.' In their letter, the group highlighted the suicide of Dr Gail Milligan, who died in July, as an example of the strain doctors are under. They wrote: 'This job is making us ill.' The group claimed the increasing numbers of doctors leaving the field could be halted if Dr Coffey followed their ten-point plan. This includes improving practice buildings to ensure they are better insulated and updating old IT systems. They also called for sickness self-certification to be extended to 28 days to reduce the number of appointments made 'simply to certify absence from work'. I purchased a 400 Samsung Galaxy A53 mobile phone online through Argos. But when I opened the box, I discovered that the phone was too heavy for me to hold as I have arthritic hands. I thought it would be no problem to return it. However, Argos refused to take the phone back because I had opened the box. How can I assess if something is suitable without opening the box? I emailed the company, which responded that its refund rejection was because of EU law relating to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the fact there could be personal information stored on the phone. This law apparently supersedes our own distance-selling laws. No returns: Argos refused to accept a mobile phone back, despite it not having been used, on the grounds that the box had been opened I would have thought that it would be easy to check the phone to ensure that it did not contain such information. Even if you cant help me, I feel that if something is not done about this, anyone who buys a tech item from Argos and needs to return it will be stuck. C. N., Loughborough. Sally Hamilton replies: I have ordered mobile phones online before, but since Ive never had to return one, I havent encountered a nasty little loophole like this. When I got in touch with Sainsburys, which owns Argos, it confirmed its position but agreed to refund you as a goodwill gesture. It added: Customers have 30 days to return an item in line with our returns policy. Some items, including DVDs, music and software products, must be unused and in original sealed packaging to be returned/refunded. Smartphones are also exempt from the 30-day money-back guarantee as they can store personal data and therefore cannot be resold. I knew about the rule on DVDs, software and music, which makes perfect sense as someone could theoretically buy these items, copy them and return the originals for a refund. But I felt something was not right about the conditions being applied to smartphones. I searched online briefly but saw no mention of this mobile phone return exemption on the websites of other retailers. I spoke to consumer champion Martyn James who was incredulous. He told me he had never before heard of this totally incorrect interpretation of the GDPR rules legislation designed to protect an individuals personal data. He says: I will add it to my ever-increasing list of bonkers claims businesses make because of this much-misunderstood legislation. Sometimes I find that, when you dig a little deeper, some staff at businesses develop what I call urban GDPR myths. They do a training course, someone draws a random conclusion, it spreads like wildfire and then becomes unofficial policy. In this case, as with most of them, its totally wrong. Scam Watch Beware unscrupulous claims management firms which promise to write off loans and mortgages. City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warns that fraudulent companies are preying on people facing financial difficulties by offering to claim compensation from lenders typically for past debt repayments. However, borrowers will often have to pay fees to take part and can be charged even more when the schemes fail. Anyone approached by a claims management company should be very cautious and check the FCAs register to make sure it is an authorised firm (register.fca.org.uk). If the customer has only taken the phone out of the packaging, it hasnt got her details on it. Phones dont magically absorb the data of your previous phone, as anyone who has laboured through a set-up process will attest. And even if she had done so, thats why we have the restore to factory settings button. He believes this looks more like a restrictive returns policy by the company than anything to do with GDPR, and therefore should be spelt out at the point of sale. I trawled the Argos website, as well as the returns policy it sent me, for the explicit terms and conditions regarding the return of mobile phones. They were nowhere to be seen. Taking on board Mr Jamess comments, I asked Argos to double-check its position. Not long afterwards, a red-faced employee came back to me and apologised, confirming that the customer service representative who originally dealt with you had indeed incorrectly quoted GDPR rules in relation to mobile phones. You were relieved and so was I. Having arthritic hands is painful enough without running into a brick wall when trying to return a purchase. Can't close my late wife's Halifax Isa I lost my wife of 54 years in April. Since then, I have been trying to close her Halifax Isa with the help of my daughter, but to no avail. Scottish Widows, the part of the bank that administers the Isa, confirmed that it has received the relevant form, a copy of her death certificate and her will. The claim form has also been countersigned by our solicitor, as required. But still Scottish Widows has refused to release the 16,773. I have called numerous times but got nowhere. This is very stressful, and I have costs that I will need to meet after the funeral. Sally Hamilton replies: Unravelling the financial affairs of a loved one after they die is an extremely painful and often daunting task. And it is a job made all the harder when companies drag their heels or force the bereaved to jump through hoops to obtain money that is rightfully theirs. Money Mail sees too many cases like this one and has campaigned for years to encourage firms to improve their methods for dealing with grief-stricken relatives. I contacted Scottish Widows and asked the firm to investigate the delays in your case. A few days later, it came back to me to apologise and confirmed that you had in fact supplied the correct paperwork and that the claim was now being processed. A spokesman says: We have spoken with G. L. and apologised for the lack of clarity in respect of our requirements and the delay this caused. We have confirmed that no further documentation is needed. Scottish Widows has now transferred the funds and added 8 pc interest on the Isa balance, plus another 300 for the inconvenience caused. You were pleased with this result and have made a donation to the charity Marie Curie as a token of thanks for my involvement. Straight to the point I accidentally paid twice for probate after my mother died once over the phone and again when filling in an online form. I was told it may take a while to get a refund, but its been almost a year now! M.H., Bury St Edmunds. A spokesman for HM Courts & Tribunals Service says your refund request was one of several which were incorrectly processed. Your 216.50 has now been repaid. *** It has been 15 months since I switched to ScottishPower via the website TopCashback and Im still waiting for the 180 incentive. A. S., Hampshire. It appears there was an issue tracking the claim. But the cashback website accepts it should not have taken this long to resolve the problem, and has now sent the money. *** I paid 320 to take my three daughters to Alton Towers. We spent most of the day queueing for rides, which then stopped working. In the end, they only managed to go on two. Its very poor value for money. C. G., Sapcote, Leics. An Alton Towers spokesman apologises for your poor experience, but insists that its terms and conditions state that all rides are subject to availability. It would only offer you a 10-per-person discount on another visit. *** Last year, I took 12,000 out of my pension after I was made redundant. I was taxed on this money but got a rebate in June 2021. Since April, I have taken a further 7,000 out of my pot, but have been taxed 1,910. I have still not received a rebate and desperately need the money. K. E., via email. HMRC apologises for the delay and says it has now sent you a cheque in the post. A U.S. appeals court in New Orleans has upheld a Texas law that bars large social media companies from banning or censoring users based on 'viewpoint' - a setback for technology industry groups that say the measure would turn platforms into bastions of dangerous content. The Texas law, House Bill 20 - known as H.B. 20 - was signed into law by the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, in September 2021, and placed limits on tech firms with more than 50 million monthly users. Supporters of the bill said it stopped tech companies from censoring figures like Donald Trump for their views. Detractors - and the tech firms - said it meant they would not be able to block offensive material like Nazi propaganda. On Friday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, supported the Texas law. Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, celebrated the decision by the New Orleans court to uphold the law passed in his state 'Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say,' wrote Judge Andrew Oldham, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, in the ruling. He said the platforms argued for 'a rather odd inversion of the First Amendment', and argued that 'buried somewhere in the person's enumerated right to free speech lies a corporation's unenumerated right to muzzle speech.' Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, was overjoyed at Friday's ruling. 'BREAKING: I just secured a MASSIVE VICTORY for the Constitution & Free Speech in fed court,' he tweeted. '#BigTech CANNOT censor the political voices of ANY Texan! 'The 5th Circuit 'reject[s] the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say.' Parag Agrawal, the CEO of Twitter, is among those who have objected to the Texas law. He is seen on July 7 at the Sun Valley conference in Idaho Mark Zuckerberg, head of Facebook's parent company Meta, also objected to H.B. 20. He is pictured on March 20 at SXSW The New Orleans ruling runs counter to that issued by an Atlanta appeals court, the 11th Circuit, which in May ruled that a Florida law similar to the Texan one was unconstitutional. The rival decisions means that it is now more likely the cases could be brought before the Supreme Court - something which conservatives and right-wing commentators have said is necessary to prevent 'Big Tech' from suppressing their views. The Texas law was passed by the state's Republican-led legislature and signed by its Republican governor. The tech groups that challenged the law, and were on the losing end of Friday's ruling, include NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association - which count Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as members. Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, signed H.B. 20 into law last year - in part in response to the blocking of Donald Trump from Twitter They have sought to preserve rights to regulate user content when they believe it may lead to violence, citing concerns that unregulated platforms will enable extremists such as Nazi supporters, terrorists and hostile foreign governments. The association on Friday said it disagreed with forcing private companies to give equal treatment to all viewpoints. ''God Bless America' and 'Death to America' are both viewpoints, and it is unwise and unconstitutional for the state of Texas to compel a private business to treat those the same,' it said in a statement. Some conservatives have labeled the social media companies' practices abusive, pointing to Twitter's permanent suspension of Trump from the platform shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Twitter had cited 'the risk of further incitement of violence' as a reason. Police have arrested six alleged bikie gang associates and their alleged leader after discovering 13kg of dangerous drugs and firearms hidden in piles of green waste. Officers laid more than 50 drug, weapon and burglary charges after the raid of a south Brisbane property on Holloway Road in Chambers Flat on Friday. Footage shows detectives from Ipswich and the Organised Crime Gangs Group searching through piles of branches and removing caches full of weapons and drugs. Queensland Police detectives from Ipswich and the Organised Crime Gangs Group raided a Chambers Flat property on Friday (pictured, an officer removing a cache hidden in green waste) Queensland Police allege they found over a kilo of methylamphetamine, 12kg of cannabis, seven firearms, ammunition, about $50,000 in counterfeit money and two stolen cars. They also allegedly discovered evidence of cannabis farming rooms and dismantled amphetamine labs on the property. The raid was carried out as part Operation Uniform Neo which was established in August after several firearms were allegedly stolen from a property in Ottaba, 120km north of Chambers Flat. Queensland Police allegedly found over a kilo of methylamphetamine, 12kg of cannabis, seven firearms, ammunition, about $50,000 in counterfeit money (above) and two stolen cars A 39-year-old man from Victoria Point was arrested following the raid and charged for possessing and producing dangerous drugs, unlawful possession of weapons, possessing explosives and receiving tainted firearm and ammunition property. Police allege he is the leader of the Rebel bikie gang's Logan chapter. He is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday. A 50-year-old Chambers Flat man and 35-year-old Brisbane woman were also arrested and face similar charges. An allegedly Rebels bikie gang leader, six men and one woman now face a combined total of 50 charges following the raid (pictured, cannabis allegedly found at the property) They are set to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on October 12. The three face a combined total of 31 charges. A 48-year-old Moores Pocket man, 36-year-old Bethania man, 27-year-old Mansfield man and 38-year-old Browns Plains man were arrested in relation to the raid and were charged for drug trafficking, organised crime, weapon and criminal offences. The 48-year-old Moores Pocket man, 36-year-old Bethania man and 27-year-old Mansfield will face Ipswich Magistrates Court from September 27 to November 11 while the 38-year-old Browns Plains man will appear in Beenleigh Magistrates Court. A problem-plagued project to build a 5.5bn fleet of new armoured vehicles for the British Army has been branded a 'disgraceful use' of taxpayers' cash after it emerged the scheme was still stuck in limbo amid safety fears and delays. Whitehall has already spent at least 3.2bn - the same cost of one of the Royal Navys huge new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers - on the Ajax fighting vehicles. The deal was agreed in 2014 for 589 vehicles in six different variations, with the project meant to be completed by 2017. But it has been bedevilled by setbacks, which have pushed Ajaxs introduction into the Army back twice already, with 26 vehicles reportedly received by the military so far - none of which are in service. The latest delay was sparked after it was revealed troops testing the tanks were left with damaged hearing from the violent vibrations inside them. Now, despite years of work, the project appears to have stalled, with a defence minister admitting the government cannot determine a realistic timescale for when - or if - the grounded scheme will come into service. The MoD has halted trials of its new Ajax fleet of armoured vehicles because of a range of problems with the new fleet The revelation has sparked furious calls from experts who are demanding urgent action from the Government to fix the project - or cut its losses and scrap it all together. The calls follow comments from newly-installed defence minister, Alec Shelbrooke, who cast fresh doubt on the future of Ajax. The Tory MP for Elmet and Rothwell was quizzed by MP John Healey, Labour's shadow defence secretary, over the 'feasibility' of delivering the programme 'on time' and in budget. Responding to a written question, Mr Shelbrooke admitted: 'We will not accept a vehicle until it can be used safely for its intended purposes and until long-term solutions to the noise and vibration problems have been found, we cannot determine a realistic timescale for the introduction of Ajax into operational service.' News of the on-going Ajax saga has left the head of a think-tank outraged and questioning whether the multi-billion pound project was a good use of taxpayers' cash. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told MailOnline: 'Taxpayers will be furious at this disgraceful use of their cash. 'With the tax burden at a 70-year high, defence chiefs can't afford to waste a single penny. 'They should show more discipline with the public purse.' MP Alec Shelbrooke was appointed as a defence minister by Prime Minister Liz Truss. He said the MoD cannot determine a 'realistic timescale' for Ajax's operational introduction Defence experts have called for a cancellation of the Ajax programme, which has been delayed for years and is expected to cost an eye-watering 5.5 billion Defence expert calls for the costly Ajax programme to be 'cancelled' Ajax, left, pictured next to the British Army's other armoured fighting vehicle, the Boxer Continuing the costly Ajax project would be 'reinforcing failure', a defence expert has warned as he called for the woe-stricken scheme to be axed. Edward Arnold, a research fellow with the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) think tank, said delaying a decision over on the future of the 5.5 billion project any further would be 'dangerous'. Speaking to the MailOnline, Mr Arnold said: 'The Ajax saga has moved from a technical problem to a cultural one at the heart of the MoD. 'For an organisation that prides itself on planning and decision-making, there still appears to be an inability for individuals to show leadership, moral courage and accountability and make a definitive call on the future of the Ajax programme. 'When considering the information available, the "best" option would be to cancel the programme and continuing it - to borrow military terminology - would be "reinforcing failure". Delaying this decision further, with a European industrial war ongoing would be dangerous and will cast more ambiguity on the future structure and operation of the British Army. 'If the Ajax programme is cancelled, nothing short of full transparency and accountability into how the MoD got here and why will suffice, no matter how brutal that process might be, especially given the announced intent to significantly increase the defence budget to 2030. It's time for the MoD to learn lessons, rather than simply identifying them.' Advertisement Built by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the Ajax armoured vehicles are meant to provide the Army with the latest cutting-edge battlefield tech. The new machines are supposed to replace a family of ageing armoured reconnaissance vehicles designed in the 1960s. But a damning review of the troubled project in December found 'serious failings' that exposed a 'deep malaise' in the nation's defence procurement process. The government-commissioned health and safety study also blasted MoD officials and the Army for failing to protect soldiers involved in trials after some suffered hearing damage. It's understood that as of December 2021, more than 300 personnel may have been harmed by vibration and noise during testing. Meg Hillier, chairman of the House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee, admitted she was 'very concerned' by the latest developments in the stalled project. 'We and the Defence Select Committee have been saying there are problems with this for some time,' she told MailOnline. 'The previous defence procurement minister (Jeremy Quin) said it would be on track and that these are solvable. 'But we have now spent billions of pounds on Ajax and don't have a single armoured vehicle to show for it. 'We're very concerned by this... The MoD needs to get a grip.' Previously, soldiers evaluating the weapons system found it has problems clearing eight-inch high obstacles - and some troops testing suffered hearing damage due to loud vibration noise Defence expert Robert Clark, who is director of the defence and security unit at the think-tank, Civitas, branded Ajax as unfit for purpose. Taking to Twitter, the Afghanistan veteran - who has previously authored a research paper into the woe-stricken programme - said: Published over a year ago, my research paper involving detailed accounts from serving personnel to MOD to industry experts all led to the same conclusion: unfit for purpose. 13 months on @DefenceHQ still wasting money, time & resources it can ill afford. The Ajax: at a glance Length 6.6m Top speed 70kph Height 2.70m Crew size 3 Width 3.5m Numbers due in service 589 Advertisement Last year's official inquiry found that warnings the Ajax vehicles were badly flawed and would injure soldiers were ignored four years by military top brass. The government review said a 2018 safety recommendation saying the vehicle must be redesigned due to excessive vibration was not acted upon. Had the appropriate action been taken public money would have been saved and scores of troops would have been spared injuries. Speaking last year, former UK defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin, who was in charge of buying the nation's new military kit, admitted he was 'horrified' by the revelation. Mr Quin pledged to appoint a senior legal figure to examine the cause of the problems plaguing the costly defence project. But it is not known how far these discussions have gone since that promise was made. Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of parliament's influential Defence Select Committee, launched a vicious broadside at the Ajax scheme, branding it a 'complete mess'. 'Our whole land warfare programme is now operationally suboptimal,' the former army officer and ex-defence minister said. In March the National Audit Office highlighted the 'challenges' faced by the MoD to deliver the project. The spending watchdog's report found the MoD had no confidence in its own target for Ajax to be fully operational by April 2025. Troops have complained that the new tank is not performing as it was designed Meanwhile, NAO chiefs also warned that finding a solution to the problem may not be found until at least the end of the year, amid a reported disagreement over safety between the MoD and the manufacturer. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: 'The Ministry of Defence and GDLS-UKs approach was flawed from the start. They did not fully understand the scale or complexity of the Ajax programme and a series of failures have led to delays and unresolved safety issues that will have a significant impact on the Armys ability to use the vehicles.' The government is investing 41 billion into new Army equipment and support over the next decade to tackle future threats. A spokesman for the MoD added: 'We recognise Ajax is a troubled programme and we are clear that we will not accept a vehicle until it can be used safely for its intended purposes. 'We continue to work with General Dynamics to resolve the noise and vibration problems on Ajax while protecting taxpayers' interests.' Meanwhile, General Dynamics said it remained committed to the programme. 'Built in Wales, Ajax will be the most technologically advanced armoured fighting vehicle in the world, providing much needed state-of-the-art capability to British forces,' a spokesman told the BBC. How top brass blew 3.5billion on a dud that is a menace to troops: Ajax is the British Army's new tank that's too heavy, makes crew sick and can't fire on the move... all thanks to a mix of cronyism and incompetence by MARK NICOL DEFENCE EDITOR FOR DAILY MAIL Some of them reported back spasms and joint pain or swollen ankles. Others a constant tingling in their hands and feet. Still more emerged reeling from acute hearing loss and nausea. The noise and vibrations that members of the British Army trials team endured while trying out the latest high-tech vehicle were insufferable. Had the test-drives not been stopped, the damage they suffered could have become permanent. There were concerns about Vibration White Finger syndrome, an injury suffered by industrial workers handling vibrating heavy machinery, where fingers and toes suffer blood circulation loss and can go white and numb. As it was, more than 30 of the men required medical treatment, with two dozen given steroid injections. This is the story of the Ajax light tank that makes its drivers sick. One that cannot fire on the move as vibrations affect the gun stabilisation system, and which, due to this issue should not be driven faster than 20 mph comparable vehicles reach 45 mph. An armoured vehicle so unwieldy it cant fit into transport aircraft. A light tank that has cost billions yet could be scrapped before it enters service and is set to become the most expensive procurement failure in Army history. The MoD and General Dynamics (UK), the makers of Ajax, seem on course for a legal battle over the eye-watering sums involved As Conservative MP and Defence Select Committee member Mark Francois says: It is heavier than a Sherman tank and as stealthy as a Ford Transit full of spanners. And, if you are giving people steroid injections after having been in the vehicle, that tells you everything. The scandal of the armoured vehicles glaring problems raises concerns about the governments procurement process and why ministers were not alerted to the difficulties, but instead continued to write huge cheques. Above all, it poses the fundamental question: How on earth is it possible for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to spend billions on a light tank that does not work? It is a question to which MPs have demanded urgent answers as they urged the government to seek liquidated damages and salvage whatever it possibly can from the billions of pounds of public money already banked by the arms manufacturer behind the vehicle. Whatever happens, the MoD and General Dynamics (UK), the makers of Ajax, seem on course for a legal battle over the eye-watering sums involved. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, who inherited the Ajax debacle, pulled no punches when he said: We paid for a piece of equipment, we expect it to be delivered, and like any consumer we have rights. If its not up to scratch, well take action. If only things were so simple. General Dynamics (UK) has received in excess of 3 billion for design and manufacturing work already completed, and these payments were made after the MoD agreed the company had met its production targets. The money will never be seen by the taxpayer again. So where does responsibility lie? The answer is complicated but involves an extraordinary revolving door process whereby senior Army staff have ended up working for the firm that makes Ajax, General Dynamics (UK). How on earth is it possible for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to spend billions on a light tank that does not work? It includes decisions to reject a cheaper alternative made by British Aerospace (BAe), and then to change the vehicles design half-way through the process. On top of this, there is the hubris of decision makers in the Army with their insistence that only the very best machine, with the latest technology, would do. To understand where things went wrong, we must examine these issues, starting with the revolving door between the MoD and General Dynamics (UK). Certainly, for a clique of former British Army generals, the company has proved highly lucrative. After overseeing procurement projects at the MoD, for which they were handsomely rewarded and given gold-plated pensions, they cashed in by joining the arms manufacturer. General Dynamics (UK) hires these senior officers and defence officials not only because of their knowledge of securing contracts, but also because of their relationships with their successors at the MoD the people responsible for deciding what equipment the UKs armed forces should purchase. The most senior soldier to spin through this revolving door is the former head of the Army, General Sir Peter Wall. Sir Peter completed his term as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) in January 2015. Around the same time he approached the governments Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) to say he had been offered a non-executive directorship by General Dynamics a position which came with a substantial salary. General Dynamics (UK) hires these senior officers and defence officials not only because of their knowledge of securing contracts, but also because of their relationships with their successors at the MoD the people responsible for deciding what equipment the UKs armed forces should purchase. The most senior soldier to spin through this revolving door is the former head of the Army, General Sir Peter Wall. He is pictured above with Prince Charles Given Sir Peters knowledge of army procurement contracts, ACOBA advised his appointment should be subject to strict conditions. These included a waiting period of 18 months from the day he left the Army, stipulations he should not draw on information available to him from his time in Government and that he should not be involved with matters relating to the Ajax contract. Sir Peter accepted these terms in September 2015 and took up his role with General Dynamics in August 2016. There is no suggestion he breached the ACOBA requirements by getting involved in the Ajax project. Nevertheless, as a board member of the manufacturers U.S. parent company he is paid more than $300,000, according to U.S. public sources. Sir Peter was a Royal Engineer. Two years later he was joined at his new firm by another ex Sapper slang for Royal Engineers Major General Carew Wilks. Wilks commanded RE units while in uniform before branching into procurement, eventually becoming Director Land Equipment in September 2011 the year the Army chose General Dynamics (UK) to design and build its new armoured reconnaissance vehicle. According to Maj Gen Wilkss LinkedIn profile, he was responsible for the acquisition of all equipment in the land environment, principally the Army so, it is likely, he would have been involved with the Ajax project. Earlier this month the retired Major General enraged MPs on the Commons Defence Select Committee when he stonewalled questions about Ajaxs failures. THE AJAX IN NUMBERS Weapons: 40mm cannon and 7.62mm machine gun Top speed: 45mph Weight: 38 tons Engine: 800bhp V8 Crew: Three plus seven passengers Width: 3.35 m (11 ft) Length: 7.62 m (25 ft) Advertisement Indeed, former Defence Minister Kevan Jones nearly exploded after repeatedly asking Maj Gen Wilks, now Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics (UK), why the company was paid so much up front and had taken on little or no risk if the project failed. Mr Jones snapped: Oh forget it, Chair! He is not answering the question! But personnel apart, why did the government choose General Dynamics (UK) in the first place? The firm was chosen to provide 589 armoured vehicles to the Army. Ajax is the companys biggest project and the UK government is its biggest client. In 2018, the company reported a total operating profit of 89.1 million from a turnover of 736 million of which 509 million was revenue directly generated by Ajax. The accounts for that year were signed by another former senior Army officer, Lieutenant General Andrew Figgures. He became a director of General Dynamics (UK) after retiring from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Here we come to the second issue in the decision-making process. According to defence sources, the Ajaxs problems can be traced to the Armys insistence on having the companys armoured vehicle rather than BAes CV90. In contrast to the Ajax, the CV90 has been introduced into service with armies across the world. A source told the Mail the MoD wanted to punish BAE for the failure of the MRA4 Nimrod programme the ministry ordered 21 maritime reconnaissance and attack aircraft from BAe but after delays and hitches the programme was scrapped with losses exceeding 4billion. Anyone but BAe, was the mantra. And when the choice of Ajax was challenged by the MoDs procurement scrutiny committee, the Army blustered it through, according to sources. The initial development contract was signed in 2011 and the deal was stacked so the manufacturer received more than half the value of the contract before the Ajax vehicles entered service. To this day 26 have been received by the Army. Astonishingly, the Defence Select Committee heard that any compensation claims brought by soldiers suffering injuries due to the noise and vibrations aboard Ajax will come not from the manufacturer but public funds. And while a 7.7 million grant from the Welsh government to construct the vehicle at a factory in Wales must be repaid, the company only has to do this at a rate of 1 million year. Cleotha Abston, 38, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and tampering with evidence in connection with Eliza Fletcher's death The mother of accused killer Cleotha Abston has insisted her son is innocent, claiming the convicted felon is a 'kind', 'good person' and is once again being 'railroaded' for a violent crime. Virgie Abston, 65, broke her silence for the first time since her 38-year-old son was arrested in connection to the abduction and murder of jogger Eliza Fletcher, 34, in Memphis, Tennessee on September 2. Emerging from her low-income apartment complex in north Memphis, the mother told DailyMail.com she is standing by Abston, who declared his innocence to her from jail. 'I talked to him and he said he didn't do it,' she recalled of their conversation. 'He said [to me]: "They're trying to put me in some stuff, mom".' 'I believe him,' she continued. 'I don't believe he did it. If it comes out of his mouth, that's what I believe.' 'He's just a good person, kind, lovable,' she added, disputing depictions of her son as a monster. Speaking outside her north Memphis apartment, the suspect's mother, Virgie Abston, 65, told DailyMail.com she is standing by her son who she said declared his innocence to her from jail Abston, who is accused of abducting and killing the 34-year-old Memphis teacher (right) has also been charged with separate charges related to a September 2021 rape of a woman After a four-day search, Fletcher's body was discovered near a dilapidated home, just yards from where police last spotted the vehicle she was forced into Abston is accused of kidnapping and killing elementary school teacher and mother-of-two Fletcher after she set off on a pre-dawn jog near the University of Memphis campus on September 2. He is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence with the judge refusing him bail ahead of another hearing on September 19. But just days after his arraignment, Abston was later rebooked at the Shelby County Jail on September 9 on separate charges related to a September 2021 rape of a woman. The 2021 victim, Alicia Franklin, 22, spoke out Sunday, telling the the Institute for Public Service Reporting and The Daily Memphian that she met the man she knew as Cleo on a dating app and thought she was going to die when he blindfolded her and put a gun to her neck. She took a rape kit days after the attack, but investigators failed to complete its processing it for 11 months. Abston Rape Victim Tells of Attack The woman who was allegedly kidnapped and raped by convicted felon Cleotha Abston a year before he killed a Memphis jogger says she thought she was going to die when he blindfolded her and put a gun to her neck and raped her. I really thought he was going to shoot me in the back of my head, Alicia Franklin, 22, told the Institute for Public Service Reporting and The Daily Memphian Sunday in her first public comments about her 2021 attack. Abston, 38, who also goes by the last name Henderson, was charged earlier this month with killing mother-of-two Eliza Fletcher, an elementary school teacher and billionaire heiress, after forcing her into an SUV during her early morning jog on Sept. 2. He was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Days later, he was charged with the Sept. 21, 2021 attack, based on a DNA match from Franklins rape kit, which had languished for nearly a year after being sent for testing days after the crime. She told the Institute for Public Service Reporting and The Daily Memphian that she met a man she knew as Cleo through a dating app and agreed to meet him at his apartment in southeast Memphis. It quickly turned violent. I really thought he was going to shoot me in the back of my head, she said. Franklin has since moved to find a more peaceful existence in Mississippi, but decided to go public because I feel my story could help other women. The Abston case has received national attention, in part, because it illustrated a dysfunctional criminal justice system that allowed a violent felon to roam free, even after a long history of attacks. He served 20 years after being convicted in 2000 for the kidnapping of Memphis attorney Kemper Durand. Records show he was also previously arrested for raping a man and several assaults before he turned 16. There are also questions about whether race played a role in the more recent police investigations. DNA from Fletchers abduction was processed within a day, while Franklins rape kit languished for 11 months without being completed. Eliza Fletcher was white and from a wealthy family. Franklin is Black and taking online college courses as she works to escape a legacy of poverty, the outlets reported. In a social media post, Franklin wrote, My heart pours out for her (Fletcher) and her family. But during the interview, she said, I was just an average Black girl in the city of Memphis, you know. I just think it wasnt a priority. She criticized the Memphis Police Department, accusing them of failing to pursue leads that could have solved her case, such as taking fingerprints from her phone or providing an updated photo that could have helped her identify her attacker, the outlets reported. An MPD spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Franklin recalled that shed met Henderson through a dating site called PlentyofFish. He was like, Well, you dont ever respond to me. Can I please take you out? Franklin told the outlets. Franklin recalled that it was raining the night of their date and that she ran toward his building to get out of the rain. So, Im walking with my head down because I had makeup on, I dont want my makeup or anything to get messed up, she recalled. So, he was trying to hug me, and I was like we can hug in the house. You know, its raining. It was dark and empty inside. When I walked in the apartment, he put a gun to my neck and was like, B----, dont move. She said he placed a black T-shirt over her head and led her through a back door and into a white Dodge Charger, where he attacked her. He later led her by gunpoint back into the apartment, she told the outlets. Can you please let me go? Please let me go, she recalled telling him. I said, I dont want to, you know, die this way. I said, If youre going to kill me, just kill me. Because at that point I didnt feel like Id get away, she said. After rummaging through her purse, he took some cash and left, she said. A few days ago, the outlets reported, she posted a picture of Fletcher on her Facebook page along with the message: Ive been up all night thinking about this beautiful soul I cant sleep I cant eat! my heart pours out for her and her family especially those babies because I know what she experienced firsthand! may your soul rest in everlasting peace Eliza. During the interview, she offered advice to other victims. The only thing I can really say is just fight for yourself because the justice system is not going to really help you, she reportedly said. You know, thats just my personal experience. You have to stand up for yourself. You have to fight for yourself, because nobody else will who will fight for you. Advertisement Virgie, who had been in hiding since her son's arrest, sells cans of soda and candy out of her ground-floor apartment, which often has neighborhood kids knocking on her door, handing her pocket change and walking off with drinks. She said she is now struggling with the fact she has two sons in jail. Her son Mario was also arrested on unrelated drug and weapon charges after police executed a search warrant of his apartment, where his brother Cleotha allegedly cleaned his clothes and vehicle after the killing. She said that over the years, she's had 'all three of my boys gone.' 'I just take one day at a time, one day at a time baby,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Things have been going on so much.' Even as she defended her sons, she distanced herself from their actions by saying, 'The boys are on their own. What they do, I do not know.' 'They haven't told me nothing, I don't know nothing,' she added. She spoke of the fact Cleotha has spent nearly his entire adult life in prison, released in 2020 after serving two decades for the 2000 abduction of Memphis lawyer Kemper Durand. Abston, who is accused of taking the keen jogger, drove with her in his GMC terrain for an hour and a half before the vehicle was spotted turning into the road where her body was discovered. Officers searched underneath the porch of the house where she was found Memphis Police Officers were seen searching the area where Eliza was found. She remained hidden by long grass and foliage for four days before discovery with blood seeping into the soil She described it as an unfairly harsh sentence for a 16-year-old boy, which she blames on the justice system. Cleotha Abston, pictured in 2000, was first arrested when he was just 11 years old and was in and out of juvenile court when 16 times in five years before he kidnapped a lawyer 'They held Cleo in the juvy,' she said. 'They railroaded him, had him sign the papers without no parent around, without our consent. 'We didn't know he signed no papers. We didn't know nothing. 'He left me when he was 16,' she continued. 'They took 20 years of my son's life. They need to fix that prison [system].' Virgie maintains a deep distrust of authorities, particularly against cops. 'I don't know why they do what they do,' she said. 'I don't deal with the police. I don't deal with the police, period.' Abston will appear in court on September 19 for another hearing, where he is expected to enter a plea on all the charges he faces including the new rape case. Authorities confirmed that a body found in long grass near an abandoned property was that of Fletcher, following a four-day search. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy confirmed that the incident was 'isolated' and that Fletcher had never met her attacker before. Abston is alleged to have approached her and forced her into his SUV vehicle after a brief struggle around 4am. She was reported missing when she did not return home from her regular morning run, and her cellphone and water bottle were discovered in front of a house owned by the university. An obituary for the teacher described her as a 'born athlete', who 'found great joy' in her morning runs and was 'not afraid to be vulnerable. Fletcher, a wife, mother of two and a kindergarten teacher, (pictured) was jogging near the University of Memphis campus when a man forced her into an SUV after a brief struggle about 4am on September 2 Fletcher was reported missing when she did not return home from her regular morning run It comes after court documents reveal that he was previously convicted of raping a man when he was a teenager. Abston was just 11 when he first appeared in Shelby County Juvenile Court, in Memphis, Tennessee, charged with theft of property $500 or less. He was detained 16 times from October 1995 to May 2000 for rape, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon. Records show that Abston was accused of raping a man and was placed in the custody of Shelby County's Youth Services Bureau. Two weeks after he was released from his final spell at the SCYSB to his mother's care, he was transferred to adult court for kidnapping lawyer Kemper Durand. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the offense, and was released in 2020 before violently bundling Fletcher into his SUV and allegedly killing her. Chris Dawson and other convicted killers may be refused parole unless they reveal where the bodies of their victims are under new proposed laws in NSW. Dawson, 74, was last month found guilty of the murder of his first wife Lynette 40 years ago and has faced death threats in jail since his conviction. The NSW government is now expected to this week introduce 'no body, no parole' laws for inmates across the state. The proposed laws would mean the State Parole Authority (SPA) would not be able to grant parole to someone convicted of murder or homicide offences unless they're satisfied the prisoner has cooperated with police on their victim's whereabouts. The new laws would affect about six prisoners in NSW jails and has been dubbed 'Lyn's law', with the body of the mother-of-two having never been found. Chris Dawson (pictured) and other convicted killers may be refused parole unless they reveal where the bodies of their victims are under new proposed laws in NSW NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he hoped the legislation would comfort grieving families. 'We will make it impossible for offenders who wilfully and deliberately refuse to disclose information about their victims' remains to be granted parole,' he said. 'Being unable to locate a loved one's body is extremely distressing and traumatic for the families and friends of victims and it denies a victim the dignity of being laid to rest appropriately. 'These laws are to stop inmates convicted of murder or homicide offences from getting parole unless they co-operate with police to end the torment of families and return to them the remains of their loved ones.' The SPA will rely on written advice from the police commissioner and other relevant information to determine whether the offender has co-operated satisfactorily to identify a victim's location. Dawson, 74, was last month found guilty of the murder of his first wife Lynette 40 years ago and has faced death threats in jail since his conviction Corrections Minister Geoff Lee said the reforms were modelled on laws in other jurisdictions and would apply to all current and future inmates in NSW to capture convicted offenders who have not yet been considered for parole. 'Any offender in prison coming up for parole should really think hard about maintaining their refusal to co-operate with police if they want to retain their prospects of getting parole,' Dr Lee said. The legislation will bring NSW into line with laws in Queensland, WA, SA, Victoria and the Northern Territory, where offenders can be refused parole if they refuse to disclose the whereabouts of victims' remains. After Dawson was convicted of murdering Lyn, her family plead for her killer to reveal the location of her remains. 'This is a milestone in our journey of advocating for Lyn, however the journey is not complete, she is still missing,' Lyn's brother Greg Simms said outside court. 'We still need to bring her home, we'd ask Chris Dawson to find it in himself to finally do the decent thing and allow us to bring Lyn home to a peaceful rest, showing her the dignity she deserves.' Lyn's brother Greg Simms and his wife Merilyn are seen outside court pleading for Dawson to reveal where Lyn's remains are, after he was found guilty of her murder Despite finding that he was not satisfied Dawson 'caused any of the bruising on Lynette' or that he 'was physically violent towards her', Justice Ian Harrison found him guilty of murder. He was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Lynette is dead, that she has not been seen or heard since on or around January 8, 1982 and that she did not leave her home voluntarily. It's understood Dawson's legal team have lodged a notice of intention to appeal with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. An Aboriginal artist has shared his passion for painting through decorating all sorts of items including caskets, buildings and vehicles. Allan McKenzie, 36, a Wiradjuri-Gamilaroi man, lives in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast. Mr McKenzie has been painting for more than 28 years and shared many of his artworks on social media for everyone to see and enjoy. Artist Allan McKenzie (pictured), 36, a proud Wiradjuri-Gamilaroi man who lives on the NSW Central Coast in Terrigal, has been painting for over 28 years Over the past few months, Mr McKenzie had the opportunity of using his talent to support two families in hand painting the caskets (pictured) of loved ones who had passed away Mr McKenzie in the past few months used his talent to support two families by hand-painting the caskets of loved ones who died. He said he was close to one of the families, and the other family reached out to him asking if he would be able to paint the coffin. 'The inspiration of creating these pieces come from deep within my connections to my culture and also assisting other people with a story that is fitting to the person being laid to rest,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'This includes family members leaving hand prints on the casket as a mark and connection to let their loved one know that they will forever be with them. 'The inspiration of creating these pieces come from deep within my connections to my culture and also assisting other people with a story that is fitting to the person being laid to rest,' Mr McKenzie told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday (pictured, one of the caskets that he hand painted) Mr McKenzie (pictured) has posted a lot of his amazing artwork across social media for others to see and enjoy 'I felt nervous at first but when thinking of the pain that the families were going through at the time... it helped inspire my creativity to another level where I didn't believe I could reach. 'I felt at peace with a surrounded calmness towards the completion of the two caskets.' Mr McKenzie said he would be honoured to do this for other families in the future. He will soon also get the opportunity to go overseas to further his career. 'I will be travelling to America next year to work on some big projects and to showcase my art in New York which shall be an amazing experience,' he said. Queensland Police has banned 'spit hoods' that prevent officers from being bitten or spat at in watchhouses. The ban, that came into force on Friday, was welcomed by civil liberties groups, who said there was 'no good reason to put a bag over someone's head'. Increased PPE, protective screens, more training and other techniques will instead be used to prevent offenders from biting or spitting on officers. Increased PPE, protective screens, more training and other techniques will be used to prevent offenders from biting or spitting on officers (pictured, a man being arrested wearing a spit hood) The mesh-fabric face coverings, that have a band around the neck, are designed to restrain offenders and have been rarely used in watchhouse custody. The hoods were used on 138 occasions between 2015 and 2022, which was 0.04 per cent of all people in police custody during that period. The restraining method, introduced in Queensland in 2009, could only be used by trained staff and was monitored by senior officers. But police reviewed their use after the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner and the Queensland Family and Childrens Commission raised the issue. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the decision was made after consultation with the state's police union, other policing jurisdictions, and a range of government agencies. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll (pictured) said police recognise there are community concerns around the use of the safety hoods in police watchhouses 'We recognise there are community concerns around the application of safety hoods in police watchhouses and we undertook an extensive review of the issue before formally discontinuing their use,' she said. 'The QPS is committed to enhancing our practices to ensure we are delivering high quality policing services to the community we proudly serve.' The ban was also influenced by the increased availability of PPE for officers and watchhouse staff, plus the option to segregate prisoners. Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler told media on Tuesday it was not an easy decision and said there were other ways to prevent spitting and biting. 'Use of force is always based on the principle you use the least amount of force as necessary - we resolve a situation generally through communication,' he said. 'But it may be necessary to restrain someone who may be spitting directly in your face... you turn their face away from you so the spit is not coming in your direction.' Queensland Corrective Services still continue to use the hoods as a 'last-minute preventative measure' in the state's prison system. 'To minimise the risk to our officers and the people in our custody, Queensland Corrective Services is currently reviewing its processes and policies in relation to individuals who bite or spit at officers,' a Queensland Corrective Services spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. The hoods were used on 138 occasions between 2015 and 2022, which is 0.04 per cent of all people in police custody during that time (pictured, a Brisbane Watchhouse) 'Like every significant use of force, safety hood deployments are recorded and reviewed both locally and by statewide safety committees to ensure they are used appropriately.' Greens Maiwar MP Michael Berkman welcomed the news and condemned the use of spit hoods. 'Despite the availability of clear alternatives like PPE, spit hoods have been used in prisons and watchhouses, on children and adults,' he said. 'There's no good reason to put a bag over someone's head.' Other police forces still use the hoods, including the ACT and Northern Territory, where they are used on both adults and juveniles. South Australia banned the hoods in 2021, but Western Australian police still use them on adults on some occasions. A Massachusetts town has been overrun by a rafter of turkeys who are attacking locals, chasing down cars and holding people hostage in their own homes. Woburn residents say the wild creatures have attacked everyone from children on bikes to locals ducking behind their front door. Some are now even afraid to step outside, worried that the turkeys will peck at them once they do. 'The most aggressive one is Kevin,' said Meaghan Tolson, who has taken to naming the creatures that are terrorizing her town. 'Even if you are parked, Kevin will try to get in your car,' she told CBS Boston. 'You have to open your passenger side door and lure them over there, then make a clean break to the house.' The other turkeys 'are three ladies, because their coloring isn't distinct,' Tolson said. 'It's Esther, Gladys and Patricia.' Nobody in the city of 40,000 residents are spared from their wrath, locals say. A rafter of wild turkeys are forcing residents of Woburn, Massachusetts to stay inside their homes out of fear they will be attacked Residents say the turkeys have chased down cars and attacked children on bikes One woman, Meaghan Tolson, has taken to naming the fowl, proclaiming Kevin to be the most aggressive of the rafter One woman, only identified as McKenzie told WBZ News Radio that the flock live in front of her house, and attack her often. They come out every night around sunset to once again enforce their reign of terror. Another resident also said her children are now afraid to take the bus to school, worried that the turkeys will be waiting for them at the stop. And April Drolette told CBS Boston that 'there have been times where I'm trapped in my car and can't get out, and have to call family members.' 'They usually bring an umbrella,' she said, noting: 'It takes a team.' Other times, she said, she enlists the help of her dog to fend them off. April Drolette told CBS Boston that 'there have been times where I'm trapped in my car and can't get out, and have to call family members' Tolson said she now begins to worry when she doesn't see Kevin for a few days Experts say the turkey infestation was likely caused by residents feeding the birds, or even keeping bird feeders out. David Scarpitti, a turkey and upland game project leader with Mass Wildlife, explained to CBS News that feeding the birds could convince them that the humans are part of their flock prompting them to want to establish dominance over them. He also noted, though, the turkeys may just be seeing their reflections in the car doors. 'Turkey behavior starts to kick in where they become so habituated with people that they are not really seeing the distinction,' Scarpitti said. 'It's all about how they respond to the turkeys,' he added. 'If you run away, now you are subdominant. He just won that battle.' In the meantime, residents say they are learning how to deal with the infestation coming up with different tricks to keep the turkeys at bay. But at least for Tolson, the turkeys are now part of the town. 'They kind of grow on you a little,' she said. 'Like when I don't see him for a couple days, I'm like, 'Oh no, did someone run Kevin over?'' Changes to Woolworths checkouts to 'reduce misscans' will also catch out Australian shoppers who 'fake swipe' to bag groceries without paying. The supermarket said it would try to cut out errors and stealing by installing powerful new surveillance systems that record customers at any checkout. Shoppers were concerned by in-store signs warning they could be filmed, especially over use of cameras in self-service lanes. Woolworths is rolling out big changes to all its checkouts to 'reduce misscans' that will also catch out Australian shoppers who try to bag groceries without paying Woolworths is rolling out surveillance cameras at self-serve and operator-assisted checkouts to reduce incidents of fake swiping Woolworths said the new camera technology trial was to see if it could help reduce misscans and improve speed for customers through the checkout'. 'If a misscan occurs, a short video highlights the affected product and customers then have the opportunity to re-scan it,' it said. 'While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, were all busy and mistakes can easily happen.' Woolworths said the technology is used internationally and 'should make the self-serve scanning process more accurate'. However, most shoppers and retail observers expect the supermarket's real motivation is to catch more stealing at self-service checkouts. Fake swiping by shoppers at self-serve checkouts costs Australian shops up to $9 billion a year, the Australian Retailers Association claimed. Retail analysts claimed Australian shoppers don't feel bad about fake swiping - also known as 'micro thefts' - because it's seen as stealing from a 'robot'. Woolworths' new camera technology detects when something has bypassed your scanner by filming the area the customer is standing in, then stops the checkout process and sets off a red light above. The technology halts the checkout process to replay a video on the checkout screen in front of you if it senses an item being put into a bag without being scanned On social media Australians reacted to in-store signs warning customers they could be filmed with a mix of anger and concern It then replays a video of the issue on the checkout screen in front of you. The footage, which blurs faces and the payment keypad, is kept by Woolworths in case police ask to see it later. The system covers all checkout lanes in stores trialling the new cameras, including those with operators scanning your groceries. That means the cameras can pick up customers 'forgetting' to pay for bulk or heavy items in their trolleys - like 24 packs of drinks or a tray of dog food cans. As soon as a shopper accidently or deliberately pushes their trolley past the scanner or the checkout operator, if it contains contains any products, the red light above will go off and show the operator a video of the problem. The new anti-theft camera systems were first trialled at Woolworths Seven Hills in western Sydney, followed by Hornsby, Neutral Bay, Chullora, and Carnes Hill. The trial will be expanded to hundreds of stores across NSW, Victoria, and Queensland with other states and territories to follow. Woolworths has 1,086 stores across Australia. 'At the end of the day youve got nothing to worry about if you do the right thing,' a retail source told Daily Mail Australia. As soon as a shopper accidently or deliberately pushes their trolley past the scanner or the checkout operator, if it contains contains any products, the red light above will go off and show the operator a video of the problem Woolworths said it would 'listen closely to both customer and team feedback on the trial over the coming months'. But no matter what opposition shoppers have to the cameras it's unlikely the supermarket leader would step back from the new anti-theft camera. Shoppers advised each other online to instruct the supermarket that they don't consent to being filmed. But the technology is legal in Australia, so the retail source said refusing to agree would only lead to being told to shop somewhere else. 'Anytime you go just about anywhere you walk past CCTV so it's hardly new,' one said. By delivering a masterclass in ceremonial duties yesterday, thousands of troops paid a most fitting tribute to Her Majesty the Queen. That was the verdict of leading military figures watching awestruck as the British and Commonwealth personnel pulled off a remarkable display of pageantry. All eyes, including an estimated television audience of 4billion, were on the eight guardsmen placing the monarch into the royal hearse at Wellington Arch on Hyde Park Corner. The members of the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, had been handpicked for the prestigious but daunting role. Last night, they were showered with plaudits as hours earlier they had been showered with flowers while marching along the Mall. The pallbearers, who were flown back from operational service in Iraq to take part in yesterday's funeral, were guided throughout by Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones. All eyes, including an estimated television audience of 4billion, were on the eight guardsmen placing the monarch into the royal hearse at Wellington Arch on Hyde Park Corner. The tall warrant officer, resplendent in a ceremonial red tunic, walked ahead of Her Majesty's oak coffin which weighed over 500lb due to its lead lining. His team did not put a foot wrong as first they shouldered her coffin into and out of Westminster Abbey and, later, as they carried her up a flight of steps into St George's Chapel, Windsor. Dan Jarvis MP, a former major in the Parachute Regiment who served in Afghanistan, said: 'Special praise must go to those young men who carried the massive weight of responsibility of being a pallbearer. 'With the eyes of the world fixed upon them, the pressure must have been beyond extreme. That they did it flawlessly brings enormous credit on them, their unit and the armed forces.' Writer and comedian Stephen Fry spoke for the nation when he tweeted: 'Bearer Party, to the pub quick march. Bearer Party, lift tankard. Bearer Party, down beer. You've earned it.' The members of the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, had been handpicked for the prestigious but daunting role Also at the forefront of the procession were the 148 sailors who accompanied the State Gun Carriage. The massed ranks of Royal Navy personnel marched arm in arm at 75 paces per minute, drawing the carriage forward by ropes in a solemn tradition dating back more than a century. The State Gun Carriage was first used at Queen Victoria's funeral on February 2 1901. The two-and-a-half tonne carriage subsequently appeared at the funerals of three monarchs, King Edward VII, King George V and King George VI, as well as the funerals of Sir Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten. Former equerries to the Queen marched alongside her hearse accompanied by members of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms and Yeomen of the Guard. The grand procession was formed of seven groups, each supported by a band. Mounties of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police led the first group, followed by representatives of the George Cross foundations of Malta, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and troops from Australia and New Zealand. Current and former service chiefs also took part. Another former military officer, Tobias Ellwood MP, said: 'The scale and splendour of our military, as we said goodbye to our Queen, was nothing short of outstanding.' Last night, they were showered with plaudits as hours earlier they had been showered with flowers while marching along the Mall While 1,650 troops took part in the procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, a further 1,000 lined the route through London and another 1,000 performed ceremonial and security duties in Windsor. In total, 5,948 members of the Armed Forces deployed on Operation London Bridge as plans for Her Majesty's passing were known since her death. And around 175 troops from Commonwealth countries also took part. The Queen's Company from which the pallbearers were drawn was named after the late monarch and she was its honorary commander. Her Majesty also became Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards earlier this year, replacing Prince Andrew. Once she had been driven by hearse to Windsor, there was another symbolic act to acknowledge her affiliation with the Queen's Company. Moments before she was entombed in the Royal Vault, King Charles III draped its colours over her coffin. The Queen's Company is expected to be renamed in the King's honour later this year. He may also inherit his mother's honorary colonelcy of the regiment. Thousands of images have captured the extraordinary moments that the world mourned the loss of the Queen Advertisement Shedding a tear for himself and the nation, King Charles III performed a final act of honour for his mother last night. He placed the banner of the Queen's Company of the Grenadier Guards on her oak coffin before it was lowered into the royal vault. As the Queen sank gently into the depths of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, giving millions of watching mourners a lump in their throats, it brought to a close a mesmerising 11 days of public mourning. Queen Elizabeth II is now reunited with her 'strength and stay' her beloved husband Prince Philip and with her parents and her sister Princess Margaret in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor after her coffin was interred overnight in an intimate private ceremony. Her crown, orb and sceptre were earlier removed from her coffin so she could descend into her grave in the royal crypt as a 'simple Christian soul'. An estimated 4.1billion people worldwide watched yesterday morning as kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers joined millions of mourners in London for her historic State Funeral at Westminster Abbey. More than 4,000 servicemen and women along with some of the Queen's most loyal subjects put on a display of pomp and majesty like never seen before as her coffin was borne through London. Pall bearers have been praised for their efforts as they carry the Queen's coffin up the steep steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle Charles was holding back the tears as he walked solemnly behind his mother's coffin draped in its Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown on top Westminster Abbey played a pivotal role in the Queen's life. It was where she had her coronation and married Prince Philip before world leaders congregated for her funeral there yesterday The Queen's coffin was taken along The Mall in a procession during what was one of the largest international events ever seen Shedding a tear, King Charles placed the banner of the Queen's Company of the Grenadier Guards on her oak coffin before it was lowered into the royal vault King Charles placed the banner on the Queen's coffin while Prince William and Prince George watch on from one side while the Wessexes watch on from the other The Queen's coffin is carried in by pall bearers past the choir boys before it is lowered into the ground and seen by the public for the final time The emotional King looks towards his mother's coffin, surrounded by his sister the Princess Royal and his two brothers Prince Andrew and the Earl of Wessex The Queen's coffin draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and sovereign's orb and sceptre Liz Truss was seen with her husband Hugh O'Leary as well as Kwasi Kwarteng and Therese Coffey who were stood behind former Prime Minister's and their wives including David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major and Boris Johnson Mourners who lined the route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then on to Windsor 25 miles away covered the state hearse in flowers as it passed. In historic scenes in a separate ceremony at St George's Chapel, Queen Elizabeth II's incredible 70-year reign came to an end with the symbolic 'breaking of the wand', a moving ceremony in which the Lord Chamberlain her highest ranking official took apart his wand of office. It will also be buried with her. After nearly two tumultuous weeks of high emotion, a mournful King Charles, 73, looked exhausted as he led the nation and the world's farewell to his 'Mama'. The Royal Family stood at the end of the short committal service as the Queen was slowly lowered while the Dean of Windsor said: 'Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.' St George's Chapel then sang God Save the King. The striking moment that the coffin of the Queen was lowered into the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel, Windsor The Bearer Party of The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards carried the Queen's coffin in Westminster Abbey as the emotional Royal Family watch on As the solemn King departed London's iconic Wellington Arch following his mother's funeral he wound down his window and saluted The Queen's coffin is followed by the King and Queen Consort with other members of the Royal Family behind them as the congregation stands Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave a reading during the Queen's State Funeral at Westminster Abbey The ceremonial procession of the Queen's coffin on its way from London to Windsor where members of the public of all ages flocked to watch the scenes The Prince of Wales and his brother Prince Harry can be seen in the background of the Royal Navy carrying their grandmother's coffin to Westminster Abbey The Royal Family look on as the Queen's coffin arrives at the iconic Wellington Arch where thousands gathered to watch the procession The Queen's pets played a pivotal role on the day with her fell pony, Emma, standing along the ceremonial precision on the Long Walk The Queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy, were also brought out by royal aides to see the Queen's coffin arrive in Windsor On an extraordinary day of ceremony and emotion: The Queen's great-grandchildren, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte made a surprise appearance at her funeral; The Duchess of Sussex appeared to wipe away a tear as the coffin was taken from Westminster Abbey; More than a million people were thought to have travelled to central London to be part of the commemorations for the Queen; Scotland Yard's new commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, breathed a sigh of relief after the biggest security operation in British history, involving over 15,000 officers and 1,500 soldiers, went off successfully; The Queen's beloved corgis and one of her horses met her coffin as the cortege arrived at Windsor Castle; Royals paid tribute to the Queen with jewellery she had given them, including a horseshoe brooch worn by Charlotte and Kate and Meghan's earrings; Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, with his hands by his side as he is surrounded by family members saluting in their military uniform The Duchess of Sussex, dressed in all black with a wide-brimmed hat, was visibly emotional at Westminster Abbey The Princess of Wales and Queen Consort follow the 123-year-old State Gun Carriage with the Queen's coffin mounted on top The Duke of York's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson was at the Queen's funeral alongside her daughters Princess Beatrice (pictured left) and Princess Eugenie Princess Beatrice (left) and Princess Eugenie (right) were visibly emotional during their grandmother's funeral at Westminster Abbey Joe Biden was placed 14 rows back inside the abbey as planners battled with the diplomatic puzzle of how to seat hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries; Liz Truss played a prominent role at the ceremony before flying off to attend her first global summit as Prime Minister today; Adventurer and Chief Scout Bear Grylls and Killing Eve star Sandra Oh were among a small group of celebrities invited to the funeral; Almost 200 'everyday heroes', including a lifeboat volunteer, a nurse and a lawyer who delivered hundreds of free meals in the pandemic, joined world leaders, royalty and politicians for the service; In his funeral sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that the Queen's strong faith meant that her famous assurance during the pandemic that 'we will meet again' would also come true in the afterlife; Before the funeral began, RAF servicewoman Christina Heerey became the last of the 400,000 people to queue for hours to see the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall; Thousands of mourners missed the Queen's funeral after being left stranded by rail cancellations caused by damage to power cables between Reading and Paddington stations in west London; Britain ground to a halt, with supermarkets, high street chains, offices and factories closed for the bank holiday; Nations honoured 'the Queen of the world', with images of Her Majesty projected on to Sydney Opera House and a dark Times Square in New York lit up by footage of the funeral; 357 people in London for the Queen's funeral needed treatment by 3.30pm, of whom 45 were taken to hospital. Incredible images throughout the day captured the crowds which descended on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle as a procession delivers the State Hearse for the committal service Thousands of mourners kept behind barriers were desperate to catch a final glimpse of the Queen's coffin on the Long Walk Flowers were placed on the State Hearse as the procession led the Queen's coffin draped in the Royal Standard down to St George's Chapel An incredible shot of the Queen's former residence, Windsor Castle, as thousands of mourners came to pay their respects for the final time Pipe Major Paul Burns concluded the Queen's State Funeral which thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries atteneded Her Majesty's long journey to her final resting place began in Balmoral on the day of her death on September 8 and ended last night with her private interment next to Philip, with the new King scattering earth on his mother's coffin at a private family service. Britain's longest reigning monarch who vowed on her 21st birthday to devote her whole life to serve 'whether it be long or short' had been borne by Grenadier Guards pallbearers into St George's Chapel. They were followed by Charles III, her children and grandchildren including Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry. Earlier at her State Funeral service at Westminster Abbey, more than 2,000 mourners including royals, heads of state and 200 members of the public heard the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby quote Dame Vera Lynn in his sermon as he said: 'All who follow the Queen's example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: 'We will meet again'.' Queen Consort Camilla leads the family, including young Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at Westminster Abbey The young royals have been commended for their role during the day as they took the world stage for their great-grandmother's funeral Young Prince George shares a moment with his father, the Prince of Wales during the committal service at Windsor Castle Princess Charlotte of Wales, the daughter of Prince William and Kate, looked solemnly out of the car window as she arrived at Windsor Castle Prince George and Princess Charlotte stand outside Westminster Abbey with their mother, Princess Kate, the Queen Consort, Sophie Wessex and their aunt, the Duchess of Sussex The young siblings were on show for the world to see as they mourned the loss of their great-grandmother the Queen The archbishop added: 'She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.' Giving the sermon at the Abbey, the Archbishop said: 'People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. 'But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are forgotten. 'The grief of this day felt not only by the late Queen's family but all round the nation, Commonwealth and world arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us.' The Archbishop, standing in the church where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066, added: 'We will all face the merciful judgment of God: we can all share the Queen's hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership. Service in life, hope in death.' The Queen was buried last night alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, an announcement on the Royal Family's official website said. The statement said the ceremony was conducted by the Dean of Windsor. Scotland Yard said it had arrested a total of 67 people by 5pm yesterday as part of its massive policing operation. When Covid struck, the Queen assured the worried nation: 'We will meet again.' And her strong faith meant she died believing those words would also come true after her earthly life ended, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in yesterday's funeral sermon. The Most Revd Justin Welby paid tribute to the Queen's life of service and told the congregation of leaders from around the world: 'People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. 'Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are forgotten.' The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby paid tribute to the Queen's life of service and told the congregation of leaders from around the world: 'People of loving service are rare in any walk of life' Queen Elizabeth was heavily involved in planning her funeral and the 'sermon' by the Archbishop replaced a more personal 'eulogy' conducted by a family member or close friend common in many services. The Archbishop also referred to the Queen's 21st birthday broadcast in which she pledged that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth. 'Rarely has such a promise been so well kept,' he said. 'Few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen.' The Archbishop referenced the King and said: 'I know His Majesty shares the same faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his mother; the same sense of service and duty' Commenting on the Queen's Christian faith, he said her 'example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through who she followed'. In reference to King Charles III, he added: 'I know His Majesty shares the same faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his mother; the same sense of service and duty.' Speaking to leaders, dignitaries and VIPs from around the world, the Archbishop said: 'The grief of this day felt not only by the late Queen's family but all round the nation, Commonwealth and world arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us. 'She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.' The Archbishop added that the Royal Family was grieving like 'every family at a funeral including so many families round the world who have themselves lost someone recently but in this family's case doing so in the brightest spotlight' The Archbishop also noted that the Royal Family was grieving like 'every family at a funeral including so many families round the world who have themselves lost someone recently but in this family's case doing so in the brightest spotlight'. And he spoke about the Queen's broadcast to the nation at the start of the pandemic which ended with the words from the Vera Lynn song: 'We will meet again.' The Archbishop said: 'Christian hope means certain expectation of something not yet seen.' He added: 'We will all face the merciful judgment of God: 'We can all share the Queen's hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership. 'Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen's example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: 'We will meet again'.' Meghan Markle fans have divided the internet after claiming the Duchess of Sussex was the only member of the Royal Family who wept at Queen Elizabeth's funeral - when others were clearly in tears. Prince Harry's wife was seen wiping away a tear during the moving ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Monday, with a trail of her tears clearly showing on her cheek. The image of the moment was posted on Twitter with the caption; 'Meghan being the only one who cried for the Queen. Sums up everything really.' Meghan Markle fans have divided the internet after claiming the Duchess of Sussex was the only member of the Royal Family who wept at Queen Elizabeth's funeral The image of the moment was posted on Twitter with the caption; 'Meghan being the only one who cried for the Queen. Sums up everything really' The poster, who calls themselves the 'SussexDetective', switched off replies to the tweet. The duchess was later pictured battling with her emotions as the Queen's coffin left the Abbey on its journey to her final resting place in a vault alongside Prince Philip at Windsor Castle. The claim sparked fury on Twitter - with other users sharing pictures of Royals clearly crying. Images from the spectacular event showed King Charles's eyes welling up with tears as he stared at his mother's coffin in the Abbey, while little Princess Charlotte wept openly. Catherine, Princess of Wales, was clearly fighting back tears when she arrived in the funeral cortege at the Abbey, her eyes red-raw with emotion. Some posted pictures of other Royals clearly crying, adding: 'People just saying anything on this app lmaooo i can't...' Images from the spectacular event showed King Charles welling up with tears as he stared at his mother's coffin in Westminster Abbey Meghan Markle sobs in the pews of Westminster Abbey alongside Sophie, Duchess of Wessex Prince Edward's wife Sophie, Duchess of Wessex, wept openly in the funeral cortege Prince Edward could also be seen sobbing into a handkerchief while his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Wessex was also caught dabbing tears from her eyes.. Prince George was clearly upset at one stage in the ceremony while Prince Andrew wept as he walked behind the Royal coffin on his way to Westminster. Queen Consort Camilla also appeared to break down at Wellington Arch as the funeral party returned to Buckingham Palace. But another Twitter user added: 'I can imagine Meg and Harry have been very sad that one of the few people in that entire family who was kind to them is gone.' The comment echoed Meghan's admission on her reveal-all interview alongside Prince Harry on Oprah Winfrey's sensation Royal blockbuster in March 2021. The Duchess of Sussex spoke fondly of the late Queen in her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, recalling how warm and inviting the monarch had been to her 'She's always been warm and inviting and really welcoming,' the Duchess said of the Queen at the time. Meghan recalled one of the first engagements she had with the Queen after marrying Harry in 2018. 'We had breakfast together that morning and she gave me a beautiful gift and I just really loved being in her company,' she said. 'We were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her, her knees, for warmth, and it was chilly and she was like, Meghan, come on, and put it over my knees as well.' In the wake of the Oprah interview, the late Queen released a touching statement expressing her sympathy for the young Royal couple's ordeal. 'The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,' read the statement. The apparent hypocrisy of the Duchess of Sussex's tears infuriated others, including one who pointed out that Meghan Markle was 'an actress' 'Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much-loved family members.' The apparent hypocrisy of the Duchess's tears infuriated others. 'So now she is crying? LIKE NOW?' posted one. 'Please, this one forced tear after everything she has done to destroy Queen's final years means NOTHING. 'She is such a disgrace, nothing gonna change that. She should be ashamed of herself.' Another retweeted the picture of the duchess's tears and added curtly: 'An actress btw.' Meghan's tears were also questioned by Today show host Karl Stefanovic who said she was 'apparently' crying. He added: 'There's been lots of photos around and interpretations of photos and reading into photos that may or may not be true,' he said. 'There's a couple of Meghan, um, with a tear running down her face - apparently - and also even one of Princess Charlotte that everyone was saying she was crying, and we don't know if it was true or not.' Prince Harry has been slammed by some Twitter users who claim he wasn't singing the national anthem during a moment at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey, London. Live images from the event seemed to show Prince Harry with his mouth just slightly ajar while God Save The King was being sung, as he stood directly behind his father King Charles III. But others had a more sympathetic interpretation - with some arguing he was quietly mouthing the words in a manner the television cameras didn't quite pick up or that he may have been too overcome with emotion to sing. Social media is ablaze with claims that Prince Harry (left) did not sing the national anthem and his wife Meghan (right) was deliberately obscured on TV images by a huge candle Regardless, the Prince's alleged lack of singing became one of the biggest online talking points of the emotional hour-long funeral service, with Twitter exploding with commentary. One Twitter accused accused the Prince of showing 'contempt': 'I noticed, as will have many others.' One poster said Harry's apparent silence would have displeased his father. 'So much for supporting the King!' they said. But others thought people were being too harsh on Harry, who lives in America with the Duchess of Sussex and their two children. 'To be fair it seems like his lips are moving but very slightly,' a supporter said. Another seemed angered by a troll's accusation that he was actively disrespecting his family. 'He was actually singing. But you just didn't want to see it!' they said. Prince Harry (left) and his wife Meghan (right) are pictured at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth III As always, even at the most solemn of times, there were those who thought it was appropriate to make a joke of it all. Some said the lyrics had changed from 'God Save The Queen' to 'God Save The King' and Harry was having trouble learning the new word. Social media sites were also ablaze with a theory that Harry and his wife Meghan had been placed in that exact spot so a large candle would obscure her on TV coverage. Others sought to spread the non-singing accusations to Meghan, saying it was hard to tell if she was singing as her face was mostly hidden behind a huge candle. Many took to social media (such as the pictured tweet) to say that Harry and Meghan had been deliberately seated in Westminster Cathedral so that Meghan would be obscured by a candle on television footage 'I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist but that candle is totally blocking the view of Meghan,' a Twitter user said under a screen grab of the image. Others, who seemed to not care much for the Duchess, then chimed in. 'On the sad occasion of Her Majesty's Funeral, I am comforted in the knowledge that Meghan's head is obscured by a candle,' one person wrote. 'Hiding Meghan Markle behind a massive candle was a genius call,' said another. Watchdog Ofgem has threatened to take action as it emerged energy firms are refusing to take on new customers amid the price crisis. It was revealed that British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power are deterring people from switching energy suppliers by refusing to quote new deals online. The inability to get quotes can cause problems for those moving house, who can't get a deal for their new home. Ofgem said it expected suppliers to accept new customers and for those potential customers to be able to compare tariffs easily. Despite the energy watchdog not having a specific requirement for companies to allow customers to sign up on online, it said where new customers were unable to get new deals, it would 'engage with suppliers to ensure compliance.' It was revealed that British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power are deterring people from switching energy suppliers by refusing to quote new deals online Power companies blame rocketing energy prices and the volatile market for the reasoning behind not issuing quotes, as it can risk large losses for the suppliers if prices don't go their way, The Telegraph reported. Ovo Energy and British Gas advised potential new customers to remain with their current supplier, advice which has been echoed by financial experts. However, Ovo Energy was also the only company to inform customers that they can call to find out about deals after online applications were halted. A spokesman for Ofgem said the watchdog expects licensed energy suppliers to take on new customers that come to them and to make sure their connections are metered adequately. Ovo Energy and British Gas advised potential new customers to remain with their current supplier, advice which has been echoed by financial experts He said: 'Where this is not being done, we will engage with suppliers to ensure compliance.' An E.ON spokesman recommended customers stay with their current suppliers given the rising energy costs. He added that customers could sign up to receive alerts of when the company was in a position to offer new tariffs or could call to discuss. A spokesman for EDF also said potential customers could ring to discuss tariffs but its website did not have confirmation of this. British Gas, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power did not respond to comment requests. Ukraine has captured its first village in Luhansk as its counter-offensive presses further into Russia-occupied territory, refusing to slow after snatching back thousands of miles in east Ukraine from the Russian war machine. The occupied country said its troops have marched farther east into territory recently abandoned by Russia after its six-month campaign, paving the way for a potential assault on Moscow's occupation forces in the Donbas region as Kyiv seeks more Western arms. The village lies only a dozen or so miles from the towns of Lysychansk and Severdonestsk, regions that took Russia five months to conquer with the Ukrainian army stating its intent to take back all of Luhansk, much of which has been occupied since 2014. In a sign of nervousness from a Moscow-backed administration in Donbas about the success of Ukraine's recent offensive, its leader called for urgent referendums on the region becoming part of Russia. 'The occupiers are clearly in a panic,' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address late on Monday, adding that he was now focused on 'speed' in liberated areas. 'The speed at which our troops are moving. The speed in restoring normal life,' Zelensky said. Further boosting the war effort, Liz Truss is set to tell the UN in New York she will spend billions more arming Ukrainians in 2023 during her first overseas trip as UK Prime Minister. UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will tell the UN Britain intends to spend billions arming Ukrainians in 2023, doubling down on the war effort after Ukraine retook occupied territory A man walks through the ruins of a building destroyed by recent shelling during Russia-Ukraine conflict in the city of Kadiivka (Stakhanov) in the Luhansk region A view of destruction in the Izyum city, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on September 19, 2022 World leaders this week will hear from Truss that the UK intends to match or exceed the 2.3billion pound it committed to Ukraine's war effort against Russia in 2022, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The report comes as British politics returns to centre stage on Tuesday after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, with the Prime Minister leaving for the UN General Assembly after Her Majesty was laid to rest in Windsor. 'Ukraine's victories in recent weeks have been inspirational,' said Truss on Monday, according to The Daily Telegraph. 'Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need. 'My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security.' The Ukrainian leader also hinted he would use a video address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to call on countries to accelerate weapons and aid deliveries. 'We are doing everything to ensure Ukraine's needs are met at all levels defence, financial, economic, diplomatic,' Zelensky said. Serhiy Gaidai, Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, a province in the Donbas now under control of Russian troops, said Ukraine's armed forces had regained complete control of the Luhansk village of Bilohorivka and were preparing to fight to retake the entire province. 'There will be fighting for every centimetre,' Gaidai wrote on Telegram. 'The enemy is preparing their defence. So we will not simply march in.' In another important milestone for the counter-offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukraine's armed forces said troops had crossed the Oskil River over the weekend. The river flows south into the Siversky Donets, which snakes through the Donbas, the main focus of Russia's invasion. Further beyond lies Luhansk, a base for Russia's separatist proxies since 2014 and fully in Russian hands since July after some of the war's bloodiest battles. A Russia-backed separatist official in Donetsk, the other province in Donbas, said 13 people were killed in artillery shelling on Monday in the city of Donetsk. Reuters could not independently verify either side's battlefield reports. Ukrainian authorities exhume the bodies of people killed as a result of war at the Izium city after Russian Forces withdrawal in Izium Experts have so far dug up 146 bodies buried without coffins, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on Monday According to preliminary examinations, four showed signs of torture, with their hands tied behind their backs, or in one case a rope tied round their neck Ukraine is still assessing what took place in areas that were under Russian control for months before a rout of Russian troops dramatically changed the dynamic of the war earlier this month. At a vast makeshift cemetery in woods near the recaptured town of Izium, Ukrainian forensic experts have so far dug up 146 bodies buried without coffins, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on Monday. Some 450 graves have been found at the site, Zelensky has said Fanning out in groups beneath the trees, workers used shovels to exhume the partially decomposed bodies, some of which locals said had lain in the town streets long after they died before being buried. The government has not yet said how most of the people died, though officials say dozens were killed in the shelling of an apartment building, and there are signs others were killed by shrapnel. According to preliminary examinations, four showed signs of torture, with their hands tied behind their backs, or in one case a rope tied round their neck, Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of investigative police in the Kharkiv region, told Reuters at the burial ground. Bolvinov said the great majority of the bodies appeared to be civilians. Locals have been identifying their dead by matching names to numbers on flimsy wooden crosses marking the graves. 'Soldiers had their hands tied, there were signs of torture on civilians,' Bolvinov said. Ukraine says 17 soldiers were in a mass grave at the site. Reuters could not corroborate Ukraine's allegations of torture. The Kremlin denied on Monday that Russia was to blame for atrocities that Ukraine says it has uncovered in the recaptured territory. Russia has struck a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, damaging power plant buildings Kremlin troops hit the Pivdennoukrainsk plant in Mykolaiv region, with a 'powerful explosion' taking place just 300 yards away from the reactors The attack damaged power plant buildings, a nearby hydroelectric power plant and transmission lines A production facility damaged by a Russian military strike is seen at a compound of the Pivdennoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant today The Pivdennoukrainsk plant, also known as the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, sits along the Southern Bug River Ukraine accused Russian forces on Monday of shelling near the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the country's southern Mykolaiv region. A blast occurred 300 metres (yards) away from the reactors and damaged power plant buildings shortly after midnight on Monday, Ukraine's atomic power operator Energoatom said in a statement. The reactors were not damaged and no staff were hurt, it said, publishing photographs showing a huge crater it said was caused by the blast. 'Russia endangers the whole world. We have to stop it before it's too late,' Zelensky said in a social media post. The strikes will add to global concern over the potential for an atomic disaster, already elevated by fighting around another Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the south, Zaporizhzhia, captured by Russian forces in March. Moscow has ignored international calls to withdraw and demilitarise it. In a new setback at Zaporizhzhia, the IAEA said a power line used to supply the plant was disconnected on Sunday, leaving it without backup power from the grid. Meghan Markle is claimed to have requested a 'one-to-one' meeting with King Charles to heal rifts before her departure to California with Harry after the Queen's funeral, a royal reporter has alleged. Neil Sean, an entertainment correspondent who has appeared on NBC News, MSNBC and Access Hollywood, said that he had heard from a 'very good source' that the American actress had sent a letter requesting a private conversation with the King. Mr Sean claims that Meghan wants to 'clear the air' amid reports the couple will fly back to the US as soon as they can to see their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. The Sussexes are believed to be in Windsor today after the extraordinary state funeral and burial of the Queen yesterday. 'She'd now like before they return back to California to have a one-to-one audience with King Charles III,' Sean said in a video posted to YouTube, that has recorded nearly 300k views. 'That's rightMeghan one-to-one with King Charles. You heard correct. 'It's a very brave move from Meghan herself,' Sean said. Meghan Markle, the Dutchess of Sussex, requested a 'one-to-one' meeting with Charles in a formal letter sent to the new King, according to a Royals insider Neil Sean revealed on his YouTube channel he had heard from a 'very good source' the American actress had requested a private conversation with the King The Royals insider claims the 41-year-old penned a formal note to King Charles hoping to meet privately following his mother's funeral Detailing the content of the letter, he said: 'It would be an opportunity to clear the air, pull the rights from wrongs and explain some of the rationale behind what they've been doing over the last two years. 'Now, you know, you have to admire Meghan's self-belief, whatever you think.' However, Sean warned it remains unclear if the letter will be enough for the couple to make amends with the Royal Family. 'Truthfully, we have no idea if this is going to go forward.' Sean said it was customary to request the King's presence through a letter. 'This is how you write to the King through his equerry, and of course that's passed on,' he told his YouTube channel. However, Sean warned it remains unclear if the letter will be enough for the couple to make amends with the Royal Family. Pictured is Harry at the Queen's funeral Yesterday, Prince William and Harry put aside their feud for a united front to remember the monarch, and again showed that they could at least be on speaking terms as they interacted with each other in the chapel at Windsor Castle. William was seen walking to the end of the pew while holding back his son Prince George next to wife Kate Middleton and daughter Princess Charlotte, as he beckoned for Harry and Meghan to walk past them. Harry and Meghan then took their seats, with the Duke of Sussex sitting next to Charlotte. Kate was sat in between Charlotte and George, with the nine-year-old prince next to William who was on the end of the pew. The royals had followed behind the Queen's coffin into the chapel after it was lifted from the state hearse and carried in ahead of the service at 4pm. The procession was led in by members of the Queen's royal household. Once again King Charles III followed behind the coffin, with Queen Consort Camilla, as well as Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence behind, then Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. At the end of the day, Harry was seen puffing his cheeks as he got into a car with Meghan, following an emotional day. The Duke of Sussex and other royals, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, were pictured leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday afternoon after a moving committal service for the late monarch. Earlier, William and Harry also walked together behind the Queen's coffin in London in emotional scenes before it was carried into Westminster Abbey by the military bearer party for her state funeral. Prince William directs Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to their seats at St George's Chapel for the committal service (Top to bottom) The Prince of Wales, Prince George, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, the Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex at the committal service for Queen Elizabeth II held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle It marked the fourth day in just over a week that Harry and William have carried out engagements together, with royal observers hoping they are making first steps to put their troubled relationship behind them. The brothers also followed behind the Queen's coffin for a procession to Westminster Hall last Wednesday; a vigil over the coffin on Saturday; and a walkabout with Kate and Meghan outside Windsor Castle on September 10. While William and Harry have put aside their disagreements for royal events in recent days, fears over the content of Harry's upcoming memoir continue to cast a cloud over their relationship - especially following the bombshell interview he and Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 when they accused an unnamed royal of racism. Rumours of a rift between the brothers first emerged in 2019 when they divided their households following various disagreements about Harry's role, but their feud deepened amid the fallout from the Megxit saga in 2020. But the death of the Queen has seen the rivals shelve their differences, with William and Kate joined in recent days by Harry and Meghan for the first occasions in more than two years since Commonwealth Day in March 2020. Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence ahead of the committal service at Windsor Prince William and Prince Harry join the procession following the state hearse carrying the coffin at Windsor Prince Andrew and Prince Harry were both again banned from saluting during the procession to Westminster Abbey yesterday while other royals including King Charles III, Prince William and Princess Anne all performed the gesture. Members of the Royal Family saluted when the Queen's coffin was taken into the Abbey. But Andrew and Harry simply stood still because they were not allowed to wear military uniform, as neither are now working royals. It comes after Harry and Andrew were also prohibited from saluting at the funeral procession to Westminster Hall last Wednesday. Andrew did also not salute at the vigil last Monday in Edinburgh for the same reason. The decision to ban Harry and Andrew from wearing military uniforms in most events following the Queen's death at Balmoral is a reminder of how both now have limited involvement in the Royal Family. Prince Harry spent ten years in the Army, but he was stripped of his honorary military titles in 2020 after he and his wife announced they were stepping down as senior working royals and moving abroad. His uncle the Duke of York, who was forced to stand down from public life in 2019 over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, is the only other royal banned from wearing military uniform at the ceremonial events and funeral. The Duke of Sussex, King Charles III and the Princess Royal follow the State Hearse carrying the coffin in Windsor today It comes after an extraordinary row over the decision to remove the Queen's initials from the shoulder of Prince Harry's military uniform laid bare the depth of his rift with the Royal Family. The prince was said to have been left 'devastated' after receiving his ceremonial dress of the Blues and Royals from Buckingham Palace without the distinctive EIIR cipher on the shoulder. He wore the uniform to Saturday night's vigil over the Queen's coffin alongside the monarch's seven other grandchildren. Such was his despair, Harry is even said to have considered wearing a morning suit as they were leaving in order to avoid the 'embarrassment'. William and Harry, both dressed in military uniform, stood at either end of the coffin on Saturday night. They were joined by cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor and her brother Viscount Severn. Harry, who saw action on the front line during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, had previously been told he would have to wear a morning suit as he is no longer a working royal and has been stripped of any honorary military appointments. However, his father, King Charles, granted permission for his son to wear his old uniform at the vigil inside the Palace of Westminster as a show of respect and unity to the late Queen. Prince Harry was seen exhaling as he entered a car with his wife, Meghan, after the Queen's committal service at Windsor yesterday afternoon It is understood that no personal slight was intended, and The cipher was removed simply because Harry is no longer an aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Queen after quitting royal duties and handing back his military appointments. A Personal Aide-de-Camp is an appointment bestowed only on members of the Royal Family holding military rank, including the Prince of Wales. Nowadays, it is an honorary role with few duties or responsibilities, although historically it would have signified close proximity to the monarch. Harry was awarded the honour in 2018 and it was seen as a sign of his growing responsibility within the monarchy. But following his acrimonious decision in 2020 to quit as a working royal and seek his fortune in the US, the Queen insisted he withdraw from all responsibilities and appointments. It means he is simply no longer entitled to wear the insignia of an ADC on his uniform. Much has been made of the fact that the shamed Duke of York was seen in his ADC insignia at Friday night's vigil by the Queen's children. Andrew was permitted to wear it because, unlike Harry, he did not give the honour back when he relinquished his military associations in January. A spokesman said it was a personal appointment by the Queen. Questions will undoubtedly be raised, however, as to why Harry was forced to hand the honour back, when his uncle was not. On Saturday, Prince William was wearing the Blues and Royals, No.1 Uniform, the Garter Sash, the Garter Star, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and RAF Pilot Wings. Harry was wearing the Blues and Royals, No.1 Uniform, KCVO Neck Order and Star, Afghanistan Operational Service Medal, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and Army Pilot Wings. Harry, however, wore civilian dress for yesterday's funeral. Her Majesty's Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre which balanced atop the Queen's coffin were screwed down to prevent a previous historical mishap, it is revealed. Back in 1936 George V's bejewelled Maltese Cross - which contains some of the biggest jewels in the Crown - fell off into the gutter while it rested on the coffin during his royal funeral procession. It was said to have been a bad omen, especially after his son, Edward VIII abdicated, causing a constitutional crisis, a short time later, and was replaced by Queen Elizabeth II's father, George VI. So in light of this terrifying moment, the Times said, it was been fastened down with all the other jewel fittings to the Queen's coffin while lying in state and during her funeral not to repeat the misfortunate incident. Signifying the severing of the Queen from her public service in death, the objects was seen to have been later removed by the Crown Jeweller in St George's Chapel as she entered the royal crypt as a 'simple Christian soul' instead of Monarch. The Imperial State Crown then rested on the high altar after being removed from the coffin of the Queen. It was placed there by the The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd David Conner. King Charles III and members of the royal family follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her State Funeral The Imperial State Crown is removed from the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Prior to the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre were removed from the coffin by the Crown Jeweller and, with the Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms, passed to the Dean who placed them on the altar. The removal of the crown from the coffin to the altar is poignant, because in 1953 the crown was taken from the altar in Westminster Abbey and placed on the Queen's head, marking the start of a 70-year reign. At the end of the final hymn, the King placed The Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. At the same time, The Lord Chamberlain 'broke' his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin - signifying the severing of the Queen from her public service in death. This is to create a symmetry with the three Instruments of State that have been removed. The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd David Conner, places the Imperial State Crown, and orb and sceptre on the high altar during the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth The coffin, which was placed on a catafalque draped in purple velvet was slowly lowered down into the royal vault as the Dean of Windsor said: 'Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.' The Sovereign's Piper played a lament, A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith, from the doorway between the Chapel and the Dean's Cloister during which he walked slowly towards the Deanery in the Cloister so that the music inside the Chapel gradually fades. During the service, the King will sit in the seat which was occupied by the Queen when she came to the chapel, positioned closest to the altar. A former British miner who killed his terminally ill wife in Cyprus has said life without her is like a black hole. David Hunter, 75, originally from Northumberland, was accused of murdering his wife of 46 years, Janice, at their home in Paphos, in December 2021 - but his lawyers told the court the charge should be reduced to assisted suicide. Mrs Hunter had been diagnosed with terminal blood cancer in 2016 and after watching her sister die of the disease, she knew what was coming Mr Hunter said. The trial of the former miner, who also tried to take his own life on the same day, began yesterday at Paphos District Court - after already being delayed twice before. Speaking to reporters outside the court, he said: She wasn't just my wife she was my best friend. Its like a black hole. Janice's sister had died from leukemia and she saw what was coming. David Hunter, 75, (left) originally from Northumberland, was accused of murdering his wife of 46 years, Janice, (right) at their home in Paphos, in December 2021 - but his lawyers have insisted the charge should be reduced to assisted suicide She said I dont want to go through that. She knew the symptoms and saw them coming. The couple had moved to Cyprus from Ashington following their retirement in 2002 - 14 years later Mrs Hunter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Claiming that Mr Hunter acted to end his wifes suffering, the widowers legal team have tried to get the murder charge reduced to one of assisting suicide but the Cypriot Attorney General rejected the request. If he is found guilty of murder, he will be given a life sentence meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison. He told the Telegraph: She said, promise me if I ever get it, you will help me. I said, yes of course. She said no, you dont understand. I dont want to go through that. She knew the symptoms and she knew they were getting worse. The couple had been married for 46 years before Janice's death in December 2021. Mr Hunter has been in prison in Cyprus's capital since January. Speaking to reporters outside court yesterday, he said life without his wife is like 'a black hole' Mr Hunter was driven to the courtroom in a police van from Nicosia jail wearing a black jumper, jeans and trainers; he looked frail, according to ITV news. During the hearing, the investigating officer who had helped gather 35 items from the couple's home in December last year, also spoke at the trial. Items collected from the home in Tremithousa included clothes, a mobile phone, an empty bottle of tablets, and a blue notebook, the court heard. Upon arrival at the home, where he found Mrs Hunter dead in an armchair, he gave Mr Hunter the standard caution. The 75-year-olds lawyers asked whether he had been questioned by police officers before or after giving a statement. The court was also told that no translator was given to Mr Hunter. Investigating officer Christoforos Christoforou told the court: I told him, you are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but anything you say may be taken down and given as evidence in court. Mr Hunter was then taken to hospital where his stomach was pumped. He was kept in intensive care before being taken to a mental health hospital for ten days. Euthanasia is currently illegal in Cyprus, however, there is much debate in the countrys parliament over whether this should be changed. The couple had moved to Cyprus from Ashington following their retirement in 2002 - 14 years later Mrs Hunter was diagnosed with Leukemia Mr Hunter, who has admitted to smothering his wife, was said to have been in a poor state of mind when he had the decision, according to his lawyer. Michael Polak, from the British legal aid organisation Justice Abroad said, according to the Telegraph,: His wife had just died, there was no lawyer or interpreter present, and he was in intensive care. Nor was the taking of the statement recorded by police. Since January, the pensioner has been in a prison in Nicosia - the capital of Cyprus - where he shares a cell with 11 other men. Speaking to reporters he said: Its a bit rowdy. I just try to live day by day. I have to say I have been treated well. The couples daughter, Lesley Hunter, spoke about the trial from her home in Cyprus after being unable to travel due to her own health issues. She told ITV News: Things are very difficult for us as a family. Nine months of anxiety has taken a massive toll on me, but nothing will change my love or support for my dad. Mr Hunter had worked at Ellington mine, which was once the biggest undersea mine in the world, for 41 years. The trial has now been adjourned. It will continue on Thursday when the prosecution calls witnesses. Her parents are pleading for anyone with information to come forwards to help the police with their inquiries Police are 'at a loss' for a motive behind the brutal slaying, as sources claim Rice was found with fast food on her lap when she was shot The Louisiana State University student had been on her way home from a night out with friends nearby when she was killed Her father, Paul Rice, said it has devastated the family and believes it was a case of her being at the 'wrong place, at the wrong time' Allison Rice, 21, had been waiting at a train track when she was shot multiple times through the windscreen of her car Paul Rice, the father of Allison Rice has said news of her untimely death has left the family devastated The devastated father of a college student who was shot dead in her car while waiting at a train crossing believes she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Paul Rice, father of Allison Rice, 21, said his daughter has no enemies, and they dont believe she was being stalked. The Louisiana State University senior had been on her way home from a night out with friends and was shot dead at around 2.30am on Friday near railroad tracks. She was found in her bullet-riddled car in Baton Rouge after partying with friends at a bar on Government Street less than five minutes from where she was killed. Speaking to Fox News, Paul said: 'She's not anyone that had enemies. We don't think that she was being stalked or followed. 'That particular area of Baton Rouge has a history of this type of activity.' 'It should've never happened, this should not have happened, it should not have happened. 'She's a beautiful child. She had one year left to graduate LSU, she had her whole future ahead of her. 'When you hear the words from the police man saying, "she's with the coroner now, she didn't make it." It's the most devastating words you can ever hear.' Allison Rice, 21, had been studying marketing at Louisiana State University and had been preparing for an internship before her tragic murder Friends and family have laid floral tributes to her, as well as her favorite snacks, on the street where she was shot A cross with Allie's face in the centre has been nailed into a telephone pole close to where the student was killed Allison had been trying to turn around at the tracks when she was shot multiple times through her windshield. Friends and family have laid floral tributes to her, as well as her favorite snacks, on the street where she was shot, and also put-up a cross with her face on a telephone pole. The first time Paul knew something was amiss was at 4:45am when the police knocked on his door to tell him his daughter had been the victim of a shooting. He said:'We woke up to our dogs barking and the doorbell ringing. Cops have shown up in the middle of the night before for various reasons, things going on in the neighborhood. 'But when they asked, "Are you Allison's father, can we come in, please?" you knew at that point that it was going to be something terrible. I never could have imagined that the news would have been what it was. Police rushed to the scene after witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots at around 2.30am on Friday Authorities discovered several shell casings close to her vehicle, as well as fast food in her lap, but nothing was taken from her car Police responded to the scene around 2.30am and all that was left later that morning was a pile of broken glass after her car was removed 'The only thing that I can really think at this point is it's a bad case of wrong place at the wrong time.' Officers have not yet identified a suspect in the killing and are yet to find a motive behind the attack according to sources. Rice had been waiting for a train to finish crossing when she was shot and suffered wounds to her arm and chest. Baton Rouge authorities discovered several shell casings close to her vehicle, as well as fast food in her lap, but nothing was taken from her car. It does not appear as though it is a case of mistaken identity, with officers at a loss for the motive behind the killing. Paul added: 'This is being taken very seriously but despite that, all indications right now are there are no leads. 'They really don't have an explanation at this pointas of now, in that particular stretch of town, they don't have the surveillance that is necessary.' 'As a parent I should never have to plan a funeral for my child. My mother should not have to be involved in a funeral for her grandchild,' he said. 'This is just heartbreaking.' Rice's aunt Susie Rice Granier described the young woman as a 'free spirit' and said she loved to sing and dance The student had been out with friends prior to the shooting and got stuck behind a train only a few miles away from campus when she was killed Baton Rouge Police are investigating the shooting, with Chief Murphy Paul saying after the incident: 'I just left the scene prior to coming here. 'Our detectives are out there canvassing the area. A lot of the investigative efforts that are going on behind the scenes. Very sad. Very sad.' Her family is pleading for answers from the police, and is begging anyone with information to come forwards. Sgt. L'Jean McKneely with Baton Rouge Police added: 'Chief Paul has been working hard with getting the camera surveillance systems up, we have that downtown, were trying to push it and make it happen down to major corridors for Baton Rouge. Florida Street, Government Street.' Rice had been working as a bartender at The Shed BBQ in Baton Rouge, where she worked with her two brothers (pictured together) Her parents are pleading for anyone with information to come forwards to help police with their inquiries East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome added: 'My heart goes out to the family, loved ones, and classmates of Allison Rice, a young LSU student who had her entire life ahead of her. 'This senseless violence is completely unacceptable and Baton Rouge Police officers are thoroughly investigating to bring the perpetrator to justice. 'Our university community is an essential part of the fabric of Baton Rouge. It is of the utmost importance as we welcome students from across our state and the nation that we create a safe environment.' Rice's death is the 74th this year in the East Baton Rouge Parish, and comes after a string of crimes against LSU students. On August 19, another student was shot during an attempted robbery, and just days later two separate kidnapping cases happened on campus. According to the FBI, Baton Rouge has one of the highest homicide rates in Louisiana. Anyone having information on this shooting is urged to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867. Advertisement The steady-shouldered pallbearers who safely carried the Queen's coffin during her state funeral have won the hearts of the nation amid growing calls for the soldiers to be honoured with medals. With the eyes of the world on them, the eight soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards raised and put down the Queen's 500lb lead-lined coffin no less than 10 times on her journey from Westminster Hall to St George's Chapel in Windsor. The team, each of whom is required to over 6ft tall, did not put a foot wrong all day as first they shouldered her coffin, with each soldier wearing rubber-soled boots to avoid slipping on the highly polished stone floors. The unenviable task appeared more difficult as the Queen's crown, orb and sceptre were balanced on top of her coffin. But as the soldiers held the coffin's brass handles, they walked in the knowledge that the lid had fittings to fix the jewels in place. At one point, it appeared the flowers placed on the wreath atop the coffin began to wobble, but the pallbearers masterfully tilted it just enough to secure the foliage without drawing any attention. Having faultlessly carried the coffin into Westminster Abbey as 2,000 esteemed guests from around the world watched, the eight soldiers were called upon again as Her Majesty was transported by State Hearse to Windsor Castle. The task of lifting the coffin up the steep stairs of the 450-year-old St George's Chapel was nerve-wracking enough alone, but their unblemished performance throughout the emotional day has earned the praise of the nation with admirers across Britain declaring: 'They have done our nation and Her Majesty proud.' Yesterday was the first state funeral since that of Sir Winston Churchill in January 1965. The pallbearers from the Grenadier Guards were all awarded the British Empire Medal for their service that day. Now calls are growing for the eight soldiers to also be recognised for their role in the historic funeral yesterday. One person tweeted: 'What a send of for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. As one reporter put it, this was history before us, solemn, spectacular and intense. 'But I would like to say well done to the pallbearers. Impeccable, faultless and such honour for their Queen. You deserve a medal lads.' The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being carried by the right pallbearers leaving the State Funeral held at Westminster Abbey yesterday The pallbearing team of eight Grenadier Guards inched their way up the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor and were followed by members of the Royal family The Grenadier Guards seamlessly transferred the Queen's coffin yesterday, moving it safely to each point in the funeral and procession King Charles, Camilla, Queen Consort, Anne, Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Sophie, Countess of Wessex follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top of it carried by pallbearers as it departs Westminster Abbey Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones (pictured left) was at the front of the coffin, leading the eight pallbearers in exemplary fashion yesterday Fletcher Cox, a 19-year-old from Jersey, was also among the pallbearers. He was at the back of the coffin both during yesterday's funeral and during the procession of the Queen's casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall - where the late Monarch lay in state for four days Arm in arm, the pallbearers made their way tentatively up the steps of St George's Chapel as the world held its breath Last night the Grenadier Guards paid their own tribute to Her Majesty following yesterday's events. In a Facebook post, they said: 'With a huge sense of privilege, but also with great sadness, hundreds of soldiers and officers today took part in Her Majesty The Queen's funeral in London and Windsor. The eyes of the world were upon them as they laid HM Queen Elizabeth II to rest.' One of Queen's pallbearers is 19-year-old Grenadier Guard from Jersey with a 'passion' for serving in the Armed Forces One of the Grenadier Guards chosen to be a pallbearer for the Queen's coffin is a teenager from the island of Jersey. Fletcher Cox was part of a group from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. The former Grainville student was part of his local Army Cadet Force, where he was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's medal in 2018 - the highest honour a Jersey cadet can be given. Speaking to ITV, Laura Therin, a staff sergeant with Jersey's Army Cadet Force, said of Cox: 'We were all quite astounded - seeing him wasn't something any of us were expecting, but we're all so incredibly proud of Fletcher and his achievements. 'I've known Fletcher since he first started with the Cadets. He always was a very organised young man who lived and breathed Cadets. 'He always knew he wanted to go into that line of work - it always was his passion, and it's so great to see that paying off.' Advertisement A second said: Such a sad and momentous day today with the Queen's funeral, but I've got to say those eight young men/pallbearers from the Grenadier Guards carrying the Queen's coffin on her final journey were absolutely faultless. Even going up the steps of St George's Chapel. They deserve a medal.' A third added: 'Hope the Pallbearers get a special mention somewhere & a medal for their efforts today...they were amazing especially climbing those steps.' The eight soldiers, at least five of whom were just weeks ago were serving in Iraq, were from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. At the front, leading in exemplary fashion, was Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones. The tall warrant officer, resplendent in a ceremonial red tunic, walked ahead of Her Majesty's oak coffin which weighed over 500lb due to its lead lining. The married father-of-one marshalled his young team of pallbearers, which included 19-year-old Fletcher Cox. The teenager, from Jersey, was at the back of the coffin both during yesterday's funeral and during the procession of the Queen's casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall - where the late Monarch lay in state for four days. Cox was part of his school's Army Cadet Force and was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's medal in 2018 - the highest honour a Jersey cadet can be given. He left the Channel island at the age of 16 to attend a military training college in the UK and is now in the ranks of the Grenadier Guards. Luke Simpson was also among the pallbearers yesterday. The soldier, from Selston, Nottinghamshire, was praised along with CS Jones by local MP Lee Anderson. In a post on Facebook, he said: 'Ashfield Lads. Luke and Aaron doing their duty and making their families and the whole of Ashfield feel incredibly proud. Serving Queen and country.' As tens of thousands lined the streets for the processions, their task started before the cameras had been switched on and long after they were turned off. As the four days of the Queen's coffin lying in state came to an end at 6.30am, preparations immediately began for the state funeral later the same morning. At 10.21am, the eight pallbearers arrived to carry out their daunting duty. The soldiers walked in bare-headed, with the rest of their party wearing bearskins, The Times reports. Two colleagues carried their hats, four each, before the pallbearers approached the catafalque inside Westminster Hall at 10.35am. Meanwhile, the gun carriage used to transport the Queen from Westminster Hall to the abbey was readied in front of the door, with 148 sailors accompanying it. At 10.41am, the King's equerry took its place behind the sailors, signalling that the royals were ready to begin the procession. The pallbearers then seamlessly transferred her coffin on to gun carriage, before standing in silence for five minutes. Once outside, the soldiers sprang into action once again to carry the coffin up the aisle of Westminster Abbey in front of 2,000 esteemed guests. Without a hint of a slip-up they then transferred the coffin out of the Abbey and back on to the carriage, where it was moved in procession up The Mall and Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch. With their enormous task not yet completed, the soldiers returned again to move the coffin into a hearse to be driven to Windsor, where they took on perhaps their most difficult task of the day - carrying the coffin up the steps to the more than 500-year-old St George's Chapel. The eight pallbearers prepare to carry the coffin, with the crown jewels resting on top of it, up the steep stairs leading into St George's Chapel, Windsor Of the team of guards taking part in the historic spectacle, five are understood to have been flown back from a deployment in Iraq in the hours after it was announced the Queen had died, on Thursday, September 8 The herculean effort to lift Her Majesty's casket and transport it so gracefully throughout the day - without fault - left people on social media stunned. Pictured: The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried towards Saint George's chapel for her funeral at Windsor castle, Britain The pallbearer party were all of The Queen's Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. The unit had a close connection with the Queen - as the serving monarch she held the position of company commander and made a personal review of the company every decade With the eyes of an estimated 4.1billion people from across the globe on them, the unnamed soldiers performed faultlessly, garnering the admiration of people across social media, including celebrities, who praised their professionalism. Pictured: The coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle It's thought the 96-year-old monarch's specially crafted, lead-lined oak casket weighs more than 500lb. The guards are understood to have been given specially-built rubber boots to help stop them slipping on the smooth stone steps of the chapel, which is more than 500 years old The choir sang as the pallbearers from the Grenadier Guards carried the coffin into St George's Chapel in Windsor for the Queen's committal service The Royal Family and European royals watch as the coffin is carried towards the altar The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried into St George's Chapel along the centre aisle of the nave to the catafalque Pallbearers carry the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in to St George's Chapel for a committal service at Windsor Castle The Royal Family official Twitter account shared this poignant image of the final service to honour the Queen at St George's Chapel, in Windsor Revealed: The Queens crown was bolted to her coffin after her grandfathers bejewelled Maltese Cross fell into the gutter during his funeral Her Majesty's Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre which balanced atop the Queen's coffin were screwed down to prevent a previous historical mishap, it is revealed. Back in 1936 George V's bejewelled Maltese Cross - which contains some of the biggest jewels in the Crown - fell off into the gutter while it rested on the coffin during his royal funeral procession. It was said to have been a bad omen, especially after his son, Edward VIII abdicated, causing a constitutional crisis, a short time later, and was replaced by Queen Elizabeth II's father, George VI. So in light of this terrifying moment, The Times reports, it was been fastened down with all the other jewel fittings to the Queen's coffin while lying in state and during her funeral not to repeat the misfortunate incident. Signifying the severing of the Queen from her public service in death, the objects was seen to have been later removed by the Crown Jeweller in St George's Chapel as she entered the royal crypt as a 'simple Christian soul' instead of Monarch. The Imperial State Crown then rested on the high altar after being removed from the coffin. It was placed there by the The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd David Conner. Advertisement And as the public watched the Queen's coffin be lowered into the vault where her beloved Prince Philip lies, the hero guardsmen had one more task - perhaps the most important of the day. According to General The Lord Dannatt, the UK's former Chief of the General Staff, their final task was to move the Queen into her final resting place next to her beloved Prince Philip - 11 days after her death in Balmoral. Singling them out for praise in a comment piece to The Daily Telegraph, in which he lauded the Armed Forces personnel for their involved in yesterday's funeral, he wrote: 'These young guardsmen deserve particular praise. 'Even when the cameras are switched off at the end of the day and the final private service of committal is being held at St George's Chapel, Windsor, their duty will not be over. 'Deep in the Royal Vault under the chapel, the pallbearers will have one final unseen duty to move the late Queen's body to its final resting place close to her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, and to her father, King George VI. 'Once all is complete, then these young men too can relax and reflect on their very difficult job, extremely well done.' Laura Therin, a staff sergeant with Jersey's Army Cadet Force, told ITV last week that his former instructors were delighted and proud of everything he's achieved since then: She said: 'We were all quite astounded - seeing him wasn't something any of us were expecting, but we're all so incredibly proud of Fletcher and his achievements. 'I've known Fletcher since he first started with the Cadets. He always was a very organised young man who lived and breathed Cadets. 'He always knew he wanted to go into that line of work - it always was his passion, and it's so great to see that paying off.' The herculean effort to lift Her Majesty's casket and transport it so gracefully throughout the day - without fault - left people on social media stunned. Pallbearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, into her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey The pallbearers of the Grenadier Guards carry the Queen's coffin into Westminster Abbey, followed by members of the royal family Senior church figures lead the procession into Westminster Abbey followed by members of the Royal Household, then the coffin, being carried by the pallbearers from the Grenadier Guards and later senior royals Pallbearers carry the Queen's coffin up the aisle of Westminster Abbey, followed by members of the royal family, ahead of her funeral yesterday Pallbearers transfer the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, from the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch in London Pallbearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown in the Ceremonial Procession following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey Pallbearers were followed by members of the Royal Family, including King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princes William and Harry Pallbearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown during the Ceremonial Procession following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey More than 3,000 personnel from all three wings of Britain's military took part in the procession to Buckingham Palace Pallbearers transfer the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, from the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch in London Pallbearers transfer the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, from the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch Pallbearers transfer the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch in London The Grenadier Guards: An elite army unit with more than 350 years of history - famed for their battlefield skills and their central role in parades The pallbearer party were all of The Queen's Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. The Grenadier Guards are an elite infantry regiment world famous for their red tunics and bearskins and are often seen guarding Royal Residences. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when it was raised in Bruges to protect a then exiled George II. The unit has been involved in a number of conflicts, including the Napoleonic Wars and both World Wars and most recently Iraq and Afghanistan. Recruits take part in a grueling 30-week training course - two weeks longer than standard infantry units. It holds a close connection with the Queen - as the serving monarch she held the position of company commander and made a personal review of the company every decade. The Duke of Edinburgh was also a Colonel of the company from 1975 and visited the Battalion on many occasions, including UK-based exercises and on operations. The unit has always historically provided pallbearers for the Monarchs. Advertisement One person described the young soldiers as the 'top tier, creme de la creme' of pallbearers. While another person tweeted: 'I am in awe of the pallbearers. The Queen's casket weighs between 550 & 700lbs. They have carried & walked with her carefully & without fault throughout the day. Anyone else hold their breath up those steps?' Another impressed by the guards' actions added: 'Those 8 pallbearers deserve a medal. The anxiety I've had just watching - especially on the steps... they've done themselves and everyone watching proud.' The guard's first action involved tentatively lifting the Queen's coffin onto the ceremonial gun carriage, which would pull her the short distance from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral service took place place. Under the glare of the world's press, the eight soldiers worked as a team, walking slowly through the Abbey followed closely by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. Hundreds of people - from world leaders and global royalty to the great and the good of the UK - watched as the pallbearers marched through the centre historic building, which is more than 1.000 years old. The pallbearers' composure also attracted attention from celebrities and politicians. Carla Lockhart, Upper Bann's DUP MP, said: 'Amidst the pageantry and occasion, eight young men silently went about their duty. 'The weight of the world on their shoulders, the glare of the world on them, but they were flawless. They did themselves, their families and our country proud. Thank you.' Broadcaster Stephen Fry was more succinct: 'Bearer Party, to the pub - quick march. Bearer Party, lift tankard. Bearer party, down beer. You've earned it.' Later, the team again carried the late sovereign's casket back out and onto the gun carriage, which was pulled to Buckingham Palace amid unprecedented scenes of support from the British public. More than one million people are predicted to have lined the streets to witness to the historic spectacle, which involved some 3,000 military personnel. Members of the Grenadier Guards previously were pallbearers for the Queen's coffin moving the casket into Westminster Hall for her lying in state Members of the unit were also pallbearers for the Queen's coffin on Wednesday when it was transferred from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall They transferred the coffin, with the royal crown on top, into the famous hall where the Queen was left to lie in state for four days Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state in Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, from Wednesday until a few hours before her funeral on Monday, Pallbearers from The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into Westminster Hall The Grenadier Guards moved the Queen's coffin into Westminster Hall following a procession from Buckingham Palace The pallbearers carried the coffin through the hall to the centre, where the Queen was left to lie in state for four days before her funeral yesterday Pallbearers from The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards place the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II on a Catafalque in Westminster Hall on Wednesday It was the first State Funeral since that of Sir Winston Churchill, on January 30, 1965. The pallbearer party were all of The Queen's Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. The unit had a close connection with the Queen - as the serving monarch she held the position of company commander and made a personal review of the company every decade. It's understood the Queen's Company deployed to Iraq in July to enhance 'the training of the Iraqi security forces', according to the squad's official Twitter account. The Queen's Company will retain its name up until the monarch is laid to rest, and will later change to reflect the new King. Former British Army soldier Major Adrian Weale told the PA news agency: 'They became the Queen's Company immediately after the death of George VI and the Queen has been commander ever since. 'It's their role to protect her body, both in life and in death, remaining the Queen's Company until King Charles decides otherwise. Their duties will then be transitioned to the next monarch.' The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regular Army regiment and dates back to 1656. In total, about 4,000 military personnel were involved in the funeral parade. This includes Commonwealth personnel but not logistics or support staff. In central London, more than 3,000 members of the military took part in the ceremonies. About 1,500 UK service personnel joined the processions while 175 Commonwealth service personnel took part in the parade to Wellington Arch Some 1,000 military personnel lined the London procession routes with 380 troops providing guards of honour and static bands In Windsor, more than 1,000 forces personnel joined the ceremonial activity. Petrol prices at the pump could next week jump by 25c-a-litre as the fuel excise discount ends after Labor refused to extend it. But drivers should be spared the financial woe of astronomical prices seen earlier this year when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, pushing average unleaded prices above $2-a-litre. Consumers should expect to see prices increase within days after the fuel excise cut ends at 11.59pm on September 28, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Daily Mail Australia. The former Morrison Government halved the fuel excise from 44.2c to 22.1c-a-litre in March for six months as prices skyrocketed but new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government has declined to extend the relief, which cost $3billion. Mr Khoury said GST would add another 3c-a-litre to the cost, pushing prices back up by 25c-a-litre at the bowser. Scroll down for video Australians will be paying more at the fuel pump by October as the temporary cut on the fuel tax finishes (file image) 'The excise is added at the wholesale level so we won't see an increase immediately, retailers need to buy more stock and pass on the hike to customers,' Mr Khoury said. 'It depends on how quickly retailers sell what they have, which could be a few days or up to two weeks. 'Urban areas will go through their product quicker and regional areas will follow.' The cost of filling up an unleaded car with a 60-litre fuel tank would, on average, rise from $98.40 in Sydney to $113.40, based on Monday's pricing. In Melbourne it would go from about $99 to $114 and in Brisbane from about $103.80 to $118.80. NRMA's Peter Khoury said while prices will rise they shouldn't reach the levels seen in early to mid 2022 (file image) AVERAGE UNLEADED FUEL PRICES Sydney 164.8c per litre Melbourne 165.2c per litre Brisbane 173.3c per litre Adelaide 152.2c per litre Perth 155.5c per litre Hobart 171.5c per litre Darwin 174.7c per litre Canberra 178.3c per litre Source: MotorMouth on September 19. Advertisement Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Tuesday there was 'no reason' for service stations to 'jack up their prices' on the same night the excise went back up. He pointed to 700 million litres of fuel stored around the country that was bought at the lower price. 'Prices don't need to jump up immediately,' Dr Chalmers said. 'We don't want service stations to treat Australians like mugs so we're watching this closely.' Dr Chalmers vowed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would be looking out for price gouging. 'The reason that we've maximised the ACCC's role in all of this is we want to make sure there's not dodgy behaviour going on,' he said. 'We've been working closely with the servos and suppliers to understand that there are hundreds of millions of litres of fuel underground in tanks that was purchased at the lower price.' 'So the ACCC and the government expect that the price of petrol shouldn't shoot up at the bowser on Wednesday night by the full 23 cents if the normal market pressures are in operation.' Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured) said on Tuesday there was 700million litres of fuel stored at the cheaper price so retailers shouldn't 'jack up' their prices too quickly Dr Chalmers said it was a 'difficult decision' to not extend the tax cut but his focus was on 'responsible budgeting'. 'We're under no illusions it will be difficult for people (but) I think most people understand that the budget can't afford to keep the excise cut going forever,' he said. Mr Khoury said prices would rise but they shouldn't reach the levels seen earlier this year when fuel rose to more than $2.20-a-litre. 'There's been a positive trend with the international benchmark price,' he said. 'It was $160 a barrel and has now dropped by 60 dollars over a couple months to $100 a barrel.' 'What pushed the prices up was global supply being affected by Covid supply chain issues along with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the associated sanctions on Russian oil. 'There no shortage of fuel for Australia it's just expensive, the market is volatile but those spikes earlier this year came down pretty quickly.' Some economists criticised the fuel tax relief when it was introduced by former treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the pre-election March budget, citing the huge loss in revenue, estimated at $3 billion by Treasury. Australia has also joined the G7 in imposing a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to limit Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to finance the war in Ukraine. The Greens have called Premier Daniel Andrews's decision to scrap a hospital's Indigenous name in favour of Queen Elizabeth II's 'disrespectful'. On Sunday, Mr Andrews announced his government would spend up to $1.05billion to rebuild the Maroondah hospital, in northeast Melbourne, and rename it after the Queen if it were re-elected. Indigenous groups and supporters said stripping the hospital of its First Nations name and replacing it with the monarch's will make Indigenous people feel 'culturally unsafe' when seeking healthcare. The Victorian Greens will move a motion in parliament to prevent Melbourne's Maroondah hospital being renamed after Queen Elizabeth II Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam (above) said renaming the hospital is 'disrespectful' and would make Indigenous people feel 'culturally unsafe' Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam lashed out at the move on Tuesday ahead of her party's motion in state parliament to reverse the proposed name change. 'As Victoria embarks on its historic Treaty process Labor must listen to First Nations communities and act now,' she said. 'What is Labor thinking changing the name of a hospital from a First Nations word to the name of a foreign monarch representing colonisation? Premier Daniel Andrews announced a re-elected Labor government will spend up to $1.05bn on rebuilding the Maroondah hospital (above) and renaming it after the Queen 'It is a disrespectful decision that erases precious Woiwurrung language. This is not what Treaty looks like. 'If this government is serious about Treaty it would listen to First Nations communities and act now, not later.' Mr Andrews defended renaming the hospital on Monday after facing harsh criticism. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (above) defended renaming the hospital as it will be 'brand new' once rebuilt and represent the Queen's support of healthcare He said the tribute to the Queen will be 'a mark of respect to her unwavering commitment to healthcare and our community'. 'It's a brand new hospital for Melbourne's east, and it's going to get a new name, and it's going to be absolutely fantastic,' Mr Andrews said. 'She was someone who opened hospitals in Victoria I don't think anyone could question her compassion and her genuine care for patients in hospitals. He added the surrounding Maroondah will continue to carry its Indigenous name. Australia's oldest man has died peacefully in his sleep aged 110 after battling the effects of Covid-19. Frank Mawer, who celebrated his birthday last month, became the country's oldest living person upon the death of Dexter Kruger in July 2021, aged 111. He previously revealed the tips to living a long life, which included no smoking, no drinking, and no gambling. Australia's oldest man Frank Mawer (pictured), aged 110, has died peacefully in his sleep after battling with the effects of Covid-19 Mr Mawer died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday at his 73-year-old son Philip's home in Central Tilba on the NSW South Coast. He lived in his own apartment in Gymea, in Sydney's south, where he was supported by HammondCare At Home staff members, until he had a bad fall in November. His other son Barry told The Canberra Times his dad weakened dramatically as a result of catching Covid-19 weeks before his death. 'He lived life to the full even in recent months. He insisted on sitting up for meals, he did his exercises every day, and had plenty of visitors,' said. 'He went to have his afternoon nap on Saturday afternoon and never woke up.' Mr Mawer was born in 1912, and married his sweetheart Elizabeth, an Irish immigrant, in 1939 and they raised six children, before she died in 2011, aged 92. Mr Mawer (pictured), who had celebrated his 110th birthday last month, became the country's oldest living person following the death of Dexter Kruger in July, 2021, aged 111 Mr Mawer (left) was born in 1912, married his sweetheart Elizabeth (right), an Irish immigrant, in 1939 and they raised six children, before she passed away in 2011, aged 92 Mrs Mawer was diagnosed with dementia before later dying of breast cancer. 'It was a long marriage to a lovely girl,' Mr Mawer said. At the time of Mr Mawer's death, the extended family had grown to 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. For more than 60 years, Mr Mawer and his extended family spent time at the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort in Bateau Bay on the NSW Central Coast before Christmas. The caravan park named a street in their honour. Mr Mawer regularly attended Horizon Church in Sutherland, southern Sydney. The church will hold a special celebration for Mr Mawer's life at a later date once his body is cremated on the South Coast. Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro will defend charges laid against him after a scuffle with a freelance cameraman on Sydney's northern beaches earlier this year. Mr Barilaro's lawyer Danny Eid indicated on Tuesday afternoon his client would be pleading not guilty to charges of common assault and malicious damage. 'He's definitely fighting these charges,' Mr Eid said outside Manly Local Court. Mr Eid also said Mr Barilaro, who has suffered mental health issues in the past, was still experiencing problems. 'Mentally, he's not well at all,' Mr Eid said. John Barilaro was charged with assault and malicious damage offences after scuffling with a cameraman outside a bar in Manly in July. He will defend the charges Footage emerged in July showing John Barilaro and his new girlfriend allegedly lunging at camera crews after being confronted outside a bar on Sydney's northern beaches Mr Barilaro was not present when Mr Eid successfully challenged the validity of subpoenas police had issued to Channel Seven News and radio station 2GB after the scuffle with the cameraman. NSW Police served a future attendance of court notice for alleged assault and malicious damage offences on Mr Barilaro on August 26. The former politician, who quit parliament in October last year, was involved in the altercation with freelance cameraman Matt Costello outside a bar at Manly on July 23. The onetime NSW Nationals leader initially dismissed questions from a Seven reporter, saying: 'It's a night out mate, it's all good', before the incident turned ugly. Footage circulated online allegedly showed the pair struggling as they grabbed and pushed one another while Mr Costello tried to film Mr Barilaro, who then walked away. Mr Barilaro later confirmed his involvement in the incident, saying he was confronted in the dark outside a bar and felt harassed during a night out with friends. 'To come out and have a camera shoved in your face. I'm a private citizen,' he told 2GB's Ben Fordham.. 'All I did was push a camera out of my way. I did not manhandle an individual.' Mr Barilaro claimed he was being hounded by media after a parliamentary inquiry was launched into his appointment at a $500,000-a-year New York trade post. He had stood down from the role on June 30 following political and public backlash. 'The reality is people are now piling on, harassing, intruding, not allowing me to get on with my life, I'm a private citizen,' Mr Barilaro told Fordham. 'They've turned up with a cameraman, I don't know who it was, all I know is you could see a bright light shining in my bl***y face. 'I'll tell you what, some of those people who were at dinner with me, they were pushed and barged out of the way.' Mr Costello said at the time he had been 'scared' for his safety after Mr Barilaro and his party allegedly lashed out at him. 'You can't behave like that no matter who you are,' he said. Police issued subpoenas requesting 2GB provide an electronic copy of the complete interview between Fordham and Mr Barilaro and an interview Seven conducted with Mr Costello. Mr Barilaro's lawyer Danny Eid indicated on Tuesday afternoon his client would be pleading not guilty to charges of common assault and malicious damage. Mr Eid is pictured on Tuesday Magistrate Robyn Denes ruled the subpoenas had not be issued lawfully through the court's registry and ordered they be applied for again. Lawyer Mark Davis said last month he would be seeking compensation on behalf of Mr Costello in a civil action. Mr Costello had suffered a twisted back during the incident and his Sony PXW 180 video camera was 'severely damaged and it is now inoperable', Mr Davis told Nine newspapers. 'He's a freelance cameraman and this has been a serious blow to him to have it [the camera] damaged,' Davis said. Amy Brown, secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Investment, and Trade, appointed Mr Barilaro to the US trade post, even though there were many other well-credentialed candidates in the running. She was later sacked and has received an estimated $448,692 payout. Lawyer Mark Davis said last month he would be seeking compensation on behalf of cameraman Matt Costello in a civil action. Mr Barilaro is pictured in March An independent review into the appointment of Mr Barilaro to the taxpayer-funded job found Ms Brown was indirectly influenced by then-trade minister Stuart Ayres's preference for who should get the role. Mr Ayres resigned as minister last month after a draft excerpt from the review raised questions about whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct with his involvement in the appointment process. Premier Dominic Perrottet said the appointment process was 'flawed from the outset' and ordered the independent legal review to establish if Mr Ayres had breached the ministerial code. The review, carried out by former ICAC inspector Bruce McClintock SC and released last week, found Mr Ayres had not breached the code, but he remained on the backbench. Mr Barilaro pulled out of an appearance at a parliamentary hearing last month, citing mental health reasons for his absence. He took a 10-day break from parliament for mental health reasons in September 2020. The assault and malicious damage charges return to court on October 12. Brooklyn's controversial 'bling' pastor has doubled down on his claims he did not throttle a female congregant at his service on Sunday, as he insists he was just trying to protect his family when he grabbed her. Bishop Lamar Whitehead, 44, was caught on his church's livestream giving his sermon at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie when he apparently grabbed a woman who interrupted his service by the neck. But the flashy pastor now insists the woman was heading directly for his wife and 10-month-old daughter when he grabbed her by the shoulder, releasing surveillance footage that seems to prove his claims. Whitehead said he was afraid she might have a weapon in her purse, after he was robbed of $40,000 worth of swag at gunpoint back in July. He also asserted that the altercation came in retaliation to lawsuits he filed against two YouTubers who accused him of stealing from his congregation. The woman, Tarsha Howard, was later arrested and was charged Monday with trespassing and disrupting a religious service. She has since claimed that the pastor assaulted her as she was praying and received a restraining order against the controversial pastor in court on Monday. Surveillance footage from the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie shows Tarsha Howard interrupting Bishop Lamar Whitehead's sermon before she approached the altar during Sunday's services The pastor eventually grabbed her and ran Howard out of the Brooklyn church Whitehead, 44, claims the woman was charging at his wife and 10 month old daughter, cursing at them before he intervened. He is pictured here with his family In an interview with TMZ Live, Whitehead said that surveillance footage from the Canarsie church proved Howard was charging at his family before he grabbed her. The footage which he later posted to Facebook shows Howard approaching the altar where he is standing. She then starts gesturing at him and pointing at him as she speaks to the congregation. Soon, Whitehead could be seen coming up to her as people in the congregation start to clap. Howard appears to walk away, only to double back past the pastor to where his wife is holding his 10 month old baby. At that point, the pastor lunges at her and grabs her, running her out of the church. Though there is no sound with the video, Whitehead insists she was cursing out his family and calling them 'liars.' 'She just came on the side of me and started cursing me out, cursing me out,' he told TMZ Live. 'I said 'OK no problem.' And I told my church 'Let's pray' and 'Let's clap,' then I told her 'OK you gotta get out of here, you gotta go.'' That's when, he said, Howard started walking towards his family. 'I felt that she was going to hurt them,' he claimed. 'I grabbed her by the back of the shirt, and some of her hair was in my hand, and I had her shoulder I never touched her neck.' He also reiterated the claims in an Instagram video, wearing a Fendi sweater and a gold chain. 'I grabbed her by the back of her shirt, and I had some of her hair and I had the microphone in my left hand,' he said. 'How in the world did I choke her?' 'It's impossible to choke a person, first of all, from behind and with only one hand.' Video posted to YouTube shows the moment Bishop Lamar Whitehead apparently shoved a woman after she interrupted his sermon Sunday The bishop also doubled down on his assertion that Howard had been sent by two podcasters he is suing for $40 million after they claimed he was stealing from his church. In a Facebook Live video following the altercation, Whitehead said: 'We had some visitor in the church, and they were sent by two nobodies two bloggers who are nobodies. 'And they were sent into my church to disrupt my church,' he alleged. Whitehead then explained that he has 'lawsuits out, and when retaliation is retaliation, this is what it is. 'They came in videoing, and it was a whole set-up,' he alleged. He then reiterated that claim in his interview with TMZ on Monday, saying: 'There was a plan and a scheme. 'I found out last night that these young ladies had plotted this whole rendition to disturb my church.' Following the altercation, Whitehead claimed she was sent to the church by two YouTubers he is suing for $40 million as he insists he grabbed her by the shoulder Following the altercation, both Howard and Whitehead were taken out of the church in handcuffs but Whitehead was released two hours later without being charged. He is now demanding an apology from the NYPD for arresting him in front of his family and his congregation, claiming he was only let free without charges after department 'higher ups' intervened. 'I'm a black man. That's the only reason why they did it,' he told the New York Daily News. 'I did nothing wrong. 'How do I call the police and the police that I call arrest me?' Meanwhile, Howard told the Daily News that Whitehead is skewing the facts and that she is the real victim of the assault. She posted a photo of a cut to her neck she claims she got in the scuffle. Tarsha Howard claims she was praying when the pastor grabbed her on Sunday She posted a photo of a cut to her neck she allegedly got in the altercation to social media Howard said she decided to attend his service on Sunday because she was 'intrigued' by the flashy pastor after he was robbed back in July, and thought he would be a good case study for a book she is writing on religious leadership in the black community. 'His ushers invited me in,' she said. 'I went upstairs. They said, 'Come on in.' I went in. They did the [COVID] temperature thermometer and they ushered me to sit down.' She also noted that after she apparently interrupted Whitehead's sermon, 'He actually invited me up to the front of the church. He said 'Come up here.' I went up there.' Video from the incident shows Whitehead abruptly stopped his sermon to listen to someone in the crowd 'Let 'em record, let 'em record,' he tells his congregation, before deciding to take a 'pause' as a woman could be heard screaming at him. 'You want to come preach?' the bishop asks her. 'You want to come preach, come up here. I'm gonna make you famous, yes Lord.' He then starts asking the congregation to praise Jesus, while speaking in tongues, only to end his prayer by saying: 'Now remove her out of here, move her out of here.' Whitehead then seems to want to move on from the situation, telling his congregation: 'Let's give Jesus a round of applause, y'all.' He continues to repeat the message 'while they take the pictures. 'Take the pictures, take the pictures,' he eggs them on. That is when Howard, wearing a brown and pink floral top, enters from the left side of the screen as Whitehead gets increasingly close to her. Howard said she was praying at the time. 'I am a born again Chrstian, so I started praying,' she told the Daily News. 'And then out of nowhere, he lunged at me, and that's what you see on video. 'He lunged after me and dragged me out of the church and there was no communication as to why that happened.' The altercation on Sunday came as Whitehead was giving his sermon at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Brooklyn and was interrupted by a woman in the congregation As she approached the altar, he got increasingly close to the woman before he grabbed her Howard denies she approached his family, and that she was the one video taping the service. 'He has twisted things around, and said that I disrupted a religious service, and I did not,' she said, adding that she thinks the presence of another podcaster at the service led to her arrest. 'I don't have anything to do with her,' Howard said of the podcaster, who was seen recording Whitehead's Rolls Royce on the street outside the church Sunday. 'She's also, I think, the reason why I got arrested because she's out there with the cameras taunting this man. I did not go out there to do that.' She said she is now worried about the pastor's apparently combative side. 'At the end of the day, I'm focused on why he could assault a woman,' she told the Daily News. 'Because when the robbers came into his establishment, the church, he laid on the floor. He did not fight those people. 'I was not a threat,' she added. 'I did not have a gun.' Whitehead wore a Fendi blazer as he spoke to the press outside the 5th Precinct where Andrew Abdullah was brought in for questioning Whitehead has become a controversial figure since a wild video showed him being robbed at his church on July 24 while preaching to his congregation wearing a maroon suit, long gold chain and a large ring on each finger. He was videoed telling his congregants: 'How many of you have lost your faith because you saw somebody else die?' He is then seen going down on his knees when the robbers approach and can be heard saying: 'All right, all right.' The men were then seen circling around the stage as they robbed the bishop, his wife and the congregation. He later said on Instagram that the robbers aimed a gun at his back while they took his bishops cross and the jewelry he was wearing from on top of and under his shirt. Bishop Whitehead said: 'I told everyone to get down. I didn't know if they wanted to shoot the church up or were coming for a robbery. 'They took all my wife's jewelry and all my jewelry.' The churchman also said he ran after the robbers and saw them take off their masks and get away in a white Mercedes. Police confirmed that the robbery stole $400,000-worth of jewelry in Canarsie around 11.15am. Whitehead later said he may have been targeted due to the help he provided accused murdered Andrew Abdullah. The 25-year-old allegedly killed a Goldman Sachs employee on the subway earlier this year by shooting him at point blank range. The pastor turned up with his $350,000 Rolls-Royce and wearing a Fendi blazer to negotiate the surrender of the thug. DeMario Jives, who has 80,000 YouTube subscribers, is being sued for $20 million by Whitehead for telling his audience the bishop was 'drug dealing' Larry Reid, who Whitehead is also suing for $20 million, allegedly told his online audience that the blingy bishop scams people out of money and will soon be behind bars In the aftermath, two YouTubers, DeMario Jives and Larry Reid accused him of stealing from his congregation to afford his luxurious lifestyle. Jives allegedly said on his YouTube channel that the bishop 'is wearing the same jewelry that (he) got robbed in' and 'is out here drug dealing,' while Reid claimed that the pastor 'scammed people out of money' and 'will be locked up in about three months'. Whitehead has since filed twin lawsuits against the YouTubers seeking $40 million in damages. The new lawsuits allege the two men have cost Whitehead 'business deals, church members, and income'. One reads: 'As a result of (the defendants') conduct, Plaintiff lost business deals, church members and income.' It adds: '(Defendants) are liable to Plaintiff for defamation, libel per se and slander per se.' His attorney said there will be 'many more' similar lawsuits coming to 'aggressively' prosecute people making 'defamatory statements' about Whitehead. Whitehead has become a controversial figure since a wild video showed him being robbed at his church on July 24. He is known for his luxurious lifestyle, and is seen here in a green Gucci suit while sitting in his Rolls Royce He has forged ties with New York City Mayor Eric Adams Whitehead was also accused of stealing the lifesavings of one of his congregants, according to a separate Brooklyn lawsuit detailed by the NY Post. Pauline Anderson, 56, accused Whitehead of talking her into handing over her lifesavings of $90,000 on the understand that he would then buy and renovate a home for her. The Bishop also reportedly said he would pay the woman $100 a month because the savings had been her sole source of income. But the monthly allowance was paid just once and Whitehead eventually stopped responding to inquiries from Anderson about the status of her house. He later allegedly told the woman that he had invested her money into his company and was not obligated to return it to her. The spiritual leader previously spent five years behind bars for charges of identity fraud and grand larceny. But a prison sentence and public robbery haven't stopped him from becoming close with NYC Mayor Eric Adams and generally carrying on with his extravagant lifestyle. Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has made the extraordinary claim that Australia is still 'at war' with Aboriginal people and has called for a treaty to bring 'peace' to the nation. The outspoken politician - who previously labelled the Queen a 'coloniser' and will attend an 'abolish the monarchy' protest instead of a memorial for Her Majesty - made the controversial claim on Twitter on Tuesday. Ms Thorpe, who is Indigenous, said Aboriginal deaths in custody, the removal of Indigenous children from their families and desecration of the nation are the legacy of the British invasion. Indigenous Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe (pictured) said Indigenous deaths in custody, the removal of aboriginal children from their families and desecration of country are remnants of the British invasion and are symptoms of an 'ongoing war' against First Nations people 'British invasion started a war against First Nations people in this country,' Ms Thorpe wrote. 'Deaths in custody, child removal and desecration of country are all symptoms of an ongoing war against us. 'Treaty is an end to the war. Its an agreement to bring peace to our nation.' Senator Thorpe shared a link detailing the devastating Frontier Wars between European colonists and First Nations people from 1788 to 1930. The Greens senator shared the controversial claim on Twitter (pictured) calling for a treaty between the government and Indigenous people Some social media users disagreed with Ms Thorpe claiming she was 'playing the victim' and slamming her 'inflammatory language and imagery'. Last week, Ms Thorpe revealed she would be skipping the official service for Queen Elizabeth II in Canberra and instead join an 'abolish the monarchy' protest in Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invited all federal politicians to attend the service for Her Majesty at the Great Hall at Parliament House on September 22. 'On September 22, I'll be mourning our ancestors and our old people who fought in the Frontier Wars and who died fighting for this country,' she told The Australian. 'After a healing ceremony, I'll be marching to protest over 500 deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. 'Treaty is the solution to the injustices we face, by bringing people together to end the war that started in 1788.' Senator Thorpe referred to the devastating Frontier Wars between European colonists and First Nations people which resulted in 416 massacres and an estimated death toll of 10,000 Indigenous people (pictured, Australia Day protests at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra) Days earlier, Ms Thorpe unleashed an extraordinary tirade against the Queen and the 'institution she represents' despite claiming she was not going to 'rant and rave' following her death. 'They buried our kids in the sand and kicked off their heads, and you want me to pay my respects?' Ms Thorpe wrote on Twitter. 'This isn't about an individual, it's about the institution she represents and the genocide that they're responsible for.' Ms Thorpe has been a vocal critic of the monarchy and is currently pushing for a treaty with First Nations people. Senator Thorpe revealed she would be skipping the official memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II at Canberra and instead travel interstate to join an 'abolish the monarchy' protest (poster, pictured) in Melbourne During her oath to office in August, Ms Thorpe raised her fist above her head in protest and labelled Queen Elizabeth II a 'colonising queen' (pictured) During her oath to office in August, Ms Thorpe raised her fist above her head in protest and labelled Queen Elizabeth II a 'colonising queen'. She has also slammed a push by Mr Albanese to host a referendum to introduce an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Indigenous leaders from across the country lobbied for constitutional change and urged the government to hold a referendum in a landmark document known as the Uluru Statement of the Heart. The Voice to Parliament would establish a permanent constitutional body, which represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and would advise the government on policies relating to Indigenous issues. Ms Thorpe labelled the referendum a 'waste of money' and time and instead wants a treaty with First Nations people - since Australia remains the only Commonwealth country to have never signed a treaty with its Indigenous people. A young pilot killed in a crop duster plane crash after a possible birdstrike has been mourned by his small community. Tom Grey, aged in jhis 30s, was flying in Chinchilla on Queensland's western Darling Downs when his plane lost altitude and crashed into a field. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, arriving at 12.20pm, but were unable to save him. Many in the Western Downs community of Mungindi took to social media to remember the young pilot. 'Too young, too soon, RIP, sending condolences and blessings to his friends and family,' Debra Green wrote online. Tom Grey, who died in a crop duster plane crash in Queensland on Monday, is pictured with his dog 'How sad on my trips into Dalby I have watched the crop dusters flying over paddocks. Prayers for his family,' Kay Balnaves added. Karen Bruggemann expressed her 'deepest sympathy to all, very sad'. Mr Grey was contracted to spray the field he crashed in and had herbicide on board his plane at the time. 'The plane was reported missing by the owner of the plane and a farmer arrived on scene and found the pilot,' Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said. Investigators are looking into whether a bird strike was to blame for the crash after feathers were found in Mr Grey's cockpit and dead birds were lying nearby. The Forensic Crash Unit and Australian Transport Safety Bureau are jointly investigating the crash and will prepare a report for the state coroner. A man has been charged with murdering Sydney crime boss Bilal Hamze in Sydney's CBD. Hamze, the cousin of Brothers 4 Life gang leader and murderer Bassam Hamzy, was gunned down in a hail of bullets on Bridge St in Sydney's CBD by a man in a black Audi in June last year. The 34-year-old gangster was treated at the scene before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where he later died. The Audi was later found burned-out at Northwood, on Sydney's North Shore. Following extensive enquiries by the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad, Samuel John Rokomaqisa, 32, was arrested at Silverwater jail on Tuesday and charged with murder. Samuel John Rokomaqisa (pictured during an arrest for an unrelated matter last year), 32, was arrested in prison on Tuesday and charged with murder Bilal Hamze was shot dead on Bridge St in Sydney's CBD last June after exiting a Japanese restaurant with a young woman. Scene shot above Police allege Rokomaqisa was inside a black Audi before 10.30pm on June 17, 2021, from which gunshots were fired - striking and killing Hamze, who had just walked out of Kid Kyoto restaurant. Rokomaqisa was remanded in custody on unrelated charges. He will appear at Downing Centre Local Court later on Tuesday for the fresh murder charge. Last week, police released CCTV footage of a Ford Territory, Mercedes sedan, and a Honda Odyssey they believe were linked to Hamze's alleged murder, and the attempted murder of his brother Ibrahem. Rokomaqisa (pictured during another arrest last year) was remanded in custody on unrelated charges They released CCTV showing the black Audi with driving alongside a top-end Mercedes, which they allege was later used in the botched murder attempt on Ibrahem. The cars were also seen together under Ibrahem's apartment, and were allegedly registered in the names of random Sydneysiders. Officers urged people to get in touch with Crime Stoppers if their name was registered on a vehicle they did not own. Family members and friends of Bilal Hamze carried his coffin (pictured) in the same month police kicked off their mammoth investigation into his alleged murder Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, said last week that police believe those inside the cars had 'intentions to kill' on the day of Ibrahem's alleged near-miss. 'The images we have released are taken from an address in North Sydney and show several vehicles of interest visiting the location multiple times between 25 July and 14 August 2021,' Det Supt Doherty said. 'On each occasion, we believe the people inside these cars intended to murder their target, who was residing in that building at the time.' Xi: Safeguard security of supply chains By Ma Si in Beijing and Ma Zhenhuan in Hangzhou (China Daily) 13:40, September 20, 2022 China will unswervingly ensure that industrial and supply chains are public goods in nature, take concrete actions to deepen international cooperation on industrial and supply chains and make sure that people of all countries share the fruits of development, President Xi Jinping said on Monday. In a congratulatory letter to the International Forum on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, which opened on Monday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Xi said China will firmly safeguard the security and stability of its industrial and supply chains. Maintaining the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains is a vital guarantee for promoting the development of the world economy and serves the common interests of people globally, he added. China is willing to work with other countries to seize the new opportunities presented by the latest scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and build a global industrial and supply chain system that is secure, stable, smooth, efficient, open, inclusive and mutually beneficial, Xi said. The comments came as strengthening the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains is widely seen as vital to supporting economic recovery of all countries, ensuring the smooth running of the world economy and improving the well-being of humanity. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said via a video link at the forum that considering the importance of value chains and supply chains, efforts are needed to focus on such issues as how to ensure fair and safe access to goods and services and the need to create high-quality jobs in less developed countries. Gerd Mueller, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, also said via video link that "multilateralism and development cooperation are now more important than ever". Jin Zhuanglong, minister of industry and information technology, said that in the past decades, the world has formed an inseparable industrial division of labor, with countries closely connected with each other through the industrial chains and supply chains, but such a landscape is facing challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To better deal with headwinds, Jin underlined the need to deepen technological innovation and cooperation, and encourage businesses in various countries to jointly work on research and development in every part of innovation and value chains at every level. South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang said via video link that nowadays, the impact of a crisis that occurs in one country reaches global supply chains, going beyond their neighboring countries. Therefore, communications through various bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperative channels are essential with a view to realizing the stabilization of global supply chains, Lee said. At the forum, China, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, Pakistan and Serbia jointly proposed the Initiative of International Cooperation on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, with the support of Argentina. The initiative called for endeavors to maintain the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as the cornerstone, contribute to strengthening the security of global industrial and supply chains, and jointly foster a fair, open and predictable market environment for global specialization and cooperation. Jim Cathey, chief commercial officer at the US chip company Qualcomm, said the pandemic is the latest and most impactful example of how easily the supply chain can be disrupted. "As demand for products powered by technology continues to grow , we need to ensure a more global, diverse and resilient supply chain," Cathey said, adding that Qualcomm is working closely with its industrial chain partners in China to drive improvement and accelerate innovation. Clas Neumann, senior vice-president of German cloud services company SAP, said that "China has always been an important part of the world's industrial supply chain, providing goods and services with high quality to the world and helping businesses around the globe to operate efficiently". (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) Australians will observe a minute's silence as part of the country's National Day of Mourning for the Queen. The solemn moment will begin at 11am AEST on Thursday and be followed by a national service live broadcast, the Commonwealth Flag Officer said. The national memorial service will be held at Parliament House, that all state and territory leaders will attend. Britain ground to a halt on Monday (pictured) as millions gathered to watch the Queen's funeral and bid her farewell across the country Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia will continue to commemorate 'our late Queen' (pictured in Brisbane, with Prince Phillip on her Royal Tour of Australia in 1982) over the coming weeks The memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II (pictured in Perth in 2011) )will be held in Parliament House's Great Hall, three days after her London funeral Mr Albanese encouraged communities to hold their own memorials, especially in places where Her Majesty visited during her 16 Australian tours (pictured on the left in Sydney, 2006) Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraged Aussies to 'take time to pause and reflect', 'wherever you may be'. 'Her Majesty was the only reigning monarch to ever to visit Australia and it was clear from her first trip that she had a special place in our hearts,' Mr Albanese said. 'Over the coming weeks, Australia will continue to commemorate our late Queen.' All flags flown on buildings occupied by Australian Government departments will remain at half mast for the entire day. Vice-Regal Standards are to remain at full mast. The memorial service will be held in Parliament House's Great Hall, three days after her London funeral. It will also be attended by the governor general, prime minister and other dignitaries. The news comes after Britain ground to a halt on Monday as millions gathered to watch the Queen's funeral and bid her farewell across the country. Mourners stopped in the street to watch the event on their phones. The congregation attending her funeral at Westminster Abbey, included King Charles, the Royal Family and 2,000 VIPs (pictured, left to right, King Charles, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex) Hundreds of thousands watched as the historic funeral was broadcast on large outdoor screens in various locations across the UK. The congregation attending her funeral at Westminster Abbey, included King Charles, the Royal Family and 2,000 VIPs. The A-list included emperors, kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents from around the world. The funeral, which was been dubbed the most-watched event in history, was viewed by an estimated 4.1 billion people worldwide. Meanwhile, Mr Albanese encouraged Aussie communities to hold their own memorials, especially in places where Her Majesty visited during her 16 Australian tours. However, many have chosen to commemorate the day by booking holidays and making the most of the extra day-off. The one-off national holiday on Thursday will give Victorians a four-day weekend thanks to the AFL Grand Final holiday on Friday. State-run schools will be closed for the holiday but private schools can choose whether to opt-in or out of public holidays. 'It was clear from her first trip (pictured, the Queen inspecting a Guard of Honour in Hobart, 1954 - on her first visit to Australia) that she had a special place in our hearts,' Mr Albanese said Mr Albanese said it's important for Australians to take time to process the death of not just the nation's sovereign leader of 70 years but a woman many looked up to and respected. He added that the holiday is part of a protocol that has existed 'for a long period of time'. 'This has been a time of grieving but there has been that sense of gratefulness, of a life well lived, a life of service. Quite clearly, over generations, that affection for the Queen was there,' Mr Albanese told Sunrise last week. 'She was someone who didn't just go to Sydney and Melbourne, she went to regional communities, remote communities, and had an engagement with them. A prison nurse who refused to perform first aid on an unresponsive newborn inside a women's prison maintains she did her job by the book. Prison nurse Georgina Melody, a New Zealand national who had been in Australia a little over a year when 'Baby A' died, had only taken up the night-shift position with Victoria's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre six months before the tragedy. On Tuesday, Ms Melody was provided a certificate of indemnity by Victorian Coroner John Olle after she objected to voluntarily fronting the inquest into Baby A's tragic death on the grounds she could face disciplinary or civil action. She continues to work as a registered nurse for Correct Care Australasia, which provides health services to more than 6,500 men, women, and young people in Victoria at all 13 of its public prisons. Prison nurse Georgina Melody left CPR on a newborn baby to firefighters because she deemed it was already dead Prison nurse Georgina Melody covers her face in shame after leaving the Victorian Coroners Court on Tuesday The inquest comes almost three years after an investigation by Daily Mail Australia exposed the needless tragedy - which was denied at the time by Corrections Victoria. 'Baby A' - as she must be referred to by law - was just 12 days old when she died inside the jail's dedicated 'Mothers and Children Units' in August 2018. The inquest heard Ms Melody was not asked to provide a statement about what happened until August last year. Armed with her indemnity certificate, which does not indemnify her from perjury in the witness box, Ms Melody told the inquest she had no responsibility to provide care for inmates' babies unless there was an emergency. She did not even have any formal training to care for them. On the night Baby A was found unresponsive, Ms Melody refused to perform CPR on the child's little body. The nurse had been just half-an-hour away from knock-off when Baby A was found unconscious by her distraught mum. The inquest heard a prison guard was forced to physically go and collect Ms Melody after she could not be reached on a radio at the prison's medical unit. Prison guards had called a 'code black' after receiving frantic calls from another inmate that Baby A was unresponsive. Despite the inquest being told of the frantic situation within the mother's unit, Ms Melody claimed she was unaware she had been on her way to help a newborn until the very moment she saw Baby A's mother cradling her child's limp body. 'It wasn't immediately drawn to my attention who was the casualty,' she told the inquest. Ms Melody, who showed no emotion in the witness box, claimed the situation in the unit did not even appear to be an emergency. 'When I walked in I didn't get a sense of emergency. I didn't hear any hysteria or panic,' she said. Ms Melody further claimed no-one else within the unit was crying upon her arrival, nor did anyone advise her a baby was not breathing or needed help. A bird's eye view of Melbourne's notorious Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. It houses some of Australia's worst female prisoners Last week, an inmate referred to as 'Alice' told the inquest that Ms Melody refused to assist the newborn after an inmate had been forced to administer CPR. 'The nurse just said "Oh I'm sorry". That was it ... she did not touch the baby,' Alice said. Alice had been the first inmate to hear Baby A's mother scream for help about 5.30am. 'Baby's not breathing,' the desperate mum shouted. While other mother's caged within the unit flew into a panic, Alice tried desperately to get prison guards to open the door and provide help. 'They kept hanging up on me,' Alice said. 'They said they'd called a code and said we'd just have to wait ... we didn't know what to do.' Alice said when prison staff became frustrated with her repeated calls they cut the intercom to the room. The court heard the prison guards stood by and watched as another inmate, referred to as 'Donna', performed CPR on the baby. 'They said they needed permission to open up,' Alice said. When prison staff finally entered the unit, Alice claimed they treated the hysterical mother with cold disregard. 'There was no comforting,' she said. 'Someone asked her where the baby had been sleeping.' Dame Phyllis Frost Centre can hold 604 inmates and contains a dedicated unit for mothers and their children, from babies up to to pre-schoolers Women live together in large groups inside the women's prison Babies are made to wait for treatment inside Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne. Ms Melody denied accusations she failed to even touch Baby A or that she immediately apologised to her mother. The nurse claimed she carried out an examination on the baby and quickly determined she was dead. The coroner heard while Ms Melody refused to provide CPR to the baby, firefighters who later attended the unit worked frantically to try and revive her. The nurse told barrister Julie Munster, who is acting for Baby A's mother, she was not at all distressed by the incident. 'Not necessarily. No,' she said. 'No. It was surprising.' Ms Melody claimed Baby A's mother had been 'reluctant' to cooperate with her upon arriving at the unit. 'She was reluctant when I spoke to her in the first instance. She was quiet,' she said. Ms Munster told Ms Melody her client had told her Baby A was not breathing. 'She was begging you to help her baby,' Ms Munster said. 'No,' Ms Melody replied. Ms Munster accused the nurse of being 'uncompassionate and unkind' for failing to tell Baby A's mother the results of the assessment she had made that saw her refuse her baby CPR. 'No. I don't accept that,' she said. 'I am a kind person.' The inquest continues. The leader of a Rebels bikie gang chapter has been charged over a huge drug bust after a major police raid on a home south of Brisbane. Michael John De-La-Warr, 39 - the alleged president of the Logan chapter of the Rebels - has been charged with possessing and producing meth and cannabis. De-La-Warr has also been hit with possessing explosives and unlawfully possessing weapon. Queensland detectives laid more than 50 drug, weapon and burglary charges against six other alleged associates of the bikie group after a raid on a property in Chambers Flat last Friday. Footage of the raid which shows officers dismantling the property where they allegedly found large wads of cash inside the home, along with a cache of drugs, several firearms and ammunition. Police will allege they located more than 1kg of methylamphetamine (ice), 12kg of cannabis, seven firearms, a large range of ammunition, $50,000 in counterfeit currency and two stolen cars along with other drug quantities and utensils as part of the operation. Michael John De-La-Warr, who is the president of the Logan chapter of the Rebels was charged with a string of drug and weapons offences Footage of the raid which shows officers dismantling the property where they allegedly found large wads of cash inside the home, along with a cache of drugs, several firearms and ammunition Officers also allegedly discovered evidence of cannabis farming rooms and dismantled amphetamine labs on the property. De-La-Warr was granted bail after he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, the Courier Mail reported. He is not allowed to speak to his co-accuseds, leave the country and must reside at a specific address in Crestmead, Logan. The six other alleged bikies arrested after the raids have since been named as Katerina Mialkovsky, Jason Turner, Stephen Kakakios, Jeremy Egan, a man known as B Richard and another known as A Smith. Ms Mialkovsky, Mr Turner, Mr Richard and Mr Egan have been hit with weapons and drug offences, while Mr Kakakios was charged with entering a dwelling and committing and indictable offence. Officers laid more than 50 drug, weapon and burglary charges on seven alleged Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang associates after the raid of a south Brisbane property on Holloway Road in Chambers Flat on Friday Seven firearms were also allegedly seized during the raid Mr Smith was charged with possessing explosives and failing to dispose of a syringe and needle. Footage of the raid shows detectives from Ipswich and the Organised Crime Gangs Group searching through piles of branches and removing caches full of weapons and drugs. The raid was carried out as part Operation Uniform Neo which was established in August after several firearms were allegedly stolen from a property in Ottaba, 120km north of Chambers Flat. The Rebels president will face court again on October 12, while his co-accused will front court in September, October and November. Donald Trump's lawyers have acknowledged the former president could face criminal prosecution over the seized Mar-a-Lago documents. In a letter to Raymond Dearie, the special master appointed to oversee the FBI probe into the documents, his team on Monday outlined concerns about the inquiry. The attorneys said they do not want Dearie to force Trump to 'fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Court's order' - a statement indicating Trump or his aides could be criminally charged. The FBI are investigating how more than 300 classified documents ended up in Trump's Florida estate, and why they were removed from the White House when he left, rather than handed over to the national archives. Donald Trump is seen on Saturday at a rally in Ohio. On Monday his lawyers wrote to the special master, Raymond Dearie, to set out their requests for the investigation into the Mar-a-Lago documents Raymond Dearie, a veteran New York judge, has been appointed as special master to oversee the Mar-a-Lago investigation Documents seized during the search of Trump's estate on August 8 are pictured on August 30 Mar-a-Lago was raided on August 8 by FBI agents A police car is seen on August 8 outside the Florida estate In January the FBI seized the first batch of documents, with a second cache taken away in June. On August 8 agents searched the estate, while Trump was in Manhattan, and took away the remaining files. Trump, 76, has claimed that he had in place a protocol meaning that any files he removed from the Oval Office were automatically declassified. But on Monday, Trump's lawyers tried preemptively to stop Dearie asking about the classification rules. They argued that Trump might be left at a legal disadvantage if he answered questions about the supposed declassification system at this stage of the process, and objected to Dearie's request that it 'disclose specific information regarding declassification to the Court and to the Government.' Judge Aileen Cannon, the Florida judge presiding over the case who agreed to the special master review of the process, has ruled that Dearie must complete his analysis of the approximately 11,000 documents by the end of November. The preliminary conference is scheduled before Dearie on Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Trump's lawyers, in their Monday letter, said they were 'in general agreement' with the timeline, but had some alterations they wished to discuss at Tuesday's hearing. They also expressed concern that some parts of the case could be heard by US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the judge who approved the warrant for the FBI's search. The Trump attorneys argued that Cannon, a Trump appointee who appointed the special master, intended for that litigation to happen through the special master process, with Dearie's recommendations ultimately reported to her. In their own filing, the Justice Department did not address how Dearie should review the classified documents. They urged Dearie to check in with the National Archives and Records Administration the federal agency charged with maintaining and tracking government records as he conducts the review, and suggested weekly reviews with both parties to ensure smooth running of the review process. What may be the laziest Australia Post driver ever has been shamed for his 'outrageous' drive-by 'delivery'. The van driver might have got away with his unusual method, but the house owner had a door camera which caught what happened. The footage shows a white van slowing down on a quiet suburban street in Bathurst, NSW with a package for Mitch Woodhouse. But the driver then does something unexpected. He doesn't stop. He just rolls down his window and throws Mr Woodhouse's parcel several metres onto the lawn, which Australia Post's tracker said was leaving it 'in a safe place'. An Australia Post delivery driver is pictured slowing down and then chucking a package out of the van window onto a lawn, narrowly missing the concrete driveway It narrowly missed landing on the concrete driveway, but that was about the only good thing anyone could say about the unique delivery plan. The driver then picked up speed and drove off as if this was nothing unusual. But he didn't reckon with Mr Woodhouse capturing it all on camera and sharing it not only on Facebook, but also with Australia Post. 'Didn't quite get it in the mailbox or at the front door,' Mr Woodhouse said. The van then picked up speed and drove off as if the driver's delivery style was nothing worth commenting on He also posted a screenshot of the message he received from Australia Post claiming his package was 'left in a safe place at your address'. 'Very safe place it was left,' a comment under the post wrote. 'Too lazy to get out of the car,' another added. One poster thought the driver may have been double jobbing. 'He must've got mixed up with his other job of delivering newspapers,' they wrote. Australia Post was forced to apologise to Mr Woodhouse for the careless handling of his parcel. 'These actions are not in line with the high service standards we expect of our people and we have contacted the customer to apologise,' it told Daily Mail Australia. 'The contractor is no longer delivering for Australia Post.' At least 14 sperm whales have died after they became stranded on King Island, off Tasmania's north-west coast, in a marine mystery that's baffled experts. The whales washed ashore and were discovered on Monday afternoon, according to Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The department confirmed on Tuesday the carcasses were found at a local fishing spot. At least 14 sperm whales have died after they washed ashore on King Island (picture courtesy of NRE Tas) The whale carcasses were found at a local fishing area off the island's west coast on Monday (picture courtesy of NRE Tas) A plane is scheduled to fly over the island to check for more beached whales. Wldlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta said what caused the whales to head towards the shore remained 'a complete mystery'. 'We simply do not know why this happens,' she told the ABC. 'That's the million-dollar question every time this kind of event happens.' Dr Pirotta said the stranding could have been caused by a navigation error, or the group following one whale heading towards the shore. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment said it was not unusual to see sperm whales in the area. 'It is not unusual for sperm whales to be sighted in Tasmania and the area the whales have stranded is within the normal range and habitat for sperm whales,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'While further inquiries are yet to be carried out, it is possible the whales were part of the same bachelor pod a group of younger male sperm whales associating together after leaving the maternal group.' Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta said what caused the whales to head towards the shore remained 'a complete mystery' but a navigation error was a possibility The whales were young males, according to Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment MCP wildlife biologists and a vet are heading to King Island to investigate. They will perform a necropsy and collect samples MCP wildlife biologists and a vet are heading to the island to investigate. They will perform a necropsy where possible and collect valuable samples. Parks and Wildlife Service staff are also on site monitoring the scene. Residents have been advised to stay away from the area. 'Members of the public are reminded it is an offence to interfere with protected wildlife, including being in possession of parts of a dead whale, and are asked to keep their distance,' a spokesperson said. Swimmers and surfers have also been warned to avoid the west coast of King Island as the whale carcasses could attract sharks. Danny Abdallah said attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral reminded him of his own children's deaths after a drunk driver hit them in a horror car crash. On February 1, 2020, seven children from the Abdallah family were mown down by a drunk driver on a Sydney footpath while on their way to buy ice creams. Mr Abdallah and his wife Leila Abdallah lost three of their children - Sienna, 8, Angelina, 12, and Antony Abdallah, 13 - as well as their 11-year-old niece Veronique Sakr but famously immediately forgave the driver. Danny Abdallah (pictured with wife Leila and their children) was invited to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday The father and co-founder of the i4give Day charity was one of 10 Australian civilians invited to attend the Queen's funeral on Monday. 'It was a beautiful experience and an honour to be a part of history,' he told the Herald Sun. 'I felt for the family and the grief and pain they will be experiencing. 'I felt a little sad as it took me back to my kids' funeral, but I truly believe there is life after life.' Mr Abdallah was one of ten Australian civilians invited to the Queen's funeral (above) on Monday Mr Abdallah said the Queen's funeral reminded him of his own children's funeral after they were run over and killed by a drunk driver in Sydney two years ago (pictured, Mr and Mrs Abdallah at their children's funeral) Also on the guest list was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon, Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda, acting High Commissioner Lynette Wood and her partner, and RSL President Greg Melick. Australians of the Year Dylan Alcott, Valmai Dempsey, Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, Helen Milroy and Trudy Lin also received a coveted invitation. The guest list represented to Queen's love for horses, with Australian horse trainers David Hayes and Gai Waterhouse attending her funeral alongside racing identity Robbie Waterhouse. A total of 22 Australians were invited to the Queen's funeral on Monday (pictured the royal family) Local heroes Shanna Whan, Saba Abraham, Kim Smith also made the trip for Her Majesty's funeral, along with Victoria Cross recipients Mark Donaldson, Daniel Keighran, Keith Payne and Ben Roberts-Smith. Sober in the Country founder Shanna Whan said it was 'overwhelming' attending the funeral but was proud to represent the Australian 'rural space'. 'From the moment I could hear the bagpipes to Her Majesty's casket being walked past us, to the hymns I had tears streaming down my face,' she said. Sober in the Country founder Shanna Whan (above) was invited tot he funeral nd wore an Akubra-style hat as a mod to the Australian 'rural space' Ms Whan earlier revealed her Akubra-style hat was made last-minute by Sydney custom designer Neil Grigg. 'I'm honestly so thankful I could weep, and I did. The community support emerging this week from Australia is indescribable,' she wrote after receiving the special hat. 'This bush gal of basic means and basic wants is a little overwhelmed. What I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that between these hats and the designs of Carla Zampatti I can represent us with style and grace.' Saba Abraham, who has helped employ more than 200 refugee and migrant women through her Brisbane restaurant, said she felt 'honoured' to be invited to the royal funeral. A woman who impersonated TV stars to attract victims online before stalking them is a pathological liar who continues to deny her crimes to psychologists, a court has heard. Lydia Abdelmalek, 32, was found guilty of six stalking charges in 2019 and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. She pretended to be Home and Away heartthrob Lincoln Lewis and other aliases, including British actor Danny Mac, to stalk several victims over about four years from May 2011. Lydia Abdelmalek, 32, (pictured) is appealing her sentence of two years and eight months after she was found guilty of six stalking charges Abdelmalek was released on bail after launching an appeal of her conviction, but the guilty verdict was upheld in May and she was taken back into custody. She is now appealing her sentence and appeared by video link from custody in Melbourne's County County on Tuesday. Victims have called for Judge Claire Quin to use the appeal to increase Abdelmalek's sentence to deter others from committing similar crimes. Prosecutor Angela Moran said Abdelmalek was a 'pathological liar' who lied to psychologists preparing for her appeal. 'Anything that the appellant says should be taken with a great grain of salt because she is a serious liar,' Ms Moran told the court. 'She lived a lie throughout this offending, going deep into characters, deep into complexity.' Abdelmalek pretended to be former Home and Away heartthrob Lincoln Lewis (pictured) to stalk several victims over about four years from May 2011 Abdelmalek maintained her innocence when she spoke with psychologists because she could not remember committing many of the crimes, Ms Moran said. 'Despite not having a real recollection of any of the index offences, she respected the expert opinion of the judges and this is part of what was causing her to question whether she was actually guilty or not,' she said. Abdelmalek's barrister Timothy Sullivan said his client was in denial about her offending and argued Ms Moran's remarks were inflammatory. 'Effectively, the power of the subconscious is that she's in denial,' he said. He said Abdelmalek's diabetes, time away from her parents and being held in protective custody would make her time in prison more onerous. Judge Quin will sentence Abdelmalek on October 25. Ukraine has captured its first village in Luhansk as its counter-offensive presses further into Russia-occupied territory, refusing to slow after snatching back thousands of miles in east Ukraine from the Russian war machine. The occupied country said its troops have marched farther east into territory recently abandoned by Russia after its six-month campaign, paving the way for a potential assault on Moscow's occupation forces in the Donbas region as Kyiv seeks more Western arms. The village lies only a dozen or so miles from the towns of Lysychansk and Severdonestsk, regions that took Russia five months to conquer with the Ukrainian army stating its intent to take back all of Luhansk, much of which has been occupied since 2014. In a sign of nervousness from a Moscow-backed administration in Donbas about the success of Ukraine's recent offensive, its leader called for urgent referendums on the region becoming part of Russia. 'The occupiers are clearly in a panic,' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address late on Monday, adding that he was now focused on 'speed' in liberated areas. 'The speed at which our troops are moving. The speed in restoring normal life,' Zelensky said. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced it was sending another $600 million in military aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers ride in an armored personnel carrier in the town of Izium, recently liberated by Ukrainian Armed Forces, in Kharkiv region on Monday A man walks through the ruins of a building destroyed by recent shelling during Russia-Ukraine conflict in the city of Kadiivka (Stakhanov) in the Luhansk region on Monday A view of destruction in the Izyum city, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Monday The White House said it was the 21st time that the Defense Department has pulled weapons and other equipment off the shelves to deliver to Ukraine. The package will include more of the same types of ammunition and equipment that have helped Ukrainian forces beat back the Russian forces in portions of the east and south. 'With admirable grit and determination, the people of Ukraine are defending their homeland and fighting for their future,' said Antony Blinken, Secretary of State. 'The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine's hand at the negotiating table when the time is right.' He tweeted: 'I have directed another $600 million drawdown to expedite our 21st shipment of arms and equipment from @DeptofDefense inventories to Ukraine, as its defenders push back Russian invasion forces. The United States stands #UnitedWithUkraine.' The decision to move on new aid quickly - on the heels of a nearly $2.9 billion infusion of aid and financing support announced last week and more than $3 billion announced in late August - underscore the U.S. intent to ensure that Ukraine can sustain its stunning counterattack that was launched early this month. That most recent funding included $2.2 billion in long-term military financing announced that Blinken announced during a visit to Ukraine last week, and a $675 million weapons package announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Europe that same day. The $2.2 billion that Blinken announced in Kyiv is for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners, that are potentially at risk of future Russian aggression, the U.S. said. Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, is pictured on Thursday, as he announces an additional $600 million in aid to Ukraine A Ukrainian national guard serviceman walks on a destroyed Russian APC at the checkpoint near the recently-retaken area of Izium on Thursday A burned Russian APC in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Thursday amid the Russian retreat Moscow's recent rout in northeast Ukraine was its largest military defeat since the withdrawal of Russian troops from areas near Kyiv more than five months ago. The latest package of weapons systems brings the total amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $15.9 billion since President Joe Biden took office. U.S. officials watching the counteroffensive have been careful not to declare a premature victory, noting that Russia still has substantial troops and resources. And they are wary of what Russian President Vladimir Putin may do to turn the tide. But U.S. leaders also have made clear that the precision weapons and rocket systems provided by the U.S. and allies - including the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, or HARM - have been key to the dramatic shift in momentum. World leaders this week will hear from the Ukrainian leader at the United Nations, and Zelensky hinted he would use his video address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to call on countries to accelerate weapons and aid deliveries. 'We are doing everything to ensure Ukraine's needs are met at all levels defense, financial, economic, diplomatic,' Zelensky said. Serhiy Gaidai, Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, a province in the Donbas now under control of Russian troops, said Ukraine's armed forces had regained complete control of the Luhansk village of Bilohorivka and were preparing to fight to retake the entire province. 'There will be fighting for every centimetre,' Gaidai wrote on Telegram. 'The enemy is preparing their defense. So we will not simply march in.' In another important milestone for the counter-offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukraine's armed forces said troops had crossed the Oskil River over the weekend. The river flows south into the Siversky Donets, which snakes through the Donbas, the main focus of Russia's invasion. Further beyond lies Luhansk, a base for Russia's separatist proxies since 2014 and fully in Russian hands since July after some of the war's bloodiest battles. A Russia-backed separatist official in Donetsk, the other province in Donbas, said 13 people were killed in artillery shelling on Monday in the city of Donetsk. Reuters could not independently verify either side's battlefield reports. Ukrainian authorities exhume the bodies of people killed as a result of war at the Izium city after Russian Forces withdrawal in Izium Experts have so far dug up 146 bodies buried without coffins, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on Monday According to preliminary examinations, four showed signs of torture, with their hands tied behind their backs, or in one case a rope tied round their neck Ukraine is still assessing what took place in areas that were under Russian control for months before a rout of Russian troops dramatically changed the dynamic of the war earlier this month. At a vast makeshift cemetery in woods near the recaptured town of Izium, Ukrainian forensic experts have so far dug up 146 bodies buried without coffins, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on Monday. Some 450 graves have been found at the site, Zelensky has said Fanning out in groups beneath the trees, workers used shovels to exhume the partially decomposed bodies, some of which locals said had lain in the town streets long after they died before being buried. The government has not yet said how most of the people died, though officials say dozens were killed in the shelling of an apartment building, and there are signs others were killed by shrapnel. According to preliminary examinations, four showed signs of torture, with their hands tied behind their backs, or in one case a rope tied round their neck, Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of investigative police in the Kharkiv region, told Reuters at the burial ground. Bolvinov said the great majority of the bodies appeared to be civilians. Locals have been identifying their dead by matching names to numbers on flimsy wooden crosses marking the graves. 'Soldiers had their hands tied, there were signs of torture on civilians,' Bolvinov said. Ukraine says 17 soldiers were in a mass grave at the site. Reuters could not corroborate Ukraine's allegations of torture. The Kremlin denied on Monday that Russia was to blame for atrocities that Ukraine says it has uncovered in the recaptured territory. Russia has struck a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, damaging power plant buildings Kremlin troops hit the Pivdennoukrainsk plant in Mykolaiv region, with a 'powerful explosion' taking place just 300 yards away from the reactors The attack damaged power plant buildings, a nearby hydroelectric power plant and transmission lines A production facility damaged by a Russian military strike is seen at a compound of the Pivdennoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant today The Pivdennoukrainsk plant, also known as the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, sits along the Southern Bug River Ukraine accused Russian forces on Monday of shelling near the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the country's southern Mykolaiv region. A blast occurred 300 yards away from the reactors and damaged power plant buildings shortly after midnight on Monday, Ukraine's atomic power operator Energoatom said in a statement. The reactors were not damaged and no staff were hurt, it said, publishing photographs showing a huge crater it said was caused by the blast. 'Russia endangers the whole world. We have to stop it before it's too late,' Zelensky said in a social media post. The strikes will add to global concern over the potential for an atomic disaster, already elevated by fighting around another Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the south, Zaporizhzhia, captured by Russian forces in March. Moscow has ignored international calls to withdraw and demilitarize it. In a new setback at Zaporizhzhia, the IAEA said a power line used to supply the plant was disconnected on Sunday, leaving it without backup power from the grid. Fewer than half of Australians believe the country should become a republic, as about four million of them tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral service. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on his way back to Australia having joined more than 2000 people in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, and related events. While Mr Albanese has been reluctant to talk about an Australian republic out of respect for the Queen, a Guardian Essential poll published on Tuesday found 43 per cent support for the constitutional change. The poll showed a 50-50 split over whether King Charles III (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday) should be Australia's head of state There was also a 50-50 split over whether King Charles III should be Australia's head of state. Backing for a republic is higher for men (52 per cent) than women (35 per cent). Australians will get their own chance to pay tribute to the Queen with a public holiday on Thursday for the national day of remembrance, followed by a parliamentary condolence motion on Friday. A national memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra involving federal, state and territory leaders and justices of the High Court will be the key event on the public holiday. On Monday night Australian time, the Queen's body was taken from London's Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service attended by what has been described as one of the largest gatherings of world leaders. Four million Australians tuned in to the Queen's funeral on Monday night (pictured, the Queen's coffin heads towards Wellington Arch in London on Monday) On Monday, the Queen's body was taken from London's Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service attended by what has been described as one of the largest gatherings of world leaders (pictured) Queen Elizabeth was one of the longest-reigning monarch in world history - an achievement recognised by the 500 monarchs, heads of state and other leaders who attended the service seeped in tradition. A committal service was held at St George's Chapel at Windsor following the funeral before the Queen was buried in a private ceremony alongside her husband Philip, who died last year aged 99. She was laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where her father, mother and sister are also buried. In Sydney, mourners filled the pews at St Andrew's Cathedral to watch a live screening of the funeral following a solemn choral service and 45 minutes of bells ringing. Assistant minister to the prime minister Patrick Gorman said Australia's connection with Britain ran deep and the unity expressed following the Queen's death served as a reminder of those ties. 'What we will see on Thursday when we have the memorial service is more examination and reflection on those deep ties that Queen Elizabeth II had with Australia,' he told the ABC on Tuesday. 'I was definitely surprised at how emotional I felt watching the service.' Assistant Minister to the prime minister Patrick Gorman said on Tuesday (pictured, the Prince of Wales, Duke of Sussex and King Charles III walk down Central London at the funeral on Monday) Backing for a republic is higher for men (52 per cent) than women (35 per cent), according to a poll (pictured, King Charles with Mr Albanese in Buckingham Palace on the weekend) Mr Gorman said both republicans and monarchists had been able to unite in their admiration for the Queen's lifetime of service while acknowledging some in the community, such as Indigenous Australians, might view the monarchy in a darker light. 'It's really important those perspectives are shared,' he said. 'The history of Australia, as we know, didn't start in 1788 and indeed not all of our history is history of which we can stand proud today.' Protocols set in place dictate that the Australian day of mourning will be held the day after the prime minister and governor-general return from the UK. Q&A host Stan Grant pressured the ABC into letting him stack the program's panel with republicans to talk about colonisation just days after the Queen's death. Grant also vented in an opinion piece about his frustration at being unable to speak up about Aboriginal issues after Her Majesty died. Former Liberal senator Eric Abetz said it was frustrating to be the only supporter of the British monarchy on the last Thursday's edition of Q&A. Grant said he 'fought' for particular guests on the program, despite having at first 'chosen respectfully to play no part in ABC's coverage' of the monarch's death. Stan Grant (pictured presenting Q&A) pressured the ABC to let him stack the program with republicans just days after the Queen's death The five panellists were Indigenous lawyer Teela Reid, writer Sisonke Msimang, Ethics Centre director Simon Longstaff, American historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Mr Abetz. Introducing the program, Grant, who is Aboriginal, said the panel would discuss 'colonisation, the republic, truth telling and is King Charles right for the role'. He later said it was the first serious discussion on ABC television about colonisation, empire and Australia becoming a republic since the Queen died. 'I fought for that and to feature the important voices of black women Teela Reid and Sisonke Msimang,' he told The Australian. 'Australia needed to hear that, it is always the right time to hear those voices.' Mr Abetz, who is chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, expressed his frustration at being the lone voice in support of the Royal Family on the show. 'What I can't understand is that the ABC didn't have another constitutional monarchist or Senator Jacinta Price, or Anthony Dillon, or Warren Mundine, to provide some balance that they so desperately needed,' he said. Despite feeling cornered and targeted, he got a positive response from supporters. 'The feedback I got was I gave a good account for the cause, albeit when you are one against four,' he said. Former senator Eric Abetz (pictured) was a lone voice supporting the monarchy on last Thursday's edition of Q&A The five Q&A panellists (pictured) were Indigenous lawyer Teela Reid, writer Sisonke Msimang, Ethics Centre director Simon Longstaff, US historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Eric Abetz Gran on the weekend wrote that he felt 'asphyxiating anger' at being forced to remain silent out of respect for the late monarch. 'We aren't supposed to talk about colonisation, empire, violence about Aboriginal sovereignty, not even about the republic,' he wrote in an opinion piece for the ABC. 'I'm sure I am not alone amongst Indigenous people wrestling with swirling emotions.' The ABC, which employs Grant as its international affairs analyst, also looked at the dark side of The Queen's reign. The veteran journalist, who is of Aboriginal heritage, said he felt 'asphyxiating anger' he has been forced to remain silent out of respect for the late monarch Grant's piece was one of the national broadcaster's top two stories on Sunday, both of which criticised the monarchy - breaking with the media's otherwise respectful observance of the mourning period. 'Queen Elizabeth's empire is a shadow of its former might - but its damage can't be undone,' the first headline read. The second was the opinion piece written by Grant airing his frustration with the headline: 'As my colleagues have worn black in mourning for the Queen, I've wrestled with asphyxiating anger and I'm not alone'. Grant said he was 'wrestling with swirling emotions' wanting to speak up on Aboriginal issues but being told it was not an appropriate time. 'Everyone from the prime minister on down has told us it is not appropriate,' he said. The ABC, which employs Grant as its international affairs analyst, also looked at the dark side of The Queen's reign Grant turned his attention to the latest push by prime minister Anthony Albanese to introduce an Indigenous Voice to Parliament The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted a number of high-profile Aboriginal Australians to criticise her 70 year reign Grant touched on the racism experienced by his family and witnessed first-hand. He recalled stories from his mother who grew up poor in regional NSW and almost missed out on seeing the Queen during her 1954 visit. His mother could not afford socks and almost missed out on a day trip with her school because of it - but managed to borrow her brother's pair just in time. Grant shared stories of his grandfather being tied to a tree, his aunts and uncles being taken to welfare homes and his family living in poverty. 'The girl with no socks got to see the Queen, while her family and other black families lived in poverty that the Crown inflicted on them,' he wrote. 'Living homeless in a land that had been stolen from them in the name of the Crown.' Grant turned his attention to the push by prime minister Anthony Albanese to introduce an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 'Australians will likely vote in a referendum for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament, but what good would that voice be if at times like these it is reduced to a whisper?' he wrote. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament is proposed to be an elected body of First Nations representatives enshrined in the constitution that would advise the government on issues affecting them. The ABC was contacted for comment but declined to do so. Daily Mail Australia also contacted Grant seeking comment. Indigenous NRLW star Caitlin Moran was also served a one-game ban after appearing to celebrate the Queen's death in a since-deleted Instagram post Indigenous Australian newsreader Narelda Jacobs (pictured) called on Britain to apologise for its colonisation of First Nations people following the death of Queen Elizabeth II Harry and Meghan stayed in the UK last night after reuniting with the royals to mourn the Queen but are expected to leave for California 'as soon as they can' after not seeing Archie and Lilibet for nearly three weeks. The Sussexes arrived in Britain on September 3 for the first time since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. They expected to stay only briefly but with the news Her Majesty was ill Prince Harry cancelled his appearance at the WellChild Awards in London and rushed to Balmoral. Although the Duchess of Sussex did not join him in Scotland, she was by his side for a series of official events over the 10-day period of mourning, including the funeral yesterday. The Sussexes arrived in Britain on September 3 for the first time since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. Pictured: They are directed to their seats by the Prince and Princess of Wales in St George's Chapel yesterday The Sussexes were placed on the second row at the Abbey, and Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform due to no longer being a senior royal The Sussexes were reported at the weekend to be planning to fly back to the US as soon as they could, although informed sources last night told The Times that the couple were still in the UK. Harry was seen puffing his cheeks yesterday evening as he got into a car with Meghan following an emotional day which saw Queen Elizabeth II finally laid to rest with her beloved husband Prince Philip. The Duke of Sussex and other royals, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, were pictured leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday afternoon after a moving committal service for the late monarch. In what was the longest of days for the royal family, relatives of the Queen went back to Windsor Castle for some rest before returning to St George's Chapel for a private burial service later that night. There they witnessed Her Majesty being buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in a service conducted by the Dean of Windsor in the The King George VI Memorial Chapel. It was one of the only parts of yesterday that was not televised, with billions of people around the world thought to have seen some part of the processions and services in honour of Her Majesty. The Duchess of Sussex was visibly emotional during the state funeral and burial of her husband's grandmother in London yesterday Harry and Meghan side by side as they leave Westminster Abbey yesterday afternoon At the start of the day members of the Royal Family - including Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, and thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries congregated at Westminster Abbey for the late monarch's funeral service. Harry was visibly emotional during the procession and inside the church, as was Meghan, who was seen wiping away tears at the ceremony. The Sussexes were placed on the second row at the Abbey, and Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform or saluting as the Queen's coffin passed the Cenotaph during the procession before the service due to no longer being a senior royal. Prince Harry was seen exhaling as he entered a car with Meghan after the Queen's committal service at Windsor yesterday afternoon On September 10, the couple were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle The week saw several rare displays of public unity between the royal family and Harry and Meghan. On September 10, the couple were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, while yesterday William was seen appearing to direct Harry and Meghan to their seats during the later service at St Georges Chapel. But onlookers noted the lack of warmth or eye contact between the two brothers. Yesterday, Harry was seen walking solemnly on the grass outside St George's Chapel in Windsor ahead of the Queen's committal service, and speaking with his aunt Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. The Sussexes have not seen their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, for nearly three weeks At the service Her Majesty was laid to rest with Prince Philip, along with her husband, father, mother and sister as her 70-year reign came to an end with the removal of her crown, orb and sceptre from her coffin. Her eldest son and the new monarch, King Charles III, looked deeply moved as his mother's remains descended on a day where he appeared tearful on a number of occasions as he said goodbye to his mother, the 12th British monarch to be buried at Windsor. A smaller, more private burial service took place last night, with the Queen's family finally given the chance to pay their respects and mourn her passing away from the public's gaze. Vladimir Putin appeared poised to go all-in on his war in Ukraine today, sparking fears of an escalation in fighting that could drag in NATO and spark World War Three. In a day of rapid-fire developments, Kremlin stooges in Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions simultaneously announced referendums on becoming part of Russia between September 23 and 27, with the sham votes expected to easily pass. Dmitry Medvedev, a staunch Putin ally, then vowed 'all forces of self-defence' will be used to protect what he called 'Russian territory' - teeing up a new phase in the conflict involving weapons and tactics the Kremlin has so-far held in reserve. Underlining that point, Moscow's rubber-stamp parliament passed new laws paving the war for Putin to end his 'special military operation' and officially declare a war, allowing him to mobilise Russia's massive population into the army. It comes after Ukraine humiliatingly routed Putin's forces to the east of Kharkiv and recaptured a swathe of territory, with the despot's allies, propagandists and political hardliners calling for an escalation amid calls for the president to resign. Putin was said to be preparing an address to the nation tonight, Russia's national broadcaster reported, without giving any further details. The White House this afternoon called the referendums 'an affront to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity' and warned the US would never recognise Russia's claims to any annexed parts of Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned the sham votes were yet another 'escalation in Putin's war'. Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, was also among the first Western leaders to react - saying the referendums are a 'sham' that must be rejected by world powers. Vladimir Putin today paved the way to escalate his war on Ukraine with a series of quick-fire developments that signalled the start of a new phase in the war It comes in the wake of Ukraine's advances across the east of the country, with troops capturing the town of Bilohorivka (pictured) in Luhansk yesterday Kyiv's men are continuing to advance following the rout of Russian forces near Kharkiv, as Zelensky says they are 'panicking' Plans for a series of referendums come after Ukraine humiliatingly routed Putin's forces to the east of Kharkiv and recaptured a swathe of territory, with the despot's allies, propagandists and political hardliners calling for an escalation amid calls for the president to resign 'It is very, very clear that these sham referenda cannot be accepted and are not covered by international law,' Scholz said ahead of the UN General Assembly summit in New York, where leaders are gathered to discuss Ukraine Zelensky is due to give a virtual address to the summit after an emergency motion was granted. Asked about the referendums today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'From the very start of the operation... we said that the peoples of the respective territories should decide their fate, and the whole current situation confirms that they want to be masters of their fate.' It comes after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan - who has played a careful middle-ground between Russia and Ukraine during the war - said that Putin is trying to end the war 'as soon as possible'. Erdogan, who spoke face-to-face with Putin during a summit in Uzbekistan last week, said: 'He is actually showing me that he's willing to end this as soon as possible. 'That was my impression, because the way things are going right now are quite problematic.' Russian propagandists hailed news of a possible escalation in the war, with RT chief Margarita Simonyan saying: 'Judging by what is happening and what is about to happen, this week marks either the eve of our imminent victory or the eve of nuclear war. I can't see any third way.' Hardline MP Leondid Slutsky welcomed the move, saying 'mobilisation is timely and necessary'. 'It is not Kiev and the Ukrainian people who are at war, but the puppet regime of the NATO bloc and the US president.' Putin has held off from declaring mobilisation, apparently fearing the wrath of ordinary Russians who have so-far ignored the war or voiced support while knowing they had nothing to lose from it. It also comes against the backdrop of a growing number of politicians and public figures calling for him to resign over the military failings. The rout in Kharkiv handed Ukraine some 3,000 square miles of territory back and has split Russian forces across the Donbas and Kharkiv front, with Putin lacking the manpower to defend both simultaneously. Putin's commanders are now trying to reinforce and push the Ukrainians back, while Zelensky's men hold the new line, probe defences, and advance where possible. A Russian tank sits rusting on the battlefield after Ukraine's stunning counter-attack out of Kharkiv that has prompted Putin to respond Destroyed Russian Armoured Personnel Carriers are pictured near Kharkiv, where Ukraine staged a stunning counter-attack that humiliated the Kremlin Ukrainian mechanics attempt to fix a Russian tank for their troops to use, after it was captured during the counter-offensive Summing up the situation overnight, Zelensky said: 'We are stabilising the situation, holding our positions. Firmly. So firmly that the occupiers are panicking tangibly. 'We warned the Russian soldiers in Ukraine that they have only two options: Flee our land or surrender... 'Thanks to the Security Service of Ukraine, we are now confident that the occupiers will not have any foothold on Ukrainian soil.' Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the occupied Luhansk region, said soldiers had pushed into the village of Bilohorivka - the first in Luhansk to be recaptured. It will provide the jumping-off point for an assault on the wider region with the aim of returning it to Ukrainian control, he added. However, he warned that Russia is preparing its defences and 'we will not simply march in' - seeking to dampen anticipation of another Kharkiv-style rapid advance. Ukraine is also attacking towards the south, in Kherson, where its forces sank a Russian pontoon bridge transporting weapons and troops across the Dnipro River on Monday. 'The situation remains tense, but under our control,' a spokesman for Ukraine's southern command said. Luhansk and the neighbouring province of Donetsk comprise the industrialised eastern region of Donbas, which Moscow says it intends to seize as a primary aim of what it calls the 'special military operation' in Ukraine. Ukrainian troops have begun to push into Luhansk since driving Russian forces out of northeastern Kharkiv province in a lightning counter-offensive this month. In a sign of nervousness from a Moscow-backed administration in Donbas about the success of Ukraine's recent offensive, its leader called for urgent referendums on the region becoming part of Russia. Denis Pushilin, head of the Moscow-based separatist administration in Donetsk, called on his fellow separatist leader in Luhansk to combine efforts toward preparing a referendum on joining Russia. The Ukraine general staff said on Monday that fighting had been limited to the Donetsk region. President Zelensky said in his overnight address that Russia is 'panicking' and boasted he is confident of reclaiming all Ukrainian territory 'During the past 24 hours, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Mayorsk, Vesele, Kurdyumivka and Novomykhailivka settlements,' it said in a daily update. In the south, where another Ukrainian counter-offensive has been making slower progress, Ukraine's armed forces said they had sunk a barge carrying Russian troops and equipment across a river near Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region. 'Attempts to build a crossing failed to withstand fire from Ukrainian forces and were halted. The barge ... became an addition to the occupiers' submarine force,' the military said in a statement on Facebook. Ukraine is still assessing what took place in areas that were under Russian control for months before a rout of Russian troops dramatically changed the dynamic of the war earlier this month. At a vast makeshift cemetery in woods near the recaptured town of Izium, Ukrainian forensic experts have so far dug up 146 bodies buried without coffins, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on Monday. Some 450 graves have been found at the site, Zelenskiy has said There are claims that Putin's circle are deeply divided over any move to force men into the army and to the frontline in the war. They believe it could be a tipping point triggering opposition and leading to Putin's demise. One claim is that FSB director Alexander Bortnikov is 'categorically against' mobilisation. The move comes after some loyalist governors have agreed to 'self-mobilisation' of men in their regions following a call from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. While such moves do not have the force of law, it means an intensification of efforts to recruit soldiers. The head of Kemerovo region Sergei Tsivilev said: 'A large number of Kuzbass residents are ready to defend our Great Motherland today [...]. 'I have no doubt: all the tasks of the special military operation will be completed,' Ukraine is continuing to exhume a mass grave site in Izyum where the bodies of civilians and soldiers - some of whom appear to have been tortured - after liberating it from Russia Ukrainian forensic scientists and war crimes investigators dressed in hazmat suits work to exhume graves in a forest near the city of Izyum Recent days have also seen calls from minor party leaders for mobilisation, evidently a sign that Putin would soon throw his weight behind such a plan. Political expert Dmitry Oreshkin said: 'It is obvious that the words about mobilization uttered by [Communist Gennady] Zyuganov, [LDPR Leonid] Slutsky and [Just Russia Sergei] Mironov will inevitably be followed by 'some organizational steps'. 'The Kremlin does not want to say this word, but instructs deputies appointed from the Kremlin to say it,' Oreshkin said in an interview with Vozdukh. 'What is happening in Ukraine is unequivocally interpreted as a military defeat. 'Holes need to be filled, and if so, then you need more cannon fodder. 'The regime cannot do without mobilisation in one form or another.' He warned: 'The 'Putin majority', 75%, who allegedly support the military operation, support it theoretically, as long as they can watch it on TV, lying on the couch, and as long as it does not concern them personally [...]. 'The problem is that this TV picture is increasingly at odds with reality. 'The second problem is that a crawler sofa with a long-range weapon begins to crawl out from under the viewer's ass. 'Either he can be called, or his son can be called, and in return he can get a bag of bones. 'Then it's a completely different feeling. 'People like to fight and win, but not at their own expense,' the political scientist concludes.' Powerful Putin ally Radyrov, the Chechen leader, said a week ago in words that now seem prophetic: 'If you ask me, my opinion as Ramzan Kadyrov, I would declare martial law, I would declare mobilisation. Liz Truss will make her debut speech at the UN today, where she will promise to at least match the 2.3billion in support that the UK gave to Ukraine this year in 2023 'I would start preparing people for martial law. 'We don't know what will happen tomorrow.. 'We must not wait for the leadership of the state to declare mobilisation, we must all mobilise, each region must give the forces and means that it has. 'Offer what they can to support our military.' Pro-war hardliner Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin who has long claimed the Kremlin war plan is flawed, said: 'Thank God, finally, someone decided to call the Russian authorities to work instead of the Defence Ministry, because it is clear that MOD failed in replenishing and most likely will not be able to handle mobilisation.' Among those sponsoring today's mobilisation move are MPs Dmitry Vyatkin, 48, from the ruling United Russia party, Ernest Abdulov, 72, United Russia , Vasily Piskarev, 58, United Russia, Andrei Kartapoolov, 58, United Russia, and leader of the hardline Liberal Democratic Party of Russia [LDPR] Leonid Slutsky, 54. Also sponsoring were: Nikolai Kolomeytsev, 66, Communist, Vladislav Davankov, 38, a New People's Party, and Oleg Nilov, 60, Just Russia, Viktor Sobolev, 72, a Communist former army officer. Senators Andrei Klishas, 49, and Olga Kovitidi, 60, backed the mobilisation laws. Liz Truss has hailed the 'public warmth' for King Charles after the 'huge outpouring of love' for the Queen. The PM backed the new monarch as he begins the daunting task of following his late mother's record 70-year reign. Ms Truss insisted the King had the support of the British people, who had made their affection for the Royal Family clear over the past fortnight. The comments came as the premier headed for New York to attend the UN general assembly, just hours after delivering a reading at the Queen's funeral. She told journalists travelling with her: 'It has been a momentous period and a period of great grief and sadness in the United Kingdom and I think you have seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth towards King Charles III. Liz Truss (right) backed King Charles (left) as he begins the daunting task of following his late mother's record 70-year reign 'And I've been travelling around the country - Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff - and the streets have been lined. 'Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen that from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers.' The Queen died barely 48 hours after overseeing the transfer of power from Boris Johnson to Ms Truss at Balmoral this month. Her sudden death effectively put the new PM's premiership on hold, and thrust her into the spotlight at a time of national grief. But the the PM shrugged off the impact of the national mourning period on her own plans for government. And she paid tribute to the civil service for the years of meticulous preparations that went into planning the state funeral. She added: 'From my own point of view, I am hugely honoured to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts. 'Since then, I have had two audiences with His Majesty and what I have seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and for the whole royal family.' Up to two million people are thought to have lined the funeral procession route to pay their respects to Queen Westminster has been largely cleaned up as proceedings started earlier in the day on Monday morning Advertisement The enormous clean-up after the Queen's funeral continued this morning as workers removed huge piles of discarded blankets used by people queuing to see the late monarch lying in state. Mourners queued over 24 hours in some cases for their chance to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall before her funeral yesterday. And with less than cooperative weather many mourners opted to bring blankets to keep themselves warm during the chilly autumn nights - and some wrapped themselves up while waiting outside Westminster Abbey for the funeral. Workers have also been clearing away a large number of crowd control barriers in London and Windsor today used to keep the public and funeral processions safe at yesterday's funeral. Rubbish left along the Long Walk at Windsor Castle has appeared to be a major focus of the operation, given that the committal service happened later in the day. In Westminster, central London, street cleansing vehicles and council workers had already swung into action to begin to tidy up the roads. Up to two million people are thought to have lined the funeral procession route on the national Bank Holiday, created especially for the public to be able to say a final farewell to the Queen, who died on September 8, aged 96. Discarded blankets that people used to keep warm while queueing to see the queen lying in state piled high in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Palace of Westminster this morning The regal backdrop of Windsor Castle was juxtaposed with bags and bags of rubbish that were being collected this morning Barriers still up this morning from the funeral procession route were being removed this morning by dedicated workers Mourners wrapped in blankets gathering outside Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen's funeral yesterday Members of the public, wrapped in blankets, walk in line along The Queens Walk near Tower Bridge waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as she lied in state in Westminster Hall on Sunday With less than cooperative weather many opted to bring blankets to keep themselves as they queued to see the Queen lying in state for over 24 hours in same cases through cold Autumn nights Large bins were packed with rubbish ready to be emptied as the big clean up on the Long Walk carried on earlier today Blankets people used to keep warm while queueing to see the queen lying in State see piled up in Victoria Tower Gardens A shipping container full of blankets which have been cleared away today after the Queen's funeral Folding chairs were tucked up and carried away as the clean up on the Long Walk in Windsor carried on this morning Fencing and metal railings for the enclosures were being cleared away this morning after the emotion of yesterday's funeral A man picks up a piece of plastic which had been used to shield some plastic cabling for the funeral yesterday in Windsor The clean up continues in Windsor, Berkshire, following the state funeral of the Queen on Monday and committal later Security machines taken away that were used for the queen lying in State queue at Westminster Hall over the past few days Equipment is removed and put into a lorry in Westminster as the big clean-up after the funeral continues in earnest today A bin man wearing a white hoody and grey tracksuit bottoms throws a bag of rubbish into a lorry collecting garbage Massive bags of rubbish - including drinks cups and pop cans - could be seen bundled up ready to be taken this morning Binmen and workers toiled hard to remove rubbish from the streets to make sure Windsor was returned to pristine shape Workmen tidy up electrical cabling laid down for the infrastructure of the funeral of the Queen, which took place yesterday Workers were also today pictured reinstalling traffic lights outside Buckingham Palace which were removed ahead of the Queen's funeral. Filled bins were seen across London and Windsor after large crowds descended on the areas to see the Queen's lying in state and funeral. Garbage removal vans started to clear the rubbish as bags were driven away amid the clean up. Southwark, where the queue for the Queen's lying in state in Westminster Hall began miles away, council officials said they had completed a full inspection of the line's route through the borough and cleared any litter. In the park alone, many staff worked 24 extra hours over the four days of the lying in state to keep the green space clean, the council said. An estimated seven tonnes of additional litter was gathered and removed over the same period. Workers re-installing traffic lights today outside Buckingham Palace which were removed for the Queen's funeral Barriers removed on the Mall this morning after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral took place yesterday at Westminster Abbey View of The Mall after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral took place yesterday at Westminster Abbey showed it already clean A worker in Windsor collecting litter after crowds descended on the town ahead of the Queen's funeral A worker collecting thrown flowers after the procession of the Queen's coffin through Hounslow Street cleansing vehicles were seen on roads along the procession route as sand and litter was cleared yesterday Vehicles could be seen in Windsor removing crowd control barriers following the committal service at the castle yesterday Workers picked up litter along the Long Windsor Walk following the committal service at St George's Chapel yesterday Full rubbish bins were seen across London and Westminster as hundreds of thousands of people descended ahead of the Queen's funeral A worker in Windsor collecting litter along the procession route as the clean-up begins Rubbish bins were piled high as large crowds dispersed following the State Funeral and committal service In Hounslow, a worker collected flowers that had been thrown as the Queen's coffin passed through Catherine Rose, cabinet member for parks, streets and clean air at the council, said: 'Southwark has been proud, on behalf of its residents and local government as a whole, to play its role during this historic time in our nation's history. 'We've carried out extra street cleansing and waste collections to keep the queue clean and tidy, and ensure all mourners had a safe and pleasant experience.' She added: 'We know that for thousands of mourners, their memory of Southwark Park is the starting point to their personal journeys of reflection and paying their respects. 'We welcome them to return at any point in the future.' Westminster City Council said it had deployed additional teams to ensure the areas affected by the funeral were kept clean and presentable and to return central London to normal following a period of mourning. Mourners wrapped in blankets wait with others at Horse Guards ahead the Queen's funeral The clean-up also began along the Long Walk at Windsor Castle as workers picked up litter and started removing crowd control barriers Vehicles arrived in Windsor to remove crowd control barriers following the committal service Bags of rubbish were seen lying in the streets of London as people flocked to the city ahead of the funeral As a mark of respect, vehicles have been dressed in black ribbons and council workers have worn black bows while on duty, the council said. In the days before the funeral, 25-35 additional people were deployed daily to provide additional cleaning around the Strand, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Park Lane, Vauxhall Bridge, Marylebone and Mayfair. Following the funeral, staff are being deployed into affected areas as soon as possible, starting at Parliament Square, with more than 150 people and 19 vehicles in 11 teams to help clear litter and remove the sand on roads, to prepare for central London reopening. A council spokesperson said: 'Westminster City Council is well equipped to deal with the city at full capacity. Preparations have been in place to handle the influx of visitors wishing to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen. The clean-up operation began across the country after large crowds had congregated for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II As mourners dispersed from the Long Walk in Windsor (pictured), council workers started cleaning up Vehicles were brought in to remove crowd control barriers in Windsor 'Our cleansing teams have been working incredibly hard to ensure that our city remains a clean environment for all. 'We will continue to work with partners to ensure that cleansing operations run as smoothly as possible, making visitors and residents feel comfortable.' Whitehall and Parliament Square remained busy on Monday with sightseers and TV crews, and while workers were steadily removing crowd-control barriers, some of the major roads remained closed. The clean-up operation was still under way by 5pm, with Parliament Square being scrubbed clean and some workers still sweeping the pavements. Joe Biden paved the way for an excruciatingly awkward meeting with Liz Truss tomorrow as he publicly criticised Tory-style economics. The US president attacked 'trickle down economics' in a tweet today ahead of their meeting in New York, the first official face-to-face of Ms Truss's premiership. The meeting was already seen as likely to be frosty, with disagreements over Brexit and a UK/US free trade deal seemingly on the backburner. But Mr Biden took to social media to say that he was 'sick and tired of trickle-down economics', adding: 'It has never worked. We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out.' While the US president's tweet was almost certainly aimed at a domestic audience, it clearly underlined the differences between the two leaders' stances just as Ms Truss says she wants to foster closer ties with international allies. His comments came as the PM undertook a slew of media interviews in which she admitted her tax cut plans would benefit the rich the most but defended them on the basis that they would also help others less well off. Speaking at the top of the Empire State Building she said: 'I don't accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair. 'What we know is people on higher incomes generally pay more tax so when you reduce taxes there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place. 'We should be setting our tax policy on the basis of what is going to help our country become successful. What is going to deliver that economy that benefits everybody in our country. 'What I don't accept is the idea that tax cuts for business don't help people in general.' Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the two leaders would talk about 'the economic relationship between the US and UK', as well as the protracted Brexit row over northern Ireland. The US president attacked 'trickle down economics' in a tweet today ahead of their meeting in New York tomorrow. The meeting was already seen as likely to be frosty, with disagreements over Brexit and a UK/US free trade deal seemingly on the backburner. But Mr Biden took to social media to say that he was 'sick and tired of trickle-down economics', adding: 'It has never worked. We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out.' Truss meets Macron after leadership 'friend or foe' jibe at president Liz Truss sought to strike a conciliatory tone ahead of meeting with Emmanuel Macron today, despite declining to say whether she believes the French President is a 'friend or foe'. The Prime Minister stressed the need for a 'constructive relationship' combatting Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and unauthorised migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats. She met Mr Macron at a United Nations summit in New York this afternoon (above), with her remarks appearing to mark a softening of tone following post-Brexit tensions on Northern Ireland and fishing rights. However, officials noted the remarks to reporters flying with Ms Truss came on the day of the Queen's funeral, shortly after a period of subdued politics. Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she declined to give a clear answer when asked if the president of the allied nation was a 'friend or foe'. Instead, the then-foreign secretary said last month that the 'jury's out'. Ms Truss did not return the verdict during an interview with journalists travelling with her to the summit, but stressed she wants a 'constructive relationship with France'. 'Of course that means working together on the issue of migration. There are a number of other issues we need to work together on, whether it's energy security, whether it's other issues relating to our relationship with the EU - but most importantly, it's ensuring that Putin does not succeed in Ukraine,' she said. Advertisement In response to a question from DailyMail.com he told a White House briefing: 'We'll talk about the current energy picture facing Europe in the United Kingdom as well as in the United States. 'They'll, of course talk, about the war in Ukraine where Prime Minister Truss has indicated her robust and unwavering support for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They'll discuss the challenge posed by the PRC. 'And they will talk about Northern Ireland and the President will communicate his strong view that the Good Friday Agreement, which is the touchstone peace and stability in Northern Ireland, must be protected. 'And we must collectively take steps - the US, the UK, the parties in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland - to ensure that it is protected. And in that regard, he will encourage the UK and the European Union to work out an effective outcome that ensures there is no threat to the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement. 'And he'll speak in some detail with her in depth in that conversation.' Ms Truss had earlier admitted that there are no trade talks happening with the US government while she is in New York for a whistlestop appearance at the UN General Assembly. She will meet the US president tomorrow, but speaking to journalists en route she conceded that there is little sign of progress on the post-Brexit trade pact desired by the government. Ms Truss said there are currently no negotiations taking place to thrash out an agreement. And with the US President focused on domestic issues, she indicated she does not expect talks to resumed in the 'short or medium term'. Sources confirmed the PM fears meaningful talks may not resume for years. Trade talks with Donald Trump reached an advanced stage with hopes of an outline deal only knocked off-course by the Covid pandemic. But Mr Biden, who opposed Brexit, has made clear that he wants to focus on America's domestic problems rather than seeking new trade agreements. Ms Truss said the UK would focus instead on striking free trade deals with India, Gulf states and members of the 11-strong Trans-Pacific Partnership (CTPPT) which includes Australia, Mexico, Canada, Singapore and Japan. Mr Sullivan told US reporters today: 'I didn't hear her (Truss) say that but it's not a surprise to me because free trade agreements take a long time to negotiate. 'I mean, that's if you look back at the record of them, that would just be a fair statement of reality about the sheer level of detail into which one must go to complete a comprehensive free trade agreement. 'And that's doubly true with respect to a potential US-UK Trade Agreement, because as President Biden has said many times, he's looking to move beyond the old model of a FTA toward a model that is actually more geared to today's economic realities and to the lessons of the last 30 years. So that's going to require its own work as well.' Speaking to reporters on a flight to New York, the PM suggested tomorrow's meeting with Mr Biden would focus on security. 'The number one issue is global security and making sure that we are able to collectively deal Russian aggression and ensuring that Ukraine prevails and that Putin doesn't have success in Ukraine,' she said. Trade talks with Donald Trump (pictured with Boris Johnson in 2019) reached an advanced stage with hopes of an outline deal only knocked off-course by the Covid pandemic 'That is a huge priority for European security as well as ensuring that we are working together with other members of the G7 to make sure we are not strategically dependent on authoritarian regimes. 'In terms of trade: I mentioned earlier getting CTPPT accession, getting a trade deal with India, getting a trade deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council. Those are our trade priorities. 'There isn't currently any negotiations taking place with the US and I don't have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term.' Agreeing a comprehensive US trade deal has been a key Brexit objective for successive governments and was pursued vigorously by both Boris Johnson and Theresa May. But although Mr Johnson continued to raise the issue when Mr Biden came to power, officials warned privately that the new administration had no interest in trying to make a success of Brexit. While ministers have pursued individual agreements with a number of US states, such as Indiana and North Carolina, there has been little meaningful negotiation with the White House since President Biden took charge. One source said that Ms Truss's comments were a 'recognition of reality'. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan told Sky News: 'The Prime Minister and the President will be meeting this week, they'll be talking about a variety of different issues, including potential trade deals. So let's see what comes out of that meeting.' Pressed on the topic of the meeting, she said: 'The purpose of this meeting is not to secure a trade deal. 'This is the first bilateral meeting between the newly elected prime minister and the president of the United States.' An exiled Russian human rights activist who exposed Vladimir Putin's use of prisoners as fighters in Ukraine is claiming he was the subject of an FSB-linked assassination bid in France. Vladimir Osechkin, 41, said shots narrowly missed him in his Biarritz bolthole where he is hiding with his family. The campaigner was also behind a mega-leak of videos implicating the FSB security service and prison authorities in a 'torture conveyor belt' which saw rapists deployed to break male inmates with sexual brutalisation. Osechkin said he was warned of a potential assassination attempt by Bellingcat investigative journalist Christo Grozev, and sprang into action when he saw a red dot - allegedly from the sight of the assassin's gun - on the wall at his home in the French resort. The activist and his family immediately turned off the lights and crashed to the floor as they had been instructed by security experts, and alerted the police. Osechkin claimed an investigation was launched into the alleged assassination bid by the French authorities. 'The neighbours have already testified that they heard gunshots,' he told Russian journalist Yulia Latynina in a live-streamed interview. 'I wasn't hit but there were shots. The scope was moving towards me.' He claimed the assassin made unspecified mistakes which 'helped me survive'. Vladimir Osechkin, 41, the founder of anti-torture website Gulagu.net, said shots narrowly missed him in his Biarritz bolthole where he is hiding with his family Osechkin was among the first to reveal the efforts of PMC Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to recruit prisoners to fight in Ukraine (Prigozhin pictured addressing inmates) Putin's chef Yevgeny Prigozhin filmed recruiting inmates in one of Russian colonies in September 2022 Osechkin last year painted himself a target of Russian authorities when he leaked harrowing torture videos from inside Putin's jails In February, Osechkin posted a series of messages about rumours he had a 100,000 bounty placed on his head, and claimed that the Russian prison service and FSB had found an assassin to 'liquidate' him. 'We got the information that the person with close connections with organised crime had left Russia toward Biarritz,' he said. 'I was asked to evacuate for several days, we went for the weekend to the mountains. 'I insisted we came back after the weekend. My family was in the theatre and I worked with papers in the dark at home. When the kids and family were back we had dinner. 'While I carried the plates, I spotted out of my peripheral vision a red dot on the terrace. 'We were prepared for this. My wife and kids spent around one hour in our most safe room, and we closed the blinds. Special services came and the investigation began.' Osechkin is founder of anti-torture group gulagu.net, a human rights group which campaigns against abuses in the Russian prison system. In July, he revealed efforts by the infamous Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner group to recruit prison inmates as 'cannon fodder' for Putin's army in Ukraine. 'Please help stop this lawlessness,' Osechkin posted. 'Convicts who have families waiting for them cannot voluntarily agree to this. 'The state in which the convicts are in the colony does not allow them to make [an informed] choice. Please help.' One estimate says some 28,000 inmates have been recruited in a campaign spearheaded by close Putin crony Yevgeny Prigozhin, 61. Osechkin (left) said he had been warned of a Putin hit squad by Bellingcat investigator and Russian expert Christo Grozev (right) Vladimir Osechkin, Russian founder of Gulagu.net Osechkin last year painted himself a target of Russian authorities when he leaked harrowing torture videos from inside Putin's jails. One video showed a naked man screaming in pain as he was tied to a bed and violated with a mop handle at a tuberculosis hospital in a Saratov jail in February 2020. Inmates under pressure from their guards are then shown urinating on a prisoner. Acts of male rape are also displayed amid claims that all civilised norms have broken down in the Russian prison system. Guards tortured prisoners who were then forced to torture other inmates, it is alleged. The horrific trove of material of rape, intimidation and violence reportedly comes from jails in six Russian regions and has been passed to the United Nations and Council of Europe for investigation. Advertisement They were separated by 70 years but the similarities between the funerals of the Queen and her father King George VI are made clear in these images. The Queen's father died peacefully in his sleep on February 6, 1952, when his eldest daughter - the then Princess Elizabeth - was in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip. Just as more than 300,000 people queued for miles through London to pay their respects to the King as he lay in state in Westminster Hall, an estimated 400,000 are believed to have waited to see the Queen lying in the same place. During her funeral procession - first from Westminster Hall to the Abbey and then to Wellington Arch - the Queen was carried on the same gun carriage that had carried her father. After his lying in state came to an end, his coffin went first from Westminster Hall to Paddington, with Royal Navy seamen hauling the carriage - as his family followed. Yesterday, there were similar scenes as the Queen's procession was followed by her closest family, including her children and grandsons. Both the Queen and her father were buried in St George's Chapel, with Her Majesty's final tribute to her father being to drop a handful of earth onto his coffin. At last night's private family gathering after the Committal Service had taken place, Charles did the same with his mother's coffin before it was permanently interred inside the King George VI Memorial Chapel. She was fittingly buried alongside her husband Prince Philip, mother and father and sister Princess Margaret. Slide me They were separated by 70 years but the similarities between the funerals of the Queen and her father King George VI are made clear in these images. Above: The funerals in St George's Chapel of King George VI in 1952 and his daughter Queen Elizabeth II's yesterday Slide me Then and now: Pallbearers are seen carrying King George VI's coffin into St George's Chapel in Windsor in 1952, as another photo from yesterday shows soldiers carrying the Queen's coffin - topped like her father's with the Imperial State Crown and Orb and Sceptre - into the same church Slide me The gun carriage carrying King George VI's coffin is seen outside St George's Chapel after being pulled there by Royal Navy sailors. Yesterday, the same carriage was used to carry the Queen's coffin to Wellington Arch, before the state hearse took it to Windsor's St George's Chapel Slide me Just as the Queen and her closest family followed the King's coffin up the stone steps of St George's Chapel in 1952, King Charles III and his siblings and sons did the same yesterday as pallbearers carried Her Majesty through the doors of the ancient church King George VI passed away while suffering from lung cancer. The notice announcing his death read: 'The King, who retired to rest last night in his usual health, passed peacefully away in his sleep early this morning.' Princess Elizabeth was then proclaimed Queen in her absence by the Accession Council before she and Philip returned to London from Kenya on February 7. Her Majesty then formally proclaimed herself Queen and Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith on at St James's Palace. The King's casket was taken by train from Sandringham to London, where it then made its way to Westminster Hall. Reporting on the last hours of the lying-in-state on February 15, 1952, the Daily Mail said: 'The queue outside Westminster Hall, which at one time stretched ten deep from Parliament Square across both sides of Lambeth Bridge, thinned after midnight. 'At 2.25 a.m. the last of the queuers entered the hall. The doors were kept open and hundreds of people continued to arrive. They were able to go in without waiting. 'At 3 a.m. 116,277 had filed past the catafalque - a total of 301,369 since Tuesday.' The funeral procession of King George VI is seen as it passes along the Edgware Road towards Paddington Station on February 15, 1952. Just as they did yesterday, tens of thousands of people lined the procession route to get a final glimpse of the King's coffin, which was topped with the Imperial State Crown and Orb and Sceptre The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top, borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy followed by members of the royal family proceeds past Buckingham Palace on its way to Wellington Arch King George VI's funeral cortege passes through Windsor as hundreds of residents line the streets or stand outside their homes. The coffin was on the same carriage that had carried his father King George V, grandfather Edward VII and great-grandmother Queen Victoria The funeral procession of the Queen makes it way through Windsor before the televised Committal Service at St George's Chapel yesterday Striking: The funeral processions of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II are seen making their way through London to their respective destinations. In 1952, King George's body was taken from Westminster Abbey to Paddington Station, whilst the Queen was carried to Wellington Arch Slide me The late King George VI's coffin is seen being carried into St George's Chapel, as his daughters - the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret - followed with their mother Queen Elizabeth. Yesterday's the Queen's coffin was carried down the same aisle as her close family followed Slide me Royal mourners, including Prince Philip and the former King Edward VIII, are seen walking behind King George VI's coffin as it makes its way through Windsor towards St George's Chapel in 1952. There were similar scenes yesterday as the Queen's children, grandsons and other relatives followed behind her coffin Slide me The funeral procession of King George VI passes through Windsor as policemen stand guard. Yesterday, the Queen's coffinw as driven down the same route as her closest family followed behind BBC presenter Richard Dimbleby said during the broadcast of the Westminster Hall proceedings, said: 'Never safer, better guarded, lay a sleeping king than this, with a golden candlelight to warm his resting place, and the muffled footsteps of his devoted subjects to keep him company.' On the day of the funeral, February 15, George's coffin was draped in the royal standard, with a crown, orb and sceptre lain on top. It then made its way in a formal televised procession to Paddington Station. It was carried on a gun carriage that was hauled by Royal Navy seamen as the Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret were among those who followed. As it made it way through London, the bells of Big Ben rang out 56 times, with each chime representing a year of the late King's life. Once at Paddington, the coffin was taken to Windsor by train, where a simple service was held for the King in St George's Chapel, where successive monarchs have been buried for centuries. When the funeral got underway at 2pm, the nation fell silent, with even passengers on a transatlantic flight to New York rising from their seats to bow their heads. The service, in which television cameras were banned, was presided over by the then Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher and the Archbishop of York Cyril Garbett. It was described in intricate detail by the Daily Mail. The report read: 'One moment it seemed that the King was with us, and the next that he had gone. Slowly his draped coffin sank upon its purple-shrouded bier beneath the chancel floor of St George's Chapel, Windsor. Londoners are seen settling down for the night in Parliament Square so they can watch the funeral procession of King George VI from Westminster Hall to Paddington Station On Sunday, mourners camped on The Mall as they waited for the Queen's funeral procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch King George VI's funeral procession passes down Piccadilly, as thousands of ordinary Britons line the route behind soldiers in February 1952 The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel 'Slowly, almost imperceptibly, it faded from our sight. 'But a moment before and our new Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, had taken the Colour of the King's Company, the Grenadier Guards, and had placed it on the end of the coffin. 'Then, as all that is mortal of her father sank into its purple sepulchre,, she stepped forward and sprinkled earth on to the coffin.' It added: 'In that moment it seemed that this slim slight figure who has borne the intense nervous strains of the past ten days with magnificent composure was dedicated and set apart. 'In that moment the young Queen, bidding mute farewell to her father and predecessor on the Throne, had taken her place in the long and glorious roll of those who have worn the Crown.' Once the service was over, George was buried in the Royal Vault of St George's Chapel. Elizabeth's final tribute to her father was to drop a handful of earth that she had collected from Frogmore at Windsor on his coffin. In 1969, on completion of the King George VI Memorial Chapel, the King's body was moved there. After the funeral at Windsor, around 2,000 people were allowed in to see the wreaths which covered the lawns. Australian news presenters awkwardly failed to recognise British Prime Minister Liz Truss as she arrived at the Queen's state funeral - mistakenly assuming she could be a 'minor royal'. World leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau were among 2000 attendees at the Westminster Abbey ceremony yesterday. But Australian network Channel Nine failed to recognise Britain's own Prime Minister and her husband Hugh O'Leary as they emerged from a car and headed into the London church for the funeral. Veteran network presenters Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw were left scratching their heads as to who they were, saying the pair were 'hard to identify'. The presenters suggested they could be 'minor royals' then 'local dignitaries' before being informed it was actually Liz Truss. Australian network Channel Nine failed to recognise Britain's own Prime Minister and her husband Hugh O'Leary as they emerged from a car Ms Truss was joined by a host of world leaders for the state funeral on Monday As the PM arrived, presenters said it was a 'significant motorcade' but struggled to identify her Ms Truss (pictured before the funeral on Monday) was the last world leader to be pictured with the Queen in her final official duty, just 48 hours before she died Overton and Grimshaw stumbled trying to identify Liz Truss and thought she might be 'minor royalty' As Ms Truss climbed out of her car to attend the ceremony, Mr Overton said: 'So, this is a significant motorcade, we are being told now'. 'Come with us as we try and identify who is getting out of the car. This is under police escort of course. I would suggest this might be royalty, Tracy. 'Hard to identify. Maybe minor royals, members of the I can't identify them at this point ' Grimshaw replied they looked like 'they could well be local dignitaries' before Overton said 'I'm just told that was Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister'. British Prime Minister Liz Truss (pictured) was mistaken for a 'minor royal' by Channel Nine Ms Truss (centre) making her way into the church on Monday as millions around the world watched She has praised the 'huge outpouring of love and affection' shown towards the late monarch People were quick to notice the gaffe on social media, with one saying: 'Gold. Australian TV can't identify couple attending Queen's funeral. Say it's impossible to be able recognise everyone and it must be some 'local dignitary.' 'It's new British PM Liz Truss.' Another tweeted: 'Hard to believe but Channel Nine stars Tracy Grimshaw and Peter Overton were in London, providing commentary on the arrivals at Westminster Abbey, when they were stumped when the British Prime Minister walked into the cathedral. Wow.' One tweeted: 'Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw having no idea who Liz Truss - the new British Prime Minister - is during the live coverage of the Queen's funeral was so *awks*. Many described the blunder as 'awkward' and were surprised the presenters hadn't recognised Liz Truss The gaffe came as BBC news presenter Hugh Edwards didn't name the Prime Minister of Australia as he entered Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral. As cameras zoomed in on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon arriving, no mention of them was made, leading viewers to believe the BBC hadn't recognised him. Commentator Jane Caro tweeted: 'BBC focuses on Albo entering the church - it's clear the commentators have no idea who he is.' 'BBC commentary not recognising Albo was pretty great,' another tweeted. Mr Edwards has been praised widely for his coverage of the Queen's death, even being described as a 'master of his craft'. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon entering the chapel Following a public holiday for the funeral, political and business life was resuming and workers were busy clearing up the debris left by an estimated million-plus people who lined the streets of London. But King Charles III and the royal family will remain in mourning for another seven days, meaning no official engagements after the new sovereign spent an exhausting week presiding over the funeral build-up. The queen's coffin was on display from Wednesday to early Monday inside parliament's cavernous Westminster Hall, and the waiting time for public mourners at one point reached 25 hours. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said her government department was still 'crunching the numbers', but believed that around 250,000 people had passed through the hall in total. 'It was a great sense of the community coming together,' she told Sky News. Donelan said she did not know the final cost of the state funeral at Westminster Abbey, which entailed a vast security operation for hundreds of foreign dignitaries. But she said the British public would agree 'that was money well spent'. 'You saw so many thousands out there and I don't think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn't deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years.' Liz Truss flew to the UN General Assembly hours after delivering a biblical reading at the state funeral. En route to New York, Ms Truss praised the 'huge outpouring of love and affection' shown towards the late monarch, as well as the 'huge amount of warmth towards' Charles. In an interview with reporters, Ms Truss said: 'It has been a momentous period and a period of great grief and sadness in the United Kingdom, and I think you have seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth towards King Charles III. 'Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen that from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers. 'From my own point of view, I am hugely honoured to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts. 'Since then, I have had two audiences with His Majesty and what I have seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and for the whole royal family.' Putin should have nuked the Queen's funeral while world leaders were all in one place, one of the Kremlin's most-prominent propagandists has declared. Olga Skabeyeva, dubbed Putin's 'Iron Doll', made the ghoulish suggestion last night - just hours after Her Majesty's body was laid to rest at the end of 11 days of mourning. The 37-year-old - who is married to a Russian politician - was speaking with guests about when and where her country could use its nukes when she said: 'We should have done it today, all the best people are [in Britain] for the funeral.' With a wry grin she then added: 'God forgive me.' Olga Skabeyeva, a propagandist dubbed Putin's 'Iron Doll' suggested last night that Russia should have nuked the Queen's funeral Skabeyeva made the remark in response to guest Andrey Gurulev, a retired general and current MP, who dismissed claims Russia would strike Ukraine. 'We still have to live over there in Ukraine,' he said. 'We have plenty of targets. Ramstein [airbase in Germany] is a good fat one, but it could wait. 'Why would we bomb Ukraine or Germany when there is Britain - the root of evil?' The UK could be 'bled white' and turned into a 'Martian wasteland' with just a small number of Russian strikes, he said, after which NATO would 'back off'. 'When Britain is turned into a Martian wasteland, what will NATO's Article 5 [defending collective security] be about,' he said. 'Defending the Martian wasteland? There will be nothing left there. An unshakable island - it will be shakable.' Gurulev's remarks come as Russia's propagandists try to make sense of their country's latest battlefield humiliation after their troops were routed near Kharkiv. Skabeyeva made the remark during a debate about when and where Russia should use its nuclear weapons (pictured, a new Sarmat missile) Andrey Gurulev, a retired general and current MP, said Britain should be prioritised for a strike - calling this country the 'root of evil' Unlike previous retreats from Kyiv and around Snake Island, Russian state media has struggled to play off the debacle as anything other than a defeat. But, rather than admit being beaten by Ukraine, Putin's mouthpieces argue that NATO forces are directly involved in the fight and have beaten them instead. That has led to increased calls for Russia to strike back at NATO allies. Former commanders of the military alliance have also warned of the risk that Putin could resort to nukes as his invasion falters. Rose Gottemoeller, who was deputy secretary general of the alliance from 2016 to 2019, said the Russians may 'strike back in really unpredictable ways' after the rout around Kharkiv. Ms Gottemoeller said those strikes could include firing a nuclear weapon into the Black Sea or at a Ukrainian military base as a demonstration of might. 'The goal would be to get the Ukrainians, in their terror, to capitulate,' she explained. Ms Gottemoeller said Russia is unlikely to use long-range nuclear weapons of the kind that could hit Britain or the US, but will hope to deter Ukraine's western allies from supporting its war effort. Hundreds of world leaders, diplomats and royals attended the Queen's funeral yesterday in Westminster Abbey (pictured, Joe Biden takes his seat among the dignitaries) Quizzed on the BBC about how the West should respond in the event of a nuclear strike, she added: 'I stress that if [the Russians] do go down that route then we should not respond in a nuclear way. '[We] should bring our other considerable capacities to bear, whether that be a cyber response or conventional [weapons] response.' She also stressed that western military aid and training to Ukraine should continue, but that diplomatic channels should be kept open to the Kremlin. Asked what the West should be telling Putin, she said: ' We've done an excellent job sending a clear message to Moscow of: "No impunity." 'We know what you're up to, you're not going to get away with it' 'If there is a move towards weapons of mass destruction, and I have seen no indication so far that there is, but if there is then we need to get it out there and say to the Russians: "No impunity here".' Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has slammed work-from-home culture and said it is 'not good for society or the community'. His extraordinary comments come as his state government prepares to scrap its controversial state of emergency powers that were introduced during the pandemic. Addressing reporters, Mr McGowan said he'd prefer for people to stop working from home now that the risk of Covid has lessened. 'I'm a little bit old fashioned about people going into work. I mean police officers, construction workers, mining workers, teachers, nurses, journalists and lots of people out there go to work,' he said. 'It creates collegiality, it creates a culture that's constructive, people work together to achieve outcomes. 'Everyone sitting in their kitchen on their laptops I don't think generates that.' Mark McGowan said he'd prefer for people to stop working from home now that the risk of Covid has lessened The premier also said that workers going to the CBD would mean that people employed in industries retail, restaurants and cafes were also more supported. 'Everyone at home on their laptop all day doesn't reflect the working requirements of lots of other people and I don't think it breeds a good culture. 'It also means that your CBDs, retail outlets, shops or cafes, restaurants, all those people trying to make a living lose custom. The same thing occurs across the suburbs and across the town centres all over Western Australia. 'Sometimes there are requirements, you can negotiate it with your employer to work from home, sometimes you might work appropriately in individual circumstances. 'But across the board working from home I just don't think it's good for society and good for the community.' He made similar comments during a radio interview, prompting anger from some callers. However, his comments were welcomed by City of Perth Lord mayor Basil Zempilas. Mr Zempilas said Mr McGowan's comments reflected the city's position and he urged the premier to bring all public servants back to the city for a full working week. It comes as the state government prepares to scrap its controversial state of Mr McGowan says that working from home is 'not good for community or society' (stock) 'The premier's strong message is welcomed and by extension, we hope this means every government worker who works in the CBD will be in their office five days a week effective immediately,' he said. 'The best place for our city workers to be is in the city. It is better for the businesses that they work for and, clearly, it is better for the retailers, business owners and cafes and restaurants that thrive off their patronage.' The state government is preparing to scrap its state of emergency powers. The controversial laws have been in place since March 2020 and have given the government extraordinary powers to impose restrictions such as closing the border and enforcing mask mandates. A biographer of Queen Elizabeth II has slammed her funeral as a 'facade' and called on the royal family to 'atone' for a history of slavery and colonization. Clive Irving took aim at the monarchy at the moment the Queen's coffin was being taken to Windsor Castle Monday in her emotional funeral procession as grief-stricken Britons came together to pay their respects. The reporter, who questioned the longevity of the royal family in his 2021 book, The Last Queen, said the Crown was 'responsible' for the worst excesses of the British Empire. He also blasted the new heir to the throne, Prince William, for his 'misjudged' tour of the Caribbean earlier this year, which was met with protests and demands for slavery reparations and a renewed debate about the legacy of the empire. Irving told MSNBC about the funeral pageantry: 'A lot of this seems to be facade, it's almost like a Potemkin village exercise. 'There's all this regal display of something that, as one of your guests said earlier, nobody does it better than the British, but you always have to ask what lies behind the facade. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Clive Irving has slammed the Queen's funeral as a 'facade' and called on the royal family to 'atone' for a history of slavery and colonisation The biographer was speaking as the Queen's coffin was being taken to Windsor Castle yesterday in her emotional funeral procession 'In terms of the future of the monarchy, you can't separate the future of the monarchy from the future of the country, and therefore the condition of the country has to be taken into account when you think how Charles can handle this.' Irving, who was also a key contributor to a documentary on Princess Margaret, said the monarchy needs to reckon with the history of the British Empire if it wants to succeed in the future. He said: 'This legacy requires something that I haven't seen coming from the Windsor family at any stage in recent history which requires atonement. 'It requires acknowledgment of the true cost to those colonies of slavery which began under Charles II in 1666 because he founded this thing with a very innocent title called the Royal Africa Company which actually concealed a very evil enterprise which was shipping slaves from Africa to the Caribbean colonies. 'About a quarter of those slaves died before they got there, chained below the decks, and that was subsequently succeeded by colonial societies leading right through to the 20th century in which the crown played the part of head of state.' Mr Irving said the monarchy needs to reckon with the history of the British Empire if it wants to succeed in the future The former managing editor of the Sunday Times questioned whether King Charles can sustain the monarchy 'So although you can't lay the cost of slavery, the human cost of it, terrible other costs of it, at the doors of the present monarchy or even the Queen, the institution, the crown itself is responsible, there's a continuity going right through to now.' He then took aim at Prince William for his week-long tour of the Caribbean in March, which was overshadowed by demands for slavery reparations and the enduring anger over the Windrush scandal. William and his wife Kate were met with protests across Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Irving said: 'This situation was completely misjudged by Prince William when he went to the Caribbean earlier this year. 'I said he hadn't been properly briefed but I thought about that afterwards and I thought, how can a guy who had the education that William had, he had one of the best educations you can get, how can he not know about this.' Prince William and Kate (pictured in Kingston) took a controversial tour to the Caribbean earlier this year The tour was branded 'tone deaf' and smacking of 'colonialism' as the royals met with locals Upon his return to the UK William said he not only discovered more about the 'different issues that matter most to the people of the region but also how the past weighs heavily on the present'. The father of three's eight-day trip to the Caribbean with his wife Kate, 40, in March, was branded 'tone deaf' by critics who said there were moments smacking of 'colonialism.' Antigua and Barbuda became the first to float plans to move toward becoming a republic after the Queen's death, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne telling media he hopes to hold a referendum on the issue within three years. His counterpart in the Bahamas has signaled similar hopes, though without giving any timeline. 'For me, it is always on the table,' Prime Minister Phillip Davis said in comments reported by the Nassau Guardian newspaper the day after the Queen died. 'I will have to have a referendum and the Bahamian people will have to say to me, 'yes'.' Jamaica, too, is considering 'moving on,' as Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointedly told the king's son Prince William during a disastrous tour of the Caribbean earlier this year. They are following a path blazed by Barbados, once known as 'Little England' but whose ruling Labour Party last year used its majority to approve a constitutional amendment removing the Queen as head of state. Irving is far from the only commentator to pour scorn over the mourning for the Queen which has seen Britain shrouded in grief for the past two weeks. Trevor Noah took a brutal swipe at 'spoilt' King Charles III just days after the monarch acceded to the throne following the death of his mother. The profane South African comedian made a tasteless remark about Charles in a ruthless diatribe to the guffawing audience on The Daily Show. He aired widely shared footage of the King caught on camera becoming frustrated with a leaking pen as he said: 'Oh God, I hate this. I can't bear this bloody thing.' Earlier the royal gestured furiously to one of his aides to remove a pot of ink. Noah, 38, told his audience in the US how the clips during Charles' period of mourning show how he is not the right person for the monarchy. He said: 'It's going to take a lot of work to shape the monarchy into something that everyone can get behind. 'But based on his first week in power, looks like King Charles isn't the guy to do it.' The remarks are not the only ones from US media to spark fury in Britain, with the New York Times accused of a 'sneering attack' on the royals. Should King Charles's hissy fit over pens really be a surprise given his history? pic.twitter.com/HrU1eNA0KQ The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 15, 2022 Trevor Noah has taken a brutal swipe at 'spoilt' King Charles III just days after the monarch acceded to the throne following the death of his mother The paper said the Queen helped to 'obscure a bloody history of decolonization', then inflated figures as they questioned why her funeral should be paid out of taxes, despite the vast majority of Britons being in favor of a fitting send-off. Noah continued in his cynical diatribe: 'I love how Charles says the pens leak on him all the time. 'You're literally the King of England, dude! If you don't like the pens, get different pens. I'm not an expert in the monarchy, but I'm pretty sure the hierarchy doesn't go: Prince William, King Charles and then the guy who buys the pens.' He added: 'Still, I feel kinda bad for him. I do. Because in the old days, the King would've never had these issues. There would be no leaking pens. 'Maybe King Charles is just stressed out right now, maybe that's why this is happening. Because becoming king is a lot of pressure, I mean there's like 15 different forks to memorize, you have to sleep with that crown on, that's not comfortable. Noah, 38, told his audience in the US how the clips during Charles' period of mourning show how he is not the right person for the monarchy King Charles, sitting inside the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, appeared frustrated by the dripping ink as he tried signing a book Noah then showed footage of Princess Diana's controversial butler Paul Burrell slamming the then Prince of Wales Why South African Trevor Noah feels he can mock the royal family Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg in 1984, in apartheid South Africa. At the time of his birth, his parents' interracial relationship was illegal. Apartheid came into effect in 1948, when South Africa was still under the British Empire. Britain's role in Africa and its controversial colonial legacy have made the Queen a divisive figure to many in the continent, representing the empire. Last week, South Africa's opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF movement recalled in its tribute to the Queen the decades of apartheid, in which Britain, the former colonizer, was often passive. 'We do not mourn the death of Elizabeth, because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country and Africa's history,' EFF said in a statement. 'During her 70-year reign as Queen, she never once acknowledged the atrocities that her family inflicted on native people that Britain invaded across the world. 'If there is really life and justice after death, may Elizabeth and her ancestors get what they deserve.' In another section on Noah's Daily Show, he presented a segment discussing with people in Africa are not mourning the Queen's death. He said: 'In many parts of the world, especially Africa, people have a very different relationship with the Queen. 'When you consider what the British Empire did, these reactions are pretty reasonable. You can't expect the oppressed to mourn the oppressor.' He then said the royal family should return the Cullinan Diamond, which is the largest clear cut diamond in the world, to South Africa. Noah has frequently spoken out about issues of race and diversity, and was a fervent supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. He joins a litany of other Americans who have criticized the monarchy in the past week because of Britain's imperial past. Advertisement 'But if you paid attention to King Charles back during his prince days, you would know that this is pretty much how he's always been.' Noah then showed footage of Princess Diana's controversial butler Paul Burrell slamming the then-Prince of Wales. Burrell claimed he was the 'only man Diana ever trusted' but others have denounced him as a royal 'hanger-on' who sold stories to the press, and who Charles accused of 'exercising pathetic vendettas in public.' The ex-butler turned reality star went on to release a memoir about his experiences with the royals which Prince William said would have 'mortified' his mother, accusing him of 'cold and overt betrayal.' In the clip aired on the Daily Show, Burrell says: 'The Prince of Wales has grown up in such a privileged lifestyle that he doesn't have the mechanics to choose for himself anymore. 'His pajamas are pressed every morning, his shoelaces are pressed flat with an iron, and the water temperature has to be just tepid and only half-full. Prince Charles does have his valet squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush every morning. 'On one occasion, he rang me from his library and he said: "Oh Paul, a letter from the Queen seems to have fallen into my wastepaper bin, would you pick it out?" The wastepaper bin was there, he was sat there, I had to bend down into the paper bin, pick out the letter, put it back on his desk, "Would that be all Your Highness?"' Noah feigned outrage at the claims to his shocked viewers. He said: 'When I was a kid, I thought kings had to pull swords out of stones. This dude can barely pull his d*** out of his own pants?' 'You know what this tells you, this story about Charles is one, the royals have been royally spoilt, and two, I can tell you that nobody who works in that palace is African.' The comedian then impersonated an African woman telling Charles: 'There is only one king and that is Jesus.' US media has been slammed in the UK for its coverage of the Queen's death. In a story last week, the New York Times reported that the British taxpayers would front the bill for the funeral, which reportedly cost more than $6million. The story labeled it a 'hefty price tag' amid rampant inflation in Britain, but readers were unamused by the article as they slammed the tone of the reporting regarding the late monarch of 70 years. Soon after publishing the story, Ben Judah, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council tweeted the actual cost per household would be just five pence each. In many parts of the world, especially Africa, the reaction to the Queen's death is a little different pic.twitter.com/97qiS9zO1v The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 15, 2022 The New York Times was forced to issue an embarrassing correction on Thursday after it fudged inflation data and stoked recession fears Burrell claimed he was the 'only man Diana ever trusted' but others have denounced him as a royal 'hanger-on' Using the New York Times' estimate of the Queen's funeral cost, the UK's 28 million households would have to pay just 20 pence each. By Thursday, the Times admitted it was wrong and published a correction to the story, noting the UK's inflation is not actually as bad as it originally reported. Rather than the more than 10 percent inflation, the Times pushed, the correction said: 'The country's inflation rate is at nearly 10 percent; it does not exceed 10 percent.' It also said 'while the Bank of England said last month that it expected a long recession to begin this year, that was before a new plan proposed by Prime Minister Liz Truss to cap soaring energy costs.' Twitter user Dorren Wilson said: 'Your newspaper has been unfailingly full of snark, on a story that doesn't belong to you. Disappointing. 'I subscribed for five years, but you've confirmed the wisdom of letting it go.' The New York Times received more backlash over its reporting of the Queen's funeral as it noted that it would be paid for by British taxpayers Readers took to social media to condemn the tone of the reporting just days after Queen Elizabeth's death, marking an end to her 70 year reign Wilson was not alone in her criticism of the Times, fellow Twitter user Robert Corbishley said the cost to taxpayers would still be less than the $7 paper. 'Less per person than the price of one copy of your 'newspaper,'' he wrote. Tom Harwood, a British political commentator, noted that the British government was already committing billions of pounds to tackle inflation. 'The Queen's funeral [cost will] be a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of that,' Harwood wrote. 'You absolute ghouls.' The backlash came a week after the paper garnered criticism over an article by Maya Jasanoff, a history professor at Harvard University, where she focuses on the history of Britain and the British Empire and said it was wrong to 'romanticize' the crown. 'The Queen helped obscure a bloody history of decolonization whose proportions and legacies have yet to be adequately acknowledged,' she wrote as other reporters around the nation joined the suit to criticize the late Queen's reign. Many called The Times disrespectful and said British taxpayers were more than happy to help pay for the Queen's funeral costs Maya Jasanoff, a Harvard professor specializing in the history of the British Empire, wrote for the Times last week that it was wrong to 'romanticize' the Queen's rule New York Magazine's The Cut has been seen as the biggest offender over its coverage of the Queen's death and the British Royal Family. The liberal magazine that published an in-depth interview with the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, in August, has recently targeted King Charles in a new piece that was published online on Wednesday. The latest story is titled: 'King Charles's Reign of Fussiness Has Begun,' which comes days before the Queen's funeral, which is scheduled for Monday. The article points to reports that Charles went through two 'tantrums' in the days after his mother's death. One was the report that he stormed out of a signing ceremony in Northern Ireland when a pen leaked on him, another was when he 'trussed up in tails and hissing at palace aides who failed to move a pen tray off his table with due haste.' The king apparently gestured to aides to help him to make some room on a cluttered desk. The Cut goes on to mention a report from the Guardian in which it was alleged that Charles chose to tell close to 100 employees that he was letting them go as he prepares to move into Buckingham Palace during a memorial service for his mother. A source told the newspaper: 'Everybody is absolutely livid, including private secretaries and the senior team.' New York Magazine's The Cut, which published an in-depth interview with Meghan Merkle, has been seen as the biggest offender over its coverage of the Queen's death The article concludes with one of Meghan Markle's many unproven allegations against Charles, that he was racist about her son, Archie, and accuses him of 'mundane cruelty' to his wife, Princess Diana. Infamously, shortly after the Queen's death, The Cut published an article titled: 'I Won't Cry Over the Death of a Violent Oppressor.' The piece was an interview with Carnegie Mellon linguistics professor Uju Anya who tweeted on Thursday: 'I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.' Anya told the Cut that the Queen was a 'representative of the cult of white womanhood.' Uju Anya, a black applied-linguistics professor at the Pittsburgh university, said on Friday: 'Queen Elizabeth was representative of the cult of white womanhood' Shortly before the Queen's passing was announced on Thursday, Anya tweeted that she hoped her death would be 'excruciating' Anya, an applied-linguistics professor at the Pittsburgh university, is the daughter of a mother from Trinidad and a father from Nigeria. She told NBC News that she is 'a child of colonization,' and that her perspective was shaped by Britain's role in the Nigerian Civil War. 'My earliest memories were from living in a war-torn area, and rebuilding still hasn't finished even today,' she said. She defended her remarks opposing the monarchy and added that the Queen was not exempt from the decisions made by the British government 'she supervised.' 'Queen Elizabeth was representative of the cult of white womanhood,' Anya said. 'There's this notion that she was this little-old-lady grandma type with her little hats and her purses and little dogs and everything as if she inhabited this place or this space in the imaginary, this public image, as someone who didn't have a hand in the bloodshed of her Crown.' A rowdy passenger who bit a chunk out of a British millionaire's ear at Palma de Mallorca Airport will avoid jail. A court in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, gave Ben Addison, 31, ten months in prison but decided to suspend the punishment. This means he will avoid jail as long as he commits no further crimes in the next two years. Addison (left) had been a constant nuisance to passengers on Ryanair flight 2162 from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca The court also fined him 720 euros (630) for his bizarre attack, which also saw him injure four police officers. The sentence was handed down on Monday, and was accepted by the Ben Addison. The incident took place at around 11.25pm on September 18, 2020. Addison had been a constant nuisance to passengers on Ryanair flight 2162 from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca. Once the plane had landed, he launched a vicious attack on passenger Neil Endley, kicking him in the head and showering him with punches. Shockingly, he threw the millionaire Brit to the ground and bit his right ear so hard that he ripped off a chunk. Once the plane had landed, he launched a vicious attack on passenger Neil Endley (pictured), kicking him in the head and showering him with punches. Four police officers went to the scene to end the onslaught, only to be showered with punches and kicks themselves. They were also brought to the ground and injured. Neil - from Solihull, Warwickshire - said at the time that he had 'no connection' with his attacker. He said he 'had never seen him before in my life when this happened'. Neil - who owns The Bridge Group of engineering firms - was taken to a hospital in Palma de Mallorca after the vicious attack for treatment. His assailant was drunk and high on drugs and had launched his onslaught after being refused more alcohol. He is believed to have targeted Neil after grabbing his drink and downing it. Almost all the bodies exhumed from mass graves in the recently liberated city of Izyum in Ukraine's Kharkiv region show clear evidence of torture including violent castrations, investigators have declared. Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yevheny Yenin spoke of the horrendous treatment murdered civilians endured before their deaths in a harrowing admission to news site Suspilne yesterday. 'We continue to find bodies with signs of violent death - there are many of them,' Yenin said. 'These include broken ribs and cracked skulls, men with bound hands, broken jaws, and severed genitalia.' The minster, who previously worked as Ukraine's deputy prosecutor general, said 146 bodies were exhumed from a mass grave on September 19 alone - one of several mass burial sites found throughout Izyum and surrounding settlements. It comes as Kharkiv regional administration police chief Sergey Bolvinov shared images of Izyum police station, which he claimed had been converted by Russian occupiers into a torture centre. A team of forensic investigators were dispatched to the station to gather evidence of torture and found a series of implements, including electric cables they believe were used to brutalise Ukrainian prisoners. Ukrainian authorities exhume the bodies of people killed as a result of war after Russian Forces withdrawal in Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 19, 2022 Emergency workers load a body into a refrigerator truck after its exhumation in the recently retaken area of Izyum, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 Kharkiv regional administration police chief Sergey Bolvinov shared images of Izyum police station, which he claimed had been converted by Russian occupiers into a torture centre Electric cables are pictured inside an evidence bag after forensic investigators suspected they were used to torture Ukrainian prisoners More images from inside the police station show notes pinned to the doors of cells where prisoners were held and the inside of another cell allegedly used to house and torture Ukrainian civilians Izyum was seen as a key strategic position by Russian troops and as such was the scene of bitter fighting which destroyed much of the city Forensics carry body bags in a forest near Izyum, eastern Ukraine, on September 19, 2022, where Ukrainian investigators have uncovered more than 440 graves after the city was recaptured from the Russians Oleg Synehubov, governor of Kharkiv region, confirmed Yenin's statements and said the exhumed bodies included two children. 'Some of the dead have signs of a violent death. There are bodies with tied hands and traces of torture. The deceased were also found to have explosive, shrapnel and stab wounds,' the governor wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Some 450 graves have been found in Izyum and the surrounding region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed, as a flood of images were released showing forensic experts, dressed in white protective suits and wearing rubber gloves, working methodically to exhume and identify the bodies. Bolvinov said the great majority of the bodies appeared to be civilians. Images and footage released by the police chief on social media networks showed the dingy cells of Izyum police station, which was allegedly converted into a torture chamber by Russian forces. 'Investigators are conducting a review of logs with a list of detainees which were kept by the raiders, as well as instruments of torture,' Bolvinov wrote. 'Electric cables have already been found... Each cell where people were kept will be well-studied - DNA samples and fingerprints are taken, and a database of evidence is collected for the court. 'People were kept in dark basement cells from several weeks to months, not even always understanding what exactly the occupiers wanted from them.' This basement in the Cossak Lopan region of Kharkiv doubled as a torture chamber staffed by Russian occupiers, according to Ukrainian officials This Soviet-era military telephone was allegedly used as a power source for a yellow wire which was connected to metal clips to electrocute prisoners during interrogation in Cossack Lopan, Kharkiv region A woman collects wood for heating from a destroyed school where Russian forces were based in the recently retaken area of Izyum, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 The wreckage of vehicles among the rubble of destroyed buildings is pictured in Izyum Russian authorities meanwhile accused Ukraine of making up the reports of mass graves in and around Izyum. 'These are lies,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, adding Moscow 'will stand up for the truth in this story'. The Kremlin's attempt to shirk responsibility for the atrocities committed by its troops in Izyum comes after Moscow repeatedly denied Russian soldiers had slaughtered hundreds of civilians in Bucha earlier in the war. The town on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces in late March and early April after the Russian army chose to retreat from the region and refocus its efforts on seizing the eastern Donbas region. Hundreds of civilians were found murdered in the streets and a huge mass grave was uncovered in the grounds of a famed cathedral - but Russia steadfastly denied its forces were responsible despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Madeleine McCann's parents have lost the latest round in a legal battle against the Portuguese ex-police officer who led a probe into their daughter's disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann are attempting to sue Goncalo Amaral for libel for suggesting they were involved in the disappearance - claims he published in a 2008 book and then repeated in media interviews. They won the initial case but Amaral appealed, and in 2016 Portuguese judges reversed the decision - prompting the McCanns to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. European judges delivered their verdict today and rejected the appeal, giving the McCanns three months to decide whether to appeal again. A source close to the pair told MailOnline they are 'disappointed' and are reviewing their legal options. Kate and Gerry McCann (file) have lost the latest round of a long-running legal battle with Goncalo Amaral - the Portuguese ex-cop who led the probe into Madeleine's disappearance Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz where she was staying with her parents in 2007, and no trace of her has ever been found A statement posted on the official 'Find Madeleine McCann' Facebook page, the McCanns said: We are naturally disappointed with decision of the European Court of Humans Rights announced today. 'However, much has changed since we started legal proceedings 13 years ago against Mr Amaral, his publisher and broadcaster. We took action for one and only one reason: Mr Amarals unfounded claims were having a detrimental impact on the search for Madeleine. 'If the public believed that we were involved in her disappearance, then people would not be alert for possible clues and may not report relevant information to the relevant law enforcement agencies. The focus is now rightly on the search for Madeleine and her abductor(s). We are grateful for the ongoing work by the British, German and Portuguese police. 'We hope that with, the help of the public, hard work and diligence we can eventually find those responsible for Madeleines disappearance and bring them to justice. Lawyers for Kate and Gerry had been arguing that the Portuguese courts breached their right to respect for a private and family life in the way the case was handled. They also argued their right to a fair hearing had been damaged by Amaral's statements alleging their involvement. However, European judges rejected that claim - saying the McCanns' reputation had actually been damaged by Portuguese police naming them as suspects for a short time and not Amaral's comments. They also dismissed claims that Portuguese authorities had breached their right to privacy, noting the parents had taken part in their own media interviews and participated in a documentary. Goncalo Amaral, the Portuguese police officer who led the initial investigation, later claimed in a book that the McCanns were involved in Maddie's disappearance In a five page judgement issued today, the seven judges wrote: 'The Court considered that, even assuming that the applicants' reputation had been damaged, this was not an account of the argument put forward by the book's author. 'Rather [their reputation was damaged] as a result of the suspicions expressed against them, which had led to their being placed under investigation in the course of the criminal investigation.' The judges added: 'The information had thus been brought to the public's attention in some detail even before the investigation file was made available to the media and the book in question published. 'It followed that the national authorities had not failed in their positive obligation to protect the applicants' right to respect for their private life.' The Court in Strasbourg also highlighted how Portugal's Supreme Court in previous rulings had 'not implied any guilt on the applicants or even suggested suspicions against them' saying that as a result their 'complaint concerning their right to be presumed innocent was manifestly ill-founded.' Rejecting the argument that the book had harmed their right to a private life, the judges noted that the McCann's themselves had undertaken a tour of media interviews following the book's publication. 'In particular they cooperated in a documentary programme about their daughter's disappearance and continued to give interviews to the media,' they said. 'While the Court understood that the book's publication had undeniably caused anger, anguish and distress to the applicants it did not appear that the book, or the broadcasting of the (Amaral) documentary, had a serious impact on the applicants social relations or on their legitimate and ongoing attempts to find their daughter.' The panel was headed by president Gabriele Kucsko-Stadimayer from Austria, as well as British judge Tim Eicke and colleagues from Bulgaria, Armenia, Andorra, Netherlands and Portugal. A source close to the family said: 'They felt very strongly about the case, otherwise they wouldnt have taken it to the European Court of Human Rights. Clearly in their eyes Goncalo Amarals comments were completely unjustified and they felt compelled to take the case against the Portuguese Supreme Court ruling to Strasbourg. They will now examine the judgement and decide what to do. German prosecutors have named Christian Brueckner, who is currently in jail for rape, as the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance The most important thing for them is finding what happened to their daughter and that has always been uppermost for them.' Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment where she was staying with her parents, brother and sister in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Kate and Gerry had been eating in a restaurant near the apartment with a group of friends who were going back periodically to check on the sleeping children. But when Kate went back to the apartment around 10pm to check on the children, she found that Madeleine was missing. Despite years of investigations - initially by Portuguese police led by Amaral, and later by British detectives - no trace of the schoolgirl has ever been found. In 2020, investigators took the extraordinary step of naming the chief suspect as Christian Brueckner - a German man currently in jail in his home country for rape. Brueckner has previous convictions for child sex offences and drug smuggling, and in 2007 was known to be living out of a camper van near Praia da Luz. Police say they have phone records that place Brueckner in the vicinity of the apartment where Madeleine was sleeping on the night she vanished, but cannot currently prove he took the girl. Cops revealed his identity in the hopes of convincing someone with information to come forward, and have said they hope to bring charges this year. Brueckner's lawyers have stressed that he has not been formally charged and he has reportedly written a letter to German prosecutors from his jail cell telling them to 'put up or shut up'. Advertisement Harry and Meghan were sat in the second row for the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey because her grandchildren were placed in 'approximate age order', it was reported today. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, 38 and 41, sat next to Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at the abbey. Next to them were Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, the children of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Across the aisle on the front row, the heir to the throne Prince William, 40, sat with his wife, Catherine, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Alongside them were Peter Phillips, 44, and Zara Tindall, 41, Princess Annes two children. King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla were in the front row with his three siblings and spouses. Despite some suggestions the Sussexes had been slighted, this meant Harry was behind his father and closer to the coffin. It is not clear how the seating plan was decided. Last night, a palace source was quoted by The Times as saying that the Queen's grandchildren were placed in approximate age order, with efforts taken not to split families up. Meghan's spot behind Tim Laurence, Princess Annes husband and one of the tallest members of the Royal Family, meant she was sometimes hidden from view. A large church candle also stood between her and the TV cameras, while her wide-brimmed hat made it even more difficult for fans to see her. The duchess may have been happy to keep a low profile after a number of interviews in recent months in which she has been highly critical of the Royal Family. Despite the criticisms, she has praised the queen and revealed in an interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey last year that the monarch had always shown her kindness. The queen has always been wonderful to me, she said. I just really loved being in her company... shes always been warm and inviting and really welcoming. She may have been reflecting on that yesterday when she was seen to wipe away a tear as the British monarchs coffin was taken from the Abbey. The Sussexes stayed in the UK last night after reuniting with the royals to mourn the Queen but are expected to leave for California 'as soon as they can' after not seeing Archie and Lilibet for nearly three weeks. They arrived in Britain on September 3 for the first time since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. They expected to stay only briefly but with the news Her Majesty was ill Prince Harry cancelled his appearance at the WellChild Awards in London and rushed to Balmoral. The Sussexes were placed on the second row at the Abbey, and Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform due to no longer being a senior royal Meghan and Harry are sitting on the second row, directly behind King Charles III, the Queen Consort and Princess Anne Although the Duchess of Sussex did not join him in Scotland, she was by his side for a series of official events over the 10-day period of mourning. The Sussexes were reported at the weekend to be planning to fly back to the US as soon as they could, although informed sources last night told The Times that the couple were still in the UK. Harry was seen puffing his cheeks yesterday evening as he got into a car with Meghan following an emotional day which saw the Queen finally laid to rest with her beloved husband Prince Philip. The Duke of Sussex and other royals, including Charles and Camilla, were pictured leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday afternoon after a moving committal service for the late monarch. In what was the longest of days for the royal family, relatives of the Queen went back to Windsor Castle for some rest before returning to St George's Chapel for a private burial service later that night. There they witnessed Her Majesty being buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in a service conducted by the Dean of Windsor in the The King George VI Memorial Chapel. It was one of the only parts of yesterday that was not televised, with billions of people around the world thought to have seen some part of the processions and services in honour of Her Majesty. At the start of the day members of the Royal Family - including Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, and thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries congregated at Westminster Abbey for the late monarch's funeral service. Harry was visibly emotional during the procession and inside the church, as was Meghan, who was seen wiping away tears at the ceremony. Britain's King Charles III, Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort, Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Britain's Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Britain's Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall The Duchess of Sussex was visibly emotional during the state funeral and burial of her husband's grandmother in London yesterday Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform or saluting as the Queen's coffin passed the Cenotaph during the procession before the service due to no longer being a senior royal. The week saw several rare displays of public unity between the royal family and Harry and Meghan. On September 10, the couple were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, while yesterday William was seen appearing to direct Harry and Meghan to their seats during the later service at St Georges Chapel. But onlookers noted the lack of warmth or eye contact between the two brothers. Yesterday, Harry was seen walking solemnly on the grass outside St George's Chapel in Windsor ahead of the Queen's committal service, and speaking with his aunt Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. At the service Her Majesty was laid to rest with Prince Philip, along with her husband, father, mother and sister as her 70-year reign came to an end with the removal of her crown, orb and sceptre from her coffin. Her eldest son and the new monarch, King Charles III, looked deeply moved as his mother's remains descended on a day where he appeared tearful on a number of occasions as he said goodbye to his mother, the 12th British monarch to be buried at Windsor. A smaller, more private burial service took place last night, with the Queen's family finally given the chance to pay their respects and mourn her passing away from the public's gaze. GeoNet say the chance of the volcano exploding is still 'very low' The Taupo volcano is responsible for the largest eruption in the last 5000 years New Zealand volcano has danger level raised for the first time to one Fears are rising that a massive New Zealand volcano could erupt after 700 small tremors rocked the site. The Taupo volcano - which sits below the country's biggest lake - exploded approximately 1800 years ago, firing more than 100 cubic kilometres of material into the air, in what is the world's largest eruption in the last 5000 years. GeoNet, who are responsible for the volcano alert system, said for the first time ever they have raised the Taupo volcano alert to level 1. The alert system has six escalating levels of unrest, with zero being the lowest threat. In 2019, New Zealand's White Island volcano - known as Whakaari - suddenly erupted killing 22 people, 14 of who were Australians, and seriously injured 25 tourists. Scientists are on red alert raising the danger level on the Taupo volcano (pictured) in New Zealand, responsible for the world's largest eruption in the last 5000 years In 2019, New Zealand's White Island volcano - known as Whakaari - suddenly erupted killing 22 people, 14 of who were Australians and seriously injured 25 tourists New Zealanders are always on alert due to sitting on the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, meaning the country often experiences significant earthquakes and volcano activity. In recent weeks about 700 small earthquakes were detected below Lake Taupo. While the level has been raised, GeoNet say this is not the first time there has been unrest at the volcano and that the chances of an eruption remain 'very low'. Duty volcanologist Steven Sherburn told Stuff there had been 17 previous cases of unrest at the site in the last 150 years. 'There has been an increase in earthquakes and deformation (ground movement) at Taupo since May 2022 indicating volcanic unrest is occurring,' he said. 'Several of these were more severe than what we are currently observing at Taupo.' Mr Sherburn said the last Taupo eruption was estimated to be approximately 232AD and said the chance of another eruption is 'very low'. While the alert level has been raised, GeoNet say this is not the first time there has been unrest at the volcano and the chances of an eruption remain very low Caroline Glass, who was discussing what would happen if the volcano was to explode, wrote on question and answer website Quora, if it was to erupt most of the North island of New Zealand would be covered in sulfurous ash, 'killing everything'. 'There would have been a few days' warning, but not enough capacity for everyone to get off the island in that time, so I think most of the population would be huddling in Northland and Wellington, hoping they were far enough away from the volcano to survive,' Ms Glass said. 'My understanding is that this would block out a lot of sunlight and leave the entire southern hemisphere cold, dim and wintry for several years.' When New Zealand's White Island volcano erupted tourists and tour guides on the island either died or were seriously burned. The volcano erupted on December 9, 2019, triggering a powerful mushroom cloud of gas, steam and ash more than 3,600m into the air. The eruption, which killed 22 people and seriously injured 25, became New Zealand's deadliest volcanic disaster since the eruption of Mount Tarawera of 1886. In June, Stephanie Browitt, who survived the White Island volcano eruption suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body and spent two weeks in a coma fighting for life. White Island volcano survivor Stephanie Browitt (pictured) Appearing on 60Minutes she unveiled her face for the first time in two and a half years and said 'she now sees 'a person who has gone through much more than I ever expected in life'. Stephanie was stuck on the island for hours before she and her father were rescued and eventually airlifted back to hospital in Australia, with her father dying from his injuries a month after the blast. Police are offering a reward of 20,000 for information which would help recover the remains of a missing 70-year-old woman who is believed to have been murdered more than a year ago. Norma Girolami, from Highgate in north London, was last seen alive in August 2021 when she vanished from her 900,000 home in Cholmeley Park. The Metropolitan Police said that Ms Girolami liked to visit Leigh-on-Sea in Essex and made a day trip there on Thursday, August 19 2021. She took the train from Barking and returned to London later that day, but all communication from her stopped that evening. A murder investigation was launched in October 2021, but despite a man being charged with her murder that same month, police have still not located her body. He is currently in custody awaiting trial. A reward of up to 20,000 is now offered for information leading to the location of Ms Girolami's remains. Norma Girolami (pictured) was last seen alive in August 2021, when she vanished. A reward of up to 20,000 is now offered for information leading to the location of her remains Police outside the last known address of missing 70-year-old Norma Girolami in Cholmeley Park, Highgate, north London. A murder investigation was launched in October 2021, but, despite a man being charged with her murder that same month, police have still not located her body A policeman outside the last known address of missing Norma Girolami in Cholmeley Park, Highgate, north London. Ms Girolami lived alone and had no children Ms Girolami lived alone and had no children, while she had an income from a small property portfolio. A 35,000 loan in Ms Girolami's name was taken out shortly after her disappearance. The Metropolitan Police said that Ms Girolami (pictured) liked to visit Leigh-on-Sea in Essex and made a day trip there on Thursday, August 19 2021 The Metropolitan Police said she regularly travelled to Brent Cross to do her shopping using public transport to make her way there. She was also a member at Archway Leisure Centre. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, leading the investigation, said: 'Since August 19 2021, there has been no communication from Norma and no proof, or indication, that she is still alive. For those reasons we have to conclude that there is sadly no doubt Norma is dead. 'Did you meet with Norma in London, at the leisure centre or in Leigh-On-Sea? You may have information that could help bring Norma's family the answers that they so desperately need. 'We are aware of the possibility that her body may have been buried in a community space or a graveyard. 'Did you see anything unusual in the days following August 19 2021, perhaps involving a grey coloured Kia Niro car that we have appealed for previously? 'If you saw something that seemed odd to you, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please do give us a call and share what you saw.' As part of their investigation, officers released an image of a car (pictured) they believe may be linked to Ms Girolami's disappearance. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, leading the investigation, has asked: 'Did you see anything unusual in the days following August 19 2021, perhaps involving a grey coloured Kia Niro car that we have appealed for previously?' Pia Graham, Ms Girolami's cousin, said: 'It is now a year since Norma went missing and there is still no sign of where she might be, even though the police have been working tirelessly to try to find her. 'A number of us in Norma's family, and her friends, already challenged by daily life, whether it be due to poor health, getting older, or just difficult circumstances, have now had to face this bewildering and painful loss of a loved one who just seems to have vanished and apparently without any clue as to how this happened. 'Our connection to Norma has suddenly been severed. No more cheery emails or funny texts from her to brighten our days. No more carefully chosen cards to commemorate anniversaries, or uplifting messages - Norma certainly had a way with words. The person we all loved has just gone. 'And we do not feel we can even have a church service for Norma while she is still missing. The whole situation is heartbreaking, as much as it is shocking. 'My cousin was a life-affirming, loving, kind and thoughtful 70-year-old lady who would never have left us in the lurch, and we can only imagine in nightmarish thoughts of what may have happened to her. 'So, please, please, as we have asked in the past, if you think you saw the woman in these photos on or around August 19-20 last year, and no matter how vague your recollection, get in touch with the police and let them know. Thank you.' Ms Girolami was first reported missing on September 20 but had not been seen by family since the middle of August. At the time the murder investigation was launched, relatives described the disappearance of Ms Girolami as 'totally out of character', with her having stored food in the fridge and left no signs of plans to leave. She was described as 'friendly, courteous and a very nice person' by shocked neighbours, while cousin Jack Girolami told the Evening Standard how alarm bells started ringing after she had not responded to a text message in August. He said: 'We are worried sick, this is totally out of character for Norma. We thought she may have gone to Italy where the family are from to spread her dad's ashes but we don't think that is the case now. 'She was very comfortably off, wealthy but not mega rich. She sold a house in Highgate and inherited her dad's house in Enfield. She was also a bit gullible and was trusting in people which is a bit worrying.' Serkan Kaygusuz, 42, of Finsbury Park, north London, has been charged with murder and two counts of theft and is currently awaiting trial. A pregnant bar manager who was told by a concerned midwife to take time off work was sacked by her boss who complained she was 'hardly ever here', an employment tribunal heard. Sarah Twort, 22, won 17,000 compensation after Amanda MacPhail dismissed her from Coasters Wine Bar in Oban, Scotland just two weeks after a midwife advised her to stay at home. Ms MacPhail was 'not happy about' having to find cover for Ms Twort's shift when she attended emergency appointments after experiencing bleeding during her pregnancy. Later, Ms MacPhail claimed that the 'shocked and humiliated' employee needed to resign because she suspected she let her partner have drinks at the bar that he hadn't fully paid for. But a Glasgow employment tribunal rejected this explanation and found that Ms MacPhail had discriminated against her employee by sacking her for repeated absences from work due to her pregnancy. Sarah Twort, 22, won an employment tribunal after being sacked for taking time off her job as a bar manager in Oban due to a pregnancy-related illness (pictured: Sarah Twort, 22, Angus Clarke, 32 and baby Hector) The Glasgow hearing was told that Ms Twort began working at Coasters Wine Bar in the Western Highlands town of Oban in March 2019 as a member of the bar staff. In October 2020 she was promoted to position of bar manager and worked alongside Ms MacPhail, with whom she had a 'very good' relationship with and 'enjoyed the responsibility' of her new role. The tribunal was told Ms Twort, who is from Oban, found out that she and partner Angus Clarke were expecting October the following year. She informed Ms MacPhail and said she intended to work 'as long as possible' through to her due date the following May. In addition to standard antenatal appointments, the tribunal heard that Ms Twort was forced to attend emergency appointments because she had begun to experience bleeding during her pregnancy. Ms Twort had to arrange cover for her work shifts on these occasions - something that Ms MacPhail was 'not happy about'. The tribunal heard that on November 12, 2021, Mr Clarke spent an evening at the bar where he was served by Ms Twort and a colleague. As it was a Friday evening the contractor was 'feeling flush' and had paid for drinks for a friend and other bar goers, the hearing was told. The following week, Ms MacPhail asked Ms Twort if Mr Clarke had paid for all the drinks that they had had. Ms Twort asked her partner and he sent a screenshot of proof of electronic payment. Nothing more was said about the matter. Coasters Wine Bar (pictured) boss Amanda MacPhail fired Sarah Twort just two weeks after a midwife advised her to stay at home In December, Ms Twort messaged Ms MacPhail trying to arrange cover for pre-booked time off - which happened to be at the same time as a Christmas booking for 24 people. The tribunal heard that Ms MacPhail responded that she thought 'every time something was booked' Ms Twort was 'taking time off and it was not fair'. On December 7, 2021, Ms Twort had a meeting with a midwife who 'expressed concern' about her recurrent bleeding and advised her that it could be related to stress at work and advised time off to prevent this. Ms Twort was handed a sick note which allowed her time off work until December 28 - which she dropped to the bar, but Ms MacPhail was not there. The tribunal heard that Ms MacPhail was 'frustrated' that she had not been there when the note was delivered and considered it a particularly 'sore point' as she said Ms Tort was 'hardly ever here'. Ms Twort responded that the only time she wasn't in work was when she wasn't well enough to be - and that 'for once' she was putting herself ahead of work. She also said she felt 'terrible' about leaving the bar short staffed. Glasgow employment tribunal court (pictured) heard that Ms MacPhail felt that Ms Tort was 'hardly ever' at work After ignoring a host of messages from Ms Twort, Ms MacPhail then removed her from a work group chat. When eventually responding to Ms Twort, Ms MacPhail sent her a letter on December 21, dated December 16 - expressing her suspicion that she had 'undersold drinks' and 'requested' her to resign. She also said that this was 'not the first time I have had suspicions of underselling. I feel I have no trust left in you in this case'. The tribunal heard that this left Ms Twort was 'shocked and humiliated' - as there had never been any previous mention of underselling and as far as she was concerned the incident of November 12 had been dealt with by the screenshot of payment. Ms Twort claimed she had done nothing wrong on November 12 and that Ms MacPhail's had only started 'highlighting concerns' since she had found out she was pregnant. She was 'suspicious' that Ms MacPhail 'no longer' wanted to employ her as she would have to pay her maternity pay. Ms Twort asked that a fair and reasonable disciplinary procedure be followed and she didn't resign - but there was no further contact other than a final payslip, for which she received no money. Her baby, Hector, was born in May this year. The tribunal concluded that she had been the victim of pregnancy discrimination and had been unfairly dismissed. Employment Judge Shona MacLean said the panel did not believe that the 'underselling' allegations were genuine. 'It is surprising to say at the least that if those concerns were genuine, that Ms MacPhail allowed Ms Twort to continue to work another three weeks without undertaking an investigation or suspending her,' she said. 'The tribunal was unconvinced that the November 12 incident was the reason or principal reason for the dismissal. 'The tribunal considered from its material facts that the reason for the dismissal was that Ms Twort was pregnant and had absences related to her pregnancy. 'We felt that Ms Twort's pregnancy was a significant influence on Ms MacPhail's decision-making and was indeed the reason or principal reason for her dismissal.' Ms Twort was handed compensation for loss of earnings amounting to 10,873.69 and a further amount of 7,000 for her injury to feelings. The Foreign Office has offered its 'profound apologies' to the Danish Royal family after Princess Mary was invited to Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral by mistake. The Danish Royals had confirmed Princess Mary's attendance on September 13, writing: 'HM The Queen and the Crown Prince Couple [will be] present at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II'. But on September 19, the family issued another statement reading: 'Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince' would 'participate from Denmark' - making no mention of Princess Mary's absence. Official invites sent to current heads of state allowed them to bring one guest to the funeral. But Princess Mary's original invitation was sent out in 'error' after it was suggested that the guest of Queen Margrethe, her son Crown Prince Frederik, was also invited to bring a guest. The British Foreign Office has now confirmed it sent an apology to the Danish Royal Household via the Danish Embassy, a spokesperson told MailOnline on Tuesday. The 'regrettable error' was made due to the Foreign Office having to send out many invitations within a short space of time. Questions were raised over why Spain and the Netherlands were allowed more than two royal guests each, but it is understood that invitations were extended to former monarchs from both countries. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, of the Netherlands, were accompanied by his mother Princess Beatrix to Westminster Abbey yesterday. Meanwhile, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia attended the late monarch's funeral, with the former King Juan Carlos I and his wife Sofia also present. The last time she was seen: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at Christiansborg palace for the gala diner during the 50 years anniversary of Her Queen Margrethe II of Denmark accession to the throne on September 10 Queen Margrethe II and her son, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark pictured at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday The Royal House told Danish news outlet BT: 'There has been a regrettable error in the invitation from the British Foreign Office's protocol. Which European Royals attended the Queen's funeral on Monday? King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain Juan Carlos, former king of Spain, his wife Queen Sofia King Philip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium Queen Margrethe II and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria Prince Radu and his wife Margareta of Romania Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece Advertisement 'It is thus only the Queen and the Crown Prince who, from the Danish side, will participate in Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday.' A Foreign office spokesperson said: 'The FCDO has passed on their profound apologies to the Danish Royal Household through the Danish Embassy.' Yesterday saw Westminster Abbey fill up with 2,000 people including world leaders, foreign royals and several hundred ordinary Britons chosen by the Queen for her funeral. But Australian-born Princess Mary, 50, was noticeably missing from the service, while her husband Prince Frederik and mother-in-law Queen Margrethe, were in attendance. BT's royal correspondent Jacob Heinel Jensen said the Danish royal house would have been 'upset' by the eleventh hour change. 'It's really clumsy and unfortunate... It has meant that the Royal House must now say that a mistake had been made, and that is embarrassing,' he said. 'I think the Royal House easily understands that a mistake has been made. I wondered myself when I was in London and the British media wrote that there were only two invitees per country. 'After all, you got the feeling that there really must be extra close ties between Denmark and Britain's royal house if we got three invitations.' Representatives of more than 20 Royal Families were present at yesterday's service including the reigning monarchs of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Japan's Emperor Naruhito, who rarely makes overseas visits, was among the guests along with King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and the Sultan of Brunei. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, were among the first monarchs to view the monarch lying-in-state at Westminster Hall. Kings and Queens from around the worlds sat side-by-side in Westminster Abbey today as they mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II during her state funeral (pictured: 1. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands 2. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands 3. King Willem-Alexander 4. Queen Silvia of Sweden 5. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden 6. Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark 7. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 8. King Harald of Norway 9. Queen Sonja of Norway 10. Queen Sofia of Spain 11. King Juan Carlos of Spain 12. Queen Letizia of Spain 13. King Felipe of Spain 14. Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria 15. Princess Charlene of Monaco 16. Prince Albert of Monaco 17. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg 18. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg 19. Queen Mathilde of Belgium 20. King Philippe of Belgium 21. Prince Radu of Romania 22. Margareta of Romania 23. Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece 24. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece 25. Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein 26. Hereditary Prince Alois) The Danish royal family were said to be attending in full force when they made an official announcement on September 13 but six days later the 50-year-old mother-of-four was nowhere to be seen Photos and video footage shot at the funeral showed Prince Frederik and Queen Margrethe - now the only reigning Queen left in the world - sitting opposite King Charles III and his family on Monday King Juan Carlos of Spain attends Queen's funeral with wife Sofia - despite Spanish government 'asking him not to attend because they want his son to represent the nation' The disgraced former King Juan Carlos of Spain was seen at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey yesterday despite a row over his attendance. The former monarch, 84, who is the late Queen's distant cousin, currently lives in self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi. He was reportedly asked not to attend today's state funeral by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez. But the royal, who abdicated in 2014 amid multiple legal issues, attended along with his wife Sofia at the late monarch's funeral service. The Spanish government had reportedly made it clear they wished for King Felipe VI, Carlos's son, to be their representative at the state funeral. His son King Felipe VI was also present with his wife, Queen Letizia. The royal (right), who abdicated in 2014 amid multiple legal issues, pictured alongside his wife, Sofia (left) Advertisement Queen Margrethe held a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II and was among the first international monarch to pay tribute to Her Majesty. She was also spotted shedding a tear in front of the Queen's coffin before the funeral on Monday. Both Queens are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria - making them third cousins - with Margrethe often looking up to Elizabeth like a big sister. In May, Margrethe told the UK's ITV news that Elizabeth, 14 years her senior, was a 'huge inspiration' to her as the only other living Queen. '[Queen Elizabeth] was 26 when she became Queen. When I was growing up, I hoped I wouldn't be as young as that when my father died. It made an enormous impression on me. The fact that she was dedicating her life. I understood what that meant. This is for life. That is the whole point of my life. And I know she sees that too,' she said. 'When I was growing up, my mother and father said to me, 'look at what they do in England' and I could see that it could be done and it was worthwhile and you could live a very full life with it, even with a heavy schedule and demanding job.' The mother-of-two added that both Queens see their roles as 'dedication' and 'a job' and the way that Elizabeth 'faced her duties' 'inspired her'. 'The way she has faced her duties, the way she has dedicated her life, and she does it with a smile. She has been through many things,' she added. 'When you get to my age, you don't have the emptiness, what am I going to do tomorrow? I know jolly well what I am going to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the following year.' The pair, also had sweet nicknames for one another. Margrethe called Elizabeth by her childhood nickname 'Lilibet' while Elizabeth called Margrethe 'Daisy'. The Danish monarch is known as 'Aunt Daisy' to many in her family as she was named after her grandmother, Princess Margareta of Sweden, and her name is similar to the Nordic word for the daisy flower. 'We are definitely affectionate, but I don't want to splash it all over the place,' she told ITV of Elizabeth II. The pair also have a love of dogs in common. While Elizabeth will forever be associated with corgis, Margrethe is known in Denmark for her love of dogs. With the death of Elizabeth II, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world Queen Margrethe of Denmark has lead the foreign royals paying tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96. They are pictured in 2000 at London's Natural History Museum While Elizabeth got her first corgi as a child, it was Margrethe's late husband Prince Henrik who introduced her to dachshunds. Margrethe was also among the first royals to pay tribute to the Queen upon her death last week. In a statement she wished the new King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla her 'deepest thoughts and prayers' after Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral. Speaking on behalf of the Danish family she was 'deeply moved' by the sad news of her 'beloved mother's death'. 'I send you and Camilla my warmest thoughts and prayers,' she said. 'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly. 'Her 70 years of reign and service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth are an unprecedented and remarkable achievement. The Danish royal family, including Hobart-born Mary, shared a close connection with Elizabeth. Pictured in 2016 In February, Margrethe and Mary, met with Kate Middleton, who and officially welcomed her to Copenhagen 'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly,' she wrote 'We shall always remember her important contributions to their development and prosperity.' The Danish royal family, including Hobart-born Princess Mary, shared a close connection with Queen Elizabeth. In February, Margrethe and Mary met with Kate Middleton, and officially welcomed her to Copenhagen. Mary has also previously attended Royal Ascot horse race with the Queen and Prince Edward. Explaining about the Vidya Kanuka kits he said a school bag, bilingual text books, work books, note books, three pairs of uniform, shoes, two pairs of socks, dictionary etc are being given to students on the school-reopening day itself. It cost about Rs 886 crore. DC Image VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that the amount being spent on education is an investment for a better future, Chief Minister Jagan Reddy said on Tuesday that it helps shape the generation-next into confident and competent youths to start their careers. At the same time, major changes are being effected in the medical and health sector to ensure quality medicare is within the reach of the needy, the CM said while speaking on education reforms in the state assembly. He said that the government is spending Rs 16,000 crore to develop 57,000 government schools. The Amma Vodi is a unique welfare scheme under which the government spent Rs 17,000 crore to benefit 84 lakh students in the past three years, he said. Concluding a short discussion on Vidya Nadu-Nedu, the CM said the state government has been striving not just for the right to education but for right to English medium and right to higher education for all, with incentives from pre-primary to college education. The previous TD government had tried to push government schools into oblivion so as to benefit corporate schools, he alleged. Jagan said, We have chalked out our priorities well and wanted to see the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) is drastically improved by providing incentives and also by revamping the schools under Nadu-Nedu. We have insisted with the education authorities that 12 visible changes should be evident in government schools. These included toilets, clean drinking water, repairs, tube lights and fans, furniture for students and teachers, green chalk boards, painting, English lab, compound wall, kitchen shed, additional rooms and digital interactive panels. Besides government schools, even pre-primary foundation schools and anganwadis as also hostels are being developed under Nadu Nedu. In the first phase, 15,715 schools were revamped at a cost of Rs 3,700 crore and the digitization of classrooms will be in place from next academic year, the CM said. Stating that the second phase of modernization has started, Jagan gave a graphic view of schools in Chandrababu Naidus birthplace Naravari palle and Kuppam in the past and after the start of the Nadu Nedu programme. He said, People will wonder why these government schools were left without development for decades and how the present government is strengthening government schools. The GER in primary schools for 2015-16 was very poor and we increased it through schemes like Amma Vodi, Goru Muddha, Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Devena. While government schools had 37.20 lakh students in 2018-19, it increased to 44.29 lakh in 2021-22. The chief minister said, Amma Vodi is a unique scheme under which mothers are incentivized to send their children to school, with each mother being given Rs 15,000 per annum with a rider of 75 per cent attendance and that Rs 1,000 each should be contributed towards toilets and school maintenance fund for the upkeep of schools. During the past three years, Rs 19, 617 crore was spent under the scheme. Under Gorumuddha, with a daily-changing menu and nutritious food, the state has been spending Rs 1,800 crore for the purpose, while it was just Rs 450 crore annually during the previous TD governments time. The previous government did not clear the dues of Ayas and provisions as well, the CM said. Explaining about the Vidya Kanuka kits he said a school bag, bilingual text books, work books, note books, three pairs of uniform, shoes, two pairs of socks, dictionary etc are being given to students on the school-reopening day itself. It cost about Rs 886 crore. For the 8th class students and teachers, 5.18 lakh tabs would be given in November last week. The tabs would have a preloaded Byju's content which would serve as a home tutorial. The Byju's content, which would otherwise cost about Rs 24,000, would be given free of cost. The chief minister said Vidya Deevena was the other incentive where full fees-reimbursement is given along with Vasathi Devena which takes care of the hostel and mess charges. The total expense works out to Rs 11,717 crore. A killer who murdered his wife almost 40 years ago and refused to reveal where he hid the body after faking his own death to try and evade justice will become the first prisoner to have a public parole board hearing. An application made for the next hearing to consider the release of Russell Causley, 79, to take place in public has been granted, the Parole Board said today. However, the killer has reportedly indicated he may not give evidence, claiming a public hearing would breach his human rights. Causley was handed a life sentence for killing Carole Packman, who disappeared in 1985, a year after he moved his lover into their home in Bournemouth, Dorset. He initially evaded justice for the best part of a decade following her disappearance by faking his own death as part of an insurance scam. After finally being caught, he served 23 years for the murder before being freed from prison in 2020, but was returned to jail in November last year after breaching his licence conditions. Causley, who never revealed where he hid Ms Packman's body, is next due to face the Parole Board for review on October 6. The victim's daughter and grandson, Sam and Neil Gillingham have been campaigning for Causley to remain behind bars as he continues to refuse to reveal the whereabouts of his wife's body. The family had also been instrumental in pressuring officials to grant an open hearing for Causley, winning the backing of former Justice Secretary Dominic Raab last month. Ms Gillingham said today: 'It has been a long long battle to get to this point. Without Neil, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this on my own. Russell Causley, pictured, was handed a life sentence for killing Carole Packman who disappeared in 1985 Carole Packman disappeared in 1985, a year after he moved his lover into their home in Bournemouth, Dorset The victim's daughter and grandson, Sam and Neil Gillingham have been campaigning for Causley to remain behind bars as he continues to refuse to reveal the whereabouts of his wife's body 'I have felt for many years that the parole board has not been listening to me as a victim of an ongoing crime. 'The judiciary has just not taken reality into account and I felt like they were not giving me enough. 'Other people have the remains of their loved ones and know what happened. We don't have that. 'I don't know what to expect from the parole hearing - but I am very pleased they have made the right decision. 'It is important that they are transparent. I don't understand how they could come to the conclusion that my father is safe to release - but if they do then I want the public to see it'. The Parole Board confirmed their decision was reached after receiving several applications, including one from a victim, two from media and one from an academic. Causley was first convicted of murder in 1996 but this was quashed by the Court of Appeal in June 2003, and he then faced a second trial for murder and was again found guilty. According to a document setting out the decision made by Parole Board chairman Caroline Corby, Causley does not want the hearing to take place in public and indicated he may not give evidence if the application was granted. But Ms Corby said: 'In the application for a public hearing in the case of Mr Causley, I have decided that there are special features, which set it apart from other cases, which may add to the proper public understanding of the parole system.' These included that Causley's case is the first 'where the prisoner has not disclosed the location of the body of the victim since the passing of the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act of November 2020 and the changes to the Parole Board rules on 21 July 2022 allowing for public hearings.' The decision document said: 'Although the primary focus of the hearing will be the reasons for recall and the assessment of risk, it will be the first opportunity for the public to see how the Parole Board approaches this issue at a hearing.' The seriousness of his crimes, the high profile nature of his case, the 'wide range of support' for such a hearing and because the Parole Board's work is 'often misunderstood by the public' were among other reasons given. Ms Corby concluded: 'I have carefully considered Mr Causley's representations and have concluded that the interests of justice outweigh the points raised on Mr Causley's behalf. I therefore grant the application for the hearing to be held in public.' The ban on open hearings was scrapped in 2021, with then Justice Minister, Lucy Frazer QC MP, saying: 'We are mindful of the fact that parole hearings involve discussion of sensitive personal matters about prisoners and victims. 'It is important that the privacy, safety and wellbeing of hearing participants is protected, as well as ensuring that the Board can continue to properly assess prisoners' risk without the evidence on that being compromised. 'For these reasons we expect truly public hearings to be rare but it is right that we are removing the barrier that requires them to always be held in private.' Causley with Ms Packman and daughter Samantha. The murderer evaded justice for a decade after faking his own death Neil Gillingham (pictured) has previously described his killer grandfather of having 'no shame' Mr Gillingham previously said: 'My grandfather has no shame. I question whether or not he has a heart, and if he does, whether it's made out of stone or flesh. 'My whole life has been tainted by my grandfather and I want a public hearing to scrutinise the man who has impacted on me for so long.' A spokesperson for the parole board said: 'The Parole Board is an independent body which acts as a court when deciding whether prisoners in England and Wales are safe to be released, or not, and makes recommendations to the Secretary of State on a prisoner's suitability for open conditions if the release test has not been met. 'Prisoners are referred to the Parole Board only after they have served the minimum period for punishment set by the sentencing judge. 'When considering a case, the Parole Board's role is to consider whether a prisoner's risk can be safely managed in the community. 'The Parole Board will not direct release unless it is satisfied that it can. Public protection is always the Parole Board's primary concern.' The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was recently forced to apologise after Causley's parole dates were given to a newspaper before the victim's family. Mr Gillingham said the family have been seeking confirmation of the details for Causley's latest parole hearings for several weeks. But the Parole Board first confirmed them with the Bournemouth Daily Echo newspaper at the end of June. In a statement, an MoJ spokesman said: 'We are deeply sorry for the distress this has caused Carole's family and are working closely with the Parole Board to make sure this kind of error doesn't happen again.' The application is the second to be received by the Parole Board requesting a public hearing after the rule change earlier this year allowed the public and media to observe proceedings. Charles Bronson, one of the UK's longest serving and most notorious prisoners, was the first to request such a hearing. A date has not been set for his next parole review, although it is thought it could be later this year or early in 2023, and a decision on whether it will take place in public is yet to be made. A drug driver who killed his partner after losing control while speeding more than 40km/h over the limit has been jailed for four years - a sentence described by the victim's father as 'disgusting'. Grantley Dean Penny, 31, was driving his aunt's Hyundai Accent on September 1 last year when he lost control of the car and smashed into a power pole in Lesmurdie, Perth. His partner Darryleen Koolmatrie, 23, was killed in the crash just three weeks after she gave birth to their baby boy, named Grantley after his father. She was rushed to hospital before being declared dead, while Penny only received minor injuries. Penny was sentenced to four years in jail and must serve a minimum of two years before being eligible for parole. He has also been disqualified from driving for four years. Grantley Dean Penny, 31, was driving his aunt's Hyundai Accent on September 1 last year when he crashed His partner Darryleen Koolmatrie, 23, was killed in the crash, just three weeks after she gave birth to their baby boy Penny was driving 112 km/h in a 70 km/h zone at 11.20am on the morning of the crash and lost control of the car. It slid sideways for about 50 metres before crashing into a concrete median strip and flying through the air. The passenger side then smashed into the wooden pole, snapping it in half. It had been raining before the crash and it was later revealed the car's left front and right rear tyres were below the minimum safe tread depth. Penny told court he did not know about the condition of the tyres until the crash. His licence had also been expired for four years at the time of the crash and tests revealed he had been driving with a combination of prescription medications and cannabis in his system. 'I remember coming round the corner and it just slid out, just slid out, you know? The tyres were bald and I couldn't bring it back,' Penny told police after the crash, according to WA Today. His lawyer Patti Chong said the crash was 'a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions'. 'The offender did not just kill any innocent bystander or victim, he killed the love of his life, the mother of his three-month-old son,' she said. His licence had been expired for four years at the time of the crash and tests revealed he had been driving with a combination of prescription medications and cannabis in his system Penny was driving 112 km/h in a 70 km/h zone at 11.20am on the morning of the crash and lost control of the car 'It was reckless of him to drive when his motor driver's licence was suspended. It was reckless of him to get into a car that was less than roadworthy, with the tyres below the legal tread limit. 'It was reckless of him to be travelling at the speed which he did, down a steep hill in wet weather conditions. It was a tragedy just waiting to happen and it did happen.' She also told the court the strip of road where Penny had crashed had seen 25 other accidents that year, and road safety in the area was incredibly poor. Judge Charlotte Wallace said Penny was 'genuinely remorseful and consumed by your own grief' and had displayed empathy for the victim's family. 'Your driving had devastating consequences. You took a human life,' she said. 'I accept that it was never your intention, of course, to kill, or even harm your partner by driving in the manner in which you did. 'However, this is inevitably the case when someone is convicted of this kind of offence.' Reacting, Joyleen Koolmatrie described her granddaughter as 'a compassionate young woman', while her father John Blurton said his life was 'empty and lonely' without his daughter. While outside court, he labelled the sentence 'disgusting'. 'He only got two years (before parole). I've got a lifetime, his son has a lifetime,' he said. Blurton said he had reunited with his daughter after 20 years, and was 'really happy'. 'Then all of a sudden, three years later she was taken away,' he said. The Queen's cheeky great-grandson Prince Louis stole the hearts of the nation as he pulled faces and mucked about with his royal family at Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer. So mourners looking to have their spirits lifted even a little after the late Monarch's death on September 8 were disappointed to learn that the Prince and Princess of Wales's youngest - aged four - would not be attending yesterday's historic state funeral for his 'Gan Gan'. Now Twitter users are joking about what antics the little prince might have gotten up to while 'home alone' for the day - with many kidding that the 'real reason' young Louis did not go was because of a 'high chance of chaos'. One meme shows the young royal's face superimposed on the film poster of the classic 1990 movie Home Alone in place of Macaulay Culkin, while many others have shared memes of Culkin's character Kevin running around the house after his parents accidentally forget to bring him on holiday under the caption: 'And we now go live to Prince Louis at Buckingham Palace'. Some imagined Louis leaving a trail of destruction at the Palace, comparing him to an appearance Mr Blobby made on ITV's This Morning where he deliberately knocked items off the shelf. And a spare thought was even made for the prince's babysitter having to look after the mischief-maker. Twitter users are joking about what antics young Prince Louis might have gotten up to while 'home alone' for the day yesterday - with many kidding that the 'real reason' the little royal did not go to the funeral was because of a 'high chance of chaos' Louis and 'Gan Gan' at the Platinum Jubilee: The photos that stole the hearts of the nation Advertisement His mother the Princess of Wales earlier revealed how Louis is coping with the death of their great-grandmother the Queen. Speaking to Australia's Governor-General at a reception held for Commonwealth dignitaries ahead of the Queen's funeral today, Kate explained her four-year-old is asking questions and struggling to understand. Louis has been asking whether the family's summertime visit to Balmoral Castle will still be as he remembers them. 'The younger one is now asking questions like, ''do you think we can still play these games when we go to Balmoral' and things like that, because she's not going to be there?''' Mr Hurley said. The Daily Mail understands that the Prince and Princess of Wales thought 'long and hard' about whether their two eldest children, aged nine and seven, should join them. But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfather's memorial in March, William and Kate decided they could cope with the solemnity of the occasion. 'As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them,' a source said. 'Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it.' Yesterday the future King, Prince George, and his sister, Princess Charlotte, remained impeccably behaved through a long and solemn day as they bid farewell to their beloved 'Gan Gan'. The royal siblings, great grandchildren of the Queen, were among 2,000 guests at her state funeral and were the youngest members of the royal family to follow the Queen's coffin through Westminster Abbey. They also attended the committal service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle later in the afternoon. At Westminster Abbey, George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, walked behind the Queen's coffin as part of a solemn procession before hundreds of guests in the gothic church and watched from afar by a huge international TV audience. As the young royals followed their great grandmother's coffin, flanked by their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charlotte held her hands clasped in front of her, while George had his arms by his side. The foursome walked a little behind the King, Charles, and Camilla, Queen Consort, and ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The young royals had arrived earlier in a car with Camilla and their mother, Kate. George was dressed in a dark navy suit and black tie, while Charlotte wore a black coat dress with pleats at the back and a small silver horseshoe pinned on the front, black tights and a hat with a ribbon tied at the back. Ahead of the service, the Princess of Wales could be seen holding Charlotte's hand, and giving her a reassuring touch on the shoulder. Camilla, Queen Consort, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Sophie, Countess of Wessex Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Sophie, Countess of Wessex during the state funeral Throughout the service, the children could be seen studying their order of service at various points, with Charlotte looking around from under the brim of her hat while the mourners sang The Lord's My Shepherd. And her brother George was seen singing The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended as he stood between his parents. At one point, Kate could be seen comforting her son with a hand on his knee. At the end of the service, George followed closely behind his father, while Kate put a guiding hand on the back of her daughter, as the foursome got up from their seats and stood behind the coffin. As they filed slowly out of the Abbey both children looked down at times. They later stood with their mother Kate, Meghan, Camilla and the Countess of Wessex, watching as the Queen's coffin began its final journey from Westminster. Charlotte, Catherine, George and the Prince of Wales attend the Committal Service A general view of Mounties of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police along The Mall When the coffin reached Wellington Arch, it was transferred to the state hearse to be driven to Windsor, with senior royals watching at the side. Charlotte clasped her mother's hand and chatted briefly with her elder brother, gesturing at the coffin as it was carefully lifted off the gun carriage metres away. At the committal service in Windsor, TV cameras gave only a few glances of the siblings, who remained impeccably behaved despite their young age. Charlotte was seen exchanging a few words with the Dean of Windsor as the family left the chapel and was ushered to a waiting car. A banker for Santander has kept his job after taking four junior workers to a strip club in east London during a work night out, sparking an internal investigation. The senior manager is said to have orchestrated the evening at the Nag's Head Gentlemen's Club, in Aldgate, back in February of this year. The group of seven men, which included two other senior managers, headed to the club following a day of meetings with the global debt capital markets team, at the bank's offices near Regent's Park, reported the Financial Times. But an internal whistleblower feared the junior staff had been pressured to attend and raised the alarm with the Spanish bank's compliance department. The Nag's Head brands itself as 'one of London's oldest lap dancing establishments' on its website, adding: 'With beautiful girls from every corner of the world, you'll find nowhere better to watch exotic strip dance, from private dances to seductive stage shows.' After being made aware of the night out, Santander hired US law firm Gibson Dunn to launch an internal probe over the summer. However, after speaking to 15 workers who had been present that evening, they found there had been no explicit pressure exerted on junior staff members, according to a person with knowledge of the process. The unnamed manager at Spanish lender Santander is said to have orchestrated the evening at the Nags Head Gentlemen's Club (pictured), in Aldgate, east London, back in February of this year The manager who orchestrated the night was disciplined and kept his job. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was also informed, according to reports. One worker told FT the bank's handling of the affair was 'symptomatic of an industry in transition from old standards to new.' They added: 'The company did not know how to handle it because these practices were common a decade ago but are now, rightly, frowned upon.' Another employee branded the events an 'open secret', adding: 'Everyone [throughout the bank] knows about it, but nothing is being said officially.' The FCA declined to comment on the whistleblower concerned, telling MailOnline it cannot comment on individual firms. MailOnline has contacted Gibson Dunn for comment. In a statement, Santander said: 'We take all concerns about employee conduct extremely seriously and follow a rigorous process to ensure the facts are established and appropriate action is taken as necessary. The group of seven men, which included two other senior managers, headed to 'one of London's oldest lap dancing establishments' following a day of departmental meetings with the global debt capital markets team, reported the Financial Times (Pictured: Santander HQ near Regent's Park in London) 'The details of such investigations and actions are treated confidentially and we cannot, therefore, comment further.' It comes after four New York-based employees at Deutsche Bank were fired in March after they allegedly enjoyed an evening at a strip club in violation of company policy. They had attempted to claim expenses for the night out as a legitimate restaurant visit, according to Bloomberg. Even going to a strip club with colleagues is a violation of Deutsche Bank's company policy, and the error was reportedly compounded by attempts to claim expenses before trying to cover their tracks. The Australian man who claims to be the secret love child of King Charles and Queen Camilla says he has 'a big hug' ready for fellow royal 'black sheep' Prince Harry. Simon Charles Dorante-Day also says the 'family' likeness his children bear to the Windsors are a daily reminder of the Queen and the sadness of her passing. Mr Dorante-Day, 56, said that, as the son who was shunned by Charles from birth, he has a 'lot to talk about' with Harry. Queensland-based engineer Simon Charles Dorante-Day, 56, (pictured) was adopted at eight months old and maintains that his adoptive grandmother told him on her deathbed that he was the 'secret son' of Charles and Camilla 'We are both the black sheep of the royal family, I would say we have that bond,' Dorante-Day told Channel Seven. 'And I believe Harry would be receptive to my plight. 'He got f***ed over by his dad, he has a bone to pick with Charles. Just like I do. 'The first thing I'd do if I met them is I'd give them a big hug - I think they need one, to be honest. 'A lot of the criticism they are copping is blatantly unfair. It made me so angry when Harry was told he couldn't wear military uniform to his grandmother's funeral.' Mr Dorante-Day, who lives in Queensland and is an engineer, said he believed his Indigenous wife Elvianna would also have much in common with Meghan Markle. Mr Dorante-Day says he and wife Elvianna (both pictured) would have a lot to talk about with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'The chance for all of us to talk one-on-one would be very... enlightening,' Mr Dorante-Day said, while lashing out at critics of Harry's demeanour. 'It's sadly pathetic. Makes me angry from a general perspective - let alone that he could be my half brother,' Mr Dorante-Day said. 'When people say he looked very nervous and jumpy, I understand where Harry is coming from with that. I can tell that he's worried about someone attacking Meghan and saying something that will force her to react. 'My wife is the same, so I can relate. My advice for Harry is to let her go, to let Meghan say what she wants to say. 'People have been racist and insensitive to Meghan, she should give it back to critics without people looking down on her. 'He has a black wife. They say there isn't a race issue, but there is. People are so ignorant.' Mr Dorante-Day says the first thing he would do if meets Prince Harry (pictured with Meghan Markle) is 'give him a big hug' - as he seems to need one Mr Dorante-Day was born in Portsmouth, UK, on April 5, 1966 and was adopted at eight months old before his family later settled in Australia. Both of Mr Dorante-Day's adoptive grandparents had worked for the Queen and Prince Philip and he claims his adoptive grandmother told him he was the son of Charles and Camilla. Mr Dorante-Day alleges King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla began their close relationship in 1965, a year before his birth certificate says he was born. He claims that Queen Consort Camilla was absent from the British social scene and King Charles was sent on a trip to Australia nine months before he was born. Mr Dorante has frequently put pictures of himself and family members next to those of the Windsor family to show the resemblance. Mr Dorante-Day has gone viral by frequently posting images comparing photos of himself and his children alongside members of the British royal family - in this case the King himself He said whenever he looked at his son Liam or daughter Meriam he would see Queen Elizabeth. 'That kind of brings the grief on,' he said. 'To see them (his children) brings it back, it's right in your face. It's not something you can ignore. 'I know what happened to me. Mr Dorante-Day has questioned the official timeline of when King Charles and Camilla (both pictured) met 'It's my life. It's me explaining myself. I know it happened, it's not a question in my mind - the question is why?' Mr Dorante-Day believes inconsistencies on his birth certificate and his name also prove he is of royal blood. But his timeline of events contradicts official records that say the new King and Camilla met each other five years after Mr Dorante-Day's birth. Mr Dorante-Day claimed his research suggests Charles and Camilla first became close in 1965, meeting at Winston Churchill's funeral in January of that year. However, Charles and Camilla are widely reported to have met at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in 1970. Mr Dorante-Day shared a photo of him next to the Queen during her younger years (pictured) Legend has it that she introduced herself with the line: 'You know, sir, my great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather - so how about it?' - a reference to Edward VII and his mistress, Alice Keppel. She eventually married Charles in 2005, 10 years after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995. Mr Dorante-Day has for years spoken of his desire for the royals submit to a DNA test to prove his genetic heritage and has been seeking legal advice to further his claims. This is a horrifying moment when one more man was brutally gored by a bull during summer festivities in Spain. Footage from the scene shows onlookers screamed as one man was charged and floored by a bull during festivities in Humanes de Madrid on Monday in Spain. The video shows the man was left lying motionless on the tarmac after the bull tore right through his T-shirt with one of its horns. One more man was brutally gored by a bull during summer festivities in Spain The man was charged and floored by a bull during festivities in Humanes de Madrid on Monda The injured man was treated by the mobile intensive care unit before being sent to hospitals in Fuenlabrada and Getafe The injured man was treated by the mobile intensive care unit before being sent to hospitals in Fuenlabrada and Getafe. The bull goring came hot on the heels of others in the Madrid region. Last weekend, a volunteer with the Civil Defence of San Sebastian de los Reyes was injured by a bull that had slipped between two fences in Campo Real. The man - named Oscar - was gored in the back while trying to help a colleague who had tripped and fallen to the ground seconds earlier. The bull goring came hot on the heels of others in the Madrid region. The video shows the man was left lying motionless on the tarmac after the bull tore right through his T-shirt with one of its horns His condition is not serious and he has already been discharged from hospital, according to reports. Another man was wounded after a bull destroyed a wooden fence and charged pedestrians on a street in Corpa. Locals managed to climb onto balconies and windows or enter shops and homes, but the man was gored while lifting his son to safety onto a car bonnet. He suffered several injuries and had to be taken by ambulance to a hospital in Alcala de Henares. Last weekend, a volunteer with the Civil Defence of San Sebastian de los Reyes was injured by a bull that had slipped between two fences in Campo Real In late August, a man in his 60s was gored to death in Alarpardo, and another man met the same fate during a running of the bulls in Navalcarnero on 10th September Shockingly, a worker at the bullring in Fuenlabrada was gored to death on Saturday after a bull slipped into the space between the inner and outer barriers. The incident brought the number of deaths by bulls in the Madrid region this summer to three. In late August, a man in his 60s was gored to death in Alarpardo, and another man met the same fate during a running of the bulls in Navalcarnero on 10th September. Around half of the British businesses trying out a four-day week say they will stick to the new working pattern when the scheme ends. More than 3,300 employees across 70 companies and charities took part in the radical six-month experiment in June, with staff given full pay for 80% of their time while making a commitment to produce 100% of their usual output in a trial that could overhaul the working life of Britons. However, only around half of those taking part (41) responded to a survey canvassing opinion at the halfway point, with nearly nine in ten of the respondents saying that they would keep the scheme in place beyond the trial period. 15% surveyed claimed that productivity had surged dramatically - while the remainder recorded either no change or only a 'slight improvement' in output. Companies previously said they had struggled with rota chaos and staff confusion after rolling out the four-day week, with bosses admitting that they doubted the policy could survive the trial period. More than 3,300 employees across 70 companies and charities took part in the radical six-month trial in June, with staff given full pay for 80% of their time while making a commitment to produce 100% of their usual output (stock photo used) Samantha Losey, boss of communications firm Unity, told The Telegraph last month: 'It's more likely that we won't carry on now. One of the things that has struck me is whether or not we are a mature enough business to be able to handle the four-day week. 'The rest of the world not doing four-day weeks makes it challenging. We agreed we'd go all the way through the pilot, but I'm questioning whether this is the right thing for us long-term. It's been bumpy for sure.' However, toward the end of the trial it seems that despite the 'rough times' she acknowledged during the changeover process, her attitude towards the concept was a much more positive one: 'Ultimately, the outcomes we're experiencing, such as better, higher, and a positive team culture shift are reassuring that the bumps in the road are exponentially worth it.' A range of businesses and charities are taking part, including the Royal Society of Biology, hipster London brewery Pressure Drop, Southampton computer game developer Yo Telecom, a Manchester medical devices firm, and a fish and chip shop in Norfolk. Weighing up a four-day week? Here are the pros and cons Pros Fewer distractions at work Longer hours does not necessarily mean more output Increased mental wellbeing and physical health Parents with children find themselves less stressed out Potentially lowered carbon footprint Cons Not all industries can participate It might widen existing inequalities The cost risk for employers is expensive Workers may put in the same hours anyways Difficult team management Source: Adecco Group Advertisement The trial is being run by not-for-profit 4 Day Week Global in partnership with left-wing thinktank Autonomy, researchers at Boston College and Oxford and Cambridge universities, and lobby group 4 Day Week Campaign, which is pushing for a 32-hour working week with no pay reduction. The firms and not-for-profits are being charged up to 10,000 to take part, MailOnline has learned. Of those who did respond to the survey, nearly half (46%) said productivity had not increased, while about a third (34%) reported only a 'slight' improvement and just 15% a 'significant' one'. And on a scale of one to five indicating how smooth the shift had been, with a grade of one representing 'extremely smooth', more than a fifth (22%) did not rate the move to a shorter week one or two. Even among those who now believe the four-day week worked for them, the transition was not been without its difficulties. Nicci Russell, managing director of water efficiency group Waterwise, told The Times: 'It wasn't a walk in the park at the start, but no major change ever is. 'Some weeks are easier than others and things like annual leave can make it harder to fit everything in, but we're much more settled with it now.' The CEO of 4 Day Week Global, Joe O'Connor, admitted: 'We are learning that for many it is a fairly smooth transition and for some there are some understandable hurdles - especially among those which have comparatively fixed or inflexible practices, systems, or cultures which date back well into the last century. 'While for most organisations the pilot prompts many pleasing discoveries and outcomes - a lot of businesses have more flexibility and nimbleness among their people and teams that leaders often know at the outset - there is friction for others, and this can be based on a variety of factors, many of which can be addressed or substantially improved in the pilot itself'. Critics argue the concept would be impossible in customer facing jobs, or 24/7 operations including where overtime payments would present an extra cost to employers or the taxpayer. A trial of the four-day working week in France previously found workers were putting in the same amount of hours even with a day fewer and companies were having to pay them for their extra time. Claire Daniels, CEO at Trio Media (left), Nicci Russell, managing director of water efficiency group Waterwise (right) Samantha Losey, boss of communications firm Unity. She warned last month she would probably not extend the trial beyond the initial period, but seems to have had a change of heart Some economists have also said that working fewer hours would decrease the standard of living, while the leader of one of Spain's main business associations has previously described it as 'madness'. It comes as the pandemic has seen more employees working from home and adopting more flexible hours instead of the usual nine-to-five, five-day working week. By contrast, Sharon Platts of Outcomes First Group said: 'The four-day week [pilot] has been transformational for us so far. 'We've been delighted to see productivity and output increase and have also been able to make it work in our education and care services, which we thought would be far more challenging. 'While it's still early days, our confidence in continuing beyond the trial is growing and the impact on colleague wellbeing has been palpable.' And Claire Daniels, CEO at Trio Media, said that revenue at her business - that had 450,000 sales last year and is budgeting for 650,000 this year - had increased during the trial. She added: 'The four-day week trial so far has been extremely successful for us. Productivity has remained high, with an increase in wellness for the team, along with our business performing 44% better financially.' Kyle Lewis, co-director of Autonomy, insisted that the trial would provide information that 'can support other organisations and sectors considering switching to a four-day week in the future'. Six veterans will co-operate with an inquest into the death of a man shot during a prison break nearly 50 years ago. Hugh Gerard Coney, 24, was shot in the back by a British soldier as he and other detainees tried to escape the Long Kesh Detention Centre in Northern Ireland - a facility used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners. The republican internee had used a tunnel to escape the prison camp and was running across a field close to a perimeter fence when he was fatally shot in 1974. A fresh inquest into the shooting of Mr Coney, from Coalisland, County Tyrone, is due to be heard in February. At a pre-inquest review at Belfast Coroner's Court today, coroner Anne Louise Toal heard an update on efforts by her investigators to trace military witnesses to the incident. Fiona Doherty QC, counsel for the coroner, said: 'Six have responded and are willing to assist.' She said a number of the former soldiers have asked for legal representation from the Crown Solicitor's Office (CSO). Hugh Gerard Coney, 24, was shot in the back by a British soldier as he tried to escape a detention centre in Northern Ireland in 1974 The Long Kesh Detention Centre in Northern Ireland, located nine miles outside Belfast in County Antrim Ms Doherty added: 'The remainder are content, certainly at the minute, not to be represented.' She also said the process of taking statements from the witnesses ahead of the inquest could begin 'very quickly'. The hearing was also today told that three former police officers had responded to contact letters from the Coroners' Service about the upcoming inquest. Donal Lunny KC, representing the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Ministry of Defence, confirmed that three of the six former soldiers have contacted the CSO. He said none of the potential police witnesses have yet contacted the CSO. The preliminary hearing also received an update on the process of disclosing sensitive police, military and government documents ahead of the inquest. The coroner welcomed the progress, but stressed the importance of keeping up 'momentum' ahead of the current start date at the end of February. Mr Coney's inquest has been listed despite continued uncertainty over whether some outstanding inquests may not get the chance to be heard due to planned laws intended to prevent future legacy probes. The Government is currently putting its controversial legacy legislation through Parliament. The draft Bill would offer immunity from prosecution for people accused of committing offences during the Troubles, so long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body. It would also halt any future civil cases and inquests linked to killings during the conflict. Coroners in Northern Ireland are currently working their way through a schedule of legacy inquests related to the Troubles, including some covering incidents from 50 years ago. While many have concluded, several have yet to begin. The next pre-inquest hearing in the case of Mr Coney has been listed for October 20. Labour Party republicans have challenged Sir Keir Starmer to lead 'a debate on the future on the monarchy' just days after the death of the Queen. Labour for a Republic (L4AR) said that the official mourning period between the late monarch's death and her funeral yesterday had been used as a 'cloak' to stifle opposition to Charles III taking the throne. The group will host a conference fringe event featuring Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee on Saturday, entitled What Future for the Monarchy? It comes a day after the Queen was laid to rest with her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh, parents George VI and the Queen Mother, and sister Princess Margaret. Sir Keir has been at pains to rein in his party during the mourning period and beyond. At the weekend the Mail on Sunday revealed that the party will break with tradition at the start of its conference by playing the National Anthem despite fears that some delegates could boo. Speaking ahead of Saturday's event, L4AR chairman Nick Wall said that the monarchy is ' clearly at odds with Labour's values'. 'The legitimate period of mourning has been used as a cloak to avoid any discussion about the accession,' he said. 'This is both coercive and insensitive. In a democracy, discussion about the Monarchy is not something that should be shut down, it is a healthy public debate that should be encouraged. Labour for a Republic (L4AR) said that the official mourning period between the late monarch's death and her funeral yesterday had been used as a 'cloak' to stifle opposition to Charles III taking the throne. The group will host a conference fringe event featuring Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee on Saturday, entitled What Future for the Monarchy? It comes a day after the Queen was laid to rest with her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh, parents George VI and the Queen Mother, and sister Princess Margaret. 'We have seen in recent weeks how increasingly divisive and out of touch the monarchy is. 'On the one hand we have millions of people in Britain living in fuel poverty, with millions more set to follow, as well as unprecedented numbers relying on food banks. On the other hand we have seen millions spent on royal parades, which have a purely political aim to put in place a new Head of State without any scrutiny or consultation with the British people.' However Sir Keir has been consciously trying to make sure Labour does not rock the boat following the death of the Queen. He has repeatedly spoken in tribute since her death. Yesterday he said the Queen's funeral marked 'the passing of an era'. The Labour leader was among the 2,000 mourners gathered in Westminster Abbey for the service on Monday. He wrote on Twitter: 'Today marks the passing of an era. The dignity, courage, spirit, selflessness and good humour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II showed throughout her reign will always be with us. We are lucky to call ourselves Elizabethans.' Sir Keir is set to open his party's four-day conference in Liverpool on September 25 with a tribute to the long-reigning monarch. Party delegates will also sing the national anthem at the start of the gathering, for the first time in recent history. It is understood the National Anthem decision came only after intense discussions by party managers over how 'God Save the King' would be received in the conference hall. Several Labour MPs ignored party guidance last week to suspend campaigning and party activity, and make no media comment beyond tribute to the Queen. In an intervention that will infuriate Sir Keir, Left-wing MP Clive Lewis said the notion of the Royal Family as a symbol of duty or sacrifice was a lie. He said his initial response to people queuing for hours to file past the Queens coffin was bemusement followed by a touch of despair. An Aussie tourist on a Bali surf trip was left in a critical condition after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs while riding a scooter. Tey Evans, 35, was enjoying the getaway with friends but at the time of the horrific incident he was alone travelling through South Kuta. He dodged the savage dogs but it caused him to spin off the bike and fall into a concrete slab. Mr Evans suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, a ruptured spleen, a fractured elbow, vertebra and pelvis as well as a damaged kidney - all of which caused severe internal bleeding. He was left in a coma for two days after the accident, which took place on August 25. It is understood he lay injured at the crash scene for some time before anyone realised what had happened. Tey Evans, 35, was alone and riding a scooter through South Kuta when he was attacked by the dogs He dodged the dogs but it caused him to spin off the bike and fall into a concrete slab His partner, Jessica Dennis, flew out to Bali as soon as she was informed of his accident. They had gotten engaged just a month before. When he arrived at the hospital, doctors couldn't find a pulse, Ms Dennis revealed, and he was rushed into surgery right away. However, doctors found there wasn't enough O-negative blood for him to make it through, leaving him with a low chance of survival. 'I got told it was a 60 per cent chance of him surviving. When they realised they didn't have enough blood, that went down to 30,' Ms Dennis told Yahoo News Australia. 'I didn't know it was such a high chance he wasn't going to make it, I had no idea and I don't know if I'm grateful for that or not.' When she arrived at the hospital in Nusa Dua on Saturday, Ms Dennis was informed by medical staff that Mr Evans had narrowly survived an 11-hour surgery. His survival was down to a bus full of locals being tested until they found the right blood type for Mr Evans. His partner, Jessica Dennis, flew out to Bali as soon as she was informed of his accident. They had gotten engage just a month before Mr Evans is now out of ICU and in 'really good care in general hospital' Mr Evans is now out of ICU and in 'really good care in general hospital'. The couple will remain in Bali for at least a month until he is able to fly home. 'Now I realise how lucky we really are. If he wasn't wearing that helmet things would be a lot different,' Ms Dennis said. He is expected to make a full recovery and 'doctors are blown away' by his progress. Mr Evans got out of bed for the first time supported and assisted, taking a few steps before going back into bed - something doctors say is a very positive sign. Despite the good news, the couple have had to postpone their February wedding so he has time to recover. The family started a GoFundMe for Mr Evans' rehabilitation and recovery, and have so far raised more than half their target amount of $80,000. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an unprecedented action, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday held a press conference at the Raj Bhavan here to level serious allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the LDF government led by the CPM, in connection with appointments to varsities and a conspiracy to silence him. Displaying visuals of the protest held against him at the 80th Indian History Congress in Kannur in December 2019 on TV screens installed at the press conference venue, Khan alleged that there had been an attempt to intimidate him. He accused K.K. Ragesh, private secretary to Chief Minister Vijayan, of preventing police personnel from taking action against the protestors. Asked why he was raising the matter more than two years after the incident, the Governor said the police should have taken suo motu action as it was a cognisable offence. He quoted from Section 124 of the IPC which says anyone who assaults or wrongfully restrains, attempts to restrain President of India or the Governor from exercising their duty is liable to be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine. The press conference was the latest episode of back-to-forth allegations levelled by the Governor and Chief Minister. It all began with the Governor's decision to freeze the appointment of Priya Varghese, wife of K.K. Ragesh, at Kannur university on August 17. Khan accused the government of legalising illegalities through measures like ordinance and Bill. The Universities Bill and Lok Ayukta Bills passed by Kerala Assembly recently are pending with the Governor for assent. At the press conference, Khan said he would not sign the bills as they were aimed at culling the powers of Chancellor (Governor) and the Lok Ayukta. The Bill sought to give more powers to the government than the chancellor in appointments in varsities. Khan also made it clear that he would not give assent to LokAyukta Bill which gives powers to the accused to sit on judgment on complaints against him. "I can't allow the accused to judge their own cases," he added. The Governor alleged that the Chief Minister had intervened in the appointment of Kannur University Vice Chancellor. He released letters exchanged between him and the Chief Minister regarding the dilution of the autonomy of the universities and the undue interference in the functioning of Raj Bhavan. In response, ruling LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan said the Governor had no right to continue in office after making such baseless allegations against the Chief Minister and the government. CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan refuted all the allegations levelled by Khan and described him as the spokesman of the Sangh Parivar. The opposition Congress-led UDF welcomed the Governors decision on not signing the universities and Lok Ayukta Bills. However, leader of the opposition V.D. Satheeshan said the allegations levelled by the Governor and the CPM-led LDF against each other were another drama. BJP state president K.K. Surendran demanded the registration of a case against the Chief Ministers private secretary and his immediate arrest. Delaware's Governor has said they are preparing for any migrants that may be sent to Biden's home state by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the plane which was flown into Marthas Vineyard heads towards Georgetown airport. DeSantis last week sparked a spectacular escalation in the ongoing immigration war between the Republican GOPs in charge of the border states and Democrat officials in so-called sanctuary cities. He sent 50 migrants to affluent Martha's Vineyard, and now appears that he is sending the Ultimate Air Shuttle to Georgetown, close to President Bidens Rehoboth home. It is understood that the flight will touch down at around 1.30pm, with a spokeswoman for Gov John Carney confirming they are 'aware of reports'. Emily David Hershman said: 'Were aware of the reports, and continue to prepare for the possibility of migrants arriving in Delaware unannounced. 'Our teams at DEMA and DHSS are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need. 'We are coordinating with Federal officials and are prepared to welcome these families in an orderly manner as they pursue their asylum claims.' Florida governor Ron DeSantis appears to be flying a plane towards President Joe Biden's home state of Delaware. It is the same plane that took 50 migrants to billionaires enclave Martha's Vineyard last week The plane appears to be heading for Georgetown Airport close to President Bidens Rehoboth beach home in Delaware DeSantis previously flew 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard on the exact same plane last week, sparking an escalation in the immigration war Migrants yesterday arrived, mostly from Venezuela, in El Paso, Texas, and were seen climbing up an embankment after crossing the Rio Grande The plane had started its journey from Longview, in Texas, before heading to San Antonio, and then Crestview, in Florida. An hour after landing on the coast of Delaware, the plane is set to head to Teterboro airport in New Jersey. It is the same aircraft which headed from San Antonio, to Crestview and then on to Marthas Vineyard on September 14. Republicans have stepped up their attacks on the Biden administration as they try to make immigration the theme of November's midterm elections. Lt. Gov Jeanette Nunez declared over the weekend that DeSantis administration is planning to send any illegal migrants from Florida to Delaware. DeSantis has accused critics of his move to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard of 'virtue signaling', saying their concern for the welfare of the migrants was a 'fraud'. He said: 'The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with every day is brought to their front door, they go berserk, and they're so upset that this is happening. The 50 migrants were put on a bus by Gov. Charlie Baker less than 48 hours after landing, and given a police escort to get a ferry to Joint Base in Cape Cod 32 miles away from Martha's Vineyard. DeSantis sent two planes of 50 migrants to the affluent island on Thursday - following in the 'blueprint' of Texas Gov Greg Abbott sending buses to Washington DC Migrants who were relocated from Martha's Vineyard to the Joint Base Cape Cod less than 48 hours after landing Biden's border crisis breaks another annual record - with a month to spare! Two MILLION migrants arrested at the Mexico border in one year for the first time in history More than two million migrants have been arrested at the Mexico border in a year for the first time in history. The record, revealed in Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border, comes amid a continued flow of migrants in Texas, Arizona, and California. The figures show a spike this spring, with 241,000 law enforcement encounters, with numbers staying above 200,000 each month since even after a drop. The total was 203,000 in August. The figures cover an 11-month period, so the grand total won't be revealed until after the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30th. The migrants came from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua stopped by law enforcement hi 56,000 last month, up from 50,000 in July, and spiking from 23,000 in August, administration officials said. That includes 18,000 encounters with Venezuelans, with most around Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas. It is harder for the U.S. to return migrants to those host countries due to political tensions. Advertisement Lawyers for 30 of the Venezuelan Migrants flown to the affluent island last night called for a criminal probe into DeSantis, accusing him of falsely promising them jobs and immigration help. He is accused of preying on the migrants, with DeSantis saying the migrants knew where they were going having signed waivers. Last night Democratic Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, from Texas, announced that he would be launching an investigation into whether the migrants were 'kidnapped' by DeSantis. He claimed there was criminal activity involved - before rowing back and saying he was keeping an 'open mind' during a press conference on Monday night. DeSantis furiously slapped down the claims, pointing out the hypocrisy of the Texas sheriff after 50 migrants died in a trailer-tractor over the summer in his jurisdiction. A representative for Gov DeSantis did not immediately respond to request for comment from DailyMail.com. On Monday more than the number of migrants arrested at America's southern border soared past two million for the first time in history. The record, revealed in Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border, comes amid a continued influx in Texas, Arizona, and California that has left local towns at breaking point. The figures show a spike this spring, with 241,000 law enforcement encounters, with numbers staying above 200,000 each month since even after a drop. The total was 203,000 in August. The Florida Governor sent the migrants to billionaires enclave Marthas Vineyard after Texas Gov Greg Abbott sent buses of the illegal immigrants to the door of VP Kamala Harris last week. He sent 151 people on buses outside of her home in the Naval Observatory in Washington DC, in the ongoing war over the border. Harris declared in an interview that the borders were secure just days before Abbott sent the latest wave of people in his campaign against so called sanctuary cities. Abbott has bussed in thousands of migrants who crossed the border into Texas from Mexico to New York, Washington DC and Chicago in the past few months. President Biden branded the republican governors as unAmerican for the way they were playing political games with migrants. DeSantis defended his actions and claimed that the migrants knew exactly where they were going and voluntarily signed up for the trip On Monday more than the number of migrants arrested at America's southern border soared past two million for the first time in history Lawyers for 30 of the migrants have launched legal action against DeSantis, claiming he 'falsely' promised them 'financial and immigration help' The GOP leaders say they're keen for liberals who espouse 'sanctuary cities' to experience the full effects of uncontrolled immigration, which has hit Texas border cities including Del Rio and El Paso very hard. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, wrote to the Department of Justice to request that DeSantis be investigated for kidnapping. In a letter to Merrick Garland, the attorney general, he said he was 'horrified at the images of migrants being shipped on buses and planes across the country to be used as political props.' He wrote: 'I urge US DOJ to investigate whether the alleged fraudulent inducement would support charges of kidnapping under relevant state laws, which could serve as a predicate offense for charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions of the Organized Crime Control Act.' Other Democrats have slammed the Republican blueprint of sending migrants to other cities with little warning, with New York Mayor Eric Adams slamming it as inhumane and branding Abbott as a rogue Governor. On Wednesday, Adams admitted that shelters in the Big Apple are at 'breaking point' after the Texas Gov bused nearly 11,000 people into the city. Just shy of 200,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted crossing the southern border in July, according to the most recent CBP figures available Abbott recently clashed with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the decision, with Lightfoot branding him as a 'racist'. She sparked outrage last week after deciding to move migrants from Chicago to a neighboring Republican suburb. Of the 147 migrants who arrived last Wednesday, Lightfoot ordered 64 of them to be taken to a Hampton Inn hotel in Burr Ridge, where they will be housed for at least the next 30 days. Republican Mayor of Burr Ridge, Gary Grasso, directed his anger at Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for using the migrants as 'political pawns.' Mayor Muriel Bowser, of Washington DC, last week declared a public emergency over the buses continuing to arrive from Texas and Arizona. It will set aside funding to accommodate migrants as well as create the Office of Migrant Services (OMS). The OMS will provide temporary accommodation, urgent medical needs, transportation and other services for those arriving. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been engaged in a public war of words with DeSantis after last week's high-profile flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Newsom demanded a criminal probe into Florida's airlift, calling it 'morally reprehensible' and possibly illegal Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border revealed a continued influx in Texas, Arizona, and California that has left local towns at breaking point Bowser has twice asked that the National guard be activated to assist with the thousands of migrants arriving at the capital, but they have both been denied by the Pentagon. Brianne Nadeau, a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, has slammed the governors of Texas and Arizona for the city's public migrant emergency. At the same time as these new arrivals, humanitarian crisis is deepening in the Texas border town of El Paso. Nearly 1,000 migrants have been released to sleep on the streets amid a surge of illegal crossings that is overwhelming Border Patrol facilities. Border Patrol facilities and shelters in the west Texas town have been overwhelmed in recent days, leading to a flood of so-called 'street releases'. Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a GOP US Representative, said: 'We've never seen anything like this. It's a scene that you would see in a third-world country, not in the streets of El Paso.' It has led to scenes of misery, with hundreds of migrants sleeping on the streets without access to toilets or showers, and residents say that the 'smell of human waste is overwhelming in the area.' The situation in El Paso comes after the Biden administration officially extended special protections for Venezuelans, known as Temporary Protected Status, that shield some of them from deportation. Migrants in Eagle Pass, 450 miles east along the border, were also reported to have killed a guard dog and begun eating animals in desperation. Just shy of 200,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted crossing the southern border in July, according to the most recent CBP figures available. Dozens of migrants have been plucked out of the English Channel today after their vessel came into trouble while attempting the perilous 21-mile journey across the Dover Straits. Groups of young men, women and children were pictured being brought to shore in Kent by Border Force on Tuesday morning, as the total number to arrive by small boats this year nears 30,000. Wearing red life jackets and face masks, the migrants sailed to safety aboard the BF Defender with the help of members of the Armed Forces. French border officials stopped two dinghies which attempted the daring journey to England on Monday night, while another boat full of migrants is thought to be its way this afternoon. The migrants that successfully made the crossing today were assessed to be in a safe and stable condition and then brought into the harbour at Dover, where they were entered into the immigration system. It is the first time since Thursday that crossings have taken place after the last few days saw windy conditions at sea. That day more than 600 people arrived after nearly 40 were rescued from the Channel when their boat sank off the Kent coast. More than 29,700 people have crossed the Channel to the UK so far this year, according to provisional Government figures. This is higher than the number for the whole of 2021, which was 28,526. Groups of young men, women and children are pictured being brought to shore in Kent by Border Force on Tuesday morning, as the total number to arrive by small boats this year nears 30,000 Wearing red life jackets and face masks, the migrants sailed to safety aboard the BF Defender vessel A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on Tuesday morning A group of people thought to be migrants walk through the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, on Tuesday morning, after being rescued at sea The record-breaking numbers of migrants crossing the Channel has shown no sign of slowing Migrants arrive to the shores of Kent aboard the BF Defender vessel operated by Border Force Migrants form a single file after being brought to shore in Kent following a rescue operation at sea Members of the Armed Forces can be seen assisting migrants off a Border Force vessel in Kent on Tuesday morning IN NUMBERS: 2022's migrant record The number has increased steadily each year since 299 people were detected making the journey in 2018. There were 1,843 crossings detected in 2019, 8,466 in 2020 and 28,526 in 2021, according to the Home Office The current cumulative total for 2022, 29,099 is nearly double the number at this point last year (14,474). Of the 29,099 people who have been provisionally detected so far this year, 23,831 have crossed since the Government announced on April 14 that it had agreed a deal to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda. The first deportation flight - due to take off on June 14 - was grounded amid a series of legal challenges. In 2021 more than half of the people detected crossing the Channel were of Iranian or Iraqi nationality (30% and 22% of the total respectively). A further 10% were Eritrean, 9% were Syrian and 5% were from Afghanistan. Former home secretary Priti Patel said in the House of Commons on September 5 that Albanian nationals accounted for around 60% of the people arriving in the UK via small boats over the summer. The average has risen steadily since the start of 2021. In 2018 there were fewer than 10 people per boat, while in 2019 and 2020 the figure tended to fluctuate between single figures and the high teens. From 2021 the average started to increase, reaching 20 in March and 30 in August. Advertisement And last month, Government officials said it was remarkable there had not been any drownings or other serious incidents so far this year as the average number of people per boat rose to 44, compared to 28 in 2021. The first two weeks of September alone saw 4,056 people arrive in 96 boats, and more were expected to risk the perilous journey this week amid better weather conditions at sea. In 2021 there were 28,526 migrants detained in what was then a record compared to 8,410 in 2020. But 2022 became an official record year after the MoD confirmed 601 people had arrived in the UK on September 12 - taking the total to 28,561. The issue will be among the top priorities for new Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who replaced Priti Patel when Liz Truss became prime minister. She is said to be deliberately reaching out to Home Office staff in a bid to have a 'clean break' from her predecessor's 'challenging' tenure, which saw Ms Patel's leadership mired by claims of bullying before a Cabinet Office inquiry found she had broken the ministerial code - only holding onto her position because the then-PM Boris Johnson rejected the findings. Civil servants told the Times that Ms Braverman has 'gone out of her way' to show that she will respect staff. It comes after morale reached 'rock bottom' following the Home Office's failed bid to fly migrants to Rwanda - with one mandarin comparing it to Nazi Germany in an internal Q&A on the controversial policy. However Ms Braverman has told staff she will 'double down' on the plans. One Tory MP told the Times: 'She's as rightwing as Priti, but cleverer. 'Priti was affected by her experience at the Home Office over the Rutnam thing a lot of baggage. 'Once that happened, she was always in a difficult situation because why would the Home Office want her to succeed? [Braverman] is not unaware of the scale of that problem, though. She's very aware that she'll have to be very decisive in order to get what she wants done.' Ms Braverman previously told allies that she wants to substantially increase the use of detention facilities in Britain to house migrants arriving to the Kent coast. Prince Harry 'has a big role to play' in the Royal Family but needs to 'ditch' his upcoming memoir to regain his relatives' trust, Tina Brown said today. The former Vanity Fair editor suggested the freeze in hostilities between the Duke of Sussex and his brother, the Prince of Wales, made it a good time to build bridges if he wanted to become more involved. She told Lorraine: This is an incredible moment to be used. The country loved that feeling of unity and seeing the brothers back together, it was a beautiful sight. But unless he gives up his book and the tell-all documentaries and interviews then there can be no trust. I think if he does that there can be a way. The Royal Family needs him and theres a lot of work to be done. Kate doesnt want to be travelling the world, shes the mother of three children. They have to somehow divvy this stuff up and Harry has a big role to play if he wants to. And if Meghan wants to, because of course she hated every bit of it.' Harry and Meghan side by side as they leave Westminster Abbey yesterday afternoon Brown suggested the Sussexes could spend 'four or five months' in California and the rest on royal duties. She continued: 'The question is whether theyve each got the give to do it, because as we know family rancour can go very deep. 'If Harry doesnt want to bin the book then I cant see a way forward.' Brown went on to suggest that the Sussexes would have far more potential to 'do good' within the Royal Family than outside it. 'Diana always knew that it was being inside that gave her the power,' she said. 'When she shook hands with the Aids patient she did that as Princess of Wales, and it was bringing the lustre of the monarchy to the moment that made that gesture go around the world. Harry and Meghan stayed in the UK last night after reuniting with the royals to mourn the Queen but are expected to leave for California 'as soon as they can' after not seeing Archie and Lilibet for nearly three weeks. The Sussexes arrived in Britain on September 3 for the first time since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. They expected to stay only briefly but with the news Her Majesty was ill Prince Harry cancelled his appearance at the WellChild Awards in London and rushed to Balmoral. Although the Duchess of Sussex did not join him in Scotland, she was by his side for a series of official events over the 10-day period of mourning, including the funeral yesterday. The Sussexes arrived in Britain on September 3 for the first time since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. Pictured: They are directed to their seats by the Prince and Princess of Wales in St George's Chapel yesterday The Sussexes were placed on the second row at the Abbey, and Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform due to no longer being a senior royal The Sussexes were reported at the weekend to be planning to fly back to the US as soon as they could, although informed sources last night told The Times that the couple were still in the UK. Harry was seen puffing his cheeks yesterday evening as he got into a car with Meghan following an emotional day which saw Queen Elizabeth II finally laid to rest with her beloved husband Prince Philip. The Duke of Sussex and other royals, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, were pictured leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday afternoon after a moving committal service for the late monarch. In what was the longest of days for the royal family, relatives of the Queen went back to Windsor Castle for some rest before returning to St George's Chapel for a private burial service later that night. There they witnessed Her Majesty being buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in a service conducted by the Dean of Windsor in the The King George VI Memorial Chapel. It was one of the only parts of yesterday that was not televised, with billions of people around the world thought to have seen some part of the processions and services in honour of Her Majesty. The Duchess of Sussex was visibly emotional during the state funeral and burial of her husband's grandmother in London yesterday At the start of the day members of the Royal Family - including Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, and thousands of world leaders and foreign dignitaries congregated at Westminster Abbey for the late monarch's funeral service. Harry was visibly emotional during the procession and inside the church, as was Meghan, who was seen wiping away tears at the ceremony. The Sussexes were placed on the second row at the Abbey, and Harry was prevented from wearing his military uniform or saluting as the Queen's coffin passed the Cenotaph during the procession before the service due to no longer being a senior royal. Prince Harry was seen exhaling as he entered a car with Meghan after the Queen's committal service at Windsor yesterday afternoon On September 10, the couple were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle The week saw several rare displays of public unity between the royal family and Harry and Meghan. On September 10, the couple were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, while yesterday William was seen appearing to direct Harry and Meghan to their seats during the later service at St Georges Chapel. But onlookers noted the lack of warmth or eye contact between the two brothers. Yesterday, Harry was seen walking solemnly on the grass outside St George's Chapel in Windsor ahead of the Queen's committal service, and speaking with his aunt Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. The Sussexes have not seen their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, for nearly three weeks At the service Her Majesty was laid to rest with Prince Philip, along with her husband, father, mother and sister as her 70-year reign came to an end with the removal of her crown, orb and sceptre from her coffin. Her eldest son and the new monarch, King Charles III, looked deeply moved as his mother's remains descended on a day where he appeared tearful on a number of occasions as he said goodbye to his mother, the 12th British monarch to be buried at Windsor. A smaller, more private burial service took place last night, with the Queen's family finally given the chance to pay their respects and mourn her passing away from the public's gaze. Outgoing Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney claimed on Monday night that a Republican colleague of hers called Donald Trump 'orange Jesus' even as he signed a form formally objecting to the ex-president's election loss. The ousted conservative Trump critic recalled it happening in the GOP cloak room hours before the former president's supporters stormed the US Capitol to stop lawmakers from certifying his defeat. 'I was working on my remarks, I was supposed to speak that day and there were sheets of paper laid out on the desks. And I asked one of the staffers in the cloakroom, "what are these sheets of paper?" Because members were coming in and signing them,' Cheney said. The staffer told her they were objection sheets for whoever wanted to sign up to oppose President Joe Biden's victory. Only one objection is required, but Cheney said 'there were so many who wanted to show they were objecting that theyd set up these sign-up sheets in the cloakroom.' 'As I was sitting there, a member came in and he signed his name on each one of the states sheets. And then he said under his breath, "The things we do for the Orange Jesus." And I thought, you know, youre taking an act that is unconstitutional,' Cheney said. The conservative lawmaker was ostracized from her own party for her criticism of Trump following the US Capitol riot last year and her work investigating him via the January 6 committee. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney tore into her soon-to-be-former House GOP colleagues for their enduring loyalty to Trump in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute on Monday night She lost her primary race to a Trump-backed challenger in August. Cheney tore into her soon-to-be-former colleagues on Monday night, accusing them of treating the former president 'as though he were a king' and painting their enduring loyalty as a threat to democracy. 'The elected leaders of the Republican Party downplay the violence of January 6, and they demand that all others do the same. This has become a litmus test,' she said in a shot at her former allies' support for her primary opponent. 'It's as if the hundreds of serious injuries to Capitol police officers who defended our Capitol that day were inconsequential.' She added that 'Mike Pence was essentially the president for most of the day.' Cheney also condemned Trump and his supporters' verbal attacks on federal law enforcement in the wake of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, where agents reportedly retrieved highly classified documents that were not meant to leave a secure facility. As over the Capitol riot, Cheney has been one of the few Republicans openly criticizing Trump for his handling of classified documents - which the Justice Department suggests could possibly be in violation of the Espionage Act and other criminal statutes. She said that elected Republicans are treating the former president 'as though he were a king' '[T]hose who are protecting Donald Trump, elected leaders of my party, are now willing to condemn FBI agents, Department of Justice officials, and pretend that taking top secret...documents and keeping them in a desk drawer, in an office in Mar-a-Lago or in an unsecured location, anywhere, was somehow not a problem,' Cheney said. 'They are attempting to excuse this behavior. They're attempting to say that it was normal, that it was a storage issue,' she continued. 'And apparently, the Department of Justice has evidence that Donald Trump lied about having these documents, and he lied repeatedly. This has now become excusable too, if you judge by the actions of elected officials in my party.' She warned that GOP lawmakers unconditional embrace of Trump could gradually 'erode the rule of law.' 'We are to this day living through the impact of a president who has abandoned his oath,' Cheney pressed. 'And we must be clear, in this time of testing, at this time of challenge, that when men and women in positions of public trust defend the indefensible, and make excuses for Donald Trump, they compromise the principles of our democratic republic.' She added, 'Each individual compromise to defend the conduct of one man, incrementally changes that republic.' Week saw several rare displays of public unity between Harry and William, including a public walkabout Also offer glimpse of personal dynamics within the Royal Family amid tensions in aftermath of Megxit Pictures show a family scene that is both ordinary and - given their unique positions - unlike any other Advertisement Extraordinary new photos have emerged of the Royal Family waiting together at Windsor Castle as they prepared to escort the Queen to her final resting place in St George's Chapel. The pictures show a family scene that is both ordinary and - given their positions, uniforms and the intensely public nature of their grief - unlike any other. They also offer a glimpse of the personal dynamics within the Royal Family following the much-publicised breakdown of the relationship between Prince William and his brother, Harry, and the latter's regularly criticisms of the institution following Megxit. In the photos, a stony-faced King Charles III stands with a ceremonial sword in one hand, occasionally chatting to fellow royals including Prince Edward. At other moments, Edward is seen talking to his brother Prince Andrew, and Prince Harry with Peter Phillips, son of Anne, the Princess Royal, as they crossed a immaculate lawn close to St George's Chapel. Harry also shares a conversation with Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence. Also present are other royals including Prince William and Lord Linley, one of Charles' cousins. The week saw several rare displays of public unity between Harry and William. On September 10, the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan, were invited to join the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect floral tributes outside Windsor Castle, while yesterday William was seen appearing to direct the couple to their seats in St George's Chapel. These pictures of the Royal Family waiting at Windsor Castle show a family scene that is both ordinary and - given their positions, uniforms and the intensely public nature of their grief - unlike any other. In this photo Prince Andrew chats to Prince Edward with Peter Philips behind him In this photo, Harry chats to Peter while Princess Anne talks with her husband, Sir Timothy Lawrence and King Charles, Edward, Prince William and Andrew stand together In the photos, a stony-faced King Charles III stands with a ceremonial sword in one hand, occasionally chatting to fellow royals including Prince Edward. Next to Edward is Prince William and Andrew. Also pictured is Prince Harry (left) Princess Anne and Sir Timothy The service in St George's Chapel ended with the Queen being finally laid to rest next to her parents, her sister and the Duke of Edinburgh. Her coffin was placed in the tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, an annexe to St Georges Chapel in Windsor, with those of Prince Philip, her father George VI and the Queen Mother. Her Majestys wish was to be interred with her parents, her husband and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret, away from the much larger Royal Vault in St Georges Chapel. During the televised committal service, her coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, which contains the remains of 25 royals dating back to the 1800s. The sovereigns personal piper Paul Burns, who had been there every morning during her final days at Balmoral, was there at the end, playing during the final moments of public mourning. He played one last lament while the Queens coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, before later being moved to the King George VI Memorial Chapel along with the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh. Their children King Charles, the Princess Royal and their younger brothers Andrew and Edward gathered just after 7pm and were escorted to the memorial chapel without cameras present. Harry - wearing a morning suit after being prevented from wearing his military uniform, chats with Anne and Sir Timothy The photos offer a glimpse of the personal dynamics within the Royal Family following the much-publicised breakdown of the relationship between Prince William and his brother, Harry, and the latter's regularly criticisms of the institution following Megxit The gathering on the lawn at Windsor Castle was followed by a service at St George's Chapel which saw the Queen interred with her husband, Prince Philip After the pomp and ceremony of the earlier State Funeral and committal service, details of the deeply personal service were kept private. The Queens father King George VI had referred to his close family as us four and they are now all reunited in the chapel. The memorial chapel was commissioned by the Queen as a burial place for her father after his death in 1952. He had not wanted the Royal Vault to be his final resting place, but his death at the age of 56 was unexpected, and nothing had been prepared. The Queen paid for the tiny annexe to be added to St Georges Chapel, and her fathers remains were transferred there after its completion in 1969. Her younger sister Princess Margaret left instructions asking to be cremated so her ashes could be placed alongside her beloved father in the memorial chapel. The royals look to the sky as they wait for the arrival of the Queen's coffin at Windsor Castle yesterday The Queen's final resting place will be alongside her beloved husband Prince Philip in Windsor's St George's Chapel this evening. Above: The Queen's coffin is carried into St George's Chapel yesterday The King looks moved as her mother is finally laid to rest during the service of committal. In a touching tribute to his mother, Charles sat in the same seat the Queen had sat in for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral during the Covid-19 pandemic Lifelong friend Lady Glenconner said Margaret found the alternative royal burial ground at Frogmore in Windsor Great Park too gloomy. Her ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault after her death in 2002 and were moved to the memorial chapel following the death of the Queen Mother just a few weeks later. The memorial chapel became a place for private contemplation for the Queen, who would visit it when she worshipped at St Georges Chapel. The main chapel has been the resting place for royals for centuries, dating back to Edward IV in 1483, whose memorial stands in the North Quire Aisle. Henry VIIIs remains are interred in the Quire, along with those of Charles I. The Crown Jeweller, left, removes the Imperial State Crown from the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as she enters the royal crypt as a 'simple Christian soul' Flags have been returned to full-mast on buildings in Britain and across the world after the 10 day mourning period for the Queen came to an end. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, flags on government buildings and at landmark locations were lowered to half mast in her honour. But as Her Majesty's funeral yesterday marked the end of a solemn period of mourning, flags have poignantly started to be returned to full-mast around the world as public life resumes. Flags will remain at half-mast on royal buildings until 8am on September 27, after the final day of royal mourning ends, as the royal family observe an additional week of mourning with no official engagements taking place. Union flags are traditionally lowered to half-mast following a royal death as a symbol of respect and mourning. A flag fluttering at full-mast over Westminster Abbey the day after the Queen's state funeral A Union Jack flag back at full-mast in London, where thousands have been commemorating the death of the Queen for the last 10 days Flags are seen back at full-mast at the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia The UK embassy in Bern, Switzerland, confirmed they will now fly their flag at full-mast (left) while The High Commissioner to the Bahamas said they have also returned flags to full-mast The moment the flag was returned to full mast at the royal palace in Oslo, Norway Photos poignantly showed a flag fluttering at full-mast over Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, after 2000 gathered at the church yesterday for the Queen's funeral. Another photo showed the Union Jack flag flying at full-mast against the backdrop of the London eye, an iconic landmark in a city which has seen thousands of people lining the streets over the last 10 days to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Flags were also back at full-mast around the world - including at Sydney Harbour bridge, Australia and at the royal palace in Oslo, Norway. The UK embassy in Berne tweeted: 'As the National Mourning period has come to an end, we now fly our flag at full mast, in honour of our King.' Meanwhile, the British Embassy in the Netherlands confirmed: 'This morning at 9am, our flags were raised to full mast at the British Embassy in the Hague by British Defence Attache @PiersStrudwick and at the Ambassador's Residence by Flying Officer, Brad Duesbury.' The High Commissioner to the Bahamas tweeted: 'As the period of mourning ends, our flag returns to full mast.' Buildings all over the UK returned flags to full-mast including at Lincolnshire County Council, Sandwell Council in Oldbury, Canterbury Council, Tormead independent school in Surrey, St George's Church in Altrincham, Greater Manchester and across community fire stations at Tyne and Wear. The British Embassy in the Netherlands said flags were raised to full-mast at the British Embassy in the Hague and at the Ambassador's Residence Lincolnshire County Council is one of the many council buildings around the UK to raise their flag again St George's Church in Altrincham, Manchester, said the flag is back at full-mast and the condolence book safely stored away 'The Union Flags, which have been flying at half mast around Sandwell as a mark of respect, have returned to full mast today to mark the end of the period of national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,' Sandwell Council said At 8am this morning, flags across community fire stations in Tyne and Wear returned to full mast Tormead independent school in Surrey said: 'The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been an incredibly significant and poignant event in our history' The flag remains at half-mast at Buckingham Palace and at royal residences as the royals observe another week of mourning Official government guidance following the Queen's death on September 8 said: 'Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, all official flags, including the Union Flag, should be half-masted from as soon as possible today until 08.00 the day following The Queens State Funeral. Flags may be flown overnight during this period but should remain at half-mast. 'Official flags in this instance are defined as national flags of the home nations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, Ensigns and Ships colours. 'Any non-official flags flying or due to be flown, such as the Rainbow Flag or the Armed Forces Day Flag, should be taken down and replaced with a Union Flag at half-mast. Other official flags scheduled to be flown can be flown as normal, but at half-mast. 'Half-mast means the flag is flown a third of the way down the flagpole from the top, with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole. 'On poles that are more than 45 from the vertical, flags cannot be flown at half-mast and should not be flown at all. 'The Union Flag must be flown the correct way up - in the half of the flag nearest the flagpole, the wider diagonal white stripe must be above the red diagonal stripe.' Police found the badly decomposed bodies of an elderly man and woman in the home of former Rhode Island mayor Susan Menard who served for 14 years. Officers in the city of Woonsocket made the grim discovery, according to WJAR. It has not yet been confirmed if the ex-mayor's body was one of the two found in the house. A medical examiner is investigating the badly decomposed bodies. Police have said that at this stage there is no sign of foul play. Officers in the city of Woonsocket made the grim discovery, according to WJAR. Reports have not yet confirmed if the ex-mayor's body was one of the two found in the house. Pictured: Susan Menard Officers have released no other information about the bodies or how long they had been there. Susan began her stint as mayor in 1995 and was in office until 2009. Her time as the city's mayor is said to be the longest in Woonsocket's history. The city of Woonsocket is less than 20 miles from Providence and has more than 40,000 residents. Australians are being warned that snake sightings are on the rise A massive spike in snake sightings has triggered an urgent warning for millions of Aussies and their pets, as the slithery reptiles venture into backyards on the hunt for food. Rising temperatures on Australia's east coast has resulted in snakes getting out and about as they look for a mate and a meal, now the winter cold is over. While snakes don't hibernate in the colder months they go into a state known as 'brumation' where they will sleep for long periods of time meaning they are less active and therefore hunt less. In New South Wales especially snake sightings are on the rise as last week a western Sydney man was rushed to hospital after being bitten by a brown snake. The man in his 30s was bitten at Lizard Log nature playground in Abbotsbury, in Western Sydney Parklands, a popular spot for families. Australians are being warned to be extra careful with their movements and that of their pets as snake sightings spike as temperatures begin to rise (stock image) Central Coast snake catcher Matt Stopford said he is receiving around six calls a day to remove snakes from homes or backyards Meanwhile on the Central Coast, snake catcher Matt Stopford told 9News he is receiving around six calls a day to remove snakes from homes or backyards. 'At the moment they're just coming out of torpor, they're starting to warm up and they're getting on the move and starting to look for mates and food,' Mr Stopford said. He warned anyone who saw a snake to keep a distance and to not catch or kill them and instead call a snake catcher. 'Catching or killing a snake in NSW without a license can incur a fine of up to $10,000 and or ten years in prison,' Mr Stopford said. He warned anyone who saw a snake to keep a distance and to not catch or kill them and instead call a snake catcher Natasha Evans from the Animal Referral Hospital in Gosford also warned pet owners to be vigilant after a cattle dog required anti-venom and a transfusion after being bitten by a red belly black snake. 'Often they have some signs immediately after they're bitten, they might vomit, they might collapse, sometimes they'll seem like they're not quite right,' Natasha Evans said. Sydney vet Dr Tim Montgomer took to Facebook to also tell owners to be vigilant. 'Dogs are curious and they find snakes very exciting. There are no fool proof ways to protect your dogs from snake bites,' he said. 'If you find your dog has been outside and it comes in acting strangely and if you live in area where there could be snakes, pay a visit to your local vet just to be safe.' He said while symptoms of snakes bites can vary depending on the species some signs to look out for include wobbling, trembling, vomiting, agitation, limping and visible wounds. An illegal immigrant was arrested Monday evening after he allegedly killed a Colorado sheriff's deputy in a hit-and-run. Octavio Gonzalez-Garcia, identified by police as 'in his late 30s,' was arrested in the death of Weld County Sheriff's Office deputy Alexis Hein-Nutz, according to the Sheriff's Office. Officials say they have evidence suggesting Gonzalez-Garcia was living in the country illegally, including a falsified green card and a fake Social Security card in his car. Hein-Nutz was riding her motorcycle to work Sunday before she was struck by a Ford Van, allegedly driven by Gonzalez-Garcia, who then fled the scene on foot. Colorado State Patrol believe the driver of the van was 'under the influence at the time,' who drove through a stop sign opposite Hein-Nutz into her motorcycle. Her motorcycle, which collided with the front-passenger side of the van, then caught fire. Alexis Hein-Nutz, 24, died in a hit-and-run while she rode her motorcycle on her way to work Hein-Nutz joined the Weld County Sheriff's Office at age 21 in 2018 and served as a detentions deputy. Those who knew her said she was 'very passionate' about law enforcement Octavio Gonzalez-Garcia, who is 'in his late 30s,' was arrested for allegedly driving the Ford van which struck Hein-Nutz's motorcycle Hein-Nutz, who was pronounced dead at the scene, joined the sheriff's office in 2018 where she served as a detentions deputy. 'She joined our ranks at the age of 21,' Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said in a statement on Facebook. 'Alexis was born in Bismarck, North Dakota. It was a childhood dream (of hers) to someday serve others as a peace officer.' Kristin Kovach, who worked with Hein-Nutz at a McDonald's after the pair graduated from high school, told FOX 31 she knew the former deputy wanted to be in law enforcement. 'She knew that's what she wanted to do,' Kovach said. 'She was very passionate about it, very inspiring.' Originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, Hein-Nutz had a childhood dream of one day serving as a peace officer Gonzalez-Garcia, who is suspected to be in the country illegally, allegedly drove through a stop sign opposite Hein-Nutz and was under the influence A former inmate at Weld County Jail, Ben Selvey said Hein-Nutz had an authoritative presence. 'I went to jail this summer to clear up a charge I'd had for a while, and she was one of the (Special Response Teams),' Selvey said. 'Spending 50 days in jail, I saw her probably five days out of the week, every week. You would think maybe a female officer might not get the respect that a man does, but there wasn't a single dude in that jail (who) wasn't afraid of her.' State patrol has taken the lead in the investigation into Hein-Nutz's death, which was confirmed exactly one week before her 25th birthday, while the Weld County Sheriff's Office assists. Gold Coast hoon gangs have flaunted their dangerous driving antics on social media in brazen defiance of new laws and hi-tech cameras meant to stop them. Video posted online by a group calling themselves the 'Mexican Hoon Cartel' shows station wagons careening down Bermuda St, which is a major state road, wildly swerving and skidding across all three lanes. The reckless 'drift' style driving even continues through red lights in the pouring rain, which the cars screech through without a moment's hesitation. Another clip captures a Ford Falcon wagon knocking over a row of suburban wheelie bins. A gang of hoons have posted videos of themselves recklessly 'fishtailing' down a major Gold Coast road (pictured is a Ford Falcon wagon) The hoons also performed a stunt where they knocked over a row of suburban wheelie bins Anti-hoon laws were introduced last year in Queensland to crack down on dangerous driving with the legislation coupled with a new range of new technology to crack down on offenders. But in one of the clips cars are seen skidding past a sign warning that hi-tech cameras are in action to stop exactly the behaviour being demonstrated. State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli slammed the videos which have been viewed thousands of times and vowed to take action. 'No Queenslander should have idiots racing down their street like it's part of an F1 track and until there are more police and stronger laws it's going to keep occurring,' he said. Queensland police said they were aware of the video and were investigating. Red traffic lights were no of concern to the hoons who screeched their way through them performing their dangerous antics In a brazen act of defiance the hoons performed their antics beside a sign warning about new hi-tech cameras, which are intended to stop their behaviour Police Minister Mark Ryan said earlier this year the new laws plus the introduction of hi-tech cameras to catch hoons would be a 'game-changer'. 'Police are already capturing hooning incidents on new high quality cameras and meticulously reviewing the footage to identify drivers involved and take strong enforcement action,' he said. 'The new laws are a game-changer for police, providing greater flexibility for officers to go after each and every vehicle taking part in illegal hoon events.' A serial Gold Coast hoon had his car confiscated and crushed by Queensland police in June In June a Gold Coast hoon accused of doing a burnout in front of a police station and leading officers on a wild chase had his car crushed. The 26-year-old from the Gold Coast had a long history of dangerous driving with charges that include evading police, driving unlicensed and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. Queensland Police confiscated the man's black 2002 Holden Commodore under the toughened laws and used an excavator to smash the car into pieces before it was sold for scrap metal. The Nehru Zoological Park, one of the biggest zoos in the country, has all of its lions healthy, with the exception of two lions who are receiving treatment. (Wikimedia commons) Hyderabad: The Nehru Zoological Park, one of the biggest zoos in the country, has all of its lions healthy, with the exception of two lions who are receiving treatment, according to principal chief conservator of forests R. M. Dobriyal in response to a tweet from minister K. T. Rama Rao. On Sunday, a zoo visitor tweeted to K.T. Rama Rao that he had discovered the lions at the zoo to be seriously ill and in need of medical care. The minister replied with a tweet asking the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest to examine the lions. The lions in the zoo, with the exception of two, are all healthy, according to Dobriyal. The two lions have genetic disorders, a neurotic disorder, and partial paralysis, according to zoo officials. The zoo is home to 20 lions eight African and 12 Asiatic. The zoo has 2,200 animals of 202 species, of which 40% are large animals. According to a senior veterinarian who spoke on the condition of anonymity, "There is a big staffing shortage here at this zoo, with just two veterinarians available for the 2,200 people and 202 species, one from the forest department and the other deputed from the State animal husbandry department. Advertisement Newspapers across the country dedicated their front pages to Queen Elizabeth IIs historic state funeral on Monday, following 10 days of national mourning for the lauded monarch of 70 years. From coast to coast, publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune used their covers to pay tribute to the stately ceremony at Buckingham Palace, as the world woke up to grieve the end of the second Elizabethan Era Tuesday. A combination of encapsulating images and poignant headlines graced newsprint across the globe, as citizens the day prior tuned in at large to a live feed of the procession - a broadcast that drew an estimated viewership of 4.1 billion in more than 200 countries, making it the most viewed program of all time. Despite being an ocean away, America accounted for a great deal of that engrossment - with that attentiveness further on display the next day with the prominent print coverage. Headlines such as 'A Final Goodbye' and 'An Outpouring of Affection' could be seen on newsstand shelves from New York to California, accompanied with pictures that showed the pomp and pageantry of the procession. The funeral was attended by President Joe Biden and several other world leaders and royals, there to pay respects. The public also watched in solemn diligence as the Queen's coffin was lowered into the vault where her beloved Prince Philip lies - signifying that her 70-year service as sovereign had come to a ceremonious end. It was the first state funeral for a monarch in seven decades, and newspapers across the pond rightly paid homage, releasing special and commemorative editions to mark the historic occasion. Photo spreads on the papers' covers captured several moments of the state service - attended by roughly 2,000 world leaders, royal family members, representatives from charities - as well as pallbearer's herculean effort to lift Her Majesty's casket and transport it throughout the day. The day was declared a national holiday in Britain and was further observed by mourners worldwide, who too felt the magnitude of the event. The funeral was the first time cameras were allowed inside the funeral of a monarch, with coverage available both on TV and several news sites globally. American newspapers, meanwhile, took advantage of this recent advent, offering full-length features and spreads dedicated to the iconic royal, who was 96 when she passed on September 8. The New York Time's front page, titled 'With Sadness and Uncertainty, Britons close an Elizabethan Age,' features a prominent image of the Queen's procession, as pallbearers carried her coffin from Westminster Hall to St George's Chapel in Windsor The Wall Street Journals main image, meanwhile, displays the bearer party taking the Queens coffin up the steps into the darkened entrance of the George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, where she was laid to rest beside her beloved Philip The Chicago Tribune chose a similar image in a poster front page for its tribute edition, displaying the floral and royal regalia on top of the coffin. A subdued sub-headline reads 'Pageantry, solemnity mark funeral for beloved monarch,' and features a smaller image of mourners in Hyde Park watching one of many outdoor broadcasts of the funeral that aired across the UK The Washington Post elected to use an image of pallbearers carrying the Queen's ornate coffin through Westminster Abbey, with the stirring headline: 'The World Pauses to Remember' The News Virginian chose a similar image to the Journal and Tribune, with a headline that remarked on how to the world stopped in its tracks to observe the historic ceremony Minnesota's The Star Tribune also used the close-up on the pallbearers, with a headline that pointed to the solemnity the surrounded Elizabeth's state funeral, which was held on Monday ten days after the Queen's passing Political magazine Politico dedicated most of its first page to coverage of the funeral, again using an image of pallbearers carrying the Queen's coffin through Westminster Abbey. The headline reads: 'UK's heartfelt farewell to its beloved queen' The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel used most of its cover to bid farewell to the Queen, using an image of her mourning son and successor King Charles, as well as his his son William, standing at salute in military garb as the procession passes outside on the streets of London, and a pulled back image of pallbearers with her coffin inside Westminster Abbey The Columbus Dispatch in Ohio elected to use the same set of images as the Journal Sentinel, as well as the same headline, 'Final Farewell' - accompanied with a photo of the late Elizabeth II and the years she lived The Dallas Morning News also decided to use most of its front page to cover the funeral, with photos that depicted some of the tens of thousands of mourners who descended on Westminster Abbey to see the Queen one last time, as well as an image of the staunch pallbearers who dutifully carried the heavy casket for hours before the final burial The magnitude of the monarch's state funeral was not lost on the American Midwest, with the Lincoln Journal Star in Nebraska also publishing a touching tribute to the royal on their front page New Jersey's Star Ledger, meanwhile, which is read by hundreds of thousands of people in the state as well as nearby New York, elected to use a frontal image of the procession - the first state funeral since Winston Churchill's in January 1965 Down south in Kentucky, The Lexington Herald-Leader also used the frontal image of the parade of servicemen carrying the Queen's coffin, as well a photo of King Charles laying a wreath on his mother's casket The Florida Times Union, the oldest publication in the Sunshine State, also dedicated most of its front page to the funeral Georgia's Ledger-Enquirer published a piece titled 'Queen Elizabeth II mourned by Britain and world at funeral' - remarking how the sovereign's passing was felt in multiple countries and regions far from the UK The Washington Times in the country's capital used two-thirds of its cover to observe the historic state service Tuesday The San Diego Union Tribune also used most of its cover to pay tribute to the ceremony and the Queen's legacy, using a breathtaking photo of the royal procession as it traveled up The Long Walk to Westminster Abbey In Iowa, The Gazette published a cover story that bid farewell to the Queen, who joins her husband after his passing last year Alabama newspaper The Dothan Eagle used the bulk of its cover for a tasteful tribute to the monarch, who died on the eighth The Arizona Daily Star used a photo of the pallbearers carrying the casket into the historic church and an aerial view of their outdoor procession hours before, with the headline, 'Britain, would mourn Queen Elizabeth II' An enormous alligator believed to be over 12-foot long had to be removed with a tow truck after the naughty animal snuck into a residential area. The reptile was spotted in the street in Atascocita, Texas, in the early hours of September 19. Once at the scene, officers from Harris County Constable Precinct 4 found the 12-foot gator occupying the middle of the road, and have since gone viral on Facebook as users were left stunned at the sheer size of the alligator. An expert trapper was called with a pick-up truck and was able to restrain the gator. This massive 12-foot alligator was caught stalking the Houston, Texas suburban town of Atascocita Officers with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 tracked the creature down to the Waters Edge subdivision near Lake Houston An expert trapper was able to corner the beast and secure its deadly jaws, but a tow truck had to be called in to lift the creature and take it away However, it was just too big to move without further help, with police forced to call a tow truck company to lift the beast onto the back of the vehicle. 'See you later, alligator!,' Constable Mark Herman wrote, with his Facebook post racking up over 1,300 likes and hundreds of comments. 'This morning, deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Office responded to the 13800 block of N Lake Branch Lane in the Waters Edge subdivision in Atascocita in reference to a 12-foot alligator in the middle of the road. 'The alligator has been safely captured and in Animal Control's possession.' Users have been left shocked by the humongous reptile, with many comparing it to a 'dinosaur'. One person commented: 'So, we just have dinosaurs roaming neighborhoods now?' 'That's a whole dinosaur!' wrote another user. 'That's a hefty one!' wrote someone else. After the latest sighting, one Facebook user joked: 'He needs to go to Gator Country!' 'This alligator is actually 12ft 4in. I was there when they measured it,' added someone else. 'OMG. I don't know what I would do if I came upon a gator in the road,' wrote another user. 'Yeah I ran into him on a kayak in the water. Never again lol,' added someone else. Eyewitness Michael Schwab said the animal looked like a dinosaur and was a real 'sight to see.' He added: 'He was thrashing around. He looked tired, but it was beginning stages of them removing him, and it was probably one of the craziest things I've seen animal- wise.' According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, despite several recent sightings of alligators in urban areas, officials have not noticed a boom in their population. Local experts said alligators are more active in spring and summer due to the heat. Similarly, when there is a drought in the area, such as earlier this summer, gators go in search of water. Once it was tied up, police used a tow truck to hoist the gator up safely which made the process easier as the alligator weighed almost a quarter-ton Authorities quickly responded after getting calls from concerned residents, and a licensed trapper straddled the beast to tie it up Last week, an 11-foot alligator was captured in Katy, Texas. Authorities found the reptile prowling through the grass near Buffalo Bayou and subsequently caught it and tied it up before transporting it. The gargantuan reptile was then taken to Gator Country, a reptile sanctuary that houses 'nuisance gators,' or gators that have been found and captured in residential neighborhoods. The sanctuary has over 450 reptiles and says they are 'the only sanctuary for nuisance alligators to reside in Texas,' according to its website. The gigantic alligator was first seen strolling in a residential neighborhood in Katy, Texas on the morning of September 12 The enormous reptile was safely taken to Gator Country, a reptile sanctuary and adventure park in Texas that welcomes alligators handed over after disturbances Gator Country is home to over 450 reptiles and hosts educational shows and also daring feeding shows, where large alligators are fed food in front of a crowd The astounding videos come only days after another massive 11-foot gator was spotted tied to the back of a car on a Florida highway. This particular animal appeared to have been hunted as part of Florida's annual alligator hunting season, which allows permitted hunters to harvest the gators. About 5,000 people apply for just 7,000 permits each year with the gators harvested ranging from nearly three feet to nearly 14 feet in length. Wildlife experts estimate that 1.3 million alligators of every size live in Florida, while Texas is estimated to have only 400,000 thousand. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States, typically occurring about once a year. Advertisement The man responsible for the Queen's extraordinary state funeral yesterday is the Duke of Norfolk, a staunchly Roman Catholic divorcee and former racing driver who meticulously prepared for the ceremony for two decades - and will be given the equally enormous task of organising King Charles III's Coronation next year. Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 65, became England's most senior peer and the 18th duke following the death of his father Miles in 2002. For more than 350 years, his ancestors have passed down the ancient office of Earl Marshal - meaning that they are responsible for overseeing funerals for members of the Royal Family, the coronations of Britain's monarchs, and even state openings of parliament. And because the office is hereditary, it meant that the peer's grandfather Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, the 16th Duke of Norfolk, was responsible for organising Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953, the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 and the investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales in 1969. Eddie, as he is known to his friends, oversaw the planning and execution of the most majesty send-off of a Sovereign in living memory - as 2,000 VIPs including King Charles and the British royal family emperors, kings and queens, prime ministers, presidents, and members of the public including decorated war heroes, members of the Armed Forces and NHS staff who worked tirelessly during the pandemic attended Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. The historic day saw 2million people crowd the streets of London inside a Scotland Yard 'ring of steel' involving thousands of police officers from across the UK that snaked 12 miles through the capital, while a solemn military procession led Her Majesty's coffin from the Abbey through Whitehall, down The Mall and up Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch. From there, the Queen was carried by state hearse to Windsor Castle, where tens of thousands of mourners applauded another procession that slowly made its way down the Long Walk to St George's Chapel for a committal service where Elizabeth II was finally laid to rest beside her beloved husband Prince Philip, parents George VI and Queen Mary, and sister Princess Margaret's ashes. Now an overwhelming majority of Britons (86%) believe that the Duke of Norfolk did a 'good job' of commemorating the late Monarch. The duke began planning the Queen's funeral the week of his father's death 20 years ago, though plans for the service - codenamed Operation London Bridge - have been in place since the 1960s. Eddie held annual meetings in the throne room of Buckingham Palace, working closely with Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Mather, a long-serving member of the royal household who commanded the bearer party at Churchill's funeral, for the first 10 years. In the two decades which followed, the number of people involved swelled from just 20 to 280 in April this year. Just days before the funeral, the peer explained that the funeral was being held in Westminster Abbey for the first time in more than 200 years - since George II in 1760 - so that 2,000 guests could attend. He also revealed that he extended the Queen's lying in state at Westminster Hall for an extra day 'to allow an additional 85,000 people to file past the coffin'. His niece Lady Kinvara Balfour told Tatler magazine: 'In organising the Queen's funeral (and the coronation to come), Uncle Eddie has done a truly outstanding job. What a show of elegance, efficiency and rare precision he has produced for our nation, and the world - just like the late Queen Elizabeth II herself did. He is an incredible father of five, a grandfather too'. The Duke of Norfolk Edward William Fitzalan-Howard in his role as Earl Marshal The duke on the right of the image. The Queen signs the Proclamation of Accession of King Charles III, watched by the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Liz Truss, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell and Lord Chancellor of the Privy Council Brandon Lewis during the Accession Council ceremony at St James's Palace Edward Fitzalan-Howard, on the right, at the proclamation of King Charles III at St James's Palace Charles, then Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla with the Duke of Norfolk at the state opening of parliament in 2015 Charles, then Prince of Wales, with the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk at Arundel Castle in 2008 Arundel Castle in West Sussex, the Duke of Norfolk's 1,000-year-old ancestral home Edward William Fitzalan-Howard and Georgina at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood, Surrey in 2003. The couple married in 1987 and have five children, now aged between 24 and 33. They separated in 2011, much to the sadness of close friends and family, and the split was said to be so acrimonious that they missed the Royal Wedding of William and Kate to avoid being in the same room as each other. They are now divorced, the duke told The Mail on Sunday The Duke with his new partner Francesca Herbert, mother of socialite Frankie Herbert and ex-wife of Harry Herbert whose father, the 7th Earl of Carnavon, was the Queen's closest confidant As part of his duties, the distant relative of Edward the Confessor and Elizabeth I also played a major role in the proclamation of the King at St James's Palace, standing on the balcony overlooking Friary Court as the principal proclamation was read aloud in public by the garter king of arms. Eddie is also a major landowner reportedly worth more than 100million who ran a bottled gas company and a joinery business and now throws game shoots from his 1,000-year-old ancestral home, Arundel Castle in West Sussex - and was on such good terms with the Queen that she regularly invited him to shoot in her beloved Scotland with her. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the monarchy in the honours announced for the Platinum Jubilee. Curiously enough, the Oxford-educated duke is also the most senior lay member of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain - making him a Catholic in charge of the Protestant occasion of the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal at Windsor Castle. And the peer - who is reportedly a private man - divorced his yoga-loving wife Georgina after two decades of marriage. The couple married in 1987 and have five children, now aged between 24 and 33. They separated in 2011, much to the sadness of close friends and family, and the split was said to be so acrimonious that they missed the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton to avoid being in the same room as each other. By 2016 they were back together, just before the wedding of their eldest son Henry, who will one day take on the prestigious title of 19th Duke of Norfolk. The late Queen was said to be delighted at this reconciliation, while the Catholic Herald ran an article praising their decision to stay together. But last year the Duke said the reunion had been short-lived and he was now in a new relationship with Francesca Herbert, mother of socialite Frankie Herbert and ex-wife of Harry Herbert whose father, the 7th Earl of Carnavon, was the Queen's closest confidant. The duke with his ex-wife the duchess in London in 2016. The pair are now divorced Arundel Castle was built at the end of the 11th Century. It is now the home of The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk The funeral procession carrying The Queen's coffin from Westminster Abbey down The Mall to Wellington Arch The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top lies in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle At the time, the couple maintained they had no plans to divorce and, as recently as April this year, the Duke would only go as far as to say their future was 'uncertain'. But the duke last month revealed the divorce papers were signed in June, telling The Mail on Sunday: 'By God we tried. For the sake of the family, and because we are Catholic, we really, really tried everything. It proved completely impossible and we had to move on. The final divorce bit was instigated a year ago and now it's finally come through. It's just terribly sad, but we have to move on for the sake of the children - we can't go on putting them through this.' Georgina, 60, has kept the couple's Angmering Park House and 100 acres of the estate, which forms a small part of 16,000 acres owned by the Duke on the South Downs. He lives less than two miles away at Peppering Farm, a property which was once occupied and decorated by the duchess during one of their trial separations. While his title would imply he lords over Norwich, the traditional seat of the Duke of Norfolk is almost 200 miles away at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. The duke's grandfather organised the Queen's Coronation in 1953. Elizabeth II is pictured here on the day with her husband Prince Philip in the Gold State Coach, which dates back to the 18th century The duke's grandfather also organised the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 This situation is not uncommon, with very few British dukes living near the origin of their title. Chatsworth House, the home of the Dukes of Devonshire, is in Derbyshire. Similarly, for centuries the Duke of Westminster's traditional seat has been Eaton Hall in Cheshire. The reason for absenteeism among the dukes is usually one of history. Many owned their homes and land before they took on their titles. Indeed, they were usually given dukedoms precisely because they were rich enough to own plenty of land, so they tended to remain in their existing homes. Arundel Castle was given to ancestors of the present Duke of Norfolk shortly after the Norman Conquest in the 11th Century, while the title was created several centuries later. Traditional seats are often irrelevant now, with many sold or lost to death duties. For instance, the Duke of Manchester lives in Las Vegas, and has at times found his ducal seat to be the High Desert Nevada State Prison - a far cry from the family's 17th Century Kimbolton Castle, which is now a school. The Duke of Norfolk also told The Mail on Sunday: 'Since the divorce, to be truthful, there's no sharing. The castle is mine now, for family and weekends. Her area of influence is just Angmering House. 'The financial settlement was agreed a long time ago, but since then we reconciled - now it's been put into action after all. The biggest hardness is just the sadness of the two of us not succeeding in making it work. That's the biggest sadness, honestly. There wasn't one thing that broke us - we tried and tried and tried, over eight years. 'We really have given it our best shot, there's no doubt about it. It's completely amicable and terribly sad.' The United States Federal Drug Administration has stepped in to warn reckless teens about the latest social media trend - cooking chicken in NyQuil. The revolting recipe, sometimes referred to as 'sleepy chicken,' gained enough popularity early this year that the FDA was prompted to put out a statement on the chicken specifically, and more broadly the way parents allow their children to interact with social media. According to a recent statement from the FDA, 'One social media trend relying on peer pressure is online video clips of people misusing nonprescription medications and encouraging viewers to do so too. 'These video challenges, which often target youths, can harm people and even cause death.' Some users claim the recipe helps with cold symptoms or falling asleep in the middle of the night. The FDA, however, has taken a strong anti-position on colorful poultry preparation method: 'The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing and it is. But it could also be very unsafe. Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways. 'Even if you dont eat the chicken, inhaling the medications vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body. It could also hurt your lungs.' The disgusting NyQuil Chicken trend earned a warning from the FDA about appropriate usages of over the counter medication The Food and Drug Administration issued a statement last week warning teens and parents about he NyQuil chicken trend Simultaneously, there was a trend called the Benadryl Challenge, which encourages viewers to trigger hallucinations by taking huge amounts of the antihistamines found in Benadryl, which the FDA issued a warning about. The Benadryl Challenge was recently the cause of the hospitalization of at least three teens and the death of a 15-year-old girl. The FDA emphasized that these trends, 'which often target youths' and rely on peer pressure, 'can harm people and even cause death. Some users have claimed the reviling recipe helps with cold symptoms The FDA, however, says that even inhaling the fumes from boiled NyQuil can have a detrimental effect on the lungs Cold medications generally have a number of active ingredients, including extromethorphan, acetaminophen, and antihistamines like doxylamine succinate. If an individual consumes too much dextromethorphan, an opioid commonly found in cough suppressants, it can result in drowsiness, dizziness, seizures, nausea, vomiting, changes in blood pressure, constipation, breathing problems, blurry vision, twitching, palpitations, high fevers, hallucinations, brain damage, and coma. Too much acetaminophen can damage your liver and lead to liver failure, and too much doxylamine can result in a number of symptoms including insomnia, night terrors, hallucinations, seizures, and death. Advertisement Liz Truss today signalled a range of tax cuts and other giveaways will be introduced on Friday as she vowed to increase 'the size of the pie' to boost the UK's lagging economy. Ahead of a mini-budget designed to kick-start growth in Britain she vowed to take 'unpopular' measures as she kicked off her first foreign visit as Prime Minister. Speaking from the top of the Empire State Building with the imposing vista of New York behind her she confirmed that Kwasi Kwarteng will reverse April's 1.25 per cent National Insurance Contribution (NICS) increase designed to pay for expanded NHS and adult social care. An increase in Corporation Tax lined up by Boris Johnson's government will also be scrapped. As well as these long-trailed moves she also all-but confirmed that the cap on City bonuses is being ditched. The PM took a swipe at critics of the move who have said she is helping the better off more than the poor who are at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis. In a round of media interviews she dismissed them as 'vested interests' and said she is determined to swell 'the size of the pie' by boosting growth - even if the rich initially benefit more. There was even a hint that tax cuts could go further in future, with rates still under review. But Ms Truss is facing a potentially tense first meeting with Joe Biden tomorrow, after the US president tweeted criticism of 'trickle-down economics'. Although Mr Biden's words were undoubtedly for a domestic audience, the two leaders appear to be presenting starkly different messages. In a round of interviews with broadcasters, Ms Truss was asked by Sky News if she is prepared to be unpopular. 'Yes. Yes, I am,' she replied. 'What is important to me is we grow the British economy because that's what will ultimately deliver higher wages, more investment in towns and cities across the country. That's what will ultimately deliver more money to people's pockets. 'In order to get that economic growth, Britain has to be competitive. If we put up taxes, if we have arbitrary taxes on energy companies, if we have high corporation tax we're not going to get that investment and growth' Ahead of a mini-budget designed to kick-start growth in Britain she vowed to take 'unpopular' measures as she kicked off her first foreign visit as Prime Minister in New York, which included meeting French president Emmanuel Macron Speaking from the top of the Empire State Building with the imposing vista of New York behind her she confirmed that Kwasi Kwarteng will reverse April's 1.25 per cent National Insurance Contribution (NICS) increase designed to pay for expanded NHS and adult social care. Ms Truss struck a defiant tone ahead of a mini-Budget due to be unveiled by Kwasi Kwarteng (pictured) on Friday The PM took a swipe at critics of the move who have said she is helping the better off more than the poor who are at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis. In a round of media interviews she dismissed them as 'vested interests' and said she is determined to swell 'the size of the pie' by boosting growth - even if the rich initially benefit more. Biden slams Tory-style 'trickle down economics' in awkwardly timed tweet Joe Biden paved the way for an excruciatingly awkward meeting with Liz Truss tomorrow as he publicly criticised Tory-style economics. The US president attacked 'trickle down economics' in a tweet today ahead of their meeting in New York, the first official face-to-face of Ms Truss's premiership. The meeting was already seen as likely to be frosty, with disagreements over Brexit and a UK/US free trade deal seemingly on the backburner. But Mr Biden took to social media to say that he was 'sick and tired of trickle-down economics', adding: 'It has never worked. We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out.' While the US president's tweet was almost certainly aimed at a domestic audience, it clearly underlined the differences between the two leaders' stances just as Ms Truss says she wants to foster closer ties with international allies. His comments came as the PM undertook a slew of media interviews in which she admitted her tax cut plans would benefit the rich the most but defended them on the basis that they would also help others less well off. Speaking at the top of the Empire State Building she said: 'I don't accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair. 'What we know is people on higher incomes generally pay more tax so when you reduce taxes there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place. 'We should be setting our tax policy on the basis of what is going to help our country become successful. What is going to deliver that economy that benefits everybody in our country. 'What I don't accept is the idea that tax cuts for business don't help people in general.' Ms Truss had earlier admitted that there are no trade talks happening with the US government while she is in New York for a whistlestop appearance at the UN General Assembly. Advertisement Critics of her policies have warned broad tax cuts could benefit the rich more than the rest of society. Ms Truss accepted this would be the initial effect but rejected criticisms of unfairness. 'I don't accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair,' she told Sky. 'What we know is people on higher incomes generally pay more tax so when you reduce taxes there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place. 'We should be setting our tax policy on the basis of what is going to help our country become successful. What is going to deliver that economy that benefits everybody in our country. What I don't accept is the idea that tax cuts for business don't help people in general.' Ms Truss confirmed to the BBC that she will be reversing the national insurance hike and axing the planned corporation tax rise that were the policies of Boris Johnson's administration. 'I'll always work to make sure that we are helping those who are struggling. That's why we took the action that we took on energy bills because we didn't want to see households facing unaffordable bills,' she said. 'And that's why we're going to take the action on national insurance, reversing that increase as well. 'So, yes, we do have to take difficult decisions to get our economy right. 'We have to look at all tax rates. So corporation tax needs to be competitive with other countries so that we can attract that investment.' Earlier, Ms Truss insisted soaring energy bills are a 'price worth paying' to combat Vladimir Putin. The PM, who is in New York for the UN general assembly, made clear 'long-term security' against Russia takes priority over the immediate pain of spiking gas costs. Ms Truss went on: 'Lower taxes lead to economic growth, there is no doubt in my mind about that. 'Now, there are of course other measures that we have to take to spur economic growth as well. During the campaign I talked about moving faster in getting growth projects going, mobile broadband fixing, the arteries of the economy - we need to do that too. 'But having the highest taxes in 70 years and putting up corporation tax at a time when we're trying to attract investment to this country isn't going to deliver growth. We need to be competitive.' The premier has already announced an eye-wateringly expensive policy for the government to fund freezing average annual household bills at 2,500 for two years. International gas prices have been skyrocketing as Europe seeks to reduce dependence on Russia's fossil fuels, with problems exacerbated by Putin turning off the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Truss insisted soaring energy bills are a 'price worth paying' to combat Vladimir Putin (pictured in Moscow today) Ms Truss told reporters travelling with her to a United Nations summit in New York that the UK 'cannot jeopardise our security for the sake of cheap energy'. 'The point I'm the point that I'm making is that it's a price worth paying for Britain, because our long-term security is paramount,' she added. 'But what I don't want to happen is that to be passed on to bill-payers who beyond that energy guarantee that I've outlined because I don't think that's right.' French President Emmanuel Macron has urged a 10 per cent reduction in energy usage in the coming months as the EU tells member states to lower consumption this winter. But Ms Truss is leaving it up to consumers to choose whether they want to go easy on heating and other power usage in the difficult months to come. 'No, we are not talking about rationing of energy,' she told reporters. 'Of course, I always support energy efficiency measures like home insulation, that makes sense, and energy prices are higher than they were. 'There is a strong incentive for businesses and households to invest in energy efficiency, but we do have reliable supplies of energy but ultimately everyone makes their own decisions about how they decide to do those things.' 'I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango!' Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. O Canada, you must be so proud. As we've all seen by now, pretty-boy Prime Minister Trudeau was caught on camera (possibly drunkenly) singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody (and poorly at that) in a hotel bar on Saturday night before the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday. The amateur video shows Trudeau with members of the Canadian delegation, who had come to attend the somber event. He is seen dressed casually in a t-shirt absolutely belting out the lyrics to the famous song in a fashion that would really have been better suited for a late-night karaoke bar than a lobby in public view, as mourners gathered to honor the most respected and admired woman in the United Kingdom's modern history. This was not a celebratory time. It was a time of global mourning, particularly for Canadians, whose country is part of the British Commonwealth. Who would be so thoughtless and disrespectful? Of course, it's Trudeau. This is the same person who lectured a female Canadian student for using the word 'mankind' during a question-and-answer event. 'We like to say peoplekind, not necessarily mankind, because it's more inclusive,' he blathered. Oh yes! By all means, we don't want to offend delicate sensibilities. But performing a bad Freddie Mercury impression as millions of people in the United Kingdom and billions around the world mourned the queen that's just fine. Honestly, it's par for the course. During his almost eight years as Prime Minister, Trudeau has become an avatar for everything that people globally find insufferable about the virtue-signaling, self-righteous left. Trudeau (above) is seen dressed casually in a t-shirt absolutely belting out the lyrics to the famous song in a fashion that would really have been better suited for a late-night karaoke bar than a lobby in public view, as mourners collect to honor the most respected and admired woman in the United Kingdom's modern history. First, numerous, now-infamous photos that emerged during his re-election campaign showing him in full blackface (above) at parties as a student and later as a teacher. He's an unrealistic, slick parody of what we think of when we envision what woke politics have done to western culture and how progressive men present themselves to the world. They stand above the crowd, looking down and judging. They have some special insight into how the 'civilized' behave. The rest of us must be instructed, by force if necessary. But to paraphrase Freddie Mercury, it's 'just fantasy'. Two things come immediately to mind when I think of the careful caricature that is Justin Trudeau. First, numerous, now-infamous photos that emerged during his re-election campaign showing him in full blackface at parties as a student and later as a teacher. If you haven't seen them, do a quick google search. The photos are horribly tone deaf at best and grotesquely insulting at worst. He also is only 50 years old, so the excuses of 'that was the time' don't ring true in the same way it does for other people, who participated in something that we now recognize as unacceptable. Trudeau said it was simply a mistake. But would he extend that same forgiveness to others? I doubt it. Second, I think of his puritanical, dystopian COVID vaccine mandates and the brutal crackdown that he unleashed after his heavy-handed governance triggered mass strikes and protests. As 'Freedom convoy' protesters descended on Ottawa and cities across Canada last winter, Trudeau insanely declared the protests 'illegal' and championed the suppression of legitimate dissent through law enforcement and corporate censorship. Trudeau is all about freedom, until direct democracy gets in the way of his agenda. And recall, how Trudeau weighed in on American society when the country was dealing with violent riots triggered by the murder of George Floyd. 'We all watch in horror and consternation what's going on in the United States,' he said, when asked about President Donald Trump's call for the military to address the violence. But Canadians truckers are honking their horns in Ottawa? Drag them to prison! And before anyone cries hypocrisy No, I did not have a problem with the Prime Minister of Finland when videos surfaced showing her drunk and dancing with friends. She was doing this privately, on her off-time, and was recorded in a private setting. Trudeau on the other hand was clearly looking for attention being the natural born entertainer that he is. Performing a bad Freddie Mercury impression as millions of people in the United Kingdom and billions around the world mourn the queen that's just fine. (Above) Queen Elizabeth II greets Trudeau in a receiving line for the Queen's Dinner for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace on April 19, 2018 This is not a celebratory time, it is a time of global mourning, particularly for Canadians, whose country is part of the British Commonwealth. (Above) Trudeau and his wife Sophie Trudeau leave Westminster Abbey after the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London To put it in American terms, Justin Trudeau is the Gavin Newsom of Canadian politics. Remember when California's Governor Newsom was caught on camera dining, maskless at one of the country's most exclusive restaurants during the depths of COVID lockdowns? These guys are such phonies. But the public is getting wise to it. Trudeau narrowly won a third term as prime minister in the last elections. Yes, even polite, progressive Canadians don't seem nearly as enthralled with his Hollywood politics, behavior and looks as they used to be. He currently holds a 40% approval rating in Canada. He has long been the sanctimonious cartoon-version of the type of politician that people in San Francisco worship and people in the rest of the country are repulsed by. He is the type of leader who passes judgment on those who accidentally use the 'wrong' pronoun, vote conservative or don't abide by the same brand of politics that he preaches. As far controversies go, there are worse things happening around the world. But Trudeau presents himself as the pinnacle of progressive perfection. That's why this sing-song scandal is so entertaining. You'd think he would know a little more about social decorum and just plain manners. Could he really not wait a few days to do something like this back home in Canada? I guess when it comes to deference to the memory of Queen, 'it doesn't really matter to' him. It's Trudeau's version of 'do what I say, not what I do.' A terrifying cascade of Russian incendiary shells has rained down on a Ukrainian village in apocalyptic footage shared by its defence ministry. The recently liberated village of Ozerne in Donetsk was targeted by Kremlin forces just days after it was recaptured amid Kyiv's stunning counter-offensive, Ukraine claims. Their footage shows countless shells raining down the village, hitting buildings and lighting up the streets. A terrifying cascade of Russian incendiary shells has rained down on a Ukrainian village in apocalyptic footage shared by its defence ministry The Ministry of Defence (MoD) shared the video yesterday, saying: 'Russian 922S incendiary shells falling on the recently liberated village of Ozerne in the Donetsk region.' Ozerne is a village in the Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. The 9M22S shell, typically used by vehicles such as the BM-21 'Grad' multiple launch rocket systems, is designed to be used against flammable targets and personnel. Meanwhile, two Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine announced plans to hold referendums on joining Russia later this week. The move, which seriously escalates Moscow's standoff with the West, comes after Russia suffered a battlefield reversal in northeast Ukraine. The recently liberated village of Ozerne in Donetsk was targeted by Kremlin forces just days after it was recaptured The 9M22S shell, typically used by vehicles such as the BM-21 'Grad' multiple launch rocket systems, is designed to be used against flammable targets and personnel A man walks through the ruins of a building destroyed by recent shelling during Russia-Ukraine conflict in the city of Kadiivka The Russian-backed, self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and the neighbouring Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said the planned referendums would be held from September 23-27. In a post on social media addressed to Putin, DPR head Denis Pushilin wrote: 'I ask you, as soon as possible, in the event of a positive decision in the referendum - which we have no doubt about - to consider the DPR becoming a part of Russia.' Earlier on Tuesday, Russian-installed officials in the southern Kherson region, where Moscow's forces control around 95 per cent of the territory, said they had also decided to hold a referendum. Pro-Russian authorities in part of Ukraine's Zaporizhia region were expected to follow suit. Ukraine and the United States have said such referendums would be an illegal sham and have made clear that they and many other countries would not recognise the results. A photo shows damaged houses and a crater in the ground in Siversk, Donetsk region A BM-27 Uragan multiple-launch rocket system of Russia's Central Military District fires at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian servicemen ride on top of a military vehicle in Izium, liberated from Russian invaders Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who is currently deputy chairman of the Security Council, suggested before the announcements that the outcome of such votes would be irreversible and give Moscow - which has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world - carte blanche to defend what it would regard as legally its own territory. 'Encroachment onto Russian territory is a crime which allows you to use all the forces of self-defence,' Medvedev said in a post on Telegram. 'This is why these referendums are so feared in Kyiv and the West.' No future Russian leader would be able to constitutionally reverse their outcome, he added. Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, said that his chamber would support the two regions joining Russia if they voted to do so. Washington and the West have so far been careful not to supply Ukraine with weapons that could be used to shell Russian territory, and Medvedev's interpretation of what de facto annexation would legally mean from Moscow's point of view looked like a future warning to the West. 'They (the referendums) would completely change the vector of Russia's development for decades. And not just of our country. The geopolitical transformation of the world would be irreversible once the new territories were incorporated into Russia,' he wrote. An apartment block destroyed due to the shelling of Russian troops is pictured in Izium Local residents collect wood for heating from a destroyed school where Russian forces were based It is unclear how the referendums would be held given that Russian and Russian-backed forces control only around 60% of the Donetsk region, while Ukrainian forces are trying to retake Luhansk. Pro-Russian officials have previously said the referendums could be held electronically. The move would come eight years after Russian annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. The referendums were announced after Ukraine said its troops had retaken the village of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and were preparing to recapture all of the province which until now had been fully occupied by Russian forces. Unverified footage on social media showed Ukrainian forces in the village, lying 6 miles west of the city of Lysychansk, which fell to the Russians after weeks of fighting in July. 'There will be fighting for every centimetre,' Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Telegram. 'The enemy is preparing their defence. So we will not simply march in.' Russia named taking full control of Luhansk and the neighbouring province of Donetsk as primary goals of what it called its 'special military operation' in Ukraine, alleging that Russian speakers there were being persecuted and even shelled by Ukrainian government forces, something Kyiv denied. Ukrainian troops started to push into Luhansk after driving Russian forces out of northeastern Kharkiv province in a lightning counter-offensive this month. 'The occupiers are clearly in a panic,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address late on Monday, adding that he was now focused on 'speed' in liberated areas. 'The speed at which our troops are moving. The speed in restoring normal life,' Zelenski said. The Ukrainian leader also hinted he would use a video address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to call on countries to accelerate weapons and aid deliveries. Reuters could not independently verify either side's battlefield reports. Furious residents have hit out against a drone delivery company and complained that the noise made by the devices is driving them mad. Drone delivery services have been introduced in suburbs across Australia but residents in the area of Logan south in Brisbane say the initiative, run by company Wing, is causing them stress. Wing said it has made over 75,000 deliveries this year in Logan alone, including fast food and drinks, as well as small grocery items. 'I feel annoyed but it actually stresses me sometimes,' resident Dan Ling told A Current Affair. 'You're sort of chilling out after working all day and you hear the buzzing noise like a very very loud mosquito and it gets louder and louder. Drone delivery services have been introduced in suburbs across Australia but residents in the area of Logan south in Brisbane say the initiative is causing them stress Dan Ling says the noise of the drones flying over his house in Logan, Brisbane, is causing them stress Poll Do you think delivery drones should be banned? Yes - the technology is too noisy No - it's very convenient Do you think delivery drones should be banned? Yes - the technology is too noisy 184 votes No - it's very convenient 44 votes Now share your opinion 'We feel like we're prisoners to this noise. We have to close the front door because you can hear it coming.' Mr Ling's house saw eight drones fly over it during his chat with A Current Affair. However, Dale Carter, who lives in the same suburb as Mr Ling, says he uses the delivery service every day and loves it. 'Can of drink and a nice little bottle of water,' Carter said. 'For a can of drink it was just $1.25 which is pretty cheap. 'I don't see much of a problem with it. If you've got the road over here, you hear cars and trucks. It's no different.' In a statement to A Current Affair, a Wing spokesperson said it's only received a handful of complaints throughout several years of operation. Wing also operates in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory delivering coffee, food, medicine and hardware supplies. The drones drop off each package to the door. Dale Carter, who lives in the same suburb as Mr Ling, says he uses the delivery service every day Last year, Wing paused its service in Canberra after bizarre footage of freak bird attacks emerged. Wing temporarily halted flights in parts of the Harrison suburb as local bird experts investigated the behaviour of the territorial animals. The company was first launched in the ACT in 2019 and became widely popular during the Covid-19 lockdown with 10,000 deliveries carried out. CNN anchor Don Lemon was at a loss for words after a royal commentator told him slavery reparations are necessary - but said they should be paid by the descendants of 'African kings' who sold their own people into slavery. Lemon interviewed Hilary Fordwich on September 13, following Queen Elizabeth II's death, and suggested the British royal family should pay reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In the interview, which went viral on Twitter this week, Fordwich responded by arguing that African leaders were responsible for supplying millions of enslaved people to European slave traders, saying that reparations should come from African nations. A stunned Lemon responded that it was an 'interesting discussion' and quickly concluded the interview. From the 16th to the late 19th century, at least 12 million African men, women and children were enslaved and transported to the Americas, where they were traded as chattel property primarily by Europeans and Euro-Americans. While many Africans resisted the slave trade, others did actively participate in it by capturing and enslaving other Africans and bringing them to slave castles on the West and Central African coast to sell to European traders. CNN anchor Don Lemon interviewed Hilary Fordwich on the night of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. The anchor suggested the royal family should pay slavery reparations In in interview, Lemon had asked Fordwich: 'Well, this is coming when... all of this wealth, and you hear about it, comes as England is facing rising costs of living, a living crisis, austerity budget cuts, and so on. 'And then you have those who are asking for reparations for colonialism, and they're wondering, you know, $100 billion, $24 billion here and there, $500 million there. 'Some people want to be paid back and members of the public are wondering, why are we suffering when you have all of this vast wealth? Those are legitimate concerns.' Fordwich answered: 'Well, I think you're right about reparations in terms of if people want it though. What they need to do - is you always need to go back to the beginning of a supply chain, where was the beginning of the supply chain? 'That was in Africa, and when it crossed the entire world, when slavery was taking place. Which was the first nation in the world that abolished slavery? The first nation in the world to abolish it, it was started by William Wilberforce, was the British,' she said. In fact, Haiti was the first country to legally abolish slavery, which was banned there from the country's foundation in 1804, following a revolt against the French colonial government. But despite the legal prohibition, slavery and human trafficking by criminal organizations remain prevalent in Haiti today, with an estimate 59,000 people there still living in modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index. Britain in 1833 passed the Abolition of Slavery Act, ordering gradual abolition of slavery in all British colonies. The interview between Lemon and Fordwich occurred the week before the Queen's funeral Lemon concluded the interview after Fordwich's response and said 'it's an interesting discussion' Fordwich continued: 'In Great Britain, they abolished slavery. Two thousand Naval men died on the high seas trying to stop slavery. Why? Because the African kings were rounding up their own people, they had them on cages waiting in the beaches, no one was running into Africa to get them. 'And I think youre totally right. If reparations needs to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of that supply chain and say, who was rounding up their own people and having them handcuffed in cages? Absolutely. Thats where they should start. 'And maybe, I dont know, the descendants of those families where they died at the in the high seas trying to stop the slavery, that those families should receive something too I think at the same time.' The royal commentator's response immediately silenced Lemon as he decided to conclude the interview. 'It's an interesting discussion,' Lemon said. 'Thank you so much, I appreciate it. We'll continue to discuss in the future.' The trans-Atlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration of people in human history, involving human suffering on an unimaginable scale. Some African leaders and traders did play a role in enslaving other Africans, usually from other ethnic groups, and selling them to European traders. Because Europeans were often unable to penetrate very deeply into the African continent, they instead built a network of slave castles on the coastline, and engaged local middlemen to bring them new victims. Historians say that many of enslaved victims were captured during warfare between rival African groups, though some of them were kidnapped and sold purely for profit, according to an article from the College of Charleston. In 2019, Nigerian novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani wrote a thought-provoking guest essay in the Wall Street Journal about the issue of African complicity in the slave trade. 'Europeans oversaw this brutal traffic in human cargo, but they had many local collaborators,' she wrote. 'The anguished debate over slavery in the U.S. is often silent on the role that Africans played,' the author added. 'That silence is echoed in many African countries, where there is hardly any national discussion or acknowledgment of the issue.' Royal commenter Fordwich is a global business consultant and a regular media contributor, according to her Women's Media Center profile. Fordwich is 'a national Royal Watcher' for networks, including Sunday Morning, CNN and CBS. She has covered every royal wedding since William and Kate. The interview with the royal commentator made headlines days after CNN announced Lemon would be retiring his night primetime show for a morning gig with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Some on Twitter speculated that Lemon's lack of response to Fordwich was a result of CNN's 'new policy' to not bash conservatives and deliver 'fair news' amid the recent wave of layoffs of infamous liberal journalists at the media group. Lemon spoke up for the first time on Thursday about CNN's latest shakeup and dubbed the change a promotion. He insisted that the network wasn't making him change his left-leaning views after his colleagues - who were overly critical of Donald Trump and the GOP - were fired. 'This is not someone saying you must move to the right, Don Lemon, and must not give so much of your perspective. None of that has happened,' Lemon said. 'All of that is Fodder for Twitter. 'I was not demoted. None of that. This is an opportunity. This is a promotion.' Kaitlan Collins (left) and Poppy Harlow (right) will appear in the new morning show alongside Lemon CEO Chris Licht (above) called the trio 'compelling and reliable' as CNN experiences a shift in operations, with Licht leading the purge against journalists overly critical of the GOP Lemon's new production with Harlow and Collins will replace the 'New Day' show hosted by John Berman and Brianna Keilar that runs from 6 to 9am. The call is one of CNN's new CEO Chris Licht's most prominent decisions as he seeks to rid of and steer the outlet away from 'opinion-based partisan news' and anchors who slam conservatives and the GOP. CNN has been purging itself of the reputation of being a woke media source since Licht pledged to make the network reliable to the people again by halting the slander of Republicans. The new movement has resulted in the termination of popular CNN hosts, including John Harwood and Brian Stelter, along with their shows. Licht previously warned CNN staffers that changes to the network were coming to the network that they would 'not understand' or 'like.' The owner of the property where Bruce Saunders' body was found in a woodchipper says it didn't make sense after asking questions about the horrific death, a court has heard. At first, Sharon Beighton was in shock when told Bruce Saunders had fallen into a woodchipper in a 'terrible accident' on her property. But Ms Beighton later thought it didn't make sense after asking Gregory Lee Roser about the tragedy, she told the Brisbane Supreme Court. Roser, 63, and Sharon Graham, 61, were charged with murder after Mr Saunders, 54, died while working on Ms Beighton's property north of Brisbane in November 2017. Graham is accused of asking Roser and another man Peter Koenig to kill Mr Saunders and make it look like an accident to claim his $750,000 life insurance policy. Bruce Saunders (pictured) died while working on a property north of Brisbane in 2017 Ms Beighton had fallen asleep while Mr Saunders, Roser and Koenig were clearing trees on her property near Gympie before she was woken abruptly. She said when she went outside, Koenig appeared in shock and Roser looked like he was vomiting. 'I remember ... thinking where's Bruce?' Ms Beighton told the court on Tuesday. 'Peter said 'there's been a terrible accident'. Greg said to me 'I tried to save him, I tried to pull him out ... he went through the chipper'.' Ms Beighton said she was surprised police had not been called but was told Roser's phone had no reception. She told the jury her property had 'great' reception. However, Ms Beighton said Roser later told her that he had called Graham 'down at the chipper' to tell her what happened, and had to ring an ambulance for her because 'her blood pressure went through the roof'. Gregory Lee Roser (middle), 63, and Sharon Graham (right), 61, are on trial after being charged with the murder of Bruce Saunders. Peter Koenig (left) pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in June When Roser and Koenig returned from the police station where they provided a statement, Ms Beighton said she asked what had happened. She said Roser told her Mr Saunders had been an 'absolute idiot on the day' and had been 'standing on the chipper, leaning back into it'. Roser also told her Mr Saunders had been 'woozy' and bleeding that day after being struck on the head by a falling branch. However, Ms Beighton said she had seen Mr Saunders earlier and he appeared in good health. 'I didn't see any blood on Bruce so to me it didn't make sense. I think I was in shock (so) I didn't think to question a lot of things until later,' she said. Sharon Beighton told the trial of her shock of being told that Bruce Saunders had fallen into a woodchipper in a 'terrible accident' on her property (pictured) but later realised it didn't make sense after asking questions about the tragedy Graham was in a 'love quadrangle' with Roser, Koenig and Mr Saunders, plotting the latter's murder for months, the court heard. Ms Beighton's granddaughter told the jury Graham would make a 'big deal' about how much money Mr Saunders had and that 'he would die first and she would get everything'. Keira-Lee Beighton confirmed Graham also said 'it's not my fault that he loves me and wants to give me everything'. However, former work colleagues said Mr Saunders was in debt and had to borrow money to maintain Graham's lifestyle but never mentioned it to his partner for fear of losing her. Keren Armstrong said Mr Saunders would ring in tears telling her Graham had hit him. Bruce Saunders' colleagues told the court he was 'quite scared' of Sharon Graham (pictured) Another colleague Christeena Grills said a month before his death a 'distraught' Mr Saunders had rung saying Graham was verbally abusive. Mr Saunders had also told her Graham was 'domineering and controlling' and that he was 'quite scared of her', the court heard. Ms Grills said Graham had told Mr Saunders a former partner 'knew people who knew how to make someone disappear'. Graham would also demand money, with Mr Saunders at one stage 'caving in' and paying her $11,000, the court heard. When Ms Grills suggested he leave Graham, Mr Saunders told her 'I know I have to' but he didn't know how to do it. Roser and Graham have pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial before Justice Martin Burns continues. Since the Greenfield airport, proposed to be set up at Parandur with ultra-modern facilities, might take a while to become operational with even land acquisition for the project not yet started and the plan was never to abandon the present airport in Meenambakam, the runway extension work is likely to start soon in right earnest making use of 10.20 acres of land, handed over to the Airports Authority of India recently by the State government.(PTI) Chennai: The main runway at the Meenambakkam airport is set to be extended to 4.058 km paving the way for wide-bodied aircraft like the Airbus A-380 series, which has three decks of floors, to use the international airport, where passenger traffic had been increasing by the day, forcing the authorities to look for a site to construct a second airport for Chennai. Since the Greenfield airport, proposed to be set up at Parandur with ultra-modern facilities, might take a while to become operational with even land acquisition for the project not yet started and the plan was never to abandon the present airport in Meenambakam, the runway extension work is likely to start soon in right earnest making use of 10.20 acres of land, handed over to the Airports Authority of India recently by the State government. Even otherwise, work on the construction of modern terminals for the international and domestic airports in Meenambakkam, spread out on 1,350 acres of land, is going on at a cost Rs 2,400 crore, and the new plan to extend the old runway by another 400 metres will only enable the landing and taking off of bigger aircraft like Airbus A-380 that are part of the fleet of carriers like Emrites and Singapore Airlines that operate services to Chennai. So Chennai will soon join the select club of Indian airports with the facility for operating modern aircraft like Airbus A-380, which is now available only in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Those aircraft with a seating capacity upto 746 seats in three floors have never landed in Chennai, which had seen many other aviation marvels like the Concorde and also the Airbus A 400M Atlas. The A 400M Atlas belonging to the French Air Force landed in Chennai on Friday for a refueling stop and was a cynosure of all eyes at the airport as it was parked in the bay. Similarly many other aircraft have also landed in Chennai for various reasons though not the Airbus A-380 variety. Now with the expansion of the runway, many more big bodied aircraft could be expected to come to Chennai even before the second airport becomes a reality. For, apart from adding 400 metres to the present 3,658 metres long runway, the authorities have also planned more amenities for smooth landing of aircraft. Among the proposed new structures to be installed at the St Thomas Mount end of the runway are more modern lighting facilities and other equipment that would help pilots navigate that path while landing, which are highly essential while operating high-end planes. Taiwan's de factor ambassador to the US Hsiao Bi-khim told reporters in relation to Biden's pledge to defend the island, 'What we've heard is President Biden speaking his mind' Taipei's de-factor ambassador to Washington said on Monday that President Joe Biden was 'speaking his mind' when he said the US military would defend Taiwan in the event of an 'unprecedented attack.' It comes after Beijing accused the American president of 'severely' violating longstanding US-China policy with his remarks. China has this year ramped up its military exercises on the island's coast and in the Taiwan Strait, with some global security experts concerned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February has emboldened leader Xi Jinping to make aggressive moves against the island. 'What we've heard is President Biden speaking his mind,' said Taiwan's envoy to the US Hsiao Bi-khim, according to Newsweek. She added that Taipei and Washington would work closely 'to promote and maintain peace and stability in the region, and jointly uphold the status quo.' It comes after Biden directly affirmed that he would send US forces to defend Taiwan if the situation called for it, during a lengthy interview on CBS News' 60 Minutes. 'Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,' the Biden said if asked if his military would defend the island. However he also toed closer to US policy when stating 'we're not encouraging their being independent' from China, adding that it was up to Taiwan. Biden said unequivocally on Sunday that 'yes,' US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an 'unprecedented attack' The interviewer then notes that the White House said its policy 'has not changed' after Biden's interview, yet again undercutting the president's forceful rhetoric against Beijing. But Biden did not leave wiggle room for interpretation. 'So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. Forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?' Pelley asked. Biden simply replied, 'Yes.' It's the fourth time in a little over a year that the White House had to pump the breaks on Biden's enthusiastic defense of Taiwan. Beijing was expectedly incensed by the recent remarks. Global experts are worried that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February may have emboldened Chinese President Xi Jinping to stage an attack on Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that the statements 'severely violate the important commitment the U.S. made not to support Taiwan independence, and send a seriously erroneous signal to Taiwanese separatist independence forces.' 'We are willing to do our best to strive for peaceful reunification. At the same time, we will not tolerate any activities aimed at secession,' Mao said. China severely ramped up its aggression against Taiwan in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last month, the first for a US Speaker of the House of Representatives since Newt Gingrich. The New York Times reported at the time that Pelosi's plane had taken a deliberate three-hour detour to avoid areas of high Chinese military activity. Since her trip, which was opposed by Biden and the US military, a parade of US lawmakers and elected officials have flown to the island in a show of support. Military veterans are killing themselves at more than twice the official government rate, mostly due to uncounted drug overdose suicides, says an alarming study about the real costs of wearing a uniform. Research by America's Warrior Partnership (AWP), a non-profit, found the actual suicide rate of veterans was much higher than is reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). And those numbers climb higher still when you add drug overdose deaths. Military suicide rates are alarmingly high and rising, often attributed to the trauma and stress of serving in post-9/11 anti-terror wars, head injuries, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life. The study comes as veterans increasingly complain about poor support from the military, and as the Army faces its worst recruitment crisis in decades and a shortfall of as many as 15,000 troops this year. AWP president Jim Lorraine said the non-profit groups interim study was a wake-up call about inaccurate data on veteran deaths and called for faster progress toward preventing former service member suicide. America's Warrior Partnership (AWP), a non-profit, says the real suicide rate of veterans was likely much higher than is reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) A military veteran speaking with a psychiatrist. High suicide rates are often attributed to the trauma and stress of serving in post-9/11 anti-terror wars, head injuries, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life Christopher Saxon, an Afghanistan veteran, cleans graffiti off the war memorial in Indianapolis. His struggle with PTSD epitomizes the experience of many veterans of America's post-9/11 wars The joint study with University of Alabama and Duke University assessed census death data from 2014 to 2018 across eight states Alabama, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon. Researchers found thousands of cases of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in official figures. According to the VA, some 17 veterans aged 18-64 die each day by suicide in those eight states. AWPs study known as Operation Deep Dive said in reality there were 24, or 1.4 times the official rate. Then the group added the 20 veterans who die daily after injuring themselves 80 percent of whom are drug overdose deaths. The combined 44 daily veteran deaths is 2.4 times VA suicide figures. Overdoses are often classified as accidents or an act of unknown intent. Still, researchers say there are indications that many veterans who perish from drugs were indeed trying to end their lives. The four-page study also found that Coast Guards were the most at-risk service, followed by marines, Army, Navy, and then Air Force. Those demoted during service were 56 percent more likely to take their own lives. Those who served less than three years were a high-risk group, while veterans with longer service records fared better. Researchers also found that living with a partner reduces suicide risk by 40 percent. VA spokesman Randal Noller said his department's suicide count was accurate. He said it was consistent, based on verified data and meets the quality and standards of a peer-reviewed publication. The bottom line is this: One veteran suicide is one too many, and VA will continue to accurately measure veteran suicide, so we can end veteran suicide, Noller told DailyMail.com. The VA runs an emergency counseling hotline at 877-424-3838 and selecting option 1. Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance. Marine veteran and Purple Heart winner Bill Bee has struggled with head injuries, memory loss, and violent flashbacks since serving in Afghanistan and seeks to highlight the plight of many former servicemen. Bill Bee suffered three traumatic brain injuries during his 13 years as a Marine. He has struggled with head injuries, memory loss, and violent flashbacks since serving in Afghanistan and seeks to highlight the plight of many former servicemen In his new memoir The Shot, Bee goes into detail about his journey from an Ohio trailer park to one of the first Americans in Afghanistan after 9/11 In his memoir The Shot, he details the moment he contemplated taking his own life, and says it should be far easier for veterans to get decency and the care they deserve after risking their lives in far-flung warzones. 'Far too often, those in trouble are left to fend for themselves and that often means they are forced into homelessness, a life of crime, or suicide,' Bee wrote for DailyMail.com. 'They should be able to get a doctor's appointment without waiting weeks, and should be given the decency of care after risking their lives thousands of miles away.' The focus on veteran suicide rates comes at a tough time for the military, which is struggling to attract new recruits and faces a shortfall of as many as 15,000 soldiers this year and bigger problems down the road. Research from the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) in July found that the number of military personnel who would advise others to enlist sank nearly 12 points to 62.9 percent between 2019 and 2021. Three quarters of those surveyed were in debt, more than half could not save, 61 percent had trouble paying rent and a troublesome 17 percent said they were so cash-strapped they could not always put enough food on the table. Former Defense Sec. Mark Esper this week issued a warning about the U.S. military's dismal recruitment numbers, writing that only a small fraction of the U.S. is fit to serve anymore since many are either overweight, on drugs or have a criminal past. The two students are now suspended and school officials have pressed charges and plan to file a criminal investigation The school confirmed the teacher's nose was not broken but sustained some major bruising and swelling to her face A female tenth-grade teacher at a Louisiana High School was sucker-punched in the face after trying to break up a brutal fight in her classroom between two boys. A video circulating on social media shows the horrifying moment the teacher at Chalmette High School in Louisiana was punched so hard in the face her head snapped back and her eyeglasses flew off of her face. After the violent blow, the stunned teacher lets out a shriek and is seen covering her eyes with one of her hands as the two boys continued to throw jabs at each other. As some chairs and backpacks were being pushed around the room amid the chaos some of the students are heard screaming: 'Stop it!' 'Stop!' 'Break it up!, while others appeared amused watching from the sidelines. It was not clear if the teacher fell to the floor after being hit or if she walked out of the classroom, but one female student is heard screaming, 'Damn! You broke her nose.' Later it was revealed that some of the students went to alert school officials to get help for the injured teacher. Once her class was secure and the boys were restrained, the teacher left the school campus to get medical treatment. A video circulating on social media shows the horrifying moment the teacher at Chalmette High School in Louisiana was punched so hard in the face her head snapped back and her eyeglasses flew off her face After the violent blow, the stunned teacher lets out a shriek and is seen covering her eyes with one of her hands as the two boys continued to throw jabs at each other The school would not release the teacher's names or the two students involved. But, the school confirmed that the teacher, who sustained bruises and swelling to her face, did not suffer a broken nose, as some students had initially thought. According to the video, there were no school security officers on site at the time of the fight, which now raises question about school security and whether teachers should intervene. The school confirmed that the two boys involved have been suspended and the school is demanding that a criminal investigation be done. Doris Voitier, the longtime superintendent of Chalmette High School traumatized by what she saw in the video said she was absolutely 'appalled.; 'Our teacher shouldnt be involved in an environment like that and our students should have ways to settle their differences.' In a statement to DailyMail.com, she said 'while we do not ask or expect our teachers to put themselves in harms way, we fully support our teacher and applaud her efforts.' Voitier said the two students have been removed from Chalmette High School and will be disciplined according to their Guide to Student Conduct. 'Charges have been pressed against these students for their deplorable actions,' she said. 'As we always do in such situations, we are working hand-in-hand with the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office with the mutual understanding that behavior like this will not be tolerated in our schools.' Voitier also gave an update on the teacher's condition. 'She's bruised. Her nose is not broken and I am very upset and we are fully supporting our teacher.' The melee broke out on Friday afternoon around 2 pm during fourth period at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana. Both students whose names were not released are sophomores at the school The school confirmed both students have been suspended and the school is demanding that a criminal investigation be done. Friday's fight was the second major incident that happened at Chalmette High. On September 12, a former student was arrested after school hours for allegedly pulling a gun during a fight on campus The melee broke out on Friday afternoon around 2 pm during fourth period at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana. The fight was so harsh that the school's longtime superintendent, Doris Voitier said she was appalled after viewing the video. 'Our teacher shouldn't be involved in an environment like that and our students should have ways to settle their differences,' Voitier said. Friday's fight was the second major incident that happened at Chalmette High. On September 12, a former student was arrested after school hours for allegedly pulling a gun during a fight on campus. On Monday, St. Bernard deputies went to the school's campus to further investigate. It is not clear what the charges are that have been filed. Many of the parents were outraged by what took place, however, the superintendent called it 'an unfortunate situation and an alarming one. 'Please know that our number one priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and staff,' she said. 'The facilities at Chalmette High School may be the finest in the state. We are fortunate to have two dedicated and full-time resource officers at Chalmette High School at all times.' 'We have a direct line of communication to the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office. Our teachers have phones in their classrooms to contact help when needed. But even in the most secure environments, incidents like this sometimes happen.' Friday's fight was the second major incident at Chalmette High over the last few weeks. On Sept. 12, a former student was arrested after school hours for allegedly pulling a gun during a fight on campus. Chalmette High School is described as 'a premier high school located in Chalmette, Louisiana. The school has approximately 2,200 students in grades 9 through 12 and a student ratio of 17 to 1, according to the school's spokesperson. An Extinction Rebellion activist who locked herself to a limousine near Hyde Park causing seven-hour delays and a fellow protester who glued herself to the road have been spared jail. Mandy Oliver, 65, and Jenny Ruskin, 66, were part of an eco-mob that locked and glued themselves to a limo in the middle of the busy London road on April 16. A court heard that during the protest, Ruskin had been sitting with her hand 'glued to the ground', while Oliver was also on the ground with arm locked to the wheel of the vehicle. Meanwhile, other demonstrators lit flares, played bongos and climbed the 45ft tall Marble Arch during the 'mass action' event. The pair were two of those arrested after the car was left parked in the middle of road for more than seven hours. Ruskin, of Radstock, Somerset, and Oliver of Lambeth, southwest London, admitted willfully obstructing a highway at Westminster Magistrates' Court and both were handed a six-month conditional discharge. Jenny Ruskin, of Radstock, Somerset, was handed a six month conditional discharge after admitting to wilfully obstructing a highway on Tuesday Mandy Oliver, of Lambeth, south-west London, was also handed a six-month conditional discharge for her involvement in the climate protest This means no further action will be taken unless they commit a further offence within a six-month time period. Aaron McCalister, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates Court: From April 16 this year there was an Extinction Rebellion protest lasting over one week including two weekends. The circumstances were that at around 1:50pm a limo arrived at Marble Arch with handspray in pink, XR stickers and leaflets and it sat there for approximately seven hours and eighteen minutes. Extinction Rebellion protesters pictured on April 16 as they demonstrated in London's Marble Arch, glueing themselves to a limousine and bringing traffic to a standstill Eco-activists on April 16, climbed on top of the limousine and glued and locked themselves to the vehicle Speaking from the dock before sentencing, Oliver said: My aim was to bring attention to the catastrophic climate disaster that is lied and lied about by governments and energy companies. I spent most of the time staring at the sky and thinking how tragic life was becoming. I have children and a grandchild who are going to inherit a massively defective planet, if at all, which terrifies me. Ruskin wept as she said: My mental health is suffering from the fear of whats going to happen to my children and my little grandchildren. I will go mad. Handing them their sentence, District Judge Michael Snow said: I recognise that you are protesting an important issue, but I have to enforce the law regardless of whether I agree or disagree with your protests. U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker ruled that death row inmate Alan Eugene Miller should not be put to death unless it is by his chosen method A federal judge on Monday halted the scheduled lethal injection of an Alabama death row inmate, ruling that he 'likely faces irreparable injury' if he is not executed by his requested method. U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker issued a preliminary injunction blocking Alabama from putting Alan Eugene Miller, a delivery truck driver convicted of killing three co-workers in 1999, to death on September 22 as previously scheduled. The judge found that the state likely lost Miller's paperwork requesting to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia - a supposedly more humane method akin to suffocation - which Alabama has authorized but not yet implemented. An Alabama jury took 20 minutes to convict, in a 10 to 2 vote, in July 2000 and decided that put Miller should be put to death. Two appeals of the verdict were denied. 'Miller will likely suffer irreparable injury if an injunction does not issue because he will be deprived of the ability to die by the method he chose and instead will be forced to die by a method he sought to avoid and which he asserts will be painful,' Huffaker wrote. Alan Eugene Miller, who shot three co-workers who he believed were spreading rumors about him, will not be put to death on September 22, 2022 as had been previously scheduled Miller's lawyers argued that lethal injection, that would be performed in the Alabama death chamber seen here, was painful and inhumane The injury will be, 'the loss of his 'final dignity'to choose how he will die,' he added. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshal filed a notice on Tuesday to appeal the decision. The Alabama Department of Corrections did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Miller's lawyers filed an injunction on September 1 to halt the death sentence, claiming his rights had been violated. Under a 2018 state law, death row inmates may choose nitrogen hypoxia for execution despite the fact that protocols for the method had not been cleared by the state Department of Corrections. Miller said that he submitted his form in June of 2018 before the July 2, 2018, deadline. Miller shot two co-workers to death at their office then killed a third person at a company where he used to work Alan Eugene Miller is seen being led away from the Pelham City Jail in Alabama on August 5, 1999. Miller was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on September 22, 2022, for a workplace shooting rampage in 1999 that killed three men Miller, in his motion to stay the execution, argued that past lethal injections including that of Joe Nathan James Jr., who was put to death in July 2022, were painful and inhumane. Death penalty opponents contend the execution was botched. 'The information that is publicly available to date shows that Mr. Jamess body was in `great distress during the execution as executioners sliced into his skin several times to find a vein, and that he suffered many `unusual punctures that do not normally appear on an executed body,' Miller's lawyers wrote. Nitrogen hypoxia, the supposedly more humane form of execution, it slowly replaces nitrogen for oxygen in the inmate's air supply. The death row inmate loses consciousness in 15 seconds, brain function ceases 30 seconds later and the heart stops within two to three minutes. Shelby County coroner's employees bring out one of two bodies from Ferguson Enterprises in Pelham, Alabama where two employees, Lee Holbrooks and Christopher Yancy were killed in August 1999 by Alan Eugene Miller It has been authorized by Alabama and two other states for executions but has never been used by a state to try to put an inmate to death. Miller testified on September 12 that he had filled out the paperwork for the new form of execution the same day that it had been given to him. He said he left it in the slot of his cell door for someone to collect but didn't know what happened to it after that. Miller has not argued that he should not be executed. State corrections officials say that they never got his paperwork. They argued last week that Miller is just trying to put off his death sentence. 'It is substantially likely that Miller timely elected nitrogen hypoxia,' the judge wrote while also considering the possibility that the inmate could be lying. Alabama is one of three states, including Mississippi and Oklahoma, that have approved nitrogen hypoxia. 'From all that appears, the State intends to announce its readiness to conduct executions by nitrogen hypoxia in the upcoming weeks,' Huffaker wrote. The Alabama Department of Corrections told the judge last week that Alabama 'has completed many of the preparations necessary for conducting executions by nitrogen hypoxia' but is not ready to implement it Miller, a delivery truck driver, fatally shot co-workers Lee Holdbrooks, Scott Yancy and Terry Jarvis in suburban Birmingham. Miller shot Holdbrooks and Yancy at one business and then drove to another location to shoot Jarvis, evidence showed. Miller believed that the employees had been spreading rumors about him, including that he is gay. A defense psychiatrist said Miller was delusional and suffered from severe mental illness but his condition wasn't bad enough to use as a basis for an insanity defense under state law. A pervert secondary school teacher has been jailed for sexually assaulting three schoolgirls after preying on them on Snapchat. Muhammad Taimoor, 30, from Birmingham encouraged the victims to skip lessons and spend time in his classroom before he sexually assaulted them. The 30-year-old maths teacher allowed the 16-year-old girls to use their phones and vapes in his classroom and gave them chocolates and doughnuts as treats. Taimoor, of Richmond Road, Yardley, also joined a Snapchat group which he used to sexually communicate with the the pupils. He was caught out when some of the girls confided in another teacher in May. Muhammad Taimoor, 30, from Birmingham was jailed for three years after admitted 11 sexual assault charges and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life last Tuesday He was questioned by Public Protection Unit officers from West Midlands Police before being arrested. Taimoor admitted 11 charges of sexual assault at Birmingham Crown Court last month. He was jailed for three years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life last Tuesday, September 17. The court heard one victim said Taimoor would compliment the girls on their appearance and ask for hugs in the classroom, away from CCTV. He would also tell them they were sexy and beautiful and grabbed one on the bottom and asked her if she was ticklish. Another victim said he had hugged her, slapped her bottom and tried to put his hand inside her top. He had asked her for a nude picture and she had sent him a photo of her chest, wearing a bra. He had also waited for her outside the girl's toilets and picked up a ruler and ran it up her leg. A third victim said the defendant had touched her breasts while re-fixing a sticker on her chest. 'This was an appalling abuse of trust and power by someone in a position of authority,' said Detective Constable Megan Davies, from West Midlands Police's Child Abuse Investigation team Detective Constable Megan Davies, from West Midlands Police's Child Abuse Investigation team, said: 'This was an appalling abuse of trust and power by someone in a position of authority. 'Taimoor essentially groomed and sexually assaulted a number of his female students on and off school premises. 'This will have long lasting and scarring effects on the girls, who are young and vulnerable. 'We commend their bravery in coming forward and helping to ensure his successful prosecution. 'We do not underestimate how traumatic his actions have been and our trained officers continue to support the girls, alongside partner agencies.' Taimoor pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a fourth girl. The charges were accepted by the prosecution and will lie on file. A jail nurse is facing going to prison herself after admitting a fling with an inmate behind bars. Qualified health worker Elyse Hibbs, 25, pleaded guilty to an 'inappropriate relationship' while working as a nurse at two prisons. A second prison worker custody officer Ruth Shmylo, also 25, appeared alongside Hibbs also accused of an affair with the same inmate - but did not enter a plea. Hibbs worked at the 1,652-capacity HMP Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales, and at HMP Manchester, known as Strangeways, 210 miles away. She admitted the one charge of misconduct in a public office when she appeared in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court. The charge against her states: 'While acting as a public officer, namely prison nurse, willfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.' Elyse Hibbs, 25, pleaded guilty to an 'inappropriate relationship' while working as a nurse at two prisons Hibbs, a qualified nurse, worked at the 1,652-capacity HMP Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales, and at HMP Manchester, known as Strangeways Hibbs admitted the one charge of misconduct in a public office when she appeared in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court Hibbs, of Manchester, was told 'all options' remain open when she comes to be sentenced over the affair. Adam Sharp, defending, said Hibbs' plea was on a basis that would need to be reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service and requested a pre-sentence report. She was told to return to court next month for sentence or a further direction hearing. Ruth Shmylo, also 25, is accused of an affair with the same inmate - but did not enter a plea The court heard the case against Shmylo was not ready to proceed and she was not asked to enter a plea Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, said: 'You have pleaded guilty what is, as I suspect you know, a very serious offence. 'I'm going to order a pre-sentence report and bail you to the next hearing. You shouldn't read anything into either of those decisions, all options remain open to the court.' The inmate was not named in the court hearing. The court heard the case against Shmylo, who previously worked at Parc Prison, was not ready to proceed and she was not asked to enter a plea. The charge against her states: 'While acting as a public officer, namely a prison custody officer, willfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner.' Shmylo, of Treforest, Pontypridd, must return to court next month. Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro has used his trip to the UK for the Queen's funeral to share his shock at the price of UK's petrol. The Brazilian president stopped at a petrol station in London and posted a video about the cost of fuel. Standing at a Shell garage in London's Bayswater Road, Brazil's controversial president pointed at the electronic sign displaying the 161.9p price for a litre of unleaded. Standing at a Shell fuel station in London's Bayswater Road, Brazil's controversial president pointed at the electronic sign displaying the price of fuel 'I'm here in London, England, and the price of petrol is 1.61 this is about R $ 9.70 per litre,' he said Jair Bolsonaro has used his trip to the UK for the Queen's funeral to share his shock at the price of UK petrol price In a video filmed with mobile phone, Bolsonaro said the cost is 'practically double the average of many Brazilian states' and also claimed fuel in Brazil is among the cheapest in the world. 'I'm here in London, England, and the price of petrol is 1.61 this is about R$9.70 per litre,' he said. 'Our gasoline is in fact, among the cheapest in the world,' he claimed. The video was posted online the night before the Queen's funeral. Some on social media criticised Bolsonaro's claim and said it is not a fair comparison as Brazil's minimum wage is many times is lower than the UK's. Prices in Britain have fallen in recent months from highs of nearly 2 per litre. Brazil's president has been trumpeting a fall in fuel prices as he tries to win re-election next month. The latest poll by IPEC shows that former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is ahead on 47% against Bolsonaro's 31%. Bolsonaro was also accused of using his London trip to be pictured among the world leaders in an attempt to boost his image and use it as a platform for his campaign. The far-right president and an ex-army captain, has enthusiastically courted the military's support and has put it forward as a referee in the elections, raising fears he could seek an armed intervention if he loses. However, experts say that while Bolsonaro has the backing of some in the military, it is highly unlikely the institution would get involved in anything resembling a coup. Bolsonaro, who openly admires Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship, has drawn the army into politics on an unprecedented scale, naming more than 6,000 active-duty or retired service members to jobs in his administration, all the way up to Vice President Hamilton Mourao, an army reserve general. That mix of military and politics was on full display early this month as Brazil celebrated the 200th anniversary of its independence from Portugal with the 67-year-old commander in chief presiding over a combination of military parades and campaign rallies by his supporters. He spent few seconds on the Queen's legacy before turning to a speech on the election on Sunday when he was addressing supporters from the balcony of the Brazilian embassy in London. , He told the crowd: 'We're a country that doesn't want drug liberalisation, that doesn't want to talk about legalising abortion and that doesn't accept 'gender ideology'.' A 'highly respected' Islamic preacher who raped and sexually assaulted a young girl inside the mosque where he taught children has avoided jail because he is suffering from dementia. Khandaker Mohammed Rahman, 67, went unpunished for more than a decade after his victim, who was raped in a washroom in 2005, stopped attending the religious centre in South Wales in a bid to escape his clutches. The grandfather-of-three was finally brought to justice when she recognised him in a YouTube video 13 years later and shopped him to police, who arrested him at Heathrow Airport. However his trial in 2020 was twice abandoned due to illness and Covid - when a juror tested positive for the disease, forcing the jury to be dismissed - before he suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with onset dementia. He was declared unfit to appear in the dock at his third trial this year, where a jury at Swansea Crown Court ruled that he did rape a girl under the age of 13 and sexually assaulted her twice - unable to declare him guilty due to his mental state. Owing to his condition, Judge Huw Rees gave an absolute discharge at sentencing on Tuesday, ordering that Rahman be cared for by social services, while no Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made. Warped Khandaker Mohammed Rahman (pictured outside court in 2020), 67, went unpunished for more than a decade after his victim, who was raped in a washroom in 2005, stopped attending the religious centre in South Wales in a bid to escape the predator The victim, from a 'devout Muslim family' and now in her late 20s, had told the court how she made excuses not to go back to the mosque following the rape but, on the few occasions she did, Rahman touched her breasts and bottom, when he was supposed to be giving her religious lessons. She only ever knew her attacker as 'The Imam', before she saw his face on a YouTube clip 13 years following the attacks, prompting her to take a picture of his 'side profile' to the police. Rahman, of Cwmdu, Swansea, denied rape and two charges of sexual assault by touching a girl under 13. The jury in Rahman's third trial was asked not to determine his guilt or innocence but to decide whether he carried out the acts. After deliberating for two hours and five minutes the jury found Rahman raped the girl and twice indecently assaulted her. A court heard the woman feared there were other young victims and she wanted closure after being raped by Rahman in the South Wales mosque in 2005. Prosecutor John Hipkin told the jury how the 'highly respected' Muslim leader raped the girl during religious lessons after school. He said: 'He agreed to let her leave early if she helped him move some books from the library upstairs. 'On the way there he pushed her into a washroom and she fell onto the floor banging her head. 'The next thing she remembers is Rahman on top of her.' Swansea Crown Court heard the girl fled the mosque and got into her father's car which was parked outside. Prosecutor John Hipkin told the jury at Swansea Crown Court how the 'highly respected' Muslim leader raped the girl during religious lessons after school. She stopped going to the mosque after Rahman indecently assaulted her on two separate occasions, the jury was told. Mr Hipkin said: 'She kept what had happened a secret until 2018 when she disclosed it to her husband and police were called in.' The woman told the hearing earlier this year how she was 'face to face' with Rahman and he had a 'very strong' smell of body odour. She said the incident only lasted a couple of minutes before she pulled up her trousers and ran out of the mosque to her father who was waiting outside. The victim, now in her late twenties, said she made excuses not to go back to the mosque again but, on the few occasions she did attend, Rahman touched her breasts and bottom. Rahman, a grandfather to three teenage children, was unable to give evidence but his defence was that it was a case of mistaken identity. Judge Rees said Rahman was a frail man and there was no treatment for his dementia. After reading reports by two psychiatrists the judge said hospital or supervision orders were 'inappropriate'. He gave Rahman an absolute discharge which means he will continue to be cared for in the community by social services. No Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made. The Portuguese ex-police chief who probed the disappearance of Madeleine McCann said her parents are 'still suspects' as he gloated over his court win today. Goncalo Amaral laid into Gerry and Kate in a radio interview in his native country after learning they had lost the latest round of their libel battle against his 2008 book. The couple had taken him to the European Court of Human Rights after years of litigation in his homeland over Truth of the Lie, which accused them of covering up Madeleine's 'accidental' death in their Praia da Luz holiday apartment in May 2007. The McCanns reacted to their court defeat by admitting they were 'naturally disappointed' at the decision but insisting they had no regrets about pursuing their long and arduous legal battle. They said it meant the focus was now 'rightly' on the search for Madeleine and her abductors. Hours later, Amaral was on Portuguese radio, insisting: 'Today the court referred once again to an important question. 'The couple are suspects, were suspects and remain suspects. Nothing else happened to the contrary.' The Portuguese ex-police chief who probed the disappearance of Madeleine McCann says her parents are 'still suspects' (file image) Goncalo Amaral laid into Gerry and Kate in a radio interview in his native country after learning they had lost the latest round of their libel battle against his 2008 book Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz where she was staying with her parents in 2007, and no trace of her has ever been found Referring to prime suspect Christian Brueckner who Amaral has claimed in the past is a scapegoat, he added in an interview on Radio Renascenca: 'Thousands even millions of euros have been invested in recent years to create a false suspect.' Amaral's comments came despite the McCanns having their 'arguido' status lifted by the Portuguese authorities in July 2008. Portugal's Supreme Court said in 2017 in a previous ruling on the Amaral book that did not mean they had been cleared and did not equate to 'proof of innocence.' But all new lines of inquiry in recent years, both in Portugal and the UK as well as in Germany where Brueckner is serving a seven-year prison sentence for raping an American pensioner, have excluded any responsibility of the parents. The German was recently made an 'arguido' or suspect in Portugal. Amaral, removed as head of the initial Policia Judiciaria inquiry which led to the finger being pointed at the McCanns, crowed after learning the latest court decision over his book had gone against the couple: 'This is a victory for Portuguese justice against those who do not want the discovery of the truth of the realisation of justice. 'So many times Portugal is defeated in the ECHR and today it emerged victorious.' The McCanns won their initial libel case against Amaral but he appealed and Portuguese judges reversed the decision - prompting the McCanns to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. European judges delivered their verdict today and rejected the appeal, giving the McCanns three months to decide whether to appeal again. A source close to the pair told MailOnline they are 'disappointed' and are reviewing their legal options. Kate and Gerry McCann (file) have lost the latest round of a long-running legal battle with Goncalo Amaral - the Portuguese ex-cop who led the probe into Madeleine's disappearance A statement posted on the official 'Find Madeleine McCann' Facebook page, the McCanns said: 'We are naturally disappointed with decision of the European Court of Humans Rights announced today. 'However, much has changed since we started legal proceedings 13 years ago against Mr Amaral, his publisher and broadcaster. 'We took action for one and only one reason: Mr Amaral's unfounded claims were having a detrimental impact on the search for Madeleine. 'If the public believed that we were involved in her disappearance, then people would not be alert for possible clues and may not report relevant information to the relevant law enforcement agencies. 'The focus is now rightly on the search for Madeleine and her abductor(s). We are grateful for the ongoing work by the British, German and Portuguese police. 'We hope that with, the help of the public, hard work and diligence we can eventually find those responsible for Madeleine's disappearance and bring them to justice.' Lawyers for Kate and Gerry had been arguing that the Portuguese courts breached their right to respect for a private and family life in the way the case was handled. They also argued their right to a fair hearing had been damaged by Amaral's statements alleging their involvement. However, European judges rejected that claim - saying the McCanns' reputation had actually been damaged by Portuguese police naming them as suspects for a short time and not Amaral's comments. They also dismissed claims that Portuguese authorities had breached their right to privacy, noting the parents had taken part in their own media interviews and participated in a documentary. Goncalo Amaral, the Portuguese police officer who led the initial investigation, later claimed in a book that the McCanns were involved in Maddie's disappearance In a five page judgement issued today, the seven judges wrote: 'The Court considered that, even assuming that the applicants' reputation had been damaged, this was not an account of the argument put forward by the book's author. 'Rather [their reputation was damaged] as a result of the suspicions expressed against them, which had led to their being placed under investigation in the course of the criminal investigation.' The judges added: 'The information had thus been brought to the public's attention in some detail even before the investigation file was made available to the media and the book in question published. 'It followed that the national authorities had not failed in their positive obligation to protect the applicants' right to respect for their private life.' The Court in Strasbourg also highlighted how Portugal's Supreme Court in previous rulings had 'not implied any guilt on the applicants or even suggested suspicions against them' saying that as a result their 'complaint concerning their right to be presumed innocent was manifestly ill-founded.' Rejecting the argument that the book had harmed their right to a private life, the judges noted that the McCann's themselves had undertaken a tour of media interviews following the book's publication. 'In particular they cooperated in a documentary programme about their daughter's disappearance and continued to give interviews to the media,' they said. 'While the Court understood that the book's publication had undeniably caused anger, anguish and distress to the applicants it did not appear that the book, or the broadcasting of the (Amaral) documentary, had a serious impact on the applicants social relations or on their legitimate and ongoing attempts to find their daughter.' The panel was headed by president Gabriele Kucsko-Stadimayer from Austria, as well as British judge Tim Eicke and colleagues from Bulgaria, Armenia, Andorra, Netherlands and Portugal. German prosecutors have named Christian Brueckner, who is currently in jail for rape, as the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance A source close to the family said: 'They felt very strongly about the case, otherwise they wouldn't have taken it to the European Court of Human Rights. 'Clearly in their eyes Goncalo Amaral's comments were completely unjustified and they felt compelled to take the case against the Portuguese Supreme Court ruling to Strasbourg. They will now examine the judgement and decide what to do. 'The most important thing for them is finding what happened to their daughter and that has always been uppermost for them.' Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment where she was staying with her parents, brother and sister in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Kate and Gerry had been eating in a restaurant near the apartment with a group of friends who were going back periodically to check on the sleeping children. But when Kate went back to the apartment around 10pm to check on the children, she found that Madeleine was missing. Despite years of investigations - initially by Portuguese police led by Amaral, and later by British detectives - no trace of the schoolgirl has ever been found. In 2020, investigators took the extraordinary step of naming the chief suspect as Christian Brueckner - a German man currently in jail in his home country for rape. Brueckner has previous convictions for child sex offences and drug smuggling, and in 2007 was known to be living out of a camper van near Praia da Luz. Police say they have phone records that place Brueckner in the vicinity of the apartment where Madeleine was sleeping on the night she vanished, but cannot currently prove he took the girl. Cops revealed his identity in the hopes of convincing someone with information to come forward, and have said they hope to bring charges this year. Brueckner's lawyers have stressed that he has not been formally charged and he has reportedly written a letter to German prosecutors from his jail cell telling them to 'put up or shut up'. The AP government impleaded in the case and filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. Based on this, the SC issued notices to the parties. It is learnt that Ramoji Rao has also filed an SLP.(Photo: ANI) KAKINADA: The Supreme Court has issued notices to Eenadu Group chairman Ch Ramoji Rao, the RBI and the Telangana government in the Margadarsi chit funds case. Former Rajamahendravaram MP Vundavilli Arun Kumar had taken on the company on the issue of whether or not it accepted deposits as an Hindu Undivided Family. The AP government impleaded in the case and filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. Based on this, the SC issued notices to the parties. It is learnt that Ramoji Rao has also filed an SLP. Arun Kumar said the Supreme Court wanted to know whether or not the deposits had been refunded to the depositors. Counsel of AP government, senior advocate Vikas Singh, said this would have to be ascertained by the firm and the governments. Therefore, the court issued notices. He said that regardless of whether deposits had been refunded or not, the moot question was whether a HUF was entitled to accept deposits. Arun said it was his contention that according to law a HUF cannot do so. Arun Kumar said he had met Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao recently and urged him to implead in the petition on behalf of the Telangana government. He said Chandrashekar Rao ahd promised him to do so. He made it clear that he had no vengeance against Ramoji Rao and he was fighting for the implementation of law to strengthen the system. New photos and video show the gruesome aftermath of a 2018 hit on a reputed mafia associate who was gunned down in the drive-thru of a McDonald's in the Bronx. Federal prosecutors entered the images into evidence on Monday in Brooklyn federal court, where Anthony Zottola Sr, 41, is charged with hiring Bloods gang members to carry out the hit on his father, Sylvester 'Sally Daz' Zottola, 71. Sylvester, a reputed Bonanno crime family associate, had just ordered a medium coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru in when his SUV was pinned in by several vehicles and he was shot once in the head and four times in the torso. Prosecutors say that Anthony paid Bloods gangsters $200,000 to carry out the hit on his dad, as well as make botched attempts on the life of his brother Salvatore, in order to take over the father's $45 million real estate portfolio. Scroll down for video New photos show the bloody aftermath of a 2018 hit on a reputed mafia associate who was gunned down in the drive-thru of a McDonald's in the Bronx Sylvester 'Sally Daz' Zottola, a reputed Bonanno crime family associate, was gunned down inside his Acura while picking up a coffee at McDonald's in October 2018 Crime scene photos show the aftermath of the hit on Sally Daz, which prosecutors say was masterminded by his own son A bullet casing recovered at the scene of the shooting is seen in this evidence photo Anthony Zottola Sr (left) is charged with paying reputed Bloods leader Bushawn 'Shelz' Shelton (right) $200,000 to orchestrate the October 2018 hit on his father Sylvester Zottola One surveillance video shared by prosecutors shows Sylvester's maroon Acura rolling forward slowly in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, before crashing into the wall of the McDonald's. Sylvester 'Sally Daz' Zottola was gunned down in October 2018 Several individuals then run up to the driver's side window and peer in before running away. Within two minutes, police who appear to be NYC park enforcement officers respond to the scene, which is across the street from the Bronx's Claremont Park. The cops are seen checking Sylvester for signs of life and making radio calls for backup, but the aging mobster was beyond saving. Other chilling images show the blood-stained interior of Sylvester's Acura, and a shell casing found on the ground at the scene of the shooting. In the initial aftermath of the shooting, NYPD investigators explored the possibility that Albanian gangsters had carried out the murder in a bid to take control of the Zottolas' 'Joke Poker' video gambling dens in the city's bars. But in June 2019, prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Anthony with hiring Bloods leader Bushawn 'Shelz' Shelton to carry out the contact murder. The shooting took place in broad daylight on October 4, 2018 at this McDonald's on Webster Avenue and Belmont Street in the Bronx Within two minutes of the shooting, police who appear to be NYC park enforcement officers respond to the scene, which is across the street from the Bronx's Claremont Park Evidence photos show Sylvester's Acura crashed in the drive-thru lane after the fata shooting Five bullet holes are seen in the passenger side window of Sylvester's Acura Evidence markers are seen next to the bullet-riddled car following the shooting An evidence photo used in the case shows a possible suspect vehicle involved in the shooting An unfired bullet is seen in the center console of the alleged suspect vehicle In coded text messages with Shelton, Anthony allegedly referred to the planned murder as 'the filming' and the 'final scene' with his father as 'the actor' and the hit man as 'the director.' The indictment alleges that Anthony paid of Shelton with $200,000 in cash hidden a box full of water bottles, texting him three days after the murder: 'Did you drink the water. Was it the right one.' Shelton allegedly responded: 'Definitely was the right one thanks I was able to water the plants and get some of them squared away.' Prosecutors allege that Shelton in subcontracted other Bloods members to carry out the October 2018 murder, as well as a failed attempt on the life of Sylvester's other son Salvatore in July 2018. Sylvester and Salvatore actually survived multiple bungling assassination attempts that were allegedly part of the plot, before Sylvester was finally murdered. Last week, confessed Bloods hitman Ron Cabey, 32, testified about his six failed attempts to murder the father and son. Three defendants in the case are seen seated left to right: Himen Ross, Alfred Lopez, and Anthony Zotolla Sr as cooperating witness Ron Cabey describes his bungling attempts to kill Sylvester and Salvatore last week An evidence photo shows the possible murder weapon in the case Investigators recovered disguises that may have been used in the murder, including a wig Prosecutors say that another Bloods gunman, Himan 'Ace' Ross, pulled the trigger in the eventual attack that succeeded in killing Sylvester. Salvatore, who survived being shot in front of his home in July 2018, has also testified at the trial. In his testimony, the older brother recounted the shootings he and his father experienced. He also testified that his father had a sprawling real estate empire that drew in more than $1 million per year in rental income. In her opening statements, Assistant US Attorney Devon Lash told jurors that Sylvester, who paid dues to the infamous Lucchese and Bonanno mob families, had spent years dodging attempts at his life by goons who stabbed him and beat him. Lash said Sylvester was able to survive each would-be assassin until the 2018 shooting, which she said was masterminded by Anthony to seize his father's assets. 'The defendant wanted that control,' Lash said. Salvatore, Sylvester's eldest son, also recounted the attempt on his own life, which saw him shot several times just moths before his father's murder. Pictured: A courtroom sketch of Salvatore describing the gunshot wound he suffered on his head Pictured: Salvatore (left) pictured walking towards his brother's indictment in 2019. Along with his real estate empire, prosecutors said Sylvester ran an illegal poker video machine operation. Anthony has been charged with murder-for-hire conspiracy, causing death through the use of a firearm and unlawful use and possession of firearms. Himen Ross, the man accused of carrying out the hit for Shelton and his alleged get-a-way driver, Alfred 'Aloe' Lopez, are also on trial over the murder. In their opening statements, the attorney's for each of the defendants slammed the prosecution's case against their clients, saying it was filled with holes and that the trio could not be convicted. 'Not guilty,' John Burke, who is defending Lopez, told the jury. The defense attorneys also said that the witnesses the prosecution will call forth are not credible and are members of a violent street gang that would lie for plea deals. Democrat Stacey Abrams dismissed comparisons between her refusing to concede the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race and Donald Trump's claims that he won the 2020 election on Monday evening. She said it was 'wrong' to compare her with Trump because her gripes were with 'access' to the ballot box rather than 'fraudulent outcomes,' Abrams told 19th News. Meanwhile the progressive activist's chances of winning the seat in 2022 are looking equally dim - a new poll in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday shows Abrams trailing incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp by 8 percent. Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams for the governor's mansion in Atlanta in 2018, by a margin of 1.4 percent. Abrams refused to concede the race, a stance she has reaffirmed and defended multiple times throughout the intervening years. While acknowledging that Kemp was now governor of Georgia, she suggested he had also worked to suppress voter turnout in his role at the time as Secretary of State - a position that oversees elections statewide. She filed a lawsuit over it in 2019, arguing that the Peach State's Republican officials 'grossly mismanaged' its elections. 'The issues that I raised in 2018 were not grounded in making me the governor,' Abrams said. 'Not a single lawsuit filed would have reversed or changed the outcome of the election.' A new poll shows Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp with an eight-point lead over Democrat Stacey Abrams with less than 50 days until the midterm elections 'My point was that the access to the election was flawed, and I refuse to concede a system that permits citizens to be denied access. That is very different than someone claiming fraudulent outcome.' She then took a jab at Republicans who are calling her out for criticizing Trump for his baseless 2020 fraud claims while suggesting 2018 was stolen from her. 'The challenge is that people are always going to cherry pick the language that they want to make the points that they need,' Abrams said. 'And I apologize that people can only listen to four seconds of a speech and not the whole 15 seconds.' 'But what I think is absolutely critical is that we not allow ourselves to conflate access and outcome.' Abrams was lauded by former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin last week for stating on the show that she 'didn't win' the race - nearly three years after it took place. Griffin told her, 'May I just say, thank you for admitting outright you didnt win.' The Republican Governor's Association told DailyMail.com that it was a 'laughable attempt to rewrite history.' 'In 2018, Stacey Abrams loudly proclaimed to all of Georgia "I cannot concede." Her laughable attempts to rewrite history are easily contradicted by her own words on video,' regional RGA press secretary Maddie Anderson said. Abrams explained the difference between her and Trump's claims in an interview, 'My point was that the access to the election was flawed, and I refuse to concede a system that permits citizens to be denied access. That is very different than someone claiming fraudulent outcome' She's in a rematch against Kemp (pictured) after losing to him in 2018 by 1.4 percent 'My advice is to Abrams is to continue going on MSNBC and The View, two willing partners in her quest to lie to Georgia voters about her record.' Meanwhile the Tuesday poll shows Kemp's lead over Abrams growing with less than 50 days until Election Day. Fifty percent of eligible voters polled said they support the governor, while 42 percent backed Abrams. A majority of 54 percent also said they approve of Kemp's job as governor. In Georgia, candidates need a majority of the vote - rather than a plurality - to avoid a runoff election. Tuesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll is a damning projection for Democrats in the state overall. In the Senate race, where Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock is seeking a full term after winning a January 2021 special election, he is trailing Trump-backed Republican Herschel Walker. Walker is polling at 46 percent of support, while Warnock has 44 percent. An alleged knifeman repeatedly stabbed two police officers who were just trying to do their jobs, a court heard. Mohammed Rahman, 24, faces seven charges including attempted murder after a male officer was stabbed three times in the neck and once in the chest in Londons West End. Rahman was also charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent after a female officer was stabbed in the arm near Leicester Square on Friday morning. Wearing a grey tracksuit Rahman appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court speaking to confirm his name and date of birth. Mohammed Rahman, 24, faces seven charges including attempted murder after the incident in Londons West End, on Friday. Pictured are officers at the scene of the attack. A young female police office, today named as PC Mulhall, suffered potentially 'life changing injuries' after she was stabbed alongside a colleague on Friday in Leicester Square The male officer was named in court as PC Gerrard while the female officer was named as PC Mulhall. Prosecutor Rose Edwin said Rahman was found armed with a knife and acting strangely before the alleged attacks. She said Rahman stabbed PC Gerrard repeatedly to the neck and chest. PC Mulhall suffered lacerations to the back side of her right upper arm which extended right through to the bone. These were vicious assaults perpetrated against officers who were just trying to carry out their job. District judge Simon Heptonstall remanded Rahman in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on 14 October. Rahman, of Westbourne Park Road, Paddington, is charged with attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent. The male officer, PC Gerrard was stabbed three times in the neck and once in the chest in Londons West End. He is further charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of threatening a person in a public place with a bladed article in relation to three other officers. In addition Rahman is charged with robbery and possession of a bladed article. The officers were attached to the Mets Central West Command Unit responsible for policing Westminster, carrying out routine duties at the time. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley earlier said a violent struggle involving a frenzied individual ensued in the West End at around 6am. He said the female officer challenged a man she believed was carrying a knife, and he stabbed her in the arm before attempting to flee. The male officer caught the offender, who stabbed him three times in the neck and once in the chest. The attacker was arrested after a taser was deployed while the officers were rushed to hospital. A fraudster who stole more than 155,000 from the medical practice she worked at while having an affair with one of the doctors could now face jail time. Jacqueline Rodger, 55, was having a secret relationship with Dr Iain Hathorn while employed as a practice manager at the Greenhills Medical Practice in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. The pair had been having the intimate relationship since 2011 but the illicit affair ended when Rodger got married. However their secret relationship was revealed when an investigation was launched after the practice faced cash problems. Rodger, who had worked at the centre since 2008, admitted to embezzling 155,012.71 between April 2014 and February 2018 at Hamilton Sheriff Court in Scotland this morning. The court was told that the medical centre was even forced to close after the money was stolen when the Greenhills partners ceased their contract with the NHS. The initial probe into cash problems at the practice led to Hathorn feeling compelled to confess to the secret relationship as he admitted to having a 'proper sexual affair' with Rodger. Rodger later claimed she had been forced into the relationship but her allegations were soon dismissed by a police investigation. The 55-year-old woman, who claimed to have taken the money due to stress, later contacted her former secret lover when the affair became public. In a text, she told Hathorn: 'Iain, it's Jacqueline. It was me that did it. I'm so sorry, so ashamed. You're all such lovely people.' Jacqueline Rodger, 55, confessed to embezzling more than 155,000 from the medical practice she worked at while having an affair with one of the doctors Rodger appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court in Scotland as she admitted to moving the money to her own account over four years between April 2014 and February 2018 Meanwhile a message sent to another doctor at the surgery said: 'I am so sorry and ashamed of what I have done. You were all so good to me, I deserve everything that's coming my way.' Rodger had been moving money to her own account disguised as bogus payments to temporary doctors and office supply firms. She had originally been accused of pocketing 224,375.39 but prosecutors accepted her guilty plea to the lesser amount. Depute fiscal Jennifer Cunningham told the court how Hathorn was removed from the fraud investigation after he admitted his affair with the prime suspect. She said: 'In February 2018, a partner meeting took place at the medical practice where Dr Hathorn stated he had been having an affair with the accused. 'Dr Hathorn stated he was ashamed but insisted he had nothing to do with the missing money. 'Dr Hathorn explained the affair started in 2011 and described himself and the accused as being engaged in a 'proper sexual affair' that ended once she got married. 'It was then agreed that Dr Hathorn should have no further part of any disciplinary proceedings involving the accused.' The prosecutor added: 'As a result of this investigation and the actions of the accused, the Greenhills partners decided to cease their contract with the NHS and, as of 31st October 2018, Greenhills Medical Practice ceased to exist. 'Many of the doctors within Greenhills had been part of the practice for over 20 years. 'The accused embezzled money from the practice directly into her own bank accounts. 'These payments appeared in the Greenhills account under the guise of locum payments and the purchase of office equipment.' Rodger has also launched civil proceedings against the medical practice for unfair dismissal and sexual harassment. Sheriff Martin Jones KC deferred sentence on first offender Rodger until next month for reports and continued her bail. According to NHS Lanarkshire's website, Dr Iain Hathorn recently retired after a 38-year career. NHS Lanarkshire were approached for comment by MailOnline. The federal judge hand-picked by Donald Trump's lawyers to review documents seized in the Mar-a-Lago raid grilled the attorneys Tuesday over their refusal to back up claims that he declassified files when he left office. 'You cant have your cake and eat it too,' Judge Raymond Dearie said when the former president's legal team repeatedly refused to back up the claims in a tense court hearing in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Dearie is tasked with reviewing a trove of government documents including information marked classified that FBI agents seized at Mar-a-Lago. He was pressing Trump's legal team with sharp questioning about whether they had evidence to back up the former president's continued claims that he had declassified material when he left the White House. His tough questions came as Trump's lawyers and the Justice Department try to work through how to sort through boxes of government material that were held at Trump's private club in West Palm Beach, Florida after Trump left office. Some legal experts have said Trump could be in legal jeopardy even if he had declassified all the material that has been uncovered, since the government is investigating possession and handling of national security information, which could apply even if it weren't classified. Trump lawyer Jim Trusty at one point said the lawyers were 'not in a position' to say whether Trump had declassified the documents until they could review them. 'You did bring a lawsuit,' Dearie scolded him. Former President Trump's legal team, including Christopher M. Kise (back centre), Jim Trusty (centre right), Lindsey Halligan, Evan Corcoran (2nd right) arrive at United States Courthouse, Brooklyn, New York for their first meeting with the 'special master.' Dearie scolded Trusty at one point, saying: 'You did bring a lawsuit' The judge had earlier pushed for Trump's team to reveal information about whether the president declassified the documents as he claims he did and got pushback from Trump's lawyers on paper. Dearie also said that absent evidence from Trump's lawyers, he would assume the document were classified as marked. 'If the government gives me prima facia evidence that they are classified documents, and you dont advance any claim of declassification, Im left with a prima facia case of classified documents, and as far as Im concerned, thats the end of it,' he said. Trusty responded that the lawyers needed to see the documents first. Former President Trump's legal team, including M. Evan Corcoran (left), Lindsey Halligan, in a legal filing resisted the judge's push for information about classification Trump's attorney Lindsey Halligan (left) walks with the former president's team of lawyers towards the federal courthouse in Brooklyn in front of signs saying 'Nuclear Secrets' and 'indict Trump' The judge called on the parties to work with 'responsible dispatch' and to agree on a vendor to scan the documents by Friday. A letter from Trump's team to Dearie one of two names they forwarded to a Florida judge who ruled in their favor on getting a special master reveals that Judge Dearie asked them to 'disclose specific information regarding declassification to the Court and to the Government.' That is a place Trump's legal team does not want to go at this point. Trump's team of lawyers has declined in court filings to make the claim that Trump declassified that material, although Trump has said publicly that he did. In its filings, including one made Tuesday, Trump's lawyers continue to refer only to 'classified records' using quotation marks without stating explicitly whether they have been declassified or not. Lawyers are prohibited from making false claims in their filings and could be subject to sanctions if they do. In a stunning statement, the team argued against the Judge's request, saying they don't want to be forced to 'fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Courts order.' 'You can't have your cake and eat it too,' senior Judge Raymond Dearie, a Reagan appointee, told Trump's legal team during their first hearing in his Brooklyn courtroom Raymond Dearie, a veteran New York judge, has been appointed as special master to oversee the Mar-a-Lago investigation. The Trump Team listed him as among two recommendations for the post. According to a report, they believed he was a skeptic of the FBI That raises at least the possibility that they may want to use the declassification argument as a criminal defense should Trump be charged with improper possession of national security information after he left office. It also raises the possibility that Trump's decision to get a special master a move the government vigorously opposed saying it could harm national security interests by delaying an investigation could backfire. The Trump team also pushed back on the timeline, 'respectfully' suggesting that the 'deadlines be extended,' in a process that will go at least through November as Dearie sorts through some 11,000 documents to determine which ones Trump's team is able to keep away from investigators. It was the first signal of how Dearie, a Reagan appointee who has been on the bench for decades, would act. Lawyers from both sides were set to face off inside the Brooklyn judge's courtroom Tuesday. Dearie will be looking for documents subject to attorney-client privilege or executive privilege, after Judge Cannon rejected the government's argument that a former president couldn't make such a claim. Documents seized during the search of Trump's estate on August 8 are pictured on August 30. Trump's lawyers have declined to say in legal filings whether Trump had ordered them declassified while he was in office and had the authority Dearie signed off on the government surveillance warrant for former Trump associate Carter Page, in a move Trump's team believed might make him a skeptic of the FBI, Axios reported Trump's lawyers have not said explicitly he ordered the documents classified. They put the terms 'classified' in quotes in legal filings Protesters greeted Trump's lawyers with signs, including one that said 'nuclear secrets,' in reference to the high-level classified material the government said was seized from Mar-a-Lago It comes after Axios reported two days ago that Dearie's role in the FBI surveillance of former Trump associate Carter Page Dearie signed off on the warrant had made him a 'deep skeptic' of the FBI. Trump has long fumed about the surveillance at the start of the Russia probe, and called it part of a 'witch hunt' against him. Dearie served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for seven years. But the report did not cite any statements in the public record where Dearie was critical of the FBI. Trump railed against the agency after a team of FBI agents swooped down on Mar-a-Lago August 8, when Trump was not present. National Archives officials determined there were 150 documents marked classified in the first 15 boxes of material returned by Trump in January. Justice Department officials retrieved more documents in June, and following the FBI raid it obtained about 100 more, for a total of about 300 documents marked classified. The government on Monday provided Judge Dearie with a proposed agenda for their first meeting, as well as some of the mechanics of how the special master will review documents even as the government appeals Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon's ruling that gave the special master authority to sort through boxes of documents seized at Mar-a-Lago in the FBI's August 8 raid. The government would provide seized documents to a vendor, who would scan them into a single file under the observation of the FBI. Two people were seen in a layby where Renee MacRae's burnt-out car was found after she vanished along with her three-year-old son more than 40 years ago, a court has heard today. William MacDowell is accused of killing his son Andrew MacRae, three, and the child's mother Renee MacRae after their bodies were discovered in Leanach Quarry, east of of Inverness, in 2019. Speaking to the court on Tuesday, Martin Shand, who was studying at the Dundee College of Technology at the time of the mother and son's disappearance, said he believes he saw 36-year-old Ms MacRae's car back in November 1976. The now 65-year-old said he was being driven home by a friend and another student when they travelled past the Dalmagarry layby on the A9 near Inverness, where her BMW car was later discovered. Mr Shand said the layby 'had a certain reputation for courting couples', and that evening he was being driven alongside it between 7.30pm and 8pm. He said there were two vehicles in the layby. 'The first was a pale-colour BMW. The second one was a Volvo,' he said. The High Court in Inverness, previously heard MacDowell was issued with a Volvo as his company car. Another witness also told the court that they saw a man talking to a person and child who were both inside a car nearby the scene. At the High Court in Inverness, William MacDowell, of Penrith in Cumbria, denies killing his son Andrew MacRae and the child's 36-year-old mother Renee MacRae in November 1976 Mr Shand added: 'We passed the layby at a very low speed because the surface of the road being quite badly disturbed because of the roadworks. Probably at walking speed.' The retired engineer told the court he saw 'two people with their backs to the main road'. He told the jury: 'It's guesswork, but I would say from the build it was two male persons.' After they passed, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC was told, Mr Shand spoke with those in the car with him about their encounter and said they believed it was 'some sort of social encounter'. Mr Shand was later stopped by police at a roadside checkpoint as officers were hunting for information about the disappearance of Mrs MacRae and her son. Murray Macara KC, defending, told the court that in his statement in 1976, Mr Shand told detectives that he 'didn't see anything unusual or untoward' on their journey from Dundee. Mr Shand said at first he felt like what he had seen was not significant, and when he realised it might be, he did not contact the police because he was 'prevented from doing so by my parents'. Mr Macara also showed the jury archive documentary footage and photographs of mounds of earth by the side of the layby. Debris taken from the emptied Leanach Quarry near Inverness which was being searched as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Renee and Andrew MacRae who disappeared more than 40 years ago Renee Macrae and her son Andrew who have been missing since 1976 Dr Evlin Burn, 80, told the court she had been on her way to a booking at the Meallmore Lodge, and had seen a vehicle in a layby. And Patricia Wilson told the court she saw a car pulled over at the side of the road near the lodge as she was driving with her late mother, and had to move out of the way of the vehicle. The now 82-year-old said she saw a person in the car, as well as a child, and there was a man stood in the angle of the driver's side door with one arm on the roof and the other on the door with his head down, speaking to the person inside. Retired nurse Maureen Grant, 79, also told the court she saw Mrs MacRae's vehicle parked outside the hotel on the A9 as she made her way to Aviemore for dinner. MacDowell, 80, faces three charges against him. He is charged with assaulting Mrs MacRae and Andrew at the Dalmagarry layby on the A9 trunk road south of Inverness, or elsewhere, by means unknown, and as a result murdering them. He is also charged with disposing of their bodies and belongings by means unknown. MacDowell denies all charges and has lodged a special defence of incrimination and alibi. The trial, before Lord Armstrong, continues. Alex Jones launched into a heated tirade on Tuesday outside a courthouse where he is being sued for defamation, during which he branded the presiding judge a 'tyrant' and accused her of attempting to coax a guilty plea out of him. The comments from the embattled InfoWars host come as his Sandy Hook damages case resumed, after he was ordered to pay more than $50million to the victims' families. Jones, who reaches a global audience of millions through his Texas-based program, spent years claiming on-air that the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting was a hoax - one perpetrated by gun control advocates to appeal the Second Amendment. He has since conceded that he was wrong, but not before he was forced to shell out tens of millions to the victim's families - a number that could soon swell as proceedings continue. The ongoing trial is the second hearing held to determine the exact amount Jones and Infowars currently owes to relatives of the 20 kids and six school staffers shot dead by teenage gunman Adam Lanza for denying the massacre took place. Arriving at the Waterbury courthouse Tuesday, Jones, 48, panned the Connecticut judge whose ruling made the forced payments possible, Judge Barbara Bellis. Bellis, who presided over Tuesday's proceedings, delivered a bombshell court bomb last year by branding the host liable for his off-kilter comments - which included assertions that the shooting was staged by crisis actors. Deciding in favor of the families, Bellis' ruling set a legal president that will likely see Jones ordered to shell out tens - perhaps hundreds - of millions of dollars. And on Tuesday, Jones subsequently let his thoughts on the jurist known, upon being mobbed by a group of reporters and paparazzi. Scroll down for video: Alex Jones launched into a heated tirade on Tuesday outside a courthouse where he is being sued for defamation, during which he branded the presiding judge a 'tyrant' and accused her of attempting to coax a guilty plea out of him Alex Jones talks to reporters before heading into Waterbury Superior Court. @RepAMNewsdesk pic.twitter.com/gn2aMDTuP0 Lance Reynolds (@LanceRReynolds_) September 20, 2022 'This judge is a tyrant,' Jones exclaimed outside the courthouse at around 10:30am. 'This judge is ordering me to say that I'm guilty and to say that I am a liar. None of that is true.' The far-right activist went on to rattle off other conspiracies he previously touted on his show that turned out to be true, in an effort to show that he was not malicious with his claims concerning the massacre, and that it was solely a journalistic flub. 'I was not wrong about Sandy Hook on purpose,' Jones said. 'I questioned it. Just like Jesse Smollett. Just like WMDs in Iraq. Just like the Gulf of Tonkin. There are a lot of staged events in history, just like WMDs in Iraq and I questioned every major event.' Calling the ongoing defamation trial a 'travesty of justice,' Jones went on to assert that he was 'being put in an impossible position' with the repeated court dates. The statements from Jones echo earlier, more tongue in cheek references to his persecution the past year, in which the alt-right host claimed families were using him as a patsy for their pent up frustrations toward shooter Adam Lanza, who committed suicide after the assault 'I'm being ordered to say I'm guilty,' Jones told the crowd, who clamored to get a quote from the TV and internet personality. 'I question every major event that we see, and so I'm being put in an impossible position inside of this courthouse.' The statements from Jones echo earlier, more tongue in cheek references to his persecution the past year, in which the alt-right radio host claimed families were using him as a lighting rod for their pent up frustrations toward killer Lanza, who committed suicide after carrying out the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary. 'Has anybody ever heard of someone being ordered to say they're guilty, even in a criminal trial, where they found somebody with dead bodies?' Jones shouted over reporters and shuttering cameras. 'If the guilty person wants to get up and say they're innocent, they're allowed to,' he said. Jones tore into the Connecticut judge whose ruling made the forced payments possible, Judge Barbara Bellis, picture here during defamation proceedings last Friday Jones went on to claim that 'the judiciary has been weaponized' against him. Calling the trial a 'struggle session right outside of South Africa or Communist China,' Jones then appeared to concede that he had profited off his claims regarding Sandy Hook, saying he would be 'perjuring myself' if he said he had not financially benefited from the coverage. However, Jones then backtracked, saying, 'I don't want to be the Sandy Hook man. It was a small part of what we said and did.' The conservative talking head proceeded to further pan the American justice system for what he has called a 'show trial' in a rigged 'kangaroo court' - specifically honing in on Judge Leppis and her guilty ruling Leppis' decision was somewhat dubious, as it declared Jones liable for his comment by default without a trial, as punishment for what she called his repeated failures to turn over documents to the Sandy Hook families' lawyers. This is due to the fact Jones' lead attorney, Andino Reynal, had mistakenly sent Bankston the entire digital copy of Jones' cell phone, which included the last two years' worth of the InfoWars host's text messages. Some of the texts were ordered to be turned over in discovery, which is the exchange of information and evidence between attorneys. However, Jones' team flubbed by sending the full digital copy of his cellphone. After it surfaced that his attorney had sent the phone contents by accident, many suggested Jones could appeal a verdict on grounds of ineffective counsel. Jones is not being allowed to present defenses arguing he is not liable - hence his 'show trial' comments - including that the First Amendment gave him the right to question the shooting and facts surrounding it. 'This is the murder of American justice. This is extremely dangerous,' Mr Jones told the press. A parent with two children confers with an official on the day of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012 The victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre are pictured here: starting on the top row, from left to right, are Ana Marquez-Greene, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Emilie Parker, and Noah Pozner; Jesse Lewis, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Charlotte Bacon and Chase Kowalski; Daniel Barden, Jack Pinto, Catherine Hubbard, Dylan Hockley and Benjamin Wheeler; Grace McDonnell, James Mattioli, Avielle Richman, Rachel Davino and Anne Marie Murphy; Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Dawn Hochsprung and Nancy Lanza As he left reporters outside the courthouse, Jones said he would remain in the area if prosecutors decided to call him as a witness. In early August, the notorious conspiracy theorist was ordered to $45million in punitive damages to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis at the conclusion of an Austin, Texas, defamation trial. The jury then compounded that ruling by ordering a further $4.1 million in compensatory damages, with Jones also owing an additional $1.5 million in fines. This has left Jones owing more than $50 million for his claims concerning the shooting, proven to be demonstrably false and defamatory. Jones is the founder of Infowars, the far-right conspiracy theory website that he launched 23 years ago that operates under the parent company, Free Speech Systems. A Texas jury ordered Jones earlier this month to pay the families of the Sandy Hook massacre, nearly $50 million in damages after he spread a bizarre conspiracy theory claiming that the December 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, never happened and that it was staged. Twenty children, between the ages of six and seven years old, and six adults were killed when 20-year-old Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree. A parent walks away from the Sandy Hook Elementary School with her children following a shooting at the school in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, 2012 Veronique De La Rosa, mother of Noah Pozner, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, wipes away tears during a news conference in Trumbull, Connecticut on February 15, 2022 Twenty children, between the ages of six and seven years old, and six adults were killed when 20-year-old Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree - with their families now setting their sights on Jones for his troubling assertions that the massacre was carried out by 'crisis actors' Kyle Farrar, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, who denies that Jones is bankrupt, claims that he is conjuring these plots to conceal money and evade responsibility. Mediate reported he said 'Alex jones is not financially bankrupt; he is morally bankrupt.' Jones is expected to file a response to the new motion soon, one of his bankruptcy lawyers, R.J. Shannon said last week. This is the first of three trials that Jones will face in relation to his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. Last year, he was found guilty of defaming the families of the victims. Two others are set for September, one in Texas and one in Connecticut, where the shooting took place. A total of eight families will be represented in the Connecticut trial. In their lawsuits, the families and FBI agent William Aldenberg say that they have been subject to harassment, abusive comments on social media and even death threats because of the hoax conspiracy. Some of the plaintiffs say strangers have videotaped them and their surviving children. And some families have moved out of Newtown to avoid threats and harassment. 'I can't even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,' Neil Heslin, Jesse Lewis' father, testified during the Texas trial. The Connecticut lawsuit alleges defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Unfair Trade Practices Act. The families claim when Jones talked about Sandy Hook, he boosted his audience and raked in more profits from selling supplements, clothing and other items. The families have not asked for any specific amount of damages, some of which may be limited by state laws. There are no damage limits, however, under the Unfair Trade Practices Act. In all the Connecticut and Texas cases, Jones and his lawyers repeatedly failed to turn over records as required to the families' attorneys. In response, judges handed down one of the harshest sanctions in the civil legal world they found Jones liable for damages by default without trials. Jones, who runs his web show and Infowars brand in Austin, Texas, also faces a third trial over the hoax conspiracy in another pending lawsuit by Sandy Hook parents in Texas. In a reversal from what he said on his show for years following the shooting, Jones now says he believes the massacre was real. But he continues to say his comments about the shooting being a hoax involving crisis actors to encourage gun control efforts were protected by free speech rights. The number of migrants on the US terror watch list crossing illegally over the southern border has gone up by 400 percent from last year, with an expert warning that a violent extremist may already be in America planning an attack. US Customs and Border Protection reported that 78 immigrants on the US terror watch list have been apprehended crossing over the border last year, nearly four times as much as the 15 in 2021. Last year's report was up from three in 2020, with the US previously reporting zero in 2019, six in 2018, and just two in 2017. Todd Bensman, of the Center for Immigration Studies who has written extensively on this issue at the southern border, blamed the Biden administration's border policies for the surge in violent terrorists attempting to cross into the US. He also warned that after two terrorist suspects were wrongfully released into the US following attempts to cross the border earlier this year, it is more than likely that a violent extremist has already made a successful entry. 'I wouldn't be surprised if we hear that the person behind the next big shooting or that the person who drove into a crowd is one of the people on this watch list,' Bensman told DailyMail.com. US Customs and Border Protection saw a 400 percent increase in the number of migrants on the FBI's terror watch list caught trying to illegally cross the US-Mexico border this year Experts have put the blame on President Joe Biden, who put an end to a Trump-era policy forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico. By allowing these migrants to enter the US, experts warn the president is sending a message to terrorists looking for a chance to get into the US The dangers are also compounded by the chaos at the border, which has seen more than 2 million migrants apprehended for attempting to cross illegally The US has already inadvertently allowed two migrants on the terror watch list to slip through the cracks. Issam Bazzi (left), who has ties to extremists, entered in January and Shihab Ahmed Shihab (right) was arrested in March for plotting to kill a George W. Bush Todd Bensman, of the Center for Immigration Studies, warned that a terrorist who crossed the southern border could already be in the US planning an attack Bensman said when Biden sought an end to the Trump-era border policy that forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico until their cases resolved, the president inadvertently sent a message to extremists around the world. 'These individuals are looking at the chaos in our borders and flying over from around the world, throwing their ID's into the dirt and trying to come in under a made-up name seeking asylum,' he said. With Biden's border policy, the asylum-seeking migrants are released into the US. Under normal circumstances, those on the terror watch list are caught at the border when their fingerprints and biometrics are scanned, alerting Border Patrol as to the real identity of the migrant. However, the program and the agents in charge have been under immense pressure from the sheer number of migrants crossing through the border this year. According to the latest report from Customs and Border Patrol, more than two million migrants have been arrested along the US-Mexico border this past year. In the spring alone, monthly apprehension totals surpassed 200,000. Bensmen said terrorist groups like ISIS have seen the issues at the border and Biden's policy as an opportunity to try and send agents into the US. 'The programs we've had for years to catch these individuals has been derailed,' he said. 'The risk right now is elevated far beyond anything we've ever seen.' The latest report on the number of migrants arrested at the border this year hit historic records The Border Patrol reported a spike in apprehensions this spring, with monthly totals still surpassing 200,000 Bensmen said the dangers were evident by two incidents earlier this year where migrants linked to violent extremis were accidentally released into the US before being arrested. Back in January, Lebanese-born Venezuelan migrant Issam Bazzi, was released into the US despite being the FBI's terror watchlist. Although Bazzi, who is linked to foreign terror organizations, was listed among a group of offenders not deemed armed and dangerous, the law dedicates that he be apprehended at the border, but instead, he slipped through the cracks. Bazzi remains in the US, living with family in Dearborn, Michigan, according to New York Times reporter Charlie LeDuff. Three months later, authorities arrested Shihab Ahmed Shihab, 52, of Iraq, was charged with aiding and abetting a plot to murder from president George W. Bush. Bensmen called on Biden to restart the 'wait in Mexico' practice for asylum seekers to keep the border secure and allow for agents to better catch those on the terror watch list According to the Department of Justice, Shihab entered the US in 2020 and was seeking asylum the following year, and his plan to kill the former president involved smuggling other extremist through the southern border. Shihab allegedly organized eight terrorists to fly to Brazil and travel to the US-Mexico Border and sneak into the country using Border Patrol uniforms to reach Bush's home in Dallas, Texas. The alleged ISIS member reportedly claimed he wanted to kill Bush because of his role in launching the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Bensmen warned that these incidents would continue to occur until Biden restarts the 'wait in Mexico' practice for asylum seekers. 'We can't let them in,' Bensmen said. 'The program has to stop now. 'It's that simple. We haven't had any attack so far thanks to the diligence of our agents at the border, but that's collapsing. ' A gay rights protestor and co-founder of the first Gay Pride Parade in New York City was attacked by a pro-trans group at a Vermont Pride event for holding an anti-woke sign that dismissed transgenderism. Fred Sargeant, 74, was attacked after holding a sign with a red line through the phrases 'Woman Face' and 'Black Face,' at the 39th Burlington Pride Parade in Vermont. Sargeant is against the recent 'gender ideology movement' which he says is 'homophobic' and 'exclusive.' 'Mugged at Burlington Pride,' Sargeant wrote on Facebook. 'So, I went to Pride to protest their misogyny, homophobia, exclusionary policies and divisiveness. I was met by screaming, multiple assaults, ageist comments, shoving, slaps to the back of my head, pouring coffee on me and repeated attempts to steal my signs. 'Being unsuccessful in their attempts to disrupt my protest and drive me away, the mob pushed me to the ground as the parade ended, further injuring me.' He concluded while posting a photo of his controversial sign: 'They stole or damaged more than $550 worth of my property. This is the sign that the young trans/rainbow brownshirts in dresses went absolutely nuts over.' Sargeant has been an advocate for gay rights since he participated in the six-day Stonewall Riots of 1969 and co-led the first pride parade in New York City known as the Christopher Street Liberation Day march. Fred Sargeant, 74, was attacked at a pride event after holding a sign that crossed out the words, 'Woman face' and 'Black face,' while at the 39th Burlington Pride Parade in Vermont Sargeant posted various photos of the protest and his attackers. One of his signs read, 'GAY NOT QUEER Pride parade attenders attempted to take Sargeant's sign away from him as he stood in the middle of a crowd One person knocked him to the ground amid multiple slaps to his body A woman was seen attempting to take Sargeant's sign away as one man attempted to intervene A crowd formed a circle around Sargeant and the unidentified woman while the brawl occurred Sargeant's sign had this message The unidentified woman insisted she didn't hurt him before walking away Sargeant showed one of the attacks on a video as a mob with pride flags gathered around. 'What are you doing?' one man is heard shouting at a woman attempting to snatch Sargeant's poster. 'You realize you're assaulting him,' she adds as the two are seen in a struggle. The woman let go of the sign and added, 'So, I'm not hurting him.' Sargeant posted the footage on Facebook and shared encouraging messages he received in response. Some were from struggling 'detransitioners' and others were from upset 'gay' fans. 'I'm a woman [and] lesbian,' one person from Chile wrote. 'I detransitioned three years ago. It's been a rough time... I want to say thank you for all that you have done. Another added, 'I caught wind of the ghouls who assaulted you at the Pride event in Vermont. All I want to say is that I hope you know not all young people are down with the LGBTQABCDEFG nonsense. 'I myself am fed up with it. I'm fed up with my self-hating peers wither trying to convince me to transition, or presuming I already am in the process. I'm tired of local LBGT organizations pandering to trans people and not having lesbian or gay male support groups. 'I'm tired of how boring my peers are with their thinking that cutting up their bodies means "subverting gender." I sometimes wish I didn't know my history, so that I could stop hoping the community and camaraderie will be anything like it was in the 90s and earlier.' Sargeant has spent decades establishing rights for gay and lesbian people - but fears the efforts have been overcome by radical people in the LGBTQ+ community The 1969 police raid on New York's Stonewall Inn (pictured) sparked the LGBT rights movement . Picture credit: Stonewall Uprising Activists are pictured gathering outside the Stonewall Inn two years after the riots in 1971, in order to push for gay rights In 2016, the Stonewall Inn was designated as a National Historic Landmark and a Monument was opened across the road Sargeant has spent decades establishing rights for gay and lesbian people - but fears the efforts have been overcome by radical people in the LGBTQ+ community. The veteran gay rights protestor was quick to participate in the six-day Stonewall Riots of 1969. The riots broke out in the summertime after the New York City Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn and pulled people out. He happened to stumble upon the first day of the riot on June 28, 1969 after leaving dinner with friends, according to PBS. A year later, Sargeant organized the first pride march in New York City known as the Christopher Street Liberation Day march held in June 1970. After witnessing the events at Stonewall, Sargeant pledged to become a police officer in Connecticut in 1973. He embarked on a leadership journey to promote change in the force. Sargeant is continuously recognized for his work and was recognized in 2019 for his work at Stonewall by the Association des Journalists LGBTQI+'s OUT d'or Awards in Paris, according to his website. Councillors in North Yorkshire have voted to crack down on second home owners who leave their properties empty by doubling council tax bills. Those who do not live full-time in the county are set to have a 100 per cent premium on second homes which will be brought in within the next two years. The proposals will be considered at a full council meeting in November and, if passed, will see North Yorkshire become one of the first places in the country to adopt the measures. It comes after residents in some of parts of the county have tried to stop the influx of holiday homes - earlier this year people living in Whitby overwhelmingly voted in favour of stopping new homes being turned into holiday lets. Other authorities in Wales and Cornwall are considering making similar moves to North Yorkshire, as those living in picturesque regions try to fight back against out-of-towners snapping up property. Earlier this year the Government announced council's would have the power to increase taxes on second homes as part of measures aimed at making more homes available for locals. Backers hoped the plan would deter people from owning second homes, and that the millions raised by the premium could be used to introduce more housing in areas particularly affected by the affordability crisis. Robin Hood Bay near Whitby in North Yorkshire, which has seen locals vote overwhelmingly in favour of banning new builds being turned into holiday lets North Yorkshire County Council is set to impose a 100 per cent premium on council tax bills for second home owners. Pictured is Robin Hood Bay in the county Similar moves have been made in Wales, where second home owners face a 300 per cent council tax rise. Pictured it the picturesque town of Tenby, on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales Cornwall, with its numerous holiday hotspots including Port Isaac (pictured), has seen the number of second homes rise in recent years North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les said radical action was needed as the county has the highest number of second homes in the region. He said: 'There is no simple solution to the issue of affordable housing, second homes and the impact they have on housing for local communities. 'But we recognise that bold and decisive action needs to be taken to deal with the affordable housing crisis in North Yorkshire, and that is why the executive has decided to pursue the policy of a council tax premium. 'It may not be popular with everyone, but that is not the key factor in this decision. 'We need to act to try and ensure more local people have access to housing in their own communities, and the premium on council tax bills for second homes will be a significant step towards achieving that. 'Second homes and the impact they can have on the availability of housing has been a long-running problem that has affected communities not just in North Yorkshire but across the country, and this was reinforced by the findings of the independent North Yorkshire Rural Commission.' The council tax premium could bring in more than 14m annually, experts have said. Whitby (pictured) campaigner and local politician Philip Trumper said the picturesque town is 'becoming a theme park, basically. And that's something that we don't want to happen. I think we're at a tipping point' Seething locals say Captain Cook's old port of Whitby (pictured) has been swamped with holiday cottages - sending local house price sky high A map showing the most sought-after second home towns for British city dwellers, according to RightMove with Salcombe, Falmouth, St Ives, Brixham and Newquay in the South West all within the top six in demand. Whitby sits at number 9 in the list Almost half that figure would come from the Scarborough district due to the large number of second homes in the seaside town and neighbouring Whitby and Filey. Measures will be put in place to ensure second home owners do not avoid the double tax by claiming their property is a holiday let. And checks will be made by council officers to stop couples with two homes pretending that they have split up and that they are living separately in two homes. Whitby votes to ban second homeowners - what happens next? What has Whitby voted for? Whitby residents resoundingly backed a policy that new-build properties to be reserved for locals. There were 2,111 votes in favour and only 157 against. What happens next? The policy will be added the local plan put together by Scarborough Borough Council, which is in charge of planning matters in Whitby and the surrounding part of North Yorkshire. It will go out to consultation in this month and if approved by the council, it will be in place by the end of the year. It will mean that after that, any new homes built in Whitby and the surrounds could only be sold to first time buyers or those without a second home. Will it make any difference? Campaigners say the changes will help locals get on the property ladder - or stay in the area - as property prices spiral. It has been successfully imposed in St Ives, Cornwall. But only 265 new homes have been created in the centre of Whitby over the last decade. And there are already 1,680 holiday lets and second homes in the town - and there will be no bar on rich out-of-towners buying up existing cottages and flats. What else do campaigners want? Campaigners are backing Government plans giving local authorities the power to double council tax on second homes in plans announced in May's Queen's Speech. Under the new rules, English local authorities will gain 'discretionary powers' to levy a premium of up to 100 per cent on council tax bills for second homes that are furnished but not occupied as a sole or main residence. The hike will be imposed on properties are not either regularly used or let out by their owners for at least 70 days per year. This could come into law in the next year. Whitby residents also wrote to Michael Gove, the then Levelling Up Secretary, asking him to impose new planning rules that would mean that any home owner who wants to change the use of their property to a holiday let must apply to the local planning authority for permission first. Advertisement The council's executive member for finance, councillor Gareth Dadd, said: 'We know that there is an acute shortage of housing for local people in many communities in North Yorkshire, and this has been an issue that has long affected their opportunities to actually buy their own home. 'Places such as the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors as well as coastal towns such as Scarborough and Whitby are without question wonderful places to live. 'But with that comes the fact that these areas also see very high numbers of second homes, which affects the availability of housing for local people. 'The scheme to introduce the council tax premium will ideally see these second homes brought back into use for local people. 'But if not, then there will be a valuable new revenue stream created that will help fund council priorities, such as helping introduce more housing for local communities.' House prices in the Yorkshire Dales are about a third higher than the county's average. The average cost of a property in the Dales is nearly 400,000, while the weekly wage in North Yorkshire is just over 530. A parish poll held in Whitby in June saw 93% of voters agree that new houses should be restricted to full-time occupation and not be allowed to be holiday lets, although the poll had no power to bind policy makers. Seething locals say Captain Cook's old port has been swamped with holiday cottages - sending local house price sky high. Many of the properties are bought by people from the Home Counties with little or no links to the area. Local businesses cannot get staff because the area is too expensive to attract new people while existing residents are forced to buy elsewhere. Earlier this year campaigner and local politician Philip Trumper said: 'It's becoming a theme park, basically. And that's something that we don't want to happen. I think we're at a tipping point. 'What we are finding is Whitby house prices are unaffordable to local people and they are having to leave the town and move away to work, making it unsustainable for the community. 'Every day I speak to local people whose loved ones have had to move away and find a job closer to where they are living.' Andrea Tyreman, 52, who voted for the ban, told MailOnline: 'Second home owners should be burned out. 'I have lived in Whitby all my life. We live on a street with about 40 houses and there are six of us left. The rest are full of Southerners. 'There is no community left. One house on the corner went for 290,000 How many locals can afford that? Only six months ago the same houses were going for 160,000. 'After Covid people decided they were going to buy properties here. Something needs to be done.' The anger felt by locals in North Yorkshire has been mirrored in other parts of the country, as furious residents living in picturesque areas rail against what they see as out-of-towner's snapping up properties. The towns of Tideswell in Derbyshire, Whitstable in Kent, Salcombe in Devon and St Ives in Cornwall have all considered similar bans. Britain's 'staycation spots' including St Ives, Salcombe, Whitstable and Tideswell are beginning to rise up against wealthy 'outsiders' who have been snatching up properties to convert into holiday lets and seaside boltholes. It comes after Whitby locals turned out in their droves to vote to impose limits on second home owners Earlier this year the Government announced plans to allow local authorities to increase the amount of council tax they impose on second home owners as a way of combatting the problem. English councils have been given 'discretionary powers' to levy a premium of up to 100 per cent on council tax bills for second homes that are furnished but not occupied as a sole or main residence. Town halls are also be able to discourage owners from leaving other properties vacant for long periods by doubling the standard council tax rate after just one year. Officials underlined the need for the move by pointing out that 72,000 homes have been empty for more than two years across England. Government sources said the additional revenue could be used to keep council tax low for residents, as town halls would get 'flexibility on how to spend the funds raised'. However, for some in Cornwall this does not go far enough, with Derek Thomas MP for St Ives, saying: 'We need planning restrictions to protect new homes for permanent residence and manage the flow of existing properties from long-lets to holiday lets.' It has also sparked an angry response from some, with Andrew George, Lib Dem councillor and Chief Executive of affordable housing charity Cornwall Community Land Trust, said the double council tax plans were 'empty face-saving spin'. He said they would 'neither hasten nor discourage the present industrial-level exploitation of the massive rewards and tax advantages available to property investors to the detriment of the communities they exploit and the locals they push out.' Meanwhile, Wales is set to impose a 300 per cent tax hike on second home owners next year, as it looks to stop locals being priced out of the property market. Mark Drakefords government has declared it is increasing the maximum level that local authorities can set council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties by up to four times. Pictured: Coloured houses overlooking the harbour in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales Campaigners against second homes marching in Caernarfon, Gwynedd Mark Drakefords government has declared it is increasing the maximum level that local authorities can set council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties by up to four times next year, potentially up to 300 per cent Currently, the maximum premium councils can charge is 100 per cent so the new policy constitutes a possible tax rise of 200 per cent. Ministers claimed the change is intended to provide a clearer demonstration that the properties concerned are being let regularly as part of genuine holiday accommodation businesses that are making a substantial contribution to the local economy. Campaigners are concerned that second homes are causing a rise in house prices in seaside and rural communities which is pricing out locals. The Welsh Housing Justice Charter campaign group said it receives calls from nurses, teachers, firefighters and those working on lifeboats who could not afford to live near where they work and volunteer. But some second homeowners said they feel discriminated against and called on councils to halt tax increases on second homes. Others said they feel like they are being scapegoated for what they branded Welsh government failures on affordable homes. The Abhinava colony residents submitted that they were facing troubles and at discomfort from the foul smell emanating from the decomposed bodies. DC File Image/P. Surendra Hyderabad: The state medical and health authorities have taken all steps against causing inconvenience to colonies surrounding Gandhi Hospital and its visitors from foul smell emanating from bodies in the mortuary. T. Srikanth Reddy, government counsel on behalf of the department and police, on Monday furnished a status report to the High Court about the conditions at the hospitals mortuary. This report was prepared following the directions of the court in July while dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Abhinava Colony Residents Association. The colony residents submitted that they were facing troubles and at discomfort from the foul smell emanating from the decomposed bodies. Further, they contended that it was a violation of constitutional provisions and it had become an environmental hazard. They sought the court to direct the authorities to shift all bodies to the city outskirts. The status report mentions that unidentified bodies are only kept for 72 hours at the hospital. Later, they would be subject to exhumation with assistance from the GHMC authorities. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that President Joe Biden was answering a 'hypothetical question' when the president told 60 Minutes he would come to the defense of Taiwan if China attacked. 'He was asked a question, a hypothetical question in this interview,' Sullivan said at the White House press briefing. 'He gave a similar answer in Tokyo in May that he gave in the 60 Minutes interview,' Sullivan pointed out. Sullivan reminded reporters that after Biden had been asked about Taiwan in Tokyo 'someone said specifically to him, "Have you just announced a major policy change?" and he said, "No, I have not, I have answered a hypothetical question. I have not announced a policy change."' 'When the president of the United States wants to announce a policy change he will do so. He has not done so,' Sullivan said. During a segment on 60 Minutes, which aired Sunday, Biden answered 'yes' when asked whether 'U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.' 'Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,' Biden said. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that President Joe Biden was answering a 'hypothetical question' when the president told 60 Minutes he would come to the defense of Taiwan if China attacked President Joe Biden said during a 60 Minutes interviefw that aired Sunday that 'yes,' U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an 'unprecedented attack' China considers Taiwan part of China, while Taiwan has its own democratic government - a split that came after the 1949 civil war that ended with the Communists taking over the mainland. The U.S. doesn't officially recognize Taiwan's government, but sells Taipei arms. Biden's comments further irritated the Chinese, with Beijing saying Monday that the 'U.S. remarks' violated the longstanding policy of the U.S. not supporting Taiwan's independence. 'China strongly deplores and rejects it and has made solemn complaints with the U.S. side,' spokeswoman Mao Ning said, according to The Associated Press. Sullivan said Tuesday that U.S. support for the so-called One China policy remains steadfast. 'Well as the president has said in his interview with 60 Minutes, we continue to stand behind the One China policy, we continue to stand against unilateral changes to the status quo and we continue to stand for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' Sullivan said. 'The president has reiterated those basic commitments on every occasion that he's talked about Taiwan, including in this interview,' Sullivan said, pointing to the 60 Minutes sit-down. 'Where he specifically and emphatically and unequivocally reinforced and reiterated the One China policy.' At the briefing, Sullivan was asked in a follow-up if Biden's comments should be considered strategic deterrence - if by answering a hypothetical he was 'delivering an explicit message' to Beijing. 'Well, all I will say is the president is a direct and straightforward person,' Sullivan answered. 'He answered a hypothetical. He's answered it before in a similar way. And he has also been clear that he does not, has not, changed U.S. policy towards Taiwan.' 'He stands behind the historic U.S. policy towards Taiwan that has existed through Democratic and Republican administrations and has helped keep peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait for decades,' the national security adviser added. During his visit to Tokyo in May, Biden answered 'yes,' adding 'that's a commitment we made,' when asked by a reporter if he's be willing to get involved militarily if China invaded Taiwan. 'But the idea that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not appropriate,' Biden said. 'It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.' 'My expectation is it will not happen, it will not be attempted,' the president added. The White House was asked almost immediately to clarify Biden's comments and an unnamed official responded by saying 'our policy has not changed.' 'He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself,' the official said. More recently though, China ramped up military exercises near Taiwan around House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to visit the self-ruled island in August. She was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since House Speaker Newt Gingrich made the trip in 1997. Since Pelosi's trip, a number of U.S. lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have visited Taiwan in a show of support. President Joe Biden might not make a decision on running for re-election in 2024 until the middle of next year, a close Senate ally of his told reporters on Tuesday. Democrat Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, Biden's home state, suggested November's midterm election results could also be a factor in the president's decision. It comes after Biden struck a decidedly uncertain tone when discussing his political future, despite a litany of aides and lawmakers vowing he will mount another campaign. 'The outcome of the midterm elections will be a fairly strong indication of what the issues are that will shape the ground for the 2024 presidential,' Coons told reporters, according to Axios. Coons added that the next presidential election is 'a long time away.' 'November 2024 is a long time away, and President Biden has always been someone who talked about the need for a transition to a new generation of leaders,' he said. 'The question is just when, and it's not clear to me that he's made up his mind about when that should happen.' He added, And I frankly think he means what he said in the 60 Minutes interview, that he's focused on doing the job.' Delaware Senator Chris Coons was discernibly more doubtful about the prospect about President Biden running for a second term than he was in June Coons' less certain tone is a departure from the confidence other Democratic allies have shown for Biden running again. He did however appear confident that Biden would beat Donald Trump if they had a 2024 rematch. Appearing to consider projections that Republicans could retake both the House and Senate in November, Coons said there were 'plenty of examples of previous Democratic presidents in our lifetime who had a rough first midterm but then came roaring back and won re-election.' Biden raised eyebrows on Sunday when he told CBS News' 60 Minutes that it was 'much too early' to say whether he's running for president again. 'Look, if I were to say to you, I'm running again, all of a sudden, a whole range of things come into play that I have- requirements I have to change and move and do,' the president said. 'It's much too early to make that kind of decision. I'm a great respecter of fate. And so, what I'm doing is I'm doing my job. I'm gonna do that job. And within the timeframe that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.' Biden told 60 Minutes on Sunday that it was 'much too early' to say if he's running in 2024 It's highly unusual for presidential candidates, particularly incumbents, to declare for the next White House race before the preceding midterm elections. However Biden's comments caused confusion because of the certainty portrayed by his allies. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in late July that Biden 'intends to run in 2024' when asked by reporters. Former adviser Cedric Richmond unequivocally told NBC last week: 'Hes running.' Even Coons previously espoused more confidence in Biden seeking a second term. Asked by Fox News Sunday in June whether his ally in the White House intends to stay for another four years, Coons answered 'yes.' 'Let me be clear. I'm not speaking on his behalf or announcing a candidacy. I'm just saying that, as of now, it's my understanding that the president intends to seek a second term,' the senator said. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said Ron DeSantis should come visit Delaware as 'we have a beautiful shoreline' and defended criticism that the southern border has been overwhelmed by migrants under his watch. The president gave a jovial response when asked about the Florida governor's decision to send migrants to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach. 'He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline,' he offered to DeSantis, a Republican. Biden also defended the record number of migrants entering the United States under his presidency. U.S. authorities made more than 2 million immigration arrests along the southern border in the past 11 months, marking the first time that number has been reached. The president said the heavy influx of immigrants were people escaping authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. 'There are fewer and fewer immigrants coming from Central America and from Mexico. It's a totally different circumstance. What's on my watch now is Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, and the ability to send them back to those states is not rational. You could send them back and have them we're working with Mexico and other countries to see if we can stop the flow. That's the difference,' he said. Migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba accounted for more than one-third of those taken into custody along the border last month, according to Customs and Border Protection, which is a 175 percent increase over August of last year. President Joe Biden said Ron DeSantis should come visit Delaware as 'we have a beautiful shoreline' and defended criticism that the southern border has been overwhelmed by migrants under his watch A plane load of migrants were scheduled to land in Georgetown, Delaware, near President Biden's home in Rehoboth Beach Tuesday afternoon Jill Fredel, Director of Communications at Delaware Health and Social Services, told media gathered on the sweltering tarmac at the Delaware Coastal Airport on Tuesday that Gov. Carney's office had not received any updates from Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida or Greg Abbott of Texas about any flights Meanwhile, DeSantis last week sparked a spectacular escalation in the ongoing immigration war between the Republicans in charge of the border states and Democratic officials in so-called 'sanctuary cities'. The Florida governor flew about 50 migrants in Texas to Martha's Vineyard - a wealthy conclave of liberal East Coast elite. The local Texas sheriff opened an investigation into the legality of the move. DeSantis also has paid for charter flights to send migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' residence in Washington D.C. and, on Tuesday, reports emerged he was sending a planeload full of them to Biden's home state of Delaware. Masses of media, volunteers, priests and government employees gathered at the Delaware Coastal Airport, which is around a 20 miles drive to Biden's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach. The Director of Communications at Delaware Health and Social Services Jill Fredel told members of the press gathered on the airport tarmac in the sweltering Tuesday afternoon soon that they had no inside information on an impending flight. Instead, she informed the press: 'We have heard and seen the reports that all of you have seen, and we are here at this space to support people who might arrive in Delaware.' 'We have no reports of anyone arriving at this point, but we do have those preparations ready,' she added. 'The answer is 'no', that the governor's office has not received any updates from either Texas or Florida,' Fredel said when asked if Delaware Governor John Carney's office was in contact with the governors of Florida or Texas. Several local and national media outlets descended on the Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown, Delaware on Tuesday morning into the afternoon to capture the moment migrants disembarked a plane in 'Biden's backyard' The White House has blasted the transportation of migrants to Martha's Vineyard and Delaware as a political stunt and charged DeSantis with using the migrants as pawns. 'Let's remember these folks are fleeing communism,' press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesday's briefing. 'When you think about Venezuela, what's going on in Venezuela, when you think about what's going on in Nicaragua, you think about what's going on in Cuba. They are fleeing persecution, only to be used as a political pawn by the Florida governor.' She added of DeSantis: 'His only goal is - as he's made it really clear - is to create chaos, and use immigrants fleeing communism as political pawns.' A spokesperson for Carney refused to comment on the prospects of the flight being a political stunt. 'We're looking at this from the humanitarian side of things and we will do what we can do to support, if and when they come,' Carney's communications director Emily David told DailyMail.com. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during Tuesday's press briefing the migrants were fleeing 'repressive dictatorships.' 'I think the American people need to understand that a significant part of the reason why we're seeing an increase in the number of people who are coming to America southwestern border, is because people are fleeing three repressive dictatorships. Cuba, Venezuela, in Nicaragua, and citizens in those three countries are struggling under the weight, the yoke of the repressive governments of these countries and they are trying to get out,' he said Tuesday. Reports and flight logs put the plan of migrants landing in Biden's home state around 2:30 p.m. but by mid afternoon there was still no flight. Reports emerged that Florida governor Ron DeSantis was flying a plane towards President Joe Biden's home state of Delaware on Tuesday. It is the same plane that took 50 migrants to billionaires enclave Martha's Vineyard last week The plane appears to be heading for Georgetown Airport close to President Biden's Rehoboth beach home in Delaware DeSantis previously flew 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard on the exact same plane last week, sparking an escalation in the immigration war Migrants yesterday arrived, mostly from Venezuela, in El Paso, Texas, and were seen climbing up an embankment after crossing the Rio Grande Carney's spokeswoman David said: 'We're aware of the reports, and continue to prepare for the possibility of migrants arriving in Delaware unannounced. 'Our teams at DEMA and DHSS are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need. 'We are coordinating with Federal officials and are prepared to welcome these families in an orderly manner as they pursue their asylum claims.' The plane had started its journey from Longview, in Texas, before heading to San Antonio, and then Crestview, in Florida. An hour after landing on the coast of Delaware, the plane is set to head to Teterboro airport in New Jersey. It is the same aircraft which headed from San Antonio, to Crestview and then on to Martha's Vineyard on September 14. Republicans have stepped up their attacks on the Biden administration as they try to make immigration the theme of November's midterm elections. Lt. Gov Jeanette Nunez declared over the weekend that DeSantis' administration is planning to send any illegal migrants from Florida to Delaware. DeSantis has accused critics of his move to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard of 'virtue signaling', saying their concern for the welfare of the migrants was a 'fraud'. He said: 'The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with every day is brought to their front door, they go berserk, and they're so upset that this is happening.' The 50 migrants were put on a bus by Gov. Charlie Baker less than 48 hours after landing, and given a police escort to get a ferry to Joint Base in Cape Cod 32 miles away from Martha's Vineyard. DeSantis sent two planes of 50 migrants to the affluent island on Thursday - following in the 'blueprint' of Texas Gov Greg Abbott sending buses to Washington DC Migrants who were relocated from Martha's Vineyard to the Joint Base Cape Cod less than 48 hours after landing Biden's border crisis breaks another annual record - with a month to spare! Two MILLION migrants arrested at the Mexico border in one year for the first time in history More than two million migrants have been arrested at the Mexico border in a year for the first time in history. The record, revealed in Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border, comes amid a continued flow of migrants in Texas, Arizona, and California. The figures show a spike this spring, with 241,000 law enforcement encounters, with numbers staying above 200,000 each month since even after a drop. The total was 203,000 in August. The figures cover an 11-month period, so the grand total won't be revealed until after the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30th. The migrants came from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua stopped by law enforcement hi 56,000 last month, up from 50,000 in July, and spiking from 23,000 in August, administration officials said. That includes 18,000 encounters with Venezuelans, with most around Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas. It is harder for the U.S. to return migrants to those host countries due to political tensions. Advertisement Lawyers for 30 of the Venezuelan Migrants flown to the affluent island last night called for a criminal probe into DeSantis, accusing him of 'falsely promising them jobs and immigration help. He is accused of 'preying' on the migrants, with DeSantis saying the migrants knew where they were going having signed waivers. Last night Democratic Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, from Texas, announced that he would be launching an investigation into whether the migrants were 'kidnapped' by DeSantis. He claimed there was criminal activity involved - before rowing back and saying he was keeping an 'open mind' during a press conference on Monday night. DeSantis furiously slapped down the claims, pointing out the hypocrisy of the Texas sheriff after 50 migrants died in a trailer-tractor over the summer in his jurisdiction. A representative for Gov DeSantis did not immediately respond to request for comment from DailyMail.com. On Monday more than the number of migrants arrested at America's southern border soared past two million for the first time in history. The record, revealed in Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border, comes amid a continued influx in Texas, Arizona, and California that has left local towns at breaking point. The figures show a spike this spring, with 241,000 law enforcement encounters, with numbers staying above 200,000 each month since even after a drop. The total was 203,000 in August. The Florida Governor sent the migrants to billionaires enclave Martha's Vineyard after Texas Gov Greg Abbott sent buses of the illegal immigrants to the door of VP Kamala Harris last week. He sent 151 people on buses outside of her home in the Naval Observatory in Washington DC, in the ongoing war over the border. Harris declared in an interview that the borders were 'secure' just days before Abbott sent the latest wave of people in his campaign against so called 'sanctuary cities'. Abbott has bussed in thousands of migrants who crossed the border into Texas from Mexico to New York, Washington DC and Chicago in the past few months. President Biden branded the republican governors as 'unAmerican' for the way they were playing political games with migrants. DeSantis defended his actions and claimed that the migrants knew exactly where they were going and voluntarily signed up for the trip On Monday more than the number of migrants arrested at America's southern border soared past two million for the first time in history Lawyers for 30 of the migrants have launched legal action against DeSantis, claiming he 'falsely' promised them 'financial and immigration help' The GOP leaders say they're keen for liberals who espouse 'sanctuary cities' to experience the full effects of uncontrolled immigration, which has hit Texas border cities including Del Rio and El Paso very hard. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, wrote to the Department of Justice to request that DeSantis be investigated for kidnapping. In a letter to Merrick Garland, the attorney general, he said he was 'horrified at the images of migrants being shipped on buses and planes across the country to be used as political props.' He wrote: 'I urge US DOJ to investigate whether the alleged fraudulent inducement would support charges of kidnapping under relevant state laws, which could serve as a predicate offense for charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions of the Organized Crime Control Act.' Other Democrats have slammed the 'Republican blueprint' of sending migrants to other cities with little warning, with New York Mayor Eric Adams slamming it as 'inhumane' and branding Abbott as a 'rogue' Governor. On Wednesday, Adams admitted that shelters in the Big Apple are at 'breaking point' after the Texas Gov bused nearly 11,000 people into the city. Just shy of 200,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted crossing the southern border in July, according to the most recent CBP figures available Abbott recently clashed with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the decision, with Lightfoot branding him as a 'racist'. She sparked outrage last week after deciding to move migrants from Chicago to a neighboring Republican suburb. Of the 147 migrants who arrived last Wednesday, Lightfoot ordered 64 of them to be taken to a Hampton Inn hotel in Burr Ridge, where they will be housed for at least the next 30 days. Republican Mayor of Burr Ridge, Gary Grasso, directed his anger at Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for using the migrants as 'political pawns.' Mayor Muriel Bowser, of Washington DC, last week declared a public emergency over the buses continuing to arrive from Texas and Arizona. It will set aside funding to accommodate migrants as well as create the Office of Migrant Services (OMS). The OMS will provide temporary accommodation, urgent medical needs, transportation and other services for those arriving. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been engaged in a public war of words with DeSantis after last week's high-profile flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Newsom demanded a criminal probe into Florida's airlift, calling it 'morally reprehensible' and possibly illegal Customs and Border Patrol records compiled at the border revealed a continued influx in Texas, Arizona, and California that has left local towns at breaking point Bowser has twice asked that the National guard be activated to assist with the thousands of migrants arriving at the capital, but they have both been denied by the Pentagon. Brianne Nadeau, a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, has slammed the governors of Texas and Arizona for the city's public migrant emergency. At the same time as these new arrivals, humanitarian crisis is deepening in the Texas border town of El Paso. Nearly 1,000 migrants have been released to sleep on the streets amid a surge of illegal crossings that is overwhelming Border Patrol facilities. Border Patrol facilities and shelters in the west Texas town have been overwhelmed in recent days, leading to a flood of so-called 'street releases'. Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a GOP US Representative, said: 'We've never seen anything like this. It's a scene that you would see in a third-world country, not in the streets of El Paso.' It has led to scenes of misery, with hundreds of migrants sleeping on the streets without access to toilets or showers, and residents say that the 'smell of human waste is overwhelming in the area.' The situation in El Paso comes after the Biden administration officially extended special protections for Venezuelans, known as Temporary Protected Status, that shield some of them from deportation. Migrants in Eagle Pass, 450 miles east along the border, were also reported to have killed a guard dog and begun eating animals in desperation. Just shy of 200,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted crossing the southern border in July, according to the most recent CBP figures available. Callum Carlyle, 25, (pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court today), has escaped being put on the Sex Offenders Register after exposing himself at a tourist attraction A man who 'accidentally' exposed himself to a group of 15-year-old girls when he used optical illusion mirrors to make his penis look bigger has escaped being put on the sex offenders register. Callum Carlyle, 25, was alone with his girlfriend in a room at the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions tourist attraction in Edinburgh and thought no one could see when he whipped out his penis. The prankster, from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, was joking around with an optical illusion device which made objects look larger. But he didn't realise that images from the room were being beamed on to a screen in a nearby area where members of the public - including 15-year-old schoolgirls - were watching. The indecent joke was then reported to police and landed the 'embarrassed' mechanic in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today where he pleaded guilty to an amended charge of breach of the peace. Fiscal depute Ross Carver told the court: 'The accused was alone within the room when he unbuckled his belt, unzipped his trousers and removed his flaccid penis. 'He then held his penis in his hand and walked to the other side of the room and he appeared to grow in size. 'He then put his penis back inside his trousers. 'His partner walked out of the room and witnesses heard her saying "I can't take you anywhere".' 'He followed her out of the room. Unfortunately that illusion is projected on to a screen in an adjacent room where members of the public saw what the accused had been doing, including girls aged 15. 'This matter was accordingly reported to the police.' The Crown accepted there was 'no significant sexual aspect' to the conduct which took place on August 1 2020, the court heard. Mr Carlyle was alone with his girlfriend in a room at the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions tourist attraction in Edinburgh (pictured) and thought no one could see when he whipped out his penis Solicitor Nigel Bruce, defending, said his client had believed the prank to be 'a great laugh' between him and his partner and was unaware others could view him at the time. Mr Bruce said Mr Carlyle was 'greatly embarrassed' by his court appearance and that he 'deeply regrets' the incident which he described as 'stupid horseplay'. He said his client had spent two years worrying about the possibility of being added to the sex offenders register. Sheriff Fiona Reith admonished the tradesman, adding: 'This is an extremely unfortunate situation. It has caused great embarrassment to you. 'You were not aware the camera relayed to another room.' A University of Tampa student was shot dead after getting into a stranger's car following a night out to celebrate his 19th birthday. Carson Senfield was shot dead at 1.30am on Saturday when he entered the stranger's vehicle by mistake after returning home in an Uber. It's unclear why, but he got into the other vehicle after exiting the Uber. The driver, who was not known to him and who has not yet been identified, shot him in the upper body. Now, the State's Attorney is to decide whether to press charges, and are considering the incident under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which justifies killings in which the perpetrator fears for their own life first. Carson Senfield, from Buffalo, New York, was shot dead at 1am when he entered the stranger's vehicle by mistake, just one day after celebrating his 19th birthday The University of Tampa sophomore, who was not known to the driver did, was shot in the upper body after an evening hanging out with his friends The scene near West Arch Street in Tampa, Florida, where the boy was shot and killed when he entered into a stranger's vehicle The driver inside that car said he was in fear of his life when he shot and killed Seinfeld, according to investigators. Tampa Police Department said that the driver was not arrested - and it's now up to the State Attorney's Office to decide if the shooter was justified in his actions or not. Carson's heartbroken father Darren Senfield told WGRZ: 'To us, the details will play themselves out. We don't have our son, we're mourning, we're heartbroken, we're devastated. 'It was a senseless tragedy that we're still trying to figure out, but at this point, it doesn't really matter, we don't have our Carson with us. 'We spoke with him two days before he was celebrating his birthday with friends on Friday evening. The teen's heartbroken family paid tribute to him after the tragic death They set up a GoFundMe in a bid to create a college fund in his memory 'He enjoyed his people whether they were in West New York or his people in Tampa. He was such a generator of great vibes.' A friend of Carson, Jacob Skintges, paid tribute to the 'brightest light in the room.' He said: 'From the moment I met the kid, the brightest light in the room. I mean, Carson could make anyone laugh at any moment. 'I just want everyone to remember him as that because that's what he was.' A GoFundMe has been set up after the tragic loss, but his father said that the money will be used to set up a scholarship in his son's name. He added: 'We will direct that (money to) a scholarship at a later date to make sure kids like Carson, kids that have that love for people have the chance to go to college.' The University of Tampa said in a statement: 'The UT administration is deeply saddened to report that a UT student was killed early this morning near the intersection of W. Arch and N. Munro streets. 'Our heartfelt condolences go out to the student's family and friends, as well as all who were affected by this incident. 'The University values all members of the community and mourns this tragic loss.' David Lillec, the superintendent of the Orchard Park School District where he graduated in 2021, said: 'It saddens me greatly to inform you that the Orchard Park community has suffered a tragic loss as Carson Senfield, a 2021 graduate of Orchard Park High School, passed away today. 'Given Carsons wide circle of friends, and the fact that Carsons two siblings attend OPHS, the Orchard Park School District recognizes that his passing has a far-reaching impact. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Senfield family during this difficult time. Carson was a light in this world and will forever be a Quaker.' A Las Vegas official who is accused of fatally stabbing a journalist who exposed his martial affair has been charged with murder and could lose his $130,000 salary. Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, 45, was arraigned on Tuesday, officially being charged with the 'unlawful, heinous, senseless murder of [Las Vegas Review-Journal] reporter Jeff German.' 'The Clark County District Attorney, on behalf of the state of Nevada, has officially filed a criminal complaint charging you with a crime of murder,' Judge William D. Jansen said. Telles, who has not publicly denied the murder, will be represented by a public defender. He will also continue to be held without bail. German, 69, was found stabbed to death outside his home on September 3, a day after a straw hat-wearing suspect was found on surveillance footage near the journalist's home. German - who worked in Sin City for most of his career - died of 'multiple sharp force injuries' in a homicide, the Clark County Office of the Coroner Medical Examiner said earlier this month. His death came after a series of articles German published, accusing him of having an affair with staffer Roberta Lee-Kennett, 45, and for facilitating a toxic workplace. Telles has denied these accusations. Prosecutors alleged that the public official blamed German for ruining his career and marriage, according to the New York Daily News. Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, 45, was arraigned on Tuesday, officially being charged with the 'unlawful, heinous, senseless murder of [Las Vegas Review-Journal] reporter Jeff German' 'The Clark County District Attorney, on behalf of the state of Nevada, has officially filed a criminal complaint charging you with a crime of murder,' Judge William D. Jansen (pictured) said. He also informed Telles he would continue to be held without bail When police searched Telles' home, they found bloodied shoes and a cut up straw hat, similar to the one seen on the suspect in the surveillance footage. Telles' car - a red GMC - was also found to match the vehicle seen on surveillance. Reporters also stalked the public official's home and found him washing his car after the incident. Telles was arrested on September 7 after DNA evidence found under German's fingernails allegedly matched his. When Telles was arrested, he reportedly had self-inflicted cuts on his arms. An arrest report obtained by DailyMail.com shows that he barricaded himself inside his home, made suicidal statements and slashed his arms with a knife when SWAT teams arrived to arrest him. He was also suspected of taking drugs in the moments before he was cuffed, forcing officers to take him to the hospital before he was booked into the county jail. Prosecutors have accused the public official of 'lying in wait' to kill the journalist, who had extensively reported on the turmoil in Telles' office, including an alleged inappropriate relationship with Lee-Kennett. His affair was revealed after German published a video of him exiting a vehicle with his supposed lover. German was found stabbed to death outside his home on September 3 after he extensively reported on Telles' public office and allegedly inappropriate relationship with a staffer Surveillance footage showed a suspect wearing gray shoes and a straw hat, which were later found at Telles' home Lee-Kennett left the backseat of the car at the same time as the official, and can be seen hoisting her skirt down. He did admit to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that there was 'hostility' in the office, despite his efforts 'to improve that office,' he claimed. 'Its unfortunate that that narrative somehow grew legs and ran,' he said. DailyMail.com previously revealed Telles had been railing against German for months including in an angry series of messages on social media in which he accused him of rifling through his trash and writing 'lying smear pieces' about him. His colleagues at the Review-Journal helped to track down the suspected killer when they staked out the suspects home, after recalling the tweets sent by Telles to German. Telles lashed out at German in a series of public Twitter posts, accusing the reporter of preparing 'lying smear piece #4 by Jeff German, #onetrickpony I think hes mad that I havent crawled into a hole and died.' In a second post he added: 'Wife hears rustling in the trash* Her: "Honey, is there a wild animal in the trash?" 'Me: "No, dear. Look like its Jeff German going through our trash for his 4th story on me." Oh, Jeff' In addition, District Attorney Steve Wolfson told KTNV that his office is working to have Telles removed from his position because he is 'unable to do his job.' Prosecutors have accused the public official of 'lying in wait' to kill the journalist, who had extensively reported on the turmoil in Telles' office, including an alleged inappropriate relationship with Roberta Lee-Kennett, 45 Telles will be represented by a public official and the district attorneys are working to have him reformed from his position 'We are alleging that he is neglectful in his duties as the public administrator,' Wolfson said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Telles has not been able to perform his job duties since he was arrested on September 7. 'We firmly believe he will continue to be unable to perform his duties, and the law says if a public official is unable to perform, thats neglectfulness, and thats why were seeking his removal,' the district attorney said. In a jailhouse interview on Friday, Telles admitted he did not know if he'd resign from office. Telles also refused to answer any questions about the German case as it is still being investigated during the jailhouse interview. However, he insisted he has 'certainly made mistakes' in his past. 'Ive just really try to do my best, to live my life doing good for others, and Im hoping that, again, with everything thats rolling around in the media these days, that people really see that,' he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal from inside the walls of the Clark County Detention Center. The married man - who has had contact with his wife and children - was open to talking about the domestic violence case against him in the jailhouse interview. In March 2020, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after his wife Mae Ismael called the police and told them Telles was 'going crazy.' Telles admitted to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he 'struggled with alcohol' at the time and that moment was a 'wake-up call.' 'I don't drink anymore,' he told the outlet. 'My wife and I have a much better relationship [now].' He said he has been sober since that night and had only uncontrollably drank on special occasions beforehand. 'It was just me blacking out and, again, not being in control of what was going on,' he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The case was eventually dismissed and he received a suspended 90-day sentence for resisting arrest - where he allegedly told officers while being arrested: 'You guys just want to take me down because I am a public official.' Telles claimed he doesn't remember speaking to officers. Newly-released bodycam footage Telles slurring during his arrest on March 1, 2020. The Democrat lawmaker was nabbed after police received a call from Mae Ismael, his wife, alleging he drunkenly grabbed her by the neck and hit her arm as they returned from the Bellagio casino. He allegedly also screamed, 'kill me.' The footage shows Telles slurring his words as officers walk him outside his suburban home in handcuffs and shove him in the backseat of a police car. 'Can anyone tell me who I hit?' Telles said repeatedly as police detained him. 'Because I didn't hit anybody?' Telles added, 'You guys just want to take me down because I'm a public official.' 'No we don't,' an officer responded to the county official as Telles proceeded to deny the abuse allegations. Telles continues to repeat the 'public official' as he's bundled into a police cruiser. The public official admitted he has been in contact with his wife and children since being incarcerated Lee-Kennett (pictured with her husband) was accused of having an affair with Telles. German claimed that the two were having an affair, and published video of her getting out of a car and pulling her skirt down after being in the back seat with the official Kennett left the backseat of the car at the same time as the official, as she pulled her skirt down. The clip was published by the late reporter in May Alleged killer Robert Telles, 45, seen leaving the backseat of his car, along with a member of his staff. The story was reported by the journalist he allegedly killed In a 911 call from March 2020, Telles' wife told police he was 'going crazy, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Ismael said Telles had drank too much and wouldn't leave her or their children alone. Then after she called 911, a police report states, that Telles grabbed Ismael in a tight 'bear hug' and did not let her go until their children pried her away. 'The force of the grab, and Robert's demeanor frightened the children,' the police report says. It also notes that Ismael had no visible injuries from the brawl. But when police arrived at the home that night, they reported that Telles began arguing with his wife again and even yelled at officers when they tried to keep the two separated. By the time officers tried to put him in handcuffs, the police report says, Telles flexed his arm in front of his body and collapsed into a chair, refusing to get up. In body camera footage obtained by the New York Post, Telles can be heard shouting at police, 'Honestly, I've been way f**king drunker than this,' and continued to deny that he hit his wife. Police found a bloodied shoe that looked similar to the ones the suspect was seen wearing at Telles' home Police also found a straw hat cut up at Telles' home after the murder Reporters spotted Telles washing his Red GMC (pictured on surveillance) shortly after the murder 'Ask the f**king Bellagio if I did that because thats f**king bullshit, he continued. I would never ever f**king do that because Im not stupid. I am a public official who would never be so f**king stupid to f**king do that. I have many friends and we had a good time. I dont know why she f**king did this.' In the end, though, the domestic battery charge was dismissed 'per negotiations,' according to court documents and Telles only received a suspended 90-day sentence on the resisting arrest charge on September 30, 2020. According to the local paper's obituary, German reported on an extensive range of grizzly topics in Las Vegas, including courts, politics, labor, government and organized crime. Glenn Cook, the Review-Journal's executive editor, said earlier this month that German had not communicated any concerns about his personal safety or any threats made against him to anyone in the newspaper's leadership. He said in a statement: 'The Review-Journal family is devastated to lose Jeff. 'He was the gold standard of the news business. It's hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like today without his many years of shining a bright light on dark places.' German joined the Review-Journal in 2010 after more than two decades at the Las Vegas Sun, where he was a columnist and reporter who covered corruption and organized crime. He was known for his stories about government malfeasance and political scandals and coverage of the 2017 mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival that killed 60 people and wounded more than 400 others. German (pictured) spent most of his career in Sin City and joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2010 German was the author of the 2001 true-crime book 'Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,' the story of the death of Ted Binion, heir to the Horseshoe Club fortune German held a master's degree from Marquette University and was the author of the 2001 true-crime book 'Murder in Sin City: The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss,' the story of the death of Ted Binion, heir to the Horseshoe Club fortune. Cathy Scott, a former coworker, noted how she and German broke the story of the killing of Las Vegas mafia associate Herbert 'Fat Herbie' Blitzstein in 1997 in Las Vegas. German covered a lot of organized crime stories, including hosting a season of the Review-Journal's true crime podcast, 'Mobbed Up: The Fight for Vegas.' The podcast was described as being about how 'mafia crime families wielded hidden control over more than a third of the Strips casinos, and federal and state agents were waking up to the enormous task of pushing them out.' He also broke stories about government corruption, political candidates having inappropriate campaign finances and told stories of the rise and fall of the mob in Las Vegas. Telles is expected to appear in court again on October 26. Travellers trying to get in and out of London are tonight facing severe disruption as services from two of the capital's busiest railway stations have been cancelled. Damage to overhead wires at Stevenage means multiple trains in and out of Kings Cross have been cancelled this evening, causing 'chaos' at one of the main gateway's to northern England. The disruption on the line, which runs services by London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Great Northern, Thameslink and Hull Trains, led to angry scenes at Finsbury Park after passengers were left stranded. Meanwhile, there has also been severe disruption at Paddington, just a day after tens of thousands of mourners trying to leave after the Queen's funeral saw their trains cancelled. No trains from the West of England and South Wales were able to reach the London terminus yesterday after overhead lines were damaged near Hayes and Harlington at 6.30am on Monday morning. While some trains have been able to run today, there have been far fewer services than normal, and departures scheduled to leave after 10pm tonight have been cancelled so more repair work can be carried out on the line. Train information boards at Kings Cross station tonight showed no services were leaving the terminus Crowds gathered on the platforms at Finsbury Park station (pictured) as services were cancelled during rush hour Many passengers were left scrambling to find alternate routes home after damage to overhead wires in Stevenage forced the line to be closed. Pictured: Travellers at Finsbury Park station tonight Services run by LNER, Thameslink, Great Northern and Hull Trains have all been affected. Pictured: Passengers at Finsbury Park station tonight The travel chaos today comes as London and the rest of the country tries to get back to normal after the Queen's funeral yesterday. Roads in and around the capital were closed for Her Majesty's funeral and subsequent procession to Windsor Castle, while rail services saw greater than normal passenger numbers as millions descended on London to watch. However, it wasn't to be smooth running today, after two separate incidents involving damage to overhead wires saw a raft of cancellations. Damage at Stevenage has meant that people travelling through Kings Cross and Finsbury Park have been forced to deal with severe disruption during rush hour. At the London terminus there were worrying scenes for passengers all the train information boards displayed a special notice confirming all services in and out of the station had been cancelled. Further up the line at Finsbury Park, platforms became crowded with people as passengers were left facing severe delays and having to make alternate arrangements to get home. On social media commuters reported seeing people 'in tears' and described scenes at both stations as 'chaos'. Some lines reopened later in the evening, but LNER said there would be 'major disruption' until at least the end of the day. On its website LNER said: 'Some lines have now reopened following damage to the overhead wires at Stevenage earlier today. 'Trains running through this station may still be cancelled or severely delayed. 'Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.' It added: 'At this time, Great Northern and Thameslink ask that you consider seeking out your own personal travel arrangements. If you do travel, your journey time will be greatly extended. 'We are working to reintroduce services through the area, but the number of trains and crew impacted by this incident means this will be drawn out process.' There are also severe delays at Paddington tonight after two miles of overhead wiring was damaged near Hayes and Harlington at 6.30am yesterday. PA News Agency reports that the damage is thought to have taken place after a number of trains became entangled. It caused the cancellation of every train between Reading and Paddington, leading to chaotic scenes at Waterloo as tens of thousands of mourners from the Queen's funeral attempted to find alternate routes out of the capital. Services from the station to destinations in the West of England and South Wales have been running today, but at greatly reduced levels, leading to delays and some cancellations. All four lines serving Paddington reopened on Tuesday morning after a 27-hour suspension, but the wires were only working above two of them. Trains due to leave Paddington after 10pm tonight have been cancelled in a bid to allow workers to try and completely repair the damaged wires, although Great Western Railway has warned more disruption is expected tomorrow. There were chaotic scenes at Reading station (pictured) last night as all trains in and out of Paddington were cancelled Damaged overhead wires near Hayes and Harlington (pictured) has caused severe disruption today There will be no GWR and Heathrow Express services in and out of London Paddington until 6am on Wednesday, while National Rail is advising passengers to use alternative routes to reach their destinations. On its website Great Western Railway GWR said: 'Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Slough and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run on all lines. 'Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled, delayed or revised. 'Delays and short-notice cancellations are expected for the remainder of the day. 'Network Rail engineers will undertake further repair work tonight. 'This means GWR will not be able to run services into or out of London Paddington from 2200 this evening until 0600 tomorrow (Wednesday 21 September). Services will start and finish at Reading instead. 'The last departing train from London Paddington - Tuesday 20th September 2022, will be 21:48 London Paddington to Swansea. 'The last arriving train into London Paddington - Tuesday 20th September 2022, will be the 20:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington (Arriving at 21:34).' At least nine people have been confirmed dead and 31 others injured after a concrete slab fell on a row of seats at a warehouse in the southeastern Brazil state of Sao Paulo on Tuesday morning. Authorities have yet to release the names of the four men and five women who were killed in the tragic accident at the shipping container center in the municipality of Itapecerica da Serra. Among the injured are congressional candidates Jones Donizette and Ely Santos, who was hospitalized. At least three people suffered serious injuries. Brazilian political candidate Ely Santos (pictured sitting) receives attention after she was pulled out of the rubble at a warehouse in Sao Paulo on Tuesday morning. She and fellow candidate Jones Donizette were concluding a campaign meeting with about 64 workers and were about to leave the auditorium located on the mezzanine when a concrete slab fell on the seating section, causing it to collapsed to the ground level Authorities said that four men and five women were killed in the warehouse's auditorium collapse Fire department Luciana Soares told reporters about 64 workers were participating in a campaign meeting with Donizette and Santos inside an auditorium located in the mezzanine level at the Multiteiner warehouse when the slab collapsed onto the seating section shortly before 9am local time. Alexandre Moraes, who works at the warehouse as a painter, told G1 that he was in his seat when the auditorium plummeted to the level below. 'Everyone was on top and it collapsed,' he said. 'I just saw it falling. I got stuck and they helped me out.' At least 80 members of several first responder agencies participated in the rescue. All of the victims were accounted for as of 4pm. Danilo Moraes told online portal UOL Noticias that his sister Julcimara de Moraes, 35, was among the dead. 'She had only been working her for seven months,' he said. It's unknown if Alexandre Moraes and Julcimara de Moraes are related. Josi Meneses, 39, said he had quit the warehouse only a week ago and knew all of the people who died. The Itaceperica da Serra city government said that while the state environmental agency was in charge of issuing the warehouse's operational permit, the facility's has been 'improperly altered.' Jones Donizette, who is running for a congressional seat in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was among the 31 people who were injured Tuesday morning when a concrete slab collapsed on a seating section in the mezzanine of a warehouse. Four men and five women were also killed Workers at the Multiteiner warehouse attempt to enter a section of the warehouse after a concrete slab fell on an auditorium and sent it crashing to the ground level, killing nine people and injuring 31 others A video footage on Santos' Instagram account showed her sitting on the ground outside the auditorium while she was being tended to by two individuals. Another person dressed in work gear was on the floor sitting against a wall waiting for assistance. A male individual could also be seen running out of the auditorium as two other men stood near a wall that had collapsed. A sniffer dog searches the rubble for potential survivors following Tuesday morning's warehouse collapse in Sao Paulo, Brazil The city government of Itapecerica da Serra said the auditorium seating was located in the mezzanine level, which has been 'improperly altered' Brazilian congressional candidate Ely Santos rests on a hospital bed after suffering an undisclosed injury in the warehouse collapse Tuesday morning Brazilian political candidate Ely Santos is provided aid after she was pulled out from the rubble Donizette's campaign office told Brazilian news outlet G1 that he and Santos were saying their goodbyes to the workers when the slab crushed the group. Four members of his staff were rescued from the rubble and rushed to a local medical facility. After the incident, Donizette took to Instagram to share photo of himself standing outside the warehouse. He was dressed in his white t-shirt that was covered in stains. 'Jones Donizette is deeply sorry and sympathizes with the families of the victims of this disaster, and asks for prayers for the speedy recovery of the hospitalized victims,' he wrote. A plan for the United States to supply Ukraine with new tanks is 'absolutely on the table,' according to a Department of Defense official. Ukraine has been utilizing Soviet-era tanks throughout its counter-offensive against Russia but has requested modern replacements. The US has previously advised European countries to supply Ukraine with more Soviet-era tanks if possible, as any tank provided by a NATO country would require extensive training to use. 'Tanks are absolutely on the table along with other areas,' the official told reporters in anonymity at the Pentagon. 'We're looking at the entirety of the Ukrainian armed forces and considering for the future what capabilities they will need and how the US and our allies will be able to support Ukraine in building out those capabilities.' The US provided $25 billion in military aid to Ukraine between January 24 and August 3, 2022, according to Newsweek. Ukraine has been utilizing T-64 tanks in its efforts, which were first made in 1966 by Ukrainian tank designer Alexander Alexandrovich Morozov. Ukraine has been utilizing Soviet-era tanks, the T-64, in its seven-month counter-offensive against Russia The US has requested European countries to provide additional tanks to Ukraine, though Germany's defense minister has said the country will not provide support 'unilaterally' An anonymous Department of Defense official said the US sending Ukraine modern tanks is 'absolutely on the table' Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced September 16 that the United States would be sending $600 million in military assistance to Ukraine Should Ukraine be supplied with NATO-based tanks in the near future, the Pentagon official said additional support to help with training efforts would be provided. 'The tanks that are available that could be provided very quickly with little to no training are Soviet-type tanks but we're certainly open to other options provided that the training, maintenance, and sustainment can be taken care of,' the official said. 'There will be a day when they may want to transition and may need to transition to, you know, NATO compatible models. 'We're always very cognizant though with any new equipment that we provide to Ukraine or that our allies, our partners provide that there is substantial training, maintenance and sustainment and sustainment consideration.' In response to Ukraine's request for new tanks as the Russian invasion reaches its seven-month mark, Germany's Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht told Reuters that her country would not take action 'unilaterally.' 'No country has delivered Western-built infantry fighting vehicles or main battle tanks so far,' Lambrecht said. 'We have agreed with our partners that Germany will not take such action unilaterally.' Pundits predicted he would use the speech to mobilise Russian citizens to fight It would have been his first international speech since the invasion of Ukraine Putin kept the world waiting nearly two hours and ultimately appeared to cancel Russian president Vladimir Putin was expected to give a speech at 6pm London time from Moscow potentially announcing the official declaration of war in Ukraine to defend Russian-occupied territories, but kept the world waiting on Tuesday night. Russian news channel that announced the speech deleted their posts around two hours after the Russian leader was set to begin what would have been his first international announcement since the country's invasion of Ukraine on February 25. It appeared as though the Russian leader had cancelled his speech, pushing it back to Wednesday, according to a Telegram account run by political analyst Sergei Markov, close to the Kremlin. 'They can't even mobilise a speech,' said one observer, mocking the apparent cancellation. 'Rumour has it that Putin's speech has been delayed due to his long walk from the end of the table to the press room,' joked another. The speech will take place at 6am London time (8am Moscow time) on Wednesday, according to Forbes Russia, which cited two sources allegedly from the Kremlin administration saying the speech will be broadcast 'when the Far East wakes up'. The news comes after Dmitry Medvedev, a staunch Putin ally, vowed that 'all forces of self-defence' will be used to protect what he called 'Russian territory' hinting at an escalation in Ukraine. Moscow's parliament then passed new laws paving the war for Putin to end his 'special military operation' and officially declare a war, allowing him to mobilise Russia's massive population into the army. The move could herald a new phase of the conflict involving weapons and tactics the Kremlin has so-far held in reserve. Russian president Vladimir Putin was set to give a speech at 6pm London time from Moscow, but ultimately appeared to cancel the planned speech after delaying for two hours A still image taken from a handout video made available by the Russian Defence Ministry press-service on 20 September 2022 shows a BM-27 Uragan multiple-launch rocket system of Russia's Central Military District firing at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Sappers of the National Guard of Ukraine checks for the presence of mines along a dirt road near the abandoned positions of the Russian army in the north of the Kharkiv region on September 20 Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armored vehicle in Novostepanivka, Kharkiv region, on September 19 Plans for a series of referendums come after Ukraine humiliatingly routed Putin's forces to the east of Kharkiv and recaptured a swathe of territory, with the despot's allies, propagandists and political hardliners calling for an escalation amid calls for the president to resign Analysts speculated that Russia would have difficulty mobilising its citizens to fight in Ukraine, as much of the infrastructure required to train troops was deconstructed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The news comes after four regions under Moscow's control announced they planned to hold referendums on whether to join Russia, despite large chunks of the territory remaining either contested or under Ukrainian control. Russian territories Luhansk and Donetsk, which initially declared independence in a move designed to justify the Kremlin's initial invasion in February, said they will join Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia in referenda the results of which are expected to be fraudulent. The speech was set to take place at the same time the United Nations is meeting in New York to pledge further support to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said the results will not be recognised by the international community. 'I think what was announced by Russia is a parody,' Macon said. 'This is cynicism, and obviously it won't be recognized by the international community.' Incendiary ammunition falls on the village of Ozerne in the Donetsk region in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian military authorities accuse Russia for shelling the Ukrainian village Ozerne with illegal ammunition A Ukrainian artilleryman works on a 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer in Mykolaiv region on September 19, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine Ukrainian servicemen work on a tank on September 20, 2022, abandoned by Russian troops during their retreat in the north of the Kharkiv region A helmet is hung on the barrel of a rifle in the city after it was regained from Russian forces, in Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Ukraine on September 20 Russian-installed leaders in occupied areas of the four Ukrainian regions set out plans for referendums on joining Russia on Tuesday. 'If the Donbas referendum idea wasn't so tragic it would be funny,' Macron told reporters. Sky News reported that some ballet boxes will be established in Russia rather than Ukraine. Russian state TV said 90% of people in the four regions will join Russia, despite the Kremlin controlling only parts of those territories. The US has also dismissed the referenda, with security adviser Jake Sullivan calling the referendums an affront to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said President Joe Biden, at his speech on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, will issue a 'firm rebuke' to Russia for its war against Ukraine. A view from the abandoned and damaged market area in the city after it was regained from Russian forces, in Kupiansk Women walk past a destroyed building, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the town of Izium, recently liberated by Ukrainian Armed Forces A statue of Ukrainian poet, writer and artist Taras Shevchenko is seen in front of the destroyed building of the Palace of Culture in the retaken city of Derhachi The European Union also strongly condemned Russia's plans to hold referenda in parts of Ukraine and will not recognise the results of the votes, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Tuesday. 'Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these 'referenda' and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered,' Borrell said. Borrell said the referenda votes cannot be considered 'as the free expression of the will of the people' in these regions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin last week that now is not the time for war, and Chinese president Xi Jinping expressed questions and concerns about the situation last week when the two leaders met. New Delhi: Capt. Amarinder Singh, 80, a two-time former chief minister of Punjab and a scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family, on Monday joined the BJP and also merged his fledgling party Punjab Lok Congress with the saffron party. The BJP termed Capt. Singhs joining the saffron fold as a big moment in Indias political history, and said that he had always kept the nation above all. Now is the time to do something for the country. We have seen the Congress, now it is time to go to the party that has been doing so much for the country and its security. It is a pleasure being here, Capt. Singh said after joining the BJP at the party headquarters. Asked by reporters about the speculation that Capt. Singhs wife, Congress Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, could also join the BJP, the former Punjab CM replied: Yeh zaroori hai kya jo husband kare wohi wife kare (It is not necessary for the wife to do what the husband does). Meanwhile, Capt. Singhs son and former Congress leader Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur also joined the BJP on Monday. Capt. Singh, who was unceremoniously removed from the CMs post by the Congress high command last year, which was followed by his exit from the party he was associated with for five decades, stressed how India was hemmed in by two hostile nations (Pakistan and China) and how Punjab, being a border state, plays a great role in maintaining the nations security. He also talked about rising cross-border security threats in Punjab and said he wants to protect the state as well as the country, adding that the BJP is the party that takes the issue seriously. Capt. Singh was accompanied by PLC office-bearers at the BJP headquarters, who also joined the saffron fold. Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar ans Kiren Rijiju, former PCC chief and now BJP leader Sunil Jhakar, and BJP Punjab unit chief Ashwini Sharma were present on the occasion. Welcoming the former Congress stalwart, Mr Tomar said even when he was in the Congress, Capt. Singh shared the motto of desh pratham (country first), and then the party, which is the motto of the BJP. The Union minister claimed that Capt. Singhs joining the BJP was an indication that he favours peace and security in Punjab. Capt. Singhs thoughts have been similar to that of the BJP, as the BJP is the only political party which considers the nation first and the party after that. Amarinder Singh has also maintained this view all his life The BJP will be strengthened in Punjab with his joining. This will be a historic step, Mr Tomar said. Before joining the party, Capt. Singh met BJP president J.P. Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah. Welcoming Capt. Singh, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said Punjab was a state which needs to be handled with utmost sincerity. Though he was in a different party (when CM), but I remember on many occasions when I engaged with him (as a Union minister), he never brought politics before national security This is an important milestone in Indias political history, said Mr Rijiju,. Seven former MLAs and one former MP also joined the BJP along with Capt. Singh. Capt. Singh had contested the last Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), though his party failed to open its account with Capt. Singh also losing from his turf, Patiala. Capt. Singh had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah last week after returning from London after a spinal surgery. Before leaving for London, he had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee quashed a Republican effort Tuesday to advance a resolution that asked President Joe Biden to send documents related to his son Hunter's business dealings to the House of Representatives. In a vote 23-19, Democrats voted to oppose Resolution 1243, which asked Biden to send within 14 days of passage 'copies of any document, record, report, memo, correspondence or other communication in his possession' that related to 'the Biden family's international business schemes.' 'It is time for President Biden to answer some questions about his participation in his family's business schemes with some of our most signficant adversaries for years,' said Rep. James Comer, the Oversight top Republican, during a mark-up hearing Tuesday. With Comer's party in the minority, the GOP members didn't have enough votes to move the resolution on. There's no further action Republicans can take currently, without winning back a majority in the House. 'The American people deserve transparency about the Biden familys suspicious foreign business deals, but Democrats today voted to conceal this information from them,' Comer said in a statement after the vote. House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (left) and Democrats quashed a GOP effort Tuesday, led by Rep. James Comer (right), to advance a resolution that asked President Joe Biden to send documents related to his son Hunter's business dealings to the House House Resolution 1243 asked President Joe Biden to send documents related to Hunter Biden's (pictured) business dealings over to the House of Representatives within 14 days of passage. The resolution did not make it out of the Oversight committee during a vote Tuesday The resolution specifically names not only Hunter Biden, but the president's brother James Biden and his wife Sara, along with Hunter Biden's former business associates: Eric Schwerin, John Robinson Walker and Devon Archer. Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, who urged Democrats not to support the resolution, pointed out that 'none of these people have a role in the Biden administration.' Maloney said it also 'reveals the misplaced priorities of our Republican colleagues.' 'These same Republicans turned a blind eye when Donald Trump incited a deadly riot in the Capitol, violating the peaceful transfer of power. And illegally removed highly classified presidential records from the White House,' she said. Maloney, who recently lost her New York primary to Rep. Jerry Nadler, said the resolution aimed to 'smear President Biden by targeting his family.' 'This is a nakedly partisan effort so it is no surprise that it was led by none other than former President Donald Trump,' she claimed. Rep. Jody Hice, a Georgia Republican, chimed in arguing, 'If there is nothing to fear with Hunter Biden, than there is no reason Democrats should refuse an investigation.' 'Whether Democrats care to admit it or not, there are serious concerns about the business dealings of the Biden family. There are serious concerns,' Hice said. 'These get to whether our commander-in-chief, the president of the United States, have sought to enrich himself and his family at the expense of our national security.' The president has long denied involvment in Hunter Biden's foreign business deals in Ukraine and China - and no documents, including from Hunter Biden's laptop, have proven a serious connection. Trump's first impeachment involved the Republican president asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2019 to announce an investigation into the Bidens' business dealings in Ukraine, as Joe Biden was looking like a formidable 2020 foe. The resolution push is a preview of the moves Republicans will likely take if they take control of the House of Representatives in January. GOP leaders have promised investigations into Hunter Biden should they flip control of the House in the November elections. Democrats on the committee complained Republicans were going after Hunter to boost Trump's chances should the ex-president seek the White House for a third time in 2024. 'This investigation is about promoting ... former President Trump and hurting President Biden. It's pure politics. I urge my colleagues to oppose the resolution,' said D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Vicky, 56, had been a guard at the Alabama prison in which Casey was awaiting his murder trial when the two began a romantic tryst White and White, who are not related, went on the run for 11 days in late April that culminated in a police pursuit and Vicky shooting herself in the head Lawyers for Casey White, 38, have asked that their client not be charged with the felony murder of Vicky White, who shot herself after helping the inmate flee prison The legal team for Casey White, the inmate who escaped an Alabama prison for 11 days with the help of a female corrections officer who later shot herself, has asked a judge to drop the murder charge against him because the woman's death was 'clearly a suicide.' According to the team's motion to dismiss the murder charge against him, White's attorneys are arguing that prosecutors will not be able to convict him in the death of jail guard Vicky White, 56, with whom he was romantically entangled, because they would have to prove she did not die by 'natural causes, accident or suicide.' Casey White (of no relation to Vicky White), 38, was serving a 75-year-sentence for a number of crimes from 2015 and had been transferred to the Lauderdale County jail, where he was awaiting trial for the 2015 murder of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway. While imprisoned in Lauderdale, Casey and Vicky struck up a romantic dalliance that included nearly 1,000 phone calls leading up to a planned escape from law enforcement on April 29. The pair went on the run for 11 days until law enforcement caught up with them in Evansville, Indiana, where Vicky White shot herself in the head in a car before officers apprehended her. This combination of photos provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office in April 2022 shows inmate Casey Cole White, left, and Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White Sheriffs in Indiana are seen investigating the crumpled wreck of the car, in which Vicky White killed herself The escaped prisoner, standing 6ft 9 tall, towers over the Indiana officers who arrested him after the car he was driving was run off the road White's attorneys said: '[P]olice dash cam and body cam recordings clearly show that at the conclusion of a car chase, the vehicle driven by White wrecked and rolled over in a roadside ditch or median. Video clearly shows the deceased shot herself in the head and continued holding the gun in her hand as police approached. The death, in this case, was clearly a suicide and the Defendant can not (sic) be convicted for the death.' Prior to the pair's car being run off the road by police during the pursuit, Vicky White can be heard on tape saying, 'Airbags are gonna go off and kill us.' 'Airbags are going off. Lets get out, and run,' she says to her partner. She is then heard shrieking during what sounds like a crash. Sirens are blaring in the background. The remainder of the file sounds like law enforcement is tending to the crash site and to Vicky, who is still holding onto her gun. Someone at the scene can be heard saying, 'Shes got a gun in her hand, and shes breathing. Shes got her finger on the trigger.' Authorities initially charged Casey White with felony murder for Vicky's death, arguing that he 'caused' her death. White's defense team, however, is now arguing that the prosecutors 'stretched' the state of Alabama's felony-murder doctrine far past 'its origin intent.' These are all of the weapons the couple had in their Cadillac when they were rammed into a ditch by police, before Vicky died The escaped prisoner, standing 6ft 9 tall, towers over the Indiana officers who arrested him after the car he was driving was run off the road Casey White was charged with the murder of Vicky White, who helped him plan his escape across the country. Casey is pictured at court in Florence, Alabama, with his hands cuffed and his feet shackled after his arrest Escaped inmate Casey White arrives at the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Florence, Ala., after waiving extradition in Indiana on May 10, 2022 Last week, attorneys for White - who will go to trial in December on the original capital murder charge for which he was in prison - asked the judge to eliminate a potential death penalty sentence. A conviction for capital murder in Alabama comes with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility for parole or death. Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly has not clarified yet whether he will be seeking the death penalty. Lauderdale County, Alabama DA Chris Connolly has not formally indicated whether he will seek the death penalty for Casey White Advertisement The US Air Force will unveil its next-generation stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, during the first week of December, lifting the tight cloak of secrecy that has surrounded the aircraft's development. Northrop Grumman and the Air Force confirmed the timeline for unveiling the B-21 on Tuesday, saying that it will offer an 'exclusive view' of the aircraft at the company's facility in Palmdale, California. The bomber, which will be nuclear-capable, will cost about $639 million per plane, and the Pentagon plans to buy at least 100 of them to complement and eventually replace the aging B-2 Spirit. 'The B-21 is the most advanced military aircraft ever built and is a product of pioneering innovation and technological excellence,' said Northrop Grumman exec Doug Young in a statement. Six B-21 test aircraft are in various stages of final assembly Northrop Grumman's Palmdale plant, and the first test flight is projected for 2023. The exact date of the unveiling in early December has not yet been fixed, and officials say that the event will be invitation-only. Last July, the Air Force released the latest photo-realistic concept image of the B-21, which is the most recent rendering available of the aircraft. Unlike previous concepts of the bomber, which were released in 2020, this image has a more defined beak at the front and a slanted window for the main cockpit windows. The larger B-2 has four windows that go around the front of the cockpit. The image also shows the bomber taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it is expected to receive testing in the coming years. The classified plane is still under development by the military and is part of the Long Range Strike Bomber program (LRS-B). Previous released publicity shots from 2020 show renderings of how the B-21 Raider would appear in hangars at various US bases - here at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota Previous released publicity shots from 2020 show renderings of how the B-21 Raider would appear in hangars at various US bases - here at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri It is expected to be in service by 2026 or 2027 and will complement the B-2 Spirit, as well as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleets, before eventually replacing both of them. 'Nuclear modernization is a top priority for the Department of Defense and the Air Force, and B-21 is key to that plan,' said Randall Walden, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director, in a statement. The B-21 is expected to undergo testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California 'The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the threat environment evolves. This aircraft design approach sets the nation on the right path to ensuring America's enduring airpower capability.' All of the officially released pictures so far are artistic renderings - not official pictures of the top secret jet have yet been released. The first official rendering of the B-21 Raider was released in 2016, but only showed its basic shape. Renderings released in 2020 showed how the B-21 Raider would appear in hangars at various US bases, but again were light on detail. The latest image shows more detail of the cockpit design and nose section. It also offered no signs of the prominent air intakes seen in earlier renderings, which had reportedly been a point of contention in the design phase. The Raider is named after the Doolittle Raiders - U.S. Army Air Force men who conducted a famous surprise attack against Japan on April 18, 1942 during World War II. The B-21 Raider will be able to carry nuclear bombs, but will also be able to 'employ a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions,' according to the latest fact sheet from the Air Force. The first official piece of concept art of the B-21 Raider was released in 2016, but only showed its basic shape in a very rough rendering The B-21 Raider will join the B-2 Spirit (pictured) as part of the US Air Force's fleet, before eventually replacing it According to the US Air Force's latest fact sheet, the B-21 cost has an average cost of $639 million in FY19 dollars. Richard Aboulafia, vice president and analyst at the Teal Group, told Military.com 'there's always been a degree of doubt about [the final cost of the planes],' adding those figures are just for the purchase price and not ancillary items. The B-21 Raider force will be located at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, according to the fact sheet. It will have a two-person crew, but also be capable of uncrewed operation, according to Popular Mechanics. The Air Force will buy at least 100 of the B-21 Raiders to replace the aging fleet of B-2s and B-1s, but some officials expect the fleet will eventually be comprised of 220 bombers - 75 B-52s and 145 B-21s. A grandfather of 11 was beaten to a pulp after he attempted to fight off an armed robber who was carjacking a woman in Houston. Shocking new footage released by the Houston Police Department shows the moment Simon Mancilla Sr., 73, tries to pull the gunman out of the victim's black, 2011 GMC Sierra truck on September 7. The unidentified suspect immediately begins to pistol whip the senior in the face, causing him to bleed. Undeterred, Mancilla proceeds to slug away at the suspect and try to pull him out of the car as horrified witnesses look on. Another man appears to rush in to help Mancilla, but the suspect is able to drive away as the 73-year-old is thrown off the moving vehicle. Simon Mancilla Sr., 73 (left) was pistol whipped in the face by an armed carjacker who he confronted after reportedly seeing the gunman choking a woman inside her car Despite the blows to his head, the 73-year-old fought back, swinging wildly at the robber However, Mancilla was eventually overpowered and thrown out of the stolen vehicle Pictured: Mancilla covered in his own blood following the dangerous confrontation Speaking with local KHOU 11, Mancilla said he was driving by when he witnessed the suspect choking the female driver at the parking lot of a check-cashing business in north Houston. He said he warned the man to back off before he jumped in to try and save the victim. The 73-year-old needed several stiches as he was pictured covered in blood from his confrontation with the gunman. His son told KHOU 11 that Mancilla's eyes were completely covered in blood from the pistol whips, so he could only swing wildly to try and detain the robber. When asked why he jumped into to stop the armed thief, Mancilla said it was the only thing he could do. 'I don't have any choice,' he said. Mancilla (right) needed several stiches after the incident, with his son, (left) noting that his father couldn't see through much of it because his face was covered in blood During the confrontation, a second man (right) rushed in to try and help Mancilla Despite his injuries and getting thrown out of the car, Mancilla said he did the right thing Police are currently investigating the case, and the robber remains at large. The woman's stolen truck has yet to be located. The suspect was described as a white male, wearing khaki pants and a blue shirt. There is currently a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the gunman's arrest. CVS Health Corp and Walmart Inc have agreed to pay $147.5 million to settle West Virginia's claims over their alleged roles in the state's opioid crisis, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Tuesday. West Virginia had been prepared to proceed to trial on September 26 against those two companies and Walgreens Boots Alliance. The state had accused the pharmacy chains of fueling the deadly opioid epidemic through their allegedly lax oversight of prescription pills sold in the state. 'These settlements won't bring back the lives lost from the opioid epidemic, but these and other settlements will hopefully provide significant help to those affected the most by this crisis in our state,' Morrisey said. Walgreens has not settled, and a trial has been rescheduled for June 2023. 'We believe that we have a very strong case against Walgreens,' Morrisey said at a news conference. 'We're going to pursue that quite vigorously.' The state has been particularly hard hit by the epidemic, with a per capita opioid mortality rate over three times the national average in 2020, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced a $147.5 million settlement agreed upon by CVS Health Corp and Walmart Inc. The state sued the companies and alleged they fueled the opioid crisis The state had accused the pharmacy chains of fueling the deadly opioid epidemic The lawsuit occurs amid the ongoing opioid crisis in West Virginia. The state has been particularly hard hit by the epidemic, with a per capita opioid mortality rate over three times the national average in 2020 The West Virginia lawsuit further alleged the pharmacies' oversupply of opioids has resulted in 'significant losses through their past and ongoing medical treatment cost, including for minors born addicted to opioids, rehabilitation costs, naloxone costs, medical examiner expenses [and] self-funded state insurance costs.' Money from the settlement will be used to address the opioid crisis in West Virginia. Opioids were the cause of more than 68,000 deaths, according to the CDC. Prescription opioids are generally taken for pain following an injury or surgery. The amount of opioids subscribed has drastically increased over the past few years. More than 191 million Americans were prescribed opioids in 2017, according to the CDC. Alabama ranked the highest for the most distributed opioid prescriptions. West Virginia claimed the title of the state with the most opioid deaths in 2020 with 1,138 reported. The District of Colombia was shortly behind with 410 deaths. Males were also more likely to die of a drug overdose than females. West Virginia reported 978 male deaths and 370 female deaths. The age range between 35 to 44 ranked the most deaths in the state. Those between 35 to 44 made up for 393 cases, and those between 25 to 34 making up for 321 cases in 2020. Opioid overdoses have significantly raised in the United States since 1999 More than 564,000 people have died from opioids since 1999, according to the CDC In 2020, 87.7 percent of deaths in West Virginia involved opioids Similarly, a federal judge in Cleveland has ordered CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart to pay two Ohio counties damages over their opioid distribution, a week after a judge in San Francisco ruled Walgreens CAN be held responsible for the city's crisis. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster awarded $650 million in damages in August over the way the national pharmacy chains distributed opioids to their communities. Judge Polster said in his ruling that the money will be used to fight the opioid crisis in Lake and Trumbull counties outside Cleveland. Attorneys for the counties put the total price tag at $3.3 billion for the damage done. Walmart and Walgreens claimed there were legal inaccuracies in the case, while CVS said it disagreed with the decision. The trial was part of a broader constellation of about 3,000 federal opioid lawsuits consolidated under Polster's supervision. Others are moving ahead in state courts. Awards for the damages comes after a federal judge ruled last week that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco's opioid crisis by over-dispensing highly addictive drugs for years without proper oversight. Much of Australia's east coast is set to be hammered with rain over the coming days, making for a very wet and miserable public holiday. Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds are predicted for NSW on Wednesday, with similar storms possible for southern Queensland. Ongoing flooding is also expected for parts of NSW, Queensland and Victoria, the Bureau of Meteorology said, with several warnings issued for each state. Central NSW is set to cop the worst of the bad weather with heavy rainfall creating the potential for flash flooding, with up to 70mm of rain expected to fall in six hours on Wednesday in the Central West Slopes and Plains and Riverina region. Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra will be drenched on Thursday afternoon, with millions expected to take the day off to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Much of Australia's east coast is set to be hammered with rain over the coming days, making for a very wet and miserable public holiday A flood watch warning is current for north-west, central west and south-west inland rivers in NSW. The wet weather is a result of a low pressure system moving across Australia's south-east. Port Macquarie on NSW's mid north coast is in for a massive drenching with between 45 and 85mm of rain forecast over the next three days. Weatherzone meteorologist Felix Levesque said the low pressure system was progressively moving towards the east coast of NSW and Queensland. Ongoing flooding is also expected for parts of NSW, Queensland and Victoria, the Bureau of Meteorology said, with several flood warnings issued for each state Widespread rainfalls of 20 to 40mm are on the forecast for northern and central NSW. 'That will push into the already quite saturated catchments, and exacerbate and lead to further flood warnings,' Mr Levesque told Daily Mail Australia. 'The heaviest rain for northern NSW is between now and Thursday morning.' The meteorologist said significant rainfall would be seen over Thursday and Friday along the east coast from Batemans Bay up to south-east Queensland. Parts of NSW's mid north coast could see 80mm of rain fall over the coming days. In Sydney up to 10mm of rain could fall on Wednesday, and between 15 and 25mm on Thursday. The rain won't ease up in the NSW capital until Sunday. Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra will be drenched on Thursday, with millions having the day off to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II Melbourne will have a dry public holiday on Thursday, but the rain will start to fall on Friday into Saturday for the AFL Grand Final. Brisbane won't escape the wet weather with up to 20mm of rain forecast over Wednesday and Thursday. Thunderstorms are also likely. Adelaide will see some showers on Wednesday but the South Australian capital is mostly in for a dry end to the week, with the rain to start back up again on Sunday. Hobart will have a wet weekend with most of the rain to fall on Friday. Those living in the nation's capital are in for a wet week with 5 to 15mm of rain forecast for Wednesday, with the sun only coming out on Sunday. Meanwhile on the other side of the country Perth will see some showers on Wednesday but an otherwise dry and sunny end to the week. Temperatures will soar in the Northern Territory with 35C days forecast for Darwin. The public will be able to view the Queens final resting place at St George's Chapel in Windsor from next week Between the couples is a metal Garter Star, to mark that they were all members of the Order of the Garter Overnight a new slab has been installed with the names of the late monarch, her husband and her parents Advertisement The Queens final resting place has been marked with a simple slab reuniting her for eternity with her adored husband and parents. The 96-year-old sovereign was interred in a moving private ceremony at Windsors King George VI Memorial Chapel on Monday night. There, a ledger stone an inscribed slab laid into the floor had previously been marked with the names of the Queens parents in gold lettering on black Belgian marble. Tonight Buckingham Palace revealed that a new slab was installed overnight with the names of the late monarch, her husband and parents along with the dates of their birth and death. In order, it reads George VI 1895-1952, Elizabeth 1900-2002, Elizabeth II 1926-2022, Philip 1921-2021. Between the two couples is a single metal Garter Star, the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the countrys oldest and most noble order of chivalry. All four were members of the order and St Georges Chapel, where the memorial chapel is situated, is its spiritual home. The Royal Family yesterday released a never-before-seen image showing Queen Elizabeth II hiking in the heather at Balmoral in Scotland Her Majesty was interred alongside her husband, Prince Philip, and her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Pictured: A stone in the George VI Memorial Chapel at St George's Chapel in Windsor, where the Queen Mother was laid to rest in 2002 Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is lowered beneath St George's Chapel in Windsor during her committal service on Monday afternoon The humble stone annexe, which can be viewed through a metal gate inside St Georges Chapel, also contains the ashes of the late monarchs sister, Margaret. The public will be able to view the Queens final resting place from next week but will have to pay for the privilege, it can be revealed. The chapel, which is currently closed during the period of royal morning, will reopen to visitors on Thursday September 29 as part of a general tour of Windsor Castle, costing up to 28.50 for adults and 15.50 for children. The castle is only open five days a week from Thursday through to Monday but St Georges Chapel is closed to the public on Sundays as it is a living place of worship. Castle tours are run by the Royal Collection Trust (RCT), a registered charity and a department of the Royal Household. No profits are kept by the Royal Family. Income generated from admissions and other commercial activities is used for the upkeep of the Royal Collection, one of the largest and most important art collections in the world and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. Containing thousands of artworks and antiques, the collection is not owned by The King as a private individual but is held in trust by the sovereign for his successors and the nation. Its treasures are spread among some 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. There may be some surprise, however, that those wishing to see the Queens resting place and pay their respects will have to pay in order to do it. Sources stressed, however, that the RCT is a charity and suffered a 30million deficit as a result of the pandemic. There is also likely to be concern that St Georges Chapel could be overrun with mourners, particularly as the family memorial is so small and visitors can only peer into it through a small metal gate. Given that 250,000 wellwishers queued for up to 14 hours to view the Queen lying in state, Windsor staff could face long waiting lines and bottlenecks. A private service, which was due to start at 7.30pm, took place last night away from the public's gaze where King Charles buried his mother the Queen. This rarely seen picture from 1947 was released last night King Charles III places the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on Her Majesty's coffin at Monday's committal service The new monarch was tearful as he bade farewell to his mother at Monday afternoon's committal service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Members of the public threw flowers and bouquets which covered the royal hearse as the Queen arrived in Windsor on Monday afternoon An RCT spokesman stressed, however, that only a limited number of castle tickets are sold each day in timed, 15-minute slots. George VI died in February 1952 at the age of just 56 a moment the Queen always marked privately at her Sandringham estate. Her mother passed away aged 101 in March 2002. The Queen lost her sister, Princess Margaret, the previous month at the age of 71. King Georges coffin had been originally placed in the Royal Vault. But as it was his wish to rest in his own chapel with his beloved wife, a memorial chapel that bears his name was built by his eldest daughter in 1969. Their resting place was marked by a black ledger with the inscriptions King George VI 1895-1952 and Elizabeth 1900-2002 in gold lettering. Margarets ashes were initially placed in the Royal Vault, before being moved to the memorial chapel when the Queen Mother died weeks later. After an historic State Funeral in London and committal ceremony at Windsor on Monday, the late Queens coffin was taken down into the vault but later brought back up along with that of Prince Philip, who died last April at the age of 99. Their remains were then interred in the tiny family memorial annex built on the north side of St Georges Chapel. Their coffins were gently lowered 18ft to lie one on top of the other, supported by a metal frame, inside the 10ft by 14ft chamber. An RCT spokesman said visitors would not be able to bring flowers inside the castle. Christian Whiton is a former senior advisor in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations. After suffering a humiliating defeat, outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney is carving out a second career as commander-in-chief of the Trump derangement and hysteria division of the Washington establishment. Speaking to her fellow globalists at a DC convention on Monday, Cheney claimed that a fellow GOPer had secretly confided to her that Republicans grudgingly did the bidding of the Orange Jesus, President Donald Trump, when they agreed to object to the 2020 election results. Cheney then went on to claim Trump and even his supporters are a threat to the Constitutional Republic. Americas freedomonly survives if we recognize threats when they arise. And today, we are facing such a threat. It's a threat we have never faced before its a former president who is attempting to unravel our Constitutional Republic. Bit by bit, excuse by excuse, we're putting Donald Trump above the law. We are rendering indefensible conduct normal, legal, and appropriate as though he were a king, she preached. Outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney is carving out a second career as commander-in-chief of the Trump derangement and hysteria division of the Washington establishment If only she would shut up already. Cheneys claims are so ludicrous and detached from fact, one must wonder if she really believes her own propaganda. First of all, with RealClearPolitics averaging President Joe Bidens approval at just 42% almost as low as the Democrat-run Congress the only ones with an incentive to steal anything will be Democrats. Second, if voters agreed with Cheneys contention that Trump is an evil influence, they wouldnt have fired Cheney and her small band of anti-Trump contemporaries in the GOP. Few deny that Trump is a divisive force in American politics, or that the scenes of the January 6 riots were tragic, or that Trump has been bonkers at times in his challenges to the integrity of the 2020 vote. But Republican voters simply dont buy the claim that Trump or those who support the movement that he built are trying to take down democracy. In fact, many voters think reformist Republicans are trying to make government more accountable to what the people actually want, hardly an anti-democratic sentiment. While Trumps supporters may see him as some kind of Orange Jesus, his detractors see him as Orange Satan. And its hard to use facts to argue against someones religion. If one looks at the timeline of Trumps rise and fall, its clear that what truly made Cheney and her allies so deranged and hysterical about the man was not the methods he used to try and hold onto the presidency, but his successes in office and the message he used to get there in the first place. Trump built a new winning coalition by opposing the globalist mono-party in Washington that Cheney embodies. Again, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, architect of the prolonged Iraq War, wont be on the ballot in November. Specifically, Trump replaced globalism with patriotic nationalism. Voters saw that so-called free trade agreements often meant exporting our manufacturing to countries like China that dont play by the rules. While Trumps supporters may see him as some kind of Orange Jesus, his detractors see him as Orange Satan. And its hard to use facts to argue against someones religion Voters saw that policies benefitting Wall Street and Big Tech were hurting the less fancy towns across America, which faced decay, crime, addiction, and rising suicides. Voters saw that our national security establishment was great at harassing Americans trying to take a domestic flight, but terrible at winning foreign wars or even defining victory. They saw that Washington spent hundreds of billions of dollars in places like Afghanistan and Iraq and still somehow managed to decrease American prestige and power. Trump recognized all of this and sided with Middle America against the permanent Washington professional and the coastal elite. He also refused to allow the progressive media to set the rules of debate or decide what topics were off limits. Republican politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and a crop of other officeholders and aspirants have adopted the best of the Trump. That is what truly drives Cheney nuts. Trump undermined the pillars of the corporate Republicanism she fundamentally believes, playing nice with the media, Wall Street and Big Tech in the hope of an occasional table scrap. He would not go along with the charade of pumping economic growth through phony free trade deals and neo-imperialism rather than domestic free market reforms. Trump defeated all of this. Even more galling to Cheney: he changed the right by showing this new path to success. The New Right he created will long outlast its architect. But Cheney and the other NeverTrumpers fight on -- today against Trump, tomorrow against whoever seems disinclined to return to the failures of the Bush-Romney era. There will always be a cottage industry for anti-Republican Republicans, which is Cheneys play since she is soon gone from Congress. She is honing her skills to be a MSNBC contributor or the like. Even though 70% of Wyoming Republican voters decided she should not represent them, it seems like the Washington swamp will always have a Cheney. The best people come and go from Washington, but the swampiest of the swamp critters never leave. Liz Cheney is the perfect example of that. The King and Queen Consort arrived in Scotland yesterday for a short break to mourn the loss of the late Queen. But sources close to the monarch said he was buoyed by the outpouring of public support in recent days. His staff are now busy behind the scenes putting project Grandfather of the Nation into full swing. The Daily Mail revealed last week that while he has no ambition to step into his late mothers shoes, given her unique qualities and the affection with which she was held in public life, he is hopeful that he can bring his age, wisdom and experience to the table to continue her legacy. The King and Queen Consort arrived in Scotland yesterday for a short break to mourn the loss of the late Queen Yesterday, the King, 73, and Camilla, 75, left Windsor Castle, where they stayed overnight on Monday following an emotional private interment, and swept into RAF Northolt in north-west London at just before 10.30am. His police outriders removed their helmets and bowed while he boarded with his wife, with the plane arriving at Aberdeen at noon. Although the ten days of national mourning have now ended, the Royal Family are continuing to observe their own extended period of mourning until next Monday evening. All their public engagements have been cancelled and the flags at royal residences will remain flying at half-mast until 8am on Tuesday. The King and Camilla will spend at least the next week and possibly even beyond at Birkhall, the Queen Mothers old home on Royal Deeside, whose estate lies next to Balmoral. It will be an emotional return to Scotland, where the King and his sister, Princess Anne, were with their mother when she died on September 8. However, it is also likely to bring him great succour. The King and Camilla will spend at least the next week and possibly even beyond at Birkhall, the Queen Mothers old home on Royal Deeside, whose estate lies next to Balmoral He is grieving for his mother as any loving son would, with all that entails on a human level, said a friend. Indeed, over the past ten days King Charles III has led his country in mourning, travelling some 1,900 miles and undertaking more than 30 engagements and public walkabouts the length and breadth of the country even working on the eve of her funeral. It was part of a long-standing plan known as Operation Spring Tide. He will, of course, continue to deal with the necessary affairs of state over the next few days, but away from the public eye. Behind the scenes, however, work is well under way for a still very much engaged, dynamic and enthusiastic Charles to pick up his relentless work schedule when his period of mourning is over. It is expected that he will continue to support the many charities he has raised millions for over the years, but in a different way. Sources close to the monarch said he was buoyed by the outpouring of public support in recent days He is incredibly mindful of the extra focus that comes from being the King and that things cant carry on exactly as they were before, a source said. His private office is already ripping up many of the plans it had in place, with a visit to flood-stricken Pakistan next month one of the first engagements to go. But staff are also understood to be working out how to dovetail other existing commitments with the burden of his new duties. It is something that no one felt in a position to do while the late Queen was still alive and Operation London Bridge, the Queens funeral plans, and Operation Spring Tide were still in full flow. A source said: The King is phenomenally thoughtful and passionate. The things he deeply cares about are still relevant, they havent become irrelevant because he is King. The difference is he will no longer be interventionist. His hope is that he will be able to support and encourage and convene instead. Staff will be carefully focusing on how to get the balance right. The court remains in mourning, and Clarence House, which has been Charles and Camillas home for many years, is where they feel most comfortable in London. But in the long term he has made it clear that Buckingham Palace will be their permanent residence Charles is understood to have been touched and encouraged by the public reaction in recent days, especially given some of the challenges he has faced over the years. Anyone who has worked with him knows that rest and relaxation are not on his priority list, a former senior royal aide said. It will require all the guile of his team and the Queen Consort to persuade him that he doesnt have to take on everything at once. While the King will base himself at Buckingham Palace, sources said no one should expect to see the removal vans outside Clarence House just yet. The court remains in mourning, and Clarence House, which has been Charles and Camillas home for many years, is where they feel most comfortable in London. But in the long term he has made it clear that Buckingham Palace will be their permanent residence. Liz Truss will today order a new defence review to counter the growing threat posed by Russia and China as she urges Western leaders to stand firm against the rise of authoritarianism. The Prime Minister will use a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York to warn that the West faces a 'decisive moment' in the defence of global freedom. She will confirm that officials have been asked to reopen the Integrated Review of Britain's security only 18 months after it was published in order to take account of the heightened threat from China and Russia. And she will confirm her leadership campaign pledge to increase annual defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 a move which analysts believe could cost more than 150billion by the end of the decade. As a member of Nato, the UK is committed to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence each year, and in the current year it is expected to spend 2.1 per cent. Yesterday, Miss Truss also called for Russia to pay 'recompense' to Ukraine for its illegal war including financial reparations. In tonight's speech, the PM will urge world leaders not to falter in their support for Ukrainian forces, which have seized back more than 2,000 square miles of occupied territory in recent weeks. Liz Truss will use a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York to warn that the West faces a 'decisive moment' in the defence of global freedom 'This is a decisive moment in British history, in the history of this organisation, and in the history of freedom,' she will say. The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people. 'Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back. But this must not be a one off... Britain's commitment to this is total. 'Together with our friends and allies around the world, we will continue to champion freedom... and democracy. And we will define this new era as one of hope and progress.' Talks with world leaders in New York are expected to focus not just on Ukraine, but also on stepping up energy security to prevent historic weaknesses from being exploited by Russian president Vladimir Putin and other tyrants. A Government source said the Prime Minister would press the G7 and other western alliances to form an 'economic Nato, collectively defending our prosperity and coming to the aid of any partner targeted by an aggressive regime'. Yesterday the Prime Minister met with French President Emmanuel Macron in a 'constructive' half-hour meeting The Prime Minister has indicated that Moscow may have to pay 'recompense' before being allowed back into the international fold Miss Truss will pledge economic reforms to bolster the UK's resilience and she will urge other leaders to follow suit. 'We are reforming our economy to get Britain moving forward once again,' she will say. 'The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition. We will no longer be strategically dependent on those who seek to weaponise the global economy.' The PM, who met Volodymyr Zelensky's wife, first lady Olena in New York last night, has already pledged to at least match the UK's 2.3billion economic aid to Ukraine next year, saying Britain would back its fight against Russia 'to the hilt'. Yesterday she indicated that Moscow may have to pay 'recompense' before being allowed back into the international fold. She told Channel Five News: 'It's not just important that Ukraine prevails. It's also important this never happens again. And there has been grave damage caused across Ukraine. I would expect that the Russian state, which has vast oil and gas reserves, should be contributing to rebuilding it.' A No 10 source said the PM also wanted to see Moscow hand over Russian individuals wanted for war crimes in Ukraine. Liz Truss met Volodymyr Zelensky's wife, first lady Olena, in New York last night Another Truss U-turn needed, this time in UK's interest 13:41, September 20, 2022 By Grenville Cross ( Chinadaily.com.cn After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept 8, there was a huge outpouring of grief. The remarkable woman reigned for 70 years, longer than any other British monarch, and over 80 percent of Britons are said to have been born on her watch. Many of those paying tribute to her life and achievements said they would not see the like of her again, and her former prime ministers all held her in the highest regard. Liz Truss, the new British prime minister, was fulsome in her praise of the monarch she served for only two days, calling her "the rock on which modern Britain was built" and "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known". Her words were well received by a nation in need of comfort. High praise from ardent monarchists There was also high praise from Truss's predecessors as prime ministers and leaders of the Conservative Party, ardent monarchists all. Whereas Boris Johnson (prime minister from 2019 to 2022) described the late queen as "Elizabeth the Great", Theresa May (2016-19) called her "the most remarkable person I have ever met". And while David Cameron (2010-16) paid tribute to her "remarkable reign", John Major (1990-97) said she was "pragmatic and wise, with an unmistakable commitment to duty". Quite clearly, everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet, although it has now emerged that one of them is only a recent convert. Whereas the majority have supported the constitutional order throughout their political lives, Truss, as a recently located video shows, is the exception. When she chaired the Oxford University Liberal Democrats, she publicly advocated the abolition of the monarchy, denouncing the hereditary principle upon which it is based. She has, however, abandoned republicanism, realizing it would have prevented her political advancement. In fact, she noted last week that "the Crown endures". Moreover, in 2014, she said she had also renounced her earlier support of nuclear disarmament, and her recent bellicosity on the world stage is ample testament to that. Indeed, for somebody who now seeks to portray herself as a reincarnation of Margaret Thatcher, it comes as a shock to discover that she once attended public protests to chant: "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, out, out, out." For Truss, U-turn is second nature Youthful indiscretions, of course, should never be held against a rising politician, and may even assist their development. With Truss, however, the U-turn has become second nature, and is now one of her most notable features. Indeed, on Sept 3, 2022, Time magazine reported that she was seen by many as "a political opportunist someone who can tack rapidly and completely to whatever position suits her at the time". In other words, this is no "Iron Lady", but just another careerist on the make. A classic example of this was her volte face over the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, of which she was once an ardent supporter. In 2016, when she was the environment and food minister in David Cameron's government, she described Brexit as a "triple tragedy", advocated by "those living in cloud cuckoo land", which delighted her boss. Once, however, Cameron lost the EU referendum and resigned, Truss immediately re-invented herself as a rabid Brexiteer, eager to confront Brussels. She even became a hero of the Conservative Party's Europhobic right wing, which subsequently threw its weight behind her bid to succeed Boris Johnson. 'Golden era' policy of forging better ties In Cameron's time, moreover, his "golden era" China policy involved forging better ties with Beijing, and nobody was more supportive of this than Truss. So much so that, on the eve of her four-day visit to China in 2015, she said that she was "delighted to visit China, a key global economic partner for the UK". She even enthused over how keen she was "to build real collaboration in areas that are complementary to our two economies areas in which we can exchange knowledge and expertise, such as agri-technology, skills and innovation". But once Cameron departed and Theresa May, who was closely aligned to him, was ousted, Truss's views, once again, underwent a sea change. She threw in her lot with the increasingly rabid anti-China wing of the Conservative Party, which had been energized by the likes of former party leader, Iain Duncan Smith. And once the UK left the EU in 2020, and Johnson allowed the US to determine British foreign policy, Truss realized that her future advancement was linked to denouncing China's resurgence, and she was quite correct. She knew it would be fatal to her leadership ambitions to adhere to Cameron's China-friendly policy, and realized that confrontation would greatly help her prospects. She not only joined hands with her party's McCarthyite wing, but even emerged as its standard bearer. During the leadership campaign, she unscrupulously played the China card at every opportunity, whipping up hostility toward Beijing. China hawks in Truss ministry Besides, she announced her intention to designate China as an "acute threat" to the UK, alongside Russia, and this was rapturously received by enough of her party's hawks to propel her into No 10 Downing Street. Once there, Truss immediately sought to reward party ideologues for their backing. Although five members of parliament had been sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 for what were called their "lies and disinformation" about China, she sought to recruit them into her government. Although Iain Duncan Smith declined her offer, reportedly because it was not sufficiently grand, three others eagerly accepted. Whereas Tom Tugendhat, a leading "Sinophobe" and founder of the China Research Group, an anti-China propaganda outfit, was appointed the minister of state security, and Nus Ghani, whose forte is peddling myths about China's Uygur population, was appointed the minister of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, Neil O'Brien, a Tugendhat crony from the CRG, became a junior health minister. Quite clearly, therefore, this sinister triumvirate will be working like a cancer within the government, doing as much harm as possible. They may try to poison Sino-British relations, to undermine trade with China, and to prevent future investment. Quite clearly, in its current predicament, and with a recession only weeks away, Britain needs people like this like a hole in the head, and Truss will hopefully perform another of her U-turns before lasting damage is done, which should not be difficult. Incumbent PM is no Thatcher True, Truss loves to ape Thatcher, but one obvious difference was always the latter's utter consistency: adherence to her core beliefs through thick and thin. Addressing the Conservative Party conference on Oct 10, 1980, Thatcher famously declared "you turn if you want to, the lady's not for turning", something that could never be said of Truss. Her U-turns are the stuff of legend, and she must come up with another one now. It is, of course, one thing for Truss to titillate her base by playing ideological games, but quite another for her to play fast and loose with the future of the British people. They have not elected her, as she is only the choice of paid-up party members, and even the majority of her own members of parliament backed her rival, Rishi Sunak, but it may still be possible for her to turn things round. If, for example, she can re-discover her belief in what she once called "real collaboration" with China, it may yet be possible for the economy to grow, for the recession to be short-lived, and for new horizons to emerge. Although this will require Truss to do another of her U-turns, this has never been a problem, and to do so now would be in the national interest. The author is a senior counsel and law professor, and was previously the director of Public Prosecutions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily. If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at [email protected], and [email protected] (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) Passed at the meeting, presided by TNCC president K S Alagiri, with all the newly elected State general council members, the resolution appreciated Rahul Gandhi for commencing his Bharat Joda Yatra from Kanyakumari on September 7 and also thanked him for the initiative to counter the hate politics ushered in by the anti-people BJP government in the last eight years.(PTI file photo) Chennai: The election of Rahul Gandhi as the head of the Congress party was highly essential for the nations glorious future as he alone could save the Indian people from the communal morass they have been caught in, The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) unanimously resolved on Monday. Passed at the meeting, presided by TNCC president K S Alagiri, with all the newly elected State general council members, the resolution appreciated Rahul Gandhi for commencing his Bharat Joda Yatra from Kanyakumari on September 7 and also thanked him for the initiative to counter the hate politics ushered in by the anti-people BJP government in the last eight years. Since Rahul Gandhi had put himself in hardship through the 150-day walk, covering 3500 km, undertaken only with the welfare of the people of the country in mind, the TNCC, on behalf of the lakhs of Congess supporters in the State, expressed its gratitude. It is evident that ndependent India was caught in an extraordinary situation with the prevailing communal politics disrupting social harmony and impeding progress and hence for the democratic, secular forces to win the national elections in 2024, Rahul Gandhi should take up the leadership of Congress, the resolution said. The students were on their way to the airport to fly out to the US for a school trip The bus, with Loreto College Ballarat students on board, rolled 50m down a hill A school trip of a lifetime ended in disaster with one teenage girl in a serious but stable condition and 32 others rushed to hospital after a truck collided a school bus in the confusion of a previous crash. The bus, carrying 27 female students from Loreto College Ballarat's Years 9 to 11, four adults and a driver, was hit by the truck and rolled 50m down a hill in Bacchus Marsh, in Melbourne's north-west, at 3.15am on Wednesday. Victoria Police Detective Inspector Roger Schranz said emergency services were in the process of clearing a separate truck crash from the highway when the truck and bus collided. A devastating collision between a school bus with 27 students on board and a truck has seen two seriously injured and rushed to hospital (pictured, the scene of the crash Wednesday morning) The truck and school bus collided at about 3.15am, causing the bus to roll 50m down a hill and serious injuries to the truck driver and one teenage student (pictured, the front of the truck following the crash) The school bus had slowed down in accordance with speed reduction signs from the first crash when the truck, full of sand, came down the hill and collided with traffic. (VicRoads) had speed reduction signs out, they had people working on the side of the road in relation to the road barriers that were destroyed from the previous collision,' Inspector Schranz said. The bus has slowed down as per the signs and then the truck has come around the corner and headed down towards the hill. 'Its seen the speed reduction and the banked up traffic and collided with the bus, forcing it off the left hand side of the freeway down the cliff. The students were on their way to the US to visit the the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida (pictured, the students' suitcases beside the crashed bus) Victoria Police Detective Inspector Roger Schranz said the truck driver, who was seriously injured and did not help the children following the crash, collided with the bus because traffic had built up from a pervious crash (pictured, Inspector Schranz next to the truck at the scene) Inspector Schranz said the truck driver had so far refused to tell to investigators about how the crash happened. It was also revealed that while witnesses rushed to help the children, the truck driver did not. Inspector Schranz said a combination of speed, drugs, alcohol and fatigue will all be avenues of investigation for detectives. Thats what we look at with all collisions and heavy vehicles as well. Fatigue, alcohol drugs the condition of the vehicle, he said. Inspector Schranz described the lack of fatalities as miraculous and believes the use of seatbelts by students in the bus likely saved their lives. The truck and car collided (location pinpointed) in Bacchus Marsh, in Melbourne's north-west, at 3.15am on Wednesday Victoria Police Detective Inspector Roger Schranz said the truck collided with the school bus after coming down the hill and seeing traffic banked up from a previous crash (pictured, the scene of the crash on Wednesday morning) There are seatbelts fitted. We dont know who had a seatbelt on and who didnt, but I would assume given that so many of them did survive, they would have had their seatbelts on I believe no one was thrown out of the bus, he said. Inspector Schranz described the crash scene as chaotic as children worked to free themselves from the mangled bus. While the most seriously injured were taken by ambulance or flown from the scene, a bus loaded with paramedics was used to take those with minor injuries to various local hospitals. It was horrific for (the children), but just as horrific for their parents, the inspector said. All Melbourne-bound lanes on the Western Highway are expected to remain closed for several hours as police investigate the crash (pictured, emergency services at the scene) The 27 students were from Loreto College in Ballarat (above) and were headed for a school trip in the US I would have assumed someone would have passed away out of this entire tragedy so theyre all very fortunate people. The students from the exclusive school were on their way to Melbourne airport to fly to the US and visit the NASA space camp at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. One teenager and the male truck driver were rushed hospitals in Melbourne with serious injuries. Ambulance Victoria confirmed they assessed more than 30 people in 'various conditions' at the scene of the crash. The truck was fully loaded with sand when it collided with the school bus at 3.15am on Wednesday (pictured, police investigating the scene) The school bus rolled 50m after the truck collided with it in the confusion of a previous truck crash (pictured, emergency services at the scene) Two teens were taken to the Royal Children's Hospital with one taken by air and the other driven in a serious but stable condition with lower body injuries. A man in his 50s was treated for minor injuries at the Alfred Hospital. One person was flown into Royal Melbourne Hospital while three others were driven. They were a woman in her 40s with upper body injuries, a man in his 40s with lower body injuries and a teenage girl with upper body injuries. All were in a serious but stable condition. A bus carrying 27 female students from Loreto College Ballarat, four adults and a driver collided with a truck and rolled 50m down a hill on Wednesday (pictured, the bus) A woman in her 40s with upper body injuries and two teenage girls with minor injuries were taken to Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition. One teenager was taken to Western Hospital Footscray with minor injuries. Two teenage girls were taken to Ballarat Base Hospital, one with back injuries and another with upper body injuries. Both were in a stable condition. Another 11 people were taken from the crash to Ballarat Base Hospital in stable conditions. Ballarat Base Hospital has announced a Code Brown in response to the crash. The students from the exclusive girls school were on their way to a $7,700 trip of the US (pictured, the students' itinerary) Photos showed the students' suitcases strewn across a hill as emergency services worked to clear the highway. The grandmother of one child who was on the bus gave a harrowing account of the aftermath. (My daughter) drove down to Bacchus Marsh. She was stuck in traffic. Her husband got out of the car and ran down to the bus to let her know that her daughter was fine, which was good news. Most of them are quite well I believe, she told 3AW. A spokeswoman for Loreto College told Daily Mail Australia the principal was in the process of holding meetings with worried parents. Police are still investigating the collision between a school bus and truck (above) on Wednesday and asked for anyone with relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers There are meetings going on at the minute with just the fall out from everything, she said. Everyone is fine. We had injuries but there are no fatalities.' The school released a statement at midday to thank emergency responders and reassure parents. 'The college is very appreciative of the quick and professional response of the emergency services personnel at the scene and very grateful to Grampians Health for their ongoing support,' the statement said. The male truck driver, along with one teenage girl, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries (pictured, the truck that collided with a Ballarat school bus on Wednesday) 'Our caring Loreto community has deep concern for the injured and their families and we ask for their privacy to be respected. We thank you for your understanding.' The exciting US trip the students were heading to included six nights at the NASA space camp, two nights in Washington, a tour of the US Capitol building, lunch with an astronaut and an airboat tour through the Florida Everglades. The excursion, which cost $7,700 per student, was previously cancelled because of Covid restrictions. Police have urged parents to stay away from the scene and instead call Ballarat Police Station on 03 5336 6000 for more information. While police did attended the first truck crash, they were not at the scene when the bus was hit. The highway is expected to remain closed until at least midnight. Anyone with relevant information or dashcam footage of the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Almost four million Australians tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth's funeral service, but fewer than half the population believe the country should become a republic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on his way back to Australia, having joined more than 2,000 people in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral and related events. Sharing his reflections of the day on Twitter, Mr Albanese said he was 'deeply moved by the quiet solidarity' of people who had queued through the night to pay their respects to the Queen. 'All walks of life, united in their grief and gratitude,' he wrote. 'The funeral service was in that same noble spirit. Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon at the Queen's funeral (pictured) 'Representatives from around the world joined the Royal Family and the British people in giving thanks for the Queen's life and her example, saluting her devotion to duty, faith and family. 'It was a privilege to be part of the Australian delegation and a witness to history.' While Mr Albanese has been reluctant to talk about an Australian republic out of respect for the Queen, a Guardian Essential poll published on Tuesday found 43 per cent support for the constitutional change. There was also a 50-50 split over whether King Charles III should be Australia's head of state. Backing for a republic is higher for men (52 per cent) than women (35 per cent). Australians will get their own chance to pay tribute to the Queen with a public holiday on Thursday for the national day of remembrance, followed by a parliamentary condolence motion on Friday. Support for an Australian republic is on a downward trend (file image) Poll Who should be Australia's new head of state after the Queen's passing? King Charles III - we should remain a monarchy A President - we should become a republic Who should be Australia's new head of state after the Queen's passing? King Charles III - we should remain a monarchy 681 votes A President - we should become a republic 86 votes Now share your opinion A national memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra involving federal, state and territory leaders and justices of the High Court will be the key event on the public holiday. On Monday night Australian time, the Queen's body was taken from London's Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service attended by what has been described as one of the largest gatherings of world leaders. Queen Elizabeth II was one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history, an achievement recognised by the 500 monarchs, heads of state and other leaders who attended the service. A committal service was held at St George's Chapel at Windsor after the funeral, before the Queen was buried in a private ceremony alongside her husband Philip, who died last year aged 99. She was laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where her father, mother and sister are also buried. In Sydney, mourners filled the pews at St Andrew's Cathedral to watch a live screening of the funeral following a solemn choral service and 45 minutes of bells ringing. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, arrive at the Sydney Opera House on March 13, 2006 Assistant minister to the prime minister Patrick Gorman said Australia's connection with Britain ran deep and the unity expressed following the Queen's death served as a reminder of those ties. 'What we will see on Thursday when we have the memorial service is more examination and reflection on those deep ties that Queen Elizabeth II had with Australia,' he told the ABC on Tuesday. 'I was definitely surprised at how emotional I felt watching the service.' Mr Gorman said republicans and monarchists had been able to unite in their admiration for the Queen's lifetime of service, while acknowledging some in the community, such as Indigenous Australians, might view the monarchy in a darker light. 'It's really important those perspectives are shared,' he said. 'The history of Australia, as we know, didn't start in 1788 and indeed not all of our history is history of which we can stand proud today.' Iranian women cut off their hair and burned their hijabs as deadly protests erupted across the country after a young woman was dragged into a police van and allegedly tortured to death by Irans notorious morality police. Protestors took to the streets after Mahsa Amini died at the age of 22 on Friday, three days after she was arrested by the 'Basij', police responsible for enforcing Iran's strict Islamic strict dress code. Activists said she suffered a blow to the head in custody, something which Iran denies. The protests are the most serious Iran has seen for years, and the first challenge to the regime mostly led by Iranian women. Video emerged of protestors overwhelming police, with one protestor knocking over one morality officer after jump-kicking him to the ground. Another clip showed protestors tearing down the images of supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his predecessor, leaders who took control of the country after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. At least three people have died in the demonstrations, but the violence did not deter protestors who shouted out slogans against the country's clerical leadership. Police were overwhelmed as anti-government demonstrations spread to the Iranian cities of Tehran, Mashaad, Hamedan, Tabriz, Arak, Rasht, Qazvin, Zanjan, and Ilam. Iranian women burning their headscarfs in the streets during mass protests, marking the first challenge to the regime led by Iranian women Women cut off their hair and burned their hijabs as deadly protests erupt across the country after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was dragged into a police van and allegedly tortured by Irans notorious morality police More women in #Iran set fire to their headscarves tonight during the fifth night of protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, following her arrest by morality police over the mandatory hijab law. pic.twitter.com/UNXmjxWx2s David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) September 20, 2022 Rights groups said security forces used batons, teargas, water cannons, rubber bullets and live ammunition in certain regions A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran shows a bin burning in the middle of an intersection during a protest for Mahsa Amini A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of Amini, a young Iranian woman who died after being arrested in Tehran by the Islamic Republic's morality police : Activists place flowers on pictures of political prisoners from Iran in an installation calling on Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi to be prosecuted, near the United Nations In the past year, the criminal Raisi has put his hands in the pockets of the Iranian people,' said Baijn, a farmer from Khorramabad, speaking with MailOnline. What he takes out of the Iranian peoples pockets, he gives out to brutal oppressive forces.' Baijn used to grow peaches and apples on his land which he sold in the local market. But when the Iranian's regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons came to light and Iran was hit with sanctions, Baijn had to go into debt to fund his business, which ultimately collapsed. #Iran - #Kurdistan: Protester hitting a security force member with a flying kick during protests against the killing of Jina Amini by morality police. (via @kadriyeetopac) pic.twitter.com/yhgAcAdYji POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) September 20, 2022 Baijn began helping organise protests on behalf of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), a resistance movement within the country. These kind of protests dont happen spontaneously - the resistance coordinates them together,' he said. He said he used to be among the middle class of Iran, but now he can barely afford basic necessities. Its not just me thousands and thousands of farmers and workers they are also feeling the same pain,' he said. 'You are witnessing it today in the protests today. After his son was arrested and sentenced to a length prison sentence, Baijn said he decided to dedicate himself to the cause of overthrow the regime. 'The only effective way to stop the cycle of suppression and crime under the clerical regime, is rising and standing up to the mercenaries of the State Security Force and their suppressive patrols who kill the people and women of Iran,' said Maryam Rajavi, leader of the MEK. Other protestors were heard chanting 'death to Khamenei', as people clashed with repressive police forces across the country. It is the first time we have seen Iranian protesters fighting back in this way. It's another "first of its kind" in the recent protests in Iran. And it's not just this video, there are dozens of them something has fundamentally changed in the protests in Iran. pic.twitter.com/OYmpqPK7ig ERSHAD ALIJANI (@ErshadAlijani) September 20, 2022 In Arak, students could be heard chanting 'I will kill, I will kill whoever killed my sister', referring to Amini. The Islamic headscarf has been obligatory in public for all women in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who was supported by the West. The rules are enforced by a special unit of police known as the Gasht-e Ershad (guidance patrol), who have the power to arrest women deemed to have violated the dress code, although normally they are released with a warning. The protests first erupted in Iran's northern Kurdistan province, where Amini was from, but have now spread across the country to Tehran and also major cities like Rasht in the north and Bandar Abbas in the south as well as the holy city of Mashhad in the east. Activists said Amini, pictured, suffered a blow to the head in custody by police responsible for enforcing Iran's strict Islamic strict dress code Mahsa Amini, 22, passed away in Iran's Kasra Hospital after being arrested Kurdistan province governor Ismail Zarei Koosha confirmed the deaths of three people, insisting they were 'killed suspiciously' as part of 'a plot by the enemy', according to the Fars news agency. Activists say however that dozens of people have also been wounded and accuse the security forces of using live fire which has caused the casualties. New York-based Human Rights Watch said witness accounts and videos circulating on social media 'indicate that authorities are using teargas to disperse protesters and have apparently used lethal force in Kurdistan province.' In Geneva, the UN said acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif expressed alarm at Amini's death and the 'the violent response by security forces to ensuing protests.' She said there must be an independent investigation into 'Mahsa Amini's tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment.' The Kurdish human rights group Hengaw, which is based in Norway, said it had confirmed a total of three deaths in Kurdistan province one apiece in the towns of Divandareh, Saqqez and Dehglan. A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini The Islamic headscarf has been obligatory in public for all women in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the shah It added that 221 people had been wounded and another 250 arrested in the Kurdistan region, where there had also been a general strike on Monday. A 10-year-old girl images of whose blood-spattered body have gone viral on social media was wounded in the town of Bukan but alive, it added. Images posted on social media have shown fierce clashes especially in the town of Divandareh between protesters and the security forces, with sounds of live fire. Protests continued on Tuesday in Kurdistan and around Tehran's main universities and also, unusually, at the Tehran bazaar, images showed. Slogans shouted included 'Death to the dictator' and 'Woman, life, freedom' while protesters were shown starting fires and seeking to overturn police vehicles in several cities. 'It is not surprising to us that we are seeing people of all walks of life come out in Iran to object vigorously to that, an say that is not the kind of society that they want to live in,' said US national security advisor Jake Sullivan. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said countries with diplomatic relations with Iran must 'stop further state killings by supporting the people's demands to realise their basic rights.' French President Emmanuel Macron was holding a rare meeting with Raisi Tuesday in a final attempt to agree a deal reviving the 2015 nuclear accord The only effective way to stop the cycle of suppression and crime under the clerical regime, is rising and standing up to the mercenaries of the State Security Force and their suppressive patrols who kill the people and women of #Iran.#IranProtests Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) September 19, 2022 IHR said security forces used batons, teargas, water cannon, rubber bullets and live ammunition in certain regions 'to directly target protesters and crush the protests.' The Netblocks internet access monitor noted an over three hour regional internet blackout in Kurdistan province and also partial disruptions in Tehran and other cities during protests on Monday. The situation will add to pressure on Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi who is in New York for the UN General Assembly this week where he was already set to face intense scrutiny over Iran's human rights record. French President Emmanuel Macron was holding a rare meeting with Raisi Tuesday in a final attempt to agree a deal reviving the 2015 nuclear accord. Military leaders, politicians and celebrities have backed calls for the Queen's faultless pallbearers to receive medals. The Grenadier Guards who carried the Queen's coffin into Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel showed incredible composure throughout the ceremonies. Watched by the wellwishers who lined the streets of London and Windsor and billions worldwide they produced a perfect performance. The eight men, handpicked from the regiment's Queen's Company, included a teenager and a former reservist. They were led by a ninth soldier, Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones, a married father-of-one, with another guard at the rear of the coffin. Last night, former head of the Army Lord Dannatt, MPs Dan Jarvis and Tobias Ellwood and SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton agreed that the soldiers should be made Members of the British Empire (MBEs). There is a historical precedent for such an award as the Grenadiers who were responsible for bearing Sir Winston Churchill's coffin in 1965 received the British Empire Medal (BEM). The Grenadier Guards who carried the Queen's coffin into Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel showed incredible composure throughout the ceremonies At the time, the BEM was awarded to soldiers holding the rank of warrant officer and below for meritorious service. Officers ranked lieutenant and higher received the MBE. This distinction ended after a review in 1993. Lord Dannatt said the MBE would be a fitting reward for the pallbearers who 'embodied the professionalism of the Armed Forces'. Soldier Luke Simpson, from Selston, Nottinghamshire, (pictured before a cadet camp in 2016) was praised by his former teachers at Ashfield School for his role in the funeral Mr Ellwood, head of the Commons defence committee, said: 'Their performance did the Queen and the nation proud.' Mr Middleton, a former Special Forces operative, said they 'deserved nothing less than an MBE'. CSM Jones, the eldest of the party, led his young charges throughout the ceremonies. Meanwhile, the guardsmen, corporals and lance sergeants under his command carried the coffin, weighing more than 500lbs due to lead lining, up and down steps without putting a foot wrong. Many of them had been on operational service in Iraq and were flown back to the UK for the funeral. The youngest of the pallbearers was believed to be 19-year-old guardsman Fletcher Cox from Jersey. The former Army cadet fulfilled his childhood ambition by joining the Grenadier Guards. But he could scarcely have imagined he would be trusted to carry the Queen's coffin. And soldier Luke Simpson, from Selston, Nottinghamshire, was praised by his former teachers at Ashfield School for his role in the funeral. Head teacher John Maher said he took his place 'centre stage on such a historic occasion' and executed his duties 'so professionally'. The Ministry of Defence last night refused to be drawn on whether the pallbearers would be decorated for their exemplary performance at the funeral. Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones (pictured left) was at the front of the coffin, leading the eight pallbearers in exemplary fashion yesterday A man has died after he was hit by a car while change a tyre on the side of one of Melbourne's busiest highways. He had pulled over into the emergency lane of the Western Ring Road near Deer Park, and was working on his tyre when he was hit at around 1am on Wednesday morning. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. A man has died after being hit while changing a tyre at the side of a major Melbourne highway (pictured) The driver of the car that hit him, a 35-year-old man, was not injured in the incident and stopped to help. The man, from Kings Park, was arrested and is now assisting police with their inquiries. The Greensborough-bound lanes of the Western Ring Road will be closed for several hours, causing major traffic delays. Motorists have been urged to use the bypass, Robinsons Road and Ballarat Road to return to the Ring Road and to be prepared for extra long travel times. Advertisement An Ornate Byzantine floor mosaic thought to date from the 5th to the 7th century AD has been discovered by chance by a Palestinian farmer in Gaza. The pavement includes includes several panels depicting colourful birds, animals and other features of social life. Salman al-Nabahin uncovered it six months ago while working in his olive orchard in Bureij refugee camp, about half a mile from the border with Israel. He was working with his son when they found that some trees had not properly taken root. The two began digging, before his son's axe hit something hard and unfamiliar in appearance, which the farmer would later describe as a 'treasure' that 'belongs to every Palestinian'. Uncovered: An Ornate Byzantine floor mosaic thought to date from the 5th to the 7th century AD has been discovered by chance by a Palestinian farmer in Gaza The pavement includes includes several panels depicting colourful birds, animals and other features of social life Salman al-Nabahin uncovered it six months ago while working in his olive orchard in Bureij refugee camp, about half a mile from the border with Israel 'I searched on the internet We learned it was mosaic belonging to the Byzantine era,' said al-Nabahin. 'I see it as a treasure, dearer than a treasure. It isn't personal, it belongs to every Palestinian.' According to experts, the brightly coloured mosaic floors date from between the 5th and 7th centuries AD and include 17 pictures of animals and birds. The area of land that the mosaic sits under is about 5,400 sq ft. 'The archaeological discovery is still in its early stages and we await to know more of the secrets and civilisation values,' the Palestinian ministry of tourism and antiquities said. The ministry added that it was working with international experts and scientists from the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. The two began digging, before his son's axe hit something hard and unfamiliar in appearance, which the farmer would later describe as a 'treasure' that 'belongs to every Palestinian' 'I searched on the internet We learned it was mosaic belonging to the Byzantine era,' said al-Nabahin According to experts, the brightly coloured mosaic floors date from between the 5th and 7th centuries AD and include 17 pictures of animals and birds 'The archaeological discovery is still in its early stages and we await to know more of the secrets and civilisation values,' the Palestinian ministry of tourism and antiquities said The ministry added that it was working with international experts and scientists from the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research in Jerusalem 'These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the graphic representation and the complexity of the geometry,' said Rene Elter, of the archaeological school. 'Never have mosaic floors of this finesse, this precision in the graphics and richness of the colours been discovered in the Gaza strip.' Gaza is rich with antiquities, having been an important trading spot for civilisations dating as far back as the ancient Egyptians and the Philistines depicted in the Bible, through to the Roman empire and the crusades. Several discoveries have been made in recent years. However, due to a lack of funds and relevant professionals, Gaza has usually invited international groups to help with the process of excavation and preservation. 'These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the graphic representation and the complexity of the geometry,' said Rene Elter, of the archaeological school Gaza is rich with antiquities, having been an important trading spot for civilisations dating as far back as the ancient Egyptians and the Philistines depicted in the Bible, through to the Roman empire and the crusades However, due to a lack of funds and relevant professionals, Gaza has usually invited international groups to help with the process of excavation and preservation Farmer Salman al-Nabahin was working with his son when they found that some trees had not properly taken root 'Never have mosaic floors of this finesse, this precision in the graphics and richness of the colours been discovered in the Gaza strip,' said Rene Elter NASA's InSight lander has 'heard' and detected the vibrations of four space rocks as they slammed into Mars over the past two years. Not only are these the first impacts detected by the spacecraft's seismometer since InSight touched down on the Red Planet in 2018, it also marks the first time seismic and acoustic waves from an impact have been detected on Mars. The US space agency has released a recording of one of the Martian meteoroid impacts, with a distinctive 'bloop' sound ringing out three times as the space rock enters the atmosphere, explodes into pieces and hits the surface. The impacts ranged from 53 to 180 miles (85 to 290 kilometres) away from the stationary lander's position in a region of Mars called Elysium Planitia, a smooth plain that is just north of the planet's equator. The first of the four meteoroids the term used for space rocks before they hit the ground made the most dramatic entrance. NASA's InSight lander has 'heard' and detected the vibrations of four space rocks as they slammed into Mars over the past two years (pictured) Not only are these the first impacts detected by the spacecraft's seismometer since InSight touched down on the Red Planet in 2018, it also marks the first time seismic and acoustic waves from an impact have been detected on Mars EXPLAINED: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ASTEROID, METEORITE AND OTHER SPACE ROCKS An asteroid is a large chunk of rock left over from collisions or the early solar system. Most are located between Mars and Jupiter in the Main Belt. A comet is a rock covered in ice, methane and other compounds. Their orbits take them much further out of the solar system. A meteor is what astronomers call a flash of light in the atmosphere when debris burns up. This debris itself is known as a meteoroid. Most are so small they are vapourised in the atmosphere. If any of this meteoroid makes it to Earth, it is called a meteorite. Meteors, meteoroids and meteorites normally originate from asteroids and comets. For example, if Earth passes through the tail of a comet, much of the debris burns up in the atmosphere, forming a meteor shower. Advertisement It entered the Red Planet's atmosphere on September 5, 2021 and exploded into at least three shards that each left a crater behind. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter then flew over the estimated impact site to confirm the location. It used its black-and-white Context Camera to reveal three darkened spots on the surface. After locating these spots, the orbiter's team used the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera, or HiRISE, to get a colour close-up of the craters. 'After three years of InSight waiting to detect an impact, those craters looked beautiful,' said Ingrid Daubar of Brown University, a co-author of a new research paper about the discovery and a specialist in Mars impacts. After combing through earlier data, scientists confirmed three other impacts had occurred on May 27, 2020, February 18, 2021, and August 31, 2021. Researchers have puzzled over why they haven't detected more meteoroid impacts on Mars. The Red Planet is next to the solar system's main asteroid belt, which provides an ample supply of space rocks to scar the planets surface. As Mars' atmosphere is just 1 per cent as thick as Earth's, more meteoroids pass through it without disintegrating. InSight's seismometer has already detected over 1,300 marsquakes. Provided by France's space agency, the Centre National dEtudes Spatiales, the instrument is so sensitive that it can detect seismic waves from thousands of miles away. But the September 5, 2021, event marks the first time an impact was confirmed as the cause of such waves. InSight's team suspects that other impacts may have been obscured by noise from wind or by seasonal changes in the atmosphere. But now that the distinctive seismic signature of an impact on Mars has been discovered, scientists expect to find more hiding within InSight's nearly four years of data. The US space agency has released a recording of one of the Martian meteoroid impacts, with a distinctive 'bloop' sound ringing out three times as the space rock enters the atmosphere, explodes into pieces and hits the surface The impacts ranged from 53 to 180 miles (85 to 290 kilometres) away from the stationary lander's position in a region of Mars called Elysium Planitia, a smooth plain that is just north of the planet's equator Seismic data offers various clues that will help researchers better understand the Red Planet. Most marsquakes are caused by subsurface rocks cracking from heat and pressure. Studying how the resulting seismic waves change as they move through different material provides scientists a way to study Mars' crust, mantle, and core. The four meteoroid impacts confirmed so far produced small quakes with a magnitude of no more than 2.0. Those smaller quakes provide scientists with only a glimpse into the Martian crust, while seismic signals from larger quakes, like the magnitude 5 event that occurred in May 2022, can also reveal details about the planets mantle and core. But the impacts will be critical to refining Mars' timeline. Seismic data offers various clues that will help researchers better understand the Red Planet 'Impacts are the clocks of the solar system,' said the papers lead author, Raphael Garcia of Institut Superieur de lAeronautique et de lEspace in Toulouse, France. 'We need to know the impact rate today to estimate the age of different surfaces.' Scientists can approximate the age of a planet's surface by counting its impact craters the more they see, the older the surface. InSights data, in combination with orbital images, can be used to rebuild a meteoroids trajectory and the size of its shock wave. Every meteoroid creates a shock wave as it hits the atmosphere and an explosion as it hits the ground. These events send sound waves through the atmosphere. The bigger the explosion, the more this sound wave tilts the ground when it reaches InSight. The lander's seismometer is sensitive enough to measure how much the ground tilts from such an event and in what direction. 'We're learning more about the impact process itself,' Garcia said. 'We can match different sizes of craters to specific seismic and acoustic waves now.' The new paper has been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. It's only been on sale for a matter of days, but the new iPhone 14 has already been involved in a nail-biting drop test. Smartphone accessory company, Mous, put one of its protective cases on Apple's brand new smartphone during a bungee jump stunt at Bray Lake. Mous CEO and co-founder, James Griffith, took part in the terrifying jump, during which he launched Apple's flagship smartphone from 60 feet off the ground. Amazingly, both the smartphone and the smartphone case survived the drop test unscathed. 'I'm not sure what's scarier - jumping from that high or throwing a brand new iPhone 14!' he joked. Smartphone accessory company, Mous, put one of its protective cases on Apple's brand new smartphone during a bungee jump stunt at Bray Lake HOW MUCH DOES THE IPHONE 14 SERIES COST? iPhone 14 - 849 iPhone 14 Plus - 949 iPhone 14 Pro - 1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max - 1,199 Advertisement The iPhone 14 was one of four new models that went on sale on Friday, alongside the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 14 Plus. Having got his hands on the 849 device, Mr Griffith placed the phone in a Mous Limitless 5.0 case and headed to Bray Lake. There, he climbed aboard a crane at the edge of the waters and plummeted off the bungee jump, phone in hand. Once he was 60 feet from the ground, he launched the phone onto a gravelled road below him, making sure not to hit the deep lake instead. Despite making quite the thud as it hit the ground, the phone and phone case were recovered by the ground team unscathed. 'We make some very big claims about how protective our products are, so we've got to back them up in a big way,' Mr Griffith said. 'I reckon we've proved it with this 60ft drop-test. If a phone can survive that, you can trust your Mous case to handle your day-to-day drops.' Despite making quite the thud as it hit the ground, the phone and phone case were recovered by the ground team unscathed Mous CEO and co-founder, James Griffith, took part in the terrifying jump, during which he launched Apple's flagship smartphone from 60 feet off the ground This isn't the first time Mous has carried out a risky stunt to test its smartphone cases. Previously, the firm has thrown brand new smartphones from ziplines and helicopters to prove how hardy its cases are. The iPhone 14's official launch on Friday caused large queues to form before major shops opened in Singapore, Thailand and Japan. However no such lines were found in the UK, as Apple only allowed buyers who had pre-ordered their device to pick it up in stores on Friday after they opened at 8am. The temporary restricted retail experience was due to the country being in a national mourning period following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The flagship device's official launch caused large queues to form before major shops opened in Singapore, Thailand and Japan The rules remained in place on Saturday and Sunday, while all shops were also closed on Monday, the day of the Queen's state funeral. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the four variations of the iPhone 14 at the company's 'Far Out' launch event on September 7. The smartphones boast an array of flashy features, including improved camera technology, 'Always On' display and satellite connectivity. The standard model retails for 849 and comes with a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus costs 949 and has a 6.7-inch screen. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen and costs 1,099, while Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen and costs a mammoth 1,199. They are more expensive, largely, because they have more advanced cameras and a sophisticated pill-shaped notch at the top of the screen, called 'Dynamic Island'. Stargazers are in for quite a treat when Jupiter reaches its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday evening. The giant planet, which will be 367 million miles from us at the closest point, is reaching its opposition next week. That simply means the planet will be rising in the east as the sun sets in the west - putting Jupiter and the sun on opposite sides of Earth. The massive planet is about 600 million miles away from Earth at its farthest point. Although Jupiter's opposition takes place every 13 months, this one is unique. Stargazers are in for quite a show when Jupiter reaches its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday evening. Above: This photo of Jupiter, taken from the Hubble Space Telescope on June 27, 2019, features the Great Red Spot, a storm the size of Earth that has been raging for hundreds of years That's because Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles meaning they pass each other at different distances throughout the year. Jupiters closest approach to Earth hardly ever coincides with opposition, which means this years views will be 'extraordinary,' according to NASA. Although Jupiter is one of the few planets that can be seen with naked eyes, NASA still recommends using some type of instrument. 'With good binoculars, the banding (at least the central band) and three or four of the Galilean satellites (moons) should be visible,' Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said in a statement. The giant planet, which will be 367 million miles from us at the closest point, is reaching its opposition next week. NASA recommends a pair of binoculars or a 4-inch telescope for the best views 'The views should be great for a few days before and after Sept. 26,' Kobelski explained. 'So, take advantage of good weather on either side of this date to take in the sight. Outside of the Moon, it should be one of the (if not the) brightest objects in the night sky.' Above: As the Moon rose over the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City on Feb. 27, 2019, the planet Jupiter could be seen, along with three of its largest moons 'Its important to remember that Galileo observed these moons with 17th century optics. One of the key needs will be a stable mount for whatever system you use.' A 4-inch or larger telescope would allow observers to see Jupiter's Great Red Spot and bands in more detail. Kobelski said an ideal viewing spot would be at a high elevation in a dark and dry area. 'The views should be great for a few days before and after Sept. 26,' Kobelski explained. 'So, take advantage of good weather on either side of this date to take in the sight. Outside of the Moon, it should be one of the (if not the) brightest objects in the night sky.' The U.S. space agency notes that Jupiter has no fewer than 53 named moons, out of 79 that are believed to have been detected in total, including the four largest ones: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. NASA's Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter for six years - providing scientists with images and data of the gigantic planet's atmosphere, structures and magnetic field since then. Juno's mission was recently extended to 2025 or the end of the spacecraft's life. The Europa Clipper, a spacecraft that will explore Jupiter's moon that's known for its icy shell and vast ocean, is set to launch in October 2024 and would arrive at Jupiter in April 2030. Lucie Donlan has revealed she and fiance Luke Mabbott may elope after the Love Island couple got engaged last year. The former Islander, 24, told MailOnline that the pair have considered 'jetting off somewhere' and getting married 'just the two of us' as she admits to favouring a private wedding over a big event. In an exclusive interview, Lucie, who stars in lingerie brand Ann Summers' new animal-inspired collection, explained that Luke, 27, is moving to Cornwall with their dog Bunny once the renovations on her idyllic seaside cottage are complete. 'We may just jet off somewhere': Lucie Donlan has revealed she and fiance Luke Mabbott may elope after the Love Island couple got engaged last year Lucie said: 'We said we may just jet off somewhere ourselves and get married so we're not decided on who would at our wedding just yet it may only be just us two. We would prefer to have a much smaller wedding for sure. 'We're a family orientated couple. We would love our wedding to be just close family and friends.' The pair, who both starred on Love Island but in different series, got engaged last December after Luke proposed in front of the Northern Lights. After dating since July 2020, Lucie says they're in no rush to wed and are planning on being engaged for three to four years though that won't stop her from wedding dress shopping. 'I may be just us': Lucie revealed the pair have considered 'jetting off somewhere' and getting married 'just the two of us' as she admits to favouring a private wedding over a big event Family: Lucie explained that Luke is moving to Cornwall with their dog Bunny once the renovations on her cottage are complete She added: 'We are going to have a longer engagement. We are going to travel first there are a lot of places that we want to visit. 'We do keep talking about our wedding day though and obviously I have some ideas about what I'd like and I said to Luke I'm going to do a day of trying of wedding dresses for a bit of fun and to get an idea but we're going to have two-three year engagement and start properly planning our wedding then.' Lucie set her sights on Luke as she watched him on winter Love Island in 2020 and says she was 'shocked' after he popped the question during a surprise trip to Finland with a ring he designed himself. She said: 'I couldn't believe it. I was shocked. 'We have a video of the moment we got engaged but we haven't put it out yet we have kept it to ourselves. 'A match made in heaven': Lucie set her sights on Luke as she watched him on winter Love Island in 2020 and says she was 'shocked' after he popped the question 'He asked my parents beforehand which I didn't know about it. He planned the entire trip to Finland himself and it was a surprise for me so I had an incline it might happen, but he organised everything, he designed the ring himself, it was amazing. 'He's a gentleman beforehand when I watched him on Love Island, I always thought that he was a gentleman and that's one of the reasons that I really like him. He's traditional, a gentleman, and those are some of his best attributes. He will definitely take care of me.' While Lucie and Luke are busy being parents to Romanian rescue Bunny the couple admit they're not thinking about having children just yet. Lucie said: 'To be honest we aren't thinking about having babies yet, we rescued our dog Bunny and she's a handful, so children are just not on our minds right now. 'We rescued her at six months old and she was hard work at the start, she was a street dog so we had a lot of time with her, Luke is so good with her as well because most of the time she's living with Luke at his house and when the cottage is done they will both be moving down to Cornwall.' 'Not on our minds': Lucie says that herself and Luke aren't thinking about having children of their own just yet and are content with being parents to their Romanian rescue dog Bunny Lucie stars in Ann Summers' new Animal Sparkle collection alongside close friend and former Love Island co-star Joanna Chimonides, as the two stun together in matching leopard print sets and body paint. The ten-piece collection, which is available to buy from September 20 with prices starting at 8, features a range of raunchy bodies, sexy lingerie sets, and slinky nightwear, that are all inspired by animal prints. Speaking about shooting the collection, Lucie said: 'It's the best I've ever done with Ann Summers because being with Joanna was amazing, doing it together was so much fun. 'We really got into it. It was really sexy, we had the cats, paint over us, we had amazing artists that did all the animal prints, it was retro vibes, quite 80s with big hair, and it was the best idea ever. 'It took an hour or two to prep for it the studio set up because the animal print matched with the lingerie sets and we also had with these trained cats to pose with as well.' VADODARA: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called for a Bharatiya or indigenous system of education in the country in the place of the one inherited from the British. Speaking at a town-hall meeting with parents and teachers here as part of his campaign for the coming Assembly elections in Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also said that India should become a destination for students from all over the world, like Nalanda University was in ancient times. A participant at the program asked if the text books prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) should be changed. Not just NCERT books but the entire content needs to be changed. There is a need to start a Bharatiya education system in the country by abolishing the British education system, he said. The country made a mistake by not doing away with the old education system after 1947, Kejriwal said. The entire system of education was left to us by the British. It is the system Macaulay prepared in the 1830s so that we could serve them by becoming clerks. I respect all freedom fighters, but when the country attained independence, we should have prepared a new system of education for independent India by abolishing the old British education system, he said. His government in Delhi is working on this, Kejriwal added. For example, our children start looking for a job after completing graduation. We need a system to prepare students who would not search for jobs but offer jobs. We have started the system in Delhi. For 11th and 12th students, we have started teaching them how to do business, he said. Students in Delhi schools are also being taught patriotism and how to become a good human being, the AAP leader added. India attained independence 75 years ago. Despite having the best engineers, doctors, our country lagged behind. Today our children go to Ukraine for medical education, it is a matter of shame, he said. Students from across the world came to study at Nalanda University in ancient India....Today our students are going abroad, Kejriwal said, adding that foreign students should come to India rather than the other way round. In Delhi, four lakh students shifted from private schools to government schools as the AAP government reformed government schools, he claimed. About 1,100 students from Delhi government schools passed NEET and IIT-JEE for admission to top medical and engineering colleges, he added. I am totally convinced that one thing that can rid the country of poverty is education. If we provide good education to our children, then our country will no longer remain poor, it can become better than America, he said. Kejriwal also alleged that the AAP tried to book 13 venues in the last four-five days for holding dialogues on education in Gujarat but the ruling BJP's workers threatened the venue owners. They (BJP) think the country is so weak that if they threaten, there will be no dialogue on education. There will be dialogue on education, and both the government and private schools of Gujarat will be improved (if AAP came to power), he added. Channel Nine has begun casting for next year's season of The Block. The announcement comes after producers of the hit renovation show spent $14.3million on a row of five homes in Melbourne's Bayside earlier this year. Would-be Blockheads for the nineteenth season are told to expect filming to begin in March 2023 and last for 10 to 12 weeks, reports 9Honey. Channel Nine has begun casting for next year's season of The Block. (Pictured: Scott Cam) The next season will once again be hosted by Block favourite Scott Cam and see teams of two competing. Guidelines provided by the network explain that successful applicants won't be able to work during production. Meanwhile, producers have warned contestants that 'long-term couples, family teams and enduring friendships need only apply'. The location for the next season has not been officially confirmed, but is likely to be in Hampton East, 14km from Melbourne's CBD. Would-be Blockheads for the nineteenth season are told to expect filming to begin in March 2023 and last for 10 to 12 weeks. (Pictured: the 2022 cast of The Block) The Block's producers bought five neighbouring classic brick dwellings in Charming Street for $14.3million between June 29 and July 1, reports Realestate.com.au. Only one of the five properties purchased along the row of homes at numbers 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 has two bedrooms. The other four boast three to four bedrooms. The size of each block ranges from 575 to 703 sqm. Producers have warned contestants that 'long-term couples, family teams and enduring friendships need only apply'. (Pictured: a renovation from this year's season of The Block) The Block filmed its 2021 season in neighbouring Hampton, only two kilometres from the 2023 location. One of the Block's regulars Denise Jacobs said East Hampton was 'taking off' even if it was the 'poor cousin' to Hampton, which tends to be pricier. Casting for The Block continues until October 17. You can apply here. A former Bachelor star and recovered sex addict has taken aim at high-profile Australian feminists she believes are inadvertently causing a surge in misogyny by 'hating on' men. Belinda 'Love' Rygier, who overcame her addiction after bedding more than 700 men, singled out Abbie Chatfield and Clementine Ford as the worst offenders in her opinion. She even compared them to toxic influencers on the opposite side of the 'war of the sexes', including disgraced social media star Andrew Tate, whose misogyny has seen him kicked off social media platforms such as TikTok. Recovered sex addict Belinda 'Love' Rygier (pictured) has taken aim at high-profile Australian feminists she believes are inadvertently causing a surge in misogyny by 'hating on' men 'I think "good on her" for her personal success. But her beliefs around feminism are actually misandry,' Ms Rygier said of Chatfield. Misandry refers to the hatred of men. Some male-dominated online communities claim misandry is widespread as a result of feminism 'going too far'. By contrast, many feminists argue misandry and misogyny cannot be compared due to gender inequality in society, and doing so is a false equivalence. 'I don't agree with how she treats men,' added Rygier, who runs bootcamps to promote healthy and stable relationships. Belinda 'Love' Rygier, who overcame her addiction after bedding more than 700 men, singled out Abbie Chatfield and Clementine Ford as the worst offenders in her opinion Rygier said Chatfield and Ford 'trigger' her with their sometimes outlandish statements about men. Ford, a best-selling author and commentator, infamously tweeted that 'coronavirus isn't killing men fast enough' at the height of the pandemic. She later apologised following public outrage. Chatfield also once claimed '40 per cent of men are paedophiles'. 'How [Chatfield] speaks about them. I don't follow them as they trigger me, her and Clementine Ford. How they hate on men...' Rygier said. Rygier said Chatfield and Ford 'trigger' her with their sometimes outlandish statements about men. Chatfield (pictured) infamously once claimed '40 per cent of men are paedophiles' Ford, a best-selling author and commentator, tweeted that 'coronavirus isn't killing men fast enough' at the height of the pandemic. She later apologised following public outrage Rygier said she wasn't surprised to see men and boys retreat into toxic and sexist online communities - dubbed the 'manosphere' - because of these hostile attitudes that are amplified by the media. 'They wonder why men are stepping back into misogyny as it is this whole pendulum swinging. Misogyny causes misandry, which we are labelling feminism,' she said. 'It's like someone says, "I f**king hate men," so the other says, "I f**king hate women."' Rygier favours an attitude that stresses respect for all. When contacted for comment via email on Tuesday, Ford told Daily Mail Australia: 'I have literally no idea who Belinda Love is.' Chatfield did not respond. Rygier (centre, on The Bachelor) said she wasn't surprised to see men retreat into toxic and sexist online communities - dubbed the 'manosphere' - because of these hostile attitudes The former dating show contestant now runs bootcamps to promote healing and self-esteem in relationships, a subject she is passionate about. 'In relationships, we don't get taught how to relate to people. It's just assumed that we know because we grow up in a family. But there's a lot more to it,' she said. 'There's a lot more to it than people think. They think you can go on a date and find love and that's it.' She relocated from North Bondi to a sprawling estate in the NSW Southern Highlands two years ago. But Samantha Armytage, 46, says living a country lifestyle is much harder than it looks. Armytage, who is currently starring on Farmer Wants A Wife as a guest host, recently told STIHL's That's How We Grow Podcast she made a point of warning the show's contestants about the 'harsh' reality of marrying a man of the land. Samantha Armytage, 46, says she's warned the women competing on Farmer Wants A Wife about the 'harshness' of country life after moving to Bowral 'I'm helping... all these young - mainly young - women who are thinking about moving to the country for love. Yeah, like I sort of did,' said Armytage, a real-life farmer's wife who married horse breeder Richard Lavender, 60, in late 2020. 'And my advice? I think country people are very self-contained and luckily I grew up with this,' Armytage, who grew up on a cattle farm said. 'So to come back to it was natural and wonderful for me. But you do have to be self-contained,' she warned. Armytage (pictured with her horse breeder husband Richard Lavender) told STIHL's That's How We Grow Podcast recently that 'you have to be self-contained' to live in the country 'You have to expect that, you know, the Wi-Fi is not great. You can't order Uber eats,' she continued, before emphasising that life in the country is 'not as cushy as the city', Armytage said. (Pictured with her beloved pooch Banjo) 'You have to expect that, you know, the Wi-Fi is not great. You can't order Uber eats,' she continued, before emphasising that life in the country is 'not as cushy as the city'. 'The peace and quiet is wonderful, but sometimes, you know, can be can be deafening,' the presenter added. Armytage lives with her millionaire husband Lavender in his lavish, 40-hectare Bowral estate. 'The peace and quiet is wonderful, but sometimes, you know, can be can be deafening,' the presenter added. (Pictured: Armytage on Farmer Wants A Wife) In March last year, Armytage stepped away from her fast-paced co-hosting role at Seven's breakfast show Sunrise, and has been enjoying a quieter life in the countryside ever since. Speaking to Now to Love in January, the reporter said swapping Sydney for a quiet life in Bowral was 'the best thing I've ever done'. Sam described her career at Sunrise as a 'highly-scrutinised, high-adrenaline, high-pressure job'. 'The universe moved me towards a more honest, joyful and calm place,' she said, adding that she's been extremely satisfied with the 'really great' opportunities that have come her way since leaving Sunrise. Today show host Allison Langdon has certainly put in the hours while covering the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The 43-year-old nodded off on set during a break from reporting on Her Majesty the Queen's funeral on Monday, after broadcasting for 14 hours from Buckingham Palace. Exhausted, she rolled up a jacket to use as a pillow as she took a nap on the lap of Will Hutchinson, Today's senior producer, who snapped a photo for Instagram. Today show host Allison Langdon (pictured on the Gold Coast on June 30, 2019) has certainly put in the hours while covering the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II Allison reposted the photo to her own Instagram Stories on Tuesday, alongside the caption: 'Hour 14. Everything is fine.' It comes as her co-host Karl Stefanovic couldn't resist taking a swipe at his least-favourite member of the Royal Family in the aftermath of the Queen's funeral. He made the baseless suggestion that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wasn't actually crying when she was pictured wiping away tears at the sombre service. The 43-year-old nodded off on set during a break from reporting on Her Majesty the Queen's funeral on Monday after broadcasting for 14 hours from Buckingham Palace Karl, 48, made clear his verdict on Meghan's public display of emotion with just one word - 'apparently' - and it didn't go unnoticed by his co-anchor Allison. The moment occurred while Karl and Allison were speaking to royal photographer Chris Jackson outside Buckingham Palace at about 9:20pm local time, or 6:20am on Tuesday in eastern Australia. Karl noted how several photos from the funeral were open to interpretation, particularly in regard to whether certain members of the Royal Family were crying. It comes as her co-host Karl Stefanovic, 48, (left) couldn't resist taking a swipe at his least-favourite member of the Royal Family in the aftermath of the Queen's funeral He implied that pictures of Meghan wiping away tears were perhaps misleading. 'There's been lots of photos around and interpretations of photos and reading into photos [meanings] that may or may not be true,' he said. 'There's a couple of Meghan, um, with a tear running down her face - apparently - and also even one of Princess Charlotte that everyone was saying she was crying, and we don't know if it was true or not.' The moment occurred while Karl and Allison were speaking to royal photographer Chris Jackson (right) outside Buckingham Palace at about 9:20pm local time, or 6:20am on Tuesday in eastern Australia As Karl cast doubt on Meghan's tearful display with the word 'apparently', Allison smiled nervously then offered him a knowing look. Meghan wept as she watched Queen Elizabeth II's coffin being carried out of Westminster Abbey in London on Monday after a remarkable funeral attended by the great and good from across the world. The Duchess of Sussex, 41, dabbed her cheek during the emotional moment as she stood beside Camilla, Queen Consort, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Karl noted how several photos from the funeral were open to interpretation, particularly in regard to whether certain members of the Royal Family were crying. He implied that pictures of Meghan wiping away tears were perhaps misleading Today show host Karl Stefanovic left his co-anchor Allison Langdon speechless on Tuesday morning after making a loose joke about Prince Andrew. The Channel Nine presenters were reporting live from outside Buckingham Palace in London alongside The Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers when the conversation turned to Her Majesty's pet Welsh Corgis. Following the death of the Queen, the dogs will reportedly live with her disgraced son Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, noted Myers. Today host Karl Stefanovic (left) shocked his co-anchor Allison Langdon (centre) on Tuesday morning after making a loose joke about Prince Andrew. (Right: royal editor Russell Myers) 'The beloved dogs, they must be pretty sad,' Myers added. Stefanovic joked: 'They'd certainly feel sad having Andrew looking after them, you know. That would be a major let-down, wouldn't it? I say nothing though.' Langdon was visibly uncomfortable with where the segment was heading, given Prince Andrew's recent scandals that have tarnished the reputation of the royals. Following the death of the Queen, her pet Welsh Corgis will reportedly live with her disgraced son Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. (Pictured: Andrew attending Her Majesty's funeral on Monday) The Duke of York had brought shame to his mother in recent years due to his association with late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A civil suit brought by a woman, Virginia Giuffre, who claimed to have slept with Andrew when she was 17 also left his reputation in tatters. The matter was resolved with an out-of-court settlement in February 2022. The Queen stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles in January and he gave up his HRH style amid the civil case brought against him by Ms Giuffre. Interrupting Stefanovic, Langdon tried to change the subject by asking Myers: 'You were talking about [the Queen's] pallbearers there?' 'They'd certainly feel sad having Andrew looking after them, you know. That would be a major let down, wouldn't it? I say nothing though,' Stefanovic joked. Langdon was visibly uncomfortable with where the segment was heading, given Prince Andrew's recent scandals 'Did you just fob me off?' Stefanovic said in mock anger. 'No, I'm looking after you. Trust me,' Langdon replied, as Stefanovic jokingly patted her on the leg and said: 'It's okay, dear. You don't have to ask anything more.' It comes after the BBC reported that the Queen's two young Corgis, Muick and Sandy, will now live with the Duke and Duchess of York. The Duke of York had brought shame to his mother in recent years due to his association with late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Pictured: the Queen and Prince Andrew arriving for a morning church service in Hillington, Norfolk, in January 2020) It comes after the BBC reported that the Queen's two young Corgis, Muick and Sandy, will now live with the Duke and Duchess of York. (Pictured: Prince Andrew petting one of the royal Corgis on the day of Her Majesty's funeral on Monday) Muick and Sandy were given to the Queen as gifts by Andrew and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie in 2021 to lift Her Majesty's spirits following the death of her husband Prince Philip. A source close to Prince Andrew told the BBC: 'The Corgis will return to live at Royal Lodge with the Duke and Duchess. It was the Duchess who found the puppies which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke. 'The Duchess bonded with Her Majesty over dog walking and riding horses, and even after her divorce, she would continue her great friendship with Her Majesty, by walking the dogs in Frogmore and chatting.' A source close to Prince Andrew told the BBC: 'The Corgis will return to live at Royal Lodge with the Duke and Duchess. It was the Duchess who found the puppies which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke.' (Pictured: members of the Royal Household stand with the Queen's Corgis, Muick and Sandy, as they await the funeral cortege on Monday) Muick and Sandy were given to the Queen as gifts by Andrew and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie in 2021 to lift Her Majesty's spirits following the death of her husband. (Pictured: Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday) The Queen owned more than 30 Corgis during her lifetime. Meanwhile, Andrew was visibly emotional as he followed the Queen's coffin through the streets of London for her state funeral on Monday. The mourning royal was banned from wearing his military uniform at the ceremony after being stripped of his titles. The Queen owned more than 30 Corgis during her lifetime. (The Queen is pictured with one of her Corgis in 1952) EastEnders' legend Adam Woodyatt says that there are 'lots of doors open' to him after leaving the soap after 37 years. The actor, 54, played iconic character Ian Beale in the show for 37 years before bowing out in 2021, has returned to his first love of performing on stage. Speaking about a possible return to the East End based show he told The Buzz: 'The door's open, but there's a lot of doors that are open.' New role: EastEnders' legend Adam Woodyatt, 54, has revealed he may not to the soap after rediscovering his love of performing in the theatre It comes as the actor prepares to tour the country in a production of the famous musical My Fair Lady. He said: 'I've kind of relearned in the last year or so why I fell in love with this job in the first place'. Before adding: 'You get bitten by this bug, this theatre bug. And it doesn't leave you.' Adam reunited with his on screen wife Laurie Brett, who played Jane Beale, earlier this year in a new play titled Looking Good Dead. New ventures: The actor played Ian Beale in the show for 37 years before bowing out in 2021, and despite the door being left open for his character, there are 'many doors' open to him away from Walford Based on the novel by Peter James and is a thriller about an unsuspecting father who witnesses a grisly murder. When promoting the play on Steph's packed lunch back in April he told the host: 'I could go back and I could not go back [To EastEnders] I don't know. The speculation has been hysterical. I think everyone is always going to speculate. But there are no plans at the moment.' It comes after Adam's latest stage venture in Lerner & Lowe's My Fair Lady would reportedly earn him a whopping 500,000. Back together: The actor reunited with his on screen wife Laurie Brett, who played Jane Beale, earlier this year in a new play titled Looking Good Dead Looking good dead: Based on the novel by Peter James and is a thriller about an unsuspecting father who witnesses a grisly murder (pictured on stage with co-star Laurie Brett) The soap star will the role of Alfred P. Doolittle, the father of central character, Eliza, touring the production across the UK and Ireland. The Sun claims Adam will star in 158 shows of My over nine months at up to 3,500 per performance - leaving him with a huge profit at the end. A representative for Adam has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Big bucks: It comes after Adam's latest stage venture in Lerner & Lowe's My Fair Lady would reportedly earn him a whopping 500,000 In a recent Instagram post, Adam gushed that he is 'thrilled' to be taking on the role. He wrote: 'The cat is finally out of the bag Can't tell you how thrilled I am to be going on tour with @myfairladyuk and to be playing #AlfredPDoolittle!' It comes just as Adam's divorce from his wife Beverley Sharp has reportedly been finalised. The actor had allegedly been embroiled in negotiations with his spouse of 22 years, 57, after they announced their split in 2020. Exciting: In a recent Instagram post, Adam gushed that he is 'thrilled' to be taking on the role Ex-dancer Beverley is said to be 'delighted' with her settlement after reports claimed the breakup became 'toxic' when he wouldn't give her a fair deal. Now, a source close to Bev has told The Sun: 'Bev and Adam are now officially divorced. As well as being his wife, Bev was also his manager for about a dozen years and she did so much for his career. 'She rejected some of the settlement offers she was sent during the process and now she's glad she held her ground she is delighted with the settlement. 'She still has no idea why he left her but that's all in the past. She's very upbeat and sees it as a new chapter. I've no doubt Bev will find someone new soon. She's in a good place.' MailOnline has contacted Adam's representatives for comment. Dame Prue Leith is planning to crack America with a stint of one-woman shows. The Great British Bake Off judge, 82, is hoping to head to Los Angeles and New York before returning to the UK to take in the likes of Bath and Lemington Spa. The South African restaurateur currently has two speaking gigs booked after filming a new series of the US version of her Channel 4 show alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood, The Great American Baking Show. Success Stateside: Dame Prue Leith, 82, is planning to crack America with a stint of one-woman shows Dame Prue told the Mirror: 'Im going to try out one-woman shows in Los Angeles and New York and then Im going to do the same in England in Bath and Leamington Spa. 'And if they work, then next year Ill do two tours, one in the spring and one in the autumn round England and around America.' She is also planing to release a book, Bliss on Toast, as well as an updated version of her biography. Cashing in: The Great British Bake Off judge is hoping to head to Los Angeles and New York before returning to the UK to take in the likes of Bath and Lemington Spa (pictured on GBBO) It comes after Dame Prue Leith said she is 'more likely' to use a cake recipe by Dame Mary Berry than one written by Paul Hollywood. The chef replaced Mary on The Great British Bake-Off back in 2017 and now stars alongside long-standing judge and fellow chef Paul Hollywood on the hit Channel 4 baking show but mused that the 'great debate' about Victoria sponge recipes is always in the creaming method. She told the Radio Times: 'Ill tell you what the great debate is always about with Victoria sandwiches do you make it using the creaming method? Do you cream the sugar and the butter together? You either chuck all the ingredients in together, or you cream it first.' Screen star: Dame Prue has filmed scenes for The Great American Baking Show alongside her fellow Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood (pictured) However, her co-star Paul, 56 - who has published a string of bestselling baking books over the course of his career - insisted that 'either method' is acceptable before Dame Prue interjected that she believes Mary's method is 'heavier' than most methods. Paul said: 'You can use either method. Ive never seen the difference between the two and Ive tried both. The creaming method is a good method to get into because it gets you used to making other cakes. In my book I use the creaming method but, to be honest, if Im making one at home I just chuck it all in.' The Great British Bake Off returned to Channel 4 for a new series on Tuesday 13 September, with the next episode airing on Tuesday 18 September at 8pm. Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon have detailed a wild argument they once had after he spiked her dinner with 'black hash' marijuana. The Black Sabbath rocker, 73, and The Talk star Sharon, 69, revealed that the drug made her so 'violent' that she threw a phone at his face during the altercation. Speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Sharon explained: 'He made me a stew with some s**t in it.' 'He made me a stew with some s**t in it': Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon revealed to Apple Music this week they once had such a wild fight she threw a phone at his face 'I never f**king did it,' Ozzy cheekily joked, before admitting he laced her meal with 'black hash'. 'She throws the phone at me and it goes straight on the face,' Ozzy said with a laugh. Sharon said that the drug made her so 'crazy' she smashed the late Randy Rhoads' guitar against the wall. Cheeky: The iconic rocker admitted he once laced her meal with 'black hash' 'Randy's guitar was there and I picked it up and slammed it against the wall,' she said. 'It made me crazy. It made me go insane and it was you that did it,' she said as Ozzy laughed. Hashish is a dark red to black material of the cannabis plant, a potent form of the drug. 'She throws the phone at me and it goes straight on the face,' Ozzy said Back in 2011, Ozzy admitted during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that his mind is so ravaged by drink and drugs he can't even remember when his first child was born. Years of drug addiction have left him unable to remember major life events, such as the time he tried to strangle wife Sharon in 1989 after drinking four bottle of vodka. Over the years he went into rehab more than 10 times, and he estimates that there were 40 to 50 other attempts to sober up that only lasted a few days, months at most. Meanwhile, rocker Ozzy, 73, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. That same year suffered a horror fall that aggravated a neck injury from his 2003 quad bike accident. Health woes: Back in 2011, Ozzy admitted during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that his mind is so ravaged by drink and drugs he can't even remember when his first child was born Parkinson's battle: Meanwhile, rocker Ozzy, 73, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 The injury triggered previous nerve damage from his quad bike accident 17 years ago, where he fractured eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck on his English country estate. He underwent spinal surgery which left him with 15 screws in his back, nerve pain in his neck, back, shoulders and arms, and the star fearing getting 'bolts in his neck.' Earlier this month he told The Sun that doctors said he could have been paralysed for life after undergoing his first spinal surgery back in 2019. He told The Sun: 'I was told, ''You've got a good chance of being paralysed for the rest of your life''. 'You just don't expect the surgeon to be a f*****g butcher. I was left in agony.' Discussing the impact his health woes had on his beloved wife Sharon, he said: 'Never have I been laid up so bad for so long. It's been breaking Sharon's heart to see me like this but I will get back on tour if it f*****g kills me.' Bindi Irwin paid tribute to her family on Tuesday by sharing a sweet snap featuring three generations of Irwins. The 24-year-old conservationist posted a precious photo to Instagram of herself, mother Terri, husband Chandler, brother Robert and daughter Grace all beaming. The heartwarming picture showed the sun rising in the upper right corner while the Irwin clan huddled together. Bindi Irwin (pictured) paid tribute to her family on Tuesday by sharing a sweet snap featuring three generations of Irwins Bindi lovingly embraced her one-year-old daughter Grace while Robert and Terri both smiled in matching sunglasses. The reality TV star captioned the photo: 'Thankful every day for the incredible people in this photo. My family, my world.' Many of her 4.9 million followers gushed over the touching snap. The 24-year-old conservationist posted this photo to Instagram of herself, mother Terri, husband Chandler, brother Robert and daughter Grace all beaming at the camera Robert Irwin's rumoured girlfriend Emmy Perry said the Irwins were her 'faves' while another fan wrote: 'What a wonderful photo'. It comes after Bindi became emotional last month after seeing Grace marvel at a photo of her late grandfather Steve Irwin. She took her daughter for a stroll around Australia Zoo and noticed Grace's excitement upon seeing a mural of her grandparents Terri and Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin with a koala. Bindi got emotional last month after seeing Grace Warrior marvel at a photo of her late grandfather Steve Irwin The wildlife warrior posted a heart-melting video to Instagram of Grace running up to the large display and reaching out to Steve in amazement. The Crikey! It's the Irwins star captioned the video: 'Tears in my eyes as I share this video. We call my mum and dad Bunny and Grandpa Crocodile with Grace.' Bindi and her Florida-born husband Chandler Powell welcomed Grace into the world in March last year. They first met in 2013 when Chandler, 25, was touring Australia as part of a national wakeboarding competition. Emmy winner Jon Hamm finally addressed the rumor that he prefers going commando a decade after pictures of him strutting down Madison Avenue while wearing clingy pants went viral. The well-endowed 51-year-old burst out laughing when he was confronted on The Howard Stern Show on Monday about 'the whole penis thing.' The 68-year-old host brought up the New York Daily News' report in 2013 that Jon 'was politely instructed by an AMC staffer to please wear underwear' while shooting Mad Men because his 'impressive anatomy was too distracting.' Emmy winner Jon Hamm finally addressed the rumor that he prefers going commando a decade after pictures of him strutting down Madison Avenue while wearing clingy pants went viral (pictured in 2012 with ex-girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt) 'I have worn underwear every single day of my life, Howard,' Hamm stated. 'First of all, who doesn't wear underwear? Yeah, I've worn underwear every day of my life. With a suit? Come on. I love a comfy boxer brief, thank you very much. I like a breathable cotton. Who doesn't?' The St. Louis native was on Stern to discuss producing and starring as investigative reporter Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher in Confess, Fletch - which reunited him with his Mad Men co-star John Slattery. And Slattery wasn't alone as Jon's Mad Men castmate-turned-girlfriend Anna Osceola has a small role as Larry in Greg Mottola's critically-acclaimed crime comedy, which premieres October 28 on Showtime. The well-endowed 51-year-old burst out laughing when he was confronted on The Howard Stern Show on Monday about 'the whole penis thing' Just a rumor: The 68-year-old host brought up the New York Daily News' report in 2013 that Jon 'was politely instructed by an AMC staffer to please wear underwear' while shooting Mad Men because his 'impressive anatomy was too distracting' Hamm stated: 'I have worn underwear every single day of my life, Howard. First of all, who doesn't wear underwear? Yeah, I've worn underwear every day of my life. With a suit? Come on. I love a comfy boxer brief, thank you very much. I like a breathable cotton. Who doesn't?' Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, Roy Wood Jr., Annie Mumolo, and Lucy Punch also appear in the remake of the eighties Chevy Chase movies - which were based on Gregory Mcdonald's 1976 novel. Hamm is 17 years older than Anna, whom he met when she played a receptionist at an Esalen-like spiritual retreat in California that his character Don Draper met during the Mad Men series finale. 'I am very much so [publicly declaring my love for her], yes,' the Top Gun: Maverick actor gushed. 'I'm in a relationship right now, and it's comfortable. It's a feeling of taking care of someone else and being taken care of.' The St. Louis native was on Stern to discuss producing and starring as investigative reporter Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher in Confess, Fletch - which reunited him with his Mad Men co-star John Slattery (L) Premieres October 28 on Showtime! And Slattery wasn't alone as Jon's Mad Men castmate-turned-girlfriend Anna Osceola (2-R, pictured September 7) has a small role as Larry in Greg Mottola's critically-acclaimed crime comedy Remember? Hamm is 17 years older than Anna, whom he met when she played a receptionist at an Esalen-like spiritual retreat in California that his character Don Draper met during the Mad Men series finale For the past two years, Jon has been in therapy working on himself and the trauma he sustained at age 10 when his mother Deborah died from colon cancer. 'When you lose somebody that's so important to you, like a mother, so early that that creates a wound that blocks a lot of that emotional accessibility. It blocks a lot of that availability and vulnerability,' admitted Hamm. 'And it's only been in the last couple of years of me kind of sitting down and thinking about all that stuff that's made the relationship that I'm in now more meaningful and opened up the possibility of things like being married, having kids. 'Defining a new version of happiness, life, wellness, all that stuff that sounds hokey and whatever but it's real and it's for one of a better words - it's what I'm working for, right? What else is there other than that?' The Top Gun: Maverick actor gushed: 'I am very much so [publicly declaring my love for her], yes...I'm in a relationship right now, and it's comfortable. It's a feeling of taking care of someone else and being taken care of' 'It blocks a lot of that emotional accessibility': For the past two years, Jon has been in therapy working on himself and the trauma he sustained at age 10 when his mother Deborah died from colon cancer Hamm continued: 'It's made the relationship that I'm in now more meaningful and opened up the possibility of things like being married, having kids' The two-time Golden Globe winner and Osceola love watching the 'remarkably entertaining' Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network as well as the 'fascinating' Bravo show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Howard asked Jon if he thought Erika Jayne should give back the $750K diamond hoop earrings bought by her estranged second husband Thomas Girardi in 2007 with embezzled funds. 'Yes! She should. She should,' Hamm passionately replied. Who knew he was a fan? The two-time Golden Globe winner and Osceola love watching the 'remarkably entertaining' Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network as well as the 'fascinating' Bravo show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 'Yes! She should': Howard asked Jon if he thought Erika Jayne (pictured in 2019) should give back the $750K diamond hoop earrings bought by her estranged second husband Thomas Girardi in 2007 with embezzled funds Hamm passionately replied: 'The circular argument that she's not responsible, you just want to shake her and go: "Honey, they were never yours. Give them back. Give them back"' 'The circular argument that she's not responsible, you just want to shake her and go: "Honey, they were never yours. Give them back. Give them back."' In June, Judge Barry Russell ordered the 51-year-old socialite to give Estate trustees the earrings, which were paid for with money stolen from the $2M settlement meant for the families of the victims of the fatal 2018 Lion Air plane crash. The Big Lie producer-star also has upcoming acting gigs in the third season of Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, the fifth season of FX's Fargo, and the second season of Prime Video's Good Omens. HYDERABAD: Clearly believing the way to the heart of the electorate is through the stomach, the TRS, which is doing everything in its power to win the Munugode Assembly seat in the upcoming byelection, on Tuesday initiated a week-long mass lunch programme in the constituency in an effort to strike a chord with the voters. The TRS leadership sees the byelection as a matter of pride and is in a 'do-or-die battle with the BJP and the Congress. The party won Munugode in 2014 but lost to Congress candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy in 2018. Later, Rajgopal Reddy forced a byelection by quitting the Assembly and Congress and joining the BJP in August this year. During the mass lunch programmes, launched as part of the party's campaign, ministers, MLAs, and party leaders will have lunch with people for a week in each mandal and interact with people to know their grievances. Additionally, they will review welfare programmes and development initiatives being implemented in towns and villages and work to find solutions to the problems brought up by the people. As part of the first mass lunch programme, thousands of people from every village in Choutuppal mandal were invited for lunch. Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, Munugode former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy, MLC T. Ravinder Rao will be overseeing the arrangements for the mass lunch programmes. Additionally, arrangements are being made to hold cultural programmes to entertain the people. "The whole idea is to hold these programmes in a festive atmosphere. It involves more than just getting together for lunch. It involves listening to their complaints, review the implementation of welfare schemes and development programmes in their respective villages and towns, identifying any shortcomings in the implementation, and figuring out how to close any gaps. Beneficiaries of welfare schemes and development programmes will be asked to share their thoughts and experiences as well as their expectations from the government," said Jagadish Reddy. TIMELINE September 21: Chandur mandal September 22: Narayanpur mandal September 23: Marriguda mandal September 25: No lunch programme due to Bathukamma festivities September 24: Munugode mandal September 26: Nampally mandal Margot Robbie was living the high life on Sunday as she went from the star-studded premiere of her new film Amsterdam to hang out with Drake at the after-party. The Aussie Hollywood star, 32, ditched her elegant sheer, lace gown for a bustier crop top as she attended the event in New York City. She threw up peace signs in the background of a black and white photo uploaded to Drake's Instagram account as the rapper spoke with another friend. Margot Robbie was living the high life on Sunday as she went from the star-studded premiere of her new film Amsterdam (pictured) to hang out with Drake at the after-party Drake went for a double-denim look, teaming an oversized jacket with baggy jeans and a white T-shirt. Margot was later seen leaving Zero Bond in Manhattan, where the party took place, with a huge smile on her face after a night of fun. Her newest film, Amsterdam, is a historical comedy set in the 1930s, and directed by the talented David O. Russell. The Aussie Hollywood star, 32, threw up peace signs in the background of this black and white photo uploaded to Drake's Instagram account as the rapper spoke with another friend The filmmaker is known for directing other successful movies such as American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and The Fighter (2010). Aside from Margot, the cast includes Christian Bale, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock and Grammy Award-winner Taylor Swift. The film follows 'three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history,' reports IMDB. Drake went for a double-denim look, teaming a oversized jacket with baggy jeans and a white T-shirt During an interview with Deadline, Russell said of the upcoming mystery: 'Its old-fashioned, with a scenario and characters we love. The story goes deep, about love and friendship. It goes deep into murder and events. 'And history, which I love. It has many layers, so you can watch it more than once and discover things you didnt get the first time.' Upon arrival at the premiere, Margot reunited with her fellow cast members and other talent that worked on the project. Margot was later seen leaving Zero Bond in Manhattan, where the party took place, with a huge smile on her face after her night of fun. (Drake is pictured here with Rami Malek) The beauty wore a long, layered white skirt that was made of a sheer, lace fabric with the same bustier top. The afterparty featured a slew of celebrities. Those in attendance included Rami Malek, who also spent time with Drake, newlyweds Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Addison Rae and Sia. Former Big Brother star Skye Wheatley has been called out for shaming women who earn a living from OnlyFans. Wheatley, 28, who is considered one of Australia's first influencers, made rude and judgmental remarks about online sex workers in a recent YouTube video. She said she was 'fuming' that some women in her industry are making good money by filming themselves performing sex acts. Former Big Brother star Skye Wheatley (pictured) has been called out for shaming women who earn a living from OnlyFans Wheatley, on the other hand, takes pride in the fact she is a more traditional influencer who earns a living endorsing brands on Instagram. She made the divisive remarks while speaking to fellow influencer Michael Finch. 'I'm sorry, let me get my dildo out and f**k myself on OnlyFans,' said Wheatley, whose Instagram account features suggestive lingerie and bikini content but nothing nude or X-rated. 'I like to make my money by approving a product and loving a product organically and sharing it with my audience rather than f**king myself with a f**king dildo and making money,' she continued. Reality stars and influencers who have found success on OnlyFans include Married At First Sight's Jessika Power and Hayley Vernon, and TikToker Anna Paul. Wheatley, 28, who is considered one of Australia's first influencers, made rude and judgmental remarks about online sex workers in a YouTube video with fellow influencer Michael Finch (left) Reality stars and influencers who have found success on OnlyFans include Married At First Sight's Jessika Power (left) and Hayley Vernon, and TikToker Anna Paul (right) Wheatley went on to say that OnlyFans was responsible for 'ending marriages'. 'Do you know how many girls that go through their boyfriend's phone and see that they're secretly subscribed to a girl's OnlyFans? That's the end of a marriage right there. It's actually ludicrous!' she said. Her rant was discussed this week on the Outspoken podcast, which documents the lives of Australian influencers and the social media marketing space. The podcast's hosts, triplets Amy, Sophie and Kate Taeuber, noted how Wheatley's view is shared by many other influencers who broke through during the early days of Instagram. Her rant was discussed this week on the Outspoken podcast, which documents the lives of Australian influencers and the social media marketing space. (Pictured: Outspoken co-host Sophie Taeuber) 'It seems to be there are these two groups of influencers now, with the OG ones thinking they're "better",' one of the sisters said. 'It just sounded like she was annoyed that she either isn't earning as much money as OnlyFans creators and has to slug it out by promoting products,' added another. 'Or, it seems like potentially someone in her life has been looking at this content and it has created dramas for someone else.' The Taeubers also pointed out that Finch did not appear to weigh in on Wheatley's comments, but simply said: 'Freedom of speech. Freedom to talk...' 'I make my money by approving a product and loving a product organically and sharing it with my audience rather than f**king myself with a f**king dildo and making money,' Wheatley said 'I think what Skye said is extremely condescending and offensive,' one of the sisters said. 'I almost feel like... she seemed to be offended about something. I mean, she did go on about how OnlyFans creators ruin marriages. 'I think it's very unfair to put this on someone that does sex work. It's actually the person's husband that is seeking out this content.' While the sisters appeared unimpressed by Wheatley's statements, the trio said it was interesting to see OnlyFans dividing influencers into two rival camps. Wheatley's Instagram account features suggestive lingerie and bikini content but nothing nude or X-rated 'It's interesting that these two camps of influencers are being formed,' one host said. 'I want to know how that's going to play out moving forward, because there's this secretive nature of OnlyFans where it's not really spoken about, because you can't even say "OnlyFans" on Instagram without the content being flagged.' The sisters then suggested some older influencers are 'jealous' of their younger counterparts, like OnlyFans star Anna Paul, who has a net worth of about $10million thanks in part to her popularity on the adult website. 'There's a lot of these influencers who are getting a little bit older and probably feeling a little bit more irrelevant,' one of the Taeubers said. The podcast's hosts, triplets Amy, Sophie and Kate Taeuber, noted how Wheatley's view is shared by many other influencers who broke through during the early days of Instagram 'Also, they can't make the money that the top OnlyFans creators can make.' Wheatley shares sons Forest and Bear with her long-time boyfriend Lachlan Waugh, whom she met on Tinder back in 2017. In addition to influencing and property development, she is the co-founder of clothing label Good People Apparel. The Real Housewives of Cheshire recently returned for its fifteenth season. And according to longtime cast member Seema Malhotra, the new season may be the best one yet. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 49-year-old gushed about new cast member Katie Alex. The Real Housewives of Cheshire's Seema Malhotra says the new season is one of the best yet 'We have a new Housewife, Katie, and let's just say that she's thrown into the drama from the get-go!' she said. 'We all go on a girly trip to Malta. I get to showcase my new business venture, Forever Unique Homes - fashion meets furniture. 'This season has to go down as one of my favourites.' Seema also admitted she'd love to see some former Housewives return, including original cast member Tanya Bardsley, who bowed out this year. 'We all go on a girly trip to Malta. I get to showcase my new business venture, Forever Unique Homes - fashion meets furniture,' Seema said of the new season She also wants to see Dawn Ward, Stacey Forsey and Nermina Pieters-Mekic back. 'I love these girls,' she gushed. 'Not forgetting Ester Dee - she is so much fun!' When asked what her secret is to being one of RHOC's longest-running Housewives, Seema said it all comes down to simply being herself. 'I'm just being myself and keeping it real,' she said. 'My parents always taught me: if you get along with others, you are more likely to be successful in whatever you do,' she added. Seema is keen to see Tanya Bardsley (left) and Dawn Ward (right) back on the series Tanya quit The Real Housewives of Cheshire last year after six-year stint on the show. According to reports at the time, the 40-year-old threw in the towel after 'really struggling with her anxiety'. The mother of four was taken to hospital last August following a stress-related seizure which caused her to collapse while working as a model during a photo shoot. Dawn announced she would be leaving RHOC in December 2020 because she wanted to concentrate on her family. The Real Housewives of Cheshire is streaming now on Hayu The stars of the highly-anticipated Don't Worry Darling were out in full force on Monday night for the New York City premiere, including Gemma Chan. The 39-year-old British actress was all smiles while hitting the red carpet at the premiere, held at AMC Lincoln Square Theater in New York City. Chan plays Shelley in the highly-anticipated thriller from director Olivia Wilde and her new boyfriend Harry Styles, hitting theaters September 23. Gemma steps out: The stars of the highly-anticipated Don't Worry Darling were out in full force on Monday night for the New York City premiere, including Gemma Chan Chan stepped out in a sleeveless powder blue gown that was cinched off with a small black belt. She had he black hair parted down the center and pulled back, while accessorizing with small gold hoop earrings. The actress completed her look with a black ring on her left hand though her footwear for the evening was obscured by her flowing gown. Gemma's look: Chan stepped out in a sleeveless powder blue gown that was cinched off with a small black belt Chan plays Shelley in Don't Worry Darling, the wife of Chris Pine's character Frank, the creator of the mysterious Victory Project. The film is set in the 1950s, following Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles), a young couple who move into a company-run town paid for by the Victory Project. Alice begins to delve deeper into her husband's mysterious work, which raises tensions amid the tight-knit community. Character: Chan plays Shelley in Don't Worry Darling, the wife of Chris Pine's character Frank, the creator of the mysterious Victory Project The film debuted at the prestigious Venice Film Festival earlier this month, which drew headlines for Florence Pugh skipping the press conference. Pugh has barely promoted the film, following rumors that she clashed with director Olivia Wilde on set, amid her new romance with Harry Styles. The Venice premiere also made headlines when some claimed that Harry Styles actually spit on Chris Pine while taking his seat at the premiere, which was denied by Pine's reps, while Styles cracked a joke about it on stage on tour. Premiere: The film debuted at the prestigious Venice Film Festival earlier this month, which drew headlines for Florence Pugh skipping the press conference Chan is attached to star in the new Apple TV Plus series Extrapolations, a new climate change TV series from writer Scott Z. Burns (Contagion). The show tells, 'intimate, unanticipated stories of how the upcoming changes to our planet will affect love, faith, work and family on a personal and human scale.' She is part of a star-studded cast that includes Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Kit Harrington, Sienna Miller, Tahar Rahim, Daveed Diggs, David Schwimmer and Adarsh Gourav. New show: Chan is attached to star in the new Apple TV Plus series Extrapolations, a new climate change TV series from writer Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) Rip Micheals says he personally saw Tory Lanez's assault of August Alsina, and has fired Lanez from the Fall Back In Love Comedy & Music Jam tour he presides over. The comedy and music impresario, speaking Monday with TMZ, confirmed that he witnessed the incident in which Lanez hit Alsina in the face with a sucker punch, saying that the dispute was over Lanez's anger Alsina would not acknowledge him. Micheals told the outlet that Alsina did not pretend all was good with Lanez, who has publicly criticized him in the past. The latest: Rip Micheals says he personally saw Tory Lanez's assault of August Alsina, and has fired Lanez from the Fall Back In Love Comedy & Music Jam tour he presides over. He was pictured in 2018 When Lanez brought his entourage to confront Alsina on the perceived slight, Alsina attempted to explain himself, at which point Lanez threw a sucker punch, Micheals said. Micheals said that Lanez - who has issued a vague denial of any wrongdoing - initially apologized for the ambush. Micheals said that he let Lanez go from the ongoing tour to preserve backstage morale in the wake of the attack on Alsina, who is also on the tour. Alsina missed a concert because he had to get stitched up at an urgent care facility, Micheals said. Alsina took to Instagram Sunday accusing Lanez of striking him Saturday in Chicago in an ambush in which Lanez was flanked by 'eight oversized security' guards. Lanez was seen last week in LA at a trial involving Megan Thee Stallion Micheals said that he let Lanez go from the ongoing tour to preserve backstage morale in the wake of the attack on Alsina, who is also on the tour Alsina missed a concert because he had to get stitched up at an urgent care facility, Micheals said The 30-year-old musical artist put up a lengthy post accompanied by a shot of him sporting a bloody mouth while slouched along the wall of an elevator. The New Orleans native said that Lanez, 30, and his group of associates confronted him while he was exiting a show and encroached him physically. The I Luv This S*** performer said that Lanez grilled him on why he hadn't past acknowledged him. Alsina said that his silence toward Lanez was linked to negative things he had said about him when he opened up about his involvement with Jada Pinkett Smith. 'I was a fan of him and didnt understand him speaking on my business publicly,' Alsina said. 'In the past, because I dont know him or ever met him until last night. So when he spoke it caught me off guard because of his past actions, i assumed he didnt like me, thats all.' Alsina said he is also under medical orders to shake as few hands 'as possible due to corona, & monkeypox.' Alsina recounted his allegations in a detailed Instagram post on Sunday Lanez said that he had no involvement in any incident akin to what Alsina was describing Alsina said that Lanez sucker punched him as he was trying to depart. 'There was never a "fight"! Simply an Assault,' Alsina said. Lanez was smoking marijuana 'laced with cocaine' at the time of the assault, according to Alsina, and had the encounter filmed. Lanez and his associates swiftly departed in the wake of the run-in, Alsina said, claiming the rapper 'proceeded to run behind and hide to run back in the building.' Alsina took to the site with another post in which he shared a variety of images documenting his injuries, including a busted lip The recording artist showed off an image of his bloodied lip in the wake of the incident Alsina also shared images of scrapes to his elbow and knee he suffered in the alleged fracas Alsina said that he publicly spoke about the issue in the wake of hearing that Lanez was putting out a false account of what had happened. Later, Alsina shared a series of shots documenting the injuries he suffered in the incident, as well mentioning his skincare line Encina Wellness. He captioned the carousel of shots: 'Me after a toupeed sneak attack then being man handled by buku security one deep, as the jealous leprechaun runs back off into the building. @encinawellness is the key to healing this. I b back with my results once I heal up.' Lanez said that he had no involvement in any incident akin to what Alsina was describing. 'I don't know what everybody talking about .... But I've been in the studio,' Lanez said. 'I'm not in anything negative ... I've been working on my self .... And being a better person.' Three of Australia's major TV networks broadcast the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II live from London on Monday evening, drawing in over three million viewers combined. But it was Channel Seven's coverage of the historical event which came out on top. Anchored by 7News' Michael Usher and Natalie Barr and David Koch from Sunrise, 'The Grateful Goodbye' was watched by 975,000 people across the country's five major capitals. The Queen's funeral brought millions of Australian viewers back to free-to-air TV, but Channel Seven won the ratings war with their coverage of the historical event Meanwhile, Channel Nine's coverage reached 879,000 viewers. The ABC's live broadcast from Westminster Abbey drew in 708,000 viewers, while 362,000 tuned in to watch ABC News' coverage of the event. Meanwhile, Channel 10 opted to run its standard Monday night schedule. The counter-programming experiment failed to capture the audiences imagination. Anchored by 7News' Michael Usher and Natalie Barr and David Koch from Sunrise, 'The Grateful Goodbye' was watched by 975,000 people across the country's five major capitals Usually a strong performer, Have You Been Paying Attention? drew in just 324,000 metro viewers for Channel 10. This was quite a tumble for comedy panel show after it managed to pull in 547,000 last week. Ratings for The Amazing Race worsened on Monday night for the network. The real-life adventure series reached just 185,000 viewers in the major centres. Meanwhile, Channel Nine's coverage reached 879,000 viewers. Pictured: Nine's Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon The 10 network did cover the Royal event on its 10Bold channel, but only won a 2.2 per cent share of the audience. Channel Seven won the night overall, capturing 30.2 per cent of the audience. Nine finished the evening second with 27.7 per cent share, while the ABC was a very close third with 27.6 percent. Channel 10 finished fourth on the night with a paltry viewing share of just 8.8 per cent. She ended her engagement to former NRL star Todd Carney in June, but that hasn't stopped Susie Bradley from living life to the fullest. The former Married At First Sight bride, 29, showcased her jaw-dropping revenge body on Tuesday in a gallery of titillating Instagram snaps. The mother of two looked more confident than ever as she flaunted her incredible figure, showing her ex-fiance exactly what he is missing. Married At First Sight's Susie Bradley showcased her jaw-dropping revenge body on Tuesday in a gallery of titillating Instagram snaps, following her split from ex-NRL player Todd Carney One photo captured Susie working her best angles in an itsy bitsy floral bikini which left very little to the imagination. The cosmetic nurse also uploaded a selfie that showed her in a purple exercise bra, flaunting her ample assets and flat tummy. She captioned the photos with an exciting life update: 'One week until I'm sailing away. Can't wait.' The mother of two looked more confident than ever as she flaunted her incredible figure, showing her ex-fiance exactly what he is missing Susie rose to fame on the fifth season of Married At First Sight, which was filmed in late 2018 and aired the following year. She was partnered with barista Billy Vincent, but they split before their final vows and she later began dating the former Cronulla Sharks player. The single mum declared in June she was permanently done with romance after calling off her engagement to Todd. The single mum declared in June she was permanently done with romance after calling off her engagement to Todd (right) The pair began dating in 2019, with Todd stepping into the role of stepfather to Susie's eight-year-old daughter, Baby, and they welcomed their first child, a boy named Lion Daryl, in April last year. The reality star launched her own beauty business, Injectables by Susie Pearl, in May 2019, and regularly celebrates her business success on social media. 'Injectables by Susie Pearl has only gone from strength to strength, and I plan to do everything I can to continue that moving forward!' she wrote on Instagram. Natalie Barr has filmed a behind-the-scenes video for Sunrise on the day of the Queen's funeral. Filmed outside Buckingham Palace, Barr, 54, explained Channel Seven's set-up was one of 40 media organisations from around the world there to cover the Monarch's farewell. During the Instagram story, Barr pointed out the large marquee next door to Channel Seven's home base. Natalie Barr has filmed a behind the scenes video for Sunrise on the day of the Queen's funeral. Pictured: The glamorous image of Sunrise hosts' Natalie Barr and David Koch 'This is [American network] NBC's,' she explained in the footage. 'Their set-up is bigger and better and more expensive than any one else's.' Meanwhile, Barr said the BBC had four marquees outside the Palace to cover the Queen's funeral. 'We're here for hours and hours and then lead into Sunrise,' Barr said in the video, which was filmed inside a tent overcrowded with equipment. 'We have our food, coffee and even a heater,' Filmed outside Buckingham Palace, Barr, 54, is seen inside Channel Seven's media marquee Barr explained that there were more than forty media organisations from all over the world camped outside the Palace to cover the Monarch's farewell on Monday At one point in the clip Sunrise co-host David Koch can be seen working on a script in the background. It comes after three of Australia's major TV networks broadcast the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II live from London on Monday evening, drawing in over three million viewers combined. But it was Channel Seven's coverage of the historical event which came out on top. Anchored by 7News' Michael Usher and Natalie Barr and David Koch from Sunrise, The Grateful Goodbye was watched by 975,000 people across the country's five major capitals. Brits watching coverage of the Queen's funeral on CNN were left shocked on Monday as Trisha Goddard was roped in to provide 'analysis.' The legendary chat show host, 64, appeared on the American network from their New York studio to help with five hours of live coverage alongside host Don Lemon, Zain Asher and Julia Chatterley. Fellow Brit and CNN's royal historian Kate Williams also provided analysis alongside CNN royal commentator Sally Bedell Smith, while anchors Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett led the coverage from London. An estimated four billion viewers around the world were said to have tuned in for the funeral, with the ceremony starting at 11AM local time in Westminster Abbey before the Queen was laid to rest in St George's Chapel, Windsor, alongside her husband Prince Philip, her father King George VI, the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret. Furry friends of Queen Elizabeth II were in attendance at the committal service held at Windsor Castle. CNNs Don Lemon speaks with a panel about the important role the royal pets played in the life of the late British monarch. https://t.co/zLhCQPj1YE pic.twitter.com/QBu8s2m6R4 CNN (@CNN) September 19, 2022 Unexpected: Brits watching coverage of the Queen's funeral on CNN were left shocked on Monday as Trisha Goddard was roped in to provide 'analysis' During her time on the panel, Trisha was asked what would happen to the Queen's horse Emma, to which she responded, 'well all the royal children ride.' She also predicted that pets will become more of a focal point in funeral services going forward after the Queen's corgis Muick and Sandy were seen waiting in the quadrangle with two aides before the late monarch was laid to rest in St George's Chapel. British viewers who tuned in to see how America was handling the coverage were surprised to see Trisha offering her take on the funeral, despite having no known qualifications for the role. RIP: An estimated four billion viewers around the world tuned in for the funeral, with the ceremony starting at Westminster Abbey before the Queen was laid to rest in Windsor Shocked viewers penned: 'They had Trisha Goddard making out she was at Buckingham Palace every weekend. Shes like the cheap mans Jerry Springer. Awful commentary and the only time they shut up was during the service which was amazing. Just constant drivel.'; 'Tried watching your coverage to get a US perspective on what is happening and some parts were good but Trisha Goddard on CNN seriously! She wouldnt get on the BBC News here in the UK as they dont take her seriously and your correspondents/anchors talking over each other 'Trisha Goddard being part of the cnn coverage of this is a joke btw #queensfuneral'; 'Ive put CNN news on to see the American coverage and Trisha Goddard is talking !!. I wont dare try Al Jazeera in case Jeremy Kyle is commentating' 'CNN were@silent during the service and at other serious moments. No idea why Trisha Goddard was on though!'; 'Today has restored the pride in the country strong words of Trisha Goddard #queensfuneral #QueenElizabethII #daytoremember' [sic]. Insight: During her time on the panel, Trisha was asked what would happen to the Queen's horse Emma, to which she responded, 'well all the royal children ride' Why? British viewers who tuned in to see how America was handling coverage were surprised to see Trisha offering her take despite having no known qualifications for the role After coming off the air, Trisha took to Instagram to share a behind the scenes clip from the studio as she penned: 'What a great @cnn team: @zainashercnn @jchatterleycnn #sallybidell-smith and er the main guy @donlemoncnn ! 'No airs and graces When we managed to get a short break in the 5 hours live coverage of Her Majestys Funeral, Don was sweet enough to jump up from the desk to get me a fruit salad. 'There was light and shade; emotion and smiles ( lets hear it for fell ponies and corgis!) but at the centre of it, monarchist or not - recognizing the historical nature of the day.' She was immediately flooded with messages of support from her followers, who penned: 'Congrats because it was amazing coverage '; 'Am so jealous. @andersoncooper and @donlemoncnn Not fair !!'; 'Love you'; 'Amazing work Trisha! '; 'Well done it was a long day for everyone '; 'Great work'. Support: After coming off the air, Trisha took to Instagram to share a behind the scenes clip from the studio as she was praised by fans Trisha is not believed to have met any members of the Royal Family but has been vocal in her support of Meghan Markle. Speaking after Meghan and Prince Harry's bombshell Oprah interview last year, Trisha - who moved to the United States in 2010 - said Meghan was 'America's princess' but was deemed 'not good enough' for the Royal Family. Speaking on ITV documentary Harry and Meghan: The Week That Shook The Royals, she added that 'the whole Royal Family, the Empire, going back centuries, it's all based on slavery and racism and subjugation of people'. She continued: 'It's the establishment, we're talking about systemic and institutionalised racism, not whether one person said something inappropriate, it's a much bigger subject than that.' Footage from the Queen's funeral was broadcast around the world, and Americans joined together to mark Britains saddest day with wall-to-wall coverage. Dozens of people packed into Times Square as early as 5am Monday to watch the build-up to Her Majestys service across the pond - despite the five-hour time difference. Many US publications had a live stream of the funeral showing the Royals come together to make their respects to the Queen for a final time. CNN, ABC, Fox News, and NBC all canceled their usual coverage to follow the procession the entire way through, with royal commentators covering the build-up to the occasion. President Joe Biden with his wife Jill attended the service to pay their respects, with many members of the congregations arriving up to three hours early. Supported: Trisha is not believed to have met any members of the Royal Family but has been vocal in her support of Meghan Markle Trisha had been appearing on CNN to provide insight into the funeral in the build up to the procession and last week took to Instagram to share her reaction to Her Majesty's death. Alongside a selfie in a black dress, she penned: 'On my way to Hudson Yards to be part of their Royal Commentary Team headed by the wonderful and consummate professional that is @andersoncooper 'The minute an American hears my accent, they offer their condolences on the death of HM The Queen. 'Im amazed at how Americans seem genuinely sad at her passing. So many of them quote TV drama The Crown as their knowledge base, but hey. At least they are engaged and interested and following all the TV coverage. 'Ive heard the sentiment that with all the instability and fracturing that has been going on in the US if late, theres been almost an envy of Brits having a steadfast, dignified and kindly presence in HM - whether one is a Royalist or not. 'And I think that is the key In times of unpredictability and turmoil, people find comfort in strong, kind women weathering all the ups and downs every family has without taking sides #thecrown #thequeen' Matthew McConaughey has said he refused to let being blackmailed into having sex when he was 15 and drugged and molested by a man when he was 18 'beat him'. The Dallas Buyers Club star, 52, previously shared the harrowing accounts in his autobiography, Greenlights, and has now detailed the conversations he had with his father that informed him that this was not how anyone should be treated. Speaking on Amanda de Cadenet's The Conversation: About the Men podcast, he said of his parents' lessons on sexual intimacy and respect: 'Well, I had been taught, been guided by my parents about respect for a woman, respect for the relationship, respect for sexual intimacy, respect for space. Speaking out: Matthew McConaughey has said he refused to let being blackmailed into having sex when he was 15 and drugged and molested by a man when he was 18 'beat him' 'My dad had always had this thing when he taught us the birds and the bees, he sat me down talking the birds and the bees. "You're getting that age you kiss?" and I said, "Yes, sir." 'And he goes, "Well, it's gonna go further than that one day. It's probably gonna go to where you're gonna get intimate and there's gonna be the breast, and there's gonna be below the belt." I'm paraphrasing, and he goes, "It's gonna happen to you as well".' Recalling being taught about sexual consent, he continued: 'And so he goes, and he's talking to me, he says, "Son, as a male in the situation," speaking to me about a heterosexual relationship, "If you ever feel the girl, the female, hesitate, stop". 'He even said this, he goes, "You may even feel them hesitate, and then after you stop, they may go, oh, no, no, come on. Don't. Wait till next time." And he was right, I got in certain senses where it was like, "No, no, no. OK, I'm out." And saying, "OK, cool. I'm out". Memoir: Matthew shared the harrowing accounts in his autobiography, 'Greenlights', and he's detailed the conversations he had with his father that informed him that this was not how anyone should be treated (pictured as a teenager) 'The girl went, "Oh, well, no, come on." And I was like, "No, no, no." He said, "Trust you'll have another day, if it is to be".' The actor was still able to have some 'healthy sexual relations' with girls that weren't 'ugly' after the blackmailing. He went on: 'But I was very clear, again, that was not right, that was not cool, that was not the way it is. 'After that, I got to have some healthy sexual relations and have girls that I liked and liked me, and we slowly got intimate and it was beautiful and clumsy, and all those things, but it wasn't ugly like that was.' His father James passed away in 1992, aged 63, when the actor was still in his early 20s. Matthew said: 'I had been taught, been guided by my parents about respect for a woman, respect for the relationship, respect for sexual intimacy, respect for space' (pictured with his wife Camila Alves in 2019) When Matthew was molested a few years later, he said he 'didn't connect' the two experiences. The actor revealed he was molested as a teenager by another man in his memoir. Matthew wrote about the horrific incident in which he was 'knocked unconscious' by his male assailant when he was 18 and assaulted. The Dallas Buyer's Club star adds that he was 'in the back of a van' when the attack happened. The Gold star hasn't had therapy but said the people around him have helped him deal with the trauma. Matthew vowed to himself to never let the abuse he experienced in his adolescence make him 'afraid of relationships' or stop him from trusting others. He said: 'I'm not gonna be afraid of relationships because my first experience was blackmail. Uh uh. That's an aberration. No, no. That's not the way it is. 'And if I go on - and I'm not gonna let it beat me. I'm going, 'I'm not gonna let that beat my sense of trust in people and say, 'No, I can have a healthy relationship.' Non-negotiable. No.' He added: 'Happened. Am I denying that it happened? No. I'm not denying that it happened. Ugly. Ugh. 'I still get, even telling you this story, I get -- but am I gonna carry that? I chose, non-negotiably, I'm not going to carry that, bring that baggage into the life I'm going to lead, and how I treat people and how I trust people, and how I look at circumstances and the risk I may take.' Matthew's 304-page memoir Greenlights hit shelves on October 20, 2021, and he detailed the two incidents in his book. Candid: The actor was still able to have some 'healthy sexual relations' with girls that weren't 'ugly' after the blackmailing Following the book's release, Matthew spoke about why he felt it wasn't 'constructive' to go into detail about the sexual assaults. 'Ultimately, there's nothing that I feel is constructive about the details,' he said on The Tamron Hall Show. 'I feel like those details, unless I had a really good constructive way that I saw it that could be relatable to other people, I felt like those details could have just been grabbed and reported for voyeurism.' He said he didn't want to exploit his trauma because then every headline and TV show would focus on his victimization. 'I write also in the book I've never felt like a victim,' The Gentlemen action star explained. Reflecting: Matthew's 304-page memoir Greenlights hit shelves on October 20, 2021, and he detailed the two incidents in his book 'Yes was I victimized in those two situations? Sure. But that doesn't mean that I've carried on through my life the feeling of "Oh I was victimized," or "Oh I was a victim," or that those two unfortunate events have turned me into the man that I am or are even an excuse.' Matthew continued: 'Those two events happened to me at 15 and 18. If they would've happened to me younger, maybe I would've been more confused. 'But when they happened to me, it was very clear to me, that they were wrong, that they were not ideal, that they were not how it's supposed to be.' He said believed having that clarity was why those situations didn't stick with him, confuse him, or leave him with 'a non-realistic view of the way the world was supposed to work'. Opening up: His book was the first time that Matthew (pictured in 2020) had spoken in public about either incident but his has shown his support for sexual assault charities in the past His book was the first time that Matthew had spoken in public about either incident but his has shown his support for sexual assault charities in the past. He was born and raised in Texas, attending the University of Texas in Austin. In 2019, he joined the university as an acting professor but had previously offered his support in helping their efforts to eradicate on-campus sexual assault. In 2006, he became involved in the university's Rape Elimination Program by helping to shuttle students home after dark. He was pictured driving a buggy around campus to bring everyone back safely. Matthew now has three children - daughter Vida, 12, and sons Levi, 14, and Livingston, nine - with his his wife of eight years, Camila Alves. Matthew originally met the Brazilian-born model, 40, at Hollywood hotspot Hyde back in 2006. The summit brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi face to face with Chinas President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in one room for several events. (PTI) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation recent summit in Samarkand last week -- the 22nd meeting of its council of heads of state of eight member nations and some observer states drew much global attention as it was the first large summit-level gathering in the post-Covid era, and was being held in the background of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and US-China tensions. The leaders of all eight member states and several observer states and special invitees attended, among them President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. The summit brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi face to face with Chinas President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in one room for several events. The Indian media speculated endlessly on the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Mr Modi and the Pakistani and Chinese leaders. There was no such meeting in the end. Mr Modi scheduled his arrival in Samarkand for late evening of September 15 and avoided attending the pre-summit banquet and other pre-summit collective events. The PMs tour programmes and meetings are planned with considerable thought and it was speculated in the media that Mr Modi intentionally skipped the banquet to avoid sharing space with Mr Xi at a social event. Mr Modi held a significant bilateral meeting President Vladimir Putin of Russia where the Ukraine situation was discussed. In his remarks for the media before the closed meeting, Mr Modi pointedly told President Putin that it is not an era of war, and that talks will get us an opportunity to talk about how can we progress on the path of peace. President Putin acknowledged Indias concerns and complained that Ukraine is not coming to the negotiating table. The PM also rightly pointed to the food, fertiliser and fuel security concerns of the developing world. The Modi-Putin meeting was very well scripted by both South Block and the Kremlin. Indias concerns on Russias actions in Ukraine had earlier been privately conveyed to Moscow at various levels, but this time were articulated publicly. Mr Putin was well prepared and responded from his written notes. The principled position taken by Mr Modi was widely reported in the Western media. The other significant bilateral meet of Mr Modi was with Turkeys hard-liner President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under his leadership, Turkey is gradually moving away from the path of secularism and positioning itself as a leader of the Islamic world. The Turkish President has spoken at the UNGA against Indias constitutional changes in Kashmir in August 2019 and has consistently supported Pakistan in the Financial Action Task Force against terror funding. The meeting was at Turkeys request. That country has emerged as a key mediator in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and was instrumental in finalising the UN-supervised process for export of Ukrainian and Russian grain from the Black Sea ports. In an article published in the global media before the summit, its host, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, had set out his objectives as SCOs chair. Two major issues where a collective regional view is important were the approach towards the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the connectivity of Central Asias landlocked republics. The closed session discussions would have focused on these vital issues. Recognising Afghanistan as an integral part of the larger SCO space, the Uzbek President noted that Afghan people need good neighbours. Uzbekistan has already established regular contacts at all levels with the Taliban regime. Uzbekistan believes the Taliban are here to stay in Kabul and that the neighbouring countries should deal with them to the extent possible. The Samarkand Declaration reiterates it is critical to have an inclusive government in Afghanistan with representatives from all ethnic, religious and political groups. On regional connectivity, Mr Modi significantly noted this is possible only if members grant each other full transit rights. This was directed towards Pakistans obduracy in denying Indias trucks transit towards Afghanistan and Central Asia. Interestingly, in his remarks, the Pakistan PM responded by saying that if there is connectivity, transit rights will automatically come. This comment needs further exploration and analysis for any practical outcome. As expected, Mr Modi also raised the issue of terrorism at the closed session. The member countries agreed to prepare a consolidated list of terrorist entities and individuals in their respective countries. But not much is expected as Pakistan continues to harbour terrorist outfits and China continues to shield them in the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. Notably, there was no reference to the Ukraine conflict or One-China policy in the Samarkand Declaration. The SCO has a quasi-defence character as regular joint military counter-terrorism exercises are held as peace missions. In his address, Chinas President Xi offered to set up a regional counter-terrorism training centre in China to train 2,000 police officers from SCO member states. This is an attempt by China to establish direct links with the internal security establishments of member countries and must be studied with caution. At Samarkand, India took over the chairmanship baton from Uzbekistan and the next SCO summit is likely to be held in the second half of 2023. The level of participation by both China and Pakistan at the New Delhi summit would depend on the level of our bilateral relations with these two difficult neighbours at that time. The Samarkand summit saw an impressive display of traditional Uzbek hospitality but its actual outcome was rather modest. There is little that India can do as SCOs incoming chair to move the outfit to meaningful action and away from the present cascade of meetings and platitudes. Jessica Rowe stood by her husband Peter Overton on Tuesday, after his embarrassing gaffe during Channel Nine's coverage of the Queen's funeral on Monday. The television personality paid tribute to the journalist in a post shared to her Instagram. 'Beyond proud of my darling husband and the Nine news team for their coverage of the Queen's funeral,' the 52-year-old wrote. Jessica Rowe stood by her husband Peter Overton on Tuesday, after his embarrassing gaffe during Channel Nine's coverage of the Queen's funeral on Monday. Both pictured 'Come home Petee - the girls, the pussycats, Daphne and I miss you!' she added. Alongside the caption was a photo of a television screen showing Peter on screen in London. On Monday night, Channel Nine journalists Overton and Tracy Grimshaw were unable to identify Britain's new prime minister as they provided commentary on the Queen's funeral. 'Beyond proud of my darling husband and the Nine news team for their coverage of the Queen's funeral,' the 52-year-old wrote As UK Prime Minister Liz Truss climbed out of her car to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Overton and Grimshaw were left scratching their heads as to who she was. 'So, this is a significant motorcade, we are being told now,' Overton said. 'Come with us as we try and identify who is getting out of the car. This is under police escort of course. I would suggest this might be royalty, Tracy. On Monday night, Channel Nine journalists Overton and Tracy Grimshaw (right) were unable to identify Britain's new prime minister as they provided commentary on the Queen 's funeral 'Hard to identify. Maybe minor royals, members of the I can't identify them at this point ' Viewers at home posted to social media to call them out on the blunder. 'Good job Peter Overton. Didn't know the new PM,' one person tweeted. Another wrote: 'Happened to be passing by the living room in my house where my family are watching the Queen's funeral. Tracy Grimshaw: 'And we're not sure who this is who has arrived'.' As UK Prime Minister Liz Truss (left) climbed out of her car to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Overton and Grimshaw were left scratching their heads as to who she was ''Unfortunately we can't identify everyone, they look like local dignitaries.' It was Liz Truss. I howled.' Someone else said: 'Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw having no idea who Liz Truss - the new British Prime Minister - is during the live coverage of the Queen's funeral was so *awks*.' Another Twitter user posted a photo of Ms Truss and jokingly asked if she was the mayor of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, or a 'minor royal'. Ms Truss (pictured before the funeral on Monday) was the last world leader to be pictured with the Queen in her final official duty, just 48 hours before she died Moments later, Overton issued a correction. 'I'm told that was Liz Truss the new Prime Minister in the distance, she could see hopping out of the car. Thank you very much for that information,' he told viewers. He then conceded to Nine co-stars Karl Stefanovic, Ally Langdon and UK royal expert Dickie Arbiter that their British guest might be better at spotting local famous faces. 'Karl and Ally, and Dickie, Dickie particularly, you'll be spotting these faces and recognising them better than us, I think,' Overton said. Ms Truss was the last world leader to be pictured with the Queen in her final official duty, just 48 hours before she died. Married At First Sight UK contestant Whitney Hughes cheats on her husband Duka Cavolli with co-star Matt Murray, who also betrays his wife, Gemma Rose. Whitney, 31, and tattooed Matt, 32, spent the night together during a couples' retreat getaway despite their respective partners being under the same roof. The infidelity rocks the cast with Gemma, 30, breaking down in tears after the betrayal comes to light in dramatic scenes yet to air on the E4 series. Scandal: Married At First Sight UK contestant Whitney Hughes cheats on her husband Duka Cavolli with co-star Matt Murray, who also betrays his wife, Gemma Rose A TV insider told MailOnline: 'Whitney and Matt truly shocked the other members of the cast by cheating on their partners not only because of the hurt it caused but the circumstances too. 'The pairs had gone away to a couples retreat and were there to focus on their relationships, but Whitney and Matt had other ideas. 'Gemma, who thought she had met the love of her life in Matt, was devastated, while Duka had put his all into giving his marriage with Whitney a chance.' MailOnline has contacted E4 for comment. Betrayal: Whitney (pictured) and tattooed Matt spent the night together during a couples retreat getaway despite their respective partners being under the same roof Whitney and Duka married in the show's first episode, but their relationship was doomed from the start. Personal assistant Whitney was on the hunt for a 'massive brick house of a man' but described her husband Duka as a 'shed.' She was met by criticism from viewers after she failed to give Duka a chance, even confessing at the altar that she was tempted to 'run.' Whitney said: 'I'm hoping when I walk down the aisle I see a massive brick house of a man, he's got to be tall, have a thick, luscious beard, I'm not going to settle for anything less than perfect 'I wanted a man to tower over me like massive, like a brick house, compared to a house maybe he's like a shed.' 'Devastated': Gemma, who runs a hairdressing business, married Matt midway through the series and believed she had found The One after discovering he also owns a barber Controversial: Whitney told the show's experts she wanted to find a 'brick house of a man' but was disappointed after being met with Duka, (pictured) who she called a 'shed', down the aisle Duka, who moved to the UK aged 10 after fleeing the former Yugoslavia with his family, said he signed up for the show in the hope of finding a relationship that lived up to his parents' marriage, who he said have something 'special.' However, Whitney entered the process after losing her mum in a devastating car accident and admitted she wouldn't have put herself forward had it not been for her untimely loss. Whitney said: 'My mum passed away. She was driving home from work and a man drove into her. I really miss her. I want to say she's my best friend. I don't think I would have done this before my mum but why not? Life is so short, just jump right in there.' She also explained that her grief doesn't get any easier and if she was still here, it would have been her mum to walk her down the aisle. Whitney continued: 'It would definitely be mum to walk me down the aisle because she's the one who I am who I am because of her. Awkward: Gemma's romance with Matt became strained after he admitted to feeling 'uncomfortable' by her overly sexual comments at their wedding and on honeymoon 'I had enough': During the couple's honeymoon in Portugal, Matt revealed that he was close to quitting the show over Gemma's forward remarks 'I've got a picture of my mum at the venue because she's my heart, I wanted her to be part of the ceremony. It's just s***, it just doesn't get better. I feel like my mum is going to be here today in spirit, looking down on me.' Gemma married Matt midway through the series and believed she had found The One. After admitting that men are 'intimidated' by her tattoos and the fact she owns a hairdressing business, she thought she met her match in Matt, who's also covered in ink and runs a barber. But their romance became strained when Gemma expressed her sexual desires towards Matt and made comments he deemed inappropriate about sex at their wedding. During the couple's honeymoon in Portugal, Matt revealed that he was close to quitting the show over Gemma's forward remarks. He said: 'For me personally in a nice restaurant and stuff, it's too much for me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. 'I'll be straight with you last night I was done I had enough.' Sandra has said she was 'proud' to represent her country by attending Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey in London. The Killing Eve star, 51, took to Instagram following the service to share pictures of her outfit after she shocked fans with her surprise appearance. Sandra participated in the procession as part of the Canadian delegation after being named as a member of the Order of Canada, a high civilian honour. Candid: Sandra has said she was 'proud' to represent her country by attending Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey in London Alongside pictures from the day, Sandra wrote: 'So proud to represent Canada with my fellow Order of Canada & Valour recipients Gregory Charles... Alongside pictures from the day, Sandra wrote: 'So proud to represent Canada with my fellow Order of Canada & Valour recipients Gregory Charles... 'Mark Tewksbury and Les Palmer at Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II funeral at Westminster Abbey today.' On the day, Sandra looked elegant in a black dress and a matching hat, while wearing a red and white brooch in her latest Instagram post. The Golden Globe winner donned a pair of slip-on shoes and carried a stylish handbag as she made the solemn walk into London's Westminster Abbey. Prestigious: The Golden Globe winner was then joined by three male companions who all donned black suits for the funeral (pictured Gregory Charles, Mark Tewksbury and Les Palmer) In one snap, Sandra sported a pair of sunglasses as she posed for a selfie in front of Westminster. She was then joined by three male companions who all donned black suits for the funeral. Sandra, also famed for her role in Grey's Anatomy, was spotted by spectators while paying her respects during the historic day. Historic day: Sandra sported a pair of sunglasses as she posed for a selfie in front of Westminster She joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as a member of the Order of Canada at today's ceremonies. The A-list star wasn't the only celebrity at Her Majesty's funeral with adventurer Bear Grylls, 48, also in attendance, as well as Peep Show actor Sophie Winkleman, 42. Bear was present at today's monumental events as representative of the Scouts after being appointed as chief scout in 2009. The Queen, who was patron of the Scout Association, also made him OBE in 2019. Peep Show star Sophie is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, and appeared alongside him at the ceremony. Mourning: Sandra, also famed for her role in Grey's Anatomy, was spotted by spectators while paying her respects during the historic day Her majesty has finally been laid to rest to be with her beloved Prince Phillip after her crown, orb and sceptre were removed from her coffin so she could descend into her grave 'as a simple Christian soul'. The Queen has returned home to Windsor to be reunited for eternity with her husband, father, mother and sister in the royal crypt at St George's Chapel as her 70-year reign came to an end this evening. Britain's longest reigning monarch had been carried into the historic church followed by Charles III, her children and grandchildren including Prince Harry and Prince William Last week, Sandra attended the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles after being nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama series. She lost out in the category to Euphoria star Zendaya, who won the award for a second time, becoming the youngest two-time lead actress Emmy winner at 26-years-old. In 2020, Zendaya made history when she scooped the same award at just 24, making her the youngest woman ever to bag the prize. For her performance as Eve, Sandra became the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She never fails to turn heads on an outing. And Kendall Jenner ensured all eyes would be on her as she headed out in New York City on Monday evening in a racy ensemble. The Kardashians star 26, was joined by her best friend Fai Khadra on the trip - a Palestinian model and musician who has long been pals with the Jenner clan. Stunning: She never fails to turn heads on an outing. And Kendall Jenner ensured all eyes would be on her as she headed out in New York City on Monday evening in a racy ensemble Kendall was a vision of beauty on the outing as she teased her incredible figure in a sheer white T-shirt adorned with a graphic print. She teamed the garment with a white mini skirt from Simon Miller's 2023 Resort collection, while black leather boots gave her model frame an extra boost. The Vogue cover girl completed the look with a white handbag and small silver hoops. Delightful duo: The Kardashians star 26, was joined by her best friend Fai Khadra on the trip - a Palestinian model and musician who has long been pals with the Jenner clan Fai looked stylish by her side as he paired a black motorcycle jacket with a plain white T-shirt. Kendall and Fai made for a picture perfect couple on the outing, yet their relationship is strictly platonic. The pair last cleared up their relationship status when she went with Fai to Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin's wedding in 2019, with Kendall explaining online: 'We don't date he's just my date.' Clearing things up: The pair last cleared up their relationship status when she went with Fai to Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin's wedding in 2019 Kendall is currently loved-up with Devin Booker, who she has been dating on and off for two years. The couple were first linked and seen together in May 2018, but at the time, the two were seeing other people and were just on friendly terms. Two years later, the pair started seeing each other on a romantic level, with an insider revealing: 'It's not like they will be getting engaged any time soon. Kendall likes the pace at which things are going at the moment and has no plans to elevate things so quickly.' The couple were still happily dating into 2022, and were seen attending Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's glamorous wedding ceremony in Italy earlier in May. The following month in June, the two split. A source explained to E! News that, 'once they got back, they started to feel like they weren't aligned and realized they have very different lifestyles.' It seemed that the stars couldn't stay apart for long, and were seen hanging out together in July at the Hamptons. Last month in August, an insider confirmed to Us Weekly that Kendall and Devin have rekindled their relationship. 'Kendall and Devin are 100 percent back together,' a source close to the pair stated, adding 'They spent some time apart but are back to a good place and are really happy with each other.' Farmer Wants A Wife's Paige Marsh delivered a bombshell blow to contestants during Tuesday night's episode of the Channel Seven dating show. After an emotional get together the night before, Paige announced that she didn't want to take either Dylan or Glen on a 24 hour date. Paige admitted that she didn't feel a connection with 26-year-old carpenter Glen, although he said he liked her and was attracted to her. Farmer Wants A Wife's Paige Marsh (pictured) delivered a bombshell blow to contestants during Tuesday night's episode of the Channel Seven dating show And while she begun to feel something with 29-year-old carpenter Dylan, he told her that he wasn't feeling anything more than a friendship. 'I'm actually feeling really clear about where I'm at this morning,' she told host Natalie Gruzlewski. 'I want love, and I want that potential for love, so I've been really holding on and trying to grow and build things. After an emotional get together the night before, Paige announced that she didn't want to take either Dylan (pictured) or Glen on a 24 hour date 'I'm actually feeling really clear about where I'm at this morning,' she told host Natalie Gruzlewski (pictured) 'What I need to do is listen to myself, and today I'm not actually going to be asking either gentleman to come on a date with me.' The rest of the farmers and partners were shocked with her decision. 'I've made the decision to send both boys home,' she told them. Dylan (pictured) later told cameras that he could see on Paige's face when she spoke that her mind was made up 'Wow,' Gruzlewski said in shock, 'That means your love story ends here.' Paige then hugged her contestants goodbye before she drove off into the sunset herself. Dylan later told cameras that he could see on Paige's face when she spoke that her mind was made up. 'It was a friendship that was growing, and unfortunately it was nothing else,' Dylan said. Farmer Wants A Wife continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven She spent last week as a roving reporter, chatting to the public as they waited hours to see the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall. And as Amanda Holden returned to the office, she was seen looking glamorous in a form-fitting turquoise tuxedo dress, which was buttoned down the front. The TV and radio presenter, 51, put on a leggy display in the thigh-grazing garment, which she teamed with a pair of black stilettos. Wow! Amanda Holden returned to the office, she was seen looking glamorous in a form-fitting turquoise tuxedo dress, which was buttoned down the front Amanda wore a black bag with a gold chain strap over her shoulder and further accessorised with a selection of delicate necklaces and a sunglasses. The mother of two wore her honey blonde locks loose in a blown out style and opted for a full face of make-up with a slick of lipstick. Amanda made her way to Westminster Hall on Friday to chat to members of the public who were queuing to view the Queen's coffin, following Her Majesty's death on Thursday September 8 in Balmoral, Scotland. Dazzling: The TV and radio presenter, 51, put on a leggy display in the thigh-grazing garment, which she teamed with a pair of black stilettos Details: Amanda wore a black bag with a gold chain strap over her shoulder and further accessorised with a selection of delicate necklaces and a sunglasses The presenter swapped the radio studio for the crowds of sombre Brits for the news show. Sharing clips from her visit to Instagram, the TV personality penned that there were 'Friendships forged forever in shared grief' among the crowds. Sharing a video to her 1.8M followers as she looked out, the star wrote: 'My privilege to talk to some of you queuing and coming out of Westminster Hall this morning. The atmosphere and camaraderie was incredible .. friendships forged forever in shared grief ..' Elegant: Amanda strutted down the street on the way to Global Studios All smiles! Amanda flashed a beaming smile as she made her way through Leicester Square And chatting to the public, one member of the queue admitted to waiting around ten hours overnight, with Amanda then questioning: 'Oh my goodness, so you've made friends with all these people?' 'All the way along, they've kept everyone going and we've kept each other going all the way through, we'd be lost without each other today,' responded the interviewee. Describing the atmosphere, Amanda shared: 'It's quite sombre and emotional if I'm honest and they all say the same thing - that it was an incredible experience and that the silence is just beautiful.' 'Friendships forged forever in shared grief': Amanda took to Westminster Hall on Friday as she chatted to crowds who were waiting hours to view the Queen's coffin Shared grief: Sharing a video to her 1.8M followers as she looked out, the star wrote: 'My privilege to talk to some of you queuing and coming out of Westminster Hall this morning. The atmosphere and camaraderie was incredible .. friendships forged forever in shared grief ... And chatting to the public, one member of the queue admitted to waiting around ten hours overnight, with Amanda then questioning: 'Oh my goodness, so you've made friends with all these people?' 'All the way along, they've kept everyone going and we've kept each other going all the way through, we'd be lost without each other today,' responded the interviewee. Describing the atmosphere, Amanda shared: 'It's quite sombre and emotional if I'm honest and they all say the same thing - that it was an incredible experience and that the silence is just beautiful.' Amanda also posted a family photo on Instagram Stories on Sunday as she and her family paid tribute to the Queen in Windsor. The Heart FM radio presenter had taken her two children Alexa, 16, and Hollie, 10, her mother, Judith Mary Harrison, 72, and step-father, Leslie Collistor, 75, to lay flowers a day before the Monarch is laid to rest on Monday. The family resemblance was clear to see with Amanda looking just like her beautiful mother. Dame Kelly Holmes became emotional as she reflected on queuing for more than 11 hours to see the Queen lying in state at London's Westminster Hall. The athlete, 52, reflected on her experience viewing the late monarch's coffin on Sunday as she appeared as a Loose Women panelist on Tuesday. She said she felt 'compelled' to join the five-mile long queue after attending the National Diversity Awards, rushing back to London from Liverpool to do so. Tearful: Dame Kelly Holmes became emotional as she reflected on queuing for more than 11 hours to see the Queen lying in state at London's Westminster Hall Kelly became very tearful as she spoke about the 'enormity' of the moment, admitting it felt very final to see the Queen's coffin ahead of Monday's funeral. She said: 'It got very serious going through security, I don't think I've processed the going through. The enormity of the hall and the coffin looked so small... It's so final. I mainly got choked up when they went on the long walk up to Windsor.' Kelly said she has a close connection with the monarch having served in the Women's Royal Armoured Corp at 17 years old, while the Queen was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army and Head of the Armed Forces. Speaking about her decision to join the queue, Kelly explained: 'I was in Liverpool at National Diversity Awards, and I won. I got back after an afterparty, and I got back at 2.30am and I felt so compelled to have to join that queue. Queue: The athlete, 52, reflected on her experience viewing the late monarch's coffin on Sunday as she appeared as a Loose Women panelist on Tuesday 'I changed my arrangements, got on a train at 7am, got some warm clothes on at Charing Cross and joined the queue. It was a moment of joy and unity and togetherness.' Kelly also spoke about the feeling of unity in the queue, saying she befriended a 90-year-old man John Collinson, who queued with her for seven hours. She said he had insisted on queuing with members of the public for seven hours, before he finally accepted first aiders offer to fast track him due to his health. 'The first aiders said you can fast track to the queue, and I said to him 'you can go, you've done your service', and I said I'd give him a shoutout today because he's watching Loose Women. So hi John!', she said. Sadness: Kelly became very tearful as she spoke about the 'enormity' of the moment, admitting it felt very final to see the Queen's coffin ahead of Monday's funeral It comes after Kelly took to Instagram on Monday to share her experience of queuing to see the Queen's lying in state, and spoke about her new friend John. She penned: 'As you know from my stories I spent the day yesterday until late last night queue to see Our Queen lay in State. It was the most wonderful day for so many reasons. 'I will post another reel about that soon. But this is about an amazing guy named John Collinson, who I befriended. 'John was born in 26th June 1932 (90 years old) he was with his daughter and queued with us for 7 and half hours!!! (Finally he allowed the support staff to fast track him when we were close to lambeth bridge which we were pleased with but sad to see him go) What a lovely soul Unity: Kelly also spoke about the feeling of unity in the queue, saying she befriended a 90-year-old man John Collinson, who queued with her for seven hours 'John was called up for National Service aged 18 in September 1950 (at the time of the Korean War) and sent to Winchester to be trained by the King's Royal Rifle Corps, part of the 60th Rifles Brigade. 'While there King George VI inspected the unit so my dad on the parade ground stood at attention as the King passed. After his training he served at Borden camp in Hampshire and then Strensall near York as a soldier of the Durham Light Infantry since that was the county he was born in and lived in. 'This will be another one of those memories I will treasure for ever.' Kelly has spent the last week paying tribute to the long-serving monarch - opening up about her experience meeting the Queen while on Loose Women last week. Honour: Kelly pictured with the Queen during a 2004 reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes at Buckingham Palace Devastated: Kelly, who was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) back in 2005, also took to Instagram on the day to share her upset She joined Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson, Brenda Edwards and Jane Moore on the talk show last week, as she is now set to be a full time panelist. Explaining that Kelly was 'already in tears', Ruth opened the show: 'We will be sharing some very special stories about meeting her and honouring her legacy, starting with playing that, one of her favourite songs, which has already got Kelly in tears.' While the athlete also spent time urging Brits to take part in the minute of silence on Sunday via social media - pleading 'please do not forget'. The Palace announced on September 8 that the queen was ill, before later sharing the tragic news of her death in Balmoral, Scotland, at 6.30pm. Kelly, who was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) back in 2005, took to Instagram on the day to share her upset, writing: 'As you know my has ALWAYS been so invested in everything our Queen stands for! 'I am proud to have served under Our Majesty the Queen for my Country and in Sport. I have been one of the lucky ones to have met the Queen on numerous occasions at horse racing and Buckingham Palace and to receive my Dame Commander of the British Empire from Her Majesty will be something I will hold special in my heart for ever 'I am crying right now as sad she is not well! Crying with/for everyone. Whatever the news.I am just for everyone who cares about her being Ill. Sad for, Our royal family, the military, charities and everyone who has met or loves her because I know you will feel the same as I do.' Editing the caption following the announcement, Kelly then wrote: 'UPDATED 18:45 / DEVASTATED / A VERY SAD DAY / RIP YOUR MAJESTY.' She's long been known to steal the show with her scantily-clad outfits. But Julia Fox put on an uncharacteristically demure display as she arrived at Malpensa Airport ahead of Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday. The actress, 32, flashed some leg in tight black shorts and quirky denim boots as she headed through the terminal, while Lily Allen put on a casual display arriving in Italy. Stylish lady: Julia Fox flashed some leg in tight black shorts and quirky denim boots as she touched down for Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday Julia completed her look with a white and red logo T-shirt, leather jacket and accessorised with an across-the-body bag and dark shades. The brunette beauty wore her long dark tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and opted to go makeup free as she strutted her stuff through the airport. Meanwhile Lily kept things low-key in a black jumper and floaty cream trousers as she made her arrival. Chilled: Meanwhile Lily kept things low-key in a black jumper and floaty cream trousers as she made her arrival She finished off her outfit with comfy white trainers, stylish shades and carried a cigarette in her hand. Julia's latest outing comes in the wake of her opening up about her brief dalliance with Kanye West in an interview with ES Magazine. In it, she revealed that she was the one who initiated the split just before Valentine's Day 2022 due to 'red flags' after a two-month romance. Confident: Julia completed her look with a white and red logo T-shirt, leather jacket and accessorised with an across-the-body bag and dark shades 'The unresolved issues that he was dealing with,' she said when asked what those red flags were. 'It just seems like he had a lot to work on, and I just don't have time for it, or energy. I don't have the bandwidth or emotional capacity for it. I'm proud of myself for that,' she explained. 'Pre-Valentino Julia would have definitely stuck it out and been there for longer,' Fox said, in a reference to her 18-month-old son Valentino that she shares with ex-husband Peter Artemiev. Stepping out: She finished off her outfit with comfy white trainers, stylish shades and carried a cigarette in her hand Fox gave more insight on their relationship and how they linked up: 'He got my number through a mutual friend, period.' The Milan, Italy native went on to share that they had 'a good amount' of romantic sparks, and that she was intrigued to see where the relationship would go. 'I was just going day by day and seeing where it went. It was just like, he still wants to hang out with me today, let's do it. And then real life set in and the lifestyle wasn't suitable. I couldn't fly away once a week. And I tapped out at the first sign of a red flag,' Fox added. The two stars met over New Year's in Miami, and then were quickly spotted together by admiring eyes and cameras over that holiday weekend. In February, the former Playboy model admitted she was never 'in love' with the legendary rapper and producer, and eventually confirmed their split. Rather than be upset, the rising star referred to herself as a '#1 hustler' and hinted that she now plans to write a tell-all book about the short-lived romance. He recently shared a passionate kiss with his film star girlfriend Stella Turian as the duo stepped out in Marbella last week. And James 'Arg' Argent appeared in good spirits as he stepped out for a trip on his Vespa in Essex on Tuesday. The former TOWIE star, 34, cut a casual figure for the outing as he sported a navy coat along with a pair of pink shorts. Out and about: James 'Arg' Argent appeared in good spirits as he stepped out for a trip on his Vespa in Essex on Tuesday Putting safety first with a yellow helmet, James completed his look with a pair of orange trainers. The TV personality, who previously was in an on-off relationship with Gemma Collins, was solo on his outing. James has been seen packing on the PDA with Stella in the Spanish city, where she had been performing with his band at Olivia's La Cala restaurant. Last week, MailOnline revealed that Arg had found love again for the first time since his on-off relationship with Gemma Collins. Couple: James recently shared a passionate kiss with his film star girlfriend Stella Turian (pictured) as the duo stepped out in Marbella last week Trip: The former TOWIE star, 34, cut a casual figure for the outing as he sported a navy coat along with a pair of pink shorts Relaxed: Putting safety first with a yellow helmet, James completed his look with a pair of orange trainers The former TOWIE star is 'smitten' with Italian actress Stella, who is 16 years his junior, after the couple met three months ago in Mykonos. Sources close to the pair say that it was 'love at first sight' for James, who hasn't felt this way for years, and he's 'determined' to make this relationship the best of his life. 'James and Stella are in love, they fell for each other the moment they met and have spent as much time together as possible since,' a source told MailOnline. Loved-up: James has been seen packing on the PDA with Stella in the Spanish city, where she had been performing with his band at Olivia's La Cala restaurant Laid back: The TV personality, who previously was in an on-off relationship with Gemma Collins, was solo on his outing 'This is a big deal for James he hasn't been in a relationship for years because he's been working on himself and finally now, he's ready to share his life with someone. 'The age difference hasn't played any part in their romance so far, they've holidayed together in Italy and Marbella, getting to know each other away from the spotlight.' James met Stella, who would have been six-years-old when he first appeared on TOWIE in 2010, while he was in Mykonos attending a friend's wedding, and they have been inseparable since. David Tennant's adopted son Ty is set to appear in the upcoming episode of House Of The Dragon - the hugely popular prequel to Game Of Thrones. The 20-year-old transformed into his Prince character in a long blond wig and silver armour and will feature in the series from episode six onwards. Ty will play an older version of Aegon Targaryen, the son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower who viewers first saw as a toddler in episode three. Role: David Tennant's adopted son Ty is set to appear in the upcoming next episode of House Of The Dragon - the hugely popular prequel to Game of Thrones The episode six trailer reveals a number of shots of Ty, in which Aegon appears to be told that he will be king, despite his half-sister Rhaenyra having been named heir. The next episode sees a 10-year age jump in the story with actresses Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke joining the cast to play older roles. Ty has followed in his father and mother's footsteps, starring as Tom in H. G. Wells' War of The Worlds. Family: In March 2012 Scottish actor David revealed he had become a 'double dad' after adopting Tyler a year earlier Scenes: The 19-year-old transformed into his Prince character in a long blond wig and silver armour and will feature in the series from episode six onwards The talented teenager has also appeared in Casualty, and made his big screen debut with the role of young Christopher Wisemanin 2019's Tolkien. In March 2012 Scottish actor David revealed he had become a 'double dad' after adopting Tyler a year earlier. The former Doctor Who told Absolute Radio at the time: 'My baby is almost a year old and I adopted my wife's boy last year as well so I became a father twice in six months - that's got to be something of a record hasn't it?' Series: Ty will play an older version of Aegon Targaryen, the son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower who viewers first saw as a toddler (pictured) in episode three Georgia gave birth to Tyler in 2002, when she was just 17. She brought him up alone and has never publicly revealed who the father is. David and Georgia wed in 2011 and went on to have children Olive, eight, Wilfred, six, Doris, four, and welcomed their fifth child together in October. In 2020 Ty spoke of the moment he met David on the set of Doctor Who, aged five. Career: Ty has followed in his father and mother's footsteps, starring as Tom in H. G. Wells' War of The Worlds. The talented teenager has also appeared in Casualty Ty spoke of his close bond with the actor, whom he calls his father, and why he would love to be the third Doctor in the family as he appeared on Lorraine. David met Ty's mum Georgia when she had a guest role in the 2008 episode The Doctor's Daughter- and it was then when Ty met his TV hero. 'It was great, I was five when I first met my dad, my mum was working on Doctor Who at the time,' Ty said. 'I watched him on TV as the hero, and it was crazy how much your life can change.' Nobody believes or claims that the new Congress president, if it is not a Gandhi in the post, will be the supremo of the party or command any de facto power. (Photo: PTI) The primary contest for the Congress presidential polls is seemingly set, though no one can make any firm assertion on the polls till the nominations phase ends on September 30. It is, on the face of it, a very interesting North-South clash, with two good potential presidential candidates, Rajasthan chief minister and party veteran Ashok Gehlot, and parliamentarian from Kerala, the iconoclastic intellectual Shashi Tharoor, taking on each other. Both candidates have met Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, to presumably take her approval to go ahead to contest and her blessings. She has reportedly pledged to be neutral in the lead-up to the elections and be supportive of whosoever the winner is. Nobody believes or claims that the new Congress president, if it is not a Gandhi in the post, will be the supremo of the party or command any de facto power. It seems unlikely that Rahul Gandhi will actually contest, because if he shows any indication or inclination to be in the race, there would be no race and the election would most likely be unanimous. Predictably, as per the Congress working methods and culture, state units are vying with each other in a clamour seeking a default suspension of the election process by requesting, and pleading with, the recalcitrant Rahul Gandhi to take over as the national president of the party. Lost on most commentators is the tiny Hitchcockian signature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this intra-Congress saga. Both Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi take each others jibes and taunts seriously just as PM Modi never wore a suit after the famous suit-boot ki sarkar dig from Rahul, Mr Gandhi and his mother also seem to have taken Mr Modis challenge to them to have a non-Gandhi president of the Congress elected seriously, keen as they are to start shedding the image of a dynasty party. In a season of unrestrained migration of leaders from the Congress towards the BJP, the Gandhi family is also aware of the ambitious Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who has been waiting long enough to lead the government of one of the only two states the Congress rules in India on its own. A victory facilitated by Mrs Sonia Gandhi for Mr Gehlot would ease the Rajasthan impasse nicely; a factor that would play against Dr Tharoor. But that would not be the only factor that seems to tilt the balance in favour of Mr Gehlot. He is from the important northern part of India, a seasoned practitioner of realpolitik, and can without offering a hint of independent thinking or being the owner of a clandestinely rebellious corner in his heart, help the party in the 200-odd seats that will witness a direct Congress-BJP fight for the next Lok Sabha. Dr Tharoor brings in his great charm and ability to energise many sections of the electorate, but none see him as being a serious bet to lead, even if symbolically, the charge against the Modi juggernaut. At any rate, whoever wins the election, the country will hope the person and post would not have to see a redux of the Sitaram Kesri chapter. Angelina Jolie is set for yet another humanitarian effort as she will be visiting Pakistan which has been ravaged by floods amid a devastating humanitarian crisis. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a statement on Monday that the 47-year-old actress will be arriving in the South Asian country to draw attention to the natural disaster which is threatening the lives of millions. Jolie 'is visiting to witness and gain understanding of the situation, and to hear from people affected directly about their needs, and about steps to prevent such suffering in the future,' according to the statement. Good heart: Angelina Jolie (seen in February 2019) is set for yet another humanitarian effort as she will be visiting Pakistan which has been ravaged by floods amid a devastating humanitarian crisis Tragic: The floods were caused by a record of monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan's northern mountain regions which have submerged a third of the country's land (this is a photo taken in Nasirabad last month) The floods were caused by a record of monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan's northern mountain regions which have submerged a third of the country's land. The death toll from the deluge itself has touched 1,559, including 551 children and 318 women, which does not include the disease deaths, the country's disaster management agency said. An intense and long monsoon dumped around three times as much rain on Pakistan than on average in recent weeks, flooded large swathes of the country. Sad: The death toll from the deluge itself has touched 1,559, including 551 children and 318 women, which does not include the disease deaths, the country's disaster management agency said (Taken in Usta Mohammad city in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province on Sunday) Jolie (seen in June 2021) 'is visiting to witness and gain understanding of the situation, and to hear from people affected directly about their needs, and about steps to prevent such suffering in the future,' according to the statement The torrential monsoon was a one in a hundred-year event likely made more intense by climate change, scientists say. Pakistan's minister for climate change Sherry Rehman described the situation as 'the worst humanitarian disaster of this decade.' As they are asking for urgent international help in providing food, tents, and medicines, Jolie will visit the IRC's response operations and local organizations which are assisting the displaced people. The statement said that the A-lister 'will see first hand how countries like Pakistan are paying the greatest cost for a crisis they did not cause. 'The IRC hopes her visit will shed light on this issue and prompt the international community particularly states contributing the most to carbon emissions to act and provide urgent support to countries bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.' Pakistan's minister for climate change Sherry Rehman described the situation as 'the worst humanitarian disaster of this decade (People from flood-affected areas wait to get free food distributed by a charity, in Chachro, near Tharparkar, a district of southern Sindh province pictured on Monday) Anything helps: As they are asking for urgent international help in providing food, tents, and medicines, Jolie will visit the IRC's response operations and local organizations which are assisting the displaced people (tents are seen in Chachro on Monday) The statement said that the A-lister (pictured in October 2021) 'will see first hand how countries like Pakistan are paying the greatest cost for a crisis they did not cause' This will be Jolie's third visit to the country according to the IRC as she had visited in 2005 and 2010 following natural disasters. On Tuesday it was reported that at least nine more people died from water-borne diseases that have attacked tens of thousands of displaced people living in areas devastated by the Pakistan floods, officials said, warning they risked losing control of the spread of infections. Hundreds of people may have died from diseases spreading after the flooding, authorities in the southern Sindh region said, with villagers there saying potable water shortages meant they were drinking and cooking with flood water. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the 'wave of disease and death' has a 'potential for a second disaster' following the flooding. Devastating: On Tuesday it was reported that at least nine more people died from water-borne diseases that have attacked tens of thousands of displaced people living in areas devastated by the Pakistan floods, officials said, warning they risked losing control of the spread of infections (A boy wades through flood waters at Sohbatpur in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province on Monday) 'The IRC hopes her visit will shed light on this issue and prompt the international community particularly states contributing the most to carbon emissions to act and provide urgent support to countries bearing the brunt of the climate crisis,' the statement said, Jolie is pictured in Colombia back in June 2019 Standing water enables mosquitoes to breed and spread vector- borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, it said. As flood waters spread over hundreds of kilometers start to recede, which officials say may take two to six months, stagnant waters have led to diseases like malaria, dengue fever, diarrhoea and skin problems, mainly in Sindh - the worst hit by the floods. The Sindh provincial government said nine people died of gastroenteritis, acute diarrhoea and suspected malaria on Monday. It has reported a total of 318 deaths from diseases since July 1. The report said over 72,000 patients were treated on Monday at makeshift or mobile hospitals set up in flood-hit regions. Over 2.7 million people have been treated at these facilities since July 1, the report said. Greater good: Jolie is as known for her humanitarian efforts as she is her acting due to all the work she has done over decades including in Cambodia, as she is seen in an image from the country posted in February Jolie is as known for her humanitarian efforts as she is her acting due to all the work she has done over decades including in Cambodia. Jolie's family has strong ties to the country as she adopted eldest child Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, 21, from the country and even founded a non-profit charity organization dedicated to environmental security, improving health, and creating peace and stability in all communities in his name called the Maddox Jolie-Pitt (MJP) Foundation. Angelina first witnessed the effects of the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Cambodia while filming 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. She later bought a home in the country in 2003 in order to connect son Maddox with his heritage in an area which had become infiltrated with poachers and threatened endangered species so she purchased it and turned it into a wildlife reserve paving the way for the MJP foundation. In recognition of her conservation efforts King Norodom Sihamoni awarded her Cambodian citizenship on July 31, 2005. Jolie has also served more than two decades as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador for over two decades. Grimes proudly shared a rare photo of her and Elon Musk's daughter, revealing the little one is a fan of techno music. The 34-year-old musician, born Claire Boucher, gave fans a peek at Exa Dark Siderl Musk, nine months, in an adorable pink headband and black onesie as she reached out for a book. 'My daughter is dancing to techno over this copy of the birth of tragedy by nietzsche - what a queen,' the musician captioned the snap, referring to the classic work by the famed German philosopher. Baby joy: Grimes proudly shared a rare photo of her and ex-partner Elon Musk's daughter, revealing the little one is a fan of techno music Underneath she also commented that her daughter seemed to favor a German DJ, writing: 'She loves Boris Brejcha omg shes so hardcore haha.' Earlier this year the Canadian star announced that she welcomed Exa with the Tesla CEO, 51, in December of 2021, via a surrogate. The electronic musician and Musk also share 2-year-old son X A-12 (pronounced Ex Ash A Twelve) whom they welcomed on May 4, 2020, though they were later forced to change the name to X A-Xii due to California naming laws. Parents: Earlier this year the Canadian star, 34, announced that she welcomed Exa with the Tesla CEO, 51, in December of 2021, via a surrogate; Pictured 2018 Grimes and Elon began their relationship back in 2018 and reportedly connected after learning that they both came up with the same pun on Twitter. In September of the following year, Grimes revealed that the two had 'semi-separated,' though they still lived together as they raised their child. In January, she revealed that they were back together but 'very fluid.' Baby boy: The electronic musician and Musk also share 2-year-old son X A-12 (pronounced Ex Ash A Twelve) whom they welcomed on May 4, 2020, though they were later forced to change the name to X A-Xii due to California naming laws Making it work: Last year Grimes revealed that the two had 'semi-separated,' though they still lived together as they raised X, however as of March the couple had split again However, as of March, the couple had split again. The billionaire Tesla founder is also father to twins with Shivon Zilis, a director at one of his companies, whom he reportedly welcomed a month before the arrival of his second child with Grimes. He also shares twins Griffin and Vivian Musk, 18, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian Musk, 16, with his first wife, writer Justine Wilson. The two divorced in 2008. Priyanka Chopra and her daughter Malti Marie are currently in New York as they enjoy their first trip to the city. The 40-year-old first-time mother cuddled with her nine-month-old daughter in a series of photos. The Indian actress wore cute pink pajamas with her hair up in a bun, as she sat on the window pane, looking outside with her baby Malti. First big apple bite: Priyanka Chopra and her daughter Malti Marie are currently in New York as they enjoy their first trip to the city. The 40-year-old first time mother cuddled with her daughter in a series of photos She also posed for the camera, as her baby girl kept looking out the window. Soon after the pictures were shared, friends and fans showered love via the comments section. Dia Mirza, Sonali Bendre, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh and designer Anaita Shroff Adajania dropped red heart emojis. 'Its just perfect,' one of the comments read. Another social media user called Priyanka and Malti 'beautiful.' Even when Priyanka was leaving for the New York, she dropped a series of pictures with her daughter from their car and wrote, 'Big (apple emoji) here we come.' Perfect: Soon after the pictures were shared, friends and fans showered love via the comments section. Dia Mirza, Sonali Bendre, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh and designer Anaita Shroff Adajania dropped red heart emojis New adventures: Our next chapter begins now, and our baby is truly a badass. Lets get it MM! Mommy and Daddy love you. Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and caretakers in my life and out there. You make it look so easy. Thank you. Also.. there is no one Id rather do this with than you. Thank you for making me a mama @nickjonas I love you, Chopra captioned her IG post Chopra and Nick Jonas welcomed their first daughter in January this year. Later in the month of May, PeeCee announced that her daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas was finally home after spending 100 days in NICU. 'On this Mothers Day we cant help but reflect on these last few months and the rollercoaster weve been on, which we now know, so many people have also experienced. After 100 plus days in the NICU, our little girl is finally home,' she wrote. However, the couple has so far not revealed the face of their daughter. On the occasion of Mothers Day on May 9, 2022, Priyanka Chopra posted a photo of herself with hubby Nick Jonas and her bay girl. Blessed: Chopra and Nick Jonas welcomed their first daughter in January this year. Later in the month of May, PeeCee announced that her daughter Malti was finally home after spending 100 days in NICU The actress wrote, 'On this Mothers Day we cant help but reflect on these last few months and the rollercoaster weve been on, which we now know, so many people have also experienced. 'After 100 plus days in the NICU, our little girl is finally home. Every familys journey is unique and requires a certain level of faith, and while ours was a challenging few months, what becomes abundantly clear, in retrospect, is how precious and perfect every moment is.' She further mentioned, 'We are overjoyed that our little girl is finally home, and just want to thank every Doctor, nurse and specialist at Rady Childrens La Jolla and Cedar Sinai, Los Angeles, who were there selflessly every step of the way. Our next chapter begins now, and our baby is truly a badass. 'Lets get it MM! Mommy and Daddy love you. Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and caretakers in my life and out there. You make it look so easy. Thank you. Also.. there is no one Id rather do this with than you. Thank you for making me a mama @nickjonas I love you.' On September 19, Priyanka Chopra impressed the world with her empowering speech on children's rights at the United Nations General Assembly. In a speech shared by the United Nations via Youtube on Monday, the Quantcio star discussed some of the world's most significant issues, including climate change, during her appearance at the 2022 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) opening remarks. UN fan: On September 19, Priyanka Chopra impressed the world with her empowering speech on children's rights at the United Nations General Assembly Global goals: In a speech shared by the United Nations via Youtube on Monday, the Quantcio star discussed some of the world's most significant issues, including climate change, during her appearance at the 2022 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) opening remarks 'We meet today at a critical point in our world, at a time when global solidarity is more important than ever,' the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador shared. 'As countries continue to struggle from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the climate crisis appends lives and livelihoods, as conflicts rage, and as poverty displacement, hunger and inequalities destroy the very foundation of the more just world that we have fought for for such a long time,' Chopra Jonas, continued. 'We owe it to our people, we owe it to our planet,' she said. On the work front, Priyanka has several projects in her pipeline. She is currently working on the Hollywood film Ending Things along with Captain America star Anthony Mackie. Apart from this, she will also be seen in Its All Coming Back. PeeCee will also feature in Farhan Akhtars Bollywood movie titled Jee Le Zaraa in which she will share the screen with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. Priyanka will soon make her OTT debut with Citadel. Andrew Scott cut a dapper figure as he hit the red carpet at the Catherine Called Birdy premiere in London on Tuesday. The Fleabag actor, 45, donned a stylish green suit for the swanky event as he joined his co-stars as well as the movie's director Lena Dunham. Andrew layered the smart jacket over a 1970s inspired beige shirt by King & Tuckfield which featured an oversized collar. Dapper Dan: Andrew Scott, 45, cut a dapper figure in Paul Smith as he hit the red carpet at the Catherine Called Birdy premiere in London on Tuesday Slipping his feet into black shiny dress shoes the actor sported an unshaven face and slicked back his dark locks. The medieval comedy is written and directed by Girls creator Lena and is based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman. And stars 18-year-old Bella Ramsey as the title character, a teenage girl living in 13th-century England. Smarty pants: The Fleabag actor donned a stylish green suit for the swanky event as he joined his co-stars as well as the movie's director Lena Dunham Handsome: Slipping his feet into black shiny dress shoes the actor sported an unshaven face and slicked back his dark locks The official synopsis reads: 'When her father, Sir Rollo (Andrew) is in danger of losing everything thanks to his extreme spending, he tries to marry her off to a wealthy man, though she leans on a series of playful pranks to save herself from being wed to someone she despises'. Joe Alwyn costars as Catherine's beloved uncle, while Billie Piper, Russel Brand and Ralph Ineson are among the all-star cast. It comes after it was revealed Andrew would next play Tom Ripley - the arch conman previously played to aplomb by Matt Damon in the hit 1999 film - in the new Showtime series while Dakota Fanning portrays Marge Sherwood. Big screen: The medieval comedy is written and directed by Girls creator Lena and is based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman (Andrew pictured in the movie) Co-stars: (L-R) Andrew Scott, Bella Ramsey, director Lena Dunham and Joe Alwyn The character of Tom Ripley was created by late novelist Patricia Highsmith and played a defining role through five of her novels and several subsequent film adaptations. In the new series, set in the 1960s, Ripley is hired by a wealthy New Yorker to travel to Italy to convince his wayward son Dickie Greenleaf to return home. But along the way, he starts to weave a complex web of deceit with murderous consequences. Dickie's Venice based American girlfriend - played by Dakota - will slowly suspect Ripley's motives when he shows up looking for him Posing: Andrew posed on the red carpet before heading inside the theatre to enjoy the movie Cast: The cast all posed for photos during the swanky London premiere Olden days: The medieval comedy is written and directed by Girls creator Lena and is based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman (Andrew and Bella Ramsey pictured in the movie) The drama is being adapted from Highsmith's novels by Schindler's List writer Steve Zaillan. The 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by the late Anthony Minghella, starred Matt Damon as Tom Ripley with Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge and Jude Law as doomed jazz musician Dickie. Catherine Called Birdy will have a limited in cinemas from September 23, before streaming on Prime Video starting on October 7. Toni Garrn looked effortlessly chic as she landed in Milan on Tuesday for Fashion Week with a large black baby car seat for her daughter Luca Malaika. The model, 30, cut a stylish figure in a beige jumper which she covered up with a grey blazer as she made the way through the airport with a large suitcase. The beauty teamed the number with a pair of blue wide legged jeans and a chunky black and silver belt. Stunning: Toni Garrn looked effortlessly chic as she landed in Milan on Tuesday for fashion week with a large black baby car seat for her daughter Luca Malaika Toni elevated her frame in a pair of beige suede boots and carried her hand luggage in a large black shoulder bag. She accessorised her ensemble with a silver beaded choker and styled her blonde tresses in loose waves from a centre parting. Toni's 14-month-old daughter Luca, who she shares with Hollywood heartthrob actor Alex Pettyfer, was not in the child car seat the model carried as she arrived in Italy. Looking good: The model, 30, cut a stylish figure in a beige jumper which she covered up with a grey blazer as she made the way through the airport with a large suitcase Incredible: The beauty teamed the number with a pair of blue wide legged jeans and a chunky black and silver belt Toni and her husband Alex, 32, recently married again at a second ceremony on the Greek island of Paros. The couple had been holidaying with Luca in the European country, and Toni revealed in July that she and Alex, 32, said 'I do' once again at a beach-front ceremony. The pair first said I do in an intimate ceremony in Toni's hometown of Hamburg in November 2020. Chic: Toni elevated her frame in a pair of beige suede boots and carried her hand luggage in a large black shoulder bag Sharing a short clip of the pair on Instagram, Toni wrote: 'Yesterday felt like the most beautiful dream. Collecting all pictures.. stay tuned.' Toni wore an elegant backless white wedding dress with a floor-length veil pinned on to her blonde hair. She held a bunch flowers as she stood in front of Alex on a rocky outcrop by the calm azure water. High spirits: She accessorised her ensemble with a silver beaded choker and styled her blonde tresses in loose waves from a centre parting Wow: Toni's 14-month-old daughter Luca, who she shares with Hollywood heartthrob actor Alex Pettyfer, was not in the child car seat the model carried as she arrived in Italy Alex and Toni, born Antonia, will also celebrate the first birthday of their cherubic child in mid-July. The couple originally began dating in 2018 before co-starring as Liam and Olivia in Agata Alexander's 2021 sci-fi directorial debut Warning alongside his father Richard Pettyfer. They tied the knot in her hometown of Hamburg in Germany 10 months after their Christmas engagement. Congratulations! Toni and her of 20 months husband Alex, 32, recently married again at a second ceremony on the Greek island of Paros Toni and Alex were first linked in 2019 on February 24 when they attended Elton John's Oscar party together, but did not confirm their romance until later in the year. Two weeks later, the couple worked together on the film Warning, alongside Alex's father Richard Pettyfer, Rupert Everett, Thomas Jane, Alice Eve and Annabelle Wallis. This engagement is thought to have been third time Alex has popped the question, as he was reportedly engaged to Riley Keough and Marloes Horst. Alex was also rumoured to have been engaged to Dianna Agron, who he dated for less than a year in 2010, but the couple denied the claims. Toni also has a list of high profile exes, including Enrique Murciano, Alexander Skarsgard and Chandler Parsons. The Vogue cover girl famously dated Leonardo DiCaprio for 18 months between May 2013 and December 2014, and the pair sparked reconciliation rumours in 2017 when they were spotted out together on several occasions. Dianna Agron and Christy Turlington displayed their own ideas of office chic as they arrived for the Through Her Lens: Chanel Filmmaker's Luncheon in New York City Tuesday. Dianna, 36, looked sophisticated in a belted camel leather coat with wide lapels and large pockets, pairing it with black and camel slingback shoes. The Berlin, I Love You director pushed the sleeves up to her elbows and carried a black square purse. Sophisticated: Dianna Agron, 36, looked sophisticated in a belted camel leather coat with wide lapels and large pockets at the Through Her Lens: Chanel Filmmaker's Luncheon in New York Tuesday The Glee star's dark blonde locks were styled in loose waves and she wore daytime friendly makeup with a natural pink lip. Christy, 53, donned a white twill jacket with navy blue trim for the gathering. The model paired it with a simple white T-shirt and high waist wide leg jeans with a frill at the cuff. Daytime: The Berlin, I Love You director pushed the sleeves up to her elbows and carried a black square purse. The Glee star's dark blonde locks were styled in loose waves and she wore daytime friendly makeup with a natural pink lip Chic: Christy Turlington, 53, donned a white twill jacket with navy blue trim for the gathering. The model paired it with a simple white T-shirt and high waist wide leg jeans with a frill at the cuff Navy blue: The No Woman, No Cry filmmaker wore navy blue pumps with gold heels and simple gold earrings. She carried a black clutch and the runway veteran's makeup looked natural with a pink lip. The No Woman, No Cry filmmaker wore navy blue pumps with gold heels and simple gold earrings. She carried a black clutch and the runway veteran's makeup looked natural with a pink lip. Katie Holmes, 43, adopted a casual look wearing a brown and tan oversized sweater, a white T-shirt and high waist elephant ear jeans with square toed black flats. She carried a gold quilted cross body bag. The versatile actor began directing in 2017 with the documentary short Eternal Princess. She is now in post-production on Rare Objects, a film in which she co-wrote the script, directed and acted. Rare Objects is expected to be released December 31. Grace Gummer, 36, oozed charm in an ankle-length navy blue coat with black high heels. Casual: Katie Holmes, 43, adopted a casual look wearing a brown and tan oversized sweater, a white T-shirt and high waist elephant ear jeans with square toed black flats. She carried a gold quilted cross body bag Directing: The actress began directing in 2017 with the documentary short Eternal Princess. She is now in post-production on Rare Objects, a film in which she co-wrote the script, directed and acted The Let The Right One In star's dark blonde tresses were styled in loose waves and she displayed her flawless complexion with natural looking makeup and a rose gold lip. The Women Film Critics Circle award winner accessorized her elegant ensemble with simple earrings and a patent leather black bag. She caught up with her longtime friend Dianna Agron as well as actress and writer Cazzie David, 28, after the luncheon. Charm: Grace Gummer, 36, oozed charm in an ankle-length navy blue coat with black high heels Flawless complexion: The Let The Right One In star's dark blonde tresses were styled in loose waves and she displayed her flawless complexion with natural looking makeup and a rose gold lip. Catching up: The Mr. Robot actor caught up with her longtime friend Dianna Agron as well as actress and writer Cazzie David, 28, after the luncheon Pretty in pink: Chase Sui Wonders had on a pink dress with matching jacket The Umbrella Academy star looked hip in a pink and black check Chanel branded shirt and white mini skirt with high heel Mary Jane pumps. Cazzie's long dark hair was parted on the side and styled in natural waves. Jennifer Morrison, 43, chose a power red and black plaid jacket with gold buttons. The This is Us star paired it with a black T-shirt, jeans and patent leather boots. Hip: Cazzie David, 28, looked hip in a pink and black check Chanel branded shirt and white mini skirt with high heel Mary Jane pumps. The Umbrella Academy star's long dark hair was parted on the side and styled in natural waves Power: Jennifer Morrison, 43, chose a power red and black plaid jacket with gold buttons, pairing with a black T-shirt, jeans and patent leather boots The This is Us actor wore her hair in chignon with bangs nicely framing her hazel eyes The Dr. Death director wore her hair in chignon with bangs nicely framing her hazel eyes. The Flight Attendant actor Zosia Mamet, 34, displayed her toned legs and arms, looking stylish in a red twill mini-skirt with gold chair belt, a sleeveless tuxedo shirt and black and white ballet slippers. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, 51, was svelte in an ankle length black dress with Chanel logos. Her brunette hair was styled in long, straight layers. Stylish: Actor and producer Zosia Mamet, 34, displayed her toned legs, looking stylish in a red twill mini-skirt with gold chair belt, a sleeveless tuxedo shirt and black and white ballet slippers Svelte: Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, 51, was svelte in an ankle length black dress with Chanel logos. Her brunette hair was styled in long, straight layers The Through Her Lens program was founded in 2015 by Chanel and Tribeca Enterprises to 'promote emerging and independent voices. From funding and project support to dedicated mentorship, this multifaceted three-day program champions up-and-coming US-based women and non-binary writers, directors and producers,' according to the Tribeca website. Newly announced jury members include actor and director Jennifer Morrison, actors Alexandra Shipp and Thuso Mbedu. Award winning actor Annette Bening will provide mentorship and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will teach a Master Class, as will television director Karyn Kusama. A statement released by Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal declared, 'Now more than ever, the unique perspectives of women need to be front and center in cinema. Tribecas core belief is that art can change the world, and our long-standing partnership with Chanel will pave the way for larger audiences to celebrate the power of storytelling through the lens of female and nonbinary filmmakers.' Teaching: Patty and Jennifer will both be serving in the Through Her Lens program. The Superfly actor will be a jury judge, and the Monster director will teach a Master Class Allison Langdon anchored the Today show solo on Wednesday after her co-host Karl Stefanovic jetted back to Sydney following the Queen's funeral. She began her live broadcast from Buckingham Palace at 8:30pm Tuesday (GMT) without Stefanovic by her side, and acknowledged his absence about an hour later. Referencing the unusually quiet scenes at the palace in London, Langdon explained that Stefanovic was on a flight home to Australia. Allison Langdon (pictured) anchored the Today show solo on Wednesday after her co-host Karl Stefanovic jetted back to Sydney following the Queen's funeral The 43-year-old smiled as she told Sarah Abo and Alex Cullen how 'calm' things were at Buckingham Palace without her rowdy co-host around. 'Thank you, guys. It is so calm and peaceful here,' she said. 'I can't work out if that's because the crowds [from the Queen's funeral] are all gone, or just that Karl's on a plane on his way home!' The 43-year-old smiled as she told Sarah Abo (right) and Alex Cullen (left) how 'calm' things were at Buckingham Palace without her rowdy co-host around Stefanovic had arrived in London on September 13 to cover the death of the Queen. Langdon was on the ground a day earlier, hosting Today alongside Charles Croucher. Nine may be staggering its presenters' flights back to Australia so its flagship news programs, such as the Today show, aren't without both main hosts. It's likely Langdon and other network stars, like Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw, will return to Australia by the end of the week. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. Channel Nine may be staggering its presenters' flights back to Australia so its flagship news programs, such as the Today show, aren't without both main hosts. (Stefanovic and Langdon are pictured with The Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers on Tuesday's show) All the major Australian television networks devoted enormous resources to covering the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Nine, Seven, Ten and the ABC all sent over talent and production staff for the historic occasion, in addition to redeploying their European correspondents to London. Langdon has certainly put in the hours while covering the Queen's funeral. Langdon made international headlines this week for nodding off on set during a break from reporting on Her Majesty's funeral, after broadcasting for 14 hours from Buckingham Palace She made international headlines this week for nodding off on set during a break from reporting on Her Majesty's funeral. After broadcasting for 14 hours from Buckingham Palace, an exhausted Langdon rolled up a jacket to use as a pillow and took a nap on the lap of senior producer Will Hutchinson, who snapped a photo for Instagram. Langdon reposted the photo to her own Instagram Stories on Tuesday, alongside the caption: 'Hour 14. Everything is fine.' The Block contestants Omar and Oz have once again been accused of 'dodgy dealing' after they managed to score a massive bargain. The Western Sydney mates felt the best way to win living and dining room week was to purchase and install a baby grand piano in their space. 'Oz and I, we're really trying hard to get a baby grand piano in this week,' Omar told producers on Tuesday's episode. The Block's Omar and Oz (pictured) have once again been accused of 'dodgy dealing' after they managed to score a massive bargain. The pair felt the best way to win living and dining room week was to purchase and install a baby grand piano in their space 'If we can get that, I think it will really make this room look amazing.' The pair called in piano dealer John Martin to help them source the perfect piano. Mr Martin explained the piano comes with self-playing and recording capabilities. The boys then learned the instrument would cost them a whopping $36,000. The pair called in piano dealer John Martin (left) to help them source the perfect piano. He explained the piano (right) comes with self-playing and recording capabilities Omar and Oz didn't seem too fazed by the astronomical price, saying they would 'sort something out' to get a better deal. '[Mr Martin] did say he'll look after us,' Omar told the cameras. Somehow the pair managed to get the price down to just $8,000 - a massive bargain that raised many eyebrows among the crew. 'How did you get it down to eight grand?' one producer asked, to which Omar replied vaguely: 'I don't know.' The boys learned the instrument would cost them a whopping $36,000, but didn't seem too fazed by the astronomical price Somehow the pair managed to get the price down to just $8,000 - a massive bargain that raised many eyebrows among the crew 'Honestly, you have to be a hustler. You've got to hustle,' he added. This response seemed like a poor excuse, especially after Omar and Oz were accused of being 'dodgy' last week by foreman Keith Schleiger and former contestant Ronnie Caceres. In last Wednesday's episode, Keith spotted a major defect in the boys' ceiling after popping over to inspect the roof of their winning bathroom. The foreman noticed a ceiling joist had been removed to fit a heat light and said it was a huge safety issue that could eventually cause the gyprock to collapse. This response seemed like a poor excuse, especially after Omar and Oz were accused of being 'dodgy' last week by foreman Keith Schleiger and former contestant Ronnie Caceres. Keith was furious after discovered a major defect in their ceiling 'I found something I didn't want to see,' he told them. 'I'm actually disgusted. I'm really angry. I'm fuming.' He continued: 'There's a great big span of about 1,500mm with no framework around it. An IXL Tastic would weigh a couple of kilos. It's going to fall through the plaster.' Omar and Oz assured Keith their team 'does everything by the book', but he was not having it. Keith pointed out the ceiling was already sagging 25mm and the pair lacked insulation throughout the entire house, which needed to be done 'week by week'. He then tore shreds off the boys, accusing them of not doing any work. Keith popped over to inspect the roof of their winning bathroom and noticed a ceiling joist had been removed to fit a heat light. The foreman said it was a huge safety issue Keith (pictured) said it could eventually cause the gyprock to collapse, pointing out the ceiling was already sagging 25mm 'Every time I see you guys - I'm just being honest here - you guys are on the phone. I've never seen you strike a blow. I've never seen you cut anything, nail anything, screw anything,' Keith said. 'No more shonky stuff, guys. This can't happen.' Keith then stormed off before continuing his rant to producers. 'It's just ridiculous... I'm just getting sick of all the dodginess,' he raged. 'It's happening all the time. We're constantly catching them doing the wrong thing and it's simply got to stop.' Omar and Oz assured Keith their team 'does everything by the book', but he was not having it Also last week, the boys faced scrutiny over how little they'd spent so far on tradespeople, leading to suspicions they were not paying them at all. Shortly after returning contestant Ronnie Caceres arrived on the building site, he suspected Omar and Oz were saving money by getting their friends and family to help out for free. If they are in fact using free labour, this gives them an unfair advantage over the other teams, who must use money from their budget to pay their builders, chippies, electricians and plasterers. Alarm bells started ringing for Ronnie, 46, the moment he stepped foot inside Omar and Oz's house and he accused the lads of 'dodgy dealing'. Shortly after returning contestant Ronnie Caceres arrived on the building site, he suspected Omar and Oz were saving money by getting their friends and family to help out for free 'Something is not adding up,' said the franchise veteran-turned-detective. Having competed on the Nine renovation show twice before with his wife Georgia, he knows all there is to know about balancing a budget. So the sight of more than a dozen tradies at work was a major red flag, especially after Omar and Oz stood out for being so under-budget the week before. 'I counted 17 trades at House 5,' Ronnie said, adding: 'Are these all your cousins?' The woman previously said they filmed her and her younger brother in suggestive comedy videos when they were 14 and seven The woman who accused Tiffany Haddish, 42, and comedian Aries Spears, 47, of sexually abusing her and her brother has now ended her lawsuit against them The anonymous woman who accused Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears of sexually abusing her has withdrawn her lawsuit against the two. The 22-year-old woman asked the judge overseeing the case to withdraw her lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday. The former plaintiff, referred to only as Jane Doe, had originally sued the 42-year-old Girls Trip star and the 47-year-old former MADtv fixture for allegedly grooming her and her younger brother when they were 14 and seven, respectively. DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for Haddish for comment. Moving on: A woman accusing Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears of sexually abusing her and her brother when they were 14 and seven, respectively, withdrew her lawsuit, according to documents obtained Tuesday by TMZ. She claimed they filmed sexually suggestive comedy sketches After withdrawing her lawsuit, the woman issued a statement. 'My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us,' she wrote. 'We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.' Notably, Spears was not mentioned at all in the statement, though both appear to be in the clear. Previously, the accuser had called on the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to 'immediately arrest and prosecute' the celebrities. The reason for her change of heart after making such disturbing claims were not immediately known. Permanent: The woman asked a judge to withdraw her lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled in the future; Haddish seen in July in San Diego In her lawsuit accusing the comics of abuse, the anonymous woman said that one of the sketches the group filmed was titled Through a Pedophile's Eyes. The woman and her brother John Doe said they were forced to participate in sexually suggested acts on camera, which left them with crippling emotional scars they are still dealing with today. In addition to filing the lawsuit, Jane Doe sent a letter to the Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, accusing authorities of doing nothing about the case in the nearly two years since it was reported by their mother to the Las Vegas Police in January 2020, according to The Daily Beast. In the letter, Jane Doe alleged Haddish and Spears were mentioned by name in the initial complaint, and that the LVPD transferred the case to the Los Angeles Police Department, but that the LAPD officer assigned to it 'has done nothing with this complaint.' Speaking out: 'My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us,' she wrote in a statement that didn't mention Spears. 'We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us' 'This matter's breadth and complexity require your jurisdictional powers and resources to tackle and end the stream depravity committed by Haddish and Spears,' the letter continued, 'My brother and I are prepared to speak with investigators and prosecutors from your office and provide you with irrefutable evidence that substantiates our allegations.' Earlier in September, Haddish acknowledged her participation in the sketches, saying in a statement on her Instagram page from earlier this month that they were intended to be 'comedic,' but 'it wasn't funny at all.' It was a change in tone after her attorney previously called the allegations 'bogus claims.' Attorneys for Spears, 47, told the Washington Post that he 'Isn't going to fall for any shakedown.' Mum's the word: Though Haddish acknowledged the videos and voiced regret about them, she said she could not provide details as the case was ongoing; seen August 2 in Hollywood Claims: Haddish was alleged to have brought the boy to a home where she and Spears molested him while filming a Funny or Die video titled Through A Pedophiles Eyes; seen in May in Philadelphia Jane and John Doe allege that their mother was friends with Haddish, who recruited them to participate in the videos. Jane said in 2013 that she agreed to partake in a video in which Spears asked her to mimic a video of women eating a sub sandwich in a suggestive manner, noises and all. When Jane did not do as she was told, she said Haddish joined in and instructed her on 'how to give fellatio, including movements, noises, moaning, and groaning,' according to the complaint. The complaint stated that the experience left her scarred and fearful and unable to trust anybody ever since. 'Plaintiff Jane Doe is 22 years of age now and has never dated,' the lawsuit read. 'She is scared that she will be taken advantage of again and led down a path of false trust like the path that Haddish led her down.' The complaint alleged that her brother participated in a sketch video a year later at Spears' home. This was the video titled The Mind Of A Pedophile, and it depicted John Doe as a seven-year-old left alone with a pedophilic babysitter played by Spears. According to The Daily Beast, John wore only his underwear throughout the video, and Spears rubbed baby oil on his body. By the end of the video, Spears was reportedly shirtless and received a massage from John. John Doe now claims to be afraid of being watched or recorded, to the extent that he puts 'band-aids over all the cameras on his electronics,' and has lived an isolated life since the video. 'I don't got no friends, I don't trust nobody, I'm scared of adults, I refuse to be recorded or take pictures because I am scared of weird-a** adults trying to do nasty stuff to me again,' he wrote in the complaint. 'I spend all of my time in my room and do not go anywhere because I don't trust anybody.' Missed the mark: In a statement posted to her Instagram earlier this month, Haddish said the skits were intended to be 'comedic,' but 'it wasn't funny at all.' Doe filed the lawsuit pro se, meaning she will is representing herself in the case. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Haddish' attorney Andrew Brettler said Doe's accusations were 'bogus' and that a host of attorneys who had considered taking the case agreed. 'Plaintiff's mother, Trizah Morris, has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years,' he said, 'Every attorney who has initially taken on her case and there were several ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down.' 'Now, Ms. Morris has her adult daughter representing herself in this lawsuit. The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action.' On defense: In a statement to DailyMail.com, Haddish' attorney Andrew Brettler said Doe's accusations were 'bogus' and that a host of attorneys who had considered taking the case agreed; seen in April in Las Vegas Fighting back: Attorneys for Spears, 47, told the Washington Post that he 'Isn't going to fall for any shakedown'; seen in 2020 in New Jersey Though Haddish acknowledged the videos and voiced regret about them, she said she could not provide details, as the case was ongoing. 'I know people have a bunch of questions. I get it. I'm right there with you. Unfortunately, because there is an ongoing legal case, there's very little that I can say right now. 'I really look forward to being able to share a lot more about this situation as soon as I can.' The siblings also said that their mother previously tried to reach a $15,000 settlement with Spears over the alleged molestation video. Their mother alleges in a statement to The Daily Beast that she met Haddish through comedy and the two developed a close bond as they were both going through divorces at the time. According to the lawsuit, Haddish called the family for 'every birthday and every Christmas.' Funny or Die, a comedy website John's video was filmed for, shared a statement with TMZ saying it had no involvement in creating the 'absolutely disgusting' sketch, and it claimed the video was uploaded as user-generated content and removed as soon as they learned of it. Student Maisam was booted from the Great British Bake Off on Tuesday. The budding baker, 18, fought back tears as the judges revealed she was going home during biscuit week. In a piece to camera shortly afterwards, Maisam said that it was only the beginning of her baking journey and said she's tremendously 'proud' of her efforts. 'I've done something to be proud of': Student Maisam, 18, fought back tears as she was booted off the Great British Bake Off on Tuesday 'I think I'm definitely proud as I'm only 18, so at this age, I've done something to be proud of,' she said. She added: 'This is not the end of my baking journey, it's where it starts.' Her fellow contestants and fans alike seemed shock that she was sent home during the second episode. Upset: Her fellow contestants and fans alike seemed shock that she was sent home during the second episode Her co-stars rushed to comfort her after the shock news. 'I was hoping to see more of Maisam. Her gutted face was a picture of a thousand skills and ideas that we won't get to see now,' one viewer tweeted on Tuesday. Another added: 'Well done Maisam! Keep baking! You are awesome!' 'I was hoping to see more of Maisam. Her gutted face was a picture of a thousand skills and ideas that we won't get to see now,' one viewer tweeted on Tuesday Another added: 'Well done Maisam! Keep baking! You are awesome!' Maisam, who is from Greater Manchester, failed to impress the judges with her Venetian mask creation and her carrot-shaped biscuits. Meanwhile her co-star Maxy, 29, won star baker for her efforts during the episode. In a letter to fans after the show, Maisam said the show was 'life-changing' for her. Best efforts: Maisam, who is from Greater Manchester, failed to impress the judges with her Venetian mask creation and her carrot-shaped biscuits (pictured is her mask) Doing well: Meanwhile her co-star Maxy, 29, won star baker for her efforts during the episode 'It was one of the best decisions I have made in my life,' she said. 'To go from baking in my own kitchen and into the tent just shows that you shouldn't underestimate your passions, because they can take you places that you'd never imagine.' She added: 'This is the very start of my baking journey and I am excited to see what comes next.' 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Skip to main navigation For Release: Tuesday, September 20, 2022 DEC Announces National Search for New Deputy Commissioner for Climate Change, Air Resources, and Energy During Climate Week Deputy Commissioner to Advance Implementation of New York's Nation-Leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a national search to identify a new Deputy Commissioner of Climate Change, Air Resources, and Energy. The Deputy Commissioner is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of the State's programs to monitor, protect, and improve air quality through DEC's Division of Air Resources and the implementation of New York's efforts to reduce climate-altering emissions, ramp up renewable energy sources, and help communities adapt to climate change to achieve the goals of the State's ambitious Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The announcement was made during Climate Week 2022. The incoming Deputy Commissioner will replace Jared Snyder, who is retiring in December after 15 years with DEC. "New York is launching a national search to find someone with the experience, expertise, energy, and vision to meet the moment and help us combat climate change, maximize the economic benefits of our transition to cleaner energy sources, and ensure all communities benefit from our actions," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "This is a critical time in our global fight against climate change and we can't afford to skip a beat, and DEC's new Deputy Commissioner for Climate Change, Air Resources, and Energy has massive shoes to fill. I want to thank Jared Snyder who has served in this important role for 15 years as a nationally recognized and respected leader on climate and clean air." The Deputy Commissioner will lead DEC's development and implementation of regulations and strategies to implement and achieve the nation-leading emissions reduction targets of the CLCPA. The Deputy Commissioner will oversee the implementation of strategies to achieve clean and healthy air quality for all New Yorkers, coordinate with other agencies and authorities on clean energy and climate matters, and represent the Commissioner and DEC on energy planning processes. The Deputy Commissioner will also advise the Commissioner on federal regulatory and legislative actions regarding climate change and air quality. Visit DEC's website to learn more about the Office of Climate Change and Division of Air Resources and visit the Climate Act website (leaves DEC website) to learn about New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. For more information, see the full listing on the StateJobsNY website (leaves DEC website). Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's degree and nine years of experience in a field related to environmental conservation, protection, or natural resources. At least four years of managerial experience, including responsibility for implementation of program goals and objectives within established budgets, and supervision or coordination of staff to achieve specific objectives. A Master's degree may be substituted for one year of the non-managerial experience and a Ph.D. may be substituted for two years of the non-managerial experience. HYDERABAD: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take police custody of four accused for questioning in connection with the alleged terror classes conducted by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The NIA on Tuesday filed a petition before the court seeking police custody, alleging that they had conducted classes for more than 300 youth. NIA officials who had conducted raids in Telangana, especially in Nizamabad, and AP a few days ago had arrested four persons and produced them before the court for judicial remand: Mohammed Syed Yahiya Sammer, 22, of Ahmedpura of Nizamabad district; Mohammed Irfan, 36, of Rahmatpur, Jagtial; and Sheik Feroz Khan, 22, of Shanthinagar. Adilabad, and Mohammad Osman, resident of Shamirpet, Medchal district. In its remand report, the NIA said that the PFI members had organised special camps at different places by luring youth and imparted them training to create disturbances and indulge in criminal conspiracy. The accused with the assistance of as-yet-unidentified sources had obtained funds to carry out training sessions at different places. "On the pretext of providing karate training, the PFI members lured more than 300 youth from rural areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by identifying them through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and others. After having a chat with the youth, the PFI members organised camps in Nizamabad and imparted (training in) terror acts to create law and order issues and to wage a war against the Indian government," the NIA said. NIA officials said they needed to question the four accused to obtain more leads. Meanwhile, the NIA officials, who questioned more than nine persons in connection with the case, are likely to detain them. She told them that she was unwell and could not complete the homework given by her maths teacher. Representational Image/Video grab Hyderabad: A maths teacher of a private school at Chaderghat allegedly beat a nine-year-old class IV student for not completing the homework. The student alleged that the teacher hit her on her cheeks, leaving her in severe pain for two days. Chaderghat additional inspector V. Bal Gopal said police had registered a case and started an investigation. The student along with her father lodged a complaint with the police on Monday. She told them that she was unwell and could not complete the homework given by her maths teacher. Though I was sick and only one page of the homework was pending, I was beaten badly. Even after telling that I was sick, the teacher did not spare me, she told police. Her father added that the school had delayed in issuing books for a long time. But when my daughter was unwell and could not complete the homework, the teacher beat her badly. The child is suffering from pain for two days now, he said. HYDERABAD: In a new twist to the case of alleged sexual harassment by TRS leader Vijay Simha Reddy, his mother Sharada on Tuesday complained to the DCP, West Zone, that her son was framed in the case at the behest of a TRS leader from Borabanda. She alleged that the victim, her husband and the TRS leader were planning to kill Vijay Simha Reddy, and sought police protection. They planned to take Vijay Simha Reddy to a farm house in Moinabad and kill him, but he suspected them and escaped. Sharada claimed in her complaint said that the victim in the harassment case, a 31-year-old GHMC contract employee, had forced Vijay Simha Reddy to talk to her and made calls frequently. Earlier, Panjagutta police said they had recorded the victims statement and were obtaining medical reports and other technical evidence. The victim was discharged from hospital late on Monday. Meanwhile, BJP and the Congress held protests demanding the immediate arrest of Vijay Simha Reddy. They accused the police of going easy on the TRS leader. The accused told the police that he had not gone to the victims house, as alleged by her, and released some purported WhatsApp conversations between them. Belagavi: Several leaders and activists of Sri Rama Sene staged a protest in this border city on Monday against Iftar hosted by Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji of Pejawar Math in Udupi last month. Notwithstanding a clarification issued by the seer, these leaders and activists, wearing black bands, staged at protest at Dharmaveer Sambhaji Chowk, today. They shouted slogans against the seer for serving food to Muslims and allowing them to offer prayers in the Math premises. They alleged that the seer's decision to host Iftar has hurt the sentiments of Hindus. Promoting members of a community which indulged in stone-throwing on soldiers on the border and bursting crackers in favour of Pakistan was against nation's interests, the protesters said. The head of Pejawar Mutt, who worked for decades to strengthen Hindu religion and constituted the backbone of Hindus should never have committed such a mistake, they said. On Sunday, the seer remained firm on his stand saying Those who are opposing the Iftar do not know the Shastras well enough. How has this (Iftar) harmed Dharma? I am not affected by the protest. His statement came on a day when Pramod Muthalik, president of Sri Rama Sene, led a protest along with members of various Hindu organizations in Bengaluru. A similar protest was witnessed in Udupi with members of Sri Rama Sene and Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samithi demanding cleansing of Sri Krishna temple. The main runway at the Meenambakkam airport is set to be extended to 4.058 km paving the way for wide-bodied aircraft like the Airbus A-380 series, to use the international airport. (Photo by arrangement) Tamil Nadu news roundup: A quick summary of most important developments in Tamil Nadu Main Chennai Airport runway to be extended The main runway at the Meenambakkam airport is set to be extended to 4.058 km paving the way for wide-bodied aircraft like the Airbus A-380 series, which has three decks of floors, to use the international airport, where passenger traffic had been increasing by the day, forcing the authorities to look for a site to construct a second airport for Chennai. Since the Greenfield Airport, proposed to be set up at Parandur with ultra-modern facilities, might take a while to become operational with even land acquisition for the project not yet started and the plan was never to abandon the present airport in Meenambakam, the runway extension work is likely to start soon in right earnest making use of 10.20 acres of land, handed over to the Airports Authority of India recently by the State government. Even otherwise, work on the construction of modern terminals for the international and domestic airports in Meenambakkam, spread out on 1,350 acres of land, is going on at a cost Rs 2,400 crore, and the new plan to extend the old runway by another 400 metres will only enable the landing and taking off of bigger aircraft like Airbus A-380 that are part of the fleet of carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines that operate services to Chennai. Chennai will soon join the select club of Indian airports with the facility for operating modern aircraft like Airbus A-380, which is now available only in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Those aircraft with a seating capacity upto 746 seats in three floors have never landed in Chennai, which had seen many other aviation marvels like the Concorde and also the Airbus A 400M Atlas. Justice T Raja to be acting CJ of Madras High Court Justice T Raja will be performing the duties of Chief Justice of the Madras High Court from Sept. 22 as the current Acting CJ M. Duraiswamy retires on Sept. 21. Justice Raja had his education in Madurai District and studied Law at the Madurai Law College. He was elevated as Judge of the Madras HC in 2009. Battle for AIADMK goes to EC As former CM Edappadi Palaniswami is in New Delhi to meet the top officials of the Election Commission of India to press his case for recognition of his control of a majority of the AIADMK party, his former colleague and former CM O. Panneerselvam is in Varanasi praying at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. While EPS is going ahead with running the party, OPS believes he can rope in Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and somehow merge everyone into the AIADMK, provided his claim to the party is accepted by the courts but he faces hurdles there as the party majority is what is accepted as the current legal position. HYDERABAD: Justice Kanneganti Lalitha of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the Director-General of Police to issue a circular directing police officers to not conduct raids, seize or stop the manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of tobacco products like khaini, kharra, scented tobacco or flavoured tobacco and other tobacco products. The judge said the circular issued to that effect to police officers must be produced before the High Court on Wednesday, otherwise the DGP would have to appear before the court. Justice Lalitha issued these orders following the interim orders issued by the Supreme Court staying the notification issued by the state government which had banned the sale of gutka and tobacco products in packets or sachets. Some gutka traders approached the High Court alleging that the police had conducted raids and seized stocks despite the Supreme Court orders. They also informed the High Court that a division bench of the High Court had given a clarification that the Supreme Court orders shall be followed by the police. They complained that even after seizing the stock from them, the police were not producing it before the courts concerned. Taking a serious view of the matter, Justice Lalitha ordered government counsel for home to submit whether or not the seized stock were deposited before the courts. If they were submitted, Justice Lalitha said, the details should be submitted to the court. The first-year postgraduate medical student suffered deep wounds from multiple bites on her arms, legs and other body parts. She was immediately taken to the hospitals casualty ward for treatment. (Image: PTI) HYDERABAD: A medico was attacked by a pack of 11 stray dogs in the early hours of Tuedsay at the Government General & Chest Hospital in Erragadda as she was leaving to attend to patients. The first-year postgraduate medical student suffered deep wounds from multiple bites on her arms, legs and other body parts. She was immediately taken to the hospitals casualty ward for treatment. The incident occurred about 2 am as the student was walking toward the hospital building when the strays attacked her. On hearing her screams and noticing the incident, patients attendants scared the dogs away and rescued her. However, by the time help arrived, the medical student had suffered significant wounds from dog bites. This is the second time that hospital staff had been bitten by stray dogs on the premises, most probably by the same pack. According to Dr S. Srikanth, head of the Osmania Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA), the first incident had occurred a few months ago. He said the terror of strays has gripped doctors and medical staff. No steps were initiated to deal with the dog numbers despite the matter being brought to the attention of officials concerned. Further, Dr Srikanth said the dog menace was not limited to the Government General & Chest Hospital. Other government hospitals such as the Institute of Mental Health, Erragadda, were also affected. Chest Hospital superintendent Dr Mahaboob Khan, stated that strays frequently prowled the hospital, given the campus' size and proximity to an urban forest. "Since a year ago, we've been attempting to capture every dog. To that end, we've been calling the municipal dog squad twice a week. They frequently visit and catch some dogs. There have been one or two cases of dog bites. We've done everything we can to prevent such incidents, he said. New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking commencement of the delimitation exercise in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state, which would lead to an increase the number of seats in the two state legislatures. The SC move created a buzz in political circles in both Telugu states as the strength of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly would go up from 175 to 225 and that of Telangana state from 119 to 153, if the petitioner had his way. With elections just an year away in Telangana state, the enhancement in seats would be an advantage to the TRS as it would be able to accommodate more aspirants who could otherwise turn rebels if denied tickets in the present set-up. We have been constantly demanding that the Centre enhance seats. Now we will file an affidavit making a strong pitch for the increase in seats, senior TRS leader and former MP B. Vinod Kumar told Deccan Chronicle. Congress senior leader Marri Sashidhar Reddy who has been championing the demand for increase in seats, both politically and legally, was of the view that Centre would be pushed to either cancel enhancement of seats in Jammu and Kashmir or allow the same for the two Telugu States. There will be two possibilities. First, the delimitation process in J&K should be declared violative of Constitutional and statutory provisions and elections in J&K will have to be held on the basis of the existing Assembly constituencies. Second, it can pave the way for the process of increasing the number of seats in both the Telugu States, Shashidhar Reddy told Deccan Chronicle. When contacted, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar refused to react on the subject. YSRC MLA and AP Planning Board vice chairman Malladi Vishnu said that the Centre had already assured to increase the Assembly seats according to the fresh census. "The Governance, administration and service to the public will be better with the increase in the number of MLA seats and legislators can closely work with people. But if the seats are increased instantly without a Census base there would be chances of legal hurdles," he opined. YSR Congress MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy brought decentralisation of governance by establishing village/ward secretariats and also forming new districts taking administration near to the public. "Similarly the increase in the number of Assembly seats to 225 from the present 175 will help people meet their legislators easily. This will also increase the present seven Assembly segments in each Parliament constituency to nine," he said, adding that it is the right of AP state. When asked, YSRC state party joint secretary Karumuru Venkata Reddy said, "The increase in the number of MLA seats is the right of the people of Andhra Pradesh accorded in the AP Reorganisation Act and it is better if the MLA seats are increased before the elections of 2024." He said that in several constituencies where there population is huge, MLAs are facing a lot of difficulties to meet people under the Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam mass contact programme and this move will resolve the issue. "Hoped that the SC will give a proper verdict considering the rights of AP and Telangana states," he said. Though the AP Reorganisation Act provides for delimitation in the two states, the Centre avoided it stating that another Constitutional provision renders it impossible till at least after 2031. But, the pitch has been queered by the Centre allowing the delimitation of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On Monday, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice K.M Joseph and Justice Hrishikesh Roy, while issuing notice, tagged the petition filed by one K. Purushottam Reddy with a pending petition on the delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on September 29 when the J&K delimitation matter is listed for consideration. Appearing for Prof. Reddy advocate Rao Ranjit said the Section 26 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014 was the same as those specifying delimitation relating to J&K in 2019. Rao Ranjit said while the delimitation exercise in case of J&K was nearly complete but it is yet to start in the case of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While the Sinha Commission had put the EWS number at about 18 crores, the Niti Aayogs multidimensional poverty index puts it at 25.1 crore. (Representational Photo: DC) New Delhi: The Central government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections amongst general category of population was an affirmative action and distinct from the 50 per cent reservations provided for the SC, ST and OBC community, and does not impinge on it. The SC has previously capped reservations at 50 per cent. Describing the EWS reservation introduced in 2019 by way of the 103st Amendment to the Constitution as an affirmative action, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told a Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice J.B. Pardiwala that it was aimed to benefit members of the nearly 18 crore economically weaker segment of population falling under the general category. While the Sinha Commission had put the EWS number at about 18 crores, the Niti Aayogs multidimensional poverty index puts it at 25.1 crore. Addressing the argument of the petitioners opposing the EWS reservation that it was beyond the 50 per cent cap on the reservation imposed by the top court by its 1992 judgment in the Indra Sawhney case, Attorney General told the Constitution bench that the cap was for the SC, ST and OBC communities who formed a homogeneous group. He said that the SC/ST and OBC and EWS amongst general category are two distinct compartments. The Attorney General emphasised that 10 per cent EWS reservation was within the 50 per cent space left out for the general category and should not be clubbed with reservation for SC/ST and the OBCs. Adverting to the argument that the EWS reservation was discriminatory as it does not extend to similarly placed economically weaker categories in SC/ST and the OBCs, Attorney General Venugopal said that theirs (SC/ST & OBC) is a self-contained reservation that also included economically weaker segments. He said they drive far additional advantages besides the reservation in educational institutions and public jobs. Drawing a distinction between the reservation for SC/ST and the OBC on one hand and the EWS on the other, the Attorney General said that EWS reservation is not an extension of the SC/ST reservation but a distinct category that has evolved over a period of time. Beside Attorney General Venugopal, the daylong hearing on the fourth day saw the petitioner, Youth for Equality, supporting EWS reservation but opposing it being carved out of the remaining 50 per cent for the general category seats. It said that it violated the basic structure of the Constitution. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu which is opposing the EWS reservation argued that the economic criteria in itself cannot be a classification for grant of reservation and if economic weakness was to be accepted as a basis of reservation then it would require revisiting the 1992 nine-judge bench in the Indra Sawhney case. Telling the constitution bench that the crux of the matter for the consideration of the court is whether we can think of reservation for the upper castes, he said this would lead to a new understanding of equality under Article 14 of the constitution which is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and in such a situation it would require revisiting the top courts 1973 judgment in Kesavananda Bharti case. In the course of the hearing, Chief Justice Lalit said the court was not adjudicating on the parameters for the grant of the EWS reservation but on the concept of the legal, and constitutional footings of reservation based on economic basis. Justice Lalit said this as a lawyer urged the court whether a person having an income of Rs. 50,000/- a month, or four acres of agricultural land or 1,000 square yard of plot in urban areas could be treated hailing from an economically weaker background. The Attorney General Venugopal will continue his arguments today. WARANGAL: Students at some government educational institutions are under severe pressure from their respective college administrations to pay development and maintenance charges, with threats of not being promoted or allotted marks if they do not do so on time. Many government colleges have begun sending messages to special WhatsApp groups asking students to pay up. Some students said managements had told them not to attend college if they failed to pay their maintenance fee or simply marked them absent. Some students said college administrations even threatened them with blocking good grades or promotion to the next class. Furthermore, they warn students that if they do not pay the maintenance fee, they will be unable to attend seminars and exams. Students at the Government Polytechnic College for Women in Hanamkonda claimed that the administration had been forcing them to pay `1,000 in the name of Development and Maintenance Fund and an additional `100 for the Telangana Green Fund for the past month. The college collected the same amount last year. "We belong to a poor family, my parents are providing us an education by facing a lot of hardships," one of the students told the Deccan Chronicle under the condition of anonymity. She stated that she paid development and maintenance fees last year, and that the college administration forced her to pay the money again this year. "They don't give us time to adjust the money. Rs 1,000 may not seem like much to some, but it is to my parents. What should I tell my parents, and where should I get money," she asked. Prabhakar, a government college principal, told the Deccan Chronicle that the teachers were not at fault. The government had directed colleges to collect funds from students for the Development and Maintenance Fund and the Telangana Green Fund. We informed the students about the payment of money one month ago. If any student had any problems, they were also allowed to pay accordingly. However, no student is threatened that they will not be promoted or allowed to take the exams. Furthermore, the teachers are generous to the students and have helped many of them on numerous occasions, he explained. HYDERABAD: Market borrowings of Telangana state government in the current fiscal (2022-23) will touch Rs. 18,000 crore with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set to auction bonds on Tuesday to raise another Rs 500 crore. The government is eligible to borrow Rs. 53,970 crore (3.5 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product) in the current fiscal 2022-23 as per the provisions of the FRBM Act from the market. However, the Union finance ministry has recently communicated to the state government that Net Borrowing Ceiling (NBC) for Telangana has been fixed at Rs. 42,428 crore, taking into account the off-budget borrowing through various corporations and bank guarantees given in the last three years. If restrictions on off-budget borrowing are taken into account, the total loan cuts imposed on Telangana will be Rs. 15,033 crore. If only market borrowings are considered, the state government is left with a balance of Rs. 24,428 crore that it can borrow till March 31, 2023. The state government has sought permission to raise Rs. 9,000 crore in the second quarter (July-September) through auction of bonds by the RBI. However, the Centre permitted the government to raise Rs, 10,500 crore till September 20, which is Rs. 1,500 crore more than it had sought. Contrary to this, the state government faced huge cuts in the first quarter (April-June). The state government had sought permission to raise Rs. 15,000 crore through auction of bonds from April to June. The Centre halted loans completely in April and May and allowed the state government to raise loans of just Rs. 7,000 crore in June resulting in a deficit of Rs. 8,000 crore. Funds funda Rs. 53,970 crore - TS eligible to borrow in 2022-23 under the FRBM Act Rs. 42,428 crore - Ceiling on borrowing imposed by Union finance ministry Rs. 9,000 crore - TS wanted to raise in July-September Rs.10,500 crore - Borrowing Centre permitted till September 20 Rs. 15,000 crore - TS wanted to raise via bonds from April to June Rs. 7,000 crore - Loans Centre allowed for TS in June, resulting in Rs. 8,000 crore shortfall Brussels will take action against Budapest and its alleged corruption by not giving the funds to the EU member. The bloc member will not be given the funds totaling $7.5 billion that should be given to Hungary. The Bloc Refuses To Release Funds to Hungary According to Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn, the suspension is intended to safeguard the EU's funds. When speaking to the press, he stated that the decision is a clear example of the Commission's determination to secure the EU budget and employ all available tools to achieve this objective, reported RT. The funds would come from Hungary's "cohesion monies," which are intended to assist EU countries in delivering their economies up to the Bloc's requirements. In April of this year, Brussels initiated an unprecedented protocol against Hungary. For instance, the Hungarian government recently claimed that it seeks to create an anti-corruption authority that will supervise the utilization of EU funds by the end of September. Nevertheless, Hahn mentioned that Hungary's timeframe to adequately enforce the appropriate precautions is extremely narrow, noted CSM Times. He stated that there is still a threat to the funding at this phase, and therefore we cannot reach the conclusion that the EU budget is appropriately secured. Read Also: Vladimir Putin: 3 Facts You Didn't Know About Russia's President - From His Judo Records to His KGB Pseudonym The Commission's proposition is now awaiting approval by the EU Council, which will make its judgment within one month. Hungary will then be given one month to respond or request a postponement, which implies the Commission might freeze the financing as early as November 19. The government is expected to suggest a set of anti-corruption policies next week and mention that it will be prepared to implement the vast bulk of its "corrective" provisions by that closing date, citing the Thread Times. In a symbolic vote not favorable to Viktor Orban's government earlier this week, members of the European Parliament proclaimed that the bloc member is no longer eligible as a constitutional republic and that it has become rather a hybrid system of voter autocracy due to the country's alleged lack of regard for basic rights and the rule of law. Hungary an Autocratic State The purely symbolic event is triggered as the EU is supposedly getting ready to cut financial support to offending members, mentioned News 7D. With the EU criticizing Hungary for corrupt practices and Prime Minister Viktor Orban disobeying the Bloc on migrants and anti-Russian punitive measures, the schism between Budapest and the EU is increasing, as the European Parliament on Thursday ended up voting to classify the rebellious state as an electoral autocracy. By a vote of 433 to 123, the legislature voted to change Hungary's status from "democratic" to a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy." Hungary opposed a report, which is yet another effort by federalist European political parties to disparage Hungary and its Christian-democratic, conservative government and is predicated on subjective views and blatantly partisan statements. Brussels is keen on sanctioning Budapest by not releasing funds due to alleged corruption. The bloc member has not sanctioned Russia and opposed the EU many times as well. Related Article: Hungary-EU Row: Prime Minister Viktor Orban Claims Brussels Wanted Him To Lose the Democratically Conducted Election @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has said that the civil court concerned had looked into the background facts and conduct of former president of Jubilee Hills Cooperative House Building Society and NTV founder T. Narendra Chowdary in incorporating certain clauses (in a development agreement) prejudicial to the interest of the society. The division bench comprising Justice P. Naveen Rao and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao was dealing with an appeal filed by Landman Ventures challenging the civil court order which upheld the termination of the companys development agreement by the present managing committee of the society. The High Court dismissed the appeal filed by the infra company. Former society president Chowdary and former secretary T. Hanumantha Rao had entered into an agreement with Landman Ventures (previously known as Manthena Infra) for developing prime land adjacent to Chiranjeevi Blood Bank. Claiming that the agreement was in favour of the infra company and detrimental to the interests of the society, the incumbent committee terminated the agreement. The lower court gave a ruling that the irrevocable clause incorporated in the agreement was in violation of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 and the previous committee erred in entering into the agreement without the statutory permission of the Registrar of Coooperative Societies. It also pointed out that the former secretary Hanumantha Rao went on to become a representative of the company. As per the development agreement, the copy of which is available with Deccan Chronicle, the society agreed for a 40 per cent share in the project. While the developer was at liberty to sell his 60 per cent share any time, the land owner (society) must offer its share to the developer under the first right of refusal clause. The society could sell land to a third party only if the developer refused to buy it. Similarly, there was no sale price restriction on the developer, but the society was enjoined to offer its share to the developer at a price not higher than the market value. In written agreements the market value usually refers to the one fixed by the state government for determining the registration fee. While the prohibitive cost could be an issue right now, it could get better with more players entering the manufacturing field. Representational Image/Pixabay Hyderabad: An increasing number of hospitals are carrying out robot assisted surgeries, although expensive, as they offer numerous advantages to both patients and surgeons. According to surgeons, these procedures will inevitably become more popular due to their benefits, while also becoming less expensive. After KIMS Hospital and Care Hospitals announced the launch of fully automated robotic systems in the past week, even the government hospital, MNJ Cancer Hospital, will start offering robotic assisted surgeries in a few months after procuring the necessary equipment. Senior oncologist at MNJ Hospital Dr C. Sairam believes such procedures are preferable for certain surgeries, such as those carried out for prostate cancer. He said the equipment was expensive to procure, and each surgery requires the usage of equipment costing Rs 8 lakh because it is not possible to reuse it. Surgeons say such surgeries would not just be used for complex surgeries but may become the norm in future. Dr Sai Laxman Anne, head of department (HoD, orthopaedics at Kondapur KIMS Hospitals, said the idea was also to standardise routine surgeries. Robot assisted surgeries will help surgeons operate on as many people as possible while maintaining the same accuracy, and eliminate human fatigue. For example, while sawing through bone, the robot will provide uniform cutting, generate less heat, reduce soft tissue trauma and chances of infection and lead to lesser post-operative pain, he said. While the prohibitive cost could be an issue right now, it could get better with more players entering the manufacturing field. The procedure is quite expensive, as there are only a couple of firms in the world which manufacture medical robots. Once they are manufactured locally, the rate may drop by 6-7 times, said Dr Kishore B. Reddy, HoD, orthopedics and orthopaedics oncology at Amor Hospital. Chief of Medical Services, CARE Group, Dr Nikhil Mathur said such surgeries were being used in all major medical specialities such as neurology and gynaecology. The expense depends from procedure to procedure and from robot to robot, but it is definitely a little higher than laparoscopic surgeries. As technology advances, the procedures will further improve, Dr Mathur said. The parents told the media that one Indo-Arab consultancy in Karimnagar lured the unemployed youths in the name of allotting them computer operator jobs abroad. After collecting `2 lakh from each, the consultancy sent them to Cambodia in the first week of September.(Representational Image/DC) KARIMNAGAR: Six youths from Karimnagar district were stranded in Cambodia as they got trapped in the hands of a cyber scam gang. The incident came to light when the youths sent a video message on Whatsapp to their parents on Monday. The parents immediately rushed to lodge a complaint with police commissioner Satyanarayana. The parents told the media that one Indo-Arab consultancy in Karimnagar lured the unemployed youths in the name of allotting them computer operator jobs abroad. After collecting `2 lakh from each, the consultancy sent them to Cambodia in the first week of September. After reaching there, the job agencies, instead of allocating the youths the computer jobs, began forcing them to indulge in cyber crimes like crypto-currency, credit card scam and honey traps. The cyber scam gang even threatened the youths that they will not be given their passports back if they refused to do what they were asked to do, and will be sent to jail on the charges of cybercrime, the parents here said. The gang members are demanding that the youths pay `2.4 lakh each to send them back to India. The youths were tortured by the gang by beating them and giving them current shocks, alleged the parents. The district administration organised the double puncture laparoscopy (DPL) technique in the sterilisation camp at the Civil Hospital in Ibrahimpatnam of Rachakonda police limits on August 25. A total of 34 cases were operated and discharged.(Representational image) HYDERABAD: A group of angry people tried to assault Ranga Reddy district health and medical (DHMO) officer Dr Swarajya Laxmi for negligence in administering tubectomy operations on women, alleging that two women, who underwent family planning operations by a team of doctors, died after they developed complications. The district administration organised the double puncture laparoscopy (DPL) technique in the sterilisation camp at the Civil Hospital in Ibrahimpatnam of Rachakonda police limits on August 25. A total of 34 cases were operated and discharged. Public health and family welfare director Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said four women complained of acute gastroenteritis and approached private hospitals for treatment. While undergoing treatment, two women succumbed. The deceased were N. Mamatha, 22, resident of Narsaipally and M. Sushma, 22, resident of Lingampally. Upon directions of higher officials, Dr Swarajya Laxmi visited the place to console the family members. Angry over the incident, the family members of the victim tried to assault the DHMO. Immediately, the Ibrahimpatnam police swung into action and rescued the DHMO. Mamatha was active when she went to the Civil Hospital for a tubectomy. Hours after the operation, Mamatha fell sick and was unable to walk. She complained of vomiting and stomach pain. Immediately, we shifted her to a hospital for proper treatment. While undergoing treatment, she died on Sunday. It was the negligence of doctors in performing the operation, alleged Mamathas cousin Shekar. Ibrahimpatnam Inspector R. Saidulu said they registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 CrpC. Based on the post mortem report, the case would be altered against the doctors. Meanwhile, villagers and family members of the victim staged a dharna at Ibrahimpatnam main junction demanding immediate action against the doctors for their negligence. The traffic came to a standstill for a couple of hours on Monday. Dr Srinivasa Rao ordered an inquiry into the issue and asked to submit a report within a week. He also announced `5 lakh compensation, a two-bedroom house and admissions to surviving children of victims in residential schools. I'll return here after the padayatra, and the BJP will take up the responsibility for setting things right here, Bandi said. DC Image HYDERABAD: BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao visit the massive garbage dump yard at Jawaharnagar if he has any humanity to learn first-hand the issues locals are dealing with as a result of the garbage dump. Sanjay, who visited Medchal and Malkajgiri as part of his Praja Sangrama Yatra, claimed that the Chief Minister would only acknowledge the hardships that the thousands of residents who live close to the dump yard face if he visited the area. Addressing a public meeting at Dammaiguda crossroads, Sanjay remarked, "Get the TRS leaders here and tell them to grab land, and they will immediately occupy the dump yard." The BJP leader assured the people that the party, once it comes to power in the state, will deal with the dump yard issue and find a solution. "I'll return here after the padayatra, and the BJP will take up the responsibility for setting things right here," he remarked. Continuing his tirade against the ruling government, Sanjay remarked that the TRS government was on the ventilator. KCR has mortgaged the Medchal bus depot, and all the other bus depots in the state, even as the TSRTC was pushed into losses," Sanjay claimed. Further, the BJP state president criticised the police and IAS officers, stating that they had gone beyond the call of duty to openly endorse the Chief Minister on many subjects. He claimed that some TRS leaders, who have been earning hundreds of crores of rupees through land grab in the district, have completely ignored the people, and are even diverting funds coming from the Centre and buying tractors so they may earn commissions from such transactions. The TRS is the fulcrum of all mafias in the state. People should ask how many double bedroom houses were given to the poor, how many unemployed people secured jobs. They should ask what happened to Raos promise of making a Dalit the Chief Minister, he said. Sanjay asserted that the CMs promise to accord 10 per cent reservations to the ST community was made only for electoral objectives and was primarily motivated by the sizeable ST voting population in Munugode. Why were the orders not issued during the eight years he was Chief Minister, if he was sincere, Sanjay asked. BJP party in-charge for Madhya Pradesh and senior leader P Muralidhar Rao, who also spoke at the meeting, claimed that the situation in Jawaharnagar was such that one needs to hold a kerchief over the nose to save themselves from the stink and dust. He said one of the first tasks of the BJP government in Telangana after it comes to power, will be to remove the dumping yard from the area. NEW DELHI: Adding to the buzz over the possibility of his contesting Congress president polls, Shashi Tharoor on Monday endorsed a petition by a group of young party members seeking "constructive reforms" and met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi here. The petition shared by Tharoor on Twitter sought reforms and a pledge by AICC president candidates to implement the Udaipur Declaration in entirety, if elected. The former Union minister said it had been signed by over 650 people so far. "I welcome this petition that is being circulated by a group of young @INCIndia members, seeking constructive reforms in the Party. It has gathered over 650 signatures so far. I am happy to endorse it & to go beyond it," Tharoor tweeted with screenshots of the petition. Shortly after endorsing the petition, Tharoor met party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence. He, however, did not disclose what transpired during the meeting. The meeting comes amid indications that Tharoor, who was among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Gandhi in 2020 demanding organisational overhaul, may contest the Congress president's election and may file his nomination. The petition that Tharoor endorsed said, "We are members of the Congress party with a desire to strengthen the party to reflect the hopes and aspirations of our nation." The petition stated some of the tenets of the Udaipur Declaration that was made on May 15, 2022, after the party's brainstorming session. "We appeal to each candidate in the election for the President of the All India Congress Committee to undertake a public pledge to involve party members from block committees up to the CWC and implement the Udaipur Declaration in entirety within the first 100 days of assuming office," the petition said. In its declaration, the Congress had announced wide-ranging organisational reforms to make the party battle ready for the next round of assembly and Lok Sabha polls, stressing on wider representation to those under 50 years of age and enforcing 'one person, one post' and 'one family, one ticket' rules with riders. Asked about the possibility of him running for the post of the Congress president, Tharoor had told PTI earlier this month, "I have only welcomed the fact that an election will be held. I believe that is very good for the party." "Of course it is gratifying that this general statement of democratic principle has immediately led to large numbers of people around the country welcoming the prospect of my contesting. But as I have made it clear, I have not declared my candidacy," Tharoor had said. "I hope many will contest in order to give the membership a wide choice. So far I have neither ruled myself in nor ruled myself out," the former Union minister had asserted. The process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19. Jagan said the government was also spending Rs 12,268 crore for the establishment of 17 new medical colleges. The procedures in the Aarogyasri scheme have been increased to 3118, it providing the best medical services. By Arrangement VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Reddy said in the state assembly on Tuesday that the government is spending Rs 16,225 crore through the Nadu-Nedu on medical and health reforms, so as to provide best services to the public. He said the government was also spending Rs 12,268 crore for the establishment of 17 new medical colleges. The procedures in the Aarogyasri scheme have been increased to 3118, it providing the best medical services. Jagan said, YSR Village Clinics and the Family Doctor concept are being developed so that Village Clinics and PHCs take care of the preventive medicine side while the CHCs as also area and district hospitals would do curative treatment. Every mandal will have four doctors and two ambulances, with one doctor and an ambulance touring the villages assigned to them. Regular visits would help the doctors familiarize with the patients and their ailments, thus developing a rapport, he said. Of the 10,032 village clinics, 3,673 are ready and Rs 1,692 crore was spent on this. The project would be completed by the year-end. Staff recruitment would be done by October 15. In addition to the 11 teaching hospitals, another 17 hospitals were coming up. Construction was at various stages. The medical and health care sector in the district has improved majorly as compared to the previous governments term. Jagan said, If we look at the condition of the hospitals before we came to power, from the village to state level, they were in a state of ruin. We have seen children die of rat-bites in these hospitals. We also saw operations done in the light of the cell phone. We don't have tier-1 cities. There are no cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore, we don't have super specialty hospitals and state of the art medical facilities. Hence we started developing this sector through Nadu-Nedu, the CM asserted. Jagan said, After YSR's death, the Arogyasri scheme was watered down. By the time the YSRC came to power, the previous government owed `680 crore to the network of hospitals. As a result, the common people did not get treatment under the Arogyasri scheme in those hospitals. I started treatment as a doctor to cure them from such conditions. We have paid dues to all hospitals immediately, regardless of who owned the hospital. That's why even Balakrishna's hospital (Basavatarakam Hospital) is getting its bills cleared much faster now than during Chandrababu's term. VIJAYAWADA: Hitting back at the Opposition on the Polavaram issue, Chief Minister Jagan Reddy said in the state assembly on Monday that the state government has announced a better package towards R&R while the previous TD government had goofed up the project economics. These errors are now being rectified, the CM said while intervening in the question hour and giving a powerpoint presentation to the members. He said, As was assured to the affected people, we have issued orders to hike the compensation to Rs 10 lakh per family from the Rs 6.86 lakh promised by the previous TD government. The reservoir height is marked at 41.15 metres, keeping dam security in mind, the CM said. Jagan explained that 20,946 of the total 1, 06,006 DPs (displaced persons) come under the 41.15 metre reservoir level, of which 14,110 have already been paid the money. The remaining steps are currently being taken to pay the rest of the amount which will go directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, he said. The CM explained that the 14,110 DPs were paid a compensation totalling Rs 19,060 crore and efforts were on to pay the compensation for the remaining 6,836 by October 2022. He said, We said, those who got compensation of a meagre 1.5 lakh will also get Rs 5 lakh. We are committed to it. While the TD government in its five years had paid compensation to only 3,073 persons and released Rs 193 crore, our government in its three years paid more Rs 1773 crore to 10,330 persons. Jagan said Chandrababu Naidus inefficient governance resulted in a blocking of Rs 2,900 crore expected from the Centre, he also goofed up the projects progress by accepting a special package, which in reality was not there. The CM said a comparative glance of the data between the previous and present state governments will show that we have more commitment towards the project and payment of compensation. Explaining the alleged inefficiency of the previous Telugu Desam government, through a powerpoint presentation on the Polavaram project, Jagan asked as to how Chandrababu Naidu has agreed for the cost as of 2011 for an ongoing project. Once the rainy season is over, we will take up the work from November, on a war-footing. Jagan said the life of the Upper Coffer Dam of Polavaram has been completely exhausted whereas the Lower Coffer Dam is to be raised to a level of 30.5 metres. The flood threat is higher than expected and the clearance of the designs to be given by the central government has been delayed. Because of this, the work of the Lower Coffer Dam was not done as fast as was planned. While it was supposed to be built at a height of 30.5 metres, it could be built only to a height of 21 to 23 metres. As soon as the rains are over, the works would start in November and the project would be completed on a war footing. Opposition corporators said work on nalas had been stalled for about three to four years, causing problems to residents in the localities. (Image: DC) HYDERABAD: Disruptions caused by multiple protests by Opposition corporators marred the GHMCs council meeting on Tuesday. Several corporators raised questions regarding fish markets and the lack of progress of the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) works. In some cases, they said work on nalas had been stalled for about three to four years, causing problems to residents in the localities. The four BJP corporators who had recently joined the TRS were welcomed by the ruling party, but the BJP corporators objected and began demonstrating against the defection by encircling the mayor's podium. Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi repeatedly asked them to return to their seats, but they refused. The Mayor adjourned the meeting for half-an-hour. When the session resumed, Congress corporator from Khairatabad P. Vijaya Reddy, who had switched over from the TRS three months ago, went up to the Mayors podium and demanded that she be given an opportunity to speak on pending contractors bills. Outside, several contractors tried to storm the GHMC head office in protest against unpaid bills, but were prevented by the police. The police then arrested them as they began to demonstrate in front of the Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund. The contractors claimed that the GHMC owes them Rs 800 crore in unpaid bills. Later, three Congress corporators protested against the unpaid bills by holding placards. Mangaluru: Sri Rama Sene founder Pramod Muthalik has announced initiating a campaign for ban on Karnataka Waqf Board. While speaking to reporters in Dakshina Kannada Muthalik said that Waqf board is dangerous and the Union government should disperse it. If the Centre is not taking any steps, we will initiate Ban Waqf Board, campaign, he said. Sri Rama Sene leader was in Dakshina Kannada to visit to the house of Praveen Nettaru who was murdered in July last. Recently, weve seen in Tamil Nadu where the Waqf board has claimed the ownership of an entire village. In Karnataka, the Board claims the ownership of a mosque near Balagavi SP office and also land near Vijayapura DC office. Waqf Board has grabbed properties from Hindus, farmers, laborers, and temples. The waqf board has the highest extent of land in the state. They are involved in Land Jihad, he alleged. Muthalik recalled the opposition posed by the board for the Ganesha festival at Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. He also expressed unhappiness over the NIA probe into the Praveen Nettaru murder case. I have no faith in the NIA probe. NIA had investigated the Paresh Mesta murder case. The officials did not even visit his house. Let the government book the accused under the KCOC (Karnataka Control of Organized Crimes) Act. The murder of Praveen Nettaru was an organized crime with the involvement of PFI and SDPI members, Muthalik alleged. New Orleans is now considered America's murder capital, where the most homicides and crimes recently occurred, according to sources. The murders have doubled from the pre-pandemic level compared to St. Louis, which used to have more crimes. Crime Wave in New Orleans One of the most visited tourist cities in the US, New Orleans, has managed to earn the unwelcome moniker "America's murder capital." The "Big Easy" has the highest murder rate in the United States, far surpassing that of other violently turbulent cities like St. Louis, Chicago, or New York. This is due to escalating crime and police departments' inadequacies, reported RT. As seen by data from the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission, there have been 205 murders so far in 2022, up 46% from this time last year and 141% more than at the time of the disease outbreak. This week, the city had several murders of 52 per 100,000 residents, outpacing St. Louis, which had the preceding murder rate in the country with fewer than 45 per 100,000 killings so far this year. It has the most homicides and crimes. One of the most infamous US cities for gun crime, Chicago, has several murders that are nearly triple that of New Orleans this year. In comparison, there are just 3.5 homicides per 100,000 people in New York City. Throughout New Orleans, killings occur at a rate that is almost 15 times greater. As seen by data from the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission, there have been 205 murders so far in 2022, up 46% from this time last year and 141% more than at the time of the disease outbreak. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? Shortage of Police Force As of this week, the city had several murders of 52 per 100,000 residents, outpacing St. Louis, which had the preceding murder rate in the country with fewer than 45 per 100,000 killings so far this year. Nhu Vuh, a 40-year-old Vietnamese grocery store clerk, reported to the Wall Street Journal how an officer wouldn't come till the following day when she called the police to report an angry homeless man who'd already assaulted her. As said by data from the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission, there have been 205 murders thus far in 2022, which represents a 141% rise from the time of the global pandemic and a 46% boost from this moment last year. The city had 52 murders per 100,000 residents this week, outpacing St. Louis, which has the country's lowest murder rate with fewer than 45 murders per 100,000 people this year. Their police department had about one-third fewer officers than before Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city in 2005, as police decided to leave the force faster than the city could hire recruits. Steadily for the past July, Officer Scott Fanning hit the headlines when he came to an abrupt end to his shift due to fears that understaffing was making the job too risky. The city's top prosecutor, District Attorney Jason Williams, won office a year ago after winning funding from billionaire political activist George Soros. Williams has refused to indict perpetrators in roughly half of the violent felony arrests, and indictments have supposedly been lowered in about two-thirds of the court cases for felony convictions under his watch. America's murder capital is now New Orleans, with the most homicides and crimes registered compared to other cities. Related Article: US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Might Be Refilled If Oil Prices Fall Below $80 per Barrel @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of top Congress leaders in Kerala have come out openly in favour of Rahul Gandhi as the next Congress president. Various groups within the Kerala unit of Congress have mounted pressure on the leadership to pass a resolution supporting Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leaders want the resolution to be passed while Rahul Gandhi is in Kerala as part of Bharat Jodo Yatra. A section of Congress leaders has categorically stated that they would not support Shashi Tharoor MP if he decides to run for Congress presidents post in the forthcoming organisational polls. Former minister Mr Ramesh Chennithala said the Kerala PCC has not recommended any names so far. I personally feel that Rahul Gandhi should become the AICC president. Lakhs of people are coming to greet Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo yatra. This indicates the faith that people of the country have in him. Thats why we all want him to be the AICC president, he said. K. Muraleedharan MP said the Congressmen in Kerala would only vote for members of the Nehru family for the top post. Look at the crowds that are joining the yatra daily to meet Rahul Gandhi. Not more than ten people would have gathered had someone else led this yatra, he said while taking a dig at the claims being made by some leaders. Another MP from Kerala Mr Kodikkunnil Suresh said Tharoor does not seem to be serious in contesting the organisational polls. Anyone who is eligible can contest the polls. Members of the Nehru family are most suitable and eligible for the post, he said on the side-lines of Bharat Jodo yatra in Alappuzha. Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has summoned K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary in charge of organisation to Delhi amid the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. Venugopal left for Delhi in the morning after being directed to rush to the national capital immediately. Rahul Gandhi, who is currently in Alappuzha district, is expected to leave for Delhi on Friday. HYDERABAD: The BJP seems to be caught in a piquant situation, grappling with the nitty-gritty of election campaigning while some party leaders are worried that the much-needed coordination on the ground between its candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy's long-time supporters and the BJP's own cadres is yet to fall into place. Despite the fact that the BJP has backed Rajgopal Reddy, as have national leaders such as Union home minister Amit Shah, some party leaders say there are too many programmes underway for the BJPs state leaders to plunge into the Munugode campaign. We are continuing with our Praja Gosa motorbike rallies, then there is the Seva Paksham that started on September 17, and of course our state presidents Praja Sangrama Yatra, a party leader said. According to some BJP leaders, these and other activities were stretching the party's resources. For the time being, everyone in the state BJP was waiting for the fourth phase of state party chief Bandi Sanjays padayatra to end on September 22, hoping that once that is concluded they can pay more attention to Munugode. However, conversations with a cross-section of party functionaries revealed that the partys challenge in Munugode will be the coming together of Congress followers and leaders who have previously worked with Rajgopal Reddy when he was in that party, and the BJPs own cadres in the constituency. There is some reluctance on part of Rajgopal Reddys team in accepting all that the BJP can offer in terms of ground level support as he has his own followers sentiments of not being overrun by the BJP. In some ways, he wants to run his own show, he wants to ensure that the message goes that he is still a force to reckon with on his own. From his point of view, it is perfectly legitimate that he wants to ensure primacy for his own followers, but this has resulted in some discomfort on both sides, a party source close to Sanjay, revealed. However, Rajgopal Reddy, as well as the BJP's constituency in-charge and former MP G. Vivek Venkatswamy, were confident that there were no problems and that everyone was working together to ensure the BJP won the Munugode bypoll. I am getting very good support from the BJP in the constituency and we are working together, Rajgopal Reddy said, adding, We will win with a thumping majority in Munugode. The result will be a game changer and historic. According to Venkatswamy, there were concerns in Munugode when Rajgopal Reddy announced his decision to quit the Congress and join the BJP, as the constituency was a Congress stronghold, but after the Amit Shah public meeting in Munugode on August 21, where Rajgopal Reddy formally joined the BJP, people gradually began to veer around. People began to understand when they saw funds being released for the constituency and projects being undertaken rapidly with the prospect of a byelection. They now understand that development activities in Munugode have only come about as a result of the bypoll, he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna and UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a meeting in New York. (PTI Photo) New York: India, the UAE and France have held their first trilateral ministerial meeting here on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session and discussed a new and more contemporary way of doing diplomacy with a focus on active exchange of ideas between strategic partners and UNSC members. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday to participate in the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly, which kick-starts September 20 with the opening of the General Debate. A productive first trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE-France. Active exchange of ideas between strategic partners and UNSC members, Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting, hosted by the UAE on Monday, with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. Jaishankar began his hectic diplomatic week with a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements on the sidelines of the high-level session. This was the first ministerial-level meeting of the India, the UAE and France trilateral. The three countries, while different, are strategic partners to one another and discussions focussed on areas of commonalities and on working out how to specify and concretise these commonalities going forward, official sources said. They said the three countries are very comfortable with each other and there are many areas where potentially they could be working in a more coordinated way. Such plurilateral meetings signify a new and more contemporary way of doing diplomacy, they said, citing the example of Quad (Australia, India, Japan, the US), I2U2 (India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States), trilateral between India, France and Australia as forums emerging as effective ways of finding a common agenda. They added that typically, groupings were regional and contiguous in nature such as SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and the EU with the exception of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The official sources added that diplomacy is now changing and there are countries which are not neighbours or next to each other in a region but which have certain common interests and are working with each other. Following his bilateral meeting with the UAE Foreign Minister, Jaishankar tweeted: Reviewed the continuing progress of our partnership. Appreciated his assessments and insights on the global situation. Official sources said that for India, things are moving very well on multiple fronts with the UAE, against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gulf country in June this year and Jaishankar's visit two weeks ago for the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting. Jaishankar also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Our bilateral ties are growing strongly in the areas of defence, trade and investments. Cooperation in new initiatives like green hydrogen & ammonia and education sectors will further bolster them. Discussed our close cooperation at the UN and NAM. Recognised the value Egypt's participation in G20 will bring next year, he tweeted. Official sources said that the meeting with the Egyptian leadership was important, asserting that Egypt is absolutely on the same page as India when it comes to issues such as refocusing the world on development concerns, Global South. Describing the relationship as a big meeting of the minds, sources added that India's economic relationship with Egypt is doing well, trade is at an all-time high and there are very strong investment interests. Egypt is also chairing COP27 and they are big players in areas of renewables, especially green hydrogen and ammonia. During a useful exchange of views with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Jaishankar said he was looking forward to working together in the G-77 and other multilateral formats. Spoke about rice supplies and development projects. Welcomed his appreciation of the Panchakarma Centre in Havana, he said. India has given Cuba a 100-million-euro line of credit for buying rice. Cuba is also expected to take over as the Chair of G77, the global south grouping which permeates through the UN processes. In his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Jaishankar appreciated his briefing on the latest developments in the African country. Discussed greater cooperation in education and trade, he said. In his meeting with Olta Xhacka, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Jaishankar said: Valued our close cooperation in the UN Security Council. Discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship. Exchanged views on Ukraine and energy security. Sources said that India and Albania working together in the UN Security Council has been a good experience and the two sides want to see whether they can build on the Security Council experience and take it into the bilateral relationship. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has held discussions with the Indian envoy in the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, about the technology giant's activities in India, particularly its aggressive push towards digitisation, as he became the first top Indian-American tech business leader to visit the country's embassy here. Thank you Ambassador Sandhu for the great conversation", Pichai said in a tweet after his visit to the Indian Embassy in downtown Washington DC late last week. Thank you Ambassador @SandhuTaranjitS for the great conversation. Appreciated the chance to discuss Google's commitment to India and look forward to continuing our support for India's digital future. Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) September 17, 2022 This is for the first time that a top Indian-American tech CEO has visited the embassy here. Appreciated the chance to discuss Google's commitment to India and look forward to continuing our support for India's digital future, said Pichai, who in January this year was named among the 17 awardees to receive the Padma Bhushan. Also Read | 'It's okay if you don't want it back': Man receives $250,000 payment from Google Technology that transforms; ideas that enable! tweeted Sandhu. Delighted to receive Google and Alphabet Pichai at the Embassy, he said. Exchanged thoughts on expanding India-US commercial, knowledge & tech partnership with Google, the Indian envoy said. Google under Pichai has made a massive investment in India and phenomenally expanded its footprint in a wide range of sectors including its training for the younger generation. It has announced an investment of about $10 billion under Google for India digitisation. It also has partnerships with Reliances Jio as well as with Bharti Airtel. In addition, it is partnering with India on workforce development and skill development. They are working with the government on the Digital India Programme, and the national digital literacy mission. During the meeting with the Indian Ambassador, Pichai was very appreciative of the very initiatives that have been taken by India and underscored how Google is looking at India in a very positive framework. The Ambassador highlighted the knowledge and education partnership. The Google CEO, during the conversation, is also believed to have discussed various ways in which its partnership with India forward in particular in the education sector. They also discussed digitisation efforts in India in which Google is involved, including digital payments and infrastructure digitisation. The Indian Ambassador noted that Google is an important partner in India's digital transformation, which is a priority for the government. Also Read | Hackers using RedLine malware-laced cheat codes as bait for gamers Google and its parent company Alphabet have played an important role in the Covid-19 crisis last year. They put a lot of money in terms of supporting India, and they were part of the global task force of American CEOs set up in this regard. The Indian government has intensified its engagement with American CEOs. The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had a meeting with a number of CEOs from the Silicon Valley during his trip to California early this month. Sandhu himself met several CEOs during his recent trips there. He also visited the universities in Silicon Valley which are considered to be the hub of such innovation. They also had a number of venture capitalists and start-up entrepreneurs in San Francisco as part of Indias latest push to have greater engagement with the American tech sector. India is likely to help Sri Lanka with long-term investments in its key economic sectors as it already provided the cash-strapped island nation with financial assistance worth almost $4 billion and even surpassed China to be its largest bilateral lender. The two countries have already started discussion on restructuring Sri Lankas debt to India a prerequisite for it to get a $2.9 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We continue to be supportive of Sri Lanka in all possible ways, in particular by promoting long term investments from India in key economic sectors in Sri Lanka for its early economic recovery and growth, the High Commission of India (HCI) in Colombo stated. India is keen to encourage investments from India in port, energy, electricity, tourism and Information Technology sectors in Sri Lanka. The nation is one of the theaters where India and its strategic rival China compete for geopolitical influence. India's diplomatic mission in Colombo issued a statement in the wake of reports in a section of the media in Sri Lanka suggesting that India might not extend any further financial assistance to the nation. It, however, did not specifically dismiss the report about India at present not considering any further financial assistance package for Sri Lanka. It rather highlighted the financial assistance India already extended to Sri Lanka to help it come out of the economic crisis. Also Read Lazard in talks with India, China and Japan on restructuring crisis-hit Sri Lankas debt We would like to emphasize that India has extended unprecedented bilateral assistance amounting close to $4 billion this year for ameliorating the difficulties faced by the people of Sri Lanka, the spokesperson of the High Commission stated, adding: In addition our bilateral development cooperation projects in Sri Lanka, which cumulatively total about US $ 3.5 billion, are ongoing. India also sent consignments of food, fuel, medicines, fertilisers and other essentials to Sri Lanka after it plunged into a severe economic crisis earlier this year. China provided $73 million in aid and rice shipments to help Sri Lanka after the country plunged into an economic crisis early this year. It, however, continued to dilly dally on Sri Lankas request for another aid package of at least $4 billion. The country also did not take a call on the Sri Lankan governments request for amending the terms and conditions of the bilateral $1.5 billion currency swap deal so that the island nation could use it for imports. We have also noted the conclusion of a Staff Level Agreement between the IMF and the Government of Sri Lanka. Its further approval within the IMF is contingent upon, inter alia, on Sri Lankas debt sustainability. We continue to be supportive of Sri Lanka in all possible ways, India said. Though the IMF and the Sri Lankan government recently reached a staff-level agreement for a $2.9 billion bailout package for the island nation, it will have to be approved by the lending agencys management and the Executive Board, after which Colombo will receive financing assurances from the countrys official creditors. The officials of the two governments recently held the first round of discussions on restructuring Sri Lanka's debt to India. The discussions held in a cordial atmosphere symbolise India's support to early conclusion and approval of a suitable IMF programme for Sri Lanka, for which financing assurances from creditors to make Sri Lanka's debt sustainable are required. India will continue to remain closely engaged with relevant Sri Lankan stakeholders, the High Commission said. India and Tajikistan have vowed to combat terrorism, particularly its financing, while also rejecting double standards in countering extremism conducive to terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. The assertion by the two countries was made at the fourth meeting of the India-Tajikistan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism that was held virtually on September 13, the MEA said in a statement. Also Read: Jaishankar discusses G20, Myanmar situation with Indonesian counterpart Mahaveer Singhvi, joint secretary for Counter-Terrorism at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Jonon S Sherali, head of Department of Asia and Pacific States of Tajikistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the respective delegations. Both sides exchanged global and regional terror threat assessment. They called for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework, the statement said. Both sides expressed strong condemnation of terrorism in all its form and manifestation whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. They also recognised the threat emanating from extremism conducive to terrorism and radicalization, the statement said. Both sides committed to combating terrorism, particularly the financing of terrorism, and rejected double standards in countering terrorism and extremism conducive to terrorism, it said. Both sides also exchanged global and regional terror threat assessment. They called for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework, the statement said. The two sides shared their views on counter-terrorism cooperation, including countering radicalisation; combating the financing of terrorism and cross-border movement of terrorists; preventing the exploitation of the Internet for terrorism; countering use of new technologies for terrorism; countering drug trafficking; information sharing and capacity building, the statement said. Both sides welcomed holding in their respective capitals of the High-Level International Conference on "International and Regional Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists" (October 18-19, Dushanbe) and the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing "No Money for Terror" (November 18-19, New Delhi), which will actively contribute to the process of tackling the complex tasks and multifaceted problems of combating terrorism at the regional and international levels. The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to work closely together to deepen engagement between their respective counterpart agencies to further advance interaction, cooperation and information sharing in the sphere of counter-terrorism, the statement said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the G20 grouping as well as the situation in Myanmar with Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi. "So nice to meet my friend, Retno in New York. Discussed our commitment to make the Indonesian G20 Presidency successful. Also exchanged views on Myanmar, Jaishankar tweeted Monday. So nice to meet my friend, Retno in New York. Discussed our commitment to make the Indonesian G20 Presidency successful. Also exchanged views on Myanmar. @Menlu_RI pic.twitter.com/B1i3DaEH67 Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 19, 2022 Jaishankar, in New York for the high-level UN General Assembly session, began his hectic diplomatic week with a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements on the sidelines of the high-level session. Indonesia is currently President of the G20 and will hand over the baton to India, which will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022 to November 20 2023. Also Read | On sidelines of UN, a push for China's abuses to be punished Official sources here described the meeting with the Indonesian leader as good and particularly important during which the two sides exchanged notes on the G20, its challenges and the path forward. The sources added given that India will be succeeding Indonesia as the G20 Chair, it is important that the Indonesian presidency is successful. It was also underlined during the meeting on how to focus the world's attention on the relevant and pressing issues currently facing the planet, which is the big concern right now. Official sources added that the situation in Myanmar was also discussed since there is a sense in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that things are not progressing with Myanmar and a feeling that ASEAN should work with other neighbours of Myanmar in this regard. Over 300 Indian software engineers, along with few others nationals have been held hostage in Myanmar, and are forced to do cyber crimes, according to a report by Times of India. They are held hostage in Myawwady in Myanmar, situated close to Thailand border - a region not under the control of Myanmar. They are being held hostage by an ethnic armed group, that controls the region, with some of the hostages describing them as 'Malaysian Chinese '. The issue came out in the open when a few Tamilians who are stranded sent out an SOS message to the central and state governments, calling out for help. They claimed that they were made to work 15 hours a day, and were beaten up and were given electric shocks if unable to do so. It is also learnt that at least 60 from Tamil Nadu are held hostage there. According to the report, a fisherman from Karaikalmedu in Puducherry, appealed to the district collector of Karaikal to rescue his son, who was one among the captives. According to the family, the said hostage was working in Dubai as a data entry operator. Earlier this year, he was given a 'promotion' and was asked to relocate to the company's Thailand office. Upon reaching Thailand, him along with few others were taken to Myanmar, illegally via road. Another person from Tamil Nadu, Atul, said that he was asked to lure customers through social media by asking them to make various investments, according to a TNIE report. He said that while some managed to flee to nearby Thailand, they have been unable to get back to India due to legal constraints. He added that while most of the hostages are well educated, they are unable to escape as they are required to pay their way out. We were asked to meet a certain target. How could we cheat people and make money? When the target isnt met, our salary gets cut. They also have other rules, due to which we hardly get the pay we were promised," said Atul, claiming that while the techie tried to protest they are threatened. The Indian embassy in Yangon had issued an advisory on July 5 cautioning against unscrupulous elements offering jobs'. By Patrice Pottier for The Conversation Climate change is making heatwaves worse. Many people have already noticed the difference and so too have other animals. Sadly, research by myself and colleagues has found young animals, in particular, are struggling to keep up with rising temperatures, likely making them more vulnerable to climate change than adults of their species. The study focused on ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, which comprise more than 99 per cent of animals on Earth. They include fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The body temperature of these animals reflects outside temperatures so they can get dangerously hot during heat waves. Also Read | How many ants are on Earth? 20 quadrillion, says study In a warming world, a species ability to adapt or acclimatise to temperatures is crucial. Our study found that young ectotherms, in particular, can struggle to handle more heat as their habitat warms up. That may have dramatic consequences for biodiversity as climate change worsens. Our findings are yet more evidence of the need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent catastrophic global heating. Humans must also provide and retain cool spaces to help animals navigate a warmer future. Tolerating heat in a changing climate The body temperature of ectotherms is extremely variable. As they move through their habitat, their body temperature varies according to the outside conditions. However, theres only so much heat these animals can tolerate. Heat tolerance is defined as the maximum body temperature ectotherms can handle before they lose functions such as the ability to walk or swim. During heat waves, their body temperature gets so high they can die. Species, including ectotherms, can adapt to challenges in their environment over time by evolving across generations. But the rate at which global temperatures are rising means in many cases, this adaptation is not happening fast enough. Thats why we need to understand how animals acclimatise to rising temperatures within a single lifetime. Also Read | A fossil baby helped scientists explain how mammals thrived after the dinosaur extinction: Research Unfortunately, some young animals have little to no ability to move and seek cooler temperatures. For example, baby lizards inside eggs cannot move elsewhere. And owing to their small size, juvenile ectotherms cannot move great distances. This suggests young animals may be particularly vulnerable during intense heat waves. But we know very little about how young animals acclimatise to high temperatures. Our research sought to find out more. Young animals at risk Our study drew on 60 years of research into 138 ectotherm species from around the world. Overall, we found the heat tolerance of embryos and juvenile ectotherms increased very little in response to rising temperatures. For each degree of warming, the heat tolerance of young ectotherms only increased by an average 0.13 degree Celsius. The physiology of heat acclimatisation in animals is very complex and poorly understood. It appears linked to a number of factors such as metabolic activity and proteins produced by cells in response to stress. Our research showed young land-based animals were worse at acclimatising to heat than aquatic animals. This may be because moving to a cooler temperature on land is easier than in an aquatic environment, so land-based animals may not have developed the same ability to acclimatise to heat. Also Read | Gutter to gut: How antimicrobial-resistant microbes reach humans from the environment Heat tolerance can vary within a species. It can depend on what temperatures an animal has experienced during its lifetime and, as such, the extent to which it has acclimatised. But surprisingly, our research found past exposure to high temperatures does not necessarily help a young animal withstand future high temperatures. Take, for example, Lesueurs velvet gecko which is found mostly along Australias east coast. Research shows juveniles from eggs incubated in cooler nests (23.2 degree Celsius) tolerated temperatures up to 40.2 degree Celsius. In contrast, juveniles from warmer nests (27 degree Celsius) only tolerated temperatures up to 38.7 degree Celsius. Those patterns can persist through adulthood. For example, adult male mosquito fish from eggs incubated to 32 degree Celsius were less tolerant to heat than adult males that experienced 26 degree Celsius during incubation. These results show embryos are especially vulnerable to extreme heat. Instead of getting better at handling heat, warmer eggs tend to produce juveniles and adults less capable of withstanding a warmer future. Overall, our findings suggest young cold-blooded animals are already struggling to cope with rising temperatures and conditions during early life can have lifelong consequences. Whats next? To date, most studies on the impacts of climate change have focused on adults. Our research suggests animals may be harmed by heatwaves long before they reach adulthood perhaps even before theyre born. Alarmingly, this means we may have underestimated the damage climate change will cause to biodiversity. Clearly, its vitally important to limit global greenhouse gas emissions to the extent required by the Paris Agreement. But we can also act to protect species at a finer scale by conserving habitats that allow animals to find shade and shelter during heatwaves. Such habitats include trees, shrubs, burrows, ponds, caves, logs and rocks. These places must be created, restored and preserved to help animals prosper in a warming world. (The author is a post-graduate research student at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences under the University of New South Wales Sydney) The Karnataka government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that till 2021, no girl student was wearing hijab in Pre-University colleges, but a movement was started on social media by the Popular Front of India as part of larger design to create unrest, forcing the state as custodian of constitutional rights to intervene into the matter. "It was not a spontaneous reaction, but a part of larger conspiracy in the middle of academic year to engineer social unrest. This sudden upsurge in demand to wear hijab was not original thinking by the students," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia. While arguing to defend the February 5 government notification on banning hijab, he said it would be doing disservice to contend the order targeted one community as it prohibited saffron muffler, gamcha etc., too. Read | We must preserve syncretic culture, Supreme Court told on hijab ban matter Referring to the attempt to create unrest, he said if the government had not acted, it would have been guilty of dereliction of duty. The purpose of prescribing uniform was to ensure equality, equity and uniformity, he asserted. In his submission, Mehta also said India is a secular nation and even in countries, which are constitutionally Islamic like Iran, not all women are wearing hijab. They are fighting against it. He also maintained that mere mention of hijab in Quran makes it a religious practice, but not essential. The practice has to co-exist with the religion in order to be sustained, he added. Karnataka's Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi said that protecting every aspect of religion becomes practically impossible. Therefore, the theory of essential religious practice was evolved. During the hearing, the bench said the petitioners never said they won't wear uniform. It asked if a child wears a muffler during winters, would this be prevented. To this, Mehta said the rule says there cannot be a religious identity and uniform is uniform, and in a secular school, one has to wear the uniform. The court also observed that must be proved beyond doubt that the wearing of the hijab was a threat to public order, public health or morality. The court also said that the Karnataka High Court should have not gone into the essential religious practice test. On this, Mehta said that the High Court could have avoided going into the essential religious practice issue, but it was the petitioners who moved the court raising the argument that hijab was an essential practice. The court would continue to hear the matter arising out of March 15 judgement of the Karnataka High Court upholding hijab ban. Chinese envoy recounts fierce exchanges at IAEA over AUKUS deal, calls nuclear submarine plan a blatant violation of non-proliferation By Hu Yuwei (Global Times) 13:55, September 20, 2022 Editor's Note: The nuclear-powered submarine deal under AUKUS is a blatant, irresponsible act of nuclear proliferation, and once again proves that AUKUS countries are practicing a "double standard" on nuclear non-proliferation and using the deal as a tool for geopolitical gamesmanship, Ambassador Wang Qun, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday. Wang, also China's Chief Negotiator for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal, and former director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, warned of a serious negative impact brought about by the deal on international efforts to resolve the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear issues. In September 2021, the US, the UK, and Australia announced the establishment of AUKUS, under which the US and the UK will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. Why Iran has to limit its nuclear enrichment and stockpiles while Australia can receive tons and tons of nuclear-weapon materials from the US and UK, Wang questioned. Why is this a matter of great concern to international community? What are the serious consequences? What kind of tools did the US, the UK, and Australia use to whitewash their nuclear proliferation? What IAEA rules have they violated? How has China thwarted attempts by these countries to get the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) embroiled into acts of the transfer of nuclear weapon material? You will find detailed answers in this interview. GT: At the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on September 12, the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal became the focus of attention. Could you talk about the background of the trilateral deal? Wang:In September 2021, the three countries pronounced their decision of nuclear submarine cooperation under AUKUS. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi clearly pointed out the dangers posed by the three countries to nuclear non-proliferation, regional security, and strategic stability, with resonance from the international community. Since November 2021, the meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors, on the basis of China's proposal, have decided to include in its agenda "Transfer of the nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)" as a stand-alone item. The nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS is a blatant act of nuclear proliferation. The export of nuclear weapons-grade material to Australia as a NPT Non-Nuclear-Weapon State by the US and the UK as two Nuclear-Weapon States is extremely irresponsible and once again proves that they are practicing a "double standard" on non-proliferation by using it as a tool for geopolitical gamesmanship. Such acts will have a serious negative impact on international efforts to resolve hotspot issues such as the Korean Peninsula and Iran nuclear issues. This also reflects the serious concerns of IAEA members, who believe the matter is beyond the current mandate of the IAEA Secretariat and must be addressed by IAEA members through an intergovernmental process. In other word, member states must have a final say in this matter. GT: The Chinese delegation's statement on the issue at the board meeting was widely reported by the global media. Could you please explain what rules have been violated as a result of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal? Wang:At this board meeting, China listed seven major problems and mistakes of the trilateral deal under AUKUS, which was echoed and supported by a wide range of member states. Member states believe that these countries' assertion to the effect that nuclear materials that sealed in a reactor cannot be used directly for nuclear weapons misleads public opinion, and is completely untenable. Australia, in particular, has violated its reporting obligations under the its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and Additional Protocols (AP). It has failed to submit any substantive report to the Agency as required, in violation of its legal safeguards obligations under its CSA and AP, despite its pronounced decision of the nuclear-powered submarine deal under AUKUS in September 2021. GT: The Chinese delegation has pointed out at the meeting that "the three countries mislead the international community by packaging illegal nuclear proliferation as a legitimate and innocuous act." Can you tell us more about how the three countries misled the international community? Wang:The item proposed by the three countries at this board meeting is titled "Agency safeguards in the context of naval nuclear propulsion under AUKUS." Two points are worth-noting here. First, they deliberately used "Agency safeguards" as a cover-up effort while not mentioning the NPT treaty at all. Second, they, under the pretext of "naval nuclear propulsion" tried to conceal the true nature of illegal deal as well as the nuclear proliferation impacts. Through political maneuvering, the three countries attempted to coerce the IAEA Secretariat into proposing a safeguard assessment exempting the nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS, and then force the IAEA Board to adopt it by taking advantage of their vote at the Board, by which, to help legitimize their illegal proliferation. GT: How did the Chinese delegation thwart AUKUS' attempts which flout the rules? Wang:As we mentioned, since AUKUS's announcement of the deal in September 2021, on the basis of the China's proposal, the IAEA Board has decided, by consensus, four consecutive times to adopt the question for inclusion in its agenda as a stand-alone item. In its working paper and statement, the Chinese side pointed out in detail the dangers of the trilateral nuclear submarine deal and expressed deep concerns over such dangers, which were echoed by many other member states. At this board meeting, the three countries, however, tried to eliminate the item China proposed, by pushing the IAEA Director General to set up his agenda item on their terms. But they failed, as the IAEA Director General is reluctant to yield to the three countries' pressure and political maneuvering. At the same time, China's proposal is objective, fair and reasonable, and China also firmly bases itself on the NPT in consistent with the mandate of the Agency, and, as a result, China's item has been widely supported by a wide range of IAEA member states. Under such circumstances, the three countries could only jump onto the forefront directly by pushing their own item for inclusion in the agenda. What an irony and hypocrisy on the part of the three countries. GT: Media reported that China and the three countries have had fierce exchanges at the meeting. Could you share some moments at the meeting? Wang:The debate at the meeting room was intense, but some could also be constructive. I would like to share with you an episode. When the Agency deliberated the meeting agenda on the first day of the meeting, the US, in pushing their agenda items, did not present to the Secretariat its "explanatory memorandum" as required under the Board's rules of procedures. The Chinese delegation could have called out the US' proposal from the meeting agenda, but the Chinese side chose to suspend the meeting for 15 minutes, so as to allow the US delegation to remedy their proposal. Only on this basis, did China pronounced its dissociation from the agenda item proposed by the US. So, China's approach is upright and constructive, with enormous credits from other member states. GT: What do you think is the way out for the nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS? Wang:Multilateral problems must be responded and addressed by multilateral means. The nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS goes beyond the existing mandate and competence of the Secretariat of the IAEA. It is not something that can be addressed bilaterally by the three countries and the Secretariat of the Agency, and must be addressed by the member states of the IAEA. China calls on the three countries to refrain from moving forward with their cooperation pending the consensus and agreement among the Agency's member states. China also calls on the Secretariat of the Agency, for its part, refrain from proceeding further, in the absence of mandate from member states, to negotiate any safeguard arrangements with the three countries for such a cooperation. It is the hope of China that the Director General of the Agencywill present to the Board fair and objective reports, pursuant to his statutory obligations, on the nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS. Finally, China wishes to see all member states to continue their intergovernmental process, to explore an agreed formula on the issue of the nuclear submarine deal under AUKUS, so as to safeguard the NPT and the international nuclear non-proliferation regime in promotion of international peace and security. Sidebar: How AUKUS nuclear submarine deal breaks the rules and relevant treaties? The US, the UK and Australia violated their respective obligations under the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) and relevant protocol with the IAEA while concealing the true nature of the three countries' acts of sheer nuclear proliferation as a result of AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, according to China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna. Specifically: 1. It directly violates Articles I and II of the NPT 2. It breaches the objective set out in the IAEA Statute that no Agency safeguards shall be provided "in such a way as to further any military purpose." 3. The three countries have undermined the non-proliferation functions and integrity of the IAEA by taking the Secretariat hostage to engage in activities prohibited by the Statute. Source: Chinese Mission to UN in Vienna (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) Questions come about if Russia's Su-57 Felon could be a par up over the F-35 Lightning II after a defect with the Chinese magnetic part. Also, the F-35s have stopped production due to the defect in their engine; a comparison has been mentioned. Russia's Su-57 Felon 5th Generation Fighter It is unanimous as US and Russian experts praise their planes, but they all have a good estimation of the Su-57, reported the EurAsian Times. Following reports, a Honeywell-produced alloy used in the "turbomachine" of the F-35 engine was originally Chinese-made. Defense officials pointed out that the part does not convey data, and they said they were starting to work on alternative solutions as the affirmation of new jet shipments ceased. Su-57 Felon versus US F-35 Lightning II As a 5th generation fighter, the Felon is stealthy with dual solid engines and even more space in the hidden weapons bay; plus, the ultra-agility in the air, noted Air Force Technology. Its unique airframe, a Generation 5 jet with fused wings and body, is fitted with an all-around radar array that is Omnidirectional, unlike the single-engine US stealth fighter. In contrast to the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, which were made for specific roles, Mikhail Strelets, Chief Designer and Director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, contended that Russia's Su-57 Felon was wholly capable of carrying out air-to-air and air-to-ground tasks. An F-22 cannot mount larger air-to-ground munitions in its internal weapons bay; because it's for air-to-air fighters. Mr. Strelets said that 22 and 35 totaled 57 which is pure coincidence. Read Also: Mark Zuckerberg Net Worth 2022: How Did Facebook Founder Lose $30 Billion in 1 Day? The renowned test pilot, Magomed Tolboyev, declared a beatdown on the F-35 in a genuine dogfight in January 2021. When two planes engage in close combat with the American plane. A US F-35 single-engine stealth is superior because it has huge computing, sensor fusion, sensor data handling, data integration functionality, and full stealth capabilities. When used with other allied F-35s, he views the aircraft as a game-changer that enables each pilot to consider the best tactical option possible. Lightning II is good at sensing targets at a distance, attacking them beyond visual range, and then flying away. It is perfect for the Ukrainian war. Felon's Advanced Capabilities The Distributed Aperture System (DAS), which is used by the small fifth-generation US planes, is replaced by six radars built into the airframe of the Felon, according to an IAF aviation expert. Such a radar was first used on the Su-35 Flanker E; these 4++ first flew in 2014. The nose has the Irbis-E electronic-cum-mechanical scanning radar. However, the Su-35's long-range detection capability is enhanced by the two N036B-1-0-1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) L-band radar sensors in the outer parts of the wing tips. The six radars can trace 60 targets from all directions, even stealth aircraft. Additionally, it is fitted with the K-77M 200-kilometer Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile; only a few around the globe have that range. With the aid of digital signal analysis, the K-77transceivers M's can react quickly to targets traveling rapidly and precisely while keeping a high "hit chances." Russia's Su-57 Felon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II are all cutting edge and will be necessary to Moscow and Washington. Related Article: Russian MiG-31 Fighter That Launched Hypersonic Missiles in Ukraine Executed High-Altitude Atmospheric Drills @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Released: September 20, 2022 Delaware County recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15. Each year, Americans observe the month by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting each year on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, with the approval of Public Law 100-402. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Dia de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period. As the diversity in Delaware County continues to grow, we recognize our responsibility as an employer and service provider to ensure that the Hispanic community feels reflected, respected, and intentionally engaged, said Lauren Footman, Delaware Countys Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. Delaware County affirms a commitment to continue educating the community about the rich heritage of the Countys employees, partners, and residents. The County hired its first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer in April 2022. The newly created position has a broad mandate to review current government operations, including, but not limited to operations of the Countys new health department, guidance to the Countys Human Resources Department and the Purchasing Office, support for Parks and Recreation, and support to criminal justice. More information on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer can be found here: https://www.delcopa.gov/inclusion/ Holocaust Education Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation, is aiming to inform and educate about the Holocaust and its consequences, and is this week urging schools across Ireland to become involved in The Crocus Project. Holocaust Education Ireland provides schools with yellow crocus bulbs for pupils aged ten years and over to plant in memory of all the children who perished in the Holocaust. The aim of the project is to educate young people about the dangers of racism, and all forms of discrimination and hatred. Speaking about the project, Lynn Jackson, Director of Education, said: We are calling on schools, youth groups and community organisations across Ireland to join us in planting yellow crocus bulbs to commemorate all of the children who perished in the Holocaust. The yellow flowers, recalling the yellow Stars of David, will bloom around the time of International Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January, presenting an opportunity for teachers and educators to introduce young people to the subject of the Holocaust, and teach the importance of inclusion and respect for all people regardless of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Seeing the flowers bloom in the early new year ensures that the stories of the children who perished in the Holocaust are not forgotten but are passed on to future generations, while educating our young people in a tangible way about the perils of prejudice. The beautiful flowers also remind us that, even after the most terrible events, new life begins again and we can hope that things will be better than they were before. We are urging teachers, parents and anyone involved in youth organisations or community groups, to get in touch with us to see how they can get involved. There is no charge for participating in the Crocus Project. Holocaust Education Ireland provides teachers and educators with crocus bulbs and a Teachers Handbook as well as guidance about the project that includes information and age appropriate material. The handbook is available in English and as Gaeilge as well as well as twelve European languages to ensure that children in Ireland and across Europe can fully participate in the project. The Crocus Project is co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Department of Education. Schools interested in registering to become involved in the project can do so here Further information on the project is available here A County Derry councillor has hit out at an annual policing partnership report, saying it paints a 'false picture' of what is happening within his area. Cllr Russell Watton also claimed local police had to be compelled by headquarters to meet with him previously and said they had 'no intention' of doing so again. The comments came as the Causeway Coast and Glens Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP)'s annual report was presented to the Council's Leisure and Development Committee on Tuesday night. Referring to a reported reduction in anti-social behaviour and drugs offences, the PUP representative hit out at what he said was the 'rosy picture' presented by the figures. The town's getting more rife with drugs every day, Cllr Watton told the Committee. The area is, the Borough is. I have people in with me all the time making constant complaints about lack of action by police in reference to drugs and anti-social behaviour. Sometimes they're not even getting through to police. If they register a complaint, they don't hear for weeks afterwards, if they ever hear. These reports come out all the time and paint this rosy picture; it's a false picture as far as I'm concerned. People coming to me are not happy with the policing in this area; they are not one bit happy. I hear it all the time every day of the week and the main bug bears are anti-social behaviour and drugs. Cllr Watton also claimed police were not interested in hearing about information he had about drugs in the area. I've asked and asked and asked but they don't meet me; they haven't met me for nine months and have no intention of meeting me, said the Coleraine councillor. They know I'm sitting on information about drugs; they know I hear it all the time. I've heard it today, I've heard it all week, but they just don't want to know. This rosy picture does not equate to what's happening on the ground. It's an absolute disgrace and I'll not be holding my breath waiting on them getting in touch with me. The last time they met me they had to be ordered from Belfast from the Assistant Chief Constable to meet me. That's an indictment of policing at the minute that they had to be ordered at that level to meet a public representative. I'm absolutely disgusted at this, as if it's enough to keep us going for another year. It's not enough for me, he added. A man with 148 previous convictions and who was described as 'a danger to other people' has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today. Paul Farren (32) of Duncreggan Road in Derry appeared charged with indecent behaviour at Altnagelvin Hospital, criminal damage and assaulting police on September 18. The court heard that police were called to a report of a man urinating in a corridor in Altnagelvin Hospital in front of staff, members of the public and children. When police arrived Farren was said to have kicked a female officer several times in the stomach causing her to lose her breath. While waiting to be brought into the Strand Road Farren was said to have kicked another officer. At interview Farren said he had no recollection of the incident. A police officer opposed bail and said that Farren had 32 breaches of bail and 23 convictions for indecent behaviour. He said it appeared to be inevitable if Farren was released that he would re-offend. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said if Farren took alcohol it appeared he would breach his bail. He said the defendant had stopped drinking but 'fell off the wagon in spectacular fashion' and now accepted the difficulty he had placed himself in. District Judge Barney McElholm said yet again Farren had breached bail and had kicked an officer in the stomach that could have resulted in serious injury. He described the behaviour as 'disgraceful' and as 'extreme violence' and said Farren was 'a danger to other people.' He remanded him in custody to appear again on October 13. BRN cafe bar and restaurant in Derry has been named the Best Cafe in Ulster at the All Ireland Final of Irish Restaurant awards 2022. The awards took place in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) on Monday September 19. Almost 900 restaurant and hospitality business owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the Awards Event, which saw many well-known restaurateurs, hospitality business and staff turn out to see if they had won one of the prestigious awards. BRN scooped the top award for Best Cafe in Ulster after only being open two years this month. "WE DID IT!" they wrote. "Last night we picked up the award for the best cafe in Ulster at the Irish Restaurant Awards. "We are ecstatic and so so grateful to have been chosen as the winners. Thanks for a great night and to everyone involved including all of the other businesses who are doing amazing work. Celebrations are in order (after we recover from last night)." BRN is a popular Derry spot, situated on Bishop Street in the heart of Derry City. The cafe bar and restaurant serves meals for breakfast, brunch and dinner with a range of wines, cocktails, crafty beers, and coffee. Speaking at the Irish Restaurant Awards All Ireland Final, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Paul Lenehan, said; This has been an outstanding year for the Irish Restaurant Awards, in its 13th Year now after a two year break due to COVID. "We have surpassed previous years online public nominations with over 100,000 received in June and our Regional Events held in August and September in Meath, Cavan, Cork and Leitrim had almost 3,000 attendees. "The Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the existing and up and coming talent in the sector and are a reminder that hospitality is nothing without the dedicated and passionate staff in the industry. "We are delighted to have the Awards back up and running again and it has been a fantastic display of what the industry has to offer here tonight in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD). The prospect of a pre-Christmas Northern Ireland Assembly election is absolutely diabolical, Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has said. Mr Beattie was speaking following a meeting with new Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, which concentrated on how to restore the Stormont Assembly and deal with the cost-of-living crisis. Mr Beattie said he hoped that some goodwill created by the death of the Queen could be used in new negotiations between the EU and UK over the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol. Meanwhile, a DUP minister has said the focus should not be on an early election, but rather sorting out problems caused by the protocol. The DUP is blocking the functioning of the power-sharing institutions in Belfast as part of the partys protest against the trading arrangement. Political opponents have heavily criticised the DUP boycott, insisting it is hampering efforts to support families struggling amid the cost-of-living crisis. The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by way of a negotiated compromise with the EU or through controversial domestic legislation that would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels. Current rules stipulate that without a functioning Executive, ministers must stand down on October 28 and the Government call an election within 12 weeks. Mr Beattie said: That means there has to be an election by January 19. That is the process. There is no other process so we would expect to have an election on either December 8 or 15. I think it is absolutely diabolical that we are going to go back out to put posters up, knocking on doors to tell people to vote for us in the cost-of-living crisis, when people are sitting in their homes hungry and cold and we are asking them for a vote when we have already failed them. I think an election in the winter would be absolutely diabolical, but if that is what has to happen that is what will happen. Asked if he thought the Government could introduce legislation to defer a winter Stormont election, Mr Beattie said: I dont get a sense they are going to do that. If you were going to change that it would take primary legislation and I dont see any appetite for that. He added: I got a sense that the sad circumstances of the last number of days has created a degree of goodwill and there is going to be new impetus put into negotiations between the UK and the EU in regards to the Northern Ireland Protocol, and a change in language I think. Northern Ireland cannot be treated differently from the rest of the United Kingdom, but having no executive is incredibly difficult. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long had a phone conversation with Mr Heaton-Harris on Tuesday, and he is scheduled to meet SDLP leader Colum Eastwood in London later this week. Asked about the prospect of an early election, DUP Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said: Ultimately, that is a decision for the Secretary of State and the Government to make. I think instead of focusing on an election right now, what we should be focusing on is getting a solution to the problems that we face because an election could come and go again. But that doesnt ultimately solve the problems that we are facing. So lets make sure that we can sort out the problems that we have right now lets deal with the protocol and the issues that it is causing. I would rather see that done in a negotiated way where people come together and try and that out. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is there and I hope that in the absence of a negotiated outcome that it makes its way through Parliament and that it gets enacted. Mr Heaton-Harris, who replaced Shailash Vara two weeks ago as part of Liz Trusss new cabinet, has previously said the restoration of Stormonts ministerial executive is his priority in his new role. He met Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle ONeill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson shortly before the death of the Queen led to the pausing of political negotiations. He had been criticised at the time for not meeting the smaller parties. Ms ONeill said she had stressed to Mr Heaton-Harris that people in Northern Ireland are desperate for the restoration of the Executive, while Sir Jeffrey insisted his party was under no pressure from the Government to re-enter power-sharing. The new Secretary of State also met King Charles last week when the new monarch visited Hillsborough Castle. Devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have urged the Chancellor not to pass the cost of an energy cap on to struggling families. In a joint letter to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, Scotlands Deputy First Minister John Swinney has joined finance ministers from Wales and Northern Ireland to call for more targeted support for those impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. It urges the UK Government to impose a windfall tax to ensure the energy sector pays the price, rather than passing on the cost through higher borrowing. It follows the announcement from Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier this month that the price of energy would be capped at around 2,500 rather than the previous 3,549 increase in October. While the letter acknowledges the support will alleviate some of the anticipated additional pressures, Mr Kwarteng is told that it does not target support to those who need it most. The letter from Mr Swinney, Welsh finance minister Rebecca Evans and Conor Murphy, Northern Irelands finance minister, said: We are deeply concerned at who will bear the brunt of these costs. Support should be funded by targeting the windfall gains in the energy sector rather than passing the cost to households through higher borrowing. Looking ahead to your forthcoming fiscal statement, we urge you to focus efforts on those most impacted, not just relying on blanket interventions which do not recognise the scale of hardship particular households are facing. An extended and targeted support package needs to be provided to help those, who, even with the cap, are facing the impossible choice between heating their homes and feeding themselves and their loved ones. Even with the price cap, energy costs are still double what they were last year. The letter also emphasises the need for additional support for businesses and the third sector. It continued: Ministers in the devolved governments have exhausted the options available to us to address the cost crisis, stretching every pound available to us to provide support. The main levers that can make a difference are held by the UK Government and it must now take urgent steps to use these to provide much needed certainty to those suffering hardship and poverty. The finance ministers also proposed a quadrilateral meeting to discuss the action required. A UK Government spokesperson said: The Government has been clear that it wants to see the oil and gas sector reinvest its profits to support the economy, jobs, and the UKs energy security. We expect our Energy Profits Levy, announced in May, to raise an extra 5 billion in its first year which will help pay for the 400 energy bills discount for all households to help with energy bills from October. This is on top of our new Energy Price Guarantee, announced earlier this month which will save the average household at least 1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has been lowered into the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, following a commital service. Later on Monday, a private funeral ceremony will be conducted for the Royal Family. Queen Elizaebeth II's funeral traveled through a line of well-wishers as it left London for the English countryside that she adored, who threw flowers, cheered, and applauded as it passed, Reuters reported. In a fitting homage to Britain's longest-reigning monarch, who earned respect across the world during his 70 years on the throne, thousands more people poured into the city to see the parade and funeral. Approximately 500 presidents, prime ministers, members of other royal families, and dignitaries, including Joe Biden of the United States, were present among the 2,000 mourners inside the magnificent Westminster Abbey where the burial was placed. Following her interment, the focus shifted to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where over 800 people attended a committal service. The Instruments of State; the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre have remained with Her Majestys coffin. At the Committal Service, they were placed on the High Altar at St George's Chapel. pic.twitter.com/fDFQLSSmP1 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022 The ritual ends with the removal of the monarch's authority and governing symbols-the crown, orb, and scepter-from the coffin and placement on the altar. The most senior member of the royal household, the Lord Chamberlain, then breaks his "Wand of Office," denoting the conclusion of his duty to the monarch, and sets it on the coffin. The coffin of Elizabeth and her late husband, Prince Philip, who passed away last year at the age of 99, would be interred together in the chapel where her parents and sister, Princess Margaret, are also laid to rest later in the evening at a special family ceremony. A Day of Mourning for Britain and the World The deep sorrow was felt by so many people in Britain and across the world during the late monarch's funeral, according to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, was a reflection of her rich life and loving service. Her Majesty The Queens coffin makes its final journey down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel. pic.twitter.com/vqczfMENlM The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022 He noted that during a program commemorating her 21st birthday, "Her late majesty famously declared that her whole life would be "dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth." The same tunes that played at the queen's marriage in 1947 and coronation six years later resounded. Scripture passages were sung to a soundtrack that has been utilized at every state burial since the early 18th century accompanied the coffin's entrance. Read Also: Joe Biden Declares COVID-19 Pandemic Is 'Over' But US Still Facing Problems of Thousands of Infections Thousands of members of the armed services in ceremonial finery participated in one of the greatest military processions ever seen in Britain as they dragged her flag-draped casket through the streets of London after the funeral. They moved in unison as marching bands played funeral music and the city's iconic Big Ben chimed each minute in the distance. Senior royals including King Charles followed on foot. A hearse was used to transport the casket from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then on to Windsor, where sizable crowds waited expectantly. Royal Family Members Pay Respects King Charles III participated in the transfer of Queen Elizabeth II's body from the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel. Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Prince William, and Prince Harry followed His Majesty on foot. Princess Charlotte, the great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was ostensibly seen sobbing during Her Majesty's burial procession per Fox News. During the ending of the committal service for Queen Elizabeth II at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, an emotional King Charles III listened to the singing of the British national anthem, according to a CNN report. Following the committal service, King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, departed from the chapel. Before being transported away, they paused to express their gratitude to the Dean and persons involved in the service. The rest of the family members followed the couple. Related Article: Queen Elizabeth II's Death: Royal Palace Angrily Reacts to Claims that Prince Harry Was Last To Know of Monarch's Passing @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Taliban has ordered the PUBG ban in Afghanistan within 90 days for promoting violence. The irony of this situation provokes Twitterati to come up with interesting memes and remarks. Lets find some of those PUBG ban memes and reactions here. Taliban is banning Players Unknown Battleground Mobile in Afghanistan. It will be axed in about 3 months' time. This was decided in a recent meeting involving the Ministry of Telecommunication, representatives from the security sector, and the Sharia law enforcement agency. While this isnt the first thing being outlawed in the country as around 23 million websites have been blocked in the country by the Taliban to date, the reason for banning PUBG may seem ironic to some folks. Well, that happened and we have documented some of those Twitter reactions here. PUBG ban memes and Twitter reactions Taliban government announces ban on pubg mobile in the afghanistan because it is promoting 'VIOLENCE'. They are like bro khelna hai to real m AK47 chalao ye kya phone m lage ho. Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) September 20, 2022 When someone said we are living in Kalyuga , I never realised what it means untill I read the news of Taliban announced to ban #PUBG for promoting violence in Afghanistan. Vivek Kaneriya (@CesarBahubali25) September 20, 2022 Taliban banned PUBG for promoting violence. pic.twitter.com/b0wXhJ6pMA Nikita Shanbhag (@ShanbhagNikita) September 20, 2022 Le Taliban banning pubg for spreading violence: pic.twitter.com/7NdMqvoEqY Thinker (@Cerebrum110) September 19, 2022 Now as aforementioned, the Talibans ban on PUBG could happen in 90 days time. The administration has asked the countrys internet and telecom service providers to take action as per the schedule. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in. Indian smartphone brand Lava has launched the Lava Blaze Pro in India. It is equipped with a 50MP triple rear camera setup, a 90Hz LCD panel, and MediaTek Helio G37 SoC. Here are the full details. Lava has introduced a new smartphone in the country named Lava Blaze Pro. The company has also announced Kartik Aryan as its brand ambassador. But, coming back to the phone, the highlight features include a 50MP triple rear camera, MediaTek Helio G37 processor, a 90Hz HD+ LCD display, etc. Here is everything you need to know: Lava Blaze Pro specs and features Lava Blaze Pro comes with a 6.5" 20:9 notch HD display. The cameras include an 8MP selfie shooter, and a 50MP+ 2MP (macro)+ 2MP (depth) triplet on the back. Inside, the phone is packing a MediaTek Helio G37 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a 5000mAh battery. There is support for 10W charging, Android 12 software, 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, GPS, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Lava Blaze Pro price and availability Lava Blaze Pro is priced at 10,400 and it goes on sale through Flipkart. There is a discounted launch price of 9,999 for a limited time. The phone can be purchased in green, gold, blue, and orange colors. The sale date is yet to be revealed. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in. Subscriber content preview BOISE, Idaho (AP) Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday signed a two-year agreement supporting Idaho wheat sales to Taiwan in a deal that officials say gives wheat producers a reliable buyer and Taiwan a dependable supplier. The Republican governor participated in the ceremonial signing with officials from Taiwan, the Idaho wheat industry and Taiwan Flour Mills Association. . . . Subscriber content preview The $35 million project will create 200 jobs. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) A riverboat casino in Louisiana's capital city has been given approval to move onto land. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board last week unanimously approved the casino's request to move off of its aging gambling boat and into the casino's atrium, news outlets reported. The $35 million project, which will create 200 new jobs, is expected to start construction in April and be finished by May 2024. . . . Subscriber content preview However, cargo ships cannot use the passage until the approach to the Port of Elblag is deepened. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Poland's top leaders celebrated the opening Saturday of a new albeit unfinished canal that they say will mean ships no longer must secure Russia's permission to sail from the Baltic Sea to the ports of the Vistula Lagoon. The event was timed to mark 83 years since the Soviet invasion of Poland during World War II and to demonstrate symbolically the end of Moscow's say on the economy and development of a region that borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. The government says the waterway gives Poland full sovereignty in the northeastern region, which needs investment and economic development. . . . Although the source would not indicate if such weapons will be on the table in the future, the US is not currently considering giving Ukraine weapons with longer ranges than the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) that is employed with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). A senior US military source claimed on Monday that Russian forces have continued to carry out airstrikes in recent days during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that is affecting civilian infrastructure. The official said, "This worrisome pattern, which includes strikes on power plants last week, continues to reveal Russian forces' contempt for civilian life." Pentagon: NATO-Style Tanks for Ukraine Are "on the Table" Since the start of the conflict, Ukraine's air defenses have downed around 55 Russian fighter jets, according to the US Air Force commander in Europe, who also noted that Russia has never been able to establish air superiority over Ukraine. Gen. James Hecker stated at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in Washington, DC that Russia was well aware of Ukraine's air defenses, but its initial strikes in late February failed to eliminate these defenses, such as surface-to-air missiles. As a result, six months into the conflict, Russian planes are now mostly firing long-range missiles rather than flying deeply into Ukraine. The British Ministry of Defence reported on Monday that Russia had lost 55 combat jets overall since the war began, including four that were almost certainly lost in the previous ten days. In his nighttime address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that troops had found equipment used by Russian forces in retaken areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region, including alleged torture cells. In a statement on social media, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said that during the town of Kozacha Lopan's siege, the Russian army tortured individuals in the cellar of the so-called people's militia. The Russian government and foreign ministry have been contacted by CNN for comment, but they have not yet responded. According to Pentagon officials, it might be necessary to assist Kyiv in replacing its Soviet-era main battle tanks with more competent and modern ones as it pursues offensive operations against Russian invaders. A senior Defense Department official stated on Monday that the possibility of providing Ukrainian military with Western-style tanks is unquestionably on the table, Washington Times reported. Read Also: Japan Issues 'Special Warning,' Evacuates Millions as Violent Typhoon Nanmadol Makes Landfall Calls Increase for Western Weapons Aide For Ukraine Added to the roughly $15 billion in military help the US has provided since the war started are weapons from American stocks. With Ukraine's recent victories on the battlefield, calls have also increased for western countries to contribute heavy weapons like tanks that they have so far declined to send. As Soviet-era weapons, including tanks, are becoming scarce, a US defense source told reporters on Monday that there is a growing emphasis on Ukraine's longer-term need for western weapons. Ukraine will need to have the capacity to maintain and sustain western tanks in the future. According to Pentagon sources, supplying Ukraine with modernized Western tanks would necessitate "extensive" training and maintenance periods before they were prepared to combat the Russians. The Biden administration is enticing other nations that are still using Soviet-era tanks to donate them to Ukraine so that it can supplement its current stock, according to Yahoo News. Related Article: Horrifying Russian Torture Chambers Containing Tools Along with Mass Graves Unveiled in Parts of Ukraine @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Marine Institute is delighted to welcome the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Annual Science Conference(ASC) to Ireland. The ICES ASC is commencing today in the Aviva, Dublin and will run from 19-22 of September. The ASC was cancelled in 2000 and was fully virtual in 2021. This years event in Dublin will be a hybrid conference and the ICES network has the opportunity to meet in person for the first time since 2019. The organisers are expecting up to 500 in person attendees and another 200 joining virtually. This important date in the marine calendar provides opportunities for marine scientists from across the world to meet, present and discuss the latest science around supporting the sustainable use of our oceans. Increasingly there is a greater focus on the importance of our oceans in addressing environmental and economic challenges both nationally and internationally and the ICES conference is a key marine milestone for Ireland. The Marine Institute provides broad range of dedicated marine scientists that make a valuable contribution to the leadership, advisory, scientific and data work of ICES. The conference speakers will focus attention on the ocean, on our increased marine science capacity and especially on the work that we do to provide robust science, data and advice for the sustainable use of our ocean space. The conference will address many diverse and topical issues in marine science including spatial management of our ocean, climate change, biodiversity, extreme events, integration of fishers knowledge into marine management, sustainable aquaculture in a changing world, offshore renewable energy and engaging society in visions of our future. The ICES ASC 2022 is supported by funding from the Government of Ireland and the European Union as part of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Operational Programme for 2021-2027. Ireland will be leading the opening keynote session today and the panel will be moderated by Dr Glenn Nolan, Head of Oceanographic and Climate Services at the Marine Institute. The session will examine the climate change impacts on North Atlantic/Irish waters and give the perspectives of four leading Irish marine scientists Professor Dave Reid, Marine Institute; Eimear Manning, National Youth Council of Ireland; Dr Grace Cott, UCD and Dr Gerard McCarthy NUI Maynooth. Temperature changes in the Atlantic, change in distribution of fish stocks, impacts on coastal habitats which store carbon and coastal communities, and their livelihoods will be the central focus of the session. Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, speaking from the conference said: We are delighted to welcome the ICES community to Ireland for what promises to be an engaging and timely conference. We face many challenges and will have to make decisions about our ocean that will have environmental, economic and social impact. We need the best quality data, science and advice to inform these decisions. The conference provides opportunities for everyone, from students and early career scientists to senior scientists and leaders of research institutes, academia and other scientific organisations to network. Scientists will showcase their work and deepen our understanding on how we can both protect and harness the full potential of our oceans. Irish scientists are making valuable contributions to the conference agenda and showcasing their marine science across many diverse areas. Approximately 500 abstracts or posters have been submitted from the 20 member countries of ICES. 44 abstracts have been submitted with an Irish scientist as the lead author - which is 8.6% of the total 20 of these are from the Marine Institute. If you include co-authors this brings the number up to over 30. When you compare Irelands submissions with those from other countries - Ireland is ranked third after US and UK. A great demonstration of the excellence in our science. To get all the latest updates on the exciting work of the Marine Institute and their ICES conference contributions follow us on Twitter @MarineInst Facebook @MarineInstitute and Instagram @MarineInstituteIreland. You can follow the conference across the three days on Twitter using #ICESASC22. Holocaust Education Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation aiming to inform and educate about the Holocaust and its consequences, is urging schools in Louth to become involved in The Crocus Project. Holocaust Education Ireland provides schools in Louth with yellow crocus bulbs for pupils aged ten years and over to plant in memory of all the children who perished in the Holocaust. The aim of the project is to educate young people about the dangers of racism, and all forms of discrimination and hatred. Speaking about the project, Lynn Jackson, Director of Education, said: We are calling on schools, youth groups and community organisations in Louth to join us in planting yellow crocus bulbs to commemorate all of the children who perished in the Holocaust. The yellow flowers, recalling the yellow Stars of David, will bloom around the time of International Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January, presenting an opportunity for teachers and educators to introduce young people to the subject of the Holocaust, and teach the importance of inclusion and respect for all people regardless of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Seeing the flowers bloom in the early new year ensures that the stories of the children who perished in the Holocaust are not forgotten but are passed on to future generations, while educating our young people in a tangible way about the perils of prejudice. The beautiful flowers also remind us that, even after the most terrible events, new life begins again and we can hope that things will be better than they were before. Last year, 16 schools in Louth participated in the project, and we would love to have more involved this year. We are urging teachers, parents and anyone involved in youth organisations or community groups in Louth, to get in touch with us to see how they can get involved. The Crocus Project is co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Department of Education. Schools interested in registering to become involved in the project can do so here. Further information on the project is available here: https://www. holocausteducationireland.org/crocus-project There is no charge for participating in the Crocus Project. Holocaust Education Ireland provides teachers and educators with crocus bulbs and a Teachers Handbook as well as guidance about the project that includes information and age appropriate material. The handbook is available in English and as Gaeilge as well as well as twelve European languages to ensure that children in Ireland and across Europe can fully participate in the project. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Adnan Syed, who spent 23 years contesting his conviction for allegedly killing his former high school sweetheart and whose case was featured in the first season of the popular podcast 'Serial,' was released from prison on Monday in a stunning turn of events. Judge Melissa Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court overturned the conviction in the interests of justice and fairness, concluding that the prosecution had withheld information that could have aided Syed at trial and had uncovered fresh information that might have changed the course of his case. Adnan Syed Released From Prison After Judge Overturns Conviction Adnan Syed was given till then to serve house detention after being charged. Even though neither of these people has been identified officially or accused of any crimes, prosecutors claimed that an inquiry had pointed to two potential alternative suspects. After being found guilty of murdering his high school classmate and former girlfriend Hae Min Lee, whose body was discovered buried in a Baltimore park in 1999, Syed, 41, was given a life sentence, as per New York Times. Adnan Syed, who has a full beard, showed up in court sporting a traditional Muslim skull cap, a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and a dark tie. Syed's supporters in the courtroom cheered when Phinn told guards to release his handcuffs. The state was given 30 days by Judge Phinn to decide whether to ask for a fresh trial or possibly drop the case. Marilyn Mosby, the state's attorney for Baltimore City, was applauding the judge's decision outside the court as Syed entered, to loud applause. He was then led into an oncoming automobile and driven away. The victim's family was shocked when Maryland prosecutors requested for Syed's conviction to be overturned last week. Young Lee, Lee's brother, sobbed throughout his Monday virtual court hearing as he pondered how this sequence of events came about, according to NBC News. Read Also: At Least 1 Dead After 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Prompting Rescue Efforts What's Next For Adnan Syed? Syed was given a life term in jail plus 30 years in 2000 after a case accessory stated he had killed Lee and had shown him she remains in his car. Syed has consistently defended his innocence in the matter and previously declined the chance of an early release on the condition that he enter a guilty plea. After it was discovered that Cristina Gutierrez, Syed's defense attorney in the initial case, had failed to speak with an alibi witness on his side and rendered inadequate counsel, his initial conviction was overturned in 2016. However, because of the refusal of several higher courts, including the US Supreme Court, to hear the case, Syed was left in limbo until Phinn's ruling on Monday. Even so, Syed was given a GPS tracking device and allowed to return home. His independence might only be momentary, though. A retrial in the case is currently scheduled for Syed, in which he would potentially be provided with new legal representation to defend himself against the state and the now 22-year-old evidence against him. It would be another court case in a line of appeals that has lasted for years, and it would appear to be a repetition of previously considered evidence. The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, which forbids someone from being tried twice for the same crime, would often protect defendants in such a case. But if Syed were to face a second trial, it would likely be for a crime for which he has not yet been found guilty. Syed's involvement in Lee's killing might be reduced to being an accessory to the crime or some other minor offense, which would be viewed as a different crime than the one for which he was initially charged (and found guilty), News Week reported. Related Article: Louisiana College Student Found Dead with Multiple Gun Shots in Bullet-Riddled Car; Motive, Suspect Remain Unidentified @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United States President Joe Biden has once again reaffirmed that the American military will move to defend the self-governing island nation of Taiwan if China decides to attack and claim Taipei as its territory. The Democratic leader made the remarks during an interview that aired on Sunday, comments that appear to venture beyond the longstanding U.S. policy on the issue. During the talk, Biden was asked whether "U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion." Defending Taiwan It was not the first time that the Democrat has gone further in his public comments about the longstanding U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" when it comes to the support of Taiwan against China. During his recent visit to Tokyo in May, he said that the U.S. would intervene militarily if Beijing attempts to take Taiwan by force. However, the White House has been quick to downplay Biden's previous comments on Taiwan, repeatedly reiterating that U.S. policy has not changed. On Sunday, "60 Minutes" reported receiving a similar response to Biden's answers in the interview, as per CNN. On the other hand, Beijing swiftly condemned Biden's comments and once again warned that China reserves the "option to take all necessary measures" to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty." Read Also: Donald Trump Boasts About His Popularity During Ohio Rally; Speech Filled with Vitriol for Rivals In a briefing on Monday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said, "The U.S. remarks seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three U.S.-China joint communiques." The official added that they were serious violations of the important commitment made by the U.S. not to side with Taiwan's independence. According to BBC, the situation comes as the United States tries to walk a diplomatic tightrope over the issue. On one hand, it supports the one-China policy, which is a cornerstone of its relationship with Beijing. U.S.-China Relations On the other, it also tries to maintain close relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the U.S. must provide the island with the means to defend itself. Biden's recent comments, however, are his clearest yet in pledging U.S. military intervention between China and Taiwan. However, during the interview, the U.S. president reiterated that the U.S. was not encouraging Taiwan's independence. The situation comes as earlier this month, the U.S. agreed to sell $1.1 billion in weapons and missile defense to Taiwan, which provoked anger from Beijing. It is the third time since October last year that Biden has gone further than U.S. policy. Tensions between the U.S. and China, especially over Taiwan's independence, have ramped up after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to the self-governing island nation in August. The arms package sold to Taiwan was in the works for quite some time because it was expected that it would be needed due to China's increased pressure on Taipei, said State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel, CBS News reported. Related Article: Joe Biden Declares COVID-19 Pandemic Is 'Over' But US Still Facing Problems of Thousands of Infections @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. EBRD providing US$ 25 million financial package to Acba bank for on-lending Funds to support MSMEs, women-led firms, partly backed by the EU EBRD to increase trade finance line by US$ 8.5 million The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing a financial package of US$ 25 million to Acba bank to boost lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and women-led firms across Armenia. The US$ 25 million financial package was signed by CEO of Acba bank Hakob Andreasyan and EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso during her visit to the country. The signing ceremony was attended by Frank Hess, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia. Acba bank will receive US$ 7 million under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit line, which helps local firms become more competitive by improving their productivity, investing in green technologies and increasing the quality of their goods and services. At least 70 per cent of the loans will finance green investments in accordance with the EBRD Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, and the European Union (EU)s Green Deal. The EU is complementing the offer by providing incentive grants of up to 15 per cent of the loan amount and free technical assistance under its EU4Business initiative. This investment project contributes to the implementation of the EUs Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) in the Eastern Partnership countries. One of the key flagship priorities of the EIP for Armenia is to promote a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy by directly supporting up to 30,000 SMEs in the country. As part of the US$ 25 million financial package, US$ 4 million will fall under the Women in Business (WiB) programme that promotes womens participation in business by boosting access to finance and know-how. The programme combines financing, technical assistance and risk mitigation in the form of first-loss cover for local financial institutions, supported by the EU. It is the second loan that Acba bank has received under this programme. The remaining US$ 14 million will support the further development of local MSMEs and help Acba bank expand its lending portfolio. The financing will be available in US dollars and/or Armenian dram, thereby protecting borrowers from foreign currency-related risks. On top of this financial package, the EBRD is stepping up its support to exporters and importers by increasing Acba banks trade finance limit by US$ 8.5 million to US$ 12 million under its Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP). This will accommodate the growing market demand and offer trade financing and risk mitigation for trade transactions. Acba bank is among the leading banks in Armenia, offering a full range of services to individuals and SMEs. It is the fourth-largest bank in Armenia in terms of assets, with a dominant position in lending to the agricultural sector and MSMEs in rural areas. The EBRD has invested about 2 billion in 201 projects in Armenia since the start of its operations there in 1992. EBRD backs establishment of new chapter within Climate Governance Initiative partnership Kyiv School of Economics to host latest chapter of global network Chapter Zero Aim is to promote understanding and adoption of effective climate governance Board members and executives of financial and non-financial corporations from Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia can from today join a new chapter of a global network promoting the understanding and adoption of effective climate governance. Hosted by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Chapter Zero Ukraine & Caucasus is the latest to launch under the umbrella of the Climate Governance Initiative (CGI), which works in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is supported by the EBRD. CGIs global network of more than 20 national and regional chapters promotes the adoption of the Principles for Effective Climate Governance published by the WEF. Established in 2019, CGI aims to equip its members with skills and knowledge to make addressing climate change a boardroom priority. The new chapter will help business leaders from Ukraine and the Caucasus region to share knowledge and exchange experiences on climate-related risks, governance, and disclosure frameworks and how they can shape corporate strategy and investment as businesses move strategically towards a net zero economy. Ukrainian, Georgian and Armenian companies that are able to demonstrate that they follow sustainable business practices already attract foreign investment more easily. Chapter Zero Ukraine & Caucasus will focus on spreading this practical knowledge and expertise on climate governance to connect businesses in these countries more strongly to international markets and capital. Karina Litvack, Chairman of the Climate Governance Initiative, said: Confronting the climate challenge at a time of war in Ukraine and regional turbulence in Armenia and Georgia might seem a tall order - but the alternative is worse. Getting this right now is critical both to the success of Ukraines reconstruction, and to the development of a competitive and resilient economy in Armenia and Georgia. She added: Chapter Zero Ukraine & Caucasus is a vital resource to enable directors to acquire the competencies they need to place the climate transition at the heart of board strategy, culture and routine decision-making. By joining, they will access an instant fellowship of like-minded directors, as well as experts in key areas of strategy, risk management, audit, remuneration and reporting. We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues, and to work together to build a stable and prosperous Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia. As an educational institution KSE strives to provide our clients with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills. Addressing climate change is critical for the development of the global economy and we believe there is no time to waste in integrating it into corporate governance processes. We are pleased to lead this initiative and support Ukrainian and regional companies, especially in the context of Russias war on Ukraine, said Natalia Shapoval, Head of KSE Institute. The EBRD supports the establishment of this new chapter as part of a partnership with CGI to enhance boards understanding of how climate risks could affect their business in key regions of focus for the Bank. The EBRD and CGI partnered up in April this year to promote climate governance of companies, including training non-executive directors on climate-related risks and their implications for business to boost boards capacity to move towards a net-zero economy. The EBRD, its partners and clients need to address climate change at the organisational level to achieve systemic impacts; board directors and executives can play a significant role, said Matteo Patrone, Managing Director, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus at the EBRD. He added: The EBRD is already providing critical tools and advisory support to its clients to enhance climate governance, climate-risk management and disclosures. We believe that Chapter Zero Ukraine & Caucasus will encourage informed debate among business leaders in the region on how to drive long-term decarbonisation and ensure businesses remain resilient when facing future economic change. As well as leading to better governance, bringing more and deeper project-level engagement with clients, the EBRDs partnership with CGI aims to enhance the delivery of the EBRDs Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, through which the multilateral development bank aims to make at least half its investments green by 2025. The EBRD is also implementing plans to align fully with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change by the end of 2022. EBRD and Raiffeisen Bank to provide up to UAH 100 million in finance to Enzym EBRD to cover UAH 60 million through an unfunded risk-sharing facility Loan to finance working-capital needs and sustain Enzyms production activities in Ukraine The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Raiffeisen Bank are joining forces to support Enzym, Ukraines leading bakers yeast producer. Raiffeisen Bank is providing Enzym with a loan of up to UAH 100 million (3 million equivalent), with the EBRD guaranteeing UAH 60 million through a risk-sharing facility. Enzym, an existing small and medium-sized enterprise client of the EBRD, supplies more than 50 per cent of all yeast for bread production in Ukraine and exports to 19 countries, mostly in the European Union. The joint Raiffeisen-EBRD facility will finance the companys working-capital needs and help to secure the supply of raw materials required for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, to ensure production volumes are maintained at current levels. The project is part of the EBRDs Food Security Ukraine package, which falls under the Banks Resilience and Livelihoods Framework aimed at supporting the Ukrainian economy. It will help to sustain the provision of services by Enzym and safeguard business activities in Ukraine, with the ultimate goal of preserving livelihoods. The EBRD has pledged to invest 1 billion this year to support the Ukrainian economy, with risks shared by donors and partners. To address the Ukrainian economys most pressing current needs, the EBRD is prioritising five areas: trade finance, energy security, vital infrastructure, food security (covering the provision of liquidity to farmers through banks for the spring sowing season, as well as to agribusiness companies and food producers and retailers) and providing liquidity to pharmaceutical companies. Investments in all areas will involve risk-sharing with partners. The EBRD was swift to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February and pledged to stand by Ukraine. In early April, the EBRDs Board of Governors voted to suspend open endedly the access of Russian Federation and Belarus to EBRD finance and expertise, and the Bank has closed its offices in Russia and Belarus. 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. The European Union (EU) wastes much more food than it imports each year, according to a new report by Feedback EU, No Time to Waste. The EU wastes about 169 million tons of food annually, twice as much as was previously estimated, reported The Guardian. Thats about 16.5 million tons more than it imports, the study said. At a time of high food prices and a cost of living crisis, its a scandal that the EU is potentially throwing away more food than its importing, said Frank Mechielsen, the director of Feedback EU, as The Guardian reported. The EU now has a massive opportunity to set legally binding targets to halve its food waste from farm to fork by 2030 to tackle climate change and improve food security. The study said the EU wastes as much wheat as about half what Ukraine exports. Binding objectives to curb the outrageous amount of food being wasted are expected to be put forth by the European Commission by the end of this year, reported The Brussels Times. The commission will officially adopt the targets in 2023. A statement by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and 42 other groups from 20 countries in the EU implored European officials to legally require EU member states to cut food waste in half by 2030, and to include farm waste in the total. Following negotiations between the European Council and the European Parliament, food waste objectives will be determined. The cost of the EUs food imports last year was about $150 billion. The EEB determined that about a fifth of food produced by the EU ends up as waste, and lowering this amount by the end of the decade could end up conserving about 11.6 million acres of cropland. Food waste is responsible for six percent of the EUs total greenhouse gas emissions. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said last month food prices around the world were eight percent higher than this time last year, in part due to Russias war on Ukraine, reported The Guardian. In the past, the agri-food industry has considered wasting food more beneficial than being efficient, co-chair of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems Olivier De Schutter said, as The Guardian reported. At both ends of the food chain its expensive to reduce waste and it is profitable to sell people more food than they need, De Schutter said, as reported by The Guardian. Sell-by dates are also set in a way that obliges people to buy more than they can actually consume. The EEB would like there to be legally-binding procedures for reducing food waste throughout the entire food supply chain. The report found that about 99 million tons of food waste originates in primary production, three times what is produced by households. Since measurements of waste in the EU have a tendency not to record unused, unharvested and unsold food on farms, most of this waste likely goes undocumented. All EU countries had committed to halve food waste within the United Nations sustainable development goals. However, almost 10 years later, they have not achieved much, and our economies still generate incredibly high amounts of food waste, said senior policy officer for the EEB Piotr Barczak, as The Guardian reported. 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. Mining machines work in the Garzweiler open pit lignite mine, with the Neurath lignite-fired power plant in the background, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on April 4, 2022. Federico Gambarini / picture alliance via Getty Images A new public database called the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels now tracks fossil fuels, including their emissions as well as production and reserves, around the world. The first database of its kind, it is designed to provide more insight into current fossil fuel projects and the remaining carbon budget. It was launched this week to align with United Nations General Assembly climate talks happening in New York City. The open-source database, created by the nonprofit Carbon Tracker and the organization Global Energy Monitor, tracks more than 50,000 oil, gas and coal fields across 89 countries, or about 75% of fossil fuel emissions, production and reserves in the world, as AP News reported. While similar databases have existed previously, they were private and only available via purchase. International Energy Agency maintains a free public database on fossil fuels, but it doesnt include underground reserves. The database is meant to better inform governments, companies, shareholders and other decision-makers about fossil fuel impacts, including potential impacts for fossil fuels that are still in the ground. It is also meant to bridge the data gaps, where much of the fossil fuel data are held privately and theres a general lack in information about potential impacts from reserves. Civil society groups have got to get more of a focus on what governments are planning to do in terms of license issuance, both for coal and oil and gas, and actually begin to challenge this permitting process, Mark Campanale, founder of Carbon Tracker, told AP News. The database creators conducted analyses on global fossil fuels and the existing carbon budget, which is the amount of emissions available to keep warming within the 1.5C target. They found that in the U.S. and Russia alone, there are enough fossil fuel reserves to use up the entire global carbon budget. We already have enough extractable fossil fuels to cook the planet. We cant afford to use them all or almost any of them at this point, Rob Jackson, a climate scientist at Stanford University who was not involved with the database, told AP News. I like the emphasis on transparency in fossil fuel production and reserves, down to specific projects. Thats a unique aspect to the work. While a 2021 report from the International Energy Agency noted that no further fossil fuel projects should be developed for the world to stay within the 1.5C target, a Global Registry of Fossil Fuels analysis found over 20 companies have projects in the works that add up to over 1 billion tons of embedded carbon dioxide equivalent. Insights like these could help influence better decision-making around fossil fuels moving forward. Campanale explained that the goal is for investors to use the data to persuade companies to move in a different direction. Lawyers claim that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis handed out misleading brochures that promised cash assistance, job placement services, and more, to migrants before flying them out to Martha's Vineyard. The situation comes as authorities in Texas have opened up a criminal investigation into the Republican's operation to fly roughly 50 Venezuelan migrants from the state to the Cape Cod island last week. Florida's Fake Brochures In a statement during a Monday news conference, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar announced that his office was investigating whether the migrants were the victims of a crime. He said that the individuals were "lured under false pretenses." Many of the migrants said that they agreed to fly from San Antonio to the Massachusetts island after they were promised jobs. However, there were no real career opportunities waiting for them at their destination. Salazar said that people should be held accountable for the situation to the extent possible under the law. He added that at that point in time, he was not able to definitively say what statute was broken, either federal, state, or local, as per the Miami Herald. Gov. DeSantis took responsibility for the two charter flights last week, saying that they were part of a state program to relocate migrants from Florida, although the group of Venezuelans was in San Antonio. Salazar called the flights "little more than a video op" but did not name DeSantis in his remarks about the situation. Furthermore, he said that his office was cooperating with a private attorney for the migrants, as well as advocacy groups, and was preparing to cooperate with federal agencies "should the need arise." Read Also: Donald Trump Boasts About His Popularity During Ohio Rally; Speech Filled with Vitriol for Rivals According to Business Insider, now, the Boston-headquartered Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is representing roughly 30 of the migrants, shared links to photos of the misleading brochures via Twitter. The group noted that the migrants were given the brochure "at some point during their expulsion and relocation from Texas and Florida." Venezuelan Migrants Previous reports noted that a woman the migrants identified as "Perla" promised them to work permits in Boston once they arrived. Later on, links to the brochure photos were posted on Twitter on Monday. Immigration attorney Matt Cameron said that the benefits in the brochure are resettlement benefits for refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and authorized to live in the United States. However, they are not available in Massachusetts to the migrants who are still seeking asylum. The "Massachusetts Refugee Benefits" brochure describes benefits including up to eight months of cash assistance, job placement, retention and upgrade services, assistance with housing, food, clothing, and more. Officials in Massachusetts also recently requested a federal human trafficking probe over DeSantis' order to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard. In a Twitter post on Sunday, state Rep. Dylan Fernandes said that they were requesting the Department of Justice to open an investigation to hold the Florida Republican and others accountable for the inhumane acts. Fernandes noted that not only were the orders morally criminal, but there were also legal implications around fraud, kidnapping, deprivation of liberty, and human trafficking, USA Today reported. Related Article: A New York University Suspends Undergrad Clubs After Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ Group @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. The perhaps underappreciated champions of underground carbon storage and resilience, grasslands can often be found at most latitudes in open, continuous areas. Their grasses grow to between eight inches and seven feet in height with roots that go deep underground, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The height of the grass depends on soil depth and how much rainfall it receives. Because of these two parameters, trees are rare in the grasslands ecosystem. New research has found that the biodiversity and resilience of grasslands to events like fire and drought develop over centuries, according to a press release from University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder). Old growth forests are old/ancient, mature forests that have assembled over centuries mainly undisturbed by humans, composed of large and old trees, large snags and a diverse tree community with structural complexity, Dr. Elise Buisson, one of the authors of the study and professor at Avignon Universite who does research in restoration ecology, community ecology and conservation told EcoWatch in an email. Similarly, old growth grasslands are old/ancient grasslands that have assembled over centuries, mainly undisturbed by humans, containing long-lived perennial plants and high species diversity with well-developed below ground structure. The study, Ancient grasslands guide ambitious goals in grassland restoration, was published in the journal Science. In the last 200 years, a great deal of the worlds ancient grasslands have been converted into farmland or been used to grow trees, the press release said. Any activity that disturbs the soil (plowing, mining, quarrying, etc.), and thus the bud and seed bank, destroys ancient grasslands, Buisson told EcoWatch. For years prior to the study, it was thought that the regeneration and ecological evolution of grasslands were fast, the press release said. The realization that its actually an extremely slow process presents issues for the restoration of grasslands. Old growth grasslands have a unique suite of characteristics that develop over a really long time. Recovering grasslands do not have the same species or the same characteristics as they did prior to soil tilling or tree planting, and they take centuries to redevelop, distinguished professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder Katharine Suding, who was senior author of the paper, said in the press release. Its an important reminder that we need to conserve the ancient grasslands that are still intact. Suding is a North American grasslands specialist who, with a team of international experts, studied grassland conservation and restoration on a global scale. The research team looked at tropical and savannah grasslands as well as coastal, prairie and arid grasslands. There are grasslands in different stages of evolution on the planet. Most people mix up ancient grasslands, secondary grasslands, derived grasslands, hay meadows, etc. because they look the same (from a non-expert point of view) Buisson told EcoWatch. Because they mix up everything and very often see grazed or mowed meadows, they think that farmers can sow them and install them quickly. Some temperate meadows or prairies which are used to being managed can be restored relatively easily. Thats why people thought it would be the same for all grasslands. Buisson contrasted old growth forests and grasslands with secondary forests and derived grasslands. Secondary forests are those which have re-grown after being harvested or cleared for agriculture (and then abandoned), while derived grasslands are in an early grassy stage in the development of forest after being harvested or cleared for agriculture (and then abandoned), Buisson said. According to the press release, almost 40 percent of terrestrial ecosystems on Earth are grasslands the home to many plants and animals. Grasslands provide benefits to biodiversity and aid in the subsistence of more than a billion people all over the world. With the rapid pace of climate change, grasslands have the ability to be more hardy than forests. But grasslands are distinct from forests, and do not represent an early stage in their evolution. I think that a lot of ancient/old growth grasslands in the world are in the tropics. These areas were colonized by Europeans, with their vision of European ecological systems and the concepts of succession, climax, etc. Succession stops when the system has reached a steady state which was believed to be mature forests in most cases. This made it generally accepted everywhere that grasslands were successional stages towards forests. This is not true everywhere, and definitely not in ancient grasslands, Buisson told EcoWatch. Many grassland and tree species have adapted to fire and other ecological disruptions. [T]hey have evolved with them over centuries (sometimes millions of years). African savannas have evolved with fire and species have been selected with fire for 16-20 million years. The Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) between 10 and 5 millions years. Thats huge!! Buisson said. Most species are adapted to fire. Savanna trees have thick bark. After fire, lots of species have the ability to resprout from bark-protected buds or underground buds (buds which are protected from fire in the soil), etc. Some species have underground storage organs, with reserves to regrow after fire, etc. They actually need fire. The researchers discovered that, although grasslands can be decimated quickly, their recovery time varies, and for some recovery is only possible over a long period of time or not at all, which makes it all the more vital to conserve those that remain pristine. Not all grasslands are long to regenerate. It depends what kind of grasslands we are talking about. Ancient grasslands take a long time to regenerate because they have assembled over centuries (just like it is really hard to restore ancient forests only time can do it). Moreover, it seems like in many ancient grasslands, species have a conservative strategy. They are slow growing. They dont disperse very far. They dont all produce a lot of seeds, Buisson told EcoWatch. The older the grassland biome, the more complex it is, and sometimes recovery may not be possible. If you plant trees in an older grassland or till it for agriculture, you will probably never get many of the unique diversity and belowground characteristics back. It is irreversible, Suding said in the press release. One-third of all terrestrially stored carbon lies underground in the roots of grasslands, which can stretch down as far as 20 feet. It is one of the reasons they are so resilient in the face of ecological disruptions like fires. Compared to forests, grasslands can sometimes be unsung heroes when it comes to carbon storage, since they arent as apparent in the landscape. Like any other plant, grassland plants store carbon in the soil by providing organic matter (dead leaves, stems, roots), which decomposes; store carbon in alive roots; for some species, store carbon in underground storage organs (particularly common in fire prone ecosystems, thus in grasslands and savannas), Buisson told EcoWatch. Transplanting such grassland species isnt an option, just like it isnt an effective method for old-growth trees. [W]e thought that because grassland plants are smaller than trees they can be transplanted But as one cannot translocate a tree from an old-growth forest to salvage it, one cannot hope to translocate a grassland species with an underground storage organ (USO). Digging out USO often leads to killing the plant, Buisson said. The belowground makeup of old growth grasslands differs from that of less mature grasslands, the press release said. The biodiversity of the old growth grasslands may never be able to be restored, but they can give scientists a restoration blueprint, according to Suding. Just ten years ago, the restoration of grasslands was centered on the disbursement of seeds with the addition of fire or grazing before leaving the landscape alone to heal over time. However, this has been found to be more complex and require a methodical strategy to be successful. We should think of restoration as more of guiding a trajectory. Some species dont come in right at the start, and the disturbance that maintains the grassland needs time to grow and be tweaked as these species get established and the soil develops, Suding said in the press release. These processes take time. The growth of grasses from seeds does better in some geographic locations than others, for instance, and some grasses, such as those in tropical regions, spread through underground tubers and rhizomes, which are significantly harder to restore. Some old-growth grassland species do not produce seeds every year or have seeds of low quality. In a stable environment, with just fire that they can overcome by resprouting, there is no real need for these plants to produce seeds. That makes it very complicated for us to collect seeds to be sown or germinate seeds in nursery to later transplant seedlings (as it is done for forest restoration) because seed availability may be low, Buisson told EcoWatch. Last year was the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the goal of which is to restore the biodiversity of Earths ecosystems and to assist in attaining the UNs Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris agreement. And while tree planting has been seen as a relatively simple and natural way to extract atmospheric carbon, it does not work everywhere, the press release said. We would lose a huge element of the biodiversity on Earth if we planted trees in old growth grasslands, Suding said in the press release. I think we need to be a little bit more careful about whats best for the globe, in terms of where to restore what. Suding is concerned that a great number of nations may feel planting trees is enough, even though the United Nations drive for ecosystem restoration states that planting trees on natural grassland may destroy more than it creates, the press release said. With their ability to survive with less water, survive fires, store carbon underground and decrease soil erosion, grasslands should be especially revered in places like the Western United States that have been plagued by heatwaves, drought and wildfires due to climate change. Theyre very resilient to a lot of these threats that were increasingly experiencing. Grasslands are resilient and can deliver well in terms of our priorities of carbon storage, water infiltration and soil health, Suding said in the press release. South Korea to put down 7,000 pigs following fresh ASF outbreak South Korea will slaughter some 7,000 pigs to try to stem the spread of African swine fever (ASF) following a new outbreak at a local farm, the agriculture ministry said on September 19. The disease broke out at a pig farm in Chuncheon, 85km northeast of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, adding pigs at the farm will be culled as a preventive measure. The government also issued a 24-hour standstill order on pig farms and related facilities in Gangwon Province, and plans to carry out an in-depth inspection into 43 adjacent farms, Yonhap news agency reported. It also plans to conduct clinical tests on all of around 200 pig farms in the province, the ministry added. It marked this year's third ASF case in South Korea, with the previous case having taken place in August in the eastern county of Yanggu. South Korea Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed officials to fully implement quarantine steps in close cooperation with local governments to contain the spread of the virus, according to his office. The ministry said that the current ASF situation is not likely to affect the country's pork supply, as the number of pigs to be culled this time accounts for about 0.06% of total pigs currently being raised in South Korea. - IANS UN chartered ship bound for Ethiopia with Ukrainian wheat Ukraine's infrastructure ministry said a third United Nations World Food Program (WFP) chartered vessel left the country's Chornomorsk Black Sea port with around 30,000 tonnes of wheat bound for Ethiopia, Reuters reported. The Ministry said the ship is sailing toward Ethiopia, as Ethiopia is reportedly on the verge of a food crisis, according to the UN. Three ships working with the WFP are sailing to Ethiopia and Yemen with more than 90,000 tonnes of wheat on board. The ministry said they plan to export another 190,000 tonnes, which are currently being purchased by UN partners. In addition to the IKARIA ANGEL, the ministry noted that nine other vessels also departed Ukrainian ports. The country's grain exports have decreased significantly since the war began because its Black Sea ports, a crucial route for shipments, were shut down. This has increased the price of food globally and raised concerns about shortages in Africa and the Middle East. A deal between Moscow and Kyiv, mediated by the UN and Turkey, resulted in the opening of three Black Sea ports at the end of July. - Reuters The largest pork producer in Europe reduces employment as supplies fall Danish Crown, the largest pork producer in Europe, announced on Thursday that it would eliminate 350 jobs at two factories in Denmark due to a decline in supplies from farmers who were negatively impacted by rising energy and feed prices, Reuters reported. According to Danish Crown, the war in Ukraine has caused farmers to pay energy and swine feed at all-time high prices. The company stated in a statement that payments to the farmers have not kept up at the same pace, and as a result, the supply of slaughter pigs to Danish Crown has fallen noticeably over the past months. Danish Crown almost always had more swine ready for slaughter than its factories could handle over the past two years. The company said now the picture looks entirely different. - Reuters New $54 million pig feed mill in Cambodia to open next year A pig feed mill in Cambodia, which received an investment from local agricultural conglomerate Mong Reththy Group to the tune of $54 million, is expected to be operational by end-February 2023, with an annual production capacity of "about 360,000 tonnes", company chairman Mong Reththy revealed. The update was welcomed by industry insiders that the uptick in domestic livestock feed production would greatly boost household incomes and stimulate the Cambodian economy. The new plant sits on a 24ha plot in Preah Sihanouk province's Prey Nop district, and the investment capital is broken into three components: $24 million in land-related costs, $15 million in construction and infrastructure and $15 in raw materials. Reththy told The Post on September 5 that the project aims to cover the growing domestic demand for pig feed, encourage farmers to raise more livestock, spur local market competition and curb the import of animals. "At this stage, the company has no plans to export to international markets as long as there is unmet domestic demand," he said. "The increase in feed production capacity will also enable Cambodia to ensure its own food security and not rely on imports." Cambodia Livestock Raisers Association president Srun Pov stressed that increasing domestic livestock feed production is not only crucial to ensuring self-sufficiency, but also helps reduce costs for the fodder and stimulate the production of foodstuffs used in the making thereof. The "more than 20 livestock feed mills" nationwide are unable to fulfil local demand and imports mostly from Vietnam account for about 20% of domestic supply, he said, adding that prices for pig feed have risen by 10-20% over last year. Cambodian Aquaculturist Association president Sok Raden believes that the new plant will cut reliance on animal feed imports to some extent and generally improve performance in local animal husbandry and even aquaculture. "I hope that the locally-made animal feed will be of good quality and priced competitively with imported products," he said. Mong Reththy Group owns another pig feed mill in Prey Nop district, on a 10ha plot. The facility went online in 2017 and can churn out 20 tonnes of product per hour. According to the company, Cambodia spends about $180 million a year importing animal feed to meet domestic demand. - The Phnom Penh Post Drop in bovine TB rates in England and Wales, UK New figures show bovine tuberculosis (TB) rates and cattle slaughterings continue to fall across England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The number of cattle slaughtered in England due to bovine (TB) has fallen by 20% on the year, according to the latest official government data. Figures published by Defra on September 14 showed 24,398 TB-infected cattle were slaughtered in England between July 2021 and June 2022. This compares with 30,347 TB-condemned cattle in the previous 12 months. Fewer animals were slaughtered in all risk areas. Wales recorded a 16% year-on-year fall in TB cattle slaughterings over the 12 months to June 2020 9,713 cases compared with 11,536. All areas except the low-TB area (north-west Wales, including Anglesey) showed decreases. In Scotland, the number of TB-infected cattle slaughtered dropped to 311 (down 29% on the year) after record highs in 2021. Scotland retains its officially TB-free status. Meanwhile, the number of new TB herd incidents recorded in England between July 2021 and June 2022 decreased by 18% on the year (down from 1,781 to 1,458 cases). Wales also recorded a drop, of 5%, over this same period (down from 332 to 316 cases). Defra is using a robust set of measures to reduce the risk of bovine TB transmission between cattle herds, as part of its 25-year science-led strategy to eradicate the disease in England by 2038. This includes compulsory testing, slaughter of infected animals, strict cattle measures and badger vaccination and culling. In Wales, the Welsh government has adopted similar measures to England. However, the Labour-led administration remains opposed to badger culling. Field trials of a BCG cattle vaccine and a complementary skin test to differentiate infected from uninfected vaccinated animals are under way in England and Wales. Defra hopes to roll out TB vaccination in cattle herds in 2025, and that the badger cull phase of the strategy would then wind down. Commenting on the latest TB statistics, NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said it was encouraging that the number of TB cattle slaughtered in England has declined in the past year, but there is still much work to be done to reach the goal of a TB-free England. He added: "This reduction does show that over the past 10 years, the governments TB eradication strategy has clearly been successful in driving a reduction in bovine TB. "Farmers having access to all available measures to tackle this disease, whether that is wildlife control, stringent biosecurity or enhanced testing, has delivered reductions. "It is now essential that we have a clear and detailed plan in place for the next stage of the eradication strategy, to protect and enhance this progress. We believe that the government should focus its TB eradication strategy around the science and evidence, which shows that all of these measures are crucial to fighting this horrendous disease." - Farmers Weekly EKU Awarded Competitive Veterans Upward Bound Grant With a long-standing reputation for excellence in veteran education, Eastern Kentucky University has been awarded a five-year grant for a Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program. VUB is a federally funded TRiO outreach program designed to prepare eligible, first-generation, low-income veterans to enter postsecondary education. As one of the top three veteran schools in the nation, we are proud to continue supporting our veteran population with additional assistance through the Veterans Upward Bound program, said EKU President David McFaddin. This infusion of funds will ensure our ability to continue elevating our support for the men and women who have served our country. According to Barbara Kent, director of EKUs Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, the VUB program addresses any academic, social or emotional issues that may be a barrier to postsecondary education. Free services for eligible veterans will include academic assessments and placement testing, core curriculum instruction, tutoring, admissions applications, visits to college campuses, help with the FAFSA and financial literacy workshops, scholarship workshops and cultural enrichment activities. Veterans residing within Clay, Fayette, Knox, Laurel, Madison, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle and Whitley counties will be able to apply for the program, and the EKU-VUB program will serve 125 eligible veterans annually. Additionally, many of the services offered to veterans in the program will be available to their family members at no cost, as well. This is an extremely competitive grant. Only a handful of new grants were awarded for this cycle, and EKU received a perfect application score, representing our commitment to excellence in all we do, said Kent. As a nationally recognized leader for veteran education, coupled with our commitment to regional and community stewardship, we are uniquely positioned to host a Veterans Upward Bound program to assist in their transition to postsecondary education so they can be successful in their academic goals. This will allow our eastern Kentucky veterans to serve their communities and be competitive in the 21st century workforce. EKUs Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, along with the Division of Sponsored Programs, began working on the grant in the spring of 2021 and submitted the proposal in June 2022. EKU will receive $287,537 annually over the next five years to implement the new program, for a total award of $1,437,685. Currently, there is only one other university with a VUB program in the Commonwealth. EKUs tradition of promoting educational and career opportunities for our veterans is second to none, said U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06), who advocated for EKUs grant application through a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Education. The new VUB program will enable EKU to expand the universitys footprint in the veteran community and ensure that more veterans can smoothly make the transition from military service to civilian life. I am thrilled that EKU has received this grant, and I look forward to seeing its impact when the program is fully implemented. The announcement of the VUB program at EKU further exemplifies the universitys commitment to serving veterans through educational opportunities. EKU is currently ranked No. 3 in the Military Friendly Schools review, and No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in Kentucky among the Best for Vets public institutions by Military Times. The greatest impact for EKU will be the opportunity for various areas on campus to become involved and help serve these students, Kent said. In addition, the program will provide opportunities for our current EKU students to interact and support their fellow veterans in entering postsecondary education. Hundreds took to the streets in Iran after a 22-year-old woman died following her arrest in what many believe was a result of the country's strict hijab laws. Video footage showed hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, who was allegedly beaten to death while in prison. The victim was believed to have been taken into custody for failing to cover her hair properly with her hijab. Death of an Iranian Woman The situation has sparked more outcry regarding Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and calls for denial of his entry to the United States as he prepares to speak at the United Nations General Assembly later this week. The country's military police arrested the victim on Sept. 14 near a train station while she was visiting the capital with her family. Law enforcement did not offer any explanation regarding the arrest but witnesses said that the police accused Amini of not wearing her hijab properly. Law enforcement later rushed the victim to a hospital shortly after he fell into a coma during her detention, claiming that he had collapsed while in custody. However, Amini's family argued that they saw evidence of beatings. The victim died three days later and the police deny that Amini was killed, as per Fox News. On Monday, protesters threw rocks at security forces in the town of Divandarreh in the Kurdish region. The Persian hashtag #MahsaAmini reached nearly 2 million mentions on Twitter amid the backlash related to the Iranian woman's death. Read Also: Queen Elizabeth II State Funeral: Her Majesty's Coffin Lowered Into Royal Tomb in Resting Place in Windsor Castle Greater Tehran Police Commander Hossein Rahimi also pushed back against "cowardly accusations" of law enforcement. He insisted that Amini suffered no physical harm and said that police had "done everything" to keep her alive. According to the New York Post, Rahimi said that the death was an unfortunate incident. Saying that they never wished to witness such happenings. Police later released a video showing a woman identified as Amini walking into a room and sitting down with other people. Strict Hijab Laws The footage fast-forwards to show the 22-year-old Iranian woman talking to someone who was inspecting her clothing as she stands. Then, the woman raises her hands to her head and collapses. The police commander said that medical personnel arrived within a minute of Amini collapsing but noted that he could not comment on the cause of death because it involved a medical issue. The victim's father said on Sunday that his daughter had no health problems. The former president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Masoud Barzani, has sent his condolences to Amini's family. Meanwhile, the Iranian protest Twitter account uploaded a video that showed what it said was a protest at a Tehran university against the paramilitary militia force known as Basij. Another video circulating on social media platforms showed women in Tehran taking off their hijab and waving it while chanting, "death to the dictator" on Monday. Separate footage showed a motorcycle burning on a street area near where the judiciary building is located in the capital. A government-aligned news agency, Fars, published a video showing protesters in the capital of Kurdistan province, Sanandaj, late on Sunday, who were chanting slogans against the country's officials, CNN reported. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: US Could Now Give Tanks to Ukrainian Troops as Air Defense Remains Strong @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rob Callister MHK appointed to the Council of Ministers Rob Callister MHK has been appointed to the Council of Ministers and will serve as Minister for Health and Social Care, with Lawrie Hooper MHK becoming Minister for Enterprise. Tim Johnston MHK will take over from Mr Callister as the Chair of Manx Utilities, subject to the approval of Tynwald. Mr Callisters appointment follows the departure of Tim Crookall MHK as Minister for Enterprise in July. The Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK has been serving as Enterprise Minister on an interim basis. In other changes, David Ashford MHK has been appointed as Chair of the Planning Committee following the decision of Claire Christian MHK to step down from this position as well as her role as a Member of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. Lieutenant Governor attends State Funeral The Island's Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer attended the State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II yesterday. He described the day as being "extraordinarily moving and an emotional service". Meanwhile, more than 100 floral tributes have been left on the green near Tynwald Hill in St Johns. Photos In an interview that aired Sunday night, President Joe Biden defended his scandal-plagued adult son Hunter and lauded him for overcoming drug addiction. Dealings with Biden's former role as Vice President under Barack Obama did not result in any conflicts. An ongoing federal tax fraud investigation focused on Hunter Biden's connections to foreign businesses earlier this year. The federal inquiry into Hunter Biden's taxes, which CNN revealed was intensifying in July, was previously disclosed by Biden. Republicans Call For Hunter Biden Special Counsel According to sources who spoke with the publication, prosecutors were considering whether to file charges but were also cautious of Department of Justice standards that counsel against making potentially politically sensitive cases public so close to an election. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senate Republicans requested that the US Special counsel protections for attorney David Weiss, who is in charge of the Hunter investigation, as per Daily Mail. The politicization of the Justice Department, a lack of faith in the authorities, and new whistleblower allegations of a cover-up inside the FBI of information and testimony adverse to the first son were among the issues mentioned by the 33 Republicans in their letter on Monday. Hunter Biden's inquiry has been overseen by Weiss, the US attorney for Delaware and a survivor of the Trump administration. President Joe Biden recently paid the IRS almost $2 million in overdue taxes using a gift or loan from Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris in an effort to avoid prosecution. The letter was organized by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and it was signed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as well as a number of other individuals. The letter states that while it is impossible to know the whole extent of the inquiry there is growing evidence that Hunter Biden committed several criminal offenses, including but not limited to tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign lobbying violations. In fact, Senators Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley have been conducting an investigation for several years that has caused in the public discourse of facts that support those criminal concerns, including the disclosure of financial records revealing the Biden family's close financial connections to the communist Chinese government and suspicious foreign nationals. Read Also: Joe Biden Declares COVID-19 Pandemic Is 'Over' But US Still Facing Problems of Thousands of Infections Joe Biden Insists Hunter's Foreign Business Deals Have Not Caused Conflicts For US The letter was issued the day after an interview with President Biden in which he said that his son's business dealings abroad, notably in China, Russia, and the Ukraine, didn't present any conflicts of interest for him, was broadcast. Despite penalizing a large portion of Russia's elite this year over the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Joe Biden hasn't targeted a Russian billionaire with whom his son purportedly conducted business. According to public documents, Hunter Biden continues to own investment firm BHR Partners with Chinese government agencies, New York Post reported. When his father was vice president, the president's son earned a lucrative post on the board of directors of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. During and after his father's presidency, he pursued commercial endeavors in China and other countries and was paid millions by organizations with ties to the Chinese government. Between 2013 and 2018, these affiliations brought him millions of dollars. The criminal probe of the president's son is being led by attorney David Weiss, and the GOP now wants to make sure he can do it without interference, according to Washington Examiner. Related Article: Donald Trump Boasts About His Popularity During Ohio Rally; Speech Filled with Vitriol for Rivals @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. American Airlines says that hackers may have obtained personal information for a "very small number" of customers and employees. The company did not say exactly how many people were impacted, though it noted there's no evidence that the attackers have misused the information. It told affected customers that names, drivers license and passport numbers, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and medical information may have been compromised. The hackers gained access to American's email system through a phishing campaign, as the Associated Press reported. The company told regulators in Montana that it discovered the intrusion in July. It started informing affected customers last week. American says it has secured the breached email accounts and brought in a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate. American said it's putting more technical measures in place to prevent similar breaches from occurring. The company has also offered customers affected by the breach two years of identity theft-protection coverage. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on An American Airlines spokesperson provided the following statement to Engadget: American Airlines is aware of a phishing campaign that led to the unauthorized access to a limited number of team member mailboxes. A very small number of customers and employees personal information was contained in those email accounts. While we have no evidence that any personal information has been misused, data security is of the utmost importance and we offered customers and team members precautionary support. We are also currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. Comcast plans to start running live tests of its 10G multi-gigabit symmetrical internet services later this year before starting to offer it to customers in 2023. The company has been working on ways to boost home internet speeds over the existing cable network over the last couple of years and the final piece of the puzzle appears to be coming together. The original aim was to hit speeds of speeds of 10Gbps and higher and Comcast is edging closer to that benchmark. It recently tested the last component required to offer 10G- and DOCSIS 4.0-powered multi-gigabit symmetrical speeds across its whole network. In the test, which was conducted with newly designed Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 (FDX) amplifiers, engineers achieved download speeds of 6Gbps and upload speeds of 4Gbps "across a complete six-amplifier cascade," according to a press release . The download speed is 50 percent faster than what Comcast was able to reach with 10G tech early last year . "This architecture is inclusive of the vast majority of the Comcast network and is easily and quickly replicated where network environments may differ," Comcast said. "As a result, the successful test is key to delivering 10G to all Comcast customers." Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Deathloop, a terrific time-loop puzzle box in the guise of a first-person shooter, is now available on Xbox. Until now, Arkane Lyon's most recent game had been a PlayStation 5 console exclusive (it was available on PC too). As of today, though, it's playable on Xbox Series X/S through Xbox Game Pass, as well as on Xbox One, tablets, phones and desktop browsers through cloud gaming. PC Game Pass subscribers can check it out at no extra cost on their gaming rig too. In addition, PS Plus Extra and Premium members now have access to Deathloop on PS5 as part of their subscription. It's not exactly surprising that Deathloop landed on Xbox Game Pass after the PS5 exclusivity window closed. Arkane Lyon and publisher Bethesda Softworks are now owned by Microsoft, which honored Sony's exclusivity deals for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo after completing its acquisition of ZeniMax Media. Meanwhile, Arkane has rolled out a free Deathloop update called Goldenloop. It introduces cross-play for player vs. player matchmaking across all platforms, as well as cross-saves across Xbox and PC. There's a new ability called Fugue, a projectile that can slow down and confuse targets to briefly make them harmless. There are four Fugue upgrades to discover, including one that allows you to deploy the projectile as a proximity mine on a surface. Julianna's Masquerade ability now has some upgrades too. Players will have access to a new weapon called the Halps Prototype. This is a laser-style rifle with a beam that you can bounce off of turrets and security cameras to hit enemies from surprising angles with bank shots. The Paint-Bomber is a fresh enemy that will run toward you with paint-filled explosives strapped to them. Elsewhere, there are new 2-in-1 trinkets that combine the effects of two previous trinkets to beef up your loadout and perhaps free up some space in your inventory for other perks. Arkane also said the update brings an extended ending and some new secrets to Deathloop. In addition, Microsoft revealed details on some more titles that are coming to Game Pass in the coming weeks. Among them is Hardspace: Shipbreaker, a puzzle game that sees you cutting up old spaceships for salvage. That's available for Xbox Series X/S and via the cloud today. Slime Rancher 2 is coming to PC, Series X/S and Xbox Cloud Gaming through Game Pass on its release date of September 22nd. As for smash hit survival title Valheim, that will land on PC Game Pass on September 29th ahead of an upcoming console version. GM wants to exclusively sell electric vehicles by 2035, and it's now trying to nudge the US government toward the same goal. The automaker has teamed up with an advocacy group, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), to develop recommended principles for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) car emissions standards from the 2027 model year onward. The guidelines are meant to accelerate EV adoption in a socially conscious way and, of course, help GM's bottom line. The brand wants standards that ensure at least half of new vehicles sold by are zero-emissions by 2030, with a 60 percent reduction in emissions across a lineup compared to 2021. They need to address multiple pollution sources (such as CO2, nitrogen oxides and particles) and be "performance-based," GM argues. The company also believes there should be an optional pathway to speed up the launch of breakthrough emissions-reducing technology, and that standards should ensure the benefits of reduced pollution apply to everyone (such as vulnerable communities). Not surprisingly, GM hopes for tight coordination between the public and private realms, including complementary investments. GM and the EDF want a quick decision process. They'd like the standards to be proposed this fall, and completed by fall 2023. The standards should last until 2032 at a minimum, the partners said, but they also hoped the EPA would extend that to 2035. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on There might not be much opposition to the basic concept. President Biden already wants half of new vehicles to be emissions-free by 2030, and the EPA reversed Trump-era standards rollbacks in December. Meanwhile, California, Massachusetts and New York State expect to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and frequently push for stricter standards than the federal government. The principles and resulting EPA standards would theoretically help politicians reach these targets sooner by encouraging manufacturers to electrify their fleets quickly. Whether or not GM and the EDF get their way isn't clear. The EPA isn't guaranteed to take the principles to heart, and a change of presidents could lead to weaker rules. We'd add that GM has altered its stance on emissions reductions depending on who's in office. The firm backed the Trump administration's efforts to revoke waivers letting California set tougher requirements, only to change its tune after Biden won the 2020 election. Still, we wouldn't expect GM to back out any time soon. The company has staked its future on EVs, and it stands to profit if the market shifts to eco-friendly vehicles a little sooner. Over the weekend, Terraform Labs' CEO and co-founder Do Kwon took to Twitter to say that he was not "on the run" or "anything similar." He made the statement after South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him and five other people connected to Terraform Labs for violating the country's capital markets laws last week. But Korean prosecutors aren't convinced, especially since authorities in Singapore, where Kwon flew to back in April, said he was no longer in the country. Now, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office is asking the Interpol to place him in the agency's red notice list and to revoke his passport, according to The Financial Times. According to the Interpol's website, a red notice entails seeking "the location and arrest of wanted persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence" and is commonly issued for fugitives. As Yonhap News notes, Kwon flew to Singapore in late April around the time he dissolved his company's office in Korea. His family members and other key Terraform Labs personnel reportedly followed him to the city-state in May. The executive and other Terraform Labs' personnel are under investigation for financial fraud and tax evasion following the collapse of the company's stablecoins, TerraUSD and Luna. $40 billion of investor money was wiped out from the even. And those investors, who lost their life savings to the crash, filed complaints that accuse him of running a Ponzi scheme. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Prosecutors believe he left Korea to "evade investigation," seeing as Kwon also apparently told them through his lawyers that he didn't intend to appear before them for questioning. A spokesperson for the Seoul prosecutors' office told The Times that they're doing their best to locate and arrest him. "He is clearly on the run as his companys key finance people also left for the same country during that time," they added. Kwon has yet to respond to the prosecutors enlisting the Interpol for help in finding him. On Twitter, his location is still set to Singapore, and his latest tweets were still from the weekend, denying that he was trying to avoid being captured by law enforcement. The inaugural winners of the annual Environmental Finance Sustainable Company Awards have been announced, recognising some of the companies taking the lead in transforming their business practices for a sustainable future. Selected by a panel of more than 30 independent industry judges, the maiden awards have attracted hundreds of entries and resulted in a number of worth winners. Ceres chief executive Mindy Lubber picked up an award for her long-standing role as a sustainability thought leader, whilst Systemiq's Katherine Stodulka and Eliza MacMillan Scott secured net-zero champion and rising star of the year awards, respectively. Meanwhile, Experian and Energias de Portugal (EDP) received awards for their community involvement programmes and Schneider Electric was recognised for its innovative supply chain initiative. Sustainability reporting successes at Moody's and United Utilities were also honoured, as was the net-zero progress of City Developments, Bank of America and BNP Paribas. See the full list of the 27 award winners here, including the winners of the regional awards for nature-based initiative and product innovations of the year. "There is an exceptional amount of innovative work on sustainability going on across the world in such a diverse array of companies," said Environmental Finance assistant editor Ahren Lester. "These new awards were launched to provide an insight into some of this important but sometimes underappreciated work," he added. "Many congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 awards, they provide a great way to recognise your leadership in some of the most critical but complex sustainability areas." "I would also like to thank the all of our independent judges for taking the time to assess the entries," Lester said. "With the quality of entries received, it was no easy task." Reports by Thomas Cox, Michael Hurley, Madeleine Jenkins, Ahren Lester, Genevieve Redgrave and Peter Cripps. Ahren Lester President Joe Biden, based on reports, had to sit 14 rows in the rear during Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Many VIPs were directed to take the bus to Westminster Abbey, but the US president rode in his official car. Biden Sits Far Back at Queen Elizabeth's Funeral Why the US president had to sit far back at the 14 rows was perplexing; he and many heads of state were there at London's Westminster Abbey to see her royal majesty Queen Elizabeth II; reported Republic World. The President and his First Lady were seated behind the Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda. Many attendees, up to 2,000, were there for the state funeral made up of the VIPs of the west, from politicians, famous people, and European royals, all there to pay their last respects, noted the Independent. A royal occasion to honor the Queen after her 70-year reign, but Biden was relegated to the 14th row. Even though he was seated in the back row, Biden was in front of the prime minister of the Czech Republic and other Commonwealth nations. Other royal families, including Japanese Emperor Naruhito, were at the frontal section while the funeral was held. Jill Biden, the FLOTUS, was seated next to Ignazio Cassis, the current president of Switzerland. Did the Bidens Arrive on Time? There is conjecture as to why President Joe Biden might have been late for Queen Elizabeth's funeral, given the traffic. Regarding traffic, the VIP treatment is supposed to end, but this has not been confirmed, citing Time. Read Also: Prince Andrew Net Worth 2022: How Much Wealth Does Queen Elizabeth II's Child Has Amid Jeffrey Epstein Issue? Most of the dignitaries attending the funeral of the Queen were told to take a bus to Westminster Abbey. The US president, however, opted to ride in "the Beast," a heavily fortified limousine. As shown by reports, US President Biden was granted an "exception" towards the Royal family's stringent security suggestions, which explicitly forbids visitors from ever using state vehicles or even flying personally to England. The US presidential limousine was still slithering past a Pret a Manger in congested areas, although the foreign officials had been ordered to take their seats in Westminster Abbey between 9:35 and 9:55 a.m., long before the funeral ceremony's official scheduled time of 11 a.m. While everyone else was waiting as instructed and on time, a video showed Biden's limo in a traffic jam; he arrived at 10:07 a.m. Usually, the President of the US running late for an important event means he is held up by officials waiting, but that is not the case in the event, especially at the funeral of a vital monarch like Queen Elizabeth. The Bidens seemed to be "gently" advised to wait in queue till a seat was found for them between a line of British veterans, said a Guardian reporter. According to the source materials cited by the newspaper, Biden did not seem to mind. A day before the funeral, he stated in the Queen's official guest book that it had been "a pleasure to meet her" and also that she did remind him of his mother. US President Joe Biden was present at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, but he did not choose to follow the event's rules because of a concession being the US president, resulting in his late arrival at the ceremony. Related Article: US State Department Issues Statement on American National Slain by Ukrainians @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tuesday, September 20, 2022 EX NIHILO AND GET CITIES LAUNCH DEAFCYBERCON WEBINAR SERIES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CYBERSECURITY CAREERS FOR DEAF WOMEN Washington, DC (September 20, 2022): Ex Nihilo Management, LLC, in partnership with GET Cities DC, is proud to announce the launch of the DEAFCYBERCON webinar program, a five-part series designed to increase awareness of the need for diversity and accessibility for deaf women in cybersecurity. DEAFCYBERCON was created by Angela Dingle, President and CEO of Ex Nihilo Management, after recognizing the urgent need for greater representation in the field of cybersecurity and the general lack of accessibility in the industry for deaf employees. Although women make up 51% of the U.S. population, only 25% of cybersecurity roles are held by women and only 50.5% of deaf women are in the workforce at all. Meanwhile, there are currently more than 500,000 open jobs in cybersecurity. Gender bias, misperceptions and a lack of female role models have created barriers for this underutilized pool of resources. Were doing what we can to break down barriers to entry for deaf women. Cybersecurity is a people problem, not just a technical one. Its a person that steals your identity, hacks into your computer or launches a ransomware attack. We need a diverse workforce with a variety of skills to solve the problem. You dont need to be a hearing person to work in cybersecurity. As the sibling of two deaf women with successful careers in Government and Healthcare, I saw a huge opportunity to create an equitable pipeline of careers for deaf women in cybersecurity. I want to redefine the future for deaf women in cybersecurity. DEAFCYBERCON will make this happen. says Angela Dingle. The webinar series will consist of five sessions hosted by Ex Nihilo and supported by GET Cities designed to engage deaf women, hiring managers, thought leaders in cybersecurity, research partners, collaborators, and government entities. The series will run from September 2022 to January 2023 and participants will be sourced via a direct referral from partner organizations. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be provided for each webinar. All registered participants will be granted access to the DEAFCYBERCON online community to encourage collaboration, communication and information sharing. Hiring managers have the opportunity to post job openings, upcoming events and industry knowledge. The ultimate goal of DEAFCYBERCON is to increase the net job growth rate for full- and part-time positions for deaf women in cybersecurity. GET Cities DC is investing in this initiative to promote gender and racial equity in tech by working to increase the number and proportion of deaf women of color hired into in-demand cybersecurity roles. Our commitment to transforming the culture of the tech industry extends far beyond our efforts to support women, trans and nonbinary people, said Ayanna Smith, Managing Director of GET Cities (DC). When we learned about the challenges deaf tech students face obtaining internships and full-time employment, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with Ex Nihilo Management to create a job placement program for Gallaudet University. Our mission at GET Cities is to transform the culture of the tech industry by creating diverse and inclusive environments for all marginalized communities. Thats why were thrilled to collaborate with Ex Nihilo Management on DEAFCYBERCON, said Ayanna Smith, Managing Director of GET Cities DC. We know that a diverse workforce is critical to the effectiveness of cybersecurity initiatives, and deaf women an often overlooked talent pool can offer their own unique perspectives and disruptive ways of thinking to push the industry forward. About DEAFCYBERCON: DEAFCYBERCON is an online community, collaborative environment and mobile app where deaf women explore, identify, and excel in careers in cybersecurity. We feature tailored content, bootcamps, conferences, internships, career fairs, and access to mentors. Learn more about DEAFCYBERCON at www.deafcybercon.us/. To register for the webinar visit https://bit.ly/3eN67YH. About Ex Nihilo Management, LLC: Ex Nihilo is a trusted advisor in the public and private sector, providing objective IT governance, risk management and compliance services based on a thorough understanding of customer requirements and deep systems integration experience. We provide the expertise and training necessary to ensure compliance with a variety of regulations, policies and directives governing the acquisition, development and deployment of information systems throughout the enterprise such as GDPR, FEDRAMP, DoD 5000, FISMA, FITARA, Clinger-Cohen, NIST SP 800-53, PMBOK, CMMi, COBIT, ITIL and ISO/IEC 27002. To learn more about Ex Nihilo, please visit www.exnihilo-mgmt.com. About GET Cities: GET Cities, led by SecondMuse Foundation and Break Through Tech in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, is an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech through the development of inclusive tech hubs across the United States. A fortnight-long initiative has started today to inspire public sector caterers to source more British food for schools and hospitals. Communities across the country are coming together to celebrate British Food Fortnight, launched today, with campaigners urging the public sector to put more local food on plates. Delayed in memory of Her Majesty The Queen, British Food Fortnight 2022, which ends 2 October, has a particular focus on food provided in schools and hospitals. Hundreds of schools and NHS Trusts are taking part in the initiative, with organisers Love British Food wanting to further demonstrate the advantages of providing local food. The event is also being used to highlight the benefits of robust, short supply chains particularly in the public sector that buys 2.6bn of food every year. With uncertainty of supply as a result of the ongoing Ukraine war, organisers have been working to inspire the public sector to source directly from British farmers. Food festivals will be taking place during the two weeks, giving the public the opportunity to meet farmers and food producers. Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, the group which organises British Food Fortnight, said: This years event is the culmination of months of hard work by catering teams across the country. "We set out to inspire public sector caterers to put more quality British food on school and hospital menus and the hundreds of schools and many NHS Trusts taking part show how much has been achieved. "With the government potentially introducing new buying standards that will require the public sector to aspire to sourcing 50% of its food locally or to higher environmental production standards the activities taking place during British Food Fortnight are an important foundation to achieving this. As part of the initiative, the annual National Harvest service takes place on 25 September at Chester Cathedral, where the Harvest Torch that has toured the country since being blessed in Westminster Abbey in 2013 has just arrived. Her Majesty The Queen Consort initiated the first National Harvest service that year, and will send a message of support to this years service. Defra Secretary Ranil Jayawardena welcomed the start of the initiative: "British Food Fortnight is a chance for us to all learn more about where our food comes from, and enjoy Britains best seasonal, locally-sourced products. From Hereford beef to Scottish smoked salmon, British food and drink is the best in the world and the businesses who produce it employ more people than our automotive and aerospace manufacturers put together." Next month's Dairy Show will bring together knowledge, innovation and a shared determination to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, volatility and food security. Visitors to the 5 October event can expect to see innovation and discussions across the 300+ trade stands and in the seminar sessions. The one day event has become one of the most important dates in the dairy farmers calendar, combining a comprehensive trade show with an exhibition of top quality dairy cattle. So what innovations can producers expect to see? Cow monitoring Cow health champion and Cream Award winner for innovation, Herdvision will be at the show with its automated body condition and mobility scoring camera technology a first of its kind on the market. Using 2D and 3D technology, a small camera records cows when they are in a relaxed state, explained head of sales, Stuart Adams. Cows naturally perceive people as predators; they try to hide ailments, making it difficult to observe earlier stages of disease and pain. Manual observations are subjective, he added. The technology is consistent, objective and repeatable. Positioned above a single-track race, the unobtrusive camera records images of each cow as they pass underneath. Cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and algorithms then process key metrics to determine body condition and mobility scores. A change in a cows condition or mobility will be sent as an alert to the farmers PC and/or smartphone. Farmers can then drill down further into data with their vet, nutritionist, and foot-trimmer to identify trends and implement actions that make improvements to health and welfare. Developed in association with Arla, the processor is now accepting the data for mobility scoring compliance. And a Kingshay cost-benefit analysis suggests an annual saving of 22,169 for a typical 200-cow herd (111/cow) in lameness reduction and associated labour costs alone. Slurry inoculant When it comes to the Dirty Discussions seminar sessions, EnviroSystems will be sharing how bacteria and enzymes can help producers capitalise on their slurrys true value. It will also be giving a progress update on its Defra-sponsored research into slurry emissions. Organic manures are valuable and can help lessen reliance on bagged fertilisers but there are challenges, said co-ordinator, Sally Russell. A lot of nutrients are locked up in the crust and are wasted. Slurry treated with SlurryBugs a blend of beneficial bacteria and enzymes was found to have a significantly higher nutrient content, worth around 20% more than untreated slurry. Independently analysed by NRM laboratories, treated slurry had 27% more nitrogen and 45% and 16% more phosphorus and potassium, respectively, when compared to untreated slurry. In August, producers needed 1,700 litres of milk to pay for one tonne of nitrogen fertiliser thats 800 litres more than between January 2019 and June 2021, said Ms Russell. The inoculant can therefore make a big financial difference. The inoculant also makes slurry more homogenous and easier to spread, giving more uniform nutrient application, she explained. And the slurry needs less ongoing agitation - saving time, fuel, and wear and tear on machinery which of course helps reduce carbon footprint. Electric utility vehicles Another environmentally friendly offering is from AC1 Customs, which will be exhibiting two of Electric Wheels all-terrain electric utility vehicles (UTVs) that have the capabilities of their fossil-fuelled cousins but without the emissions. Mules and Gators are on most farms, explained Electric Wheels founder, Chris Hurdle. However, we are seeing more farmers showing interest in electric vehicles, as long as they can do the job and provide the same functionality. On offer are the Nipper and the Worker, which provide 45-75 miles to the charge enough for a full working day on 99% of farms. It will cost the farmer around 1.50 per working day, which is significantly lower than diesel-powered UTVs; they sit somewhere between 20-30 per day. "Maintenance costs are also much more controlled; annual services average 200 to 300 with cheaper spare parts. So how do they shape up in comparison? On farm, both share the same functionalities of a typical UTV and feature a rear tipper, said Mr Hurdle. But being electric they achieve zero emissions, and farmers like the quietness of them around livestock. They work in 4x4 and 2x4 drive with some differences between the models. The Nipper is narrower and higher its better suited to farms with narrow access points and tight corners. Our most recent step was to offer these models with a lithium battery; a more sustainable battery with greater lifetime capability, he added. Bale probes Meanwhile, Cornish Mutual has joined forces with Quanturi to become the first UK supplier of Haytech a wireless temperature monitoring system for hay and straw bales. There are over 200 spontaneous combustion incidents every year on farms, which has been steadily increasing due to hot, dry weather, said loss prevention leader, Dominic Jones . Nadine Pesonen, founder of Quanturi, developed the Haytech probe after a fire devasted her farm business in France, said Mr Jones. Its a simple system; the wireless probes are stuck into the hay or straw bale at least one per 20 bales, making sure probed bales are distributed throughout the stack to monitor high-risk areas. Measuring the bale temperature every hour, the probes wirelessly transmit the data to the secure cloud server via a repeater and base station. The farmer will then receive warnings and alerts via text or/and email when alert temperatures are reached. Generally these are 58c for a warning alert and 68c for a high-risk alert, Mr Jones added. The Haytech 10 system costs around 1,190 and includes 10 probes, the base station, three years of connectivity and use of the Quanturi insight service and we offer it to members and non-members alike. Someone whos had a fire will see the value in the system - there are some things you cant put a price on. Farmers and landowners wanting to develop land or buildings affected by telephone masts and cables could face 'major problems' following a recent Tribunal decision. The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) warned that the outcome of Vodafone v Gencomp and AP Wireless could impact on land values. This is due to the Electronic Communications Code, governing the landowner-telecom operator relationship, being found not to cover who can renew or modify an agreement when the original site provider has since granted a tenancy subject to the mast or cable agreement. The decision in the Tribunal considered who can renew or modify a Code agreement when the structure of ownership and leases for a site has changed since the original grant, with a new lease interposed between the original site provider and the operator. Given many landowners grant intermediate leases like a farm business tenancy (FBT) and this is a structure used for development proposals, the Tribunal warned that this has a stark consequence with practical and valuation effects which owners and developers will need to consider. CAAV secretary Jeremy Moody said: The Tribunal found a Catch 22 situation where the only person who can grant Code rights is the original site provider but, no longer the immediate landlord, that person does not have the direct power to change the agreement. "However, the immediate landlord now with the lease to the operator is not recognised by the Code. The result looks like a stalemate for owner and operator and no renewal or modification of the operators lease can be effected. The Tribunal went out of its way to warn: So long as this gap in the structure of the Code remains, a concurrent lessee who wishes to redevelop a building over which Code rights have been granted by a superior landlord will find themselves in difficulty, and with no obvious means of bringing the code rights to an end. "A person contemplating taking a concurrent lease with a view to redevelopment would therefore be well advised either to adopt a different structure or to ensure that any code agreement which may interfere with their proposals has been terminated before they acquire their interest. The Tribunal outcome, potentially subject to appeal, may require further amendment of the code, warned Mr Moody. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, already amending the code, now awaits its final report stage in the House of Lords and might be a vehicle for resolving this matter. "Failing that, it could be some time before another legislative opportunity is available," he said. The population of cattle in Great Britain increased by 0.3% year-on-year in July, the latest data from the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) shows. The total cattle population reached 8 million head - up 20,800 - in July 2021, continuing the uplift in numbers seen throughout 2022. The number of females over 30 months - an indication of the breeding herd - stood at 2.76 million, back 2% on July 2021. This decrease was evenly split between dairy and beef animals, back 2% and 2.1% respectively, and continues the longer-term trend for GB cow numbers. BCMS's new data also shows that cattle under 30 months saw an overall increase of 1.6% - up 80,600 head - totalling 5.15 million head. (Graph: AHDB/British Cattle Movement Service) Dairy males were the only category to see a decline - of 9% - with the fall weighted towards animals under 12 months old, down 29,300 head. The increased use of sexed dairy and beef semen may account for some of this change. While dairy males saw declines, growth came in other categories. Total youngstock, under 12 months old, held relatively steady on 2021 numbers, up 0.1% to 2.47m head. Beef animals saw a 1% increase, and dairy females saw a 2% rise. Drilling into the BCMS's data, the total number of animals under six months decreased by 1.2 percent. This appears to have been due to fewer dairy animals born - 2% decrease for dairy females and 24% decrease for dairy males - with small rises seen for beef animals, up 0.2% for females and 0.7% for males. Cattle available for beef production - dairy males plus beef males and females aged between 12-30 months, accounting for suckler replacements - saw an overall increase of 3%, totalling 1.8m head. All categories had increases, with the BCMS's data showing dairy males up 5%, beef females up 2% , and beef males up 3%. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions enter here to gain access. If you are not a Current Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! On Monday night, when asked to provide more information regarding the declassification of the documents allegedly taken from the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence last month, his legal team refused. Trump's counsel claimed in a document submitted to the court-appointed special master that the time and place for making such a revelation would come in a move in a criminal prosecution as part of an effort to reclaim his property. Trump Argues Against Explaining Declassification of Mar-a-Lago Docs The opposition started after Trump's lawyers hinted that the former president had declassified the more than 300 documents found in his Florida home, but they didn't go into detail in court records. In their subsequent submission, the attorneys for the Justice Department seized on the suggestion made by Trump's attorney. Although presidents have broad authority to declassify documents, doing so triggers a series of actions from the intelligence agencies that oversee such documents. The standing declassification order that DonaldTrump has cited in his homily to explain the section of record in question was sought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts on Monday in a Freedom of Information Act request. Donald Trump has fought to prevent the Justice Department from looking into the classified records, but the department has asserted that he has no legal claim to them, that they are government property rather than personal property, and that Trump has no justification for preventing the executive branch from looking into them, as per The Hill. Prosecutors proposed in the brief that the records be uploaded to a third-party web platform so that the Trump team and prosecutors could assess the evidence concurrently. The third-party vendor should batch out documents as they are scanned to both the prosecution and Trump's defense team, according to a suggestion from the Justice Department. Every business day, the lawyers should prepare to go through around 500 records, according to DOJ. As soon as the review began, prosecutors advised Raymond Dearie to undertake monthly reviews with both parties in order to resolve difficulties and maintain flawless review operation. Additionally, the agency announced that it will ask Cannon to approve a protective order that would make disclosing information about the seized collection subject to court contempt or any other lawfully authorized consequence that the Court considers appropriate. Dearie wouldn't be able to examine the more than 100 papers marked classified if the 11th Circuit US Court of Appeals granted the DOJ's motion to prevent certain portions of Cannon's order requiring a special master, the DOJ stated in its petition, according to CNN. Read Also: Will US Defend Taiwan If China Attacks? Joe Biden Says Yes! Trump's Special Master Pick is "FBI Skeptic" The nomination of Donald Trump's choice as special master to examine the records the FBI took from his Mar-a-Lago residence was good news for the former president as his legal team reportedly feels the candidate is skeptical of the agency. Dearie was chosen as the special master to examine whether the records acquired from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort were unlawfully taken by the FBI after being recommended by the former president's legal team. Dearie previously worked on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. It is unclear why the ex-attorney would push for the appointment given that he has no obvious ties to or devotion to Trump. Two persons with knowledge of the decision said that Trump's attorneys pushed for Dearie's nomination because they believed that Dearie's participation in the covert FISC made him skeptical of the FBI. According to the sources, Dearie's involvement in the surveillance warrants that were authorized in 2016 and 2017 to watch over Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, bolstered this theory. Records that were taken from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence will be examined to see if any of them breach executive or client privileges. The Justice Department's investigation into whether Trump violated the Espionage Act by stealing the documents from the White House may be delayed as a result of his nomination, Washington Examiner reported. Related Article: Donald Trump Boasts About His Popularity During Ohio Rally; Speech Filled with Vitriol for Rivals @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. From France, at least two informations have to the technician Mauritius Pochettino with possibilities to return to Tie it 1. So much 'Foot Mercato' as 'Nice-Martin', ensure that the Argentinian would have programmed a meeting with the leaders of the OGC Nice during this same Tuesday to value the possibility to substitute to Lucien Favre at the head of the French club. The ex technician of Paris Saint Germain has already a pair of months without team and could have found one in ties it gala. At present, the Nice does not go through his best moment, finding in the treceava position of the table, to so alone two points of the zone of descent and the image of the team has suffered a clear bajon after this bad start of season. The Nice has begun with alone two triumphs and two ties in eight parties. The last defeat in front of the Angers (2-1) could have been the definite to start with a change, at least in the bench. The future of the technician of 64 years is clearly questioned after having arrived this same summer, after the exit of Christophe Galtier to the PSG. A top name Pochettino Can go back to scene after a summer moved for him with an unexpected exit of the French capital. However, in Nice would want to follow like a project of top 4. The high wage that perceived Pochettino in the PSG would not be an obstacle for the negotiations between the two parts. Although they still remain a lot of details for resolving, the days of Lucien Favre in the Riviera French seem to be explained. The sportive direction is valuing seriously the dismissal of the current trainer and the Argentinian technician would fit to perfection by his experience in the competition and his path. Before the PSG trained by several years to the Tottenham, contesting a final of Champions League, in addition to the Southampton, also in the Premier, and the RCD Espanyol, where began his way in the benches. Doctor G, the next film in actor Ayushmann Khurrana's filmography of social comedies is set to release in a matter of weeks. The medical drama which also features Shefali Shah, Rakul Preet Singh and others marks the directorial debut of Anubhuti Kashyap. Today, the makers dropped the first trailer from the film. The trailer of Doctor G introduces us to Uday Gupta (Ayushmann Khurrana), the sole male student in a female-dominated Gynaecology department. As Uday hesitantly navigates a career as a gynaecologist, he must confront social stigma and the chaos that ensues. The clip also offers a closer look at Rakul Preet Singh and Shefali Shah's doctor characters. We also get brief glimpses from a song to glam up the film. Watch the trailer here:The clip also offers a closer look at Rakul Preet Singh and Shefali Shah's doctor characters. We also get brief glimpses from a song to glam up the film. Ayushmann Khurrana was last seen in Anek, Rakul Preet Singh was seen in Runway 34 and will be seen in Thank God. Meanwhile, Shefali Shah is fresh off the success of Darlings and Delhi Crime season 2. The trailer also unveils the film's release date which is set for October 14, 2022. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 19, 2022) - This news release is being disseminated as required by National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, in connection with the acquisition of ownership, control or direction over securities of Empatho Holdings Inc. (CSE: EMPH) ("Empatho" or the "Corporation"). On September 19, 2022, Michael Steele (the "Offeror"), through Avonlea Ventures #2 Inc., a private Ontario corporation controlled by Mr. Steele, indirectly acquired control and direction over (the "Acquisition") an aggregate of 9,945,000 common shares (the "Acquired Shares") of Empatho, representing approximately 13.7% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation (the "Shares"). The Acquisition was conducted through the facilities of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Acquired Shares were purchased at a cash price of $0.02 per Acquired Share for an aggregate purchase price of $198,900. As of the date hereof, after giving effect to the Acquisition, the Offeror owns, or exercises control or direction over, 9,945,000 Shares, representing approximately 13.7% of the issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis. The Acquiror acquired the Shares for investment purposes. The Acquiror has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional securities or dispose of securities either on the open market or through private acquisitions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors and subject to applicable securities laws. The Acquiror may, from time to time and at any time, acquire additional Shares and/or other equity, debt or other securities or instruments of the Corporation in the open market or otherwise, and reserves the right to dispose of any or all of the Shares in the open market or otherwise at any time and from time to time, and to engage in similar transactions with respect to the Shares, the whole depending on market conditions, the business and prospects of the Corporation and other relevant factors, including compliance with applicable securities laws. An early warning report has been filed by the Acquiror under applicable securities laws and will be available on the Empatho SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. A copy of the early warning report may also be obtained by contacting Michael Steele at 416.464.8960, steeleconsult@aol.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137753 SINGAPORE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Straive, a leader in delivering technology-driven solutions for Content, EdTech, and Data to leading global organizations, has been conferred with two awards at the 13th edition of CMO Asia Awards 2022, held on 17thAugust 2022 in Singapore. The organization won the Brand Revitalization Award for Excellence in Branding and Marketing and the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign for Excellence in Digital Marketing out of 200 nominations across 40 categories. CMO Asia Awards are one of the most aspired accolades in APAC. These are awarded for outstanding contributions in Traditional Marketing, Branding, and Digital Marketing and recognize organizations and individuals for their outstanding client and employee-level communication initiatives. The awards are judged by an independent, high-caliber jury of professionals from across Asia. SPi Global rebranded to Straive in April 2021 with a view to realigning the brand with the evolving strategic initiatives of the company. Subsequently, Straive has undertaken a comprehensive brand campaign to communicate the new brand messaging and create awareness and recall for the brand. The rebranding campaign, comprising static and dynamic promotions, customer mailers, press releases, social media communication, and the launch of a new website, has been awarded the Brand Revitalization award. Straive has also undertaken multiple multichannel integrated campaigns to build awareness about the company's offerings across its business lines and generate demand. The company has successfully leveraged numerous marketing channels to reach the target audience in industries like BFSI, Information Services, EdTech, Academic Publishing, and more. Considering the business impact it has achieved, the multichannel umbrella campaign 'Connecting the Dots' bagged the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign Award at the ceremony. Speaking about the awards, Ratan Datta, President and CEO, Straive, said, "Straive is delighted to have received this recognition, which is a testament to our marketing and branding initiatives. As a company, we have doubled our marketing and branding efforts over the last year to communicate our purpose, values, and key focus areas to our clients, employees, and stakeholders and build a stronger Straive brand. I am excited to see our hard work getting recognized by industry leaders and experts. We will continue to focus on enhancing stakeholder experience through clear, relevant, and impactful marketing communication." To know more about the Straive brand, Click Here. About Straive (erstwhile SPi Global) Straive is a market-leading content technology enterprise that provides data services, subject matter expertise (SME), and technology solutions to multiple domains, such as research content, e-Learning/EdTech, and data/information providers. With a client base scoping 30 countries worldwide, Straive's multi-geographical resource pool is strategically located in seven countries: Philippines, India, USA, Nicaragua, Vietnam, United Kingdom, and the company headquarters in Singapore. For media queries, contact Anoop Tuli, anoop.tuli@straive.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1891596/Straive_TM_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/straive-bags-brand-revitalization-award-and-best-multichannel-integrated-campaign-award-at-cmo-asia-awards-2022-301626940.html Ahead of the Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in New York City on Sept. 21, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that it will pledge $10 million to the Fund the world's best financing mechanism for fighting infectious diseases. "Given the Global Fund's outstanding track record of saving lives around the world, we feel our pledge is one of the best investments donors can make in global health," said AHF President Michael Weinstein. "The Global Fund has demonstrated remarkable nimbleness in keeping existing programs going, while mobilizing new resources for COVID-19. The Global Fund also values the role of non-governmental and community organizations in creating a more equitable and sustainable public health system. We hope this pledge encourages wealthy donor countries, NGOs, and the private sector to contribute their fair share to the Fund so that it can meet or exceed the fundraising goal of $18 billion." On Sept. 21, donors will gather in New York to announce their commitments, including wealthy G7 and G20 countries. The outcome will determine whether the $18 billion goal can be achieved. The funding is vital for ensuring the Fund can continue its lifesaving work and expand its mandate to address other existing and future global public health challenges. AHF works in synergy with 31 Global Fund-supported countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, by implementing HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment delivery, and advocacy programs and providing AHF Fund grants to assist other non-profit organizations. The $10 million pledge will represent another facet of the collaboration with the Fund. Through its long-running Fund the Fund advocacy campaign, AHF has been a strong proponent of fully funding the Global Fund via robust international advocacy campaigns and government relations advocacy in Washington D.C., and throughout the 45 countries where it works. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005881/en/ Contacts: US MEDIA CONTACT: Ged Kenslea,Senior Director, Communications, AHF +1.323.308.1833 work, +1.323.791.5526 mobile gedk@aidshealth.org Denys Nazarov, Senior Director of Media Relations, AHF +1 323.308.1829 denys.nazarov@ahf.org Outlander PHEV model TOKYO, Sept 20, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that the all-new Outlander won the 2022 Australian Good Design Award in the Product Design -- Automotive and Transport segment.Organized by Good Design Australia, the Australian Good Design Awards has been promoting excellence in design and innovation since 1958 and is recognized by the World Design Organization (WDO) as Australia's peak international design endorsement program. This year, design projects from around the world were evaluated against criteria for excellence, innovation and impact in design by a jury of more than 70 international design experts.The Good Design Awards Jury commented: "The SUV bodystyle has surpassed the conventional sedan in popularity, mostly because of functionality. The Mitsubishi Outlander is an example of good use of space combined with stylish execution. The Interior delivers a family sized, seven seat accommodation and contemporary styling. The Exterior proportions project a sense of robustness yet nicely balanced with delicate detailing in the lamps and chrome embellishments. Mitsubishi has successfully managed to create a distinctive graphic face in a crowded market."The all-new Outlander is Mitsubishi Motors' flagship built under the design concept Bold Stride. The exterior features thick, horizontal proportions which produce a bold, fixating presence, and the jet tail fin pillars inspired by the vertical tail of airplanes express the vehicle's powerful and nimble road performance. Inside, Mitsubishi Motors carefully selected materials to enhance the premium feel, while the horizontally-sculpted instrument panel, which makes it easy to understand the position of the car while driving, adds a feeling of robustness and spaciousness."The evolved Outlander series has been highly acclaimed around the world, winning an array of prestigious design awards in Japan, the United States and Europe, and we are honored that the all-new Outlander has won another significant award in Australia," said Seiji Watanabe, division general manager of design, Mitsubishi Motors. "The all-new Outlander embodies the company's 'Robust & Ingenious' design philosophy that epitomizes Mitsubishi Motors-ness. By winning this award, we hope that more customers will have the opportunity to see and experience it for themselves."The winners of the 2022 Australian Good Design Awards were selected in 11 design disciplines which include Architectural Design, Communication Design, Design Research, Design Strategy, Digital Design, Engineering Design, Fashion Impact, Next Gen (Student), Product Design, Service Design and Social Impact.About Mitsubishi MotorsMitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211) --a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan--, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification--launched the i-MiEV --the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV --the world's first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. The company announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the Eclipse Cross (PHEV model), the all-new Outlander and the all-new Triton/L200.For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company's website athttps://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/Source: Mitsubishi MotorsCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Study of the Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation System Shows significant Reduction in Blood Pressure in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. ("Otsuka Medical Devices") a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings today announced the detailed results from the RADIANCE II US FDA IDE pivotal trial evaluating the endovascular Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation (uRDN) System as a treatment for hypertension. Principal Investigator Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, presented the study results in a Late Breaking Clinical Science session at the TCT 2022 Annual Meeting. The highly anticipated results follow ReCor's announcement in July that the RADIANCE II study met its primary efficacy endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure at two months between uRDN and a sham procedure. Conducted as an international, multicenter study, RADIANCE II is a US FDA IDE, randomized, sham-controlled pivotal trial of the Paradise uRDN System in the treatment of patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Among 1038 patients screened for eligibility at more than 60 study centers in 8 countries, 224 patients with uncontrolled hypertension were randomized 2:1 to uRDN or a sham. Patients were to remain off antihypertensive medications throughout the 2 months of follow-up unless specified BP criteria were exceeded. At the 2-month primary efficacy endpoint, patients treated with the Paradise uRDN system had a mean reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure of -7.9 mmHg, compared to a reduction of -1.8 mmHg in the sham arm, corresponding to a statistically significant between-group difference of -6.3 mmHg (p<0.0001). Similar reductions in blood pressure were observed in nighttime and 24-hour measures, as well as measurements taken at home and in the physician office. No major adverse events were seen at 30 days, the primary safety endpoint will be measured at 6 months, and patients will be followed for 60-months. "These results are important to the field of hypertension treatment. RADIANCE II is the third and largest randomized, sham-controlled study to show that the Paradise uRDN System delivers meaningful reductions in blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension," said Study Principal Investigator Ajay Kirtane. "On behalf of my co-principal investigator Professor Michel Azizi and the entire steering committee, I would like to thank the study patients, investigators, and coordinators who gave so much of themselves-including during the COVID pandemic-in order to complete this rigorously conducted trial." Echoing these thoughts, study principal investigator Michel Azizi, Professor of Medicine at Universite Paris Cite, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France said, "The results from RADIANCE II provide further evidence for uRDN as a potential therapy option for hypertension. The RADIANCE II results are strongly consistent across all measures of blood pressure within the study and are also consistent with the prior SOLO (off-medication) and TRIO (on triple antihypertensive combination treatment) trials-adding confidence in the treatment effect of the Paradise uRDN system across a broad spectrum of hypertension severity. These results align well with the recent consensus statement from the European Society of Cardiology, supporting the use of renal denervation for treatment of uncontrolled hypertension. Additionally, if these results are maintained over the long-term-as already shown by the 36-month results of the SOLO trial and 24-month results of the TRIO trial-the reductions in blood pressure seen in the RADIANCE trials are of a magnitude previously shown in hypertension drug trials to be associated with cardiovascular risk reduction." "The results represent progress toward establishing a new treatment option for patients with hypertension." said Kazumichi Kobayashi, Executive Deputy President of Otsuka Medical Devices. "Through our global R&D efforts, we will continue to develop unique solutions for patients whose medical needs and conditions have not yet been met by existing treatments." "We are thrilled with the results from RADIANCE II. This is further evidence that the Paradise uRDN System lowers blood pressure in a wide range of patients who are struggling to control their hypertension," said ReCor president and CEO, Andrew M. Weiss. "ReCor looks forward to working with physicians and regulating bodies around the world to make the Paradise System treatment available to patients and their physicians who are seeking better control of their hypertension." Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. https://www.otsuka.com/en/ Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. https://www.omd.otsuka.com/en/ ReCor Medical, Inc. https://www.recormedical.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005879/en/ Contacts: Otsuka Medical Devices Inquiry form: https://www.omd.otsuka.com/en/contact2/ Tel: +81-3-6361-7459 Media contact: Corporate Communications: Satomi Shimotori Product/clinical trials information: RDN project: Yusuke Kogata Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION 20 September 2022 REDDE NORTHGATE PLC ("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company") Transaction in Own Shares Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 16 September 2022 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury: Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 100,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 320.1479 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 322.5 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 317 pence per share Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 10,321,618 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 235,769,805 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme. Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions (all of 16 September 2022) Number of shares purchased Transaction price (GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 1892 319.50 08:31:37 00061039538TRLO0 LSE 108 319.50 08:31:37 00061039539TRLO0 LSE 1696 319.50 08:31:37 00061039540TRLO0 LSE 1555 319.50 08:31:37 00061039541TRLO0 LSE 1615 319.00 08:31:37 00061039542TRLO0 LSE 1630 320.00 09:00:06 00061040790TRLO0 LSE 9 321.00 09:09:53 00061041102TRLO0 LSE 156 321.00 09:14:10 00061041336TRLO0 LSE 2443 321.00 09:14:10 00061041337TRLO0 LSE 1789 321.00 09:14:10 00061041338TRLO0 LSE 555 321.00 09:30:30 00061041841TRLO0 LSE 1694 321.00 09:44:12 00061042565TRLO0 LSE 1843 321.00 09:44:12 00061042566TRLO0 LSE 1808 321.00 09:44:12 00061042567TRLO0 LSE 16 321.00 09:54:41 00061042876TRLO0 LSE 42 321.00 09:54:41 00061042877TRLO0 LSE 2765 322.50 10:15:03 00061043258TRLO0 LSE 8429 322.50 10:15:03 00061043259TRLO0 LSE 2291 321.00 10:15:37 00061043476TRLO0 LSE 166 320.00 10:50:49 00061044743TRLO0 LSE 405 321.00 10:58:47 00061045561TRLO0 LSE 572 321.00 10:58:47 00061045562TRLO0 LSE 1500 321.00 10:58:47 00061045563TRLO0 LSE 500 321.00 10:58:47 00061045564TRLO0 LSE 110 321.00 10:58:47 00061045565TRLO0 LSE 1000 321.00 11:12:47 00061046195TRLO0 LSE 870 321.00 11:12:47 00061046196TRLO0 LSE 546 321.00 11:12:47 00061046197TRLO0 LSE 340 321.00 11:12:47 00061046198TRLO0 LSE 1196 321.00 11:12:47 00061046199TRLO0 LSE 3053 320.50 11:31:57 00061046744TRLO0 LSE 1876 320.50 12:01:17 00061047483TRLO0 LSE 1660 320.00 12:07:37 00061047802TRLO0 LSE 216 320.00 12:07:37 00061047803TRLO0 LSE 377 320.00 12:33:37 00061048405TRLO0 LSE 1337 320.00 12:33:37 00061048406TRLO0 LSE 379 320.00 12:46:37 00061048682TRLO0 LSE 500 320.00 12:46:37 00061048683TRLO0 LSE 500 320.00 12:46:37 00061048684TRLO0 LSE 280 320.00 12:46:37 00061048685TRLO0 LSE 1573 320.00 12:59:12 00061049051TRLO0 LSE 984 320.00 12:59:12 00061049052TRLO0 LSE 712 320.00 12:59:12 00061049053TRLO0 LSE 1172 319.50 13:00:07 00061049079TRLO0 LSE 500 319.50 13:00:07 00061049080TRLO0 LSE 41 319.50 13:00:07 00061049081TRLO0 LSE 1850 319.00 13:19:21 00061049564TRLO0 LSE 132 318.50 13:34:13 00061050005TRLO0 LSE 1548 318.00 13:34:13 00061050006TRLO0 LSE 1893 318.50 13:58:31 00061051113TRLO0 LSE 94 318.00 14:00:40 00061051222TRLO0 LSE 105 318.00 14:00:40 00061051223TRLO0 LSE 46 318.00 14:03:27 00061051322TRLO0 LSE 299 318.00 14:03:27 00061051323TRLO0 LSE 170 319.00 14:25:39 00061052169TRLO0 LSE 747 319.00 14:25:39 00061052170TRLO0 LSE 557 319.00 14:25:39 00061052171TRLO0 LSE 1610 319.00 14:32:41 00061052590TRLO0 LSE 3775 319.00 14:32:41 00061052591TRLO0 LSE 1858 319.00 14:32:41 00061052592TRLO0 LSE 304 318.50 14:34:49 00061052666TRLO0 LSE 1567 318.50 14:34:49 00061052667TRLO0 LSE 1801 318.00 14:41:27 00061053164TRLO0 LSE 1733 317.00 14:43:16 00061053288TRLO0 LSE 141 319.00 15:01:12 00061054974TRLO0 LSE 1005 319.00 15:01:12 00061054975TRLO0 LSE 615 319.00 15:01:12 00061054976TRLO0 LSE 1885 319.50 15:07:15 00061055346TRLO0 LSE 1889 320.50 15:14:11 00061055868TRLO0 LSE 7 319.50 15:16:22 00061056051TRLO0 LSE 1657 320.50 15:24:48 00061056735TRLO0 LSE 2661 320.50 15:25:18 00061056803TRLO0 LSE 320 320.50 15:25:18 00061056804TRLO0 LSE 416 320.00 15:28:54 00061057062TRLO0 LSE 1180 320.00 15:28:54 00061057063TRLO0 LSE 1765 320.00 15:39:23 00061058050TRLO0 LSE 90 320.00 15:39:23 00061058051TRLO0 LSE 1500 320.00 15:39:23 00061058052TRLO0 LSE 301 320.00 15:39:23 00061058053TRLO0 LSE 1577 320.00 15:47:46 00061058689TRLO0 LSE 1847 320.00 15:55:40 00061059091TRLO0 LSE 1614 319.50 15:59:08 00061059375TRLO0 LSE 1703 320.00 16:09:11 00061060075TRLO0 LSE 360 320.00 16:17:11 00061060675TRLO0 LSE 1194 320.00 16:17:11 00061060676TRLO0 LSE 280 320.00 16:17:11 00061060677TRLO0 LSE 145 319.50 16:20:29 00061060950TRLO0 LSE 500 319.50 16:20:29 00061060951TRLO0 LSE 558 319.50 16:20:29 00061060952TRLO0 LSE Notes This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6. For further information contact: Buchanan David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Hannah Ratcliff +44 (0) 207 466 5000 Notes to Editors: Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales. The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden. Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals. Further information please visit the Company's website: www.reddenorthgate.com Intelligent Data Management Cloud Reduces Build Time by 40% Allowing for More Strategic Use of Resources Informatica(NYSE:INFA), an enterprise cloud data management leader, today announced that UK Export Finance is modernizing to the cloud with Informatica's Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC), freeing up team resources to better serve UK businesses of all sizes and sectors. UK Export Finance is the world's first and oldest export credit agency, its mission is to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. In the last year it supported 545 companies supporting exports in 61 countries. The small but nimble department is undertaking a digital transformation journey and selected Informatica to modernize its data architecture on a single cloud platform. Informatica's IDMC enables enterprises to manage, own and derive insights from their data in the Cloud. UK Export Finance kicked off its digital transformation with a focus on connectivity and fast data ingestion. The IDMC enabled seamless integration with Azure DevOps and Power BI and allows UK Export Finance to manage all data pipelines from a single, browser-based tool and usage-based pricing has lowered the total cost of ownership. With a legacy integration stack, the UK Export Finance technology team was spending more and more time on maintenance and manual hand-coding to rebuild connectors to meet the specs of modern data architectures, taking time away from important projects. This, along with evolving international standards and regulatory requirements, made it the right time to modernize to the cloud. After an intensive decision-making progress, UK Export Finance chose Informatica's cloud-native IDMC for its best-in-class capabilities, wide array of codeless connectors, and ease of implementation. With AI-powered automation and re-usable templates, IDMC has reduced data loading and build times by 40%, allowing the UK Export Finance technology team to focus on more strategic initiatives. Developers and data scientists are no longer tied down with maintenance and instead applying their expertise in building reports that unearth insights and value from the data for the UK exporters the department serves. "With a mission to better serve British businesses to enter new markets, maximize growth potential and increase the volume of export sales, our team looks to data to unearth insights and uncover new strategies," said Daniel Cozens, Senior Technical Lead, UK Export Finance. "Informatica's Intelligent Data Management Cloud has helped alleviate the maintenance and build burden, allowing our team to work on more interesting, strategic initiatives and deliver data-driven recommendations for the UK Exporters we support." "How businesses manage and innovate with data can be the decider on whether they become an industry disruptor or get left behind. With the IDMC, UK Export Finance can improve operational efficiency, eliminating inefficient hand coding and democratise data across the department to allow faster time to value and timely insights," said Jason Tooley, VP Informatica. "We're pleased to be working with UK Export Finance to unleash the power of its data to help UK businesses and industries thrive." About Informatica Informatica (NYSE:INFA), an Enterprise Cloud Data Management leader, empowers businesses to realize the transformative power of data. We have pioneered a new category of software, the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud(IDMC), powered by AI and a cloud-first, cloud-native, end-to-end data management platform that connects, manages, and unifies data across any multi-cloud, hybrid system, empowering enterprises to modernize and advance their data strategies. Over 5,000 customers in more than 100 countries and 85 of the Fortune 100 rely on Informatica to drive data-led digital transformation. Learn more at informatica.com. About UK Export Finance UK Export Finance is the UK's export credit agency and a government department, working along-side the Department for International Trade as an integral part of its strategy and operations. Established in 1919, its mission is to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005142/en/ Contacts: Informatica Public Relations prteam@informatica.com China-Eurasia Expo kicks off in Xinjiang, rebukes US-led crackdown By Chu Daye, Xing Xiaojing and Fan Anqi (Global Times) 13:56, September 20, 2022 Workers are busy at the Xinjiang car plant of GAC Motor in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 24, 2020. Urumqi has made efforts to propel the transformation and upgrading of its equipment manufacturing sector. A modern industrial system with a focus on intelligent, green and customized manufacturing is gradually taking shape in the city. At present, Xinjiang is home to more than 40 enterprises of scale in developing intelligent manufacturing. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Over 3,600 companies from 32 countries and regions attended the 7th China-Eurasia Expo, which was launched on Monday in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as the region strives to build itself into a bridgehead of Belt and Road cooperation despite the US' economic suffocation of this strategically important region. Underscoring China's commitment to make Xinjiang a core hub for the building of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the opening of the expo, expressing hope that all parties can take this opportunity to tap the potential of cooperation and drive toward shared prosperity. Xi said that China is willing to work with other countries to promote the Silk Road spirit that incorporates peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning as well as shared benefits, with the China-Eurasia Expo being a platform. In July, during an inspection trip to the autonomous region, Xi pointed out that as countries jointly push forward the BRI, Xinjiang is no longer a remote inland area but forefront of the opening-up. The expo, which will last from Monday through Thursday, was held even though the US and some Western countries, together with anti-China forces, have smeared China's governance in Xinjiang and made groundless accusations of "genocide" or "forced labor." On June 21, the US' so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) took effect, which bans products made in China's Xinjiang, smearing the Chinese government over "oppression" of the Uygurs and other minority populations in its Xinjiang region. The expo, held both online and offline due to a local epidemic flare-up, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events, where nearly 17,000 exhibits of these enterprises from 32 countries and regions are to be shown. It is expected that over 300 deals worth several hundred billion yuan will be inked during the expo, according to Urumqi Evening News on Sunday. It comes on the heels of the recently concluded SCO summit, where countries agreed to foster energy sector cooperation, regional connectivity, financial cooperation featuring cross border settlement in local currencies and supply chain elasticity. Analysts and exhibitors at the expo said the opening of the event and the efforts by Xinjiang to seek deeper cooperation with neighboring markets serve as a strong rebuke to the US' economic suffocation of the region. Rebuke to the US Zhang Hongping, chairwoman of the Xinjiang-based Ya'ou International Materials Exchange Center Co, said the strong economic complementarity between China's Xinjiang and Central Asian countries is set to be further facilitated with the enhanced economic cooperation pledged by leaders of countries at the SCO summit, and the business community is particularly happy with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway. Zhang said there is strong demand in Central Asian countries for China's daily necessities, ceramics, furniture, construction materials and machineries. "Peoples in the region share similar cultures and customs, and deepened economic ties will further boost people-to-people exchanges," Zhang told the Global Times on Monday. "The relationship among peoples in the region, from economy and trade to culture and tourism, will serve as a strong rebuke to and cushion against the insolent bullying by the US, a faraway country." "Xinjiang's development has been subject to a crackdown by the US and some Western countries in the past few years, while the reasons for their suppression do not actually exist. Rebuking the bullying, Xinjiang has made great achievements in maintaining regional stability. The West is only targeting China in their crackdown on Xinjiang, a plot that is doomed to fail," Li Yongquan, director of the Eurasian Social Development Research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, told the Global Times on Monday. Observers said that the pragmatic cooperation with neighboring countries within the framework of the SCO will largely alleviate the difficulties imposed by the US and the West on Xinjiang, which has the strong backing of the whole nation of 1.4 billion people. Vast opportunities In the first eight months of this year, Xinjiang's trade with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan surged 54.7 percent year-on-year to 111.16 billion yuan, Xinjiang Daily reported on Sunday, citing data from the local customs authority. Exports soared 66 percent year-on-year to 94.87 billion yuan. Xinjiang's trade with five central Asian countries accounted for 76.4 percent of Xinjiang's total trade during the period. Xinjiang contributed to over one-third of China's total foreign trade with these countries. Chen Guoliang, an official with the Urumqi customs authorities, was quoted as saying the strong complementarity between China and Central Asia countries meant bilateral trade has huge growth potential. In particular, trade with Kyrgyzstan jumped 205.1 percent to 51.09 billion yuan during the January-August period. A manager surnamed Han with Xinjiang Goldwind Science &Technology Co, a global leader in wind turbines used in wind farms, said the company views the Central Asian market, as well as the Middle East market, as a vital growth driver. "Despite many of these countries being energy-rich, the pursuit of low-carbon power generation is a global trend." Zhang Danqing, chairwoman with Zhongzi Dayue (Zhejiang) Products Co, told the Global Times on Monday that the expo will showcase a lively, energetic Xinjiang while also allowing her company to gauge the policy of neighboring BRI markets. The cooperation between China and other countries in the SCO offers huge potential. SCO member countries accounted for nearly one-quarter of global GDP in 2021, according to an article by the Economic Daily on Monday. And trade among member countries reached $776 billion, growing 25 percent from the 2020 level. Together with observer states, SCO member countries possess about 25 percent of global crude reserves and output, 30 percent of global refining capacity, 44 percent of global natural gas reserves and some 60 percent of global uranium production. "After some Middle East countries joined the SCO, energy cooperation has attracted much attention as both the economic scale and population size of these energy producing and consuming countries are quite notable," Li noted. Energy cooperation, regardless of what kind it is, will greatly boost Xinjiang's economy, as it is the node connecting China with those regions, the expert added. Empowered by the Western Europe-Western China Highway, which stretches from Lianyungang in East China's Jiangsu Province to the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg, and the CKU railway, Xinjiang's role as the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt will become even more crucial, further promoting the region's overall development, Li said. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) As he reported that his men had moved further east into the land that Russia had recently vacated, Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the Russian invaders in Ukraine were in a panic. Zelensky stated in his nightly address yesterday night that the occupiers are visibly in a panic and that Ukrainian forces will advance with a sharper focus on speed in liberated areas. Vladimir Putin's Troops Face Failures in Ukraine With Kyiv expected to receive additional western weapons, and notable tanks from Washington, an assault on Moscow's forces stationed in the Donbas region could ensue from Ukraine troops moving forward. However, 146 bodies that were buried in a makeshift cemetery in the woods in Izium, the town of Kharkiv that was regained, have been discovered by Ukrainian authorities. The cemetery built in the woods was visible in the satellite photographs of the large woodland, as per Independent. According to a former commander who oversaw the pro-Russian separatist insurgency in Ukraine in 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin could be ousted from office due to economic or military failures. The pro-Russian rebel leader in Donetsk, Igor Girkin, a former FSB colonel, has blasted the Kremlin and claimed that the invasion is headed to failure unless it orders a complete mobilization. Girkin rose to fame after being charged with the murder of 298 persons after the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by a Russian missile. A village near Luhansk has been retaken by Ukrainian forces amid a growing number of successes in their fierce counteroffensive. Ukraine has been pursuing several counter-offenders in recent weeks, with more success and ground gained than was probably anticipated in the Kremlin. The settlement of Bilohorivka has been fully retaken by Ukrainian forces, according to Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of Luhansk. The distance between here and Lysychansk, a city in the Luhansk area, is only five miles. Following the collapse of Lysychansk in July, Russia gained complete authority over Luhansk. In a comment on his Telegram channel, Gaidai added Luhansk region is directly next door, Express reported. Read Also: Ukraine War: Video Shows Scary Eruption After Russia's Alleged Attack on Nuclear Plant Putin's Troops Flee Izyum After Ukrainian Troops Regain Area As Vladimir Putin's men escape for their lives, Ukraine has discovered a brand-new tank cemetery full of shattered Russian vehicles close to the scene of the Izyum atrocity. In a video that was posted to Reddit, several burned-out military vehicles are seen lying in a mud puddle. At the same time, Ukrainian fighters in Luhansk have taken control of their first village and are showing no signs of stopping. Kreminna and the nearby village of Bilohorivka came back under Zelensky's intrepid men's hands. The strategically significant city was overthrown in July, and its recovery is viewed as the first step towards de-occupying the Luhansk region from Russian invaders. Putin's thugs in the occupied territories have called for hasty referendums on annexing the areas into Russia due to the lightning-quick progress made by the Ukrainian military. Since Ukraine launched its most recent counteroffensive to retake lost territory, the Russian army has been nearly completely driven out of the country's northeastern Kharkiv region. With this most recent development, Ukraine has now revealed one of Moscow's most important supply routes. There were rumors that Ukrainian troops had stopped logistics on the crucial P-66 highway on Saturday. As a result, an assault on Russian soldiers in the eastern Donbas region, according to President Zelensky, would be possible. Indeed, the Oskil enters the Siversky Donets River in the south, which then runs across the Donbas. The invasion is concentrated in the Donbas, a region favored by Moscow. Izyum, a recently recovered city in eastern Ukraine, was found to contain mass graves with at least 450 fatalities. Many of the exhumed corpses bear evidence of torture and execution, which is likely evidence of Russia's haphazard retreat. The Pivdennoukrayinska nuclear power station in the Mykolaiv region was allegedly shelled by Moscow early this morning, according to Ukraine, which is located in the southern part of the nation, according to The Sun. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: US Could Now Give Tanks to Ukrainian Troops as Air Defense Remains Strong @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Asymmetric encryption product MASQ provides Novel PQC Algorithms, full support for NIST PQC Finalists, significantly outperforms NIST PQCs All QiSpace cryptographic capabilities commercially available for IoT and Embedded Devices Canadian quantum communications start-up continues accelerating technological advancement and business growth OTTAWA, Sept. 20, 2022, today announced that its newest quantum-secure cryptographic product - MASQ - is now commercially available through the Canadian start-up's flagship QiSpace Hybrid SaaS platform. MASQoffers novel PQC algorithms for Key Exchangeend-to-end quantum security: Trust (quantum-secure asymmetric encryption via MASQ), Uncertainty (quantum-secure symmetric encryption via QEEP), and Entropy (quantum key generation and distribution via SEQUR). The company also announced the launch of QiSpacefor the IoT / embedded space, with all three TrUE quantum-secure cryptographic products now commercially available on market-leading microcontroller units (MCUs), including ST Micro H7 and Microchip SAM V71 (specifically for the automotive and aerospace industries) providing compatibility with the Microsoft Azure IoT Platform. "We're extremely excited to be here at Quantum.Tech in London announcing these major product releases," said James Nguyen, CEO of Quantropi. "The quantum threat known as Y2Q is fast approaching: companies need to start hardening their cryptographic defences immediately, and only our TrUE QiSpace platform provides a complete quantum security solution." "Our novel asymmetric PQC algorithms radically outperform all other NIST finalists," said Michael Redding, CTO at Quantropi. "For Key Exchange, MASQ provides up to 38x smaller keys while executing 5x to 8x faster than CRYSTALS-Kyber. For Digital Signature, it provides an astounding 160-byte NIST Level V signature, that is up to 180x smaller than NIST Digital Signature finalists." Added Redding: "It's a total game-changer." These announcements cap another period of continued growth and achievements for the young company, which has raised $10M in seed funding to date, has 8 patents granted with another 10 pending, and published over 20 peer-reviewed academic papers, including in such esteemed publications as Springer and Nature Scientific Reports. A recognized innovation powerhouse, Quantropi has also marked the first-ever implementation of symmetric encryption on a quantum computer, has quantum-secured commercial VPN and file sharing applications, and is now a NATO Approved Supplier. Quantropi will showcase QiSpace and its TrUE quantum-secure cryptographic products during Quantum.Tech in London, September 20-21, 2022, at Booth E5. About Quantropi, Inc. A Canadian start-up founded in 2018 with a vision to defend Truth and Trust, Quantropiis bound to be the standard for end-to-end quantum-secure communications and encryption. The company's next-generation technology works over today's Internet, enabling enterprises to begin immediately transitioning to permanent quantum security, with minimal investment in new hardware or infrastructure. The company's flagship QiSpace hybrid SaaS platform is uniquely capable of all three criteria for complete cryptographic integrity: Trust, Uncertainty, and Entropy - or "TrUE" - providing organizations, product managers, and application developers with quantum-secure cryptographic functions to protect data, networks, and systems. VANCOUVER, BC and UTTENWEILER, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. (CSE:XPHY)(OTCQB:XPHYF)(FSE:4XT) ("XPhyto" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has filed a patent application for a significant library of novel psychedelic compounds. Each compound was designed to provide specific alterations in their respective biopharmaceutical properties. The library of compounds can be selected to target (personalize) the treatment of neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory and pain disorders including depression, as well as tobacco, opiate (OUD), and cocaine addiction, alcoholism (AUD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and pain syndromes including cluster headaches and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. Novel methods of administration might be applied for dosing to further optimize therapeutic outcomes. This significant library of psychedelic derived molecules secures XPhyto a platform technology to which variations of the molecules can be applied to various indications as noted. The potential applications are subject to the requisite clinical and regulatory commercialization processes. The global psychedelic drugs market is expected to gain significant market growth in the forecast period from 2022 to 2029. Data Bridge Market Research reports that the market is growing with a CAGR of 13.3% in the forecast period from 2022 to 2029 and is expected to reach USD 6,401.95 million by 2029 from USD 2,386.72 million in 2021. Related development work has been carried out as part of an ongoing exclusive psychedelic R&D partnership with Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation ("Applied"). XPhyto is pursuing a multi-strategic approach to psychedelic medicine including drug synthesis, drug delivery and novel psychedelic analogue engineering. Applied is a not-for-profit institution at the University of Alberta created to support translational drug development for industry and innovators. The intellectual property is retained 100% by XPhyto. The Company will provide further updates in due course. About XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. is a diversified bioscience accelerator focused on next-generation drug formulation, diagnostic, and new active pharmaceutical ingredient investment opportunities, including: precision transdermal and oral dissolvable drug formulations; rapid, low-cost infectious disease and oral health screening tests; and manufacture, standardization, and evaluation of psychedelic compounds for the treatment of neurological conditions. The Company has research and development operations in North America and Europe, with an operational focus in Germany, and is currently focused on regulatory approval and commercialization of medical products for European markets. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. Hugh Rogers, CEO and Director Email: info@xphyto.com Phone: +1 780-818-6422 Forward looking statements This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "develop", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "propose" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and in this release include the statement regarding the Company's goal of building a successful diagnostic, drug delivery, and medical cannabis company. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and 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 in the forward-looking statements, including: that the Company may not succeed in developing a commercial product; that the sale of products may not be a viable business; that the Company may be unable to scale its business; product liability risks; product regulatory risk; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; currency risks; competition; international risks; and other risks beyond the Company's control. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716679/XPhyto-Files-Patent-Application-for-Library-of-Novel-Psychedelic-Compounds Product Update Extends Omada Workflows into ServiceNow and Other Clients via an API COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Omada A/S ("Omada"), a global leader of Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), today announced the release of an update to its cloud-native, SaaS IGA solution to incorporate access request workflows within ServiceNow and to other clients via new dedicated APIs. Omada customers can now extend identity governance for all business users, regardless of whether they prefer to work within Omada, ServiceNow or other clients, by unifying access requests for all business systems within the application of choice. This update features: Advanced out-of-the-box functionality with ServiceNow: Omada has strengthened its partnership with ServiceNow, the leader in ITSM, to simplify and unify a platform for all access requests. A certified ServiceNow app will also soon be available for download on the ServiceNow Store and supports the ability to: Omada has strengthened its partnership with ServiceNow, the leader in ITSM, to simplify and unify a platform for all access requests. A certified ServiceNow app will also soon be available for download on the ServiceNow Store and supports the ability to: Sort requests according to popularity Filter out resources already assigned, as well as resources on the system Control which resources are available to be requested in ServiceNow Make requests to additional business resources See the status of those requests New dedicated APIs for access requests: These additional APIs allow customers to integrate Omada access request workflows into other clients. With this, people can request access to their federated identities, such as for themselves or people they manage, within any number of third-party applications and clients. It further enables Omada customers to unify this experience for all business users. This release provides a tremendous upgrade to the overall ease of use of Omada. Wherever and however people need to request access, they can do so seamlessly, easily and securely, including a new date selector to make selecting the validity date easier for the requester. This update comes as Omada is rapidly growing the organization to expand its leadership in Intelligent IGA, including investing in new executives and board members and developing partnerships to better enable customers to efficiently govern identity and maintain compliance. Benoit Grange, chief technology and product officer, Omada, said: "By bringing identity governance everywhere - one of the pillars of our company vision - Omada provides customers with total flexibility to enable end users wherever and however they work. We are pleased to offer this product update that will enhance customers' ability to successfully govern and secure identities, even as risks and compliance requirements increase." About Omada Omada, a global market leader in Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), offers a full-featured, enterprise-grade, cloud-native IGA solution that enables organizations to achieve compliance, reduce risk and maximize efficiency. Founded in 2000, Omada delivers innovative identity management to complex hybrid environments based on our proven best practice process framework and deployment approach. For more information, go to omadaidentity.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1730116/Omada_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/omada-enables-unified-access-requests-to-further-intelligent-iga-capabilities-301627718.html PUNE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports added a Global Anti-money Laundering Market (AML) In-Depth Analysis and Forecast to 2027 research report to its online research database. The global AML market size is expected to grow from an estimated value of USD 2.8 billion in 2022 to USD 5.8 billion by 2027, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2022 to 2027. Some of the factors that are driving the market growth includes monetary penalties, regulatory sanctions, and reputational loss due to non-compliance with regulations, growing focus towards digital payments, and necessity to create a 360-degree view of data in the financial landscape. However, lack of skilled AML professionals with in-depth knowledge and lack of awareness related to government regulations and deployment of AML solutions are expected to hinder the market growth. Download a Free Sample Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=3693493 By Solutions, Insurance to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period Insurance includes life insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, corporate insurance, and vehicle insurance. Insurance firms offer flexible policies and investment products and services. These products and services allow customers to deposit and withdraw a large amount of money in terms of cash. These flexible offerings and the massive flow of funds in the Life Insurance business has made this industry vulnerable to money laundering and other illegal activities in the insurance industry. Authorities have imposed AML regulations on insurance covering the transaction monitoring and sanction screening obligation. In the US, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) has imposed regulations related to transaction monitoring on insurance firms to track cash flows. To keep a track of money coming in and out of the systems, government and financial bodies implement guidelines specific to the insurance industry, which are expected to fuel the adoption of AML solutions. Thus, the Insurance sector is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. By Organization, Large enterprises to account for a larger market size during the forecasted period By organization size, Enterprises are categorized into Large and Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Enterprises with more than 1,000 employees are considered large enterprises. Large enterprises are the early adopters of AML solutions, as they use many business applications susceptible to fraudulent attacks. As these enterprises are large, with different types of IT infrastructure, they face the difficult task of effectively managing the security of their applications. Unlike SMEs, large enterprises are well-equipped with technical skills, have higher investment capabilities, and are more exposed to incidents of fraud. This has led to higher awareness levels among large enterprises. Large enterprises are rich with resources and offer a number of options for money transactions to customers worldwide. Due to this, large banks, casinos, and insurance companies are more vulnerable than SMEs, due to which large enterprises account for a larger market share than SMEs. For More Details Inquire at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/inquirybeforebuy.aspx?name=3693493 By Region, North America to grow at highest market size during the forecasted period Due to the presence of major vendors of AML solutions and services in the North America region and continuous innovations such as the implementation of AI and ML in AML solutions, North America is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period. There are two authorities present in the US: BSA and USA Patriot. These authorities create regulations and policies to combat financial crimes in the country. Such regulatory norms are the major foundations for dependence on AML solutions, which in turn, promote market growth. Also, the increasing technological advancements and rising money laundering cases fuel the AML market in Canada. AML vendors in this country adopt advanced AI- and ML-based AML solutions to defend their systems against suspicious transactions. Hence, organizations in Canada are taking modern measures against money laundering and applying a risk-based approach to combat financial crimes, thus increasing the market growth. Breakdown of primaries: In-depth interviews were conducted with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), marketing directors, other innovation and technology directors, and executives from various key organizations operating in the SOC as a Service market. By company type : Tier 1:35%, Tier 2:40%, and Tier 3:20% : Tier 1:35%, Tier 2:40%, and Tier 3:20% By designation : C-level:40%, Managerial and other levels:60% : C-level:40%, Managerial and other levels:60% By region: North America:20%, Europe : 35%, APAC: 45% Major vendors in the global Anti-money Laundering Market include FICO (US), Fiserv (US), BAE systems (UK), LexisNexis (US), SAP (Germany), SAS Institute (US), ACI Worldwide (US), FIS (US), Oracle (US), Experian (Ireland), Jumio Corporation (US), Nice Actimize (US),GB group plc (UK), Nelito systems (India), Wolters Kluwer financial services (The Netherlands), Comarch SA (Poland), Allsec technologies ltd (US), Dixtior (Portugal), Temenos (Switzerland), TCS (India), Comply Advantage (UK), Featurespace (UK), Feedzai (US), Napier Al (UK), Tier 1 financial solutions (Canada), Finacus solutions pvt ltd (India), FRISS (Netherlands), IDMERIT (US), IMTF (Switzerland), Innovative systems (US), Sedicii (Ireland), Truelioo (Canada), NameScan (Australia), DataVisor, Inc (US), Gurucul (US), Transunion ( US). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the AML market, with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Direct Purchase of the Global Anti-money Laundering Market Research Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=3693493 Research coverage The report segments the AML market and forecast its size, by component (Solutions and services), organization size (SMEs, large enterprises), deployment mode (On-premises, cloud), end users (Banking & financial institutes, Insurance, Gaming & Gambling) and by region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA, and Latin America). The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies. Another Related Report: Global Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System Market 2022 by Company, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2028 - The Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations. Global key companies of Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System include ACI Worldwide (US), BAE Systems (UK), Nice Actimize (US), FICO (US), and SAS Institute (US), etc. Download a Free Sample Copy at https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=5764330 About Us: ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. Contact: Ganesh Pardeshi Tower B5, office 101, Magarpatta SEZ, Hadapsar, Pune-411013, India +1-888-391-5441 sales@reportsandreports.com Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/marketsreports View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/anti-money-laundering-market-aml-key-players-analysis-and-size-to-grow-usd-5-8-billion-by-2027---reportsnreports-301627899.html Additional local presence enables AlphaSense to accelerate customer growth and support across Western Europe FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AlphaSense, the leading market intelligence and search platform, today announced the opening of its first office in Germany. The expansion will support AlphaSense's growing footprint in Western Europe in response to strong customer demand from the region. The new office space, located in Frankfurt's Innenstadt-one of Europe's leading commercial, cultural, and business centers and just steps from Goetheplatz-doubles AlphaSense's physical footprint in Europe and will bolster the company's focus on growing and supporting its customer base locally. This announcement comes on the heels of a $225 million Series D financing last month that values the company at $1.7 billion, nearly double the valuation from its $180 million Series C funding in September 2021 . Both rounds were led by Goldman Sachs and Viking Global. AlphaSense currently counts many of Europe's top companies and multinationals as customers, including over half of the DAX (Germany's blue-chip stock market index) and other global leaders across a wide range of industries, such as German healthcare giant Fresenius and AT&S, the Vienna-based electronics manufacturer and supplier to household names like Apple and Sony Ericsson. The new office-and AlphaSense's investment in growing its presence in the region-will help provide existing and new customers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with greater levels of support. While the search for a permanent country manager is underway, the office will be managed in the meantime by Peter Kovacs, Senior Vice President within AlphaSense's Global Sales team. Kovacs commented, "The new office will enable our local team to grow and expand their impact in a critical European market as well as to amplify our already best-of-breed customer support with local hires across a variety of roles, including sales and customer support." AlphaSense's platform leverages proprietary search technology powered by AI and NLP to extract relevant insights from an extensive universe of public and private content, including equity research, company filings, earnings transcripts, expert interview transcripts, news, and trade journals. Having on-demand access to key data and insights enables professionals to make critical decisions with confidence and speed, thus improving business performance and outcomes. Recently, the platform has been updated to support search functionality across a range of non-English content using native language search terms in eight languages, including German. "We are excited to establish the office in Germany and view this as an opportunity to double down on our expansion in the European market," said Jack Kokko, CEO and founder of AlphaSense. "With our longstanding presence in London and Helsinki, expanding to Frankfurt as a core economic hub on the continent is the natural next step in our European growth strategy." About AlphaSense AlphaSense is a market intelligence platform used by the world's leading companies and financial institutions. Since 2011, our AI-based technology has helped professionals make smarter business decisions by delivering insights from an extensive universe of public and private content-including company filings, event transcripts, expert call transcripts, news, trade journals, and equity research. Our platform is trusted by over 3,500 enterprise customers, including a majority of the S&P 500. Headquartered in New York City, AlphaSense employs over 1,000 people across offices in the U.S., U.K., Finland, Germany, and India. For more information, please visit www.alpha-sense.com . Media Contact Name: Esther Chung E-Mail: media@alpha-sense.com Telephone: (213) 500-9928 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1668932/AlphaSense_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alphasense-accelerates-global-growth-strategy-with-new-office-in-frankfurt-301627698.html All EuroParcs holiday homes will be fitted in phases with EuroParcs Exclusive by M line products from June 2022. The special collection consists of M line box springs and mattresses and is intended for both new and existing homes. DBC and EuroParcs have been partners since 2018 and have made ultimate sleeping comfort for guests their joint top priority. With the rollout of this exclusive collection, both parties are reinforcing each other's international growth ambitions. Koen Hoefakker, director at EuroParcs Living: "Comfort has always been a top priority for our guests. We notice that our guests also find this increasingly important and appreciate it. With M line fitted in all our homes, we guarantee them good sleeping comfort. We are therefore proud that M line is our sleep supplier." Pieter-Bas Stehmann, Managing Director of DBC: "During a stay at EuroParcs, you want to sleep extra well at night to get the most out of your holiday during the day. Incidentally, the importance of a good night's sleep and its effect on health is still much underestimated. We hope that our cooperation and its active promotion on site will raise awareness about sleep." The continuation and intensification of the cooperation with EuroParcs underlines the growth potential of DBC International, the wholesale division of Beter Bed Holding of which M line is part. In addition to the private bedroom and the nationwide network of Beter Bed shops and bed speciality stores, the hotel sector and holiday parks are also important sales channels. After all, Sleep Better, Live Better applies to everyone, even on holiday. The brand promise and corresponding sleep revolution of Beter Bed Holding address the importance of better sleep. About EuroParcs With more than 65 holiday parks at prime locations, spread across the Netherlands, Bonaire, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria, EuroParcs has become a leader and is expanding rapidly. The core activities are the development of holiday parks, the sale of holiday homes and the rental of leisure homes, i.e. the sale of holidays at their own holiday parks. About Beter Bed Holding Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands' leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B. Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productivewe are. And we won't rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve. Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus, the new subscription brand Leazzzy and the digital organisation LUNEXT. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line. With 4 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores, a fast-growing online presence, and a wholesale company our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees generated 214.2 million revenue in 2021. Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary 'Beter Slapen ID' tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect night's sleep. BBH is proud that M line is the official sleep supplier of AFC Ajax, TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB. For more information Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications T +31 Please click on the link under attachments for the PDF version of the press release and a photo of EuroParcs Living M line. Press photos can be downloaded here . Attachments Press release Atos has again been awarded a "Platinum" EcoVadisMedal for its commitment to sustainability Paris(CSR) with the best score for Atos to date with 84 points out of 100. Atos therefore confirms its position in the top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis in its Industry (Computer programming, consultancy and related activities). EcoVadis evaluates across four categories: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. Atos has achieved excellent results in all four categories, particularly in Environment. After 8 years of having been awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal, Atos has been awarded a Platinum medal since 2020, in recognition of its sustainable commitment. This medal, together with an excellent score in the Environmental category confirms Atos' role as the global leader in digital decarbonisation and reflects the Group's commitment to meet its ambitious climate targets. Diane Galbe, Senior Executive Vice President at Atos: "With this result, Atos proves its sustainability ambitions and demonstrates the impact of a solid sustainability programme which covers all areas in the context of Environment, Social and Governance" Atos' environmental program and climate leadership have been recognised year after year by international organisations. In respect to ESG ratings, with a leading position in the IT sector in the DJSI indexand an 'A' rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project. ### About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 112,000 employees and annual revenue of c. 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 71 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris. The purpose of Atosis to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. Press contact: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net| +33 6 73 64 04 18 | @ laurajanefau Attachment Reiki Healing Store has introduced a new jewelry collection featuring obsidian and amethyst gemstones in a variety of designs. Wilmington, Delaware--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Responding to the increased demand for quality Reiki jewelry, Reiki Healing Store has released a collection of rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and jewelry sets. Each piece has been designed to contain symbols or materials essential to the healing practice of Reiki. Additional details are available at https://reikihealingstore.com Reiki Healing Store Launches New Obsidian & Amethyst Jewelry Range To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/137765_be12e587d462786b_001full.jpg Reiki Healing Store's recent collection provides customers with new and unique jewelry pieces at affordable prices. One of the newest items in the range is the Reiki healing natural eye necklace created from obsidian. Available in four different hues, the natural orb pendant is suspended from a black knotted cord necklace. Another item is the crescent moon glow necklace. The silver-plated crescent moon pendant is accompanied by a glowing orb in a cage, which charges in daylight and glows in the dark. The store has also introduced a Reiki healing magic magnetic bracelet. The stretch bracelet, complete with rainbow-toned hematite beads, is designed to help wearers improve circulation and aches, while hematite is also believed to promote energy and emotional well-being. Also available is an amethyst matching jewelry set of earrings and a necklace. The vintage design pieces feature silver detailing and beadwork surrounding a faceted amethyst hanging from a silver flower. The necklace comes with a twisted link silver chain and the earrings are suspended from silver hooks. In addition to jewelry, the store has also expanded its range of gifts and accessories. These items include healing crystal balls, gift cards, and reiki healing quartz massage rollers designed to incorporate Reiki into a skincare regime. As part of the new announcement, each order placed with the store comes with a 'Reiki, Stones, & More' book that explains how Reiki works to help heal and invigorate the body and soul. It also describes the relationship between gemstones and Reiki. More information is available at https://reikihealingstore.com Contact Info: Name: REIKI HEALING STORE Email: support@reikihealingstore.com Organization: REIKI HEALING STORE Address: 910 Foulk Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States Website: https://reikihealingstore.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137765 The resulting concentrates will then be converted with the Company's Re-2Ox process into EV battery metals. Coquitlam, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV: CCW) (OTCQB: CCWOF) (FSE: 4T9B) (the "Company" or "Canada Silver Cobalt") is pleased to announce that two tonnes of high-grade mineralized material recovered during voluntary surface site rehabilitation at the past-producing Castle and Beaver Mines, in addition to high-grade silver tailings from the mines, will be processed at the Company's Temiskaming Testing Labs (TTL) high-grade bulk processing facility in nearby Cobalt, Ontario. "Having met with South Korean EV metal buyers last week and with the TTL bulk processing facility fully commissioned, including the newly installed gravity processing plant (see news release September 14, 2022), we have begun processing two bulk samples totaling approximately two tonnes mineralized rock recovered from the waste piles and high-grade silver tailings at our Castle and Beaver Mines. We are doing this to produce a concentrate we can use for further testing of our Re-2Ox process and also to demonstrate the role that the upgraded TTL facility can play in processing high-grade mineralized material from the Cobalt Camp," stated CEO Frank J. Basa, P.Eng. At TTL, the waste rock material will first be crushed and ground before being screened at 20 mesh to recover potential native silver for processing into silver dore bars using the facility's bullion furnace. The remaining sulphide material will then pass through the gravity plant to produce a high-grade gravity concentrate, which will be assayed for cobalt, nickel, copper, silver, gold and arsenic (arsenic is one of the metals the US have on their critical metals list). The high-grade silver tailings will be first screened at 20 mesh to remove any organics and then processed through the TTL gravity plant to produce a concentrate. The Company plans to send these high-grade gravity concentrates to SGS Canada's laboratory facility in Lakefield, Ontario where, using the Company's proprietary Re-2Ox process, they will be converted into battery metals needed in the EV industry. In 2018, the environmentally friendly Re-2Ox process was used at SGS Lakefield to produce a technical-grade cobalt sulphate hexahydrate at 22.6%, directly from cobalt-rich gravity concentrates produced from mineralized material removed from the first level of the Castle mine. The 22.6% cobalt sulphate compound exceeded the specifications required at that time by battery manufacturers including Japan's Sumitomo Metals. The gravity concentrates used for this had graded 9.25% cobalt, 5.65% nickel, 49.9% arsenic and 9.25 g/t silver. The Re-20x process recovered 99% of the cobalt and 81% of the nickel from the concentrate while also removing 99% of the arsenic - a long-time issue in the cobalt-rich Cobalt Camp but now a critical metal. (See news releases January 15, 2021 and May 31 and August 15, 2018.) The Company regards the proprietary Re-2Ox process as a long-term strategic advantage that will facilitate the production of battery metals for the EV market for many years. It is a closed-loop, zero-discharge hydrometallurgical process with no smelting or burning involved, which can meet stringent Canadian and International environmental standards and traceable verification. It is, additionally, more energy efficient than existing processes which use smelting and could have the potential to be used widely in base metals processing especially where high amounts of arsenic are present. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Frank J. Basa, P.Eng., a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. About Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. recently discovered a major high-grade silver vein system at Castle East located 1.5 km from its 100%-owned, past-producing Castle Mine near Gowganda in the prolific and world-class silver-cobalt mining district of Northern Ontario. The Company has completed a 60,000m drill program aimed at expanding the size of the deposit with an update to the resource estimate underway. In May 2020, based on a small initial drill program, the Company published the region's first 43-101 resource estimate that contained a total of 7.56 million ounces of silver in Inferred resources, comprising very high-grade silver (8,582 grams per tonne un-cut or 250.2 oz/ton) in 27,400 tonnes of material from two sections (1A and 1B) of the Castle East Robinson Zone, beginning at a vertical depth of approximately 400 meters. Note that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to Canada Silver Cobalt Works Press Release May 28, 2020, for the resource estimate. Report reference: Rachidi, M. 2020, NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East, Robinson Zone, Ontario, Canada, with an effective date of May 28, 2020, and a signature date of July 13, 2020. The Company also has: (1) 14 battery metals properties in Northern Quebec where it has recently completed an almost 15,000-metre drill program on the Graal property and an airborne VTEM geophysical survey recently completed at its Lowney-Lac Edouard property; and (2) the prospective 1,000-hectare Eby-Otto gold property close to Agnico Eagle's high-grade Macassa Mine near Kirkland Lake, Ontario where it is exploring in 2022. Canada Silver Cobalt's flagship silver-cobalt Castle mine and 78 sq. km Castle Property feature strong exploration upside for silver, cobalt, nickel, gold, and copper. With underground access at the fully owned Castle Mine, an exceptional high-grade silver discovery at Castle East, a pilot plant to produce cobalt-rich gravity concentrates, a processing facility (TTL Laboratories) in the town of Cobalt, and a proprietary hydrometallurgical process known as Re-2Ox (for the creation of technical-grade cobalt sulphate as well as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations), Canada Silver Cobalt is strategically positioned to become a Canadian leader in the silver-cobalt space. More information at www.canadasilvercobaltworks.com. "Frank J. Basa" Frank J. Basa, P. Eng. Chief Executive Officer For further information, contact: Frank J. Basa, P.Eng. Chief Executive Officer 416-625-2342 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 release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of the risk factors encountered by Canada Silver Cobalt is available in the Company's Annual Information Form dated July 19, 2021 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137758 HELSINGBORG, Sweden, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a revolutionary step for the industry, Swedish copper solutions company Elcowire with their power cable customer NKT are to deliver Low-carbon Copper-based cable systems for power export from the third phase of the world's largest offshore wind farm project, Dogger Bank C, off the north-east coast of England. The lowered emissions, thanks to using Low-carbon Copper is estimated to over 23,000 tons of CO2, equivalent to 7,700 average gasoline-powered family cars driven for 1 year. "As Northern Europe's leading provider of copper wire products," says Paul Gustavsson, CEO Elcowire Group, "this unique collaboration with our customer NKT in the Dogger Bank C phase marks another successful step forward for Elcowire and for our commitment toward low-carbon solutions, which we have worked on together with our partner Boliden. We are extremely proud to be involved in this impressive project. To us, it is a breakthrough for the sustainable Low-carbon Copper material. It looks like it will become the inevitable choice in energy infrastructure for the future." NKT's President & CEO Alexander Kara, comments: "We have started collaboration with our suppliers and customers to reduce our carbon footprint throughout the value chain. The cooperation with our suppliers enables us to produce even more sustainable cables using their Low-carbon Copper in our factories that are powered by renewable energy. I am pleased that we have set up this collaboration, so we can continue contributing to connecting a greener world. This will ultimately help us meet our sustainability commitments, including becoming a net-zero emission company." As a result of Elcowire's commitment to support the global shift toward sustainable raw materials, the company has managed to produce and market Low-carbon Copper solutions with less than half the carbon footprint of standard copper-rod as well as other products. This is an accomplishment made in close cooperation with metal company Boliden, who processes the raw copper from ore sourced from Swedish mines. Paul Gustavsson highlights that the reduced CO2 emissions of Elcowire's Low-carbon Copper products have been validated scientifically and will help customers to achieve their supply chain related emission reduction targets faster and more efficiently. In fact, in the example of Dogger Bank C, the low-carbon solution combines efforts from three Scandinavian companies. The copper decarbonisation starts already in the metal company Boliden mine to continue through Elcowire's copper wire production and further on to NKT's high voltage power cable manufacturing. Boliden relies on a very efficient ore concentration process and a world-class green energy mix. Elcowire is supplied with the incoming material by electrified railway, and in very efficient processes then produces the Low-carbon Copper wires. And power cable solutions company NKT completes the picture with their final contribution, using renewable electricity in the production and the advanced, fuel-efficient cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria. The aggregate Low-carbon Copper footprint accomplished in this unique collaboration eventually benefits the end customer, the Dogger Bank wind farm, phase C, developed as a joint venture by Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni Plenitude, as well as tomorrow's European energy consumers. It is a very important step toward the net zero vision for carbon emissions in the European society. For more information, please contact: Paul Gustavsson CEO Elcowire Group +46(0)72-555 29 00 paul.gustavsson@elcowire.com About Elcowire Group: Elcowire is one of the leading suppliers in Europe of products and services based on copper and aluminum wire rod for the electrical and infrastructure industry. Operations are located in Sweden and Germany. Elcowire consists of five business units: Rod, Wire & Strands, Rail, High Voltage and Specials. The company has 400 employees and headquarters are located in Helsingborg, Sweden. More information at www.elcowire.com About Liljedahl Group: Liljedahl Group is a family-owned corporate group with seven wholly-owned holdings: Elcowire Group, Dahren Group, Horle Wire Group, Pronect, Finnvedens Lastvagnar, Finnvedens Bil and Liljedahl Group Fastigheter. Liljedahl Group is also principal owner of Bufab AB (publ). The Group has an annual sale of approximately SEK 15 billion and 1,500 employees globally. More information at www.liljedahlgroup.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/elcowire-group-ab/r/unique-wind-farm-collaboration--elcowire-takes-the-lead-in-the-decarbonisation-of-copper,c3633287 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/17578/3633287/1628436.pdf Press release (PDF) View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/unique-wind-farm-collaboration-elcowire-takes-the-lead-in-the-decarbonisation-of-copper-301627939.html China's imports of Russian coal hit a five-year high in August, the latest hint Beijing is throwing Moscow an economic lifeline as it confronts international sanctions over its assault on Ukraine. According to figures released on Tuesday by the General Administration of Customs, shipments of Russian coal hit 8.54 million tonnes last month amid rising energy consumption in the second-largest economy in the world as a result of the excessive heat. The amount of trade was the largest since officials started compiling statistics in 2017, up 57% from the same time the previous year, Aljazeera reported. China and Russia said earlier this year that their friendship has "no limits." Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine in February, their economic cooperation has expanded. As a result of the nation's rising need for gas, coal, and oil, China's purchases of Russian goods increased by 60% to $11.2 billion in August. Chinese exporters have also increased their exports to Russia, with trade volume increasing by 26 percent year to year to $8 billion last month. According to Nikkei Asia, China's imports of coal from Russia increased in August to their highest level in at least five years as power utilities in the world's largest coal user sought foreign supplies to fulfill skyrocketing demand, caused by the extremely hot weather. General Administration of Customs statistics reveals that last month's coal imports totaled 8.54 million tonnes, up from 7.42 million tonnes in July and 57% more than in the same period last year. Since comparable figures started in 2017, the monthly figure was the highest. Economic Ties Going Stronger In the first eight months of 2022, the two countries' bilateral commerce increased by more than 31% to $117.2 billion. As Europe stopped buying from Russia after it committed tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, causing Russian coal to be traded at a significant discount, imports from Russia have increased recently, per Reuters. According to dealers, prices for Russian coal increased as both China and India increased their purchases, but the country's domestic coal remained more affordable. Read Also: At Least 27 Dead After Chinese Quarantine Bus Crash, Prompting Criticism of Zero-COVID Policy In late August, the price of Russian thermal coal with a 5,500 kcal energy content on a delivery basis to China increased to around $155 per tonne from about $150 per tonne the previous month. Coal-fired power facilities ramped up output when severe drought and heatwave hit western and southern China starting in late July to meet the surge in demand for air cooling and the supply shortfall from hydropower plants. To strengthen the effectiveness of power production, they also expanded their imports of higher-grade thermal coal, such as Russian coal. China, Russia Got Each Other's Backs Due to the quiet withdrawal of several Chinese state-owned financial institutions from Russia in recent months, China is widely believed to be reluctant to openly violate sanctions against Russia out of concern for losing access to Western export markets and the US dollar-centric international financial system. Beijing has refrained from denouncing the invasion and has blasted Western-led sanctions against Moscow while having emphasized its desire for talks and a negotiated settlement. Putin expressed gratitude for "our Chinese friends' balanced approach in connection with the Ukrainian problem" during his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since the invasion last week. Xi said China was willing to cooperate with Russia to "play a leading role in demonstrating the responsibility of major powers" and to "instill stability and positive energy into a world in turmoil" after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan. Related Article: Ukraine War: Video Shows Scary Eruption After Russia's Alleged Attack on Nuclear Plant @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Volta FinanceLimited (VTA/VTAS) Dividend Declaration NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES Guernsey, 20 September 2022 Volta Finance Limited ("the Company") hereby announces a third interim dividend for the financial year commencing 1 August 2021. The Company announces that it has declared a quarterly interim dividend of 0.13 per share payable on 20 October 2022 amounting to approximately 4.75 million, equating approximately to an annualised 8% of net asset value. The ex-dividend date is 29 September 2022 with a record date of 30 September 2022. The Company has arranged for its shareholders to be able to elect to receive their dividends in either Euros or Pounds Sterling. Shareholders will, by default, receive their dividends in Euros, unless they have instructed the Company's Registrar, Computershare Investor Serviceswithin the "Investors - Other Documents" section. The deadline for receipt of currency elections is 12:00 (midday) on 3 October 2022. CONTACTS For the Investment Manager AXA Investment Managers Paris Serge Demay serge.demay@axa-im.com +33 (0) 1 44 45 84 47 Company Secretary and Administrator BNP Paribas Securities Services S.C.A, Guernsey Branch guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com +44 (0) 1481 750 853 Corporate Broker Cenkos Securities plc Andrew Worne Daniel Balabanoff +44 (0) 20 7397 8900 ***** ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities. Volta's home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands. Volta's investment objectives are to preserve capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its shareholders through dividends. Volta seeks to attain its investment objectives predominantly through diversified investments in structured finance assets. The assets that the Company may invest in either directly or indirectly include, but are not limited to: corporate credits; sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt; residential mortgage loans; and, automobile loans. The Company's approach to investment is through vehicles and arrangements that essentially provide leveraged exposure to portfolios of such underlying assets. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets. ***** ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,460 professionals and 887 billion in assets under management as of the end of December 2021. ***** This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris ("AXA IM"), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the "AIFM Directive") of Volta Finance Limited (the "Volta Finance") whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM. This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are "U.S. persons" for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States. ***** This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. ***** This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "anticipated", "expects", "intends", "is/are expected", "may", "will" or "should". They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance's investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance's actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements. Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved. The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM's belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results. The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such. Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide - 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorite des Marches Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive. ***** NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / The Frank Family proudly announced today the establishment of the Frank Family Foundation, a philanthropic fund managed by and making donations on behalf of the Frank family (the "Foundation"). Operating out of New York, the Foundation plans to work with organizations around the world with an initial focus on funding and participating in social health, community, and wildlife programs. "We are thrilled to finally launch the Frank Family Foundation after spending significant time carefully planning our focus and structure," said Sean Frank, founder of New York-based asset management firm Cloud Equity Group and one of the founding members of the Frank Family Foundation. "We plan to have a real impact on the organizations we work with and are excited to begin making donations." Besides focusing on social health, community, and wildlife programs, the Foundation will place special emphasis on supporting organizations that provide aid in areas where there are little or no resources currently available. The first three donation recipients were identified as Against Malaria, a UK-based charity assisting populations at high risk of developing malaria, WildAid, a US-based organization focused on reducing the demand for wildlife products, and Village Enterprise, a US-based nonprofit that works in Africa to end extreme poverty using entrepreneurship. "Having grown up on the African continent, I am acutely aware of the challenges affecting the lives of millions of people as well as endangered animals," said Andrea Frank, founding member of the Frank Family Foundation. "It is our hope to make a tangible difference through these donations." Through its contributions and support, the Frank Family Foundation hopes to have meaningful impact on the organizations in their efforts to promote better health care, support community projects, and protect wildlife around the world. About The Frank Family Foundation The Frank Family Foundation, established in 2022, is a private family foundation donating on behalf of the Frank family in areas including health care, community projects, and wildlife protection. By awarding grants to charities that provide by either educating, setting up programs, or providing necessary supplies, the Foundation aims to reach those who need assistance in areas where there are little or no resources available. For more information about the Foundation and its work, please visit frankphilanthropies.org. Contact: info@frankphilanthropies.org SOURCE: The Frank Family Foundation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716657/Frank-Family-Launches-New-Foundation-to-Fund-Social-Health-Community-Based-and-Wildlife-Organizations San Francisco -based investment technology firm Jacobi Inc. has secured USD $10m Series A Funding led by QIC Funding will support the development of the Jacobi platform and the continued growth of its investment management clientele globally. LONDON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Investment technology firm Jacobi Inc. has announced it has raised $10m USD in Series A funding, led by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) Jacobi Inc. (Jacobi) will use funding to further accelerate the development of the Jacobi platform and expand its team and clientele globally. QIC joins Jacobi's existing investors; Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Illuminate Venture Partners, 8VC and Western Technology Investment (WTI). Joining the board of Jacobi Inc will be Crystal Russell (QIC) and Bill Miller (Makena Capital). Founded in 2014, Jacobi provides its technology to some of the world's largest asset management firms including T.Rowe Price, MFS, LGIM and WTW. Its global client base now represents assets under management over US$7 trillion. Jacobi CEO and Co- Founder, Tony Mackenzie said: "We are proud to be backed by the highly respected global investor QIC as we continue to grow our global business. Our valued client base spans some of the world's leading asset managers, owners, investment consultants, RIA's and family offices. Each of these firms have looked to Jacobi for flexible technology that is purpose built for the multi-asset investor". Mackenzie added: "Our open-architecture means we can configure our solution to each firm's own investment strategy including their capital market assumptions, data, risk engines and optimization techniques - and combine that with dynamic visualization tools for better end-client engagement." QIC Principal, Crystal Russell said: "We are delighted to be investing in Jacobi on behalf of the Queensland Business Investment Fund. Jacobi is a home-grown success with an exceptional team, world-class product and a global blue chip client base. The asset management industry is undergoing a widespread digitalization with software driven tools enabling more in-depth portfolio analysis and increased client engagement. Jacobi's product is proving to be a critical tool for some of the world's most sophisticated asset managers." Jacobi's technology transforms front office-to-end-client investment processes enabling portfolio design, analytics, and client engagement. The cloud-based platform provides a powerful and highly customisable suite of tools for designing, managing and visualising multi-asset portfolios. For more information, visit www.jacobistrategies.com . About Jacobi Jacobi Strategies (Jacobi) provides cloud-based technology to support the design and management of multi-asset portfolios at scale, streamlining investment workflows and enabling dynamic client engagement. Jacobi's open architecture means the platform is highly flexible with users able to integrate their own models, data, analytics and code. Jacobi provides its technology to top-tier global investment firms including asset owners, asset managers, wealth managers and investment consultants. Headquartered in San Francisco, and with offices in Australia and the United Kingdom, Jacobi is led by a team of investment professionals and world-class engineers. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1899562/Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/jacobi-secures-series-a-funding-to-scale-multi-asset-investment-technology-301626553.html DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- David Gibson-Moore, a veteran banker and prominent figure in the financial services industry, has joined the board of directors of Dalma Capital as part of a continued drive to enhance the company's capabilities in investment banking services, in addition to its asset management platform. David brings with him a wealth of relationships and experience with a track record of over 30 years in corporate finance, investment banking and asset management. David joins the board of Dalma as part of an ongoing expansion of the firm's investment banking advisory practice, under which the company advises private and public companies as well as sovereign clients on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, public private partnerships (PPP), capital markets transactions and digital assets. David will guide the firm in scouting top global talent to bolster Dalma Capital's execution team and will act as a spokesperson for the company. "I am delighted to join Dalma Capital's Board of Directors, having observed the growing success of the company and its team," commented David Gibson-Moore, "I believe in the bright future of Dalma Capital in originating and executing high-caliber deal flow for institutional clients." "We are honored to welcome David Gibson-Moore to the Board of Directors of Dalma," said Mishal Kanoo, "His strong reputation with leading institutions and families in the GCC and globally as well as his deep experience in corporate finance will augment the board's ability to support Dalma Capital in its growth." About Dalma Capital: Dalma Capital Management Limited is a global alternative investment management platform and advisor with strong capabilities in investment banking and asset management. Established in 2011 and headquartered in the Dubai International Finance Centre, Dalma Capital's has been one of the fastest growing independent financial services businesses in the DIFC. Dalma Capital is authorized and supervised by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (the "DFSA") under a prudential category 3c license. About David Gibson Moore: From 2009 to 2014 David was Regional Managing Director of LGT Bank covering the MENA region. The LGT Group is privately owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein and focuses word-wide on institutional and family office asset management. Before joining LGT Group, he was Chief Executive Officer Middle East for the Robeco Group. He set up Robeco's regional office in Bahrain with responsibility for their institutional asset management business in the MENA region. Clients included all the regional sovereign wealth funds, government institutions, banks and family offices. He was previously 15 years based in Geneva with Chase Manhattan Bank (subsequently JPMorgan Chase) where he was Chairman of the Boards of Chase Manhattan Bank in Switzerland, Luxembourg and Jersey and Swiss Country Manger. In addition, he was Head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Division for 8 years and was subsequently responsible for business development globally for the investment banking division based in New York. He is Commandeur and Chancelier Honoraire of the Chaine des Rotisseurs and was Chancelier of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Bahrain from 2006 - 2014. He was Founder of the Bahrain Oxford and Cambridge Society. Mr. Gibson-Moore has both Bachelor's and Masters Degrees in Natural Science from Oxford University. He is a Chartered Accountant, having qualified at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the City of London practice and has MSc (cum laude) in Financial Economics and a Diploma in Econometrics from University of London. He has recently been awarded a diploma by the Said School of Business/Oxford University for the Oxford University Fintech Programme and diploma from London School of Economics for the Cryptocurrency and Disruption Programme. He has a Diploma in Political Philosophy from Oxford University. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1896238/Dalma_Capital_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/david-gibson-moore-to-join-dalma-capital-board-of-directors-as-it-grows-its-investment-banking-advisory-practice-301627421.html SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ProLynx, Inc., a biotechnology company with a novel platform technology for half-life extension of therapeutics, enabling novel and potentially best-in-class treatments to be developed, today announced that Richard King, MBA, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Chris Ehrlich, MBA, has joined the company as a member of the Board of Directors. "As a seasoned executive in the industry with a track record of success in partnering, Richard is an excellent fit for ProLynx," said Bill Rutter, a ProLynx Board member. "The ProLynx Board looks forward to working with Richard and the executive team to realize the promise of our innovative technology for the betterment of patient and caregiver lives. Additionally, I am delighted to welcome Chris to the Board. His expertise in venture capital, business development and financing strengthen the capabilities of our Board." Richard King is an accomplished executive with over 35 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He has raised over $1bn in private and public capital, completed multiple business transactions, including the sale of Tercica, Inc., the partnership of AcelRx and Grunenthal regarding a novel pain management system, and the strategic affiliation of CALIBR with the Scripps Research Institute. "I am delighted to join ProLynx at this time," said Richard King. "The ProLynx technology is incredibly unique, enabling half-life extension of proteins, peptides and small molecules. This advancement can make existing medications more effective, better tolerated and require less frequent administration. The ProLynx technology can also be applied to molecules in development that might otherwise never be advanced due to efficacy or toxicity issues, allowing these product candidates to move forward and possibly become life-altering treatments for patients." Chris Ehrlich began his career with consulting firm LEK before becoming a business development executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Subsequently he was Managing Director at venture capital firm InterWest, serving on multiple company Boards. He joined Locust Walk, a life sciences transaction firm, where, as Global Head of Biotechnology and Head of Strategic Transactions, he sourced and lead multiple transactions for emerging biopharmaceutical companies. "ProLynx is in a great position with its lead development program in clinical trials to treat various cancers, as well as multiple other programs having demonstrated proof of concept across a variety of disease areas," said Chris Ehrlich. "I am delighted to join the Board to help bring this novel half-life extension technology forward to advance treatment options for patients in need." About ProLynx ProLynx is a biotechnology company located in San Francisco, CA, developing proprietary drug delivery technologies for half-life extension of therapeutics. The ProLynx pipeline centers on a long-acting oncology drug, PLX038, in Phase 2 clinical trials, a long-acting interleukin 15, PLX015, for immuno-oncology and a very long-acting C-type natriuretic peptide, PLX138, for achondroplasia, together with several other early-stage programs. Contact Richard King Richard@prolynxinc.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Oxylabs , a market-leading public web data gathering solutions provider, announced the acquisition of Webshare Software Company , a distinguished Silicon Valley-based self-service proxy company whose portfolio includes over 10,000 active customers, including numerous Fortune 500 companies. Under the undisclosed details of the deal, Oxylabs will support the further development of Webshare by sharing extensive industry knowledge and business expertise. In addition, Webshare's in-house teams will be significantly expanded by capturing world-class talent from all over the industry. Based in San Francisco Bay Area, US, Webshare Software was established in 2019 by Utku Zihnioglu, a successful serial entrepreneur whose previous cybersecurity company, Remotium, was eventually acquired by Avast. After moving on from his previous venture, Zihnioglu established Webshare Software. Under his leadership, Webshare achieved unprecedented results as it attracted a sizable customer base, procured several patents, and became a prominent force in the self-service proxy industry in less than 4 years. "Webshare is playing an essential role in the proxy market ecosystem by providing fast and affordable solutions, the quality of which is praised by their clients. Achieving rapid industry recognition is an impressive accomplishment made possible only by the immensely talented people of Webshare. With the addition of our technical expertise and industry experience, we will help them get established as one of the key players in the industry while maintaining their explosive growth." - says Julius Cerniauskas, CEO of Oxylabs. "Our goal has always been to become a technology leader in the proxy industry. We see Oxylabs as a brotherly company whose values match those upon which we built our business. Through our combined forces, we will be able to continue scaling quicker and more efficiently, enabling us to have a greater positive effect on the proxy market industry." - Utku Zihnioglu, CEO of Webshare Software Company, commented. Webshare Software's acquisition deal was financed through Oxylabs cash reserves and spearheaded by the global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright with support from the leading law firm in the Baltic States, Sorainen. Under the agreement, Webshare Software will continue to operate as an independent entity, receiving extensive support from Oxylabs to foster further market influence for the former company. About Oxylabs Established in 2015, Oxylabs is a premium proxy and public web data acquisition solution provider, enabling companies of all sizes to utilize the power of big data. Constant innovation, a large patent portfolio, and a focus on ethics have allowed Oxylabs to become a global leader in the data acquisition industry and forge close ties with dozens of Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2022, Oxylabs was named the fastest-growing public data gathering solutions company in Europe in the Financial Times' FT 1000 list. About Webshare.io Webshare is the technology leader in high-volume self-service proxy services, enabling deep data collection, aggregation, and analysis for businesses across the globe. Various businesses, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual consultants, rely on Webshare for assured data availability for market research, price comparison, data aggregation, malware analysis, and many more use cases. Media contact: Vytautas Kirjazovas Email: press@oxylabs.io Website: www.oxylabs.io SOURCE: Oxylabs View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716693/Oxylabs-Acquires-US-based-Webshare-Software-Company PALM COAST, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Gold River Productions, Inc. (OTC PINK:GRPS) ("GRPS") (www.grpsinc.com) announced today that the company will host a shareholder update conference call at 5PM EST on September 26, 2022. All shareholders and all interested parties are invited to participate on the call. At approximately 4:00 PM EST on the same day, the company will issue a press release which will be the subject of the conference call. The call and the press release are expected to discuss in detail the company's extensive business plan for the next 18 months. Since the company expects certain industry leaders from multiple countries and continents to be on the call from far away as China, the call will begin promptly at 5PM EST on September 26, 2022. All participants on the call are also encouraged to read the press release which will be released at approximately 4PM EST the same day. The press release will provide a foundation for the matters which will be discussed on the call. The call can be accessed live by dialing (267) 807-9601. When prompted to enter an access code, the code should be entered as 808621#. All expected conference call participants will be encouraged to ask questions. Any listener that has a question should email all questions as soon as possible to grpsconferencecall@gmail.com. The company will try to answer as many questions as possible on the call during the Q&A phase of the call. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Contact: For inquiries: Email: grpsconferencecall@gmail.com SOURCE: Gold River Productions, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716677/Gold-River-Productions-Announces-Conference-Call-for-Comprehensive-Shareholder-Update Wallbox is Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions Wallbox home chargers will be available for purchase in U.S., Canada, and Europe through the Fisker website Wallbox will offer installation services in Europe and North America Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR) ("Fisker") passionate creator of the world's most sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions and Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), a leading provider of electric vehicle and energy management solutions worldwide, name Wallbox as Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005492/en/ Wallbox is Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions. Photo credit: Michael Muller Fisker and Wallbox are partnering to offer Fisker EV owners Wallbox home EV chargers for purchase through the Fisker website in the U.S., Canada, and European launch markets. The Pulsar Plus, Wallbox's best-selling charger worldwide and one of the smallest smart universal EV chargers, will be available to the North American market through Fisker. In Europe, Fisker will be the first OEM to offer Wallbox's Pulsar Max charger, providing localized charging solutions to drivers in seven European countries. Like Pulsar Plus, Pulsar Max delivers top charging speeds and offers the full Wallbox energy management suite, including solar charging, so users can enjoy their EVs to the fullest. Both chargers display customized Fisker and Wallbox logos and can be installed in homes, offices, and multi-unit dwellings to provide straightforward and efficient charging. "Fisker is laser-focused on giving our customers simple and intuitive technology combined with clever design to make owning an EV easier. Together with Wallbox, we are providing class-leading, competitively priced chargers for Fisker owners," Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said. "Wallbox's track record of delivering well-designed, innovative, and dependable charging systems on a global scale makes the partnership a perfect fit for our customers and our business." "Making home charging accessible is key to accelerating the transition to EVs globally, and partnering with Fisker will allow us to support more drivers as they make the transition," said Douglas Alfaro, General Manager of Wallbox North America. "There is a natural alignment between our two brands, so we are excited to announce our partnership with Fisker." Fisker and Wallbox also plan to offer home installation services provided by Wallbox in Europe. In the U.S. and Canada, installation services will be provided by COIL, a recent Wallbox acquisition. Wallbox Pulsar Plus smart chargers will be available to Fisker Ocean reservation holders starting November 2022 in the U.S. and Canada. Wallbox Pulsar Max smart chargers will be available to Fisker Ocean reservation holders starting November 2022 in our European launch markets: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and The United Kingdom. Pricing to be announced. The Fisker Ocean, Fisker's ground-breaking all-electric SUV, is available in three trim levels: Extreme, Ultra, and Sport. The top trim Fisker Ocean Extreme travels 350 miles1 on a single charge, with dual-motor, all-wheel-drive, three driving modes, Revolve 17.1" rotating screen, SolarSky roof, California Mode, Smart Traction, and many first-to-market safety features, including the world's first digital radar, all for $68,9992 in the U.S. Production of the Fisker Ocean is on track for November 17, 2022, at a carbon-neutral factory in Graz, Austria. Deliveries to customers will begin shortly after. About Fisker Inc. California-based Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing the most emotionally desirable and eco-friendly electric vehicles on Earth. Passionately driven by the vision of a clean future for all, the company is on a mission to become the No. 1 e-mobility service provider with the world's most sustainable vehicles. To learn more, visit www.FiskerInc.com and enjoy exclusive content across Fisker's social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. About Wallbox Wallbox is a global company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy in the electric vehicle industry. Wallbox creates smart charging systems that combine innovative technology with outstanding design and manage the communication between vehicle, grid, building and charger. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 100 countries. Founded in 2015, with headquarters in Barcelona, Wallbox's mission is to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles today to make more sustainable use of energy tomorrow. The company employs approximately 1,100 people in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com. Fisker Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as "feel," "believes," expects," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "should," "is to be," or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology and include, among other things, the quotation of our CEO, the timing of the availability of smart chargers, the statements regarding the planned launch timing and delivery, pricing and estimated range of the Fisker Ocean, the Company's future performance, and other future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein due to many factors, including, but not limited to: Fisker's limited operating history; Fisker's ability to enter into additional manufacturing and other contracts with Magna or tier-one suppliers in order to execute on its business plan; the risk that OEM and supply partners do not meet agreed-upon timelines or experience capacity constraints; Fisker may experience significant delays in the design, manufacture, regulatory approval, launch and financing of its vehicles; Fisker's ability to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its planned products and services; Fisker's inability to retain key personnel and to hire additional personnel; competition in the electric vehicle market; Fisker's inability to develop a sales distribution network; and the ability to protect its intellectual property rights; and those factors discussed in Fisker's Annual Report on Form 10-K, under the heading "Risk Factors", filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as supplemented by Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other reports and documents Fisker files from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Fisker undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. 1 Based on Fisker simulations. Actual results vary with conditions such as external environment and vehicle use. Official EPA and WLTP ratings are forthcoming. 2 Pricing shown is for the continental U.S. and excludes delivery, finance, and government charges. Maintenance is not included. Pricing depends upon specifications and options chosen by customers as they configure the actual vehicle closer to production. Pricing does not include various state and federal incentives and benefits which may be available. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005492/en/ Contacts: Photo credit: Michael Muller FiskerContact: U.S. Media Fisker@GODRIVEN360.com European Media: Press.europe@fiskerinc.com Customer service: Support@fiskerinc.com Fisker Inc. Communications: Matthew DeBord Sr Director, Communications Strategy Storytelling mdebord@fiskerinc.com Rebecca Lindland Director, Communications rlindland@fiskerinc.com Fisker Inc. Investor Relations: Frank Boroch VP of Investor Relations fboroch@fiskerinc.com Wallbox Contact: Public Relations: Elyce Behrsin Public Relations Press@wallbox.com +34 622 513 358 Investor Relations: Matt Tractenberg VP, Investor Relations Matt.Tractenberg@wallbox.com +1 404-574-1504 PARIS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Coave Therapeutics ('Coave'), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing life-changing gene therapies for CNS (Central Nervous System) and eye diseases, today announced that CEO Rodolphe Clerval will present a company overview at Chardan's 6th Annual Genetic Medicines Conference at 8:30 am ET on October 3, 2022. The presentation will highlight how Coave is developing next generation gene therapy products based on its proprietary AAV-Ligand Conjugate ('ALIGATER') platform to transform gene therapy for neurodegenerative and eye diseases. Coave's ligand conjugated AAV capsids (coAAVs) derived from the ALIGATER platform enables targeted delivery and enhanced gene transduction to improve the effectiveness of advanced gene therapies. Chardan's 6th Annual Genetic Medicines Conference is taking place October 3-4, 2022, in New York City and Rodolphe Clerval will be in attendance for the duration of the conference and available for one-to-one meetings. Use this link to find further information on the conference. About Coave Therapeutics Coave Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing life-changing gene therapies for CNS (Central Nervous System) and eye diseases. Coave Therapeutics' next-generation AAV-Ligand Conjugate ('ALIGATER') platform enables targeted delivery and enhanced gene transduction to improve the effectiveness of advanced gene therapies for rare diseases. The company is advancing a pipeline of novel therapies targeting CNS and eye diseases where targeted gene therapy using chemically modified AAVs (coAAVs) has the potential to be most effective. Coave Therapeutics, which is headquartered in Paris (France), is backed by leading international life science and strategic investors Seroba Life Sciences, Thea Open Innovation, eureKARE, Fund+, Omnes Capital, V-Bio Ventures, Kurma Partners, Idinvest, GO Capital and Sham Innovation Sante/Turenne. For more information, please visit www.coavetx.com or follow us on LinkedIn CONTACTS Coave Therapeutics Rodolphe Clerval, CEO contact@coavetx.com MEDiSTRAVA Consulting Sylvie Berrebi, Eleanor Perkin, Mark Swallow PhD coavetx@medistrava.com Tel: +44 203 928 6900 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/coave-therapeutics-to-present-at-chardans-6th-annual-genetic-medicines-conference-301628091.html 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. Vice President Kamala Harris is going to two historically black colleges in South Carolina to encourage people to sign up to vote for the upcoming US midterm elections. Harris focuses on places and groups that will be essential for Democrats to retain control of Congress. On Tuesday, Harris will talk at South Carolina State University, an HBCU where President Biden spoke last year. Additionally, she will participate in a roundtable discussion with students from nearby Claflin University. In preparation for the midterm elections, Harris has upped her travel schedule according to ABC News. This is her third visit to South Carolina as vice president. Kamala Harris spoke about reproductive rights in Chicago on Friday and will do so in Wisconsin on Thursday. The Vice President visited Houston earlier this month to attend the National Baptist Convention. Maintaining Democratic Strongholds Vice President Harris' travels seek to avoid or limit a dip in participation among voters of color and young people, which are key Democratic strongholds. According to the US Department of Education website, Vice President Kamala Harris will visit college students in Orangeburg alongside US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "They will highlight the importance of National Voter Registration Day and host a conversation with students about mental health and issues important to young Americans," the statement read. Black voters make up a disproportionately large portion of the Democratic voting electorate in South Carolina, which hosts the first presidential election in the South. Read Also: One-Time Tax Rebate Worth $500 To Be Sent Out Today; Here's How To Qualify! During a June visit to South Carolina, Harris thanked Democrats for supporting Biden in the 2020 first-in-the-South primary, which helped turn around his campaign and generate momentum in the following elections. Shortly after Biden's evasive response to CBS' "60 Minutes" when asked if he will run again in 2024, Harris shows up in South Carolina. In an interview on Sunday, President Biden said: "My intention, as I said, to begin with, is that I would run again. But it's just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen." Biden also mentioned that announcing his plan to run for office would have put him in violation of campaign finance regulations, which may have hindered DNC spending on the midterm elections. Republicans Also Gearing Up For Midterm Polls White House officials said that Biden is still getting ready for a run in 2024. Allies agree he might decide against reelection before an official declaration in 2023. Biden declared earlier this year that Harris would serve as his running partner in his 2024 reelection bid, as reported by AP News. Republican candidates for the White House, like former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are still traveling all over the state. Republicans born and raised in South Carolina have also begun to consider 2024. Both US Sen. Tim Scott and Nikki Haley, who resides in the Charleston region and formerly led the state for six years as governor before entering the Trump administration as UN ambassador, have been traveling to other early voting areas. Related Article: US President Defends Son Hunter Biden Over Foreign Business Deals, Republican Attacks @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, September 20, 2022 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today that the board of directors has appointed Luc Debruyne as an observer to the board with the intent to nominate him for election to the board at the ordinary general meeting in March 2023, where he following the board's constitution is expected to assume the chairmanship after Gerard van Odijk, who will step down after having served for 15 years on the board. Luc Debruyne is former President Global Vaccines at GSK, a role he held for the last six years of his 27-year long tenure with the company, where he was a member of GSK's Corporate Executive Team. He is currently Professor of Practice at the University of Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Group and serves as non-executive director of the boards of University Hospitals UZ Leuven and Fund Plus. He is furthermore member of the Institutional Advisory Board at VIB, the Life Sciences Board at Greenlight Biosciences Inc, and is Strategy Advisor to the CEO and Chair of the Portfolio Strategy and Management Board of CEPI. Luc Debruyne is also highly regarded as an active contributor and advisor in the global health arena with a focus on R&D and access. Gerard van Odijk, chairman of the board said: "I am pleased to welcome Luc on the board and look forward to our collaboration until my departure as chairman next year. Luc's wealth of industry experience combined with strong leadership, global health experience and a proven track record of commercial launches will be a significant contribution to the board and to Bavarian Nordic in our continued endeavor to create one of the largest pure play vaccine companies." About Bavarian Nordic Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated vaccines company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of life-saving vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox vaccines and have been a long-term supplier to the U.S. Government of a non-replicating smallpox vaccine, which has been approved by the FDA, also for the protection against monkeypox. The vaccine is also approved in Europe and Canada. Our commercial product portfolio furthermore contains market-leading vaccines against rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates designed to save and improve lives by unlocking the power of the immune system, including an Ebola vaccine, which is licensed to the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. We are also committed to the development of a next generation COVID-19 vaccine. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com . Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Contacts Europe: Rolf Sass Srensen, Vice President Investor Relations, Tel: +45 61 77 47 43 US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors, graham@paddockcircle.com , Tel: +1 781 686 9600 Company Announcement no. 37 / 2022 Attachment The coalition, which calls for increased transparency at sea and seafood supply chains free of illegal practices, welcomes feedback until October 31, 2022 WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022, a new global community of ocean advocates campaigning for increased transparency at sea, released its draft Global Charterfor public comment. The ten principles, which address the lack of transparency in vessel information, fishing activity, and fisheries governance and management, pinpoint the most essential transparency priorities needed to increase equity in fisheries and combat illegal fishing and human rights abuses at sea. Leading the Coalition is a steering committee of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Oceana, the Environmental Justice Foundation, Citizens Institute of Environmental Studies (Korea), Global Fishing Watch, the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (West Africa), Seafood Legacy (Japan), and the WWF Network. The Coalition serves as an international platform and voice for civil society to improve transparency and accountability in marine governance by developing joint strategies and harmonizing efforts in key countries and global regions. The Global Charter for Transparency underpins the work of the Coalition with a unifying set of principles and a clear call to governments. Broad input from diverse voices on the Charter is essential to producing principles that are both effective and equitable for all involved in fisheries governance. Comments are sought from all relevant stakeholders - not only civil society groups but also governments, industry, academics, and other informed observers of trends in global fisheries governance. The Coalition welcomes comments until October 31, 2022 and will thoughtfully review all submissions. The public consultation form to input comments can be found below in multiple languages. English - https://forms.gle/SAXq68oZbiBwZx7a6 (https://forms.gle/SAXq68oZbiBwZx7a6) (https://forms.gle/SAXq68oZbiBwZx7a6) Spanish - https://forms.gle/uao8PpHSeNRpJKbe9 (https://forms.gle/uao8PpHSeNRpJKbe9) French - https://forms.gle/ihoNZn7cWNDCT5B49 (https://forms.gle/ihoNZn7cWNDCT5B49) Chinese traditional - https://forms.gle/iV5wEMVw2ttscsUS8 (https://forms.gle/iV5wEMVw2ttscsUS8) Chinese simplified - https://forms.gle/JZpxadcxQWHqyF3P6 (https://forms.gle/JZpxadcxQWHqyF3P6) The work of the Global Fisheries Transparency Coalition is made possible thanks to the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Oceans 5, and Oceankind. To read the press release in Spanish, click here. Background Illegal, unreported, and unregulatedand many global fisheries; the best weapon we have to fight the cycle is transparency. Without transparency, there is no accountability. Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world's wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana's campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.oceana.org to learn more. Contacts: Anna Baxter, abaxter@oceana.org Emily Porterfield, eporterfield@oceana.org LIMA, Peru, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minera IRL Limited ("Minera", the "Company" or "we") (BVL:MIRL) (CSE:MIRL) (FWB:DZX) is pleased to announce that the Corihuarmi Gold Mine ("Corihuarmi") has shipped 2,055 ounces of gold in August 2022, a 5% increase as compared to the July 2022 shipment of 1,961 ounces of gold. Mineralized material mined and placed on the leach pads between January and August 2022 totaled 2,873,045 tonnes at an average grade of 0.21 grams per tonne, and containing 19,373 ounces of gold. As at the end of August 2022, a total of 14,332 ounces of gold have been shipped. Qualified Person Martin Mount, Independent Director of Minera, is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London (& Registered CGeol), a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Metals & Mining (& Registered CEng), and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Mount has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release and has verified the underlying data. About Minera IRL Limited Minera IRL Limited is the CSE, BVL and FWB listed holding company of Minera IRL S.A. and Compania Minera Kuri Kullu S.A., two precious metal mining companies engaged in mining exploration, development, and operations in Peru, with a primary focus on gold. Minera is led by an agile and experienced senior management team with extensive mining industry experience, particularly in South America. Minera operates the Corihuarmi Gold Mine located 5,000 meters above sea level in Central Peru while assessing opportunities to advance its Ollachea Gold Project located in the Department of Puno, Southern Peru. For more information, please visit www.minera-irl.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Minera IRL Limited Gerardo Perez Executive Chairman Diego Benavides CEO and Director FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Minera IRL Limited Pedro Valdez Head of Investor Relations +51 1 418 - 1230 Susan Gabbie Manager, Communications +51 1 418 - 1230 No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking statements." Forward looking statements are based on assumptions. While management believes these assumptions and statements are reasonable in context, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to political, legal, regulatory, business, environmental and economic risks and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Minera IRL's actual results and future performance to be materially different than those expected or estimated future results, performance or achievements and that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, results, or achievements. Minera IRL assumes no obligation, except as may be required by law, to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Risks, uncertainties and contingencies and other factors that might cause actual performance to differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, Peru's ability to continue to contain the COVID-19 crisis, changes in and access to the capital or precious metals markets, weather, labor unrest, the uncertainties inherent in mineral exploration and changes to legislative, political, social, health or economic developments both within Peru and in general. Analysis of 60 and 90-day data from Phase 3 SPRINTER trial in hospitalised COVID-19 patients showed that SNG001 reduced risk of recognised Long COVID symptoms Company to present full analysis of the data at IDWeek 2022 in October in Washington D.C. Synairgen plc (LSE: SNG), the respiratory company developing SNG001, an investigational formulation for inhalation containing the broad-spectrum antiviral protein interferon beta, today announces it will present its positive findings from the analysis of data from 60 and 90-day follow-up visits from the Phase 3 SPRINTER trial in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 at IDWeek 2022 to be held 19-23 October 2022 in Washington, D.C. The analysis shows that when compared to placebo, SNG001 reduced the relative risk of recognised symptoms of Long COVID at day 60 and/or day 90: COVID symptoms at Day 60 and/or Day 90 follow-up visit Placebo SNG001 Relative Risk Reduction X2 Test Y N Y N Fatigue/ Malaise 43 140 27 151 35.4% p=0.045 Shortness of Breath (Dyspnoea) 33 150 23 155 28.3% p=0.180 Loss of Smell and/or Taste 16 167 6 172 61.4% p=0.033 The full analysis, including several patient-reported outcome measures, which is ongoing, will be presented in October at IDWeek 2022 and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Professor Chris Brightling, NIHR Senior Investigator, Department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester, said: "This promising Long COVID data is very welcome in an area of enormous clinical need. While it merits further investigation, it is exciting to see that SNG001 may have a positive effect in reducing some of the most recognised and problematic symptoms associated with Long COVID which afflicts millions of people and for which there are no current treatments." Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, commented: "The announcement of this data from our 60 and 90-day follow-up in patients who participated in the SPRINTER trial adds to our rationale of supporting further development and investigation of SNG001 as a broad-spectrum antiviral for severe respiratory infections. We look forward to presenting the results at IDWeek in October." SNG001 is not approved for use anywhere in the world. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 ('MAR'). About Synairgen Synairgen is a UK-based respiratory company focused on drug discovery, development and commercialisation. The Company's primary focus is developing SNG001 (inhaled interferon beta) for the treatment of severe viral lung infections, including COVID-19, as potentially the first host-targeted, broad-spectrum antiviral treatment delivered directly into the lungs. SNG001 has been granted Fast Track status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Founded by University of Southampton Professors Sir Stephen Holgate, Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic in 2003, Synairgen is quoted on AIM (LSE: SNG). For more information about Synairgen, please see www.synairgen.com. About SPRINTER (SG018) trial The SPRINTER trial (SG018; NCT04732949) was a global Phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of inhaled SNG001 on top of standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 requiring treatment with supplemental oxygen by mask or nasal prongs. Patients requiring high-flow nasal oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, or endotracheal intubation (invasive ventilation) at randomisation were excluded. COVID-19 was confirmed using a validated molecular test for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Patients were randomised to receive SNG001 (N=314) or placebo (N=309) once daily for 14 days, plus standard-of-care. Long-COVID symptoms (checklist) were assessed as a secondary endpoint at follow-up visits via telephone/video call on Day 60 and Day 90. The PRO measures assessed were: General Anxiety Disorder 7 Questionnaire (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Fatigue Scale and Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form). About SNG001 SNG001 is a pH-neutral formulation of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) for inhalation that is delivered directly into the lungs using a mesh nebuliser, which the Company is developing as a potential host-directed antiviral treatment for patients hospitalised with severe viral lung infections, including COVID-19. SNG001 has broad potential applicability for patients hospitalised with respiratory symptoms due to viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2, complicated influenza, RSV, adenovirus, para-influenza and rhinoviruses. Viruses have been shown to suppress the production of IFN-beta, a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body's antiviral defences, with the aim of evading host immune responses. By administering IFN-beta into the lungs, the aim is to correct this deficiency, potentially switching back on the lungs' antiviral pathways to clear the virus. SNG001 has been shown to demonstrate potent in vitro antiviral activity against a broad range of viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005510/en/ Contacts: Synairgen plc Brooke Clarke, Head of Communications Media@synairgen.com Tel: 44 (0) 23 8051 2800 finnCap (NOMAD and Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson (Corporate Finance) Alice Lane, Sunil de Silva (ECM) Tel: 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Numis Securities Limited (Joint Broker) James Black, Freddie Barnfield, Duncan Monteith Tel: 44 (0) 20 7260 1000 Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor Relations) Mary-Jane Elliott, Namrata Taak, Lucy Featherstone cscsynairgen@consilium-comms.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700 MKC STRATEGIES, LLC (US Media Relations) Mary Conway MConway@MKCStrategies.com Tel: +1 516-606-6545 BANGKOK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 19, HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand. Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud's Global Marketing and Sales Service, stressed Huawei Cloud's commitment to the goal of "By Local, For Local" in fostering a strong ecosystem for digitalization. Huawei Cloud believes that it is only when the local ecosystem grows, can digital transformation grow, and in a healthy and sustainable way. Huawei Cloud continues to provide leading digital technologies for users around the world, enabling enterprises and developers to better achieve digital development. To better provide local services, Huawei Cloud continues to build one global network to deliver high-quality cloud services with consistent experience. In the Asia Pacific since 2018, Huawei Cloud has operated local nodes in Singapore and Malaysia, and is the first public cloud provider to do so in Thailand. Huawei Cloud builds 3AZ data centers in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Samut Prakan, and provides website and consulting services in Thai. In addition, Huawei Cloud and partners build a digital industry ecosystem by all and for all. Huawei Cloud works tirelessly to build a global startup ecosystem. Multiple forms of enablement, such as cost optimization, technical support, entrepreneurship training, and business resources will empower at least 10,000 high-potential startups worldwide in the next three years, helping startups move to the cloud agilely and focus on innovation. In the Asia Pacific alone, more than 120 enterprises have joined the Huawei Cloud Startup Program. For example, Huawei Cloud helped ReverseAds expand its business in Thailand, Singapore, and South America. Through this program, ReverseAds has received financing of more than USD20 million. "We will further promote the startup program to the world. We hope that more and more enterprises like ReverseAds can innovate and achieve win-win," said Ms. Shi. At HUAWEI CONNECT 2022, Huawei Cloud also released the "Go Cloud, Go Global" ecosystem plan to share Huawei's local compliance and human resources in more than 170 countries and regions. The plan also shares Huawei Cloud's insights into industries and the hottest domains, as well as corresponding product and solutions for more enterprises to go global. Ms. Shi released 15 innovative services at the conference, including CCE Turbo (Cloud Container Engine), UCS (Ubiquitous Cloud Native Service), Pangu wave model, DataArts LakeFormation, Virtual Live, CodeCheck and CloudTest, KooMessage, KooSearch, and KooGallery. This is the first time the services are announced for global implementation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902833/image.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/jacqueline-shi-huawei-cloud-stresses-by-local-for-local-to-drive-digital-transformation-301628137.html A new pandemic relief fund calculator launched by ScottHall.co is helping employers to determine how much they qualify for in ERTC tax rebates, even if they have already received a loan through the PPP. New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - ScottHall.co announced the launch of a new rebate calculator to help SMBs determine how much they qualify for in tax credits, in just a few minutes. Business owners with up to 500 full-time W-2 employees can still claim up to $26,000 per employee in pandemic relief funds through the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), even if they have already received a Paycheck Protection Program loan. More information about ERTC rebates and the new calculator tool can be found at https://scotthall.co/recommends/ertc-calculator ERTC Calculator for SMB Pandemic Relief Rebates Launched by ScottHall.co To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/137770_27f67402e42ffa5a_001full.jpg The new rebate calculator factors in several rounds of amendments to the ERTC program that have expanded the eligibility, and increased the amount qualifying employers can claim in rebates. It is available with no commitment to any business owner with fewer than 500 W-2 employees, whose business has been affected by the pandemic financially or through lockdowns. Non-profit organizations, including churches, clinics, and schools, as well as startups and new businesses founded during the pandemic, can use the new rebate calculator to determine how much they qualify for, even if they were not eligible under the original ERTC requirements. The new calculator can also help employers that have already received PPP loans, after changes made in the Consolidated Appropriations Act allowed employers to enroll in both pandemic relief programs. Employers who use the new rebate calculator will also be able to enroll in the 15 Minute Refund program, a fast rebate service that is only available from a single firm of ERTC specialist CPAs. The program guarantees every employer their maximum allowable rebate, with a time commitment of 15 minutes or less, and audit-proof documentation for IRS support. While some business owners may not be eligible for rebates for every fiscal quarter of the ERTC program, the new calculator tool can help them determine which fiscal quarters they are eligible for, and how their rebates add up. The calculator can also connect business owners with an ERTC specialist to determine which factors may affect their rebate, such as paid sick or family leave, and other health expenses. More information about ERTC rebates and the new tax credit calculator tool can be found at https://employeetaxrefund.com Contact Info: Name: Scott Hall Email: scott@scotthall.co Organization: ScottHall.co Address: 60 West 23rd St. Suite 638, New York, NY 10010, United States Website: https://scotthall.co To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137770 GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minesto will join the Swedish business delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 taking place in Egypt in November. The partnership provides good opportunities to disseminate knowledge on how the ocean's energy-rich and 100% predictable tidal streams and ocean currents can be an important part of balancing the global energy system soon. Minesto has signed an agreement with Business Sweden to participate as a partner in the Swedish delegation to the UN climate conference, COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 7-18 November. The partnership gives Minesto the opportunity to reach out with information about the company's technology to international utility companies and governments. "We are proud to have been selected to join the Swedish pavilion at COP27 and be able to show the world how our underwater dragons that extract green energy from tides and ocean currents are part of the solution of the imperative climate challenge. Our technology is particularly suitable for coastal countries and island nations that are most susceptible to the changes brought about by increasing temperatures," says Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto. Minesto's power plant harnesses the energy of the ocean streams, making it possible to extract local, independent, and predictable energy. "Our dragons are a great complement to other renewable energies. Since the ocean streams constantly, our power plants have the potential to generate green electricity round the clock. In this way, not only do we reduce carbon dioxide emissions, we also add stability to the energy system. Our presence at COP27 aims to firmly put predictable ocean energy on the global agenda," concludes Martin Edlund. CONTACT: Cecilia Sernhage, Communications Manager +46 735 23 71 58 ir@minesto.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/minesto-ab/r/predictable-ocean-energy-on-the-agenda-as-minesto-joins-the-swedish-pavilion-at-un-cop27,c3633778 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/14621/3633778/1628795.pdf Press release View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/predictable-ocean-energy-on-the-agenda-as-minesto-joins-the-swedish-pavilion-at-un-cop27-301628156.html BANGALORE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mr. Rajesh Janey, a well-known industry expert and seasoned technologist, has been named to the advisory board of iValue InfoSolutions. In this capacity, he will engage with iValue leadership team and provide guidance on company's both organic and inorganic growth strategy. iValue is a premium technology enabler driving 'Go to Market' for niche, compelling, and complementary offerings with consultative approach for Enterprise Digital Transformation around Application Life Cycle Management, to address emerging business needs, in the hybrid multi-cloud model, covering Capex and Opex needs. Rajesh has close to four decades of experience in the technology industry across hardware, software, and services with expertise in leading cross cultural, multi-geo teams; managing P&L in complex matrix organisations and leading transformation during three of the largest tech mergers. Rajesh has held leadership positions across some of the biggest companies. He brings leadership, management, technical and alliances expertise to iValue. In his prior roles, Rajesh was the Sr. Vice President - Global Alliances for Dell Technologies, and was the first ever senior executive based in India for Global Alliances in Dell. He spent over fifteen years with Dell Technologies and EMC in various roles as President and Managing Director of the Enterprise business in India and President - EMC India and SAARC. He also served as NetApp (President - India and SAARC). Besides, Rajesh has also served as Chairman of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Subcommittee on Cloud Computing. He has also been on the board of SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) India and on the Executive Board of the American Chambers of Commerce in India (AMCHAM). "I am incredibly proud and excited to announce the creation of our advisory board. The experience this group brings to the company is invaluable and today marks yet another critical inflection point for iValue," said iValue Infosolutions' Founder & Managing Director Mr. Sunil Pillai. "Rajesh impressed me with his business acumen and his technology expertise. He has been the torch bearer for growth of big corporates in India including Dell EMC, NetApp, and HP to name a few. His experience and guidance will be invaluable, as we accelerate our next phase of growth through both geographical expansion and inorganic growth across security and cloud services. We are excited to have Rajesh on our Advisory Board and look forward to working closely with him," Mr. Sunil concludes. "With the ever evolving Cloud and security landscape, Enterprises are looking at consultative approach to help in their journey of Digital Transformation. Application Lifecycle Management and Security. iValue's focus and expertise in enabling this integrated approach, explains the company's extraordinary growth since inception," said Mr. Rajesh Janey. "I look forward to advising the leadership team as they take the company to its next phase of growth and geographical expansion by adding critical capabilities to its portfolio, including cloud security, software and application lifecycle management." About iValue InfoSolutions A market leader and technology enabler who assists businesses in managing, optimizing, and protecting their digital assets. iValue is proud to have served for over 6000+ customers across industry verticals through 900+ Partners & direct alliances with 75+ 'Best of Breed' Technology OEMs. iValue has a direct presence across 18+ locations covering South-East Asia & Africa continents with Consulting; Solutioning; Vertical & Horizontal focused teams, addressing Technology enablement, Pre-sales, Sales & Post-sales needs of Customer for Private, Public and Hybrid cloud needs. iValue ASEAN operates with HQ in Singapore, with local entities in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka apart from Nairobi (Kenya) office for Africa foray. For more information, please contact: Nagesh Belur Nagesh.b@iValue.co.in Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902858/Rajesh_Janey.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ivalue-group-strengthens-its-advisory-board-with-appointment-of-it-industry-expert-and-veteran-business-leader-rajesh-janey-301628164.html COLUMBIA, Md. and VICTORIA, BC, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Authority Brands, a residential services franchising platform in North America, today announced that British Columbia Investment Management Corporation ("BCI"), one of the largest institutional investors in Canada, has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in the company, alongside funds advised by Apax Partners LLP ("Apax Funds"), which will retain majority ownership. Authority Brands is the premier home service franchisor in North America. Its family of home service franchise brands are leaders in their industry, providing homeowners with services from the property line to the roof line. Authority Brands' companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America's Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie's. Together, these brands provide home services through approximately 860 franchise owners across North America. Since the Apax Funds' initial investment in 2018, Authority Brands has grown from two home service franchisors to the current 12, expanding into new geographies and services and building out a powerful infrastructure. "We are proud to have partnered with the Authority Brands team to help build, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, a leading residential services franchising platform," said Ashish Karandikar, Partner at Apax. "We continue to see significant room for growth by Authority Brands and are pleased to join with BCI and members of the leadership team in the next phase of the company's journey as they extend their platform through M&A, and strategic initiatives including franchise development, technology transformation and international expansion." "As a long-term investor, we seek to invest in market-leading companies with strong management teams, multiple levers for growth, and resilient business models that create shareholder value, such as Authority Brands," said Dave Hong, Senior Managing Director, Private Equity at BCI "We look forward to working with Authority Brands and Apax to generate compelling risk-adjusted returns for our pension plan and insurance fund clients." "We could not be more pleased than to continue to build the premier residential services franchisor in partnership with Apax and BCI," said Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of Authority Brands. "Both partners will add substantial value as we aim to capture further share in the highly fragmented home services market, including by evaluating M&A opportunities in new service verticals." Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q4 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Apax was advised by Harris Williams, Boxwood Partners, William Blair & Company, Moelis & Company (financial advisors), Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, DLA Piper, and Lathrop GPM (legal counsel), and Ernst & Young (financial and tax advisor). About BCI British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is amongst the largest institutional investors in Canada with C$211.1 billion under management, as of March 31, 2022. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, with offices in Vancouver and New York City, BCI is invested in: fixed income and private debt; public and private equity; infrastructure and renewable resources; as well as real estate equity and real estate debt through our independently operated platform company QuadReal Property Group. With our global outlook, we seek investment opportunities that convert savings into productive capital that will meet our clients' risk and return requirements over time. BCI's private equity program actively manages a C$24.8 billion global portfolio of privately held companies and funds with long-term growth potential. Leveraging our sector-focused teams in business services, consumer, financial services, healthcare, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications, we work with strategic private equity partners to source and manage direct and co-sponsor/co-investment opportunities. For more information, please visit bci.ca. About Apax Partners LLP Apax Partners LLP ("Apax") is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For nearly 50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of more than $60 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Internet/Consumer, Tech, Services, and Healthcare. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com. Apax Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. About Authority Brands Authority Brands is the premier residential services franchising platform providing services from the property line to the roof line. Authority Brands' companies include 12 leading home service franchisors: America's Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, STOP Restoration and Woofie's. Together, these brands provide home services through approximately 860 franchise owners across North America. Authority Brands, which is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth with a full suite of marketing, technology, and operational support, allowing them to focus on providing exceptional service to homeowners. Please visit www.authoritybrands.com for more information. Contacts: For Authority Brands Heather McLeod / 410-794-1430 / heather@authoritybrandsllc.com For Apax Luke Charalambous / +44 20 7872 6494 / Luke.Charalambous@apax.com For BCI Gwen-Ann Chittenden / +1 778 410 7310 / media@bci.ca Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/795374/Authority_Brands_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bci-leads-significant-investment-in-authority-brands-301628157.html Hurricane Fiona pounded torrential rain on Puerto Rico on Monday, a day after knocking out power and water to much of the island and stranding hundreds. The governor cautioned that it could take days to bring back the power supply. Many hospitals are on emergency power, making conditions difficult. Fallen trees and power wires hindered hospital access. The National Guard and emergency personnel rescued nearly 1,000 people overnight and Monday. The storm pulled pavement off roadways, tore off roofs, and brought floods flooding into houses. It also knocked away a bridge and inundated two airports, AP News reported. More Rains Expected The storm was still forecasted to drop up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain in some locations as it spun away from the US territory with 3.2 million people. Forecasts predicted a Category 3 or higher hurricane. It was predicted to pass near the Turks and Caicos islands on Tuesday and was expected not to endanger the US. President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Puerto Rico, calling on both the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster assistance operations for citizens. After Hurricane Fiona caused torrential rains, major flooding, mudslides, and outages, the White House urges to increase aid, according to CNN. The memories of 2017, when Hurricane Maria inflicted more than a couple of thousand lives and left tens of billions of dollars in damage, are haunting local people who are still attempting to rebuild. Some whose homes were flooded out may face the prospect of beginning anew. Although 2022's hurricane season has been mild so far, scientists fear the climate problem is making them stronger. Warmer global temperatures have led to more intense storms, according to a recent UN assessment. Scientists have also determined that the storms are more prone to stall, causing damaging rainfall, and lasting longer after landfall. Read Also: Lawyers Accuse Florida of Giving Migrants Fake Brochures Promising Cash, Jobs at Martha's Vineyard Hurricane Fiona: How to Donate? To individuals and companies that would like to send relief to the victims of the hurricane, these groups that are requesting donations are listed below in a developing, non-exhaustive list reported by NPR. One can send help using the links to their websites or social media profiles. Brigada Solidaria del Oeste The Puerto Rican mutual-aid group is asking for donations of first-aid kits, water filters, solar lamps, and water purification tablets for people who live there Along with emergency needs, the group welcomes monetary gifts via their offcial page. Global Giving Global Giving, an organization that supports and links other NGOs with contributors, has formed the "Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund." The group said the funds will address survivors' immediate needs" for food, housing, fuel, clean water, and hygiene goods. Hispanic Federation The group, which supports Latino communities across the US, is already in Puerto Rico giving emergency help and supplies. You can get in touch with them through their official website. Taller Salud The women-led charity coordinates disaster relief activities around the island, taking contributions of nonperishable food, diapers, water, and more. The charity accepts PayPal and website donations via their website. PRxPR Puerto Rican business leaders in the US formed PRxPR Relief and Restore Fund after Hurricane Maria to assist rebuild infrastructure and give disaster relief. The charity is requesting funds for Hurricane Fiona victims through Fundly. Related Article: Migrant Crisis: NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Other Democrats Slam Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis Over Horrible Political Stunt @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - BorgWarner Inc. (BWA), an automotive supplier, said on Tuesday that it would buy the Electric Vehicle Solution from Hubei Surpass Sun Electric or SSE, a Chinese electric motors maker, for up to RMB 410 million. Electric Vehicle Solution is an arm of SSE consisting of Smart Grid and Smart Energy business. SSE's charging and electrification expertise in China is expected to complement BorgWarner's existing capabilities in Europe and North America, BorgWarner said in a statement. According to the deal, which is expected to be closed in the first quarter of 2023, a sum of around RMB 267 million would be transferred at or soon after the transaction. The remaining up to RMB 143 million is expected to be paid in the form of contingent payments over around two years after the closing. Headquartered in Xiangyang of Hubei province, SSE's 2022 revenues for the electrification business are expected to be at around RMB 180 million. 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. EQS-News: CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH / Key word(s): Agreement CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH: ROKOTE Laboratories licenses CEVEC's CAP Ad Technology for vaccine manufacturing 20.09.2022 / 14:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ROKOTE Laboratories licenses CEVEC's CAP Ad Technology for vaccine manufacturing ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd to use CEVEC's CAP Ad viral vector technology for manufacturing therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases By eliminating the risk of RCA contaminations, CAP Ad-derived viral vectors provide highest safety, addressing one of the major challenges in vector-based vaccine production Cologne, Germany and Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland - September 20, 2022 CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH (CEVEC) and ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd today announced the signing of an agreement on the use of CEVEC's proprietary CAP Ad Technology for the manufacturing of vaccines in various indications. Under the agreement, CEVEC has granted ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd non-exclusive rights to use the CAP Ad platform for the manufacturing of adeno-based vaccines for prophylactic and therapeutic use in infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza and RSV infections. CEVEC in return is eligible to receive license fees, milestone payments, and royalties on net sales. Further financial details were not disclosed. "We are very pleased that ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd will build on the CAP Ad Technology and we are proud that we can contribute to combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with a technology that makes a real difference in vaccine safety," said Dr. Nicole Faust, Chief Executive Officer of CEVEC. "The quality and safety of vaccines is crucial, given the fact that they are administered prophylactically. Our CAP Ad Technology ensures that the risk of potential adverse effects due to contaminating replication-competent adenovirus is as low as possible." "Ease of scalability, high production yields, and most importantly, elimination of the risk of RCA contamination were key points why we chose CEVEC's CAP Ad Technology for our adenovirus vector-based large-scale vaccine production," said Dr. Erkko Ylosmaki, Director, Research and Development of ROKOTE Laboratories Finland. "This technology allows us to rapidly address the global need for a safe and easy-to-administer variant-proof COVID-19 intranasal vaccine that can not only prevent the disease but can also prevent those vaccinated from further transmitting the SARS-CoV-2 virus." About CAP Ad Technology The CAP Ad Technology is an innovative technology platform developed by CEVEC for the scalable production of RCA-free adenoviral vectors for gene therapy applications and vaccines. Recombinant adenoviral vectors are among the most efficient vectors for gene therapy purposes and have become the vehicle of choice in many human gene therapies. Today, many cell lines used for production of adenoviral vectors have the inherent risk of generating certain levels of replication-competent adenovirus (RCA). The presence of RCA in adenoviral vector preparations intended for use in humans is increasingly considered to be a potential risk, especially for immuno-compromised patients. The CAP cell line is specifically designed to avoid the production of RCA. CEVEC's CAP cell line is based on an engineered human suspension cell line of non-tumor origin, derived from human amniocytes. CAP cells can be grown in all formats and sizes of bioreactors, providing a robust, fully scalable production platform for the manufacturing of adenoviral vectors from research grade and smaller amounts up to industrial scales. The CAP cell line has been fully documented and was positively reviewed by various regulatory authorities. Since 2016, a Biologics Master File has been available for reference with the U.S. FDA and fully tested GMP cell banks are available for licensing. About CEVEC CEVEC is a leading provider of high-performance cell technology for the manufacturing of advanced biotherapeutics. With the ELEVECTA Technology, CEVEC offers a unique solution for large-scale production of AAV vectors using helper virus-free inducible producer cell lines with all necessary components stably integrated into the cell. The technology is based on suspension cells and does not require any expensive transfection reagents or cGMP-grade plasmids. CEVEC's CAP Ad Technology is the ideal production platform for RCA-free adenoviral vectors. Based on human suspension cells, it allows for a robust manufacturing process, easy scale-up from research grade to industrial volumes and thus opens the way for various applications, from gene therapy to vaccine production. For more information, please visit our website. Follow CEVEC on LinkedIn and Twitter. About ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd is a Finnish vaccine development company established in 2020 and located in Helsinki and Kuopio. The Company's operations were founded on research cooperation based on the competence of the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland. In 2021, ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd received EUR 9 million in funding (Ferring Ventures SA, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund, Finnish Cultural Fund, and Business Finland) for the development, manufacture, and implementation of FINCoVac coronavirus vaccine, as well as for the first and second phases of clinical trials. Website: www.rokote.com Contact: CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH MC Services AG Dr. Ulrich Kettling Chief Business Officer P.: +49 221 460 208 00 E.: info@cevec.com Dr. Solveigh Mahler Public Relations P.: +49 211 529 252 19 E.: solveigh.maehler@mc-services.eu ROKOTE Laboratories Finland Ltd Dr. Erkko Ylosmaki Director, Research and Development P.: +358 405 836 604 E.: erkko.ylosmaki@rokote.com 20.09.2022 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Aite-Novarica Group recognizes 12 innovative financial institutions leveraging best-in-class initiatives. Boston, MA, Sept. 20, 2022taking place in New York on November 9, recognize and celebrate the industry's best and brightest financial services firms across seven dynamic categories. In its third year, the awards program honors innovations achieved by wealth management firms leveraging technology to surpass the status quo. Award recipients are leading the industry by identifying and implementing new products, capabilities, or levels of automation and effectiveness that are bringing our industry one step closer to next-generation financial services. They are the wealth management firms, regardless of size, that others will follow. The winners across the seven categories are as follows: Digital Client Engagement Advisor Focused: Atria Wealth Solutions Client Focused: BNP Paribas Wealth Management Onboarding: Bank of America Merrill Lynch Digital Initiative of the Year North America: RBC Wealth Management U.S. Europe: Formue Sustainable Investing Impact Reporting North America: Morgan Stanley Europe: Aviva plc Digital Startup of the Year Investment Management: ALLINDEX Advice: Bento Engine Inc. Financial Wellness: Goldman Sachs Sales Enablement/Prospecting: Caixabank Digital Asset Provider: SEBA Bank "This year's Impact Awards clearly demonstrate that wealth management firms globally have put a great deal of focus on customizing their proposition to the specific needs of individual end clients in recent years," says Aite-Novarica Group Director of Wealth Management Alois Pirker. "A broad spectrum of client touch points are being customized, ranging from client reporting, advice, investment strategies (which are being tailored to a client's ESG-beliefs), and last but not least the digital experience that maximizes end-client engagement," he adds. A global panel of six external experts on digital wealth management selected the winners based on the following criteria, which were considered when scoring each entry: Level of innovation and competitive advantage Market needs assessment Impact on customer experience Impact on customer operational efficiency Level of new revenue opportunity for the organization Impact on customer retention/new customer attraction Level of scalability across customer base Future roadmap The identification of an Aite-Novarica Group award winner or finalist is not an endorsement by Aite-Novarica Group of any vendor, product, or service. To request additional information about Aite-Novarica Group's Digital Wealth Management Impact Awards, please contact us at pr@aite-novarica.com. About Aite-Novarica Group: Aite-Novarica Group is a global research and advisory firm delivering comprehensive, actionable advice on business, technology, and regulatory issues and their impact on the financial services industry. With expertise in banking, payments, insurance, wealth management, and the capital markets, we guide financial institutions, technology providers, and consulting firms worldwide. We partner with our clients, revealing their blind spots and delivering insights to make their businesses smarter and stronger. Visit us on the?web?and connect with us on?Twitterand?LinkedIn. Attachment VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Freedom Battery Metals Inc. (CSE:FBAT) ("Freedom" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement for the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Ruby Graphite project, a project area covering approximately 2,000 acres and 96 federal lode mining claims located in Beaverhead County, Montana, U.S.A. The Ruby Graphite project is located at the southwest portion of the Ruby Range mountains in southwestern Montana, approximately 14 miles (22 km) southeast of the town of Dillon, Montana. The Ruby Graphite project area consists of a combination of private and public lands totaling 1,944.76 acres (787.02 hectares) and includes 96 lode mining claims with a total size of 1,763.82 acres (713.80 hectares). Each lode claim is for vein-type deposits and the rights to explore, mine and extract minerals from the claim. Dave Bowen, CEO of Freedom, commented "we believe the Ruby property holds a lot of promise, being a former producer in a mining friendly state. As the demand for battery metals continues to grow in North America, Freedom has the assets and leadership to potentially capitalize on these growing opportunities". Pursuant to a securities exchange agreement dated September 16, 2022 (the "Agreement") among Freedom, Broadstone Resources Inc. ("Broadstone") and a subsidiary of Broadstone ("Subco"), Freedom has agreed to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Subco in consideration for the issuance of 2,750,000 common shares of Freedom (the "Consideration Shares") to Broadstone and cash consideration of $294,628.26 (the "Acquisition"). Broadstone currently holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Ruby Graphite project (the "Ruby Option"). The Ruby Option will be assigned to Subco pursuant to an amended and restated option agreement to be entered into on or prior to completion of the Acquisition in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. The Ruby Option is exercisable to acquire a 100% interest in the Ruby Graphite project subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty and a balloon payment of $3M on the commencement of commercial production. To fully exercise the Ruby Option, Freedom will be required to issue an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares to the optionor on the occurrence of certain project milestones, incur an aggregate of $1.325M in exploration expenditures on the project and pay aggregate cash consideration of $1M to the optionor as follows: Cash Consideration Payable Exploration Expenditure Commitment Date $100,000 $125,000 April 7, 2023 $100,000 $200,000 April 7, 2024 $200,000 $250,000 April 7, 2025 $300,000 $250,000 April 7, 2026 $300,000 $250,000 April 7, 2027 - $250,000 April 7, 2028 In accordance with the terms of the Agreement, the Consideration Shares will be subject to a 24-month lock-up with 550,000 Consideration Shares released from lock-up on the closing date of the Acquisition and an additional 275,000 Consideration Shares released each 3 months thereafter. Completion of the Acquisition is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Agreement, including the satisfaction of customary conditions and the receipt of required legal and regulatory approvals for the Acquisition. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. About Freedom Battery Metals Freedom Battery Metals (CSE:FBAT) is a mineral exploration company based in British Columbia. Its objective is to locate and, if warranted, develop economic mineral properties in the battery metals space. The Company is working to advance its ZigZag Lake Lithium Property, located in Thunder Bay Mining Division, Crescent Lake Area, Ontario, Canada. For more information, please review the Company's filings available at www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the timing and terms of the Acquisition, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the Acquisition, the receipt of required legal and regulatory approvals for the Acquisition and the exercise of the Ruby Option are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning the business plan of the Company, the receipt of all approvals and satisfaction of all conditions to the completion of the Acquisition, the successful integration of the Ruby Graphite project into the Company's operations, the application of regulatory and licensing requirements, and the availability of capital, labour and services. By its nature, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the actual results and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in commodity prices, counterparty risk to closing the Acquisition, changes in industry regulations and political landscape in Canada and the United States, stock market volatility, and those risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact Information Dave Bowen Director and CEO Telephone: 778 858 9639 SOURCE: Freedom Battery Metals View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716632/Freedom-Battery-Metals-Announces-Ruby-Graphite-Acquisition VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Rockland Resources Ltd. (the "Company" or "Rockland") (CSE:RKL) is pleased to report a major expansion of the Company's claim position in west-central Utah directed at lithium mineralization hosted in clay or claystone volcanic tuff units. An additional 1,525 claims have been located in 4 property blocks comprising 30,500 acres (12,343 ha). When combined with the original Lithium Butte Property, where sampling has returned values up to 4,080 parts per million lithium (ppm Li), the Company's holdings total 2,076 claims, comprising 41,520 acres (16,219 ha). Lithium Butte and area properties are positioned as Utah's leading claystone lithium project District scale (41,520 acres) land position prospective for lithium in mining friendly Utah, USA Utah is No 3 USA location on the 2021 Fraser Institute list, exceptional property location, near highways, power and manpower Lithium mineralized claystones as well as lithium in brine potential Similar geology to Nevada's hotbed of activity in the Clayton Valley - Tonopah area Highly elevated lithium content in the primary Spor Mtn Formation Volcanic Beryllium-tuff member Claystone alteration has further enriched lithium concentrations Early channel sampling has provided grades of 25.2 metres at 1,388 ppm lithium including 8 metres of 2,155 ppm lithium within the channel Initial grab samples at Lithium Butte provided values of 1,200 ppm up to 4,080 ppm Lithium - a great starting point Properties also contain beryllium (Be) mineralization with values over 4,000 ppm Be and are contiguous with producing Materion Corp. (MTRN - NYSE) Be mine On site company testing facility set up with LIBS analyzer and geologists to provide much faster turnaround time to help move the project move forward fast All claims are located in Juab County, Utah, and are interpreted to be prospective for lithium mineralization, based on similarities to the Lithium Butte Property, where Company sampling and a historic (2010) database indicate widespread lithium mineralization hosted in clay or claystone volcanic tuff units. The newly acquired claims are located about 10 kilometres North-Northeast of the northwestern portion of the Lithium Butte property, east of the Fish Springs Mountain Range. The 4 claim blocks comprise the North Spor, GP, Cane Springs and Fish Springs Flat properties adjoin to the north and west of the Spor Mountain beryllium mine owned by Materion Corporation (NYSE: MTRN), the sole producer of beryllium ore in the United States. Rockland's primary exploration target is claystone hosted lithium mineralization, however, the Fish Springs Flat Property covers an area interpreted to be prospective for lithium brine mineralization (Mills, S.E. and Rupke, A., 2020, Utah Geological Survey, Circular 129). Dr. Richard Sutcliffe, Rockland's President stated "Rockland has had the advantage of being an early mover in the acquisition of lithium exploration properties in the Basin and Range Geological Province of western Utah. The Company has acquired an extensive land position in two adjacent basins that both have the hallmarks of the lithium claystone mineralization model including lithium enriched volcanic units, geothermal fluid activity, restricted basins, claystone horizons, and favourable structure. Our field team is currently conducting geological mapping and soil surveys that utilize an in-house LIBS analyzer capable of lithium analysis to rapidly evaluate targets for future drilling." The Company also announces that pursuant to an agreement dated August 5th, 2022 between the Company and Multiple Metals Resources Ltd. ("MMRL"), the Company has agreed to grant MMRL a 10% carried interest in the Lithium Butte (60 core claims) Property. The Company will bear all exploration costs in relation to the mineral interests until such time as the Company has incurred $2.5 million in exploration expenditures, after which all exploration costs will be shared on a pro rata basis between the Company and MMRL, subject to standard dilution conditions. If MMRL's interest is diluted to less than 2%, it will convert to a 0.5% net smelter returns royalty. MMRL is an arm's length party to the Company. The 60 claims represent 1,200 acres (486 ha) of the total 41,520 acres (16,219 ha). Additionally, the Company has agreed to grant MMRL and Helvellyn Capital Corp. a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty over any mineral claims that it acquires in a specified portion of Juab County, Utah. The net smelter returns royalty is subject to a 0.5% buyback right in consideration of $1 million. Helvellyn Capital Corp. is a private Ontario company of which Richard Sutcliffe, the President and a director of the Company, is the principal. Program QA/QC - Previous and recent sampling on the Lithium Butte Property was carried out by Dr. Richard Sutcliffe, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101, who is also responsible for reviewing and approving the geological contents of this news release. Samples were transported in sealed bags by the Project Manager and shipped to Activation Laboratories ("Actlabs") in Ancaster, Ontario. Actlabs is an independent ISO/IEC 17025 certified laboratory. Li analysis will be performed using sodium peroxide fusion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). About Rockland Resources Ltd. Rockland Resources is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets for the benefit of its shareholders. In addition to the Utah Lithium Property, the Company is acquiring the 41,818-hectare Elektra claystone project concessions that are contiguous with Gangfeng Lithium's Sonora Lithium Clay Project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Company also holds and option to earn a 100-per-cent interest in the Cole Gold Mines property, located in Ball township, Red Lake mining division, Ontario. The Cole Property hosts high-grade gold mineralization in a classic Red Lake-type structurally controlled gold deposit environment. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Dr. Richard H. Sutcliffe, P.Geo. President and Director For further information, please contact: Mike England Email: mike@engcom.ca Neither the Canadian Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: 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. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: Rockland Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716691/Rockland-Resources-More-Than-Triples-Lithium-Claystone-Portfolio-in-Juab-County-Utah EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement in relation to Briefing on the Half-Year Results of 2022 20.09.2022 / 14:10 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by EQS - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG Announcement in relation to Briefing on the Half-Year Results of 2022 Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 20 September 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published a mandatory announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Hong Kong Stock Exchange and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Briefing on the Half-Year Results of 2022. The announcement is fully available at: https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020220920695506880300.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20in%20relation%20to%20Briefing%20on%20the%20Half%20Year%20Results%20of%202022.pdf IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sara Pinto Sven Pauly pi@crossalliance.de T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. 20.09.2022 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Abiomed (ABMD) announces the result of a three-year, investigator-led study of all Impella-supported patients treated at 109 hospitals in Japan shows a 30-day survival rate of 77% for patients with cardiogenic shock due to myocarditis. This study is an update to a 2020 interim analysis and was announced at the 2022 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in Boston. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005519/en/ The Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist heart pump delivers full cardiac support, allowing the heart to rest and enabling the heart to achieve its natural pumping function without additional support. This heart pump is designed for long-duration support, enables patient mobility and optimizes recovery by using real-time intelligence. (Graphic: Business Wire) The analysis examined 143 consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock due to myocarditis who received Impella support or Impella plus VA ECMO support, known as ECpella. These patients are included in the J-PVAD registry, a registry conducted by 10 Japanese professional societies, including the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS). The results demonstrated a 77% survival at 30 days for these patients. A previous analysis of myocarditis patients who only received VA ECMO support found 48% survival at 30 days (Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, 2021). "These findings further demonstrate the potential of increasing native heart recovery in myocarditis patients through the use of Impella, which is an important consideration given the limited number of heart transplants," said lead investigator Koichi Toda, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon at the department of cardiovascular surgery at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle often caused by a viral infection. This inflammation may affect the heart's electrical system and cause the muscle to enlarge, which has the potential to weaken the heart and force it to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. Ultimately, this could lead to heart failure. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, rates of myocarditis have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to approximately 146 cases per 100,000 people, up from <10 cases per 100,000 people. The same report also showed that patients with COVID-19 had close to 16 times the risk for developing myocarditis compared to patients who did not have COVID-19. "Myocarditis is a growing epidemic in the COVID-19 era. It is exciting to see data from this study demonstrates the potential for Impella support to improve patient outcomes in this very sick patient population," said Masahiro Ono, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon at Methodist Healthcare in San Antonio, Texas. In Aug. 2020, the U.S. FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for left-sided Impella heart pumps to provide left ventricular unloading and support to COVID-19 patients who are undergoing ECMO treatment and develop pulmonary edema or myocarditis. In January 2022, 31-year-old Bobby Goines, a husband, father of three and sales representative from Conway, AR, was diagnosed with myocarditis due to COVID-19 and was in cardiogenic shock. At CHI St. Vincent, Dr. Thurston Bauer implanted Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist to support Bobby's heart and allow it to rest. After eight days of support, during which Bobby was able to walk around the unit and his condition improved, Impella was weaned and removed. Bobby returned home with normal heart function and is now back to work and enjoying time with his family. You can learn more about Bobby's heart recovery story here. ABOUT IMPELLA HEART PUMPS Impella 2.5, Impella CP, Impella CP with SmartAssist, Impella 5.0, Impella LD and Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist are U.S. FDA approved to treat heart attack or cardiomyopathy patients in cardiogenic shock and have the unique ability to enable native heart recovery, allowing patients to return home with their own heart. Impella Left Ventricular (LV) Support Systems are also authorized for emergency use by HCPs in the hospital setting for providing temporary (= 4 days for Impella 2.5, Impella CP, and Impella CP with SmartAssist; and 14 days for Impella 5.0 and Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist) LV unloading and support to treat critical care patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection who are undergoing ECMO treatment and who develop pulmonary edema while on V-A ECMO support or late cardiac decompensation from myocarditis while on V-V ECMO support. The authorized Impella LV Support Systems have neither been cleared or approved for the authorized indication for use. The Impella RP and Impella LV Support Systems have been authorized for the above emergency use by FDA under an EUA and have been authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of medical devices under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. ABOUT ABIOMED Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, Abiomed (ABMD) is a leading provider of medical technology that provides circulatory support and oxygenation. Our products are designed to enable the heart to rest by improving blood flow and/or provide sufficient oxygenation to those in respiratory failure. For additional information, please visit: www.abiomed.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Abiomed's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005519/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Jenny Leary Associate Director, U.S. Communications +1 (978) 882-8491 jleary@abiomed.com Investor Contact: Todd Trapp Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer +1 (978) 646-1680 ttrapp@abiomed.com - Record high KRW 117.8 billion (USD 84.7 million) in deals sealed with the largest number of participants in its history, 30,327 visitors from 301 institutions in 23 countries. World Smart City Expo 2022, held in KINTEX, South Korea, from August 31 to September 2, concluded with great success, marking the record high business deals sealed and number of visitors. Despite the pandemic, it recorded the highest number of visitors ever of 30,327 which reflected the public's keen interest and enthusiasm for smart cities. A total of 301 institutions from around the world participated and 1,548 booths were set up in the exhibition hall. During the event, foreign buyers representing 61 institutions in 21 countries, including the Netherlands, Mongolia, and Saudi Arabia, as well as procurement managers from 43 companies took part in over 150 business meetings worth KRW 318.8 billion (USD 229 million). As a result, KRW 117.8 billion (USD 84.7 million) in deals that included the export contracts for outstanding smart city solutions such as street light wireless management solutions andvehicle operation management platformsdeveloped by domestic small and medium-sized enterprises were made. This record high amount is 9.4% higher than KRW 107.7 billion (USD 77.4 million) achieved at World Smart City Expo 2019. During the opening ceremony, Lee Wonjae, 1st Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "Korea has implemented 33 smart cities in 21 countries through the K-city network cooperation project to share our smart city development experience with the world. Smart City can be a very effective solution to urban problems in developing countries, hence advanced countries, including Korea, need to strengthen international cooperation to share smart city development experiences and technologies with developing countries." The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea is promoting the 'Smart Challenge', which supports local governments to lead the spread of smart cities and smart city projects. 21 local governments including Incheon, Daejeon, and Busan that participated in the Smart Challenge were showcased at this expo. Smart solutions such as 'smart home' developed by domestic and overseas smart city companies, UAM city air service, water-friendly information smart water purification plant, and urban water disaster response system were presented. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220922005020/en/ Contacts: For World Smart City Expo 2022 PR House Co., Ltd. Celine Yang +82 70 4278 1935 Optimind looks to accelerate the adoption of the MindSetting TRIP Protocol for ketamine-assisted therapy and other psychedelic enhanced psychotherapy modalities. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Optimind Pharma Corp. (CSE: OMND) ("Optimind" or the "Company") an emerging provider of psychedelic therapies focused on improving the everyday quality of life for individuals who suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses or disabilities announces today its acquisition of MindSetting Institute, a leader in psychedelic enhanced therapy training and educational programming. The completion of this acquisition introduces a new market opportunity for Optimind which will generate new revenue streams and allows the Company to bring evidence-based training and education for healthcare professionals into the psychedelics. By age 40, about 50% of the Canadian population will have or have had a mental illness.1 Yet psychedelics in mental health and wellness are not an established component of existing healthcare professional curriculum and training. Optimind will now be able to adapt MindSetting's proprietary Therapeutic Reset of Internal Processes (TRIP) Protocol into education programs and courses designed to align to university standards for curriculum. TRIP Protocol incorporates ketamine into psychotherapy practices. Bringing this psychotherapy into Optimind clinics will provide personally-customizable treatment for patients with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders while mitigating treatment-related risks through a multidisciplinary approach to PEP. The protocol is currently being used by over 60 practitioners all over North America to treat their patients. "Having MindSetting join the Optimind family will allow us to not only equip experienced clinicians and facilitators with the skills required to implement the reputable TRIP Protocol into our clinics, but it will help arm Optimind with a complete approach in how we can tackle therapeutic treatments," says Tomas Sipos, CEO of Optimind Pharma. "Now, with clinician education through this acquisition, our Optimind clinics, and our joint venture in Psilocybin research, we've created a three-pronged approach to being leaders in the psychedelic enhanced psychotherapy space." Terms of the Acquisition The acquisition was completed pursuant to an asset purchase agreement (the "APA") with Beatrice Society. Pursuant to the APA, the Company has issued a total of 22,500,000 common shares to the vendor which are subject to the following release terms: (i) 11,500,000 common shares are subject to a time release escrow as follows: (A) 5,343,750 are released on January 17, 2023; (B) 1,968,750 are released on March 17, 2023; (C) 1,968,750 are released on June 17, 2023; and, (D) (B) 1,968,750 are released on September 17, 2023; and (ii) 11,500,000 common shares are subject to earn-out milestones as follows: (A) 2,812,500 common shares; (B) 5,625,000 common shares; and (C) 2,812,500 common shares, with each of three earn-out milestones related to continued development of the protocols and courses for the acquired assets and intellectual property. The MindSetting assets acquired by Optimind include course modalities, including fully asynchronous, online synchronous and hybrid learning opportunities. The core TRIP course will build the foundation for a fully scalable program as new mental health protocols can be created and aimed to equip clinicians with the foundational understanding of the MindSetting TRIP Protocols. Due to the asynchronous nature of the course, and the simplicity of the teaching, there is tremendous potential to launch in new markets outside of North America, where customer demand for PEP greatly outpaces the supply of qualified practitioners. The psychedelics industry is a new and underserved market - with the acquisition of the MindSetting Institute, Optimind can now access additional verticals in this new market, with the opportunity to grow at a global scale. MindSetting Institute is an industry leader in increasing access to quality psychedelic therapy through practitioner training. Dr. Tatiana Zdyb, founder of MindSetting Institute and clinical psychologist and entrepreneur with over 25 years of studying psychedelic medicine, developed these psychedelic enhanced psychotherapy training courses, including the MindSetting TRIP Protocol, to treat patients with disorders such as treatment-resistant depression. Acquiring MindSetting Institute completes Optimind's three-pronged strategy to deliver leading psychedelic enhanced therapy. From the ReadyToGo clinic in London, ON, to Psilocybin research via its joint venture with Manitari Pharma, and now leaning into the educational aspect of TRIP Protocol, Optimind is leading the future of psychedelic therapy. About Optimind Pharma Optimind Pharma is an emerging provider of psychedelic therapies. From specializing in prescribing medical cannabis, ketamine-assisted treatment, and other psychedelic-enhanced psychotherapy modalities, Optimind Pharma helps individuals suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses and disabilities. Optimind exists to combine the power of psychedelic medicine with the science of psychology to provide legal psychedelic enhanced psychotherapy in a safe, controlled environment. To learn more about Optimind Pharma, visit https://optimindpharma.com/. About MindSetting Institute MindSetting Institute is a leading player in practitioner training for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the creator of the MindSetting TRIP Protocol. MindSetting delivers accessible education and training in psychedelic psychotherapy to registered clinicians across Canada and contributes to further developing treatment protocols and research on their efficacy. MindSetting's growing network of protocol-certified practitioners will allow for expansion with consistency in both the therapeutic process and post-integration analysis. Caution regarding Forward-Looking Information: THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITYFOR THE ADEQUACYOR ACCURACYOF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results of the Company. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein, such as, but not limited to dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain intellectual property rights related to its technology; limited operating history; general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties, and the emergency of additional competitors in the industry. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except required by law. Media Contact: Tomas D Sipos | tdsipos@gmail.com | +1 647 991 1493 1 1: https://cmha.ca/brochure/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137751 A dozen global pharmaceutical companies have joined effort to accelerate critical therapies to citizens of the world BURLINGAME, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accumulus Synergy, a non-profit organization working to develop an information and data exchange platform aimed at transforming how life science innovators and health authorities worldwide interact, today announced Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has joined Accumulus Synergy as a sponsor company. "As Accumulus Synergy continues the global journey to drive transformation towards a digital world, I am extremely pleased to have Merck join our mission. Together, we will leverage cloud technology to improve information exchange with and among health authorities in an effort to reduce drug lag for patients around the world," said Frank Nogueira, Accumulus Synergy CEO. "Merck is a pioneer in developing novel medicines and vaccines and providing access to them around the world. As such, we believe Accumulus Synergy platform is an important industry initiative that creates a way for companies to collaborate with health regulators more efficiently," said Darrel Hicks, Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs Innovation, Quality and Strategic Operations, who has also been appointed as a Board Member of Accumulus Synergy. Accumulus Synergy is developing a powerful and secure cloud-based tool to enhance collaboration, data, and content sharing across all regions of the globe. By leveraging technology to modernize the regulatory lifecycle, this tool will enable a dynamic approach that shifts the focus from documents to data which will create significant value for patients, healthcare providers, health authorities, and biopharma companies globally. Accumulus Synergy will implement the highest safeguards and encryptions to ensure that data is appropriately protected in the company's ecosystem, in compliance with countries' privacy laws. "Our goal is to break new ground in health equity by dramatically accelerating critical therapies to citizens of the world. Accumulus has an excellent and growing team in place, a Board that is today further strengthened by the addition of Merck, and we continue to hire additional staff to meet our platform development objectives. Our non-profit status provides us the ability to work closely with health authorities around the world to support their own data modernization efforts," commented Jeremy Chadwick, Ph.D., MS, Accumulus Synergy Chairman of the Board and Senior Vice President and Head of Global Development Office, R&D, Takeda Pharmaceuticals. About Accumulus Synergy Accumulus Synergy, Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 2020 to create a cloud-based platform to transform data sharing between the biopharma industry and global health authorities. The common-platform approach aims to improve efficiencies in the regulatory process by leveraging advanced technology, including data science and AI, as well as tools for secure data exchange to improve patient safety, help reduce the cost of innovation, and ultimately bring patients safe and effective medicines faster. It will work with partner companies, key stakeholders, and global health authorities to build and sustain a platform that meets regulatory, cybersecurity, and privacy requirements spanning clinical, safety, chemistry and manufacturing, and regulatory exchanges and submissions. Accumulus Synergy sponsors include: Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda. For more information, please visit www.accumulus.org . American Airlines' account holders and employees may want to check their account statements regularly from here on out. The popular airline recently announced to a certain amount of account holders and employees that it was the victim of a cybersecurity attack in July and that it is doing all it can to prevent a similar incident in the future. American Airlines' account holders and employees can avail of the company-recommended third-party assistance from Experian to assist them in monitoring credentials and account statements. American Airlines Data Breach Details American Airlines mentioned in its letter to affected account holders and employees that it discovered an unknown hacker had compromised the accounts of certain American Airlines team members to access their personal information. According to Bleeping Computer's report on the matter, Andrea Koos, American Airlines' Sr. Manager for Corporate Communications, mentioned to the publication that hackers underwent a phishing campaign to compromise the accounts of their employees, though they didn't mention how the hackers did it. Unfortunately, Koos didn't reveal the exact number of account holders and employees affected by the data breach. Instead, Koos only mentioned that a "limited/very small number" of employees and users had their accounts compromised. The letter mentioned that the hacker was able to make off with users' and employees' names, dates of birth, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The hacker also acquired details about their official IDs, such as driver's license numbers, passport numbers, and/or even certain medical information they provided. Although American Airlines mentioned it was able to secure the affected email accounts as soon as it discovered the breach, it couldn't find any piece of evidence that users' and employees' personal data was misused. Read More: Phil Spencer Still Wants to Bring Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox Following Three Years of Waiting The company is already enforcing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from happening in the immediate future. To better protect users' and employees' accounts, it also provided a complimentary two-year membership of Experian's Identity Works, which, according to Experian's official website, provides its users with protection against Identity Theft and unauthorized access to their credit files. However, American Airlines employees and account holders should keep in mind that Experian can only monitor their accounts within 48 hours of enrolment. Russell Hubbard, American Airlines' Chief Privacy and Data Protection Officer, mentioned that the company regrets what happened while assuring users and employees that it takes the security of their personal information "very seriously." American Airlines' Past Data Breaches This data breach isn't the first one that American Airlines experienced. The company was part of a group of companies that were affected by a data breach in 2021 caused by a misconfiguration of a setting in their Microsoft software, per CNN. The misconfiguration resulted in the exposure of millions of people's personal information for months, per UpGuard. Aside from American Airlines, Maryland's health department, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Ford Motor Co., and other companies and organizations were also affected by the breach. Thankfully, American Airlines stated that their systems were secured and that the exposed personal data was not improperly accessed. Related Article: American Airlines Agrees to Purchase 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Jets DUSSELDORF, Germany, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading drilling, engineering and technology company KCA Deutag has announced that it has signed a contract with EAVOR ERDWARME GERETSRIED GmbH ("Eavor") to provide two drilling rigs for the construction of Eavor's first commercial Eavor-Loop system. Drilling and facility construction work will commence on the project near the town of Geretsried, Germany in 2023. The Eavor-Loop system differs from conventional geothermal solutions as it uses conduction to retrieve heat from the earth's subsurface, resulting in a long-term, reliable and independent supply of renewable and sustainable energy. The completely closed loop system provides a highly scalable and predictable source of heat and power without exploration risk. The two KCA Deutag drilling rigs, which are expected to start work at the end of the second quarter, will drill separate wellbores which will intersect approximately 5000m underground, allowing the continuous circulation of water which will draw heat from the subsurface rock and bring the energy to surface. Once the first system is successfully completed, which is expected to take just under one year, a further 3 Eavor-Loops are planned, creating a total subsurface length of around 60km. It is a revolutionary design, with an estimated continuous output of up to 9 MWe and up to 65 MW thermal capacity in the first development phase with the possibility to heat or power ~30,000 homes or businesses. Ron Klunder, Country Manager at KCA Deutag, commented: "This is an exciting project that uses proven drilling technology to enable new, innovative ways to create sustainable energy - very much in line with our goals to play our role in the energy transition. It will utilise the two largest rigs in our European fleet and we look forward to applying our expertise and innovative approach to addressing this new challenge over the coming months." Daniel Moelk, Country Manager at Eavor, stated that: "Our technology is based on highest standards of health, safety and performance-oriented drilling operations. We use it to scale up geothermal energy through the successful development of closed-loop systems and thereby making it a key technology for energy transition and energy security plans in the future. We are excited to be working with KCA Deutag, a highly experienced drilling company to demonstrate the commercial viability and sustainability of our technology, especially considering the uniqueness of the simultaneous operation of two land drilling rigs at the same location with intersected wellbores in a highly safe and predictable manner." About KCA Deutag With over 130 years of experience, KCA Deutag is a leading drilling, engineering and technology company working onshore and offshore with a focus on safety, quality and operational performance. We operate approximately 81 drilling rigs in 14 countries, either directly or through our affiliates, employing people in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Caspian Sea and Canada. KCA Deutag consists of our business units: Land, Offshore and Kenera. Land and Offshore are our operational divisions delivering safe, effective, trouble-free operations across 20 countries. Kenera brings together our design and engineering specialists RDS and land rig and oilfield manufacturer Bentec under one business unit. Kenera was established to expand our offering in both hydrocarbons and energy transition markets, with three dedicated segments covering innovative services, technology and engineering, and manufacturing. For further information on KCA Deutag please visit www.kcadeutag.com About Eavor GmbH Eavoror https://eavor.de/ W3BX Inaugural Event to feature Kevin O'Leary, Polygon, Animoca Brands, Brock Pierce, Jon Najarian, and more. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / W3BX will host its inaugural Web 3 Investor Summit & Expo (W3BX) on October 10-13th, at the Las Vegas Wynn Casino and Resort, a four-day marquis event introducing the leading innovators in the Web 3 community to the world. It's not often an investor lives through a paradigm shift. Three decades ago, when email and the internet burst onto the scene, it changed the way we communicate, the way we did business, and even how we lived. Trillion-dollar companies were born during that period. Now, a new paradigm shift is upon us: Web 3.0. The conference will dive deep into Web3 topics crucial to how investors, entrepreneurs, and companies will operate in the future due to this exciting industry trend. Attendees will explore blockchain, NFTs, crypto, trading, and the innovative ways they will transform their business. Masterclasses will be provided by Scott Melker, who Binance recently named the most influential name in crypto. Jon Najarian, Brock Pierce, Kevin O'Leary, and more will speak at the event. Some of the most innovative companies in the world and first movers in Web3 will be on hand. Attendees include Fortune 500 companies, venture capitalists, institutional and retail investors, Web 3 entrepreneurs, hedge funds, family offices, and blue-chip NFT projects. Combining the titans of Web 2 with the pioneers of Web3, this Expo offers an unparalleled experience filled with speakers, panels, networking events, pitch sessions, 1-on-1 meetings, and beach-clubbing all under one luxurious roof. Understanding this paradigm shift, its implications, and the opportunities that come with it will be the best thing you can do. Getting involved early is vital to maximizing your opportunity in the biggest fundamental shift the world has seen in two decades. About W3BX Investor Summit & Expo W3BX will host the inaugural Web 3 Investor Summit & Expo on October 10-13th, 2022 at the Wynn Las Vegas. This 4-day conference will offer an extraordinary platform for relationship building with both institutional and private investors looking to get ahead of the trend. The event will feature senior leadership from over 100 private and public companies, all of whom are early movers in the growing Web3 sector. Dedicated to cultivating an unparalleled experience, W3BX will be facilitating daily networking events for all attendees with 1-on-1 meetings, educational workshops, fireside chats, summit sessions, and fun evening festivities. For more information visit www.web3expo.live. Use Promo code GOALCAP30 at checkout. CONTACT: Ted Haberfield, Chairman & President MZ North America Direct: 760-755-2716 thaberfield@mzgroup.us SOURCE: MZ North America View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716673/Web-3-Technology-Leaders-to-Unite-at-W3BX-Investor-Summit-Expo-October-10-13th-at-the-Wynn-Las-Vegas MESH leads the round, with SK hynix joining as a strategic investor. SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Movellus, today announced the closing of a $23M Series B to accelerate the company's growth. The funding will be used to expand R&D efforts and build out the marketing and sales functions to support the company's growth plans. MESH and SK hynix joined existing investors Accelerate Blue Fund, Candou Ventures, Hui Capital, Intel Capital, In-Q-Tel, Michigan Capital Network, Stata Ventures, and other private investors in this round. "We are extremely grateful to have MESH and SK hynix join our existing investors in this round, and welcome Edward Chyau and Heejin Chung to the board," said Mo Faisal, CEO and founder of Movellus. "We were able to close the round with a significant step up in valuation in a challenging economic environment, and SK hynix's strategic investment is a strong endorsement in our technology and long-term strategy." "SK hynix is pushing the envelope on memory performance, and looking beyond process improvements, to system level innovation in 3D packaging and chiplets to maintain the trajectory of the last 50 years," said Heejin Chung, Head of Venture Investment at SK hynix. "Movellus' clock network technology is an avenue to improve not only performance, but we also believe it will improve power and yield for memory and other complex ICs. We're very excited to enable Movellus to accelerate the adoption of this technology." "As companies develop the next generation of complex ICs, new innovations are needed to unlock the power and performance potential of these designs. While the clock distribution network doesn't get a lot of attention, it is the underlying backbone that orchestrates every chip," said Edward Chyau, Managing Partner at MESH. "We believe Movellus has the expertise and technology in this field to help companies make dramatic system level improvements, and MESH will leverage its network in the electronics supply chain to support the proliferation of Movellus' technology." Movellus is executing on its mission to enable the next generation of high-performance silicon through its Intelligent Clock Network platform that maximizes the potential of advanced silicon architectures. Multiple customers have already integrated this platform into their products in applications ranging from ultra-low power edge AI devices to performance centric cloud datacenter compute and AI offerings. About Movellus Movellus is a leader in Intelligent Clock Networks. Customers integrate our products into an array of applications ranging from ultra-low power edge AI devices to performance centric cloud datacenter compute and AI offerings. Headquartered in San Jose with R&D centers in Michigan and Toronto, the team has introduced patented architectural innovations that significantly improve clock network performance, enabling the next generation of complex integrated circuits. Visit us at: www.movellus.com Movellus, the Movellus logo, and Intelligent Clock Networks are among the trademarks of Movellus. The term "Movellus" refers to Movellus Circuits, Inc and/or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Press Contact Aakash Jani aakash@movellus.com +1-503-545-6320 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Golden Dawn Minerals Inc., (TSX-V:GOM)(FRANKFURT:3G8C)(OTC PINK:GDMRF), ("Golden Dawn" or the "Company"), announces that drilling has started at its Phoenix Property at the Greenwood Precious Metals project in southeastern BC. Photo of diamond drill set up. Drilling is being done to test several large anomalies identified from last year's airborne VTEM geophysical survey. Areas of high conductivity were selected as priority targets. Magnetic anomalies extending from historically mined skarn copper-gold deposits were selected as secondary targets. The first area to be tested is in the middle of a large, 1 km diameter conductivity anomaly identified in the 2022 VTEM survey, located near the historic Phoenix mine (A). The resistivity-depth section indicates this anomaly is below 150 meters depth. Similar conductive anomalies located to the east and west are also selected for drilling (B,C). Image showing Phoenix Property Boundary and Inset Maps The first site is situated near the Gilt Edge showing, where historic drilling hit zones of mineralization such as 18 metres grading 0.23% copper and 0.30 g/t gold in drill hole DDH GE-2 by Granby Mining Company Ltd. in 1968. Previous operators intersected 16.5 meters grading 0.50 g/t gold and 0.22% copper in 1992. In 2007, Kettle River Resources reported results for 10 surface samples that ranged from 0.18 to 6.06 grams per tonne gold and from 0.12 to 0.99% copper. In 2017, Golden Dawn reported fine disseminations of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite in a micro-diorite intrusion over a length of approximately 15.0 metres. Five of eight chip samples returned significant results, with the average of these five samples being 0.18% copper and 0.87 g/t gold (GOM NR dated October 18, 2017). Area 1: VTEM Geophysics Conductivity (TauSF) map. Areas of high conductivity in purple. The second area of interest is in the northeast area of the Phoenix property, where potential for skarn-type mineralization is indicted by magnetic high anomalies that extend from areas of known mineralization. This area is named "Skarn Corridor" because it is a trend line of copper-gold deposits in skarn altered (calcium-silicate altered) Brooklyn limestone. Target sites have been selected to test a magnetic high that extends southward and is inferred to be a concealed intrusion that could be associated with skarn-related mineralization and/or precious metal vein mineralization. Area 2: Total Magnetic Intensity map. Highly magnetic areas are red and purple. Readers are cautioned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a Qualified Person. Further work is required to verify that historical records referred to in this News Release are accurate. Technical disclosure in this news release has been approved by Dr. Mathew Ball, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Readers are cautioned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a Qualified Person. Further work is required to verify that historical records referred to in this News Release are accurate. For more details, please see the most recent National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Company's website at www.goldendawnminerals.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors: GOLDEN DAWN MINERALS INC. Per: "Christopher R. Anderson" Christopher R. Anderson CEO For further information, please contact: Golden Dawn Minerals Inc. - Corporate Communications: Tel: 604-221-8936 Email: Office@goldendawnminerals.com Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, preliminary plans for a consolidation of the Company's Shares. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange will not approve the proposed share consolidation, and that the Company may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital to continue its business. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The Company's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Golden Dawn Minerals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716613/Golden-Dawn-Commences-Drilling-On-the-Phoenix-Copper-Gold-Mine VANCOUVER, BC and EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Optima Living and joint venture partner Axium Infrastructure today announced they have acquired eight seniors' supportive living communities from H&H Total Care in Alberta and B.C. known as the Hamlets. Optima will retain the Hamlets brand and looks forward to welcoming all employees and residents to the Optima family. "Axium is pleased to partner on this milestone transaction with Optima Living," said Alexandre Galarneau-Micone, Vice President & Investment Director of Axium. "Optima Living is recognized as providing high-quality seniors' accommodation services in Western Canada's continuing care sector. Today's announcement is consistent with our strategy of investing in core social infrastructure facilities that offer essential services to the community in partnership with strong operators that provide excellent care services to residents." "Optima Living looks forward to bringing high-quality care and services to eight Hamlet seniors' care communities in Alberta and B.C. and meaningfully engaging with all employees and residents," said Karim Kassam, Co-Founder, and Principal of Optima Living. "We are grateful to the Van Ryk family for building a wonderful culture of engagement at the Hamlets communities and look forward to building on this tradition. Our company's North Star, Let us welcome you home, speaks to the underlying principles and experiences seniors can expect when they move into an Optima Living community." "We are fully confident that Optima Living will provide excellent care for our residents," said Andre Van Ryk, CEO H&H Total Care. "Our teams will continue to enjoy the family-owned atmosphere that they value and enjoy." About Axium Infrastructure: Axium Infrastructure (comprised of Axium Infrastructure Inc. and its affiliated entities) is an independent portfolio management firm dedicated to generating long-term investment returns through investing in core infrastructure assets. The firm benefits from the capabilities of a group of specialists with decades of experience acquiring, developing, financing, operating, and managing infrastructure assets. Focus is placed on assets that are supported by robust market demand and under long-term contracts with creditworthy counterparties. Since 2010, the firm has invested in a diversified portfolio of over 250 North American infrastructure assets. For further information, including information about other infrastructure assets the firm has invested in, please visit www.axiuminfra.com. About Optima Living Optima Living-founded in 2007-owns and operates innovative seniors' living communities throughout Alberta and BC, taking an unprecedented approach to senior life. Their unique company culture is one where both residents and team members are family. Optima Living's North Star, Let us welcome you home, speaks to their underlying principles and the experience seniors discover in their communities. When residents are home, they feel safe, respected, and welcome. Home is where one's voice is heard, their views matter, and they have freedom of choice. Optima Living's mission, vision, and values - respect, dignity, teamwork, and doing the right thing - support and build upon their North Star. Optima Living operates over 2,200 beds providing congregate living options for seniors. These options range from subsidized to luxury, Independent to Assisted Living, Long-term Care to Memory Care, and Residential Mental Health. For more information, visit optimaliving.ca. This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy securities of any entity. Contact Anne-Sophie Roy Vice President, Investor Relations, Axium Infrastructure 514-954-3781 asroy@axiuminfra.com Contact Alyssa Barry Media Relations, Optima Living 604-997-0965 communications@optimaliving.ca SOURCE: Optima Living View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716592/Optima-Living-and-Axium-Infrastructure-Acquire-nearly-1100-beds-in-Eight-Seniors-Communities-in-Alberta-and-British-Columbia Recruitment Gets Underway for Tech Hub that Will Drive Customer Innovation and Product Development Capacity Samsara Inc. ("Samsara") (NYSE: IOT), the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, today announced that it is opening a new office in Warsaw, Poland, as part of an investment plan to expand its international footprint. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005100/en/ Samsara to Open New European Technology Center in Warsaw, Poland (Photo: Business Wire) Samsara's latest expansion to its European operation, which now includes operational centers in the UK, France, and the Netherlands, will enable the company to provide exceptional support to its new, and existing, customers. "Our EMEA business continues to expand at a rapid rate since we first established our European presence in London in 2018," said Philip van der Wilt, VP General Manager, Samsara, EMEA. "As Samsara continues to grow and develop new solutions, we're expanding our global technology team with an office in Poland's capital, where some of the world's brightest engineering talent will help us transform the future of physical operations." The Warsaw office is expected to grow rapidly by the end of 2022, led by an engineering team focused on fleet telematics, which has been a driving force behind the company's impressive growth. Samsara has grown from zero to $660M of ARR (annual recurring revenue) in just seven years, one of the fastest SaaS companies to achieve this milestone. Samsara also reported a 64% revenue growth year-over-year and more than 15,000 global core customers at the end of its last fiscal year. Engineers in Poland will work on a wide range of technologies across multiple features and functions within telematics, including Golang, GraphQL, React web dashboards, ReactNative for the Samsara Driver Mobile app, IoT, and machine learning (ML). "The creation of our Poland technology center follows Samsara's rapid progress," said Rick Carragher, VP of Engineering at Samsara. "We chose to open our next engineering center in Warsaw because of its world-class computer science programs and the fact that Poland consistently comes top for producing outstanding tech talent." "The engineering culture that is embedded throughout Samsara means the new teams will be driven by a focus on customer success underpinned by the engineering freedom to find innovative solutions to difficult problems. Our new team will work closely with customers across the world to provide an unprecedented level of real-time visibility of connected operations," said Carragher. Samsara has already begun to interview candidates as part of a holistic approach to finding talent that builds on the foundation of computer engineering skills supported by a strong focus on problem solving. To find out more about the job opportunities in Poland, read our Life at Samsara Poland blog post and check out our careers page. To learn about Samsara's mission to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy visit www.samsara.com. About Samsara Samsara is the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, which allows businesses that depend on physical operations to harness IoT (Internet of Things) data to develop actionable business insights and improve their operations. Samsara operates in North America and Europe and serves tens of thousands of customers across a wide range of industries including transportation, wholesale and retail trade, construction, field services, logistics, utilities and energy, government, healthcare and education, manufacturing, and food and beverage. The company's mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy. Samsara is a registered trademark of Samsara Inc. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005100/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Sam Hall media@samsara.com RICHARDSON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:OPXS) ("Optex"), a leading manufacturer of precision optical sighting systems for domestic and worldwide military and commercial applications, today announced the final results of its "modified Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase up to $4.25 million in value of shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (CUSIP number: 68384X209) (the "Common Stock"), which expired at 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on September 15, 2022 (the "Offer"). Based on the final count by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the depositary for the Offer, a total of 1,727,926 shares of Common Stock were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn at or below the purchase price of $2.65 per share. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer, and based on the final count by the depositary, Optex accepted for purchase 1,603,774 shares of Common Stock at a price of $2.65 per share, for an aggregate cost of approximately $4.25 million, excluding fees and expenses relating to the Offer. These shares represent approximately 19.3% of its shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 15, 2022. Based on these final numbers, immediately following settlement of the Offer, Optex will have approximately 6,716,637 shares of Common Stock outstanding. A director and an executive officer of the Company participated in the Offer. Because the Offer was oversubscribed, Optex accepted for payment only a pro-rated portion of the shares of Common Stock properly tendered by each tendering stockholder (other than "odd lot" holders whose shares are being purchased on a priority basis). Based on the final tender count, and taking into consideration the effect of odd lot priority on the pro-ration factor, the final pro-ration factor for the Offer was approximately 92.8% of the shares of Common Stock properly tendered at or below the purchase price of $2.65 per share. Payment for the shares of Common Stock accepted for purchase under the Offer will occur promptly, in accordance with applicable law. Stockholders who have questions or would like additional information about the Offer may contact InvestorCom, the Information Agent for the Offer, toll-free at (877) 972-0090. This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of Common Stock. About Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. Optex, which was founded in 1987, is a Richardson, Texas based ISO 9001:2015 certified concern, which manufactures optical sighting systems and assemblies, primarily for Department of Defense (DOD) applications. Its products are installed on various types of U.S. military land vehicles, such as the Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicles, Light Armored and Armored Security Vehicles, and have been selected for installation on the Stryker family of vehicles. Optex also manufactures and delivers numerous periscope configurations, rifle and surveillance sights, and night vision optical assemblies. Optex delivers its products both directly to the military services and to prime contractors. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.optexsys.com. Forward Looking Statements: Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. These statements are based on Optex's current expectations or beliefs, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Additional information about the factors that may affect Optex's operations is set forth in Optex's current and periodic reports filed with the SEC, including Optex's current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption "Risk Factors" in Optex's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 3, 2021. The forward-looking statements in this communication are based on information available to Optex as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Optex undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, contact: Information Agent: InvestorCom 19 Old Kings Highway S. - Suite 130 Darien, CT 06820 Toll Free (877) 972-0090 Banks and Brokers call collect (203) 972-9300 info@investor-com.com SOURCE: Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716709/Optex-Systems-Holdings-Inc-Announces-Final-Results-of-Tender-Offer Cognetivity's CognICA Tool to be Deployed to Detect Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health Issues on a Broad Scale for National US Healthcare Operator Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Cognetivity Neurosciences Ltd. (CSE: CGN) (OTCQB: CGNSF) (FSE: 1UB) (the "Company" or "Cognetivity"), a technology company that has created a unique brain health screening platform for use in medical, commercial and consumer environments, today announces that it has signed an agreement to conduct a broad-scale paid pilot project (the "Paid Project") with a large national US provider of healthcare services (the "Client"). The Paid Project will run for a period of 12 months. It will see CognICATM, the Company's proprietary brain health screening technology, be deployed across a minimum of three but potentially dozens of the Client's facilities. CognICATM will be used to assess the brain health of the Client's patients who present with unexplained behavioural disturbances. The commercial terms of the Paid Project will see the Client pay for the use of the CognICATM platform on a per-test basis, with the price depending on the volume of tests taken. In the context of the environment in which CognICATM will be utilized, unexplained behavioural disturbances can signal a medical emergency. These can be attributable to multiple factors which include: acute intoxication; mental and behavioural disturbances due to a substance or polysubstance misuse; acute or chronic mental illness; acute confusional state due to a physical health disorder; or malingering. Therefore, the use of CognICATM gives clinicians a tool to easily, quickly and objectively measure their patients' cognition, thereby allowing them to make clinical decisions on intervention early and effectively. Cognetivity's CEO Dr. Sina Habibi commented, "This new commercial deployment within the US market is a significant event for our team. The CognICATM solution is ideally suited to wide scale brain health screening in complex healthcare environments. By enabling the early detection and highly-sensitive ongoing monitoring of traumatic brain injuries, as well as a multitude of mental health conditions, regardless of a patient's education, native language or culture, the technology has the ability to deliver enormous reductions in patient care costs and improved patient outcomes for our clients." The Client operates facilities in 17 US states and has more than 10,000 employees across an array of healthcare settings, including community healthcare centers, state hospitals, correctional facilities and diagnostic centers. Upon completion of the Paid Project, a review will be conducted to determine the scale and scope of ongoing CognICATM integrations. Beyond the specific use case detailed above, CognICATM has the potential to be deployed by the Client in the following ways: In clinical settings where patients typically suffer from neurodegenerative or neuropsychiatric disorders, to monitor the trajectory of cognitive impairment as an objective measure of the progress of treatment and the patient's progression in cognitive performance; To assess and monitor psychiatric inpatients where, in a clinical setting, inpatients typically present with a first-onset, acute relapse, or reoccurrence of a severe mental illness, given that cognitive performance is strongly correlated with acute functional mental illness, and as patients improve, metrics of cognition are expected to follow and map improvement; and To allow the assessment of cognition in all inpatients at the point of admission, during inpatient stays and before discharge, the implementation of which allows measurement of cognition objectively, and progress during and post-treatment to determine its effect and support a discharge plan. Dr. Habibi added, "Our ongoing growth in the US gives us great confidence in our technology's relevance in the sophisticated North American healthcare market. CognICATM has advantages over existing methods for detecting brain health issues that are compelling. Working with such large players in providing healthcare is very gratifying. We look forward to being able to announce additional commercial progress in the coming months." About Cognetivity Neurosciences Ltd. Cognetivity is a technology company that has created a cognitive testing platform for use in medical, commercial and consumer environments. Cognetivity's CognICATM uses Artificial Intelligence and machine learning techniques to help detect the earliest signs of cognitive impairment by testing the performance of large areas of the brain. CognICATM is currently available for clinical use in the USA, UK and Europe, with regulatory approval for other regions planned for 2022. For more information, please visit: www.cognetivity.com or contact: info@cognetivity.com For media enquiries, please contact: Josh Stanbury | josh@sjspr.co | 416-628-7441 ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Sina Habibi" Sina Habibi Chief Executive Officer and Director FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. By its very nature, such forward-looking information requires the Company to make assumptions that may not materialize or that may not be accurate. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Cognetivity Neurosciences Ltd. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137720 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / WESTERN SIERRA RESOURCE CORPORATION (OTC:WSRC) announces the Company's acquisition of 100% of the stock and assets of Mitigation Solutions, LLC (MSL) toward achieving one of its natural resource management and development objectives. In a stock and cash transaction, MSL has become a wholly owned subsidiary of WSRC, providing the Company with capacity to mitigate water contamination, dam stabilization, and remediate sedimentation-affected large-scale water supplies for municipalities and Special Districts across the Country. MSL's first Mitigation Agreement as a WSRC Company was accepted by the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District (SMVWCD) Board of Directors and executed Saturday, September 17, 2022. This Mitigation Agreement pertains to Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") funding, as well as other Federal Agency funding, to which SMVWCD is beneficiary for immediate use at the Twitchell Dam and Reservoir Mitigation Project Site. The project is expected to require 7-10 years to complete and entails emergency removal of ash-contaminated sediments to stabilize Twitchell Dam; restoration of the Twitchell Reservoir to original operational capacities; and mitigation of influent-contaminated sediments, water contamination and deposit of soils from upstream drainages. The Twitchell Dam and Reservoir site is the first of several California locations where these contract services may be performed by MSL. Mitigation Agreement details to follow. MSL's Principals are joining WSRC's management team, bringing decades of disaster response/relief and restoration experience to the Company to include hurricane damage; flood contaminated waterways; compromised lake, reservoir, and municipal water storage facilities; and water delivery system failure. In this capacity, Global Clean Water, Inc. has also contracted with MSL and WSRC to specifically address remediation of potable water contamination issues. With LOC funding available to mobilize, and equipment financing in place with which to ramp up production for the first and subsequent phases of the Twitchell Project, the Company can proceed immediately. Pictures, video, and written updates will be made available as project completion objectives are attained. The Company will be pleased to document the initiation of Phase I of the Twitchell Dam and Reservoir project to the benefit of the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District, its residents, and the Company's shareholders. About Western Sierra Resource Corporation: Founded in 1907, Western Sierra Resource Corporation (a Utah corporation), has a 115-year history as gold and silver mining company with projects in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico. WSRC currently owns six precious metal reserves in Arizona. In 2014 the Company broadened its vision to include natural (and renewable) resources with its acquisition of water rights and associated infrastructure assets in Colorado for purposes of irrigating and cultivating industrial hemp; processing hemp for manufacture of various building products; and for construction of affordable homes utilizing hemp-based materials-among other beneficial uses. WSRC's intent is to become a broad-based resource company with high value, income generating assets that include water conservation projects, real estate, agriculture, precious metals, helium, and associated "green" technologies. Forward Looking Statements: This 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. Such statements include any that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance. or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate", "project", "intend", "forecast", "anticipate", "plan", "planning", "expect", "believe", "likely", "should", "could", "would", "may" or similar words or expressions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those in such statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted and any reported should not be considered an indication of future performance. Potential risks and uncertainties include the Company's operating history and resources, together with all usual and common economic, competitive, and equity market conditions / risks. Contact: Western Sierra Resource Corporation westernsierraresource.com ir@westernsierraresource.com Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Telegram @WSRCorp SOURCE: Western Sierra Resource Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716717/Western-Sierra-Resource-Corporation-Announces-Its-Acquisition-of-Mitigation-Solutions-LLC-and-Formal-Acceptance-of-Ten-Year-Government-Mitigation-Agreement NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan, President: Kazuhiro Noda, hereinafter "Nippon Shokubai") (TOKYO:4114) aims to expand our LiFSI* business in China, the biggest market of lithium-ion batteries (hereinafter "LIB"). We hereby announce that, as part of this business expansion, we have reached agreement on investment in Hunan Fluopont New Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Hunan Fluopont"), a subsidiary of Shenzhen CAPCHEM Technology Co. Ltd. (hereinafter "Capchem"), who is currently making efforts to establish production facilities to enter LiFSI business. *Lithium bis (fluorosulfonyl) imide (Product name: IONEL), a lithium salt as the advanced electrolyte which was commercialized first in the world by Nippon Shokubai. 1. Background of the alliance With a rising awareness of environmental issues in recent years, there is a high demand for electric vehicle (EV), which is an industry-leading product of energy-saving and low-pollution next-generation vehicles, and this has led to the rapid expansion of the LIB market for EV. Because using LiFSI as an electrolyte in LIB for EV significantly improves the battery's cyclic and rate performance as well as storing stability over a wide temperature range from low to high temperatures, LiFSI has been adapted not only as an additive, but also as a main ingredient of the electrolyte. As this has led to a surge in LiFSI demand particularly in Asia and Europe, early business expansion to China, the world's biggest LIB market for vehicles has been a key for us to make a big leap in our IONEL business. 2. Purpose of the alliance Under these circumstances, in order to acquire high-profile customers and early establish a cost-competitive manufacturing and sales structure in China with the largest LIB demand, we have decided to form an alliance with Capchem, a major electrolyte solution manufacturer, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation (Headquarters: Nagoya, Japan, President: Ichiro Kashitani, hereinafter "Toyota Tsusho"), who is Toyota Group's general trading company. The investment will be made by Toyota Tsusho (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Toyotsu Shanghai"). This will allow us to combine our state-of-the-art LiFSI production technologies, quality control capability, and intellectual properties with Hunan Fluopont's cost-competitiveness, location, material procurement capability, production system, and existing technologies, and Capchem's LiFSI purchasing capability supported by their top-level supply capacity of electrolyte solutions, as well as Toyota Tsusho's world-wide sales network encompassing China. Through this alliance, we will aim to accelerate our IONEL business in the electrolyte market. LiFSI is known as a difficult substance to purify to a high degree, which is only achieved by advanced know-how for its production and quality management. Using our unique production technology that we have nurtured over the years, in 2013, we succeeded in the development of an industrial production process of highly-pure LiFSI with few solvents and by-products, exhibiting stable electrochemical properties, for the first time in the world. Our product has been adopted and certified as the electrolyte by many LIB manufacturers inside and outside Japan with a wide variety of applications including vehicle, consumer-use, and stationary batteries. (For details of LiFSI, please refer to our website: https://www.shokubai.co.jp/en/lp/ionel/) Capchem is the world's second largest manufacturer of electrolyte solution for LIB with five production sites in China, and has a track record of providing its products to major LIB manufacturers. Their business includes not only manufacturing of electrolyte solution, but also in-house material production of solvent, electrolyte, additive, which enables them to offer electrolyte solution with price competitiveness and high quality. Toyota Tsusho is looking to expand their LiFSI sales beyond China to electrolyte solution manufactures in Japan, Asia, and Europe to meet the surging demand in the electrolyte solution and electrolyte markets. Hunan Fluopont started its production in the second half of FY2022 with the first unit (production capacity 1,200t/y). It is planned to be expanded in stages to satisfy the rapidly increasing market demand, aiming to have annual production capacity of 12,000 ton/y in 2025. 3. Investment overview Nippon Shokubai and Toyotsu Shanghai will invest in the following company. (1) Company name Hunan Fluopont New Materials Co., Ltd. (2) Location Shigu District, Hengyang, Hunan, China (3) Amount invested (third-party allocation of shares) Nippon Shokubai: 201,769,912 RMB (4.04 billion JPY) Toyotsu Shanghai: 29,203,539 renminbi (580 million JPY) [Assumed exchange rate: 20 JPY/RMB] (4) Shareholders Capchem: 51.19% Nippon Shokubai: 38.0% Toyotsu Shanghai: 5.5% Changsha ShinLian Huayuan Alternative Energy Partnership Enterprise (shareholding association by executive employees of Hunan Fluopont): 5.31% (5) Representative Shu Ping Ai (6) Businesses Manufacturing and sales of electrolyte LiFSI for LIB (7) Production capacity Current: 1,200t/year in the second half of FY2022 Plan: 12,000t/year in FY2025 Related information Profile of Shenzhen CAPCHEM Technology Co. Ltd. Company Name Shenzhen CAPCHEM Technology Co. Ltd. Location Capchem Plaza, Changye Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Establishment 1996 Capital 410 million RMB (8.2 billion JPY) (as of end of 2021) Total assets 223.3 billion JPY (as of end of 2021) Sales 139 billion JPY (FY2021) Operating profit 30.8 billion JPY (FY2021) Business overview Lithium battery chemicals, organic fluorine chemicals, capacitor chemicals and semiconductor chemicals. For lithium-ion battery electrolytes in mass production at five production sites in China and several other production sites under construction in China and Poland. Website https://en.capchem.com/ Profile of Toyota Tsusho Corporation Company Name Toyota Tsusho Corporation Location 9-8, Meieki 4-chome, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 450-8575 Japan Establishment 1948 Capital 64.9 billion yen (as of end of March 2022) Total assets 6,143.1 billion yen (as of end of March 2022) Sales 8,028 billion yen (FY 2021) Operating profit 294.1 billion yen (FY 2021) Business overview As a general trading company of Toyota Group, the company has expanded its business with a focus on exports of vehicles and automobile production support. The company has seven business fields (Metals, Global Parts Logistics, Automotive, Machinery, Energy Project Chemicals Electronics, Food Consumer Services, and Africa). and focuses on three core businesses, Mobility business that contributes to future convenient society, Resources Environment business that contributes to sustainable society and Life Community business that contributes to comfortable healthy society. Around 65,000 Group employees are engaged in business in about 130 countries. Website https://www.toyota-tsusho.com/english/ Profile of Toyotsu Shanghai Company Name TOYOTA TSUSHO (SHANGHAI) CO.,LTD. Location 1717 Nanjing West Road, Jinganqu, Shanghai, China Establishment 1995 Capital 33.18 million RMB (660 million JPY) (as of end of March 2022) Business overview The company mainly operates trading businesses with a wide variety of business units including Metal, Global and Logistics, Chemical Products and Electronics, Mechanical and Energy Plant Project, Food and Household Items, and East Asia Next Mobility Promotion Project. About NIPPON SHOKUBAI: Since 1941, Nippon Shokubai has grown up its business with unique catalyst technology. Nippon Shokubai has supplied, for example, ethylene oxide and acrylic acid. Among all, our production capacity of superabsorbent polymers is the largest in the world (according to Nippon Shokubai research). We are currently focused on the Solutions Business, and IONEL (LiFSI) mentioned on this announcement plays a key role in accelerating the business. Nippon Shokubai is a global chemical company operating under its corporate mission "TechnoAmenity Providing prosperity and comfort to people and society, with our unique technology." https://www.shokubai.co.jp/en/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220908006154/en/ Contacts: New Energy Materials Sales Marketing Dept., Energy Electronics Solutions Div. NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD. (TOKYO:4114) Tsuyoshi YAMASHITA E-mail: shokubai@shokubai.co.jp The ride-hailing company said a hacker linked to the Lapsus$ group was responsible for last week's attack. On Monday, Uber announced that the hacker behind the cyberattack that occurred last week is affiliated with the notorious Lapsus$ hacking group. Security officials with the ride-hailing company described the cyberattack as a major data breach that impacted Uber's internal communications system, which had to be temporarily shut down. Reuters reported that the alleged Lapsus$ Group hacker was unable to access user accounts and databases that contained sensitive user information. However, it did target "several internal systems," Uber confirmed, adding that an investigation was currently underway and that they were in the process of identifying if there had been any "material impact" from the cyberattack. Uber confirmed that it was already working with the FBI and the US Justice Department over the cybersecurity breach. How Lapsus$ Group Hackers Compromised Uber's Internal Systems Uber claimed that the cybersecurity breach was carried out by a lone hacker linked to the Lapsus$ Group last week, USA Today reported. The hacker allegedly posed as an Uber employee and tricked a legitimate worker into providing their credentials, thereby obtaining system administrator levels of access. The hacker then took screenshots that they shared with security researchers, proving that they gained access to Uber's cloud-based systems, the USA Today report added. The hacker identified himself as an 18-year-old but failed to disclose how long he had been inside Uber's systems and whether they destroyed or corrupted any data. One researcher who chatted with the alleged Lapsus$ Group hacker online described it as a "really bad" and "awful" access to Uber's network. A bunch of screenshots also appeared on social media showing the extent of the cybersecurity breach, the report concluded. Read Also: Uber Enters Non-Prosecution Agreement with FTC Over 2016 Data Breach That Exposed Data of 57 Million People Uber Reveals Technical Details of Cybersecurity Breach The hacker linked to the Lapsus$ Group, which is notorious for launching attacks against other tech giants including Microsoft, Cisco, NVIDIA, and Samsung, used a social engineering tactic to gain access to Uber's internal systems, Bleeping Computer reported. This tactic involved inputting two-factor authentication (2FA) login requests until the valid one was accepted. Once gaining access, the hacker also managed to post a message to Uber's Slack channel and even reconfigured the company's OpenDNS to display a "graphic image" to users on some internal sites, Uber said. In the statement, Uber said that they have already worked on identifying any employee accounts that may have been compromised by the Lapsus$ Group hacker and disabled internal tools that may have been affected by the cybersecurity breach. Uber also asked employees to re-authenticate as an extra layer of security. The ride-hailing company confirmed that they neither found any evidence that may indicate that a malicious code had been embedded in its codebase, nor any indication that the hacker accessed or used its customer data. What the hacker from Lapsus$ Group did access, however, was Uber's invoices within an internal tool and HackerOne vulnerability reports, a separate Bleeping Computer report revealed. Uber confirmed that it is now working on "several leading digital forensics firms" in its ongoing investigation to hold the hacker from Lapsus$ Group accountable for his actions. Related Article: Uber Assures That No Sensitive Data Has Been Stolen During Hack Today, Maritime Launch Services Inc. (NEO: MAXQ, OTCQB: MAXQF) and Nanoracks LLC (a Voyager Space company) are pleased to announce that they have signed a Letter of Intent with State Space Agency of Ukraine to support the development of a CubeSat program in Ukraine. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005761/en/ State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU), Maritime Launch and Nanoracks made the announcement together at the Canadian Space Agency pavilion during the International Astronautical Conference (IAC) 2022 in Paris, France. Once developed, teams of professors and students in Ukraine will have the unique opportunity to design and build their own miniature satellite called a "CubeSat" to launch into space. "We are big fans of the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP) led by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)," says Stephen Matier, President and CEO, Maritime Launch. "By supporting State Space Agency of Ukraine in the development of a CubeSat Program, students will enjoy a unique, hands-on experience that will directly contribute to the growth and development of talent in the next generation of space professionals in Ukraine." The proposed CubeSat Program, led by SSAU, will invite universities across Ukraine to design and build a satellite for a space mission. SSAU will issue a request for university proposals and then select participants. "We're honored to support this effort with Maritime Launch and State Space Agency of Ukraine," says Dr. Amela Wilson, CEO of Nanoracks. "CubeSat programs offer immense opportunities for students to kickstart successful careers in the space industry, and we're thrilled to bring this opportunity to Ukraine. Leveraging our experience managing the Canadian CubeSat Project for CSA and working with over a dozen universities in the country, we're confident in the positive impact of this effort." After CubeSats are designed and built, University teams will prepare for launch. Nanoracks will support students with mission integration while Maritime Launch will launch the student CubeSats from Spaceport Nova Scotia. With this Letter of Intent, State Space Agency of Ukraine, Nanoracks, and Maritime Launch will work together to develop the terms and conditions of the CubeSat program. Once complete, it is expected that space industry professionals in Ukraine will be invited to participate in this program to facilitate mentorship and training of young professionals in Ukraine's space industry. About Maritime Launch Maritime Launch is a Canadian-owned commercial space company based in Nova Scotia. Maritime Launch is developing Spaceport Nova Scotia, a launch site that will provide satellite delivery services to clients in support of the growing commercial space transportation industry over a wide range of inclinations. The development of this facility will allow for medium class launch vehicles to place their satellites into low-earth orbit. This will be the first commercial orbital launch complex in Canada. About Nanoracks Nanoracks, powered by Voyager Space, is a global leader for providing commercial space services. Nanoracks owns and operates private hardware on the International Space Station and has launched over 1,300 research experiments, deployed over 300 small satellites, and installed the Bishop Airlock. Today, Nanoracks leverages over a decade of experience to develop new commercial space systems in direct response to customer needs. These space systems include converting commercial launch vehicle upper stages into functional secondary platforms, building new habitable space stations, supplying payload and crew airlock systems and services infrastructure, and more. Follow @Nanoracks on Twitter to learn more or visit https://nanoracks.com. About Voyager Space Voyager Space is a space technology company dedicated to building a better future for humanity in space and on Earth. With nearly 20 years of spaceflight heritage and over 1500 successful missions as of August 2022, Voyager delivers space station infrastructure and services and technology solutions to commercial users, civil and national security government agencies, academic and research institutions, and more, with the goal to accelerate a sustainable space economy. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans," "expects" or "does not expect," "is expected," "budget," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or "does not anticipate," or "believes," or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will be taken," "will continue," "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the timing of spaceport construction and ability to launch medium class vehicles. Forward-looking statements in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to continue to develop revenue-generating applications; continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Company; the Company's ability to finance its operations until profitability can be achieved and sustained. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to the Company's operations; the inability of the Company to provide the enumerated services; and availability of launch vehicles. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005761/en/ Contacts: Maritime Launch Sarah McLean, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Affairs sarah.mclean@maritimelaunch.com www.maritimelaunch.com 902.402.6947 Voyager Space Nanoracks Sarah Nickell, voyager@nickellcommunications.com www.nanoracks.com www.voyagerspace.com Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Silk Road Energy Inc. (TSXV: SLK), doing business under the name of Record Gold, reports that it has begun preparing its exploration program for the Grenfell gold property in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Record Gold is presently gathering data from its partner, Pelangio Exploration Inc, from which it is earning an 80 percent interest in the property by spending $2 million on exploration work during the next five years and by making a one-time cash payment. Record Gold reports that it is studying historical exploration work as well as meeting with Pelangio management to work on a plan forward. "This is a good target for gold," said Michael Judson, Chairman and CEO of Record Gold. "Good geological theory backed up with good drilling results." The following results are paraphrased from Pelangio's news release dated March 9, 2020: drill hole JS2005 assayed 314 grams per tonne of gold over 1.74 metres (uncut). Hole JS2004 assayed 2.5 grams per tonne gold over 26 meters. Pelangio drilled eight holes in 2020 to evaluate two separate targets; the No. 1 and No. 6 veins (vein-zones) located near the historical shaft and another target called the southwest (SW) zone. Six drill holes: JS2001 through JS2006, at two separate drill sites, were drilled near historical surface workings and a mining shaft. Two holes were drilled on the SW Zone. Drill holes JS2004 to JS2005 on the No. 6 vein (structure) intersected broad, near-surface gold-bearing zones with shorter intercepts of high-grade gold mineralization. The extent and shape of the gold-bearing zone at depth and along strike is not yet well understood as a result of very limited and shallow drilling. Further drilling is required to determine the extent of mineralization along strike and at depth. Particular attention will be paid to locate potential ore-zone in the area southeast of the present mine workings where a single surface hole in 2013 on the No. 6 vein (structure) assayed 19.5 grams per tonne gold over one meter in association with a broad strongly anomalous geophysical zone over 10 meters wide. (Reference: SGX Drill Report by J.K.Filo, 2013) The Grenfell property is comprised of 38 mining cells and 8 leased claims covering an area of approximately 6.7 square kilometres and is located 10 kilometres northwest of the Town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. For more details on assay results, please see the September, 7, 2022 news release. The company reports closing an additional tranche of its previously announced financing, raising proceeds of $60,000 by issuing 1,000,000 common shares at $0.06 per share and 1,000,000 common share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.12 per share for one year. Dr. Paul Craig, a Director of the company, was the single subscriber in this private placement. No finder's fee is payable. The company reports that, following this financing, it will have 29,076,104 shares outstanding. This financing is subject to TSX Venture Exchange, regulatory and board approvals. Qualified Person: Edward Procyshyn, Geo, a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. For more information please contact: Michael C. Judson, Chairman & CEO Silk Road Energy Inc. (doing business under the name Record Gold) T. +1-514-865-5496 Website: www.recordgoldcorp.com Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", an or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would" , "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: approval of the Private Placement and obtaining a full revocation order. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the market acceptance of the Private Placement; the ability of the Company to obtain a full revocation order and the receipt of all required approvals in connection with the foregoing. 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 the Company 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: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals. Although the Company 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. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Units and the securities comprising the Units have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor shall there be any sale of securities in the Unites States, or any other jurisdiction, in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137796 HVDC Light transmission system will transfer renewable energy for over 1 million New York homes and help achieve the state's climate goals Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 20, 2022that is a key part of the transmission solution for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) HVDC interconnection between Quebec, Canada and the New York City metro area, the United States. The link will enable the delivery of clean, renewable hydropower between Canada and New York, contributing to New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which aims for the state to be powered by 70 percent renewable energy by 2030.*1 CHPE is expected to decrease CO 2 emissions by an average of 3.9 million metric tons per year, equivalent to removing 44 percent of passenger vehicles from New York City.*2 Using Hitachi Energy's HVDC Light technology, CHPE will transfer up to 1,250 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1 million New York households. The link will efficiently transmit electricity for more than 600 kilometers (372 miles) underground from Hertel, Canada, through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, to an HVDC converter station in Astoria, Queens.*1 "HVDCsystems have tremendous potential for bringing large amounts of electricity directly into cities, which is essential for securing sustainable and affordable power today and in the future," said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy's Grid Integration business. "We are proud to play a crucial role in this very important investment in North America's transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality." "Hitachi Energy's market leading HVDC technology will ensure efficient and reliable transmission of renewable energy for over 1 million New York homes and help achieve the state's climate goals," said Transmission Developers CEO Donald Jessome. "We look forward to beginning construction activity later this year and to delivering an abundance of clean, renewable energy to New Yorkers." Power requirements in cities are increasing, especially in densely populated areas where land is already scarce, and difficulties can arise when new right-of-ways must be secured for traditional transmission lines. HVDC technology enables large amounts of high-quality electricity to be delivered where it is most needed with complete control and with a very compact footprint using out-of-sight underground or underwater cables. The complete CHPE system, of which the HVDC converter stations are the enabling technology, is expected to create more than 1,400 jobs during construction and, during the first 30 years of operation, deliver almost $50 billion in economic benefits to New York state.*1 For the New York site, Hitachi Energy will supply the HVDC Light converter station, that will convert the DC power from Canada to AC power and make it available for the AC grid in New York. Kiewit, one of North America's largest and most respected engineering and construction companies, will be responsible for the civil works for the converter station in New York. The collaboration with Kiewit will combine the core competencies of the two companies to deliver a best-in-class solution. Note to editors: Hitachi Energy's HVDC solution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves; the MACH digital control platform*3, converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning. HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and "power-from-shore" connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light's defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses. Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world's HVDC projects. *1 Champlain Hudson Power Express *2 May 2021 PA Analysis Report *3 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH) HVDC website: https://www.hitachienergy.com/offering/product-and-system/hvdc - End - About Hitachi Energy Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD. https://www.hitachienergy.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT. Attachments Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with both Bradford Space and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) to develop a commercial orbital debris removal service. Through this collaboration, Redwire will expand the development team and add extensive space robotics and guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) experience to enhance the commercial offering. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005863/en/ "This joint effort provides a commercial solution to address a critical need within the space environment. The preservation of the space environment is crucial for life on Earth and ensuring sustainable space exploration," said Chris Pearson, Executive Vice President, Critical Components at Redwire. "Redwire's robotic hardware and GN&C expertise, specifically from our Luxembourg facility, will enhance this capability. Through this collaboration, we have seen increased interest in international partnerships from our U.S. customers, and we look forward to working with Bradford Space and SSC as we continue to strengthen collaboration between both traditional and non-traditional allies in space." "Bradford Space is excited to welcome Redwire to the team. This venture brings strong spaceflight experience and exceptional complementary capabilities together from each of the partners," says Patrick van Put, Managing Director for Bradford Space European operations. "We are proud to collaborate with trusted mission partners Redwire and Bradford Space to offer another valuable service from one of the world's most versatile space centers in northern Sweden," says Stefan Gardefjord, CEO of SSC. "The Swedish National Space Agency encourages Swedish space industries to follow the United Nations Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities guidelines and we are glad to see an initiative of this kind," said a spokesperson from the Swedish National Space Agency. The orbital debris removal services will address the issue of common orbits becoming increasingly congested as more actors are accessing space, creating a hazard to other spacecraft using these orbits. Redwire will contribute both robotic hardware and GN&C capabilities for proximity operations and the capture of both cooperative and non-cooperative objects. A Bradford Space satellite bus with significant delta-V capability, named Square Rocket, will be inserted into orbit to then rendezvous with and deorbit the debris. The target orbits are high-inclination polar, including the common Sun synchronous orbit. At the International Astronautical Congress 2021, Bradford Space and SSC previously announced the orbital debris removal service, which will be provided from the new spaceport facility now being built at Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. 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 www.redwirespace.com. About Bradford Space Bradford Space is a high-tech developer and manufacturer that has been innovating the space industry for over three decades. Bradford has over 38 years' experience developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art in-orbit systems and components. Today, this US-owned company with an office in New York City and operations in the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg builds high performance spacecraft propulsion systems, avionics, attitude orbit control systems, microgravity workspaces, and provides logistics services for missions beyond LEO. Bradford Space is the world-leader in non-toxic propulsion systems and technologies ranging from cold gas, water, HPGP monopropellant and electric propulsion. Bradford Space is a leading subsystem supplier to aerospace primes, space agencies and venture-backed space companies around the world with over 2200 products in space. About Swedish Space Corporation SSC is a global provider of advanced space services. We develop experiment payloads and provide rocket and balloon launch services at our unique facility Esrange Space Center. We also offer reliable access to satellites through our global network of ground stations. Furthermore, we provide engineering consulting expertise to all phases of our customers' space programs. With extensive experience and a solid understanding of the rapidly changing space market, we tailor innovative and sustainable solutions to institutional and commercial customers worldwide. SSC covers the global market through its offices around the world, along with the global network of ground stations. SSC was founded in 1972 and has approximately 600 employees. Learn more at www.sscspace.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005863/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Tere Riley Tere.Riley@redwirespace.com 321-831-0134 Commercial/Sales Contact: Jaroslaw Jaworski Jaroslaw.Jaworski@redwirespaceeurope.com +352 661 871 804 Investors: investorrelations@redwirespace.com 904-425-1431 Boxwood adds another high-profile transaction in the growing food ingredients sector JUPITER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Boxwood Partners is pleased to announce the sale of Spice Chain Corporation ("Spice Chain" or the "Company), a portfolio company of Frontenac Company, to iSpice Foods, a privately held importer, processor and supplier of spices based in Jackson, AL. Boxwood Partners, a leading boutique middle-market investment bank based in Jupiter, FL, acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Spice Chain on the transaction. The transaction was led by Brian Alas (Managing Director), Madison Day (Vice President) and John Atkinson (Associate). The terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is Boxwood's second transaction in the growing spice and seasonings market in 2022. The deal marks another transaction within the food and beverage industry, an increasing area of focus for Boxwood. Based in East Brunswick, N.J., Spice Chain is an importer, processor, and supplier of premium global spices and seasonings for the industrial, food service and retail end markets. The Company was formed via the merger Van De Vries Spice Corporation and Spiceco in 2015 after the two companies collected over 100 years of experience. With specific cleaning, milling, blending, and packaging capabilities, the Company has serviced a variety of leading customers and top-tier food manufacturers across the country. About Boxwood Partners Boxwood Partners, LLC, is a boutique investment bank based in Jupiter, Florida with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Boxwood Partners combines a unique blend of senior-level transaction advisory, business operating experience, and proven process execution skills to give its clients a distinct advantage in the market. The firm's extensive relationships within the global capital and buyer communities (including U.S. and international private equity groups, corporations, and lenders) and other important transaction-related service providers such as consultants, attorneys, and accountants, ensure that the firm's clients receive the attention, service, and results they deserve. For more information about Boxwood Partners, please visit www.boxwoodpartners.com. About Spice Chain Headquartered in East Brunswick, New Jersey, Spice Chain, was formed with the acquisition and combination of Van de Vries Spice Corporation and Spiceco. The two New Jersey based companies were merged in February 2015 and subsequently changed their name to Spice Chain Corporation. Together the companies boast over 100 years of experience in spices and seasonings. The Company is one of very few North American Spice, herb and seasonings companies that import direct, process, blend and package spices. See www.spicechain.com for more information. About Frontenac Frontenac is a Chicago-based private equity firm. The firm focuses on investing in lower middle market buyout transactions in the consumer, industrial, and services industries. Frontenac works in partnership with established operating leaders, through an executive-centric approach called CEO1ST, which seeks to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and operational excellence. Over the last 50+ years, Frontenac has built a leading franchise working with over 275 owners of mid-sized businesses as they address complex transition issues of liquidity, management enhancement, and growth planning. See www.frontenac.com for more information. SOURCE: Boxwood Partners, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716725/Boxwood-Partners-Advises-Spice-Chain-Corporation-on-Its-Recent-Sale-to-iSpice-Foods GA Telesis Engine Services ("GATES"), a global jet engine maintenance provider offering customized engine overhaul services and Lion Air have entered into a long-term engine maintenance contract. Lion Air, is the largest airline in Indonesia second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia, signed the agreement covering the airline's Boeing 737NG fleet. This strategic win for GATES covers maintenance, repair, and overhaul of CFM56-7B engines across Lion Air Group airlines (including Batik Malaysia Thai Lion Air). In addition, it includes leased engine support, LLP management, and logistics. The first engine maintenance event will enter a GATES maintenance slot in early October 2022. Lion Air now has a large majority of the domestic market share post-pandemic and continues to add capacity to meet increased passenger travel. "Lion Air is delighted to select GATES as its engine maintenance partner at such a crucial time when we require world-class support to fuel the next phase of our growth. GATES impressed us with exceptional, intelligent solutions to maximize engine time-on-wing and lower maintenance costs. Besides, their deep understanding of our critical pain points and ability to exceed expectations stood out from the competition!" said Dennis Kirana, VP of Engineering Lion Air. "To be selected by one of the region's largest low-cost carriers provides us the ability to combine world-class engine MRO services through GATES, pulling together the combined strength of GA Telesis in offering innovative, integrated solutions across the full spectrum of customer requirements," says Avinash Singh, Sr. Director Sales Business Development, GATES APAC. "This win also opens up business with Thai and Malaysian subsidiaries of the group, heralding a new era of growth for GATES in APAC, and we can't wait to get started!" added Avinash. "This is a tremendous win for GATES and contributes significantly to our expansion plans in APAC. There was no better airline to partner with in this journey!" added Russ Shelton, President, GA Telesis Engine Services About GA Telesis GA Telesis is the leading provider of integrated services in the commercial aviation industry. Through the GA Telesis Ecosystem, the Company is distinctly positioned, across six continents, to leverage its resources to create innovative solutions for its customers. Consisting of global operations encompassing Component Solutions, Leasing/Financing, Logistics Solutions, and MRO Services business units for landing gear, component/composite, and turbine engine repair, as well as digital solutions, the GA Telesis Ecosystem provides an unparalleled resource to airlines. The Company's core business is its mission to ensure "Customer Success," built from a reputation for unsurpassed excellence and integrity. For further information, please contact Cathy Moabery at marketing@gatelesis.com. About GA Telesis Engine Services GA Telesis Engine Services (GATES) is a fully integrated subsidiary of GA Telesis, offering customers a seamless engine solution that combines high-quality repair and overhaul services as well as world-class supply chain services. The GATES facility is based in Helsinki, Finland, and operates under FAA, EASA, CAAC, TCCA, DGAC, GACA, ANAC, DGCA, and ECAA approvals for the CFM56-5B, CFM56-7B, and General Electric CF6-80C2 turbine engines. In addition, GATES has an integrated test cell capable of up to 100,000 pounds of thrust and can overhaul up to 200 engines per year. GATES Go-Team is also one of the few companies authorized by EASA to perform remote repairs on engines that are installed on aircraft. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005965/en/ Contacts: Cathy Moabery marketing@gatelesis.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH) (the "Company" or "ILC") is pleased to announce the complete assay results for Phase 2 of the diamond drilling program at the Raleigh Lake Lithium project near Ignace, Ontario, Canada. Further to Company news releases dated February 9, March 21, May 17, and June 23, 2022; ILC completed 6,251 metres core drilling at the Raleigh Lake project in two phases. Phase 1 ran during the winter months of March and April 2022 where ten (10) holes were drilled for a total of 2,053 metres. Phase 2 ran from May 12 to June 30, 2022 drilling 4,198 metres in twenty-six (26) holes (Table 1). Phase 2 saw six holes targeting Zone 2 and twenty holes within Zone 1. This brings the total to eight holes drilled at Zone 2 and twenty-eight at Zone 1 in 2022 so far. Drilling Highlights All but two holes testing Pegmatite 1 in Zone 1 intersected spodumene-bearing pegmatite demonstrating tremendous continuity of the mineralized body (see Figure 1). Pegmatite 1 shows a distinct mineral zonation with intervals of rubidium-enriched monocrystalline megacrystic microcline that occurs in the roof portion and occasionally in the spodumene-rich core of the pegmatite. Potential exists for the thicker higher-grade mineralization to exist closer to surface as the enriched zone appears to be trending up-dip, closer to surface, to the northwest where very little drilling exists. Recent structural interpretations (including results from Zone 2) predict additional parallel pegmatite at depth as the drilling moves further to the north. Phase 1 and 2 pierce points intersected Pegmatite 1 along a strike length of 300 metres and along its dip for over 175 metres. Phase 3 drilling will test the near-surface potential of the spodumene-rich core over an up-dip extent of over 250 metres. Pegmatite 1 Spodumene Zone Intersection Highlights* RL22-27: 13.74 metres grading 1.90% Li2O (from 115.23 metres) including 7.89 metres averaging 2.91% Li2O in the spodumene core zone (from 120.51m); RL22-29: 11.01 metres grading 1.32% Li2O (from 105.39 metres) including 5.35 metres averaging 2.62% Li2O in the spodumene core zone (from 107.15m); RL22-30: 6.44 metres grading 1.64% Li 2 O (from 117.82 metres); (from 117.82 metres); RL22-34: 10.74 metres grading 1.18% Li 2 O (from 99.76 metres); (from 99.76 metres); RL22-35: 9.9 metres grading 2.45% Li 2 O (from 97.2 metres); (from 97.2 metres); RL22-36: 6.46 metres grading 3.62% Li 2 O (from 96.24 metres); (from 96.24 metres); RL22-37: 8.39 metres grading 2.73% Li 2 O (from 99.36 metres); (from 99.36 metres); RL22-39: 6.91 metres grading 1.8% Li2O (from 117.16 metres); Pegmatite 1 Rubidium Bearing Microcline Intersection Highlights* RL22-33: 1.75 metres grading 1.43% Rb 2 O from 111.4 metres; from 111.4 metres; RL22-35: 2.44 metres grading 0.95% Rb 2 O from 97.2 metres; from 97.2 metres; RL22-41: 2.8 metres grading 0.84% Rb2O from 106.7 metres. * All intervals reported are downhole core lengths. Accurate true widths are unknown at this time but are estimated to be within 70-100% of the reported intervals based on the geometry of the bodies and structural measurements on oriented core. Phase 2 Drilling Twenty of the twenty-six holes drilled during Phase 2 of the 2022 drilling campaign were cored in Zone 1 and tested the up-dip and eastern extent of Pegmatites 1 and 3. Zone 1 is a stacked set of shallow dipping pegmatite dykes that make up the main target of the first stages of exploration of the Raleigh Lake project. Zone 1 pegmatites have been defined by drilling and surface exposures in an area exceeding 600 metres x 400 metres for Pegmatite 1. The Phase 2 drill holes were drilled interstitially to historic drill holes and the Company's previous drilling (Figure 1). Pierce points were planned to be at approximately 50 metre step outs from one another in preparation for a maiden resource calculation and to better define the core zone of Pegmatite 1 and its associated rubidium rich component. The high-grade core of Pegmatite 1 is trending up-dip towards the surface exposure (Figure 1 and 2). This trend provides an additional 250 metres of up-dip extension for the high-grade core from the current drilling, bringing a good portion of the target closer to surface. Additionally, there are several smaller spodumene bearing pegmatites intersected at deeper depths below Pegmatite 1 which the Company interprets as providing significant discovery potential below and to the north of the current target area. Six holes from Phase 2 were cored into Zone 2 targeting structures interpreted from airborne magnetic data and supported by lithogeochemical surveys showing elevated lithium concentrations. The down dip projection of Pegmatite 2, a small surface exposure of spodumene-bearing pegmatite approximately 750 metres northwest of Pegmatite 1 with a similar structural orientation, was also tested during this program but access to suitable drill sites was restricted due to topographical and terrain constraints. Results were encouraging with some spodumene bearing pegmatitic veins being intersected but more importantly the continuity of the Zone 2 pegmatites, which dip consistently to the southeast, project below Pegmatites 1 and 3 at Zone 1. The down dip potential of these spodumene-bearing dykes will be further investigated in future drill programs. A summary of the analytical results for Phase 2 is given in Table 2. Phase 3 Drilling The Company is now preparing for the third phase of drilling in 2022 where an additional 1,500 metres of drilling will test portions of the up-dip component to Pegmatite 1 and approximately 1,000 metres testing a number of shallow targets identified in Zones 5 and 6 that are road accessible. Table 1: Summary of drill holes cored during Phase 2 of the 2022 drill program at Raleigh Lake. Hole ID Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Depth (m) Elevation (m) Prospect RL22-19 575392 5474665 315 -50 101 461 ZONE 2 RL22-20 575577 5474468 290 -50 149 460 ZONE 2 RL22-21 575529 5474531 315 -50 110 458 ZONE 2 RL22-22 575481 5474545 315 -50 221 461 ZONE 2 RL22-23 575293 5473901 280 -50 176 469 ZONE 2 RL22-24 575318 5473994 285 -50 152 468 ZONE 2 RL22-25 576827 5473597 315 -75 170 480 ZONE 1 RL22-26 576792 5473573 315 -75 170 477 ZONE 1 RL22-27 576754 5473674 310 -50 170 482 ZONE 1 RL22-28 576757 5473674 35 -60 182 482 ZONE 1 RL22-29 576755 5473672 305 -70 149 482 ZONE 1 RL22-30 576719 5473585 310 -70 137 477 ZONE 1 RL22-31 576743 5473504 315 -70 194 480 ZONE 1 RL22-32 576673 5473551 315 -70 170 478 ZONE 1 RL22-33 576793 5473641 315 -80 149 481 ZONE 1 RL22-34 576746 5473651 315 -70 140 478 ZONE 1 RL22-35 576770 5473633 315 -70 150 478 ZONE 1 RL22-36 576710 5473618 315 -70 161 475 ZONE 1 RL22-37 576690 5473637 310 -70 151 474 ZONE 1 RL22-38 576693 5473567 315 -70 173 479 ZONE 1 RL22-39 576659 5473601 315 -70 152 474 ZONE 1 RL22-40 576724 5473671 305 -60 152 480 ZONE 1 RL22-41 576725 5473671 355 -58 137 480 ZONE 1 RL22-42 576621 5473543 315 -70 167 474 ZONE 1 RL22-43 576653 5473512 315 -70 185 478 ZONE 1 RL22-44 576616 5473478 315 -70 230 479 ZONE 1 Table 2: Summary of significant mineralized intersections from Phase 2 Drilling at Raleigh Lake. 2022 Raleigh Lake Drilling Program: PHASE II Results Pegmatite Intersections** Hole_ID From (m) To (m) Width (m) Cs2O (%) Li2O Rb2O Comments RL22-27 115.23 128.97 13.74 0.011 1.90 0.14 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom incl. 120.51 128.4 7.89 0.010 2.91 0.09 Higher grade core of Pegmatite 1 RL22-29 105.39 116.4 11.01 0.013 1.32 0.14 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom incl. 107.15 112.5 5.35 0.020 2.62 0.19 Higher grade core of Pegmatite 1 RL22-30 117.82 124.26 6.44 0.010 1.64 0.27 Peg #1 RL22-31 155.6 156.8 1.2 0.010 1.88 0.24 Peg #1 and 165.79 170 4.21 0.010 1.04 0.30 Peg #1 RL22-32 52.36 55.54 3.18 0.020 1.07 0.22 Peg #3 and 142.73 150.46 7.73 0.010 0.63 0.13 Peg #1 RL22-33 108.93 115.82 6.89 0.030 0.36 0.39 Peg #1 incl. 111.4 113.15 1.75 - - 1.43 Rb-rich core RL22-34 99.76 110.5 10.74 0.020 1.18 0.41 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-35 97.2 107.1 9.9 0.020 2.45 0.44 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom Incl. 97.2 99.64 2.44 - - 0.95 Rb-rich cap RL22-36 36.08 38.19 2.11 0.020 1.31 0.35 Peg #3 and 96.24 102.7 6.46 0.010 3.62 0.11 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-37 99.36 107.75 8.39 0.010 2.73 0.17 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-38 51.95 55.28 3.33 0.020 0.22 0.15 Peg #3 and 122.73 128.64 5.91 0.010 1.43 0.23 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-39 23.85 27.15 3.3 0.010 1.33 0.25 Peg #3 and 117.16 124.07 6.91 0.010 1.80 0.26 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-40 96.2 106.3 10.1 0.020 0.40 0.30 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom RL22-41 104.15 117.5 13.35 0.020 0.71 0.27 Pegmatite #1 top to bottom Incl. 106.7 109.5 2.8 - - 0.84 Rb-rich core RL22-42 140 146 6 0.010 1.12 0.21 Outer margins of Peg #1 RL22-43 57.25 61.4 4.15 0.020 1.15 0.37 Peg #3 and 153.55 160.45 6.9 0.010 1.10 0.24 Outer margins of Peg #1 RL22-44 50.5 54.1 3.6 0.040 1.48 0.20 Peg #3 and 164.5 168.9 4.4 0.010 0.39 0.30 Outer margins of Peg #1 ** All intervals reported in this table are downhole core lengths. Accurate true widths are unknown at this time but are estimated to be within 70-100% of the reported intervals based on the geometry of the bodies and structural measurements on oriented core. Figure 1: Approximate surface trace outline of Pegmatite 1 showing pierce points from drilling. Pegmatite 1 appears to have an enriched core trending up dip toward the northwest. The Company will investigate this enrichment trend in upcoming drill programs. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3232/137801_dc95b566e437bb6d_003full.jpg. Figure 2: Cartoon cross section A-A' (Figure 1) illustrating the orientation of Pegmatite 1 and the up-dip projection to its surface outcrop. Pegmatite 1 appears to have an enriched core, a rubidium rich zone in the form of a monomineralic microcline and is thicker than previously interpreted based on the exposed outcrop, which occurs in a heavily vegetated area. Note that smaller pegmatitic veins intersected in the drill holes are not shown. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3232/137801_dc95b566e437bb6d_004full.jpg. John Wisbey, Chairman and CEO of International Lithium Corp. commented: These are very good results with high grades of lithium and rubidium at Raleigh Lake, and we are increasingly enthusiastic about the prospects for this project. Now that we have our permissions in place for further drilling, we will shortly begin some of the additional drilling that we have been planning. We should be on track to produce a Maiden Resource Estimate for Raleigh Lake by the end of 2022. It should be stressed that the above results represent drilling on only about 8% of our 48,500 hectares for this project. Quality assurance/quality control procedures International Lithium Corp. has implemented a rigorous quality assurance/quality control program to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of diamond drill core. All assays are performed by Activation Laboratories Ltd. (ActLabs), with sample preparation and analysis carried out in their full-service facility in Dryden, Ontario. Sample preparation involves crushing the entire sample to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split 250g and pulverize to 95% passing 105 m (Code RX1). Primary analysis method: Peroxide (Total) Fusion, ICP-OES & ICP-MS with 55 elements that include detection levels for Li of 15ppm - 50,000ppm and rubidium of 0.4 to 5,000 ppm (Lab code UT7). Sodium peroxide fusion provides total metal recovery and is effective for the decomposition of sulphides and refractory minerals which are common to pegmatite. Over limit analysis method: Samples that return with results above the instruments detectable levels for lithium (50,000 ppm) and Rb (5,000 ppm) are then re-analyzed by Assay Grade, Peroxide (Total) Fusion (Code 8 Peroxide ICP-OES). The drill program was under the control of a Professional Geoscientist, registered with Engineers & Geoscientists British Columbia. The Company and its contractors carried out the program under full compliance with COVID-19 protocols based on guidelines issued by Public Health Ontario and provincial health authorities of Ontario to ensure the safety and health, for all personnel. About International Lithium Corp. International Lithium Corp. believes that the world faces a significant turning point in the energy market's dependence on oil and gas and in the governmental and public view of climate change. In addition, we have seen the clear and increasingly urgent wish by the USA and Canada to safeguard their supplies of critical battery metals and to become more self-sufficient. Our Canadian projects are strategic in that respect. Our key mission in the next decade is to make money for our shareholders from lithium and rare metals while at the same time helping to create a greener, cleaner planet. This includes optimizing the value of our existing projects in Canada and Ireland as well as finding, exploring and developing projects that have the potential to become world class lithium and rare metal deposits. A key goal has been to become a well-funded company to turn our aspirations into reality, and following the disposal of the Mariana project in Argentina in 2021 and the Mavis Lake project in Canada in January 2022, the Board of the Company considers that ILC is now well placed in that respect with a strong net cash position. The Company's interests in various projects now consists of the following, and in addition the Company continues to seek other opportunities: Name Location Area (Hectares) Current Ownership Percentage Future Ownership percentage if options exercised or work carried out Operator or JV Partner Raleigh Lake Ontario 48,500 100% 100% ILC Wolf Ridge Ontario 5,700 0% 100% ILC Avalonia Ireland 29,200 45% 21% Ganfeng Lithium Mavis Lake Ontario 2,600 0% 0% (carries an extra earn-in payment of CAD $1.4M if resource targets met) Critical Resources Ltd Forgan Lake & Lucky Lake Ontario < 500 0% 1.5% Net Smelter Royalty Ultra Lithium Inc. The Company's primary strategic focus at this point is on the Raleigh Lake lithium, rubidium and caesium project in Canada and on identifying additional properties. The Raleigh Lake project consists of 48,500 hectares (485 square kilometres) of mineral claims in Ontario and is ILC's most significant project in Canada. The exploration results there so far, which are on only about 8% of ILC's current claims, have shown significant quantities of rubidium and caesium in the pegmatite as well as lithium. Raleigh Lake is 100% owned by ILC, is not subject to any encumbrances, and is royalty free. With the increasing demand for high tech rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and electrical storage as well as portable electronics, lithium has been designated "the new oil", and is a key part of a "green tech" sustainable economy. By positioning itself with projects with significant resource potential and with solid strategic partners, ILC aims to be one of the lithium and rare metals resource developers of choice for investors and to continue to build value for its shareholders in the '20s, the decade of battery metals. Patrick McLaughlin, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has verified the disclosed technical information and has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. On behalf of the Company, John Wisbey Chairman and CEO www.internationallithium.com For further information concerning this news release please contact +1 604-449-6520 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. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact, this news release or other releases contain certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the effect of results of anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Raleigh Lake or Wolf Ridge or Avalonia projects, the expectation of resource estimates, preliminary economic assessments, feasibility studies, lithium or rubidium or caesium recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing various technologies at the company's projects, budgeted expenditures and planned exploration work on the Company's projects, increased value of shareholder investments, and assumptions about ethical behaviour by our joint venture partners or third party operators of projects. Such forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled "Risks" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in the interim and annual Management's Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic, legislative, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137801 Regulatory News: Mauna Kea Technologies (Euronext: MKEA) (Paris:MKEA) (OTCQX:MKEAY), inventor of Cellvizio, the multi-disciplinary probe and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (p/nCLE) platform, postpones release of its 2022 Half-Year Results, which was originally planned for September 22, 2022, to not later than October 31, 2022. The delay reflects the diversion of management resources as required to implement the Company's previously announced joint venture with Tasly Pharmaceutical. The company will release its new financial calendar shortly. About Mauna Kea Technologies Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company that manufactures and markets Cellvizio, the real-time in vivo cell imaging platform. This technology provides unique in vivo cellular visualization that allows physicians to monitor disease progression over time, assess responses as they occur, classify areas of uncertainty and guide surgical interventions. The Cellvizio platform is used in many countries around the world and in several medical specialties and is transforming the way physicians diagnose and treat patients. For more information, visit www.maunakeatech.com. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements about Mauna Kea Technologies and its business. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Mauna Kea Techonologies' financial condition, business, strategies, plans and objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. Mauna Kea Technologies believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions. However, no assurance can be given that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements will be achieved. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Chapter 3 of Mauna Kea Technologies' 2020 Universal Registration Document filed with the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) on June 17, 2021 under number D-21-0566 and the amendment to the Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on September 17, 2021, both of which are available on the Company's website (www.maunakeatech.fr ), as well as the risks associated with changes in economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Mauna Kea Technologies operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks that are unknown to Mauna Kea Technologies or that Mauna Kea Technologies does not currently consider material. The occurrence of some or all of these risks could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Mauna Kea Technologies to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or the solicitation of an order to buy or subscribe for, shares of Mauna Kea Technologies in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The distribution of this press release may be restricted in certain jurisdictions by local law. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to comply with all local regulations applicable to this document. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005939/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations NewCap Financial communication Thomas Grojean +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 maunakea@newcap.eu Desalinated Water Agreement Advanced as Part of Pre-Feasibility Planning Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) (OTCQX: LSANF) ("Los Andes" or the "Company") is pleased to report on progress on its Vizcachitas large-scale copper project in Chile. A letter of intent has been signed with Desala Petorca SPA to work on the project option to use desalinated seawater for the project ("Desala"). Desala is a firm dedicated to the development of water desalinization for water consumption and irrigation under a multi-purpose and multi-client scale. Desala is developing plans for a desalinated plant in the coast of Papudo, V Region, with a capacity of approximately 2,050 lts/sec. The agreement with Desala advances an important option for the project consistent with sustainable mining for copper which is an essential metal for electrification. R. Michael Jones, CEO of Los Andes, said: "We continue to advance our Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) on our world-class copper project with a target date of completion in Q4 2022. Advancing the engineering and project development plans to include the potential for collaboration on desalinated water adds an important sustainable option to the project. We have the opportunity in the Vizcachitas Copper Project to design a mine with sustainability as a core principle. The Desala collaboration when constructed can be a potential positive contributor to local water availability for our region." Operational Update In other work on the PFS, the team is finalizing the updated resource model to include the excellent results obtained so far in the 2022 drill program and complete the required iterations of the open pit mine plan. Optimizations of the mill and metallurgical work are underway using dry stack tailings and a high-pressure grinding rolls system to crush the ore for processing. These two features significantly reduce water and energy consumption in the process of taking rocks through to copper concentrate. The addition of the potential for the use of desalinated water makes Vizcachitas an excellent example of a truly modern large-scale mine designed to minimize environmental and social impacts. Los Andes Copper plans to resume exploration drilling soon with the objective of adding to the scale potential of the project outside the current PFS mine plans. The Company also is continuing its program of community engagement with a local development projects program and planned weekly meetings across the region. Los Andes Copper is increasing its interactions in the capital markets and has been gradually growing its following and institutional ownership. Recognition of copper as essential to electrification and the energy transition is increasing and as it does the universe of retail investor and institutional investment interest are both building. Copper is electricbynature. About Los Andes Copper Ltd. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is a development company with a 100% interest in the Vizcachitas Project in Chile. The Company is focused on progressing the Vizcachitas Project, which is located along Chile's most prolific copper belt, into production. Vizcachitas is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 120 km north of Santiago, Chile, in an area of good infrastructure. The National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") compliant report titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Vizcachitas Project" (the "PEA"), dated June 13, 2019, prepared by Tetra Tech, highlights that the Vizcachitas Project has a post-tax NPV (8% discount rate) of approximately USD$1.8 billion and an IRR of 20.77%, based on a USD$3 per pound copper price. The Vizcachitas Project has a Measured Resource of 254.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.439% copper and an Indicated Resource of approximately 1.03 billion tonnes at a grade of 0.385% copper. The PEA can be found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is listed on the TSX-V under the ticker: LA. Qualified Persons Antony Amberg CGeol FGS, the Company's President and CEO, is the qualified person under NI 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. For more information please contact: R. Michael Jones , P.Eng CEO rmj@losandescopper.com Tel: +44 203 4407982 E-Mail: info@losandescopper.com or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com Follow us on twitter @LosAndesCopper Follow us on LinkedIn Los Andes Copper Ltd Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), Securities Act (Ontario) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information. Such Forward Looking Information includes, without limitation, the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Debenture. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy, and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to 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, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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/137807 Sharp increase in revenue for the first half of 2022 of +58%, to 4.1 million (vs. H1 2021) 52% increase in gross margin in the first half of 2022, to 2.6 million Removal of the conditions precedent to the proposed capital increase with preferential subscription rights through the issue of shares with warrants attached (ABSA), guaranteed up to 5 million by Sanyou Medical Regulatory News: IMPLANET (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME plans) (Paris:ALIMP), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral implants, announces its results for the first half of the current fiscal year, ended June 30, 2022, as approved by the Board of Directors on September 19, 2022. Ludovic Lastennet, IMPLANET's Chief Executive Officer, stated: "The results for the first half of the year reflect the profound changes Implanet has undergone in recent months. The refocusing on our spine business has demonstrated its full potential, with the acceleration of our direct and export sales, despite a continuing slowdown in the United States' activity and the lack of staff in French care centers. Our agreement with Sanyou Medical, a leading manufacturer and distributor of spinal implants in China, is also a unique opportunity to strengthen our international presence by distributing the entire JAZZ product range in the world's largest market in terms of volume. We are also continuing our reorganization and synergy efforts following the acquisition of OSD, paying the utmost attention to rationalizing our fixed costs, while planning to extend our financial visibility shortly through a 5 million capital increase guaranteed by Sanyou Medical. The Company thus has all the necessary levers at its disposal to develop its product offering and pursue its innovation policy in order to position itself as a major player in spine surgery." In thousands IFRS Simplified income statement H1 2022 H1 2021 restated1 Variation Revenue 4,112 2,601 58% Cost of goods sold (1,502) (877) 71% Gross margin 2,611 1,723 52% Gross margin % 63.5% 66.3% (2.8) points Operating costs (4,798) (3,528) 36% Operating profit/loss (2,188) (1,805) (21%) Financial profit/loss (103) (120) 186% Net income from continuing operations (2,084) (1,925) (8%) Income and cost of disposal of discontinued operations 0 91 (100%) Net profit/loss net (2,084) (1,834) (14%) *Unaudited figures Revenue In the first half of 2022, the Spine activity increased by 1.6 (+59% growth) from 2.58 million to 4.09 million, due to both the organic growth of Implanet's Spine activity (+21%) and the acquisition of OSD (1.08 million). The Knee and Arthro activity, mainly related to a commission paid by SERF for the continuity of regulatory obligations during the transitional period, was stable at 0.02 million. In France, the Spine activity has increased by 1.7, from 1.04 million to 1.80 million. Activity in the United States remains below last year's level, with revenue of 0.80 million in H1 2022 compared to 0.89 million in H1 2021. In the rest of the world, export activity increased by 2.3 from 0.65 million to 1.49 million. Gross margin and operating income Gross profit increased by 52% to 2.61 million in the first half of 2022, compared with 1.72 million in 2021. Operating expenses increased by 1.27 million over the period compared to the first half of 2021, mainly due to OSD's structural costs, which were accounted for 6 months in 2022 compared to 1.6 months in 2021. These costs also include additional amortization of intangible assets created as part of the allocation of the acquisition price of OSD. After taking into account the financial result, the loss from continuing operations was -2.08 million at June 30, 2022, compared to -1.93 million at June 30, 2021. It should be noted that the result of the MADISONTM activity sold to SERF was 0.09 million at June 30, 2021. Cash position As of June 30, 2022, Implanet had 0.5 million in cash. In parallel, the payment of the balance of the MADISONTM activity, for a total amount of 2.3 million, is spread over time depending on the achievement of regulatory milestones related to the CE marking, of which 0.6 million is expected in 2022 and 0.9 million in the first half of 2023. In addition, as announced in the press releases of June 29, 2022 and September 19, 2022 relating to the commercial, technological and financial partnership with Sanyou Medical, it is planned to carry out, before October 31, 2022, after the fulfillment of conditions precedent, a capital increase with maintenance of the preferential subscription right by issue of ABSA, guaranteed up to 5M2 by the partner Sanyou Medical. Finally, as a result of this partnership with Sanyou Medical, the Company has decided to terminate the issuance of new convertible bonds in the framework of the equity line provided by Nice Green signed on January 13, 2021. Capital reduction Under the terms of the resolutions adopted at the Extraordinary General Meeting held on second call on June 9, 2022, and in the absence of opposition from creditors to the said reduction in share capital, the Board of Directors on September 19, 2022 noted the definitive completion of the capital reduction. Thus, the share capital was reduced from 2,130,158.40 to 213,015.84 by reducing the nominal value of the share from 0.10 to 0.01. As a result, the share capital is composed of 21,301,584 shares with a par value of one (1) euro cent each. Following the capital reduction, the number of shares making up the share capital remains identical, as does the amount of shareholders' equity, since the total amount of the capital reduction, i.e. the sum of 1,917,142.56, has been allocated to the "share premium" account and is unavailable. At the same meeting, the Board of Directors also noted the adjustment of the rights of certain holders of securities giving access to the capital as a result of the capital reduction. Reminder of the first half of 2022 highlights First surgeries in the United States with JAZZ PF, an innovative solution from the JAZZ line ? First surgeries in the U.S. with the ORIGIN Cervical Spine Plate marking the first successful synergies with OSD products ? Signature of a commercial, technological and financial partnership with Sanyou Medical, the second largest Chinese manufacturer of medical devices for spinal surgery: Distribution agreement for Implanet's JAZZ platform in China, the world's largest market (by volume) for spine surgery; Technology partnership: joint development of a new European range of hybrid fastening systems; Financial partnership: proposed capital increase with preferential subscription rights through the issue of shares with warrants attached (ABSA), guaranteed to the tune of 5 million by the partner Sanyou Medical. Strategy and outlook Finalize the globalization of our product offer for spinal surgery: Perpetuate the product synergies initiated in 2021 on our priority direct sales markets; Address the emerging issues of group purchasing in both the public and private sectors; Accelerate our innovation by combining the know-how of our Company and that of Sanyou Medical within the framework of the technological partnership agreement, which will be concluded by December 31, 2022 at the latest, to rapidly develop a complete new range of hybrid fixation systems, intended for Western markets and including the latest advances and innovations in spine surgery (deformity, minimally-invasive, robotics, artificial intelligence, etc.). Reinvigorate our presence in the United States: Provide permanent human support to the historical team; Strengthen our direct approach by expanding our scientific team of thought leaders; Launch in 2022 two product lines resulting from the acquisition of OSD, SWINGO and ORIGIN. Commercialize our JAZZ range in China, through a distribution agreement with Sanyou Medical to be concluded by December 31, 2022. China is the world's largest potential market in terms of volume for Implanet's JAZZ technology with 15,000 pediatric scoliosis surgeries and 750,000 adult surgeries. Capitalize on strategic partnerships to enable Implanet to pass a new milestone and serenely envisage a turnover allowing to reach financial balance in the medium term. Upcoming events : Annual Congress of the SFNCL (French Society of Liberal Neurosurgeons) in Lyon on October 01, 2022 North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, October 12-14, 2022 EUROSPINE (European Spine Society) annual congress in Milan, October 19 21, 2022 Upcoming financial event: 2022 Third-Quarter Revenue, October 18, 2022 after market close About IMPLANET Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around a comprehensive innovative solution for improving the treatment of spinal pathologies (JAZZ) complemented by the product range offered by Orthopaedic Spine Development (OSD), acquired in May 2021 (thoraco-lumbar screws, cages and cervical plates). Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on the traceability of its products. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark in Europe and ANVISA approval in Brazil. IMPLANET employs 39 staff and recorded a consolidated revenue of 6.1 million in 2021. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET opened a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. IMPLANET is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris. For further information, please visit www.Implanet.com. The Company would like to remind readers that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80 1 Following the divestment of the Madison business segment, the consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of IFRS 5 relating to discontinued operations. 2 Please refer to the press release dated June 29, 2022 available on its website at the following address: https://www.implanet-invest.com/IMG/pdf/-108.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006003/en/ Contacts: IMPLANET Ludovic Lastennet, General Manager David Dieumegard, Chief Financial Officer Tel: 05 57 99 55 55 investors@implanet.com NewCap Investor Relations Mathilde Bohin Nicolas Fossiez Tel: 01 44 71 94 94 implanet@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Arthur Rouille Tel: 01 44 71 94 94 implanet@newcap.eu A man convicted in the murder of his high school student ex-girlfriend in 1999, which was chronicled in the revolutionary hit true-crime podcast "Serial," has been ordered released by a Baltimore judge. After prosecutors uncovered new evidence, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered the 2000 murder conviction of Adnan Syed for the strangling death of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min-Lee be vacated, allowing his release from prison after 22 years, the Assoiated Press reported. In light of the new evidence, Phinn ruled that the state of Maryland violated its legal obligation to share evidence that would have strengthened Syed's defense. Phinn also ordered that Syed be placed in home detention on round-the-clock GPS location monitoring. The judge also said that prosecutors should decide within 30 days if they would seek a new trial or dismiss the case. Syed was serving a life sentence for the murder of the 18-year-old Lee, whose remains were found in a Baltimore park. 'Brady Violation' Noted in Conviction of Syed Last week, prosecutors filed a motion noting that a lengthy investigation in collaboration with the defense showed new evidence that could challenge the 2000 conviction of Syed. Read Also: 10 Programming Podcasts to Listen to in 2022 This investigation uncovered new details "regarding two alternative suspects, as well as unreliable cell phone tower data," State Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office noted in a news release last week. The other suspects were known persons of interest at the time of the original investigation but weren't ruled out nor disclosed to the defense, said prosecutors, who turned down the release of information on the suspects due to the ongoing investigation. Maryland prosecutors said the failure to divulge alternative suspects to defense attorneys was called a Brady violation. After the hearing, Mosby said investigators are still awaiting results of "DNA analysis" before they determine if they would seek a new trial date or dismiss the case against Syed and "certify his innocence." Prosecutors Not Asserting Syed's innocence, Lacked Confidence in the Integrity of Conviction Prosecutors said they were not yet asserting Syed's innocence but lacked confidence "in the integrity of the conviction" and recommended his release. In 2016, a lower court ordered a retrial for Syed on the grounds that his attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, who died in 2004, didn't call an alibi witness to the stand and was an ineffective counsel, Engadget reported. But after a series of appeals, Maryland's highest court, in a 4-3 vote, denied a new trial in 2019. The Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that Syed's legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it did not agree that this deficiency weakened Syed's case. Syed himself waived his ineffective counsel claim, the court said. The U.S. Supreme Court also turned down a review of Syed's case in 2019. The true-crime series "Serial" was created by radio producer and Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig, who investigated Syed's case and reported findings almost in real-time in hour-long segments during the podcast, which bagged a Peabody Award and generated mass attention to the then emerging genre. Related Article: YouTube Is Now Introducing Podcasts on Explore Page Not for release, publication or distribution in or into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan BLACKROCK GREATER EUROPE INVESTMENT TRUST plc LEI - 5493003R8FJ6I76ZUW55 Tender Offer The Board of BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust plc (the Company) announces that it has decided not to implement a semi-annual tender offer in November 2022. Over the six months to 31 August 2022, the average discount to net asset value (cum income) (NAV) was 4.5% and the discount to NAV on a cum income basis (diluted for treasury shares) as at close of business on 16 September 2022 was 5.0%. Given this, and the current volatility in the general market as well as in the Company's shares, the Board has therefore concluded that it is not in the interests of shareholders as a whole to implement a semi-annual tender offer in November 2022. The Board will continue to monitor the Company's discount to NAV and will look to buy back shares and/or operate six monthly tender offers if it is deemed to be in the interests of shareholders as a whole. 20 September 2022 For further information, please contact: Melissa Gallagher - 020 7743 3893 BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited Tunga Chigovanyika - 020 7397 1915 Cenkos Securities plc BANGALORE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Holography Market is Segmented By Type (Holographic Display, Holographic Microscope, Full Image Photography Software), By Application (Academic Medical Center, Hospitals, Clinics, Research Laboratory, Biotech Companies): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Medical Devices & Equipment Category. Medical Holography Market size is estimated to be worth USD 389 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 1044.7 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 17.9% during the review period. Major factors driving the growth of the Medical Holography Market The increasing clinical application of holography and the adoption of holographic products in medical imaging, biomedical research, and education purposes will drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-29F4046/Global_Medical_Holography_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE MEDICAL HOLOGRAPHY MARKET A medical holography display develops 3D holograms of cells, organs, and tissues which can be studied from various angles. The technology helps in research and studying the effects of drugs on individual patients. Understanding complex anatomy becomes easier. The imaging tool aids medical professionals with advanced diagnostic abilities and surgical planning. It is expanding rapidly in the field of healthcare and life sciences thereby driving the growth of the medical holography market. The virtual body parts, tissue, and organs can be sliced from multiple dimensions and access to percutaneous procedures become smooth without the need for invasive needle techniques. Furthermore, surgeons are able to scrutinize the holograms for increasing the effectiveness of complex surgeries. Radiologists use holograms to detect injury or fracture in the hard or soft tissue of patients. The innovative imaging technique not only enhances safety but also stores all the medical records of a patient digitally. The medical holography display is used in radiology examinations like chest, genitourinary, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, head, neck, and paediatry. The virtual 3D images capture more information and do not require the need for physical intervention. This will fuel the growth of the medical holography market. The technology aids in the planning of surgical methods by guiding invasive procedures. Medical education is revolutionized through the use of holograms. Complex subjects can be explained easily right in front of the students surging the demand for the medical holography market in the forecast period. Learners can walk through surgical procedures in a virtual environment. The holography technology offers 3D floating projections using a mix of MR( Mixed Reality) and the physical world. The visuals remain present at all times and the holograms appear in real space passing through a device. Professionals are able to zoom in and zoom out by magnifying the organ or tissue. The visuals are indistinguishable in a scanning procedure and make the treatment process seamless with live interactions. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-29F4046/global-medical-holography MEDICAL HOLOGRAPHY MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on type, the holographic display segment will grow the highest in the medical holography market share due to huge applications in the medical imaging field for guided therapies and visualization in minimally invasive procedures, coronary interventions, arrhythmias, and heart surgeries. Key players are focusing on technological advancements. Based on application, the research laboratory segment will witness considerable growth due to rising investments in R&D initiatives using holographic imaging. While the academic medical center segment will grow the fastest as medical holograms are significantly better teaching tools than conventional methods due to sharpness and detailed visualization. Teachers and students collaborate in a virtual environment without the need for cadavers. Based on region, North America will be the most lucrative market due to the demand for radiation-free medical imaging along with the increasing geriatric population. It is followed by Europe and Asia-pacific. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-29F4046/Global_Medical_Holography_Market Key Players Zebra Imaging Realview Imaging Holoxica Echopixel Eon Reality Nanolive Zspace Lyncee Tec Ovizio Imaging Systems Inquire for Chaptercost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-29F4046/Global_Medical_Holography_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-29F4046&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - Medical Holography Device market size is estimated to be worth USD 528.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 1085.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 12.7% during the review period. - Automotive Holographic Display market size is estimated to be worth USD 2042.7 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 5329.2 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 17.3% during the review period. - Holographic Imaging Market size is projected to reach USD 2628.1 million by 2027, from USD 710.9 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 20.0% during 2021-2027. - The augmented and virtual reality market size was valued at D14.84 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach D454.73 billion by 2030, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 40.7%. - The global Mixed Reality market size is projected to reach USD 2482.9 million by 2028, from USD 331.4 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 28.7% during 2022-2028. - The global Augmented Reality Market size is projected to reach USD 3664.5 Million by 2026, from USD 849 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 27.6% during 2020-2026. - The global Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market size are projected to reach USD 4367 million by 2027, from USD 962.6 million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.6% during 2021-2027. - The global Virtual Reality (VR) market size is projected to reach USD 26860 million by 2027, from USD 7719.6 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 19.0% during 2021-2027. - The global Extended Reality market size is projected to reach USD 67870 million by 2028, from USD 25310 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 15.0% during 2022-2028. - The global AR and VR Lens market size is estimated to be worth USD 441.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 1006 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 14.7% during the review period. - Medical Terminology Software market size is projected to reach USD 1227.4 million by 2028, from USD 575.8 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.9% during 2022-2028. - Medical Second Opinion market size is projected to reach USD 15390 million by 2027, from USD 3938 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 21.8% during 2021-2027. - Digital Holography market size is projected to reach USD 7916.4 million by 2028, from USD 2663.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 16.5% during 2022-2028. - Holographic Tear Tape market was valued at USD 2526 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 3080.2 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 2.9% during 2021-2027. - The global Medical Supplies market size is projected to reach USD 329030 Million by 2028, from USD 202430 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 7.1% during 2022-2028. - The global Disposable Medical Supplies market size is projected to reach USD 314410 Million by 2028, from USD 224050 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.9% during 2022-2028. - Global Semi-Transparent Holographic Display Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Hologram Technology Market Research Report 2022 - Global Digital Holographic Display Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Holographic Microscopes Market Research Report 2021 - Global Touchable Holographic Display Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Portable Holographic Display Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Cylindrical Lenses Market Research Report 2022 - Global Holographic Television Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Laser Holographic Film Market Research Report 2022 - Holographic Sights Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Transdermal Patch market size is estimated to be worth USD 7058.3 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 8726.9 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.6% during the review period. - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Disposable Medical Textiles market size is estimated to be worth USD 6077.6 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 9223.6 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 7.2% during the review period. - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Medical Nonwoven Disposables market size is estimated to be worth USD 16390 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 20380 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.7% during the review period. - The Medical Device Outsourcing market size is estimated to be valued at USD 74220 Million in 2021 and projected to reach USD 142960 Million by 2028, recording a CAGR of 9.7%. - Global Medical Supply Columns Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Click here to see related reports on Medical Holography Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. 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CONTACT US: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/medical-holography-market-to-grow-usd-1044-7-million-by-2028-with-a-cagr-of-17-9--valuates-reports-301628565.html Vallourec signed a 10-year agreement with Saudi Aramco for the supply of Premium Casing and Services Meudon (France), 20September 2022 - Vallourec, world leader in premium tubular solutions, has signed a 10-year agreement with Saudi Aramco for the supply of Premium Casing and Services. The associated orders will be manufactured and delivered by Vallourec's plant in Saudi Arabia. The agreement strengthens the existing relationship between the Group and the Saudi national company. This agreement will cover part of Saudi Aramco's needs for Premium OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods) solutions for its drilling operations. It includes the supply of Premium Casing as well as Inventory Management services. As part of the iktva (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) program launched by Saudi Aramco, Vallourec has submitted a comprehensive plan that makes a significant contribution to the development of local production in Saudi Arabia over the long term. This contract is on a call-off basis, placed every quarter during the term of the agreement. The first two on-call orders have already been received, with delivery scheduled for early 2023. This agreement represents a key achievement for Vallourec in Saudi Arabia. It paves the way for a joint roadmap focused on innovation, services, and energy transition. It provides Vallourec Saudi Arabia with solid outlook for its presence in the region. "This first Long-Term Agreement is a strong recognition by Saudi Aramco that Vallourec is a long-term strategic partner for the years to come. It is an important milestone in the long history of Vallourec with Saudi Aramco, paving the way for extended collaboration with clear opportunities to introduce our wide range of innovative solutions while enhancing our footprint in the Kingdom.I would like to thank Saudi Aramco for its confidence" said Philippe Guillemot, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. About Vallourec Vallourec is a world leader in premium tubular solutions for the energy markets and for demanding industrial applications such as oil & gas wells in harsh environments, new generation power plants, challenging architectural projects, and high-performance mechanical equipment. Vallourec's pioneering spirit and cutting edge R&D open new technological frontiers. With close to 17,000 dedicated and passionate employees in more than 20 countries, Vallourec works hand-in-hand with its customers to offer more than just tubes: Vallourec delivers innovative, safe, competitive and smart tubular solutions, to make every project possible. Listed on Euronext in Paris (ISIN code: FR0013506730, Ticker VK), Vallourec is part of the CAC Mid 60, SBF 120 and Next 150 indices and is eligible for Deferred Settlement Service. In the United States, Vallourec has established a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program (ISIN code: US92023R4074, Ticker: VLOWY). Parity between ADR and a Vallourec ordinary share has been set at 5:1. For further information, please contact: Investor relations Investor.relations@vallourec.com (mailto:Investor.relations@vallourec.com) Press relations Heloise Rothenbuhler Tel: +33 (0)1 41 03 77 50 h eloise.rothenbuhler@vallourec.com Individual shareholders Toll Free Number (from France): 0 800 505 110 actionnaires@vallourec.com (mailto:actionnaires@vallourec.com) Attachment The "Global Data Center Outsourcing Market Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global data center outsourcing market was evaluated at US$180.144 billion for the year 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.53%, reaching the market size of US$245.596 billion by the year 2027. Data center outsourcing is described as a set of services supplied by specialized IT businesses for the deployment, maintenance, monitoring, and optimal operation of data center infrastructure and associated components. Because of their management experience, the consumer organization outsources these activities to specialized IT providers. The rise in demand for shared infrastructure services, as well as the growth of numerous industries, resulted in increased demand for virtual storage services, a boost in the levels of expenditure incurred on various IT and business technology services, and an increase in market research and development activities, are all major factors boosting the data center outsourcing market. Furthermore, during the projection period, technical improvements and modernization in manufacturing practices, as well as increased demand from emerging economies, will generate new opportunities for the data center outsourcing market in the forecast period mentioned above. However, a lack of expertise and skilled professionals in data center outsourcing services, as well as an increase in the complications in the infrastructure of various data centers, resulting in complicated integration of various consumer data, are among the major factors limiting market growth and will continue to challenge the data center outsourcing market during the forecast period. Over the projected period, the technology and communications sector are expected to maintain a considerable market share and grow at a significant rate. This is owing to the belief that the Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) industry is expanding to effectively and efficiently handle the growing amount of data and resources being generated, which is driving up data center operations and maintenance costs and complexity. As a result, data center outsourcing is becoming more popular among large and mid-sized businesses, driving up demand for these services. During the projected period, the small enterprise's segment is expected to hold the highest market share. Smaller businesses are more likely to use data center outsourcing services to help them grow and access new market areas. Furthermore, outsourcing services assist small corporations in reducing data center infrastructure costs. Because of their disaster recovery capabilities, these services also help with business continuity. During the forecast period, this is projected to propel the data center outsourcing market. Because of the well-developed Information, Communication, and Technology sector in countries like the United States, the North American region is predicted to hold a major market share and increase at a significant rate throughout the forecast. Furthermore, its dominance in this region is due to rising investments in data center outsourcing and new data center openings, which are raising demand for data center outsourcing and driving market growth. For example, Google recently unveiled its 2020 expansion plans in February 2020. This development strategy will allow Google to expand its footprint in 11 US states. Google has planned to contribute roughly US $10 billion to help states like California create offices and data centers. Segmentation By Enterprise Size Small Medium Large By Data Center Location Customer Premises Vendor Premises By Industry Vertical Banking Financial Services Manufacturing Communication Technology Healthcare Government By Geography North America USA Canada Mexico South America Brazil Argentina Europe United Kingdom Germany France Italy Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia Israel Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Indonesia Thailand Taiwan Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 5. Global Data Center Outsourcing Market Analysis, by Enterprise Size 6. Global Data Center Outsourcing Market Analysis, by Data Center Location 7. Global Data Center Outsourcing Market Analysis, by Industry Vertical 8. Global Data Center Outsourcing Market Analysis, by Geography 9. Competitive Environment and Analysis 10. Company Profiles Companies Mentioned IBM NTT DATA, Inc. QTS Realty Trust, Inc. Ensono Accenture Cognizant Atos SE Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Capgemini Infosys Limited HCL Technologies Limited Wipro Limited For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qjcsru View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006093/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T. Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 20 September 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 50,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 817.80 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 8,232,442; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 216,758,861. The figure of 216,758,861 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetina today introduced its upcoming NVIDIA Jetson-based edge AI computers powered by Jetson Orin Nano system-on-modules (SOM) that have set a new baseline for entry-level edge AI and robotics, as announced during NVIDIA GTC . The new NVIDIA Jetson-based edge computing devices, part of the Aetina DeviceEdge family, can be used as both an embedded computer and a standalone computer. These devices are designed with multiple types of I/O connectors, making them compatible with different sensors including MIPI, USB, and IP cameras. The edge AI computers also have several kinds of expansion slots to support hardware components such as storage, wireless communication, and out-of-band remote management modules. Aetina's upcoming Jetson-based edge AI computers include four models-AIB-SO21, AIE-KO21, AIB-MO22, and AIE-KO22. All models have a wide power input range from 12 to 24V DC, support 128GB M.2 2242 NVME SSD, provide wide operating temperature ranges, and are capable of data recovery and backup in case of operating system crash. The differences between these models are that AIB-SO21 and AIE-KO21 are designed with an M.2 E-Key 2230 slot and an RJ-45 GbE Port, while AIB-MO22 and AIE-KO22 are designed with 1 x B-Key/1 x E-Key/1 x M-Key slot, 1 x RJ-45 GbE Port, and 1 x RJ45 2.5GbE Port. Due to their I/O connectors and expansion slots, the four models, with high compatibility with different peripherals, can be easily integrated into most AI systems to process image and video data at the edge. Moreover, Aetina continues to build on the significant momentum behind the NVIDIA Jetson Orin platform worldwide. This includes other new members of the Aetina's DeviceEdge family that are powered by NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin, and future Jetson-based edge AI computers that support NVIDIA Orin NX. As an Elite member of the NVIDIA Partner Network, Aetina offers various edge AI computers that support NVIDIA Jetson, including those with a customized combination of different I/O connectors and expansion slots based on the needs from global partners and clients for any particular application. With these reliable Jetson-based AI computers, Aetina helps partners and clients develop a variety of edge AI, robotics, AIoT, and embedded solutions, and then deploy and scale their applications on these computers in smart cities, smart factories, smart healthcare, and smart retail. During GTC, learn additional details about the Jetson Orin platform, including the new Orin Nano, at " The NVIDIA Jetson Roadmap for Edge AI and Robotics" session on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 10AM PDT, and available on demand thereafter. About Aetina Aetina Corporation, founded in 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan, is a leading provider of edge AI solutions for various vertical applications. With a focus on the global AI market, Aetina provides advanced edge computing hardware, AI management software, and long-term support to help partners and clients successfully build innovative edge AI systems. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1899741/Aetina_Announces_Upcoming_Edge_AI_Computers_Powered_New_NVIDIA_Jetson.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1777543/Aetina_Corporation_Logo_Logo.jpg The contract signed between ICEYE and SAB Launch Services includes the launch of two SAR satellites on VEGA-C, operated by Arianespace PARIS, Sept. 20, 2022, a company part of the SAB group specialized in Small Satellite launch service provision on Arianespace missions, and ICEYE , the global leader in persistent monitoring with radar satellite imaging, have signed an agreement to fly two Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites on the first VEGA-C SSMS mission in Q1 2023. Owning the world's largest SAR satellite constellation, ICEYE delivers proven and reliable Earth Observation solutions and is the only organization in the world to offer the rapid delivery of high-precision SAR satellites and data to its customers, allowing them to take full control of their mission. "We are excited to be launching a pair of our SAR satellites in early 2023 and to continuously grow our SAR constellation," said Alois Lepatre, Launch Manager at ICEYE. "SAB has been extremely supportive of our integration and orbit needs, and we acknowledge the flexibility and ownership we were given by being able to select an orbit that meets our specific requirements." "SAB is very proud to announce the signature of this Launch Service agreement which is a big achievement for our company, which can now be recognized also as a Launch Service provider for Microsatellites, in particular for one of the most relevant constellations in the world", commented Marco Mariani, CEO of SAB Launch Services, during the event organized at IAC. "This agreement shows the appreciation from commercial customers for VEGA Services, including those used to take advantage of Non-European launch services in the past. I think that the service we are able to offer is very peculiar since it leverages on VEGA performance and on the SSMS System. Therefore, we can provide spots in rideshare missions, flying the satellites not-cantilevered, and offering our customers the possibility to select the orbit. I see these three factors as a winning mix, which places our entire organization in a unique position to compete and win on the worldwide launch market. ICEYE is definitely a very important partner and we will do our best to reinforce this cooperation." The partnership between SAB and ICEYE highlights the appreciation from commercial customers for the modularity and flexibility provided by the VEGA-C launcher System in combination with the SSMS Dispenser. The two ICEYE spacecraft will be flown on VEGA-C mission VV23, the first flight of the SSMS on the new rocket, which had a successful maiden flight in July. The two spacecraft will be accommodated in VV23 on the upper part of the SSMS dispenser together with the two main passengers of this mission. The final aggregate counts a total of 5 microsatellites and a large number of deployers including institutional as well commercial cubesats customers from all over the world. Thanks to the AVUM performance, the aggregate will be released in 3 different orbits, whereas one of them has been specifically selected by ICEYE. About SAB Launch Services SAB Launch Services S.r.l. (SAB-LS) is a company part of SAB group offering launch services on European Launchers for all kind of Small Satellites. SAB-LS offers "end to end" services including launch procurement, separation system procurement, integration activities of the satellite on the launch vehicle structure, In-Orbit Services, pre- and post-launch support. Due to the flexible and direct access to launch capacity afforded by the SAB-LS partnership with Arianespace, SAB-LS is the key European firm serving Nanosatellite and Microsatellites customers looking to launch on European vehicles. For more information, visit https://www.sablaunchservices.com/. Media Contact: rpatricio@sabls.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8046a014-0c04-4bb4-9546-868feca62026 HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Word of God says in Proverbs 4, 5: "Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding." Thus, University of St. Thomas - Houston (UST) offers a Master of Arts in Sacred Scripture (MASE) and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology (MATP). Both paths of study have the primary function of making us grow in the knowledge and love of God through intellectual and spiritual cultivation. This implies better living the call to holiness, the personal and community relationship with God, and serving in the construction of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Church and society. UST is a pioneer as a Catholic university in offering these master's degrees 100% online and in Spanish. Students can take any of these postgraduate degrees in person or online, as these options help each student adapt according to their needs. All the professors of our master's degrees have a doctorate level: Ph.D. or S.T.D (Pontifical Doctorates). These master's degrees have been pedagogically designed to be completed in a cycle of two years or six regular academic semesters, including summer semesters. The curriculum for each master's degree consists of 12 courses or 36 units of academic credits. Students do not need to present an English exam (ESL or TOEFL). Currently, the program has students from Japan, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Venezuela, and Mexico. To learn more about these programs please email maestria@stthom.edu or call 1-800-344-3984 About University of St. Thomas University of St. Thomas - Houston is a comprehensive university, grounded in the liberal arts. Committed to the unity of all knowledge, UST offers programs in the traditional liberal arts, professional and skills-based disciplines. Graduates of the University of St. Thomas think critically, communicate effectively, succeed professionally and lead ethically. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1849685/UST_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/master-of-theology-in-spanish-301628786.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The former CEO and co-founder of Twitter Inc. (TWTR) Jack Dorsey was questioned on Tuesday morning by Twitter lawyers as well as Elon Musk lawyers as part of the court case over the Tesla owner's back tracking from the $44 billion acquisition deal, asper a notice of a deposition filed on Monday. Dorsey, who had stepped down as CEO of Twitter in November 2021 and remained on the company board until late May has earlier been summoned by Musk's team for information, like all the documents and communications of the merger agreement and also those 'reflecting, referring to, or relating to the impact or effect of false or spam accounts on Twitter's business and operations.' It was in July last year that Elon Musk had decided to call off the deal over allegations that the company had given false information about the number of fake and spam accounts on its social media handle. Following Musk's declaration, Twitter had filed a case against Musk to go ahead with his side of the deal. Before Musk decided to call off the deal, Dorsey had expressed optimism about a possible Musk buyout of the company. Just after the acquisition was announced, Dorsey had tweeted, 'Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness.' Dorsey's deposition comes as Musk's team widens its case against Twitter. A judge had earlier in September declared in favor of Musk that he could add to claims based on the statements of former Twitter head of security Peiter Zatko, who has accused his former employee of risking the safety and security of its clients. Last week, Musk's lawyers had made public its latest counterclaims, which claim that Zatko's disclosure and the events surrounding it 'have revealed that the misrepresentations regarding mDAU or monetizable daily active users were only one component of a broader conspiracy among Twitter executives to deceive the public, its investors, and the government about the dysfunction at the heart of the company.' In response, Twitter has rubbished Zatko's allegations saying that they give a wrong image of the company and Elon Musk's claims are 'factually inaccurate, legally insufficient and commercially irrelevant.' From October 17, both Twitter and Elon Musk will embark upon a five-day trial over the issue. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX TESLA-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Psyence Group, Nextech AR, Eloro Resources, and Baselode Energy discussing their latest news. The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives. Psyence Group (CSE:PSYG) receives Phase IIa clinical trial approval from the UK MHRA Psyence Group (CSE:PSYG) has received approval for its Phase IIa clinical trial from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The clinical trial will assess the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy versus psychotherapy alone for the treatment of adjustment disorder due to an incurable cancer diagnosis. Psyence CEO, Dr. Neil Maresky, sat down with Daniella Atkinson to discuss the news. For the full interview with Dr. Neil Maresky and to learn about Psyence Group, click here. Nextech AR Solutions (CSE:NTAR) (OTCQB:NEXCF) receives large 3D model purchase order from enterprise customer Nextech AR Solutions Corp. (NTAR) has received a purchase order for 7,500 3D models. The company expects to announce additional add-on orders from this multi-year enterprise deal. Nextech AR CEO Evan Gappelberg sat down with Daniella Atkinson to discuss the news. For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn about Nextech AR Solutions, click here. Eloro Resources (TSXV:ELO) announces further high-grade assays from the Iska Iska Project Eloro (ELO) has released assays from 21 diamond drill holes on its Iska Iska Project in Bolivia. Drilling continues to expand the Santa Barbara high-grade feeder zone facilitated by new borehole geophysical data. Bill Pearson, Executive VP of Exploration, spoke with Sabrina Cuthbert about the results. For the full interview with Bill Pearson and to learn about Eloro, click here. Baselode (TSXV:FIND) reports best intersection to date from ACKIO uranium discovery Baselode Energy (FIND) has unveiled its best result to date from the ACKIO uranium discovery. AK22-069 yielded 0.90 per cent U3O8 over 31 m, including 1.86 per cent U3O8 over 12.5 m and 5.61 per cent U3O8 over 0.5 m. President and CEO James Sykes spoke with Sabrina Cuthbert about the new intersection. For the full interview with James Sykes and to learn about Baselode Energy, click here. Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald. About The Market Herald The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets. DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. 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Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information. CONTACT: The Market Herald marketing@themarketherald.ca themarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716786/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-Psyence-Group-Nextech-AR-Eloro-Resources-and-Baselode-Energy-Discussing-Their-Latest-News Emmy-winning actor Lee Jung-jae has tested positive for the coronavirus, his management agency said Tuesday. "Lee received a PCR test after returning home and got a positive result," said Artist Company. "Currently, he has halted all schedules and is in self-isolation at home in accordance with guidelines from quarantine authorities." Lee went to the United States for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles on Sept. 11, where he became the first ever non-English speaking performer to win best drama series actor for his role in the global phenomenon "Squid Game." Then, he participated in the Toronto International Film Festival for the North American premiere of his directorial debut "Hunt" and returned to Korea on Sunday. Other "Squid Game" team members Park Hae-soo and Jung Ho-yeon, who also attended the Emmy award ceremony, have tested negative for the virus. (Yonhap) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2022 / Hannan Metals Limited ("Hannan" or the "Company") (TSXV:HAN)(OTC PINK:HANNF) is pleased to announce that Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.A and TECK.B, NYSE: TECK) ("Teck") has agreed to make a strategic investment in the Company by way of a private placement financing (the "Private Placement"). Pursuant to the Private Placement, Teck will subscribe for 9,180,000 common shares (the "Common Shares") of Hannan at a price of $0.28 per Common Share (the "Issue Price") for gross proceeds to Hannan of approximately C$2.57 million. Prior to the Private Placement, Teck held no securities of Hannan. Upon closing of the Private Placement, it is expected that Teck will hold 9.0% of the issued common shares of Hannan. No finder's fees or commissions are payable on the Private Placement. Closing of the Private Placement is expected to occur on or before October 7, 2022 (the "Closing Date"), subject to certain customary conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Common Shares will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day following the Closing Date. Michael Hudson, CEO, states, "Teck's investment in Hannan is a demonstrable vote of confidence in the technical merits of the Company's projects as well as our team. Over the last two years Hannan has recognized the significant potential for large copper-gold-silver deposits in Peru and has aggressively staked a large and commanding top 10 tenure position in-country. This bold grassroots strategy has attracted some of the largest industry participants to partner with Hannan, with both Teck and JOGMEC now involved at equity and joint venture levels, respectively. "With Teck's involvement, we now look forward to accelerating our exploration efforts at the Valiente project, which is located approximately 20 km east from the township of Tingo Maria in central Peru. Valiente forms a previously unknown Miocene-age mineralized belt within a 140 km by 50 km area, where Hannan's exploration team of six geologists and support team has identified at least seven intrusion related porphyry/epithermal/skarn targets." In connection with the Private Placement, Hannan has agreed to grant Teck an equity participation right to maintain its pro-rata ownership in Hannan, for so long as Teck's ownership in Hannan remains greater than 5.0%. In addition, Hannan has granted Teck a price protection right, pursuant to which, if within 90 days of the Closing Date Hannan issues common shares under certain transactions, at a price per common share that is less than the Issue Price (the "Lower Price"), Teck shall be entitled to receive from the Company (for no additional consideration) additional common shares in an amount such that, when added to the number of common shares purchased on the Closing Date, will equal the number of Common Shares that the aggregate Issue Price paid by Teck on the Closing Date would have purchased at the Lower Price. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for exploration on the Company's mineral exploration projects in Peru and Ireland, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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 the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements. About Hannan Metals Limited (TSXV:HAN) (OTC PINK:HANNF) Hannan Metals Limited is a natural resources and exploration company developing sustainable resources of metal needed to meet the transition to a low carbon economy. Over the last decade, the team behind Hannan has forged a long and successful record of discovering, financing, and advancing mineral projects in Europe and Peru. Hannan is a top ten in-country explorer by area in Peru. On behalf of the Board, "Michael Hudson" Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO Further Information www.hannanmetals.com 1305 - 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7 Mariana Bermudez, Corporate Secretary, +1 (604) 685 9316, info@hannanmetals.com Forward Looking Statements. Certain disclosure contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the closing of the Private Placement, receipt of regulatory approvals and intended use of the net use of proceeds of the Private Placement. These statements may relate to this news release and other matters identified in the Company's public filings. In making the forward-looking statements the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: the successful completion of the Private Placement; the proposed use of the net proceeds received from the Private Placement; political environment in which the Company operates continuing to support the development and operation of mining projects; the threat associated with outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases, including the novel COVID-19 virus; risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; planned work programs; permitting; and community relations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news. SOURCE: Hannan Metals Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/716777/Hannan-Announces-C26-Million-Strategic-Investment Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Centurion Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CTN) (the "Company" or "Centurion") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated August 8, 2022, the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") has conditionally accepted the previously announced Option Agreement that provides Centurion with the right to earn a 100% interest in the Casa Berardi West Gold Project (the "Project"). The Project is located in the prolific gold-producing, Harricana-Turgeon greenstone belt of the central Abitibi Subprovince of north-eastern Ontario. A NI 43-101 technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report on the Casa Berardi West Properties, Cochrane, Ontario" having an effective date of June 30, 2022 has now been filed on SEDAR under Centurion's profile and can be viewed on Centurion's website. PROJECT 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) gold and the highest returning 38,000 ppb (38g/t) gold1; The Project is situated along structural corridors hosting world class discoveries, operating mines, and significant past-producing operations; Nearby, historical production from Normetal Mines and the recent (Perron) gold discovery by Amex Exploration which returned 15.5 g/t gold over 15.8 meters within 12 kilometers of the Project (Amex NR-June 16-2022); 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. RESUMPTION OF TRADING: Centurion has received notification from the TSX-V that trading will resume on September 23, 2022. Additionally, following a resumption of trading, it is the Company's intention to complete a shares for debt transaction related to select current liabilities and to conduct a private placement financing of common shares for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. The timing and pricing of these transactions will be announced in a later news release once confirmed. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the financing for further exploration of the Project and general working capital. David Tafel, CEO of the Company, commented: "Subject to final TSX-V approval we will have the right to earn a 100% interest in a Project that is located within a region of current and historical gold and polymetallic production and in close proximity to very recent discoveries. As Centurion moves to a resumption of trading and we progress to completing this transaction, we believe this Project has the potential to provide shareholders with an excellent opportunity for value creation." 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, 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 this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4407/137880_9d0db9b3c49618f0_003full.jpg Figure 2. Geology, deposits and structural environment of the Casa Berardi West claim groups. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4407/137880_9d0db9b3c49618f0_004full.jpg Transaction Summary The Option Agreement enables Centurion to acquire a 100% interest in the 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. 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. 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 This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things, the timing of resumption of trading of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange; the completion and timing of the proposed shares for debt transaction; the timing, terms and completion of the proposed private placement for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000; the expected use of proceeds from the financing; the Company's undertaking of initial exploration on the Project; and the Company's intention to exercise its option to purchase a 100% interest in the Project. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that the Company's common shares will not resume trading on the anticipated date; that the Company will not obtain the requisite approvals to complete the proposed shares for debt transaction or the proposed private placement; the inability of the Company to raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all; unanticipated costs; adverse changes in legislation; that the Company will not undertake initial exploration on the Project within the timeframe anticipated or at all; market uncertainty; that the Company's operations, business, personnel or financial condition is adversely impacted by COVID-19 or the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe; and the risk that Company is not able to exercise its option to purchase a 100% interest in the Project. In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that its common shares will resume trading on the anticipated date; that the Company will receive all requisite approvals to complete the proposed shares for debt transaction and the proposed private placement; that the Company will be able to raise capital on acceptable terms; that the Company will undertake exploration on the Project, as anticipated; that the Company will retain the key personnel required to complete its business objectives; that there will be no adverse changes in legislation; and that the Company will have the resources required to exercise its option to acquire the Project. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such 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 and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement or forward-looking information disclosed herein, except in accordance with applicable laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137880 Acquisition would increase Deveron's soil lab capacity by 200,000 samples annually Frontier Labs influences 320,000 acres annually through its soil lab and soil sampling services Acquisition would add 2021 unaudited revenue of $2.1 M and EBITDA of $450,000 European Long Only Impact Fund, Coeli Circulus, to help finance the acquisition Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture data company in North America, is pleased to announce that the Company has completed a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") with Frontier Labs Inc ("Frontier Labs"). Pursuant to which the Company and Frontier Labs intend to complete an Asset Purchase Agreement (The "Proposed Transaction"), that would see Deveron acquiring 100% of Frontier Labs' assets. Frontier Labs is a leading soil lab and agronomy company, based in Iowa, that services Iowa and Minnesota. The proposed acquisition continues Deveron's strategy to vertically integrate the soil collection and analysis process within its ecosystem, while adding important local relationships in one of the United States largest agricultural regions. "We are excited to sign this LOI with Frontier Labs. Frontier marks the fourth soil lab transaction in Deveron's growing, vertically integrated soil lab network and creates important regional distribution in the US mid-west," said David MacMillan, President, and CEO of Deveron. "This will provide Deveron with a soil lab hub in Iowa to support its boots on the ground network of agronomists and soil technicians. With the increased capacity across our soil lab network, Deveron can continue to execute on its mission to help local agriculture achieve excellence using impartial data. Jim and his team have built a successful and trusted business in Iowa, and we are excited to incorporate them into the Deveron family." Pursuant to the terms of the LOI, Deveron has agreed to: (i) pay Frontier Labs an initial cash payment of US$825,000 upon completion of the Proposed Transaction and US$412,500 on each of the first two anniversaries following the completion of the Proposed Transaction; and (ii) issue such number of common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Common Shares") equal to US$275,000 upon receipt of the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and an additional number of Common Shares equal to US$137,500 on each of the first two anniversaries following the completion of the Proposed Transaction. In addition, the Company is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement with a European long only impact fund, Coeli Circulus, through the issuance of 3,000,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.50 per Common Share, for gross proceeds of $1,500,000 (the "Offering"). The completion of the Proposed Transaction and the Offering are expected to close on or about September 30, 2022. The completion of the transaction remains subject to all regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy 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 as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Deveron Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to better manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide, and other farm inputs. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone, that build a basis of our best-in-class data layers. Our focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres of farmland are actively farmed annually. For more information and to join our community, please visit www.deveron.com. David MacMillan President & CEO, Deveron Corp. dmacmillan@deveron.com Tel: 416-367-4571 "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the worldwide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137887 Multiple industries are using artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies to streamline their processes. While it is easy to imagine this in the manufacturing industry, traditional service-based sectors are also following suit, many of them with exceptional results. One of these is the insurance industry, which even has the term Insuretech for the software transforming its operations. Below, we discuss how AI is helping insurance companies flourish. Insuretech In uncertain times, the right insurance can provide much-needed peace of mind. This has been proven in the massive growth insurance companies have undergone in the past few years. Revenue for health and medical insurance alone has grown by 3% year on year since 2017. This does not even include insurance for property, cars, and life insurance. Yet not all this growth is down to peoples uncertainty, or even an increasing population contributing to revenue. In many instances, this can be put down to how the sector has streamlined and improved operations with the help of AI. Individual companies using these improvements are really reaping the benefit. Forward-thinking providers such as Honeycomb Insurance have even managed to expand into new states. This company moved into Georgia, its 9th state of operations, and even managed to raise $15 million at the beginning of the year alone. Accurate Quotes In the past, underwriters relied on witness accounts, usually from the applicant, to assess risks. The problem with this is that people often remember incorrectly, or they may deliberately give untrue accounts. This results in bloated paper trails that eat up resources and labor. The internet of things exists in connected devices, from fitness trackers to recording devices in our cars. Proving a great help, all this information can be processed by artificial intelligence algorithms. Able to scan them quicker than agents, they allow insurance businesses to reach settlements much more rapidly. A more accurate assessment means fairer premiums. This can increase competitiveness, in an industry where the price is everything. Utilizing the scope for individualization means personalized policies for businesses and consumers. For example, companies such as Honeycomb Insurance have been pioneering this for some time. Specializing in real estate insurance, they are creating people-focused, tech-driven insurance policies. This makes the process simpler and can lead to more accurate pricing. Document Digitization Technology is also speeding up operational efficiency to further cut back on the insurance paper trail. Optical character recognition (OCR) is a system that recognizes handwritten characters, then converts them into digital documents. Administration assistants no longer need to type up written text to add it to digital systems. It can also go further, extracting data from photographic identification. Fraud Detection The insurance industry has long been a haven for fraud, with unscrupulous people believing they can dupe companies into paying out for deliberate actions. Some are obvious, others are harder to prove, and huge profits get lost to insurance fraud every year. While this has improved, fraud detection using technology could help make it a thing of the past. AI does this by spotting familiar patterns in fraudulent activity. Some algorithms now have accuracy rates as high as 75%. They can flag up irregularities in claims, along with conducting cost assessments. Of course, the AI here can only be deemed successful if it manages to update these processes itself. Criminals will always find ways to change their behavior to cheat the system, so the systems will need to adapt accordingly. But with $40 billion lost to insurance fraud annually, there is much to be gained. Future of Insuretech By no means is AI a cure-all. Insurance and its claims are so unique it is easy to see that they will always need a human eye cast over them. Yet these systems can make processes easier. They can reduce money lost by insurance companies, either through fraud or by paying out claims that are higher than they need to be. However, it will also have a knock-on benefit for the consumer, who will get more competitive individual quotes. PolicyMe, a Toronto, CA-based digital-first insurance provider, raised CAD$18m in Series A financing. New investors, RGAX, Securian Financial (U.S. parent company of Canadian Premier Life Insurance Company) and SiriusPoint, joined existing investors, HCS Capital and Westdale Properties, in the raise. A Tier 1 Canadian bank rounds out the $18m equity and debt financing which was raised in a series of tranches over the last year. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate development of a suite of products that will be distributed via direct-to-consumer and B2B2C channels across large membership and employee groups. PolicyMe will also be launching its embedded solution later this year with two of Canadas leading fintechs, ahead of several other launches earmarked for Q1 and Q2 2023. Founded in 2018 by Andrew Ostro, Laura McKay and Jeff McKay, PolicyMe provides a digital life insurance that makes it easy to get a quote and apply for term life insurance online. Since March 2021, the company has launched additional product and UX features that enable couples to purchase coverage together and receive free life insurance for their children. PolicyMe is set to release a new illness product which will cover over 40 different conditions, surpassing what other major Canadian insurers cover. The company currently has a headcount of 47. FinSMEs 20/09/2022 Resurgens Technology Partners, an Atlanta, GA-based tech-focused private equity firm, completed fundraising for Resurgens Technology Partners II, at over $500m. Led by Managing Directors Fred Sturgis and Adi Filipovic, the firm invests in founder-owned businesses and carve-out transactions, as well as recapitalizations of investor-owned companies. The latest fund will be a continuation of the firms established investment strategy, which is primarily focused on majority investments in North American and select European lower middle-market application and IT infrastructure software businesses. Resurgens is committed to delivering operating support, talent and human capital expertise and M&A execution capabilities to each of its portfolio companies. Since its founding, the firm has invested in 11 tech-focused platform companies and has closed nine add-on acquisitions. In addition, the firm has closed on three full or partial realization transactions from its debut fund. The company has also expanded its team to more than 25 professionals across its investment and operating teams in Atlanta, GA, Austin, London and Silicon Valley. FinSMEs 20/09/2022 Tres, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based financial data lake company for Web3 companies, raised $7.6M in Seed funding. The round was led by boldstart ventures, with participation from F2, Mantis, New Form, Kenetic, Blockdaemon, Ventures and Alchemy, as well as angels including Michael Shaulov, CEO, Fireblocks; Michael Gronager, CEO, Chainalysis; Jesus Rodriguez, CEO, IntotheBlock; Itay Malinger, CEO, Curv; Konstantin Richter, CEO, Blockdaemon and others. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts. Led by Tal Zackon, CEO, Tres offers a financial data lake for Web3 companies to monitor, manage and automate their Web3 finance. The company also gives back to the developer community with its open source Chrome extension that allows users to view the data in any dApp wallet without having the private key. All data is available on the blockchain; the Tres extension allows a faster workaround. The company, which has Web3 customers in the US, Israel and Europe, including Hivemind, Stakely and Blockdaemon, has monitored, analyzed and reconciled crypto assets of more than $40B dollars. FinSMEs 20/09/2022 VavaCars Team VavaCars, a Istanbul, Turkey-based online trading platform for buying and selling used cars, closed its $37m Series C funding round. A combination of existing and new investors participated, alongside founding investor, Vitol. The funding will be used to consolidate the companys market leading position in Turkey. Launched in April 2019 by Lawrence Merritt, CEO, VavaCars is a reseller of used cars operating in close partnership with fuel retailer Petrol Ofisi. It sells both to dealers via its proprietary auction platform and direct to consumers. Consumers benefit from fully inspected and reconditioned cars which are delivered to their home for free. In addition, there is a 14-day money-back guarantee and a 3-month warranty to ensure consumers are satisfied with their purchase. In the first half of 2022, the company sold more than 20,000 cars and generated in excess of $500m in revenue. FinSMEs 20/09/2022 This image provided by Cinema Dal shows a scene from "The 2nd Repatriation." Yonhap In 2000, 63 former long-term political prisoners who were sent to the South as spies were repatriated to the North following an inter-Korean summit during which leaders of the two Koreas agreed to give priority to humanitarian issues in the same year. But there were 46 former North Korean spies left in the South who were not allowed to go back to their home country because they signed statements giving up communism and advocating capitalism. Only "unconverted" communists were subject to the first-ever repatriation project. The upcoming documentary film "The 2nd Repatriation," directed by Kim Dong-won, focuses on the voices of the 46 people who have demanded the Seoul government let them return to their communist homeland for more than 20 years. The film is a follow-up to the director's 2004 documentary "Repatriation" about the 63 "unconverted" North Koreans who went back home in 2000. "The 2nd Repatriation" revolves around Kim Young-shik, one of the remaining North Korean communists living in South Korea. He was sent to the South in 1962, arrested soon afterward and served 27 years in prison. The 90-year-old claimed he was physically and psychologically tortured to convert his ideology and subsequently excluded from the 2000 repatriation. This image provided by Cinema Dal shows a scene from "The 2nd Repatriation." Yonhap On the morning of September 15 local time, President Xi Jinping met with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov at Forumlar Majmuasi Complex in Samarkand. President Xi Jinping said that since China and Turkmenistan established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, the two countries have enjoyed sustained, sound and steady growth of bilateral relations, and the strategic partnership has reached a high level. China always views China-Turkmenistan relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, respects Turkmenistans independently chosen development path that suits its own national conditions, and opposes any external interference in Turkmenistans internal affairs and process of stability and development. China will continue to work with Turkmenistan to firmly support each other, advance bilateral relations and deliver more benefits to the two peoples. President Xi emphasized the need for the two sides to increase the size and scale of natural gas cooperation and inject new impetus into the development and revitalization of the two countries. He noted the need to accelerate cooperation in non-resource fields and to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Turkmenistans strategy to revive the Great Silk Road. The two sides need to deliver on mutually setting up cultural centers as soon as possible to provide a new platform for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Chinese side is ready to set up a Luban workshop in Turkmenistan at an early date and continue to strengthen COVID response cooperation with Turkmenistan. The Chinese side is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Turkmen side within the China+Central Asia (C+C5) Meeting mechanism, implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, enhance international coordination, uphold the converging interests of the developing countries, and contribute to world peace and development. President Serdar Berdymukhamedov wished the 20th CPC National Congress a full success and expressed his conviction that under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping, the 20th CPC National Congress will draw a blueprint for Chinas future development and guide China toward more great achievements. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and China 30 years ago, bilateral relations have developed smoothly and cooperation in various fields has been expanding. Turkmenistan highly values its strategic partnership with China, and is ready to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China in various fields including economy and trade, natural gas, cross-border transportation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Turkmenistan firmly supports the one-China principle and firmly supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Turkmenistan supports a series of major initiatives put forward by China, which are conducive to maintaining international peace and security and achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Turkmenistan is ready to work with China to build stronger synergy between the BRI and Turkmenistans strategy to revive the Great Silk Road, and closely cooperate with China within multilateral frameworks of the United Nations, the C+C5 Meeting mechanism and so on. Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and other officials attended the event. CCTV: President Xi Jinping arrived in Samarkand and began his state visit to Uzbekistan yesterday. Could you share more information with us? Mao Ning: At the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan, President Xi Jinping arrived in Samarkand on the evening of September 14 and began his state visit to Uzbekistan. At the airport, he was warmly greeted by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who held a grand welcome ceremony for him. President Xi held official talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and attended a welcome banquet. It is especially worth mentioning that he accepted the Order of Friendship conferred by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which is the highest honor conferred by Uzbekistan on foreign individuals. This is the first time of awarding the Order. The two heads of state signed and issued the Joint Statement Between the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of Uzbekistan and decided to deepen the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era and build a community with a shared future at the bilateral level. Relevant departments of the two governments signed multiple cooperation documents covering agriculture, digital economy and green development, among others. Yesterday in Samarkand, President Xi also had bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and attended the sixth meeting of heads of state of China, Russia and Mongolia. President Xi had a fruitful state visit to Uzbekistan. The bilateral talks were candid and deep-going. The meeting of heads of state of China, Russia and Mongolia was positive and results-oriented. Parties expressed their readiness to further step up strategic communication and coordination with China, and show respect for each others independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and firm support for each others core interests and major concerns. They stressed their commitment to the one-China principle. Parties made it clear that they attach high importance to the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and stand ready to form greater synergy between the BRI and their national development strategies. Relevant departments of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding concerning cooperation on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway (the section in Kyrgyzstan). Parties spoke highly of the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations important role in upholding regional peace, security and stability. They said the authority and impact of the SCO has continued to increase and they were looking forward to positive outcomes of the SCO Samarkand summit. Parties highly commended the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by the Chinese side and expressed readiness to jointly work with China to implement them to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind. Parties said that in the face of an increasingly complex international landscape, we should strengthen solidarity and coordination, respect the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law, pursue UN-centered multilateralism and jointly uphold international justice and fairness. Parties expressed congratulations to the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and wished the meeting every success. AFP: During yesterdays meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to extend mutual support on issues concerning each others core interests. Does this include Chinas support for Russia on the Ukraine issue? Mao Ning: On September 15, President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Forumlar Majmuasi Complex in Samarkand to exchange views on China-Russia relations and international and regional issues of shared interest. China and Russia offer each other strong support on issues concerning each others core interests. As each others largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, China and Russia have always followed the guidance of the common understandings between our two heads of state in growing bilateral relations and advancing exchange and cooperation in various sectors. If theres anything more you wish to know, Id like to refer you to our readout. MASTV: Spokesperson of the Taiwan authorities said on September 15 that Taiwan will send three persons to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Do you have any comment? Is China still going to send someone to attend Abes state funeral? Mao Ning: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The one-China principle is a widely accepted norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus of the international community. China urges Japan to abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan and the serious political commitments it previously made, handle relevant matters in strict accordance with the one-China principle, and refrain from providing any platform or opportunity for Taiwan independence elements to take advantage of the occasion for political manipulation. As for Japans invitation to China for the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, China and Japan are in communication over this. I do not have any information to offer at the moment. Dragon TV: Armed conflicts broke out between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops at the border between the two countries recently. Does China have any comments? Mao Ning: Azerbaijan and Armenia are both Chinas friendly cooperation partners. We hope the two sides will observe the agreed ceasefire, avoid further escalation of the situation and resolve tensions and differences through political dialogue so that there can be peace and stability in the region and the people can live in peace. AFP: Will President Xi meet with Prime Minister Modi today? If yes, what will they discuss? Mao Ning: I have no information to offer. Global Times: After the US announced a planned arms sale worth $1.106 billion to Taiwan on September 2, the Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China will firmly defend our own sovereignty and security interests. Do you have any updates about that? Mao Ning: US arms sales to Chinas Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982. The arms sales gravely undermine Chinas sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the sales. To defend Chinas sovereignty and security interests, the Chinese government has decided to sanction Gregory J. Hayes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, who were involved in the latest arms sale. China once again urges the US government and relevant parties to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait. China will continue to take all necessary measures in light of the situation to firmly defend its own sovereignty and security interests. Beijing Daily: On September 15, the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and a delegation of the OPCW Executive Council paid a virtual visit to China and exchanged views with China and Japan on Japans abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) in China. Can you share more information about the visit? Mao Ning: At the joint invitation of China and Japan, Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW, and Ziad M.D. Al Atiyah, Chairperson of the Executive Council of the OPCW and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the OPCW, led a delegation of more than 40 members to visit China virtually on September 15 for the specific issue you mentioned. The delegation consists of diplomatic envoys posted in the OPCW from more than 10 countries including Russia, Malaysia and Kenya and representatives from the US, the UK and Germany. During the visit, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li met with Director-General Arias and elaborated on Chinas position and concerns on issues related to accelerating the destruction of Japanese ACWs. The delegation was briefed by officials from China and Japan on the overall situation and destruction progress of Japanese ACWs. They also visited virtually the largest burial site of Japanese ACWs discovered so far, which is located in Haerba Ling in Dunhua City, Jilin Province. The visit yielded good results. The delegation believes that great importance should be attached to the issue of Japanese ACWs, and efforts should be made to complete their total destruction as soon as possible, undo the harm to China, and build a world free of chemical weapons. I want to stress that Japanese ACWs are a major issue left over from history. Japan made an unequivocal, solemn commitment to China and the international community on this issue. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The destruction process of Japanese ACWs has seriously lagged behind, and missed the deadlines for the destruction many times. We hope that the Japanese side will take seriously Chinas grave concerns and the strong appeal of the international community, show the political will to fulfill its international obligations and the political courage to redress its historical crimes, and earnestly increase input to completely and thoroughly eliminate the harm of ACWs as soon as possible and return a clean land to the Chinese people. AFP: President Xi met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye earlier today. Did they discuss human rights issues in Xinjiang, especially regarding the Uyghurs detained there? Mao Ning: Before answering your question, let me make it clear there is no so-called arbitrary detention of Uyghurs or human rights issues in Xinjiang. As to this bilateral meeting, Id refer you to the press release the Chinese side has put out. Bloomberg: Theres a report that the UK Parliament refused Chinese delegation access to the Parliament building to attend the lying-in-state of the former Queen Elizabeth II. Can you confirm that this happened? And do you have any comment on this matter? Mao Ning: I havent seen the report you mentioned. I want to point out that the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an important activity of the UK. Foreign delegations attend the activity at the invitation of the UK side to show respect to the late Queen and the importance they attach to the UK. As the host, the UK side is certainly familiar with diplomatic protocols and proper manners of receiving guests. RIA Novosti: A delegation from the Czech Republic will visit Taiwan on Sunday. Whats the Foreign Ministrys comment? Mao Ning: There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The Taiwan question is Chinas internal affair. It concerns Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and bears on Chinas core interests. We firmly oppose all forms of official interaction between the Taiwan region and countries having diplomatic ties with China. We firmly oppose external forces attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in Chinas internal affairs. The Chinese government and people have unwavering resolve and commitment to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge the Czech politicians to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, refrain from sending any wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and avoid inflicting further damage to the political foundation of the development of bilateral relations. Reuters: A British Foreign Office source told Reuters that a Chinese leader is expected to attend Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral on Monday. Does the foreign ministry have any comments? Mao Ning: China is considering sending a high-level delegation to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. We will release information in due course. Please check back for updates. AFP: President Xi Jinping met President Ebrahim Raisi today. Did President Xi urge his counterpart to revive the JCPOA? Is China ready to support Iran's SCO membership when issues related to the JCPOA are unresolved yet? Mao Ning: China has put out a readout about the meeting between President Xi and President Raisi and you may refer to that. Reuters: The President of Mongolia said on Thursday while meeting with President Xi and President Putin that he supports the construction of oil and gas pipelines from Russia to China via Mongolia. However, this specific point did not appear in the Chinese readout of this trilateral meeting. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on these remarks made by the Mongolian President? Mao Ning: The readout of the meeting of the heads of state of China, Russia and Mongolia says the three countries agreed to actively move forward the project on the Mongolian section of the China-Russia natural gas pipeline. Sales of Google, Apple and other foreign tech giants in Korea rose more than six times in 2021 from five years earlier to flirt with 4 trillion won ($2.9 billion), data showed Tuesday. The combined taxable income of foreign tech companies amounted to 3.98 trillion won last year, or 6.5 times the 612.1 billion won in 2016, according to the data from the National Tax Service (NTS). A total of 209 foreign "electronic service" companies filed corporate tax returns with Korea tax authorities in 2021, up from 66 five years earlier. But Google, Apple and other tech titans were estimated to take up the bulk of those foreign firms' sales here. Indeed, the top 10 foreign tech companies reported taxable income totaled roughly 3.71 trillion won last year, or 93.1 percent of the aggregate. Those foreign electronic service corporations pay only 10 percent value-added tax in Korea since they have no "fixed places of business" here. There have been calls here to impose corporate income taxes on foreign tech giants because they avoid paying their dues, citing their servers are located overseas. In a bid to cope with such a situation, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has been pushing to adopt a so-called Google tax, which calls for paying a quarter of their "excessive" profit in taxes to countries where they do business. Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, who requested the data from the NTS, called on the government to tax foreign tech behemoths more thoroughly. "Multinational tech firms' profit structures should be unveiled transparently and their indirect revenue via the abuse of market dominance has to be taxed thoroughly," Jin said. "The government should prevent reverse discrimination between multinationals and domestic firms by overhauling its international tax system." (Yonhap) Every day, new stories about cancer cures using immunotherapy drugs appear online and in print. These treatments can cure even the most lethal cancers but only in a small fraction of patients, explains Dr. Taran Gujral, an Associate Professor in the Human Biology Division. Currently, we lack approaches that could help identify patients who will respond to immunotherapy, adds Sid Vijay, a junior year computer science major at Columbia University. Vijay, who has been working with the Gujral Lab since he was in high school, applied machine learning to develop an approach to accurately identify patients who will benefit from immunotherapy. This study, co-authored by Vijay and Yuqi Kang of the Gujral Lab, was recently published iScience. When the immune system attacks foreign invaders or potential threats, like viruses and cancers, it relies on a system of checkpoints to stop it from attacking normal, healthy cells. Many cancers are able to hide from the immune system by expressing proteins that disrupt these immune checkpoints. Recently, drugs that inhibit immune checkpoints have been developed that allow the immune system to now go after cancers that were previously in hiding. While a handful of these drugs were recently approved to treat specific cancers, it is difficult to identify individual patients with those cancers who will benefit from immune checkpoint targeted therapy. To address this challenge, Kang and Vijay sought to develop a computational program that could analyze patient gene expression data and identify critical genes that would accurately predict tumor susceptibility to immunotherapy. The program they developed, DeepGeneX, utilizes deep neural networks to use molecular data from patients tumors to predict their drug response and clinical outcomes such as disease onset, severity, survival [or] disease reoccurrence, Vijay states. These computational networks are similar to neuron networks in our brain as they can capture complex, non-linear relationships in underlying data to estimate a predicted outcome. This neural network is the core component behind DeepGeneX, he adds. In contrast to the black-box models of many deep neural networks, DeepGeneX possess a unique feature that sets it apart- an explainable algorithm. Here, this explainable algorithm is used to extract the importance of genes in contributing to a clinical measurement enabling both the accuracy in prediction and the biological insights of how the model is working. To build and test their immunotherapy predictive program, the Gujral team utilized datasets from a recently published study on melanoma patients who received immunotherapy treatment. This study included single-cell gene expression datasets from 19 melanoma patients with varying responses to immunotherapy- classified by their responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. The researchers began by using data from 18 patients to train their model and predict the remaining patients response to immunotherapy repeatedly for each patient, building an optimized model that could identify which genes could be used to indicate whether a patients cancer would respond to immunotherapy or not. Each gene was assigned a gene importance score which estimated the importance of a gene in contributing to whether a patient was responsive to immunotherapy treatment. After obtaining a rank ordered gene list, the authors took the top 1,000 genes and iteratively removed predicted 'unimportant' genes to narrow it down to just six genes (CCR7, SELL, GZMB, WARS, GZMH, and LGALS1). These six genes were used to build the final deep neural network model, DeepGeneX. All six genes were differentially expressed between immunotherapy responders and non-responders. Specifically, the research team identified two genes, SELL and CCR7 that were expressed at significantly higher levels in responders, while the other four genes were expressed at lower levels. Additionally, two genes with low expression in responders, LGALS1 and WARS were found highly expressed in a macrophage population of non-responders, suggesting that these macrophages could be a potential target for improving response to immune checkpoint therapies. Scientists using AI to see how COVID-19 might evolve to prepare for future variants Xinhua) 14:21, September 20, 2022 WELLINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A team of international researchers has developed a high-tech method to explore the possibilities of how the COVID-19 virus could evolve to prepare for future coronavirus variants using Artificial Intelligence (AI). University of Waikato researcher William Kelton has been working with international partners from Switzerland's ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva, among others, to take proteins from the coronavirus surface (not the live virus) into the lab and creat lots of artificial mutations to the protein, screening those mutations to discover which ones allow binding to cells. In a paper published in the journal Cell on Tuesday, the team added antibodies to the process later on to mimic the selection pressures a virus might undergo in the human body. This protein engineering information was used to train machine learning models to predict how well a new variant might bind to cells and escape antibody binding from tens of billions of possibilities. Kelton said this model is very accurate at predicting potential pathways by which new variants might evolve and may provide a pathway to fighting future variants. "If we can get ahead of COVID, we can make drugs and antibodies before these variants emerge and design solutions to combat them. We can also test to see how existing drugs work against panels of potential variants," Kelton said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) Chairman and President Yoon Hee-sung, left, poses with GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo after signing an MOU for the low-carbon energy business at the bank's headquarters in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Eximbank By Yoon Ja-young The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) will be providing GS Energy with 1 trillion won ($720 billion) in financing for the implementation of carbon-neutral policies as well as for laying the groundwork for energy independence. The bank, operating under the wing of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, announced on Tuesday that it had signed an MOU with the energy solution company of GS Group, on the previous day, in which it agreed to provide financing for projects related to energy security and the transition to carbon-free energy. Through the MOU, the Eximbank and GS Energy plan to secure the foundation for the low-carbon industry and enhance the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) capabilities of Korean businesses. The measure comes as Korea is facing a transition in its energy paradigm, as seen in the carbon-neutral policies adopted by the government. Based on the MOU, the Eximbank will be providing 1 trillion won in financing by 2025 for the sharing of information on low-carbon energy businesses, participation in such projects both within the country and abroad, as well as establishment of infrastructure for the introduction and supply of low-carbon energy in the country. Currently, GS Energy is pushing ahead with diverse projects, including producing blue ammonia and building an LNG combined-cycle power plant as well as acquiring LNG from overseas. Blue ammonia refers to ammonia in which the carbon dioxide generated during conventional production is captured and stored. GS Energy is currently planning to produce and introduce blue ammonia jointly with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, a leading oil company in the Middle East. "Through the MOU, we hope to greatly contribute to strengthening the investment capability of local businesses in low-carbon energy businesses, as well as the country's competitiveness in securing resources," Eximbank Chairman and President Yoon Hee-sung said. "It will greatly help us in reorganizing our business portfolio to focus on low-carbon energy as well as implementing management strategies related to ESG criteria," GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo said. Starting from the MOU with GS Energy, Eximbank plans to find ways to contribute more actively to the government's implementation of carbon-neutral policies and establishment of energy security. Selbyville, Delaware, Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The molded interconnect devices (MID) market is expected to cross a valuation of USD 2 billion by 2030, according to latest market research study by Global Market Insights Inc . The rising miniaturization trend in electronics and semiconductor industries is fostering the business expansion. The 3D-molded interconnect devices can enable original product manufacturers to lower the number of electronic parts, leading to reduced assembly time, miniaturization of electronics, and space-saving circuitry. Furthermore, the growing emphasis on sustainability across the electronics manufacturing sector is another key reason behind the widespread deployment of MIDs. They are composed of thermoplastic substrates, which offer superior environmental benefits over conventional printed circuit boards. Request a sample of this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/424 Film injection molding and other MID processes to gain traction In terms of process, the MID market divided into two-shot molding, laser direct structuring, and others segment. The others segment in molded interconnect devices market is projected to depict a CAGR of over 10% through 2030. Other MID processes include film injection molding and hot sampling, as per the report. The popularity of these processes is increasing, owing to their adhesive conducting qualities. They also can contribute to cost reduction, product development speed, and streamlining of production operations, which may lead to increased adoption in the formulation of molded interconnect materials. Rising integration of advanced electronic circuitry in the military and aerospace sector Based on application, The military and aerospace industry recorded revenue of around USD 20 million in 2021. This was credited mainly to the trend of integrating advanced electronic circuitry along with physical packaging across the military sector. Moreover, the need for optimizing the weight of components used in spacecraft is increasing, accelerating the deployment of molded interconnected devices (MID) technology in aerospace applications. MEA to become a key destination for MID developers The Middle East and Africa MID market is anticipated to value nearly USD 100 million by 2030, due to the rising government initiatives to expand smart cities. The building automation trend is also gaining momentum in and around the region, says the report. These factors are augmenting the demand for advanced and miniaturized electronic devices, stimulating regional industry development. Acquisition initiatives to define the industry landscape The competitive landscape of the molded interconnect devices industry is inclusive of TE Connectivity, Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation, GALTRONICS, Molex LLC, RTP Company, and SelectConnect Technologies Suzhou Cicor Technology Co. Ltd (Cicor Group), among other companies. These industry participants are emphasizing merger and acquisition strategies to diversify their presence in the market. For instance, in December 2021, Molex LLC acquired the core technology and intellectual property of Keyssa, Inc. With the acquisition, the company gained access to Keyssas wireless chip-to-chip technology, helping it diversify and expand the micro-connectors portfolio. Request for customization of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/424 Partial Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Molded Interconnect Devices (MID) industry 3600 snapshots, 2018-2030 2.2 Business trends 2.2.1 Total Addressable Market (TAM), 2023 - 2030 2.3 Regional trends 2.4 Process trends 2.5 Application trends Chapter 3 Molded Interconnect Devices (MID) Industry Insights 3.1 Introduction 3.2 COVID-19 impact 3.3 Russia-Ukraine war impact 3.4 Molded Interconnect Devices (MID) industry ecosystem analysis 3.5 Profit margin analysis 3.6 Technology & innovation landscape 3.7 Raw material analysis 3.8 LDS plating material analysis 3.9 Patent landscape 3.10 Key initiative & news 3.11 Regulatory landscape 3.12 Industry impact forces 3.12.1 Growth drivers 3.12.1.1 Growing adoption of wearable electronic devices in North America 3.12.1.2 Favorable government regulations for the electronic waste reduction in Europe 3.12.1.3 Proliferation of Electric Vehicles (EV) sector in Asia Pacific 3.12.1.4 Surge in smartphone demand across the globe 3.12.1.5 Growth of semiconductor manufacturing industry in developing countries 3.12.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.12.2.1 High cost fluctuation in raw materials 3.12.2.2 High tooling cost 3.13 Investment portfolio 3.14 Growth potential analysis 3.15 Porters analysis 3.16 PESTEL analysis Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/molded-interconnect-devices-MID-market 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. TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Visited , a travel app released by Arriving In High Heels, allows users to map travels, check off places off the bucket list, and stay on top of travel trends. The popular travel app has been translated into 30 languages including Japanese and is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store . Visited has rolled out a new set of travel lists. The list feature allows users to not only select the sites that they have visited but also see how they rank against other travellers. Users will find travel lists that match their interests, such as food and drink, nature, history, culture, architecture, religious sites, sporting events, and more. Popular lists include: world capitals, ancient sites, lists of cruise ports, top beaches, best snorkelling locations, mountain ranges and art museums. The travel lists are sorted based on popularity by over 1.45 million international travellers who have installed the Visited app. There are endless places to visit and having data from other world travelers will help users create their own bucket lists and personalized plans. With the ability for users to create their very own digital scratch map with past and future travels by country, region/state and city, users are able to easily track their personal travel goals and gain personalized insights to key stats such as travel ranking, percentage of the world seen, and total countries visited. The new printed map features allows for the personalized world map to be printed and shipping to anywhere in the world, right from their mobile phones. The app Visited is available to download from iOS and Android. After inputting information on where users have been or want to visit, they can simply click on the share button to access the physical printed travel map poster, with their own selections. Users will be able to choose from a wide range of color schemes or create their own. The physical printed poster will be 16x20 inches and is printed with Micro ink droplets, 8 bit color and on 0.22mm-thick satin paper. The personalized travel poster will be shipped from Toronto to anywhere in the world. Users can also leverage the Inspiration feature to discover new destinations with an intuitive swiping experience. By scanning popular and less viewed travel places, users can visualize and plan their next adventure on the Visited App with ease. Created by Arriving In High Heels Corporation , Visited began as a tool for its creators to keep a log of their adventures and experiences as they navigated over 69 countries during their travels. Since then, the app has evolved into one of the most popular data-backed travel apps that enables users to set and meet their travel goals. To learn more about the Visited app and its latest feature update, please visit https://visitedapp.com/. About Arriving In High Heels Corporation Arriving In High Heels Corporation is a mobile app company; Visited is their most popular app. Other apps include Pay Off Debt and X-Walk . Contact Information Anna Kayfitz anna@arrivinginhighheels.com Source: Arriving In High Heels Corporation A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/756e614e-568b-4627-a794-401e545a6376 Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific said Tuesday it has agreed to sell a 60 percent stake in its packaging making affiliate to France's Autajon Group, as part of its plan to strengthen ties with the French package maker. Amorepacific did not disclose the value of the deal and said it will keep a 40 percent stake in Pacific Package. Pacific Package, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amorepacific, makes packaging and labels for Amorepacific's cosmetic products. "The deal will elevate our partnership with Autajon Group and provide new growth momentum for our affiliate, as we expect to find additional clients through our French partner," the Korean cosmetics maker said. Autajon Group supplies product packages and labels for cosmetics and perfume brands, such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Chloe. The two companies have been maintaining a strategic partnership since 2015 under a memorandum of understanding to exchange technology and expertise in the field. (Yonhap) MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many Australian small businesses looking to grow still find it challenging to access finance and Liberty is keen to break down the barriers. Small businesses play a critical role in the Australian economy, employing nearly five million Australians and providing a key source of innovation and competition. Many small businesses rely on external financing to manage cash flow, invest in new equipment and expand operations. Yet barriers remain for those seeking business loans. Slow lending speeds and time-consuming paperwork can act as major roadblocks for businesses seeking to capitalise on growth opportunities. For non-bank lender Liberty, helping business owners find the right finance solution for growth or to manage cash flow is a critical part of its service. According to Head of Communications Heidi Armstrong, Liberty offers a range of business loans with fast turnaround times designed to support business customers to secure funds when required. "Business finance no longer just means a traditional bank loan flexible lenders such as Liberty offer an array of options designed to suit the needs of small businesses," Armstrong said. With decades of experience working with business owners, Liberty has the resources and wealth of knowledge to assess a borrower's financial strength using alternative means to provide out-of-the-box solutions where necessary. "At Liberty, it is the personalisation of our solutions that really benefits borrowers." From secured and non-mortgage backed business loans to line-of-credit solutions, Liberty has options for businesses requiring cash flow support to keep their business moving forward. Even those with a less-than-perfect business credit score are encouraged to reach out for help to find a suitable solution, as there may be more options available than first thought. A business loan can be the boost a business needs to take that next step. And with a range of business loans available from non-bank lenders such as Liberty, there are more opportunities for Australian businesses of all sizes to reach new heights. Approved applicants only. Lending criteria apply. Fees and charges are payable. Liberty Financial Pty Ltd ACN 077 248 983 and Secure Funding Pty Ltd ABN 25 081 982 872 Australian Credit Licence 388133, together trading as Liberty Financial. Contact Information: Heidi Armstrong Head of Communications, Liberty Financial mediaenquiries@liberty.com.au +61 3 8635 8888 Related Images Image 1: Loans Loans This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dublin, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Biosimilars Market Size, Share, Trends, By Product Type, By Disease Type, and By Region Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Biosimilars Market size is expected to reach USD 88.12 Billion in 2030 and register a revenue CAGR of 21.3% over the forecast period, according to the latest report. The ever-growing prevalence of chronic diseases is the primary driver for the biosimilars market. The continuous increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases and the unavailability of effective treatments are compelling healthcare providers to look for better therapeutic options. The high cost associated with the treatment of chronic diseases is another major factor that is promoting the adoption of biosimilars. The high cost of research and development (R&D) activities is one of the key restraints for the growth of the biosimilars market. Chronic diseases are defined as conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention to manage the symptoms and/or reduce the progression of the disease. These diseases are typically managed through a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, and regular monitoring by healthcare professionals. The most common chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and arthritis. Biosimilars are an important and growing segment of the pharmaceutical market. These drugs are highly similar to, and have been shown to be as safe and effective as, existing biologic drugs. Biosimilars can offer patients and payers significant cost savings while still providing high-quality care. The biosimilars market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. This growth will be driven by a number of factors, including the expiration of patents on some of the world's best-selling drugs, an aging population, and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Some Key Highlights from the Report Among product type segment, recombinant glycosylated proteins segment accounted for largest market revenue share in 2021 due to its increasing applications in various chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. Among disease indication segment, oncology indication segment is projected to grow at fastest rate over the forecast period owing to the large number of ongoing clinical trials for biosimilar monoclonal antibodies and other protein therapeutics used in the treatment of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and other types of cancers. Among end user segment, hospitals segment accounted for largest market revenue share in 2021 owing to the increasing number of patients opting for biosimilar therapeutics and the presence of skilled healthcare professionals. In December 2021, Arnivas Inc. and Pfizer Inc. announced that they received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s approval for their biosimilar of Janssen Biotech, Inc.'s blockbuster anti-TNF biologic Remicade (infliximab). The FDA had earlier issued a complete response letter to Arnivas and Pfizer in October 2020. This was in response to the companies' Biologic License Application (BLA) seeking approval for their biosimilar referencing Remicade. This is a major development in the biosimilars market as it opens up competition for Janssen Biotech's Remicade, which has been the market leader in the anti-TNF space. The approval of Arnivas and Pfizer's biosimilar also comes at a time when there is increasing pressure on pricing of biologics, including Remicade. The North America region is expected to hold the largest share in the biosimilars market owing to the presence of some of the major players in this region. The region is also home to a large number of patient population suffering from chronic diseases. Market Segmentation Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2019-2030) Recombinant Non-Glycosylated Proteins Recombinant Glycosylated Proteins Recombinant Peptides Others Disease Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2019-2030) Oncology Blood Disorders Chronic Disease Infectious Disease Others Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2019-2030) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Sweden BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa Israel Rest of MEA Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Synopsis Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics Chapter 4. Biosimilars Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis Chapter 5. Biosimilars Market by Product Type Insights & Trends Chapter 6. Biosimilars Market by Disease Type Insights & Trends Chapter 7. Biosimilars Market Regional Outlook Chapter 8. Competitive Landscape Chapter 9. Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Pfizer Inc. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Novartis AG. Amgen Inc. Biocon Ltd. Samsung Biologics Celltrion Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Biogen Idec Inc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/52ahh9 Dublin, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Brain Monitoring Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global brain monitoring market is expected to grow from $6.00 billion in 2021 to $6.66 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%. The brain monitoring market is expected to grow to $9.14 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.2%. North America was the largest region in the brain monitoring market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the brain monitoring market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The increasing incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders are expected to propel the growth of the brain monitoring market going forward. Brain monitoring is defined as the use of instrumentation for the evolution of a neurologic injury. Brain monitoring is used in neurological disorders to provide improved accuracy and reliability of information about the intensity of the neurologic injury. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, the worldwide occurrence of neurological health problems is expected to reach nearly 103 million by the year 2030. Therefore, the rising demand for increasing incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders is driving the growth of the brain monitoring market. Technological advancements have emerged as the key trend gaining popularity in the brain monitoring market. Major companies operating in the brain monitoring sector are focused on developing new technological solutions to strengthen their position. For instance, in June 2020, Researchers at the University of Helsinki created an artificial intelligence (AI) technique to analyze viewpoints and draw conclusions based on group brain activity, making testing more efficient and allowing devices to read images straight from the EEG. This infusion has a variety of applications such as clinical diagnostics, soft bioelectronics, wearable devices, and robotics which help the brain monitoring market grow worldwide. In November 2019, Canon Medical Systems a Japan-based diagnostic imaging equipment company acquired Skope Magnetic Resonance Technologies AG for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Skope would become part of Canon Medical Systems and works under Canon Medical Systems. Skope Magnetic Resonance Technologies is a Switzerland-based company that specializes in the development and sales of magnetic field monitoring systems and image reconstruction software for MRI. Scope Markets Covered: 1) By Product: Magnetoencephalograph; Electroencephalograph; Cerebral Oximeters; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI); Intracranial Pressure Monitoring Devices; Other Product Types 2) By Procedure: Invasive; Non-invasive 3) By Application: Parkinson's Disease; Traumatic Brain Injury; Epilepsy; Dementia; Sleep Disorders; Other Applications 4) By End User: Hospitals and Clinics; Neurology Centres; Ambulatory Surgery Centers; Diagnostic Centers; Other End Users Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Brain Monitoring Market Characteristics 3. Brain Monitoring Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Brain Monitoring 5. Brain Monitoring Market Size And Growth 6. Brain Monitoring Market Segmentation 7. Brain Monitoring Market Regional And Country Analysis 8. Asia-Pacific Brain Monitoring Market 9. China Brain Monitoring Market 10. India Brain Monitoring Market 11. Japan Brain Monitoring Market 12. Australia Brain Monitoring Market 13. Indonesia Brain Monitoring Market 14. South Korea Brain Monitoring Market 15. Western Europe Brain Monitoring Market 16. UK Brain Monitoring Market 17. Germany Brain Monitoring Market 18. France Brain Monitoring Market 19. Eastern Europe Brain Monitoring Market 20. Russia Brain Monitoring Market 21. North America Brain Monitoring Market 22. USA Brain Monitoring Market 23. South America Brain Monitoring Market 24. Brazil Brain Monitoring Market 25. Middle East Brain Monitoring Market 26. Africa Brain Monitoring Market 27. Brain Monitoring Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Brain Monitoring Market 29. Brain Monitoring Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 30. Appendix Companies Mentioned Natus Medical Inc. Nihon Kohden Corporation Philips Healthcare GE Healthcare Compumedics Ltd. Medtronic Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Advanced Brain Monitoring Masimo Corporation Spiegelberg GmbH & Co. KG Cadwell Industries Elekta A.B Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA Electrical Geodesics For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xqhfkr TORONTO and KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (Solar Alliance or the Company) (TSX-V: SOLR, OTCQB: SAENF) is pleased to announce it has signed a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District to install a solar system (the Project) at the Lake Cumberland Resource Managers Office and Maintenance Facility located in Somerset, Kentucky. The project consists of a 52-kilowatt (kW) roof mount solar array and a 51-kW carport solar array with a total capital cost of US $340,000. Solar Alliance is proud to be working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on this solar project in Kentucky, said CEO Myke Clark. The combined roof mount and carport arrays will provide lower cost electricity and resiliency to the Lake Cumberland facility. This is the first solar project Solar Alliance will build for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and we believe it will provide a strong example of the benefits of solar energy for a variety of government entities. The demand for solar continues to accelerate at an incredible pace and our team is committed to providing quality solar options to businesses, utilities, and government entities such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Solar Alliance remains on track for a record year in commercial solar and we are now building out our backlog of projects into 2023, concluded Clark. Solar Alliance will design, engineer, and install a turnkey project that includes a carport utility grid-tied solar system for the Nashville District at the Lake Cumberland Resource Management Office and a separate utility grid-tied roof mounted solar system for the Maintenance Facility. The Project will also include trenching and conduit installation for a future electric vehicle charging station integrated into the carport solar system, making the structure EV Charger Ready. This Project, which will be installed in early 2023, builds on Solar Alliances growing backlog of contracted projects in the U.S. Southeast. The Companys contracted backlog as of the end of Q2 was $4,300,000, which is expected to convert into revenue before the end of 2022. This includes current construction on the 1-megawatt (MW) project for the Knoxville Utilities Board, the 500-kW project for Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky and several additional commercial projects in the 60-100 kW range. In addition, Solar Alliance will complete the installation of two commercial 500 kW projects before the end of 2022. About U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District ( www.lrn.usace.army.mil ) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District serves the region, the Corps of Engineers, and nation by providing collaborative water resource engineering solutions, world class public infrastructure management, and environmental stewardship for the Cumberland-Tennessee River Systems. The Nashville District touches seven states covering 59,000 square miles. Its personnel operate and maintain 1,175 commercially navigable river miles, almost 10 percent of the total within the Corps of Engineers and maintain 14 navigation lock projects. This includes nine on the Tennessee River, four on the Cumberland River, and one on the Clinch River. The Nashville District also operates nine hydropower plants and provides Natural Resources Management. There are 279 boat ramps, more than 17,000 marina slips on 201,385 water acres, 283 recreation areas, 119 hiking trails, and 159,495 acres of public land along 3,800 miles of shoreline the Corps manages or leases on Nashville District's 10 lakes in the Cumberland River Basin. Wolf Creek Dam forms Lake Cumberland. The reservoir is located on the Cumberland River in Wayne, Russell, Pulaski, Clinton, McCreary, Laurel, and Whitley counties in Southeastern Kentucky. The Corps of Engineers staff, headquartered in Somerset, Kentucky, assists millions of visitors and manages 63,000 surface acres of water and 1,255 miles of wooded shoreline including five campgrounds with 224 campsites, 10 commercial concession marinas, several day use areas and shelters, hiking trails, and debris-removal operations with the tow vessel The PRIDE of the Cumberland. The Corps also operates Wolf Creek Dam and Powerplant in Jamestown, Kentucky. Myke Clark, CEO For more information: Investor Relations Myke Clark, CEO 416-848-7744 mclark@solaralliance.com About Solar Alliance Energy Inc. ( www.solaralliance.com ) Solar Alliance is an energy solutions provider focused on residential, commercial and industrial solar installations. The Company operates in Tennessee, Kentucky, North/South Carolina and Illinois and has an expanding pipeline of solar projects. Since it was founded in 2003, the Company has developed $1 billion of renewable energy projects that provide enough electricity to power 150,000 homes. Our passion is improving life through ingenuity, simplicity and freedom of choice. Solar Alliance reduces or eliminates customers' vulnerability to rising energy costs, offers an environmentally friendly source of electricity generation, and provides affordable, turnkey clean energy solutions. Statements in this news release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, constitute Forward-looking statements. The words would, will, expected and estimated or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different than those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the ability to raise sufficient capital, changes in economic conditions or financial markets, litigation, legislative or other judicial, regulatory and political competitive developments and technological or operational difficulties. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. 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 earnings call was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 4:15 pm (Eastern). The earnings call to take place on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 4:30 pm (Eastern) replaces the originally scheduled event. LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that it will host an earnings call on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 4:30 pm (Eastern) led by its Chief Executive Officer Michael Saxon and its Chief Financial Officer Joel Dumaresq. During this call, Mr. Saxon and Mr. Dumaresq will provide an overview of the Companys financial performance during its Fiscal Third Quarter of 2022 (three-month period ended July 31, 2022, referred to herein as FQ3 2022), and summarize the Companys business activities during the same period. A full recording of the call will be published on the Companys website shortly after the events conclusion. Investors may submit questions in advance of Wednesdays TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call by email to investor@taatglobal.com . TAAT Chief Executive Officer Michael Saxon commented, After officially joining the TAAT management team in June, I am pleased at the progress we have made in such a short time. This marks the first fiscal quarter in which ADCO is part of our operations. Additionally, we have made great progress with TAAT in our focus markets, and look forward to sharing our progress with investors on Wednesday. At 4:30 pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, TAAT will be hosting its FQ3 2022 earnings call led by CEO Michael Saxon and CFO Joel Dumaresq. A full recording of the call will be published shortly after its conclusion. Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9c884338-18e9-4ff5-8ebd-4c430ccb8053 The TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call is open to the public, free of charge. Registration for the TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call can be accessed by clicking on the following link: https://services.choruscall.ca/DiamondPassRegistration/register?confirmationNumber=10020247&linkSecurityString=186dd6c341 Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the FQ3 2022 earnings call registration link originally published in this press release. Readers who cannot see a link above can access the version of this press release containing the link on the Companys website or filed on SEDAR. Please note that the Companys management may exercise discretion with respect to choosing whether or not to answer questions that may potentially involve confidential, proprietary, or competitive information. All questions must be submitted prior to the TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call. For clarity, this earnings call was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 4:15 pm (Eastern) as announced in the Companys July 19, 2022 press release. The TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call to be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 4:30 pm (Eastern) officially replaces the originally scheduled event. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. Michael Saxon Michael Saxon, CEO and Director For further information, please contact: TAAT Investor Relations 1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872) investor@taatglobal.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER. About TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. TAAT develops, manufactures, and distributes alternative products in categories such as tobacco, hemp, kratom, and other emerging CPG segments. Its flagship product is a nicotine-free/tobacco-free combustible with a patent-pending base material formulation, sold in several thousand U.S. stores. With over CAD $80 million in overall gross revenue annually, TAATs facilities include an operations centre in Nevada, as well as a distribution centre and multiple convenience stores in Ohio. For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Occurrence of the TAAT FQ3 2022 earnings call on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 as detailed in the press release. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; (iii) changes to the regulatory landscape applicable to the Company's business; and (iv) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees. Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms Dublin, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Dashcams Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2022 to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The market for dashcams is growing rapidly with increasing awareness about the benefits of dashcams particularly among the private vehicle owners. In addition, dashcams are widely used by taxi and bus drivers, driving instructors, police officers and many others to capture real time driving incidences. Dashcams provides straight to point and efficient evidence in case of accidents to easily identify the fault of driver. Drivers can use this footage in court to prove their innocence, and claims repair cost for other driver who found guilty in the video. These footages are also accepted by some insurance companies as such video footages help them to identify fraud claims and reduce operational costs required for claim processing. In addition, parents can install multi lens dashboard camera to take the footages of in-car driver activities of teen age drivers. In addition insurance companies particularly in European countries are providing discounts and subsidiaries to install dashcams. All the above factors are influencing the demand for dashcams across the world. The global dashcams market is expanding at a CAGR of 13.4% through the forecast period 2022 to 2030. Based on different product types available in the market, the dashcams market is segmented into two categories, namely - basic dashcams and advanced dashcams. Basic dashcams accounted for the largest revenue as well as volume market share in 2021 and is expected to remain the largest share through the forecast period. However, with increasing awareness about the benefits of advanced dashcams and discounts offered by insurance companies, market share of advanced dashcams are expected to see the fastest growth through the forecast. Basic dashcams are video cameras with removable or built-in storage device which continuously records during driving. Basic dashcams are affordable and suitable for video recording purpose. This product category accounted for the largest revenue as well as volume share compared to advanced dashcams due to their low cost. The market for basic dashcams is expected to grow further with increasing demand from Asia Pacific, Russia. Advanced dashcams have some additional feature with basic functionality of video recording such as audio recording, GPS logging, speed sensors, accelerometers, uninterruptable power supply etc. Some advanced dashcams also includes loop recording function in which dashcam simply overwrite at the beginning of memory card whenever memory is full. This would not required from drivers attention until driver want to save particular video. Some dashcams also provide data and time stamp facility. Cameras with GPS logging records the drivers location at which accident is occurred so it might be considered as an authenticate evidence in case of accidents to prove driver's' innocence and to claim insurance. Some insurance companies are also started giving discounts on their premium if car owners have installed dashcams in their vehicles which is motivating vehicle owners to purchase advanced dashcams. Technology Segmentation Analysis On the basis of technology, the global dashcams market is segmented into two categories, namely - single channel dashcams and dual channel dashcams. Typically, single channel dashcams are used to record videos at the front of vehicles. Single channel dashcams are cheaper compared to dual channel dashcams and accounted for the largest revenue share. Single channel dashboard cameras are the most common type of dashcams used across the world and suitable for road trip recording application. Multi-channel cameras operates similar to single channel camera, but have multiple lenses to record separate views. Most of the multi-channel cameras are dual-channel dashcams which have one lens to record views inside the car including driver and other standard lenses to record front view outside of the car. In 2021, single channel dashcams accounted for the largest revenue share compared to dual/multi channel dashcams. However, demand for dual channel dashcams is expected to see the fastest growth through the forecast period with rising demand from both private and commercial vehicle owners. Parents in the European countries are installing backward facing dashboard cameras to capture the behavior of their teenage drivers which is also increasing the demand for dual channel dashcams from private vehicle segment. Asia Pacific is the largest regional market in the global dashcams market. Russian motorists are installing dashboard cameras because of heavy road traffics, frequent road accidents, corrupted police officers and unfavorable law systems. China, Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia are major dashboard camera markets in Asia Pacific region. China is the largest individual market for dashcams in Asia Pacific. China is also expected to see the fastest growth with rising awareness about the effectiveness and safety of dashboard cameras. In South Korea dashboard cameras are popular as Black Box". In the Rest of World region, we have considered Africa, South America and Middle East. Dashcams are also known as dashboard cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), accident recorders, car cameras and black box camera (popularly known in Japan). These cameras are mounted on wind shield of vehicle and continuously record incidences throughout the journey. Dashcam is commonly integrated with the car's' ignition circuit so that they record continuously when ignition key is in the run mode. In the U.S. dashcams popular from 1980 and commonly found in police vehicles. Dashcams became popular among the private vehicle owners after a television reality series World's' Wildest Police Videos in 1998. Owing to rising popularity and increasing funds for installation of dashcams, adoption rate of dashcams particularly in U.S. police vehicle increased to 72% in 2003 from 11% in 2000. In 2009, Russian Interior ministry passed a regulation which allows the Russian motorist to install in-vehicle dashcams. In 2013, more than 1 million motorists in Russia have installed dashcams in their vehicles. After the popularity of Russian and Korean videos published on Internet, the demand for dashcams increased in North America and Europe. At present the use of dashcam is limited in several countries due to strict personal privacy and data protection laws. Though, the installation of dashcams is illegal in some European countries, this technology is gaining popularity in Asia Pacific, U.S. and other European countries supporting its use. At present, the adoption rate of basic dashcams is higher than advanced dashcams. Basic dashcam offers basic functionality of video recording with removable or in-built storage device. However, considering the rising popularity of dashboard cameras and willingness of consumers to spend more on advanced solutions is influencing the demand for advanced dashcams in the matured markets particularly in Japan, Australia, South Koreas, US (in Government vehicles) and others. This is the primary reason manufacturers are focusing on developing dashboard cameras with advanced features such as audio recording, speed sensors, GPS logging, accelerometers and uninterruptable power supply. Installing dashcams and taking videos falls under the freedom of information and fully permitted in most of the countries across the world. Although, dashcams are increasingly becoming popular in many European countries, Austria and Luxembourg completely banned their use. In Austria, parliament has declared a fine of about US$ 10,800 for installing and taking videos with dashcams and for repeat offenders it would be around US$ 27,500. Insurers in several countries are now accepting the dashcam footages as an evidence to judge the cause of accidents. This helps them to reduce investigation cost and settle claims in quick time. Many insurance companies have partnered with dashcam suppliers and offers discounts on insurance premium to customers if they buy dashcams from their partners. In UK, car insurance company Swiftcover is offering a discount up to 12.5% on insurance premium to their clients if they purchase dashboard camera from Halfords. AXA insurance company offers flat discount of a 10% if car owner have a dashcam installed in car. In addition, news on dashboard camera by recognised news channels such as BBC, Daily Mail and others. The market for dashcam is expected grows further with increasing awareness about this technology and adoption of dashcams particularly among private vehicle owners. Key questions answered in this report What are the key micro and macro environmental factors that are impacting the growth of Dashcams market? What are the key investment pockets with respect to product segments and geographies currently and during the forecast period? Estimated forecast and market projections up to 2030. Which segment accounts for the fastest CAGR during the forecast period? Which market segment holds a larger market share and why? Are low and middle-income economies investing in the Dashcams market? Which is the largest regional market for Dashcams market? What are the market trends and dynamics in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East - Africa? Which are the key trends driving Dashcams market growth? Who are the key competitors and what are their key strategies to enhance their market presence in the Dashcams market worldwide? Key Topics Covered: 1. Preface 2. Executive Summary 3. Dashcams Market: Business Outlook & Market Dynamics 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Global Dashcams Market Value, 2020 - 2030, (US$ Million) 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.3.1. Market Drivers 3.3.2. Market Restraints 3.3.3. Key Challenges 3.3.4. Key Opportunities 3.4. Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 3.5. See-Saw Analysis 3.6. Porter's Five Force Model 3.7. PESTEL Analysis 3.8. Heptalysis Analysis 3.9. Critical Investigation of Business Problems Through Five Whys Root Cause Analysis & Relevant Solutions 4. Dashcams Market: By Product Type, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 4.1. Market Overview 4.2. Growth & Revenue Analysis: 2021 Versus 2030 4.3. Market Segmentation 4.3.1. Basic Dashcams 4.3.2. Advanced Dashcams 5. Dashcams Market: By Technology, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 5.1. Market Overview 5.2. Growth & Revenue Analysis: 2021 Versus 2030 5.3. Market Segmentation 5.3.1. Single Channel Dashcams 5.3.2. Multi-channel Dashcams 6. North America Dashcams Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 7. UK and European Union Dashcams Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 8. Asia Pacific Dashcams Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 9. Latin America Dashcams Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 10. Middle East and Africa Dashcams Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million) 11. Company Profile 11.1. Garmin Ltd 11.1.1. Company Overview 11.1.2. Financial Performance 11.1.3. Product Portfolio 11.1.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.2. Cobra Electronics Corporation 11.2.1. Company Overview 11.2.2. Financial Performance 11.2.3. Product Portfolio 11.2.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.3. Pittasoft Co. Ltd (BlackVue) 11.3.1. Company Overview 11.3.2. Financial Performance 11.3.3. Product Portfolio 11.3.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.4. Papago Inc 11.4.1. Company Overview 11.4.2. Financial Performance 11.4.3. Product Portfolio 11.4.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.5. AIPTEK International Inc 11.5.1. Company Overview 11.5.2. Financial Performance 11.5.3. Product Portfolio 11.5.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.6. QRONTECH Co. Ltd. 11.6.1. Company Overview 11.6.2. Financial Performance 11.6.3. Product Portfolio 11.6.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.7. DOD Tech Co. Ltd. 11.7.1. Company Overview 11.7.2. Financial Performance 11.7.3. Product Portfolio 11.7.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.8. Mio Technology Corporation 11.8.1. Company Overview 11.8.2. Financial Performance 11.8.3. Product Portfolio 11.8.4. Strategic Initiatives 11.9. S.WILL INDUSTRIAL LIMITED 11.9.1. Company Overview 11.9.2. Financial Performance 11.9.3. Product Portfolio 11.9.4. Strategic Initiatives For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o8kwro Brattleboro, Vermont, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform (EJHA) released a report that profiles three chemical incidents that occurred within two weeks this January, and recommends specific safety measures that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should require in order to prevent future chemical disasters. On August 31, 2022, the EPA published proposed revisions to the Risk Management Program (RMP), which regulates approximately 12,000 high-risk facilities in the U.S. that use or store highly hazardous chemicals. EPA was specifically directed by Congress to use this program to prevent disasters, yet more than 140 harmful chemical incidents occur on average every year. On January 14, 2022, a fire at a warehouse in Passaic, New Jersey came dangerously close to igniting the adjacent Qualco Inc. facility where an estimated 3 million pounds of hazardous chemicals were stored. According to fire officials, this could have caused one of the most catastrophic chemical disasters in the region in recent history. Facilities like Qualco Inc. are not currently covered by the EPAs Risk Management Program despite storing large chemical stockpiles. The facility was therefore not required under the RMP rule to report the hazardous chemicals on site to EPA, conduct a worst-case release scenario analysis, coordinate incident planning with local first responders, or consider measures to prevent a chemical disaster. This April, Senator Cory Booker and 30 members of Congress urged the EPA to implement robust prevention and safety standards to prevent chemical disasters, such as expanding the Risk Management Program to cover more chemicals. But the EPAs proposed rule declines to take this step. Preventing Disaster offers actionable recommendations the EPA should include in its final rule that could prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, including: Expanding the Risk Management Program to cover additional hazardous chemicals, and lower the thresholds that would trigger coverage for chemicals already included; Requiring all RMP facilities to consider, document, and implement safer chemicals and technology; Requiring RMP facilities to not only consider the risks posed by natural hazards, as proposed in the draft rule, but to take meaningful steps to prepare for those risks, such as implementing backup power for chemical production and storage processes. Overall, the report concludes, EPAs draft rule, rather than adopting common-sense prevention requirements, continues to rely on voluntary actions by high-risk facilities. This approach has failed to prevent many chemical disasters over the last 25 years. If the draft rule is not strengthened, facility workers and neighbors across the country will continue to bear the human, environmental, and financial costs of more preventable disasters. The EPA still has time to get this rule right, said Steve Taylor, Program Director for Coming Clean, who contributed to the report. Communities at the fenceline of these hazardous facilities, and the workers inside them, are sick of industry stonewalling and EPA excuses. A stronger rule is needed to ensure that hazards are removed, or we will continue to see more chemical disasters. Were glad that EPA recognizes the need to reconsider the RMP rule; preventing disasters is a longstanding priority for EJHA. Unfortunately the draft rule is full of more voluntary measures, which decades of incidents have proven do not work. said Michele Roberts, National Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform. We are depending on EPA to have the moral and political courage to keep the promises President Biden has made to our communities that means a final rule that requires the transition to safer chemicals and processes wherever possible. Removing hazards before disasters can occur is the best way to protect workers and communities. Coming Clean and EJHA are part of a broad coalition that includes fenceline community members, health professionals and members of Congress that has urged the EPA to adopt a stronger RMP rule for many years. Members of this coalition will be vocalizing their priorities and concerns on the draft rule at virtual public hearings held by the EPA on September 26, 27 and 28, 2022. # # # Coming Clean is a collaborative network of frontline community activists, environmental health and justice organizations, and policy, science and market experts, committed to transforming the chemical industry so that it is no longer a source of harm. For twenty years, we have fought to end legacy pollution in communities of color, ban toxic pesticides that harm farmworkers and their families, regulate hazardous facilities, and end the sale of unsafe products in dollar stores and other retailers across the country. Learn more about our Chemical Disaster Prevention Program. The Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform is a national network of grassroots Environmental and Economic Justice organizations and advocates in communities that are disproportionately impacted by toxic chemicals from legacy contamination, ongoing exposure to polluting facilities and health-harming chemicals in household products. EJHA supports a just transition towards safer chemicals and a pollution-free economy that leaves no community or worker behind. NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- sparks & honey , Omnicoms technology-led cultural consultancy, announced today the newest additions to its world-class Advisory Board; two new professionals join over 70 existing seasoned leaders to strengthen sparks & honeys consulting work across key categories including education, employment, and the changing palate of a multicultural America, among others. The new Board members include CEO of Fly by Jing, a chef, entrepreneur and renowned expert on Chinese cuisine Jing Gao and Chief Education & Operations Innovation Officer at the Colorado State University System Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker. Started in 2012, the sparks & honey Advisory Board has been a key part of its culture as a Learning Organization, further cementing the consultancy as a place where experts and innovators in their fields come together to quantify cultural change to help C-Suite leaders stay ahead of disruption and have a say in transforming their markets. Advisory Board members frequently contribute their expert-level insights and career learnings to sparks & honeys various cultural intelligence products, including the Equity Effect Report , which covered return-to-office principles after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Disrupting Hate Culture Briefing series which investigated emerging shifts in terrorism at home and abroad, alongside several of the consultancys special briefings series covering various topics including equitable futures, distrupting metabolism, the future of food and flavors, precision cognition, and many more. As an organization that hinges on constant learning and open thinking, we are always seeking future-forward leaders that share our ideals and push the boundaries to add to our Advisory Board, said Terry Young, Founder & CEO of sparks & honey. Jing and Becky bring a dynamic sense of curiosity and a deep understanding of their respective fields to help the consultancy quantify cultural shifts and address the biggest challenges corporations and society face today. Were very much looking forward to learning from and working with these remarkable women. Jing Gao is a chef, entrepreneur and a renowned expert on Chinese cuisine on a mission to bring uncensored Chinese flavors to the table. Founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, Gao uses her experience as a chef to share meaningful flavors that open people up to new ideas and conversations. Fly By Jing began as a quest to reconnect with her roots, but became a mission to rewrite false narratives on Chinese cuisine in the West showing that Chinese food can be made from the highest quality ingredients without any artificial additives and preservatives. Following its launch on Kickstarter in 2018 as the highest-funded craft food project on the platform, Fly By Jing has seen viral organic growth from a devoted fan base and has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, WSJ, Saveur, Esquire and more. Prior to her career in food, Gao worked in brand management at P&G and led product marketing and strategic business development for Blackberry and frog Design. is a chef, entrepreneur and a renowned expert on Chinese cuisine on a mission to bring uncensored Chinese flavors to the table. Founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, Gao uses her experience as a chef to share meaningful flavors that open people up to new ideas and conversations. Fly By Jing began as a quest to reconnect with her roots, but became a mission to rewrite false narratives on Chinese cuisine in the West showing that Chinese food can be made from the highest quality ingredients without any artificial additives and preservatives. Following its launch on Kickstarter in 2018 as the highest-funded craft food project on the platform, Fly By Jing has seen viral organic growth from a devoted fan base and has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, WSJ, Saveur, Esquire and more. Prior to her career in food, Gao worked in brand management at P&G and led product marketing and strategic business development for Blackberry and frog Design. Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker is the Chief Education & Operations Innovation Officer at the Colorado State University System, where she leverages years of experience in collaborating, leading, and sharing what is possible among diverse stakeholders to deliver innovative higher education and training programs that ensure workforce success. This builds on her prior role as Recovery Officer with Colorado's Departments of Labor & Employment and Higher Education where she invested post-pandemic federal and state funds for economic growth and recovery. Takeda-Tinker was also the first president & CEO of Colorado State University Global, the nations first fully online and fully accredited public nonprofit institution. She is the author of Impacting the Future of Higher Education, and has been selected as one of Denver Business Journals Outstanding Women in Business and PowerBook Thought Leader; named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Colorados Womens Chamber of Commerce, one of the Five Higher Ed Leaders to Watch by Education Dive and a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts. More information on sparks & honeys newest additions to its Advisory Board can be found on its website . About sparks & honey: sparks & honey is a cultural intelligence consultancy helping organizations understand and take advantage of explosive cultural shifts, as well as cultural movements that develop over time. They leverage Q, their custom SaaS platform, in combination with a powerful human network to quantify culture, decode future opportunities and ignite transformation for brands and their consumers. The consultancy produces cultural intelligence reports which investigate emerging shifts in culture on topics ranging from Gen Z to societal Uncertainty . They also produced the Precision Consumer 2030 report, in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, which was presented from the stage at Davos in 2020. sparks & honey is a part of the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group . About Omnicom Group Inc.: Omnicom Group ( omnicomgroup.com ) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news. Press Contact: Melanie Capruso DiGennaro Communications melanie.capruso@digennaro-usa.com Two photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5b475ff-8ce4-4f1f-a3e1-af6492cc5602 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3fe214d-cfc9-4316-beda-2f7fd1740bb0 Dublin, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Reusable Launch Vehicles Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2031)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The reusable launch vehicles market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market is low. Although space launches have been delayed due to the pandemic, no major cancellations of space launches have been observed in the last two years. Furthermore, the R&D activities aimed at developing reusable launch vehicles have continued at a brisk pace in several countries across the world. The demand for satellite networks and commercial and defense application services has increased. This has resulted in a rise in satellite launches for military surveillance, communication, navigation, earth observation, and scientific research, among others. Space agencies and private companies have been trying to reduce the costs of satellite launching systems over the past few years. Many market players have invested in developing reusable launch systems with the recovery of some or all of the component stages. Key Market Trends Growth in R&D Activities Related to The Reusable Launch Vehicles The number of players investing in developing reusable launch vehicles is increasing. SpaceX is one of the first companies that achieved the first vertical soft landing of a reusable orbital rocket stage in 2015. The company currently routinely recovers and reuses the first stages of the rockets, with the intent of reusing fairings as well. The operational reusable orbital-class launch systems are Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. The company is also developing the fully-reusable Starship launch system. Many other prominent companies are also working towards developing similar technologies related to reusable launching vehicles. For instance, Blue Origin is developing the New Glenn partially-reusable orbital rocket, intending to recover and reuse only the first stage. Likewise, in January 2022, ArianeGroup unveiled its new Rocket family with a reusable mini rocket. The company announced that it is developing the concept of a new European launcher family with a reusable first stage and a new mini launcher called Maia. Government space agencies are also increasing their focus on building reusable launch vehicles for their space missions. The Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, is developing the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology. Demonstrator or RLV-TD, an eventual two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle in a bid to lower the cost of access to space. The ISRO is currently using a hybrid design, which is between the Space Shuttle program of NASA and the reusable rockets of SpaceX. The organization plans to carry out a key landing experiment, RLV-LEX, in 2022 that will push it closer to an orbital re-entry experiment (ORE). Such developments are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is Expected to Grow With the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period The countries in the Asia-Pacific region like China, India, and Japan, among others, have been rapidly increasing their investments in developing their space infrastructure to cater to the growing demand. Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period as several countries are investing in improving their space-related activities. In 2021, more than 40% of the global satellite launches were accounted for by China, India, and Japan. In addition, the countries are planning to further increase the satellite launch capacities in the coming years. According to the China National Space Administration, China plans to launch approximately 100 satellites by 2025. China-based iSpace company has gradually increased its investments towards developing advanced technology for reusable launch vehicles. The company is currently developing Hyperbola-2, a 28-meter-tall, 3.35-meter-diameter liquid oxygen-methane launcher capable of launching more than 1,100 kgs of payload into a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) or 800 kgs of payload when the first stage is to be recovered and reused. China is now eyeing new milestones as it aims to develop reusable rockets like SpaceX's Falcon-9. The next generation of launch vehicles will transport crew and cargo to the Tiangong space station. Japan's aerospace industry has a strong international reputation, particularly in research and development (R&D). It has recently shifted its focus from R&D to commercializing space technology. Japan's aerospace industry is constantly developing and promoting its satellite systems, space development initiatives, transportation programs, and focusing on reusable launch vehicles. The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, is developing RLV-TD, an eventual two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle, to lower the cost of access to space. Such developments are propelling the growth of the reusable launch vehicles market in the region. Competitive Landscape ArianeGroup, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), United Launch Alliance LLC (ULA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are some of the prominent players in the market. Players are expanding their geographical reach by winning worldwide contracts from emerging satellite operators. The market players are also investing significantly in the R&D of new RLVs. For instance, ISRO has been developing and testing its technologies through technology demonstrations like the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV TD). The RLV TD is a hybrid vehicle that combines the technologies of an aircraft and launch vehicle, one on top of the other, to achieve a Two Stage to Orbit (TSTO) capability. Similarly, SpaceX is also developing a next-gen, fully reusable heavy-lift rocket, named Starship, to carry humans and 100 tons of cargo to the moon and Mars. Such developments are expected to help the growth of the players in the years to come. Companies Mentioned ArianeGroup Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) United Launch Alliance, LLC National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P. Link Space China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) German Aerospace Center For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sflr69 Attachment Jackson, Miss., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces, a Benevis kids-first family dentistry practice with two locations in Jackson, Miss, has continued to safely serve and support the Jackson community throughout the local water crisis. Both Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces locations in Jackson remained open and continued to provide safe dental care to the community during the water emergency. Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), water used for dental exams and treatments by Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces meets or exceeds standards for water quality. While city water remained unsafe for consumption, Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces used only purified distilled water from a closed bottle system. Dental water lines are equipped with waterline cartridges that provide safe, compliant dental unit water purification. As the Jackson water crisis lasted for over 7 weeks, it remained vitally important to maintain excellent safety standards as we continued to serve the oral health needs of the community, said Dr. Dale Mayfield, Chief Dental Officer for Benevis. Having strong quality assurance and support systems in place through the affiliation with Benevis, the Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces practices were able to remain open and continue to provide dental care to our valued patients in the community. In addition to ensuring the community had continued access to high quality dental care, Benevis and Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces donated $2,500 and 1,500 toothbrush kits to the Jackson Free Clinic located on 925 Martin Luther King Drive. The local office teams were also supported as Benevis shipped pallets of bottled water to ensure employees were able to have safe drinking water to use during the workday and to take home for personal use. We are proud to continue to serve the dental health needs of our Jackson community as we have for 15 years, and we wanted to do our part in helping area residents and our employees. By providing supplies, financial support, and a safe place to receive basic dental care, we hope we have provided a small amount of relief for our fellow Jacksonians, said Bryan Carey, CEO of Benevis. We are happy to see water service has been restored, and we look forward to many more years of service to the community. Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces is a Benevis partner practice and serves 12,000 children in the Jackson community, 90% of whom utilize Medicaid benefits. Benevis is a leading dental support organization (DSO) for practices focused on kids-first, family dental care and orthodontics. For more information on safe water practices at Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces and resources during the Jackson water crisis, visit www.sunnybrookdentistry.com/safety-quality-of-care#water-safety. About Benevis Benevis is a comprehensive dental practice support service company focused on expanding access to dentistry by providing the highest quality practice support services to over 120 locally branded dental offices focused on kids-first, family dental care and orthodontics. Benevis works to improve lives by advocating for programs and legislation that ensures all families have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. Benevis support allows dentists to focus on providing high-quality care to their patients. For more information visit benevis.com. About Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces opened in 2007 and is dedicated to helping children and families, making sure all children have access to dental care services. Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces is committed to reducing the need for future extensive dental work and keeping kids healthy through preventative dental care and a range of community and educational programs. Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces employs 120 team members and 11 dentists through its five locations in the state of Mississippi. For more information visit sunnybrookdentistry.com. ### Attachment Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) headquarters in downtown Seoul / Courtesy of KIC By Anna J. Park The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), a sovereign wealth fund in the country, posted its worst investment loss in its asset evaluation for the first half of this year. According to data submitted by the KIC to main opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Kyung-sook, the KIC logged a 13.83 percent investment loss during the first six months of this year. Given that the KIC's assets stood at around $205 billion at the end of last year, it means that the sovereign fund's evaluated asset has been reduced by around 39 trillion won ($28 billion) during the first half of the year. The sovereign wealth fund's investment loss in overseas stocks stood at 21.17 percent, and in bonds at 14.04 percent. Stocks account for about 40 percent of KIC assets, while bonds take up some 35 percent. The KIC is also estimated to witness losses in alternative investments, including real estate and infrastructure investments, for the first quarter. Market insiders explain that the losses by the KIC are just a reflection of investment returns from the six-month period alone and do not represent a confirmed or actualized loss and the investments are bound to recover when external economic conditions ameliorate. But the poor performance in the first half still hurts. With the H1 investment returns included, the KIC's accumulative investment returns decreased to 8.61 percent, from a previous figure of 8.83 percent at its launch in 2005. "The sovereign fund needs to raise its profitability, while securing more stability, by examining its investment policies, operation strategies and risk management," Rep. Yang said. NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Bridge Market research has a newly released expansive study titled Global Healthcare Logistics Market which guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. This study provides a broader perspective of the marketplace with its comprehensive market insights and analysis which eases survival and success in the market. The universal Healthcare Logistics Market survey report delivers key data about the product portfolios, product values, company profiles, shares, and contact data for the company. It also represents a summary of sales, revenue share, demand/supply data, and market growth analysis during the predicted period. This market study report on the world market encompasses the evaluation of distinct parameters that uplift the growth of the global industry. When tracking market trends, researchers and analysts have made a careful effort. Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the healthcare logistics market is expected to reach the value of USD 143,344.29 million by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. Non-Cold Chain" accounts for the largest technology segment in the healthcare logistics market as it requires much less capital investment. The healthcare logistics market report also covers pricing analysis, patent analysis, and technological advancements in depth. Get Access to Sample Report (Including Graphs, Charts & Figures) @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-healthcare-logistics-market Market Outline: - Healthcare comprises maintenance or improvement of wellness through the conclusion, anticipation, therapy, recuperation, or fix of infection, disease, injury, and different physical and mental impedances in individuals. Healthcare help is addressed with the aid of using fitness experts in allied health fields. Dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, audiology , medicine, optometry , midwifery, psychology, occupational and bodily therapy and different health professions are all additives to healthcare. Logistics refers to the general procedure of managing how resources are acquired, stored, and transported to their final destination. It contains figuring out potential distributors and providers and dealing with their effectiveness and accessibility. Hence, healthcare logistics is the logistics of medical and surgical supplies, pharmaceuticals, clinical gadgets and equipment, and different products demanded to assist doctors, nurses, and different healthcare specialists. Logistics is utilized in the healthcare industry to control the manner resources are kept, obtained, and transferred. The effective use of logistics in this business aids in the continual transport of pharmaceuticals, devices, and systems from vendors and providers positioned throughout the country. Hospitals and clinics, in addition to wholesalers of clinical objects and big pharmacy retail chains, make up the healthcare industry. Some of the major players operating in the Healthcare Logistics market are X2 Group Emerald Freight Express TOTAL QUALITY LOGISTICS LLC Cavalier Logistics Management II AmerisourceBergen Corporation Agility Air Canada CEVA logistics DB Schenker Deutsche Post DHL Group FedEx Burris Logistics OIA Global United Parcel Service of America VersaCold Logistics Services Abbott ADAllen Pharma Biosensors International Group Ltd. Entero Healthcare CRYOPDP SF Express Alloga KERRY LOGISTICS NETWORK LIMITED Transplace Penske Corporation AGRO Merchants Group pci Pharma Services NIPPO Recent Developments In December 2022, FedEx Express the worlds largest express transportation company , completed a major expansion of its air cargo hub located at Miami International Airport. The expansion will increase capacity and capabilities at the companys Americas gateway, which connects the U.S. and Canada to Latin America and the Caribbean The new partnership increased the customer base of the company. , completed a major expansion of its air cargo hub located at Miami International Airport. The expansion will increase capacity and capabilities at the companys Americas gateway, which connects the U.S. and Canada to Latin America and the Caribbean The new partnership increased the customer base of the company. In February 2022, Kerry Logistics Network Limited has won the Air Cargo Services Award at the British International Freight Association (BIFA) Freight Service Awards 2021. The Awards ceremony was held in London last night. This award honor helped in improving the recognition of the company. Access Full 350 Pages Research Study @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-healthcare-logistics-market Important Facts about This Market Report: This research report reveals this business overview, product overview, market share, demand and supply ratio, supply chain analysis, and import/export details The Industry report captivates different approaches and procedures endorsed by the market key players to make crucial business decisions This research presents some parameters such as production value, marketing strategy analysis, Distributors/Traders and effect factors are also mentioned The historical and current data is provided in the report based on which the future projections are made and the industry analysis is performed The import and export details along with consumption value and production capability of every region is mentioned in the report Porters five forces analysis, value chain analysis, SWOT analysis are some additional important parameters used for the analysis of market growth The report provides the clients with the facts and figures about the market on the basis of evaluation of the industry through primary and secondary research methodologies Healthcare logistics Market Dynamics:- This section deals with understanding the market drivers, advantages, opportunities, restraints and challenges. All of this is discussed in detail as below: Rapid Growth In The E-Commerce Sector E-commerce or electronic commerce is the process of buying and selling goods and services over an electronic network or online platform, primarily the Internet. In recent times, the widespread use of e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, and eBay has contributed to substantial growth in online buying and selling of goods. This has provided a platform for consumers to freely purchase healthcare products and use them according to their requirements. High Benefits Offered By Third Party Logistics Third-party logistics is outsourced with operational logistics from warehousing to delivery, this includes providing a number of services in the supply chain such as freight forwarding, packaging, order fulfillment, inventory forecasting, picking and packing, warehousing, and transportation. Third-party logistics offer a wide range of benefits as it helps the business owners to focus more on the other aspects of business such as product development, marketing, and sales. The high benefits offered by third-party logistics are therefore acting as the major factor for boosting the growth of the global healthcare logistics market . Rising Growth In Cross Border Trades And Globalization Globalization is the interdependence of the world's economies, populations, and cultures brought together by cross-border trade in technology, goods, and others. Today, most of the country's economy is highly dependent on buying and selling goods among various countries. Asia-Pacific and North America region has been the major players in global trade and has a high volume of trade flow that has increased the requirement of logistics service providers to make the flow of trade more convenient and faster. Thus, it is boosting the growth in the healthcare logistics market globally. Congestion Associated With Trade Routes As traffic volumes and congestion grow on roadways and waterways, freight and transport service operators grow to be increasingly challenged to keep reliable schedules. This affects supply chains and truck-dependent businesses, each of which is of growing significance for both public coverage and private region operators. Moreover, several accidents on roads or oil spills at sea can result in unexpected healthcare logistics restraints. Recent COVID-19 has also halted several logistics operations causing severe damage to entire supply chain operations. These factors act as a significant restraint for the growth of the global healthcare logistics market. High Cost Associated With Reverse Logistics The cost associated with reverse logistics services offered by various manufacturers and service providers is high. Reverse logistics services are quite popular in the healthcare sector due to the high demand for various healthcare-related products. According to Thomas Publishing Company, Industrial equipment return rates are approximately 4% to 8%, while healthcare equipment has 8% to 20%. Total U.S. revenue impacted by returns is estimated between USD 52 Million and USD 106 Million. The reason for reverse logistics services being so expensive are a combination of various factors which determine the pricing of these services. Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-healthcare-logistics-market Segments Covered:- By Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), By Component (Hardware, Software and Services), By Temperature Type (Ambient, Chilled/Refrigerated, Frozen and Cryogenic), By Logistics (Transportation, Packaging, Storage and Others), By Logistic Type (Sea Freight Logistics, Air Freight Logistics, Overland Logistics and Contract Logistics), By Application (Medicine, Bulk Drug Handlers, Vaccine, Chemical & Other Raw Material, Biological Material And Organs, Hazardous Cargo and Others), By End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Clinics, Research Institutes and Others) Market Regional Analysis/Insights The healthcare logistics market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, type, product, application, components, temperature type, logistics, logistics type and end user as referenced above. The countries covered in the healthcare logistics market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America. North America dominates the healthcare logistics market and is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the world. The rising infrastructure, commercial, and industrial developments in emerging countries such as U.S., Canada and Mexico are credited with the market's dominance. U.S. dominates the North America region as countries' sea freight logistics, air freight logistics, overland logistics and contract logistics are continuously developing their logistic services. U.K. dominates the Europe healthcare logistics market; this is attributable to the high benefits offered by third party logistics. China dominates the Asia-Pacific healthcare logistics market. The demand in this region is projected to be driven by the third party logistics offer wide range of benefits. TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 01: Executive Summary Part 02: Scope Of The Report Part 03: Research Methodology Part 04: Market Landscape Part 05: Pipeline Analysis Part 06: Market Sizing Part 07: Five Forces Analysis Part 08: Market Segmentation Part 09: Customer Landscape Part 10: Regional Landscape Part 11: Decision Framework Part 12: Drivers And Challenges Part 13: Market Trends Part 14: Vendor Landscape Part 15: Vendor Analysis Part 16: Appendix For More Insights, Grab TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-healthcare-logistics-market Browse Related Reports: Asia-Pacific Healthcare Logistics Market , By Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Temperature Type (Ambient, Chilled/Refrigerated, Frozen and Cryogenic), Logistics (Transportation, Packaging, Storage, and Others), Logistic Type (Sea Freight Logistics, Air Freight Logistics, Overland Logistics, and Contract Logistics), Application (Medicine, Bulk Drug Handlers, Vaccine, Chemical & Other Raw Material, Biological Material, and Organs, Hazardous Cargo and Others), End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Clinics, Research Institutes, and Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/asia-pacific-healthcare-logistics-market Europe Healthcare Logistics Market , By Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Temperature Type (Ambient, Chilled/Refrigerated, Frozen and Cryogenic), Logistics (Transportation, Packaging, Storage, and Others), Logistic Type (Sea Freight Logistics, Air Freight Logistics, Overland Logistics, and Contract Logistics), Application (Medicine, Bulk Drug Handlers, Vaccine, Chemical & Other Raw Material, Biological Material, and Organs, Hazardous Cargo and Others), End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Clinics, Research Institutes, and Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/europe-healthcare-logistics-market North America Healthcare Logistics Market , By Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Temperature Type (Ambient, Chilled/Refrigerated, Frozen and Cryogenic), Logistics (Transportation, Packaging, Storage, and Others), Logistic Type (Sea Freight Logistics, Air Freight Logistics, Overland Logistics, and Contract Logistics), Application (Medicine, Bulk Drug Handlers, Vaccine, Chemical & Other Raw Material, Biological Material, and Organs, Hazardous Cargo and Others), End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Clinics, Research Institutes, and Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/north-america-healthcare-logistics-market Middle East and Africa Healthcare Logistics Market, By Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Temperature Type (Ambient, Chilled/Refrigerated, Frozen and Cryogenic), Logistics (Transportation, Packaging, Storage, and Others), Logistic Type (Sea Freight Logistics, Air Freight Logistics, Overland Logistics, and Contract Logistics), Application (Medicine, Bulk Drug Handlers, Vaccine, Chemical & Other Raw Material, Biological Material, and Organs, Hazardous Cargo and Others), End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Clinics, Research Institutes, and Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/middle-east-and-africa-healthcare-logistics-market Pharmaceutical Logistics Market , By Type (Cold Chain Logistics, Non Cold Chain Logistics), Component (Storage, Transportation, Monitoring Components), Procedure (Picking, Storage, Retrieval Systems, Handling Systems), Application (Chemical Pharma, Bio-Pharma, Specialized Pharma), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia- Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East & Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-pharmaceutical-logistics-market Healthcare Cold Chain Logistics Market , By Type (Biopharmaceuticals, Vaccines, Clinical Trial Materials, Others), Services (Storage, Transportation, Packaging, Others), Storage Techniques (Electrical refrigeration, Dry Ice, Gel Packs, Liquid Nitrogen, Others), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia- Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-healthcare-cold-chain-logistics-market About Data Bridge Market Research: An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today! Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavours to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. Data Bridge is an aftermath of sheer wisdom and experience which was formulated and framed in the year 2015 in Pune. Data Bridge Market Research has over 500 analysts working in different industries. We have catered more than 40% of the fortune 500 companies globally and have a network of more than 5000+ clientele around the globe. Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate. Contact Us:- OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MindSite News the only news site dedicated exclusively to reporting on mental health in Americais launching a live public conversation series that will take place throughout the month of October to engage the public in conversations about psychedelics and mental health. The campaign also aims to raise funds to support our nonprofit journalism and ongoing coverage of this important topic. In this live virtual series hosted by MindSite News, founding editor Rob Waters will be in conversation with key thought leaders in this space. Together they will examine the psychedelic resurgence and its potential for bringing healing and wellness, as well as the potential pitfalls of these efforts. Society is at a pivotal moment with policy and cultural change happening at both state and federal levels, and MindSite News is poised to play a role as an independent news source dedicated to rigorous, inclusive reporting on the space. MindSite News aims to become a trusted source for individuals, policy makers, and mental health professionals seeking unbiased, comprehensive coverage of this dynamic, fast-changing field. The Series Includes: Oct. 3, 2022 - 10 a.m. PST: How to Change Your Mind: A Conversation with Michael Pollan MindSite News founding editor Rob Waters will be in conversation with author and journalist Michael Pollan to discuss his recent efforts to document the explosion of interest, research and investment into psychedelic plants and substances and the potential they may hold for changing consciousness, treating mental illness and alleviating suffering. Register for this conversation here . Oct. 13, 2022 - 10 a.m. PST: Heal Soul!: A Conversation with David Bronner MindSite News founding editor Rob Waters will be in conversation with Dr. Bronners CEO and psychedelics activist David Bronner. A discussion on Bronners interest in psychedelics, why he financially supported a campaign that led voters in Oregon to pass the first ballot initiative in the country legalizing the use of psilocybin, and his thoughts about how that legislation is currently unfolding will be featured. As an independent news organization, MindSite News closely follows policy developments in mental health and will cover the experiment now unfolding in Oregon and elsewhere. Register for this conversation here . Oct. 20, 2022 - 10 a.m. PST: Equity and Psychedelics: A Conversation with Simran Sethi MindSite News founding editor Rob Waters will be in conversation with journalist and Asian Psychedelics Collective founder Simran Sethi to discuss racial disparities in mental health. Asian Americans, for example, are the least likely racial group to seek help for mental health challenges by some accounts, they are three times less likely to seek mental health services than whites. Waters will discuss Sethis interest in psychedelics and mental health and hear about her experience as a member of the Fireside Project, a nonprofit psychedelic peer support line. The conversation will also include a discussion on the steps that led to the formation of the Asian Psychedelic Collective and what Sethi hopes to accomplish through this collaborative work. MindSite News is committed to inclusive reporting and including stories and voices from marginalized communities. Enforcement of drug laws in the U.S. has historically resulted in mass incarceration of African Americans and Latinos especially. As psychedelics enter the mainstream, reporting on how they affect diverse communities and how members of those communities participate in the commerce and benefit from new therapies will be a vital area of reporting for MindSite News. Register for this conversation here . Oct. 27, 2022 - 10 a.m. PST: Psychedelic Journalism: A Conversation with Double Blind Magazine, Lucid News and Minority Trip Podcast MindSite News founding editor Rob Waters will be in conversation with a panel of media producers and journalists including Double Blind Magazine co-founder Shelby Hartman, Minority Trip podcast host Raad Seraj, and Lucid News co-founder Mareesa Stertz. MindSite News will discuss each guests media projects, their goals and strategies for covering the psychedelic space, and the roles and responsibilities of media when it comes to covering mental health. MindSite News is the only news outlet dedicated exclusively to covering mental health in America, and is excited to join these other psychedelic-focused media outlets to discuss the nonprofit media organizations own philosophies about reporting on both the flaws and successful innovations in this space. Register for this conversation here . Today about 30% of adult Americans are grappling with mental illness and substance use disorders and psychedelic therapies show promise. Once relegated to the countercultural fringe, there is now an explosion of serious scientific research. The potential for psychedelic drugs to be used as legitimate therapies is rapidly gaining recognition and legal status. Sign up for MindSite News daily updates on all things mental health, and consider supporting nonprofit journalism that covers mental health with depth and context. Press Contact: Erin Eberle erinleberle@gmail.com 503-490-5461 Wire Service Contact InvestorWire (IW) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorWire.com 212.418.1217 Office Editor@InvestorWire.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c182fe65-10ca-4d2d-8174-c6ca42303726 Queenstown, New Zealand, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the easing of COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements and international borders open once more, New Zealand is poised for a comeback. For many New Zealand-based travel companies, the pandemic forced them to direct their gaze inward while international travellers ventured elsewhere. Queenstown-based Active Adventures took the two-and-a-half-year international traveller hiatus to welcome Kiwis onto their all-inclusive trips and take a deep look into how things were operating in their backyard. During our enforced COVID-related hiatus, we set to work making our trips even better, and the Ultimate South Island Adventure was at the forefront of that work, says Jon Singleton, Head of Operations for New Zealand. We used thousands of guest and guide reviews along with our operations teams intimate local knowledge to offer better accommodations, better options, better hikes, better bike rides, and better overall flow all the while keeping the core ethos of what makes this trip so beloved. Among the enhancements to the Ultimate South Island Adventure (formerly known as Rimu) are an enhanced overall trip flow as well as: In Nelson Lakes National Park, guests now have the choice to take the easier circuit of Lake Rotoiti via a combination of hiking and water taxis over three days, returning to their hotel nightly, or they can opt for the more challenging Angelus Circuit where theyll hike hut to hut in the backcountry during the same timeframe Guests will now stay at the Ocean View Retreat in Paparoa National Park A hike of the legendary Rocky Mountain Track near Wanaka is new to the itinerary Guests will now spend two nights in Te anau in Fiordland National Park, allowing for more time to explore on foot, by bus, and by boat A morning cruise of Milford Sound is new to the itinerary Less driving to get to Mount Cook National Park, with accommodation now much closer to the park Guests can now bike along the Alps to Ocean Trail with panorama views of Lake Pukakai and Aoraki / Mt Cook Single supplements are now available for each night of the itinerary (excluding mountain huts) With nonstop flights from several U.S. hubs including Houston, Chicago, and now New Yorks JFK, there are more options for travellers when it comes to getting to New Zealand. And to ease the financial strain of the increased cost of flying and celebrate the full reopening of New Zealand, Active Adventures is offering travellers a $300 flight credit for each guest who books a new trip to New Zealand through September 30, 2022. The [Ultimate South Island Adventure] was our original trip it has been our most popular trip for 25 years amongst both guests and guides alike, concludes Singleton. Its always had the right amount of challenging hiking, biking, and kayaking to keep our guests adventure fulfilled from sunup to sundown we just made it even better. Attachment Irving, Texas, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lehigh Hanson, Inc. is pleased to announce the transformation of its global parent company, HeidelbergCement, to Heidelberg Materials, a new brand with a global reach and a focus on sustainability, digitalization and leadership in the building materials industry. As the North American subsidiary of HeidelbergCement, Lehigh Hanson will begin the process to become Heidelberg Materials in early 2023. Lehigh Hansons evolution to Heidelberg Materials reflects its much broader and innovative approach to serving its customers and becoming the industry leader in sustainability and digital solutions. The new name will unify its many legacy brands and nearly 9,000 employees in North America to better serve its customers, engage the local communities and drive the sustainable and circular economy. This is a major step change for our company, both globally and here in North America, said Chris Ward, President and CEO of Lehigh Hanson and Member of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials. I am thrilled to lead this transformation in North America and take the next steps in our global journey to grow our business beyond cement and aggregates and become the most sustainable company in the sector. The change to Heidelberg Materials will launch in North America beginning in the first quarter of 2023, and ultimately will be rolled out in the different geographies and operational areas during the remainder of the year and beyond. ### About Lehigh Hanson Based in Irving, Texas, Lehigh Hanson, Inc. and its affiliated companies are part of Heidelberg Materials, one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions with leading market positions in cement, aggregates, and ready-mixed concrete. Soon to become Heidelberg Materials, Lehigh Hanson provides customers with solutions born out of creative thinking and approached with enthusiasm. They are powered by digital innovation, driven by the need for a more sustainable future and backed by our broad manufacturing and distribution network. Visit www.lehighhanson.com for more information. Attachment RADNOR, Pa., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against MINISO Group Holding Limited (MINISO) (NYSE: MNSO). The action charges MINISO with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the companys business, operations, and prospects. As a result of MINISOs materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, MINISO investors have suffered significant losses. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR MINISO LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://ktmc.com/new-cases/miniso-group-holding-limited?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=miniso&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: OCTOBER 17, 2022 CLASS PERIOD: OCTOBER 15, 2020 THROUGH AUGUST 17, 2022 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the worlds foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. MINISOS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT Headquartered in the People's Republic of China, MINISO purports to be a fast-growing global value retailer which serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores. On October 15, 2020, MINISO conducted its IPO, issuing approximately 30.4 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) to the investing public at $20.00 per ADS. On July 26, 2022, market researcher Blue Orca Capital published a report on MINISO which alleged several alarming issues with MINISO, including that: 1) many MINISO stores are secretly owned by MINISO executives or insiders closely connected to the chairman; 2) MINISO misleads the market about its core business; and 3) based on Blue Orcas analysis, MINISOs Chinese corporate filings indicate that the chairman siphoned hundreds of millions from the public company through opaque Caribbean jurisdictions as the middleman in a crooked headquarters deal. As of July 27, 2022, MINISO ADSs closed at $5.66 per ADS, representing more than a 70% decline from the $20.00 IPO price. WHAT CAN I DO? MINISO investors may, no later than October 17, 2022, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages MINISO investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Jonathan Naji, Esq. (484) 270-1453 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 info@ktmc.com A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c59ec4f-d505-4561-9fb7-613f588c80ff EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The kisikaw pisim solar farm is now in operation generating renewable electricity to help power the E. L. Smith Water Treatment Plant. The solar farm will provide up to half the energy required by the plant, which supplies 65 per cent of the water required by Edmonton and surrounding communities. With 30,350 solar panels capturing energy from the sun, the solar farm will generate enough power to cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 14,000 tonnes every year. The kisikaw pisim solar farm is an example of the work were doing to support a greener future today, said Stuart Lee, EPCOR President & CEO. This project will make a significant and lasting impact in environmental sustainability by allowing us to produce clean water using clean energy. It will make the water treatment plant more self-sufficient and climate resilient; and EPCOR would like to thank all our partners who brought their leadership and vision to help make it a reality. Smart grid helps optimize use of solar energy A key element of the project is the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) connected to the solar farm. Using the latest innovative technologies, the BESS - with more than 1,000 batteries in two separate sea-can style containers within the plants fence line - will store energy for use when its needed most and help support greater resiliency of the water treatment plant. Earlier this year, the kisikaw pisim (KEY-see-gaw PEE-sim) solar farm was gifted its Indigenous name by Enoch Cree Nation (ECN). The name means daylight sun and is represented in Cree syllabics as . The naming is one element of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EPCOR and ECN, signed in 2020, that formalizes a strong, cooperative relationship between the two parties. In the MOU, both parties acknowledged their shared support for the principles of the Edmonton Declaration, which calls for immediate and urgent action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "The kisikaw pisim solar farm is a great example of Edmonton's commitment to decarbonizing our energy sources," said Mayor of Edmonton, Amarjeet Sohi. "By collaborating with Enoch Cree Nation, EPCOR leverages this sustainability project to also champion reconciliation and environmental stewardship. I'm glad to see this more than 12-megawatt solar installation come online and I commend EPCOR for their leadership with this project." Congratulations Enoch Cree Nation and EPCOR. The opening of the kisikaw pisim solar farm is a significant step forward on the path to a net-zero future powered in-part by abundant clean energy, said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canadas Minister of Natural Resources. The Government of Canada is pleased to have supported this project, which delivered sustainable jobs for Albertans and Canadians, while contributing to our national effort to combat climate change while growing the economy. "Using solar electricity like the one produced by the kisikaw pisim solar farm to power our transportation sector, heat our buildings, and feed our manufacturing and industrial processes is widely recognized as an essential pathway to an economy that works for all Albertans, said the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Canadas Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Finance, and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre. As the energy industry evolves, Edmontonians and Canadians have the know-how to lead the way toward the transition to greener energies and a more sustainable and prosperous future for all of our communities. Naturalization of solar farm site supports biodiversity In addition, as part of the project, EPCOR is transferring 31.5 acres of land to the City of Edmonton to extend and improve its recreational trail network. As well, the company has enlarged the wildlife corridor along the river by 25 per cent and added more than three acres of grassy meadow outside of the fence line. EPCOR has already begun restoring more than seven acres of the site into tree and shrub habitat, adding more trees to facilitate wildlife movement and visual screening, as well as re-introducing native grasses to enhance biodiversity. The last of the 30,350 solar panels was installed in March and the solar farm started generating power earlier this summer. The kisikaw pisim solar farm underscores the importance EPCOR places on sustainable, responsible operations, Lee added. We are committed to supporting our communities in their efforts to address the challenges of climate change. Editors Note Existing photos and video of the solar farm are available at tinyurl.com/epcorsolar. Photos from the event will also be posted there. All assets are available for media download and use. About EPCOR EPCOR, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, builds, owns and operates electrical, natural gas and water transmission and distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment facilities, sanitary and stormwater systems, and infrastructure in Canada and the United States. The Company also provides electricity, natural gas and water products and services to residential and commercial customers. EPCOR, headquartered in Edmonton, is committed to conducting its business and operations safely and responsibly. Environmental stewardship, public health and community well-being are at the heart of EPCORs mission to provide clean water and safe, reliable energy. EPCOR is an Alberta Top 75 employer, and is ranked among Corporate Knights 2022 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. For more information, contact: Laura Ehrkamp, EPCOR Media Relations (780) 721-9001 | epcormedia@epcor.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dda948b9-7d0c-4a09-a4a2-72f01264b6d2 MCLEAN, VA, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Students For Liberty (SFL) is pleased to announce the return of their flagship event, LibertyCon International 2022, on October 14-15 at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, FL. With students active in 117 countries, previous LibertyCon events have been hosted in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South America; this will be the return of LibertyCon to the United States for the first time since the pandemic. NBA star and human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom has been announced as the featured presenter at LibertyCon on Saturday night. Kanter Freedom is a civic activist who gained lots of attention with his outspoken criticism of human rights violations around the world, even when it came at the price of his career and personal safety. Matt Welch, editor-at-large for Reason Magazine, which sponsored this event, will lead the discussion with Enes Kanter Freedom on the main stage Saturday evening. The featured Friday night presenter is five-term congressman Justin Amash. Amash served as the representative for Michigans 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. Originally a Republican, he officially switched to Libertarian in April 2020, becoming the party's first (and so far, only) member of Congress. As Students For Liberty CEO Dr. Wolf von Laer said about Amashs participation, we are fortunate to have the former congressman join us in Miami to share his insights and experiences from ten years working in Washington and being part of the political process. Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolinas 1st district will join the main stage as one of the featured presenters discussing issues related to criminal justice. Rep. Mace made a name for herself being the second Republican ever to propose a bill to end the federal governments 85-year prohibition on cannabis, which she will discuss with the students at LibertyCon. In an interview with Forbes back in January on her proposal, she stated: This has been a very long, very painful, expensive, and harmful federal war and when you look at the statistics, there are great disparities between black and brown and white communities. [Ending federal prohibition] would bring more opportunity and parity, and end and cure some of the grievances in the war on drugs. 2020 Libertarian candidate for vice president and political commentator Spike Cohen will be debating streaming pioneer and political commentator Steven Bonnell aka Destiny on whether libertarianism is really a perfect solution or just an unrealistic fantasy. Cohen, founder of the non-profit You Are The Power, was the first millennial ever to be on the ballot in all fifty states. A regular in both mainstream and social media outlets, Cohen is looking forward to having a friendly debate with Destiny, a personality known for his intense debating skills, in the afternoon on Saturday at LibertyCon. Many notable speakers from multiple groups and diverse backgrounds across the globe will also be joining us throughout the weekend. Some of these presenters include: Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey Reason magazine Editor-in-Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward 2020 Libertarian candidate for president Jo Jorgensen Former Congressman from Illinois Joe Walsh Economics Professor Antony Davies Cato Institute Director of Health Policy Michael Cannon Founder of Libertarianism.org and author Aaron Ross Powell Political commentator and podcast host Hannah Cox Independent journalist and filmmaker Ford Fischer Reason magazine Editor-at-Large Matt Welch Entrepreneur and political activist Martha Bueno President for Foundation of Economic Education Zilvinas Silenas Economist and Venezuelean socialism critic Daniel Di Martino Drug policy reform activist Christina Dent Social media influencer and political commentator Warren Rhea Independent journalist and documentarian Jon Farina Journalist and Co-founder of Ideas Beyond Borders Melissa Chen Entrepreneur, political activist, and elected local official in Miami, Martha Bueno will be the host and emcee for LibertyCon International at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, October 14-15. Registration for the event can be found at LibertyCon.com where you can register to see these great presenters and more. Students For Liberty is also offering travel scholarships to liberty-loving students in North America. Applications for this program can be filled out at LibertyCon.com/scholarship. The deadline for submission is September 26, 2022. For any questions or clarification, or to schedule an interview with a Students For Liberty representative, please contact Brian Lambrecht directly at 708-420-8324 or BLambrecht@StudentsForLiberty.org Attachment Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises FedEx Corporation (FedEx or the Company) (NYSE: FDX) investors that the firm has initiated an investigation into possible securities fraud and may file a class action on behalf of investors. FedEx investors that lost money on their investment are encouraged to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 844-767-8529 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. FedEx released its preliminary results for the first quarter on September 15, 2022. The Company warned of a global drop-off in its delivery business and is closing storefronts and putting off hiring staff to combat the drop. The Company also warned that it will miss targets on profitability and expects business conditions to worsen. Based on this news, shares of FedEx cratered by more than 22% in intraday trading on September 16, 2022. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising New York, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Thermal Spray Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06155674/?utm_source=GNW The market was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The levels of activities were very low, and many project schedules were changed or postponed. Due to all these interruptions, industrial activities and plant construction projects across all industries were also affected. Such a global scenario negatively affected the global thermal spray market for the existing plants in the end-user industries, such as aerospace, turbines, automotive, electronics, oil and gas, and power, which were temporarily shut down worldwide. Key Highlights Over the medium term, the primary drivers of the thermal spray market are the increasing usage of thermal spray coatings in medical devices, the rising popularity of thermal spray ceramic coatings, the replacement of hard chrome coatings, and the increasing use of thermal spray coatings in the Aerospace Industry. However, with the emergence of hard trivalent chrome coatings in recent years, process reliability and consistency issues are expected to be hindered. The aerospace end-use industry dominated the market and is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. The usage of thermal spray in the aerospace sector helps protect expensive engine components by extending the component life and dramatically increasing fuel efficiency, thereby improving the aircrafts performance, owing to the increasing investment in the global aerospace industry. North America dominated the global thermal spray market, owing to the expansion of end-user industries such as automotive, aerospace, power, industrial gas turbine, and others, which is expected to benefit the thermal spray materials market over the forecast period. Key Market Trends Aerospace Industry to Dominate the Market The aerospace industry is the largest end-user of the thermal spray material market. Thermal spray coatings are used in the aerospace industry to protect components from the extreme temperatures and pressures encountered during flight. They are used to provide high thermal resistance and longevity in the protection of engine turbine blades and actuation systems. In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China), according to the Boeing Commercial Outlook 2021-2040, around 8,945 new deliveries will be made by 2040, with a market service value of USD 1,945 billion. Moreover, approximately 8,700 new deliveries will be made in China alone by 2040, with a market service value of USD 1,800 billion. Thermal spray materials have advantages, such as low toxic gas emissions, electrical resistance, easy mobility, and wear & corrosion protection. Growth in the aerospace sector, especially in civil aviation in emerging economies, on account of high expenditure on aerospace infrastructural construction and commissioning of new projects, is expected to positively impact the market. Thermal spray coatings, such as zirconium oxide, aluminum bronze, and cobalt-molybdenum, are used for coating purposes in rocket combustion chambers, compressor air seals, and high-pressure nozzles, respectively. The aforementioned factors are expected to support the consumption of thermal spray used in the aerospace industry during the forecast period. North America to Dominate the Market The North American region has the highest share in the global market. The thermal spray is increasingly used in automotive, aerospace, power, oil and gas, and other industries in the region. The automobile industry in the United States is the second-largest in the world after China and contributes significantly to the regional and global automobile markets. The country houses major automakers that are producing and exporting vehicles to other economies in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. As per the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), the total value of the car and automobile manufacturing market in the United States was USD 82.6 billion in 2021. Moreover, the association predicts that US new light-vehicle sales will likely increase by 3.4% to 15.4 million units in 2022. The United States is by far the largest market for thermal spray equipment owing to the presence of a large aerospace industry which is the main end-user industry. Arzell Inc.?, Bay State Surface Technologies Inc. (Aimtek Inc.)?, Donaldson Company Inc.?, Linde PLC?, and Oerlikon Metco are the major equipment providers in the country. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the total commercial aircraft fleet is expected to reach 8,270 in 2037, owing to the growth in air cargo. Also, the US mainliner carrier fleet is expected to grow at a rate of 54 aircraft per year due to the existing fleet getting older. In the 2022 defense budget, the US government allots USD 768.2 billion for national defense programs, which is about a 2% increase from the Biden administrations original budget request, registering a growing usage of thermal spray in the sector. Canada is the fifth-largest automobile producer in the world and holds a prominent share of global automotive vehicle production. Canada produces roughly 1.12 million cars and light trucks in 2021, registering a decline of 19% compared to 2020. ? As of June 2021, there are 6,111 charging stations with 13,623 charging outlets across Canada, mainly in the Southern Territories.? Furthermore, according to EV Volumes, Canada sold about 66,800 electric vehicles in 2021, registering a 42.5% increase compared to annual sales recorded in 2020. Owing to the rise of these end-user industries in the United States and Canada, North America is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. Competitive Landscape The global thermal spray market is fragmented, with the top 5 players accounting for less than 40% of the total market share. The major players present in the market include OC Oerlikon Management AG?, Linde plc, Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC, Bodycote, and Kennametal Inc., among others. Additional Benefits: The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format 3 months of analyst support Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06155674/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ New York, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Enzyme Inhibitor Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06317639/?utm_source=GNW Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cipla USA Inc., AbbVie, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The global enzyme inhibitor market is expected to grow from $167.06 billion in 2021 to $172.56 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%. The enzyme inhibitor market is expected to grow to $185.58 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 1.8%. The enzyme inhibitor market consists of sales of enzyme inhibitors by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used to treat Gaucher disease and also used as a tool for studying enzymes.Enzyme inhibitors are chemicals that attach to enzymes and prevent them from working. They attach to enzyme active sites and reduce enzyme compatibility with substrates, preventing the formation of enzyme-substrate complexes that result in reducing the reactions catalysis and preventing the creation of products. Enzymes help to speed up chemical reactions in the body and take part in many cell functions, including cell signaling, growth, and division. The main types of enzyme inhibitors are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), protease inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, aromatase inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, neuraminidase inhibitors, statins, and other types.Proton pump inhibitors refer to medicines that work by decreasing the amount of stomach acid made by glands in the lining of the stomach. The various disease indications include chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, inflammatory diseases, and others. The enzyme inhibitors are applicable in chemotherapy, antibiotics, pesticides, cardiovascular treatments, and others and are used in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and beverage, and other end users. North America was the largest region in the enzyme inhibitor market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the enzyme inhibitor market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The enzyme inhibitors market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides enzyme inhibitors market statistics, including enzyme inhibitors industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an enzyme inhibitors market share, detailed enzyme inhibitors market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the enzyme inhibitors industry. This enzyme inhibitors market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry. The rise in the incidence of diseases including cancer is expected to propel the growth of the enzyme inhibitor market going forward.Enzymes, such as telomerase, which is active in most tumor cells, are utilized to cure cancers, including leukemia, and also keep healthy adult cells from becoming cancerous. For instance, according to the World Health Organization, 19.3 million new cancer cases were registered, and almost 10.0 million cancer deaths occurred in 2020. In addition, there were more than 1.6 million people diagnosed with cancer in the US. Therefore, the rise in the incidence of diseases like cancer is driving the demand for the enzyme inhibitor market. Strategic partnerships and collaborations have emerged as a key trend gaining popularity in the enzyme inhibitor market.Major companies operating in enzyme inhibitors are focused on strategic partnerships to meet customer demand. For instance, in April 2021, Artios Pharma Limited, a UK-based DNA damage response company that also provides enzyme inhibitors, collaborated with Novartis International AG, a Switzerland-based pharmaceutical corporation, to uncover and verify new generation DDR (DNA Damage Response) targets to advance Novartis Radioligand Therapies (RLT).This partnership with Novartis will be utilized to find and validate next-generation DDR targets to improve Novartis radioligand therapies. Furthermore, in March 2020, Bayer AG, a Germany-based pharmaceutical and life sciences company, collaborated with Curadev, an Indian-based pharmaceutical company that provides enzyme inhibitors, to discover new drug candidates to provide treatment for lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and other inflammatory diseases. In March 2021, Amgen Inc, a US-based biotechnology company, acquired Rodeo Therapeutics Corporation for a deal amount of $666 million.Through this acquisition, Rodeo is focused on developing first-in-class, orally available modulators of prostaglandin biology that play an important role in tissue regeneration and repair. Rodeo Therapeutics Corporation is a US-based biopharmaceutical company that develops enzyme inhibitors. The countries covered in the enzyme inhibitor market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06317639/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Do Kwon speaks during an interview with crypto media outlet Coinage at his office in Singapore, Aug. 16. The interview was his last public appearance. Screenshot from Coinage's YouTube channel By Lee Min-hyung Korean prosecutors have asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice for Do Kwon, co-founder of the ill-fated Terra-Luna coins, saying that he is "obviously on the run" and seems unwilling to cooperate with the investigation. According to Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, the prosecution requested the international police and crime control authority to place Kwon on its Red Notice list. It will take more than 10 days until Interpol issues the notice. The Red Notice is the highest level of alert issued to police across the globe when a person is wanted from another country. Kwon did not respond immediately to the report. His exact whereabouts remain unknown. Earlier, he said on his Twitter account that he is not on the run. But prosecutors think otherwise, since Kwon has not revealed his whereabouts and has yet to appear before investigators, communicating only through the online channel even though four months have transpired since the spectacular collapse of the two cryptocurrencies. Kwon has also irked investors by leaving sarcastic comments about the investigation, saying, "To be honest, (I) haven't gone running in a while, need to cut some calories." It remains unclear whether he will respond to the request for investigation in the foreseeable future, as he has not made any public appearances other than a recent interview with a crypto media outlet last month at his office in Singapore. But after the Singaporean police authority confirmed that he is not in the city-state, the prosecution has come to the conclusion that he is on the run. "We issued a warrant for his arrest amid fears that he will end up declining to appear for the investigation at a time when he has obviously fled his home country," the prosecution said. "He went to Singapore to evade the investigation in light of his attitude." Kwon left Korea in late April after dissolving a domestic firm used to issue coins. But only a few weeks later, the value of the once-popular stablecoin Terra and its sister token Luna suddenly plunged to the near-zero level. Even if Kwon reiterates that he did not commit fraud, prosecutors are still raising questions as to why he left Korea right before the collapse of the two cryptocurrencies. His family members and the firm's key officials also moved to Singapore at around that time. But it appears Kwon will not be able to hide in other countries for a long period of time, as the foreign ministry is considering invalidating his passport upon the request of the prosecution. New York, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "C-Reactive Protein Testing Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06317631/?utm_source=GNW The global c-reactive protein testing market is expected to grow from $3.21 billion in 2021 to $3.26 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.70%. The c-reactive protein testing market is expected to grow to $3.48 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.63%. The c-reactive protein testing market consists of sales of c-reactive protein testing kits and equipment by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used to measure the level of c-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood.CRP is a liver-produced protein released into the bloodstream due to inflammation. When the body is wounded or infected, inflammation is the bodys way of protecting the tissues. CRP testing is generally used to diagnose inflammation caused due to an infection. The main types of assay in c-reactive protein testing market are enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) and immunoturbidimetric assays.The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is used to measure CRP (c-reactive protein). C-reactive protein (CRP) ELISA test offers quantitative measurement of human c-reactive protein in serum to help in the follow-up of rheumatic fever, inflammatory processes, and others.Elisa is a biological assay that measures antibodies, antigens, proteins, and glycoproteins. The c-reactive protein testing are mainly used in clinics, hospitals and diagnostic laboratories for diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and others. North America was the largest region in the c-reactive protein testing market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the c-reactive protein testing market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The c-reactive protein testing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides c-reactive protein testing market statistics, including c-reactive protein testing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an c-reactive protein testing market share, detailed c-reactive protein testing market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the c-reactive protein testing industry. This c-reactive protein testing market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry. The increasing cases of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are expected to propel the growth of the c-reactive protein testing market.Cardiovascular diseases refer to heart conditions such as diseased vessels, structural problems, and blood clots. The exact cause of CVD is uncertain, but numerous factors can increase the risk of developing it.One such factor is the behavioral risk caused due to unbalanced eating, lack of physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use, which results in an accumulation of fatty deposits inside the arteries (atherosclerosis), resulting in an increased risk of blood clots. These behavioral risks result in elevated blood pressure, glucose, blood lipids, weight gain, and obesity.The increasing cases of cardiovascular diseases invites the need for c-reactive protein testing to diagnose or predict the chance of having cardiovascular problems at least as well as cholesterol levels. For instance, according to the key facts published in June 2021 by the WHO (World Health Organization), cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Around 17.9 million die every year due to CVD, accounting for 32% of all global deaths. In addition, according to the Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2021 Update by the American Heart Association, there were over 523.2 million cases of cardiovascular diseases in 2019, showing an increase of 26.6% over the last 10 years. Therefore, the increasing cases of cardiovascular diseases will drive the c-reactive protein testing market. Technological advancement in measuring devices is a key trend in the c-reactive protein testing market.Major companies operating in the c-reactive protein testing market are focused on providing technologically advanced solutions to strengthen their market position. These companies are implementing next-generation c-reactive testing technologies into their testing methods and advanced solutions that provide benefits such as maximum output and multiple usages.For instance, in February 2022, Aidian, a Finnish-based diagnostic tests, and test solutions company, released the QuikRead go wrCRP & wrCRP+Hb kits. The kit consistently produces two results, a wide range of CRP and Hb, from a single sample with one analysis. The wide-range CRP test permits CRP readings to assess conditions such as neonatal sepsis, predict disease severity in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and assist in cardiovascular risk assessment. In October 2021, Abcam, a UK-based producer, distributor, and marketer of protein research tools acquired BioVision Inc., for $340 million. This acquisition is expected to increase Abcams immunoassay capacity in Eugene, OR by expanding the kits and assay portfolio. In addition to accelerating strategy execution, the company will also focus on in-house innovation and product development in the complementary biochemical and cell-based assay markets. BioVision Inc. is a US-based innovator and distributor of life science research tools including CRP ELISA kits to biopharma, diagnostic, and academic customers. The countries covered in the c-reactive protein testing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK and USA. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06317631/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Durango, Colo., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centura Health, the regions leading health system, is pleased to announce that Brandon Mencini has been appointed Chief Executive Officer for Mercy Hospital. He will join Mercy Hospital on October 17, 2022, where he will join the hospitals 140-year legacy of compassionate caring for the Four Corners region. Mencini, who grew up in the Denver metro and started his 20-year health care career as an EMT at then St. Anthony Central in Lakewood, is on a mission to collaborate with our caregivers, providers and patients to progressively advance exceptional care in our growing community. Prior to returning to Centura, Mencini was the Chief Operating Officer for Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, where he provided comprehensive, operational oversight to a 466-bed level I trauma and provisional burn center. Mancini is an energetic health care leader and is proud to build dynamic relationships rooted in a lifetime of service in health care with an eye toward the future: During this endemic stage of COVID-19, the healthcare industry continues to evolve. Its imperative that we stay innovative in our approach to care within our region, said Mencini. Im thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from Mercy Hospitals rich history and the deep-rooted community of patients, staff, physicians and neighbors of the Four Corners region, pairing innovation and history to continue exceptional care for decades to come. Mencini earned his Master of Health Administration from Webster University and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Colorado. ### ABOUT CENTURA HEALTH Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 19 hospitals, two senior living communities, neighborhood health centers, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life Colorado, our caregivers make the regions best health care accessible. Were on a mission to build flourishing communities and whole person care. Were Centura Health, and were your dedicated health partner for life. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit the Centura Health website. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy contact Centura Healths Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright Centura Health, 2021. ATENCION: Si habla espanol, tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia linguistica. Llame al 1-303-643-1000 (TTY: 711). CHU Y: Neu ban noi Tieng Viet, co cac dich vu ho tro ngon ngu mien phi danh cho ban. Goi so 1-303-643-1000 (TTY: 711). SAN DIEGO, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading designer and manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems for U.S. and allied military forces around the world, firmly opposes a new Chinese agricultural investment near Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and calls on the U.S. government to halt the project. A Chinese agricultural conglomerate plans to develop a large-scale corn milling plant on 370 acres in Grand Forks, just 15 miles from the air base and many established U.S. defense industry operations. Grand Forks welcomes many U.S. defense technology companies, including GA-ASI, which uses local airspace to conduct significant test and evaluation efforts related to unmanned aircraft, radar systems, and other advanced military technologies. The proposed agricultural project represents a major vulnerability for maintaining the necessary secrecy and integrity of classified weapons, communications frequencies, satellite connectivity and many other technologies vital to global security. "Chinese business efforts are inextricably linked with Chinese government efforts," said GA-ASI spokesman C. Mark Brinkley. "We can't ignore the opportunity for sophisticated military espionage to co-locate itself within a Chinese business of such scale and scope. Given the proximity to critical national airspace and sensitive military operations on and around Grand Forks Air Force Base, American leaders should be very, very concerned. I know I am. So, we've got to act." The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or another similar authority must stop the corn mill project, Brinkley said, in view of the security risks it poses. The Chinese investment project presents problems for America's allies too. GA-ASI has operated in the Grand Forks area for more than a decade and grew its Flight Test and Training Center to more than 20 acres beginning in 2018 in order to serve as a home for UAS pilot and maintainer training for all systems deployed worldwide, including in the militaries of international allies. UAS crews from the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force will begin training there later this year, learning to pilot and maintain the UK's new advanced MQ-9B Protector aircraft, built by GA-ASI. GA-ASI recognizes that the proposed corn mill would be located on American soil and may be operated by many U.S. citizen employees, but its foreign ownership and control mean there is no simple way to ensure the facility does not someday play host to electronic surveillance or other activities that pose security risks to American and allied unmanned aviation. "We understand the significant economic opportunities this proposed agricultural project represents for the people of Grand Forks and the state of North Dakota," Brinkley said. "But no measure of assurances from the company can ever offset the tremendous risk being introduced. The strategic national security value of Grand Forks cannot be overstated, and that's why we're asking the U.S. government to act swiftly to protect this asset." About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than seven million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com. Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. ### Contact Information: GA-ASI Media Relations GA-ASI Media Relations asi-mediarelations@ga-asi.com +1 (858) 524-8101 Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment An aerial view of an Amazon data center in Boardman, OR on Tues., July 12, 2022. Pak Yong-il, a senior member of North Korea's parliament known for his role in inter-Korean exchanges, has died, according to Pyongyang's state media Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a wreath the previous day expressing deep condolences over his death, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Pak was vice chairman of the standing committee of the North's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly and chairman of the central committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, a minor political party formed in 1945. "Pak Yong-il devoted himself to the struggle for the prosperity and development of our state and the independent reunification of the country with ardent patriotism," the KCNA said. He previously served as vice chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country handling inter-Korean affairs and took part in the Korean Red Cross negotiations with Seoul in 2009 and 2010. As Pyongyang's chief delegate, Pak led the working-level Red Cross talks from 2013 to 2015 on the issue of holding reunions for families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War. In June 2018, he also attended high-level talks at the truce village of Panmunjom to discuss steps to implement agreements reached during a April 27 summit between Kim and then South Korean President Moon Jae-in. (Yonhap) U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim speaks during a press meeting at the U.S. ambassadorial residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps The United States made yet another dialogue offer to North Korea this summer through a communication channel in New York, but the North has not responded, Washington's top nuclear envoy said Tuesday. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said that the overture was made through the so-called New York channel, involving the North's diplomatic mission at the U.N., in July, as he highlighted the Joe Biden administration's continued commitment to reengage with Pyongyang. "I believe our last communication with the DPRK was during the summer. We sent the message reiterating our interest in re-engagement and also re-offering our assistance in COVID-related items," Kim said in a meeting with reporters in Seoul, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "But I say 'no interest' (from the North) in the sense that they have not responded to any of our messages." The ambassador pointed to a "strict" pandemic-induced lockdown in the North as well as the spread of the coronavirus as potential reasons why the North has remained unresponsive to the latest and previous overtures by the U.S. in recent years. "As they get the COVID situation under control, and as they open up, hopefully, they might show some interest," he said. Kim stressed that both Seoul and Washington have "many creative ideas" for reengagement with the North, calling on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table to work towards the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and address "issues of concern to all sides." But he did not elaborate. "The problem is that in order for us to try these ideas, we need a partner. But the one thing we want to avoid is just negotiating by ourselves," he said. "We need a willing partner on the other side of the table, who will engage us in a serious discussion about all of these ideas that we have ... many creative ideas, including ideas to address their concerns." Asked if his team will reach out to the North in the near future again, the envoy said it has no plans at the moment. In a show of Washington's desire for diplomacy with Pyongyang, Kim noted Biden has not foreclosed the possibility of "leadership engagement" with the recalcitrant regime. "We have not ruled out leadership engagement in diplomacy, but it would have to be done in a way that there's adequate preparation, and that prospects for progress are real in order for our president to engage personally," he said. Touching on lingering concerns about the possibility of the North carrying out what would be its seventh nuclear test, Kim warned that there will be a "stronger-than-before" response should it happen. "I think our response will be responsible and decisive, and it will send a very clear message to the DPRK that there are consequences to their irresponsible actions," Kim said. He added, "I think it's inevitable that our response will be stronger than before. We need to build on what we have been doing because it wouldn't make sense for us to be remaining the same when North Koreans are continuing to escalate in terms of their provocation." Asked to comment on the North's recent codification of an assertive nuclear policy, Kim took it seriously, but cautioned against "overanalyzing" it. "I think the security risk is too real for us to just assume that anything's a bluff," he said. "I think rather than trying to overanalyze what it really means in reality, it is much more constructive for us to focus on what we can do, which is to make sure that we are prepared to deal with all contingencies." Kim brushed aside speculation that North Korea might have been taken off the U.S.' list of policy priorities as Washington is preoccupied with a raft of other challenges, like the war in Ukraine. "I can assure you that this is still an issue of great priority and concern to the U.S. government," he said, cataloguing a series of concerns about the North's weapons of mass destruction programs and human rights and humanitarian situations. Touching on Washington's "practical, incremental" approach toward the North's nuclear quandary, the envoy pointed out the technical reality: denuclearization cannot happen "overnight." "So, they would have to be phased," he said. "I think it's reasonable to expect you sort of start with the (nuclear) freeze and you continue to build towards complete denuclearization." On the possibility of arms reduction being an interim goal toward the end state of the North's denuclearization, he said that "no one" is talking about arms reduction. "Our policy remains to pursue complete denuclearization through diplomacy," he added. (Yonhap) U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim speaks during a meeting with reporters at the U.S. ambassadorial residence in Seoul, Sept. 20 Yonhap The United States made yet another dialogue offer to North Korea this summer through a communication channel in New York, but the North has not responded, Washington's top nuclear envoy said Tuesday. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said that the overture was made through the so-called New York channel, involving the North's diplomatic mission at the U.N., in July, as he highlighted the Joe Biden administration's continued commitment to reengage with Pyongyang. "I believe our last communication with the DPRK was during the summer. We sent the message reiterating our interest in re-engagement and also re-offering our assistance in COVID-related items," Kim said in a meeting with reporters in Seoul, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "But I say 'no interest' (from the North) in the sense that they have not responded to any of our messages." The ambassador pointed to a "strict" pandemic-induced lockdown in the North as well as the spread of the coronavirus as potential reasons why the North has remained unresponsive to the latest and previous overtures by the U.S. in recent years. "As they get the COVID situation under control, and as they open up, hopefully, they might show some interest," he said. Kim stressed that both Seoul and Washington have "many creative ideas" for reengagement with the North, calling on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table to work towards the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and address "issues of concern to all sides." But he did not elaborate. "The problem is that in order for us to try these ideas, we need a partner. But the one thing we want to avoid is just negotiating by ourselves," he said. "We need a willing partner on the other side of the table, who will engage us in a serious discussion about all of these ideas that we have ... many creative ideas, including ideas to address their concerns." Asked if his team will reach out to the North in the near future again, the envoy said it has no plans at the moment. In a show of Washington's desire for diplomacy with Pyongyang, Kim noted Biden has not foreclosed the possibility of "leadership engagement" with the recalcitrant regime. "We have not ruled out leadership engagement in diplomacy, but it would have to be done in a way that there's adequate preparation, and that prospects for progress are real in order for our president to engage personally," he said. Touching on lingering concerns about the possibility of the North carrying out what would be its seventh nuclear test, Kim warned that there will be a "stronger-than-before" response should it happen. "I think our response will be responsible and decisive, and it will send a very clear message to the DPRK that there are consequences to their irresponsible actions," Kim said. He added, "I think it's inevitable that our response will be stronger than before. We need to build on what we have been doing because it wouldn't make sense for us to be remaining the same when North Koreans are continuing to escalate in terms of their provocation." Asked to comment on the North's recent codification of an assertive nuclear policy, Kim took it seriously, but cautioned against "overanalyzing" it. "I think the security risk is too real for us to just assume that anything's a bluff," he said. "I think rather than trying to overanalyze what it really means in reality, it is much more constructive for us to focus on what we can do, which is to make sure that we are prepared to deal with all contingencies." Kim brushed aside speculation that North Korea might have been taken off the U.S.' list of policy priorities as Washington is preoccupied with a raft of other challenges, like the war in Ukraine. "I can assure you that this is still an issue of great priority and concern to the U.S. government," he said, cataloguing a series of concerns about the North's weapons of mass destruction programs and human rights and humanitarian situations. Touching on Washington's "practical, incremental" approach toward the North's nuclear quandary, the envoy pointed out the technical reality: denuclearization cannot happen "overnight." "So, they would have to be phased," he said. "I think it's reasonable to expect you sort of start with the (nuclear) freeze and you continue to build towards complete denuclearization." On the possibility of arms reduction being an interim goal toward the end state of the North's denuclearization, he said that "no one" is talking about arms reduction. "Our policy remains to pursue complete denuclearization through diplomacy," he added. (Yonhap) Mercedes-Benz plans to build a wind farm at its test track in Papenburg, northern Germany, with an output of more than 100 MW to cover up to more than 15% of the annual electricity demand of Mercedes-Benz Group AG in Germany. As part of its effort to erect a double-digit number of wind turbines by the middle of the decade, Mercedes-Benz is also planning a long-term power purchase agreement with a partner, equivalent to a triple-digit million euros amount. The large-scale installation of photovoltaic systems on the test site is also under examination. The project plans and an ecological impact review will be carried out in close coordination with the local authorities and stakeholders. The approximately 800-hectare site has been an integral part of the company's research and development activities since 1998. With this project, Mercedes-Benz is expanding its green electricity portfolio in the medium term and at the same time actively supporting the expansion of onshore wind energy in Germany. The targeted expansion of renewable energies at our own locations is an integral part of our sustainability strategy. With the realization of the planned wind farm project in Papenburg, we are taking an important step in this direction. We make an active contribution to the energy transition and the expansion of onshore wind power in Germany. By installing photovoltaic systems on the roofs of our plants on a large scale, we are gradually reducing our external energy requirements. Jorg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain Management Since this year, production at company plants has been CO 2 -neutral and Mercedes-Benz is pursuing the goal of covering more than 70% of the energy demand in production with renewable energies by 2030. The company is focusing on the expansion of solar and wind energy at its own locations and by concluding further corresponding power purchase agreements. By 2025, Mercedes-Benz will invest a triple-digit million euros amount in expanding the installation of photovoltaic systems. The first Volta Zero vehicle has been completed at the companys contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. The vehicle, the first of a series of second-generation production verification prototypes, will form part of a pilot fleet of trucks. These will be loaned to customers for extended periods in late 2022 and early 2023 to allow fleet operators to understand how the first purpose-built full-electric medium duty commercial vehicle will integrate into their operations. The start of series production of customer-specification vehicles is on track to start in early 2023. Volta Trucks contract manufacturing facility is run by Steyr Automotive, formerly MAN Truck and Bus Austria. Steyr Automotive was appointed in August 2021 following an extensive tender and based on their long experience of commercial vehicle manufacturing, existing infrastructure, and consequent speed to market. Steyr Automotive offers Volta Trucks more than 100 years of manufacturing experience building large commercial vehicles. Steyr Automotive has reserved a capacity of 14,000 vehicles per year for Volta Trucks from their total available production. Over time, manufacturing the Volta Zero will create 510 jobs, plus 180 jobs in the building of the cargo boxes, in addition to an estimated 2,000 positions within the supply chain. The manufacturing contract has a value of up to 1 billion over its lifetime. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday called for thorough preparedness to deal with a potential double epidemic of COVID-19 and the flu, with health authorities warning the specter of a "twindemic." The government should "prepare thoroughly for the possibility of simultaneous outbreaks of the flu and COVID-19," Han told a Cabinet meeting. Han urged people to get influenza vaccines, saying vaccines could effectively lessen the danger of a double epidemic of COVID-19 and the flu. Health authorities have issued an advisory over a possible seasonal influenza outbreak across the country, the first of its kind since 2019, amid growing concerns of a "twindemic." The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) requested child care facilities, schools and nursing facilities strengthen influenza prevention and management schemes. The KDCA plans to begin administering seasonal flu shots to high-risk groups children aged 6 months through 13 years old, pregnant mothers and seniors over 65 this week at some 20,000 hospitals and medical facilities nationwide. (Yonhap) Local creative and illustrator Veronica Cruz draws artistic references and inspiration from time spent outdoors during her childhood, a deep-rooted love for Guams beauty and her evolving journey of figuring out what it means to be CHamoru. Cruz, 25, most recently illustrated I Lalai i Bilembaotuyan, a forthcoming childrens book from UOG Press written by Catherine and John Payne II. The book explores traditional CHamoru music and intergenerational storytelling and knowledge transmission. The book launches on Sept. 17. Cathy (Payne) really kind of just gave me creative freedom to bring this book to life. If you look at the book itself, theres a lot of nature aspects. I pulled a lot from just being here, being outside, and my childhood, Cruz said. While Cruz does most of her work in digital mediums, she also works with paint, ink and charcoal. Shes recently undertaken a personal project to develop her artistic style and showcase her work. Its a mix of both traditional and digital mediums and work. Its under Sagradu Raya, which essentially just translates to sacred line. Ive been doing pop-ups and things like that, so thats been really fun. Its kind of cool, because Ive been getting a lot of comments like, oh, wow, Ive never seen this stuff before, Ive never seen this kind of style before here. Its cool to be able to bring a new perspective, a new style. Im continuously exploring what that means for myself, she said. Indigenous creativity Cruz also pulls artistic insight from expressions of indigenous creativity and identity in other parts of the world. Her use of funky pattern-work and bold swaths of color pay homage to these inspirations. Im also inspired by textile works from different cultures. I really love looking at pattern designs from China, the Middle East, Indigenous cultures of the Americas. I love that indigenous sort of, you know, ancient feel. I also reference CHamoru culture, because I am CHamoru and Im learning what that means too. Im continuously learning for myself what it means to be CHamoru. And so, for me, when I look for inspiration references, I look at it like a process. So you have the urge to create and then you look for inspiration. And Ive found a lot of that in reading books on CHamoru history and doing research in that way, Cruz said. Cruzs work can also be found in UOG Press and GDOEs upcoming social studies textbook series, a fitting home for artwork that seeks to explore CHamoru identity while remaining firmly planted in a distinct sense of place. Ultimately, Cruzs work speaks to honoring Guams abundant and rich landscapes, serving as a reminder to appreciate the home that has shaped her. Sometimes we forget. Like when were driving home, we sometimes forget just how beautiful the sunset is. We just kind of take it, and go oh, okay, I live here and Im stuck in traffic. But if you really look around you, this island has so many references. I think thats why when people ask me whats your inspiration? Im like dude, look around! This island is beautiful. Go look at the sunset, look at the ocean, the way the light reflects. People ask me whats your color palette?, and Im like the sky! Im constantly pulling from whats already around us. Artists have always been pulling from what they see. So Im just doing the same thing, Cruz said. A man has been charged in the robberies of three different gas stations over the last month, according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court. Bob Jessy Topasna Quinata, 26, was charged with second-degree robbery as a second-degree felony in connection with robberies at the Yigo Shell station, the 76 station in Hagat and the Mobil station in Hagat. At 11:35 p.m. Aug. 22, police were called to the Yigo Shell station, where an employee reported that a man wearing a mask, hat, hoodie and sweatpants entered the store carrying a rifle. The man pointed the rifle at the worker and demanded money from the register, which she gave him. The man fled in a black Honda CRV with no license plates, the complaint stated. At 7:21 a.m. Monday, police were called to the 76 station in Hagat, where an employee said that at 5:45 a.m., a man entered the store and paced suspiciously. When customers left, he went around the counter to the employee, said he had a gun and demanded money. When she refused, he used a pair of scissors to try to pry open the register, the complaint stated. The man also tried to stab the worker with the scissors, but she still refused to open the register, and he fled when more customers arrived. Police were called to the Mobil station in the village Monday after another robbery. A worker told police that at 4 a.m., a man came in the store to buy cigarettes, but left saying he had to get money. An hour later, he returned and ordered the worker to open the register and give him money, or he would shoot her. When the worker banged on the window to get the pump attendants attention, the robber fled, according to the complaint. While en route to investigate the Mobil robbery, officers found Quinata walking on Route 2 by the Bay Dollar Mart. When interviewed by police, Quinata said he robbed the two Hagat stations, but denied robbing the Yigo station, according to the complaint. He reportedly told police that he and some friends decided to commit a robbery, and he said he was driving a black Honda at the time. A place for University of Guam students and island residents to help launch their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs was unveiled at the University of Guam last week. Bank of Guam and University of Guam leadership attended the unveiling of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, located on the second floor of the Jesus and Eugenia Leon Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration building at UOG. The bank is committing $250,000 over five years to support the center. Joaquin Kin Cook, Bank of Guam president and CEO, and grandson of the banks founder, Jesus Leon Guerrero, spoke in front of a mural featuring a quote from his grandfather that reads: My philosophy has always been that a man is entitled to take at least one or two leaps in life in the pursuit of a challenging and difficult endeavor that will make a difference. Cook remarked that his late grandfather took the leap and then set the foundation for what is now Bank of Guam. University President Thomas W. Krise thanked the bank, the UOG Endowment Foundation, the School of Business and Public Administration, the Small Business Development Center and others for the partnership. The center can help UOG do a better job of serving the island community, Krise said. We also seek to diversify our revenue resources, and so having an innovation and entrepreneurship center helps us to think entrepreneurially, Krise said. 'Perfect partner' James Ji, Ph.D., director of the center and assistant professor of management at the school, said the center is honored to have Bank of Guam as a partner and title sponsor. We feel they are the perfect partner in supporting us to achieve our mission to spur entrepreneurial ideas and innovation among our students and within the community, Ji said. The center is available for workshops, training, presentations and co-working spaces. The center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday. To make a reservation outside regular hours, contact c4ei@triton.uog.edu. Marco Lodola's light sculpture, "The Beatles," is installed at Dongdaemun Design Plaza as part of the exhibition, "Light of the Future." Courtesy of the Embassy of Italy to Korea By Kwon Mee-yoo Italian neo-futurist artist Marco Lodola's iconic light sculptures are on view at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul, bridging Korea and Italy through his pop art. Some 40 of Lodola's neon and plexiglass artworks are on view at "Marco Lodola: Light of the Future," an exhibition co-hosted by the Italian Embassy in Korea, the Italian Cultural Center in Korea and the Seoul Design Foundation at Gallery Mun and Miraero Bridge of the DDP. Italian Ambassador to Korea Federico Failla said that the Marco Lodola project is part of a series of events organized by the embassy to promote contemporary Italian design in Korea. "We have spoken about design from a sustainability perspective and have focused in the past months also on the issues of communication and the creation of bridges between Italy and Korea," Failla said. "This September, the aspect that will be highlighted will be the relationship between design and art, the combination of the industrial production of objects for everyday use and the creation of unique artistic works. This is the result of inspiration of one of the greatest contemporary artists of the Italian art scene," he said. He also highlighted how Lodola's works match with the exhibit's location DDP, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. "The premises of DDP share an unmistakably contemporary image with the Lodola exhibition and its artistic current and represent an added value for the overall experience of the many expected visitors," he said. Curator Avio Mattiozzi, left, and Italian Ambassador to Korea Federico Failla stand in front of Gallery Mun at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where Italian artist Marco Lodola's exhibition, "Light of the Future," is being held through Oct. 9, on Sept. 7. Courtesy of the Embassy of Italy to Korea It will still take some time before the Department of Public Health and Social Services can use a $25,000 machine it received in January, because the supply kits needed for the equipment to identify different variants of COVID-19 and other viruses have not yet been ordered. The General Services Agency, which is in charge of many government procurement projects, recently put out an invitation for bid for Public Healths genome sequencing equipment and supplies, with a bid submission deadline of Sept. 26. There are 32 different supply items needed, from reagents to 96-well plates, for the genome sequencing machine to operate. Even without procurement protests that could further delay the process, the winning vendor still has to get the supplies from off-island if they do not have them readily available on Guam. Public Health spokesperson Grace Bordallo on Tuesday said the agency has been working closely with GSA for months on the procurement of supplies for the machine, including the bid specifications. Guam has lifted most of its pandemic restrictions but remains under an extended public health emergency which, the administration said, would help expedite getting goods and services to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not ok Sen. Jim Moylan said its very disappointing that the public health emergency used to expedite procurement of supplies and services to address COVID-19 does not extend to the genome sequencing machine. This is not OK. Wheres the urgency? he said. You would think they will expedite the procurement of supplies for this machine that plays an important role. While waiting to put to good use its own genome sequencer, Public Health continues to send specimen samples to the University of Hawaii Laboratory and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the strains of COVID-19 variants or sub-variants already present on Guam. It takes three to four weeks for the results to come back. A faster turnaround for the results could help Public Health respond more quickly to the situation on the ground and prevent further spread of the virus. Bordallo said Public Health is also working closely with the Department of Public Works and other agencies in modifying the laboratory space where the genome sequencing machine is located. Previously, Public Health officials said a laboratory wall needs to be airtight to avoid contamination. The genome sequencing machine will not only be used for COVID-19 but also other types of viruses and diseases. Earlier, Public Health thought it could start using the genome sequencer by February. It had said it could also offer genome sequencing services to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. Most of Guam's 270-plus clergy sex abuse claimants turned in their ballots by Monday's deadline, but there's no official tally yet whether a majority voted to support or reject the church settlement offer of $37 million to $101 million. The settlement offer is part of the Archdiocese of Agana's bankruptcy exit plan that it jointly filed with a panel of creditors led by a survivor of clergy sexual assaults. Without a majority vote from survivors to support the plan, the archdiocese's three-year-old bankruptcy case continues, and abuse claimants will have to wait longer to receive compensation. At least 170 ballots were submitted to court as of Monday. Nearly 100 were submitted by Attorney Delia Lujan Wolffs law firm, and 77 were submitted to the court by Attorney Michael Berman's firm. While all of Bermans clients voted to support the plan and settlement, theres no telling how Lujan Wolffs clients voted. Wolff said others may have sent their ballots directly to the court. The ballot gives each clergy sexual assault survivor the opportunity to say "yes" or "no" to what the archdiocese is offering to compensate them for the abuses. More time requested Attorney Kevin Fowler on Monday asked the court for more time within which the court may receive, by mail, his seven clients ballots and releases with original signatures. In his court filing, Fowler said he was able to turn in the ballots and releases with original signatures of his clients living on Guam, but the same documents from the others who live off-island would take a few more days. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood on Tuesday gave parties up to 8 a.m. Wednesday to file any response or objection to Fowlers "motion to enlarge time to file ballots and releases with original signatures." Other law firms didnt respond to requests for comment as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. If most abuse survivors vote to support the archdiocese plan, the judge still must confirm it. The confirmation hearing begins Oct. 3. More than 270 men and women claimed that as children, they were raped or sexually molested by Guam priests and others associated with the Catholic Church, including the Boy Scouts of America. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, reassured attendees of the Joint Annual District Court of Guam and Biennial Pacific Judicial Council Conference and Oceania Pacific Judicial Conference that the military and the government are working hard to ensure the islands safety. The second day of the conference took place at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon with chief justices, attorneys and judiciary officials from throughout the nation and the region in attendance. I talk routinely with the government here. When we see that theres something going on, well let them know if theres a need to have a heightened amount of awareness, but were tracking this kind of stuff all the time, Nicholson said. As far as North Koreas concerned, we do have a great missile defense capability here. Thats what it is originally placed here for and it still can do that mission. So if anything were to happen, Im very, very confident in our ability to defend Guam. Nicholson said the best steps the island community can take is to invest more in cybersecurity education. In the conversations we had before, there was a lot of concern about the ability to have people here in Guam with the right cybersecurity skills, Nicholson said. And if we have those folks that are homegrown here in Guam, they can stay here in Guam and protect those networks. Nicholson said the military has been working closely with the local government to shore up any critical vulnerabilities. Im not just talking about the military, Im talking about everybodys network, because especially here on Guam, almost more than any other place, its completely intertwined. And weve got to get this right, Nicholson said. The Joint Annual District Court of Guam and Biennial Pacific Judicial Council Conference and Oceania Pacific Judicial Conference continues Wednesday at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort. Understanding culture and language can play a key role in helping those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. On Tuesday, those involved in treating addiction gathered for the first day of Guams third annual Conference on Substance Use Disorders among Pacific Islanders. The virtual conference was held as part of Recovery Month and brought together recovery experts from across the island and the region. While different treatment models are used by recovery service providers, the Matrix Model has been regularly adapted to be culturally relevant to Guam. The model is a 16-week program that involves multiple components of group and family therapy and relapse prevention. Valerie Reyes, director of the Salvation Army Lighthouse Recovery Center, said words that describe where people would get drugs or alcohol in the states are different than in Guam. Freeways and liquor stores arent as relevant as small family-owned stores or village neighborhoods, she said. Family The use of language and words that have meaning to the community also is important when discussing family. When talking about family to help men and women recover, there is a group activity and they have to role-play a dysfunctional role in their family, said Reyes. Participants are asked to use a title that works best for them, so instead of the model standard of mom and dad, some use tata or nana, because those are the people who raised them. Religion The Matrix Model is also changed to include the role religion and spirituality play in many peoples lives on Guam, said Athena Duenas, substance abuse program supervisor for Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Centers New Beginnings. Individuals are allowed to incorporate activities like Bible study or peer support groups, based on their faiths, into treatment. She said cultural activities during CHamoru Month also are a good way to provide traditional forms of healing for clients. We invite our local healers to share their healing methods with us, whether it be massaging, oils or medicines that are made from local plants on Guam, said Duenas. The online conference will continue from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee disembark the presidential jet as they arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Monday (local time). Yonhap Minister Park Jin tells Japanese FM about what's being discussed in Korea as possible solution to forced labor issue By Nam Hyun-woo The foreign ministers of Korea and Japan met on Monday apparently to fine-tune details of an envisaged summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later this week. Details of the closed-door talks were not made public. But judging by the remarks made by Japan's top diplomat, the two sides did not seem to be on the same page on certain issues. This poses a grim outlook on the Korean president's hope of reaching "a grand bargain" to improve soured Seoul-Tokyo relations, which is already facing doubts over its feasibility. According to Seoul's foreign ministry, South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi had a 55-minute closed-door meeting at a hotel in New York, Monday (local time). After the meeting, Park told reporters that the two sides "agreed to work together in a sincere manner to improve bilateral relations." The ministry also said Park told Hayashi that they should join efforts to achieve "desirable" resolutions related to history matters, referring to the issue of compensating the Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. The issue stands as the key reason behind chilled relations between Seoul and Tokyo. Although the details of the meeting were not disclosed, Park reportedly told Hayashi about the Korean government's efforts to explore ways to resolve the forced labor issue, such as organizing a private fund to compensate the victims. Korea's Supreme Court has ordered the liquidation of assets here owned by two Japanese companies to compensate the forced labor victims, as the businesses have not complied with the compensation orders. To resolve this issue, the Yoon government has set up a public-private consultative body and held four meetings to explore ways to find a resolution. So far, victims have been claiming that the Japanese companies should participate in organizing the fund to take at least some responsibility. They have also claimed that the Korean government should not contribute to the fund. Including this, a series of updates were assumed to be made during the Park-Hayashi meeting, to have this matter be one of the subjects of the envisaged Yoon-Kishida summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Korea officially announced on Sept. 15 that Yoon and Kishida will hold a meeting, which will be the first Seoul-Tokyo summit since December 2019. But Japan has refused to confirm this, saying nothing has been fixed yet. After the ministerial meeting, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported that Hayashi said he "welcomes" Korea's efforts to improve ties with Japan, but reiterated that "nothing has been fixed" over the possible summit between Yoon and Kishida. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to the media before leaving for New York to deliver an address at the U.N. General Assembly, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap Haiti - Politic : CARICOM calls to address the situation urgently Yesterday Monday, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued a statement on developments in Haiti, it said it was seriously concerned about the continued deterioration of the security and social situation in the country. Statement by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on developments in Haiti: "The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is gravely concerned by the continuing deterioration of the security situation and the social circumstances in the Republic of Haiti. The continued breakdown in law and order, and its distressing effect on the people of Haiti, is intensifying. The fraught situation is exacerbated by the inability of the Haitian security forces to address the ongoing violence. The unrest is having a negative impact on the already weak economy leading to even more mass demonstrations. Especially the worsening social conditions and the limited availability of food require urgent and immediate attention from the international community. This persistently distressing situation is untenable, and CARICOM calls for all stakeholders to engage meaningfully with the aim to find a way forward and to put country first and address the situation urgently. CARICOM, following discussions in the past weeks, remains available to assist and work with international partners to mobilize financial and technical resources to facilitate a process towards normalization and ultimately the holding of free, fair and credible general elections." HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/09/19 It's been ten days since Netfix released "Narco-Saints" to the world. The crime drama is doing OK, holding fourth place in the international charts on Netflix. This compares to sixth place for "Young Lady and Gentleman" which isn't even available in all regions though. Yesterday's individual number ones were an odd bunch too- Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement As far as actual plot goes, we appear to have wrapped around to the beginning of the drama, although maybe not quite yet. In-goo's just in a vehicle on his way to the jungle. There's probably lots of opportunity to do that when he's hanging out with a drug lord. Th drug deal goes bad because of the border patrol. Well, actually no, the drug deal goes bad because Pastor Jeon's bodyguard charges in guns blazing to pull off a rescue. Apparently the border patrol, rather than the DEA, interrupting the deal was all according to plan. We then subsequently find out that Agent Choi hadn't even spoken to the DEA about any of this yet. And when he does finally do so, they refuse official involvement and insist that Agent Choi hires mercenaries to do the job so they have plausible deniability. At this point I'm firmly on the side of Agent Choi's superiors who observe him on the phone trying, and failing, to make a deal with Pastor Jeon and concluding that Agent Choi has no idea what he's doing. Given that In-goo himsel thinks Agent Choi is clueless, and keeps threatening to start dealing drugs for real...I'm not sure any of these people are supposed to be wrong. "Narco-Saints" has this bad habit of going around in circles, with movement in the story being delayed mostly due to ambiguity and incompetence. The slow pacing really wrecks the plot twists- in this case, we learn that Agent Choi's brilliant plan to become Pastor Jeon's sole available distributor is wrecked when he decides to just make up with the Chinatown gang. "Narco-Saints" has gone to great lengths to emphasize that Pastor Jeon is a sinister person. He bribes the president of Suriname, his followers are addicted to drugs, and he murdered In-goo's best friend for no good reason. But his willingness to stick with In-goo's scheme for as long as he has makes Pastor Jeon seem uncharacteristically patient, and not especially dangerous. Observe how a whole new subplot pops up regarding one of those poor cult children, mainly because In-goo can't really plausibly claim to believe his own life is in danger anymore. Review by William Schwartz ___________ "Narco-Saints" is directed by Yoon Jong-bin, written by Kwon Seong-hwi, Yoon Jong-bin, and features Ha Jung-woo, Hwang Jung-min, Park Hae-soo, Jo Woo-jin, Yoo Yeon-seok, Choo Ja-hyun. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/09/09~Upcoming, Fri on Netflix. Published on 2022/09/19 | Source Actors Joo Jong-hyuk-I and Bae Yoon-kyung will work together in a one-act drama. Advertisement The seventh work of the KBS Drama Special 2022 one-act drama, "Drama Special 2022 - Do You Know Ashtanga?" which is scheduled to premiere in October, is a bumpy human rom-com where a twisted yoga instructor meets a twisted building owner. "Drama Special 2022 - Do You Know Ashtanga?" tells the story of a woman who has been twisted through the waves of a world full of complaints and meets the son of a building owner who is trying to practice 'noblesse oblige'. Actors Joo Jong-hyuk-I and Bae Yoon-kyung have confirmed their appearances. Joo Jong-hyuk-I plays the role of Seol Tae-joon, the son of a caring and caring building owner who is not twisted. Joo Jong-hyuk-I recently attracted attention as a lawyer for Kwon Min-woo, a tricky character, in ENA's "Extraordinary Attorney Woo". Bae Yoon-kyung turns into Kang Na-ra, a yoga instructor who is serious about Ashtanga yoga, although there are so many things she hates that she doesn't like. Bae Yoon-kyung appeared on KBS2's "The King's Affection" and made a big impression. Attention is drawn to what kind of 'chemistry' the two will show with "Drama Special 2022 - Do You Know Ashtanga?" Published on 2022/09/20 | Source New poster added for the upcoming Korean documentary "Soup and Ideology" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Yonghi Yang Narrated by Yonghi Yang,... A Japanese-Korean co-production Synopsis The parents were vehemently opposed to the Japanese son-in-law. The mother carefully cooks stuffed chicken for her Japanese son-in-law who is greeting her for the first time in Osaka. Her family is full of incomprehensible things, but it's just amazing to the husband. One day, the mother tells her memories of her hometown, Jeju Island, which she had never told anyone. Now, with painful memories that are gradually being forgotten, they go to Jeju Island together for the first time since born eating white boiled chicken cooked by the son-in-law. "Even if we have different opinions, let's eat together". We are a family. Release date in Korea : 2022/10 South Africa: Pandor attends general debate of UNGA77 International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, arrived in New York on Monday, where she is leading South Africas delegation to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77). UNGA77 is taking place at the United Nations (UN) headquarters from 20 to 27 September 2022 under the theme, A watershed moment: Unlocking transformative solutions to interlocking challenges. Pandor believes that this years UNGA theme resonates with South Africas philosophy of working together as a global community to find solutions to challenges affecting the global community. UNGA77 is being held at a time when the world is characterised by geopolitical tensions, concerns around the proliferation of mini-lateral security pacts which, in part, replicate the work that should ordinarily be undertaken by the UN Security Council. Also, the world economy is under strain and its ramifications on food, energy and finances require a united global response, said Pandor. According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), several high-level meetings are being held on the margins of the UNGA77. These include meetings focusing on transforming education, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), elimination of nuclear weapons and several climate-related engagements. The climate change engagements, according to the department, precede the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference that is scheduled to take place in November 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The various engagements at UNGA will provide South Africa an opportunity to highlight issues of national, regional and international importance. The department said South Africas participation in the general debate of UNGA77 is a strategic opportunity for the promotion of SAs national and foreign policy objectives, as espoused in Chapter 7 of the National Development Plan, titled Positioning South Africa in the World. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. World's 1st cloned wild arctic wolf makes debut, pioneering conservation of endangered wildlife through cloning tech By Liu Caiyu (Global Times) 14:26, September 20, 2022 The world's first cloned wild arctic wolf - Maya - lies beside a lawn, as shown in a video released by the Beijing-based Sinogene Biotechnology Co on Monday marking the debut of the wolf 100 days after its birth in a Beijing lab. Photo: Courtesy of Sinogene Biotechnology Co A Beijing-based gene firm on Monday announced the debut of the world's first cloned wild arctic wolf via video, 100 days after its birth in a Beijing lab. Experts said its birth pioneers the breeding of more rare and endangered animals through cloning technology. "To save the endangered animal, we started the research cooperation with Harbin Polarland on cloning the arctic wolf in 2020. After two years of painstaking efforts, the arctic wolf was cloned successfully. It is the first case of its kind in the world," Mi Jidong, the company's general manager of the Beijing-based Sinogene Biotechnology Co, said at a press conference in Beijing. The birth of the world's first cloned wild arctic wolf is a milestone for the application of cloning technology, which is of great significance to the conservation of rare and endangered animals and biodiversity, experts believe. Born on June 10, the wolf, named Maya, is in very good health, as the video showed. Its donor cell came from the skin sample of a wild female arctic wolf, which had been introduced from Canada to Harbin Polarland. Its oocyte was from a female dog and its surrogate mother was a beagle, according to Zhao Jianping, the company's deputy general manager. The cloning of the arctic wolf was accomplished by constructing 137 new embryos from enucleated oocytes and somatic cells, followed by the transfer of 85 embryos to the uteri of seven beagles, of which one was born as a healthy wolf - Maya, Zhao noted. The selection of a dog as Maya's surrogate was made because dogs share genetic ancestry with ancient wolves and it's more likely to succeed through cloning technology, experts said. He Zhengming, the head of Chinese Experimental Animal Resources Research Institute for Food and Drug Control, told the Global Times on Monday that the cloned animals still have the ability to reproduce if they have intact fertilized eggs. The cloning technology can copy all genetic information for selective breeding, and in this way, it diversifies the population of endangered animals. From the world's first mammal clone "Dolly," cloning technology has provided the possibility to diversify the populations of some species such as cattle, pigs and horses. When endangered species in some places are identified, cloning of cells preserved from freezing technologies could also generate new life, experts said. As part of a more concrete step to boost the breeding of more rare and endangered animals through cloning technology, the Sinogene Biotechnology Co and Beijing Wildlife Park announced plans on Monday to build a partnership on gene seed preservation cloning technology applications in rare and endangered wild animals. Gao Wei, the deputy manager of Beijing Wildlife Park, told the Global Times that the partnership with the gene firm offers Beijing Wildlife Park one more path to preserve rare and endangered species when artificial reproduction cannot be made. Currently, no specific projects between the two are being launched. Enhanced efforts for the protection of endangered wildlife species and their habitats are part of the goals of the country's national development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. The world's first cloned wild arctic wolf Maya. Photo: Courtesy of Sinogene Biotechnology Co However, some raised controversy relating to the cloned arctic wolf. Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the World Animal Protection organization, told the Global Times that cloning technology has made great progress since its birth, but it is still being perfected and in the exploratory stage of research, and there are many technical and ethical issues that need to be addressed and treated with caution. Sun proposed several questions: Are there health risks associated with cloned animals? Under what circumstances is it permissible to clone animals? How much does cloning affect biodiversity? He believed cloning needs to be considered only for endangered wild animals whose species are extinct, or whose wild populations are extinct and whose captive populations are very limited. The cloned wolf now lives with her surrogate beagle in a lab of Sinogene in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, and later she will be delivered to the Harbin Polarland, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and displayed to the public. Dai Rui, the general manager of the Harbin Polarland, said that the cloned wolf would live by herself in the park in the initial stage because she may not be able to adapt to original arctic wolf groups. The birth of Maya continues the life of the wild female arctic wolf, which was introduced from Canada in 2006 and died of old age in 2021, whose name was also Maya. The Global Times learned from Zhao that another male cloned arctic wolf is expected to be delivered on Thursday. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or the IUCN, lists arctic wolves as endangered in the Red List of Threatened Species. In China, arctic wolves are introduced from overseas and they are bred in zoos. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 20, at U.N. headquarters. AP-Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol called on U.N. member countries Tuesday to stand together to defend freedom and peace, saying South Korea will step up contributions to solving global issues and problems. Yoon made the appeal in his first address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, as he outlined his vision for South Korea's increased role in the global community and acknowledged the support it received from the U.N. "When freedom of any citizen or nation in the global community is in peril, it is the community of nations that must stand together in solidarity to defend that freedom," he said. Yoon referred to attempts to "alter the status quo by force," nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and systemic violations of human rights. "Such threats to freedom and peace must be overcome through solidarity and fearless commitment to the framework of universal global norms consolidated over the years within the U.N. system," he said. Yoon explained that genuine freedom and peace can be found when there is freedom from disease, hunger, illiteracy and want of energy and culture. "Genuine freedom is not just being free from the shackles but having opportunities to live life to the fullest with dignity," he said. "Genuine peace is not an absence of war but removing conflict and enmity that hold back shared progress of humanity and building the foundation for greater prosperity." President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea delivers his address during the 77th General Debate inside the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York, U.S., Sept. 20. EPA-Yonhap Yoon called on the U.N. to take on greater responsibilities to tackle the challenges of a global pandemic and pursue the global agenda for decarbonization and digital sophistication. He said South Korea is committed to increasing its contributions to each area and has expanded its Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget while accelerating research and development for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines. "As a responsible member of the international community, Korea is committed to playing its due responsibility and role for the freedom of global citizens and prosperity of the global community," Yoon said. In the response to COVID-19, Yoon said South Korea has pledged US$300 million toward the Access to COVID-19 Tools-Accelerator (ACT-A) Initiative and $30 million to the Financial Intermediary Fund of the World Bank. South Korea will also host a ministerial meeting of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in Seoul this November. In the fight against climate change, the president said South Korea will step up its "green ODA," help development countries transition to a low-carbon future and share its innovative green technologies with the world. To narrow the digital divide between nations, South Korea will continue to more widely share its advanced digital technology and data and spare no effort in investing in education, he said. President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea delivers his address during the 77th General Debate inside the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York, U.S., Sept. 20. EPA-Yonhap About 400 people filled Market Place yesterday (Monday) as the Queens funeral was screened live on a giant TV screen. Many were dressed in black as a mark of respect to the late monarch as they watched the BBC coverage of her funeral on deckchairs they had brought from home. An anonymous donor paid 8000 to set up a 46 sq m television screen in front of the town hall to show the service from 9am to 5pm. The Queens coffin was taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey where the service took place from 11am. Following the ceremony, the coffin travelled in procession to Wellington Arch on a gun carriage and from there was taken to Windsor Castle in the state hearse. After a procession up the castle's Long Walk, a committal service, with a smaller congregation, took place at St George's Chapel. The Queen was buried later at a private family service. Much of Henley had come to halt for the funeral, with many shops and businesses closing their doors for the day. Businesses in Market Place which had stayed open, including GAILs bakery, Pavilion Foods and Starbucks, stopped serving during the service in Westminster Abbey. The Argyll pub put out tables and chairs for spectators, and West Street, which runs around the town hall, was closed for the duration of the funeral. The crowds gathered held a two-minute silence for the Queen following the service in Westminster Abbey, before singing the National Anthem. Mayor Michelle Thomas and Deputy Mayor Donna Crook watched from chairs and town councillors Kellie Hinton and David Eggleton worked as stewards for the event. Some well-known faces also made an appearance, including film director Paul Greengrass, actor Simon Williams and former Olympic skier and TV presenter Graham Bell. Councillor Crook brought a camping chair from home and her rescue terrier Binky as she watched the coverage from 10.30am. She said: It was a really good atmosphere. It was of course emotional and sad but also celebratory. It was lovely to see everyone united as it is a part of history and you felt that when you were there. Id never seen so many people in Market Place, except for Christmas shopping. There was a man and his son dressed in suits at the front which I thought was very respectful. Binky saw another dog and wanted to go off but I had to stop her as it wouldnt have been respectful. Singing the National Anthem was a lovely moment. I have had to sing the new words a couple of times now, at the Proclamation and at the service at St Marys on Sunday, so I am getting used to it. The whole thing has been a massive learning curb. People came up and thanked me and Michelle (Thomas) at the end, but wed like to thank the anonymous donor. We are most grateful to their kind gesture to the town. Id also like to thank the town council staff and the councillors who worked as stewards, as well as the Mayor. Councillor Kellie Hinton said: There wasnt much chatter as people were just watching the screen. Considering it was a sombre event for the funeral of our Queen, there was a lovely community feel with people coming together We were really grateful to the anonymous donor. The screen itself was the size of a house and the sound was really clear. Photos courtesy of David Feary. President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea delivers his address during the 77th General Debate inside the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York, U.S., Sept. 20. EPA-Yonhap The following is the full text of President Yoon Suk-yeol's address to the 77th U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Freedom and Solidarity: Answers to the Watershed Moment Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Distinguished delegates, I offer my sincere congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Csaba Korosi for assuming the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. I hope that the 77th session of the UNGA, under your leadership, will bring together the wisdom of each member state so as to shape a better world. I also express my deepest respect to Mr. Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his tireless devotion as he embarks on his second term. Under the United Nations Charter, we are called upon to endeavor to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security. When freedom of any individual in a nation comes under threat, members of the community must join hands to remove the threat and defend freedom. Likewise, when freedom of any citizen or nation in the global community is in peril, it is the community of nations that must stand together in solidarity to defend that freedom. Our modern history testifies to the process of our solidarity and unity in safeguarding freedom and pushing our civilization forward. Today, the global community is yet again witnessing freedom and peace of its citizens put in jeopardy. Attempts to alter the status quo by force endangers the lives of innocent people; nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction pose increasing threats to humanity; systemic violations of human rights leave millions of children deprived of their future. Such threats to freedom and peace must be overcome through solidarity and fearless commitment to the framework of universal global norms consolidated over the years within the U.N. system. The theme of the UNGA session this year, the "watershed moment", encapsulates the gravity of the global crisis confronting us, which underscores the solemn role of the U.N. The first step in our journey to seek solution that will help us through these turbulent times to find answers begins with solidarity and deference to the universally accepted global norms, working together throughout the U.N. system which has been established over the past decades. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, honorable delegates. As humanity strives to defend freedom and build lasting peace, the UN's role is indispensable. Genuine freedom is not just being free from the shackles but having opportunities to live life to the fullest with dignity. Genuine peace is not an absence of war but removing conflict and enmity that hold back shared progress of humanity and building the foundation for greater prosperity. Genuine freedom and peace can turn into reality when we are free from disease and hunger, free from illiteracy and free from want of energy and culture. In this regard, the United Nations has been exerting great endeavors through the UNECOSOC and UNESCO, among others, yet is now urged to take on a broader role and responsibility. To tackle the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the U.N. must play a central role in bringing the community of nations together to decisively step up their support for countries with limited fiscal space and technical expertise. In pursuit of the global agenda for decarbonization, countries with leading green technologies must work to unsparingly share new and renewable energy technologies with others. The poster for Block Party / Courtesy of Block Party By Jon Dunbar Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon neighborhood had been gearing up for three multi-venue live music festivals over the next month sarcastically referred to as "Rocktober" by one participating musician in light of the confusion over the different events but the number has now been reduced to two. The first festival coming to the neighborhood is Block Party , happening this month on Sept. 24. It's the work of Platform Magazine, a locally made English-language magazine that's released four issues so far. The event is happening close to the birthday of Platform co-founder Jamie Finn, who confided that he thought it was the only way to get a good group of people out to celebrate his birthday. "Please don't tell anyone that I don't have any friends," he told The Korea Times. But Finn certainly has no lack of friends, looking at the lineup of 40 acts playing at five venues across Haebangchon and nearby Gyeongnidan in Itaewon, as well as the army of volunteers helping out. "Through our work on Platform Magazine, covering music and art, we've made connections with so many great musicians," Finn said. "When we told them our plans to do a music festival, they were eager to get involved. Acts like Billy Carter, OhChill, Yangbans, Love X Stereo and more are all playing this event after being featured in our magazine." The festival also includes several acts that are better known in the area. "There are so many great musicians already working in the area some of whom appear on our lineup," he said, "but the aim of Block Party is to grow the scene. We wanted to invite performers who maybe don't play here that often who will bring a bigger audience to the area. It's an admittedly small step, but one that we hope will help lead to a bit of a rejuvenation of the HBC music scene." Finn started Platform with Ella Kail and Sam Choi early in the pandemic. "We originally started Platform Magazine because of COVID-19 which is partly why we never ever mention the pandemic in the magazine!" Finn said. The three of them make up the core team for both Platform and Block Party. Jamie Finn holds a copy of Platform Magazine. / Courtesy of Jamie Finn "We all share an insatiable enthusiasm for music, art and films outside the mainstream," Finn said. "Our goal throughout all of this is to help give a platform ahem to artists and performers who might not get that much coverage, especially English-language coverage." Finn struggles to hide his excitement for Block Party. "It's so hard to choose," he said when asked which musicians he's most excited to see. "I love so many of the acts on here but gun to my head Hyangni. She's a genius. She makes really eclectic, forward-thinking electronic music and her performances are supposed to be absolutely wild." He also namedropped the newly formed punk band Sailor Honeymoon, as well as Hongbi and Pop Ents. But, he added, he's not sure if he'll see any of them, due to his duties during the day-long festival which runs late into the night. "There's every chance I'll miss most of the performances because I'll be running around putting out fires," he admitted. The members of Pop Ents, an indie/alt-rock/post-punk band that will be playing at Block party / Courtesy of Pop Ents Before Finn came to Korea, he was already publishing similar magazines, starting with No-Wave Magazine in his university town of Kent in the U.K. In 2014 he moved to Korea, first living in the southwestern city of Gwangju where he started the blog Keun Soli. "The first acts I ever wrote about were Say Sue Me, Lang Lee and Aseul, which are still among my favorites," he said. He kept the project going until about 2018, and moved to Seoul in 2019. "Everywhere I go, I always get drawn into local music," he said. "For me, that's where my love for music comes from the grassroots. The Korean alternative scene is full of incredible talent who deserve recognition." Finn has settled in the Haebangchon area, and DJs regularly at local venues, as well as putting on shows locally as well as in other parts of Seoul. "I love HBC! It's a little creative hub with some amazing venues and a crazy diverse group of musicians, poets, painters, performers, whatever! There are relatively few franchises here compared to the rest of Seoul, and the rent is cheap," he said. "I'm glad that places like this exist." The members of Gorymurgy, the "lo-est-fi band in South Korea," who will be playing at Block Party this weekend / Courtesy of Gorymurgy Tickets to Block Party cost 30,000 won, which is a departure from other festivals in the area, which tend to be no-cover, high-volume and heavy traffic, while also not taking any sponsorship money or government funding. "Doing so has allowed us to attract some big, exciting names to the event. Acts who are doing international tours and picking up millions of hits on YouTube and Spotify are playing at Block Party, and that wouldn't be possible without selling tickets," he said. "Our focus right now is getting this year's event done and making it a great day for both ticketholders and performers. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been already thinking about next year's Block Party, though. I'd love to grow the event maybe more venues, maybe a multi-day event? But let's see." The number of tickets to be sold is limited to 350, calculated based on the capacity of the five participating venues. Finn stressed that the money from tickets will be used to pay the musicians. 'Rocktober'? The local music scene has been mired in confusion for the last couple weeks, after conflicting information came out about two more possible music festivals to be held a month from now. Ryan Goessl, conductor of Camarata Chorale and Camarata Chamber Orchestra as well as owner of live music venue The Studio HBC, had introduced an upcoming festival titled Haebangchon Indie Music Festival advertised for the second-last weekend of October. But many people mistook this event for Hae Bang Chon (HBC) Festival, which has been held twice annually in the area since 2006. Goessl posted on social media trying to explain that this was a separate new event, with many differences to set it apart from HBC Festival. Meanwhile, HBC Festival co-founder Lance Reegan-Diehl also announced the return of his own event. He said he has been planning for the last couple years to hold a belated 15th anniversary. The festival had been put on hold due mainly to the pandemic. As well, he had moved away a few years ago to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. But he hasn't disappeared, still operating Deeleebob Music , which includes space for studio recording and practice in the Haebangchon area. Reegan-Diehl added that he has already obtained permission from local police to operate the festival, as it is known to create high volumes of foot traffic in the area requiring police control of the main road. Lance Reegan-Diehl, co-founder of HBC Festival, performs at Choi's Place in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Sept 17. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar The prosecution indicted a man late last month for stalking and threatening his former girlfriend, officials said Tuesday. The suspect was arrested on Aug. 17 and indicted on Aug. 30 by the Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office. The prosecution said he had frequently visited her home since March and threatened her with a weapon because she refused to open the door. The woman reported the case to police on Aug. 5. The following day, police requested the prosecution issue a special measure that allows for the detention of a stalker for up to one month when it is concerned the suspect may repeat the crime. The prosecution turned down the request, because the police investigation involved just one day of stalking. The prosecution demanded police further investigate the case and file for an arrest warrant. Police requested the warrant on Aug. 11, and the court issued it one week later. The case came as a staking murder case sparked public fury last week. A Seoul Metro employee was arrested for stabbing his female colleague to death in a subway station's ladies' room last Wednesday, one day before a court was set to sentence him on charges of stalking her. Police on Monday identified him as 31-year-old Jeon Joo-hwan and released a photo of him to the public. (Yonhap) The customs agencies of Korea and Thailand have carried out a joint crackdown on drug smuggling and confiscated a large amount of methamphetamine and other narcotics, government officials said Tuesday. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) and its Thai counterpart confiscated 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, some 290,000 tablets of yaba, a combination of meth and caffeine, and other types of drugs following their four-month operation that kicked off in May, according to the KCS. The crackdown came as drug smuggling from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries has spiked in recent years. The number of smugglers who came from such nations and were caught in Korea has also risen. In 2021, Korea's customs agency detected 123 cases of methamphetamine smuggling, and among them, nearly 49 percent, or 60 cases, came from Thailand, data showed. The amount of the drugs confiscated from the latest crackdown was also staggering, enough to be used by 3.92 million people at the same time, according to the agency. More than 80 percent of drug smuggling was carried out through international mail, followed by express cargo with 11 percent and air travelers with 6 percent. (Yonhap) Teachers help students solve math problems in a classroom in Seoul, April 2021. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki By Lee Yeon-woo The government plans to downsize the public school workforce as a decreasing population has been forcing more and more schools to close down across the country. The Ministry of Education has yet to announce such a plan. But the measure to scale back the number of teachers was spotted in the government's budget proposal that was submitted to the National Assembly. According to Hankook Ilbo, the sister newspaper of The Korea Times, the education, finance and interior ministries set the budget for 342,388 public school teachers for fiscal year 2023. The number of public school teachers is down 2,982 from the budget for fiscal year 2022. This will be the first time for the government to reduce the number of public school teachers. As public school teachers are government employees, their numbers are confirmed at the end of every February after the deliberation of the National Assembly. Public school teachers include kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers, special education teachers, and extracurricular teachers such as librarians, nutritionists, and school nurses. The downsizing plan comes as a decline in the population of school-age children has been evident. According to the Korean Education Statistic Service (KESS), the number of elementary, middle, and high school students has decreased from 7,384,788 in 2012 to 5,879,768 in 2022. Vacancies in teaching jobs resulting from teachers retiring will not be filled. New employment for elementary schools will decrease 5.2 percent in 2023, according to the data the Ministry of Education compiled from education offices across the country. News reports about the plan to cut down the number of public school teachers faced opposition from teachers' groups. Chungcheong Federation of Teachers' Association called for the hiring of more teachers, claiming that an increase in the number of educators is crucial to deal with overcrowded classes and offer customized education for each student. "According to the new employment plans in 2023 released by the Ministry of Education last Wednesday, North Chungcheong Province will have six fewer elementary school teachers and 77 fewer special education teachers. This goes against the public's will to reduce the number of students per class below 20," the statement said. "We strongly believe the number of public school teachers should increase drastically to offer personalized education to each student and to guarantee the right to learn of students who need special education," it added. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education highlighted Monday that the number will be decided after deliberation by the National Assembly and the current number in the draft is not finalized. "We will keep cooperating with relevant government departments to reflect a new education system, such as cultivating digital talents, narrowing the educational gap, and establishing a high school credit system," the statement said. Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday awarded the Civil Merit Medal to a British veteran of the Korean War, thanking him for his sacrifice and dedication to the defense of peace. Yoon presented the medal to Victor Swift, who served as a corporal in the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during the 1950-53 war, after attending the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Swift, 88, serves as head of the British Korean War Veterans Association and has worked to support veterans and increase exchanges among them since 1998, according to the presidential office. "The liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea, and the free market economy that has led us to growth and prosperity, would not have been possible without the teenagers, such as Mr. Victor Swift, who fought with their lives to defend the freedom of a country they had never visited and a people they had never met," Yoon said after presenting the award at a hotel in London. Swift thanked the president and the Korean people, saying he is "overwhelmed and surprised" to be receiving the medal. Yoon arrived in London the previous day as part of a three-nation swing that will also take him to New York for the U.N. General Assembly and to Toronto and then Ottawa for a summit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The medal ceremony was his final public engagement in London before he departed for New York. (Yonhap) The Bucks have waived combo guard Iverson Molinar, according to NBA.coms official transactions log. Molinar, who went undrafted out of Mississippi State, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks after averaging 17.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.2 SPG on .454/.252/.868 shooting in 34 games (34.1 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22. He also played for Milwaukees Las Vegas Summer League squad in July. A member of last seasons All-SEC First Team, Molinar appears likely to spend his first professional season with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks G League affiliate. His Exhibit 10 contract will put him in line for a bonus worth $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd as an affiliate player. Molinar will likely team up in Wisconsin with Alex Antetokounmpo and Rob Edwards, who have also been signed and waived by the Bucks within the last week. Following Molinars release, Milwaukee now has 19 players officially under contract. Restricted free agent Jordan Nwora still doesnt have a new deal in place with training camps right around the corner. Radisson Hotel Group announces the opening of Andersia Hotel & Spa Poznan, a member of Radisson Individuals, marking the brand's debut in Poland. The Group's current Polish portfolio consists of 17 hotels in operation, with further openings planned in the coming months to grow the portfolio in market to 23 hotels, representing more than 5,200 rooms in operation and under development. Poznan is considered by many the historical capital of Poland and one of the oldest and most picturesque cities in Poland. Located on the River Warta, Poznan is an important cultural center and thriving business hub for the region. The city is one of the four historical capitals of medieval Poland and is known for its numerous heritage sites, including the Renaissance Old Town, Poznan Town Hall, and the Poznan Cathedral, dating back to the 10th century. The city also hosts the Poznan International Fair, the biggest industrial fair in Poland and one of the largest fairs in Europe. Poznan is also a foodie capital known for its famous St. Martin's croissants with white poppy-seed, vanilla, and cream filling. Andersia Hotel & Spa Poznan, a member of Radisson Individuals is located on one of the city's main squares, Plac Andersa, and is easily accessible from both the airport and major local transportation hubs. Both the main train station and bus station are approximately a 10-minute walk away. Hotel guests will enjoy easy access to the main attractions of Poznan, including Old Market Square and the historic Town Hall with the legendary goat shows at midday every day, as well as the biggest park in the city, Park Cytadela, Parish Church of St. Stanislaus, and shopping center Stary Browar. Andersia Hotel & Spa Poznan, a member of Radisson Individuals is located in the heart of the financial center of Poznan, close to Stary Browar Shopping Mall and Art Center, and just a 15-minute walk from the International Poznan Fair. The hotel is a modern business venue which offers 172 spacious and elegant rooms, from premium rooms to superior suites with panoramic views of the city. The hotel's architecture and design are a balance of contemporary style with natural materials, such as wood which are combined with accent elements, designer furniture, and thoughtful lighting. The hotel occupies 9 floors of a 19-story skyscraper which is one of the city's showpieces and a place where prestigious events are organized. Andersia Hotel & Spa Poznan, a member of Radisson Individuals offers 1800 m2 of multi-purpose conference space with 10 rooms suitable for high-level business events or conferences up to 800 people, as well as private meeting rooms for smaller meetings and training sessions. The Flavoria restaurant serves breakfast and is open in the afternoon and evening serving traditional Polish and European cuisine. Leisure facilities include a fitness center, as well as the Harmonia Wellness Club & Pool which features a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, and a Finnish natural wood sauna. With the health and safety of guests and team members as its top priority, Andersia Hotel & Spa Poznan, a member of Radisson Individuals is implementing the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol program. The in-depth cleanliness and disinfection protocols were developed in partnership with SGS, the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, and are designed to ensure guest safety and peace of mind from check-in to check-out. The Safety Protocol is an integral part of Radisson Hotel Group's Safety and Security program ensuring we always care for our guests and team members. Hotel website Raines has added Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Pensacola West I-10 to its growing portfolio of hotels. This deal marks the fully integrated development, management, and investment company's first property in Florida. Season 21, LLC owns the property. "Being a major force in hospitality in the Southeast, Raines has had its eyes set on expanding to Florida for a while now," said Grey Raines, managing partner at Raines. "We were waiting for the right property and partner, and we found both in this latest deal. We are thrilled to be working with Season 21's leaders and appreciate the opportunity." This is the first time Season 21 and Raines are doing business together. Season 21 approached Raines about managing Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Pensacola West I-10 after the company's leaders met for the first time earlier in the year. With the addition of the newly opened Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Pensacola West I-10, Raines has 22 properties in its portfolio, nine of which are Marriott properties, including two other Fairfield assets. This property is the company's sixth third-party management agreement. Located off I-10, the 87-room property is a short drive from Pensacola Bay Center, National Naval Aviation Museum, Saenger Theater, typically used for performances and mid-level events, and Downtown Pensacola, home to a variety of food trucks, pubs, breweries, cafes, nightclubs, and more. Several demand generators in the area include Navy Federal Credit Union, Sacred Heart Health Systems, International Paper, the University of West Florida, Ascend Performance Materials, Baptist Healthcare, Santa Rosa Medical Center, and GE Wind Energy Upgrades to the guestrooms and public spaces, and improvements to the property's curb appeal are expected. Hotel website Moxy Hotels has confirmed its second location in Denmark as Danish operator Core Hospitality is partnering up with local developer A. Enggaard to bring the brand to Aarhus. A new district is being developed in Aarhus with a huge focus on assembling culture, business, and entrepreneurship. It is now confirmed that Marriott International has teamed up with developer A. Enggaard and operator Core Hospitality to open the lifestyle brand Moxy Hotels in the area in 2026. Moxy Aarhus is opening on a central location in Aarhus, in the middle of a new district close to the main train station and the biggest mall in the city. The hotel will be located on top of local shops and will have its reception, bar, and lounge on the second floor, which can be entered directly by the Coal Bridge, Aarhus's answer to New York's High Line. Outside the lounge, guests will have access to a large terrace where they can enjoy drinks from the bar and a view of the vivid urban space surrounding the hotel, which is also being developed by A. Enggaard. Marriott's first hotel outside of Copenhagen Moxy Hotels made its debut on the Danish market in 2019 when the same Danish operator, Core Hospitality, opened a 226-room hotel in Copenhagen. The international brand is now increasing the quality and range of hotel options in Aarhus. It will be the first Marriott owned brand that is opening outside of Copenhagen in Denmark. The hotel will increase the overall value of the chain in Denmark and strengthen its offering of the world's largest loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, to domestic travelers. Local operator, international brand Developer A. Enggaard chose to collaborate with Core Hospitality, a white-label hotel management company that is the favored operator of Moxy Hotels in Scandinavia. Aarhus will be the hotel operator's fourth Moxy hotel and sixth Marriott hotel to open. While the hotels are associated with an international company, the hotel operations are a local affair. Hotel website Susurros del Corazon, Auberge Resorts Collection, a new, private oceanfront escape set on the most spectacular beach in Punta de Mita, has appointed Jose Adames as general manager. Adames joins Auberge with over 33 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, including many years working in Mexico City and Punta Mita. In this role, Adames will oversee all operations for the property, which will introduce a new level of luxury to the Punta de Mita peninsula when it debuts this November. Adames joins Auberge Resorts Collection following an extensive career with Four Seasons Resorts. Most recently, Adames served as general manager of Four Seasons Resort Anguilla. Previously, Adames spent eight years in Mexico as the opening general manager of Four Seasons Mexico City and Four Seasons Punta Mita. Positions earlier in his career brought him to Four Seasons Hotel Austin, The Pierre Hotel, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel and Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas. Despite being born and raised in New York City, Adames feels most at home by the beach. He earned his degree in Business Administration from Pace University. In his spare time, he loves to travel and spend time with his two sons, Lukas and Diego. Chef Amit Gusain hails from the picturesque city of Rishikesh and has worked in leading restaurants and hotels across India and Thailand. He joins a multinational team of talented chefs from Europe, Malaysia and Thai. SAii Laguna Phuket, the free-spirited lifestyle resort on Phuket's stunning sunset coast, has announced the appointment of Amit Gusain, a young and talented new Indian chef de Cuisine, as it continues to expand its culinary offerings and bring exciting new flavours to guests. Chef Amit may only be in his early 30s, but he has gained extensive experience in the kitchens of leading hotels and restaurants across Asia. Born in Rishikesh, the beautiful city on the banks of the Ganges River in the foothills of the Himalayas, Chef Amit was inspired to start cooking by his beloved mother, who taught him the traditions of authentic north Indian cuisine, and mentored by his uncle, a highly-acclaimed executive chef at some of the top luxury hotels in India. Chef Amit started working in New Delhi, including a spell at the famous Punjabi Pind restaurant. He then decided to spread his wings and moved to Thailand, initially as Indian Chef at Gajanana, a popular restaurant in Krabi province. His career has been on an upward trajectory ever since, as Chef Amit showed his skill and creativity at many leading hotels in southern Thailand, under brands such as Dusit Thani, Anantara, Westin, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Novotel, Swissotel and Best Western. Most recently, he was Chef de Cuisine at Avani+ Khao Lak Resort. Confident, hardworking and highly motivated, Chef Amit is now ready to delight diners at SAii Laguna Phuket with his culinary skills. As the resort's dedicated Indian Chef, he will craft dishes that highlight his home country's diverse regional cuisines, including contemporary plates and classical recipes such as his signature lamb rogan josh, which are sure to stimulate the senses and tantalize the taste buds. The Peninsula Beijing is pleased to announce the appointment of Cameron Cundle as the hotel's new General Manager. Mr. Cundle Joins the hotel from The Peninsula Bangkok, where he has been Hotel Manager since October 2018. Born in Australia, Mr. Cundle received a Masters in International Business form Macquarie University in Sydney, in conjunction with the Cesar Ritz Hotel School where he earned a Bachelor of Business Hotel & Tourism Management and Diploma of Hospitality. Upon graduation, Mr. Cundle embarked on his hospitality management career at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. In 2011, he joined The St. Regis Singapore, where he spent three years as Director of Front Office before being promoted to Director of Rooms. He subsequently spent two years at the St. Regis Bangkok, where he was Hotel Manager. Mr. Cundle joined The Peninsula Hotels in October 2018 as Hotel Manager at The Peninsula Bangkok. Key accomplishments include supporting the management through the process of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels taking full ownership of the hotel and during the past two years, helping the team navigate handling the various challenges of the pandemic. "I am excited to be joining The Peninsula Beijing at this exciting point in its storied history," Mr. Cundle said. "It is an honour and a pleasure to be a part of this magnificent premier all-suite hotel, which is a vibrant centre of luxury hospitality, cuisine, arts, and culture in the Chinese capital." Tobias Siegel joined the PKF hospitality group in 2019 and is based in Vienna. In his present capacity as a Consultant, his consulting activities include feasibility studies and valuations throughout Europe. In addition, Tobias heads PKF livingexperts, the serviced living consulting practice of the PKF hospitality group. In this role he oversees assignments for serviced apartments, aparthotels, student accommodation, senior and assisted living, branded residences, co-living and micro living projects. Prior to joining the PKF hospitality group, Tobias worked for two and a half years at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC in Dubai in the sales division. Furthermore, he gained additional operational work experience in various internationally branded luxury hotels in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Hong Kong. After having completed an apprenticeship at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Germany, Tobias obtained a bachelors degree of Business Administration in International Hotel Management at Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands. Hotel giant Hilton has signed on to design astronaut facilities for the private space station Starlab currently under development by Voyager Space Holdings and Lockheed Martin, the companies told CNBC on Monday. In addition to designing hospitality suites and sleeping arrangements, Hilton will also work with Voyager to examine opportunities for the marketing of the space station and astronaut experiences onboard. Voyager Chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor, speaking with CNBC at the 2022 International Astronautical Congress, said hes excited by the unique perspective that Hilton brings to the project because theyre not space people. Its almost like looking at it with a fresh set of eyes and saying: How do we reimagine this experience, Taylor said, adding that he sees it as a bit of an edge. The partnership marks the first of its kind among the private stations in development, although both the space and hospitality sectors have long envisioned the possibilities of a hotel in orbit. For decades, discoveries in space have been positively impacting life on Earth, and now Hilton will have an opportunity to use this unique environment to improve the guest experience wherever people travel, Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said in a statement. Voyager and its operating company Nanoracks are developing the free-flying Starlab space station in partnership with Lockheed Martin. The companies aim to have the first Starlab operational in low Earth orbit as early as 2027. The space station is one of four being built by U.S. companies with help from NASA contracts as the agency prepares to retire the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. Under NASAs Commercial LEO Destinations program, Nanoracks was awarded the largest individual contract in the program, valued at $160 million, to aid in creating Starlab. Read the full article at cnbc.com Moxy Hotels has launched a campaign " Moxy universe, play beyond", which leverages the possibilities of mixed reality into an augmented reality experience in Asia Pacific. Created by Media.Monks China, Tokyo, Korea and Singapore teams, the campaign aims to create a place where people can freely express themselves, create their ideal identity and even multiple identities to connect with other young-at-hearts and create their own experiences. It also echoes the belief embedded in Moxys DNAthe desire and space to provide travellers with diverse ways of self-expression and build like-minded communities rooted in celebrating inclusivity. "The new traveller seeks experiences that continue to shape their generational identity. They are all about boundless self-expression, and connecting with others digitally, as witnessed by the popularity of gaming culture and the explosive interest in the metaverse. Media.Monks took insight from what drove these trends, to define a new take on brand experience within hospitality," said the release. With Moxy Universe, travellers staying experience with Moxy starts even before they arrive at the hotel. Before arriving in-person at the hotel, travellers can create and customise their avatars, choosing from 122 features and 344 designsdepicting different skin colours, hairstyles, body shapes, props and other featureswith over a billion possible unique avatar combinations, while tailor-made posters could be generated and shared on social handles. When travellers arrive at the Moxy Bar, there will be a complimentary cocktail awaiting for them. After scanning an AR marker placed at the bar counter, guests are treated to an animated welcome messagea cue to the exciting mixed reality experiences they are going to enjoy during their stay at Moxy. Read the full article at Marketing Interactive The top diplomats of Korea and Japan had a bilateral meeting in New York on Monday (local time), Seoul's foreign ministry said amid reports that the leaders of the neighboring countries may hold summit talks on the sidelines of an annual U.N. General Assembly session. In their 50-minute talks, Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, including bilateral relations that have been long strained due to disputes over shared history. They exchanged opinions on the thorny matter of compensating Korean forced labor victims during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, a foreign ministry official said on background. Park called for Tokyo's sincere efforts to resolve such a pending bilateral issue. President Yoon Suk-yeol may also have a separate summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York this week, as they plan to attend the 77th session of the General Assembly. If held, it would mark the first formal summit talks between the leaders of the two sides in nearly three years. (Yonhap) Tampa, FL - Actabl, the industrys first and only integrated hotel operations, business intelligence and labor management solution platform, today announced that it has been selected by Highgate as the preferred provider of asset management solutions to its global portfolio of properties, which includes over 530 properties comprising over 87,500 owned and/or managed hotel rooms across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate elected to partner with Actabl, due to its unique range of modular integrated technologies, which includes Transcendents industry-leading enterprise asset management software that helps hotel managers optimize their maintenance, risk prevention and capital planning operations, while minimizing labor costs and increasing the longevity of property assets. Actabls additional value-adding modules will allow Highgate to future-proof its investment in new technologies and steer toward a long-term partnership with an innovative company that is rapidly growing its product and value to the industry. Other Actabl solutions already in use across the Highgate portfolio include the Hotel Effectiveness labor management platform, which is implemented in 328 Highgate hotels worldwide and the ProfitSword business intelligence solution which is currently in use by 172 Highgate properties. We chose to partner with Actabl, in order to expedite our goal of consolidating the disparate technology systems used by our hotels around the globe and streamline our operations to increase visibility, efficiency and standardization across the portfolio, said Eric Au, Vice President of Engineering for Highgate. Not only does the Transcendent by Actabl solution help us improve efficiency and productivity, it also enhances the accountability and effectiveness of hotel staff and allows more rapid response to guest requests. We look forward to implementing this solution across our portfolio, and to layering on other Actabl solutions to leverage the unique opportunity to share relevant data and intelligence between properties, regions and departments for a 360-degree vision of our organizational health. Actabl's integrated suite of advanced solutions provides unmatched insights into hotel operations, combined with powerful, intuitive tools to act on those insights, break down interdepartmental barriers, and improve both operational efficiency and the bottom line. This powerful toolset can be leveraged to enhance efficiencies and profitability at the individual, team, property, and portfolio levels. With such an eclectic collection of properties in far flung regions around the globe, Highgate has a compelling need to consolidate its technology solutions across its portfolio, while providing the right mix of tools to maximize performance and guest service at the individual property level, said Steven Moore, CEO of Actabl. With our comprehensive suite of industry-leading technology solutions, we are uniquely positioned to serve all segments, brands and sizes of the Highgate portfolio, and we look forward to a long-term partnership with this prestigious group. As part of the strategic partnership agreement, Actabl will provide preferred pricing to Highgate properties, as well as discounted training and implementation services. For more information on Actabls comprehensive suite of hospitality technology solutions, please visit actabl.com. About Actabl With a comprehensive suite of industry-leading technology solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the global hospitality industry, Actabl provides all the insight and intelligence todays hoteliers need to enhance operational efficiency, improve guest experience, and increase profitability at the individual, team, property, and enterprise levels. Bringing together the industrys most powerful and proven brands, Actabls integrated solution includes the ALICE hotel operations management platform, ProfitSwords AI-powered business intelligence technology, Transcendents advanced asset management, and Hotel Effectiveness complete labor optimization system designed for hotels and hotel management companies. With a global team of 250+ employees boasting over 1,000 years of combined hospitality experience, Actabl serves the technology needs of more than 10,000 properties in hospitality markets around the world. To learn more, please visit www.actabl.com. About Transcendent by Actabl Transcendent by Actabl provides enterprise asset management software that helps hotel managers optimize their maintenance, risk prevention, and capital planning operations. Used by thousands of hotels and some of the largest and most well-respected hotel managers around the world, Transcendent makes it easy to implement, scale, and monitor world-class engineering & CAPEX SOPs, helping you to extend the lives of your assets, lower your energy bill, and dramatically improve the efficiency of your facilities and capital planning teams. Transcendent is backed by ASG Hospitality. For more information, please visit transcendent.ai. About Highgate With more than 530 properties comprising over 87,500 owned and/or managed hotel rooms, Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management. Highgate has a 30-year track record as an investment manager, operating partner, and developer for REITs, private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, high net worth individuals, and other institutional investors. With a particular focus in hospitality real estate, Highgates capabilities extend to adjacent real estate verticals including multifamily, short-term rentals, and diversified healthcare real estate, as well as investments in real estate-linked securities, technology platforms, and hospitality-related operating businesses. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Dallas, London, Miami, Seattle, and Waikiki. For more information, visit: www.highgate.com. Andrea Mane PARSIPPANY, N.J. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the worlds largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across 95+ countries, announces today that its new, extended-stay brand operating under the working title Project ECHO has achieved 100 hotels signed across the United States. An all new-construction, extended-stay brand developed with leading hotel developers hits the sweet spot with a design aimed to lower costs-to-build and operate, while still capturing the demand for long-term stays. This brand has become Wyndhams fastest growing in the pipeline already accomplishing our goal of 100 signed by year-end and we expect to continue adding to that total, said Chip Ohlsson, executive vice president and chief development officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Among the most recent signings for developing new construction Project ECHO hotels are South Bend, Ind.-based Holladay Properties and Miami, Fla.-based Gold Coast Premier Properties. Holladay Properties have 25 Project ECHO hotels signed in the key cities across the Midwest as well as Nashville, Tenn.; Savannah, Ga; and Jacksonville, Fla., and Gold Coast Premier Properties has 10 hotels signed in South Florida and New Jersey. The purpose-built, 124-room Project ECHO prototype requires just under two acres of land and has a highly competitive cost per key. Coming in at approximately 50,000 square-feetnearly 74 percent of which is rentableindividual rooms average 300 square-feet. The rooms consist of single- and two-queen studio suites with kitchenettes as well as efficiently-designed public spacesa lobby, fitness center and guest laundrythat help to limit labor needs. We have extensive extended-stay development experience with established brands, yet we couldnt pass up the opportunity to be on the ground floor building a brand together with Wyndham, said Veronica Garcia, president and chief operating officer, Gold Coast Premier Properties. Project ECHOs efficient design paired with access to Wyndhams negotiated discounts with suppliers will help us reduce costs and simplify operations of our hotels, while introducing a new product to the extended-stay segment. Earlier this month, the first Project ECHO hotel broke ground in Plano, Tex. and additional groundbreaks are scheduled for this fall. Wyndham expects to open its first Project ECHO hotels in 2023. For more information, including development opportunities, visit www.projectecho.wyndhamhotels.com. About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with over 8,900 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 813,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 22 hotel brands, including Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel, La Quinta, Baymont, Wingate, AmericInn, Hawthorn Suites, Trademark Collection and Wyndham. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 94 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com. Capital Alliance and TFE Hotels has Announced to Build a AUD340 Million Mixed-use Development in Melbourne Docklands Australia-based TFE Hotels (TFE), an international hotel group has entered a partnership with a local developer and hotel owner Capital Alliance (CA). Both entities have announced a two-tower mixed-use development project in Melbourne Docklands, a first of its kind featuring two world-class local hotel brands which will be connected through a sky bridge. Set to open in 2026, The AUD340 million project will feature Australias largest rooftop infinity pool, a conference centre with a capacity of 1,000 pax, and two accommodation towers. All of which come with an unobstructed 360-degree view of Melbourne city. Located at 28-38 Pearl River Road, Dockland, the mixed-use development project will also comprise a day spa, retails, and restaurants. The two towers will have a 200 key first purpose-built Collection by TFE Hotels and a 105 key premium brand A by Adina from TFE, aiming to deliver a perfect mesh of a hotel and a private city apartment experience. Steadfast Capital to Develop Dual Hotel at Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne Singapore-based Steadfast Capital (SC) has announced the development of the dual hotel project at Bourke Street mall shopping precinct for AUD200 million. Slated to be open in April 2024, both hotels with a total of 450 rooms will be operated by the IHG Group, with 180 rooms branded as Hotel Indigo and 270 rooms to be branded under Holiday Inn. The dual hotel development will be situated above a three-storey shopping mall. The Bourke Street mall is Melbournes premier shopping street where flagship department stores, such as David Jones and Myer can be found. Apart from the dual hotels, Bourke Street Mall will also expect opening of new retail offerings and office hub in the coming years to rejuvenate the area. Weave Living Acquired Two Hotel Properties in Hong Kong for HKD3.2 Billion Hong Kong-based Weave Living (WL) has acquired two hotels from the Tang Shing Bor family for HKD3.2 billion. It is understood HKD2.47 billion and HKD730 million was spent on the acquisition of the 598-key Hotel COZi Harbour View (HCHW) and 199-key Hotel Ease Mong Kok (HEMK). Located five minutes away from Ngau Tau Kok MRT station, HCHW features eleven room types and a carpark. On the other hand, HEMK is located one minute away from Mong Kok MRT station and features restaurant and a car park. WL has acquired five properties in Hong Kong in 2022 including the 435-key The Bay Bridge Lifestyle Retreat for HKD1.42 billion and the 435-key Rosedale Hotel Kowloon for HKD1.37 billion. Pollux Properties to Acquire Three Hotels in Indonesia for IDR217 billion Singapore-based Pollux Properties (PP) will be acquiring three hotels in Bekasi, a city in the Western Java of Indonesia, for IDR217 billion. The deal will be transacted fully by cash. The 3 hotels are expected start operations in the first quarter of 2023. However, the operator of the properties has not been confirmed. PP mentioned that this transaction will increase value for its shareholders, improve income stability of the company, and help the company expand its hotel portfolio overseas. About HVS HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, the company performs more than 4,500 assignments per year for virtually every major industry participant. HVS principals are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by 300 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit www.hvs.com. Luxury tourism, which focuses on the cosmos and water, is worth more than 130 billion euros a year in Europe. From 28-30 September, SUTUS will bring together top national and international leaders at Les Roches Marbella: Sam Scimeni (NASA), Bernard Foing (ESA), Hiroko Asakura (JAXA), Tony Gannon (Space Florida), Simon Jenner (Axiom Space), Roman Chiporukha (Space VIP). The first hotel with accommodation for tourists in space, a futuristic superyacht whose main objective is to combat climate change, the creation of cities in space and the International Ocean Station, which aims to be operational by 2026, will be among the projects presented at the only space and underwater tourism event in the world. Brand Spain. The creation of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) was the main feature of the Spanish presence at the third edition of this pioneering international summit, where Alvaro Gimenez Canete will be in charge of presenting his plans. Madrid/Marbella - The world space and underwater tourism Summit reiterates its success with the celebration of the third edition of this pioneering event bringing together prestigious institutions and international stakeholders in space and underwater qualifications on 28, 29 and 30 September at Les Roches Marbella. Last year saw the beginning of a revolution in the history of the cosmos. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, flew his rocket to an altitude of 106 kilometers for ten minutes, ushering in the era of commercial space travel. The search for original and personalized experiences is propelling the future of luxury tourism towards new destinations that cross known borders, reaffirming the entrenchment of premium tourism across the world. Luxury tourism in Europe is in fact worth between 130,000 and 170,000 million euros a year, 22% of the sector's total income, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company. Taking place in a hybrid format, with the first day in person and two other virtual days, SUTUS ("Space & Underwater Tourism Universal Summit") has positioned itself as the benchmark forum for the world's main space agencies, last year attracting the American NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese JAXA. They will be joined this year by the International Space University (ISU), the Space Tourism Society (STS) and the Swiss Space Tourism Agency (Swiss Space Tourism). As far as the business sector is concerned, more than 30 companies will be present to present the progress of their projects. All of these enjoy international recognition and nurture ambitious plans, some of them even already put into practice. Orbital Assembly, the first hotel with accommodation for tourists in space, Space VIP, is dedicated to "space literacy and inspiring the next generation of private astronauts, Axiom Space, which aims to create cities in space, and the Space Tourism Society, focused on "commercializing the growing range of space experiences(real spaceflight, movies, games and even virtual worlds), are just a few examples. A number of women such as Nancy Vermeulen, private astronaut trainer at the Space Training Academy, and retired astronaut commander Susan Kilrain, who will talk about her experience beyond planet Earth, will also be present. Meanwhile, the still unexplored marine world will be evoked by international speakers such as Fabien Cousteau and his International Ocean Station, which is slated to be operational by 2026; Aaron Olivera, founder and CEO of Earth 300, a global environmental and scientific project created in a futuristic superyacht whose main objective is to combat climate change; and Scott Waters, president of Pisces VI Submarine, who will talk about diving tourism in the Canary Islands. Brand Spain The creation of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) is the main theme of the Spanish presence at the third edition of this pioneering international summit. Alvaro Gimenez Canete, Special Delegate for the Spanish Space Agency, will be responsible for presenting the action plan for the creation of this new organization, whose headquarters a dozen cities including Seville, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Teruel, Leon, Puertollano (Ciudad Real) as well as the Canary Islands are vying to host. In addition, this annual event will welcome renowned speakers such as underwater archaeologist Carlota Perez Reverte, aspiring ESA astronauts Carmen Garcia-Roger and Jorge Pla-Garcia as well as Spanish companies internationally renowned in the space race. The latter will include Green Moon Project, an undertaking committed to space agriculture as an asset for all humanity; and Zero 2 Infinity, a company that develops high-altitude balloons to provide access to the area around space and the low-Earth orbit using a capsule and launcher transported by balloons. Organized by Les Roches Marbella, a leading hotel training school in our country and one of the most important in the world, together with Medina Media Events, the event will host a demonstration area on the Marbella campus where representatives of each company participating will be able to present their tourism-related projects, thus opening up the experience to all those visiting the school's facilities. Carlos Diez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, says: "We are delighted that we have managed to bring the best agencies and representatives of the most exciting projects in the world to this congress, the most important in the world in the discussion of tourism in the two borders we have over our heads and under our feet". Virtual attendees and registered companies will be able to follow all sessions via streaming and schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers, as well as visit exclusive online demos. All details, along with the official agenda and registration for the three days are now available through the Medina Media Events platform. For further information: www.sutusummit.com About the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem.The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment. It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development. Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019. Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%. About Les Roches Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss model of education. With campuses across Switzerland and Spain; a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution provides students with a unique culturally diverse experience. As of 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR). Les Roches ranks among the world's top 5 higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management and for Employer Reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). For more information, visit Les Roches. Anouck Weiss Chief Communication Officer, Sommet Education Les Roches View source FLYR Labs, the pioneer of The Revenue Operating System for airlines, is announcing the acquisition of Pace Revenue, the UK-based SaaS provider of industry-leading revenue optimization and commercial decision intelligence for hotel and lodging companies. With this acquisition, the companies' combined technologies will extend the capabilities of FLYRs Revenue Operating System to hotels. By offering total revenue optimization, cross-functional collaboration across commercial teams, and next-generation distribution capabilities, Pace and FLYRs missions are aligned to help travel and transportation leaders achieve their highest potential. With this acquisition, FLYR will also accelerate the digital transformation of hospitality businesses and provide them with a vertically integrated platform for total commercial optimization. Founded in 2016, Pace Revenue has grown rapidly despite hotels' challenging environment. Today, Pace Revenue is the platform of choice for more than 1,000 hotels, totalling over 120,000 rooms. The Pace Revenue platform is the first in the hospitality industry to evaluate price sensitivity and deploy real-time, micro-targeted pricing, enabling a bespoke strategy for each room, night, and lead time. Updating prices every hour, Pace has consistently driven industry-leading revenue outcomes for its hospitality customers. Jens Munch, founder and CEO of Pace Revenue, says: Our mission is to give power back to the supply side in the travel industry. We do this through a platform that gives them plug-and-play digital transformation and enables them to differentiate against their competition and OTAs. From the moment we first spoke with FLYR, it was incredible to see the alignment between our missions. By joining forces, we are building a truly transformative company in hospitality. Alex Mans, founder and CEO of FLYR, says: The travel industry has been dominated by fragmented data access, rules-based pricing decisions that are configured by hand, and a general lack of innovation. In order to create frictionless customer experiences and maximize total revenue, airlines and hotels alike must accelerate their adoption of new technologies such as AI and advanced decision intelligence solutions. With FLYR's acquisition of Pace, we are poised to bring the best revenue performance to hotels just as we did for airlines. Industry leaders such as JetBlue Airways, Air New Zealand, Accor, and Wyndham have already partnered with FLYR and Pace to take advantage of their AI-driven revenue optimization. Follow @flyrlabs on Twitter and LinkedIn to hear the latest news and updates on The Revenue Operating System. About FLYR Labs FLYR Labs, the pioneer of The Revenue Operating System, is focused on the relentless application of advanced and intuitive technologies that help transportation leaders unlock their highest potential. Its cloud-native software solution leverages deep learning technology, a cutting-edge form of AI, to provide ultra-accurate forecasting and actionable insights within one comprehensive user interface. With FLYR, travel and transportation companies can exponentially improve revenue performance, unify decisions across commercial teams, and build a more efficient experience for their customers. FLYR Labs is headquartered in California with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Krakow, and Amsterdam. To learn more about FLYR Labs, visit flyrlabs.com or follow @flyrlabs on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Pace Revenue Pace Revenue was founded in 2016 with the mission to deliver a platform that enables revenue teams to make the switch to the next generation of Revenue Management. As a leader in revenue optimization technology, its Pace Revenue Platform is the system of choice for hospitality innovators providing industry-leading decision intelligence, innovative business intelligence, and a suite of intuitive management tools. This all-in-one platform is deployed by hundreds of customers across a range of industries from boutique, short-term rental (STR), and outdoor, to limited service and hybrid accommodation. For more information, please visit www.pacerevenue.com. Turnover in restaurants is as high as ever. Labor shortages, health crises, and general economic trends have made it a struggle and restaurants need help. But we're at an inflection point in the restaurant industry. It's not enough to just pay more than the restaurant next door. The restaurants that prioritize employee retention above all will come out on top. The restaurants that are able to keep employees around treat the employee experience with as much regard as the customer experience, if not more. They offer work-life balance, flexible schedules, useful benefits, and operate on strong core values. But before we dive in, let's look at where turnover stands right nowand what's causing it. Table of Contents Restaurant Retention Data Study Turnover in the restaurant industry remains high Back-of-House and Front-of-House What about managers? State by State Breakdown City by City Breakdown Why do employees leave their restaurant jobs? Real ways to tackle restaurant retention problems Check your culture Establish Clear Lines of Communication Track and manage employee workload Schedule with empathy Offer tailored, valuable benefits Restaurant Retention & Turnover Data Study Turnover in the restaurant industry remains high High turnover has long been a core tenet of the hospitality industry. For restaurant employees added in the past year (August 2021-August 2022), the average employee tenure is just 110 daysa little over three months. Source: 7shifts When looking at the data overall, restaurants have an average turnover rate of 45% across the United States. Let's break this down further. Back-of-House and Front-of-House are an even split 7shifts data shows no large discrepancy between turnover rates in the front- and back-of-house. Front-of-house positions (including servers, hosts, and bartenders), fare slightly worse than back-of-house positions (including cooks, porters, and dishwashers). Front of House Positions: 41% turnover rate Back of House Positions 43% turnover rate Source: 7shifts What about managers? Managers fared a bit better than hourly employeeswith a turnover rate of 28%. State by State Breakdown While the data didn't vary drastically state-to-state, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Hawai'i fared the best. Source: 7shifts On the bottom of the list were New Mexico, North Dakota, and Idaho. Read the full article here. Michael Nesselbeck 7shifts Not everyone has an appetite for adrenaline, but lets pretend you are about to jump out of a plane, ready to free-fall 10,000 feet into a sprawling field below. Just moments before you tuck and roll your way out of the plane, the skydiver beside you gives you a nudge and a wink before saying, hopefully, we all make it down in one piece, eh? a parting sentiment that sends a current of fear and uncertainty coursing through your body. Noticing your body language, the diver youre paired with gives you a warm smile, Dont worry, hes mostly kidding. Its just that the parachutes we are using are old, and one malfunctioned last week, but the chances of it happening to us today are slim! Before you know it, youre plunging towards the earth, quite literally not sure which way is up, hoping with every ounce of your being that the sky diving company you selected isnt relying on old, crappy parachutes to ensure the safety of their staff and customers. Of course, this seems like a far-fetched scenario because, thankfully, it is. What sky diving company in their right mind would cut any corners when considering the safety of their clientele (especially during emergency scenarios)? High-stake activities demand high-stake protocols, and anyone who has ever jumped out of a plane has surely felt reassured by the tedious, painstaking care these companies take to ensure the safety of everyone involved. After all, anything less would end in a PR nightmare, if not a publicized lawsuit, and, in a worst-case scenario, the loss of a life. Unfortunately, many industries do, in fact, cut corners when it comes to staff and client safety one of which, I hate to admit, is the hospitality industry. Due to the physically challenging and often isolated nature of hospitality work, its no secret that hotel workers frequently grapple with injury or, in some cases, assault or abuse while on the job. Despite this, the safety of hospitality staff has been notoriously deprioritized, earning our industry an unfavorable reputation that underpins an uncharacteristically high staff turnover rate. In recent years, however, with the help of the American Hotel and Lodging Associations 5-Star Promise and mounting legislative pressure to address the lackluster staff safety culture that had long become our industrys norm, hotels have begun to reconsider and revamp their staff safety infrastructure. Finally, hotels around the world were investing in resources, practices, and platforms that promised to reinforce the safety of their staff (and their guests) while on property. One of the most meaningful changes we saw ushered into practice was the use of new-age panic buttons, which utilize a network of BLE/Wi-Fi gateways to provide the accurate location of those devices (and their users) anywhere on the hotel property in the event of an emergency. So, you can imagine my surprise when I heard mention of a large, international hotel brand recently urging its hoteliers to use no-name noisemakers, purchasable via Amazon, to give the illusion of staff safety. If we think back to the scenario I described above, the continued use of general, legacy noisemakers in the place of location-specific, new-age technology is the equivalent of relying on old, faulty parachutes. Its not only reckless and lazy its downright dangerous. Hotels Can No Longer Afford to Cut Corners on Staff Safety Traditional noisemakers are handheld devices that emit a loud noise/signal when triggered, offering no location accuracy, tracking, or reporting features. Effectively, these devices are not much more than a whistle which, in the case of an incident occurring somewhere within a large, multi-level hotel, will not help to quickly locate a staff member in distress. Moreover, using these devices can worsen scenarios where staff members wish to discreetly call for help without alerting their attacker, or may attract the attention of guests who may be ill-equipped to provide support. For any hotel of any size to continue using this technology when so many other, credible, cutting-edge platforms now exist on the market is, simply stated, grossly irresponsible. Now, more than ever, the decisions hotel brands make regarding staff safety speak volumes about the overarching culture within that hotel. With statistics indicating that the vast majority (53%) of all female hotel housekeepers have been victims of sexual harassment at work, hotels cannot afford to be on the wrong side of this issue. Housekeepers, maintenance workers, and front desk staff are, in many ways, the lifeblood of any hotel. Any hospitality brand's utmost priority is to protect its staff and proactively invest in their safety and well-being. In the past, hotel brands could have cited the excuse that adequate safety technology didnt exist. Still, today, there exist platform vendors whose sole purpose is the development of technology to reinforce hospitality staff safety. Modern hotel staff safety platforms like TraknProtect are intuitive with functionality that extends beyond staff safety. They are also affordable and easy to integrate into a hotels technological ecosystem. So, hoteliers, let me ask you if the cost of undermining our industrys newly evolved staff safety practices is a damaged reputation, high staff turnover, poor morale, and risk of harm to your staff and/or guests, is that really a price you are willing to pay? It shouldnt be. About Puzzle Partner Puzzle Partner Ltd. is a boutique marketing agency focused exclusively on complex B2B initiatives for the travel and hospitality technology industry. We are experts at combining strategy and tactical execution in a way that doesn't just maximize a company's potential; it redefines it. By delivering influential content, marketing services, and public relations rooted in the skills of our team and tested through real-world experience, we help our clients gain visibility, raise their profile and ultimately increase their sales revenues. We incorporate a holistic blend of paid, earned and owned media, along with creative services, into an integrated communications strategy to drive brand awareness ahead of competitors and deliver impactful business results. To learn more visit puzzlepartner.co. Lauren Ramesbottom Head of Content, Puzzle Partner Puzzle Partner Ltd. Hospitality has been historically sluggish in automation adoption, mainly due to prejudice towards a notion that has always been (wrongly) considered the "human touch" antithesis. However, according to CVENT, over 56% of hospitality professionals anticipate that automation will be "extremely important" in 2022. So, why this sudden change of heart? If, due to post-COVID labor shortage, we never had a bigger need for automation, using it to solve the staff problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Automation can also reduce labor costs and help understaffed teams, streamline and standardize processes, enhance communication between departments, and improve guest satisfaction by making it possible for hotels to provide a frictionless, tailor-made, hyper-personalized experience. Where do you see the most valuable applications of automation in the hospitality industry? This World Panel Viewpoint is sponsored by Cloudbeds More information Summary Article Robotic Process Automation Will Shape the Future of Hotel Operations Kathryn Murphy Owner, The Murphy Gallery & Hotel Dublin A lot of the debate around automation involves discussion around 'losing the human touch', or 'doing more with less'. However, to my mind, the only question worth asking is 'is this a better way to do things?'. If it is, guests (and staff) will simply demand it. From the guest's point of view, doing away with form filling and queuing, and getting faster replies to their queries and better service will only improve their stay. How the hotel makes that happen is irrelevant. However, we are not there yet. To truly achieve a frictionless, tailor-made experience for guests, you essentially need to make technology disappear. Right now, that's simply not possible. Even properties with a future-forward 'contactless customer journey' need guests to fill out forms, download apps, create accounts and passwords, scan ID's and credit cards and generally do all manner of work just to check-in online and get a digital key. And at the end of all this additional work, the current mobile key experience is arguably inferior to that of an old fashioned RFID card. And I've only discussed the check-in... Guest communication is a whole other next-level mess. Even before you add a thing to the hotel's tech stack, there are already a bewildering number of channels that a guest might use to contact the hotel; OTA platform messages, email, sms, live chat, social media messages, etc, etc. Hotels already have to monitor multiple siloed communication channels, even before they add a thing to their tech stack. In an ideal world, all guest and staff communication channels would be dealt with from one centralised place, with routine queries and requests being automatically replied to and urgent messages flagged and brought to the top of the queue. However, unless and until all OTA's allow the unified inbox solutions access to their api's, hotels are stuck with having to jump between numerous systems just to be able to communicate with their guests. Introducing new technologies is time consuming and complicated and brings a level of risk. The only way to truly understand how a tech stack will work is to be able to test out and experience the full guest journey using the various technologies together, which often is not possible. Even technologies that have a demo environment don't necessarily allow you to fully demo all of their features, leaving you with an incomplete understanding of how they will function in the real world. Also, given that so many vendors have overlapping offerings, it can become challenging to keep track of who does what, or, more pertinently, who might best do what. I don't think it's hard for hotels to grasp the opportunities that automation offers - I think it's hard for them to have confidence that the technologies they select for their tech stack will work together the way they expect, and not create more problems than they solve. 'If it 'ain't broke, don't fix it', is a truism for a reason. However, despite all of these challenges, I do think the industry is on the cusp of achieving meaningful progress. In particular I believe that two thing will transform the guest experience. Decentralised Identity (which will allow allow guests to securely verify and share their identity, credit card and contact details with a single click of a button). Being able to store a Mobile Key in your Apple or Google Wallet. They just can't come fast enough. Stanislav Ivanov Founder and Editor-in-chief of ROBONOMICS: The Journal of the Automated Economy For me personally, there is no dilemma and the answer is self-evident: automate the dirty, dull, dangerous and repetitive tasks and leave the creative tasks to human employees! Let's start first with the back-of-house operations, which are invisible to the guests, but make a huge contribution to service quality, efficiency and profitability. Many tasks in accounting, revenue management, inventory management, and marketing are automatable with intelligent automation software. Processing documents, extracting information from email and inputting it in a respective desktop/cloud application, communicating with customers through chatbots, booking forecasts and inventory planning based on them, pricing, social media posts, and numerous other tasks can be automated with respective software solutions. Robotic vacuum cleaners, robots for cleaning windows and swimming pools, and robotic housekeeping carts could improve the efficiency of housekeepers. The front-of-house operations provide vast opportunities for automating processes, that would facilitate and complement the "human touch" of the receptionists, e.g. self-check-in/out through kiosk or mobile app; provision of information through digital displays or virtual concierges (in an app, or kiosk). Room service delivery robots can not only make the service more efficient but add an entertaining element to it as well. In short, by liberating employees from dirty, dull, dangerous and repetitive tasks, automation technologies allow them to pay more attention to the guests. Therefore, there might be no conflict between automation and hospitality - automation technologies may help hospitality companies focus on the core of their business - the hospitality. In Automation We Trust! I am in favour of RPA - Robotic Process Automation. Less so in physical robots that tend to be launched just for PR purposes. The Hospitality industry has many legacy IT systems that were never designed to talk together so tools like UiPath, Workato etc. can reduce effort in hard-pressed teams like Finance, Ops, Legal, HR by moving data between systems, checking records, spotting mismatches etc. Would I ever buy my latte from a machine? Yes, they are called vending machines, but I would prefer to buy from a human barista. Checkin kiosks for hotels (all levels incl. 5 star) are fine as checkin transactions are functional and offer little added value, but there needs to be a human on hand to handle exceptions, or to give advice eg things to do nearby. Make the tech work well so exceptions are rare, but give the guest choice. Max Starkov Adjunct Professor NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality and Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant I believe by automation in hospitality, we have to understand and include all of the technology applications and devices that are augmenting and replacing human-provided services: mobility, contactless experience, AI, robotics, etc. Using AI, mobility, cloud, robots and cobots, IoT and other next gen technologies the hotel, especially 4- and 5- star properties, can still keep a "human guest-facing facade" but automate all of the back-end operations, enable smart guest communications, and automate and personalize every touch point with the customer. Yes, and add humans with a warm smile into the mix. Whether we like it or not, labor shortages in hospitality will be a permanent fixture in the future. At the current level of 1.5 million open positions in U.S. hospitality and leisure and a very low 3.6% unemployment rate, much needed help is not coming anytime soon, if at all. Sign-up bonuses, $20-$30/hour wages will bring only so many employees back to the industry since many other industries are experiencing exactly the same labor issues and are paying even more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of unfilled positions in the U.S. reached 11 million last month. As we see, labor shortages are not a hospitality-native problem. Professional services, retail, transportation, manufacturing, construction and other industries are equally affected. So what is the solution? Operate with fewer well-paid, well-trained, well-motivated employees and invest adequately in DYI processes and solutions, automation, mobile and contactless applications, AI and IoT applications and devices, and robotics. I believe within the next t 3 years, on average, hoteliers will operate at 50% the staffing levels they had back in 2019 and will be investing 3x-4x more in technology, compared to the pre pandemic era. I see the following technology solutions which, as a priority, will augment or rep,ace tge need for human-provided services in hospitality: Mobile check-in and contactless experience Housekeeping management applications and housekeeping-on-demand programs Guest messaging and issue resolution technologies CRM and CDP technologies and programs Robotics In-room automation and IoT devices Example: You can reduce your front desk staff by 50% or more by introducing mobile check-in and mobile keys, self-check in kiosks, chatbot on the website to handle service and information requests, email reservation assistant app to handle email booking requests, an issue resolution technology applications and voice assistants in the rooms to handle customer service requests by stay-in guests. All of this at fraction of the payroll expenses. Or you can cut your housekeeping needs by half if you introduce housekeeping-on-demand as one of the steps during the mobile check-in or when checking in via the self-service kiosk in the lobby. The arriving guest should be able to choose in advance the type of housekeeping they are comfortable with during their stay: daily, once every 3 days, weekly, etc. or no housekeeping, just leave fresh towels by the door. This allows better planning, scheduling and utilization of your housekeeping staff and results in significant reduction in labor costs. Or rooms equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) devices can sense when the guest is or isn't in the room and automatically adjust lighting and temperature thus saving utility costs; alert housekeeping when room is empty or vacated, signal engineering when something needs fixing, etc. This automation saves serous labor costs from reduced maintenance, housekeeping, human monitoring, etc. Or you can increase significantly repeat business by adopting a CRM technology and program. Only a meaningful CRM technology application - as part of your hotel tech stack - can ensure deep engagement with your past, current and future guests. CRM tech not only provides automated pre-, during- and post-stay communications, guest satisfaction surveys, guest retention marketing automation and drip marketing campaigns, but takes it a step further via guest recognition program management and loyalty marketing. All of these fully automated CRM initiatives keep "the conversation going" with your upcoming, current and past guests, keeps them engaged and steers them in the right direction: to book your hotel when it's time for them to visit your destination again. In addition, you can use your CRM first party data about your best guests to launch similar audiences marketing on Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to target potential customers with similar characteristics as your best guests. CRM initiatives in combination with ORM (Online Reputation Management) tech can turn your happy guests into brand ambassadors and avid social media influencers. Or, you can reduce by half your kitchen staff if your hotel has F&B or create a new revenue stream at your budget or economy hotel: Robots like Flippy by Miso Robotics are flipping burgers at CaliBurger and White Castle Restaurants to the delight of their customers, while the salad-making robot Sally by Chowbotics prepares signature salads at quadruple the human pace. Creator, San Francisco's automated burger restaurant, features a 14-foot burger machine with more than 350 sensors that is capable of making 130 premium quality custom burgers an hour, plus a window for takeout orders. Piestro, an innovative robotic pizza shop, can deliver high-quality artisanal pizzas within 3 minutes. Their fully-automated machines are being designed with the aim of allowing for zero contact food preparation, zero food waste, consistent quality, and a much lower cost of operation. The list goes on and on. Technologies that exist today can and will significantly reduce staffing needs and labor costs in all stages of service delivery, from pre-arrival customer engagements to on-property guest services and post-stay customer retention. Simone Puorto Founder | CEO | Futurist The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced many hotels to jump ten years ahead in technological adoption. We (eventually) understood we are not only a "people industry" but a "tech industry" too. Even a small independent hotel cannot operate successfully without half a dozen software. We have a double standard when it comes to technology in our industry. When we think of AI and robotics being used in the medical field to detect and cure cancer, we applaud it, yet when we consider using AI, RPA, or physical robots to aid us in hospitality, we get nervous. The misunderstanding is that we will lose the human touch when tech is introduced. Yet the human touch itself often creates problems and inefficiencies in the guests' experience. Check-in, check-out, luggage deposits... These are "logistics." The human touch does not make much difference to most people in most situations. Furthermore, robots will likely not take our jobs. The real tech of the future will work in the background, supporting, not stealing, our careers. And the more you invest in technology, the more human that technology becomes. If you can eliminate the need to scan passports at check-in or other tedious, repetitive jobs, you can focus on the human side while tech takes care of the rest. The fact that it's a machine or a person entering a guest's data into the PMS simply doesn't change the guest experience. So we need to let go of our fear of tech. Let computers do what they do best, and humans do what humans do best. As a general rule the adoption of automation is intended to improve the status quo in any area of a business. Simplified, to be able to do things at the 'speed of data' as compared to the speed of people. Therefore, the best application for automation in our industry is in any place that technology has reached a stage where it can augment or supersede the capability of standing manual processes. The secondary, but equally important consideration is that through the adoption of automation the byproduct is historical and behavioural information. This information, normally not previously existing prior to automation is then able to be stored, shared, analysed and used to improve the aspect of the business that the data supports. I often state to my clients that it is not absolutely necessary to automate anything in the hospitality business. We come from a long line of tried and true manual processes that allow us at a minimum to provide a basic hospitality experience. However, the considerations therefore become; Are you willing to continue to conduct a task or process manually that could be augmented by a technical solution? Do you see no future value in the empirical information that can be gleaned from the automation of the process? Would this information help you run your business more effectively in the area of automation? Would you like to be able to share the inputs and outputs of a process, which is enabled by automation for immediate and long term benefit? If the answer to these questions is generally in the negative, then perhaps there is not a strong driver for automation. At TRAVHOTECH we track over 150 business functions that deliver the hospitality experience. That is, the processes and tasks that must be carried out every day, regardless of whether they are supported by technology. In our view the opportunity for automation and the byproduct of information is extraordinary for the hospitality industry in every area of industry operation. Automation will be the No. 1 focus for owners and operators moving forward as they look to reduce labor costs and meet new guest expectations. The self-service movement has taken off in other traveler verticals, such as air travel and ground transportation, and hoteliers will be best served by relying on digital tools to allow guests to perform many functions on their own devices, such as check-in, in-room dining, lobby purchases, etc. In the back of the house, hoteliers will rely on automation as a way to reduce manual data entry and instead focus their efforts on more impactful strategies. Specifically in the marketing department, we're seeing tremendous progress with the automation of personalized marketing campaigns that drive engagement, conversion and ultimately guest satisfaction. The slow adoption of automation in various processes is hurting hotel groups and independent operators heavily, especially during these difficult times. There are many good reasons for the industry to move quickly in changing this, and I would distinguish two different areas where automation can add tremendous value. Any back office procedure which is manual today should be reviewed for automation potential. It is still shocking how many things depend on human intervention. Whether it is about posting items to guest folios, performing credit card payments or refunds, trying to get data out of the old PMS into 3rd party tools, or consolidating data within a hotel group, manual work could be avoided. Getting rid of those through modern technology is easier than many would think. All of this change is driven today by the shortage of staff and the pressure to become more efficient in hotel operations. The second area is to provide a great customer experience which the vast majority of hotel guests are expecting today, regardless of whether it is a budget or a 5-star property. Consumers in today's world just want to do the same things online throughout their entire journey as they know it from many other industries. And it is not about offering this in parts as the full experience can easily be offered by hotels to their guests. It starts with online bookings via a web app or hotel website, paying upfront online from any device in a secure way, having access to the hotel and their rooms with a mobile keycard and receiving the invoice before the stay or after guests leave the hotel. Even things such as booking items to their rooms while they are at the property and paying them immediately, or enhancing their stay are becoming more common. When you look at accommodation providers which are operating without staff at the property level, the guest journey has to work 100% reliably in a digital and automated way. For good reasons, many hotels still want to have a front desk and people that interact with their guests to provide a personal touch. But even for these hotels, there is no reason not to provide a full self-service journey in addition. Travellers hate to just stand in another line when they arrive or depart from hotels, and in almost all hotels this is still the case today. One could argue that full-service or 5-star hotels always want to have human interaction with guests as this is part of their high requirements for personal service. However, the younger generation of travellers with lots of funds available to stay at these properties still wants to be in a position to do anything online from their mobile devices. In summary, there is a huge requirement to automate all back office procedures and at the same time offer the greatest mobile guest journey experience. The concern is that based upon the traditional on-premise or cloud PMS environment this goal is nearly impossible to achieve and the investment is far too heavy. Modern platforms do provide an alternative to this legacy. Automation is a big thing and can provide a very personal and individual guest experience. BUT there is a prerequisite to it. Before thinking about automation hotels have to adjust their IT strategy first. The conversion from a process oriented to a guest oriented IT strategy is necessary to deliver qualitative results. This means the Central Guest Profile is the key to success also for automation. Just take a Pre-Stay communication for example. From a stand alone CRM or PMS it is a basic mass communication based on the transaction information. Using the knowledge from the Golden Record, the Central Guest Profile, the complete communication could be a totally different story, meaning a real 1:1 individual communication experience. Or another example: the hotel newsletter. Todays hotel newsletter provide no individuality, which means everyone gets the same message at the same time, no matter what. Using e.g. the dailypoint Content Bot based on a Central Guest Profile, the system can create fully automatically individual emails for each recipient based on a pool of content. The system pics the right articles and sorts them in the right sequence to deliver a complete individualized communication experience. Automation is great but hotels have to do it right. No silo thinking, no stand alone solutions. Like many other things, the Central Profile should come first managed by a CDM (Central Data Management) platform and then the rest. The pandemic underscored the need for hospitality providers to have flexible systems that can be adapted quickly to exceed changing guest expectations. Automation, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), will be a key driver for hotel profitability, and a growing number of innovative hoteliers are offering unique new experiences leveraging AI-based initiatives. Automation can assist hoteliers struggling to fill staffing vacancies and allow staff to focus on delivering customer service rather than dealing with operational admin. Oracle Hospitality is focused on several areas where we know automation can address immediate deficiencies in hospitality. One of the most business-critical areas where automation can assist hotels is with revenue management, whether collecting and analyzing data, or selecting, pricing, and presenting room, attribute, or non-room products. Automation can help generate incremental revenue specifically focused on the guest life cycle, making upsell offers to guests from booking to on-property, including optimizing room assignment. Machine learning, a type of AI, can target offers to guests without the need for staff manually determining who should be offered an upgrade, and real-time integration to the PMS can automate fulfilment. This is one of the most compelling examples of machine learning-based automation in our industry, driving revenue, streamlining operations, and engaging guests. Secondly, guest service may be improved via AI-based automation, particularly with chatbots that help address guest needs while providing employees the most valuable thing: TIME. With the industry suffering labor issues, chatbots instantly answer and address many guest requests allowing staff to focus on other duties. We've seen hotels use chatbots to answer simple questions, manage reservation updates, and offer other hotel services based on the guest interaction. Today's travelers are motivated to purchase by factors including health and safety, ease, and convenience. Chatbots and other human-like tech meet those criteria, for both guests and staff. Thirdly is transforming day-to-day hotel operations the areas that are historically admin heavy. For example, Housekeeping can utilize automation in daily attendant task assignments and to create a rolling out-of-order schedule to optimize room utilization. Communication between departments is paramount and business rule-based automation can trigger alerts or actions to users when an event occurs related to a booking change or occupancy level change. Similarly, automation can be used to assist finance with the daily audit by auto balancing the transactions and calling out any discrepancies or imbalances proactively. Automation powered by AI was once considered a "nice to have" in the hospitality industry, but is now increasingly important. With automation, hotel owners can save and generate significant revenue, reduce human error, and deliver superior service. AI never stops learning from analysis of guest and staff behavior, and because of that, it has the capacity to significantly transform hospitality. Automation, or not, has been the hospitality industry's biggest question for many years. I strongly believe that Technology will not take away the personalised human touch hotels need to offer as it's not about replacing guest service. In fact, it is a solution to what most hospitality workforces often ask themselves "Which of my duties are compulsory, which are optional"; "Which are tactical, which are strategic?". The search for skilled workers has always been a need since post-pandemic. However, automation and Technology have not been able to replace duties 100% as it only facilitates streamlining and standardising hotel operations and processes. Nevertheless, ideal enterprise cloud-based solutions have helped hoteliers to monitor and perform tasks from multiple geographies. The most valuable applications of automation in hospitality are those that support the three pillars of increased guest experience, increased revenues and reduced costs. This would include hotel tasks management, check-in check-out process with DIY options, guest room automation, guest messaging, upselling and revenue management. The right investment in an ideal property management solution will reap great benefits and reduce the risk for hoteliers in this changing environment. In fact, statistics show that one of our clients - Kokopo Village Resort in New Guinea, identified an increase of 18% in productivity and an increase of 18.5% in gross margins in the F&B department. However, most hotels make huge mistakes by creating an "insensitive automation" environment without considering their guests preferences and needs. Automation is situational and must be customised to the preference of a hotels guest profiles. For instance, vacationing pensioners often prefer to be greeted by people over a robot. They may also find it inconvenient to use mobile key technologies or other DIY options. A resort that caters predominantly to such guests should keep these points in mind while planning their automation strategy. On the other hand, hotels that cater to the millennials must facilitate DIY options like self check-in and check-out. Hotels that cater to Gen Z may find their guests are ecstatic to see a robot greet them! Moreover, business travellers and delegates require speedy services with excellent technological infrastructures. Automation strategies should be well planned to be sensitive to the guests. Statistics from Stratos Jet Charters INC prove that while 36% of Millenniums approve of automation and online check-in, 84% are already using technology to make their decisions, compared to 19% from the previous generation. End of the day, it is not a question of automating or not automating anymore, however, it is about how well you will automate your hotel operations while understanding the guests needs and profile. The post-pandemic has led hoteliers to re-think differently and do more with less whilst delivering remarkable guest experiences simultaneously. For what it is worth, automation can provide great flexibility and let your business remain sustainable and competitive in the industry. The recent (May 2022) survey by Oracle / Skift stated that 73% of travellers want to use their own mobile device to mange their hotel experience. Conclusive evidence that widespread adoption of personal tech solutions - which have revolutionised our lives (shopping, banking, social interaction etc etc) - and are taken for granted in everyday life are now expected as part of the hospitality package. This growing preference to use technology that provides an intuitive interface and consistent service levels is applicable to all property echelons and fast becoming a welcome alternative to the erratic "human touch" still offered by the luxury sector. Hospitality is no stranger to automation, although innovations can take time to reach scale. Occupancy sensors, for example, were invented during World War II. Around thirty years later their use became widespread in the bedrooms and corridors of large hotels. Today, sensors are low-cost, standard practice, and they do a great job at managing energy costs. In a similar timeframe, the very first text message was sent thirty years ago. Now, messaging has evolved to play a vital role in our daily lives, and increasingly, it will become indispensable for businesses to communicate in this way. Once hotels adopt digital channels, the possibilities for automation are endless. Take the requests that come into a concierge. Typically a third will be restaurant bookings and the vast majority (90%+) do not require the concierge's magic touch to get that table with the view. These are classic examples that should be automated, particularly with the wide level of adoption for Table Management Systems. The same applies to transportation bookings. In the past, there has been resistance to automation in the Guest Experience, particularly in the luxury hotel sector where the historic answer has been to increase the number of staff, but in today's market that is no longer as easy. If done correctly, automation can significantly increase customer satisfaction even in the luxury sector. Reminders about items on a guests itinerary, answers to frequently asked questions like "what floor is the pool on" should be answered instantly and this can be done through automation. Chatbots have been given a bad name from poor implementations, where they are not tuned properly and are not seamlessly integrated with staff. Done well and responding only when a very high level of confidence is achieved, chatbots have a place in the most luxurious of properties. There's a careful balance to strike to create on-brand automations. We believe that the Customer Experience should not be dictated by technology, it should be enabled by it. Hotels should have the ability to tailor their unique experience based on a number of triggers, like new bookings, sending transport reminders at the perfect time etc, with personalised templates to deliver a unique experience for each guest. While many hotel managers pride their staff's personal service, to the best of my knowledge, nobody books a particular hotel because of a great and personal check-in experience. Interestingly, most hotel managers think that, during this check-in experience, their front desk staff is selling the arriving guest a room upgrade at a cost. Reality check! I stay in many hotels and rarely do I get offered an upgrade. Plus, when I arrive early, the room is typically given for free to me. So, to answer the question on where the most valuable application for automations are: definitely the check-in experience! Why would a guest want to wait while the desk clerk is banging on a keyboard, entering data that the guest would have happily done him/herself. Enabling mobile or self-service check in is a huge immediate gain for both hotel and guest! Automating upsell, is the second obvious choice for automation. Front desk agents are humans and upselling is an extra task that they don't necessarily remember or like to do. Software ALWAYS upsells a guest. Convert your manual upsell process to a digital process and your hotel will increase revenue, period. Plus the rarely mentioned but important benefit: it automatically balances the house. No staff involvement, all done by the guest! The magic of hospitality has always been the ability to delight guests and go above what they expect. When staff are busy with their heads down in the PMS or spending time on labor intensive tasks, this magic is nearly impossible to create. Automation stands to benefit everyone by removing the barriers (clunky systems, tasks, or processes) between hotel staff and guests. And nowhere are the benefits of automation more obvious than the front desk. Today, thanks to automated workflows and smart phones, guests can complete check-in before they even get to the hotel. From an experience standpoint, they can quickly print a room key or use an app-based mobile key and go straight to their room. No more queueing in line for fifteen minutes to confirm their details this was already done from the airport. Hotels stand to benefit even more. Front of house teams now have insights into arrival times, meaning they can assign rooms and manage staffing levels. When guests have the ability to communicate wants and needs in advance, brands are equipped to offer more personalized service. This ultimately enriches the data profiles of each unique customer and enhances the personalized, face-to-face service teams can provide. The first thing that comes to mind when hoteliers think of automation is the on-property guest experience. The reality is that every aspect of hospitality can be improved through automation: the inspiration and research phase, the booking process, check-in, the experience during the stay, check-out, gathering feedback after leaving the hotel, etc. In fact, the area where there is the biggest opportunity to drive revenue thanks to automation is the online reservation side of things. Machine learning techniques today make it possible to predict user behavior and effortlessly optimize campaigns for each and every online visitor. No need for manual intervention - algorithm-powered optimization of traffic acquisition ensures higher ROAS (Return On Ad Spend). More and more hotel brands are also successfully using Predictive Personalization to run value-targeted website campaigns that are automated and hyper-personalized, providing a significant uplift in direct conversions while reducing promotional costs. These changes are not small details - they can be transformative for a business and so any smart company in hospitality is probably already looking at how these new techniques could be applied to their brand. The post-pandemic hospitality industry is simultaneously experiencing both a resurgence in travel demand and a persistent dearth of available labor. Both travelers and potential employees want something more for hotels: Travelers expect enhanced service levels and more personalization of the guest experience, while workers want more wages, benefits, career advancement, and flexibility. Fortunately, mobile automation offers hoteliers a way to satisfy both. In the short to medium term, mobile automation gives hotels a way to get the most out of smaller teams. At its most basic level, automation can eliminate a lot of the repetitive busywork plaguing hotel employees and keeping them distracted from their guests. On a more strategic level, however, mobile communication can completely streamline the interactions between the front and back-of-the-house, with the front desk being able to quickly send custom maintenance and action requests, while instantly receiving automatic room status updates from housekeeping. A mobile PMS can even automate housekeeping task management according to employee workload, ensuring work is done efficiently (without employee burnout). Hoteliers can essentially automate check-in by integrating a PMS with mobile check-in capabilities with a keyless entry system, a digital payment platform, and a mobile guest messaging system. The result is increased bandwidth for front desk staff and enhanced convenience and personalization for guests. Hotels can even automate ancillary revenue generation by sending targeted, automated offers for room upgrades, amenities, and monetized early check-in/ late check-out directly to guests' smartphones. This can be optimized even further by integrating with a CRM for more granular guest profiles, or an upgrade optimizer for more optimal pricing. While it is commonly asserted that automation comes at the expense of high-touch service and employee appreciation, nothing could be further from the truth. A mobile PMS, for example, can free hotel staff from the front desk, and the less time they spend manually checking in travelers or performing rote administrative tasks, the more time they can spend more organically and authentically interacting with and serving their guests. Automated revenue optimization can also benefit hotel employees, providing the monetary basis for the wage and benefit increases needed to lift the labor shortage. Though there have been some improvements in 2022, the ongoing weakness in the labor market has continued for well over a year now with no end in sight. Automation, workflow, and AI-based tools have proven themselves useful during the pandemic and must be rolled out continually to enhance service without simultaneously increasing the burden on staff or managers. When it comes to automation in other aspects of hospitality, why not enable hotel staff to offload mundane or routine tasks to technology and allow them to focus their time and energy on what got them excited about hospitality in the first place taking care of guests? Some hoteliers have been reluctant to allow travelers to do it all from their mobile devices check-in, check-out, room keys, concierge, service requests and so on because of the sentiment that it removes the human element from the service equation. At INTELITY, we believe by offering a fast, seamless mobile experience, hotels can give guests access to what they want right now, and not excluding human-led options. Then, with full support from GEMS (INTELITY's proprietary Guest Experience Management System), service delivery improves dramatically through ticketing and our large stack of integrations and other back-of-house connections. Perhaps one of the most valuable applications of automation in hospitality is in guest experience management technology. INTELITY's smart-room tablets and mobile apps automate guest services and enable seamless communication between guests and staff; be it a simple service request or a more complex activity like checking-in to a reservation and being assigned a room. Enabling personalized, frictionless service requests, restaurant reservations, and F&B orders, with the convenience of a few taps on a guest's mobile device or an in-room tablet, enhances guest engagement and creates a better experience overall. This World Panel Viewpoint is sponsored by Cloudbeds More information Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A former conservative party lawmaker indicted for leaking the contents of a phone conversation between the leaders of Korea and the United States in 2019 was given a suspended prison sentence by a court Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court handed down a six-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, to Khang Hyo-shang, a former lawmaker of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the ruling People Power Party, on charges of leaking diplomatic secrets. Khang was accused of leaking the May 7, 2019, phone conversation between then President Moon Jae-in and then U.S. President Donald Trump after he was told what was discussed between the leaders by a diplomat who worked at the Korean embassy in Washington D.C. During the phone talks, Moon reportedly asked Trump to visit Seoul immediately after his May 25-28 trip to Japan, while Trump proposed a short stop in Seoul on his way back home from Tokyo. Khang made public the conversation, accusing Moon of "begging" for Trump's visit. The diplomat, who was indicted together with Khang, was given a deferred sentence of four months in prison by the same court. (Yonhap) Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. 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. Columbia-Greene Media has recently teamed up with the US Postal Service to provide same-day delivery of your local newspaper with your mail. Our expanded daily delivery of your local news reaches into the following areas: President Yoon Suk-yeol signs a condolence book at Church House in London, Monday, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters-Yonhap By Jung Min-ho President Yoon Suk-yeol failed to pay his respects properly to British Queen Elizabeth II, who was lying in state at Westminster Hall in London, on the day of his arrival there. Yoon missing viewing the coffin on his first day in London has made him vulnerable to criticism by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which called it a "diplomatic disaster." According to a senior official at the presidential office Tuesday, Yoon was planning to visit the queen lying in state and then sign the condolence book on Sunday (local time) shortly after he arrived, but his plans were delayed due to traffic. Rep. Kim Sung-whan of the main opposition DPK accused Yoon and his entourage of making unreasonable excuses. "Many people are wondering why he failed to offer condolences [before the funeral service the next day], while [the leaders of] the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, Brazil and Ukraine were able to do so," Kim said during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. "If Yoon didn't know about the traffic situation, he is incompetent. If he did, it was a major diplomatic failure and a disaster." Tak Hyun-min, who served as a protocol secretary of Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae-in, said the meaning of signing the condolence book after the funeral cannot be the same as before the service. "Yoon should have arrived there earlier, at least by one or two hours," he said during an MBC radio program. "They committed a discourtesy. The foreign ministry and the office in charge of the president's protocol are responsible for it." Other DPK lawmakers, including Rep. Seo Young-kyo and Rep. Kim Young-bae, also vowed to hold the presidential office and the ministry accountable for the issue. Rep. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, dismissed such claims as nothing more than "baseless criticism." "Rival parties had refrained from attacking the president when he or she was traveling for diplomatic reasons. Only a few months ago, the DPK was the governing party and I'm sure it knows well what the president's diplomacy means for the country," Joo said. "I urge all DPK members to respect him as a person representing our country." The previous day, Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, said there was no diplomatic error and the delay of Yoon's schedule was determined after a request from the British government. "It is regrettable that such a sad situation has been exploited for domestic politics," Kim told reporters in London. She added that some other presidents and prime ministers also signed the book after the funeral. In the book, the president said he was "honored to have been among the contemporaries of the queen who had lived a life dedicated to protecting freedom and peace," and that Korea "will remember Queen Elizabeth II forever," according to Kim. Britain and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew world leaders and so many others to pay their last respects at Westminster Abbey for the somber service. 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Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 1.90 Parking Type: Off Street Region: Berkshire - Central Elem School: Richmond Consolidate High School: Taconic Exterior Details Interior Details Color: Tan Style: Colonial Construction: Wood Frame Exterior: Other,Wood Water: Well Sewer: Private Underground Oil Tank: No Views: Hill/Mountain,Pastoral,Scenic Garage: Other Total Rooms: 7 Total Full Baths: 2 Total 3/4 Baths: 1 Fuel: Oil Hot Water: Oil Electric: 100 Amp Floor: Wood Lead Paint: Unk Heat/Cool: Hot Water Appliances Incl: None Search More Properties With these Features State Sen. Adam Hinds at the Greylock Glen groundbreaking last month with Gov. Charlie Baker. Hinds made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor earlier this year and was not running for re-election. He is stepping down next week to take his new post at the Kennedy Institute. State Sen. Adam Hinds to Become CEO of Kennedy Institute PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate has selected state Sen. Adam Hinds as its new chief executive officer and executive director, starting on Monday, Sept. 26. Hinds since 2017 has represented the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden District in the state Senate, a seat from which he is resigning effective Sept. 25. In the Massachusetts Senate, Hinds serves as chair of the Joint Committee on Revenue and of the Senate Committee on Reimagining Massachusetts Post-Pandemic Resiliency. He has also been an active member of committees overseeing redistricting, intergovernmental affairs, and racial equity, civil rights, and inclusion. "I'm deeply grateful to take on the role of CEO of the Kennedy Institute, especially as we reposition it for a national role related to political dialogue at this critical time, including through The Senate Project. The institute is also well placed to expand its award-winning K-12 civic education programs to reach young people in all 50 states," Hinds said. "For 33 years, as a Western Massachusetts native, I was represented in Washington by Senator Kennedy, and I can't begin to express what an honor it is to become a steward of his legacy and his commitment to invigorating civil discourse and civic engagement to create a better, stronger country for all." A former aide to U.S. Rep. John W. Olver and leader of two Berkshire County social service organizations, Hinds also served with the United Nations for nearly 10 years, based in Baghdad, working to resolve territory disputes, in Jerusalem as part of the Middle East Peace Process, and to remove Syria's chemical weapons program. "As the Kennedy Institute moves to a new level of national reach and impact in promoting a renewed search for bipartisan common ground in the Senate and stronger civic engagement among all Americans, Adam's government, political, and nonprofit experience here and abroad made him an ideal candidate for CEO. Among the 160 candidates we considered, Adam stood out as exceptionally qualified, connected, and committed to the Kennedy Institute's mission," said Bruce A. Percelay, chairman of the Kennedy Institute Board of Directors "I am thrilled to see Senator Hinds appointed as CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Adam has led a distinguished career in public service and will bring new energy and vision to an organization unlike any other in our nation," said Joseph P. Kennedy III, a Kennedy Institute board member and former congressman. "I'm excited to see what he and the Kennedy Institute will do together to continue to educate the public about the important role of the Senate and encourage everyone in our country to participate in our democracy and the civic life of our communities." Heilman had stepped in for Mary Grant, former president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who led the institute for two years and is now president of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. A Western Massachusetts native, Hinds earned his bachelor's degree in government and sociology from Wesleyan University and the master of arts in law and diplomacy, with a concentration in international law and negotiation, from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is married to Alicia Mireles Christoff, an associate professor of English at Amherst College, and they have a year-old son. iciHaiti - Social : Escalation of violence, France concerned The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in a message expressed concern about the escalation of violence in the country, and urges a sincere dialogue to return to constitutional order. "France is particularly concerned about the escalation of violence in Haiti and strongly condemns the attacks on people, road blockages and looting committed in recent days in Port-au-Prince and throughout the country. France urges all Haitian political actors to find, through sincere dialogue, an agreement to establish a consensus on the organization of democratic elections to return to constitutional order. France wishes to reaffirm its solidarity with the Haitian people, victims of the alarming deterioration of the humanitarian, political and security context in the country. It continues to work to mobilize the international community to provide Haitians with all the necessary assistance." IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - Social : 264th birthday of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines Tuesday, September 20, 2022, as part of the 264th birthday of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines (September 20, 1758 - September 20, 2021), Founding Father of the Haitian Nation, the Former Consul General of Haiti in Chicago ( August 2004 - May 2018), Lesly Conde gives us as every year his message of reflections that we invite you to read and share. "Dear fellow citizens everywhere, I make it my duty to remind you that September 20 of each year is the date on which our nation proudly celebrates the birth of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. As the founder of the Haitian nation was born into slavery, he was born in complete obscurity. History reveals nothing about the identity of his father. To be born into slavery always means to be the property of a master or mistress who is free to dispose of his property as he pleases. For this reason, there are no documents relating to the birth of this man whose destiny was both glorious and tragic. We know the date of his assassination well; although there is more than one version of the circumstances under which he was executed. Rather than just saluting the memory of this extraordinary man each year on the anniversary of his death, we are always proud, on this day, to celebrate the coming into the world of one of the most extraordinary beings that this planet has ever known. It is an anniversary that all Haitians must celebrate with the greatest pride because this father of the Haitian nation is the very definition of the kind of man that the whole world should welcome as a model of heroism. It must be said that nature always arranges things well when one is predestined. Jean-Jacques Dessalines really did not know his mother because the latter died when he was still very young. Before dying, however, she had the presence of mind to entrust her son to a lady, also a slave, whom we know as Aunt Toya. It was a wise decision because Aunt Toya, a former amazon of the famous army of Dahomey, took charge of all aspects of training young Jean-Jacques. She made him a strong man of character, a formidable soldier and a skilful tactician. For having been born in the dehumanizing conditions of slavery, and breaking all the barriers to become General-in-Chief of an indigenous army which routed the slave forces of France, Jean-Jacques Dessalines demonstrated extraordinary qualities which place him in a league far above that of much admired conquerors. He is a true liberator whose vision has inspired other liberators. Today we celebrate the birth of the father of our nation; a hero like no other. Our country, the homeland of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, is currently experiencing its darkest moments. It is to believe that this independence acquired by our ancestors at the cost of such admirable sacrifices, has never been anything but a curse. To our great misfortune, generation after generation, we have deviated from the recommendations of our ancestors concerning the slave world in which our Haiti was born. It is a world that has hardly changed. We must therefore, like our ancestors, unite beyond our differences in the name of our precious freedom which is, more than ever, threatened." Reflection messages by Lesly Conde in 2022 : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37002-haiti-social-message-from-lesly-conde-on-the-occasion-of-father-s-day-2022.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36788-haiti-social-message-by-lesly-conde-on-the-occasion-of-mother-s-day-2022.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36691-haiti-219th-flag-day-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36443-haiti-eastermessage-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36423-haiti-holy-weekmessage-of-reflection-by-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36365-haiti-219th-of-the-death-of-toussaint-louverturemessage-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36129-haiti-social-international-women-s-day-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35862-haiti-social-black-history-month-message-of-reflection-by-lesly-conde.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-35702-icihaiti-earthquake-2010-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35620-haiti-218th-anniversary-of-independence-traditional-message-from-lesly-conde.html All Messages from Lesly Conde in 2021 : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35584-haiti-social-wishes-from-lesly-conde-on-the-occasion-of-the-new-year.html IH/ iciHaiti China starts to reap autumn crops, while summer drought has little impact By GT staff reporters (Global Times) 14:27, September 20, 2022 Chinese farmers have started reaping their autumn crops and they're making steady progress now, with little impact seen from the severe drought in major growing areas this summer. Although the heat waves did weigh on crop yields, the overall impact of the drought is limited, farmers and experts said. So far, 170 million mu (11.33 million hectares) of the autumn crops have been harvested, completing more than 13 percent of the set target, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MOA). More than half of the autumn crops have been harvested in Southwest China. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and southern China, the harvested crops have accounted for approximately 20 percent. In Northeast China and regions along the Yellow River and Huaihe River, harvesting is sporadic so far, according to MOA. Autumn crops have grown well in most areas despite the summer heat and severe drought, after wide-ranging measures were taken promptly to ensure irrigation, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Rural Development Institute, told the Global Times on Monday. "The harvest is proceeding smoothly and steadily from the south to the north, and it's in line with the schedule," Li said. A broader harvest is expected to arrive in early October. Farmers in major producing areas, such as Northeast China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, told the Global Times that the drought has had a limited impact on yields, and local governments have been taking active measures to ensure the harvest. A farmer in Jingzhou, Central China's Hubei Province told the Global Times that the drought had mainly affected early rice, but that the government's efforts to divert water from the Yangtze River had helped the planting of other rice varieties, which will be harvested in mid-October. Hu Dan, a salesperson in agricultural machinery in the province, said that the local government pumped water into the planting bases day and night at the height of the summer drought season, which ensured the irrigation of 20,000 mu of grain there. More than 40 percent of the grain and 70 percent of the corn have been harvested in Hubei, and it's been better than expected, with major grain-producing areas on track to produce 40 billion tons of autumn crops, mostly rice, Hubei Television reported on Sunday. According to the meteorological observatory on Sunday, the drought is expected to affect Central China's Hunan Province, East China's Jiangxi Province, Southwest China's Chongqing and Southwest China's Guizhou Province in the coming days. Looking forward, the lasting drought will not have a major impact on the yield as they have entered the harvest season, experts said. "The bulk of the autumn grain harvesting will come late September and early October, and the autumn crop production has basically settled. For harvesting, dry weather is not bad," Jiao Shanwei, editor-in-chief of industry news website cngrain.com, told the Global Times on Monday. (Web editor: Liang Jun, Du Mingming) Prosecutors on Tuesday questioned former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul as part of an investigation into allegations involving the previous government's repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019, officials said. Kim has been accused of ordering an early end to a government inquiry into the North Koreans captured near the inter-Korean sea border and sending them back to the North despite their wish to defect to South Korea, while he was unification minister. The North Koreans' repatriation is one of the two suspicious cases involving the former Moon Jae-in administration that President Yoon Suk-yeol's government is revisiting, along with the North's killing of a South Korean fisheries official near the western sea border in 2020. The Moon administration was accused of mishandling the two cases in an attempt to curry favor with Pyongyang so as to move the stalled inter-Korean peace process forward. The North Koreans had expressed a desire to defect, but the Moon administration determined their intentions as insincere and repatriated them, citing their confessions to having killed 16 fellow crew members. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office questioned Kim as an accused on Tuesday, officials said. Also on the day, prosecutors questioned Kim Joon-hwan, a former senior official at the National Intelligence Service, who has been accused of fabricating an official report involving the repatriation. (Yonhap) Big increase in benefits could hurt fiscal health The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has drafted a bill aimed at increasing the basic pension for the elderly to 400,000 won ($287) per month from the present 300,000 won. The party has also presented another bill that the basic pension should be paid to all senior citizens aged 65 and older regardless of their income levels. Currently, only elderly people in the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket are eligible for the basic pension. The two bills stand a high chance of getting approval from the National Assembly as the DPK holds the majority 169 seats out of the total of 300. Furthermore, the government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) plan to work out measures by next June to keep President Yoon Suk-yeol's campaign promise to raise the monthly basic pension to 400,000 won. The Yoon administration is considering implementing his pledge in 2024 when next general elections are scheduled. The provision of a larger pension is necessary given that the country's poverty rate for the elderly stands at 39 percent, the highest among the OECD member countries. The proposed monthly pension of 400,000 won does not appear to be good enough, particularly for many senior citizens living below the poverty line. Nevertheless, the government and the rival parties cannot avoid criticism for trying to lift the pension payment as part of their populist efforts to woo voters in major elections. Policymakers and lawmakers should first figure out how to foot the bill before increasing the pension payment. A populist move could lead to a budget deficit, deepening fiscal woes. Now we need to pay heed to an OECD recommendation that benefits for seniors should be better targeted toward the elderly with the lowest incomes to alleviate poverty. In an economic survey of Korea published this month, the OECD calls for wide-ranging reforms involving the pension system, as well as labor and education, to prepare for the effects of the falling birthrate and rapidly aging population. Thus, the government should take a cautious approach to increasing the pension payment. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs expects the annual pension payment to increase by 12 trillion won to 52 trillion won in 2030 if the monthly payment goes up to 400,000 won. The estimated sum is likely to double to 102 trillion won in 2040 due to an upsurge in the elderly population. Another problem is that recipients of the National Pension Fund, which is exclusive to salaried workers, cannot help but feel a sense of deprivation because they are not eligible for the basic pension for the elderly. Salaried workers complain that they pay pension premiums every month to enjoy pension benefits after retirement, while basic pension recipients receive benefits without contributing to the pension fund. Retired workers currently receive an average 587,000 won in pension per month. However, a couple receiving the basic pension could get as much as 640,000 won per month if the DPK-initiated bill becomes law. It is unfair for a free rider to get paid more than those who have paid pension premiums. For this reason, it would be better to make the basic pension available selectively to poor senior citizens for example, those at the bottom 50 percent or 30 percent of the income bracket. It is important to strike a balance between the welfare of the elderly and fiscal sustainability. This combined photo shows unionized cargo truck drivers, who occupied the rooftop of HiteJinro's headquarters building in Seoul, Aug. 16, a subcontracted worker of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, who locked himself in a steel-frame structure at the shipbuilder's dockyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, July 19, and Rep. Lee Eun-ju, chairperson of the Justice Party's emergency committee, holding a yellow envelope at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 22, to call for a revision of the Trade Union Act, so that unionized workers are exempted from responsibility for illegal strikes. Korea Times files Controversy rises over exempting unions from responsibility for illegal strikes By Park Jae-hyuk An agreement between HiteJinro and unionized cargo truck drivers during the Chuseok holiday eventually ended their half-year conflict, but at the same time, it was regarded widely as the company's complete surrender to the workers. The liquor maker agreed on a 5 percent increase in delivery fees, as well as creating a welfare fund for the truckers and giving them 150 percent of normal freight charges on holidays. The most eye-catching clause in their agreement was the company's promise to retract damage claim and criminal suits against the truckers. It had demanded 2.8 billion won ($2 million) in compensation for financial losses from the truckers blocking the entrances to its factories. HiteJinro emphasized that it retracted the damage claim suit on the condition that the truckers will not hinder transportation from its factories nor will they occupy its head office anymore. But its decision has unintentionally provided momentum to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) attempts to legislate the so-called "yellow envelope law." After yellow envelopes with money were delivered in 2014 to support unionized workers ordered by a court to pay a combined 4.7 billion won to SsangYong Motor in compensation for their strike in 2009, the DPK has sought to revise the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, so that management cannot demand compensation for damages stemming from illegal strikes. The revision bill was not passed in the previous two assemblies between 2012 and 2020. Since Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) claimed a combined 47 billion won against its subcontracted workers in compensation for damages from their 51-day strike at its shipyard, however, debate has reignited over the Trade Union Act. Under the current law, their strike is considered illegal, because DSME is not regarded as their employer. The shipbuilder is therefore able to demand compensation for damages from their illegal action. The main opposition party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, vowed to pass the revision bill before the end of the assembly's regular session later this year. "Damage claim suits against unionized workers could threaten their survival," said Rep. Jin Sung-joon, the vice floor leader of the DPK. When the minor opposition Justice Party asked DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung earlier this month to make efforts to legislate the yellow envelope law, the former presidential candidate answered that both parties are not that different in their political orientation. The two opposition parties, which welcomed HiteJinro's decision to retract its lawsuits against the cargo truck drivers, jointly proposed a revision to the Trade Union Act. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also joined hands with People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Lawyers for a Democratic Society and various other progressive civic groups to conduct a campaign to revise the law. "DSME declined to negotiate with its subcontracted workers and suppressed them, so the workers had no choice but to occupy its shipyard," the organizations said in a press conference last Wednesday. "However, the company argued their strike was illegal, demanding 47 billion won in compensation for damage. We have been angry about this situation." Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, second from right, passes a document voicing concerns of businesses over the "yellow envelope law" to Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, left, who chairs the National Assembly's Environment & Labor Committee, during their meeting at the National Assembly building in Seoul, Sept. 14. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun Nepal and India are all set to begin the construction of a new motorable bridge over the Mahakali River in a bid to increase trade and connectivity between two neighboring countries and bring the already vibrant social relations between two societies further closer. On Monday, a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the motorable bridge was jointly held by both sides. In Nepal, Commerce Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu laid the foundation stone for the project while Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of Uttarakhand did the same in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Addressing the programme, the Nepali minister thanked the government of India for extending grant assistance to build the cross-border bridge. He believed the bridge construction will help bring prosperity to remote areas in Nepals Sudurpaschim Province that shares a border with India. This motorable bridge will link people living in remote villages of Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal with people in Indias Uttarakhand. It symbolizes a deep people-to-people connection between the two countries, Minister Badu said at the event which was attended by local government officials, politicians and residents. Once completed, the cross-border bridge will help better connect Nepals Darchula district with Dharchula town in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand. The project will be built under Indias grant assistance as per the agreement signed between the two governments in February this year. Uttarakhand CM @pushkardhami and Nepali Minister @dpbadu laid the foundation stone of India funded new motorable bridge in Darchula on Monday The new 110 m motorable bridge will connect Dharchula in Uttarakhand to Darchula in Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal pic.twitter.com/LbWtQdN4Gr INDIA NARRATIVE (@india_narrative) September 20, 2022 This project is being executed by Uttarakhand Public Works Department at an estimated cost of INR 33 crores, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Bidhyanath Adhikari, a local resident, said that the bridge will help them to export local agricultural products and medicinal herbs to Indian towns including Pithoragarh. We are happy to see that the bridge construction is starting very soon. We hope it will lead us to prosperity in future, he told India Narrative over the phone on Tuesday. Nepal Government and Indian Government have signed an agreement for the construction of a bridge on the Mahakali River connecting Dharchula of India & Darchula of Nepal with the grant assistance from the Government of India where vehicles will also be able to run. Pic. PM Office pic.twitter.com/c21PAWXIBU Routine of Nepal banda (@RONBupdates) February 3, 2022 In a press statement, Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said that the project will augment cross-border connectivity between the Sudurpaschim province of Nepal and the Uttarakhand state of India where close people-to-people links exist between communities on both sides of the border across the Mahakali River. This is in line with the commitment of both the governments to strengthen cross-border connectivity for encouraging commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, read the statement. In a brief comment on Twitter, Indias former ambassador to Nepal said that the groundbreaking ceremony of the much-awaited project was good news. Excellent news. Will be a boon for people on both sides of the border, he tweeted. The construction of the 110-m long bridge is expected to be completed in one year, according to the embassy. Also Read: Foreign secretaries highlight connectivity and culture as next steps to elevate ties between India and Nepal The Nepali government will not take any decision on the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme anytime soon. Sewa Lamsal, the foreign ministry spokesperson, told a media briefing that the government will leave the matter to the new government once that comes to power after the upcoming general elections scheduled for November 20. The current decision of the government of Nepal means this issue will be considered only after the elections. No talks will be held immediately. But, the Indian government might have its own perception on the matter, the spokesperson said. The Agnipath scheme unveiled by the Indian government in June this year is the only mode of recruitment of soldiers into the Indian Army. This will be also applicable to the Nepals Gorkha soldiers. According to the Agnipath scheme, only 25 per cent of the personnel will be retained as the permanent force after four years. Nepals statement comes a day after the Indian media reports quoted Indias Army chief General Manoj Pande as saying that Nepal will have to decide quickly on the issue or else the quota will be redistributed. Responding to a question at a session in the United Service Institute of India, General Pande said the vacancies allocated to Nepali Gurkhas will have to be redistributed to others for the time being if Kathmandu does not allow recruitment as per the laid-down cut off dates, the Times of India reported on Thursday. USI of India organised a talk on Transformation Imperatives for the Indian Army in coming decades on 14th September 2022, delivered by General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff. #IndianArmy #USIofIndia pic.twitter.com/4f7uINA5Eb United Service Institution of India,New Delhi (@USIofIndia) September 14, 2022 The Indian Army will induct a total 40,000 Agniveers in two batches after the recruitment and selection process across India is complete. In Nepal, it plans to train around 25,000 youths starting in December and 15,000 in February, the news report further said. The short stint and the lack of pension are the two concerns of Nepal with regards to the Gorkha recruitment under the Agnipath scheme and they have been communicated to the Indian government through diplomatic channels, according to Nepali officials privy to the development. In the fourth week of August, Nepals foreign ministry communicated to the Indian government that it requires some time to hold discussion among key political parties on the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army. Upon the request of Nepal, India delayed the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army. However, India clearly communicated to the Nepali side that it is looking forward to continuing the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers under the Agnipath scheme. We have been recruiting Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army for a long time. And we look forward to continuing to recruit Gorkha soldiers to the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme, Indias foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a press conference in New Delhi after Nepals communication. Recruitment of Gorkhas under the short-term hiring scheme for the Indian military was scheduled to begin in Nepals Butwal city on August 24. However, that has been suspended after Nepal sought additional time. Also Read: Nepal keen to break common ground with India on Agnipath scheme during Army Chiefs visit (Santosh Ghimire is India Narratives Special Correspondent based in Kathmandu, Nepal) In what can be described as a once in a lifetime opportunity, a group of tourists were stunned to see a giant squids half-eaten body on a New Zealand beach. As per the livescience.com report this squid species is one the evasive and striking creatures which lives in deep waters. The huge creature measuring 13 feet including the mantle was found on September 9 at the beach of a nature reserve in north of South Island called Farewell Spit. The half-buried body of the squid was spotted by a Farewell Spit Tours guide who alerted a group of tourists who in turn became absorbed in the creature and snapped several pictures. The guide Anton Donaldson talking to The New Zealand Herald said: Its not a common find on any beach, so if youre able to be there at the right time, its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He went on to add that it was also sobering to see such a magnificent example of a large sea creature dead on the land. Second to the colossal squids, these creatures are the largest ones and can grow up to 43 feet and are found in the oceans at a depth of more than 2,950 feet and thus sighted very rarely. In the case of the dead squid discovered on the beach it is not clear what its length is since most of its tentacles were not intact or buried beneath the sand. Recalling the creature Donaldson said: It looked like [the tentacles] had been chewed back by some other sea creatures, such as small sharks or fish. While I dont know for sure, I imagine it had been floating out there for a period of time and had washed up. The Farewell Spits Tours got in touch with the Department of Conservation of New Zealand regarding the squid which will try to recover the remains to study it. Looking at this evasive creature may be a rare opportunity but earlier too remains of these giants have been found at the Farewell Spit. During the last 30 years at least six of these have reached the shores. A tour group in 2019 spied a complete giant squid which measured 18 feet. Apart from New Zealand, in April this year, a 11.5-foot-long dead giant squid washed up near Kommetjie in South Africa while another measuring 14 foot was found in the same country on a beach near Cape Town in August. Be it Shiva and Isha's chemistry onscreen in Brahmastra or their bond offscreen, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor who are expecting their first child together are one of the most adored and admired couples in Bollywood at the moment. The couple shares a beautiful equation with each other, and Alia recently spilled the beans on the same. Instagram Alia said that they are both strong individuals who support each other's personalities . They are not Do Jism Ek Jaan, an idea that most Bollywood movies endorse . Also Read: 'So Awkward', Say Fans As Alia Bhatt Tries To Fix Ranbir Kapoor's Hair But He Pushes Her Away Alia Bhatt told NDTV, "Ranbir and I are very strong individuals, especially me. I don't mean he's not a strong individual. But, we both respect our individual personalities and professional commitments together. We're not do jism ek jaan (two bodies one soul) kind of people. We have a beautiful equation as companions and we have an even better working relationship because we're both passionate about movies." Did Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor fall in love on the sets of Brahmastra? Alia Bhatt revealed how they both fell in love with each other in the initial days. The sparks flew during a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. They sat next to each other as they were going for a workshop for Brahamastra. "It was not meant to happen. We were not supposed to be together on New Years. We both talked on our flight to Tel Aviv to do a workshop for Brahmastra. We both were seated together. I remember him walking in, and he was supposed to sit next to me, and I was very excited. But then he sat next to me, and something got stuck on his seat. There was some malfunction, so they were going to move him to another seat. And I was like, why is this happening, why is my dream getting shattered? But later, his seat got fixed, and he came back," Alia had shared on Koffee With Karan. Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor at a promotional event for Brahamastra revealed that he was mesmerised by Alia's performance in Imtiaz Ali's Highway and even compared her to megastar Amitabh Bachchan. "When I saw Highway and all, I came to Ayan's house only. I was like 'ye to Amitabh Bachchan nikli (She turned out to be like Amitabh Bachchan).' And in her second film. Lekin abhi biwi ke baare mein aise acchi acchi chijein bolunga to bolenge 'haan haan' (But if I say such nice things about my wife now then people won't take it seriously)." (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.) A group of Indians who went to Thailand after they were offered jobs there are being held captive in neighbouring Myanmar and are subjected to torture, their families in India have claimed. According to them, the Indians, mostly from tech backgrounds were lured with jobs in Thailand, but instead, they were taken to Myawaddy in south-eastern Myanmar, which is controlled by an ethnic armed group. Google Maps Gang involved in cybercrimes The gang is allegedly involved in cybercrimes and is using the Indian nationals held captive to target Indians through social media fraud. Around sixty of those held captive in Myanmar are said to be from Tamil Nadu. The incident came to light after some of them managed to escape captivity and sought help through social media. "I was asked to lure customers through social media by asking them to book hotels online or make other investments. Then I came to know we were into online fraud," One of those who managed to escape told The New Indian Express. Unsplash Abuse and torture for not meeting target He also added that they were given targets and failing to meet them would result in abuse, including physical torture and electric shocks. Even though the gang is giving the captives 'salary' it is very less than what they were promised and it is further deducted for not meeting targets. The father of a Tamil Nadu man who is held captive said that his son was 'given a promotion' and asked him to move to their Thailand office. But when he reached Thailand, he and several others were taken by road to Myanmar. Indian Embassy trying to rescue the captives After their plight surfaced, the Indian embassy in Yangon has been working closely with the Government of Myanmar for their rescue, PTI quoting sources, reported. Unsplash "There are other efforts for rescuing these Indian citizens through various contacts among the business community, given that the area is not fully under the control of the local authorities," the source told PTI. "So far, the embassy has rescued more than 30 Indian citizens trapped in the Myawaddy area, and is continuing all efforts to get the others out as early as possible," he said. Be careful about job offers On July 5, the Indian mission issued an advisory cautioning against unscrupulous elements offering jobs. "The mission has observed in recent past that some lT companies engaged in digital scamming/forge crypto activities located in remote eastern border areas of Myanmar are recruiting Indian workers from different places through their recruiting agents on the pretext of potential employment opportunities in the IT sector," it said. Unsplash After initial recruitment, the mission said Indian workers are taken to Myanmar illegally without proper documentation leading to their "entrapment". "In view of the above, Indian nationals are hereby requested to exercise due caution and verify the antecedents of the recruiting agents. It is advisable to have all requisite information (job description, company details, location, employment contract etc.) before accepting any employment that has been offered," it said. For more on the news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The arrival of African Cheetahs to India last week has been celebrated like a massive festival. The eight cheetahs that were brought from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Twitter/@thekuno_park Kuno could have been home to cheetah, leopard, tiger and lion With their reintroduction, Kuno has the rare distinction of having three big cat species - tiger, leopard, and cheetahs. Though there are no resident tigers in KNP, at least one striped big cat has been spotted there in the past, after possibly straying from Ranthambore. But KNP had the chance to be the only forest in the world with four big cat species - the missing piece of the puzzle being the lion. KNP was to become second home of lions Long before African cheetahs were introduced to KNP, which government calls reintroduction, it was chosen as the second home of lions in India. AP But sadly it has not happened yet as neighbouring Gujarat which takes pride in being the lion state refuses to give them away. Why Asiatic lions need a home outside Gir The Gir forest in Gujarat is the only remaining home of the Asiatic lion, and there have been growing calls to find a second home for them to ensure that the species that was almost wiped out has a better chance to survive. bccl/ file While the lion population is not under threat in Gir and their numbers in the wild have only grown in recent years, thanks to the conservation efforts, they are still vulnerable. Conservationists have pointed out that even a localised epidemic outbreak or a natural calamity in Gir can drive the Asiatic lions to extinction. Citing this, back in April 2013, the Supreme Court had ordered Gujarat to shift some lions to Kuno National Park within six months. BCCL A search that started in 1993 The first time a proposal was made to identify a second home for Asiatic lions was in 1993, but it never materialised due to the lack of agreement between the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments. The matter reached the Supreme Court in 2008 and after a lot of back-and-forth deliberations, the SC made it clear to Gujarat in April 2013 that they will have to relocate some lions to KNP and it was to be done in six months. Interestingly, in the same order, the SC had rejected the proposal to introduce cheetahs into KNP. Ever since KNP was first identified as the second home for lions in 1993, the Madhya Pradesh government had cleared more than 1,500 families living in 25 villages were relocated to make space for them. BCCL But nine years down the line, KNP has not received any lions and now with it becoming the new home of the Cheetahs, it is unlikely that it will ever happen. That is because KNP which has an area of 344.686 sq km already has one of the biggest populations of leopards and apart from tigers. With the introduction of cheetahs into the mix, whose number will grow to 25 in the coming days, and the government overwhelmingly prioritising them the second home for lions will have to wait. A costly mistake? The failure to relocate lions to KNP almost proved costly in 2018 when an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) killed more than 30 lions in Gir. The virus resurfaced in 2020 and at least 85 lions were killed. Earlier this year, the Gujarat government had said that Gir lost 283 lions in 2 years due to natural and unnatural causes, and CDV has been blamed for the increase in deaths. Reuters CDV which spreads from dogs in the wild had killed around 1,000 lions in Tanzanias Serengeti National Park in 1994, which was one-third of the big cat population there. A similar outbreak could have wiped out the lion population in Gir. BCCL Lions still wait for a second home Now that KNP has become the home for cheetahs, Asiatic lions are still looking for a new home. A total of six alternative locations including Madhav National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and Jessore-Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining landscape in Gujarat have been suggested as the second home for lions. For more on the news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Queen Elizabeth IIs coffin was today lowered into the Royal Vault at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle, bringing to an end public mourning for Britains longest-reigning monarch, reports news agency AFP. She was laid to rest aside her husband Philip and parents in an intimate ceremony. The Cavalry Last Post is sounded by the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry before the Nation fell silent in Remembrance of Her Majesty The Queen. pic.twitter.com/ap5ccCiQW2 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022 Queen put to rest The second Elizabethan age was symbolically brought to a close when the highest-ranking official in the royal household, Lord Chamberlain Andrew Parker, broke his wand of office and the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre were placed on the high altar. The evening interment service was not open to the media, and King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan, and other royals were able to bid a final farewell to the late monarch in private after being in the public spotlight for 10 days of national mourning. The Instruments of State; the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre have remained with Her Majestys coffin. At the Committal Service, they were placed on the High Altar at St George's Chapel. pic.twitter.com/fDFQLSSmP1 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022 Queen Elizabeths closest relatives were ashen-faced throughout solemn funeral rituals in London and Windsor, silently playing their parts in meticulously choreographed processions that nevertheless betrayed the high emotions of the day. The presence of William and Harry, walking side-by-side behind their grandmothers coffin, was reminiscent of the day 25 years ago when, as boys, they took part in a similar procession to the funeral of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Let's now look at the other details from the ceremony. 1) World leaders in presence Several world leaders gathered in London to bid farewell to the Queen. President Droupadi Murmu paid her respects on behalf of India and met with King Charles III. US President Joe Biden, Frances Emmanuel Macron, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Pakistans Shehbaz Sharif were among the attendees. President Droupadi Murmu attended the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London. pic.twitter.com/wfbrF9e3JC President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 19, 2022 2) King Charles IIIs handwritten note on Queens coffin In loving and devoted memory, Charles R. This handwritten card from King Charles III placed among the colourful flowers lying over rich green foliage gave a personal touch to British Queen Elizabeth IIs coffin during the late monarchs final journey on Monday. note-charles 3) Prince Harry accused of "disrespect" During the ceremony, Prince Harry, who was accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle, got in hot waters after a clip of him purportedly not singing to the royal anthem God Save the King (which was God Save the Queen during Queen Elizabeth IIs reign) went viral. Prince Harry not singing the national anthem #queensfuneral pic.twitter.com/laNk5JMZ6R Kieran (@kierknobody) September 19, 2022 The 10-second clip, taken from the widely-watched broadcast of the funeral, shows Harry standing solemnly behind King Charles as the gathering sings the royal anthem. Traditionally, only the reigning monarch does not sing the British anthem, therefore Harrys tightlipped silence made him stand out. 4) Queens initials removed from Prince Harrys military uniform During the vigil for the queen as her coffin lay in state in Westminster Hall which was kept by her eight grandchildren, during which Harry was allowed to wear his military uniform at the kings request. It was the first time that he wore the uniform after stepping away from royal duties in 2020. Decoding Prince Harry's funeral outfit can tell us a lot more about what is happening with him and the royal family https://t.co/PDWuBmtoV8 pic.twitter.com/IYoI2FaA7h GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) September 19, 2022 The Duke of Sussex, however, was purportedly left heartbroken after he found that Queen Elizabeth IIs ER initials for Elizabeth Regina were removed from the shoulder of his uniform. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. We all heard stories about the Loch Ness monster when we were kids. But looks like those stories were not fictional, but real. Man claims he has found fresh evidence that the Loch Ness monster exists An Irishman who is also a Loch Ness enthusiast claims that have spotted the creature in footage recorded by the newly installed webcams at the famous lake. This avid enthusiast named Eoin O'Fagan has captured two clips of 'giant eel-like shapes' moving on the surface of the water. The man is mostly looking for pieces of evidence of Loch Ness monsters via webcam but now he is focused on the webcam footage. He is telling people about the existence of these monsters. He talked to the Daily Record regarding his findings and said, "I captured two very interesting video clips on two of the new webcams recently. The first at the Clansman webcam Loch Ness at 20.13pm on September 6, is of a water disturbance, and a long dark shape which was recorded for 4 minutes, and was the only darkened water visible in the recording of the loch in that time." The man added that the second sighting from September 15 exists thanks to the Shoreland Lodges webcam. YouTube Eoin said: "An object visibly appears on the left near the shore and moves steadily to the right of the screen and out of webcam coverage. This object is black and long in the region of 6 to 8 feet long, like an eel, or rather a very large or giant one. Its dark black colour breaks the surface occasionally as it moves to the right." The man believes that Loch Ness may be a giant eel The man is said to believe that the theory which was posted by Prof Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from the New Zealand University of Otago, that Nessie may be a "giant eel" could actually be correct. Eion is a 57-year-old man who has made multiple trips to Scotland to try and track the Loch Ness monster. He made his first sighting back in 1987, and stated that he's submitted the two sightings to The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. Watch the video here: He explained to DailyRecord: "The Register says that you have to report any sightings from the new webcams to the owners first, and if they like them, they will contact Gary [the official records keeper]. "I sent the Clansman video and another I recorded on my phone which was of poor quality to Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN), however, I was told by them that any potential sightings will have to go directly to Gary Campbell to be considered, as they have 'only opened windows to the wonderful Loch' for people to see from afar. I then fed this back to Gary, and he is seeking clarification." Watch the video here: Here's hoping that the Loch Ness monster actually exists. For the latest trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) headquarters in Naju, South Jeolla Province / Korea Times file KEPCO CEO Cheong Seung-il Atrocities against minorities in India aren't shocking anymore. For Dalits, living a life of dignity and acceptance in India remains a struggle. In yet another shocking case, a Dalit family in the Koppal district of Karnataka was fined Rs 60,000 after their son reportedly entered the temple and touched a Hindu god's idol. According to local sources, the Dalit boy touched the idol immediately before it was brought out for the procession in the Hullerahalli village in the Malur taluk, as per news agency IANS. According to the locals, the villagers decided to celebrate after a temple was constructed. During the celebrations three days prior, Chetan touched the idol and attempted to carry it on his head. Representative Image In addition to fining his family Rs 60,000, the locals shoved him out of the path. BCCL The village elders have ordered Ramesh and Shobha, the Dalit boy's parents, to wait to enter the village until they have paid the fine, according to IANS. The boy's mother allegedly gets threatening phone calls from goons, but the Dalit boy's family has not yet complained. Indiatimes Just ten days ago, a Dalit student from Icholi village in Tikaitnagar, Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki District, was left with severe burn injuries on her wrist and hand after the school principal threw hot meals at her. After her parents contacted Barabanki District magistrate Adarsh Singh, who subsequently commanded an investigation, the August 29 incident was made public. Additionally, the girl's family with special needs claimed that when they tried to speak to the principal following the incident, he made casteist remarks against them. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. To address this challenge, Earnix has expanded its suite of intelligent insurance operations with a new underwriting solution, which it unveiled at its Excelerate 2022 conference in London. Read more: Whats the most promising insurance technology in the market? Underwrite-It fully automates underwriting decisions and manages all rules in one place, enabling underwriters to update rules and models without burdening IT. Combining the standard rules-based approach of underwriting with advanced machine learning and simulation, the solution aims to improve time-to-market on underwriting changes. Integration with pricing Another significant challenge underwriting teams face is the lack of cross-collaboration with other insurance areas. It feels very natural for underwriting and pricing to fully cooperate, but because the tools they use are so different, that cooperation is inefficient if it happens at all, Ziv said. With the new underwriting solution, Earnix said insurers can bridge the gap between underwriting and pricing. Underwrite-It allows users to share loss cost and demand models with pricing and rating teams using Earnixs pricing solution, Price-It, for seamless integration. Because [Underwrite-It] is sitting on the same technology foundation of Earnixs intelligence insurance operations, customers will enjoy full cooperation between underwriting and pricing, added Ziv. Yaron Lavie, Earnixs VP of product, said that the average time-to-market for underwriting changes is weeks or months; amid a challenging and volatile market for insurance, this is simply not agile enough. The lifecycle of an underwriting rule can be shortened by AI and machine learning. A traditional underwriting process might start from inception, move on to the definition of rule requirements, then to rule engine configuration or coding, before staging and production. Automated simulations cut out the middle steps and allow underwriters to be as agile as other parts of the insurance business. If you want to make a change to an underwriting strategy or introduce a new underwriting model, you also need to understand its impact on your portfolio. Theres strong interplay between changing underwriting and pricing strategies, Lavie added. Analytics-based underwriting What makes Earnixs solution different from other underwriting tools is that it helps insurers build rules rather than just managing the process. All the underwriting tools in the market focus on the underwriting workbench. We are providing a tool to manage the rules and models for underwriters, Dror Pockard, chief strategy officer at Earnix, told Insurance Business. Today, most of the underwriting solutions are rules-based. We see that companies are looking for ways to start embedding analytical models into their underwriting process, and thats where were supporting them. Read more: How the insurance industry can leave behind the burden of legacy technology Earnix said its new solution can integrate advanced analytics into underwriting to help underwriters make better decisions. Self-learning algorithms adjust rules automatically, allowing real-time changes. Underwrite-It was also created to reduce the burden of data scientists and IT teams supporting underwriters. The solution uses an easy-to-use interface that helps users manage rules, algorithms, and other aspects of underwriting decision logic without coding or IT expertise. Innovation roadmap Underwrite-It was unveiled as part of Earnixs broader innovation strategy. Earnix is a global provider of artificial intelligence-driven rating, dynamic pricing, product personalization, and telematics solutions for insurance. The Israel-based firm has offices in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Australia. At Excelerate 2022, Lavie highlighted the firms push to enable more business agility through machine-learning solutions and faster integration through a partnership with property & casualty (P&C) insurance platform Guidewire. The partnership will allow two-way, real-time quotes and product updates between Earnix and Guidewire using no-code, cloud-to-cloud integration. Earnix is also improving its telematics offering. Drive-It will integrate with Price-It so that behavioural data collected from the telematics app seamlessly flows into the pricing solution for modelling, risk pricing, and rating. Lavie cited a volatile and dynamic market, rapid AI and machine learning adoption growth, and a new generation of talent in the insurance industry as top factors driving Earnixs innovation. The changing environment requires us to be much more agile in running our business. This agility is relevant to both the people in the analytical space and decision makers that need to act on those changes, he said. Recent developments have sparked new debate about the role that Citizens Property Insurance Corp. should play in Floridas rapidly shifting property insurance market, with potential changes that could affect agents, other carriers and homeowners for years to come. At a Citizens committee meeting in late August, Florida regulator Susanne Murphy revealed that the Office of Insurance Regulation is now considering waiving Citizens $700,000 coverage limit for upscale homes, at least in some counties. Agents have said that the change is badly needed: Their options are more limited than ever in parts of the state where home values have soared and primary market carriers have pulled back or have restricted coverage in the middle of hurricane season. But others warn that such a move wont help depopulate the largest insurer in the state and could deepen Citizens exposure in an era of stronger storms. Thats a decision OIR will have to make, said Barry Gilway, CEO and executive director of Citizens. But, he added, with Citizens topping 1 million policies this summer and continuing to grow, its probably something that should be avoided. In the last year or so, Citizens has had to terminate some 3,300 policies in the state because those homes values and coverage exceeded $700,000, Gilway said. And another 14,000 policies are knocking at the door, covering properties that are in the $600,000 to $700,000 range, Citizens chief operating officer, Kelly Booten, reported. Also in August, Florida State Universitys risk management and insurance program, in an academic paper soon to be published, revisited the idea of moving all wind policies to Citizens, allowing other insurers to write only the less-costly water and other perils. Since hurricane wind coverage is difficult to insure profitably, it might be strategically and economically prudent to intentionally remove it from the primary market, reads the FSU paper. With recent legislation (Senate Bill 76, 2021) allowing Citizens to increase rates gradually over the next few years and the ability to assess policyholders in the event of a deficit, Citizens may be in a better position to insure wind than the primary insurers. And Florida regulators are also asking for $1.5 million to have a consultant examine new options for property insurers that are facing financial ratings downgradesan indication that a plan to utilize Citizens as a type of reinsurer for struggling companies may not help stabilize the market. Raising the Coverage Cap Murphy, the states deputy insurance commissioner, said that state law allows the office to waive Citizens Coverage A limit in counties that do not have sufficient competition from private carriers. The state took that step in 2014, raising the cap to $1 million, but only in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, on Floridas southern tip. Proving theres a dearth of primary carriers in other Florida counties may be more difficult, and Murphy said the OIR is looking for all the data it can find. Whether theres enough data to support that finding is what were trying to determine. The last time we did this it was pretty clear, but the data weve looked at thus far this year is not as clear, Murphy told the Citizens Market Accountability Advisory Committee on Aug. 31. To help, the Florida Association of Insurance Agents plans to work with OIR to develop data points that member agents can help supply. It wasnt made clear exactly what data is lacking. The OIR already receives a great deal of information from carriers, including policies in force and exposure per county, even if all of that data is not made public in quarterly reports. The OIRs Quarterly and Supplemental Reporting System, known as the QUASR, shows a range of information on dozens of Florida carriers. But a number of carriers consider the data to be trade secrets, and have elected not to have it made public. Murphy said the OIR could have the review completed within six weeks or so. Some insurance industry experts are skeptical. Im not sure why thats needed, said Melissa Burt DeVriese, president of Ormond Beach-based Security First Insurance Co. Were open for business and we write up to $2.5 million in coverage. Raising the Coverage A cap would certainly send more policies to Citizens, increasing its exposure as well as the potential for a surcharge on all policyholders in the state if Citizens faces heavy storm losses, explained John Rollins, an actuary and former insurance company chief financial officer. And although Citizens officials are quick to point out that an assessment to help cover losses would be placed only on policyholders, not taxpayers, storm losses could ultimately affect Floridas sparkling credit rating, simply because Citizens in some ways is considered to be a state agency, said professor Charles Nyce. Nyce is associate FSU professor of risk management and insurance whose doctoral students researched and wrote the paper examining the state of the Florida insurance market. Citizens for Wind? On making Citizens the insurer for wind damage in Florida, as suggested in the FSU paper, DeVriese said that, too, is unnecessary. Wind coverage is not what is ailing the Florida property insurance market its abuse of assignment of benefits and frivolous litigation, she said. Nyce agreed that making Citizens the sole wind writer, an idea similar to one considered by lawmakers after Hurricane Andrew, is a departure from a market-based, capitalism system. Typically, Im more of a free-market person, but the large insurance companies have already decided they dont want to be in Florida, Nyce said. So youre left with smaller companies who dont have much negotiating power with reinsurers and who arent very diversified. The FSU papers suggestion on wind coverage, along with OIRs exploration of raising the coverage cap, has helped put a new spotlight on Citizens function in Floridas distressed marketplace. Its up to our elected officials now to decide if Citizens is really the insurer of last resort or is it to be a large force in the homeowners insurance market, DeVriese said. Topics Florida Having a sales culture in your agency is not synonymous with having business culture. As so many examples of vaporware and internet companies and virtual providers and game changing insurance companies that never make money prove, a business can have value, huge equity values even, but never really be an operationally successful business. In all of the companies that never make a profit and likely never will make a profit even though they have values far exceeding much more successful businesses, the definition of success gets confused. These kinds of businesses cultures are always based on the salespersons ability to sell to customers and investors (including employees) that success is just around the corner. They are always selling, and damned be the person who points out that when a business never makes a profit, that business is not successful. The sales cultures premise is that more sales will solve the profit problem. Just a little more scale is always the solution. Little substantive attention is given to operational profit. I should note here that many long-established insurance companies and agencies have the same issue where sales, even unprofitable sales, take precedence. I know lots of people will disagree, and exceptions do exist, but a sales culture focuses on sales, the top line and not the bottom line. A business culture treats both equally. I have worked with and analyzed far too many companies to fall for the wishful thinking that sales cultures are business cultures. Salespeople cant take their focus off the next sale long enough to consider the bottom line. If the salesperson is the leader, they need to focus on operations too but cannot find the will to do it. In todays world of free money, success does not mean ever making a profit. It is really no different than liberal economists believing that money is so free that people need not work but should just be given more money. Nothing is free and if it is free, you are the product. Yet thousands of companies have been founded, including insurance companies, on the hope that someone will buy them before they actually have to prove their business is a run like a business. Many millionaires have become millionaires by making that sale close. Maybe being a true business with functioning operations is passe? In the insurance industry, most distributors are always focused on the next sale. Eighty percent of effort is on the next sale or retaining a client that is threatening to leave. Twenty percent of effort is focused on operations. Assuming real profit is required, an effort of 20% on operations is insufficient for the following reasons. First, high quality operations mean more profit. That profit can be used to employ more salespeople. It can be used for better sales training or higher dividends. Higher profits mean higher value, all else being equal. Just focusing on the next sale does not achieve any of these goals. Second, low cost/high quality operations enhance sales. If one can sell the same product/service at a lower price, the low price wins. This industry has focused hard on convincing people low price insurance equals high quality. Billions are spent annually on advertising in an effort to achieve just this purpose and regardless that it is 100% duplicitous it works. Imagine if it was real! Third, the great economist Carl Shapiro initially analyzed and has been proven correct over the last 40 years that low cost ultimately wins in every industry other than extreme niches. To be low cost, operations must be 50/50 with sales. The sales focus fails when costs are too high. The sales focus gains steam when costs are low. Costs need to be strategically low, not just cheap and carriers are going to begin forcing the issue. The carriers that have written the most net new business over the last five years have the best expense ratios, which is a proxy measure for operational focus. This fact, of course, excludes gains that are made simply by foregoing reinsurance as many carriers did in 2018 and have not yet purchased insurance back to the same level. Just think for a moment: If operations creates 10% more efficiency and the savings is converted to lower prices, is it easier or harder to sell these lower prices? This is not rocket science. Perplexingly, most sales focused people and cultures can make the connection but cannot manage to accomplish the execution. They just cannot mentally make the jump to act. They are too sales minded. Sales is their strength, so they stick to sales. They eventually lose. I have failed to convince many carriers and agents to give more emphasis to operations. The logic of doing so was and has been obvious, yet outside of serious E&O issues which force the leaders hands, nothing changes. I get it. Continuing to focus within the leaders comfort zone is much easier. Changing focus is emotionally draining. No matter how right I am, the emotional price is too high. The best solution I know is based on leadership rather than logic. Leadership means leading the entire enterprise, not just sales. As Dirty Harry said, A man must know his limitations. The best leaders know their limitations. The best leaders focus on the whole health of what they are leading, rather than individual parts. This means having the confidence to hire a strong operational leader and empowering them to take the steps required to build a cost-effective company. It means having a spine when salespeople complain about operational rules. A failure of aggregators and networks is lack of organic growth. It is almost sad that sales-focused brokers and networks have the worst overall organic growth rates. All these agencies join networks so they can have more products/carriers to sell and yet the organic growth rate is effectively 0%. One reason is lack of operational leadership. It is only about sales. A great example involves an agency where the owner led producers and staff to achieve significant operational success. They led with operations; increased sales followed, which resulted in highly profitable growth. The agency eventually was sold to one of the big buyers who relented on day one to the producers whining about having to follow procedures. The new leaders understood that operations was the driver of the agencys success, and to their credit, they admitted they did not possess the leadership required to adopt the better procedures or require the producers to adhere to the rules. The profit margin decreased by almost half overnight 100% due to lack of operational leadership. The buyer justified their lack of spine by suggesting the producers would quit if the rules were enforced. This is shallow reasoning. The producers had not quit while working for a smaller agency with fewer resources, so why would they quit now? Even if they did, the good producers would not be the ones who quit. Leadership is hiring a strong operational leader and walking away from overseeing operations. These are the steps required if you want your agency to grow into a true business. One hundred percent delegation is required. It is a complimentary skill set. Paired, the leaders become unbeatable. The carriers (I used carriers because their results are public but the same applies to agencies/brokers) that have built operational leadership are the same ones adding $10 billion $10,000,000,000 in new sales every single year. If you are emotionally solid and focused on your agency rather than your feelings, you will recognize your leadership skills are limited in one way or the other. The greatest next step of the best leaders is to hire someone with complimentary skills. Dont be afraid of the operational leader taking over. That can be managed if it becomes a real issue. Your days will become less stressful because someone else is doing the work you dont like to do. Sales will increase because you are less distracted by operations. A business culture has the best of both worlds. If you have a sales culture, can you lead your firm into a business culture? Topics Leadership The root level is the highest permission level of access to a computer system, and most cybersecurity professionals work hard to ensure criminals dont gain root access to a system. However, the word root has another meaning for Raices Cyber, a Philadelphia-headquartered non-profit organization that works to support the Latino cybersecurity and technology community. In fact, the organizations name, Raices, means root in Spanish. Family is important. Community is important, said Founder and Executive Director Eric Bolardo on this episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast. This is the importance of one of our pillars in Raices, which is the community the founding of strong roots within the community and being able to support each other. For the majority of his 33-year career in cybersecurity, Bolardo who is originally from Puerto Rico said he noticed a lack of diversity in the field. He is a U.S. Army military intelligence veteran with NATO and has worked in security operations, incident response, business continuity and disaster recovery, and digital forensics, among other areas of cybersecurity. For good or bad, for the first 20 years of my career, I was the only one who looked like me, he said. This led to the eventual launch of Raices a fairly new organization founded in 2021 to achieve greater representation among the Latino, Latina, Latinx and Hispanic community and its allies through the organizations four main pillars: community, education, constructive networking, and strong bonds or roots. This comes at a time when Hispanic professionals make up just 4% of the cybersecurity workforce in the U.S., according to the Aspen Digital Tech Policy Hub. With this in mind, Bolardo said its time for businesses to begin thinking beyond metrics when working to achieve diversity. We need to see people represented. Thats, I think, the biggest part, he said. Having people of diverse backgrounds on boards, in leadership, in different organizational levels, I think thats more important than the programs you put in place. You can put employee resource groups and all of these things, but if the person cant see themselves represented in that company, having somebody of that diverse background in their board or in their leadership, in their C-suite then theres a level of comfort that is not there. Jose Aponte, vice president for Alliant Americas East and the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies Atlanta chapter treasurer, agreed. He joined the podcast to talk about the work LAAIA is doing to support Latino professionals in the insurance industry in particular. In the DE&I space, from my observation and my professional opinion, [were] doing a great job in having the conversation, he said. But we have to create awareness of whats the next step? How are we going to become a disruptor and provide a change for the better? To be the best of the best, overall, the industry needs to change the mindset and think outside the box. Set a record for how many Latinos you want to be in the industry and break that record. Go beyond every metric that we have out there. In a Marsh report from October 2020, Building a Future for Hispanic Professionals in the Insurance Industry, Marsh surveyed nearly 250 members of the LAAIA, several focus groups with insurance industry executives, and conducted in-depth interviews with a number of external experts. The survey found that only 14% of respondents thought insurance companies employed the right number of Hispanic professionals, and 84% of respondents thought that Hispanic professionals were underrepresented within senior level management roles. We feel that an organization itself needs to understand and show an appreciation of Latinos and show that it is acceptable to be who you are that you can be comfortable being Latino, Aponte said. Maybe you wear a more brightly colored outfit, or you could talk about your culture, or talk about the great dishes and foods that we have, or where you come from. He said that in finding different ways to show that Latinos are appreciated within a company, businesses can improve attraction and retention levels of this growing pool of talent. Dont just wait for Hispanic Heritage Month to talk about Latinos. Celebrate it throughout the year, he said. And you know what? Its going to pay dividends without a doubt. Latinos are a growing community in the U.S., there is a high level of intelligence within our Latino community, and the retention levels will improve within the organization when you implement and appreciate the culture. This is evidenced by Latino professionals like Bolardo and Aponte who are already working hard to close gaps and reinvent how cybersecurity and insurance are brought to consumers. Another executive doing this work is Nestor Solari, co-founder and CEO of InsurTech Sigo Seguros. He joined the podcast to talk about how Sigo Seguros is serving immigrant and Latino communities in auto insurance by offering transparent pricing without fees and removing rate factors that can affect minorities. The companys underwriting process does not factor in immigration status, credit score, level of education, or type of employment. It also delivers a fully bilingual mobile platform and provides coverage for customers with foreign IDs or licenses. I think I felt a certain indignation when I started learning about how people that need minimum limits auto insurance often get treated, and specifically when you talk about Spanish speakers in the U.S., he said. Up until Sigo launched, every Spanish speaker that needed to buy auto insurance on their own was forced to an agent. I just saw rampant disinformation, opaque pricing, business practices that I question, but more so, a lot of things that didnt seem to make sense with a lot of the tools that we have available. He saw an opportunity to launch Sigo in 2019 alongside his co-founder, Julio Erdos, and the InsurTech became the only insurance company in the U.S. that can digitally onboard Hispanic customers in their native language, according to the company website. Thats how I convinced my co-founder to join me, he said. I challenged him to get a quote in Spanish online five years ago. Now since then, a lot of carriers and a lot of agents have set up quoting in Spanish, but its still the case that you are unable to purchase and leave with proof of insurance if you need to do it in Spanish outside of the Sigo website. The company has a particular focus on working-class Hispanic drivers who can struggle with getting the right coverage or enough of it. Imagine having all of these issues because youre working class, youre not getting comp collision coverage, maybe you dont have credit. Imagine that getting compounded by then not speaking English, he said. People that speak English already dont understand their car insurance. I know I didnt before I started a car insurance company. And then imagine having to do that in Spanish, so thats where we focus. Solari said the language barrier in auto insurance is partially due to underrepresentation in the industry overall. If you are effectively going to serve our community, I think it comes down to speaking to the customers and hiring Latinx employees and building diverse teams. I think that is how you solve for it, he said. If youre looking to serve the Spanish-speaking market, youre going to need some Spanish-speaking team members. He said while hes observed entrepreneurs and executive level leaders in the insurance industry doing great work to increase diversity, he believes there is more that can be done to not only bring more Latinos into the industry, but to serve Latino insureds as well. It really comes down to the senior management and the managers and the hiring managers doing that work because its easy to say you want to manage a diverse team or you want to build a diverse team, but when it comes down to it, its much easier to just manage people that speak and look exactly like you, he said. Hopefully people start seeing our success and start considering what the right ways to serve the community effectively are. Because for however much Id like to do it all ourselves, I know we wouldnt be able to. Bolardo said that as more Latinos join the cybersecurity and insurance industries, it creates the opportunity for further career development as Latino mentors will be available for those entering the field. Ultimately, it all comes back to the idea that serves as one of the pillars of Raices operations: community. I always say you can be a mentor if youve been one year in the field, because theres always somebody behind you thats just entering, he said. So each one, reach back, pull one up. And as a community, we can support each other and our allies. To find out what else Eric, Jose and Nestor had to say, check out the rest of the episode and be sure to check back for new episodes of The Insuring Cyber Podcast publishing every other Wednesday along with the Insuring Cyber newsletter. Thanks for listening. Topics Cyber A big group of U.S. states, led by New York, argued to an appeals court Monday that it should reinstate an antitrust lawsuit against Metas Facebook because of ongoing harm from the companys actions and because the states had not waited too long to file their complaint. Barbara Underwood, solicitor general of New York which led the group that consists of 46 states, Guam and District of Columbia, said that it was wrong to treat states like a class action and put a limit on when they can sue. States not involved are Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and South Dakota. She said the states action was more akin to law enforcement so laches, which forbids an unreasonable delay in filing, would not apply. She said that Facebooks actions harmed the economy and the marketplace. The states are asking the three-judge panel on U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to reinstate a lawsuit filed in 2020, the same time that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued the company. Both the FTC and the states had asked the court to order Facebook to sell Instagram, which it bought for $1 billion in 2012, and WhatsApp, which it bought for $19 billion in 2014. The FTC fight with Facebook is going forward. Facebook Asks Court for Old FTC Merger Documents in Antitrust Fight Arguing for Facebook, which had succeeded in getting the state lawsuit thrown out, Aaron Panner argued that the two acquisitions were well-publicized at the same, as was the companys policies regarding third-party apps. Facebook has been accused of punishing apps on its platform that, for example, connect with other social networks. He said that laches should apply because the state lawsuit was more of a class action and less law enforcement, and that the actions described occurred years ago and did not cause antitrust concern at the time. Judge Raymond Randolph asked who Facebooks competitors were and noted news articles that the company had struggled to keep younger users. Panner pointed to the popularity of TikTok, Twitter and others, adding: Sometimes facts that are good for an antitrust defense are bad for (a) business. Topics Lawsuits USA New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Even if the world somehow manages to limit future warming to the strictest international temperature goal, four Earth-changing climate tipping points are still likely to be triggered, with a lot more looming as the planet heats more after that, a new study said. An international team of scientists looked at 16 climate tipping pointswhen a warming side effect is irreversible, self-perpetuating and majorand calculated rough temperature thresholds at which they are triggered. None of them are considered likely at current temperatures, though a few are possible. But with only a few more tenths of a degree of warming from now, at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming since pre-industrial times, four move into the likely range, according to a study in Thursdays journal Science. The study said slow but irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, more immediate loss of tropical coral reefs around the globe, and thawing of high northern permafrost that releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases trapped in now frozen land are four significant tipping points that could be triggered at 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, which is three-tenths of a degree (half a degree Fahrenheit) warmer than now. Current policies and actions put Earth on a trajectory for about 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times, according to some projections. Lets hope were not right, said study co-author Tim Lenton, an Earth systems scientist at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Theres a distinct chance some of these tipping points are going to be unavoidable. And, therefore, its really important we do some more thinking about how were going to adapt to the consequences. Timing is a key issue for tipping points in two ways: when they become triggered and when they cause harm. In many cases, such as ice sheet collapses, they could be triggered soon, but their impacts, even though inevitable, take centuries to play out, scientists said. A few, such as the loss of coral reefs, cause more harm in only a decade or two. Its a future generation issue, said study lead author David Armstrong McKay, a University of Exeter Earth systems scientist. The ice sheets collapsing is kind of that thousand-year timescale, but its still bequeathing an entirely different planet to our descendants. The concept of tipping points has been around for more than a decade, but this study goes further, looking at temperature thresholds for when they may be triggered and what impacts they would have on people and Earth. In the past 15 years or so, the risk levels just keep going up, Lenton said. Lenton likes to think of tipping points like someone leaning back on a folding chair. When you start tipping over backward, you have in that case a very simple kind of feedback on the forces of gravity operating on propelling you backward until splat, Lenton said. Study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, likened it to someone lighting a fuse on a bomb, and then the fuse will burn up until the big bang, and the big bang may be further down the line. While the ice sheets with several meters or yards of potential sea rise can reshape coastline over centuries, Rockstrom said to him the loss of coral reefs is his biggest concern because of the immediate impacts on human livelihoods. Hundreds of millions of people, especially poorer tropical area residents, depend on fisheries linked to the coral reefs, McKay said. With just a few more tenths of a degree, new tipping points become more possible and even likelythat includes a slowdown of northern polar ocean circulation that can ripple into dramatic weather changes, especially in Europe; loss of certain areas of Arctic sea ice; glaciers collapsing worldwide; and utter failure of the Amazon rain forest. Some of these tipping points, like the permafrost thaw, add to and accelerate existing warming, but dont think its game over if temperatures hit 1.5 degrees of warming, which is quite likely, McKay said. Even if we do hit some of those tipping points, it will still lock in really substantial impacts we want to avoid, but it doesnt trigger some sort of runaway climate change process, McKay said. Thats not the case at 1.5 degrees. And that means that how much further warming occurs beyond 1.5 is still mostly within our power to effect. Thats a crucial point: These are tipping points for individual regional disasters, not the planet as a whole, so its bad but not world ending, said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech company Stripe and Berkeley Earth, who wasnt part of the study. He said it was important, nuanced research that quantified tipping points better than before. Have we really contemplated what happens when you mess with our global and ecological systems to that degree? said University of Miami climate risk scientist Katharine Mach, who wasnt part of the study. She said it shows ripples and cascades that are troublesome. This is a profound reason for concern in a changing climate. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Osstem Implant Chairman Choi Kyoo-ok, second row fifth from left, poses with 135 Mexican dentists at the company's headquarters in Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Osstem Implant By Kim Jae-heun Osstem Implant welcomed 135 dentists and officials from Mexico with a training session and introduced to them its products at its headquarters in Seoul, Sept. 17, the company said Tuesday. It is part of the dental implant company's strategy to expand its sales network in the South American market. The invitation event was organized by Osstem Implant's overseas branch in Mexico. Dentists had a chance to experience more than 10,000 different types of products by Osstem Implant and try some of them out during a clinical practice session afterwards. "It is our first time inviting customers from overseas to give them a training session with our products. We have successfully increased our brands' reliability and affinity for Mexican dentists through our excellent infrastructure at the Korean headquarters," an Osstem Implant official said. The dental implant company currently operates Latin American branches in Mexico, Chile and Brazil. The Mexican and Chilean branches were established in 2011 and 2017, respectively, and their average annual sales growth over the past five years was 46.5 percent and 55.9 percent. In Mexico, there are 132,000 dentists and 24,000 dental clinics, of which 6,200 are able to perform implant procedures. Considering that there are about 18,000 dental hospitals and 30,000 dentists in Korea, Mexico's dental market has huge potential for expansion thanks to its high rate of population growth. Osstem Implant will also invite American dentists this month for lectures and hands-on training for implant surgery. In November, the company will invite dentists from Malaysia, India, Mongolia and Europe to its headquarters as part of the same invitation program. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! American Family Insurance has become the first U.S.-based insurance company to sign The Climate Pledge, joining 375 other national and global companies across more than 53 industries and 34 countries in a further commitment to take climate action. Co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism in 2019, The Climate Pledge is a commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040 and meet The Paris Agreement 10 years early. In 2020 American Family committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing on-site renewable energy production and renewable energy purchased, and diverting waste from landfills, among other actions. American Family said joining The Climate Pledge provides the opportunity to partner and share knowledge and resources with other signatories while extending its commitment and action across the American Family Insurance group of companies nationally. As one of the nations largest insurers, we know that mitigating and preventing the impacts of increased weather volatility and natural catastrophes are essential to our business, said Bill Westrate, CEO and president of the American Family Insurance group of companies, in a statement. We are committed to achieving our sustainability goals not only because its good for the environment but because its good for our customers and our business. Topics Carriers USA A federal appeals court Friday ruled in favor of a Texas law targeting major social media companies like Facebook and Twitter in a victory for Republicans who accuse the platforms of censoring conservative speech. But the decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is unlikely the last word on a legal battle that has stakes beyond Texas, and could impact how some of the worlds biggest tech companies regulate content by their users. The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last year, has been challenged by tech trade groups that warn that it would prevent platforms from removing extremism and hate speech. A similar law was also passed in Florida and ruled unconstitutional by a separate appeal court. The final say is likely to come from the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this year blocked the Texas law while the lawsuit played out. Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Andrew Oldham wrote. NetChoice, one of the groups challenging the law, expressed disappointment in a statement that pointed out the ruling was the opposite of the decision made in the lawsuit over the Florida law. We remain convinced that when the U.S. Supreme Court hears one of our cases, it will uphold the First Amendment rights of websites, platforms, and apps, said Carl Szabo, NetChoices vice president and general counsel. Republican elected officials in several states have backed laws like those enacted in Florida and Texas that sought to portray social media companies as generally liberal in outlook and hostile to ideas outside of that viewpoint, especially from the political right. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in May that is not clear how the high courts past First Amendment cases, many of which predate the internet age, apply to Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and other digital platforms. The Florida law, as enacted, would give Floridas attorney general authority to sue companies under the states Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. It would also allow individual Floridians to sue social media companies for up to $100,000 if they feel they have been treated unfairly. The Texas law only applies to the largest social media platforms that have more than 50,000 active users. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Texas In a twist of fate and a sign of the times, some Florida business groups are backing the Democrat in a state House race in the Tampa area, while trial lawyers are putting their weight behind the Republican challenger. The Tampa Bay Times reported that many in the plaintiffs bar, who have historically backed Democratic candidates, are now supporting Republican candidate Danny Alvarez in his bid for the House District 69, in southeast Hillsborough County. And incumbent state Rep. Andrew Learned, a Democrat, has won the favor of business groups, perhaps because of his support for legislation aimed at reducing runaway insurance claims litigation. Learned, who voted in favor of 2021s Senate Bill 76 and for SB 2D and SB 4D at this years special property insurance session of the Florida Legislature, has reported significant contributions from insurance companies, Associated Industries of Florida, and Publix grocery store company, all of which have leaned toward pro-business candidates in the past, the newspaper reported. In the last few months, Learned has received contributions from Allstate Insurance Co., Zurich American Insurance, Courtesy Insurance Co., the Committee for Florida Justice Reform, and the Committee of Florida Agents, according to the Florida Department of States elections website. He also has seen in-kind support from the Florida Democratic Party and financial contributions from the Communications Workers of America. Learned, in the House since 2020, has said that he agrees to some extent with the insurance industry stance that claims litigation is excessive in Florida and has helped drive up the cost of homeowners insurance. Last year, I broke with the majority of my party to vote for reforms in Senate Bill 76, Learned wrote in a lengthy letter to constituents earlier this year, posted on his website. I had held my foot down on an issue I felt would disadvantage families who lost roofs in hurricanesjust as mine once didand could not afford to replace it, he added without specifying which amendment to SB 76 he was referring to. Ultimately, I was able to negotiate that protection into the bill and I therefore felt comfortable voting for the final product. The representative suggested in the letter that insurers are not without blame, that some legitimate claims dont get paid, and some policyholders need a good lawyer. He also quoted a statistic that shows that a third of the claims lawsuits in Florida were filed by just 25 attorneys. He claimed that some of those lawyers, along with roofers, are supporting his opponent, Alvarez. Alvarez, a Tampa attorney who practices family law, could not be reached for comment by the Times. The state elections site and the newspaper reported that Alvarez has received contributions from some trial lawyers and from the Florida Justice Association, a trial lawyers advocacy group. He also has seen in-kind support from the Florida Republican Party and checks from a Tampa bail-bond and surety company. Learned also said in the letter that a number of folks Ive met with indicated that some of the worst offenders (insurers who were short-changing insured) were seemingly some of the same companies going insolvent. I dont think its too far of a stretch to imagine that insurance companies on the brink of going under tighten their belts trying to save the company, and in so doing short-change some clients on their claims either knowingly or unknowingly. Attorney Clif Curry of the Justice Association told the Times that Learned has repeatedly voted against legislation that would protect consumers and hold businesses accountable in other areas as well as insurance, and consistently chooses protecting business interests over consumers. Learneds campaign leads in financing, with more than $300,000 cash, compared to about $130,000 for Alvarez, the Times noted. Topics Carriers Florida Politics Smart Choice, a network of independent agents, has acquired Carriage Hill Insurance, an agency in Tennessee. The agency has $4 million in annual revenue, with offices in Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, Brentwood and Athens, Tennessee. The owner, Todd Henderson, now becomes president of the agency, Smart Choice said in a news release. Chase Scott will be director of operations. Its the 22nd acquisition for Smart Choice since 2019, when it began the Smart Choice Partners program, the company said. Smart Choice, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, was founded in 1994, after local independent agent Doug Wichter said he was faced with a tough choice: selling his agency or bringing in another blue chip carrier. His main carrier at the time said it was pulling out, because Wichters agency wasnt meeting the carriers growth objectives, Wichter explained. The network allows agencies to access the benefits of large carriers, lucrative markets and top commissions, as well as as guidance from seasoned industry veterans. The partner program takes it a step further and makes agencies part of the Smart Choice corporation. Carriage Hill agency has had a decade-long affiliation with the network and has seen steady growth, the company said. The network is part of the Worldwide Insurance Network, headquartered in High Point, North Carolina. The program serves 9,500 agency partners in 46 states. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Tennessee Tampa-based Rip Weachter Insurance agency has become part of the Renaissance Alliance, a rapidly growing national network of independent agencies. Rip Weachter, founded in 1989, offers personal lines, commercial lines, contractors liability, workers compensation and cyber insurance coverage, the companies said in a news release. Licensed agent Rip Weachter is the owner. Renaissance Alliance Regional Vice President Oscar Miniet said the network provides member agencies access to more carriers, as well as bonuses, commissions and profit sharing, along with guidance and technology to help grow the business. A woman has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution for embezzling money from a Mississippi State University sorority. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that Betty Jane Cadle, 75, of Oxford, pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud in April. U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson sentenced her to 45 months in prison Friday and ordered her to pay $2.9 million restitution to the Kappa Delta chapter at MSU. Cadle was the treasurer for the corporation that oversaw the Starkville sorority. Prosecutors said she would order things for the sorority and then reimburse herself. As the childrens clothing store she ran in Oxford started having cash flow issues, she added some to the reimbursement, she told the judge. When I would get the reimbursements, I started adding a little extra to them. I thought I was taking out a loan and would pay them back, she said. U.S. Attorney Parker King said Cadle never tried to pay the money back in a fraud that lasted eight years. She stole an average of $375,000 a year, even as the sorority chapter was struggling financially. She was purposely unclear. Whenever anyone asked a question, she would condescendingly shut them down, said Kaylie Watts, the KD chapter president 2019-2020. In 2019, after Cadles sudden resignation, a new treasurer found financial records in shambles. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Mississippi Floodwaters were receding in parts of western Alaska battered by the worst storm in a half century, leaving behind debris flung by powerful Bering Sea waves into beaches and seaside communities. The remnants of Typhoon Merbok were weakening as the storm system moved north from the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea on Alaskas northwest coast, where it still threatens smaller communities, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo. This guy is going to hang out in the Chukchi Sea for the next few days and just rapidly weaken because its so stationary, she said. Several communities reported homes were knocked off their foundations by the force of the incoming water, often propelled by winds gusting near 70 miles per hour. One house in Nome floated down a river until it got caught under a bridge. Many homes were flooded and about 450 residents on the western coast sought refuge in shelters, with more than half of them at a school in Hooper Bay, where they ate processed moose donated by village residents. Others rode out the storm on higher ground outside their communities. It was a massive storm system _ big enough to cover the mainland U.S. from the Pacific Ocean to Nebraska and from Canada to Texas. It influenced weather systems as far away as California, where a rare late-summer storm dropped rain on the northern part of the state, offering a measure of relief to wildfire crews but also complicating fire suppression efforts because of mud and loosened earth. The storms crashing waves caused widespread flooding and damage along 1,000 miles of the Alaska coastline, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said. There have been no reports of injuries, deaths or missing people in Alaska, the governor said during a Sunday news conference. A child reported missing Saturday was later found, he said. Dunleavy said roads are damaged and state officials are assessing potential damage to seawalls, water and sewage systems, airports, and ports. He identified five communities, Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok and Nome, as being greatly impacted by a combination of high water, flooding, erosion and electrical issues in either the towns or their airports. Emergency management and American Red Cross personnel will deploy to those communities as soon as Monday, while Alaska National Guard members will be sent to Nome, Bethel and Hooper Bay to assist residents. Red Cross volunteers from the Lower 48 will also conduct needs assessments for food, water and shelter in other flooded villages. The storm caused Nomes highest water level since 1974, 11.1 feet above the normal tide, and other communities may have surpassed levels seen in 48 years ago. One of the big features of this storm was the wide swath of significant damage, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. So, did it live up to the hype? I would say absolutely, he said of the storm. Becca Luce and her family live about a half mile from the Bering Sea coast in Nome. We have a pretty good view of the ocean from our living room, she said. We could see the waves crashing from our window and going over the road. Nome itself was inundated, including Front Street, the citys main business thoroughfare that also doubles as the finish line for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. One downtown restaurant, the Bering Sea Bar and Grill, was destroyed by fire Saturday night, but the cause and whether it was related to the storm is not yet known, said interim city manager Bryant Hammond. The receding water revealed the detritus left in streets and yards, including trash, logs and other organic debris, rocks, and asphalt, Hammond said. Part of a highway was washed out in Nome, forcing residents to use a bypass to reach the community of Council, adding up to 15 miles to the 72-mile trip, he said. Another major concern is that freeze-up is near, and all of this damage to the roads will need to be repaired before the month ends, Luce said, using the local term for the onset of winter, which is in October in many parts of Alaska. And its hard to say if that will be possible, especially for the remote village villages without as many resources as Nome has. Dunleavy, who issued a state disaster declaration Saturday and is considering seeking a federal disaster declaration, said Alaska officials intend to get communities up and running again as soon as possible. We just have to impress upon our federal friends that its not a Florida situation where weve got months to work on this, he said. Weve got several weeks. The rain in Northern California helped firefighters increase containment on the biggest wildfire in the state so far this year. The Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento was 34% contained after downpours early Sunday. More rain was expected, which fire spokesman Scott McLean called a mixed blessing. It did help a bit to stifle that aggressive fire, McLean said. But were going to have new safety issues now with all the mud thats out there. And the ground moisture could cause some of those damaged trees to fall over. An average of a quarter-inch of rain fell overnight across Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties north of San Francisco, with more than double that amount recorded in some mountain areas, the National Weather Service said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Windstorm In my late teens, I dated a lovely little blue-haired boy who came to visit me for the weekend in Deans Hall, my college accommodation. I served him a miserly meal of dry pasta with value-pack ham. No sauce, no vegetables, not even a whiff of grated cheese. Why? I wanted to save my money for a naggin of Smirnoff vodka. That was just my pre-drink drink. Binge drinking was completely normalized then, in the late 90s early 2000s. Going to the cinema? Lash a load of Buckfast in a plastic bag. Headed to a festival? Nab a slab of Dutch Gold and a 10-pack of Tayto. Sitting in a field? Sling a flagon of Strongbow into your Sporthouse schoolbag for fear of becoming a teenage golem. Its been over five years since Ive had a drink. You must feel so healthy, is a phrase I am accustomed to hearing. No. I feel like a middle-aged woman who pants walking up the stairs and audibly groans when I bend over. But putting my drinking days behind me was the best decision Ive ever made. However, there are some things I wish Id known before quitting alcohol forever. You dont owe anyone an explanation If you do happen to find yourself in a pub, club, or indeed any event with alcohol and everyone there is drinking, you absolutely do not, under any circumstance have to tell them your why. Ive fabricated dozens of excuses in the vain hope that I wont be pressured into, Ah go, on, have one. Ive been on antibiotics, Ive been abstaining for dietary reasons, Ive mentioned that it affects my mental health, Ive told people Im allergic, Ive blamed work in the morning, having the car, stomach issues, and allergies. I know people (plural) who have died from alcoholism (sadly, very true) which surprisingly doesnt deter many potential drinking buddies from trying to twist my arm. I know people (plural) who have died from alcoholism (sadly, very true) which surprisingly doesnt deter many potential drinking buddies from trying to twist my arm. In the past, I didnt go to events because of the intense scrutiny Id face over not drinking. I now realise that not drinking doesnt make me less interesting or fun to be around. Its simply a matter of personal choice and no matter how clipped it may sound to say, Because I just dont to someone who inquires about your abstinence, it is the most honest answer you can use. Quitting alcohol forces you to confront your relationships In Ireland, it is perfectly acceptable to drink at a celebration. The same applies for a commiseration. Weddings, funerals, christenings, festivals, birthdays, retirement dos, breakups, job offers, cheeky-pint Fridays, wine not Saturdays, ease-the-pain-of-hangover-from-hell-Sundays. Im not saying you have to reinvent yourself, but its interesting just to sit with the emotions that you once numbed or heightened. Mary Cate Smith: Not drinking doesnt make me less interesting or fun to be around. Instead of putting your feelings aside, left to deal with the next day, you are forced to process that emotion, be it pain, grief, elation and to carry on regardless. I learned that there were ways to cope with anxiety that didnt require a glass of wine with dinner. You dont have to hit rock bottom to give up drinking If youre sober curious, you may want to consult literature around the area. A lot of this is written by people in recovery and focused around 12-step programmes. Russell Brand used to joke that his addiction was straight out of a government pamphlet. One of his first experiences getting drunk was to take his top off in the school canteen and parade about wearing a sheepskin. This, he thought, was all he needed to change the world. He is now a vegan. For me, giving up drinking reinforced my connection with myself, gave me more of a purpose in life, a sense of awareness of a spiritual connection. I still compare myself to others, I still sometimes view my worth in measurable, capitalist terms of productivity but I also spend more time tuning in to how I feel good, bad, or indifferent. Whats funny in your 20s is not cute in your 30s In my early college days at University College Cork, it was commonplace to save up for a night out by doing clinical trials. Sampling gruel masquerading as food, faking a cough, and having someone in a white coat monitor your sleeping patterns were all deemed appropriate ways to pay for vodka. In the past, I didnt go to events because of the intense scrutiny Id face over not drinking. If youve ever been the sober one on a night out, you might recognise the phenomenon of the drunk persons joke. It may involve singing Im Horny on repeat, pastiching Riverdance, or performing an entire rap song from start to finish. None of these things are great when youre out with the board of management or a potential client. You need a support system Being sober makes you an outlier in Irish society. You will often be the only one in the room, on the trip, or at the party who isnt drinking. Being surrounded by people who get that is half the battle. Whether its sticking with friends who are supportive, seeing a therapist, going to AA meetings or chatting to other people in the same boat, its really helpful to know that if you are going somewhere with alcohol, you wont be hassled to have one. There are plenty of people who glow after a drink or two. They dont get hangovers, they dont feel sick the next day, and they dont think everyone wants to hear their Tupac Shakur rendition. However, if you are 100% that bitch, you owe it to yourself to do whats right for you. And maybe, (dont @ me) it wasnt what you were looking for in the first place. Former tanaiste Mary Coughlan is stepping back into public life, having been appointed chair of the National Conference on Women in Farming. Ms Coughlan, who has maintained a low profile since leaving politics in 2011, has been appointed by her successor as Donegal Fianna Fail TD, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue. Taking on such a role will inevitably fuel speculation she is considering a return to frontline politics. Speaking at the National Ploughing Championship, Mr McConalogue announced a National Conference on Women in Farming will take place. Women account for just 13% of the workforce in farming in Ireland today and Mr McConalogue said gender equality was a priority for him and the Government. CSO data shows there are about 75,000 female farm workers in Ireland. This points to more than 58,000 women working in farming without visibility and without status as a farm holder. Mr McConalogue told the Irish Examiner he was delighted Ms Coughlan, a former agriculture minister, was to chair the conference. "Her expertise and experience equip her to lead for positive change on gender in the agri-food sector," he said. The former tanaiste was contacted prior to publication and comment from Ms Coughlan is awaited. Mr McConalogue said the significant contribution of women to the agri-food sector in Ireland had not always been afforded the recognition it deserves. The convening of a national conference provides an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input on how to increase the visibility and status of women in agriculture, he said. Despite many approaches for her to do so, Ms Coughlan has refrained from re-entering national politics since losing her seat in 2011. During the Brian Cowen government, she became a lightning rod for criticism as many people thought I was out of my depth in her role as enterprise minister, as she conceded in 2014. In 2017, she returned to having an agricultural brief, as a consultant and registered lobbyist. She suffered personal tragedy the year after losing her seat when her husband David died. She said his death at the age of just 48 was very tough describing him as the backbone of her career. The case of Zambias international indebtedness has come into sharp focus in recent days following the intervention of a group of international economists and academics who have recommended that international lenders write off a significant slice of the countrys loans. Zambia is seeking 8.3bn in debt relief from major lenders including private funds run by the worlds largest investment manager, BlackRock to try and get its public finances in order. Ahead of crucial talks with the British, French, and Chinese governments, the anti-poverty charity Debt Justice has said only a major debt write-off could save the Zambian economy from collapse. Former Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo delivers a lecture during the Business+ Forum at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency By Park Jae-hyuk A former top trade negotiator for Korea emphasized the importance of the country's strategic partnership with the European Union (EU), amid the paradigm shift in the global trade environment, which has mainly stemmed from the fierce rivalry between the U.S. and China. Yeo Han-koo, a visiting professor at Seoul National University Business School, who served as the minister for trade for nine months until May, said Tuesday that Korea and the EU are "like-minded" partners sharing similar values in the midst of the tension between the U.S. and China, as both of them strongly advocate a multilateral trading system and rules-based international order. "Without ASML, Samsung can't manufacture any of its high-end chips," he told foreign businesspeople participating in a forum hosted jointly on Tuesday by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK). He also described Korea as a critical supply chain player and technology leader for EU's Indo-Pacific cooperation strategies, mentioning that the country is the first major free trade agreement (FTA) partner of the EU in Asia. In his lecture on new global trends in the trade and investment environment, the former minister underscored the necessity to upgrade and expand the 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and the EU, so that the framework can include supply chain resilience, technology standard cooperation, digital trade, vaccine partnerships and decarbonization components. He especially called for a coordination in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) between Korea and the EU. The CBAM refers to a proposed carbon tariff on carbon-intensive products, such as cement and some electricity, imported by the EU. ECCK President Christoph Heider, who emceed the forum, agreed with Yeo's view that the Korea-EU FTA is too old to remain unchanged. During the event, Yeo also asked the participants to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030. "I don't have to repeat why Busan is the best place," he said. "I want you to deliver this message to your capital." Lyu Jae-won, executive vice president of trade-investment data at KOTRA, said he wants the forum to be a good opportunity for foreign businesspeople to review their first-half performances and learn new global trends. Ukraine is using captured Russian tanks to solidify its gains in its north-east amid an ongoing counter-offensive, a US-based think tank said. It comes as Kyiv vowed to push further into territories occupied by Moscow. The Institute for the Study of War, citing a Russian claim, said Ukraine has been using left-behind Russian T-72 tanks as it tries to push into the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk. The initial panic of the counter-offensive led Russian troops to abandon higher-quality equipment in working order, rather than the more damaged equipment left behind by Russian forces retreating from Kyiv in April, further indicating the severity of the Russian rout, the institute said. Earlier this month, Ukraine launched its counter-offensive, pushing into territory around its second-largest city of Kharkiv. Videos and photos showed Ukrainian troops seizing tanks, ammunition and other weaponry left behind by Moscow in an apparently chaotic withdrawal. In the counter-offensives wake, Ukrainian officials found hundreds of graves near the once-occupied city of Izium. Yevhenii Yenin, a deputy minister in Ukraines Internal Affairs Ministry, told a national telecast officials exhuming the dead found bodies with signs of violent death. There are many of them, Mr Yenin said. These are broken ribs and broken heads, men with bound hands, broken jaws and severed genitalia. Ukrainian officials have also accused Russian forces of torturing people in occupied areas, including shocking them with radio telephones dating back to the Soviet era. Russia has repeatedly denied abusing or killing prisoners, though Ukrainian officials found mass graves around the city of Bucha after blunting a Russian offensive targeting Kyiv at the start of the war. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian push continues in the south of the country. (PA Graphics) The Washington-based institute, citing the Ukrainian military, said Kyiv has destroyed ammunition depots, two command posts and an electronic warfare system. Ukraines southern military command said early on Tuesday its troops sank a Russian barge carrying troops and weapons across the Dnipro River near the Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka. It offered no other details on the sinking of the barge in Ukraines Russian-occupied Kherson region, which has been a major target as part of Kyivs ongoing counter-offensive in the country. In other developments: The website of a prominent Russian mercenary group was seemingly targeted by hackers. The Wagner Groups website could not be reached on Tuesday morning. Late on Monday, the IT Army of Ukraine, a group of hackers supporting Kyiv, posted a screenshot apparently showing the website had been replaced with images of dead Russian soldiers. Moscow has likely moved its Kilo-class submarines from their station on the Crimean Peninsula to southern Russia over fears they could be struck by long-range Ukrainian fire, the British military said on Tuesday. In a daily intelligence briefing, the British Ministry of Defence said the submarines had almost certainly been moved to Krasnodar Krai in mainland Russia, instead of a naval base at Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. This is highly likely due to the recent change in the local security threat level in the face of increased Ukrainian long-range strike capability, it said. In the last two months, the fleet headquarters and its main naval aviation airfield have been attacked. Burma Malaysian Foreign Minister Meets With Myanmars Parallel Civilian Govt Saifuddin Abdullah (center) with a delegation comprising representatives of the NUG, National Unity Consultative Council and Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, and Myanmars permanent representative to the UN. / Saifuddin Abdullah / Twitter Malaysias foreign minister met with representatives of Myanmars parallel National Unity Government (NUG) in New York on Monday ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting makes Malaysia the first country from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to publicly and personally receive delegates from the NUG, an umbrella organization for the resistance movement that has been trying to topple the military regime in Myanmar since last year. The minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, hosted the NUGs deputy foreign minister, U Moe Zaw Oo, as well as U Aung Kyi Nyunt, who is chairperson of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH)the NUGs parliamentary bodyand a representative of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), a body formed to bring together forces opposed to the regime. The meeting was joined by NUG-appointed Myanmar Ambassador to the UN U Kyaw Moe Tun and two other NUG ministers, U Aung Myo Min and U Htin Lin Aung. In a tweet, Saifuddin Abdullah said the participants discussed the latest developments in Myanmar. He met with NUG Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung in May. The Monday meeting in New York came shortly before the UNGA. The Myanmar issue will be the sole focus of a number of meetings, and will be discussed at some others, where Malaysias perspective on the country will be raised. The specific meetings on Myanmar include those with the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs on Sept. 20; the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar on Sept. 21; and the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting on Sept. 22. Malaysia will listen to the updates on what is really happening in Myanmar from the representatives of the people of Myanmar, exchange notes, and discuss the next steps [led by the people of Myanmar], and how Malaysia can be of assistance, the foreign minister said, Bernama News reported. Myanmar has been socially and politically devastated by last years military coup. A vast majority of the countrys people have resisted military rule and the regime is unable to control the country due to widespread popular armed resistance. So far the junta has killed more than 2,000 people for opposing it. Following the coup, the NUG was formed by elected lawmakers from the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and their ethnic allies to challenge the regime at home and abroad, commanding the loyalty of the vast majority of Myanmar people. The regime has branded the NUG as a terrorist organization. In the wake of the coup and subsequent violence, ASEAN adopted a five-point peace plan for Myanmar in April 2021 urging the junta to immediately end the violence in the country and to hold an inclusive political dialogue, among other steps. The regime has failed to implement the plan. As a result, relations between the regional grouping and the junta have turned sour, with the regimes leadership barred from attending summits since last year. Among ASEAN member states, Malaysia has been particularly critical of the regime. In May, Saifuddin Abdullah attracted the regimes ire by commenting that a move by ASEAN to informally engage the NUG may be conceivable, especially on how humanitarian aid to the people of Myanmar who are still in their country can be delivered. On his meeting with the NUG foreign minister, he said it was to express Malaysias support and solidarity with the people of Myanmar and stand ready to work towards restoring peace and democracy in Myanmar. ASEAN, meanwhile, has been criticized for its peace plan for Myanmar, as it has proved to be ineffective. Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia will propose that ASEAN undertake a serious review of the plan to see whether it is still relevant and if it should be replaced with something better ahead of the blocs summit in November. Burma Myanmar Junta to Receive New Russian Jet Fighters An SU-30M fighter jet. Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing personally inspected production of the jets being assembled for the Myanmar military at Irkutsk Aviation Plant in Russia./ Senior General Min Aung Hlaings website. Myanmar will likely see more civilian deaths as Russia will soon deliver new Sukhoi SU-30SM jet fighters to the military regime that is employing deadly airstrikes against civilians and resistance forces. Junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun said on Tuesday that coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing personally inspected the production and testing of the planes at the Irkustsk Aviation Plant during his visit to Russia this month. They all will be delivered soon, said the junta chief. Russia has been assembling the six fighter jets for Myanmar under a contract worth around US$204 million that was signed in 2018. The first two jets were delivered in March this year, so the remaining four will likely be delivered soon. Myanmars military has long been a patron of Russian military hardware. Russia is also one of the few countries Min Aung Hlaing can visit, as most nations have shunned him and his regime since last years coup, which was followed by bloody crackdowns that have killed over 2,000 civilians so far. Min Aung Hlaing has visited Russia three times since the military takeover and is a fan of Russian weapons saying I like them. Stockholms International Peace Research Institute said that Russia also sold US$247 million worth of arms to Myanmar between 2015 and 2021. Among the hardware purchased by Myanmars military are MiG-29 fighter jets, Yak-130 combat trainers, Mi-17, Mi-24 and Mi-35 combat helicopters and other weapons. The regimes revelation of the impending delivery of new warplanes comes as Myanmar is mourning the death of 11 school children, some as young as seven, killed last Friday in junta airstrikes and ground assaults on a monastic school in Sagaing Region. Witnesses said that Russian-made MI-35 helicopters opened fire on the school, which the regime claimed was harboring resistance fighters, an accusation rejected by local people. Amnesty International has documented eight airstrikes on villages and a refugee camp in Kayah and Karen states in southeast Myanmar in the first three months of 2022. The attacks, which killed nine civilians and injured at least nine more, destroyed homes and religious buildings. In almost all the documented attacks, civilians are the only people who appear to have been present. The arrival of new Russian SU-30M jets comes also as the junta is increasingly reliant on air power to attack resistance forces, as its ground troops suffer defeats and defections. The regime is also using airstrikes against ethnic armed organizations like the Arakan Army in western Myanmar, where the junta is struggling to control the region. On Friday, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office called on countries to do more to prevent weapons and revenue from reaching the regime, while urging UN member states to impose a ban on arms sales to Myanmar. While the United States and other western democracies have imposed sanctions on the regime, countries like Russia and China are continuing to supply military hardware to the junta. The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday in its report that while Russia had supplied fighter jets and armored vehicles to the regime, China had also sent fighter and transport planes. Other countries like Serbia have provided rockets and artillery shells, while India has provided a remote air defence station. Burma Myanmar Regime Reportedly Holds 100 Civilians as Human Shields in Shan State A destroyed house in Moebye after the town was targeted by air and artillery strikes last week. / Photo- Karenni's Voice Myanmar junta forces reportedly used around 100 civilians as human shields during a raid on Monday on Moebye Town in southern Shan State. Two Myanmar military columns with armored vehicles raided Moebye early Monday morning at 2am, after pounding the town with artillery fire for an hour, said the Moebye-Peoples Defense Force (PDF). The junta raid came a week after military regime forces were forced to retreat from Moebye after taking heavy casualties during four days of intense clashes with resistance groups. On Monday, a combined force of PDFs and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), including the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army, attacked junta soldiers trying to raid the town. During the firefight, two resistance fighters were killed and another suffered serious injuries, said Moebye-PDF. Junta casualties are unknown. Resistance groups said that regime forces used around 100 civilians trapped in two monasteries in Moebye as human shields to deter PDF attacks. People are trapped in the religious buildings. They are not allowed by junta forces to leave the town. Regime forces are using those civilians as human shields while they are deploying there, a KNDF spokesperson told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. He added that large numbers of regime troops, many wearing civilian clothes, have deployed across much of the town. Moebye-PDF urged residents to be aware that fresh fighting may break out in Moebye. Last Friday, four civilians including two children were killed in the town when junta forces shelled a religious building sheltering displaced people, according to Mobye Rescue Team, which helps refugees in the town. The rescue team said also that nine displaced people were injured by regime artillery strikes. Fierce clashes took place in Moebye from September 8 to 11 when PDFs and EAOs attacked regime soldiers attempting to occupy the town. Around 85 junta troops and two resistance fighters were reportedly killed in the clashes, while some 50 resistance fighters were wounded. An 8-year-old child was also killed and over 100 houses were destroyed by junta artillery and airstrikes, Regime forces have escalated their indiscriminate attacks on both civilians and resistance targets nationwide amid near-daily attacks from PDFs and EAOs. Editorial The World Must Act to Stop More Myanmar Children From Being Killed -- Myanmar has seen many saddest days since the coup. Last Friday was the latest one. At around 1 p.m., military helicopters, MI-35s, swooped down from the sky and opened fire on their target with their machine guns. Their target was not a battleground but a school where about 200 young students were attending classes. The aerial attack went on for nearly one hour, killing nine children, including two 7-year-olds, as well as six adults in the compound. Right after the airstrikes, infantry troops encroached and attacked the school, which is located in a monastery in Let Yet Kone Village, Depayin, Sagaing. Two more children were killed by the soldiers. The roof of the school was ripped off by the airstrikes. Pieces of childrens flesh and bones were scattered all over the placeon a fan, on the ceiling, on the walls and on the floor. Books, schoolbags and sandals belonging to the kids were stained with their blood. The parents of the victims and witnesses retold this horror storykids were running and hiding in the school from the attacks; two cried out for help to their teacher who, however, had been hit by a shell; a boy who emerged from his hideout to retrieve his school bag off a desk was shot dead. Just kill me, as it hurts too much, 7-year-old Phone Tay Za, who lost a limb and was hit in the lower part of his body, requested of his mom, who rushed to help him. He soon died. How horribly the kids were attacked! It was just the latest military operation the ruling junta has launched against a school campus and its innocent children. But the cruelties didnt end there. The junta troops didnt leave behind any of the victims bodies for their families to grieve over, including Phone Tay Zas. In addition, they forcibly took away 14 injured children and three teachers, saying they would be treated at a hospital. But their parents dont trust the troops and worry that their kids, too, might have died. Villagers later found out that those killed were cremated at Ye-U cemetery the next morning, about 11 km away, in an attempt to remove any trace of the killings. The ruthless military regime has never spared even innocent children. Children have been indiscriminately attacked since the military coup in February 2021. They face a living hell on a daily basis as they are increasingly being targeted by troops in killings, bombings, burnings, torture and arbitrary arrest. Like their parents and other adult fellow citizens, they have no safe place in military-ruled Myanmar. Whether at schools, in displaced camps, hospitals, religious buildings or their own homes, they have been brutally killed, paralyzed and arrested by junta troops or found themselves running for their lives from the juntas assaults, airstrikes and shelling. On the same day as the Depayin school attack, artillery strikes by junta troops killed two sisters, aged 6 and 10, who were taking shelter at a monastery in Moebye in southern Shan State, hundreds of kilometers from Sagaing Region. The number of such deliberate, deadly attacks and incidents of violence perpetrated by the junta against children mount daily as it continues its terror campaign nationwide. Over the past one-and-a-half years since the coup, at least 382 children have been killed or maimed, more than 1,400 have been arbitrarily arrested, and 142 have been tortured, according to a report given by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at a UN Human Rights Council meeting in June. The first and youngest killed was a 6-year-old girl, Khin Myo Chit, who was shot dead in her fathers arms after junta forces broke into their house in Mandalay in March last year, one month after the coup. Days later, 11-year-old Aye Myat Thu was fatally shot in the head while playing in front of her house in Mons States capital, Mawlamyine. A 5-year-old boy, Saw Ta Blut Soe, was killed by a bomb during an airstrike in Karen States Papun District in the same month. Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, on June 29 urged the international community to take immediate action to save children from violence perpetrated by the junta, while stressing time is running out to save Myanmars children. It has been almost three months since his call. But Myanmar has seen no such action, just the juntas continuous brutality against children. The following is a list compiled by The Irrawaddy of incidents that occurred between June 29 and Sept. 19. A 5-year-old boy was shot dead by junta soldiers in Kantbalu Township in Sagaing Region on Sept. 17. At least nine children were killed and several others injured by the juntas heavy airstrikes on their school on Sept. 16 in Let Yet Kone village, Depayin Township, Sagaing Region. Two more children were also shot dead by the troops during a ground raid into the village. According to locals around 17 others including three teachers and injured students were detained by the troops. Two sistersaged 6 and 10taking shelter at a monastery in Moebye on the Shan-Kayah border were killed along with two women in a junta artillery strike on the morning of Sept. 16. A 7-year-old boy was killed in a junta bombardment and some 100 houses and buildings were destroyed in the southern Shan State town of Moebye on Sept. 8. A 6-year-old boy Mg Pyae Sone and nine-month-pregnant Ma Phyu Zar Win were killed along with two male villagers in junta airstrikes in Kawlin Township, Sagaing Region on the night of Aug. 23. Following two days of occupation by the military, the bodies of a 10-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy were found along with 15 others in the village of Yin Paung Taing in Sagaings Yinmabin Township in mid August. The 10-year-old girl was killed by a helicopter bomb while the 17-year-old was shot dead by troops. Two teenage siblings were killed by junta forces after being detained in a raid on New Haimual Village in Tedim Township, Chin State, on Aug. 14. Villagers said they recovered the bodies of Mai Lal Nun Puii, 17, and Salai Lal Ruat Mawia, 15, near the village. Soldiers also set fire to houses during the raid. Karenni children fled the juntas indiscriminate air strikes and attacks on Aug. 8 and 9 in the Loikaw area. Two children were killed and two more injured on their way back from school as junta forces opened fire on a boat carrying schoolchildren in Paletwa Township on Aug. 2. Sixty young children were trapped in their school when Myanmar junta helicopters including two Russian-made MI-35 helicopters attacked Latpankyin Village in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region, on Aug. 1, although there had been no fighting with anti-regime forces. They were detained by junta soldiers along with their teachers and other villagers. They were not freed until resistance forces rescued them. At least 10 bodies of villagers were found after the raid. Do not be an accomplice to injustice Its a sad reality that the world has turned a blind eye while the children of Myanmar are being slain by soldiers. These tragic incidents involving children show they have no political will to stop the regime from killing (or at least from killing children) in Myanmar more than one year after the coup. Their utter silence is deafening, as if they are giving time to the junta to slaughter more children in Myanmar. Video: Children shelter from junta air raids in Kayahs Loikaw area. It wouldnt be fair to say that no one has spoken out. Following the Depayin school massacre, UNICEF and Save the Children woke up to release statements to offer their deepest condolences and condemned the attack in strongest possible terms while carefully avoiding naming the culprit, maybe not to offend the regime. Given the seriousness of the latest incident, lets see whether the international community led by the US at the UN General Assembly will do something more effective to hold the perpetrators of such crimes to account. They should do if they have enough empathy to understand that the children killed in Myanmar are human beings like them, and young enough to be their grandchildren. The worlds inaction against Myanmar child killers makes it an accomplice to the injustice. It is high time for the international community to begin a series of meaningful punishments of the Myanmar regime for the sake of the innocent young boys and girls who have been slain. Stop by any of our participating #tasteofkeybiscayne restaurants this Tuesday and enjoy some of the most delicious meal-deals on Key Biscayne on this Tuesday, September 20. D'Lite Bistro & Bakery Who says eating healthy means sacrificing taste and flavor? Not at DLite, a woman-owned and operated business We are a unique and healthy restaurant that serves salads, wraps, sandwiches, bowls, protein smoothies and cold press juices made fresh every morning including gluten-free, vegetarian and keto options. Not quite a taco, but still finger food that makes a delicious appetizer our Air-fried Tequenos compliment any meal or make an excellent afternoon pick-me-upper or snack! We open at 9 a.m. daily and close at 8 p.m. everyday except Sat and Sun when we close at 6 p.m. DLite is located in the Arcade Mall, 180 Crandon Blvd. To place an order, call (305) 882-9284 or visit us online by clicking here. La Scala Join us for a delicious Italian dinner night! Try our light and delicious Linguine with mussels A La Scala meal makes Tuesdays that much more special. Join us for dine-in, open for indoor dining, limited outdoor seating, reservations recommended. Come in even if just to say hello to Chandra, and the la Scala team! To place a takeout - offering curbside service - order call (786) 773-3633 or visit us online by clicking here. Kazumi Taco Tuesday, Kazumi style! Come in and try our deliciously different Tuna Taco. Our modern Japanese fusion restaurant offers creative treatments & creativity in our dishes for takeout and delivery. Available for lunch and dinner. Monday through Saturday Noon to 10 p.m. Closed Sundays Open for Dine-In with indoor and expansive outdoor seating, Takeout or delivery. To place an order call (305) 361-2675 or order online here. The Golden Hog Eat Local. Help Local. Shop Safely. Email us your order at orders@thegoldenhogmarket.com On this Tuesday, treat yourself to one of the most creative and delicious sandwiches on the island. DA MIGUELITO. A perfect blend of Turkey, tomato, applewood bacon, muenster, avocado, dijon, mayo, and vinaigrette Todays menu. Soups & Creams: Chicken Zucchini / Beef Goulash / Vegan Cauliflower Main Dishes: BBQ Pork Ribs / Chicken Spinach / Shrimp / Cheese Ravioli Side Dishes: Fried Rice / Broccoli with Cheddar / Yuca The Golden-Hog has a complete line of specialty groceries for delivery. Call (305) 361-1300 to place a delivery or takeout; order online by clicking here. Costa Med Bistro Open for indoor dining, or enjoy Costa Med in their expanded outdoor dining area or at home today. Today, start your meal with the best Grilled octopus on the island. Place your takeout order online - click here Costa Med, a Travelers Choice Winner, is located in the Square Shopping Center. 260 Crandon Blvd. Reservations are suggested. Call Antonio or Harold at (305) 361-7575 Hours. Lunch Mon to Sat: Noon a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner Mon to Sat: 6 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. / Sun 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Novecento Miami Spice is now ongoing and Novecento is one of the #tasteofkeybiscayne restaurants participating with some delicious and creative fixed-price three course meals. The Miami Spice program allows residents and visitors to enjoy a three course meal at Novecento for $28 for lunch and $45 for dinner. The meal includes one appetizer, one main entree and a dessert. Novecentos Miami Spice lunch menu includes the following: Appetizers: EMPANADA DE POLLO ROSTIZADO, Homemade turnover with roasted chicken, onions, jalapeno & fresh cilantro - COLIFLOR AL HORNO CON HUMMUS DE REMOLACHA, Baked cauliflower, bits hummus & arugula salad, onion, chickpea, peanuts or ZUCHINI FLAT BREAD Homemade flat bread with zucchini, feta cheese and fresh herbs. Main Entree / Second Course: Your choice of one: FISH AND CHIPS Fried fish, wedges potatoes & tartar sauce. - MILANGA DE CUADRIL CON PURE MIXTO Lightly breaded steak with mashed potatoes and butternut squash or POLLO AIRLINE ENSALADA Grilled chicken Arline with watercress radicchio salad, cherry tomatoes, fresh corn, black beans & cilantro. For Desserts, your choice include KEY LIME PIE DE LIMON CON MERENGUE ITALIANO Lemon key lime pie with italian merengue or APPLE GALETTE Green apples tart & toffee sauce. Menu is subject to change (Price is not inclusive of applicable taxes and tips) For the complete Novecento Miami Spice menu, click here Novecento Key Biscayne Bistro Argentino is located at 620 Crandon Blvd in Key Biscayne. For reservations or questions, call 305-362-0900. For more, click here. Brasas KB Home of the $10.99 Burger deal! Tuesday special.... Our delicious half pound hamburger, with one side and a soda, only $10.99 - loaded it up with a fried egg, bacon, cheese and pickles to make it a "completa" for only $4 more! Can't beat the quality! Unmatched value! Have you tried our Peruvian Chicken Rotisserie for lunch or dinner that include 2 sides and sauce of your choice: huancaina, aji amarillo, huacatay and olivas negras peruanas. Open for indoor or outdoor dining, Takeout or delivery. Call (786) 615-2399 to place a takeout order. Open Noon to 8 p.m. 328 Crandon Blvd, Galleria Shopping Center Miss Mui Chinese Bistro Newest #tasteofkeybiscayne dining experience, serving authentic Chinese and Cantonese food. Miss Mui is a family owned and operated restaurant, serving Cantonese cuisine staples like special fried rice, BBQ Spare Ribs, but also lumpias, a Venezuelan-style spring roll and more. This Tuesday, dive into any of our authentic Cantonese dishes Miss Mui is located in the Square Shopping Center at 260 Crandon Blvd. Suite 14, on Key Biscayne. To place an order, please call 305)-381-0694. Follow them on Instagram. Click here. Sake Room Today, our featured dish is - Tiger Sashimi. Whitefish, avocado, scallion, sesame seeds and tobiko with yuzu cilantro dressing. Today FREE* Crunchy Crab Salad!!! Open with indoor & outdoor seating, Takeout or delivery. Join us today, open from Noon to 10 p.m. Try one of our delicious rolls this Tuesday. New hours! 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Call (305) 456-0488 to place a takeout or delivery order directly Following all CDC safety protocols 328 Crandon Blvd Ste 108, Galleria Shopping Center Grub hub UberEats also available. Please if you can call us first *Offer good on any $50+ order Boaters Grill & Lighthouse Cafe / Bill Baggs Rain or Shine, the restaurants inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park the popular Boaters Grill, located at No Name Harbor and accessible by boat, the beachside Lighthouse Cafe and the new spot for sunsets and drinks - The Cleat - stand ready to serve you. French Toast day? Try ours! Enjoy a beachside French Bread breakfast under the lighthouse at Lighthouse Cafe Boaters Grill is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lighthouse Cafe is open 7-days a week, from 9 a.m. to Sunset The restaurants are located inside Bill Baggs State Park, at 1200 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne. You can reach them at (305) 361-0080 Randazzos by Yesenia Closed Tuesdays. Open Monday, Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., open until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Call us directly to order at (305) 456-0480 328 Crandon Blvd Ste 112, Galleria Shopping Center Check back tomorrow for more specials as we add more restaurants to #tasteofkeybiscayne-To-Go And please remember to order from the restaurant directly before using one of the apps this way we support the local restaurants by saving them the commission they are charged, which at times is as much as 30% Last week a friend of mine and I decided we wanted to go to a renaissance fair. We lucked out because it turned out the upcoming weekend there was going to be one only an hour away, so we decided to go. By Kim Jae-heun Hyundai Steel has taken its first step in producing low-carbon high-quality plates using a manufacturing process with significantly reduced carbon generation. The company has succeeded in test-producing 1.0 GPa-class high-grade plates through electric furnaces for the first time in the world. By utilizing a special electric furnace with refining technology that can adjust fine components and using ultra-high-tension steel-rolling technology, Hyundai Steel was able to reduce more than 30 percent of carbon emissions compared to prior automotive steel production processes. Specifically, the low-carbon plate reduces carbon emissions in the iron production process by using reduced iron and steel scraps directly from the electric furnace instead of reducing iron ore and coal in the furnace. There have been cases of producing some automotive steel with electric furnaces, but this is the first time in the world that a high-strength product with 1.0 GPa class or higher has been produced. Hyundai Steel collaborated with Hyundai Motor and Kia to test the low-carbon production process. It is meaningful in a way that Hyundai Steel used its old facility for producing the eco-friendly plates, which comply with its carbon-neutral strategy represented by "Hy-Cube." Hy-Cube is an electric furnace-based carbon-neutral steel production system introduced by Hyundai Steel. Its goal is to minimize carbon generation in production of high-quality automotive plates by using steel scrap, molten iron and direct reduced iron. "Hyundai Steel confirmed the possibility of supplying low-carbon, high-end steel products using an electric furnace through successful test production. We will respond proactively to the low-carbon product market with carbon-neutral technology," a Hyundai Steel official said. Microsoft New Zealand and Aotearoa has vouched its support for tech company Straker Translations to strengthen the presence of te reo Maori language across print and online platforms to reach more people. Hundreds of news stories are published daily but very few are available in te reo Maori due to lack of journalists proficient in the language, difficulty, and expense of translating stories at the speed the news cycle requires. Straker Translations raised the issue with Microsoft president Brad Smith while attending Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns recent trade delegation to the US. As part of its commitment to helping preserve Aotearoas cultural heritage, Microsoft has provided a grant and technical support to Straker Translations in order to develop an automated translation platform. The platform will combine Straker Translations existing translation tools with Microsofts own Microsoft Translator platform and AI technology to enable news media to translate whole articles into te reo Maori at scale. Straker Translations founder and CEO Grant Straker (Ngati Raukawa) also envisions schools to participate in the process with articles for translation will be available via Microsoft Teamsa platform many schools and workplaces are already familiar with. Students would then use the platform to create a basic automated translation, manually review and refine the language, then post it back for publication. As a Maori born in the 1960s, I belong to a generation where Maori was not spoken or taught in schools, and actively discouraged in general. Having spent 20 years growing a global technology company from Aotearoa, I see this project as a way to give back and make te reo Maori more accessible through relevant news content and a learning platform, Grant said. Of the 140 languages we translate, Maori and Pacific languages are among the most expensive, because of the scarcity of skilled translators. We have strong data that shows the more expensive the language is to translate, the less it is used and the less it flourishes. By working with a global leader like Microsoft and combining our platform with the reach of Microsoft Teams, we believe we can help make the language more accessible and play a part in helping it grow, Grant added. Stuff, one of New Zealands largest news website, is in discussion with Straker Translations about how a partnership bring more te reo Maori content to its readers. Stuff news reporter Carmen Parahi, Pou Tiaki Matua said she was excited about the platforms potential upon hearing the news. This is an important kaupapa and we want to do whatever we can to ensure te reo Maori thrives in modern Aotearoa New Zealand, she said. Ultimately, the project will train machine learning tools to improve the quality and speed of te reo Maori translations, with learnings available via a public database, bringing down the cost of translation for organisations across Aotearoa. Straker Translations is already working with other organisations willing to share their Maori language content to add to the database and improve the accuracy of translations. iTWire reported yesterday that Fujitsu Aotearoa New Zealand that it introduced the Maori on digital platform ServiceNow. Microsoft New Zealand managing director and chief partner officer ANZ Vanessa Sorenson said she was keen to welcome more organisations with relevant skills and data to join in the project. Imagine if we can enable more businesses and organisations to provide information in both our national languages. That will dramatically boost inclusion of te reo Maori speakers, and support te reo Maori as a living, vibrant language people can use in their everyday lives, she said. A website on how other organisations can get involved will be available via Straker Translations in the coming weeks. The platform is expected to be ready for launch in mid-2023, Microsoft said. Once again, GPU specialist Nvidia has used its GTC event to make several significant announcements. The previously announced H100 'Hopper' GPU has gone in full production and will be available in systems from Atos, Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, Gigabyte and others in October. It is already available on Nvidia's LaunchPad service, and will be available in AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure instances starting next year. According to Nvidia vice president of hyperscale and HPC Ian Buck, a system with 64 H100 GPUs supports the same workload as a system with 320 A100 GPUs, with three times better TCO and 3.5 times the energy efficiency. And when it comes to handling large language models (LLMs), the H100 provides three times the A100's performance for training, and 30 times for inferencing. "We're very excited to have H100 finally coming to market," he said. Nvidia's own DGX H100 eight-GPU system can now be ordered for delivery in the first quarter of 2023. Nvidia head of enterprise computing Manuvir Das explained that the reason for the apparent delay is that the DGX is "more a complete solution than a single server" as it incorporates NVLink and a big software stack, so it should not be surprising that partner companies are releasing servers while Nvidia carries out the final testing and integration of the DGX H100. Returning to the subject of LLMs, Nvidia announced the NeMo Large Language Model Service and the BioNeMo LLM Service. NeMo LLM Service provides pretrained foundation models that can be tailored by using prompt learning. This will will "help democratise LLMs," said Buck, while BioNeMo Service makes LLM accessible for scientific applications such as drug discovery by providing pre-trained chemistry and biology models. The services will be available to early users in October. Nvidia IGX for Medical Devices provides a platform for AI medical devices, giving low-latency inferencing. "We can bring robotics to medicine," said Nvidia vice president of healthcare Kimberley Powell. Based on the Orin robotics processor and the Ampere GPU, IGX includes a "commercial grade" operating system and software, plus long-term support. It has already been adopted by Activ Surgical (augmented reality allowing surgeons to see structures and functions that are not normally visible), Moon Surgical (robotic assistant for surgeons) and Proximie (surgical telepresence). Turning to automotive applications, Nvidia's forthcoming Drive Thor chip provides 20 times the performance of the previously announced Drive Atlan, while still being ready for 2025 models. So Thor not Atlan will be the replacement for Orin. According to the company, it allows manufacturers to put all the functions including automated driving, digital instrument cluster and infotainment onto a single device that is simpler, cheaper and upgradable. Thor can run Linux, QNX and Android simultaneously, and the multi-instance GPU architecture ensures that time-critical operations occur without interruption. Thor has been adopted by Chinese carmaker Zeekr, and other Drive users are expected to follow suit. Nvidia and Booz Allen Hamilton are working together on an AI-based, GPU-accelerated security system based on work by Nvidia that followed a cyberattack on the company. The Cyber Precog system is said to ingest security-related data 300 times faster than a CPU-based system, as well as providing a 32x improvement in training speeds, and a 24x inferencing improvement. "Our customers operate in many resource-constrained environments," said Booz Allen senior vice president Matt Tarascio. "Nvidia GPUs, along with Nvidia's Morpheus framework, allow us to bring enterprise capability to the edge, so that the best analytic, data processing and AI capability can be delivered to the mission. Developing Cyber Precog is one example of the many ways in which we are working rapidly to unlock advanced tradecraft, develop unique capabilities and deploy scalable solutions all of which integrate seamlessly into our customers' missions to help them achieve cyber advantage." GUEST INTERVIEW: Co-working spaces have been around for decades, with WeWork notoriously disrupting the industry so much its founder disrupted himself out of the company, so what is the antidote that delivers the highest level of quality for all business sizes while fostering an incredible community - and how did CreativeCubes.co come into being? Co-founders Tobi Skovron and George Garth join iTWireTV in conversation! CreativeCubes.Co. With the pace of business today, its often difficult to secure an office, especially in prime locations, that can not only expand and contract with the size of your business, whether planned in advance or at a moments notice, but do so with all the resources you need at the ready. While the pandemic seems to have nearly passed, the need for remote working spaces has only grown more urgent, with co-working spaces the ideal alternative to the spare bedroom with little IT support, or expensive business real estate that needs expensive fit outs and more. Indeed, with the need for elite tech safety and security systems due to the biggest surge in cybercrime the modern world has ever seen, CreativeCubes.Co has invested over $5M in building out a meticulous and advanced IT infrastructure, which has well and truly set it apart from other flex office providers. Even before the pandemic began, CreativeCubes.Co was already in the PropTech space, converting buildings into collaborative communities with culture, workspaces and services which provide a platform for all people to build their business, but with some important differences, even before the $5M enterprise-class IT upgrades. Instead of focusing on the cult of co-founder personality, as one workspace company curiously dabbled with, the centre of everything CreativeCubes.Co does is an unwavering focus on all people. CreativeCubes.Co wraps people in its community with happiness, and supports them with the four pillars of work spaces, events, wellness and fuel, so they can stay focused on what theyre passionate about - and allows them to rub shoulders with other creative think business owners and soak up the positive vibes while being encouraged by success. The company understands the hunger its customers and community has to achieve something with their lives and make an impact, which is highly rewarding in itself, along with the successful businesses its customers create to serve the community with innovative products and services. CreativeCubes.Co simply takes care of anything in the way so its customers and community can do their thing, and thus unsurprisingly, is the home of many small, medium and enterprise businesses that operate out of its locations on daily, weekly, monthly and long-term timeframes. Naturally, CreativeCubes.Co pride itself on being a first-class facility, where all you need to do is bring your own device and people, then plug in and focus on what you do best, letting CreativeCubes.Co take care of the rest - and with full COVIDSafe policies and practices. What's included is immense... top tier locations in Melbourne, with Sydney coming very soon, super fast gigabit internet, 24x7 access, world-class events, public transport a minute away, quiet phone spaces, private spaces, on-site parking, cool local cafes nearby, dedicated meeting rooms, presentation facilities, included office cleaning and janitorial services, snail mail service, print and copy, full kitchen, shower facilities, fresh fruit, endless coffee, concierge services, wellness advice and experts, chill out zones, dedicated lockers, bike racks, guest reception and services, business services up to enterprise-class levels, and an unbeatable community. And now, with the aforementioned $5M upgrade in IT solutions, the company complimentarily offers its 4000+ members the implementation of advanced firewall systems, the employment of onsite engineers who help to protect members against malware, cyber-attacks, tech outages and surges, the isolation of members on their own VLAN to ensure their intellectual property is secure and protected. These benefits extends beyond the elimination of dealing with internet and power providers, maintaining a server room and managing networks, with Co-Founder and Head of Tech and Finance at CreativeCubes.Co, George Garth, who we'll hear from in the video interview below, saying it makes the office a greater source of efficiencies, collaboration and innovation. So, to learn more about the ideas that led Co-Founder and CEO Tobi Skovron, and Co-Founder George Garth to bring CreativeCubes.Co to life, iTWireTV spoke with both gentlemen in an extended video interview that is embedded below. After that is a summary of the topics we spoke about, followed with information on how to earn a spot at CreativeCubes.Co Collingwood to scale-up your business that the company is actively seeking pitches for in a competitive competition. There are also some great videos from the CreativeCubes.Co YouTube channel which showcase the day Shaquille O'Neal came to CreativeCubes and more, so let's start with the main video interview, and go on from there! I started by introducing both Tobi and George, and asked them to explain why CreativeCubes.Co is different to co-working spaces as traditionally known. We then learned what the spark was that turned CreativeCubes.Co from an idea into a growing business, and the remarkable and world-class mentors Tobi had in the US. Both shared details on the technologies with every CreativeCubes.Co space, the people-focused culture, the PropTech industry, and the recent $5M investment. Next we learned about CreativeCubes.Co plans on Sydney and further expansion, typical customer onboarding processes, the levels of pricing, tech support services, customers that use CreativeCubes.Co and some success stories, as well as the COVIDsafe practices in play to keep everyone safe. We then explored the future and how co-working spaces might change in the era of the metaverse, memories of first computers, great advice received in life, and final messages to readers, viewers, and to current and future customers and partners. The CreativeCubes.Co story is definitely fascinating in itself, and a genuine success story, so please watch the video interview above to learn more! For people in Melbourne looking for an incredible opportunity to scale-up their businesses, CreativeCubes.Co has its "Pitch For A Spot at CreativeCubes.Co Collingwood", which is the newest CreativeCubes.Co location, smack bang in the heart of Collingwood. Details of the pitch are here. with 10 spots up for grabs, and it all happens at 88 Langridge Street on the 20th of October at 5:30pm - but make sure to visit this link to register and for all the details. Here is the video with all the details: It is the ultimate opportunity to immerse yourself in an amazingly designed workspace, rub shoulders with forward-thinking businesses, receive mentoring from our very own CEO and entrepreneur Tobi Skovron, and be supported by a dedicated Happiness Team to help you, develop, scale and do your thing for the next 12 months, rent-free! You can also watch The Day Shaquille O'Neal Came to CreativeCubes.co embedded below: Here is the August Wrap video from CreativeCubes.Co: GUEST OPINION by Ben Pluznyk, Director & Country Manager ANZ, Freshworks : Over the past 10 or so years, IT has become far easier to adopt and deploy than ever before and organisations have reaped the rewards of embracing change and implementing new technologies. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst, making digital transformation not just a priority but an imperative, as businesses across the globe were forced to speed up technology adoption by several years. Achieving digital transformation has proven to be far from straightforward, as we have seen organisations of all types and sizes come up against roadblocks and experience complications. For governments, this task is especially challenging, particularly in light of increasing citizen expectations. But the pandemic has left the public sector with little choice. Its widely accepted that the private sector will always be leaps and bounds ahead of the public sector when it comes to IT. The private sectors digital transformation has outpaced the public sector, which is no surprise given the resources and will to innovate that private companies often have. Its now the year 2022 and many local and federal governments are back in the early 2000s as far as their IT capability is concerned. With digital adoption being far easier to implement and deploy in recent years, the question remains why is the public sector still so far behind? Why is the public sector lagging? While there has been great investment and planning involved in developing and maintaining Australias infrastructure, several factors contribute to the slower speed of digital adoption in the public sector. Public sector leaders are often faced with a lack of integration, cross-team communication, and ageing legacy IT services. This can make it tough to implement digital transformation and, ultimately, impactful change within the community. As government agencies are often tied to short-term objectives aligned to election terms, once you allow for design and investment sign-off, IT teams are operating in less than three-year cycles. Although the Australian government has strong digital initiatives and foundations in place, there are also added pressures in terms of budgetary restraints, skills shortages, lack of resources, and resistance to change. According to McKinsey, applying digital tools to the governments citizen-facing activity and back-office support has the potential to generate annual efficiency gains of four to 15%. This digitisation also has the potential to inform policymaking and increase revenues through advanced analytics. The barriers to digital transformation in the public sector havent changed much in the last few years, but the drivers for transformation have increased significantly, especially since the onset of the pandemic. Three South Australian councils doing it right Public sector organisations have seen huge success in transforming their IT infrastructure and incorporating digital technologies to improve workflow and processes. In 2018, Freshworks formed a partnership with three large metropolitan councils based in Adelaide, the Cities of Charles Sturt (CCS), Marion (COM), and Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE), all with a common goal of contributing effectively to their communities. To align IT infrastructure and increase both collaboration and knowledge-sharing across business functions, the councils of CCS, COM, and PAE replaced their ageing legacy IT systems with Freshservice, Freshworks modern and intuitive IT service management (ITSM). Using Freshservice, the three councils were able to streamline internal operations and deliver an engaging and award-winning employee experience. Since the implementation, the IT team has consistently received positive feedback from employees, largely due to the ease of raising IT requests and subsequent status tracking. Additionally, the team experienced a 10% decrease in phone calls as the comprehensive knowledge base helps employees to find resolutions at ease without contacting IT. They also successfully migrated over 1,500 IT assets, changing the way they work and manage assets. IT teams across the councils can now review and resolve tickets regardless of which council they belong to, facilitating greater knowledge sharing across teams. Looking ahead GUEST RESEARCH: Today, the Secureworks Counter Threat Unit published new research that demonstrates a proof-of-concept exploit of flaws found in Microsofts Azure Active Directory Pass-Through Authentication method. Microsofts Azure Active Directory Pass-Through Authentication (PTA) is one of the Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) hybrid identity authentication methods. The exploitation of these flaws enables threat actors to log in using invalid passwords, gather credentials, perform remote denial of service (DoS) attacks, and maintain persistence for years. Exploitation cant be detected by the target organisation. The research has been published here. Key points: This research highlights the type of risk organisations need to be aware of when using PTA authentication method. A compromised server running PTA agent in the on-premises environment can lead to the compromise of the Azure AD tenant like with Solorigate. However, unlike with Solorigate, compromised PTA allows attackers to gather credentials and perform DoS attacks. Exploitation is based on leveraging a certificate used by PTA agent for identification. After an initial compromise, threat actors can maintain remote persistence for years. Exploitation cant be detected by organisation administrators. Organisation administrators cant disable nor remove compromised PTA agents from Azure AD. As of this date, Microsoft has not given any indication of plans to address these flaws. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. A view of vehicles damaged by the collapse of the facade of a department store during an earthquake in Manzanillo, Mexico, Sept. 19. Reuters-Yonhap A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday on the anniversary of two devastating temblors, killing at least two people, damaging buildings, knocking out power and sending residents of Mexico City scrambling outside for safety. Two died in the Pacific port of Manzanillo, authorities said, one crushed by the facade of a department store while another was found dead at a mall. Videos on social media showed the roof of the mall collapsed into the top floor, a gym, as people yelled for help. Authorities also reported damage to several hospitals in the western state of Michoacan near the epicenter, which was in a sparsely populated part of Mexico. One person was injured by falling glass at one of the hospitals, the government said. The quake hit shortly after 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) near Mexico's west coast and close to Michoacan's border with the state of Colima where major port Manzanillo is located, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. Fireghters take part in an earthquake drill at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City on Sept. 19, as Mexico marks the anniversaries of the 1985 and 2017 deadly earthquakes. AFP-Yonhap It was relatively shallow, at only 15 km (9 miles) deep, which would have amplified its impact. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas, saying waves reaching 1 to 3 meters (3 to 9 feet) above the tide level were possible. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said there were no immediate reports of major damage in the capital after the quake struck, which rumbled through Mexico on the same day as destructive earthquakes battered the country in 1985 and 2017. "It seems like a curse," Isa Montes, a 34-year-old graphic designer in the city's central Roma neighborhood, said of the quake's timing as helicopters flew overhead, surveying the city. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of the country's most prestigious seats of higher learning, said there was no scientific explanation for three major quakes on the same day and attributed it to pure coincidence. Rescue teams members carry a person as they participate in an earthquake drill on the anniversary of the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes, on a street in Mexico City, Mexico Sept. 19. Reuters-Yonhap But others could not quite believe it. "It's this date. There's something about the 19th," said Ernesto Lanzetta, a business owner in the Cuauhtemoc borough of the city. "The 19th is a day to be feared." Thousands of people were killed in the Sept. 19, 1985 earthquake and more than 350 died in the Sept. 19, 2017 quake. Many Mexicans reacted to the latest quake by posting an array of memes online venting their anxiety and finding humor in the natural disaster. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also noted material damage near the epicenter. Images posted on social media showed buildings badly damaged. Mexican authorities said the seismic alert had sounded nearly two minutes before the quake struck, giving residents time to evacuate. Still, some people in the capital struggled to grasp it was a real quake as the government had already sounded the alarm earlier in the day as a practice exercise commemorating the past earthquakes on the same day. Fireghters take part in an earthquake drill at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City on Sept. 19, as Mexico marks the anniversaries of the 1985 and 2017 deadly earthquakes. AFP-Yonhap In Coalcoman, Michoacan, not far from the epicenter, pictures showed shingles knocked off homes and building walls cracked by the force of the quake. In one store, merchandise was scattered across the floor. Power was knocked out in parts of the trendy Roma neighborhood in Mexico City, some 400 km (250 miles) from the epicenter. The national power utility said outages hit 1.2 million users. Roma residents stood on the streets cradling pets, while tourists visiting a local market with a guide were visibly confused and upset. Traffic lights stopped working, and people clutched their phones, sending text messages or waiting for calls to get through. Clara Ferri, who owns an Italian bookshop in Roma, said she told a customer to get out as soon as she heard the windows rattle, her senses attuned to the sounds of incipient earthquakes after 16 years in the location. "It was like the dentist's drill for me," she said. The rumbling grew in intensity, and as Ferri gathered with neighbors at an intersection, she looked up to see the eight-story building that houses her shop sway from side to side. When she returned, shelves had toppled like dominos, sending over 1,000 books into heaps on the floor. Officials roped off the sidewalk, which was littered with masonry that appeared to have fallen off the building. Residents trickled out with pets and suitcases, preparing to spend the night elsewhere, and a woman carefully escorted her 89-year-old uncle in his blue-and-white striped pajamas. (Reuters) Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday said he will soon make a decision on further relaxing coronavirus restrictions, as residents and businesses decry quarantine rules that have kept the finance hub cut off for more than two years. "We will make a decision soon and announce to the public," chief executive John Lee told reporters. "We want to be connected with the different places in the world. We would like to have an orderly opening up," he added. Lee's comments came as a senior Chinese official also signaled support for an easing of the curbs during a rare briefing. "It's normal for the Hong Kong government to adjust and improve Hong Kong's anti-epidemic measures accordingly," Huang Liuquan, deputy director of China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing. Hong Kong has adhered to a version of China's strict zero-COVID rules throughout the pandemic, battering the economy and deepening the city's brain drain as rival business hubs reopen. Lee, a Beijing-anointed former security chief, took office in July and vowed to reopen the city while keeping cases low. He reduced hotel quarantine from seven to three days but has faced a growing chorus of criticism from residents, business organizations and health experts saying he should go further. (AFP) Strong appeal to foreign companies sustained by unwavering opening-up Xinhua) 16:17, September 20, 2022 BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's attractiveness to foreign enterprises has strengthened over the past decade as a result of wider market opening and an improving business environment, and it will continue to serve as the land of opportunity in a world beset by uncertainty and volatility. U.S. carmaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory hit a new milestone as its 1 millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line in mid-August. German chemical giant BASF recently put into operation the first batch of plants of its Verbund site in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province. The site, with a total investment of 10 billion euros (about 10 billion U.S. dollars), will be the largest single investment by a German enterprise in China. Leading global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced plans to set up regional headquarters of AstraZeneca China in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Vigorous efforts by multinationals this year to expand their presence in China's markets further indicate that the country remains a preferred investment destination. After reaching a record high volume in 2021, foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, went up 20.2 percent year on year to 138.41 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months. Wang Xiaohong, with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, attributed China's strong appeal to global businesses to the country's solid progress in building an open economy. In 2013, China set up its first pilot free trade zone in Shanghai, a testbed of new opening-up policies. After five rounds of expansion, China now has 21 such zones. The country's negative list for foreign investment has been shortened for five consecutive years since 2017, and laws and regulations, including the Foreign Investment Law, were put into force to step up protection for foreign investors. China's business environment has continued to improve with its ease of doing business ranking ascending to 31 from 91 in 2012, according to a World Bank report. As China steadily expanded institutional opening-up and actively fostered a market-oriented and law-based international business environment, foreign investors were able to enjoy more opportunities. For example, in 2018, the country removed restrictions on foreign investment in new energy vehicles. Shortly afterward, Tesla established its Gigafactory, the first wholly foreign-owned car manufacturing enterprise in China, which started construction in early 2019 and delivered its first batch of made-in-China vehicles within a year. Going forward, China's commitment to reform and opening-up will remain unshakable. Han Wenxiu, an official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said China will make use of its super-large market, expand high-level opening-up, and promote the "dual circulation" of domestic and international markets. The 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services that concluded in Beijing two weeks ago is the latest example of the country's efforts in promoting cooperation and opening-up. Over 7,800 companies joined the trade fair online and more than 2,400 enterprises took part on-site, making it a fruitful event with 1,339 projects and contracts inked. In November, Shanghai will host the fifth China International Import Expo, which will bring together over 280 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. Despite a growing trend of deglobalization, China has been forging ahead with opening-up and taking concrete steps to share its development dividends, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to mutual benefits and win-win cooperation, Wang said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Today Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny. High near 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Tigrayan authorities "have always maintained" that Ethiopia's government was responsible for crimes against humanity in Tigray, a spokesman for the rebels said Monday after UN investigators accused Addis Ababa of war crimes. "We have always maintained that," Getachew Reda, a spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front, told AFP in response to Monday's announcement by the Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia that accused Addis Ababa of committing atrocities in the conflict-torn northern region. The commission said it had found evidence of a wide range of violations in the country by all sides since fighting erupted nearly two years ago between forces loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the TPLF. The commission, created by the UN Human Rights Council last year and made up of three independent rights experts, said it had "reasonable grounds to believe that, in several instances, these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity". The two sides had agreed to a tentative truce in March but fresh clashes last month dashed hopes of possible peace talks, with the commission warning that the resumption of fighting also raised the risk of "further atrocity crimes". Getachew said the TPLF agreed with "most of" the conclusions reached by the commission but did not elaborate further. The experts highlighted the horrifying situation in rebel-held Tigray, where access to basic services remains severely limited and restrictions on humanitarian aid have left 90 percent of the population in dire need of assistance. In a statement, commission chair Kaari Betty Murungi described the humanitarian crisis in Tigray as "shocking, both in terms of scale and duration". "The widespread denial and obstruction of access to basic services, food, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance is having a devastating impact on the civilian population, and we have reasonable grounds to believe it amounts to a crime against humanity," she said. "We also have reasonable grounds to believe that the Federal Government is using starvation as a method of warfare," she added, calling on the government to "immediately restore basic services and ensure full and unfettered humanitarian access". Murungi also called on Tigrayan forces to "ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to operate without impediment". Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court for the Khmer Rouge will hand down its final judgment this week. The tribunal -- set up to prosecute the leaders of Cambodia's genocidal ultra-communist 1970s regime -- is set to wind down after giving its verdict in the appeal by former head of state Khieu Samphan. Here is a timeline of key events surrounding the court, formally known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia: June 1997: Cambodia's government asks the United Nations for help bringing the leaders of the Khmer Rouge -- which wiped out millions of people during its 1975-79 rule -- to justice. May 1999: Cambodian authorities arrest Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, for his role as head of the S-21 torture interrogation centre. June 2003: After tough negotiations, the UN and Cambodia agree to an international tribunal. September 2007: "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea is arrested. November 2007: Former head of state Khieu Samphan is arrested. Ex-Khmer Rouge social affairs minister Ieng Thirith is also arrested along with husband Ieng Sary. February 2009: Duch's trial, the first at the court, begins. March 2009: Duch admits responsibility for his crimes and asks for forgiveness. He later asks to be acquitted on the grounds he was not a senior regime leader. July 2010: Duch is sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. His sentence is reduced by five years after the court rules Duch had been illegally detained. September 2010: The regime's top four surviving members -- Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith and Khieu Samphan -- are indicted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. March 2011: Duch's lawyers call for his acquittal at an appeal hearing, arguing he was only following orders. Prosecutors demand a harsher sentence, saying Duch lacks remorse. June 2011: The court's second trial -- involving the regime's top four surviving members -- officially opens. November 17, 2011: Judges halt proceedings against Ieng Thirith, saying she is unfit for trial because she has been diagnosed with dementia. November 21, 2011: The court hears opening statements in the case against Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan. February 2012: Duch's sentence is increased to life imprisonment. September 2012: The release of Ieng Thirith is ordered on the grounds she is unfit to stand trial. March 2013: Ieng Sary dies in hospital at the age of 87 while still facing charges of genocide and war crimes. The court is urged to hurry up its work. October 2013: Prosecutors demand life imprisonment for Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan over the forced evacuation of Cambodians into rural labour camps and murders at one execution site. July 2014: Second trial begins against Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan on charges including genocide of Vietnamese people and ethnic Muslims, forced marriages and rape. August 2014: Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan are sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity. September 2014: Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan appeal against their convictions. October 2014: Genocide trial of Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan -- relating to mass murder of ethnic Vietnamese and Cham Muslims -- begins. August 2015: Ieng Thirith dies at the age of 83. June 2017: Khieu Samphan angrily denies genocide charges at the close of his second trial. November 2018: Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are found guilty of genocide -- the first such ruling by the tribunal. Both are sentenced to life imprisonment. August 2019: Nuon Chea dies aged 93. September 2020: Duch dies aged 77. August 2021: Khieu Samphan -- the sole surviving senior Khmer Rouge leader -- begins his appeal against his genocide conviction. Unlike neighbouring regions or courts in Ukaines capital city, where cases against adjusters [someones whoshelped direct the enemys fire], collaborators or Russian military accused of war crimes are heard, currently in the central region of Kirovohradmost of the proceedings concern Internet support of Russia's actions that is, the dissemination of various pro-Russian calls and posts on social networks that violate Ukrainian legislation. And in 100% of the cases we analyzed they ended with suspended sentences. Between March and July, the courts of Kirovohrad region passed sentences in 12 cases of support of the Russian attack, most of them under Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants) which entered into force on March 16, 2022. All defendants signed plea agreements and received suspended sentences without confiscation of property. Only in two cases which, by the way, were heard by the same judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Kropyvnytskyi the accused were imposed additional "creative" obligations such as reading the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian literature of national-patriotic nature. As a result, two people were sentenced to 5 years in prison (suspended) with a probationary period of 3 years; the rest received from 2 to 4 years in prison (suspended) with a probation period sentence of 1 to 3 years. Most defendants are people of retirement age who used social networks "Odnoklassniki" and "VKontakte", which are banned in Ukraine, and who subscribed to pro-Russian propaganda groups. Some of them are also Russian citizens. In most cases, they acted of their own free will, guided by their beliefs. At least, there is no evidence in the case files that they acted on the order of Russian agents or the like. Minor crimes This is for instance the case of a man who was found guilty of the crime of justifying the Russian aggression in a June 28 judgment by the Vilshany District Court. According to the case file, the man has Russian citizenship and is a native of Masly village, Kilmez district, Kirov region, Russia. The investigation found that he had been systematically spreading Russian propaganda narratives on his Odnoklassniki page since October 2021. For example, in October, he posted a photo with the text: "Crimea managed to return to Russia 6 months before the start of the implementation of secret agreements between Ukraine and the United States on the permanent deployment of 3 US military bases in Crimea - naval, aviation and land. Hence the furious reaction of the US and NATO, and the sanctions. Crimea has not become American." According to the court-appointed expert, this post justifies the occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine. During February-March, the man was repeatedly sharing posts that, the expert found, justified Russian aggression. In particular, in March he posted a photo of a soldier in the uniform of the Russian Armed Forces and the Latin letter "Z" in the colours of the "St. George's ribbon" [The black and orange striped Georgian ribbon is associated in Ukraine with Russian nationalism and militarism] and the Russian flag banned in Ukraine with the signature "1945-2022" and the text: "Russian soldier is again liberating Europe from fascism." In the judgment, the court approved the plea agreement and sentenced him to imprisonment for a term of four years without confiscation of property. But the accused was released from serving the sentence, with a probation period of one year. Guilty pleas The court clarified that the violation committed by the accused belongs to minor crimes. There is no victim in the case file, and the damage was caused only to the public interest. As stated in the agreement and during the trial, the parties concluded the agreement taking into account the public interest in ensuring a speedy trial, as well as the active assistance of the accused in the disclosure and investigation of the criminal offense. The court also took into account the sincere repentance of the accused and the fact that he had no criminal background. A previously unconvicted native of Kazakhstan, who has Ukrainian citizenship, received punishment under the same article on glorification. According to the June 17 judgment of the Kirov District Court of Kropyvnytskyi, during March-April, the accused posted the following publications on his Odnoklassniki page: "I support the President's decision! I am for the fight against Nazism in Ukraine! #save Donbass", "Russian soldier are freeing Europe from fascism again", "24.02.2022. Special military operation. We will support him in his fight against the brown plague in Ukraine", "Russia liberates Ukraine". Court experts confirmed that these statements contain justification of Russian aggression. The case file includes a positive review on the accused. The court also took into account the repentance and assistance in solving the crime and approved the plea agreement. As a result, the man received a sentence of imprisonment for a term of four years (suspended) without confiscation of property with a probation period of two years. The judgment also states that the physical evidence, including a business card with the inscription "Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation" must be returned to the accused. Repentant? On July 14, the Svitlovodsk City District Court approved a plea agreement with a local resident on glorification of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. As stated in the case file, the woman subscribed to many pro-Russian groups in Odnoklassniki, from where she circulated materials on her page that justified Russia's attack. Many of the materials she distributed concerned condolences to dead Russian soldiers involved in the war against Ukraine, glorification of the so-called "heroes" and their "feats" of liberation from "Nazis", the way Russian propaganda calls Ukrainians. The court found the woman guilty and sentenced her to 4 years imprisonment (suspended) with a probation period of 2 years. Again, the court took into account her repentance and assistance in solving the crime. The case file contains a link to the profile in "Odnoklassniki" where, according to the investigation, she posted the mentioned materials. From this profile, in August-September it appeared she liked the posts of Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, Patriarch Kirill, and posts congratulating Russian actor Fyodor Dobronravov, known for his visit to the annexed Crimea. Bad history On June 16, a pensioner from the village of Buznykuvate in the former Vilshany district was sentenced for encroachment on territorial integrity. The case file mentions that the man has a higher education, yet he has his own interpretation of history. During February-March, he posted a number of posts with Russian propaganda slogans on his Facebook page. One of the videos he posted claimed that Ukrainian cities were founded by Russian figures and that Ukraine does not exist. Statements such as "Russian cities in Ukraine. The truth you need to know. Kharkiv is a Russian city. It was founded in the 1630s. Little Russians fleeing from the Poles from the right bank of the Dnipro River settled there..." Court experts assessed these historical claims as encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The man also distributed symbols of illegal terrorist groups such as "LDPR" [The separatists members and authorities of Luhansk Peoples Republic and Donetsk Peoples Republic in Eastern Ukraine] supported by Russia, and posts calling to bring Russian troops to Kharkiv region. The court approved the plea agreement and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment (suspended) without confiscation of property except for the accuseds mobile phone - with a probation period of two years. More pros than cons As verdicts show, repentance as a mitigating factor in the form of a suspended sentence is a rather general concept, even if the sincerity of the accused is difficult to verify. "The purpose of the [plea] agreement and this instrument in general, [works] as a compromise, expressed in the mitigation of the punishment of the accused if he pleads guilty, [while] ensuring procedural economy [by] reducing the procedure of trial and pre-trial investigation," explains Yevhen Vorobiov, a criminal lawyer with the NGO "Human Rights Platform". In Ukraine, the investigation and the trial can last for years. A quick resolution allows to reduce the waste of time, labor and resources from the state budget. And the legislation allows for plea bargaining in cases of minor crimes. "The agreement itself may carry corruption risks. During the negotiations, the parties are actually already conducting an informal trial, agreeing on the question of why they need this agreement and how it is more profitable than a full pre-trial and trial, says Vorobiov. However, it has more pros than cons. The prosecutor who feels he has insufficient evidence base, thanks to this tool can achieve the punishment of the person; and the accused is also interested because there is no need to play with fate: what decision will be made by the court? Thus, it saves time, money, human resources, plus meets the goals of the state - punishment of the person." This report is part of a series on war crimes, produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on Gre4ka.info website. Cambodia's UN-backed Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal gave its final verdict on Thursday, upholding the genocide conviction against former head of state Khieu Samphan. The 91-year-old, who served as the communist regime's head of state, was also convicted of multiple crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment for the offence. Here's what we know about the Khmer Rouge: - Who were they? - The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under the leadership of "Brother Number One" Pol Pot -- a charismatic intellectual who had studied in France. The movement started in the northeastern jungles of the kingdom, where Pol Pot recruited supporters and waged guerrilla warfare against the repressive governments of Cambodia of the time. On April 17, 1975, Khmer Rouge troops marched into Phnom Penh, toppling the US-backed dictatorship of General Lon Nol -- who had staged a coup against Prince Norodom Sihanouk. Declaring it "Year Zero", Pol Pot aimed to reset -- or "cleanse" -- Cambodian culture in order to build an agrarian utopia. Millions of Phnom Penh residents were ordered to leave their homes and trek to the countryside, forced to work in labour camps. During its almost four-year grip on the country, more than two million Cambodians -- nearly a quarter of the kingdom's population -- died from mass executions, starvation and overwork. - What did they do? - The Khmer Rouge demanded unquestioning loyalty to "Angkar" -- which translates to "the organisation" in Khmer -- and ties to anyone deemed "impure" were dangerous. Intellectuals, former civil servants and members of the police and armed forces often fell into the "impure" category, while ethnic minorities -- including Vietnamese and Cham Muslims -- were also systematically targeted. Strong familial bonds were also considered a betrayal to "Angkar", and relatives were encouraged to report on each other. Tens of thousands of men and women were also forced to marry and consummate the unions -- under threat of death -- in order to boost the population. Towards the end of the regime, the Khmer Rouge devoured its own ranks with repeated purges, driven by paranoia from the leadership that the revolution's enemies were hidden within. - Who supported them? - The regime's biggest backer was China, which pledged a billion dollars in aid to Pol Pot, Sebastian Strangio, author of "In the Dragon's Shadow" and "Hun Sen's Cambodia", has told AFP. The US also indirectly helped bolster the ranks of the Khmer Rouge, as carpet-bombings in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos bred resentment among locals against the Western superpower. After the Khmer Rouge was ousted by Vietnamese-backed troops in 1979 it received some backing from the United States, which saw it as a check on communist Hanoi. - What was the role of PM Hun Sen? - Currently Asia's longest-serving leader, Hun Sen rose through the ranks of the Khmer Rouge to become battalion commander before fleeing the country for Vietnam in 1977 to escape one of the many internal purges. Local history books play down the role he played during the Khmer Rouge's rule, but credit him with leading Vietnamese troops into the country to oust Pol Pot on January 7, 1979. Attempts to investigate the role of other individuals have been restricted by the current government, which contains several former Khmer Rouge members. Hun Sen has said he wants the UN-backed tribunal to only investigate the regime's top echelon, warning that opening further cases would plunge the country into instability. - What justice has there been? - Launched in 2006, the tribunal -- which cost more than $330 million -- convicted just three people. The regime's chief interrogator Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was the first to face judgment and his testimony revealed aspects of the secretive regime that were not previously known to the public. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012. The other two convicted were Nuon Chea, "Brother Number Two" and chief ideologue of the regime, and Khieu Samphan, the former head of state who served as the Khmer Rouge's public face to the world. Critics have castigated interference by the government and the pace of proceedings. But that there was a tribunal at all remains "a victory of sorts", Robert Carmichael, author of "When Clouds Fell From the Sky", chronicling Duch's trial, told AFP. "A judicial process then, while far from perfect, is better than nothing." Venezuela's intelligence agencies are committing crimes against humanity as part of a plan orchestrated at the highest level of government to repress dissent, UN experts said Tuesday. A team tasked with probing alleged violations in Venezuela said it had uncovered how members of intelligence services implemented orders by President Nicolas Maduro and others in a scheme to stifle opposition. "In doing so, grave crimes and human rights violations are being committed, including acts of torture and sexual violence," Marta Valinas, chair of the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, said in a statement. The mission, which was created by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2019, already warned in its first report two years ago that Maduro and top government ministers were behind likely crimes against humanity. And the situation has not improved since then, according to the mission, which will face a council vote in early October on whether it can continue its work. "Venezuela is still facing a profound human rights crisis," Valins said. - Maduro 'selecting targets' - In its latest report, the mission members delved into the chains of command, and how intelligence services were instrumentalised to quash opposing voices. "President Nicolas Maduro, supported by other high-level authorities, stand out as the main architects in the design, implementation and maintenance of a machinery with the purpose of repressing dissent," the report said. It pointed to how Maduro himself and others in his inner circle were in some cases involved in "selecting targets" for detention by intelligence agents, including political opponents. The mission -- which has never been granted access to Venezuela -- based its findings on nearly 250 confidential interviews, as well as analysis of legal documents. It said it had documented 122 cases of victims who were subjected to torture, sexual violence and/or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" by agents with the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). "Torture was carried out in its Boleita headquarters in Caracas and in a network of covert detention centres across the country, it said. - Sexual violence as torture - The mission said it had also investigated at least 51 cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) since 2014. These cases included "opposition politicians, journalists, protesters, and human rights defenders," it said, adding that most of the abuse had taken place in the El Helicoide detention centre in Caracas. Former SEBIN employees had told the investigators that in some cases, "torture was ordered directly by President Maduro," the report said, listing torture methods including electric shocks, asphyxiation and stress positions. "Both SEBIN and DGCIM made extensive use of sexual and gender-based violence to torture and humiliate its detainees," the mission said. The experts lamented that Venezuelan authorities had failed to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable. "The human rights violations by state intelligence agencies, orchestrated at the highest political levels, have taken place in a climate of almost complete impunity," mission member Francisco Cox said in the statement. - 'Deeply troubling' - In a separate report Tuesday, the mission also focused on rights abuses against local populations in gold mining areas of Venezuela's southern Bolvar state. "Both state and non-state actors have committed human rights violations and crimes against the local population in the struggle for control over mining areas," it said, pointing to killings, disappearances, extortion and sexual violence. The experts lamented that the authorities had not only failed to prevent and investigate such abuses, but appeared to have actively colluded with non-state actors in parts of the region. Mission member Patricia Tappata Valdez described the situation in Bolivar as "deeply troubling." "Local populations, including indigenous peoples, are caught in the violent battle between state and armed criminal groups for the control of gold." BENSALEM, Pa., Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The law firm of Howard G. Smith is reminding investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the shareholders of the following public companies. Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff filing. Investors who experience losses on their investments are advised to contact the law firm of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in these class action lawsuits at 888-638-4847 or by email at [email protected]. Weber Inc. WEBR Class Period: August 2021 IPO Deadline for lead plaintiff: September 27, 2022 The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) that Weber was reasonably likely to make price increases; (2) that, as a result, consumer demand for Webers products would likely decrease; (3) that due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber would likely run promotions to improve retail sales; (4) that the foregoing would adversely affect Webers financial results; and (5) that as a result of the foregoing, defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked any reasonable basis. Carvana Co. CVNA Class Period: May 6, 2020 June 24, 2022 Deadline for lead plaintiff: October 3, 2022 The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose the following: (1) Carvana experienced serious and ongoing documentation, registration and title issues with many of its vehicles; (2) as a result, Carvana issued temporary license plates with unusual frequency; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana has violated laws and regulations in many existing markets; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana risked its ability to continue and/or expand its business in existing markets; (5) as a result of A US judge on Monday overturned the conviction of a man who served more than 20 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend a case that received global attention thanks to hit podcast Serial. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn reversed the conviction of Adnan Syed, 42, who has been serving a life sentence since 2000 for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Phinn ordered Syed, who appeared in court in a white shirt and kippah, to be released immediately on his own in the interests of justice and fairness. Lees body was found in a shallow grave in the woods of Baltimore, Maryland, in February 1999. The 18-year-old had been strangled. Syed has steadfastly maintained his innocence, but his multiple appeals have been rejected, including by the US Supreme Court, which declined to hear his case in 2019. Last week, Baltimore City District Attorney Marilyn Mosby surprisingly announced that she had asked a judge to vacate Syeds conviction while further investigations are conducted. Assistant prosecutor Becky Feldman told the judge Monday that the decision was prompted by the discovery of new information about two alternative suspects and the unreliability of the cellphone data used to convict Syed. The state has lost faith in the integrity of its beliefs, Feldman said. We need to make sure were holding the right person accountable. We will continue our investigation, she said, promising to do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family. Prosecutors now have 30 days to either file new charges or dismiss the case. Syeds case garnered global attention when it was picked up by Serial, a weekly podcast where a US journalist reviewed his conviction and cast doubt on his guilt. His case was also the subject of a four-part documentary on the HBO channel called The Case Against Adnan Syed. The Serial podcast a blend of investigative journalism, first-person narration and dramatic storytelling focused on Syeds story in its first season in 12 compelling episodes. Both Syed and Lee were high school honor students and children from immigrant families he Pakistani, she South Korean who had kept their relationship secret from their conservative parents. At least 11 schoolchildren died in an airstrike and gunfire at a village in Myanmar, the UN Childrens Agency said, an attack the countrys junta said was aimed at rebels hiding in the area. Myanmar has been in chaos since the military seized power in a coup last February. According to a local monitoring group, nearly 2,300 civilians were killed in a crackdown on dissidents. The Sagaing region in the north-west of the country has seen some of the fiercest fighting, with entire villages burned to the ground in clashes between anti-coup militants and the military. The United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, condemned Fridays incident in Depeyin township in Sagaing. On September 16, at least 11 children died in an airstrike and indiscriminate fire in civilian areas, UNICEF said in a statement released Monday. It states that schools must be safe and must never be attacked. At least 15 children from the same school are still missing, UNICEF said, calling for their immediate safe release. Video footage obtained by a local community group shows a classroom with blood on the floor, damage to the roof and a mother weeping over her sons dead body. The junta confirmed it had sent troops to the village in helicopters after receiving a tip that fighters from the Kachin Independence Army an ethnic rebel group and a local anti-coup militia were moving weapons in the area. The military accused the rebel fighters of using civilians as human shields and said it had confiscated mines and explosives from the village. Hassan Noor, regional director of Save the Children Asia, sent his condolences to the families and said schools should be off-limits and student safety protected. How many more incidents like this have to happen before action is taken? Noor said, urging the UN Security Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to act quickly. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Representative plaintiffs in the Band Reparations class action, shishalh Nation and Tkemlups te Secwepemc, today announced the adjournment of the Band Reparations litigation to allow for its conclusion Settlement talks with Canada. Canada and the representative plaintiffs are currently finalizing the details of a settlement agreement that would resolve the Band class claims. The class action lawsuit concerns the collective harm suffered by Indigenous communities as a result of Canadas role in Indias boarding school system. Because this is a class action, any proposed settlement agreement will not be completed until approved by the federal court after a settlement approval hearing, which will not be heard for several months. The next steps are as follows: In the coming weeks, Canada and representative plaintiffs will conduct further negotiations on the terms of a proposed settlement agreement. If a proposed settlement agreement is reached, representative plaintiffs will notify all 326 group members and the public of the full details of the proposed settlement agreement. If a proposed settlement agreement is executed, the federal court will hold a settlement approval hearing to determine whether the proposed settlement agreement is fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the Group. At the settlement approval hearing, members of the 326-band class will have an opportunity to voice their views on the proposed settlement. For more information, please contact the Band Class attorneys at [email protected] or by phone at 1-888-370-1045. Kim Tae Ri joins a few South Korean beauties who were given the title of the most photogenic star of the year. In a report, the Korea Online Press Photographers Association (KOPA) organized an annual event that honors exquisite visuals of particular individuals. Kim Tae Ri Named the Most Photogenic Star of the Year Held in Seoul on September 19, the 2022 KOPA & Nikon Press Photo Awards with Chairman So Hee Jung and sponsored by Nikon Imaging Korea has chosen Kim Tae Ri as this year's Most Photogenic Star. The actress joins AOA's Seolhyun, Son Ye Jin, Jung Ryeo Won, Han Ji Min, Han Ye Seul, and Park Bo Young who were also given the same title. At the event, Kim Tae Ri stunned the audience with her regal beauty, donning a light brown suit, and was seen holding a portrait of her that made her score the Most Photogenic Star of the year. According to the outlet, the award-winning actress says that she is honored and "grateful" for scoring such recognition. Actress Kim Tae Ri was selected as Photogenic of the Year by photographers in 2022 KOPA & Nikon Press Photo Awards pic.twitter.com/xVhPdH4QyU Touche by Tae Ri (@taeri_yeosin) September 19, 2022 Moreover, she promised to continue to work hard and thanked those whom she worked with "with a warm and grateful heart." With her undeniable beauty, Kim Tae Ri lands various endorsements from fashion, beauty brands, and more. The actress has been selected by major furniture brand, ILOOM as their muse as well as the clothing brand POLHAM with "Little Forest" co-star Ryu Joon Yeol. Adding to the list of Kim Tae Ri's endorsements, the 32-year-old actress has been selected as the newest ambassador for Prada back in 2021. The South Korean star showed off stunning pieces from the brand's Spring-Summer 2022 collection live show. Interestingly, Kim Tae Ri joins top celebrities like K-pop idols, Irene from Red Velvet and Chanyeol from EXO as the Italian luxury fashion house's global ambassador. Kim Tae Ri to Star in Thriller-Mystery K-drama 'The Demon' The 32-year-old actress rose to fame through her breakthrough performance in the 2016 film "The Handmaiden" together with Kim Min Hee, Jo Jin Woong, and "Narco-Saints" star Ha Jung Woo. At the time, she was chosen among the 1,500 candidates who auditioned for the role of Nam Sook Hee, the handmaiden for the Japanese heiress. From then on, all eyes are now on Kim Tae Ri and her remarkable performance as an actress. She once again gained the attention of the viewers through the 2018 K-drama "Mr. Sunshine" with veteran actor Lee Byung Hun. Kim Rae Ri continued to deliver show-stopping projects from K-drama like the rom-com "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" with Nam Joo Hyuk followed by her comeback movie "Space Sweepers" alongside Song Joong Ki and the recently premiered sci-fi movie "Alien" with Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Woo Bin and more. Interestingly, viewers will get to see Kim Tae Ri on the small screen through the upcoming thriller mystery "The Demon" and will be working alongside "It's Okay to Not be Okay" star Oh Jung Se. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Tae Ri Talks About Na Hee Do + Reveals Why It's Her Dream to Work With 'Alien' Director KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills In "Blind" Episode 2, Ryu Sung Jun (Ok Taecyeon) was stabbed while trying to save Jo Eun Gi (Jung Eun Ji), who was held hostage by a fugitive. Want to know more about what happened in "Blind" Episode 2? Then read on. 'Blind' Episode 2: Jung Man Chun Declares Guilty for Joker Murder Case As the trial to uncover the truth of the Joker murder case progressed, the prosecutor summoned detective Ryu as a witness following the shocking revelation of Jung Man Chun (Jeon Jin Woo), a leading suspect in the case. Ryu Sung Jun appeared as a witness and presented a number of pieces of evidence to confirm the charges, including the motive, materials, and signatures left at the crime scene, and the mood of the court leaned toward Man Chun as the mastermind. Jo Eun Gi, who was part of the jury, was concerned about the suspect's earnest appeal. In the end, Jung Man Chun was sentenced to life imprisonment, and even attacked judge Ryu Sung Hoon (Ha Seok Jin) for imposing such punishment on him. After the chaotic trial, Sung Hoon and Sung Jun went home and talked about the trial process. Sung Hoon, who has always felt anxious about his younger brother's violent tendencies, recalled Jung Man Chun, who pointed out his brother as the real culprit, and asked Sung Jun a suspicious question if he really committed the crime. Sung Jun, on the other hand, was greatly hurt by his brother's words as he has no trust in him. Ryu Sung Jun Risks Life To Save Jo Eun Gi On the same day, an accident occurred in the vehicle escorting Man Chun, and a new crisis arose as he took off his handcuffs and escaped. The jury was unaware of what happened to the suspect. Later, it was revealed that Man Chun took part in the address book containing the personal information of the jury members Jo Eun Gi and Yeom Hye Jin (Baek Seung Hee), and the sense of crisis soared. It was a puzzle about which way Man Chun will be headed between Eun Gi and Hye Jin. Jo Eun Ji was feeling anxious and searched everywhere as soon as she arrived home, but she didn't find Man Chun hiding in the dark and eventually became his hostage. Ryu Sung Jun, who arrived at the scene of the hostage, immediately subdued Jung Man Chun and rescued Jo Eun Gi, but he was stabbed with a knife and collapsed. Ryu Sung Jun Remembers the Guy Named Yoon Jae While Sung Jun was receiving treatment, Man Chun was threatened by Baek Moon Kang (Kim Pub Lae) of the bereaved family. The culprit who was driven to death confessed to the whole crime and said that there was someone he made contact with that helped him. The guy is named Jung Yoon Jae. Mr. Baek, who remembered the name, panicked, which gave curiosity to the viewers. Meanwhile, Ryu Sung Jun fell into a panic when he remembered his childhood memory and the person named Yoon Jae. The mysterious name is raising a lot of speculation as to what kind of connection there is between Ryu Sung Jun. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Blind' Episode 1: Ok Taecyeon Accused As Culprit of Joker Murder Case What can you say about "Blind" episode 2? Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 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. Red Velvet's Joy and Choo Young Woo felt guilty after giving a young boy complicated love advice in "Once Upon a Small Town" episode 7. On the other hand, the city-based doctor finally recalled his connection with the female officer. Cast and Where to Watch 'Once Upon a Small Town'? Helmed by "Bossam: Steal the Fate" director Kwon Seok Jang, "Once Upon a Small Town" is a feel-good K-drama that follows the story of a Seoul-based veterinarian, Han Ji Yul (Choo Young Woo) who temporarily moves to the countryside and reunited with his childhood friend, Ahn Ja Young (Red Velvet's Joy.) The 16-part episode series airs every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday via Kakao TV and Netflix for subtitles. 'Once Upon a Small Town' Episode 7 Recap: Ahn Ja Young Bothered By Han Ji Yul's Confession The rom-com series began with Ahn Ja Young being comforted by his senior colleague who is also like a father to her. The senior officer tells Ja Young that something is bothering her. He thinks that it is either the veterinarian, Han Ji Yul, or her childhood friend Lee Sang Hyun (Baek Sung Chul.) As for Ahn Ja Young, it's obviously what Han Ji Yul said after he mentioned that he finally recognized who she was. Han Ji Yul and Ahn Ja Young Give Love Advice to Kim Seon Dong In "Once Upon a Small Town" episode 7, a young girl sought help from Han Ji Yul after her rabbit seemed to be sick. Thankfully it wasn't severe and advised the girl not to feed the bunny any human food. At this point, Han Ji Yul noticed that his young neighbor Kim Seon Dong was upset about something. He later revealed that he and his female friend had a fight and won't talk to him. Surprisingly, the young boy asked Han Ji Yul for advice regarding relationships. As for the doctor, he tells the kid to give her time and talk to her when the emotions mellow down. On his way home, Officer Ahn sees the kid looking pretty unhappy. He also asked the same thing to Ahn Ja Young but got a different answer. For the officer, he needs to apologize and show that he regrets his action. The next day, Han Ji Yul saw Kim Seon Dong crying and mentioned that he and Ahn Ja Young ruined everything. His female friend thinks that he is mocking her after Kim Seon Dong took Han Ji Yul's advice of not talking to her and followed Ahn Ja Young to constantly apologize to the person. At this point, Han Ji Yul explained that he needs to leave her alone for a short period of time and not bother her since she might be emotional given that her bunny is still at the vet. However, Kim Seon Dong's female friend returns to the veterinary hospital and tells the doctor that he is missing. The police, including Ahn Ja Young and Han Ji Yul, searched the whole village to find Kim Seon Dong. Lucky, he was at the waiting shed and received the good news that her friend is concerned about his well-being. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Aydin Coban is shown in this handout photo from the time of his arrest by Dutch police, entered into an exhibit at his trial in British Columbia Supreme Court in New Westminster. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-DUTCH POLICE **MANDATORY CREDIT** In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Alok Mukherjee, chair of a panel of experts conducting a review of the Thunder Bay Police Service, is pictured here in 2012 as the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board. The Thunder Bay panel is recommending more Indigenous representation at top positions on Thunder Bay Police Service and the board overseeing it. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel A Vancouver Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform in Vancouver, on Saturday, January 9, 2021. An Amber Alert has been issued for a three-year-old boy who Vancouver police say was abducted from BC Children's Hospital.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Medical professionals want to provide the best possible outcomes for their patients. For three Froedtert South surgeons this means sharing their expertise in the latest technology with peers well beyond the borders of Kenosha County. For the past few years Dr. Goya Raikar, Dr. Majed Jandali and Dr. Mustafa Badrudduja, have been successfully utilizing robotics to perform procedures at Froedtert South Pleasant Prairie Hospital. Using the da Vinci Xi robotic system, Dr. Badrudduja and Dr. Jandali perform abdominal surgeries and hernia repairs and Dr. Raikar performs a wide range of heart and lung procedures. Froedtert South obtained a first-generation da Vinci robot from Intuitive Surgical in 2006, moving to fourth generation robots in 2015. The hospital now has three fourth-generations robots. Dr. Jandali and Dr. Badrudduja began performing robotic surgery in addition to their minimally invasive (laproscopic) procedures in 2015. Da Vinci was originally designed for heart surgery but the learning curve was so steep that its first uses were for urology and general surgery, notes Dr. Raikar. Using the robot, Dr. Jandali and Dr. Badrudduja perform all different types of hernias from simple to complex recurrent hernias, gallbladder, weight loss surgery, intestinal colon surgery including cancers, reflux surgery and removal of solid organs like the spleen and adrenals. Dr. Raikar, who has been with Froedtert South since 2019, has worked in robotic surgery since 2005 in Minnesota. I did the first robotic mitral valve operation in the state; there were only a handful of us attempting it at the time. Currently Dr. Raikars robotic procedures include repair of the mitral value, tricuspid valve, coronary bypass, heart tumors and congenital defects. The robotics world has exploded in all areas but in the heart world (Froedtert South) still has the only program in Wisconsin, Dr. Raikar said. Proctors and Mentors As each of these surgeons became proficient with robotic technology and procedures, they began to be called upon to share their knowledge with surgeons throughout the country. This has been done via two methods. Observation centers offer surgeons interested in robotics a place to come and observe robotic procedures. This leads to the second method which is proctoring, whereby Froedtert South surgeons travel to different hospitals to assist other surgeons with their first robotic procedures. Dr. Raikar became a robotics proctor for other surgeons in 2007 in Minnesota. Froedtert South is such a unique institution and (robotics) was one of the things that attracted me to coming here, he said. Dr. Jandali and Dr. Badrudduja began proctoring others in the use of the robot for hernia and abdominal surgery in 2016. They have since proctored in several places including Chicago, Michigan, Wausau, the Dakotas, Minnestota and Pennsylvania. The surgeons are also mentors to doctors who call on them for advice on robotic surgery, notes Dr. Badrudduja. As a proctor I am sort of an observer and may offer suggestions, he said. Soon after Dr. Jandali and Dr. Badruddja started robotic surgery, Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital was identified as a popular high volume robotics program and began offering observations to surgeons nationwide, including prestigious institutions like UW-Madison, Loyola, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. Dr. Badrudduja began proctoring surgeons at other medical facilities beginning in early 2016 and started offering observations to other surgeons at Froedtert South in 2018. When observers come to Froedtert South, Dr. Jandali and myself try to schedule a full day of procedures so surgeons can see the robot in a variety of applications, Dr. Badrudduja said. There is nothing better than seeing (robotic surgery) in action and seeing how the day flows, Dr. Badrudduja said. Kudos to the Froedtert South teamthey make (using the robot) look so easy, said Dr. Raikar. Froedtert South Pleasant Prairie Hospital is unique. There are only one or two other places (in the country) that can offer two surgeons to observe doing robotic surgeries, said Dr. Badrudduja. The hospital and the board deserve credit for supporting its surgeons by getting these robots, Dr. Jandali said. Teachable opportunities To help fellow physicians become comfortable with robotics, the Froedtert South surgeons highlight advantages to the technology: ease of procedure, a better visual field and implement dexterity, reduced patient pain and shorter hospital stays. Hernia repair was one of the first areas of robotic surgical success, say the surgeons. The robotic instruments agile tip, or wrist is able to do fine stitches. The laparoscopic instrument tip is straight and can only tack mesh with staples in hernia surgery which is more painful, Dr. Jandali said. With robotics you can also reach into places that are hard to get, he added. Robotics may also extend the careers of surgeons because robotic procedures put less physical strain on surgeons. Where traditional surgeries require surgeons to stand for long periods of time, robotic surgeries are done from a seated position, Dr. Jandali said. Once youve done robotic procedures you dont want to go back, said Dr. Raikar. Challenges Encouraging the benefits of robotics also means sometimes dissuading peers of misconceptions surrounding the technology. Early assumptions were that (the surgeon) just programmed the robot, but that is not the case, said Dr. Jandali. There is the misconception that (using robots) is slow and bogs down the (surgical schedule), said Dr. Badrudduja. We want to show that is absolutely not the case. It is just as efficient. Learning curve Well before they are paired with a Froedtert South surgeon, would-be robotic surgical teams undergo rigorous training that includes learning modules, simulators and test-taking. Robotic surgery has a steep learning curve, said Dr. Jandali. Everyone needs to be facile with (all aspects) of the procedure, Dr. Raikar said. Its not a weekend course. Surgeons interested in pursuing robotic procedures begin with a visit to an observation site offered at Froedtert South Pleasant Prairie Hospital. Following this they return to their home hospitals to take simulator courses offered by the robotics manufacturer. The training includes safety of the machine plus 20 hours computer simulation plus a two-day course using cadavers with a proctor for the first three cases you do, explained Dr. Jandali. The technique involves using two hands and two feet. Its like driving a stick shift car, Dr. Jandali said. Some go through all the (training) and decide it is not for them. They have to have commitment; to believe in it. Satisfaction in sharing Helping fellow surgeons become proficient with the new technology is satisfying, say the Froedtert South surgeons. I like showing them how we can do advanced, difficult cases with robotic surgery, Dr. Jandali said. At the end of the day I believe in this technology and would like to see it succeed even more, Dr. Badrudduja said. What I like about proctoring other physicians in robotic procedures is sharing and learning from other surgeons and the sense of pride that in places like San Diego they now have the option to use robotics, Dr. Raikar said. Demand increasing As of today (Froedtert South) has performed over 5,000 procedures with the robots, reports Dr. Jandali, who notes he had performed 2,800 of these. Demand for robotic surgery has grown as the types of specialties it is used for has expanded, Dr. Badrudduja said. Who knows where this is going to be in ten years? Robotics are becoming the next generation of the standard of care, observes Dr. Raikar. Robotics are only going to enhance what we are already doing well, Dr. Badrudduja said. Having an impact It is not uncommon that emerging technologies start in smaller communities and fans out to larger institutions, say the Froedtert South surgeons. Surgeons come here to see and help bring the technology back to their own communities, noted Dr. Badrudduja. (Our mentoring/proctoring) is an example of how community hospitals are impacting bigger medical centers. I want my patients to have better surgical experiences and better outcomes. (I can do this best by) being able to share this technology and help colleagues overcome misconceptions they may have, Dr. Badrudduja said. 22 Shares Share The callous and inhumane dislocation of migrants recently perpetrated by governors of the states of Florida and Texas reminded me of an equally disdainful and appalling tactic utilized by health care workers since the 1960s: Greyhound therapy. Greyhound therapy refers to attempts by health care workers and administrators to remove undesirable patients from emergency rooms, hospitals, and other types of facilities by providing them one-way tickets on a Greyhound Lines bus to another far-away location, hoping they will never return. Some of the patients are troublemakers and rabble-rousers known to frequent emergency departments, but the majority are destitute, homeless, or mentally ill or all three and deserve our compassion. Greyhound therapy is still in play in certain medical and mental-health circles. Between 2013 and 2018, a state-run psychiatric hospital in Nevada routinely bused patients to places they had never been or had no ties to, providing only a few days of food rations and medication for the trip. A class-action lawsuit was filed against the hospital on behalf of approximately 1500 patients that were cast off, and a Las Vegas jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the patients, awarding each person $250,000 for the hospitals egregious treatment. A far more common but no less derisive practice is patient dumping discharging uninsured and undesirable patients to the street or transferring them to another facility. Patient dumping was and still is such a huge problem that it literally has required an act of Congress to stop it: the federal anti-dumping law passed in 1986 known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Under EMTALA, patients must be medically screened and stabilized prior to discharge or transfer. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient given its resources, or if the patient requests, a transfer may be made with the consent of the receiving hospital. Greyhound therapy, dumping, and the busing of migrant workers have their roots in the Freedom Riders. Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into segregated southern states in 1961 to challenge Jim Crow laws that remained in force despite Supreme Court decisions that outlawed segregation in schools and public buses and depots. To embarrass Northern liberals and humiliate Black people, southern White Citizens Councils and other groups countered the Freedom Riders. Reverse Freedom Riders issued Black people one-way tickets to northern cities with false promises of jobs, housing, and better lives. The Kennedy White House received mail from leaders in the targeted states asking the federal government to intervene in the cruel trafficking of people of color. The past behavior of bigots is remarkably similar to the current behavior of the governors of Florida and Texas. As one columnist observed, the two governors simply followed an old playbook by shipping the migrants North. The governors were not clever. They were racist. At least officials in Arizona coordinated their efforts to relocate migrants. The recent display of vindictiveness shown by the governors cannot be attributed to implicit bias. Implicit bias originates in prejudices that unknowingly influence how people are treated, especially minorities. However, there is nothing unknowing or unconscious in the minds of those who orchestrate and approve the trafficking of vulnerable populations. Exploiting peoples misery for political gain is shameful and no more acceptable than sending patients on dead-end journeys. JFK characterized the Reverse Freedom Rides as a rather cheap shot. He envisioned government contractors would treat their employees without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. Shouldnt the same hold true for health professionals? The notion of equal medical treatment dates back to Hippocrates. He stated: Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick whether they are free men or slaves. In many U.S. medical schools, it has become customary for incoming medical students to write and recite their own versions of the Hippocratic Oath. Many of the variants include language that specifically prohibits discrimination or bias in the practice of medicine. I have often wondered about the state of mind of health care providers who approve of one-way travel as a solution to homelessness, drug addiction, and mental illness. Health officials in Nevada strung together a thin veil of excuses, ranging from denial to arguing that they were sending patients directly to family members and other mental health facilities possibly true in a few cases but utterly false in a majority of them. Clearly, there was a blatant disregard for human rights fueled by prejudice and stigma against the mentally ill. Nevada is not alone in its brazen treatment of psychiatric patients nor do southern states own the exclusive rights to export its citizens. New York City secretly sends the homeless to Hawaii and other states. Only in rare instances does travel therapy aim to be genuinely therapeutic. For example, Hawaii has attempted to reunite homeless people with relatives on the mainland, so-called airplane therapy. But due to the high cost of running such a program and the fact that approximately one-third of Hawaiis population is transient or from out of state, the number of needy people who actually benefit is very small. The American Medical Association is worried about scope creep that threatens patient safety, i.e., the infusion of advanced practice providers into medical practice. Im more concerned about the impact of crass politics. Anyone politician, provider, or health care administrator who uses human beings as pawns for leverage or personal gain, or displaces or disrupts their medical treatment for prejudiced reasons, should be guided through serious self-reflection around how racism has entered their lives and, more importantly, affected the lives of innocent people and disadvantaged patients. Politics, whether inside the Capitol or the hospital C-suite, should never take precedence over people. Leaders and caregivers must never forget the welcoming inscription engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty give me your tired your poor and especially the words that follow: Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. Migrants, like many of our patients, are overwhelmed by lifes circumstances. We are, and always have been, a nation that opens its arms to vulnerable people rather than consigns them to a destination far worse than where their journey began. Arthur Lazarus is a psychiatrist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 92 Shares Share This year, I stopped doing surgery giving up the knife, so to speak. It wasnt an easy decision to make. Ive been a surgeon for 32 years since graduating from medical school. Its been a distinct part of who I am for most of my life. This doesnt mean Ive retired. Im still practicing in a clinic-based setting and still do procedures in the office. I just no longer operate in hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers. And because of this, I no longer must take call for the hospitals and their emergency rooms (which is required in order to have surgical privileges at a hospital). In the past few years, seeing patients in the office occupied most of my work week anyway. And yet now, the time spent in the office is less harried and more engaging. Im more in the moment with the person in front of me, without that overhanging sense of dread that comes with the unknown an unexpected complication in a post-op patient, a call from one of the ERs, the hospital or the transfer center. Office encounters have been more rewarding. Besides a patients medical problems, Im more inclined to see their intangible qualities, aspects of their nature that can be intensely interesting or downright humorous. I do miss the OR. I miss the people in the OR. Though weve faced a torrent of scary, pee-in-the-pants situations as any surgical team is bound to face, much of the time was quite pleasant and fun. Yeah, surgery can be a real kick-in-the-pants. Thats the reason I became a surgeon. I miss some of the more challenging surgeries when actively treating a patient with cancer was the ultimate high of my surgical profession. But I gradually gave up some of the more complicated and lengthy surgeries some years ago. Part of this was the stamina of my youth had dwindled some of those cases took six to eight or more hours of continuous operating with no break. More importantly, more fellowship-trained surgeons nowadays are sub-specialized with more experience. It was best for the patient to be treated by these folks, even if it meant traveling three or more hours to get there. All the other ENTs in our area have done the same. I was the sole old-timer still in private practice. All the other ENT doctors in our area are employed by a large hospital system with a huge referral base. My surgical volume was far lower than my hospital-employed colleagues, which didnt bother me since I was getting older. Yet last year, I was the only ENT taking call for all three of our area hospitals. I couldve been employed by a hospital, earning much more while relinquishing the business of running a practice, but the loss of autonomy wasnt worth the trade-off. I wasnt unhappy about making less than my peers. There was no dire need for more money. Whats the endpoint with money anyway? How much annual income is really enough? My wife and I always budgeted our expenses and were able to save each year while regularly contributing to our kids college funds, even during the leanest years. We stuck by a strategic plan for savings and investing and nearly met our financial retirement goals before I decided to stop doing surgery. Our quality of life was not adversely affected. Additional money would not have changed our lifestyle. Stopping surgery and no longer taking call for the hospitals was the right thing to do at the right time. I eventually felt the stress evaporate, replaced by an enhanced peace of mind. I see this not as an end but as another stage in lifes journey. But Im not ready to retire yet. After giving a lecture earlier this month, a third-year medical student came up to me. He was interested in pursuing ENT, his reasons being a good blend of clinic and surgery some of the same reasons I chose this calling. He said that aside from tonsillectomies, nasal and ear procedures, he wasnt aware we did surgeries such as thyroidectomies, parotidectomies, neck dissections, and the like, which fascinated him even more. He asked how one gets to that point doing such intricate surgery. I had that same fascination back when I was a lost third-year med student, not knowing what field of medicine to choose. The epiphany came during a series of lectures from a few of the ENT attendings, one of whom was a head and neck surgeon who later became my mentor (Bruce Campbell, MD). Like a slobbering, tail-wagging dog, I approached him and asked pretty much the same questions. I chose ENT and never looked back. It has been and continues to be a most fascinating and rewarding career. Saying goodbye to surgery is a pivotal and bittersweet milestone, but I look back at my surgical career with fondness and satisfaction. And despite no longer performing surgery in the OR, I still want to treat patients until I am unable to do so. Following are a few lines from a speech to the graduating class of residents I was asked to give this year, which speaks to this very point: At this stage in my career, I still want to keep going. I still think of medicine as an adventure. I still find joy in our profession. I still learn; I learn from all of you. Its been 27 years since I finished my residency, and I reflect back with a sense of satisfaction and pride and no regrets. Though I look forward to one day retiring, Im hesitant to do so since what we do is so meaningful, absorbing, and worthwhile that I dont want my professional journey to end. Thats by choice. Being a doctor is a part of who I am, embedded in my DNA. And hopefully, it is with you. Randall S. Fong is an otolaryngologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Randall S. Fong, as well as his blog. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Reinforcing long term partnership through first-time delivery of Ka-band services by Liquid Intelligent Technologies ; showcasing the appeal of EUTELSAT KONNECT in Sub-Saharan Africa to support telecom operators in bridging the digital divide; introducing a ground station in South Africa, helping expanding local coverage to secure and create new business opportunities. Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid), a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, have signed a multi-year, multi-beam agreement for capacity on the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to address the connectivity needs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) customers in Uganda, South Sudan and the Eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Under the agreement, Liquid will leverage capacity on the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to increase its portfolio with affordable internet services in territories underserved by terrestrial networks. Liquid is already a long-standing partner of Eutelsat, where it uses Ku-band capacity on Eutelsats EUTELSAT 7B satellite for VSAT services in Sub-Saharan Africa under a long-term contract that was renewed and expanded in 2021. Liquid will also host the first EUTELSAT KONNECT ground gateway in Sub-Saharan Africa, thus reinforcing its dominance as a key satellite Ground Segment / Teleport operator in Africa, further cementing the existing relationship with EUTELSAT. Located in Krugersdorp, South Africa, the gateway will help Eutelsat expand local coverage and secure and create new business opportunities by offering enhanced broadband service performance. EUTELSAT KONNECT is a new-generation High Throughout Satellite offering unrivalled operational flexibility and extensive in-orbit resources to bring broadband services to Africa. Since entering full service more than a year ago, the satellite has gained strong momentum through multiple agreements with telecommunications operators in many of the most densely populated countries on the African continent. Scott Mumford, CEO of Liquid Satellite Services, commented: We offer satellite services in over 27 African countries, impacting the lives of over 1.3 billion people. With this agreement, we will expand our service portfolio to include Ka-band services for the first time. We have always been early innovators and investors towards initiatives and technology that will help us realise our vision of creating a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind. Michel Azibert, Eutelsats Deputy CEO, added: This new agreement testifies to the strong appeal of our EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite in Sub-Saharan Africa and its pertinence in supporting telecom operators in bridging the digital divide. By reinforcing our relationship with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, we will be able to leverage the Eutelsat fleets extensive coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa combined with Liquid Intelligent Technologies unique expertise and local know-how to deliver best-in-class services to businesses across the continent. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires A Kilkenny man has been appointed as the first-ever Irish Intel Fellow, a prestigious honour from the global company. Intel today announced the promotion of Eddie Lawler to Intel Fellow, making him the first ever Intel Fellow based here in Ireland. Eddie will become a Fellow in the Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations organisation where he will also hold the role of Chief Technologist in Foundry Product Integration Engineering. Eddie, who originally hails from Ballyhale, joined Intel in 1996 as a recent college graduate having completed his studies at the University of Limerick. Eddie first joined the Wet Etch area as part of the Fab 14 process start-up team. In 2000 Eddie joined Product Engineering and over the last two decades he has been a leader in the efforts to maximise production output while maintaining market leadership. He has a Bachelor in Electronic Engineering (Hons) from the University of Limerick and, while working at Intel, completed a Masters by Research (MSc) at Maynooth University focusing on At Speed Scan Test, published in 2004. Eddie has been the recipient of two Intel Achievement Awards - the highest level of recognition possible at Intel - over the last decade. During his time at Intel, Eddie has spent a number of years on assignment in the US with engineering roles in Oregon, California and New Mexico. Outside of work, Eddie, who currently lives in Ashbourne, Meath, enjoys spending time with his wife Denise and their daughter Abi. He also enjoys spending time supporting his daughter in equestrian show jumping and competing on the national circuit during weekends. Eddie is an avid Kilkenny hurling supporter both at the county and club level for Ballyhale Shamrocks. ROLE Intel Fellows represent the highest levels of technical achievement within the company. They are selected for their technical leadership and outstanding contributions to the company and the industry. The naming of Eddie as Irelands first ever Intel Fellow reflects his vast technical achievements over several years and his significant contribution to driving business results and evolving Intels culture. The role of an Intel Fellow reflects Intels appreciation and recognition of deep technical expertise. In his new role, Eddie will be responsible for sharing this technical expertise to help grow the knowledge of others and to increase the experience level across his organisation and indeed the company. Intel Fellow and Chief Technologist in Foundry Product Integration Engineering, Eddie will be supporting Intels foundry services business, helping to realise opportunities in this space for years to come. Eddie credits this incredible achievement in large part to his parents, whose encouragement, wisdom and support helped to launch and guide his academic and career journey. Popular comedian Tommy Tiernan is urging Irish people to support an appeal to save the lives of over 20 million people at risk of famine in the Horn of Africa. The appeal was launched today (September 13) by Mr Tiernan and the Irish Emergency Alliance (IEA), comprising seven leading humanitarian aid agencies including Action Aid, Christian Aid, Plan International, Self Help Africa, Tearfund, Trocaire and World Vision Ireland. Four failed consecutive rainy seasons have resulted in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia facing their worst drought in 40 years, with more than a million and a half people already forced to leave their homes and villages in search of food and water. The Alliance has said children are dying every day due to the hunger crisis, and warned that every minute counts. Mr Tiernan, who visited Somalia with humanitarian aid agency Trocaire last week, said, "I was in Gedo in Somalia last week and visited two of the 200 internally displaced peoples camps across the region which are accommodating nearly a quarter of a million people. "They are there because they have no food. The Irish Emergency Alliance needs funds to buy food to stop people starving to death. Many children have already died. The IEA is asking people to give what they can to the emergency appeal. In their joint statement: "There have been warnings for months that unprecedented drought, rising food prices and a lack of funding for humanitarian organisations have been creating a silent emergency in The Horn Of Africa. But those warnings were not heeded and we are now on the brink of an unthinkable humanitarian catastrophe. "Most at risk are the elderly, and children who lack the physical strength and resources to cope with days and weeks of starvation. When a baby is severely malnourished, even if they survive, they may never be the same again as their developing brains are so vulnerable." Persistent drought is causing harvests to continue to fail, with nearly nine million livestock dying. The Alliance said, "The unjust reality is that people suffering in the Horn of Africa, many herders, had no hand in causing droughts driven by climate change. Grain is in short supply, with costs soaring in some of the poorest regions in the world because of a faraway war in Ukraine. Speaking today, CEO of Plan International Ireland, Paul OBrien, who recently returned from Somaliland, said, "Many people we talked to felt they are suffering because of Climate Change. In my 35 years in this sector, I have never heard ordinary people talking about the impact of Climate Change so clearly and relating it directly to their experience. A woman who explained to me the reality of the situation said, 'Our cattle used to feed us, now we are feeding them, they are dying, and we are next'." CEO of Trocaire, Caoimhe De Barra also remarked: "I have seen at first hand on a visit to Trocaire programmes in Somalia last week the unjust and unthinkable suffering of thousands of people who are hungry and on the brink of starvation, forced to leave their homes in desperate search of assistance. "It is heart-breaking to hear from our staff stories of children dying en route to internally displaced camps, or in our hospitals because they have presented too late for treatment. Rosamond Bennett, Chief Executive of Christian Aid Ireland, who travelled to northern Kenya recently, said, "I was shocked by the severity of the drought in northern Kenya. The deadly impact of four back-to-back failed rainy seasons was clear to see. "I met with families subdued from hunger, saw shrivelled crops starved of water and the carcasses of livestock dotted all around, animals which are the lifeblood of rural communities. The window is fast closing to prevent this devastating crisis we are seeing in the Horn of Africa from becoming a complete catastrophe. Donations to this urgent appeal can be made through www.IrishEmergencyAlliance.org or by calling 1800 939 979 Members of the public are being urged to take part in a rally this weekend to demand the Government do more to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, which is crushing families and households. A demonstration, organised by the Cost of Living Coalition, will take place in Dublin on Saturday. The group, which is made up of 30 organisations including trade unionists, student and pensioner bodies and opposition political parties, will urge the Government to take radical action on the cost-of-living and housing crisis. The coalition is holding the protest this weekend ahead of the Governments budget on Tuesday. Heating or eating? We should not be forced to make this choice. Join the national pre-budget protest. pic.twitter.com/a5NqMMyQIT Cost of living coalition (@COLCIreland) September 20, 2022 Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, a member of coalition group, said people are living in a nightmare over rising bills and day-to-day living costs. There is no way you could exaggerate the kind of pressure that people are under and theres a real sense that Government hasnt listened, Ms McDonald said on Tuesday. (Government) have said a lot. They theyve done a lot of kite flying but actually, when it came down to it, there was a lot of delay and dither. So the evidence will be on budget day as to whether or not the real gravity of this situation has landed with a Government that, frankly, is completely out of touch so far with realities on the ground. Speaking at the launch of the protest in Buswells, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said he wants to see Government action to protect people from an absolutely crushing cost-of-living crisis. He said living costs is blighting the lives of tens of thousands of people. The simple message is the Government to date have not done enough, even close to enough, to protect workers, pensioners, students, ordinary householders, from what is crucifying cost-of-living prices, that it is inflicting really severe hardship on working people, on vulnerable people, on the young and the old, he added. We are demanding action in this budget to comprehensively protect ordinary people from this cost-of-living crisis and to finally take action to address the ever worsening housing crisis. Thousands are expected to take part in Saturdays protest, as the Government prepares to sign off on the final details of the budget. The march will begin at Parnell Square at 2.30pm on Saturday. Macdara Doyle, of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, will also take part. He said: Its quite clear we need urgent and radical action from Government to prevent an energy crisis morphing into what could become a jobs crisis and a wider economic crisis. The priority for the budget has be the protection of jobs, protection of living standards, given the huge pressures that are already on workers. The energy that we are seeing at the moment is just one more crisis overlaid onto a series of existing and deeper crises around the standard of living. Imelda Browne, president of the Senior Citizens Parliament, said: We already had even before these price rises, people telling us they were getting up later or going to bed earlier. That is not a good way for anybody to live their lives. It is really, really important that the energy crisis is tackled in this budget. It is also very, very important that older persons are not depending on handouts to meet their bills. They are welcome to help people with electricity bills but you must be able to budget, you must know what your bills are going to be, and that you are going to have the money and not be living in fear that you cant meet the next bill. Fr Peter McVerry said the Government is failing the state. I asked the Government not to fail the people of this country again in this energy crisis, he added. One of the primary responsibilities of Government is to ensure that all of its citizens have their basic needs met. That means including housing, which they have failed to do, free education, which they have failed to do. Union of Students in Ireland president Beth O Reilly said students are being forced to sleep in tents, cars and friends couches. They cant find or afford accommodation and that is disgraceful, she added. The onus of this work is being put in our students unions, the Government have washed their hands with the problem. They seem to think that digs is a solution to the student accommodation crisis, when we know that students who avail of digs have no rental rights and are still being charged absolutely extortionate rents. JEFFERSON CITY After what broker Dana Wildhaber called an "unprecedented" year of housing prices and offers out on the table, he said things finally seem to be cooling off. "I sense that the craziness is over," Wildhaber said. "Six, seven, eight offers, we're not really seeing that anymore, and for a long time we were seeing that on every other transaction, I mean it was just crazy." One in five sellers across the United States dropped their asking price in August, according to Realtor.com. Last year, when the market was at its hottest, that was about one in 10 sellers. "It was kind of brutal for both buyers and for sellers," Jen Colvin, realtor and Jefferson City Board of REALTORS secretary, said. "It's back to a healthy market now where people actually feel like they can breathe a little bit better." KOMU 8 News received the most recent data looking at the market from the Jefferson City Board of REALTORS. As of August, median sales prices across the board's jurisdiction in Cole, Callaway, Moniteau and Osage Counties had increased to $210,850 in 2022 from $165,000 in 2020. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The absorption rate in the jurisdiction, or how long it would take for the houses currently on the market to sell over a given period of time, increased from 2021 at 0.61 to 0.64 in 2022. This rate is still significantly lower than 2020 where it was 1.55. This means that while houses are definitely not on the market as long as they were in 2020, buyers have a little more time to think about a purchase before rushing to put an offer in. That's a privilege realtor Ashley Pederson says she's glad is back. "The market is cooling off, but it's not cool, for sure," Pederson said. "People are having time to think to make sure it's the right decision for them." While there is no way to predict what the next few months will look like, Wildhaber said he's expecting things to only slow down more. "It's just a slow coming back down probably to more reality," Wildhaber said. "This is my 26th year real estate, Jeff City only. I see prices in neighborhoods that I would have never dreamed we see." CNN's Leyla Santiago in San Juan, Puerto Rico; CNN meteorologists Brandon Miller and Haley Brink; and CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Jamiel Lynch, Alfonso Serrano, Caitlin Kaiser, Allie Malloy, Dakin Andone and Amanda Musa contributed to this report. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar announced on September 19 that his agency will open an investigation into the transportation of 48 Venezuelan migrants from the state to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. GOP Rep. Liz Cheney (right) of Wyoming and Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California previewed in an op-ed their proposed legislation to make it harder to overturn a certified presidential election in the future by proposing changes to the Electoral Count Act. Newly obtained surveillance video shows a Republican county official and a team of operatives working with Trump 2020 attorney Sidney Powell inside a restricted area of the elections office in Coffee County Georgia. Lee Seo-hyun / Courtesy of Lee Seo-hyun By Jung Min-ho Born into a privileged family in Pyongyang, Lee Seo-hyun was no ordinary North Korean. Her father was a senior government official decorated as a "Hero of Labor," the high-level honor also given to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korea's late founding leader, Kim Il-sung, and Kye Sun-hui, an Olympic judo champion. Her father was close to many powerful people and was deeply loyal to the regime. In what she believed was a "paradise on Earth," her family was and would always be safe, she assumed. Her belief was shattered when her best friend was dragged away from their dorm room at a Chinese college because of her father's association with Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in 2013 by his nephew and North Korea's current leader, Kim Jong-un. It is still unclear what ultimately happened to the family. That day, Lee said, she accepted what she had long denied: No matter who you are or what you have, no one is truly safe in North Korea. "In retrospect, I had always been in fear, which I did not know back then," Lee, 31, told The Korea Times. "When I was attending Kim Il-sung University, one of my classmates was called away during a class and was never heard from again In another case, a family, living in the same apartment building as my family, was one day all sent to political prison camps for some reason." It could happen to anyone, any day, especially to the North Korean elite. There is no secret. Everything said at home can be heard by intelligence agents and could result in the end of one's career or even life. "I felt a sense of responsibility that what I say or do could instantly change the fate of my family," Lee said. "I feel smothered just thinking about it." In less authoritarian China, she learned about the harsh reality of her home country, which is in reality no "paradise." "Before I went to China in 2010, I assumed that it was less developed than North Korea. So I was shocked to see the airport crowded with travelers, the roads packed with cars and the lights illuminating the streets," she said. "I was confused about the truth I thought I knew." In reality, her country had many deep problems. However, perhaps because of her fear, she refused to ask herself about them. One day in a Chinese taxi heading toward her school, the driver asked her why North Korean leaders do little to reform their country to save their citizens from hunger in the ways former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping did for his people. It was a legitimate question the leaders should answer a question all ordinary North Koreans want and deserve an answer to, but are afraid to ask. After living in China for nearly five years, Lee decided to stop pretending that she was unaware of the undeniable truth about the world and North Korea and escaped from the North with her family. After staying in South Korea for a while, they eventually settled down in the U.S. for security reasons. Thanks to the Bush Foundation and the family of Otto Warmbier, a U.S. college student who died in 2017 soon after being released by North Korea, Lee received scholarships to attend graduate school at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs this year. Today her dream is to reform North Korea, but not in the ways Deng did. "I want to be part of the effort to help North Koreans who, just like people in other parts of the world, deserve their inherent, universal human rights," Lee said. "When the driver told me about China's reforms, I thought it would be great for North Korea to do the same but only the economic reforms Now I believe there should also be reforms in its political system so that continued one-man rule cannot be possible." Gen. Paul LaCamera / UPI-Yonhap U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera cautioned Tuesday against the perils of North Korea's information and cyber operations, stressing the need to "think, act and operate differently" to cope with threats from relatively new domains. He highlighted the importance of South Korea and the United States taking into account "multi-domain" aspects to handle the recalcitrant regime's evolving military threats. "DPRK provocations go beyond its illegal missile or nuclear programs," he said at an online forum hosted by the U.S.-based Institute for Corean-American Studies, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Its Information operations spread mis-, dis- and mal-information and propaganda around the world, and it uses cyber operations to conduct espionage and generate revenue for the regime." The commander also hinted that Pyongyang's recent unveiling of an aggressive nuclear policy, which leaves open the possibility of a preemptive strike in a contingency, could be part of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recourse to information tactics. "He's got elements of national power and information is an element of national power, just like military and economic and diplomatic," he said. "I think he's using all the elements of national power." Threats emanating from various realms necessitate operations that take multi-domain perspectives into consideration, he stressed. "Deterring DPRK will require us to be able to provide a combat credible force capable of thinking, operating and acting in combined, joint interagency," he said. "More importantly, we need to think multi-domain." President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol gestures during his meeting with U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, April 7. Courtesy of office of president-elect's spokesperson Int'l media closely follow Chinese President Xi's Central Asia trip Xinhua) 16:37, September 20, 2022 BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The international media has closely followed Chinese President Xi Jinping's attendance to the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from Wednesday to Friday. The global media believed that the trip is a landmark leading to a full-restart of China's diplomacy of the head of state and China is making efforts to build a fairer and more rational international order. The Singaporean leading daily newspaper Lianhe Zaobao said that over the past two years, Xi has participated in global gatherings by video link, while this physical foreign trip by Xi before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China signals that the Chinese diplomacy of the head of state has resumed. Global media houses also believe that upholding the "Shanghai Spirit," the SCO is gradually becoming an important constructive player in the Eurasian region and global affairs. The SCO was set up in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization, said AFP, adding that it is not a formal military alliance like NATO or a deeply integrated bloc like the European Union, but its members work together to tackle joint security issues, cooperate militarily and promote trade. Over the years, SCO activities have expanded from regional security to include economics, trade and even law enforcement. Observers say the bloc also has great economic potential with more countries joining as members or partners, according to BBC. Meanwhile, the Diplomat also noted that Xi's decision to resume the international travel can thus be seen as part of a trend toward greater post-COVID reopening. Both Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Uzbekistan's Podrobno.uz website agreed that the key to the SCO's strong attraction lies in its principles of non-alliance, openness and not targeting any third party, which naturally gives the organization moral appeal. Central Asia is regarded as a wonderful platform for China to unveil new ideas, said the TASS news agency. As Xi put forward the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan in 2013, this time his two-nation trip is aimed at elucidating China's current diplomatic priorities: first, to rally more support for the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind; second, to establish the concept featuring a world without sanctions; and third, to emphasize that all conflicts can be peacefully settled only through diplomatic solutions, TASS said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Narcotics has destroyed around 1,032 hectares of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation in Himachal Pradesh (HP), in one of the biggest anti-drug operations conducted in the state, Union Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. The operation was conducted over the past two weeks. Also Read | Exclusive | India is Fully Geared for Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. On receiving specific intelligence about illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, teams of officers of CBN were formed and dispatched. Officers of CBN verified the intelligence and further carried out physical surveys resulting in the detection of more areas of illicit cultivation. Subsequently, the destruction operation was started with the support of the District Administration, Forest Department and the Police, according to an official statement released by the Union Ministry of Finance. During this operation, a two-pronged approach of creating awareness among villagers along with enforcement was adopted by officers of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN). Also Read | Is India vs Australia 1st T20I 2022 Live Telecast Available on DD Sports, DD Free Dish, and Doordarshan National TV Channels?. Community mobilisation was adopted by sensitising villagers about the adverse effects of drugs on the body and mind. Threats that drugs tend to pose to the future of youth and children were explained. Relevant penal provisions of the NDPS act were also explained to Village Pradhans and members, consequent to which resolutions were passed by villagers to destroy illicit cannabis plantations around the villages. Villagers assisted officers of CBN to destroy illicit cultivation by actively taking part in exercise under the supervision of CBN officers. Four teams of CBN Officers were simultaneously allotted different areas of operation and given the flexibility to work jointly in certain areas with large illicit cultivation of cannabis. Officials from Forest department, Revenue & the Police department also accompanied teams during operations in light of sensitive nature of the operation. It is noteworthy to mention that since this is a season of apple & pomegranate harvesting, labour availability was a problem but it failed to deter the grit and determination of CBN teams which swung into action and conducted destruction operation in hostile terrain with steep slopes and rains. The officers climbed daily up to 11,000 feet above sea level and even camped in sensitive areas to expedite the destruction of illicit cultivation of cannabis. Later on, officers from DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) also joined this operation. GPS coordinates were used to tag/mark the sensitive locations and DRONES were used for detection and surveillance of the illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation areas which resulted in greater success of the entire operation. "Mission Crackdown shall continue with same vigour in other parts of the country and CBN is fully committed against the Drug Menace," said Rajesh F Dhabre, Narcotics Commissioner, Central Bureau of Narcotics. Active support in terms of logistics and manpower was provided throughout the operation by the Office of District Collector, CCF and SP Kullu and DRI. The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) is the Apex Drug Law Enforcement Agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India tasked with identification and destruction of illicit cultivation of cannabis and Opium along with its other responsibilities. CBN has conducted destruction operations in many states like West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand etc., resulting in destruction of more than 25,000 hectares of illicit cultivation of Opium and Cannabis over the years. CBN had also destroyed approximately 3,600 hectares of Illicit Opium in Arunachal Pradesh in the month of February and March this year. CBN intends to continue such destruction operations of illicit cultivation across India in the future as well, the Union Finance Ministry said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Singapore, September 20 (ANI/PRNewswire): Straive, a leader in delivering technology-driven solutions for Content, EdTech, and Data to leading global organizations, has been conferred with two awards at the 13th edition of CMO Asia Awards 2022, held on August 17, 2022 in Singapore. The organization won the Brand Revitalization Award for Excellence in Branding and Marketing and the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign for Excellence in Digital Marketing out of 200 nominations across 40 categories. CMO Asia Awards are one of the most aspired accolades in APAC. These are awarded for outstanding contributions in Traditional Marketing, Branding, and Digital Marketing and recognize organizations and individuals for their outstanding client and employee-level communication initiatives. The awards are judged by an independent, high-caliber jury of professionals from across Asia. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Man Stabbed to Death For Not Repaying Borrowed Rs 9,000 in Kalaburagi. SPi Global rebranded to Straive in April 2021 with a view to realigning the brand with the evolving strategic initiatives of the company. Subsequently, Straive has undertaken a comprehensive brand campaign to communicate the new brand messaging and create awareness and recall for the brand. The rebranding campaign, comprising static and dynamic promotions, customer mailers, press releases, social media communication, and the launch of a new website, has been awarded the Brand Revitalization award. Straive has also undertaken multiple multichannel integrated campaigns to build awareness about the company's offerings across its business lines and generate demand. The company has successfully leveraged numerous marketing channels to reach the target audience in industries like BFSI, Information Services, EdTech, Academic Publishing, and more. Considering the business impact it has achieved, the multichannel umbrella campaign 'Connecting the Dots' bagged the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign Award at the ceremony. Also Read | Lapsus$ Hacking Group Broke Into Our Internal Systems Last Week, Says Uber. Speaking about the awards, Ratan Datta, President and CEO, Straive, said, "Straive is delighted to have received this recognition, which is a testament to our marketing and branding initiatives. As a company, we have doubled our marketing and branding efforts over the last year to communicate our purpose, values, and key focus areas to our clients, employees, and stakeholders and build a stronger Straive brand. I am excited to see our hard work getting recognized by industry leaders and experts. We will continue to focus on enhancing stakeholder experience through clear, relevant, and impactful marketing communication." To know more about the Straive brand, Click Here. Straive Straive is a market-leading content technology enterprise that provides data services, subject matter expertise (SME), and technology solutions to multiple domains, such as research content, e-Learning/EdTech, and data/information providers. With a client base scoping 30 countries worldwide, Straive's multi-geographical resource pool is strategically located in seven countries: Philippines, India, USA, Nicaragua, Vietnam, United Kingdom, and the company headquarters in Singapore. For media queries, contact Anoop Tuli, anoop.tuli@straive.com This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) (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], September 20 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said Unified Payments Interface-based transaction is expected to reach one billion per day in the next five years. Addressing an event organised by the industry body FICCI, Sitharaman said, data released by NPCI shows that UPI reported 6.28 billion transactions worth Rs 10.62 trillion in July 2022. Also Read | #TREASURE Unveils More Individual Photos of Members Jaehyuk, Junkyu, and Asahi for The Latest Tweet by Allkpop. "Substantial growth is being seen in transactions on a monthly basis.UPI aims to process one billion transactions a day in the next five years," she said. Finance Minister said technology adoption in India is very high not only in major cities but also in tier-2 and 3 cities and rural areas. "Digital adoption by Indian citizen is amazing," she added. Also Read | Odisha: Woman Falls Off Motorbike As Edge of Saree Gets Entangled in Vehicle's Real Wheel, Dies. Addressing the session 'Future of Financing' at FICCI LEADS 2022, Sitharaman said that the future of finance is going to be Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) and "there is a sense of urgency with which we need to plan". She also stated that the role of artificial intelligence is going to be critical in fintech sector. "I see a big role for AI in fintech sector in detection of fraud, crime and accessing the risks. We will have to ensure personal data security, national and cyber security in our planning," she added. The Finance Minister stated that India is working on a system where only a single KYC is needed which can be used across different spheres. Sitharaman further stated that the future of finance will be driven more and more through banking and related services and account aggregators will play a crucial role in it. "Account aggregator system has been adopted by 21 banks including public sector banks," she added. Sitharaman emphasised that the link between start-ups, fintech and private equity is visible. There are 6,636 start-ups and 21 unicorns in fintech sector and private equity have helped them to become start-up. "Private equity is pushing them quickly in the path of progress," she said. "We need to make sure that climate risks are not going to hit us because we are talking about a future that is digital," she 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) Thane, Sep 20 (PTI) Thane police have arrested two persons who allegedly robbed a man of his mobile phones and other belongings last month and used his credit cards to shop online, an official said on Tuesday. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Horror: Couple Consumes Poison Ten Days After Wedding in Bijnor; Wife Dead, Husband Hospitalized. The incident had taken place on August 2 in Bhiwandi area here in Maharashtra and the two accused were arrested on Sunday, senior police inspector Madan Ballal from Narpoli police station said. The victim was going home on a bicycle when the two motorcycle-borne accused allegedly waylaid him, threw a spice powder in his eyes and snatched his four mobile phones worth more than Rs 20,000, ATM and credit cards and driving licence, he said. Also Read | Apple To Reportedly Rename 'Pro Max' Lineup With 'Ultra', iPhone 15 Ultra Likely To Arrive Next Year. The accused later discarded the mobile handsets and put the SIM cards into other phones. They also allegedly used the victim's credit cards to purchase items worth Rs 1,61,388 from an online shopping platform, the official said. A police probe team worked on various leads including CCTV footage of the area and intelligence inputs. The police nabbed the accused - Minazul Faizul Haque (25) and Sharimuddin Anwaruddin Rehman (23) - on Sunday and recovered the victim's mobile phones, ATM and credit cards and driving licence, the official said. A process was also underway to recover the goods fraudulently purchased by them, 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) Kochi (Kerala) [India], September 20 (ANI): A petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court against the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The petition filed by an advocate of the High Court sought a directive to regulate the Yatra by permitting them to occupy only half portion of the road in Kerala. The petitioner alleged that there are roadblocks during the Yatra and sought a direction to open half portion for travelling. Also Read | Maharashtra Govt Sacked VNSSM Chief Kishore Tiwari After Raising Farmers Plight with PM Narendra Modi, Blames Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran are the respondents to the petition. The court will consider the petition on the day after tomorrow. Earlier on Tuesday, the 13th day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra began from Cherthala. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Dalit Family Fined Rs 60,000, Banned From Entering Village in Koppal After Boy Touches Hindu God's Idol in Temple. The Congress MP Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra will continue for 15 kilometres until Kuthiyathodu in Alappuzha.The campsite tonight is in Kochi district. "Like the last few days, the 13th day of Bharat Jodo Yatra also started around 6:30 in the morning. In the morning session of the padayatra today, Indian travellers will walk 15 km from Cherthala to Kuthiyathodu in the Alappuzha district. Tonight's camp will be organized in Kochi district," tweeted Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party workers, followers and masses will be in the southern state of Kerala for 18 days. The Yatra is in its Kerala leg and would traverse through the state in the upcoming 12 days. The 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will be completed in 150 days and cover as many as 12 states. From Kerala, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north. The Padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day. Earlier on Monday Congress MP Rahul Gandhi participated in a snake boat race exhibition in the Punnamada lake in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi was seen rowing the boat along with other men and had a smile at the end as he wiped his face. Gandhi took to Twitter and said, "When we all work together in perfect harmony, there is nothing we cannot accomplish". Earlier in the day, the Congress leader interacted with fishermen at Vadackal beach in Kerala's Alappuzha and discussed the challenges faced by them. The Wayanad MP held discussions about the rising fuel costs, reduced subsidies, dwindling fish stock, inadequate educational opportunities, and environmental destruction among other issues. "At 6 am, Rahul Gandhi interacted with fisherfolk at Vadackal beach in Alappuzha on their challenges--rising fuel costs, reduced subsidies, dwindling fish stock, lack of social welfare & pensions, inadequate educational opportunities, and environmental destruction," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh informed in a tweet. The Congress leader said that the spirit of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is to bring Indians together irrespective of religion, and community and remind them that this is one country and it will be successful if we stand together and are respectful towards each other. The Yatra includes Padayatras, rallies, and public meetings which will be later attended by the senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Sep 20 (PTI) BJP workers on Tuesday clashed with police as they tried to make their way through the barricading to gherao the state Assembly while protesting over the issue of lumpy skin disease to cattle. A BJP spokesperson said state party chief Satish Poonia and senior leader Arun Chaturvedi were manhandled by police due to which they suffered minor injuries. Also Read | Sony PS5 Restock in India: PlayStation 5 To Be Available for Pre-Order on September 26, 2022. BJP leaders and workers courted arrest. The BJP workers and leaders started their protest march from the party office and planned to gherao the Assembly but they were stopped at the Bais Godown circle. Also Read | Ola Layoff: Electric Scooters Company Cuts 200 Jobs; Plans to Hire 3,000 to Focus on Non-Software Engineering Domains. Poonia said the insensitivity of the Ashok Gehlot government has come to the fore over the lumpy skin disease issue. They demand that the government give a compensation of Rs 50,000 to each affected cattle owner, Poonia said. He said CM Gehlot is misleading people by demanding that the Centre should declare the disease a pandemic. Governments in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana have taken best measures to prevent this disease, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, September 20: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the Congress will implement the old pension scheme for government employees if it comes to power in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in the upcoming Assembly polls. "The implementation of the new pension scheme for government employees appointed after January 1, 2004 created a sense of insecurity and uncertainty about their future," Gehlot said in a statement. His government in Rajasthan decided to reintroduce the old scheme purely on humanitarian grounds, he said. After that, the governments of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have also decided to restore it, he said. "The old pension scheme will be implemented for all government employees in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh after the formation of Congress government there," he said referring to the Assembly elections that are scheduled to be held at the end of this year in the two states. Who Will Become Next Congress President? From Ashok Gehlot to Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot, Heres a List of Potential Candidates. He requested governments of other states to implement the old pension scheme and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it. "I would like to say again that this is a very appropriate decision from the humanitarian point of view, he added. Gehlot had announced to revive the old pension scheme for state employees during the state budget presented in February. More than three lakh state government employees will be benefitted by the decision. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow, Sep 20 (PTI) A court here rejected the bail plea of a Rajasthan man who had allegedly threatened to blow up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a bomb. The threat message was sent through WhatsApp on a police helpline. Also Read | Odisha Shocker: Youth Beats Younger Brother to Death in Bhubaneswar for Neglecting Study and Spending Money Unnecessarily. Sarfaraz was arrested from Rajasthan on August 12. Special Judge Dr Avnish Kumar turned down the bail plea and said that the case related to cyber crime and also connected to national and public security. Also Read | Groom of Bullet Bandekki Song Fame Trapped by ACB for Taking Bribe of Rs 30,000 in Badangpet. He is not entitled to bail at this stage, the court said. The court said Sarfaraz sent the message on WhatsApp by name of his cousin Shahid with an intention to cause fear in the minds of the public. According to Government Counsel Dheeraj Singh, a case in this regard was lodged on August 2. (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, Sep 20 (PTI) Authorities have taken a decision to hold the annual Navy Day celebrations later this year outside Visakhapatnam, sources said on Tuesday. The choice of the new venue is "not finalised yet", but Mumbai is being considered, they said. Also Read | Hijab Ban Case: In Countries Like Iran, Women Are Fighting Against Hijab, Karnataka Govt to Supreme Court. The Army Day Parade next year will be held outside Delhi, official sources had said earlier in the day. The Air Force Day on October 8 this year will also be held outside its traditional venue of Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, IAF officials had recently said. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: Slapped by Coworker in Jest, Man Starts Bleeding, Later Dies in Hospital. Asked if the Navy Day celebrations too will be shifted to a venue outside Visakhapatnam, a naval source said, "Yes" while asserting that "the new venue has not been finalised yet". "The country celebrates December 4 every year as Navy Day in commemoration of Operation Trident when the ships of the Indian Navy delivered a lethal and powerful missiles attack on Karachi harbour, paving way for a great victory for India during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and in memory of those who made supreme sacrifice," according to the Indian Navy website. A large number of Indian Navy ships and other vessels of different classes and capabilities gather in Visakhapatnam annually to mark the historic day with grand celebrations. Last year, India also celebrated the golden jubilee of the victory of the 1971 war as 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh'. (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, Sep 20 (PTI) Congress leaders met Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday alleging that the Delhi government is planning to hand over management of public toilets in the city to a "banned" company replacing NGOs. A delegation of the party leaders headed by Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar claimed corruption in the "plan" of the Delhi government to hand over the toilets to a company by removing non-profit groups from their management. Also Read | Congress President Election: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Calls MLAs for Unscheduled Meeting Before Trip to Delhi. The delegation submitted a memorandum to the LG and sought a probe into the Delhi government's plan of handing over a contract to a company for the installation of western facilities in public convenience complexes, said a Delhi Congress statement. Speaking to reporters, the Delhi Congress chief alleged that Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia has planned to award the construction and maintenance of toilet complexes to a company debarred by him. Also Read | UP Shocker: Harassed by Father Out on Parole, 2 Sisters Consume Poison in Banda; 1 Dead. On August 18, a decision was taken to give a contract to a debarred company for the construction of 18,620 toilets in 559 public convenience complexes. The Delhi government went to GeM portal, instead of the traditional eProcurement website to float the tender, and straight away offered the contract to a debarred company, Kumar said. Kumar further alleged that Sisodia himself had debarred the company in 2021 for two years for their poor performance, and that, the high court did not give any clean chit to the said company for their poor record in its order on June 8 as well. When the GeM portal tender conditions had specified that a company with a bad performance track record cannot participate in the tender bid, how was that particular company allowed to participate in the tender bid? he asked. Sources at the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) have said that the plan to hand over the contract to one company for construction of toilets in public convenience complexes has been taken due to mismanagement by multiple NGOs. There was no immediate reaction from Delhi government officials on the allegations. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Sep 20 (PTI) A 25-year-old man arrested in a theft case escaped from the premises of a court here on Tuesday and was apprehended again within hours, police said. Also Read | Maharashtra Govt Sacked VNSSM Chief Kishore Tiwari After Raising Farmers Plight with PM Narendra Modi, Blames Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Meeraj Faiyyaz Khan, a habitual offender, was arrested in connection with a case of motor vehicle theft from his residence in Nagpada on Monday night, an official from Byculla police said. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Dalit Family Fined Rs 60,000, Banned From Entering Village in Koppal After Boy Touches Hindu God's Idol in Temple. The accused was taken to Sewri court for remand the next morning along with two constables. Khan, who was handcuffed, managed to escape when one of the policemen was dealing with some paperwork, he said. The constables raised an alarm and the police team swung into action. After examining the CCTV footage from the locality, the police tracked him down and apprehended him from the western suburb of Malad, the official said. Khan was arrested under section 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code and now another offence will be registered against him for fleeing police custody, 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) New Delhi, September 20: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said India has the potential to become "Aatma Nirbhar" (self-reliant) in agriculture and also meet the food requirement of the world. Speaking at an event, the Minister said the country is steadfastly moving ahead in the direction. However, everyone must work together for the goal. "We would like to collaborate. I use this opportunity to invite the international community to join hands with us for the benefit of coming generations," Tomar said. He noted that country's agri exports had crossed the milestone of Rs 4 lakh crores. "We are working to increase it further," he said. Tomar said that the government is constantly working to make the country "AatmaNirbhar". As a result, Indian agriculture recorded a robust growth of 3.9 per cent despite the pandemic, he said reiterating, "The government aims to make Indian agriculture internationally competitive by aiding the small farmers in the country." He alluded to several government programmes to reduce farming-related challenges. Maharashtra Govt Sacked VNSSM Chief Kishore Tiwari After Raising Farmers' Plight with PM Narendra Modi, Blames Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. "Due to increase in investment in basic infrastructures like irrigation system, storage, warehousing, and cold storage, the Indian agriculture is expected to record robust growth in the coming years," 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) Bhopal, Sep 20 (PTI) With the addition of 19 new cases of coronavirus, the tally of infections in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,54,104 on Tuesday, an official from the state health department said. Also Read | Congress President Elections: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot To Be in Delhi Tomorrow, Likely to Meet Sonia Gandhi. The toll remained unchanged at 10,771, and the count of recoveries reached 10,43,172 after 28 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Also Read | Odisha: Woman Falls Off Motorbike As Edge of Saree Gets Entangled in Vehicle's Real Wheel, Dies. With a positivity rate of 0.5 per cent, the state is now left with 161 active cases. At least 3,311 swab samples were examined during the day, taking the number of tests conducted in the state so far to 30,00,4072, the official added. As per a government release, 13,19,15,566 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, of which 12,017 jabs were given on Tuesday. Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,54,104, new cases 19, death toll 10,771, recoveries 10,43,172, active cases 161, number of tests so far 30,00,4072. (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, September 20: A group of Muslim intellectuals, including former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and former Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, recently met RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and chalked out a plan to strengthen communal harmony in the country, sources said on Tuesday. Former Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Lt General (retd) Zamiruddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui, and philanthropist Saeed Shervani were also present in the closed-door meeting recently held at Udasin Ashram, the temporary office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), sources said. Wide range discussions were held on strengthening communal harmony and improving intra-community relations during the two-hour-long meeting, sources said. Both Bhagwat and the group of intellectuals agreed that without strengthening communal harmony and reconciliation among communities, the country cannot progress, sources present in the meeting told PTI. BJP President JP Nadda Meets Top Leadership of RSS, Including Its Chief Mohan Bhagwat. "Both sides appreciated the need for communal harmony and to remove differences and misunderstandings among communities. A plan was chalked out to pursue this initiative," sources said. The discussions also revolved around on following a Gandhian approach for the overall well-being of the country, they added. In September 2019, Bhagwat had met Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind head Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, at the RSS office here and discussed a host of issues, including strengthening unity between Hindus and Muslims and incidents of mob lynching. The meeting was coordinated by Ram Lal, Sangh's senior functionary and former organisational secretary of the BJP. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Aizawl, Sep 20 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma would meet in New Delhi on Wednesday to find a solution for resolving the long-standing border dispute between the two Northeastern states, an official said on Tuesday. Zoramthanga and Sarma would meet at Assam House in New Delhi at 1 pm, the official of the Mizoram Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Also Read | Sony PS5 Restock in India: PlayStation 5 To Be Available for Pre-Order on September 26, 2022. Mizoram Planning Board vice-chairman H Rammawi is likely to accompany Zoramthanga to the meeting, she said. The meeting was scheduled on Monday but had to be postponed as Sarma returned to his state from the national capital. Also Read | 7th Pay Commission: Good News Ahead of DA Hike As Centre to Make Announcement on Promotions of Government Employees Soon. This will be the second such meeting between the two chief ministers on the border issue. In November last year, the two leaders met in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. An official of the Mizoram Home Department said the date for the next round of minister-level talks between the two states, scheduled to be held in Guwahati next month, is yet to be fixed. "The date for the next round of talks with the Assam delegation is yet to be decided. The matter has not been discussed as Home Minister Lalchamliana is now on leave due to illness. It will be discussed once he joins office," the official told PTI. A delegation of Mizoram led by Lalchamliana, and that of Assam headed by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora had met in Aizawl on August 9 to find a lasting solution to the vexed border dispute. Prior to this, they had met in August 2021. At the last meeting, both sides agreed to maintain peace along the border and decided to meet again at Guwahati in October. Mizoram shares a 164.6-km-long border with Assam. The border dispute between the two states is a long-standing issue. Mizoram was part of Assam until 1972, when it was carved out as a Union Territory, and it became a state in 1987. The border dispute mainly relates to two colonial notifications -- the inner line reserved forest notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) in 1875, and the boundary indicated in the Survey of India's Map in 1933. While Mizoram claimed the 509 square miles stretch of the inner line reserved forest as its actual boundary, Assam said the 1933 boundary is its constitutional boundary. The border dispute between the two neighbouring states turned violent in July last year, leading to the death of six policemen and a civilian from Assam when police forces of the two states exchanged fire on the disputed area near Vairengte village on National Highway-306. Around 60 people had also been injured in the violent clash, which was followed by a blockade organised by residents of Assam's Lailapur village in Cachar district on NH-306, the lifeline of Mizoram, for nearly a month. The tension was defused as the Centre intervened, bringing both sides to the table. Sarma's government in Assam is also working with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh to resolve border disputes. (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, Sep 20 (PTI) With Dr Randeep Guleria's second extended tenure as the director of AIIMS, New Delhi ending on September 23, new names of two doctors have been recommended for the top job in the premier institute, sources said on Tuesday. It has been learnt that the names of Dr M Srinivas, Dean of Employees' State Insurance Company (ESIC) Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad, and Dr Sanjay Behari, Director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum, have been shortlisted by the selection-cum-search panel headed by Union Health Secretary. Also Read | Odisha Shocker: Youth Beats Younger Brother to Death in Bhubaneswar for Neglecting Study and Spending Money Unnecessarily. The two new names will now be placed before the Institute Body, the top decision making body at the institute, on September 21 before being sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval. Interestingly, neither Dr Srinivas nor Dr Behari had applied for the post, the sources told PTI on Tuesday. Also Read | Groom of Bullet Bandekki Song Fame Trapped by ACB for Taking Bribe of Rs 30,000 in Badangpet. Earlier in March, names of Nikhil Tandon, head of the department of endocrinology; Rajesh Malhotra, chief of AIIMS Trauma Centre and the head of the department of orthopaedics; and Pramod Garg, professor in the gastroenterology department in the institute which were shortlisted by a search-cum-selection committee and subsequently approved by the Institute Body, the top decision-making body of the AIIMS, were sent to the ACC for approval. The ACC headed by the prime minister on June 20 sought a wider panel of names for the post of director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. Following this, names of MV Padma Srivastava, chief of Neurosciences Centre; Dr Balram Bhargava, former ICMR director general; and Dr Rakesh Aggarwal, director of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry were discussed. "Now names of Dr Srinivas and Dr Behari will be placed before the Institute Body tomorrow before being sent to ACC for final approval," a source said. Dr Srinivas was a professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at AIIMS Delhi before he joined ESIC Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad in 2016. Dr Behari was professor and head of Neurosurgery department at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences Lucknow before he took charge as the director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum in April. The four-member search-cum-selection committee tasked with shortlisting names for the AIIMS director's post comprises Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary of Department of Biotechnology Rajesh S Gokhale, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government K Vijay Raghavan, and Delhi University VC Yogesh Singh. The tenure of the incumbent Dr Guleria which was till March 24 was extended by three months. It was then subsequently extended by another three months. Dr Guleria was appointed as director for a term of five years on March 28, 2017. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Palakkad, September 20: A leader of the Popular Front of India has been arrested in connection with the killing of an RSS worker in Kerala's Palakkad district in April this year, police said. The Palakkad district secretary of PFI, Aboobaker Siddik, was arrested on Monday for allegedly conspiring and hiding the culprits involved in the murder of RSS worker Sreenivasan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said. Karnataka Shocker: Doctor Killed by Fiancee After Making Private Videos of Her and Mother-in-Law Viral on Social Media in Bengaluru. Sreenivasan was hacked to death on April 16, which the police suspected to be in retaliation for the murder of a PFI worker named Subair in front of his father in Elupplly Palakkad district on April 15. Both these cases were given for probe to a special investigation team headed by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order. "He is the 23rd accused in the Sreenivasan murder case which has been arrested for conspiring, prompting others, and helping the culprits- in the knowledge of their organisation- hide...He was taken into custody from his house and his arrest has been recorded," said the investigating officer, DSP Anil Kumar. Telangana Shocker: Man Dies After Receiving Fatal Injection From Hitch-Hiking Stranger in Khammam District. The police have also recovered a laptop and two mobile phones from the PFI leader's possession and have been examining them. He will be produced before the court, DSP said. "More arrests will be reported soon," he added. As per police, Siddik was allegedly involved along with a group of PFI workers in preparing the list of politicians to be targeted. These leaders belonged to the BJP, CPI (M) and Youth League, the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Alappuzha (Kerala) [India], September 20 (ANI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, said party leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in the Alappuzha district in Kerala where the yatra entered on September 10, Ramesh said that the march has completed 275 km of its distance in total. The 3,570-km yatra had started on September 7. Also Read | Google's Next-Gen Tensor G2 Chipset Likely To Improve GPU Performance Over Its Predecessor. "We have completed 275 km of Bharat Jodo Yatra. We would have complete 285 by today. Priyanka Gandhi will join the yatra. She is working out to join in Kerala," he said. When asked about the election of the Congress president that is scheduled to take place on October 17, Ramesh said that all the party workers are focussed on making the Bharat Jodo Yatra a success. Also Read | Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Stand on Compensation to Victims, Hearing on October 11. Referring to the reports of Shashi Tharoor getting the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest the election for the party chief post, Ramesh said that nobody needs to take permission from Rahul or Sonia Gandhi to file the nominations and anybody is free to contest the election. The remarks came after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president's post, sources said. Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi's go ahead after he met her here. According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to "make internal democracy" in the party stronger. Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP and said that anybody can contest elections. "Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor gets a nod from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to contest for the post of the party president, after he reached out to her in a meeting today, citing he can make internal democracy stronger. Sonia Gandhi, Congress interim president, replied that he (Shashi Tharoor) can contest (for the post of the party president) if he wants, anybody can contest elections," said the sources. Notably, Tharoor is one of the signatories of a letter written to Sonia Gandhi by the G-23 group (seeking reforms in the party). The meeting has brought clarity to his contesting the party president polls, which earlier was a matter of much speculation. (ANI) (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, Sep 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its judgement on a plea challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court setting aside the election of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and B V Nagarathna heard the submissions of all the parties and said it will pass orders. Also Read | Sextortion Racket Busted by Delhi Police, One Held From Rajasthans Alwar. The Allahabad High Court had ruled that Abdullah Azam was not qualified to contest the election as he was below 25 years of age when he filed his nomination papers as the SP candidate from Suar constituency in 2017. Azam Khan and his wife were sent to jail by a Rampur court in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged role in securing a fake birth certificate for Abdullah Azam on the basis of which he had contested the election. Also Read | Big Mouth, Twenty Five Twenty One, Anarchy of Souls 5 Kdramas of 2022 That Didnt Care For A Happy Ending or Our Hearts. The case relates to two birth certificates of Abdullah Azam, who allegedly gave a wrong date of birth while filing his nomination papers for the 2017 poll. Abdullah's election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court in December 2019. A Rampur BJP leader, Akash Saxena, had lodged an FIR at Ganj police station on January 3, 2019 alleging fraud in securing two birth certificates with different dates. In April, police had filed the charge sheet in the case. It alleged that Azam Khan's son also had two passports and two PAN cards. According to the charge sheet, in one birth certificate, issued by the Rampur municipality, Abdullah Azam's date of birth was mentioned as January 1, 1993. The other certificate said he was born in Lucknow on September 30, 1990. A case was also registered against Azam Khan and his wife as they had submitted an affidavit testifying to the authenticity of their son's second birth certificate. Azam Khan represented Rampur seat in the Lok Sabha and is currently a sitting Samajwadi Party MLA from Rampur. His son Abdullah Azam had won from Suar assembly segment in 2017, but was unseated by the high court for being underage. He again got elected from Suar in the 2022 assembly poll. http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, Sep 20 (PTI) A special court at Alipore here remanded former West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) chairman and incumbent vice-chancellor of North Bengal University Subires Bhattacharyya in CBI custody till September 26. He was arrested by the CBI on Monday in connection with its Calcutta High Court-ordered investigation into the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. Also Read | Maharashtra Govt Sacked VNSSM Chief Kishore Tiwari After Raising Farmers Plight with PM Narendra Modi, Blames Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. The CBI alleged that he was involved in manipulation of scores of candidates. The agency prayed before the special CBI court for the NBU VC's custody seeking to question him to find out more details about the irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-sponsored and -aided schools. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Dalit Family Fined Rs 60,000, Banned From Entering Village in Koppal After Boy Touches Hindu God's Idol in Temple. Bhattacharyya's lawyer Tamal Mukherjee claimed before the court that he has always cooperated with the investigation, but was still arrested after being called to the agency's office for questioning. Praying for his bail, Mukherjee further claimed that the allegations against Bhattacharyya are not true. Rejecting the bail prayer of Bhattacharya, the judge of the special CBI court at Alipore remanded him in CBI custody till September 26. Bhattacharyya was the chairman of SSC from 2014 to 2018, when Partha Chatterjee was the state's education minister. Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its investigation into the alleged money trail involved in the recruitment scam, is at present in CBI custody in relation to the probe. Bhattacharyya is serving as the vice-chancellor of NBU since February, 2018. (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, Sep 20 (PTI) A 20-year-old student allegedly killed herself by jumping off the college building in Central Delhi's Kamla Market area on Tuesday, police said. The girl was a second-year BA Honours (Political Science) student, they said. Also Read | J&K LG Manoj Sinha on Multiplex Opening in Kashmir: Cinema Brings People Together. A suicide note was recovered from one of her pockets in which did not blame anybody, they said without divulging further details. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead, a senior police officer said. Also Read | India Has Potential to Meet Food Requirement of World, Says Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. After post-mortem, the body was handed over to her family members, the officer added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, Sep 20 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has given in-principle approval for setting up of a super-speciality hospital in Uttara Kannada district, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday. Also Read | Sony PS5 Restock in India: PlayStation 5 To Be Available for Pre-Order on September 26, 2022. This fulfils the long-standing demand of the people of the district for a well-equipped tertiary hospital. Also Read | Ola Layoff: Electric Scooters Company Cuts 200 Jobs; Plans to Hire 3,000 to Focus on Non-Software Engineering Domains. "Our government is committed to ensure availability of quality healthcare services in Uttara Kannada district. Location and other modalities regarding setting up of hospital will be discussed with the Chief Minister. The proposal has been sent to the Finance Department. After discussing with the Chief Minister, the proposal will be tabled before the Cabinet," Sudhakar said. The Minister was speaking to the media after a meeting with all elected representatives of the district including district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivasa Poojari, MLAs and MLCs. Kumta, which is centrally located in the district, is being considered for the establishment of the proposed hospital. Pointing out that along with this, a 250-bed multi-speciality hospital that is being set up in Sirsi in the district is already under construction, Sudhakar said the Karwar Medical College has received approval from National Medical Commission (NMC) to start functioning from this year with 150 MBBS seats which would further enhance medical infrastructure in the district. All aspects regarding healthcare infrastructure in the district including filling of vacant posts, upgradation of primary healthcare centres (PHCs), procurement of equipment were discussed in the meeting with elected representatives, he said adding that he would visit Uttara Kannada district after the ongoing Assembly session to take stock of healthcare infrastructure 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) Prominent Tamil actress Pauline Jessica, popularly known as Deepa, committed suicide in her rented flat in Chennai's Virugambakkam Mallika Avenue on September 18. Pauline was a native of Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Actress Deepa aka Pauline Jessica Dies by Suicide at 29. She had played the lead role in the recently released Tamil movie Vaidha. Besides, she worked in various Tamil movies and serials. The popular actor was found hanging in her apartment on Sunday, September 18. Earlier, the Koyambedu Police had got information from neighbours of the actor regarding her death. Later, the said police reached the spot and sent the body to Kilpauk Government Medical College and Hospital for autopsy. Later, the relatives of the actor were informed and her body was sent to Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Cinema Lyricist Kabilans Daughter Thoorigai Dies by Suicide. "We are investigating the alleged suicide of popular actor Pauline Jessica from all sides and are taking the help of CCTV,", said the police. The police are trying to find out who all came to Pauline's residence. Before the day of the suicide, it had been found that the popular actor had reached her apartment in an auto. The cops are also trying to ascertain whether it was a suicide case or somebody pushed her to commit suicide. According to police, a suicide note had been found in which she had mentioned that a failed relationship was the main reason behind her death. (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], September 20 (ANI): Noting that the tier two and three cities are becoming the centre of economic activities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there should be a focus on developing industry clusters in such areas. Addressing a conference of Council of Mayors and Deputy Mayors of BJP in Gujarat via video conferencing, the Prime Minister asked them to take initiatives to ensure that the small vendors get training to use the digital payments system. Also Read | Asus ROG Phone 6D, ROG Phone 6D Ultimate Launched; Price, Features & Specifications. "The states should start planning of tier 2 and tier 3 cities from now. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are now becoming the centre of economic activities. Our startups are taking place in those cities. We should focus on developing industry clusters in those areas. Small vendors must get training to use digital payments system. Mayors must take the initiative to ensure this," he said. Listing out the development of urban infrastructure under his government, PM Modi said that the government is making efforts to make towns a centre of a holistic lifestyle. Also Read | Tamil Nadu: Woman Refuses To Rent Out Flat to Scheduled Cast Man in Dindigul District, Booked. "India is making investments in its urban infrastructure. Till 2014, the metro network in the country was lesser than 250 km. Today, it has exceeded 775 km. Work is underway on 1,000 km of metro route. It is our effort that our towns should become a centre of a holistic lifestyle," he said. "The citizens of our country have placed faith in the BJP for the development of cities for a very long time. It is the responsibility of all of us to maintain it continuously, and increase it," PM Modi added. The Prime Minister further asked the attendees of the conference not to have "election-centric thinking" stating that it cannot do good for the development of towns. "The thinking of the elected public representatives should not be confined to elections. We cannot do good for the towns with election-centric thinking. Many a time a good decision for the towns is not taken due to a fear of loss in the elections," he said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow, Sep 20 (PTI) Total 16,652 incidents of cybercrime were reported in Uttar Pradesh in about one and a half years, out of which 3,595 criminals were sent to jail after completing investigations, Parliamentary Affairs Minister said on Tuesday. In response to a starred question by Samajwadi Party member Pankaj Kumar Malik during the question hour, Suresh Kumar Khanna said a total of 16,552 incidents of cybercrime have taken place in the state from January 2021 to July 20, 2022. Also Read | Sony PS5 Restock in India: PlayStation 5 To Be Available for Pre-Order on September 26, 2022. Out of these, 3,595 criminals have been sent to jail after completing the investigation of crimes in 5,769 cases, he added. To a supplementary question, the minister said total 15,202 officers, including staff members, have been trained till now to prevent cybercrime, adding that crime of such nature is a big problem and the government has made arrangements to prevent it from happening. Also Read | Ola Layoff: Electric Scooters Company Cuts 200 Jobs; Plans to Hire 3,000 to Focus on Non-Software Engineering Domains. Till now there were only two cyber crime police stations in the state but the state government has taken an initiative to set up cyber police stations at every divisional headquarters, following which 16 more police stations were opened, Khanna said. A helpline number - 1930 has also been started for the same, 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) New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of making the elderly dependent by abolishing the old pension scheme. He assured that the Congress, if elected to power in Gujarat, will restore the old pension scheme, saying it is the right of government employees who strengthen the nation. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Man Stabbed to Death For Not Repaying Borrowed Rs 9,000 in Kalaburagi. "By abolishing the old pension, the BJP has made the elderly dependent from self reliant. The government employees who strengthen the country have a right: The old pension," he said in a tweet in Hindi. "We restored the old pension in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh. Now the Congress government will come in Gujarat and will bring the old pension," Gandhi also said, using the hashtag #CongressDegiOldPension. Also Read | Lapsus$ Hacking Group Broke Into Our Internal Systems Last Week, Says Uber. Senior Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia had said on Monday that his party will implement the old pension scheme in Gujarat just like Congress governments have done in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan if it is voted to power in the Assembly polls. Thousands of retired government employees in Gujarat recently held protests demanding the re-introduction of the old pension scheme. The Gujarat Assembly elections are due in the next few months and the Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in the state. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Paris, Sep 21 (AP) French authorities are investigating death threats against a Russian rights activist who exposes abuses in Russian prisons, saying he was the target of a possible assassination attempt at his home in France. Vladimir Osechkin, founder of prisoners' rights group Gulagu.net, suspects Russian security services of trying to "shut his mouth" or scare him away from continuing his activism. His recent work has notably had links to the Ukraine war. Also Read | Pakistan Gets Second Batch of Six J-10C Fighter Aircraft From China: Reports. While carrying a plate of spaghetti to his two children in the Atlantic coast city of Biarritz last week, Osechkin said he saw a red dot appear on the wall, tracing his movements. The family dropped to the floor and went to a safe room. He said police and neighbors heard shots in the vicinity. No one was hurt. "Me and my colleagues... are seen like enemies of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, Putin's regime," Osechkin told The Associated Press. "He wants to destroy me." Also Read | Chicago Explosion: Blast in South Austin Building Injures Six (Watch Video). The prosecutor's office for the region surrounding Biarritz issued a statement Tuesday saying that a preliminary investigation into death threats against the activist is underway as part of broader measures to ensure Osechkin's protection. "At this stage, there is no objective evidence that allows us to support the hypothesis of an assassination attempt that could have targeted Vladimir Osechkin last week," the statement said. Osechkin has been under French police protection for the past several months and had first reported death threats to police in March. He was warned September 9 of a new possible threat to his life. He said the incident on September 12 could have been a "psychological attack" to scare him or a botched effort to kill him. He said he hopes further investigation clarifies what happened and who was behind it. Russian officials have not publicly commented about him. French local and national police and government ministries would not comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Osechkin sought political asylum in France after fleeing Russia under pressure from authorities over his prison activism. Osechkin's group routinely publishes videos and accounts of alleged torture and corruption in Russian prisons. He was among the first to reveal that Russia's military was recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine. Gulagu.net also helped bring Russian fugitive paratrooper Pavel Filatiev to France last month. Filatiev served in the Ukraine war before being injured, and later published accounts online of what he saw, accusing the Russian military leadership of betraying their own troops out of incompetence and corruption. While Osechkin described being accustomed to pressure from Russian authorities, he said the incident September 12 made him consider for the first time stopping his work to protect his children. But he said giving up would only hand victory to Putin and his allies. "It's very difficult for us and to our family, but I think that we don't have the choice. We need to stop Putin and his regime," he said. "It's not a battle against Putin. It's a battle against totalitarianism. And we need to do something to win, to protect democracy and human rights and the future of the Russian Federation." (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan]/New York [US], September 20 (ANI): Pakistan Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will share the sufferings of the people of the flood-hit country in his address at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) being held in New York. "Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan's story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods. In my address at UNGA and bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan's case on issues that call for the world's immediate attention," PM Shehbaz Sharif tweeted. Also Read | Pakistan Horror: Father Burns 12-Year-Old Son to Death in Karachi for Not Doing School Homework. He arrived in New York on Tuesday to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On his arrival at the John F Kennedy International Airport today, the premier was received by Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram, Pakistan's Ambassador to Washington Masood Khan and other senior officers, reported The News International. Also Read | China Creates New Wild Arctic Wolf Using Cloning; 'Maya' Becomes World's First Cloned White Wolf (See Pics). Shehbaz will address the assembly on the concluding day of the five-day session of the UNGA being held from September 19-23 at the UN Headquarters in the US. As per a statement issued from the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, the focus of PM Sharif's speech will be the challenges faced by Pakistan in wake of the recent climate-induced catastrophic floods in the country. "The prime minister will outline concrete proposals for collectively tackling the existential threat posed by climate change. He will also share Pakistan's position and perspective on regional and global issues of concern, including Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the long-standing unresolved disputes on the UN agenda," the statement read. On Tuesday, Sharif will attend the reception of the Secretary General of the United Nations and meet French President Emmanuel Macron, the Austrian chancellor and the Spanish president, reported The News International. Besides, he will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of other countries, the UNGA president, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of different international organisations, IFIs and philanthropic organisations. On Wednesday, he will meet the President of the European Union Council Charles Michael. Apart from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Shehbaz Sharif will also have a bilateral meeting with Iran's President Seyed Ibrahim Raisi. On the sidelines of the UNGA session, the PM will participate in the Global Food Security Summit, jointly organised by the African Union, European Union and the United States, and closed-door leaders gathering on COP-27, bringing together select world leaders to discuss climate change, reported The News International. On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif will also meet Managing Director of International Monitory Fund Kristalina Georgieva and President World Bank David Mills. Later, he will also host a luncheon in honour of the President of Turkey and his wife, besides meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Other engagements of the Prime Minister include meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, President of the United Nations General Assembly, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Shehbaz Sharif will also meet the Prime Ministers of China, Japan and Luxemburg. During his visit, Sharif is accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, other members of the cabinet, and senior government officials. The 77th UNGA is being held at the UN headquarters in the US city of New York. The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Climate Change with a particular focus on the recent floods in Pakistan, post-covid recovery, covid vaccination access, and the economic situation post-covid are some major topics expected to be discussed during the five-days long session. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) To raise awareness about the disease which is among the most prevalent forms of dementia, World Alzheimers Day is observed every year. This disease disrupts mental functioning and is quite prevalent in the elderly. Dementia refers to the mental decline that interferes with daily functions and Alzheimers is a form of dementia concerned with memory loss. This day gives everyone an opportunity to learn more about Alzheimers and to spread the word to find new ways of fighting the effects of the disease. Alzheimers is usually regarded as a family disease since it impacts those people who are closest to the one suffering from it. This World Alzheimers Day 2022, learn all about the date, history, theme, significance of the day and ways in which we can observe the day to raise awareness about the disease. What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment You Should Know Of. Date and Theme of World Alzheimer's Month World Alzheimers Day is a part of World Alzheimer's Month in September, which is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support for and demystify dementia. World Alzheimers Day is observed on September 21 every year. The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2022 is Know dementia, know Alzheimer's. While the theme remains the same as last years, this years special focus is on post-diagnosis support. World Alzheimers Month 2022 Date, Theme, History & Significance. History and Significance of World Alzheimers Day This disease is named after Alois Alzheimer, the German psychiatrist who first identified the disease while treating a woman in 1901. Alzheimers affects memory and impairs daily functioning. Alzheimers Disease International (ADI), which was founded in 1984, initiated the observance of World Alzheimers Day in Edinburgh during its annual conference in 1994 for its 10th anniversary. The first World Alzheimer Report was launched in 2009 on World Alzheimers Day and it has been issued every year since then. The activities during Alzheimers Month are coordinated by ADI, which works with associations and member organisations to create awareness about the disease. This day is significant for those affected by the disease and caregivers so their struggles can be recognised and aid can be provided to them, along with useful and factual information about the disease. Ways to Observe World Alzheimers Day 2022 The first step to observing this day is by posting useful information on social media to spread awareness about the disease. People are also encouraged to volunteer at their local Alzheimers associations and donate to any organisations helping people with Alzheimers. Previous studies have shown that an average of 2 out of 3 people in the world have little to no understanding of Alzheimers disease. This international campaign, therefore, focuses on raising awareness and understanding of the disease. On World Alzheimers Day 2022, lets read up about it so we can contribute by spreading information. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2022 03:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Venugopal was in the Bharat Jodo Yatra since it started on September 7 from Kanyakumari. The Congress on Tuesday reiterated that anyone can contest the party president's poll as it was a democratic and transparent process and no nod was required from the leadership. #Google has finally launched a new pilot programme to keep political campaign emails out of spam folders for #Gmail users. Gmail users could start seeing more campaign fundraising emails in their inboxes in the next couple of days, reports Axios.@Google pic.twitter.com/523KJVbvfB IANS (@ians_india) September 20, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in #Leicester were the result of outsiders coming to the city and inflaming existing tensions, community leaders have said, Daily Mail reported. pic.twitter.com/bEPkVFu7EK IANS (@ians_india) September 20, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Eight big cats from Namibia made the long trek in a chartered cargo flight as part of an ambitious and hotly contested plan to reintroduce cheetahs to the South Asian country. The Associated Press https://t.co/WQWh1tM9EJ snopes.com (@snopes) September 19, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Communion is a heartbreaking example of a classic documentary genre the immersive, observational film that takes a bold leap and embeds itself with a small group of people. Once there, this type of film goes deeper than deep into both the daily minutia and the broader emotional underpinnings of the lives it observes. The risk is that the people chosen will not do or say anything worth the time invested in them, but with Communion that has not proved to be the case. Advertisement Directed by debuting Polish filmmaker Anna Zamecka, Communion has won a slew of awards, including best documentary in the European Film Awards, and it was recently named to the short list for this years best documentary Oscar. All this for a film that spends most of its time in a tiny apartment in a town outside Warsaw where three people try to make the best of their lives. Met first is 13-year-old Nikodem, a lively autistic boy struggling to put his pants on and get his belt to work right. Wrong, wrong, wrong, he exclaims as the belt seems to display a mind of its own, a trio of words that seem to describe aspects of his family life as well. Met next is older sister Ola, age 14, whom we see methodically going through Nikodems school bag and throwing all the books he doesnt need for this particular day on the floor. Ola is short on patience because, as we soon observe, young as she is, she runs the family as the only person in it with any kind of initiative and/or drive. The siblings mother, for reasons that gradually become clear, has vacated the premises, and their father, though still living in the apartment, has given himself over to drink to the point where even the simplest tasks are beyond him. Filmmaker Zamecka met this family by happenstance and ended up spending a year on the project. Though she shot for 35 days, the time she put in enabled her and cinematographer Malgorzata Szylak to disappear enough for the family to play out its dynamics as if no one else was there. As the title indicates, the central event this lean 72-minute film focuses on is a projected first Communion for Nikodem, whose success with this rite of passage is by no means assured. In charge of preparing him is Ola, who relentlessly goes over the correct responses with him and even shows him how to physically receive the Communion wafer. Not only does Nikodem have trouble remembering what he is supposed to say, his natural anarchic streak adds difficulties of its own. For one thing, Nikodem has a habit of pretending to be various animals, including lions and bears. For another, he gets it into his head that gluttony is a cardinal virtue, insisting that even if it isnt it should be. Ola, as it turns out, has a bit of an ulterior motive for her interest in her brothers Communion. She is hoping that the seriousness of the event will entice their mother to reconnect with the family, and she spends a good part of her time on the phone with her mom in an attempt to make that happen. As filmmaker Zamecka says in a directors statement, her film is not just about the ritual Catholic Communion but also an existential tale about the impossible communion, namely a loving family united. Communion involves other individuals in the familys life, including a visiting welfare officer and a teacher at the siblings Catholic school who talks about getting two for the price of one: You forgive others, and God forgives you. The films willingness to let small moments play out pulls us into this story with relentless grace, and we cant help root for Ola and her adolescent scheme, cant help hoping that her attempts at managing her parents have even a prayer of success. ------------- Communion In Polish with English subtitles Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 12 minutes Playing: Starts Friday, Laemmle Glendale; Saturday, 11 a.m, Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena, and Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica kenneth.turan@latimes.com @KennethTuran Hurricane Fiona has ripped through not only Puerto Rico, but also several other countries in the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic. As the storm ravages the region, emergency crews have managed to rescue around 1,000 people in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, the storm has also led to catastrophic damages, with several houses now destroyed. A local business owner from San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, spoke to CNN and stated that the situation is "unbelievable." He stated that while Maria had stronger winds, Fiona had heavier rainfall and it "just destroyed everything in the house." The man also stated that Fiona had done more damage because of the flooding than Maria ever did five years ago. Major General Jose Reyes of the Puerto Rico National Guard recently spoke about the rescue efforts to the press. Around 1,000 people have now been rescued, but the intense rain is expected to produce more catastrophic flooding and mudslides. Meanwhile, New York has pledged to send 100 first responders to Puerto Rico, as soon as the weather allows it. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi also stated that the governors of New Jersey and California have also pledged to help. The governor also told CNN that two people have already been confirmed dead following the storm's wake. READ MORE: Hurricane Fiona: Puerto Rico in Total Blackout, Videos Show Scary Damage Pres. Joe Biden Speaks With Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi According to the Washington Post, Governor Pierluisi has now spoken to President Joe Biden. The president has already promised federal support for the U.S. territory as hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans, who are still U.S. citizens, have no electricity or access to potable water. Biden spoke to the governor via a phone call from Airforce One. He was on his way back home to the United States after attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London. The White House has also promised that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Puerto Rico on Tuesday. He will be meeting with state and local officials, as well as ordinary citizens, in order to assess the situation on the island. Over 300 federal personnel are already assisting with response and recovery efforts within Puerto Rico. However, Biden promised to increase that number "substantially" within the coming days, according to a White House statement. The Dominican Republic Also Hit Hard by Hurricane Fiona While things are rough in Puerto Rico, things are also getting tough in the nearby Dominican Republic. Hurricane Fiona first slammed into the community of Boca de Yuma early Monday with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. The storm has already placed 59 aqueducts out of service, while over 1 million people are now without running water. 54 homes have also been confirmed to be damaged so far, while 789 people have been transported to safety. Over 500 people are now housed in shelters as well. There are also power outages in this Caribbean country, with ten electric circuits currently offline as the storm raves the area. Life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding have been forecast for the country's eastern parts. READ NEXT: Dominican Republic: 4 Exciting Things to Do in This Tropical Tourist Paradise This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Hurricane Fiona 'worse than Maria': Puerto Rico resident to CNN - CNN Haiti gang violence has spread from the poorest slums of the nation to the country's capital, with up to 200 gangs taking territory in Port-au-Prince. The Guardian reported that the violence that has reached the capital of Haiti has displaced thousands of families. In May, young men were roaming into town on motorcycles and armed with assault rifles. They then seized control of the area by June, and the following month, the gangs had become the de facto authority. Gang members even took children to join their ranks and raped any women that caught their eye. One construction worker, who fled his home with his wife and sons, said the gang members take what they want and "have no fear and they have no mercy." The United Nations noted that 10 days between July 8 and 17 in Cite Soleil have killed 209 people, with rival G9 and G-Pep factions fighting for control of the area with machine guns and machetes. One man who was asked to be called Michael said that Cite Soleil had always had security issues, but his neighborhood was peaceful, and never thought that he would be forced out of his home by the gangs. Meanwhile, the 5 Seconds gang seized control of the country's Supreme Court in June and has been training minors for the use of military-grade weapons, according to observers' report. Aside from gang violence, protests have also broken out in recent weeks with gas shortages and soaring food prices experienced by the population. READ NEXT: Haiti: Journalists Fatally Shot, Bodies Burned While Reporting on Violence Haiti Protests Protesters are demanding the resignation of Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry amid the end of government fuel subsidies, which caused petrol and diesel prices to rise. BBC News noted that Justice Minister Berto Dorce vowed to identify and punish those behind the attacks on property. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about the unrest in Haiti. Protesters were reported to be throwing stones, and there were shots heard being fired. Two Haitian journalists were also shot dead, their bodies set on fire in Cite Soleil while they were reporting on violence. On Thursday, the local offices of the U.N. Food Program were also attacked. A Guterres spokesperson said the unrest had brought the country to a standstill, warning that Haiti's most vulnerable people will "deteriorate even further." Haiti's Civil Unrest Juan Gonzales, a special assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden and National Security Council's senior director for the Western Hemisphere, said people are opposed to the $400 million in fuel subsidies. Gonzales said in a Miami Herald report that people who often do not even live in Haiti, who have properties in a different part of the world, are paying for people to protest in the streets. Gonzales's statement came during an appearance at the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Institute of Peace. He was asked by Keith Mines about Haiti. Mines was the institute's director for the Latin America program. The Biden aide said there is an "easy fix in Haiti," adding that the U.S. assistance is not getting through due to gangs controlling roads and communities. READ MORE: 4 of Haiti President Jovenel Moise's 'Presumed Assassins' Killed, 2 Arrested by Police This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Haiti riots: Calls for calm after anti-government violence - from BBC News Yet another Trump administration official is in legal trouble; this time, it is former Donald Trump adviser and long-time friend Tom Barrack. He is allegedly part of a two-year effort to try and influence policy decisions by both the Trump campaign and the Trump administration to favor the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Barrack was indicted last year, along with assistant Matthew Grimes, as well as an Emirati official, for allegedly acting as a secret backchannel between the Trump administration and the UAE. According to a report by CNN, he and Grimes allegedly conspired to use his close relationship with Trump to promote the UAE's interests. The former Trump advisor appeared in media interviews and advocated a candidate preferred by the Gulf country to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the UAE. The two also allegedly helped UAE officials in their dealings with the White House and pushed back against a proposed Camp David summit between Gulf states and Qatar. That summit never happened. Tom Barrack and Assistant Pleaded Not Guilty as Jury Selection Begins Tom Barrack is a close personal friend of Donald Trump and had at one time served as the chairman of the Trump Inaugural Committee. He is also a wealthy businessman and had served as the chairman of the DigitalBridge Group Inc., However, he and co-defendant Matthew Grimes pleaded not guilty to their crimes as the trial began and jury selection was already underway. NBC News reported that they intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were strictly part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. The third co-defendant, the Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik, is currently at large. Reports stated that he fled the United States on April 2018 after he was interviewed by the FBI. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan will be overseeing the jury selection and has ruled that candidates who expressed "merely some dislike" of Trump could still be able to serve as part of the jury. READ MORE: Donald Trump Ally, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's Cellphone Seized by FBI Donald Trump May Be Called In by the Defense to Testify The central argument for Barrack and Grimes is that their interactions with Emirati officials were part of their work. They also argued that Trump himself knew of his contact with these officials, and so did members of the Trump State Department. This means that the former president himself may be called in to testify on behalf of his former advisor and long-time friend. However, Reuters pointed out that Trump also faces legal trouble of his own, including his mishandling of classified documents and the January 6 insurrection, to name a few. An August 26 filing by Barrack's lawyers stated that Trump, as well as members of his administration, "cannot be ruled out as potential witnesses." Meanwhile, prosecutors believe that Barrack was given input by UAE officials on what to say in TV interviews, as well as what the former president has to say in a 2016 energy policy speech. The speech allegedly promoted the interests of UAE ally, Saudi Arabia. READ MORE: Donald Trump in More Legal Trouble as Grand Jury Investigates Save America PAC Formation and Spending This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Trump ally Tom Barrack charged with acting as foreign agent - CBS News South Africa Amapiano kingpins, Scorpion Kings evaded arrest in Bulawayo on Monday after a warrant of arrest had been issued over their non-appearance at the Victoria Falls Carnival. The celebrated duo of Petrus Kabelo Motha (Kabza De Small) and Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe (Dj Maphorisa) together with songstress, Sha Sha, were billed to perform at the carnival in April this year but failed to turn up. The organisers of the show who said they had incurred losses amounting to R414 147.00 demanded that the artists pay back the full booking fee, flights, and accommodation fees and apologise to fans for the incident. However, the trio through Lawk Communications only committed themselves to refund only R230 000. While the dispute was still to be finalised, the Scorpion Kings returned to Zimbabwe on Sunday and performed at the Boundary in Bulawayo later that day. However, a court order dated 17 September, a day before they jetted into the country, had been issued by the Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Christopher Banda ordering that the celebrated music producers be arrested and be safely kept until they are served with the summons against them by the High Court in Bulawayo for a claim in the sum of US$18 395.82. The alternative was that they provided security of the same amount to the Sheriff of the High Court. The duo was initially meant to fly out of the country on Monday morning but were forced to reschedule their flight after police officers and the deputy Sheriffs officers swooped in on them at the Holiday Inn. They were rescued by the Bulawayo-based promoters, who roped in their lawyer, Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners to intervene in the matter. They successfully raised the security and deposited it at the Sheriff of the High Court securing their passage back home. Speaking to the media, Ncube confirmed that the duo had successfully paid the security fee and the matter will now proceed through the normal court process. There was an order of the court which attaches the persons of the two artists for some alleged claim from their previous appearance in Victoria Falls, there is a monetary dispute there. They are from outside the jurisdiction of this court and ordinarily, this court would not have the authority to deal with the matter, said Ncube. He added that since the duo did not have any movable property in the country the court had to arrest them and to avoid being arrested the duo were forced to pay the security fee. After the drama had subsided, the duo who were in the company of their bookings manager Thuli Keupilwe, and their South African-based legal representative Katlego Malatji slipped out of the hotel just after 3 pm to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport to catch their flight home. CITE Following his grand pronouncements on CBS News' "60 Minutes" with Scott Pelley that the pandemic is over, President Joe Biden was on the receiving end of backlash as public health experts refuted his statement. The White House, including Anthony Fauci, has also debunked Biden's statement about the end of the pandemic, noting that the country is not where it needs to be in the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden's pronouncements came after the World Health Organization announced that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is already "on-sight," affirming the declining number of death cases worldwide. Is the COVID-19 Pandemic Really Over? According to University of California, San Francisco Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, the pandemic is "emphatically not over." With 223,000 deaths so far this 2022, Hong underscored that the number of deaths per year is several-fold higher than a typical flu season. In comparison, the average number of deaths during a flu season from 2011 to 2019 is only 35,000 per year. If the number of fatalities continues to remain that high, it would still be higher than diabetes and other respiratory illness-related deaths, Hong said. Meanwhile, Rutgers School of Public Health Dean Perry Halkitis pointed out that Biden's pronouncement that the pandemic is over might be synonymous with "there's no disease," highlighting the "troubling" statement might be dangerous due to the increase in respiratory illness during fall season in the United States. On the other hand, Biden is confident about the upcoming fall and winter season because of the rollout of Omicron-targeted vaccines to the public. The need for specific shots came about after the rise of the more contagious Omicron variant earlier this year. Similarly, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha echoes the sentiments of other experts in the public health industry. "The pandemic isn't over. And we will remain vigilant, and of course, we continue to look for and prepare for unforeseen twists and turns," Jha said in an earlier statement. Biden's top adviser, leading infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, also refuted his boss' surprising announcement. According to The Hill, Fauci said the United States is not where it needs to be if we are going to live with the virus. He also pointed out the difference between the virus with the smallpox virus, saying that the then-virus did not change from year to year compared to the mutating COVID-19 virus. READ NEXT: Joe Biden Says COVID-19 Pandemic 'Is Over' Amid Reports of 2 New Omicron Variants on the Rise Why Did Joe Biden Say the COVID-19 Pandemic is Over? In a 60-minute in-depth interview with CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley, President Joe Biden announced that the "pandemic is really over." However, he does point out that there is still a problem with COVID-19, but he assured the public that they are doing "a lot of work" on it. Last September 14, the World Health Organization announced that they have logged the lowest number of COVID-19-related deaths since its peak on March 2020. "We are not there yet, but the end is in sight. Now is the worst time to stop running. Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap all the rewards of our hard work," the UN agency said in a press release. CBS News data shows that the deaths globally have dropped to 22% as COVID-positive cases plummeted to 28%, following a declining trend in the past few weeks. READ MORE: Mexico: Joe Biden Facing Major Headache with Soaring Migrants Crossing This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ivan Korrs WATCH: Is the COVID-19 pandemic over like President Biden says - From ABC News King Charles III is reportedly planning to implement new amendments in the royal house as the monarch is considering the removal of his son Prince Harry and his brother Prince Andrew as official royal stand-ins. According to Yahoo News, King Charles III was also considering the removal of her niece Princess Beatrice. The 1937 Regency Act stated that four royals in line for the throne are on call to serve in the King's stead when he is out of the country or indisposed. The measure includes the monarch's spouse. During Queen Elizabeth II's reign, he tapped King Charles, Prince William, Harry, and Andrew for the said positions. But this time, King Charles is eyeing to replace his second son and younger brother in the position of official royal stand-ins. The King is reportedly likely to add his other siblings, Prince Anne and Prince Edward, to his list of stand-ins. However, any changes in the lineup must be enacted by the Houses of Parliament. READ NEXT: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Uninvited to State Reception at Buckingham Palace After Being Told It Was for Working Royals Only Amendments in Official Royal Stand-Ins Page Six reported that the palace has been under pressure to remove both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew from their roles since they are no longer working members of the royal family. The Telegraph reported that King Charles III will have the "law changed as soon as he can." Prince Andrew was no longer a working royal after he stepped back from public duties in November 2019 after his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Official royal stand-ins or counselors of state are authorized to carry out most of the official duties of the Sovereign, such as attending Privy Council meetings, signing routine documents, and receiving credentials of new ambassadors to the United Kingdom, according to The Independent. But several core constitutional functions, such as Commonwealth matters, and the dissolving of parliament, may not be delegated except on his majesty's express instruction. It also includes the creation of peers and appointing a prime minister. King Charles III Amid Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will be transferred to Windsor Castle, where there will be a committal service in St. George's Chapel after the funeral at Westminster. The Guardian reported that the Queen will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel with her father, her mother, and her sister's ashes. The coffin of the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, will also be moved from the royal vault in St. George's Chapel to be interred with the Queen as the royal couple requested. King Charles III is set to be coronated in spring or summer next year. The coronation is a state occasion with the government paying for it and choosing the guest list. King Charles is seen to leave Clarence House, but it is not yet known where he is moving. His mother, the Queen, had moved to several residences such as Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, and Windsor Castle. Currently, the new monarch is expected to live at Buckingham Palace despite having no official announcement yet. READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Opt Not to Hold Daughter Lilibet's Christening in the U.K. As It's Likely Be in California: Royal Sources This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: King Charles III Plans to Strip Princes Harry, Andrew of Official Role - From Sky News Australia The family of the late Venezuelan activist Fernando Alban won a lawsuit against Venezuela's socialist government, as a Miami federal judge awarded them $73 million in damages. Alban was a former Caracas council member who was arrested and allegedly committed "suicide" from the 10th floor of a building owned by the country's intelligence services. He was arrested in 2018 upon arrival in Caracas from New York, where he was part of a delegation that had protested Maduro's government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Three days later, he allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the 10th floor of a building belonging to the intelligence services of Venezuela. READ NEXT: Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Says His Country Agrees to Be 'Guarantor' of Colombia Peace Negotiations With ELN Rebels Fernando Alban's Family Sues Nicolas Maduro and Venezuelan Officials The death of a vocal critic such as Fernando Alban sparked international outrage, with the United States government condemning the Venezuelan government. Last year, his widow and two children sued several Venezuelan officials, including President Nicolas Maduro himself, for Alban's kidnapping, torture, and murder. They also accused a purported drug-smuggling ring involving top Venezuelan officials and guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia known as the "Cartel of the Suns" of being part of the plot to kill Alban. According to the Associated Press, the "Cartel of the Suns" allegedly sends 200 metric tons of cocaine from Venezuela into the U.S. each year. Because the cartel did not respond to the lawsuit in a previous ruling last week, Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a default judgment. In it, the court found what it called the "Maduro criminal enterprise" liable for the opposition activist's death, as well as racketeering offenses to exercise "unlawful authoritarian control over Venezuela through narcotics trafficking, acts of terrorism and human rights violations." The court also found that Venezuelan operatives from the Maduro government tailed Alban while he was in New York. They allegedly took surveillance photos and sent them back to Venezuela before facilitating his kidnapping and murder. "Mr. Alban's murder was a murder for hire because members of the Maduro Criminal Enterprise who committed the murder received payment (in the form of salaries) from the Maduro regime," the court noted. Yahoo! News reported that it is still unclear how the "Cartel of the Sun" will pay Alban's family compensation for his death. International Criminal Court Investigating Government of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro The Maduro government is also being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged torture and killings by Nicolas Maduro's security forces. The UN and the EU have both called for an investigation into Fernando Alban's death. Venezuela is also investigating the former Caracas councilman's death, with Attorney General Tarek William Saab announcing in 2021 that two members of the SEBIN intelligence service were found guilty of negligence for the death of Alban. According to a report by the Caracas Chronicle, the two were sentenced to nearly six years in prison. However, the Venezuelan government still insists that the former councilman-turned-activist committed suicide. Family, friends, and members of the opposition said the government's findings were false. Opposition leaders noted that the suicide allegations added insult to injury. READ MORE: Colombia: 7 Police Officers Killed in Ambush After President Gustavo Petro Called for Peace This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: UN Calls for Probe Into Death of Venezuelan Opposition Politician Fernando Alban - From France 24 English The infamous Jalisco cartel of Mexico is reportedly trying to build a lethal empire in Washington state, police said. According to KOMO News, the Yakima Police Department said the Jalisco cartel has already made its way to Washington and is now working to establish a base of operations in Yakima city. The police department, Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives noted that they were "vigilantly trying to stop" the Mexican drug cartel's operations in Yakima. Homeland Security's special agent Robert Hammer said the cartel members were very violent, whether in murders, torturing, or the dismemberment of bodies, and "that is how they thrive." The Jalisco cartel is reportedly spreading across the United States, establishing a base of operations in 28 states. Hammer said drug cartel was "a business," and its members were looking for "places to operate their business that they feel that they can grab a stronghold." He noted that the cartel was looking for many customers as possible and looking to introduce fentanyl to U.S. communities. Hammer said the overdose numbers that the Pacific Northwest sees speak to "the plague and the flood that has occurred." READ NEXT: Mexico: 2 Bodies Found Hanging From Bridge, 3 Police Officers Killed as Mexican Drug Cartels Battle for Territory Jalisco Cartel of Mexico in Washington State In August, a man in Washington state was charged with his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking organization linked to the Jalisco cartel. Jose Elias Barbosa, 37, of Kent, Washington, admitted in a plea agreement to be one of the leaders of the DTO, a transnational drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in the coastal area of the Pacific Northwest in Washington. Fox News reported that the DTO was linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) of Mexico. Prosecutors said the DTO received a shipment of liquid methamphetamine concealed in candles in November 2019. Prosecutors noted that Barbosa allegedly helped the group's members extract the methamphetamine and cook it into crystal form at a Port Orchard location in Washington. In a press statement, the Justice Department said Barbosa distributed at least 55 pounds of methamphetamine and 600 grams of heroin and fentanyl throughout West Washington and elsewhere. Law enforcement admitted that it's still a long journey before the end of putting all the cartel members behind bars. But Hammer said they had already started doing multiple arrests and search warrants across the region. Mexico's Jalisco Cartel The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is reportedly operating not just in Mexico but internationally as well. U.S. officials noted that the cartel controls the movement of more than a third of all drugs consumed in the U.S. and has expanded into Europe and Asia, The Washington Post reported. According to authorities, the Jalisco cartel is known for making mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings. The CJNG had risen to power after former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," was killed in July 2010 by Mexican security forces. Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico. Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who currently heads the Jalisco cartel, continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He remains to be the most elusive criminal, and he is reportedly hiding in Mexico. READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the DrugLLord's Absence: Report This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Mexican Cartel Smuggling Illicit Fentanyl Is Biggest Threat to Washington State - From Fox 13 Seattle The dad of Gabby Petito, who was killed by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, had thanked those who supported their family as he marked the one-year anniversary of her body being found. On the anniversary of the day his daughter's remains were discovered in Wyoming, Joseph Petito reflected on the loss and thanked supporters for standing by their family. "I want to thank everyone for the love and support you have shown our families. It's because of all of you we were able to bring #Gabbypetito home," he wrote Monday in an Instagram post alongside the sentimental image of a young Petito proudly wearing a New York Jets jersey. Joseph noted that this day was "particularly hard" for them and asked the public to take a moment to share a missing person's story "to help bring them home safe." He said "every story deserves the same attention" as his daughter's, and then ended his message with a salute to the New York Jets. "And yes, I shared this picture because the @nyjets won yesterday. #togetherwecan," he concluded. Gabby Petito was officially reported missing on September 11, 2021, which sparked a nationwide search. READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie May Have Made 2 Other Confessions Regarding Gabby Petito's Death Aside From Shocking Revelation in His Notebook Gabby Petito's Parents Hosted Audio Chat on Twitter Spaces Gabby Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nicole Schmidt hosted an audio chat on Twitter Spaces on the eve of the one-year mark of their daughter's remains were discovered. According to The U.S. Sun, Petito's parents reflected and honored their daughter's life by raising awareness of domestic abuse. Schmidt said on Sunday night that "nobody had any idea" what her daughter was going through. Joseph added that there were signs of domestic violence that can be spotted easily, referring to the domestic violence police stop in Utah on Petito and Brian Laundrie that was caught on bodycam. Joseph then encouraged the viewers to use the bodycam video as a tool to recognize domestic violence. "Use that video as a learning tool... So we can get better. There's a perfect example right there. We can do better, and we should," he noted. Gabby Petito's parents also urged their supporters to share pictures of rainbows to honor their daughter's life on the dreadful anniversary. Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie Deaths Last month, Gabby Petito's family filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department in Utah after some officers failed to recognize that Petito was in a life-threatening situation when she had a fight with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, weeks before she was murdered. Petito's parents also filed a civil lawsuit against Laundrie's parents in Florida last March. The lawsuit claimed that the elder Laundries knew their son killed Petito and sought to help him flee the country. Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19 last year. A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide. In January, the FBI revealed that Laundrie confessed to killing Petito in a message left in his notebook. In its final report on the case, the FBI said a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito's death. The FBI noted that its investigation has concluded that Laundrie was the only person responsible for Petito's "tragic death." Apart from the notebook, the FBI confirmed that they also found a "backpack" and a "revolver" upon further search of the area where Laundrie's remains were found. Brian Laundrie's skeletal remains were discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on October 20, 2021. His autopsy report showed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide. READ MORE: Brian Laundrie Case: Probe Into Utah Cops Who Responded to Gabby Petito and Fiance's Domestic Dispute' Close' to Wrapping Up This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Gabby Petito's Parents Pay Tribute 1 Year After Her Body Was Found - From E! News A San Diego judge has sentenced a godson of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera to a little more than five years for his role in the Mexican drug cartel. Damaso Lopez-Serrano, 34, known as 'Mini Lic," is a son of former Sinaloa cartel lieutenant Damaso Lopez Nunez, alias "El Licenciado." U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw on Friday sentenced Lopez-Serrano to a term equal to his time in custody, with no additional prison time. He was also ordered to forfeit $1 million in drug proceeds. It was a part of his plea agreement, in which he also admitted to being a cartel leader and coordinating the shipments of tons of drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin into the U.S. According to San Diego Union-Tribune, it remains unclear why El Chapo's godson did not face the minimum mandatory 10-year prison term. It was also unclear if he would be released or deported back to Mexico. The judge reportedly granted him leniency for voluntarily surrendering himself to U.S. authorities at a California border crossing in August 2017. Citing the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mexico News Daily reported that El Chapo's godson was released from a jail in San Diego, California, on Friday. READ NEXT: Mexico Police Find 8 Bullet-Riddled Bodies Wrapped in Blankets in Zacatecas State Plagued by Drug Cartel Violence Mexico Wants the United States to Hand Over El Chapo's Godson of Sinaloa Cartel According to Vice News, it seems that Damaso Lopez-Serrano won't become a free man just yet as Mexico has expressed that it wants El Chapo's godson too. Sabraw said Lopez-Serrano is still subject to an "immigration detainer," which means he could face deportation to Mexico. Mexican officials reportedly requested El Chapo's godson to be sent back to his home country to face charges related to the May 2017 murder of Javier Valdez-Cardenas, a Sinaloan journalist. His father was also implicated in the case, but both father and son denied involvement. They alleged that they were being framed for the journalist's killing by El Chapo's sons, known as Los Chapitos, and corrupt Mexican officials, which several U.S. law enforcement officials believed. Mexico Insists on El Chapo Godson's Extradition Back to the Country Damaso Lopez-Serrano apparently fled the brutal drug war as factions within the Sinaloa Cartel vied for leadership. He was targeted by Los Chapitos when his father was extradited into the United States and helped the prosecution in convicting El Chapo. His father, "El Licenciado," was close to El Chapo as his right-hand man in the Sinaloa Cartel before turning on him in court. El Chapo's godson was also reportedly ready to take the stand against his godfather but was never called to court. On Saturday, Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) said it obtained an arrest warrant for Lopez-Serrano in 2020 and started the process to have him extradited to Mexico at that time, with Interpol issuing a Red Notice for him. The FGR noted that the extradition request awaits his "due compliance" with his sentence in the U.S., adding that it would now "insist" on El Chapo godson's extradition to Mexico as soon as possible. READ MORE: Ailing Guadalajara Cartel Founder Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo to Spend More Days in Prison as Transfer to Private Home Suspended This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Estados Unidos Liberara a Damaso Lopez Serrano, El Mini Lic - From Excelsior TV Laurel, MS (39440) Today Mainly clear skies. Low 53F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 53F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has reportedly awarded a US$4,6 million tender for the supply, delivery and installation of a fiscalisation back-end system to Norwegian firm, Norway Registers Development (NRD) ahead of local bidders. One of the losing local bidders told NewsDay that the tender was shrouded in secrecy, and also claimed that locals were sidelined despite having proven that they had the capacity to deliver the same equipment in and around the African region. Zimra, however, told NewsDay that the authority was still hunting for a suitable supplier. In response to questions from NewsDay, Zimra said: We take note of your inquiry and wish to advise you that the information you are requesting us to release is confidential. Suffice it to say, the process of procuring a suitable supplier is still underway and we will advise the public once all due diligence has been completed and a supplier has been engaged. Efforts to get a comment from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe were fruitless. Zimra describes fiscalisation as the capturing of tax data or information on sales using fiscal gadgets. As businesses record their tax data and sales, the information is concurrently transmitted to the Zimra server and the data captured cannot be altered. Zimbabwe tax authorities and Treasury have previously hailed fiscalisation for increasing tax collection and improving compliance. Contacted for comment, NRD group chief marketing officer Jurate Venskeviciute-Buciene said: Thank you so much for your e-mail and questions. I will check on the details with my colleagues and will be back with the answers by tomorrow. NRD Companies is a global information technology and consulting group of companies specialising in governance and economic digital infrastructural development. It is headquartered in Norway. Since our inception in 1995, we have built more than 150 state-of-the-art registries and information systems, and we have delivered other projects of all imaginable types across four continents and more than fifty countries worldwide. Over the years, we have expanded our offerings so as to secure maximum efficiency of the ecosystems we build, with solutions and services such as digital signature, digital platforms for the financial and retail sectors, information distribution, and other economic digital infrastructure solutions, the company wrote on its website. Its home markets are the Nordics and Baltics, as well as the frontier markets of sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia, with strategic growth focused in the related areas of digital platforms for State revenue collection, banking, digital licensing and digital documentation. It has a number of units including a legal consulting unit, NRD East African, NRD Rwanda and NRD Systems. Newsday THE continued power supply crisis in South Africa has triggered chaos at the Beitbridge Border Post where commercial cargo has started to pile up. The neighbouring countrys power utility company, Eskom, has been effecting stages 4 and 6 of electricity load shedding. Stage 6 blackouts equate to at least six hours without power per day, possibly in two-hour cycles. Things came to a head on Monday when load shedding affected both the immigration and customs online system used to process commercial cargo in the neighbouring country. The immigration system was urgently resolved, but South African Revenue Services (SARS) officials were by yesterday failing to process bills of entry for commercial cargo leaving or entering that country. Starting from Monday afternoon, south-bound trucks had filled most major roads in Beitbridge town, with queues stretching for over 8km into Zimbabwe. An average of 900 commercial trucks are cleared for passage between South Africa and Zimbabwe daily via the Beitbridge Border Post. In separate interviews, commercial truck drivers said they had become anxious and that most of them had been in the stationery queue for more than eight hours. We have heard from our freight forwarders that load shedding has affected the online customs clearance system on the South African border and hence we are having delays crossing into that country, said Mr Peter Manyaira. He said they were worried that some perishable goods will be wasted if the long delays continue. Another driver, Mr Lloyd Musemwa, said under normal circumstances they spend less than three hours on the Zimbabweans border to complete the customs clearance processes. He said they were also concerned that some transporters were being fined R5 000 by South African authorities for spending longer than necessary in their border. Ideally, we should spend less than two hours at the South African border and when you exceed these hours you are fined R5 000. This is sad considering that the delays are not of our own making, said Mr Musemwa. Mr Danmore Makope said the drivers were worried about the state of affairs at the border. He said most of them were paid depending on the loads they transport and hence a delay in the movement of cargo will eat into their salaries. Most of the goods, he said, were in transit via South Africa to overseas markets. The acting head of Immigration at Beitbridge, Mr Trustworthy Manatsire said: The delays are largely linked to electricity supply challenges which has affected operations on the other side of the border. Under the current set up, Zimbabwe and South Africa use the preclearance system to process cargo imports and exports. This is a facility where goods are cleared and duties are paid before they reach a specific port of entry, where customs officials will only check for compliance issues. In Zimbabwe the clearance is done at the Document Processing Centre (DPC) in Masvingo, Harare and Bulawayo before the trucks may travel to the various ports of entry and exit. Zimborders Consortium general manager, Mr Nqobile Ncube said: We are actively engaging with all relevant agencies to mitigate and manage the situation. Unfortunately, extra territorial factors outside our ambit are at play, but we are engaging and keeping tabs through relevant liaisons. The consortium is transforming the Beitbridge Border Post in a private public partnership (PPP) with Government at a cost of US$300 million. Chronicle A Laois town's new yellow boxes have disappeared just a month after they were painted. Last August, the yellow boxes were painted at the entrances to laneways serving terraced houses in Mountmellick's Lord Edward Street. The works by Laois County Council were done following a motion tabled by Cllr Paddy Bracken, who said that residents were unable to access their rear laneways because vehicles were parking across the lanes. He had welcomed the approval by the council to paint the boxes, as did local people when the boxes went in. Within a month however, they have been dug up by Irish Water as work begins to update along the busy road. Irish Water has explained to the Leinster Express that they are updating old water pipes behind the Lord Edward Street houses. "Irish Water, working in partnership with Laois County Council is replacing ageing backyard water mains and providing new service connections for customers along Lord Edward Street in Mountmellick to improve water supply to homes in the area. The delivery of these essential works will provide a safer, more secure water supply for the town, by minimising the frequency of bursts and improving the resilience of the network. "The works will involve the decommissioning of ageing backyard water mains and the delivery of new water mains on the public road. New service connections for customers will also be provided," the company said. The connections could be made of lead or iron, say Irish Water. "In some older estates across the country water connections, typically made of iron or lead, were installed to the rear of properties, often referred to as backyard service connections. The pipework due to age and deterioration factors can be a significant source of leakage. Backyard water services are usually shared, running through neighbouring properties making it difficult to detect and repair leaks. Since properties may share a connection, leaks and bursts can affect all properties in a neighbourhood which can result in low pressure. This project will strive to alleviate these issues for properties along Lord Edward Street in Mountmellick," they said. The yellow boxes were repainted just ahead of the National Ploughing Championships. Joe Carroll is Regional Delivery Lead. The first step in ensuring the delivery of this essential project along Lord Edward Street in Mountmellick will require a survey of each property before the works commence. This is to assess the current water connection arrangements in place and to also facilitate discussion on the best way to connect the new service connection to the customers homes. We would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation while we deliver this essential water network improvement project. The work may mean water outages. The works, when they commence. may involve some short-term water outages, and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48-hours notice prior to any planned water outages. Where water mains are being constructed traffic management may be in place during this time, but local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times." Customers to benefit from these improvement work have been contacted directly by Ward & Burke Construction Ltd who are carrying out the works on behalf of Irish water. The National Leakage Reduction Programme helps provide a more reliable water supply to Irish communities by reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. Since 2018, its delivery represents an investment of over 500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. Irish Water is also investing a further 250 million annually up to the end of 2030 directed at fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply. A tiered pensions system that will come into effect in January 2024 has been announced by the Government. It will see 66-year-olds given 253 euro per week, 67-year-olds given 266, 68-year-olds given 281, 69-year-olds given 297, and those aged 70 and over given 315. The issue of whether to increase the pension age has come up frequently since dominating the February 2020 election, prompting a U-turn on plans to increase it to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. The Pensions Commission had proposed to increase the state pension age by three months every year from 2028 and then to 68 by 2039. A report published by the Social Protection Committee recommended maintaining the qualifying age for the state pension at 66 and introducing legislation to ban mandatory retirement clauses in employee contracts. Following Cabinet approval on Tuesday, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys announced the tiered plan, saying it will offer flexibility. It will represent a landmark reform to the state pension system in Ireland, she said. We need to move away from the outdated one-age-fits-all approach to pensions. The minister said she is very conscious also that the public gave their opinion in the last election on increasing the pension age and we must respect that. Ms Humphreys said keeping the pension age at 66 will result in pay-related social insurance (PRSI) increases, with a 10-year plan to do so set to be announced next year. An actuarial review of the Social Insurance Fund will be completed later this year to give us the most up-to-date projections on the funds status, the minister said. Based on this, the Government will bring forward a roadmap for PRSI increases over the next 10 years by spring 2023. While I think its important to be honest with people that PRSI rate increases will be needed to be able to pay for our pension system in the future, Im also very conscious of the challenges that people are facing at the moment, Ms Humphreys said. I want to assure people that PRSI increases will be modest and carried out on a gradual, incremental basis. The minister said independent actuarial reviews of the Social Insurance Fund will be carried out every five years, with the Government then expected to publish a 10-year plan to adjust PRSI rates based on the most up-to-date information. Ms Humphreys said a 2017 review predicted the fund would be one billion euro in deficit by 2022, but its in a much healthier position than was anticipated. Its going to be well over two million, possibly three million, in surplus, she said. When asked what guarantee there is that tax changes will be made to pay for the pension system, Ms Humphreys said: Im giving you the commitment today that we will follow through on it. Theres no doubt about that. We need to do this and we will do it. As to what future governments are going to do, I cant say. A number of other state pension reforms will also be made. The Minister is examining the option of extending the benefit payment to 65-year-olds who, following a long working life, may not be able to continue working into their early 60s but said it would require Cabinet approval. The Government has also agreed to attribute full social insurance contributions to long-term carers so they can access the state pension. The current system requires carers with 20 years experience to also have at least 10 years paid contributions. Ms Humphreys said it is wrong that people who have cared for their loved ones for over 20 years may not be able to access their full state pension. A recommendation from the Pensions Commission to move to a total contributions approach for calculating individual pension entitlements has been accepted and will also begin from January 2024. On the retirement age, Ms Humphreys said the Department of Enterprise is working with the Attorney General to look at how we can strengthen the regulations around people not having to retire at the age of 65. We have a flexible pension age, so now we need a flexible retirement age, she added. The budgetary watchdog the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said previously the pensions issue is one of the main challenges facing Irelands public finances. As it stands, life expectancy in Ireland is increasing by around a year every six years, leading to what is expected to be a 50% increase in the number of people reaching the age of 65. Ms Humphreys said: I think the important thing here is people are living longer and people are healthier. For example, in 1990, the average life expectancy was 74. A child born today can expect to live up to at the age of 100. So its changed considerably. Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of a much-loved young mother found dead at her home in west Belfast. Hollie Thomson, 28, died in the Greenan area of the city on Sunday September 11. A large crowd followed on foot behind the mother-of-ones hearse as it was taken from her home to St Michaels Church for a requiem mass at 12pm today (Tuesday September 20). Family friends said Ms Thomsons family has been left devastated by her loss, saying no one should have to endure this type of loss. Ms Thomsons partner, Chris Morelli, 31, appeared in court last week charged with her murder. An initial post-mortem examination found Ms Thomson died of suffocation with a fracture to cartilage in her neck, Belfast Magistrates Court was told. Morelli has been remanded in custody. Friends of Ms Thomsons family have set up an online fundraising page to support her daughter. It has raised more than 10,000. A message from Ruby and Lauren, who said they are Ms Thomsons sister Katies best friends, said Ms Thomsons life was taken very suddenly and unexpectedly. It added: Hollie was adored by all her family especially sister Katie & her young daughter Ayla. Hollie always wanted to have a support fund set up for her daughter and did not get a chance to do so. The message continued: Hollies family and circle of friends are devastated by her passing and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Hollie will know how wonderful she was. A death notice online described Hollie as much-loved mummy to Ayla, beloved daughter of Ray and Louise and a loving sister of Katie. It said Ms Thomson will be deeply loved and sadly missed by her loving family and friends. Mourners wiped away tears as Ms Thomsons coffin draped in flowers was brought out of the church following the mass. In celebrating World Pharmacist Day we approached our local McElwee totalhealth Pharmacies to gain a deeper insight and understanding of what services their Pharmacists and team behind the counter have to offer. Peter McElwee, who is Managing Director of McElwee totalhealth Pharmacies, Connolly Street (057 86 2 4255), says: With an in-depth knowledge of our patients, and an approach that makes us accessible and available more than any other healthcare professionals, pharmacists and their healthcare teams are at the forefront of healthcare today. "We have adapted our business over the years in so many ways to allow for this, comfortable environments and friendly faces. But above all, we are trained healthcare professionals with a natural ability to either potentially solve a medical problem or indeed refer onwards if needs be. "We dont take this responsibility lightly. Pharmacies are busy environments but with many additional services such as vaccinations, patient monitoring and so on, they are welcome places to visit. Thats what we continue to aspire to. Marta Majer is a Pharmacist at McElwee totalhealth Pharmacy in OConnell Square, Mountmellick, and she explains that: "When I joined McElwee's Pharmacy a few months ago, I was amazed by the special bond between the Pharmacy and a local community I could witness here. After working for more than a decade in family pharmacies in Ireland and abroad, in McElwee's I can finally feel that the patient, not the profit, is at the centre of our work. "Providing the highest possible counselling service, blister packing free of charge for those, who need a bit of help with managing their meds, delivery service for those, who cannot collect them by themselves and vaccination, even in the patient's home just to mention a few. McElwee's Pharmacy gives me the opportunity to focus on top class pharmaceutical care and I wholeheartedly believe that our Patients feel it and appreciate it. Liam Dunne - A Pharmacist at McElwee totalhealth Pharmacy, Cedar Clinic (057 86 2 1110), Mountmellick, remarks: Pharmacists and their teams are probably the most accessible healthcare professionals for patients as you don't need an appointment to call in and speak to us. "On a day-to-day basis, we provide information/advice on a wide range of medical queries that people may have. Our daily role is to ensure the safe and effective use of medications, including those we recommend and those prescribed by other healthcare professionals. "In McElwee's when it comes to your health, all questions are worth asking so call into one of our branches and we'll do our best to help! Dermot Donaghy, who is a Supervising Pharmacist at McElwee totalhealth Pharmacy, Connolly Street, Mountmellick, states: At McElwee totalhealth Pharmacy, we pride ourselves on being trusted members of the community by giving clear, high-quality advice on medication and healthcare in a naturally caring and approachable manner. Such is the fast pace of todays world, a pharmacist must also continue to change to meet the diverse needs and expectations of patients and service users. Lifelong learning and professional development ensures that were up to date on our knowledge of medication. From chronic disease management to health screenings and vaccinations, we must be alive to scientific advancement while maintaining a grounded connection with the community we serve. Paula Murphy is Supervising Pharmacist at McElwee totalhealth Pharmacy, Cedar Clinic and she explains that: "Our pharmacists and staff are in the gifted position of being one of the most approachable and accessible side-arms of our health service. "In my personal years of experience, our teams have worked on evolving very special and unique relationships with our patients, a privilege I feel fortunate to have. We are skilled and qualified at providing insight and guidance around our patient's medical needs. "In addition, we are there to just reassure or provide a friendly listening ear. We look forward to working closely with our communities for many years to come and expanding our services and offerings." Address The Square, McElwee Pharmacy, O'Connell Square, Mountmellick, Co Laois (057 862 4255) The Cedar Clinic, Mountmellick Rd, Maryborough, Portlaoise, Co. Laois (057 866 6826) Davitt Shopping Centre, Connolly Street, Mountmellick, County Laois (057 862 4289) Website: https://www.mcelweepharmacy.ie/ *SPONSORED CONTENT Extra-terrestrial water has been found for the first time in a meteorite that has fallen in the UK. The Winchcombe meteorite, which crashed into a driveway in the Gloucestershire town last February, is also thought to hold clues about where the water in the Earths vast oceans came from. Ashley King, a researcher in the planetary materials group at the Natural History Museum, said 12% of the sample was made up of water, and, as the least contaminated specimen to be collected, it offers a lot of insights. He told the British Science Festival: The composition of that water is very, very similar to the composition of water in the Earths oceans. Its a really good piece of evidence that asteroids and bodies like Winchcombe made a very important contribution to the Earths oceans. Dr King also confirmed that Winchcombe was the first time a meteorite containing extra-terrestrial water albeit locked up in minerals had fallen in the UK. He added that, because of how quickly the 0.5kg (1lb) meteorite was retrieved within about 12 hours it was not contaminated by water and materials on Earth. He said: We always try and match the composition of the water meteorites and other extra-terrestrial materials to the composition of the water on the Earth. For most meteorites the challenge we have is that they are just contaminated, whereas with Winchcombe we really know that it really hasnt been contaminated, so its good evidence. Dr King went on: One of the big questions we have in planetary sciences is where did the water on Earth come from? And one of the obvious places is either through comets that have loads and loads of ice in them, or asteroids. Theres always a debate were comets the main source, were asteroids the main source? Explaining that data from missions to comets suggests they are not a good match for the water on Earth, he added: The composition of the water in Winchcombe is a much better match, so that would imply that asteroids carbonaceous asteroids were probably the main source of water to the inner solar system, to the Earth. Dr King continued: Weve had a hint that some asteroids match back nicely to the Earth. But now we have a meteorite which is really fresh that we know hasnt been modified, and its confirming that same story. Speaking at De Montfort University, which is hosting the festival, Dr King said analysis has revealed that the meteorite came from an asteroid somewhere near Jupiter. It formed some 4.6 billion years ago, with its journey to Earth taking about 300,000 years. There are approximately 65,000 known meteorites on Earth. Extra train services are planned for a number of commuter belt areas including to and from Newbridge, Hazelhatch and Kilcoole along with additional services for Mayo, Carlow and Tullamore, Irish Rail has announced. The proposed new Irish Rail timetable also includes improved journey times on the Limerick to Ballybrophy line. The changes include 12 additional off-peak services between Newbridge and Heuston and a new return mid-morning service between Heuston and Carlow. Key elements of the proposed new timetables are: Earlier first service on Monday to Friday between Dundalk/Drogheda and Pearse, which is also extended to Grand Canal Dock. Changes to give a better spread of service on Dublin/Drogheda route in evening peak:New Commuter service 16:09 hrs Connolly to Drogheda Monday to Friday This replaces the 17:12 hrs Connolly/Balbriggan service Monday to Friday 17:13 hrs Pearse Newry service will now additionally serve Malahide. More services to call at Kilcoole on Rosslare Europort/Dublin Connolly services all week. Twelve additional off-peak Commuter services between Newbridge and Heuston, resulting in trains every 30 minutes Monday to Friday. Extra services between Hazelhatch and Grand Canal Dock, via Phoenix Park Tunnel on Monday to Friday. A new return mid-morning service between Heuston and Carlow on Monday to Friday. 07:00 hrs Waterford to Heuston will additionally serve Kilkenny at 07:28 hrs; train is advanced to 06:50 hrs from Waterford, but no change to arrival time in Heuston at 09:00 hrs as a result. A new 07:08 hrs Athlone/Westport service Monday to Friday providing a service for regional commuters along the line. A new 05:05 hrs service from Ballina to Manulla which will connect with the advanced 05:15 hrs Westport/Heuston service Monday to Friday. The 07:30 hrs Athlone/Galway service will now commence from Tullamore at 06:50 hrs on Monday to Friday, and additionally serve Clara. There will be no change to the timings between Athlone and Galway. Slight changes to evening services between Cork and Mallow providing a consistent 30 min frequency between 16:25 hrs and 19:25 hrs from Cork. Later last services to Cobh and Midleton Monday to Saturday. Improved journey times on Limerick/Ballybrophy services via Nenagh due to recent infrastructure works, resulting in a 15-minute time saving. A number of other minor schedule alterations to improve punctuality. Irish Rail is looking for feedback on the changes that are due to begin on December 11th. It states: "Iarnrod Eireann in conjunction with the National Transport Authority is planning to implement timetable alterations from 11th December 2022. The company has published details of the proposed schedule and invites the public to submit feedback in advance of the finalisation of the new timetable". Full details of the proposed changes can be found here The consultation survey is open until Sunday 2nd October 2022. Leitrim County Council has recommended that Hartley residents in Carrick-on-Shannon move on and wind up their application after their request for a Group Sewerage Scheme was denied. Cllr Finola Armstrong McGuire brought up the Hartley sewerage issue again this month at Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District Meeting asking for sewerage works to be completed as part of the blueway extensions. She demanded there is an urgent need to attend to the safe sewerage disposal of all effluent from Hartley homes, and this could be dealt with during the extensions of the Blueway and the new Hartley bridge is being built. Cllr McGuire was disappointed with the answer from the council which again outlined that the scheme has not been approved as Rural Water Department considered it to be well outside the affordability for approval. Supporting her motion, Cllr Des Guckian pushed that residents were misled and left in limbo believing that the group scheme would be approved. Cllr McGuire said so much time was spent on the application and she admitted she was bitterly disappointed for the community. Joseph Gilhooly Director of Services said the council are also disappointed the application didnt succeed The council stated, From discussions with the Department in relation to this application and their final decision to refuse, the rational for which is confirmed in the Ministers letter, it is clear that this scheme will not at any juncture be approved for funding and nothing more can be done. The Council have recommended to the group that they need to move on and wind up their application and seek payment of the grant towards their costs to date. Mr Gilhooly said any possible extension of sewerage from Carrick-on-Shannon to Hartley is a matter for Irish Water and noted that it did not seem to be a priority for them. Cllr Enda Stenson said the council should meet Irish Water on this specific issue. A letter seeking a meeting with Irish Water officials will be sent this month fromt he council Leitrim County Council added, When constructing the new blueway if a pollution incident coming from a septic tank is noted then this will be logged as a complaint and a septic tank inspection will be triggered. As part of the National Inspection Programme of Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems a number of septic tank inspections were undertaken at properties in the Hartley area over the past few years. Some of these properties failed the inspection and advisory notices were issued to houseowners. However, some homeowners were reluctant to upgrade septic tank as they were waiting for the construction of the new group sewerage scheme. Thousands of farmers could be left without payments if GLAS 3 contracts are not rolled over for 2023. On Monday this week, Cllr Brendan Barry requested that the Ballinamore Municipal District calls on the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue to allow the rollover of GLAS 3 Contracts for 2023 which would be a 2 year extension, the same as was offered to GLAS 1 and 2 participants. He stated, Many farmers will lose out otherwise, as it is not possible for Advisors to prepare ACRES plans for those who will be looking to join if a GLAS 3 rollover is not available. The GLAS scheme stands for Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme. GLAS offers a maximum payment of 5,000 per year to participants to commit to carrying out a GLAS plan of actions. Some farmers undertaking particularly challenging actions may qualify for GLAS+ which provides a top-up payment of up to 2,000 per year. Cllr Barry went on to say that thousands of farmers could have to go without money for 12 months if applications are not submitted by the deadline of November 15. Carrigallen Cllr Paddy O'Rourke supported the call for the rollover and said the timescale put out for applications is unrealistic. He said that if farmers lose out on payments they might lose interest in environmental schemes. Cllr Gerry Dolan also supported the rollover idea and said it was a timely motion. Cllr Caillian Ellis agreed but commented that GLAS is grand, but it is too restrictive. He noted that it is unfair that Leitrim farmers involved in the scheme cannot mow in June and have to wait until July each year. Cllr Barry added that the terms and conditions of the new scheme have not yet been published. He also said, there are not enough advisors to help local farmers. Reports of technical issues with the planning system are also not helping the deadline. Plans are taking up to 12 hours to complete and need two visits to the farm. Some farmers are not going to opt for ACRES as there is more work to complete for less payment. Bank of Ireland will open its Mohill branch for four Saturdays in October (10am 2pm, October 1st to October 22nd) to further support customers moving current accounts from Ulster Bank and KBC. Bank of Ireland advisors will be on hand to provide information on moving accounts and support customers in the account opening process. Customers who are ready to move their account can do so on the day and will need to provide at least one form of photo ID and one form of proof of address. Susan Russell, Director, Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland said: In the first six months of 2022 we opened more current accounts than we did for the whole of 2021, and we expect that trend to continue. So far this year we have implemented a range of measures to support customers as they move accounts, including significantly increasing resources in contact centres and streamlining our online account opening process. Now, as many Ulster Bank customers reach the end of their six month notice period to close their account, we are further ramping up supports for customers who wish to open a current account. We appreciate some people may want face to face support and may not have the chance to visit a branch during the week. By opening 61 of our branches for four consecutive Saturdays in October customers can get advice in person or open an account with us there and then. Moving account to a new bank and making the related changes - including changing direct debit arrangements for utilities and services - has become a more pressing priority for Irish consumers and businesses. It is a major priority for us too, and we are committed to supporting new customers in a diverse range of ways as they choose where to bank into the future. HEFEI, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- With a pleasant floral scent, He Chengtian, 31, is introducing various jasmine-themed products, including tea, bonsai and cosmetics, to visitors during the ongoing national mass entrepreneurship and innovation week. The event, scheduled from Sept. 15 to 21, has attracted many young Chinese like He to show their achievements in mass entrepreneurship and innovation. Over 160 typical projects selected from around the country are showcased in Hefei of east China's Anhui Province, the main venue of this year's event. Growing up in the countryside of Hengzhou City, dubbed the "hometown of jasmine in China," in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, he has a special love for the plant. Therefore, the young man returned to his hometown and started a jasmine business after college graduation in 2015. "In my hometown, every family grows jasmine, but the villagers used to pick the fresh flowers and sell them in the market and the added value is very low. I wanted to go back to enhance the value of this local specialty and expand the market," said He. After continuous efforts and innovation, he designed a number of jasmine-themed products and opened more than 10 shops on various e-commerce platforms. His products are also sold to customers across the nation through livestreaming. "Now, our sales have reached 6 million yuan (about 865,000 U.S. dollars) a year. Compared with traditional farmers, we are familiar with new trends and technologies and thus have more innovative ways to promote products," said He, adding that his company has also created over 2,300 jobs for locals. Rural vitalization is in full swing throughout China after the country eradicated absolute poverty. A growing number of young Chinese are heading back to their hometowns to contribute to rural development. The number of young farmers born after 1995 on the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo has exceeded 126,000 by October 2021, nearly 100,000 more than that of 2019, according to a report released by the platform. Over the past decade, some 11.2 million people have returned to China's rural areas to set up their own businesses, with each entity creating six to seven stable jobs on average, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Wang Huang, a graduate from China Three Gorges University, started a business in 2018. Together with five schoolmates, Wang established a biotechnology company that specializes in fungi culture with the help of his college professors. Their products, such as mushroom, bamboo fungus and black fungus, are sold to school canteens and restaurants in Yichang City in central China's Hubei Province. Under the promotion of the company, 12 different types of fungi have been cultivated in a total area of about 3,000 mu (200 hectares) in the country, helping create over 1,000 jobs. The annual output value reaches 62,000 yuan per mu. "We hope to introduce a smart agricultural system into our greenhouses, so that all the growing conditions such as temperature, humidity and soil fertility can be monitored and controlled automatically, making the production more scientific and efficient," said Wang. Themed "Innovation drives vitality; entrepreneurship creates employment," this year's national mass entrepreneurship and innovation week is seeing the launch of nearly 1,000 activities across the country, both online and offline. Over 500 people are waiting for beds at Irish hospitals today (September 20). According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), 434 patients are waiting in emergency departments across Ireland while 87 are in wards elsewhere. Today's figure marks a 34% increase compared with the same day a year prior when 390 patients waited for beds. University Hospital Limerick is the most overcrowded hospital nationwide today with 62 people waiting for beds, followed by 53 people at Cork University Hospital, and 51 people at University Hospital Galway. Almost 40 admitted patients are waiting at Letterkenny University Hospital, with 34 at St Lukes General Hospital, Kilkenny, and 30 in Sligo University Hospital. Meanwhile, just four hospitals are free from overcrowding today, including Beaumont Hospital, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, National Children's Hospital Tallaght, and Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore. Eleven people waiting for beds are under the age of 16. Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded hospital on September 20 2021 followed by University Hospital Limerick and University College Hospital Galway. Six hospitals were free from overcrowding on the day including Connolly, Beaumont, National Children's Hospital Tallaght, South Tipperary General Hospital, Bantry General Hospital, and Nenagh General Hospital. In parallel to the Russian military fiasco in Ukraine, armed conflicts are once again arising in various parts of the former Soviet empire. In Central Asia, at least 100 people recently lost their lives during clashes on the disputed border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In the Caucasus, an Azerbaijani-led offensive on the Armenian border caused an even greater number of casualties the previous week. This predictable return of violence reveals that Russia is unable to realize its ambition to once again become the guarantor of stability in the former Soviet region. Under Moscow's leadership, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which every belligerent country but Azerbaijan are members, has been conspicuously marked by its inability to be influential in either conflict. The border conflict between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, two of the world's poorest countries, has been simmering for 30 years with brief eruptions of violence. The flare-up that occurred last week was unprecedented in its scale. For the first time, Bishkek used Bayraktar attack drones (purchased from Turkey) while dozens of armored vehicles faced each other in heavy artillery duels (including Grad rocket trucks). The underlying motives of this conflict were the same as in the past: sovereignty over the Tajik enclave of Vorukh, located inside Kyrgyz territory, and control of the road linking the enclave to Tajikistan and local water resources. Read more Vladimir Putin's loss of influence in Central Asia is a symptom of a bigger weakness Heavily weakened by corruption scandals and persistent political instability, the semi-democratic Kyrgyz regime accused Tajikistan, ruled for 30 years by Emomali Rahmon, a dictator with declining health, of having instigated an invasion of its territory. According to Bishkek, which said it evacuated 142,000 civilians from the area, this was the first time the Tajik army used "Afghan mercenaries," who looted local civilians. On the Tajik side, deputy foreign minister Imomi Sodik demanded that the borders linking Vorukh to Tajik territory be redrawn, arguing that "in the 1920s and 1930s, the Soviet authorities transferred three Tajik territories to the Socialist Republic of Kyrgyzstan without respecting legal procedures." Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries in Yerevan on June 10, 2022. HANDOUT / AFP We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback Criticisms in Samarkand On Monday evening, the two countries' security services directors announced at 11 pm in a joint communique that they had "signed a protocol to stabilize the situation on the border." Neither side provided an explanation regarding the simultaneous nature of this outbreak of violence at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was held while the hostilities were ongoing, in their common neighbor Uzbekistan under China's leadership. You have 60.42% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. AN EXHIBITION of garda memorabilia will open to the public this Wednesday as part of the celebrations to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of An Garda Siochana. The exhibition is the latest in a series of events that are taking place across the Limerick garda division which also include open days and reenactments of several key milestones from 100 years ago. An Antiques Roadshow type event took place in May and a free concert featuring the Garda Band took place at St Marys Cathedral, Limerick in July. There are national events but its very important that the anniversary is marked in every community and in every policing division in the country, said Inspector Oliver Nally who is co-ordinating the programme of events in Limerick. The exhibition, at Istabraq Hall at Merchant's Quay in the city, will feature a number of old garda uniforms, information regarding the history of an Garda Siochana, a number of crime scene photographs relevant to Limerick as well as a number of different artefacts and a mock crime scene. The policing exhibition, which is free to the public, will be open on weekdays from 10am to 4pm. It continues until Friday, September 30. THE countdown is underway to the Ballyhoura Walking Festival which returns early next month and which, for the second year running, will be held in collaboration with the Joyce Brothers Music Festival. The festival, which is Ireland's longest-running walking festival, takes place from Friday, October 7 to Sunday, October 9. Cllr Kieran O'Hanlon, deputy mayor of the city and county of Limerick, travelled to Kilfinane for the official launch of the festival which provides an opportunity for walkers to explore some of Ballyhoura Countrys stunning scenery. Many of the walks are led by members of the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club who have in-depth knowledge of the area and its heritage, history, flora and faunaand they are suitable for all abilities. Some of the walking programmes highlights include the ever-popular Moonlight Walk to Castlegale on Friday evening, where you can embark on a nighttime journey through forest and woodland paths to the top of Carrighenry at the Limerick/Cork border. On the Saturday, the Sunrise Walk to Seefin (led by Britton Outdoors) will allow participants to catch the 7.45am sunrise at the summit of Ballyhouras highest mountain. 26th Ballyhoura Walking Festival and Joyce Brothers Music Festival 2022 are now officially launched6th-9th October 2022 : Ballyhoura Walking Festival Events: https://t.co/qDYbxUHteD Joyce Music Festival Events: https://t.co/kBkfv8H61q pic.twitter.com/qJGBco2VxK Visit Ballyhoura (@Ballyhoura) September 16, 2022 The Cultural Food Fair, organised by Kilfinane Community Council, also returns this year. while the Joyce Festival Gala Opening Night on Thursday, October 6 features a celebration of the history and life of the Joyce Brothers through music, song, dance, chat and the magic of Des Dillon and his puppets. The 26th Ballyhoura Walking Festival is supported by Limerick City and County Council, Limerick Arts Office and Failte Ireland, while the Joyce Brothers Music Festival is funded by The Arts Council, Creative Ireland and Ballyhoura Comhaltas Ceoltoiri na hEireann. BANK OF IRELAND will open three branches in Limerick for four Saturdays in October to help support customers moving current accounts from Ulster Bank and KBC. Bank of Ireland advisors will be on hand in the 61 branches that will open nationwide to provide information on moving accounts and support customers in the account opening process. The three Limerick bank branches that will extend their opening hours on four Saturday between October 1-22, from 10am 2pm, are located at: 125 O' Connell Street Limerick city, St Nessan's Road, Dooradoyle, and University of Limerick, Castletroy. Customers who are ready to move their account can do so on the day and will need to provide at least one form of photo ID and one form of proof of address. This new move of opening branches on Saturdays, is part of a 1 million investment by Bank of Ireland, and is the latest measure taken by the bank to make the account transition process easier for customers moving banks. Susan Russell, Director, Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland said that the bank opened more current accounts in the first six months of 2022, than for the whole of 2021. "We expect that trend to continue. So far this year we have implemented a range of measures to support customers as they move accounts, including significantly increasing resources in contact centres and streamlining our online account opening process," she added. She stressed that Ulster Bank customers are now reaching the end of their six month notice period to close their account, acknowledging that people may want face to face support and may not have the chance to visit a branch during the week. "We are committed to supporting new customers in a diverse range of ways as they choose where to bank into the future," she said. GARDAI have revealed that one person has been released without charge in connection with an investigation into a murdered Limerick man. Yesterday, four arrests were made into the murder of Lee Slattery, whose body was discovered in the Delmege House estate near Moyross, Limerick on May 31, 2010. Two women, aged in their 20s and 40s, and a man in his 30s were arrested and detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939. A second man, aged in his 20s, was also arrested and detained under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007. All four were held in garda stations across Limerick and Clare divisions overnight. "The female in her 20s arrested as part of the investigation into the murder of Lee Slattery has been released without charge. "The two males, aged in their 20s and 30s and female aged in her 40s, remain detained at Garda stations in the Limerick Garda division," gardai said today. Thousands of entrepreneurs packed into a ballroom at a conference center just outside of Washington this summer to hear from the likes of Warren Buffett and Gwyneth Paltrow. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) and Tim Scott (R., S.C.) joined panel discussions. Japanese beverages firm Kirin Holdings is in talks to invest $70 million in Indian craft beer maker Bira, four sources told Reuters, doubling down on the fast-expanding South Asian market at a time when it is facing pressure on growth at home. Kirin, which first invested $30 million in Bira for an under 10% stake last year, is set to pump in the additional funds at an equity valuation of $450 million, the sources said. Negotiations between the Japanese company and Bira's owners are in the final stage, one of the sources said. The latest deal talks come as Japan's major drinks makers are facing a steady decline in revenue from alcohol sales as the domestic population shrinks and younger people drink less than in previous decades, forcing the companies to expand overseas or foray into new markets. Kirin's plan for additional investment in Bira comes even as the Japanese yen has fallen to 24-year lows, which is set to raise the cost of overseas acquisitions for local companies. Started in 2015, Bira is one of India's most popular craft beer makers. It competes with international brands such as Carlsberg as well as Heineken-owned United Breweries in India's estimated $5 billion beer market. According to two of the sources, Kirin would have a total stake of roughly 15% in Bira once the latest funding round closes. Japan-based financial company Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is also in talks for participating in the round with a $15 million investment, the sources added. Bira CEO Ankur Jain declined to comment for this article. Kirin and MUFG also declined to comment. The sources declined to be named as the deal discussions are private. North America has been a focus area for Japanese drinks makers. Kirin owns a stake in New York's Brooklyn Brewery, and its subsidiary owns U.S.-based craft beer makers New Belgium Brewing and Bell's Brewery. Rivals Asahi and Suntory are looking to expand into the North American drinks market. The new planned Bira investment "is a small amount, but Kirin is bullish on India," said the first source, adding that Keisuke Nishimura, a senior Kirin executive, visited India recently to assess the retail market and Bira's breweries, and Bira's CEO Jain in recent weeks visited Japan to meet the Kirin management. CRITICAL TIME The talks for the new funding come at a critical time for Bira, especially after its sales plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though Bira's net sales revenue in the quarter to June 2022 was 132% higher at $20 million, it reported an operating loss of $4 million in the period, according to an internal investor presentation seen by Reuters. The quarter was the "highest ever" in terms of beer volume and revenue for Bira was "more than 2X over Pre-COVID", the presentation noted. Craft beer sales are on the rise in India as younger, affluent consumers in big cities choose brands and pubs that make lighter brews and promise fresher ingredients. With five breweries in India, Bira says its beer is available in 500 towns and cities in 15 countries. The first source added Bira would use the funds raised in the latest round to open new breweries and launch new products such as ciders. Two of the other sources told Reuters Bira was also considering a stock market listing but that was at least two years away. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. NEW DELHI: Indian phone manufacturer Lava International Ltd. has signed actor Kartik Aaryan as its brand ambassador to endorse its smartphone range. Aaryan said, I am delighted to associate with the home-grown brand that has established itself as a leading Indian end-to-end smartphone company. It is of sheer excitement to see how Lava is bringing technologies that appeal to the youth of the country. My association is based on the resonance of our shared ethos of being Proudly Indian, and standing apart from the crowd with a unique proposition." Mugdh Rajit, head of marketing, sales and distribution strategy for the company, said, Signing Kartik Aryan is the perfect fit for us, both are challenging the norms of their industries and creating new expectations. His superlative performances have earned him a massive fan following, and our new launches are setting new standards in the smartphone segment. We are on a mission to provide smartphone customers an excellent Indian alternative, and with Kartiks stardom and persona, we are confident we can get there faster." Lava will launch its 360-degree marketing campaign with the actor soon. With Aaryan as its brand ambassador, the company aims to increase its consumer base by attracting more prospects, especially millennials and Gen-Z who form the largest chunk of consumers, added Rajit. According to the International Data Corporations (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, about 35 million smartphones were shipped to India in Q2 2022 (April-June), a 3% year-on-year (YoY) growth, while that in the first half of 2022 declined 1% YoY to 71 million units. The second quarter of the year normally sees strong demand compared to the first, but dwindling consumer demand led to a decline of 5% sequentially (QoQ). The primary challenge in 2021 was around supply constraints, which have eased considerably. However, the market is now facing demand contraction due to rising inflation and higher input costs, leading to higher prices. As a result, the inventory cycles are increasing across brands and channels, IDC India said in a statement. With an intention to tap into the talent from Tier II and III cities, with 'work from anywhere options', global customer service software and services company [24]7.ai on Tuesday informed that the company is planning to hire around 9,000 new employees from all over India. "The company is hiring across voice and chat processes to serve its international client base, by adding 9,000 new hires to its workforce, over FY23, [24]7.ai," the company said in a statement. "India has a well-recognized talent pool that we as pioneers in the industry have groomed over the years. We stay strongly invested in our people and nurture freshers to grow them into leaders. This is one of the key reasons that our attrition rates have consistently remained much lower than the industry. We also remain deeply committed in our quest to increase diversity in our workforce," [24]7.ai SVP and HRD Head, India and Americas, Nina Nair said. Even last year, the company hired 5,000 people from India to meet the surge in demand for its business. [24]7.ai aims to provide personalised and satisfying customer experiences that can be achieved by redefining artificial intelligence, human insight and deep vertical expertise. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology of the company makes the transactions between businesses and consumer simple. The company recently received the "BPO of the Year" award at the CCW Excellence Awards in Las Vegas. The award was presented to the company by Customer Contact Week, the largest customer event in the world. Aside from the award, [24]7.ai announced a significant expansion into the contact center as a service (CCaaS) market. [24]7. ai's ready-made CCaaS platform combines tried-and-true features and functions with new capabilities like a new agent workspace for voice and video conversations and intelligent routing for voice and digital agents - all built by agents for agents. As per reports, 91 villages along the coast of Odisha are extremely vulnerable to sea erosion, while 85 others are at risk. Sea erosion threatens 318 villages of the state spread across six coastal districts. Keeping these threats in mind the government is popularizing climate adaptive livelihood activities and in the same direction approved a 261 worth livelihood action plan for the regeneration of coasts and climate resilience among people on the coast. The meeting of the steering committee of Integrated Coastal Management Society (ICZMS) held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra decided on Monday to implement this community-based action plan from the current year till 2026-27. "The interventions will be rolled out from the current year and would be completed by 2026-27," said Project Director ICZMS Sushanta Nanda. "An amount of 261.50 crore would be invested in the coastal livelihood action plan," he added. Areas of Talsari in Balasore district, Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district, Bahuda and Chilika in Ganjam district, and Devi Mouth, Chilika in Puri district in Odisha will be covered under the project for coastal regeneration. Nanda also informed that around 3,75,321 hectares of coastal area spread over 339-gram panchayats and five forest divisions would be included in the project. "Community-based organizations, NGOs, eco-clubs, women self-help groups and local village communities would be involved in the planning, execution and carrying forward of the intervention," he said. Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra directed the officials to prioritize the villages that usually face climate-induced calamities and prepare a annual action plan in consultation with the communities. He also asked officials to look for places in the coastal areas that can be converted into hubs for eco-tourism with facilities like boating and wildlife watching. It was also decided to increase the density of mangrove forest and seagrass for enriching coastal eco-system to reduce the impact of tidal surge and storm," said additional chief secretary in-charge of revenue and disaster management SB Sahoo. Covid-19, Russias invasion of Ukraine, and rising geopolitical risks in Asia have thrown a wrench into global supply chains. That has reinvigorated the push to put key supply links back onshoreparticularly those currently located in manufacturing juggernaut China. On 13 September, a group of 13 companies urged the US Congress to approve a bill designed to rein in Big Tech firms. Dubbed the Klobuchar bill by many, it could be important not only to the US but global antitrust regulators as well. Mint explains: What is the Klobuchar bill? The American Innovation and Choice Online (AICO) Act is an antitrust legislation in the US, which could have far-reaching implications on the functioning of Big Tech firms. The bills purpose, as described on the US Congress website, is to provide that certain discriminatory conduct by covered platforms shall be unlawful, and for other purposes." It seeks to bar Big Tech from promoting their own products, services or line of business" over rivals, biasing search results in their favour, limiting rivals access to platform data, etc. The bill is co-sponsored by Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Chuck Grassley. How does it affect large tech firms? The bill applies to online platforms with over 50 million monthly active users, or annual market capitalization or US net sales of over $550 billion like Apple, Google, Amazon and Meta. If passed, it will give US antitrust agencies the authority to impose penalties on such platforms for unfair preferencing of their own products and services, limiting anothers products to compete against their own, discrimination of application of enforcement terms, and more. Most of the bills language applies directly to how app stores, social media and e-commerce platforms operated by Big Tech platforms operate. View Full Image Outsized share You might also like What can charge up Bajaj Electricals stock? Cement stocks: Ignore the buzz, proceed with caution What's the safe rate of withdrawal from 1 cr retirement kitty? Which companies want the bill passed? The 13 companies include smaller tech firms like Mozilla, Proton and DuckDuckGo. Most of these firms make privacy the mainstay of their products, and are designed to block some of the core offerings of Big Tech firms. DuckDuckGo avoids personalized search, Proton designs privacy-focused products, while Mozilla runs the Firefox browser. Why wasnt the bill passed? The bill, which has been in the works since 2021, was expected to be put up for vote in the session concluded in August, and its backers had said they had the required votes too. However, other legislation seem to have taken precedence. The big impact, however, may have come from lobbying. US reports suggest that CEOs of Apple, Google and Amazon have personally lobbied against the bill. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that the four Big Tech and trade groups had spent as much as $95 million. How does the US bill matter to India? Big Tech has often argued against likely government policy, saying they are governed not just by Indian law but also those in the US. US antitrust laws, hence, will be key in how they function globally. Besides, key US bills will set precedents for regulators globally, and bodies like the Competition Commission of India could take cues from them. Lastly, the tech industry has pushed governments to bring commonality in regulations. Since these firms originate from the US, the US is expected to lead these steps too. Elsewhere in Mint In Opinion, Niranjan Rajadhyaksha says WFH may have got popular but its productivity isn't a settled issue yet. Vivek Kaul says when good times for Byjus ended, basic questions cropped up. Rahul Matthan argues why GPS-based highway tolls must take a privacy test. Long Story reveals why PSUs have begun succession planning. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. They're up there with double-decker buses, red phone booths and Big Ben when it comes to quintessentially British things, but the uniforms sported by Queen Elizabeth II's guards weren't designed to look aesthetically pleasing. They were devised as essential accoutrements of battle against the United Kingdom's enemies during the 1800s. So why do these guards wear tall black hats and conspicuous red tunics? As hard as it may be to believe, the uniform was supposed to intimidate opposing armies. "The idea was that you made your foot soldiers look taller and therefore more fearsome," said Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator based in London. "They used to fulfill a practical need for a foot soldier in battle. They were used when fighting the French in the Napoleonic wars. In fact, Napoleon's Imperial Guard wore them, too." Related: What was the largest empire in the world? The hats are known as bearskins because you guessed it they're made of bear fur. The pelts come from Canadian black bears (Ursus americanus) that are culled each year to control their numbers. That means no bears are killed specifically to make the 18-inch-tall (46 centimeters) helmets, but the idea still makes some people uncomfortable. In fact, since the U.K. left the European Union in 2020, there has been talk of outlawing the fur trade altogether . For now, though, the British Army buys between 50 and 100 of the hats, which cost about $900 each, per year, according to the British high-society magazine, Tatler . These days, the headpieces add a bit of pomp and circumstance to the British Army's uniform when its soldiers are performing ceremonial duties, such as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace or the annual parade for the queen's official birthday. But those who wear the bearskins also don regular uniforms in camouflage when the time calls for it, performing other, non-ceremonial roles in the British Army. "If you look at the queen's guards and think they only have ceremonial duties, then you're making a big mistake," Fitzwilliams told Live Science. "All of them are serving soldiers on rotation from other active military roles." The Honor Guard marches on parade in gray coats. (Image credit: Denise Minichini / EyeEm via Getty Images) As for the red tunics, which are worn during the summer months (longer gray coats are worn during the winter), there's a long-standing rumor that the Brits chose scarlet because it disguised bloodstains, which were bad for morale and unsightly. But that's nonsense, Fitzwilliams said. Instead, it all came down to frugality. "The reason British soldiers traditionally wore red is because it was the cheapest and most readily available dye," Fitzwilliams said. "These days, it seems like a bad color for battle because it would mark you out, but in the smoke and confusion of battle, it also allowed you to distinguish your friends from foes and stopped you being killed by your own side." After all, these uniforms hark back to the days of traditional European warfare, where battling sides showed up on a given field and literally formed lines to attack each other a far cry from guerrilla tactics. So, the British queen is guarded by officers who wear the same uniforms as soldiers on active duty did two centuries ago. Anachronistic, maybe, but it's traditions like this that make the British royals famed the world over, Fitzwilliams said. "We have the world's most high-profile functioning monarchy, and the guards play an important role," he said. "They are one of the great tourist features of London." Originally published on Live Science. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sherri Papini pleaded guilty in April to charges of fraud and lying to police for telling authorities she was the victim of a kidnapping. Longford County Council is delighted to announce that work is complete on the upgrade of four of the countys eight Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) and on the new co:worx digital hub in Edgeworthstown. The upgrade work, which was funded by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, as part of the Connected Hubs Call, enhances the facilities already on offer at Abbeyshrule, Moydow, Mullinalaghta, Moyne and Edgeworthstown with improved equipment, additional functionality, and more privacy. Over 234 thousand (234,677.84) was allocated to the work under the Connected Hubs Call in July 2021. This aimed to add additional capacity to the existing remote working infrastructure in Ireland by upgrading existing hubs and BCPs. Additional funding of 119,993.15 was announced in June under the Connected Hubs Call 2022. This will further enhance the facilities at Abbeyshrule Airfield, Latin School Community Centre in Moyne, and Moydow Community Centre, as well as at Ardagh Hub. The Connected Hubs Call was designed to support and complement the development of a National Hub Network which is a key action of the Rural Development Policy Our Rural Future and the National Remote Working Strategy Making Remote Work. The BCPs at Abbeyshrule Airfield, Moydow Community Centre, Mullinalaghta Community Centre, and the Latin School Community Centre in Moyne have been upgraded to a very high standard. Both Abbeyshrule Airfield and the Latin School Community Centre in Moyne have been completely renovated including restructuring, installation, electrics, and heating system. They now provide additional functionality for example, individual office space and privacy booths as well as an improved equipment offering. This includes items like docking stations, dual monitor webcams, headsets etc. Overall, the BCPs provide a variety of spaces for hire at a minimal rate, to suit all needs. They include hot desks, coworking and training facilities for residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs and can also offer office space to start-up entrepreneurs. This funding was also used to improve facilities on offer at the new co:worx Edgeworthstown digital and remote working hub, which opened 31 March. It included the purchase of elements such as podcasting equipment, digital screens and furniture. All these upgrades will offer people in Longford a better work-life balance through the availability of high-quality office space in their local communities, helping people to live, work and participate locally. Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Turlough McGovern welcomed the completion of upgrade work. I want to pay tribute to Minister Humphreys, her Department of Rural and Community Development and especially our IT and Regeneration Departments here at Longford County Council and more importantly the local BCP committees, for the very quick turnaround on putting this funding to such great use. We also welcome the additional funding announced earlier this year, with this work already well underway to further enhance remote working hubs in Longford. These hubs positively impact community life and our local economy. Chief Executive Paddy Mahon added: Longford has been a leading light in making remote working hubs an operational reality in rural Ireland and this development brings that one step further again with these facility upgrades already proving popular in our BCPs. There have been over 2157 guests using this service this year so far, with 80% of those returning, regular users. For more information on booking a workspace, visit Longfordcoco.ie and follow Longford County Council on social media for the latest updates. *Sponsored Content Food, Wine, & Dining, Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 20 2022 A New Campus-Like Food Hub Will Help Members Work Together To Create A More Economically-Viable, Environmentally-Sustainable Local Food System. The East End Food Institute (EEFI), a non-profit organization that builds partnerships among farmers, food producers, and food consumers from Long Island to N.Y.C. and beyond, held an event on Thursday, September 15, announcing an exciting new project that will help revolutionize how residents of the region obtain food, all while supporting local food producers. The event was hosted for 150 attendees at the renowned Nick and Tonis restaurant in East Hampton, N.Y. We are very excited to announce the development of the East End Food Hub, and hope to spread awareness of the importance of supporting local farmers, food producers and an equitable local food system here on Long Island, said Kate Fullam, Executive Director of East End Food Institute. This project will help to diversify revenue streams for farmers while ensuring there is healthy, farm-fresh food for all people in need. Fullam provided insight into how the organization is currently in the process of developing the East End Food Hub, an estimated $15-20 million project that would help centralize aggregation, processing and distribution of local foods to foster the creation of new markets for Long Island food growers and producers, and their products. At the event, Pete DePasquale and Becky Garnett of Garnett DePasQuale Projects (GDP) gave attendees a peek at the renderings for phase one development of the Food Hub, renovation of an existing building which is estimated to cost $1.5 million. This first phase of the project includes a refined indoor farmers market and community kitchen that small scale producers can rent to produce their goods. The full site plan will also include a processing facility for turning higher volumes of farm produce into value-added products, a farm to freezer processing facility, a warehouse and cold storage for aggregation and distribution of locally-grown and made goods, and housing for seasonal workers and conference attendees. Based in Riverhead, N.Y., Fullam described the proposed Food Hub site as the gateway to both the South and North Forks of Long Island with easy access to points west, including New York City. Situated on the iconic property occupied for more than 50 years by the Homeside Florist and its retail greenhouses, the space currently houses EEFIs year-round indoor farmers market on Friday evenings through October, and then relaunching Thanksgiving weekend on Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm weekly. It is essential for everyone to have access to what they see growing here in our community, said Fullam, You cannot drive around on the East End of Long Island without seeing a farm of some sort. Access to fresh, local foods is important to our health and wellbeing, and it is a basic human right. On September 15, Fullam was joined by Peter Treiber, Sr., a farmer with Treiber Farms, and Mark-Antonio Smith, a food educator with The Nurtury for Kids (both members of the EEFI Board of Directors) to provide insight into the impact the Food Hub will make on the community and visitors to the East End, citing the special programming and the various doors that this campus will open for partner organizations and members. This Food Hub project has the potential to contribute a great deal to the East End in critically significant ways, said Smith, Dealing with food insecurity, educating residents and students about food issues, and giving people the freedom and choices in what they are cooking and eating are all essential to our communities. The cocktail event featured some of EEFIs producers, such as Balsam Farms in Amagansett, Mecox Bay Dairy in Water Mill, and Treiber Farms in Peconic. Local farms and producers were also featured providing specialty cocktails, wine, beer and hors doeuvres all of which highlighted the regions bounty. About East End Food Institute Tech & Science, Nature & Weather By Chris Boyle Published: September 20 2022 Locally-Driven Initiatives Continue to Support Nation-leading Goals in New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that more than 100 New York communities are now certified as Climate Smart Communities thanks to their work supporting local efforts to meet the economic, social, and environmental challenges posed by climate change. This municipal climate milestone, announced in celebration of Climate Week, was accompanied by good news for residential electrification and reducing carbon emissions as the Community Preservation Corporation was selected to administer Governor Hochul's $250 million Climate Friendly Homes Fund. Both of these initiatives are helping contribute to the state's successful implementation of the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. "This Climate Week, we're celebrating New York's remarkable progress toward creating sustainable homes and building climate-smart communities statewide," Governor Hochul said. "Thanks to initiatives like the Climate Smart Communities program and our Climate Friendly Homes Fund, communities across New York are taking action to protect the environment and tackling the climate crisis in their own backyards. My administration is fully committed to reducing the state's climate impact, and we will continue to leverage key investments and resources to secure a safe and sustainable future for New Yorkers." "Today, as we kick off Climate Week, we announce even more steps towards reaching our aggressive climate agenda goals with the designation of 11 new Climate Smart Communities and the launch of the Climate Friendly Homes Fund," said Lieutenant Governor Delgado. "I could not be prouder to be part of an administration that takes the effects of climate change so seriously and is taking significant steps to turn things around." 100th Certified Climate Smart Community Established in 2009, the interagency Climate Smart Communities program provides guidance and technical support to local governments to take locally driven climate action. The first step to becoming a Climate Smart Community is to register by pledging to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 364 local governments representing more than 9.4 million New Yorkers adopted the Climate Smart Communities pledge. A certification program was launched in 2014 to document and celebrate the accomplishments of communities taking climate action and the addition of 11 new communities in this latest round brings New York's total number of certified Climate Smart Communities to 105 - nine silver and 96 bronze certified participating municipalities. Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Basil Seggos said, "This significant milestone of the Climate Smart Communities program demonstrates local governments' commitment to enhancing the resilience of their communities and reducing risk and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Actions to reduce waste, save energy, and increase zero-emission transportation options are just some of the ways our local partners promote sustainability both within government and for residents to help reduce many of the contributing factors to climate change. DEC congratulates all of these 105 communities and looks forward to continuing to support these initiatives across the state." New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Doreen M. Harris said, "Our actions to address climate change must be done in collaboration with residents and communities across the State, and so I applaud our newest communities that have made the decision to act now and become "Climate Smart." These actions, along with Governor Hochul's ongoing efforts to help more New Yorkers enjoy energy efficient homes, will ensure the vibrancy and health of New York's neighborhoods now, and well into the future." To achieve Climate Smart Community certification, communities accumulate points for planning and implementation actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience to the worsening impacts of climate change. Recently, 11 local governments successfully met the criteria to be newly recognized as leaders during the State's third quarter round of review: Hudson Valley Village of Bronxville (Westchester County) Town of North Salem (Westchester County) Village of Pelham (Westchester County) Town of Pleasant Valley (Dutchess County) Southern Tier Town of New Lisbon (Otsego County) Chemung County North Country Village of Lake Placid (Essex County) Finger Lakes Town of Geneva (Ontario County) Town of Pittsford (Monroe County) Western New York Village of Lancaster (Erie County) City North Tonawanda (Niagara County) In addition to the 11 new certified communities, four local governments continued their commitment to community climate action and re-certified by completing additional actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change: the city of Buffalo (first certified in 2019), Madison County (first certified in 2017), the town of Mamaroneck (first certified in 2016), and the town of Roseboom (first certified in March 2022). Since its launch in 2014, the Climate Smart Communities Certification program provides the tools, technical assistance, and resources local governments need to build capacity for planning and implementing local climate action that engages the community and supports a growing green economy in New York State. The framework provided by the Climate Smart Communities program helps guide local governments in taking transformative action against climate change and built a network of communities working collectively towards common goals. The launch of the Climate Smart Communities Coordinator initiative earlier this year provides direct technical assistance and support to local governments in completing climate mitigation and adaptation actions in the pursuit of certification. DEC's Climate Smart Communities Grant program also supports municipalities by providing 50/50 competitive grant funding to help complete certification actions and implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to extreme weather. To see a full list of actions completed by all certified Climate Smart Communities, visit: https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/participating-communities For more information on the Climate Smart Communities Certification Program, visit: https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/why-become-certified To contact a Climate Smart Community Coordinator, visit: https://climatesmart.ny.gov/support/csc-coordinators For more information on the DEC-funded programs associated with the Climate Smart Communities Program, visit: https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/109181.html Climate Friendly Homes The Climate Friendly Homes Fund is part of Governor Hochul's strategy to curb building emissions and establish two million climate-friendly, electrified, or electrification-ready homes by 2030. The Community Preservation Corporation, a leading New York-based nonprofit housing and community revitalization finance company, was selected to administer the program through a Notice of Funding Availability released earlier this year. In order to maximize impact and the reach of the program, CPC is partnering with like-minded green lending institutions, Community Development Financial Institutions, and other community-based nonprofits to collaborate on the identification and screening of building retrofit opportunities across the State. Lending Partners will include Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Enterprise Community Partners, and Inclusive Prosperity Capital. In addition, local community-based organizations from across the state will provide outreach and originations support to the program. Through the CFHF, awards will be made to owners of multifamily rental properties to carry out an energy audit or Integrated Physical Needs Assessment. Developments containing between five and 50 apartments will be eligible and funding will help identify and pay for improvements that increase energy efficiency and decrease a building's greenhouse gas emissions. These improvements include the electrification of the building's heating and cooling systems, domestic hot water systems, ventilation systems, and upgrades to the building envelope. Eligibility criteria and more information on the Climate Friendly Homes Fund is available on HCR's website as well as the CPC website , where owners can sign up to receive information on funding eligibility requirements, the application process and additional program updates. New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Our goal is twofold: to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels in residential buildings and to drive investment that eliminates environmental inequity in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods across the state. All New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to live in safe, healthy, well-maintained, climate-controlled housing free of harmful toxins. We are thrilled to have CPC's extensively experienced team administering this critical program on behalf of New Yorkers." The Community Preservation Corporation CEO Rafael E. Cestero said, "I commend Governor Hochul and Commissioner Visnauskas on launching this innovative plan to electrify our housing stock. The CFHF will set the bar nationally for how government partners with private industry to decarbonize our existing housing stock, while addressing the unique financial and technical needs of small, affordable properties. CPC is proud to have been chosen to administer this program, and we look forward to working with our partners as we move forward." The Community Preservation Corporation President Sadie McKeown said, "I applaud the State for making an historic investment in the decarbonization of our housing stock, and for its commitment to the long-term health and resiliency of our communities. The program's focus on delivering resources to small buildings in disadvantaged communities is essential if we are to ensure a just and equitable transition to electrification. My thanks to Governor Hochul, Commissioner Visnauskas, and to our lending and community partners for their commitment to a greener, and more sustainable New York." New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan Local News, Crime By Long Island Published: September 20 2022 Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Rogelio Vega pleaded guilty to three counts of enticing a child to engage in sexual conduct. Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Rogelio Vega pleaded guilty to three counts of enticing a child to engage in sexual conduct. Todays proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Vega faces a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea. The defendants use of the internet, including apps targeted to children, to sexually exploit minors is reprehensible, stated United States Attorney Peace. Protecting children from online predators will always be a priority of this office. These were not just poor decisions on Mr. Vegas part, they were calculated, despicable wrongs, stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. Todays guilty plea holds him responsible for his actions and prevents him from causing any additional harm. And he will forever be branded as a predator who used the internet to prey on underage victims for his own sexual gratification. As set forth in court filings, between approximately 2015 and January 2021, the defendant used the Kik Internet messaging application, which is marketed to teens, and the Grindr application, which is marketed to the LGBTQ population, to express his interest in young guys and coerce and entice three male victims between the ages of 14 and 16 to meet him for sexual acts. A review of messages found on the defendants cell phones revealed a series of messages in which the victims identified themselves as underage and the defendant arranged to meet them for sexual encounters in his car or at motels. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell is in charge of the prosecution. (Alliance News) - Future PLC on Tuesday confirmed that Chief Executive Zillah Byng-Thorne plans to step down by the end of 2023, less than a week after Trustpilot Group PLC hired her as its new deputy chair. On Monday, Sky News reported that Byng-Thorne plans to retire from the Bath-based media company in the next 18 months. It added that media insiders expect her to step down in the second half of 2023. On Tuesday, Future said: "Zillah remains committed to the business, and has not resigned, however she has informally indicated that she would like to step down by the end of 2023." Byng-Thorne has been CEO of Future since April 2014. She was originally appointed as finance chief in 2013 when Future had a market capitalisation of just GBP30 million. Shares in the Future were down 17% at 1,377.00 pence each in London on Tuesday morning, giving it a market capitalisation of just over GBP2.00 billion. On Thursday, Trustpilot, Copenhagen-based online review platform, said Byng-Thorne will join the company as deputy chair and a non-executive director from October 1. Sky News said city insiders expect her to replace Trustpilot's chair Tim Weller in due course. Future added that it has made it clear that CEO succession planning has been an ongoing focus of its board and Nomination committee in last year's annual report. https://news.sky.com/story/fourfourtwo-publisher-future-to-kick-off-hunt-for-ceo-successor-12699511 By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to rise at the open on Tuesday following a positive close on Wall Street, as traders return to their desks after the long weekend. The FTSE 100 was called to open 44 points higher at 7,280. Markets were closed on Monday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "US markets also got off to a cautious start yesterday, coming off their worst week since June, they retested their 2-month lows of last week without breaking below them, before closing higher on the day. "Yesterday's late rebound in the US looks set to translate into a positive start for European markets later this morning, however whether that can hold is likely to depend on the events of the next few days. "The last few days has seen the market narrative start to shift quite markedly from optimism over some form of Fed pivot, to increasing concern over a hard landing for the global, as well as the US economy. "Stock markets have for now proved relatively resilient to these concerns, despite rising bond yields. Yesterday the US 10-year yield took out its previous peak of earlier this year, while the 2-year yield edged ever closer to the 4% level, and their highest levels since 2007. "This week's central bank meetings are likely to be pivotal in the context of what comes next, starting with the Federal Reserve meeting which starts today, and concludes tomorrow, as well as the latest meetings from the Bank of Japan, Bank of England, and the Swiss National Bank." In corporate news, B&Q owner Kingfisher reported a fall in first-half profits against a tough comparator last year when DIY boomed during pandemic lockdowns, adding that it now faces a "more uncertain macroeconomic environment". The company said pre-tax profits for the six months to July 31 fell by a third to 474m, while like-for-like sales were down 4.1% to 6.8bn. Kingfisher said it now expected full-year adjusted pre-tax profit of 730m - 770m. Consumer healthcare company Haleon saw operating profits grow more than 20% in the six months ended 30 June, driven by increased revenues and margins. Haleon said that interim revenues had risen 13.4% to 5.18bn, led by an 11.6% uptick in organic revenues, leading to a 22.1% increase in reported operating profits to 900.0m. Adjusted operating margins improved 150 basis points at reported rates to 23.0%. (Alliance News) - IntegraFin Holdings PLC on Tuesday said the UK tax office has maintained its original decision to remove one of the investment platform's subsidiaries from a value added tax group. Shares in the company were 8.9% lower at 231.40 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon. The company explained HM Revenue & Customs upheld a decision to terminate subsidiary Integrated Application Development Pty Ltd's membership of a UK VAT group. IntegraFin had requested a second review of HMRC's decision. The verdict was the same, and IAD is now subject to reverse-charge value-added tax. However, the company now plans to field an appeal at a first-tier tribunal. HMRC first imposed its decision in January 2020, terminating the membership of IAD with effect from July 16, 2016. It means IntegraFin must pay HM Revenue & Customs roughly GBP10 million. It said it will pay GBP8.0 million in respect to VAT for the period to July 4, 2016 and September 30, 2021. It will also pay GBP1.8 million in respect to VAT due for the financial year ending September 30, 2022. "The payment to HMRC of VAT due will come from group cash reserves," IntegraFin said. "If the company's appeal is successful, all VAT payments detailed above will be repaid with interest." By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Liz Truss has said she is willing to be an unpopular UK prime minister to bring in measures she believes will grow the economy, as she admitted her tax cuts will disproportionately benefit the rich. Truss confirmed she would be reversing the national insurance hike and axing the planned increase to corporation tax, ahead of UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget on Friday. The new Tory leader also effectively confirmed a plan to scrap the cap on bankers' bonuses as she argued she needs to make "difficult decisions" under her gamble to go for growth. But as she was speaking, Joe Biden tweeted criticism of the type of economic policy she was advocating a day ahead of their meeting at the United Nations summit in New York City. "I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked," the US President said. While his criticism was surely for a domestic audience, it underlined the differences between the two leaders' stances just as Truss says she wants to foster closer ties with international allies. Truss was asked during a round of broadcast interviews on the 102nd-floor observatory of the Empire State Building if she is prepared to be unpopular. "Yes. Yes, I am," she replied to Sky News. "What is important to me is we grow the British economy because that's what will ultimately deliver higher wages, more investment in towns and cities across the country. That's what will ultimately deliver more money to people's pockets. "In order to get that economic growth, Britain has to be competitive. If we put up taxes, if we have arbitrary taxes on energy companies, if we have high corporation tax, we're not going to get that investment and growth" She insisted the cost to the taxpayer of her energy package, being paid for by borrowing rather than a windfall tax on the profits of energy and oil giants, is "not what has been projected", with estimates as high as GBP150 billion. The Resolution Foundation think tank has said Truss's tax plans and energy support will see Britain's richest households getting twice as much support with living costs as the poorest households. Truss accepted the benefits would fall in favour of the rich at least initially but rejected claims of unfairness as she bet on growth trickling down to the rest of society. "I don't accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair," she told Sky. "What we know is people on higher incomes generally pay more tax, so when you reduce taxes there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place. "We should be setting our tax policy on the basis of what is going to help our country become successful. What is going to deliver that economy that benefits everybody in our country." She claimed that criticism that it was unfair to fund cuts by borrowing to be paid for by future generations is "what people on the left of politics often express", despite polling suggesting a windfall tax would be popular. Truss confirmed to the BBC that she will be reversing the national insurance hike and axing the planned corporation tax rise that were the policies of Boris Johnson's administration. "I'll always work to make sure that we are helping those who are struggling. That's why we took the action that we took on energy bills because we didn't want to see households facing unaffordable bills," she said. "And that's why we're going to take the action on national insurance, reversing that increase as well. "So, yes, we do have to take difficult decisions to get our economy right. "We have to look at our tax rates. So corporation tax needs to be competitive with other countries so that we can attract that investment." With Truss anticipating a general election in 2024, she is gambling that benefits will come from potentially unpopular policies such as that on bankers' bonuses. Critics have taken issue with the timing of lifting of the bankers' cap limiting pay-outs to twice their salaries, with the cap introduced by EU legislation in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. She said the priorities of voters will be issues such as job opportunity, investment, high street improvement, road building and phone signals at the next general election. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that cancelling the corporation tax rise will cost GBP17 billion per year, though the think tank acknowledges the figure does not account for how the move might affect investment. The financial experts also say the reverse in the national insurance hike will cost GBP13 billion annually. source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has said she wants to forge closer relations with allies than Boris Johnson as the security threat worsens. The PM said she did not want to compare herself to her predecessors, but suggested changing times required stronger ties. Truss is due to meet with the leaders of allied nations, including Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron in New York. Asked about her difference to Johnson in an interview with BBC News on the 102nd floor observatory of the Empire State Building, Ms Truss said: "Well, I will be my own prime minister and I wouldn't compare myself to any predecessors. "And the times we're in are different from the times predecessors have been in. We are entering a new era. "It is a more insecure era. We face an increasingly aggressive Russia, an assertive China. We need to work more closely with our allies, and we also need to get the British economy growing so that we have that security for all of our citizens." Truss hopes to focus on energy security and combating Russia's war in Ukraine during a United Nations summit in New York. Her first foreign trip as PM will feature a series of meetings, including with Biden, Macron and the EU's Ursula von der Leyen. But her goal to strengthen relations with them could face hurdles, as the meetings take place amid tensions over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Biden, the US president with proud Irish heritage, has raised concerns about Brexit's threat to the peace process and has downplayed the chances of striking a free-trade deal. His French counterpart, Macron, has long been a critic of Brexit and has been firm in pressing the UK to keep to commitments on Northern Ireland and fishing rights. Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she declined to give a clear answer when asked if Macron was a "friend or foe". source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Joe Biden will tell UK Prime MInister Liz Truss she must work with the EU to find a negotiated outcome to solve post-Brexit tensions over the Northern Ireland protocol, the White House has said. The US president and the prime minister will hold a delayed meeting in New York on Wednesday, as Truss attends a United Nations summit. She declined to discuss the protocol with France's Emmanuel Macron a day earlier, and No 10 did not say if she will raise it with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. But US national security adviser Jake Sullivan made it clear will discuss it "in some detail" with Truss. Truss is pushing ahead with her controversial Northern Ireland protocol bill, that the EU and other critics say will breach international law by suspending elements of the agreement. There have also been suggestions she could unilaterally trigger Article 16 of the protocol, to override parts of the agreement brokered as part of the Brexit divorce deal. Biden and Truss will also meet after a tweet from the president sent just as the PM was discussing her economic policy, which said he was "sick and tired of trickle-down economics". "It has never worked," he said. While his criticism was surely intended for a domestic audience, it underlined the differences between the two leaders' stances just as Truss says she wants to foster closer ties with international allies. Sullivan told reporters the president "will encourage the UK and the EU to work out an effective outcome that ensures there is no threat to the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement". "And he will speak in some detail to her about that," he added. The adviser said Biden will "communicate his strong view that the Good Friday Agreement which is the touchstone of peace and stability in Northern Ireland must be protected. "And we must collectively take steps the US, the UK, the parties in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland to ensure that it is protected," he added. Truss's official spokesman said on Tuesday that the protocol is an issue "we want to resolve this with the EU" when questioned why she did not discuss it with Macron. Sullivan welcomed Truss's "robust and unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and said Russia's invasion would be a point of conversation. The "challenges posed by" China, the energy crisis and the "economic relationship between the US and the UK" were also billed. He accepted Truss's prediction that a comprehensive US-UK trade deal, which Brexit supporters touted as a major prize of leaving the EU, is years away. Truss had told reporters: "There aren't currently any negotiations taking place with the US and I don't have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term." Biden was meant to hold talks with the PM in the UK as he visited to attend the Queen's funeral, but they were delayed until Truss's US trip. source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Prince Harry has landed in hot water once again after a clip from the funeral emerged where he apparently stops singing 'God Save the King' towards the end of queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Other members of the royal family including the likes of queen consort Camilla, princess Anne, and her husband vice admiral Timothy Laurence, prince Andrew and prince William and his family can all clearly been seen singing. Harry's wife Meghan Markle, is another who might have been silent though a candle is blocking her mouth. Social media goes into meltdown over prince Hary The incident has sparked criticism on social media with several accusing Harry of disrespecting his father. "Total, utter, disrespect for his father, the nation, the crown and the monarch," UK veteran Mike Murphy tweeted. "Strip him of all of his royal titles and funding. How much will NETFLIX want him then?" The incredible images of the military parade carrying the Queen's coffin "He couldn't be anymore disrespectful if he tried," another watcher tweeted. "Terribly awkward when the king is your dad and you're sitting right behind him," said another on Twitter. Harry was also forbidden from wearing his military uniform during his grandmother's funeral, with the royal forced to wear a suit. Russia are insisting that they are ready to negotiate with the United States about a prisoner swap for ex-marine Paul Whelan and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Both remain locked up in Russia, though there is hope that they will be returned to the United States. "We have said so many times that we're ready to negotiate," foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. "If the US embassy in Moscow has a minute of free time, they'll tell president Joe Biden and he, in turn, will tell the families of Whelan and Griner." Zakharova continued and accused the US of "media madness" rather than "fulfilling their direct official duties of maintaining contact with the diplomats of the host country". On Friday, Biden welcomed Brittney's wife Cherelle Griner and Paul's sister Elizabeth Whelan for two separate meetings at hi presidential residence. Hours earlier, it had been said that the US were still waiting for Russia to respond. But Cherelle Griner said that they were unable to receive a clear explanation from Biden about Russia's demands. Detained since February WNBA star Griner has been detained in Russia since her February arrest, and was sentenced to nine years in prison on August 4. Whelan was arrested in December 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage. Sergei Lavrov and Victor Bout have been offered in exchange by the US. A worker counts Chinese currency renminbi at a bank in Linyi, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/Xinhua] The cross-border use of the Chinese currency renminbi in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has maintained growth momentum, with increasing recognition in ASEAN countries,a recent report showed. China-ASEAN cross-border RMB settlement volume has surged nearly 20-fold in a decade,Financial News said quoting a report on the use of RMB in ASEAN countries. In 2021, the figure reached 4.8 trillion yuan ($684.96 billion), up 16 percent year-on-year,said the report, which was released by the Financial Society of Guangxi during the 14th China-ASEAN Summit Forum on Financial Cooperation & Development. By the end of 2021, China had signed bilateral currency settlement agreements with Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia separately, as well as currency swap agreements with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, worth about 800 billion yuan. The RMB payment and clearing network continues to improve between China-ASEAN. A total of 16 ASEAN financial institutions became new indirect participants of the Cross-border Interbank Payment System, or CIPS for short, in 2021. The CIPS handled 3.3 trillion yuan of China-ASEAN cross-border RMB business last year, jumping more than 50 percent on a yearly basis. With the signing of the RCEP agreement and further enhancement of regional economic integration, the RMB is expected to usher in broader use in ASEAN countries, the report said. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and ASEAN became China's top trading partner in 2020, surpassing the European Union, according to the Ministry of Commerce. From January to August, the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $627.6 billion, up 13.3 percent year-on-year, while trade between China and other RCEP members grew 7.5 percent on a yearly basis, according to the General Administration of Customs. Alaska's newly formed 11th Airborne Division has shipped away its fleet of roughly 320 Strykers as it shifts its mechanized brigade to focus on air assault. The last vehicles left last week. Military.com was first to report in June on the decision by Alaska's Army units to shed their outdated Strykers as part of several steps to better mold and equip soldiers there for Arctic warfare. That move is part of a larger service strategy to shift from the Global War on Terrorism to gearing up for a conventional conflict, where fighting in freezing temperatures could play a major role. "We'll be doing a lot more air movement now; we're leading the Army in Arctic capability," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, the 11th Airborne Division commander, told Military.com. "We keep looking at how to better structure units in this extreme environment." Read Next: Space Force Unveiled Its Official Service Song. It's Not a Banger. Strykers were not built to operate in the minus-65 degrees Fahrenheit conditions demanded of military gear in the unforgiving region. Alaska units have frequently struggled with breakdowns, and the wheeled vehicles could not properly navigate snow and ice. On top of that, many of the Strykers in Alaska were two decades old and saw extensive service in the early days of the Iraq War. Most of the vehicles are expected to be updated and recycled into use in other units across the service. Shipping away the Strykers was the final major phase in the transformation of the Army's presence in Alaska. The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was redesignated to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, in June when the new division was formed. That new formation will focus on air assault operations, while the other half of the division conducts airborne operations. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Breakdowns, Ripped Clothing and Dying Batteries: Army Commits to Arctic But Still Figuring Out What Soldiers Need A handful of protesters Monday at two Department of Veterans Affairs office buildings in Washington urged their followers to flood the Veterans Crisis Line to call attention to veterans who are jailed in D.C. for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The protesters livestreamed their gathering on at least two separate YouTube channels, calling for those watching to inundate the crisis line with calls. One veteran in Oregon, who asked that only her first name be used to protect her identity, told Military.com she was having a "bad day" and tried to contact the hotline rather than get in-person mental health support because of an ongoing physical illness. She said she couldn't get through. Read Next: Sailors' Medical Discharges Halted for Almost a Week Due to Computer Glitch "I called 988, and I tried again, and I was like, 'OK, this isn't working. I called the old number and pressed 'one,' said Christine, an Army combat veteran who served in Somalia, speaking of the change this summer from an 8-digit phone number to an easier to remember 988. But I just sat there forever. Then it switched over to the main national crisis center." A VA spokesman did not reveal how many calls the line received but said Monday that service continued and all veterans who called the suicide hotline were assisted. "Every Veteran who called the crisis line today was able to connect immediately with caring, qualified responders -- there was no interruption of service," VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said in a statement Monday. "Veterans can always dial 988 and press 1 for free, confidential crisis support -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We at VA are here for you." The VA did not answer followup questions from Military.com about whether veterans who called the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line were passed over to the national hotline, as Christine described. The Veterans Crisis Line provides support, counseling and referrals to veterans in mental health crises, including suicidal ideation. In emergencies, its employees can dispatch first responders to a veterans location and they are trained to provide assistance specifically to veterans, who can face different challenges than the rest of the civilian population. In 2020, the line averaged 1,756 calls per day and had roughly 300 contacts a day through chat and text programs. A friend of Christines who had seen a Tweet about the Monday protest, organized by the 1776 Restoration Movement, contacted Christine about the effort surrounding the Crisis Line, and she said her overwhelming sadness instantly turned to anger. "I know who they are and so I was like, 'Oh hell no. I'm not letting them take my life.' So I put everything away and went back in the house. I called my mom," Christine said. Calling supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden won the 2020 election "political prisoners," the protesters held signs saying "VA denies care to J6 Vets in DC Gulag," and asked those watching to phone the Veterans Crisis Line in support of the incarcerated. The protesters livestreamed their effort for hours. A woman on the broadcast then identified herself as Sherri Hafner, a 12-year Army combat veteran who served during Desert Storm, saying that "these guards in the D.C. Gulag are trying to kill our veterans." The woman appears in other videos posted by Freedom Express Media, a YouTube page that covers "freedom based events." An Army spokesperson confirmed Hafner's service, saying that records indicated she served on active duty for three years, then transitioned to the reserves for the better part of a decade and was an operating room specialist during the Gulf War. A protester who identified himself as Justin Johnson to a VA official earlier in the video then showed the number for the Veterans Crisis Hotline on the livestream. "They made it easier than ever to call," Johnson said, sporting an Operation Iraqi Freedom hat. "So let them know that there is inhumane treatment going on at the D.C. jail and that nobody's doing anything and that the American people expect the VA to get right in the middle of this yesterday." Military.com could not independently verify Johnson's military service. Military.com contacted the man filming the video, David Valentine, who says he is the owner of Freedom Express Media and a member of the 1776 Restoration Movement. "Those veterans have spoken to us via phone calls and letters, explaining how their civil rights and medical needs have been ignored," he told Military.com via email. "Some of them have medical and psychological needs that are urgently needing [sic] addressed, and this plea was a last resort call to action on their behalf." Military.com cannot independently verify what the group is alleging, and the group has not produced proof outside of complaints from the incarcerated to validate those claims. When asked whether the group was concerned that lines could have been jammed for veterans who may have been in crisis for suicide-related issues, Valentine said: "[The] 1776 Restoration Movement did not call the crisis hotline and jam it, causing a break in services for other honorable vets, they called only out of concern for those who have been ignored. In no way would they ever disrupt service for fellow veterans." In another video posted on the 1776 Restoration Movement's website from Freedom Express Media, a passerby, later identified as Will Attig, confronted the protesters, saying they should be ashamed of themselves for calling into the hotline. At first, the protesters told Attig no, they weren't "personally" calling the suicide hotline. But when Attig left, the protesters changed their tone. "Apparently, you guys made some type of impact with that crisis line," Valentine said to what appeared to be a handful of other attendees. "He needs to understand it's not just a suicide line, it's a crisis line. It's for people that are in crisis, and these guys are in crisis," referring to veterans arrested or detained for their actions on Jan. 6. Attig, an Army veteran and executive director of the Union Veterans Council of the AFL-CIO, tweeted about the incident, calling the protest a "sick politician stunt." "We have over 20 veterans commit suicide a day, 1 call to that line can save a life, and these folk cared about that 0%," he wrote. During an interview with Military.com, Attig said that, as a veteran himself, he was angered that fellow veterans would put lives at risk to make a point. "There are just some things that are f---ing off limits," Attig said. "And think of those poor people who are manning the lines and their jobs is to deal with veterans every day. They didn't need that." Valentine said that Attig's claims were false and that he "is the very person that this protest was meant to put pressure on to resolve this issue." It is unclear how attempting to flood the crisis hotline would resolve these purported issues or how Attig would be in a position to do so. The Union Veterans Council of the AFL-CIO, which represents roughly 1 million veterans, issued a statement Tuesday condemning what it called "unconscionable political stunts." "Yesterday, anti-American extremist members of the 1776 Restoration Movement organized a call-in action to clog the VA Suicide Crisis line in an attempt at an appalling political stunt," the statement read. "We would also like to highlight today's VA announcement that veterans' suicide is decreasing, which makes this stunt even more egregious." During the livestream, a group member aired a phone call from Jeffrey McKellop, a retired Special Forces sergeant first class accused of assaulting law enforcement on Jan. 6, including one instance of striking a police officer in the face with a flagpole. McKellop's lawyer, John Kiyonaga, confirmed to Military.com that it was the former soldier's voice on the line and corroborated his clients claims. "This place is a goddamned walking nightmare, man," the voice said, saying he was subjected to interrogation tactics and likening jail to a KGB operation. He said he was afraid that "they" would kill him by staging an overdose by putting methamphetamines or psilocybin in his food. "Tell my children if I [don't] make it out alive, I love them with all my heart, man," McKellop said. "And they cry because my ex-wife tells 'em I'm not going to see them again." According to the group's website, the 1776 Restoration Movement appears to be an anti-government group that subscribes to a number of disproven far-right theories -- or what they call "grievances" -- with oft-repeated rhetoric about the U.S.-Mexico border, the Department of Education's supposed indoctrination of children with Critical Race Theory and "LGBTQ propaganda," and general government persecution indignity. Veterans and service members experiencing a mental health emergency can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 988, Press 1. They also can text 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at patricia.kime@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: VA Says Veteran Suicides Continue to Fall, But Outside Researchers Find Rates May Be Much Higher The Space Force finally has an official song, three years after becoming the sixth service branch of the U.S. military. Chief of Space Operations Gen. John "Jay" Raymond unveiled the song -- titled "Semper Supra" after the service's motto, which means "Always Above" in Latin -- Tuesday at the Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference, describing it as "something we can be proud of." The lyrics are: "We're the mighty watchful eye, Guardians beyond the blue, The invisible front line, Warfighters brave and true. Boldly reaching into space, there's no limit to our sky. Standing guard both night and day, We're the Space Force from on high." Senior Airman Jamie Teachenor -- an Air Force veteran and former member of the Air Force Band in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who has had songs recorded by many mainstream country music artists such as Luke Bryan, Trace Adkins and Montgomery Gentry -- said he texted Raymond and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman that he wanted to be involved in crafting the song. The senior leaders took him up on the offer. Read Next: Air Force Pay Cuts Canceled "I put together things from reading, you know, white papers and speaking with Gen. Raymond and Chief Towberman," Teachenor said in a video revealing the song. "And so it was quite a long work in progress for a while because I wanted to make sure that everything that was in the song would adequately represent all the capabilities that our Space Force is involved with and make sure I didn't mess up on the mission, or the vision of what the Space Force does." Sean Nelson, chief musician of the U.S. Coast Guard Band, helped create the musical score for the song. "I went for it and I did what I thought was going to be the most exciting kind of sounds," Nelson said in the video release of the song. Prior to the unveiling of the official Space Force song, the service had been using a portion of John Philip Sousa's 1901 march, "The Invincible Eagle," as an interim anthem. Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown Jr., the chief of staff of the Air Force, was asked by reporters later Tuesday morning about his thoughts on the song. He said he didn't want to judge it but added, "I'm sure it will grow on us." Editor's note: This story has been updated to add the song's title and correct that Teachenor is a veteran, not active duty. -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Space Force Chief Shows Off Latest Service Dress Uniform Prototype. Yes, They Tweaked the Pants. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine is now deploying captured Russian tanks to solidify its gains in the northeast amid an ongoing counteroffensive, a Washington-based think tank said Tuesday, as Kyiv vowed to push further into territories occupied by Moscow. The Institute for the Study of War, citing a Russian claim, said that Ukraine had been using left-behind Russian T-72 tanks as it tries to push into the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk. The initial panic of the counteroffensive led Russian troops to abandon higher-quality equipment in working order, rather than the more damaged equipment left behind by Russian forces retreating from Kyiv in April, further indicating the severity of the Russian rout, the institute said. Earlier this month, Ukraine launched its counteroffensive, pushing into territory around its second-largest city of Kharkiv. Videos and photos showed Ukrainian troops seizing tanks, ammunition and other weaponry left behind by Moscow in an apparently chaotic withdrawal. In the counteroffensive's wake, Ukrainian officials found hundreds of graves near the once-occupied city of Izium. Yevhenii Yenin, a deputy minister in Ukraines Internal Affairs Ministry, told a national telecast that officials exhuming the dead there found bodies with signs of violent death." There are many of them, Yenin said. "These are broken ribs and broken heads, men with bound hands, broken jaws and severed genitalia. Ukrainian officials also have alleged Russian forces tortured people in occupied areas, including shocking them with radio telephones dating back to the Soviet era. Russia has repeatedly denied abusing or killing prisoners, though Ukrainian officials found mass graves around the city of Bucha after blunting a Russian offensive targeting Kyiv at the start of the war. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian push continues in the south of the country. The institute, citing the Ukrainian military, said Kyiv had destroyed ammunition depots, two command posts and an electronic warfare system. Ukraines southern military command said early Tuesday its troops sank a Russian barge carrying troops and weapons across the Dnipro River near the Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka. It offered no other details on the sinking of the barge in Ukraines Russian-occupied Kherson region, which has been a major target as part of Kyivs ongoing counteroffensive in the country. After sleeping on the lawn outside the U.S. Capitol building for five nights, Anees Khalil got an unwelcome wake-up call. The source? Sprinklers. But an unplanned shower during a 24/7 protest outside the U.S. seat of government is a minor inconvenience compared to being held captive by the Taliban for more than 100 days as he and his naval reservist brother, Safi Rauf, were this year after helping Afghans flee. He said the stakes for the protest are too high to give up as the protesters seek a path for Afghan refugees brought to the United States after the fall of Kabul to become legal permanent residents. Read Next: Group Tries to Overload VA Crisis Line to Protest Prosecutions of Capitol Rioters "This is a five-star hotel compared to that," Khalil said in comparing the protest to his Taliban captivity. "We are here, and we will keep fighting." Khalil, a U.S. green card holder who founded the Human First Coalition with his brothers to help those fleeing the Taliban, is among a group of Afghans and veterans pushing for the passage of what's called the Afghan Adjustment Act through a "fire watch" on Capitol Hill. The protest is emulating veterans' successful tactics in pushing for passage of the PACT Act, the sweeping veterans toxic exposure legislation that became law last month. In late July and early August after Republicans blocked a Senate vote on the bill, veterans camped out at the Capitol for days until senators gave it another vote and it passed. Some of the same veterans involved in the PACT Act protest are back for the Afghan Adjustment Act, motivated by deep connections to Afghans who served as interpreters or otherwise helped the U.S. war effort. Unlike the PACT Act fire watch, most participants for the Afghan Adjustment Act protest are taking shifts rather than staying all day, every day in an effort to increase the group's stamina. The group has also set up solar panels to power electronics and will soon have Starlink satellite internet, a sign they are digging in for the long haul. Tuesday was day six of the protest, and participants are vowing to be there until the Afghan Adjustment Act passes, even if it takes months. About 16 people were at the protest when Military.com visited Tuesday afternoon, but participants say the crowd size swells to about 50 at night when people get off work. Most of the tens of thousands of Afghans brought to the United States in 2021 during the U.S. military's frantic evacuation after Kabul fell to the Taliban were admitted to the country under a temporary status known as humanitarian parole. Parole does not provide a pathway to apply for legal permanent resident status, commonly known as green cards. Some Afghan refugees were given two years of protection to stay in the United States, but some were given only one, meaning their parole has already expired. Parolees can apply for asylum, but the already taxed immigration system may not be able to handle the influx of thousands of Afghans and they could be left waiting years for an answer. The Afghan Adjustment Act seeks to address those issues by creating a streamlined process for the evacuated Afghans to get green cards. The Department of Homeland Security would also have to establish new vetting procedures for the Afghans moving through that process. The bill was formally introduced in the House and Senate earlier this year on a bipartisan basis. But some Republicans have opposed it over claims Afghan refugees were not sufficiently vetted during the evacuation. Supporters of the legislation are hoping to get it attached to a stopgap spending bill Congress has to pass next week to keep the government open after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. But asked by Military.com last week whether provisions to aid Afghan refugees would make it into the spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Richard Shelby, R-Ala., appeared skeptical. "The cleaner the CR, the better," Shelby told reporters. "It won't be totally clean like I would want it. I'm hoping it won't be loaded either." The Afghan Adjustment Act is important not just for the lives of the Afghan refugees, but for the lives of service members in future conflicts who will undoubtedly need to rely on local allies who might be less willing to help if the United States leaves its Afghan allies in the lurch, said Matt Zeller, a senior adviser at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "Thirteen Marines put their lives on the line, literally put themselves in between a suicide bomber at the Abbey Gate and these people," Zeller said while at the fire watch Tuesday, referring to the service members killed by an ISIS suicide bombing during the evacuation. "They gave the ultimate sacrifice believing these people were coming here forever. They didn't believe that they were putting on airplanes so they could be here for two years and then we kick them out." Doug Kennedy, who served in the Navy from 1978 to 2004 and went to Afghanistan in 2019 and 2020 as a contractor, came from Maine to participate in the fire watch, advocating for his two Afghan interpreters. One of his interpreters was evacuated by the Human First Coalition, but the other remains stuck in Afghanistan. "I got really attached to the Afghan people when I was over there," Kennedy said of his motivation to travel from Maine to D.C. "The way we left the country really stuck in [my] craw. I can't let that go as long as the people I worked with directly are still there." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: A Year Later, Afghan Refugees Remain in Legal Limbo as Vets Continue Evacuating Allies Left Behind Kofi Jamar; Ghanaian musician 20.09.2022 LISTEN Unlike other Africans, Derrick Osei Kuffour Prempeh, widely known as Kofi Jamar, a Ghanaian musician, prefers the slave trade and colonization to the independence and freedom Africans enjoy today. According to the "Ekorso" crooner, if not for slavery, Africans wouldn't have benefited from things like music, which even gave rise to African giants like Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Lebron and others. Though he admitted Ghanaians and Africans would be furious with him about his assertion, he still intimated that if not for slavery, music wouldn't have been in Africa. He further explained in a deleted tweet today, September 19, that Africans through forced migration have achieved more knowledge and have impacted the world hugely. People will kill me for this, but our ancestors really knew what they were doing when they sold Most Africans into slavery, The is a great impact on the world as we see today. I swear we wouldnt have had the likes of the Blues, RnB , Rock and Roll, Rap Music, Hiphop Music. Etc . Blacks have benefited and impacted the world a lot in so many ways due to that migration. Shhh we wouldnt have had the likes of Jay z, Lebron, Michael Jackson , Kanye West , Virgil abloh and a whole lot you can mention, his tweets read. Moments after his post, he has been widely scorned and chastised by many on social media, particularly on Twitter, for supporting something that dehumanized and left Africans with unending pain and agony. Last week, 450 graves were discovered in forests outside Izium after the Ukrainian city was recaptured from the Russians. Ukrainian officials claim that 99 percent of the exhumed bodies show signs of violent death. The Kremlin has denied the allegations as "lies", while the EU presidency has called for the creation of an international war crimes tribunal. In an interview with RFI and France 24 on Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hopes the International Criminal Court will be able to investigate the alleged massacre in the eastern Ukrainian city. The authorities in Kyiv have said they will use this week's annual general assembly of the United Nations, due to open in New York tomorrow, to call for the establishment of an international court to investigate alleged war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine. The EU presidency at the weekend called for the establishment of an international tribunal for war crimes. "In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent," said Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which holds the European Union's rotating presidency. "We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals," he added in a message on Twitter. "I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression." Ukraine's national police chief has said more than 10 "torture chambers" had been found in the formerly Russian-controlled parts of the northeastern Kharkiv region. President Volodymyr Zelensky last week announced the discovery of what he called a "mass grave" in Izium after it was recaptured from the Russians. At one burial site, more than 440 graves dating between March and September 2022 had been discovered. Confusion over nature of graves Investigators have exhumed the bodies of at least 17 Ukrainian soldiers from one. A cross over the grave bore the inscription: "Ukrainian army, 17 people. Izium morgue." The authorities say there are more than 440 tombs. Some of the graves are marked by crosses made from varnished wood carrying names and dates. Investigators say about 100 bodies have been exhumed. Ukrainian officials suspect that some of the dead were tortured by Russian forces during their occupation of the northeast Kharkiv region. At least two of the bodies recovered were found with their hands tied. One of the two had his hands tied, a broken jaw and two stab wounds in the back, a member of the Kharkiv prosecutor's office said. The remains have been identified as those of a pro-Ukrainian volunteer fighter, the official added. Civilian and military victims Civilians who died during fighting in March for control of the city have also been exhumed. Kharkiv prosecutor Yevgen Sokolov, who is leading the investigation, said he did not have an exact number for those thought to have suffered violent deaths. Of the bodies so far recovered, he said "most have wounds from shelling and explosions". Others had suffered "injuries from sharp objects and showed signs of violent death", he said. Sokolov confirmed that one combatant had had "his hands tied behind his back" and another was found with "rope around the neck and broken limbs". He also said a body had been found "with multiple stab wounds". "At this point we don't have bodies with bullets in their skulls but there is still a lot of work to be done," he said. If the weather remained mild, he estimated it would take another week to finish exhuming the bodies. International trade has been at the core of South Africa's agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. The country exports roughly half of its produce in value terms . The top exportable products are high value and labour-intensive horticulture produce, a subsector that expanded significantly over the past two decades. Citrus, table grapes and a range of deciduous fruits dominate the export list. This means international trade has become crucial for sustaining farm profitability and job creation in South African agriculture . SA agriculture exports. Over the past decade, agriculture and agro-processing exports have averaged 11% of the country's overall exports , up from 9% in the decade before . This shows South Africa's success in opening export markets, and farmers' ability to produce high quality products that meet global standards and needs. Even though agriculture's share of gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of economic output, has shrunk over the years, from just under 10% in the 1960s to around 2.5% now, the sector has grown in both output and value terms . Trade has been the core of the sector's growth. Still, South Africa's agricultural sector remains vulnerable on two fronts. It is too reliant on a few markets . And there are inefficiencies in the domestic logistics chains . It is against this background that talk about potential expansion of production should be viewed. First there should be a greater effort to increase access to existing and new markets. There should also be a sharper focus on improving the efficiency of logistics to move produce domestically and to export markets. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of efficiency challenges in the domestic ports and market access constraints in key export markets such as the EU. These could hinder long term growth of the sector, as new land comes into production to expand output. Recent challenges in key agriculture export markets An example of South Africa's vulnerability to a lack of diversification was illustrated recently by two events. China temporarily banned imports of South African wool and the EU restricted citrus imports . This mattered because outside the African continent, South Africa's agricultural exports are heavily concentrated in a few Asian countries and the EU. Export diversification contributes to a country's economic resilience, especially in the face of disruptions to global supply chains or if one of the major markets imposes non-tariff barriers to protect its producers from competition, as it is increasingly the case . Recent challenges regarding South Africa's access to the wool market in China have now been resolved . But the losses from when the ban was in place are clear in the trade data . Wool exports fell by 42% in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the corresponding period in 2021. For citrus, which continues to experience protectionist tendencies in the EU after changes in plant regulations, the impact could show more pointedly in the third quarter of the year. Still, a lot will depend on the engagements between the South African and EU authorities on the new plant safety regulations , which involve stringent new cold treatment requirements. Read more: South African citrus: new EU rules are unjust and punitive In the second quarter of this year, citrus was still the top exportable agricultural product by value in South Africa, although down by 22% from the second quarter of 2021 . The loss of the Black Sea market since the start of the Ukraine war might have also contributed to the slowing of exports. Before the war, Russia accounted, on average, for 7% of South Africa's citrus exports in value terms . It also accounted for 12% of South Africa's apples and pears exports . The other challenge is logistics. The state-owned tranport facility Transnet showed great agility in rebuilding the port of Durban after the destructive floods in April this year. Similar energy and focus are necessary to improve the ports and rail functioning. Another example is the road network that is in disrepair across numerous agricultural towns . It could slow export activity if not properly improved. What's driving growth In the second half of this year, South Africa's agricultural exports rose by 5% year on year, reaching US$3.4 billion . The top exportable products were citrus, maize, apples, pears, wine, grapes, figs, dates, avocados, nuts, fruit juices, wheat, wool and sugar, among others. We expect some of these products to have continued to dominate the export list in the third quarter. Underpinning this robust export value are the sizeable agricultural output in the 2021/22 production season and generally solid global demand, even at higher commodity prices for maize. Maize, apples and pears, grapes, and sunflower oil saw a significant uptick from the first quarter of 2021, and thus overshadowed the decline in citrus exports during the period under review. There are still ample agricultural and beverage exports, which should support the activity in the third and last quarter of the year. The African continent remained South Africa's largest agricultural exports market in the first quarter of this year, accounting for 35% in value terms . Asia was the second largest region (28%) and the EU held the third position with a 21% share. The UK is one of the most important agricultural markets for South Africa and accounted for 7% of overall exports in the second quarter. The balance of 9% value constitutes the Americas and other regions of the world. The country's trade policy and activity are not one-directional. South Africa is also a significant importer of agricultural products. It relies on other countries for crucial food products such as wheat, rice, palm oil, sunflower oil and poultry. Policy direction South Africa's agricultural sector is export-oriented. Thus, any improvements in production through various development plans, such as the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan , should be anchored on expanding export markets. Japan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the Philippines and South Korea are key markets in which South African agribusinesses and farmers are interested in expanding their presence . It's also important to maintain a relationship with the existing key markets. All this should happen while domestic efforts to improve the functioning of the network industries are under way. This will be the only realistic path to maintaining the growth of this sector and, with that, job creation and vibrancy of the rural towns. Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC). By Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University Akin Mabogunje - Source: Wikimedia Commons 19.09.2022 LISTEN I was introduced to Professor Akin Mabogunje's work when I joined the Department of Estate Management at the University of Lagos in 2011. As a new junior lecturer, I had to read the key text being used by my course leader. It was here that I first encountered Mabogunje's work on urbanisation in Nigeria. I never met Mabogunje, who died in Lagos on 4 August 2022 at the age of 90. And though my first experience of his work was not as a student, today his writings play a key part in what my own students learn . Each year when I stand before a class of young people to introduce the semester's work to them, I feel compelled to justify why they must read a text that was written before we were all born. This compulsion has deepened with the news of his passing. It is not just future geographers and scholars of urbanisation who should engage with Mabogunje's work. So, too, should anyone invested in Nigeria's progress; every aspiring Nigerian political leader and all pan-Africanists. His research captured history as it happened. It must be read and dissected as the compass to guide Nigeria's future. Origins of Nigerian cities Akin Mabogunje was born in Kano, northern Nigeria, on 18 October 1931 . He completed his secondary schooling at Ibadan Grammar School in 1948. It was here that his flair for geography became clear. His teacher even predicted that he would one day become a professor of the subject. He won a scholarship to study at the University College, Ibadan, now University of Ibadan, and obtained his Master of Arts and Doctorate in Geography in 1958 and 1961 respectively. He became a professor of geography in 1965 , at the remarkable age of 34. He was Nigeria's first professor of geography. Urbanization in Nigeria was Mabogunje's seminal work. It was derived in part from his doctoral dissertation and further shaped when he was a visiting scholar at Northwestern University in the US in 1963. The book provided a cogent narrative of the pre- and colonial origins of Nigerian cities. It also presented pathways for navigating urbanisation challenges from an African perspective. The book traced the history of urbanisation in northern and southern Nigeria before colonisation, stretching to the early 1960s. It unpacked the impact of colonial policies and laws on urban configuration. In it he told of generative cities, those that contribute to the social and economic development of every nation, and parasitic cities, those that suck the contributions of other cities. These don't add to the financial pot. He spoke also of primate cities, those towering hubs that are synonymous with their nation's development. Two key south-western Nigerian cities, Ibadan and Lagos, served as case studies. Ibadan, the sprawling historical city of warriors, local slave merchants and cottage craftsmanship, epitomised the rich cultural legacy of a Nigerian traditional metropolis. Lagos, on the coast, was to Mabogunje the most spectacular of the modern cities, emerging from European influence and the subsequent British colonial administration. Crucially, Mabogunje empirically tested urban growth theories that emerged from western contexts. He showed the dangers of applying these theories to African cities' contexts without recognising differences and similarities. He was among the first urban scholars to raise this crucial point. Sadly his critique was largely overlooked: even now, western theories still form the foundation for theoretical knowledge in urban planning disciplines in Africa. Postcolonial cities Urbanization in Nigeria was neither Mabogunje's only book nor the only book on housing problems in Nigeria. He published others and scholarly articles too . But it stands apart from many other writings on the subject by providing historical evidence of urbanisation's origin and trends in Nigeria. Beyond this, his work compels urbanisation scholars to think about why postcolonial institutions in African cities do not seem to work. It compels us to ask why, decades after colonial governance, we as stakeholders in the cities of Africa have not corrected the inequalities we inherited. He invites us to replace the ever-ready stance of blaming colonial roots for all current problems in land, housing, and real estate markets, and proposes clear courses of action. His writing was also palpably honest. In Urbanization in Nigeria he presented colourful, endearing and poignant descriptions of the streets of Ibadan and Lagos. Readers were invited to walk alongside him through history and to grasp the tenacity of those cities' modern problems. And the book is suffused, perhaps surprisingly, with hope: Mabogunje suggests that Nigeria's future might still be great if it has the courage to learn from its past mistakes. Like no other, his book connects the history of urbanisation, the heritage of coloniality and the missed opportunities for changes in Nigeria's urban areas. Mabogunje's legacy and vision But Mabogunje's legacy stretches far beyond his seminal book. He served as a consultant to the Nigerian government and several states in urban and regional development, helping politicians and bureaucrats to understand how research institutions could influence and shape policy. He also engineered the structures upon which the Nigerian real estate sector emerged. Through his work, institutions such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria emerged. Through his chairmanship of the Presidential Technical Committee on Housing and Urban Development in 2002, the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria was formed. Mabogunje was also an accomplished academic. He was the first African to be elected as a foreign honorary associate of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017. That same year he won the Vautrin Lud Prize , the highest global award in the field of geography. As a consultant to the Federal Capital Development Authority (1976-1984), he was instrumental to the conceptualisation of Abuja, Nigeria's capital city. He was also the foremost professional in getting it built, canvassing rigorously for the appointment of Nigerian town planners and architects to build the city. It is up to urbanisation scholars, ordinary Nigerians and politicians to do more than just offer tributes to the father of modern policy in the nation's built environment. We all owe him action: to bring his vision of cities that work for all to life. Basirat Oyalowo receives funding from the UK Research and Innovation, British Academy and WaterAid. By Basirat Oyalowo, Senior Lecturer/Researcher in Housing, Real Estate and Sustainability, University of Lagos Half a century ago, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara) stood out as a crucial symbol of Africa's struggle for independence. The 1,860km-long railway connects Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia with Dar es Salaam at the Indian Ocean. In November 1965, the unilateral declaration of independence by Rhodesia's racist regime had left newly independent Zambia extremely vulnerable to its hostile southern neighbour. Zambia, a landlocked country, remained highly dependent on transport routes through Rhodesia and apartheid South Africa. It relied on these to import essential goods such as oil and coal, and to export copper, its biggest source of revenue. To address this vulnerability, then president Kenneth Kaunda sought an alternative route to the sea. He found an ally in Tanzania's Julius Nyerere . The idea of the Freedom Railway (Reli ya Uhuru in Kiswahili) was born. The two leaders tried to solicit funding. But the World Bank, several western governments and the Soviet Union declined. Nyerere and Kaunda turned to Beijing. The Tazara became China's biggest foreign aid project, costing about US$415 million at the time. It was financed through a combination of interest-free loans and commodity credit arrangements. Tazara's construction between 1970 and 1975, and inauguration in 1976, were steeped in anti-imperialist narratives that emphasised Sino-African solidarity. The network significantly boosted China's influence across Africa and deepened its social, political, cultural and economic ties with Tanzania and Zambia. The railway is still frequently invoked by officials on both sides as the cornerstone for the all-weather friendship between Africa and China. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Tazara transported a significant share of copper and mining inputs for Zambia's state-owned mines. The railway increased the mobility of the rural population in both countries. Trading centres and small businesses emerged at its dozens of stations. The railway recorded its peak performance in 1977/78, when it transported 1.27 million tonnes of cargo. But it never came close to its design capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per year. From the late 1980s onwards, liberalisation of the transport sector and the privatisation of Zambia's mines resulted in fierce competition from road transporters. The eventual demise of white minority regimes in the region further diminished Tazara's geopolitical significance. Despite longer distances, a higher proportion of Zambia's trade started to move along the southern corridors via South Africa's efficient ports. Inadequate management structures and chronic under-investment in infrastructure and rolling stock have amplified the steady decline of Tazara's cargo and passenger services since the 1990s. The shareholding governments had to regularly inject funds for outstanding salaries and urgent repairs. Signs of renewal In recent years, political will to refurbish the Freedom Railway not least to reduce the expensive wear and tear on roads has grown. However, tight public finances have prevented a major recapitalisation. In August 2022, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema made his first visit as head of state to Tanzania. After meetings with his counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan, they announced that the two governments had agreed to rehabilitate Tazara. They sought to upgrade its tracks from Cape gauge (1,067mm) to standard gauge (1,435mm) through a public-private partnership. An upgrade to standard gauge would enable the Uhuru railway to interlink with Tanzania's new standard gauge railway. The standard gauge tracks have meanwhile reached the Dodoma region. Contracts for extensions to Tabora (about 740km to the north-west of Dar es Salaam) and Mwanza (about 350km further north) have already been awarded. An inter-governmental agreement between Rwanda and Tanzania to build a line from Isaka (on the Tabora-Mwanza route) to Kigali was signed in 2018. Further connections to Burundi, the DRC and Uganda are planned. But upgrading Tazara to standard gauge would be expensive and hence less attractive for a private investor. It would also pose connectivity challenges in Zambia. Zambia's national network still operates on Cape gauge, as do South Africa's and Zimbabwe's. A senior Tanzanian official with knowledge of the matter told me that the standard gauge upgrade was part of a long-term plan under the African Union's Agenda 2063 . The immediate objective is to rehabilitate the existing infrastructure. Ups and downs Since its inauguration, Tazara's impact has gone beyond the immediate goal to remedy Zambia's transport emergency. The railway transformed the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians and Zambians who lived or decided to settle along its route. This is meticulously documented by the historian Jamie Monson in her formidable book Africa's Freedom Railway . Economically however, Tazara's glorious days have long passed. In the 2014/2015 financial year Tazara conveyed only 87,860 metric tonnes of cargo. According to its own estimates, it needs to transport at least 600,000 tonnes a year to cover its costs. The situation has improved slightly since then, as a new management team brought down travel times and attracted new clients. Tazara's governing bodies also decided to allow private operators to use its tracks. Yet, the challenges for the company remain huge. The biggest one is the outdated, in some cases inoperative, infrastructure. Dilapidated tracks, bridges and buildings, a dysfunctional signalling system and insufficient rolling stock prevent Tazara from meeting market demands. The Tazara Authority is also grappling with crippling debts. In 2016, the shareholding governments under the rigid control of the late President John Magufuli rejected a 30-year concession proposed by a Chinese consortium. Irreconcilable differences about the terms and conditions arose which I documented in an article titled Win-win contested . Evidently, the times have changed. China is now a global political and economic powerhouse. Faced with massive overcapacity in its home market , the country's construction and railway firms are seeking opportunities elsewhere. For Chinese firms Tazara is no longer an aid project but an investment opportunity. New momentum Under Hichilema and Hassan there seems to be new momentum for the privatisation of the Freedom Railway. This is for several reasons. Hichilema has long been considered a free marketeer. Hassan, for her part, has markedly departed from Magufuli's confrontational approach to foreign investors. She has openly called for more public-private partnerships . In addition, there is the factor of mounting fiscal pressure felt in Lusaka and, in recent years, also in Dodoma. Under Zambia's recently agreed International Monetary Fund rescue package all state expenses will be put to utmost scrutiny. For its part, Tanzania's sovereign debt has rapidly increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank adjusted its assessment of the country's risk of debt distress from low to moderate early this year. As I recently argued in the Review of African Political Economy, Africa's current debt crisis is likely to lead to a new wave of privatisations across the continent. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation was recently tasked with conducting yet another feasibility study for Tazara's rehabilitation . It sent a 40-person delegation to visit Tazara in early September 2022. The train towards privatisation seems to be picking up speed. But the issue of incompatibility between old and new networks shows that Africa's current railway renaissance requires profound regional and continental coordination and planning. Integrating Africa's railways will be a monumental task, considering that the greater part of the continent's network still operates on Cape or metre gauge a colonial legacy that hampers railway inter-connectivity to this day. Tim Zajontz 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. By Tim Zajontz, Lecturer (Freiburg) & Research Fellow (Stellenbosch), University of Freiburg The European Commission has adopted rules to help protect media freedom and independence across the 27-nation bloc at a time of mounting concern about the dangers of political influence in several member countries. Spurred into action following allegations of state spying on reporters, of political pressure on news outlets and the dishonest use of advertising budgets, the European Commission says that the EU needs a European Media Freedom Act. European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says: We see a lot of worrying trends regarding media in Europe, and it's not only a matter of one or two countries. She added the proposed legislation is needed for the times we live in, not for the times we would like to live in. Risk of political influence on the rise The commission has openly criticised the governments of Hungary, Poland and Slovenia in recent years for trying to pressure their national media. EU officials say they have identified risks of political influence in more than 20 member countries. We need to establish clear principles: no journalist should be spied on because of their job. No public media should be turned into a propaganda channel, Jourova told reporters in Brussels. The main thrust of the new act is to protect media outlets from governments attempting to determine what the outlets can publish or broadcast, and to prevent the authorities from spying on media workers. The legislation also aims to ensure stable funding of public service media and to make media ownership more transparent. The proposal would only take effect once it has been debated and endorsed by EU member countries and the European Parliament. Creation of European Board for Media Services The centerpiece of the legislation would create an independent body, made up of national media authorities, to issue opinions on national measures and decisions affecting media markets and media market ownership. However the opinions of the European Board for Media Services would not be binding on national authorities. Jourova has rejected suggestions that the board should be answerable to the European Commission or serve as an oversight body to keep tabs on what reporters and editors are doing. The act would ban the use of spyware against journalists and their families, with exceptions only for investigations of crimes such as terrorism, child abuse or murder. Journalists would have the right to judicial protection, and countries would set up an independent authority to handle complaints. The plan is the commission's second recent foray into the media world. On 6 September, it launched a consortium of 18 European news agencies to carry out independent reporting on EU affairs. The European Newsroom benefits from around 1.8 million euros in EU funding. Power cuts in South Africa have intensified with the most industrialised state on the continent having to cut electricity for six hours every day. Anger is mounting over the sweeping measures, caused by failures at ageing and poorly maintained infrastructure. Andre de Ruyter, the boss of state-owned Eskom, announced a series of planned outages in the coming week. Urging South Africans to use electricity sparingly, he called for office lights to be turned off at night, and for swimming pool pumps and water heaters to be turned off during peak hours. "If everyone plays their role we can manage demand," De Ruyter told journalists. Developing efficient large-scale generation capacity "will take time", the CEO added. People woke up on Sunday to news of "stage 6" power cuts which equates to six hours without electricity per day. A difficult situation considering it is winter in the country. The loadshedding is scheduled throughout the day by instalments of two to four hours depending on the area. Anger The chief operating officer of Eskom, Jan Oberholzer, said in a press briefing on Sunday that it is uncertain at this point "as to when we will be able to ease the current stage of load shedding". Although the company later tweeted that there is a possibility "loadshedding will be reduced to stage 5 at midnight" on Monday. Aaliyah Dhoodad, a 37-year-old accountant from Cape Town, is as incensed by this situation as are most South Africans. "It is ridiculous. We've never had it so bad," she told RFI. "This affects all aspects of our daily life like heating, cooking, washing, watching TV. Power surges are also blowing up our electrical appliances. "Working from home has become a challenge, laptop batteries won't last, wifi is down". Street hawkers told local media the measure is crippling their businesses. They have to work additional hours in order to prepare the food they sell according to when electricity is on. Many say it is not viable. Eskom in crisis Eskom, is struggling to meet electricity demand because its old and poorly maintained coal-fired power stations continually break down. It explained that the breakdown of five generating units on 16 and 17 September, with a combined capacity of 2,400MW, necessitated the escalation of loadshedding. Energy expert, Ted Blom, told eNCA news channel that mismanagement is one of the root causes of the problem. "After Andre de Ruyter took office [as Eskom's CEO], he cut the maintenance budget and boast about earlier repayment of Eskom's loans of over 2 billion rands. Up till 2001, Eskom was rated as one of the top utilities in the world," he says. South Africa had years of experience generating surplus energy that was sold to neighbouring countries. "You've got to be an exceptional genius to turn the top utility in the world into the poor state that Eskom is in now," added Blom. De Ruyter warned of high levels of loadshedding expected for the week. "It is necessary to escalate the loadshedding to stop the use of the emergency generation reserves and begin replenishing them," Eskom explains. However, day-to-day measures to deal with power cuts are not accessible to all South Africans. "I invested in an UPS to power supply my wifi so as to be able to work," Aaliyah Dhoodad said. "Also switching to gas stoves and heaters has now become essential. "Although solar power is becoming increasingly popular in the country, the majority of people can't afford the costly investments or live in buildings with no option of solar power." A long wait South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is cutting short his overseas trip and will head back to South Africa immediately after Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday. "The President will no longer be travelling to New York [for the United Nations General Assembly] from London. Instead, he will head home to deal with current Stage 6 load shedding," said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Ngwenya. President Ramaphosa announced steps in July to encourage private power generation to supplement supply from renewable sources. Eskom has warned that these plans may not deliver results for the next 12 months or so. South Africa produces 80 percent of its electricity from coal, creating serious pollution, environmentalists say. The country obtained 7.7 billion for its energy transition during the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow last year. Despite the governing New Patriotic Partys (NPP) warning to party supporters to desist from openly declaring support for the flagbearer bid of any aspirant until nominations are opened, some supporters in the Bono East Region, have defied the warning and declared support for the presidential bid Mr Kennedy Agyapong. According to the party supporters, it is only the Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency in the Central Region that holds the key to the party winning the next elections. The convener of the group, Kojo Owusu popularly known as Kojo Asempa, made this declaration in an interview after the group organised a press conference in the Bono East Region. Mr Kojo Asempa speaking on Accra 100.5 FMs midday news on Monday, September 19, 2022 said among the list of stalwarts canvassing for votes to lead the party, it is only Mr Agyapong who understands the plight of the grass root base of the party. He said the candidature of Mr Agyapong has rejuvenated the grass root base of the party in the region. Before Mr Agyepong decided to declare to run, many of the party's supporters were apathetic towards the activities of the party in the region, he said. He claimed the decision of Mr Agyapong has brought massive joy to the grass root base of the party and added that in the spirit of party cohesion, Mr Agyapong stands tall in uniting the party for the 2024 general elections. Mr Asempa also projected that the Assin Central MP can build on the fortunes of the party going into the 2024 general elections. He was categorical in saying that Mr Agyapong holds the key to breaking the eight-year political jinx. The NPP can only break the eight with Mr Agyapong as flagbearer come 2024, he posited. It is the reason as party supporters, we are rallying behind the candidature of the Assin Central MP, he said. Source: Classfmonline.com A senior figure and potential future leader of France's far left France Unbowed (LFI) has quit his post as co-ordinator after admitting hitting his wife during a dispute. LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has praised his "courageous" decision raising the ire of a number of feminists and anti-domestic violence campaigners who are demanding his resignation. Adrien Quatennens, 32, is a key figure of the LFI movement of far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon. Once tipped to take over the party, his political career is now in the balance. Last week the satirical weekly Canard Enchaine revealed Quatennens' wife had reported him to the police. In a long statement published on Twitter on Sunday, the young MP acknowledged a dispute a year ago in which "in a context of extreme tension and mutual aggression, I slapped her. "I profoundly regret this action and have said sorry many times" he wrote. The couple were in the throes of divorce and Quatennens also admitted "sending too many messages" to his wife "to try to convince her that our difficulties as a couple could be overcome". He announced he was resigning as LFI coordinator to "protect the movement and its activists". The court in Lille, where Quatennens is an MP, announced on Monday it had opened an investigation into his wife's statement to the police. 'Dignity and courage' Jean-Luc Melenchon, a candidate in this year's presidential elections, praised Quatennens' "dignity and courage". He blamed the police and said the young MP had been the victim of a campaign in the media. Another LFI MP, Sophia Chikirou, lauded Quatennens' "honesty and self-sacrifice" and called on people to leave the couple alone. But Melenchon's comments caused outrage. "This tweet came from another world" said Green senator Melanie Vogel. "This is an extremely shocking reaction, Melenchon had no words for the victim," said Paris councillor Raphaelle Remy Leleu. Instead, "he uses masculinist rhetoric to express his unfailing solidarity" [with Quatennens]. "It shows that disdain and hatred of women has far more importance that what victims say," she told RFI. Calls for resignation Melenchon later added "a punch is always unacceptable". But the damage was done. The Quatennens scandal is the third this year to affect a party which prides itself on leading the way in fighting violence against women. Taha Bouhafs, who was running for MP on a hard-left ticket with the LFI, stepped down in May this year after several women accused him of sexual assault. And in July, an investigation was opened into LFI MP Eric Coquerel, president of the National Assembly's influential Finance Committee, for alleged harassment and sexual assault. In 2019, Quatennens gave a stirring speech in parliament about combatting femicide. He was elected MP for Lille in June this year. "I expect him to step down as MP," said Remy Leleu. "If we'd known about this at the time of the election, I would like to hope he would not have been a candidate and people would not have voted for him. "You can't represent a nation having admitted to domestic violence; you can't take part alongside the left and the Greens in the fight for women's rights if you've been violent yourself." 'Relentless engagement' Mathilde Panot, head of the LFI group in parliament, denied Quatennens' future in politics was compromised. "We do not believe that a man, even if he has committed an act of violence, is violent for life," she said. But Green MP Sandrine Rousseau called on him to withdraw from all public speaking. "Violence against women has many faces, none of them is acceptable," she wrote. MP Clementine Autain, also an influential young figure in LFI, said Quatennens' decision to step back from responsibilites in the party was "fair and inevitable". "Our movement is based on the fight against sexist and sexual violence. My thoughts go to all women who aspire to freedom," she tweeted. An LFI statement said the party "reiterated its relentless engagement in the fight against violence against women". Chad's foreign minister resigned on Monday, accusing the ruling junta of sidelining him at a key forum aimed at steering the country to democratic rule. Mahamat Zene Cherif's exit comes in the midst of gruelling negotiations launched by junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby to hold elections after an 18-month transition period. The talks, which began on August 20 after repeated delays, are being boycotted by many opposition parties, rebels and civil society groups. In his resignation letter to Deby, Cherif accused the junta of "repetitive and untimely" interference and creating a situation "as unhealthy as it is confused and unacceptable... reducing me to a simple extra". "For several months, my commitment and my desire to serve my country have been thwarted by parallel initiatives and actions by certain members of your cabinet and of the government, undertaken without my knowledge and on your instructions", Cherif said. The 58-year-old has held several important jobs and was foreign minister twice. Deby took the reins of the country after his father, a veteran ruler and former rebel leader, was killed during an operation against rebels in April 2021. He dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution, vowing to hold "free and democratic" elections after an 18-month rule. But the elections hinge on the outcome of the so-called national dialogue, a forum intended to seal changes to the constitution and other reforms. Chad, one of the world's poorest countries, has endured repeated uprisings and unrest since independence from France in 1960. UN investigators said Monday they believed Ethiopia's government was behind ongoing crimes against humanity in Tigray, and warned the resumption of the conflict there increased the risk of "further atrocity crimes". In its first report, the Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia said it had found evidence of widespread violations by all sides since fighting erupted in the northern Tigray region in November 2020. The commission, created by the UN Human Rights Council last December and made up of three independent rights experts, said it had "reasonable grounds to believe that, in several instances, these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity". The experts listed a long line of horrific violations, from extrajudicial killings to intentional starvation and rape and sexual violence perpetrated on a "staggering scale". And they highlighted in particular the situation in Tigray, where the government and its allies have denied around six million people access to basic services, including the internet and banking, for more than a year. Severe restrictions on humanitarian access have left 90 percent of the region's population in dire need of assistance. 'Shocking' The report said there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the Federal Government and allied regional State governments have committed and continue to commit the crimes against humanity of persecution on ethnic grounds and other inhumane acts". Map of Ethiopia locating Tigray region. By Aude GENET (AFP) They were "intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health based on their ongoing denial and obstruction of humanitarian assistance to Tigray", the report said. In a statement, commission chair Kaari Betty Murungi described the humanitarian crisis in Tigray as "shocking, both in terms of scale and duration". "The widespread denial and obstruction of access to basic services, food, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance is having a devastating impact on the civilian population," she said. She condemned likely crimes against humanity and warned that the government appeared to be "using starvation as a method of warfare". Murungi called on the government to "immediately restore basic services and ensure full and unfettered humanitarian access". She also urged Tigrayan forces to "ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to operate without impediment". 'Atrocity crimes' Since war broke out in November 2020, thousands have died, and many more have been forced to flee their homes as the conflict expanded from Tigray to the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar. A truce in March had raised hopes for a peaceful resolution of the war, but those were dashed when combat resumed last month. "With a resumption of hostilities in northern Ethiopia, there is a very real risk of further civilian suffering and further atrocity crimes," Murungi warned. Even before the fighting resumed, the experts said they had found evidence that rape and sexual violence had been perpetrated on a "staggering scale" since the conflict erupted, especially targeting Tigrayan women and girls. An earlier joint investigation by the UN rights office and Ethiopia's Human Rights Commission determined that possible war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed by all sides. Tigrayan authorities welcomed the report, with a spokesman telling AFP they had "always maintained" that Ethiopia's government was responsible for crimes against humanity in the region. Monday's report meanwhile also found reasonable grounds to believe that Tigrayan forces had committed war crimes, including large-scale killings of Amhara civilians, rape and sexual violence. 'Hatred along ethnic lines' The experts voiced alarm at their findings, which they said "reflect profound polarisation and hatred along ethnic lines in Ethiopia". "This has created a disturbing cycle of extreme violence and retribution, which raises the imminent threat of further and more pronounced atrocity crimes," their report warned. The report, due to be presented to the rights council on September 22, made a number of recommendations, including that all parties to the conflict "immediately cease hostilities and violations... including those that might amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity". It calls on the UN rights office to ensure "full monitoring" of the situation in Ethiopia, and urges the Ethiopian government, its Eritrean ally and authorities in Tigray to investigate and bring all perpetrators of abuses to justice. The Liberia Maritime Authority is exerting all efforts in making sure that the captain and crew members of the Panama -flagged vessel, MV Ophelia, that allegedly cast overboard more than a dozen people are apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with Liberian and international laws. The incident is said to have involved about 12 stowaways claiming to be Nigerians who were found hidden on the ship. Two of them are reported to have died in the process. Maritime Commissioner, Lenn Eugene Nagbe has said LiMA has initiated a full investigation of the incident and ensures everyone involved is made to account. He said the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) and other agencies of the Government of Liberia, including the Liberia Immigration Service, are currently conducting a full-scale investigation. While this is ongoing, LiMA has taken several actions in line with various national and international maritime standards. Key among these measures are as follow: 1. Transmitted a formal communication to the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization informing him of the incident. The communication is also soliciting the cooperation and support of the IMO in the investigative process; 2. Informed the Panamanian government through available diplomatic channels including a transmittal from Liberia IMO Permanent Representative Moses Owen Browne to his Panamanian counterpart. Being the flag state of the vessel, Panama has the responsibility to ensure the enforcement of relevant international instruments on the vessel, including the International Convention for the Facilitation of Maritime Trade. The communication is also intended to request representation from the Panamanian authorities during the investigation and the processes leading to the repatriation of the stowaways; 3. Communicated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia for a Note Verbale to be sent to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria near Monrovia informing the Nigerian government officially through its Embassy of the incident. Nigeria is both the state of embarkation and the state of claimed nationality of the stowaways. 4. Communicated with other regional bodies including the Abuja MOU on Port State Control to assist in apprehending the vessel; 5. Communicated with the ship-owner and the agent to make representation and participate in discussions regarding arranging and financing the maintenance and repatriation of the stowaways. On Monday, September 12, local fishermen off the Coast of Grand Kru in southeastern Liberia rescued the men. Preliminary investigation showed that they were stowaways aboard the Panama flagged vessel with IMO Number 9228083. BY Director, Corporate Communications Liberia Maritime Authority President Joe Biden has declared the covid-19 pandemic over in the US, even as the number of Americans who have died from the virus continues to rise. Mr Biden said that while we still have a problem, the situation is rapidly improving. Statistics show that over 400 Americans on average are dying from the virus each day. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that the end of the pandemic is in sight. In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS, Mr Biden said that the US is still doing a lot of work to control the virus. The interview aired over the weekend was partly filmed on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show, where the president gestured towards the crowds. If you notice, no ones wearing masks, he said. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shapeI think its changing. In August, US officials extended the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency, which has been in place since January 2020, through 13 October. To date, more than one million Americans have died from the pandemic. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the seven-day average of deaths currently stands at over 400, with more than 3,000 dead in the last week. In January 2021, by comparison, more than 23,000 people were reported dead from the virus over a single week-long span. About 65% of the total US population is considered fully vaccinated. Some federal vaccine mandates remain in place in the US including on healthcare workers, military personnel and any non-US citizen entering the country by airplane. Public health officials have expressed cautious optimism in recent weeks that the world is edging towards a pandemic recovery but continue to urge people to remain careful. On Monday, Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, acknowledged the situation has improved. But in comments made at Washington DC think-tank, he added that the current daily death rate is still unacceptably high. We are not where we need to be if were going to be able to live with the virus,' he said. He also cautioned that new Covid-19 variants could still emerge, especially in the coming winter months. The US recently authorised new vaccines that match the version of the Omicron variant currently dominant in the country, with federal health officials asking Americans to keep their jabs up-to-date. Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the world has never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We are not there yet, he said. But the end is in sight. Covid-19 also continues to have a significant impact on the US economy, with the National Bureau of Economic Research reporting last week that Covid-related disease has slashed the US workforce by approximately 500,000 people. Mr Biden said he believes that the pandemic has had a profound impact on the psyche of Americans. That has changed everythingpeoples attitudes about themselves, their families, about the state of the nation, about the state of their communities, he said. Its been a very difficult time. Very difficult. More than 6.5 million people have died since the beginning of the pandemic around the world. The US has had the highest death toll, followed by India and Brazil. Source: BBC Former President John Dramani Mahama has said President Nana Akufo-Addo has packed Ghanas courts with so many politically exposed judges who do not dispense justice fairly. Im talking about where people take good cases [to the court] and get bad outcomes; that is what Im talking about. Im not talking about [taking] bad cases [to court] and expecting good outcomes, the 2020 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) told Alfred Ocansey of Accra-based TV3 in a recent interview. I just think that they [judges] should go by the oath of office that they take: that they shall dispense justice fairly to all manner of persons, and if they did that Im sure that the image of our judiciary will rise in the eyes of the public, Mr Mahama reiterated. For instance, he observed, There are complaints that are made against judges and you expect that action will be taken against those judges after investigations but you dont hear anything; nothing happens and the judges continue to do what they want. Mr Mahama noted that President Akufo-Addos stuffing of the courts with political elements as judges is partly to blame for the bad image the public has about the judiciary. But part of the perception is also the packing of the courts by this president, Mr Mahama noted. Hes appointed more judges in this history of this country than any other government: from the circuit, lower courts right up to the upper courts; hes packed so many judges and most of them are political party [persons], I mean people who are openly exposed as political party operatives and, so, if you put people like that on, what do you expect, he said. Addressing a conference of lawyers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday, 28 August 2022, Mr Mahama said the image of Ghanas judiciary is broken under the leadership of Justice Anin-Yeboah, and hoped that a new Chief Justice leads an image-cleansing crusade in the future, since, in his view, the current Chief Justice cannot lead such a process. At that conference, Mr Mahama bewailed that the judiciary has now become the butt of jokes, as a result of its biased rulings and decisions on cases with a political tinge. Recently, he noted, so badly has the image of our judiciary deteriorated that many of our citizenry openly make a mockery of our justice system and of our justices. The phrase, Go to court is, these days, is met with derisive laughter, instead of hope that one will truly get justice if he went to the court, Mr Mahama explained. He said: If people are not poking fun about politics and inducements being used to sway the hand of justice in the lower courts, then it is poking fun and making statements about the 7-0 of the Unanimous FC verdicts, which, mostly, involve cases of a political nature in our Supreme Court. This is an unfortunate development, he regretted, pointing out: One of the scariest existential threats to any democracy is when citizens think their judiciary holds no value for them or is of no use to them, and this is the security threat that the national security apparatus tried to draw the attention of the nation to, recently but was poorly received by the President and his party. It is scary because it threatens the peace and stability of our democracy and we must quickly correct this fast-spreading notion, warned Mr Mahama. He said it is a harbinger of danger. If care is not taken, well get to a stage where people will have no qualms about taking the law into their own hands because they do not have the confidence that they can get any justice from the system, he cautioned. Theres, therefore, the urgent need for the Ghanaian judiciary, to work to win the trust and confidence of the citizenry and erase the widely-held perception of hostility and political bias in legal proceedings at the highest court of the land, he urged. Unfortunately, Mr Mahama noted, we have no hope that the current leadership of our Judiciary can lead such a process of change. We can only hope that a new Chief Justice will lead the process to repair the broken image that our judiciary has acquired over the last few years, he said. This is not the first time the former President has lunged at the judiciary. In March this year, he said: We do have problems with the judiciary, I must say, adding: I think that it is necessary for some internal reforms to take place there. It is necessary for the Chief Justice or whoever is responsible, to make some reforms, Mr Mahama said when he addressed the US Chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Bentley University over the weekend. Bemoaning how, in his view, most of the governance institutions have been politicised, Mr Mahama said: I give the example of the Judiciary It is only in Ghana that a Supreme Court will make a decision that a birth certificate is not proof of citizenship. There are many such funny judgments that have been given, he added. I remember at one time, our colleague, Professor Raymond Atuguba, said that from research he had done, judges turn to give their judgments in favour of the political party or leader that appointed them. He was subjected to such a whirlwind of indignation by the judiciary but if you bring it down to what is happening today, and you look at it and see who appointed who, you will find that there was some truth in the research. The thing is, our Constitution gives the security of tenure to judges. Once you have been appointed, you cannot be removed. That is why we give security of tenure so that you will have the courage, no matter who appointed you, to give judgment according to your conscience. That is what our judges should do. They must rise to the occasion, urged Mr Mahama. SCs 7-0 verdict serves you right for going to court with zero evidence! Akufo-Addo tackles Mahama's 'selfish', 'partisan' attacks on Judiciary In a veiled response, President Akufo-Addo called out Mr Mahama over what he described as the opposition leaders systematic attacks on the Judiciary and Electoral Commission. According to President Akufo-Addo, Just as the government continues to implement policies to advance the rule of law, and, thereby, reinforce the confidence of the people, and shore up our nations reputation as a country governed by the rule of law, there are some who have made it their political agenda to disparage, systematically, the image of the Judiciary for selfish, parochial, partisan reasons. He stated: These are the plaintiffs, who go to court, indeed, to the highest court of the land, provide not a single shred of evidence to back their claims, and, yet, insist that their claims be upheld, despite the elementary violation of the ancient, common-law rules for the discharge of the burden of proof that such a result would entail. The President continued: It is no wonder that their claims were unanimously dismissed 7-0 by the apex court a reference to the apex courts endorsement of the 2020 election result declared by the electoral commission that was challenged by Mr Mahama in court. The electoral commission party to the suit said that President Nana Akufo-Addo of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) won 51.59% of the vote and Mr Mahama took 47.36%. President Akufo-Addo said: The result of this case is in stark contrast to the result of a similar one in 2013, when the unsuccessful plaintiffs managed to persuade four out of a nine-member court, to find for them, and, yet, the earlier plaintiffs chose not to wage a political war against the court. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, 12 September 2022, when he delivered the keynote address at this years Bar Conference of the Ghana Bar Association. He told Members of the Bar that Ghana is governed in accordance with the rule of law, and not on the basis of political considerations. It is important that all of us especially us lawyers, who cherish the democracy we are building say no to such persons, and guard jealously our democratic way of life, which we have done so much to bring into being. Independent judges, administering the law, protecting the human rights of citizens, and ensuring public accountability, are strong pillars of our democracy, the President added. Just as an independent Electoral Commission, noted for its efficiency and the transparency of its dealings, is one other such pillar, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Commission is, predictably, the object of the same anti-democratic attacks as the Judiciary. Mercifully for all of us, these attacks have not shaken the confidence of the people in these institutions. Genuine democrats should devote their energies to finding ways and means of strengthening the democratic institutions of our Republic, instead of expending profitless time in undermining them, he stressed. Source: ClassFMonline.com Elvis Afriyie Ankrah; Director of Elections, NDC 20.09.2022 LISTEN Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Director of Elections for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has declared his intention to run for the party's General Secretary position in the upcoming executive elections. According to Afriyie Ankrah, following the exit of the current General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, he is the only one who can fit in. On Accra-based Joy News' PM Express on Monday, September 19, monitored by Modernghana News, he explained that he is the only person in the party who has successfully championed the party's achievements on numerous occasions, and thus fit for the job. I want to be the General Secretary because I have been at the forefront of many of the party's initiatives. I also believe after 17 years of the venerable Asiedu Nketiah, I think I'm in the position to move the party to the next level, he said. Mr. Ankrah further indicated that he has a very good interpersonal relationship with almost all the party's folks, something a good chief scribe must possess. I relate very well with all the factions within the party and I have a corporate background as well and if you want to be the CEO of a party, you must understand the corporate world, he revealed. As the party draws closer to its national elections on December 7, it is speculated that the current chief scribe, Asiedu Nketia, will leave his seat and run for the chairmanship position. In the Secretary race, the current deputy, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, has also expressed interest in contesting should his boss finalise his decision. Chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament, Kweku Kwarteng has asked critics of governments quest to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should rather support the move. He says the debate on whether or not the countrys economy is robust for external financial assistance is needless and must not be encouraged. Kweku Kwartengs comments are in reaction to concerns raised by the Minority over the IMFs insistence that, Ghana's economy has been hit badly by the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Is this a point worth responding to? This whole discussion about Ghana subscribing to the IMF for the 17th time because of COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war do we genuinely believe that for the sake of our country, this is a question we should be addressing? Wont it be brilliant to be debating who has a better strategy to make this 17th appearance at the IMF the last for the country, he quizzed on Eyewitness News. Responding to criticisms of the IMF's assessment of Ghana's economy, Director of the Communications Department at the IMF, Mr. Gerry Rice re-emphasized that Ghana's plight has been worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war as it had already injected a lot of fiscal power into the pandemic. This is a point Kweku Kwarteng corroborates, and called for a rather more healthy discussion on the development to find a lasting solution to the countrys heavy dependence on the IMF. Why are we preoccupied with this? What kind of discussions do we want to have about the economy right now? I believe that our economy has been challenged but as we grow, we should learn and begin to have discussions that will make this 17th appearance, the last one. Why cant we put those fundamental issues taking us to the IMF on the table? Why turn the debate into a blame game? Lets correct things and focus on having helpful debates. Ghana is before the IMF to help the country navigate the economic crisis it finds itself in, which was worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The country is seeking a $3 billion package from the fund. citinewsroom The Deputy Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Ghana's Parliament, Isaac Adongo says the International Monetary Funds (IMF) assessment of Ghana's economy failed to reflect the countrys real fiscal situation. Isaac Adongo feels the IMF got it wrong when it attributed Ghana's economic woes to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war because to him, the economy was already in tatters before the two situations. The IMF is managing the situation so that they do not create fear and panic that will further exacerbate the issue. It is very clear that, the Ghanaian economy was already suffering internal and external vulnerability before COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war, he said on Eyewitness News. Isaac Adongo, the Bolga Central Member of Parliament also accused the Akufo-Addo government of conniving with the IMF to paint a gloomy picture of the economy. He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should not be forgiven for its comments made against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for seeking an IMF bailout in the past. It is dishonesty for people who have profited from propaganda; people who have come to power on the back of the deception of the Ghanaian people that going to IMF defines incompetence, to now be turning around to say that we should not have that debate. Didnt Dr. Bawumia describe John Mahama with unprintable words for taking Ghana to the IMF? I want to say that the NPP should bow its head in shame for bringing us here. They want to now use PR and connive with the IMF to double speak. The truth is that, they have mismanaged the economy because the IMF has a dossier from 2019 that the country was heading in the wrong direction, he stressed. On the same, however, Chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament, Kweku Kwarteng asked critics of government's quest to seek a bailout from the IMF to be measured and support the move. He said, the debate on whether or not the country's economy is robust for external financial assistance is needless and must not be encouraged. Why are we preoccupied with this? What kind of discussions do we want to have about the economy right now? I believe that our economy has been challenged but as we grow, we should learn and begin to have discussions that will make this 17th appearance, the last one. Why can't we put those fundamental issues taking us to the IMF on the table? Why turn the debate into a blame game? Let's correct things and focus on having helpful debates. Ghana returned to the IMF for support after months of struggle with the economy and a cost of living crisis, and is expecting $3 billion from the IMF. citinewsroom The government is exploring comprehensive smoke-free policies as part of a mechanism to control tobacco use in Ghana. The Acting Director of Technical Co-ordination and Special Advisor on Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs) to the Minister of Health, Dr Baffour Awuah, announced this in Accra during a stakeholder meeting by the Food and Drugs Authority to analyse the status of tobacco control in Ghana. He stated that to complement the tobacco control policies, the government had ratified the World Health Organisation (WHO) Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products. Dr Awuah said the government had passed the Tobacco Control Measures as part of the Public Health Act (Act 851), 2012; adopted the Tobacco Control Regulations (L.I. 2247) and enforced the implementation of Graphic Health Warnings on all tobacco product packaging. On his part, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Food Drugs Authority, Seth K. Seneake, said the Authority was enforcing the ban on tobacco advertisement and promotion to control tobacco use in the country. The focus is also on the implementation of pictorial health warnings, the ratification of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Tobacco Trade and mass media campaigns on tobacco dangers, he added. He noted that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Needs assessment mission outcomes and reports would be an invaluable add-on in developing the requisite legislation tailored to address the rapidly evolving facets of tobacco control. The stakeholders' meeting forms part of the ongoing World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Needs assessment mission in Ghana to evaluate the existing mechanism of tobacco control in the country and identify opportunities for improvement. Vivo Energy Ghana Limited has been sued after its Shell fuel station near Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku in the Eastern Region sold petrol mixed with water to some motorists. The lawsuit from Edmund Barwuah is demanding $2.5 million from Vivo Energy because he argued that damage to his car from the incident caused him to lose a business opportunity. He also wants his car, a 2017 Ford Explorer, replaced with a similar vehicle and of the same specifications as well as GH600 per day since August 28, when the incident happened because of the loss of his vehicle. In the lawsuit, Edmund Barwuah maintains that Vivo Energy owed a Duty of Care to the public to ensure that fuel products sold at its filling stations meet the required standards. He also feels that this duty of care was breached for selfish and unholy financial gain. Edmund Barwuah said the fuel station continued selling contaminated products to unsuspecting customers despite being directly informed of the unwholesome nature of its product. He argued further that this amounted to reckless disregard for lives and property in favour of selfish financial gain and unjust enrichment. The National Petroleum Authority has already shut down the Shell filling station where the incident happened for investigations to commence. Vivo Energy also apologised for the incident that led to a number of customers cars having engine problems. It explained that water got into the underground super tank of the station after heavy rain in the area. citinewsroom Junior High Schools in the Agona West Municipality have successfully completed a five-day workshop dubbed "Stem Bootcamp for girls from underserved Ghanaian Communities" organized by US-GH Alumni sponsored by The US Dept. of State and The US Embassy, Ghana. The five-day workshop which commenced on Monday, September 12 comprised three sessions; A two-day professional development workshop for JHS Science, Mathematics and ICT Teachers A two-day robotics workshop for JHS girls and A Mentorship Seminar, distribution of TLMs and distribution of sanitary pads to girls and schools. Mr. Frederick Antobam, a teacher of Swedru Girls Model JHS expressed satisfaction at the quality of the workshop. Weve been to many [workshops] but this is exceptional. Weve really learnt something. My students have also understood what we have been teaching them. In fact, this workshop is one of the best Ive attended so far, the delighted teacher said. Other Junior High Schools at the workshop included Nyakrom AMA A, Nyakrom AMA B, Nyakrom AMA C, Nyakrom Methodist A, Nyakrom Methodist B, Nyakrom Holy Quran B, Nyakrom Catholic A & B, Nyakrom SDA, Nyakrom Presby, Nyakrom Salvation Army, Armah AMA, Nkum AMA A, Ahomadonko AMA, Edukrom AMA, Nsonan AMA, Ostinkorang AMA, Nsuansa AMA, Ekuabuman AMA, Kwaman Catholic and Nkraful AMA. Students were very excited to take part in the robotics workshop. They utilized their understanding of electronics to assemble the robots. Their understanding of electronic circuits was put to test as they utilized it in making circuits in both parallel and series connection. On the final day, the various schools engaged in competitions regarding what they had studied and prizes were awarded to the schools that placed first and second. Kwaman Catholic JHS, the first-placed school took home a desktop computer while Nyakrom Methodist A, the second-placed school took home a classroom board geometry set. The Agona West Municipal Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Mr. Bismark Mfaafo Ofei thanked the organizers of the workshop for doing a yeomans job and indicated his readiness to ensure that the workshop becomes a mainstay. This is an excellent program and both the teachers and students have benefitted immensely. I will do my best to ensure that this workshop becomes a partnership between the GES and your outfit, Mr Ofei said. At the end of the workshop, students were happy about being afforded the opportunity to experience the practicality of science and math and just like Oliver Twist, they requested that the US-GH alumni organize more. The workshop also helped alleviate the fears of the female students with regard to studying STEM courses. According to the students, prior to the workshop, they perceived STEM courses as difficult and suitable for men. However, the workshop has led to a change of mindset and has made them ready to tackle STEM courses with enthusiasm. Resource persons including Dr. Joycelin Dankwah (Medical Doctor), Mrs. Rosemary Daah (ICT Tutor SWESBUS), Mrs. Venunye Worxe (Midwife), Mrs. Rebecca Vida Simpson (Girl Child Coordinator Agona West), Mrs. Grace Nana Ekua Quansah (Agona West Municipal Stem Coordinator), Mrs. Susana Danso (Girl Child Motivator), Mr. Maxwell Patibi (Agricultural Science Tutor SWESBUS) and Mr. Emmanuel Addae (HOD Technical NYASTECH) also encouraged the young ladies to embrace the studying of STEM courses. All the materials used during the workshop including Dext Science Kits, Test tubes, Litmus paper, Charts and Tools for the effective teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science and many others were given to the students and the school to enable the students practice more. An advisor to former President John Dramani Mahama, Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr, has taken on the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, over whether or not government has provided an office space for the former President as mandated by the state to be done for ex-Presidents. According to Dr Sawyerr, it is blatant untruth for the Akufo-Addo Government to say that they have been paying the rent for President John Mahama's Cantonments office. It is a brazen falsehood for Akufo-Addo's Government to say that they have been negotiating or engaging in talks with President John Mahama for an office for him, she added in an article. Dr Sawyerr who served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mr Mahama explained that she is taking on Ms Frema Osei-Opare because at her level in government, there are a number of matters she deals with that do not come to the attention of the President. Her comments come after the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the party in government, dispelled reports that Mr Mahama has been denied his emoluments as an ex-president. According to the NPP, they have evidence of correspondence between former President Mahamas office and the Chief of Staff contradicting his claims that his emoluments were not being paid. The NPPs director of communication, Dr Richard Ahiagbah, at a press conference said President Mahama is enjoying and has not been denied any of his article 71 guaranteed benefits. The NPPs statement according to Dr Sawyerr is false. She stated that if the Chief of Staff was competent, she will have a list in front of her of the emoluments of ex-presidents and their spouses. She challenged the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, or any of her representatives to come up with the so-called evidence that government pays for John Mahama's office at Cantonments. Below are details of Dr Sawyerrs article: Excuse me... Frema Opare!!! By Dr. Valerie Sawyerr It is a blatant untruth for the Akufo-Addo Government to say that they have been paying the rent for President John Mahama's Cantonments office. It is a brazen falsehood for Akufo-Addo's Government to say that they have been negotiating or engaging in talks with President John Mahama for an office for him. We are in the sixth year of President Akufo-Addo's reign of terror and simple constitutional requirements have been disregarded with impunity. It is a real shame! The shame goes to President Akufo-Addo and to his Chief of Staff, Frema Opare. I mention Frema's name, specifically, because at her level in government there are a number of matters she deals with that do not come to the attention of the President. If she is competent, she will have a list in front of her of the emoluments of ex-presidents and their spouses. She should know, off the cuff, what President John Mahama is entitled to and should be ticking the items off one after the other as soon as the constitutional commitments have been fulfilled. Unless of course she is following orders from President Akufo-Addo to violate the laws of the land. She should know that, without a doubt, President John Mahama is entitled to a fully functional office after his term as President and this office should be provided by Government. This includes an office building, office furniture, office equipment and salary payments for a limited number of office staff. Indeed, the Edu-Buandoh Emoluments Committee in its August 2016 report described this as "furnished and up to-date office and communication equipment". When the honourable gentleman says that he has not been given an office and that he has rented one and pays for it himself, representatives of government run around spewing garbage and pointing to certain payments for staff that have been done. Are the members of staff supposed to sit on trees to do their work? If so, who will allow them into their compounds to sit on their trees? Would the government take it lightly if they saw them perched on trees along the highways or byways of the capital doing their job, with their boss perched on another tree receiving their work and giving directives? Ask Papa (President Kufour) if we ever disrespected him in this way. Indeed, he accepted an office, which we fully furnished. He labelled it as his temporary office and directed that we get him a permanent office. He inspected the location for the permanent office himself and confirmed that he liked it. He sent us architectural drawings and we built it from scratch to his specifications, despite a tight financial situation. When you act like this, it provokes comparisons that disturb the well-deserved peace of our ex-presidents. First, your representative, Richard Ahiagbah fabricates stories that he has a document showing that government pays for JM's Cantonments office. Really? Then he later claims the so-called document shows that government is rather in talks with JM to provide him an office. Wow! This is pathetic! I, Valerie Sawyerr, am the representative for President John Mahama in transactions on his Cantonments office rental. I challenge you, Chief of Staff Frema Opare or any of your representatives to come up with the so-called evidence that government pays for JM's office at Cantonments. Also, what are these rants and raves on an alleged GHS14 million supposed to have been paid to JM in 2013 as ex gratia? Documents on the release of funds for ex gratia can easily be located at the Ministry of Finance. That is where the funds are released from. There will also be copies in the Chief of Staff's records and/or the records of the Chief Director of the Office of the President. Frema, the allegations are not true. You know that they are not true. The least you can do is to clear the air to restore your reputation that is being dented day by day by your failure to execute. Why must a situation be created where President Mahama has to offer to show his bank statement to journalists to prove that he never received such an amount? Why should that be when you know the allegations are not true? Per the Ewurama Addy Emoluments Report, the ex-president was entitled to ex gratia amounting to the sum of: a. Six (6) months consolidated salary for each year served. b. Installation Grant of one (1) month's consolidated salary. c. Resettlement Grant of one (1) month's consolidated salary for each year served The Committee pegged the President's monthly salary at Twelve Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS12,000,00). In January 2013, when ex-gratia for the January 2009 to January 2013 term would have been calculated, JM had only served approximately five (5) months as President from the date of death of President John Evans Atta Mills. His ex-gratia would therefore have been the above outlined formula scaled down to the five-month equivalent. Plus, ex-gratia as vice president, which is similar to the above but five (5) months instead of six (6) months consolidated salary for the three (3) years and seven (7) months he served as vice president. The Ewurama Addy committe pegged the Vice President's monthly salary at Ten Thousand Eight Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS10,800.00). Do the calculations. How can a rational human being arrive at a figure of GHS14 million by any stretch of his or her warped imagination? Your minions must do some research work so that when they formulate Kweku Ananse stories they do so along credible lines. One must, however, ask why we are even bothering ourselves with this matter. Soon and very soon, President Akufo-Addo will be an ex-president. Aloooo? Is he going to collect all his benefits before he leaves office on January 7, 2025? Ha ha ha! We dey here cool333. We dey watch. Note that President John Mahama did not complain to the world that his legal entitlements had not been fulfilled by Government. He has not clamoured for any monies or goodies. That is not the issue because, 'tafrats3', even if JM cannot pay for office space it will only take a few loved ones to put money together for office rental for him. The issue is the lack of dignity that is sought to be imposed by attempting to reduce an ex-president to the level of groveling for what he is entitled to by the laws of the land. The attempt to belittle him cannot be justified. But even in that, you have failed miserably. President John Mahama still stands head and shoulders above President Akufo Addo. With the terrible mismanagement of the economy, the pathetic interventions of Vice President Bawumia, the incompetence and lack of cohesive productivity of the members of Government, and the constant corruption scandals, it is clear that the people of Ghana have given up on your government and are passionately clamouring for the return of President John Mahama. JM ... No size! I am for peace ... Shalom! Source: Classfmonline.com The Ghana Police Service says it suspects more than one person behind the strange kidnappings and killing of private security guards in Wa in the Upper West Region. In its latest update, the police have disclosed that another dead body has been uncovered by the special purpose intelligence and investigation team. ..the special purpose intelligence and investigation team as part of their surveillance during the night of 19th September 2022 recovered a body of a male adult at Bamahu. After the necessary crime scene examination, the body was removed and deposited at the Regional Hospital, Wa awaiting autopsy, part of the police statement reads. The latest dead body uncovered comes barely 24 hours after the police arrested one suspect in connection to the killings in Wa. Meanwhile, a pathologist from the Police Hospital is leading a team to Wa as part of the investigation into the incidents. Analysis of intelligence gathered by police so far suggests that there may be more than one person behind the murders. The police have assured that it will do whatever it takes to get them arrested to face justice. Find more in the police statement below: The Ghana Police Service is appealing to the public to provide information that will lead to the arrest of persons responsible for the killings in Wa in the Upper West Region. In a police statement on Tuesday, it said a reward of GHS100,000 has been set aside for anyone with credible information. We continue to urge anyone with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward and share with the Police. In line with this, a reward of GHC100,000 has been set aside for anyone who provides information in that regard, part of a police statement has said today. Meanwhile, the police have confirmed that another dead body has been discovered in Wa. The deceased, a male, was discovered at Bamahu. The body has since been retrieved and deposited at the Wa Regional Hospital for examination and autopsy. Suspect Kankani Adongo who was arrested on Monday is in police custody where he is assisting with the investigation. Find more in the police statement below: UPDATE ON SECURITY SITUATION IN WA MUNICIPALITY AND ITS ENVIRONS Police continue to maintain law, order and security in Wa Municipality and its environs. Suspect Kankani Adongo, who was arrested on 19th September, 2022 is in custody assisting with the investigation. Analysis of intetelligence gathered so far suggests that there may be more than one person involved in this heinous crime and we will do whatever it takes to get them arrested to face justice. Meanwhile, the special purpose intelligence and investigation team as part of their surveillance during the night of 19th September, 2022 recovered a body of a male adult at Bamahu. After the necessary crime scene examination, the body was removed and deposited at the Regional Hospital, Wa awaiting autopsy. A pathologist from the Police Hospital is leading a team to Wa as part of investigation into the incidents. We continue to urge anyone with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward and share with the Police. In line with this, a reward of GHC100,000 has been set aside for anyone who provides information in that regard. The Director of the African Coconut Group (ACG), Kwaku Boateng, has advised young people to venture into the coconut industry due to the availability of structures aimed at supporting the growth of new businesses. Mr. Boateng was speaking to journalists ahead of the official opening of the 2nd International Coconut Festival, taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from the 20th to the 23rd of September 2022. According to him, interventions such as the Coconut Revitalization Programme and Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) are evidence of the government's commitment to supporting Ghanaian businesses within the coconut value chain to increase production and profit. He said Ghana's problem of unemployment can be a thing of the past if the coconut sector is well-harnessed as there is a ready market for the country's coconut products both locally and internationally. "Coconut is a game changer; and our main aim as organizers of the Coconut Festival is to promote investment in the sector and make it more attractive for Ghanaians to venture into the various businesses associated with it from production, manufacturing to export. "The coconut industry alone can employ up to a million Ghanaians because it has good structures under the Coconut Federation, which is made up of five wings; nursery operators, producers (farmers), vendors, processors and exporters." Themed, Repositioning Ghanas Coconut Sector for Accelerated Industrialization, the event is a partnership between the African Coconut Group and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA). Activities for this year's edition include seminars, mentorship for young people and sessions with women in coconut. In 2019, GEPA, partnered with ACG to hold the first ever International Coconut Festival in Ghana, which brought together exhibitors as well as major players to promote the coconut business. The government of Ghana added coconut to the National Tree Crop Development Authority (NTCDA), which was established in 2019 and mandated to develop and regulate the production, processing, marketing and export of coconut and other selected tree crops. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database for the year 2017, Ghana ranked 14th on the list of the world's top coconut producers with 383,960 metric tonnes produced in 2017 alone. The country's export of desiccated coconut alone amounted to 21.9 million dollars in 2021 from 6.3 million dollars in 2020 and 3.8 million dollars in 2019, making Ghana 9th in global export of desiccated coconut. Two days after the passage of cyclone Fiona, Guadeloupe is facing extensive clean up operations amid efforts to reconnect water supplies and fix roads. The Minister for Overseas Terrirtories, Jean-Francois Carenco, is expected to visit the region in the coming days. Three departmental roads remained impassable on Monday in Basse-Terre while the Riviere des Peres bridge, linking Basse-Terre to Baillif, was closed to traffic on Monday due to "significant structural damage". Part of the archipelago still had no drinking water, two days after the passage of cyclone Fiona. The prefecture clarified in the evening that the "gradual return" of water distribution was continuing, thanks in particular to the provision of two cisterns from the national reserve in Basse-Terre and eleven additional cisterns in transit. The Joint Water and Sanitation Management Union of Guadeloupe (SMGEAG) estimated on Sunday that nearly 151,000 subscribers were affected by water shortages due to the storm. He also indicated that in several areas of the archipelago, "major works" would be necessary to restore the infrastructure. The distribution of bottles of mineral water was being provided by the Red Cross, the prefecture said on Monday, adding that "about a hundred clients" were still without electricity and that 340 users did not have access to telephone connections due to damaged antennas. "Eleven mobile antennas are still out of service," it said. Special relief fund Most schools, closed Monday, are due to reopen today, but several mayors have warned that without running water, the reception of students would be impossible in some establishments. The departmental emergency fund has been activated to "meet basic needs (mattresses, clothing, foodstuffs)", Guy Losbar, president of the departmental council told the media. The storm, which hit the Guadeloupe late last week, caused the death of a 54-year-old man, washed away with his house, overnight from Friday to Saturday. In a tweet on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron announced the unblocking of a special relief fund, promising that "a state of natural disaster will be recognised". Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Sunday morning that he will sign the recognition procedure for this summer "from the end of next week". The Minister for Overseas Territories, Jean-Francois Carenco, is due to go to Guadeloupe in the coming days. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency for Porto Rico, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide the country with assistance. Cyclone Fiona knocked out power to the island on Sunday and torrential rains caused "considerable" damage, according to the authorities. An advisor to former President John Dramani Mahama, Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr, says the erstwhile NDC government never at any point disrespect former President John Agyekum Kufuor the way the current President Akufo-Addo-led government is disrespecting Mr Mahama. Her comment comes after the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) dispelled reports that Mr Mahama has been denied his emoluments as an ex-president. According to the NPP, they have evidence of correspondence between former President Mahamas office and the Chief of Staff contradicting his claims that his emoluments were not being paid. The NPPs director of communication, Dr Richard Ahiagbah, at a press conference said President Mahama is enjoying and has not been denied any of his article 71 guaranteed benefits. But Dr Sawyerr says it is blatant untruth for the Akufo-Addo Government to say that they have been paying the rent for President John Mahama's Cantonments office. It is a brazen falsehood for Akufo-Addo's Government to say that they have been negotiating or engaging in talks with President John Mahama for an office for him, she added in an article. Citing what the Mahama administration did for President Kufuor when he left office, Dr Sawyerr said ask Papa (President Kufour) if we ever disrespected him in this way. She explained that President Kufuor accepted an office, which the then Mahama-led government fully furnished. He [Kufuor] labelled it as his temporary office and directed that we get him a permanent office. He inspected the location for the permanent office himself and confirmed that he liked it, Dr Sawyerr narrated in her write up, adding, he sent us architectural drawings and we built it from scratch to his specifications, despite a tight financial situation. She noted that when government officials put out falsehoods about the emoluments being enjoyed by Mr Mahama, it provokes comparisons that disturb the well-deserved peace of our ex-presidents. she has, thus, challenged President Akufo-Addo's Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, or any of her representatives to come up with the so-called evidence that government pays for John Mahama's office at Cantonments. Source: Classfmonline.com It is a blatant lie for the Akufo-Addo Government to say that they have been paying the rent for President John Mahamas Cantonments office. It is a brazen falsehood for Akufo-Addos Government to say that they have been negotiating or engaging in talks with former President John Mahama for an office for him. We are in the sixth year of President Akufo-Addos reign of terror, and simple constitutional requirements have been disregarded with impunity. It is a real shame! The shame goes to President Akufo-Addo and to his Chief of Staff, Frema Opare. I mention Fremas name, specifically, because at her level in government there are a number of matters she deals with that do not come to the attention of the President. If she is competent, she will have a list in front of her of the emoluments of ex-presidents and their spouses. She should know, off the cuff, what President John Mahama is entitled to and should be ticking the items off one after the other as soon as the constitutional commitments have been fulfilled. Unless, of course, she is following orders from President Akufo-Addo to violate the laws of the land. She should know that, without a doubt, President John Mahama is entitled to a fully functional office after his term as President and this office should be provided by Government. This includes an office building, office furniture, office equipment, and salary payments for a limited number of office staff. Indeed, the Edu-Buandoh Emoluments Committee in its August 2016 report described this as furnished and up-to-date office and communication equipment. When the honourable gentleman says that he has not been given an office and that he has rented one and pays for it himself, representatives of government-run around spewing garbage and pointing to certain payments for staff that have been done. Are the members of staff supposed to sit on trees to do their work? If so, who will allow them into their compounds to sit on their trees? Would the government take it lightly if they saw them perched on trees along the highways or byways of the capital doing their job, with their boss perched on another tree receiving their work and giving directives? Ask Papa (President Kufuor) if we ever disrespected him in this way. Indeed, he accepted an office, which we fully furnished. He labeled it as his temporary office and directed that we get him a permanent office. He inspected the location of the permanent office himself and confirmed that he liked it. He sent us architectural drawings and we built it from scratch to his specifications, despite a tight financial situation. When you act like this, it provokes comparisons that disturb the well-deserved peace of our ex-presidents. First, your representative, Richard Ahiagbah fabricates stories that he has a document showing that government pays for JMs Cantonments office. Really? Then he later claims the so-called document shows that government is rather in talks with JM to provide him an office. Wow! This is pathetic! I, Valerie Sawyerr, am the representative for President John Mahama in transactions on his Cantonments office rental. I challenge you, Chief of Staff Frema Opare, or any of your representatives to come up with the so-called evidence that government pays for JMs office at Cantonments. Also, what are these rants and raves on an alleged GHS14 million supposed to have been paid to JM in 2013 as ex gratia? Documents on the release of funds for ex gratia can easily be located at the Ministry of Finance. That is where the funds are released from. There will also be copies of the Chief of Staffs records and/or the records of the Chief Director of the Office of the President. Frema, the allegations are not true. You know that they are not true. The least you can do is to clear the air to restore your reputation that is being dented day by day by your failure to execute. Why must a situation be created where President Mahama has to offer to show his bank statement to journalists to prove that he never received such an amount? Why should that be when you know the allegations are not true? Per the Ewurama Addy Emoluments Report, the ex-president was entitled to ex gratia amounting to the sum of: a.Six(6)months consolidated salary for each year served. b. Installation grant of (1)month's consolidated salary. c. Resettlement Grant of one (1) months consolidated salary for each year served. The Committee pegged the Presidents monthly salary at Twelve Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS12,000,00). In January 2013, when ex-gratia for January 2009 to January 2013 term would have been calculated, JM had only served approximately five (5) months as President from the date of death of President John Evans Atta Mills. His ex-gratia would therefore have been the above-outlined formula scaled down to the five-month equivalent. Plus, ex-gratia as vice president, which is similar to the above but five (5) months instead of six (6) months consolidated salary for the three (3) years and seven (7) months he served as vice president. The Ewurama Addy committee pegged the Vice Presidents monthly salary at Ten Thousand Eight Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS10,800.00). Do the calculations. How can a rational human being arrive at a figure of GHS14 million by any stretch of his or her warped imagination? Your minions must do some research work so that when they formulate Kweku Ananse stories they do so along credible lines. One must, however, ask why we are even bothering ourselves with this matter. Soon and very soon, President Akufo-Addo will be an ex-president. Aloooo? Is he going to collect all his benefits before he leaves office on January 7, 2025? Ha ha ha! We dey here cool333. We dey watch. Note that President John Mahama did not complain to the world that his legal entitlements had not been fulfilled by Government. He has not clamoured for any monies or goodies. That is not the issue because, tafrats3, even if JM cannot pay for office space it will only take a few loved ones to put money together for office rental for him. The issue is the lack of dignity that is sought to be imposed by attempting to reduce an ex-president to the level of groveling for what he is entitled to by the laws of the land. The attempt to belittle him cannot be justified. But even in that, you have failed miserably. President John Mahama still stands head and shoulders above President Akufo Addo. With the terrible mismanagement of the economy, the pathetic interventions of Vice President Bawumia, the incompetence and lack of cohesive productivity of the members of Government, and the constant corruption scandals, it is clear that the people of Ghana have given up on your government and are passionately clamouring for the return of President John Mahama. JM No size! I am for peace Shalom! Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr is an Adviser to H.E John Dramani Mahama. She was a Senior Policy Adviser to President Mahama and also a former Deputy Chief of Staff Source: Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr The Honorary Consul of Indonesia in Ghana, Paskal A. B. Rois, has paid a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, at her residence in Accra, Ghana. The visit was part of efforts at deepening the bond of friendship and diplomatic ties between Ghana, Indonesia and Britain as well as promote tourism and bi-lateral trade among the three countries. A release from the Indonesian Consulate in Accra said both leaders also shared a lot of opportunities that are available to the three countries for exploration. Business potential According to the release, Mr Rois informed Ms Thompson that Ghana had over the years improved and increased her trade with Indonesia, the South East Asian country, with a population of more than 270 million people. The Indonesian Consul in Ghana said many Ghanaians were getting to know about Indonesia and her potential which could be found in areas such as agriculture, mining, petroleum, commerce, industry, tourism and trade. Mr Rois noted that a number of Indonesian companies were working in Ghana, producing popular food and other items such as Indomie Noodles, Viking Cooking Oil, Soklin, Medisoft and other soaps and detergents as well as Santex hand wash or sanitizers among others. A year in office Sharing with the British High Commissioner some of his success stories since assuming office a year ago, the Indonesian Honorary Consul to Ghana said he had been able to initiate the Indonesia-Africa Trade Mission, which was aimed at deepening bi-lateral trade and relationship between the peoples of the Africa and Indonesia. READ ALSO: Woman spared jail for bringing dog into mosque He said the ultimate objective was to increase trade volumes between Ghana and Indonesia and Africa, for that matter. Mr Rois added that Indonesia had given fully-funded scholarships to a number of Ghanaians to pursue various courses in Indonesia's topmost tertiary institutions. He disclosed that about 10 Ghanaians were currently undertaking Doctorate of Philosophy Degrees in Indonesia. According to the Honorary Consul, those programmes were partially funded by the Indonesian government, adding that five of such beneficiaries left Ghana in July, this year for Indonesia to defend their thesis, with the remaining five also preparing to do same later. He said cultural exchange programmes were also underway between the two states to explore more areas of cooperation for the benefit of both countries. H.E Mr. Paskal A. B. Rois, who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rig Oil International Services (ROIS) Limited, a subsidiary of Rois Group of Companies Limited, shared with the High Commissioner how his company is partnering some companies in the oil and gas space including MODEC Production Services Ghana JV Limited, Yinson West Africa Production Limited and Tullow Oil Ghana Limited to render services. Because most of these supplies would be coming from the United Kingdom, the Honorary Consul used the opportunity to appeal to the High Commissioner to assist ROIS Limited and other companies in the oil and gas industry to partner and deepen trade relationship with British companies operating in the oil and gas space for collaborations. For Indonesia, Mr Rois noted that the South East Asian country produced one of the best vegetable oils in the world, adding that the country could also boast of clothing and batik potential. READ ALSO: School IGP on diplomacy - NDC urges Foreign Affairs Ministry He explained that while Ghana was doing well in African batik, the country could do better if she learned more from other best practices around the world particularly the expertise in Indonesia. Mr Rois pledged to facilitate any of such moves between the two countries. Commitment For her part, Ms Thompson congratulated Mr Rois on his appointment and achievements in the current diplomatic space. She pledged the commitment of the High Commission in supporting Ghanaian businesses and individuals to expand and flourish. According to her, Ghana was a peaceful and beautiful place to live in, adding that the features of the country's hospitality were worthy of emulation by many countries, saying her tour of the country, including recently to the Volta Region, attested to those facts. Ms Thompson also expressed excitement about the intention of ROIS Limited and other companies to partner their British company contemporaries in the oil and gas sector and pledged her readiness to link ROIS Ltd to the Trade Department within the United Kingdom (UK) Embassy towards the realization of such laudable business partnership. Touching on education in Great Britain in relation to that in the developing world, Ms Thompson noted that the UK had a strong educational system that could be emulated by all, including Ghanaians, Indonesians, and other citizens for their benefit. She welcomed any form of educational collaboration from Ghana and Indonesia, saying her outfit would be ever willing to assist where necessary in the realization of such objectives. Source: 3news.com|Ghana Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has condemned the recent serial killings in the Upper West Region capital, Wa, reposing confidence in the police to arrest the perpetrators. He said the latest body to have been found in the munipality had the eyes and tongue removed and put in a rubber bag. Speaking on 3FMs Sunrise on Monday, September 19, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said pictures of the body parts were sent to him via phone. He said Wa has been known for its peace, hardly recording street fights. But the recent incidents, he stressed, have shaken the very foundation of the town. Last Friday, angry youth of the town marched on some principal streets of the town to express their displeasure at the mystery kidnappings and murders. On Sunday, September 18, the body of a security guard, allegedly kidnapped, was discovered in a shallow grave around Napogbakole residential area, behind Blue Hill Hotel. The said body has since been exhumed by officials from the Ghana Police Service for further investigations in line with procedures aimed at identifying the perpetrators. The Wa Central MP says he is confident the police will soon restore calm to the area. Already, officers have been deployed to the town while the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is paying a working visit to the area. 3news.com|Ghana A former Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Ambassador Victor Smith has said Ghana must learn from best practice from other jurisdictions such as the UK. He explained that the UK is well organized in actions and decisions, which reflect in the way and manner they are conducting the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Speaking in an interview with Berla Mundi on TV3 Monday September 19, Ambassador Victor Smith said the UK put a perfect system in place which supported the Queen to carry out her mandate up to near perfection when she was alive. Things are voted for a purpose, planned organisation, budget had been put in place because she was going to die one day, everything is perfect, well thought out, well played out, he said. We need to learn from them, we need to build our system to support us and work for the people. The Queen died at Balmoral aged 96. Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health. She came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. All the Queen's children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision. Her grandson, Prince William, is also there, with his brother, Prince Harry, on his way. 3news.com|Ghana As part of its foreign exchange auctions, the Bank of Ghana (BOG) has earmarked a total of $420 million to the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) through banks in the final quarter of 2022. This amount is higher than the amount the BOG sold to the BDCs in the 3rd quarter of this year. According to the auction calendar, $120 million each will be sold in October 2022, November 2022 and December 2022 respectively. However, in the month of September 2022, only $60 million will be auctioned As usual, there will be bi-monthly sale of $60 million each in October 2022, November 2022 and December 2022 respectively. This improved sale is expected to boost dollar supply in circulation and help slow down the depreciation of the cedi. It will also boost supply of forex to BDCs and thus enhance supply of petroleum products into the market. The cedi had been under pressure since the beginning of the year. However, the expected $1.5 billion Cocoa Syndicated Loan coupled with other measures by the Bank of Ghana had helped reduce the immense pressure on the local currency. Already, the Central Bank had taken action against forex bureau operators flouting the foreign exchange law to curb illegal transactions by some operators. The BOG said in accordance with regulation, the BDCs Forex Forward Auction will be governed by the guidelines published and available on the Bank of Ghana website. The Central Bank introduced the sale of dollars to BDCs some months ago to avert the supply of dollar shortage to the firms, and consequently fuel scarcity in the country. BoG sold $150m to authorised dealers in quarter 3, 2022 During the last quarter of 2022, the Bank of Ghana sold only $150m to authorized dealers. This was far lower than the $350 million sold in the second quarter of 2022. That was a period in which demand for dollars far outstripped supply, indicating dollar liquidity in the system. DGN online A former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. A. Mohammed, has written an article which he describes as a presentation on the issue of citizenship of Ghana from a layman's point of view. As a timely presentation, we deem it very critical and worthy of dissection because of its significance. A lot of Ghanaians from the Zongo communities especially, have endured avoidable pain during the Ghana Card registration and during voters' roll compilation. As an editorial, we are limited in our ability to deal with this subject exhaustively because of space constraints and the fact that as Dr. Mohammed stated, it belongs to the realm of the learned wigged ladies and gentlemen. Be it as it may, there is the need to state that there is ignorance about who qualifies to be called a citizen of this country. Many citizens of our country, because of their limited knowledge of the history of Ghana, coupled with same for the 1957 Constitution, often refer to their compatriots in the Zongo communities and descendants of West Indians and Sierra Leones as foreigners, a gaffe which has often been carried into exercises such as the citizenship registration. In order to steer away from the complexities of the interpretation of the constitution, which we have limited knowledge of anyway, we shall stay with the 1957 document which, as Dr. Mohammed pointed out, is the mother of subsequent ones. In our Zongos, spread across the country, there are many descendants of migrants from countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Burkina and Mali. Such fourth or even fifth generation of descendants of migrants as per the constitution of the country, derived their citizenship, as it were, from the first post-independence magna carta. Their forebears were in Ghana long before even the Union Jack started fluttering on this land which became the Gold Coast and when it was lowered for the independent Ghana. As Dr. Mohammed pointed out, Hausa, originally from Nigeria, has taken different variants in Ghana and today constitutes a Ghanaian language the barracks Hausa, the Kumasi variant, the Nima and Sabon Zongo types. Shouldn't we find a way of incorporating the history of this country in the curriculum of our country? We are definitely not saying that all residents of the Zongos are Ghanaians. No, the point is that those of them who do not fall into the category of those ancestors settled here hundreds of years ago, and who the constitution rightly admits as citizens, are not the persons being referred to. There are foreigners mixed up in the aforementioned segments of the country who should not claim citizenship of this country unless they satisfy the other requirements such as naturalisation procedures clearly spelt out in the constitution. The Zongos are critical segments of Ghana, her bona fide residents being bona fide citizens of this country. I am a Hausa from Sabon Zongo Accra or Aboabo in Kumasi or even a Mossi from Mossi Zongo in Tamale because my great grandfather was here long before the British, and later became a protected citizen of the Gold Coast. Once more, we are not stating that the acquisition of the Ghana Card should be so simplified as to allow foreigners to acquire it, far from it. Those who claim to be Hausa or Yoruba and Ghanaians, and can prove their citizenship, should not be denied this right because, as Dr. Mohammed said, doing so would constitute a breach of the constitution. Shouldn't the Zongo elites, and they are many and formidable, organise a forum to educate their non-educated neighbours to better understand this subject? Source: Daily Guide 20.09.2022 LISTEN Security Analyst, Adam Bonaa has disclosed that he has chanced on disturbing information about the suspect arrested in connection with the Wa killings. The Ghana Police Service on Monday confirmed the arrest of Kankani Adongo after a collaboration with members of the community. According to Adam Bonaa, the suspect after he was arrested displayed certain behaviour that suggest that he had eaten some body parts of the people he has allegedly killed. Speaking to Kasapa FM in an interview, the Security Analyst stressed that the new information is disturbing especially at a time when residents are living in fear. My intelligence suggests the suspect was behaving in a cannibalistic way. When he was arrested, it was found out that he had eaten some body parts of the people he allegedly killed. This is a very disturbing development if you ask me, Adam Bonaa disclosed on Tuesday. The Ghana Police Service has appealed to the public to provide information that will lead to the arrest of persons responsible for the killings in Wa in the Upper West Region. In the statement issued earlier today, it said a reward of GHS100,000 has been set aside for anyone with credible information. We continue to urge anyone with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward and share with the Police. In line with this, a reward of GHC100,000 has been set aside for anyone who provides information in that regard, part of a police statement has said today. Find more in the police statement below: UPDATE ON SECURITY SITUATION IN WA MUNICIPALITY AND ITS ENVIRONS Police continue to maintain law, order and security in Wa Municipality and its environs. Suspect Kankani Adongo, who was arrested on 19th September, 2022 is in custody assisting with the investigation. Analysis of intetelligence gathered so far suggests that there may be more than one person involved in this heinous crime and we will do whatever it takes to get them arrested to face justice. Meanwhile, the special purpose intelligence and investigation team as part of their surveillance during the night of 19th September, 2022 recovered a body of a male adult at Bamahu. After the necessary crime scene examination, the body was removed and deposited at the Regional Hospital, Wa awaiting autopsy. A pathologist from the Police Hospital is leading a team to Wa as part of investigation into the incidents. We continue to urge anyone with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward and share with the Police. In line with this, a reward of GHC100,000 has been set aside for anyone who provides information in that regard. In recent months two African states have announced their intentions to abolish the death penalty Zambia and the Central African Republic . In all, 22 member countries of the African Union (AU) have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, and one for ordinary crimes. In 2021, only four countries in the AU carried out executions: Botswana, Egypt, Somalia and South Sudan. Seventeen African countries are considered de facto abolitionist states, meaning that they have not carried out an execution in 10 years. These include Kenya, which retains the death penalty by hanging a British colonial relic. This sentence can be handed down for the crimes of murder, other offences resulting in death, robbery not resulting in death and treason. Kenya hasn't carried out an execution since 1987, when Hezekiah Ochuka and Pancras Oteyo Okumu were executed for their role in the failed attempt to overthrow President Daniel arap Moi in 1982. After 35 years of no executions, why hasn't the law been abolished? Based on our research and legal expertise, we believe that Kenya retains the death penalty out of habit, convenience and simple inertia rather than any evidence-based consideration of its effectiveness or popularity. Our recent study found that Kenyans' knowledge of the death penalty is relatively limited. Just 66% of the public are aware that the country retains the death penalty. Only 21% know that no executions have taken place in 35 years. Most years, more than 100 people are sentenced to death, mostly for murder or robbery with violence. Another factor that may contribute to the government's inertia is that the death row population is managed by regular mass commutations. Death sentences of 4,000 prisoners were commuted in 2009 under President Mwai Kibaki . And in 2016 another 2,747 under President Uhuru Kenyatta . But executions could resume as long as the law remains on the books. It is therefore our expert view that it is important to press for abolition. This would provide psychological relief for those living in the shadow of death . Indeed, international jurisprudence suggests that that long periods on death row referred to as death row phenomenon constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. Latest research conducted by The Death Penalty Project, the University of Oxford and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights suggests that Kenyan opinion shapers are in favour of abolition, and public opinion is no impediment. So alongside legal or legislative reform, there should be civil society engagement and action from the community at a local level, bringing the public on the journey. The Kenyan death penalty explained Efforts have been made to restrict the scope and application of capital punishment. In 2017, Kenya's Supreme Court declared the mandatory death penalty for murder unconstitutional . This introduced judicial discretion as to whether the death sentence should be imposed. Execution was set as the maximum penalty, but not the only one. The courts do still hand down death sentences. By the end of 2021 there were 601 people on death row and 14 death sentences had been passed that year. Governments that continue to apply the death penalty commonly argue that their citizens are in favour of it. Kenya's leaders are no exception. In 2007 and 2015 the Kenyan parliament voted against abolition of the death penalty (when bills were initiated by individual lawmakers, but rejected by parliament). The justification cited was public support for retention. Kenyan delegates told a UN committee in 2013 that abolition was not supported by the will of the Kenyan people . Our rigorous research suggests that this is not the case. Public opinion is no barrier to abolition Our public opinion study surveyed a representative sample of 1,672 Kenyans. We found that a small majority (51%) supported retention of the death penalty. Just under a third were strongly in favour of retention. This is a lower level of support than other African abolitionist de facto countries. In Zimbabwe, for example, our study found 61% of the public was in favour of retention. Our research also showed that in Kenya support for the death penalty in specific (realistic) scenario cases was lower than support in the abstract. For example, it dropped to 32% for robbery resulting in death and 27% for murder. We also interviewed 42 opinion formers , including people who have jurisdiction over the criminal justice system or can be considered to influence public opinion, and found very high levels of support for abolition (90%), with the vast majority strongly in favour. This represents the highest level of support for abolition across all studies of opinion formers conducted by The Death Penalty Project . In Kenya, opinion formers cited concerns about wrongful convictions as a reason for favouring abolition but also believed that the death penalty was an abuse of human rights. Routes to abolition The majority of those in the public who were initially in favour of retention stated they would accept abolition if it were to become Kenyan government policy. Likewise, almost all the opinion formers said they would actively support an act of parliament to abolish the death penalty. Historically, there have been different routes to abolition in Africa. In Rwanda the death penalty was removed following the end of a repressive regime. In Sierra Leone, the president led a campaign which resulted in a vote in parliament. In South Africa, the country's post-apartheid constitution paved the way for the court to outlaw the death penalty. It recognised the right not to be subject to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The preferred strategy for Kenyan opinion formers was through an amendment of the criminal law. But it was also suggested that it would be necessary to apply several strategies simultaneously. The local approach would include actions from the courts, the churches and the president. Another path would involve lobbying Kenya to sign the international protocol on abolition of the death penalty. Regardless of the route Kenya takes, our research suggests that opinion formers will actively encourage and even help facilitate abolition. And the public will not stand in the way of abolishing a punishment that has clearly died out in practice. Carolyn Hoyle receives funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council for work on the death penalty in Asia. Lucy Harry receives funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council for work on the death penalty in Asia. Parvais Jabbar is co-executive director of the death penalty project, an international legal NGO working on death penalty issues. He receives funding from the European Union and UK FCDO to support his work in Kenya. By Carolyn Hoyle, Director of the University of Oxford Death Penalty Research Unit, Centre for Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford And Lucy Harry, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Death Penalty Research Unit (DPRU), University of Oxford And Parvais Jabbar, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, University of Oxford Kalk Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. - Source: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images 20.09.2022 LISTEN South Africa is surrounded by 2,798km of coastline. Yet, oddly, the country doesn't have a coherent maritime strategy underpinned by a related national strategy to safeguard its maritime interests. This omission was underscored again recently by an evolving master plan for South Africa's oceans . The document is significant as it puts the importance of South Africa's oceans into sharper focus. But this shouldn't obscure the fact that government's commitment to comprehensively harness the ocean to help arrest economic decline has been disappointing. The document also underscores the absence of a coherent and comprehensive policy. In countries where this has been done well such as New Zealand and Ghana policies have been developed that encompass the economic value of a country's oceans, as well as the vulnerability they present from a security point of view. There are solutions. A three step process would put South Africa's maritime security house in order. The first would be to create a well-designed government-led process that includes a high-office body and core stakeholders. This would lead directly into the second step the mapping of the country's national maritime interests as well as the threats it faces. The third step would be creation of an integrated national maritime strategy. The growing trend internationally is for countries to be explicit about their maritime interests and back this with dedicated institutional commitments to promote, develop and defend them if required. It's time South Africa followed suit. What's missing Some efforts have been made at getting a policy framework in place. The most recent is the Draft Framework on South Africa's National Interest . The evolving master plan and Operation Phakisa launched by the country's presidency in July 2014 to hasten solutions to critical development issues stress the critical importance of the oceans economy to South Africa's overall economic interests. The master plan also outlines good statistics on the potential contribution the oceans economy holds for the country. But neither of these adds up to an integrated and credible maritime security plan for the country. The overall picture is one of working in silos, seemingly without coordination. A recent communique from the Southern African Development Community Heads of State meeting in the DR Congo noted that maritime security of Southern Africa is not what it should be and that a regional maritime strategy must be implemented. There are examples South Africa could learn form. There are sound strategies on maritime security emerging among Gulf of Guinea countries, Kenya in the Horn region, and the emphasis by Seychelles on security to harness the economic potential of its maritime territories. Countries like Ghana , Nigeria , Kenya, Seychelles and Mauritius have made strides. Beyond Africa, the UK recently launched its national maritime security strategy . For its part, China has turned its attention to the importance of the oceans in pursuit of its national interests . This ambition features alongside the military buildup in the western Indian Ocean with a focus on the Horn region and southern strands to Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldives. The naval profile unfolds alongside a much larger oceans agenda made up of security, safety, climate change, functional connectivity, and a thriving blue economy. Prioritising South Africa's maritime interests A first step is to appoint a high-level entity to oversee maritime affairs in South Africa. A Department of Maritime Affairs is an attractive idea. But a powerful steering committee reporting to the presidency is probably a more attainable start. This practice is growing. New Zealand and Ghana have taken this approach. Next there needs to be a detailed mapping of interests on existing and new domains. An example is the security of underwater cable infrastructure locally and regionally. The maritime domain has essentially become too important to leave within a vague and broad set of statements like South Africa's recent framework document . Clearly articulated national interests with a maritime underpinning should inform an integrated national maritime security strategy. In my view this is imperative for three reasons. First, existing plans and documents are too vague about a credible security foundation for South Africa's dependence on, and use of, the oceans. This leaves too much room for ambiguity about what must be secured. Second, the absence of a strategy inherently forfeits the value in planning for shifts in maritime interests as well as the dynamic modern strategic maritime environment. A third aspect stems from the value of a maritime security strategy to inform collaboration with regional and international partners (other African countries). Having a maritime strategy presents opportunities for maritime diplomacy whether coercive, cooperative or more persuasive in kind. South Africa is also very explicit in its foreign policy about commitment to the Southern African Development Community and Africa. The African Union's AIMS-2050 and Lome Charter as well as Agenda 2063 alongside the UN Sustainable Development Goals have explicit maritime objectives that call for cooperation. Collectively, these framework documents guide and expect South Africa to be in step with its own strategies. The question is: what does South Africa bring to the maritime table? Not a great deal, is the answer. This means it can't support and cooperate with higher order African maritime architectures. It seemingly remains up to academia, NGOs, individual state departments and agencies to play many of the constructive maritime roles on the international stage. South Africa comes across as being out of touch with maritime security developments on the continent and beyond. There is no doubt that encouraging work is being done on South Africa's ocean landscapes. This work unfortunately stems more from collections of actors in national departments, agencies, NGOs, and academia shining the light on the country's critical maritime interests. But this hasn't been translated into a coherent strategy. The ultimate responsibility rests with the higher echelons of government. It is national government that must orchestrate the opportunities, actors and beneficiaries that will give expression to Operation Phakisa's extensive oceans agenda. Francois Vrey receives funding from Stellenbosch University. He is affiliated with Stellenbosch University. By Francois Vrey, Research Coordinator, Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa, Stellenbosch University Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, on Monday, inspected ongoing construction works on the La Beach road in Accra. The rehabilitation is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023. In an interaction with the media, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of work, adding that there would be some interruption to the flow of vehicular traffic at the Kpeshie bridge due to the construction of a new concrete bridge over the Kpeshie lagoon. The Minister also inspected works on the construction of a flyover from the flowerpot on the Spintex road to the Boundary road across the Accra-Tema Motorway. The GHC 147 million project, being undertaken by China Railway No.5 Engineering Ghana Limited, involves the construction of an 800metre viaduct across the Tema-Motorway. He noted that works on the project also include a dual-carriageway on the viaduct with asphaltic concrete surfacing and a ramp from Shiashie onto the viaduct towards Airport Hills. The Minister said additional works on the project include a ramp from the viaduct onto the Motorway towards Tema and a slip from the Motorway to the Boundary Road Roundabout as well as a new road to be constructed through the old tunnel at East Legon, and an exit into cantonments from the Giffard road. The project would have achieved 50% completion on the initial scope but due to additional works and changes to the scope, it currently stands at 25% and it is expected to be completed in December 2023. Mr Amoako-Attah stated that measures have been put in place to ensure that traffic congestion on that stretch as a result of the closure of one lane of the bridge is minimized. He called for support and collaboration from motorists and the travelling public during the period earmarked for the construction works. The World Bank says the government of Ghana used the funds given to it as a Covid-19 relief fund judiciously. This has been echoed by Pierre Frank Laporte who is the World Bank Country Director in Ghana. During the peak of the pandemic, World Bank supported the government with some $430 million to help in the fight against the virus. Speaking to TV3 in an interview, Pierre Frank Laporte has disclosed that the World Banks assessment of how the funds were used was satisfactory. According to him, the spending by the President Akufo-Addo government was in line with procurement requirements that existed. Our result is, spending line met the procurement requirements that existed. Covid was implemented under emergency procurement measures. All of the Covid funds were not spent, it is a project, there were things to be spent on, but there was also construction and procurement of equipment. So we dont feel our resources have not been properly spent, the World Bank country director in Ghana stressed. The revelation relieves government after being criticized for misusing money received as support to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the Minority insists that Covid-19 funds have not been properly accounted for. Earlier this year in June, former President John Dramani Mahama argued that the country is going through difficult economic times because the government misused Covid funds. He explained, The economic problem we are facing stem from imprudent election-related expenditure and reckless decision-making in the management of the economy. This also includes the way the windfall from Covid was used. Covid was an adversity but in adversity was opportunity. As a result of Covid multilateral institutions gave us money, we took extra money from the Bank of Ghana and just misused it. That money would have cushioned this crisis that we are going through. Six shops and some vehicles have been destroyed at Asafo within the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly of the Ashanti Region after a fire gutted a fitting shop near the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) office. The incident according to eyewitnesses started around 11: 30am on Tuesday morning. It started after some petroleum products spilt over and spread onto some vehicles that were being worked on and caught fire. Eyewitnesses say six shops, three ford buses and one Opel salon car, including other valuables, have been burnt as a result of the incident. ---Citinewsroom French authorities are investigating threats against an exiled Russian dissident after he reported seeing a laser sight light in a possible assassination bid, a source close to the probe said on Tuesday. Vladimir Osechkin, who leads the Gulagu.net NGO that specialises in uncovering abuses in Russian prisons, is a refugee in France and is based in the resort town of Biarritz on the Atlantic coast. Osechkin, an avowed opponent of President Vladimir Putin, said he believes he was targeted on the evening of 12 September when he was at home with his wife and children. "I noticed a moving red dot on the railing of one of the terraces and then moving towards me on the wall," he told the French AFP news agency by telephone. "We turned off the light, lay down on the floor, closed the shutters and called the police." He added that police and neighbours had heard shots being fired. Osechkin said he had been informed in February of an assassination plot against him and was subsequently put under police protection. He added that 10 days ago, he received information that a "Russian criminal world boss" had arrived in France on a mission to kill people in the Biarritz area. Probe into threats A source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named, told AFP that a probe had been opened into "threats" and not into attempted murder. The source declined to confirm or deny that shots had been fired. Gulagu.net rose to prominence in 2021 after publishing videos showing rapes in Russian prisons, as well as testimonies from victims and, extremely unusually, from the perpetrators, leading to the opening of an investigation by the authorities. The organisation claims to have more than 1,000 videos showing torture in Russian jails. Activists and Western governments accuse Russia of being prepared to eliminate opponents abroad, such as the double agent Sergei Skripal, who survived an attempt to kill him with the nerve agent Novichok in 2018. The Kremlin denies the allegations. The invasion of Ukraine has prompted a large number of activists, journalists and intellectuals who oppose the war to leave Russia for European Union states including France. (with newswires) A 27-year-old driver's mate has been jailed for 18 months by an Accra Circuit Court for stealing an Uber driver's phone valued GHC500 at Teshie Accra. Clement Adjei Adjetey charged with stealing, pleaded guilty. The court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah convicted Adjetey on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly. The facts as read by Police Inspector Wisdom Alorwu are that the complainant Joseph Ohene is an uber driver residing at Teshie and the accused, now convict, also resides in the same vicinity. On September 9, this year at about 0600 hours, the complainant had a request from a client at Teshie and on reaching the pickup point at Teshie Star Oil Filling Station, he parked his vehicle to wait for the said client. Inspector Alorwu said Adjetey and one Jana Ashie, now at large, emerged from behind the complainant's car and Adjetey snatched the complainant's Infinix XOS phone from his hand. Prosecution said Adjetey and his accomplice, Ashie took to their heels, but the complainant raised the alarm and some witnesses within the vicinity apprehended them with the stolen phone. According to the prosecutor, Ashie however managed to escape but Adjetey was handed over to the Police. GNA Presidential Staffer and former Municipal Chief Executive of the Akuapem North Municipal, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has slammed NDC communicators for engaging in trivialities regarding President Akufo-Addo. The President has been on the lips of many, particularly NDC communicators, after reportedly copying a message he has already prepared with him while signing the late Queen Elizabeth IIs book of condolences on Monday, September 12. Sammy Gyamfi, one of those chastising the President said, If you have a president who cannot write a simple message of condolence, we all saw at the UK High Commission signing the book of condolence that has been opened in memory of the late queen, and the president could not put his thoughts together to write a simple one paragraph or two paragraphs or at most three paragraphs message of condolence in memory of the queen. Sammy Gyamfi stressed, he [President Akufo-Addo] had to copiously copy from notes that have been prepared for him by his handlers; clearly, this is not a president who has what it takes to govern this country. In response, the NPP communicator in a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 19, stated that the President should copy rather than act idle and make mistakes as former President John Dramani Mahama did while reading his speech on an international platform in 2015. He further stated that even American President Joe Biden also copied from a sheet while signing his on Sunday, September 11 in the United States. About 7years ago, Our President then, H.E John Mahama, did this to us on an international stage, whiles reading his speech (referring to an attached video). My Brothers Sammy Gyamfi and Edem Agbana have been busy on Twitter and Facebook calling Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo names for transcribing his own written statement into the book of condolence, a portion of his statement reads. It stressed that Joe Biden, the Superpower President of the United States, copied from a note as well into the condolences Book. Theres absolutely nothing unpresidential about that. Of course, the NDC wont know this cos when they had the chance, they could not do it. I will always prefer a president who spends time to look at his speeches and notes and makes sure he has them when he needs them than one that will be standing aloof on an international stage asking for his speech. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said it continues to boycott the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) because of the posture of the Electoral Commission (EC). Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, September 20, National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said IPAC has become a caricature body. He alleged that the committee is running a system that has been designed to do the bidding of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to help them stay in power. He said the NDC has tried on several occasions to amend the broken relationship with IPAC but all to no avail. He noted that the committee appears not to be ready to do things the right way. To give a dubious semblance of majority IPAC support for their often-misguided faith accomplishes decisions, the EC has devised a system where mushroom, virtually non-existent parties, whose services have been procured by the NPP, have been given three voting rights as against one by the NDC. A party like the NDC with 137 MPs should not be outweighed at IPAC by parties with no credible presence on the political landscape and who have no representation in Parliament, chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said at a press conference today. The NDC chairman continued, Numerous complaints from us for a redress of this patently unjust situation have been met with intransigence by the EC. It is for this reason that we boycotted IPAC with a view to drawing attention to the caricature that it has become and how unworkable its present composition is. We are simply unable to be part of a system that is designed to rubber stamp fraudulent approval of NPP decisions handed to the EC to implement. During the press conference, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo stressed that the NDC is against the new C.I the Electoral Commission is planning to lay in Parliament. The largest opposition party asks the EC to cease all work on the C.I and rather embark on consultations with relevant stakeholders to fine-tune it to take on board the concerns expressed by the NDC and others that may be held by other stakeholders Given the above circumstances, we are of the considered view that C.I. 91 as amended is adequate for voter registration and the subsequent conduct of the 2024 elections as the EC has not provided any justification for the proposed changes, NDC chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said to concluded his address to the press. 20.09.2022 LISTEN A pastor is set to face court after allegedly confessing to the police a heinous crime he has committed at Mankessim in the Central Region. The pastor has been arrested in Cape Coast after he admitted to being part of the killing of a student nurse. According to the information gathered from sources, the pastor subsequently led the Police to the house of a chief, Tufohen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Nana Crack. It is there that he showed the police a pit where the body of the student nurse was buried. The police retrieved from the chiefs house the bag, shoes and other belongings of the deceased. The chief who is also President of the Mankessim Traders Association has been fingered in the suspected murder and burial of the student nurse. The police have officially opened an investigation into the matter to ascertain what really happened. Checks have revealed that since the retrieval of the body, both the pastor and the chief have been kept in police custody. News of the killing and burial of the student nurse has shocked residents of Mankessim with many calling for security reinforcement. Meanwhile, the body of the 25-year-old student nurse has been deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The leader of Tunisia's Islamist-inspired opposition party Ennahdha appeared Tuesday before an anti-terrorism unit, where he faces questioning over alleged involvement in sending jihadist militants to Syria and Iraq. Ennahdha categorically denies the accusations levelled at its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, and Tunisia's former prime minister Ali Laarayedh, who was questioned for hours on Monday. Ghannouchi, 81, arrived at the headquarters of the anti-terrorism unit in the capital Tunis, where dozens of his supporters had gathered in a show of solidarity, an AFP correspondent said. The accusations have resurfaced after President Kais Saied tightened his grip on the judiciary, following the suspension of the Ennahdha-dominated parliament last year. Ghannouchi had arrived at the headquarters of the anti-terrorism centre on Monday afternoon for questioning, according to an AFP reporter, several hours after his deputy Laarayedh. "After more than 12 hours of waiting, Mr Ghannouchi wasn't heard by this unit which decided to delay the interrogation until midday Tuesday," his lawyer Samir Dilou told AFP. Laarayedh was questioned "for hours" and was still being held by the unit, said Dilou. In a statement released overnight, Ennahdha denounced the interrogation as "a flagrant violation of human rights". Critics of the party and some politicians accuse Ennahdha of having facilitated the departure of militants for war zones. After the 2011 overthrow of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, thousands of Tunisians joined the ranks of jihadist organisations -- most notably the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, but also in neighbouring Libya. Ennahdha played a central role in Tunisia's post-Ben Ali democratic politics until Saied began his power grab in July last year, followed by a controversial referendum which granted unchecked powers to his office. Ennahdha had on Sunday decried attempts "to use the judiciary to tarnish the opposition's image" and implicate its leaders in "fabricated affairs". The probe against Ghannouchi and Laarayedh was meant to "distract the public" from dealing with economic and social issues and the "worsening conditions" in the country, the party said in its statement. In July, the same anti-terrorism unit questioned Ghannouchi in a probe into allegations of corruption and money laundering linked to transfers from abroad to the charity Namaa Tunisia, affiliated with Ennahdha. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has charged the Electoral Commission (EC) to reconsider its decision to lay a new C.I in Parliament. It has come to light that the EC is set to put before Parliament a new C.I that when approved, will see the commission requesting the Ghana Card as the sole source of identity when compiling a new voter register. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, September 20, NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo indicated that the party wants the Electoral Commission to abandon its plans with the new C.I. According to him, the NDC is ready to use every legal means to fight the EC on the move which could deny many Ghanaians the right to vote. Since the C.I. has not been formally laid before Parliament, we take this opportunity to call upon the EC to abandon the idea altogether. We wish to serve notice, that we will use every lawful means to resist this latest effort to undermine the right of Ghanaians to vote and in the process skew the electoral system in favour of the NPP, the NDC Chairman said. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo continued, We will mobilize the broad masses of Ghanaians to wage a sustained and unrelenting campaign to prevent any attempt by the EC to strip large sections of the population of their right to vote. The Ghana card is a new feature of our national life and cannot immediately become the only means to identify a Ghanaian only because it plays into the hands of the NPP whose members constitute the leadership of both the National Identification Authority and the EC. The NDC is demanding an immediate cessation of all work on the laying of the CI in Parliament pending thorough deliberations and consultations with all relevant stakeholders to fine-tune it to take on board the concerns expressed by the party and others that may be held by other stakeholders. The largest opposition party says it is of the considered view that C.I. 91 as amended is adequate for voter registration and the subsequent conduct of the 2024 elections as the EC has not provided any justification for the proposed changes. The Upper East Regional Security Council has reviewed the security situation in Bawku following the latest shootings. Three persons have been shot dead in Bawku today Tuesday September 20. At its emergency meeting held on Monday, September 19, REGSEC in the Upper East Region has introduced additional security measures to deal with the situation in Bawku. Among the new measures, REGSEC has resolved to allow the Police, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Military to use official motorbikes between 6:00am to 6:00pm. Meanwhile, a temporal ban has been placed on "yellow, yellow" operations until further notice. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Interior announced a curfew in Bawku after renewed clashes. Currently, there is a total ban on all persons from carrying arms, ammunition, or any offensive weapon, and any person found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted. All persons in Nayoka, Kpalgu, and Manga are to comply with the latest security measures. 20.09.2022 LISTEN Kidney Health Foundation, a non-governmental organization has warned that more men are dying of kidney diseases than women due to alcohol intake and sexual enhancing drugs (aphrodisiacs) that can cause eternal health damage to one's kidney. According to Public Health Officials, the indiscriminate use of aphrodisiacs is gradually becoming a major cause of kidney failure in Ghana. More men are dying of kidney diseases than women due to alcohol intake and sexual enhancing drugs that can cause eternal health damages to one's kidney, Program Manager for the Kidney Health Foundation, Silvanus Gatorwu disclosed this during a discussion on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's morning show," Nyansapo" on Tuesday September 20, 2022. He noted that excessive use of carbonated drinks also creates major problems for the kidney to perform its functions to the brim. Mr Katorvu noted that, although all genders are reporting issues of kidney failure, most of the reported cases turn out to be men who have consistently used aphrodisiacs to enhance their sexual drive. "Unknown to many, some of these drugs have chemical substances which can cause liver or kidney problems, creating health problems for themselves. "We are once again warning the public, these aphrodisiacs have substances that destroy your kidney beyond repairs, that's why we have consistently embarked on massive education on the need to ensure kidney health by avoiding certain practices," he stated. According to health experts, while in some countries people in their 60s and 70s those often diagnosed to have kidney issues, the situation is different in Ghana as it is prevalent among persons in their 30s and 40s. Averagely, we see people with kidney diseases who are in their forties. In some cases, some are even in their teens and this should be a source of concern for us all, Mr. Gatorwu told noted. September 20, 2022 On The Upcoming Putin Speech And Announcements Moscow has made a decision how to proceed in the proxy war with NATO in the Ukraine. We do not yet know what the decision is. The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will hold a TV speech at 8 pm Moscow time (17:00 UTC) followed by an announcement by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In July Putin has held a press conference or speech where he said with regards to Ukraine something like: "We haven't even started yet." It may be that Russia will do that now. That a decision had been made was noticeable. Yesterday the parliaments of the Luhansk and Donetz People's Republics suddenly requested their government to immediately launch referendums about the republics accession to the Russian Federation. Today Denis Pushilin, the head of of the DNR government, announced that a referendum will be held on September 23 to 27. Also yesterday the Russian parliament introduced amendments to the Russian Criminal Code which will increase the prison penalties for 'voluntary surrender', 'looting', 'non-fulfillment of military orders' during a time of mobilization, martial law and war. Companies who reject to produce for the military will also be penalized. The amendments passed their second reading in parliament today and will become law after a third reading. If the LNR and DPR vote to become part of Russia, and if Russia accepts it, any attack of them will be an act of war against Russia. The 'Special Military Operation', which Russia is currently proceeding with, would thus change into something way more serious. Russia could declare the conflict to be a war. It could then use conscripts in war functions, mobilize reserves and use its full arsenal against the Ukraine. Potentially also against those who support it with weapons and other war material. I find this whole seemingly hasty process atypical for Putin's usual way. My hunch is that Russia received information over some weapon systems the U.S. is secretly providing to the Ukraine. This could be missiles with several hundred kilometer range or other types of weapons that could seriously threaten Russia's towns and cities. If so, Russia has to do something now to end the war before its becomes more than a nuisance for Russia and its people. Ending means of course by winning it. Training up a mobilization force takes about three months. It would put it on the front in the mid of winter, a season during which Russian forces can operate quite well. Posted by b on September 20, 2022 at 16:32 UTC | Permalink Comments next page All parents recognise the power of a truly great kid's movie. It can inspire imagination, create core childhood memories, and let's face it, give you a much-needed moment of peace until the soundtrack is released, of course. More FM was lucky enough to head over to California to the home of magical movies - Disney! Or rather, Disney's annual D23 Expo, where big celebrities make even bigger announcements about what's due to hit our screens next. The Prince and Princess of Wales should be very proud of how well their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, paid their respects to their beloved 'Gan Gan' during the Queen's funeral today. Princess Charlotte, who is 7 years old, was spotted whispering to her 9 year old brother about royal protocol as the Queen's coffin was transferred from the Gun Carriage to the State Hearse at Wellington Arch, following the State Funeral. BBC TV caught the young girl leaning over to George to tell him "you need to bow" when the Queen's coffin drives past. Those who stayed up late to watch the late Queen Elizabeth ||s funeral last night were surprised to see Killing Eve star Sandra Oh in attendance. The actress participated as part of the Canadian representatives in attendance and was spotted by spectators paying her respects to the Queen during the momentous ceremony. She joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as members of the procession. China lodges complaint after Biden says US would defend Taiwan in a Chinese invasion This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1210 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, more original reporting. By Lambert Strether of Corrente Bird Song of the Day Chestnut Sparrow, Manyara, Tanzania. Calls of a large group. This is very short, but I like the burst of wings at the start. * * * Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 Heres food for thought, had Ahab time to think; but Ahab never thinks; he only feels, feels, feels Herman Melville, Moby Dick You cant really dust for vomit. Nigel Tufnel, This is Spinal Tap Biden Administration Bidens pandemic is over comments muddle COVID messaging [Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy]. No, it doesnt. It is the message, and is perfectly consistent with Administration messaging throughout the pandemic. I find it really hard to believe that Bidens its over remark will hurt him at the polls; and it may help him. Propaganda works! GOP leaders say approving Covid aid will be even harder after Biden pandemic is over remark [CNN]. Top Republicans, who were already skeptical about approving more Covid-19 relief money, said Monday that President Joe Bidens comments that the pandemic is over essentially shuts the door on the slim chances of more money getting approved. It makes it eminently harder for sure, Senate Minority Whip John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, told CNN. It also begs the question as to why (hes approving) other pandemic-related measures, like student-loan forgiveness, cancellations.' Yes, it does, and Biden knows this. I doubt that this figures largely in Administration thinking, but zeroing out Covid funding could cut those pesky nasal vaccines off at the pass at least for benighted America and how is that not a good thing? HHS Sec: The president is correct about the COVID-19 pandemic [Yahoo News]. U.S. Health Sec. Xavier Becerra supported a surprise comment over the weekend from President Joe Biden, who declared the pandemic over. The president is correct, Becerra told Yahoo Finance Monday. A pliant creature of the California oligarchy springs into action and plays his part. (A creature withi no background in health care policy at all, no doubt a qualification for his job at HHS.) 2022 * * * High Floors + Low Ceilings = Tight Races [Charles Cook, Cook Political Report]. Dont be surprised between now and the midterm elections to see most independent political prognosticators being unusually cautious in their pronouncements (those in the partisan cheerleading roles will exhibit their predictable responses). After all, the trajectory of this campaign has already departed that of any midterm election in modern times. A key component in election analysis is studying past elections, in this case midterm elections under somewhat similar circumstances. But this year is akin to driving cross country with no map or GPS. With the country at large and many states so evenly divided and with hyper-partisanship so pervasive, the political environment has created high floors and low ceilings for candidates in key races, keeping trailing candidates within striking distance of those in the lead. It takes an unusual circumstance for one candidate to win comfortably in many of these contests, much harder than it was just a decade or two ago. For example: The AARP Florida poll showed Rubio ahead of Demings in the Senate race by 2 points, 49 to 47 percent, and DeSantis leading Crist by 3 points, 50 to 47 percent. In the generic congressional ballot, Republicans lead Democrats by 2 points, 48 to 46 percent. Basically, the identity of the candidates didnt matter: One group was voting only for Republicans, the other for Democrats; there were very few who did anything else. Note the remarkably tight cluster of Republican vote shares of 49, 50, and 48 percent in the Senate, governor, and House races, respectively, and the equally tight 47, 47, and 46 percent for Democrats. Rubio carried Republicans by 82 points, DeSantis by 84 points. Republicans stayed in line on the generic by 86 points, 91 to 5 percent. Well worth a read. The Seats-in-Trouble Forecasts of the 2022 Midterm Congressional Elections [Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball]. The goal is to use micro level (congressional district and state) competitiveness assessments in combination with their electoral history to statistically generate an accurate prediction of the elections national outcome. The seats-in-trouble forecasts for the 2022 midterms are losses for the Democrats of 42 seats in the House of Representatives and 1 seat in the Senate. Unlike conventional aggregate models using purely national indicators, the seats-in-trouble equations are based on competitiveness ratings of individual elections produced by the venerable Cook Political Report. Cooks race by race ratings take various local conditions (the candidates, local issues, how national issues are playing locally, and redistricting) into account as well as how national conditions (like presidential approval and the economy) are distributed across local and state elections.[1] And unlike national impressions of likely party seat change pieced together from district by district ratings, the seats-in-trouble model systematically aggregates those pieces of the national puzzle into indices and statistically estimates how those indices have been associated historically with actual election outcomes. The result is an accurate, historically grounded, simple, and systematic forecasting model of national congressional election outcomes (the macro perspective) based on intensive examinations of individual election contests (the micro perspective). This is super-interesting and well worth a read. * * * Scoop: McConnells closed-door confidence [Axios]. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed cautious optimism in closed-door remarks Monday to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the GOP can win back control of the Senate, Axios has learned. McConnell also said he expects the election to be close, with a 50/50 Senate reflecting a 50/50 country that remains starkly divided. Cocky Democrats may be counting their midterm votes before theyre cast [MSNBC]. According to Real Clear Politics average of the generic ballot polling, which combines methodologies and smooths out individual pollings margins of error, Americans favor Democrats by 0.5 percent. But thats not the case at the level of the competitive districts that will decide which party secures a majority in the 118th Congress. A late August CBS News/YouGov battleground tracker poll of voters in swing districts found Republicans enjoy the same 2-point advantage over Democrats they enjoyed in that poll in late July, and with fewer undecided voters left to convince. Yep. * * * AL: Kemp widens lead over Abrams to 8 points in Georgia governor race: poll [The Hill]. Half of likely Georgia voters in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released on Tuesday said they would support Kemp, while 42 percent said they backed Abrams. In late July, Kemp led Abrams by 5 points, 48 percent to 43 percent. The new survey differed substantially from a Quinnipiac University poll last Wednesday that showed the two competitors locked in a tight race, with Kemp holding a slim 2-point lead over Abrams. Kemp beat Abrams in the states 2018 gubernatorial race by less than 2 points. KS: Important voter analysis out of Kansas following the recent victory for abortion rights advocates: Women cast 56% of votes, a record-high Almost of Republicans supported abortion access Voters under 30 showed up at general election numbers https://t.co/56uUGMOY6L Matthew Sheffield (@mattsheffield) September 20, 2022 I dont know if this translates to Democrat votes in the general. Voting down an anti-abortion amendment is one thing. Voting for the party who fought for Roe for years, pocketed the big bucks, and then didnt deliver, is another. Well see. MD: You Never Really Felt Safe: Resistance to Far-Right Maryland Sheriff Builds in Election Lead-Up [BOLTS]. Under [Republican Sheriff Chuck Jenkins], Frederick County became home to one of the most draconian anti-immigrant local law enforcement regimes in the country. Working hand-in-hand with ICE, Jenkins police force deported more than 1,500 immigrants and detained countless more. The sheriff has ridden his anti-immigrant platform to the summit of small-town stardom, becoming a darling of Fox News and making an appearance at political gatherings held at the White House by former President Donald Trump and later at his Mar-a-Lago beach home. But that joyride might soon come to an end. Jenkins is up for reelection in November, and immigrants rights advocates hope this is the moment their longstanding efforts to reverse local policies finally pay off. Jenkins faces Democrat Karl Bickel, a former sheriffs deputy and a retired policing analyst at the Department of Justice, who says he would curtail the sheriffs departments relationship with ICE if he wins. Its just not the place of local law enforcement to get involved in immigration enforcement, Bickel told Bolts. Its time to start the hard work of rebuilding trust with the immigrant community.' PA: John Fetterman, Facing Health Questions, Boosts Public Schedule in Pennsylvania Senate Bid [Wall Street Journal]. Four months after a life-threatening stroke took him off the campaign trail, John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is presenting himself more often to voters as he tries to show that he retains the ability to serve effectively. His Republican opponent, the celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, says that Mr. Fetterman is shielding his health status from voters, by declining to hold news conferences and by agreeing to appear at only one debate. That debate is scheduled for Oct. 25, two weeks before Election Day and more than a month after Pennsylvania counties are allowed to start early voting. Mr. Fetterman said at a campaign rally on Saturday in Scranton, in the states northeast, that he was still recovering from a language processing problem caused by the stroke. He spoke for about 13 minutes, making clear arguments but stumbling two or three times over words. The only issue is a lingering issue of auditory processing, he said of his health. Sometimes I might miss a word. Or, sometimes Ill mush two words together and create one that doesnt exist, he said, before tweaking Mr. Oz for posting a video in which the Republican candidate combined the names of two local supermarket chains, Wegmans and Redners, into one he called Wegners.' 2024 Texas sheriff investigating how migrants were lured on flights DeSantis arranged [Politico]. Texas law enforcement authorities said Monday they are opening an investigation into how 48 Venezuelan migrants were lured last week to board flights from San Antonio, Texas, to Marthas Vineyard under a plan orchestrated by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for nothing more than a photo op. Our understanding is that a Venezuelan migrant was paid what we would call a bird dog fee to recruit approximately 50 migrants from the area around a migrant Resource Center in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters. Marthas Vineyard Takes Revenge On DeSantis By Shipping Him 50 Karens [Babylon Bee]. The group of 50 Karens was selected from over 478 Karens who volunteered for the flight, as most women who live on the island are named Karen. Hopefully this political stunt will help DeSATAN see the error of his ways, said HOA Vice President Karen Bohannan. If not, well send even more. There are plenty more Karens where that came from! Once the Karens land in Florida, they have been instructed to wreak havoc on the locals by walking into establishments and demanding to see the manager, calling the police on black joggers, and driving slowly in the left lane. Locals have mobilized to prepare for the onslaught by building walls of sandbags and boarding up windows. To be fair, Im sure Florida has plenty of Karens already. (I apologize to anybody in the commentariat actually named Karen.) Trump discovers hes not in Cannon-land anymore [Politico]. Donald Trump put the Justice Department on its heels, courtesy of a single federal judge who gave him the benefit of almost every doubt as he fought against the FBIs probe of documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate. Now, his team of lawyers is preparing to test whether they can replicate their fortune in front of a potentially more skeptical audience. And the first indication, offered in a filing on Monday night, suggests a tougher road ahead. The court-appointed special master reviewing documents the FBI seized during the Aug. 8 search has asked the former president to disclose details about any materials he claims to have declassified before calling them his property. In a court filing Monday, Trumps attorneys urged Raymond Dearie, the senior federal judge based in Brooklyn, to drop a component of his plan that includes asking Trump for those details. Disclosing those during the review, Trumps attorneys said, was not a requirement of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannons order appointing Dearie as special master. And, they added, it could harm Trumps defense against any forthcoming criminal charges. Trump lawyers oppose Justice Department request to keep classified information from special master [Los Angeles Times]. In a court filing Tuesday, former President Trumps lawyers again questioned if the classified documents recovered by the FBI during the Aug. 8 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida were actually classified, but provided no proof that Trump had declassified them. The government again presupposes that the documents it claims are classified are, in fact, classified and their segregation is inviolable. However, the government has not yet proven this critical fact, the filing states. I confess I am not master of the detail on this case, so I dont know if this is a mere debaters point. But yes, surely the burden of proof is on the prosecutorial side to prove that the documents were classified in the first place? (And just because a document has Top Sekrit written on the cover doesnt mean it actually is; there isnt an office in the government charged with putting new covers on declassfied documents.) Trump defends perfect call with Raffensperger amid threat of prison sentences from Georgia probe [The Hill]. Former President Trump defended the controversial call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger following the 2020 election, saying in a statement on Monday that it was an absolutely PERFECT phone call. He claimed that those on the call had no problems with the call, and didnt voice any objections or complaints about anything that I said on the call which could be construed as inappropriate.' Videos Show Trump Allies Handling Georgia Voting Equipment [New York Times]. The new videos also show that some of the Trump allies who visited Coffee County were given access to a storage room, and that various people affiliated with Mr. Trumps campaign, or his allies, had access to the building over several days. The new footage also shows Cathy Latham, then the head of the countys Republican Party, with members of the Trump team, standing together in an office where the countys poll pads were laid out on a table. Ms. Latham is among the targets of a criminal investigation in Atlanta, related to her participation as one of an alternate slate of electors who tried to overturn Mr. Trumps loss in Georgia. That investigation, which is being led by Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, has also touched on what took place in Coffee County. Investigators from Mr. Raffenspergers office also appear in the new videos, raising questions about what they knew. [V]oting rights advocates involved in the litigation have questioned why Mr. Raffensperger, the defendant in the civil case, did not move more aggressively. There shouldnt be voting equipment. Theres your problem. Democrats en Deshabille I have moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Party (the Democrat Party is a rotting corpse that cant bury itself) to a separate, back-dated post, to which I will periodically add material, summarizing the addition here in a live Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It turns out that defining the Democrat Party is, in fact, a hard problem. I do think the paragraph that follows is on point all the way back to 2016, if not before: The Democrat Party is the political expression of the class power of PMC, their base (lucidly explained by Thomas Frank in Listen, Liberal!). It follows that the Democrat Party is as unreformable as the PMC is unreformable ; if the Democrat Party did not exist, the PMC would have to invent it. If the Democrat Party fails to govern, thats because the PMC lacks the capability to govern . (PMC modulo class expatriates, of course.) Second, all the working parts of the Party reinforce each other. Leave aside characterizing the relationships between elements of the Party (ka-ching, but not entirely) those elements comprise a network a Flex Net? An iron octagon? of funders, vendors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with assets in the press and the intelligence community. Note, of course, that the class power of the PMC both expresses and is limited by other classes; oligarchs and American gentry (see industrial model of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to mind. Suck up, kick down. * * * #COVID19 Disrupt the social order. At NIH last week, via: That was the question from the very beginning, as I show here (and under capitalism, the social order means the wage relation). Faucis remarks on vaccines and variants are also very interesting; elites talking among themselves dont sound like they sound on TV. Very Harmful Lack of Data Blunts U.S. Response to Outbreaks [New York Times]. The federal government invested heavily over the past decade to modernize the data systems of private hospitals and health care providers, doling out more than $38 billion in incentives to shift to electronic health records. That has enabled doctors and health care systems to share information about patients much more efficiently. Thats ***cough*** share information about patients billing ***cough***. I mean, thats what so-called medical coding is for. See NC here, here, and here on upcoding and EHRs generally. More: Decades of underinvestment in public health information systems has crippled efforts to understand the pandemic, stranding crucial data in incompatible data systems so outmoded that information often must be repeatedly typed in by hand. The data failure, a salient lesson of a pandemic that has killed more than one million Americans, will be expensive and time-consuming to fix. The precise cost in needless illness and death cannot be quantified. Two reasons nothing will be done. And then theres this: But almost two years after the first Covid shots were administered, the C.D.C. still has no national data on breakthrough cases. But thats because CDC decided not to collect breakthrough data! Youd think that Walensky and Jha, who are the main sources quoted in the story, would have mentioned that. Guess not. * * * UMD Researcher Develops Nasal COVID Vaccine [Maryland Today]. Xiaoping Zhu, a professor of veterinary medicine, has developed an inhalable coronavirus vaccine that goes directly to work in the parts of the bodylike the nose and sinuseswhere even those fully up to date with shots can be vulnerable. [The shots are] wonderful vaccines that protect people from hospitalization and death, but dont prevent transmission, Zhu said. The nasal vaccine produces an antibody that stays in the upper respiratory tract to stop transmission, which the intramuscular vaccine does not.' Zhus vaccine is beginning clinical trials. Thing is, though, I thought Covid was supposed to be endemic, like the flu? But if we stop tranmission, what happens to Pfizer and Moderna? Will nobody think of Big Pharma? Nasal and inhaled vaccines may be the best hope to finally stop COVID transmission, but the U.S. isnt funding them: Its just unacceptable [Fortune]. [Eric] Topol has been pushing the U.S. government to adopt an Operation Nasal Vaccine to fund the development of nasal vaccines similar to how Operation Warp Speed helped fund the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines. Over the summer, the U.S. government hosted a future of vaccines summit that discussed government support for nasal sprays and other new vaccine technologies. But additional funding for vaccine development has been held up in U.S. Congress for months, and its unclear if the government will allot additional vaccine funds. Weve waited and waited and waited, says Topol. Its just unacceptable. Of course, vaccine makers like Pfizer (which spends more than $10 billion annually on research and development) do not need necessarily government support to fund the development of new vaccine technology. Morgon says large firms have refrained from nasal vaccine investments because they already have a product that works. Big companies tend to be pretty conservative, he says. Asking Pfizer to develop a sterilizing vaccine is like asking Gilette to develop a self-sharpening razor. Why would they? Explained | How does a COVID-19 nasal vaccine work? [The Hindu]. A nasal vaccine is delivered through the nose or mouth and it is expected to work on the mucosal lining, prompting an immune response at the entry points of the virus in the human body. It likely prevents the infection right there, thereby also blocking its spread. Scientists have called this sterilising immunity, where the virus is prevented from causing infection in the host effectively. Exactly how successful these vaccines will be is unclear. Expecting a vaccine to stop transmission of a virus or prevent even mild illness achieving what is called sterilising immunity is a high bar. Bharat [Biotech] and CanSino [Chinese vaccine maker that has secured a licence to use another nasal vaccine] wont know whether their vaccines can achieve this until they have conducted further efficacy studies, explains [science writer Emily] Waltz. Both Bharat Biotech and CanSino have announced that their trials have been successful but have not released data. She points to two other nasal vaccines that have reportedly been deployed in populations, one in Iran and the other, an intra-nasal version of Sputnik V in Russia, but says scant data is available from either of them. Hopefully were not going to repeat history on the data. Preclinical evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of a primary series intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate (BBV154), and humoral immunogenicity evaluation of a heterologous prime-boost strategy with COVAXIN (BBV152) (preprint) [Research Square]. We performed preclinical evaluations of BBV154 in mice, rats, hamsters and rabbits. Repeated dose toxicity studies presented excellent safety profiles in terms of pathology and biochemical analysis. [Intranasal (IN)] administration of BBV154 elicited robust mucosal and systemic humoral immune responses coupled with cell-mediated immune responses dominated by Th1-like cytokine expression. Heterologous prime-boost vaccination with intramuscular (IM) COVAXIN-prime followed by BBV154 intranasal in rabbits elicited superior immune responses compared with the homologous COVAXIN/COVAXIN schedule. BBV154 is now being assessed in both homologous and heterologous combination schedules in ongoing human clinical trials. * * * Maskstravaganza: Trying to get through to the Hospital Infection Control Community: Dr. @Don_Milton, one of the foremost experts on respiratory viruses about the protection given by surgical masks: not enough! https://t.co/f9Pg03ndmS Nancy Delagrave | Covid-Stop (@RougeMatisse) September 19, 2022 * * * * * * Case Count Case count for the United States: Cases are undercounted, one source saying by a factor of six, Gottlieb thinking we only pick up one in seven or eight.) Hence, I take the nominal case count and multiply it by six to approximate the real level of cases, and draw the DNC-blue Biden Line at that point. The previous count was ~62,400. Today, its ~60,600 and 60,600 * 6 = a Biden line at 363,600. (Remember these data points are weekly averages, so daily fluctuations are smoothed out.) The black Fauci Line is a counter to triumphalism, since it compares current levels to past crises. If you look at the Fauci line, you will see that despite the bleating and yammering about Covid being over, we have only just recently reached the (nominal) case level of November 1, 2021, and we are very far from that of July 1, 2021. And the real level is much worse. Lambert here: The fall in case count looks impressive enough. What the Fauci Line shows, however, is that we have at last achieved the level of the initial peak, when New York was storing the bodies in refrigerator trucks. So the endzone celebrations are, to my mind, premature. Not that anyone will throw a flag. Of course, the real story is in the charts for California and the South. See below. Regional case count for four weeks: The South: I wonder if Floridas weird reporting is what causes the odd lumpiness in the national case count during this high plateau. Earlier, the curves are much smoother. The South (minus Texas and Florida): Encouraging. The West: Whats going on out there? Wastewater SITE DOWN Wastewater data (CDC), September 13: Lambert here: I added all the dots back in. The number of grey dots really concerns me. How can all the sites for international air travel center New York be grey (no recent data). And Californias pretty gappy, too. For grins, September 11: Positivity From the Walgreens test positivity tracker, September 10: -3.3%. Good news! Transmission NOTE: I shall most certainly not be using the CDCs new Community Level metric. Because CDC has combined a leading indicator (cases) with a lagging one (hospitalization) their new metric is a poor warning sign of a surge, and a poor way to assess personal risk. In addition, Covid is a disease you dont want to get. Even if you are not hospitalized, you can suffer from Long Covid, vascular issues, and neurological issues. For these reasons, case counts known to be underestimated, due to home test kits deserve to stand alone as a number to be tracked, no matter how much the political operatives in CDC leadership would like to obfuscate it. That the green map (which Topol calls a capitulation and a deception) is still up and being taken seriously verges on the criminal. Use the community transmission immediately below. Here is CDCs interactive map by county set to community transmission. (This is the map CDC wants only hospitals to look at, not you.) Lambert here: Clearly, the pandemic is over. Holy [family blog], even if somebody shoved CDCs reprehensible Community Levels chart (see above) under Bidens nose, even he could see that only half the country is still medium or high: How does that translate into over? 50.73% low is first past the post? The end of the pandemic [Noah Smith, Noahpinion]. At some point, we simply collectively stop thinking of diseases as pandemics and start thinking of them as endemic as diseases that are now simply present in our world rather than as special, unusual threats. At some point this happened for HIV, the other great pandemic of our times. So it seems to me that Bidens declaration that the pandemic is over is as good a place as any to bookmark this transition. NOT UPDATED Rapid Riser data, by county (CDC), September 16: I suppose that if case counts are indeed level, its likely there would be few rapid risers. Previous Rapid Riser data: NOT UPDATED Hospitalization data, by state (CDC), September 16: Sea of green! NOTE: Rapid Riser and Hospitalization data are updated Wednesdays and Fridays. Variants Lambert here: Its beyond frustrating how slow the variant data is. I looked for more charts: California doesnt to a BA.4/BA.5 breakdown. New York does but it, too, is on a molasses-like two-week cycle. Does nobody in the public health establishment get a promotion for tracking variants? Are there no grants? Is there a single lab that does this work, and everybody gets the results from them? Additional sources from readers welcome [grinds teeth, bangs head on desk]. NOT UPDATED Variant data, national (Walgreens), September 1: Still no sign of BA.2.75 at Walgreens, despite its success in India and presence in Bay Area wastewater. NOT UPDATED Variant data, national (CDC), August 27 (Nowcast off): Two highlights: BA.4.6 has assumed a slightly greater proportion (more in the NowCast model, which I refuse to use). Also, first appearance of BA.2.75. So where is it, you ask? The above chart shows variants nationally. I have gone through the CDC regions and made a table. As you can see, BA.2.75 is prominent in Region 2 (New York and New Jersey), followed by Region 5 (Midwest), and Region 1 (Northeast). Hmm. Table 1: CDC Regional BA.2.75 Data, Sorted by % Total CDC Region % Total States in Region Region 2: 0.8% New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands Region 5: 0.7% Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin Region 1: 0.7% Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Region 3: 0.4% Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia Region 4: 0.4% Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee Region 7: 0.3% lowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska Region 6: 0.0% Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas Region 8: 0.0% Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming Region 9: 0.0% Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Region 10: 0.0% Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Lets see if BA.2.75 starts doubling. A long thread on immune escape. Id be interested to hear what the Brain Trust thinks: Looking like with the latest turn of direction the virus has managed to escape our immune system efficiently yet again. There is an unprecedented number of highly diverged variants coming up and two brand-new studies shed light on this concerning situation. Amazing work! 1/ pic.twitter.com/CdfZudO5QQ Ulrich Elling (@EllingUlrich) September 17, 2022 Deaths Death rate (Our World in Data): Lambert here: Not sure why World in Data changed the color to red. Total: 1,078,938 1,078,018 = 920 (920 * 365 = 335,800, which is todays LivingWith* number (quite a bit higher than the minimizers would like, thought they can talk themselves into anything. Fluctuates quite a bit, but even the low numbers are bad). I have added an anti-triumphalist black Fauci Line. Its nice that for deaths I have a simple, daily chart that just keeps chugging along, unlike everything else CDC and the White House are screwing up or letting go dark, good job. Stats Watch Housing: United States Housing Starts [Trading Economics]. Housing starts in the US unexpectedly jumped 12.2% month-over-month to an annualized rate of 1.575 million units in August of 2022, beating market expectations of 1.445 million. It is the biggest increase since March last year, although figures for the previous months were revised lower to showed starts fell at a faster 10.9% in July. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 34 Fear (previous close: 37 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 39 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Sep 20 at 1:55 PM EDT. The Gallery Cubists not named Picasso (2): Groves of Academe Taking Our Time: How Australian Universities Measure Academic Work [Public Books]. Teaching and research are what makes a university a university. So, unsurprisingly, with more managers and fewer securely employed academics and professional support workers, the demands on employees doing the core work have increased. As anyone who has been subject to an efficiency drive will know, the effort to do more with less either reduces quality or leads to overwork. Increasing student numbers and raising demands for research outputs, combined with decreasing appetite for investment in teaching and research, have led to stress and burnout. In addition, the managerialist devaluation and decentring of academic work in the institutionthrough both structural divestment and increasing precarity of academic professionalsis arguably one of the causes of the wider social devaluation of expert knowledges. Is it a coincidence that we have to make the public case for the trust value of scholarly knowledge (about climate change, vaccination, and the economic importance of frontline care workers, for example) when the institutions that generate the knowledge do not themselves trust and value the people doing this vital work. Zeitgeist Watch Most Adults Should Be Screened for Anxiety, U.S. Panel Recommends [Wall Street Journal]. Ya think? I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller [GQ]. The promise of Dr. Ds [leg lengthening] institute is that, for a price, you too can increase your odds of becoming a Fortune 500 CEO. And people are willing to pay. Most patients will fork over from $70,000 to $150,000, depending on how many inches they want to gain. The majority opt for the standard three inches, which can be expected if you get only your femurs donea process that takes about a yearbut six inches is possible if doctors later do your tibias as well. You then have to get the nails surgically removed, which costs an additional $14,000 to $20,000. Money an issue? Personal financing is available through SoFi, the online bank. John took out a loan for his femurs$1,200 a month for the next five years. Its nothing short of a miracle that we can change something in the human body that was once unchangeable. A short king can transform himself into just a kingas long as hes willing to subject himself to the kind of horrifying, life-altering injury traditionally associated with getting hit by a bus. Its as if were playing God to appear slightly more boneable on Tinder. On some level its grotesque. Its also a medical wonder. And it raises all kinds of thorny existential questions, like whether creations as fragile as us should be playing God at all. All questions the Jackpot will clear up. Class Warfare See Faucis remarks at the first bullet under #COVID19 News of the Wired Filling the Gaps [History Today]. Considering the serious, intellectual, scholarly and often religious nature of most early modern texts, the majority of text-related annotations in these volumes constitute what historians term aids to memory. These aids came in many different forms and in varying degrees of intensity, which suggest the differing levels of engagement with the text itself. Most common, perhaps, were marks and symbols, such as an asterisk or a manicule (a pointing finger), in the margins of a page next to specific sentences or passages of particular importance. In some instances, readers summarised the contents of a page with a sub-heading, of sorts, at the top of a page. More often, these handwritten memory aids extended into verbal summaries or short commentaries on paragraphs or points those readers found significant or pertinent to their reason for reading. Sometimes marginalia filled up the entirety of the blank page surrounding the text, leaving very little white space. Occasionally small drawings could be detailed in the margins, illustrating the content of the text. A volume from the library of Anthony Higgin, Dean of Ripon from 1608 to 1624, contains a small illustration of a crocodile in the margin of one page, followed by a drawing of the sun (complete with a smiley face) and the moon adjacent to their textual descriptions. An early form of hypertext? Granted, not digital . * * * Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From CG: CG writes: I had a very good Sunday walk yesterday and saw that goldenrod was in bloom everywhere, from solitary stalks to large areas. I tend to think of goldenrod (in bloom from late summer through early autumn) as the coral reef of plants, since the goldenrod (in a healthy environment) supports innumerable lives, from bees and various pollinators, to butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects. Monarchs love goldenrod too: the late blooms help support them in their journey south. The first photo is an overall area of blossoms; the second goldenrod photo includes a honeybee. (The black background is a pleasant photographic usage of setting the light for the foreground subject and the background, if in shade, becomes black.) This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1157 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, more original reporting. Yves here. The US really is setting out to turn the clock back to a grubbier, more impoverished era, while at the same time, having pursued neoliberal policies which have eroded communities ties, making it harder for to get due to the weakening of informal networks. Margaret Thatcher did manage to get the There is no society plan in motion and its progressing nicely, as far as the top wealth and their retainers are concerned. A postal service is a key component in economic development. But it seems what passes for American leadership would rather treat USPS as a real estate privatization play. The gutting of the Post Office is yet another example of the mindless pursuit of gut government policies without considering the long-term effects. Will the Hamptons and Marthas Vineyard get waivers? What happens to Maine, the lowest population density state in the continental US, or Alaska? And are those who work in the boonies growing food, working on ranches, logging, mining, or (God forbid) fracking supposed to quit their jobs, go to cities, and learn to code? I suggest any of you who think you or someone you care about will suffer from this USPS penny-pinching, pound foolish policy immediately e-mail or call the in-state offices of your Congresscritters and raise hell. And if they are Dems, tell they you dont care that the ball got rolling before Biden came into office, this is happening on his watch and will affect how you vote in the midterms. This initiative looks to be too late to stop but at least the feckless Dems should pay a price. Pray tell, why didnt, at a bare minimum, the Department of Justice join the state attorneys general complaint? Were hoisting the overview from run75441 at Angry Bear along with the long-form exposition from former postmaster Steve Hutkins. By run75411. Originally published at Angry Bear In an earlier post, Steve Hutkins introduced Louis DeJoys new plan centralizing post offices in various locations calling them Sorting and Delivery Centers. Many mail delivery personnel routes would increase in size and routes would be further away and larger. The result could lead to delayed delivery and a further degeneration of service. The result would also include the closing of many neighborhood post offices which existed since Roosevelt if not earlier. Some areas would see a decrease in service. Come December/January, two of the USPS Board commissioners terms will expire. It is expected, Biden will replace them with more favorable views. We could see Louis DeJoy removed from office. Modeling the New USPS Delivery Network: List & Map, Save The Post Office, Steve Hutkins This month the Postal Service will begin implementing a massive initiative to change how the mail is delivered. Instead of working out of the back of post offices, letter carriers will be relocated to large, centralized facilities called Sorting & Delivery Centers. These S&DCs will be housed in currently operating processing centers, large post offices, and eventually one of the new multi-functional mega-plants the Postal Service plans to create over the next few years. Spaces are already being prepared in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, where the Postal Service has leased a 620,000 square foot facility almost adjacent to a large Amazon warehouse. The effects on postal employees will be significant, as discussed in this previous post. Tens of thousands of letter carriers will find themselves working at an S&DC thats much farther from where they live, meaning longer commutes, more driving time, and more transportation expenses. Postmasters and managers will see their positions downgraded because they dont have carriers to supervise. Thousands of clerks at post offices will become unnecessary since they wont need to provide support for the carriers. They will be among the 50,000 positions that the Postmaster General says he plans to eliminate. Eventually, patrons of post offices will be affected, too. Removing carrier operations eliminates one of the two main functions of a post office, and the excess space in the back will be used to justify optimizing the retail network. Some post offices will be relocated to smaller spaces, some will have their hours reduced, many will simply be closed. Properties that the Postal Service owns, many of them significant historic buildings, will be reviewed for disposal. The neighborhoods and towns in which these post offices are located will suffer a loss of jobs and economic activity. Tens of million households will fall within the scope of the initiative. The new delivery network, its important to note, is not about closing small, rural post offices those that typically come under attack because they supposedly dont bring in enough revenue to justify their existence. The S&DC plan targets urban and suburban post offices. One of the main criteria perhaps the main criterion for identifying which post offices will have their carriers relocated is the distance between the S&DC and the post office. If its too far, too much time and expense go into just getting a carrier from the S&DC to the first stop on the route. The Postal Service says a 30-minute drive is the maximum reach. Since nearly all the potential S&DCs are in urban and suburban areas, this distance limitation virtually guarantees that the impacted post offices will also be in urban and suburban areas. The post offices in rural areas are just too far afield. Getting Spoked The Postal Service has provided very few details about the plan. Management is apparently trying to manage the concerns of employees and the public by withholding information. What we do know is that 100,000 carrier routes will be relocated from 6,000 or 7,000 post offices to several hundred S&DCs in current facilities and the 70 new mega-plants. The plan was described in a presentation dated July 29, 2022, and a list dated August 12, 2022, informed employee associations of the first 200 post offices where conversions will take place. The Postal Service has said nothing more about which post offices could be impacted. The July 29th presentation describes the new delivery network in terms of hubs the sort and delivery centers and spokes the post offices that will lose their carriers. One of the questions many people would like to see answered is simply this: Which post offices could become spokes? With the help of publicly available USPS facility lists, Google maps, and some data crunching, its possible to build a model that helps answer this question. Heres a map showing 6,100 post offices that could become spoke facilities. If you zoom in, you can see the post offices in clusters around the potential S&DC hubs (in red). The list of spoke post offices is on Google Docs here, where it can be searched, sorted, filtered, and downloaded for further analysis. The list of potential S&DC hubs is here. Modeling the Network To determine which postal facilities might become S&DCs and which post offices might become spoke facilities, the model used the following inputs. The July 29th presentation says the Postal Service has identified 928 existing facilities with available space for an S&DC. In an article in Eagle Magazine, the Postal Service says it will establish a redesigned operational model that will touch almost 500 network mail processing locations. Based on these comments, the model selected about 770 potential S&DCs. These include nearly all the 450 Sectional Center Facilities, i.e., processing plants that serve a geographical area defined by one or more three-digit ZIP Code prefixes. It also includes three hundred other facilities: processing plants, large post offices, annexes and network distribution centers. Aside from a few smaller plants, the model includes only those with at least 50,000 square feet. (The July 29th presentation did not include any S&DCs with less than 70,000 square feet.) Not all these 770 sites are feasible in terms of space, available parking, location, facility type, and other criteria. Some will become unnecessary once the mega-plants are available. Some, like the large post offices, may turn out not to be S&DCs that gain carriers but spoke facilities that give them. In any case, these 770 sites can serve as proxies for the facilities in the eventual delivery network and help identify which post offices could become spoke offices. The model includes those post offices that share a 3-digit ZIP prefix with one of the potential S&DCs, and in some cases it includes those with a 3-digit zip thats nearby. It includes only those that are within a 30-minute drive of the S&DC the maximum one-way reach. In those cases where there was more than one potential S&DC for a particular post office, the model may have chosen a S&DC that was outside the 30-minute reach when then there was another within the reach. The model thus omits several hundred post offices that that would otherwise have been included. The model does not include the 12,000 Remotely Managed Post Offices the small rural offices that had their hours cut by POStPlan in 2012. The August 12th list did include a few RMPOs, but they were excluded from the modeling because they are so small they usually have one route or none at all and wont play a significant role in reaching 100,000 routes. The model also does not include any of the 1,750 Finance Stations and Finance Branches, which by definition dont have carriers, nor the 2,600 contractor-operated offices, for the same reason. Using these inputs, the model identified 6,100 offices that could become spoke offices. While the model includes some that are not on the Postal Services list and excludes others that are, it provides a framework to analyze the plan as a whole and its potential impacts. Adding Up the Impacts The model shows that the new delivery network is clearly focused on urban and suburban post offices. Using Census data, the model indicates that the 6,100 post offices would encompass ZIP codes in which 116 million people live, 105 million of them in ZIP codes classified as urban. Thats a third of the country. Sixty percent of the impacted ZIP code areas have populations that are at least 90 percent urban. The model doesnt include census data on race, but minorities account for 43 percent of urban areas compared with 22 percent of rural areas. The models list contains links to a website with detailed demographic data on the ZIP code for each of the spoke offices. The distance from the spoke to the potential S&DCs is one of the key issues with the plan. This previous post explained how the July 29th presentation provided enough data to make projections for the entire plan. It showed that the plan would increase the one-way distance between the S&DCs and spoke offices by an average of 13.6 miles and 20 minutes. The model shows almost exactly that: 12.7 more miles and 20 more minutes. These increases in distance and time will add 750 million round-trip miles to the 100,000 routes and 20 million more work hours, which will require another 10,000 routes. The July 29th presentation acknowledges that the new network will add 5 to 10 percent more routes. The model suggests it will be more like 10 percent. Plus, the drive times will often be much more than 20 minutes since the model uses data derived by a bulk import from Google maps. They are best-case scenarios and dont account for traffic, weather, alternate routes, and so on. If you compare the models data with a search on Google maps for a particular route at rush hour, youll find that the drive time is typically several minutes longer. On average, every extra minute added to the average drive time for the 100,000 routes means another 500 routes. As discussed in the previous post, the total cost for labor and transportation (fuel, maintenance, etc.) will be about $2 billion. And thats not even including all the additional time and expense for the carriers going to and from their new workplace at the S&DC. On average, just commuting will mean 120 unpaid hours of work and 5,000 more miles annually. The plan will also create a massive amount of excess space in post offices. A 2012 OIG report on relocating carriers indicated that delivery units provide about 330 square feet per carrier. The July 29th presentation showed that the new plant in Indianapolis will provide 250,000 square feet for 566 routes, about 440 feet per route. Even using the more conservative OIG estimate, relocating 100,000 routes will involve shifting 33 million square feet of carrier operations from post offices to S&DCs. About 70 percent of the space needed for 100,000 routes would be located in current facilities, while the rest would be in the new mega-plants, like the one in Northpoint Gateway industrial park in Gastonia, NC, in the metro Charlotte area, where the Postal Service recently signed the lease on a facility with 620,000 square feet a stones throw from a somewhat smaller Amazon facility. NORTHPOINT GATEWAY 85 (THE BIG ONE IS USPS, THE SMALLER, AMAZONS) The 33 million square feet of excess space that the new network will create in post offices will obviously become a significant issue. The model shows that the 6,100 post offices have about 57 million square feet, so more than half of the total would turn into excess space. In other words, on average, half the floor space of every post office would become excess space. Its impossible to imagine that the Postal Service will not take steps to address this issue by downsizing the infrastructure. Optimizing Post Offices Google maps has a limit of 2,000 locations per layer, so mapping over 6,000 meant dividing up the list into groups. The map uses the size and type of post office to make four groups: main post offices with less than 3,000 square feet; those with 3,000 to 10,000; and those with more than 10,000. A separate group includes the stations and branches the city offices that are under the supervision of the citys main post office and postmaster. The maps layers can be toggled on and off to see them separately. The smallest 2,000 post offices, which usually have one to four carrier routes, average about 2,200 square feet for a total of 4.3 million square feet. If half this were to become excess space, it would represent just over two million of the 33 million square feet of excess area the plan will create. To envision what might happen to the small offices after the carriers leave, its useful to look back to 2011-2015, when the Postal Service removed carriers from about 2,700 post offices as part of a Delivery Unit Optimization initiative. These were mostly small offices; on average, 2,300 square feet. More than 90 percent of these DUOed office are still in the same location where they were ten years ago. Apparently they werent worth relocating to an even smaller space. Over half of these offices, however, had their hours cut and lost their postmasters under POStPlan. Perhaps thats what will happen to the smaller spoke offices. Two thousand mid-sized offices average about 6,500 square feet and have about ten carriers. The largest offices, those with 10,000 to 40,000 square feet, average 20,000 square feet. They can have as many as 30 or 40 carriers. For these mid-size and large post offices, the excess space will become a serious matter. Just cutting hours will not be enough. Postal logic will dictate that something more needs to be done. Relocations to smaller spaces and closures will be inevitable. The stations and branches are the most vulnerable to closure. The Delivering for America plan says one of its goals is to evaluate and consolidate low-traffic stations and branches of city Post Offices into nearby full-service retail Post Offices. This element of the DFA plan will hit big cities the hardest because thats where stations and branches are concentrated: Philadelphia has 55; Houston, 43; Los Angeles, 40; Brooklyn, 36; Chicago, 34; Manhattan, 31, and so on. In early 2009, the Postal Service announced it would be reviewing 3,200 of its 4,800 stations and branches for closure under what it called the Stations and Branches Optimization and Consolidation Initiative. (Optimize, consolidate and rationalize are the Postal Services preferred terminology for closed.) The SBOC hit list kept getting smaller while the PRC went through the process of an Advisory Opinion. At one point the list of probable closures contained 750 post offices, but by the end, the list was down to about 140, and not all of them ever closed. The Postmaster General will not be satisfied with that outcome for Delivering for America. His 10-year plan calls for $3 to $4 billion in cost savings by aligning hours of operation to customer demands at low traffic Post Offices and rationalizing stations and branches. Cutting hours might save a few million dollars a year, but the only way to save $400 million a year is by closing post offices. Lots of them. The Not Even Modern Postal Infrastructure The Postal Service doesnt seem to think much of post offices or its properties. At the AEI forum in July, the Postmaster General said the retail network is so vast that in all the average American only visits a post office two times a year. His math apparently included every man, woman, and child in the country, and only counted retail transactions, not trips to pick up mail at a PO box or a package that couldnt be delivered. In contrast, the OIG estimated 2.7 billion visits annually, which comes to over 22 per visits per year per household. In the current article in Eagle Magazine, the Postal Service also denigrated postal buildings, describing its facilities as sub-par and often unpleasant working environments and not considered state of the art or even modern in the logistics world. Most were built many decades ago. It is equally undeniable that this has an effect on performance and on the morale and perceptions of the postal workforce. Unfortunately, not all employees will have the opportunity to experience the pleasures of working in one of those new, light-filled, low-stress, modern, state-of-the-art mega-plants. Many will continue working in a sub-par P&DC or a large, old post office thats become a S&DC. And as for all the not even modern postal properties that dont have a place in the new network? They can and will be sold. Over 2,500 post offices on the models list are owned by the Postal Service. It will be impossible to resist bringing in billions of dollars with a fire sale, just as the Postal Service seemed committed to doing ten years ago, when hundreds of historic properties were put on the disposal list. Fortunately, pushback from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and several citizens groups helped stop the sell-off, but not before dozens were sold and turned into restaurants, offices, and the like, if they were fortunate enough not to be razed. The Postal Services list of 200 offices where the first conversions will occur already contains fifteen historic properties. The models list of 6,000 spoke offices contains more than 400. Among them is the post office in Norristown PA which the Postal Service originally put on the market in 2013. Once its 39 carrier routes are gone, it will be back on the closure-and-disposal list again. The same goes for the historic post office in Beacon, NY, one of the five Hudson Valley post offices FDR took a special interest in while he built over a thousand of them. Theyre all in danger again. Delivering Divestiture Selling postal property has always been high on the agenda of free-market advocates. It was a major theme of President Reagans 1988 Commission on Privatization, which said that divestiture of federal assets should be pursued in the interest of ensuring the highest and best use of the Postal Services assets. The Delivering for America plan will make the sell-off a reality on a massive scale. Lets not forget that the same administration that selected our current Postmaster General also produced a Reform Plan calling for the privatization of the Postal Service. The Reform Plan was clear about it: This proposal would restructure the United States Postal System to return it to a sustainable business model or prepare it for future conversion from a Government agency into a privately held corporation. Like many European nations, the United States could privatize its postal operator while maintaining strong regulatory oversight to ensure fair competition and reasonable prices for customers. Unnecessarily adding hundreds of millions of miles to carrier routes at a cost of $2 billion a year should be cause enough to reject the S&DC plan, but theres a deeper reason to condemn it. The new delivery network should be seen for what it is: A plan to dismantle the post office infrastructure. Retail postal operations in shopping centers and big box stores are no replacement for the multi-functional, stand-alone, brick-and-mortar post offices that make up this infrastructure. Without them, the postal system becomes just another logistics company. If that happens, full-scale privatization will be just around the corner. The Regulator Will Monitor Despite the massive scope of the initiative to transform the delivery network, the Postal Service has not requested an Advisory Opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Postal Service says the changes will not affect service from the customers point of view because the retail operation will remain in place after the carriers leave. When asked by Ina Steiner at ecommercebytes why the PRC had not initiated a review, the Commission provided a statement explaining that federal courts and the Commission have previously found that broad strategic plans alone do not trigger this legal requirement [for an Advisory Opinion], although Commission leadership monitors such plans. Last year the Attorneys General of twenty states submitted a Complaint to the Commission arguing that the entire Delivering for America plan should be reviewed under the Advisory Opinion statute as soon as possible. The Postal Services approach of waiting until implementation is imminent, they argued, means that the Commission will have to wait a decade to issue an advisory opinion, at which point it will be too late for appropriate Commission review and public participation. The Commissioners rejected the Complaint for various reasons, among them their view that articulating broad and high-level future initiatives in a strategic plan cannot be considered instituting or implementing a change with a meaningful impact on service within the meaning of 39 U.S.C. 3661(b). In last weeks response to ecommercebytes, the Commission also stated that local pilot programs are an important step towards implementation but may not meet the nationwide or substantially nationwide standard until they are scaled up more broadly. It should be clear that the changes to the delivery network now underway are not simply a broad strategic plan or pilot program. Implementation has already begun with the acquisition of huge spaces in three cities, notification of the employee unions and associations, and a list of the first 200 post offices that will be converted over the coming weeks and months. The scope of the plan is far reaching and nationwide. You dont need to wait for it to be scaled up to see whats happening. Perhaps the Commission will encourage the Postal Service to request an Advisory Opinion on the new delivery network. Or perhaps not. Perhaps there will be no review by the regulator until the Postal Service decides its time to announce cuts to retail hours and post office closures. But if the carrier relocations have already occurred, it will be too late to do anything about them. The excess space in post offices will be irreversible, and it will make more dismantling of the postal infrastructure inevitable. The horse will have left the barn. The carriers will have left the building. My Nashville Post role has evolved since 2000 when I joined the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister publication in 2008 (when I began doing some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have been managing editor of the Post since late 2011. Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today 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. Follow KateLynn White Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today (Natural News) The U.S. has ordered over 100 million at-home Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits from domestic manufacturers ahead of a potential case surge in autumn and the midterm elections. Big Pharma companies are known allies of Democrats, so one can easily figure out where this leads. But the White House and mainstream media will try to avoid that kind of conversation. In fact, the White House said this is only a short-term solution to the problem. Dr. Anthony Fauci has been warning of a likely fall surge as early as April. The Biden administration predicted nearly 100 million Americans getting infections in the fall and winter, warning that the number was a median estimate and many more cases are possible, especially if a new variant appears. President Joe Bidens administration has repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked Congress for more pandemic funding. Last week, it requested $22.4 billion in emergency funding for the fall. In a statement, the White House said: The administration is acting, within its limited funding, to increase the supply of at-home COVID-19 tests in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) by purchasing over 100 million additional at-home, rapid tests from domestic manufacturers. The administration also warned that it would be unable to provide enough tests, vaccines and treatments without more funding. It insisted that replenishing the existing stockpile of at-home tests will help meet some testing needs in the months ahead and will put the U.S. in a better position to manage a potential increase in testing demand in the fall and winter. (Related: Australian COVID-19 test kit manufacturer recalls 195,000 at-home kits due to high rate of false positives.) COVID cases decreasing in September COVID-19 cases have actually been decreasing in September, after plateauing during the summer months at over 100,000 cases each day. The decline is not predicted to last long, however, as the combination of waning COVID-19 immunity and colder weather on the horizon will see more people heading indoors, which could send the infections back up. The trend is expected to reverse as soon as next month. University of Washington epidemiologist Ali Mokdad predicted a rise in reported COVID-19 cases. Therell be a rise in hospitalization and mortality, but not as high proportionally to the rise in cases simply because many of us the majority of Americans right now have been either infected or vaccinated or both, so we have some immunity, he said. This will be the third fall with COVID-19, and while infections and deaths still remain elevated, much of society has returned to a semi-normal state, with children heading back to school and offices bustling with workers. However, Mokdad warned that while the Biden administrations projections remain feasible, the currently dominant variant omicron still remains very contagious. Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health epidemiologist Dr. David Dowdy said it is possible that the U.S. will see number of cases similar to the latest surge. He posted this question: I dont think its unreasonable to think that weve had about 100 million infections the past three months, so why couldnt that happen again in winter? Visit Pandemic.news for more updates about the expected rise in COVID-19 cases this fall. Watch the video below to know more about the omicron-specific COVID vaccine shot. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Bidens at-home covid test kits funded by blacklisted Chinese company that was praised for obeying communist officials. Biden regimes free at-home COVID test kits are coming from China, proving again first familys ties to Beijing run deep. Over 2M at-home COVID-19 test kits recalled due to false positive results. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com USNews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) President Joe Biden is perpetuating an endless war in Ukraine for the military-industrial complex to profit more. During the Sept. 16 episode of his Brighteon.TV program Prather Point, former intelligence officer Jeffrey Prather noted how there is precedent for America sending thousands of weapons to nations and armed groups to prolong conflicts. (Related: Biden wants to continue pouring tens of billions of dollars down the Ukraine money pit while Americans suffer.) Prather pointed out how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives launched Operation Fast and Furious in the late 2000s to send thousands of guns to the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico. These guns ended up murdering U.S. agents, including Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent Jaime Zapata. In Bagram, Biden ran hundreds of thousands of guns to the Taliban, who are murdering Americans and our allies, said Prather. Similar situations of Biden, former President Barack Obama and other notable Democratic officials providing arms and money to Americas enemies. Fast and Furious was an international covert gun-running operation. Benghazi and Syria were international covert gun-running operations, said Prather. And so is Ukraine now. Bidens war profiteers have turned Ukraine into an endless war. Biden commits another $600 million in military aid to Ukraine Bidens administration recently announced that it will send another $600 million in military aid to Ukraine. The White House claims more military aid is necessary to capitalize on Kyivs recent successes in its counteroffensive in northeastern Ukraine. The White House noted that this recent military aid package would be the 21st time the Department of Defense has pulled weapons and other equipment from U.S. Armed Forces reserve to deliver to Ukraine. With admirable grit and determination, the people of Ukraine are defending their homeland and fighting for their future, claimed Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraines hand at the negotiating table when the time is right. The package is expected to include more weapons America has already sent to Ukraine, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), night vision goggles, claymore mines, mine clearing equipment, 105-millimeter caliber artillery rounds and 155-millimeter precision-guided artillery rounds. Some of the money will also be used for military education and training. This recent announcement comes just one week after the White House approved $675 million more in weapons to Ukraine and $2.2 billion in long-term military financing for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and regional security partners that are at risk of future Russian aggression. This latest package of weapons brings the total amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine to nearly $15.9 billion in taxpayer dollars since Biden took office, with more than $15 billion of that going to Kyiv since the start of the Russian special military operation in late February. We keep sending arms and money to Ukraine and its shown up on the black market, commented Prather. So, this is just Fast and Furious on steroids. Learn more about the war in Ukraine at UkraineWitness.com. Watch this Sept. 16 episode of Prather Point as Jeffrey Prather talks about Biden sending arms and money to Ukraine. Prather Point with Jeffrey Prather airs every Friday at 10-11 a.m. and Saturday at 7-8 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Black Hole: As billions in American arms and aid enter Ukraine, US officials receive hand written receipts. Billions of dollars worth of American arms and aid disappear into a black hole once they enter Ukraine. Whistleblowers reveal that weapons of active duty American military units are being taken away and sent to Ukraine. Sources include: Brighteon.com APNews.com Reuters.com (Natural News) A federal judge just ruled that the Senate does not have to release the full congressional report on the Central Intelligence Agencys (CIA) interrogation and detention program following the 9/11 attacks. Investigative journalist Shawn Musgrave has been trying to get the 6,700-page report on the CIAs torture program for several years now, citing a common law right of access to public records. His argument rested on the right of the public to know certain information, conceptually similar to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). On Sept. 15, Chief District Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that the torture report does not qualify as a public record subject to the common law right of public access. Howell cited and reaffirmed the 2016 ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which concluded that the report was a congressional record and therefore not subject to FOIA requests. (Related: Supreme Court ruling allows Deep State to hide its secret torture activities.) The judge noted that the CIA documents fall under the protections guaranteed by the First Amendments speech and debate clause that protects the speech of lawmakers while they are in the halls of Congress. This is because these documents are a congressional report that was part of a committee investigation aimed at gathering information. Howell added that the report contains highly classified information regarding the CIAs detention and interrogation policies that could compromise national security if released. Musgraves attorney, Kel McClanahan, said they plan to appeal Howells decision. While were obviously disappointed with the results, we recognized from the outset that this would be an uphill battle, said McClanahan following Howells verdict. We understand that this is a thorny issue and will ultimately need to be decided by a superior court. Senate united in wanting the full report released Senators both Democratic and Republican have released statements following the verdict claiming to want the full report on the CIAs torture activities to be released soon. When Republicans still controlled the Senate under then-President Donald Trump, former Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina insisted that all other copies of the report be retrieved. Former Senate Intelligence Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California released a 500-page executive summary of the report back in 2014, over the objections of the intelligence community. What she released included information regarding the torture of detainees in Afghanistan. I agree with the judge that the Senate Intelligence Committee should retain control over its own documents. I also continue to believe the full torture report with appropriate redactions should be released at some point, said Feinstein. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the current committee chair, said in a statement that Howells opinion recognizes that the committee is committed to conducting vigorous oversight of the activities carried out by our intelligence agencies and to ensuring that the American public has visibility into those activities without jeopardizing intelligence sources and methods vital to our national security. President Barack Obama placed a copy of the full torture report into his presidential records before he left the White House. This copy is preserved in the National Archives and, barring another ruling, parts of the report could be declassified beginning in 2029. Learn more about the federal government at BigGovernment.news. Watch this episode of Zolna Report as host Gabe Zolna discusses a Guantanamo detainee who went into detail about how the CIA tortured him. This video is from the ZolnaReport.com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Prather Point: Jeffrey Prather claims FBI, CIA shaping the narrative via information influence, psychological ops Brighteon.TV. Lets Talk America: Patrick Byrne calls former FBI and CIA directors ABSOLUTE TRAITORS. CIA admits training Nazi terror troops in Ukraine, which have been fighting and killing Russians since 2015. Sources include: RT.com LATimes.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Attorney Tom Renz pointed out that the two-tiered justice system in the U.S. is destroying the credibility of the countrys judiciary. The Ohio-based lawyer made this assertion on the Sept. 13 episode of his program Lawfare with Tom Renz on Brighteon.TV. According to Renz, the corruption in the U.S. including the politicization of the justice system is mind-blowing. He added that the incidents involving former President Donald Trump and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon reflected this unacceptable politicization of the courts. Its mind-blowing to me, Renz said. Its bad enough that the politicization of the justice system is occurring, [and] its worse that some of the Republicans are capitulating and allowing it. The Ohio lawyer also lamented the inaction of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). He accused the lawmaker from the Bluegrass State of not calling for hearings against the injustice. Renz also rebuked other Republicans for not speaking out about what is going on. What are they going to do here? Do they just want to admit this as a two-tiered justice system? Do they want to just put it out there for people? This is destroying the credibility of the judicial system and the justice system in this country, criminal and judicial. The criminal justice and judicial aspects of this are being destroyed, and its on display for everyone to see. Renz pointed out that the solution lies in the courts themselves. He called on magistrates to step in and do something about the two-tiered justice system and politicization of the justice process in America if they dont want the judicial system to lose its credibility. (Related: Lawfare with Tom Renz: The American justice system urgently needs reform Brighteon.TV.) According to the Brighteon.TV host, everybody should be treated equally under the American justice system, with no regard to their socioeconomic status and skin color. However, this does not appear to be the case nowadays as Americans who are not favored in the political world are being targeted. Renz: Congress should go after Fauci Elsewhere in the show, Renz also touched on Dr. Anthony Fauci and how the infectious disease expert lied under oath. According to the Ohio-based lawyer, the White House chief medical advisor perjured when he testified before lawmakers in July 2021 regarding gain-of-function research in Chinas Wuhan province. As youre aware, it is a crime to lie to Congress, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). On May 11, 2021, you stated that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has not ever, and does not now fund gain-of-function research and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). And yet, gain-of-function research was done entirely in the [WIV] and was funded by NIH. Despite this revelation, Fauci refused to retract his statement. He shot back at the GOP senator: You do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially. You are implying that what we did was responsible for the deaths of individuals. I totally resent that, and If anyone is lying here senator, it is you. Renz, however, insisted that Fauci was the liar in that exchange. Aside from funding and supporting gain-of-function research, the infectious disease expert himself engaged in it. Moreover, Renz expressed belief that Fauci knew everything that was going on and that he lied to Congress about it intentionally. The Ohio-based lawyer ultimately concluded that if gathered evidence proves that Fauci funded the creation of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, Congress should go after him. Follow Corruption.news for more about the corruption in Americas justice system. Watch the Sept. 13 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz below. Lawfare with Tom Renz airs every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30-1 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Attorney Joseph Tully exposes Californias tarnished justice system in his book, California: State of Collusion. Utah citizen Mike Brown tells Ann Vandersteel: Justice system has once again failed its citizens Brighteon.TV. Court clerk fired for helping a wrongfully accused man after 34 years at job, proving the judicial system could care less about justice. Sources include: Brighteon.com News.Yahoo.com (Natural News) Over 400 doctors, scientists and health officials from India were represented at a September 10, 2022 press conference that DENOUNCED the covid-19 vaccine program. These scientists and medical professionals have declared an international medical crisis because the covid-19 vaccines have failed and are associated with excess mortality that is not being properly investigated by health authorities on a global scale. The formal declaration states: We are currently witnessing an excess in mortality in those countries where the majority of the population has received the so-called COVID-19 vaccines. To date, this excess mortality has neither been sufficiently investigated nor studied by national and international health institutions. Excess mortality in heavily vaccinated populations calls for international investigation The 400+ medical professionals demand an investigation into every vaccine-related death that occurred in previously healthy individuals. They also warn of a high incidence of miscarriages and perinatal deaths which have not been investigated. The term Sudden Adult Death Syndrome has been used to describe the excess mortality in young and middle-aged adults. Myocarditis has been normalized over the past year, as previously healthy children and adults fall prey to this toxic science. As the coverup continues, morticians are finding long fibrous clots inside the bodies of deceased, vaccinated individuals. Moreover, pharmacovigilance systems around the world have recorded the greatest number of adverse events, hospitalizations, permanent disabilities, and deaths in the history of all vaccines. The UKs Yellow Card System, the Australian Adverse Event Monitoring System, the European EudraVigilance System, the CDCs VAERS system and the WHOs VigiAccess Database are all exploding with adverse events from the COVID vaccine. Together, these medical reports include 11 million serious adverse events and 70,000 deaths associated with the COVID vaccines. According to the medical review, these numbers may only represent about 1 to 10 percent of the total amount of injuries and deaths following the COVID jabs. Over 400 doctors and scientists call for end to COVID vaccine programs and investigations into deaths The declaration calls on the aforementioned drug regulatory agencies to heed the following: All national inoculation campaigns with products known as COVID-19 vaccines should be vanquished. Investigations and autopsies should be conducted for all sudden deaths of people who were healthy previous to the inoculation. For every person inoculated with the products known as COVID-19 vaccines, implement early detection programs for cardiovascular events which could lead to sudden deaths. Also screen using D-dimer and Troponin, and detect for serious tumors early on. Implement research and training programs for victims who suffered adverse events after receiving the so-called COVID-19 vaccine. Do a complete compositional analysis of vials of Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, Janssen, Sinovac, Sputnik V and any other product known as COVID-19 vaccines, using independent research groups that have no affiliation to the pharmaceutical companies, nor any conflict of interest. Conduct studies investigating interactions between the different components of the so-called COVID-19 vaccines and study their molecular, cellular and biological effects. Implement psychological assistance and compensation programs for any person that has developed a disease or disability as a consequence of the so-called COVID-19 vaccines. Promote psychological help and compensation programs for the family members of any person who was killed after being inoculated with the product known as COVID-19 vaccines. The group is calling for more healthcare professionals and individuals to sign the medical crisis declaration to end this deadly experiment once and for all. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Digital.AHRQ.gov [PDF] MedicalCrisisDeclaration.com (Natural News) In a new interview with Conversations That Matter, a program from The New Americans Alex Newman, American College of Pediatricians (AAP) President Dr. Quentin Van Meter blasted the transgender madness sweeping society, calling it pseudoscience, quackery, and lies. The idea that a human being can switch genders simply has no basis in reality, he explained. Sure, someone can pretend to be the opposite sex, or even some other species. But it is all delusion. Sadly for society, some are buying into this delusion by allowing and even pushing for children who are confused from all the propaganda out there into receiving gender affirming care. This term means that childrens genitals are removed or altered, or they are given hormone-altering pharmaceuticals. So-called transitioning is the new in thing for children, especially those that live on social media platforms like TikTok. What these little ones fail to realize, however, is that they are destroying their lives by going trans and parents and other adults who push it are causing irreparable harm. (Related: Even some homosexuals are outraged over the transgender push.) You can watch the full segment with Newman and Van Meter at The New American. Transgenderism isnt science, its religion A pediatric endocrinologist who completed a fellowship at the esteemed Johns Hopkins University, Van Meter says that the transgender craze is backed neither by sound science nor sound medicine. In essence, it is little more than a religion. This is why we often refer to it as the Trans Cult: because it centers around the false belief that a person can become whatever he or she wants through surgery and drugging and yes, there is only he or she and no other valid pronouns. One of the claims of the Trans Cult is that allowing children to transition or even encouraging them to transition will help them to avoid feelings of suicide throughout their lives. According to Van Meter, this is a misnomer. Going trans does not, he says, reduce the likelihood of a child with gender dysphoria committing suicide. In fact, later on down the road, many trans kids-turned-adults are so upset at their decision that they become more likely to end their own lives. Van Meter believes that the forces pushing trans ideology and dogma on children are sinister to the core. He says these forces seek to tear families apart and destroy the social fabric of society. In Europe, there is a growing realization among policymakers that the trans religion is dangerous. According to Van Meter, the United States is about 10 years behind Europe, and is still pushing transhumanism on children. LGBTIXP+ was never a community, despite the asinine statements of the politicians, groomers, rapists, satanists, doctors, teachers, judges, psychos, CPS workers, police and other whack jobs in our societies, wrote a Natural News commenter, skeptical of the sudden outcry against the trans movement from gays and lesbians. Allowing a handful of people to speak out now is controlled opposition. The alphabet people satisfy the globalists goal of normalising non-breeding lifestyles. Non-breeding now because inclusion. Non-breeding later because you have been sterilised. Hedonistic now because you can still feel. Empty later because the machine blocks feelings. If you look around at whats going on in the world today, something is very, VERY wrong, wrote another. The ship is sinking! World systems are being intentionally collapsed. Yet, many remain in denial, saying that everything is fine. But, normal is NOT coming back. Jesus IS coming back, this same person added, referring to faith in Jesus Christ as the lifeboat for the Titanic this world has become. The latest news about the transgender mutilation of children can be found at Transhumanism.news. Sources for this article include: TheNewAmerican.com NaturalNews.com It was a typical September day in Xiamen, Fujian provinceheat wave accompanied by humidity were on the rampage, and people were eager to find shelter from the sun. Any shade would be welcome, thank you. Yet, in front of the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center, men and women in business professional attire were a busy lot. They went through the security checks in an orderly way, to reach the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), held from Sept 8 to 11. Initiated 25 years ago, the fair has become one of the world's largest and most influential events of its kind for the promotion of international investment and free trade. People's enthusiasm for the event remained high despite the unpleasant weather and the overhang of the COVID-19 pandemic. During my stay, I conducted a number of interviews. I heard fair participants repeatedly say that the four-day event fully demonstrated China's devotion to boosting two-way investment and global economic recovery. The nation is also capable of sustaining its attraction for foreign investment despite the slowdown in global foreign investment activities, multinational corporation executives and experts said. Huang Bin, chairman of Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals China Co, a subsidiary of the UK-headquartered pharma giant, said China's continuously improving business environment and its promising economic prospects have been offering broad development space for foreign investors. He spoke highly of the nation's efforts to build a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment through concrete actions. The implementation of the new foreign investment law, the continuous downsizing of the negative list for foreign investment, and the nation's applications to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement demonstrate China's resolve in this regard, he said. The two pacts are widely considered as representative of high-level international trade and investment liberalization standards. Despite challenges, China's long-term economic prospects are bright, Huang said, adding foreign investors and MNCs, including AstraZeneca, are confident about their development prospects in China. Wang Jie, vice-president of Schneider Electric, also said the company sees great development opportunities in China, its second-largest market, as the nation accelerates industrial digitalization and pays increasing attention to sustainable development. The CIFIT in Xiamen mirrored such strong confidencemore than 480 project deals with a combined investment value of 342 billion yuan ($49.11 billion) were signed. More than 800 industrial and trade groups, more than 4,000 enterprises, and about 60,000 business people from over 90 countries and regions attended the fair online and offline. That is to say, the combined number of fair participants and exhibition visitors set a new record in the fair's history. (Natural News) The United States is now experiencing a massive shortage of extensively used Big Pharma drug for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Adderall. Patients in California, Indiana and Michigan who ordered over the past two months at CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. pharmacies were told the drug was out of stock. (Related: Amphetamine ADHD drug Adderall facing supply crunch, survey finds.) Most of the time, they were told they will have to wait more than a week so they can buy the drug that is prescribed to be taken every day. There are supply chain challenges with this drug, Walgreens spokesperson Rebekah Pajak said. She added the issues are affecting both instant-release and extended-release Adderall. On the other hand, CVS spokesperson Matthew Blanchette said the companys pharmacies are able to fill Adderall prescriptions in most cases. The scarcity began with a labor shortage at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the top seller of Adderall in the United States. This caused a limited supply of both branded and generic instant-release Adderall. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists said Teva supply disruptions are causing shipment delays. However, Bloomberg reported that supply chain disruptions could last into the fall and are associated with packaging capacity constraints at one unnamed manufacturing facility and will affect branded and generic forms of the drug. We continue to work with our customers and pharma partners to manage the available supply of Adderall, said AmerisourceBergen spokesperson Lauren Esposito. She did not provide details on Adderalls availability in the Midwest. Food and Drug Administration spokesperson Cherie Duvall-Jones said manufacturers continue to release products. The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made it easy for the federal government for clinicians to prescribe drugs through telehealth consultations. And now that there is a shortage of ADHD medication, a record-high demand is evident via the increasing ADHD diagnoses. The pandemic also made possible the growth of online startups that connect patients with prescribers but they came under scrutiny. Bloomberg has previously reported on aggressive prescribing practices at the startups Cerebral Inc. and Done Health. Cerebral has already stopped prescribing many controlled substances. Psychologists suggest alternative treatment for ADHD A lot of ADHD patients are now worried that their symptoms may exacerbate due to the said pharmaceutical medication scarcity. People in Chicago are reportedly impacted. It frightens people, said psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center Dr. Robert Shulman. It frightens parents who have kids who are starting school right now. It frightens adults who are reliant on medicine to get them through the work day. Patients cant get their medicines and we get a lot of phone calls, so its a lot of extra work, and the patients have to call around to pharmacies to look and see where there is a supply. But Chicago Mind Institute Northbrook psychologists Dr. Jared Treiber and Dr. Elie Saltzman are putting forward alternative treatments for ADHD that dont involve prescription drugs as these kinds of medications can be addicting and the potential for abuse is high. They treat ADHD patients with a therapy called neurofeedback, which they said naturally retrains the wiring of the brain to maintain focus, through a series of reward-based exercises. Neurofeedback is a way that we can train and encourage the brain to operate more optimally and we can avoid using chemicals, Saltzman explained. Treiber added that this would not involve electrical impulses and zero medications. We get plenty of people on all different types of stimulants to come through here and by the end of treatment they either lowered their medication to a minimal dose or are completely off their medication. Visit PrescriptionDrugs.news for more news related to Big Pharma medications that are dangerous to ones health. Watch this video that talks about Adderall and other medical shortages. This video is from the Zoon Politikon channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ditch the addictive Adderall: What is ADHD and can changing your diet reverse it? Shocking new trend has women popping highly addictive Adderall pills in an effort to curb their appetite and lose weight. Teen abuse of prescription drugs up 33 percent, includes Ritalin, Adderall. Sources include: ChicagoBusiness.com MSN.com AdditudeMag.com Fox32Chicago.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Joe Biden is draining American military supplies and weapons stocks so he can send them to Ukraine in what has become an American proxy war against Russia, and in doing so he is putting U.S. forces at risk. As noted by Zero Hedge, the regime just announced another weapons package for Ukraine that is worth $600 million, bringing the total military aid paid for by taxpayers since the start of the war to $15.1 billion. What makes this giveaway more serious is that the arms are being sent under the guise of presidential drawdown authority ordered by a dementia president whose administration is being run by anti-American sycophants angry about our countrys massive success over the past century. This authority permits the White House to draw weapons directly from the U.S. militarys war stockpiles. Worse, the regime confirmed that the latest drawdown is the 21st time Biden has used the authority since the war began. In addition to draining our weapon stockpiles, Bidens handlers are also draining our strategic oil reserves as well. That means not only will our troops be short of sophisticated weapons, but our war machine will lack the fuel to power itself. This is worse than dangerous. It is outright treason and should be called out as such. Joe Biden authorized the latest assistance using his Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to authorize the transfer of excess weapons from US stocks, The Guardian reported, adding: The White House said it was the 21st time that the USs defense department has pulled weapons and other equipment off the shelves to deliver to Ukraine. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted another weapons wish list to Congress and U.S. arms makers themselves, which is essentially unprecedented, according to the site Responsible Statecraft: That list, which Politico published yesterday, includes several long-range weapons that President Joe Biden has so far considered to be a red line, citing the risks of escalation to a wider war if Ukraine is able to strike deep inside Russian territory. The congressional effort highlights Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys somewhat unprecedented approach to getting weapons from Washington, according to Bill Hartung of the Quincy Institute. While its become commonplace for U.S. allies to hire lobbyists to push their interests in Congress, other countries have balked at the idea of pressuring a president by openly lobbying lawmakers. According to a Department of Defense list, the following items are included in the current $600 million package: Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) 36,000 105mm artillery rounds 1,000 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds Four counter-artillery radars Four trucks and eight trailers to transport heavy equipment Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems Mine clearing equipment Claymore anti-personnel munitions Demolition munitions and equipment Small arms and ammunition Night vision devices, cold weather gear, and other field equipment According to Statista, the vast majority of the weapons Ukraine is receiving through NATO are, of course, coming from the United States, compliments of American taxpayers, the majority of whom dont want anything to do with the war. Britain is a distant second, while Poland with a vested interest in seeing Russia beaten because the country borders Ukraine is an even more distant third. Germany, Europes richest country, is an embarrassing fourth, but even tiny Latvia and Estonia have contributed more to Ukraine than France (in tenth place). In all, the Biden regime has committed to providing weapons and ammunition to Ukraine on average around 2-3 times per month since Russia invaded in late February. In recent days, Russian forces have lost ground to Ukrainian troops, but Russia has much more personnel and a lot more resources, so its likely that Putin will counterattack. How much longer can the Biden regime continue giving away American military weapons and resources? Sources include: NaturalNews.com ZeroHedge.com (Natural News) A summit hosted by President Joe Biden last week meant to address a rising threat of white supremacy is nothing but a ruse for the regime to acquire more power to go after political opponents, according to a growing number of FBI whistleblowers. Bidens summit was intended to highlight the rising threat of right-wing extremism, but in fact, all it really did was serve as just another vehicle for the regime to push a fabricated narrative: That Donald Trump and his tens of millions of supporters effectively half the country or more are domestic terrorists who should be prosecuted. The Washington Times reported: The United We Stand summit builds on the administrations push to root out racially motivated domestic violent extremists. The threat sparked a sweeping strategy that included the creation of a specialized Justice Department unit to combat domestic terrorism. Mr. Biden will deliver the keynote address to highlight the administrations response to hate and put forward a shared vision for a more united America, officials said. Current and former FBI agents tell The Washington Times that the perceived threat has become overblown under the administration. They say bureau analysts and top officials are pressuring FBI agents to create domestic terrorist cases and tag people as White supremacists to meet internal metrics. The demand for white supremacy coming from FBI brass vastly outstrips the supply of White supremacy, one agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Times. We have more people assigned to investigate white supremacists than we can actually find. The agent went on to say that the people inside the FBI who are driving bureau policies have already determined that white supremacy is a problem even though it isnt, and as such, have prioritized dealing with a threat that they fabricated in the first place, much like they did the Trump-Russia collusion lie. We are sort of the lapdogs as the actual agents doing these sorts of investigations, trying to find a crime to fit otherwise First Amendment-protected activities, said the agent. If they have a Gadsden flag and they own guns and they are mean at school board meetings, thats probably a domestic terrorist. In a statement to the Times, an FBI spokesperson lied when they said that the bureau isnt targeting Americans based on their right-leaning political beliefs. The FBI aggressively investigates threats posed by domestic violent extremists, the spokesperson said. We do not investigate ideology, and we do not investigate particular cases based on the political views of the individuals involved. The FBI will continue to pursue threats or acts of violence, regardless of the underlying motivation or sociopolitical goal. That is an outright falsehood; the bureau along with the Biden regime claiming that right-wing extremism is a problem is in and of itself tantamount to admitting the current government is targeting Americans based solely on their political ideology. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) says that at least 14 FBI agents have contacted him and other Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to inform them that, yes, the bureau has become highly politicized against conservatives under Bidens watch. Fourteen FBI agents have come to our office as whistleblowers, and they are good people, Jordan noted. There are lots of good people in the FBI. Its the top that is the problem. Some of these good agents are coming to us, telling us what is baloney, whats going on the political nature now of the Justice Department God bless them for doing it talking about the school board issue, about a whole host of issues. The Democratic Party, not Republicans and certainly not America First Trump, is the party at war with our democracy. Sources include: ConservativeBrief.com WashingtonTimes.com (Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in August last year that there were 42.6 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per million males aged 12 to 15 after Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination. Just recently, the agency backtracked and admitted that the rate is actually 150.5 per million. This aligns with what independent media outlets previously reported. Truth behind COVID-19 vaccine side effects on heart health Back in 2021, reports revealed that some cases of myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle potentially leading to blood clots and heart attack or stroke, could be linked to the coronavirus vaccine. Despite the alarming implications of the reports, corporate media and its fact-checkers branded the reports as misinformation. The media even claimed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh these small risks. But this year, these mainstream media outlets can no longer deny that what they called misinformation can actually be verified with undeniable data. According to a 2021 study conducted by medical scientist Tracy Hoeg and her colleagues, the data align with the latest CDC numbers. The researchers reported that there was a rate of 94 cases of cardiac adverse events per million for teenage boys aged 16 to 17 and 162 per million for teenage boys aged 12 to 15. Critics attacked the study as deeply flawed and antivaccine. Even Facebook was flagging similar studies. The censorship meant parents with young children were unable to make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines. Emails revealed that the CDC fed Facebook false information about the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines for children. In one email, a Facebook official revealed that the CDC helped the company debunk claims about COVID vaccines and children. Government data across the globe suggests that people who have been vaccinated are actually more susceptible to coronavirus infection than those who are unvaccinated. The CDC also ruled false the claim that COVID-19 vaccines alter peoples blood. But blood clots are a known side effect of the vaccines and a study showed that many vaccinated patients have abnormal blood. (Related: COVID vaccines found to increase risk of myocarditis in children by over 13,000 percent.) Pathologists and embalmers have also reported that they have seen the emergence of bizarre fibrous clots in an alarming number of their cases since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. Lawsuit points to alleged collusion among social media companies, the White House and federal agencies A lawsuit by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry pointed to alleged collusion between social media companies and officials in the White House, the Department of State, the CDC, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal agencies. On Sept. 8, the state AGs asked a federal court to compel the Department of Justice to turn over communications between high-ranking Biden administration officials and social media companies. In July, internal documents obtained by the group America First Legal revealed that major social media platforms have colluded with federal health officials to censor information about coronavirus, treatments and vaccines that werent in line with the governments narrative. In March, Dr. Vivek Murthy, President Joe Bidens surgeon general, demanded that the major social media companies submit detailed information about the alleged COVID-19 misinformation on their platforms. In February, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin naming proliferation of false or misleading narratives about COVID-19 and the 2020 election as among the top terror threats. Ironically, this came as top health officials and scientists retracted their stances on masks, lockdowns, vaccines and other efforts to fight COVID-19. Visit VaccineInjuryNews.com for more news about negative side effects linked to COVID-19 vaccines. Watch the video below to learn more about the link between COVID-19 and ADHD in children. This video is from the Wellness Forum Health channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Autopsy confirms British mother died of acute MYOCARDITIS after receiving Pfizer COVID shot. Study: Myocarditis rates much higher in Moderna-vaccinated people than government claims. Father unleashes hell against pharmacist who jabbed his 7-year-old for covid, resulting in myocarditis. Sources include: NewsPunch.com NOQReport.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A collective of globalist confabs are all kicking off in New York City this week, featuring the whos who of globalist leaders, policy makers, advocates, and allies. (Article by Jamie White republished from InfoWars.com) The most high-profile and visible of these events is the 77th United Nations General Assembly from September 19-27, which had not convened an in-person session in two years. Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelensky, French President Emmnauel Macron, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are among the heads of state expected to deliver remarks throughout the week. 115 financial, government, advocacy, and non-governmental organizations will also attend as observers. Meanwhile, the Clinton Global Initiative is also holding a summit in New York City hosted by Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton from Sept. 19-20, for the first time in 6 years. The event claims it convenes, connects, and catalyzes global and emerging leaders to create and implement solutions to the worlds most pressing challenges. Through its unique model, CGI supports partners in developing Commitments to Action new, specific, and measurable actions within climate resilience, health equity, and inclusive economic recovery and growth, the CGI website states. This September, CGI will convene alongside the United Nations General Assembly for the first time since 2016. During this meeting, more than 1,000 attendees will come together to drive action and elevate solutions. Notable speakers at the Clinton event include familiar names like Melinda Gates, actor Matt Damon, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, World Health Organization Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Cindy McCain, and CNN host Fareed Zakaria. Biden regime officials are also slated to speak, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, WH Economic Adviser Brian Deese, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. Finally, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is holding Sustainable Development Impact Meetings beginning Sept. 19-22 and hosted by MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle and CNN VP Rachel Smolkin. The two WEF panels will include speakers like former Vice President Al Gore and BlackRock VP Pamela Chan to sell the idea of the Great Reset and Bidens Build Back Better agenda. From the WEF website: Convening at the same time as the United Nations General Assembly, the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings will bring together communities of purpose that integrate business leaders, policy-makers, international and civil society organizations, innovators and entrepreneurs. In a series of carefully curated impact-driven dialogues, these alliances will use the meetings to advance their work and make concrete progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to build momentum on other key milestones in the months ahead, including the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) and the Forums Annual Meeting in January 2023. What a diverse group of speakers and attendees! Surely theyll share differing points of view on subjects like Ukraine, climate change, disinformation, COVID, and much more. As long as those opinions arent held by Republicans. Watch Day 1 of WEFs SDIM: Read more at: InfoWars.com (Natural News) TikTok is a powerful tool for promoting misinformation and false narratives amongst the next generation. (Article by Bo Banks republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) The White House and Democrats have already been caught taking advantage of the Chinese owned social media platform. In addition to using popular TikTokers to seemingly get out their talking points in an authentic way. A lawyer who makes TikTok videos says he was approached by the Good Information Project a nonprofit run by Democrats that was founded to spread truthful information in order to save democracy and was offered $400 to make a video condemning the 2020 January 6th riots. From the National Pulse: The Good Information Foundation is a project led by Rick Stengel, the chief executive of the National Constitution Center from 2004 to 2006 and President Obamas Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from 2014 to 2016 In the past, Stengel also a former editor of Time magazine has openly admitted Im not against propaganda, and appears to be using similar tactics to curate negative content surrounding Trump and January 6th. WATCH: Tiktoker claims he was offered $400 to make an anti-Trump video pic.twitter.com/2Sq0Gzo7Ce Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 18, 2022 Some of the important language that was supposed to be used included saying the phrase criminal conspiracy instead of attempted coup, treason, or insurrection. The Tiktoker was also directed to say Trump Republicans, not Trump and his allies. He was to call January 6th an investigation, not a hearing or trial. And he was told to call the whole matter an attack on our country. The thing that struck me the most was this part where I was told to talk about the aspects of the Trump campaigns plan and I was supposed to say that the Trump campaign paid literally millions of dollars to make January 6th happen, the TikToker shared in the video clip above. This isnt the first time Democrats have been ousted for using TikTok as a narrative spreading tool. As earlier this year the White House briefed TikTok influencers on Ukraine talking points. The TikTok influencers were briefed by the U.S. government on strategic goals in the region with National Security Council members and White House Press Secretary at the time Jen Psaki answering questions on distributing aid to Ukrainians, working with NATO, and how the United States would react to a Russian use of nuclear weapons. We recognize this is a critically important avenue in the way the American public is finding out about the latest, said White House director of digital strategy, Rob Flaherty, so we wanted to make sure you had the latest information from an authoritative source. The propaganda blitz apparently worked on the vapid social media personalities, who told the Washington Post, that they felt more empowered to debunk misinformation and communicate effectively about the crisis after the meeting. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) The European Union (EU) is slowly starting to lose grip now that Russia seems to have the upper hand as winter approaches and a major energy crisis looms. EU and its western allies have placed various sanctions on Moscow as a response to the latters invasion of Ukraine. As a countermeasure, Moscow decided to withhold and cut off fuel supplies to EU, which is largely dependent on Russias natural gas. In this connection, Hungarys State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Tamas Menczer revealed that the bloc may review sanctions on Russia and could lift some of them as soon as the autumn. Reality knocks on the door of every country, Menczer said During a recent appearance on M1 TV, Menczer said the restrictions imposed on Russian trade to punish it for attacking Ukraine have failed to change Moscows behavior. In fact, the country was rewarded with increased revenues after it triggered a spike in energy prices. Moscow is still reaping billions of dollars by channeling oil exports to Asian markets. Meanwhile, the European countries that imposed the sanctions are facing energy shortages. The news outlet RT reported that the Hungarian MP confirmed that his country, which criticized the EUs drive to decouple the economy of the bloc from Russian energy, opposed the idea of introducing a price cap on gas bought from foreign nations. Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak declared that they will ban exports of oil and other petroleum products to countries that would impose a cap on the price of Russian crude. Moreover, Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover pointed out that the EU is the real loser in the Ukraine conflict due to the economic damage caused by the sanctions and Russias response to them. Italian political party official urges EU to end sanctions on Russia Some members of the bloc are starting to see how the Russia-Ukraine war is actually sending Europe nosediving into economic collapse. (Related: Italian conservatives demand immediate end to economic sanctions against Russia.) Matteo Salvini, federal secretary of Italys far-right wing party Lega Nord (Northern League), already broke ranks with other European leaders who have lately seemed to echo some form of Ukraine first policy. Salvini urged the EU to end Russias energy sanctions as these are only leaving Europeans on their knees amid soaring energy bills and the shortage of supply. He added that cutting off Russian energy is only hurting Italy and its people, who are having to pay double, triple or even quadruple the price for what little energy remains. And after seven months, the war continues and Russian Federation coffers are filling with money, Salvini told RTL radio. In a caucus for the September 25 general election in the northern town of Bolzano, Salvini said: In place of sanctions, which were supposed to hurt the Russians, it would be better to protect the Italians and Europeans with a shield, a parachute. He pointed out that the only emergency at this moment is electricity and gas bills. It is serious that one side of politics does not understand this. It is a continental and national problem, he added. Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio of the Together for the Future party denounced Salvinis comments and accused him of ultimately wanting to do Russian President Vladimir Putin a favor. Di Maio said: The issue of sanctions is very clear in the Italian right: They dont have a line. Visit Collapse.news for more news on EUs worsening energy crisis. Watch this video about Hungary no longer obeying the EUs Russian sanctions. This video is from Cynthias Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: 70,000 protesters swarm Prague in protest of energy crisis: Europe on the brink. German gas giant asks Berlin for BAILOUT as country faces energy crisis. Austrias head of security warns of possible riots this fall due to looming energy crisis. Czech President blames green madness for energy crisis. Sources include: SHTFplan.com RT.com ZeroHedge.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) One of the worlds leading science journals is now saying that perhaps covid really did come from a bio-laboratory run by the United States. The Lancet, which last year was saying the exact opposite, has suddenly decided that the Fauci Flu may have originated in U.S. laboratories engaged in the laboratory manipulation of SARS-CoV-like viruses, among other possibilities. (Related: A Pentagon whistleblower also claims to have evidence that covid was cooked up on purpose and not just a fluke of nature.) No independent, transparent, and science-based investigation has been carried out regarding the bioengineering of SARS-like viruses that was underway before the outbreak of COVID-19, says The Lancets Covid-19 Commission following a multi-year investigatory effort. Independent researchers have not yet investigated the U.S. laboratories engaged in the laboratory manipulation of SARS-CoV-like viruses, nor have they investigated the details of the laboratory research that had been underway in Wuhan. Moreover, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has resisted disclosing details of the research on SARS-CoV-related viruses that it had been supporting, providing extensively redacted information only as required by Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. Will we ever know the full story behind covid? Those who have been following this saga closely may recall that four months before the Obama administration outlawed gain-of-function research on American soil, the infamous EcoHealth Alliance forged a lucrative contract with the NIH to offshore said gain-of-function research. That research ended up in Wuhan, China, the alleged site of the Fauci Flus release, according to some speculators. It was there, we are told, that EcoHealth head Peter Daszak and his team of allies were tasked with manipulating bat coronaviruses to make them more transmissible to humans. Daszak was obsessed with trying to create genetically engineered (GMO) chimeric viruses that can move from animals to humans. He pushed for a $14 million contract with DARPA to further fund his endeavors, but that money was denied. At the time when the covid plandemic was launched and Daszak started to see his name in headlines as a possible culprit, he immediately penned a screed published in The Lancet denying any and all wrongdoing. According to Daszak, the Chinese Virus could have only come from nature, such as at a wet market in Wuhan where bats are sold for food even though there were no wet markets in operation at the time. Calling the idea that covid came from a lab conspiracy theories, Daszak called on the world to condemn anyone who dared to suggest that Chinese Germs are lab-made as opposed to nature-made. Now, The Lancet has changed its tune out of nowhere with the publication of new theories suggesting that covid was engineered on purpose. The NIH, this new study claims, resisted disclosing the details of its work because doing so would let the cat out of the bag. As of the time of publication of this report, all three research-associated hypotheses are still plausible: infection in the field, infection with a natural virus in the laboratory, and infection with a manipulated virus in the laboratory, the new study states. The study goes on to claim that no laboratory notebooks, databases, email records, or samples have ever been made available to independent researchers, which is highly suspect if there is nothing to hide. In brief, there are many potential proximal origins of SARS-CoV-2, but there is still a shortfall of independent, scientific, and collaborative work on the issue. The latest news about covid can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Newspunch.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The decision to administer remdesivir to covid patients and smother them with a ventilator a plandemic treatment protocol that we now know has killed many was done not according to any kind of science, new lawsuits allege. Hospitals selectively targeted the unvaccinated for this deadly protocol, the suits state. Unvaccinated patients were forced to take remdesivir and breathe with a ventilator almost as a type of punishment for their non-compliance with government protocols. Many vaccinated patients were given the regimen as well, just to be clear after all, the federal government paid hospitals gobs of cash for each patient who got it. But it appears as though the unvaccinated were given it more often than the vaccinated. (Related: Taking remdesivir was shown to increase a patients risk of hospitalization and death.) If theres any group that was targeted, its the unvaxxed, says attorney Dan Watkins, who was joined by Michael Hamilton in a recent appearance on The Alex Jones Show. As soon as they know youre unvaxxed, you are immediately moved into this protocol and your care is put down on the backburner and no one pays attention to you until youre done. Jones, of Infowars, responded to Watkins with the word wow, shocked at this flagrant display of what he described as bioethical eugenics targeting of the unvaccinated. Did a hospital murder someone you know with remdesivir, a ventilator and starvation? Take legal action! On September 7, Watkins and Hamilton made an official announcement about the lawsuits at a national press conference. The first one to be filed is a first-in-the-nation landmark case against three hospitals that were caught murdering unvaccinated patients for bounties provided to them by the federal government. These hospitals were paid using American taxpayer dollars to murder patients using a toxic combination of food and fluid restriction they were starved remdesivir, mechanical ventilation, and a high-dose morphine-midazolam respiration-suppressing cocktail. All three hospitals are located in Fresno, Calif. The suits accuse each of them of wrongful death, medical battery, elder abuse, and various other violations of patients rights. Truth for Health Foundation has pledged financial support for this lawsuit as one of our human rights defense efforts to serve the public good by helping protect public safety, defend patient rights, and defend life, announced the Truth for Health Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity incorporated in Arizona. Both Attorney Watkins and Attorney Hamilton have been engaged by Truth for Health Foundation to assist on several legal initiatives to help defend human and civil rights secured by law. In the comment section at The Liberty Dailys Substack, someone pointed out that hospitals across America and around the world also refused to provide early treatment for patients, i.e., they refused to allow patients to take simple, safe, and proven remedies like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). The hospitals sent them home and told them to wait, this person wrote. When they got sicker, they were almost too sick to treat. If someone has early pneumonia you treat early, because if you get worse you can die. Its common sense. Someone else responded to this comment by asking when common sense was ever even part of the plandemic. Its been a money-grabbing scam from the beginning, and profit drove all the decisions, most of which were wrong decisions in terms of ethics and health care, this person added. Theres a special place in hell for the cretins like Herr Fauci who engineered this criminal scheme against humanity (us). More of the latest news about the covid scamdemic can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: TheLibertyDaily.com NaturalNews.com TruthForHealth.org TheLibertyDaily.substack.com (Natural News) The vast majority of the world will perish, but the globalist elites are set to escape the Great Reset via a technological Noahs Ark. Yuval Noah Harari, author and lead advisor to Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF), noted during a discussion at the Warwick Economics Summit that the vast majority of the world will perish while the elites will survive a global mass extinction event. Harari said the elites will be able to shield themselves from planetary catastrophes. He added that climate change is the most pressing threat facing humanity. According to the WEF advisor, technology is key in this issue as it is the one that created the problem in the first place. Technology is also a key to the solution, but not the solution in itself because every technology can be used for good or for ill. He also said people need to work on the technological aspects, but need politicians to direct it in the right way for the benefit of the greatest number of people and of the entire ecosystem. One of the biggest dangers in technological utopianism [the belief] that, Oh, the technology will solve it is a kind of Noahs ark syndrome, like in the Bible with the flood, that yes, eventually they built an ark, but just for five people or something like that. Almost everybody drowned. In 2018, Harari also wrote about the useless class, where liberal democracys philosophical appeal has gained strength due to practical advantages. Liberalism in politics and economics has allowed democracies to outcompete other states and deliver rising affluence to their people. While he said economic growth may not solve social problems that are now being created by technological disruption, growth is still increasingly predicated on the invention of more and more disruptive technologies. (Related: Putin declares victory over New World Order: Change of elites coming because humanity has woken up.) With automation, old jobs would disappear and people will eventually not be able to cope, creating what he called a useless class a class that elites deem unnecessary in their Great Reset agenda. Harari: Humanity will be divided into two Harari further explained that there is a very big danger when people talk about what the future will be like with climate change. He claimed that humanity will be divided into two: a majority of people who would suffer and a minority led by globalist elites who have the resources, wealth and technology to protect themselves and even flourish in a kind of technological Noahs Ark. CNN host Bill Weir, who hosted the discussion, followed up by suggesting the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a dress rehearsal for the climate crisis. I keep coming back to the idea that the COVID pandemic is really a dress rehearsal on a much smaller level for the climate crisis, Weir said, adding that it is also a reminder of how communities have trust and faith in science and each other. He also said corporate control in the form of benevolent capitalism may yield planet-saving protocols: Those who wait for those citizens to start dying, suffer the most. But at the same time, were still so divided globally within countries about these sorts of things, and theres a lot of hope that if governments cant pull it together, then maybe itll be corporations, like benevolent capitalism. Visit GreatReset.news to know more about the WEFs Great Reset agenda. Watch the video below to learn about the real enemies of the public, including Klaus Schwab and the WEF. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: World Economic Forum wants everyone who resists Great Reset to be forced into China-style reeducation camps. World Economic Forum and Soros rally behind Ukraine: Delete connection to Putin (Video). Bill Gates, WHO, World Economic Forum are part of a criminal network of COVID conspirators, Sources include: NewsPunch.com TheAtlantic.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Russia is accusing Washington of being complicit in war crimes as the United States continues to supply weapons to Kyiv. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a media briefing that if the U.S. decides to supply Ukraine with longer-range missiles, it would cross the red line and become an actual party to the conflict. She added that such a move would be equivalent to deploying ground-based, medium-range missiles in Europe and that such weapons were already previously banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), which the U.S. abandoned in 2019 under the Donald Trump administration. In such a scenario, we would have to come up with an adequate response, said Zakharova, adding that Russia reserves the right to defend its territory using any means available. Washington has supplied Kyiv with M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS multiple launch rocket systems, which are capable of hitting targets at a range of around 70 kilometers. Kyiv is also seeking to get ahold of U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System or ATACMS, which can be fired using the HIMARS and MLRS systems but with a significantly longer range of some 300 kilometers. This means that the missiles can strike targets deep in Russian territory. Zakharova is accusing Washington of seeking to drag the conflict in Ukraine out for as long as possible while it controls how it develops, adding that it is a sign of Americas direct involvement in the conflict. She also accused the U.S. of seeking global destabilization and instigating a new arms race. These accusations came just a day after Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov accused the U.S. of inciting Kyiv against Russia as well as aiding Ukraines military efforts and boasting about it. Antonov also blasted U.S. claims about not being a party to the conflict as ridiculous and unfounded. The Pentagon also revealed a new military aid package for Kyiv this month. The $675 million package includes artillery ammunition, armored vehicles and remote-launched mines, among others. Russias best attack is a nuclear strike If the U.S. continues its support for Ukraine, the implication is that Russia will attack. Its a threat that the Kremlin has issued before, but without sufficient weaponry to hold back Ukrainian soldiers using HIMARS missile systems, Russia is not capable of targeting the U.S. and beating the military onslaught that would follow. This means Russias best attack is a nuclear strike. (Related: RED ALERT: Russia and China planning simultaneous attack to ELIMINATE the United States and occupy North America.) It is not clear if Russia would attack NATO countries in any way. While its a threat the communist country has implied time and time again, Kremlin officials cannot seem to get their stories straight, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issuing another warning of a possible nuclear war. Medvedev, who was the president between 2008 and 2012, is the current deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council. He claimed that the West is taking advantage of the conflict in Ukraine to eliminate Russia from the global political field. Those are the dirty dreams of the Anglo-Saxon perverts, who go to sleep with a secret thought about the breakup of our state, thinking about how to shred us into pieces, cut us into small bits, he said, adding that such attempts by NATO are very dangerous and should not be underestimated. Those dreamers ignore a simple axiom: A forceful disintegration of a nuclear power is always a chess game with death, in which its known precisely when the check and mate come: doomsday for mankind, he went on. If nuclear conflict is really the threat that Russia is attempting to communicate with the West, Zakharova and Medvedev need to communicate with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who sought to downplay the possibility of a nuclear conflict. Visit WWIII.news for more news related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Watch the video below to know more about Russias threats to the United States. This video is from the Leona Wind channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: US military revamping to fight Russia and maybe China in the Arctic. Russia deploying real-deal doomsday weapon that can flood U.S. coastal cities with nuclear tsunamis. Russia building up massive military presence in Arctic with advanced secret weapons, occupying the high ground of planet Earth. Sources include: RT.com 19FortyFive.com Brighteon.com Refreezing Earth's poles have come up in the suggestion handbook of scientists, recommending that this could be achieved by reducing incoming sunlight even amid rising global temperatures. This is based on a new study, which finds that freezing again the two polar regions of the planet, namely the Antarctic southern polar region and the Arctic the northern polar region, is both feasible and cheap. Concrete actions are yet to be implemented to fulfill the grand plan. Still, scientists behind the new research provided a potential future program where flying jets would spray microscopic aerosol particles into the atmosphere at the latitudes of 60 degrees north and south, approximately in the city of Anchorage, Alaska, and the southern tip of Patagonia region in South America. In recent years, multiple national and intergovernmental reports, as well as scientific research have showed that climate change and global warming is causing the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions to warm faster than the world. The alarming threat has led to several environmental repercussions, including global sea level rise due to melting glaciers, extreme weather events, and more violent storms. Refreezing Earth's Poles The new paper was published in the journal Environmental Research Communications on September 15, where scientists have developed a theoretical plan of a measure called "subpolar-focused stratospheric aerosol injection deployment." In short, the measure is called 'incoming sunlight reduction' which means that scientists in the future would use the said air particles over the north pole and south pole to mitigate the heat received from sunlight. This will theoretically reduce warming in the polar regions. Also Read: Arctic Warming Began Decades Earlier Than Records Suggest Why are the Poles Warming? Since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, human activities like greenhouse gas emissions and burning of fossil fuels have increased. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide has accelerated the natural process called the greenhouse effect, where the Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. As a result, there have been recurring scientific conclusions that anthropogenic warming or human-induced global warming is the cause of why the poles are warming. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the reasons mentioned above are widely accepted, however, one of its scientists named Patrick Taylor at NASA's Langley Research Center suggests a new reason behind the polar warming. NASA cites that Taylor's research show the Earth's poles are warming faster than the planet simply because large weather systems carry energy in the atmosphere towards the north pole and south pole. Taylor said it was previously thought that amplified polar warming was triggered by melting ice which lower surface albedo. Polar Warming Global Consequences In 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded a study led by scientists from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and they reported that the Arctic has armed by 0.75 degrees Celsius within the last decade alone. Michael Gooseff, the previous study's co-author and scientist at the University of Colorado, said the poles are connected to the rest of the Earth. As a result, anything that happens in these icy regions can have consequences for weather and sea level worldwide. Related Article: Arctic Amplification: Arctic Global Warming is Occurring Almost Four Times Faster Than the Rest of the World: New Study Federal wildlife biologists are preparing to take their first steps to eradicate invasive fish species that have entered the lower Colorado River ecosystem as a result of record-low Lake Powell water levels. This weekend, the National Park Service says it will carry out another round of rotenone treatment. Rotenone, a compound present in the roots of some tropical beans, functions as a piscicide to eliminate unwanted green sunfish and smallmouth bass. The choice was made in response to the discovery of the two fish species, green sunfish and smallmouth bass, in the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area earlier this year. On September 9, the agency wrote that the Endangered Species Act lists the humpback chub as threatened, and the recent discovery of breeding nonnative predatory fish in areas where they had not previously been abundantly found puts that species' recovery in jeopardy. Rotenone To use rotenone at levels compliant with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, park service officials say they will collaborate with other governmental organizations on Saturday and Sunday. Wildlife officials claim that although the substance is fatal to fish when used in small enough doses, it poses no threat to people or other animals. Within the next two months, the second round of treatment will be conducted in the area to deal with any invasive species that either emerged after the first treatment or evaded it. According to park service representatives, the cobble bar area around the backwater slough at river mile 12 and near upstream and downstream will be closed for the duration of the treatments. All restricted areas will be flagged. For the duration of the treatments, they add, a fabric barrier will be put in place at the slough's mouth to reduce the water exchange with the river. The agency explained that to neutralize the rotenone, potassium permanganate, a substance used to purify water, will be added to the slough and into the river just above the fabric barrier. Given the volume of flow in the Colorado River, if any rotenone were to enter the main channel, it would immediately be diluted to concentration levels that would not be harmful to humans or animals. Read also: Fish Leather: Sustainable Leather Made from Invasive Species May Become the Next Big Thing Invasive Fish: Smallmouth Bass and Green Sunfish Over the summer, biologists made the discoveries of green sunfish and smallmouth bass. Due to the region's persistent drought and other factors, experts think the reservoir's record-low levels in March through April allowed the Colorado River to warm up enough for the species to pass through the dam. According to park officials, both species prefer water that is warmer and closer to the lake's surface. They contend that because of the warmer water that entered the intakes of the dam, the non-native fish species had a better chance of surviving as they passed through the structure. The humpback chub, a listed threatened species, and native of the river ecosystem is preyed upon by smallmouth bass, a common sportfish. Just last year, the status of the humpback chub was changed from endangered to threatened. Brian Healy, the Native Fish Ecology and Conservation Program founder, said that It is pretty upsetting to see how quickly all the effort that was put into eradicating other invasive species and moving populations to protect the fish was undone. According to the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Lake Powell is currently listed as being at 24 percent of its maximum capacity as it once again approaches record-low levels, KSL reports. Related article: The Moment Biologists Dread Has Come, Invasive Fish Comes into Colorado River On Monday, authorities were contacting some of the most isolated settlements in the United States to assess the need for food and water as well as the extent of damage caused by a big weekend storm that swamped communities along Alaska's wide western coast. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths as a result of the big storm - the remains of Typhoon Merbok - as it moved north across the Bering Strait during the weekend. However, when floodwaters receded, damage to houses, roads, and other infrastructure became apparent. Damage Assessments Begin in Flooded Remote Alaska Villages The storm harmed over 21,000 individuals living in tiny settlements along a 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) stretch of Alaska's western coastline - a distance larger than the whole length of the California shoreline, as per US News Many homes were flooded throughout the region, and some were blown off their foundations by the rushing waves carried by powerful winds. Damage to highways, ports, seawalls, and water and sewage infrastructure was being assessed by officials. According to Jeremy Zidek, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, most airports in the area were open, and officials were conducting either temporary or permanent repairs to the runways that still had concerns. The storm remained stranded Monday in the Chukchi Sea in northwest Alaska, but it was swiftly weakening after influencing weather patterns as far afield as California at its peak. Coastal flood advisories have been extended north of the Bering Strait because water will be sluggish to retreat in places such as Kotzebue, Kivalina, and Shishmaref, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo. Water surged 5.5 feet (1.68 meters) over average tide level in Shishmaref, while Kotzebue and Kivalina suffered lower surges but were remained without electricity Monday, she added. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy highlighted five areas hit by high water, floods, erosion, and electrical concerns on Sunday: Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok, and Nome. Nome, where one house drifted down a river until it was trapped by a bridge, was among those reporting road damage after tidal surges 11.1 feet (3.38 meters) over average were recorded. Zidek stated that state authorities were actively monitoring those five, but they were also reaching out to every municipality in the region due to the multiple complaints of damage. While some areas' needs may be bigger, he said, "we don't want to overlook those other places who have modest difficulties that still need to be rectified." Read more: Severe Storms with Damaging Winds and Tornadoes to Hit the Central United States This Coming Week significant flooding and cancellations of flights According to reports from the city of Golovin, there was major flooding and destruction, which might have included old gasoline tanks, as per Accuweather. As Friday turned into Saturday, Golovin Airport recorded both peaks sustained winds and gusts. Wind gusts of 63 miles per hour were recorded shortly after midnight, with high sustained winds of 51 miles per hour recorded at 1 a.m. time zone just around 6:05 a.m. During the severe weather, the weather station at Golovin Airport went down. According to an NWS report, Kipnuk, Alaska, located on the southern section of the Alaskan west coast, saw winds of 45 mph with gusts of up to 80 mph. The second-highest wind gust of the day occurred in the Tin City Airways Facilities Sector in Shishmaref, Alaska, at 8:49 a.m., with a 67 mph gust. Shishmaref is one of the most western cities on the North American continent, located approximately 35 miles east of Russia's Big Diomede Island. Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport reported many cancellations to storm-affected portions of the state. On Saturday, two flights from Anchorage to Ralph Wien Memorial Airport in Kotzbue were canceled. Flight Aware reported that a flight to Bethel and Nome has also been canceled. According to Tribal Chief Edgar Tall, there have been multiple reports of damage across Alaska, including at least three homes being displaced off their foundations in Hooper Bay. Floodwaters prompted 110 people to seek refuge in the Hooper Bay School. Western Alaska is seeing one of the most severe storms in recent memory. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski stated in a Twitter post that she and her staff are in constant touch with local, state, and federal officials, and she is ready to do whatever she can do at the federal level to help all those affected. Related article: Developing Storm System to Bring Severe Weather in the Eastern Half of the United States A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico's central Pacific coast on Monday, September 19. It killed at least one person and prompted local authorities to issue a mandatory evacuation for Mexico City, the capital of the Central American country. The powerful tremor occurred while the nation was observing the anniversaries of two previous deadly quakes, which left a total of thousands of people dead. Monday's strong quake occurred shortly after 1 p.m. local time near the western coast of Michoacan. Initial reports indicated that at least one person was injured and several buildings were damaged from the impact. The seismic event was felt in the Mexican capital soon after a drill took place to commemorate the two catastrophic earthquakes that transpired on the same date in 1985 and 2017. The western coast of Mexico is situated along the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," a horse shoe-shaped region at the edge of the Pacific Ocean were volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are frequent. This is due to active tectonic plates within the zone, resulting in dynamic seismic activities and recurring tremors. With this, earthquakes are common in Mexico each year, ranging from moderate to destructive. Mexico 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Aside from casualties, the magnitude 7.6 quake knocked out power lines and forced residents to flee outdoor for safety, according to the Mexican government, as cited by Reuters. The fatality was recorded in the Pacific port of Manzanillo when a roof of a department store collapsed. Meanwhile, the reportedly injury was a result of a falling glass from one of the hospitals, which were damaged near the epicenter in Michoacan. The quake's epicenter was recorded near the Michoacan border near the state of Colima, and it occurred at a depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles), which amplified its impact, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Also Read: Powerful 7 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Acapulco, Mexico Damaging Buildings in its Wake Post-Earthquake Tsunami Warning The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning along the Mexican coastline, warning that waves reaching between one to three meters (three to nine feet) above tide level cannot be ruled out. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) said there was no scientific explanation for the three major earthquakes that struck the country on the same date, attributing it to coincidence, as cited by Reuters. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke with Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla. During their conversation, the governor assured there were only reports of material damage in the region, as cited by BBC. Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum tweeted there were no reports of damage in the capital but mentioned that there were some areas that experience power outages after the seismic event, as cited by AccuWeather. The Cursed Anniversary Various sources indicated that September 19 is a "cursed anniversary" since the three major quakes occurred in singularity, even if their span are 32 years and five years. In 1985, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake on September 19 devastated Mexico and killed thousands of people. In 2017, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on September 19 killed around 370 people in the city of Puebla in the center of the country, destroyed over 40 buildings. Related Article: 7.5. Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mexico, Leaves 5 Dead Hurricane Fiona showed its force by unleashing heavy rains, causing major flooding in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fiona became a Category 2 hurricane on Monday evening with up to 100 mph maximum sustained winds and made landfall on September 18 on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico., Punto Tocon, AccuWeather reported. On Monday evening, the Associated Press said that Hurricane Fiona was heading northwest at 10mph (17 kph) with 105 mph (165 kph) maximum sustained winds. The Hurricane was not expected to cause heavy rains in the U.S. Authorities said that at least four died from the impact of Hurricane Fiona. The Associated Press and other reports revealed the following: A 70-year-old man died after being burned as he filled with gasoline a running generator. In Comerio, A 50-year-old died after being swept away by the overflowing La Plata River. There are no details on the third death in Puerto Rico. In the Dominican Republic, reports said that a 60-year-old succumbed to death after being a victim of a fallen tree. Moreover, the Rio Guanajibo River near Hormigueros, in southwestern Puerto Rico, reached 29.2 feet on Monday morning, exceeding the 28.6 of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Also Read: Powerful Storm Hits Western Alaska Causing Widespread Flooding and Evacuations In just three hours, Rio Grande De Manati climbed to 15 feet. It could result in flash flooding and flooding in the area. Furthermore, the AP reported that 837,000 customers were affected by the water service cut on the islands. Power Outage The impact of Hurricane Fiona resulted in over 24-hour power interruption in Puerto Rico's entire island. AccuWeather revealed that 1.3 million had no electrical power on Monday evening. However, officials said that 100,000 customers, such as hospitals, have their power restored. The private company handling the power transmission lines in Puerto Rico, Luma Energy, explained that the complete power restoration for all affected communities could require days. Moreover, AccuWeather shared that the total rainfalls of Hurricane Fiona as of Monday reached: 31.34 inches in Ponce (Lago Cerillos) 27.12 inches in La Plaza 24.68 inches in Playa de Ponce 24.41 in Coamo 24.02 in Barrio Beatriz News and Weather reporter Manuel Crespo said to AccuWeather that Hurricane Fiona's flooding was worse than people thought. Before Fiona pounded the islands of Puerto Rico, officials urged the public to remain at home. The country has also opened shelters for evacuations. Fiona damages AccuWeather's Founder and CEO, Dr. Joel N. Myers, said that Fiona would impact Puerto Rico's economy by an estimated $10 billion. The report also added that Hurricane Maria's impact led to $90 billion in damages. Maria was a Category 4 Hurricane that hit Puerto Rico, leaving catastrophic damage. Dominican Republic In the Dominican Republic, AP reported that 800 people were evacuated, while more than 700 were in shelters. People were advised to stay at home. AccuWeather stressed that Hurricane Fiona would bring more flooding, damaging wind gust, flash floods, and landslides to the Dominican Republic as it moves away from the Caribbean. State officials said that the storm's damage could take days to assess. Related Stories: Fiona Strengthens into Hurricane as It Unleashes Heavy Rains in Puerto Rico For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Cattle lie bloated but still intact in the village of Nyos in Cameroon on August 31, 1986 after the explosion of the volcanic lake Nyos killing about 2000 people. - On 21 August 1986, a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. The eruption triggered the sudden release of about 100,000300,000 tons (1.6 million tons, according to some sources) of carbon dioxide (CO 2).The gas cloud initially rose at nearly 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) and then, being heavier than air, descended onto nearby villages, displacing all the air and suffocating people and livestock within 25 kilometres (16 mi) of the lake. (Photo : Photo by ANDRE YOUBISI/AFP via Getty Images) The recent change of color and smell in north-west Cameroon's Lake Kuk worry the local residents of possible disaster that may resurface 36 years ago. According to The Conversation, Cameroon's 'exploding' lakes has caused anxiety and panic as lethal gas release could possibly cause another tragedy. Just 10km away, Lake Nyos emitted gases mainly composed of carbon dioxide, killing 1,746 people and around 8,300 livestock, on August 1986. Emerald reported on 2012 that the socioeconomic management has been poor at the time, partly attributed to the weak financial situation of Cameroon. However, the major problems seem to be related to human systems. The Lake Nyos Gas Disaster After the significant loss this tragedy caused 36 years ago, many researchers looked into what made the lake deadly. According to research published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, the carbon dioxide gas released from the Earth's mantle had been accumulating at the bottom of the lake for centuries. Due to a sudden disturbance of the lake's waters resulting to a landslide, the lake released around 1.24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide gas. According to survivors, there was a brief rumbling sound from Lake Nyos before the invisible gas cloud could emerge from its depths. People and animals in its paths were suffocated and killed before it dispersed into the atmosphere where it became harmless. Just like Nyos, Kuk is located in a region of volcanic activity known as the Cameroon Volcanic Line, along with 43 other crater lakes in the region that could contain lethal amounts of gases. Other lakes around the world posing similar risk include Lake Kivu at the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lake Ngozi in Tanzania and Lake Monticchio in Italy. Also read: Powerful 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mexico During Deadly Quake Anniversary: At Least One Dead Recent Change in Lake Kuk After the eruption at Lake Nyos, its water turned a deep red color and smelled like rotten eggs. Lake Kuk recently manifested the same characteristics. An official press release confirmed that heavy rainfall was linked to the odor and change in color of Lake Kuk, and urged local residents to "remain calm while being vigilant to continuously inform the administration of any other incident noted". Geologists and disaster management experts believe that several key steps should be taken by policymakers to prevent another tragedy from happening in the future. This includes knowing first which lakes are at risk of "exploding", further investigations, and regular monitoring. Among the 43 crater lakes on Cameroon's Volcanic Line, 13 are believed to be deep and large enough to contain lethal quantities of gases, while 11 are considered to be relatively safe. Furthermore, there are key indicators of the potential storage of large quantities of dangerous gases, including quantity of dissolved gases, surface area or water volume, and depth. Meanwhile, the factors that lead to the greatest risk include high quantities of dissolved gases held under high pressures, at great depths, in lakes with large volumes of water. The even greater risk of explosion is when lakes sit in wide or large craters where there are disturbances. Related article: Alaska Declares State of Emergency Due to Typhoon Merbok That Causes Significant Flooding Across the State Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Multimedia Specialist Anthony Zilis is a multimedia specialist at The News-Gazette. His email is azilis@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@adzilis). Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The Cal-Berkeley and Yale Law grad took time out to answer a few questions from Editor Jeff DAlessio in the 10th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting local leaders of organizations big and small. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Researchers of the Human Brain Project (HBP) have mapped four new areas of the human anterior prefrontal cortex that plays a major role in cognitive functions. Two of the newly identified areas are relatively larger in females than in males. The human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in cognitive control including attention selection, working memory, decision making and planning of actions. Changes in this brain region are suspected to play a role in schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and bipolar disorder, making it an important research target. Researchers from Forschungszentrum Julich and Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf now provide detailed, three-dimensional maps of four new areas of the brain region. In order to identify the borders between brain areas, the researchers statistically analyzed the distribution of cells (the cytoarchitecture) in 10 post mortem human brains. After reconstructing the mapped areas in 3D, the researchers superimposed the maps of the 10 different brains and generated probability maps that reflect how much the localization and size of each area varies among individuals. High inter-subject variability has been a major challenge for prior attempts to map this brain region leading to considerable discrepancies in pre-existing maps and inconclusive information making it very difficult to understand the specific involvement of individual brain areas in the different cognitive functions. The new probabilistic maps account for the variability between individuals and can be directly superimposed with datasets from functional studies in order to directly correlate structure and function of the areas. When comparing the brains of female and male tissue donors, the researchers found that the relative volumes of two of the newly identified areas were significantly larger in female than in male brains. This finding may be related to sex differences in cognitive function and behaviour as well as in the prevalence and symptoms of associated brain diseases. The maps are being integrated into the Julich Brain Atlas that is openly accessible via EBRAINS. The Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, in partnership with the Ann Theodore Foundation (ATF), is pleased to announce a new Request for Proposals (RFP) focused on understanding the underlying biology of sarcoidosis, an immune dysregulation condition. The Ann Theodore Foundation Breakthrough Sarcoidosis Initiative is one of the largest investments in sarcoidosis basic science and has the potential to accelerate the speed at which new discoveries and therapies are made. The second cycle of the Breakthrough Sarcoidosis Initiative funding cycle is open for applications now through Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Teams can apply for funding up to $575,000 over a two-year period. An informational session about the program and the initiative will take place on Wednesday, September 28, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Sarcoidosis is hallmarked by clusters of immune cells, known as granulomas, forming in various organs throughout the body. It is often observed in the lungs, but virtually any organ can be impacted. Furthermore, it can be a chronic and devastating condition. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing, fatigue, and arrhythmia, and can lead to severe organ damage and death. While anyone can be impacted, it impacts African-American women at higher rates than other demographics. It's inspiring to see the ways in which strategic philanthropists are stepping up and providing the capital needed to advance understanding of a disease like sarcoidosis." Melissa Stevens, executive vice president of philanthropy, Milken Institute This funding program builds on a major Giving Smarter Guide that laid out the critical need to better understand this devastating disease and several promising opportunities for philanthropy to step in . More than $3 million in sarcoidosis-focused research funding was recently awarded to six US-based teams. SAB member Bob Baughman, President Emeritus of the World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders, added, "We believe this infusion of funds will pave the way toward solutions for those affected by this debilitating disease." Awardees for this cycle of funding are expected to be notified in spring 2023. A steering committee of pulmonary experts and primary care physicians (PCPs) released today a white paper outlining the issues surrounding delays in diagnosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) like pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Brought together by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and Three Lakes Foundation, the committee provides expert guidance for the initiative, Bridging Specialties: Timely Diagnosis for ILD Patients, with the goal of reducing the time it takes to reach a diagnosis for complex lung diseases. The clinical perspective is based on data collected from surveys sent to PCPs and pulmonologists to assess the need for interventions, including tools that can be used to aid in diagnosing PF and other ILDs. As it relates to the primary care clinician, the objective of the survey was to: Assess behaviors of primary care physicians in response to a patient presenting with nonspecific symptoms Measure knowledge and attitudes regarding a diagnosis of PF or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) For the pulmonary specialist, the objective of the survey was to identify what distinguishes ILDs from other, more common, lung issues. Data were analyzed by specialty, familiarity with PF guidelines, experience diagnosing patients with PF, region of the United States, type of area served by their practice (both urban/rural/suburban and socioeconomic status of the community served) and tenure in practice. Based on the results of the surveys: PCPs and pulmonologists agree-;there is no short list of factors that contribute to delays in diagnosis of IPF. Overcoming barriers is a complex challenge because the issues driving delays are multifactorial. Patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms that may be early warning signs are much more likely to be evaluated for cardiac conditions (#1 differential diagnosis for 40% of PCP respondents), followed by COPD and asthma. ILD/IPF is not a top-of-mind consideration-;less than half of respondents (42%) considered it as one of their top three diagnoses for a patient presenting as such. While, in general, 87% of PCPs will try to evaluate the root causes of nonspecific symptoms, that number drops to 61% if the patient is already on inhaled therapy for a pulmonary condition. This means that a substantial minority of PCPs (39%) will bypass symptom evaluation to modulate therapy for what may be an incorrect diagnosis. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)-;the gold standard of imaging as it relates to detecting ILD-;is not universally ordered for patients when initial diagnostics justify that step. Only 62% say they order HRCT when a patient's chest radiograph shows lower lobe opacity, and only 50% say they order it when a patient has inspiratory crackles or some other abnormal pulmonary exam. "As a practicing primary care physician, it doesn't surprise me that PF/IPF are generally misdiagnosed or experience delays in diagnosis. These diseases are on the rarer side, so when a patient comes to their PCP, that doctor first will opt to rule out heart issues that can quickly end a life," says steering committee member and family medicine physician, William Lago, MD. "That said, lung diseases like PF are incredibly difficult to live with and can progress rapidly if untreated. An earlier diagnosis means starting treatments to slow fibrosing of the lungs and, with slowed disease progression, a patient's quality of life is often improved." The results of the surveys show that there are opportunities to close knowledge gaps that will elevate ILD and PF as a differential diagnosis in the early stages of symptom presentation and speed access to appropriate referral, especially as it relates to awareness of early symptomatic clues and common comorbidities. Guided by these findings, the steering committee will produce resources as part of a tool kit to more quickly recognize these complex lung diseases. As someone who works daily with interstitial lung disease, it is common for me to encounter what is an incredibly rare disease for other clinicians. Based on these survey results, and from what we are hearing in shared patient experiences, increasing awareness about this disease and providing additional training in the diagnostic algorithm is of prime importance. Close collaboration between primary care and pulmonary medicine will define what the resources will be to ultimately shorten the time to diagnosis." Tejaswini Kulkarni, MD, MPH, FCCP, steering committee member and pulmonologist To learn more about the Bridging Specialties initiative, to download the full white paper and to sign up for updates as resources become available, visit https://www.chestnet.org/Guidelines-and-Topic-Collections/Bridging-Specialties/Timely-Diagnosis-for-ILD-Patients. If you're already taking one blood thinner, mounting research suggests you might not need to take a second one. In fact, when patients who are on a commonly prescribed blood thinner stop taking aspirin, their risk of bleeding complications drops significantly, a Michigan Medicine study finds. Researchers analyzed over 6,700 people treated at anticoagulation clinics across Michigan for venous thromboembolism, or blood clots, as well as atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can cause stroke. Patients were treated with the common blood thinner warfarin but also took aspirin despite not having history of heart disease. We know that aspirin is not a panacea drug as it was once thought to be and can in fact lead to more bleeding events in some of these patients, so we worked with the clinics to reduce aspirin use among patients for whom it might not be necessary." Geoffrey Barnes, M.D., senior author of the study and cardiologist at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center Over the course of the study intervention, aspirin use among patients decreased by 46.6%. With aspirin used less commonly, the risk of a bleeding complication dropped by 32.3% -; amounting to one major bleeding event prevented per every 1,000 patients who stop taking aspirin. Results are published in JAMA Network Open. "When we started this study, there was already an effort by doctors to reduce aspirin use, and our findings show that accelerating that reduction prevents serious bleeding complications which, in turn, can be lifesaving for patients," said Barnes, who is also an associate professor of internal medicine at U-M Medical School. "It's really important for physicians and health systems to be more cognizant about when patients on a blood thinner should and should not be using aspirin." This de-escalation of aspirin use is based off several studies that found concerning links between concurrent use of aspirin and different blood thinners. One study reported that patients taking warfarin and aspirin for atrial fibrillation and VTE experienced more major bleeding events and had more ER visits for bleeding than those taking warfarin alone. Similar results occurred for patients taking aspirin and direct oral anticoagulants who were found more likely to have a bleeding event but not less likely to have a blood clot. "While aspirin is an incredibly important medicine, it has a less widely used role than it did a decade ago," Barnes said. "But with each study, we are seeing that there are far fewer cases in which patients who are already on an anticoagulant are seeing benefit by adding aspirin on top of that treatment. The blood thinner they are taking is already providing some protection from clots forming." For some people, aspirin can be lifesaving. Many patients who have a history of ischemic stroke, heart attack or a stent placed in the heart to improve blood flow as well as those with a history of cardiovascular disease benefit from the medication. The challenge comes when some people take aspirin without a history of cardiovascular disease and are also prescribed an anticoagulant, said first author Jordan Schaefer, M.D., a hematologist at U-M Health and clinical associate professor of internal medicine at U-M Medical School. "Many of these people were likely taking aspirin for primary prevention of heart attack or stroke, which we now know is less effective than once believed, and no one took them off of it when they started warfarin," Schaefer said. "These findings show how important it is to only take aspirin under the direction of your doctor and not to start taking over-the-counter medicines like aspirin until you review with your care team if the expected benefit outweighs the risk." Cilia are small hair-like organelles that extend from cells and perform many functions, including motility and signaling. Researchers have now revealed that cilia have a specialized transport hub at their base, where trains and cargos are assembled for transport throughout the cilia. Since defects in this cilia transport system can lead to e.g. cystic kidneys or blindness, the results published in Science also provide new insights into molecular basis for a variety of diseases. Cilia perform numerous functions for the cell: they help cells swim, move fluid, and send messages to each other. Cilia ensure that we can see, they remove substances from the lungs, move fluid in the brain, and enable us to perceive smells and sound. They are also essential for our development and the correct arrangement of our organs. If their function is disturbed, a wide variety of diseases can result, including heart, kidney, and lung diseases, blindness or infertility. The assembly and function of cilia relies on large trains of proteins that carry important cargos out to the ciliary tip and back to the base. Even the smallest mutations in individual components can paralyze the traffic inside cilia. The research team led by Professor Ben Engel at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel together with colleagues at the University of Geneva and the research institute Human Technopole in Milan has now succeeded in examining cilia in their natural environment. Their analysis revealed the native 3D structure of the ciliary base for the first time. Here, they discovered a busy transport hub, with trains being assembled and loaded in preparation for their journey into the cilia. Loading station for cilia transport Cilia are firmly anchored to the cell at their base. "Here is the start station for cilia transport," explains Hugo van den Hoek, first author of the study. "Trains are assembled here, loaded with cargo and placed on the rails." There are a total of nine different rails inside cilia, called microtubules. Each of them consists of two tracks, one for outbound trains and one for inbound. The trains transport proteins such as signaling molecules and building materials to the tip of the cilia. At their destination station, the train is unloaded and disassembled. The team examined the composition of the assembling trains in detail, revealing the order with which the train components are put together at the ciliary base. They also imaged structures at the base that serve as a selective barrier. This regulates the entry of large trains until they are fully assembled and loaded with the cargo proteins required for the construction and maintenance of the cilia. From fluorescence microscopy, we also know the exact timetable of the trains. Trains leave the start station within nine seconds, and then the whole train assembly process starts again." Hugo van den Hoek, first author of the study Organelles in 3D The researchers resolved the structure and composition of the ciliary base with the help of two complementary imaging methods. The research groups of Ben Engel in Basel and Dr. Gaia Pigino in Milan performed cryo-electron tomography, which reveals native cellular structures with exquisite molecular detail. Researchers headed by Dr. Virginie Hamel and Professor Paul Guichard in Geneva added data from Expansion Microscopy, which allowed numerous proteins to be localized and mapped onto the tomography structures. "This powerful combination of technologies has allowed us to reconstruct the first molecular model of the ciliary base and observe how it regulates the assembly and entry of these large protein trains," explains Paul Guichard. "Understanding the transport system and its logistics in detail helps us understand how cilia are built and function, which may also provide new ideas for therapies to cilia diseases," says Ben Engel. In a next step, he and his collaborators would like to examine what happens at the ciliary tip: how this end station is structured and how the return transport is organized. New clinical guidelines from the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) and the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM) for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) could help manage erectile dysfunction (ED) better "amid saturation advertising of online men's health platforms." The professional bodies recommend, among other things, a full and careful history and examination, tests to rule out common metabolic disorders, and further diagnostic testing only as required. These guidelines were published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Introduction ED is the "persistent or recurrent inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection of sufficient rigidity to permit satisfactory sexual activity occurring for at least 3 months." It may cause or aggravate mental ill-health, affecting both physical and psychological quality of life, as well as impairing social relationships in some cases. It is relatively common today, reported in up to 30% of adult males. The causes include psychogenic factors, as well as impaired neurologic control, loss of vascular supply, or changes in the endocrine function, as well as endothelial dysfunction. The condition is more common in older men, those who are sedentary, overweight, smoke, or have impaired fat metabolism. Since these risk factors are common to cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well, ED is considered a predictive marker for the risk of CVD and death in the future and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or other symptoms relating to the lower urinary tract. In other words, ED patients with a history of heart disease or with CVD risk factors should be tested as required. Most cases in Australia are managed by general practitioners (GPs), to be referred to specialists only when the response is inadequate or further testing is required. This helps cut costs and stretch funds, underlining the important place of GPs in the treatment of almost all disorders at the primary care level. The current paper is the first on this condition from Australian medical professionals that have passed peer review. Summarized recommendations The guidelines dwell on the need for a careful medical history in the context of today's changing sexual mores and expectations. The physician must rule out common causes that can affect vascular function, including medications, drugs, tobacco, or alcohol. Psychogenic causes are more common in younger men. Screening for metabolic factors is important to bring hidden cardiac disease to light and predict the risk of future CVD. The physical examination should cover the circulation, neurological and genitourinary systems, besides confirming the diagnosis. Laboratory tests are usually ordered for blood sugar and lipid profiles. Other hormones may be tested as required, such as when suspected of hypogonadism. This could be raised by low libido, poor response to the oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) drug class, or a history of diabetes. The treatment would then be testosterone replacement. Special tests include a psychiatric assessment, imaging for the vascular flow in the penis, a nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test, and other tests used only to pick up a suspected specific neurologic condition. The first might be useful if there is performance anxiety, identify stress factors or enhance treatment adherence, but it is costly, time-consuming, and not widely available. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Penile imaging studies are cheap, safe, and simple, assessing this organ's vascular system. NPT is not widely used as its clinical utility is controversial, and its measurement non-standardized. For all advanced testing options, the patient must be educated and decisions made in tandem. Management The large role played by cardiometabolic risk factors in ED emphasizes the importance of lifestyle modifications in treating this condition. Moreover, organic disease of this organ or the vascular or neurologic systems requires specific treatment. Those with psychosexual issues must be counseled appropriately. All these measures must be coordinated to provide an optimal outcome. If anginal pain is reported or tests show a high risk of CVD, follow-up investigations for heart disease may be requested, or the patient may be referred to a cardiologist. The CVD would then merit primary treatment, with ED treatment postponed until this time. Multiple therapies are now available, but with all of them, the patient must be monitored every 6-12 months to maximize the chances of success. Oral drugs beginning with oral PDE5i should first be prescribed unless contraindications exist. This includes unstable angina or nitrate therapy, which may precipitate dangerous hypotension and heart attacks. This must be accompanied by advice on when to use the drug and its relationship with food as well as with alpha-blocker drugs, which should be used only outside a 46-hour window of PDE5i treatment. In case the response is poor, second and third-line treatment approaches are used. This includes intracavernosal injection of drugs that relax the penile vasculature, producing an erection. These include prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and combinations such as papaverine with phentolamine, with or without PGE1. This mode of treatment is obviously relatively unpopular due to its invasive nature, the need for repeated treatments, and the fear of complications. Priapism is an unwelcome complication and may cause permanent damage. Penile prosthesis implants are the definitive treatment for ED and have been used for almost half a century in Australia. These are recommended in case of oral treatment failure or unwillingness to use these drugs. "Up to one in four males with ED will likely require a penile prosthesis implant as their definitive treatment," according to Professor Eric Chung. Inflatable and malleable implants are available. This is considered safe and effective but is an irreversible method. Careful patient selection and surgical practice are required to boost success rates. Newer treatments include regenerative therapies, promoting the regrowth of vascular tissue as well as rejuvenating the neural and hormonal control of erection by angiogenic and other growth factors. Stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma are examples of cell-based regenerative therapy being investigated for this purpose as well. Again, using low-intensity extracorporeal shock waves to encourage the endothelium to regenerate has gained ground as safe and effective, though less so than implants. Professor Chung published the first clinical study on this modality in Australia in 2015. He also authored the only published paper that examines the procedure after five years, along with helping to issue the Asia-Pacific guideline on this therapy. This is especially recommended in younger, healthier patients without overt CVD. Still, he said, "There is so much information that we don't fully know yet about this type of therapy, including types of machines, right shockwave setting and longer term safety." As with all new therapies, the risk-benefit ratio must be stringently scrutinized before their widespread introduction. Another author, Dr. Christopher Love, added that online men's health platforms were a good place to start for men with ED, but "he had concerns about "shopfront clinics" offering shockwave therapy and other regenerative treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma injections, at significant cost to patients but with little or no proven benefit.". Safety risks with genomic or epigenetic changes in the longer term, as well as potential immune reactions and infection risks, need to be identified in more stringent clinical trials. Considering the lack of high level evidence in men with ED, there is a serious concern due to commercialisation and financial gain over patient wellbeing in this vulnerable patient demographic." Lower immunity and recurring infections are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that the immune system of people with diabetes has lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, which compromises the urinary bladder's cell barrier, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. The study is published in Nature Communications. Diabetes results from lack of insulin and/or decreased insulin action. Insulin is a hormone that regulates glucose (sugar) and thus energy to the cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body stops producing insulin, while in type 2 diabetes, the cells have become less sensitive to insulin, which contributes to high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is a common disease that affects the health in many ways. One effect is that it compromises the innate immune system, leaving many people with increased susceptibility to regular infections, such as urinary tract infections (UTI)s caused by E. coli bacteria. In people with diabetes, these are more likely to lead to general blood poisoning, sepsis, originating in the urinary tract. An endogenous antibiotic Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now investigated whether glucose levels in people with diabetes (type 1, type 2, or prediabetes) are linked with psoriasin, an endogenous antibiotic which is a part of the innate immune system. Using urine, urinary bladder cells and blood serum samples from patients, the researchers analyzed levels of psoriasin and other peptides necessary for ensuring that the bladder mucosa remains intact and protects against infection. The findings were then verified in mice and urinary bladder cells with and without infection. "We found that high glucose concentrations reduce the levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, while insulin has no effect," says Annelie Brauner, professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet who led the study. "People with diabetes have lower levels of psoriasin, which weakens the cells' protective barrier function and increases the risk of bladder infection." Estrogen therapy reduced bacterial population Professor Brauner's research group has previously shown that treatment with estrogen restores the protective function of bladder cells in humans and mice and thereby help to regulate the immune response to a UTI. The researchers therefore tested how estrogen treatment affects infected cells exposed to high glucose concentrations. They found that the treatment boosted levels of psoriasin and reduced bacterial populations, indicating that the treatment may have an effect also among patients with diabetes. We now plan to probe deeper into the underlying mechanisms of infections in individuals with diabetes. The ultimate goal is to reduce the risk of infection in this growing patient group." Soumitra Mohanty, study's lead author, researcher, Karolinska Institutet The study was conducted in collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Capio and Uppsala University in Sweden and Universitatsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It was largely financed by the Olle Engkvist Foundation, Region Stockholm (ALF funding), the KI Research Foundation, the Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF), the Clas Groschinsky Memorial Foundation, the Ake Wiberg Foundation and the Magnus Bergvall Foundation. There are no reported conflicts of interest. In a recent study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, researchers at Madigan Army Medical Center assessed the characteristics of monkeypox infection in a patient vaccinated against smallpox. In Summer 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated an emergency response after the outbreak of monkeypox infections across the US. In addition, on 28 June 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a vaccination strategy against the monkeypox virus to be implemented across the country. Research Letter: Monkeypox in Patient Immunized with ACAM2000 Smallpox Vaccine During 2022 Outbreak. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti / Shutterstock Patient characteristics In the present study, the team reported a patient residing in Washington, USA, who was infected with the monkeypox virus. However, he was successfully vaccinated against smallpox with the ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine eight years before. The patient was a 34-year-old male who reported having sex with men. He walked into a sexually transmitted infections clinic with a four-day history of malaise, fatigue, and headache with a two-day history of four painless penile lesions. The patient was evaluated at a local emergency department two days before his clinic visit. He tested negative for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, and herpes simplex virus. While his constitutional symptoms showed improvement over the next two days, his penile ulcers developed into white papular lesions. The patient reported a history of syphilis and N. gonorrhea in 2017 that was resolved after treatment. His military health records did not show any history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or other immunocompromising conditions. He was previously recommended daily treatment with emtricitabine/tenovir as a pre-exposure prophylactic measure against HIV. However, he self-discontinued this treatment a year before he sought medical care. In the past 90 days, the patient stated that he had receptive oral and penetrative anal sexual intercourse with 13 to 14 new partners without any condom usage. His latest sexual encounter was reported 11 days before he sought medical care when he had unprotected anal-insertive sexual intercourse with a single partner at a local Pride event. Due to his military service, the patient received a smallpox vaccine with ACAM2000 vaccine in March 2014. Furthermore, he denied any recent travel outside Washington or contact with sick individuals. Results The study results showed that the patient displayed four ulcerated penile lesions that had progressed into a patch on the foreskin. This patch was observed two days after the patient developed constitutional symptoms. The lesions were non-tender, with no discharge observed. A tender right inguinal lymph node was also observed, along with a vaccination scar on his right deltoid. The team noted that the patient tested positive for non-variola orthopoxvirus via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subsequent testing showed that the clade II strain caused the infection. However, the patient tested negative for hepatitis C, syphilis, and HIV-1/2 antigen and antibody. The patient only required supportive care with the administration of oral acetaminophen to treat constitutional symptoms, which resolved ten days after the onset of symptoms. The rash evolved, coalesced, and progressed into a pustule six days after the constitutional symptoms first appeared. The lesion progressed into an ulcer on day 16 before dissipating without causing any residual scarring. Overall, the study showed that while vaccination was essential in preventing infectious disorders, vaccination alone can prove insufficient in providing immunity against monkeypox infection. Therefore, the researchers believe that vaccination should complement and not replace public health campaigns that facilitate the minimization of high-risk health behaviors. Infants can differentiate most sounds soon after birth, and by age 1, they become language-specific listeners. But researchers are still trying to understand how babies recognize which acoustic dimensions of their language are contrastive, a linguistics term that describes differences between speech sounds that can change the meanings of words. For example, in English, [b] and [d] are contrastive, because changing the [b] in 'ball' to a [d] makes it into a different word, 'doll'. A recent paper in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by two computational linguists affiliated with the University of Maryland offers new insight on this topic, which is imperative for a better understanding of how infants learn what the sounds of their native language are. Their research shows that an infant's ability to interpret acoustic differences as either contrastive or non-contrastive may come from the contexts that different sounds occur in. For a long time, researchers believed that there would be obvious differences between the way that contrastive sounds, such as short and long vowels in Japanese, are pronounced. However, although the pronunciations of these two sounds are different in careful speech, the acoustics are often much more ambiguous in more natural settings. This is one of the first phonetic learning accounts that has been shown to work on spontaneous data, suggesting that infants could be learning which acoustic dimensions are contrastive after all." Kasia Hitczenko, lead author of the paper Hitczenko graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a doctorate in linguistics. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Cognitive Sciences and Psycholinguistics Laboratory at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. Hitczenko's work shows that babies can differentiate acoustic sounds based on context clues, such as neighboring sounds. Her team tested their theory in two case studies with two different definitions of context, by comparing data on Japanese, Dutch, and French. The researchers collected speech that occurred in different contexts and made plots summarizing what the vowel durations were in each context. In Japanese, they found that these vowel duration plots distinctly varied in different contexts, because some contexts had more short vowels, whereas other contexts had more long vowels. In French, these vowel duration plots were similar in all the contexts. "We believe this work presents a compelling account on how infants learn the speech contrasts of their language, and shows that the necessary signal is present in naturalistic speech, advancing our understanding of early language learning," says co-author Naomi Feldman, an associate professor of linguistics with an appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). Feldman adds that the signal they studied holds true across most languages, and it's likely that their result can be generalized to other contrasts. The recently published research is an extension of Hitczenko's Ph.D. thesis, which examined how to use context for phonetic learning and perception from naturalistic speech. Feldman was Hitczenko's academic adviser at Maryland, where they both completed much of their research in the Computational Linguistics and Information Processing Lab, which is supported by UMIACS. J.R. Chester got pregnant the summer before her senior year of high school. A bright student with good grades, she gave birth, graduated, and was pregnant again when she arrived at college that fall. She was a teen mom like her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. Her school did not teach sexual health education, and preventing pregnancy was a foreign concept. Her sons are now teenagers. "If you don't know your options, you don't have any," said Chester, now a program director for Healthy Futures of Texas, a nonprofit sexual health advocacy and education organization. "Everyone was pregnant. And it just felt like: When it happens, it happens." While teen pregnancies have declined in the state and across the country in recent decades, Texas continues to have one of the highest state rates of teens giving birth at 22.4 births per 1,000 girls and women ages 15-19 the lowest, in Massachusetts, is 6.1. Along with Alabama, Texas has the nation's highest rate of repeat teen pregnancies. This fall, school districts across Texas are marking a shift to what educators call an "abstinence-plus" curriculum the first time the state has revised its standards for sexual health education in more than 20 years. Although districts may choose their own curriculum and teach more than the state requires, the state's minimum health standards now go beyond focusing on abstinence to stop pregnancies and include teaching middle schoolers about contraceptives and giving additional information about preventing sexually transmitted infections, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) that has been linked to several cancers. Previously, a 2017 report showed 58% of Texas school districts offered "abstinence-only" sexual health education, while only 17% offered curriculums that expanded beyond that. A quarter of schools offered no sex ed. Research shows that sex education programs that teach about contraception are effective at increasing contraceptive use and even delaying sexual activity among young people. Abstinence-focused education programs, on the other hand, have not been shown to be particularly effective at curbing sexual activity among teens. Whether Texas teens receive any sex ed at all, though, depends on whether their parents sign them up. While parents previously had to "opt out" of sex ed portions of their kids' health classes, they now have to "opt in" for their children to receive those lessons. That means parents must sign and return a permission slip a change some fear could lead to kids missing out not so much due to parental objections but because of lost forms and language barriers. These changes in sex education come as the state ratchets down abortion access following the Supreme Court decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. Texas has one of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws. The question of how schools educate young people about their sexual health and development has taken on new urgency now that many state governments have enacted abortion bans. Health advocates say many women may have no choice but to carry a pregnancy to term and that has created a new class of haves and have-nots: those who have the knowledge, resources, and agency to protect themselves from getting pregnant, and those who do not. Texas is big and diverse enough to need education policies that can be adapted for remote border towns and sprawling metropolitan areas both of which have high rates of unintended teen pregnancy. In 2019, the Texas Board of Education began rewriting the health education standards that had been in place since the 1990s. It kept in place the standards stating "that there are risks associated with sexual activity and that abstinence from sexual activity is the only 100% effective method to avoid risks." According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization, 39 states, plus the District of Columbia, mandate that sex ed classes provide information about abstinence, with 29 of them requiring that it must be "stressed." Just 20 states and D.C. require that the classes provide information about contraception. Under Texas law, sex ed must still present abstinence as "the preferred choice." When schools teach about condoms and other forms of contraception, they must provide what Texas calls "human use reality rates" or, as it is described in medical literature, "typical use" that detail the effectiveness of those methods outside laboratory settings. The changes taking effect this year primarily address if and when a Texas student learns about certain sexual health subjects. Under the state's previous standards, Texas schools could teach about birth control methods beyond abstinence, but only in high school health classes, which are optional. Now, information about contraceptives, as well as more about STIs, is taught in middle school health classes, which are required. In May, the Dallas Independent School District, one of the nation's largest, approved lesson materials to meet the state's new requirements. But school officials here wanted to do more given the scope of the problem. Advocates say Dallas County has the highest rate of repeat teen pregnancies in the nation. The district curriculum goes beyond the state minimum and includes gender identity and extra information about contraceptives, as well as a contract with Healthy Futures of Texas to teach an optional after-school program for high school students. The previous curriculum was "very scientific" and "very dry," said Dustin Marshall, a member of the school district's board of trustees, and left out basic information about contraceptives, like how to put on a condom. "One of the primary ways to reduce teen pregnancy and relieve generational poverty from teen pregnancy is to teach contraception," he said. "Not to just assume that if you teach abstinence, every kid will obey. That's a little too head-in-the-sand, from my perspective." Some critics say the state's standards, while an improvement, are inadequate when it comes to consent and LGBTQ+ issues, including gender identity. The state board does require that schools teach about healthy relationships and setting personal boundaries for sexual activity. Under Texas law, parents have the ultimate say over not only whether their child receives sexual health education, but also what is covered in those lessons. For nearly 30 years, school districts have been required to create and appoint school health advisory councils, tasked with reviewing and recommending health curriculums, including on sexual health. Most members must be parents and not district employees, so the content of sex ed classes can still vary widely by district. Jen Biundo, senior director of policy and research at Healthy Futures of Texas, described a study she helped conduct asking parents and teenagers who they would prefer to teach teens about sex. While parents and teens ranked them differently, she said their choices were the same: schools, doctors, and parents. Health advocates point out that not all parents can or do educate their children about sex and that many teens live in unstable situations like foster care. Biundo said that when they asked teens where they learn about sex, the top answers were "my friends and the internet." Indeed, some parents, especially those who were teen mothers themselves, may not know about birth control or how to access it. "Where are the parents supposed to get the knowledge from?" Chester said. "Because they came through the same school system that didn't teach sex ed, and all of a sudden they're supposed to know what to teach their kids." "We are trying to end that generational curse of being uneducated," she said. In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers estimated region-specific basic reproduction number (R 0 ) values for MSAs (metropolitan statistical areas) in the US (United States) based on compartmental modeling with reproduced severe acute syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surveillance data. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance efforts in the US have provided valuable insights into SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in the country. Several US areas were simultaneously affected by a single pathogenic virus (SARS-CoV-2) at the commencement of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Therefore, comparing region-wise COVID-19 R 0 estimates could elucidate how population characteristics of different areas merge for determining differential SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility. The initial transmission of a communicable disease-causing pathogen in a specific population can be quantified based on the R 0 values, which provide the expected number of new COVID-19 cases generated by an infected person in a susceptible population, depending on the properties of the causative pathogen and the population. The authors of the present study previously developed a compartmental analysis model that could reproduce daily SARS-CoV-2 infection case count data for the 15 most populated US MSAs and all 50 US states. About the study In the present study, researchers used their previously developed model to estimate regional COVID-19 R 0 estimates for 280 out of 384 US MSAs, accounting for 95% and 82% of the US population residing in urban regions and the total population, respectively. A compartmental model-based approach was used for the analysis, for which a homogeneous population is required. For ascertaining whether SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs more homogeneously across the US MSA counties or states, three variability measures (Gini coefficient, Wasserstein-1 distance and Fano factor) were used to assess variability in COVID-19 incidence rates per week (i.e., risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection over seven days). The compartmental model considered the initial period of NPIs (nonpharmaceutical interventions)/social distancing, during which a proportion of individuals adopted disease-avoiding behaviors. In contrast, the remaining individuals engaged freely in social activities without taking precautions for COVID-19 prevention. The three variability measures were plotted as a function of the epidemiological week for the chosen MSAs and overlapping states. Histograms of time-averaged variability measures for multi-county MSAs and states were analyzed. For every MSA, the Bayesian inference approach, enabled by the MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo) sampling procedure, was applied to derive the maximum a posteriori (MAP) R 0 estimates, equivalent to the maximum likelihood estimates. The variability measures were calculated for epidemiological week 5 to week 52, corresponding to the period between January 26, 2020, and December 26, 2020, for MSAs and 50 states comprising multiple counties by amalgamating daily counts of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections at a county level. For variability assessments, data were obtained from The New York Times-maintained GitHub public repository. Results MSAs identified with the highest number of counties were Atlanta (n=29 counties), Washington (n=25 counties or county equivalents), New York City (NYC, n=23 counties or county-equivalents) and Virginia Beach (n=19 counties or county equivalents). The R 0 estimates ranged between 1.9 (for the MSA encompassing Appleton, Wisconsin) and 7.7 (for the MSA encompassing Detroit, Michigan) for relative region-wise susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The disparate R 0 estimates indicated that the population features contributing to the initial spread of SARS-CoV-2 were heterogeneous geographically and combined to yield >4-fold contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2. The variability measures were lesser for the MSAs in comparison to those for overlapping states. For all three variability measures, the MSA histograms showed left-side shifts in relation to those for the states, indicating that the county-level SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks showed greater homogeneity for US counties within the MSAs compared to those within the states. Region-specific model parameterizations were found to be consistent with SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data of US MSAs with >200 cumulative COVID-19 cases documented before May 21, 2020, and 5 novel cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on any given day in the period between January 21, 2020, and June 21, 2020. The criteria were met by 280 US MSAs. Overall, the study findings showed that SARS-CoV-2 contagiousness varied over a four-fold range across urban regions of the US. The findings may aid in mitigating future outbreaks of pulmonary diseases since a few urban regions were found to have a far greater susceptibility to rapid SARS-CoV-2 transmission than others. *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. ATLANTIC, Iowa Sept. 20, 2022 A CN Railway project to rebuild the at-grade crossing on Pottawattamie County Road G-37/Old Mormon Bridge Road just east of I-29/I-680 system interchange will require closing the roadway to motorists from 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26 until Saturday morning Oct. 1, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportations District 4 maintenance office. This closure will impact Crescent commuters using the interstate system. Motorists will follow a marked detour route using Pottawattamie County Road G-37, Interstate 29, North 16th Street, West Broadway/Kanesville Boulevard, and North Broadway/Old Lincoln Highway (see map). The DOT will also be closing several ramps at the I-29/I-680 system interchange. I-29 Exit 61A from northbound I-29 to eastbound Pottawattamie County Road G-37 (southeast quadrant straight ramp) I-29 Exit 61A from southbound I-29 South to eastbound Pottawattamie County Road G-37 (southwest quadrant loop ramp) I-680 Exit 3 from eastbound I-680 to eastbound Pottawattamie County Road G-37. All eastbound traffic will be directed onto the southeast loop ramp to northbound I-29. The latest traveler information is available anytime through our 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or Twitter (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device. Its easy to subscribe to Your 511 and sign up to receive the email/text alerts. Visit https://new.511ia.org/#login to sign up. For instructions and help for this feature, visit https://www.511ia.org/help/section/how-to-create-and-manage-a-511-account.html. # Contact: Scott Suhr at 712-243-7627 or scott.suhr@iowadot.us Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High near 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Cabinet paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIs exemplary reign, service to the British people, and immeasurable contribution to bolstering the longstanding relations between Bahrain and the United Kingdom. It highlighted the condolences paid by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, His Majesty King Charles III, following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The weekly Cabinet meeting was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, HE Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, yesterday at Gudaibiya Palace. The Cabinet also followed up on HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Ministers directives to continue the disbursement of financial support for eligible Bahraini driving instructors. In this regard, the Cabinet was briefed by the Ministry of Social Development on its initiatives to implement HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Ministers directives and the evaluation of eligibility rules and criteria. Regional peace To mark the International Day of Peace, the Cabinet affirmed the Kingdoms commitment to upholding international and regional peace to improve security and promote peaceful coexistence. The Cabinet reviewed the latest developments for treating communicable diseases and directed the Ministry of Health to continue implementing precautionary and preventive measures. It congratulated the King, Government, and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of Saudi Arabias National Day. The Cabinet also commended the cultural developments and achievements of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the support provided by the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The Cabinet discussed several memorandums during the meeting with the following outcomes: The approval of the following memorandums: 1. A memorandum by the Minister of Finance and National Economy and the Minister of Industry and Commerce regarding the decision of the GCC Standing Committee for Combating Harmful Practices in International Trade to impose antidumping fees on several GCC imports. 2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on an MoU between Bahrain Polytechnic and Shandong Jiaotong University in the Peoples Republic of China in education and professional capacity building. 3. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on the Bucharest Declaration Building a Better Digital Future for All that aims to accelerate digital transformation and cooperation in promoting communications and information technology. 4. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding the governments response to four proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives. The Cabinet also reviewed a memorandum by the Minister of Oil and Environment regarding a study that monitors emissions from factories and industrial establishments. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The latest developments in unifying the classification and registration procedures of medical specialties in the region will be the main agenda of the meeting to be held by the GCC Committee of the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain on September 30. The GCC Committee focuses on researching the procedures for defining and registering health specialisations in Gulf countries. The meeting will be part of the Second Bahrain Health Regulatory Conference and Exhibition, held under the patronage of the Supreme Council of Health Chairman His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, from September 29 to October 1, 2022. Safe and high-quality healthcare services is the theme of the Second Bahrain Health Regulatory Conference and Exhibition. Key healthcare professionals from Bahrain, GCC states, and beyond will attend. It aims to bring together healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, patient safety experts, and educators in medicine from around the world to share knowledge on implementing and managing health regulations. Meanwhile the meeting will be attended by GCC States representatives, GCC Health Council representatives, and GCC Secretariat General representatives, said National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) CEO Dr Mariam Adhbi Al Jalahma. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Labour Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Al Humaidan has stressed that the economic recovery initiatives have contributed to boosting employment rates, reducing unemployment among citizens, continuing work to supplement the national economy, developing the labor market and promising sectors, and attracting more investments. Such advances are in line with the comprehensive development process led by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and followed up by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The minister was speaking at the 48th session of the Arab Labour Conference in the Egyptian capital Cairo on September 18-26. He stressed that the government has accorded great attention to empowering the labour market to keep pace with digital development and support Artificial Intelligence with initiatives in accordance with progress requirements and the diversity of labor market needs in the productive and service sectors. The advanced electronic services provided by the Kingdom contributed to facing the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy and the labour market, he said. Bahrain also achieved multiple success stories and it was considered a global model as this policy was able to ensure the stability of national workers and to avoid layoffs by providing financial support packages to private sector enterprises, he added. The minister touched on Bahrains efforts to promote human resource development and noted that the Kingdom has harnessed many resources and capabilities for human resource qualification and development programs in line with future needs. The Kingdom also launched the National Labour Market Plan 2021-2023 that seeks to transform present challenges into opportunities. The plan will contribute to shaping future policies for public and higher education institutions as well as to developing education outcomes to serve the changing needs of the labor market. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Oil and Environment Minister, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, has affirmed Bahrain's keenness to bolster its cooperation with Sri Lanka, through exchanging expertise in fields related to environment, climate and renewable energy. Dr. Bin Daina was speaking while receiving here today the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Bahrain, Pradeepa Saram. The envoy expressed her country's pride in its friendly relations with Bahrain, commending the remarkable progress made by the kingdom in sustainable development fields. She wished the Bahraini-Sri Lankan relations further progress in the interests of the two friendly peoples. Agencies | New York The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com One person is estimated to be dying of hunger every four seconds, over 200 NGOs warned Tuesday, urging decisive international action to "end the spiralling global hunger crisis". In an open letter addressing world leaders gathering in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, 238 organisations from 75 countries, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Plan International, expressed outrage at skyrocketing hunger levels. "A staggering 345 million people are now experiencing acute hunger, a number that has more than doubled since 2019," they said in a statement. "Despite promises from world leaders to never allow famine again in the 21st century, famine is once more imminent in Somalia. Around the world, 50 million people are on the brink of starvation in 45 countries," they said. Pointing out that as many as 19,700 people are estimated to be dying of hunger every day, the NGOs said that this translates to one person dying of hunger every four seconds. "It is abysmal that with all the technology in agriculture and harvesting techniques today, we are still talking about famine in the 21st century," Mohanna Ahmed Ali Eljabaly from the Yemen Family Care Association, one of the letter's signatories, said in the statement. "This is not about one country or one continent, and hunger never only has one cause. This is about the injustice of the whole of humanity," he said. "We must not wait a moment longer to focus both on providing immediate lifesaving food and longer-term support so people can take charge of their futures and provide for themselves and their families." The Japanese government is preparing to introduce a system for companies to pay salaries digitally without going through bank accounts by spring 2023. By promoting this system, which allows companies to transfer salaries to workers using smartphone payment apps, the government hopes to solve the complex issues facing foreign workers in Japan, expand the financial services market and deregulation, and promote growth. However, according to a survey of 247 companies conducted by Works Human Intelligence, a leading developer of integrated HR systems for corporate clients, less than 30% of companies are considering or will consider implementing digital salary payment. The survey found that system and operational costs and increased operational person-hours were the main barriers. The potential benefits of paying salaries digitally are significant. It reduces administrative fees associated with payroll payments and helps foreign workers, who often find it difficult to open a bank account. Companies can also indirectly offer benefits such as cashback and point rewards for using QR code payments and e-money payments as part of their employee benefits program. On the other hand, the survey highlighted that most companies are not yet ready to adopt such a system. In 2018, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) formulated the "Cashless Vision," which proposed measures for Japan to move towards becoming a cashless society. It aims to increase cashless transactions to 40% by 2025, when the Osaka Expo is held, and possibly 80% in the future. The goal is also to help solve issues such as labour shortages, regional revitalization, and productivity improvement. ...continue reading SoftBank Corp. said Tuesday it has launched a subscription service that lets customers drive a used car at a fixed monthly rate, as it tries to diversify its business portfolio amid a slow growth in the flagship mobile phone business. The Japanese telecom company has set up Carro Japan Corp. in Tokyo, a joint venture with Singapore-based online used car retailer Trusty Cars Pte. Ltd., for the new service. Carro Japan started the service for corporate customers Tuesday, with an eye to expanding it to individual customers through partnership with SoftBank's group companies such as Yahoo Japan Corp. ...continue reading House (Japanese: ) is a 1977 Japanese experimental comedy horror film directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi. A schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted. Following the success of the American film Jaws, a proposition came from the Toho film studio for Nobuhiko Obayashi to develop a similar script.[2][3] To find inspiration for the story, Obayashi discussed ideas with his pre-teen daughter Chigumi Obayashi. Nobuhiko sought her ideas, believing that adults "only think about things they understand ... everything stays on that boring human level" while "children can come up with things that can't be explained".[2] Several of Chigumi's ideas were included in House such as a reflection in a mirror attacking the viewer, a watermelon being pulled out of a well appearing like a human head, and a house that eats girls... read more on Wikipedia Graduates attend the 2019 commencement ceremony of Tsinghua University in Beijing on July 7, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] Students living in rural areas have been given more opportunities to attend key university as a result of a national special enrollment project launched in 2012, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday. The project, which reduces the university entrance requirements for those living rural areas, has led to the enrollment of more than 950,000 students over the past decade, said Wang Hui, director of the ministry's department of college students affairs. The number of students enrolled under the project jumped from 10,000 in 2012 to 131,000 last year, he said. The project has become an effective long-term mechanism for ensuring that students in such areas have greater opportunity to gain admission to key universities, Wang said at a news conference on achievements in exam reform since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. According to third-party surveys, the project has won vigorous approval from students, universities and local authorities, he added. Ouyang Qian, a senior education official in Guangdong, said local efforts have led to the enrollment of more than 13,000 rural students to universities in the province. Through national and local projects, students with financial difficulties in rural areas have almost the same opportunity as other rural students in getting university placements, he said. To ensure fairness in the gaokao the national college entrance examination the ministry has trimmed back the bonus-point system considerably for students with exceptional ability in the sciences and sports. Athletes, winners of academic Olympiads, including in math, physics, chemistry and biology, winners of science competitions, provincial model students and students who have undertaken exceptional moral deeds, are no longer being granted extra points in the gaokao, Wang said. The ministry has instructed local authorities to decrease the amount of points awarded, he said. Ouyang said that in Guangdong, all bonus point events have been canceled since 2015. Only four types of students, including the children of martyrs and retired soldiers are entitled to extra points in the gaokao, he said. The former can be awarded 20 extra points while the latter can get five points. The total number gaokao points available is 750. To cultivate more talent in basic disciplines, the ministry launched a pilot enrollment project at top universities in 2020 focusing on students with special talents in disciplines including math, physics, chemistry, biology, history, philosophy and ancient Chinese characters. More than 18,000 students have been enrolled to 39 top universities under the project, Wang added. Winner of PCMag's Fastest Mobile Networks Canada test; includes Bell ranking fastest 5G network in the country Scored fastest in 22 of the 31 areas tested, including Toronto , Calgary and Edmonton , and Bell continues to expand coverage and availability of its 5G+ and 5G service across the country MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced its wireless network has been awarded fastest in Canada for the third year in a row in PCMag's 2022 Fastest Mobile Networks Canada report, the annual study of mobile network performance across the country. The report also ranks Bell's 5G network as fastest in the country, scoring fastest in 22 of the 31 cities and rural areas tested. Bell awarded Canadas fastest mobile network by PCMag for third consecutive year (CNW Group/Bell Canada) "Bell wins our prize for the third consecutive year largely because of its network improvements in southern Ontario coupled with the strength of its 5G+ network overall. The carrier leads in speed in 22 of the 31 cities we tested, including Calgary, Edmonton, and Torontoand in our population-weighted rankings, those cities matter a lot." - Wendy Sheehan Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, PCMag "I am so proud that Bell is recognized as Canada's fastest mobile network for the third year in a row, and I'm especially proud of the Bell team that puts their energy and effort into ensuring that Canadians have the best network experience. We know that our customers depend on us to deliver a network with great coverage, reliability and some of the fastest speeds in the world. We're now taking our 5G service to new heights with 5G+, and we'll continue to advance our network to connect more Canadians every day." - Claire Gillies, EVP Marketing and President Consumer, Bell In its 10th annual Fastest Mobile Networks Canada test, PCMag's wireless technology experts drove across Canada, covering 31 cities and rural areas to test the network speed and coverage of Canada's major wireless brands. PCMag's exhaustive analysis took place in August and September and ranked providers based on a weighted average of download speeds, upload speeds and latency. Expanding 5G+ and 5G networks Earlier this summer, Bell announced the availability of 5G+ service in southern Ontario. Today, Bell is expanding its service to more communities across the province. Available today in Hamilton, Markham, Middlesex Centre, North Dumfries, Puslinch and Thames Centre, Bell 5G+ is expected to be faster and more responsive, allowing for a superior mobile experience. Bell will continue to expand 5G+ across the country and is on track to offer coverage to approximately 40% of the Canadian population by the end of 2022. Bell also continues to expand its 5G service, with availability in all 10 Canadian provinces. Today, Bell is expanding to 84 more communities in Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. For more details about 5G+ and 5G, including coverage, pricing, availability and compatible devices, please visit Bell.ca/network. Quick facts Bell awarded Canada's fastest mobile network by PCMag for the third consecutive year Bell is Canada's fastest 5G network, ranks fastest in 22 of the 31 cities and rural areas tested Scored fastest download speeds among the country's major wireless providers Bell 5G+ expands to more communities across Ontario and is on track to cover approximately 40% of the Canadian population by the end of 2022 and is on track to cover approximately 40% of the Canadian population by the end of 2022 Bell's award-winning 5G network now available in all 10 Canadian provinces 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 Jessica Benzinger, [email protected] @Bell_News Investor inquiries Richard Bengian, [email protected] Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our network deployment plans and anticipated capital expenditures as well as the benefits expected to result therefrom, our business outlook, 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 network deployment plans and anticipated capital expenditures and the benefits expected to result therefrom are subject to risks and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that our network deployment plans will be completed, that our anticipated capital expenditures will be made or that the benefits expected to result therefrom will be realized. The completion of our network deployment plans assumes, among others, the availability of sufficient equipment, labour and capital. However, there can be no certainty that the required equipment, labour and sources of capital will be available with the result that our actual network deployments and capital expenditures could materially differ from current expectations. 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 101 groups receive $1.3 million in funding as in-store campaign and new stamp launched to meet growing needs across the country OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - As the Canada Post Community Foundation launches its 2022 fundraising campaign, 101 organizations across the country have been informed they will receive much-needed funding to support their efforts to improve the lives of Canadian children and youth. Support for grassroots organizations and Indigenous youth Community foundation stamp (CNW Group/Canada Post) A total of $1.3 million in grants has been awarded for this year. The recipients include grassroots organizations from every province and territory. This year represents the first Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Signature Grant, which is going to the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, to support its goal to create stronger bonds, relationships and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across Northern Ontario. Canada Post is committed to fostering reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, including through funding of community programs that support Indigenous children and youth. All 2022 grant recipients are listed on the Canada Post Community Foundation website. In-store campaign launched with special stamp to raise funds for next year Faced with a growing number of applications each year, the Foundation raises money through customer donations in post offices, employee payroll deduction and sale of a special annual stamp. This year's stamp, issued on September 19, will raise funds for distribution in 2023 and is available for purchase. Stamp booklets can be purchased and donations made at local post offices, with funds going to organizations that operate in the province or territory in which they are raised. $12.3 million for 1,100 initiatives since 2012 Established in 2012, the Foundation is a registered charity that operates at arm's length from Canada Post. It has granted more than $12.3 million to 1,100 initiatives for children and youth nationwide, including literacy and language programs; youth outreach services; projects that support Indigenous youth; gender and sexual diversity programs; arts and recreation projects; special education programs; childhood health programs; anti-bullying initiatives; mentoring programs and many others. Every dollar raised by the Foundation is granted to children's charities and community organizations across Canada. About the stamp issue The 2022 stamp for the Canada Post Community Foundation was designed by Joanna Todd of Chad Roberts Design. There's something magical about treehouses. They inspire imagination, offer a place for make-believe play and provide a setting in which to dream. Creating spaces for children literal, virtual and figurative is of vital importance. That's why the Canada Post Community Foundation exists. This design was selected by Canada Post frontline retail employees. The stamp is available at Canada Post outlets across the country and online at canadapost.ca/shop. Follow these links for high-resolution images. About the Foundation The Canada Post Community Foundation provides grants to Canadian schools, charities and organizations in an effort to make a difference in the lives of children across the country. It supports the small, underfunded projects that often go unnoticed, from coast to coast to coast. Through its grassroots, community-based approach, the Foundation plays a critical role in helping Canada Post achieve its purpose, A Stronger Canada Delivered. To donate to the Canada Post Community Foundation, purchase a booklet of stamps at a local post office or visit canadapost.ca/community. SOURCE Canada Post For further information: Media Relations, 613-734-8888, [email protected] TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Canvass Analytics Inc. ("Canvass AI"), a leader in industrial AI software, today announced that Humera Malik, CEO, will be speaking at the Sweden Canada Innovation Days conference being held September 22-23, 2022 at the Delta Hotel in Toronto. The invite-only event will focus on innovation with AI for the mining and advanced manufacturing sectors with representatives from the leading mining and manufacturing companies, academia, research institutes, and startups. The conference will explore opportunities and applications of AI for industry, commonly tagged as Industry 4.0. It is well-known in the industry that 80-90% of initial AI projects fail. Ms. Malik will be participating on an Advanced Manufacturing panel that will address how to choose the right AI project for impact, scale, and success. She will be joined by representatives from Ford, Vector Institute, Ericsson, and AI Sweden. "This event will bring some of the best AI companies from both Sweden and Canada together to discuss common challenges and opportunities. We are delighted to have Humera Malik, CEO at Canvass AI participate in the panel," said Christina Keighren, Country Manager, Business Sweden Canada. "We are happy to participate in this unique conference to provide insight on how industrial AI can impact profitability and sustainability," said Malik. "Optimizing assets, processes and workflows using AI can provide immediate value and impact without CAPEX outlays. For companies seeking to improve their bottom line and reduce emissions, industrial AI is the quickest and least costly route to achieving these goals." Canvass AI's customers span the oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, metals and mining, and energy sectors, all of which contribute significantly to the global economy as well as climate change. The Canvass AI platform provides industrial engineers with easy-to-use AI solutions to apply and scale across their operations that address their operational challenges, without requiring coding or data science expertise. Today, leading industrials and manufacturers use Canvass AI to reduce carbon emissions and waste, improve yields by proactively managing quality, and optimize energy consumption. About Canvass AI Canvass AI is a leading industrial AI software provider that puts the power of AI in the hands of industrial engineers to solve day-to-day operational problems. Some of the world's largest companies use Canvass AI's patented platform to reduce carbon emissions and waste, improve yields, and optimize facility operations. Backed by Alphabet and Yamaha Motor Ventures, the Company is recognized by CB Insights as one of the world's top 50 technology companies that is advancing manufacturing. Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Links: Humera Malik photo Canvass AI logo SOURCE Canvass AI For further information: Media & Analyst Contact: Shelly Sofer, [email protected] Customized approach to haircare is launching at one of Canada's biggest beauty destinations online and in hundreds of locations across the country BRAMPTON, ON, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - One of Canada's most trusted beauty retailers continues to ramp up its beauty offering with the arrival of the new haircare brand Function of Beauty. This popular made-to-order brand is arriving this month at more than 1,000 Shoppers Drug Mart locations and online at shoppersdrugmart.ca. Function of Beauty Arrives at Shoppers Drug Mart (CNW Group/Shoppers Drug Mart) "Canadians trust us to bring them the best of beauty from around the world, challenging us to grow and curate our beauty assortment," says Kelly Jessop, Senior Vice President, Merchandising, Shoppers Drug Mart. "Because of this, we're constantly introducing highly innovative and great quality brands like Function of Beauty, offering our customers something new in haircare with a simple customizable approach." Emerging new brands, trusted favourites and conscious beauty lines make up the beauty department at Shoppers Drug Mart. Over the years the retailer has expanded its offering and strengthened its ability to reward customers on beauty through the PC Optimum loyalty program. "We're thrilled to partner with Shoppers Drug Mart to introduce an entirely new and disruptive approach to beauty through customization," said Alexandra Papazian, Chief Executive Officer, Function of Beauty. "We've set a new standard for haircare and can deliver on something that is fully specific and personal to each client's hair needs. They will no longer have to choose between one catch-all benefit like moisture or shine, so we're confident they are going to be excited by this new approach." Canadians can choose from 18 different Function of Beauty products that are intentionally designed for different hair types straight, wavy, curly and coily, including 10 hair shot boosters goals that will allow them to create different formulas for their hair needs at home. The customizable, vegan and cruelty-free range will be available at more than 1,000 Shoppers Drug Mart store locations including 147 Pharmaprix stores in Quebec, as well as online. About Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Quebec). With almost 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 47 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy (Pharmaprix Simplement Sante in Quebec). As well, the company owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart stores and an ecommerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the company owns the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers online platform for the sale of medical cannabis, Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities and Lifemark Health Group, Canada's leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited. FUNCTION OF BEAUTY Function of Beauty is the world leader in customizable beauty, with hair, skin, and body care products made for you (and only you). Founded by a dream team of world-class MIT engineers, cosmetic scientists, and developers, each product is individually formulated using the latest science and technology to help ensure that your formulas are every bit as unique as you. There are literally trillions of possible formulations, and one new custom self-care ritual for you, only. Function of Beauty was founded in 2015, and when they launched in 2016, they quickly realized that the only way to create customizable beauty products at scale was to find a fully operational production facility that fit their needs. The problem? That facility didn't exist. Tasked with a seemingly impossible challenge, they decided to do something a little different for a new start-up: they went ahead and built their own state-of-the-art factories from the ground up. The team created a truly first-of-its-kind facility in Pennsylvania, where all of the filling equipment was designed, built, and coded in-house. To this day, there is nothing comparable anywhere else in the world. For more information, visit: Function of Beauty at Shoppers Drug Mart SOURCE Shoppers Drug Mart For further information: Media Contact: Loblaw Public Relations, [email protected] The Intersectoral Action Fund addresses complex public health challenges TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Canada is one of the healthiest countries in the world, and everyone in Canada deserves opportunities to thrive and lead a healthy life. The Government of Canada is taking action to address systemic health challenges and barriers so that every individual has the resources and opportunities for health and wellbeing. Health inequities are the systematic, unfair, and avoidable differences in health outcomes. Health inequities have long existed in Canada, but have become even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic disproportionately affected the mental and physical wellbeing of many groups in society, including Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized communities, as well as people from lower income households, children, youth, and seniors. Today, Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Adam van Koeverden announced an investment of close to $790,000 through the Intersectoral Action Fund (ISAF). This funding is helping five Ontario-based organizations to address some of the complex public health challenges that affect health equity and wellbeing. The Public Health Agency of Canada, through the ISAF, is funding projects across the country to improve the conditions for health and the systems and structures that shape them and to help everyone in Canada reach their full health potential. Quotes "Our government is taking action to address health inequities and improve access to healthcare for all. Through this funding, we are taking important steps to improve health equity and wellbeing of people in Ontario. Together, with the support of community organizations within and outside of the health sector, such as early childhood, transportation, housing, and food security across the country, we will keep working towards improving our health care system so it works for everyone." The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Health "These organizations play an important role in helping the Government of Canada strengthen its efforts to address our country's complex public health challenges. These projects will help build a healthier future for communities in Ontario." Shafqat Ali Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre "With these funds we will develop a much needed plan for action on the social determinants of health to better understand the needs of LBQ women and non-binary people." Helen Kennedy Executive Director, Egale "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how precarious working conditions impact workers' health, undermine public health, and worsen health inequities particularly for racialized, low-wage, migrant, and women workers. This funding will support collaborative efforts between health and labour partners to improve working conditions as a social determinant of health." Brynne Sinclair-Waters Executive Director, Ontario Employment Education & Research Centre "Supporting community resilience, and healthy human and natural systems is at the core of what we do at TRCA. We are honoured that the PHAC has chosen to fund TRCA's Growing Healthy Towers project, which is working with more than 20 organizations, across two regions, and 12 sectors, investing in neighbourhoods experiencing intersecting climate and community health issues." John MacKenzie Chief Executive Officer, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority "With the support of PHAC, STEPS looks forward to convening stakeholders coast to coast to reimagine the role of parks and culture programmers in designing equitable cities." Alexis Kane Speer Executive Director, STEPS Public Art "Our Safe at Home Hamilton Working Group recognizes the multiple barriers to economic security that women and gender diverse peoples experience when living with or have a history of partner violence. These funds will enable us to strengthen multi-sector supports to remove these barriers." Patricia O'Campo Ph.D. Executive Director, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto Quick Facts The ISAF launched in May 2021 to support action on social determinants of health. The Fund helps build capacity in communities to advance intersectoral action on social determinants of health, particularly as they move towards the difficult work of recovering from the pandemic. to support action on social determinants of health. The Fund helps build capacity in communities to advance intersectoral action on social determinants of health, particularly as they move towards the difficult work of recovering from the pandemic. Social determinants of health refer to the broad range of social, economic and environmental factors that relate to an individual's place in society (such as gender, race, income, education, or employment) and that determine individual and population health. These determinants are shaped by the distribution of wealth, power, and opportunities within and between populations. Intersectoral action refers to the ways that different groups and sectors of society work together to enhance the health of our communities. The ISAF supports communities to build capacity for such action, and helps ensure that the social determinants of health and health inequities are understood and addressed. Fourteen projects were selected for funding through the ISAF. These projects will address the root causes of long-standing community health challenges or those heightened by COVID-19, or proposed activities that build on or advance intersectoral initiatives to expand their reach or impact. Associated Links SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada For further information: Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations: Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709; COVID-19 public enquiries:1-833-784-4397 GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - One in four working-age persons with disabilities lives below the poverty line in Canada. Working-age persons with disabilities in Canada are twice as likely to live in poverty as those without. This is why the Government of Canada is taking action to reduce poverty and improve the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities. Earlier today, Bill C-22 the Canada Disability Benefit Act, began second reading in the House of Commons. This ground-breaking legislation was reintroduced on June 2, 2022, by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough. If passed by Parliament, Bill C-22 will create a new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). The CDB would be a federal income supplement for working-age persons with disabilities. It would become an important part of Canada's social safety net, alongside Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Canada Child Benefit. In the spirit and principle of "Nothing Without Us," the Government is engaging with the disability community, as well as other stakeholders, including Indigenous organizations and disability researchers and experts, to inform the design of the proposed benefit. In the summer of 2021, the Minister launched a first round of engagement with the disability community through ministerial roundtables and an online public survey that received more than 8,500 responses. Engagement is ongoing with community-led and Indigenous-led activities, and will continue into 2023. The provinces and territories also play a central role in providing supports and services to persons with disabilities, and, as such, they are being engaged on the CDB as well. In July 2021, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services met for an initial discussion on the proposed new benefit and that engagement continues. The Government of Canada remains committed to ensuring that the CDB supplements existing provincial and territorial supports and benefits. Quotes "With the second reading of Bill C-22, we are one step closer to creating a Canada Disability Benefit. With this Benefit, we have a chance to help hundreds of thousands of people, and seriously reduce poverty in Canada. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do better by persons with disabilities, and to be better as a country. Let's not miss it." Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Quick Facts According to the most recent Canadian Survey on Disabilities (2017) the poverty rate of working-age persons with disabilities is almost double that of Canadians without disabilities. The same survey found that Canadians with disabilitiesincluding women, men, LGBTQ2 people, racialized people and Indigenous peopleare more likely to be financially insecure than other Canadians: 25 percent of Canadians with disabilities spend more than 30% of their total income on shelter costs; Fifty-nine percent of Canadians with disabilities aged 25 to 64 have gainful employment, compared to 80% of Canadians without disabilities; and Canadians with disabilities aged 25 to 64 earn less than Canadians without disabilities (12% less for Canadians with milder disabilities and 51% less for Canadians with more severe disabilities). Related Products Backgrounder: Supporting Canadians with disabilities - Canada Disability Benefit - Canada.ca Associated Links Federal, provincial and territorial ministers meet to discuss collaboration on the well-being of persons with disabilities - Canada.ca Rights of people with disabilities - Canada.ca Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Mandate Letter Follow us on Twitter SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Tara Beauport, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, [email protected]; Media Relations Office: Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected] Immediate action is required to protect Canadians from the impacts of climate change EDMONTON, AB, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Storms that hit Western Canada this summer are expected to result in over $300 million in insured damage, according to initial estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). In addition, new estimates from CatIQ indicate that the July 2, 2021, hailstorm and flooding in Calgary resulted in over $600 million in insured damage, more than double the initial estimate. That makes it one of the top-10 costliest weather events in Canadian history. The following storms have been designated as catastrophes (events where insured damage estimates total more than $30 million) by CatIQ. July 7 to 8, 2022 Over $30 million in insured damages: Strong thunderstorms developed over Alberta and Saskatchewan, with hot and humid conditions facilitating the creation of large supercell-type storm cells. At least one damaging tornado was confirmed near Bergen, Alberta, and large hail damaged vehicles and homes in Ponoka and Oyen. Additional tornadoes occurred in Saskatchewan, along with local flash flooding. July 15 to 17, 2022 Over $70 million in insured damages: A series of severe thunderstorms tracked across the Prairies, bringing heavy rain, very large hail and damaging winds. At least one tornado was confirmed, along with a damaging downburst in Alberta. Large hail damaged homes and shattered windows in Ponoka, Alberta, while several tornadoes were confirmed in Saskatchewan. July 18 to 21, 2022 Over $100 million in insured damages: A system tracking across much of Western and Central Canada left a trail of damaging severe weather in its wake. Tornadoes were confirmed in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and large hail, heavy rain and flooding occurred at points in between. Reports of damage to homes, other structures, trees and power lines stretched from Southern Alberta to Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula. July 29 to 31, 2022 Over $40 million in insured damages: A disturbance tracking from the Canadian Rockies across the central Prairies sparked a cluster of severe thunderstorms over the course of several days. At least two tornadoes were reported, along with large hail and flooding. August 1 to 2, 2022 Over $55 million in insured damages: Severe thunderstorms in Central Alberta damaged windows with very large hailstones. Several storm cells also produced wind gusts at speeds above 100 km/h, as well as heavy rain and flooding. The storm drifted as far east as Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, over the course of two days. Dozens of cars were severely damaged along Highway 2 in Alberta, along with properties from Central Alberta to Central Saskatchewan. IBC reminds consumers that damage caused by wind and rain is typically covered by home, commercial property and comprehensive auto insurance policies. Insurers continue to work diligently through the entire claims process to help clients impacted by these storms. Insurance claims from severe weather have more than quadrupled across Canada since 2008. The new normal for insured catastrophic losses in Canada has reached $2 billion annually. In the past 10 years, five of the most costly severe weather events occurred in Western Canada totaling in excess of $8 billion in insured damages. Alberta in particular has experienced more severe weather events this decade than any other region in Canada. IBC continues to advocate to governments at all levels on the urgent need to do more to prioritize investments that build resilience and better protect families and communities from a changing climate. The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ (www.catiq.com) under license to IBC. Quotes "Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been disrupted and whose homes have been damaged. Canada's insurers are always here to help residents recover from these storms. IBC has been there from day one and will provide continued support during this difficult time. Anyone affected by these storms who has questions about their home, auto or business insurance, should call their insurance representative or call IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help." Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) "The July and August storms are a sobering reminder of the increasing risks facing communities across Canada. While the longer-term impacts of the climate crisis must be addressed, considering the increasing number of near-daily extreme weather events already occurring across Canada, we cannot wait to limit the impacts of climate change." Craig Stewart, Vice-President, Climate Change and Federal Issues, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) About Insurance Bureau of Canada Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties. For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow us on Twitter @InsuranceBureau or like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada For further information: Brett Weltman, Manager, Media Relations, IBC, [email protected] TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) and Walmart Canada are pleased to announce Infoway's PrescribeIT electronic prescribing service is now available in 14 Walmart Canada pharmacies in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, with plans to expand to more stores by year-end. PrescribeIT allows prescribers to send prescriptions and renewals electronically to a patient's pharmacy of choice, resulting in more efficient patient care, enhanced safety and improved communication between clinicians. Walmart Pharmacy Logo (CNW Group/Canada Health Infoway) "Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest retailers and pharmacy chains and we are thrilled to partner with them," said Jamie Bruce, Executive Vice President, Infoway. "PrescribeIT will make it easier and more convenient for thousands of Walmart pharmacy patients to get their prescriptions filled, and it will improve the workflow of Walmart pharmacists and their communication with prescribers. We look forward to working with Walmart Canada as we continue to expand PrescribeIT across the country." "We are very excited about the new partnership with Infoway to offer PrescribeIT in our stores," said Alex Hurd, Vice President, Health Services, Walmart Canada. "PrescribeIT supports our mission of enhancing access to health services for Canadians by offering a frictionless health experience." "PrescribeIT has been a great addition to our pharmacy system, enabling the digitization of prescription-related services and making a positive impact on how we work," said Chris Lee, Vaughan, ON, Pharmacist Manager. "Having prescriptions directly sent to us has reduced the work needed to process prescriptions. Electronic communications with prescribers are effortless and reduces paperwork. More importantly, our patients do not have to worry about bringing physical prescriptions to fill, and can receive their prescriptions even quicker from our pharmacies." PrescribeIT is now live in more than 550 communities in six provinces (Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba), and Infoway is working with other provinces and territories to develop roll-out plans. More than 10,000 prescribers and 6,000 pharmacy sites are enrolled in the service. See the interactive locator map. About Walmart Canada Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Company of 2022 and was also named one of Canada's most popular brands (based on Google searches). Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $500 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada's social media pages - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. About Canada Health Infoway At Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) we believe a more connected and collaborative system is a healthier system, and we work with governments, health care organizations, clinicians and patients to make health care more digital. We're working to ensure that everyone is able to access their personal health information, book appointments, get prescriptions, view lab test results and access other health services, online. We're working with our partners to transform the health system because we know that digital in health can be as transformative as digital has been in other aspects of our lives. We're an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Visit us online at www.infoway-inforoute.ca. About PrescribeIT Canada Health Infoway is working with Health Canada, the provinces and territories, and industry stakeholders to develop, operate and maintain the national e-prescribing service known as PrescribeIT. PrescribeIT will serve all Canadians, pharmacies and prescribers and provide safer and more effective medication management by enabling prescribers to transmit a prescription electronically between a prescriber's electronic medical record (EMR) and the pharmacy management system (PMS) of a patient's pharmacy of choice. PrescribeIT will protect Canadians' personal health information from being sold or used for commercial activities. Visit www.PrescribeIT.ca. MEDIA INQUIRIES: Catherine Parry Senior Director, Marketing and Communications Canada Health Infoway 647.267.7013 Email Us Follow @Infoway INQUIRIES ABOUT PRESCRIBEIT Tania Ensor Vice President, External Relations, PrescribeIT Canada Health Infoway 416.707.6285 Email Us Follow @PrescribeIT_CA SOURCE Canada Health Infoway New $100 million delivery hub for Quebec and Atlantic Canada customers Investing approximately $330 million in a record number of store renovations this year MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Walmart Canada is investing $1 billion in infrastructure this year as part of the retailer's efforts to speed up and transform the business for its customers. A cornerstone of the investment includes more than $100 million to build a new high-tech sortable fulfillment centre near Montreal in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec the first of its kind for Walmart in the province. The new facility, currently slated to open in 2024, will offer better product availability and quicker service for customers choosing to shop in-store or online at Walmart.ca. Walmart Canada (CNW Group/Walmart Canada Corp.) Walmart Canada (CNW Group/Walmart Canada Corp.) Walmart Canada (CNW Group/Walmart Canada Corp.) This year's $1 billion investment also includes plans to update and remodel a record number of stores in a year. Store changes include modernizing and upgrading physical spaces with a focus on improving the customer experience both in-store and online. These projects are all part of Walmart Canada's multi-year $3.5 billion investment to make the online and in-store shopping experience simpler, faster and more convenient for customers as the retailer invests for continued growth to help more Canadians save money and live better. Quebec fulfillment centre The Quebec fulfillment centre, to be located in Vaudreuil-Dorion , will be approximately 457,000 square feet in size, serving as a delivery hub for millions of customer orders in Quebec and Atlantic Canada . fulfillment centre, to be located in , will be approximately 457,000 square feet in size, serving as a delivery hub for millions of customer orders in and . The facility will be powered by cutting-edge logistics technology to achieve productivity with less physical effort by using innovative technology. This platform will speed up order fulfillment through an advanced operating system that will help associates store, pick and sort items by using smart and flexible storage abilities to manage a large and wide variety of inventory. Capable of shipping 20 million items annually from the facility to local customers. Capable of storing 500,000 items to fulfil direct to home and in-store pickup orders. Designed to optimize packaging, minimize waste and reduce transportation costs. Creating approximately 225 new jobs in Quebec , plus construction and engineering jobs. , plus construction and engineering jobs. Individuals can apply for jobs at the fulfillment centre at https://careers.walmart.ca/. "This important investment is the latest example of Walmart's commitment to Quebec," said Cyrille Ballereau, Walmart Canada Regional Vice President for Quebec. "We are investing for growth in Quebec and creating jobs for Quebecers to better serve our customers. Quebecers will see refreshed stores, faster service and more options available in-store and online. When Quebecers choose Walmart, they are choosing to support a retailer that supports Quebecers." Investing in stores, supply chain across Canada This year's infrastructure investments include plans to spend approximately $330 million to revamp and refresh more than 80 stores from Port Alberni, B.C., to Carbonear, N.L., providing more than 2,500 trade and construction jobs. Some of the enhancements include: Expanding product assortment and offering an upgraded look and feel. Integrating more dedicated omnichannel spaces for more online orders. Refreshing interiors and exteriors, including fresh paint and new signage. Adding LED lighting to key departments to enhance the interior experience. Updating associate lounge areas, including new couches and other upgrades. Renovating washroom areas, including new tiling and sustainability features. Replacing and upgrading legacy systems with new technology and applications. "We know these are challenging times for our customers. That's why we are proud to be making significant investments in Canada to deliver the very best shopping experience," said JP Suarez, Executive Vice President, Chief Administration Office and Regional CEO for Walmart International, who is also leading Walmart Canada on an interim basis. "We are building a better Walmart Canada to help more Canadians save money and live better. As the cost of living rises, Canadians can trust Walmart to be that convenient, one-stop shop for everyday low prices." "We are thrilled to partner with a brand and business as strong and reputable as Walmart," said Tyler and Chris Harden, Co-CEOs of Harden. "This state-of-the-art fulfillment centre is a true testament to their vision for the future of retailing and a long-term commitment to Vaudreuil and the province of Quebec as a growing hub. We are proud to be executing the construction of this project on behalf of Walmart Canada, with our in-house construction team, and to add this asset to our portfolio." Walmart Canada in Quebec Walmart Canada has been proudly serving Quebecers since 1994. Walmart has 71 stores and more than 14,500 associates in Quebec . . Walmart recently purchased approximately $3.2 billion worth of products from more than 500 Quebec-based suppliers over a 12-month period. worth of products from more than 500 Quebec-based suppliers over a 12-month period. Walmart raised and donated more than $5.3 million for Quebec charities in 2021. for charities in 2021. The record number of store renovations this year includes 17 stores in Quebec . About Walmart Canada Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca, is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Company of 2022 and was also named one of Canada's most popular brands (based on Google searches). Walmart Canada has made a commitment to regeneration focusing on equitable opportunity, sustainability, community, ethics and integrity. Since 1994, Walmart Canada has raised over $500 million to support communities across Canada. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada's social media pages Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. SOURCE Walmart Canada Corp. For further information: Steeve Azoulay, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs, [email protected] Haryana Governor Honours Rajya Sabha MP Kartik Sharma wit... The Champions of Change event was organized by the Intera... 2 October, 2022 Read more The African Action Congress (AAC) has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw its support for the candidature of Peter Obi, pr... The African Action Congress (AAC) has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw its support for the candidature of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party. The AAC said this in a statement on Tuesday, signed by Femi Adeyeye, its spokesperson. In June, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) declared their support for Obi in the 2023 elections. The declaration of support for Obis candidature by the labour unions has elicited mixed reactions. Last Saturday, the APC presidential campaign council asked the NLC to state its position on the payment of petrol subsidy in the wake of its support for the candidature of Obi. Earlier, Obi had said part of his plans, if he becomes president, would be to remove petrol subsidy. Responding to the APC presidential campaign, the NLC said if Nigeria has functional refineries, the problems associated with payment of petrol subsidy will be addressed. Recently, Obi, in an interview on CNN, said, if elected president he will encourage the private sector to build and operate refineries. Let me use the issue of oil as an example, there is no reason why our refineries cant work. There is no reason why we should not encourage the private sector to build refineries and operate them, the former Anambra governor had said. They are not rocket science, it can be done as quickly as possible. You can decide to remove fuel subsidy, use the resources to support critical areas of production from critical infrastructure to education and support investment in refineries, which will be done within a shortest possible time. HOW CAN LABOUR UNIONS BE SUPPORTING WORKERS ENEMIES? Reacting to Obis comments, the AAC accused the former Anambra governor of moving LP away from pro-worker ideology, and hijacking the party. The party said Omoyele Sowore, its presidential candidate, is the only pro-labour and pro-masses candidate in the 2023 elections. It is more than clear to all now where Mr Peter Obi and the new Labour Party (LP) stands on the removal of fuel subsidies and the privatisation of the commanding heights of the economy, the statement reads. Live on CNN on Saturday, Mr Peter Obi stated clearly that all subsidies should be removed and the private sector should start refining fuel. This is a contradiction to the NLC charter of demands and the Clcongress position since the January uprising against fuel subsidy removal in the year 2012. NLC and TUC must note that millions of Nigerians rose up against the Jonathan regime over fuel subsidy removal, with the fear of the hike in petrol and cost of living. As of today, the subsidy removal protests have been justified. With the Buhari governments off-and-on removal of subsidies as well as payment of fake subsidies, petrol price has risen ridiculously to N250 today. Gasoline is N800, while Kerosene and diesel sell for the same N800. Airlines are beginning to pack their loads as business is being stiffened as Aviation Fuel now cost about N1000 per litre. We call on President Ayuba Wabba and Festus Osifo to withdraw their support for Peter Obi as he has only hijacked the Labour Party from its moving towards pro-workerist ideas. We also call on the NEC of NLC and TUC to rise and take a clear stand against this usurper of the sweat and blood of our heroes and matyrs as the labour movement. How can Labour centres be supporting an enemy of workers who oversaw 13 months of Doctors Strike, 2 years of workers strike and refused to pay 11 months pensions as Anambra governor? The same Peter Obi has commercialized the Labour Party to the extent that no incorruptible comrade can contest in the party as tickets are sold off in tens and hundreds of millions. Even known Labour activists who had secured the LP tickets before Obi came to hijack the party has been illegally stripped of their candidacies. AAC believes that the answer to the Subsidy issue is to make all the refineries working, while three more are built within three years. Our party believes that Nigeria has to refine locally and put the management system into the hands of workers themselves, not multi-nationals nor the so-called expatriates. This will naturally stop the waste in fuel subsidies while not allowing selling or any commercialization of the NNPC, NLNG and other collective interests. Petrol price will automatically reduce drastically as we refine and export locally, instead of exporting crude oil with over 200 minerals while getting only fuel imported. Omoyele Sowores presidency will also stop immediately the flaring of gas; clean up Ogoni and other polluted waters in the Niger Delta and review the punitive Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA) which is gearing to take away the ownership of crude oil from Nigerians generally to only a few individuals! Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the party to beat in 2023. The retired... Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the party to beat in 2023. The retired General declared that the APC has all its takes to win the elections. Buratai made the comment at the Progressives Young Leaders Summit in Abuja on Monday. He urged youths to encourage voters to support the APC so as to secure their future and boost Nigerias growth. You must mobilise the electorate to ensure that they come out en masse to vote for the right candidate. I believe you know who I am referring to. The APC with the good support of the youth is the party to beat, NAN quoted him saying. Buratai further advised young citizens to be actively involved in the development process of the country. Former Chief of Air Staff, Marshal Abubakar Sadique said youths can not afford to take the back seat ahead of 2023. Matthew Kukah, bishop of the Catholic diocese of Sokoto, says Nigerians want leaders that can be perform. Kukah spoke on Monday at a... Matthew Kukah, bishop of the Catholic diocese of Sokoto, says Nigerians want leaders that can be perform. Kukah spoke on Monday at an event organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with the Kukah Centre. The event was themed High-Level Forum on Political Communication and Issue-based Campaign in the 2023 General Elections. Speaking as one of the panelists, Kukah said Nigerians are looking for a country with leaders they can believe in. As citizens, we need to get a sense that beyond talking to us about corruption, we need leaders that will walk the talk. This is because the corruption mantra is no longer working and it is not going to work, he said. The greatest challenge for us in Nigeria is that our identity politics has not been well managed, and politics remains the most viable ingredient in managing diversity. Had we developed the skills to manage diversity effectively, the challenges confronting the country would have been tackled. Kukah also said Nigerians should not be focused on Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim candidacy, because we are sounding as if the people that are contesting are from another planet. He added that for the country to get out of its challenges, it is the responsibility of those who govern to deal with it directly. We need to re-image and re-imagine Nigeria because the Nigeria that we have today is not the Nigeria that many of us can recognise, he added. Also speaking, Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said politicians do not match their campaign promises with actions. So, every four years, we had a cycle of election but when we look at the substance of governance, it has increasingly been on a trajectory of bad governance and virtually all socio- economic indices point to that in terms of the fundamental needs of people, he said. Our politicians, the way they plan their campaign and the way they govern when they get into power, have been leading this country away from that need of satisfying the needs and aspirations of the people. Jega said Nigerians have to begin to examine the role that they ought to play in the electoral process in order to choose the right leaders. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has said that fiscal recklessness, inability to tackle insecurity and corrup... The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has said that fiscal recklessness, inability to tackle insecurity and corruption have been primarily responsible for Nigerias failing economy. Obi also said that domestic problems, caused by leadership failure, have damaged the unity and cohesiveness of the country. The former Anambra State governor, while speaking at the Private Sector Economic Forum organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday, said the government that would succeed the Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari regime in 2023 would be confronted by an array of daunting challenges, both domestic and external. Obi, who said Nigeria was not bereft of transformative ideas from brilliant minds, noted that institutional weakness and lack of political will had led to poor outcomes that had affected the people. He regretted that Nigeria now had frightening levels of poverty, unemployment rate and out-of-school children. According to him, given our history, politics and governance challenges, moving Nigeria forward would require concerted efforts and a shift from coercive to consensus approach. The government that will come in 2023 will be confronted by an array of daunting challenges, both domestic and external, Obi said. The domestic ones have accumulated over the years, and because of leadership failure, have not been dealt with, and these have impacted heavily on our unity, social cohesion as well as the economic outcome. It has affected us negatively. Our country today is bad news. We now have the concentration of the highest number of people living in poverty, the highest number of out of school children, and the highest rate of unemployment. He said that leapfrogging Nigeria from oil dependence to industrial revolution, improving human capital development, and formulating good foreign policy must be brought to the front burner in order to revive the nations ailing economy. A 74-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulrahman Kwamande, has prayed a Makurdi Court to dissolve the marriage between his daughter Halima and Aminu Su... A 74-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulrahman Kwamande, has prayed a Makurdi Court to dissolve the marriage between his daughter Halima and Aminu Sulaiman, saying he is not aware of the union. In his application, Kwamande averred that he was the biological father of Halima and consequently her Waliyi (guardian), whose consent must be sought and obtained before any marriage can be contracted with her. I am not aware of any such marriage between my daughter and the respondent. I do not approve of this neither did I mandate anybody to act as a Waliyi to Halima. I insist that any marriage entered into between the respondent and my daughter is unlawful under Islamic law. The respondent abducted my daughter, he alleged. He said that Halima was sponsored to study Nursing at the Maryam Abacha University in Maradi, Niger Republic, by her uncle, so that upon her graduation, she will manage the Health Centre established for the well-being of the family. The petitioner further stated that in December, 2020, Sulaiman delegated four persons, to seek for permission to court Halima and same was granted pending a background check on the personality of the respondent. Sometime in 2021, I discovered that the respondent took his children from his divorced wife and moved Halima into his house in Vandeikya LGA of Benue. I protested, asking the respondent to take his children away and allow my daughter to concentrate on her studies. After carrying out a background check on the respondent, I and my family were not comfortable with his personality because we discovered that his first marriage collapsed due to domestic violence. The conduct of Sulaiman made it impossible for my daughter to undergo the mandatory training in any approved nursing Institution as well as the mandatory NYSC programme. That to my shock, one of his sons informed me that he saw an invitation letter which trended online, showing that the respondent had gotten married to Halima on July 30, he said. He also argued that the action of the respondent to abduct his daughter, cohabit with her and purportedly declare her as his wife without his consent as her biological father, was against Shariah. When the case came up for mention, Sulaiman, however, denied all the allegations. The Magistrates Abdullahi Ibrahim adjourned the case until Oct. 18 for hearing. The Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced a teacher, Idowu Daniel, to seven years imprisonment for s_3_xually assaulting a 16-year-old ... The Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced a teacher, Idowu Daniel, to seven years imprisonment for s_3_xually assaulting a 16-year-old student in a school. Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, however, held that the prosecution failed to establish the charge of defilement. The judge said the confessional statement by the defendant, made voluntarily, showed that he s_3_xually assaulted the minor. The defendant admitted to have fondled the breast of the victim twice and tried to have s3_x with her but could not penetrate as she was a virgin. The defendant is hereby convicted on the charge of s3..xual assault of a child, she ruled on Monday. NAN reports that the 31-year-old convict pleaded for mercy when asked to speak. My lord, I am very sorry for what happened. I promise it will not happen again, he told the court. Justice Taiwo strongly chided Daniel for touching the teenager in a suggestive way. You are a teacher and you were touching the breast of your student. You would have gone for life if the victim had come to court to testify, she said. The judge earlier sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment, but increased to seven years after saying he had been in custody for three years. Following the ongoing renovation of the National Assembly complex at the sum of N30 billion, the Senate has begun to conduct its plenary fro... Following the ongoing renovation of the National Assembly complex at the sum of N30 billion, the Senate has begun to conduct its plenary from the makeshift Chamber of the new wing. The Senators returned from a two-month annual recess having gone on break on July 27, 2022. Following their resumption, the lawmakers went into a closed-door meeting for three hours before the commencement of proceedings with the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan presiding. It was learnt that the ongoing renovation would last till December 22, 2022, and sittings will continue in the makeshift chamber. For want of space at the makeshift space, only a few journalists were allowed in to cover proceedings. This is even as the technical unit of the Chamber was unable to transmit the plenary, live. Amid grumbling by representatives of media houses covering the Senate beat, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ola Awoniyi assured journalists that the issues would be addressed before the week runs out for the live transmission of the Senate session. However, reports that only 43 Senators out of 109 members of the red chamber resumed on the first day. A federal high court sitting in Abuja has ruled that Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state, and his co-defendants have a case to an... A federal high court sitting in Abuja has ruled that Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state, and his co-defendants have a case to answer in the N712 million money-laundering charges filed against him. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Lamido alongside two of his sons Aminu Sule Lamido and Mustapha Sule Lamido. Other defendants include Aminu Abubakar, business associate to the Lamidos and four companies Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Speeds International Limited and Batholomew Darlington Agoha. The defendants are facing 37 amended charges. After the EFCC closed its case, Lamido filed a no-case submission stating that the evidence provided by the prosecution did not disclose any case against him. However, ruling on the no-case submission on Monday, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the judge, dismissed the no-case submission filed by Lamido. The judge ordered him to open his defence on November 8. Count one of the charges reads: That you Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria), on or about 15th of December,2008 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court in your account in the name of Bamaina Holdings (also referred to as Bamaina Holding Limited) domiciled at Unity Bank Plc. Kano, converted the sum of N14,850,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) being the value of Intercontinental Bank Plc.(now Access Bank Plc) cheque no. 00000025 paid by Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which represented the proceeds of your illegal act to wit: using your position as a public officer for gratification by purportedly obtaining contracts for companies in which you have interest from Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which was awarded contracts by Jigawa State Government with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act. President Muhammadu Buhari has called for collaborative partnerships that will build a framework of ideas to transform educational systems... President Muhammadu Buhari has called for collaborative partnerships that will build a framework of ideas to transform educational systems globally. Buhari spoke on Monday while delivering Nigerias statement at Transforming Education Summit (leaders roundtable) organised on the margins of the 77th session of the UN general assembly. In transforming education, we must not erect borders. Where they exist, we must bring them down, as we have much to learn from each other, he said. As we are aware, improving equitable and inclusive access to quality educational opportunities is germane to ensuring the full development of our societies. No country can develop beyond the capacity of its educational system. Buhari said it would be difficult to have a meaningful conversation around transforming the national education systems without transforming the teaching profession. He, therefore, called for more deliberations on efforts to expand innovations and research on teacher education and the professional development of teachers. The process of building a sustainable teacher supply chain to address the challenges of teacher shortages is important, and calls for global action, he said. Nigeria also wishes to reiterate the need for all member states and stakeholders to address the systemic and structural issues that hamper access to quality education. It is only when we do this, that we can create a world truly fit for all, and where no one is left behind. According to Buhari, utilising information technology as a teaching tool holds the promise of transforming and erasing the boundaries of learning and re-engineering how learning occurs within and outside the classroom. He expressed optimism that bridging the digital divide would offer Nigeria opportunities to expand learning and transform the education system. Nigeria is restoring trust with its people, in order to provide safe learning environment and responsive services. That was why we were among the first to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD), while developing a national policy on school safety and security, he added. Nigeria also hosted the 4th international conference on Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) in partnership with the African Union, Norway, Spain, Argentina and Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) in 2021. He said the implementation of the SSD has offered an avenue to address school safety in a broader context that now includes gender-based violence and the protection of girls from hazards that contribute to insecurity and violence. He said: While this is a step forward for promoting the wellbeing of girls and ensuring they stay in school and learn, there are still many more grounds to cover. NIGERIA COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING LEARNING In addition, Buhari said Nigeria has also demonstrated its commitment towards strengthening learning outcomes and accelerating skills development by implementing cash transfer programmes. He said the Nigerian government has dedicated special statutory funds to Universal Basic Education and special programmes, prioritising the scaling-up of play-based early childhood education, as well as foundational literacy and numeracy programmes. I am pleased to announce Nigerias participation in the Programme for the Analysis of Education System (PASEC 2024), as a complement to the ongoing efforts towards the institutionalization of national and school-based assessment. Doing so requires significant investment in schools and teacher training, he said. This informed Nigerias launching of a new national teaching policy to address the career path, remuneration, and general welfare of our teachers. We are now prioritizing the full implementation of professional teaching standards and teacher qualification framework while improving their recruitment, deployment and management. We will empower schools with the resources to truly transform teaching and learning, as we understand that efforts to improve the quality of education provision and learning outcomes are underpinned by the understanding that learners, teachers, and school leaders are the key stakeholders in education reforms. Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is currently on strike over the failure of the government to meet its demands, which border on funding of tertiary institutions and review of lecturers salaries and allowances. Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo requested to be left out of Nigerias friendlies against the Desert Foxes of Algeria. Aribo has been involv... Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo requested to be left out of Nigerias friendlies against the Desert Foxes of Algeria. Aribo has been involved consistently with the Super Eagles since making his debut against Ukraine in October 2019. The former Rangers player has also impressed at his new club, Southampton. The 26-year-old was surprisingly left out of Nigerias squad for the international friendlies against the Desert Foxes of Algeria. Aribo is very much part of Jose Peseiros plans, a Super Eagles official told SCORE Nigeria. He was not dropped for the matches against Algeria, the player asked to be excused for him to take some rest after his recent transfer to the Premier League in England. The Super Eagles will take on Algeria in the first on Friday at the Mohamed Maloiul Stadium, Constantine. The second friendly is billed for the Miloud Hadefi Stadium, Oran next week Tuesday. Thank you for using NNY360! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Locally reported news and sports Stay Current with What's Happening Get the most of NNY360, register today! By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com This information is presented in conjunction with Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge, which seeks to advance awareness, understanding and stewardship of the natural environment. For more information, email info@lmngbr.org. Jefferson Parish is leading the pack in collecting reimbursements from the federal government for some Hurricane Ida expenses, records show. So far, the parish government has been awarded $65.3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover costs ranging from debris removal to sewer line repairs. To date, Jefferson Parish government has collected around $45.4 million or 69% of what it has been awarded, records from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness show. For comparison, New Orleans which sustained significantly less damage than Jefferson Parish has collected $3.5 million of $25 million in FEMA awards, GOSHEP records show. The awards are part of FEMA's public assistance grant program, which provides funding for debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repairs to roads, bridges, utilities and other infrastructure following a declared disaster. It is just part of the government aid that parishes can receive. Terrebonne Parish has collected $25.2 million of the $31.8 million FEMA has awarded so far; Lafourche Parish has collected $22.3 million of $27.8 million awarded; St. Charles Parish has collected $10.8 million of $14.9 million awarded; and St. John the Baptist Parish has collected $9.7 million of $13.8 million awarded. The figures offer a snapshot of the federal aid thats poured into the coffers of Louisiana's coastal parish governments one year after Ida roared ashore near Grand Isle as a Category 4 storm. Still, the funding is only a fraction of the total aid that FEMA is expected to dole out. Jefferson Parish expects to receive up to $160 million in funding from FEMA once its accounts are closed out, said Nichole Gaubert, the parishs director of public safety grants and administration. 'An uphill battle' FEMA requires state and local governments to submit reams of paperwork and jump through multiple hoops before it will sign off on a project, obligate funding and issue an award. Its really like an audit on the front end, said Gaubert. If everythings not in line, your project doesnt move forward. But FEMA isnt the only hurdle. Once the federal agency issues the award, entities like Jefferson Parish have to undergo a separate, more rigorous review by GOHSEP before it can collect the funding. Its an uphill battle, said Gaubert, who oversees the parishs FEMA grant applications, alongside a team of consultants hired by the parish. FEMA has obligated funding for 23 of Jefferson Parishs projects. Another five are in final review. And 198 more are working their way through the process. Among its reimbursements, Jefferson Parish has been awarded $33 million to cover the cost of emergency repairs to its sewer system, and $19 million and counting for debris removal. A 'monumental task' For smaller parishes and municipalities, the maze of bureaucracy that goes into FEMAs public assistance grant applications can be overwhelming. Adding to the frustrations, FEMA requires state and local governments to come to an agreement with their insurers before it will obligate funding for permanent building repairs. Jefferson Parish Council OKs move for River Birch to merge parish, private landfill operations Jefferson Parish government is getting out of the landfill management business for at least the next 15 years. I dont even want to begin to think how many pages of documents we have submitted, said Bryan Wallace, Harahans chief administrative officer. Harahan is working with a consultant funded by the state to work through its applications. Without that support, getting reimbursed wouldve been a monumental task, Wallace said. Harahans city-owned buildings sustained around $11.5 million in damage, and to date, the city has received around $140,000 in reimbursements from FEMA. Instead of waiting on FEMA, Harahan which has an annual operating budget of around $6 million has taken out a $2 million loan to begin moving on its repairs. I dont know how some cities are surviving right now, Wallace said. When a uniformed Pearl River Police officer showed up at Lola Monroes home on a recent August afternoon, the 77-year-old woman was puzzled bu A man was fatally shot late Monday while driving on Interstate 10 West near the Chef Menteur on-ramp, New Orleans police said. He's the fourth person this year who has died from gunfire on interstates in New Orleans. Related: See map of where murders have been reported this year The shooting was reported to police at 9:09 p.m. The 30-year-old man was driving when police said someone started shooting at his vehicle. The injured man went to a hospital, where he later died, police said. His name has not been released. No other details were immediately available from authorities. Map of interstate shootings As of Sept. 20, at least 21 people have been shot on New Orleans interstates and highways. Seventeen of the 19 shootings have been on I-10. Three were near downtown on US-90B. Read more about each of the interstate shootings. Here's where New Orleans police say the shootings happened. Can't see the map? Click here. Theories from police When interstate shootings started increasing last year, New Orleans police said there was no indication they were random shootings or that a single person was responsible. They reiterated that stance in June. They say the shootings usually fall into three categories: interactions between motorists that escalated into road rage pre-existing feuds where shooters are targeting someone they know someone caught in the crossfire Details from police about interstate shootings are generally limited and rarely include vehicle descriptions. Police ask anyone with information - "even if it is something that may seem insignificant" - to report it by calling Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Murders so far this year Including Monday's killing, there have been 196 murders in New Orleans this year, which is 31% more than at the same time in 2021, according to an analysis of information from the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office. The total is for murders only, which are defined as intentional and unlawful killings. They usually involve a weapon, such as a gun or knife. Murders are a subset of homicides, which include accidental, negligent and justified killings. So far, 15 killings have been found to be justified or due to negligence. +3 New Orleans murders: See map of locations, neighborhood totals and 2022 statistics After years of falling murder rates in New Orleans, killings in the city are once again on the rise. Editor's note: Previously, The Times-Picayune tracked homicides a category that includes accidental, negligent and justified killings. The totals and the graphics, including all historic data, were updated Sept. 6, 2022, to focus solely on murders, which are defined as intentional and unlawful killings. A new report points to a chemical explosion in Louisiana this year as a prime example of why the federal government should toughen national safety standards at petrochemical plants. The Jan. 26 blast that injured six workers at Westlake Corp.s Lake Charles South complex and forced thousands of students to shelter at their schools was one of three chemical incidents highlighted in the report, produced by Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform. The two environmental groups are pushing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enact proposed revisions to the Risk Management Program, which regulates about 12,000 facilities that store large amounts of hazardous chemicals near populated areas. While the program is supposed to prevent disasters, the groups note that an average of 140 harmful chemical incidents happen in the U.S. each year. The EPAs proposed rules do not go nearly far enough, and trust (Risk Management Program) facilities with an egregious safety record - like Westlake Chemical South - to voluntarily improve, says the report, which was released Tuesday. Westlake declined to comment for this story. The Houston-based company has a long track record of chemical spills, fires, explosions and failed safety inspections at its four large plants in the Lake Charles area, a Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate review of government records found in March. Despite repeated promises to improve safety standards and equipment, two of Westlakes most dangerous incidents happened over the past year. The January explosion at Lake Charles South was almost identical to one that occurred last September at Westlake Petrochemical, a plant about five miles away. Broken bones, burns and ear damage were among the injuries suffered by at least 23 workers during the Sept. 27 blast. Westlakes facilities have the potential to produce much bigger disasters ones that could imperil tens of thousands of people. A hurricane or other disaster could cause Lake Charles South to release enough toxic gas to imperil more than 210,000 people, according to company estimates in a risk management plan the newspaper viewed via a Freedom of Information Act request. Last month, the EPA proposed a slate of Risk Management Program improvements the agency says would offer greater protections to communities near plants. The new rules would emphasize the need for plants to evaluate risks from climate change and natural hazards, including hurricanes, floods and tornados. The EPA also plans to improve public access to chemical plant information, boost emergency preparedness at plants, and require safer technologies and third-party audits at facilities with high accident rates. But the rules rely too much on voluntary actions, according to the two groups, which represent a network of environmental health and justice organizations. This approach has failed to prevent many chemical disasters over the last 25 years, the report says. If the draft rule is not strengthened, facility workers and neighbors across the country will continue to bear the human, environmental, and financial costs of more preventable disasters. The report highlights two other chemical plant incidents that occurred within weeks of the Westlake explosion. In Passaic, New Jersey, a large fire broke out at a furniture warehouse and spread to the neighboring Qualco chemical plant, which housed a large quantity of chlorine. About 200 firefighters fought the blaze for three days and prevented the plants largest chemical stores from igniting. The third incident was a fertilizer plant fire in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that released toxic gasses and spurred local officials to call for the evacuation of nearly 7,000 residents. The report urges the EPA to consider offsite risks to plants, including fires at neighboring buildings, and the expansion of disaster prevention requirements to a wider array of chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, which was a source of the North Carolina fire and several industrial explosions, including one that killed at least 220 people near a fertilizer warehouse in Lebanon in 2020. The Westlake explosion in January shook nearby buildings and sent a dark mushroom-shaped cloud over Lake Charles. About 7,000 students in more than a dozen schools in the communities of Westlake and Sulphur took shelter to prevent exposure to toxic gases. Five workers sought treatment at a nearby hospital for lung, head, neck and back injuries. In a settlement with the EPA in June, Westlake agreed to spend $110 million on plant upgrades at two of its Lake Charles-area facilities and one in Calvert City, Kentucky. The EPA said the improvements will greatly reduce air pollution in the Lake Charles area. The company also agreed to $1 million in civil penalties as part of the settlement. +8 Two explosions follow decades of fires, toxic leaks, injuries at Westlake Chemical plants The chemical plant explosion that recently injured at least six people, forced several schools into lockdown and sent a dark plume of smoke ov Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks to media members outside outside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge, as abortion rights protesters hold signs and shout to try to drown him out, after a hearing there on Monday, July 18, 2022. District Judge Don Johnson heard arguments regarding the state's 'trigger law' Monday to determine whether the clinics could continue to stay open temporarily or be shut down again, deciding in favor of extending the temporary restraining order one day, and requesting more information be presented to him before another hearing Tuesday morning. Court watchers agree the law will ultimately be either upheld or struck down by the state Supreme Court. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Interior Ministry of the Interim National Unity Government Tuesday announced the reception of a Libyan prisoner handed over to it by Ukrainian authorities across the Polish border, in accordance with the prisoner exchange agreement signed between the two countries Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan prime minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba, has called for the adoption of a clear timetable for the resumption of rehabilitation of the Tripoli International Airport eight years after closure of the facility Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Najla al-Mangouch and US Assistant Secretary of State, Barbara Leaf, on Monday met in New York with their discussions focusing on the strategic relations between the two countries and joint efforts to strengthen stability in Libya News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. China will unswervingly ensure that industrial and supply chains are public goods in nature, take concrete actions to deepen international cooperation on industrial and supply chains and make sure that people of all countries share the fruits of development, President Xi Jinping said on Monday. In a congratulatory letter to the International Forum on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, which opened on Monday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Xi said China will firmly safeguard the security and stability of its industrial and supply chains. Maintaining the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains is a vital guarantee for promoting the development of the world economy and serves the common interests of people globally, he added. China is willing to work with other countries to seize the new opportunities presented by the latest scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and build a global industrial and supply chain system that is secure, stable, smooth, efficient, open, inclusive and mutually beneficial, Xi said. The comments came as strengthening the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains is widely seen as vital to supporting economic recovery of all countries, ensuring the smooth running of the world economy and improving the well-being of humanity. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said via a video link at the forum that considering the importance of value chains and supply chains, efforts are needed to focus on such issues as how to ensure fair and safe access to goods and services and the need to create high-quality jobs in less developed countries. Gerd Mueller, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, also said via video link that "multilateralism and development cooperation are now more important than ever". Jin Zhuanglong, minister of industry and information technology, said that in the past decades, the world has formed an inseparable industrial division of labor, with countries closely connected with each other through the industrial chains and supply chains, but such a landscape is facing challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To better deal with headwinds, Jin underlined the need to deepen technological innovation and cooperation, and encourage businesses in various countries to jointly work on research and development in every part of innovation and value chains at every level. South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang said via video link that nowadays, the impact of a crisis that occurs in one country reaches global supply chains, going beyond their neighboring countries. Therefore, communications through various bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperative channels are essential with a view to realizing the stabilization of global supply chains, Lee said. At the forum, China, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, Pakistan and Serbia jointly proposed the Initiative of International Cooperation on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, with the support of Argentina. The initiative called for endeavors to maintain the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as the cornerstone, contribute to strengthening the security of global industrial and supply chains, and jointly foster a fair, open and predictable market environment for global specialization and cooperation. Jim Cathey, chief commercial officer at the US chip company Qualcomm, said the pandemic is the latest and most impactful example of how easily the supply chain can be disrupted. "As demand for products powered by technology continues to grow , we need to ensure a more global, diverse and resilient supply chain," Cathey said, adding that Qualcomm is working closely with its industrial chain partners in China to drive improvement and accelerate innovation. Clas Neumann, senior vice-president of German cloud services company SAP, said that "China has always been an important part of the world's industrial supply chain, providing goods and services with high quality to the world and helping businesses around the globe to operate efficiently". If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Indiana's near-total abortion ban remains in effect for now as a southern Indiana judge weighs a request to halt its enforcement while courts determine the constitutionality of Senate Enrolled Act 1. Judge Kelsey Hanlon of the Owen Circuit Court, a Republican sitting as special judge in Monroe County, listened to some 75 minutes of oral argument on the issue Monday. She subsequently pledged to rule "expeditiously" on a motion for a preliminary injunction. The new abortion law, which took effect Thursday, prohibits all abortions in Indiana 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. The statute, approved Aug. 5 by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, also shuts down abortion services at Planned Parenthood clinics by requiring every abortion be completed in a hospital or hospital-owned surgical center, and it puts doctors at risk of losing their medical license if they fail to sufficiently justify the legal basis for an abortion. Kenneth Falk, legal director at the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, argued on behalf of a variety of abortion rights plaintiffs the near-total abortion ban runs afoul of the Indiana Constitution and must be struck down. Specifically, Falk said the Constitution's declaration that all people have inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, establishes a right to privacy, including the right to abortion, upon which the General Assembly cannot infringe. He said that absent a right to privacy, couldn't the General Assembly, in the name of preserving potential life, eliminate the rape and incest exceptions to the abortion ban, prohibit access to contraception generally and even criminalize male masturbation? "We are asking the court to recognize that the Legislature went too far," Falk said. "Women will suffer. Women will die (if the law remains in effect)." Solicitor General Thomas Fisher, a Jasper County native defending the statute on behalf of the state, said that if the framers of the Indiana Constitution intended to create a right to privacy they would have written it into the state's governing charter. Instead, records show abortion was prohibited by law both before and after the 1851 Constitution was adopted, and abortion remained a criminal offense in the Hoosier State until the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide. Fisher said the General Assembly was well within its rights to once again restrict abortion access following the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that rescinded the right to abortion established by Roe, and a state court should not unilaterally overturn the will of the people of Indiana as expressed through their elected representatives. "Unborn children literally will die if this law does not go into effect," Fisher said. "Privacy is nowhere in the Indiana Constitution mentioned as an undifferentiated right. ... There just isn't enough there." Falk's second argument focused on a different constitutional provision that prohibits treating similar entities differently. He said the law's requirement that all abortions be performed in hospitals or affiliated surgical centers unlawfully discriminates against abortion clinics. Fisher said Indiana only licensed abortion clinics post-Roe. With Roe no longer good law, he said legislators appropriately chose to restrict abortion access to hospitals and surgery centers capable of providing all necessary follow-up care. No matter how the judge rules on Falk's request for a preliminary injunction, the decision is all but certain to be ultimately appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court. Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit claiming the near-total abortion ban runs afoul of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act is scheduled for review next month by an Indianapolis court. In Northwest Indiana, abortion access remains largely accessible to Region women at a Planned Parenthood health center just across the state line at 19831 Governors Hwy. in Flossmoor, Illinois. A boutique owner won the Starke Tank Countywide Business Pitch Competition. The Starke County Economic Development Foundation and Starke County government staged the annual contest, which is meant to spur entrepreneurship in the community. Irelynd Fornelli, the owner of Irelynd Alexis Boutique in downtown Knox, won Starke Tank's $12,000 grand prize. She is a Knox High School graduate who launched her retail shop at 7 N. Main St. last August. She sells women's, men's and children's clothes. Fornelli aspired to open the store since her freshman year of high school. She worked multiple part-time jobs, including as a paraprofessional in the Knox Community School Corp., to raise the funds. She acquired inventory over time, building up a loyal base of customers. Irelynd Alexis Boutique has developed a robust online business, including a customer from Tennessee who came to shop there in person while visiting Peru, Indiana. I love meeting my customers, and I encourage them to stop into other downtown businesses like Rabbit Coffee Roasting Co. and Papa Farm Pizza, Fornelli said. We have a great, supportive community, and I want to give people a place to shop locally for clothes and gifts. Local outdoorsman Dalton Tunis, who founded Bone Boss Game Calls, was the first runner-up, taking home the $6,000 prize. Tunis long wanted to turn a lifelong love of hunting into a business. After some experimentation and tinkering, he started selling handcrafted and personalized hunting calls fashioned from Indiana walnut wood. Among is products are a deer grunt call and a glass turkey pot call that's used to mimic the sound of a hen to lure a turkey into range. He plans to use the grant to buy a CNC machine to increase production and to establish a website for online orders. Other contestants included the wellness studio Renew U, Quicks Car Service, Grand Central Grocery and Grand Central Perk Express, County Line Hobbies, Maggie Lus Market, Papa Farm Pizza, Indiana Feeder Factory and Hard Knox Gym. We had a fantastic group of contestants this year, SCEDF Executive Director Lisa Dan said. Our judges had their work cut out for them. Winners were selected by a panel comprised of Lorri Feldt from the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center, Chelsea Smith from 1st Source Bank and Jason Allen Williams from the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest. Businesses, utilities and local governments contributed the prize money. Starke County is a wonderful, supportive community, Dan said. Our existing businesses understand that by helping other entrepreneurs to succeed it benefits them as well. Attendees to the awards ceremony brought donations of food and toiletries that the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry uses to help neighbors in need. The community responded in a big way to that request as well, Dan said. We appreciate everyones generosity and are looking forward an even bigger Starke Tank next year. CSX, which runs several rail lines through Northwest Indiana and Chicago's south suburbs, recently named a new leader. Joseph Hinrichs, a former president at Ford, was named president and CEO of the Class 1 freight railroad company. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company is on the Fortune 500 and one of the largest transportation companies in the country. This appointment is the result of a long and deliberate process, in which we identified the strongest candidate to lead CSX through its next phase of growth and transformation. Jim has been at the helm throughout most of the companys transformation, producing record operating and financial results, focusing on sustainability, and emphasizing the importance of safety. We cannot thank him enough for his contributions to CSX, and his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, said John Zillmer, chairman of CSXs Board of Directors. The board believes that Joe is a seasoned leader with the relevant experience to lead CSX forward with our full support. He succeeds James Foote, who will step down as chief executive on Sept. 26 but stay on in an advisory role through early 2023. Hinrichs has worked in the automotive, manufacturing and energy sectors for more than 30 years. He oversaw Ford's $160 billion global automotive operations. Joes great strength is operational excellence. He enabled Ford to execute world-class manufacturing on a global scale, including prioritizing exceptional customer service. In addition to leading complex businesses over his 30-year career, he has proven that he understands how to prioritize safety and efficiency in an industry with dynamics that are similar to those we are navigating today in rail, Foote said. On top of that, Joe truly believes that CSXs people are critical to its success, and he is focused on forging strong relationships across the organization. Given his excellent track record around operational excellence and employee engagement, I am confident Joe is the right person to lead CSX. Hinrichs has served as Ford's president of Global Operations, president of the Americas, president of Asia Pacific and Africa, chairman and CEO of Ford China, and chairman and CEO of Ford Canada. He has led many different Ford departments over the years, including Product Development, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Labor Affairs, Marketing and Sales, Government Affairs, Information Technology, Sustainability, Safety and Environmental Engineering. He also served in executive roles in manufacturing, materials planning, logistics and other sectors. I am honored to lead a company as strong and storied as CSX, Hinrichs said. My focus on day one will be to continue to execute on the strategy the team has identified: leveraging CSXs proven operating model as a leader in the railroad industry, to drive growth through innovation, harness transformative technology and build a one-team workforce through an engaging and inclusive culture. I look forward to working closely with the Board, leadership team, labor and government leaders, and the people of CSX to achieve operational excellence that meets industry demand and delivers for our customers and shareholders. . When Tinley Parks George Rohde got the call that more than 214 neglected dogs needed homes, he didnt have time for too much sorrow. The way he saw it, the dogs came first. His feelings came second. The nationally known collie breeder loves dogs but when he found out last month that help was needed when hundreds of dogs most of them collies were seized on a property in Mercer County, he sprang into action. You always hate to hear about something like this. But on the other hand, you have to try to find a solution, he said. You need to get the dogs the rescue that they need. You do what you need to do. What can we do? Then, you take the bull by the horns and figure out where they can temporarily go and get them tender loving care and until they can be awarded to an individual rescuer. You just have to roll up your sleeves and do it. Rohde, who is also on the board of the Tri-State Collie Rescue organization, rolled up his sleeves and took 10 of the collies to his kennel and soon found foster parents for them. Eventually, when the final gavels are banged and court cases are resolved, he hopes that the dogs will be placed in permanent homes. Rohde said that various rescue groups around the Midwest have moved the dogs into safe environments, and the Collie Club of America kicked in with $10,000 to help pay for the $40,000 expenses of moving and caring for the dogs. Rohde was also quick to credit the Tinley Park PAWS organization for bathing the 10 collies he brought home. They went ahead and helped provide bathing facilities for these dogs, and volunteers helped take care of them, Rohde said. And thats what its really about. Its coming together. I think its a collaborative effort, and its really neat to see. Mercer County is near the Quad Cities. Karen A. Plambeck, 59, of Sherrard was arrested Aug. 12 and charged with three counts of aggravated animal cruelty. According to the KWQC-TV 6 website, some of the dogs removed from the premises were puppies that had severe case of sarcoptic mange that caused them to itch uncontrollably and not eat. One collie had skin ulcers while another was covered with maggots and could not stand. The station reported that all of the dogs were dehydrated, because there was no water available to them. It was horrible, absolutely horrible, Amber Stephenson from the New Beginnings Pet Rescue of the Quad Cities told Ourquadcities.com. I dont think Ill ever forget the smell. This was not the only time Plambeck was charged by Mercer County. KWQC said that in October 2019, she was charged in the county for cruel treatment of animals and four counts of unlawful inhumane care for animals when she did not remove a halter on a mare for so long that it was embedded in the horses nose, causing a necrotic area on the nose. She also pleaded guilty in May to a disorderly conduct charge for breaching the peace as the dogs on her property were continually barking, the TV station reported. Plambeck has been in and out of courtrooms in recent years, but Rohde hopes this case with the collies is resolved soon so the dogs can be placed into permanent homes. Its a sticky situation, he said. It could take months. I hope its sooner. You hope people come to their senses and realize they cant take care of 214 dogs. Chad Clifford didnt want to freeze in fear when he took the stage at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. So he created a 12-song set list on his phone featuring a few of his favorite all-time tunes: Watching the Wheels, Band on the Run, Ill Follow the Sun, and Got to Get You Into My Life, among others. Clifford played the first two songs, took a deep breath, and paused for a moment to fully absorb the surreal experience. After decades of playing Beatles songs at countless venues, he couldnt believe the stage he stood upon that night. Wow, he said to himself, looking around the nightclub birthplace of the Beatles. Then he joyfully strummed through the rest of his playlist in front of an appreciative crowd, many who knew him from our Region, including his wife, Michelle. It was amazing, Clifford recalled in a husky voice from thousands of live performances. Last month, he co-hosted a one-week magical mystery tour to Liverpool and London, literally walking in the famous footsteps of his musical heroes. In coordination with Valparaiso-based Authentic Irish Tours, they were joined by eight couples from Northwest Indiana, all Beatles fans whove enjoyed listening to Cliffords renditions as a member of MegaBeatles and the Crawpuppies. This opportunity allowed me to see things and places I never thought Id be able to enjoy in person, said Clifford, owner of Front Porch Music in Valparaiso. Those iconic places included Penny Lane, Abbey Road Studio, Strawberry Field, and 3 Savile Row, where the Beatles performed their last public performance in 1969. The tour also included the childhood homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, where Clifford sat in rooms that once reverberated with melodies that have since become the pop music soundtrack of our lives. In the Lennon home, Clifford heard the same acoustic echoes that Lennon heard while crafting his early songs. Clifford was invited inside after first playing a song outside the home. He played In My Life, singing lyrics that transcend music: All these places have their moments. In the McCartney home, the 53-year-old lifelong musician was invited to play piano in the living room, singing When Im Sixty-Four. When Clifford was 4, he experienced his first Beatles moment, watching the movie Help! on TV with his father. His dad soon introduced him to his first Beatles album, which he played nonstop, then another, and another. Clifford later began emulating McCartney, playing a guitar his grandmother bought him while singing into a vacuum cleaner hose. Since those early days, Clifford has attended 13 live performances by McCartney. For many of us, we dont know what a world is like without Paul McCartney, Clifford said. The true beauty behind Beatles music is how tightly its woven into the tapestry of our daily lives. Keep in mind that the Beatles changed everything in just seven years, Clifford said. The bands deep catalog of familiar music is threaded throughout multiple generations of fans from every continent. Together, we can sing their songs word for word, note for note, even if we dont speak the same language. Clifford has done this in pubs with Beatles fans who otherwise couldnt converse with him. We dont need a translator for Beatles music, he said. His next MegaBeatles show will be Oct. 8 at Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, Michigan, to celebrate John Lennon's birthday, then on Dec. 17 at LaPorte Civic Auditorium. During his first-ever trek to England last month, Clifford and his wife visited Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and St Pauls Cathedral, as well as stops at the Cotswolds stone architecture and the marvel of Stonehenge. I liked London, but I loved Liverpool, Clifford said. They know why people make a pilgrimage there. Cliffords pilgrimage across the pond was four years in the making, with three cancellations for different reasons. Plans for a return trip are already in progress for "Beatles Forever 2024." (For details, contact Authentic Irish Tours at 219-246-5163.) Once the tour group arrived in London, Clifford began sharing their experiences on social media. My friends feedback and appreciation for our experiences made the trip even more special, he said. Clifford and his wife were the youngest ones on the tour with eight other couples. They became fast friends, bonded by Beatles music. I think they enjoyed being with a Beatles fanatic like me who has an authentic appreciation for the bands music," Clifford said. "It may sound a little sappy but we were able to enjoy a shared experience of joy. Plus, we avoided talking politics. They capped off their trip with Cliffords performance at the Cavern Club, a sacred place for Beatles worship. The clubs owner invited him back later that night for two more hours with other musicians. Yet it was Cliffords opening set in the middle of the day that played all the right notes for an unforgettable show. Some of his tour guests livestreamed it on social media to their friends back in the U.S. That set list included Youve Got to Hide Your Love Away, All Ive Got To Do, and I Saw Her Standing There. After Clifford left the stage, he looked for his wife, who is often his toughest critic after any show. Not on that night, though. He saw her standing there with tears in her eyes. Imagine that. VALPARAISO Would you like some Ethiopian stew or Spanish paella? How about Chinese dancers or henna artwork? All that was available Sunday at the 13th annual World Cultural Festival at Central Park and the Urschel Pavilion. Sponsored by the Valparaiso International Center, this family-friendly event featured food, music and dance from around the world and international art, along with handicrafts for sale and childrens activities. The World Cultural Festival is the yearly climax of our efforts to promote better global awareness and connections among the many cultures that make up our local community, said Duane Davison, founding chair of VIC. The event provides an opportunity for people to learn about each other, enjoy music and dance, sample food and make friends. Chris McQuillins bagpipe opened the event at the Northwest Health Amphitheater, followed by various dancers and musical performers. Those included Chinese, Bulgarian, Greek, Polish, German, Spanish, pan-African, Punjab and South Indian people. Among those attending were members of Diversity University, a student organization at Highland High School and Middle School. Were trying to promote diversity in the school, said Vy Herrejon, the groups president. We wanted to see different activities and do something similar in Highland. The Highland students sponsored a multicultural program last year and hope to offer a bigger program this year, the club president said. We want to promote more inclusion and open doors in the community, Herrejon said. A lot of communities are very separated. A lot of people immigrated to this country, and we want to hear their stories. Julie Larson, an English Language Learners teacher in Highland, said she hopes students learn something from the festival and bring something back to Highland. Also during the festival, the public purchased ethnic food from local restaurants. Cuisine included Spanish, Ethiopian, pan-African, soul food, Thai, Mexican and French. Ryan Milkowski, a senior biology major at Valparaiso University, tried curry rice from the African restaurant. It was wonderful, the womens softball player from Olathe, Kansas, said. I could eat this every day. She added, This festival is amazing. So many people are here, celebrating diversity. I would never have eaten African food had I not been here. A highlight of the festival was the Parade of Nations. Attendees were encouraged to wear traditional attire and carry the flag of their birthplace or ancestral homeland. Master of ceremonies Anand Agarwal is majoring in electrical engineering and physics at Valpo. Having arrived in the U.S. in 2019 from his native Nepal, he said he has always felt welcome in the community. I like the fact that people come voluntarily to this festival. Its a good mixture of immigrants and domestic person, Agarwal said. Ive always felt included in the community, and this is my way of paying it forward. Nonprofit organizations and educational institutions had informational booths. International products and fair-trade items were also available for sale. A childrens tent featured internationally themed activities and a display of student artwork. Were especially interested in teaching our youngsters about diversity and the importance of communication and interaction between cultures, Davison stated. Among the performers were the Jasmine Dancers, a group of Chinese dancers from the Valparaiso area. Flavia Cheng, of Valparaiso, said the group was formed in 2017. We do this for exercise and to promote Chinese culture and introduce Chinese culture to the community, she said. The group performs dances from particular areas of China, including Han and Mongolia, Cheng said. From eastern Europe by way of Michigan City, Steve Kowalczyk played one of his 17 accordions. His instruments come from France, Italy, Austria, Poland and Russia. Accordions are made of wood, Kowalczyk explained, giving them a unique sound that he likes. Kowalczyk considered the cultural festival absolutely fantastic and fascinating. He added, Especially now in the world, we should be more integrated, more united. In periods of peace and war, for ceremony or pleasure, the art of adorning ourselves with flowers and plants be it with wreaths, bracelets or ornamental blooms dates to ancient times. Egyptian women wore garlands of narcotic lotuses, a sacred symbol of protection and rebirth, while, according to Greek legend, Achilles used wild yarrow, a medicinal herb that could stanch bleeding, to help heal his fellow soldiers wounds. Throughout the Renaissance and Victorian eras, European women would wear nosegays (tiny bouquets often carried by hand) or corsages (sprays of fragrant blossoms or herbs typically worn on the shoulder or wrist) to provide relief from the foul odors of city life. Around that time, men threaded sweet-smelling stems called boutonnieres into their lapels. By the turn of the 20th century, floral embellishments had reached their heyday as the ultimate Edwardian statement of refinement, particularly among dandies. Every morning, Marcel Proust would pick up a single cattleya orchid from Jules Lachaumes famous Parisian flower shop to accessorize his jacket; he wore a striking white one for his oil portrait by Jacques-Emile Blanche in 1892. That same year, Oscar Wilde persuaded one of his actors in Lady Windermeres Fan, as well as a number of men in the audience, to wear green carnations in their buttonholes on the plays opening night in London. When asked what it meant, Wilde replied, Nothing whatever, but that is just what nobody will guess. SAN ANTONIO A county sheriff in Texas announced on Monday that he had opened a criminal investigation into flights that took 48 migrants from a shelter in San Antonio to the island resort of Marthas Vineyard last week. Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, said that he had enlisted agents from his offices organized crime task force and that it was too early to determine which laws might have been broken. But he said it was clear that many of the migrants had been misled and lured away from Texas to score political points. The migrants, caught in a mounting political fight between Republican governors of border states and Democratic officials, were flown to Massachusetts by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida last week. A day later, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas sent two busloads of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harriss residence in Washington. A migrant appears to have been paid to recruit other Venezuelan migrants, who have been crossing the southwest border in greater numbers, from the area around a migrant resource center in San Antonio, Sheriff Salazar said. The migrants were lured under false pretenses with promises of work and a better life, he added. It would be politically tricky to pull off, to put it mildly. Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution grants states the authority to set The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives. But it also gives Congress the power to at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations. That ambiguity means theres ample room for dispute about whether Congress or the states are the appropriate decision maker. Republicans, at least recently, have tended to argue that states ought to have the primary say in how federal candidates are elected, while Democrats are more often in favor of national-level changes. Much depends on whose ox is being gored. Republicans have long thought they benefited from partisan gerrymandering, especially in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where the G.O.P. is overrepresented in state legislatures relative to their share of statewide votes. The letter writers argue that the change would render gerrymandering obsolete and help ensure that a political partys share of votes in an election actually determines how many seats it holds in the House. They also say it would dilute the impact of the Supreme Courts recent moves to weaken the Voting Rights Act because it would empower communities of color, which often find themselves on the losing end of elections unless they make up an absolute majority of a district. The failure of independent commissions One factor powering the shift in favor of multimember districts is the failure of independent redistricting commissions to bring about fundamental change. After redistricting in 2010, when Republicans used their newfound legislative majorities in many states to redraw the maps for state legislatures and House seats aggressively, Democrats vowed to even the score the next time. Mr. Herschmann, who defended Mr. Trump during his first impeachment trial but tried to stop several efforts by outside advisers aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2020 election, declined to comment. A spokesman for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The meeting between Mr. Herschmann and Mr. Trump has not been previously reported, and it adds to the picture of Mr. Trumps interactions with several people about returning the documents in the months before the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of material in January of this year. When they went through the boxes, officials at the archives discovered that they contained nearly 200 individual classified documents. It was not immediately clear if the meeting was solely related to the discussion about the documents, or if it was about other issues. Some of Mr. Trumps advisers, including informal ones such as Tom Fitton, of the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch, have told the former president that he could hold onto the documents as personal records, according to people briefed on their discussions. Mr. Trump is facing not just the investigation over potential mishandling of government records, but also a number of other inquiries, including a wide-ranging Justice Department investigation into what led to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and a state investigation in Georgia into efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election. Lawyers for Mr. Trump turned over an additional set of classified documents in June. The F.B.I. then carried out a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 and retrieved more than 100 additional individual documents with classified markings. A federal judge in Florida has at least temporarily barred the Justice Department from using the material seized in the search in pursuing its criminal investigation. On Friday, the department asked a federal appeals court to let the F.B.I. regain access to those 100 or so sensitive documents so it could continue the inquiry and assess the national security risks stemming from Mr. Trump keeping them in an unsecured location. WASHINGTON For the first time, the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants along the southwestern border exceeded two million in one year, according to newly released government data, continuing a historic pace of undocumented immigrants coming to the country. The number of arrests at the border increased slightly from July to August, with a total of more than 2.1 million for the first 11 months of the 2022 fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. In an unusual step, Biden administration officials gave some reporters a background briefing on Monday before Customs and Border Protections routine monthly release of data. Officials noted that the number of removals over the past year more than 1.3 million was more than any previous year. The administration in recent months has tried to steer clear of immigration issues as the midterm elections approach and Republicans campaign on the message that the border is unsecured. Last week, two Republican governors paid for dozens of immigrants who were released from government custody to be transported to Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., an escalation of efforts to show Democratic areas inside the country what it is like on the southwestern border. A California woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016 and fabricated an elaborate tale to tell the authorities, prompting an extensive and costly search for made-up perpetrators, was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison, the Justice Department said. The woman, Sherri Papini, 40, of Redding, Calif., pleaded guilty in April to one count of making false statements to F.B.I. agents about her disappearance and one count of mail fraud. Federal prosecutors said that not only did Papini lie to law enforcement, her friends and her family, she also made false statements to the California Victim Compensation Board and the Social Security Administration to collect more than $125,000 in disability benefits. As part of the sentence, Judge William B. Shubb of U.S. District Court in Sacramento ordered Ms. Papini to pay $309,902 in restitution for losses incurred by several agencies, including the Social Security Administration, the Shasta County Sheriffs Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Most of the 146 bodies exhumed so far in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Izium were civilians, and some of the bodies showed signs of torture, the leader of the regional military administration, Oleh Synyehubov, said Monday. Some of the dead have signs of violent death. There are bodies with tied hands and traces of torture, Mr. Synyehubov wrote in a post on Telegram. Others had stab wounds or injuries from mine explosions and shrapnel, and two of the bodies belonged to children, he added. Iziums mayor, Valery Marchenko, has said that he expected it will take another two weeks to exhume all of the bodies from several mass grave sites in Izium that were discovered after Russian forces retreated in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The largest of burial site contained about 440 individual graves, a discovery that cast a renewed spotlight on potential war crimes committed during Russias six-month occupation of the city. Investigators say the discoveries recall the broad evidence of atrocities by Russian soldiers in towns like Bucha, near Kyiv, but each body must be forensically examined to determine the cause of death. The most dangerous attack on a nuclear plant, experts say, may not be a direct strike on a well-protected reactor, but one that damages or destroys the far more vulnerable critical infrastructure, like the cooling system, that keeps the reactor running safely. Failure of the cooling system can lead to a meltdown and an enormous release of radiation. In the explosion on Monday, less than 70 miles north of the city of Mykolaiv, there was no damage to essential safety equipment and the plant remained fully operational, Energoatom said. The strike near the South Ukraine plant, Ukraines second-largest working nuclear station, follows months of concern over the larger Zaporizhzhia plant to the east. That complex has come under repeated shelling, with Russia and Ukraine trading accusations of responsibility. As conditions deteriorated last month, the United Nations sent a team of inspectors to the plant, calling for a demilitarized zone at the site. The situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russian soldiers occupy but Ukrainian engineers operate, appears to have stabilized in recent days, after the plant resumed receiving electricity from Ukraines power grid last week. But its six reactors have all been shut down as a safety measure, after Energoatom determined that it was too risky to keep them running with fighting nearby. Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine had 15 working reactors at four nuclear plants, built primarily in the 1970s and 1980s, under the Soviet Union: the South Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia plants, in the south, and the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne plants, in the west. The Chernobyl plant in the north, the site of the 1986 nuclear accident, is defunct but engineers still safeguard the waste there even through a weekslong occupation by Russian soldiers this spring. We have these two different worlds, which each has a distinct identity, said Koen Bulckens, an old masters curator at the museum, during a tour last week. On the one hand, we have classical art in the classical building with the grandeur of 19th-century public spaces. And on the other hand, this slick, modernist, white-cube museum. For a relatively small European city, Antwerp, and the surrounding region, known as Flanders, has had an outsized influence on the history of art, beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries with Jan van Eyck and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Rubens and Anthony van Dyck later made Antwerp the focal point of the Flemish Baroque. Modernist artists such as the early Expressionist James Ensor, from Ostend, another Flemish city, and Antwerps contemporary art star Luc Tuymans, continued to tap into the Flemish tradition of mastering oil paint. These artists are represented within the Royal Museums display, along with a handful of major works by artists from farther afield, such as Amedeo Modiglianis Seated Nude (1917) and Rene Magrittes The Sixteenth of September (1956). Carmen Willems, the museums general director, said that the new design was meant to highlight the institutions holdings. Nearly 70 percent of its 8,400-piece collection is made up of modern artworks, she said, while only about 30 percent are old masters. In a decision eagerly awaited by the art world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday announced that David Breslin would become its curator in charge of Modern and Contemporary Art, indicating that he will play an important role in the new wing now under development for that department. Breslin, who currently serves as the director of curatorial initiatives at the Whitney Museum of American Art and was co-curator of the 2022 Whitney Biennial, is expected to start at the Met later this fall. He replaces Sheena Wagstaff, who announced in May that she was leaving after 10 years in the position. Breslin will have an important role in how the Met defines the art of our time at a moment when museums all over the country are rethinking the canon and making space for more women and people of color. What are the compelling narratives, what are the new stories that need to be told, how do we build on the work thats happened at the museum? Breslin, 43, said in a telephone interview. He added that he looks forward to connecting the new wing to the museums historical departments, and that he starts with an appreciation that all art was contemporary once. Americans may know the story of Crazy Horse, the Lakota warrior who led the rout of United States Army forces at Little Bighorn, or of Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce leader whose eloquent protest against his peoples forced removal to a reservation still echoes today. But how many know the story of Popay, the Pueblo religious leader who led a revolt that drove the Spanish out of New Mexico in 1680? Or Opeka, a Shawnee sachem who shrewdly negotiated with the governor of Pennsylvania in 1710 to spare the lives of his people accused of killing colonists? Their stories are among the many that appear in Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America, a sweeping new book by the Finnish historian Pekka Hamalainen. And while they are fleeting players, they are hardly footnotes. Indigenous Continent, published on Tuesday by Liveright, aims to do nothing less than recast the story of Native American and American history, portraying Indigenous people not as victims but as powerful actors who profoundly shaped the course of events. MELBOURNE, Australia Jack Charles, one of Australias leading Indigenous actors and activists, who has been called the grandfather of Aboriginal theater and who spent years in prison for burglaries that he saw as acts of reparations, died on Sept. 13 in Melbourne. He was 79. He died in a hospital after having a stroke, according to his publicist, Patrice Capogreco. Mr. Charles had a voice that made people stop and listen. Gravelly and majestic, with rounded vowels honed by elocution lessons in a rough-and-tumble boys home, it assured him an audience even over the scrum of the Australian prisons, where he spent much of his life. Its very unusual for a crim or a screw to listen to a prisoner talk for very long, he wrote in a memoir, using slang for fellow inmates and prison officers. But for whatever reason, theyd let me run with whatever I was talking about and actually listen. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Fit for a Queen Queen Elizabeths funeral took place on Monday, with crowds waiting in line for up to 24 hours to pay their respects. Trevor Noah called the wait no joke, saying, There is no iPhone at the end of that line, all right? Its just a box and you dont even get to open the box. Russia pushes for annexation Officials installed by Moscow in four occupied Ukrainian regions announced plans to hold referendums on formally joining Russia, according to state news media. The votes will begin on Friday and last for five days. The moves are widely seen as a prelude to annexation and a potential escalation of the war. They are also a sign of Moscows growing desperation. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine announced efforts to secure recently retaken eastern territory, even as he underlined the importance of continuing to make rapid gains to deny Russia any foothold on Ukrainian soil. Annexation even if unrecognized by the international community would send a signal that Moscow was prepared to defend the territory as if it were Russia, potentially with nuclear warheads. Encroaching on the territory of Russia is a crime, the commission of which allows you to use all the forces of self-defense, Dmitri Medvedev, the former Russian president and an ally of Vladimir Putin, posted on Telegram. Here are live updates. 10. And finally, if you think your commute is too long, be glad youre not a godwit. Each year around this time, tens of thousands of bar-tailed godwits migrate from Alaska to New Zealand and Australia. The 7,000-mile journey the longest nonstop migration of any land bird is completed in eight to 10 days of continuous flapping without stopping to eat, drink or rest. The godwits ordeal is so extreme that, as one recent paper put it, it challenges underlying assumptions of bird physiology. Before the bird takes off, its organs shrink, its pectoral muscles grow, and it gobbles up insects, worms and mollusks to store fat for the long journey. One scientist called the godwits obese super athletes. Have an enduring night. Brent Lewis compiled photos for this briefing. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com. Here are todays Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee and Wordle. If youre in the mood to play more, find all our games here. About 350 miles northwest of Montreal, amid a vast pine forest, is a deep mining pit with walls of mottled rock. The pit has changed hands repeatedly and been mired in bankruptcy, but now it could help determine the future of electric vehicles. The mine contains lithium, an indispensable ingredient in electric car batteries that is in short supply. If it opens on schedule early next year, it will be the second North American source of that metal, offering hope that badly needed raw materials can be extracted and refined close to Canadian, U.S. and Mexican auto factories, in line with Biden administration policies that aim to break Chinas dominance of the battery supply chain. Having more mines will also help contain the price of lithium, which has soared fivefold since mid-2021, pushing the cost of electric vehicles so high that they are out of reach for many drivers. The average new electric car in the United States costs about $66,000, just a few thousand dollars short of the median household income last year. But the mine outside La Corne, operated by Sayona Mining, an Australian company, also illustrates the many hurdles that must be overcome to produce and process the materials needed to wean automobiles from fossil fuels. The mine has had several owners, and some of them filed for bankruptcy. As a result, some analysts and investors warn that many mines being developed now may never be viable. Mr. Macaluso pointed out that these apps are geared toward selling small volumes of perishable goods, whereas food banks are usually set up to handle much larger donations. So those kinds of apps are filling a really interesting and unique niche, he said. The apps also have the potential to reach people facing food insecurity. Flashfood said a minority of its shoppers (roughly one in five) experience food insecurity, according to its own survey data, and the company is working to allow government assistance cards as payment methods. A spokeswoman for Too Good To Go said the company did not accept food stamps and did not have similar data on users. One complication is that, according to interviews with several companies selling on Too Good To Go, at least a few items for sale there arent necessarily what buyers might think of as food waste. The owner of a Baltimore dessert shop said she considered the app a promotional tool to reach new customers by selling what she called little samples. A beverage company owner said he used the app to sell discontinued products, but also sold new flavors there in hopes of attracting new customers. Mr. Crummie, the Too Good To Go director, said the apps requisite price point dissuaded this type of behavior. If somebody is paying $5, they should be receiving $15 worth of food, he said. So its not a profit-generating platform. He added that the company responded to user reviews, and when businesses are misusing the platform, it ends the partnership. Regardless, Professor Broad Leib said she thought these apps would make users reconsider their own food waste, and that would be beneficial. The best ways to change consumer behavior has been just making people more aware of the issues, she said. Ms. Rexrode, the tax analyst in Austin who uses Too Good To Go, has thought about the effect shes having on the climate. The app includes details on how many pounds of carbon dioxide she has saved based on the number of surprise bags she has bought, which in her case is 419 pounds. However, she pointed out, that number might not be entirely accurate. They dont know how much Ive contributed by going to get the food, Ms. Rexrode said. I am driving! According to the International Energy Agency, 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, and 970 million live without low-pollution cooking fuels, which consigns mostly women and girls to burning charcoal and wood in their kitchens. More shocking, a smaller share of the population has access to electricity today than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. That problem could be solved by 2030 with investments of $25 billion a year, according to the I.E.A. a fraction of whats invested in global energy today. Is gas necessary to widen energy access for Africans? Renewables, especially solar and geothermal energy, could meet 80 percent of the electricity generation capacity needed, according to the I.E.A. The same projections conclude that, between now and 2030, Africa would also need gas (around 90 billion cubic meters a year) to generate the electricity needed to produce things like cement, steel, and fertilizers. Gas or no gas is the wrong question, said Damilola Ogunbiyi, a native of Nigeria who now serves as the United Nations special representative for Sustainable Energy for All. The right question is how to expand access to energy. At the moment, she said, that is not possible without some gas. Lifting 600 million people out of poverty, that has to be the front line item of the energy transition, Ogunbiyi told me. Giving, you know, a few million Africans some solar lanterns, that is not development. Development is to have enough electricity that you can run your small business, so you can manufacture. Pushback: Gas for whom? Some African climate activists argue that the extraction of the continents natural resources has not served its people well. Nigeria is the continents largest oil producer, and even some villages in its oil-rich delta live in darkness. South Africa is rich in coal, but while exports to Europe have surged, South Africans deal with power cuts. A new pipeline is under construction to transport crude oil from Uganda to a port in Tanzania, from where it can be exported to buyers abroad. It faces pushback from climate activists in the region. The Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate described gas as a dangerous distraction. Decades of fossil fuel development in Africa have already failed to deliver promised prosperity, she said by email. We need finance from the Global North for cheap and reliable renewable energy instead. Its that time again! If youre just joining us, every month I play concierge and help guide subscribers through the dense and delicious jungle that is New York City dining. This week, we have a reader who wants to know where they should celebrate their birthday solo, a roller skater looking for late-night bites near Prospect Park and a vegetarian book lover who wants nothing more than a nice place to read over a cocktail. As always, please send your own recommendations or questions to wheretoeat@nytimes.com, and you may see a response in a future newsletter. Lets get started! For Ms. Hochul, who is running for her first full term as governor in November, and Mayor Eric Adams, who won office promising a safer city, reviving the subway system and coaxing back frightened riders is an urgent issue. While the systems nearly 500 stations have cameras, as do Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad commuter trains, the cars that move millions of New Yorkers each day are blind spots. Expanding on a pilot program that began this summer, the transit authority would spend $5.5 million of state and federal funds to equip each of the more than 6,400 cars by 2025, Ms. Hochul said. The new cameras, which will monitor entire cars and take about 40 hours per train to install, cannot be monitored live, Ms. Hochul said, but they will provide investigators with video footage after a crime. The cameras are part of an effort to get people back on the subway. Their absence has threatened not only the fiscal welfare of New Yorks transit system but that of the entire city. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that relies heavily on farebox revenues to keep the system running, has forecast a $2.5 billion deficit in 2025. New York City, whose economy has been slow to recoup employment, tourism and tax revenue, itself faces a possible $10 billion deficit. But even as Ms. Hochul and Mr. Adams have urged New Yorkers to leave their apartments and head for their workplaces again, continuous violence on the subway has complicated their message. There were some things that we just had to change, said Dennis Walcott, the chairman of the redistricting commission and chief executive of the Queens Library. Those changes include keeping Hunter College and Sutton Place in a Manhattan district. How could we do that, Mr. Walcott said about splitting the college, adding an expletive for emphasis. As a veteran public official who has served as deputy mayor and schools chancellor, Mr. Walcott said he still harbored few illusions that the commissions revised maps will please everyone, because you cant please everyone. Take for example the pressure for the maps to reflect the growth in the citys Asian population: Since the 2010 census, New York City has added 630,000 new residents, 55 percent of whom are Asian. The maps call for the creation of a majority Asian district in Brooklyn, but rejected a proposal for a second such district representing Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park in Queens. Members of the APA Voice Redistricting Task Force have said that the growing South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities in those Queens neighborhoods should be united so they can elect their own representative. Instead, the commissions proposed and revised maps split those ethnic groups among two City Council districts, diluting their power instead of recognizing it, neighborhood residents said. Under the revised maps, South Ozone Park will be in the 28th District and Richmond Hill will be in the 29th. The lack of ethnicity-focused representation became apparent when the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded basement apartments in Queens, and when a recent fire among several townhouses in Richmond Hill killed three people. After those tragedies, the community had trouble marshaling help from the city, speakers from the task force recently said. Its obvious. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, wants to be president. Within months of taking office, Youngkin had already established two political organizations, Spirit of Virginia and Americas Spirit, meant to raise his profile in national Republican politics with donations and assistance to candidates both in his home state and across the country. In July, he met privately with major conservative donors in New York City, underlining the sense that his ambitions run larger than his term in Richmond. Youngkin, a former private equity executive, is on a tour of the country, speaking and raising money for Republican candidates in key presidential swing states. And as he crisscrosses the United States in support of the Republican Party, Youngkin is neither avoiding Donald Trump nor scorning his acolytes; hes embracing them. In Nevada last week, Youngkin stumped for Joe Lombardo, the Trump-backed Republican nominee for governor who acknowledges that President Biden won the election but says he is worried about the sanctity of the voting system. In Michigan, Youngkin stumped for Tudor Dixon, the Trump-backed Republican nominee for governor who has repeatedly challenged the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. And later this month, in Arizona, Youngkin will stump for Kari Lake, the Trump-backed Republican nominee for governor who accused Democrats of fraud in the state and says that unlike Gov. Doug Ducey, she would not have certified the 2020 election results. Whether Youngkin agrees with any of this himself is an open question. In the 2021 Virginia Republican primary, he flirted with election denialism but never fully committed. What matters, for our purposes, is that Youngkin believes he needs to cater to and actually support election questioners and deniers to have a shot at leading the Republican Party. To the Editor: Re Migrants DeSantis Sent to Marthas Vineyard Say They Were Misled (news article, Sept. 17): There may well be some legitimacy to the idea that blue state governors and mayors ignore the difficulty of humanely housing migrants and asylum seekers at the border without more federal assistance. But instead of using persecuted and vulnerable humans as political pawns via deliberately false inducements and forced geographic dispersion, it would be far more reasonable for Republican governors to urge their brethren in Congress to stop rejecting comprehensive immigration reform and also endorse a national solution to match willing workers with job openings that remain unfilled in restaurants, hotels, farms and elsewhere across the United States. Laurie Woog Westfield, N.J. The writer is an immigration attorney. To the Editor: Re Migrants Sent to Marthas Vineyard as Message (front page, Sept. 16): Relocating immigrants from border states to other states happens every day, and has for years on end. Our existing system of handling asylum-seeking migrants, which does indeed need much improvement, does this now regularly, but in a more orderly way. It registers the migrants, sets a date for a court hearing on their status and lets them go, often to family or other sponsors throughout the U.S. who expect them. So whats with these governors plucking dozens of such immigrants out of this stream, putting them on planes or buses, and dumping them on the Vineyard, or the vice presidents doorstep in Washington, with no notice? Its a stunt, folks, a political stunt, cruel, demeaning, shameful and unworthy of our immigrant nation a stunt contrived by ambitious, attention-seeking border governors who seek to embarrass the federal government and poke the eye of woke Northern states, but who have mainly demonstrated their unworthiness of higher or even their present offices. Not that long ago the worlds oceans were viewed as too gargantuan for humans to influence. This view was voiced most notably in 1883 by the English biologist Thomas Huxley, who in his inaugural address to the International Fisheries Exhibition in London asserted that all the great sea fisheries are inexhaustible. Nowadays, such naivete seems inconceivable. Were witnessing rampant overfishing and the decline in size of commercially important fish; rising water temperatures and even marine heat waves that are throwing ecosystems into disarray and driving fish and crustacean stocks to the relief of deeper water and toward the poles; acidity that is challenging the ability of sea creatures to form shells; lessening oxygen levels and dead zones; contamination from oil spills a gloomy totality that has come to be known as the Aquacalypse. The seemingly inexhaustible is becoming dangerously exhausted. Im an aquatic conservation biologist at Queens College. Among the courses I teach is a graduate seminar on historical ecology in the context of marine conservation. My students become most absorbed not in the grim realities of the alarming present, which they take as a given, but by historical accounts of incredible abundance. For instance, in the 1500s, Europeans exploring Nova Scotia simply dropped baskets in near-shore waters and hauled up large cod. Spanish sailors near Cuba saw turtles in such vast numbers that they covered the sea. Travelers noted large whales infinite in number, impossible to be counted. River herring once ran up rivers from the sea to spawn in quantities that seemed unbelievable, indeed, indescribable, as also incomprehensible. Again and again, my students are astonished and in awe of just how much sea life has vanished. They are experiencing a reset from what is known as the shifting baselines syndrome: the notion that generations of environmental decline has steadily obscured our view of past plenitude and left us thinking that the environmental conditions in which weve grown up are normal. The danger of this warped perspective is that we become more willing to accept the world as it is without ever knowing what it was. With an environmentally degraded planet as our baseline, our conservation aspirations are already hobbled. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. FRONT PAGE An article on Monday about Republican nominees backed by Donald J. Trump who would not commit to accepting this years election results misstated the number of Republicans who ignored or declined to answer a question about accepting the November election results. It was six, not five. INTERNATIONAL An article on Friday about President Bidens plans to meet with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan referred imprecisely to the 2011 conviction of Viktor Bout. While Mr. Bout was convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens, officers and employees by agreeing to sell weapons to informants from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the weapons sale did not take place. NATIONAL An article on Saturday about feuds and possible legal troubles within Donald J. Trumps legal team misstated a position once held by Eric Herschmann, a former White House lawyer. He was a prosecutor for New York State, not a federal prosecutor. BUSINESS An article on Saturday about TikTok becoming a popular search engine for young people misstated the amount of time each day Jayla Johnson said she spends watching TikTok videos. She estimated that she watches them for two hours a day, not 10. A high school senior named Hae Min Lee disappeared one day after school in 1999, in Baltimore County, Md. A month later, her body was found in a city park. Shed been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was charged with murder, and within a year, he was sentenced to life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnans friend Jay, who testified that he had helped Adnan bury Haes body. But Adnan has always maintained that he had nothing to do with Haes death. Some people believe he has been telling the truth. Many others dont. Sarah Koenig sorted through thousands of documents, listened to trial testimony and police interrogations and talked to everyone she could find who remembered Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee. Sarah discovered that the trial had covered up a far more complicated story than the jury or the public ever got to hear. The high school scene, the shifting statements to the police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence everything leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a persons character? How can you tell what a person is capable of? In Season 1 of Serial, she looks for answers. Listen to Serial: Season 1 In 2013, while dealing with health issues, she binged on historical romance novels, including Julia Quinns Bridgerton series. Ms. Guillory said she worried that, as a former history major, she would get bogged down in research if she tried to write such a book herself. When she began to read contemporary romances, including A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev, she saw her future, she said. She joined an online writers challenge that prompts fledgling novelists to commit to writing 50,000 words in one month. In April 2015, working from an idea she had sketched out in the Notes app of her phone, she said she spent every spare moment getting words on the page. I looked forward every day to coming home from work and sitting on the couch and writing, she said. She hit the 50,000 mark, then kept going. By June she had a draft of The Wedding Date, a flirty, funny novel about a romance between a Black woman who is the chief of staff to the mayor of Berkeley, Calif., and the white male pediatric surgeon whom she meets while stuck in an elevator during a power outage. After revising the manuscript and sending it out over the next year, she signed with a literary agent, who encouraged her to come up with a second novel. In 2017, Ms. Guillory signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House. In 2018, the publisher released The Wedding Date. The book got glowing reviews, and later that year, Ms. Guillorys second novel, The Proposal about a writer in Los Angeles who refuses a Dodgers Stadium Jumbotron proposal from her boyfriend spent five weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. In 2019, Ms. Guillory left her day job for good. I didnt quit my legal job until I knew that I could support myself with writing, she said. The transition surprised people who knew her, including her mother, Donna Guillory, a psychotherapist, who said she was glad her daughter made the change. When she was practicing law, Donna said, she didnt have the spark in her eyes. But when she talks about her books, she absolutely does. THE IDEA OF an 8 p.m. dinner is a recent U.S. development. Into the 19th century, the days main meal was taken around noon: Most Americans were farmers, working in or near the buildings where they lived and doing physical labor that started early in the morning, and thus were ravenous by midday. Supper was the evening meal, light and usually served cold a function, as the American writer Abigail Carroll explains in Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal (2013), of how laborious the cooking of the era could be. During the Industrial Revolution, large numbers of middle-class Americans began commuting to factory and office jobs, which meant that, among other developments, the whole family was no longer necessarily home to eat together before noon. In the following decades, just as the wealthy in the United States imitated aristocratic fashion, they tended to dine late and have chefs who cooked French food, says Paul Freedman, a historian at Yale University. (This year, it seems, weve broken ranks further with those continental habits: When I asked Ed Thaw, the director of Londons Ellory Limited, whether the European capitals have also moved to earlier reservations, he said that, thankfully, everyone still wants to eat at 8 p.m. or beyond.) New York is a place singularly obsessed with reinventing its own rituals and power moves and theres nothing like sharing agnolotti with friends before dusk on a Tuesday to demonstrate youre a master of your own universe. Indeed, the once-geriatric stigma of being an early bird is gone. Or perhaps everyones become more geriatric: prioritizing sleep and giving ones body a few hours to digest before bed; intermittently fasting and trading cocktails for all those new low- or no-alcohol aperitifs. In that light, eating early is just another way to reject the corporate hegemony that once defined a capitalistic city. You dress up head to toe, go to dinner and then go home and watch your HBO show and [are] asleep by 11, says Anthony Geich, the maitre d at Sona, a gold-pillared Indian restaurant in the Flatiron district. The pandemic pushed us all into early retirement. One minute the actor David Greenspan is giving the preshow speech, as welcoming and easy as can be, explaining that the theater has held the curtain a few minutes because of trouble with the subway, and asking us, the audience, to turn off our phones. An instant later, with no warning whatsoever, not even a change of light, he has slipped into the play and pulled us with him. It seems somehow like hes gentled us into it with benevolent trickery as if hed said, Look! Over there, and while we were distracted ripped a Band-Aid off our skin. Because, truth be told, even those who adored the experimental virtuosity of his earlier solo projects The Patsy and Strange Interlude might approach his latest project with some trepidation: a staging of Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomsons large-cast, 1934 opera Four Saints in Three Acts as a one-man play, divested of its music. The script is simply Steins libretto, unaltered a chaotically opaque, willfully bizarre text that occasionally turns inquiring and poetic but is most often principally concerned with the sound of language and the human voice. It doesnt much go in for fripperies like character and narrative and sense. But are we doomed? No. For example, theres a credible theory that the pandemic contributed to polling error, as safety-conscious liberals were more likely to be home during lockdowns (and answered telephone calls) while conservatives went out and lived their lives. With the lockdowns over, those tendencies may be, too. Theres also a credible theory that Donald J. Trump himself is an important factor. If so, polling could be more normal with him off the ballot. What youve read to this point is the nautical version of an analysis written by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight, who argued that the polls may not be wrong this fall. Although the piece is sort of framed as a rebuttal to mine, I dont really disagree with any of it. Consider it recommended reading. A favorable data point from our most recent poll: response rates by party Theres one big difference between polling after 2020 and setting sail the day after a storm: The sailor can probably find a weather forecast. We dont get poll error warnings, but last weeks newsletter pointed to something about as close as it gets: surprising Democratic strength in exactly the same places where the polls overestimated Democrats last time. If youll permit this metaphor to continue, its an ominous cloud on the horizon. Dark clouds dont necessarily mean there will be a fierce storm, but if there were going to be a storm, wed see some dark clouds first. Similarly, this pattern in the state polling is exactly what we would expect to see if the polls were going to err in the same way they did two years ago. This week, I can report a new measurement of the conditions facing pollsters: whether Democrats or Republicans were likelier to respond to our latest Times/Siena survey. I wasnt systematically tracking this in fall 2020 this data is not always easy to collect and process, especially with everything else going on. But if I had been tracking the response by party, it would have been another warning sign. An information technology consultant in Oklahoma who bought some of the hard drives on the internet chastised Morgan Stanley after he found that he could still access the firms data on those devices. Morgan Stanley is a major financial institution and should be following some very stringent guidelines on how to deal with retiring hardware, the consultant wrote in an email to Morgan Stanley in October 2017, according to the S.E.C. The firm should, at a minimum, get some kind of verification of data destruction from the vendors you sell equipment to, the consultant wrote, according to the S.E.C. Morgan Stanley eventually bought the hard drives back from the consultant. Morgan Stanley also recovered some of the other devices that it had improperly discarded, but has not recovered the vast majority of them, the commission said. The S.E.C. said it also found that Morgan Stanley had not properly disposed of consumer report information when it decommissioned servers from local offices and branches as part of a hardware refresh program in 2019. Morgan Stanley later learned that the devices had been equipped with encryption capability, but that it had failed to activate the encryption software for years, the commission said. In promising Ukraine billions of dollars in long-term military aid, the Biden administration is seeking to prove that U.S. support in the war can outlast Russias determination. Rallying American lawmakers and the public around that assistance, and billions in more immediate help, has been relatively painless for President Biden. But he must also keep Europe on board as the Russian invasion has sent energy prices soaring and created what could become the continents worst economic crisis in a generation. American officials insist they have not seen any cracks in the NATO alliance, whose members, to varying degrees, have agreed to back Ukraine in the defense of its homeland. Ukraines recent battlefield successes, from routing Russian troops in the northeast to isolating Russian units in the south, will also help shore up resolve in Europe, American officials say. But the jump in energy prices in Europe, and the prospect of frigid homes in the looming cold months, has led to anxiety. Russia heightened those concerns by recently announcing that Gazprom, the state-owned energy company, would not resume the flow of natural gas to Europe through its Nord Stream 1 pipeline. ANCHORAGE After a middle-aged woman tested positive for Covid-19 in January at her workplace in Fairbanks, public health workers sought answers to questions vital to understanding how the virus was spreading in Alaskas rugged interior. The woman, they learned, had underlying conditions and had not been vaccinated. She had been hospitalized but had recovered. Alaska and many other states have routinely collected that kind of information about people who test positive for the virus. Part of the goal is to paint a detailed picture of how one of the worst scourges in American history evolves and continues to kill hundreds of people daily, despite determined efforts to stop it. But most of the information about the Fairbanks woman and tens of millions more infected Americans remains effectively lost to state and federal epidemiologists. Decades of underinvestment in public health information systems has crippled efforts to understand the pandemic, stranding crucial data in incompatible data systems so outmoded that information often must be repeatedly typed in by hand. The data failure, a salient lesson of a pandemic that has killed more than one million Americans, will be expensive and time-consuming to fix. The precise cost in needless illness and death cannot be quantified. The nations comparatively low vaccination rate is clearly a major factor in why the United States has recorded the highest Covid death rate among large, wealthy nations. But federal experts are certain that the lack of comprehensive, timely data has also exacted a heavy toll. WASHINGTON The Justice Department has begun investigating possible patterns of racial discrimination in the hiring and promotion of Black police officers in Kansas City, Missouri, according to city officials. The inquiry will focus on allegations that the Kansas City Police Departments leaders created a hostile work environment that contributed to race-based disparities in the 1,100-member force, including assignments and disciplinary actions, according to a letter sent to the departments governing board on Monday. The investigation was prompted, in part, by a series of articles in the Kansas City Star, documenting the complaints by 25 Black current and former officers. White supervisors, they said, subjected subordinates to racist abuse and forced out Black officers for minor infractions or unsubstantiated charges. Perhaps as a result, fewer Black officers are now serving in the ranks than at almost any time in decades, contributing to the overall shrinking of the force as violent crime has hit Missouris two largest cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, particularly hard. CHARLOTTE, N.C. The pep rally at the Lenny Boy Brewing Company Friday night was a packed and raucous show of confidence as Democratic officials greeted the next senator from North Carolina, Cheri Beasley, and the Mecklenburg County faithful asked about her plans for after her inevitable triumph come Election Day. Then the Rev. Derinzer Johnson, a North Carolina native recently returned from New Jersey, grabbed a microphone, with a worried look, to plead with Ms. Beasley, a former state chief justice: Let him help her. Being close is not good enough youve got to win, he said later. Theyre not organized, he said of Ms. Beasleys political team. Theyre campaigning, but theyre not organized. The contest for the seat of Senator Richard M. Burr, a Republican who is retiring, may be 2022s sleeper race, garnering far less attention than the colorful campaigns in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia. Even Ohio has captured more of the spotlight, though North Carolina is a more evenly divided state and public polling has shown Ms. Beasley knotted in a statistical tie with her Republican opponent, Representative Ted Budd. In addition to the documents case, Mr. Trump is facing several civil and criminal investigations into his business dealings and political activities. Judge Dearie was appointed as a special master last week by a federal judge in Florida, Aileen M. Cannon, who ordered him to perform by Nov. 30 a series of tasks related to the documents. He is responsible for settling the classification status of about 100 of the records seized from Mar-a-Lago. He has also been given the job of reviewing a larger trove of about 11,000 documents and determining if any are protected by either attorney-client or executive privilege. Almost everything about Judge Dearies appointment is unusual including the fact that he held the hearing on Tuesday in his own courtroom in Federal District Court in Brooklyn even though the lawyers arguing before him were based in Washington and Florida, where Mr. Trump initially requested a special master. I realize that Ive dragged you all to Brooklyn, New York, the judge said as the hearing began, adding that he hoped to keep such inconveniences to a minimum. It was also somewhat unusual that Judge Dearies work was moving forward even as the Justice Department waited to get a ruling from an appeals court that could directly affect the case. On Friday, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta to allow them to resume using the 100 classified documents in their investigation of whether Mr. Trump had illegally kept national defense information at Mar-a-Lago or obstructed repeated efforts by the government to retrieve the records. On Tuesday, Mr. Trumps lawyers filed their own papers to the same appeals court, making some of the same arguments they had made before Judge Dearie. They claimed, for example, that the Justice Department had not proved that the documents it had deemed as classified continued to be classified and hinted that Mr. Trump might in fact have declassified them. The government again presupposes that the documents it claims are classified are, in fact, classified and their segregation is inviolable, the lawyers wrote. However, the government has not yet proven this critical fact. The president has broad authority governing classification of, and access to, classified documents. Virginia Commonwealth University has agreed to pay $995,000 to the family of Adam Oakes, a student who died last year from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party and whose death drew renewed scrutiny of hazing in Greek organizations across the country. The university said in a statement on Friday that, in addition to the payment, it had agreed to make changes to its fraternities and sororities, including requiring that the alcohol served at their events be provided by a licensed third-party vendor; offering more hazing prevention training; and dedicating Feb. 27 the day Mr. Oakes, a 19-year-old freshman, was found dead in 2021 as a day of remembrance for Mr. Oakes, and for hazing prevention. Eric Oakes, his father, said on Monday that no amount of money is going to bring Adam back. As much as we pray to wake up from the nightmare, it just isnt going to happen, he said. The light in all this is that Virginia Commonwealth University is now making changes to prevent what happened to Adam from happening to anyone else in the future. Mr. Oakess father said that the family had not filed a lawsuit against the school. Virginia Commonwealth University said in its statement that it would soon begin the process of creating a memorial to Mr. Oakes on campus. Despite its severity, PMDD is still seen as a fringe diagnosis, Dr. Schiller added, since it was only recognized as a distinct disorder in 2013, and not all health care providers have experience with it or know how to spot it. So many of our patients say, I feel alone in this or I feel crazy and no one recognizes it, she said. To get an accurate diagnosis, a health care provider typically a psychiatrist or an obstetrician-gynecologist will ask you to track and rate your symptoms every day for two to three months. In Dr. Schillers clinic, about a third of people who think they have PMDD dont actually have it once we do the prospective ratings, she explained. So its critical to work with a knowledgeable doctor before jumping to conclusions or treatment plans. If youve established that you have PMDD, there are effective treatment options. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or S.S.R.I. antidepressants, which are thought to treat depression and anxiety by increasing the availability of the chemical messenger serotonin in the brain are some of the first options health care providers suggest. What causes PMDD and how might antidepressants help? Scientists havent yet figured out why some people develop PMDD and others dont. They do know that the disorder, which can emerge at any point during childbearing years, is caused by the fluctuation of hormones during the last 14 days of the menstrual cycle, called the luteal phase, said Dr. Kristina Deligiannidis, the director of womens behavioral health at Northwell Healths Zucker Hillside Hospital in New York. We dont know if its the drop in estrogen during the luteal phase or the dramatic rise in progesterone, she added. But it could be some combination of the two things. Large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials the most rigorous types of studies have found that low doses of S.S.R.I.s, taken during just the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle, can greatly alleviate PMDD symptoms. In one study published in 2005, for instance, researchers asked 373 women with PMDD to take a pill for each of the 14 days before menstruation for three months: One group took 12.5 milligrams of the antidepressant paroxetine CR (Paxil-CR), a second group took 25 milligrams of the same medication, and the third group took a placebo. Of the 292 women who completed the trial, those in the antidepressant groups tolerated the drugs and reported significantly reduced symptoms of PMDD, with no major differences between the two doses. President Biden should work for the removal of the head of the World Bank, former Vice President Al Gore said on Tuesday, calling him a climate denier at an event coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly. Hours later, David Malpass, the development banks president, defended his record on climate, but refused to say directly whether he accepted the scientific consensus that the burning of fossil fuels is dangerously warming the planet. Mr. Malpass called Mr. Gores remarks very odd, and noted that he was not a scientist himself when he declined to answer questions about whether he accepted climate science. What we need to do is move forward with impactful projects, Mr. Malpass said. Both men were part of separate panel discussions at a climate change event organized by The New York Times. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that Russia should return all Ukrainian territory it has captured, and indicated that negotiations that he has been helping mediate are moving in that direction. The lands which were invaded will be returned to Ukraine, Mr. Erdogan said in an interview with PBS NewsHour. He was careful not to criticize President Vladimir V. Putin over his conduct of the war, but drew a clear line on the return of territory. This is what is expected, Mr. Erdogan said. This is what is wanted. Putin has taken certain steps. We have taken certain steps. An invasion cannot be justified, he added. Mr. Erdogan has positioned himself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia and hosted preliminary peace talks in Istanbul in March, although those discussions were inconclusive. In the interview, Mr. Erdogan suggested that Moscow and Kyiv may be close to reaching an agreement to exchange 200 hostages, which would be one of the largest prisoner swaps in the seven-month war. A court in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine on Monday sentenced two Ukrainian staff members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to 13 years in prison on treason charges, a move the regional security organization castigated as inhumane and repugnant. The workers have been held unjustifiably for more than five months in unknown conditions for nothing but pure political theater, the O.S.C.E. chairman, Zbigniew Rau, who is also Polands foreign minister, said in a statement. Helga Maria Schmid, the O.S.C.E. secretary general, called for the immediate release of the staff members, Dmytro Shabanov and Maxim Petrov, along with a third unnamed staff member she said had been detained. The O.S.C.E. said all three are Ukrainian nationals. The O.S.C.E., which counts Ukraine and Russia among its 57 members, is a regional security organization that, among other things, promotes peace, human rights and arms control and helps monitor elections. After stunning battlefield setbacks, Russia moved to cement its grip on territory it occupies in eastern and southern Ukraine, as Kremlin proxies there announced plans on Tuesday for referendums on annexation to Russia, indicating a possible escalation of the war. The Kremlin signaled that if Russia were to go forward with annexation even if no other countries recognized it any further military action by Ukraine in those regions could be seen as an attack on Russia itself, justifying any military response by the nation with the worlds largest nuclear arsenal. Encroaching on the territory of Russia is a crime, the commission of which allows you to use all the forces of self-defense, Dmitri A. Medvedev, the former Russian president and the vice chairman of Mr. Putins Security Council, wrote on the Telegram social network on Tuesday, describing the referendums as having huge significance. Ukraine and its backers, including the United States, said that any supposed elections conducted by Russian authorities would be a manipulated farce, conducted under a harsh, coercive occupation, during an ongoing war, in territory that millions of people have fled. The United States and its European and Asian allies are at a pivotal point this week on sanctions on Russia and the urgent issue of energy prices as they discuss how to increase punishments on Moscow at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Finance ministers from the Group of 7 nations have formally supported the concept of a price cap on purchases of Russian oil, aimed at reducing the revenue that Russia gets from oil and squeezing its economy further as President Vladimir V. Putin continues his war in Ukraine. But officials from those nations have yet to finalize a mechanism for the price cap or decide on the price itself, which is difficult to do because of the complexities of energy markets. American and European officials want to avoid sending energy prices soaring before the arrival of winter. European leaders are already grappling with high energy prices and their potential impact on domestic politics. Mr. Putin has cut off some natural gas exports to European countries, in what the Biden administration calls a weaponization of energy supplies. SIVERSK, Ukraine The eastern Ukrainian town of Siversk, for weeks the northernmost Ukrainian-held settlement in the Donbas before Russian-occupied territory began, was a military way station for much of the spring and into summer. The gas station awning on its eastern outskirts provided shade for soldiers waiting to go to the front. A small shop, open for a few hours each day, served townspeople and troops alike. To the east, the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk fell to the Russians in June and July. Weeks passed. Russian forces advanced. Siversk the way station soon turned into Siversk the frontline town. The Donbas region of mining towns and rolling fields has been central to Moscows war aims since Russias defeat around Ukraines capital, Kyiv, in the spring. With Luhansk Province under Russian control, analysts believed that neighboring Donetsk Province, with Siversk near its border, would be next to fall. Image Russias occupation authorities in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Melitopol in the Zaporizka region, have announced plans for a referendum that would call on Moscow to annex those regions. Credit... Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters After Russias stunning retreat from northeastern Ukraine earlier this month, Western officials puzzled over what President Vladimir V. Putin, seemingly backed into a corner, might do next. In the space of 36 hours on Monday and Tuesday, the Kremlin delivered its answer in a tightly choreographed display in Russias state news media: Four Ukrainian regions occupied virtually in whole, or in part, by Russia would hold referendums on joining Russia, a move widely seen as a prelude to annexation of those territories by Russia and a potential escalation of the war. For months, Russias occupation authorities in eastern and southern Ukraine have said they were making plans for a referendum that would call on Moscow to annex those regions and declare them to be Russian territory. The Kremlin, however, has remained mysterious about when and whether those referendums would take place, apparently seeking to leave its options open as Russian forces struggled to make major gains on the front line. But Ukraines surprise battlefield gains this month forced Mr. Putins hand, analysts said. Annexation of parts of Ukraine by Russia even if unrecognized by the international community would send a signal to the world that Russia was prepared to defend it as though it was Russian territory, including, potentially, with its arsenal of nuclear warheads. Dmitri A. Medvedev, the former Russian president and the vice chairman of Mr. Putins Security Council, posted on Telegram that the referendums had huge significance because the Kremlin would consider an attack on them tantamount to an attack on Russian territory. Encroaching on the territory of Russia is a crime, the commission of which allows you to use all the forces of self-defense, Mr. Medvedev wrote. The moves come as Mr. Putin struggles to recover from setbacks not just on the battlefield, but also on the international stage. At a regional summit in Uzbekistan last week, Mr. Putin for the first time acknowledged that both China and India critical supporters of Russias economy amid Western sanctions had concerns about the war. Annexing territory is a precedent Mr. Putin set with Crimea in 2014, which came after a referendum that was widely dismissed as a sham in the West but that Mr. Putin has used to justify his threat that he was ready for all-out war if Ukraine sought to retake the peninsula by force. President Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, on Tuesday referred to the sham votes as a possible precursor to the Kremlins trying to mobilize more of the Russian public for the war. The United States will never recognize Russias claims to any purportedly annexed parts of Ukraine, Mr. Sullivan told reporters. On Monday, Russias propaganda apparatus launched what appeared to be a scripted display meant to show that the upcoming referendums stemmed from a grass-roots desire by the residents of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine to join Russia. Mr. Putin has characterized Ukraines eastern and southern regions as being a rightful part of Russia. The choreography began when the Russian state news media reported that a civic advisory body to the government of the Luhansk Peoples Republic had put forward an initiative to immediately hold a referendum to recognize the region as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. Luhansk is one of the two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine that Mr. Putin declared independent in February. Later on Monday, the same advisory body of the Donetsk Peoples Republic the other breakaway province also called for a referendum. The Russian-backed leader of the republic then posted on social media a video of himself holding a cellphone to his ear and purportedly addressing his Luhansk counterpart to discuss the appeals for a referendum. This is nothing but the reflection of the opinion of our people that has long been in the air, the Donetsk leader, Denis Pushilin, says in the video. On Tuesday, the occupation authorities of two other Ukrainian regions Kherson and Zaporizka also announced plans for a referendum. The move came as Russia prepared for an intensifying Ukrainian counterattack, and after Russias embarrassing retreat from northeastern Ukraines Kharkiv region this month. The Zaporizka region remains partly controlled by Ukraine, including its main city, Zaporizhzhia. In the Kherson region in the south, which Russia quickly captured after invading in February, Ukraine has been mounting a counteroffensive, though its progress has been deliberate, and costly in terms of casualties. They are afraid that Russia will leave, the Russian-imposed head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, said of the regions residents on Tuesday, according to RIA Novosti. People want the certainty that they will not be left behind. By Tuesday afternoon, the occupation authorities of all four regions had announced that the referendums would start on Friday and last five days. On social media, Russian cheerleaders of the war who have been criticizing the Kremlin for not being aggressive enough in Ukraine celebrated the developments as a possible turning point. Jim Tankersley contributed reporting. Ukrainian forces have battled their way back into territory in eastern Ukraine, officials said on Tuesday, reclaiming areas lost under months of relentless fire of Russian artillery. It is part of a remarkable turnaround from June, when the Ukrainian Army was nearly out of ammunition and struggled to slow the Russian assault. A Ukrainian official said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had retaken Bilohorivka, a coal mining village on the banks of the Siversky Donets River that in May was the scene of one of the deadliest engagements of the war for Russian forces. The Ukrainian military was more cautious in declaring victory in Bilohorivka, given that control over towns and villages has proved tenuous in the past. But while only a small village, it would be a potent signal that Russia no longer has full control of the Luhansk region, which along with Donetsk makes up Donbas, the main stated targets of the Kremlins war effort. Our defenders have squeezed the invaders out and are in full control of the town, Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian military governor of the Luhansk region, said, though he noted that it was still under artillery fire and had largely been razed by the Russians. Divided by war, strained by shortages and faced with the cataclysm of global warming, dozens of world leaders convened at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday for the first full, in-person General Assembly since the pandemic began. Among all the global crises, Russias invasion of Ukraine dominated the day, with heads of state addressing the violence of the conflict, the chaos in supply chains, the soaring energy prices and the other ripple effects of the war. We cannot go on like this, said Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, in opening remarks to the assembly. We have a duty to act. And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction. At least two presidents, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Emmanuel Macron of France, used the United Nations as a stage to cast themselves as would-be peacemakers in the war in Ukraine. World leaders speeches at the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly began Tuesday with a notable change of protocol: The president of the United States will not be speaking on the first day. Because he was in London on Monday attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II along with many other world leaders, President Biden will speak on Wednesday morning. The United States hosts the U.N. headquarters, so the American president traditionally speaks second after Brazil, whose leader has traditionally spoken first since the 1950s. Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the U.N., opened the session with a speech about a divided world in peril facing enormous challenges, from the threat of multilateralism, to conflict, climate change and food insecurity. Mr. Guterres told reporters last week that he will set out a call to action with concrete steps for tackling and overcoming these challenges. Wendy Lund WPP names Wendy Lund EVP, chief client officer for health and wellness. Lund comes to the post from women's health company Organon, where she was chief communications officer. She previously served for over a decade as CEO at WPP's healthcare communications agency, GCI Health. Earlier in her career, she was vice president of marketing at Planned Parenthood. In her new role, Lund will oversee WPP's efforts to support clients in the health and wellness sector, reporting to WPP chief client officer Lindsay Pattison. Christine DeJoy CEDIA, the global association for the home technology industry, names Christine DeJoy VP of communications. DeJoy most recently served as VP at Actual Agency. She has also worked on U.S. and international broadcast and syndicated programming for NBC, Bravo, Fremantle and CBS. At CEDIA, DeJoy will be responsible for guiding the association's global communications strategy, which includes industry awareness efforts, media outreach and building relationships with affiliated trade associations. "Christine is a gifted communicator with a fresh perspective who can tell 'the CEDIA story' to a broad range of key audiences," said CEDIA chief executive officer Daryl Friedman. Pascal Saint-Armans Brunswick Group brings on Pascal Saint-Amans as a partner in the firm's Paris office, effective November 1. Saint-Amans has been director of the Center for Tax Policy and Administration at The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international organization with 38 member countries, since 2012. He was previously an official in the French Ministry for Finance. At Brunswick, Saint-Amans will advise clients worldwide on policy and regulatory matters, including tax-related issues. "Drawing on his deep experience at the OECD and in politics, he is extremely well-placed to advise organizations on how to engage key stakeholders on tax and other critical policy issues," said Brunswick CEO Neal Wolin. Stacy Simpson athenahealth, which provides network-enabled software and services for medical groups and health systems, hires Stacy Simpson as chief marketing officer. Simpson was most recently chief marketing officer and global head of corporate responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion at professional services firm Genpact. She previously led marketing and communications at Publicis Sapient. In her new post, Simpson will oversee athenahealth's segment marketing, brand and communications, and research and editorial strategy functions. "With her many years of experience creating and driving global brands, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to take our brand to the next level," said athenahealth chairman and CEO Bob Segert. The St. Louis Economic Partnership is looking to hire a strategic communications firm to promote diversified economic growth to advance the quality of life in the county and city of St. Louis, which has a combined population of just over 1M people. THE 17th Century Glasshouse near Shinrone is unique because it is the only one of its kind which is relatively intact. During Heritage Week, Caimin O'Brien gave a talk at the site and it was great to see so many people turn out for the event, because it showed that the word is really getting around as to how special this structure is. It's heartening to see local communities prizing the artefacts and structures in their midst, rather than being indifferent or, even worse, being destructive towards them. Chatting to a couple of people after the talk they asked me if the Glasshouse is a National Monument and therefore a protected structure. Well, I made inquiries and I was told by those in the know that it is thankfully a National Monument. Caimin O'Brien has been researching the Glasshouse for three decades and his knowledge during the Heritage Week talk really shone through. It was something of a tour de force. He said the Glasshouse is a very significant site in Offaly. It was covered with vegetation which had to be removed and it required a bit of conservation work. The structure is stable. Caimin thanked the landowner for allowing groups to visit the structure on his land. The glasshouse is situated on a working farm, he remarked. Generations of farmers have kept the glasshouse intact. Caimin said he carried out two archaeological excavations here at the turn of the century. Excavations can sometimes be boring, but here the results were very interesting. During the years 1620-1660, Offaly was one of the main glassmaking centres in Ireland. Around this time, French Huguenot glassmakers, such as Phillip Bigoe and Annanias Hensey, fleeing religious persecution, came to the county where they constructed these small glassmaking factories known as glasshouses. Annanias Hensey built the Shinrone glasshouse in Clonlisk Wood, 156 Irish acres of oak and ash, which provided fuel for the furnace. The wood-fired glass furnace at Glasshouse, Shinrone is the only upstanding furnace in Ireland, Britain and France. Today the surface of the furnace interior glistens with the distinctive blue-green glass colour often described as 'forest-glass'. Wood-fired glass furnaces were replaced by coal-fired glass factories in coastal ports, such as Dublin, Cork and the famous Waterford factory, bringing an end to the period when glass was made in Offaly. During the upheaval of the 1640s the Henseys suffered religious persecution once again and they abandoned the Shinrone Glasshouse. When working, the furnace would have burned at 1,300 degrees celsius, a temperature which would take over a day of burning wood to reach (about a tonne of wood was needed for one firing). Glass for windows and bottles (including shaft and globe wine bottles) were made here. Carts and horses would come down a cobbled road and collect the glass which was often destined for the wealthiest houses in the land. OFFALY TD Carol Nolan was among the speakers at a pro-life rally in Dublin last Saturday. The Independent Dail deputy, who split with Sinn Fein because of her anti-abortion stance, addressed the March for Life which organisers said attracted thousands of people to the capital. The event was held in advance of a Government review of existing abortion legislation. Deputy Nolan told the crowd: There is absolutely no excusing the way the Government is excluding the pro-life movement from the three year review process. It is wholly unacceptable for the Minister for Health to repeatedly meet with pro-abortion groups for their views on what should happen as part of the review, while refusing to meet with any pro-life representatives. The marchers walked from St Stephens Green to Leinster House to call on the Government to address what the organisers described as the huge increase in the number of abortions taking place. Eilis Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign said: Today, we are uniting with pro-life Oireachtas members to demand that the Government address Irelands spiralling abortion rate and make way for positive alternatives to abortion to be promoted. In the first three years since the new abortion law was introduced, 20,718 Irish abortions have taken place. This is a national tragedy that demands urgent action to ensure that women contemplating abortion are fully informed about positive alternatives prior to any abortion happening. Rachel Mackenzie talked about her personal experience of having two abortions: I know what abortion regret feels like, like countless others do. Its time that politicians acknowledged that people like me exist. She continued: Women and unborn babies deserve better than a system that only offers abortion. We can do better than this. Women that are facing unplanned pregnancies need to be offered positive alternatives because you see one choice is no choice. Media commentator Wendy Grace told the marchers: We gather here today at a particularly important moment as the Government's three-year review of the abortion law nears its end. The pro-life movement represents more than one in three voters, yet the Government is behaving like we don't exist. This undermining of democracy has to end. We are here to demand proper representation at the decision-making table. On the issue of not informing women about options other than abortion, the former UCD Students Union President, Katie Ascough said: One of the deepest tragedies of 21st-century Ireland is this: at a time when science has advanced and society is supposed to have 'progressed' - the people running our country think the best we can offer a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy are counsellors who facilitate abortion and who have no experience in exploring other options. She said however that the situation is not all bleak and that she remains optimistic that the pro-life message will win out in the end - because our message is simple, clear, beautiful, and true. Jessica Tear from Galway, who faced an unplanned pregnancy at 18, told the gathering in Molesworth Street: It makes me very sad to think that there are women who find themselves in situations similar to mine who end up having abortion all because the State run My Options service didnt meet their needs or tell them about the supports and options other than abortion that are available. Women and their unborn babies deserve better. There needs to be a total overhaul of how State funded counselling in the area of unplanned pregnancy operates. Ms Tear added: It has been the most amazing time of my life having my son. He is growing so fast, it feels like yesterday he was my tiny newborn and now he is this cheeky little monkey, who never fails to put a smile on my face. My son is my everything and since having him its made me more determined to go to college and be a midwife to make him proud. Dr Brendan Crowley from Cork said: The new abortion law forces doctors to engage in non-evidenced based practices which consistently end the life of one patient and are often very harmful to the woman. How exactly is this not a very clear example of medicine being actively used as a tool by the State? He said that freedom of conscience protections for healthcare workers need to be strengthened not weakened. The keynote speaker was Autumn Lindsey, spokesperson for Students for Life of America. She first came to prominence in 2017 when as a teenager she made a rebuttal video that was watched by millions in response to a Teen Vogue article which pro-life campaigners said made light of abortion. "Abortion advocates want you to play defence. So, play offence. They may have been able to pass a law, but they cannot change the culture you have created here in Ireland. Life will triumph over death, and we will see abortion abolished in Ireland, she said. Among the other members of the Oireachtas in attendance were Independent members of the Seanad, Senator Sharon Keogan and Senator Ronan Mullen. Regional marches were organised by the Pro Life Campaign earlier this year in Cork, Galway and Donegal. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Ahead of World Alzheimer's Day, the German government's statistics office released figures showing that hospitalizations and deaths had more than doubled in the past two decades as the country ages. The Archbishop of Canterbury told attendees of the Queen's state funeral that grief felt across the world arises from the late monarch's "abundant life and loving service, now gone from us". At a rally Saturday in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump addressed a crowd that appeared to give him a salute as he lists his concerns for the nation. Eurasia Review 22 Sep 2022 By Aslan Doukaev* August is said to be the cruelest month in Russiaone that brings major political upheavals.. Public health experts said President Joe Biden's seemingly offhand comment that the COVID-19 pandemic is over is dangerous and problematic. BANG Showbiz 20 Sep 2022 Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart has praised the British public for paying their respects to Queen Elizabeth in "the proper manner". Sky News 19 Sep 2022 The UK will match the support it has provided to Ukraine this year in 2023, Liz Truss has pledged. Elon Musk has said his company Starlink will ask for an exemption to sanctions so it can provide satellite broadband to Iran. Brazil's president used his trip to the UK for the Queen's funeral to stop at a petrol station and post a video about the cost of fuel. euronews (in English) 02 Oct 2022 Several thousand people have marched in Montreal and other Canadian cities in solidarity with protests sparked by the death of.. The Sicilian candidate of Brothers of Italy - tipped to win Italys upcoming elections - had previously praised the Nazi dictator on social media The Kremlin is orchestrating sham referendums in parts of Ukraine currently under its military control in a bid to legitimize.. Eurasia Review 09 Sep 2022 A group of MPs and border-city mayors is calling on the Canadian and U.S. governments to lift COVID-19 restrictions at the border. When Liz Truss was vying to be the Conservative Party leader and our next prime minister, some of her colleagues worried that, as the anointed choice of Prime Minister Johnson, she was going to be the Boris Johnson continuity candidate. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with newly appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, just a few weeks after Truss had raised eyebrows with comments about him. The world is coming to Samarkand has been the theme for the preparations for the annual meeting to be hosted by Groups.. Eurasia Review 15 Sep 2022 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will shortly touch down in New York City for a week of whirlwind diplomacy at the United Nations.She'll arrive in New York thanks to the generosity of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who allowed... Hundreds of people took to the streets of Iran to protest the death of a 22-year-old woman who was arrested over the country's strict hijab laws. Law enforcement said that the victim, identified as Mahsa Amini, collapsed while in custody and later lost her life. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will host a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron this morning, New Zealand time.The pair hosted a summit for the Christchurch Call on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly... Police are offering a reward of 20,000 for information which would help recover the remains of a missing 70-year-old woman. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry raised the possibility that the talks about reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and lifting the sanctions on Tehran could be held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Speaking to reporters at a weekly press conference on Monday, Nasser... Taiwan once again expressed its sincere gratitude after U.S. President Joe Biden said during an interview his countrys military would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Biden gave an exclusive interview to CBS 60 minutes program on Thursday but the show was broadcast on Sunday. During the... United States President Joe Biden said that the American military will move to defend the self-governing island nation of Taiwan in the case of an attack by China. However, the White House said that the U.S. policy regarding the matter has not changed. Ukraine has recaptured its first village in Luhansk, a region that Russian forces took five months to bomb into submission and conquer.Belogorovka is the latest prize for Ukraine's continuing counter-offensive pushing Russia away... The leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group Ayman Al-Zawahiri was killed on July 31, 2022 by a drone strike launched by the United States. After the attack took place, President Joe Biden said on television that "justice has been served and this terrorist leader is gone" The New York Times reported that the attack took place at... As leaders gather for the first all-in-person General Assembly since the pandemic, the war in Ukraine is a major focus. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned this is a time of "great peril." A sentencing hearing is expected begin today for a Dutch man found guilty of harassing British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd in the years before her suicide. South Africa missed out on an opportunity to host an F1 race for the first time since 1993. And it all boils down to privateers and Government not working together for the greater good. Singer Elton John will perform at the White House Friday night, according to a release from the White House. #eltonjohn Grouping's expanded influence drives progress on many fronts, experts say A cyclist passes a sign for the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Samarkand. [Photo/Xinhua] The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has provided an innovative and ideal model for international relations, and President Xi Jinping's first state visits abroad since the start of the pandemic for meetings with other leaders have elevated the friendships with neighboring countries, experts say. The SCO has been growing in influence ever since it was founded in June 2001, said Colin Mackerras, professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia and one of Australia's leading Sinologists. It was originally intended to oppose terrorism, separatism and extremism, but its main aim is positive in working to maintain stability and peaceful exchanges, both economic and cultural, among its members, he said. Mackerras was commenting after the 22nd SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, last week. Xi began his Central Asia trip with a visit to Kazakhstan. Despite its status as one of the most important international bodies, the SCO has not attracted much media attention in the West, let alone any positive coverage on the summit by Western media. The reason is that the "SCO is not dominated by the United States or any Western power and upholds the interests of the countries that span the eastern and central parts of the great Eurasian continent", Mackerras said. Karori Singh, emeritus fellow and former director of the South Asia Studies Center at India's University of Rajasthan, said the SCO is not targeting any country or group of countries or organizations, but "is willing to cooperate and contribute to peace, progress and development by extending cooperation and collaboration with the UN system and other multilateral organizations". Gerald Mbanda, a researcher and publisher on China-Africa cooperation in Rwanda, said that the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO took place at the right time, when regional countries need to strengthen their cooperation to counter foreign threats to peace, security, and stability, and as they lay out strategies for a shared vision on global challenges and development. "The expansion of SCO membership adds strength to the organization, which works for the common good of the citizens of its member states as well as advocating for a shared global order and prosperity," said Mbanda. Consensus building Swaran Singh, a professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India and visiting professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, said China has worked to "build consensus around Xi's Global Security Initiative as a new alternative paradigm for stabilizing global order". He noted that the Central Asia trip marked the first in-person meetings of Xi with foreign leaders in the wake of global changes, and that this made the summit extremely significant. Shaojin Chai, an assistant professor in the department of international relations at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, said: "This year's SCO summit is so important because it offers new opportunities and alternatives to save global peace and regional security by expanding its membership or dialogue partners to including Middle East and Africa states." Through upholding common interests for comprehensive security and joint development, the SCO summit proposed a better model of international relations based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added. Apart from the summit, Xi's state visits have strengthened ties with nations in Central Asia and other neighbors. The mayor of Samarkand, Fazliddin Umarov, told China Daily that the visit of the Chinese leader provides a strong boost for future cooperation between China and Uzbekistan. "The friendship between the two countries not only shows in economic and social fields, but also over in the people-to-people exchanges," Umarov said. Ravshan Nazarov, senior researcher of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, said Xi called for achieving the complementarity of the Belt and Road Initiative with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives during his speech at the SCO summit on Friday. Anri Sharapov, deputy professor of the Department of History, Culture, Policy and Economy of China at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, spoke of how Xi said China will host the SCO forums on poverty reduction and sustainable development next year. Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore Business School, said that at the summit Xi effectively spelt out the fundamental underpinnings of global diplomacy. The SCO statement released on Friday "is a most timely reminder especially in the current geopolitical setting that is often beset by mistrust, win-lose mentality and lack of respect as equals," he said, "Going forward, the positive approach for international relations will surely result in a peaceful and better world for all." Liu Hongjiein Nairobi contributed to this story. Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com. Faysal Bank will become a full-fledged Islamic bank by the end of 2022 after ring-fencing its residual conventional loan portfolio, said Chief Financial Officer Syed Majid Ali. Speaking at a press briefing at the banks head office, Syed said the Bank will surrender its conventional banking mandate once the regulator... Madeleine McCann's parents have been dealt a fresh blow after their libel case against a former Portuguese detective was thrown out of court.Kate and Gerry McCann sued Goncalo Amaral after he wrongly implicated them in their daughter's... VAVADA Review Vavada Casino is an online casino that accepts players from many different countries. The website features more than 3,000 releases made by well-known software providers. Additionally, it offers various promotions, including welcome bonuses for new players. The gaming venue provides several banking options to deposit and withdraw funds, including cryptocurrencies. 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They called for cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect among all, as well as the need to address challenges in a collective manner and use oil to support national growth and development. The most vivid demonstration of that is the ongoing Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) process, whereby OPEC works with 10 non-OPEC producing countries towards oil market stability. The proactive and responsible decisions undertaken by DoC participants following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe contraction in oil demand serve as testament to the firm commitment to these principles. In reflecting on this occasion, HE Haitham Al Ghais, OPEC Secretary General, said: This OPEC Day offers us an opportunity to reflect on our Organizations history, celebrate our heritage and renew our commitment to the noble ideals upon which OPEC was founded. Honouring our past can serve as a guide and inspiration for achieving a bright and successful future. On this occasion, I would like to send my best wishes and warmest congratulations to the entire OPEC Family; our Member Countries and staff at the OPEC Secretariat. I am confident that the Organizations best days lie ahead of it, the Secretary General added. Cooperation and dialogue have been instrumental in OPECs work for more than six decades. They support its efforts in ensuring oil market stability in the interest of producers, consumers, investors and the global economy at large. These endeavours are also vital because of the wider societal benefits they provide. Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. We believe in genuine sovereignty. The fact that a deal breaker to be a member of the Commonwealth is that members must agree that the head must always be the Crown. We reject that notion, Vuyolwethu Zungula said in an exclusive interview with Sri Lanka GuardianReturning our Diamond will make us believe that Britain is remorseful for the exploitation of our people and our resources, Vuyolwethu Zungula who is a Member of Parliament representing the African Transformation Movement (ATM), told Sri Lanka Guardian while joining the Talk to Sri Lanka Guardian series. Mr Zungula is the President of the African Transformation Movement. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management from Nelson Mandela University, and an Honours degree in Business Management from Unisa. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2019. All stolen minerals and other artefacts must be returned to the rightful owners, he said. Vuyolwethu Zungula, President of the African Transformation Movement, South Africa [ Photo Sri Lanka Guardian] Excerpts of the interview; Question: Tell us about the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and its political vision to uplift the livelihoods of the countrys people. Answer: The ATM is grounded by the ideology of Humanism where we subscribe to the concept of One race for everyone, the Human race. The ATM is a values-based organisation and one of our chief values is UBUNTU. We believe that corruption is the absence of UBUNTU. All those who abuse taxpayers money lack UBUNTU. Q: You propose that South Africa withdraw from the Commonwealth while demanding compensation for all damages done by Britain. Tell us why your country should leave the Commonwealth. A: The ATM believes in genuine sovereignty. The fact that a deal breaker to be a member of the Commonwealth is that members must agree that the Head must always be the Crown. This to us means agreeing to be subjects of the British Monarchy. We reject that notion. The continued exportation of our raw minerals to the UK is part of being a quasi colony. Q: By endorsing the statement of known activist Thanduxolo Sabelo, you have reaffirmed that the Cullinan Diamond must be returned to South Africa with immediate effect. Tell us more. A: We are told that Queen Elizabeth was a champion of Decolonisation. Returning our Diamond will make us believe that Britain is remorseful for the exploitation of our people and our resources. All stolen minerals and other artefacts must be returned to the rightful owners. Q: What is the next step if the British authorities ignore your request? A: They shall have declared enmity on the African people and we shall continue with our campaign against the disguised colonisation. Vuyolwethu Zungula, President of the African Transformation Movement, South Africa [ Photo Sri Lanka Guardian] Q: You are a dynamic and outspoken young politician in the country. Give us some thoughts on the current political situation and your plan to overcome the challenges. A: The country under Ramaphosa and his administration has become a failed state. As ATM we have initiated an Impeachment or will continue advocating for a No Confidence vote remove Ramaphosa. The ATM will work with other like-minded parties to Put South Africa 1st and rescue it from the failed state situation. The key to that is transforming the minds of South Africans so we get to work together in service to the country. South Africa must aggressively work on a localisation campaign where raw materials are processed in the country before being shipped to other nations, South Africa must produce what it consumes. The oligopolies dominating our economy must be dismantled to allow for more participation in the economy. With these, we believe poverty and unemployment would be tackled and South Africans would enjoy a better quality of life. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister appointed by the Parliament, Fathi Bachagha, revealed here Tuesday that the existence of a regional and international situation does not favour an intra-Libyan rapprochement for the settlement of the crisis Swiss Post has opened its own IT development site in Portugal and plans to create 200 IT jobs in Switzerland by 2030 to secure the IT expertise required for future development. ') } // --> ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> Swiss Post is setting up its own IT site in Portugal to give the company access to the IT skills required in the European labor market particularly in software development, data and business analysis and cybersecurity. The Swiss Post site in Lisbon will begin operations in 2023 with around 50 specialists. It then aims to increase its headcount to around 120 employees over the coming years. Swiss Post is founding a subsidiary in Portugal with the name Swiss Post I/T Portugal. Out of the various locations evaluated, that Lisbon best meets its requirements IT professionals in Portugal possess extensive expertise, the quality of work is high and the working conditions and work culture is similar to Switzerland. A site in Europe also facilitates close, day-to-day collaboration with the IT teams in Switzerland. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> According to Swiss Post, Switzerland and its companies are becoming increasingly digital. More and more Swiss Post solutions, processes and working procedures are based on information technology. Swiss Post is making investments in this area by improving internal basic and advanced training opportunities, promoting mobile working and focusing on diversity. Switzerland expects to face a shortage of around 35,000 IT professionals up to 2028; around 70 IT vacancies at Swiss Post went unfilled at the end of August 2022. The recruitment process is taking increasingly longer and often takes over nine months for data specialists. There are no signs of this trend reversing. On the contrary, the shortage of IT professionals and the battle to attract the best IT talent appears to be intensifying. On top of the shortage, around 270 employees are also set to retire from Swiss Posts IT unit over the next decade. Additionally, Swiss Post wants to remain independent of external IT providers in key areas of expertise in the future. Swiss Post will continue developing its existing IT sites in Switzerland. The company intends to strengthen its position as a key IT employer and training company over the coming years and is set to create around 200 new IT jobs by 2030. Wolfgang Eger, chief information officer and member of executive management at Swiss Post, said, Were doing everything we can to position ourselves as an attractive IT employer. Despite all these efforts, its still taking a long time to fill vacancies or were unable to find enough of the specialists needed. This means we face a growing risk of a shortage of the vital IT resources required over the medium and long term to implement the digitization of Swiss Post as planned. This wouldnt only have a negative impact on Swiss Post itself, but also on the Swiss public and economy. Swiss Post needs to avoid such a scenario. Thats why the company has no option but to look for fresh solutions. The setting-up of the campus in Portugal does not involve the transfer of any jobs from Switzerland abroad. The aim is to recruit IT specialists in Portugal that we are unable to find sufficient numbers of in Switzerland. This means the Lisbon site will complement Swiss Posts existing IT sites in Switzerland. Photo: (Photo : CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images) Amid recent attacks by pro-abortion activists against maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers, one mom said she owed her life to one. Danielle Nicholson was in a pregnancy crisis when she was 20 years old. She turned to the Paul Stefan Foundation in Locust Grove, Virginia, for aid and was welcomed with open arms by Randy and Evelyn James, the center's founders. Nicholson is now the mom of a nine-year-old daughter, and she has made a career as a foster care social worker. She attributed her current success to the fresh start and help she got during her stay at the maternity home. Nicholson credits the Paul Stefan Home for her success now She reflected on her life in an interview with EWTN Pro-Life Weekly on September 15. She said that at the time, her situation was pretty dire in that she was not working towards any future goals for herself and was not living a very good life. She added that she was just trying to get by, but the moment she found out that she was pregnant, it completely changed the trajectory of her life. She realized then that she now had a baby that she needed to live for, so she immediately changed her mindset. She started living a sober life, with Nicholson going back to school and beginning to organize her life so she could take care of her child. She came across the Paul Stefan Home during this time. According to Nicholson, the home provided her, during her five-year stay, with the perfect opportunity to accomplish all the goals that she had for herself. Nicholson said that she was not only given resources to pursue a professional life but also shown love in the home, which she was still very much in need of during that time. Read Also: New York City Man Pleads Guilty To Gruesome Murder of His Mother for $11M Randy and Evelyn taught Nicholson significant life lessons She said that she still needed a lot of love and support from adults and parents. She paid tribute to Randy and Evelyn, saying that they just immediately started to shower her with so much love, support, kindness, and patience. She noted that they taught her some significant life lessons, such as what it meant to be a professional, what it meant to be respectful, what it meant to have integrity, and what it meant to be ambitious. She added that Evelyn taught her the best way to be the best mother, saying that she walked her through every step of motherhood. With Nicholson now a foster care social worker, she strives to use her powerful story to encourage others to overcome their struggles, according to Catholic News Agency. She said that she tries her very best to impact anyone's life that she has to work with, including those who have experienced abuse, trauma, and neglect. She has the experience to deal with them as her background has all of that, and she managed to get through it. Related Article: Utah Mom of 6 Shares What She Hopes Children Know Before They Leave Home Photo: (Photo : Gerd Altmann from Pixabay ) A father has spoken about the painful moment he realized his son was keeping score of how many times he was a victim of bullying at his school. Matthew Beard, who hails from London, was horrified to find out that his son was already being verbally and physically bullied just a week into high school, and he was tallying it up on his hands. The heartbroken dad has taken to social media following the revelation, warning other parents about the dangers of bullying and calling for schools to come down harder on bullies and their parents to be fined, according to Manchester Evening News. Beard said his son has been at high school for over a week, and he has made a record of how many times in the last two days he has been verbally or physically bullied on his hand. He was bullied 21 times, with Beard saying it was heartbreaking what had happened to his son. Hundreds of people provide support to Beard and his teen son Beard added that his son wanted to show them how often it had happened in two school days. He said you just don't know what goes on, and you expect your kids to be safe at school and hope that all of it will sort itself out. My son has been at high school for just over a week. On his hand here hes made a record of how many times in the last two days he has been bullied, verbally or physically. In total 21. Its heartbreaking.Schools need to come down harder on bullies, their parents should be fined! pic.twitter.com/4YbgKJMfTR Matthew Beard (@mattbeard02) September 13, 2022 Hundreds of people rushed to reply to Beard's worrying post, as reported in Birmingham Live. Jo wrote to Beard that he has already jumped the first biggest hurdle by talking about it with you, which many don't. She added that she hopes the school will do something about it. She ended her message by sending Harry lots of love and positive energy. Read Also: Canadian Family Takes World Tour Before Kids Lose Their Vision Due to Retinitis Pigmentosa Bullying cases rising in the U.K. Lily told Matt she is a teacher; when she worked in schools, you would not believe how much happens. She said that the HOD or safeguarding leads know more often than not, yet they are scared of the culprits. She added that more is needed to be done, making her blood boil. Philippa told Matt it was awful, and she hoped his son was doing ok. She added that surviving school feels like one of her biggest achievements. She said they don't do enough about it and often suggest the victim change, so they don't get bullied. She added that they need to punish the bullies and stamp them out! Charity Ditch the Label conducted a study of 2,000 people in 2019, finding that a fifth of young people had been bullied in the past year. Three-quarters of those bullied said bullying had affected their mental health, the Daily Mail reported. According to the study, 62 percent were bullied by a classmate, and 37 percent were abused by someone they did not know. Related Article: Arkansas Moms Still Struggling to Find Baby Formula Due to Nationwide Shortage EQS-Ad-hoc: Aggregate Holdings SA / Key word(s): Statement Aggregate Holdings SA: Publication of a notice pursuant to Article 17 (1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014) 20-Sep-2022 / 17:31 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Publication of a notice pursuant to Article 17 (1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014) ----- FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLY OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO PERSONS OTHER THAN U.S. PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE SECURITIES ACT)). 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IF BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF THE BONDS ARE IN ANY DOUBT AS TO THE MATTERS REFERRED TO IN THIS NOTICE, THEY SHOULD CONSULT THEIR STOCKBROKER, LAWYER, ACCOUNTANT OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISER WITHOUT DELAY. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY CONTAIN INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 (MAR) AND REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED (EUWA) AND AS FURTHER AMENDED BY THE MARKET ABUSE (AMENDMENT) (EU EXIT) REGULATIONS 2019 (UK MAR). VIC PROPERTIES S.A. (a societe anonyme, governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) (the Issuer) AGGREGATE HOLDINGS S.A. (a societe anonyme, governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) (the Guarantor) EUR 250,000,000 3.00 per cent. Secured Pre-IPO Convertible Bonds due 2025 (ISIN XS1964739715) (the Bonds) Announcement of the initiation of a consent solicitation process with holders of the outstanding Bonds (the Bondholders) to pass a written resolution to consent to certain modifications of the terms and conditions of the Bonds For the purposes of MAR, UK MAR and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/155 and Regulation 2016/155 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by the EUWA, this announcement is made by the directors of the Issuer and the Guarantor. Luxembourg, 20 September 2022: Today, the Issuer, a 100%-subsidiary of Aggregate Holdings S.A. (Aggregate) launched a consent solicitation process to Bondholders with the aim of passing a written resolution (the Written Resolution) to effect certain modifications to the terms and conditions of the Bonds and consequential or related amendments to the associated transaction and ancillary documents. Unless the context otherwise requires, capitalised terms used in this announcement shall have the meanings given to such terms in the trust deed dated 11 June 2019 as amended and/or restated on 25 May 2022 (the Trust Deed) between the Issuer, Aggregate as guarantor and Deutsche Trustee Company Limited as trustee. The proposals in the Written Resolution include, but are not limited to: (i) an extension of the First Optional Put Date from 28 September 2022 to 30 April 2023; (ii) an extension of the M&A Completion Deadline from 28 December 2022 to 28 February 2023. Aggregate has been in discussion with some of the Bondholders and expects that the Bondholders will pass the Written Resolution in accordance with the Trust Deed. Aggregate expects that the Bonds will be redeemed or purchased and cancelled, in whole or in part, through one or a combination of: (a) a partial or complete sale of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, (b) partially through refinancing of certain of the Issuers subsidiaries, and/or (c) by utilising the net proceeds from the sale, in whole or in part, of Quartier Heidestrasse. This announcement does not contain the full terms and conditions of the proposal, which are contained in the Written Resolution prepared by the Issuer. The Written Resolution and the associated amended documentation is available to Bondholders from Kroll Issuer Services Limited as tabulation agent (the Tabulation Agent). Any questions relating to this consent solicitation process should be addressed to the Tabulation Agent as follows: Kroll Issuer Services Limited The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG United Kingdom Attn: Arlind Bytyqi / Thomas Choquet Tel: +44 207 704 0880 Email: vicproperties@is.kroll.com The Issuer expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse, to accept, or to delay acceptance of, or the implementation of the Written Resolution. Any announcements or notifications to be made to Bondholders arising out of or in connection with the Written Resolution shall be made by the Issuer in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Deed. ----- DISCLAIMER: This announcement contains important information which should be read carefully. This announcement is for informational purposes only. Each Bondholder is solely responsible for making its own independent appraisal of all matters as such Bondholder deems appropriate (including those relating to the Written Resolution). Nothing in this announcement constitutes or contemplates an offer of, an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The Bonds have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and the Bonds may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state or local securities laws. Nothing in this announcement constitutes a solicitation in any circumstances in which such solicitation is unlawful. None of the Issuer, Aggregate, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited (the Trustee), Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch (the Principal Paying and Conversion Agent), Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. (the Transfer Agent and the Registrar), the Tabulation Agent or any director, officer, employee, agent, representative or affiliate of any such person, expresses any opinion about the terms of the Written Resolution. This announcement does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, an offer for the sale or subscription of, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for, any securities of the Issuer or any other entity. The distribution of this announcement may nonetheless be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, the Principal Paying and Conversion Agent, the Transfer Agent, the Registrar and the Tabulation Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. None of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, the Principal Paying and Conversion Agent, the Transfer Agent, the Registrar, the Tabulation Agent or any director, officer, employee, agent, representative or affiliate of any such person will incur any liability for its own failure or the failure of any other person or persons to comply with the provisions of any such restrictions. Photo: (Photo : Getty Images / Valerie Macon) The actress is prepared to face the back-to-school season as a mom, especially since she now has a teenager in middle school. Sarah Michelle Gellar, 45, stated that she knows firsthand how difficult it is to be a girl in middle school. Thus, she is ensuring that she is with her daughter, Charlotte, who turns 13 tomorrow, every step of the way in this new season of her life. The star of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" believes parents need to be good listeners to their children, especially teenagers, because these kids do not go to their parents for advice, Today Parents reported. Social Media is not allowed This mother revealed that she does not yet allow Charlotte to be on social media. Not that she is being forced against it, but her daughter understands. Charlotte is not that interested in social media, but she gets where her mom is coming from and why her mom's rule on social media is a big no yet. Gellar said that there would be a "right time" for it. Charlotte will be allowed once she feels her daughter is ready for it. Currently filming the Paramount+ series "Wolf Pack" and serving as executive producer and actress in the show, she said that her kids claim they live in the "strictest household around." Yet, she thinks that the kids like these rules and guidelines. They may push these rules a little, but they know they are not yet ready for "free rein." Read Also: Sarah Michelle Gellar Reveals Second Child's Name "School Sign" Mom Aside from Charlotte, Gellar is also mother to 9-year-old son Rocky. She parents them both with her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr. She slays as a mom, which was seen when she flew to Los Angeles from filming in another state so she won't miss her children's first day of school. Distance and work will not hinder her from taking the "sign pictures." After taking the photos, she dropped them off at school and flew back to filming. Gellar and Prinze celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this month, and she said that having children was their best decision. "It's not about what we want to do; it's about, is the homework done? All of a sudden you're thinking about somebody else. You've created these beings and you're responsible for them and if you take that as seriously as we both do, it bonds you in a different way," the actress expressed. Gellar posted a black and white photo of them during their wedding on Instagram. Prinze was kissing her hand while she lovingly looked at him. She continued posting a few more photos on her Instagram stories, one of which was an interview of Prinze by Howard Stern before they married. During this said interview, Stern asked Prince if he was sure to marry Gellar even if it will not last, to which Prinze replied that it will "absolutely" last. The actress even tagged Stern saying that he owes them. Related Article: Freddie Prinze Jr. And Sarah Michelle Gellar's Hollywood Marriage Is 15 Years -- What's Their Secret? Photo: (Photo : hmmunoz512 from Pixabay ) Police confirmed on Saturday afternoon that after nearly 20 hours of searching by ground and air, missing teen Mikella Debina was found in good health, according to Hawaii News Now. The 15-year-old's discovery was all thanks to some quick-thinking strangers who only knew the girl from an AMBER alert. The said alert was issued on Friday night for Debina after being reported abducted in Anaehoomalu Bay near Waikoloa Beach Drive at about 1:30 p.m. Witnesses and family members revealed that the suspect and kidnapped teen went to Cafe Pesto in Downtown Hilo on Saturday morning. Restaurant host Bridge Hartman knew something was wrong with the pair, saying that something was off with them, and even if it was not her, his brain was telling him the need to get her. Hartman yells out that is the AMBER Alert girl Hartman said suspect Duncan Mahi and the teen walked up to the host stand twice for a table in the restaurant. Hartman noticed the pair began to argue when they walked away. Hartman said he realized then that they started tussling. Hartman was surprised by what was happening, saying it was not connecting. He then figured out that it was her, yelling, "that is the girl, that is the AMBER Alert girl." Hartman said the suspect let go of the kidnapped teen for a second, allowing him to rush in. Hartman said she got away from him just for a brief moment, and he was able to grab her in time. He then rushed her into the back of their restaurant. Artist Dragonfly, who is well known in Hilo, was out front at the time, and he heard a girl screaming all of a sudden. She was asking for help to leave her alone. According to Hartman, the suspect attempted to convince everyone that Debina was his daughter. Kori Takaki and her mother were eating at Cafe Pesto when the incident occurred. Takaki said that when she looked at her, it looked like a man and a woman fighting. She found it strange that the girl was wearing men's clothing, and she did not look like she was wearing her own clothes, according to WBRC. Read Also: Dad Misses Spending Time With His Children As Cost of Living Forces Him To Work Overtime Teen scared and shaken up by kidnapping incident Witnesses said the teen was scared and shaken up but not hurt. Hartman recalled that Debina said, "He kidnapped me, he kidnapped me." She then said "Thank you" after her rescue. Takaki stayed with the teen until cops arrived and helped her get in contact with her mother. She said that the real hero here was the Cafe Pesto host. She added that she knows this is a mother's worst nightmare. Hartman is relieved that he acted on instincts, saying that if you see something, just do something. Takaki added that she thinks the most important thing they can do is prepare their kids to know they must be safe and aware of their surroundings. Related Article: Two Sisters Who Survived the Holocaust Die Days Apart in Alabama Photo: (Photo : Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels) Your hair is one of the most important aspects of your appearance, and it's important to keep it healthy and looking its best. In this blog post, we will discuss how to take care of your hair and style it in a way that makes you look beautiful. We'll provide tips on how to maintain healthy hair and give you ideas for different styles you can try. So whether you're looking for a new style or just want to make sure your hair is healthy, read on for some helpful advice! 1. Braids Braids are a classic hairstyle that can be worn in a variety of ways. They are versatile and can be worn for both casual and formal occasions. Braids can be styled with your hair down or up, depending on the look you're going for. To keep your braids looking their best, it's important to use a good quality shampoo and conditioner. You should also avoid using too much heat when styling your hair, as this can damage the strands. If you want to add some extra definition to your braids, try using a curling iron or flat iron to curl the ends. There are a lot of types of braids to choose from, so experiment until you find a style that you love! Some popular choices include French braids, fishtail braids, and Dutch braids. 2. Ponytails Ponytails are a great option if you're looking for a quick and easy hairstyle. They can be worn both casually and formally, and they're perfect for days when you don't have a lot of time to style your hair. To keep your ponytail looking its best, make sure to use a good quality elastic band. You should also avoid pulling your hair too tight, as this can damage the strands. If you want to add some extra volume to your ponytail, try backcombing the crown of your head before putting your hair up. There are many different ways to style a ponytail, so experiment until you find a look that you love! 3. Buns Buns are a classic hairstyle that can be worn both casually and formally. They're perfect for days when you want to keep your hair out of your face, and they can be styled in a variety of ways. To keep your bun looking its best, use a good quality hair elastic, and don't pull your hair too tight. You should also avoid using too much heat when styling your hair, as this can damage the strands. If you want to add some extra definition to your bun, try using a curling iron or flat iron to curl the ends. There are many different types of buns to choose from, so experiment until you find a style that you love! Some popular choices include top knots, messy buns, and braided buns. 4. Updos Updos are a great way to keep your hair out of your face and off your neck. They can be elegant or fun, depending on how you style them. If you have long hair, you can try a variety of updos, such as a French twist or a bun. If you have shorter hair, you can still do an updo by pinning your hair up in a cute style. No matter what type of updo you choose, make sure that it is not too tight. Tight hairstyles can cause breakage and damage your hair. If you are not sure how to do an updo, there are plenty of tutorials online that can help you learn how to style your hair into one. 5. Waves Waves are a great way to add texture and volume to your hair. They can be worn both casually and formally, and they're perfect for days when you want to add some extra definition to your hairstyle. To create waves, you can use a curling iron or flat iron. You should avoid using too much heat when styling your hair, as this can damage the strands. If you want to add some extra shine to your waves, try using a serum or oil before you style your hair. There are many different types of waves to choose from, so experiment until you find a look that you love! Some popular choices include beachy waves, loose waves, and tight curls. 6. Use quality products It is important to use good quality hair products to keep your hair healthy and style it beautifully. Look for shampoo, conditioner, and styling products that are free of sulfates, parabens, and other harsh chemicals. These ingredients can strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can lead to dryness, frizz, and breakage. Instead, opt for products that are made with natural ingredients and are designed to nourish and protect your hair. You should also avoid using too much heat when styling your hair, as this can damage the strands. 7. Get regular trims Getting regular trims is one of the best ways to keep your hair healthy and style it beautifully. When you get a trim, your stylist will remove any split ends or damaged strands. This helps to prevent further damage and keeps your hair looking its best. You should get a trim every six to eight weeks, or as needed. If you are trying to grow your hair out, you can still get trims to help keep it healthy. Some people say that trims help to stimulate hair growth, so it is worth giving it a try! 8. Protect your hair from the sun The sun can be damaging to your hair, causing it to become dry, brittle, and frizzy. To protect your hair from the sun, you should use a leave-in conditioner or serum. You should also avoid using too much heat when styling your hair, as this can damage the strands. If you are going to be in the sun for an extended time, you can wear a hat or scarf to cover your hair. This will help to protect your hair from harmful UV rays. When you are planning to be in the sun, make sure to pack your hair products so that you can keep your hair healthy and style it beautifully. By following these tips, you can keep your hair healthy and style it beautifully! Experiment with different hairstyles and find the ones that work best for you. And don't forget to use good quality products to keep your hair looking its best. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start styling your hair! Thanks for reading. Photo: (Photo : from Pixabay) Dogs may be man's best friend, but some dogs bite people and hurt them. This is normally the result of poor training. If a dog owner does not care for their dog properly, the dog can be taken from them. Part of caring for their dog properly is teaching them not to bite. It is also important to keep a dog on a leash whenever it goes out and to have fencing around a home that will keep pets inside. If you have been bitten by a dog in the state of Illinois, you may be able to sue the dog owner, but you will have two years to file this type of injury lawsuit. Some cities have ordinances preventing people from owning dogs that are considered to be dangerous. There are also laws protecting dog owners because, given the right circumstances, any dog might bite. They might do it in self-defense if they are provoked or because they are in pain. Dogs are considered a member of the family by many people. Categories of Dog Bites It can be helpful to learn more about dog bites. The more severe the bite you have experienced, the more likely you can sue the owner successfully. Dog bites fall into the following different categories: Absent Superficial Moderate Severe Deadly If the dog left no mark at all, it would be considered an absent bite, and you will not have a case. A superficial bite may include teeth marks, scrapes, or very minor breakage of the skin. a moderate bite might include skin breakage or bleeding. A severe bite may result in scarring that may require stitches or surgery. In some cases, a person will die from a dog bite, although it is very rare. The majority of people that died from dog bites were bitten by pit bulls. Proving Aggression If you have been bitten by a dog and you believe that that dog was aggressive, there are a few things you can do to prove your case. If you are injured by security dogs at a business, they should have you fill out an accident report. They should also provide you with their insurance information. If there is a security video on the property, you can use that as evidence. If you file a claim with the insurance company, you should inform the company that the security video exists. And if you are taking the dog owner to court, you can have your attorney subpoena the record of those security videos. If you are bitten by a dog in your neighborhood, you may want to speak to your neighbors and ask them if they have had similar experiences. They can function as witnesses for an insurance claim lawsuit if they have. If anyone has observed the dog being treated in an abusive manner, you should ask them to give you a written statement saying so as well. If you have noticed the dog being chained up or not fed properly, you should document that and get pictures if you can. Abuse will often cause aggressiveness in animals. If you were on private property or at a business without permission and were attacked by a dog, you might have trouble getting compensation. Document Your Injuries Whenever you are injured in an accident, it is always very important to document your injuries. Save a copy of every medical bill you have and ask your doctor to write you a report. The report should include X-rays, and if your injuries require medication, you should save the receipts from any pills or shots you had to take. If you had to miss work to receive treatment for a dog bite, you should get your employer to write you a letter stating the amount of money you have lost. If you are unable to do housework or drive, document your expenses for maid and Uber service. Finding an Attorney If you file an insurance claim and they are not willing to pay what you need to get better, or if you need to file a wrongful death lawsuit, you will need a personal injury attorney. You should look for a law firm with years of experience in Illinois injury law and a great reputation with the public. Getting bitten is never pleasant, but if you document your injuries and hire a good attorney, you can get the funds you need to heal. Photo: (Photo : Arek Socha from Pixabay ) A fundraiser for Pieper Lewis, the Iowa teen convicted of killing her rapist, has easily surpassed the restitution fee of $150,000 she was ordered to pay his family, according to NPR. As of Monday evening, a GoFundMe account set up on behalf of Lewis, a victim of human trafficking, has collected more than $555,000 from people who say they were disgusted by the court-enforced restitution order. Lewis pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and willful injury for killing Zachary Brooks in 2020. According to the teen, Brooks repeatedly raped the then-15-year-old weeks before his death. Lewis told the court that something in her snapped eventually, and in a fit of rage, she stabbed Brooks, who was 37 at the time, at least 30 times. Judge addressed the unfairness of forcing Lewis to pay Polk County District Judge David M. Porter decided to defer two 10-year prison terms during a sentencing hearing on Tuesday. He ruled that Lewis's time spent in juvenile detention was enough time served. He ordered her instead to five years probation. The judge addressed the unfairness of forcing the teen to provide monetary compensation to the family of her abuser, with Porter saying he had no other option. He noted that restitution is mandatory under Iowa law. The state of Iowa is not among those that have established so-called safe harbor laws, which provide varying levels of criminal immunity for victims of human trafficking. The GoFundMe page was launched for Lewis by Leland Schipper, her former math teacher. He described feeling incredibly proud of his student following the controversial case. He wrote in a message to would-be donors that the judge recognized that Lewis was a victim and a child and he, like almost everyone who knows the details of her case, empathized with a girl with no violent history, who saw killing a man as the only way out of her truly horrific situation. Read Also: Good Samaritans Rescue Kidnapped Teen Girl at Hilo Cafe in Hawaii Funds pour in for Lewis after verdict Schipper's words and those of Lewis have moved tens of thousands of people to pour money into the account. Michelle Randall, who gave $5, wrote that her donation is not much but was sent with love. John Dore, who gave $20, wrote that some laws are wrong and hurt people who should not be hurt any further. He said that they made those laws, and fixing them is up to them. He wrote that Lewis had been courageous. He then wished her life to be filled with peace, love, and especially justice. Schipper initially set the fundraising goal for Lewis at $150,000, according to the Des Moines Register. When it became clear, however, that they would exceed the threshold within the first 24 hours, he decided to raise it and said he would continue accepting donations for Lewis above $200,000. Related Article: Dad Misses Spending Time With His Children As Cost of Living Forces Him To Work Overtime Photo: (Photo : ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images) A missing Georgia mom has been found dead in a ravine after wiring her daughter $2,385 along with the chilling message that said, "They are not going to let me go, love you." The body of Debbie Collier was found on Sunday, September 11, two days after she left her Athens home in a rented SUV, according to 11Alive. The 59-year-old's daughter, Amanda Bearden, told police that Collier, whose vehicle was in the shop, had left her residence with only her debit card and a driver's license, according to the news station. Authorities tracked the car as it was equipped with satellite radio. The rented car's SiriusXM satellite radio was tracked to US 441 near Victory Home Lane, located about 60 miles from Collier's home. Collier's body found in Habersham County woods A K-9 team of the Habersham County Sheriff's Office located the missing woman's body nearby. Investigators found the body of the Athens mom in the woods in Habersham County. Found alongside the victim were a red tote bag and a partially-burned-blue tarp. Investigators are treating Collier's death as a homicide, which the missing person's report of Bearden suggested may have been the result of a kidnapping, according to Fox News. They have released a few other details surrounding the case. The 36-year-old daughter of the victim told police from Athens Clarke County that her mom had suddenly sent her $2,385 through Venmo. She sent a message alongside that cash gift, saying they would not let her go. She then said, "love you." Read Also: Single Mom Credits Maternity Home for Saving Her Life During Pregnancy Crisis Collier did not answer the phone after sending cryptic message According to a missing person's report obtained by PEOPLE magazine, Collier told her daughter there was a house key in the blue flower pot by the door. After receiving the cryptic message, Collier's daughter immediately called her mom's phone. According to the report, Bearden's mom did not pick up. Police also called Collier's phone repeatedly, but the calls to her went straight to voicemail. Collier, who had worked for Carriage House Realty in Athens, and her husband married back in 2013. According to WXIA-TV, she had worked for years at Carriage House Realty in Athens as the company's front office manager. The mom's Facebook page includes images of her family and the trips they took together. Her friends and relatives declined to comment publicly about the mysterious murder case with the investigation ongoing. The dad and daughter told cops that this is unusual for Deborrah to do this. The pair told police that she had not done anything like this before. Calls to the grieving family were not returned on Monday. According to the report, Collier has no other family living in that area. Related Article: New York City Man Pleads Guilty To Gruesome Murder of His Mother for $11M This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Samsung Display is showing interest in an OLED panel production technology that doesnt require the use of masks. A high-level Samsung executive recently visited its equipment supplier Applied Materials headquarters in the US to discuss JDIs eLEAP technology; a technology that could be ideal for future Apple devices. Developed on the back of JDIs design and process know-how accumulated over many years, eLEAP solves the burn-in and short lifetime problems of conventional FMM OLED, and realizes higher aperture ratio, higher peak luminance and higher resolution, while maintaining properties of conventional FMM OLED in terms of thinness, lightweight, high contrast, and fast response times, according to JDI documentation that Patently Apple discovered. This could be an ideal OLED upgrade for Apple devices in the future. (Click on image to Enlarge) According to a supply chain report by The Elec, Samsung Display and other OLED panel manufacturers currently use fine metal masks, or FMM, to deposit red, green and blue organic materials in vapor form on the substrate. These masks are difficult to manufacture, and their quality determines the yield of OLED panels, which has been the case for Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) OLED panels. Japans Dai Nippon Printing is the dominant supplier of FMMs. The issue of FMM is sensitive to Samsung Display as their quality will determine the yield for Gen 8 (2200x2500mm) OLED panels, which is yet to be commercialized. If there is a more convenient way to manufacture the panels without the masks there is no reason for the South Korean display panel maker to not take it. Yet JDI is a rival panel maker, and this is likely why Samsung Display asked about eLEAP indirectly to Applied Materials, which supplies deposition machines to the Japanese company. Sources said there are currently multiple views inside Samsung Display on eLEAP: some want to be open to the technology while others want to prevent its competitor from commercializing the technology. Source: The Elec. Should Apple's display team deem this a next-gen OLED display technology that they want to use for certain future devices, Samsung and LG Display will have to prepare to service Apple's needs. (Click on image to Enlarge) I watched the Queens funeral live this morning. In addition to having lived in the UK for many years and being about to live there again for a few months, and in addition to simply wanting to be part of this historic moment, I also have a great love of modern British music and a strong interest in how the Bible is interpreted through music (the focus of an open textbook I have written that will be published soon). When I am in Oxford in the coming months I hope to make it to chapel as often as I can as much for the music as anything else. I was eager to hear the new works by Judith Weir and James MacMillan. I hadnt looked up the order of service beforehand but unsurprisingly there was also music by Hubert Parry, and a Psalm setting by Ralph Vaughan Williams. I am not certain who composed the music for the Funeral Sentences with which the service began. Prof. Nicholas Adams added some additional commentary on the service on Facebook and since the post is public I presume it is okay to quote it in the same manner one would any public social media post. I excerpt the points about music here: The order of service broadly follows the Book of Common Prayer (BCP, 1662), opening with sentences from John 11 (I am the resurrection and the life), Job 19 (I know that my Redeemer liveth) and I Timothy 6 (We brought nothing into this world) Two of the musical Funeral Sentences published by William Croft in 1724 follow. They are Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts (a text from the original 1549 edition of the BCP) and I heard a voice from heaven (from Revelation 14). Croft wrote his setting of the latter perhaps for the funeral of Queen Anne in 1714. Crofts composition is by his own admission a pastiche of Purcell. Purcell had himself set the Thou Knowest text, which Croft published as part of his suite of Funeral Sentences, obviously not recomposing it himself. (The reason why I did not compose that verse anew (so as to render the whole service entirely of my own composition) is obvious to every Artist. Modest but true.) The published order of service obscures this somewhat in the attributions by separating the composers and the texts they form a unity from a 1724 publication. The text I heard a voice from heaven would, in the 1662 BCP, have been said or sung (it is not clear what setting I guess Thomas Morley) while the earth is cast upon the body. It has here been transposed earlier in the service The first lesson Now is Christ risen from the dead (1 Cor 15) is the set reading in the BCP funeral service. The psalms set there (I said, I will take heed to my ways, Ps 39 and Lord thou hast been our refuge Ps 90) have been replaced by Like as the hart (Ps 42). There was an opportunity later in the service to set Ps 90 in one of the two anthems (it is unusual to have two anthems), but alternatives were chosen. The text Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, which is at the heart of the BCP funeral service, and sung as the corpse is made ready to be buried, and which Purcell set in his Funeral Sentences, has been entirely omitted. The same is true of the prayer of thanks Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart. God grant to the living grace; to the departed rest; to the Church, The King, the Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord, and to us sinners, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. The final hymn is the Methodist Charles Wesleys Love Divine The Music is exemplary. There are two new compositions: a setting of Psalm 42 (Like as the hart) by Judith Weir and the anthem Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8 ) by James MacMillan. It would have been tempting to serve up a dish of old faves, but this is more like Last Night of the Proms (which has a first half of new music and a second half of warhorses). Judith Weir is Master of the Kings Music (and obviously before that of the Queens Music), and the first woman to hold that honour. She has written church music but it is not the major focus of her work. James MacMillan holds no royal position, and his commission derives presumably from his life-long track record of sacred music, which reflects considerable learning (he is an honorary fellow of Blackfriars Hall at Oxford a centre of Dominican scholarship, where the Aquinas Institute was set up in 2004 by Fergus Kerr) and profound Roman Catholic religious formation. This is an especially intense ecumenical expression. Scottish musicianship is well represented (Weirs family is Scottish, although she was born in Cambridge; MacMillan is arguably the most famous active Scottish composer, and the Crimond setting of Psalm 23 is Scottish). Welsh musicianship is properly recognised in Rowlands Blaenwern (for the hymn Love Divine) and Vaughan Williams O Taste and See (from Psalm 8 ), which as the order of service tells us was composed for the Queens Coronation. Birmingham gets a look in, by the way: the St Clement hymn tune for The day thou gavest is probably by Clement Scholefield, an Edgbaston lad, although this authorship is disputed. Vaughan Williams thought it was not very good, incidentally, but the Queen loved it. And so do I. Adams also noted the representatives of diverse religious traditions present at the service, concluding his comments with the remark, All in all a fascinating performance of British religious complexity. My wife noticed that there appears to be a Sikh member of the choir, and Id love to find out more about that. I mainly watched via the BBCs livestream on YouTube but also had the television on. The ABC news broadcasters brought in Terry Moran who commented on how remarkable Queen Elizabeths Christian faith has been in an era in which British religiosity has declined. You can find complete information about the music that was part of the service in many places online, but this one from Classic FM is particularly helpful. If you missed the service, or want to hear the music again, the video is available here: Though Microsoft released the new Windows 11 2022 Update to consumers today, theres no obligation to upgrade. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 through October 2025, company executives said. We remain committed to Windows 10 and will continue to service Windows 10 through October of 2025, said John Cable, vice president of program management for Microsofts Windows Servicing and Delivery, in a briefing with reporters. Microsofts Windows 11 2022 Update (previously code-named Windows 11 2H22) is a collection of new features that address many things that many people dont use regularly, including accessibility features, as our Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) review concludes. PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11 are eligible to upgrade to Microsofts new feature update for free. If you dont want to upgrade, dont worry. Windows 11 is improving, but Windows 10 is an excellent operating system, which makes it difficult to recommend a move. (We offer three reasons to upgrade to Windows 11, and three more to stand pat.) Microsoft also hasnt set an end date for when the free Windows 11 upgrade will expire, Aaron Woodman, Microsofts vice president in charge of Windows, said during the briefing. Technically, the fact that Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025 isnt anything new, as Microsoft has been saying this since June 2021. Still, Microsoft said then that Windows 10 would be retired on Oct. 14, 2025 even though the original lifespan called for it to end support in 2017. What weve learned is that Microsoft is holding fast to that 2025 deadline. All this means is that is while Microsoft is encouraging you to move to Windows 11, theres no obligation to right now. Microsoft isnt pulling the rug out from anyone though its going to be releasing new Windows 11 features on an accelerated timeframe. Why? Because in April, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella told analysts that Windows was the socket for subscriptions: to Microsoft 365, Windows 365, Azure, Game Pass Ultimate and the like. As long as youre allocating a portion of your paycheck to a recurring subscription, Microsofts happy. With the new Windows 11 2022 Update (formerly known as Windows 11 22H2), Microsoft is asking you to accept a new, continuous cycle of updates rather than receiving new features once or twice per year. Meet what Microsoft is calling controlled feature rollouts, a series of new features that can be added to Windows 11 really whenever Microsoft feels like it. These small, controlled feature updates are what Microsoft is now referring to as continuous innovation. These are the Windows 11 Moments a term that has been used before, but that Microsoft is not using right now for updates that can be added in between major feature updates. Youll be able to download the first of these in October, adding the tabbed File Explorer menu that didnt quite cross the finish line in time for the Windows 11 2022 Updates release. Otherwise, theyll be more broadly released in November, Microsoft says. In short, heres what you need to know: Microsoft is moving back to a single, major feature release for Windows 11 per year, rather than the current two. In between, Microsoft will roll out an undisclosed number of CFRs to consumers, on an undisclosed schedule. It all comes with a benefit, Microsoft says: better responsiveness and reliability. Microsoft says its already seeing a reduction of bugs as a result. Windows vice president Aaron Woodman denied earlier reporting that Windows is on a three-year cadence, however, or that Windows 12 is on the horizon. You know, I have not heard of anyone internally saying, you know, were in a three year cadence, Woodman said in a briefing with reporters. So theres nothing there. From a Microsoft perspective, were on an annual release cadence. Our intention is to bring innovation to those customers as quickly as possible. What Windows 11s new release timing means for you The Windows 11 2022 Update begins rolling out today, and our Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) review details a middling release, with substantive changes but not where users expect. The new Windows release also omits some features that were expected, based upon test builds Microsoft released publicly. Thats okay, executives say. The CFRs allow Microsoft to take the time to test new features appropriately, then add them when theyre ready. From a quality perspective[there are some features] that just cant make the cart, Woodman said. And so the question to us first and foremost is, do we wait for the next cart a year later? This tabbed File Explorer interface will have to wait until October. Microsoft First, new CFR features will be tested via the Windows Insider program, as they are today. Microsoft executives didnt specifically name which channel they would be deployed in, but Microsoft has used the Beta Channel previously. (Heres how to join the Windows Insider program.) John Cable, vice president of program management for Windows Servicing and Delivery, said that the next step will be early adopters; once CFRs are ready for general release, theyll first be deployed in the optional non-security update youll sometimes see in Windows Update. The next step in what Cable called a phased and measured approach will be to push the new features as feature experience packs. Theyll be pushed to your PC automatically, like patches, and are designed with minimal bandwidth and storage requirements. In a briefing with reporters, Microsoft executives didnt say if youll be able to halt and manage the new CFR updates like you can currently pause feature updates. (Heres how to pause Windows updates.) Businesses, however, will: the new CFRs will be off by default. (Typically, however, consumers can pause updates for a week or sometimes more.) Cable said that this technique has been used previously for feature updates on Windows 10, rolling out updates to the user base at large when everything looks good. What will be in these CFRs? Cable said Microsoft will use everything from blogs to email inbox notification emails to alert you how these new updates will affect your Windows experience. However, for most [users], theyll discover the features through natural discoverability within the OS, he said. Can the new CFRs reduce Windows bugs? As every Windows user knows, however, new code means new bugs. Microsoft, however, believes the new CFRs offer in just the opposite: better reliability. Its not clear that the CFRs are themselves responsible for the improvements in reliability. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella allegedly made an infamous blunder in 2014 when he decided to cut a portion of the companys quality-assurance team, placing the responsibility of finding and fixing bugs on the developers. Coincidentally (or not) Microsoft launched the Windows Insider program that same year, allowing the company to test its beta software with the public. According to Cable, the company has made great strides in eliminating Windows bugs. We have made massive improvements in this the number of update issues and update-related issues, he said. Theyve dropped precipitously, quarter over quarter and year over year in Windows 10, and were applying that to Windows 11. Its hard for me to promise that there wont ever be any compatibility issues based on an update, but these changes that were making in our programs are designed to help with exactly this, Cable added. I do expect it to get much better based on these changes. But of course I cant turn out a promise there wont be any issues. I am excited to see the number of issues drop based on this innovation. The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has kicked against the Energy Ministers insistence on keeping the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Limited Company (BOST) margin as part of the petroleum price build-up. The Minister at the annual general meeting of BOST last week indicated that there are no plans of taking off the 9 pesewas BOST margin on petroleum products due to the effective utilization of the proceeds by the company. However, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, said if BOST keeps to its original mandate, there will be no need for maintaining the BOST margin in the petroleum price build-up. I totally disagree with the Minister when he says that the margin will not be taken off bearing in mind the very fact that, the private BDCs also have depots where products are stored, and they do not get any margin but operate leanly. So perhaps this conversation must be had in a broader manner, he stressed. Government has in recent times come under fire to remove the BOST margin, to cushion petroleum consumers against high fuel prices. But sector minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said government has no plans of taking off the margin on petroleum products. He said the BOST margin has come to stay. I can promise that the BOST margin on petroleum products is not being taken off anytime soon. We will use the BOST margin efficiently and effectively to protect the citizens of this country against the vagaries of private sector interest, which has always been about profit. The BOST margin was implemented on the price build-up in 2011 to cover the maintenance and expansion of infrastructure at the state company. In December 2019, it was increased to 6 pesewas from 3, and was later increased again to 9 pesewas in 2021 after several demands by BOST. Back then, stakeholders in the energy sector asked the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to withdraw the increment. They argued that Ghanaians were already facing difficult times due to high petroleum price build-up and fuel prices. Taxes and levies contribute to almost half of the final ex-pump prices of fuel. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.S. ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer has said that Ghana is the second-highest sender of students to America, only after Nigeria, in all 50 states, in the 2020-21 academic year. . At the opening of the 2022 EducationUSA College Fair in Accra, she said: We have 4,200 students studying in 630 different education institutions in the United States in the last year alone. And Ghana is the second-highest sender of students to the United States, second only to Nigeria. And it does bother me to say that, she added. The fair brought together about 40 universities and colleges from the United States to interact with prospective students. EducationUSA is a U.S. government-sponsored network of 450 centres in 170 countries around the globe, mandated to provide information on U.S. higher education and guide qualified individuals in order to be successful applicants to accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Ambassador Virginia Palmer gave assurance to the students applying to the US that despite the backlogs, they will be granted swift visas to avoid delays. EducationUSA advisors in Kumasi-based centres, they have helped the students that come with information about US universities and to access US$7 million in bursaries and scholarships for studying in the United States. So, I encourage Ghanaian students to come and talk to the advisors. Ghana is also among the top 25 countries globally to send graduate students to the United States. The first statistics were undergraduate students. Lot of very distinguished Ghanaian scholars doing graduate work in the United States, Palmer said. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey, lead counsel for illegal mining (galamsey) kingpin, Aisha Huang, has justified his decision to render legal services to the embattled Chinese national. Amidst public criticisms for his provision of legal service to Aisha Huang, Captain Effah-Dartey, who is a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, says his service to his client is largely for its monetary benefits. "People who are blaming me for defending Aisha Huang don't know what they are saying." I have a wife, children and grandchildren, so I'm only working for my daily bread." "I'm defending Aisha Huang for my daily bread", he is quoted in a report by Oyerepafmonline.com. Asked if he would withdraw his services should the Akufo-Addo-led government appoint him, he said, "If government gives me an appointment to stop defending Aisha Huang, of course, I will stop." He added that "anytime you see me defending Aisha Huang, it means she has paid me fully. As we speak, I've been paid fully." Meanwhile, the lawyer expressed concern about access to his client, saying, "my only worry is that I find it difficult to get access to my client. I feel the state is not treating her fairly." He, however, expressed optimism that his client will be discharged of the charges pressed against her as he believes the state lacks evidence to prove the charges. Background Ms. Huang, in 2017, was charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations). Her case was, however, discontinued, and she was deported. Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her. She, however, found her way back into the country, leading to her recent arrest. A court last week remanded Aisha Huang and three other Chinese nationals into custody to reappear on charges of illegal gold mining and trading. Her recent arrest is on the same issue of illegal mining. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his spouse, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, have made their way into the Westminster Abbey for the final funeral rites of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the presidents travel to London for the funeral not officially being communicated, President Akufo-Addo somewhere hinted at his intent to attend the state funeral of the Queen when he signed her book of condolence last week. I intend to go to London for the funeral; I dont know whether you have anything particular to tell me about that? he asked High Commissioner Harriet Thompson. Ahead of the commencement of the service on Monday, September 19, 2022, several heads of state and dignitaries have been trooping into the London Chapel, where the Queens coffin will be brought for the service. President Akufo-Addo, who is dressed in a black suit and white shirt, was flanked by his wife, who was also adorned in a black dress with a scarf and a handbag to complement. Born on April 21, 1926, the late Queen, christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, acceded the British throne at the age of 25 and ruled for 70 years. She died at the age of 96 on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Joe Biden has declared the pandemic "over" in the US, even as the number of Americans who have died from Covid continues to rise. Mr Biden said that while "we still have a problem", the situation is rapidly improving. Statistics show that over 400 Americans on average are dying from the virus each day. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that the end of the pandemic is "in sight". In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS, Mr Biden said that the US is still doing "a lot of work" to control the virus. The interview - aired over the weekend - was partly filmed on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show, where the president gestured towards the crowds. "If you notice, no one's wearing masks," he said. "Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape...I think it's changing." In August, US officials extended the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency, which has been in place since January 2020, through 13 October. To date, more than one million Americans have died from the pandemic. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the seven-day average of deaths currently stands at over 400, with more than 3,000 dead in the last week. In January 2021, by comparison, more than 23,000 people were reported dead from the virus over a single week-long span. About 65% of the total US population is considered fully vaccinated. Some federal vaccine mandates remain in place in the US - including on healthcare workers, military personnel and any non-US citizen entering the country by airplane. Public health officials have expressed cautious optimism in recent weeks that the world is edging towards a pandemic recovery but continue to urge people to remain careful. On Monday, Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, acknowledged the situation has improved. But in comments made at Washington DC think-tank, he added that the current daily death rate is still "unacceptably high". "We are not where we need to be if we're going to be able to 'live with the virus,'" he said. He also cautioned that new Covid-19 variants could still emerge, especially in the coming winter months. The US recently authorised new vaccines that match the version of the Omicron variant currently dominant in the country, with federal health officials asking Americans to keep their jabs up-to-date. Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the world has "never been in a better position to end the pandemic". "We are not there yet," he said. "But the end is in sight." Covid-19 also continues to have a significant impact on the US economy, with the National Bureau of Economic Research reporting last week that Covid-related disease has slashed the US workforce by approximately 500,000 people. Mr Biden said he believes that the pandemic has had a "profound" impact on the psyche of Americans. "That has changed everything...people's attitudes about themselves, their families, about the state of the nation, about the state of their communities," he said. "It's been a very difficult time. Very difficult." More than 6.5 million people have died since the beginning of the pandemic around the world. The US has had the highest death toll, followed by India and Brazil. 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. Featured Video Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has reflected on the impact Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving British monarch, had on his life. In the evening of September 19, a day when Queen Elizabeth was buried, Kufuor said in a Twitter post that the Queen left him with memories that cannot be erased. He tweeted: Your astuteness and humanity left me with indelible memories a post accompanied by images of him together with the Queen during his visit to Buckingham Palace. The statesman is one of the few Ghanaian presidents to have met the Queen and to have had a ride with Queen Elizabeth in same carriage. In an interview with state broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), President Kufuor narrated how he was invited by the Queen for a state visit in 2007. During his visit, Former President Kufuor said he received the best hospitality from the Royal family. So, in 2007, during my presidency, I received an invitation from her to go on a state visit, which is the height of visits among Heads of State. And remember 2007 was also our Golden Jubilee anniversary We landed in London, first, she received me there, the Honour Guard was put on for me to inspect. There was a canopy under which she and some of the royalty and ministers stood, and then when the parade commander came to escort me, her husband, the late Prince Philip, accompanied me to inspect the guard. "Straight from there, a golden carriage was standing by, drawn by horses and she invited me to ride with her and so thats how that opportunity came my way, he explained. President John Agyekum Kufuor also told GBC that it was there that he got conferred with the honour of the Knight Commander of the Order of Bath of the UK by the Queen herself. She and her husband took me around to show me the gifts they had received from Ghana: some from former presidents, some from our chiefs; they had displayed everything there for me and my wife. Of course, we also sent some: I sent some necklace of precious beads from Ghana, a bit of gold and ancient beads. There, we showed them what we had sent them, and then after the exchange of gifts, she also showed me insignia because they knighted me, gave me the Knight Commander of the Order of Bath; a very high post. It was honorary, of course, he explained. Queen Elizabeth II passed away September 8 at the age of 96 and has since been succeeded by her son, King Charles III. World leaders gathered on September 19 to bid her farewell. According to the Royal Family official Twitter handle, a private burial took place in the evening of September 19 at The King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor. The Queen was laid to rest with her late husband The Duke of Edinburgh, alongside her father King George VI, mother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and sister Princess Margaret. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Among the military men who escorted the cortege of Queen Elizabeth II on its last journey from Westminster Abbey to the St. George's Chapel was a Ghanaian-born British soldier, Lieuetenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah. He was the only Black person in the group of over a dozen officers who marched along with the cortege on September 19, 2022 after the official funeral had been held. A former United Kingdom High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, was full of praise for Twumasi-Ankrah, who has been a Personal Assistant of the late monarch - as her equerry. "Proud to see Her Late Majestys equerry, Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, accompanying her coffin in todays #statefuneral," the diplomat tweeted on Monday. In 2017, then Major Twumasi-Ankrah was named by Queen Elizabeth II as her equerry, becoming the first black man to hold this position. An equerry's duty primarily is that, at official activities, including public visits and receptions at Buckingham Palace, he assists the monarch. After Prince Phillip retired from public service, Twumasi-Ankrah supported Queen Elizabeth II at public events. Proud to see Her Late Majestys equerry, Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, accompanying her coffin in todays #StateFuneral. https://t.co/pArK92VNBq Jon Benjamin (@JonBenjamin19) September 19, 2022 Background His military history has it that he is an officer of the Household Cavalry and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Born in Ghana in 1979, he moved to the UK with his parents in 1982 when he was three years old. Twumasi-Ankrah enrolled at Queen Mary University, London upon completion of his school education and then joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He who was commissioned by the Blues and Royals at the time, served in the military all his life. He was the first British Army black African officer to be commissioned into the Cavalry of the Household. Speaking on film for a documentary on Britains open and democratic society, Major Twumasi-Ankrah said: As a young child, watching her majesty the Queens birthday parade on television, I would have never imagined that one day Id command the regiment which Id fallen in love with. He added: From where I sit and from what Ive seen in the UK, our cultures really do mix and intermingle, and if Im not a good example of that I really dont know what is. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video On Monday, September 19, invited guests from all walks of life attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the Westminster Abbey in London. Millions across the world followed the event on TV, online and across social media platforms as the world paid its last respects to the British monarch who reigned for seven decades. The event as expected was strictly by invitation, so much so that, even some world leaders were not invited among others, Vladimir Putin and Emerson Mnangagwa, presidents of Russia and Zimbabwe respectively. For most guests, they needed to be formally invited or have some role to play to merit a place in and around the venue of the event which took place on Monday, September 19. GhanaWeb tracked the Ghanaians who found their way to the venue: President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo: The First Couple were formally invited through Ghanas High Commission in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdoms High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, confirmed that arrangement when President Akufo-Addo signed the book of condolence in Accra last week. The president had stated that he was ready to travel to London to join the ceremony, true to his intents, he was in London along with other guests with the First Lady to witness the solemn event. The president had earlier signed a book of condolence whiles flanked by the First Lady, a ritual that almost all invited world leaders undertook. Kwasi Kwarteng British-born but with Ghanaian ancestry, Kwarteng was barely two weeks in his new role as the UKs Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) before the Queen died on September 8. Kwarteng, as a senior member of Prime Minister Liss Trus government had a prominent seat at the venue of the service. He, however, courted controversy on social media after he was captured in a viral video smiling at a point during the ceremony. Angry social media users are calling for his head for desecrating what was a solemn occasion for the nation. Lieutenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah A Ghanaian-born officer in the British Army, Lieutenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, was among the decorated soldiers who walked along with the Queen cortege as they escorted it after the funeral service to the burial place. Twumasi-Ankrah in 2017 became the Queen Elizabeth IIs equerry, the first black man to hold this position. At official activities, including public visits and receptions at Buckingham Palace, the Equerry assists the monarch. After Prince Phillip retired from public service, Major Twumasi-Ankrah supported Queen Elizabeth II at public events after the Duke of Edinburgh. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Eight people including Catholic priests, a nun and worshippers are being held in captivity by separatist fighters in Cameroon's South West region. Their abductors also burnt down a church during the attack in Nchang, a community in the region. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Catholic church authorities said they were shocked by this attack. Catholic bishops under the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference said men and women of God had been soft targets of abductions and threats since 2016. Archbishop Andrew Nkea, the head of the Bamenda ecclesiastical province, told the BBC that the abductors were demanding ransom - adding that they were seeing the church as a "soft target so as to make money". The North West and South West regions of Cameroon have suffered a bloody conflict between English-speaking separatists and the state for years. The violence has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced around a million people, according to the International Crisis Group think tank. 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. Featured Video Intercity STC Managing Director, Nana Akomea, has lauded the Ghana Police Service for their arrest of a suspect in connection with recent killings in Wa municipality in the Upper West Region. Fear has gripped residents at Wa following serial killings and kidnapping in the municipality. The suspect, Kankani Adongo, was arrested at Bamahu, a suburb of Wa after extensive collaboration between the Police and community search parties. The suspect is in custody and will be arraigned to face justice. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has also assured the community that the Police will arrest all the perpetrators as they don't believe the crimes were committed by one suspect. Be assured that we will keep improving on the security situation because we are there for you, IGP assured the residents. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show with Nana Yaw Kesseh, Nana Akomea bemoaned the shocking incident but strongly believed the Police will find all the accomplices. He asked the residents to assist the Police to bring closure to the murders in the Region saying, "let us all support the Police to ensure these killings at Wa come to an end and the suspects arrested . . . even if it's in Accra that about 10 people have been killed in three weeks - one month - there will be fears, not to talk of Wa. So, we commend the Police for taking swift steps and pray for a way forward so that our people in Wa will have peace". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video About 20,000 university graduates who turn out of the nations universities annually are unable to find work because they are not prepared enough for the job market by their respective institutions. According to the Dean of the School of Sciences of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Professor Samuel Fosu Gyasi, what students learnt and how they were taught in the universities were not tailored to suit the job market. Prof. Gyasi said this at the Hollard Streetwise Finance Mentoring Day at the UENR in Sunyani in the Bono Region. The event was on the theme: "A better future: Getting ready for the world of work". Last year, Hollard Ghana, with its subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UENR to commence Hollard X Academia. It is aimed at providing a platform for enhanced collaboration between the insurance group and the university to ensure a better future for students through Hollard's streetwise finance, mentoring, engagement and resource-sharing programmes. As part of the agreement, both human and financial resources will be made available to help students bridge the gap between academia and the field of work for a period of three years, after which the agreement will be reassessed. Situation According to Prof. Gyasi, the way forward in the prevailing circumstances was for graduates to create their own jobs, noting, however, that due to the fact that they were ill-equipped, coupled with the reality that they lacked resources, many of them were at home. "Providing the youth with the best opportunity to transition to decent jobs calls for investing in education and training of the highest possible quality," he said. He further underscored the need for universities to promote student entrepreneurship, saying: Promoting student entrepreneurship is certainly one of the ways, but it cannot be the only solution." He gave an assurance that the university would continue to build stronger ties, including training and exposure of students to the world of work with organisations, industries and firms such as Hollard. Collaboration The Managing Director of Hollard Life Assurance, Iddrisu Nashiru, mentioned the UENR, the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and the University of Ghana (UG) as some of the institutions with which Hollard was collaborating. According to him, university graduates needed mentoring skills to enable them to perform well and establish their own jobs. Mr Nashiru, therefore, advised students to seek mentors with the requisite experience to guide them to establish their own businesses. He said since the inception of the programme in 2021, Hollard had helped many students to create their own jobs. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says there is no need for government to declare a state of emergency against galamsey. He shared contrary views to propositions by some proponents of the fight against galamsey that a declaration of state of emergency will deter the illegal miners. Their reason is that it will inspire an intensive combative effort to clamp down on the illegal trade. Kwesi Pratt asked if it won't be the same security agencies and State authorities charged with the task to curbing the illegal mining whose services will be employed during the state of emergency, therefore finding this proposal absolutely unnecessary. "If we declare state of emergency, will we go to Heaven to employ Angels to enforce the state of emergency? Is it not the same people fighting against the galamsey, the Military and the Police, who will enforce [the galamsey]? "What's the meaning of the state of the emergency? If we declare a state of emergency today, is it not the same soldiers, Police and relevant government agencies that will enforce the state of emergency? Are they not the same people on the field right now and this thing has become a fiasco?", he queried. He held that the country is losing the fight because of the "lack of commitment" by the relevant authorities. Kwesi Pratt made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" Friday morning. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reiterated its opposition to the Electoral Commissions (EC) insistence on pushing for the use of the National Identification Card to be the sole document for the registration and acquisition of a voters ID card. The party contends that the elimination of the use of passports and the guarantor system is unconstitutional. National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo at a press briefing on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, stressed that the EC will deny many Ghanaians the right to vote if the ECs plan is implemented. What it means is that, if the C.I. is passed in its current form, it will not only be unconstitutional, it will radically disenfranchise all those prospective voters who for no fault of theirs are unable to obtain the national ID card issued by the NIA. They would have been denied the right provided for them under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution. The party noted that the proposal for a new Constitutional Instrument (CI) that makes the Ghana card the only proof of identity for the registration of a voters ID card will not augur well with Ghanas electoral system. We, therefore, found it strange that the Electoral Commission will call a press conference and urge the NIA to expedite action on registration. It obviously doesnt lie in the mouth of the EC to do so. In the circumstances, therefore, making the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration will serve to deny millions of Ghanaians their right to register and vote. According to the NDC, the move will rather disenfranchise many since a number of Ghanaians do not have the card. Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said the yet-to-be-introduced regulation is in contravention with the countrys constitution. We wish to caution the Electoral Commission to be mindful of its actions and inactions since they have far-reaching implications for the peace and security of the country. The conduct of the Electoral Commission reinforces the NDCs suspicion of collusion between the Commission and the New Patriotic Party to rig the 2024 elections. Mr. Ofosu Ampofo added that the NDC will use all available means to resist any attempt by the EC and NPP government to rig the 2024 elections. As a party with a legitimate interest in the elections and given the high stakes of the 2024 elections, we are simply unwilling to allow any manipulations before, during or after those elections, and we will demand the strictest standards in the processes leading up to the elections. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@utvghana) Source: UTV/citinewsroom Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Gospel musician, Empress Gifty has been enstooled chief by the Igbo Community in Ghana. His Royal Majesty, Eze Dr Amb. Chukwudi Ihenetu, Nigerian King of the Igbo Community in Ghana conferred on her Chief Ugo Nma, to wit beautiful eagle, for promoting Igbo culture and tradition in Ghana and beyond. This was at a special ceremony attended by several dignitaries including Giftys husband, Hopeson Adorye who was there to give his total support. In an acceptance speech, Empress thanked the Igbo community for the honour bestowed on her. She, therefore, declared her preparedness to serve the West African tribe adding that she now identifies as one of them. I am more than thrilled to be part of history as the Igbo Community in Ghana chief marks its 10th anniversary on the throne today. This honour by extension would deepen the cultural and economic ties between Ghana and Nigeria. For this reason, I would avail myself of this cause, because we stand to gain a lot by working together as Africans. From today, I am one of you. DAAAAAAAAAAALU, she wrote on Instagram. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate will vote this week on a bill to force super PACs to disclose their donors. Majority Leader Schumer said on the Senate floor: Today, I am announcing the Senate will vote this week to take up a measure critical to fighting the cancer of dark money in our elections: the DISCLOSE Act. Ive long promised to bring this bill to the floor, and I want to thank all my colleagues, in particular Senator Whitehouse. He has done an amazing job documenting and pressing forward on trying to eliminate the evil scourge of dark money. He has been an amazing leader in championing this legislation. The DISCLOSE Act is premised on a simple idea: Americans deserve to know who is trying to influence their elections. Sadly, most Americans today are largely in the dark thanks to the abominable decision in Citizens United, handed down by the Supreme Courts conservative majority. Their ruling has paved the way for billions in unlimited campaign contributions by Super PACs and other dark money groups over the last decade. Ordinary citizens, meanwhile, have had their voices drowned out by elites who have millions to spare for political donations. And the worst part? Much of this spending happens entirely in secret. Thats not like a democracy. It is a veil cast over our democracy that must be ripped away once and for all. The DISCLOSE Act is simple. It would require super PACs and other dark money groups to report anyone contributing $10,000 or more during an election. It would likewise require groups spending money on judicial nominees to disclose their donors too. There is no justification under heaven for keeping such massive contributions hidden from the public. This week Republicans are going to have to take a stand on whether they want to fight the power of dark money, or allow this cancer to grow even worse. Limiting the power of dark money shouldnt be a Democratic or Republican view. It should be bipartisan through and through. I hope Republicans will join us, because Americans intuitively understand that right now there is a stench taking over our campaign finance law. After all, when was the last time any of us heard voters cheer on the spread of dark money? When was the last time any of us heard voters say its better for billionaires and special interests to buy elections in secret rather than be held accountable to the public? Of course, they dont think that! Unless they themselves are the ones cutting the multi-million dollar checks. So this week, all of us will go on record on whether or not we think Americans deserve to know who is spending billions to sway our democracy. It will be our chance to put into practice the famous saying by Justice Luis Brandeis that sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant. I once again commend Senator Whitehouse for his years of leadership in fighting the sway of dark money, and I urge all my colleagues to support this measure this week. The DISCLOSE Act Highlights An Important Issue Super PACs are flooding the airwaves with election ads, but voters dont know who is bankrolling the ads or what the agenda behind them is. The DISCLOSE Act would change that. Voters would be told if some special interest is trying to swing an election because they would be told who is funding the ads. Senate Republicans depend on super PAC money more than Democrats, so there is zero chance that ten of them will join with Democrats in voting for the legislation. However, Democrats are setting the stage for legislation that they will look to pass next year if they keep the Senate and expand their majority to nuke the filibuster. If Democrats keep the House and Senate, getting rid of Citizens United is on the table. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Rep. Liz Cheney said that Trumps talk of violence if he is indicted is a direct and credible threat against America. CBS Newss Robert Costa tweeted: Cheney says Trumps warning of trouble, should he be indicted, is a direct and credible threat. Warns that violence is on horizon if Trump is not confronted by fellow Rs. Tells Rs that any anger toward Dems, even if valid, doesnt justify letting Trump carry on and lead them. Robert Costa (@costareports) September 19, 2022 Beneath the Qanon conspiracies and cult-like rallies is the fact that Donald Trump appears to be preparing his supporters to commit acts of violence if he is indicted. Rep. Cheney sees it, and she is calling it out. When the next Trump encouraged, incited, and inspired attack on America occurs, it will not surprise those who have been paying attention. Trump is telegraphing what he will do if he is indicted for everyone to see. It is one thing for Donald Trump to threaten violence, but it is a different ballgame now that he appears to be mobilizing his most devoted supporters who also believe in the Qanon conspiracy to act against the United States government. Forget charges related to classified documents, Trump appears to be openly on the path toward domestic terrorism. The corporate media refuses to talk about the Trump threat in the terms that it deserves, so many people refuse to believe Trump is escalating, but Rep. Cheney was correct. Donald Trump is making threats against the United States, and if he were anyone else, he would already be in handcuffs. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print New surveillance video reveals that a Georgia Republican official who was also a Trump fake elector led a team of Trump operatives that breached a Georgia county voting system for hours. Trump Fake Elector Led Breach Of Georgia Voting Data CNN reported: A Republican county official in Georgia and operatives working with an attorney for former President Donald Trump spent hours inside a restricted area of the Coffee County elections office that day. Among those seen in the footage is Cathy Latham, a former GOP chairwoman of Coffee County who is under criminal investigation for posing as a fake elector in 2020. CNN previously reported that Latham escorted operatives working with former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell through the front door of the elections office on January 7, 2021. The new footage appears to undercut previous claims by Latham that she was not personally involved in the breach. The new video, obtained as part of a years-long civil lawsuit in Georgia related to the security of voting systems there, shows Latham remained in the office for hours as those same operatives set up computers near election equipment and appear to access voting data. The Voter Data Breach Is Under Both State And Federal Investigation The Fulton County, GA investigation into Trump election crimes is also investigating the voting data breach. The DOJ has been investigating the breach as part of the fake elector scheme. The data breach team was working for Sydney Powell who was working for Donald Trump. The same group of people minus the Georgia fake elector also breached voter data in a Michigan county. Voting system breaches are serious crimes, and video surveillance is as close to smoking gun evidence as possible in these sorts of cases. The suspected breaches are on video gaining access to the equipment and setting up their own computer. The levels of criminality associated with Trumps coup attempt are vast, but one of the areas where it is likely that people will end up convicted and in jail is the breach o The plutonium that was shipped from the Savannah River Site to Nevada that ignited a legal battle between the Silver State and the federal government has been removed. U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., announced Friday that the National Nuclear Security Administration had completed the removal of a half of a metric ton of plutonium from the Nevada National Security Site four years ahead of schedule. The Nevada National Security Site is located about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It was established in the early 1950s for the testing of nuclear weapons. When I heard that the Trump Administration secretly shipped weapons-grade plutonium to our state, I acted immediately to ensure it was removed," Cortez Masto said in a news release. "I have not stopped pushing to get this done, and Im proud to announce the removal has been completed four years ahead of schedule. The plutonium was shipped from SRS to the Nevada National Security Site by the National Nuclear Security Administration to comply with a court order that mandated the administration remove 1 metric ton, around 2,200 pounds, from SRS by January 2020. The court order came from the litigation over the Department of Energy's failure to begin operations of the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility or to remove plutonium from SRS by a certain date. The litigation would ultimately result in a $600 million settlement paid by the federal government to South Carolina to resolve the litigation. The plutonium leaving South Carolina was ultimately to end up at the Los Alamos National Laboratory with half of the plutonium being temporarily stored at the Nevada National Security Site and the other half at the Pantex facility in Texas. When the National Nuclear Security Administration announced the plan, several Nevada elected officials including Gov. Brian Sandoval, U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., and U.S. Reps Dina Titus and Ruben Kihuen vowed to oppose the plan. Eventually, lawsuits were filed over the plan. Cortez Masto eventually placed a hold on all Department of Energy nominees until she reached a deal with then Energy Secretary Rick Perry to remove the plutonium from the state beginning in 2021 and ending in 2026. Jill Hruby, National Nuclear Security administrator, called Cortez Masto on Friday to let her know the plutonium had been removed four years early, according to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The plutonium is now at Los Alamos, according to the Review-Journal article. A Warrenville man will spend 10 years in federal prison . Brian Lydell Robinson, 39, of Warrenville was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to extortion and impersonating an officer of the United States, according to a media release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of South Carolina. Robinson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel and will serve three years of court supervision after his release. Former Fort Gordon soldier sentenced to prison for child porn A former Fort Gordon soldier will spend 15 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Robinson is not eligible for parole in the federal system. Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in the spring 2019, Robinson used a dating app to contact a Mount Pleasant woman and solicit commercial sex, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina. Robinson used multiple telephone numbers from a single device and posed as a Department of Justice investigator working for the U.S. Attorney's Office investigating a politically connected sex trafficker, the release said. Robinson told the victim she would be prosecuted for prostitution, which would ruin her reputation unless she assisted in an undercover operation against a sex trafficker, the release said. Investigators determined there wasnt an investigation and Robinson extorted money and sex from his victim by posing as the sex trafficker under investigation, the investigator and as a defense lawyer, the release said. The Defendant terrorized and exploited his victim through extreme deception and intimidation, and he deserves to go to prison, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said in a release. We will not tolerate predators posing as law enforcement officers. Those who impersonate federal agents, or use the threat of federal prosecution, to exploit the public will encounter actual federal agents and real prosecution. If you have a question about whether a person is actually a law enforcement officer, call the agency using a publicly posted phone number and ask for verification. Wagener man indicted on multiple counts of firearm possession and narcotics distribution A Wagener man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbia on 15 counts. Investigators determined that Robinson lured the victim across state lines and sexually exploited her with this ruse and, acting as the sex trafficker supposedly under investigation, confronted the victim and told her that he knew that she was working for law enforcement, the report said. Investigators say Robinson assured the victim he could keep them both out of trouble through the services of a well-positioned defense attorney, but said that the victim would owe him money, the release said. After Robinson allegedly placed a call to the defense attorney, the victim was contacted by the fictitious federal agent, who claimed that his case had been temporarily suspended because of Robinsons attorney, the report said. For seven months, Robinson extorted the victim for money to pay for non-existent legal services under the false premise that such services were needed to avoid federal prosecution, according to the report. Once the victim ran out of funds, Robinson extorted sex and pornographic materials from the victim in lieu of payment, the release said. Robinson was reported to police after he demanded the victim have sex with multiple men at the same time and was fearful of being abducted, the release said. Robinson has multiple prior convictions including forgery, obtaining property under false pretenses and burglary, the report said. Homeland Security Investigations, SLED and Mount Pleasant Police Department investigated the case and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Schoen and Elliott B. Daniels. 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.). During a round trip that covered more than 100 miles, George Ashley traveled to Aiken and back to his home in Georgia on Monday to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. He arrived before lunchtime at George Funeral Home and Cremation Center, where he signed a condolence book. May God bless the family of the Queen, he wrote. Ashley added his address underneath and included his wifes name with his expression of sympathy. Ive been seeing her on TV forever, said Ashley of Elizabeth. "I just wanted to come and pay my respects and give my condolences. Elizabeth, who celebrated the 70th anniversary of her reign earlier this year and was the longest-serving British monarch, died Sept. 8 at the age of 96. In addition to a condolence book at George Funeral Home, there is a large display of royal memorabilia. A memorial video also is being shown continuously on a large flat screen television. Ive always been inspired by her sense of duty and her leadership, said George Funeral Home owner Cody Anderson. I also admired her grace and dignity. She reminded me of a bygone era. Since Sept. 12, when the tribute began, more than 200 people have visited George Funeral Home to take part in it. She was a remarkable woman and she will live on in history, so I thought it was important for people to be able to express their condolences on this side of the pond, Anderson said. Were thankful for the outpouring of support from the folks who have come by. Some of royal memorabilia at George Funeral Home belongs to Anderson. I sent a card when Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary (in 2017), and a thank-you card was sent back acknowledging that, Anderson said. Most of the items, however, belong to the Rev. Scott Ayers, an apprentice director at George Funeral Home and a teacher for the Aiken County Public School Districts Aiken iNNOVATE virtual program. He also is the associate pastor of worship at Shiloh Baptist Church. Ive been collecting for more than 40 years, Ayers said. The mementos owned by him include magazines, coins, stamps, an Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Barbie doll produced by Mattel and a Wedgewood tobacco box made for Elizabeths coronation in 1953. Ayers also has an order signed by both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, who died in 2021. I love the queen, Ayers said. She has been a fascination of mine since I was a boy. I am a history teacher, and I have studied royal history. She is the one person that stood out as a constant figure in the world, he added. She was above politics. Ayers believes that numerous residents of Aiken and the surrounding area share his fondness for Elizabeth. There are so many people here who feel connected to the queen, he said. They feel like she was a part of us even though she was over in England. We also have so many people who have moved here from Great Britain, Ayers continued. Weve seen a lot of interest from them. They have thanked us for doing this. Some visitors to George Funeral Home have brought flowers and left them in the room where the tribute to Elizabeth is being held. Weve encouraged parents to bring their children so they can be a part of history, Ayers said. The tribute will be open to the public during George Funeral Homes office hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at least through Wednesday. We may leave it open a day or two longer if there is enough interest, Ayers said. The condolence book then will be packaged up and sent to Buckingham Palace, he said. George Funeral Home is at 211 Park Ave. S.W. Condolences can be left online at georgefuneralhomes.com. Click on Obituaries & Tributes at the top of the home page and then select Obituaries on the drop-down menu. The memorial video also can be viewed on the website. For more information, call 803-649-6234. COLUMBIA A 14-year-old high school student is facing assault and weapons charges after pulling out a knife in a fight during lunch, according to the Richland County Sheriffs Department. The Richland Northeast High School student was involved in a fight with two other students Sept. 19 when she pulled out the knife, according to the sheriffs department. No one was injured. The student dropped the knife during the altercation and another student turned the knife over to administrators who responded quickly to stop the fight without any injuries being reported, Principal Mark Sims wrote in an email to parents and employees. After the school resource officer detained the student, she was booked in the juvenile wing of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. She faces charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature as well as carrying a weapon on school property. The principal said procedures and policies under Richland School District Two are being followed in administering disciplinary and legal consequences. As has been said numerous times, students should never bring weapons onto school grounds and they face serious consequences when they do, Sims wrote. Parents, we need your help. Please regularly check clothing, pockets and backpacks for prohibited items. Caitlin Ashworth is a crime reporter for The Post and Courier in Columbia. She spent several years in Thailand before moving to South Carolina. South Carolina school districts are spending federal pandemic relief funds slower than other Southern states, a Post and Courier analysis of U.S. Department of Education data has found. Georgia and North Carolina were both given more money than South Carolina but have managed to spend 39 percent and 38 percent, respectively. South Carolina has used 27 percent of its cash. Education officials in the two states said they try to strike a balance between closely monitoring and letting districts make decisions that work best for their students. One thing that's helped is setting up point people who monitor how school districts are using the money. Lynne Barbour, the deputy director for the N.C. Department of Educations office of learning recovery and acceleration, leads a team that was created specifically to help districts use their federal relief money. Her group has partnered closely with finance staff for each district in the state to track spending, and they plan to have longer conversations with districts where the pace of spending is lagging. Were taking that on, having conversations with districts to say, Hey, you have less than 50 percent expended from this pot of money, how do you really intend to spend it? Barbour said. But state education departments can only do so much. Most of the relief funds were given directly to the districts, and there are few regulations stipulating how they can spend the money. While states can advise school districts, they cant actually mandate they spend money faster or use it in different ways. And while investing in schools and students sounds, in theory, relatively easy, districts were cautioned to use the money wisely so that when its gone evidence of the investment is clear. Derek Phillips, a spokesman for the S.C. Department of Education, said the state wants to make sure districts spend all their money. But their primary concern is making sure the funds are used well. Still, South Carolina has $2.4 billion of relief money that needs to be allocated in the next two years. Its pretty much use it or lose it, Phillips said. Where do we stand? There have been three rounds of federal relief funding, dubbed ESSER I, II and III. South Carolina received $216 million for the first round that came in spring 2020 that needs to be spent by Sept. 30. A second round in December 2020 brought the state $940 million that must be spent by 2023. The third and largest round, approved in March 2021, was for $2.1 billion; districts have until September 2024 to spend it. Most of the money from all three rounds went directly to districts, while a smaller portion was set aside for state officials to use. In the earliest days of the pandemic, districts invested a lot in technology to make sure students could continue learning remotely from home. They also spent money on cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment. As the pandemic has continued, the focus has shifted to academic recovery. Districts have beefed up summer school programs and added tutoring before, during and after school. Many have created new positions to provide academic or behavioral support to struggling students. One of the few restrictions on how school districts can spend the money is that the most recent round requires them to spend at least 20 percent remedying students learning losses. South Carolina state officials must approve districts plans, but theyre not formally evaluating how effective districts strategies are, just making sure the plans fall within federal spending guidelines. Theyve encouraged districts to spend the money in the order it came since the deadlines to use it are staggered. As of July 1, South Carolina districts had spent 93 percent from the first round. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! Its hard to tell how far along districts are in their plans and whether the remaining money will be spent by the Sept. 30 deadline. Same goes for the remaining two rounds, which must be spent by the end of September 2023 and 2024, with a few exceptions for facility projects. The difficulty is in part because of lags in reporting that undercount whats been spent so far. For instance, if a district plans to use the money to replace a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, thats a purchase that wouldnt get reported as spent until the HVAC system is installed. Given supply chain issues, projects like that are taking longer than expected. And while districts have plans, they havent always been able to use the money as they intended. Many districts havent been able to fill all the new positions created to support students. Even when the positions have been filled, the cost of salaries are spread out over a year, so only a portion of the cost gets reflected in the reports of what districts have spent so far. The latest reports cover spending through June 30. The state wont know whether districts used all of their money from round one until they file their next quarterly report this fall. Thats when officials will evaluate whether they need to monitor the pace more closely. A dedicated team When North Carolina first received its share of federal pandemic relief money, its review process was similar to South Carolina's. State finance staff would go over districts' plans to make sure they met spending guidelines but were hands-off otherwise. Barbour's office was set up to help advise districts on how to best use the money. As time went on though, Barbours office has begun to specifically monitor how quickly districts are spending their ESSER funds. The N.C. Department of Education's finance branch was already tasked with overseeing districts' yearly spending. Asking them to review ESSER allocations on top of that would be too much work, she said. Since her team was solely dedicated toward helping districts manage their ESSER money, it was able to give them advice about best practices for academic recovery. It was also able to continuously remind districts that it was OK to spend. Something Barbour noticed early on was that many school districts were operating with a scarcity mindset because they were used to budget constraints and getting by with less. Barbour found the districts almost had to be reminded that they now had money. The case for more time Georgia doesn't have a stand-alone team like North Carolina. Instead, one person coordinates all the state departments that oversee ESSER. Like South Carolina, Georgia is a very locally controlled state. Matt Cardoza, the education departments director of external affairs and in charge of this monitoring, said the state tries to give districts ideas for smart ways to spend the money, but ultimately its up to them. Were not telling them Heres what you have to use it on, he said. They know their kids better. One of the biggest challenges has been sustainability. Georgia school districts have been hesitant to create new jobs even when they believe the extra staffing would be helpful. The districts are concerned because the funding runs out in 2024, and they might not be able to continue paying the salaries past that time. This is why Georgia and many other states pushed federal officials to extend the final 2024 deadline. The feds have extended some infrastructure spending through 2026, but Cardoza said they'd like to see more flexibility for all types of spending. A longer spending runway might make it easier for districts to budget for those positions. Were not asking for more money, just a longer period of time to spend that money, Cardoza said. GREENVILLE COUNTY Volvo Car USA plans to establish a tooling facility in Greenville County with a $42.6 million investment but first is seeking a tax break. Greenville County Council will discuss granting the Swedish car manufacturer a fee-in-lieu of tax agreement at its Sept. 20 meeting under what was previously referred to publicly as "Project Iron." Per the agreement, the car company needs to invest at least $35 million in the county over five years. The locations the company listed in council documents for its tooling facility include 120 Moon Acres Road in Piedmont and 800 Woodside Ave. in Fountain Inn. The Piedmont address is currently for Magna Drive, an industrial machinery manufacturer. Magna recently opened a 170,000-square-foot facility in Spartanburg County in Duncan on April 7, where it makes exterior mirror systems for BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. The Fountain Inn address is for an industrial building used by Wirthwein, an international plastic injection molding service company. Volvo has not listed the number of jobs associated with the announcement. The Post and Courier has reached out to a Volvo spokesperson for additional information. In 2015, Volvo selected Berkeley County for its first manufacturing facility in the Americas. The $1.2 billion plant off Interstate 26 near Ridgeville produces S60 mid-size sedans. The site will expand operations to also make the successor to the XC90 SUV and the Polestar 3 sedan for its sister brand, Polestar. This is a developing story. Hurricane Fiona moved away from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as it strengthened to a Category 2 storm, but heavy rain and catastrophic flooding still threatened both areas, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 8 p.m. Sept. 19, the storm was 130 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island, which is about 950 miles from Charleston. Fiona was traveling northwest at 10 mph, with a projected path running parallel, but not reaching, the East Coast of the U.S. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos, while parts of the Dominican Republic were under a hurricane watch. A tropical storm warning was in effect for the southeastern Bahamas. Fiona had strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane by late Monday afternoon. It recorded wind speeds of 105 mph in the evening, placing the storm just below the 110 mph-threshold of a major hurricane. Forecasters predicted Fiona would reach that status by Sept. 20 a day sooner than expected. Swells from Fiona could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents affecting the U.S. coast through midweek, the Hurricane Center warned. Bermudians should monitor Fiona's path, as the storm was on track to pass over the island late Sept. 22 as a major hurricane. Jocelyn Grzeszczak contributed to this report. Summerville, SC (29483) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Kenna Coe is the editor for the Moultrie News. Send her an email at editor@moultrienews.com Richard Caines covers business and courts in Horry and Georgetown County for The Post and Courier. He graduated from the Cronkite School at Arizona State University and is a huge Philadelphia sports fan. NORTH CHARLESTON A school bus crash the morning of Sept. 20 left six students and one adult injured after the vehicle struck a student waiting at a nearby bus stop and careened into the front of a convenience store. All of the injuries were considered minor, said North Charleston Police spokesman Harve Jacobs, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. Fire, police and emergency medical crews responded around 7:45 a.m. to the Neighbor Store, which sits at the corner of East Montague and Luella Avenues, said North Charleston Assistant Fire Chief Christan Rainey. The bus's front end was smashed through the entryway of the salmon-colored building. Bricks, cinder block and other debris piled around its hood. The bus's emergency door was propped open and its entire front windshield had been shattered from the impact. Yellow police tape sectioned off the Neighbor Store and Uptown Fashion, which sits behind the mini mart. The businesses were closed at the time of the crash and no one was inside, Rainey said. The school bus had been carrying eight students to North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary School, about a mile from the crash site. It was making a turn from Luella Avenue onto East Montague Avenue when the driver lost control and struck a 15-year-old high school student waiting near the store to board a different bus, according to the initial investigation. Another North Charleston High School student was hit by a tree branch, which dislodged during the collision, Jacobs said. Initial reports claiming a third teenager had been injured turned out to be in error. The two high school students as well as four of the younger bus passengers were taken to local hospitals, Jacobs said. The adult driver was also hospitalized, Rainey said. It was unclear if they had been released. Police are investigating the crash to determine if charges are warranted. School officials are reviewing cameras from the bus, but Charleston County School District spokesman Andy Pruitt said the footage may not help in determining what happened. The bus's cameras point to its inside, he said. At least two cameras could be seen outside the Neighbor Store, but they were damaged in the wreck, said Mehul Patel, who has operated the convenience and grocery mart for the last decade. He hoped police officers would be able to salvage any footage recorded before the crash. Patel rushed to the hectic scene after one of his customers had called him earlier in the morning. He felt "so bad" people were hurt in the crash, Patel said. A light trail of smoke snaked from the front of the store as fire crews worked to extricate the school bus, sawing away the debris and walls. It would take them several hours. Planks of wood were piled outside the store, ready to shore up the building so it didn't collapse. Workers from North Charleston's building department were also at the scene to act as an extra pair of eyes in assessing the stores structure and stability, Rainey said. A Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue truck arrived around 11 a.m. It was pulling a large trailer inscribed with the phrase "cooling, fueling, protecting first responders" on its side. Firefighters sought shelter from the sweltering September heat under the trailer's shaded canopy and took advantage of its "climate chamber," snacks and cold drinks. Curious neighbors poked their heads out of nearby homes to watch the clean-up process. Cars crawled through the one open westbound lane of East Montague Avenue. Police officers stood in the road's center to help direct traffic. They waved by onlookers who slowly drove through the scene, phone cameras sticking out the window. A tow truck hauled the bus away just before 2 p.m., Jacobs said. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High near 75F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Senior Politics Reporter Caitlin Byrd is the senior politics reporter at The Post and Courier. An award-winning reporter, Byrd previously worked as an enterprise reporter for The State newspaper, where she covered the Charleston region and South Carolina politics. UNION Elise Ashby has an ice cream business that does more than satisfy a sweet tooth for customers in Union County. Farmers Market Flavors Ice Cream Company uses equal parts fruits and vegetables to create unique flavor combinations. The produce in the ice cream is locally or regionally grown. One of Ashbys first flavors, southern blueberry, is made from blueberries and okra. Red cantaloupe is made with cantaloupes and tomatoes. Its just refreshing, said Elise Ashby, founder of Farmers Market Flavors Ice Cream Company and executive director of The RobinHood Group. It's like eating a piece of cold cantaloupe on a hot day. Summer squash and peaches make a flavor called summer peach. Morning strawberry is made out of strawberries and kale. Wide eye plum is a combination of carrots and plums. I want to help people find creative ways to eat healthier, Ashby said. Ice cream just seems to be the best way to get kids to eat vegetables and to get folks who don't like a lot of vegetables. On Oct. 8, Ashby will introduce new flavors at Enoree River Winery in Newberry County. One of the flavors will be a combination of figs and eggplant. Another has pears and eggplant. A third flavor is made out of ube, a type of purple yam, but Ashby is still trying to decide what fruit to pair it with. She also plans to reintroduce hot grape which is made with muscadine and jalapeno. She plans to change the name of the business to 'Fru-ge-ley: more than ice creams' in the near future. Ashby has a retail license but is waiting on her wholesale license to sell her product in stores like Whole Foods and Earth Fare. Ashby also has a building in downtown Union where shed like to have a commercial kitchen and set up a store. Eating okra ice cream is not something that people are jumping up and down for until they taste it, she said. Ashby is currently working with schools in Union to serve her ice cream in cafeterias. She plans to serve different flavors each month within schools. She said shes hoping to fully rebrand and be in schools by the end of next year. After watching a battle okra episode on "Iron Chef America," Ashby decided to start making ice cream. On the episode, strawberries and okra were used to make ice cream. Ashby didnt have access to any strawberries, so she used locally grown blueberries instead. She began to create more flavors and sell ice cream at the Union County Farmer and Craft Market. In 2019, Ashby established Farmers Market Flavors Ice Cream Company as a business within The RobinHood Group, an organization that encourages and increases entrepreneurship by creating programs for children and helps organizations create entrepreneurial programs or small businesses. The organization works to promote agricultural enhancements and works with agribusiness owners and other businesses to improve eating options and health conditions in Union. Ashby received $96,000 from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant to buy equipment and supplies, purchase produce from local farmers and to teach kids about agricultural entrepreneurship. With the money, Ashby created an agricultural entrepreneurship training manual that serves as a guide on how to create an agribusiness. Ashby moved to Union from Virginia seven years ago. Shortly after her move, she became the manager of the Union County Farmer and Craft Market. She said one of her goals was to make Unions market one that could rival other cities. She started doing cooking demonstrations at the market with vegetables such as lemon cucumbers, spaghetti squash and eggplant. Ashby wanted to increase revenue for farmers and increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that people were buying, so she helped turn Union into a FoodShare hub. Ashby is the board president for the South Carolina Association of Farmers Markets where she works with market managers to promote markets across the state. If you teach somebody how to start a business and not just start a business, but how to run it and make it grow, you're improving someone's life, she said. Ashbys track record of helping others didnt begin with her ice cream or market cooking demonstrations. She spent years working in international, community and economic development. Ashby and her friends started The RobinHood Group in 2001 in Washington, D.C., and the organization was reinstated in Union. In the past few weeks, Ashby has made 10 gallons and 30 pints of ice cream. She makes ice cream at a commercial kitchen in Chester and then takes the product out for same in portable freezers. Farmers Market Flavors Ice Cream Company is sold at various farmers markets across the state and at The Country Carrot in Rock Hill. We want to broaden the palates of people and expand them beyond chocolate and vanilla, because there are gobs of flavors out there, she said. President Biden and his administration have won bragging rights in opening our southern border to the whole wide world. They have achieved their objective. Indeed, the statistics which are themselves incomplete and understated make for a new record. The New York Times puts it this way: Arrests at Southwestern Border Exceed 2 Million in a Year for the First Time. The subhead includes the mandatory euphemism: The historic pace of undocumented immigrants entering the country continued as the Biden administration tried to steer clear of immigration issues with the midterm elections approaching. The Times story also euphemizes the Biden policy of catch-and-release. For some reason, the AP homes in on one nationality among the dozens whom Biden has welcomed: US officials: Border crossings soar among Venezuelans. The Washington Examiner puts Bidens record in perspective. Its actually more impressive than you might have thought: Broken Border: Illegal immigration arrests under Biden exceed Obamas eight years. RedState provides its own assessment here. President Biden proudly opened the border on day one of his administration. The word went out to friend and foe as well as everyone in between. This is what he wanted. Although his administration proclaims that the border is secure, he must be proud of his achievement in taking it down for one and all while denying it at the same time. Its an IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH kind of thing. I dont think we will love Big Brother any time soon, but maybe Big Nonbinary Sibling is on the horizon. I first heard Abolish ICE advocated as a policy by Ilhan Omar speaking to the special DFL endorsing convention on June 17, 2018. I covered the convention for Power Line on a Sunday afternoon. It was one of Omars leading themes in her remarks to the assembled Marxists, pacifists, and vegetarians whose endorsement she won. I thought it was a little out there, but Biden et al. have delivered the functional equivalent. Move over Calvin Coolidge: Grover Cleveland has a valid claim to being regarded as the most constitutionally faithful and fiscally frugal president since the Civil Wara case made splendidly in Troy Seniks new biography that is being published today, A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland. What explains this outlier of a politician, who is so unlike Democrats before him, never mind all the Democrats who came after him? Senik, perhaps better known to the podcast world as the host of Law Talk with John Yoo and Richard Epstein, does a masterful job of exploring this remarkable figure, how he rose from obscurity to the White House in less than four years, and how he returned to the White House for a second non-consecutive term, amidst allegations of improper personal behavior and vote fraud. (If this all sounds familiar, it should.) But waittheres more! Troy is the co-founder of Kite and Key Media, and we spend the last few minutes of our conversation on how and why Kite and Key was founded, and the reasons for its deliberate editorial style. Kite and Key is worth checking out and adding to your regular internet rotation, if you havent done so already. Needless to say, I think its pretty easy to guess the exit music for this episode. You know what to do now: listen here, or run non-consecutively to our hosts at Ricochet. Polls conducted by Robert Cahalys Trafalgar Group are the ones to which I pay most attention. While other polls have become a recurring joke, Trafalgars have established an impressive record in recent years. Trafalgar, for example, was one of the only pollsters to predict President Trumps 2016 victory and was the second most accurate pollster in 2020. While other polls in Minnesota and elsewhere have given Democrats heart this summer, Trafalgars current polls show Republican Senate candidates doing well in difficult races around the country. What gives? Cahaly has found those of us who think unapproved thoughts difficult to reach and to poll. This year he speculates on the phenomenon of submerged voters. He thinks that other polls are missing them. You can follow Cahaly on Twitter here. Alpha News (on whose board I sit) commissioned Trafalgar Group to conduct a comprehensive Minnesota survey on the upcoming election. The results include all four statewide races and the top issues for Minnesota voters. Alpha News editor Anthony Gockowski reports the results this morning in EXCLUSIVE: Jensen surges, Schultz leads in new Alpha News/Trafalgar Group poll. The poll shows Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen within three points of DFL Governor Tim Walz. According to Trafalgar, the Republican candidate is at the least running neck and neck with his DFL opponent. The poll shows Republican candidate Jim Schultz is actually leading Keith Ellison in the race for Attorney General outside the margin of error. No Republican has won the office of Attorney General in Minnesota since Doug Head in 1966. It has become a Democratic preserve. Crime, the economy, and abortion are the top issues for Minnesota voters, in that order, but crime comes in first by a long shot at 41.5 percent. If you have followed Power Line over the past few years, this shouldnt come as a shock. The poll results are intensely interesting. Check them out here. I will save my further comments for another post. Seventeen years after her marriage to actor Fred Amata ended, media entrepreneur and talk show host, Agatha Amata, says people still pray they reconcile. Ms Amata, the CEO of RaveTV Lagos and Trend FM100.9, Asaba, divorced the famous actor in 2005. They have two children, Oreva and Stephanie. Three years after their divorce, her ex-husband welcomed a daughter, Zino, with actress and ex-beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberisima, in London. Ms Amata became famous for her talk show, Inside Out with Agatha, which is said to be the longest-running television talk show in Nigeria, airing for over twenty years. In an interview with Chude Jideonwo on the show #WithChude, Ms Amata opened up about single motherhood and how she handled the divorce, among other issues. Getting back together Ms Amata stated that, to date, some people still wish that she reunited with her ex-husband. She said people asked her to get back together with the veteran actor and forsake some of her children. Some people still say that they pray Fred and I will get back together. I meet these people every day. I know that everybody wishes you well, but I always say to people, you cant expect me better than I want myself. So if on my wedding day, as I was dancing and rejoicing, I certainly had no plans to leave the marriage. Ms Amata, a graduate of Botany from the University of Jos, also said that nobody in their right mind gets married with the hopes of getting a divorce. Let me say clearly, an unhappy home can never breed happy children. Its not possible. If anything, it is going to injure those children and their outlook and their approach to marriage. The best you can do is for both of you to try to remain friends, as difficult as it may be, which is what I tried to do, she said. Amatas ex-wife Acknowledging that the marriage didnt work, the CEO, who retained her ex-husbands surname, said she would not beat herself about it for the rest of her life. I had to acknowledge that theres no way they would mention Fred Amata, that they wont say Agatha Amata because I have two children for him, and I married him. Amatas ex-wife. Thats the introduction. It doesnt matter what. Im sure that even if I remarry and they want to introduce me, they will say the former wife of. Ms Amata, who grew up partly in Kano, said she has come to embrace it, acknowledge it and work with it. Single motherhood Speaking on the show, the 53-year-old media entrepreneur revealed that she put certain aspects of her life on hold to focus on raising her children. She said she had no friends as everything about her life became about her children. She said, I stopped everything and focused on my children. If you look around, even in my office, their bed was there. Even when I sent them abroad to study, every month I was in their school. If they had Parents Day, I was there. They had anything they had to do, and I was there. Sani Kaoje, 66, is the father of Farida Kaoje, 16, one of the pupils abducted by terrorists from the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State in 2021. In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the retired civil servant turned farmer said Dogo Gide, the leader of the terrorist gang who abducted the school girls, has married them off. On 17 June 2021 terrorists invaded the school and abducted over 90 pupils and teachers of the school. Immediately after the attack, the military announced the rescue of five students and two teachers. Two days after the attack, three pupils and a teacher were rescued by the military. Two students also escaped from the terrorists camp. In October, the Kebbi State government said it secured the release of 30 students through dialogue with the terrorists. The government said it was making effort to release the rest of the girls. In January, the terrorists freed 30 more pupils following further mediation with the government. In this interview, Mr Kaoje tells our reporter why the leader of the terrorist gang behind the abduction married off the remaining 11 girls. Excerpts: PT: What is your relationship with Farida, one of the abducted FGC Birnin Yauri students? Mr Kaoje: Farida is one of my children. She is now 16 years (she was 15 when she was abducted). She was in JSS three. Ive 19 children alive including her. Farida is the 15th of my children. Ive three wives. PT: How did the news of the abduction of your daughter reach you? Mr Kaoje: I was having my breakfast in the morning when Faridas mother ran into my room shouting. She said she heard that FGC Birnin Yauri has been attacked and pupils abducted. I rushed to the school and met other parents there. At first, the school management and security people denied us entry but they later let us in after confirming we had children in the school. An hour after the abduction, Farida called me with her friends phone. She told me that Baba, weve been abducted and they said theyre taking us to a forest in Zamfara state. I calmed her down. I told her that God would save them from all evil. That was the end of our conversation at the time. PT: Some people said there was an alert that the pupils would be abducted. You also said one of your children alerted you. Did you seek explanations from the school authority? Mr Kaoje: Even Dogo Gide himself told me that he wrote to the school twice before he attacked it. They were just not serious about it. But he said he alerted them. The school, I was told, said the letters were written by some students. I dont actually know how they handled it since I was not a party to it. But this school is obviously vulnerable to attack. These bandits follow behind the schools walls to perpetrate violence on other communities. The signs were there. The authority should have known that the school would soon be attacked. PT: I learnt that some of the pupils were saved by security agents while others were returned after payment of ransom or other agreements with the state government. Why was your own child not released? Mr Kaoje: I dont understand the way this government does things. I thought when they were doing the rescue operations, they would emphasise saving girls first because of their vulnerability. They should have negotiated and got the girls first but they didnt. PT: Did the government tell you why your daughter was not among those released? Mr Kaoje: No. What I know is anyone that youve seen now was rescued by the government. The governor (Kebbi state) did his best immediately after the abduction. He tried his best and the first set was brought back and he did it the second time. We waited to hope that they would rescue our child but we heard nothing. No one is telling us anything anymore. Even when we tried to reach them, they would tell us that the governor has gone to Abuja. Sometimes when we call them they wont answer their phones. I dont know if some others were invited or were allowed to go see them (government), especially the Secretary to the State Government but I dont know if there was anything like that. But as for me, Ive not met anyone of them. PT: So, how did you know that your daughter was married off? Mr Kaoje: He is the one (Mr Dogo) who said it to me directly through the phone. Dogo Gide knows Yauri very well because he once lived here and he told me that he married Farida himself though he was not very direct about it. But he used some techniques to tell me that he has married off the 10 girls to others but as for Farida, she is being taken care of by him. He didnt say it straight but he said even if I die, they are people that can inherit Farida from my house. He was just telling me that he had married her off. I cant count the number of times I spoke with him since the abduction. He kept threatening that he would marry the remaining eleven girls if the state government refused to pay him. He called me several times with the same threat. He called other parents too. He pretended that he was sympathetic to us but he kept our children, innocent girls, with him. If he has such sympathy as he keeps saying, he should release our children back to us. The government didnt do well too because this issue should have been over by now. If it were to be the children of the privileged, they must have saved them by now. The governor needs to listen to us directly and not through some people. Im serious. Im in pain. Everyone in my house is in pain because Farida is like a light in the house. I know several parents who have fallen ill because of this issue. Were talking of children, all teenage girls. Innocent children for that matter. You cant imagine the situation were in. Faridas mother has been sick. There was a day she fall down and had to be taken to the hospital. Some parents have lost their lives. Others are now battling high blood pressure and other related illnesses. READ ALSO: I know one of the parents, Mr John, he cant even count money now because he is depressed. His business has crumbled. He is my friend and this abduction has taken a toll on him. His daughter, Rebecca, is Faridas friend and she is also there. We go to bed and wake up in misery thinking of the unknown. I cant even concentrate on my business (farming). We cant now concentrate on our family members because were always thinking of how to get the children out. My fish farming has been the worse hit because I cant concentrate. On the other farms, I didnt even bother to know whether were working on it this year because the tension is too much. Nobody is taken us seriously. This is a Federal Government school but what did the education minister do or even say? They have just left us to our fate as if nothing has happened and our children are still with us. PT: Was there anytime that Dogo Gide asked you, people, to pay ransom for your children? Mr Kaoje: No. In fact, we pleaded with him to allow us to negotiate the ransom but he said he would not collect our money and insisted that he would only collect the governments money. The first time he told me that if the government failed to give him N100 million, he would marry off the girls, I pleaded with him to let parents and relatives negotiate with him but he refused. Whenever he called, I would plead with him to let us pay but he always refuses. Once, he reduced the ransom to N50 million and some motorcycles, but he still said the intermediaries with the government didnt respond to them hence they decided to marry off our children. As I told you earlier, we speak with him a lot and he said he has reduced the ransom to N50m and 30 motorcycles but they still refused to give the bandits so they could release our daughters for us. Ive nothing to say because this democracy has failed us. What would the government now say to us since they cant protect our daughters? PT: Did he tell you why he kidnapped your children? Mr Kaoje: He said he has a problem with the government and that the government is not responsible, and he would only collect ransom from them. If you have a problem with the government, why abduct innocent children? He should be disturbing government people and not the poor. The pupils he abducted were all innocent. PT: Did you speak with her while she was in captivity? Did she confirm that they had been married off? Mr Kaoje: Yes. And it breaks my heart to even remember her voice. We spoke with her a lot. And I cry every day he (Mr Gide) called and let us speak with her. In one of such calls, she said Baba, there is a problem because some of my friends have been married off. After that, Dogo Gide himself confirmed to us that they had been married off since the government has refused to pay them. PT: What other efforts are you now making Mr Kaoje: (cuts in) What efforts? Weve just resorted to praying for Allah to intervene. Its no longer in our control because they said since the government has refused to pay them they would marry them off for good. But we want our children back home and well continue to pray because its the only way out. Ukraines charge daffaires in Nigeria, Bohdan Soltys, said the only way to end the ongoing war between his country and Russia is for Russian troops to go back home. In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the envoy talks about the Russian aggression, noting that Ukraines desire to join NATO is for protection against aggression such as it is facing from Russia. Mr Soltys also talks about how Ukraine would want the world to react to Russia. Excerpts PT: How long have you been in Nigeria? Mr Soltys: I have been in Nigeria for almost three years, working here at the embassy. This is an interesting country. I like the warm climate, I really like it. I am from a cold country but I do not like the cold. PT: Why did Russia attack Ukraine? Mr Soltys: First of all, I will like to say that Russia has been giving a lot of different reasons, like saying there are biological weapons in Ukraine which America plans to attack Russia with. I would like to draw your attention to some articles printed in Russian newspapers and also here in Nigeria, Russia was also saying there are six biological American laboratories in Nigeria Russia wants to restore the evil empire of the Soviet Union. Russia sees Ukraine as an essential part of this evil empire and this is what this war is about. Russia has imperial ambitions; you know Putin once compared himself to Russian King Peter The Great in one of his speeches. Just the same way that Peter The Great was leading war in other countries by invading their territories and taking over their territories and the entire world back then were saying they would never acknowledge those territories as Russia, today these territories belong to Russia. It is in the same way that Putin said the world will accept invasion of Ukraine if they say they do not accept it, sooner or later, they will. These are their true intentions. The Russian leader has this ambition to be seen as the person who collects Russian lands, a person who increases the empire. This is all it is about. In 2014, we had a president who was pro-Russian and wanted to be with Russia. But after him, we had another leader who started moving us towards the European Union because we want to join the club of civilised countries and not some dictatorship. And when Russia saw that Ukraine was moving away from it and that it was losing control of Ukraine, it started to war, first by annexation of Crimea and occupying parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and then Russia started full-scale war in February. PT: During the sovereignty declaration in 1990, Ukraine stated that it will permanently remain a neutral region. At what point did that change and why is it important for you to join NATO? Mr Soltys: It is up to Ukraine to decide if they want to belong to some union or not. NATO is a defence organisation and this war that Russia launched shows very well why having such an aggressive neighbour- we need to join some defensive union. PT: So it is strictly for defence purposes you need to join NATO? Mr Soltys: Exactly. PT: Can you quickly speak to the opinion held by Russians and others that Ukraine joining NATO is bringing the US to spy on them (Russia)? Mr Soltys: I would like to remind you that if you look at the map of the world, you will see that Russia shares a border in the east with the United States. From this, Russia is already a very close neighbour to the US. Also Russia borders a lot of other NATO countries. Ukraine joining NATO does not change anything from the point of view of Russias neighbourhood with NATO. PT: Ukraine enjoys evident support from the West in terms of funds and condemnation of Russias attack. How do you see Africas disenchantment with the West which did not react the same way to aggression in Libya and Palestine? Mr Soltys: I would like to limit my position to the situation in Ukraine. Basically, this war is not just the problem of Ukraine, this war actually affects the whole world. As we observed, the blockade of the Ukrainian grain put a lot of countries in the world on the verge of hunger. Secondly, Russian action on the Ukrainian nuclear power plant threatens the entire world because you know in 1986 there was a nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine which polluted a lot of the world and created health problems which led to deaths. And now Russias shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant puts the entire world on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe. So this is not just Ukraines problem but this conflict affects everybody. Also, an important point I want to make is that if Russia succeeds in its war against Ukraine, then it would have created a very dangerous precedent because any other country can think, if Russia gets away with it, then I can also occupy any country. It is a very dangerous situation capable of destroying the world order. PT: Do you not see the same thing happening in Palestine with Israel? Are they not at risk of being consumed or conquered by Israel? Mr Soltys: The situation in Palestine and Ukraine are two different situations and I will not compare them. PT: In his attempt to broker peace, Turkeys President Erdogan said Ukraine cannot win the war and also that Washington has the security Russia needs. Another school of thought believes that Ukraine is just a pun in a war between Russia and the US. How do you feel about these? Mr Soltys: As I already said, the real motivation behind this war is to restore the Soviet Union for which they just want to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine. For those who say Russia is fighting America in Ukraine, they just need to look at the map and see that America is in a different place. All this Russian propaganda that they are fighting NATO is totally ridiculous, Russia attacked Ukraine only because it wants to occupy its territory. PT: Have you had any conversations with your Russian counterpart in Nigeria? Mr Soltys: No, I have not. PT: Why is that so? Because the war is not in Nigeria? Mr Soltys: First of all, there were some negotiations at the beginning of the war but they were totally fruitless because Russias goal is to occupy the entire Ukraine and if Russia wanted peace, all they need to do is to turn around and go home Russia can stop this war at any time but for Ukraine, we have no choice PT: How does Ukraine interpret what appears to be reluctance on the side of Africa as compared to the West? Mr Soltys: Just recently, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a conference themed Contending Options for Africa in the face of super power hostilities A case study of Russo Ukrainian Conflict and the Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs who said that international organisations abstain from voting on resolutions against Russia because we want peace and they believe that their neutrality promotes peace. This is how many African governments express their position. I want to say that if you do not condemn the evil, you do not call what is black, black then you create a very bad precedent because you never know the next time some other country will decide to attack Nigeria also and everybody will close their eyes saying we are neutral and we want peace. PT: So for you, neutrality is not exactly a response? Mr Soltys: I think neutrality means condoning evil. PT: What is the future of Africa-Ukraine relations especially in the wake of the contest for Africa by China, Russia, US and the EU? Mr Soltys: Of course, I believe that Ukrainian-African-Nigerian relations have the potential to develop because we offer each other a lot. Before the war started, in 2021, the turnout between Ukraine and Nigeria was $200 million. I believe that the numbers will keep growing; Ukraine has a lot to offer Nigeria and Nigeria has a lot to offer Ukraine. I believe that in the future, after the war, we will be able to continue mutually beneficial cooperation. PT: How do you rate Nigerias stance so far? What would you like to see Nigeria do differently? Mr Soltys: First of all, voting against Russia at any of the UN resolutions; stopping any cooperation with Russia. You know, the world should boycott Russia to show that they disapprove of Russias aggression against Ukraine. PT: So you would expect that Nigeria boycotts Russia at this point? Mr Soltys: Exactly. PT: Do you think that will be an easy move, especially because Nigeria is non-aligned? Mr Soltys: Well, nothing in this life is easy but as I said, this war creates a very dangerous precedent. If Russia gets away with this in Ukraine, then who will be the next victim and to whom, maybe not Russia but Nigeria could also be a victim. PT: About grains in Ukraine, there was a blockade until the UN and other parties brokered an agreement for the movement. Do you have any fear that the blockade may happen again? Mr Soltys: I think it is possible, I do not know. Before February 24th, nobody in Ukraine believed that Russia would launch a large-scale war, even despite the fact that we already had the so-called hybrid war with Russia in Dunesk, Luhansk and Crimea, still nobody could have believed that Russia would launch a war. Western leaders were warning us; the American president announced the war would start 16 February but nobody could believe that because the idea of war seemed so ridiculous. This war is not just bad for Ukrainians but also bad for the Russian population. PT: Apparently, there are a lot of ties between Ukraine and Russia. In Eastern Ukraine, you have a lot of people speaking Russian; how long will it take Ukraine to wean itself off Russia? Mr Soltys: I want to say that this process is going on right now. As for the language, it is true that a lot of people in Eastern Ukraine speak Russian but now a lot of people who are Russian speakers I know have switched to Ukraine. They do not want to speak the language of the aggressor anymore. You know actually, Russias war did very much to push Ukraine from Russia. It is a very effective anti-Russia move by Russia because now people understand that Russia only brings death and destruction. People want to be members of civilised countries, members of the European Union, members of European family of countries, countries who respect each other, respect human rights, peace-loving countries. PT: In essence, you are saying the war could also be seen as some sort of blessing? Mr Soltys: You know the proverb that says every cloud has a silver lining, so I think this is the situation. But given the amount of people suffering and dying, I cannot use the word blessing in this case. PT: What will you propose to end the war? Mr Soltys: Well, the only solution that I see for the war to end is for Russia to go home. Russian soldiers should turn away on their own side of the border and go back home and live peacefully and happily ever after. This is the only possible solution because what kind of peace can you speak about if Russia wants to keep fighting and killing? The Russian people should understand that this war does not do any good to them; they should refuse to go to fight and kill innocent people. PT: Again, I want to bring back the question about your Russian counterpart in Nigeria. Do you think both of you can have some conversations that could reflect on what is going on in Europe? Mr Soltys: I do not see how that will help the situation. The Acting Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Clara Ogunbiyi, said the commission would meet with the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, to discuss its constitutional mandate. A statement by Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC on Monday in Abuja, said the Inspector-General of Police would be part of the meeting. She said the meeting would focus on the constitutional mandate of the commission as provided in paragraphs 29 and 30 of the 3rd Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Mrs Ogunbiyi, a retired supreme court justice, added that the meeting would focus on Section 6(1) of the Police Service Commission Establishment Act 2001. The PSC acting chairman spoke while addressing members of staff of the commission. She said the interface was to clearly understand the common ground of responsibilities of the PSC and the Police in the recruitment, promotion and discipline of police personnel. Mr Ogunbiyi pledged to operate an all inclusive and open door policy in line with relevant laws. READ ALSO: The acting chairman enjoined members of staff to inculcate mutual respect, good conduct and character in the discharge of their duties and relationship with the PSC management. Respect begets respect and the management will do its utmost best to take the service delivery in the commission to an enviable and excellent pedestal, she said. Mrs Ogunbiyi sought for the cooperation of members of staff to achieve the mandate of the commission of providing effective civilian oversight of the Nigeria Police Force. The acting chairman replaced Musiliu Smith, who resigned last week. Mr Smith, a former Inspector General of Police, was said to have been advised by the board of the commission to tender his resignation. The embattled former chairman had, until his resignation, reportedly been at loggerheads with workers of the commission and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba. They have had many disagreements in the past over which body should be responsible for the recruitment, promotion, and appointment of constables and officers. The disagreements began when the recruitment of 10,000 constables into the Nigeria Police pitted the PSC against the office of the erstwhile Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, in 2019. The African grey parrot population in the wild is dwindling at a rate of 21 per cent every year. Found in West and Central Africa, the birds are sold by illegal wildlife traders as exotic pets, and their natural habitat is being destroyed. Licensing policies and practices regulating ownership of the parrots are not widely known and rarely implemented. The birds face extinction in Ghana, with almost the entire population lost to trafficking. In other countries, numbers have decreased by over 50 per cent. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the parrots last natural habitat poachers are trafficking the last of them. In April this year, a Congolese smuggler was arrested in Uganda with 122 parrots and sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2017, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) moved the African grey to the list of species threatened with extinction, which prohibits trading except under exceptional circumstances. Before this CITES relisting, pet keepers in some East African countries had to register parrots with the wildlife authorities, but this was rarely enforced. Since the CITES change, Kenya, Uganda and the DRC established procedures for registering parrots and offered amnesty to those who had bought them irregularly. In Kenya, the annual licence to keep a parrot costs $100 (KES12 000). Some pet keepers buy trafficked parrots but skip the licence payments, while others are unaware that the certificates have been mandatory since 2017. Law enforcement agencies in East African countries have focused on intercepting the growing illegal trade through online markets. Meanwhile, the physical sale of parrots between the DRC and other East African markets continues apace. An active network operates from the DRC to Kenya, with Uganda as a transit point, according to a licensed parrot keeper and a law enforcement officer who spoke to ENACT. Poachers from the DRC capture juvenile birds from their nests in forested tree canopies. They also use large woven cages to catch parrots on the ground. The eastern DRC conflict has made some locals turn to poaching birds rather than working in the illegal timber or minerals trades, which are controlled by armed rebels and pose a risk of violence. Poaching is also attractive because payment is in cash, with each parrot selling for around $10. The healthier the bird, the higher the price, as healthy parrots can tolerate long journeys even in infancy. Brokers in the DRC source the African greys from poachers and transport them to Kampala in Uganda via bus networks connecting major cities in eastern DRC, such as Goma and Bukavu, to Kigali in Rwanda and on to Kampala. Cargo trucks are also used. Birds are stored under the bus or truck in dark cartons with no ventilation sometimes beneath other luggage. They risk death from fumes, thirst and hunger on these long trips, the shortest of which is two days. Once in Kampala, brokers are instructed by agents in Mombasa, Kenya to transport the birds there or deliver them to buyers in Kampala. Kenyan law enforcement officers believe a kingpin trafficker in Mombasa controls the entire network. The agent sells the parrots to pet keepers for $100-250 (KES12 000-30 000) each, using a complex word-of-mouth referral system. His identity is unknown to buyers, and police are unaware of how his trading system works, according to the licensed parrot keeper who spoke to ENACT. The East African criminal chain may also be working with other networks trafficking the birds to the Gulf, especially the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Intercepting smugglers that use online markets is worthwhile, and organisations such as the World Parrot Trust and Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime are building knowledge about this practice. But countries must take action against the often-hidden physical trafficking of African greys. Coordination between the wildlife authorities, border officials and those working in the transport sector in Central and East Africa is also essential. In October 2021, police chiefs from the two regions and their respective ministers signed an agreement on police cooperation and criminal matters, supported by ENACT policy advice and technical assistance. The deal comes into force once ratified by the parliaments of the 21 member countries. It could bolstered by intelligence gathered on the virtual trading of African greys be a platform for government and other agencies to bring down traffickers. Mohamed Daghar, Regional Coordinator, Eastern Africa, ENACT Project, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Nairobi This article was produced by ENACT, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in affiliation with the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Armed men invaded the Cherubim and Seraphim Church during a vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters in Kajuru Local Government Area, abducting at least 45 people, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) told reporters on Monday. The SOKAPOs President, Awemi Maisamari, in a statement, said the terrorists kidnapped over 45 worshippers and other residents of the area. Mr Maisamari said the abductors have contacted some families of the abducted persons. Kidnapping for ransom is frequent in Kajuru in Southern Kaduna and many other local government areas in the state. The victims include clerics, businesspersons, and other residents. The kidnapping for ransom and killing by the non-state actors have continued in Kaduna and other states despite billion of naira budgeted for the security agencies. Kaduna, one of the worst hit states, has the highest number of security formations in the state. Below is the full statement from the SOKAPU: PRESS STATEMENT FROM SOUTHERN KADUNA PEOPLES UNION (SOKAPU), 19TH SEPT, 2022. There is still no breathing space for communities in Southern Kaduna. Terrorists, jihadists, bandits and armed herdsmen have continued to plunder and wreck communities in the Southern state. The latest is the mass abductions that took place on the 12th and 13th of September, 2022 at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA of Southern Kaduna. Kasuwan Magani is about 20km South of Kaduna metropolis on the Kaduna Kafanchan Express road and hosts the biggest weekly market in Kaduna State. On the first day (12th September), 6 people were abducted in a night raid by the daredevil terrorists at the Ungwan Fada part of the town. With no measures put in place to forestall a recurrence, the following day (13th September), the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church during a night vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani town at around midnight. They succeeded in carting away more than sixty people from the church and neighbouring houses. However, they were not able to take all of them away because some were very little children, too aged or had health challenges. While retreating with their captors to their camps, they attacked Janwuriya village, a few kilometres from Kasuwan Magani and abducted two more persons. As of now, forty-three (45) persons have so far, been confirmed. But yesterday, 18th September 2022, they made contact with some persons in the town via phone calls and claimed that only 40 persons were held by them. They demanded a ransom of N200 million, but negotiation is still ongoing. We dont know the identity or the fate of the 5 missing persons yet. In other communities in Kajuru and Chikun LGAs, the occupying terrorists cohabit with the locals where the locals are treated like captives. They are terrorised at will, making it difficult or impossible for them to till or harvest their farms. As a result, most early maturing crops are left to rot on the farm. This is a daily experience in most occupied communities in Southern Kaduna. In the last few months, Southern Kaduna has also seen an unusual influx of thousands of herds of cattle and herdsmen from neighbouring states. They indulgence in deliberate farmland destruction often at night; stealing ripe farm crops and intimidating helpless victim farmers. Hundreds of hectares of crops bearing farmlands valued in millions of Naira have been destroyed. Worse hit is Sankwab, Gora Gida, Warkan, Ashong Ashui, Abuyab, Zamandabo, and Shiliam communities, in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna. READ ALSO: Soldiers rescue six hostages as offensive against terrorists continues in Kaduna Numerous, often clandestine agreements in many communities with suspected herdsmen and their fronts have yielded no positive result. The Sector S7 Commander of Operation Safe Haven held a meeting of herdsmen, host community leaders and farmers on Wednesday, 14 September 2022 at Kafanchan. At the meeting, desperate victims of the herdsmens devastation told the Sector Commander that they were tired of holding fruitless meetings only for the violence to increase. This makes the meetings appear to serve the purpose of window dressing only. We know that our security agencies and personnel can rout these enemies of the people and the state because their routes, locations and sometimes, even collaborators within and without are well known. SOKAPU is also not unaware of the immense suffering and sacrifices being made by our security forces, which we appreciate. Given the above, SOKAPU wishes to express profound sympathy to indigenous communities and peaceful Fulani herdsmen affected by this cruelty. We are calling on all communities not to let down their guards at this critical moment. Let us arise and prevent last minutes devastation of to our dear people and our precious ancestral homeland. We will survive this ill wind and even thrive once more in the land of our birth allotted to us by the Almighty. Signed: Awami Dio Maisamari SOKAPU President. The health authorities in Uganda have declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case of the Sudan ebolavirus was confirmed in Mubende district in the central part of the country. In a statement issued on Tuesday, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said the Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed the case after testing a sample taken from a 24-year-old male. The patient with the confirmed case showed symptoms and later died. Ms Moeti said this follows an investigation by the National Rapid Response team of six suspicious deaths that have occurred in the district this month. She noted that there are currently eight suspected cases who are receiving care in a health facility. This is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda is recording an outbreak of Sudan ebolavirus, she said. Ms Moeti said the WHO is working closely with the national health authorities to investigate the source of this outbreak while supporting the efforts to quickly roll out effective control measures. Uganda is no stranger to effective Ebola control. Thanks to its expertise, action has been taken to quickly detect the virus and we can bank on this knowledge to halt the spread of infections, she added. About Ebola Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. It has six different species, three of which (Bundibugyo, Sudan, and Zaire) have previously caused large outbreaks. Case fatality rates of the Sudan virus have varied from 41 per cent to 100 per cent in past outbreaks. Early initiation of supportive treatment has been shown to significantly reduce deaths from Ebola. Uganda outbreak records Uganda last reported an outbreak of Sudan ebolavirus in 2012. At least 17 people were killed from the 24 cases identified in that outbreak, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which contributed to containing the virus in the east African country at the time. The country has experienced four Ebola outbreaks, according to the WHO, with the most deadly witnessed in 2000 which left over 200 people dead. Uganda borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which is experiencing an Ebola resurgence following outbreaks this year. Ugandas last outbreak was in 2019 when it confirmed the Zaire Ebola strain, which led to the death of a nine-year-old Congolese girl near the border with the DRC. On the recent outbreak, the WHO said it is helping Ugandan health authorities with the investigation and is deploying staff to the affected area. Ms Moeti said the organisation has dispatched supplies to support the care of patients and is sending a tent that will be used to isolate patients. She said the ring vaccination of high-risk people with Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) vaccine has been highly effective in controlling the spread of Ebola in recent outbreaks in the DRC and other countries. She, however, lamented that this vaccine has only been approved to protect against the Zaire virus. Another vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson may be effective but has yet to be specifically tested against Ebola Sudan, she said. The Debt Management Office (DMO) said Nigerias total public debt stock, which was N41.60 trillion ($100.07 billion) in March, rose to N42.84 trillion (103.31 billion dollars) by June. According to a statement obtained from DMOs website on Tuesday, the total debt represents the domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the 36 State Governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It said that while the foreign component of the debt remained at the same level of N16.61 trillion (39.96 billion dollars), the local component increased to N26.23 trillion (63.24 billion dollars). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the local component of the countrys borrowings was N24.98 trillion (60.1 billion dollars) as at March 30. The DMO said that a larger percentage of the external debts were concessional and semi-concessional loans. Over 58 per cent of the external debt stock are concessional and semi-concessional loans. They were obtained from multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Afrexim and African Development Bank, and bilateral lenders including Germany, China, Japan, India and France. The total domestic debt stock increased from N24,98 trillion (60.1billion dollars) in March to N26.23 trillion (63.24 billion dollars) in June. This is due to new borrowings by the FGN to part-finance the deficit in the 2022 Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) Act, as well as new borrowings by state governments and the FCT, the DMO said. It said that the total public Debt-to-GDP ratio remained within limits, at 23.06 per cent, while Debt-Service-to-Revenue was still high. The Debt-to-GDP as at June 30, was 23.06 per cent compared to the ratio of 23.27 as at March 30. It remains within Nigerias self-imposed limit of 40 per cent. While the Federal Government continues to implement revenue-generating initiatives in the non-oil sector and block leakages in the oil sector, Debt Service-to-Revenue ratio remains high, it said. Meanwhile, the DMO is set to take its FGN Securities Awareness Programme to Yola on Wednesday and Umuahia on Sept. 29. According to Patience Oniha, DMOs Director-General, the programme is designed to sensitise Nigerians on the huge investment benefits in FGN securities, thereby boosting financial inclusion. (NAN) South Africa: Water strategy consultations go to N Cape The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will on Wednesday host a consultation session on the National Water Resource Strategy Edition 3 (NWRS-3) at the Horseshoe Motel in Kimberley, Northern Cape. The department is currently engaging with all water and sanitation stakeholders to develop the third edition of the NWRS. The review aims to develop the third edition of the National Water Resource Strategy, with the first and second editions having been developed in 2004 and 2013, respectively. The department said the third edition will focus on the priorities of the sixth administration of the government of the Republic of South Africa. The Minister of Water and Sanitation is required by the National Water Act (NWA), (Act No.36 of 1998) to develop the National Water Resource Strategy to ensure that the countrys water resources are managed towards achieving South Africas growth, development, and socio-economic priorities in an equitable and sustainable manner. On a domestic front, the draft NWRS-3 responds to the countrys National Development Plan, with its vision of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality by 2030. On the international front, the strategy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), with a specific focus on Goal 6, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, and speaks to the ideals of the African Unions Agenda 63, the department said. Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, has issued a notice in the Government Gazette to this effect, under notice 47133 (No. 2327, 29 July 2022) informing the public of the draft NWRS-3, and inviting written comments for a period of not less than 90 days from the date of publication. Copies of the draft NWRS-3 are available for downloading on the departments website: www.dws.gov.za The department said while the consultative workshops will provide an opportunity for verbal inputs, stakeholders are advised to submit written comments before 28 October 2022 to NWRS3@dws.gov.za or MofokengM2@dws.gov.za or MkhizeNh@dws.gov.za. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China will build the world's largest national park system, and a layout plan for the system will be released soon, a senior official said on Monday. Li Chunliang, deputy head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said at a news conference that the plan is being drafted in accordance with the requirements of building a system with the largest scale of protection, the most diverse geographical features and the highest conservation value in the world. "We will encourage the local residents around the parks to take part in environmental protection, nature education and ecotourism services. That will give them real benefits and enhance their sense of the national parks belonging to the people," Li said. Under the plan, which was initiated by the administration in 2019, about 50 areas have been selected as candidates for national parks. The parks are expected to cover 10 percent of the country's land area and protect more than 80 percent of the key national protected wild plant and animal species and their habitats. In October, China announced its first group of five national parks, covering a total land area of more than 230,000 square kilometers and containing nearly 30 percent of the country's key terrestrial wildlife species. Since their establishment, the parks have made achievements in environmental and species protection. Giant Panda National Park in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces connects giant panda habitats that originally belonged to 73 nature reserves. About 72 percent of the country's wild giant pandas are under the park's protection, Li said. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces has unblocked the migration channels of wild animals. Since 2017, the number of Siberian tigers in the park has increased from 27 to about 50, while the number of Siberian leopards rose from 42 to 60. In Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, three Hainan gibbons have been added to the wild population in the past two years, bringing the total number to 36. "At the same time, a new group of national parks is being established in an orderly manner, and we insist on establishing new ones only after the operations of the previous ones have matured," he emphasized. At the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province in April, Li, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration official, said that China will establish national parks this year on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins. Li also said at the news conference on Monday that China's planted forest conservation area has reached 87.6 million hectares, ranking No 1 in the world, and the grassland area is 264 million hectares, ranking second worldwide. China is also one of the 12 countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, he added. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has asked Christians in Nigeria not to waste their votes by voting for the Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election. Mr Dogara stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a summit tagged Meet the Church organised by the Nigerian National Christians Coalition (NNCC). The position of the former speaker was contained in a statement by his media aide, Turaki Hassan. The APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the South-west, was expected in some quarters to pick a Christian northerner as his running mate to balance his ticket. However, the former Lagos State governor opted for Kashim Shettima, a Muslim and former Borno State governor, as his running mate. Mr Tinubu had justified the choice of Mr Shettima as a matter of competence. Since the announcement of Mr Shettima as running mate, Mr Dogara and some other Christian Northern APC leaders, including a former secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal, and Elisha Abbo, a senator representing Adamawa North, have openly expressed opposition to the ticket. Perhaps, to address the grievances of Christians, Mr Tinubu appointed Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, a northern Christian, as the director general of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. Tinubu ignored the warning of CAN Mr Dogara said Mr Tinubu did not only ignore the advice of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) against the same faith ticket but also dismissed it. He said the church must be awakened from its complacency and resist the decision of the ruling party. Every Christian knows that our God does not tolerate waste. It is unchristian for the church to waste anything given to us from above as we own nothing except what is given to us from above, Mr Dogara said. These warnings were not only ignored but dismissed in one fell swoop by the APC presidential candidate who strangely believes that he can build a strong, secure and viable nation-state without first forging a shared identity, vision and values for our people thereby enabling us transit from citizens of a country into a nation of people with strong shared identity and values. Mr Dogara said the fact that some Islamic clerics and Muslim leaders condemned the same faith ticket shows that the church is right to have opposed the ticket. He noted that it is a good omen that elites are united in opposing the same faith ticket presented by the ruling party. To demonstrate that the church is right, it is not alone in condemning the same faith ticket, other prominent Islamic clerics and Muslim leaders have also spoken in the same light. It is a good omen that both Christian and Muslim elites are not complacent over this matter. To this end, it will be easy to generate the needed elite consensus that is key to nation-building. All nations are built by elite consensus while all countries that failed at nation-building were destroyed by elite complacency. Granted that the Christians and Muslims will always disagree on some issues, there are, however, many things over which we are agreeable. It is enough to forge ahead with the task of nation-building based on those common issues we agree on. It must be noted that just as Muslims alone cannot build a nation out of Nigeria so also Christians alone cannot. We have to work together on nation formations, he said. He charged the church to awaken from the beast of complacency and resist the same faith ticket. President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, congratulated the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, on the recent very successful operation of the agency leading to the smashing of an international drug syndicate and recovery of 1,855kilograms of cocaine. In a telephone call to the chairman of the anti-narcotics agency from New York where he is attending the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), President Buhari said that the news of the recovery gladdens his heart. I deeply appreciate the work that you have put into the eradication of the drug menace. It gladdens my heart as I continue to follow the successes achieved under your leadership. READ ALSO: You have demonstrated over and again that choosing you to lead this fight against wicked merchants of death whose sole aim is to endanger and truncate the future of our youth is a very good choice. Please keep up the good work. At a meeting later with members of his delegation, the president said, Buba Marwa is doing well. Two tonnes of cocaine, thats a haul. The NDLEA had announced the highest cocaine seizure worth over 278 million dollars and arrest of drug barons including a foreigner in a major operation lasting two days across different locations in Lagos. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) September 19, 2022 The Tony Elumelu Foundation and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) today signed an agreement to support youth entrepreneurship in Africa, with a specific focus on historically underinvested areas within African frontier markets. In bringing together the expertise, experience and boots-on-the-ground presence in African markets of The Tony Elumelu Foundation and UNCDF, the two organisations will work towards reaching and empowering the most promising youth entrepreneurs on the continent. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed at the offices of UNCDF on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. The agreement was signed by Tony Elumelu, founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, and Preeti Sinha, executive secretary of UNCDF. In Africa, we feel the harsh impact of youth joblessness. As African leaders, we must do something. As global leaders, it is important that we work together to address this issue. If we dont deal with these challenges today, the world will not be a good place for all of us, said Mr Elumelu. In Nigeria alone, about 60 per cent of our young ones, who account for half of our population are not employed. This is a problem that we need to resolve collectively. I want to say thank you Preeti, your colleagues, and the entire UNCDF, for supporting this kind of partnership. We know what our young ones in Africa need, we know how having access to finance can help change the trajectory of their lives. I hope that what we are about to do today with this partnership signing will help to expand and scale what we do at TEF. Last year, we partnered with the European Union to empower 3,000 young African women entrepreneurs, because they share our belief that if you empower a woman, you empower an entire community. We hope that this initiative helps us to touch even more lives across the continent. LDCs face a stark demographic challenge, as their population is projected to double to 1.7 billion by 2050. The LDC youth population aged 15 to 24 years is expected to soar to 300 million by 2050 when one in four youths worldwide will live in an LDC. We cannot embark on this journey alone, as the challenge is daunting and requires a concerted effort. This is why we welcome collaborating with like-minded organisations working in the same direction, said Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund. The TEF is one like no other, a leading champion of young entrepreneurship in Africa. UNCDF is thrilled about the endless possibilities for collaboration in the field of youth entrepreneurship, leveraging the strengths of both organisations. The agreement is intended to leverage the distinct capabilities of the two organisations. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs, serving all 54 African countries. UNCDF serves as the UNs catalytic finance entity for the worlds 46 least developed countries, which it sees as the frontier economies of today and the growth markets of tomorrow. As part of the mission to support youth entrepreneurship in Africa, the MOU will call on the two organizations to mobilize resources for youth-led enterprises, including enterprises operating through joint programmes between The Tony Elumelu Foundation and UNCDF. The two organisations under the MoU will also look to create platforms that will connect such enterprises with critical resources to support their business models; including financial capital, access to networks and markets and technical assistance. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa. Our objective is to empower women and men across our continent, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and ensuring job creation. We believe the private sectors role is critical for Africas development and that the private sector must create both social and economic wealth. Founded by African investor and philanthropist, Tony O. Elumelu, and representing his personal commitment to creating a new generation of entrepreneurs, through his investment company, Heirs Holdings, the Foundation is active in all 54 African countries. UNCDF offers last mile finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDFs financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connect individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilisation. The Lagos State Government has justified its recent auction of some impounded vehicles owned by violators of the traffic laws in the state. The state government on Thursday auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja. The auction attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians, with some describing it as harsh. But the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Moyosore Onigbanjo, insisted that the auction followed due process. Mr Onigbanjo, who spoke as a guest on Channels TVs Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, said the traffic offenders were given the opportunity to defend themselves before a magistrate court. All the cars that were auctioned, some were abandoned and then notices were even given in adverts in the Punch newspaper that if your car has been abandoned in the yard, you can still come and pick it up before the auction date, he said. In respect of the forfeited cars, they were forfeited pursuant to orders of the court of law, Mr Onigbanjo said. Trending video A video clip which trended online recently showed a public auction of the impounded vehicles. The video captured a man who broke down in tears and was begging the bidders to stop bidding for his vehicle. Reacting to the incident, Mr Onigbanjo said the man in the trending video pleaded guilty to charges against him in court. It is not just that the law enforcement agencies will apprehend you for driving against traffic rules and your car is automatically forfeited. No, you are firstly charged to the magistrate court where youre given an opportunity to defend yourself. So, it is not an automatic forfeiture, he said. The justice commissioner dismissed claims that the punishment outweighs the offences. He said the law intends to deter people from committing traffic offences. The commissioner said people should not risk their sources of livelihood by breaking the law and turn back to whip up public sentiments. Laws do not look at emotions, he said. He said the law was, however, being reviewed by the Lagos House of Assembly to inject humaneness into the law to avoid people losing their sources of livelihood when they break the law. This issue of driving against traffic has become such a nuisance, such a danger, and such a menace to society that something drastic has to be done and the legislators at that time imposed these penalties, he said. He urged residents to make agitations to their representatives on the section of the law they want to be amended. But as far as the law remains as at today, people should well be advised (not to break the law), he said. Why we cant punish police, military officers who violate traffic laws The commissioner also gave reasons the Lagos government cannot punish police and military officers who violate the traffic laws in the state. He said although the state government was aware that some federal government officials and security agencies break the traffic law on a daily basis, it lacks powers to sanction them for the violation. Mr Onigbanjo said the state government was handicapped to punish the security agencies and other officials of the federal government that break the law because they are outside the control of the state government. He described the situation as part of the conundrums of Nigerias federalism. The state government does not have the power to arrest police officers (and military officers) driving against traffic, he said. When we get a report of violation of traffic laws, if it a Lagos State Government Official (that broke the law), we are going take action (against the person), but if it is an official of an agency over which the state government has no control of powers, then we report to the authorities of that agency. For example, a military officer can face the law through court martial. So, in those instances, we contact the (military) authorities and inform them of what their officer has done and we expect them to do the needful, Mr Onigbanjo said. The Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law was enacted in 2018. The law prescribes certain penalties for various traffic offences, including impounding of the vehicles, one-year imprisonment for a first-time offender and three-year imprisonment for second-time offenders. The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, has denied a rumour suggesting that he is trying to crowd-fund his 2023 governorship campaign. The rumour being peddled on social media claims Mr Kabir-Yusuf is requesting one thousand naira (N1,000) donation from members of the general public. Mr Kabir-Yusufs media aide, Sanusi Bature, in a statement, said the misinformation is an attempt to tarnish the reputation of his principal. He said his principal has not initiated any fundraising for his 2023 campaign activities. We wish to inform the good people of Kano State, particularly members of our great party, the NNPP to disregard the content of the video as a mere campaign of calumny orchestrated by some ill-behaved individuals within the opposition political circle, Mr Bature said. It is worthy to note that his Excellency is aware of the existence of FRIENDS OF ABBA GIDA GIDA as a group of his associates from various Nigerian universities, other higher institutions, legal professionals and those from the business community who organized themselves with the sole aim of promoting good governance and democracy in which they found in him (Abba Gida Gida) a worthy ambassador. Thus, by this press statement, His Excellency wishes to make it categorically clear that he has never initiated any fundraising for his 2023 campaign activities which are yet to pick up. We remained resolute and committed to salvaging Kano state from the unfortunate situation in which the people of the state found themselves under the present incompetent leadership, the statement said. The police in Lagos have launched an in-depth investigation into alleged brutality perpetrated by its officers, an official has said. Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in the state, said this in a Twitter post on Tuesday. The entire family is at the Police Headquarters as I tweet this (I wont post their picture for their privacy). The DPO and another officer involved are also here, he tweeted. The X-Squad department of the Command has commenced in-depth investigations. The police did not deny the incident. Brutality According to SaharaReporters newspaper, some police officers attached to the Igando Division detained and brutalised a family of six, including an 11-month-old child. The family also said the police officers arraigned them to cover up the torture they meted to them. Recounting the incident, Happiness Liberty, said that on 11th September, they were returning from church in the evening when a commercial motorcycle also called Okada knocked down her husband. According to the mother of three, her husband turned around and asked the rider why he hit him. Instead of apologising, the rider who would later identify as a police officer from the Igando Division questioned him if he knew who he was. While the conversation went on, the police officer allegedly slapped her husband. She further stated that when her husbands sibling came to enquire what was going on, the police officer, who was identified as Martin A, equally slapped her with her 11-month-old baby strapped to her back. Mrs Liberty said some moments later, a team of police officers bundled them to the Igando Police Division. She said when they got to the police station, all the police officers on duty swooped on them, hitting everybody including her children. She said the assault led to one of her husbands siblings slumping but was revived hours later. After the beating, they detained my husband, his sibling, myself and my three children, 8 years, 7 years and 11 months, the woman said. They didnt allow us to make calls. They treated us like criminals. I was released to go home on Monday, 24 hours after starving my children. My husband and his siblings were released from detention on September 14. Thereafter, they arraigned us before a Magistrate Court that granted us bail. Mrs Liberty also said the police officer, Martin A, had threatened her family not to disclose the incident. The former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has said despite his misgivings about the current state of affairs within the Peoples Democratic Party, he will not defect to the All Progressives Congress. Mr Fayose also restated his support for the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in his contention with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar. The former governor was addressing key members of the party in Ado Ekiti on Monday. The leadership of the PDP had been making efforts to ensure the support of the Rivers State Governor for the presidential candidate of the party. Mr Wike has been indifferent to the partys activities since he lost the presidential ticket to Mr Atiku and was also not considered for the Vice Presidential slot. The governors of Lagos and Ekiti states, Babajide Sanwo-olu and Kayode Fayemi had, in the company of Mr Fayose, travelled to Rivers State apparently to woo the governor to the APC. Although rumours had it that Mr Wike was considering dumping the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the governor came out to deny it. However, Mr Fayose said on Monday that despite his support for the Rivers State Governor, he will work for Mr Atiku in the coming election. A lot has been said, but like I have said many times, let me state it here expressly again that I will never join APC for whatever reason, he said. READ ALSO: In all the issues we are having as a party, no one has said that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not our presidential candidate. No one has said too that Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is not our partys vice presidential candidate. Also, we have Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates here. Among them is my biological son, Joju, and others who are my political sons and daughters. My interest is that all these candidates should win elections. Therefore, I am appealing to those who are angry to stop being angry. Those who are fighting should stop fighting. Let us face the 2023 elections together and win first. After that, we can resume the fight. The PDP candidate in the last Ekiti governorship election, Bisi Kolawole, used the meeting to thank party members for supporting him during the election. Even though we lost, I am still grateful to the party for the opportunity and I wish to urge all the party stakeholders to close ranks so that together, we will rise again, he said. The State Acting Chairman, Lanre Omolase, who spoke on behalf of the State Working Committee members, affirmed their belief in Mr Fayoses leadership, saying that those plotting against him should sheath their swords in the interest of the party candidates who are standing for elections next year. Others who spoke at the meeting were former Acting Governor, Tunji Odeyemi; Secretary of the Elders Council, Idowu Odeyemi; PDP leader in Ado Ekiti, Lamidi Alaketu; Lateef Ajijola, who spoke for the National Assembly candidates; Anjorin Olarewaju, who spoke on behalf of the House of Assembly candidates; Olufemi Babatunde, who spoke for Local Government party Chairmen and Bukola Oyewusi. Others who were at the meeting Lateef Ajijola and Funso Ayeni, Senatorial candidates for Ekiti Central and North respectively as well as Lere Olayinka, Yinka Akerele, Joju Fayose and Adenike Jennifer, House of Representatives candidates for Ekiti Central 2, Ekiti North 1, Ekiti Central 2 and Ekiti South 2. Also at the meeting were 10 out of the 16 local government party chairmen and over 150 ward chairmen among other party members. The police in Abia State have arrested 10 members of a gang which allegedly robbed a bullion van on 26 July and carted away about N390 million. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Janet Agbede, said the suspects belonged to a 14-member gang that specialised in bullion van robbery in different parts of the country. She said they were arrested at different times and locations in Abia, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers, and Imo State. Parading the suspects before reporters at the police headquarters in Umuahia on Monday, she said the arrest was made possible by a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad. She said the squad was set up in the aftermath of the July attack which occurred at Ntigha Junction on the Isialangwa axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. Ms Agbede said: I carefully studied their modus operandi and set up a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad, with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed gang. The squad systematically commenced operation, applying speed and accuracy. According to her, the effort of the squad led to the arrest of the suspects at different locations and days. Ms Agbede said the suspects confessed to the crime in their statements to the police. READ ALSO: She said the suspects confessed to have robbed bullion vans in Ajah in Lagos, Akure Road in Ondo State, Asaba and Mbaise in Imo. The suspects confessed that the Abia attack was executed after they successfully mounted about two months surveillance on the bullion van, the police commissioner said. The suspects including Adesoji Adeniyi, also known as Soji, and Albert Nwachukwu, also known as White, were arrested in Lagos State. Others were Felix Ajalaja, Moshood Opeyemi, also known as Abiola, and Azubuike Amaefule, also known as Zubby, arrested in Rivers. The rest were Nnamdi Nwaosu, also known as Prophet, Monday Samuel, also known as MD, and Matthew Christmas, also known as Aluwa, arrested in Imo, Ondo and Delta, respectively. Other suspects were two brothers from Abia, Chikwendu and Prosper Israel, arrested in Abia. Prosper told reporters he joined his brother in criminal activities after he was dismissed from the State Security Service. Weapons recovered from the suspects included one General Purpose Machine gun with 53 rounds of live ammunition, 13 AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, and two improvised dynamites. Others were cut-to-size double-barrel gun, five live cartridges and 84 AK47 magazines. The operatives also impounded a Mercedes Benz truck allegedly used by the gang to conceal their firearms. They also recovered N10.1 million from the suspects out of the N390 million allegedly stolen from the bullion van. The police commissioner said that investigation was still in progress to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang. NAN recalls that the affected bullion van was conveying cash from a bank in Aba to Umuahia, when it ran into a blockade mounted by robbers. Police confirmed the robbers shot and killed the banks cash officer, while three police operatives sustained bullet injuries. They also confirmed the police shot dead one of the gang members during a shootout. Meanwhile, Ms Agbede has appealed to Abia residents to continue to assist the police with useful and timely information to enable them to take proactive steps in fighting crime. (NAN) The police in Jigawa State have arrested two suspects allegedly involved in the killing of an immigration officer in Jigawa, and the abduction of the mother of the All Progressives Congresss (APC) senatorial candidate of Kano Central, Abdulkarim Abdulsalam. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Lawan Adam, said the suspects were tracked by the police and members of a vigilante group during raids in separate locations in Kano and Jigawa. Last month, PREMIUM TIMES reported how terrorists killed an immigration officer and injured two others in the Birniwa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, which is along the Nigerian border with Niger Republic. Also, in June, the gunmen allegedly kidnapped the mother of Mr Abdulsalam at her residence in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano. The mother of the politician was later released in Jigawa, allegedly after a ransom was paid. The Arrest The police said the suspects were arrested in Larabawa herdsman camp, in Gabasawa Local Government Area of Kano, and Laraba Gurgunya village in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa. On 18/09/2022 between the 7:00 pm and 12:15 pm, based on sustained intelligence with credible and actionable information a combined team of Policemen from State Headquarters Dutse, Ringim Area Command, State Intelligence Bureau, Taura and Ringim Divisions, as well as Local Vigilante Group carried out a special operation which led to the arrest of notorious kidnappers terrorising Jigawa and Kano axis. The police said preliminary findings revealed that the suspects were responsible for ambushing and killing a member of an Immigration officer on 9th August as well as killing Police officers at Kwalam village in the Taura council area on 23rd January while responding to a distress call, Mr Adam said. The suspects are Safiyanu Muhammad, 35, of the Larabawa herdsmen camp in Gabasawa, Kano State, and Musa Idi, 40, of Laraba Gurgunya herdsmen camp, Taura, in Jigawa State. Mr Adam said during the operations, the police recovered two AK 103-2 rifles, one AK 47 rifle, four magazines with eighty-three rounds of 7.9 mm live ammunition, two locally made pistols, including a bow and arrows, and two sticks. Other items recovered from the suspects are one Tecno handset with two Airtel SIM cards, one babariga gown, one container with lubricating oil, three national identity cards, and four photographs. The acting Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State Command, Bashir Ahmed, appreciated the efforts of officers and the supporting group for a job well done. He ordered all the Area Commands, Divisional Police Headquarters, and other Police formations to be on red alert, as the criminals may likely to regroup in some other locations within the command, with the aim to carry out a reprisal attack to gain more arms, especially as political electioneering campaign is set in. He called the good people of Jigawa State, to continue praying for the state, be law abiding and not to take laws with their hands, and report any abnormalities to the nearest security agency for necessary action, the statement highlighted. The Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Imo State, Augustine Ukwuoma, has condemned the killing of some residents on Saturday in two South-east communities by Nigerian troops. Mr Ukwuoma, in a statement he issued on Monday, also decried the burning of a market in one of the communities by the troops. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the troops invaded Orsu-Ihiteukwa Community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State and Orsumugho, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. The troops allegedly killed two persons and razed several shops. The troops were said to have invaded the communities at about 4 a.m. with many combatant vans, armoured tankers and military helicopters. Residents said the troops fired shots and detonated bombs, while the helicopters hovered over the communities. The troops carried out the operation in collaboration with members of Ebubeagu, a security outfit backed by the Imo State Government. The Catholic bishop said he has, at several times, condemned such wasting of human lives in the area, noting that human life is sacred and should be respected. My sincere condolences to all families who lost loved ones during the painful incident, Mr Ukwuoma said. He said those who were killed in the attack were his brethren and prayed for the repose of their souls. The cleric said the negative impact of burning down the market would be enormous, given that the market was the major source of income for the people in the area and the neighbouring communities. The burning down of Eke-Ututu Market has added another sad dimension to our existing bad situation. The burning down of this market has negatively touched the very core of the existence of these people who may be changed to a life of misery given the present economic strangulation we are in, he said. I appeal to government authorities to investigate this incident and take necessary steps to prevent reoccurrence, the cleric stated. The military is yet to comment on the incident. Amnesty International Nigeria and other organisations have accused the military of extrajudicial killings in the South-east under the guise of fighting the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra, which is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra. Students of public universities in Nigeria have said all is set to ground activities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at the nations federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja. The latest decision followed the success recorded in Lagos on Monday when human and vehicular movement into and from the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) was obstructed for hours. The protesters, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) defied the early morning rain in Lagos on Monday and barricaded the road leading to the airport using both official and personal vehicles. They said the decision to impede movements at the airports was part of the strategies to take the battle to the Nigerian elites so that they could feel the plight of the public university students. Major public universities in the country, particularly those owned by the federal government, have been shut since 14 February when the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced its nationwide strike. The union, which is the umbrella for the university lecturers in Nigeria, is demanding improved welfare condition for its members, adequate funding of universities, and the replacement of the government introduced payment platform- Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution. The latter was designed by ASUU following complaints against IPPIS over alleged poor standardisation and incompatibility with the university system. Abuja protest The protesting students, who have recently resumed nationwide protests following the failure of both the government and the striking ASUU to reach a compromise, vowed to shut down Abuja Airport and the Abuja-Kaduna expressway on Wednesday. In a statement signed by the Chairman of NANS Taskforce to End ASUU Strike in Kaduna State, Dominic Philip, all national executive members of the union and student leaders across various campuses in the state are asked to converge on the Kaduna on Wednesday to demand an end to the strike. The statement, which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, reads in part: In respect to the nation-wide protest by our dear association NANS in demand of ASUU strike to be called off, I write to inform you of the total shutdown of the Abuja Kaduna expressway end at Gonin Gora by Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna. In this regard, all National Excos, Zonal Excos in Kaduna, JCC b7, SUGs/ SRC Executives, Parents, good spirited country men and women, and gentlemen of the press are, by this circular, invited. All SUGs in the state are to mobilise with their union vehicles and personal vehicles to the venue. The police in Ebonyi State on Monday arraigned a 40-year-old-man, Uche Awegbe, before an Abakaliki Magistrates Court for allegedly threatening to kill the state governor, David Umahi. The police said Mr Awegbe had shot two residents of the state dead and caused communal crises in Effium, a crisis prone-community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state. The defendant was also charged with unlawful possession of guns and machete. The police prosecutor, Obi Eberechukwu, told the court that the defendant threatened Governor Umahis life on 19 August by sending death threat text messages to him. The defendant was also charged with promoting inter-communal war in Effium community in 2021which lead to the death of some residents. The charge against Mr Awegbe read: That you, Uche Awegbe, on the 19th day of August 2022 at Number 9, Umuoji Street, Abakaliki, did threaten the life of Engr. David Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State by sending death threat message to him through your MTN phone number 09039946XXX and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 12 (1) (b) of Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, Cap 55, Volume 2 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009. Another of the charge read: That you, Uche Awegbe, and others in charge numbers MAB/69c/2021,MAB/838c/ 2021 and MAB/891c/2021 on the 5th day of November 2021 at Effium community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did go armed with guns and machetes in public without lawful occasion in such a manner as to cause terror and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 80 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009. The court did not take the defendants plea since the offences allegedly committed are capital. The Magistrate, Linda Ogbodo, ordered Mr Awegbe remanded at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till October 10. She directed the prosecutor to transfer the original case file, evidence, and all documents in the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution in the state for legal advice. The pensioners of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, are in hardship following the non-payment of their gratuities totalling N1.5 billion, an official has said. Samuel Akinwale, the chairperson of the Nigerian Universities Pensioners Association(NUPA), EKSU chapter, told journalists Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti that the unpaid arrears spanned over 15 years. The pensioners said they are also in pain over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which had kept them from their pensions for the period of the strike. They are, therefore, seeking an end to the strike so that their members could earn their pension and gratuities. Mr Akinwale said it was inappropriate and disturbing for the university to withhold their pensions since May 2022 due to ASUUs strike. He said many of their members had gone into their early graves in the last 15 years due to undue sufferings and neglect occasioned by the inability of the university to defray their gratuities as and when due. The pensioners appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to increase monthly subvention to the university, while urging the Vice Chancellor, Eddy Olanipekun, to embark on aggressive internally generated revenue drives to fund the institution. All our members are being owed five months pensions from May 2022 to date due to what we are made to know as the ongoing ASUU strike in the university, Mr Akonwale said. We are calling on the Ekiti State government to intervene in this matter by bailing out the university through a special fund, which may likely save our people from going to their early graves. Pensioners are not on strike, but in retirement and should not be made to bear undue punishment because a particular union is on strike. We want to appeal to the State government who owns EKSU to direct the striking lecturers to call off their strike, so that life will return to that university. We are stating this because ASUU in several states nationwide have called off their strike while ASUU in some states universities didnt participate in the strike at all, including Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti. We call on the state government to increase funding, particularly monthly subvention to EKSU. Stakeholders, alumni, staff, pensioners should also sit up in providing a roadmap for the prosperity of the institution in the area of revenue generation. Speaking further on the inability of the institution to discharge responsibilities to retirees, Mr Akinwale added that many of those who retired 15 years ago only received a quarter of their gratuities, describing this as wicked and insensitive. If someone retires in 2007 and just a quarter of his gratuity was paid, I dont really know whether the balance will be paid to him in the grave, while some have not been paid at all, he added. The University can create a special account where pensions can be kept for disbursement to our members, while also embarking on money-yielding ventures to increase available funds. Several of our members have died. It appears our leaders are wicked. If they are not wicked, they should allow old people to live good lives, because the present situation is pitiable. When contacted, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Akin Omole, said the EKSU is autonomous and runs its finances under the directive of the governing council. He said he would not be able to speak directly on the reasons why the pensioners have not been paid their monthly pensions. However, EKSUs Head of Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, said the salaries of workers and pensioners and workers were jointly prepared and since the workers have not been paid, it also affected the pensioners. He, however, said the issue of unpaid gratuities was not peculiar to EKSU, noting that the state government is also owing its pensioners arrears of gratuities. We know that the pensioners are not on strike, but when salaries are prepared that is when pensions are also prepared alongside it, said Mr Olofinmuagun. Workers have not been paid, that is why they also have not received their pensions. But it is an issue the management will look into and I can assure you, it will be addressed. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged the federal government to treat oil thieves as terrorists by applying stiff measures to deter others. He said oil theft threatens the survival of the country. Mr Gbajabiamila made the call on Tuesday while delivering his welcome remarks at the resumption of plenary. The House had proceeded on a two-month recess in July. Mr Gbajabiamila said the existing arrangement to prevent theft has not worked, hence, the government must consider means to curb the menace of oil theft. He said the 972,394 bpd for August is the lowest we have recorded in the last two decades. He added: The perpetrators of this brazen heist threaten our ability to serve the Nigerian people and meet the demands of governance and nation-building. Their actions constitute treason against our country, for which they must be held accountable. There are mechanisms in place to prevent these sorts of bad actors, and the government spends significant amounts of money each year to protect oil and gas resources in the country. Evidently, these existing arrangements do not suffice. Mr Gbajabiamila also spoke on the recent drug bust made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Ikorodu in Lagos. PREMIUM TIMES had reported that NDLEA busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, where over N194 billion worth of cocaine was seized. The speaker said every lawmaker must join the fight against drugs to free the country from the cancer of drug trade. He stated that narcotics are one of the many factors contributing to insecurity in our country. He further stated that we cannot afford to have our country overrun by the cancer of the drug trade and the devastation it brings. Therefore, all of us, both in our official and personal capacities, must become soldiers in the war on drugs. Speaks on balancing campaigns, legislative duties Mr Gbajabiamila reminded his colleagues of their mandate as lawmakers and the upcoming campaign activities. He noted that even though campaign is essential, lawmakers still have legislative duties. Honourable Colleagues, in a few days, the campaign for the 2023 general elections will officially commence. Already, activities towards the campaigns are in high gear with consultations and outreach by candidates and incumbents across the country. This is normal, and it is expected. However, those of us who hold office must endeavour to deliver on the mandate we hold for the duration of our term. So, we must strike a balance as we campaign, because we have a four-year mandate, he said. According to INEC, campaigns for 2023 elections are to officially commence on 28 September. The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, has warned that the quality of teaching in the nations universities will be negatively affected if the National Industrial Court (NIC) forces the union to return to work. Mr Osodeke stated this on Tuesday during a meeting between the union, the leadership of the House of Representatives and Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah. He said asking the striking lecturers back to school is like the court forcing doctors to hospitals. If the court forces the lecturers to go to work tomorrow, which type of teaching will they do? If the court forces the Nigerian academics say go and teach against your will just like the court forcing a doctor to go and treat a patient against your will, how many of us will go and meet that doctor, he said. Mr Osodekes comment is coming amid the ongoing legal battle between the federal government and the lecturers, who have been on strike since 14 February. The federal government had approached the NIC seeking an order of the court to direct ASUU to return to school. Justice Polycarp Hamman of the NICN had adjourned the case on Monday after listening to the arguments of the counsel on behalf of the parties. The court is to deliver its ruling on Wednesday. Following the presentation by ASUU President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, called for a closed-door session to allow free discussion on the strike. Seek alternative funding for education Gbajabiamila Earlier, while welcoming lawmakers from their annual recess, Mr Gbajabiamila asked the federal government to seek alternative means of funding education. ALSO READ: Court to rule on ASUU Strike Wednesday We all agree that the government has a role in ensuring that our nations young people get a quality education that allows them to compete and thrive in the 21st-century knowledge economy. Yet, evidence abounds that the current framework of government-sponsored tertiary education is no longer working as it should and hasnt worked for a long time. Our immediate goal is to do everything to get our children back to school. However, the time has also come to begin a candid assessment of the current system and to consider all available options for complete reform, he said. Details later Negotiations between electricity workers and the federal government has pushed past two weeks initially billed to end last months strike, and a resolution is expected this week, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. The two-week duration given for the task was unavoidably extended after the two sides realised the volume of work that needs to be completed was more than what was initially anticipated, a union leader said. The committee is still sitting as I speak with you, they are expecting that they should round up by the end of this week hopefully, Godfrey Aba, chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Abuja chapter, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. Members of the union went on a nationwide strike on August 17, leaving cities and towns in darkness after they shut down power stations. The workers complained about their welfare issues that include concerns around promotion and payment of staff of the defunct state-owned Power Holdings Company Limited, PHCN. The strike was suspended within 24 hours for a two-week period to allow for negotiations with a government committee headed by the Minister of State for Power, Jeddy Agba. ALSO READ: The day electricity workers held Nigeria to ransom The union threatened to resume the industrial action if their demands were not met. Contacted Tuesday, over a month after the talks started, the chairman of NUEE, Mr Agba, said members of the union understood the extension was not deliberate. In the course of the meeting, they discovered that the volume of work that needs to be done was more than what was initially anticipated. Because we are involved in the committee, we have seen that the delay is not a deliberate delay. For now, we are still waiting for them to finish, he said by phone when reached by PREMIUM TIMES to check the progress of the talks. The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday said it will not allow the blockage of the Kaduna-Abuja highway by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in its solitary protest in the state against the prolonged strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Students of public universities in Nigeria are embarking on protests at strategic locations to ground activities in their attempt to pressure the government to meet ASUUs demand to suspend the six months locks on Nigerian universities. The students on Monday in Lagos blocked routes leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, obstructing road users for hours. In Kaduna, the NANS chairman, Dominic Philip, in a statement, called on its members to shut down the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Wednesday, to push for the calls to end the strike. In respect to the nationwide protest by our dear association NANS in demand of ASUU strike to be called off, I write to inform you of the total shut down of the Abuja Kaduna expressway end at Gonin Gora by Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna. In this regard, all National Excos, Zonal Excos in Kaduna, JCC Executives, SUGs/ SRC Executives, parents, good-spirited country men and women gentlemen of the press are by this circular invited. All SUGs in the State are to mobilise with their union vehicles and personal vehicles to the venue. Date: 21st September 2022. 7 am prompt. Thank you, president and secretary general of NANS, this task would be executed by the grace of God, the NANS leadership in Kaduna wrote. Moves to block Kaduna-Abuja Road unacceptable Government Following the NANS planned protest, the Kaduna State Government said it would not allow the students to protest on the fragile security fragile highway and any other roads in the state. The state Commissioner for Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Tuesday, directed the security agencies to ensure enforcement. Read the full statement: The Kaduna State Government wishes to remind members of the general public that any move to block the Kaduna-Abuja Road (or any routes) to express dissatisfaction, is unacceptable and a prelude to the breakdown of law and order. By this notice, individuals or groups planning to restrict citizens movements are advised to desist in the interest of public peace. While the Kaduna State Government is not depriving citizens of the right to express discontent, public security and safety must always be the foremost consideration. The danger of barricading a strategic route like the Kaduna-Abuja Road is better appreciated within the context of ongoing security operations covering the route, and other areas of interest. Keen attention must also be given to the possibility of certain gatherings degenerating into violence. Citizens are therefore strongly advised against participating in such processions, particularly those which will impact the normal socio-economic activities of other citizens, or expose lives to unnecessary danger. Citizens may kindly be reminded that collective security should remain the first and most important consideration at all times. Individuals, unions and other groups are therefore urged to note this advisory for strict compliance. Yesterday would be remembered for long in history even by generations yet unborn, as a historic moment in the 21stcentury, the day, Elizabeth II, embarked on a journey to the Eternal Realm, after 70 years of reign as Monarch of Great Britain and leader of the Commonwealth, the grandmother of many across the world and the rock upon which Modern Britain was built to borrow British PM Liz Trusss words. I was impressed by the symbolism, the culture, the tradition, the pageantry, the inter-generational links, the grandeur with which the British, paying attention to every little detail turned that into a tribute to the value of constitutional monarchy, national pride, and the history of a people. There has been so much said in the last ten days, but now that Elizabeth II has gone to be with the Lord, there is a lot more to be said about lessons and the future, and the rest of us who would forever share a connection with the United Kingdom, at cultural, historical, diplomatic, bi-national and individual, polemical, levels. In the end, what was shared was the humanity that connects the entire population of the world, and the subtle differences and disregard for a rules-based international order that divides us. Elizabeth II is gone. The Lord is Her Shepherd/She has passed beyond the mists that blind us here/Into the new and larger life/Of that serener sphere. May she travel well. A new era begins. At the historic occasion, Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari was represented by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Nigerias High Commissioner to the UK, Alhaji Sarafa Isola. Nigeria was not one of those countries that were asked to stay away from the funeral: Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela, and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The Russians have complained that their exclusion is particularly blasphemous. I cant figure out how. The British were determined to make a diplomatic statement, and play politics with the Queens burial and they did so. Some countries were grudgingly allowed to attend through their ambassadors: Iran, Nicaragua and North Korea. China sent its Vice President, Wang Qishan. But the American President, Joe Biden, the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Prince of Dubai, were treated preferentially allowed to travel in their own means of transportation, with the US President going to Westminster Abbey for the state burial in The Beast, while others were conveyed in buses provided by the British hosts. As it were, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades, the first state burial in the UK since two-time Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchills passing in 1965, and one of the biggest security operations that anyone has seen for decades: 4, 000 military personnel, 10, 000 policemen on duty, 142 naval officers manning the gun carriage that was last used in 1952 for the burial of King George VI, father of Elizabeth II, drone-blocking technology, a Bank Holiday that placed the entire UK on pause, 4.1 billion people watching across the world, the pomp was a clear indication of how majestic Elizabeth II was in life and death. The British used the occasion to advertise strength, tradition, seamless institutional capacity, and continuity. The Elizabethan Age is a specific reference in the teaching of English history and culture, and world-view, which in literary scholarship has provided a benchmark for the introduction of students in the humanities to an understanding of the British Renaissance between 1558 and 1603, during the Tudor period. It was the golden age: the time of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, the Spanish Armada (1585 1602) and the emergence of the royal union with Scotland. As someone who once taught the literature of the Elizabethan Age, specifically Shakespeare and His Contemporaries from Shakespeare himself to Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe and John Lyly, up till the Anglo-Irish Theatre of the 19th Century from W. B. Yeats to Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge and Sean OCasey, I would not be surprised if literary scholars begin to explore the constructs for a second Elizabethan Age in the 20th and 21st centuries given the range of Elizabeth IIs reign across culture, science, and politics. Such was the import of the significance of her leadership. Many Nigerians who attended the Queens lying-in-state, or funeral, physically, or virtually, whatever may be their misgivings about the truth-telling, expiatory, cathartic moment this may represent about the legacy of Empire and colonialism, may well have been reassured by the fact that Nigeria was not one of those countries banished from attending the funeral of the worlds grandmother whose burial yesterday was even celebrated in rural Cameron, with an elaborate thanksgiving service! VP Yemi Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari. But there is a problem here that I would like to throw up, thinking aloud, for general interrogation. As the Vice Presidents delegation jetted off to London on Sunday, Nigerias President, Buhari also left town for the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The countrys two principal leaders of the Executive Arm of Government at the Federal level, travelled out of town the same day to go and attend events. In those days, Sahara Reporters and Omoyele Sowore would have raised an alarm over the number of persons on the Vice President and Presidents delegations, and how that indicates sheer lack of prudence in managing public resources. This time around, Sowore, an anti-monarchist by the way, has missed an opportunity to soro soke! But my concern is as follows: whereas there is no law that says the President and the Vice President must not leave town at the same time, I still do not think that it is politically expedient that they do so. I also do not think that it is cost-efficient, at a time Nigerias Finance Minister, the National Assembly and international observers are complaining about a terrible revenue problem that calls for an urgent review of the countrys corruption vulnerabilities, the civil service, competitiveness and fiscal framework. Nor is it administratively convenient either. What does the 1999 Constitution say? Section 145 of the Nigerian Constitution deals with, the temporary absence of the President while Section 146 expatiates on circumstances under which the Vice President may discharge the functions of the President, but nowhere in both instances do the framers of the law envisage a situation whereby the President and the Vice President could both abandon post and leave the country the same day, even if on two different state assignments. None of the rules of interpretation literal, golden, mischief or the ejusdem generis rule would seem to resolve the dilemma in my view. But perhaps, simple common sense would help. I can understand President Muhammadu Buhari deciding to attend UNGA 2022. With Nigerias next general elections fixed for February 2022, and his two-term tenure as Nigerian President due to expire in May 2023, this would be his last attendance at the UN General Assembly as President. It makes sense if he wants to show up to bid his brother Heads of State farewell. UNGA begins formally today with the statements of Heads of States, so it probably would have been a bit stressful for him to attend the Queens funeral on 19thSeptember and then immediately make the long trip to New York. But then, there were other Heads of State at Westminster Abbey yesterday who will depart London, and go straight to New York. What is the matter with us? The Vice President didnt even need to go to London. Nigeria could just have been as ably represented by the countrys High Commissioner to the UK, as some other countries Iran, Nicaragua and North Korea were represented by their ambassadors. Only African Presidents go to every UNGA, almost every year for a jamboree. Countries can even be represented by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs or their UN Ambassadors, the only concern would be the order of protocol. In other words, President Buhari himself could have stayed behind, he really doesnt need a hollow farewell tour. The argument can be made that the two trips not falling under the intendments of Sections 145 and 146 aforementioned are in a special category of their own, especially as the Vice President could be back in the country before this newspaper reaches the newsstands, and that in any case the President going to UNGA for a few days can still run the country with the aid of phone calls, text messages, or zoom from wherever he is, or better still, through any of his aides back home. The only problem with this is: the Nigerian Constitution does not say that Nigeria can be governed through telephony from a foreign location. The problem now is: should the President and the Vice President both leave town the same day for whatever length of time, no matter how short, or do we need to amend the Constitution to address this? Yesterday, Nigeria had no Commander in Chief on the ground! Both the President and the Vice President were not only out of the country, even key Ministers were either in one entourage or the other. I was compelled to ask the question, as Nigerians would say: who dey shop oh? As it happened, yesterday turned out to be a momentous day in Nigeria. Nigerian students under the aegis of their umbrella body, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) decided to stage a protest in Lagos in solidarity with the union of Nigerian university teachers, ASUU whose members have been on strike since February 14. NANS had blocked expressways the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, last week and also threatened to shut down the countrys airports to make the ruling elite feel the pains of parents and students, and to compel the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the university teachers. On September 19, as the President arrived New York, and the VP attended the Queens funeral in London, aggrieved Nigerian students, defied early morning rainfall, and blocked access to Nigerias main international airport. Travellers could not access the airport for hours. NANS accuses the Federal Government of crass irresponsibility. The Chairman of the associations National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow has threatened that its members would also shut down the Nigeria Ports Authority and the Third Mainland Bridge. The traffic gridlock on the way to the airport was kilometres-long. When the students shut down the Expressway the other week, many motorists and commuters groaned in pain. NANS has the support of the striking university teachers. Federal Government officials have however threatened that it is a criminal offence to disrupt movement and inflict pain on innocent civilians. The Nigeria Police Force has also threatened to deal with the students. On Sunday, the Lagos State Police Command reportedly said the students were free to come out and see what awaits them. The students ignored the threat. They came out as promised. We can only hope that the security agencies would not do anything stupid and further aggravate the delicate situation in the country. Incidentally, the Nigeria Police Force is under the direct command of the Nigerian President and he is away in New York. His Deputy is in London. For more than 200 days, aggrieved Nigerian students in public universities have been at home. Their anger is understandable. The agony of their parents too. It is not just a whole academic session that has been lost, the future of university education in Nigeria is endangered. Many university teachers have left the country to seek employment elsewhere. Many students have either started afresh in private universities and those who do not have the privilege of being sent to other schools by their parents have abandoned the dream of university education. We have read stories of university teachers who have taken up new careers as petty traders, personal assistants to politicians, or as roadside hawkers of bean cake. The Federal Government has taken ASUU to the National Industrial Court (judgement is expected in the matter tomorrow, Wednesday, September 21), but the university teachers are resilient. They have given minimum conditions: the revitalization of universities, the payment of earned allowances and arrears, review of salaries and payment systems, implementation of agreements and Memorandum of Action reached with ASUU, and outright rejection of the Federal Governments No Work No Pay Rule. What is required is a complete paradigm shift, and a proper re-construction of the idea of the university. Even if ASUU calls off its strike tomorrow, the Federal Government would only have further postponed the crisis, if we fail to address the core issues at stake, the interpretation of which is now a function more of emotions rather than actual knowledge. Yesterday, Nigerian students were able to get the support and approval not only of ASUU, but also of Omoyele Sowore, a former students union leader, now a Presidential candidate as well as a number of non-governmental organizations including the Social and Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) and Enough is Enough (EiE). With the manner in which Nigerian Students are mobilizing, what began as an industrial dispute with university teachers could very easily snowball into a repeat of the youth protest of 2020, that is the #EndSARS protests. It is not in anyones interest to allow another degeneration of the social space, especially as Nigeria prepares for a major political transition, due to begin with campaigns by political parties on September 28. It is important that Nigerias leaders and other stakeholders pay attention. Someone must begin to engage the Nigerian students, and not just allow them to do their worst. The Buhari government may soon effectively become lame-duck, but that inevitability should not be compounded with a lackadaisical attitude. Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos. Wike is at loggerheads with Governor Obaseki of Edo State, and didnt support Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, openly expressing preference for Timi Alaibe, during Bayelsa primaries. Wike will slide into effective lameduck status by the turn of the year, if care is not taken. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, governor of Rivers State, has been somewhat quiet recently. He had dedicated days, and weeks past to throwing jabs, tirades and tantrums at a number of political leaders and personalities, who he believes, collaborated to deny him the presidential ticket of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His name featured on the just released National Campaign Council of the PDP, put together to drive the presidential project of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the party. Hopefully, Wike has reached some rapprochement with his party to have been included in that list. But just in case he hasnt, Wike may have potentially found himself in the cold in the ongoing PDP calculus. He may have overrated his importance and what his state potentially, can bring to the table, and met his comeuppance. His aseju, to borrow the Yoruba word, may have consumed him. Appointment of Governor Udom Emmanuel as chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, has potentially flattened Wikes arrogance. Udom brings calm and urbaneness to the project. He flies a state-owned jet like Wike, has a deep pocket and respectable electoral numbers. Add Delta State, which presently has almost equal number of voters as Rivers State, and the South South is almost sealed without Wike. Wike is at loggerheads with Governor Obaseki of Edo State, and didnt support Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, openly expressing preference for Timi Alaibe, during Bayelsa primaries. Wike will slide into effective lameduck status by the turn of the year, if care is not taken. He will be battling to enthrone his preferred successor who is wanted by the EFCC. Magnus Abes defection to SDP may sway his Ogoni kinsmen to vote SDP, to spite Wike. Rejection by powers that be in the Presidential Villa, of his recent negotiations with Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London, reason being that the party will not jettison Rotimi Amaechi, may have further compounded his confusion. Wike unarguably remains one of the greatest beneficiaries of the present political dispensation. He has logged 24 full years in office at our communal expense. He evolved from local government chairman, to Chief of Staff to Rivers State Governor, on to Minister of State, to supervising Minister, and ultimately ultra-influential Governor of Rivers State. He is a victim of personal greed and vaunting ambition. His best bet? Stick with his party so he can get some protection if his party carries the day. EFCC sure has a way of turning up with petitions we never knew it has in its kitty. Wikes ally in the South West and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, may soon find himself a lone opponent of the Atiku Project in his geopolitical zone. Many state chapters of the PDP in the South West have dissociated themselves from the #AyuMustGo demand of Wike and his group. Makinde will soon be too engaged fighting for his political survival vis-a-vis pursuit of his re-election, to continue a needless battle. Makinde has unwittingly made enemies in his zone if we recall his glaring absence during the gubernatorial election that produced Ademola Adeleke, also of the PDP, as governor of Osun State. While Governors Duoye Diri and Godwin Obaseki of Bayelsa and Edo States, kept vigil for four days in Osun State ensuring the PDP was not out-manoeuvred in the contest, Makinde stayed away in solidarity with Wike. Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki joined the two governors and sat through the processes of the polls. Just like Governor Makinde, Bode George, the hitherto revered South West leader of the PDP, will find his voice drowned by higher decibels of stronger pro-Atiku/Ayu elements in the South West zone. True, George is an elder of the party. He, however, has never contested any election in his political career. He may therefore, not know what the field and trenches portend. There are insinuations that part of Georges grouse with the unravelling political algebra, is that he is not in a position to single-handedly influence direction of PDP support in Lagos State this time around. The state posts the highest number of registered voters in the country, above the seven million mark, and the PDP is resurgent in the state. PDP this time around is poised to return political power in Lagos State to Lagosians, and Bode George seems miffed that his relevance may have waned. In all these, I expect Wike, Makinde, Bode George and their co-travellers to have a wise rethink, close ranks with their fellow compatriots in PDP and work to regain leadership at the centre and across board for the common good of the country and her citizens. Weve had enough of my brother Wikes theatrics. Tamuno Ibiwari writes from Port Harcourt. there is the lingering fear that the new state-owned company will be bogged down by the same inefficiency and patronage that dogged its predecessor. The NNPC Limited is inheriting a workforce, management, and even organisational culture that was largely determined by discretion and corrupt incentives, rather than merit and rules. The board of the new company has also been put in place to fulfill mainly political imperatives, rather than any strategic human resource consideration. Last month, Nigerians were greeted with news that our state-owned oil company, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was now born-again as NNPC Limited, a public limited liability company owned by the Nigerian state. The rebirth is part of broader reforms in Nigerias oil and gas sector, as provided for in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the long-overdue oil industry composite law, which is finally going into force after being enacted by the president in August last year. One of the merits of the NNPC reforms is the expectation that as a limited liability company, though wholly owned by the Nigerian state, it will be insulated from political interference and bureaucratic inefficiencies. A key challenge that has dogged the heels of the corporation over the years has been its dual role as both regulator and commercial player in the sector. The new company has been freed of that unfair and incestuous burden and is now a strictly commercial entity that will not rely on government funding and direct controls. But beyond that functional change, will the reforms at the NNPC Limited go beyond skin deep or is it just a case of old wine in a new bottle? What is expected of the new company under the PIA? Can the new NNPC Limited make the bold transformation from its predecessors 45-year-old reputation as an inefficient, corrupt, deeply politicised, and habitually loss-making statutory corporation? Does the new company really have what it takes to be both profitable and relevant in an industry that is struggling with profitability and relevance in view of the global energy transition? Can the NNPC Limited shed its old skin of culpability with joint venture partners in the social, economic, and ecological devastation of petro-resourced communities? Given the cessation of statutory payments into the federation account and that the NNPCs oil sales constituted the largest revenue stream for the Nigerian government, how will the reforms affect the countrys fiscal health? First, there is the lingering fear that the new state-owned company will be bogged down by the same inefficiency and patronage that dogged its predecessor. The NNPC Limited is inheriting a workforce, management, and even organisational culture that was largely determined by discretion and corrupt incentives, rather than merit and rules. The board of the new company has also been put in place to fulfill mainly political imperatives, rather than any strategic human resource consideration. It is indeed a tall order to now expect a company saddled from the get-go with such a burden of inefficiency to compete profitably with peers that are operated by the industrys best. The new NNPC Limited still carries the moral burden of its predecessors joint venture participations in wreaking havoc on the lands, lives, and livelihoods of oil-producing communities over the last seventy years. The Act, after all, transfers the assets and liabilities of the NNPC to NNPC Limited, or where that fails, to the government. The new NNPC, or at least its majority owner (the Federal Government), cannot, therefore, escape corporate accountability Next lets look at profitability. We cant just wish away the NNPCs loss-making history in the eagerness to birth a profitable commercial firm. Year in, year out, the NNPC and its subsidiaries had been steeped in losses, until it posted an abracadabra profit for the first time in 44 years in its 2020 annual financial statement. This was rather controversial, given COVID-19 and the under-performance of businesses globally, especially in the oil and gas industry! Given this loss-making trend, it is understandable if we worry about the new ventures chances for bottom-line success, at a time when its industry is faced with dire prospects occasioned by the global energy transition. In 2020, the corporation also published its annual financial statements for the first time in its history. Before then, opacity was the watchword! With the announcement that the company will be ready for a public offer by June 2023, is it safe to expect that investor confidence will be quickly earned by magically emplacing the right systems and processes to drive efficiency and profitability? NNPC Limited will also need to address the operational crisis and lethargy that has for so long dogged the defunct corporations subsidiaries. Take the refineries, for instance, that have remained comatose, refining nothing year-in year-out, while workers and management cart home stupendous salaries for being idle. Or the corporations perpetual cash call debts. Or the scandal after scandal that have rocked oil swap deals and the importation of refined products. Or even the highly corrupt fuel subsidy regime that has currently outpaced government capital spending. Granted, under the PIA some of these matters have now escaped the remit of NNPC Limited, but their shadow will cast a pall on the new company for some time yet. Ahead of its privatisation, the Corporation had in 2021 become a supporting company of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), committing to greater transparency. But real transparency and accountability to its shareholders and stakeholders will require going beyond just disclosing hitherto opaque transaction records, as it has already begun doing. Section 83(3) of the PIA, for instance, expects the company to maintain a publicly accessible register of contracts, licenses or leases it enters into with other firms. Also Section 59 (5) of the Act indicates that the Board of the new company will be subject to the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, which means that post-public offer shareholders will be subjected to beneficial ownership disclosure requirements of CAMA 2020. There will also be need, from the get go, to come clean on which assets have been carried forward into the new company and which have been left behind with the Nigerian government, according to the establishing law. These are really high bars and we watch to see how the NNPC Limited scales them. Pushing that transparency envelope further, the new company will have to start disclosing, at every step, exactly how profitable it is to plunge scarce investor resources into new capital projects, in a sector that is increasingly becoming a risky bet in view of the energy transition. Also, the ongoing divestment drive among International Oil Companies (IOCs) throws a different kind of complication into the mix. The new NNPC Limited still carries the moral burden of its predecessors joint venture participations in wreaking havoc on the lands, lives, and livelihoods of oil-producing communities over the last seventy years. The Act, after all, transfers the assets and liabilities of the NNPC to NNPC Limited, or where that fails, to the government. The new NNPC, or at least its majority owner (the Federal Government), cannot, therefore, escape corporate accountability for the economic, social, and ecological liabilities that these hurriedly divesting companies are leaving behind in the Niger Delta. They are in it together! while we expect the new state-owned oil company to step up to the plate on its corporate governance, profitability, accountability, and even its business relevance in the current global context, fundamental to its independence and success will be how Nigerias government navigates the huge revenue implications of this transformation and the fallout for the broader economy. At the crux of this challenge is the question of what the future holds for the NNPC Limited itself, and by extension, Nigerias fossil-based economy In any case, by failing to offer preferential shares to extraction-affected communities, the PIA made it clear that it was starting off the new NNPC Limited on a premise that further compounds the exclusion of these communities and the contempt for the legacy issues they have been grappling with for decades. Furthermore, NNPC Limiteds shareholding structure rubbishes the principle of federalism and dis-empowers the sub-national governments (especially oil-producing states) by placing ownership of the new company in the Federal Government rather than the government of the federation. The same for its Board, which does not have autonomous nominees of the state governments on it. Going forward, we can expect to see agitations for these issues to be addressed, perhaps through a review of the PIA. The new company will also need to take the energy transition more seriously. The defunct corporations Renewable Energy Division only feebly acknowledged this global switch through its controversial biofuels programme. Rather than an emissions reduction target or a plan to decrease oil and gas production volumes in the foreseeable future, what the new NNPC has inherited is a commitment to ramping up production and further investments in fossil fuel exploration efforts, including in frontier basins, where such investments are most likely not viable. In fact, the corporations management, which has transmuted to the management of the new NNPC Limited was actually at the forefront of a campaign for Nigeria to be excused from the energy transition! When a company sees that its primary markets are finding alternatives to its primary products, it makes strategic, even if difficult, decisions. Will the new NNPC Limited see the business case for embracing clean energy or will it continue in the myopia of its predecessor that saw the reduction of its carbon footprint as a mere inconvenience? One is tempted to say, time will tell, but theres really no time! Finally, the big elephant in the room: Under the PIA, the new company ceases to make monthly payments to the federation account, which implies a massive reduction in revenues available for sharing among the three tiers of government. While the company will still have to pay dividends, taxes and 80% of its profit after tax to its owners (for now, solely the Federal Government), these payments will only level out in the medium to long term. In the short term, however, the national purse, already grappling with a revenue crisis, is in for a big fiscal shock. Debt service consumed over 100% of the nations revenue in the first four months of 2022, an amount that exceeds the capital expenditure budget for the entire year. The sudden cessation of NNPC remittances will have deleterious implications for sub-nationals, especially oil producing states whose appetite for derivation payments has been enlarged over time. So, while we expect the new state-owned oil company to step up to the plate on its corporate governance, profitability, accountability, and even its business relevance in the current global context, fundamental to its independence and success will be how Nigerias government navigates the huge revenue implications of this transformation and the fallout for the broader economy. At the crux of this challenge is the question of what the future holds for the NNPC Limited itself, and by extension, Nigerias fossil-based economy, as the climate crisis worsens and oil and gas assets increasingly become stranded. Central to the foregoing, the re-branded national oil company will, alongside the IOCs, have to deal with an inevitable wave of conflict and fragility as many stranded communities suddenly come to terms with the reality of their betrayal by the fossil fuel establishment. Beyond the euphoria of a name change, these are the bigger existential questions the new company will need to grapple with in the years, nay months, ahead! Tijah Bolton-Akpan, co-founder of Policy Alert, tweets from @Tijahbolt With a few months to the end of his tenure, Nigerians have come to the sad conclusion that their president has got nothing to offer the country anymore, and everyone is now starting to look beyond him. President Buhari continues to dwell in his own delusional bubble of performance, believing that he may still leave a legacy of fighting corruption. However, scholars like Jibrin Ibrahim insist that the presidents footprint will be that of a leader who ran the most corrupt regime in the history of Nigeria. He was said to be a no-nonsense retired general who did not condone corruption. His slim and Spartan physical looks and infrequent smiles helped reinforce the perception. Therefore, in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the presidential candidate of the newly formed opposition coalition, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and many ordinary Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief. These citizens were hopeful that if elected, the Katsina-born politician would be able to effectively fight the scourge of corruption in the country. The idea of his coming back was generally perceived as a much-needed opportunity to get the country back on track. As a military head of state many years ago, he led a widespread campaign known as War Against Indiscipline (WAI), which mandated citizens to comply with law and order across the country. Predictably, his presidential campaign was anchored on three issues: corruption, security and rebuilding the economy. In his famous inaugural speech in 2015, the newly elected president promised neutrality in office, as he told a crowd of enthusiastic citizens that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. Nigerian Corruption Seems To Have Worsened Under His Watch However, according to many observers, the Nigerian problem of corruption has grown from bad to worse in all the over seven years of the reign of Buhari, so far, and many governance indicators have regressed rapidly. His tenure has turned out to be full of rhetoric and devoid of action. In practice, his government has been characterised by a virulent form of nepotism, with the machinery of government captured and controlled by a few individuals whose agenda favour only sectional interests and alienate others. The verdict is that although the president himself may not be corrupt as an individual, he is compromised in deliberately allowing members of his family and close friends to accumulate public resources, as he conveniently looked elsewhere. Among others, his personal assistant and relative, Yusuf Sabiu, who was unemployed in 2015, is noted as having suddenly become stupendously rich. On Buharis resumption of office, many people had expected a new vigour in the fight against corruption, but this did not happen. Instead, a few individuals who served under the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan were arrested and sent into detention for corruption, including former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, former Principal Private Secretary Hassan Tukur, former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda and other aides. Many observers saw these actions as the weaponisation of the anticorruption war for political objectives. Weaponisation of Anticorruption War Worsened Public Perception On Buharis resumption of office, many people had expected a new vigour in the fight against corruption, but this did not happen. Instead, a few individuals who served under the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan were arrested and sent into detention for corruption, including former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, former Principal Private Secretary Hassan Tukur, former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda and other aides. Many observers saw these actions as the weaponisation of the anticorruption war for political objectives. Also, there seems to be very little coordination across the anticorruption agencies, despite the launch of the National Anticorruption Strategy in 2017. In a related manner, certain intrigues led to the arrest and subsequent removal of the former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu from office. Many months have passed after the submission of the report of the panel that probed the former EFCC Chairman, yet their findings have not been made public. President Buharis ally and former Secretary to Government, David Babachir Lawal, was equally caught in a corruption scandal but he was never diligently prosecuted. Preventive Approaches Yielded Results That Did Not Appear Enough Although inter-agency friction among anticorruption institutions had not disappeared, the National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS) introduced some improvements. Coordination mechanisms like the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) became more effective. An agency like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has gone ahead to align its strategic plan with the NACS. The combined efforts of the civil society and government culminated in tracking the expenditure of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) allocated to parliamentarians across the country. Although some progress has been recorded in this regard, yet the perception of the parliament as a rubber stamp institution, rather than an effectively independent arm of government, has been a stumbling block to the effectiveness of these efforts. Thus far some recoveries were made through efforts channelled at preventive approaches, rather than the usual traditional prosecution of offenders. A few highly placed military officers were also apprehended in what looks like a systemic scourge in the security sector. The Absence of Political Will Continues To Hamper Policy Implementation Furthermore, other policies have been introduced by the administration. However, many of them were either disorganised or muddled up due to the absence of political will from the top. For instance, the Whistle Blower Policy in 2016 was meant to enable the government to recover stolen or concealed assets through information voluntarily provided by whistleblowers. Official sources indicate that as of 2020, between N594.09 billion and N700 billion naira might have been recovered through the implementation of the policy. Yet, this did not stop the harassment of whistleblowers within the same government a few months after the introduction of the policy. One Ntia Thompson with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was initially suspended but was later recalled after civil society groups mounted pressure for his reinstatement. Amidst the twists and tales of withholding rewards due to whistleblowers, one of them, Olarenwaju Suraju, has been harassed and even prosecuted for alleged cyberstalking, due to his provision of information on the dealings of a former Attorney General and Justice Minister, Mohammed Adoke. To date, enabling legislation for the protection of whistleblowers is still lacking. However, legislation known as the Public Interest Disclosure and Complaints Bill for the regulation of public interest disclosure and management of whistleblowers was recently passed by the Nigerian Senate. No one is sure whether this would be signed into law before the termination of the current administration. Civil society organisations like the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) believe that the scale of the countrys corruption has remained massive, systematic and utterly overwhelming. Other commentators insist that the regression in the countrys scores on Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (CPI) indicates that Buhari might have lost the anticorruption war. Similarly, others see what is left of it as hopeless. Tales of Diversion, Bloated Consultancy Contracts and Misappropriation of Recovered Assets Abound Several allegations have hindered the ongoing fight against corruption. One of the most embarrassing ones is that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice allegedly used his office to dispose off assets recovered from corrupt persons worth N4 trillion ($9 billion) in a manner shrouded in opaqueness. Lawyers and anticorruption campaigners have frowned at how Mr Malami reportedly inserted confidentiality clauses into the multi-billion naira contracts he awarded to firms for the recovery of looted assets on behalf of the Nigerian government. He was also said to have demanded kickbacks from one of the contractors. Malami once engaged a set of Nigerian lawyers and paid them $17 million to help recover some funds looted by the late military ruler Sani Abacha after the work had been reportedly completed by a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini. A development that led to dissent and resulted in calls for his dismissal. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) once accused him of fraud and working against the public interest for insisting on paying $418 million to private consultants as a percentage of Paris Club refunds from funds belonging to the states. On 24 October, 2019, the Attorney General signed a new regulation on asset tracking and management, which empowers his office to take charge of the custody, management and disposal of all assets finally forfeited to the Federal Government. He later inaugurated a committee for the disposal of such forfeited assets. The courts annulled the committee, while the regulation was declared invalid. Ladidi Mohammed, head of the Asset Recovery and Management Unit in Mr Malamis office, was later arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for charges bordering on fraud and misappropriation. Well-known Verdict that Buhari Is Inept and Particularistic Is One that Everyone Has Come To Accept With a few months to the end of his tenure, Nigerians have come to the sad conclusion that their president has got nothing to offer the country anymore, and everyone is now starting to look beyond him. President Buhari continues to dwell in his own delusional bubble of performance, believing that he may still leave a legacy of fighting corruption. However, scholars like Jibrin Ibrahim insist that the presidents footprint will be that of a leader who ran the most corrupt regime in the history of Nigeria. Civil society organisations like the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) believe that the scale of the countrys corruption has remained massive, systematic and utterly overwhelming. Other commentators insist that the regression in the countrys scores on Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (CPI) indicates that Buhari might have lost the anticorruption war. Similarly, others see what is left of it as hopeless. The verdict of The Economist, a London-based newspaper, is that Nigerias president is an inept leader that has utterly failed to tackle corruption. For now it is a waiting game for everyone to see him go. Uche Igwe is a Visiting Fellow at Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He can be reached on u.igwe@lse.ac.uk The Semi-Final Round of Judging in the" Telenovela" category for the 50th International Emmy Award was held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, by United Media and Nova TV. The hosts of this important process, which will determine the nominees for this prestigious award, have gathered together leading global and regional professionals who contributed with their expertise to the selection of the best content. Among the jury members were well-known directors, screenwriters, editors, television professionals and other experts from the world of production, television, film and art, such as Vyara Ankova, one of the most popular Bulgarian TV professionals with vast experience in Media and Television Arts, member of the Program Team of Nova Broadcasting Group, member of the Board of Directors of Net Info, and one of the members of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, arrived in Dubrovnik from Bulgaria. Also, the famous Bosnian director, screenwriter and producer, Danis Tanovic, winner of the Academy Award for "Best International Feature Film" No Man's Land; Danica Pajovic, writer, film and TV dramaturgy professor at Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, known for the titles Black Sun, Zigosani u reketu, Pare ili zivot; and Ivan Zivkovic, director and screenwriter who wrote numerous episodes of series such as Legacy, Faith and conspiracy, Roots, Time of Evil, Civil Servant (globally distributed by GoQuest Media) and Black Sun. The jury included well-known Croatian directors such as Branko Ivanda, Darko Drinovac and Nevio Marasovic. Zrinka Jankov, Chief Editor and Deputy Program Director of Nova TV Group, who actively participated in the growth of the first commercial television and strongest multimedia group in Croatia, and Natasa Buljan, TV Executive at the same company, author and screenwriter of the numerous popular series like Stella, Pure Love, Dar Mar, Best Man, were also well acquainted with the criteria of quality dramatic content. Lastly, the prominent cinematographer and photographer Stanko Herceg, as well as film and television producer, president of the The Croatian Society of Independent Producers Danijel Pek, whose film Murina won the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Final nominees for a total of 17 categories will be announced in September, while the winners will be revealed on November 21st at the 50th ceremony of the International Emmy Awards in New York. Adrenalin a pioneer in the HR Tech space has been enabling organisations manage their Talent Life Cycle with ease, in Philippines MANILA, Philippines, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adrenalin eSystems Limited, a global HR product company, successfully completes 10 years in Philippines. A decade in Philippines Over 10 years, Adrenalin has on boarded diverse clientele from banking, insurance, financial products, manufacturing, F&B retail, IT & ITES, education, publishing, and energy. Srinivasa Bharathy, MD & CEO, Adrenalin eSystems Limited, said, "Adrenalin's longevity as a self-funded, specialist HR tech player is indication of our singular and committed focus on HR tech. With emphasis on scaling, we are expanding into new industry verticals. We are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to steering Adrenalin to the next pinnacle." Bharathy added, "Philippines is a key market. We continue to strengthen our presence in existing verticals where we have a credible and enduring presence. The market has significant new business potential and is on a growth trajectory. The pandemic and hybrid work environment has accelerated businesses towards digitalisation. And, we are here to collaborate with organisations in their mission to adopt HR tech." "Adrenalin's 10 year run in Philippines is testimony to our domain expertise in the HR function and technology," said S. R. Saravanakkumar, VP & Business Head APAC, Adrenalin eSystems. APAC focused With the LHDN certification for Malaysia, Adrenalin is gaining new business across key industry verticals. There have been significant new business gains in Singapore and Brunei as well. Said Bharathy, "Across APAC, we are also leveraging our Partner network towards expansion. These Partners have been key to our expansion plans." New markets include Australia and New Zealand. Saravanakkumar added, "Adrenalin's HR domain expertise is aiding in scaling. We have an audacious plan to increase our user base. Towards this, we are engaging with enterprise and medium sized businesses with a clear focus on HR digitalisation. Our efforts are concentrated on ensuring quicker implementation to enable go live at the earliest. Apps boosting employee experience is yet another key offering from Adrenalin. We are confident that Adrenalin's Max HR Tech Suite will deliver tangible value and ROI to customers." HR domain expertise built over two decades As an HR tech pioneer in India, Adrenalin understood the need for businesses to streamline HR processes to enable easy, time saving functional management. Over 20 years, Adrenalin has tirelessly designed and developed HR apps that enable process management and empower businesses in areas of talent development, management and progression. Expertise in the domain has been built from over 33 industry verticals. The learnings built into the hire-to-retire Max suite, is continually upgraded to be in sync with evolving business needs. This has enabled Adrenalin take its HR software to global markets. The cloud-architected Max HR Tech Suite is Contemporary, Contextual, Composable, and includes apps that enable employee collaboration, engagement, productivity and learning. About Adrenalin eSystems Adrenalin is a group company of Intellect Design Arena Ltd. Adrenalin Max is a cloud-architected HR Tech Suite that is Contemporary, Contextual, Composable, and automates the end-to-end of HR processes. Over 700 customers from 33+ verticals the world over and 1 million+ users use the Adrenalin platform. The HR suite is also available on premise. Post-pandemic, HR functions across the world have had to adapt rapidly to keep pace with the evolving demands of a hybrid work environment. Adrenalin's inherent, agile DNA has been instrumental in the company continuously innovating its HR platform and delivery to meet market demands. For more information, please visit, www.myadrenalin.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adrenalin-esystems-ltd/ Media Contact: S. R. Saravanakkumar Saravana@myadrenalin.com +91 75500 66114 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901956/adrenalin_Logo.jpg SOURCE Adrenalin eSystems Limited BANGKOK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 19, HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand. Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud's Global Marketing and Sales Service, stressed Huawei Cloud's commitment to the goal of "By Local, For Local" in fostering a strong ecosystem for digitalization. Huawei Cloud believes that it is only when the local ecosystem grows, can digital transformation grow, and in a healthy and sustainable way. Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud's Global Marketing and Sales Service Huawei Cloud continues to provide leading digital technologies for users around the world, enabling enterprises and developers to better achieve digital development. To better provide local services, Huawei Cloud continues to build one global network to deliver high-quality cloud services with consistent experience. In the Asia Pacific since 2018, Huawei Cloud has operated local nodes in Singapore and Malaysia, and is the first public cloud provider to do so in Thailand. Huawei Cloud builds 3AZ data centers in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Samut Prakan, and provides website and consulting services in Thai. In addition, Huawei Cloud and partners build a digital industry ecosystem by all and for all. Huawei Cloud works tirelessly to build a global startup ecosystem. Multiple forms of enablement, such as cost optimization, technical support, entrepreneurship training, and business resources will empower at least 10,000 high-potential startups worldwide in the next three years, helping startups move to the cloud agilely and focus on innovation. In the Asia Pacific alone, more than 120 enterprises have joined the Huawei Cloud Startup Program. For example, Huawei Cloud helped ReverseAds expand its business in Thailand, Singapore, and South America. Through this program, ReverseAds has received financing of more than USD20 million. "We will further promote the startup program to the world. We hope that more and more enterprises like ReverseAds can innovate and achieve win-win," said Ms. Shi. At HUAWEI CONNECT 2022, Huawei Cloud also released the "Go Cloud, Go Global" ecosystem plan to share Huawei's local compliance and human resources in more than 170 countries and regions. The plan also shares Huawei Cloud's insights into industries and the hottest domains, as well as corresponding product and solutions for more enterprises to go global. Ms. Shi released 15 innovative services at the conference, including CCE Turbo (Cloud Container Engine), UCS (Ubiquitous Cloud Native Service), Pangu wave model, DataArts LakeFormation, Virtual Live, CodeCheck and CloudTest, KooMessage, KooSearch, and KooGallery. This is the first time the services are announced for global implementation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902833/image.jpg SOURCE HUAWEI CLOUD Brings expertise in performance and reliability monitoring of die-to-die interfaces to the growing UCIe open chiplet ecosystem HAIFA, Israel, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- proteanTecs, a global leader of deep data analytics for advanced electronics, has joined the UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) Consortium to introduce interconnect health monitoring to the expanding advanced packaging ecosystem. proteanTecs joins UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) Consortium and brings its expertise in die-to-die interconnect monitoring. Launched in March 2022, UCIe aims to create a universal interconnect at the package level, addressing a surging "More Than Moore" market which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19% until 2027.1 The consortium unites industry leaders in building an interoperable, multi-vendor ecosystem and standardizing future generations of die-to-die (D2D) interconnects and protocol connections. UCIe is led by key industry leaders Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (ASE), Alibaba Group, AMD, Arm, Google Cloud, Intel Corporation, Meta, Microsoft Corporation, NVIDIA, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung Electronics, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. "As we build a vibrant chiplet ecosystem, ensuring compliance and interoperability across chiplets will be an important area of focus for the UCIe Consortium," says Dr. Debendra Das Sharma, Board Chair at UCIe Consortium. "We welcome the quality and reliability perspective that proteanTecs brings as a Contributor member and are looking forward to their valuable contribution to UCIe going forward." "The UCIe Consortium is successfully uniting the industry as we usher in the new era of semiconductor innovation and scaling through advanced packaging," says Evelyn Landman, co-founder and CTO at proteanTecs. "Participating in the UCIe will enable us to better tailor our interconnect monitoring roadmap to these emerging industry needs, while also sharing our rich experience in providing visibility to the thousands of potential failure points in a heterogenous system, in production and in the field." proteanTecs offers a high-resolution interconnect monitoring solution that supports visibility at every stagefrom characterization and qualification, assembly and test, to field deployment and operation. Unlike traditional approacheswhich rely on low-granularity, pass-fail testingthis market-leading, patented solution delivers parametric lane grading with 100-percent lane and pin coverage. For more information on proteanTecs' interconnect monitoring solutions, download these resources: 1. Yole Developpement, High-End Performance Packaging 2022 Focus 2.5D/ 3D Integration, March 2022. About UCIe Consortium The UCIe Consortium is an industry consortium dedicated to advancing UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) technology, an open industry standard that defines the interconnect between chiplets within a package, enabling an open chiplet ecosystem and ubiquitous interconnect at the package level. UCIe Consortium is led by key industry leaders Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (ASE), Alibaba Group, AMD, Arm, Google Cloud, Intel Corporation, Meta, Microsoft Corporation, NVIDIA, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung Electronics, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. For more information, visit www.UCIexpress.org. About proteanTecs proteanTecs is a leading provider of deep data monitoring solutions for advanced electronics in the Datacenter, Automotive, Communications and Mobile markets. Based on Universal Chip Telemetry (UCT), the company provides system health and performance monitoring, from production to the field. By applying machine learning to novel data created by on-chip UCT agents, the company's analytics platform delivers predictive insights and visibility, leading to new levels of quality, reliability and scale. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Israel with offices in New Jersey, California, India and Taiwan. For more information, visit: www.proteanTecs.com. Press Contact: Tamar Naishlos, Media Relations tamarn@proteanTecs.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901280/proteanTecs_joins_UCIe.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/844547/proteanTecs_Logo.jpg SOURCE proteanTecs The company commits to carry out and communicate annual Human Rights Impact Assessments ZUG, Switzerland, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Solway is addressing the high importance of producing and marketing products in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner by introducing the new corporate Human Rights Policy (https://solwaygroup.com/sustainability-polices/) identifying standards, principles and basic rules it commits to respect. Under this policy Solway adheres to respect and promote all national laws and internationally recognized human rights principles, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Solway's new Human Rights Policy is approved by the dedicated Steering Committee, founded on an unambiguous respect for human rights. In addition to Solway's board members the decisive committee comprises representatives of the major European nickel buyers and international experts of business and human rights. The corporate Human Rights Policy is a framework for how Solway plans to approach issues in the future, and another way to benchmark its compliance to the UNGP and OECD Guidelines. The Group plans on carrying out human rights due diligence, including an annual Human Rights Impact Assessment, the adoption of an integration (prevention and/or mitigation) strategy, and of remediation of actual and potential adverse identified impact risks, as well as a periodic reporting of how Solway identifies and manages its adverse impact risks. To confirm its commitment to perform and communicate group-wide annual Human Rights Impact Assessments in the future, Solway has launched the respective pilot project in Guatemala. The company started with defining a map of human rights holders with consideration of criteria chosen according to UNGP guidelines. Continuing to introduce measures identified in the Group's ESG implementation plan, announced on June 4, 2022 (https://solwaygroup.com/2022/07/04/solway-communicates-its-plans-after-assessing-the-groups-governance-esg-approach/), Solway targets to carry on with shaping up internal processes and operating procedures that will bring the company into alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. That includes introduction of the proper grievance mechanism that will allow individuals to report concerns about potential or actual misconducts as well as other operating procedures that make the Human Rights Policy effective. The present Human Rights Policy is the first, decisive measure and a step in Solway's continuing process to make real improvements. Implementation of the new governance framework is underway. The actions will be supported by company-wide communications, awareness, and training programs. Solway will publish further details regarding the corresponding developments over the coming months. Contact: media@solway.ch +41417400400 SOURCE Solway Investment Group SINGAPORE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Straive, a leader in delivering technology-driven solutions for Content, EdTech, and Data to leading global organizations, has been conferred with two awards at the 13th edition of CMO Asia Awards 2022, held on 17th August 2022 in Singapore. The organization won the Brand Revitalization Award for Excellence in Branding and Marketing and the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign for Excellence in Digital Marketing out of 200 nominations across 40 categories. CMO Asia Awards are one of the most aspired accolades in APAC. These are awarded for outstanding contributions in Traditional Marketing, Branding, and Digital Marketing and recognize organizations and individuals for their outstanding client and employee-level communication initiatives. The awards are judged by an independent, high-caliber jury of professionals from across Asia. SPi Global rebranded to Straive in April 2021 with a view to realigning the brand with the evolving strategic initiatives of the company. Subsequently, Straive has undertaken a comprehensive brand campaign to communicate the new brand messaging and create awareness and recall for the brand. The rebranding campaign, comprising static and dynamic promotions, customer mailers, press releases, social media communication, and the launch of a new website, has been awarded the Brand Revitalization award. Straive has also undertaken multiple multichannel integrated campaigns to build awareness about the company's offerings across its business lines and generate demand. The company has successfully leveraged numerous marketing channels to reach the target audience in industries like BFSI, Information Services, EdTech, Academic Publishing, and more. Considering the business impact it has achieved, the multichannel umbrella campaign 'Connecting the Dots' bagged the Best Multichannel Integrated Campaign Award at the ceremony. Speaking about the awards, Ratan Datta, President and CEO, Straive, said, "Straive is delighted to have received this recognition, which is a testament to our marketing and branding initiatives. As a company, we have doubled our marketing and branding efforts over the last year to communicate our purpose, values, and key focus areas to our clients, employees, and stakeholders and build a stronger Straive brand. I am excited to see our hard work getting recognized by industry leaders and experts. We will continue to focus on enhancing stakeholder experience through clear, relevant, and impactful marketing communication." To know more about the Straive brand, Click Here. About Straive (erstwhile SPi Global) Straive is a market-leading content technology enterprise that provides data services, subject matter expertise (SME), and technology solutions to multiple domains, such as research content, e-Learning/EdTech, and data/information providers. With a client base scoping 30 countries worldwide, Straive's multi-geographical resource pool is strategically located in seven countries: Philippines, India, USA, Nicaragua, Vietnam, United Kingdom, and the company headquarters in Singapore. For media queries, contact Anoop Tuli, anoop.tuli@straive.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1891596/Straive_TM_Logo.jpg SOURCE Straive (erstwhile SPi Global) DP World has been in litigation with China Merchants Port Holdings in Hong Kong since 2019 over the unlawful interference with its rights in Djibouti. During this time, China Merchants has unsuccessfully sought to move the case to the courts of Djibouti. Ruling means DP World can finally move to a full hearing on the merits against China Merchants before Hong Kong Courts. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DP World has won the latest in a string of court rulings, as it defends its rights as shareholder and concessionaire in Djibouti's Doraleh Container Terminal. The Court of Appeal of Hong Kong has dismissed the latest request by China Merchants Port Holdings seeking permission to file a second appeal before the Court of Final Appeal, against its previous decision that DP World's suit against the company should be heard before Hong Kong Courts, and not the courts of Djibouti. DP World and joint venture company Doraleh Container Terminal are bringing multi-billion dollar claims against China Merchants alleging that it induced the government of Djibouti to expel DP World from the country and hand over the Doraleh terminal to China Merchants. China Merchants investments in other ports and free zone projects in Djibouti, in breach of DP World's exclusivity rights, will also be examined. China Merchants surprisingly argued that the case should be heard by the Djibouti courts, despite Hong Kong being its home jurisdiction. The High Court of Hong Kong agreed with DP World's arguments that the case should proceed in Hong Kong and ordered China Merchants to pay its legal costs. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against that decision, and has now refused to grant China Merchants permission to file a second appeal before the Court of Final Appeal. The Hong Kong court ruling follows a ruling in January 2022, by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) against the Republic of Djibouti, awarding interim damages of US$ 200 million for damages caused over the period between for the period 23 February 2018 to 31 December 2020. That was the eighth decision by an international court or tribunal in favour of DP World in its ongoing dispute with the Republic of Djibouti, and total damages due to DP World now amount to US$ 686.5 million, plus accruing interest, while the Concession itself remains legally in force. The Doraleh Container Terminal is the largest employer and biggest source of revenue in Djibouti and has operated at a profit every year since it opened. DP World is a leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe. With a portfolio of 295 businesses in 78 countries across six continents, with a significant presence in both high-growth and mature markets, the company enjoys strong relationships with governments around the world, working in partnership to strengthen economies through investment in infra-structure and the implementation of smart trade solutions. SOURCE DP World LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Farmer's Day this year, AgAmerica Lending LLC ("AgAmerica"), one of the nation's leading agricultural land lenders and the first agricultural commercial mortgage REIT, is partnering with the Nashville-born concert venue Whiskey Jam to amplify the voices of those who make up the backbone of our nationAmerican farmers and ranchers. Advocating for Agriculture Farming is essential to our nation's food security, rural economy, and labor force. While the pandemic put the fragility of our food supply chain in the spotlight, it made way for a rise in agricultural advocacy. More than ever, Americans want to know the story behind the food that lines their grocery store shelves. Advocacy plays a considerable part in ensuring a healthy rural economy and supply chainit also puts more knowledge and choices into the hands of the American people. With fewer Americans entering the ag industry, it is becoming increasingly important to support its future by taking action to keep our farmer pipeline strong for generations to come. The Soundtrack of the American Farmer From Music City to the Magic City of the Plains, country music is part of the fabric of rural America. With its simplicity and honesty, it communicates the highs and lows of life in a way that can be both healing and empowering. It unites the ag community by telling real, authentic stories and is a way for farmers and ranchers to feel empowered and connected to a broader community. With respect to this, AgAmerica and Whiskey Jam have launched the Soundtrack of the American Farmer to amplify the voices of rural America through the storytelling lens of country music by creating a curated soundtrack made by farmers for farmers. Leading up to National Farmer's Day, farmers and ranchers from across the nation are invited to share the song that serves as the soundtrack for their operations. These songs will be added to a collective Spotify playlist that listeners can enjoy while learning about the farmers and families behind the music. As part of the celebration, each person who submits a song will be entered for a chance to win an all-inclusive 'Music City Experience.' The prize includes a VIP experience to a Whiskey Jam show and a three-day, two-night stay in Nashville, TN for two. Submissions will be accepted through October 11, and one lucky winner will be selected and announced on October 12. AgAmerica and Whiskey Jam are spotlighting farmer stories throughout September and early October across Instagram and Facebook. To get involved, follow and use #AgAmericanProud to help celebrate the farmers who put food on our tables every day. More About National Farmer's Day Each year, National Farmer's Day is recognized on October 12 as a way to celebrate the essential work of our nation's farmers. Over the past few years, American farmers have faced unpredictable challenges ranging from severe weather to rising input costs. It is because of these uncontrollable factors that farmers make less than they did the year before 44 percent of the time. National Farmer's Day represents a small token of the nation's appreciation for their efforts and a reminder to the community of the importance of protecting this way of life. Through National Farmer's Day and the AgAmbassador Program, AgAmerica is playing an active role in the solution by bridging the gap between brands and rural communities across the U.S. to build a network that is vital to the future of American agriculture. SOURCE AgAmerica Lending BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambow Education Holding Ltd. ("Ambow" or the "Company") (NYSE American: AMBO), today announced that its board of directors (the "Board") has received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter (the "Proposal Letter") from Clover Wealth Limited ("SPV") to acquire all of the Company's business assets in China. The sale of these assets is in-line with applicable PRC's regulatory requirements introduced in 2021. Dated September 13, 2022, the Proposal Letter outlines the SPV's intent to acquire (i) all of the equity interests in WFOEs and VIEs of the Company, and (ii) all of the intellectual properties used in the conduct of business of WFOEs and VIEs and owned by a subsidiary of the Company (the entities and assets described in (i) and (ii), representing substantially all assets of the Company other than the Company's U.S. assets, collectively the "Target"). The purchase price for the Target is approximately $10 million. Consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities, the Board has begun to carefully evaluate the Proposal Letter to determine the course of action it believes is in the best interest of the Company and its various stakeholders, including plans to engage an independent valuation firm to assess the Target's valuation. AMBO shareholders do not need take any action at this time. Along with the proposed sale of its operations in China, the Company also announced that Mr. KJ Tan, Ambow's Chief Financial Officer, has resigned, effective September 19, 2022. Dr. Jin Huang, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ambow, will serve as Acting Chief Financial Officer until a replacement is appointed. "Disposing of our assets in China gains us more resources and agility as we advance our U.S. business, namely our two recently acquired for profit colleges and our advanced open platform technology," commented Dr. Huang. "Today, we greet the education sector from a position of strength as we work to institute technology-driven learning in the vast U.S. education markets." There can be no assurance that (i) the Proposal Letter will not be withdrawn, (ii) any definitive agreement relating to the transaction as contemplated by the Proposal Letter will be entered into, or (iii) the proposed transaction or any other similar transaction will be approved or consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, except as required under applicable law. About Ambow Education Holding Ltd. Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a leading national provider of educational and career enhancement services, offering high-quality, individualized services and products. With its extensive network of regional service hubs complemented by a dynamic proprietary learning platform and distributors, Ambow provides its services and products to students in 15 out of the 34 provinces and autonomous regions within China. Follow us on Twitter: @Ambow_Education Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates" and similar statements. These forward- looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about AMBO and the industry. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and AMBO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although AMBO believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. Tel: +86 10-6206-8000 The Piacente Group | Investor Relations Tel: +1 212-481-2050 or +86 10-6508-0677 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ambow Education Holding Ltd. "Innovative Services Help Expand New and Existing Partnerships" NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BluePoint Mortgage is excited to debut its upcoming solutions for mortgage brokers. Severe economic challenges often result in fewer lending options for borrowers who depend on liquidity from a variety of personal assets or investment properties. Innovative Services Help Expand New and Existing Partnerships Tweet this To meet the needs of its broker-partners within the company's operational footprint of 30 U.S. states and Washington D.C., BluePoint Mortgage proudly extends support for independent mortgage brokers. Recent enhancements to certain core products, such as Non-QM loans include a written verification of employment (WVOE) loan, which allows a borrower to qualify for a home loan with a WVOE completed by the borrower's employer, and a 40-year I/O loan, which allows a borrower to reduce their initial monthly payment for the first 10 years by making interest-only payments, followed by fully amortized payments for the remaining 30 years of the loan. Other enhancements to BluePoint's Non-QM products include a no ratio option for its investment property loans (DSCR) and preferable income requirements for self-employed borrowers requiring only one-year of personal and business tax returns instead of two years of documentation. These product enhancements provide a competitive edge for brokers who partner with BluePoint Mortgage. "Our goal is to continuously expand our loan products and trusted support for our mortgage brokers," says Sam Soliman, CEO of BluePoint Mortgage. The anticipated response for ultra-competitive Non-QM pricing, faster closing speed and concierge services for approved broker partners has elevated BluePoint Mortgage's desire to hire experienced Account Executives. Interested applicants can apply here: https://bluepointmtg.com/careers/ Updates from BluePoint Mortgage are based on more than 30 years of experience and a pulse on emerging advancements in the financial sectors. The lessons learned are shared with employees and broker partners to help educate borrowers about home buying opportunities. About BluePoint Mortgage We expedite Non-QM, FHA, VA and conventional loan programs for a growing list of mortgage brokers throughout the nation. The Scotsman Guide ranks BluePoint Mortgage within its list of Top 20 Wholesale Lenders and within the top two 100% wholesale lenders on the list. The company does not offer retail loans. BluePoint Mortgage is based in Newport Beach, CA. NMLS ID# 320004, BRE #01403107. For more information, visit Bluepointmtg.com or call (877) 267-1056. SOURCE BluePoint Mortgage ORANGE PARK, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) is accepting nominations for Perpetual Pavement Awards (PPAs) through December 1. Road owners may apply at www.driveasphalt.org/awards. Each year since 2001, the APA has recognized state DOTs and local agency road owners for asphalt pavements that meet stringent PPA criteria. In 2021, APA expanded the awards to include PPA: By Performance, PPA: By Design, and PPA: By Conversion. The original award, now known as PPA: By Performance, recognizes road owners for high-performing asphalt pavements that may not have been specifically designed as Perpetual Pavement but have lasted at least 35 years without a structural failure and have an average interval between resurfacing of no less than 13 years. To date, APA has recognized 170 PPA: By Performance winning pavements in 32 U.S. states and one Canadian province. These winning pavements average 49.42 years old at the time of recognition, with the oldest still serving the traveling public well after 91 years. The two newer awards honor asphalt roads purposely and conscientiously designed to reflect the characteristics of Perpetual Pavement: excellence in design, quality in construction, and value to taxpayers. Qualified asphalt roads that are newly designed and constructed over new or reconditioned subgrade that meet Perpetual Pavement criteria will earn a PPA: By Design, while PPAs: By Conversion will be presented to new asphalt roads constructed over an existing road that are nominated and meet the same Perpetual Pavement requirements. APA National Director Amy Miller, P.E., described all three PPAs as contributing to sustainable infrastructure. "Asphalt roads can be engineered to last indefinitely," she said, adding, "Perpetual Pavements use fewer natural resources, which is important because road owners and funders increasingly weigh the environmental impacts of road design, building, and maintenance." Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University evaluate the nominations and validate the results. Winning agencies are presented with a coveted engraved crystal obelisk. Nominations for each of the PPAs are accepted between August 1 and December 1 of each year. Visit www.driveasphalt.org/awards and click Perpetual by Performance, Perpetual by Design, or Perpetual by Conversion to learn more about these prestigious awards and to nominate your project today. Media Contact: Amy Miller 904-446-0758 [email protected] SOURCE Asphalt Pavement Alliance Detroit-based greeting card publisher wins award for second time DETROIT, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The UPS Store, Inc., the world's largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, printing, and business services centers, has named Detroit-based greeting card publisher Avanti Press its 2022 Vendor of the Year. The award was the result of a comprehensive survey to the entire network of centers across the USA. The survey sought feedback about all vendors on multiple questions; the vendor with the highest compiled result earned the award. This was the second time Avanti Press was named the winner, having been selected in 2019 as well. At the award ceremony, held at this year's National Convention, leadership from The UPS Store cited "flawless customer care, exceptional support" and reinforced the way the network was supported by the greeting card publisher during the significant upheaval prompted by Covid-19. "We are proud to accept this company award," shared Chip Owen, Executive Vice President for Avanti Press. "It is especially significant for the sales representatives who serve the centers in-person from coast to coast. They are major influencers in the survey result." Photo (left to right): Jake Hearron, Vice President of Finance (The UPS Store, Inc.), Sevi Stokes, Director of Business Development (Avanti Press), Bobby Nayh, Sr. Customer Operations Coordinator (Avanti Press), Keith Lee, Customer Solutions Specialist (Avanti Press), Chip Owen, Executive Vice President (Avanti Press), Sarah Casalan Bittle, President (The UPS Store, Inc.), Scott Nelson, Purchasing Manager (The UPS Store, Inc.) Avanti Press released a short video this week sharing its Fulfillment Center's commitment to deliver results for this world-class retailer. https://vimeo.com/751375854 Contact: Dave Phipps ***@avantipress.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12933414 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Avanti Press, Inc. ETS PARIS, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial space leader Axiom Space and the government of Turkiye have signed a historic agreement to send the first Turkish astronaut to space. As part of a larger effort by Turkiye to expand its space exploration capabilities and establish a national human space program, a Turkish astronaut will be trained by Axiom Space for a future space research mission. Axiom Space will also enable Turkish science and research to be conducted in microgravity. Axiom Space and Turkiye sign agreement to send first Turkish astronaut to space Tweet this The spaceflight agreement that will send the first Turkish astronaut to space was officially signed at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris, on 19 September 2022, with Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey Mehmet Fatih Kacr, TUA President and Chairman of the Board Serdar Huseyin Yldrm, TUBITAK UZAY Director Dr. Mesut Gokten, and other dignitaries. Axiom Space, a U.S. based commercial space company, currently building the world's first commercial space station, is working with the TUBITAK Space Technologies Research Institute (TUBITAK UZAY) , under the direction of the Turkish Space Agency, Turkiye Uzay Ajans (TUA) to enable this effort. The spaceflight agreement was officially signed at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris, on 19 September 2022, with Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey Mehmet Fatih Kacr, TUA President and Chairman of the Board Serdar Huseyin Yldrm, TUBITAK UZAY Director Dr. Mesut Gokten, and other dignitaries. "As the 100-year anniversary of Turkiye approaches, we will celebrate this important milestone by working to send the first Turkish astronaut to space," said Dr. Mesut Gokten. "This mission is a part of Turkiye's ambitious 10-year space road map, which includes missions to the low-Earth orbit and the Moon as well as developing internationally viable satellite systems." said Serdar Huseyin Yldrm. The astronaut selection process is being managed by TUBITAK UZAY with support of Axiom Space, under the direction of the Turkish Space Agency on behalf of the Turkish government. Turkiye is evaluating scientific experiments via an open solicitation for on-orbit research. Further discussion between Turkiye and Axiom Space is underway to finalize the timeline for the mission. "Exploration is part of the human DNA and with this agreement between Axiom Space and the nation of Turkiye, we will train and fly the first Turkish astronaut and strengthen our commitment to use commercial space as a driver to expand the international community of space explorers," said Michael Suffredini, Axiom Space's President & CEO. "We are excited about Turkiye's role as a partner in commercial space and look forward to deepening this relationship as we work together to expand scientific and technological development on Earth and in orbit." Axiom Space is the commercial space industry's only full-service orbital mission provider, conducting end-to-end crewed missions. Axiom's broad range of services include training and flying private astronauts, access to training facilitates and instructors, hardware and safety certification, and operational on-orbit management. Candidates for flight complete Axiom's rigorous training curriculum over many months in preparation to live and conduct meaningful work in space. The expert team at Axiom Space is helping nations and organizations build human spaceflight programs, develop astronaut selection programs, and provide the expertise needed to expand the international community of space explorers to a larger and more diverse representation of humanity. This partnership is the latest agreement between Axiom Space and a sovereign nation that will expand international human spaceflight capabilities. Previous signatories include Italy, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). About Axiom Space Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth's orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home SOURCE Axiom Space CANADIAN BRAND TO SPONSOR NEW OFFSHORE SAILING CAMPAIGN STONEY CREEK, ON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Baffin is proud to announce its sponsorship of Canada Ocean Racing's Tour of Canada 2022. The new Canadian offshore sailing team, led by Scott Shawyer will compete in the IMOCA Globe Series, a series of offshore races including solo and double handed transatlantic crossings, leading to the pinnacle event, the Vendee Globe in 2028. Baffin is an industry leading, Canadian footwear brand with its core focus and expertise being technically advanced outerwear. Baffin engineers, tests, and manufactures some of the world's best-performing footwear for the outdoors and industrial jobsites alike. Taken to the ends of the Earth and to the most extreme environments on the planet, Baffin provides extreme outdoor protection that allows customers to challenge themselves in their coldest adventures. This partnership merges two Canadian organizations who share a passion for adventure and tenacity. Canada Ocean Racing's Scott Shawyer aims to become the first Canadian to complete the pinnacle event in offshore sailing, widely regarded as the toughest sporting challenge on the planet. The Vendee Globe challenges solo sailors to race 24 hours a day for eighty days straight. Sailing in the most remote oceans on the planet, the route is 42,000 kilometres circumnavigating four oceans, around the world, non-stop and without assistance. Backed by renowned British sailor Alex Thomson, the Canada Ocean Racing team will compete in a series of races and hope to inspire the development of offshore sailing in Canada. "At Baffin, we make products for individuals who are seeking to achieve the extraordinary and that is why we are honoured to support Scott and Canada Ocean Racing as they begin their extraordinary journeys," says Paul Hubner, President at Baffin. "As someone who has trekked to the most remote places on Earth, I understand the dedication and mental toughness their team will require to succeed and am excited to be along for the ride, providing them with the products they need to feel confident and stay warm when they reach the most extreme environments along the way." Baffin believes in real-world testing, bringing products to the most extreme environments on Earth themselves, so they know the product will succeed for end-users. This philosophy has found Baffin and a global team of product testers wearing the products all around the globe, including to The North and South Poles, Baffin Island, Mt. Everest, mountain ranges in the United States and Canada and around the Great Lakes. These expeditions have inspired Baffin's Real-World Testing (RWT) level evolution, a system which helps to recommend comfort levels associated with Baffin footwear. During this partnership the Canada Ocean Racing team will become members of this global testing team and will be able to give first-person feedback and insights into the products they wear and how they lived up to the expectations set forth in these obscure areas and extreme conditions. The diversity of climates the team will experience on these long sailing journeys provides them an opportunity to test all the different levels of the RWT system, from Polar Rated products, made for the coldest moments on Earth to Elemental Rated products, made for foundational and functional performance. About Baffin: Baffin Ltd. is an innovative, leading outwear company based in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada with a core focus on technically advanced, innovative footwear and high-performance apparel. Baffin designs, develops, and field tests footwear in the most demanding environments on the planet and is focused on being a global leader in footwear within the Outdoor, Industrial and Hunt and Fish categories. Baffin Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Goose Holdings Inc. About Canada Ocean Racing: Canada Ocean Racing, founded by Scott Shawyer, is a new Canadian Offshore Sailing Team competing in the IMOCA Globe Series including the infamous Vendee Globe race. Scott Shawyer will compete in the Vendee Globe in 2028, aiming to become the first Canadian to finish this solo, non-stop, race around the world. Canada Ocean Racing will build and lead a world-class offshore sailing venture in Canada, and in doing so, inspire the next generation, while creating a strong foundation for the continued development of the sport across the nation. SOURCE Baffin Limited TeamSupport sponsors the Patient Experience Exchange to invite businesses to be more patient-first DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that the post-Covid world is dramatically different than where we used to be. With stark increases in patient expectations and call volumes, healthcare organizations are forced to re-examine their practices to ensure patient needs are met. Here to make that simpler and more easily attained, TeamSupport is helping healthcare organizations gain full visibility into their patients so their experience is enhanced. TeamSupport, a customer support platform whose four products offer powerful insights into patients, is sponsoring next week's Patient Experience Exchange in St. Petersburg, FL in hopes of inspiring organizations to bring more patient-centric practices to their operations. The event allows for pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings between solution providers and senior patient executives to have in-depth discussions on resolutions for critical business challenges. TeamSupport sponsor Patient Experience Exchange to bring more patient-centric practices to healthcare businesses. Tweet this Lately, much of these challenges focus on improving the patient experience in a post-Covid world. Due to their customer-centric nature, TeamSupport is urging businesses to bring their patients to the center of everything they do so that they're cared for in more effective and convenient ways - noting that increased expectations can be met with the right tools. This can be achieved through TeamSupport's popular HIPAA-compliant chat , ticket management tool that is often used as an internal help desk for healthcare organizations, and other products that were developed with patient-centricity in mind. Through the Patient Experience Exchange, TeamSupport is eager to show organizations how easy it is to bring patients to the center of their operations, leading to happier, more satisfied customers whose needs are met. For more information on TeamSupport's healthcare capabilities, please visit this link . About TeamSupport TeamSupport is the award-winning customer support software company built purposefully for customer-centric organizations. We help companies become customer-first and always place the customer at the center of the business. In the healthcare space, we emphasize streamlined collaboration, more convenient communication, and detailed customer insights. TeamSupport focuses on all aspects of the patient experience. As the leading support solution for solving complex needs, driving satisfaction, retention, and revenue, we see the bigger picture of what customer and patient support can be. Learn more at TeamSupport.com . SOURCE TeamSupport, LLC HONG KONG and LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --- CASETiFY, the global tech accessory brand loved by millennials, Gen Z, and Hollywood celebrities, has today announced the unveiling of its latest eye-catching product: the Bounce Case. Apart from being the most protective case made for the mass market withstanding drops of up to 21.3ft, it is also available in multiple colors and artist styles. New iPhone 14 owners can shop this customizable collection, as well as upgraded Impact and Ultra Impact cases for iPhone 14 now at casetify.com . Made-to-order models are also available at the brand's Amazon page . The flagship iPhone 14 case is able to withstand drops of 21.3 feet, but it also comes available in exciting colors and jaw-dropping customizable options. The CASETiFY Bounce Case offers customers the most protective phone case on the market without compromising on style. Engineered with the brand's EcoShock proprietary technology designed for ultimate shock absorption, the case is not only beautifully designed but also supports 6x the normal military standard and is built to withstand drops of up to 21.3 feet. In terms of sustainability, the case is made from 65% upcycled phone cases through its Re/CASETiFY technology , which was recently nominated for the World Changing Idea Award by FastCompany thanks to its efforts in giving new life to post-consumer waste. Ultimate Protection: now, a colorful statement The Bounce Case launches in 5 new colorwaysClear/Black, Triple Black, Peri Purple, Kiwi, and Bubble Gumwith new in-house designs speaking to the brand's vast and unique audience. Customers can shop case designs in vibrant colors and patterns through a medley of prints ranging from dainty florals and checkerboards to edgy graphics and catchy phrases. Known best for its extensive artist platform, CASETiFY will also update existing artwork from its roster of creatives to support the new iPhone 14 devices. The Bounce Case collection retails from $82USD and up. More Protection, More Color: Impact & Ultra Impact Cases But beyond the new protective features of Bounce Case, CASETiFY has also updated its entry level and mid-range protective phone case Series. Featuring the same proprietary EcoShock technology, the Ultra Impact Case for iPhone 14 (retailing for $68USD and up) added a patent-pending bumper design, allowing for 130 consecutive drops from all angles, 5x military-grade standard, and a drop height of 11.5ft. The case will be available in Clear/Black, Matte Black, Peri Purple, Kiwi, and Bubble Gum, all of them supporting name and pattern customizations at CASETiFY's website. Lastly, the Impact Case for iPhone 14 (retailing for $58USD and up) survived 104 consecutive drops from all angles, has a 4x Military Grade Standard, including a drop height of 8.2ft. Available in Clear/Black, Matte Black, Peri, Kiwi, and Bubble Gum, the phone case also supports name and pattern customization at casetify.com Joining CASETiFY's existing line of accessories in the collection, the iPhone 14 enabled portfolio will expand to CASETiFY's Magsafe ecosystem with new MagSafe compatible products including Wireless Chargers, Wallets, and Battery Pack Cases. Customers can also choose from CASETiFY's Anti-Blue Light, Anti-Microbial, Privacy, and Camera Lens tempered glass and safety screens for an extra layer of protection. Other Specs on the new Bounce Case include: 21.3ft drop protection with four raised corners for maximum shock-absorption All-new EcoShock technology 25% lifted camera ring and 1.6mm raised bezel protection Magsafe and wireless charging compatible DEFENSiFY antimicrobial coating eliminating 99% of bacteria Customizable with prints, designs, names, and monograms. Collection high-res images available HERE . About CASETiFY CASETiFY is a global lifestyle brand and home to the first and largest platform for customized tech accessories. Created with the highest-quality materials and most cutting-edge designs, CASETiFY's products empower self-expression by turning your personal electronics into highly designed, stylishly slim, drop-proof accessories. Known for tapping top artists, big celebrities and creatives for its Co-Lab program, CASETiFY gives brands and individuals the opportunity to share their unique visions with the world. With 18 retail shops and growing, CASETiFY Studio provides a one-stop, visual retail experience where customers can customize their accessories on the spot. For more information on CASETiFY, its stores, partners and products, please visit www.CASETiFY.com . For more information on the collection and CASETiFY products, please visit www.casetify.com and make sure to follow along on Instagram , Facebook , TikTok and Twitter . SOURCE CASETiFY MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard Sandoval Hospitality proudly presents its second-annual iteration of Dia de los Muertos, a global, limited-time, hospitality-focused campaign honoring the famed Mexican holiday and Chef-Restaurateur Richard Sandoval's heritage. From October 4 through November 6, several Richard Sandoval Hospitality concepts worldwide will offer guests the chance to partake in a lively celebration through a limited-time holiday dish and cocktail menu, and a series of immersive culinary experiences in select locations. Richard Sandoval Hospitality launches second annual Dia de los Muertos global campaign in honor of the famed Mexican holiday and Chef-Restaurateur Richard Sandovals heritage with limited time specialty dishes, cocktails, and an immersive Tequila & Copal ceremony experience. "Since the start of my career, I've set out to connect families and friends through elevated Mexican cuisine," said Chef Sandoval. "This campaign is truly an extension of this labor of love. Dia de Los Muertos calls on us to remember our family and friends, and bring their stories back to life through food, drink, and sharing. Throughout October, I am inviting our guests to do just that with all of us at Richard Sandoval Hospitality." Having grown up in Mexico-City, Chef Sandoval's entire career and, surely, his 60+ restaurant concepts are deeply rooted in his Mexican heritage and passion for introducing Latin cuisine to the world, which continually inspires him to create new and unexpected concepts. Mayan Tequila & Copal Ceremony: Taking center stage at this year's Dia de los Muertos campaign is an exclusive and wildly interactive Tequila & Copal ceremony led by Nataline Ruth Cruz, a practitioner of Ancestral Medicine and Sacred Teachings. Only available at select locations, the ceremony will lead guests through a sensory experience of healing and manifestation. Immediately following Nataline's ceremony, Chef Sandoval himself will lead guests through an intimate four-course dinner inclusive of Dia de los Muertos traditions and celebrations. Tickets for this master tequila healing activation can be purchased here. Food & Beverage Specials: Gastronomes are in for a treat with five new, limited-time, exclusive dishes landing on the menus of participating restaurants. Each recipe has been carefully curated by Chef Sandoval and his world-class culinary team to bring about bold flavors and sensory pairings that all hold a cultural significance to the celebration. Specialty dishes include the Tortilla Talavera, Seafood Verde Pozole, and Mole Coloradito. Desserts include El Ritual crafted with pumpkin flavors, smoked sugar cane, mandarin chocolate sauce, and caramelized phyllo and an exclusive Palo Santo Pan de Muerto offered in collaboration with the country's most authoritative voice on Mexican sweets, Chef Fany Gerson of the famed Brooklyn bakery La Newyorkina. The Palo Santo Pan de Muerto is available at select participating U.S. locations or can be purchased for nationwide shipping exclusively via Goldbelly. Patron-centric specialty drinks include a Palo Santo Margarita, Pineapple Mezcal Sour, Smoked Bees Knees, Passion Fruit & Aloe Santo, and a Vanilla Smoke Cocktail. Chef Sandoval's 2022 Dia de los Muertos campaign will activate across 28 participating Richard Sandoval Hospitality locations including, Raya, Toro Toro Houston, and La Hacienda Scottsdale nationally, and Toro Toro Marrakech, and MAYA Doha globally. To find a participating location near you, visit https://www.richardsandoval.com/ddlm/2022. CONTACT: Quinn PR, [email protected] SOURCE Richard Sandoval Hospitality LONDON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corporate Legal Operations Consortium ("CLOC") today announced details of its highly anticipated CLOC EMEA Summit in London, the professional organization's first in-person summit in Europe since January 2020. "We are thrilled to bring the legal operations ecosystem together, including corporate professionals, law firms, service providers, technologists and other important industry contributors from 20 countries," said CLOC President Mike Haven, who is Head of Legal Operations at Intel. "We've learned and grown so much as a profession over the last two years and are experiencing extraordinary enthusiasm for sharing ideas and best practices focused on transforming the business and practice of law." The one-day summit, taking place 10 October at the state-of-the-art etc.venues 133 Houndsditch site, features 30 speakers over 9 sessions and dozens of exhibitors highlighting the skills and resources needed to lead strategic planning, financial management, project management and technology initiatives for corporate legal departments. With a focus on operational efficiency and effectiveness sharpened by the pandemic, the field of legal operations has become an essential discipline within the larger legal industry. As the largest global community of legal operations professionals, CLOC has helped set industry standards and practices for the profession, and has seen its membership grow dramatically since the pandemic, reaching new highs. Participation at the annual CLOC Global Institute ("CGI"), held in Las Vegas in May, hit a record number, exceeding 2019 levels. At CGI, CLOC launched an educational initiative focused on a core curriculum including the 12 functional areas of legal operations, industry terminology and foundational tenets. That initiative's first program, Legal Ops 101, will be available to aspiring and early-career professionals attending the EMEA Summit, and a new mentorship program will pair new participants with industry veterans. The EMEA event, being held on World Mental Health Day, will include a special breakout session, "Effective Tools to Avoid Burnout & Prioritize Your Wellbeing" to help professionals at all stages of their careers manage stress. "As a profession, we are committed to driving positive change," said Aine Lyons, SVP & Deputy General Counsel who leads Global Legal Services S.T.A.R. Operations and Privacy for VMware and is a CLOC Board member and Europe Lead. "Those positive transformations are important for our organizations, certainly, but also for our industry as a whole and for each of us individually. I think we're all recognizing that our wellbeing is an essential element of career longevity, success and contentment." The Summit will also debut CLOC Talk Live, a live version of CLOC's podcast, hosted by Jenn McCarron, Netflix's Director of Legal Operations and Technology, with guest co-host Nick Cranfield, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Governance for Therme Group. The two will discuss how legal operations professionals can more effectively drive change through storytelling. In addition, the summit includes continuing education content, product demonstrations, networking opportunities and an invitation-only dinner and lounge for senior executives. SOURCE CLOC Over $6.5 billion in funding awarded to date; leading tech investment conference continues to select large and diverse lineup of innovators from the Southeast's hottest tech markets ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Coginiti announced today that it has been chosen out of a record-breaking 450-plus applicants as one of the top technology companies in the Southeast to present at Venture Atlanta FORWARD 2022 to be held October 19-20. For 15 years, the annual conference has been selecting the most promising tech companies and bringing in the top investment firms from across the nation to hear them pitch. Venture Atlanta has helped launch more than 700 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date, spinning out $17 billion in successful exits. "Coginiti is honored to be one of the few selected companies to present at Venture Atlanta," said Rick Hall, Founder and CEO of Coginiti. "The conference is an incredible opportunity to build new relationships with investors and companies across the Southeast. We're excited to present Coginiti's unique Collaborative Intelligence platform, a new way to empower enterprise employees to answer business questions faster by democratizing data and analytics." Coginiti's collaborative intelligence platform makes it easy to discover, share, and reuse curated SQL business logic. Tweet this With the never-ending demand for data and analytics, Coginiti is helping enterprises respond to the dynamic needs of enterprises that a centralized data environment cannot provide. Coginiti works with companies to implement a set of practices to democratize access to data, foster collaboration between engineering and business teams, and support building, sharing, and curating data and analytic assets. The company's approach drastically improves productivity, improves results, and reduces costs. As in previous years, Venture Atlanta FORWARD 2022 is anticipated to be a sold-out event, with over 1,200 entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and business leaders expected to be in attendance. A new venue for this year's Venture Atlantathe Woodruff Arts Center at 1280 Peachtree Streetreflects the growing intersection of art and technology. "Venture Atlanta has established itself as the authority for recognizing technology innovation across the Southeast and beyond, connecting the best and brightest innovators with top-tier, national investors and other leaders in the tech ecosystem," said Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman. "We again set a new record with nearly 500 applicants for Venture Atlanta Forward 2022it's our most competitive year yet in terms of presenter quality. With an impressive slate of 87 presenting and showcase companies, a record number of sponsors, and a brand-new venue, we're continuing to raise the bar for what will be our 15th anniversary event." Venture Atlanta boasts a roster of highly successful alumni, including CallRail, Car360, Flock Safety, Florence Healthcare, Kabbage, ParkMobile, Pindrop Security, Salesforce Pardot, Salesloft, SingleOps, Stax, and Terminus. To learn more about Coginiti, visit coginiti.co. For additional information about Venture Atlanta, to register for the event, or to view the conference schedule, please visit www.ventureatlanta.org . About Venture Atlanta Venture Atlanta, the Southeast's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 700 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region's top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org . For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit our blog . About Coginiti Coginiti, the collaborative intelligence company, empowers everyone to get consistent answers fast to any business question. Coginiti software products help enterprises implement a set of practices to democratize access to data, foster collaboration between engineering and business teams, and support building, reusing, sharing, and curating data and analytic assets. Data professionals use Coginiti to deliver consistent results faster across a wide variety of use cases including business intelligence, data science, and business operations. For more information, visit www.coginiti.co. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit our blog . Contact : Chris Coad SVP Customer Development [email protected] P: 470.468.5386 SOURCE Cogniti Corp Visionaries, Luminaries, Advocates and Thought Leaders within the centralised (Web 2.0) and decentralised (Web 3.0) space will be gathered in Singapore on 1 November 2022 to exchange insights on what Web 5.0 is and how stakeholders can prepare for it. SINGAPORE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metaverse Blockchain company Coinllectibles, a fully owned subsidiary of Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. (OTC: COSG), is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the region's first Web 5.0 Conference in Singapore at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on 1 November 2022. What is the Web 5.0 Conference about? The development of how we engage with centralised and decentralised platforms through the evolution of the internet will be a defining area in the evolution of the metaverse. Coinllectibles, as a metaverse company, defines Web 5.0 as the seamless interoperability between centralised (Web 2.0) and decentralised (Web 3.0) apps and platforms for the primary purpose of achieving the ideal balance of user experience, control and ownership. Coinllectibles seeks to bring together thought leaders to engage around the key issues and help shape this new Web 5.0 ecosystem. Julian So, Vice Chairman of Coinllectibles, notes that, "We do not profess to have all the answers. I also do not think that anyone can definitively say what Web 5.0 is at the moment. However, one thing is for sure in a fast-evolving space like technology, collaboration is key. That is why we think that it is important for industry players to start sharing ideas and to seed a broader based Web 5.0 discussion." "Web 5.0 Conference is also positioned as a more holistic conference with emphasis across 4 key themes, which are (1) Innovation, (2) Technology and Security, (3) Legal and Regulations and (4) Investment and Applications. Based on our observation, unlike Web 1.0 or Web 2.0 which are primarily technology focused, a more cross disciplinary approach should be taken when looking at Web 5.0 development. Hence, it is this view that has shaped how we have put the event together," added Julian. Highlights of the Web 5.0 Conference The Web 5.0 Conference seeks to bring together thought leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates, legal minds, investors, and industry insiders to create a unique in person event with many sessions made available to an online audience. The conference will address key technical issues as well as have plenty of fun and surprises. There will be several thought leaders in the fields of legal, technology, intellectual property and media from all over the world as well as a number of leading Singapore based firms. The founder and Chairman of Coinllectibles, Dr Herbert Lee, will also be at the event to welcome the attendees. In terms of event highlights, apart from the speakers and topics, there will be the World Premiere of an exclusive trailer for a crime drama television series that is produced by the award-winning Phoenix Waters Productions. There will also be an exhibition showcasing arts and collectibles NFTs. These physical items have a NFT that serves as form of digital ownership tokens (DOTs) whereby collectors can buy and sell physical collector pieces via third party NFT platforms. With respect to the arts and collectibles showcase, Terry Lee, Head of Art for Coinllectibles, said, "As the Head of Art for Coinllectibles, I see NFTs adding a lot of value to the collectibles market. Often, the key issues collectors face relates to provenance and authenticity of the artwork which are things blockchain technology can solve. We have been implementing this technology with collectors, galleries and auction houses over the last year. I see this as a real-world use case for blockchain technology and I am excited to show that blockchain can be used to support real progress in the art markets." Why is Coinllectibles organizing the Conference in Singapore? Since its launch in September 2021, Coinllectibles has been gaining traction in regions like United Kingdom and the United States. Coinllectibles has also participated in numerous technology exhibitions as well as organized outreach events in Hong Kong. However, this is the first time it is organizing such a conference in Singapore. Commenting on why Coinllectibles has decided to hold the Web 5.0 conference in Singapore, Joshua Chu, Chief Risk Officer of Coinllectibles, said, "Singapore is recognized as an innovative technology hub with great legal and technical infrastructure and a logical base to expand our presence in. As a lawyer by training, I am acutely aware of the push the Singapore government is making with respect to intellectual property law as well as protection. As a company, we think the next innovation in that intellectual property space will come in the form of blockchain adoption." "With most of the world reopening from the Covid-19 shutdown, we see Singapore as an excellent B2B hub. This is because we are ultimately a technology company that is looking to work with businesses in the application of blockchain technology and there is no better place to be than Singapore." Coinllectibles Web 5.0 Conference is a free event. As seating is limited for certain conference sessions, attendees will be required to register to gain admission to the event. To register your attendance, please visit www.coinllectibles.art/Web5Conference. For more information on the key highlights of the Web 5.0 Conference 2022, please refer to the Annex below. Web 5.0 Conference 2022 1 November 2022 Grand Copthorne Waterfront 392 Havelock Road, Singapore 169663 9am 10pm Registration: www.coinllectibles.art/Web5Conference #Web5Conference Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future business activities including the expansion into the decentralized financing space. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein include uncertainties associated with operating a business in Singapore and Hong Kong, risk of interference by the PRC government, ability to compete, that financial resources do not last for as long as anticipated, and that COSG is a holding company that may not realize the expected benefits of DOT's offered by Coinllectibles. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in COSG's regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its current report on Form 8-K filed on September 17, 2021. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. COSG undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For media queries, please contact: [email protected] About Cosmos Group Holdings Inc Cosmos is a business group that operates in two business segments: Arts and Collectibles Financing Through CoinllectiblesTM, the group provides authentication, valuation and certification (AVC) service, sale and purchase, hire purchase, financing, custody, security and exhibition (CSE) services to art buyers through traditional channels, as well as through leveraging blockchain technology through the creation of digital ownership tokens (DOTs). With subsidiaries licensed under Hong Kong's Money Lenders Ordinance, the group currently primarily provides unsecured personal loan to private individuals, with a small portfolio of mortgage loans. The group is integrating the two business segments by offering secured financing services to prospective art and collectibles purchasers to provide a one-stop arts and collectibles purchasing and financing experience. About the Company Coinllectibles Coinllectibles is a technology company supporting the collectibles industry with a focus on rare memorabilia and artworks that exist and have intrinsic value in the real world, whether tangible or intangible in nature. Coinllectibles applies blockchain, marketplace, metaverse and DOT technologies as tools to disrupt and enhance the real world collectibles industry. The technology underpinning DOTs (digital ownership tokens) has multiple functional use cases that Coinllectibles is applying to areas including art, sports, watches, numismatics, limited edition toys, limited edition fashion wear and sneakers. DOTs have the power to transform our societies and some areas may be subject to regulations. Coinllectibles uses DOT technology solely to provide a legally-binding digital ownership token (DOT) to a tangible or intangible collectible. Website: www.coinllectibles.art Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coinllectibles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coinllectibles/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinllectibles LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coinllectibles Telegram: https://t.me/Coinllectibles About Coinllectibles Fusion DOT Coinllectibles prides the Fusion DOT as the industry "Gold Standard". Being a Gold Standard, a Fusion DOT contains the following on Arweave (1) a sale and purchase agreement reflecting the purchase, by the person minting the Fusion DOT, of the underlying asset at a fair value with all rights and restrictions clearly detailed, (2) bailment terms governing the rights to possession whilst the underlying asset remains with Coinllectibles, (3) a transfer deed reflecting the transfer of the ownership of the underlying asset (together with all rights and restrictions) by the transferor to the holder of the Fusion DOT, (4) ownership title deed written into the description of the Fusion DOT and (5) the unequivocal identification file of the underlying asset, whose ownership is reflected in the title deed represented by the Fusion DOT. SOURCE Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. Host Nancy Novak's Roundtable Discussion Features College Students Embarking on STEM Careers DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Datacenters has launched the new season of its popular podcast "Breaking Glass" with a special episode focused on the next generation of women in STEM careers. The episode, which is available today, features host Nancy Novak leading a roundtable discussion with three Michigan State University seniors who are members of the Society of Women Engineers: Noelle Kurien, Emily Peterson and Megan Giltmier. "Past episodes have featured some of the most influential and successful women in STEM careers talking about their experiences. But this episode flips the script by doing one of my favorite things: talking to the next generation of STEM women," said Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer of Compass. "Megan, Noelle and Emily have inspiring stories. They have valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for young women pursuing STEM careers. This is my favorite episode. It spotlights the incredibly talented women who are our industry's future." "Breaking Glass" is a video podcast series focused on women and their unique challenges in the tech industry. It is a forum for the most accomplished women in STEM to offer insights and advice. Host Nancy Novak has been a tireless advocate and mentor for women in STEM throughout her 30-year career. Past episodes of the podcast have featured industry luminaries such as Sandra Benson from Amazon Web Services, Lakisha Woods from the National Institute of Building Sciences, LaShonda Anderson-Williams from Salesforce, Janese Murray from Inclusion Impact Consulting, Tiffany English from Qualcomm, Heather Dooley from iMasons and Noelle Walsh from Microsoft. The podcast series is sponsored by Infrastructure Masons. To watch this new episode of "Breaking Glass" and for an archive of prior episodes, visit https://www.compassdatacenters.com/compass-u/breaking-glass/. About Compass Datacenters Compass makes lives better by providing the world's technology leaders a secure place to plug in wherever they grow. We provide custom, move-in ready data centers from edge deployments to core facilities serving hyperscale, cloud and enterprise customers. Since our inception, we have embraced sustainability with the efficient use of land, green energy, water-free cooling and building materials. Our campus approach empowers customers with easily scalable capacity, high levels of control and ultimate flexibility with the long-term perspective and financial strength of private investors, RedBird Capital Partners, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the Azrieli Group. For more information, visit www.compassdatacenters.com. SOURCE Compass Datacenters Over $6.5 billion in funding awarded to date; leading tech investment conference continues to select large and diverse lineup of innovators from the Southeast's hottest tech markets ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooleaf announced today that it has been chosen out of a record-breaking 450-plus applicants as one of the top technology companies in the Southeast to present at Venture Atlanta FORWARD 2022 to be held October 19-20. For 15 years, the annual conference has been selecting the most promising tech companies and bringing in the top investment firms from across the nation to hear them pitch. Venture Atlanta has helped launch more than 700 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date, spinning out $17 billion in successful exits. "Venture Atlanta is an incredible opportunity for emerging and scaling tech companies," said Cooleaf co-founder, Prem Bhatia. "Cooleaf is honored to present this year and share the story of our perseverance, growth, and leadership in the employee experience arena. We're also thrilled to represent the Atlanta tech community and meet other amazing founders from the Southeast." A leader in the employee engagement space, Cooleaf's platform is transforming employee recognition across top companies. Recently named one of Atlanta's Best Places to Work in 2022, Cooleaf is pioneering the future of employee engagement for high-performing teams. As in previous years, Venture Atlanta FORWARD 2022 is anticipated to be a sold-out event, with over 1,200 entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and business leaders expected to be in attendance. A new venue for this year's Venture Atlantathe Woodruff Arts Center at 1280 Peachtree Streetreflects the growing intersection of art and technology. "Venture Atlanta has established itself as the authority for recognizing technology innovation across the Southeast and beyond, connecting the best and brightest innovators with top-tier, national investors and other leaders in the tech ecosystem," said Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman. "We again set a new record with nearly 500 applicants for Venture Atlanta Forward 2022it's our most competitive year yet in terms of presenter quality. With an impressive slate of 87 presenting and showcase companies, a record number of sponsors, and a brand-new venue, we're continuing to raise the bar for what will be our 15th-anniversary event." Venture Atlanta boasts a roster of highly successful alumni, including CallRail, Car360, Flock Safety, Florence Healthcare, Kabbage, ParkMobile, Pindrop Security, Salesforce Pardot, Salesloft, SingleOps, Stax, and Terminus. To learn more about Cooleaf, visit www.cooleaf.com. For additional information about Venture Atlanta, to register for the event, or to view the conference schedule, please visit www.ventureatlanta.org . About Venture Atlanta Venture Atlanta, the Southeast's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 700 companies and raise $6.5 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region's top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org . Visit our blog and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for updates. About Cooleaf Cooleaf is the leading solution for companies looking to drive extraordinary experiences for their employees, customers, and prospects. Through Cooleaf's platform , forward-thinking brands are empowered to listen to sentiment and signals through pulse surveys and SaaS platform integrations, take action to engage stakeholders through recognition, incentives, and virtual experiences, and glean data insights through a powerful suite of analytics tools. Visit www.cooleaf.com to learn more. Contact : Melissa Perry, Senior Marketing Manager at Cooleaf [email protected] SOURCE Cooleaf There are days when I wake up and ask God to raise men and women of vision, who will think out of the box. Men and women with the vision and power to realise that if this country is to play a meaningful role in the industrialisation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) it must aggressively act now to place the next generation of emaSwati in the forefront of manufacturing, which is the backbone of industrialisation. Our alliance with Taiwan and India, two leaders in manufacturing engineering and software development respectively must bear fruit more than ever. Tibiyo leading industrial revolution Imagine if Tibiyo TakaNgwane had been able to keep the Spa Hotels group in Ezulwini and had decided to get Taiwanese and Indian partners to develop it into an Eswatini University of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, the university would have set the stage for the SADC University His Majesty the King had promised. The viability of this university is almost guaranteed through the enrolment of young students from all SADC countries. In the students M. Tech or MS/ME Degrees in Manufacturing Engineering, these are some of the subjects that youll be taught: * Advanced Manufacturing Technology. * Research Methodology. * Advanced Casting Technology. * Manufacturing Automation. * Production and Operation management. * Technical aspects of Manufacturing Engineering. Diploma in Plastic mould Technology A Diploma in Plastic Mould Technology (DPMT) can be offered as a three-year course that students can join after completing high school or equivalent. When students choose the DPMT course they would focus on mould design, assembling of moulds, mould manufacture, and CNC milling. Moulding is the basis of the manufacture of all the items we use on a daily basis, such as plastic cups and the form plates used at funerals. This can extend to all types of more complicated items such as plastic chairs and tables. Artificial intelligence, advanced robotics degrees, diplomas The National Taiwan University could support it with exchange programmes and lecturers. The National Taiwan University (NTU) is a comprehensive institution with many years of experience, and innovative in academic fields, and a high-quality environment for research and industry-academic cooperation. Coding: Indian universities, colleges can partner Eswatini must be a step ahead in software development, programming data engineering and coding. Below are a few top Indian universities and colleges that offer programming language degrees for coders of tomorrow, which it can partner with: * Hansraj College Delhi; * Sardar Patel Institute of Technology Mumbai; * Banaras Hindu University Varanasi; * Christ University Bangalore; * Amity University Mohali. SADC industrialisation strategy, roadmap In August 2014, SADC Heads of State and Government considered and endorsed the summit theme: SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation; Leveraging the Regions Diverse. Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development through Beneficiation and Value Addition. The theme reflected the urgent need for the region to leverage its abundant and diverse resources, especially in agriculture and mining, to accelerate industrialisation through beneficiation and value addition. To operationalise the theme in the SADC regional integration agenda, the summit resolved to develop a SADC industrialisation strategy and roadmap. In his speech, the late former President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe, the then chairman of the organisation, said; I am pleased to present the SADC industrialisation strategy and roadmap, 2015-2063, which was approved by the extraordinary summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, in April 2015. This is a historic achievement we should build on and use to transform our economies, to enhance economic growth, and create empowerment. Severe deficit of skills needed for industrial development The strategy identified three factors that are binding constraints to the accelerated industrialisation of SADC and these are: * Inadequate and poor quality infrastructure, * A severe deficit of the skills needed for industrial development * Insufficient finance. The countrys reports show clearly that one of the three main obstacles to accelerated industrialisation in SADC are the scarcity of skills, especially those essential to progression up the technology ladder, and we will look at that particular constraint as the opportunity for the industrial revolution for Eswatini. His Majesty has spoken about the establishment of a SADC University in Eswatini on a number of occasions. Manufacturing, production mindset There is a need for the African youth to develop a new mindset in line with production than consumption. As emaSwati, we need to start refocusing our youth on starting to think in terms of manufacturing and production. They must start to ask questions about how is what we consume made, and why should we constantly import it. One might think this is simple but it is difficult for a young person to think this way. The average youth cant even begin to imagine that he or she can buy a machine to produce paper cups or plastic spoons that he or she uses and discards every day. I was brought up by a father who understood manufacturing as the key to success and I developed a mind that accepted manufacturing after having seen first hand an industrial biscuit-making machine, plastic shoe manufacturing machines, plastic/steel, aluminum moulding (to various household utensils) and industrial packing machines as a normal part of business. I was exposed to the intricate process of the production of flour from the arrival of wheat to the bagging of the complete product as white bread or brown bread flour. This is an intricate part of industrialisation which many young emaSwati think is impossible to venture into locally. This means asking them to get the skills required for industrialisation as their career and livelihood is not within their scope of knowledge. Also, emaSwati parents do not realise that there is a bigger world beyond degrees in accounting, civil engineering, law, doctor, teaching etc. If we are to effectively fight unemployment we need to expand our scope of learning and skills training. The fine arts, performing arts and other forms of arts can provide a decent living for a person with talent and determination. Comment septembereswatini@gmail.com Advanced post-operative dressing is now used to prevent post-operative infections in patients with congenital heart conditions from birth through adulthood. MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Covalon Technologies Ltd. (the "Company" or "Covalon") (TSXV: COV) (OTCQX: CVALF), an advanced medical technologies company, is pleased to announce that SurgiClear, the only dual antimicrobial postoperative dressing, is now part of the surgical site infection ("SSI") prevention bundle used by Texas Children's Hospital Heart Unit after the dressing successfully eliminated surgical site infections. SurgiClear Antimicrobial Silicone Postoperative Dressing. Used by Top US congenital heart surgery centers. (CNW Group/Covalon Technologies Ltd.) "To see SurgiClear in the hands of the top pediatric cardiac surgery teams and making a difference in the lives of children and their parents, is exactly what drives innovation here at Covalon," says Brian Pedlar, CEO of Covalon. "We designed SurgiClear to outperform other post-operative wound care dressings, with the critical goal being to prevent post-operative complications from jeopardizing the success of life-saving procedures." As part of a quality improvement project, the Heart Unit at Texas Children's Hospital ran a trial to strengthen post operative wound care and infection prevention practices by trialing Covalon's SurgiClear product. During the course of the one-year trial, infection rates steadily declined and outcomes for patients improved. The trial involved the use of SurgiClear post-operatively on a total of 600 patients ranging in age from 2 months to 66 years that had congenital heart surgery.1 Key highlights include: Infection rates steadily declined over the course of the project, reaching 0 infections after 1 year The transparency of SurgiClear reduced the number of dressing changes, in turn reducing exposure and manipulation of the healing wound Application of SurgiClear was successful across a wide range of age groups and incision types There have been no adverse events or cases of compromised skin integrity The low-profile transparent design of the SurgiClear dressing was well received by patients' parents and caregivers, empowering them to monitor for signs of complications Use of SurgiClear conserved nursing time "Parents of our pediatric heart surgery patients are often concerned and worried about their child's upcoming surgery," said Sophia C. Bailey, MSN, BSN, RN, CNOR, of Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. "However, surgery is only one critical element of the post-operative journey. Healing and prevention of surgical site infection are paramount for patient outcomes. Since we began using SurgiClear, we have had excellent results maintaining the immediate perimeter of our incisions. This initiative has improved healing and prevention of wound contamination and infection, resulting in much-needed peace of mind for both parents and clinicians." Since the completion of the trial, the product has been used as a first-line wound dressing on all patients over two months of age being treated by the Congenital Heart Surgery Service at Texas Children's. The Texas Children's Heart Center and the Congenital Heart Surgery Service is a global leader and reports outcomes among the best in the nation for more than 800 procedures performed annually on children and adults.2 Researchers estimate that in the United States, approximately 55% of SSIs are preventable3 and although there are many potential sources of infection during a patient's perioperative experience, improving postoperative wound care protocol with an advanced technology benefits both patients and hospital resources. Children with SSI after cardiothoracic surgery ("CTS") have an associated increase in hospital costs of US$136,950 per case and hospital length of stay of 9.5 days per case. The economic burden posed by SSI stresses the importance of infection control surveillance, exhaustive preventative measures, and identification of modifiable risk factors.4 "While healthcare practices and protocols will differ from institution to institution, the use of a proven technology to combat infections is one of the best ways any hospital or care team can strengthen their infection prevention program," said Pedlar. "Advanced technology like SurgiClear to help level the playing field, delivering top infection prevention outcomes to hospitals across the country." 1. Bailey SC. Using a Transparent Antimicrobial Soft Silicone Dressing to Prevent Surgical Site Infections After Congenital Heart Surgery. AORN Journal. 2022 Apr;115(4):353-358. 2. Departments and services. Congenital heart surgery. Texas Children's Hospital https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/congenital-heart-surgery. 3. Umscheid CA, Mitchell MD, Doshi JA, Agarwal R, Williams K, Brennan PJ. Estimating the proportion of healthcare-associated infections that are reasonably preventable and the related mortality and costs. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 2011;32(2):101-114. 4. Sochet AA, Cartron AM, Nyhan A, Spaeder MC, Song X, Brown AT, Klugman D. Surgical Site Infection After Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery: Impact on Hospital Cost and Length of Stay. World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery. 2017 Jan;8(1):7-12. About Covalon Covalon Technologies Ltd. is a researcher, developer, manufacturer, and marketer of patent-protected medical products that improve patient outcomes and save lives in the areas of advanced wound care, infection management and surgical procedures. Covalon leverages its patented medical technology platforms and expertise in two ways: (i) by developing products that are sold under Covalon's name; and (ii) by developing and commercializing medical products for other medical companies under development and license contracts. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, having the symbol COV and trades on the OTQX Market under the symbol CVALF. To learn more about Covalon, visit our website at www.covalon.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan, "estimate", "expect", "intend" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the factors described in greater detail in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of our management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2022, which is available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com, any of which could cause results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Covalon Technologies Ltd. Chicago home service company continues legacy of providing premier services to local communities CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deljo Heating & Cooling, the leading home service company in the Chicago area, is celebrating 100 years of providing homeowners with premier services and comfort. The company, which was founded in 1922 as Del-Nard Fuel Oil, is highlighting the occasion with an open house from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 6. During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the team, apply for open positions, tour the facility, and explore the Deljo Academy Deljo Heating & Cooling is celebrating 100 years of providing Chicago homeowners with premier services and comfort with an open house on Oct. 6. "Operating for 100 years is an extraordinary accomplishment," said Bob Clement, who spent over three decades as the owner of Deljo Heating & Cooling before recently retiring. "For the past 30 years, our team has worked to create a positive atmosphere that spreads to our loyal customers. We are a family-operated business that treats our team and customers like one of our own. That's the Deljo way. "As we look toward the future, we will continue to evolve and innovate to meet the demands of our customers while adapting to new technologies that will take our company to the next level." Growth and expansion have been major factors for Deljo over the past decade. After spending 25 years in its previous building, the company moved into a new facility in the Sauganash area in 2020. Placing an emphasis on creating HVAC stars of the future, the company also launched the Deljo Academy. The 5,000-square-foot training facility is geared toward providing state-of-the-art training and support to employees and new team members. With high-quality trainers on board, new recruits can find themselves in company vans within a few months. "At Deljo, we believe that the most valuable asset of our company is the people who come into work every day," said Luke Weiden, general manager of Deljo Heating & Cooling. "We want all of our employees to grow both personally and professionally while achieving their full potential, and we are always looking for skilled technicians to join our growing team. That's how a company exceeds 100 years of service, and our training facility will continue to help foster those excellent results in our technicians to ensure continue creating value for our customers." For more information about Deljo Heating & Cooling, please visit https://deljoheating.com/. For more information about the Deljo Academy, please visit https://deljoheating.com/deljo-academy/. About Deljo Heating & Cooling Started in 1922, Deljo Heating & Cooling is a family-operated home service company that specializes in heating and cooling solutions. Serving the Chicago area, the team at Deljo Heating & Cooling offers reliable HVAC services year-round to ensure comfort in your home or business. Their full complement of quality indoor comfort services includes heating, air conditioning, HVAC system, and indoor air quality work completed by knowledgeable technicians whose extensive training and experience help ensure your satisfaction. For more information, visit https://deljoheating.com/deljo-academy/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Deljo Heating & Cooling More companies and automakers are preferring to use better gasoline in their automobiles. As a result, new growth opportunities are expected to be opened up. The market for dimethyl ether is anticipated to gain from a tendency toward less harmful and advanced products due to expanding customer demand. WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2020, revenue of dimethyl ether market was clocked at us$ 6.24 bn. The global market is likely to progress at 9.6% CAGR during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2031.The global dimethyl ether market is anticipated to surpass valuation of US$ 17.1 Bn by 2031 Due to the growing use of dimethyl ether as a fuel for chemical feedstock, power plants, transportation, and other uses, businesses in the global dimethyl ether market are expected to benefit substantially. The global market is expanding as a result of growing knowledge about the advantages of dimethyl ether in numerous end-use industries. In addition, the market for dimethyl ether is anticipated to profit from higher acceptance rates and also an increase in the number of LPG plants built to meet the energy needs of the expanding population. The market is also anticipated to expand due to the automobile industry's continued growth and manufacturers' switch to low carbon fuels. Increasing environmental worries and changing customer preferences suggest that the market for dimethyl ether will gain from a shift toward safer and higher-quality items. Due to the affordable supply of raw materials in Asia Pacific, the region is likely to offer largest opportunity for dimethyl ether market. China leads the global dimethyl ether market in terms of profitability. It is anticipated that this region will generate sizable earnings due to the expanding usage dimethyl ether in numerous applications, including LPG blending, aerosol propellant, transportation fuel, and so on. Request Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1650 Key Findings of Market Report Dimethyl ether is being used in hybrid automobiles by the automotive industry more often. This is anticipated to accelerate the expansion of the global dimethyl ether market during the forecast period. There has been a sharp rise in sales of both bio-diesel and diesel as a result of several automakers searching for crossover vehicle alternatives worldwide. The use for dimethyl ether to produce biofuels is estimated to rise as initiatives to meet energy requirements from renewable sources obtain backing from the government. The LPG blending procedure is the most prevalent usage of DME and is one of the key market segments in dimethyl ether market, depending on application type. As a fuel alternative additive, DME is being blended with LPG to cut hazardous emissions, enhance combustion, as well as lessen reliance on LPG, which is expected to drive future market outlook for dimethyl ether. In order to meet their domestic LPG demand, countries like Indonesia , China , and India are considerably dependent on imports, which is why they are actively encouraging the utilization of DME as an alternative energy source. , , and are considerably dependent on imports, which is why they are actively encouraging the utilization of DME as an alternative energy source. In terms of raw material type, the category of methanol is anticipated to dominate the dimethyl ether market in the years to come. This huge demand is a result of how easily DME can be produced using methanol as a raw ingredient. Additionally, making DME from methanol is an easy and affordable process. Make an Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=1650 Global Dimethyl Ether Market: Key Players Some of the key market players are Grillo-Werke AG Guangdong JOVO Group Co., Ltd Toyo Engineering Corporation Royal Dutch Shell plc plc China Energy Limited Ferrostaal GmbH Ask References: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=ARF&rep_id=1650 Global Dimethyl Ether Market: Segmentation Raw Material Coal Natural Gas Methanol Others Application Aerosol Propellants LPG Blending Transportation Fuel Power Plant Fuel Chemical Feedstock Others Regions Covered North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa & Latin America Browse More Chemicals & Materials Market Reports by TMR: Bio-based Flavors and Fragrances Market - Bio-based Flavors and Fragrances Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 8.3% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Manganese Alloys Market - Manganese Alloys Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 5.9% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Optical Brighteners Market - Optical Brighteners Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 4.9% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Copper Pipes & Tubes Market - Copper Pipes & Tubes Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 3.1% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Sodium Cyanide Market - Sodium Cyanide Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 4.2% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Glycolic Acid Market - Glycolic Acid Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 7.23% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 Specialty Carbon Black Market - Specialty Carbon Black Market is Estimated to Progress at a CAGR of 4.5% during the Forecast Period 2022-2031 About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports. For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ Contact Us: Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research Inc. CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN, 1000 N. West Street Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Blog: https://tmrblog.com Email: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1682871/TMR_Logo_Logo.jpg SOURCE Transparency Market Research Panel provided direction on how to take steps toward providing measurable DE&I practices to provide residents with equal access and financial inclusion DETROIT, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Diversified Data Processing & Consulting, Inc. ("DivDat" or the "Company"), announced today that its President and CEO, Jason Bierkle, presented on the Diversity Equity & Inclusion panel at the invitation of the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association, at their recent Fall Training Institute. Bierkle asserted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can be measured by the access municipalities give to residents to pay essential bills, and that access-focused communities have higher on-time bill payments and overall collection volumes. Jason Bierkle, DivDat President and CEO, gives 2022 MGFOA Fall Training Institute DE&I panel attendees insights on how to provide unbanked/underbanked residents equal access to essential bill pay channels. (left to right) Adam Bonarek, Director of Finance, Risk, and IT, Charter Township of Redford and Treasurer, Michigan Government Finance Officers Association; Andre Daley, Director of Inclusion, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce; and Jason Bierkle, President and CEO, DivDat discuss measurable Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion actions Michigan municipalities can apply to better serve residents and businesses. 2022 MGFOA Fall Training Institutes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion session filled the room at Grand Rapids historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. The education conference, which took place Sept. 11 14th at the Amway Grand Hotel, in Grand Rapids, Mich. gathered nearly 200 MGFOA members, made up of Michigan municipal treasury and finance leaders and their teams for trainings. Bierkle presented alongside Andre Daley, director of inclusion at the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and Adam Bonarek, director of finance, risk, and IT at the Charter Township of Redford and treasurer, Michigan Government Finance Officers Association. The DE&I panel provided session guests with steps to take in order to: Attract and retain top talent Engage and retain businesses and their workforces Provide all residents (regardless of their access to credit or traditional banking) with equal access to pay essential bills "We need to change the way we think about taking payments from residents," said Jason Bierkle, president and CEO, DivDat. "Equal access is not making it easy for the group of people who can jump online and pay a bill for city services by credit card while ignoring the percentage of your population who might have to take time off of work, drive to the city's cashiering center, pay to park, and hand over a money gram it cost them additional money to get." The panel further discussed the estimated 25% of the country's population now classified as unbanked or underbanked, a statistic which spans multiple sex, age, race, ethnicity, and gender demographics. By providing resident consumers with multiple payment channels through which to pay, including bill payment kiosks that accept cash and are conveniently placed in neighborhood centers and retail establishments, DivDat municipal customers across the country are seeing increases in on-time payments from their residents. "We're approaching almost 40% unbanked and underbanked population levels in some Michigan townships. It's not obvious, because most residents are paying their bills, it's just much harder for them. If you're not giving your residents the access to stay current on essential bills by providing more channels and accepting more payment types cash, in particular then you're leaving out a large portion of your population, and that's not inclusion." added Adam Bonarek, Redford Township director of finance, risk, and IT and MGFOA treasurer. "Financial solvency has everything to do with means certainly, but now more than ever, it's about equal access." From budgeting trends like "cash stuffing" to a growing percentage of the population pivoting to "cash preferred", the panel explored ways in which municipalities can partner with tech firms like DivDat that pioneered escrow programs with financial institutions to provide property tax savings plans (individual escrow accounts for their bill paying residents) to help consumers better budget for large upcoming spends like bi-annual tax and water bills. "Forward thinking municipalities have identified there is an issue with the level of access they have traditionally provided their resident consumers, and they're addressing it," concluded Bierkle. "At DivDat, we say we're 'leveling the paying field' by making it just as easy for unbanked and underbanked residents to pay their property taxes, utilities, and other essential bills, as it is for everyone else. Our bill payment technology supports the social mission of inclusion, which has delivered huge monetary and social benefits for our customers. We stand at the ready to support all Michigan municipalities and their bill paying residents with this same level of access." Jason Bierkle was honored by Crain's Detroit Business with their "Notable Executives in DE&I Award" in 2021. DivDat was recognized as a "Diversity Focused Company" by Corp! Magazine in 2020. You can learn more about DivDat and how it helps municipalities, utilities companies, courts, and other essential billers to provide measurable DE&I practices at www.divdat.com DivDat DivDat is the leader in omnichannel bill payment and processing serving corporations as well as municipalities, utility companies, courts, and quasi-governmental entities. DivDat's proprietary payment technologies span indoor and outdoor payment kiosks, web interfaces, IVR/phone payment options, mobile app, and point of service modules facilitating in-person payments made to cashiering representatives. Across all channels, bill payments paid on the DivDat Payment Network feature real-time automated posting to accurate customer-specific accounts, reducing the need for manual intervention, so treasury teams are more efficient and get paid faster. DivDat and its leadership have been recognized for their contributions to DE&I. The DivDat Bill Pay Kiosk and the full DivDat Payment Network promote equality and access by providing corporations and governments with the tools and technologies to make it just as easy for unbanked and underbanked people to stay current on essential bills as it is for those with access to electronic payment methodologies and credit, effectively leveling the paying field. Learn more about DivDat at www.divdat.com/about/diversity-equity-inclusion. Media Contact: Samara Cogswell, Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] 517-281-7092 SOURCE DivDat ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gennadius Library is pleased to announce Dr. Emily Wilson as the 20222023 speaker for the Thalia Potamianos Annual Lecture Series on the Impact of Greek Culture . Dr. Maria Georgopoulou , Director of the Gennadius Library, said "We are delighted to host such a brilliant and energetic classicist who does not shy away from reinterpreting ancient texts through translation in order to showcase how connected they are with our world today." These lectures will be free, both live and live streamed, in Athens on November 10th 2022, in Washington, D.C., on January 24th 2023, and in New York City on May 9th 2023. Dr. Emily Wilson Emily Wilson, recipient of The MacArthur Fellowship "genius grant" has received attention worldwide as the first woman to publish an English translation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. The New York Times named Wilson's translation one of its 100 notable books of 2018. She is currently working on a translation of Homer's the Iliad. Mr. Andreas Zombanakis, Chairman of the Gennadius Library's Board of Overseers, noted that "Emily Wilson's dialogue with antiquity is an antidote reminding us of the continuing relevance of the Classics to modern day life and culture." "Myth, Magic and Mystery as depicted in ancient Greek epic, drama and philosophy, and their receptions in later cultures including present day, will be the topics for my Thalia Potamianos Lecture Series," Dr. Wilson said. "The series will consider what elements of ancient Greek culture are most surprising, most reinterpreted or misunderstood, and most difficult to translate. Greek ideas about heroism, time, agency, poetics, politics, and ethics have informed and inspired scholars, students and communities for millennia." The lectures will overlay these themes onto present day culture. 20222023 Schedule for The Myth, Magic and Mystery of the Ancient Greeks Lecture I: Heroes: Big Men, Big Mouths, Big Stories Thursday, November 10, 2022 7:00 p.m. EEST (Greece) / 12:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) Cotsen Hall, Athens, Greece Lecture II: Destiny's Children: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sphinx Tuesday, January 24, 2023 6:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Lecture III: Wisdom: Why the Ancient Greeks Can't Teach Us Anything Tuesday, May 9, 2023 6:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City Click here to attend : https://ascsa.wufoo.com/forms/qmcbtxq1o19sfr/ All registrants will also be updated about the publication to follow. The Thalia Potamianos lectures are being made possible by a generous grant from Phokion Potamianos, an Overseer of the Gennadius Library. Mr. Potamianos named the series in memory of his grandmother, a distinguished Greek doctor, academic, and philanthropist. ABOUT EMILY WILSON Emily Wilson is a Professor in the Department of Classical Studies and Chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania and the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities. Wilson attended Oxford University (Balliol College B.A. and Corpus Christi College M.Phil.) and Yale University (Ph.D.). In 2006, she was named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance & Early Modern scholarship. Between 2010 and 2016, Wilson was awarded three Penn Humanities Fellowships on the topics of Virtuality; Sex; and Violence; in 2017 to 2018 she was a Topic Director on Afterlives at Wolf Humanities Center; in 2019 through 2025 she was awarded MacArthur Fellowships; and in 2020, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship. Professor Wilson's books include Mocked with Death: Tragic Overliving from Sophocles to Milton (Johns Hopkins 2005), The Death of Socrates: Hero, villain, chatterbox, saint (Harvard 2007), and The Greatest Empire: A life of Seneca (Oxford UP, 2014). She is the Classics editor of the revised Norton Anthology of World Literature. Her verse translations include Six Tragedies of Seneca (2010, Oxford), four translations of plays by Euripides in the Modern Library The Greek Plays (2016), Oedipus Tyrannos (2020, Norton), and the Odyssey (2017, with a Norton Critical Edition published in 2020). She edited a volume on Ancient Tragedy for Bloomsbury Cultural Histories (2019) and is now working on a new translation of the Iliad, which is due to appear in 2023. ABOUT THE LECTURE SERIES The Thalia Potamianos Annual Lecture Series commenced in 2021 with inaugural speaker, Dr. Peter Frankopan, a Professor of Global History at Oxford University and the Stavros Niarchos Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. A world-renowned historian and award-winning author, he presented his series of lectures on "Global Greece: A History." Each year, the Potamianos Lecture Series seeks to create a stimulating environment to draw both the academic community and public to the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Every year, a highly distinguished, internationally renowned scholar is selected to conduct research and develop programs on a topic relevant to the Gennadius Library. The research will culminate in a minimum of three annual public lectures, which will be delivered in Athens and the United States. Learn more about the lecture series: http://ascsa.edu.gr/potamianos-lecture-series SOURCE American School of Classical Studies at Athens CLEVELAND, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald Hopkins LLC is proud to announce the addition of two experienced mergers and acquisitions attorneys to the Firm's Baltimore/Annapolis office. Kathryn L. Hickey and David T. Shafer have both joined McDonald Hopkins as Members, adding their expertise to a growing national M&A team and serving as the latest addition to the firm's increased presence on the East Coast. Both Hickey and Shafer come to McDonald Hopkins from PilieroMazza. Each brings with them extensive experience representing clients in complex transactions. David Shafer and Kathryn Hickey "Kathryn and Dave bring outstanding experience and expertise to our national M&A practice. They share our team's focus on providing practical counsel on complex transactions in a way that balances legal protection with real business considerations," said Christal Contini, Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group at McDonald Hopkins. "I often say that the practice of M&A is a team sport. Kathryn and Dave will be instrumental in the continued strategic growth of our team of talented M&A attorneys and in the expansion of the high quality services we offer our M&A clients." Hickey's practice is focused on representing companies across a broad range of industries in various types of domestic and international transactions, including buyers and sellers in complex mergers and acquisitions, business restructurings, asset purchase and sale transactions, and equity purchase and sale transactions. She also represents companies and investors in venture capital and angel investment transactions with companies from a wide range of industries at various stages of growth. Her experience includes representing clients in the negotiation and implementation of institutional financing and commercial loan transactions with large institutional lenders. In addition to her M&A practice, Hickey advises companies of all sizes on general business matters, including entity formation and structure, corporate governance, executive compensation issues, commercial leasing, licensing agreements, and regulatory compliance with federal securities laws in connection with offerings of debt and equity securities and private placements. Although her clients include diverse types of entities and businesses, including publicly traded companies, nonprofits, and tribal entities, Kathryn has specific experience representing clients in the healthcare and government contracting industries. "Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins I had the experience of working with their attorneys collaboratively on cross-firm transaction deal teams. I was consistently impressed by the skill, responsiveness, and practicality of McDonald Hopkins' lawyers, and I am thrilled to be joining such a quality M&A group," said Hickey. "I look forward to working to build the firm's presence and recognition in the Mid-Atlantic region and working with lawyers across all our offices to deliver excellent legal services to our clients." Hickey earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the George Washington University Law School, where she was a Presidential Merit Scholar. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park. Shafer's practice is focused on counseling clients on mergers and acquisitions, purchase and sale of private businesses, commercial financing, private offerings of debt and equity securities, venture capital and private equity transactions, and general governance issues. He also regularly provides general counsel to companies and investors in venture capital and angel investment transactions, from a wide range of industries at various stages of growth. In addition to his M&A practice, Dave is an experienced data privacy and cybersecurity attorney. Shafer works with a broad range of clients and is well versed working with those in highly regulated industries such as government contracting. His practice often extends to serving as outside general counsel to clients at all phases of their business lifecycle on matters related to customer and vendor contracts, securities and tax compliance, and employee incentive offerings. "Joining the McDonald Hopkins team is an excellent opportunity to work alongside quality practitioners who share my enthusiasm for building relationships and engaging with clients as a trusted legal advisor," said Shafer. "I am excited to leverage the depth and breadth of McDonald Hopkins' expertise to continue serving and working with clients to help them achieve their business goals." Prior to the start of his legal career, Shafer was a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving for six years and deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Following his service, Shafer worked as a senior consultant in the cybersecurity field. About McDonald Hopkins Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Baltimore/Annapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com . CONTACT: Cynthia Stewart McDonald Hopkins LLC 600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Phone: 216.348.5733 Email: [email protected] SOURCE McDonald Hopkins International Environmental and Digital Transformation Engineering Leader Hatch Joins the Capital of Flyscan Systems as Company Enters Commercialization Phase Across North America. QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Flyscan Systems announced today the closing of a $3.5 million USD venture capital financing with strategic investor Hatch, together with BDC Capital's Cleantech Practice and Enbridge (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB). The funding will enable Flyscan to support commercialization and scaling up its operations as it has entered commercial agreements with multiple energy companies in North America. "We are thrilled to have such a world-class, deep expertise partner as Hatch joining our group of investors. Their international presence and size in multiple critical sectors related to Energy and the Environment will help us reach new markets, new capabilities and really augment our global potential." said Eric Bergeron, Founder and CEO of Flyscan. "We see additional uses for Flyscan's technologies in other oil and gas assets and beyond. Our rich expertise across multiple industries and sectors with similar or more complex monitoring needs provides us with insights and creative ideas, which could lead to possible future applications," says Sanjiv Save, Hatch's Managing Director, Oil and Gas. Robert Francki, Hatch's Global Managing Director, Energy, adds, "We have been impressed with Flyscan's remote sensing and visual detection platform and believe we could work together to improve their technology with our decades of experience working across the oil and gas industry." "Enbridge fully supports Flyscan as we build upon the collaborative partnership, we have established over the past two years," said Bhushan Ivaturi, Enbridge Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, who also leads the company's cutting-edge Technology + Innovation "We are enthusiastic to see Flyscan leading the transformation to reduce threats on pipeline right of ways and ultimately improve systems integrity. This reflects Enbridge's core value of continuously enhancing the safety and environmental performance of our operations by harnessing the power of people, data, technology, and innovation." "Flyscan is making energy corridors and other critical infrastructure safer with its proprietary remote sensing and visual inspection detection platform. We are proud to continue to support this innovative company through its commercialization and scale up phase", added Pascal Lanctot, Director, BDC Capital's Cleantech Practice. Flyscan Systems Inc. is a spin-off from Canada's National Optics Institute founded in 2015. Its mission is to help energy companies and all operators of long linear critical infrastructure to better protect their assets, the public and the environment with a positive financial return. About Hatch Hatch is a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm. Whatever our clients envision, our teams can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the energy, infrastructure, and mining sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and innovative. We draw upon our 9,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve. About Enbridge Inc. Enbridge Inc. is a leading North American energy infrastructure company. We safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want to fuel quality of life. Our core businesses include Liquids Pipelines, which transports approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America; Gas Transmission and Midstream, which transports approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.; Gas Distribution and Storage, which serves approximately 3.8 million retail customers in Ontario and Quebec; and Renewable Power Generation, which generates approximately 1,750 MW of net renewable power in North America and Europe. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com. About BDC Capital BDC Capital is the investment arm of BDC, the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs. With over $3 billion under management, BDC Capital serves as a strategic partner to the country's most innovative firms. It offers businesses a full spectrum of capital, from seed investments to growth equity, supporting Canadian entrepreneurs who have the ambition to stand out on the world stage. Visit bdc.ca/capital. SOURCE Flyscan Systems Inc. Low voltage, smart building design and PoE Lighting firms form PoE Consortium NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven smart-building manufacturers are joining forces to bring more attention to the value of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) lighting and technology. The companies are collaborating to create an industry organization known as the PoE Consortium. Their collective mission to educate stakeholders on the sustainable benefits of PoE over traditional high-voltage electrical infrastructure also highlights the key strategic value of the organization: more interoperability for the advancing smart building. The founding members of the PoE Consortium are: It's not hyperbolic to say that PoE is a game-changer. Tweet this Igor , specializing in enterprise smart building infrastructure, software and online services , specializing in enterprise smart building infrastructure, software and online services GENISYS PoE , a PoE lighting system manufactured by Innovative Lighting , a PoE lighting system manufactured by Innovative Lighting Mecho , a leader in the commercial shading industry , a leader in the commercial shading industry MHT , a PoE-based smart building lighting, technology, and software controls company , a PoE-based smart building lighting, technology, and software controls company Platformatics , specializing in data collection and storage for complex building systems , specializing in data collection and storage for complex building systems PoE Texas , delivering PoE enabled amenities and building automation , delivering PoE enabled amenities and building automation Sinclair Digital Services, a design and implementation firm with a focus on DC microgrids, battery energy storage systems and associated Software Platforms. MHT Lighting Chief Marketing Officer Kim Johnson captured the idea for the PoE Consortium, which sparked inside a group discussion about developing a joint white paper. "What began as a small project expanded quickly. Right away, we recognized the untapped strength of bringing together different viewpoints, perspectives and areas of expertise. It's not hyperbolic to say that PoE is a game-changer. We all agree more decision makers need to know the technology exists, they can integrate it right now and it has a proven history of transformation." Tyler Andrews, CEO of PoE Texas, expanded on why he sees value in the PoE Consortium. "As soon as Kim proposed the idea of a consortium to the group, all of us immediately saw the potential of working together to provide a joint space for resources, interoperability and expertise on PoE. The end users and installers will benefit most from this group coming together to provide the best information possible to anyone interested in PoE." The PoE Consortium maintains an online hub of resources for education and training at poeconsortium.com. This core of industry expertise enables anyone looking to install PoE technology to feel confident in their decision to take advantage of the sustainability, savings and advanced amenities PoE technology offers. On the site today are explainer articles, project calculators and case studies. Soon, the site will include training and qualification courses for installers and integrators to ensure the quality of PoE-enabled projects. Media Contact Kelly Moore 515-720-9670 (texts welcome) [email protected] SOURCE MHT Lighting Acknowledging the firm for its strategic business consulting services, high client satisfaction score of 4.9/5; Clutch has honoured Future Market Insights in their recent Clutch Leaders Award 2022! NEWARK, Del. , Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights Inc. an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is named a Clutch Leader 2022 in the category of business consulting. Clutch recognized Future Market Insights for its impeccable business consulting services that helps enterprises shape integrated and actionable business strategy to manoeuver any economic downturns. The Company's C-suite consulting approach, high client satisfaction score of 4.9/5, strong and strategic social media presence were some of the key factors for being chosen as the leading consultancy player by Clutch. Commencing operations in 2014, Future Market Insights has grown to become a trusted business consulting & market research partner for enterprises globally. With its headquarter in Delaware USA, it has its offices today in London, Dubai, New York with the largest delivery centre in India. "We are truly honoured to receive this recognition from Clutch, which is a strong testament of our services and our promise to serve clients across all rungs of business to become intelligence-powered, self-sustained, and resilient organizations!" Mr. Sudip Saha, COO, Future Market Insights Inc. "Being the recipient of this Leaders Award 2022 in Business Consultancy from Clutch is a great milestone for our company, a demonstration of our clarity of vision, and execution prowess. This was possible because of the continued trust our clients have in us and we're committed to serving them with excellence for years to come!" - Anurag Singh, CEO, Future Market Insights Inc. Here are snippets of reviews Future Market Insights received through Clutch: "Thanks to the distinguished expertise of Future Market Insights, the company is able to plan and implement regional business strategies. The team was highly efficient, and internal stakeholders were particularly impressed with the project's quick turnaround time." Business Analyst, Automotive Bearing Manufacturer "Future Market Insights already lives up to expectations with their reliability as a partner. Their commitment to meet tight deadlines is unmatched" - CEO, Corporate Intelligence Ltd. For context, Clutch is a B2B ratings and reviews platform committed to helping small, mid-market, and enterprise businesses connect with capable service providers. Clutch serves as a valuable resource to businesses when it comes to market research. The platform guarantees unbiased information by interviewing clients of registered vendors directly. Read the blog for more information on Clutch Leaders Award 2022! About Future Market Insights Inc. ESOMAR-accredited Future Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, USA, has been in the business consulting & market research space since a decade, with clientele spanning 15+ industry verticals, such as automotive & transportation, ICT, consumer products, automation and equipment, food & beverage, retail, services & utilities, chemicals & materials, energy, mining, and oil & gas, covering leading and emerging geographies and over 200+ niche markets. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises in these industries are our clients. Our market leading insights have been regularly cited in global media such as FORTUNE, THEGUARDIAN, ENTERPREUNEUR, MONEYCONTROL, HUFFPOST, BLOOMBERG, FORBES and BUSINESS INSIDER We have been partnering with clients on the following aspects of their business transformation, among others: Generating business opportunities in any niche market Evaluating profitability of new products/services/concepts Outperforming the market with strategic intelligence on competitors Providing real-time insights about customers and market developments Growth Strategy & Planning and Business Transformation Advisory Revenue Optimization Strategies, Product Rationalization & Pricing De-risk Strategies, Innovation Excellence, Change Management If you have a business transformation challenge that you would like to discuss, write to us at [email protected]. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/FMI_Logo.jpg SOURCE Future Market Insights As Part of $25 Million Commitment, GAF to Rebuild or Repair 500 Roofs in the Gulf Region, Starting in New Orleans' 7th Ward PARSIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GAF , a Standard Industries company and North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, announced a partnership today with actor Anthony Mackie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new "Captain America," to help rebuild communities repeatedly hit by natural disasters and left vulnerable to future crises, starting in Mackie's hometown of New Orleans. This effort is part of GAF's commitment to invest $25 million through 2025 in GAF Community Matters to help build more resilient communities across the country. Actor Anthony Mackie helps repair roofs in his hometown of New Orleans as part of GAF Community Matters, an initiative working to help rebuild communities repeatedly hit by natural disasters and left vulnerable to future crises. GAF, a Standard Industries company and North Americas largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, is investing $25 million through 2025 in GAF Community Matters to help build more resilient communities across the country. Actor Anthony Mackie surveys progress on roof repairs in New Orleans 7th Ward. The son of a roofer and native of New Orleans, Mackie is giving back to his hometown by partnering with GAF, a Standard Industries company and North Americas largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, to repair 500 roofs in the Gulf Region, starting with 150 roofs in the 7th Ward as part of GAF Community Matters. Actor Anthony Mackie (right) joins Jim Schnepper, CEO of GAF (left), and William Stoudt (center), executive director of Rebuilding Together New Orleans, on a walk around New Orleans 7th Ward to survey roofs damaged by natural disasters. Mackie is partnering with GAF, a Standard Industries company and North Americas largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, to repair 500 roofs in the Gulf Region, starting with 150 roofs in the 7th Ward, as part of GAF Community Matters. GAF (PRNewsfoto/GAF) Mackie, the son of a roofer, spent his teen years working in his family roofing business in New Orleans. "Growing up, I spent summers working on roofs with my family, so I know how important this work is to keeping families safe and building stronger communities," said Mackie. "Everyone deserves a roof over their head, and I'm proud to be working with GAF to give back to my hometown and ensure we withstand the next storm." Extreme weather is impacting almost every corner of the country, with NOAA predicting an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2022. Low-income areas are particularly vulnerable. According to FEMA, over 10,000 families remain displaced and unable to return home following last year's Hurricane Ida. Nearly 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, an estimated 26% of homes are still vacant in New Orleans' 7th Ward. Blue tarps have become a visual representation of this devastation. To help finish the job that was started when the blue tarps were first put on following those hurricanes, GAF is committing to repairing or replacing 500 roofs throughout the Gulf Region, starting with 150 roofs in the 7th Ward. In addition to partnering with GAF's network of roofing contractors to support this initiative, the company will train members of the community in essential roofing skills through the GAF Roofing Academy and provide resources to non-profit partners, including Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity, Team Rubicon, Good360 and SBP, to employ these individuals to support these rebuilding efforts. "After a disaster, resources for impacted communities tend to diminish as attention shifts elsewhere," said Jim Schnepper, CEO of GAF. "Our goal is to create lasting resilience by rebuilding in communities where progress has stalled. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Anthony to bring awareness to the challenges of long-term disaster recovery, and to continue our work with local non-profit organizations to help members of the New Orleans community return to their homes." GAF Community Matters is focused on leveraging the company's expertise, resources and products in helping to build greater resilience around families, shelter and workforce, so communities feel more prepared to respond to extreme weather events. Through a network of national and local partnerships, GAF is able to address the unique needs of each community it supports. "The impact of extreme weather goes well beyond initial property damage and is compounded over time, creating a burden that is almost impossible for families to overcome without help," said William Stoudt, executive director, Rebuilding Together New Orleans. "This is why GAF's commitment and support through Community Matters is so essential. There is a lot of work to be done to repair the homes in this community, but fixing the rest of the house doesn't matter unless you protect the roof first." GAF Community Matters first launched in 2020 and to date has helped repair roofs on over 3,000 homes. To learn more about GAF Community Matters visit www.GAF.com/CommunityMatters . About GAF GAF, a Standard Industries company, is the leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America. For more than 135 years, GAF has been trusted to protect what matters most for families, communities and business owners with its innovative solutions and focus on customer service. GAF's leadership extends to its commitment to making a positive impact on its communities, industry, and planet. Learn more at www.GAF.com . GAF Contact: Joe Perri, +1 (973) 570-1834 [email protected] Sarah Stanley, +1 (202) 256-0456 [email protected] SOURCE GAF MANZINI The Ministry of Healths fight against counterfeit, falsified and sub-standard medicines is facing a steep challenge as some pharmacies cannot identify their suppliers. This is because some of the visited pharmacies reported to be getting products (male and female sex boosters) from a supplier operating out of a bag. This is despite that the traceability of pharmaceutical products is not only important in instances of product recall and withdrawals but also in verification of products in situation of medication error, and other adverse events. These challenges came to the fore when the Lizzy Nkosi-led Ministry of Health conducted a Retail Pharmacy Survey in May 2022, which was conducted after this publication reported that there were allegations insinuating that some pharmaceuticals and medical supplies were purportedly stolen in government health facilities and sold in the private pharmacies. The survey by the ministry had two primary objectives, which were to assess whether retail pharmacies in the Kingdom of Eswatini complied with established legal provisions for such establishments in the country and also to assess the status of human resource, licensing, storage practices of products, procurement practices and destruction of obsolete stock practices in retail pharmacies from the four regions. As secondary objectives, the ministry was also seeking to establish the gap between licensed retail pharmacies and those registered with it, to estimate the distribution or spread of retail pharmacy establishments in the four regions and to assess the transparency of the procurement system for retail pharmacies. From a sample of 150 pharmacies, the report states that nine establishments, which are equivalent to six per cent, did not produce invoices due to various reasons. It was reported that the reasons ranged from their personnel claiming that they were not aware of the whereabouts of the invoices and the Medicines Regulatory Unit (MRU) team being declined the opportunity to review them. There was, according to the Retail Pharmacy Survey Report, one pharmacy that procured a number of its products from other retail pharmacies. Traceability The report states that traceability of the source of procurement for products proved to be the most difficult to assess. It was reported that only half of the 14 observed suppliers captured the products lot numbers. This act, it was said, presented a gap in the information that needed to be present in the documents in order to allow traceability in instances of recalls and withdrawals. Some of the products reviewed, in three of the pharmacies, were found to have batch numbers that did not match the ones on the invoice. Four of the visited pharmacies reported to getting products (male and female sex boosters) from a supplier operating out of a bag, and this brought into question the quality of the commodities that are consumed, reads the report in part. On the other hand, the report states that well established pharmacies in and around the city centres had provisions for inventory management, which aid in tracing the products. It was reported that by contrast, pharmacies in rural areas were found wanting, which in turn exposed how difficult it might be to track and trace commodities once they left the supplier. The report states that there was need for this gap to be addressed as instituting a proper product recall system in the country would be hindered by it. According to the report, these findings in the supply and procurement of medicines exhibited the apparent danger that patients were potentially exposed to on a daily bases. On the other hand, it was reported that 127 (84 per cent) retail pharmacies were found to have invoices save for those with multiple branches 12 (eight per cent) such that where the main branch was responsible for the bulk procurement, it then distributed to the smaller branches. It was further reported that three (two per cent) of the pharmacies reported that the invoices were with their proprietors for either filing or for audit purposes. It was the ministrys conclusion that a number of challenges needed urgent intervention as they posed a direct threat on the safety of public health. It was also concluded that with some of the challenges identified, there was need for different stakeholders to work together and institute interventions, which would address the identified challenges. This area of business is fast growing in Eswatini but is however heavily reliant on services that are provided by personnel with limited pharmacy training. It is obvious from the provisions of the Trading Licenses Order of 1975 that there are no provisions that accommodate licences that may require any specialised standards for the premise or the personnel for the establishment which the trading licence is required for, reads the report in part. On the other hand, the Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula explained that for a prospective general medical practitioner to be registered with the Medical and Dental Council there was a need to apply proper vetting practices in regulating the medical cadre. He said there was a requirement for all medical graduates, who applied for registration as General Medical Practitioners, to sit for a pre-registration examination (PRES). Competencies He said the pre-registration examination was set to measure the basic medical knowledge and clinical competencies required to practice as a general medical practitioner in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Dr Magagula emphasised that this procedure was a common international practice among medical regulatory authorities. The director of health services was responding to questions which sought to establish if the pharmacies operating in the kingdom had registered pharmacists and also if there were chances of government incurring a long-term expenditure due to wrong prescriptions of medication. Worth noting is that this publication on Monday reported that some pharmacy owners claimed that they were dealing with the concerns raised by the Ministry of Health. The pharmacists, who were first engaged by this publication in June 2022, supposed that they were dealing with refurbishing their outlets to be in line with the specifications aligned with the Medicines and Related Substances Act 9 of 2016. One of the pharmacists, who operate a retail outlet at Mbhuleni, said the biggest challenge she was experiencing was funding as the limitation of economic activity during the coronavirus pandemic had proved to be a setback. She admitted the ministry had engaged them to get their house in order as the manner in which medication was kept in her pharmacy was not in the expected specification. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health and the Swaziland Demcratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) were in unison that the law should take its course subsequent to the findings made during a survey. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane said any government employed pharmacy personnel found to be working in private retail pharmacies without the employers approval will be subjected to disciplinary measures. Also, Secretary General of SWADNU Mayibongwe Masangane said the union advocated for transparency and accountability in the profession (nursing) and therefore, the law should take its course. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grazitti Interactive, a global digital services provider and innovation leader, is all set to host the 3rd edition of its virtual conference 'Community (re)Focus, 2022', on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at 9:00 AM PST. After the grand success of Community (re)Focus, 2021, this year's summit will witness conversations on reigniting engagement in the new era of online communities. "At Grazitti's flagship event - Community (re)Focus, 2022, we'll be exploring the future of online communities, especially Communities 3.0, a subset of Web 3.0 - that is about making more intelligent and secure processes for faster and more efficient online activity. With the surge of digital currencies and technologies, 'Web 3.0' has become a common term thrown into community conversations. And so, our aim is to bring together community cognoscenti from across the globe, to discuss how community professionals can succeed in the next phase of digital advancement. "We're looking forward to thought-provoking sessions with topics that vary from NFT, digital communities, AI, and more," says Ankush Jasuja, Senior Manager, Marketing, Grazitti Interactive. "It's a digital-first world. And to gain a competitive edge in this constantly evolving space, organizations must make strategic business investments that keep their processes in perfect alignment. That's where dynamic online communities come into the picture.", says Gurpreet J. Singh, Assistant Marketing Manager, Grazitti Interactive. "The conference will feature community leaders who will share exclusive insights on creating robust online communities through exciting panel discussions, keynote sessions, Q&As, and a lot more.", he added. You can register for Community (re)Focus, 2022 here . About Community (re)Focus, 2022 Grazitti's flagship virtual conference, Community (re)Focus, is all about conversations on redefining the community landscape with communities 3.0. The conference will witness community leaders from around the world to share their expert take and insights on reshaping the community landscape with cutting-edge, advanced online communities. About Grazitti Interactive Grazitti Interactive is a global innovation leader that designs, deploys, and delivers digital engines. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in India, its team has extensive experience in enriching customer interactions, designing dynamic communities, enabling digital marketing, and driving data-driven decision support. Working in various industries, its 1000+ clients come in all sizes, from businesses on the cusp of growth to Fortune 500s across Technology, Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Travel, and more. Contacts Ankush Jasuja Senior Manager, Marketing [email protected] Gurpreet J. Singh Assistant Manager, Marketing [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1737144/Grazitti_Interactive_Logo.jpg SOURCE Grazitti Interactive Firm boosts personal injury expertise to growing team HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paranjpe Mahadass Ruemke LLP (PMR Law) is pleased to announce the arrival of trial attorney M. Cristina Gonzalez to the law firm's personal injury practice. Ms. Gonzalez joins the firm with a background of litigating on behalf of individuals and families involved in personal injury disputes. Her practice will focus on motor vehicle collisions, premises liability, medical malpractice, and product liability cases. She also has a background in criminal law. "Cristina's expertise brings additional personal injury experience to our growing team." said PMR Law Managing Partner and Shareholder Tej Paranjpe. "She is talented, smart, and we look forward to collaborating with her to help our clients." Fluent in Spanish, Ms. Gonzalez is a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents and has a passion for helping others. Prior to earning her law degree from South Texas College of Law, Ms. Gonzalez worked as a paralegal while attending college and receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She clerked for the Harris County District Attorney's office during law school. "PMR Law has a great reputation for representing people impacted by the negligence of others," said Ms. Gonzalez. "I look forward to collaborating with the team to develop solutions for our clients." Ms. Gonzalez is devoted to giving back to her community. She is the president-elect of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and a member of the Houston Trial Lawyers and the Houston Young Lawyers Association. Ms. Gonzalez mentors high school students and volunteers for the Go Tejano Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Paranjpe Mahadass Ruemke LLP or PMR Law is driven by compassion and focused on results. The firm has helped thousands of clients receive the compensation they deserve in personal injury litigation and business disputes. PMR Law's priority is to provide personalized attention, professionalism, and tireless representation. Visit: www.pmrlaw.com. Media Contact: Sophia Reza 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Paranjpe Mahadass Ruemke LLP BANGKOK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the second day of HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 Bangkok, Huawei launched a range of innovative infrastructure solutions to drive industry digitalization by finding the right technology for the right scenario, and announced the Huawei Empower Program that would invest US$300 million to support global partners in the next three years. Ryan Ding, President of Huawei Enterprise BG Around the theme "Innovative Infrastructure to Unleash Digital", industry stakeholders gathered together and held discussions exploring the future directions and opportunities for industry digitalization. They analyzed the challenges of different industries striving to go digital, and Huawei introduced solutions supported by its technical strengths to help address these challenges. Ryan Ding, President of Huawei Enterprise BG, said in his keynote speech "Empowering Industry, Creating Value" that "Deeper digital transformation will help companies better adapt to an ever-changing world. Huawei is working closely with our partners to find the right technology for the right scenario, support customers in furthering their digital transformation, and unleash the power of digital." According to Ding, using its connectivity, computing, and cloud technologies, Huawei is working with its partners to drive ongoing industry innovation and multi-tech synergy, creating scenario-based solutions for diverse customer needs. He added that this will create greater value and make it easier for customers to go the "last mile" of their digital transformation. Bob Chen, Vice President of Huawei Enterprise BG, discussed how multi-tech synergy is critical for finding the right technology for the right scenario. He explained in his keynote speech "Innovative Digital Infrastructure Accelerates Digital Transformation" that "Data is at the core of digital transformation, and data ingestion, transmission, storage, and analysis are key steps. Huawei provides full-stack products and product portfolios to support end-to-end data processing, accelerating customers' digital transformation." At the event, Huawei launched the Huawei Empower Program, which is intended to help develop a thriving digital ecosystem for global partners. Through this program, Huawei will conduct joint innovation with partners via OpenLabs, empower partners with a new framework, a new plan, and an integrated platform, and build a talent pool through the Huawei ICT Academy and Huawei Authorized Learning Partner (HALP) programs. Huawei also announced that it would invest US$300 million in this program to support global partners in the next three years. SOURCE HC2022 To establish Telenor as a product-based organization through a co-managed model, and offer premium customer experience BENGALURU, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced its collaboration with Telenor Norway, Telenor's wholly owned Norwegian telecommunications operator, in its business transformation program to become a digital telecommunications company. Through this engagement, Infosys will accelerate Telenor Norway's modernization journey while supporting its 'Beyond Connectivity' strategy. This collaboration will drive Telenor Norway's business growth and make the company future ready. Infosys was chosen to assist Telenor on this modernization journey for its strong global transformation experience and diverse talent pool. As part of the engagement, Infosys will leverage its tools and accelerators to support the transformation of Telenor's IT stack in areas of digital, Analytics & AI, and operations. The collaboration will also focus on upskilling and competency development. Infosys will jointly drive and execute Telenor's modernization roadmap for capability uplifting, business agility, and revenue growth while ensuring operational stability to meet the company's transformation objectives. While assisting in Telenor's 'Beyond Connectivity' strategy, Infosys will jointly build the required IT capabilities and enable them to become a digital-first organization. This will result in faster time to market and new revenue streams for Telenor. Commenting on this partnership, Birgitte Engebretsen, CEO, Telenor Norway, said, "In current times, it is imperative for an organization like Telenor Norway to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that our customers are provided with superior service. To do this, we have to be future-ready. Staying true to our strategy of 'Beyond Connectivity', combined with our powerful collaboration with Infosys, we are excited to embark on this modernization journey that will empower us to serve our customers better." Richard Stigaard, CIO, Telenor Norway, said, "We look forward to our collaboration with Infosys to modernise our IT landscape, and transform into a product-based organization through a co-managed model, with a dedicated focus on touch-free operations. We are confident that with this initiative, we will welcome a new way of working that will accelerate our journey towards excellent user experience, bring business agility and drive operational excellence." Anand Swaminathan, EVP, Communications, Media and Technology, Infosys, said, "Ensuring customer success is vital for us at Infosys. Our primary focus in this endeavour is providing superior end-user digital experience and operational excellence for Telenor Norway and their customers. Our shared value system through this unique collaboration will enable Telenor Norway in their journey towards 'Beyond Connectivity' with agility, simplicity and innovation." About Telenor Norway Telenor Norge AS is Norway's largest provider of telecommunications and digital services. Our infrastructure is the foundation for digitising Norway, with its world-class coverage and high speeds. Our services and products contribute to increased productivity and provide access to everything that the digital world has to offer. Our services and products help to improve productivity and provide access to all digital content. Our security and preparedness organisation works around the clock to keep our customers safe, and we are particularly aware of our social responsibility to provide security and safety for children and young people online. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, in more than 50 countries, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by the cloud. We enable them with an AI-powered core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India and the US, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg For more information contact: [email protected] SOURCE Infosys NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The world-famous red symbol of excellence is coming to New York City. Taiwan Excellence is an awards label that recognizes the top products coming out of Taiwan annually. As a part of their 2022 world tour, Taiwan Excellence is breaking records by making an awe-inspiring stop at one of the world's most famous landmarks. For the very first time, a creative link made between two Times Square billboard screens, producing a jaw-dropping experience for all visitors. The iconic One Times Square Billboard watched by millions worldwide during the New Year's Eve countdown is seamlessly connected with the ABC Supersign, creating a unique interactive 3D show. (Campaign Video on YouTube ) Taiwan Excellence, The world-famous red symbol of excellence is coming to New York City. David Wei Ding, Director of the Taiwan Investment and Trade Office and Amy Tsai, Director at Taiwan Trade Center, New York joined campaign to cheers Taiwan Excellence and celebrate the award-winning Taiwan Excellence brands and products. The streets of New York City, lit up with Taiwan Excellence, along with an excellent concept behind it, bringing everyday excellence to lives of the people. Dynamic Storytelling with 3D Experience A gorgeous blue sky with fluffy white clouds sets the scene. Jade Mountain, the quintessential symbol of Taiwan's natural environment sits majestically, while the eye-catching Taiwan Excellence logo is launched into the clouds. The 3D logo weaves its way in and out of different scenes that symbolize the international reach of Taiwan's innovative products. People passing by will marvel at the different 3D animations as they fly between the two panels, symbolizing the friendship between Taiwan and America. The streets of New York City will be lit up with Taiwan Excellence, along with an excellent concept behind it, bringing everyday excellence to lives of the people. Audiences will leave Times Square with a strong impression for Taiwan's creative power and innovative product design. The campaign will be at Times Square in New York City from September 19 to September 25, with a record-making link-up show on September 19 and September 24. Achieve Everyday Excellence Focusing on four major areas of product excellence, the coveted Taiwan Excellence award is given to products that are innovating in research and development, design, quality, and marketing. As an international hub for design and technology, Taiwan is home to many of the world's top brands. With the Taiwan Excellence awards, every year a professional multi-disciplinary team of jurors select the best Taiwanese products. This October, a selection of the 2022 Taiwan Excellence award-winning products will be showcased in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Drift away into an Immersive Future at the very first 'Taiwan Excellence Immersion Pavilion' and discover many top design-oriented lifestyle solutions. For more information, please visit the official website of the Taiwan Expo USA 2022 , and the Taiwan Excellence Instagram . About Taiwan Excellence The Taiwan Excellence Awards celebrate the ingenuity and innovation of Taiwanese businesses that display outstanding R&D, design, and quality in product development. The annual event is committed to elevating the creativity of Taiwanese businesses internationally. Please visit www.taiwanexcellence.org for more information. For more information and campaign visuals and videos, please download it here . Media Contact Sucy Lin Tiger Party New York Tel: +1 646.441.8000 | [email protected] Brian Lee Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Tel: +886-2-2725-5200 ext. 1368 | [email protected] SOURCE Taiwan Excellence "Defense Innovation Unit Clears Inspired Flight's IF750 & IF1200 Aircraft for DOD Usage" SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspired Flight Technologies, Inc., - A San Luis Obispo, CA, manufacturer of commercial sUAS (small Unmanned Aerial Systems) is proud to announce receiving Blue sUAS 2.0 clearance from The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Both product lines from Inspired Flight were accepted to the program, the medium-lift IF750 Quadcopter, and the heavy-lift IF1200 Hexacopter. All Inspired Flight products are immediately available on a standard 3 week lead time. The Blue sUAS Program is a Department of Defense led effort to certify aircraft from US manufacturers for compliance with all Supply Chain & Cybersecurity requirements surrounding the use of UAS by Military operators. This enables DOD and other Government customers to purchase Inspired Flight products directly from the GSA schedule without need for further approvals. CEO, Rick Stollmeyer adds, "This milestone will enable Inspired Flight to scale its DOD customer base and further establishes this company as a leader in the American UAS manufacturing industry." Rick goes on to say, "As a veteran-owned small business, this means a lot to our company, our employees and for Americans in general. It's a big win!" The IF750 is a compact, versatile electric quadcopter designed for third party sensor integration. Its quick deploying and commercially transportable design provides a simple and repeatable workflow for the operator in the field. Ease of maintenance and user-repairability is a key component that minimizes operator downtime. The IF1200 is a ruggedized, electric heavy-lift hexacopter designed to adapt to a specific requirement set. Minimal vibration and a compact footprint allow the IF1200 to integrate with any third party payload such as LiDAR, radiation detection sensors, gimbaled EO/IR sensors, and delivery capabilities. Inspired Flight's aircraft are ready to tackle complex and high-value commercial and government applications. The company's focus on critical infrastructure & public safety verticals means its technology is used in life-saving and mission-critical ecosystems across North America. With customers spanning the energy utility, infrastructure, first responder, and government space, Inspired Flight is building towards its purpose statement of, "Conserving resources, creating jobs, and saving lives by leading the American small unmanned aerial systems ("sUAS") Industry". For more information about our Blue UAS aircraft, please visit: https://www.diu.mil/blue-suas-2 For more information about our company, products, please visit: https://inspiredflight.com/ To schedule a demo, visit: https://inspiredflight.com/contact , For Sales Inquiries, contact (805) 776-3640 / Email: [email protected] For Media Inquiries, contact [email protected] or (215) 290-1076 Contact: Rishi Sohal Tel: (805) 776-3640 Cell: (215) 290-1076 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Inspired Flight PITTSBURGH, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create an emergency kit to assist medical professionals as well as Good Samaritans when using AED and CPR processes during an emergency," said an inventor, from Forney, Texas, "so I invented BOYD'S THUMPER. My design could provide life-saving assistance while also minimizing fire risks inherent to such equipment." The invention provides an improved apparatus for performing AED and CPR processes. In doing so, it offers added guidance for the user. It also ensures that emergency services are summoned and it enhances safety during cardiac events. The invention features an effective design that is easy to use so it is ideal for medical facilities, commercial buildings, etc. Additionally, a prototype model is available upon request. The original design was submitted to the Dallas sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-DAL-243, 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, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Cellulose Nanofibers Market in Japan 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Japan is by far the largest producer and consumer of CNF products. Strong government and industry funding has given Japan the world's largest cellulose nanofibers (CNF) "industry" with commercial production facilities operating across the country. Also, ambitious national targets for reducing CO2 emissions make nanocellulose particularly attractive for product development. CNF research and development started in Japan around 2000, and more than 50 companies are seriously developing their manufacturing technologies and applications. Additional companies are also involved in government projects. These companies produce CNF on a pre-commercial and commercial scale and produce numerous products or supply to OEMs. Companies profiled include Ashai Kasei Chemicals Corporation, Chuetsu Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd., Toagosei Co. Ltd., Daicel Corporation, Hexa Chemicals, Daio Paper, Daishowa Paper Products Co. Ltd., DIC Corporation, DKS Co. Ltd., Hokuetsu Toyo Fibre Co., Ltd., Kao Corporation, KRI Inc. and many more. Several CNF-based products have come onto the market in Japan including: Ballpoint pen ink gels Adult deodorizing products Audio equipment Hygiene wipes and other products Footwear Cosmetics Food additives Packaging additives Concrete additives Automotive composites Report contents include: Demand for CNF in Japan . . In-depth details on CNF production processes, materials development and products in Japan . . Impact of global market situation and future outlook. Production capacities for cellulose nanofiber in Japan . . End user markets in Japan . . Trends in cellulose nanofibers in Japan . Key Topics Covered: 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The market for cellulose nanofibers 1.2 Industry developments 2020-22 1.3 Market outlook in 2022 and beyond 1.4 Global production of nanocellulose (cellulose nanofibers, microfibrillated cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals) 1.4.1 Global nanocellulose production capacities 2021, by type 1.4.2 Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) production capacities 2022, in metric tonnes by producer 1.4.3 Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) production capacities 2022 1.4.4 Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) production capacities 2022 1.5 Market challenges for cellulose nanofibers 1.6 Cellulose nanofibers commercial products 1.7 Cellulose nanofibers market by region 1.7.1 Japan 1.7.2 China 1.7.3 Malaysia 1.7.4 Western Europe 1.7.5 North America 1.8 Global government funding 2 CELLULOSE NANOFIBERS PRICING 3 MARKETS FOR CELLULOSE NANOFIBERS 3.1 Composites 3.1.1 Market overview 3.1.2 Applications 3.1.2.1 Automotive composites 3.1.2.2 Biocomposite films & packaging 3.1.2.3 Barrier packaging 3.1.2.4 Thermal insulation composites 3.1.2.5 Construction composites 3.1.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.1.4 Product developers 3.2 Automotive 3.2.1 Market overview 3.2.2 Applications 3.2.2.1 Composites 3.2.2.2 Air intake components 3.2.2.3 Tires 3.2.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.2.4 Product developers 3.3 Buildings and construction 3.3.1 Market overview 3.3.2 Applications 3.3.2.1 Sandwich composites 3.3.2.2 Cement additives 3.3.2.3 Pump primers 3.3.2.4 Thermal insulation and damping 3.3.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.3.4 Product developers 3.4 Paper and board packaging 3.4.1 Market overview 3.4.2 Applications 3.4.2.1 Reinforcement and barrier 3.4.2.2 Biodegradable food packaging foil and films 3.4.2.3 Paperboard coatings 3.4.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.4.4 Product developers 3.5 Textiles and apparel 3.5.1 Market overview 3.5.2 Applications 3.5.2.1 CNF deodorizer and odour reducer (antimicrobial) in adult and child diapers 3.5.2.2 Footwear 3.5.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.5.4 Product developer profiles 3.6 Biomedicine and healthcare 3.6.1 Market overview 3.6.2 Applications 3.6.2.1 Wound dressings 3.6.2.2 Drug delivery stabilizers 3.6.2.3 Tissue engineering scaffolds 3.6.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.6.4 Product developers 3.7 Hygiene and sanitary products 3.7.1 Market overview 3.7.2 Applications 3.7.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.7.4 Product developers 3.8 Paints and coatings 3.8.1 Market overview 3.8.2 Applications 3.8.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.8.4 Product developers 3.9 Aerogels 3.9.1 Market overview 3.9.2 Global market in tons to 2032 3.9.3 Product developers 3.10 Oil and gas 3.10.1 Market overview 3.10.2 Applications 3.10.2.1 Oil recovery applications (fracturing fluid) 3.10.2.2 CNF Membranes for separation 3.10.2.3 Oil and gas fluids additives 3.10.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.10.4 Product developers 3.11 Filtration 3.11.1 Market overview 3.11.2 Applications 3.11.2.1 Membranes for selective absorption 3.11.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.11.4 Product developers 3.12 Rheology modifiers 3.12.1 Market overview 3.12.2 Applications 3.12.2.1 Food additives 3.12.2.2 Pickering stabilizers 3.12.2.3 Hydrogels 3.12.3 Global market in tons to 2032 3.12.4 Product developers 3.13 Other markets 3.13.1 Printed, stretchable and flexible electronics 3.13.2 3D printing 3.13.3 Aerospace 3.13.4 Batteries 4 CELLULOSE NANOFIBER COMPANY PROFILES (64 company profiles) ANPOLY, Inc. Asahi Kasei Corporation Chuetsu Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd. Daicel Corporation DaikyoNishikawa Corporation Daio Paper Corporation Daishowa Paper Products Co. Ltd. Denso Corporation DIC DKS Co. Ltd. Ehime Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Fillerbank Limited Fuji Pigment Co., Ltd. Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd Gen Corporation GS Alliance Co. Ltd. Hattori Shoten K.K . . Hexa Chemical Co. Ltd./Nature Gift Hokuetsu Toyo Fibre Co., Ltd. Kami Shoji Company Kao Corporation KRI, Inc. Kusano Sakko K.K . . Maniwa Biochemical Marine Nanofiber Co., Ltd. Marubeni Corporation Marusumi Paper Company Limited Marutomi Seishi Co., Ltd. Masuko Sangyo Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation/Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited Mori Machinery Co., Ltd. Nippon Paper Group, Inc. Nippon Shizai Co., Ltd Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd. Oji Holdings Corporation Omura Paint Co., Ltd. Onkyo Corporation Osaka Gas Group Panasonic Rengo Co., Ltd. Ripro Corporation Risho Kogyo Co. Ltd. Sanwa Kako Co. Ltd Seiko PMC Corporation Sharp Chemical Ind. Co., Ltd. Shinwa Kako KK Starlite Co., Ltd. Sugino Machine Limited Taiyo Holdings Co Ltd Take Cite Co., Ltd. Tentok Paper Co. Ltd The Japan Steel Works Ltd Toagosei Co. Ltd. Tokushu Tokai Paper Co., Ltd. Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. Toray Industries, Inc. Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. Toyota Boshoku Corporation TS Tech Co., Ltd. Ube Industries, Ltd. Unitika Co., Ltd. Yokohama Bio Frontier, Inc. Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. Yoshikawakuni Plastics Industries Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6ctwl1 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets GREELEY, Colo., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JBS USA Food Company announced today the expiration and results of its previously announced cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for any and all of the outstanding U.S.$350.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.500% Senior Notes due 2029 (the "Notes") issued by JBS USA Lux S.A., JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Finance, Inc. The Tender Offer was made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated September 12, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase") and the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Offer Documents"). As reported by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and tender agent for the Tender Offer, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 20, 2022 (such date and time, the "Expiration Time"), U.S.$269,186,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, representing approximately 76.9% of the outstanding Notes, had been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the Tender Offer. This amount does not include U.S.$32,579,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes from holders who have submitted a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery in accordance with the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Offer Documents. Holders who (i) validly tendered their Notes and did not validly withdraw on or before the Expiration Time or (ii) delivered a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and all of the other required documents on or before the Expiration Time and validly tender (and do not withdraw) their Notes prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 22, 2022, and whose Notes are accepted for purchase by JBS USA Food Company, will receive the "Tender Offer Consideration" indicated in the table below. In addition, accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date of the Notes up to, but not including, the settlement date, which is expected to be September 26, 2022 (the "Settlement Date"), will be paid in cash on the Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date (as defined below), as applicable. With respect to any Notes tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures, the holders thereof will receive payment of the Tender Offer Consideration for such accepted Notes (to the extent that such Notes were not delivered prior to the Expiration Time) on the guaranteed delivery settlement date, which is expected to be September 26, 2022 (the "Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date"). Certain information regarding the Notes and the terms of the Tender Offer is summarized in the table below. Description of Notes CUSIP/ISIN Outstanding Principal Amount of Notes Targeted Tender Amount Tender Offer Consideration 6.500% Senior Notes due 2029 46590XAA4, L56608AA7 and L56608AD1/ US46590XAA46, USL56608AA73 and USL56608AD13 U.S.$350,000,000 Any and All U.S.$1,050.00(1) _____________ (1) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase, not including accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date of the Notes up to, but not including, the Settlement Date. JBS USA Food Company's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, a financing condition as described in the Offer to Purchase. JBS USA Food Company is making the Tender Offer only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. Barclays Capital Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Truist Securities, Inc. are acting as dealer managers for the Tender Offer and can be contacted at their respective telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of Offer to Purchase with questions regarding the Tender Offer. The Offer Documents are available electronically at www.dfking.com/jbs-tenderoffer. Copies of the Offer Documents are also available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer Documents should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at +1 (800) 967-7574 (toll free), +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect) or [email protected]. None of the Offer Documents nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer Documents or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary. The Tender Offer has been made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer Documents. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of JBS S.A. or any of its subsidiaries, including JBS USA Food Company. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will JBS USA Food Company accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities of blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer Documents because they contain important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the perspectives and expectations of JBS S.A. or any of its subsidiaries, including JBS USA Food Company, are forward-looking statements. The words "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions, when related to JBS S.A. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, indicate forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current view of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on various assumptions and factors, including general economic, market, industry and operational factors. Any changes to these assumptions or factors may lead to practical results different from current expectations. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made and none of JBS S.A. or any of its subsidiaries undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made. About JBS USA Lux S.A. JBS USA Lux S.A. is one of the world's largest producers of beef, pork, chicken and packaged food products. In terms of daily production capacity, JBS USA Lux S.A. is among the leading beef producers and the second-largest pork and chicken producer in the United States. In Australia, JBS USA Lux S.A. is the leading producer of beef, lamb and packaged foods and the second largest producer of salmon. JBS USA Lux S.A. prepares, packages and delivers fresh, value-added and branded beef, pork, chicken, and lamb products to customers in more than 150 countries on six continents. JBS USA Lux S.A. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of JBS S.A., the largest protein company and the largest food company in the world in terms of net revenue. CONTACT: Diego Pirani Treasurer [email protected] +1 (970) 506-8117 SOURCE JBS USA Food Company OSLO, Norway, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahoot!, the global learning and engagement platform company, is announcing today the launch of its web platform and mobile apps in Korean. With this launch, Kahoot! is expanding and personalizing the user experience of its products across Asia, providing millions of lifelong learners with premium content and meaningful learning experiences in their own language. Kahoot! is now available in Korean making learning even more awesome for millions of lifelong learners The addition of Korean marks a new milestone for Kahoot!, now supporting 16 languages in the web platform and mobile apps. Korean is the fourth Asian language available in Kahoot! after the launch of Japanese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. "South Korea owns one of the most remarkable digital infrastructures in the world with a top performing education system at all levels. The blend of these two elements, in combination with the popularity and usage of Kahoot!, make it a great time for us to accelerate the adoption of digital learning tools at scale among schools, universities and businesses of all sizes across South Korea," said Eilert Hanoa, CEO, Kahoot!. In the last year, over 9 million teachers globally hosted a kahoot session in K-12 and higher education classrooms to create interactive lessons while fostering creativity among their students. Moreover, hundreds of global organizations including 97% of Fortune 500 companies, use Kahoot! to energize their employees facilitating communication, training sessions, presentations, meetings, and events at the workplace. Taking learning and engagement to the next level with CLASSUM Earlier this year, Kahoot! announced a partnership with CLASSUM , the South Korean education technology company that enhances online and offline communication in the classroom and the workplace through digital learning spaces. CLASSUM and Kahoot! have a unified vision of increasing learning engagement through social interaction, friendly competition and gamified experiences for learners of all ages. "Our partnership with CLASSUM is a strong foundation in our strategy to expand our presence in the Asian market, and offer easier access to multi-user Kahoot! licensing across Korean schools, universities and corporations of all sizes," said Hanoa. Youjin Choi, CEO of CLASSUM said, "I want to congratulate Kahoot! on the launch of their apps and web platform in Korean. We are so honored to be able to deliver this news to our many Korean users as an official partner of Kahoot!. For the past few months, CLASSUM and Kahoot! have worked closely together to promote more active communication in learning and foster engaging educational environments. We look forward to witnessing the efforts of our two companies to create higher quality educational experiences around the world, providing great value to businesses, schools and institutions." With the launch of Kahoot! in Korean, CLASSUM can further spread social learning, a culture in which people learn together. CLASSUM has also recently released its 4.0 update to break down the boundaries between educators and learners and facilitate communication-centered growth. Hundreds of games available in Korean To celebrate the launch of Korean, Kahoot! has released hundreds of new high-quality games that users can play with friends, family and colleagues with content from premium Kahoot! partners. Through these kahoots, users can learn math, STEM, SEL, test their general knowledge or discover new ways of learning languages with exclusive content from Drops in Korean . To explore these new content offerings and learn how to access Kahoot! in Korean, read our blog post . Visit Kahoot! News to stay up to date on company news and updates. About Kahoot! Kahoot! is on a mission to make learning awesome! We want to empower everyone, including children, students, and employees to unlock their full learning potential. Our learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share, and host learning sessions that drive compelling engagement. Launched in 2013, Kahoot!'s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. Since launch, Kahoot! has hosted hundreds of millions of learning sessions with 8 billion participants (non-unique) in more than 200 countries and regions. The Kahoot! Group includes Clever, the leading US K-12 EdTech learning platform, together with the learning apps DragonBox, Poio, Drops, Actimo, Motimate, and Whiteboard.fi. The Kahoot! Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices in the US, the UK, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Kahoot! is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker KAHOT. To learn more, visit us at kahoot.com . Let's play! Media contact: Alejandro Viquez [email protected] SOURCE Kahoot! MANZINI The police have made a breakthrough in the fight against illegal firearms, as seven men were arrested for possession of guns and ammunition. The arrests were effected on Sunday at Mathangeni and Mahlabatsini, which are both townships in Matsapha. It was gathered that five of the suspects, who were arrested at Mahlabatsini, were found in a celebratory mood which was discarded by shots being fired as they were rounded up. The arrest of the seven people was subsequent to a number of armed robbery cases that have taken place throughout the country and also the killing of police officers. Shot Last Tuesday, a 37-year-old police officer, under the Traffic Department at Matsapha Police Station, was shot once in the left side of his abdomen while he and his colleagues were attending to a road traffic accident at New Village, along Mhlaleni/Nhlangano Public Road. Also, during the past weekend, two murders were committed during the commission of robberies at KaShali and Siphofaneni. This publication yesterday reported that on Sunday, around 12:30am, a 36-year-old man was shot dead by armed robbers at KaShali. Robbers According to impeccable sources, the deceased was shot after witnessing robbers trying to break into a homestead. Also, it was reported that a 33-year-old man of Sithobelweni died after being shot once in the stomach by three unknown men while at Sihlangwini. The deceased was said to have been fighting robbers who were hijacking a family of their vehicle and was shot in front of his minor children. Also, over the weekend there were a number of armed robberies committed, resulting in a combined loss of items and cash valued at about E210 000. The suspects are yet to appear in court. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Keep Music Alive is excited to once again partner with the Music & Arts retail chain to celebrate the 7th Annual Kids Music Day this October. Kids Music Day will be officially celebrated on Friday October 7th, 2022, with related events being held between October 1st and October 9th in the US, Canada and a dozen other countries. Music & Arts is making it easier (and more fun) than ever to give music a try! Keep Music Alive is excited to once again partner with the Music & Arts retail chain to celebrate the 7th Annual Kids Music Day this October. Be Part of the Music is a recruitment, retention, and advocacy resource for music programs. Our vast and growing set of tools help music educators at every level get and keep more students in music. Kids Music Day Supporters include Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, Richie Sambora, Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Williams, Victor Wooten, Todd Rundgren, Neil Nayyar Philip Lawrence, Bernie Williams, Damien Escobar, Mandy Harvey. Alfred Music, CASIO EMI, Conn-Selmer, D'Addario Foundation, Kala Brand Music, Hungry for Music, Les Paul Foundation, Make Music, Music Nomad Equipment Care, Musicology & Remo Percussion. The Music & Arts retail chain offers lessons for over 23 musical instruments and voice and will host a student showcase and TWO free group music lessons at over 250 lesson locations nationwide: Friday 10/7 Student Showcase - Come see their lessons program first hand and watch student and instructor performances and meet your local instructors RSVP -https://events.musicarts.com/events/student-showcase-408881564767?source=LGOABHCA Saturday 10/8 - Free Group Guitar Class with instructor performances and free trial lesson signup. RSVP - https://events.musicarts.com/events/free-group-guitar-class-for-beginners-400214912577?source=LGOABHCA Sunday 10/9 - Free Group Guitar Class with instructor performances and free trial lesson signup. RSVP - https://events.musicarts.com/events/free-group-guitar-class-for-beginners-400228994697?source=LGOABHCA All group lesson attendees can register for a free trial lesson with an instructor of their choice. As a special offer, any event attendee that signs-up to become a lessons student on 10/7, 10/8 or 10/9 will receive a FREE guitar (while supplies last)! Over a dozen celebrity artists are showing their support for Music Education by lending their name as Kids Music Day Ambassadors including: Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, Richie Sambora, Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Williams, Victor Wooten, Todd Rundgren, Neil Nayyar Philip Lawrence, Bernie Williams, Damien Escobar and Mandy Harvey Kids Music Day is also being supported by a number of music industry brands including Alfred Music, CASIO EMI, Conn-Selmer, D'Addario Foundation, Kala Brand Music, Hungry for Music, Les Paul Foundation, Make Music, Music Nomad Equipment Care, Musicology, Remo Percussion and the Spirit of Harmony Foundation. Keep Music Alive is honored to welcome these partners helping to share the Kids Music Day message, inspiring more kids to begin their own musical journey. Keep Music Alive is a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated helping more kids and adults reap the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music. Major programs include Teach Music Week in March, Kids Music Day in October and year-round Musical Instrument Petting Zoo events. For more information please call (610) 874-6312 or visit www.KeepMusicAlive.org and www.KidsMusicDay.org . Music & Arts, one of the nation's largest music lessons providers and part of the Guitar Center family of brands, continues its mission to promote and support the merits of music education and the joy of music lessons by offering this opportunity for new musicians to get involved. To learn more about Music & Arts, visit www.MusicArts.com. Contact: Vincent James 610-874-6312 [email protected] SOURCE Keep Music Alive Largest Patient Meeting Showcases Role September 21-23, 2022 Patient Insight Data Shapes New Generation of Drugs, Devices, and Diagnostics WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most medically vulnerable populations in America, people living with kidney diseases, is rewriting the book on scientific research and medical innovation by aggressively expanding their impact on basic research, applied research, and the key regulatory and payment deliberations that determine when safe, new products reach the market. Kidney patients have support from a growing national and global alliance of research professionals, kidney medicine experts, elected and career government officials, and private industry executives and investors who respect patients and view their insights and advocacy as the catalysts driving long-overdue cures for kidney diseases and transformations in kidney health. The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the oldest and largest independent kidney patient organization in the U.S., has expanded patient impact on kidney research and development by organizing and training patients to engage effectively with leaders in science and innovation. AAKP is a staunch advocate for patient care choice, independence, and new treatments that allow patients to fully pursue their aspirations, including part-time or full-time work. AAKP will highlight some of the key research and development activities kidney patients are involved in at its Annual National Patient Meeting, being held virtually September 21-23, free of charge to all registrants (https://bit.ly/AAKPNPM). Speakers at the meeting include some of the top kidney research and innovation experts, federal officials, and national patient experts. AAKP founded its Center for Patient Education and Research in 2016 to serve as a rapid fulfillment hub for government, academic, medical device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical industry requests to engage kidney patient experts. The Center also supports AAKP's efforts to speed the utilization of unique patient insight data across both the product development lifecycle and within regulatory and payment decisions, including those made by commercial insurers (read now). Since its launch, AAKP has dramatically expanded its membership databases, social media recruitment, and analytics tools. The organization now services dozens of requests every year for clinical trial awareness and recruitment campaigns, patient advisory boards, technical evaluation panels, focus groups, patient surveys, clinical research, and public policy research. AAKP leaders and staff provide expert advice to organizations and companies on how to work meaningfully with patients as co-investigators and partners and offer online training for patients on how to be equally effective collaborators. "AAKP patient members have near unlimited opportunities to impact science and innovation. We are proud their diverse and unique perspectives are shaping research and development and new products destined for the market. Both patients and their doctors want to cure kidney diseases, and both are impatient for the arrival of safe, new treatment choices," stated Richard Knight, President of AAKP and a 16-year kidney transplant recipient. Knight is co-chair of the Patient and Family Affairs Subcommittee for the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). At the federal level, AAKP patients are impacting research and development initiatives across the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) via the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) and other DOD activities. Further, AAKP has been actively involved in patient engagement initiatives and the development of patient insight data alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and multiple other federal agencies. To facilitate greater veteran involvement in kidney research and innovation and to support the VA kidney medicine program in the U.S. Congress, AAKP launched its Veterans Health Initiative in 2017. AAKP leaders and AAKP Ambassadors are also closely involved in leading national kidney innovation partnerships and consortiums, including the Kidney Health Initiative (KHI), a partnership of the FDA and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN); the KidneyX Innovation Accelerator, a partnership of the ASN and HHS; and the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP), a scientific consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK). The KPMP is America's largest taxpayer-supported kidney science initiative. Together, these efforts are resulting in significant advancements in kidney care through science, new precision medicine, artificial organs, and human-centered product design (read now). AAKP has forged strong partnerships with numerous universities and academic centers involved in kidney-related studies. AAKP patients are presently involved in research at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Washington, Emory University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Michigan, Duke University, Wake Forest University, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of California San Francisco, Vanderbilt University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and various other institutions. Through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), AAKP patient advocates have been involved in every PCORI-funded kidney research effort since PCORI authorization in 2010 and reauthorization in 2019 (read now). AAKP forecasts its involvement in university research efforts will more than double by 2024. Globally, since 2019, AAKP has organized patient consumers and advocacy organizations to support research and clinical trials through its Annual Global Summit on Kidney Disease Innovations, a partnership event with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Global Summit has evolved into the largest patient-led kidney disease conference in the world and has a reach of over 90 countries. In 2022, the Global Summit gained new participants from Nepal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, and Kazakhstan (read now). Since 2021, AAKP has also provided expertise to the World Health Organization (WHO) on the development a new engagement framework designed to elevate the lived experiences and insights of people living with non-communicable disease, including kidney patients, within WHO deliberations and agenda setting (watch OnDemand). In June of 2022, the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) broadened its involvement in AAKP's Decade of the Kidney initiative by including it in the theme of their annual European Kidney Forum before the European Parliament in Brussels. At the Forum, AAKP leaders joined patients and EU-elected leaders to express support for new treatment innovations, including artificial organs and xenotransplants (watch OnDemand). Edward V. Hickey, III, USMC, Vice President of AAKP and Chair of the Veterans Health Initiative, stated, "The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated high fatality rates among kidney patients are a critical reminder of how vulnerable kidney patients are, especially as their disease progresses. AAKP patients are fully committed to investing their time and expertise to help advance science and new treatments. As a national advocacy organization, we are equally committed to making certain safe solutions pass regulatory and payment processes without unnecessary delays and have built the requisite capacities to achieve the mission." Hickey is a former senior Congressional aide and has served in multiple presidential administrations. Paul T. Conway, AAKP Chair of Policy and Global Affairs, stated, "Kidney patients know cures and treatment choices will expand only when science and ingenuity flourish and innovation is rewarded. Dialysis, and its accompanying high mortality, has changed little since America put a man on the moon, won the Cold War, and transformed the global economy and communications with modern technology. Kidney patients know this nation can do betterand we also know that if kidney medicine fails to evolve, society will continue to pay a prohibitive cost for inaction, and patients will pay with their lives." Conway is a 25-year transplant patient, serves on the Kidney Health Initiative (KHI) board, and is a former Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Labor. In the United States alone, an estimated 37 million people have chronic kidney disease, including 800,000 with kidney failure, and whose kidney care costs the American taxpayer over $100 billion a year. Those costs do not include the additional expense to the nation and patients stemming from workforce dropout, disability, and dependency caused by this chronic illness and the burdens associated with obsolete, status quo technologies found in dialysis care. Immunocompromised kidney patients and immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipients were among the hardest hit by COVID-19, and despite advances in related therapeutics, they remain at high risk of infection. About the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP): Since 1969, AAKP has been the premier patient-led organization driving policy discussions on kidney patient consumer care choice and treatment innovation. AAKP members represent all disease states, ethnicities, and demographic indicators. By 1973, AAKP patients had collaborated with the U.S. Congress and White House to secure dialysis coverage for any person suffering kidney failure, a taxpayer-funded effort that has saved over one million lives. In 2018, AAKP established the largest U.S. kidney voter registration program, KidneyVoters. Over the past decade, AAKP patients have helped gain lifetime transplant drug coverage for kidney transplant recipients (2020); new patient-centered policies via the White House Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health (2019); new job protections for living organ donors from the U.S. Department of Labor (2018); and Congressional legislation allowing HIV-positive organ transplants for HIV-positive patients (2013). Follow AAKP on social media at @kidneypatient on Facebook, @kidneypatients on Twitter, and @kidneypatients on Instagram, and visit www.aakp.org for more information. MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Rate Marketing & Communications Manager [email protected] (813) 400-2394 SOURCE American Association of Kidney Patients SEONGNAM, South Korea, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AI data company and member of the Born2Global Centre, AIMMO (Oh Seung-Taek, CEO) participated in Cenex-Connected Automated Mobility (Cenex-CAM), held in Millbrook, the UK, from September 7 to 8, to share its core technologies and projects that provide accurate, consistent training data for the development of connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Hosted by Cenex, the UK's leader in low-carbon and fuel-cell technology, Cenex-CAM was co-hosted by Cenex-LCV, the UK's top low-carbon vehicle event. This year, 3,329 attendees, 65 speakers, and 171 companies participated in the exhibition at Cenex-CAM, which was first held in 2019, and various programs, such as extensive seminar programs, networking events, and test runs, were held. At the event, AIMMO introduced a supercharged MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) solution for autonomous driving. MLOps integrates machine learning system development, data management, and service operation to support stable development. AIMMO operates a specialized team to ensure continuous technical support and customization, thus enabling the production of optimal results for each project. The participants who visited the AIMMO booth were presented with smart labeling demonstrations and various technology solutions for solving data problems. These solutions reduce manual labeling by up to 90% by automatically processing the data required for the development of CAV solutions. AIMMO also showcased the methods needed for processing training data and shared how AIMMO's techniques and processes improve the accuracy and consistency of such data. AIMMO has a system that manages data pools in the field of autonomous driving and smart cities. The company has also developed its own data set using data collection, refining, and processing software, which it provides for the development of the required training data. In particular, AIMMO's core service, Ground Truth as a Service (GTaaS), receives AI support when processing training data, allowing data annotation to be handled more than five times faster than manual labeling. The process ensures 99.9% annotation accuracy through an embedded quality management system. AIMMO also participated in Intel Korea's "Intelligent 5G Edge Summit" event, held on September 1, where it introduced smart labeling services that guarantee work speed, accuracy, and infrastructure for automated data production. "We were able to discuss with Cenex-CAM participants how to use AIMMO's technology to carry out ongoing projects faster and more accurately," said David Marks, head of European sales. "AIMMO is an AI and data company with a focus on R&D and plans to continue leading and expanding in the global AI market based on our worldwide network of branches in the UK, US, Korea, and Japan." About AIMMO AIMMO is re-defining how AI can be used and applied to power smart automation. At the heart of AIMMO's smart automation solution is its proprietary AI-driven approach to the acquisition, curation, labeling, and augmentation of structured, highly accurate training data that is delivered even faster to end users through AIMMO's automated data operations process. With its transformative supply and licensing models, AIMMO is leading the global enablement of new smart applications to realize automation efficiency in a wide range of fields from autonomous vehicles to smart cities, industry 4.0, robotics and security services. For more information, please visit en.aimmo.ai About Born2Global Centre The Born2Global Centre, operated by Born2Global, is a full-cycle service platform that supports the global expansion of promising companies. Established in 2013 under the Ministry of Science and ICT, Born2Global has been setting the standards for a successful startup ecosystem in Korea and continues to expand and transform startups so that they are engaged, well equipped, and connected with the global market. For more information, please visit born2global.com SOURCE Born2Global Centre JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Krystal Klean , the Southeast's leading building care company, announced the finalization of an acquisition of Belet's Painting and Maintenance Inc. which serves the Jacksonville, Florida area. Krystal Klean is part of the United States' leading building care organization FLEETWASH. The acquisition represents the 109th for the group. Belet's Painting recently joined forces with Krystal Klean. "We are very pleased to join forces with Krystal Klean. We look forward to expanding their capacity in residential and commercial painting and now can offer a range of pressure washing and waterproofing services", said Stewart Belet, founder of Belet's Painting. The merger adds 28 experienced painting and coating professionals to Krystal Klean's team. "If you have a cleaning or coating business with annual revenues between $200K and $200M we'd like to talk", said Jeremy Morgan of Krystal Klean. "Come join the Krystal Klean and FLEETWASH family." About Krystal Klean Krystal Klean is the Southeast United States leading building care company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Krystal Klean offers a full range of painting, pressure washing, sealing and coating, window cleaning, and waterproofing services. With more than 135 team members and a fleet of specialized equipment, Krystal Klean is equipped to service any type of building. For more information visit https://www.krystalklean.com/acquisitions About Belet's Painting Belet's Painting is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida and serves the greater Jacksonville area. The company is a leader in commercial and residential painting. With over 27 years of experience in the commercial and residential painting industry in Northeast Florida Belet's offers full interior and exterior painting and coatings to new and existing commercial buildings, condos, residential, hospital and government projects. Media Contact: Taylor Poindexter [email protected] 904.220.3337 SOURCE Fleetwash d.b.a Krystal Klean Note-taking is a personal activity, even when it takes place in a professional context. Every user takes notes differently and a great note-taking app must be flexible enough to allow them to do so. So we've been working on a range of features that help you to give your notes a personal touch. NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Our latest updates let you further customize the look and feel of your notes A page for every purpose In Nebo, personalization starts at the level of page creation. If you've been enjoying the app for a while, you'll notice that we've renamed two of the core page types you can add to your notebooks. The freeform page is now a Note and the regular page is now a Document names that align better with the content each page was designed to help you create. Need to mix writing and drawing on an infinite canvas, brainstorm ideas or create with complete freedom? Choose a Note. Want to handwrite on a responsive page, add math or diagram objects, then convert to typed text and perfect shapes? Choose a Document. Choose your look Our latest update adds support for Dark Mode the feature most often requested by our users. This posed a development challenge for an app containing a huge range of potential color combinations, and we've worked hard to ensure that your notes adapt and stay legible whichever mode you use. As a result, you can now enjoy a more comfortable user experience in low-light conditions. Also new for this release are page backgrounds. You can now change the color of both Note and Document backgrounds, and each background has a bespoke Dark Mode variant. Use different color backgrounds to categorize your notes or just to spice things up! Your words, your way We recently introduced some cool new pen types too. You can now write, draw and diagram with your choice of a felt, fountain or brush pen, and in a range of stroke widths. And don't worry: Nebo's world-leading write-to-text conversion works well with each of them. The new pen types make Nebo feel more natural than ever, allowing you to capture your handwriting more faithfully each time you put pen to screen. We've also made it easier to add unrecognized terms (like specialist jargon, abbreviations or brand names) to Nebo's dictionary. Select a word to display the menu, then tap Learn "[term]" to add it to the dictionary. Nebo will now recognize the term whenever you write it. Make it personal Together, Nebo's new personalization features make it easier than ever to create notes that look and feel completely your own. How will you use them? Let us know via social media we always love to see how our users make the most of Nebo. Enjoy the update! The Nebo team at MyScript Connect With Us nebo.app nebo support nebo (Facebook) nebo (Twitter) About MyScript Since 1998, MyScript has pioneered the development of AI technology that makes handwriting the basis for powerful human-machine interfaces. Placing ink at the center of the digital world, MyScript's software lets users interact with digital devices in more intuitive and versatile ways, seamlessly integrating handwriting into their workflows. In 2016, the company used this expertise to create Nebo, a note-taking app that employs the accuracy and power of MyScript Interactive Ink to boost users' productivity. With an international team and support for more than 70 languages, MyScript serves customers worldwide from its headquarters in Nantes, France, as well as regional offices in China, Japan, Korea and the US. Learn more: http://myscript.com PRESS CONTACT Giovanni Rodriguez +33228014950 https://www.nebo.app/ SOURCE MyScript WESTPORT, Conn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the last year, LCR has seen its core offering, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa, reauthorized. It has added an SEC-registered investment advisory business, LCR Wealth. It has also launched multiple new private equity funds for global families. To support this growth, LCR Capital Partners is excited to announce it has hired Tracy Kan as Director of Finance and Operations, joining Lou Frost who was appointed CFO in March. Tracy Kan Tracy worked with Sherman Baldwin, LCR's CEO, while they were both at Accenture. Having started her career at KPMG in the audit team, she passed her Certified Public Accountant license in the US and also became a Chartered Accountant in Canada as well. She worked for over 15 years at Accenture, across control assurance, delivery management and, most recently, commercial operations. "Tracy is an incredibly talented operations lead. She understands accounting, understands contracts, but primarily understands business. LCR has a strong clients services and operations team, but we recognize that our business has expanded. I always admired how capable Tracy was at Accenture and I'm looking forward to having her join the team," said Sherman Baldwin, CEO of LCR Capital Partners. "Having worked with Sherman previously, I know he values process and respects the need for compliance controls. I'm really looking forward to working with the international team and making sure our systems stay ahead of the needs of the business," said Tracy Kan. "LCR works across multiple regulated industries and if we want to be a trusted partner to global families, we need the highest quality professionals on our team. Tracy has a great background and we will support her because great operations are critical to being a client-centric organization," said Suresh Rajan, LCR's Founder and Executive Chairman. Tracy will start the week of September 18, 2022. In addition to her US and Canadian CPA certifications, she received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and an MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University. About LCR Capital Partners LCR Capital Partners is a private investment and advisory services firm that serves families interested in global opportunities. Founded in 2012, the firm's primary focus is working with clients interested in immigrant investor programs. LCR has helped over 850 clients move to the United States via the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa, which grants investors and their immediate family members US Green Cards. LCR also works with the E-2 Investor Visa, the Portuguese Golden Visa, and Grenada's Citizenship by Investment program which are all government-approved investments. Through its affiliates, International Investors Mortgage and LCR Wealth Management, the firm also offers US loan solutions and wealth management to foreign nationals moving to the United States. LCR has built long-term, trust-based relationships with a global client base of high-net-worth families in over 30 countries around the world. LCR is headquartered in Westport, CT, and runs a global network with teams in Miami, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Dubai, Singapore, and Mumbai. Website: http://www.lcrcapital.com For more information please contact: John M. Baker Chief Marketing Officer, LCR Capital Partners LLC [email protected] +1 (203) 883-1940 SOURCE LCR Capital New Awards Program Coincides with First-Ever Digital Issue Celebrating the Best of the Bar Industry NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dotdash Meredith's Liquor.com unveils its inaugural 2022 Liquor Awards, which recognize key players in the bartending industrythe professionals and places both longstanding and up-and-comingthat are advancing the world of cocktails, spirits, and hospitality. The awards and the brand's first-ever digital issue celebrate the bars, organizations, and individuals who display creativity and integrity and who are working to improve the drinks industry in a holistic fashion, making it more inclusive, more sustainable, and better for its members and the community at large. Liquor.com's digital issue, complete with a full list of winners and finalists, is available here. Liquor.com announces its 2022 Liquor Awards. Alexis Doctolero, Vice President of Liquor.com, said, "Liquor.com has always strived to create a platform that showcases the incredible folks who power the drinks industry and the meaningful work that they do. The Liquor awards are a natural extension of this mission. We believe these winners and finalists represent the people and places that exemplify the best of the American drinks industry today, and we are honored to celebrate them." In honor of the inaugural installment of these annual awards, the digital issue features wide-ranging coverage of the winners and finalists. The Liquor Awards aim to bridge the gap between industry experts and consumer-facing franchises to celebrate people and places in a way that all drinks enthusiasts will recognize and appreciate while tapping the wealth of knowledge of Liquor's staff and its wide ranging and diverse industry contacts. The awards are presented across two sections in 14 categories, including Excellence in Bars, Holistic Hospitality, Bartender of the Year, and Liquor Awards' 2022 Liquor Legend, which will honor Dale DeGroff, who is largely credited with the creation of modern bartending in its current form. 2022 LIQUOR AWARDS WINNERS EXCELLENCE IN BARS Best Restaurant Bar: Cafe La Trova , Miami, FL , Best Hotel Bar: Hey Love , Portland, OR , Best Neighborhood Bar: Ba'sik , Brooklyn, NY , Best Craft Cocktail Bar: Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA Best New Bar: Happy Accidents , Albuquerque, NM , Best Classic Bar: Clover Club , Brooklyn, NY , Best Spirits Selection: Canon, Seattle, WA HOLISTIC HOSPITALITY Expertise in Hospitality: Katana Kitten Prioritizing the Planet: Trash Collective Trash Collective Community Builders: Brown & Balanced Brown & Balanced Creating an Inclusive Space : Chris Cabrera : Health and Wellness: Healthy Pour BARTENDER OF THE YEAR: Masahiro Urushido, Katana Kitten, New York City LIQUOR LEGEND AWARD: Dale DeGroff How the winners were selected: Liquor.com's team tapped a panel of 50 hospitality-industry luminaries to ensure that the nominees constituted a diverse group of bars, restaurants, organizations, and individuals. The Liquor.com team also partnered with the charitable organization Another Round, Another Rally for its insights and suggestions and worked collaboratively with it to assemble the panel of judges. Each panelist could nominate up to five bars, organizations, or individuals per category. Based on the nominations, the Liquor.com team selected the top five finalists in each category. The panel then voted to determine the winners from among the finalists. For more information about the selection and vetting process, please visit here. Liquor.com will celebrate the winners and finalists on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, in New York City at Manhattan's Crown Shy, SAGA, and Overstory for an evening of drinks and festivities as we celebrate the best in our industry. ABOUT LIQUOR.COM Liquor.com is dedicated to good drinking and great living. We inspire, entertain and educate anyoneand everyoneinterested in what happens in the glass and out of it. Cocktail recipes; home bar know-how; bottle recommendations; industry intel and job advice for the bar professional; profiles of industry pros; the bars and cities to visitif it centers on the act of drinking and how to live life to the fullest, Liquor.com will tell its story. Liquor.com is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family. CONTACT: Shara Alexander, [email protected] SOURCE Dotdash Meredith HOPKINTON, Mass., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lykan Bioscience, an innovative contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on cell-based therapies, today welcomes Barbara Ressler, Ph.D. as Vice President, Manufacturing Process Sciences. Dr. Ressler will join the executive leadership team and will be responsible for Lykan's analytical development, process development and manufacturing science and technology (MS&T) teams. "At Lykan, we are building a contract development and manufacturing organization focused on analytical and process science innovation to enable the cost-effective delivery of cell therapies to the patients that need them," said Patrick Lucy, President and CEO of Lykan Bioscience. "Barbara's extensive scientific experience particularly in the cell and gene therapy space is a great addition to Lykan, we are thrilled to have her join the team." "I'm excited to join Lykan to expand our process science capabilities, so that our partners can develop, scale-out, and scale-up GMP compliant processes and deliver well-characterized products to their patients" said Barbara Ressler, Vice President, Manufacturing Process Sciences. Before joining Lykan, with over a decade of experience in cell and gene therapy, Dr. Ressler was the Senior Director of Process Development at Mustang Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing cell and gene therapies for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases. Prior to Mustang Bio, Dr. Ressler was the Director of Cell Manufacturing at Editas Medicine, a biotechnology company focused on translating the power and potential of genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of treatments for serious diseases around the world. Dr. Ressler earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and a S.M. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ABOUT LYKAN About Lykan Bioscience Lykan Bioscience is an innovative contract development and manufacturing services organization (CDMO) focused on cell-based therapies. With decades of biopharmaceutical industry experience, Lykan offers a full range of development and manufacturing services. The state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility offering eight independent manufacturing suites is uniquely designed to fully integrate cGMP principles and advanced software solutions to enable real-time testing and release of product. Located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, 25 miles southwest of downtown Boston and in the proximity of four international airports, Lykan Bioscience is ideally situated to deliver life-saving cell therapy treatments to patients on behalf of their partners. Visit www.lykanbio.com Media Contacts: Lykan Bioscience Director of Marketing Carrie Zhang [email protected] SOURCE Lykan Bioscience The company chose downtown Bethesda for its vibrant, mixed-use urban community with outstanding amenities and lifestyle opportunities, as well as multiple modes of public transportation, including easy access to Metro. Close to the nation's capital, the modern, cutting-edge workplace incorporates state-of-the-art technology and provides beautiful and functional space that will help attract and retain top talent from around the region. "Marriott is a true leader and innovator in the global hospitality sector, and we are delighted that this pioneering company has renewed its commitment to continued growth in Montgomery County, Maryland," said Bill Tompkins, President & CEO of MCEDC. "This mega project has so many beneficiaries, from employees and construction workers to suppliers to local restaurant and retail. Marriott International will continue to be a key economic driver in Montgomery County for many years to come." Earlier this year, the innovative headquarters and neighboring hotel project had won the 2022 Project of the Year honors at the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Awards, a state-wide recognition of significant projects and programs that bring economic prosperity to Maryland. MCEDC, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Commerce, sponsored the Marriott HQ and Hotel nomination. Marriott's new headquarters and hotel project was recognized for its environmentally sustainable design, coordination of partnerships and a projected $2.3 billion in business activity within its first year of opening. During the pandemic, Marriott International masterfully pivoted to address the urgent need to reimagine its workplace to accommodate significant changes in employee and customer preferences. About MCEDC The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) is the official public-private economic development organization representing Montgomery County, Maryland. Created in 2016, MCEDC is led by a Board of Directors of business executives. Its mission is to help businesses start, grow and relocate in Montgomery County by helping them gain access to top talent, business and market intelligence and prime locations. For more information, visit our website. Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn . Contact: Michael Mitchell MCEDC, VP, Marketing & Communications 240-641-6725 [email protected] SOURCE Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, MeWe announced plans to become the world's largest decentralized social media platform. MeWe , a 20-million-user global social network, is doubling down on its values of privacy and putting control in the hands of its users by integrating groundbreaking decentralized technology. Users will soon have the opportunity to transition to decentralize their experience while still enjoying everything they know and love about MeWe - a platform that deeply respects user privacy and does not algorithmically manipulate or amplify user content. MeWe will utilize the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) a new open-source internet protocol released by Project Liberty - in an effort to further empower its users and strengthen its commitment to providing a social media experience that's free from the algorithms, amplification, and manipulation that have proliferated across the internet. "MeWe was created to respect the fundamental human right to privacy while allowing people to enjoy what is great about social media family, friends and finding community. Integrating DSNP into our growing platform further aligns our technical infrastructure with our core values of privacy and user-control. By providing this option to our members, we are leveling up MeWe's commitment to putting users in control of their social media experience. We look forward to showing the benefits of technology designed to empower users and enable healthier digital communities," says Jeffrey Edell, Chairman and CEO of MeWe. MeWe users will be able to transition to a decentralized system in early 2023, starting with features like a secure, password-free sign in option. MeWe is actively engaging its global user base to solicit their feedback at every stage of this transition. Over time, this decentralized technology will democratize the way MeWe operates, allowing for shared input on the social network's product development initiatives and platform policies. "Today, social media is a monopoly with too much power in too few hands. MeWe is pioneering a new, values-driven way to do social media. Decentralization allows everyone to participate and puts control back into the hands of the people. It's an exciting vanguard to be a part of," says Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple and MeWe Advisory Board Member. Research shows that more than 60% of Americans are concerned with how their data and information is collected and used by companies and governments, according to Pew Research Center findings. MeWe has always rejected the surveillance capitalism business model. The platform's growth to 20 million users globally underscores the demand for social media that prioritizes user control and respects privacy. Decentralized technology transfers control from one centralized entity such as a company to a distributed, participatory network, thereby boosting privacy protections and a user's control over their own data. MeWe's integration of decentralized technology will provide its growing membership with an unmatched level of privacy and control in the social media space. About MeWe MeWe is a social network built to put privacy first and committed to giving users more control over their data and social media experience. The company offers a groundbreaking " Privacy Bill of Rights '' which guarantees users control of their data and news feeds. MeWe allows users to join groups, engage their friends, and puts them in complete control without ads or algorithms. With 20-million users worldwide, and unique features such as the MeWe 2-way camera, MeWe is host to over 600,000 user-driven interest groups. MeWe encourages authentic engagement between users by not manipulating or amplifying content and safeguards its users with strong Terms of Service . MeWe was named a 2020 Most Innovative Social Media Company by Fast Company and a 2019 Best Entrepreneurial Company in America by Entrepreneur Magazine. In 2016, MeWe was honored as Start-Up of the Year Finalist for "Innovative World Technology" at SXSW. About DSNP Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), released by Project Liberty in 2021, is an open-source protocol that establishes a universal social graph that is no longer controlled by a specific application. This new technology frees the social network from closed, proprietary platforms, securing individual data rights and establishing a forum for open collaboration. DSNP establishes shared standards and enables shared network effects across the entire ecosystem of applications and services that will leverage this new public resource. Individual digital rights are secured at the protocol level and preserved no matter what app people use. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE MeWe MBABANE The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has, through a letter, requested Eswatini authorities to provide information on the steps taken to implement a decision to compensate Justice Thomas Masuku. The commission recently reported that it had purportedly written a letter to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to ascertain this. According to ICJ, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (the African Commission) during the 33rd Extraordinary Session, held from July 12 to 19, 2021 and published on April 6, 2022, found that the State (Kingdom of Eswatini) had been in breach of the African Charter in its conduct surrounding the removal from judicial office of Justice Thomas Masuku. The commission, in the decision of April 6, 2022, found that the Kingdom of Eswatini breached its human rights obligations to ensure a fair trial and an independent Judiciary in the case of Justice Masukus impeachment and removal from the Eswatini High Court, stated ICJ, through the Director of the African Programme, Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh. Letter The jurists commission further detailed that on June 28, 2011, Masuku received a letter from the Chief Justice at the time, the late Michael Ramodibedi, informing him of an inquiry against him. The targeting of Justice Masuku for the execution of his judicial mandate resulted in a grave injustice against him personally and caused serious damage to the rule of law in Eswatini, said the director. Ramjathan-Keogh, in his remarks, further said even though the leadership of the Eswatini Judiciary had changed in the years since the complaint was filed at the commission, the decision provided for the opportunity of long-delayed justice to Masuku and determination on what the Eswatini authorities should do to fulfil its obligations to continually ensure an independent Judiciary and fair administration of justice. Independence According to the letter from the jurists commission, the African Commission found that Eswatini had violated Articles 7 (right to a fair trial), and 26 (independence of the Judiciary) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, as interpreted with reference to the African Commissions Principles and Guidelines on the Rights to a Fair Trial and the United Nations (UN) Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary. Having established these violations, the commission recommended that the authorities provide compensation to Masuku and ensure that the JSC review the charges against him. In terms of wider reforms necessary, the human rights commission recommended that Eswatini review the legal framework applicable to the JSC to ensure that judges have access to judicial review of JSC decisions and to permit judicial officers facing disciplinary proceedings to object to the participation of a member of the JSC on the ground of bias, stated ICJ in the letter. The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Lindiwe Mbingo, when reached for comment to ascertain whether the ministry was in possession of such a letter, stated that she was out of the office for the better part of the day and would only be in a position to check today. According to ICJ, the State is yet to issue any public official response to the African Commissions decision. ICJ further claims that it does not appear apparent steps have been taken to ensure compliance with the commissions recommendations. It is not every day that one finds communication from the African Commission dealing with critical aspects of the judicial office. I note with satisfaction the clear and unequivocal message conveyed by the Commission in Communication 444/13 regarding the independence and impartiality of individual judges and courts in the execution of their constitutional mandate. I have noted that some judiciaries on the continent have embraced the jurisprudence contained in the communication and have adopted the trite learning it provides on a practical rather than a theoretical basis, said Ramjathan-Keogh in the letter. She further said the submission of the complaint by Masuku to the African Commission was not in vain. Deliverables It has provided tangible deliverables, namely the clear guidance on the proper approach to impeachment of judges in terms of personnel, process, and procedure, having proper regard for the independence and impartiality of the judicial office in a constitutional State. She further noted that the ICJ welcomed the African Commissions decision and urged the Eswatini authorities to implement its recommendations to strengthen judicial independence in the country. The independence and impartiality of the Judiciary is fundamental to the rule of law and human rights, including the right to a fair trial, and to an effective remedy for violations of human rights, concluded Ramjathan-Keogh. Communication Meanwhile, the communication (Communication 444/13) submitted by Masuku was received by the African Human Rights Commission on April 11, 2013. The commissions decision was therefore issued nine years after the initial submission. Recently, Judge Sipho Nkosi, was removed from the High Court, following an impeachment process. The charges laid against Judge Nkosi included alleged absenteeism, failure to deliver judgments, late arrival at court and bringing the administration of justice into disrepute. Judge Nkosi is the fourth judicial officer to be removed after Judge Masuku, Mpendulo Simelane and the late Chief Justice Ramodibedi who, after impeachment, were removed as judges of the High Court of Eswatini in September 2009 and June 2015, respectively. Experts to Discuss Role of Legal Education and the Legal Profession in Democracy and Community HOUSTON, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate the opening of the new John M. O'Quinn Law Building, some of the most notable names in bar association leadership, the judiciary, law firms, legal employers, and academia will gather at the University of Houston Law Center for a Celebration and Dedication Conference on Friday, Sept. 23. The conference theme is "Legal Education and the Legal Profession in Promoting Democracy and Community in the 21st Century." "The UH Law Center has long served as a site for discussion and discourse on so many issues affecting our world. It's only fitting that the dedication of the brand-new John M. O'Quinn Law Building is aligned with a conference featuring a who's who of scholars and leaders in the legal profession. I look forward to being a part of this event and anticipate great conversations among its participants," said Dr. Robert H. McPherson, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Houston. "It is an exciting time for the University of Houston Law Center. We are celebrating our 75th anniversary and the move into our new home, the new John M. O'Quinn Law Building," said University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes. "We are proud to be a platform for thought leadership and host events such as this conference that provide greater interaction with the legal community." The more than 20 prominent speakers and panelists presenting at the conference are: Deborah Enix-Ross , President of the American Bar Association. Senior adviser to the International Dispute Resolution Group of Debevoise & Plimpton , President of the American Bar Association. Senior adviser to the International Dispute Resolution Group of Debevoise & Plimpton Erwin Chemerinsky , President of the Association of American Law Schools, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law , President of the Association of American Law Schools, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law Lonita K. Baker , President of the National Bar Association, Associate Corporate Counsel at Waystar , President of the National Bar Association, Associate Corporate Counsel at Waystar Dr. Robert H. McPherson , Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Houston , Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost for the Leonard M. Baynes , Dean and Professor of Law for the University of Houston Law Center , Dean and Professor of Law for the Law Center Alex B. Roberts , Partner at Beck Redden, President of the University of Houston Law Alumni Association , Partner at Beck Redden, President of the Law Alumni Association Greg R. Vetter , Associate Dean and HIPLA Professor of Law for the University of Houston Law Center , Associate Dean and HIPLA Professor of Law for the Law Center Carlos M. Bollar , President of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Co-Chair of Archer & Greiner P.C. Environmental Justice Group , President of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Co-Chair of Archer & Greiner P.C. Environmental Justice Group A.B. Cruz III. Acting President of the National Asian Pacific Islander Bar Association, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.), Senior Advisor at BarkerGilmore Laura Gibson , President of the Texas Bar Association, Managing Partner at Dentons , President of the Texas Bar Association, Managing Partner at Dentons Christopher V. Popov , President of the Houston Bar Association, Partner at Vinson & Elkins , President of the Houston Bar Association, Partner at Vinson & Elkins Renee Knake Jefferson , Joanne and Larry Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics, Professor of Law and Director, Outcomes and Assessments at the University of Houston Law Center , Joanne and Larry Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics, Professor of Law and Director, Outcomes and Assessments at the Law Center Judge Jeffrey V. Brown , U.S. Southern District Court of Texas , U.S. Southern District Court of Justice J. Brett Busby , Supreme Court of Texas , Supreme Court of Judge J. Michelle Childs , U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit , U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod , U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit , U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Judge Jenny Rivera , New York Court of Appeals , Court of Appeals Gregory M. Bopp , Managing Partner at Bracewell LLP , Managing Partner at Bracewell LLP Alison L. Chen , Managing Partner at Akin Gump , Managing Partner at Akin Gump Shauna J. Clark , U.S. Chair; Head of Employment and Labor at Norton Rose Fulbright , U.S. Chair; Head of Employment and Labor at Norton Rose Fulbright Paul Furrh , Attorney and CEO for Lone Star Legal Aid , Attorney and CEO for Lone Star Legal Aid Roland Garcia , Partner at Greenberg Traurig, Chair of the Mayor's Hispanic Advisory Board , Partner at Greenberg Traurig, Chair of the Mayor's Hispanic Advisory Board Kim Ogg , Harris County District Attorney The Celebration and Dedication Conference is the first large-scale event hosted by UH Law Center in the new world-class building, which opened to students, staff and faculty this fall semester. The ultramodern nearly $93 million John M. O'Quinn Law Building was designed by the women-owned architecture firm, Shepley Bulfinch. The five-story, cantilevered building has dedicated spaces for instruction, research, clinics and events. At approximately 180,000 square feet, the facility includes a multi-level library, a meditation room, a courtroom, commuter showers with changing rooms, an outdoor terrace, student lounges, an advocacy skills lab, and a convenience store. The conference is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at the John M. O'Quinn Law Building, 4170 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Attendees earn 6 hours of Texas MCLE. A reception and building tours will follow. Click here to register for the Celebration and Dedication Conference. Click here to view the agenda for the Celebration and Dedication Conference. Click here for a booklet with photos of the new John M. O'Quinn Law Building spaces. University of Houston Law Center media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Bonnie Buffaloe, Communications Manager, 713-743-9137, [email protected] . About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 15 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students. SOURCE University of Houston Law Center APPLETON, Wis., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New Leaf Paper (NLP) recently partnered with Rutgers University students to complete an organizational analysis designed to assess the company's mission and sustainability goals. "As a certified B-Corp, we are committed to a sustainability mission," said New Leaf Paper CEO Paul Bradshaw. "The students' high-level analysis makes clear that we are different in the industry, as paper is not usually thought of as a sustainable product. We are committed to changing that and caring for our environment. We were thrilled with the opportunity to further our transparency and open ourselves up to this analysis." As the report points out, New Leaf Paper, through its sustainability mission, makes a positive impact on climate change through protecting forests, preserving water, managing waste, and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The efforts continue with New Leaf Paper's partnership with One Tree Planted , which plants a tree for every New Leaf Paper order received. In summary, the analysis reports that "even though they are in a declining or flat industry, New Leaf Paper's focus on sustainability makes them a successful business. Their business strategy allows them to have a large sustainable impact on the environment relative to their sales volume. The company's sustainability techniques and guidance have enabled New Leaf Paper to form partnerships with manufacturing mills to produce products with high post-consumer recycled content." "It was a pleasure to work with high-achieving students, and the analysis certainly benefited New Leaf Paper. It is helpful for all businesses at times to take a step back and allow outside observers to analyze your efforts," said Bradshaw. "For us, this is another important way we are providing transparency and reinforcing our sustainability mission commitment." The analysis was completed by students from the Rutgers Business SchoolNewark as part of their Aim2Flourish project. The full report can be accessed here . New Leaf Paper New Leaf Paper is the leading national supplier of environmentally responsible paper solutions, focusing on developing and supplying sustainable, superior papers with 100% post-consumer recycled fiber (PCRF). New Leaf Paper is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and minimizing all resources used in producing printing, writing, publishing, and communication papers. New Leaf Paper is B-Corporation and FSC certified. Our papers are made in the USA & Canada, processed chlorine-free, and contain Ancient Forest Friendly certification. For more information or to ORDER PAPER, visit www.NewLeafPaper.com. Rutgers University https://www.business.rutgers.edu CONTACT: Shannon Bone [email protected] (704) 999-8118 SOURCE New Leaf Paper Four in five adults want the EPA to continue taking the lead to protect clean water, according to a Morning Consult poll for the Walton Family Foundation WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walton Family Foundation, in collaboration with Morning Consult, released new polling today showing that at least seven-in-ten adults nationally have a favorable opinion of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This comes with the Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments in October about whether certain waters can be protected under the Clean Water Act in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The poll, released as UN Climate Week gets underway, shows Americans strongly prefer that the federal government maintains water standards. The EPA is the top choice of Americans to set standards to protect the rivers, lakes and streams that provide drinking water from pollution - and 68% think it is very important the EPA have the authority to protect clean water through the Clean Water Act. "Clean water and the Clean Water Act continue to unite Americans," said Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director of the Walton Family Foundation. "We all believe that water is vital to every aspect of our lives from our health to the economy to our ecosystemsand that we must continue to have strong laws that protect this vital resource. Americans do not want to roll back clean water standards, because they want to trust that drinking water is safe." Key findings from the poll include: 95% of Americans say that protecting the water in our nation's lakes, streams and rivers is important . Further, 79% want to strengthen or maintain current standards, while just 8% want to relax them. . Further, 79% want to strengthen or maintain current standards, while just 8% want to relax them. 88% agree that it is important that the EPA has the authority laid out in the Clean Water Act such as restricting pollution entering our waters and limiting the destruction or physical damage to lakes, rivers, wetlands, streams and other waterways. such as restricting pollution entering our waters and limiting the destruction or physical damage to lakes, rivers, wetlands, streams and other waterways. After a brief description of Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency, 75% of adults are supportive of protecting more waters and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. 89% of adults would be concerned if polluters no longer had to meet water requirements before adding waste into streams or wetlands and 88% would be concerned if the permit requirement to make a permanent physical change to a water body was removed in some cases. and 88% would be concerned if the permit requirement to make a permanent physical change to a water body was removed in some cases. Adults want more safety standards for water releases from factories and industrial processes (69%), municipal drinking water (68%) and drinking water in their community (67%). Polling Methodology: This poll was conducted between August 26th 27th, 2022 among a sample of 2,210 Adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of Adults based on gender, age, race, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. About the Walton Family Foundation The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SOURCE Walton Family Foundation The Ultra Trail where the sea and the desert become one PUERTO PENASCO, Mexico, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 22th and 23th of 2022, a competition like no other will take place in Mexico: The Great Desert Race. An Ultra Trail where some of the best athletes of more than 10th countries will participate. This challenge is different; it'll be an encounter with yourself full of adrenaline and strength, where we get deep into the salt paths of the ancestors, a magical place that get through the dunes of the Great Altar Desert to then find the sea breeze of the paradisiac Cortes's Sea in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) in Sonora, Mexico. You'll also get the chance to camp below a breathtaking sky full of stars. A unique experience you should live. Rocky Point is the scenery of a competition never seen before on the country where the runners can sign up on any of the 4 distances that get through espectacular natural views that will amaze you with their beauty awakening your adventure spirit: Beach Fun Run (10K), Beach & Desert Run (25K), Mega Desert Run (50K) and Ultra Trail (75K). Save the date for October 22th and 23th for The Great Desert Race, in collaboration with the Government of Sonora and the support of the Department of tourism Federal and State. This event looks to promote the sport and grow the tourism in the area yet unexplored for most of the people outside the country, but with an important potential. Pack your bags and test your limits! Sign up today to any of the 4 distances available at www.grancarreradeldesierto.com.mx For further information, we recommend to you to check out the first episode (with english subtitles) of our documentary which'll give you an insight view of what to expect on Rocky Point, Sonora: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4_5SOKGkbw Facebook / Instagram: @grancarreradeldesierto Twitter / YouTube / Pinterest / TikTok: @gcddoficial Media contact: Alejandro Cauduro, [email protected] SOURCE Gran Carrera del Desierto OSSEO, WI, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- North American Specialty Laminations ("NASL") announces their new greenfield manufacturing and distribution location in Roanoke, Virginia. North American Specialty Laminations Expand to Roanoke Virginia! Tweet this Doug Pence GM SE, NASL BIP (PRNewsfoto/North American Specialty Laminations) Factor Program "In delivering on our vision to ensure service excellence across North America, we are pleased to announce our new 57,000 square foot facility in Roanoke, VA, that will be our production hub for profile lamination and fabrication capabilities to our door, window, cabinet, wall panel, fencing and moulding customers across the southeastern U.S. With our extensive analysis, we selected Virginia for its consistent pro-business stance, progressive supporting programs, and skilled workforce in the greater Roanoke area," states Doug Rende, CEO, NASL. Doug Pence will lead the Roanoke facility as General Manager and he brings over thirty years building materials production and general management experience with such companies as Ply Gem, Simonton, and Alcoa. "With his extensive knowledge of the industry; the lamination processes and the local labor pools, we look forward to Doug's experience and meaningful contributions in establishing this important new plant site," offered Zach Wiedenhoeft, President/COO, NASL. As with all NASL locations, Roanoke team members will participate in our FACTOR Program which provides comprehensive, certified training and personal development programs for improved career and financial advancement opportunities. NASL is sponsored by Building Industry Partners ("BIP") the leading private equity firm focused on the U.S. building industry. BIP has made a commitment to elevate the employee value proposition at each its portfolio companies. As part of this commitment every NASL employee, including all Roanoke associates, participate in NASL's employee equity ownership program. Mai-Tal Kennedy, BIP's Director of HCM Transformation & Employee Ownership, shared, "We are committed to being the employer of choice, and we believe that businesses perform best when the interests of investors are aligned with the interests of employees. Virginia is a great state to do business, and we are proud to be opening a facility in Roanoke. NASL is grateful for our collaboration with the Virginia Department of Economic Development to assist in these efforts." Virginia Governor, Glenn Youngkin, stated, "North American Specialty Laminations' decision to establish its Mid-Atlantic operation in Roanoke County, reinforces the many advantages leading manufacturers can find in Virginia." He continued, "Advanced manufacturing companies are a strong cluster in the region, which offers skilled workforce and higher education connections to guarantee a robust talent pipeline for the future. We look forward to supporting NASL as they ramp up in the Commonwealth."- "NASL's expansion into the Roanoke region demonstrates the strength of the building industry sector here and confirms the growing market demand for building materials. NASL is a welcome addition to our manufacturing community," stated Jill Loope, Director Economic Development, Roanoke County. About North American Specialty Laminations North American Specialty Laminations ("NASL") is a profile wrapping, and specialty fabrication manufacturing company serving the Window, Door, Cabinet, Furniture and Architectural Millwork industries. With headquarters in Osseo, WI and production locations serving all U.S. and Canadian regions. NASL is a portfolio company of the Boston based private equity investment firm Building Industry Partners (BIP). About Building Industry Partners Building Industry Partners ("BIP") is the leading private equity investment firm focused on the U.S. building industry. Founded by Matt Ogden in 2008, BIP is headquartered in Boston, with operating partners and advisors across the U.S. Over the past 14 years, BIP is proud to have co-founded or been first equity sponsor of a number of the fastest growing and most dynamic businesses in the U.S. building industry's middle market, including U.S. LBM Holdings, Kodiak Building Partners, Homewood Holdings, and U.S. Fence Solutions/Binford Supply. In 2020, BIP redefined its purpose: to build exceptional and enduring businesses, generate world class investment returns, and contribute to elevating the building industry and its workforce through people-focused investment & business principles. BIP continues to seek opportunities to sponsor the building industry's greatest talent in building exceptional businesses, realizing their entrepreneurial visions, and increasing shared prosperity amongst its businesses' shareholders, management, and broader workforce. SOURCE North American Specialty Laminations Reach Fertility will open its third location in early 2023. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reach Fertility, a leading fertility treatment and research practice, announces it is opening a new location in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte, NC. The practice will be located at 14135 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, NC and will begin accepting patients in early 2023. Reach Fertility's new, nearly 5,000 square foot location will offer multiple spaces for consultations and monitoring as well as its own HSG suite, and laboratory. The office will be open Monday-Friday and offer a comprehensive scope of fertility procedures on site. According to Patrick Mc Phillips, Reach's executive director, "Since opening our doors over thirty years ago, Reach Fertility has developed deep roots in the Charlotte community. We are now very excited to open our new Ballantyne facility to better serve prospective parents residing in the southern areas of North Carolina and in South Carolina. Fertility treatment often requires several visits and this new location will offer more convenience for patients coming from the surrounding areas. The practice is situated just off main highways and provides plenty of free parking." This location joins Reach Fertility's main practice in the Dilworth area of Charlotte, and its northern site located in Mooresville, NC. Reach Fertility has been a leader in treating patients with fertility issues in the Southeast since 1988. Combining decades of experience with state-of-the-art technology, Reach Fertility has achieved some of the highest pregnancy rates in the region. Reach is also known for providing compassionate patient care, individualized treatment plans and the most cost-efficient options. The practice's fertility specialistsDr. Seth E. Katz, Dr. Joseph G. Whelan, III, Dr. Richard L. Wing, Dr. Jack L. Crain, Dr. Tyl Taylor, Dr. Jennifer Patrick, Taylor Holt, PA-C, Ann Morris Merline, PA-C, Grace Perez, PA-C, Daminica Mc Phillips, NP- BC and Molly Oaten, WHNP are nationally recognized as leaders in the field of reproductive medicine and provide the most compassionate and technologically advanced patient care. To learn more, please email Reach Fertility, visit our website: www.northcarolinafertility.com or call (704-343-4444) to schedule an appointment with one of our fertility specialists. SOURCE Reach Fertility NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh gave high marks to The City College of New York-based Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Initiative (RIWI) as it embarks on its first major project to address the lack of modern infrastructure jobs throughout New York City. CCNY Pres. Vincent Boudreau [left] with Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Pres. & CEO Lloyd Williams, and NY Gov. Kathy Hochul. Launched this spring with $1.5 million in federal funding, $1.5 million in state funding, and an initial lead award of $400,000 from CUNY, the initiative named for retired U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel and designed to serve his old congressional district, is joining in the Second Avenue Subway Phase II construction project, providing workforce and training opportunities. Other forthcoming opportunities include the Gateway Program and the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill passed by Congress. "This is very much top of the line in terms of an opportunity, using this outstanding educational institution to be the vehicle to transport young people to a better future. And how do we do that? We train them in infrastructure jobs," Hochul said on a tour of RIWI, along with Walsh, Rangel, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), CCNY President Vincent Boudreau and other officials. "I'm very excited about this and thank you for taking the lead," she told Boudreau. Walsh praised the initiative and added: "When we think about where we are in the United States of America, Congress is active, (Senator Chuck) Schumer has done an amazing job passing these bills, and now it's really down to The City College to make sure we are preparing young people to access those jobs." Said Boudreau: "This initiative harnesses our expertise in engineering, architecture and sustainability to the needs of the moment more directly than ever before. America must mobilize to accomplish the reconstruction of our infrastructure and that mobilization is a great opportunity to develop a more representative workforce. I'm pleased that CCNY is equipped to answer the call, and so grateful to Congressman Espaillat, Governor Hochul and Congressman Rangel for their faith and support." A trailblazer who left the House of Representatives in 2017 with a huge legacy in his relentless push for inner city development, Rangel called RIWI a national model for similar programs. He said having an initiative at CCNY that offers young people an affordable academic option to attain the training for careers in fields of transportation and infrastructure development will give equity opportunity in an often-overlooked community. "Now that students will be able to commence their studies here is a great step in developing a workforce attuned to the needs of the future, especially among the underserved, under-educated and under-employed," Rangel, a statesmen-in-residence at City, added. "This initiative is an exciting model for like-programs in academic institutions throughout the country. A great step for students and a truly exciting program for the future." Espaillat, Rangel's successor as 13th Congressional District U.S. Representative, has been instrumental in RIWI coming to fruition. The initial $1.5 million in federal support was part of the $11.5 million package in community project funding secured by Espaillat. He's also secured $2.2 million for the FY23 cycle. "Our federal, state, and nonprofit partnerships have worked collaboratively to boost the local economy, and under Secretary Walsh's leadership, we have seen record low unemployment and record job growth," Espaillat said. " "I am delighted to welcome Secretary Walsh and Governor Hochul to see all the important initiatives and innovative labor hubs in my district." RIWI is the brainchild of Dr. Robert E. Paaswell, Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering in CCNY's Grove School of Engineering, in response to Rangel's desire for modern infrastructure jobs in the 13th Congressional district. It will equip historically underserved communities with analytical and operational skills through innovative curricula, simulation-based training, and experiential learning to help them pursue career paths in the rapidly changing urban infrastructure sector. Paaswell and Michael Bobker, Director of the CCNY-based CUNY Institute for Urban Systems' Building Performance Lab, developed RIWI's unique strategy and content and recently welcomed its new Interim Director, Professor Angelo Lampousis, who will lead the continuation of the initial pilot and the comprehensive rollout of the full curriculum this fall. Contact: Jay Mwamba, CCNY Communications, 917.892.0374, [email protected] SOURCE City College of New York, Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Garfield A. Clunie, MD, a leading expert in health equity and maternal fetal medicine, has joined NYU Langone Health as the first vice chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Garfield A. Clunie, MD Before joining NYU Langone, Dr. Clunie served on the faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science and site-director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Mount Sinai DowntownUnion Square. In addition to caring for pregnant patients with complex medical conditions, his clinical and research studies focus on prenatal diagnosis of fetal anatomic and genetic abnormalities, with a special interest in care before and during pregnancy for individuals with diabetes. In this newly established leadership role within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Clunie will spearhead efforts to promote health equity goals across clinical care, research, and medical education, collaborating closely with the Office of Diversity Affairs and the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity. "We are thrilled to have Dr. Clunie join our faculty and the NYU Langone community," says Dana R. Gossett, MD, the Stanley H. Kaplan Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "His appointment to this new vice chair role is a significant milestone in our Department's history, and a big step forward toward our goals of developing a diverse workforce and promoting the cultural competencies that will allow each of us to provide our community with the highest level of patient-centered care." About Dr. Clunie An alumnus of Wake Forest School of Medicine, Dr. Clunie completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at New York Downtown Hospital. He went on to complete his maternal fetal medicine fellowship at Tufts-New England Medical Center, where he received the Tufts School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award. Over the course of his career, Dr. Clunie has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and abstracts. He holds leadership roles with many professional organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. He was most recently installed the 123rd President of the National Medical Association, the largest and oldest national organization representing African-American physicians and patients in the United States. He remains dedicated to advocating for the elimination of health disparities. "Diversity is at the center of our responsibility to transform healthcare and lead academic medicine into the future," says Dr. Clunie. "I am excited to join such a well-known obstetrics and gynecology department in a role that recognizes the importance of representation across all areas of medicine, to ensure diversity and inclusion best practices are infused across department activities from recruitment to patient care." Media Inquiries Katie Ullman Phone: 646-483-3984 [email protected] SOURCE NYU Langone Health CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Octagon Therapeutics, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted medicines for autoimmune disease, today announced the initiation of a research collaboration with Novo Nordisk focused on inflammatory disease. This multi-year relationship will apply Octagon's functional target discovery approach and novel chemistry strategy in disease areas in which Novo Nordisk has specific expertise. Octagon's lead program selectively targets a population of pathologically activated B cells that contribute to autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus and vasculitis. This same approach can be applied in other disease areas to target disease-driving processes while sparing healthy immune functioning. A pilot project, through the Novo Nordisk Co-creation Greenhouse accelerator program, demonstrated proof-of-concept in identifying atypical characteristics of other immune cells during disease, leading to the discovery of new therapeutic targets. "Octagon has a unique platform technology to look into functional biology in a novel way. It makes use of clinical samples and primary immune cells to identify new drug targets. Combined with our disease understanding in the cardiometabolic space and Octagons approach in targeting specific lymphocyte populations that drive disease progression, it will be exciting to see what therapeutic discoveries the collaboration can lead to." said Uli Stilz, Vice President of the Bio Innovation Hub, Novo Nordisk. "Novo Nordisk has a strong expertise in diabetes and related cardiometabolic conditions like NASH and kidney disease." said Octagon CEO Isaac Stoner. "This collaboration will enable Octagon to expand our technology into these disease areas and to further leverage the impressive clinical sample collection that Novo Nordisk has available." Financial terms of the research alliance were not disclosed. www.octagontx.com SOURCE Octagon Therapeutics Inc Coworking Provider Enables Entrepreneurs to Work Productively Close to Home LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With more South Florida-based companies looking for new ways to maintain productivity, innovation, and connection as the shift to remote and/or hybrid work takes hold, Office Evolution has the perfect solution. The coworking provider is continuing to address demand and help small businesses and entrepreneurs by offering convenient and affordable coworking spaces in some of the region's busiest suburban markets. Home to a continuously growing population, South Florida is becoming a hub for small and medium sized businesses. According to World Population Review, Florida's population has drastically increased, with a whopping 600,000 new residents having moved to the state in the last two years. Entrepreneurs continue to relocate to Florida as the state attracts individuals from around the country. Office Evolution's location in Plantation, which opened in 2020, and Coral Springs, which opened last year, are experiencing an increase in interest as they continue helping businesses from a variety of industries, including professional services, retail and healthcare. The two centers provide newly renovated office spaces that create an inviting atmosphere for a diverse business ecosystem. With new opportunities emerging across the region, Office Evolution will be expanding with a new Boca Raton location slated to open next year. Members of Office Evolution benefit from being part of the brand's nation-wide network of coworking locations, where they have access to over 70 other business locations in 25 states when traveling. Office Evolution is also part of United Franchise Group's Coworks division, which provides the largest privately owned affiliated coworking network of flexible office space franchises in the world. "It's clear to us that working in a hybrid-style format is how businesses will approach work going forward," said Jason Anderson, President of Office Evolution. "Having the option to work in a space with all the amenities of a downtown office, close to home, is sure to appeal to those who want a productive environment, short commute and the flexibility to choose when and where they work." For more information on Office Evolution, please visit: https://www.officeevolution.com. About Office Evolution Office Evolution (OE), a shared workspace coworking environment, founded in 2003 and cultivated on the principles of 'Ohana', the Hawaiian tradition that references family working toward a common goal. Office Evolution is part of Coworks the largest privately held affiliated coworking franchise network on the planet, associated with United Franchise Group (UFG), a successful community of affiliated brands and consultants. Office Evolution is serious about supporting small business owners the Dreamers, Risk-Takers and Doers who dare to chase their passions. For more information about Office Evolution visit www.officeevolution.com and for information about franchise opportunities visit www.officeevolution.com/development. About United Franchise Group Led by CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group (UFG) is home to an affiliated family of brands and consultants including Accurate Franchising Inc., Exit Factor, FranchiseMart, Fully Promoted, Signarama, Transworld Business Advisors, and the Coworks division consisting of Franchise Real Estate, Network Lead Exchange(NLX), Office Evolution (OE) and Venture X as well as a food division featuring Graze Craze and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. UFG affiliated brands include over 1600 franchises in more than 60 countries, with consultants that have helped develop over 350 brands into franchises, in over 80 countries with more than 2500 franchisees. With over three decades in the franchising industry United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs. About Coworks Coworks specializes in franchising within the coworking industry, offering solutions, expertise, and shared service options within the flexible workspace franchise community. Part of the United Franchise Group (UFG) family of affiliated brands and consultants, Coworks was founded in 2021 by Ray Titus, founder and CEO of United Franchise Group, with the express intention of building a framework to connect a variety of coworking brands, services, and amenities within the coworking industry, providing the largest privately owned affiliated franchise network of flexible, professional, and shared office space options on the planet. For more information about Coworks, visit www.coworksllc.com. SOURCE Office Evolution MBABANE A spontaneous visit! This best describes the pop in by members of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) this Sunday at the Jesus Calls Worship Centre in Matsapha. The members joined the church in worship. This, according to PUDEMO Secretary General (SG) Wandile Dludlu was throwing an indictment to the church. Dludlu said it was a campaign initiated by the organisation to challenge the church on its silence in what they termed outright injustices happening in the country. These injustices, he stated, included the high level of unemployment, poverty and the deaths that occurred during the unrest. He said the country had never experienced the level of poverty it was currently going through. If we continue to have structures that behave indifferently, then we will throw the indictment to all of them, he said in an interview yesterday. Dludlu said Jesus Christ never kept quiet when there was oppression, particularly by government. The observation is that the church is too quiet, he stated. He said the visit had nothing to do with the Kings Interpreter, Pastor Sihle Dlamini. Dlamini recently publicly defended the Tinkhundla System of Government in his social media pages. Dludlu stated that they were challenging the church regarding its silence in the face of injustices, pretending as if nothing had happened. He explained that on each Sunday, they would randomly pick a church that they would be visiting and were inviting other parties to join in the crusade. Dludlu stated that there was no centre or power that they would not challenge. He said the JC was the first point of their call and this coming Sunday, they would pick another church, which they would not publicise, lest they not be welcomed. Dludlu said the operation was an underground one, adding that they would not unpack the programme. The SG said members of the JC were very happy with their visit, although the leadership was shocked. He expressed belief that church members agreed a lot with the sentiments of the organisation. When they got to the church, they took their seats like any other member of the church. Request They did not request to take to the podium and Dludlu stated that their interest was simply to worship with the congregants, not to make speeches. He said they would attend services clad in PUDEMO regalia. When reached for comment on the spontaneous visit, JCs Pastor Sihle Dlamini confirmed that the PUDEMO members attended their service. Dlamini expressed hope that the members met their fellow comrades as well, adding that they would task them to make a follow-up on them (visitors). He said all those who were weary and heavily burdened must come to Jesus who wished none to perish, but that all may come to the knowledge of Christ. The reception was very warm as always, as JC is a place where freedom reigns, where we minister to all types of people, especially the disappointed, rejected, marginalised and lost in the sun, he said. Dlamini stated that JC was a place that could be called home. Meanwhile, Council of Swaziland Churches President Reverend Zwanini Shabalala stated that most of their churches did not have a problem with people who came to worship God. Shabalala said they did not discriminate against people according to their political affiliations. He said even if the parties would want to be on the agenda, they could be gladly slotted in, but the church leadership would obviously want to know what the point of discussion would be. The reverend said if the parties needed a platform, they could arrange with the leadership the of church they wanted to visit. We cannot prescribe for the churches on how they should react, he said. He said the challenge was when the agenda would be against the churchs principles or disturb order. Shabalala said they were not part of the silent churches as they were always vocal on the current situation, including the unrest. Eswatini Conference of Churches (ECC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Themba Ngozo, when questioned about the recently launched PUDEMO campaign, said all were welcome in the House of God. You come as you are but you leave transformed, he said. Ngozo said everyone who came to church was expected to abide by the rules and regulations of each church without interfering with the programme of the church. Agreeing Despite all the other church bodies agreeing to the PUDEMO notion, the League of Churches held a different view. President of the League of Churches, Bishop Samson Hlatjwako, said they represented the interests of His Majesty King Mswati III. Hlatjwako said the King was yet to call the nation to Sibaya and give direction to the people. He stated that usually, the King appointed a committee that would visit the communities and constituencies through a vusela exercise to take the views of the populace. Bishop Hlatjwako said they would not accept the parties in the church for the sole reason that they were awaiting a directive from the King. He stated that in his church, the members of the parties were not welcome at all. According to Bishop Hlatjwako, just like with the Constitution, emaSwati voiced out their views and the same would happen this time around. StraighterLine expands its focus on flexible, career-aligned credentials with the acquisition of ChildCare Education Institute BALTIMORE and WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- StraighterLine , a creator of affordable, flexible and career-aligned postsecondary courses, today announced the acquisition of ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), one of the largest online training providers for early childhood education professionals. The addition of the early childhood education learning platform, which served more than 87,000 teachers and staff across more than 6,200 childcare centers in 2021, reflects StraighterLine's commitment to expanding access to training that closes persistent talent gaps and creates pathways to economic mobility. "As the pace of change in the labor market continues to accelerate, employers in fast-growing fields from early childhood education to healthcare are in search of new approaches to talent development that bridge the gap between learning and work," said Heather Combs, CEO of StraighterLine. "This acquisition is about helping to further the promise of flexible, affordable education to both meet the needs of employers and help more people chart a path to rewarding careers." Even before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing challenges, the nation's childcare programs had long struggled with a shortage of qualified early childhood education and care professionals and high turnover rates. A 2021 study from the National Association for the Education of Young Children found that more than eight in 10 early childhood providers were experiencing staffing shortages, and half were serving fewer children as a result of hiring problems. Just this month, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment reported that childcare employment is still down more than 8% since the start of the pandemic, even as the broader economy recovers. Since its founding in 2005, CCEI has launched more than 500 online childcare training courses to meet state licensure and Head Start requirements , as well as online certificate programs for nationally recognized credentials, including the Child Development Associate (CDA) , Director Certificate , Early Childhood Credential , and other continuing education options. CCEI also manages the RegistryOne workforce management system, which helps state agencies and regulators collect and maintain data around early childhood education. "There is an urgent need for qualified early care and education workers across the nation," said Maria Taylor, president of CCEI. "This acquisition is about building more lifelong learning opportunities that give passionate individuals flexible pathways to careers. We are excited to join the StraighterLine family and further expand the potential entry points into this meaningful profession." The continued evolution of StraighterLine's offerings comes as most Americans continue to be skeptical about the value of postsecondary education and its alignment with jobs. Best known for its low-cost, competency-based courses that are recommended by ACE Learning Evaluations , StraighterLine supports learners by providing flexible and affordable pathways to their career goals. Through its partnerships with employers, including through Bright Horizons FastTrack , learners can upskill while working on a schedule and at a pace that meets their needs. This acquisition is a first step in StraighterLine's plan to expand its course offerings, building on a significant investment by BV Investment Partners in April 2020. District Capital Partners served as the financial advisor and Ropes & Gray LLP served as the legal advisor to StraighterLine for this transaction. To learn more about StraighterLine's courses and pathways, visit https://www.straighterline.com . About StraighterLine StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine's 215 courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. Visit https://www.straighterline.com for more information. About ChildCare Education Institute, LLC Based in the greater Atlanta area, ChildCare Education Institute provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 500 hours of English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). SOURCE StraighterLine Award-winning marketing expert and digital safety leader will support the platform's rapid expansion and amplify its mission in the publishing and advertising markets. NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenWeb , the premium community engagement platform serving more than 1,000 leading publishers, today announced the hire of former Spectrum Labs Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Tiffany Xingyu Wang as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer. Wang will support OpenWeb's rapid expansion to new publishers, advertisers, and applications, while amplifying the importance of digital safety and engaged community-building online. Tiffany Xingyu Wang, Chief Marketing Officer, OpenWeb The news comes on the heels of significant momentum for OpenWeb, which builds innovative platforms for publishers and brands to host engaged online communities. It recently announced the appointment of Chief Business Officer Mark Howard as well as the $100 million acquisition of global advertising platform ADYOULIKE earlier this year. This year's growth follows last year's Series E financing round, which catapulted the company to tech unicorn status and raised $150 million. In August, OpenWeb also released the 2022 Online Communities Report . The nationwide survey underscored the urgent need for healthier online discourse, revealing that more than 50% of Americans view social media as a net-negative for society. "We're thrilled to bring on a CMO like Tiffany to help us tell our unique story and bring our mission to the market," said Nadav Shoval, OpenWeb CEO and co-founder. "She is a celebrated and respected leader in marketing and has been at the forefront of cultivating digital trust in a rapidly evolving media landscape. As CMO, she'll play a key role in helping to leverage our recent momentum to reach new milestones." "I'm excited to join and help grow a company that's disrupting the status quo and shares my belief in the power of the community economy as well as my commitment to consumer safety," said Wang. "As major social media players announce plans to move away from news, advertisers prepare for the end of third-party cookies, and toxic rhetoric continues to proliferate online, OpenWeb stands as the only company offering a comprehensive, Web3-ready solution that creates trusted spaces for quality conversations and helps publishers monetize the engaged communities they've brought together." A true change agent, Wang brings extensive experience in marketing, ethical Web3 development, and digital safety. Prior to joining OpenWeb, Wang led strategy and marketing at Spectrum Labs, a contextual AI platform designed to make the internet safer. She sits on the World Economic Forum's Digital Safety Coalition and hosts the Brand Safety Exchange podcast. Wang's expertise has been widely recognized; She was named to Forbes' 2022 Most Entrepreneurial CMO List and won the 2021 CMO Club Most Innovative Award. Wang also co-founded Oasis Consortium, a nonprofit that led the market in developing the first comprehensive User Safety Standards for Web3. She is a venture partner in blockchain accelerator Tribe, and holds two USPTO patents in machine learning applications for marketing. About OpenWeb OpenWeb's mission is to improve the quality of conversations online, building a healthier web where content creators of all kinds are empowered to thrive. As a product company, OpenWeb partners with publishers and brands to build strong, direct relationships with their audiences. OpenWeb's technology empowers its partners to build vibrant communities rooted in healthy conversations and robust social experiences. OpenWeb works with more than 1,000 top-tier publishers, hosting more than 100 million active users each month. Founded in 2012, OpenWeb has over 265 employees in New York City, Tel Aviv, Kiev, San Diego, Canada, London and Paris and is backed by world-class investors including Insight Partners, Georgian, Entree Capital, The New York Times, Samsung Next, Dentsu, and ScaleUp. To date, the company has raised $223 million in funding and is currently valued at over $1 billion. To learn more about OpenWeb's platform visit OpenWeb.com, or follow @OpenWebHQ on LinkedIn and Twitter. SOURCE OpenWeb Opsera sponsors Dreamforce 2022 where it will showcase its Salesforce DevOps capabilities SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Opsera, the Continuous Orchestration platform for DevOps, today announced a free trial of its no-code Salesforce Release Management platform for fast and secure Salesforce releases. Opsera enables up to 80% faster Salesforce releases with a 25% boost in developer productivity and a 50% decrease in manual release tasks. Explore the Opsera Salesforce Release Management Platform here: go.opsera.io/salesforcedevopsplatform Opsera's Salesforce Release Management Platform And, sign up for Opsera's Salesforce Release Management free trial: go.opsera.io/salesforcefreetrial Opsera will exhibit at Dreamforce 2022 (https://www.opsera.io/dreamforce-2022) in San Francisco from September 20-22, 2022, where attendees will have an opportunity to get hands-on with Opsera's Salesforce Release Management offering at booth #213. "Salesforce Release Management technologies and practices are on the rise, but many teams are still learning how to maximize their approach for better, faster release cycles," said Kumar Chivukula, CTO and co-founder of Opsera. "With our Salesforce Release Management free trial, Salesforce developers, architects and admins are enabled to improve agility and productivity significantly, go to market faster and improve their overall security and quality posture." Opsera for Salesforce Release Management Opsera dramatically improves Salesforce release management and scale for business apps - saving hundreds of hours of developer time. With Opsera, organizations gain automated quality, security and accelerated delivery for Salesforce releases no coding required. Opsera for Salesforce Release Management is fully customizable to fit an organization's existing tool set and cuts down on manual work while adding end-to-end visibility across the development lifecycle. The simple, no-code platform makes it easy to merge branches, synchronize dev environments and rollback in a single click. With Opsera, organizations can easily achieve faster Salesforce releases with improved security, quality and velocity. Sign up for the free trial: go.opsera.io/salesforcefreetrial Opsera's free trial of its Salesforce DevOps platform includes the following functionality: Rapid, hands-on experience with Opsera Salesforce release management Ability to configure source code management (SCM) and Salesforce credentials in HashiCorp Vault in one click Move Salesforce metadata changes from one org to another with built-in security and quality Get end-to-end visibility by stage and developer "To drive best-in-class enterprise DevOps, our team deployed Opsera SaaS DevOps, a Unified Orchestration Platform that enables our team to build and automate CI/CD pipelines across Salesforce, Boomi, and other SaaS-based enterprise applications," said Shripad Hebbar, Director of IT DevOps and Automation at Infoblox. "Opsera also delivers out-of-the-box unified logs, metrics and dashboards that seamlessly integrate with our existing DevOps toolset. Releases are now more predictable with improved quality and productivity." Opsera at Dreamforce Dreamforce is an annual event that brings together the global Salesforce community for learning, fun, connection, and giving back. At Dreamforce, Trailblazers from all over the world gather to share their stories of success and learn from each other. In addition to exhibiting, join Opsera for the following activities: True Salesforce & DevOps Automation Greatest Hits Thursday, September 22 , 3 3:20 pm PDT , Theater 2 , 3 , Theater 2 Join Opsera co-founder and CTO, Kumar Chivukula and Director of Product Marketing, Mike Reinhart for a session to learn how to increase Salesforce automation, productivity and release cycles. and Director of Product Marketing, for a session to learn how to increase Salesforce automation, productivity and release cycles. Demo Jam Thursday September 22, 2022 , 11:45 am 12:20 pm PDT , Moscone South, Camp 2 , , Moscone South, Camp 2 Watch a quick demo of Opsera's Salesforce DevOps capabilities. Fly up to the top of the Mark! Tuesday, September 20 , 6 7:30 pm PDT , 6 7:30 pm PDT Join Opsera for an immaculate view of the San Francisco skyline from the 19th floor at one of the city's most iconic hotels, The Mark Hopkins. Full bar service, signature cocktails, and delicious meals provided. RSVP required. Start your free trial of Opsera's Salesforce Release Management Platform: go.opsera.io/salesforcefreetrial About Opsera Opsera is the first Continuous Orchestration platform for next-gen DevOps that enables choice, automation, and intelligence across the entire software lifecycle. It offers simple, self-service toolchain integrations, drag-and-drop pipelines and unified insights. With Continuous Orchestration, development teams can use the tools they want, operations teams gain improved efficiency, and business leaders have unparalleled visibility. Opsera believes DevOps has transformed from an aspiration to a practical science, and Continuous Orchestration is the future to help organizations accelerate DevOps adoption and reach peak innovation velocity. Contact: Olivia Heel Catapult PR [email protected] 303-521-5049 SOURCE Opsera One of the Largest Collegiate Apparel Companies in the U.S. Joins Society Brands Portfolio NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Society Brands, an ecommerce aggregator built for and by founders, today announced the acquisition of Orange County-based Barnesmith, a leading global brand in the authentic collegiate apparel space. Offering a line of high-quality apparel for nearly 150 schools and growing, Barnesmith features premium, officially licensed designs that capture the tradition and culture of America's top colleges. Barnesmith Founder Eric Barnes "We're so proud to have Barnesmith become part of the Society Brands portfolio," said Eric Barnes, Founder and Brand President of Barnesmith. "When considering partnering with Society Brands, I wanted to align with a team that would provide stewardship and support for our company into the future. Society Brands has a unique model that allows our team to keep executing and growing the brand but provides a platform of support services and a portfolio of ecommerce peer collaboration that no other buyer or aggregator could have offered. In addition, Barnesmith will now be able to expand to more universities and colleges across the country and into other clothing sectors." Barnesmith was founded in 2001 by Eric Barnes, an entrepreneur who established an ultra-premium line of college apparel that celebrates the pursuit of college students everywhere. The Barnesmith brand story dates back to 1986 at Princeton University, when Barnes was a freshman struggling to pay his college tuition, he conceived and began selling t-shirts on campus from dorm to dorm. Since those early days, Barnesmith has become one of the largest collegiate apparel companies in the U.S. Throughout Barnes' development of the company, he has worked together with his wife, Stacey (Smith) Barnes, who has helped fill several gaps needed to grow the company. A graduate of Penn State University, Stacey spent her early career working in the NBA. Shortly after graduate school, Eric and Stacey moved to Aliso Viejo and decided to expand products beyond the company's original eight Ivy League schools. So, Eric and Stacey combined their last names to create Barnesmith, an aspirational collegiate brand that would feature licensed designs with all of America's top colleges. With the acquisition by Society Brands, Barnesmith is positioned to expand to over 300 colleges and offer additional clothing lines, including branded hats, pants, and ties to college fans. Eric will assume the role of Brand President, continuing to lead the Barnesmith team as it grows its product portfolio and expand into new universities and channels. This move reflects Society Brands' unique "founder-friendly" business model, where founders have the option to stay on board with their brand and be part of a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. "We are excited to have Eric and Barnesmith join the 'society' as we continue acquiring brands with great foundations and great founders," said Michael Sirpilla, CEO of Society Brands. "Eric is a veteran of the Amazon and ecommerce space and has strong skills in marketing, product development, and sourcing that will be an important asset to the community of like-minded entrepreneurs we are building." Since its first institutional capital raise of $205M led by i80 Group in March of this year, Society Brands now has six brands in its portfolio, spanning across a variety of consumer product categories. The ecommerce aggregator is continuing to expand its portfolio and accelerate growth as they've seen success with their "founder-friendly" business model. About Society Brands Society Brands is a tech-enabled consumer products company that acquires ecommerce native brands that primarily sell on Amazon and their own DTC sites. The company was built for and by founders, providing entrepreneurs meaningful liquidity while at the same time affording them an opportunity to stay on board, build their brand and roll equity into Society Brands' platform. Society Brands is headquartered in Canton, Ohio and has offices in Kalamazoo, Mich., Rogers, Ark. and Newport Beach, Calif. For more information, please visit www.societybrands.com . SOURCE Society Brands NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaria No More and the Health Finance Coalition (HFC) today launched the Outcomes Fund for Fevers (OFF) in partnership with the Global Fund, Global Citizen, NPX, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). OFF is a new performance-based financing initiative aimed at scaling fever testing, treatment, and digital reporting through the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative was announced by Dr. Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting today during the Community Health session. The OFF will use performance-based payments and product subsidies to expand rapid malaria testing and access to quality treatments through innovative private sector delivery and care models. While OFF will initially focus on increasing malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) treatments, once established, OFF can be expanded to include additional fever diagnostic products such as COVID-19 tests, and other quality-assured drugs. The Challenge: Private Sector Health Care & Undiagnosed Fever Cases The private sector is the primary source of care for many children under five across sub-Saharan Africa. Up to 60% of patients in countries like Nigeria, where 1 in 3 global malaria deaths occur, first seek care from private providers. Yet 87% of fever cases go undiagnosed in the private sector, delaying treatment and contributing to high rates of illness and mortality from treatable diseases and conditions, including malaria. The Opportunity: Private Capital for Incentivizing Healthcare Investments Enormous health gains can be made quickly and cost-effectively to address malaria and other febrile illnesses, and prepare for future pandemics by scaling rapid diagnosis, quality-assured treatments, and data reporting in the private sector. Critical to achieving this goal is aligning financial incentives for patients and providers with the public health objective of providing quality products and care, even in informal private sector settings. The OFF is an outcomes fund, designed to scale quality testing, treatment, and digital reporting in the private sector using product subsidies and performance payments, thereby enabling greater impact and a faster path to scale compared to traditional grants or government funding. In this structure, impact investors provide upfront capital to implement the programs, and then are repaid with the opportunity for a small return when outcomes are achieved. Outcomes funders provide grant capital that is only released when results are achieved and independently verified. The OFF aims to raise an initial $25m to demonstrate this approach, with the opportunity to scale in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and beyond. The OFF is hosted by the Global Fund and administered by Malaria No More and the Health Finance Coalition, with technical assistance provided by CHAI. The OFF is a part of Global Citizen's Impact Funds, powered by NPX. Getting Started: Demonstrating the Potential in Nigeria In conjunction with the launch of the OFF, the Gates Foundation announced a $9M direct commitment to Maisha Meds to partner with Ministries of Health and women's savings groups across Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. In time, the hope is to grow Maisha Meds' technology-enabled network to 5,000 pharmacies and drug shops to support delivery of healthcare reimbursements for malaria for 550,000 patients. This project is expected to be one of the first to benefit from OFF outcome payments. Results of a randomized control trial of this approach showed a 330% improvement in appropriate malaria care with a 310% return on investment for pharmacies and drug shops. This technology system also has the potential to save global health funders 50% versus the status quo and serve as more transparent, inclusive, and cost-effective way of delivering healthcare in the private sector that can support many millions of patients in the coming years. "Private sector testing and treatment of fevers is a vital but overlooked element of the fight against malaria, COVID, and future pandemics," said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. "Innovative solutions, like the Outcomes Fund for Fevers, are required to accelerate the end of malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis." "For far too long, fevers have gone underdiagnosed in the private sector resulting in delays of appropriate treatments, a waste of resources and an increase in antimicrobial resistance," said Philip Welkhoff, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Malaria Director. "Through the work of Maisha Meds, other innovators, and the Outcomes Fund for Fevers, we now have the opportunity to close this gap by scaling proven interventions in the private sector." "Subsidizing private healthcare providers in Africa to test, treat, and track fever cases offers a quick and cost-effective strategy that will start saving lives immediately." said Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More and Executive Director of the Health Finance Coalition. "Through OFF, funders get the added protection of only paying once the outcomes are achieved and independently verified. It's a great example of innovating financing generating new solutions that can go to scale." "The impact funding model offers a bold, innovative approach for accelerating our world toward ending malaria and indeed global poverty," said Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Relations Officer, Global Citizen. "Our hope is that over time, evidence-based, data-driven outcomes will lead to an upsurge in the amount of philanthropic capital flowing to SDG-related programs." "There are few opportunities to save lives that are as cost-effective as investing in a $0.35 rapid test and a $1 course of malaria treatments," said Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, CHAI Chief Executive Officer. "Through innovative delivery models and digital technology, we now have the opportunity to bring these tools to the huge proportion of African families that seek care in the private sector. "Frontline pharmacies provide the bulk of malaria care across many parts of Africa outside of the formal health system, and digital systems can play an important role in improving the quality of care that they provide," said Jessica Vernon, Maisha Meds Founder & Chief Executive Officer. "Financing approaches like the OFF are essential for enabling and scaling this type of innovation, and we are excited to see these efforts come to life." For more information or interview requests, please contact Jennie Bragg at [email protected] . About Malaria No More Malaria No More envisions a world where no one dies from a mosquito bite. Fifteen years into our mission, our work has contributed to historic progress toward this goal. Now, we're mobilizing the political commitment, funding, and innovation required to achieve what would be one of the greatest humanitarian accomplishments ending malaria within our generation. For more information, visit malarianomore.org. About the Health Finance Coalition: The Health Finance Coalition (HFC) was launched by a group of leading philanthropies, investors, donors, technical partners convened by WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy and Health Financing Ray Chambers and hosted by Malaria No More. The HFC seeks to attract an unprecedented level of private-sector investment to impact millions of lives and accelerate progress to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, a UN Sustainable Development Goal 3. The coalition uses public and philanthropic funding to encourage private-sector capital investment in transformative healthcare impact. Learn more at: healthfinancecoalition.org About the Global Fund: The Global Fund is a worldwide movement to defeat HIV, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. We raise and invest US$4 billion a year to fight the deadliest infectious diseases, challenge the injustice which fuels them and strengthen health systems in more than 100 of the hardest hit countries. We unite world leaders, communities, civil society, health workers and the private sector to find solutions that have the most impact, and we take them to scale worldwide. Since 2002, the Global Fund has saved 50 million lives. Learn more at: globalfund.org About the Clinton Health Access Initiative: The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work with our partners to strengthen the capabilities of governments and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. Learn more at: clintonhealthaccess.org About Global Citizen: Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards, which can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. Learn more at globalcitizen.org About NPX: NPX is transforming how nonprofits are funded by explicitly linking capital with impact. Learn more at www.npxadvisors.com . About Maisha Meds: Maisha Meds is building the digital infrastructure to support universal health care at the last mile across Africa with over 4 million patients visiting our network of 1,500 technology-enabled pharmacies, clinics, and drug shops each year. We pay healthcare providers to deliver high quality care, streamline distribution, and improve transparency in an environment where the majority of patients are accessing primary health care via the private sector and often pay cash for low-quality medicines that they do not need; and our evidence-based approach leads to a 330% increase in appropriate malaria care. SOURCE Malaria No More Choice-based Rewards to Launch Following First-Ever MyPanera Week ST. LOUIS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Panera Bread announced exciting updates to its industry-leading MyPanera Loyalty Program, giving more choices to guests when redeeming loyalty rewards. MyPanera Personalized Rewards Now Give Members a Choice Panera Starting October 6, MyPanera will begin to roll out new choice-based rewards, allowing members to select their reward from multiple options based on their personal preferences, instead of a single, pre-selected reward. This new benefit is rooted in MyPanera's relationship-based loyalty program, where rather than a transactional points system, members are rewarded based on frequency of visits, spend and their individual purchases and preferences. "We view our MyPanera loyalty program as an extension of the warmth we show to our guests in our bakery-cafesfor us it's about creating meaningful relationships and delivering personalized value," said Eduardo Luz, Chief Brand and Concept Officer at Panera Bread. "We create loyalty by deeply knowing our MyPanera members. We strive to understand and deliver exactly what delights them." MyPanera began in 2010 as one of the earliest and still one of the largest guest loyalty programs in the restaurant industry, with nearly 48 million members. The MyPanera program is rooted in the belief that the job of a loyalty program is to deepen the guest relationship by meeting both a guest's rational and emotional needs. In turn, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 more than half of all Panera transactions were from MyPanera members, who typically visit Panera more frequently and spend more in each visit than non-MyPanera members. The MyPanera loyalty program incorporates surprise and delight elements, allowing Panera to provide members with different and personalized experiences that increase in value based on multiple variables such as how often they visit, instead of a points-based system typically seen in the restaurant industry. MyPanera membership benefits include more than just discounts on the next purchase, but also enable personalized digital ordering experiences, strong value through programs like the Unlimited Sip Club, surprise offers, catering rewards and early access to new menu items. First-Ever MyPanera Week Launches September 29 Beginning on National Coffee Day, September 29, Panera Bread will hold its first-ever MyPanera Week from September 29 through October 5, handing out exclusive perks to celebrate its loyalty program members. Perks for MyPanera members during the 2022 MyPanera Week include: Thursday, September 29 On National Coffee Day, new Unlimited Sip Club Subscribers will receive 2 months free. Existing Sip Club Members will receive $2 off select barista beverages and smoothies. (One time and In-App Only) On National Coffee Day, new Unlimited Sip Club Subscribers will receive 2 months free. Existing Sip Club Members will receive off select barista beverages and smoothies. (One time and In-App Only) Friday, September 30 $0 Delivery Fee (In-App only, valid through 10/5/22) Delivery Fee (In-App only, valid through 10/5/22) Saturday, October 1 Free Baguette with Purchase (In-App only) Free Baguette with Purchase (In-App only) Sunday, October 2 $2 off Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bowl (In-App only) off Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bowl (In-App only) Monday, October 3 20% Off Panera Bread Gift Cards (Online only) 20% Off Panera Bread Gift Cards (Online only) Tuesday, October 4 Special Gift from a Panera Partner (To be Announced) Special Gift from a Panera Partner (To be Announced) Wednesday, October 5 Cooking Class with Panera's Head Chef, Claes Petersson and discounts on Panera Grocery Products Cooking Class with Panera's Head Chef, and discounts on Panera Grocery Products Thursday, October 6 Start of Choice in MyPanera Rewards "Our guests have been requesting more choice in their MyPanera rewards and we are happy to bring this new experience to our loyalty program," said Meenakshi Nagarajan, Senior Vice President of Loyalty and Recurring Revenue at Panera Bread. "Our MyPanera members each have their own unique Panera favorites and we're excited to see that reflected in our rewardsgiving them personalized surprises that fit their own individual journey." To become a MyPanera member today, download the Panera Bread app or visit PaneraBread.com For more information on MyPanera Week deals, click here. About Panera Bread Panera Bread opened in 1987 as a community bakery, founded with a secret sourdough starter and a belief that sharing great bread is an expression of warmth and generosity. That vision holds true today with a robust menu of delicious, chef-curated recipes created with a simple principle: The Familiar, Made Fantastic. At Panera, we serve food that we are proud to serve our own families, made with responsibly raised proteins and freshly prepared with Clean ingredients--food that does not contain the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources set forth on our No-No list served in U.S. bakery-cafes. From crave-worthy soups, salads and sandwiches to flatbread pizza and sweets, we offer our guests more than great food. Our ethos of generosity drives us to meet our guests where they are through technology and through our shared values. We are stewards of our communities and the planet with programs like Day-End Dough-Nation that donates unsold baked goods in the evening to local non-profits, or labeling climate-friendly low carbon Cool Food Meals. As of July 26, 2022, there were 2,116 bakery-cafes, company and franchise, in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast casual restaurant companies in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread). Media Contact ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS [email protected] SOURCE Panera Bread Annual report summarizes findings from survey of nearly 1,000 Americans from all 50 states; Finds majority of Americans lack confidence in the U.S. Federal Government's ability to defend itself from a cyber attack; Analyzes and ranks public opinion of state governments and their cybersecurity preparedness MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American cybersecurity firm, PC Matic, released the findings of an annual public opinion survey which seeks to understand public opinion of cybersecurity as it relates to state and federal government preparedness and current practices. PC Matic Poll: 60% of Americans aren't confident that the United States Government can defend itself against cyber-attacks. The 2022 report, entitled "Americans on Cybersecurity," presents the results of a nationally distributed survey by which nearly 1,000 Americans, representing all 50 states, responded. The findings, which were gathered in September 2022, signal that public confidence in the federal government and its cybersecurity practices remain very low. The report also revealed eroding public trust as it relates to cybersecurity preparedness at a state level. Key findings from the report are as follows: 60% of Americans responded that they do not believe the United States Federal Government is prepared to defend itself from cyber threats. Confidence has eroded by 3% since 2021's findings. Nearly 66% of Americans believe the federal government should be doing more to protect American citizens from cyber threats. This is up from 61% in 2021. 38% of IT professionals lack confidence in the United States Government's ability to defend itself against a cyber attack. Government's ability to defend itself against a cyber attack. Washington, DC tops the list of states with the highest public confidence in state cybersecurity abilities, and Kansas falls last on the list. "Americans must be able to trust the federal government and its ability to combat cyber threats," said Rob Cheng, CEO and Founder of PC Matic. "In our increasingly reliant cyber world, and especially considering the lack of confidence Americans currently have, preventative cyber technologies must be prioritized and put in place to harden American's cyber defenses and boost public confidences immediately." More results and the full report may be found here. More information on PC Matic may be found here. SOURCE PC Matic For the 2nd Time, Peak Support Appears on the Inc. 5000, Ranking No. 1016 With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 641 Percent NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. revealed that Peak Support is No. 1016 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segmentits independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. Peak Support provides exceptional customer service outsourcing to high-growth companies. The company offers a wide array of services including customer support, sales operations, and business process outsourcing, from the Philippines, U.S., and Colombia. "We are thrilled to be on the Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row," said Jonathan Steiman, Peak Support founder and CEO. "It is a testament to our incredible team, and the clients we serve some of the most innovative companies in the world." "We have 1,700 employees around the world, and every one of them played a part in this milestone," said Bianca Lazaro, VP of Operations for the Philippines, and a founding leader of Peak Support. "We are so grateful for the work they do every day, and for the trust that our clients have placed in us." The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000 . The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23. "The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today." CONTACT: Laura Galvez-Pollo, 866-620-5538, [email protected] More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Methodology Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine's September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000 . About Inc. The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/ . SOURCE Peak Support Organizations working with businesses in Brazil can now protect their customers against forged identities and tampered biometrics SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Persona today announced it has partnered with Serpro , the federal government technology company of Brazil. As part of the partnership, Persona has integrated with Serpro to unlock the ability to validate both PII and biometric information against government data sources. The joint initiative will enable organizations working with businesses in Brazil to protect their customers from the most prevalent forms of fraud in the region. "Fraud is on the rise on a global scale, yet it remains an incredibly difficult problem to solveespecially in a large, fast-growing economy like Brazil," said Rick Song, CEO, Persona. "Every day Brazilian citizens fall prey to fraudsters who forge government-issued IDs. By partnering with Serpro, we are helping organizations conducting business in Brazil from fabricating and tampering with customer identities by matching PII information against existing government records." The Serpro / Persona integration is a new verification type that compares an individual's ID information against information held by the Brazilian Government Database, including the person's name, CPF (national ID number), date of birth and photo image. The integration enables Persona to validate the information collected from the government-issued ID as well as the image selfie to ensure a thorough and accurate verification process. Via the new partnership, organizations who work with customers in Brazil can leverage Persona's industry-leading platform features, including: End-to-end user verification and collection: Persona seamlessly collects and verifies government-Issued IDs and selfies to verify customer identities. Persona seamlessly collects and verifies government-Issued IDs and selfies to verify customer identities. Selfie verification live-capture: Persona reduces false rejection from common user errors, including face quality, pose and failure due to bias. Persona reduces false rejection from common user errors, including face quality, pose and failure due to bias. Enhanced fraud prevention through selfie liveness: Persona adds liveness detection, coupled with other platform features, which further protects against common types of selfie fraud and identity theft protection. ABOUT PERSONA Persona offers verified identity infrastructure that gives businesses the building blocks they need to securely collect, verify, and make decisions about customerswhether they're individuals or other businessesalong with automation and orchestration tools to streamline the entire process from end to end. Founded in 2018, Persona is headquartered in San Francisco and is available in 200+ countries and 20 different languages. Persona serves any business that needs to verify its customers online, including retail, fintech, marketplace, delivery services, real estate and hospitality, HR, edtech, legal services, home and childcare services, and more. For additional information, please visit https://withpersona.com/ ABOUT SERPRO Serpro is the largest Information Technology company providing services for the public and private sector in the world. Serpro develops technology services for Brazil's private companies and public agencies, including the systems that support Federal Revenue of Brazil, the National Traffic Department, the Federal Police, and the Ministry of Foreign Relations. More: https://www.serpro.gov.br SOURCE Persona Licensed, insured and a positive reputation are critical boxes to check when selecting services, says Brooklyn HVAC and plumbing experts BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, a family-owned home service company serving Brooklyn and Manhattan since 1906, says homeowners should research the dependability, experience and positive reputation of any home service contractor they plan to hire to ensure the work will be performed correctly and will be guaranteed and insured. Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning says homeowners should check to see that a home service company is licensed, insured, and has a positive reputation when making a decision to contract with them. "It's often the case that when a homeowner, especially a new homeowner, needs to hire a plumber or an HVAC repairman, they are under pressure when making the decision on who to hire," said Michael Petri, owner of Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning. "Their pipes are leaking or their air conditioning is out on the hottest day of the year and they need someone fast and affordable. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't pause and do their research before entrusting their most valuable asset into the hands of someone they've never done business with before." Petri said it is ideal that homeowners research several home service companies in their area well before an emergency happens. But, even if they have to decide quickly, they should still consider the following checklist before entrusting a contractor to perform the work: Make sure the home service team is licensed. Because the licensing process requires experience and ongoing training, homeowners can be assured that the plumber or HVAC technician has met a list of state or local requirements to operate. Ask if the company is insured. If the company is licensed, they are usually required to carry insurance on their work as well. This protects the customer in the event their property is damaged during a repair and shields them from most liability claims should the worker get injured on the job. Seek out reviews online or from trusted friends, family or neighbors. Word-of-mouth has always been a good barometer in choosing a reliable home service company, and many homeowners ask friends or family for recommendations. Homeowners can also check online reviews before contracting for a repair. In addition to having a high number of positive reviews, homeowners should also consider how the company addresses and rectifies negative reviews. Make sure the company can handle the scope of work. If the company is too small, it might not have enough staff to make repairs quickly during busier seasons or the company may not have the experience in a homeowner's specific needs. Researching a home service company's response time and finished projects will give homeowners a better understanding of the company's ability and experience. Ensure the company provides warranty services. While most licensed professionals should be able to get a repair or installation done correctly the first time, there is always a chance of a bad part or human error. Making sure the company will be available and willing to honor a warranty is important in establishing a long-term professional relationship. Seek a contractor that offers service plans. Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, homeowners that have their home systems serviced regularly need fewer repairs. A good home service contractor should have plans that allow homeowners to receive regular maintenance, reduced service call pricing and special offers that help build a relationship and routine service record. "You may think that any plumber can fix a sink or any HVAC company can install a boiler, but if they can't get to your house quickly during an emergency or don't specialize in your home's unique features, they might not be the best fit for you," Petri said. "Homeowners should also be wary of fly-by-night operations and those who may only be out to make a quick buck. Making sure your home service company will be around to service your ongoing needs, will honor warranties and has the skills to handle your home's special needs are all things homeowners should consider before hiring a contractor." About Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning is a family owned and operated business serving Brooklyn and the New York City area. Founded in 1906, the company offers a 100 percent guarantee on all services, upfront pricing, and friendly and knowledgeable Service Experts for all kinds of home and business plumbing and heating needs. Services offered include water and gas pipe leak repair and installation, fixture installations, inspections, boiler repair, water heater installation, complete bathroom, kitchen, laundry & utility room remodeling and more. Petri is also licensed and certified by Green Plumbers USA, the first in New York City to receive this designation. For more information, please visit www.petriplumbing.com or call (718) 717-1089. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Petri Plumbing & Heating, Inc. President Xi Jinping reaffirmed on Monday China's commitment to using the China-Eurasia Expo as a platform to further expand cooperative areas in Eurasia, raise the levels of the cooperation and promote common growth and prosperity. In a congratulatory letter to the opening of the 7th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Xi highlighted Eurasia as a region full of vitality and potential for growth and a key area for international cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road. Over recent years, Xinjiang has fully leveraged its geographical strengths, proactively developed itself into a core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and promoted connectivity, win-win cooperation and common development between China and Eurasian countries, he said. The president said China is willing to work with different countries to use the expo as a platform to carry forward the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and to uphold a direction of high standards, sustainability and public well-being in seeking common development and prosperity. The expo, which has the theme of "exclusive consultation, joint contribution, shared benefits and cooperation for a shared future", also brought together heads of state and governments from other Eurasian nations, who attended the opening via video link. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the profound evolution in the global landscape, the gridlocks in international logistics and slowing of global economic growth have further underlined the key strengths of the Belt and Road Initiative. He expressed the belief that the expo will further contribute to the development of global trade and ensure unimpeded international logistics. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the hosting of the expo highlighted the importance of China and the Eurasian region in promoting global economic growth and enhancing economic resilience. He said he is glad to see that Xinjiang is poised to play a dominant role in promoting China's economic integration and connectivity with neighboring countries. Experts and business leaders have also expressed their confidence in the growing economic and trade cooperation spanning Eurasia that is underpinned by the joint construction of the Belt and Road and the healthy development of multilateral trade and investment platforms such as the expo. "Closer economic and investment cooperation in sectors such as energy, infrastructure and industrial upgrades in Eurasia is expected to help stabilize the global energy supply and market expectations, and to push for improvements in connectivity among regions involved the Belt and Road," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. "That will provide crucial support for industrialization and urbanization in related economies and spur innovations to enrich product and service supplies," Zhou said. He Yanfeng, general manager of Chengdu Engineering Corp, a subsidiary of State-owned Power Construction Corp of China, said the company plans to enter more Central Asian markets to help build green power projects, after putting the Shelek wind farm the first green energy project jointly built by China and Kazakhstan into operation last week. The wind farm can generate 230 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, cutting 206,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and saving the use of 89,000 tons of standard coal per year. "The enhanced rail and road transportation networks between China and Central Asian countries will facilitate companies from both sides to expand and deepen cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, petrochemicals, agriculture and logistics in the coming years," he said. Zhong Nan in Beijing contributed to this story. LWANDLE - Crimes of passion continue to rear their ugly head in society, and this time around, a couple was killed in cold blood after a man who was supposedly the ex-lover of the woman, broke into a home at Lwandle and stabbed the couple to death. The deceased man, Mndeni Dlamini (33), was an employee of Manzini Clinic while the woman, a 24-year-old, was reportedly unemployed. They were supposedly attacked by the ex-lover of the woman, who is a neighbour to the deceased male. The deceased woman and the suspects identities will not be revealed as their families could not be reached for comment at the time of compiling this report. Also, a visit to the suspects home found that there was no one. The gate was locked and there was no response, despite several attempts. Meanwhile, according to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), the woman of Masekweni was stabbed 12 times with a knife all over the body. Injuries She is believed to have died from injuries sustained from the stabbing, while the man was stabbed twice in the stomach and in the right side of his back by the suspect. The crime of passion, which left community members beset with shock and pain, happened at Lwandle on Sunday at around 21:45pm. The suspect is currently on the run and is wanted by police. The deceased male resided at his parental home at Lwandle, where he had a house among three other houses within the homestead. The woman resided with her sister at Masekweni. She is originally from Nhlangano. Narrating the nerve-wrecking ordeal, the deceased Mndenis father, Mveli, shared that his son arrived home at around 8pm. The father said his sons car was faulty. Before long, he said he was drawn by the noise of a barking dog outside and he went out of his house to observe what was going on. Suspect I thought it was just nothing as I didnt see anything amiss. Instantly, I saw both my son and the suspect at the corner of his house standing. I heard my son warning the suspect not to enter the house, the father relayed. He went on to state that both his son and the suspect knew each other as they had attended the same primary and high school. He said the suspect was also known by his family as they were neighbours. My wife also came out and we found that the door was damaged and he was on the floor. I suppose that my son was stabbed when they were fighting over the door, Mveli said. The father said when they got to the scene, both he and his wife found their son lying on the floor inside the house while the woman was seated on a sofa, already with multiple stab wounds. He said the girlfriend attempted to go out, but she fell on the step of the house. He said they tried to push the suspect, making means to disarm him, but their attempts proved futile as he pushed them, shouting that he was aiming for the woman. The words that the suspect uttered will not be repeated due to their unpalatable nature. The father narrated that the woman returned from the step and went to the sofa. Thereafter, Mveli said the suspect entered the house and further stabbed the woman. He said they called the police to report the incident. The police came and we even told them that the suspect is our neighbour, we know him as he is from the area, he said. The father said they were informed that upon investigations, the police went to the suspects home and found that he had left his jacket which was drenched in blood. The two were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead upon arrival. This is not the only incident of a crime of passion that has happened in the past two months. This publication reported that anger drove a jilted member of a notorious gang Amabenjamin to spear his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend to death before taking his own life. The incident, which unfolded in full view of dozens of textile workers and left them traumatised, took place at Matsapha Industrial Site at around 7am. During the incident, Zwelithini Shabangu reportedly grabbed his ex-boyfriend, Thandolwethu Zulu by her hair, dragged her next to a Mobile Money (MoMo) cubicle and speared her in the neck and when she fell down, he stabbed her in the back. According to a source close to the matter, the deceased textile worker was from the Hhohho Region and had been living with a relative and her three-year-old child in Ezulwini. It was reported that during her stay in Ezulwini, she fell in love with Shabangu. Thereafter, the source said around March 2022, Zulu, who had already confided to her close friends that she wanted out of the relationship with Shabangu, started searching for a job at textile factories in Matsapha Industrial Site and she was employed at Far East Textiles as a trainee. It was gathered that Zulu continued to stay in Ezulwini until she got paid in April 2022. She reportedly then moved to Ludzeludze, where she stayed with a friend, who was also working in the textile factory. Foundational 1500 Champa Data Center in Denver Rebranded as the Company Embarks on Growth Strategy; Senior Leadership Team Expanded with Key New Hires DENVER, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RadiusDC (the "Company"), a new data center company established to address the emerging needs of hyperscale and enterprise customers at the metro edge, today announced key additions to its senior leadership team and introduced its new brand and website www.radius-dc.com. RadiusDC is sponsored by IPI Partners, LLC ("IPI"), a global investment firm focused exclusively on data centers and other technology and connectivity-related real assets. Leveraging existing partnerships within the data center and telecommunications ecosystem, with this new platform and leadership team, RadiusDC is positioned to provide innovative, resilient solutions to meet the increasingly urgent requirement to expand IT infrastructure to the network edge. IPI earlier announced the acquisition of the 1500 Champa building in Denver, Colorado and its partnership with Mike Krza to develop the strategy for the RadiusDC business. Mr. Krza will lead the RadiusDC team as CEO, leveraging over 20 years of digital infrastructure strategy and operations experience from his COO and CFO roles at Flexential and its predecessor entity, ViaWest. To further support expansion efforts, Joe Guerriero and Mitch Coan have joined the Company as Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel and Director of Strategic Finance, respectively. Mr. Guerriero joins the team drawing on significant previous operational and legal experience at Flexential. Mr. Coan brings deep financial management and M&A experience from corporate development and strategy roles at Zayo Group. "The metro edge is an area of incredible growth and opportunity in a connectivity-driven economy," said Mr. Krza. "We're filling a gap in the market with our new data center platform, starting with the impressive facility at 1500 Champa. Expect to see much more from RadiusDC over the next year as we roll out upgrades in Denver and add other locations in key North American markets." 1500 Champa is one of the most highly interconnected carrier hotels and data centers in the Western U.S. region. The three-story building has approximately 138,000 square feet of data center and office space, and the potential to support up to 10 megawatts of power capacity. RadiusDC is already investing in 1500 Champa to further address its connectivity ecosystem and colocation opportunities, with the initial construction phase on track to be completed by the end of 2022. Building upon this established foundation, RadiusDC has a robust pipeline of identified expansion opportunities in other major urban centers and plans to continue acquiring and developing strategic and highly connected data center capacity in major U.S. metro markets to further build its portfolio of mission-critical, scalable properties. Christopher Jensen, Managing Director of IPI, said, "IPI is excited to launch the RadiusDC platform and to have the opportunity to work with a talented and growing management team led by Mike Krza. Through RadiusDC, our goal is to address the evolving and growing needs of our core hyperscale and enterprise customer base at the metro edge in connectivity-rich locations." About RadiusDC Meeting the colocation demands of tomorrow, RadiusDC owns and operates facilities in strategically located population centers throughout North America. Hosting a wide variety of network operators, carriers, MSOs, and content providers, RadiusDC supports the increasingly urgent requirement to expand IT infrastructure to the network edge. For more information about RadiusDC, please visit: www.radius-dc.com. About IPI Partners IPI specializes in acquiring, developing, leasing, and operating critical digital infrastructure assets to serve the needs of large, high-quality technology companies globally. Co-sponsored by ICONIQ Capital, LLC and an affiliate of Iron Point Partners, LLC, IPI leverages the combined leadership, strategic experience, and global network of its sponsoring firms. Over the past five years, IPI has built one of the world's largest privately held data center portfolios focused on the hyperscale and enterprise markets and raised more than $5.75 billion in total equity capital commitments. For more information about IPI Partners, please visit: www.ipipartners.com. Media Contact Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) +1 866.695.3629 ext. 19 [email protected] SOURCE RadiusDC Industry's Most Comprehensive Personal Cyber Product Combines Loss Coverage and Proactive Monitoring BOSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safeco Insurance, a Liberty Mutual company, has launched a new personal cyber coverage endorsement for Safeco Home policyholders. Safeco's Cyber Protection, available in 24 states, includes a suite of innovative coverages and services designed to protect homeowners from today's most pressing cyber threats such as identity theft, online fraud, cyberextortion, cyberattacks, data breaches and cyberbullying. The most comprehensive personal cyber product on the insurance market, the endorsement provides coverage for losses and expenses while providing services needed to restore and recover from the crime. According to the 2021 FBI Internet Crime Report, cybercrime complaints to the FBI continue to rise, resulting in billions of dollars of losses each year. The report states a 64% increase in reported losses from 2020 to 2021, representing over 800,000 complaints to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. "Agents are always looking for innovative ways to offer peace of mind to their customers and this new cyber coverage offers protection against a burgeoning threat," said Liberty Mutual Director of Product Solutions, Global Retail Markets US, Nathanael Curtis. "Safeco is the first insurer to package proactive credit and identity monitoring services with full-spectrum cyber insurance at an incredibly competitive price." As part of the endorsement, Safeco also provides customers with expert-level case management and guidance from a dedicated team of specialists in the event of a cyber exposure. The endorsement includes proactive, comprehensive credit and deep web monitoring for sensitive information that may be posted for sale. Safeco products are available through a network of independent agents across the United States. The Safeco Cyber Protection endorsement is now available in Ala., Ark., Colo., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kan., Ky., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nev., N.M., Ohio, Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., Tenn., Texas, Utah, and Wis. Cost for coverage varies by state, starting at $52 a year for $25,000 in protection per policy period, with higher limits available. The company plans to introduce the endorsement in additional states in 2022 and 2023. About Safeco Insurance In business since 1923, Safeco Insurance sells personal automobile, homeowners and specialty products through a network of more than 10,000 independent insurance agencies throughout the United States. Safeco works hard to be the carrier champion of the independent agent. In a survey conducted in 2022 by Channel Harvest, independent agents named Safeco as the carrier that does more than others to support the overall growth of agencies. Safeco is a Liberty Mutual Insurance company, based in Boston, Mass. For more information about Safeco Insurance, go to www.safeco.com . About Liberty Mutual Insurance At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, today we are the sixth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2020 gross written premium. We also rank 78 on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2021 revenue. As of December 31, 2021, we had $48.2 billion in annual consolidated revenue. We employ over 45,000 people in 29 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property. For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global sinusitis endoscopes market size is expected to grow by USD 88.69 million, accelerating at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. The report has tracked the recent trends and developments in the healthcare equipment industry to estimate the market size. Some of the factors considered include the patient population, incidence rate of the disease, prevalence rate of the disease, disposable income, current healthcare expenditure, and other factors. Understand the scope of the full report. Download PDF Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Sinuscope Endoscopes Market 2022-2026 Technavio categorizes the global sinuscope endoscopes market as a part of the global healthcare equipment market. The parent market, the global healthcare equipment market, includes products and companies engaged in the R&D of a variety of product categories, including capital equipment, instruments, implants, accessories, and consumables that are used for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of various diseases. Technavio considers the combined revenue generated by manufacturers of various diagnostic equipment and devices used across the therapy areas to calculate the size of the global healthcare equipment market. The market in focus is fragmented due to the presence of a few large, medium, and small-scale vendors. Established players have a strong distribution network, while most other vendors are concentrated in their regional markets. The vendors in the market are competing in terms of price, quality, innovation, reputation, brand identity, and distribution. The rivalry among vendors is intense, which is forcing them to adopt pricing and marketing strategies to retain their existing market shares and seize new market opportunities. The report identifies ACTEON Group, Amplifon SpA, asap endoscopic products GmbH, B. Braun SE, Ecleris USA, Entermed BV, Happersberger otopront GmbH, Henke Sass Wolf GmbH, HOYA Corp., KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG, Medstar Co. Ltd., Olympus Corp., Optim LLC, Optomic Espana SA, Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH, Serwell Medi Equip P. Ltd., Stryker Corp., Techcord Co. Ltd., and XION GmbH as major market participants. Although the growing prevalence of sinusitis will offer immense growth opportunities, potential complications of sinus endoscopy and the high cost of the procedure 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 Report Here The global sinuscope endoscopes market is segmented as below: End-user Hospitals ASCs Others Hospitals are the prime end-users for sinuscope endoscopes in the market. The segment is driven by the presence of advanced medical equipment and facilities in hospitals than in ASCs and other healthcare facilities. Moreover, the increasing number of MI techniques, such as endoscopic sinus surgery, which treats nasal polyps, sinusitis, and other recurrent sinus problems, in hospitals is contributing to the growth of the segment. Geography North America Europe Asia The Rest of The World (ROW) North America is the major market, occupying 41% of the global market share. Factors such as the increasing prevalence of sinusitis, technological advances, increasing healthcare infrastructure, and the availability of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure are fostering the growth of the regional market. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our sinuscope endoscopes market report covers the following areas: Sinuscope Endoscopes Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the sinuscope endoscopes market, including some of the dominant vendors. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the sinuscope endoscopes market is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Sinuscope Endoscopes Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist sinuscope endoscopes market growth during the next five years Estimation of the sinuscope endoscopes market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the sinuscope endoscopes market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of sinuscope endoscopes market vendors Related Reports: Sinuscope Endoscopes Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.8% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 88.69 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.2 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 41% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Germany, UK, and China Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled ACTEON Group, Amplifon SpA, asap endoscopic products GmbH, B. Braun SE, Ecleris USA, Entermed BV, Happersberger otopront GmbH, Henke Sass Wolf GmbH, HOYA Corp., KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG, Medstar Co. Ltd., Olympus Corp., Optim LLC, Optomic Espana SA, Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH, Serwell Medi Equip P. Ltd., Stryker Corp., Techcord Co. Ltd., and XION GmbH 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 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user 5.3 Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 ASCs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on ASCs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on ASCs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on ASCs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on ASCs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 asap endoscopic products GmbH Exhibit 89: asap endoscopic products GmbH - Overview Exhibit 90: asap endoscopic products GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 91: asap endoscopic products GmbH - Key offerings 10.4 Ecleris USA Exhibit 92: Ecleris USA - Overview - Overview Exhibit 93: Ecleris USA - Product / Service - Product / Service Exhibit 94: Ecleris USA - Key offerings 10.5 Henke Sass Wolf GmbH Exhibit 95: Henke Sass Wolf GmbH - Overview Exhibit 96: Henke Sass Wolf GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 97: Henke Sass Wolf GmbH - Key offerings 10.6 HOYA Corp. Exhibit 98: HOYA Corp. - Overview Exhibit 99: HOYA Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 100: HOYA Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 101: HOYA Corp. - Segment focus 10.7 KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG and Co. KG Exhibit 102: KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG - Overview and Co. KG - Overview Exhibit 103: KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG - Product / Service and Co. KG - Product / Service Exhibit 104: KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG - Key news and Co. KG - Key news Exhibit 105: KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG - Key offerings 10.8 Olympus Corp. Exhibit 106: Olympus Corp. - Overview Exhibit 107: Olympus Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 108: Olympus Corp. - Key news Exhibit 109: Olympus Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 110: Olympus Corp. - Segment focus 10.9 Optim LLC Exhibit 111: Optim LLC - Overview Exhibit 112: Optim LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 113: Optim LLC - Key offerings 10.10 Optomic Espana SA Exhibit 114: Optomic Espana SA - Overview Exhibit 115: Optomic Espana SA - Product / Service Exhibit 116: Optomic Espana SA - Key offerings 10.11 Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH Exhibit 117: Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH - Overview Exhibit 118: Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 119: Schindler Endoskopie Technologie GmbH - Key offerings 10.12 XION GmbH Exhibit 120: XION GmbH - Overview Exhibit 121: XION GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 122: XION GmbH - Key offerings 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 123: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 124: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 125: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 126: Research methodology Exhibit 127: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 128: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 129: 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: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SpendEdge's procurement report on Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Tata Steel Ltd., and Nippon Steel Corp are among the top most important suppliers for the Pig Iron market. The report also explains key category management objectives that should form the base for Pig Iron's sourcing strategy. RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Element451 , an advanced student engagement CRM for higher ed institutions, today announced that Mallory Willsea has joined the company's executive team as Vice President of Marketing and Demand Generation. Willsea will play a crucial role in accelerating the already impressive growth the SaaS company has experienced since its founding four years ago. In July, for example, Element451 announced that it had done as much business in the first half of 2022 as it did in all of 2021 . Company leaders attribute that growth to innovative schools adopting a student-centered approach to marketing and enrollment, an approach that Element451 was built to enable. In her decade-plus career in higher education, marketing, and edtech, Willsea has deftly aligned sales and marketing teams to achieve client and customer success. "We are certain that Mallory's considerable knowledge and passion for higher education will allow us to serve moreand more variedschools and their learners," said Ardis Kadiu, CEO and Founder of Element451. For nearly a decade Mallory proved herself an invaluable member of the team at higher education marketing agency mStoner, now part of the Carnegie Company. Her customer-centric philosophy propelled client success and earned her the position of Director of Marketing and Business Development. In that role she developed the company's robust inbound marketing program. "Element451 has taken the idea of customer-centric to a new level, creating a student engagement CRM truly built around what students want: on-demand information, personalized messages, and seamless digital experiences," said Willsea. "I've always been a champion for achieving better alignment with the customer in order to achieve better outcomes for all. I'm honored to be part of this growing company." A sought-after public speaker and thought leader, Willsea has contributed substantially to the field of higher education marketing. For a decade she was the Executive Producer for Higher Ed Live and she co-founded the popular "Call to Action" blog on Inside Higher Ed. Most recently Willsea was the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations at PlatformQ Education. For more information on Element451, please visit: www.element451.com . About Element451 Element451 is an advanced student engagement CRM, providing higher ed institutions with a competitive advantage from recruitment to enrollment using AI, student behavior data, and modern marketing automation. The Element451 CRM leverages millions of behavior-based data insights to reach prospective students where they are, both in their journey and in their preferred channel to ensure the right message reaches the right student at the right time. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Media Contact: Erin Newton Head of Marketing Element451 434-989-7255 [email protected] SOURCE Element451 Made to Move Communities global challenge pairs local students with Otis volunteers to address one of the most significant issues of our time. FARMINGTON, Conn. , Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate change can pose significant challenges to mobility as people struggle to cope with extreme weather, including record-breaking heat, widespread wildfires, and catastrophic flooding. In the third year of the Made to Move Communities challenge, Otis (NYSE: OTIS) volunteers will mentor more than 250 students from schools across 20 countries and territories as they consider alternative ways to move around communities affected by natural disasters brought on by a changing climate. "We believe using STEM to develop mobility solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change is a meaningful and timely challenge," says Otis Chair, CEO, and President Judy Marks. "Today's students will be among those most impacted by the worsening effects of climate change, so it is critical that we listen to their concerns and ideas while working alongside these young adults to explore what is possible for the benefit of generations to come." Made to Move Communities is a global student challenge inspiring creative, STEM-based solutions to real-world mobility issues. This year, participating students from around the world will partner with Otis mentors and volunteers to develop creative, technology-based mobility solutions to help lessen the effects of climate change, one of the world's most pressing, yet unsolved, issues. At the conclusion of the eight-week program, teams will present their ideas to a panel of Otis judges who will award varying levels of STEM grants to the schools of participating teams. These grants will be used locally by schools to further STEM learning. Otis mentors aim to help close the STEM skills gap by nurturing a life-long interest in science, technology, engineering, and math and inspiring the pursuit of future, related careers some of which may one day contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change. At Otis, reducing the environmental impacts of our operations and developing mobility solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change are paramount. Now, we're also empowering the next generation of innovators to be part of the solution. About Otis Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide the industry's largest Service portfolio. You'll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 68,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo. Media Contact Justin Herndon 813-957-0255 [email protected] SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation NOIDA, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device Market was valued around USD 2 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 9% during 2021-2027. The analysis has been segmented into Portability (Trolley based devices and Handheld devices); Application (Emergency Medicine, Cardiology, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Musculoskeletal, and Others); Type (Diagnostics and Therapeutics); End-users(Hospitals, Clinics, and Others); Region/Country. Click here to view the Report Description & TOC https://univdatos.com/report/point-of-care-ultrasound-device-market/ The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market. The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market at the global and regional levels. Request for Sample Pages https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=21634 Market Overview Diagnostic ultrasound, also called sonography or diagnostic medical sonography, is an imaging method that uses sound waves to produce images of structures within the body. The images can provide valuable information for diagnosing and directing treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. Point-of-care ultrasound refers to the practice of trained medical professionals using ultrasound to diagnose problems wherever a patient is being treated. The increasing demand for the portable and accurate from emergency departments for the fast diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic diseases attributes to the surging demand for better and more portable medical devices. Additionally, the increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders due to improper nutrition is also a significant factor contributing to the global market. Click here to view the Report Description & TOC https://univdatos.com/report/point-of-care-ultrasound-device-market/ The global point-of-care ultrasound device market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated. Based on portability, the market is bifurcated into Trolley based devices and Handheld devices. Handheld devices are expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases along with technological advancements owing to the development of handheld devices. Furthermore, the features like affordability and portability contribute to the significant market share of the segment during the forecast period. On the basis of application, the market is categorized into emergency medicine, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, musculoskeletal, and others. Among them, in 2020, obstetrics & gynecology had a significant market share in the POCUS market. The reasons for the market growth are to diagnose the risk for pregnancy complications and to save the life of the mother and the neonatal. However, the musculoskeletal segment is expected to have a significant market share during the forecast period. The increasing number of injuries and accidents is one of the major drivers of the market. Furthermore, changing lifestyles and improper nutrition are other reasons for the growth of the musculoskeletal segment in foreseeable future. Based on types, the point-of-care ultrasound device market has been bifurcated into diagnostics and therapeutics. In 2020, the diagnostics segment witnessed significant growth owing to the increasing number of diagnostic centers, globally. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as nephrolithiasis and cardiovascular diseases contributes to the significant market share of the diagnostic segments in 2020. However, in the projected future the therapeutic segment is expected to witness significant growth. Some therapeutic procedures include punctures, thoracentesis, paracentesis, aspirations, placement of various medical tools within the body (such as tubes), and foreign body removal from the body contribute in the significant market share of the POCUS. Based on end-users, the market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, and others. Among these, the hospital segment is predicted to have a major market share in the forecast period. Hospitals complement and amplify the effectiveness of many other parts of the health system, providing continuous availability of services for acute and complex conditions. Furthermore, the increasing number of surgeries in hospitals contributes to the development of the market. Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/point-of-care-ultrasound-device-market/ Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device Market Geographical Segmentation Includes: North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America ) ( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Spain , Italy , France , and the Rest of Europe ) ( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , South Korea , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific ) ( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World For a better understanding of the market adoption of the point-of-care ultrasound device industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (United States, Canada, and the Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of APAC), and Rest of World. During the forecast period, North America is expected to have a higher CAGR due to higher investment in the healthcare infrastructure and more acceptability towards the adoption and integration of advanced technology in medical facilities. Furthermore, increased awareness about better health and increasing investments in health insurance contributes to the market in the along with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases positively drives the market. The major players targeting the market include Abbott Laboratories Siemens Healthineers AG Quidel Corporation F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Danaher Corporation Becton Dickinson and Company and Company Chembio Diagnostics EKF Diagnostics Trinity Biotech plc Instrumentation Laboratory (a Werfen Company). Competitive Landscape The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device Market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition. Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include: What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market? Which factors are influencing the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market over the forecast period? What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market? Which factors are propelling and restraining the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market? What are the demanding global regions of the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device market? What will be the global market size in the upcoming years? What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies? We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs. Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device Market Report Coverage Report Attribute Details Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2027 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 9% Market size 2020 USD 2 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region APAC to Witness Highest CAGR in the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Device Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, India, and South Korea Companies profiled Abbott Laboratories,Siemens Healthineers AG,Quidel Corporation,F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd.,Danaher Corporation,Becton Dickinson and Company,Chembio Diagnostics,EKF Diagnostics,Trinity Biotech plc.Instrumentation Laboratory (a Werfen Company) Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Portability; By Application; By Type; By End-users; By Region/Country About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients. Contact UnivDatos Market Insights Ankita Gupta Director Operations Ph: +91-7838604911 Email: [email protected] Website: https://univdatos.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd. Rise in mobile data traffic, 5G network, and fiber deployment required for connectivity have boosted the growth of the global telecommunication services market. PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Telecommunication Services Market" by Service Type (Mobile Data Services, Fixed Internet Access Services, Mobile Voice Services, Fixed Voice Services, Pay-TV Services, Mobile Messaging), by Transmission (Wireless, Wireline), by End User (Consumer, Business): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global telecommunication services industry was accounted for $1,602.5 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $2,556.2 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2022 to 2031. Major determinants of the market growth Rise in mobile data traffic, 5G network, and fiber deployment required for connectivity have boosted the growth of the global telecommunication services market. However, strict government network radiation rules hinder the market growth. On the contrary, advent of IoT would open new opportunities in the future. Download Report Sample (320 Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/21551 Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic had a low impact on the growth of the market as private and government sectors were working together to speed up the development of 5G infrastructure. For instance, mobile network operators in Thailand had joined forces to offer 5G networks to hospitals during the pandemic. The Easter Economic Corridor (EEC) mandated that 5G must cover around 50% of the area in 2020 and its equipment installation would commence in the same year. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the telecommunication services market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/21551 The mobile data services segment dominated the market By service type, the mobile data services segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global telecommunication services market, due to owing to increase in mobile users and number of devices they own, as well as popularity of high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video and video conferencing, is causing the amount of mobile data consumed every year to grow. However, the fixed internet access services segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period. This is because fixed internet access services are a good internet option for streaming videos, listening to music, sending large emails, running credit card machines, and other web-based tools. The wireless segment to portray the highest CAGR through 2031 By transmission, the wireless segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2031. In addition, the segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than three-fourths of global telecommunication services industry, due to adoption of wireless telecommunication services allow customers to send and receive messages through electronic devices and a wireless medium. The report includes analysis of the wireline segment as well. The business segment to showcase the highest CAGR by 2031 By end user, the business segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period, owing to rapid business digitization and Industry 4.0 evolution. However, the consumer segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global telecommunication services market, due to ongoing trends such as remote working and bring your own device (BYOD). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our analyst at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/21551 Asia-Pacific held the lion's share By region, the market across Asia-Pacific dominated in 2021, accounting for around one-third of the global telecommunication services market, due to the fact that many countries in the region have evolved with industrial transformation initiatives, thus increasing focus toward 5G deployments. However, the market across LAMEA is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period, due to rise in strategic trails to launch 5G technologies and equipment in this region is high. Major market players IBM CORPORATION Cisco Systems Inc. Alcatel Lucent Deutsche Telekom Juniper Networks Nokia VODAFONE AT&T Inc. Verizon Communication Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. China Mobile Reliance Softbank Corp. Bharti Airtel KT Corp. Telefonica SA The report analyzes these key players of the global telecommunication services market. These players have adopted 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 determining the business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and developments by every market player. >> LIMITED-TIME OFFER << Buy Now & Get Exclusive Discount on this Premium Report Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Similar Reports: B2B Telecommunication Market Expected to Reach $181.35 Billion by 2030 Mobile Value-Added Services Market Expected to Reach $2 Billion by 2030 Cellular M2M Market Expected to Reach $83.23 Billion by 2030 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 domain. 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Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Breeze enables listing agents and sellers to send and prepare disclosures fast and easy. SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SkySlope, the leader in real estate transaction software, has launched Breeze, an all-around simple and streamlined application making Texas disclosures easy to complete for agents and sellers. SkySlope's core product, SkySlope Suite, enables brokers, agents, auditors, and transaction coordinators to track their deals while remaining compliant. Equipped with forms and a digital signature tool, SkySlope provides a frictionless workflow that saves time for agents. As the transaction management platform serving over half of the top 20 largest brokerages in the U.S. and Canada, SkySlope is known for its award-winning customer experience. With the launch of Breeze, SkySlope gives agents the ability to prepare and send seller disclosures to their clients at lightning speed, from anywhere. Available at no cost, Breeze provides sellers with tool tips and legal definitions in accessible language to help prevent critical mistakes that may cause lawsuits against sellers, agents, and brokers. Guided workflows simplify complicated and confusing disclosure forms helping sellers complete disclosures quickly and with more confidence and accuracy. Breeze Features Streamlined disclosure preparation equipped with MLS data sync Status visibility, notifications, and easy revision requests Simple guided workflows with helpful tips (think TurboTax) for clients Equipped with SkySlope DigiSign for free, unlimited, and secure digital signatures Seamlessly integrated with SkySlope's suite of products "Breeze is truly a one-stop-shop for faster disclosures," says Diana Costas of Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty. "The guided workflow helps clients complete disclosures quickly and accurately and our agents can easily prepare disclosures, request signatures, and submit forms for compliance review." "Disclosures are a common pain point for both agents and sellers," explains SkySlope CEO, Tyler Smith. "We're excited to launch a solution that takes a complicated process and makes it effortless for REALTORS and home sellers." Coming soon to a state near you! Breeze is expanding to help more agents and their clients complete disclosures with ease and confidence. Breeze is currently available in California, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, and Nevada! Breeze will continue to launch in more states throughout 2022. Is Breeze not available in your state yet? Don't worry, we're coming! Sign up to get an update when we've launched in your state. Visit breeze.skyslope.com and scroll to the "Work from anywhere" section on the Breeze page, select your state, and enter your information. For more information about Breeze, please visit breeze.skyslope.com. About SkySlope Established in 2011, SkySlope is a comprehensive transaction management platform for brokers, agents, auditors, and transaction coordinators to manage real estate transactions from anywhere at any time. In 2021, over 300,000 users across 8,000 offices used SkySlope to manage 2.25M transactions. SkySlope provides digital transaction management and services to help agents and brokers be more efficient and compliant. From automation to integrations, SkySlope's vision is to keep agents and brokers connected to the customer forever. For more information about SkySlope, visit skyslope.com. Contact SkySlope [email protected] 1-800-507-4117 SOURCE SkySlope FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth recently earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS). The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization's commitment to providing safe and quality patient care and demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. "We're committed to providing an exceptional standard of care to every patient, every time." Tweet this Dr. Olaide Ajayi Shannon Carey (left), DNP, ACNP-BC, CNRN, is the hospital's Advanced Spine Surgery and Neurosurgery nurse practitioner and Olaide Ajayi, M.D., serves as medical director of the Spine Program at Texas Health Fort Worth. Dr. Olaide Ajayi "This certification highlights and celebrates Texas Health Fort Worth's commitment to providing an exceptional standard of care to every patient, every time," said Olaide Ajayi, M.D., an independent neurosurgeon and spine surgeon on the Texas Health Fort Worth medical staff (https://www.texashealth.org/Providers/THPG/Texas-Health-Neurosurgery-and-Spine-Specialists/Neurosurgery/olaide-olawale-ajayi-md). A member of Texas Health Neurosurgery and Spine Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice, Ajayi also serves as the Spine Program medical director. Texas Health Fort Worth is just the second hospital in Texas to earn Advanced Spine Surgery Certification from The Joint Commission; the other is in Corpus Christi. The hospital's ACSS certification also comes just a few months after it received the prestigious Neurotrauma Certification from The Joint Commission (https://www.texashealth.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/2022/Texas-Health-Fort-Worth-becomes-First-US-Hospital-to-Earn-Prestigious-Recognition). "Our hospital is the first in the nation to have this highest level of Neurotrauma Certification, which means that Texas Health Fort Worth takes care of the most complex trauma involving the brain and the spine, too," Ajayi said. Joseph DeLeon, president, Texas Health Fort Worth, praised the staff's certification efforts and what they mean for patients and the North Texas region. "Both certifications recognize our commitment to providing high-acuity neuroscience services throughout North Texas. Patients might be hindered by ailments affecting their spine and nervous system, but we're truly dedicated to providing great care, so that they can get back to enjoying life." To learn more click on neurological care (https://www.texashealth.org/Health-and-Wellness/Neurosciences). About Texas Health Resources: Texas Health Resources is a faith-based, nonprofit health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. With a service area that consists of 16 counties and more than 7 million people, the system is committed to providing quality, coordinated care through its Texas Health Physicians Group and 29 hospital locations. The system has more than 4,100 licensed hospital beds, 6,400 physicians with active staff privileges and more than 26,000 employees. SOURCE Texas Health Resources DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Thailand Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Thailand witnessed the construction of data center facilities with a white floor area of over 105 thousand square feet in 2021 and will add a cumulative area of over 870 thousand square feet between 2022 and 2027. The market has witnessed several new entrants in the data center and cloud market. For instance, Telehouse and Chindata Group were among the new data center entrants, followed by Alibaba Cloud announcing the new cloud region, which is expected to be online in 2022. MARKET OUTLOOK The digitalization across the country driven by COVID-19, availability of tax incentives, deployment of 5G services, and improved connectivity with other Asian countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and others make Thailand an attractive market for investors. In Thailand, operators must obtain a Board of Investment (BOI) Promotion Certificate for planning, constructing, and operating data centers. The entry of new players such as Telehouse and Chindata Group and the development of cloud regions by major operators such as Tencent Cloud and Alibaba Cloud are likely to attract more global players to invest in the market during the forecast period. The three companies, AIS (Advanced Info Service), Singtel, and Gulf Energy, formed a joint Venture to develop data centers across the country. The construction to due to begin and is expected to be online by 2023. The country is also witnessing the deployment of modular data centers. For instance, Huawei Technologies invested around $23 million to develop its third modular data center in the country. Bangkok is the primary location for data center investment in Thailand. The construction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Free Trade Zones (FTZs) and the availability of infrastructure will attract investors to develop data center facilities in the coming years. Datacenter development in Eastern Corridor might attract nearby customers from heavy industries (Automotive, Manufacturing, & Petro Chemical) and food processing industries to opt for their IT operations in the data center. WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH? Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and Thailand colocation market revenue. colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Thailand by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Datacenter investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities. A detailed study of the existing Thailand data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Thailand 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 Thailand Facilities Covered (Existing): 32 Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 03 Coverage: 7 Cities Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area) Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity) Datacenter colocation market in Thailand Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027) Retail Colocation Pricing Explore Thailand data center landscape market investments in IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting. data center landscape market investments in IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting. A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry. Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry. A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT Thailand has around 32 operational colocation data centers. Most colocation data centers are being developed according to Tier III standards. The country has the presence of global data center operator NTT Global Data Centers, which operates two facilities and is certified as Tier III. has around 32 operational colocation data centers. Most colocation data centers are being developed according to Tier III standards. The country has the presence of global data center operator NTT Global Data Centers, which operates two facilities and is certified as Tier III. The COVID-19 impact, remote working has led to an increase in data generation at local levels. In addition, the digitalization, deployment of 5G services, and adoption of cloud-based services have led to the demand for data centers in the country. The rising adoption of cloud-based services is helping in the growth of retail and wholesale colocation services in the market. The market is witnessing increased demand for colocation spaces across existing data centers. Small scale companies across industries such as educational institutions, e-commerce, insurance, cloud-native start-ups, public sector (city councils), and others (mentioned above) will prefer retail colocation and other services such as managed hosting/connectivity cloud-based solutions. Wholesale colocation demand will come from local governments, travel & tourism, BFSI Sector, & Hospitals (mainly those that operate across Thailand ). ). Hyperscale demand will come from content providers & cloud operators, followed by leading e-commerce companies, public sector agencies, and the banking sector. We believe Vantage Data Centers, Equinix, Digital Realty, Flow Digital, and Princeton Digital Group might enter the market in the next few years. The deployment of 5G networks will boost the digital economy of the country and will lead to higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure. The adoption of Software Defined Networking (SDN) is likely to increase owing to smart city initiatives carried out by government agencies. THAILAND DATA CENTER MARKET VENDOR LANDSCAPE Some of the key investors in the Thailand data center industries are Telehouse, Chindata Group, True IDC, Singtel, Gulf Energy, and AIS, Korea Telecom (KT) & Jasmine Telecom Systems ( JTS ) and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and Frasers Property Thailand. data center industries are Telehouse, Chindata Group, True IDC, Singtel, Gulf Energy, and AIS, Korea Telecom (KT) & Jasmine Telecom Systems ( ) and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and Frasers Property Thailand. The hyperscale operator Amazon Web Services announced its plan to build and operate to edge zones across Bangkok . The zones are expected to be online by 2022-2023. . The zones are expected to be online by 2022-2023. The country is also witnessing an increase in the development of cloud regions. Tencent Cloud opened its second cloud region in Bangkok in June 2021 . In addition, Alibaba Cloud has also announced its plan to develop a new cloud region in the country. Cloud opened its second cloud region in in . In addition, has also announced its plan to develop a new cloud region in the country. Chindata Group, one of the new entrants in the market, has announced that it is currently finalizing a business acquisition in the country and will install 5 MW of IT power capacity. Telecom operators such as True Corporation, AIS (Advanced Info Service), and dtac have deployed 5G technology in some cities on a trial basis or are launching commercial 5G services. The data center operators are increasing their market share and presence across the country by either acquiring the data center operators or investing in the company. For instance, in January 2022 , Etix Everywhere (Vantage Data Centers) acquired around 67% stake in Genesis Data Center by investing approximately $10.8 million . Major Vendors IT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS Arista Networks Atos Cisco Systems Dell Technologies Fujitsu HPE Huawei Technologies IBM Inspur Lenovo NetApp DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS & SUB-CONTRACTORS Arup Architects 49 Chaan Finishing Touch Design Studio Meinhardt Group Plan Architect PPS Group QTC Group SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS ABB Airedale International Air Conditioning Caterpillar Cummins Cyber Power Systems Delta Electronics Eaton Fuji Electric HITEC Power Protection KOHLER Legrand Mitsubishi Electric Piller Power Systems Rittal Schneider Electric STULZ Siemens Vertiv DATA CENTER INVESTORS Alibaba Cloud Huawei Technologies Internet Thailand KT Corporation Tencent Cloud Cloud True IDC NEW ENTRANTS Chindata Group KT Corporation ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Telehouse Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 : Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Thailand Historical Market Scenario 30+ 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 Bangkok Other Cities Chapter 2: Investment Opportunities in Thailand Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Factors of Thailand Market Data Center Investments Investment by Area Investment by Power Capacity Chapter 3: Data Center Colocation Market in Thailand Colocation Services Market in Thailand Retail Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons Wholesale Colocation Pricing (Per Kwh) Retail Colocation & Wholesale Colocation Market Forecast 2022-2027 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 Chapter 6: Tier Standard Investment Tier I & II Tier III Tier IV Chapter 7: Key Market Participants It Infrastructure Providers Construction Contractors Support Infrastructure Providers Data Center Investors Chapter 8: Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cwl849 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets AFP collaborates with Morgan Stanley in its efforts to introduce treasury and finance careers to underrepresented communities. BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) announced that Morgan Stanley has joined AFP's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Awareness Initiative for Treasury and Finance, which helps college students and young professionals from underrepresented communities pursue careers in treasury and finance. AFP teams up with Morgan Stanley to empower students and young professionals to lead rewarding treasury and finance careers, through professional development, skills building, ongoing training and continuous learning. As part of the initiative, AFP offers scholarships for its Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and Certified Corporate FP&A Professional (FPAC) certifications. In addition, AFP provides employers with resources to bolster their DEI programs. "Every individual carries a wealth of knowledge, and the treasury and finance profession can only grow stronger by adopting diverse and inclusive business practices," said Jim Kaitz, president & CEO of AFP. "In collaboration with our members, AFP is committed to helping individuals from diverse backgrounds gain the resources they need to become the leaders that will propel the profession forward." "Commit to Diversity and Inclusion is one of Morgan Stanley's five core values, and we are contributing to an environment that supports and empowers professionals from diverse backgrounds as they pursue careers in Treasury and Finance," said Michelle Wang, Managing Director and Head of Technology Fixed Income Capital Markets. "We are pleased to partner with AFP on the DEI Awareness Initiative." Please direct all press inquiries to Melissa Rawak, managing director, at [email protected]. About AFP Headquartered outside of Washington, D.C., and located regionally in Singapore, the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) is the professional society committed to advancing the success of treasury and finance members and their organizations. Established and administered by AFP, the Certified Treasury Professional and Certified Corporate FP&A Professional credentials set standards of excellence in treasury and finance. SOURCE Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Our team at The Bellwether District was looking forward to hosting our first in-person community meeting this evening. Unfortunately, due to concerns about the safety of our speakers and guests, tonight's meeting will now be held virtually. The meeting has been rescheduled for 7 pm to allow anyone who may still arrive at Audenried Charter High School time to return home and attend. We remain committed to continued community outreach, transparency, and being good corporate citizens. We look forward to seeing many of you virtually this evening. About Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP): HRP is a vertically integrated real estate investment and redevelopment company that re-imagines, remediates, and redevelops obsolete industrial sites across the United States with a uniquely holistic approach to development that prioritizes economic, community and environmental sustainability. HRP's redevelopment expertise ranges from modern logistics and distribution facilities to urban, mixed-use projects, and life science ecosystems. HRP strives to transform not only properties, but also the communities surrounding them through a comprehensive approach to community engagement, environmental sustainability, and economic development. HRP is an operating company within Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com). To learn more about HRP, visit hilcoredev.com. For more information about The Bellwether District, please visit thebellwetherdistrict.com or Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. SOURCE Hilco Redevelopment Partners Big players in the restaurant industry, including The Captain's Boil, Foodtastic and BarBurrito, have fueled their growth by leveraging multiple products in the Givex tech ecosystem TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - In the rapidly-changing restaurant landscape as a result of the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global fintech company Givex has thrived, due to its comprehensive suite of products that is being used by restaurant franchises like The Captain's Boil, Foodtastic and BarBurrito. Restaurant franchises historically have struggled with clumsy integrations, cobbling together various technology products with limited success, while others invest in a long-term tech strategy with a singular partner to support growth and maximize efficiencies. "What sets Givex apart in the industry is our seamless tech ecosystem that helps restaurant owners and operators make informed business decisions. Many clients sign on with Givex for one product, but end up adding additional products after seeing the value Givex brings," said Don Gray, CEO of Givex. "Other clients sign on for multiple Givex solutions from the start, after seeing the value of how the products work together. In either case, the common thread is that clients are attracted to Givex due to our scalability, best-in-class customer service, robust reporting and seamless integrations." Casual seafood restaurant chain The Captain's Boil was using various POS systems across its 20+ units and in need of an end-to-end technology partner to manage its growing franchise system. The Captain's Boil now employs the full suite of Givex technology, including point-of-sale (POS), kitchen display system (KDS), gift cards, online ordering app and loyalty and inventory control. In addition, Givex created a seamless integration with a third-party app to help The Captain's Boil manage labor costs. In January 2022, The Captain's Boil opened its first U.S. location amid the pandemic, due in large part to its tech stack and its ability to strengthen its takeout / delivery platforms with Givex technology . As The Captain's Boil grows its footprint, Givex's technology solutions will scale alongside its growth. Another client that sees the value in leveraging multiple Givex products is Foodtastic, which recently installed Givex's full suite of technology , including POS, KDS, gift card and payment systems and online ordering app in more than a third of its 650 restaurants across 21 brands (including Second Cup, Milestones, Chocolato and Pita Pit). In early 2021, Foodtastic acquired 200+-unit Second Cup, which was already using GivexPOS and Customer WebSuite (CWS) gift card technology. After seeing the value of Givex's solutions, quick installation time, best-in-class support and robust reporting, Foodtastic rolled out POS and CWS across the system later that year. 185-unit Tex-Mex restaurant chain BarBurrito, which recently became the largest Mexican chain in Canada, uses Givex technology to streamline the customer experience, create efficiencies and make data-driven business decisions by using a single solution. In October 2020, BarBurrito implemented GivexPOS in select locations in Saskatchewan and has since rolled out POS at all locations in the system, and added Givex's online ordering, gift card and loyalty programs to its tech stack. As the industry continues to evolve, restaurant operators will always need to find cost- and labor-effective ways to meet changing customer needs and stand out in a crowded marketplace. Technology is no longer an afterthought; finding the right tech partner is one of the most important steps to set a foundation for innovation and growth. By using one provider for multiple solutions, Givex clients can and will continue to harness the company's scalability, best-in-class customer service, robust reporting and seamless integrations to support their growth. About Givex Givex (TSX: GIVX) (OTCQX: GIVXF) is a global fintech company providing merchants with customer engagement, point of sale and payment solutions, all in a single platform. We are integrated with 1000+ technology partners, creating a fully end-to-end solution that delivers powerful customer insights. Our platform is used by some of the world's largest brands, comprising approximately 116,000 locations across more than 100 countries. Learn more at givex.com . SOURCE Givex BOSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, United Planet , supported by a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and in partnership with The Peace and Freedom Organization of Iraq and Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitative Sciences, hosted the Virtual Climate Change and Health Impact Exchange Program. The program brought together high school and university students from 25 US states and territories and students from many of the 18 Iraqi provinces. 320 US & Iraqi students from diverse communities worked together to innovate real world solutions to global issues. Tweet this Screenshots from Team 31's presentation during United Planet's Virtual Climate Change and Health Impact Exchange Program 320 US and Iraqi students from diverse communities worked together for 7 weeks to innovate real world solutions to these global issues. 32 cross-cultural teams developed websites, global non-profits, products and services designed to address climate change and its impacts on human health. The program culminated in four exciting days of student driven presentations empowering hundreds of youth from both countries to become climate change leaders. Gregory McElwain, Cultural Affairs Officer for the US Embassy in Baghdad explained, "The US Mission in Iraq is very glad to be able to provide support...helping mobilize societies to action and broadening the need to address climate change around the world." Climate change is both a local and global issue with Iraq being the fifth most susceptible country globally. David Santulli, the Founder and President of United Planet congratulated the students on their exemplary presentations. "These challenges are overwhelming but if we work together across our countries and communities, our response can be even more overwhelming and we can find the solutions that we need," he said. ABOUT UNITED PLANET United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, it offers personalized and immersive service-learning, project-based learning, and experiential learning programs, including volunteer abroad , virtual internships , internships abroad , gap year volunteering , and global virtual classroom exchange in more than 30 countries. Volunteers and interns have helped address important global issuessuch as health, children and education, and environmental sustainability while developing leadership and 21st century skills, building bridges across divides, and forging cohesive and productive cross-border relationships both in-person and online. Learn more about United Planet here https://www.unitedplanet.org . CONTACT INFORMATION For questions or interviews, please contact Mohammad Hijazi, Marketing and Communications Manager on [email protected]. SOURCE United Planet Services optimize risk assessment programs to improve workflow, foster greater participation, and find cancers earlier SEATTLE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Volpara Health (ASX: VHT), a global leader in software for the early detection of breast cancer, today announced the launch of its new comprehensive Professional Services offering to help its Risk Pathways customers maximize the value of their high-risk cancer assessment programs. Volpara Risk Pathways software has been used by more than 1,000 providers across the United States to identify, manage, and improve outcomes for patients at elevated risk for developing cancer. Volpara Health announces new Professional Services for cancer risk assessment programs. Tweet this Prominent medical associations now recommend risk assessment as a strategy to help detect breast cancer earlier, when it is more treatable.1 Accordingly, more and more healthcare providers are instituting high-risk programs to identify at a younger age those women who will benefit from additional screening and prevention techniques. As setting up a high-risk program can involve many challenges, breast care providers can benefit from the specialized expertise and support required to establish a program and achieve their clinical, financial, and operational goals. From inception to optimization, Volpara Professional Services helps programs achieve long-term success, offering expertise across the spectrum of essential program elements: Strategy development Program implementation Workflow optimization Physician and staff alignment Patient education Marketing support Program evaluation Return-on-investment frameworks "Our mission is to help our customers save more families from cancer," said Teri Thomas, CEO of Volpara Health. "Despite the rise in high-risk programs, most patients are unaware of their risk status. We designed Professional Services to help providers remove roadblocks that may keep them from providing more effective, personalized care. Our Professional Services team features experienced professionals who previously managed their own programs. They bring decades of expertise in supporting leading clinical sites around the world, skillfulness and dedication that can help programs at each step and empower them to keep pace with rapidly changing risk assessment and genetic landscapes." To learn more about how to launch, optimize, or expand your risk assessment program, visit Volpara Health at https://www.volparahealth.com/professional-services. About Volpara Health (ASX: VHT) Volpara Health makes software to save families from cancer. Healthcare providers use Volpara to better understand cancer risk, empower patients in personal care decisions, and guide recommendations about additional imaging, genetic testing, and other interventions. Our AI-powered image analysis enables radiologists to quantify breast tissue with precision and helps technologists produce mammograms with optimal image quality, positioning, compression, and dose. In an industry facing increasing staffing shortages, our software streamlines operations and provides key performance insights that support continuous quality improvement. Volpara is the preferred partner of leading healthcare institutions around the world. Our software is used in over 2,000 facilities by more than 5,000 technologists, impacting nearly 15 million patients globally. It helps providers conduct more than three million cancer risk assessments each year and can be deployed stand-alone or fully integrated with electronic health record systems, mammography reporting systems, imaging hardware, and genetic laboratories. Volpara holds the most rigorous security certifications and numerous patents and regulatory registrations, including FDA clearance and CE marking. Since listing on the ASX in April 2016, the Company has raised A$132 million. With offices in Seattle and Boston, Volpara is based in Wellington, New Zealand. For more information, visit www.volparahealth.com. SOURCE Volpara Health The K-12 future readiness program earns top honor in Primary Education Category TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Xello , the award-winning K-12 college and career readiness program, was recognized as recipient of the 2022 Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence in the Primary (tools for K-6 grade education) category. This award represents the highest approval rating based on evaluation by teachers using education technology every day. "It's an honor to be a recipient of the Award of Excellence," said Matt McQuillen, CEO and co-founder, Xello. "We strive to create an exceptional student experience with turnkey educator tools and easy-to-use software. Our Xello for Elementary platform helps young learners develop the building blocks for meaningful life and career development, setting them up for smoother transitions in school and life." Through the Xello platform, students in grades K-12 can build self-knowledge, explore options, learn and reassess, and create plans beyond high school. Using interest-based assessments, they are matched with careers that best reflect their interests, while educators have visibility into monitoring student progress and college application workflows. Xello for Elementary is used in thousands of schools across North America to help students spark career curiosity and develop the early connection between academic success and future aspirations. Through story driven lessons and activities, Xello for Elementary enhances critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, and communication skills. With age-appropriate content and information, students develop greater self-awareness, the ability to self-reflect, and a better understanding of pathways associated with each career. Students are encouraged to produce, upload, and store work that can further enrich their experience and that showcases who they are, their future goals, and their career ambitions. Tech & Learning's Awards of Excellence program, "The Best Tools for Back to School" is designed to help educators find the most impressive products and solutions that will support their work in any learning environment. Eligible products included: Hardware, software, curriculum, and more. "As we head into another uncertain year in education, technology will continue to be one of the key drivers for innovation," says Tech & Learning Group Publisher Christine Weiser. "Our judges chose the winning products recognized here for their versatility, compatibility, value, and ability to help schools solve challenges and support continuous instruction. Congratulations to all of our winners." A complete list of award recipients is listed here . About Xello Xello's mission is to help anyone, anywhere in the world create a successful future through self-knowledge, exploration and planning. With more than 20 years in the education software industry, the team at Xello has helped millions of educators and millions of students become future ready with its suite of online platforms. Based in Toronto, Canada, Xello's award-winning future readiness programs are used globally by nearly eight million students and educators. Learn more about Xello at: www.xello.world . About Tech & Learning Tech & Learning's award-winning publications, websites, newsletters, and virtual and in-person events provide factual and evaluative information on trends, products, and strategies to education leaders who purchase technology products in their districts and schools. About the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence recognize products that offer schools versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems to support innovative, effective teaching and learning. These awards celebrate exceptional technology that supports educators by furthering effective teaching and learning practices. SOURCE Xello Inc. WESTPORT, Conn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sterling Investment Partners ("Sterling"), a leading middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that, in partnership with, Randolph Hoover and Benjamin Hoover, the CEO and President, respectively, of Xylem, Inc. ("Xylem"), it has acquired Xylem and combined it with Sterling's existing portfolio company Kendall Vegetation Services ("Kendall" and together with Xylem, the "Company"). The Company will be led by Co-CEOs Randolph Hoover and Robert Williams, who will be supported by Benjamin Hoover as President and Kurt Goodman as CFO. The Company employs over 2,000 employees and provides services in over 20 states. Immediately following the closing, Kendall and Xylem will continue to operate in their existing markets under their existing brands and maintain their respective employee bases. Randolph Hoover stated, "Our partnership with Sterling has enabled the execution of our vision to merge two of the nation's leading vegetation management companies. Our combined platform will enable the Company to expand vegetation management services to new markets and provide emergency storm response services to the entire eastern seaboard, the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and everything in between. We are excited to have Sterling and Kendall as our partners, and it was obvious from the very beginning that their vision aligns with ours." Robert Williams, CEO of Kendall, added, "With Sterling's guidance and support, we are very pleased to partner with Xylem and provide to our combined customer base the best of both businesses' excellent cultures and service track records. We are excited about expanding our geographic reach, continuing to build a world-class business services platform, and realizing meaningful value creation opportunities across the U.S." Sterling Managing Partner and Co-Founder Charles Santoro commented, "We are very impressed by the powerful and common alignment between the two organizations, including similar cultures with a primary focus on safety, reliability, and employee welfare. Our combined platform will continue to offer essential core vegetation management services to meet the needs of important customers in an expanded geography. We are particularly pleased to have our strong leadership team augmented by Randolph Hoover as Co-CEO and by Benjamin Hoover as President. We enthusiastically share a common strategy and vision for the future with Xylem's and Kendall's leaders in a large, fragmented and highly attractive market." Joe Gault, Partner at Sterling, added, "We are very excited to partner with Xylem and Kendall, as both companies enable the safe and reliable performance of this country's energy grid and benefit millions of Americans every day." Xylem, headquartered in Wakefield, VA and Kendall, headquartered in Lawrenceville, GA are both leading providers of vegetation management and emergency storm response services throughout the United States. The Company's customers include major investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipalities. Sterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been investing in and building middle-market companies for over 30 years with a highly experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling focuses on value-added distribution and business services, acquiring businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 210 transactions, representing approximately $25 billion in aggregate value. www.sterlinglp.com SOURCE Sterling Investment Partners Patented Tech Easily Transforms Distillate into "Free flow" Powder Matrix PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ZLD, OTCQB:ZLDAF) , a global leader in the research, development and commercialization of clinically validated cannabinoid medicines, is pleased to announce the launch of ZYRAYDI, its patented, licensable technology for the future of the medical cannabis industry. ZYRAYDI is a proprietary Enhanced Distillate Capture and Dissolution Matrix (EDCDM) technology that substantially traps the distillate in a free flow powder matrix and increases the rate of dissolution. With ZYRAYDI, Zelira Therapeutics continues to create new, innovative ways to produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid oral dosage forms like capsules and tablets. ZYRAYDI traps cannabis distillate in a free flow powder matrix making pharma-grade dosage forms like capsules & tablets Tweet this "ZYRAYDI solves two key issues holding back wider acceptance of cannabinoid medicinal products the difficulty in formulating solid oral dosage drugs with distillate, and the low rate of dissolution in the body from capsules and tablets," says Dr. Oludare Odumosu, CEO of Zelira Therapeutics. "We strongly believe that the cannabinoid-based medicine market will scale up significantly when the ability to consistently formulate, validate and commercialize dosage forms that closely resemble current pharmaceutical drugs becomes available." Designed to be a valuable tool for the cannabinoid producers around the world, ZYRAYDI requires minimal capital expenditure on equipment and raw materials and is immediately adaptable to any existing capsule and tablet program. The ZYRAYDI matrix contains pharmaceutical grade excipients that are on the FDA-approved list of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) ingredients, and can be adapted to fit requirements for vegan, gluten free, allergen free, non-GMO, etc. Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ZLD, OTCQB:ZLDAF) is a leading global therapeutic medical cannabinoid company with access to the world's largest and fastest growing cannabinoid medicine markets. Zelira owns a portfolio of proprietary revenue generating products and a pipeline of candidates undergoing clinical development that are positioned to enter global markets. The Company is focused on developing branded cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions in its Rx business, including insomnia, autism and chronic non-cancer pain. The Company has two proprietary formulations under the HOPE brand that are generating revenues in Australia, Pennsylvania and have been licensed in Louisiana and Washington D.C., with other states in the US expected to follow. Zelira is also generating revenue in Australia from its proprietary and patented Zenivol, a leading cannabinoid-based medicine for treatment of chronic insomnia. Zenivol has successfully completed the world's first Phase 1b clinical trial for chronic insomnia where it was found to be a safe and effective treatment. In 2020, Zelira partnered with SprinJeneNatural to develop and commercialize natural and organic oral care products under the SprinjeneCBD brand, as part of Zelira's OTC business. The SprinjeneCBD toothpaste product is the first of several scientifically formulated, hemp-derived, oral care products containing cannabinoids and based on the proprietary and patented technology of Blackseed oil and Zinc. The Company conducts its work in partnership with world-leading researchers and organizations including Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia; the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth; the University of Western Australia, in Perth; St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia; and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the United States. Media Contact (Zelira Therapeutics): GVM Communications Brenda Loughery [email protected] SOURCE Zelira Therapeutics Ocean Cleanup Company Sets World Record for Most Amount of Trash Removed from the World's Oceans, Rivers, and Coastlines BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A record-breaking 25 million pounds of trash has been recovered from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines by the Florida-based ocean cleanup company 4oceanthe largest amount of trash recovered from the ocean by a single organization in history. 4ocean was co-founded by Alex Schulze in 2017. Since then, 4ocean has grown from a cleanup crew of two to hundreds of people all around the world and recovered more than 25 million pounds of trash from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines. The Florida-based ocean cleanup company 4ocean has recovered over 25 million pounds of trash from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines, setting a new world record for the most amount of trash removed by a single organization. Founded in 2017, the company is a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis. 4ocean has multiple cleanup divisions in the United States, Indonesia, and Guatemala and is one of the only companies in the world that directly employs professional, full-time captains and crews to recover plastic and other man-made debris from the ocean. Their entire business model is designed to fund the growth and expansion of their global operations. "4ocean was founded in 2017 on the belief that business can be a force for good and that the small choices we make every day, collectively, have the power to change the world," says 4ocean Co-Founder and CEO Alex Schulze. "Our entire business model is designed to fund the growth and expansion of our global cleanup operation and advance our mission to end the ocean plastic crisis." The world has produced an estimated 18.3 trillion pounds of plastic since the 1950s; less than 10% of it has been recycled while 79% accumulates in the environment ( source ). According to the World Economic Forum, global plastic production is expected to triple by 2050. But plastic pollution isn't just an environmental issue. It also threatens the global economy and human health. Ocean-based industries like fishing and tourism employ millions of people; the blue economy also contributes several trillion dollars of goods and services to the global economy every year. According to Schulze, "As the interconnected threats of plastic pollution and climate change continue to grow, those who rely on the health of the ocean for their livelihoods are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families. That's why 4ocean is committed to hiring people who live in the communities we serve. The jobs we create help counteract the economic impacts of plastic pollution, incentivize environmental stewardship at the local level, and bring new opportunities for growth, equality, education, and prosperity to people in communities that are disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution." 4ocean crews follow a meticulous documentation process that provides full transparency and traceability for each pound of trash they recover. All cleanup documentation is uploaded into their proprietary tracking system, the 4ocean TrashTracker, which is audited quarterly by the Better Business Bureau. GreenCircle Certified has also observed 4ocean's cleanups, audited the 4ocean TrashTracker, and traced the company's recovered materials through their entire supply chain to verify the origins and integrity of all products made with 4ocean Recovered Materials. 4ocean's efforts are funded primarily through their product sales, starting with their flagship Signature Beaded Bracelet in 2017. Originally made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, this bracelet was reintroduced in August 2022 with 100% 4ocean-recovered plastic cord. In addition to awareness bracelets and jewelry handcrafted by local artisans, 4ocean offers a line of reusable and sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic products that have already diverted an estimated 3.79 trillion single-use plastic straws, bottles, cups, and utensils from the waste stream. 4ocean is currently building new B2B offerings to support organizations that want to join the clean ocean movement, fund the company's global cleanup operation, offset their plastic footprint, operate more sustainably, and meet key UN Sustainable Development Goals. "We couldn't have achieved this incredible milestone without ongoing support of the clean ocean movement," says Schulze. "Small acts really do add up and 25 million pounds is the proof. We got here one pound at a time, and will continue until we complete our mission of ending the ocean plastic pollution crisis, "says Schulze. ABOUT 4OCEAN 4ocean is an ocean cleanup company based in Boca Raton, FL, dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis. As a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp, they harness the power of business to fund a global cleanup operation that recovers millions of pounds of plastic and other debris from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines each year. LEARN MORE Website: 4ocean.com Twitter: @4ocean Facebook: @4oceanBracelets Instagram: @4ocean TikTok: @4ocean CONTACT Carole Imperiale Publicist 908-380-0015 [email protected] Ryan Dick Marketing and Partnerships 561-451-5666 [email protected] SOURCE 4ocean Indian exports to GCC grew by 44% in FY2021-22 to $43.9 billion compared to last fiscals $27.8 billion with the UAE leading the trade with 68% growth, valued at $28 billion against $16.7 billion in 2021. This is according to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the apex body of the countrys Export Promotion Councils. In a statement at the niche expo, Super Sourcing Dubai (SSD), co-located with Propaper Dubai 2022 taking place at Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City from September 20 to 22, top FIEO officials said paper and allied products exports to the GCC touched $638 million in 2021 with the UAE taking a major share in the trade at $386 million. Increasing exports Our export performance in the GCC in FY 2021-22 has been marvellous. Apart from the UAE, our exports to Saudi Arabia grew by 49%, Oman by 33%, Qatar by 43%, Kuwait by 17% and exports to Bahrain increased by 70%, said Dr Ajay Sahai, Director-General and CEO of FIEO. Regarding the paper industry, India has a 16% market share in GCC and the target is to corner a 25% market share by 2027 with the signing of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with other Gulf countries. India and the UAE signed CEPA in February this year which came into force on May 1 2022. The cumulative demand for paper and allied products in the GCC market is estimated to be over $3.8 billion. We see a lot of opportunities for Indian companies post signing of CEPA with the UAE and are sure that participation in the SSD with such a large contingent, perhaps the biggest after Dubai Expo from India, will give a boost to our trade further, Dr Sahai said, adding that the export prospects will further scale up since zero-duty access for Indian products to the UAE is expected to expand over 5-10 years to 97 percent of UAE tariff lines, or 99% of Indian exports by value. SSD is an exclusive show for Indian Exporters to get connected with decision-makers in the supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail chains, buying agents and importers in the Middle East, GCC and African region. Aggressively pushing FIEO has been aggressively pushing to enhance Indias exports to the GCC region. In the current financial year, FIEO has planned various activities for the development of Indias export to the region, including exhibitions, B2B delegations, interactive sessions and capacity building programs, said Dr. A Sakthivel, President of FIEO. He said FIEO has already participated in exhibitions and trade activities in Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia and there are even more activities lined up in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and the UAE. The India-UAE CEPA is expected to lift merchandise trade to $100 billion by 2030. Further, the agreement will also open up opportunities for MSMEs and provide job opportunities to the tune of 1 million. India is the UAEs second-largest trading partner and largest in terms of exports. Under the CEPA, around 90% of the products exported and 80% of lines of trade from India and to the UAE attract zero duty instantly.-- TradeArabia News Service DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Selective Laser Sintering Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global selective laser sintering market reached a value of US$ 2.01 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 6.67 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 22.13% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Selective laser sintering (SLS) refers to three-dimensional (3D), powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) technology that employs a high-powered laser to melt or fuse small particles of polymer and nylon powders into a solid structure. It aids in providing high mechanical load capacity, collecting detailed coordinates of the model from computer-aided design (CAD) software, and avoiding complex design failures during production processes, thus reducing operational costs. On account of these properties, SLS is extensively used by manufacturers and engineers in the commercial sector for prototyping functional components and producing small polymers. Currently, SLS is commercially available in varying material forms and laser types, such as solid and gas. The global SLS market is driven by the increasing need for effective printing solutions across various industrial verticals for manufacturing and designing heavy equipment parts at reduced costs and duration. For instance, in the aerospace industry, SLS is extensively deployed for melting metal and non-metallic powders for prototyping, shaping parts, manufacturing functional parts, and constructing building systems. Additionally, with the rapid expansion in the electronics sector, there has been a rising demand for consumer electronics. This, in turn, has facilitated the uptake of SLS to design global positioning systems (GPS) and dishwasher exterior bodies, which is contributing to the market growth. Moreover, the introduction of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) that uses a computer-operated, high-power laser beam to melt and fuse together layers of metallic powder are propelling the market growth. This industrial printing process assists in accelerating production and building fully functional, rapid metal prototypes, while reducing tooling and operational costs. Other factors, such as strategic collaborations amongst key players and continuous investments in the research and development (R&D) activities to manufacture advanced SLS production tools, such as molds and jigs, are creating a positive outlook for the market. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being 3D Systems Inc., EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, Farsoon Americas Corp, Fathom Manufacturing, Formlabs Inc., Nexa3d Inc., Prodways Group, Renishaw plc, Ricoh Company Ltd., Sharebot S.r.l., Sinterit sp. z o.o and Sintratec AG. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global selective laser sintering market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global selective laser sintering market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the type? What is the breakup of the market based on the application? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global selective laser sintering market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Selective Laser Sintering Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Type 6.1 Metal 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Plastic 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Application 7.1 Automotive 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Aerospace 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Defense 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 Others 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Region 9 SWOT Analysis 10 Value Chain Analysis 11 Porters Five Forces Analysis 12 Price Analysis 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Market Structure 13.2 Key Players 13.3 Profiles of Key Players 13.3.1 3D Systems Inc. 13.3.1.1 Company Overview 13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.2 EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems 13.3.2.1 Company Overview 13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis 13.3.3 Farsoon Americas Corp 13.3.3.1 Company Overview 13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.4 Fathom Manufacturing 13.3.4.1 Company Overview 13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.5 Formlabs Inc. 13.3.5.1 Company Overview 13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.6 Nexa3d Inc. 13.3.6.1 Company Overview 13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.7 Prodways Group 13.3.7.1 Company Overview 13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.7.3 Financials 13.3.8 Renishaw plc 13.3.8.1 Company Overview 13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.8.3 Financials 13.3.9 Ricoh Company Ltd. 13.3.9.1 Company Overview 13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.9.3 Financials 13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.10 Sharebot S.r.l. 13.3.10.1 Company Overview 13.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.11 Sinterit sp. z o.o 13.3.11.1 Company Overview 13.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.12 Sintratec AG 13.3.12.1 Company Overview 13.3.12.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p35vzc Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws. This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired shares of Abbott common stock during the period from February 19, 2021, to June 8, 2022, inclusive. Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 31, 2022 No obligation or cost to you. Learn more about your recoverable losses in ABT: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/abt-lawsuit-abbott-laboratories-loss-submission-form?id=31897&from=4 Abbott Laboratories NEWS - ABT NEWS CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: According to the filed complaint, defendants touted the strength of Abbott's infant formula brands and their contribution to the Company's sales and revenue growth, despite knowing that the facility that manufactured those products was in flagrant violations of United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") health, safety, and manufacturing regulations. The complaint further alleges that defendants willfully or recklessly concealed these violations from investors, even though the violations put Abbott's infant formula business in dire jeopardy and left the Company exposed to a risk of severe regulatory action, including the recall of its products and closure of the Sturgis facility. Indeed, according to the complaint, defendants received direct warnings, communications, FDA inspection reports, and consumer complaints identifying in detail the safety and regulatory violations that were rampant at the Sturgis facility. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Abbott you have until October 31, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Abbott securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the ABT lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/abt-lawsuit-abbott-laboratories-loss-submission-form?id=31897&from=4. ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: J. Klein, Esq. 535 Fifth Avenue 4th Floor New York City, NY 10017 [email protected] Telephone: (212) 616-4899 www.kleinstocklaw.com SOURCE The Klein Law Firm Institute will be first nationwide with advancing health equity as founding priority PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Efforts to make New Jersey a healthier, more equitable state took a major step forward today with the announcement that Acenda Integrated Health will serve as the "incubator" organization to launch the state's first public health institute. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded a two-year, $1 million grant to Acenda, a statewide nonprofit organization based in Glassboro, to serve as administrative, operational, and strategic home for the development of New Jersey's public health institute, the first nationwide with a mission to advance health equity. Today, 33 states are served by a public health institute; New Jersey's would be the first to have advancing health equity as a founding priority. "This is a remarkable development in the effort to establish a public health institute in New Jersey," said Maisha Simmons, RWJF director of New Jersey grantmaking. "A lot of dedicated advocates across the state worked hard for this moment to arrive. RWJF is proud to be a partner in helping all people in our home state live their healthiest life possible." "Acenda looks forward to working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and New Jersey's health leadership to incubate an innovative and impactful public health institute that leads the nation in its focus on health equity," said Melissa Fox, Acenda's chief operating officer. The institute will promote collaboration and enhance capacity in New Jersey, where public health infrastructure and systems are strained by a lack of funding and capacity. It will play a key role in a reimagined public health system in the state, as recommended by a report released in March by RWJF, the Nicholson Foundation and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), with the New Jersey Department of Health. The report capped a 10-month planning process that engaged a wide range of key stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, and the faith community. The report found "two striking situations underscore the need for a public health institute in New Jersey: the state's racial and ethnic inequities in health outcomes and underinvestment in the state's public health infrastructure." Both issues were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and must be addressed in the public health institute's development, the report stated. "We look forward to continuing to explore how a public health institute will build upon New Jersey's progress in advancing health equity and innovations, helping to reduce New Jersey's health disparities and addressing social determinants of health," said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. "A statewide convener that brings together multi-sector stakeholders around public health is essential to effectively address prevalent public health issues and truly achieve collective impact," said Manuel Castaneda, community health director at New Brunswick Tomorrow. "I look forward to seeing Acenda Integrated Health fill the incubator role that will lead to the launch of New Jersey's first public health institute." Acenda received the RWJF grant after a competitive proposal process. Among the organization's strengths are its experience with advancing racial equity, focus on racial justice, extensive work with communities of color, and financial capability. Acenda is committed to reducing health disparities through a variety of public health-related initiatives, including reducing black infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. In many other states, institutes have successfully used an incubator organization to support their administrative and financial needs as they develop. The incubator's top priorities will include recruiting a diverse, multisector Board of Trustees to provide strategic guidance and oversight of the institute's development, including hiring an executive director. The NNPHI will provide mentorship and ongoing guidance on strategic development, building partnerships, governance and other topics, as needed. "The National Network of Public Health Institutes welcomes Acenda Integrated Health as incubator of a New Jersey public health institute," said Erin Marziale, NNPHI Senior Director of Network Engagement. "Incubators are a best practice that enables emerging institutes to hit the ground running and demonstrate value quickly to key stakeholders, including historically-marginalized communities. As technical assistance and connectivity providers for public health institutes across the country, NNPHI looks forward to helping build a strong foundation for New Jersey's efforts." New Jersey's public health infrastructure and system have been strained for decades by lack of funding, insufficient coordination across health and related sectors, and the impact of social and economic determinants of health on New Jersey's residents. New Jersey ranks 31st in the U.S. in state funding for public health, according to the Trust for America's Health. A report from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University found that New Jersey has the lowest median per capita state appropriation for public health among states examined in the report and only half the public health workforce per capita as neighboring Connecticut, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The March report co-produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation identified four potential roles for a public health institute in New Jersey: Collaborate within communities to advance health equity through authentic relationships and support capacity building, using a social justice framework Function as an assertive, responsive, nimble fiscal and administrative entity to support public health initiatives and health equity Serve as a community-driven, trusted, and independent convener that leads the administrative, operational, and strategic efforts in the development of a public health institute Support and use an accessible, easy-to-use, modern data infrastructure About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. About Acenda Integrated Health Acenda Integrated Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to industry-leading prevention, treatment and wellness services compassionately delivered to ensure that every individual, family and community achieves their greatest potential. Acenda is at the forefront of innovative community-based services, providing over 100 health and social service programs throughout New Jersey. For more information, visit www.acendahealth.org. Follow Acenda on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. SOURCE Robert Wood Johnson Foundation PUNE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports added a Global Anti-money Laundering Market (AML) In-Depth Analysis and Forecast to 2027 research report to its online research database. The global AML market size is expected to grow from an estimated value of USD 2.8 billion in 2022 to USD 5.8 billion by 2027, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2022 to 2027. Some of the factors that are driving the market growth includes monetary penalties, regulatory sanctions, and reputational loss due to non-compliance with regulations, growing focus towards digital payments, and necessity to create a 360-degree view of data in the financial landscape. However, lack of skilled AML professionals with in-depth knowledge and lack of awareness related to government regulations and deployment of AML solutions are expected to hinder the market growth. Download a Free Sample Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=3693493 By Solutions, Insurance to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period Insurance includes life insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, corporate insurance, and vehicle insurance. Insurance firms offer flexible policies and investment products and services. These products and services allow customers to deposit and withdraw a large amount of money in terms of cash. These flexible offerings and the massive flow of funds in the Life Insurance business has made this industry vulnerable to money laundering and other illegal activities in the insurance industry. Authorities have imposed AML regulations on insurance covering the transaction monitoring and sanction screening obligation. In the US, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) has imposed regulations related to transaction monitoring on insurance firms to track cash flows. To keep a track of money coming in and out of the systems, government and financial bodies implement guidelines specific to the insurance industry, which are expected to fuel the adoption of AML solutions. Thus, the Insurance sector is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. By Organization, Large enterprises to account for a larger market size during the forecasted period By organization size, Enterprises are categorized into Large and Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Enterprises with more than 1,000 employees are considered large enterprises. Large enterprises are the early adopters of AML solutions, as they use many business applications susceptible to fraudulent attacks. As these enterprises are large, with different types of IT infrastructure, they face the difficult task of effectively managing the security of their applications. Unlike SMEs, large enterprises are well-equipped with technical skills, have higher investment capabilities, and are more exposed to incidents of fraud. This has led to higher awareness levels among large enterprises. Large enterprises are rich with resources and offer a number of options for money transactions to customers worldwide. Due to this, large banks, casinos, and insurance companies are more vulnerable than SMEs, due to which large enterprises account for a larger market share than SMEs. For More Details Inquire at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/inquirybeforebuy.aspx?name=3693493 By Region, North America to grow at highest market size during the forecasted period Due to the presence of major vendors of AML solutions and services in the North America region and continuous innovations such as the implementation of AI and ML in AML solutions, North America is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period. There are two authorities present in the US: BSA and USA Patriot. These authorities create regulations and policies to combat financial crimes in the country. Such regulatory norms are the major foundations for dependence on AML solutions, which in turn, promote market growth. Also, the increasing technological advancements and rising money laundering cases fuel the AML market in Canada. AML vendors in this country adopt advanced AI- and ML-based AML solutions to defend their systems against suspicious transactions. Hence, organizations in Canada are taking modern measures against money laundering and applying a risk-based approach to combat financial crimes, thus increasing the market growth. Breakdown of primaries: In-depth interviews were conducted with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), marketing directors, other innovation and technology directors, and executives from various key organizations operating in the SOC as a Service market. By company type : Tier 1:35%, Tier 2:40%, and Tier 3:20% : Tier 1:35%, Tier 2:40%, and Tier 3:20% By designation : C-level:40%, Managerial and other levels:60% : C-level:40%, Managerial and other levels:60% By region: North America:20%, Europe : 35%, APAC: 45% Major vendors in the global Anti-money Laundering Market include FICO (US), Fiserv (US), BAE systems (UK), LexisNexis (US), SAP (Germany), SAS Institute (US), ACI Worldwide (US), FIS (US), Oracle (US), Experian (Ireland), Jumio Corporation (US), Nice Actimize (US),GB group plc (UK), Nelito systems (India), Wolters Kluwer financial services (The Netherlands), Comarch SA (Poland), Allsec technologies ltd (US), Dixtior (Portugal), Temenos (Switzerland), TCS (India), Comply Advantage (UK), Featurespace (UK), Feedzai (US), Napier Al (UK), Tier 1 financial solutions (Canada), Finacus solutions pvt ltd (India), FRISS (Netherlands), IDMERIT (US), IMTF (Switzerland), Innovative systems (US), Sedicii (Ireland), Truelioo (Canada), NameScan (Australia), DataVisor, Inc (US), Gurucul (US), Transunion ( US). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the AML market, with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Direct Purchase of the Global Anti-money Laundering Market Research Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=3693493 Research coverage The report segments the AML market and forecast its size, by component (Solutions and services), organization size (SMEs, large enterprises), deployment mode (On-premises, cloud), end users (Banking & financial institutes, Insurance, Gaming & Gambling) and by region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA, and Latin America). The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies. Another Related Report: Global Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System Market 2022 by Company, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2028 - The Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations. Global key companies of Anti-money Laundering Monitoring System include ACI Worldwide (US), BAE Systems (UK), Nice Actimize (US), FICO (US), and SAS Institute (US), etc. Download a Free Sample Copy at https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=5764330 About Us: ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. Contact: Ganesh Pardeshi Tower B5, office 101, Magarpatta SEZ, Hadapsar, Pune-411013, India +1-888-391-5441 [email protected] Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/marketsreports SOURCE ReportsnReports BESSEMER, Ala., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A judge's decision to allow the merger between UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare to move forward is likely to prove detrimental to patients, providers, and taxpayers, officials with American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. (APCI), said today. In a sealed opinion issued late Monday, District of Columbia Judge Carl Nichols blocked the Department of Justice's attempt to intervene in the case. The DOJ sued in federal court on Feb. 24 to stop the $13 billion acquisition, arguing that the deal would provide UnitedHealth with patient information that it could use against competitors. APCI opposed the acquisition since it was first announced, stating that the merger could "harm competition directly." Tweet this "We've seen time and again that consolidations in healthcare have been bad for patients and this particular acquisition raises many anticompetitive concerns," said Tim Hamrick, APCI CEO. "We are extremely disappointed with the ruling that will allow this merger between UHG and Change to move forward. Nonetheless, APCI commends and thanks the Department of Justice and their attorneys for fighting against further consolidation in American healthcare." APCI staunchly opposed the acquisition since it was first announced, writing in a Sept. 29, 2021, letter to the Justice Department that the merger could "harm competition directly" and may give UHG "a competitive advantage at the expense of provider and payer competitors as well as patients." "Horizontal and vertical integration has wrought havoc in the prescription drug market and has resulted in reduced competition, reduced patient choice, and rising prices for patients," said Greg Reybold, Director of Healthcare Policy and General Counsel at APCI. "While this ruling is a significant blow, APCI will continue to oppose future consolidation in the insurer/PBM space, as we are currently doing with the proposed acquisition of Magellan Rx by Prime Therapeutics." Reybold added that APCI will continue to engage with the Federal Trade Commission and Congress in efforts to rein in anti-competitive practices of pharmacy benefit managers and fight further horizontal and vertical integration in the PBM/insurer/healthcare space. About APCI APCI is a member-owned cooperative of more than 1,600 member pharmacies in 30 states. Established in 1984 and headquartered in Bessemer, Ala., APCI is proud to lead the fight for prescription drug pricing transparency and reform. SOURCE American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. Strengthens Firm's Portfolio Company Project Execution HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ara Partners ("Ara"), a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments, today announced that David Touhey has joined as Managing Director of the firm's Portfolio Services Group. Mr. Touhey has more than 20 years of experience in project development and optimization in the industrial sector. "The addition of David to the Ara team underlines our critical focus on project execution across our growing portfolio," said Charles Cherington, a Managing Partner at Ara. "David brings tremendous experience in building and managing large industrial facilities around the world." "We are thrilled to welcome David to a leadership role in Ara's Portfolio Services Group," added Troy Thacker, a Managing Partner at Ara. "David brings decades of experience, including project development and optimization. We expect David to play a very active part in a number of our ongoing and planned industrial decarbonization projects." Prior to joining Ara, Mr. Touhey was the Executive Vice President for Kent, a global EPC, operations, and maintenance business. At Kent, he was a key member of the executive team that grew the organization from 4,000 people across 19 countries to 12,500 people across 26 countries. During his time at Kent, Mr. Touhey was the executive sponsor and trusted advisor to his clients, focused on early project investment planning and execution strategies. Mr. Touhey holds a bachelor of engineering in electrical services engineering from Technological University Dublin, Ireland and a master of science in strategic leadership and management from Nottingham Trent University in the UK. About Ara Partners Ara Partners is a private equity firm focused on industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors, seeking to create companies with significant decarbonization impact. It operates from offices in Houston, Boston and Dublin, Ireland. Ara Partners closed its second fund with approximately $1.1 billion in capital commitments in September 2021. For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com. Contacts Mark Semer / Alex Jeffrey Gasthalter & Co. LP. [email protected] (212) 257-4170 SOURCE Ara Partners STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist , a leading North-Carolina-based academic medical center and health system, recently ramped up recruitment efforts targeting top radiologists across the country. Their goals were to enhance their radiology service line, elevate patient care, and train the radiologists of the future through their Residency and Fellowship programs. The nationwide shortage of diagnostic radiologists presented a challenge for the health system. With the help of Katon Direct , a healthcare recruitment marketing firm, they were able to identify an audience of top clinical talent, craft messaging that captured their employee value proposition, and drive interested candidates into their hiring funnel. "As an organization, we're focused on improving patient care by hiring the best radiologists in the country," said Scott Dudley, a Physician / APP Recruiter at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. "We partnered with Katon Direct, who has helped us promote our employer brand and bring in high-quality candidates for hard-to-fill positions." While Katon Direct has helped Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist engage with the right candidates, it's the health system's culture that has enticed top providers. "The radiologists we've brought in are attracted to our cutting-edge research and the ability to work alongside some of the best providers in the nation," said Scott Dudley. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Katon Direct, who will continue to get the word out about our health system's offerings." About Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is a preeminent academic health system based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and part of Atrium Health Enterprise. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's two main components are an integrated clinical system anchored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, an 885-bed tertiary-care hospital in Winston-Salem and Wake Forest School of Medicine, a recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research. About Katon Direct Katon Direct provides healthcare recruitment marketing solutions that inspire, engage, and nurture top clinical talent. With 20+ years of experience, they continuously evolve their strategies to improve not only their clients' lives, but the lives of the talent they hire. Media Contact: Zev Newman, Senior Content & SEO Manager (914) 921-8800 [email protected] SOURCE Katon Direct FORT MYERS, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark LGBT History Month in October author Phillip Crawford Jr. has released a second edition of his groundbreaking book "The Mafia and the Gays" which meticulously documents how organized crime once had a near-monopoly on gay bars in New York. The Mafia and the Gays by Phillip Crawford Jr. The Stonewall Inn from the 1960s may be the most famous gay bar once owned by the Mafia but the dingy joint for the downtown kids with its watered-down drinks should not serve as a monolithic example of the LGBT spaces which the wise guys at that time provided. In the Midtown East section of New York City the Mafia was behind many places which catered to an upscale crowd, and among them was the Mystique Private Club which operated from 1966 to 1969 out of an entire four-story townhouse whose "homosexual clientele are reported to be wealthy and influential homosexuals" according to informant allegations in an FBI report obtained by the author pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request. A principal goal of the Stonewall riots in 1969 was to get the mob out of the bars, and yet the wise guys continued their grip over many establishments well into the 1980s often with the use of gays and lesbians who served as front owners or venue managers. "The Mafia and the Gays" takes a look at some of the most celebrated LGBT establishments in New York including Bonnie and Clyde, a lesbian bar managed by Elaine Romagnoli which operated from 1972 to 1981 in Greenwich Village, and the Mineshaft, a gay club managed by Wally Wallace which operated from 1976 to 1985 in the Meatpacking District. Phillip Crawford Jr. also is the author of "Queer Joints, Wiseguys and G-Men," "Jersey Queens: Darling & Delightful at the Gay Bars in the 50s & 60s," and "Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff for His Parents' Murders." Phillip Crawford Jr. Author Phillip Crawford Jr. [email protected] This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com. SOURCE Author Phillip Crawford Jr. BOBA CHiC offers a range of award-winning innovative tea beverages and bubble tea DIY kits that empower everyone to enjoy boba tea just as they like, anywhere, anytime. TAICHUNG, Taiwan, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan's award-winning instant DIY bubble tea brand, BOBA CHiC, today announced the launch of its sales and operations globally. With over two decades of experience in the bubble tea industry as a leading manufacturer and seller, BOBA CHiC will now serve more than 60 countries across the US, EU, AU, and the Asia Pacific. "We are excited to take this leap to bring our range of innovative tea beverages to the world. This is a natural step forward; we believe that geographical boundaries are blurring daily in a digital-first world. We want to leverage this ecosystem and bring some of our award-winning tea and bubble tea kits to everyone so they can enjoy a boba tea when and where they like," shared the founder, Mindy Jen. This expansion could not come at a better time for BOBA CHiC, with the global bubble tea market size set to grow from USD 2.02 billion in 2019 to USD 3.39 billion by the end of 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.2 percent during this period. An agile approach in the face of the pandemic gave the brand new wings. In 2020 when the pandemic hit, businesses worldwide were affected, and BOBA CHiC was no exception. However, the company took an agile approach. It quickly adapted to an E-Commerce model transforming hand-shaken boba drinks into DIY kits that enabled everyone to drink whenever and wherever they wanted. BOBA CHiC strongly believes in the ethos of "You are your taste." In line with this, the new model made sense - it enabled everyone to drink boba tea in any way they liked. This model disrupted the industry by empowering consumers to break out of fixed packaging instructions and make their cup of unique boba tea. In a time of crisis, this campaign also gave the message that "Everyone can be the best version of themselves"! Numerous F&B accolades and awards BOBA CHiC's teas have won numerous F&B accolades and awards. In 2021, BOBA CHiC won 3 Gold Accolades in the TITAN International Business Awards. Whereas in 2022, their famous Taiwan High Mountain Peacock Oolong Tea, Rice Oolong Tea, and Peacock Comfort Tea won the 2022 iTQi Superior Taste Award! and their bubble tea kit series achieved a bronze medal for the 2022 Stevie Award in International Business in B2B products category. Furthermore, to live up to industry standards and meet consumer demands, BOBA CHiC teas are ISO2000, HACCP, SGS, FDA, ISO, and HALAL certified Collaborations and partnerships are essential. Multiple reports and studies have suggested that collaborations will be the key in the post-pandemic world for complete economic recovery. BOBA CHiC, as a business, has always been open to partnerships for bringing the best possible products to the consumers while disrupting the industry. The company is actively looking for global partners to expand its market and help bring Taiwan's traditional tea beverages to the broader market. About BOBA CHiC Since 2020, Taiwan based BOBA CHiC teas have won various F&B accolades and awards. Their famous Rice Oolong Tea and Peacock Comfort Tea won the iTQi Superior Taste Award! In 2021 and 2022, their Taiwan High Mountain Peacock Oolong Tea, Taiwan Rice Oolong Tea, and Peacock Comfort Tea were awarded this esteemed recognition. BOBA CHiC products are also ISO2000, HACCP, SGS, FDA, ISO, and HALAL certified. More information on BOBA CHiC products can be found at the company's website: https://bobachic.com/ or visit https://bobaempire.en.taiwantrade.com/ Media Contact EMPIRE EAGLE FOOD CO., LTD. Mindy Jen +886-4-25694889 #257 [email protected] SOURCE EMPIRE EAGLE FOOD CO., LTD. National Campaign Kicks Off With a Seven-Week Tour in Georgia Encouraging Fans to Stand Up For Voting Rights and Turn Out for Historic Midterms ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on National Voter Registration Day, Ben & Jerry's, alongside Black Voters Matter, is unveiling a sweet new look and mission to their popular flavor, "Change is Brewing" a cool combination of cold brew ice cream, marshmallow swirls, and fudge brownies. This rebranded flavor is focused on advancing racial justice through protecting voting rights and encouraging voter turnout ahead of November's midterm elections by connecting voters with the Ben & Jerry's Voter Resource Center. Ben & Jerry's Celebrates the Power of Black Voters with Rebrand of Change is Brewing Flavor and National Campaign Tweet this Black Voters Matter and Ben & Jerry's unveil the Relaunched Change Is Brewing Flavor to Celebrate the Power of Black Voters and Encourage Fans to Stand Up For Voting Rights and Turn Out for Historic Midterms Ben & Jerry's relaunches Change Is Brewing flavor to target regressive voting practices and ensure all have an equal vote. Ben & Jerry's relaunches Change Is Brewing flavor to target regressive voting practices and ensure all have an equal vote. Ben & Jerry's relaunches Change Is Brewing flavor to target regressive voting practices and ensure all have an equal vote. At the founding of our nation, voting was limited to white, land-owning men. It was only in recent history that all Black people have had the right to vote, and even that was, and still is, a hard-fought right. The Voting Rights Act, landmark civil rights legislation passed in 1965, put important safeguards in place to protect the rights of Black voters. However, the Voting Rights Act was gutted in a 2013 Supreme Court decision that paved the way for a number of states to pass regressive voter suppression laws that make it harder, not easier, for people of color and young people to vote. Many states have since passed regressive voter ID laws, limited mail-in voting, and even limited distribution of water in voting lines. "It is precisely because of the power of the Black vote that a number of states all controlled by Republicans are trying so hard to suppress it,'' said Maroni Minter, US Activism Manager for Ben & Jerry's. "That's why today we are also excited to kick off a seven-week tour of Georgia in partnership with Black Voters Matter to engage voters across the state and connect them with information and tools they need to ensure that their vote is counted and their power is felt. And yes, there will be free ice cream." The seven-week tour, in conjunction with the Black Voters Matter We Won't Black Down tour, will crisscross the state of Georgia in a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Truck, hosting events and engaging voters in the run-up to the historic midterm election. The tour will visit HBCUs, big cities, and rural communities in partnership with Black Voters Matter, serving up free scoops of the decadent coffee-based flavor that is as delicious as it is inspiring. Black Voters Matter works 365 days a year, in Georgia and beyond, to build power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. The tour is part of a larger campaign that will use digital and social media channels, radio, newspaper, and outdoor advertising to encourage participation in the midterms and connect people to the Ben & Jerry's Voter Resource Center, a tool that allows voters to check their voter-registration status, register to vote, find their polling place, and identify key election-related dates. "Mobilizing and community-building with Black voters is mission critical for BVM," said Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, co-founders of BVM, in a joint statement. "There are so many pressing national and local issues at the forefront right now from healthcare to housing to basic needs like access to clean water, which we know disproportionately impacts Black communities. While voting is always an exercise in using our power, we know this year that our safety, our health, our freedom is also on the ballot. And change happens when we use our power collectively at the voting booth. We look forward to partnering with Ben & Jerry's while on our tour this fall, which has for so long been a voice for change in our communities, and will continue to do the necessary work of increasing progressive power through movement-building." The rebranded "Change is Brewing" pint design features the work of Black multi-disciplinary artist Laci Jordan, and builds on her first pint design. "Last year when we launched the Change is Brewing flavor, I imagined my ideal version of the world for Black communities. This year, the new visual reflects what I see as one of the integral pathways to actualizing that world - voting. This artwork underscores how important it is for the Black community to have access to the ballot box and to use our votes to move our communities and each other forward." The deep, rich coffee flavor in "Change is Brewing" is from BLK & Bold, the first Black-owned, nationally distributed coffee company 5% of their profits go to programs to provide resources to youth in need. Greyston Bakery a values-led supplier and longtime Ben & Jerry's partner known for their groundbreaking Open Hiring program provides the scrumptious fudge brownies. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Change is Brewing will go to Black Voters Matter to support their work. To check your voter registration, eligibility status, and to pledge and make a plan to vote, visit action.benjerry.com/vote and then treat yourself to a pint of our new "Change is Brewing" to celebrate (in stores soon). About Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world's best ice cream. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry's incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. Ben & Jerry's is distributed in more than 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality; a fair financial return; and social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry's employees, granted $3.4MM in 2020 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country. For up-to-date information, visit benjerry.com. About Black Voters Matter Black Voters Matter, a 501c4, and Capacity Building Institute, a 501c3, are dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement and increasing progressive power through movement-building and engagement. Working with grassroots organizations, specifically in key states in the South, BVM seeks to increase voter registration and turnout, advocate for policies to expand voting rights/access, and help develop infrastructure where little or none exists to support a power-building movement that keeps Black voters and their issues at the forefront of our election process. For more information, please visit https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org/ SOURCE Ben & Jerry's David Gibson-Moore, a veteran banker and prominent figure in the financial services industry, has joined the board of directors of Dalma Capital as part of a continued drive to enhance the company's capabilities in investment banking services, in addition to its asset management platform. In his new role, Gibson-Moore will guide the firm in scouting top global talent to bolster Dalma Capital's execution team and will also act as a spokesperson for the company. Welcoming him into the fold, Dalma said Gibson-Moore brings with him a wealth of relationships and experience with a track record of over 30 years in corporate finance, investment banking and asset management. From 2009 to 2014 he was regional managing director of LGT Bank covering the Mena region. Before LGT Group, he was the Robeco Group CEO for Middle East. Gibson-Moore had set up Robeco's regional office in Bahrain and was also responsible for its institutional asset management business in the Mena region. He was the Commandeur and Chancelier Honoraire of the Chaine des Rotisseurs and Chancelier of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Bahrain from 2006 2014. He was also the founder of the Bahrain Oxford and Cambridge Society. Lauding the appointment, Mishal Kanoo, the Director of Dalma Capital, said: "His strong reputation with leading institutions and families in the GCC and globally as well as his deep experience in corporate finance will augment the board's ability to support Dalma Capital in its growth. His appointment comes as part of Dalma's ongoing expansion of its investment banking advisory practice, under which the company advises private and public companies as well as sovereign clients on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, public private partnerships (PPP), capital markets transactions and digital assets. On his new role, Gibson-Moore said: "I am delighted to join Dalma Capital's Board of Directors, having observed the growing success of the company and its team. I believe in the bright future of Dalma Capital in originating and executing high-caliber deal flow for institutional clients."-TradeArabia News Service In his new role will guide the firm in scouting top global talent to bolster Dalma Capital's execution team and will act as a spokesperson for the company. On its 150th anniversary, the leading retailer launches b the change, a new platform that will define its next era of social purpose, and introduces the Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomingdale's announced today the launch of b the change, a new social purpose initiative that will define the future of the company's social impact efforts as it celebrates its 150-year legacy this fall. The leading retailer has partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) of the State University of New York to establish the Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund, a collaborative endeavor that will curate the philanthropic and sustainability-centered efforts for the new b the change platform. "As we celebrate our milestone anniversary, we are not only commemorating the past 150 years, but also looking ahead to our next era," stated Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO, Bloomingdale's. "We believe we have a responsibility to our colleagues, our customers and our community to help build a more equitable, sustainable future for everyone. We are excited to have had the chance to partner with FIT to bring b the change to life with new programs and initiatives that will help shape the future of our industry. Together, we are working toward a more inclusive, diverse culture and making our philanthropic efforts even more meaningful." b the change With b the change, Bloomingdale's is redefining its social good and philanthropic commitments as well as progressing its commitment to sustainability and innovation. The new platform has three distinct pillars that inform the charitable initiatives, educational programs and operational innovations dedicated to these commitments. b sustainable - to protect our planet for the next generation by conserving resources and reducing environmental impact b inclusive to build a more equitable future where all voices are heard and amplified b the future investing in the youth of today through mental health advocacy and equitable educational resources Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund Bloomingdale's and FIT have come together to develop this new philanthropic initiative that will highlight and celebrate sustainability and the next generation of creative industry leaders. At the core of b the change, the Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund will create new spaces and resources that support teaching and learning, research, and activities dedicated to sustainability for students, faculty, alumni, industry partners and the public. "FIT is honored to be part of this new initiative created by Bloomingdale's," explained FIT president, Dr. Joyce F. Brown. "Partnering with Bloomingdale's will promote and enhance the strong, active and highly visible commitment that FIT has made to sustainability innovation. In collaboration with their leadership, we want to demonstrate that sustainability is possible for a large institution and ultimately provide a model for other organizations. Like Bloomingdale's, we recognize that sustainability is not an isolated goal; it extends into related areas such as corporate social responsibility, ethics and fair trade." With a mission to engage the fashion and retail communities in the development of sustainable projects, the Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund will help both partnering institutions achieve their shared goals to bring people across the industry together with programs that spark new ideas and lead to the development of viable solutions. The funds raised through this collaborative initiative will support a variety of commitment-driven efforts including educational and mentorship programs, innovation labs, sustainable fashion showcases, and more. Giving Back this September As part of its commitment to cultivating a more inclusive, sustainable future, Bloomingdale's is committed to raising $2 million for its philanthropic partners through in-store and online events throughout the year. In honor of the launch of b the change and the Bloomingdale's x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund, shoppers can support the cause and donate by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar in store or making a donation online at checkout throughout the month of September. To learn more, please visit www.bloomingdales.com/bthechange . About Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store. A division of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M), it currently operates 34 Bloomingdale's stores and 20 Bloomingdale's The Outlet stores, in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, along with 1 Bloomie's location in Virginia. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with a location in Dubai. Founded in 1872, the iconic retailer is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Be sure to follow @bloomingdales on social media, become a Loyallist, and for more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com About FIT: A part of the State University of New York, FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for nearly 80 years. Providing almost 9,000 students with an uncommon blend of hands-on, practical experience, theory, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, the college offers a wide range of affordable programs that foster innovation and collaboration. Its distinctive curriculum is geared to today's rapidly growing creative economy, including fields such as computer animation, toy design, production management, film and media, and cosmetics and fragrance marketing. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the new creative economy. Among notable alumni in fashion are Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Norma Kamali, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Stephen Burrows, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, Peter Do, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; and Nina Garcia, editor in chief, Elle. The FIT Foundation is the fundraising arm of FIT, supporting the college's mission to prepare FIT students for professional excellence and leadership in design and business. FIT's strong ethos of humanity, inclusiveness and values inspires a global perspective, engagement with community and commitment to sustainability. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Bloomingdale's Supports continued expansion in DC Fast Charging Market Complements existing BorgWarner European and North American charging footprint by adding China presence Leverages BorgWarner's global capabilities across quality, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and sales Closing expected in first quarter 2023 AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) and Hubei Surpass Sun Electric (SSE) today announced that they have entered into an Equity Transfer Agreement under which BorgWarner has agreed to acquire the Electric Vehicle Solution, Smart Grid and Smart Energy businesses of SSE. The transaction has an enterprise value of up to RMB 410 million, of which approximately RMB 267 million would be delivered at or soon after closing. Up to RMB 143 million could be paid in the form of contingent payments over approximately two years following the closing. Headquartered in Xiangyang, Hubei province, China, SSE's electrification business supplies patented electric vehicle charging solutions to customers in China and more than 70 other countries. SSE has delivered over 50,000 charging points and has led the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of more than 250 charging station sites. SSE's charging and electrification capabilities in China are expected to complement BorgWarner's existing capabilities in Europe and North America. SSE's 2022 revenues for the electrification business are expected to be approximately RMB 180 million. The transaction is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions and SSE shareholder approval. The closing is expected in first quarter 2023. "This transaction makes good business sense as we continue to bolster our fast-charging capabilities globally," said Frederic Lissalde, President and CEO of BorgWarner. "SSE will bring enhanced offerings while supporting Charging Forward, our strategy to accelerate our growth in electrification. We look forward to welcoming their talented team to BorgWarner." About BorgWarner For more than 130 years, BorgWarner has been a transformative global product leader bringing successful mobility innovation to market. Today, we're accelerating the world's transition to eMobility to help build a cleaner, healthier, safer future for all. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements as contemplated by the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current outlook, expectations, estimates and projections. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "continues," "could," "designed," "effect," "estimates," "evaluates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "guidance," "initiative," "intends," "may," "outlook," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "project," "pursue," "seek," "should," "target," "when," "will," "would," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Further, all statements, other than statements of historical fact contained or incorporated by reference in this press release that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future regarding our financial position, business strategy and measures to implement that strategy, including changes to operations, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of our business and operations, plans, references to future success and other such matters, are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and the Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, among others, include: supply disruptions impacting us or our customers, such as the current shortage of semiconductor chips that has impacted original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") customers and their suppliers, including us; commodities availability and pricing; competitive challenges from existing and new competitors including OEM customers; the challenges associated with rapidly-changing technologies, particularly as relates to electric vehicles, and our ability to innovate in response; uncertainties regarding the extent and duration of impacts of matters associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including additional production disruptions; the difficulty in forecasting demand for electric vehicles and our electric vehicles revenue growth; potential disruptions in the global economy caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine; failure to realize the expected benefits of this or other acquisitions on a timely basis; the failure to promptly and effectively integrate this or other acquired businesses; the ability to identify targets and consummate acquisitions on acceptable terms; the potential for unknown or inestimable liabilities relating to the acquired businesses; the uncertainty of the global economic environment and potential for recessionary conditions in regional economies; and the other risks noted in reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our most recently-filed Form 10-K and/or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake any obligation to update or announce publicly any updates to or revisions to any of the forward-looking statements in this press release to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions, circumstances, or assumptions underlying the statements. SOURCE BorgWarner In partnership with Amazon's Black Business Accelerator, Building Women for the Future seeks to empower entrepreneurial women of color and provide them with resources for success DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black female founded education and empowerment platform Boss Women Media launches its newest initiative, Building Women for the Future, in partnership with Amazon's Black Business Accelerator (BBA). As an extension of their most recent collaboration, the Black Girl Magic Digital Summit, which premiered on Prime Video, Building Women for the Future seeks to provide women of color entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to create successful brands and businesses. Building Women for the Future is a three-city tour that will be popping up in Washington, D.C. on September 23rd; Dallas on September 30th; and Atlanta on October 7th. Each of these events will create opportunities for women to learn, lead, and leverage tools from brands that help make an impact in their community. This will be an experience dedicated to women who want to learn about small business resources and to apply themselves by building, growing and expanding their ideas and network. "At Boss Women Media, we are committed to Black entrepreneurs," said Marty McDonald, Founder and CEO of Boss Women Media. "We believe in building a support network for these women and providing them with the tools needed to succeed. Building Women for the Future and our partnership with BBA allow us to further our impact in the small business community and showcase brands, businesses, and Black women entrepreneurs on the main stage. Our initiatives exist to support these women whether that be with our time or our financial investments." BBA will serve as the primary partner for Boss Women Media's Building Women for the Future Tour. Boss Women Media will host pitch competitions in select cities across the country to support Black women entrepreneurs who sell consumer product goods and will provide five eligible winners with a $10,000 investment, as well as enrollment in BBA to empower success in Amazon's store as a BBA seller. Boss Women Media and Amazon's BBA will select two winners in Washington, D.C., two winners in Atlanta, and one winner in Dallas. Judges for the pitch competition include team members and BBA participants. Winners of the pitch competition will be required to enroll in BBA, if not already BBA participants. In order to enroll in BBA, businesses must: (1) hold a valid minority-owned business certification that verifies the business is Black-owned; (2) have an Amazon Professional Selling Account; (3) have at least one active product listed to sell in Amazon's store. BBA benefits includes financial assistance, business guidance and education, up to one year of account management, and marketing support for brand owners to support their success in selling in Amazon's store. Pitch Competition submissions open today with this announcement. Product-based Black women-owned businesses in Washington, DC have until Monday, Sept. 19 to submit their presentations, while Dallas, TX applicants can submit on September 26, 2022, and Atlanta on October 3, 2022. Speakers for Building Women for the Future include Dr. Wendy Osefo, Tonya Rapley, and Danyel Surrency-Jones. These amazing women will be speaking on "Building a Brand That Sticks," as a Black woman in Amazon's store. For additional information on Boss Women Media, Building Women for the Future, speakers and more, visit www.BossWomen.org/BuildingWomen. About Boss Women Media Boss Women Media is an online membership platform and offline women's empowerment and educational community. We create event experiences for women to connect through summits, conferences, and networking opportunities. For more information on Boss Women Media and its initiatives visit www.BossWomen.org . SOURCE Boss Women Media Bright Pattern to exhibit and speak at CCW Europe October 3-5 in Amsterdam SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Pattern , a leading provider of AI-powered cloud contact center software , will be exhibiting (Booth #112) and speaking at CCW Europe 2022 in Amsterdam from October 3-5, 2022. CCW is the world's largest customer contact event series focused on the CX and customer service industry. Bright Pattern to exhibit and present a keynote speaking session at CCW Europe on October 3-5 in Amsterdam. Tweet this Bright Pattern is heading to CCW Europe, the world's largest contact center industry expo and trade show. Bright Pattern's Ted Hunting, Senior Vice President of Marketing, is set to deliver a keynote presentation on the future of CX on Tuesday October 4th at 9:30am. Titled, "The Art of Possible: The Future of CX. Now," this discussion will highlight what is possible today with next-gen CX technology to deliver an effortless and personal customer experience via voice and digital channels. The session will provide guidelines to companies looking to bring the future of CX to their contact center. The talk will discuss innovative use cases and how contact center technology for the future can be applied today with innovative use cases. The presentation also includes real-world customer examples and recommendations on how to apply these ideas in your own contact center. Ted Hunting is a member of the CCW Europe Advisory Board and former member of the CCW North America Advisory Board and has spoken at CX events including CCW, Forrester, Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, and other industry events. Bright Pattern most-recently led a workshop and customer panel on the future of CX at CCW Vegas in June and was also recognized as the runner-up for "Cloud-Based CX Solution of the Year" ahead of all legacy contact center vendors at the 2022 CCW Excellence Awards. Bright Pattern has previously been a finalist for "Omnichannel Solution of the Year" and "Disruptive Technology of the Year" at the CCW Excellence Awards. About Bright Pattern Bright Pattern provides a simple yet powerful omnichannel contact center software that is the fastest to deploy with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry. Bright Pattern offers the most advanced omnichannel cloud platform across channels like voice, text, chat, email, video, messengers, AI and bots. Bright Pattern provides native omnichannel quality management allowing companies to measure every interaction on every channel. Bright Pattern also offers a mobile app allowing any employee in your company to communicate with your customers. With over 500 customers in 26 countries, Bright Pattern is the highest-rated omnichannel contact center solution based on analysts and customer reviews . SOURCE Bright Pattern Danish scale-up CarbonClear featured as a commitment maker at high profile Clinton Foundation event to future-proof the carbon market with their technology-powered solution. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2022 meeting in New York on the 19th of September 2022, Danish scale-up CarbonClear presented their Commitment to Action: To transform the carbon market with their data-driven inclusive model for carbon credit issuance. Their commitment addresses a fast-growing carbon market developed to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement, but is now collapsing under the pressure of rising demand. By leveraging data points in the CO projects it funds, the CarbonClear model enables fast, reliable and cost-effective generation of third-party verified credits. Through a real-time, transparent, and secure technological infrastructure, CarbonClear provides trackable progress and connects funds with sustainable solutions. The model eliminates the heavy auditing fees that are making carbon finance inaccessible to underfunded communities today. With minimal fees and instant verification, issuance of quantifiable emission reductions happens in only 3 months instead of the 3 years faced by the market today. CarbonClear has already proven its transformative model through off-grid solar projects in Africa and Latin America and is planning three further technology streams to scale its inclusive value chain. With funding to scale its organisation and Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) from participants at the Clinton Global Initiative, CarbonClear will be able to consolidate its model as a new standard for carbon credits and unlock the full potential of the exponentially growing Voluntary Carbon Market, predicted to grow 100-fold by 2050. About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global and emerging leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI works with partners to drive action through its unique model. Rather than directly implementing projects, CGI facilitates action by helping members connect, collaborate, and develop Commitments to Action new, specific, and measurable plans that address global challenges. Through CGI, the community has made more than 3,700 Commitments to Action that have made a difference in the lives of more than 435 million people in more than 180 countries. About CarbonClear Denmark-based technology company CarbonClear, formerly Solstroem, was founded by Karim Jabbar and Rachid Jabbar in 2018, and creates carbon finance for sustainable impact through renewable and circular capacity building. Neither a SaaS nor a digital marketplace, the CarbonClear model is a tech-powered carbon value chain that aggregates big data from data points implemented in carbon projects and issues third-party verified, traceable carbon credits that instantly become available to global buyers. The company already has partnerships with some of the largest distributors of solar home systems in Africa and the Americas, such as SunKing, ENGIE Energy Access, Zola Electric, and ilumexico, and is developing a further three technology streams; Clean Cooking, Waste to Energy, and Sanitation. PRESS CONTACT Tao Bindslev +4553700074 https://www.carbonclear.earth/ SOURCE CarbonClear Castra has earned its place as one of the most reputable providers of managed security services in the world. DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance brand, has included Castra in its annual list of the Top 250 Managed Security Service Providers for 2022. Castra is proud to announce that it earned 156th place this year, placing the company in the Top 200 out of 1,400 contenders per year. MSSP Alert's Top 250 MSSP ranking is a global industry publication that draws on marketing research and submissions from security leaders around the world. It pinpoints business and technology trends across the entire IT service provider community and provides valuable insight into the state of the security service sector of the broader cybersecurity industry. "Castra continues to place high priority on its managed service capabilities, helping organizations optimize security expenditure without compromising on their security posture." said Tony Simone, Co-Founder, "Small businesses, mid-sized organizations, and enterprises need reliable security partners they can count on, and we're honored to see MSSP Alert present us as one of the best options in the industry." "Over the past few years, the managed security space has truly shown its value to security leaders in every industry." added Grant Leonard, co-founder. "Detecting and mitigating cyberattacks demands a combination of product expertise, scalable resource deployment, and high-quality talent that security providers like Castra are uniquely positioned to offer. We're thrilled that the hard work we've put into our approach is gaining recognition from reputable industry publications." MSSP Alert's list of the Top 250 MSSPs for 2022 is available on the organization's website, along with comprehensive data and archived reports from previous years. About Castra Managed Services Founded in 2012 by Tony Simone and Grant Leonard, Castra provides enterprise-level managed detection and response services to more than 2000 organizations globally. The company leverages world-class SIEM and SOAR expertise to help customers meet their security needs without compromising on transparency. Castra serves Fortune 50 enterprises, small businesses, and everything in between, providing 24/7 managed security services custom-tailored to meet industry-specific objectives in healthcare, retail, technology, government, and more. Contact: Tabitha Flythe, [email protected] SOURCE Castra Managed Services WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning ("Center") today announced the sponsors for its fifth annual Diversity Summit and Career Fair. The Diversity Summit will take place in person at the Conrad Washington, DC, on October 27, 2022, followed by a virtual Career Fair on October 28. This year's Summit will focus on the theme "IMPACT Advancing DEI in the Financial Planning Profession." The Career Fair will connect employers with qualified candidates, including current and aspiring CFP professionals, with a special focus on women and people of color. "CFP Board would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support of this year's Diversity Summit and Career Fair," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "These valuable contributions are vital to ensuring that the Center can continue to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession. With the support of these sponsors, we are advancing the profession to ensure that every American has access to competent and ethical financial planning advice." The 2022 Diversity Summit and Career Fair sponsors are as follows: Merrill Premier Sponsor Vanguard Leadership Sponsor Ballentine Partners Partner Sponsor Edward Jones Partner Sponsor Partner Sponsor Goldman Sachs Partner Sponsor Morgan Stanley Partner Sponsor Prudential Partner Sponsor Wealthspire Advisors Certified Sponsor The Center Founding Sponsors are as follows: Charles Schwab Foundation, in partnership with Schwab Advisor Services Envestnet Merrill Northwestern Mutual The Summit events will be held on October 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The Virtual Career Fair will take place on October 28 from 12-4 p.m. ET: To learn more about CFP Board Center's Diversity Summit and Career Fair, visit the CFP Board website. ABOUT CFP BOARD Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board sets standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CFP certification one of the most respected certifications in financial services so that the public has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board, along with its Center for Financial Planning, is committed to increasing the public's awareness of CFP certification and access to a diverse, ethical and competent financial planning workforce. Widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planning, CFP certification is held by more than 93,000 people in the United States. ABOUT THE CFP BOARD CENTER FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning seeks to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession so that every American has access to competent and ethical financial planning advice. The Center brings together CFP professionals, firms, educators, researchers and experts to address profession-wide challenges in the areas of diversity and workforce development, and to build an academic home that offers opportunities for conducting and publishing new research that adds to the financial planning body of knowledge. SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Judgment includes finding that Charter committed felony forgery in effort to avoid accountability DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A Dallas judge has entered a final judgment awarding more than $1.147 billion to the family of an 83-year-old North Texas grandmother, Betty Thomas, who was robbed and stabbed to death in her home by Charter Spectrum cable field technician Roy Holden. The judgment signed September 19 by Dallas County Court at Law Judge Juan Renteria includes a finding that Charter "knowingly and intentionally committed forgery with the intent to defraud or harm Plaintiffs" with a forged arbitration agreement. "We are grateful that, after careful consideration and review of the law and trial record, the Court entered judgment ordering Charter to pay more than $1 billion in total damages to the victim's family. The final judgment includes findings that Charter further committed felony forgery in causing harm to the plaintiffs, which properly eliminates the cap on punitive damages under Texas law," said lead trial lawyer Chris Hamilton of Dallas-based Hamilton Wingo. Trial testimony revealed that Charter Spectrum ignored countless red flags from the date of Holden's hire until the date when he murdered Ms. Thomas in her home with his Charter Spectrum knife. Jurors found that Charter Spectrum forged a service agreement, claiming Ms. Thomas agreed to it, after her death in an attempt to force the lawsuit into arbitration, where results are secret, and the damages would have been limited to less than $200. The judgment awards the full $1.147 billion sought by the Hamilton Wingo team. "The victim's family voluntarily 'remitted' the initial $7 billion punitive damages award to an amount equal to two times the compensatory damages in requesting entry of judgment. This conservative damages multiplier will make the judgment exceedingly unlikely to be overturned on appeal given the criminal forgery findings against Charter and established Supreme Court precedent," said Mr. Hamilton. The case is William Goff et al. v. Roy James Holden, Jr. and Charter Communications, Cause No. CC-20-01579. The trial lawyers at Hamilton Wingo, LLP, are devoted to representing individuals in high-stakes, complex litigation on a contingent fee basis. They have obtained billions in verdicts and settlements for clients. For more information, visit hamiltonwingo.com/. Contact: Sophia Reza [email protected] 800-559-4534 SOURCE Hamilton Wingo, LLP BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China International Book Trading Corporation, released the second part of Reading China, a series of high-end interviews. This series of interviews focuses on "A Community of Shared Future for Mankind," "High-quality Development" and other key issues of concern to the international community, interviewing experts in international relations, politics and economics to explain their understanding of China's development practices. Whats important for Chinas economy today Three honorable guests, namely David Blair, vice-president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), Einar Tangen, Senior Researcher at Taihe Institute (TI), and Professor Alessandro Teixeira of Public Policy at School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, were invited to this interview to speak on the topic of "High-quality Development" in order to discuss upon hot issues such as China's economic strategy of "Dual Circulation" and the Development of Sci-tech Innovation. China proposed for the first time in 2020 to "build a new development pattern of domestic circulation and international circulation boosting each other." President Xi Jinping has pointed out that building a new development pattern of domestic circulation and international circulation boosting each other with the domestic circulation as the mainstay is a major decision made considering the trends of events in light of the changes in China's development stage, environment and conditions, especially in light of changes in China's comparative advantages. David Blair, vice-president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), said that great powers need to develop and progress by their inherent strengths, and the emphasis on high-quality growth and economic stability is relevant for an economic powerhouse like China. Einar Tangen, Senior Researcher at Taihe Institute (TI), believed that China's policy of "Dual Circulation" is not identical with detaching itself from the world economy, however, it means China firstly needs to ensure that its domestic market is functioning properly, and on that basis improving efficiency and reducing costs, and then attracting more foreign investment. At present, China has placed the Sci-tech Innovation at the heart of its overall national development, and has set the strategic goal of becoming a leading innovative country by 2030 and a world power in the sci-tech innovation by 2050. Alessandro Teixeira, professor of Public Policy at School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, said that the Sci-tech Innovation emphasized by President Xi Jinping is science-based, and the innovative accomplishment is only produced, when China strengthens its technology on the basis of developing science. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRm7aKRLHUA Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1903422/China_International_Book_Trading_Corporation_Logo.jpg Contact person: Wei Tingting +86-15510715556 [email protected] SOURCE China International Book Trading Corporation Asset Management Veteran Brings Significant Industry Experience BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN), a leading provider of SaaS-based investment accounting, reporting, and analytics solutions, today announced that Lisa Jones, asset management veteran and Head of the Americas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amundi US, Inc., has been appointed to the company's Board of Directors and will serve as a member of its Audit Committee. Lisa Jones holds over 30 years of experience developing and building asset management businesses in the global financial services sector. Her career has focused on leading growth initiatives across new regions, client segments, and enterprise expansion, and she has a demonstrated record of improving business and financial results for organizations. In addition to her role as Head of the Americas, President, and CEO of Amundi US, Inc., she is also President of Amundi Distributor, Inc., head of the US Executive Committee and US Management Committee, and member of the Global Executive Committee. Amundi US, Inc. is the US business of Amundi, one of the world's ten largest asset managers by assets under management ($2.012 trillion as of June 30, 2022). "We're thrilled to welcome Lisa Jones to the Board," said Sandeep Sahai, CEO at Clearwater Analytics. "She has led and scaled companies in the asset management sector serving markets in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Her unique leadership serving as CEO at Amundi US and her significant experience integrating several complex investment businesses post-acquisition is an ideal fit for Clearwater. Her valuable leadership experience will strengthen our board's perspective as we drive toward our next phase of growth. I look forward to working alongside Ms. Jones on our Board." Ms. Jones holds deep expertise in the financial services and asset management sector serving markets all over the world, with past roles such as President and CEO at Pioneer Investments, Managing Director and Global Head of Distribution at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Head of Institutional Business at Eaton Vance Corporation, and President of the Institutional Division at MFS Investment Management. A champion for women and diversity, Ms. Jones also received the Top Women in Asset Management Award from Money Management Executive twice, in 2016 and 2020. She holds a degree in Economics from Trinity College. "I'm enthusiastic about joining Clearwater Analytics during this time of growth and expansion across Europe and across the globe. I believe Clearwater is radically transforming investment accounting for the most sophisticated institutional investors around the world," said Ms. Jones. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to join the company's Board of Directors and share the company's commitment to creating exceptional value for its clients and employees, while making a positive impact on the communities where Clearwater operates." About Clearwater Analytics Clearwater Analytics is a global industry-leading SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, compliance, risk, performance, and reporting. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $5.9 trillion in assets for clients that include leading insurers, asset managers, corporations, pension plans, governments, and nonprofit organizations helping them make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Investment professionals around the globe trust Clearwater to deliver timely, validated investment data and analytics. Additional information about Clearwater can be found at clearwateranalytics.com , LinkedIn , and Twitter . SOURCE Clearwater Analytics The NBB Group, comprising the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), has successfully completed the installation of solar panels across a number of its physical locations in the kingdom. The panels will generate a sustainable source of energy for NBBs Istiqlal and Riffa Souq branches and BisBs Arad and Hamad Town financial malls, said a statement from NBB. In line with its efforts to adopt sustainable practices that go beyond its financial operations, the group has set the benchmark within the banking sector through its four solar-powered branches, cementing the organisations position in reducing its overall carbon footprint. The branches are estimated to reduce their annual carbon emissions by 50%, it added. On the successful installation, Group Chief Human Resources & Sustainability Officer Dana Buheji said: "The solar panel project has been a continuous initiative led by the NBB Group to adopt environmentally friendly solutions, reiterating our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and enhancing our energy efficiency." "Our solar panel system produces more than 350 kWp across the four branches, optimising both our energy consumption and costs," she stated. "We look forward to expanding the project to encompass a wider range of NBB and BisB locations, alongside realising the Groups strategy for future environmental and sustainable practices within the industry," she added. Haitham Seyadi, Group Head of Property, Procurement and Administration at NBB, said: "We are proud to showcase the progress made on our solar panel project across the Groups branches. Backed by a customer-centric approach, NBB Group continues to expand on its green initiatives with a promise to establish more environmentally driven projects." "Through the positive results of our solar energy panels, we aim to increase awareness on the importance of ESG in the Kingdom by adopting such practices across our operations," he added. Environmental responsibility has been a critical part of the NBB Group strategy, reinforcing the organisations efforts to operate more responsibly. As one of the leading banking Groups in the Kingdom, it is committed to enhancing its eco-friendly practices across all fronts.-TradeArabia News Service NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Compound Feed Market in Mexico by Product (poultry feed, cattle and buffaloes, swine, and others) - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026" report has been added to Technavio's offering. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio is proudly partnering with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. The potential growth difference for the compound feed market size in Mexico between 2021 and 2026 is USD 1.60 bn. To get the exact yearly growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Request a FREE PDF Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Compound Feed Market in Mexico 2022-2026 Key Market Dynamics The expanding beef industry and exports and increased consumption of animal protein are some of the key market drivers. However, factors such as the development of clean meat products will challenge market growth. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help vendors improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. View our FREE PDF Sample Report The compound feed market in Mexico is segmented by product into poultry feed, cattle and buffaloes, swine, and others). The poultry feed segment will be the largest contributor to market growth during the forecast period. The Mexican poultry sector produces a variety of broilers for meat production, including small broilers for rotisserie restaurants, chickens for processing poultry parts and processed meats or cooked products, and whole chickens. Though the average Mexican consumer takes less animal protein, the overall consumer demand for chicken is increasing among high- and middle-income consumers. Chicken accounted for almost 60% of total meat consumption in 2020. In 2022, chicken production is expected to grow to 875,000 tonnes, up by 1.7% from 2021. The rise in production is attributed to factors such as increased domestic demand, rise in domestic pricing power, and relatively stable feed costs. View our FREE PDF Sample Report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Some Companies Mentioned with their Offerings The compound feed market in Mexico is fragmented. Vendors are deploying growth strategies such as price, quality, innovation, reputation, and distribution to compete in the market. Alltech Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co., BASF SE, Cargill Inc., Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, De Heus Voeders BV, Evonik Industries AG, Feed One Co. Ltd., George Weston Foods Ltd., Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., International Flavors and Fragrances Inc, Kent Corp., Koninklijke DSM NV, Land O Lakes Inc., Mitsui and Co. Ltd., New Hope Group Co. Ltd., Novozymes AS, Nutreco NV, Sojitz Corp., United Animal Health Inc., among others, are the main players in the market. The key offerings of some of these vendors are listed below: Alltech Inc. - The company offers compound feeds for dairy cows, beef cattle, poultry, pig, and equine. The company offers compound feeds for dairy cows, beef cattle, poultry, pig, and equine. Archer Daniels Midland Co. - The company offers compound feeds for aquaculture, pets, poultry, and swine. The company offers compound feeds for aquaculture, pets, poultry, and swine. Cargill Inc. - The company offers compound feeds under its brands Cargill, Diamond V, and EWOS. The company offers compound feeds under its brands Cargill, Diamond V, and EWOS. Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - The company offers compound feeds such as swine feeds, chicken feeds, duck feeds, shrimp feeds, and fish feeds. The company offers compound feeds such as swine feeds, chicken feeds, duck feeds, shrimp feeds, and fish feeds. De Heus Voeders BV - The company offers compound feeds for ruminants, poultry, and swine. Want your report customized? Speak to an analyst and personalize your report according to your needs Related Reports Compound Feed Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The compound feed market share is expected to increase by USD 8.95 billion from 2021 to 2026. Cattle Feed Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The cattle feed market share is expected to increase by USD 18.79 billion from 2021 to 2026. Compound Feed Market in Mexico Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.14% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 1.60 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.89 Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Alltech Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co., BASF SE, Cargill Inc., Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, De Heus Voeders BV, Evonik Industries AG, Feed One Co. Ltd., George Weston Foods Ltd., Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., International Flavors and Fragrances Inc, Kent Corp., Koninklijke DSM NV, Land O Lakes Inc., Mitsui and Co. Ltd., New Hope Group Co. Ltd., Novozymes AS, Nutreco NV, Sojitz Corp., and United Animal Health Inc. 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. Browse Consumer Staples Market Reports Key Topics Covered 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Country Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 06: Parent market Exhibit 07: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 08: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 09: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 10: Chart on Mexico - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 11: Data Table on Mexico - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 12: Chart on Mexico : Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) : Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 13: Data Table on Mexico : Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 14: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 15: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 16: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 17: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 18: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 19: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 20: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 21: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 22: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 23: Chart on Comparison by Product Exhibit 24: Data Table on Comparison by Product 5.3 Poultry feed - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 25: Chart on Poultry feed - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 26: Data Table on Poultry feed - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 27: Chart on Poultry feed - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 28: Data Table on Poultry feed - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Cattles and Buffaloes - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 29: Chart on Cattles and Buffaloes - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Data Table on Cattles and Buffaloes - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 31: Chart on Cattles and Buffaloes - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 32: Data Table on Cattles and Buffaloes - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Swine - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 33: Chart on Swine - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Data Table on Swine - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 35: Chart on Swine - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 36: Data Table on Swine - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 37: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 39: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 40: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by Product ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 42: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 7.1 Market drivers 7.2 Market challenges 7.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 43: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 7.4 Market trends 8 Vendor Landscape 8.1 Overview 8.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 44: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 8.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 45: Overview on factors of disruption 8.4 Industry risks Exhibit 46: Impact of key risks on business 9 Vendor Analysis 9.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 47: Vendors covered 9.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 48: Matrix on vendor position and classification 9.3 Alltech Inc. Exhibit 49: Alltech Inc. - Overview Exhibit 50: Alltech Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 51: Alltech Inc. - Key offerings 9.4 Archer Daniels Midland Co. Exhibit 52: Archer Daniels Midland Co. - Overview Exhibit 53: Archer Daniels Midland Co. - Business segments Exhibit 54: Archer Daniels Midland Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 55: Archer Daniels Midland Co. - Segment focus 9.5 Cargill Inc. Exhibit 56: Cargill Inc. - Overview Exhibit 57: Cargill Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 58: Cargill Inc. - Key news Exhibit 59: Cargill Inc. - Key offerings 9.6 Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL Exhibit 60: Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - Overview Exhibit 61: Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - Business segments Exhibit 62: Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - Key news Exhibit 63: Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - Key offerings Exhibit 64: Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL - Segment focus 9.7 De Heus Voeders BV Exhibit 65: De Heus Voeders BV - Overview Exhibit 66: De Heus Voeders BV - Product / Service Exhibit 67: De Heus Voeders BV - Key offerings 9.8 Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd. Exhibit 68: Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 69: Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 70: Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 71: Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 9.9 International Flavors and Fragrances Inc Exhibit 72: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc - Overview Exhibit 73: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc - Business segments Exhibit 74: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc - Key news Exhibit 75: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc - Key offerings Exhibit 76: International Flavors and Fragrances Inc - Segment focus 9.10 Land O Lakes Inc. Exhibit 77: Land O Lakes Inc. - Overview Exhibit 78: Land O Lakes Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 79: Land O Lakes Inc. - Key offerings 9.11 Mitsui and Co. Ltd. Exhibit 80: Mitsui and Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 81: Mitsui and Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 82: Mitsui and Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 83: Mitsui and Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 9.12 Sojitz Corp. Exhibit 84: Sojitz Corp. - Overview Exhibit 85: Sojitz Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 86: Sojitz Corp. - Key news Exhibit 87: Sojitz Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 88: Sojitz Corp. - Segment focus 10 Appendix 10.1 Scope of the report 10.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 89: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 90: Exclusions checklist 10.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 91: Currency conversion rates for US$ 10.4 Research methodology Exhibit 92: Research methodology Exhibit 93: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 94: Information sources 10.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 95: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email:[email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio America's Fastest-growing Irish Whiskey Announces National Search For A Professional Partier JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Proper No. Twelve , founded by multiple weight MMA champion Conor McGregor, announced today a national search to join the team at his wildly successful whiskey empire as a Professional Partier. He is now actively seeking candidates to fill this new position with the whiskey brand to work, arguably, the coolest job for the most dynamic boss out there. This new position will introduce Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey to drinkers across the country, and further educate fans on the smooth blend of triple distilled malt and grain whiskey, poised to climb to Number Two for Irish whiskeys in the U.S. in just under five years on the market. Do YOU have what it takes to join the team at Proper No. Twelve as its Professional Partier? If you're ready to take on a new challenge and hustle, new hires will have the chance to visit Ireland to party hard with Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, see where and how the whiskey is made, and visit Conor McGregor's Black Forge Inn. "I'm looking for someone to roll up their sleeves and work harder than ever," said Proper No. Twelve Founder, Conor McGregor. "I started from nothing and am now the CEO of the fastest-growing* Irish whiskey brand in America. Think you have what it takes to work for Proper No. Twelve? Apply for a PROPER job as a Professional Partier and come work for me." In 2008, McGregor quit his day job to pursue his real passion, Mixed Martial Arts, and in 2021, he became the world's highest-paid athlete. His drive and hustle encouraged him to further expand his empire and create a rich and smooth whiskey he could be proud of inside and outside the ring. Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey has experienced one of the most successful launches in history, selling to whiskey fans across 10 countries. Proper No. Twelve is looking for a candidate who is a heavy hitter and risk-taker and, just like McGregor, is ready to unlock their full potential. In this full-time position, the official new hire will help introduce Proper No. Twelve to whiskey fans nationwide, hosting fight night viewing parties and bar events, creating new cocktails, and trying their hand at running Proper No. Twelve's social channels. The Proper candidate for this role must be 21+ and authorized to work in the U.S. Qualified candidates should have proficiency in sales and marketing, along with strong communication and management skills. Applicants are encouraged to create a video, highlighting how they live the "Proper lifestyle" using the hashtag #GETAPROPERJOB. After posting and sharing the video to their social channels, applicants can then apply using the online form, linked HERE . Once the initial steps are completed, prospects are encouraged to get their family and friends involved to vote for them to become the Professional Partier through their own social accounts. The application will be open from September 20, 2022 through October 20, 2022. For more information, full job description, qualifications and rules, please visit www.workforconormcgregor.com . Media Contact: KLG Public Relations | [email protected] Application information: Proper No. Twelve is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information, physical or mental disability of an otherwise qualified individual, membership or application for membership in a uniformed service, engaging in legally protected activity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. About Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey Proper No. Twelve, the fastest-growing Irish Whiskey in the United States, is a smooth blend of triple-distilled malt and grain whiskey aged for four years in bourbon barrels delivering a delicious taste with hints of vanilla, honey-like sweetness and toasted wood. The name Proper No. Twelve pays homage to McGregor's hometown of Crumlin, located in Dublin's District 12. Conor McGregor and Proximo Spirits launched Proper No. Twelve in September 2018. Now, in under five years on the market, Proper No. Twelve is poised to climb to Number Two for Irish whiskeys in the U.S. From each case of Proper No. Twelve sold, five dollars is donated to First Responder organizations worldwide, adding up to $1 million annually. Proper No. Twelve retails at $24.99 and is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). It is available in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, please visit www.properwhiskey.com and follow on social media @ProperWhiskey. *Irish Whiskey over 10,000 9L cases, Nielsen XAOC + Liquor Plus 52 weeks ending 1.1.22 SOURCE Proper No. Twelve Company Launches New Tools and Partnerships to Extend Hispanic Connections CLEVELAND, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is making significant investments to provide focused, authentic support to Hispanic homebuyers. This includes dedicated tools that generate borrower confidence and help overcome language barriers, from a new Spanish mortgage application to a focused Hispanic website. CrossCountry Mortgage Expands Support for Hispanic Borrowers. Tweet this CrossCountry Mortgage is making significant investments to provide focused, authentic support to Hispanic homebuyers. "Our support for the Hispanic community extends well past translated materials" says CCM Chief Brand Officer Laura Soave. "This is personal. We have hundreds of Spanish-speaking loan officers with deep roots in the community. We're partnering with organizations focused on advancing sustainable Hispanic homeownership and are embedding ourselves within this community." CCM is a partner of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), a trade association committed to advancing the economic mobility of Hispanics in America, including homeownership. The organization is also part of the 2022 L'ATTITUDE Conference, which has fostered more advancement for Latino people than any other event in the world. CCM Loan Officer Rodrigo Ballon, one of the nation's top 15 Latino loan originators*, will represent the company on Saturday, Sept. 25 as part of a mainstage discussion entitled "Partner Townhall: Investing for long-term growth," focused on how companies are reaching and supporting the Hispanic market. "We're proud to participate in discussions that advance opportunities for the Hispanic community and connect us to emerging needs," added Soave. "We look forward to growing and expanding tools and resources to support this important borrower group." To learn more about CCM's robust portfolio and to connect with a local Spanish-speaking loan officer, visit ccm.com/hispanic. *NAHREP Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators report About CrossCountry Mortgage CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is one of the nation's largest retail mortgage lenders, with more than 8,000 employees operating nearly 600 branches across all 50 states. Our company has been recognized nine times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 100 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae. Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Visit ccm.com. Contact: Alicia Gauer Senior V.P., Corporate Communications (440) 497-6058 (0) [email protected] SOURCE CrossCountry Mortgage DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- David Gibson-Moore, a veteran banker and prominent figure in the financial services industry, has joined the board of directors of Dalma Capital as part of a continued drive to enhance the company's capabilities in investment banking services, in addition to its asset management platform. David brings with him a wealth of relationships and experience with a track record of over 30 years in corporate finance, investment banking and asset management. David joins the board of Dalma as part of an ongoing expansion of the firm's investment banking advisory practice, under which the company advises private and public companies as well as sovereign clients on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, public private partnerships (PPP), capital markets transactions and digital assets. David will guide the firm in scouting top global talent to bolster Dalma Capital's execution team and will act as a spokesperson for the company. "I am delighted to join Dalma Capital's Board of Directors, having observed the growing success of the company and its team," commented David Gibson-Moore, "I believe in the bright future of Dalma Capital in originating and executing high-caliber deal flow for institutional clients." "We are honored to welcome David Gibson-Moore to the Board of Directors of Dalma," said Mishal Kanoo, "His strong reputation with leading institutions and families in the GCC and globally as well as his deep experience in corporate finance will augment the board's ability to support Dalma Capital in its growth." About Dalma Capital: Dalma Capital Management Limited is a global alternative investment management platform and advisor with strong capabilities in investment banking and asset management. Established in 2011 and headquartered in the Dubai International Finance Centre, Dalma Capital's has been one of the fastest growing independent financial services businesses in the DIFC. Dalma Capital is authorized and supervised by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (the "DFSA") under a prudential category 3c license. About David Gibson Moore: From 2009 to 2014 David was Regional Managing Director of LGT Bank covering the MENA region. The LGT Group is privately owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein and focuses word-wide on institutional and family office asset management. Before joining LGT Group, he was Chief Executive Officer Middle East for the Robeco Group. He set up Robeco's regional office in Bahrain with responsibility for their institutional asset management business in the MENA region. Clients included all the regional sovereign wealth funds, government institutions, banks and family offices. He was previously 15 years based in Geneva with Chase Manhattan Bank (subsequently JPMorgan Chase) where he was Chairman of the Boards of Chase Manhattan Bank in Switzerland, Luxembourg and Jersey and Swiss Country Manger. In addition, he was Head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Division for 8 years and was subsequently responsible for business development globally for the investment banking division based in New York. He is Commandeur and Chancelier Honoraire of the Chaine des Rotisseurs and was Chancelier of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Bahrain from 2006 2014. He was Founder of the Bahrain Oxford and Cambridge Society. Mr. Gibson-Moore has both Bachelor's and Masters Degrees in Natural Science from Oxford University. He is a Chartered Accountant, having qualified at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the City of London practice and has MSc (cum laude) in Financial Economics and a Diploma in Econometrics from University of London. He has recently been awarded a diploma by the Said School of Business/Oxford University for the Oxford University Fintech Programme and diploma from London School of Economics for the Cryptocurrency and Disruption Programme. He has a Diploma in Political Philosophy from Oxford University. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1896238/Dalma_Capital_Logo.jpg SOURCE Dalma Capital Management Limited HELSINKI, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The obvious question is: Does the world really need yet another business podcast? Edita Prima, the kindest Nordic tech company based in Helsinki, Finland, believes it does, but only if done differently with a gentle touch of empathy and diversity. Podcast cover "Talks of imperfection (TOI) is not your ordinary business podcast but a platform for meaningful conversations that help our audiences redefine their views on doubt and vulnerability. We hope our global listeners will feel more comfortable embracing their imperfections and strive for personal growth," says Ville Immonen, Edita Prima's Head of Sales and Marketing. Season 1 features 8 guests from diverse backgrounds, cultures and professions who share the common goal of creating a more equal, more reasonable and increasingly sustainable future through their passion. "Business community must learn to operate fundamentally differently. Our guests are known for change-making top work, which requires near-perfect delivery and recognizing imperfections helps. They have self-awareness to enable self-reflection, which creates inspiring content," says Risto Kuulasmaa, the Amsterdam-based media entrepreneur who hosts the show. Edita Prima, a tech company with a unique heritage that reaches to 1859, orchestrates automated customer journeys to perfection. It has witnessed all four industrial revolutions and is now in transition towards digitalized services. In 2021, Edita Prima started a rebranding project, and launching TOI is the latest outcome of its ambitious storytelling marketing concepts. "TOI is a fine example of Edita Prima's new brand presence, global vision and all-around creative capacity," says Independent Creative Director & Global Work Rebel Antti J. Peltonen who leads Edita Prima's creative rebranding. TOI is in English, and all episodes have been recorded face-to-face around Europe and North America. S2 is already in production. "We are fully committed to developing TOI concept further. And yes, softer values definitely equal better business," says Edita Prima's Ville Immonen. S1 guests: E 001: Aito De la Rua, E 002: Helena Gualinga, E 003: Victor Pineda, E 004: Peta Milan, E 005: Tony Cho, E 006: Ruchika Sikri, E 007: Mickey Meyer, E 008: Lubomila Jordanova Links: www.talksofimperfection.com www.editaprima.fi Info: Ville Immonen, Edita Prima's Head of Sales and Marketing [email protected], +358 40 743 2764 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1903001/Edita_Prima.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1903002/Edita_Prima_Logo.jpg SOURCE Edita Prima New machine learning algorithm to support clinical decision-making in the early detection of cardiovascular disease OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eko, a digital health company applying machine learning in the fight against heart and lung disease, today announced that it was awarded a $2.7 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct Phase II grant by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant will fund the development of a machine learning algorithm that detects and stratifies pulmonary hypertension (PH) using phonocardiogram (PCG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) data provided by Eko's smart stethoscopes. New machine learning algorithm to support clinical decision-making in the early detection of cardiovascular disease Pulmonary hypertension is a severe condition that occurs when the pressure in the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs is higher than normal, causing undo stress on the heart. PH affects up to 1% of the global population and is a marker of poor health outcomes. PH can cause premature disability, heart failure, and death. Unfortunately, delays of over two years frequently occur between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis of severe kinds of PH. The gold standards for diagnosing PH are echocardiography and right heart catheterization, which are costly, invasive, and require a heart specialist. ECG-based AI models have been clinically proven to improve the diagnosis of PH but are challenging to deploy. To address this challenge, Eko formed a research partnership with Lifespan Health System's Cardiovascular Institute to collect real-world PCG and ECG data using the Eko DUO ECG + Digital Stethoscope. This data will help develop an algorithm that can detect PH and stratify its severity. This easy-to-deploy early identification tool aims to diagnose PH earlier and more accurately, leading to beneficial interventions that can save patients' lives. "The major goal of this study is to determine whether an Eko algorithm based on phonocardiography coupled with electrocardiography can identify the presence and severity of pulmonary hypertension when compared to the current gold standard," said Dr. Gaurav Choudhary, Principal Investigator and Ruth and Paul Levinger Professor of Cardiology and Director of Cardiovascular Research at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute. "This machine learning algorithm has the potential to be a low cost, easily implementable, and sustainable medical technology that assists healthcare professionals in identifying more patients with pulmonary hypertension." This award marks Eko's fourth SBIR grant from the NIH, bringing their total funding to date from the NIH for cardiopulmonary machine learning development to $6 million. A previous $2.7M grant, awarded to the company in July of 2020, funded the collaborative work with Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute to validate algorithms that help healthcare professionals (HCPs) identify pathologic heart murmurs and valvular heart disease (VHD) during routine office visits. That grant for VHD directly contributed to the FDA clearance and commercialization of Eko Murmur Analysis Software (EMAS) - the first and only machine learning algorithm to assist HCPs in identifying structural heart murmurs using a smart stethoscope. "This SBIR grant is a testament to our focus on developing pioneering AI for early detection and management of cardiopulmonary diseases," said Connor Landgraf, Co-founder & CEO of Eko. "Early detection and intervention play a critical role in preventing the progression of heart disease. Our focus is to make AI-powered tools cost-effective, easily accessible, and scalable that support clinical decision-making, so millions of patients will get information sooner that could extend their lives. This is how we change the standard of cardiac care." About Eko Eko, a digital health company, is advancing how healthcare professionals detect and monitor heart and lung disease with its innovative suite of digital tools, patient and provider software, and AI-powered analysis. Its FDA-cleared platform is used by hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide, allowing them to detect earlier and with higher accuracy, diagnose with more confidence, manage treatment effectively, and ultimately give their patients the best care possible. Eko is headquartered in Oakland, California, with over $125 million in funding from Highland Capital Partners, Questa Capital, Artis Ventures, DigiTx Partners, NTTVC, Morningside Technology Ventures Limited, Mayo Clinic, Sutter Health, and others. For more information visit www.ekohealth.com. About Lifespan Formed in 1994, Lifespan is a not-for-profit health system based in Providence, R.I. comprised of three teaching hospitals of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University: Rhode Island Hospital and its Hasbro Children's Hospital; The Miriam Hospital; and Bradley Hospital, the nation's first psychiatric hospital for children; Newport Hospital, a community hospital offering a broad range of health services; Gateway Healthcare, the state's largest provider of community behavioral health care; Lifespan Physician Group, the largest multi-specialty practice in Rhode Island; and Coastal Medical, a primary care driven medical practice. Lifespan teaching hospitals are among the country's top recipients of research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The hospitals received $121 million in external research funding in fiscal 2021. All Lifespan-affiliated partners are charitable organizations that depend on support from the community to provide programs and services. References Marc Humbert , et al. 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: Developed by the task force for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Endorsed by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the European Reference Network on rare respiratory diseases (ERN-LUNG), European Heart Journal, ehac237, August 2022 . https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac237 Marc Humbert , et al. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in France Results from a National Registry, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Volume 173, Issue 9, February 2006 . https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200510-1668OC Chih-Min Liu , MD, et al. Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Electrocardiogram Improves the Diagnosis and Prediction of Mortality in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension, JACC: ASIA , Volume 2, Number 3, 2022. https://www.jacc.org/doi/epdf/10.1016/j.jacasi.2022.02.008 Eko Media Contact Alexander Romero-Wilson [email protected] 906.399.0957 Lifespan Media Contact Kelly Brennan [email protected] 401-895-9912 SOURCE Eko Rise in adoption of electric vehicles and supportive government initiatives drive the global electric vehicle charging station market. PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Market by Mode of charging (Plug-in charging, Wireless charging), by Charging level (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3), by End User (Residential, Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global electric vehicle charging station industry accounted for $16.6 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $226.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 30.5% 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. Download Report Sample (256 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/17811 Major determinants of the market growth Increase in adoption of electric vehicles and favorable government initiatives have boosted the growth of the global electric vehicle charging station market. However, lack of standardization of current EV charging infrastructure and high cost of developing charging infrastructure hinder the market growth. On the contrary, incorporation of vehicle-to-grid EV charging station would open new opportunities in the future. Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic created challenges for import-export of non-essential items. Only a small portion of workforce was allowed to function in factors. This caused a huge gap in supply-demand. Moreover, the prolonged lockdown disrupted the supply chain. The sales of the automotive industry declined during the pandemic. However, the demand for electric vehicles has increased due to favorable government regulations. The plug-in charging segment dominated the market growth By mode of charging, the plug-in charging segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global electric vehicle charging station market, and is estimated to dominate the global wireless video surveillance market throughout the forecast period. The majority of electric vehicle stations are equipped with AC level 1 or 2 charging systems. These systems are preferred for charging electric vehicles at home as well as commercial areas. Charging stations at workplaces or different public locations may further strengthen the market for plug-in electric vehicle charging solutions for residential and commercial charging stations. However, the wireless charging segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 33.5% during the forecast period, as wireless charging offers flexible operation for broad range of vehicles. Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/17811 The level 3 segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2031 By charging level, the level 3 segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 34.9% during the forecast period, as level 3 charging systems require expensive hardware, making their installations primarily suitable at public station only. However, the level 2 segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than four-fifth of the global EV charging station market, as this type of charging equipment is compatible with all the plug-in electric vehicles and electric vehicles. The residential segment held the lion's share By end user, the residential segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for more than three-fourths of the global EV charging station market, and is expected to continue its dominance from 2022 to 2031. Many drivers or owners of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles charge their vehicles overnight at home using AC level 1 or AC level 2 chargers. However, the commercial segment is estimated to showcase the highest CAGR of 35.9% during the forecast period. commercial charging stations are usually installed at workplaces, hotels, shopping malls, airports, business parks, and retail outlets. In addition, DC quick chargers are preferable at short-stop locales such as drugstores or convenience stores, as consumers make short stops at these places. Asia-Pacific held the largest share By region, the market across Asia-Pacific dominated the market in 2021, holding more than two-fifths of the global electric vehicle charging station market, and is expected to dominate in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is due to higher adoption rates of smart mobility services, government regulations, increase in fuel prices, and rise in trend toward adopting non-fossil fuel-based vehicles. However, the market across Europe is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 33.1% during the forecast period, due to government initiatives to reduce the emission of harmful gases from internal combustion engine vehicles and advent of new range of electric vehicle. Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/17811 Major market players ABB Ltd. Webasto Group Siemens AG Schneider Electric SE Eaton Corporation PLC Delta Electronics Inc. BorgWarner Inc. General Electric Company Plugless Power Inc. Robert Bosch GmbH AeroVironment Inc. Moser Services Group The report analyzes these key players of the global electric vehicle charging station market. These companies have adopted several strategies such as expansion, partnerships, new product launches, collaborations, 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. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts to Find Solutions for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/17811 Similar Reports We Have on EV Industry: Solar Carport Charging Station Market by Type (Medium and Small Solar Carport Charging Station and Large Solar Carport Charging Station) and Application (Household and Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212031. Electric Vehicle Charging System Market by Product Type (Home Charging Systems and Commercial Charging Systems), Mode of Charging (Plug-in Charging System and Wireless Charging System) and Charging Voltage Level (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212031. Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Market by Vehicle Type (BEV, PHEV, CEV), by Distribution Channel (OEMS, AFTERMARKET), by Charging Method (CWPT, MGWPT, RIPT, IPT), by Installation (Home, Commercial), by Power Source (3?11 KW, 1150 KW, >50 KW): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2031. Hydrogen Fueling Station Market by Station Type (Small, Medium, Large), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles), by Vehicle Technology (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells, Others), by Delivery Methods (On-Site, Off-Site): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2035. 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 domain. 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. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. 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: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research PUNE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --ReportsnReports added a Global Energy as a Service Market Commercial and Industrial research report to its online research database. The energy as a service market is projected to reach USD 105.6 billion by 2027 from an estimated USD64.7 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period. Due to the manufacturing advances and various technological improvements, the costs of various renewables and storage systems such as solar PVs, fuel cells, grid-based energy storage, especially batteries, and combined heat and power declined significantly in the recent times. The decreasing costs of solar PV are encouraging users to install these resources for generating electricity. These decreasing prices of the renewables and storage solutions have positively promoted the energy as a service approach as it is helping the utilities implement the same and helping various end-users reduce their energy costs. Also, with the price volatility found in today's fossil fuels markets, unpredictable prices are costing the government substantially more than lower cost alternatives. For instance, solar power can be generated and used during peak times to offset the costly high-demand electricity mentioned above. The use of solar power can not only reduce the overall electricity usage but also helps avoid demand charges. Hence, all factors are making these options more viable and affordable. Download a Free Sample Copy of the Global Energy as a Service Market Research Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=1571491 The deployment of various renewable energy sources has its own technical and feasibility considerations. They also have some capacity constraints such as restricted supplies of basic raw material inputs, limitations on manufacturing capacity, competition for larger construction project management and equipment, and limited trained workforce. Environment clearances and land acquisition have been the major issues for the delay in project execution. For instance, if a customer has already deployed smart lighting, energy as a service provider could face trouble integrating the same with their platform for analyzing and automating the same using their proprietary platform. Hence, there is a need for a streamlined business process, effective controls, and transparency in addition, several diverse and emerging technologies, such as connected devices and monitoring platforms, need to communicate. seamlessly with each other to achieve energy cost savings through constant monitoring and automation. "The energy supply services segment, by type, is expected to be the fastest growing market from 2022 to 2027" There are three types of services are considered in the report energy supply services, operational and maintenance services and energy efficiency and optimization services. Energy supply services refer to the idea where a building's energy requirements are taken care of by an outside company, typically utilities or service providers. Energy supply services protect end-users from grid blackouts and weather extremes that would threaten the operations of a traditional grid connected commercial and industrial entities. In energy as a service operation, energy supply services are increasingly delivered through Energy Services Agreements (ESAs) that are performance-based contracts through which a service provider agrees to finance, develop, and deploy renewable energy projects for clients without any upfront capital expenditures. In addition to this, consumers do not have any responsibility to maintain and upgrade the equipment. "The commercial segment, by end-user, is expected to be the largest market from 2022 to 2027" The end-user segment has two types includes commercial and industrial end-users. The commercial segment includes establishments such as healthcare, educational institutions, airports, data centers, leisure centers, warehouses, hotels, and others. Electricity prices for the commercial sector are higher than the industrial sector. Hence, customers are looking for a solution that helps them implement energy-efficiency projects with no capital expenditure and validate energy savings. Therefore, increase in the energy consumption demand and commercial energy prices is expected to drive the segment. Inquire for More Details at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/inquirybeforebuy.aspx?name=1571491 "North America: The largest and the fastest growing region in the energy as a service market" North America is expected to dominate the global energy as a service market and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 20222027. One of the major drivers for the energy as a service business model in the region is the ability to incorporate technology, analytics, and personalized services for end users. North America's electrical transmission infrastructure is not upgraded for modern threats and natural hazards. Energy as a service would provide the reliability and flexibility that would enable expanded use of electricity across the region without getting affected by threats and hazards. Breakdown of Primaries: In-depth interviews have been conducted with various key industry participants, subject-matter experts, C-level executives of key market players, and industry consultants, among other experts, to obtain and verify critical qualitative and quantitative information, as well as to assess future market prospects. The distribution of primary interviews is as follows: By Company Type : Tier 1- 40%, Tier 2- 35%, and Tier 3-25% : Tier 1- 40%, Tier 2- 35%, and Tier 3-25% By Designation : C-Level- 30%, D-Level- 20%, and Others- 50% : C-Level- 30%, D-Level- 20%, and Others- 50% By Region: Asia Pacific 60%, North America 10%, Europe 18%, Middle East & Africa 8%, and South America 4% Note: "Others" include sales managers, engineers, and regional managers The tiers of the companies are defined based on their total revenue as of 2021: Tier 1: >USD 1 billion, Tier 2: USD 500 million1 billion, and Tier 3: < USD 500 million The energy as a service market is dominated by major globally established players. The leading players in the energy as a service market are ENGIE (France), Enel X (Italy), Schneider Electric (France), Ameresco (US), Siemens (France), General Electric (US), Veolia (France), Honeywell (US), Centrica (Netherlands), Alpiq (Switzerland), WGL Energy (US), Orsted (Denmark), Bernhard Energy Solutions (US) and others. Direct Purchase of the Global Energy as a Service Market Research Report at (Use Discount Coupon) https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=1571491 Study Coverage: The report defines, describes, and forecasts the energy as a service market, by type (energy supply services, operational and maintenance services and energy efficiency and optimization services), end-user (commercial and industrial) and region (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and South America). It also offers a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market. The report provides a comprehensive review of the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. It also covers various important aspects of the market, which include the analysis of the competitive landscape, market dynamics, market estimates in terms of value, and future trends in the energy as a service market. Another Related Report: Global Renewable Energy-as-a-Service Market 2022 by Company, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2028 - The Renewable Energy-as-a-Service market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations. Download a Free Sample Report at https://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=5765321 About Us: ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. Contact: Ganesh Pardeshi Tower B5, office 101, Magarpatta SEZ, Hadapsar, Pune-411013, India +1-888-391-5441 [email protected] Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reportsnreports Twitter: https://twitter.com/marketsreports SOURCE ReportsnReports HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) will host a conference call and webcast to discuss third quarter 2022 results on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 9 a.m. Central time (10 a.m. Eastern time). Please visit the Investors/Events & Presentations page on the EOG website to access a live webcast of the conference call. If you are unable to listen to the live webcast, a replay will be available for one year. If you have any questions, please contact Angie Lewis at 713-651-6722. About EOG EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE: EOG) is one of the largest crude oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States and Trinidad. To learn more visit www.eogresources.com. Investor Contacts David Streit 713-571-4902 Neel Panchal 713-571-4884 Media and Investor Contact Kimberly Ehmer 713-571-4676 SOURCE EOG Resources, Inc. Higher Education-Style Facility Grand Opens at Los Alamitos Unified School District in Orange County, CA ESCONDIDO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 24, 2022, Erickson-Hall Construction Co. joined the Los Alamitos Unified School District for a Ribbon Cutting ceremony of Los Alamitos High School's new STEM Building. The program featured speakers from the school, district, Board of Education, and development team, as well as performances by the student marching band, show choir, and jazz ensemble. The new facility was funded by Measure G, a $97 million local bond measure approved by voters in November 2018. As an experienced K-14 builder well-versed in meeting educational deadlines, Erickson-Hall completed the $52 million facility in time for the first day of school on August 15, 2022. Los Alamitos High Schools new STEM Building, built by Erickson-Hall Construction Co. To view additional images of the facility, click here. Dr. Andrew Pulver, Superintendent, states, "The Los Alamitos High School STEM Building will boost the educational opportunities for our exceptional students. It's an advanced facility, on par with what you'd find on a higher education campus. We're excited to bring these world-class amenities to our students' educational journey." The new three-story STEM Building serves as the new campus gateway. At 55 feet tall and comprising 86,528 square feet, the building is the tallest on campus, offering almost two acres of enclosed learning space. It houses 30 science, math, and Career Technical Education (CTE) classrooms with dedicated staff spaces on each floor to support collaboration. The ground floor features a college and career center, a media center, a state-of-the-art computer lab, and a specialized fabrication lab for manufacturing, engineering, and robotics. The outdoor courtyards and "stadium seating" grand staircase will allow flexible learning and performances. Project partners included architect Westgroup Designs and construction manager Rachlin Partners. Mat Gates, President of Erickson-Hall, states, "While developing in the midst of the COVID pandemic with all of its unique challenges, the Los Alamitos Unified School District set the tone with its positive, problem-solving attitude. For all of the design, development, and construction partners, this project represents the best that can come from a spirit of collaboration." About Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Erickson-Hall is a recognized industry leader and has completed over $1.5 billion in successful construction projects, of which $1 billion has been for K-14 education developments. The employee-owned company has been serving the Southern California markets of San Diego, Imperial, Orange, South LA, and Riverside Counties since 1998. Services include preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, design assist-build, lease-leaseback and program management for educational, fire, essential services, civic, parks, recreation, faith-based, office and healthcare facilities. The company has an award-winning portfolio of completed projects and has received numerous awards for safety. For more information, visit www.ericksonhall.com and find us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/erickson-hall-construction-company. Media Contact: Beth Binger BCIpr 619-987-6658 [email protected] SOURCE Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Omans Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education to implement the Oman is my destination programme, which aims to train students (grades 9-12) in the tourism sector. The agreement was signed by Azzan Qasim Al Busaidi, Tourism Undersecretary and Dr Abdullah Khamis Ambdusaidi, Education Undersecretary, reported Oman News Agency (ONA). The cooperation agreement comes within the framework of grooming the entrepreneurial skills of students. It also aims to prepare them in launching their own student companies in the fields of tour guiding, hotels, hospitality, artisan products, conferences and exhibitions and adventure tourism. Based on USDA research, if consolidating farm trend continues, an anticipated 5,000 family farms could shutter their doors in the next 12 months LA FARGE, Wis., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of welcoming 50 small organic family farms in the Northeast, cooperative Organic Valley announced today the addition of more farmer-members in Pennsylvania. The USDA's research still finds that family farms remain the cornerstone of U.S. agriculture, however, the farm crisis continues as small family farms are often told to find another market or consolidate into big agriculture. "Our mission is imperative especially after seeing these family farms lose their market with little to no notice. What we have seen across the country is that when small family farms go out of business, they don't come back," said Travis Forgues, Organic Valley executive vice president of membership. "At the rate these farms are currently disappearing, there won't be any small family farms left in America. However, if all of us do our part we can keep these small family farms viable." Organic Valley continues to fulfill its mission of saving small family farms across the rural landscape. Tweet this Within days of learning of these farmers' plights, representatives from Organic Valley were in Pennsylvania meeting with the families and sitting down to discuss their options. The small family farms in rural Pennsylvania had less than a week to find a market. In the meantime, they found an interim solution to continue milk shipping. And by the end of the meeting, Organic Valley was offering membership in the cooperative to nearly a dozen new farms. Local organic milk continues to be available on shelves in Pennsylvania. "We couldn't believe it when we received our notice giving us five days to find another place to ship our milk," said John Painter of Painterland Farms LLC near Westfield, Pennsylvania. "But Organic Valley stepped in and is allowing us to continue to do what we love. It's a weight off our shoulders that's for sure. Everyone on the Organic Valley staff that we dealt with was very attentive, responsive, and helpful. With their help and quickly picking up the procedural pace we turned a bad situation into a new opportunity!" As farms face increasing pressure both financially and climatically, Organic Valley continues to fulfill its mission of saving small family farms across the rural landscape. So far this year, the Organic Valley farmer-owned cooperative has welcomed more than 60 new farms who were dropped by other companies in the dairy industry. About Organic Valley Organic Valley is passionate about doing what's right for people, animals, and earth and is committed to bringing ethically made organic food to families everywhere. Organic Valley is the largest farmer-owned organic cooperative in the U.S. and one of the world's largest organic consumer brands. Founded in 1988 to sustain family farms through organic farming, the cooperative represents nearly 1,800 farmers in 34 U.S. states, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit ov.coop/impact. Organic Valley is also @OrganicValley on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Media Contact: Elizabeth McMullen [email protected] 608-632-6083 SOURCE Organic Valley The following is attributed to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past several months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been working around the clock with our U.S. government partners, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to expand consumer access to infant formula products, while also ensuring that these products meet the agency's safety, nutrition and quality standards. This has been no small undertaking. Years of consolidation in the infant formula industry and concerning food safety processes and general procedures at some of the facilities producing these products have resulted in a fragile supply chain that is susceptible to production disruptions when quality issues are identified. Earlier this year I asked Dr. Steven Solomon, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, to conduct a top-down review of agency activities and decision-making related to the shutdown of Abbott's Sturgis, Michigan, infant formula facility in February 2022. Today, Dr. Solomon released the results of the review in a 10-page report, which includes information gleaned from interviews with FDA staff directly involved in the agency's response to infant formula shortages as a result of the Sturgis facility closure. I agree with the findings and recommendations identified in the report, but it is important to note that I have also requested a broader and more comprehensive evaluation of the FDA's Foods Program. This evaluation is being done by an external group led by Dr. Jane Henney and supported by the Reagan-Udall Foundation that will review various aspects of the Foods Program, including structure, function, funding and leadership. The report released today highlights detailed findings and recommendations that will support the agency's ongoing efforts to ensure that our most vulnerable population has consistent access to infant and specialty formula products in the future. Importantly, it also identifies the need for additional resources and authorities that will ensure the agency can fulfill our consumer protection role and gain important visibility into the supply chain with the aim of preventing these issues in the future. Based on some of the findings in the report, we don't need to wait for the broader Reagan-Udall Foundation evaluation to begin implementing some changes. The agency has already updated some existing processes and procedures that will allow the agency to respond more quickly during a public health emergency. Immediate changes that we've been able to implement include improving our emergency response structure and streamlining the ways in which the public can contact the agency to report concerns with food products. We have also developed a sophisticated data system to track production, distribution and purchase of infant formula. There is more work to do, but this is a start. The situation at the Abbott Sturgis facility has highlighted just how little authority the FDA has to compel many companies to "do the right thing" without intervention. While domestic infant formula manufacturers have stepped up to meet the call to increase their production capacity and are working diligently, the long-term resiliency of the infant formula supply chain will rely on greater diversification of manufacturers, including new entrants to the U.S. marketplace, investment in new manufacturing facilities by infant formula producers and a commitment by these companies to consistently and continuously adhere to the FDA's quality and safety standards. Ultimately, these combined approaches will protect the most vulnerable individuals. I encourage those who have an interest in strengthening the U.S. food supply and supporting the agency's ongoing efforts to read this report. We recognize the impact the formula shortages have had on parents, caregivers and the children and individuals who rely on these products. Rest assured that we are committed to implementing the necessary changes to help us avoid future supply shortages and ensure parents and caregivers have access to safe and nutritious infant formula whenever and wherever they need it. Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration Basil and Sundried Tomato flavors hit shelves this fall LYNDHURST, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Filippo Berio, one of the nation's top-selling olive oil and pesto brands, introduces two vegan pestos to its sizeable pesto lineup. The 155-year-old Italian brand has launched Basil and Sundried Tomato flavors that feature tofu as a replacement for cheese while retaining the brand's signature extra virgin olive oil, high-quality ingredients and authentic pesto flavor. Filippo Berio introduces two vegan pestos to its sizeable pesto lineup. Tweet this Filippo Berio Vegan Basil Pesto Plant-based and both dairy and gluten free, the two pestos are certified by The Vegan Society. With no heating or cooking required, the new products are convenient and highly versatile for any use, from spreading on sandwiches and pizzas to stirring into vegetables, pastas, grains, dips and more further enhancing any dish's flavor. As a leader in the global olive oil industry, Filippo Berio has long been a favorite of health-conscious consumers, who also reach for its variety of specialty wine vinegars, balsamic vinegars of Modena and glazes. This pesto product release further extends Filippo Berio's portfolio in the growing plant-based foods market, which is expected to reach $162 billion globally within the next decade, according to a 2021 report by Bloomberg Intelligence. The new Basil pesto and Sundried Tomato pesto expand the options for those looking for quality plant-based products without compromising on taste. "After ongoing recipe development and countless blind taste tests comparing our Classic pesto and vegan recipes, we are thrilled to launch two flavorful and delicious vegan recipes that live up to the high quality standards of the Filippo Berio brand that consumers have come to know and trust. We are confident our new products will become mainstays for those who are vegan or otherwise looking for plant-based alternatives," said Dusan Kaljevic, deputy CEO of Filippo Berio USA. This expansion into the vegan market is widely in response to the increasing number of consumers who are reducing their consumption of animal products for health and environmental benefits. Filippo Berio recognized this shift and, as a brand that's dedicated to sustainability, health, quality and flavor, wanted to provide the best-tasting option for this consumer segment. Filippo Berio's vegan pestos are available now on Amazon and will be distributed in select retail locations this fall. To sample Filippo Berio products and learn more about the brand's pestos, please visit filippoberio.com/products/pesto/. About Filippo Berio: The Filippo Berio brand has been committed to creating high-quality olive oil for more than 155 years. Founder Filippo Berio set forth exceptional standards of olive oil production that are still rigorously followed today, with each bottle sold bearing his signature as a seal of the finest olive oil and the brand's promise of quality. Filippo Berio's distinctive olive oils are complemented by a selection of pestos, vinegars, balsamic and glazes, all featuring the finest ingredients and high production standards. The brand is currently sold in more than 75 countries. In the United States, Filippo Berio is marketed by Filippo Berio USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Salov Group, based in Lucca, Italy. For more information, visit www.filippoberio.com. Filippo Berio Media Contact: Hannah Castle, 510-590-0195 [email protected] SOURCE Filippo Berio MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today reports the final results from the IPAX-1 Ph I/II study of TLX101 therapy (4-L-[ 131I] iodo-phenylalanine, or 131I-IPA) in combination with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The primary objective of the IPAX-1 study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability profile of intravenous 131I-IPA administered concurrently with second line EBRT in patients with recurrent GBM. Secondary objectives were to determine optimal dosing, biodistribution and radiation absorption into the tumour, as well as assess preliminary efficacy through clinical and imaging-based assessment of tumour response. Final data up to the completion of the post-study follow-up period confirms the study has met its primary objective, demonstrating the safety and tolerability profile of TLX101 at the dosing range tested. The study also delivered encouraging preliminary efficacy data for further evaluation, demonstrating a median overall survival (OS) of 13 months from the initiation of treatment in the recurring setting, or 23 months from initial diagnosis. Given that GBM has a median survival from initial diagnosis of 12-15 months, the overall survival improvement trend seen in this patient population clearly warrants further evaluation in a larger patient population. Recurrent GBM is a highly aggressive cancer that progresses rapidly, and for which there are few effective treatment options. TLX101 is a systemically administered targeted radiation therapy that targets L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT-1), which is typically over- expressed in GBM. TLX101 has been granted orphan drug designation in the United States and Europe. IPAX-1 Results Summary 10 patients were enrolled of whom 9 received the full study treatment dosing of ~2GBq (2000 MBq) of TLX101, either in the form of a single administration or one of two triple-fractionated regimens. The results demonstrated all dosing regimens, in combination with EBRT, were well tolerated: Dosimetric analysis demonstrates that radiation exposure to key organs is well within acceptable safety limits. The most frequent treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were decreased lymphocyte count, fatigue, headache and hiccups, which occurred in three patients (30%), followed by decreased platelet count, diarrhea, cerebral oedema (swelling), and insomnia, which occurred in two patients (20%). Except for cerebral oedema (swelling), a typical side-effect of radiation to the brain, adverse events were of low grade, did not show any trends or patterns and were clinically manageable, with a significant proportion deemed unrelated to therapy. The therapy was generally well tolerated by patients. Overall survival (OS) was a median of 13 months, from initiation of therapy in the recurrent disease setting. Of the nine patients who received conventional imaging, four (44%) exhibited stable disease at day 135 and two (22%) at day 180, determined by longitudinal imaging. Two patients remain alive at the time of study report. Dr. Colin Hayward, Chief Medical Officer at Telix said, "We are pleased to report this final outcome, which will be submitted for publication. We can reconfirm that TLX101 has demonstrated safety and tolerability profile and encouraging early efficacy data. The median overall survival of 13 months from initial treatment in the recurrent second line setting reinforces the validity of further investigation and dose escalation of TLX101 in patients with GBM. Due to the aggressive nature of this cancer and limited treatment options, we are experiencing a high level of interest in the follow-on study that Telix is now undertaking in newly diagnosed patients, as a front-line therapy in combination with standard of care treatment. In parallel we will continue to study TLX101 in the recurrent setting." Dr Josef Pichler, Kepler University Hospital, Austria and Principal Investigator in the IPAX-1 study said, "When you consider that GBM has a median survival from initial diagnosis of 12-15 months, the potential benefit demonstrated in relapsed patients, in a second-line setting is encouraging. We are very motivated to continue to investigate TLX101 in a larger patient population in the planned Phase II IPAX-L (Linz) study underway at Kepler University Hospital, with the goal of collecting additional safety and efficacy data for TLX101 in in combination with EBRT in patients with relapsed-glioblastoma." About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit www.telixpharma.com and follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn. Telix's lead product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11) injection, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[1] and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).[2] Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for this investigational candidate in Europe[3] and Canada.[4] Telix Investor Relations Ms. Kyahn Williamson Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited SVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Email: [email protected] This announcement has been authorised for release the disclosure committee of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. Legal Notices This announcement is not intended as promotion or advertising directed to any healthcare professional or other audience in any country worldwide (including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom). This announcement may include forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "outlook", "forecast" and "guidance", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect the Company's business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telix's business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telix's preclinical and clinical studies, and Telix's research and development programs; Telix's ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telix's product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telix's expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telix's financial performance; developments relating to Telix's competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telix's product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telix's actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. You should read this announcement together with our risk factors, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the ASX or on our website. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Telix disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or a change in expectations or assumptions. The Telix Pharmaceuticals and the Illuccix name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates all rights reserved. [1] ASX disclosure 20 December 2021. [2] ASX disclosure 2 November 2021. [3] ASX disclosure 10 December 2021. [4] ASX disclosure 16 December 2020. SOURCE Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Addition of Finvi Payments completes Katabat offering to make it an all-in-one workflow and payments solution. BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finvi, a leading provider of enterprise workflow automation software built to accelerate revenue recovery and simplify the payments process, recently launched a new integration between its payments platform and Katabat workflow software. With the addition of the embedded Finvi Payments solution, Katabat is now an all-in-one workflow and payments platform designed to increase collections rates and streamline operations through a combination of powerful digital engagement and payment processing tools. This new integration offers Katabat users built-in compliance rules and modern, digital communication capabilities, such as text messages and emails, combined with convenient, familiar payment options (e.g., debit, credit, and ACH) to help meet the demands of today's mobile, fast-paced world. As the popularity of digital payments has increased over the yearswith transaction volume expected to reach $1,765B in 2022 and an estimated $3,528B by 2027, according to Statistnot having a self-service online payment option can cause friction and impede collection efforts. The new payments option not only allows agents to take payments over the phone via credit, debit or ACH directly within the Katabat portal, but also provides these same options for clients through a self-service portal, giving them the 24/7 access, they have come to expect. "Today's consumer demands convenience and flexibilityas a true partner to our clients, we want to help them offer that convenience in the easiest possible way," said Tim O'Brien, Finvi's CEO. "This new all-in-one solution does that by giving our clients everything they need in one implementationomnichannel communications and modern payment options. The days of promissory notes and paper checks are gone." With text messaging quickly gaining popularity as one of today's primary forms of communication, the addition of secure payment options to Katabat's already robust digital and omnichannel communication platform was the next logical step in the product's innovation. "Having the ability to reach consumers via their channel of choice, including text or email, is key for our clients," explained O'Brien. "Our number one priority is to provide the advanced technology our clients need to drive revenue recovery success. With that in mind, we couldn't be more excited to offer this functionality to our Katabat clients." Interested in learning more about this integration? Sign up for a live webinar on Monday, September 26, 2022. About Finvi Formerly Ontario Systems, Finvi is a premier provider of enterprise technologies that streamline and accelerate revenue recovery for clients across healthcare, government, accounts receivable management, and financial institutions. Through process automation and modern, compliance-minded communication and payment tools, Finvi allows its client partners to generate more revenue at reduced cost and fulfill their stated business outcomes by effectively engaging those who pay. With offices in the states of Massachusetts, Indiana, New Mexico, Delaware, and Washington as well as employees across the country, Finvi continues to build upon 40 years of success using a distinctly human-centric approach to innovation and service. A recognized brand in the revenue cycle management (RCM) market, Finvi helps 600+ hospital networksincluding 5 of the 15 largest systems in the U.S.optimize cash collections and provide a single, satisfying patient financial experience. Finvi also serves 8 of the 10 largest ARM agencies in the United States as well as a number of financial institutions across the globe. Additionally, Finvi's workflow platforms power governmental agencies and court systems across the country at the federal, state, and municipal levels. Media Contact: Amy Barnouw (203) 767-4234 [email protected] SOURCE Finvi AM Best and DBRS Morningstar affirm Foresters financial strength ratings TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Foresters Financial (Foresters), the fraternal life insurer today announced that independent rating agency A.M. Best Company [1] has affirmed The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of "A" (Excellent) with a stable outlook [2] . A.M. Best Company also affirmed an issuer credit rating (ICR) of "a+" for the entity. In addition, DBRS Morningstar [3] also confirmed its "A" FSR and Issuer rating and an A (low) Subordinated Debt rating for IOF with a stable trend. "The strong ratings from AM Best and DBRS Morningstar are testament to Foresters financial strength and the ability of Foresters to fulfill its obligations to its members," said Alvin Sharma, Global Chief Financial Officer, Foresters Financial. "We are proud to have maintained an Excellent rating from AM Best for 22 consecutive years which is reflective of the financial stability of the organization. As the oldest non-denominational fraternal benefit society, Foresters is redefining the life insurance model built on that foundation of financial strength and stability." Foresters maintains total assets of $14.8 billion (US), liabilities of $13.3 billion and a surplus of $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2021 [4] [5] while in-force certificates and contracts have grown to more than 2.8 million in Canada, the US, and the UK. Foresters solvency ratios are well above local requirements in all jurisdictions in which it operates. Foresters Financial is the trade name for The Independent Order of Foresters. For more information about A.M. Best Company's ratings, visit ambest.com . For more information about DBRS Morningstar's ratings, visit dbrsmorningstar.com . Life Insurance with a Larger Purpose Foresters goal is to develop innovative member benefits, products, and service offerings that promote a lifetime of well-being, and align with Foresters fraternal purpose to enrich the lives of families and their communities. That's life insurance with a larger purpose. Bringing a better, new normal to everyday North American families, Foresters offers a suite of unique member benefits and is redefining the conventional life insurance model. Member benefits [6] include opportunities for scholarships, orphan benefits, community volunteer grants, document preparation service to prepare wills [7], Lifelong Learning, MemberDeals, and more. About Foresters Financial Foresters Financial is redefining the life insurance and individual savings industry across the U.S., Canada, and UK by enriching the lives, communities, and overall well-being of its members. Agents and members alike appreciate the turnkey-decisioned product offerings and end-to-end digitized sales processes that make it easy to get life insurance without traditional medical exams. State-of-the-art mobile tools help agents deliver tailored insurance protection to members. Dedicated to its members' well-being, Foresters offers a suite of member benefits and is redefining the conventional life insurance model, bringing improved financial security and overall wellness to everyday North American families. Foresters joined forces with Canada Protection Plan in 2020 to add being a leading life insurance distributor to its Canadian business. Foresters Financial is the trade name for The Independent Order of Foresters, the oldest non-denominational fraternal benefit society. For 22 straight years, The Independent Order of Foresters has received an "A" (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best. [5] For information purposes only. Foresters Financial, Foresters, Helping Is Who We Are, Foresters Care, Foresters Go and the Foresters Go logo are trade names and/or trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, ON, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries. Underwritten by The Independent Order of Foresters. Canada Protection Plan is a trademark of Canada Protection Plan Inc. 1. The A.M. Best ratings assigned on August 4, 2022, reflect overall strength and claims-paying ability of The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF). An "A" (Excellent) rating is assigned to companies that have a strong ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders and have, on balance, excellent balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile when compared to the standards established by A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best assigns ratings from A++ to F, A++ and A+ being superior ratings and A and A- being excellent ratings. In assigning the ratings for IOF, A.M. Best stated that the rating outlook is "stable," which means it is unlikely to change in the near future. See ambest.com for our latest ratings. 2. Financial strength refers to the overall financial health of The Independent Order of Foresters. It does not refer to nor represent the performance of any particular investment or insurance product. 3. DBRS Morningstar Confirms Ratings on The Independent Order of Foresters at 'A,' Stable Trends, August 4, 2022 4. This surplus represents excess funds above the amount required as legal reserves for insurance and annuity certificates in force and provides additional assurances to our members for our long-term financial strength. 5. Consolidated Financial Statements of The Independent Order of Foresters Year ended December 31, 2021. Amounts based on consolidated nancial results prepared in Canadian dollars as of December 31, 2021, and converted into USD using the Bank of Canada annual average exchange rate of 1.2535. 6. Foresters Financial member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions and limitations and may be changed or cancelled without notice or are no longer available. 7. LawAssure is provided by Epoq, Inc. Epoq is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with Foresters. LawAssure is not a legal service or legal advice and is not a substitute for legal advice or services of a licensed attorney. Foresters Financial, their employees and life insurance representatives, do not provide, on Foresters behalf, legal, estate or tax advice. Some features not available in Louisiana. SOURCE The Independent Order of Foresters 24-year agency veteran and senior leader in SEC's Corporation Finance Division who led its Office of M&A will join the National Office, further solidifying Latham's market-leading global public company M&A practice WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that former US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Corporation Finance Associate Director Michele Anderson will join the firm's Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the National Office, a central resource for complex US securities law questions. She will join the firm after serving for 24 years in progressively senior positions in the SEC's Corporation Finance Division, including nearly 15 years leading and then overseeing its Office of Mergers and Acquisitions (OM&A). Michele Anderson "Michele is one of the world's preeminent M&A regulatory lawyers. Her arrival further solidifies our position as the market-leading public company M&A law firm, and we are delighted to welcome her," said Charles Ruck, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Corporate Department. "She will be an asset to our team and clients on their most complex domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as to our growing number of public company clients confronting shareholder activism and other complex corporate governance issues." As Associate Director in Corp Fin since 2015, Anderson oversaw the work of OM&A as well as the Office of International Corporate Finance (OICF) and Office of Structured Finance. She also directed the Division's rulemaking initiatives and no-action, interpretive, and exemptive positions on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, federal proxy rules, and the registration, disclosure, and reporting requirements that apply to foreign issuers and issuers of asset-backed securities. In this capacity, she also had broad oversight responsibility for Corp Fin's disclosure review program for public companies. Prior to becoming Associate Director, Anderson served for seven years (2008-2015) as Chief of OM&A. In that role, she managed the SEC's regulation of M&A transactions and the application and interpretation of SEC rules relating to tender offers, mergers, going-private transactions, reorganizations, debt restructurings, beneficial ownership reporting and contested and other non-routine proxy solicitations. Anderson is the latest addition to the firm's National Office. Unique to Latham, the National Office is a central resource for clear, pragmatic, and action-oriented US securities law advice. National Office Co-Chair Alex Cohen was the SEC's Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff who helped steer the agency's responses to the 2008 financial crisis, and National Office Co-Chair Joel Trotter served in a leadership role on the IPO Task Force and was a principal author of the IPO-related provisions of the JOBS Act of 2012. Cohen said: "Michele is the perfect addition to our National Office team and the intensely focused capabilities we offer to help guide our clients through their most challenging and complex mandates." Trotter added: "Michele brings not only unparalleled securities regulatory expertise in M&A matters but also broad leadership and operational experience across Corp Fin. We're thrilled to welcome her to the team." Other senior SEC veterans who have joined the National Office include Paul Dudek, who led OICF for nearly 25 years and is the world's leading expert on the SEC's regulation of non-US companies; and Marlon Paz, who served as Senior Special Counsel to the Director of the Trading and Markets Division and is a widely recognized authority on the SEC's regulation of broker-dealers. "Serving for 24 years at the SEC was an enormous privilege and honor," said Anderson. "I am delighted to add my knowledge and experience to Latham's talented roster, and joining the National Office is a compelling opportunity. I look forward to joining a team of problem-solvers who thrive on helping clients navigate their toughest securities law challenges." Anderson will join the firm in mid-October. She received her JD and BA, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law, where she taught the course on Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions. About Latham & Watkins ( lw.com ) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. About the National Office The National Office of Latham & Watkins is a central resource for clear, pragmatic, and action-oriented US securities law advice. Our mission is to help our clients and our lawyers accomplish their business objectives without undue legal risk. The National Office team combines market savvy, regulatory expertise, and decades of transactional and SEC experience. Based in Washington, D.C., our National Office team works closely with more than 30 partners in all US securities law disciplines to support our client representation teams across our global platform. Our lawyers have served in leadership positions in the SEC's Office of the Chairman, Office of the General Counsel, Division of Corporation Finance, Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, Office of International Corporate Finance, Division of Trading and Markets, and Division of Enforcement, and on the IPO Task Force responsible for the IPO reforms in the JOBS Act of 2012. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Charles Ruck, Global Corporate Department Chair, +1.212.418.7625 Alex Cohen, National Office Co-Chair, +1.202.637.2284 Joel Trotter, National Office Co-Chair, +1.202.637.2165 SOURCE Latham & Watkins Seth Goldman, Barry Nalebuff and Spike Mendelsohn Unveil Details of New Organic Tea Line from Eat the Change Just Months After Coca-Cola's Decision To Discontinue Honest Tea BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today co-founders of Honest Tea Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff are pleased to announce their return to the bottled tea business alongside celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn with the launch of Just Ice Tea, a ready-to-drink organic iced tea brand focused on sourcing simple ingredients and Fair Trade Certified teas and sweeteners. The organic tea line will hit shelves nationwide beginning September 2022 and is the latest addition to Eat the Change , the planet-friendly snack (and now beverage) company founded by Goldman and Mendelsohn in 2020. Just Ice Tea The news for Eat the Change's expansion into the bottle tea space follows Coca-Cola's May 2022 announcement that it would discontinue Honest Tea this fall. Goldman and Nalebuff founded Honest Tea in Bethesda, MD in 1998. "Just Ice Tea is picking up where Honest Tea left off, but we are tripling down on our commitments to our core values - Fair Trade Certified, organic and just sweet enough," said Seth Goldman, Co-Founder of Honest Tea and Eat the Change. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again serve, and hopefully expand, the community of tea growers and retailers we assembled who were abandoned by the discontinuation of Honest Tea." The brand is named Just Ice Tea because "Just Ice" refers to the set of working standards and environmental principles the team aims to support through Fair Trade premiums and working standards. The brand is also committed to supporting our planet through organic certification, which uses a third-party verified approach to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers. Honest Tea was the first bottled tea brand to offer organic (1999) and Fair Trade certified varieties (2003). "We didn't want to leave our loyal customers high and dry, either," said Barry Nalebuff, Co-Founder of Honest Tea and Eat the Change Board Member. "Challenging the line from F. Scott Fitzgerald, he predicted 'We think act two will be even better'." Honest Tea fans will recognize new renditions of crowd favorites with Just Ice Tea. While similar, some key differentiators to note are: no cane sugar (Fair Trade Certified Organic agave and/or honey are used for sweeteners), glass bottles only, a bit less sweet, and chef-crafted by co-founder Spike Mendelsohn who leads innovation at Eat the Change. "Teaming up with mission-driven leaders and innovators, like Seth and Barry, to launch the next generation of bottled tea is truly a milestone moment for me," said Chef Spike Mendelsohn, Co-Founder of Eat the Change. "Innovation is my favorite part of being a chef, and we're excited to introduce this new line of chef-crafted teas made with responsibly sourced ingredients from our trusted partners." Just Ice Tea will launch with 6 SKUs with a SRP of $2.69-2.89. Flavor names and varieties include: Berry Hibiscus Herbal Tea: Organic herbal hibiscus and blackberry leaves are brewed and blended with blackberry juice for a fruity caffeine-free blend. Organic herbal hibiscus and blackberry leaves are brewed and blended with blackberry juice for a fruity caffeine-free blend. Honey Green Tea : Real-brewed green tea leaves and a "just sweet enough" taste of agave and honey offers a classic taste of this popular blend. Real-brewed green tea leaves and a "just sweet enough" taste of agave and honey offers a classic taste of this popular blend. Moroccan Mint Tea: Blend of real brewed green tea and mint makes for a refreshing taste with a hint of honey at only 35 calories for the whole bottle. Blend of real brewed green tea and mint makes for a refreshing taste with a hint of honey at only 35 calories for the whole bottle. Original Green Tea: Smooth, unsweetened green tea is as simple as it gets. No flavoring (except from real-brewed tea leaves) and no sweetener - just the clean taste of real brewed green tea. Smooth, unsweetened green tea is as simple as it gets. No flavoring (except from real-brewed tea leaves) and no sweetener - just the clean taste of real brewed green tea. Peach Oolong Tea: Real-brewed oolong and black tea leaves blend with the flavor of fragrant sweet peaches at just 60 calories per bottle. Real-brewed oolong and black tea leaves blend with the flavor of fragrant sweet peaches at just 60 calories per bottle. Tea Lemonade: Real-brewed black tea leaves blend with the sweet, citrus taste of classic lemonade. Two favorites, one bottle. Just Ice Tea will be distributed nationwide and begins to hit shelves September 2022. Just Ice Tea is available first at Sprouts Farmers Market nationally, and PLNT Burger locations in New York City. Other retailers set to carry Just Ice Tea include but are not limited to: Whole Foods Markets, Hy-vee, Town & Country, Central Market, New Seasons Market, Erewhon, MOM's, Roots, Yes! Natural Markets, Giant Foods, PCC, Dawson's, Market of Choice, ION Group, Oliver's, Rainbow Grocery, The Food Bin, Ellwood Thompson's and The Common Market. For more information or questions, please email [email protected] . About Eat the Change: Eat the Change is the new Bethesda, MD based company created by Seth Goldman, Co-Founder of Honest Tea and Chair of the Board at Beyond Meat, and Celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn. Together, they are on a mission to create chef-crafted and nutrient dense snacks and beverages that are kind to the planet. With Climate-Based Commitments, Eat the Change is expanding the possibilities and the impact of planet-friendly eating, and encouraging consumers to Snack to the Future! SOURCE Eat the Change With the support of The Association for Growth and Education (AGE) and in partnership with Stanford Center on Longevity, Esalen Institute, Encore.org, and more, this global initiative aims to create meaningful multi-generational experiences and conversations that help reverse a culture of ageism SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Modern Elder Academy (MEA) the world's first midlife wisdom schooland the founders of Death Over Dinner the program that has gathered over one million participantsannounce the launch of Generations Over Dinner , a program intended to inspire meaningful conversations across generations by modeling and creating an experience that connects and values all perspectives across the age continuum. Generations Over Dinner is a decentralized model which encourages thousands of hosts to gather their friends, family, and even strangers at both physical dinner parties and virtual gatherings to discuss key topics through the unique lens of each generation. In addition to Modern Elder Academy (MEA), Generations Over Dinner is launching with a growing list of partners including the Association for Growth and Education (AGE) , Stanford Center on Longevity , Esalen Institute , Encore.org , Old Dominion University , University of Denver , Soho House , and more. Modern Elder Academy logo "The power of cross-generational connection and collaboration could genuinely improve the world, and we're thrilled to help create a platform that encourages shared wisdom," says Chip Conley, Co-Founder and CEO of Modern Elder Academy (MEA). "Cultural tropes about aging have created acute age-segregation: the perception that school is just for young people, work is just for the middle-aged, and retirement communities are exclusively for older people. Similar to the intergenerational wisdom we encourage and cultivate at Modern Elder Academy (MEA), we hope that Generations Over Dinner helps to drive meaningful conversations that shift perspectives on aging." During its first month, Generations Over Dinner kicks off "The Generation Challenge," a goal to bring 10,000 people of all ages together for dinners across the world. The invitation and provocation: How many generations can you bring to the table? Can you find six, five, four, or even the significant touchstone of bringing three generations together? This is an invitation for families to gather, but intended to bridge far beyond blood relations. Every host will pick a topic for discussion, with a choice between three universally appealing topics: Love and Relationships, Purpose, and The Future. Hosts are encouraged to plan dinners through the BETA website www.generationsoverdinner.com . "We saw such immense success with Death Over Dinner and Drugs Over Dinner that we knew it couldn't stop there," says Michael Hebb, Creator of Death Over Dinner, Drugs Over Dinner, and Generations Over Dinner. "The model demonstrated the importance of bringing curious minds together to engage in important conversations. With Generations Over Dinner and The Generations Challenge, we're excited to see what wisdom an 80-year-old can share with an 18-year-old, and just as importantly, what new curiosities an 18-year-old can inspire within an 80-year-old." Joining the project is Dr. Thomas Socha of Old Dominion University's Graduate Program in Lifespan and Digital Communication, who will be administering a longitudinal study focused on the impact of these dinners. "The preliminary data collected about Generations Over Dinner suggests that these conversations are not only fun, they may be good for us," said Dr. Socha. "Participating in these conversations may help us improve the quality and effectiveness of our nation's intergenerational communication and better understand the many meanings and purposes of our generational lives. Most importantly, it can help us increase our appreciation of the many and vital contributions all generations make in our everyday lives." Generations Over Dinner is a non-profit and free initiative. The initiative is fortunate to launch with an extraordinary list of community partners and advisors from companies, programs, and institutions around the globe. Generations Over Dinner will also launch several pilot enterprise programs with leading companies to encourage cross-generational conversations and mutual understanding in a professional setting. If you are interested in participating in the Generations Challenge or hosting a dinner, please visit www.generationsoverdinner.com . This initial phase of the project is considered a BETA launch, with a full project launch coming soon. About Modern Elder Academy Created as the answer to the ever-perplexing midlife era, Modern Elder Academy (MEA)winner of Fast Company 2021 Brands that Matter Awardseeks to guide and support adults through periods of transition in life, with a particular lens on those aged 40 and above. Dubbed a "midlife wisdom school," Modern Elder Academy (MEA) takes teachings from modern science and centuries of philosophers, writers, poets, and yogis and melds them into lessons and insights for individuals looking for growth and guidance as they navigate this next vital period of their life. Co-founded by author, hotelier, and entrepreneur Chip Conley, Modern Elder Academy (MEA) has built a dedicated alumni group of over 2,500 participants from 40 countries. Modern Elder Academy (MEA) hosts in-person workshops in Baja California Sur, Mexico, online programs year-round, and a regular lineup of free live virtual events. MEA has also purchased two properties in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area for future campuses. For more information visit, Modern Elder Academy . For a daily dose of wisdom, subscribe to Wisdom Well , MEA's daily blog and newsletter. SOURCE Modern Elder Academy In just three years, Mitsubishi's customer experience ranking climbed from 17th to second among mass-market automotive brands in key industry report FRANKLIN, Tenn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) placed second in rankings among mass-market automotive brands in the "2022 Automotive Reputation Report" from Reputation, an annual analysis of customer experience that includes 35,000 automotive OEM brands, dealer groups, and dealerships across the United States, Canada, and Europe. MITSUBISHI MOTORS RANKS SECOND IN REPUTATIONS 2022 AUTOMOTIVE REPORT MMNA's second-place rank is the culmination of a steep three-year rise that saw the brand climb from 17th among 19 mass-market automotive brands in 2020. Mitsubishi was the most improved brand in the study in 2021, posting a 58-point year-over-year improvement and ranking fourth. A deep concentration on exceeding every customer's expectations has been part of a joint commitment from MMNA and its dealer partners across the U.S. Altogether, the brand's performance has improved by 112 points from 2020 to 2022, a notable turnaround that coincided with a refreshing of the brand's entire vehicle lineup and record-breaking sales for its all-new flagship, the 2022 Outlander. "Mitsubishi Motors is in the midst of a brand-wide moment, proven by exciting new vehicles, welcoming new and updated dealerships, and an absolute commitment to customer satisfaction. To see that work validated in the 2022 Reputation Auto Report rankings is exciting, to say the least, and is proof of the value of this hard work," said Mark Chaffin, MMNA president and CEO. "I am proud of the efforts from everyone in the MMNA family who had a hand in achieving this ranking; our ongoing partnership with Reputation has given us the tools to place Mitsubishi Motors at the forefront of the industry." Also accompanying Mitsubishi's three-year rise in Reputation's study was the rollout of the brand's Visual Identity Program to enhance the dealership facilities and experience for customers through a high-quality retail environment. Combined with the launch of the award-winning 2022 Outlander, the brand's dedication to its customers resulted in the best four consecutive quarters of retail sales for Outlander since the nameplate launched in the U.S. more than 20 years ago. "I am thrilled for Mitsubishi. This is a brand that has been laser-focused on building the best customer experience in the industry and their hard work shows," said Joe Fuca, Reputation CEO. "Their active customer engagement approach has created impressive brand loyalty and it's an absolute pleasure being their partner." The report from Reputation analyzed customer feedback from dealerships to gauge overall sentiment and then assigned brands, dealer groups, and dealerships a "Reputation Score" metric. Graded on a 1,000-point scale, the score encompasses the voice of the customer and highlights reputation management as a key element of a dealership's consumer experience strategy. For more information on MMNA, visit MitsubishiCars.com. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its Environmental Targets 2030, MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has set a goal of a 40 percent reduction in the CO2 emissions of its new cars by 2030 through leveraging EVs with PHEVs as the centerpiece to help create a sustainable society. MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Florida and Virginia. For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at 615-257-2698 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Contacts Jeremy Barnes Senior Director, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 714-296-1402 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Jewellery Arabia 2022, the Middle Easts premier jewellery and watch event, is gearing up to celebrate its 30th anniversary at the newly constructed Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir. The event is scheduled to take place from November 22 to 26, 2022, boasting widened shopping walkways, improved exhibitor and visitor experience, and the launch of Scent Arabia for the first time in the kingdom. Spanning across 54,000 sq m, the new state-of-the-art venue will provide visitors with access to a wider range of renowned exhibitors from highly coveted regional and international brands, and new brands taking part for the first time ever, as well as various food and beverage retail outlets and more. The highly anticipated event will include a traditional Bahraini Gold Souq, dedicated zones for watches, pearls, up-and-coming designers and pre-loved items. Impressionable mark Mohaned El Mahgoub, General Manager of Informa Markets Bahrain, said: We are delighted to be hosting this years Jewellery Arabia at the newly launched Exhibition World Bahrain. Accommodating a larger number of exhibitors, this years event will leave an impressionable mark on all visitors, as we aim to host an unforgettable visual experience with enhanced services and an array of products from the most prestigious brands across the world. Scent Arabia, the kingdoms first luxury fragrance event, will debut alongside Jewellery Arabia 2022, showcasing a vast selection of luxurious fragrances from across the region and the world. Jewellery and perfume enthusiasts alike will gather to experience a variety of fragrances and limited-edition pieces.-- TradeArabia News Service GiantLeap Capital is investing alongside Goldman Sachs Growth Equity in $90M Series C funding of Fortanix, with participation from existing investors Foundation Capital, Intel Capital, Neotribe Ventures, and In-Q-Tel Series C funding of Fortanix, with participation from existing investors Foundation Capital, Intel Capital, Neotribe Ventures, and In-Q-Tel The investment supports GiantLeap's thematic investing strategy focused on digital infrastructure technologies that are transforming critical industries NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GiantLeap Capital, a fundamental, research-driven private investment firm, focused on partnering with companies at the convergence of physical and digital infrastructure, today announced that it has invested in Series C funding of Fortanix, the leader in confidential computing cybersecurity market. Fortanix, the pioneering data-first, multi-cloud security company, helps businesses secure private data by leveraging confidential computing and cryptographic services as they migrate to public clouds such Amazon's AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Its disruptive technology, backed by strong IP, provides an elegant approach to secure data, wherever it is. Fortanix also allows organizations to credibly conform to privacy laws and regulatory requirements including GDPR, Schrems II, HIPAA, PCI, ITAR, and others. "Privacy regulations and data breaches are driving the need for data-first security in public and multicloud environments. Fortanix provides enterprises across multiple critical industries a comprehensive data security platform that can seamlessly bridge private, public, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments to prevent data breaches and comply with continually evolving global privacy regulations. We believe Fortanix has tremendous revenue growth opportunity ahead of it by pioneering fourth pillar of modern enterprise security along with identity, endpoint, and network security," said Himanshu Sekhar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at GiantLeap. As the industry's first and largest provider of confidential computing solutions, Fortanix decouples data security from network infrastructure to keep data secure even when the infrastructure has been compromised. Fortanix solutions further empower organizations with centralized controls to secure data spread across clouds, applications, SaaS, databases, and data centers. Over a hundred enterprises worldwide, especially in privacy-sensitive industries like healthcare, financial services, government, aerospace, and manufacturing, trust Fortanix for data security and privacy. "GiantLeap Capital will be a valuable strategic partner to Fortanix as we lay the foundation for our next stage of growth. We have a strong and growing number of Fortune 500 companies and U.S. government agencies as customers who trust us to deliver security solutions needed to protect their most critical data," said Fortanix's CEO, Ambuj Kumar. "GiantLeap's strategic and operational resources will strengthen our partnerships and our world-class team, positioning us for even greater expansion. I look forward to leveraging GiantLeap's extensive private and public company relationships and their proprietary value creation (S.T.E.P.S.) and ESG (S.E.E.D.S.) programs as we continue to grow." "The Fortanix team has built a business with an unrivaled value proposition to companies in our most critical industries including financial services, healthcare, and government & defense," said Samir Parikh, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at GiantLeap. "We look forward to working with Goldman Sachs and the Fortanix team as they continue to expand their mission-critical security services in this increasingly important cybersecurity segment." About GiantLeap Capital GiantLeap Capital is a next generation private investment firm focused on investing in technologies that are transforming critical industries at the convergence of physical and digital infrastructure. The firm takes a long-term, thematic approach to provide flexible capital focused on idiosyncratic investment opportunities across growth stages. For more information, please visit https://www.giantleapcapital.com/ About Fortanix Fortanix secures data, wherever it is. Fortanix helps businesses of all sizes to modernize their data security solutions on-premises, in the cloud and everywhere in-between. Enterprises worldwide, especially in privacy-sensitive industries like healthcare, fintech, financial services, government, and retail, trust Fortanix for data security, privacy and compliance. Fortanix investors include Goldman Sachs, Foundation Capital, Intel Capital, GiantLeap Capital, In-Q-Tel, and Neotribe Ventures. Fortanix is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. For more information, please visit https://www.fortanix.com/ SOURCE Giantleap Capital DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Aerosol Actuators Market (2022-2027) by Type, Application, End-Use, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Aerosol Actuators Market is estimated to be USD 1.22 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 1.34 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 1.86%. Market Dynamics Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Aerosol Actuators Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals. As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks. Company Profiles The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are AptarGroup, Inc., Beroe Inc., C. Ehrensperger AG, Clayton Corp., Lindal Group Holding GmbH, Power Container Corp., Precision Valve Corp., Rajdeep Cans Pvt. Ltd., The Salford Valve Company Ltd (Salvalco), etc. Countries Studied America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas) , , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe ) ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA) and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Competitive Quadrant The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Ansoff Analysis The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Aerosol Actuators Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach. The analyst analyses the Global Aerosol Actuators Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position. Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth. Why buy this report? The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Aerosol Actuators Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies. The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry. The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report. The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies. The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool. Key Topics Covered: 1 Report Description 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 Increasing Consumption of Aerosol-Based Household & Personal Care Products 4.1.2 Increasing Frequency of Respiratory Disorders 4.1.3 Growing Use of Bio-Based Solvents 4.2 Restraints 4.2.1 High Raw Material Price 4.3 Opportunities 4.3.1 Increase in Demand for Personal Grooming Products 4.3.2 Technological Advancements in the Development of Actuators 4.3.3 Rising Awareness Regarding the Side-effects of Propellants 4.4 Challenges 4.4.1 Availability of Alternatives 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Regulatory Scenario 5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis 6 Global Aerosol Actuators Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Continuous 6.3 Metered 7 Global Aerosol Actuators Market, By Application 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Automotive & Industrial 7.3 Food 7.4 Household 7.5 Medical 7.6 Paints 7.7 Personal Care 8 Global Aerosol Actuators Market, By End-use 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Automotive 8.3 Healthcare 8.4 Home care 8.5 Personal care 9 Americas' Aerosol Actuators Market 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Argentina 9.3 Brazil 9.4 Canada 9.5 Chile 9.6 Colombia 9.7 Mexico 9.8 Peru 9.9 United States 9.10 Rest of Americas 10 Europe's Aerosol Actuators Market 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Austria 10.3 Belgium 10.4 Denmark 10.5 Finland 10.6 France 10.7 Germany 10.8 Italy 10.9 Netherlands 10.10 Norway 10.11 Poland 10.12 Russia 10.13 Spain 10.14 Sweden 10.15 Switzerland 10.16 United Kingdom 10.17 Rest of Europe 11 Middle East and Africa's Aerosol Actuators Market 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Egypt 11.3 Israel 11.4 Qatar 11.5 Saudi Arabia 11.6 South Africa 11.7 United Arab Emirates 11.8 Rest of MEA 12 APAC's Aerosol Actuators Market 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Australia 12.3 Bangladesh 12.4 China 12.5 India 12.6 Indonesia 12.7 Japan 12.8 Malaysia 12.9 Philippines 12.10 Singapore 12.11 South Korea 12.12 Sri Lanka 12.13 Thailand 12.14 Taiwan 12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Competitive Quadrant 13.2 Market Share Analysis 13.3 Strategic Initiatives 13.3.1 M&A and Investments 13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations 13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements 14 Company Profiles 14.1 AptarGroup, Inc. 14.2 Beroe Inc. 14.3 C. Ehrensperger AG 14.4 Clayton Corp. 14.5 Coster Tecnologie Speciali S.p.A. 14.6 EC Pack Industrial Ltd 14.7 Guangzhou Zop Aerosol Valve Co. Ltd. 14.8 H&T Presspart 14.9 KOH-I-NOOR Mlada Vozice a.s. 14.10 Lindal Group Holding GmbH 14.11 Majesty Packaging Systems Ltd. 14.12 Mitani Valve Co. Ltd. 14.13 Newman Green Inc. 14.14 Power Container Corp. 14.15 Precision Valve Corp. 14.16 Rajdeep Cans Pvt. Ltd. 14.17 Seung IL Corp. 14.18 Shanghai Sunhome Industrial Co 14.19 Summit Packaging Systems Inc. 14.20 The Salford Valve Company Ltd (Salvalco) 15 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ezy8qu Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets The startup is rapidly disrupting the tax scene in Mexico and Latin America (Latam) with the use of its technology. With the new capital Heru will continue to expand its suite of products to broaden its impact in the region through tax automation solutions. MEXICO CITY, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Heru, an AI-based tax platform that simplifies the tax-filing process and provides intelligent insights for future filings, announced a $6M USD Seed Round led by Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund. SOMA Capital, GFC, Moving Capital and Mike Shoemaker, Roofstock's Chief Operating Officer and existing investors Flourish Ventures and Magma Partners also joined the round. Heru leverages AI to automate thousands of rules and streamline the entire tax filing, retention, and reporting process. The company's technology provides customers with better financial planning tools and a holistic view of every financial transaction's potential impact on their taxes. Heru offers both a front-end solution and an embedded integration for companies or enterprises. As emerging payment methods and technologies become more widely available in Latin America, the region's independent workforce has expanded. In addition to this growth, recent regulations in Mexico require platforms such as UberEats and Rappi to declare tax compliance for earners, which presents a prime opportunity for startups like Heru. "While the integration of embedded financial solutions in industries like banking and payments is not a new concept, Latin America is about to witness a new wave of tax innovation. I'm really excited to be building Heru on the cusp of this technological revolution," said Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Heru. "We're empowering individuals and businesses with critical financial planning tools so they can stay up to date on evolving regulations and make more informed financial decisions. We believe this technology is fundamental to reducing financial inequality in Latin America." "Latin America's workforce is undergoing a massive transformation, with new digital, freelance and gig opportunities. The opportunity for technology to enable this labor force has been accelerated by recent regulations and emerging payment technologies," said Zachary Bratun-Glennon, Partner at Gradient Ventures. "Heru is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity, and we're looking forward to supporting Mateo, Stiven, and their team along the way." Heru will use its capital to expand its suite of products and to improve its core tax automation technology both for its end customers and business partners like Uber, Rappi, UberEats, Mercado Envios Extra (Mercado Libre), Cornershop, Beat, amongst others. About Heru Heru is building the tax automation infrastructure to make it easy for individuals and businesses to analyze, reconcile, process, and pay taxes automatically and through the use of AI. Heru's technology supports growth and helps reduce inequality in Latin America by putting technology in the hands of individuals and businesses making it easier to process thousands of complex rules and regulations and using technology to their advantage. https://www.heru.app/ About Gradient Ventures Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund, helps founders build transformational companies. The fund focuses on helping founders navigate the challenges in developing new technology products, using the latest best practices in recruiting, marketing, design, and engineering so that great ideas can come to life. Gradient was founded in 2017 and is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.gradient.com. For more information: Media inquiries GDC Consulting Maria Jose Gonzalez de Cossio Tel. (55) 5167.6086 [email protected] SOURCE Heru Since its inception, more than $60 million raised and 285,000+ hours volunteered by GSF associates, supporting more than 600 local charities and schools across the U.S. IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GSF Foundation (GSFF), the nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need through personal involvement and contributions in the areas where Golden State Foods (GSF) associates live and work, today celebrates its 20th Anniversary, raising more than $60 million, donating 285,000 service hours, and supporting over 600 local charities and schools since its launch. During the Foundation's 20th Anniversary year, associates are rising to the challenge to heighten their community service by volunteering 20 hours or more by the end of 2022. As GSFF marks 20 years today, September 20, the nonprofit's 28 local teams throughout the U.S. are participating in a "Day of Service" to give back through activities, such as packing hygiene kits to donate to youth in foster care and packing meals at Second Harvest Food Bank. "Over the last two decades, our caring, generous associate volunteers have dedicated their time, talent, and treasure to make a difference in the lives of children and families in need across the country," said GSF Chairman and Chief Executive Office Mark Wetterau, who established GSF Foundation in 2002 and serves as GSFF Board Chairman. "Perpetuating GSF's 75-year legacy of our values-driven, people-first culture, the GSF Foundation demonstrates how our company and our associates are not only focused on doing well in our businesses, but also on doing good in the communities where we work and live. The GSF Foundation is truly GSF's Creed and Values in action!" Since 2002, the GSF Foundation has built upon the existing community involvement of GSF associates. As a volunteer-run-and-funded nonprofit, the Foundation has engaged up to 80 percent of associates who lead their local GSFF committees, volunteer their time serving others, nominate local charities for support, and donate financially to fund Foundation programs with 100% of associate contributions directly benefitting those in need. Partnering with associate-selected schools and 501(c)(3) non-profits that align with the Foundation's mission, each GSF location encourages its team to organize volunteer activities, grants, and core programs that help children and families in the communities where associates live and work. Responsible for engaging more than 6,000 GSF associates and a growing network of nearly 30 nationwide committees, GSFF Executive Director Tess McAnena oversees all Foundation operations, including strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational management. "Giving back is so important to our associates, who have accomplished so much and will continue to accomplish much more through their wholehearted community involvement," said McAnena. "As the GSF Foundation celebrates 20 years of positive impact on the lives of children and families in our communities all around the U.S., there's no better time to commemorate our associates' continued contributions and inspire their future involvement in the decades ahead!" Empowered associates and supportive business partners have contributed to the development of several multifaceted programs, providing necessities of life to children who would otherwise go without them. The Foundation's core programs include: Back(pack) to School , which has provided elementary school students in need with nearly 157,000 backpacks full of essential supplies, so they can begin the school year ready to learn. , which has provided elementary school students in need with nearly 157,000 backpacks full of essential supplies, so they can begin the school year ready to learn. Best Foot Forward , which has supplied more than 28,000 pairs of new shoes to children who cannot afford them, so students may participate in their schools' physical education programs. , which has supplied more than 28,000 pairs of new shoes to children who cannot afford them, so students may participate in their schools' physical education programs. Coats for Kids , which has given kids in need more than 6,000 new, warm coats for winter. , which has given kids in need more than 6,000 new, warm coats for winter. GSFF BIKE BUILD and Pedal to Perfection , which have collectively donated 9,000 bikes, in addition to the Bike Build program offering youth the opportunity to build their ownand often very firstbicycle under the guidance of a caring GSFF mentor. and , which have collectively donated 9,000 bikes, in addition to the Bike Build program offering youth the opportunity to build their ownand often very firstbicycle under the guidance of a caring GSFF mentor. Focus on Food, which has supported local food banks in their efforts to alleviate childhood hunger by funding more than two million meals for food-insecure families since 2020, in addition to millions more meals donated through other programs and community leadership since GSFF's inception 20 years ago. Alleviating Hunger Resonates with GSF Associates A leading supplier to the foodservice industry for 75 years, GSF today feeds one billion people worldwide every day, and associates across GSF's food manufacturing and distribution businesses share a deep connection to fighting hunger. Beyond food insecurity-focused fundraising and grant-making, volunteers shelve donations in food pantries, glean produce from fields, and distribute groceries to neighbors in need. GSF associates have also provided their warehouse and transportation logistics expertise to help food banks operate more efficiently and safely. Additionally, the company's involvement in hunger alleviation includes: Surplus Bottled Milk Donations: In recent years, GSF associates have innovatively continued GSFF's 20-year legacy of hunger alleviation initiatives, including turning surplus milk into truckloads of relief for vulnerable families in Southern California and Kansas . Since June 2020 , the company and the Foundation have supplied millions of bottles of long-shelf-life, premium whole milk to U.S. food banks through donations and by selling them at cost. Food Rescue Program Support: Partnering on customer initiatives, GSF distribution associates supported Starbucks' 2020 No Food Wasted program and continue to collaborate on FoodShare donation logistics across the company's 24 U.S. distribution centers. After GSF's Seattle facility piloted Starbucks' FoodShare in early 2019, the ready-to-eat meal rescue program expanded nationwide to more than 4,800 Starbucks stores donating over 31 million meals to 23 Feeding America food banks with GSF's operational support. Community Food Bank Leadership: Supporting nonprofits like Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (located near GSF's global headquarters) throughout the past two decades, GSF leaders have served as Board Members and advisory committee members. In the mid-2000s, as a Second Harvest Board Member and GSFF's Board Chairman, Wetterau chaired the capital campaign to raise more than $8 million to remodel the food bank's newly donated facility in Irvine . About the GSF Foundation The associate-run, associate-funded non-profit GSF Foundation was established in 2002 to improve the lives of children and families in need. A natural extension of Golden State Foods' values-based business, the Foundation assists those in the areas where GSF associates live and work through personal involvement and contributions. Building upon the existing charitable involvement of its associates, the GSF Foundation partners with hundreds of associate-nominated local charities to benefit worthy organizations and the individuals they serve throughout the U.S. Since its inception, the Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help those in need. Media Contact: Emma LaPalermo, Porter Novelli [email protected] (630) 818-7620 SOURCE Golden State Foods Passionfruit, Orange and Guava flavors take 5-hour ENERGY fans to an Ocean Away from Ordinary FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Say "Aloha" to the newest 5-hour ENERGY shot flavor, Hawaiian Breeze. Perfect for early morning hikes or during late-night luaus, it features passionfruit, orange and guava flavors. Selected by fans, Hawaiian Breeze Flavor Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY is available in 6-, 12- and 24-count packs on 5-hourENERGY.com beginning Sept. 6, 2022. New Hawaiian Breeze flavor Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY The makers of 5-hour ENERGY products recently held a promotion in which fans were invited to vote on one of three flavors for the next extra strength shot. Voters could also choose to write in their own flavor, but the island-inspired Hawaiian Breeze flavor was a clear winner with more than 50 percent of the more than half-million votes received. "Our fans were very excited to have a say in the 5-hour ENERGY next flavor and cast their votes," said Jeff Sigouin, president and chief operations officer of 5-hour ENERGY. "The new Hawaiian Breeze Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY shot will have fans ready to set sail on their next adventure with a taste that is pure paradise." During the month of September, 5-hourENERGY.com visitors will have the opportunity to purchase an exclusive Hawaiian Breeze-themed hat from the website. The cotton bucket hat is reversible, featuring colors and designs from the newly launched flavor. The new Hawaiian Breeze flavor will also be featured on "5-hour ENERGY Charge Up Your Summer Sweepstakes" displays and supported by national advertising in early 2023. The 5-hour ENERGY Charge Up Your Summer Sweepstakes will give customers a chance to enter to win an electric ATV. Displays with Hawaiian Breeze will be in convenience and retail stores nationwide. Additional Hawaiian Breeze-themed 5-hour ENERGY-branded merchandise will be available for fans to purchase during this promotion. About 5-hour ENERGY Living Essentials launched its 5-hour ENERGY brand in 2004. The effective formula is found in its iconic shot and a 16-ounce carbonated drink. Trusted by hard-working people to get them through a hectic day, 5-hour ENERGY products are widely available in convenience, grocery, retail, club stores, and online outlets. SOURCE 5-hour ENERGY TOPEKA, Kan., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill's Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-led pet nutrition, and a national sponsor of NBCUniversal Local's Clear The Shelters nationwide pet adoption campaign announced that this year's campaign resulted in more than 161,500 cats and dogs finding their forever homes this past August. This total, which is expected to grow as reporting continues, is the highest single-year adoption mark in the campaign's eight-year history, during what has been a critical year for pet adoption and animal welfare organizations. Nicki Baty, President and General Manager of Hills Pet Nutrition US, and Noel Wallace, Chairman, President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive, attend a Clear The Shelters adoption event in the lobby of the Colgate-Palmolive offices on Park Avenue in New York, N.Y. Volunteers from Hills Pet Nutrition, Greater Good Charities and local shelters, Morristown Airport employees and First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Snyder Murphy gather for a life-saving pet airlift of more than 140 at-risk pets from overcrowded shelters in Louisiana and Alabama to shelters in the Northeast to help be adopted as part of NBCUniversal Local's Clear The Shelters campaign. Hills volunteers, Dr. Omar Farias and Dr. Maj-Britt Angarano, help pass out Hills Pet Nutrition goodie bags at Houston SPCAs adoption event during the Clear The Shelters crescendo weekend August 26-28, 2022. Actor and longtime pet lover and owner Taylor Lautner partnered with Hill's Pet Nutrition throughout the month to share his own adoption experience, paying a visit to Vanderpump Dogs in Los Angeles to encourage prospective pet owners to find their new best friend. "We are proud and inspired to have played a part in a record outcome for the 2022 Clear The Shelters campaign," said Nicki Baty, President of Hill's Pet Nutrition US. "We are grateful to the adopters, partners and shelters who came together with purpose and love. As we celebrate these August results, we continue our year-round mission to end pet homelessness and will not rest until all pets have a loving home." Each year through Clear The Shelters, NBC and Telemundo stations nationwide team up with shelters and rescues in their communities, which included nearly 1,400 organizations, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam this year. Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has helped more than 860,000 pets find forever homes. To reach even more prospective pet parents, Hill's partnered with actor and pet advocate Taylor Lautner, who adopted his dog Remi in 2021, to encourage aspiring pet owners to find their new best friend. "We're proud of the incredible impact Clear The Shelters makes every year and pleased at the campaign's continued growth and success, which is possible only through the support of so many," said Bruce Kallner, Senior VP of Business Development, NBCUniversal Local. "We're thankful for our longtime national sponsor Hill's Pet Nutrition and their unwavering collaboration and support year after year, and all those who use their platforms to raise awareness about pet adoption." In addition to 2022 being a record year for adoptions, Hill's matched $50,000 in donations made to the Clear The Shelters Fund, which allows supporters to make direct donations to shelters and rescues in need. Hill's media partnerships also helped facilitate an additional $100,000 commitment from Amazon and $25,000 from iHeartMedia to support Greater Good Charities' programs including the distribution of Good Packs, the renovation of shelters through Rescue Rebuild, and Good Flights, which included two life-saving airlifts and ground transport for at-risk pet populations with a heavy focus on asymptomatic heartworm-positive shelter dogs, disaster relief- related homeless cats, and harder-to-adopt large dogs. "We are thrilled for the people who found their pets as a result of the two Clear The Shelters flights this year, as well as those who adopted through the Clear The Shelters adoption campaign," said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities. "We airlifted nearly 300 shelter pets to new homes during the month. These airlifts are made possible by generous resources from Hill's that help give at-risk shelter pets a second chance at life. Hill's support also helped secure more than $175,000 to support shelters in need through the Clear The Shelters Fund, helping save even more lives." Additionally, hundreds of Hill's and Colgate-Palmolive employees supported Clear The Shelters this year, including many who volunteered at shelters holding adoption events across the country. The year's campaign coincided with the 20th Anniversary of Hill's Food, Shelter and Love program, which partners with shelters 365 days a year to supply premium pet nutrition for animals in need. The program has provided more than $300 million in pet food to more than 1,000 shelters and has helped more than 12 million pets find new homes. When pet parents purchase Hill's products, they help to provide premium nutrition to thousands of shelter pets across the country. For more information on the results from this year's Clear The Shelters, visit ClearTheShelters.com and Spanish-language site DesocuparlosAlbergues.com. To find pet resources and learn more about Hill's year-round support for shelters, visit hillspet.com. PR Contact: Jennie Rosenberg, Hill + Knowlton Strategies [email protected] About Hill's Pet Nutrition Founded more than 80 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's is a part of the Colgate Palmolive family, dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill's Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday foods, Hill's Science Diet, Hill's Healthy Advantage and Hill's Bioactive Recipe, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products, nutritional philosophy, visit HillsPet.com or HillsVet.com. To learn more about Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program, visit hillspet.com/shelter. SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition STANFORD, Ky., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Historic whiskey brand Fortuna Bourbon is set to re-enter the market for the first time in over 50 years. Operating from the late 1800's until the mid 1960's, Fortuna was once a prolific and known brand throughout America. After shuttering their doors during the dark days of whiskey, the brand is now being revitalized for a new generation of whiskey lovers. Fortuna is being revived by the people behind Rare Character, an emergent brand founded in 2021 by industry veterans Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky. Joining them in 2022 is Andy Shapira, an industry expert who gained invaluable experience and insight while working and growing up in his family's three-generation legacy business Heaven Hill Distilleries. Fortuna was originally founded by Phil Hollenbach, a German immigrant, in the late 1800's. Hollenbach found success in Kentucky by bringing "A Taste of Good Fortune" to all with his remarkable bourbon. Through extensive research including correspondence with members of the Hollenbach family, this iteration of the brand aims to recreate the essence of Fortuna at its peak in the 1880s, down to the branding, bottles, and bourbon itself. "We were fortunate to have had access to a few vintage bottlings of Fortuna, as well as the Hollenbach's original flagship brand Glencoe," said Shapira. "This helped produce a flavor profile to shoot for and shape the way we approach meticulously selecting the six barrels that make up each batch of Fortuna. We are proud of the results." The whiskey is a blended Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 102 proof, aged a minimum of 6 years. "It's so perfectly balanced it's crushable," explained co-founder Pablo Moix. "I come from a bar background, so I just approached it the same way I would do cocktails." Moix, Nevenglosky, and Shapira are no strangers to whiskey; they're responsible for Rare Character Whiskey, one of the fastest growing whiskey brands in America. Through exclusive single barrel releases and innovative product lines such as The Finishing Series and The Native Wood Series, Rare Character has quickly become known in whiskey communities. Fortuna is available to purchase via seelbachs.com in nearly all 50 states, and kandlwines.com for customers in California. MSRP is $84.99. To learn more about Fortuna and its history, visit fortunabourbon.com and follow @fortunabourbon on Instagram. The brand plans to release new products in 2023 as well. SOURCE Rare Character Whiskey Company The New Line of Home Chef Meals Makes it Easier than Ever to Cook Like Rachael Ray CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Home Chef , the leading meal solutions company available online and in stores, today announced its biggest partnership yet with television host, bestselling author and philanthropist, Rachael Ray, bringing her delicious meals directly to home cooks nationwide. Home Chef and Rachael Ray Partnership Starting this month, Home Chef is rolling out exclusive Rachael Ray recipes on a weekly basis for six months that's 26 recipes! The collaboration makes it easier than ever to cook Rachael's recipes at home, combining her simple, delicious meals with Home Chef's convenient service that sets home cooks up for success from the prep to the plate. "I am so excited to partner with Home Chef to bring tasty, easy-to-prepare meals to homes nationwide," said Rachael Ray. "Teaching others how to cook has always been a passion of mine, and this collaboration allows me to help people build confidence in the kitchen with my own recipes delivered straight to your door." Rachael believes that cooking doesn't have to be difficult to be delicious, so it was important to her to create recipes that required minimal tools and techniques to cut down on prepwork. This belief, coupled with Home Chef's straight-to-your-door service with pre-prepped ingredients, made the collaboration a perfect fit. "At Home Chef, we're always looking for new ways to bring our fans meals they'll love," said Shira Schwarz, vice president of brand marketing for Home Chef. "Rachael Ray is someone our customers admire for her quick and easy recipes that taste amazing, so she was a natural fit for this menu partnership." Rachael Ray's recipes suit all types of home cooks and include many easy-to-make Home Chef formats, such as the Classic Meal Kit, minimal mess Oven-Ready meals, and Culinary Collection meal kits for adventurous cooks. The lineup includes some of Rachael's fan-favorite flavors and ingredients such as Italian-style dishes, burgers, and more. These meals are classic Rachael Ray creations made even simpler with easy-to-follow instructions and pre-portioned ingredients -- all available exclusively via Home Chef online and at Kroger Family grocery stores nationwide. Some highlights from the menu include (but are not limited to): Buffalo-Style Turkey Chili with blue cheese crema and tortilla strips with blue cheese crema and tortilla strips Pork Chop with Sweet Onions and Apple and cheesy crushed loaded potatoes and cheesy crushed loaded potatoes Tilapia Piccata with lemon spaghetti with lemon spaghetti *Steakhouse Burger with Dijon mushrooms and onions with Dijon mushrooms and onions Deviled Chicken with cheesy butternut squash with cheesy butternut squash Steak Pizzaiola with fresh grape tomatoes with fresh grape tomatoes *Pork Lo Mein with baby carrots and bok choy with baby carrots and bok choy Wedding Soup with Turkey Ricotta Meatballs and ditalini pasta and ditalini pasta Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken with apple and pear and cheesy mashed potatoes with apple and pear and cheesy mashed potatoes Pub-Style Burger on a Pretzel Roll with roasted fingerling potatoes with roasted fingerling potatoes *Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pasta Bake with ricotta Meals will be available to order online at homechef.com/rachael or to pick up at more than 1,300 Kroger Family stores, starting now through mid-March. Online ordering for Home Chef's Rachael Ray menu closes at noon CT on March 17. *Available both online and in your local grocery store in the Kroger Family About Home Chef Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available from www.homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,200 Kroger Family of Stores, Home Chef is committed to bringing ease and convenience to home cooking through simple, delicious meals, so fans can enjoy their time at home, both in and out of the kitchen. The Chicago-based meal kit company was ranked #1 in Customer Service among Meal Kits by Newsweek. Home Chef is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). Find out more and get cooking at www.homechef.com . Follow us on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook for updates and inspiration. About Rachael Ray Rachael Ray is a television personality, businesswoman, celebrity cook, philanthropist, and author. She hosts the Emmy-award winning daytime talk show, Rachael Ray, and the Food Network series 30 Minute Meals. In 2007, Ms. Ray launched a nonprofit organization, Yum-o! that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. In 2010, she launched the pet food line Rachael Ray Nutrish, which fully funds The Rachael Ray Foundation whose goal is to support causes that help animals in need, and Yum-o! Related initiatives. Ms. Ray also has a line of kitchen items as well as home furnishings. To learn more visit rachaelray.com and follow her on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook for more cooking inspiration. Media Contact: Alysa Winkler (Spool on Behalf of Home Chef) Cell: 513-520-9010 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Home Chef Human Ventures is betting on big returns from the diverse and growing NYC tech ecosystem and founders building with purpose. NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Human Ventures, one of New York City's premier emerging venture funds, announced an anchor partnership with Bank of America for Human Ventures Fund II. Human Ventures will continue to invest in early-stage founders that reflect NYC's unparalleled diversity of talent across industries. Founded seven years ago as a startup studio backed by NYC industry titans, Human Ventures will continue to build on its track record in the areas of health and wellness, the future of work and money, media and attention, and experience and connection. "We're excited to be bringing in an anchor partner that is so closely aligned with our mission to generate both big change and big returns," says Heather Hartnett, Founding Partner and CEO at Human Ventures. "It takes diverse investors to identify the overlooked opportunities where value will be created over the next decade. The investment of a financial powerhouse like Bank of America to emerging managers substantiates the return potential and allows for the next generation of innovators to thrive." Bank of America's investment in Human Ventures reflects the bank's efforts to partner with diverse fund managers and founders who represent the future of the tech industry. Additionally, with this new fund, legacy media brand builder and Human Ventures Co-Founder Joe Marchese will be joining as a General Partner. "We're proud to put our support behind Human Ventures, a flagship for the early-stage venture community that has consistently backed some of the most exciting founders making positive change, and therefore creating value," says Omar Eissa, Managing Director at Bank of America. "We believe that new and diverse founders are the future of this industry, and we want to empower the talented fund managers who keenly understand how to identify and support those founders. Our goal is to give them the power to do what they do best." About Human Ventures Human Ventures is a premier emerging NYC-based early-stage venture fund investing in pre-seed through Series A companies. Focused on providing an unparalleled network and platform, Human Ventures takes a human-first approach to finding and accelerating builders from the very beginning. Founded by General Partner and CEO Heather Hartnett and serial entrepreneur Joe Marchese, Human has invested in and co-built more than 65 companies, with key investments including Headspace Health, Current, TheSkimm, Tiny Organics, and Tia Health. To learn more, visit www.human.vc. Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance At Bank of America, we're guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We're delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It's demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Contact: Kathy Osborne [email protected] SOURCE Human Ventures More students earn college credit through advanced coursework developed by Cambridge International, part of the University of Cambridge NEW YORK , Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambridge International, the world's largest provider of international education programs and part of the University of Cambridge, announced that students across the U.S. completed more Cambridge Pre-Advanced (IGCSE) and Advanced (AS & A Levels) in 2022, an increase of 15% since 2021. Arizona, Florida, and Washington were the top states for exam participation. "After two years of challenges brought on by the pandemic, I am happy to see that more students have access to curriculum that engages them to think critically across all achievement levels," said [Mark Cavone, Regional Director of Cambridge International, North America.] "With increased participation in Cambridge International examinations, more students are able to receive college credit allowing them to continue to move forward in their future endeavors." Cambridge Advanced (AS and A Level) exams offer students across the country the opportunity to earn college credit at many higher education institutions while in high school. Cambridge Pre-Advanced or IGCSE (Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is the world's most popular program for 14- to 16-year-olds, offering over 70 course subjects for schools to choose from. IGCSE prepares high school students for more rigorous advanced coursework. Schools can use the Cambridge curricula alongside any other curricula. In 2022, Cambridge International issued exams across 18 states and the District of Columbia. Cambridge International offers a fully integrated and flexible K-12 educational system, known as the Cambridge Pathway, that brings together globally recognized teaching and learning with meaningful assessments that measure student mastery. Each year, nearly 1 million students study in Cambridge programs worldwide, making more than 2 million exam entries. First introduced in the U.S. in 1995, the Cambridge International program has grown rapidly in popularity. Cambridge International partners over 170 countries including the US. Further, over 1000 universities in the U.S., including many state systems and Ivy League institutions, recognize the Cambridge Advanced program. There have been studies which show that Cambridge students perform stronger and graduate faster than students in other programs About Cambridge Assessment International Education As a global organization with a 160-year history as part of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Assessment International Education partners with schools and districts around the world with a shared goal of making education transformation a reality. Schools in the U.S. now utilize the Cambridge Advanced program, an internationally benchmarked program that allows students to earn college-level credit in high school. Cambridge uniquely provides an instructional system across four stages (Primary through Advanced) aligning rigorous curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment for all students in grades K-12. Learn more! Visit www.cambridgeinternational.org/usa/ SOURCE Cambridge International Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has announced the appointment of Majid Sulaiman Al Qassabi as its new Country Manager - Oman. An aviation veteran with a career spanning 14 years, Al Qassabi has held leadership positions at several top companies in Oman and the wider GCC region, having begun his journey at Oman Air. On his return to the company, his new role will include managing the sales, operations and business development in Oman, the airlines home-base and one of its key markets. Ahmed Ali Al Mahrouqi, Regional Vice President - Oman & GCC, commented, We are delighted to have Majid return to our team, whose wealth of experience is certain to add significant value to the future direction of the airline. As Country Manager, he is anticipated to steer our new strategy to reinforce ourselves as Omans airline of first choice, while continuing to stay true to our brand ethos to provide our guests with an exceptional travel experience. Al Qassabi has built up an impressive track record, having worked a global leading company in autonomous driving in major airlines and travel technology companies across Oman and the GCC. Most recently, he was part of the launch team for Omans first low-cost carrier, where he built an extensive network of B2B partnerships, both with travel agents and corporate clients. He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Coventry University, UK, and a Bachelors degree in Tourism from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman. TradeArabia News Service Practical presentations at the InsightsTalks Ever popular industry party NUREMBERG, Germany, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Insights-X is a key date in the calendar once again for the international stationery sector. From 5 to 7 October, leading manufacturers and suppliers of all sizes will be displaying to the trade their creative innovations. To make planning a visit to the fair even more efficient, the organiser Spielwarenmesse eG has developed the new Insights-X Digital business platform. This service will be available to trade visitors from 26 September at digital.insights-x.com. Spielwarenmesse eG (PRNewsfoto/Spielwarenmesse eG) Spielwarenmesse eG (PRNewsfoto/Spielwarenmesse eG) In addition, participants from the sector can take advantage of a varied supporting programme on all fair days. At the InsightsTalks in the InsightsArena (Hall 10.0), the focus is on communicating up-to-date industry information. Between 1 and 3 pm each day, experts will be speaking on the key topics of online marketing, digitalisation, sustainability and trends in retail and in the stationery sector. On the Wednesday and Thursday, these will be followed by the LicenseTalks, giving exciting insights into the world of licensing. For memorable reminders of Insights-X, a fabulous photo campaign will be running in the InsightsArena. A representation of the Iron Throne from the famous 'Game of Thrones' series, built out of thousands of pens and pencils, provides the perfect backdrop. A further highlight, on the first evening of the fair, is the AfterHour at Entrance West. From 6 pm live music, drinks and delicious food will be available to all participants, in atmospheric surroundings where they can get to talk to longstanding acquaintances and new business partners. Tickets to Insights-X can be obtained at www.insights-x.com/en/tickets. Note for editors: Reprint free of charge. Images are available at www.insights-x.com/media. Please provide us with a voucher copy on publication. Insights-X Your Stationery Expo Insights-X is the industry trade fair for paper, office supplies and stationery. Held each year in October, the event brings together leading brand manufacturers and suppliers of every size in the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. Buyers and specialist retailers can find an extensive product range for the office, school and home as well as creative and artistic materials. The next event will open its doors from 5 to 7 October 2022. Further information can be found online at www.insights-x.com. Spielwarenmesse eG Spielwarenmesse eG is the fair organizer and marketing services provider for the toy sector and other consumer goods markets. The Nuremberg-based company organizes the world-leading Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, complemented by the services available on Spielwarenmesse Digital. Its range also includes the Internationale Spieltage SPIEL gaming event in Essen, Kids India in Mumbai and the Insights-X in Nuremberg. The range of services provided by the cooperative also includes industry campaigns and the international fair programme, World of Toys by Spielwarenmesse eG, which enables manufacturers to exhibit at pavilions featured at trade fairs in Asia and the USA. Spielwarenmesse eG operates a worldwide network of representatives in over 90 countries. In addition, its subsidiary Spielwarenmesse Shanghai Co., Ltd. is responsible for the People's Republic of China. Its Die roten Reiter GmbH subsidiary with headquarters in Nuremberg works as communication agency for the consumer and capital goods industry. The complete company profile of Spielwarenmesse eG can be found on the Internet at www.spielwarenmesse-eg.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901904/Insights_X_Spielwarenmesse_eG.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901905/Christian_Ulrich_Spielwarenmesse_eG.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901906/Insights_X_Logo.jpg SOURCE Spielwarenmesse eG SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Integral, a real-time finance platform for web3 enterprises, has closed an $8.5M round of funding led by Electric Capital with notable investors including former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan, Color Genomics co-founder Elad Gil, Hustle Fund, Mantis, Maple VC, Anchorage founder Diogo Monica, Dapper Labs founder Roham Gharegozlou, and more. Integral Treasury announces raise from Electric Capital, Balaji Srinivasan, Elad Gil and more. (CNW Group/Integral Treasury) Integral delivers enriched financial data in a real-time and collaborative interface. Integral helps web3 teams minimize their risk while deploying their treasury intentionally and in real-time. In the last 5 months alone, the platform has helped companies process $5B in crypto accounting transactions, while working with some of the largest web3 companies. "Real-time finance is essential for web3 companies. In web2, insights come 7-30 days after the month-end. In web3, 30 days could be the difference between owning $10M and $5M worth of crypto assets," said Gui Laliberte, founder of Integral. Integral is driven by the belief that real-time finance is an edge for web3 and web2 organizations. Real-time Profit & Loss Statements allow faster, better decisions. Real-time balance sheets allow better use of treasury. Real-time cash flow reporting assures transparency from boardrooms to DAO communities. "Real-time finance is essential for any serious project in web3 and for any web2 company that is starting to explore Web3. All companies and protocols will need fast, scalable financial tools to stay ahead of the competition." Avichal Garg, Co-founder, and Partner at Electric Capital. Laliberte previously founded and sold Sequoia-backed homeownership platform Setter and was most recently an entrepreneur-in-residence at Electric Capital. Integral has four former founders along with a world-class team coming from world-class security and data backgrounds at Palantir, Paypal, Amazon, Meta, and VMWare. Integral is currently offering early access passes to web3 companies, DAOs, and web2 companies with crypto ambitions and crypto treasuries over $10M. For further information: Press: [email protected]; Founder/CEO: Gui Laliberte SOURCE Integral Treasury Safety Guide Prepares and Protects News Media from Digital Attacks WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) today introduced a robust and practical safety guide for global newsrooms to better protect journalists from online violence. With case studies from Radio Free Europe, The Seattle Times, Protocol Media and more, this guide is a pioneering step in addressing the epidemic of digital attacks on journalists and will work to mitigate pernicious abuse such as doxing, hate speech, trolling and other types of assault online. Available to download now, 'A Guide to Protecting Newsrooms and Journalists Against Online Violence' was funded by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and developed by the IWMF. The safety guide contains easily adaptable models built on years of feedback from newsrooms and journalists. The step-by-step process helps newsrooms to raise awareness, secure accounts, develop policies and issue statements of support on behalf of journalists. The guide also contains templates for safety assessments, checklists and surveys as well as resources for newsrooms to further mitigate risk. The IWMF today introduced a robust safety guide for newsrooms to better protect journalists from online violence. Tweet this "Online violence is a rampant but often hidden menace affecting newsrooms worldwide," said Elisa Lees Munoz, executive director of the IWMF. "With this guide, the IWMF hopes to change the culture of silence associated with online attacks and to support newsrooms in fulfilling their duty of care to reporters. With the 2022 mid-term elections on the horizon, it's critical that newsrooms protect their journalists so we can keep essential voices in news media." The launch of this guide is a part of a broader initiative called the IWMF News Safety Project, which was developed for newsrooms to be a part of the solution in combatting online violence. Newsrooms can demonstrate their support by signing up to receive free safety training, and other types of support to keep journalists safe online through the IWMF's Newsroom Safety Intake Portal. In 2020, the IWMF convened the Coalition Against Online Violence, a collection of global organizations working to find better solutions for women journalists facing digital abuse. Representing nearly 80 organizations worldwide, the CAOV oversees the Online Violence Resource Hub, where journalists can seek support, tools and guidance for a range of challenges affecting their work and life online. In 2021, the CAOV launched a first-of-its-kind Public Service Announcement campaign to bring global attention to the rise of targeted, damaging attacks against journalists online particularly against women and diverse journalists. For more information about IWMF's work in online safety, you can visit the IWMF website. About the International Women's Media Foundation The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is the only global organization built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists. We are an ambitious, bold and inclusive organization that supports journalists where they are with awards, reporting opportunities, fellowships, grants, safety training and emergency aid. As one of the largest supporters of women-produced journalism, our transformative work strengthens equal opportunity and press freedom worldwide. Follow the IWMF on Twitter at @IWMF, on Facebook at @IWMFPage, and Instagram on @TheIWMF. SOURCE The International Women's Media Foundation Gift will help veterans and their families with the construction of their Grand Lodge HAYMARKET, Va., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JANSON is honored to announce that as part of its outreach and community impact for 2022, the company pledged $50,000 to Willing Warriors. The donation will help with the construction of the Grand Lodge, a large retreat house for veterans and their families. JANSON Donates 50k to Willing Warriors - Watch this to find out more and learn about the CEOs! "We are absolutely thrilled and grateful to receive JANSON's support for this project," said Shirley Dominick, co-founder and president of Willing Warriors and a retired Air Force officer. "We have large companies that come alongside and partner with us, but it really means a lot to have a woman owned small business, like JANSON, really dig down deep and say, "This is just so important to us because we believe in what you're doing and the impact it's having." Janet Chihocky, CEO of JANSON, said that supporting the mission of Willing Warriors is near and dear to her heart because it is a way to give back to veterans and their families who have paid a great and ongoing price in service to America. She has been a long-time supporter of the Willing Warriors organization, having attended the initial opening of the retreat in 2015 and serving for a term as a board member. "I felt convicted that we were to give more than we felt comfortable with because now more than ever people need help." Chihocky said. "Doing more for others and in particular, veterans, is one of life's greatest blessings, and the more you stretch yourself beyond what you think you can do the greater the blessing and the greater the impact. It means everything to me personally and to us as a company to serve primarily DOD customers and then to help veterans and their families through this incredible outreach." Willing Warriors, located in Haymarket, Virginia, as a "home away from home" for military veterans and their families who were recovering from combat injuries and trauma. To date, Willing Warriors has hosted more than 700 wounded, injured, or ill warriors and an additional 1600 family members and friends. The new Grand Lodge will provide the same accommodations as the other two houses but will also have a 2,000-square-foot multipurpose area that will provide much-needed space and capacity for enhanced activities, including mental health and financial education programs. As an example, Willing Warriors partners with Mighty Oaks, a Christian organization that provides rigorous peer-based and mentoring programs for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). "We have been doing these types of programs in our living and dining areas, where we were kind of squeezing in however many we could squeeze in," said Dominick. "Nobody complained, because, you know, we're military, but the new space will allow us to not only make things more comfortable but we will be able to host a lot more participants in these programs. We're really excited to be able to provide this as it will be a huge gain for our Warriors." Anyone who wants to support Willing Warriors and its mission can donate via Text2Give at (541) 215-4949 or visit www.willingwarriors.org/sponsorship to learn more about the range of sponsorship and giving opportunities. About JANSON With a focus on strategic communications, digital programs, and facilities modernization and workplace environments, JANSON delivers smart and highly customized solutions for its military, federal and defense customers worldwide. It was recently named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Defense Technology Companies for 2021 by Global Tech Outlook Magazine. It is headquartered in Northern Virginia and recently opened an office in Atlanta. To learn more, please visit jansoncom.com. Media Contact: Anneliese Hughes Media Relations (832) 696-4532 [email protected] SOURCE JANSON Communications Two new trustees join JCF's Board of Directors; Marina Lewin appointed COO NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewish Communal Fund (JCF), the largest and most active Jewish donor advised fund in the country, is ushering in the new year with new leadership. The organization, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary of philanthropic stewardship, announced the appointment of Michael L. Stern as President, succeeding Teena Lerner. "We are so fortunate to have Mike serve as JCF's President, and benefit from his strong leadership, vast experience, and passion for making charitable giving more efficient and intentional," said Rachel Schnoll, Jewish Communal Fund's CEO and Executive Vice President. "He represents the second generation of his family's deep commitment to Jewish Communal Fund and strong Jewish communal involvement." Michael is a partner at Stonehill Capital Management, an investment firm based in New York. In addition to his role as President of JCF, he also serves as a member of the board of the Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale. He lives in New York with his wife Janna and their four children. "As JCF celebrates its 50th anniversary, I am honored to play a role in setting the stage for our next 50 years of philanthropic leadership," Michael said. "JCF has earned the trust of its fundholders, advisors, and community leaders, and plays a pivotal role in making our communities better places to live." The JCF Board of Directors elected two new trustees: Jerry Kestenbaum and Marc A. Utay. Jerry Kestenbaum is the Founder of BuildingLink, the premier SAAS provider of operational and communication platforms to residential luxury high-rise buildings. With over 4,000 client buildings and 1.5 million residents across 37 states, and 21 countries, BuildingLink has often provided an "on-ramp" to companies looking to market products or services to this market. Marc Utay is the Managing Partner of Clarion Capital Partners, LLC, an asset management firm in New York City specializing in growth oriented Private Equity. Marc graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's and an MBA. JCF also announced the hiring of Marina Lewin as its new Chief Operating Officer. Lewin is a seasoned executive who has successfully driven growth at in financial services and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she served as COO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, following a 30+ year high-profile career in banking. Marina serves on the board of the JCC Manhattan and Hazon. Marina received her bachelor's from Barnard College/Columbia University and MBA from New York University. About Jewish Communal Fund Jewish Communal Fund is one of the largest donor advised funds in the country, managing $2.6 billion in charitable assets for 4,500 donor advised funds. For the past 50 years, JCF's donor advised funds have been making charitable giving easy, flexible and intentional. Learn more about JCF by visiting www.jcfny.org or calling (212) 752-8277. Visit JCF on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. MEDIA CONTACT: Tamar Snyder Jewish Communal Fund 646-843-6894 [email protected] SOURCE Jewish Communal Fund NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws. Class Period: October 20, 2020 to May 19, 2022 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: November 1, 2022 No obligation or cost to you. Learn more about your recoverable losses in KSS: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/kohls-class-action-loss-submission-form?id=31901&from=4 Kohl's Corporation NEWS - KSS NEWS CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Kohl's Corporation made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Kohl's new strategic framework to "drive top-line growth," "expand operating margin," and become "the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle" (the "Strategic Plan") was not well tailored to achieving the Company's stated goals; (ii) the defendants had likewise overstated the Company's success in executing its Strategic Plan; (iii) Kohl's had deficient disclosure controls and procedures, internal control over financial reporting, and corporate governance mechanisms; (iv) as a result, the Company's board of directors was able to and did withhold material information from shareholders about the state of Kohl's in the lead-up to the Company's annual meeting; (v) all the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to have a material negative impact on Kohl's financial condition and reputation; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Kohl's you have until November 1, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Kohl's securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the KSS lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/kohls-class-action-loss-submission-form?id=31901&from=4. ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: J. Klein, Esq. 535 Fifth Avenue 4th Floor New York City, NY 10017 [email protected] Telephone: (212) 616-4899 www.kleinstocklaw.com SOURCE The Klein Law Firm BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuke Music Holding Limited ("Kuke" or the "Group") (NYSE: KUKE), a leading classical music service platform in China, announced the replacement of an independent director, effective as of September 20, 2022. The Company has appointed Mr. Jia Li as an independent director to the Company's board of directors (the "Board"). Mr. Li will replace Mr. Dong Lan, who resigned from the Board for personal reasons, to serve as a member of the audit committee, corporate governance and nominating committee and compensation committee of the Board. Mr. Li is an expert of media and communications in China. He has been serving as the Chief Strategy Officer and executive director of Chuanglian Holdings Limited (2371.HK) since 2013, after he joined the company as the head of marketing and operation in 2011. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Li served as Deputy General Manager at Beijing CRI Glory Advertising Co., Ltd. From 2004 to 2009, Mr. Li held various managerial positions at multiple advertisement companies in Beijing. Mr. Li holds a bachelor's degree from Capital Medical University and master's degree from Nagasaki University. About Kuke Music Holding Limited Kuke is a leading classical music service platform in China encompassing the entire value chain from content provision to music learning services. By collaborating with its strategic global business partner Naxos, the largest independent classical music content provider in the world, the foundation of Kuke's extensive classical music content library is its unparalleled access to more than 900 top-tier labels and record companies. Leveraging its market leadership in international copyrighted classical music content, Kuke provides highly scalable classical music licensing services to various online music platforms, and classical music subscription services to over 800 universities, libraries and other institutions across China. In addition, it has hosted Beijing Music Festival ("BMF"), the most renowned music festival in China, for 24 consecutive years. Through KUKEY, the Company's proprietary AI music learning system, Kuke aims to democratize music learning via technological innovation, bring fascinating music content and professional music techniques to more students, and continuously improve the efficiency and penetration of music learning in China. For more information about Kuke, please visit https://ir.kuke.com/ SOURCE Kuke Music Holding Limited DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Latin America Data Center Physical Security Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Latin America data center market is witnessing strong growth and is dominated by colocation providers, followed by internet and cloud service providers. Physical security layers are installed in data centers to prevent unwanted entry and threats. Companies are increasingly working toward ensuring that customer data is protected, by installing physical security measures at the perimeter, building, data hall, and cabinet level. For instance, Equinix's MX2 data center facility is equipped with card readers, biometric access, mantraps, metal detector points, CCTV surveillance, and 24x7 on-site security. SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS The data center physical security market is commonly divided into four layers - Perimeter Security, Building Security, Data Hall Security, and Cabinet Security. Perimeter Security Layer In the perimeter security layer, a perimeter fence is installed with continuous monitoring devices such as video surveillance, sensors, and motion detectors. The height of the security fence in most data centers is 3 meters high, with some going up to 5 meters, depending on the facility location. Sensors installed near the perimeter fence detect intrusion and are integrated with video surveillance systems, intrusion alarms, and motion detection security systems. Security systems near the fence respond to intrusion and immediately access network systems. Video surveillance is the most responsive to security breaches and captures H.D. images of threats and intruders; video analytics can identify objects and tactics to spot threats easily. Building Security Building security features many procedures to go through before entering the building. They are installed with mantraps, multi-factor authentication comprising biometric scans, key cards, PIN access, and video surveillance to verify the identity of the person entering access points by swiping an access card. These access points prevent tailgating, and video content analytics count the number of people going through the doorway. These access cards and biometrics are used inside the building to access the server and monitoring rooms. Modern data centers include a retina scanner as part of their multi-factor authentication systems. Data Hall Security The data hall is the most sensitive area of the data center and has security systems such as CCTV surveillance, biometrics, PIN, and key cards. Data halls are secured through multiple forms of verification and monitor authorized access. Access to the data hall is restricted to a few individuals. Anyone entering the data hall must carry the right key card or token and enter their biometrics, iris scans, and vascular patterns. CCTVs are monitored continuously in the data hall. Cabinet Security Cabinet security is equipped with PIN access, biometric scanning, and key cards, and some feature mechanical lock systems. Each rack is monitored by video surveillance, and the data center provides insights, such as which rack is accessed by whom and when these details are recorded, for security purposes. The Latin America physical security data center market in terms of end-users is divided into Enterprise data centers and Colocation data centers. Enterprise data centers Across Latin America, the number of enterprise-owned data centers is still higher than that of colocation facilities. Over the past decade, enterprises have faced difficulties building, operating, and managing their data centers. As a result, they are moving to colocation, managed hosting, and cloud services providers for their operational business needs. Enterprises prefer colocation facilities because of budget constraints, scalability, faster market time, interconnectivity, and cloud connectivity. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LATIN AMERICA DATA CENTER PHYSICAL SECURITY MARKET Increased deployment of the cloud-based and edge data center facilities will increase the demand for physical security solutions such as video surveillance and access control systems. Many data centers use Building Management System (BMS) to manage the physical security of their data centers (as part of the overall management of the building), including CCTV cameras, access controls, and even rodent repellent systems. In 2021, Brazil and Mexico significantly contributed to the Latin America data center physical security market. In terms of Product, Video Surveillance is the major contributor to the Latin America data center physical security market. and significantly contributed to the data center physical security market. In terms of Product, Video Surveillance is the major contributor to the data center physical security market. The rise in data center facilities deployed across the region, mainly in Brazil and Mexico , will increase the demand for physical security solutions such as video surveillance and access control systems. and , will increase the demand for physical security solutions such as video surveillance and access control systems. There have been advancements in video surveillance systems connected to cloud systems, which provide services such as recording, image captures, analytics, and notification services. These cloud-based video cameras upload constantly and need a reliable connection since they do not come with local storage. Cloud-based video analytics has become the latest trend in data center physical security. Cloud computing and edge processing will drive the adoption of advanced video content analytics in the coming years. IoT-based sensors are also increasingly being deployed along with camera-based surveillance solutions. Augmented reality (A.R.) is also being tested in data centers for training purposes for technicians. Remote monitoring using Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is increasingly being done to ensure advanced security on the premises. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the primary security solution in data centers. With the integration of Artificial Intelligence, MFA has become more advanced. For instance, Ascenty's Queretaro, Mexico 1 facility is equipped with 24/7 monitoring using CCTV cameras, high-definition automatic movement detection, and dual authentication for access control using biometric and magnetic cards. 1 facility is equipped with 24/7 monitoring using CCTV cameras, high-definition automatic movement detection, and dual authentication for access control using biometric and magnetic cards. The demand for video surveillance systems is rising as data center investments increase YOY. The Latin America video surveillance security market will reach USD 9 million in 2027. video surveillance security market will reach in 2027. Installing racks in existing data centers boosts the adoption of cabinet security solutions. The Latin America cabinet security market will grow at a CAGR of 14.04% by 2027. GEOGRAPHY AND VENDOR ANALYSIS In 2021, Brazil and Mexico were significant contributors to the Latin America data center physical security market, wherein Mexico alone contributed to more than 36% of investment within the market. and were significant contributors to the data center physical security market, wherein alone contributed to more than 36% of investment within the market. The increase in the data center investments across countries such as Chile , Peru , and Colombia is likely to increase the investments in physical security in these countries over some time. , , and is likely to increase the investments in physical security in these countries over some time. Major Physical Security service providers in Latin America include ASSA ABLOY, Axis Communication, ABB, Bosch Security Systems, Cisco Systems, Johnson Controls, Legrand, Siemens, and Schneider Electric. include ASSA ABLOY, Axis Communication, ABB, Bosch Security Systems, Cisco Systems, Johnson Controls, Legrand, Siemens, and Schneider Electric. The deployment of 5G services, the opening of cloud regions by major operators such as Google, Microsoft, AWS, and Alibaba Cloud , and increasing colocation investment by operators such as Equinix, Ascenty (Digital Realty), ODATA, HostDime, Scala Data Centers and others will be a significant revenue booster for the players operating in the market. Key Vendors: AMAG Technology ASSA ABLOY Axis Communications ABB Bayometric Boon Edam Bosch Security Systems Convergint Technologies Cisco Systems Dahua Technology Digitus Biometrics Eagle Eye Networks Gunnebo Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Horton Automatics Johnson Controls Legrand Pelco Siemens Schneider Electric SUPREMA Verkada 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 4.4 Market Segments 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Premium Insights 7.1 Key Highlights 7.2 Segmental Analysis 7.3 Geography and Vendor Analysis 7.4 Market Overview 7.5 Physical Security Layers of Data Centers 7.5.1 Perimeter Security Layer 7.5.2 Building Security 7.5.3 Data Hall Security 7.5.4 Cabinet Security 8 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.1 Increase in Deployments of Edge Data Centers 8.2 Advancements in Video & Cloud-Based Analytics 8.3 Adoption of Anti-Climb Perimeter Security 9 Market Growth Enablers 9.1 Increasing Colocation Investments 9.2 Increasing Adoption of Multi-Factor Authentication Solutions 9.3 Impact of Covid-19 10 Market Restraints 10.1 Cost of Physical Security Solutions 10.2 Security Challenges in Data Centers 11 Market Landscape 11.1 Market Overview 11.2 Market Size & Forecast 11.3 Five Forces Analysis 11.3.1 Threat of New Entrants 11.3.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 11.3.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers 11.3.4 Threat of Substitutes 11.3.5 Competitive Rivalry 12 Product 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Video Surveillance 12.4 Access Control 12.5 Other Physical Security Products 13 Physical Security Layers 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Perimeter Security Layer 13.4 Building Security 13.5 Data Hall Security 13.6 Cabinet Security 14 End-User 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Market Overview 14.3 Colocation Data Centers 14.4 Enterprise Data Centers 15 Geography 15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5i1pxr Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Kalera joins several industry leaders in commitment to advance sustainable global food systems ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalera, one of the world's leading hydroponic indoor vertical farmers, today signed the premier Vertical Farming Identity Declaration and Manifesto, showcasing its commitment to solve food problems by promoting vertical farming's resilient, future-proof practices. Kalera is one of 23 international vertical farmers to pledge their commitment. "At the heart of our business is a strong commitment to grow a better world," said Jim Leighton, President & CEO of Kalera. "We understand that we have a critical role to play in the transformation of food systems, we strive to operate at the cutting edge of sustainable agriculture and contribute to global food security." By signing the Declaration and Manifesto, Kalera also commits to investing in ongoing research and technologies to advance the industry's existing sustainable frameworks and standards, including the Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi), B Corp and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Our purpose as sustainable farmers is to research, develop and implement structures that secure an accessible food future for all," Leighton continued. "Working with our industry allies gives us the ability to align on our shared values and work towards our common goal." This news comes on the heels of the release of Kalera's 2021 ESG Report, which highlighted several of the company's accomplishments including: Using an estimated 95% less water and 99% less land than traditional field farming Zero product recalls Reporting 48% of manager roles in the USA occupied by underrepresented groups* occupied by underrepresented groups* Reporting 25% of C-Level and Manager roles occupied by women "Our investors are directly contributing to the future of sustainable farming and are helping Kalera bring our goals to life," Leighton said. "We have achieved immense success over the last year in regard to sustainability and growth and are eager to see where the next year takes our global community." Attend Kalera's Virtual Analyst Presentation on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. (ET) for more information on how they are transforming the future of farming. For more details, visit investors.kalera.com. About Kalera As a leader in controlled environment agriculture, Kalera is driven by our belief that vertical farming can play an important role in securing access to fresh produce for a growing world population facing climate change and concerns about the future of traditional farming. Through our proprietary technology, we sustainably grow local, delicious, nutrient-rich, pesticide-free, non-GMO leafy greens year-round. Our automated, data-driven, hydroponic vertical farms produce higher yields and, use 95% less water, and 99% less land than traditional farming. Sold under the Kalera brand, our leafy greens are "better than organic" and priced competitively, always with the end consumer in mind. Kalera is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with farms in Orlando; Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Kuwait, with additional farms under development. More information is available at www.kalera.com . *As of December 31, 2021, In the US, underrepresented categories include African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native-American and Native-Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Contact: Kathleen Komarzec, 616-916-4092, [email protected] SOURCE Kalera RESTON, Va., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, has been awarded a new Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to provide program and technical support to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Policy and Governmental Affairs. The multiple-award BPA contract has a five-year base period of performance followed by a six-month option period. It holds an estimated value of $60 million. Work will be performed at multiple Leidos facilities. "We look forward to working with the FHWA on this program to provide support in assessing data and increasing safety on our roads", said Fran Hill, senior vice president of Leidos' Transportation Solutions. "This win reinforces our capabilities to provide critical, mission-focused policy support." Through this contract, Leidos will support FHWA efforts to develop highway and intergovernmental policy positions, analyze the impact of investment on transportation performance and the economy, and enhance the administration's strategic plan and performance management processes. This will enable expert consultation services on cutting-edge data acquisition and demand modeling. The contract expands Leidos' work with the USDOT and FHWA. Leidos also supports FHWA's Office of Safety and Office of Operations with critical services that strengthen and protect our nation's infrastructure and ensure safe mobility to people and goods. About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 44,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com . Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made. SOURCE Leidos Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Amman, Jordan has welcomed welcomes today (September 20) the first Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The flag carrier of Ethiopia will operate three weekly direct flights between Amman and Addis Ababa. The inaugural flight - which carried on board Ethiopian Airlines representatives - was greeted with the customary water arch salute, in the presence of representatives from Airport International Group; the carriers general sales agent in Jordan, Dahab Travel; and ground handler, Menzies Aviation. We are delighted to be welcoming a new regular carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, to our growing airline network and to be creating a direct connection to the carriers hub of Addis Ababa; one of the most important airport gateways to Africa. By doing so, we are actively solidifying QAIAs standing as the prime gateway to Jordan and the Levant by presenting our passengers with various route options - a foremost priority of ours as we work towards recovering pre-COVID traffic figures, commented Airport International Group CEO, Nicolas Claude. Airport International Group is a Jordanian company comprising local and international investors with proven experience in airport rehabilitation, enhancement, operation and management. TradeArabia News Service Company will showcase new module and more at RE+ tradeshow in Anaheim SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LONGi, the world's leading solar technology company, announced today the launch of a new solar module specifically designed for residential and commercial applications in the U.S. market. The new Hi-MO 5 54-cell module, based on the new market standard M10 182-mm-monocrystaline wafer, will be available in early 2023, first as a monofacial module with a bifacial module to follow later in the year. Based on the same technology used in the company's popular large-format utility-scale 72-cell modules, the Hi-MO 5 54-cell module delivers superior power generation, reliable performance, high module efficiency and reduced system costs with an aesthetic appearance for rooftop distributed generation projects. The Hi-MO 5 54-cell module features power outputs up to 420 watts and maximum efficiencies of 21.5%. The monofacial module comes in an all-black design and has a 12-year warranty for materials and processing and a 25-year warranty for linear power output. The bifacial module will be a dual-glass design and carries a 12-year warranty for materials and processing and a 30-year warranty for linear power output. Weighing less than 50 lbs, the Hi-MO 5 54-cell can be handled and installed easily on rooftops, and is compatible with standard module racking and mounting systems. With its optimized electrical parameters, the Hi-MO 5 54-cell is compatible with smart module-level power electronics (MLPE) devices such as Enphase microinverters and SolarEdge optimizers as well as mainstream string inverters. LONGi's Hi-MO 5 series won the 2021 Intersolar Award for its advanced PERC gallium-doped p-type half-cut cell technology, smart soldering and other innovations, and has earned "Top Performer" awards from RETC and other independent labs. Hi-MO 5 modules have been supplied to more than 600 customers in over 90 countries, with cumulative shipments exceeding 30 gigawatts. "We have strong customer interest in the new Hi-MO 5 54-cell module. Since its older sibling the Hi-MO 5 72-cell module has been our best-selling product for the utility sector in the U.S., we expect very high demand for the new format," said Aaron Thurlow, Head of Distributed Generation for LONGi Solar North America. "The full weight of LONGi's advanced M10 technology, vertically integrated manufacturing, and financial strength stands behind the Hi-MO 5 54-cell product, making it one of the most promising distributed generation solar products LONGi has brought to the U.S. market to date. It's yet another example of how LONGi is helping to propel the clean energy transformation into the terawatt era." In addition to the launch of the new module, the LONGi team will be out in full force at the upcoming RE+ tradeshow (formerly known as Solar Power International), taking place Sept. 19-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. LONGi is the Terawatt Sponsor of the event and will be in Booth 1604 across from the main entrance to the exhibit hall showfloor. The company will also be sponsoring the go-to social event of the show, the annual Block Party at Anaheim Stadium. LONGi Solar North America executives will be making several conference presentations during RE+. On Tuesday, Chengjiang Fu, Head of Product and Solutions, will talk about next-generation cell and module innovation, while Aaron Thurlow will discuss the impacts of advanced PV module technologies on the solar DG market. Jade Jones, Senior Market Strategy Manager, will participate in a panel of industry experts discussing ethics, resiliency and sustainability issues of the clean energy supply chain on Wednesday. In addition to the conference appearances, there will be a series of daily presentations at the LONGi booth at 11 a.m: Tuesday, Sept. 20 Jade Jones will provide her views on the U.S. solar market. Jade Jones will provide her views on the U.S. solar market. Wednesday, Sept. 21 : Alyssa Huang , Technical Product Manager, North America , will talk about the new Hi-MO 5 54-cell module. : , Technical Product Manager, , will talk about the new Hi-MO 5 54-cell module. Thursday, Sept. 22 : Hongbin Fang , Director of Product Marketing, will discuss LONGi's green hydrogen initiative. For more information about the new Hi-MO 5 54-cell module, download the technical datasheet here. To set up a meeting with a LONGi representative at RE+, please contact us at [email protected]. About LONGi LONGi leads the solar PV industry with breakthrough monocrystalline silicon technology innovations, supplying high-efficiency solar modules for all market segments and project types in the United States. LONGi is one of the world's most valuable solar technology companies with a market capitalization of $8.24 billion and supplies more than 70 GW of solar wafers and 38.5 GW of solar modules worldwide in 2021, about one-fifth and two-fifths of global market demand, respectively. As a fully vertically integrated, sustainably focused company, LONGi offers leading technology. Visit us at LONGi, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. SOURCE LONGi Improving diverse representation in the scientific community promotes equity in research and healthcare delivery WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce the recipients of their 2022 Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Awards. "Recent data from 2022 shows that the oncology workforce in the United States is not diverse, with only 4.7% of oncologists identifying as Hispanic/Latinx, 3% as Black/African American, and 0.1% as American Indian/Alaska Native. We have also seen evidence suggesting patients of color have better outcomes and tend to participate in clinical trials when they are interacting with physicians who look like they do," said Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, LUNGevity Research. "LUNGevity is proud to provide a platform to springboard junior researchers in thoracic oncology from underrepresented minorities and provide them support to launch their careers." The two awards, the Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Fellow Award and the Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Award, both aim to support diversity and inclusivity within the scientific lung cancer community with special attention being paid to populations underrepresented in STEM. Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Fellow Awards support early-stage lung cancer researchers, from populations underrepresented in STEM, who are interested in translational lung cancer research and are conducting their fellowship research. This year, the recipient of this award is: Rebecca Shulman, MD The Research Institute of Fox Chase Cancer Center Project: Synergistic expression of combined RT and dual-immune checkpoint blockade Dr. Shulman will use an animal model of metastatic lung cancer to test the hypothesis that radiation given in repeated and very low doses, in combination with immunotherapy, can further enhance the benefits seen with immunotherapy alone. Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Awards support physician-scientists who are interested in conducting lung cancer clinical research and are within the first five years of their faculty appointments. This year, the four recipients of this award are: Narjust Florez, MD Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Project: Young lung cancer: Psychosocial needs assessment Dr. Florez will study the psychosocial and financial impact of lung cancer in young patients (less than 50 years of age.) This population has seen an increase in lung cancer incidence in recent years, but little is known about their specific needs. The study will include a survey component as well as focus groups to understand the unmet needs of this group of patients. The information gathered in this study will be used to identify challenges unique to this population and develop the first clinical and research program of its kind for young lung cancer patients. Coral Olazagasti, MD University of Miami Project: Promoting lung cancer screening in Latinx patients with previous HNSCC Dr. Olazagasti will conduct interviews and use questionnaires to study Hispanic/Latinx patients with a history of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to understand their unique needs for lung cancer screening, such as barriers to screening, awareness of screening, and eligibility for screening. Head and neck cancer survivors with a history of smoking have up to a 13% risk of developing lung cancer. The goal of this research is to create the first lung cancer screening program tailored to and focused exclusively on Hispanic/Latinx HNSCC survivors. Ana Velasquez Manana, MD University of California, San Francisco Project: Lung Equity Through Social needs SCREENING (LETS SCREEN) Dr. Velasquez Manana will conduct an observational study in a multiethnic group of patients with unresectable lung cancer to determine the association between social needs, care utilization, and quality of life. The goal of this study is to fill a key knowledge gap in the care of patients with NSCLC and inform interventions to support patients at risk of social adversity during treatment to end disparities in lung cancer care. Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MD Weil Medical College of Cornell University Project: Tumor draining lymph node immunomodulation to decrease recurrence in NSCLC Dr. Villena-Vargas will study the lymphatic system, a network of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and other diseases, as a way to reduce recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This project will use animal models to determine if immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance lymph node T-cell memory and increase their ability to recognize cancer cells in the body and prevent metastatic recurrence. These two awards were strategically created to support young researchers at different stages of their careers. LUNGevity uses a rigorous approach to choose awardees. Each research project for the two vehicles is evaluated by a multidisciplinary review committee of thoracic oncology leaders who are committed to mentoring underrepresented minority scientists. Dr. Villena-Vargas' research is being supported this year through our inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific-LUNGevity Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Award. "We are pleased to partner with LUNGevity Foundation to support Dr. Villena-Vargas' research into NSCLC focused on preventing recurrence. Building an inclusive community of researchers and treatment centers helps ensure everyone has a real opportunity to achieve optimal lung cancer care," says Luca Quagliata, PhD, BCMAS, global head of medical affairs for clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Through our Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program and this collaboration with LUNGevity, we are committed to supporting emerging research for cancer to help improve the development of and access to new treatment options." About LUNGevity Foundation LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer. The foundation works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, and to ensure that patients have access to these advances. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the diseasewhile promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity provides information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivorsand those who help them live better and longer lives. Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our visiona world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization. About Lung Cancer in the US About 1 in 17 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. More than 236,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers. Lung cancer takes more lives in the United States than the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined. than the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined. Only about 23% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it is caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically. Please visit LUNGevity.org to learn more. SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation Announced during the Clinton Global Initiative 2022 Meeting, the Nobel laureate, Gen Z activist receives The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award for her advocacy for girls' education and accepts on behalf of girls fighting for their rights in Afghanistan NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elevate Prize Foundation announced today Malala Yousafzai as this year's recipient of The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award in recognition of her long-standing advocacy for girls' education, including through her work with Malala Fund , the non-profit she co-founded with her father to champion every girl's right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. The award was presented to Malala onstage at the Clinton Global Initiative 2022 Meeting by the foundation's founder, Joseph Deitch, and CEO, Carolina Garcia Jayaram, acknowledging her courage in standing up to world leaders and inspiring young people to mobilize in support of the girls and women in Afghanistan. Malala Yousafzai receiving the 2022 Elevate Prize Catalyst Award at the Clinton Global Initiative, presented by Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation, Founder and Carolina Garcia Jayaram, The Elevate Prize Foundation, CEO. Photo Credits: The Elevate Prize Foundation. Malala Yousafzai, Winner of the 2022 Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation, Founder and Carolina Garcia Jayaram, The Elevate Prize Foundation, CEO. Photo Credits: The Elevate Prize Foundation. The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award recognizes prominent individuals who use their influence to inspire social action and provides $250,000 in unrestricted funding to advance their mission and scale their work, along with providing valuable development resources and partnership opportunities. Previous recipients of the award include Amal and George Clooney for their collective action with The Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Trevor Noah for his work with The Trevor Noah Foundation. "As global crises put progress for girls' education at risk, this support from The Elevate Prize Foundation could not come at a more critical time," said Malala Yousafzai, co-founder and board chair of Malala Fund. "Malala Fund will use these funds to support young Afghan women and advocate to end the nation's ban on girls' secondary education. We must ensure leaders fulfill their promises to girls and activate much needed change." Earlier this week, at the Transforming Education Summit hosted by the United Nations, Malala and Malala Fund advocated for girls and women in Afghanistan the only country in the world banning a girl's right to a secondary education, shining a spotlight on the crisis and calling on leaders and activists around the world to take action. Other key initiatives of Malala Fund include the Malala Fund Girl Programme, which launched in 2020 and gives young women around the world the tools they need to advocate for education and equality in their communities and a platform for the world to hear their voices, and the Education Champion Network, supporting education advocates and activists challenging policies and practices preventing girls from attending school. "We are humbled to present this honor to Malala, one of the most inspiring activists of all time and one of the most influential voices of a generation poised to change the world," said Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of The Elevate Prize Foundation. "Her commitment to amplifying not only the critical issue of girls' education but also the voices of other young activists is the embodiment of what The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award stands for. She is a powerful reminder that driving positive change comes with no age requirements." Malala has also joined the Elevate Prize Foundation's Judging Panel to decide on the next cohort of Elevate Prize winners, an annual award granting a total of $5 million worth of funds and services to 10 social impact leaders who are driving progress around the world. The Elevate Prize announced the selection of 20 finalists for the third cohort today. The winners will be announced in January 2023. The Elevate Prize Foundation aims to serve as an engine for social good by helping changemakers raise their visibility, inspire others and, ultimately, multiply their reach and impact to "Make Good Famous." About The Elevate Prize Foundation Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize Foundation is a global non-profit that empowers social entrepreneurs and activists by providing them with the resources they need to amplify their impact. The Foundation's signature program is its annual Elevate Prize, which is awarded to 10 or more global leaders tackling pressing issues in innovative ways. The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, another one of the Foundation's programs, recognizes prominent individuals for their commitment to inspiring global social action and using their influence for the good of humanity. In 2022, the Foundation launched The Elevate GET LOUD Award, a monthly grant to fuel grassroots movements and organizers on the frontlines committed to collective action and building power among communities. For more information, visit www.elevateprize.org and follow @ElevatePrize on Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook . About Malala Fund Malala Fund is working for a world where all girls can learn and lead. Malala Fund advocates for resources and policy changes needed to give all girls a secondary education, invests in local education leaders and amplifies the voices of girls fighting for change. Learn more at malala.org . Media Contacts The Elevate Prize Foundation: Erin Mulholland, 484.753.4384, [email protected] Malala Fund: McKinley Tretler, [email protected] SOURCE The Elevate Prize Foundation Flores' Development Expertise to Help Shape Company's Next Era of Domestic and International Franchise Expansion TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza , the nation's fastest-growing pizza brand*, appoints Gerardo Flores as Chief Development Officer. This news comes on the heels of the brand's recent development and sales milestones, opening of its 1100th store and surpassing $1B in annual systemwide sales. As Marco's looks to its next era of growth, Flores will be responsible for developing U.S. and international growth strategies, streamlining the development process and driving expansion. As a highly experienced real estate professional, Flores has held top-level leadership roles in the franchise industry for nearly 20 years. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Real Estate at Tropical Smoothie Cafe developing growth strategies for new and existing markets as well as establishing local and national landlord relationships. Prior to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Flores was the Vice President of Real Estate at Jersey Mike's Subs, Sr. Director of Development at Quiznos, Real Estate Manager at Cold Stone Creamery, and the Property & Lease Manager at PetSmart. A proven track record of hands-on real estate and strategic market planning experience informs Flores' passion for franchise development. "I am honored to join Marco's at a time when growth is a key strategic business priority as the brand looks to its next 1,000 units," said Flores. "My hope is that I'll be able to make an immediate impact by improving processes that help grow the brand faster and more efficiently. My initial focus is to solidify the team and make all three pillars Sales, Real Estate, Construction work seamlessly together. With this, I have full confidence we'll be able to actualize our development goals while expanding with franchisees who embrace our People-First approach to business." Marco's franchise expansion continues to accelerate with more than 200 stores in various stages of development and more than 350 agreements signed. Company leadership is prioritizing investments in enhancing the franchise development program, new technology, personnel, strategic vendor partnerships, multi-channel national advertising, and more all with an eye on maximizing franchisee profits while meeting the needs of today's modern customer. "We've set forth aggressive franchise development growth goals, and bringing in a strong franchise leader is paramount to deliver on our future success," said Tony Libardi, Co-CEO & president of Marco's Pizza. "With decades of increasingly successful franchise experience in the quick-service restaurant industry, Gerardo brings a vision and growth business mindset as we continue to expand across the country and beyond." With prime territories available for development, Marco's provides a full development support system, including technology and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion plus expertise in financing, real estate, construction management, and field operations, to assist franchisees and multi-unit operators. The development team continues to find new, cost-saving opportunities to keep the initial up-front investment affordable including smaller footprints, pickup windows, tools that accelerate the new store opening process and more, creating operational efficiencies that improve the overall guest experience and grow sales. The brand is on track to rise in the ranks as Nation's Restaurant News Top 500 Report shows Marco's achieved the highest percent year-over-year sales change (+18.2%) when compared to the nation's top 4 pizza brands**, making Marco's the No. 5 pizza brand in systemwide sales in America. With strong growth and performance, Marco's now sets its sights on becoming the No. 4 brand in pizza as it experienced a 12.8% increase in year-over-year Average Unit Volume (AUV), and the Top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated $1,198,201 AUV for 2021***. For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales. ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA Marco's Pizza is America's Most Loved and Most Trusted Pizza Brand, according to the 2019 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 33 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2022 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 4 in the Fastest Growing category on Restaurant Business' 2021 "Top 10 Fastest Growing Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include a first-time presence on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR's Top 50 and has been featured five consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking. *Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand based on year-over-year unit growth, according to 2021 NRN Top 500 U.S. Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment. **Nation's Restaurant News partnered with Datassential and its Firefly data platform to provide an in-depth look at the performance across the Top 500 restaurant chains. ***Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2021. Based on fiscal year 2021, 146 of 389 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2022 FDD please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well. SOURCE Marco's Pizza NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to share John F. Finston has been appointed Executive Deputy Superintendent at the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). The announcement was made today by Adrienne A. Harris, Superintendent of DFS. John's first day in this role will be October 3, 2022. "We are delighted for John and congratulate him on this tremendous accomplishment as he moves into his new role," said Ira Coleman, McDermott's Chair. "While we will miss John's legal prowess, we know he will excel in this position and are proud to continue the Firm's support of public sector service." "John's years of leadership in a variety of roles in the insurance industry, both in the private and public sector, will greatly benefit the insurance industry in New York. We are deeply honored that our colleague and good friend has been appointed to such a prominent position and look forward to working with John and the DFS in the coming years," noted Michael R. Halsband, head of the Firm's Insurance Transactions and Regulations Practice Group. John is currently Senior Counsel in the Firm's Insurance Transactions and Regulations Practice Group representing US and international clients from across the insurance industry, including insurers, reinsurers, producers, managing general agents, private funds and institutional investors in a variety of transactions and regulatory matters. He previously served as General Counsel and Deputy Insurance Commissioner for the State of California from 2015-2017. John has more than 35 years of leadership experience addressing state, federal and international insurance regulatory, solvency and transactional issues for a variety of industry constituents. John earned his JD at St. John's University, School of Law, where he was a St. Thomas More Scholar. McDermott's Insurance Transactions and Regulatory Group is a leading practice in global insurance, reinsurance and InsurTech transactions and regulation with lawyers in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. We are ranked Tier 1 in Insurance Law by Best Lawyers published in US News and World Report. Learn more about the Firm's InsurTech Summit by visiting www.mwe.com/events/mcdermotts-insurtech-summit/. ABOUT MCDERMOTT McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve. SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MDVIP, the market leader in personalized healthcare with a network of over 1,100 primary care physicians nationwide, today announced it has been named by Fortune and Great Place to Work as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Healthcare. This is MDVIP's second consecutive year earning a spot on the prestigious list of the top 50 small and medium healthcare employers around the country. 95% of MDVIP employees say you feel welcomed when you join the company Tweet this MDVIP, the national primary care physician network, has been named again by Fortune and Great Place to Work as one of the Best Workplaces in Healthcare for 2022. MDVIP's ranking as a best workplace in healthcare is based on an analysis of confidential survey feedback from over 161,000 employees working at healthcare companies in the U.S. Employees anonymously answered over 60 questions addressing key performance indicators, including their experiences of trust, the company's values and the effectiveness of company leadership. "We are honored to be recognized once again by Fortune and Great Place to Work for our ongoing commitment to create a positive workplace culture that is inspiring, inclusive and makes people proud to work for MDVIP," said MDVIP Chairman and CEO Bret Jorgensen. "This distinction is only made possible by our dedicated employees who have continuously provided essential support to our network of primary care physicians and patients during one of the most challenging periods for the healthcare industry." MDVIP has been a Great Place to Work-Certified company since 2018. As part of the criteria for its Best Workplaces in Healthcare list, Fortune evaluated results from the Great Place to Work surveys, which included the following highlights for MDVIP: 95 percent of employees say you feel welcomed when you join the company 95 percent of employees say facilities contribute to a good working environment 92 percent of employees feel management is approachable and easy to talk with "It is our privilege to spotlight the Best Workplaces in Healthcare, and we congratulate MDVIP on earning this recognition two years in a row," said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. "Physicians are among the many healthcare heroes and heroines on the front lines, and organizations like MDVIP have tailored their support to meet rapidly changing demands from the pandemic. We applaud their commitment to maintaining an inclusive, high-trust culture." About MDVIP MDVIP leads the market in membership-based healthcare that goes far beyond concierge medicine services with a national network of more than 1,100 primary care physicians serving 371,000 patients. Published research shows that the MDVIP model identifies more patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, delivers more preventive health services and saves the healthcare system hundreds of millions of dollars through reduced hospitalizations and readmissions. In response to growing consumer demand for a more personalized healthcare experience, hospital systems are incorporating the MDVIP model into their primary care offering. MDVIP is also partnering with employers to offer an executive health program as a benefit to their employees. The company has been certified by Great Place to Work since 2018 and is recognized by Fortune as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Healthcare. For more information, visit www.mdvip.com. Follow MDVIP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. About the Best Workplaces in Healthcare Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Healthcare by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than 161,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations in the healthcare industry. 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. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do 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. Media Contact: Nancy Udell MDVIP Media Relations 561.310.5455 [email protected] SOURCE MDVIP MedGeo secures equity investment and joint venture agreement with Jackson Healthcare company DENVER, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MedGeo Ventures, the map-based career exploration platform purpose-built for medical association members, today announced a new strategic partnership with Jackson Physician Search, a leader in the permanent recruitment of physicians, physician leaders and advanced practice providers across the U.S. and part of Jackson Healthcare, one of the nation's largest healthcare staffing organizations. MedGeo works with medical associations nationwide to implement its innovative map-based career exploration platform, helping association member healthcare professionals at every step in the career search and selection process. With this $4 million equity investment and joint venture agreement with Jackson Physician Search, MedGeo is accelerating its footprint to meet rising demand from medical associations seeking to replace their outdated healthcare job boards with a modern solution that provides more comprehensive data and insights on relevant employers. The MedGeo map-based career exploration platform also helps associations create more relevant career search processes for their members by eliminating unwanted job search spam, allowing members to tailor employer alerts and notifications to suit their unique needs and interests, and reducing application friction by enabling members to engage with employers before they commit to applying for positions. In addition, the platform provides guidance from medical staffing experts on market trends, CVs, compensation expectations and employer introductions. "We're thrilled to partner with Jackson Physician Search in our mission to empower associations and their members," explains Deanna Bassett, MedGeo CEO. "Jackson Physician Search has been a reputable leader in the industry for decades. With this investment of capital, expertise and services, we are helping medical associations compete and win. Winning translates to more value for members and additional revenue for associations." "We are pleased to partner with MedGeo. Our organizations have a shared focus on and commitment to helping ensure healthcare professionals are in a position to thrive, have the tools and resources they need in their searches, and can leverage medical associations as part of the process. Today's associations are powerful advocates for providers and offer a wealth of insight and knowledge to help them excel," says Tony Stajduhar, president of Jackson Physician Search. About Jackson Physician Search Jackson Physician Search is an established industry leader in physician recruitment and pioneered the recruitment methodologies standard in the industry today. The firm specializes in the permanent recruitment of physicians, physician leaders, and advanced practice providers for hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and medical groups across the United States. www.jacksonphysiciansearch.com/ About Jackson Healthcare Jackson Healthcare is a family of highly specialized healthcare staffing, search and technology companies. With a mission to improve the delivery of patient care and the lives of everyone it touches, it helps healthcare facilities across the country serve more than 10 million patients each year. www.jacksonhealthcare.com. About MedGeo MedGeo is a map-based career exploration platform that's purpose-built for medical association members. Our white-labeled, interactive experience gives associations more ways to improve the member experience with advanced search filters, robust comparative data, and an enjoyable search experience for job seekers. Learn more at www.medgeoventures.com SOURCE MedGeo Ventures Milk-Bone is cutting through the Internet noise and excess to deliver what everyone really needs More Dog ORRVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Milk-Bone is launching a new campaign today that makes a bold statement around what the world really needs More Dog. With the Internet being a hub for everything excessive and superficial from unrealistic posing and filters to fake reality dating shows people every day are increasingly exposed to disposable content that distracts us from what matters most. However, Milk-Bone is committed to bringing the authentic love between dogs and their humans to everyone. Everywhere. All the time. Milk-Bone Logo "Milk-Bone is always there to celebrate the simple awesomeness of dog life. We recognize and celebrate the special bond between dogs and their humans," says Ryan Thomas, VP Pet Marketing, The J.M. Smucker Co. "The over 25 dogs featured were even cast first followed by a month-long preparation that included training sessions, play dates and chemistry hangouts to ensure they were a great fit and comfortable with their human counterparts." The world needs less doom scrolling, less fake reality love, less posing, less superficial moments, and less of everything that isn't dog. Milk-Bone is doing its part by sharing the More Dog philosophy through a comprehensive campaign featuring television, social and streaming advertising along with other relevant integrations to bring the experience to pet parents. "I couldn't be prouder of More Dog. The campaign gives Milk-Bone, a brand that's been around for over a century, such a fresh point of view," says Erica Roberts, Chief Creative Officer, BBH USA. "We're positioning the iconic treats and the dog/human together time they create as the antidote to this crazy overstimulated, overly connected, overly fake world we all live in. Because Milk-Bone believes life would be simpler and more joyful if we had less of all that BS and More Dog. Hard to argue with that. Unless you're a cat person." Links to the first ad spot across channels can be found below: And, there is even more to come from the new Milk-Bone campaign throughout the remainder of 2022 and into 2023. To learn more about Milk-Bone and its variety of pet snacks dogs love, visit milkbone.com. About The J.M. Smucker Company Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Company, it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a diverse portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets and is found in more than 80 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers, Jif Milk-Bone & Meow Mix and new favorites like Cafe Bustelo, Smucker's Uncrustables and Rachael Ray Nutrish. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer preferences and acting responsibly, we will continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com. The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Rachael Ray, a registered trademark of Ray Marks II LLC, which is used under license. SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co. MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Andy Ziskind, MD, Managing Director and CEO of BDC Advisors, a national healthcare consulting firm, announced today that Mitchell Morris, MD, a distinguished healthcare business leader, physician executive, and clinical scientist had joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. With more than three decades of experience as a healthcare business leader, consultant, and technology innovator, Dr. Morris has focused his career on healthcare transformation, taking on leadership roles in outstanding organizations such as Optum, Deloitte, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Working at the forefront of innovation with providers, payers, life science firms, and governments both in the U.S. and in global settings, he has developed and implemented innovative technology solutions, and leveraged emerging business models to make the health system work more efficiently and humanely. Previously, Dr. Morris led the two largest and most comprehensive healthcare advisory businesses in U.S. healthcare at Optum and Deloitte. At Optum, Morris led Optum Advisory Services and the Advisory Board Company which provides focused strategy, operations, and technology consulting for payers and providers. At Deloitte, he led the largest Life Sciences and Healthcare professional services practice in the world, being responsible for developing and implementing the firm's global healthcare growth strategies that advanced the firm's consulting, audit, tax, and financial advisory services capabilities. Prior to his consulting work, Dr. Morris spent 16 years in a variety of executive and faculty positions at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, including Chief Information Officer, Senior Vice President for Healthcare Systems, and was a tenured professor of surgery. "BDC is responding to the market demand and growing," CEO Ziskind said in announcing Dr. Morris's appointment. "Mitch is the perfect person to help us grow and build out our client services at this point. His joining will enable BDC to help our clients accelerate development of new business models, drive actionable innovation, and achieve sustainable growth." Dr. Morris graduated from the University of Michigan, with a B.S. with high distinction, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and did residency training at New York University, and fellowship training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. About BDC Advisors. BDC Advisors is a national healthcare consulting firm headquartered in Miami, with professional staff in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Nashville. The firm's practice focuses on advising and providing service to Academic Health Systems, and Community, Regional, and Multi-State Provider Systems on issues surrounding health enterprise strategy & organization; mergers, acquisitions & growth; payer provider innovation; population health management; and physician enterprise transformation. BDC Advisors has a culture of inclusion and is founding supporter of the Carol Emmott Foundation, which supports a national fellowship program for women leaders in health, designed to accelerate their executive careers. For further information contact: Dudley Morris, Senior Advisor [email protected] 312-286-4865 SOURCE BDC Advisors WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA released a revised version of its Moon to Mars objectives Tuesday, forming a blueprint for shaping exploration throughout the solar system. These guideposts in the agency's Moon to Mars exploration approach will help shape NASA's investments, as well as those of the agency's industry and international partners, toward the Moon and beyond. Photo credit: NASA Starting with 50 draft objectives developed by agency leaders across our mission directorates earlier this year, NASA invited its workforce, the public, industry, and the agency's international partners to provide feedback, and followed up with two workshops with industry and international partners to engage in further discussions. The resulting revised 63 final objectives reflect a matured strategy for NASA and its partners to develop a blueprint for sustained human presence and exploration throughout the solar system. They cover four broad areas: science; transportation and habitation; lunar and Martian infrastructure; and operations. The agency also added a set of recurring tenets to address common themes across objectives. "We need a roadmap with staying power, and through a collaborative process, we've identified a core set of defined objectives to achieve our exploration goals with our partners," said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. "These objectives are both practical and aspirational, and we were gratified by the thoughtful contributions of our workforce, industry, and international partners who will join us in shaping our future together." Under Artemis, NASA has set a vision to explore more of the Moon than ever before. With its Artemis I mission now on the launchpad, the agency plans to return humans to the Moon and establish a cadence of missions including at the lunar south polar region. These missions set up a long-term presence to inform future exploration of farther destinations, including Mars. In November 2021, NASA senior leaders began working on the objectives in coordination with an Agency Cross-Directorate Federated Board, whose purpose is to ensure NASA's focus is integrated with common strategic goals and direction across the agency's mission directorates. The objectives enable NASA to explore synergies between the United States and other nations' objectives for lunar and Martian exploration, including potential opportunities for collaboration. The draft, high-level objectives were released to the public and the NASA workforce in May 2022 with a request for comments by June. NASA received more than 5,000 inputs and as a result, many of the ideas were modified and some new objectives were added. NASA held consultation workshops with both industry and international partners to help refine and discuss the objectives and identify any gaps. "We're helping to steward humanity's global movement to deep space," said Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, which managed the objectives team, and is ultimately responsible for the agency's Moon to Mars architecture. "The objectives will help ensure a long-term strategy for solar system exploration can retain constancy of purpose and weather political and funding changes. They help provide clear direction as new technologies, vehicles, and elements are developed in the coming years and are designed to be realistically achievable." The Artemis campaign represents the capabilities and operations needed to safely conduct deep space science and exploration missions at the Moon and is tightly coupled with Mars mission planning. Science is a top priority of the Artemis missions along with key exploration technology objectives. Following a successful Artemis I launch later this month, NASA plans to send the first humans back to orbit the Moon with Artemis II no earlier than 2024, and to the lunar surface no earlier than 2025 on the Artemis III mission. NASA will use elements of Artemis to test systems and concepts for the journey to and from Mars. The follow-on Mars campaign will remain connected to the agency's sustained presence on the lunar surface by using the Moon as a testbed. Kurt Vogel, director of space architectures in the office of the NASA Administrator said, "We wanted to shape objectives to guide the upcoming missions, as opposed to previous approaches, which consisted of building elements and capabilities first to support the campaign. The community provided enormously helpful inputs, and we're ready to move toward the next steps in architecture planning." The final framework objectives are available online at: https://go.nasa.gov/3BUkHGL SOURCE NASA Marriott International has announced plans to expand its Middle East footprint with the expected addition of over 20 properties and more than 5,000 rooms across the Gulf countries over the next 15 months. The announcement came at the ongoing Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai. The companys growth in the region is fuelled by ongoing demand for its extraordinary portfolio of hotel brands across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, and increased appetite from developers for conversions and adaptive reuse properties. The tourism industry in the Middle East continues to undergo significant growth in line with the long-term strategies of regional governments to diversify their economies, said Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. The reputation of Marriott International and our world-class brands, along with our long-established presence in the Middle East, continue to put us in a great position to contribute to the ongoing growth and diversification of the regions tourism sector. Luxury segment spearheads growth in Saudi Arabia With significant demand for luxury offerings in Saudi Arabia, particularly within the countrys ambitious developments such as the Red Sea Project and Diriyah Gate, Marriott International expects to enhance its portfolio with six additional luxury properties in the Kingdom by the end of 2023. The anticipated openings will debut the St. Regis and EDITION hotel brands in the country and introduce the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East with the opening of Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Red Sea Project. Additionally, the company is responding to strong demand in the country for select service accommodation, with a new Four Points by Sheraton in Riyadh and Courtyard by Marriott in Jubail expected to open in 2023. Upswing in tourism demand drives growth in Qatar Marriott International plans to nearly double its presence in Qatar with 10 anticipated additions over the next 15 months, six of which are slated to be unveiled ahead of this years global sporting spectacle. The expected additions will further diversify the companys portfolio in the country with the anticipated debut of four brands EDITION Hotels, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Element Hotels, and Autograph Collection Hotels. The company also expects to open its second St. Regis hotel in Qatar later this year, The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl. Continued expansion in the UAE, Kuwait and Oman Marriott International continues to see opportunities in the UAE to further expand its portfolio of more than 70 properties. This year, the company expects to cross a milestone of 50 properties in Dubai alone, with the anticipated additions of Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; Delta Hotels by Marriott Green Community, Dubai; and Four Points by Sheraton Production City, Dubai. Other notable additions expected by the end of 2023 include the debut of the St. Regis and Marriott Executive Apartments brands in Kuwait, and the entry of the Aloft Hotels brand in Oman. Ongoing demand for conversions and adaptive reuse projects While much of the companys growth in the region is through new-build developments, the company continues to see an increase in conversion opportunities, highlighting the demand for its sought-after brands in the region. There is also increased interest in the adaptive reuse space where developers are looking to convert existing buildings into hotel accommodations. Over 30 percent of the companys anticipated property additions in the region by the end of 2023 are expected to come from conversions and adaptive reuse projects. Chadi Hauch, Regional Vice President Development, Middle East, Marriott International, commented: As a company, we have developed a conversion-friendly platform that enables existing properties to quickly and cost-effectively access our world-class sales, distribution, and loyalty platforms to meet owner and guest demands. Marriott Internationals current portfolio across the Middle East encompasses over 150 properties with more than 40,000 rooms across 21 brands, in 11 countries and territories. TradeArabia News Service Newly Created Position to Advance Lumina's Equity-First Approach INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumina Foundation has named Linh C. Nguyen, a national leader in talent development, organizational effectiveness, and philanthropic strategy, its first vice president of equity, culture, and talent. Nguyen will lead Lumina's racial equity efforts, supporting strategies that embed the pursuit of equity in foundation grantmaking and operations while tracking progress. He will nurture the foundation's organizational culture and develop internal talent in ways that increase diversity, improve inclusion and belonging, and eliminate racial disparities. Linh Nguyen, Lumina Foundation "Linh's experience across a broad spectrum of human resources disciplines at the highest levels, coupled with his passion and commitment to education and equity, make him the ideal person to guide our journey," said Jamie Merisotis, Lumina's president and CEO. "Linh will ensure we continue to put racial equity at the forefront of our mission of advancing a more just future for individuals and society." Nguyen has more than 30 years of experience in business, human resources, and nonprofit consulting, including two stints as a senior executive at the global consulting giant Accenture. Selected for his expertise, he served on President Obama's 2008 transition team as co-lead for the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. federal government's human resources agency. From 2013-17, Nguyen was vice president for learning and impact then chief operating officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich. As a senior leader, he helped develop and implement a strategic plan involving organizational change centered on racial equity, community engagement, and distributed leadership. He also helped enact Kellogg Foundation's racial equity and racial healing commitment by transforming internal systems and practices and supporting programmatic efforts such as Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation. Nguyen founded and guided several strategic planning, organizational development, and change management consulting practices. After advising and consulting as a partner with NPAG (Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group), a talent strategy and search firm serving the social sector, Nguyen is eager to return to front-line social impact work. "I look forward to offering my new colleagues my professional experience as a talent and culture leader who has helped many organizations navigate their transformation journeys to make a difference," Nguyen said. "I also offer my lived experience as a refugee and immigrant with a passion for lifelong learning and public service." Nguyen has a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Yale University. Born in Vietnam, Nguyen grew up in Greenville, S.C., and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He begins his new role on Oct. 3. About Lumina Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Our goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy. Media contact Tracy Chen, [email protected] SOURCE Lumina Foundation SAN DIEGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, little is known about "Passionola," a passionfruit-flavored cocktail syrup once popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. In a new book from Classic San Diego Books, authors Gregorio Pantoja and Martin S. Lindsay uncover its origins and lost history. It is a detective work, a culinary and cultural history, a biographical review, and a cookbook all centered around cocktails' most mysterious ingredient Passionola now known generically as "fassionola." "Fassionola," a new cocktail history book from Classic San Diego. Developed by a German immigrant druggist and his wife in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, the brand was coined "Passiflora," then "Passionola" a passionfruit product originally intended for soda fountains and parlors. After the end of Prohibition, Don the Beachcomber used it in many of his original tropical cocktails. Thirty years and several scandals later, it was rebranded "Fassionola." Along its journey, it touched the lives of music publishers, actors, dancers, soft-porn directors, suspected mob associates, and bartenders keen to keep the legend alive. "Fassionola: The Torrid Story of Cocktails' Most Mysterious Ingredient" is a new culinary history by Gregorio Pantoja and Martin S. Lindsay, with contributions by Daniel "Doc" Parks. This full-color, 240-page book is illustrated with archival photos and vintage ephemera, featuring new research and over 60 cocktail recipes. To be published by Classic San Diego Books, August 2023 in softcover (ISBN: 978-1-7328164-3-5) and ePUB versions (ISBN: 978-1-7328164-4-2). Authors: Gregorio Pantoja, MA, is an author, historian, philanthropist, and lover of Tiki's lost and forgotten stories. Gregorio is a professor of history at San Diego State University and San Diego Community Colleges. Martin S. Lindsay, AIGA, is an art director, food historian, speaker, and board chair of the Culinary Historians of San Diego. Martin wrote Ninety Years of Classic San Diego Tiki, contributed to Tim Ferriss' bestseller The 4-Hour Chef, and blogs about history & food. He was the recipient of Save Our Heritage Organisation's People In Preservation "Culture Keeper" award in 2022. A book publishing project has been set up and is now live on Kickstarter. Backers may pre-order the book by visiting https://bit.ly/fassionola until October 15, 2022. Please visit https://fassionola.com/ or https://classicsandiego.com/ for more information. Media Contact Martin S. Lindsay +1.619.813.9423 [email protected] ClassicSanDiego.com SOURCE Classic San Diego Books REPAIR Act and SMART Act Research Papers Argue Right to Repair Solutions Needed in Wake of Advancing Technology WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CAR Coalition, a growing group of independent automotive parts, management and repair companies, associations, and insurers committed to preserving consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair, today released two official research papers focused on the impact of right to repair legislation in the auto industry. The two papers, which are focused on the REPAIR Act (H.R. 6570), authored by Aaron Perzanowski of University of Michigan Law School, and the SMART Act (H.R. 3664), authored by Joshua Sarnoff of DePaul University College of Law, argue that in the face of rising costs and restrictions to auto repairs, consumers will face even higher costs without legislative action. CAR Coalition "Repair restrictions on automobiles are driving prices higher at a time when many Americans can least afford it," said Justin Rzepka, Executive Director of the CAR Coalition. "These research papers demonstrate the impacts of these restrictions on consumers' bottom lines. As technology develops, policy surrounding these issues must as well. It's time for Congress to get serious about solutions, including the REPAIR Act and SMART Act, to ensure consumers have options for quality, safe, affordable auto repairs and more control over their data." Key excerpts from Professor Aaron Perzanowski's paper focused on the REPAIR Act include: "Compared to independent repair shops, dealerships charge consumers 36% more for repairs." "By denying consumers and their preferred independent repair providers access to this crucial information, carmakers and dealers can reduce competition and increase the cost of vehicle repairs." "The REPAIR Act offers a sensible, forward looking, nationwide solution that protects the rights of vehicle owners and promotes a robustly competitive repair industry." "[T]he provisions of the REPAIR Act would establish a comprehensive federal framework that affirms the rights of consumers, promotes competition in the auto repair market, and ensures safety and security." Read the full paper HERE. Key excerpts from Professor Joshua Sarnoff on the SMART Act include: "[T]he SMART Act provides a limited and targeted compromise remedy for the restriction of the consumer repair right caused by design patents on exterior automobile repair parts." "Without legislative adoption of the SMART Act, American consumers will continue to absorb over $1.5 billion per year in additional costs when they repair their vehicles after collisions." per year in additional costs when they repair their vehicles after collisions." "OEMs have increasingly and will continue to resort to using design patent rights to raise prices to consumers, prevent competition, and threaten the viability of the aftermarket in exterior automobile repair parts." Read the full paper HERE. In states and Washington, D.C., the auto right to repair movement is gaining ground. In January of 2022, in the days leading up to the Biden administration White House Competition Council meeting, President Biden tweeted, "When you own a product, you should be able to repair it yourself. That's why I included support for the 'right to repair' in my Executive Order." Then in February, Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) introduced the REPAIR Act (H.R. 6570), and throughout 2022, the bill has gained 12 additional cosponsors: six Republicans and six Democrats. The SMART Act was introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) in 2021 and currently has three Republican and three Democrat sponsors. The REPAIR Act will: Preserve consumer access to high quality and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring that vehicle owners and their repairers of choice have access to necessary repair and maintenance tools and data as vehicles continue to become more advanced. Ensure access to critical repair tools and information. All tools and equipment; wireless transmission of repair and diagnostic data; and access to on-board diagnostic and telematic systems needed to repair a vehicle must be made available to the independent repair industry. Ensure cybersecurity by allowing vehicle manufacturers to secure vehicle-generated data and requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop standards for how vehicle generated data necessary for repair can be accessed securely. The SMART Act will: Narrowly amend U.S. design patent law to reduce from 14 years to 2.5 years the time car manufacturers can enforce design patents on collision repair parts (fenders, quarter panels, doors, etc.) against alternative parts suppliers. Allow alternative parts suppliers to research, develop, make, and test parts on a not-for-sale basis during the new patent period. Allow alternative parts suppliers to sell an aftermarket collision repair part once 2.5 years have elapsed from the date of patent. Only aftermarket repair parts. For more information about the REPAIR and SMART Acts, please visit carcoaltion.com. ABOUT THE CAR COALITION The CAR Coalition is committed to preserving and protecting consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring competition in the automotive collision parts industry. Members include: Allstate, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA), Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. (AMECA), AutoZone, Carparts.com, Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), Diamond Standard, Farmers, KSI Auto Parts, LKQ Corporation, and Tire Pros. Learn more at carcoalition.com. Follow us on Twitter @TheCARCoalition SOURCE CAR Coalition NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New digital platform supporting young people's participation in global conversations about the future of education launched by Big Change in partnership with the LEGO Foundation. 'The Big Education Conversation' was launched at the United Nation's Transforming Education Summit in New York. The platform, www.bigeducationconversation.org, has been launched to support intergenerational conversations on the transformation of education, encouraging inclusive public dialogue between young people, communities, and decision makers across the world. Many countries have education systems that do not work for all children or fully prepare them for their futures. The Big Education Conversation supports people and communities to talk about what education is really for so it can change for the future. By hosting conversations and adding views through the platform, participants create a shared vision, one of the most important first steps for change. The Big Education Conversation guides and resources are published in English, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Swahili. They will be available in all UN languages by the end of 2022. A live Big Education Conversation, hosted at the Transforming Education Summit, marked the beginning of Big Change's aim to inspire one million conversations on the future of education all over the world. Ines Yabar from Restless Development, who co-facilitated the first conversation said: "This is such an exciting opportunity for young people to be the true drivers of change! The Big Education Conversation platform will allow us to take control of the conversation on education and help shape the global education agenda." The initiative has been supported by the LEGO Foundation. About Big Change We want to see a society where every young person is set up to thrive in life, not just exams. So that even in times of constant change, every child will feel emboldened to contribute positively to the world around them. All parts of society, including parents, employers, and civil society, need to work together to support young people and schools. big-change.org About the LEGO Foundation We know that children develop skills for life when they learn through play. Together with partners around the world, we call for global learning system reform to raise the quality of education, lower inequality and exclusion and make life for children everywhere more joyful and meaningful by promoting access to learning through play for all children. SOURCE The LEGO Foundation and Big Change PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its sixth annual employee giving campaign, OnPoint Community Credit Union today announced a total of $100,218 directed to Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, Girls Build and Cascade AIDS Project. Each year, OnPoint provides every employee with $100 to split however they wish between three non-profits making a difference in the community. This year's campaign resulted in donations of $35,056 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, $37,806 to Girls Build and $27,356 to Cascade AIDS Project. OnPoint presents Employee Giving check to Cascade Aid Project "As a community credit union, giving back to our neighbors is a core value for each of our employees," said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "From building confidence within our young people to fighting HIV and AIDS, these organizations are making a tangible impact on the lives of people across our community. We are proud to support them and we thank them for their unwavering dedication to improving the places we call home." Since the annual campaign began in 2017, OnPoint employees have donated more than $500,000 to 15 local non-profits, including NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center), Hacienda CDC and the Oregon Zoo. Below are details about each of this year's recipients: Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest (BBBS Columbia Northwest) is a private non-profit organization affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. BBBS Columbia Northwest helps empower youth from all backgrounds by providing dedicated one-to-one mentoring relationships to encourage them to achieve their full potential. The mentoring relationships are designed to support youth by improving their academic achievement and empowering them to make positive life choices, graduate from high school, set high aspirations, show greater confidence, and build positive and supportive relationships. With BBBS Columbia Northwest's mentorship program, youth are able to build friendships that make a lasting impact on their lives. Currently, BBBS Columbia Northwest has 500 children paired with a big brother or sister and a successful 95% high school graduation rate. To learn more, visit https://itsbigtime.org/. "There are currently 200 young people waiting to be matched with mentors through our programs," said Cynthia Thompson, Chief Development Officer, BBBS Columbia Northwest. "Successful mentorship requires a community of mentors, volunteers and local organizations to positively impact a young person's life. We are incredibly grateful for the donation from OnPoint and its employees. It will help us continue expanding so every child on the waiting list has the opportunity to experience one-to-one mentorship." Since 2016, Girls Build has been inspiring confidence and curiosity in girls ages 8-15 through the world of building. Girls Build has reached nearly 3,000 girls and their families throughout Oregon through summer camps and after school programming. Hands-on workshops include carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, painting, welding, firefighting, auto and bike mechanics, solar, sheet metal, and more. "Our programming has grown from 40 girls in 2016 to over 400 in 2022, and we are proud to say that nearly half of our campers receive scholarships," said Katie Hughes, Executive Director, Girls Build. "Our programming is fun, engaging and so fulfilling. We are incredibly grateful to OnPoint's employees for supporting the education and development of the next generation of builders in our community." Visit www.girlsbuild.org to learn more and follow Girls Build on Instagram at girlsbuild_org for updates and inspiration. For over three decades, the Cascade AIDS Project has become an established part of the community and a local and national leader in the fight against HIV. It is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education, and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Some who are diagnosed with HIV lose their housing, friends and family, and all avenues of support. Cascade AIDS Project helps them get back on track by securing housing, finding essential medical care, and dealing with other issues that make the difference between giving up or getting up and going on. Learn more about its mission: https://www.capnw.org/. "Living with HIV and AIDS can cause a huge emotional and financial burden to anyone affected," said Jessy Baros Friedt, Chief Development Officer, Cascade AIDS Project. "We created our programs to lessen those burdens by providing shelter, life skills training and emotional support to those in need. The support from OnPoint and its employees will allow us to continue providing inclusive health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people, people affected by HIV, and all those seeking compassionate care, while promoting the well-being of these communities." To learn more about OnPoint's commitment to building strong communities, visit onpointcu.com/community-giving. ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 489,000 members and with assets of $9.3 billion. OnPoint membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 800-527-3932. SOURCE OnPoint Community Credit Union National Nonprofit Reimagines Keystone Event GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, the leading national nonprofit supporting burn survivors, announces the return of its foundational event, Phoenix World Burn Congress. The in-person event was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Phoenix Society took the time to conduct extensive community research to further understand sustainability of the event. Phoenix Society decided to bring back the event in person in a "Reimagined" format in 2023. An official date and location for the long-anticipated 2023 event will be announced on Tuesday, October 25th, 2022, at noon EST. Join the live-streamed announcement on October 25th on Facebook or Youtube. Phoenix World Burn Congress (WBC) began in 1985, developed by burn survivors, for burn survivors, to identify and understand the issues that impact the daily lives of those associated with burn trauma. Since its inception, the event has transformed into an annual international conference that provides education, support programs, and comprehensive resources to support and increase knowledge of burn recovery. The event was initially named the Mid-Atlantic Conference at its inception. However, it was renamed National Burn Congress in 1986, World Burn Congress in 1989, and World Burn Congress III in 1990, before being renamed Phoenix World Burn Congress in 2013. The event was held in over 20 different locations before being changed to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has not returned in person since. Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors announces the return of Phoenix World Burn Congress in Fall of 2023. Tweet this "Phoenix World Burn Congress has been a foundational element of the survivor journey and a flagship offering for the organization. Phoenix Society recognizes the invaluable connections formed at our in-person event, and we acknowledge our community's great need to bring this pivotal event back." -said Amy Acton, Chief Executive Officer. Phoenix Society's survey of over 500 respondents shared overwhelming findings that burn survivors and families, healthcare providers, foundations, and corporate partners prefer a longer, 4-day national event over any other option (national, regional, virtual). Survey results revealed that the primary motivators behind having a longer nationwide event are providing opportunities for survivors to connect with a broader group of survivors and build long-lasting relationships. Since 1985, over 20,000 people have attended Phoenix WBC, providing the healing power of connection, many survivors having never seen another burn survivor before. Phoenix World Burn Congress will now be an every other year formatted event, with continued ways for the community to connect in a virtual environment. To stay updated on Reimagined Phoenix WBC updates, visit WorldBurnCongress.org and subscribe to get PWBC updates for additional event details. Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors can be reached by visiting Phoenix-Society.org or emailing [email protected]. About Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors Burn survivors and their loved ones face a lifelong physical, emotional, and social recovery journey. Connecting with others who have walked a similar path is essential to optimal recovery and social reintegration. Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to empowering burn survivors and their families at all healing points. Since 1977, Phoenix Society has worked with survivors, families, healthcare professionals, and first responders to support burn recovery, improve the quality of burn care, and prevent burn injuries. For more information, visit www.phoenix-society.org. Media Contact: Amber Wilcox Marketing Lead 616.208.1146 [email protected] SOURCE Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors CASPER, Wyo., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McGinley Orthopedics, manufacturer of IntelliSense HandHeld Robotics, aims to transform the $7.4 billion surgical device market through a $40 million Regulation A+ equity crowdfunding investment offering. The innovative Wyoming-based company's range of technological advances are designed to increase patient safety while reducing costs. CEO Joseph C. McGinley, MD, PhD founded the firm in 2012 and has overseen development of several breakthrough technologies, notably its flagship product, the IntelliSense Drill Technology. The IntelliSense Drill has been rapidly adopted at leading medical institutions for it's greater precision in operating rooms. Now his firm has partnered with award-winning broker-dealer Rialto Markets, which will use its crowdfunding platform and infrastructure for McGinley Orthopedics' $40million Regulation A+ raise. Regulation A+ is a relatively new exemption allowing private companies to raise funding from the general public under the JOBS Act. Unlike traditional investments in private companies, investors in a Regulation A+ offering do not need to be accredited. McGinley, said: "We are leveling the playing field through our Regulation A+ investment opportunity. It gives everyday investors access to growing private companies like McGinley Orthopedics and removes Wall Street influence. We are excited to share our journey with people on main streets across the United States." Investors can help the company accelerate the growth of its current in-market products that enable orthopedic surgeons to deliver a better standard of care. The company also plans to use proceeds for further development of its intellectual property portfolio. It has amassed 71 patent families with 104 issued patents and 22 pending patents to impact the future of orthopedics for years to come. Its in-house manufacturing and product development allows the company to quickly deploy capital and avoid supply chain slowdowns, as seen in other industries reliant on a complex network of suppliers. Dr. McGinley added: "With a fully integrated engineering team and in-house manufacturing, we can identify and then solve patient-outcome problems with new surgical technologies; concept to production." McGinley Orthopedics values the market in which it operates at $7.4 billion and Rialto Markets CEO and co-founder, Shari Noonan, commented: "McGinley Orthopedics is developing pioneering and ground-breaking technology making a real difference to people's lives. We're delighted it has chosen to work with Rialto Markets to build on its success and give investors the chance to take equity in an exciting sector." SOURCE McGinley Orthopedics 30 added hospital beds will allow the organization to care for 1,000 additional youth annually BROOKLYN PARK, Minn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PrairieCare, one of the nation's most innovative, fastest-growing psychiatric health systems, caring for nearly 20,000 individuals each year across its full continuum of psychiatric services, announced today it has broken ground on an expansion of its inpatient hospital in Brooklyn Park. The 30,000-foot expansion will make way for an additional 30 inpatient beds, allowing the organization to care for an estimated 3,500 youth each year. This marks the largest increase of psychiatric beds for youth in Minnesota in many decades. PrairieCare logo "Many patients, including children and teens in psychiatric crisis, end up in emergency rooms, and often are stuck there for days at a time waiting for an available psychiatric bed and the critical help they need," said Todd Archbold, PrairieCare CEO. "The lack of beds available for children and adolescents needing immediate mental health care has become a crisis, and this expansion is just one way we're hoping to address it." According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in six youth aged 6-17 in the United States experience a mental health disorder each year, and 57,000 Minnesotans aged 12-17 have depression. There are currently only 202 psychiatric hospital beds for youth in Minnesota. Until last summer, and despite rising demand, there has been a shortage of available inpatient beds for Minnesota youth because of a statewide moratorium on the construction or expansion of inpatient mental health facilities. The Minnesota Legislature authorized PrairieCare's expansion as part of the Omnibus Health and Human Services Finance Bill in 2021 and most recently in 2022 passed sweeping legislation that waived the hospital bed moratorium and public interest review process for hospitals to add both mental health and substance use disorder beds. This expansion in Brooklyn Park is a result of the new law and will help thousands of Minnesota families. This groundbreaking event also comes on the heels of the announcement that PrairieCare is partnering with Children's Minnesota to deliver care in its first inpatient mental health unit this fall providing even more access to high-quality psychiatric care to address the unmet mental health needs of families across the state. "This expansion will allow PrairieCare to continue to provide and deliver the best specialized mental health services for youth, adults and families," said Archbold. "We could not have done with this without the support of our partners including Ryan Companies, Pope Architects and our internal team who has been working tirelessly to make this a reality," said Archbold. About PrairieCare PrairieCare is one of the nation's most innovative, fastest-growing psychiatric health systems, offering psychiatric services for all ages, including free mental health assessments, clinic services, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospital programs (PHP) and residential services. PrairieCare is based in Minnesota, with 10 locations across the Twin Cities metro, Mankato and Rochester. For more information about services offered, visit prairie-care.com. Media Contact Maureen Cahill [email protected] 612.385.9164 SOURCE PrairieCare The increased adoption of IoT and sophisticated analytics in agriculture are two key reasons propelling the growth of the precision farming market. Additionally, the market's expansion is attributable to the development of agricultural methods. JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Precision Farming Market" By Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), By Technology (Guidance Technology, Remote Sensing), By Application (Yield Monitoring, Crop Scouting, Field Mapping), and By Geography. Precision Farming Market size was valued at USD 6.92 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 18.53 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 13.00% from 2021 to 2028, according to the most recent study from Verified Market Research. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=8640 Browse in-depth TOC on "Precision Farming Market" 202 - Pages 126 Tables 37 Figures Report Scope Global Precision Farming Market Overview The concepts of precision farming and precision agriculture are interchangeable. When it comes to cultivating crops and keeping livestock, precision farming improves the practice of farming. The utilization of information technology, including GPS guidance, control systems, robots, autonomous vehicles, sensors, drones, variable rate technologies, GPS-based soil sampling, automated hardware, telematics, and software, is the key aspect of modern farming. The term VRT refers to a technology that enables farmers to manage the quantity of input in a particular region using variable input applications. Farmers may optimize their sowing and fertilizing by using GPS soil sampling, which measures pH level, water content, and the amount of nutrients available in the soil. Remote sensing technology that keeps an eye on and maintains the land, water, and other resources is also a part of precision farming. Decisions on the farm may be made using this data. Precision farming's main goal is to assure profitability, sustainability, and efficiency while maintaining environmental protection. Large farms are the main users of this technology since precision farming equipment is expensive, however accessible cell phones and trustworthy satellites can also offer low-cost farming methods. Accurate farm planning, crop scouting, and yield maps are produced using computer-based software. This makes it possible to apply insecticides, fertilizers, and herbicides with greater precision. As a result, it contributes to cost savings and generates a high yield. IoT supports farmers in addressing a variety of issues related to effective farming, including crop monitoring, weather forecasting, and Precision Farming, which offers real-time data on the environment's temperature and weather. As a result, the precision farming market is expanding due to the increased use of precision farming in weather forecasting. Key Developments On March 2020 , AgJunction Inc partnered with GeoSurf Corporation and Anhui Zhongke Intelligent Sense and Big Data Industrial Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd to provide precision agriculture solutions Asia-Pacific region. GeoSurf has recently launched TaznaX, a precision agricultural solution for rice and onion transplanters based on AgJunction's Wheelman and Whirl technology. , AgJunction Inc partnered with GeoSurf Corporation and Anhui Zhongke Intelligent Sense and Big Data Industrial Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd to provide precision agriculture solutions region. GeoSurf has recently launched TaznaX, a precision agricultural solution for rice and onion transplanters based on AgJunction's Wheelman and Whirl technology. On January 2020 , Trimble announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Kuebix, a leading transportation management system provider and creator of North America's largest connected shipping community. , Trimble announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Kuebix, a leading transportation management system provider and creator of largest connected shipping community. On January 2020 , AGCO introduced the new Fendt Momentum planter for row crop farmers in North America to establish a new standard for seed placement accuracy and provide technologies to help farmers overcome planting conditions. Key Players The "Global Precision Farming Market" study report will provide a valuable insight with an emphasis on the global market. The major players in the market are Deere & Company Trimble Agco Agjunction Raven Industries AG Leader Technology SST Development Group Teejet Technologies Topcon Positioning Systems Dickey-John Corporation Based on the research, Verified Market Research has segmented the global Precision Farming Market into Offering, Technology, Application, and Geography. Precision Farming Market, By Offering Hardware Automation and Control System Software Cloud-Based Local/Web-Based Services System Integration & Consulting Managed Services Connectivity Services Assisted Professional Services Maintenance and Support Precision Farming Market, By Technology Guidance Technology GPS/GNSS Based GIS Based Sensing and Monitoring Device Variable-Rate Technology Map-Based Sensor-Based Remote Sensing Handheld or Ground-Based Sensing Satellite or Aerial Sensing Precision Farming Market, By application Yield Monitoring Crop Scouting Farm Labor Management Financial Management Field Mapping Variable Rate Application Weather Tracking & Forecasting Inventory Management Others Precision Farming Market, by Geography North America U.S Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific ROW Middle East & Africa & Latin America Browse Related Reports: IoT in Agriculture Market By Offering (Hardware, Software), By Application (Precision Farming, Livestock Monitoring), By Geography, And Forecast Microirrigation Systems Market By Type (Micro Sprinkler, Drip), By Crop (Field Crops, Plantation Crops), By End-Users (Farmers, Industrial Users), By Component (Filters, Drip Emitter, Micro Spray), By Geography, And Forecast Agriculture And Farm Equipment Market By Product (Irrigation & Crop Processing Equipment, Spraying Equipment), By Application (Sowing & planting, Weed Cultivation), By Geography, And Forecast Farm Variable Rate Technology (VRT) Market By Product (Fertilizer VRT, Crop Protection Chemical VRT, Soil Sensing VRT, Seeding VRT, Yield Monitor VRT, Irrigation VRT), By Application (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables), By Geography, And Forecast Top Smart Farming Companies resurrecting the market of agriculture driven economies Visualize Precision Farming Market using Verified Market Intelligence -: Verified Market Intelligence is our BI Enabled Platform for narrative storytelling in this market. VMI offers in-depth forecasted trends and accurate Insights on over 20,000+ emerging & niche markets, helping you make critical revenue-impacting decisions for a brilliant future. VMI provides a holistic overview and global competitive landscape with respect to Region, Country, Segment, and Key players of your market. Present your Market Report & findings with an inbuilt presentation feature saving over 70% of your time and resources for Investor, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and Product Development pitches. VMI enables data delivery In Excel and Interactive PDF formats with over 15+ Key Market Indicators for your market. About Us Verified Market Research is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ customers. Verified Market Research provides advanced analytical research solutions while offering information enriched research studies. We offer insight into strategic and growth analyses, Data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SME's offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance use industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 15,000 high impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. We study 14+ categories from Semiconductor & Electronics, Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive & Transportation, Information & Communication Technology, Software & Services, Information Security, Mining, Minerals & Metals, Building & construction, Agriculture industry and Medical Devices from over 100 countries. Contact Us Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Verified Market Research US: +1 (650)-781-4080 UK: +44 (753)-715-0008 APAC: +61 (488)-85-9400 US Toll Free: +1 (800)-782-1768 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1315349/Verified_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Verified Market Research COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Purchase Green Artificial Grass, North America's largest artificial grass landscape and leisure supplier as well as a proud member of The Recreational Group (RG) family announces the launch of their Colorado Springs showroom and warehouse. Purchase Green Colorado Springs opened on September 09, 2022 servicing Woodland Park, Stratmoor, Cimarron Hills, and other surrounding cities. The store will operate 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Colorado Springs is led by Jim Gosselin, who has experience owning several companies with successful exits. He is supported by franchise co-owners Ryan Roberts, who has over a decade of experience in the landscaping business, and Randy Roberts providing expertise from his time as an attorney and developer. As well as franchise partner Hank Schepemaker, who has numerous years of experience in the carpet/installation industry. Colorado Springs Franchise owner, Jim Gosselin states: "The addition of another local sales office in Southern Colorado allows us to better serve our constituents within the region. We are striving to educate our clients on the best practices and products for their specific needs. We look forward to supplying the Southern Colorado market with the best artificial grass in the industry." Purchase Green prides itself on having a transparent business model by providing customers with all the information they need to feel confident in their artificial grass investments. Colorado Springs exemplifies these ideals by providing high-quality, timely service from a passionate team. The opening of Purchase Green Colorado Springs symbolizes Purchase Green's commitment to redefine landscapes with water-conscious solutions and create sustainable environments for communities threatened by severe drought. With millions of gallons of water saved since 2009, Purchase Green's mission is an ongoing affair. As the nation's leading artificial grass distributor, Purchase Green has come a long way from its first warehouse in Southern California. Today Purchase Green continues to expand its outreach by providing sustainable artificial grass solutions and services to an ever-growing population. By placing education at the forefront of the business model, Purchase Green empowers its customers and provides them with the outstanding service they rightfully deserve. Colorado Springs may be the newest addition to the Purchase Green family, but it will not be the last. For more information on supplies, locations, and franchise opportunities, visit purchasegreen.com. SOURCE Purchase Green Artificial Grass Wellington, Sep 20 (UNI) The alert level at New Zealand's Taupo Volcano was raised to Level 1 for the first time on Tuesday. Although this is the first time the volcanic alert has been raised to Level 1, this is not the first volcanic unrest at Taupo, said GeoNet, which provides geological hazard information for New Zealand. "There have been 17 previous episodes of unrest over the past 150 years. Several of these were more severe than what we are currently observing at Taupo," said a GeoNet statement. GNS Science Volcanology Team Leader Nico Fournier said none of these episodes, or the many other episodes which would have occurred over the past 1,800 years before written records were kept, ended in an eruption. The last eruption at Taupo Volcano was around 232 AD, Fournier said. "The chance of an eruption at Taupo remains very low in any one year," he said, adding the minor volcanic unrest has been causing the ongoing earthquakes and ground deformation at Taupo Volcano since May 2022. GNS Science, through the GeoNet program, continually monitors Taupo Volcano and other active volcanoes for signs of activity. "While some of the earthquakes may be felt in areas around Lake Taupo, the deformation is currently only detectable by our sensitive monitoring instruments," Fournier said. The earthquake sequence beneath the central part of Lake Taupo has continued, he said, adding almost 700 minor earthquakes, mainly at a depth of 4 to 13 km beneath the lake, have now been located. "We interpret the ground uplift and earthquake activity to be caused by the movement of magma and the hydrothermal fluids inside the volcano. We have also sampled springs and gas vents around the lake for changes in chemistry that may be related to the earthquake and ground uplift," Fournier said. While Volcano Alert Level 1 is mostly associated with environmental hazards, the potential for eruption hazards also exists, he said. UNI/XINHUA PRT Investors Include Founders of 23&Me, Catalant and Other Tech Leaders CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halo an R&D collaboration platform where companies and scientists join forces to solve hard problems and bring new innovations to markettoday announced $2.6 million in seed funding. Launched in 2020, Halo works with multiple Fortune 500 organizations across biopharma, medical devices, consumer goods, agriculture and other industries. The seed funding comes from a diverse group of investors, entrepreneurs and practitioners representing leading tech companies, including: (left) Kevin Leland, CEO and Founder of Halo (right) Rob Biederman, Managing Director of Asymmetric Capital; Chairman and Co-Founder of Catalant Technologies Asymmetric Capital Partners , founded by Rob Biederman , Co-founder, Chairman and former co-CEO of Catalant, a Boston -based marketplace of consultants , founded by , Co-founder, Chairman and former co-CEO of Catalant, a -based marketplace of consultants Village Global , an early-stage fund backed by tech luminaries, including Jeff Bezos , Bill Gates and Reid Hoffman , an early-stage fund backed by tech luminaries, including , and Anne Wojcicki , Co-founder and CEO of 23andMe , Co-founder and CEO of 23andMe AirAngels , an angel group founded by Airbnb alumnus and product expert Lenny Rachitsky , an angel group founded by Airbnb alumnus and product expert Conrad Irwin , Co-founder and CTO of Superhuman , Co-founder and CTO of Superhuman Rachel Hepworth , Marketing Chief at Notion , Marketing Chief at Notion and others. In the race to innovate, companies have more than tripled their investment in R&D over the last two decades, with an increasing amount dedicated to external partnerships with scientists at universities and startups. Yet a chasm exists between corporate R&D teams and potential scientific partners that prevents more promising discoveries from turning into commercial solutions. Companies struggle to find collaborators outside of their existing networks, while scientists spend much of their time seeking government funding. As a result, companies miss a large amount of researchand opportunities to innovatethat may be relevant to their businesses, while scientists miss funding from private industry sources. Halo has built a market network that closes this gap. "Collaborating in R&D is just as much about relationships as it is about the research itself. However, companies still rely on practices that don't scale, like hearing a talk at a conference or reading a journal article. This limits businesses to a handful of existing relationships and pure happenstance," said Kevin Leland, founder and CEO of Halo . "Halo connects corporate R&D teams directly with scientists. Through our platform, we engineer serendipity so companies can quickly and easily scout for new technologies, expand their networks globally, and build relationships with scientists year round." Halo's platform consists of three parts: a network of scientists at universities, national labs and startups of scientists at universities, national labs and startups a marketplace of scientific partnering opportunities with companies with companies and a suite of software tools that enable corporate R&D teams to more efficiently collaborate both internally and externally Companies create an R&D partnering page on Halo where they post Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific needs or Open Calls around general areas of interest. For each partnering opportunity, companies include resources that can be made available to the scientist, such as funding, expertise, technologies, facilities, data and compounds. Scientists submit short, non-confidential proposals in response to each RFP or Open Call, and companies select which projects to advance into a collaboration. Every scientist profile and proposal a company receives becomes part of a searchable, private content library, enabling corporate R&D teams and scientists to stay in touch and build relationships over time. To date, companies on Halo have posted RFPs on a range of topics, including sustainable packaging, technologies that make tap water safe for dialysis treatment, and diagnostics for rare diseases. "Halo brings efficiency to R&D partnering using the same marketplace dynamics and network effects that have created massive businesses in other verticals," said Rob Biederman, founding partner at Asymmetric Capital Partners and Co-Founder and Chairman of Catalant. "More than just a transactional marketplace, Halo's suite of software tools enable R&D teams to more efficiently collaborate both internally and externally while providing increasing value over time." Since Halo's launch, 4,000 scientists and startups across 95+ countries have joined Halo's network. In addition to scientists and corporate R&D teams, university administrators in technology transfer, corporate relations and research development can also join Halo's platform to share opportunities with faculty, track the status of their proposals and amplify their organizations' reach. Halo will use the $2.6M to grow the company's team; develop additional collaboration features and tools; and continue to expand its network of scientists around the world. Scientists and universities can join the network and submit proposals at no cost. Companies can create a free R&D partnering page at no cost; posting RFPs and Open Calls requires an annual subscription. Learn more and sign up at www.halo.science . About Halo Halo is an R&D collaboration platform where companies and scientists join forces to solve hard problems and bring new innovations to market. On Halo companies scout for novel technologies, develop relationships with the scientists behind them and fill their innovation pipelines. Halo works with leading companies across diverse industries, including biopharma, medical devices, consumer goods and agriculture. Since launching in 2020, 4,000 scientists across 95+ countries have joined the platform. To learn more, visit www.halo.science or follow Halo on Twitter at @ HALOdotscience and on LinkedIn at Halo . SOURCE Halo LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National probate inheritance dispute law firm, RMO LLP, announced the opening of its Pasadena, California office. The office, which will be led by Senior Attorney Mathew Wrenshall and Founding Partner Scott Rahn, brings RMO's laser focus on estate disputes to the San Gabriel valley, allowing the firm to help even more beneficiaries, heirs, executors, trustees and families through their probate and estate conflicts. "Whenever clients are going through what likely is one of the most difficult times of their lives, having local professionals who can relate to, connect with and understand the situation from a client's perspective is critical," said Rahn. "Our ability to be a stable and valuable resource for our probate clients and serve our local communities by helping people in need is our pursuit." Rahn is known for in-depth financial investigations and deftly handling intra-family dynamics and decades-long family friction. He has extensive experience in courts, arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution forums across California as well as in key retirement centers in the United States and through strategic partnerships in international locations. His clients are typically embroiled in inheritance disputes, trust contests, will contests, caregiver undue influence, step-parent undue influence, sibling undue influence, estate administration irregularities, beneficiary bias, trustee misappropriation, accounting irregularities, beneficiary theft, trust investigations, accusations of wrongdoing, fraudulent behavior, and wrongful taking something from an estate. Mathew Wrenshall handles disputes over contested wills, trusts, and conservatorships in probate court as well as business disputes in a wide variety of contexts, with a focus in the financial services space. Using his lengthy experience as a litigator, Wrenshall works closely with clients to resolve complex disputes that often involve complicated family dynamics. Wrenshall has experience with claims relating to disinheritance, elder abuse, and undue influence, and is experienced at finding creative solutions to what are often fraught and emotional situations. This year Rahn was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a "Legal Visionary" and named a "Top Litigator" by the Los Angeles Business Journal. He was also ranked by Chambers and Partners and named a "Trailblazers" by The American Lawyer. Rahn earned his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law and his BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Driven by a commitment to provide relief to people grieving the loss of a loved one, Rahn, Wrenshall and the RMO team collaborate closely with clients, pursuing and defending all types of probate litigation disputes, including claims involving incapacity, incompetence, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with expected inheritance, financial elder abuse, and other similar areas of conflict. Rahn resolves contests, disputes and litigation related to trusts, estates and conservatorships, creating a welcome peace of mind for clients. He represents heirs, beneficiaries, trustees and executors and utilizes his experience to develop and implement strategies that swiftly and cost-effectively address the financial issues, fiduciary duties and emotional complexities underlying trust contests, estates conflicts and probate litigation. RMO LLP provides personal, cost-effective inheritance dispute services to individual and institutional clients. The firm's attorneys focus on probate litigation involving contested trust, estate, probate, and conservatorship matters. RMO has offices serving clients with probate disputes throughout California, Florida, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. For more information, please visit https://rmolawyers.com/ SOURCE RMO LLP Zaentz Innovation Challenge opens call for submissions; seeks new ideas to cultivate optimal early learning experiences for all children BOSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education today announced the 2023 Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge . Returning for the first time since 2019, the Innovation Challenge is calling for individuals or teams to submit new ideas that have the potential to advance innovation, enhance equity, and drive transformative change in early education. "To achieve early education's potential requires improvements at all levels of the system, from supporting the workforce, to finding new ways to promote children's healthy development, to creating policy solutions that bring more and better early learning opportunities," said Nonie Lesaux, Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development and co-director of the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative. "The COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness of how early education can support our economic and societal well-being. Now is the time for creative, collaborative solutions that will drive positive outcomes for all children." Submissions to the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge may target short-term or long-term change at any level of the early education system, including home, classroom, program, network and/or policy. To support innovation at any stage, the Challenge has two submission tracks: Envision Track is for applicants who have an idea and are seeking to try it out in the real world. is for applicants who have an idea and are seeking to try it out in the real world. Accelerate Track is for applicants who have already tried out their idea and are seeking to evaluate it, refine it, and/or expand its reach. "The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative strives to connect innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of early education," said Stephanie Jones, Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood Development and co-director of the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative. "When Zaentz surveyed families and educators about their experiences during the pandemic as part of the Early Learning Study at Harvard ([email protected]) , we learned most parents were concerned about their children's academic and social-emotional development. We also learned that most educators experienced challenges to their own mental health and well-being. This is why it is important for us to reignite the Challenge we need to continue to break down barriers and innovate to ensure quality early education for all children, while also addressing problems that were created or exacerbated by the pandemic." The deadline to submit is January 13, 2023. For more information on the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge, or to apply, visit https://zaentz.gse.harvard.edu/innovation-challenge/. About The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) promotes the knowledge, professional learning, and collective action necessary to cultivate optimal early learning environments and experiences. The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative is supported by a $35.5 million gift from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, one of the largest gifts ever given to a university for advancing early childhood education. Media Contact Sally Brown Inkhouse (for Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative) [email protected] SOURCE Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the report "Seitan Market Research by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026", the market will witness a YOY growth of 3.3% in 2022 and a CAGR of 4.01% during the forecast period. The report is segmented by product (conventional seitan and organic seitan) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Seitan Market 2022-2026 Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help vendors improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. View our FREE PDF Sample Report Vendor Insights The seitan market is concentrated because of the presence of few regional and global vendors. Vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The market is competitive owing to the presence of numerous vendors. The increasing competition among manufacturers may encourage them to reduce the prices of their products, which can have a negative impact on their profit margins. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including: Biolab Srl IOOP bv Machandel bv Nestle SA PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC LLC Primal Spirit Foods Inc. The Hain Celestial Group Inc. Topas GmbH Upton Naturals VBites Foods Ltd. Technavio's reports provide key strategic initiatives used by vendors, along with key news and the latest developments. View our FREE PDF Sample Report Now Key Segment Analysis The conventional seitan segment will be the largest contributor to market growth during the forecast period. Conventional seitan has various health benefits, as it has low-fat content and lacks saturated fats. This helps in reducing the blood cholesterol level. Conventional seitan is ideal for bodybuilders and athletes owing to its high protein content, which helps in muscle growth. Therefore, it is a highly preferred substitute product for meat. View FREE PDF Sample to know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years. Geographical Market Analysis APAC will provide maximum growth opportunities in the seitan market during the forecast period. According to our research, the region will contribute 42% of the global market growth during the forecast period. China, Japan, and South Korea are the major markets in APAC. The various uses of seitan in different countries are expected to increase the overall consumption of seitan, which will drive the seitan market growth in APAC during the forecast period. Learn about the contribution of each region, summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a FREE PDF Sample Report Key Market Drivers and Challenges The enhanced channels of distribution are driving the market growth. Ready-to-eat food items are generally sold by large organized retailers. Seitan is available in various product sizes in major supermarkets and convenience stores The demand for supermarkets is increasing owing to the growth in population and the rising disposable income. The adverse effects of highly processed food will challenge the growth of the market. Seitan is processed by rinsing starch from kneaded wheat flour dough. It is not recommended for gluten-intolerant and wheat-sensitive individuals as well as those with celiac disease and fatigue. Moreover, seitan does not contain the amino acids required by the body, as it is a saturated form of protein. Moreover, the high content of additives and fillers can lead to various health problems. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help vendors improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. View our FREE PDF Sample Report Customize Your Report Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and learn more insights about this market report. Technavio can help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time. Related Reports Wagyu Beef Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The wagyu beef market share is expected to increase by USD 3.57 billion from 2021 to 2026. Camel Meat Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The camel meat market share is expected to increase by USD 74.5 million from 2021 to 2026. Seitan Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.01% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 79.26 million Market structure Concentrated YoY growth (%) 3.3 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 42% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Biolab Srl, IOOP bv, Machandel bv, Nestle SA, PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC, Primal Spirit Foods Inc., The Hain Celestial Group Inc., Topas GmbH, Upton Naturals, and VBites Foods Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis 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. Browse Consumer Staples Market Reports Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Product Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Product 5.3 Conventional seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Conventional seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Conventional seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Conventional seitan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Conventional seitan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Organic seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Organic seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Organic seitan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Organic seitan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Organic seitan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Product ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Biolab Srl Exhibit 89: Biolab Srl - Overview Exhibit 90: Biolab Srl - Product / Service Exhibit 91: Biolab Srl - Key offerings 10.4 IOOP bv Exhibit 92: IOOP bv - Overview Exhibit 93: IOOP bv - Product / Service Exhibit 94: IOOP bv - Key offerings 10.5 Machandel bv Exhibit 95: Machandel bv - Overview Exhibit 96: Machandel bv - Product / Service Exhibit 97: Machandel bv - Key offerings 10.6 Nestle SA Exhibit 98: Nestle SA - Overview Exhibit 99: Nestle SA - Business segments Exhibit 100: Nestle SA - Key news Exhibit 101: Nestle SA - Key offerings Exhibit 102: Nestle SA - Segment focus 10.7 PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC LLC Exhibit 103: PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC - Overview LLC - Overview Exhibit 104: PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC - Product / Service LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 105: PACIFIC FOODS OF OREGON LLC - Key offerings 10.8 Primal Spirit Foods Inc. Exhibit 106: Primal Spirit Foods Inc. - Overview Exhibit 107: Primal Spirit Foods Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 108: Primal Spirit Foods Inc. - Key offerings 10.9 The Hain Celestial Group Inc. Exhibit 109: The Hain Celestial Group Inc. - Overview Exhibit 110: The Hain Celestial Group Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 111: The Hain Celestial Group Inc. - Key news Exhibit 112: The Hain Celestial Group Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 113: The Hain Celestial Group Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Topas GmbH Exhibit 114: Topas GmbH - Overview Exhibit 115: Topas GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 116: Topas GmbH - Key offerings 10.11 Upton Naturals Exhibit 117: Upton Naturals - Overview Exhibit 118: Upton Naturals - Product / Service Exhibit 119: Upton Naturals - Key offerings 10.12 VBites Foods Ltd. Exhibit 120: VBites Foods Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 121: VBites Foods Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 122: VBites Foods Ltd. - Key offerings 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 123: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 124: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 125: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 126: Research methodology Exhibit 127: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 128: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 129: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Across the nation, there are nearly 16 million 529 college savings accounts with nearly $458 billion saved, according to the College Savings Plan Network. In Georgia, families have nearly $4.5 billion saved in more than 218,000 in the state's Path2College 529 Plan. Additionally, families have already used almost $1.8 billion from the Path2College 529 Plan to assist with college expenses. To encourage Georgia families to start the financial planning process for education beyond high school as early as possible and continue this savings momentum for Georgia children, Governor Brian Kemp proclaimed September as College Savings Month. The proclamation states that "To aid in bridging the gap to higher education, the State of Georgia created the Path2College 529 Plan," which is Georgia's official college savings plan, and the only 529 plan that offers Georgia taxpayers a deduction off of their state income taxes. Further, according to the proclamation, "Students who enter college with some amount of savings are more likely to graduate with lower or no education-related debt and more likely to enter the workforce as fiscally secure professionals." These facts, along with the increasing value of education beyond high school, prompted Georgia to once again join states across the nation to recognize and officially promote the importance of college savings during September. The state's Path2College 529 Plan provides families with tools, like savings calculators, risk tolerance information and research on saving at www.Path2College529.com. Families can determine their needs and open an account with as little as $25. To learn more about the Path2College 529 Plan, its investment objectives, tax benefits, risks, and costs please see the Plan Description at path2college529.com. Read it carefully. Investments in the Plan are neither insured nor guaranteed and there is the risk of investment loss. Consult your legal or tax professional for tax advice. SOURCE Path2College HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Silverstone Energy Partners LLC ("Silverstone") provided a project equity financing to fund the acquisition of Delaware Basin New Mexico oil & gas properties by Ocean Oil Corporation ("Ocean"). Ocean is a Denver-based private E&P led by Brooke O'Neal. Marshall Lynn Bass, Managing Director of Silverstone, said, "We are excited to provide Ocean with capital to purchase and develop this attractive, non-op asset. The asset is at an inflection point, with the operator drilling 39 new horizontal wells in a short period. We benefit from the resultant boost in production while the seller is able to re-direct their CAPEX dollars to other projects." Brooke O'Neal, Founder and CEO of Ocean, added, "We've established a reputation of consistently closing acquisitions or farm-ins of non-op, unconventional properties to help owners avoid the capital disruption of their own internal project needs. Silverstone has expanded our capabilities even further." "This acquisition was on the smaller side of our capabilities but has huge strategic value to Brooke and her team," continued Bass. "We stand ready to help them with similar transactions." About Silverstone Silverstone Energy Partners LLC ("Silverstone") is a private investment firm focused on upstream and midstream Energy industry investments with offices in Houston, Texas. We invest in US lower-48 transactions with sizes between $5 - $200 million. Typical structures can include senior stretch debt, VPPs, mezzanine, project equity, drilling joint ventures and similar structures. For additional information, please visit us at www.silverstone-energy.net. About Ocean Ocean Oil Corporation ("Ocean") is a private Oil and Gas investment firm focused on the acquisition of Non-Operated Working interests and Royalty Interests in the Permian and Delaware Basins. Ocean is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Silverstone was advised by Mark L. Jones of Baker & Hostetler LLP and Ocean was advised by David G. Stolfa, Esq.. This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be an offer or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any security or other investment or an offer or a solicitation of an offer to provide any investment service. Copyright 2022 Silverstone Energy Partners LLC, All rights reserved. SOURCE Silverstone Energy Partners LLC Sonata Software is honored by Microsoft for achieving outstanding achievement and innovation. BANGALORE, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonata Software, a global IT services and technology solutions company that enables platform based digital transformation initiatives for enterprises, has once again been named a member of the prestigious Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications, for 2022/2023 . Membership in this elite group is based on all round performance - that rank Sonata in the top echelon of the Microsoft's Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success. 2022/2023 Inner Circle members are invited to the Inner Circle Summit in Spring 2023 as well as virtual meetings between June 2022 and August 2022, where they will have a unique opportunity to discuss strategy with Microsoft senior leaders and fellow Inner Circle partners, while learning more about the company's road maps and future plans, establish strong executive connections, and collaborate on best practices. "We are proud to recognize a group of partners who have excelled at accelerating their customer's digital transformation through the digital innovations from Microsoft Business Applications," said Peter Jensen, Microsoft Business Application Partner Strategy Lead. "Inner Circle partners represent some of the best IP, Industry expertise, and technical capabilities in Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. Their dedication to customer success and the Microsoft Cloud have set them apart, and we are honored to recognize Sonata Software for their achievement and membership of the 2022/2023 Inner Circle." Sonata is a global leader in digital transformation services, with decades of experience working with enterprises, providing open, connected, intelligent and scalable solutions. Sonata has worked with customers across multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, finance and travel. The company has longstanding relationship with Microsoft, a collaboration that has lasted more than 30 years, with specific emphasis on Dynamics, BizApps, Cloud and Data. The company has, over time, honed their signature Platformation approach and aligned to the Microsoft strategy to help customers unlock tremendous value from their digital transformation initiatives. "Sonata invested in a 360 degree relationship with Microsoft for more than 15 years and has built deep expertise, full stack capabilities across Microsoft Business Applications, Azure, Data and AI. Sonata's deep focus on Enterprise Modernization and Transformation on Microsoft Business Application platform, through its differentiated Platformation methodology and IPs, accelerated the realization of value. This recognition is one more testament to Sonata's relationship with Microsoft, adding value to the customers," said Rajsekhar Datta Roy, Sr. VP and Global Head, Microsoft Service line. About Sonata Software For more information, press only: Nandita Venkatesh Sonata Software Limited CIN- L72200MH1994PLC082110 A.P.S. Trust Building, Bull Temple Road, N.R. Colony Bangalore 560019, India Tel: +91 80 67781999 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/689012/Sonata_Software_Logo.jpg SOURCE Sonata Software DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "World Textile and Apparel Trade and Production Trends: South Asia, 2022" report from Textiles Intelligence Ltd. has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This latest report in our flagship series contains statistical data, information and insight into the textile and apparel industries in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The report includes detailed information on textile and clothing production by country and it highlights the fastest growing markets for textile and clothing exports from each country by product category. Also, it provides analyses of developments in the South Asia region and government measures relating to the countries featured. The report presents a wealth of information and is essential for anyone who is considering sourcing from, selling to, or investing in these countries. Clothing exports from Bangladesh were up in 2020/21 and also during July 2021-April 2022 compared with the corresponding period a year earlier, reflecting a recovery after exports had declined in 2019/20 as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Textile and clothing exports from India shot up in 2021, reflecting increases in sales to all of the country's major geographical markets, and textile and clothing production in India was up during the country's 2021/22 financial year. Similarly, textile and clothing exports from Pakistan rose in 2021, reflecting growth in sales to all of the country's major geographical markets. They were also higher during January-April 2022 than they had been in the corresponding period a year earlier. Meanwhile, production of textiles in Pakistan was up noticeably in the country's 2020/21 financial year, and it was slightly higher during July 2021-March 2022. Textile and clothing exports from Sri Lanka rose in 2021, reflecting increases in sales to all of the country's major geographical markets. Textile production in Sri Lanka also rose in 2021 but clothing production fell. Key Topics Covered: SUMMARY BANGLADESH Exports Export markets Exports from Bangladesh to the EU to the EU Exports from Bangladesh to the USA to the Exports from Bangladesh to other markets to other markets Production INDIA Exports Export markets Exports from India to the USA to the Exports from India to the EU to the EU Exports from India to Bangladesh to Exports from India to the UAE to the UAE Exports from India to China to Exports from India to the UK to the UK Production PAKISTAN Exports Export markets Exports from Pakistan to the EU to the EU Exports from Pakistan to the USA to the Exports from Pakistan to the UK to the UK Exports from Pakistan to China to Production SRI LANKA Exports Export markets Exports from Sri Lanka to the USA to the Exports from Sri Lanka to the EU to the EU Exports from Sri Lanka to the UK to the UK Exports from Sri Lanka to Canada to Production For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/31x5ea Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets CINCINNATI, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As many businesses head into their busiest season of the year, Staffmark Group has kicked off a campaign to attract and retain their workforce with a substantial incentive: $100K in cash prizes. Job Fest is an annual recruiting and retention event hosted by Staffmark Group's commercial staffing companies: Advantage Resourcing, Pro Staff, and Staffmark. It is held during the fall months, a peak season for many of their industrial and warehouse clients, and it includes special events and giveaways for employees. This year's prizes are the largest that they have ever offered: three (3) $25,000 prizes and twenty-five (25) $1,000 prizes, for a total of $100,000. Staffmark Group has kicked off a campaign to attract and retain their workforce with a substantial incentive: $100K! Tweet this "Today's workers have choices, and it's more important than ever before to recognize and appreciate the employees who choose to join and stay on our team. We knew wanted to take things up a notch this year, and I'm thrilled that we're giving away $100k!" said Stacey Lane, CEO of Staffmark Group. "Job Fest is a great way to reward employees who already work with us while also encouraging those who are looking for a job to join us. It's an exciting time of yearand we're ready to have some fun!" Between September 12 and December 4, all Advantage Resourcing, Pro Staff, and Staffmark employees will earn an entry in the contest for every 36+ hour week they work. The more weeks they work, the more chances they have to win. Staffmark Group's mission is to change the world one person, one job, one community at a time. The jobs and prizes offered through their annual Job Fest campaign have impacted thousands of lives, including last year's grand prize winner, Scott Flores: "Being a Job Fest winner gave me the opportunity to be to obtain a comfortable financial situation. It allowed me to travel and see places I haven't seen before. Staffmark Group is a great place to work. They're very accommodating and helpful when it comes to issues or schedules. They're very employee friendly, and they do the best they can for their employees each day. I'm very grateful for everything this company has provided me, and I'm excited to keep working here for many years to come." To learn more about Job Fest 2022, visit www.worknowandwin.com. To learn more about the Staffmark Group family of brands, visit www.staffmarkgroup.com. About Staffmark Group Staffmark Group is one of the largest staffing companies in the United States and has been providing outstanding service for over 40 years. A proud member of RGF Staffing, Staffmark Group operates in over 400 locations, providing staffing solutions across a comprehensive range of disciplines, including contingent staffing, direct/permanent hire, on-site staffing management services, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and master service provider (MSP). To learn more about Staffmark Group, visit www.staffmarkgroup.com. About RGF Staffing RGF Staffing is a leading global HR services provider with activities in Asia Pacific, Europe, Japan and North America. Every day more than 300,000 people work for businesses and institutions via the RGF Staffing network. RGF Staffing is part of Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. For further information please visit www.rgfstaffing.com. SOURCE Staffmark Group Acclaimed Producer Reveals Category-First Innovation as the First Tequila to Rest Exclusively in Mizunara Casks MEXICO CITY and NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After 14 years, ultra-premium sipping tequila producer Tequila Casa Dragones unveils its 4th expression: Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara, the first tequila rested exclusively in Mizunara, a rare oak native to Japan and traditionally used for aging Japanese whiskies. Casa Dragones continues to underscore its passion for innovation, bringing another truly unique, high-quality tequila style to the category to surprise and enamor the tequila connoisseur. Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara (credit: Tequila Casa Dragones) Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara (credit: Tequila Casa Dragones) Continuing their exploration of agave and woods, Casa Dragones imported their first Japanese casks in 2018, with the goal of exploring how this rare wood would complement the signature notes of Casa Dragones. Sharing a passion for exceptional craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail, Casa Dragones began working with Japan's only independent cooperage to craft brand new casks of 100% Mizunara with a custom char in which to rest their new tequila. Casa Dragones Co-Founder and CEO, Bertha Gonzalez Nieves says, "Innovation is what we like to do best, to explore the possibilities within the tequila category. Which is why we're excited to continue our journey of taste with Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara, rested in a rare Japanese oak that marries beautifully with our tequila. I think that tequila lovers out there and spirit aficionados in general will be very excited to experience something completely different." Scarcer than European and American Oak, Japanese Oak typically yields only half as much timber as other oaks. Characterized by their twisting trunks and branches, these ancient trees can grow up to 200 years before they are harvested and then handcrafted into the highest quality casks in Japan. After resting in this rare wood, Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara delivers subtle notes of magnolia and orange blossom on the nose, with hints of butterscotch and oak on the palate, and a long warm finish of coffee bean and mellow spice. Yana Volfson, Beverage Director of Casamata Group (Pujol, #5 World's 50 Best Restaurants), says, "Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara is a showcase of Mexican craftsmanship that combines the expertise of Japanese barrel-making with the craftsmanship of tequila production, and is unlike anything I've ever tasted before." In addition to its passion for innovation, Casa Dragones is also committed to modern, sustainable production. Recognized by the Tequila Regulatory Council as using the most sustainable method of tequila production in the industry for each of its 100% Blue Agave Sipping Tequilas, Casa Dragones' modern process utilizes less water and less energy than other methods, and also produces far less waste. In addition, the agave fibers are recycled into fertilizer for their fields, while the vinasses, or distillation liquid waste, is used in the fields as irrigation. Casa Dragones' signature taste showcases the purity of their agaves, and the purity of their water. Casa Dragones harvests its agaves in the rich volcanic soil in the lowlands of the Valley of Tequila, Jalisco. Emanating from the headwaters of the Volcano of Tequila, the water used for Casa Dragones is exceptionally pure, natural spring water, enriched with the perfect balance of minerals to produce their signature tasting tequilas. Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara joins the award-winning tequila house's renowned portfolio of ultra-premium sipping tequilas, which showcase the producer's commitment to exposing new possibilities within the tequila category through innovation, modern, sustainable production and Mexican craftsmanship: Casa Dragones Joven, launched in 2009: Master blend of 100% Blue Agave silver and extra-aged tequila, aged in new American oak casks, perfect for sipping and pairing with food. Casa Dragones Blanco, launched in 2014: 100% Blue Agave silver tequila crafted to deliver the pure essence of agave, ideal to enjoy on the rocks or in craft cocktails. Casa Dragones Barrel Blend, launched in 2020: 100% Blue Agave Anejo tequila that achieves its distinctive character from being aged in two styles of custom-made oak barrels - one French Sessile oak and the other new American oak. Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara tequila will be available nationwide in September ($169.99 MSRP) and can be purchased online at casadragones.com. ABOUT TEQUILA CASA DRAGONES Founded and led by CEO Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, the first female Maestra Tequilera, Tequila Casa Dragones is a small-batch producer known for its ultra-premium sipping tequilas. Launched in 2009 in Mexico, Casa Dragones has four uniquely smooth tequila expressions. Casa Dragones Joven has a complex, smooth taste that is perfect for sipping and pairing with food, while Casa Dragones Blanco's crisp, agave-forward taste is perfect for craft cocktails and on the rocks. Casa Dragones Anejo Barrel Blend is the result of aging their tequila in two styles of new wood casks, then blending to achieve its distinctive, rich character. Their most recent expression, Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara, 100% Blue Agave Reposado sipping tequila, is the first tequila rested exclusively in Mizunara, a rare oak native to Japan and traditionally used for aging Japanese whiskies. Casa Dragones' mission is to be part of the tequila producers shaping the industry for the future through innovation, modern, sustainable production and Mexican craftsmanship. The name Casa Dragones is inspired by the legendary Dragones cavalry who ignited Mexico's Independence Movement of 1810. La Casa Dragones in San Miguel de Allende is the historic 17th century stables of the cavalry, now transformed into a luxurious four-bedroom showcase of Mexican design. San Miguel de Allende, Casa Dragones' spiritual home, is also home to Casa Dragones Tasting Room, or the "World's Smallest Tequila Bar." Casa Dragones is available online at www.casadragones.com and throughout the U.S., Mexico and select markets in Europe. Follow Casa Dragones on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@casadragones). Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Tequila Casa Dragones By Mir Afroz Zaman, Dhaka, Sep 20 (UNI) Minister of Religion Affairs Faridul Haque Khan says all necessary arrangement are afoot to ensure a "problem-free happy Durga Puja next month". Khan told UNI at his Ministry of Religion's office in the Secretariat here on Tuesday that "as you know, Hajj is obligatory for Muslims. This year we did it right. Everyone, including the government officials, cooperated with us. "Similarly, during the holy Durga Puja, we all will strive to get it done right with each other's cooperation. "We have already given several instructions. "We have ordered to install CCTV cameras in every puja mandap. "Apart from this, we have given instruction for a committee with the youth of the Hindu community and Awami League workers to be formed in the Puja Mandap areas. Khan said when Bangladesh became independent it was under the leadership of Bangabandhu and the nation is still true to that spirit. "That is the non-sectarian spirit. Everyone will live in this country with equal rights. No malice towards anyone. "Bangabandhu wrote the constitution with that spirit. This country will remain secular. The Ministry of Religion has been run with his spirit," he said, adding "At present, Sheikh Hasina's government is doing things smoothly in keeping with that secular spirit". On the occasion of upcoming Durga Puja, the Hindu community will celebrate their festival with their hope that no one will interfere here, he added. The State Minister of Religion Affairs' statements come in the backdrop of last year's incidents when during Durga Puja, several reports were made including of vandalism of mandap, vandalism of idols at different areas of Bangladesh. When asked that even at that time, Khan's ministry had various guidelines and committees and how would it be different this time, Faridul Khan said: "The incident that happened in Comilla was the work of anti-independence gang. They are real enemies of Bangladesh. "Many of the plotters of the 2004 grenade attack are still alive. They are still engaged in tarnishing the image of the government. But our law enforcement forces are active in that regard. That will not be allowed this year." When reminded that those who were arrested in Comilla incident last year were already out on bail and that there was no trial, Khan said that this is the jurisdiction of the court. There was no lack of sincerity in the government. And that steps were afoot to stem fear. Asked compared to last time, what will buoy the spirit of the Hindu community next month, Khan said: "This time I have seen that people's income has increased this year especially under the Sheikh Hasina government. There is financial freedom. Due to which the number of puja mandaps has increased I think this is the big attraction." He also said that the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust in Bangladesh has become much empowered compared to the past. Prime Minister Hasina has donated 2 crore taka on the occasion of upcoming Durga Puja. Around 30,000 to 32,000 puja mandaps have been built across the country. UNI MAZ ING CCA's apprenticeship program is a significant part of the solution to the skilled nursing industry's workforce challenges. Program is free for workers, who will get paid for their hours in the classroom and in training. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) received a $14 million grant from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to launch a statewide Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Registered Apprenticeship Program and to pilot a CNA to Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) registered apprenticeship program. This earn-and-learn apprenticeship model is a significant part of the solution to the skilled nursing industry's challenges of reducing employee turnover and addressing nursing staff shortages. The grant is part of the High Road Training Partnerships (HRTP) Resilient Workforce Fund Initiative. CCA will train 500 people to become CNAs, and 12 CNAs to become LVNs by the end of the three-year funding period, offering career growth for incumbent nursing home workers and other community members. The training is free to eligible participants, with CCA covering the costs of tuition, books, and any costs related to certification. Aside from the free training, participants also receive robust wrap-around services and support for the cost of childcare, groceries, and transportation. CCA will also reimburse participating facilities the wages of the participants who earn CNA certification during their first four weeks of employment. The program is available to unionized skilled nursing facilities that are in the Education Fund, a training fund for members of SEIU Local 2015. As the only Labor Management Partnership in California, SEIU Local 2015 and nursing home employers are collaborating with CCA in implementing a framework that advances economic, occupational, gender, and racial equity efforts while providing a pathway to fixing an industry crisis. "This apprenticeship program will enable employers to focus resources on quality of care by increasing the number of highly trained CNAs in our facilities," says John Bowen, Vice President of Operations at Sun Mar Healthcare and a member of CCA Board of Trustees. "Through on-the-job training and mentorship, the participants quickly learn their facilities' policies, procedures and expectations, which help create a seamless transition into their new roles as critical members of our team." Participants will work as nursing aides at participating facilities while they are in the program. They will also receive mentorship support from an experienced CNA or LVN who will help them acclimate to their new roles. Participants are guaranteed a wage increase upon obtaining their state certification and being promoted to CNAs. "This is a true collaboration between labor and management. The industry-specific, targeted approach of CCA's apprenticeship program will create upward mobility for our members and help ease the strain on our burdened long-term care system," says Arnulfo de la Cruz, Executive Vice President of SEIU Local 2015 and a member of CCA's Board of Trustees. Long-term care workers at skilled nursing facilities in California provide critical care and health support for the state's most vulnerable communities. But employee turnover and retention pose massive challenges for the industry, with CNA turnover rates reaching nearly 100%. CCA's Registered Apprenticeship Program will help participating facilities meet staffing requirements with the acquisition of highly trained CNAs, with a worker-centered training program. "The apprenticeship program will answer the call for qualified caregivers with on-the-job training, building experience while overcoming the barriers that prevent people from being able to participate in traditional licensing programs," says Corinne Eldridge, CCA President and CEO. "We are proud to provide a solution for our employer partners who are in critical need of a highly trained workforce and help them reduce turnover and increase employee retention." ABOUT THE CENTER FOR CAREGIVER ADVANCEMENT The Center for Caregiver Advancement is the largest provider of training for caregivers in California and has trained over 18,000 nursing home workers and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregivers. Founded in 2000 by the long-term care workers who are now members of SEIU Local 2015, CCA provides quality educational opportunities including free classes for in-home caregivers and nursing home workers to help them build better lives for themselves and the people they serve. Advancecaregivers.org ABOUT THE HRTP RESILIENT WORKFORCE FUND For more information about the High Road Training Partnership: Resilient Workforce Fund, please visit the CWDB website at https://cwdb.ca.gov/hrtp-rwf_program/. SOURCE Center for Caregiver Advancement JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly published report titled "Global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol Market - by Type (Hard Kombucha (3 to 5% Alcohol, 6 to 8% Alcohol, Others), Hard Seltzers (1.0% to 4.9% Alcohol), 5.0% to 6.9% Alcohol, Others), Cocktails and Long Drinks, Flavored Alcoholic Beverages, Hard Coffee, Hard Tea, Wine Spritzers/Coolers, Sake RTDs, Other Types), by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Specialty Stores, Other Distribution Channels), By Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Covid-19 Analysis, Revenue (US$ Billions) and Forecast Till 2030." of InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. features detailed industry analysis and an extensive study on the market, exploring its significant key insights and trending factors. According to the updated version of market research report by InsightAce Analytic, the global ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol market is estimated to be valued at US$ 36.42 Bn in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period of 2022-2030 Request Sample Report: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1193 The increasing popularity of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcohol among gen-Z and millennials, as RTD is a convenient drink compared to other spirits, and the growing youth population are some of the major driving factors responsible for Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcohol market growth. Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages are made with this concept having low alcohol content and high sensory taste with unique flavours. Major vendors are focused on fulfilling consumer demand through beverages with a touch of spirits. A growing number of hypermarkets & supermarkets selling RTD alcohol is fueling the growth of the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol market.For instance, Kaufland is a major Germany-based retail supermarket chain, currently present in 8 European countries operating almost 1300 stores. The company have a plan to take over 101 locations of its competitor Real. Global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol Market Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to affect the consumer's spending power due to the economical challenges raised due to employments. Economic challenges faced by the consumers may drive price-based shopping, increasing consumption of low priced beverages rather brand-based shopping This is expected to impact the purchase of premium low and no alcohol beverages products. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected several markets across the globe and is also expected to make an impact on the global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol Market. There was a price hike in alcohol sales in a few countries during the pandemic. Few countries have implemented duty hikes on alcohol sales in terms of a COVID period, which was between 10-75%. This duty has impacted the RTD alcohol price, and consumers face a big price hike and hence opt for harder forms of alcohol, low quality and low-priced products, which can impact consumer's health Preview for Detailed TOC: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-ready-to-drinks-rtds-alcohol-market/1193 Key Takeaways of the Global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol Market: Global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcohol Market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period, owing to the increasing adoption of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcohol consumption among the youth generation. RTDs, more commonly known as alcopops, are marketed in ways very attractive to younger people. They are often fruity and sweet and come in colourful packaging, sometimes with cartoon-style designs. Today's young people, generation Z, is the least alcohol-consuming generation in history. Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcohol is the already established alcohol industry's strategy to push alcohol to maximize its profits. For instance, the 2019 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey found that more than 25% of students had alcohol in the 30 days before they took the survey. Also, one in seven reported binge alcohol use in the last 30 days. According to a recent study, nearly half (46.3 %) of all calls to U.S. poison control centres involving supersized alcopop consumption were made for consumers below the legal age for alcohol use. Among types, Cocktails and Long Drinks segment is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period, owing to rising spirits and cocktail culture, and increasing demand among consumers for high-quality canned and bottled cocktails The prominent players in the Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol industry include: Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Bacardi Limited, Beam- Suntory, Suntory Holdings Limited, Brown-Forman, Heineken N.V., Diageo plc., Boston Beer Company, Molson Coors Brewing Company, Manchester Drinks, Loverboy Inc., Served hard seltzer, Wild Drum Beverages Pvt Ltd., White Claw, Carlsberg A/S, Nauti Seltzer (Wachusett Brewing Co.), Oskar Blues, Truly Hard Seltzer Beverage Co, LLC, Henry's Seltzers, Polar Beverages, Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer, GiG Hard Seltzer, Corona Seltzer, Founders Brewing Co., Lone River Beverage Company, MIKE'S HARD SELTZER, Monster Beverage Corporation, Phusion Projects LLC, Sun King Brewing, OPEAN-Eau Petillante Alcoolisee, Spoetzl Brewery, Blue Norther Hard Seltzer, Future Proof Brands, The Gambrinus Company, Jose Cuervo, BERCZY Drinks, Nude Beverages, Natural Light, STELZ, Bodega Bay Drink, SAVIS Craft Brewery, Austin Eastciders, GT's Kombucha, Kyla Hard Kombucha, Boochcraft, Flying Embers, Reed's Inc., Wild Tonic, New Holland Brewing, Unity Vibration Kombucha, and June Shine. The company's growing focus on new brand propositions, such as bottled cocktails with natural ingredients, to boost the visibility and demand for this alcoholic beverage is boosting the global market demand. Moreover, New product development and the launch of new flavors and blends of premixed drinks with innovative packaging will positively impact the global market's growth. Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Regional Analysis: North America led the market in 2021. In North America, U.S. accounted for a major contributor in terms of revenue share due to the high demand for on-the-go items in different flavors and combinations. Changing end-user preferences for flavored beverages, rising demand for Hard Seltzer and Hard Kombucha the presence of several producers with large production volumes and diverse flavour product portfolios are all projected to contribute to market expansion. For instance, in 2019, White Claw the Hard Seltzer Brand was the number one seltzer in U.S. with sales of about $1.5 billion. In Europe, The U.K. is one of the major manufacturers and users of RTD alcoholic beverages. The drift of low alcoholic beverage consumption has had a significant impact on the expansion of the regional Ready-to-Drinks (RTD) Alcohol market. Moreover, the growing demand for low-alcohol, convenient alcoholic beverages has led to an increase in RTD alcoholic beverage consumption. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at the fastest rate throughout the projection period due to developing countries like India, China, and South Korea improving the standard of living and increasing population. Interested in Buying Full Report: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1193 The Global Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Segments The Global Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates (Value US$ Billion) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2030 based on Type Hard Seltzers 1.0% to 4.9% Alcohol 5.0% to 6.9% Alcohol Others Hard Kombucha 3 to 5 % Alcohol 6 to 8 % Alcohol Others Flavored Alcoholic Beverages Cocktails and Long Drinks Hard Tea Hard Coffee Wine Spritzers /Coolers Sake RTDs Other Types The Global Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates (Value US$ Billion) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2030 based on Distribution Channel Hypermarkets & Supermarkets Specialty Stores Other Distribution Channels The Global Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates (Value US$ Billion) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2030 based on Region Europe North America Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa North America Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2019 to 2030 Canada U.S. Europe Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2019 to 2030 Germany Spain France Russia Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2019 to 2030 India South Korea China Japan Australia & New Zealand Latin America Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2019 to 2030 Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America The Middle East & Africa Ready-to-Drinks (RTDs) Alcohol Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2019 to 2030 GCC Countries South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa For Customised Research Requirement @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1193 Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic: Global Kombucha Market Global Sparkling Water Market Global Low & No Alcohol Beverages Market Global Functional Beverages Market Global Organic Wine Market Why should buy this report: To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for global ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol market To receive industry overview and future trends of ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol market To analyse the ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol market drivers and challenges To get information on ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol market size value (US$ Bn) forecast till 2030 Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisition in ready-to-drinks (RTDs) alcohol industry About Us: InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Contact US: InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Tel.: +1 551 226 6109 Email: [email protected] Site Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com Follow Us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/2tBXsgS Follow Us On Facebook @ bit.ly/2H9jnDZ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1729637/InsightAce_Analytic_Logo.jpg SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd Highest Honor in Play Awarded to 18 Toys; All TOTY Proceeds Benefit TTF's Mission to Deliver Play to Children in Need DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After two years of celebrating virtually, hundreds from the toy community reunited in Dallas, TX tonight for the much-anticipated Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards & Celebration, where the top toys and games of the year were named. Hosted by The Toy Foundation (TTF), the awards program recognizes the industry's creativity and collective philanthropy, with more than $500,000 raised in support of TTF's mission to bring the benefits of play to children in need. In addition to naming the winners, the 23rd edition of the TOTY Awards showcased the industry's support for TTF's programs: delivering toys to children across the globe, funding play therapy in children's hospitals, and introducing the industry to diverse, young talent. TTF's local partners participated in the celebration, including three children's non-profits Dallas Metro, Rainbow Days, and The Birthday Party Project which received toy donations; Baylor, Scott and White McLane Children's Hospital, which was named one of TTF's new play grants recipients; and the next generation of leaders from University of North Texas at Dallas, who congratulated and networked with winners. The prestigious awards spotlighted the finalists across 17 categories of play, including collectibles, grown-up, plush, specialty, and the newly created ride-on category. Eighteen winners were announced, including a tie for Specialty Toy of the Year. The coveted overall Toy of the Year and People's Choice award winners will be announced on November 21, 2022, bringing an element of excitement to consumers at the peak of the holiday shopping season. The following TOTY winners were announced tonight, giving consumers gift ideas as they begin their holiday shopping: Action Figure of the Year: Jurassic World Dominion Super Colossal Giganotosaurus (Mattel) Jurassic World Dominion Super Colossal Giganotosaurus (Mattel) Collectible of the Year: LEGO Minifigures The Muppets (LEGO Systems) LEGO Minifigures The Muppets (LEGO Systems) Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO MARVEL I am Groot (LEGO Systems) LEGO MARVEL I am Groot (LEGO Systems) Creative Toy of the Year: Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball (Moose Toys) Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball (Moose Toys) Doll of the Year: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fresh Fierce Collection by The Fresh Dolls (World of EPI Company) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fresh Fierce Collection by The Fresh Dolls (World of EPI Company) Game of the Year: Pokemon Trading Card Game: Pokemon GO Elite Trainer Box (The Pokemon Company International) Pokemon Trading Card Game: Pokemon GO Elite Trainer Box (The Pokemon Company International) Grown-Up Toy of the Year: LEGO Ideas The Office (LEGO Systems) LEGO Ideas The Office (LEGO Systems) Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: CoComelon Ultimate Learning Adventure Bus (Just Play) CoComelon Ultimate Learning Adventure Bus (Just Play) License of the Year: Squishmallows (Jazwares) Squishmallows (Jazwares) Outdoor Toy of the Year: Twister SPLASH (WowWee) Twister SPLASH (WowWee) Playset of the Year: LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Peach Starter Course (LEGO Systems) LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Peach Starter Course (LEGO Systems) Plush Toy of the Year: 16" Squishmallows (Jazwares) 16" Squishmallows (Jazwares) Preschool Toy of the Year: Crayola Color & Erase Reusable Mat (Crayola) Crayola Color & Erase Reusable Mat (Crayola) Ride-On Toy of the Year: Mario Kart 24V Ride-On Racer (JAKKS Pacific) Mario Kart 24V Ride-On Racer (JAKKS Pacific) Specialty Toy of the Year: Ann Williams Craft -tastic Nature Scavenger Hunt Potions (PlayMonster Group) and Snap Circuits: Green Energy (ELENCO) -tastic Nature Scavenger Hunt Potions (PlayMonster Group) and Snap Circuits: Green Energy (ELENCO) STEAM Toy of the Year: Bill Nye's VR Science Kit (Abacus Brands) Bill Nye's VR Science Kit (Abacus Brands) Vehicle of the Year: LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car (LEGO Systems) "We are excited to have the industry in-person to celebrate the TOTY winners, all of which are extraordinary examples of creativity and imagination that deliver the benefits of play to children and adults alike," said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. "We congratulate each of the category winners, and all the innovative nominees, on receiving this incredible honor and we thank the industry for continuing to choose this award ceremony to support the Foundation's programming and raise funds for the benefit of children in need." The TOTY Awards received 550 submissions over the summer. Of those, a panel of expert judges comprised of toy and play experts, retailers, academics, and journalists reviewed and ranked the products before selecting 122 finalists. Category winners were determined by votes from Toy Association members, toy retailers (mass and specialty), media, and consumers. The overall Toy of the Year award winner will be determined by a panel of expert judges and the People's Choice award winner will be decided by online consumer votes (open until November 11 at ToyAwards.org); both will be announced on November 21, 2022. All results are audited for accuracy, including the judging and voting process. The TOTY Awards, now taking place annually in the fall, highlight the industry's support for TTF's programs. With help from the industry this year, more than $4 million in aid was delivered to Ukrainian children and families; play therapy activities were made available to 175,000 pediatric patients; and young, diverse talent was introduced to careers in toys. For more information about the TOTY Awards voting and selection process, visit ToyAwards.org. The next TOTY Awards will take place September 29, 2023, kicking off Toy Fair week (taking place September 30 to October 3) in New York City. About The Toy Foundation www.toyfoundation.org The Toy Foundation (TTF) is a 501 (c)3 children's charity whose mission is to provide philanthropic support and the vital commodity of play to children and families in need, across the country and globe. TTF's donations represent the charitable works of TTF and the toy industry. Last year, TTF provided $360K in cash grants to nearly 4 million children severely impacted by the pandemic. Since its inception in 2003, TTF's signature Toy Bank has provided $225 million in toys to more than 26 million underserved children coping with serious illness, enduring temporary home placements in the foster care system, living with domestic violence, and/or dealing with natural disasters. TTF is also broadening its mission to provide grant funding to children's hospitals to encourage healing through play and to foster a diverse and inclusive culture and pipeline of talent for the toy industry. SOURCE The Toy Foundation CHANDLER, Ariz., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) proudly announces an education partnership with DriveTime Automotive, a brick-and-mortar car dealer and financier with nearly 5,000 employees around the nation. The partnership offers UAGC Full Tuition Grants to eligible employees that cover tuition, course materials, and fees. Additionally, the partnership offers 20% off tuition provided to immediate family members of DriveTime employees. "At UAGC, we welcome partnerships with companies like DriveTime, who are committed to offering access to affordable education to their employees, and employees' immediate family members," UAGC President Paul Pastorek said. "We take great pride in helping people continue their lifelong learning journey by preparing themselves for new opportunities with the marketable skills gained through their education." UAGC helps more than 1,300 organizations across the US optimize the use of their corporate tuition assistance programs. Tweet this UAGC helps more than 1,300 companies and organizations across the country optimize the usage of their corporate tuition assistance programs. The partnership with DriveTime and UAGC provides a flexible online model and class format conducive to the scheduling demands of being an employee for the company. Coursework can be done from any location, and students are afforded the opportunity to take classes that accommodate their lifestyle and schedule. Students can leverage their employer-sponsored tuition program to start or complete a degree through courses that last five or six weeks, depending on the degree level, enabling them to study at the times that work best for them. "We are beyond excited to have established this partnership with UAGC. Providing access to higher education is a critical part of creating opportunities and improving lives," DriveTime Head of People Robyn Jordan said. "The DriveTime Brand Family values the growth of our employees, and this stands as a great example of how we invest in our people." Five DriveTime employees will celebrate their graduation from the University of Arizona Global Campus this upcoming fall, and 35 employees are currently enrolled in classes. "It has been an enriching experience and positively impacted my life," said Luis Mendoza, who graduated in May 2022. "I am proud to be part of the great DriveTime family." About the University of Arizona Global Campus The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 25,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. For more information visit uagc.edu. About DriveTime Automotive DriveTime is not your typical auto retailer. We're bringing a fresh and fun perspective to the pre-owned car buying experience, and we want you to come along for the ride. You can find us at the intersection of technology and innovation as we use our proprietary tools and over two decades of industry knowledge to redefine the process of purchasing, financing, and protecting your vehicle. As DriveTime, Bridgecrest and SilverRock we create opportunities and improve the lives of our customers, our employees and our communities by carpooling to a shared destination. That means placing a focus on putting the right customer in the right vehicle so they can be on the path to ownership. We are headquartered in both Tempe, Arizona and Dallas, Texas, but you can find our tire tracks across the nation as we continue to expand our footprint in new territories. Regardless of where you're located, if you've got DRIVE and you're looking to make an impact, we'd love for you to make a difference with us! SOURCE University of Arizona Global Campus TIME commits to reaching Net Zero by 2026 with CO2.com NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIME announced the launch of CO2.com, a new climate action platform that enables businesses to maximize climate impact. Through CO2.com customers can access curated and highly vetted portfolios that make it easy for companies to have a measurable climate impact, as well as tools that support them in confidently communicating their positive action. TIME launches sustainability division and climate-action platform CO2.com. CO2.com's climate action portfolios are created by experts, backed by science and verified by multiple, independent third parties to ensure the highest level of quality. They go beyond traditional carbon offsetting to provide customers access to projects that deliver multiple levels of carbon impact through CO2 removal, CO2 reduction, and the protection of important carbon sinks, as well as nature and community co-benefits. "Business can be an incredible platform for accelerating climate action. As business leaders, we will be judged by the quality and impact of the actions we take today. CO2.com delivers on the trust businesses want, and the impact and quality the planet needs," said Marc Benioff, chair of TIME and CO2.com. "The mission of CO2.com is to provide a world-class, trusted service that makes it easy for companies to go beyond offsetting and do the right thing for the planet," said Simon Mulcahy, CEO of CO2.com & TIME President of Sustainability. "We believe that most businesses want to move beyond weak climate claims and deliver real impact, yet struggle with the complexity. Big enterprises deploy large teams on this, but many companies don't have the bandwidth and expertise to filter out the low quality, low impact offsets that shape today's carbon markets. Every company needs real climate impact credentials, not greenwashing." In order to solve for the quality concerns the carbon market is struggling with, CO2.com employs a 7-step quality assessment framework. This ensures all projects, once sourced, are carefully vetted for scientific robustness, additionality, permanence, long term viability, project developer track record, nature and community co-benefits, as well as risk mitigation plan. In addition, contracts with suppliers include time-bound deliverables and milestones to ensure project performance and delivery of carbon outcomes. CO2.com sources its projects from inside and outside of the carbon markets, and is an inaugural partner of Salesforce's Net Zero Marketplace. CO2.com is not only focused on increasing the quality of business climate action, but also on enabling more companies to communicate what they are doing to inspire others. CO2.com portfolio customers receive detailed, and regularly updated data and insights on their carbon, nature and human well-being impact to use in reporting, and company communications. CO2.com provides additional assets and tools to make it easy for companies to communicate their approach and impact. Key Features of CO2.com: CO2 Climate Action Portfolios: A curated collection of climate action projects, verified for quality, that enables companies with a confident climate impact claim. A curated collection of climate action projects, verified for quality, that enables companies with a confident climate impact claim. MyCO2 Impact Summary: Summary of the overall projected impact of the portfolio, including detailed and specific measurements of CO2 removed, CO2 reduced, area protected, as well as sub-measurements of Sustainable Development Goals across nature and community well-being. Summary of the overall projected impact of the portfolio, including detailed and specific measurements of CO2 removed, CO2 reduced, area protected, as well as sub-measurements of Sustainable Development Goals across nature and community well-being. MyCO2 Performance Report: Twice annual performance update that provides transparent insights into actual achievements and permanence over time. Twice annual performance update that provides transparent insights into actual achievements and permanence over time. Communication Tools: Multiple tools to enable CO2 customers to easily communicate their climate impact leadership on different channels, including with employees, investors and customers. Multiple tools to enable CO2 customers to easily communicate their climate impact leadership on different channels, including with employees, investors and customers. Learning Hub: Climate explainers and guides to help customers on their net zero, nature positive learning journey. Climate explainers and guides to help customers on their net zero, nature positive learning journey. Climate Action Insights: Business-relevant insights and news updates to improve understanding of climate issues, regulatory change, and evolving science as it happens, as well as important deep dives into what other companies are doing. "We set out to create a better way of doing business, by putting people and the planet alongside shareholders as our key stakeholders" said Neal Gandhi, CEO & Co-founder, TPXimpact, and customer of CO2.com. "We're excited to work with CO2.com as their climate action portfolio ensures we're doing the very best we can to accelerate a net zero, nature positive future for all." TIME's Climate Commitment: TIME itself is the first customer of CO2.com with the goal of reaching net zero by 2026. With the launch of CO2.com, TIME is deepening its long-standing commitment to sustainability and building on its award-winning editorial coverage and trusted reporting on climate changefrom its iconic 1989 Endangered Earth Planet of the Year cover to TIME2030, a decade-long global editorial initiative on the ongoing exploration of solutions to the world's biggest challenges and the leaders and innovators driving them. TIME's current issue includes a new cover package on this historic moment of investment in green energy, coupled with a relentless pace of extreme weather events. "TIME, throughout its history, has served as a guide to the future, and we are excited to take on a broader role in ensuring a sustainable one with CO2.com," said Edward Felsenthal, TIME editor in chief and CEO. "TIME intends to not just continue to focus on climate leadership in our editorial coverage, but to become a leader ourselves through working with CO2.com to become net zero by 2026." CO2.com is the newest division of TIME and aims to help businesses and their leaders not only better understand and navigate the changing world, but to take real action to solve the climate crisis. Since becoming an independent company under the ownership of Marc and Lynne Benioff in 2018, TIME has been rapidly expanding its suite of products and platforms for storytelling, which, in addition to its iconic magazine and digital platforms with a combined global audience of more than 100 million, includes the Emmy Award-winning film and television division TIME Studios, a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises, an industry-leading web3 division, an award-winning branded content studio, the website-building platform TIME Sites and more. To learn more about CO2.com and accelerate your climate journey, visit: www.CO2.com . Endorsements for CO2.com: "The scale of the climate crisis means every business needs to prioritize reducing emissions. On top of this, business leaders need to support credible, high integrity programs beyond their value chain. CO2's approach, to enable businesses of every size to focus on quality instead of greenwashing, is certainly the way forward." Maria Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business Coalition "I'm delighted that CO2.com is prioritizing the protection of irrecoverable carbon in its model for climate investment. If destroyed, these critical ecosystems will make it nearly impossible to achieve a habitable planet." M. Sanjayan, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer, Conservation International "I'm excited and grateful for CO2.com's science-first approach. The climate solution set they have curated in our oceans and beyond shows great potential for capturing carbon while benefiting biodiversity and people." Doug McCauley, Professor, University of California Santa Barbara; Director, Benioff Ocean Initiative "I could not be more excited that CO2.com is raising the bar on the quality nature-based interventions by moving us beyond carbon, to focus on the local biodiversity and social impacts. Possibly the most exciting advance is the move to value the conservation of existing ecosystems, which are the last essential strongholds of biodiversity on our planet." Professor Tom Crowther, Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, co-chair of the advisory board for the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration "Business leaders are also going to be judged by their sustainability approach, and in particular their climate actions. It is most important to set targets, report and reduce emissions. In addition we need to support resilience via climate adaptation actions. I support all programs, like CO2.com, that contribute via high quality programs that actually deliver." Feike Sijbesma, Co Chair CEO Climate Leaders (WEF), Co Chair Global Climate Adaptation Centers, honorary chair Royal DSM (former CEO) "With growing interest in blue carbon solutions, I'm excited about CO2.com's science-first approach to build inclusive and scalable models for climate projects inside and outside the carbon markets." Trisha Atwood, Associate Professor at Utah State University "ASU, the most sustainable university in the US, and ranked #1 for impact, is excited about working with CO2.com on this crucial science-first approach to shape a better world for the generations to come." Professor Peter Schlosser, Vice President and Vice Provost of Global Futures and Director of the Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University. "For years, American Forests has been focused on the investments needed to scale climate-adapted reforestation, with a major emphasis on the critical shortage of seeds and nursery workers nationwide. We are thrilled that CO2 understands the direct connection between the reforestation pipeline and ambitious forest restoration goals and is supporting our partnership with National Indian Carbon Coalition and Indian Land Tenure Foundation to help develop Tribal-owned seedling nurseries and strengthen the Indigenous nursery workforce. We cannot achieve reforestation at the trillion trees scale without these value-aligned partnerships." Jad Daley, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Forests About TIME TIME is the 99-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world's most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME's mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME's 360 suite of products and platforms for storytelling also includes the Emmy Award-winning film and television division TIME Studios, a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises, an industry-leading web3 division, an award-winning branded content studio, the website-building platform TIME Sites and more. About CO2.com CO2.com enables every business to maximize their impact through high-quality climate action portfolios. Created by experts, backed by science and verified by independent third parties. CO2.com's mission - to increase the scale and quality of climate action towards a net zero, nature positive world. CO2.com makes it easy for companies to act confidently, and share their positive impact clearly. CO2.com's difference - highly vetted climate action portfolios, detailed project performance analyses and powerful communications tools. For more information, and to accelerate your climate journey, go to www.CO2.com . Media Contacts : Kristin Matzen, TIME, [email protected] Kiasia Truluck, TIME, [email protected] SOURCE TIME New surgical offerings support Viva Eve's mission to provide 360 customized care tailored to women's needs and lifestyle, at every stage of life NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Viva Eve , New York's premier health destination offering integrated specialty care for women from ObGyn services and fibroid treatments to nutrition under one warm and welcoming roof, opens a surgical suite at their flagship Manhattan location. The first of its kind, Viva Eve offers 1-Roof Integrated Care that provides patients a single destination where they can manage all aspects related to their overall health. Currently Viva Eve boasts a diverse team of highly trained medical specialists in women's health: obstetrics, gynecology, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, anesthesiology and nutrition. Viva Eve has now added Plastic Surgery services that further deliver on their coordinated approach to your health and wellness goals. Top-Rated Womens Health Destination Viva Eve Opens Surgical Suite and Expands Procedures to Include Plastic Surgery at Manhattan Flagship Location The new on-site surgical suite now includes extra-large AAAASF-certified operating rooms with the latest and most advanced technology. The private recovery bays feature patient beds that include patient warming devices (The Bair Hugger system) to keep patients at a comfortable body temperature and allow them to recover and be closely monitored post-procedure. All elements of Viva Eve's surgical suite at its 12,000 square foot Madison Avenue flagship location were crafted and designed with the patient experience at the forefront. From 14 temperature-controlled zones throughout the space for optimal patient comfort, medical grade, non-porous surfaces to maintain a sterile environment to innovative soundproofing technology called "Pink Next Gen Fiberglass," no element has been overlooked to achieve the highest quality care for patients. "The female healthcare experience is often disjointed - consisting of trips to multiple doctors and specialists, inconsistent diagnosis, and an overall lack of education about many of the issues women face. Our goal is to provide world-class care where women can receive diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and post-op care all in one place from top-rated providers with decades of combined experience," said Dr. James A. Gohar , Co-founder and CEO Viva Eve . Viva Eve's immediate focus with expanding into Plastics is helping women who often struggle with coming back to themselves after having children, particularly in the areas of the breast and abdomen. Diastasis recti, a common condition where one's abdomen muscles separate, affects 40% of postpartum women who experience stomach bulging. Now, women at Viva Eve who have already established care with providers they know and trust, have the option of receiving plastic surgery services led by board certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lawrence S. Reed . Featured procedures include: Diastasis Recti Repair, Tummy Tucks, Liposuction, Breast Lifts, and Breast Augmentation. From ObGyn and fibroid services to plastic surgery, Viva Eve is reinventing women's health with a deep partnership and comprehensive approach for each woman. Patients can go online at VivaEve.com to schedule their complimentary consultation at the Manhattan Flagship, centrally located on the corner of 59th Street and Madison Avenue. Viva Eve accepts most major insurance plans. More About Viva Eve Founded by Dr. James A. Gohar and Nehal Farouky, Viva Eve is a women's health and fibroids center in NYC born out of one simple belief: there has to be a better way to approach women's healthcare. A woman's healthcare journey that was once fragmented, disjointed and rushed with multiple visits to different specialists and offices, and a lack of education on her options were unfortunately all too common. Viva Eve wanted to change that with a healthcare center that offers women a holistic approach, combined with a welcoming and comforting environment and innovative technology, all under one roof. Media Contact: Sierra Santagati (212) 988-2111 [email protected] SOURCE Viva Eve BALTIMORE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Transamerica has appointed Maurice Perkins as its first Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. The company created its new Corporate Affairs function to advance thought leadership, global government affairs, corporate communications, and brand engagement. This new leadership structure is part of Transamerica's commitment to effectively align these functions to drive growth and provide a broad and resilient suite of insurance, investment and retirement solutions to U.S. customers and their financial professionals. Mr. Perkins will dually report to Will Fuller, Transamerica President and CEO, and Onno van Klinken, Group General Counsel for Transamerica's parent company, Aegon. Perkins Headshot As Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Mr. Perkins will be responsible for strategies that support and enhance Transamerica's corporate values, brand, and engagement with internal and external stakeholders. In addition, Mr. Perkins has been newly appointed as President and Chair of the Aegon Transamerica Foundation, after serving on its board of directors for the past five years. The Aegon Transamerica Foundation, through a combination of financial grants and employees' volunteer commitments, supports nonprofit organizations. In 2021, the Aegon Transamerica Foundation donated nearly $8.5 million to organizations focused on the education, health, and well-being of the U.S. communities where Transamerica employees live and work. Mr. Perkins adds these new roles to his portfolio which includes leading Global Government and Policy Affairs for Aegon and Transamerica. He also serves as a valuable member of the board of directors of Transamerica Institute, a groundbreaking nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting research about retirement security and the intersections of health and financial well-being. "Maurice is a seasoned bridge builder who has a unique ability to balance diverse stakeholder perspectives while navigating today's complex domestic and international political and regulatory environment," said Mr. Fuller. "He is an established leader who brings tremendous experience and a strategic vision for corporate affairs to serve all of our stakeholders' interests and support Transamerica's profitable growth." Based in Washington, DC, Mr. Perkins has spent nearly 20 years contributing to and influencing the federal and international landscape's impact on the insurance, asset management, and banking industries. He joined Aegon and Transamerica in 2017 as Global Head of Government and Policy Affairs and has played a pivotal role in maintaining and strengthening the company's strategic direction on public policy and regulatory strategy, as well as enhancing the company's reputation in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to joining Transamerica, Mr. Perkins worked for the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) and was a professional staff member for two committees in the U.S. Senate. He currently serves on the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's Insurance Policy Advisory Committee and remains active with a host of trade groups, including ACLI, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Investment Company Institute, and the Geneva Association. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Freedom House, a U.S. nonprofit organization which promotes democracy, rule of law, and human rights in restricted countries. Originally from Miami, Florida, Mr. Perkins is a native Spanish speaker and a first generation American. He has a bachelor's degree from Ithaca College and a master's degree from Columbia University. He resides in the Washington, DC metro area with his wife and three daughters. About Transamerica With a history that dates back more than 100 years, Transamerica is a leading provider of life insurance, retirement, and investment solutions, serving millions of customers throughout the United States. Transamerica's dedicated professionals focus on helping people live well today and empowering them to create a better tomorrow through saving, investing, and protecting their loved ones. Transamerica serves nearly every customer segment, providing a broad range of quality individual life insurance policies, workplace supplemental insurance benefits, workplace retirement plans, individual retirement accounts and investment products including mutual funds, annuities, stable value solutions, as well as asset management services. In 2021, Transamerica fulfilled its promises to customers, paying more than $52 billion in insurance, retirement, and annuity claims and benefits, including return of annuity premiums paid by the customer. Transamerica's head office is in Baltimore, Maryland, with other major operations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit www.transamerica.com. About Transamerica Institute Transamerica Institute is a nonprofit, private foundation dedicated to identifying, researching, and educating the public about health and wellness, employment, financial literacy, longevity, and retirement. It is the parent organization of Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) which conducts one of the largest and longest-running annual retirement surveys of its kind. For more information, visit www.transamericainstitute.org. About Aegon Aegon is an integrated, diversified, international financial services group, and Transamerica is part of the Aegon group of companies. Aegon offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions, with a strategic focus on three core markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands), three growth markets (Spain & Portugal, Brazil, and China), and one global asset manager. Aegon's purpose of helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, the company seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion & diversity. Aegon is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.aegon.com. Media inquiries: [email protected] Erin Yang (303) 383-5295 Julie Quinlan (303) 383-5923 SOURCE TRANSAMERICA First visit to the Empire State Building from a U.K. Prime Minister Since Churchill NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Empire State Building (ESB) today hosted the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Liz Truss for her first media interviews. U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss is interviewed on the Empire State Building's 102nd Floor Observatory. The Empire State Building was Truss' first stop on her first U.S. tour as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Truss is the first U.K. Prime Minister to visit the Empire State Building Observatory since Winston Churchill's appearance in 1932. Empire State Realty Trust Chairman, President, and CEO Anthony E. Malkin welcomed the Prime Minister and escorted her through the Empire State Building Observatory to her interviews which she conducted on the Observatory's 102nd floor. "We were pleased to welcome Her Excellency on her first tour in the United States as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," said Malkin. Hi-res imagery of the visit can be downloaded here. More information about the Empire State Building can be found online. About the Empire State Building The Empire State Building , the "World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust , Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. Learn more at www.esbnyc.com . Declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 Attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor's 2022 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best, and the #1 New York City attraction by Lonely Planet, it welcomes more than 4 million annual visitors from around the world. Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors primarily house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Weibo , YouTube , or TikTok . SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. KHIDI Launches Official Medical Korea Website for Easier Access to Korean Medical Services SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) has revamped the official website of Medical Korea(www.medicalkorea.or.kr), featuring information related to the use of Korean medical services. Korea has been awarded by the International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) for "Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year" for two consecutive years, being globally recognized for its competitiveness in medical tourism. Over 3 million patients visited Korea to received medical treatment in Korea since 2009. Unstoppable Rise of Korean Medical Tourism! Information on operations and treatment of medical specialties, including oncology, cardiology and organ transplantation, are available on the Medical Korea website, which has a list of clinics and hospitals designated to treat foreign patients. It also offers various other essential information for visiting Korea, such as the types of medical visas, visa processing, and tax refund for cosmetic surgery. It also details health guidelines for severe diseases, such as cerebral infarction, breast cancer and respiratory diseases, as well as daily activities for enhancing immunity and concentration. Medical Korea's official website is supported in four languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Click the link below to visit the website for details. About KHIDI Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) is a government-affiliated institution operating under the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea. KHIDI was established in 1999 with the purpose of providing professional and systematic support for development of Korean healthcare industry in order to enhance its competitiveness on a global scale. Its aim is the promotion of advanced healthcare services with a long-term perspective to turn the healthcare business into a new growth engine for Korea's creative economy. it is striving to generate the 'Korean-wave' in the global healthcare industry by combining the strength of Korea's medical services, pharmaceutical products, medical devices and cosmetics. Media Contact KHIDI, Global Healthcare Market Analysis Team, Researcher Han Mi-Sun [email protected] SOURCE Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) NOIDA, India, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Energy Management System Market was valued at USD 185 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 18% during 2021-2027. The analysis has been segmented into Type (Building Energy Management System (BEMS), Industrial Energy Management Systems (IEMS), and Home Energy Management System (HEMS)); End-Users (Manufacturing, Power and Energy, IT and Telecommunication, Healthcare, and Others); Application (Energy Generation, Energy Transmission, and Energy Monitoring); Region/Country. Click here to view the Report Description & TOC https://univdatos.com/report/energy-management-system-market/ The Energy Management System market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Energy Management System market. The Energy Management System market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Energy Management System market at the global and regional levels. Request for Sample Pages https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=20692 Market Overview The global energy management system market is expected to witness a CAGR of around 18% during the forecast period (20212027). Rising investments in power transmission and distribution networks coupled with the growing augmentation and modernization of transmission and distribution networks across the globe are expected to drive the market. As per the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), an energy management system (EMS) is a framework for energy consumers, including industrial, commercial, and public sector organizations, to manage their energy use. It assists businesses in identifying opportunities to adopt and improve energy-saving technologies, including those that do not necessitate a large capital investment. In most cases, successful EMS implementation requires specialized knowledge and staff training. Thus, with the rising energy consumption coupled with the integration of mandatory environmental regulations and policies in the current energy management ecosystem, the global EMS market is expected to witness exponential growth during the forecast period. Click here to view the Report Description & TOC https://univdatos.com/report/energy-management-system-market/ The global Energy Management System market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated. Based on type, the market is classified into building energy management system (BEMS), industrial energy management systems (IEMS), and home energy management system (HEMS). Amongst them, IEMS is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the adoption and integration of energy-efficient systems and technologies by industries across the world coupled with the introduction of new EMS by major stakeholders in the market. For instance, GE IEMS a digital control system by General Electric offers monitoring of energy consumption, analysis of operational data, automated alerts and alarming, and system events meeting application and operational requirements. Based on end-users, the market is classified into manufacturing, power and energy, it and telecommunication, healthcare, and others. Amongst them, the power and energy category accounted for a significant market share in 2020. This is mainly due to the rising investment by government and private entities for the up-gradation of power and energy infrastructure, globally. Key stakeholders in the industry have spotted smart grid technology as a strategic energy infrastructural investment as long-term economic success and help in achieving the carbon emission targets. For instance, the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada has launched, the Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREPs) program, a four-year US$ 795 million (CA$ 960 million) investment plan to support the rollout of smart grid technologies. (CA$ 960 million) investment plan to support the rollout of smart grid technologies. Based on application, the market is categorized into energy generation, energy transmission, and energy monitoring. During the forecast period, the energy monitoring category is expected to witness significant growth in the market. Energy monitoring is the act of collecting real-time or interval energy data so that building resource consumption can be managed efficiently. The market is also witnessing the development of connected, intelligent devices, such as smart meters, smart sensors, and smart thermostats, further supporting the category's growth. Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/energy-management-system-market/ Energy Management System Market Geographical Segmentation Includes: North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America ) ( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Spain , Italy , France , and the Rest of Europe ) ( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , South Korea , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific ) ( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World For a better understanding of the market adoption of the Energy Management System industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (US, Canada, Rest of North America); Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and the Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific); and the Rest of World. In 2020, North America, accounted for a significant share in the market owing to high investment and active deployment of the advanced technologies in the region's power grid sector. For instance, according to the IEA, in 2019, the United States surpassed China to lead in grid investment for the first time in ten years. The major players targeting the market include IBM Corporation Rockwell Automation Inc. General Electric Co. Schneider Electric SE Cisco Systems Inc. Tendril Networks Inc. Eaton Corporation EnerNOC Inc. Elster Group GMBH SAP SE. Competitive Landscape The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Energy Management System Market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition. Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include: What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Energy Management System market? Which factors are influencing the Energy Management System market over the forecast period? What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Energy Management System market? Which factors are propelling and restraining the Energy Management System market? What are the demanding global regions of the Energy Management System market? What will be the global market size in the upcoming years? What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies? We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs. Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights Energy Management System Market Report Coverage Report Attribute Details Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2027 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 18% Market size 2020 USD 185 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Energy Management System Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, India, and Australia Companies profiled IBM Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., General Electric Co., Schneider Electric SE, Cisco Systems Inc., Tendril Networks Inc., Eaton Corporation, EnerNOC Inc., Elster Group GMBH, and SAP SE Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Type; By End-Users; By Application; By Region/Country About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients. Contact UnivDatos Market Insights Ankita Gupta Director Operations Ph: +91-7838604911 Email: [email protected] Website: https://univdatos.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd. Cairo, Sep 20 (UNI) India and Egypt have signed an Agreement on cooperation in the field of defence that will pave the way for enhancing defence cooperation across all sectors of mutual interest. The MoU was signed during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart Gen Mohamed Zaki in Cairo on Monday, the Defence Ministry said. "Had an excellent meeting with Egypts Defence Minister, General Mohamed Zaki in Cairo. We had wide-ranging discussions on several initiatives to further expand bilateral Defence engagements. Signing of the MoU on Defence Cooperation adds new impetus and synergy to our relations," Rajnath Singh tweeted. Signing of the MoU was a "milestone event" during the visit, which will pave the way for enhancing defence cooperation across all sectors of mutual interest, the Ministry added. Rajnath Singh is on an official visit to Egypt. He was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Ministry of Defence in Cairo prior to the commencement of bilateral talks between the two countries. During the meeting, both sides discussed steps to strengthen defence ties and reached a consensus to enhance conduct of joint exercises and exchange of personnel for training, especially in the field of counter-insurgency, the Defence Ministry added. The two Ministers also agreed to identify proposals for expanding cooperation between the defence industries of India and Egypt in a time-bound manner. They also exchanged views on regional security and acknowledged the contribution of India and Egypt to peace and stability in the world. Both sides expressed happiness at the intensified defence engagement and exchanges over the last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the Defence Minister's call on with the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, both the Ministers agreed to consolidate and focus on enhancing security and defence aspects of bilateral cooperation. Rajnath Singh also invited his Egyptian counterpart to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and IOR Defence Ministers Conclave, scheduled to be held as part of 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18-22, 2022. The Defence Minister also paid homage at the Unknown Soldier Memorial and Tombstone of the late Egyptian President Anwar ElSadat in Cairo. UNI ASU ING SINGAPORE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage, the international multi-asset trading platform today announces its partnership with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation), as a part of its social commitment to strengthen education opportunities to emerging markets like India. Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative for the UNESCO New Delhi Office, and Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer at Vantage [L-R]Yen Sim, Global Branding and Communications Director, Vantage, Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative for the UNESCO New Delhi Office, and Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer, Vantage. Within this partnership, Vantage is supporting the "State of the Education Report for India, 2022 Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education," which was launched today in New Delhi, India. The Report covers a number of pertinent issues at the intersection of AI and education, including the potential of artificial intelligence to empower teachers and enhance our understanding of the learning process. Commenting on the partnership, Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer at Vantage, said, "Our global footprint and presence in emerging markets has provided us with a unique perspective into the issues faced by our communities. We aim to foster a long-term, strategic partnership with UNESCO that rests on the foundations of our shared values inclusion and equity. As a financial services provider, lending our support towards emerging technological developments in education, such as on AI in education and on digital literacy initiatives to students and learners in India, was a natural first step to take on this education journey." Talking about the role of artificial intelligence in financial inclusion, Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, said, "While the world may be on the fence about AI, this much is certain that AI is here to stay. With the rise of ICTs and digital banking platforms, AI has made financial inclusion a reality in India. Financial education and skilling are key to improving the economic and social well-being of people, especially women. In light of the same, we are very happy to partner with Vantage who share our commitments." Vantage's partnership with UNESCO New Delhi brings together two organisations with a shared aspiration to ensure that no one is left behind. In the coming years, Vantage aims to leverage its financial and technological expertise to provide support for UNESCO's education initiatives in India, by increasing the accessibility of teaching and bringing the benefits of education to those who need it most. Vantage's strategic partnership with UNESCO marks another milestone in its corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) journey, which was formally launched in July 2022 . Vantage has been collaborating with popular digital media producer Supercar Blondie to raise awareness on climate change and women's empowerment during the week of the Extreme E race in Sardinia, Italy. In addition, the company has undertaken several other ESG activities this year, including a dollar-for-dollar matching fundraising exercise in partnership with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and a global blood donation drive across their offices. About Vantage Vantage is a global, multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading CFDs on Forex, Commodities, Indices, and Shares. With more than 10 years of market experience. Vantage now has over 1,000 employees/personnel across more than 30 global offices. Vantage is more than a broker. It provides a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a faster and simpler trading platform that enables clients to take advantage of trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play. Be empowered to better capitalise on winning market opportunities when you trade smarter @vantage.com www.vantagemarkets.com About UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in the year 1945. It seeks to build peace and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. As a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries to adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and the exchange of knowledge. WEB |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER| YOUTUBE SOURCE Vantage SAN DIEGO, Sept 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VECKTA Corporation , the energy transition marketplace platform that connects commercial and industrial energy users with capital, services, and equipment suppliers, announced today Uma Gopaldass as their newest board member. Uma Gopaldass, VECKTA's newest board member. Uma is a Board-certified governance counsel with over 30 years of global operating experience across the Natural Resources, Technology, and Engineering industries. She is an active board director and sits on the Leadership Board of TEDx MileHigh, and several investor councils. Her company, Leading Lotus , guides executives to navigate a myriad of business challenges including securing financing, building investor confidence, and targeting strategic markets. Before this, Uma led global restructuring projects totaling over $30B for Fortune 500 corporations, including Schlumberger, Accenture, and Newmont. Uma a native of Singapore, has enjoyed mountain living in Colorado for the past 10 years, where she advocates for energy transition as a public speaker. "VECKTA is an opportunity that comes along ever so rarely. VECKTA has an incredibly talented team determined to accelerate the mission of energy transition through its remarkable marketplace platform," says Uma Gopaldass. "VECKTA's culture steeped in values sets them apart as they advance clarity in the next generation of energy solutions. I am grateful to VECKTA's CEO, Gareth Evans, and my fellow Board of Directors for electing me as their independent director, and look forward to supporting their growth." "Team VECKTA is very excited to welcome Uma," said Gareth Evans, VECKTA Founder and CEO. "Uma brings incredible global experience and cross-sector expertise in industries that will benefit the most from embracing the energy transition as an opportunity and not a threat. Uma perfectly rounds out our board to ensure we are positioned for huge success. I am personally delighted to have the opportunity to work with and learn from Uma as her passion, energy and experience is phenomenal. Our values are well aligned and we are collectively committed to empowering a more sustainable, resilient and profitable future." "A successful and purposeful energy transition is critical to a sustainable and thriving future. We want to surround ourselves with those that can help us to rapidly scale, cut through the complexity and confusion in the industry and enable commercial and industrial businesses to take control of their energy future." VECKTA is an onsite energy marketplace platform where companies can access vetted capital, construction, and equipment suppliers all in one place. Due to an aging grid, skyrocketing utility costs, decreased reliability, and slow deployment of low carbon options, businesses must have an energy strategy. VECKTA's platform allows businesses to baseline and assess their energy situation today, prioritize where they will gain the greatest return on investment, design customized energy solutions for their business objectives, leverage a transparent and competitive marketplace to finance and deploy their energy solution and then monitor and verify its performance - in one integrated platform. Business leaders can make well-informed decisions, creating a win for the business, a new customer for the supplier, and a more habitable planet for all. We are revolutionizing the distributed energy industry. SOURCE VECKTA DUBLIN, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "5G NR Benchmark Study Vol 22: The Greatest Show on Earth!" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The publisher just completed its 22nd 5G NR benchmark study. For this endeavor they conducted a benchmark study of the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network (60 MHz @ Bn77) in the Twin Cities Metro area where Ericsson is the infrastructure supplier. Highlights of the Report include the following: Acknowledgements This study was conducted in collaboration with Accuver Americas and Spirent Communications who provided their respective test equipment and platforms, which is identified in the report. The publisher did all the testing and analysis of the data and we are solely responsible for the commentary in the report. Publisher Methodology We used a recently-purchased Galaxy S21 FE smartphone with a Verizon test SIM to collect downlink/uplink performance data while driving ~500 kilometers and consuming 1.48 TB of data. We analyzed chipset diagnostic messages using time and area binning (55 meter grids) to provide the most meaningful results and analysis. That was then, this is now Although 5G Nationwide (Bn5) performance and coverage was a disappointment, Bn77 was not. Coverage greatly exceeded what we observed with Bn5 back in Oct 2020 while average throughput was 15-20x higher. Bn77 spectral efficiency was also much higher than all LTE bands and Bn5. FDD-TDD CA and UL-256QAM is alive and well The Verizon network supported both features which the publisher believes are critical for a successful mid-band 5G NR deployment. Greater use of FDD-TDD CA and device support for UL-256QAM are important success factors. Bn77 vs Bn41 Coverage Although the area covered by Bn41 was modestly larger than it was for Bn77, the Bn77 uplink coverage and performance (average throughput, spectral efficiency) was better than Bn41. Data suggests a one-for-one overlay of Bn77 on the existing LTE cell grid with no obvious detrimental impact on overall performance (e.g., performance at cell handover, etc.). Fixed Wireless Access is in the works Bn77 capacity in rural areas, including in areas where another broadband option doesn't exist, greatly exceeds what is needed for eMBB. The analysis of throughput versus distance to the serving cell site also revealed rural coverage at 3.7 GHz won't be a limiting factor. mmWave would make a great complementary solution. Key Topics Covered: 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Key Observations 3.0 Downlink Performance Results and Analysis 3.1 Performance Related Analysis 4.0 Uplink Performance and Coverage Analysis - Bn41 versus Bn77 5.0 Distance and Vehicular Speed Analysis 6.0 Test Methodology 7.0 Final Thoughts Companies Mentioned Verizo T-Mobile For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z7emmz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Bespoke California Whiskey Brand Sends its Coveted and Unique Flavor Profile into Distribution on Limited Basis LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolves is releasing a variation of its unique signature blend into select markets for the first time, giving a broader audience the chance to acquire it. Previous releases were only available on the Wolves website, and sold out in minutes. The Wolves signature blend flavor profile is unlike anything else on the market. The majority of the blend consists uniquely of whiskey distilled from craft beer, with the balance of the blend comprised of Rye whiskey sourced in Indiana and aged in Northern California. Wolves Signature Blend - Limited Run Wolves Signature Blend - Limited Run The beer whiskeys in this run are (1) whiskey distilled from craft Stout beer, aged in used French Oak for 9 years, and (2) whiskey distilled from a craft California Pale Ale, aged in used French Oak for 7 years. The stout beer whiskey is rich, complex, and offers a smoked leather element, while the Pale Ale whiskey is sweet and hoppy. The two Rye whiskeys were aged for 7 and 6 years in new American Oak. The rising heat and spice from the Rye cuts the sweetness and hops provided by the beer distillates for a well-balanced and unique profile. Wolves Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic distills these rare California beer whiskeys over a 10-day period, sleeping in four hour shifts so that he alone can make each cut, selecting 'the heart of hearts' for double distillation. He does so in a small, slow, alembic Brandy still that was imported to California from Cognac, France in 1983. Coming off the Brandy still, these beer distillates have massive body, viscosity, and take oak exceptionally well. "It's amazing that the whiskeys Marko has been making from beer for decades have not reached a wider audience. The body and quality of these whiskeys is on par with the best spirits in the world," noted Wolves CEO and Master Blender, Jeremy Joseph. No flavoring has been added to the whiskey. However, the TTB requires the "Hop Flavored" designation because the whiskey was distilled from a refined starting product (bottle-ready beer) rather than a grain mash. "This Rye-forward expression exudes the vanilla, hops, chocolate, and citrus that the signature blend is known for. We are honored to help share what Marko started long ago," said co-founder Jon Buscemi. "I'm glad Wolves can help push the limits of how whiskey is traditionally done." The card stock labels were made in collaboration with a local California wine label maker. This release of Wolves is limited to 1979 6-pack cases and will be available in select retail in October. Not available in all 50 states. Sign up for Allocation at WolvesWhiskeyCA.com for updates and a chance to purchase directly online. Press assets found here. SOURCE Wolves Whiskey Cooling D&O Market, ESG Impacts, Fewer Securities Lawsuits but Higher Settlements SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodruff Sawyer, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the US, announced today the release of the 2023 D&O Looking Ahead Guide. For the last 10 years the Guide has provided a trusted roadmap for clients to help them make sense of the current Directors and Officers liability insurance environment and to plan for their upcoming renewal. Priya Huskins, Lauri Floresca and Seth Naterman on 2023's D&O Hot Topics and Trends In 2021, Woodruff Sawyer's Looking Ahead Guide correctly predicted D&O pricing would moderate as new capacity and new competition entered the market. In the first half of 2022, 69% of clients saw their premium decrease vs. 12% in 2021. Woodruff Sawyer predicts this will persist well into 2023. A significant area of interest for public company directors and officers is the securities litigation landscape. While filings are down 7% year over year, settlement amounts are not. So far this year, 48 settlements have been reached totaling $1.4 billion, exceeding the 10-year average and median. Today, 476 cases, many of which have been open for several years, remain on the docket. The trend of longer-duration cases generating even larger settlements is an ongoing cause for concern for D&O underwriters. While ESG or Environmental, Social and Governance issues have been a flashpoint for boards over the last few years, 2022 has proven particularly challenging. The SEC's proposed climate rules will add an extra regulatory burden to companies just as the economy is going through a downturn. In addition, the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision overturning Dobbs v. Jackson has created chaos in the world of employee benefits, not to mention potential personal liability threats for boards of directors. 2023 will likely bring some clarification but right now companies are making decisions that could place them at risk. For more insights into the impact of Dobbs liability on your company and board, read Woodruff Sawyer's Post Roe: Dobbs v. Jackson FAQ. Priya Huskins, Senior Vice President, Management Liability and editor of the "D&O Notebook" blog series notes, "2022 has been an impactful year - throwing former norms into disarray and creating uncertainty in the D&O market. We're pleased about the softer D&O market but the societal and economic challenges ahead are daunting. Over the last 10 years, our D&O Looking Ahead Guide has provided a touchstone for clients and the curious alike, helping them make sense of their D&O environment and the challenges that impact them while guiding them to the next right move." Want to learn more? Sign up to attend Woodruff Sawyer's 2023 D&O Looking Ahead Guide Webinar on September 28, 2022 from 10 AM-11 AM PDT. About Woodruff Sawyer As one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, Woodruff Sawyer protects the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. We provide expert counsel and fierce advocacy to protect clients against their most critical risks in property and casualty, management liability, cyber liability, employee benefits, and personal wealth management. An active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network, we provide expertise and customized solutions where clients need it, with headquarters in San Francisco, offices throughout the US, and global reach on six continents. For more information, call 844.972.6326, or visit woodruffsawyer.com. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Woodruff Sawyer PHOENIX, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldHotelsTM Collection announced today the expansion of its hotel offerings in premier destinations across Europe and North America. The addition of these exquisite properties is part of the brand's larger effort to strategically expand its footprint in key destinations across the globe. "The WorldHotels portfolio is going from strength to strength as we expand our footprint in premier destinations across the globe," said Ron Pohl, President of International Operations and President of WorldHotels, BWH Hotel Group. "International travel is rebounding in the wake of the pandemic, and we know that global travel will play an instrumental role in our industry's recovery. At WorldHotels we are proud to offer both developers and travelers a variety of hotel options around the world." Select hotels joining the portfolio include: With these new hotels onboarded, WorldHotels has now added over 20 hotels to its portfolio in Europe, Asia and North America in the last year with an additional 12 set to open before end of year. With a portfolio of stunning hotels across the globe, WorldHotels is positioned for continued growth, providing unique offerings and experiences to travelers and developers worldwide. All hoteliers that have recently joined WorldHotels benefit from the brand's reputation for providing superior guest service, and gain access to the award-winning WorldHotels RewardsSM (WHR) program, which boasts nearly 50 million members worldwide. From September 12, 2022, to November 21, 2022, all WHR members will earn double points on every stay at any participating WorldHotels property, click here to learn more. For more information on WorldHotels, please visit: WorldHotels.com. About WorldHotels Collection: WorldHotels Collection is a privately held hotel soft brand within the BWH Hotel Group global network. Founded by independent hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, and celebrating its 50th year anniversary in 2021, WorldHotels offers one of the finest portfolios of independent hotels and resorts around the globe, expertly curated to inspire unique, life enriching experiences that connect people and places. WorldHotels is comprised of four unique collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of today's traveler. The collections include: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted. For more information visit WorldHotels.com. Media Contact: Katie Ray Director of Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE WorldHotels Agreement will see more than 200 chargers installed at properties nationwide NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Xeal, a leading provider of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and smarter technology for the multifamily industry, today announced an agreement with The NRP Group, one of the nation's leading developers and builders of multifamily homes, to install more than 200 charging stations at the company's U.S. properties. The NRP Group partnered with Xeal based on the company's ability to help The NRP Group achieve its current EV charging station goals while future-proofing its properties to meet upcoming demands, offering residents and visitors the most intelligent charging technology available. "It's important for The NRP Group to provide its residents and their visitors with EV charging technology that's reliable with 100% uptime, and we believe a thoughtful EV charging strategy is critical to serve our communities," said Bryan Glosik, Director of Energy and Water for NRP. "Preparation is always preferable to playing catch-up, and Xeal provides us with a solid investment in environmental responsibility and in the future of our portfolio. NRP has chosen to partner with Xeal in order to thoughtfully and responsibly execute NRP's ESG strategy." Xeal's charging platform leverages its patent-pending Apollo protocol, which uses encrypted tokens and distributed ledger technology for connectivity, eliminating the need for costly IT/network infrastructure and upgrades entirely, reducing capex and maximizing ROI. The simple, user-friendly platform ensures residents can operate the decentralized networked charging stations through the Apollo technologies connectivity protocol. Xeal's holistic power optimization technology also empowers owner/operators to install up to 3x as many charging stations without electrical upgrades and without installing costly IT infrastructure. "Xeal is excited to partner with The NRP Group, which is a company that understands its role in supporting the explosive growth of EVs for its residents, as well as providing for the environment," said Zander Isaacson, Co-Founder and CEO at Xeal. "Xeal's EV charging technology and self-reliant communication architecture is the most dependable choice for The NRP Group's outstanding communities now and in the future." About Xeal Xeal is a hyper-growth, venture-backed technology startup headquartered in New York City. Xeal offers multifamily and commercial real estate owners and operators the ability to seamlessly install smart EV charging in their communities with little to no infrastructure upgrades. Clients manage these smart EV charging stations remotely through Xeal's dashboard, providing real-time data on charging sessions, energy management, utilization, and revenue share. Xeal's driver app employs a token-based technology for EV drivers to gain reliable access to charging stations without relying on cellular or garage IT infrastructure. Through Apollo, a groundbreaking decentralized communication protocol, building owners can remotely control and monitor smart charging stations through a bi-directional management channel between user smartphones and EV chargers to establish a more secure, reliable, and cost-effective way to stay connected. Xeal delivers an entirely self-sufficient smart charging experience for drivers, enabling 100% uptime, 50x faster processing speed, and a frictionless user experience. Experience Xeal's recent deployments here or visit www.xealenergy.com for more information. About The NRP Group The NRP Group is a vertically integrated developer, owner, builder, and manager of best-in-class multifamily housing. Since its founding in 1994, NRP has delivered more than 35,000 apartment homes, and currently manages over 20,000 residential units. The company utilizes the entire breadth of its in-house capabilities to fulfill its mission: creating exceptional rental housing opportunities for individuals and families, regardless of income. Through its disciplined approach to vetting opportunities, NRP has established a track record of delivering impressive returns for investors. The company's formidable size and depth of talent provides the experience and infrastructure necessary to execute developments of varying degrees of complexity and scope in both urban-infill and suburban locations, including market-rate, affordable, and senior housing. As a three-time recipient of the National Association of Builders Multifamily Development Firm of the Year and recognized Top 25 Developer by Multifamily Executive, NRP is leveraging its decades of practice by also providing construction and property management services to outside owners and developers. For additional information, visit www.nrpgroup.com . SOURCE Xeal Leadership team is well-equipped to pursue transformational growth initiatives CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ziyad Brothers ("Ziyad" or the "Company"), a leading omni-channel provider of branded Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods, announced today that Jim Wagner has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wagner succeeds Nassem Ziyad, a member of the founding family, who will continue to actively serve the Company as Executive Chairman focused on corporate partnerships and brand development, and as a member of the Company's board. Mr. Wagner joins Ziyad with more than 20 years of professional experience in the food distribution industry, most recently serving as CEO of Roland Foods. Prior to Roland, he served in numerous positions with Chef's Warehouse, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Ziyad said, "This is an exciting time for Ziyad, and I believe that Jim is the right person to lead this great company into the future. I look forward to working with Jim to leverage Ziyad's strong reputation for providing the highest levels of food quality and service, combined with our compelling new product innovations. We have a tremendous team in place and will continue to pursue transformational growth initiatives for the benefit of all stakeholders." Mr. Wagner added, "I am humbled by the opportunity to join this well-respected company that is fully committed to the success of its customers, suppliers, and retail partners. I look forward to working with Nassem, the Board and our dedicated employees to build on the strong foundation formed by the Ziyad family. Collectively, we will accelerate the Company's growth trajectory and capitalize on the many attractive opportunities before us." Michael Graham, a board member of Ziyad, said, "We are delighted to welcome Jim to the Ziyad team. Jim is a highly talented executive who has an impressive history of leadership roles within both public and private companies. His demonstrated track record of driving significant value creation across supply chain, sales and operations is a great fit for the Company, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise across numerous growth initiatives." Mr. Graham continued, "On behalf of the board, we would like to thank Nassem for his past, present, and future leadership. Nassem's contributions and leadership have been instrumental in building our unparalleled reputation and relationships with our suppliers, customers, employees, and community. We are excited for the growth of our corporate & brand partnerships under Nassem and for his continued board membership." ABOUT ZIYAD Ziyad is a leading omni-channel provider of branded Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food and beverage products. Founded as a small bakery in 1966 in Chicago, Ziyad now owns numerous brands and partners with dozens of world-class companies on an exclusive basis to deliver their brands to the North American market. For more information on Ziyad, visit us online at http://www.Ziyad.com.. Media Contact: Daniel Yunger Kekst CNC 2125214800 [email protected] SOURCE Ziyad Brothers Zotos Professional relaunches its Biotera product portfolio with new formulas developed to preserve scalp health DARIEN, Conn., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zotos Professional has proudly unveiled its first Microbiome-friendly certified product line with the relaunch of its sub brand Biotera's new kind-scalp-formulations. The restaged portfolio aligns with Zotos Professional's nearly 100-year history and brand ethos that is rooted in progressive science research and trusting the expertise of visionary hair enthusiasts. NEW Microbiome-Friendly Certified Hair Care Line from Zotos Professional brand Biotera. Zotos Professional worked closely with an expert, Microbiologist, Dr. Kristin Neumann, to test if the products respect the scalp microbiota. Neumann used the latest techniques in microbiome research to evaluate each product. She explains, "MyMicrobiome is an independent control body that rigorously tests products for the impact on the skin's and scalp's microbiome. The 'Microbiome-friendly certification' facilitates the decision of consumers when looking for skin and microbiome-friendly products." The microbiome is an invisible ecosystem of microorganisms all over the body consisting of good and bad bacteria. Cosmetic products that are overly harsh or stripping may disturb the microbiome's delicate balance. Zotos Professional spent years redeveloping Biotera's portfolio, ensuring that each certified product would be considerate to the diversity of the scalp's microbiome. Zotos Professional also partnered with Penny James, board-certified Trichologist IAT, IoT, and hairstylist, for her experience in scalp and hair. "Maintaining the scalp microbiome will reduce itching, inflammation, and hair cycle interruption. The new Biotera formulas, enhanced with coconut oil, help to maintain a healthy scalp and leave hair feeling nourished and moisturized." James states. The new Ultra Color Care and Ultra Moisturizing free from sulfates* collections that are launching first contain scalp-friendly formulas, made with a pre- and post-biotic blend plus a signature beauty boosting botanical. All Biotera formulas are Vegan** and PETA-Approved. Additional collections will be available in Fall 2022. As innovative pioneers in haircare, Zotos Professional continues to elevate their consumer-centric product offerings that recognize the critical need for scalp care. Biotera's first Microbiome-Friendly Certified line is now available at Sally Beauty and Amazon.com for $12.00-$13.00 MSRP. For more information, please visit https://zotosprofessional.com/brand/biotera. * SLS/SLES Sulfates = Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate **free from animal derived ingredients About Zotos Professional Since 1929, Zotos Professional has been a pioneer in the hair care industry, and is dedicated to research-backed innovations, cutting-edge technology, high-quality ingredients, exhaustive testing, unbeatable value and Green Circle Certified Salons. The company's goal is to provide the support and inspiration to make the dreams of Hair Creators a reality. For more information, please visit www.zotosprofessional.com. About Henkel in North America In North America, Henkel operates across its three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry & Home Care. Its portfolio of well-known consumer and industrial brands includes Schwarzkopf hair care, Dial soaps, Persil, Purex, and all laundry detergents, Snuggle fabric softeners as well as Loctite, Technomelt and Bonderite adhesives. With sales close to 6 billion US dollars (5 billion euros) in 2021, North America accounts for 25 percent of the company's global sales. Henkel employs over 8,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.henkel-northamerica.com, and on Twitter @Henkel_NA. About MyMicrobiome: MyMicrobiome is the worldwide leading independent certification body for Microbiome-friendly cosmetics and care products with over 300 tested products from over 16 countries. Brands like Weleda, Dr. Elsa Jungman, Henkel, Burts Bees, Codex Beauty Labs but also ingredient suppliers like Aprinnova, DSM, Lipoid, Pharcos and others are buying in to this certification. MyMicrobiomes highly experienced scientists now also use their expertise to offer specific R&D services to the customer. With the vision 'for a better, Microbiome-friendly world' MyMicrobiome constantly develops further certifications for microbiome-related products, next to come are Microbiome-friendly textiles. Photo material is available at www.henkel-northamerica.com/press Contact: Carly Mehl Phone - 774-212-6213 Email - [email protected] SOURCE Zotos Professional UW President Appoints Special Assistant Kelsey Kyne An experienced leader who has filled a variety of roles in higher education has been appointed as a special assistant to University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel. Kelsey Kyne, most recently the chief operating officer in the University of Tennessees Division of Student Success, will begin her job at UW Oct. 24. She will be responsible for a broad range of public relations activities related to the strategic direction of the university and its leadership. Additionally, she will take on special projects and assist in the day-to-day activities of the Office of the President, including stewardship, external relations, communications and collaborations with the presidents cabinet, of which she will be a member. Were excited to have Kelsey come aboard and fill this important new role in our administration, Seidel says. She will draw from a wide diversity of experience in higher education as she helps us move forward to both shore up the foundations of the university and advance important initiatives. At the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Kyne has overseen facilities, human resources and finance for the Division of Student Success. Her previous positions at Florida State College-Jacksonville, the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville and the University of Florida College of Pharmacy were related to student affairs, fiscal management, institutional effectiveness and accreditation. As a first-generation college student, she is passionate about creating and enhancing opportunities for students of all backgrounds to pursue their goals through higher education. I am honored and excited to join the University of Wyoming as the special assistant to the president, Kyne says. In this role, I look forward to working closely with President Seidel, as well as faculty, staff and students, to advance the universitys mission of cultivating a rich community of scholarship, creativity and achievement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science, with a concentration in international development and humanitarian assistance, from the University of Florida and a Master of Education in educational leadership from the University of North Florida. She is a doctoral candidate in Florida State Universitys Educational Leadership and Policy Program. Lagos, Sep 20 : Nigeria's anti-drug agency said on Monday it has arrested four drug barons in Lagos, the country's economic hub, and made a record seizure of 1,855 kg of cocaine over the weekend. In a press statement on Monday, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said its operatives raided on Sunday a warehouse in the Ikorodu area of Lagos and seized 1,855 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $278 million in street value, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement described the seizure as "the biggest singular cocaine seizure" in the history of the NDLEA, noting the class-A drugs, stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums, were meant for buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. Four drug barons and the warehouse manager were arrested in the coordinated and intelligence-led operation in Lagos, said the NDLEA, adding that they are all members of an international drug syndicate that the agency has been trailing since 2018. Paris, Sep 20 : France detected an increase of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases in coastal birds since mid-May, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food has said. "The national health situation with regards to avian influenza had improved in France since the beginning of May, with the return to a level of risk classified as 'negligible'. However, since mid-May a sharp increase in cases has been observed in 'indigenous' wildlife on the Channel coast and more recently on the Atlantic coast," the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. "Since mid-May, grouped mortalities of coastal birds have been observed," it said in a press release. "The situation is exceptional (never encountered in France before) due to its scale and the period of when the detections are held," the ministry said, adding that "strict compliance with biosecurity rules and bird monitoring" were reinforced. In these cluster areas, "various measures have been introduced, the aim of which is to strengthen the surveillance of the wildlife and poultry farms," the ministry noted. On Monday, 19 clusters of HPAI, 12 in breeding farms and seven in poultry yards, were detected in the country, the ministry said. An avian flu cluster has been detected on Saturday in a farm of 36,000 poultry which located in the city of Cere-la-Ronde, Indre-et-Loire department, west-central France, the local prefecture of the department revealed on Monday. According to the prefecture, in order to avoid the spread of the avian flu, culling of the animals in the farm was "carried out as soon as possible." A three-km protection zone and 10-km surveillance zone were established on Saturday around the cluster, where hunting of waterfowl and other birds were also prohibited, the prefecture added. Since August 2021, HPAI outbreaks have been detected in wildlife or farms in Europe and 36 countries are affected by the avian flu on the continent. Kiev, Sep 20 : Ukraine's agricultural exports under a key grain deal reached 3.9 million tons, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority has said. So far, a total of 169 ships have left Ukraine's Black Sea ports for countries in Asia, Europe and Africa under the deal signed in July in Turkey, Xinhua news agency reported. On Monday alone, four ships loaded with more than 178,000 tons of foodstuffs departed from the ports of Odesa and Pivdenny. On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkey and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. On August 1, the first cargo vessel carrying grain after the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict left Odesa for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Jerusalem, Sep 20 : Israel has announced that it will start to produce natural gas from a disputed Mediterranean maritime field "as soon as possible", despite US-brokered border demarcation talks between Israel and Lebanon. "The production of gas from the Karish rig will commence without delay, as soon as it is possible," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office said in a statement, adding the production "is not connected to the negotiations (with Lebanon)", Xinhua news agency reported. Israel claimed that the Karish field is located within its economic zone while Lebanon claims in disputed waters. According to a report on Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the negotiations have entered their "final stages" in the past few days. "Israel believes that it is both possible and necessary to reach an agreement on a maritime line between Lebanon and Israel, in a manner that will serve the interests of the citizens of both countries," the Prime Minister's Office said. Such an agreement will be "greatly beneficial and strengthen regional stability", it added. Cairo, Sep 20 : Egypt on Monday unveiled a granite sarcophagus of a high-ranking official under King Ramesses II in the 19th Dynasty about 3,300 years ago, the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said in a statement. "A red sarcophagus was discovered by an Egyptian excavation mission at the Saqqara archaeological site in the south of Cairo," Xinhua news agency quoted Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as saying. The high-ranking official, identified as Ptah-em-uya, was a royal secretary, chief overseer of cattle, and head of the treasury of the Ramasseum, Ramesses' funerary temple in the Theban necropolis in Luxor city, according to Waziri. Ptah-em-uya's tomb was found last year, he noted. The Egyptian team managed to enter the tomb of the nobleman and found his sarcophagus covered in texts about safeguarding the dead, and scenes representing the sons of the god Horus, Waziri said. Initial investigations of the sarcophagus showed that it was broken and robbed in ancient times because there is no sign of materials used for mummification. Ramesses II, commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, itself the most powerful period of Ancient Egypt. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Insurtech platform Zopper on Tuesday said it has raised $75 million in its Series C funding, led by Creaegis with participation from ICICI Venture and Bessemer Venture Partners. The startup aims to utilise fresh funds in cutting-edge technology, business development initiatives, inorganic growth through merger and acquisition (M&A) and global expansion. Zooper said it aims to achieve an annualised Gross Written Premium (GWP) of $500 million by March 2024. "Zopper is bringing the partners and insurers together and spearheading a profound transformation in the realm of insurance distribution. We have exponentially grown in the last four years, and will continue to grow at a significant pace in the years to come," said Surjendu Kuila, Co-Founder and CEO. Existing investor, Blume Ventures also participated in the round. Tiger Global, currently invested in the company, will continue to extend its support for future growth, said the platform. The fresh capital will allow Zopper to further bolster its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform and data analytics capabilities, build a next generation data engineering team and fuel business development initiatives. Established in 2011, Zopper has more than 150 ecosystem partners, like Amazon, Ola, Xiaomi, Croma, Hitachi, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Chaitanya, and more, and has presence in over 1,200 cities. "We believe in Zopper's vision of transforming and automating the insurance distribution model in India," said Prakash Parthasarathy, Managing Partner, Creaegis. Gagandeep S Chhina, Director-Private Equity, ICICI Venture, added that Zopper is well positioned to capture the long-term growth opportunity. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Ride-hailing major Uber has blamed the infamous Lapsus$ hacking group for the cyber attack on its internal systems last week. The company reiterated that no customer or user data was compromised during the breach. "We believe that this attacker (or attackers) are affiliated with a hacking group called Lapsus$, which has been increasingly active over the last year or so," Uber said in an update. This group typically uses similar techniques to target technology companies, and this year breached Microsoft, Cisco, Samsung, Nvidia and Okta, among others. "There are also reports that this same actor breached video game maker Rockstar Games. We are in close coordination with the FBI and the US Department of Justice on this matter and will continue to support their efforts," Uber added. The attacker accessed several internal systems at Uber. The company said it did not see that the attacker accessed the production (public-facing) systems that power its apps; any user accounts; or the databases it uses to store sensitive user information, like credit card numbers, user bank account info, or trip history. "We reviewed our codebase and have not found that the attacker made any changes. We also have not found that the attacker accessed any customer or user data stored by our cloud providers," said Uber. It does appear that the attacker downloaded some internal Slack messages, according to Uber, as well as accessed or downloaded information from an internal tool "our finance team uses to manage some invoices". "We are currently analysing those downloads". The attacker was able to access the Uber dashboard at HackerOne, where security researchers report bugs and vulnerabilities. "However, any bug reports the attacker was able to access have been remediated," Uber added. Lapsus$ waged a ransomware attack against the Brazilian Ministry of Health in December 2021, compromising the vaccination data of millions. Earlier this year, the UK Police arrested several members of the group earlier this year, most of them teenagers. San Francisco, Sep 20 : Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is set to be grilled in the court in the ongoing legal battle between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the Parag Agrawal-led micro-blogging platform. According to media reports citing court filings, Dorsey was set to be questioned by the attorneys from both teams on Tuesday. Musk's legal team last month submitted a subpoena in the court for evidence from Dorsey. Twitter and Musk are preparing for their October 17 trial date at the Delaware Court of Chancery to argue over his attempt to terminate the $44 billion acquisition agreement. Dorsey stepped down as Twitter CEO for the second time last November and handed control of the company he helped create to Agrawal. He is currently running the financial services firm Block. After the world's richest man bought Twitter, Dorsey had said that the Tesla CEO "is the singular solution I trust". "In principle, I do not believe anyone should own or run Twitter. It wants to be a public good at a protocol level, not a company. Solving for the problem of it being a company however, Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness," Dorsey wrote. In May, he stepped down from the Twitter board of directors. Dorsey has categorically said that he will never be the CEO of Twitter again, as reports of him rejoining the micro-blogging platform surfaced after the $44 billion takeover by Musk. Musk has terminated the Twitter deal over the presence of fake/spammy accounts. Los Angeles, Sep 20 : Actress Kate Winslet has returned to work after being injured on a film set in Croatia. The 46-year-old actress was pictured getting back into character today after she was reportedly rushed to the hospital over the weekend, reports mirror.co.uk. She appeared to be in good spirits as she donned a khaki cargo jumpsuit on the set of her new movie Lee - which is being shot in the village of Kupari. New pictures show her surrounded by crew as she wore a US military outfit - sporting a make-up free look. Only yesterday, a news outlet in Croatia published pictures of the actress arriving at the hospital. In the pictures, she was surrounded by many other people as she made her way in. She walked into Dubrovnik Hospital wearing black clothes and a face mask. She is said to have arrived at the hospital, which is around 15 minutes from the set, in a black van. Her new film follows World War II correspondent Lee Miller's life, portrayed by Kate, and also stars Jude Law and Marion Cotillard. The injury ordeal comes after Kate previously discussed how she learned an incredible underwater 'superpower' for her role in the new 'Avatar: The Way Of Water'. The star, who is no stranger to being in bodies of water for a long period of time in movies, learned how to hold her breath for a shocking number of minutes. Speaking to Empire about her role as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina, the 46-year-old said that she learned how to hold her breath in a 900,000-gallon water tank for longer than any other cast member. "Seven minutes and 14 seconds, baby!" she told the publication. "The most amazing thing for me as a middle-aged woman was to learn something not just new, but superhuman!" -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kolkata, Sep 20 : The West Bengal government will soon handover a letter of intent (LoI) to Adani Port & SEZ Limited for setting up and developing a deep-sea port at Tajpur in East Midnapore district. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 25,000 crore. The state cabinet on Monday approved the proposal for issuing the LoI to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone for development of the greenfield deep sea port. State municipal affairs & urban development minister and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim, said the proposal has been cleared by the state cabinet. "The project will entail a direct employment potential for 25,000 individuals," said Hakim. Tajpur port development was under discussion since the time of Bengal Global Business Summit-2022, the annual event of the state government to showcase the state as an ideal business destination, which was conducted early this year. The major contender in the bidding for the project was Adani Port & SEZ Limited and JSW Infrastructure. After the bid was opened on March 23 this year, Adani Port emerged as the highest bidder. The land for the project is being provided by the state government, informed Hakim. On April 20, while addressing the Bengal Global Business Summit-2022 this year, Adani Group chairman and founder, Gautam Adani said that his group will invest an amount of around Rs 10,000 crore in West Bengal in the next few years. "We plan to make an investment to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in West Bengal in the next few years. This investment will be mainly in sectors like under- sea cables, data centres and warehouses. This will provide direct and indirect employment to around 25,000 people. As we make these investments, we will bring in the state world class technology," Adani said. Since then, state commerce & industry sources said dialogues between the state government and Adani Port started over the latter taking charge of setting up and development of the port. Earlier in February this year, Gautam Adani's son, Karan Adani met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat of Nabanna. Then Karan Adani, who is the chief executive officer of Adani Port & SEZ Limited evinced interest in the development of Tajpur Port. Mumbai, Sep 20 : In an interview to an international publication posted on social media, a senior executive of Essar said that the company plans to build a 4mtpa steel complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. India's Essar Group, which is carrying out the largest foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabian steel industry history, chose the country due to its investment-friendly environment, says Essar corporate planning general manager Amar Kapadia. The new integrated flat steelworks is scheduled to break ground by year-end and be completed by end-2025. "Management has asserted that critical to the progress has been the enlightened and collaborative approach of the Saudi government ministries: the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, Invest Saudi, the National Industrial Development Centre and related entities who have provided a highly supportive and informed technocratic basis for both facilitating and supporting the planned investment," Kapadia told Kallanish in an exclusive interview during the Saudi International Iron & Steel Conference in Riyadh last week. Authorities' welcoming approach to foreign investment and pragmatic policymaking has helped Essar fast-track project development, he added. "We have formally applied to the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and they are evaluating our project. Through multiple rounds of discussion, additional information required for SIDF to complete technical, market and credit evaluation has been shared. We hope to conclude the process in the next few months," Kapadia commented. "We plan to award an LSTK contract with project drivers of schedule, cost, quality and safety with the balance of the need to meet local content requirements even during the project execution phase. Therefore, all procurement would be the contractor's responsibility to achieve these objectives," he continued. Essar signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia's National Industrial Development Centre (NIDC) in October 2021 and an agreement with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY) for land allocation in December. The company will invest SAR 15 billion ($4 billion) into 4 million tonnes/year of continuous casting and hot strip capacity, 1m t/y of cold rolled coil capacity, and a tin plate line in Ras Al Khair Industrial City on Saudi Arabia's east coast. The new facility will also have two direct reduced iron plants, each with a 2.5m t/y capacity. Essar will cater to domestic and regional demand, supplying a wide range from ultra-thin to thick gauges for various downstream industries such as automotive, oil & gas, water pipe, packaging, electrical, and home appliances . The Essar Group has international investments across four areas covering the energy, metals and mining, infrastructure and EPC verticals. The privately held group has an annual turnover of over $13 billion. The new investment in Saudi Arabia represents Essar's second foray in steelmaking. Essar will conclude its planned asset monetisation programme and complete the debt repayment plan of $25 billion (Rs 2,00,000 crore) with the Indian banking sector being almost fully repaid. Essar's aggregate revenues will stand at $15 billion (Rs 1.2 lakh crore) and an AUM (Asset Under Management) of $8 billion (Rs 64,000 crore) comprising various assets spread across India and overseas. MONDAY, Sept. 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors, there's good news and bad from a new study of mental health. The brain-centered research confirms that mental skills do decline with age -- but it also finds many people over 60 having better psychological health than folks in their 20s. "We wanted to better understand the interplay between cognition and mental health across aging, and whether they rely on activation of similar or different brain areas," explained senior study author Jyoti Mishra. She is director of the Neural Engineering and Translation Labs (NEATLabs) at University of California, San Diego, and an associate professor of psychiatry at the university's School of Medicine. The researchers included 62 younger adults and 54 older adults in the study, evaluating their mental health and surveying symptoms of anxiety, depression, loneliness and overall mental well-being. They also asked participants to perform several mentally demanding tasks while the scientists measured brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG recordings showed greater activity in anterior portions of the brain's default mode network in older adults during the tasks. These are areas of the brain that are typically active when someone ruminates, daydreams or allows their mind to wander. It is usually suppressed during goal-oriented tasks. "The default mode network is useful in other contexts, helping us process the past and imagine the future, but it's distracting when you're trying to focus on the present to tackle a demanding task with speed and accuracy," Mishra explained in a university news release. The team found that while the default mode network seemed to interfere with thinking, several other brain areas appeared to improve it. Task performance used different parts of the brain, depending on whether the participants were older or younger. In younger adults this was associated with greater activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, part of the brain's executive control system. Yet in older adults, those with better thinking performance had greater activity in the inferior frontal cortex, an area that helps guide attention and avoid distractions. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that the younger adults used degrades with age. The research team suggested that older adults may be compensating during tasks by turning to the inferior frontal cortex. It may be possible to strengthen frontal networks using brain stimulation methods while also suppressing the default mode network through mindfulness meditation. The researchers said they are looking for therapeutic inventions to do this. "These findings may provide new neurological markers to help monitor and mitigate cognitive [thinking] decline in aging, while simultaneously preserving well-being," Mishra said. The findings could also inspire efforts to improve mental health in young adults. "We tend to think of people in their 20s as being at their peak cognitive performance, but it is also a very stressful time in their lives, so when it comes to mental well-being, there may be lessons to be learned from older adults and their brains," Mishra said. The findings were published Sept. 12 in Psychology and Aging. More information The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more on cognitive health in older adults. SOURCE: University of California San Diego, news release, Sept. 15, 2022 Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Was this page helpful? Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 20 : Even though Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor is yet to announce his candidature for the Congress president's post, his colleagues in the party, especially K. Muraleedharan, have said that only the candidate, who has the support of the Nehru family, will get the backing of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Muraleedharan, son of legendary K.Karunakaran, on Tuesday made it clear that only the candidate of the Nehru family will get the support of the KPCC. "If it's X or Y, one will know after the 30th of this month," said Muraleedharan. Muraleedharan is busy taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, which on Tuesday entered the 13th day and will reach the entry point of the Ernakulam district later in the day. Another of Tharoor's Lok Sabha colleagues, Kodikunnil Suresh also said on Tuesday that it will be the Nehru family's candidate which will get the nod here. Tharoor on Monday had an hour-long meeting with interim party president Sonia Gandhi, who according to sources in the know of things, has given the nod to Tharoor to contest. Though Rahul Gandhi's name is the most preferred from the Kerala party's leadership, he is yet to acknowledge that, even as the voices of support have started to come from other parts of the country also. Incidentally, Tharoor himself has said that he will bow out if Rahul decides to contest. Former MP and state party chief Mullapally Ramachandran is another staunch supporter who said that Rahul should take over the party which indicates that he will bat only for Rahul or the Gandhi family's nominee. With this, it is clear that Tharoor will find the going tough from his home state if he decides to throw in his hat. Now all eyes are on state party president K. Sudhakaran, who is another colleague of Tharoor in the Lok Sabha. With 10 more days left for the filing of nomination to the top post, and if Rahul Gandhi does not file his papers, then it could see Tharoor filing his papers. If that happens, then the dapper MP has a test on how popular he is in his party. Mumbai, Sep 20 : Actress Priyanka Chopra, who became the Global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2016 and has been associated with the organisation for almost 15 years, recently spoke about children's rights at a recently held conference at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. She took to her Instagram to share the pictures and videos from the event where she can be seen advocating for the cause and posing with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and US poet Amanda Gorman. She captioned the set of pictures and videos with a long note: "Walking through the gates of the United Nations this morning to speak at UNGA for the second time, as a proud representative of @unicef, gave me real pause." Sheding the light on the agenda of the UN for the year 2022, she further wrote in her note: "At the top of this year's agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals. Today was all about action, ambition, and hope. It was about what we must do together to make the SDG's a reality, and we don't have a moment to lose. A special thank you to Secretary-General @antonioguterres for having me today." She also spoke about the importance of education for children - something which is a birthright of every child, "The second moment I had the privilege of participating was the Transforming Education Summit. It's hard to believe that nearly 2/3 of children across the low- middle- and high-income countries cannot read and comprehend a simple story. The system has failed them." "As the US Secretary of Education @seccardona put it so candidly, education is the great equalizer, but if we continue to do what we have done, we are going to get what we have gotten. We owe every child this basic birthright, an equal chance to learn and reach their full potential (sic)," she added. She concluded her note with the words of Gorman, with whom she posed along with Malala, "And as the incredible Amanda Gorman said, "I dare you to shape our fate. Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world might be great." New Delhi, Sep 20 : The Congress on Tuesday reiterated that anyone can contest the party president's poll as it was a democratic and transparent process and no nod was required from the leadership. Jairam Ramesh, party General Secretary said, "Entire party is immersed in making #BharatJodoYatra a success. Even so it's important to reiterate that any member is welcome to contest for Congress President. This is a democratic & transparent process. Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest, especially that of party leadership." The process for the Congress presidential polls will begin with the issuance of notification on September 22. It is likely that the main contest for the top party post will be between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Party sources said that interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hinted on Monday that she does not have any reservations against Tharoor running for Congress president's post. Sonia Gandhi gave her nod shortly after meeting Tharoor and a few other Congress leaders on her return following a medical check-up abroad. Tharoor, who was one of the G-23 members of the party, had demanded sweeping reforms in the Congress. He is now likely to throw his hat into the ring for the race to the top party post, voting for which will be held on October 17. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Anybody who wants to contest is free and welcome to do so. This has been the consistent position of Congress President and Rahul Gandhi. This is an open, democratic and transparent process. Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest." Islamabad, Sep 20 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan mocked his successor Shehbaz Sharif, saying that the latter felt intimidated in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the recently-concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan. Addressing a public gathering in Chakwal on Monday, Khan took a jibe at the premier claiming that his legs were trembling in the presence of Putin during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 22nd SCO Summit, Geo News reported. Khan criticised Sharif for his recent foreign trips following flood devastations in the country and said: "Look at Shehbaz's insensitivity. He is visiting (countries) abroad during such conditions. What battle is he going to win aboard while the country has been flooded?" Nitpicking the premier for his conversation with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the PTI Chairman said: "I have not seen any prime minister talk like the way Shehbaz did with the UN Secretary-General. He was asking him for money." He further revealed that Guterres knows that 60 per cent of Sharif's cabinet is released on bail. "On what basis would he (Secretary-Ggeneral) give you money as he knows that corruption cases are registered against the premier?" Khan queried. The former premier also pointed his guns at Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari denouncing him for leaving the country during a time of crisis. "Bilawal also went abroad. They have been imposed (on us) because he will listen to their orders," Khan added. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Chandigarh, Sep 20 : While the Chandigarh University (CU) authorities have declared holidays for one week at its campus in Mohali and students are leaving for home after their major demands were agreed upon, student unions in universities across the state including Panjab University (Chandigarh), Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) and Punjabi University (Patiala) have mobilised their cadre to raise support for CU students. Raising their voice against the "insensitive" and "unprofessional" handling of the entire issue by CU authorities besides premature statements by the Punjab Police including several senior officials, the student unions at different universities on Monday demanded not just clarity but an explanation from CU authorities and Punjab Police on the handling of the recent MMS scandal that rocked CU. Even as the CU authorities and Police continue to claim that the accused made only her own video, a large section of students believes otherwise. PU, Chandigarh witnessed two protests on Monday -- at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at different locations on its campus. Exhorting the student community to stand with those at CU, union leaders stressed several discrepancies in versions of the Police and what could be seen in the interaction between the prime accused and the warden. On the evening of September 17, five women students approached the warden that the accused was 'caught' making videos. While the warden (now suspended) could be heard reprimanding the accused, she did not take any 'action'. The students then approached the hostel manager who confiscated the 22-year-old accused's phone. Allegedly, the accused admitted to making the videos. That same evening, around 7.30 p.m., protests broke out at CU. The accused was detained and later arrested. Speaking to IANS, the women students at CU stressed that what shocked them was the police's statement that the girl had made only her own video and sent it to her boyfriend. This was also CU authorities' stance. "How could they arrive at that conclusion even before the forensic team had touched the phone?" said one student who did not wish to be named. In fact, the FIR filed by six girls against the accused was registered under section 354-C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 (E) of the IT Act. Besides the accused, two men have been remanded in Police custody. Another claimed that they had been told by the CU authorities not to speak with "outsiders" as the same would tarnish the institute's reputation. "We are leaving for a few days as our parents are nervous, and quite understandably." The last two days also witnessed several rumours. In fact, the state government, Police and CU authorities had to appeal repeatedly through media and social media, warning people not to pay heed to them. President of PSU (Lalkar), PU, Aman recalled: "On Sunday when we went to the CU campus, all efforts were made to stop us. We were clearly told that 'nothing had happened and we were here to create trouble'. I do not understand how supporting fellow students is trouble-making. They have declared holidays. With no hostlers, how does the Police now plan to hold investigations?" Adding that now students have left the hostels, they plan to mobilise the support of the civil society, the student leader said: "Lawyers' forum and others are in touch with us. We want the CU to clarify why are they trying to suppress information. Also, what made the Police reach the conclusion that there were no videos of other girls? The hostelers told me that when the Police reached, the girls were forced to switch off their phones and statements of those speaking against were not recorded." Simran Atwal of Punjab Feminist Union of Students added: "We are in touch with students there as they need external help. It is a private university, and they are scared to speak up. What is the kind of security they have there? First, they were put in a hostel built for male students, and if someone is not safe inside a hostel, what does it say..." The organisation, which acquaints women students on the campus with intricacies of the Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) says that the incident at CU and the way it was handled also questions the legal provisions and mechanisms made to protect women. "These practices are on paper, and seldom practised. By the way, the external member of PUCASH is an animal rights activist," concluded another member of the organisation. Bengaluru, Sep 20 : A man has been arrested for illegal transportation of beef while four others have been arrested for torching his two-wheeler in Karnataka's Doddaballapur town. According to the police, Hidayat Ulla, a resident of Shivajinagar in Bengaluru, had gone to Hindupur town in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to purchase beef on scooter. On September 16, 11 p.m., Hidayat, who had purchased 80 kg beef to prepare the dish for a family function, lost balance and fell when suddenly a vehicle appeared in front of him, and the road was strewn with the beef, he was carrying. After noticing the public approaching towards him, Hidayat ran away. The enraged public gathered on the spot torched Hidayat's bike. Hidayat had lodged a complaint in this regard with Doddaballapur police station on September 17. The police lodged a case under IPC Section 435 and arrested the accused who torched Hidayat's bike. Hidayat was also arrested for illegal transportation of beef. Jaipur, Sep 20 : Now former MLAs of Rajasthan may also be able to travel abroad on the government expenses. A Bill regarding this is likely to get the nod in the ongoing Assembly. The state government will bear the cost of the foreign travel fare of former MLAs, said the Bill, which has been introduced in the Assembly to make a provision in the rules to bear the cost of foreign travel fare of former MLAs. A Bill to add a new sub-section 2 in section 4-D of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (Emoluments and Pension of Officers, Members) Act, 1956 has been tabled in the House. The former MLA's union had been demanding this provision for a long time. The former MLAs travelling abroad on government expenses will have to first get approval from the Speaker. Only those whose foreign travel is approved by the Speaker will get the fare money. On Tuesday, after the Question Hour and Zero Hour in the Vidhan Sabha, there will be a debate on Lumpy in the House. As BJP MLAs have decided to question the government on Lumpy status, there is a possibility of uproar in the House on the issue of the plight of cows and government mismanagement. During the debate on Lumpy, there will be a demand from the government to treat cows and give compensation to the cattle owners for the death of the cows. The BJP is accusing the government of failing to deal with Lumpy while on the other hand, Congress is attacking the Central government. During the debate on Lumpy, the Congress MLAs will also raise the issue of the Central government not declaring it a national calamity in response to the BJP. Due to this there is a possibility of uproar in the House. CM Ashok Gehlot has sought the cooperation of the opposition to get Lumpy declared a national disaster. Mumbai, Sep 20 : In a bizarre development, the Maharashtra government has sacked the President of Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) Chairman and Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari, ostensibly for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the family of a farmer who committed suicide last week. The surprise move came late on Monday, barely hours after Tiwari -- accorded the MoS rank -- had shot off a letter to Modi highlighting how a debt-hit farmer from Pune had wished 'Happy Birthday' to the PM and then jumped to his death into a pond on September 17. The deceased farmer was Dashrath L. Kedari, 42, who penned the greetings to the PM in a suicide note -- narrating his plight due to debts and other issues -- that was recovered later. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders like Congress' Nana Patole, Shiv Sena's Dr. Manisha Kayande and Nationalist Congress Party's Mahesh Tapase had launched a sharp tirade against the state and Centre over the tragedy. Tiwari had urged the PM to meet the farmer's family, or direct Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to go there during her upcoming visit to Pune soon. In a terse notification issued by an official Sanjay A. Dharurkar late on Monday, the state government said that the appointment of Tiwari -- who was heading the VNSSM since August 2015 (when the government of ex-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was in power) -- has been cancelled. No reasons were assigned for the abrupt measure in Dharurkar's order, and the Divisional Commissioner, Amravati, has been handed over the additional charge of VNSSM till further orders. New Delhi, Sep 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand has to be seen in the context of the several geopolitical dimensions of this organisation which also have a bearing on India's strategic interests. These include stability in Central Asia, combating terrorism and religious extremism, China's role in the region, promoting multipolarity. Kanwal Sibal New Delhi, Sep 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand has to be seen in the context of the several geopolitical dimensions of this organisation which also have a bearing on India's strategic interests. These include stability in Central Asia, combating terrorism and religious extremism, China's role in the region, promoting multipolarity. This summit took place when Russia is involved in the Ukraine conflict and China has committed aggression against India in Ladakh. In fact, its forces are still massed there, and it continues to expand its military infrastructure across the length of our border. Relations between the US and both Russia and China have deteriorated sharply, while our relations with the US have greatly improved. The US and Europe are also unhappy with us on our unwillingness to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine. At the summit, therefore, PM Modi had to engage in carefully balanced diplomacy that would preserve our equities with all sides. His remarks at the summit were therefore carefully crafted. He confined them to India's achievements in specific sectors, with an eye on the prospects this creates for beneficial cooperation primarily with the Central Asian states. He noted that India will grow 7.5 per cent this year - the highest amongst the world's largest economies (more than China with President Xi listening). He mentioned the strides made by India in innovation with more than 70,000 Start-ups and more than 100 unicorns. He offered to set up a new Special Working Group on Start-ups and Innovation in the SCO. In the area of food security, he emphasised the promotion and cultivation of millets and proposed a Millet Food Festival under the SCO. Capitalising on the setting up of a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat (China lost out) he announced an Indian initiative to establish a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine. Prime Minister Modi eschewed any reference to terrorism or security issues in general, which would have been normal, if made, given our concerns that we share with Central Asia. He steered clear of all that could be construed as having an anti-West connotation. He mentioned the Ukraine crisis (to avoid any criticism that he was ignoring the issue), but in the context of disruption of global supply chains resulting in the whole world facing an unprecedented energy and food crisis. He bracketed it with the pandemic and stressed the need to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region (a dig at China), which would need better connectivity, and in stating that "we all give each other full right to transit), he implicitly drew attention to Pakistan's failure in this regard, with the Pakistan PM listening in. There was some speculation, fueled by the agreement on disengagement on PP15 in Ladakh just before the SCO summit, that PM Modi and President Xi may meet on the margins of the SCO summit. This was however unlikely without adequate preparations in advance to ensure positive results from the meeting. A meeting at this point with President Xi would not have been a normal meeting between heads of friendly countries to exchange views on bilateral and multilateral issues, review progress in ties and discuss possibilities of expanding them further. With China, the issue of disengagement and de-escalation on the border would have been central to the agenda of the meeting, and unless there were signals that the Chinese side was willing to make a major move to de-escalate, a meeting at the top political level would have frozen the stalemate in ties for the foreseeable future. The Modi-Putin meeting was, of course, expected. Its tenor would have been of interest to the West, keeping in mind its unhappiness about our unwillingness to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine and instead of subscribing to energy sanctions actually stepping up oil purchases from Russia. Interestingly, PM Modi, in his opening remarks at his meeting with President Vladimir Putin expressed concern about the problems of food security, fuel security and fertilisers for developing countries in particular as a result of the Ukraine crisis, which he intended to discuss in his meeting with the President. He appealed to the Russian President to also contribute to finding some way out, putting thus some of the onus also on President Putin to resolve the crisis, consistent with India's call for diplomacy and dialogue to end it, but more pointedly than what we have said in public so far. (It is interesting that the Chinese side have some questions and concerns about Ukraine that Putin himself referred to in his opening remarks during his meeting with President Xi). Modi was also even handed in thanking both Putin and Ukraine for their help in evacuating our students from Ukraine. By saying that he believed that "today's era is not of war" and that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue are "such things that touch the world", Modi was batting for peace, as befits a responsible leader. He added that he awaited the chance to discuss further with President Putin how "we can move forward on the path of peace in the coming days". The West will construe Modi's remarks as a publicly expressed implicit disapproval of Putin's decision to launch a military operation, which is manifestly wrong. But this gives our side a talking point against western charges that India is not criticising Russia. Modi, however, balanced these opening remarks on his concerns about Ukraine by lauding the strength of India-Russia ties, even calling them unbreakable. Putin was cordial in his remarks, referring to Modi's birthday, the special and privileged partnership between the two countries (which Modi did not), the active cooperation of both sides on all international platforms. He candidly said that he knew Modi's "position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns that you constantly express", and that he wanted to end the conflict too, but put the blame on Ukraine's leadership to refuse negotiations and settle the issue on the battlefield, while promising to keep India informed of developments. This public admission by President Putin about PM Modi having conveyed his concerns over Ukraine to him "constantly", puts the latter's opening remarks in perspective and that it was by no means a "rebuke". The Russian leader appreciated Modi's video message to the participants of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, fondly remembered his visit to New Delhi in December last year and the fruitful negotiations with PM Modi and invited him to visit Russia. He noted that Russian supplies of fertilisers to India had grown eight times, large-scale joint projects in the oil and gas sector and nuclear power industry were consistently being implemented, noting also that for Russians, India's rich history and ancient culture are traditionally of great interest. In this regard, he proposed to intensify the negotiation process on an agreement on visa-free tourist trips. The positive tenor of his remarks is notable. After their closed-door meeting PM Modi in his tweet has described his meeting with Putin as "wonderful", with a discussion on furthering bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defence and other areas. Altogether it was a successful summit from India's point of view. ( is India's former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Russia. 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 -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Sep 20 : India dropped seven places for the overall median fixed broadband speeds globally, from 71st in July to 78th spot in August, a report showed on Tuesday. The country, however, maintained its global ranking for median mobile speeds at 117th position, according to network intelligence and connectivity insights provider Ookla. Overall, the country witnessed a slight increase in median mobile download speeds from 13.41 Mbps to 13.52 Mbps and overall fixed median download speeds from 48.04 Mbps to 48.29 in the month of August. According to the August Speedtest Global Index, Brazil registered the highest increase in rank, gaining 14 spots globally with Norway at top rank for overall global median mobile speeds. For overall global fixed median speeds, Palestine registered the highest increase in rank, gaining 27 spots with Singapore at rank 1 in global fixed median speeds. In July, India gained one spot in the global ranking for median mobile speeds, reaching 117th position from 118th in June. However, India had witnessed a slight decrease in median mobile download speeds, which is 13.41 Mbps from 14.00 Mbps in the previous month. Ookla's Speedtest Global Index ranks mobile and fixed broadband speeds from around the world on a monthly basis. BOSSIER CITY, La. - Roy Cochran and his wife, just bought a new home in Bossier City, two months ago. Now, they could be packing up and moving again. Cochran won the 2022 KTBS 3 St Jude Dream Home on Wednesday. It was the grand prize in the annual fundraiser that brought in more than $1.5 million to support ArkLaTex children undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Thursday morning, he was eager to see how his $100 donation turned into a $650,000 win. When he arrived at the house, construction workers were hard at work under the guidance of builder, Philip Rodgers of Rodgers Homes and Construction. Supply chain issues and recent rains have delayed this year's construction schedule. Cochran says he's bought tickets every year for the past decade to support the hospital and the children it helps. "I mean it's a win, win situation. You certainly don't do it to win when you buy one ticket. It was just a blessing," said Cochran. The 2022 KTBS 3 St Jude Dream Home is located at 741 Duckwater Landing in Bossier City, Louisiana. Amenities include: New Delhi, Sep 20: Egypt said on Monday that it takes pride in the close historical ties it has with India and is keen to deepen military and defence ties. The aspiration to activate the partnership between the two countries "commensurate with their capabilities in all fields" was expressed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi when he met visiting Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Cairo on Monday. The Sisi-Singh meeting was also attended by Egypt's Minister of Defence and Military Production General Mohamed Zaki besides the Indian Ambassador to Cairo Ajit Gupte and other senior officials from both countries. Presidential spokesman Bassam Radi later said that the meeting discussed ways to enhance military and security cooperation between the two countries, especially with regard to cooperation in joint manufacturing, transfer and localisation of technology, with the aim of exploiting the capabilities and infrastructure available in the two countries, as well as cooperation in the field of training, rehabilitation and joint exercises. Singh, in particularly, spotlighted Egypt's pivotal and decisive role in combating and conquering the threat of terrorism, which casts a shadow of security and stability over the entire region. He also expressed India's appreciation for the growth and prosperity of Egyptian-Indian relations, stressing New Delhi's interest in deepening these historical relations in light of the comprehensive development boom that Egypt is witnessing under the leadership of Sisi. "In this context, India looks forward to exchanging experiences and consolidating the military and security aspect within the framework of joint cooperation relations between the two countries," mentioned the Egyptian spokesperson. As India continuously grows its capability to manufacture advanced cutting-edge technologies and systems in the defence sector under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Egypt is one of the several countries which has maintained its interest in acquiring made-in-India Tejas fighter aircraft for its air force. The state-of-the-art fourth-generation fighter aircraft could be high on the agenda during Singh's bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Zaki who is also the Minister of Defence Production. The two ministers will not only review the bilateral defence ties but also explore new initiatives to intensify military-to-military engagements and focus on deepening cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide further impetus to enhanced defence cooperation between India and Egypt will also be signed. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Chennai, Sep 20 : Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday said it has withdrawn Kalyan Jewellers India Limited's (KJIL) B2 long-term corporate family rating. The rating outlook prior to withdrawal was stable. "In view of the current market conditions, the company has pushed back its plans to access the international debt capital markets. Moody's has decided to withdraw the rating for its own business reasons," Moody's said. The Rs 9,056 crore revenue Kalyan Jewellers is the second-largest jewelry company in India. It also has operations in the Middle East. The Kalyanaraman family (promoter family) and associated companies own 60.53 per cent of Kalyan Jewellers. Highdell Investments Ltd, an affiliate of private equity firm Warburg Pincus & Company US LLC, has a direct stake of 26.36 per cent, said Moody's. New Delhi, Sep 20: Reforming the civil services to make it people-friendly and result-oriented has been on the agenda of various governments since the beginning of independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been reiterating it. The Indian civil service system is one of the oldest administrative systems in the world. In India, it had its origin in the Mauryan period. Kautilya's Arthashastra laid down the basic principles for the selection of civil servants, the methods of their performance evaluation, and the code of conduct to be followed by them. During the medieval period, Akbar expanded the ambit of the civil service. The Mughals expanded their civil service system centered on the management of land revenue etc. The British civil service was a late entrant. It arrived on the Indian scene only after the takeover of the East India Company, by the British government in the 1860s. On the recommendations of Macaulay's report, in 1854, the Civil Services Commission was set up to recruit civil servants. The British government set up the Indian Civil Service in 1911, primarily with the objective of strengthening the British administration. From 1922 onwards, the examination was conducted in India as well, first in Allahabad and then in Delhi, with the setting up of the Federal Public Service Commission. The Indian civil service differed from other imperial services - primarily manning top civil posts under a rigid hierarchy of a bureaucratic system that former British Prime Minister Lloyd George had dubbed the "Steel Frame" of the British Raj. After independence, our leaders decided to continue with the "steel frame" and renamed it the Indian Administrative Service. Naturally, the culture of ICS continued within the IAS. However, in the new democratic ecosystem, the IAS was envisaged as becoming subservient to the people and eschewing its autocratic tradition. But habits die hard and for our omnipotent civil servants, it was harder. It took some time to adopt to the culture of democracy with our written constitution mandating the people's elected representatives to be the decision-makers. The people's representatives and the members of the bureaucracy are a part of the same society - they cannot behave like Rajas lording over a hapless praja. The aura of invincibility exuded by the powerful Rajas in our country and by the "brown sahibs" has had a deep-rooted impact on our deferential janta - who even after decades of independence, looks towards the ruling classes as their "Mai-baap" and pays obeisance to them. They have not enforced accountability of the ruling classes, and have still not recognised them as their servants/sewaks, as the nomenclature Public servants demanded, but on the contrary, continue the colonial legacy of treating them as their masters. This has created an overinflated and distorted ego in the bureaucratic-politico class, the deleterious effects of which are still evident. Whereas the political class desires to rule as per their whimsical selfish agendas and not as per the rule of law mandated by our constitution, the civil servants also delude themselves that they are there to "rule", instead of serving the masses. For this culture to change irrevocably, both the political class and civil servants have to shun their old mindset and come to terms with the democratic ethos. Both of them currently are public servants in name only- their conduct and behavior display, in every way, their autocratic mindset. Several committees and commissions have been set up from time to time to reform the bureaucracy and make it honest, efficient and people-centric. The two Administrative Reforms Commissions, the Sarkaria Commission, and various other committees have made a plethora of recommendations to transform the civil services and to make them accountable to the people and result-oriented, but not much progress has been made. Undoubtedly politics is also responsible to a large extent for the mess that we are in today. However, the bureaucracy and particularly the civil servants occupying senior positions must shoulder a large part of the blame. Even if the inept politicians are busy playing nefarious politics of caste, religion, language, and region and are mired in corruption, it is incumbent upon the permanent bureaucracy -which has the bounden duty towards the nation and the people, to do their best to ensure that the rule of law prevails. For this to happen, they need to introspect and cleanse the rot created by the corrupt and self-serving elements within. A country cannot boast of having a Just "Rule of Law" regime when people serving in the premier services like Indian Administrative Service are allowed to be inefficient and corrupt. The larger blame for this malaise has to be put on the IAS service itself, whose officers man the important positions in the administrative structures. These are the people who are supposed to ensure that nobody-irrespective of their rank/position, including the political class, is allowed to violate the "Rule of Law" with impunity, and those violating it are not allowed to remain in public service. The members of these services should have striven to ensure that the country remained steadfast on the path of virtue and rule of law instead of protecting the errant and the corrupt. Public services are the key pillars of any governance structure and unless they develop and inculcate the virtue of integrity and selfless service towards the people, the nation can never attain its full potential. The political class must become aware of the incessant degeneration of the system because of their myopic and selfish behavior over the past several decades. The rulers have created an intimidatory ecosystem. Loyalty to the reigning powers is the sine qua non of governance. Honesty, integrity, impartiality, service to the people, and justice -the very essence of administration, are all regarded as troublesome vices by every reigning dispensation. This must change. For India to prosper and march on the path designated by the "rule of law", errant behaviour displayed by members of the highest civil services must be corrected stringently. They have to become accountable to the public and fearlessly serve to promote "sabka vikas". When they have made the choice to serve the public, public service, then they have to dedicatedly serve the public, not themselves. (Vijay Shankar Pandey retired from the Indian Administrative Service. He has an established record of raising his voice against corruption in public life. Views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative San Francisco, Sep 20 : Google has finally launched a new pilot programme to keep political campaign emails out of spam folders for Gmail users. Gmail users could start seeing more campaign fundraising emails in their inboxes in the next couple of days, reports Axios. Announced in June, the programme allows candidates, political party committees and leadership political action committees to apply for spam folder exemptions. The move is "partly a result of Google bowing to pressure from conservatives who claimed the company marked Republican emails as spam more often than others". The US Federal Election Commission had approved the Google programme in August. "Google has come under fire that its algorithms unfairly target conservative content across its services, and that its Gmail service filters more Republican fundraising and campaign emails to spam," the report mentioned. "We expect to begin the pilot with a small number of campaigns from both parties and will test whether these changes improve the user experience, and provide more certainty for senders during this election period," a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying. "We will continue to listen and respond to feedback as the pilot progresses," the spokesperson added. Google will now allow candidates and political party committees to apply for its programme that would make their messages exempt from Gmail's spam detection systems. Former US President Donald Trump's campaigns were criticised for using spammy tactics in its fundraising emails. Islamabad, Sep 20 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will get a chance to interact with US President Joe Biden this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, according to a Foreign Office (FO) official. Sharif is among the world leaders attending the UNGA session who has been invited by President Biden to a reception in New York, The Express Tribune quoted the official as saying. Although there won't be any bilateral meeting between the two leaders, the premier will interact with the US president informally during the reception. This will be the first interaction between Biden and a sitting Pakistani Prime Minister since the President took office in early 2021. Biden has not spoken to either former Prime Minister Imran Khan or Sharif, The Express Tribune reported. The meeting despite being informal will be significant given the fact that the Biden administration during Imran's government largely ignored Pakistan. But since the change of government, there has been a flurry of engagements between the two countries. A senior adviser of the US Secretary of State recently visited Pakistan while the Biden administration also approved the $450 million sale of F-16 equipment to Pakistan. After the UNGA session, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit Washington on an official visit and meet Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. This will be his second meeting with the Secretary of State in a few months as he earlier met him in New York at the sidelines of the Food Security summit. Also on the sidelines of the UNGA, Sharif will meet French President Emmanuel Macron -- the first bilateral meeting between leaders of the two nations in seven years. Hyderabad, Sep 20 : In yet another case of food poisoning in government-run schools in Telangana, 31 students of a minority residential school in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district have taken ill. The students of the residential school for boys in Kagaznagar town complained of stomach ache and vomiting after the dinner on Monday. As word spread about the incident, local media persons reached the school but the staff did not allow them to enter the premises. The staff tried to shift the students from the rear door. Police reached there and shifted the affected students to the hospital in their vehicles. District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Prabhakar Reddy said the condition of the students was stable. He ordered an inquiry into the incident. Officials said it appeared that due to the shortage of staff, rice was not washed before cooking. Students said that they had complained to the principal about insects found in the food which was served to them, but no action was taken. This is the latest in a series of incidents of food poisoning at the government-run residential educational institutions in the state. A recent study by an NGO revealed that 1,100 students in the government-run school suffered food poisoning during 2022. According to Kota Neelima, director, Institute of Perception Studies, lizards, frogs, earthworms and insects were found in the food served to students Anti-corruption activist Vijay Gopal suspects a conspiracy behind the series of incidents. "Hard to believe that all these are accidents anymore, with so many instances, occurrences and what not? Are we giving c grade quality food/services at Govt schools, so 100% of citizens can be moved to Pvt.? Is this some kind of a strategy?," tweeted Vijay Gopal, who tagged education minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy. Mumbai, Sep 20 : From playing a character who suffers from erectile dysfunction to bringing forth issues of premature balding, Ayushmann Khurrana has always pushed the envelope with his portrayals. The actor takes his game to another level with playing a male gynecologist in the upcoming film 'Doctor G'. The makers of the hilarious medical campus comedy-drama dropped the rib-tickling trailer of the film on Tuesday, giving a glimpse how Ayushmann's character struggles to be a male gynecologist around female patients. The over two-minute trailer shows Ayushmann asking to change his course from Gynaecology to orthopedic. Later in the clip, actress Shefali Shah, who too plays a gynecologist is seen asking Ayushmann, who starts attending classes, to lose the "male touch" to understand women. The trailer ends in a hilarious sex education to a couple who are trying for a baby. The film's director Anubhuti Kashyap said that 'Doctor G' is a coming-of-age comedy drama set in a medical campus and is a compelling and hilarious look at a male gynaecologist surviving an otherwise female-dominated world. "Ayushmann Khurrana has done an amazing job essaying the role of Doctor Uday Gupta. He along with Shefali Shah and Rakul Preet Singh, have brought so much to their individual roles that can make one relate to these characters and situations." "The film addresses gender stereotypes in his personal and professional life enveloped in comedy and is something that will appeal to young-India." The actor this time around is joined by powerhouse performer Shefali, the coordinator of the medical college, Rakul Preet Singh, who plays his senior in the film, and Sheeba Chaddha playing the role of his mother. Amrita Pandey, CEO Junglee Pictures said: "Anubhuti, the writers, the crew, and the powerhouse talent of Ayushmann Khurrana, Shefali Shah and Rakul Preet have brought this story alive so well." Written by Sumit Saxena, Saurabh Bharat, Vishal Wagh and Anubhuti Kashyap 'Doctor G' is set to release in theatres on October 14. Dhaka, Sep 20 : Authorities in Dhaka have informed envoys of the ASEAN member nations on the ongoing tense situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, seeking their cooperation to stop the violence that may destabilise the whole region. The development comes after a Rohingya man was killed on September 17 as mortar shells fired from the Myanmar side hit the no-man's land, Five others were also injured in the incident. In a similar incident on August 28, two mortar shells from Myanmar also landed in Bangladeshi territory. "We told them that Myanmar should not be allowed to destabilise the whole region and create obstacles for the Rohingya repatriation," acting Foreign Secretary Admiral (Retd) Khurshed Alam said after a briefing on Tuesday morning. He said Bangladesh has asked the envoys to take actions so that the falling of mortar shells and bullets from Myanmar side does not happen anymore. The envoys have assured that they will inform their headquarters to raise the issue at the UN. They also appreciated that Bangladesh has been handling the issue diplomatically, "not getting into the trap of Myanmar's provocation", Alam said. The shooting and bombing by Myanmar military and Arakan Army since early August have been creating panic in the Bangladesh side of the border, he said, adding: "We told them that, please take actions so that the conflicts do not create any pressure on the Bangladeshis." On Monday, the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh summoned the Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka and lodged a protest over the violence. Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said Myanmar Ambassador U Aung Kyaw Moe was summoned and a strong protest was lodged through a diplomatic letter. "We asked him so that recurrence of such incidents does not happen in the future. We strongly protected this incident," Momen said. Also on Monday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said "no more Rohingya will be allowed to enter the country". "We are facing problems with the Rohingya refugees in our country. So, we won't allow more Rohingya to enter our country," he said. "We are a peaceful country. We don't want to disturb anyone's peace. We always want to maintain peace." Meanwhile, U Zaw Phyo Win, a top official at Myanmar's Foreign Ministry, called in Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Myanmar, to speak about the situation at the border. The Myanmar official blamed the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Group (ARSA) for the recent incidents of cross-border shelling to create "negative consequences" on the existing "cordial bilateral relations" between Bangladesh and Myanmar. He also claimed that on September 7, the Bangladeshi side was notified of the information of the trenches and bases of the AA and ARSA militants located "inside Bangladesh" through diplomatic channels and reiterated Myanmar's call to take necessary and immediate actions to investigate on the ground and dismantle those structures and bases. Mumbai, Sep 20 : 'Choti Sarrdaarni' actor Hitesh Bhardwaj talks about being part of the TV serial 'Udaariyaan' after the show has taken a leap of 15 years and the lead cast Priyanka Choudhary, Isha Malviya, and Ankit Gupta left it. He is seen playing the male lead along with Sonakshi Batra and Twinkle Arora. On getting the opportunity to join the show, he said: "I got a call from the 'Udaariyaan' team a month ago, and they asked me if I was busy with any other project or not. I had my audition, we had a few meetings, script discussions and then I was finalised. I am happy to be part of this show." Hitesh is playing the character of Akampreet Singh Randhawa who is an honest person. He added: "Initially I followed the show and really liked the script. But later because of time issues I couldn't watch the episodes. I've always loved the show and felt very happy when it received a good response by the audience." While talking about the changing scenario in the TV industry, he asserted that nothing has changed much and it is only the hard work that matters. "Often we have been asked about the changes we find in the industry over the years. I feel there are no changes as such. We still work like that, just the patterns change. There is no alternative to hard-work," he added. The 30-year-old actor, who was seen in daily soaps such as 'Agar Tum Saath Ho', 'Iss Mod Se Jaate Hain' and others spoke about the kind of response he is receiving from the audience after 'Chhoti Sardarni' especially in Punjab. "After 'Chhoti Sardarni', there is a different feel in Punjab and it's still maintained in that way. It's a different high for an actor when you feel your work is getting praised and loved by the audience. Once, when I was travelling we stopped at a dhaba for lunch where the people recognised me and treated me in a very special way. And still now, after 2 more shows, the love I get from Punjab makes me feel super grateful and thankful. I have a soft corner for Punjab." New Delhi, Sep 20 : Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, has summoned Twitter India Policy Head and Delhi Police over tweets depicting child pornography and rape videos of women and children over the social media platform Twitter. Taking suo moto cognizance of several tweets on Twitter openly depicting videos and photographs of sexual acts involving children, the Commission said that most of the tweets portrayed children completely naked and many of them also depicted brutal rape and other non-consensual sexual activities with children and women. The Commission has also issued summons to Delhi Police seeking an FIR in the matter and has recommended that the children and women visible in the child pornographic and rape videos be identified and assisted. "Shockingly, some of these videos even depicted rape with children and women while they were asleep! Some of the Twitter accounts engaging in these criminal acts appear to be running a racket wherein they seek money for providing pornographic and rape videos of children from other users of the social media platform," said DCW in a press briefing. The Commission has also shared a list of such tweets with the Delhi Police and Twitter. "I am shocked with the kind of rape and child pornographic videos available freely on Twitter. The nauseating material needs to be immediately removed from Twitter and FIR should be registered by Delhi Police in the matter. Systems must be developed so that all such videos are immediately deleted and the perpetrators reported to the law enforcement agencies. Twitter must be held accountable for this filthy and objectionable content being available and even sold on its platform," said DCW chief Swati Maliwal. The Commission has asked to provide reasons why the tweets were neither deleted nor reported by Twitter. The Commission has also sought data regarding the number of such tweets presently available on Twitter. Further, it has sought the number of tweets depicting child pornography and rape identified, deleted, and reported by Twitter in the past four years. The Commission has also sought the SOPs related to deleting and reporting such content being followed by Twitter. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Lucknow, Sep 20 : The Uttar Pradesh government will be hosting 37th Indian Association of Tour Operators' (IATO) convention in Lucknow in December. The event is being seen as a huge booster for the state which will get a chance to showcase its achievements in the tourism sector along with recently developed sites of historical and religious tourism. Rajiv Mehra, president, IATO, said, "We are returning to Lucknow after a gap of 26 years and it will be an excellent opportunity for our members to see the improved and developed infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. The last IATO convention in Lucknow was held in 1996 and there are so many new hotels that have come up in Lucknow and the rest of the state which will give first-hand insight of facilities and development of infrastructure to the tour operators promoting the state amongst foreign and domestic travellers." Mehra said that the added attraction, this time, would be the Ram temple at Ayodhya which would be promoted globally among tourists. Prateek Hira, the UP chairperson of IATO, said that the convention is the most awaited event in the tourism sector and it has been seen that the state which hosts it, has seen quantifiable increase in its tourist traffic. "Uttar Pradesh is a tourist friendly state and has realised that the contribution of tourism will help achieve the vision of chief minister Yogi Adityanath in making the state a USD 1 trillion economy. Over 900 delegates from across India are expected to attend the three-day programme. Deliberations will be held to chart out a roadmap for ironing out difficulties with a special focus on the host state. Islamabad, Sep 20 : Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to approach the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy, or at least a focal person, on Islamophobia, adding that "one of its worst manifestations is in Hindutva-inspired India". The Minister made the remarks at a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Muslims in Europe held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, reports The Express Tribune. "What is most worrisome is that Islamophobia continues to find strong resonance in political spheres in Europe, ultimately leading to institutionalisation of Islamophobia through new legislations and policies such as discriminatory travel bans and visa restrictions. "Today, one of the worst manifestations of such Islamophobia is in Hindutva-inspired India. Driven by the ideology of hate against Muslims, the (ruling) BJP-RSS regime is executing its century-old plan to obliterate India's Islamic legacy and to transform India into an exclusive Hindu state," the Minister said. Last year, the UNGA adopted the landmark resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC countries, designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. "The momentum generated by this resolution should be maintained," The Express Tribune quoted Bilawal as saying. New Delhi, Sep 20 : YouTube buttons like 'not interested', 'dislike', 'stop recommending channel', and 'remove from watch history' are ineffective at preventing similar content from being recommended and its user controls do not work for many people, researchers from Mozilla have discovered. The team from the developer of Firefox open-source web browser heard from several people who expressed frustration with the user controls, and who said they wanted better tools that simply work the way they'd expect them to. "People feel that using YouTube's user controls does not change their recommendations at all. We learned that many people take a trial-and-error approach to controlling their recommendations, with limited success," said the report. It added that Google-owned YouTube's user control mechanisms are inadequate for preventing unwanted recommendations. "We determined that YouTube's user controls influence what is recommended, but this effect is negligible and most unwanted videos still slip through," the researchers noted. YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, and its algorithm drives most of the video views on the platform. Previous Mozilla research determined that people are routinely recommended videos they don't want to see, including violent content, hate speech, and political misinformation. In new research, the team evaluated the effectiveness of these controls for real users of the platform. Powered by Mozilla's research tool RegretsReporter, 22,722 people allowed data about their interactions with YouTube, representing the largest experimental audit of YouTube by independent researchers, powered by crowdsourced data. They looked at what happened over time to people's recommended videos after they had used one of YouTube's feedback tools -- buttons like 'Dislike' and 'Don't Recommend Channel'. The researchers said that YouTube's user controls should be easy to understand and access. "People should be provided with clear information about the steps they can take to influence their recommendations, and should be empowered to use those tools," they noted. YouTube should design its feedback tools in a way that puts people in the driver's seat. Feedback tools should enable people to proactively shape their experience, with user feedback given more weight in determining what videos are recommended. "YouTube should enhance its data access tools. It should provide researchers with access to better tools that allow them to assess the signals that impact YouTube's algorithm," said the Mozilla report. YouTube says that people can control their recommendations and search results through the feedback tools the platform offers. However, people continue to see unwanted videos despite having followed the steps prescribed by YouTube to avoid them. The researchers said that YouTube should respect the feedback users share about their experience, treating them as meaningful signals about how people want to spend their time on the platform. "YouTube should overhaul its ineffective user controls and replace them with a system in which people's satisfaction and well-being are treated as the most important signals," they stressed. New Delhi, Sep 20 : AstaGuru is set to host two auctions that perfectly chronicle the vibrant legacy of Indian art. The finely curated selection of avant-garde works comes from the oeuvre of several eminent artists. The contemporary art auction titled 'Present Future' will be held on September 22-23, 2022 with an eclectic assortment of 81 works, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, as well as some vibrant examples of mixed media art by leading contemporary artists such as Anish Kapoor, Thukral&Tagra, Surendran Nair, Raqib Shaw, Debanjan Roy, Nataraj Sharma, T.V. Santhosh, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Jagannath Panda, Dhananjay Singh, and Suryakant Lokhande among others. Scheduled on September 25-26, 'Modern Treasures' Auction will showcase a range of rare and unseen artworks by iconic figures of Modern Indian Art such as M.V. Dhurandhar, Tyeb Mehta, M. F. Husain, F.N. Souza, K. H. Ara, Jehangir Sabavala, S. H. Raza, Ganesh Pyne, Ram Kumar, Jogen Chowdhury, and Bikash Bhattacharjee to name a few. Several of these artworks are appearing in an auction for the first time. Talking about the upcoming auctions, Sneha Gautam, Vice President, Client Relations, AstaGuru Auction House states, "We are very happy to present these two extremely diverse and interesting collections of works in our upcoming 'Present Future' and 'Modern Treasures' auctions. The 'Present Future' auction represents prevalent art trends and gives an insight into the future of contemporary Indian art while the 'Modern Treasures' auction presents a wholesome view of the journey of Modern Indian Art, with works spanning multiple periods and genres. The Indian art market is constantly expanding and witnessing new possibilities in terms of the influx of important works. So, we have finely curated the catalogs to bring works that are not only rare and unique but also shed a light on extremely important phases in the career of these artists. These auctions are a great opportunity for our collectors to add great aesthetic value to their art collection." Highlights of Modern Treasures- Modern Indian Art auction Leading the lineup is a work by artist Tyeb Mehta, lot no. 22, appearing in an auction for the first time. Scaling over 5 feet, this oil on canvas painting is from his Diagonal series, which is considered to be one of his most important bodies of work by him. The presented lot (1973) was created during the phase when the diagonal was no more a newfound element but had transformed to be the primary pillar of the artist's ideation process. The motif and its usage were a matter of familiarity and Mehta had deciphered its visual properties. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 21,00,00,000-26,00,00,000. Appearing in auction for the first time as well is lot no. 13, a 100-year-old work by M.V. Dhurandhar. Executed in 1922, the untitled oil on canvas painting captures what is undoubtedly the most critical moment in the epic Mahabharata. Known as DraupadiVastraharan, the grave disgrace of Draupadi at the hands of the Kaurava brother, Dushasana became the genesis of the epic battle at Kurukshetra. The work is a paradigm of M. V. Dhurandhar's artistic genius, as he amalgamated the elements of western academic realism with the ethos of Indian tradition. The work appeared in the publication 'M.V. Dhurandhar - The Romantic Realist' by the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai in 2018. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 2,50,00,000-3,00,00,000. Executed on the same day as the death of revered playwright Safdar Hashmi in 1989, lot no. 26 titled 'Safdar Hashmi' by M. F. Husain is telling of how deeply he was affected by the killing of a fellow artist. Regarded as one of the most important works from M. F. Husain's oeuvre, this work spanning over 10 feet is a testament to his fearless and boundless artistic approach to portraying the injustices that occur in society. This work was also the first painting of Modern Indian Art to a record-winning bid of Rs 10 lakhs at the Times of India auction on the INS Jawahar in 1989. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 5,00,00,000-6,00,00,000. The auction will also showcase other large-scale masterpieces by the artist. Lot no. 41, a painting from his very first set of the British Raj series, depicts a nautch girl. This series is at once personal and political and chronicles the artist's reflections, as well as his creative genius. Titled 'Raj' and spanning over 7 feet, it will be offered at an estimate of INR 4,00,00,000-5,00,00,000. Also showcased in lot no. 31 is one of the panels from his famous Theorama Series which is a set of 10 large-scale panels paying homage to 9 globally followed faiths and the tenth dedicated to humanity. Titled 'Theorama Series - Islam,' this particular painting spanning over 11 feet depicts the integral elements of Islam and will be offered at an estimate of INR 2,50,00,000-3,00,00,000. A stunning diptych by Akbar Padamsee titled 'Paysage Aux Fleurs & Nu' dated 1965, lot no. 18, will also be offered for bidding. The landscape sans any figures evokes a sense of silence and desolation. The right panel of the artwork depicts a solitary nude woman figure, a subject that remained a fascination for Akbar Padamsee throughout his career. This oil on canvas work will be offered at an estimate of INR 4,00,00,000-6,00,00,000. Lot no. 34 titled 'Modern Adam and Eve' by F. N. Souza gives a great in-depth insight into the master's working process. The presented lot will be appearing in auction for the first time and is also accompanied by 9 sketches Souza made right before he painted the work. It enables the viewer to understand the various technical propositions a creator addresses prior to undertaking the task of painting a large-scale work. The oil on canvas was also the primary subject of an article the artist wrote in the 'Illustrated Weekly of India' 13th-19th March 1993. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 1,20,00,000-1,50,00,000. Also appearing for the first time in the auction is Jogen Chowdhury's large-scale crosshatch work titled Partition 1947, lot no. 36, will be offered with the estimate of INR 2,00,00,000 - 2,50,00,000. During the partition in 1947, the artist, with his family, was forced to migrate to Kolkata. Emerging out of this sense of loss and agony, his art practice became a way for him to comment on the ongoing violence in the world and also that of pain as an innate and unavoidable part of human suffering. Highlights of Present Future - Contemporary Art auction Leading the contemporary lineup are two exceptional works by sculptor Anish Kapoor. Lot no. 81 belongs to the artist's notable series of reflective stainless steel discs he has been creating since the 1990s. Pieces from this series attempt to create both a seamless and distorted view of what they reflect depending on their finishes. This piece spans over 5 feet in diameter and was created in 2011. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 5,50,00,000-7,50,00,000. Lot no. 17, dated 2005, is another stunning sculpture by Anish Kapoor created in bronze and lacquer. Anish Kapoor's smaller sculptures provide a more intimate look into his work and are a departure from his usual large-scale public commissions. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 70,00,000-80,00,000. Nataraj Sharma's stunning work titled Swimmers Manual is an oil on canvas work executed in 2018, spanning 9 feet. Nataraj's art practice offers incisive commentary about the complex relationship between humans, landscapes, and urbanization. Executed with a unique visual code that adds new connotations to already familiar imagery, these large-scale works are dramatic, broody, quiescent, and defiant, all at the same time. The work has previously been part of the artist's solo exhibition titled 'Swimmer's Manual and Other Stories' at Dr.BhauDaji Lad Museum, Mumbai organised by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, 8th April - 11th May 2018. It also features on the cover of this auction's catalog. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 30,00,000-35,00,000. Surendran Nair's work, lot no. 25, titled 'Hand to Mouth: 15 Degrees of Separation' - Elysium is part of his Cuckoonebulopolis series that he began in 2000. The series takes its name from the perfect utopian world between heaven and earth that was imagined by Greek playwright Aristophanes in his satire titled 'Birds'. The premise of the play rests on a man convincing a bird to construct a new city in the cloud called the Cloud Cuckoo Land. The oil on canvas, executed in 2011, will be offered at an estimate of INR 15,00,000-20,00,000. Debanjan Roy's Super Gandhi (Ed. 5) will also be showcased at the auction. He is known for his fascination with Gandhi as a subject for his sculptures and has featured the Father of the Nation in his works throughout his career. This particular sculpture sees the artist reimagining the Mahatma as Superman wearing the superhero's signature red cape but also Gandhi's trademark dhoti. It was displayed at Debanjan's solo exhibition 'Toying With Gandhi' at AkarPrakar in Kolkata (2019) and was published in the 4th November 2019 issue of The Indian Express. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 4,00,000-5,00,0000. Lot no. 38 titled Dear Dad Knows Best by artist Raqib Shaw was executed in 2009 in his signature style that includes the application of various mediums such as acrylic, glitter, enamel, and rhinestones, the work is presented in the frame which was also customized by the artist. The piece will be offered at an estimate of INR 20,00,000-30,00,000. Lot no. 46 is an oil on canvas painting by Thukral&Tagra titled Science, Mystery & Magic II (Superman). Thukral&Tagra visuals have evolved over the years to become rooted in the socio-political aspects of Indian culture. They explore the changing aspirations of the middle class and the repercussion of a materially consumed contemporary India. With humorous and playful compositions, the artists have also expressed their concerns on the essence of an Indian identity. This particular lot, spanning 7 feet, will be offered at an estimate of INR 15,00,000-20,00,000. Another large-scale work by Thukral&Tagra, lot no. 78, will also be showcased at the auction. This Diptych titled Phantom @ XI - B III spans 12 feet and will be offered at an estimate of INR 15,00,000-20,00,000. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Bhopal, Sep 20 : BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur has said that people in the two villages that she has adopted were forced to sell their daughters to give bribes to the police. A video of her speech went viral on Tuesday and the Congress was quick to raise questions on the BJP-led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. During a programme on Monday, Thakur said that the people in villages, which she has adopted, have no resources to earn for their livelihood. "They (villagers) make desi sharab (country-made liquor) and sell it to earn for their livelihood. Police arrest them and these poor people sell their daughters to pay bribes to police," Thakur was heard saying in a video that went viral on social media. The Congress attacked the BJP raising questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao' scheme. The opposition said that the BJP government was exposed by its own MP, who claimed that "daughters are being sold to pay bribes to the police." Sangeeta Sharma, a senior Congress spokesperson said, "She (Thakur) has levelled a serious allegation against her own party's government. But, the question is, why did she not raise this issue in the Parliament? She has exposed the BJP government and it proved that the Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao scheme is just a slogan for the BJP." Pragya Singh Thakur, who is a BJP MP from Bhopal had defeated Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh in the last Lok Sabha elections. However, for the last few months, BJP MP has been sidelined by the party. Chennai, Sep 20 : Actor Silambarasan, whose film 'Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu' has come in for praise from various quarters, especially for its music, has thanked the Mozart of Madras A. R. Rahman, "for always being there and making his films special". A. R. Rahman took to Twitter to thank fans and audiences for the love and positivity they had shown to 'Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu's' songs and background score. He tweeted: "Thank you audience, press friends, fans for the unanimous love and positivity to 'Vendhu Thaninthathu Kaadu', the songs and the background score. Ella Pughazhum Iraivanukke (All Glory to God)." Responding to Rahman's tweet, Simbu tweeted: "Thanks to my god father A R Rahman for ALWAYS being there and making my films special. #Mallipoo, #Marakkuma, BGM everything is special, like our journey!" Meanwhile, the makers of the film officially announced that the film had grossed an impressive 50.56 crores worldwide in the first four days of its release. The film, which is the first of two parts, revolves around a young boy called Muthu who goes on to become a dreaded gangster after facing many hurdles. Rajkot, Sep 20 : A Secure Value Agency employee ended his life at his house, days after he was interrogated in connection with cash theft from an ATM in Gujarat's Rajkot city. Secure Value Agency has the contract to fill cash in Bank of Baroda's ATMs. Last week, Jaypuri and two other staff members had filled Rs 25 lakh in the ATM. On September 15, the bank learnt that Rs 17 lakh were stolen from the ATM and its Chief Manager Pintu Misa lodged a complaint in this regard. While going through CCTV footage, police noticed a masked man opened the ATM using the code numbers and stole the cash. As the ATM code number was only with Jaypuri Goswami and two other employees Mayursinh Zala and Mayur Bagda, police called Jaypuri for interrogation. Jaypuri's mother Reenaben Goswami alleged that her son committed suicide on Monday night because of police torture. She told local media that her husband accompanied Jaypuri to Jasdan police station, where the police on duty thrashed and tortured him. He was tortured despite telling the police that he has only one kidney and had recently undergone a surgery, she alleged. Reenaben is demanding action against all police personnel present in the Jasdan police station on September 16. Police Inspector P A Zala, refuting allegations of police torture, has cited Jaypuri's postmortem that has confirmed nil torture. Bengaluru, Sep 20 : Karnataka Revenue Minister R. Ashok stated on Tuesday that no matter what the encroachments will be vacated in Bengaluru by the ruling BJP to avoid flood situation in future. Talking to reporters, he stated, "On the one hand, rich land sharks are protected by the opposition Congress party. Media is protecting the encroachments made by the poor people." "Whether it is the poor or rich, encroachments will not be allowed to stay," he said. "We can't just see encroachment as whether it is done by a poor or rich man. Every encroachment has to go. The parallel facility for the poor would be made after discussing with the CM Bommai," he said. Answering a question on ruling BJP making an anti-encroachment drive as a tool to pursue a political agenda, Minister Ashok maintained that they are just allegations that are common in politics. The drive will be taken up all across Bengaluru. Presently, the drive is being taken up in Yelahanka and Mahadevapura Zones, he added. The anti-encroachment drive would be intensified in the coming days. There is no question of coming under influence or favour, he said. The issue of encroachment removal drives has become a point of debate in Silicon City. The IT companies, opposition leaders, which slammed ruling BJP for collapse of infrastructure due to unprecedented rainfall, are now facing charges of encroaching upon storm water drains. The villas have also faced the heat of encroachment drive. The issue was discussed with heated debate in the state assembly. The ruling BJP has declared that they have had the probe done on encroachments of lakes since 2006. Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 20 : The prime accused in the gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh on Tuesday denied media reports that she has gone silent. "There are reports coming which say that I have gone silent. I have not become silent. I am happy with the progress in the Enforcement Directorate's probe," said Suresh. It was in June this year after a long gap that Suresh surfaced in the media and made grave allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife and daughter that they all had a role in smuggling of gold and currencies through the airport here. For several days she hogged the limelight, but after a while she became silent. "I have now got a job in Bengaluru, so is my friend Sarith. The Kerala Police did their best to see that I do not get it, but the Karnataka Police helped us. Now I will approach the court to see that I am able to join my new job," added Suresh. She is presently out on bail in the gold smuggling case after being in jail for over a year after her arrest in July 2020. Jaipur, Sep 20 : BJP, on the call of its state president Satish Poonia, on Tuesday staged a huge protest against the Congress government in Jaipur alleging that it was turning a blind eye over the 55,000 cattle deaths in the state due to Lumpy virus. The protest was also staged to highlight other raging issues like increased electricity rates and power cuts, unemployment, worsening law and order, fake farmer loan waiver promises, etc. Hundreds of party workers, led by Poonia, marched from the BJP office to the Assembly, but were stopped by the police on Sahakar Marg. Here the leaders and workers raised slogans against the government and were detained. Addressing the gathering at the party office this morning, Satish Poonia said that "Shraddha Paksha was going on right now. In 2023, the Congress party will see its permanent Shraddh rituals. The Congress government will be wiped out from India and Rajasthan," he said. The party workers, who were going to besiege the Assembly clashed with the police. The workers also broke the police barricade on the Sahakar Marg in Jaipur. Poonia, who climbed the barricade, was pushed by the policemen. A heavy police force was deployed to stop the activists from moving forward. Jaipur Police detained the office-bearers, party workers, MPs and MLAs, including BJP Poonia ji and took them to Bani Park police station, confirmed BJP media cell at the time of filing of report. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system By Zhang Han, Han Wen According to Yonhap's report on September 19, the ROK government has completed the procedures for providing an area in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province to the US for deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The provision of 400,000m2 of land this time, after the first round of provision in 2017, drives the total area provided by ROK for deploying the US THAAD system to 730,000m2. Experts say Seouls push to deploy THAAD may very likely drag the China-ROK relationship into an abyss again and that the deployment doesnt suit any partys interests. The ROK media mentioned that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has expressed its wish to normalize the THAAD base from day one, and has accelerated the formation of an environmental impact assessment committee and the guarantee of vehicles and transportation, which was long postponed by the previous administration. After the Office of the President announced in early August that work around the deployment of THAAD would be normalized by the end of the month, the work that has been suspended for years was soon resumed and pushed forward faster. The ROK government already transported engineering equipment and vehicles into the THAAD base on the 4th and 14th of September, which ROKs Kyunghyang Shinmun said were strongly opposed by some residents and anti-THAAD groups, saying that the police were trampling upon the citizens for the US military and that normalizing the THAAD was illegal. Kang Hyun-wook, a spokesperson for a coalition of several anti-THAAD groups criticized the ROK government for aggravating the conflict. Zhan Debin, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies (CKPS), Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said despite the protests by local residents and the objection from China, the Yoon Seok-Youl administration seems adamant about normalizing the deployment of THAAD. In an earlier interview with ROK media, Chinese ambassador to ROK Xing Haiming said that of all American allies, the ROK is geographically closest to China. If the US deploys THAAD in it, the systems x-band radar, with a detection distance of 2000-3000km, will be able to reach deep into the Chinese mainland, which not only worries the Chinese people but also harms Chinas strategic interests. The Chinese side will not sit idle on that. The spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in August that China has always respected the sovereignty of the ROK and understands its security concerns. However, since the US deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in the ROK undermines Chinas strategic security, the Chinese side cannot just look the other way. According to an analyst who asked for anonymity, the normalization of the THAAD base will indicate the ROKs neglect of Chinas security concerns and will seriously impede the healthy development of bilateral relations. Editors note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Mumbai, Sep 20 : Benchmark indices ended higher on Tuesday with Sensex rising over 550 points and Nifty over 190 points due to support from Pharma, Auto and Financial stocks, dealers said. At close, Sensex ended 578.51 points or 0.98 per cent at 59,719.74, and Nifty ended 194.00 points or 1.10 per cent up at 17,816.25. About 2,109 shares have advanced, 1,362 shares have declined and 131 shares have remained unchanged. Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's Labs, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, Titan Company were major gainers on the Sensex today. Nifty Pharma rose 3.08 per cent, Nifty Auto inched up 1.66 per cent, and BSE Commodities rose 1.29 per cent. "Bulls charged on D-Street today with the help of Autos & Financials with strong support coming from the laggard - Pharma Sector today. The surprise element to many of course was the Nifty Infrastructure sector which saw smart gains led by Cement yet again. Consumer Durable stocks too displayed good momentum ahead of the festive season on the back of a bountiful monsoon," said S. Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP securities. Asian shares went up despite the assumption that the US Federal Reserve will hike 75 basis points rate. The Nikkei Index ended 0.44 per cent higher. The blue-chip CSI 300 Index edged up 0.1 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 per cent. The Hang Seng Index gained 1.2 per cent. European shares rose at the open on Tuesday as banks gained. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose. Meanwhile, domestically, the Bank Nifty index continued its volatile move ahead of the US FED policy but remains in a buy mode as long as it holds the support of 40,500 on the downside. The index immediate upside hurdle is placed at 42,000 and once taken out on a closing basis it opens up the room for 43,000-43,600 on the upside. "The index is likely to consolidate between 40,500-42,000 for one more day before starting a trending move on either side," said Kunal Shah, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities. Chennai, Sep 20 : As the financial situation in Sri Lanka remains uncertain, 12 more refugees from the island nation arrived in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The 12 were rescued by the Hovercraft of the Indian Coast Guard from the 4th islet in Dhanushkodi police station limits. Those arriving on Tuesday included 3 men, 3 women, and 6 children. Dhanushkodi police told IANS that the 12 belong to three different families and have paid their lifetime savings for the fishing boat to drop them at the 4th islet. They were taken to Rameswaram police station and after necessary medical checkups and proper verification of identities, all 12 were shifted to Mandapam refugee camp. Since the commencement of the domestic crisis in Sri Lanka, 170 people have arrived on the Tamil Nadu coast. A 71-year-old woman Sri Lankan refugee Parameswari who had landed at the Dhanushkodi mound along with her husband, Periyannan (80) died in the Government Rajaji Medical College, Hospital at Madurai on July 2. The woman had arrived at Rameswaram along with her husband on June 27 and was rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and Coastal Security Group after they had waded through neck-deep water into Dhanushokodi shores. The woman and her husband were immediately taken to the hospital for dehydration, where Parameswari passed away. This was the only incidence of a refugee dying after reaching Indian shores since the commencement of the refugee movement into India. Kolar : , Sep 20 (IANS) A Dalit family in Karnataka's Koppal district has been fined Rs 60,000 after its boy entered the temple and touched Hindu god's idol. According to local sources, the Dalit boy had touched the idol ready to be taken out for the procession at the Hullerahalli village in Malur taluk. Local residents said that a temple was constructed and the villagers decided to celebrate it. During the celebrations three days ago, Chetan touched the idol and attempted to carry it on his head. At this point, the villagers shooed him away and imposed Rs 60,000 fine on his family. The village leaders have asked the parents of Dalit boy Ramesh and Shobha not to enter village until they pay the fine amount. Miscreants are also making threatening calls to the boy's mother. The Dalit family is yet to file a complaint in this regard. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Ever so often people earn accolades of the wunderkind, here's a story of a young girl, Andrea Kevichusa, a Nagaland native, who made headlines with her debut film Anek. She comes from Nagaland's Angami and Ao tribes, and her career in the fashion industry began when she was scouted at the age of 15 and signed with Anima Creative Management, at the age of 16. No stranger to being in front of a camera Andrea's popularity rose at a young age with her appearing in editorials for magazines including Vogue India, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Grazia, and Femina, among others. She talks about her shift from model to actor and her life experiences with IANSlife. Can you briefly describe your modelling phase and what it was like? AK: When my mother agency spotted me in 2016 on Instagram after seeing a photo of mine, I was 15 years old at the time. And when they contacted me, it was evident that I wanted to accept their offer; however, at the time, I was still a student and lived in Kohima. Additionally, I had no true modelling knowledge. So, yes. We briefly discussed it when they informed me that we are a Bombay-based agency. I simply left it there after that. They then kind of stayed in touch and started following me on Instagram after that. And I started doing a couple of shots when I became 16 years old. I was contacted for a Harper's Bazaar editorial. Anima Creative Management travelled to Kohima in Nagaland to meet with my family where they described the process. A few months later, I made the decision to move forward. For the first few years, I worked on it concurrently with my studies. It went like this: during my winter and summer breaks, I would relocate to Mumbai, stay there for approximately two weeks, then return to school. And what inspired you to pursue it as a career? AK: At 18 when I finished high school, I made the decision to take a gap year gap and relocate to Bombay with the idea of making my dream come true. It was also at this time that I was offered the part in Anek. What were your early career challenges? AK: I didn't really know many people when I moved to Bombay because there weren't many Northeastern residents compared to Delhi. So I had to do everything by myself, although I believe that was a significant hurdle. The industry did not have a lot of Northeastern models when I initially started. No one was absolutely ignorant of how to understand our subjects, you know. In that case, I would say that the path was already paved, but I believe-and I always believe this-that I entered the field at a very favourable period. As a result, things were improving, and now the business as a whole is considerably more diverse than it was when I first entered it. This includes anything from more plus-size models to more people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. There was still a lot of tokenism, that you were only there because you were different-looking. However, that has changed lately. People's stigmatisation of the word "Northeast" is nothing new. Have you ever been turned down by modelling scouts or treated differently because of your appearance? AK: No, because, as I already stated, I was usually in a very professional setting. Of course, I encountered this in my professional life, just as in any other, but I wouldn't necessarily blame it on my physical look. You know, like when weird street callers phone us and stuff like that. However, I did not experience any embarrassment in my professional life. Of course, some people are ignorant. And they don't know where you're from, or you don't know, but other than that, no. Children are usually the ones who tease. So there's a school nearby where I reside. So every time I leave my building to go anywhere, I have to brace myself. It was the worst when Covid first started. It's a small child, so you can't fight back. However, I believe it is better in Mumbai. Walk me through your shift from model to actor. AK: I didn't actually audition for my part. Anek's film director was looking up fresh faces and other information on the internet, and the director of the film saw my photos on Instagram, which is how I got cast. My agent texted me one evening a few months after I arrived in Bombay, saying there's a movie and they want to meet you, I assumed it was an audition, and I'd gone to advertising auditions before, there's a long line of people you have to wait your turn and stuff like that. So I had no idea what, who, or what else was going on. Aside from that, they kept things low-key. I went to the meeting the next day, and to my surprise, it was only myself. They merely told me that they were going to film and that they wanted me to play the female protagonist, who would be a boxer. I wasn't physically accustomed to it all, and I was terrified at first. I didn't know anyone who had recently transitioned from modelling to anything, so I didn't know who to talk to, and I was pretty intimidated, but just like anything else, I took my time to plot in since it was a good opportunity, and that's how everything got done. Now that you've been introduced to the Bollywood industry, how do you intend to balance the two professions? AK: Although I believe I am open to acting, modelling will continue to play a significant role in my life. I had a great experience acting, and because I am highly adaptable in my experiences, I am open to anything that arises. Have you signed up for any upcoming films? And who would you like to co-star with in the future? AK: Working with someone from the Northeast would be fantastic for me, in my opinion. I believe we have a large pool of outstanding actors, and working with them would be extremely intriguing. Everyone measures success differently... what according to you is success? AK: This is hardly the pinnacle of my career, in my opinion. For everything I've done thus far, I believe I should be extremely proud of myself. And everyone has been really helpful to me in my life and on my trip thus far. Despite the fact that I am currently enjoying my career, I do not believe this to be its zenith. What advice would you give to young people who want to be trailblazers? AK: I would advise leaving your comfort zone and trying new things, and this is coming from someone who has never really been outside of their comfort zone. Even if you try it and are rejected afterward, you will at least feel satisfied in knowing that you tried it and were not successful. Because you never know your boundaries, I believe that you should always make an effort to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. (N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in) Tirupati, Sep 20 : In a rare gesture, a Muslim couple has donated Rs.1.02 crore to Tirumala temple. Abdul Ghani and Nubina Banu on Tuesday presented the cheque to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the world's richest temple. The couple from Chennai met TTD Executive Officer Dharma Reddy at Ranganayakula Mandapam in the temple premises and handed over the cheque. Of the total amount, Rs. 15 lakh are meant for Sri Venkateswara Anna Prasadam Trust, which provides free food to thousands of devotees visiting the temple every day. The donation of remaining Rs. 87 lakh is towards new furniture and articles in the kitchen at Sri Padmavati Guest House. This is not the first time that Abdul Ghani, a businessman, has made donation to this temple, popularly known as Balaji temple. In 2020, he had donated a multi-dimensional tractor-mounted sprayer to spray disinfectants in temple premises during Covid-19 pandemic. He had earlier donated a Rs.35 lakh refrigerator truck to the temple for transporting vegetables. Finance Minister urges fintech players to engage more with govt Image Source: IANS News Finance Minister urges fintech players to engage more with govt Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 20 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday urged the financial technology or fintech industry to build trust and engage more with the government. Addressing the Global Fintech Fest 2022 (GFF) virtually, Sitharaman said that distances should be bridged and greater engagement should be ensured between regulators, industry and the government. She said that distances bring distrust and therefore greater engagement with the government will help in discussions and exchange of ideas. The Finance Minister added that the Prime Minister, Union ministers and government think-tank Niti Aayog are available all the time for consultations and discussions. Sitharaman made these observations while responding to questions posed by Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Global Fintech Fest's advisory board. Khandwa : , Sep 20 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Tribal girls in Khalwa block of Khandwa district are breaking the glass ceiling that once tied them down to farm work to earn a pittance. Mohammad Asif Siddiqui Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 20 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Tribal girls in Khalwa block of Khandwa district are breaking the glass ceiling that once tied them down to farm work to earn a pittance. Mantu Kasde of Balrampur works on the shock absorber and clutch plates of motorcycles at a garage in Khalwa, after having completed a three-month course in repairing. "I shall open my own garage soon," she beams with pride. Sativardha of Jamdhad has launched a puncture repair service, a beauty parlour and a cutlery shop just outside her home. She completed training for these jobs almost six months ago, after her higher secondary education, to make around Rs 5,000 every month. Her seven-member family used to migrate every year in search of work. Thanks to her enterprise, the family makes enough money now to give up the idea of migration altogether. "My father does not need to move out for work anymore." Six months ago, Gayatri Kasde of Sawali Kheda was trained as a mechanic under Babubhai, a mechanic in Khalwa town. Now she works from both Babubhai's garage and her home. Radha Yadav of Bagda repairs motorcycles, besides running a grocery shop. She has managed to save Rs 15,000 over the last six months. Her brother, who was earlier working at a factory in Khandwa, has returned home to help run her business. Sakiya Vardhaya belongs to a landless family from Jamdhad, comprising her parents, three sisters and two brothers, which migrated annually for work. She now repairs two-wheelers, assisted by her two sisters. The money she earns not only helps run the family but also takes care of her studies. Sakiya, a BA final year student, commutes daily to her college in Khandwa. Most of these girls fall in the 18-24 age group and belong to the Gond and Korku tribes, which do not practise gender discrimination. So far, 50 girls have received training under the aegis of Spandan Samajsewa Samiti, a non-governmental organisation (NGO). A unique idea Hitherto known for the migration of its residents, Khalwa is witnessing a turnaround with young girls entering male-dominated vocations. Recounting how they embarked on such unique journeys, the girls told 101Reporters that they realised there was little to do in Khalwa other than sowing and harvesting crops. At the same time, the block had a whole lot of two-wheeler and mobile phone users. Whenever something needed repair, the villagers had to travel to the nearest urban centres such as Khalwa, Patajan, Roshni and Ashapur. Some of these places were located over 20 km away, and that too with negligible public transport. In search of fruitful employment, they approached NGO Spandan, which has been actively involved in stemming migration in Khalwa for many years. Initially, the girls were sent to local mechanics to acquire basic knowledge of repairing. Then came some financial assistance to open small shops adjoining their homes. Further training happened in Khandwa, followed by a five-day workshop in the first week of August to educate them about the finer points of repair. Incidentally, the families wholeheartedly supported the girls right from the beginning. As Mantu points out: "When Seema didi of Spandan suggested that I take up garage work, I was enthused. I did not see anything wrong in doing the job." Other girls chime in saying their families never stopped them. "We enjoy doing this work. It is true that many people doubt our skills, but we feel proud to earn our daily bread through hard work." The girls now read brochures and manuals that help them repair motorcycles of any brand available in the market. They are also adept at dealing with all kinds of two-wheeler punctures. As and when the demand arises, they repair mobile phones too. A few others work at beauty parlours, handling foundations and makeup. According to Seema Prakash Michael of NGO Spandan, when they were looking at ways to stem migration, some girls suggested measures to generate local employment in Khalwa. They said they felt unsafe when family members went to other cities/towns in search of work. "After several rounds of discussions, we hit upon the idea of mobile and two-wheeler repairs. We were initially apprehensive, but the girls exhibited remarkable skills and enthusiasm. In fact, they surpassed all our expectations," Michael says. Opening a tyre to repair a puncture seemed a daunting task to many at the outset, but everything came easy once they mastered the technique. NGO Spandan also provided them with the necessary tools to set up businesses. In the next couple of years, the organisation intends to train 1,000 girls. Setting up an all-women service centre in Khalwa is another ambitious plan of the NGO. An organisation with its roots in the Korku community has promised land to this effect. Once it is acquired, the centre will launch operations with a woman mechanic and helper. According to Michael, it will also be developed into a training centre in future. Laurels have already come their way with a bike showroom located at the block headquarters of Khalwa recently organising a special camp where the girls could display their talents. Though they subsequently received job offers from the showroom management, the girls declined them. Nevertheless, the showroom owner has decided to offer free training to hone their skills. (The author is a freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters) New Delhi, Sep 20 : Asserting India has the potential to become "aatmnirbhar" in agriculture and also meet the food requirements of the world, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar invited the international community to join hands for the purpose. "We would like to collaborate. I use this opportunity to invite the international community to join hands with us for the benefit of coming generations," he said in his address at the session "Food for All: From Farm to Fork" at the 3rd edition of "LEADS 2022" - a global thought leadership initiative of industry chamber FICCI. Noting that country's agri exports had crossed the milestone of Rs 4 lakh crore, he said: "We are working to increase it further." Tomar said that the government is constantly working to make the country "aatmnirbhar", and as a result, Indian agriculture recorded a robust growth of 3.9 per cent despite the pandemic. In addition, he reiterated that the government aims to make Indian agriculture internationally competitive by aiding the small farmers in the country, and listed several government programmes to reduce farming-related challenges. "Due to an increase in investment in basic infrastructures like irrigation systems, storage, warehousing, and cold storage, Indian agriculture is expected to record robust growth in the coming years," he added. FICCI President Sanjiv Mehta said achieving food and nutrition security is a multifaceted challenge. "Food systems can play a big role in protecting food security and nutrition if careful attention is paid to targeting the poor, reducing inequalities, including gender inequality and incorporating nutrition goals and actions were relevant," he said. Chennai, Sep 20 : A lawyer, who was on the run after attacking a woman public prosecutor and her daughter in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur and injuring them seriously, was arrested on Tuesday, police said. Abdul Rahman, 25, who was practicing under a senior lawyer in Salem, was stalking the public prosecutor Jameela Banu's daughter Amirnisha, who was a law student at the Salem law college and had done an internship with the senior lawyer. The woman lodged a complaint with the Kondalampatti police on August 20. Police arrested him and produced before a magistrate court, which sent him to judicial custody. He was later released on conditional bail. However, Abdul Rehman attacked Amirnisha and her mother Jameela Banu at the latter's office with sickle and the duo suffered grievous injuries and were admitted to a private hospital at Coimbatore. Tiruppur police registered a case against Abdul Rahman under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and tracked him down and arrested him. New Delhi, Sep 20 : A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the intervention application moved by a man claiming to be heir of a royal family in Agra and seeking ownership of Qutub Minar. Additional District Judge Dinesh Kumar dismissed the plea moved by Kunwar Mahendra Dhwaj Prasad Singh, who claims to be heir of the united province of Agra and sought the right over territories from Meerut to Agra. His plea was a twist amidst the temple restoration row. During the course of the hearing, advocate Amita Sachdeva, appearing for the original applicant, argued that Singh's plea should be dismissed with severe penalties because it is nothing more than a "publicity gimmick". The main suit in the matter alleged that 27 Hindu and Jain temples were desecrated and damaged in 1198 under the Slave Dynasty Emperor Qutub ud din Aibak who constructed the said mosque in place of those temples. The temples were dismantled, desecrated, and damaged under the command of the Slave Dynasty Emperor, who raised some construction at the same very place and named it the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque, as per the plea. Singh's plea contended that the applicant belongs to the Beswan Family and heir of Raja Rohini Raman Dhawaj Prasad Singh and descendants of Raja Nand Ram who had died in 1695. "When Aurangzeb became firmly established on the throne, Nand Ram submitted to the Emperor and was rewarded with the Khidmat zamindari, revenue management of Joar and Tochigarh," read the plea. In 1947, during the time of Raja Rohini Raman Dhawaj Prasad Singh, British India and its provinces became free and independent, the plea stated. However, after the independence of India in 1947, the Indian government neither entered into any treaty, nor there was any accession, nor there was an agreement with the ruling family, the applicant argued. "The Central government, state government of Delhi and state government of Uttar Pradesh without due process of law encroached upon the legal rights of the applicant and misused the power, allotted, allocated and death with the property of the applicant," it said further. Chennai, Sep 20 : The Tamil Nadu school education department has called for tenders from private companies to make an assessment of the impact of the volunteer-based door-to-door education programme in the state, named Illam Thedi Kalvi (ITK). The study will be conducted from October 2022 to April 2023. The programme was implemented in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic to bridge the learning gap. The ITK scheme has more than 2 lakh volunteers in two lakh centres across 92,000 habitations in the state. These education volunteers teach the students from Classes 1 to VIII for one and a half hours after school in Tamil, English, Science, Maths and Social Science subjects. The private company which will assess the performance of the ITK scheme will give a report on the students' learning competency in English, Tamil and Mathematics in classes 3, 5 and 8. The retention, absenteeism and enrolment of students in schools after the ITK was implemented will also be a subject of study for the company. School education officials said that the impact assessment is being done to get a proper feedback on the shortcomings of the project and to take corrective measures. R. Manikantan, a teacher at a public school in Tiruppur, told IANS, "The scheme is now not relevant as the regular classes have begun. The government should improve the quality of teaching in schools rather than stick to the ITK scheme. It is unnecessary to teach the same subjects immediately after regular classes." The National Achievement Survey 2021 will be taken as the baseline data for the assessment of the project. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Karnataka government, on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that even countries like Iran, which are constitutionally Islamic, women are fighting against hijab. Mehta submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia that the purpose of uniform, is for equality, equity, and uniformity and when one has to cross that threshold, then that person's test has to be higher. He said India is a secular country and even in countries which are constitutionally Islamic like Iran, not all women are wearing hijab, instead they are fighting against it. He added that its mention in the Quran "means it's permissible.. Not essential". Mehta also queried if is it so compelling that people who do not adhere to it are excommunicated or they cannot think of their existence without it? At this, Justice Dhulia said they (the petitioners) are saying we'll wear uniforms and they are not saying we won't. He queried Mehta that if a child wears a muffler during winters, even the muffler is not prescribed in the uniform and will it be prevented? Mehta said the rule says there cannot be a religious identity and uniform is uniform, and in a secular school, one has to wear the uniform. Justice Gupta then asked Mehta if a leather belt is part of the uniform and someone says that we can't wear leather, will it be allowed? Mehta said if the uniform says short pants, one cannot wear it so short that it's indecent and everyone understands the uniform and discipline. He added that in some countries, women are not allowed to drive but clarified that he is not criticising any religion. During the hearing, the apex court said it must be proved beyond doubt that the wearing of the hijab was a threat to public order, public health or morality. Mehta said the uniform being part of essential discipline in schools was being scrupulously followed, however then a movement started on social media by an organisation called Popular Front of India and the movement was designed to create an agitation. He added there were messages on social media to begin wearing hijab and this was not a spontaneous act, instead it was a part of larger conspiracy, and children were acting as advised. Justice Dhulia orally remarked that the Karnataka High Court should have not gone into the essential religious practice test. Mehta agreed that the high court could have avoided going into the essential religious practice issue, however he added that it was the petitioners who moved the court raising the argument that hijab was an essential practice. The apex court is hearing petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court's judgement of March 15 upholding ban on hijab in pre-university colleges. It is likely to continue hearing the matter on Wednesday. Guwahati, Sep 20 : National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one Maoist from West Bengal in connection with a case in Assam, officials informed on Tuesday. An NIA spokesperson in Guwahati informed that the activist identified as Samrat Chakraborty alias Nilkamal Sikdar was arrested in West Bengal's Mahispata area near the Kalyani expressway on Monday. The agency was searching for him in a case pertaining to setting up Maoist units in Assam. As per the investigative agency, Chakraborty was closely related to veteran Maoist leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee alias Jyotish alias Kabir alias Kanchan Da a Central Committee Member and an ideologue and strategist of CPI(Maoist) hailing from the Howrah district in Bengal. Bhattacharjee was believed to be working to expand Maoist base in Assam and the Northeast. He was arrested a few months ago in the Cachar district of Assam. The NIA spokesperson claimed that Chakraborty was a linkman between the top hierarchy of CPI (Maoist) and Arun Bhattacharjee. The spokesperson further said that Chakraborty is believed to have visited various districts of Assam in the past on several occasions and assisted Bhattacharjee in his task to expand the footprint of the outlawed group in the state. Chandigarh, Sep 20 : Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday described the Supreme Court verdict upholding the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, as "an attack on the apanth" and claimed it had caused deep resentment amongst the community worldwide. Addressing the media here, the SAD President said it was extremely unfortunate that the SGPC, an inter-state body, had been bifurcated by recognising a state legislation even though the power to make law on this issue was reserved with the Centre. Badal said the Congress had been trying for decades to weaken the SAD as well as Sikh institutions and the 2014 Act forming a separate body to manage gurdwaras in Haryana was part of this strategy. He said it was equally condemnable that the Punjab government under Amarinder Singh had taken an anti-SGPC stance in the apex court in this case. "The last nail was hammered in by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government whose Advocate General gave a written submission against the SGPC in the case." Asserting that the SAD would not tolerate tinkering of a 100-year-old act, Badal said that the party has called a meeting of senior leaders to decide on the next course of action which could include legal recourse. He also appealed to all 'panthic' organisations to unite "to defeat the designs of anti-Sikh forces to divide the Sikh community and rule by proxy". Badal said the country had earlier witnessed how the nature of the elected Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was changed overnight and taken over. He also related how Punjab was already suffering after its river waters were snatched away from it even as it remained without its own capital city of Chandigarh. "Now the SGPC has been truncated by recognizing the formation of a separate Committee for Haryana." Wuestioned about the issue concerning deplaning of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from an aircraft in Frankfurt, Badal said "the Chief Minister's actions have lowered the prestige of Punjab and Punjabis". He went on to disclose how he had talked to two passengers who were on the same flight as the Chief Minister to verify the incident. "While one of the passengers, an industrialist, was in the first class the other, an hotelier from Rajasthan, was in the business class. Both said that Bhagwant Mann had fallen down on the first seat after entering the aircraft." He said following this the air hostess informed the Chief Minister about his seat which was a little to the back and that Mann proceeded to his seat swaying from one side to another. "Following this the air hostess informed the Captain about the situation and it was the Captain who came to the spot and took the decision to deboard the Chief Minister." Noting that the plane was late as disclosed by Lufthansa, Badal said: "Lufthansa has never said that Mr Bhagwant Mann was not drunk and that the deboarding incident did not take place. In fact the airline has refused to disclose the incident citing privacy laws." He also questioned how the Chief Minister fell ill suddenly after enjoying the comfort of the VIP lounge at the Frankfurt airport for nearly two hours. Demanding an inquiry into the entire incident, Badal appealed to the Governor to dismiss Mann from his post. "Such a person should not be allowed to continue in office any longer," he added. Badal also said while the lies about the establishment of a car manufacturing plant by BMW in Punjab had been exposed, people did not know that the cycle company which the Chief Minister had claimed would invest in the state already had operations in Ludhiana. Mumbai, Sep 20 : In a stunning move, the Maharashtra government has sacked Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari as Chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM), ostensibly for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the family of a farmer who committed suicide last Saturday. Hitting back, Tiwari pointed an accusing finger at Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the "lightning speed" in which he was relieved of responsibilities as the VNSSM chief. Tiwari, ironically, was appointed to the crucial post in August 2015 by Fadnavis when he was the Chief Minister in the previous Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena coalition government (2014-2019). The deceased farmer was Dashrath L. Kedari, 42, from Pune who penned a mentioned the Prime Minister in a suicide note - narrating his plight due to debts and other issues - before ending his life on Saturday. The government's decision to sack Tiwari - accorded a MoS rank - came barely hours after he drew Modi's attention to how the Pune peasant had wished the PM, consumed some pesticides and then jumped to his death into a pond on September 17. "Top government officials privately inform that they were ordered by DyCM Fadnavis to remove me immediately from the VNSSM Chairman's post. The official orders came late in the evening to me. I wonder if Fadnavis even consulted the PM and the CM, or acted independently," Tiwari claimed. Slamming the government, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said Tiwari was stripped of the VNSSM post in just two hours after he raised the issue of the deceased farmer with the PM and agriculture-related problems. "What is wrong in drawing the PM's attention to the issue? Rather than devising solutions to stop farmers' suicides, the state government decided to silence the person raising their cause. This is sheer vendetta and nothing but political terrorism," she said sharply. Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said that the state government's act shows the "total insensitivity of the BJP, Fadnavis and other top leaders" to the misery of the farmers in Maharashtra and elsewhere. "Instead of hastily removing Tiwari, if their government had displayed the same speed to address the cause of the farmers, thousands of innocent lives could have been saved," Londhe pointed out. Nationalist Congress Party's chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase felt Tiwari did "the right thing by speaking about the farmers' distress directly with the PM" and urging Modi to witness first-hand their sufferings in the state where he had launched his 'Chai Pe Charcha' (March 2014). "The state government obviously was embarrassed and scared that they could be exposed as to what compelled a small farmer to wish Happy Birthday to the PM and then end his life. This is the price Tiwari has paid for highlighting the farmers' cause," he said. In his letter, Tiwari had urged the PM to meet the farmer's family, or direct Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to go there during her upcoming visit to Pune soon. The government retaliated with a terse notification issued by a Deputy Secretary Sanjay A. Dharurkar late on Monday, saying that the appointment of Tiwari - who was heading the VNSSM since August 2015 (when Fadnavis was the CM) - has been cancelled. No reasons were assigned for the abrupt step in Dharurkar's order, and the Divisional Commissioner, Amravati, has been handed over the additional charge of VNSSM till further orders. Unfazed, Tiwari vowed that he will continue to raise the farmers' voice without let-up as he has been doing for the past over 30 years, raise their demands and seek solutions from the state and Centre. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Islamabad, Sep 20 : Russia is ready to provide Pakistan with gasoline on a delayed payment basis, media reports said on Tuesday. This major development comes after last week's meetings between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Daily Jang reported. Matters regarding oil, gas and wheat supplies to Pakistan from Moscow were discussed during the three meetings. The report added that the US has also not opposed the proposed deal openly amid Pakistan's severe economic crisis caused by deadly floods, Geo News reported. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had revealed that Russia proposed that its gas pipeline infrastructure, which was in place till Central Asian states, could be extended to Pakistan through Afghanistan. The two leaders also expressed commitment to expand bilateral cooperation between their countries in all areas of mutual benefit, Asif said. On September 15, Putin had told Sharif that the installation of a pipeline for the supply of gas to Pakistan from Moscow is possible. Putin had also expressed solidarity and support for the flood-hit population in Pakistan after he was informed about the devastating impact of the climate-induced calamity. Sharif had reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to work closely with Russia to expand and strengthen cooperation across all areas, including food security, trade and investment, energy, defence and security. Speaking about regional politics, Sharif had said that both Pakistan and Russia have vital stakes in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan is committed to supporting all regional and international efforts to stabilise its neighbouring country, Geo News reported. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War London, Sep 20 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he believes the Russian President is seeking an end to the war he began in Ukraine, and that a "significant step" will be made, media reports said. Erdogan said his impression from his recent talks with Vladimir Putin is that the Russian leader wants to "end this as soon as possible", BBC reported. With Ukraine recapturing swathes of its territory this month, the Turkish leader indicated that things are "quite problematic" for Russia. Erdogan spoke of having "very extensive discussions" with Putin at a summit in Uzbekistan last week. In an interview, the Turkish leader said he gained the impression that the Russian President wants a speedy end to the war. "He is actually showing me that he's willing to end this as soon as possible," Erdogan said, adding, "That was my impression, because the way things are going right now are quite problematic," BBC reported. He also said 200 "hostages" would soon be exchanged between the two sides. Erdogan gave no further detail of who all would be included in such a prisoner swap. Erdogan has repeatedly sought to mediate during the war, promoting a "balanced" stance for Nato member Turkey, while opposing Western sanctions on Russia. He helped the UN mediate a resumption of grain exports from Ukraine and said last week that he is trying to organise direct ceasefire talks. Meanwhile, two months after Russian forces seized control over the entire eastern region of Luhansk, Ukraine has reclaimed part of the territory. Luhansk's Ukrainian leader Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces have retreated from the village of Bilohorivka - but are doing all they could to dig in elsewhere, BBC reported. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said "the occupiers are clearly in panic". Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Kolkata, Sep 20 : The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's scheduled two-day visit to north Bengal from September 21 stands postponed, attracting jibes from opposition parties, who have linked the decision with the arrest of North Bengal varsity Vice Chancellor Subiresh Bhattacharya in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment scam. During her two-day visit, the Chief Minister was supposed to attend three programmes at Uttarkanya which is considered as the mini-secretariat in north Bengal, Bagdogra and Bagha Jatin Park at Siliguri. Accordingly, the district administrations were getting prepared. But then came the last moment announcement that her scheduled visit has been cancelled. BJP legislator from Siliguri Assembly constituency in Darjeeling, Shankar Ghosh, said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's scheduled visit is a deliberate face- saving exercise on her part after the arrest of Bhattacharya in connection with the WBSSC recruitment irregularities scam. "Not the people from North Bengal but people from other parts of the state are raising the same question. Nothing can be more shameful than the arrest of a Vice Chancellor of a prime state university for alleged association financial scam and unfortunately the fraudsters have the backing and support of the Chief Minister of the state," he claimed However, Trinamool Congress's Darjeeling district president, Aloke Chakraborty said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's visit has nothing to do with the developments on part of the central agencies. "The opposition is just trying to resort to political mud-slinging over a routine administrative announcement," he said. Bengaluru, Sep 20 : An FIR has been filed against two army officers for allegedly assaulting security personnel at the KempeGowda Bengaluru International Airport (KIAL), police said on Tuesday. According to police, the scuffle between airport security staff and army officers had happened when the latter tried to park their vehicle in a VIP area. The incident had taken place early on September 16 near VIP departure. Police sources said, the two officers, Captain Thakur Baruwal and Major Pusheeb Rajput, had come to the airport in the car with Jammu and Kashmir registration and allegedly tried to park on lane one reserved for VIP and CISF officers. The security guards denied them parking and asked them to park on lane 2. Sources said that at this, the officers got furious with the security guards, abused them, pushed them to the ground, and kicked them. They had attacked four security guards according to police. The KempeGowda International Airport police have taken up the case for investigation. New Delhi, Sep 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine whether practice of excommunication in the Dawoodi Bohra community can continue as a "protected practice" against the backdrop of the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2016. A five-judge bench, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari, will begin the hearing on the matter on October 11. The reference to a five-judge constitution bench was based on a 1962 judgment of another five-judge nench in the Sardar Syedna Taher Saifuddin vs the State of Bombay case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on his part, submitted that the matter concerns religious freedoms and emphasised on referring it to the Sabarimala bench. Senior advocate Fali Nariman, representing the Bohra community, argued that the 2016 Act provides remedy to all victims of social boycott and a complaint can be registered with the nearest magistrate, in case of apprehension of social boycott by a religious body. Therefore, the questions posed in the case have become moot, he added. In 1962, the apex court had held that religious faith and tenets of the Dawoodi Bohra community gave its religious heads the power of excommunication as part of their "management of religious affairs" under Article 26(b) of the Constitution. This verdict had come on a challenge to Section 3 of the Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act of 1949. It was argued before the top court that after the 2016 law, the 1949 Act had become non-existent and the excommunication is not legally feasible now and the current law deals with several kinds of social boycott. Another counsel in the matter argued that a general law on social boycott would not be sufficient to protect members of the Bohra community facing excommunication. The bench was informed that excommunication, through the 1962 judgment, was protected as a religious practice under Article 26(b) of the Constitution. A counsel said his clients have challenged the practice. It was argued that the religious heads of the community would never themselves say excommunication is bad. The 2016 Act had identified 16 types of social ostracisation and made them illegal, punishing the perpetrators with imprisonment for upto three years. Kolkata, Sep 20 : A special CBI court on Tuesday sent arrested University of North Bengal Vice Chancellor and West Bengal School Service Commission's (WBSSC) former Chairman Subiresh Bhattacharya to the central agency's custody till September 26. Bhattacharya was arrested on Monday afternoon by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment scam. CBI counsel informed the court that the central agency sleuths have procured copies of 300 entrance examination marksheets where the marks were altered directly allegedly under the instructions of Bhattacharya. Based on altered marks, recommendations for employment to ineligible candidates were made, the CBI counsel informed the court. On the other hand, Bhattacharya's counsel argued that since the CBI has not mentioned the exact time-bracket when this alternation of marks took place, their argument on this count against his client does not stand. After hearing both sides, the court sent Bhattacharya to six days CBI custody. State Education Minister, Bratya Basu told media persons that since it is a judicial matter, he has no comments to offer in the matter. Regarding Bhattacharya's replacement as Vice Chancellor, he said that nothing has been decided in the matter as yet. "It is an extraordinary situation and so whatever decision has to be taken will be only after consultation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said. CPI-M Politburo member and the party's state Secretary, Mohammad Salim said that the arrest of a Vice Chancellor of a state university on charges of corruption was unheard of in the history of the state's education system. "The state's rich education system was our pride. The current regime has totally destroyed that education system," he said. Currently, besides Bhattacharya, the other key persons behind the scam who are in CBI custody now are the former state Education Minister Partha Chattopadhyay, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education's former President Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, WBSSC's former Secretary, Ashok Saha and WBSSC's screening committee's former convenor S.P. Sinha. Mumbai, Sep 20 : A canteen worker at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT Bombay) was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly recording a video of the girls' hostel bathroom. The incident occurred late on Sunday when a female student noticed a mobile phone on a window outside the bathroom of Hostel 10 on the IIT Bombay campus, and alerted the authorities. The Powai police station was informed and a team rushed there, and after conducting preliminary investigations, including questioning at least five canteen workers, identified as a 22-year-old canteen worker as the prime suspect and arrested him. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone X, Maheshwar Reddy told media persons that the mobile phone of the accused is with the police, further investigations are on, and the accused shall be produced before the court on Wednesday. The IIT Bombay issued a statement saying that "there was an attempt to violate the personal space of women residents of a hostel", by an employee of the night canteen, who was caught red-handed by the alertness of the women residents and handed over to the police. "The investigation, including cyber investigation, is being carried out by the Mumbai Police. The IIT Bombay, as per the initial report, is not aware of any footage being shared from the phones confiscated from the culprit," said the statement. As a precaution, the night canteen has been shut down immediately and will be reopened only if it can be staffed exclusively by women, the IIT Bombay said. Gaps in the pipe ducts, which may have been used by the suspect, have been closed, and further discussions are on with the students to see what additional security measures can be taken, it added. The canteen worker has been arrested under various sections of Indian Penal Code which can attract a jail term of minimum one year and can extend up to seven years. The development came just a couple of days after students of Chandigarh University raised a hue and cry about certain alleged secret videos of girl students shot in the hostel bathrooms. New Delhi, Sep 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre's counsel to get instructions whether it wants to pursue its curative petition seeking enhancement of compensation to Bhopal gas tragedy victims - over the $470 million, which has already been paid by Union Carbide. A five-judge bench, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to get instructions in the matter by October 11. Advocate Karuna Nundy, representing the victims, submitted that the court should hear the victims regardless of the government's decision. Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, also representing the victims, said they will oppose Centre's decision to withdraw the curative petition tooth and nail. The Centre, in its curative plea, submitted that the compensation, which was determined in 1989, was calculated on assumptions of truth unrelated to realities. The bench -- which also comprises Justices Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari -- told the Centre's counsel that the government will have to take a stand whether it is going to press the curative petition or not, and added that it would wait for government to clarify its position in connection with the curative plea. It told counsel, representing the victims, if the government presses the curative petition, then their task will be simpler. Parikh said over the years, the tragedy's intensity has increased fivefold -- deaths, the number of victims, and the extent of injuries. The top court observed whether the compensation could keep changing over time like that and the system must provide certainty. "There cannot be perpetual uncertainty. There is no ideal situation for anything," it noted. Counsel, representing victims, said the tragedy was a rare case. The top court was informed that a curative petition was filed 19 years after the review petition was decided, and there should be a finality to the litigation, and asked counsel, representing the victims that "until the government's curative petition, you did not see the need to file any curative?" In 2011, a five-judge bench of the top court had issued notice to the Union Carbide Corporation, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemicals Co., US. New Delhi, Sep 20 : The waning immunity in humans due to the discontinuation of smallpox vaccine has established the scope for the resurgence of monkey pox, as per a report published in the current edition of Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. The researchers from Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, have authored the article which outlines that monkeypox should not be confused with the Covid-19 infection. "The waning immunity in humans due to the discontinuation of smallpox vaccine has established the scope for the resurgence of monkeypox, demonstrated by the re-emergence of outbreak after an absence of 30-40 years. Currently many of the cases that are confirmed are prevalent amongst individuals below 40 years of age with a median age of 31 years. Since smallpox vaccine provides 85 per cent cross protection, the program for vaccination of the unvaccinated need to be considered & road map be framed now especially for people below 45 years. High risk person's burden need to be considered & the possible drug Tecovirimat could be stock piled," said Dr Chand Wattal, Corresponding Author and Chairperson, Institute of Clinical Microbiology & Immunology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Dr Sanghamitra Datta, Author and Senior Consultant, has said in the study that monkeypox is zoonotic, an infectious disease that has jumped from non-human animal to humans, followed by human to human spread with average mortality of 3-6 per cent. "Smallpox has no known animal reservoir and has only human to human transmission with a high mortality rate of 30 per cent. Monkeypox is zoonotic (an infectious disease that has jumped from non-human animal to humans), followed by human to human spread with average mortality of 3-6 per cent as stated by WHO. Lymphadenopathy is distinct in monkeypox which is not there in smallpox. Most experts agree that though infection can occur through respiratory droplets from a close contact, it does not seem to be transmitted over the distances like the Sars-CoV-2 virus," Dr Datta has said in the study. The study further said that since smallpox vaccine provides 85 per cent cross protection, the program for vaccination of the unvaccinated need to be considered and road map be framed now especially for people below 45 years. "High risk person's burden need to be considered and the possible drug Tecovirimat could be stock piled. Though PHEIC has been declared, monkeypox cannot be equated to Covid-19 in any way but our learning from the pandemic can help. Preparedness is the key. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!." Dr Wattal further added. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Patna Sep 20 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday denied speculations that he may contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Phulpur, saying he only has ambition to unite opposition parties in the country. He also said that promoting the new generation is his motive, while indicating his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, who was standing just behind him. "I have no personal ambition to become MP or any other post in the country. My supporters may promote my name but I am looking to contest the election. "The way some people (BJP leaders) are dividing the society through communal agenda of Hindu-Muslim to take advantage in election, I am against it and hence I am working for the unity of maximum opposition parties in the country to get success in 2024 Lok Sabha election and my efforts will continue," Nitish Kumar said. "The present government in the centre is dividing the country. They are trying to take control over every organisation including the media. You people better know about it. There is no work in the country done by the Central government. The strong opposition is in the interest of the country to teach lessons to the people working on divisive politics," he said. New Delhi, Sep 20 : The Delhi Police has busted a sextortion racket and arrested one of its members from Alwar in Rajasthan, officials said on Tuesday. The accused was identified as Mustkeem (20), a resident of Alawara, Tehsil Ramgarh, Alwar. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsh Vardhan said a case was registered regarding forgery at the Cyber Police Station, Dwarka in which the complainant alleged that he received an obscene video call on Whatsapp from an unknown number. The complainant interacted with the girl for some time and then disconnected."On August 1, the complainant received a call from a man who introduced himself as SHO Arun Rawat from Pune. He told him that a girl has committed suicide and the complainant's mobile number was found in her call log," the DCP said. Further, the accused told the complainant he would be charged with abetment to suicide and asked him to reach Pune. The complainant was given another number and asked to contact some SI Vikram Rathore. "On this the complainant contacted the provided number who pressurized him to meet their demands and the complainant paid a total of Rs 18 lakhs in two different bank accounts as asked by the accused persons," the official said. He got another call from another mobile number, and tha caller introduced himself as a CBI official and asked him to rush to Mumbai. The complainant again contacted the aforementioned Vikram Rathore who asked him to pay Rs 3 lakhs. It was at this juncture that the complainant realised that he was being duped and contacted the Delhi Police Cyber Cell. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the law and began probing the matter after constituting a dedicated team for the case. During the investigation, call detail records of the mobile numbers were obtained but all of them were found switched off except one which was active in Alawara. Subsequently, a raid was conducted and the accused person was traced and apprehended by the team. During interrogation, Mustkeem disclosed that he is a part of a gang of online cheaters, and one accused Sahun used fraud SIM cards (total 13) in his mobile for which he took Rs 2600 cash from him. Mustkeem was arrested on September 16 and produced in a Dwarka court which sent him on a 2-day police remand. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday urged upon the manufacturing sector, especially the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to ensure quality in their products. Addressing the FICCI LEADS summit, he said that though India is a market leader in giving top quality products in various segments like auto, FMCG, hospitality and many others, it needs to enhance quality of products coming out of the FMCG sector. "We need to come out of that export quality product mentality. Every product should have world class production quality," Goyal said, adding that if quality will not be good, then that industry will be out of the market. He highlighted the fact that after quality control order was implemented in the toy sector, Indian toy industry has seen both domestic as well as international growth. The minister sought industry's feedback on its single window clearance system, asking them to come out with suggestions if any improvements are required in the process. He asked the industry to help achieve the government's $2 trillion goods and services target by 2030. Mumbai, Sep 20 : India has selected its official entry for the upcoming edition of the Academy Awards and it's neither 'RRR' nor 'The Kashmir Files', but is the Gujarati film 'Chhello Show' (The Last Film Show). The Film Federation of India made the announcement about the selection on Tuesday. The film, directed by Pan Nalin, is an auto-biographical drama and finds its physical setting in the western region of Gujarat. Born in Adtala village in Lathi Taluka of Amreli district, Gujarat, and originally named Nalin Kumar Pandya, he is the son of a tea vendor father, who own a stall in Khijadiya railway station near Amreli. He did his bachelor in Fine Arts from the M.S. University of Baroda, after which he went to learn design at the NID (National Institute of Design). While studying at NID, Nalin started making movie clips with 16mm and 8mm cameras. He worked as a videographer in Indian weddings to finance his passion for films. He then made his way to Mumbai where he initially worked as a production runner and later directed several advertisement films. Nalin made his feature directorial debut with 'Samsara' in 2001. The film instantly put him in the limelight as it was well received all over the world. Nalin is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, in its prestigious Director's Branch of Class of 2022. He is also a member of the French Academy of Arts and Techniques of Cinema (Cesars) in its coveted Directors wing. In addition, he has directed other films such as 'Valley of Flowers', 'Angry Indian Goddesses' and 'Ayurveda: Art of Being'. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Days after Jamia Millia Islamia cancelled 2020 riots accused Safoora Zargars Ph.D admission, the university banned her entry in the campus for 'unnecessary agitation on irrelevant and objectionable subjects. The Chief Proctor of the university said that Zargar was using the students of Jamia as a platform to fulfil 'malicious and political agenda' which has led the university to issue the order. Zargar was a M.Phil student at Jamia Millia Islamia and the media coordinator of the Razamia Coordination Committee. Zargar was jailed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act from April 10 to June 24, 2020 in the alleged conspiracy case of Delhi riots 2020, making provocative speeches on February 23, 2020. She was released on bail in June 2020 on humanitarian and medical grounds. The university said that Safoora Zargar was involved in organizing agitations, protests and marches on the campus against irrelevant and objectionable issues to disturb the peaceful academic environment along with a few outside students. "It has been observed that Ms. Safoora Zargar (ex student) has been involved in organizing agitations, protests and marches on the campus against the irrelevant and objectionable issues to disturb the peaceful academic environment with few students who are mostly outsiders. She is instigating innocent students of the university and trying to use the university platform for her malafide political agenda along with some other students. Further, she is hampering the normal functioning of the institution. In view of above, the competent authority, for maintaining peaceful academic environment across the campus, has approved campus ban on ex student Ms. Safoora Zargar with immediate effect," reads the order issued by the university. Meanwhile, her Ph.D admission was cancelled by the department of sociology citing 'unsatisfactory' progress in her thesis work. According to the university, in spite of being given additional chances, Zargar did not submit her Ph.D thesis, after which her admission had to be cancelled. After the cancellation, a section of students started raising slogans in favour of Safoora and against the university administration in the campus, accusing the university administration of discrimination. Zargar enrolled with the department of sociology in the integrated M.Phil/Ph.D programme in 2019. New Delhi, Sep 20: Just as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was wrapping up the bilaterals with his Egyptian counterpart Lieutenant-General Muhammad Zaki in Cairo Monday evening, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar got into a huddle with Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in faraway New York during a high-level meeting on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly. Singh and Zaki - who besides being the Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces is also the Minister of Defence and Military Production - concluded a fruitful day in India-Egypt defence relations with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of military cooperation. The Egyptian Defence Ministry said that the MoU included "the most important activities" that the armed forces of the two countries seek to support during the next stage. India on the other hand described the MoU signing by the two Defence Ministers as a "milestone event" during Singh's visit, which will pave the way for enhancing defence cooperation "across all sectors" of mutual interest. The Singh-Zaki meeting, also attended by Egypt's Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant-General Osama Askar and a number of top officers of the Egyptian and Indian armed forces, dealt with issues of common interest in light of the fields of military cooperation and the transfer and exchange of experiences between the Egyptian and Indian armed forces. "The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces expressed his pride in the partnership relations between the Egyptian and Indian armed forces in various military fields, stressing the keenness of the General Command of the Armed Forces to increase the bonds of cooperation in various military fields for both friendly countries," Zaki's office said in a statement after the meeting. India, meanwhile, expressed full appreciation for Egypt's active role in its regional and international surroundings, hoping that the next phase would witness support for new horizons in the fields of military cooperation for both countries. Steps to strengthen defence ties, enhance the conduct of joint exercises and exchange personnel for training, especially in the field of counter-insurgency, were also discussed in detail during the bilateral meeting between the two Defence Ministers. As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Monday that his country takes pride in the close historical ties it has with India and is keen to deepen military and defence ties. As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on him, Sisi expressed the aspiration to activate the partnership between the two countries "commensurate with their capabilities in all fields". Ways to enhance military and security cooperation between the two countries, especially with regard to cooperation in joint manufacturing, transfer and localization of technology, with the aim of exploiting the capabilities and infrastructure available in the two countries, as well as cooperation in the field of training, rehabilitation and joint exercises were discussed during Singh's meeting with the Egyptian President. Later in the day, Singh took the discussions forward with his Egyptian counterpart agreeing to identify proposals for expanding cooperation between the defence industries of India and Egypt in a time-bound manner. He also invited Zaki to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and IOR Defence Ministers' Conclave, scheduled to be held as part of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, next month (October 18-22). In New York, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry hoped that India's upcoming G20 Presidency will not only strengthen consultation and coordination mechanisms between the two countries but also contribute to restoring activity in the global economy and ensure that the "negative repercussions of the current international tensions" are contained. In his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Shoukry also welcomed the Indian companies' interest in investing in Egypt, especially in the field of green hydrogen production in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) in Ain Sokhna located in the Gulf of Suez, north-west of the Red Sea. The Egyptian government, quite gung-ho to open investments in green hydrogen in SCZONE, announced last month the signing of seven new MoUs with international companies, which also included Indian energy group ACME, to set up green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities in Sokhna. "Our bilateral ties are growing strongly in the areas of defence, trade and investments. Cooperation in new initiatives like green hydrogen and ammonia and education sectors will further bolster them," tweeted Jaishankar after the meeting with Shoukry. Egypt's Foreign Minister is also the President-Designate of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Washington, Sep 20 : Former President Donald Trump's legal team has acknowledged that he could face criminal charges vis-a-vis the "classified documents" seized by the FBI during the August 8 search of the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The FBI seized 11 boxes of documents in the raid and the Department of Justice claimed many of them were classified documents that could come under the purview of the Espionage Act. Trump denied any wrong-doing saying he had declassified all documents that he took home but legal experts had questioned the validity of such a claim including his own White House staff saying there was no such communication and that the authority to declassify any secret document lay with the intelligence authorities. In a filing late Monday evening, Trump's team told the special master that it is hesitant to provide specifics on what may have been declassified because the issue may become a defence against future criminal charges, media reports said. If they were forced to disclose this specific declassification evidence, "the Special Master process will have forced the plaintiff to fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Court's order". The Justice Department has made it clear that the Mar-a-Lago saga is a serious criminal investigation, and Trump's team seems to be seriously contemplating the possibility of the former President's possible indictment. It is not yet known if the Justice Department will pursue criminal charges against Trump, although former Attorney General William Barr has said the evidence seems to be trending in that direction. It was revealed in unsealed court filings that Trump is being investigated under the Espionage Act as well related to laws regarding obstruction of justice. The ability of the FBI to use the records seized from Mar-a-Lago in its criminal investigation was halted by a federal judge as a special master was appointed, the reports said. Trump and some of his allies have claimed in public numerous times that he declassified all of the documents that had been at his Florida resort home of Mar-a-Lago before it was raided by the FBI in August, but those declassification arguments have not made it into Trump's court filings. "The draft plan requires that the Plaintiff disclose specific information regarding declassification to the court and to the government," Trump's lawyers said Monday. "We respectfully submit that the time and place for affidavits or declarations would be in connection with a Rule 41 motion that specifically alleges declassification as a component of its argument for return of property." Rule 41 relates to motions seeking to have cases dismissed. Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, named the special master suggested by the former President. Cannon said she did not find it appropriate simply to accept DOJ's claims that the 100 records with classification markings on them seized by the FBI are, in fact, classified government documents, and she ruled that the special master should prioritise reviewing that narrow batch to see if the records are indeed classified. The Justice Department, for its part, has pointed out in court filings that, despite Trump's public claims about declassification, his lawyers have not specifically made the declassification claims in federal court, the reports said. Special Master in Trump's documents case Judge Raymond Dearie, who notably signed off on the final FISA warrant against Trump campaign associate Carter Page when he was a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge, currently serves in the Eastern District of New York, and both Trump's team and the Justice Department referenced a "Draft Plan" that Dearie had provided them ahead of a Tuesday afternoon hearing at his Brooklyn federal courtroom. The Justice Department told Dearie on Monday that it had applied for a stay to the 11th Circuit's Court of Appeals and that if the appeals court stays Cannon's ruling on documents with classification markings, then Dearie will not review those documents, but if the circuit court does not stay that ruling, then "the government will propose a way forward". New Delhi, Sep 20: Power crisis is deepening in Pakistan. Scores of people in the country are living in the dark as power generation has been hit due to the devastating floods. While the Dadu power station, located in the Sindh province supplying electricity to millions of people, has been saved, threats remain with forecasts suggesting that there could be more rains. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has underlined the need to protect the 500 KV plant at all costs. "For uninterrupted power supply, the protection of grid station is necessary," he had said. The heavy rains which have killed more than 1400 people and left thousands homeless have "endangered grid stations and exacerbated power shortages at a time when the country is already grappling with an acute energy crisis and limited LNG supplies," S&P Global said. To add to the problem, Pakistan now has limited capacity to repay the Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) operating in the country under the larger China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The country's Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) owes around Rs260 billion to the Chinese IPPs and non-payment of dues to these power companies has also become a thorny issue between China and Pakistan. These IPPs have been raising the issue of repayment and even warned that they would have to close down in case dues are not cleared. Recently, Islamabad said that a payment of Rs 50 billion to four power plants will be made. Though the Sharif government has promised to start the repayment process, it will have to balance its commitment made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has outlined that the Chinese loans threaten Pakistan's debt sustainability. Restructuring purchase agreements with the Chinese IPPs was one of the prerequisites of the IMF for reviving its $6 billion bailout package. Several reports have suggested that the Chinese IPPs, operating in Pakistan, have been over-charging without any transparency in the financial dealings. Anticipating that the financial assistance could be directed towards repaying the Chinese IPPs, the IMF set out the condition that Islamabad would not be able to use the funds to repay the Chinese IPPs. Pakistan has also received the first tranche of loan of $1,166 million from the IMF under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The government has assured the multilateral agency that it would renegotiate purchase agreements with the Chinese IPPs or reschedule bank loans. A report by Nikkei Asia said that even as Pakistan and China trumpeted their all weather friendship on the sidelines of the just concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization, tensions between the two nations are brewing due to "Islamabad's scramble to extricate itself from an economic crisis could stoke tensions." Haroon Sharif, former minister of state, told the media organisation that the Chinese companies have "been absolutely upset for a very long time." "The Chinese stance is that it's a commercial agreement. No IPP is obliged to listen to the [Pakistani] government because the agreements were drawn under the law," the former minister said. With the damages from the floods that would be a huge dent on the exchequer, analysts are almost certain that the payment process may not be a smooth one. "Patience for the Chinese are also thinning and now they are worried as the IMF riders are not favourable for them," one of them said. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Csaba Korosi at the opening of the high-level meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. (Photo: UN). Image Source: IANS News United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening of the high-level meeting on Tuyesday, September 20, 2022. (Photo: UN). Image Source: IANS News United Nations, Sep 20 : "Our world is in big trouble". With those explosive words, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on Tuesday listing the crisis upon crisis piled upon the world. He listed them: war, conflicts, climate change, hunger, financial crises, challenges of runaway technology developments, hate speech, global divisions and inequalities, and massive human rights violations. "The United Nations Charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy," he said. "And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction". In the midst of the gloomy prognosis, Guterres projected on the giant screens at the General Assembly chamber the image of a ship navigating the troubled waters of the Black Sea. It was the ship, Brave Commander, carrying food grains from Ukraine to Africa and he called it "an image of promise and hope" in "the hell of war". "At its essence, this ship is a symbol of what the world can accomplish when we act together," he said, mentioning the diplomatic efforts of the UN, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey for ships with foodgrains to break through the stalemate at the UN in dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "In truth, it is multilateral diplomacy in action", he said. Assembly President Csaba Korisi echoed Guterres's alarm at the global situation and also the hope. Korosi said: "A landmark agreement on commercial grain exports from the world's breadbasket offers hope. Diplomacy is at work to release fertilisers so that the shortages we see today do not become the famines of next year." "It has been 203 days since the General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the military aggression against Ukraine. Unfortunately, the bloodshed and the suffering have not stopped yet," he said. Decrying the paralysing polarisation of the geopolitical divides, Guterres warned that the world was descending into chaos with not even two groups. He said, "At one stage, international relations seemed to be moving toward a G-2 world; now we risk ending up with G-nothing. No cooperation. No dialogue. No collective problem-solving." "We need a coalition of the world," he said. On global warming, he said, "We have a rendezvous with climate disaster." He called for ending use of fossil fuels and imposing punitive taxes on energy companies that market fossil fuels. Calling for adoption of non-fossil fuels, he said: "Developing countries need help to make this shift, including through international coalitions to support just energy transitions in key emerging economies." Korosi also spoke about the imminent dangers from climate change. Calling the floods in Pakistan a "window on the future", he said: "Once this high-level week is over, I plan to launch a series of consultations with the scientific community, asking them to help us." On the dangers of technology, Guterres said: "Our data is being bought and sold to influence our behaviour - while spyware and surveillance are out of control - all, with no regard for privacy." He warned, "Artificial intelligence is compromising the integrity of information systems, the media, and indeed democracy itself. Quantum computing could destroy cybersecurity and increase the risk of malfunctions to complex systems." And yet, he said, there are not even the beginnings of a framework to deal with these issues. (Arul Louis can be contacted at aru.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Jaipur, Sep 20 : Finally, it's official that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will visit Delhi on Wednesday at 11 a.m. He will leave Jaipur via a special plane at 10 a.m. and will reach Delhi at 11 a.m. on the same day. In fact, Gehlot has called a late night meeting of party MLAs, which is being described as a move proving that he is under pressure from the top leadership to contest elections for party Chief. However, Gehlot reportedly remains reluctant as he may have to cede the post of chief minister to his political rival Sachin Pilot. Sources said that Gehlot shall meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi during this visit. Those close to him are anticipating his visit in the wake of filing nominations for Congress Presidential post which will start from September 24. Sources said that the Rajasthan CM will meet the party chairperson during his visit to the national capital and he is likely to file his nomination for the position of Congress Chief soon. Although there is no official communication about this, Gehlot has remained tight-lipped whenever he has been questioned on the same by the media. The process for electing President in the Congress party is scheduled in October, and the nomination process for the same will start on September 24. Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the Gandhi family wants Gehlot to take the responsibility of the party President, as Rahul Gandhi has been denying showing interest in the top post. Party workers said that Gehlot has done his homework well in wake of his Delhi visit to file his nomination papers. He has made back to back visits to different constituencies and met MLAs to ensure he enjoys a strong support if there comes any need to show the strength in wake of change of leadership. In fact, his invitation to MLAs for meeting on Tuesday night is an extension of the same exercise. Looking at his hectic visits, speculations are rife that there may be a leadership change. Party workers said that Gehlot, in such a case, is willing to depute his own man to take the coveted seat. Meanwhile, another leader confirmed that Gehlot seems to be in no mood to take the new position, however if Gandhis have decided the same, then there is no escape. Quoting an earlier incident, they said, "Arjun Singh, former CM of MP was instantly shifted as Governor to Punjab in 1985 despite being elected as CM and Motilal Vora was designated as MP CM." Meanwhile, senior workers also said that there are chances the elections will be postponed. "Assembly elections are scheduled in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh soon where AAP and BJP are posing challenges. Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has joined BJP and he might influence his community in Himachal Pradesh. In such conditions, our stability is a must and hence after nominations, there are chances that elections will be postponed," they said. "However again, if Gandhis have decided to elect non-Gandhi president, then no one will have a word to say," they added. Kolkata, Sep 20 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the multi- crore coal smuggling scam in West Bengal, has summoned two key Indian Police Service (IPS) from the state to the agency's headquarter at New Delhi this month for questioning. These two IPS officers are the Additional Director General, Special Task Force, Gyanwant Singh and Deputy Commissioner, South, of Kolkata Police, Akash Magharia. While Singh has been asked to be present at ED's New Delhi office on September 26, for Magharia the date has been fixed on September 28. This is the second time that Singh has been asked to be present at ED's New Delhi office. He was summoned last month as well along with seven other IPS officers from the state. However, Singh then ducked the summons. ED sources said that during the peak period of the coal smuggling in West Bengal, all these IPS officers were holding important positions and the central agency wanted to question them on how this coal smuggling was carried out without their knowledge. Of late, ED sleuths have become extremely active in its probe on the coal smuggling scam. It has questioned Trinamool Congress national General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee thrice on this count, out of which twice were in New Delhi and once in Kolkata. The central agency sleuths have also questioned his wife Sujata Narula Banerjee and sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir in the matter. State Law Minister, Malay Ghatak has also been summoned by ED a number of times in this connection. But each time, he ducked the summon. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Kashmiri bureaucrat and 2010 IAS topper Dr Shah Faesal has approached the Supreme Court seeking to remove his name from a plea against the revocation of Constitution's Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The name of Faesal among other petitioners in the plea was mentioned during its filing in the apex court in 2019. Immediately after returning from the US in January 2019, the J&K cadre IAS officer announced his resignation from the service. In 2018, he was selected as an Edward Mason Fellow at John F Kennedy School at Harvard University. Leaving his fellowship halfway, he returned to Kashmir and went into politics. Initially, he intended to join the National Conference (NC) which, according to well-placed sources, had decided to field him as its candidate in the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla-Kupwara. However, he changed his mind after some youths at his first press conference raised objections to his perceived plan, claiming that the NC did not represent their aspirations. Later in March 2019, Faesal floated his own political party, the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM). The plea was moved by this time. Jaipur, Sep 20 : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that legislators and MPs should understand the basic spirit of the Constitution. Speaking at a function organised for his felicitation in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, he said, "The functioning of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies remains the asset of a healthy democracy. The working style of public representatives should be exemplary for the people to strengthen democracy," he added. Dhankhar described accountability and transparency as the main functions of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and asked the members to use the House to express their views. At the same time, he said that none of the three organs of the state - legislature, executive and judiciary - are superior to each other, they all come under the Constitution. Presiding over the programme, Assembly speaker Dr. C.P. Joshi said that the entire House is proud that the Vice President Dhankhar has been a member of this assembly. He is the second person after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to take the coveted Vice President chair. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Dhankhar on being elected to the second highest post of the country and said that it is a matter of pride for all of us in the state. He said that Dhankhar has always brought glory to Rajasthan. Even as the Governor of West Bengal, he always kept his doors open for the migrant Rajasthanis and helped everyone in every possible way. The Chief Minister said that he has full confidence that he will make every effort for the progress of Rajasthan even after being the Vice President. Leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said that it is a golden day for the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly that a member of this House and a person brought up in this part of state has attained the post of Vice President. Dhankhar inaugurated the felicitation ceremony by lighting the lamp. On this occasion, Joshi, Gehlot and Kataria welcomed Dhankhar by presenting a sapling. Earlier, the Vice President was received by Joshi and Gehlot in the assembly premises. On reaching the Assembly, the Vice President was given a guard of honour. New Delhi, Sep 20 : The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the economically weaker sections (EWS) have been given 10 per cent quota in admissions and jobs out of 50 per cent general category seats without eroding the reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, representing the Centre, submitted before a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit that SCs and STs have been given benefits by way of affirmative actions -- reservation in promotion in government jobs, legislature, panchayat and municipalities -- and the EWS quota does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, as he defended the 103rd constitutional amendment which provides for 10 per cent quota to the EWS. He added that the EWS quota has been given without disturbing the 50 per cent quota, which is meant for the socially and economically backward classes (SEBC). The bench - also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, S. Ravindra Bhat, Bela M. Trivedi and J.B. Pardiwala -- was hearings on the cases challenging the constitutional validity of the EWS quota. The AG added that backward classes including the SCs, STs, and OBCs each contained economically weaker sections within themselves, and also the general category consisted of economically weaker sections, which were grossly poor. He contended that SCs, STs and OBCs quota is self-contained sections of backwardness and the EWS quota is separate. Therefore, through the amendment, the state provided affirmative actions to such economically weaker sections which did not get benefits under the existing reservations, he said. Venugopal argued that among the general category there is a section which is grossly poor, that is, the economically weaker section. He said EWS quota has been given this for the first time, while SCs and STs are concerned, they have been loaded with the benefits through affirmative actions. Venugopal further added that the general category, having a large population, and perhaps more meritorious, would be disadvantaged of the opportunities in educational institutions and jobs. The bench queried him on data on EWS in the general category. Venugopal replied that 18.2 per cent in the general category belonged to EWS, and as far as numbers are concerned, it would be about 350 million of the population. Kohima, Sep 20 : The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) once again reiterated that the "God given Naga Nation Flag is non-negotiable in the name of Naga political solution". The editorial of the September issue of the "Nagalim Voice", the mouthpiece of the NSCN-IM, said that 25 years of Naga political talks and seven years of Framework Agreement (FA) is a long period of endurance and commitment exhibited by Naga people for peaceful settlement of Naga issue. It said that after signing the FA on August 3, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took pride in announcing that he had solved the longest insurgency movement in Southeast Asia. "He (PM) began his speech, 'This day marks the beginning of a new age. The 3rd August, 2015 will be inscribed in the pages of Indian history with golden letters'," it said, addin that "these beautifully framed words still remain hollow". "Yet, Modi cannot simply shy away from the Naga issue but have a relook through the prism of Framework Agreement, his own political brainchild. The credit he has taken in bringing about FA should be unerringly interpreted to take forward in solving Naga issue," the 'Nagalim Voice' editorial said. It said that, it is ironic to point out that Prime Minister Modi, who loves to advertise his achievements, is expected to take the Naga issue to logical conclusion as the stalled Naga talks pick up the threads with focus on Framework Agreement and Formulated papers. It said The stand of the NSCN on the FA has been distinctly stated time and again. The decision of the National Assembly on May 31 and the solemn declaration (resolution) adopted on August 26 this year by the Naga National Workers of NSCN from Nagaland state reaffirming "one people one nation" and to stand by the Framework Agreement, is on record. "The unifying principle of One People One Nation symbolised by the God given Naga Nation Flag is non-negotiable in the name of Naga political solution," the dominant Naga group said. The NSCN-IM's insistence on a separate Naga flag and Constitution became big hurdles for the lasting solution to the Naga political issue. Former government interlocutor and then Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi, who is now holding the gubernatorial post in Tamil Nadu, had rejected these demands on a number of occasions. A two-day session of the Nagaland Assembly began on Tuesday where a fresh resolution urging the Central government to resolve the Naga political issue was expected to be adopted in the house. On September 12, the Parliamentary Core Committee headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and urged him to finalise the Naga political settlement at the earliest. On the other hand in a significant development, the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), NSCN-IM and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) in a joint meeting on September 14 adopted a resolution to continue dialogue "in order to move forward, live in peace and overcome the cynicism, anxiety, and disagreements that have caused us to see each other as foes and strangers, rather than members of the same family". A joint statement, issued after the meeting said that the meeting was held in the interest of pursuing genuine understanding among the Nagas and incrementally progressing forward. The ruling parties in Nagaland, all other Naga bodies and civil society organisations are making all out efforts to resolve the Naga political issue before the next Assembly elections, expected to be held in February next year. New Delhi, Sep 20 : Pakistan has received the second consignment of six J-10C fighter aircraft from China, which is being referred to as 'Dragon from the East' by the Pakistani Air Force. As per local media reports in Pakistan, the second batch of six China-made J-10C aircraft has arrived in Pakistan, taking the total number of such fighter jets to 12. Confirming the development, Pakistan Strategic Forum tweeted, "Pakistani local media (92 News) has confirmed the delivery of additional (2nd Batch) 6x J-10C to Pakistan Air Force, which takes total delivered J-10C to 12. Earlier, serial no. 22-101 to 22-106 (6x J-10C) were delivered, now if report is correct it will be 22-107 to 22-112." Pakistan Strategic Forum (PSF) is an independent think-tank run by an international team of researchers. The Pakistan Air Force had commissioned the first batch of six J-10C fighter aircraft in March this year. At that time, then Prime Minister Imran Khan had said, "Unfortunately, efforts are being made to create an imbalance in the region and to address this, a big addition has been made today to our defence system." Khan was referring to India's acquisition of Rafale fighter jets. Then Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had said that Pakistan will acquire a full squadron of 25 Chinese multirole J-10C fighter jets in response to India's purchase of Rafale aircraft. Washington, Sep 20 : Former US President Donald Trump had threatened to use his "presidential powers" to prosecute his political foes such as former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and FBI Director James Comey, who cleared her of any mishandling of government documents in the private emails case, according to a new book. "At one point in the spring of 2018, Trump instructed (then White House Counsel) Don McGahn to direct (then Attorney General Jeff) Sessions to prosecute Clinton and Comey and, if the Attorney General refused, said he would do it himself as President. McGahn had to explain that the President had no such power. "You can't prosecute anybody," McGahn told Trump, according to book "The Divider" written by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker that went up for sale on Tuesday. Trump once required a civics lesson from White House counsel on the limits of his power after he suggested that as President, he could - and would - prosecute his political enemies, according to the new book. Throughout his tenure, Trump had a penchant for skewering his foes via Twitter takedowns and public lashings. But some of his adversaries irked the then President so much so that he sought a more permanent form of revenge against them, the book claimed. According to "The Divider," from which the Business Insider has quoted excerpts, Trump frequently pressured then US Attorneys General Sessions and Bill Barr to bring criminal charges against his opponents, including Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director Comey. Trump eventually fired both Comey and his deputy for not acceding to his request for stopping the FBI's investigations into a 3rd party intelligence report (British MI6 agent) that the Russians were involved in hacking systems and influencing the electoral process in the 2016 elections in which Democrat Hilary Clinton lost. The British spy had alleged that the Russians were influencing Trump with favours against his request for a Trump tower in Moscow. The FBI was in the process of corroborating and dismissing the MI6 intelligence report as it would be embarrassing for an incumbent President if it were to come out in the public domain. "'Congress could seek to 'impeach and remove' the President if it concluded that he abused the power of intervening in a criminal matter,' McGahn wrote, using boldface and italics to emphasize his point," Glasser and Baker wrote. A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Several former Trump White House and government officials have since recounted similar stories that suggest the former President was unfamiliar with the logistics of his newfound position. Earlier this year, Barr said Trump didn't have a "good idea" of what the roles of the President or Justice Department were entitled throughout his time in office. In the 2021 CIA publication, "Getting to Know the President," author John L. Helgerson, a former intelligence officer, said Trump was the most difficult incoming President to brief, and an August New York Times report cited intelligence officials who said they often withheld information from Trump for fear of the "damage" he might do if he knew. New Delhi, Sep 20 : In a temporary measure to rationalise cost, airline SpiceJet has decided to place nearly 80 pilots on leave without pay for a period of three months. "This measure, which is in line with SpiceJet's policy of not retrenching any employee which the airline steadfastly followed even during the peak of the Covid pandemic, will help rationalise the pilot strength vis-a-vis the aircraft fleet," said a Spicejet spokesperson. SpiceJet had, in 2019, inducted more than 30 aircraft following the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft. The airline had continued with its planned pilot induction programme in the hope that the MAX would be back in service soon. However, the prolonged grounding of the MAX fleet resulted in a large number of excess pilots at SpiceJet. "We will be inducting MAX aircraft shortly and these pilots will be back in service as the induction begins. During the LWP period, pilots will remain eligible for all other employee benefits as applicable i.e. all opted insurance benefits and employee leave travel," said the spokesperson. Even after placing certain pilots on leave without pay, SpiceJet will have sufficient number of pilots to operate its full schedule as and when the DGCA restriction on flights is lifted, the airline said. SpiceJet had earlier reported a net loss of Rs 789 crore (Rs 420 crore excluding forex adjustment) for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 as compared to a net loss of Rs 729 crore in the quarter ending June 30, 2021 as business was severely impacted by record high fuel prices and a depreciating rupee. Total revenue for the reported quarter was Rs 2,478 crore as against Rs 1,266 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. For the same comparative period, operating expenses were Rs 3,267 crore as against Rs 1,995 crore. On an EBITDA basis, loss was Rs 379 crore for the reported quarter as against a loss of Rs 244 crore for the quarter ended June FY2022. The airline continued to add new destinations to its network. Aviation regulator DGCA, in July-end, ordered SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks. Patna, Sep 20 : Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar allows only selected persons in the Janata Darbar. "CM Nitish Kumar has nothing to do with addressing the grievances of common people. He is allowing only selected people in the Janata Darbar for only branding for himself. "The BJP will start a Jansamwad programme every Tuesday in the BJP headquarters for those refused inside Janata Darbar of Nitish Kumar. The BJP will address their issues and expose the state government," Sinha said. "At present, corruption is taking place from panchayats, blocks, police stations to the offices of senior officers. The Bihar Police has only one job in its hand to suppress any incident. Four youths mysteriously died in Supaul district and their family members alleged that they were being murdered but police is not listening to them. There is complete anarchy in the state," he alleged. New Delhi, Sep 20 : In a latest development in the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving multimillionaire conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has summoned fashion designer Leepakshi to join the probe at 11 am on Wednesday. The police said that Leepakshi's statements may prove to be crucial for the case, adding that after recording her statements, they will decide whether to summon Jacqueline again for questioning. Chandrashekhar was arrested for allegedly cheating and extorting money from some high-profile people, including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh. Many Bollywood actors and models have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for their alleged links to Chandrashekhar, including Nora Fatehi. According to the ED chargesheet, Jacqueline knew about Chandrashekhar's involvement in criminal activities but she chose to overlook them and indulged in financial transactions with the conman. Shillong, Sep 20 : Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh has urged the state government to install a life-size statue of Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh, who was the first woman cabinet minister in the Indian subcontinent more than 83 years ago. In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, he requested the statue be installed in the state Central Library complex in the heart of Shillong. He said that it would be an honour to Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh if a life-size statue of the great woman was installed and the new generation would know about her. "On the occasion of the celebrations to mark 75 years of India's Independence, the nation is remembering the unsung heroes. Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh is no less a hero and her contribution to the health services in the northeastern region deserves recognition," Metbah Lyngdoh, who is President of the United Democratic Party, a constituent of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by Sangma's National People's Party (NPP). He said that Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh, who was single, was also a role model for women from marginalised communities in independent India for making a mark in public life. Born on June 4, 1906 in the matrilineal Khasi community, she made the Health Minister at the age of 33 in the Sir Syed Mohammed Saadulla's government in undivided Assam in 1939 - two years after she was elected to the state Assembly as an independent legislator. Before India's Independence, Assam comprised much of the northeast region, including Meghalaya and Mizoram, which were carved out of it and were subsequently became full-fledged states. According to political experts, one of Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh's significant contributions was to create the posts of nurses in government hospitals for all women who trained in public or private institutions. After losing elections in 1946, she quit politics but continued to be active in social services and visited the UK, the US and other countries for giving lectures on numerous issues. Mavis Dunn Lyngdoh, who studied in Bethune College in Kolkata and met Mahatma Gandhi while she was there, was also the first woman from Khasi tribal community to practice law and the first woman from the tribal community to drive a car. Bengaluru, Sep 20 : Karnataka police have taken three suspected terrorists with links to ISIS into custody from different locations in Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada districts on Tuesday, sources said. Police sources said that two terror suspects were arrested from Shivamogga, while the third was nabbed from Dakshina Kannada district. The arrested persons have been identified as Syed Yasin aka Bailu and Maazh, both from Shivamogga, and Ansar from Mangaluru. A court in Shivamogga has remanded the trio to nine-day police custody. The authorities have launched a hunt for Mohammed Shariq, another terror suspect who managed to escape, in Shivamogga. Yasin, a qualified engineer, is an expert in making improvised explosives. The accused had made plans to carry out a series of terror attacks across the state, police sources said. Meanwhile, the parents of both Yasin and Maazh have claimed that their sons are innocent. Yasin's father Ayub Khan said that his son would never indulge in any kind of anti-national or terrorist activities. Maazh's parents have filed a habeas corpus case in the court stating that their son has gone missing. United Nations, Sep 20 : Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan brought up Kashmir in his address to the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, taking a seemingly neutral stance, only expressing hope for permanent peace there. India and Pakistan, he said, "after having established their sovereignty and Independence 75 years ago, still haven't established peace and solidarity between one another and this is much unfortunate". "We hope and pray that fair and permanent peace and prosperity will be established in Kashmir," he added, avoiding internationalising it by even invoking UN resolutions. The statement is closer to India's stance that Kashmir is a bilateral issue because of the 1972 Simla agreement between the two countries and there is no room for a third party involvement. India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, is scheduled to meet Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu later on Tuesday. Erdogan's latest statement, unlike last year, did not mention UN resolutions on Kashmir, which India has said are irrelevant because of the commitment to bilateral solutions. It is also vastly different from his inflammatory statements in previous years. In 2020, he had called the Kashmir situation a "burning issue" and criticised the abolition of the special status for Kashmir. In 2019, Erdogan had said that in the Indian Union Territory, "despite the resolutions (UN) adopted, Kashmir is still besieged and eight million people are stuck in Kashmir". The Kashmir issue reflects Pakistan's isolation in the UN. Last year, Turkey was the only country besides Pakistan to have brought up Kashmir in the 193-member UNGA -- and this time Erdogan has avoided internationalising it. Turkey, which had not been too keen on Security Council reforms, is now pressing for changes, perhaps with a view lobbying for a permanent seat on it to represent the Muslim bloc. Erdogan said the UN will "have to become an international organization where a common will of the entire human race can be put forward, especially the Security Council has to be more effective, more democratic, more transparent, and more accountable". He presented Ankara as a peacemaker and a facilitator of dialogue in the Ukraine-Russia confrontation and elsewhere. "We have been spending tremendous efforts in order to resolve conflicts from Europe to Latin America, from Africa to different geographies," he said. Erdogan also mentioned the plight of the Uyghurs, but in a manner sensitive to China's interests. "We are very sensitive towards the protection of the fundamental rights and the liberties of the Muslim Uyghur Turks in such a way that will never threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China," he said. (Arul Louis can be contacted at aru.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Puducherry, Sep 20 : PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss on Tuesday expressed concern over reports that as many as 300 engineers from India, lured to Thailand with promises of jobs, were kidnapped and taken to Myanmar where they are being forced to commit cybercrimes. Noting that the group of distressed Indians include 60 persons from Tamil Nadu, he urged the Centre to depute a team of officials to secure the release of the Indians held captive in Miyawadi forest region by Myanmar gangs. Tagging External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Ramadoss, in a tweet, said that it cannot be tolerated that those young people, who have committed no crime, are being subjected to torture for seeking employment. He also urged the Central government to take tough action against the fraudulent agencies in India that have allegedly cheated the Indian youth by offering them jobs in Thailand. Kolkata, Sep 20 : In a major relief to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed CBI officer Umesh Kumar, who was recently charged with intimidation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to continue to be part of the team probing the multi-crore coal smuggling scam in West Bengal. The single-judge bench of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri also extended the stay on any kind of investigation or action by the CID against Kumar till December. On June 21, a person named Haiber Akhan had filed a complaint at Bishnupur police station under Diamond Harbour sub-division in South 24 Parganas district accusing Kumar, the chief investigating officer in the coal smuggling case, of intimidation. Akhan had alleged that he was called to the CBI office in Kolkata as a witness and after he reached there, he was intimidated by Kumar and his associates. On June 29, the matter came up for hearing before the Calcutta High Court where CBI counsel Samrat Goswami argued that the FIR was filed on the basis of false allegations. Goswami also alleged that the 'motivated' FIR was filed intentionally to influence and create hurdles in the process of investigation into the coal smuggling scam. The court then stayed the investigation against Kumar and on Tuesday, it further extended the stay. Incidentally, Kumar was part of the CBI team which went to the residence of Trinamool Congress national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on June 14 to question his wife Rujira Narula Banerjee in connection with the coal smuggling case. Abhishek Banerjee, who's the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, is the party MP from Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Rajkot : , Sep 20 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday asked party workers and elected representatives in Gujarat "to be proactive, pro responsible, pro responsive". Addressing elected representatives from gram to district panchayats, nagarpalikas, municipal corporations, Assembly and Lok Sabha members, he also stressed that they "have to be transparent and for this, we will have to bring transparency in the system and deliver in a transparent manner... this will keep people's faith alive in us." Nadda has asked to create awareness and be more technology savvy and promote the digital era. "With the digitisation, we need to reduce the use of paper and hard files, people should be able to file their applications online, track them online, so that people will get the transparent and fast services. People will come to know who is getting what benefit from government programmes and how much, with this 'it will be inclusive growth'." Patna, Sep 20 : Two youths were seriously injured after they were beaten by a mob, instigated by their enemy, in Bihar's Saharsa district, police said on Tuesday. Jay Ballabh Yadav has a personal enmity with Khushilal Yadav and his relatives over property dispute, and his father Sikandar Yadav was also lynched on August 29. The same group intercepted Jay Ballabh Yadav and his friend Bhelwa village under Sadar police station on Sunday evening and provoked local villagers by telling them that the two were criminals going for a robbery. The youths were taken to Madhepura Medical college and later referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital and their condition is said to be serious. Jay Ballabh Yadav has a piece of land in Bashdih village in Saharsa district and Khushilal Yadav and his relatives were eyeing it. They brutally assaulted Jay Ballabh Yadav and his father Sikandar Yadav on August 29, and the latter succumbed to his injuries in hospital. On Sunday, Jay Ballabh Yadav, accompanied by his friend, were on the way to former's in-law house in Dharail village, when Khushilal Yadav learnt about their movement. When they reached Bhelwa village, a large number of villagers were present there and Khushilal Yadav and his relatives provoked them to attack the youths. When Jay Ballabh Yadav's family learned about the attack, they immediately reached there and rescued them. "We have taken the statement of the victim and registered an FIR against five persons. They were also facing murder charges in another case. Efforts are on to nab them," said Sadar police station investigating officer R.P. Sharma. Kolkata, Sep 21 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday recalled a warrant of arrest issued by the additional chief judicial magistrate of Bolpur on April 13, 2022, against BJP leader Anirban Ganguly. This effectively means that Ganguly can no longer be arrested on the basis of the warrant. The BJP leader had moved the high court through his counsel Phiroze Edulji, alleging that the police action against him was vindictive in nature. Ganguly, who did his PhD from Jadavpur University, is now the director of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, a BJP think-tank based out of Delhi. Ganguly has also authored and edited several books. He had contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Bolpur, but lost to Trinamool Congress' Chandranath Sinha by a margin of 22,280 votes. On April 21, 2021, Sudip Bagdi, a Trinamool worker, had lodged a complaint with the Bolpur police station, alleging that a group of seven BJP workers led by Shantanu Homroy attacked him and and some of his party colleagues when they were returning from an election campaign programme. In their chargesheet, the police claimed that the BJP workers were instigated by Ganguly. While eight others accused in the matter were granted bail in the matter, the court issued a warrant against Ganguly. The police gave no reason as to why they needed Ganguly under in custody in the case. Ganguly's counsel submitted in the court that the police took no steps to inform him of the matter. Ganguly was apparently not aware that he was an accused in the case or of the warrant of arrest. After hearing the matter and going through the past orders of the Supreme Court cited by Edulji, Justice Bibek Chaudhuri held that the magistrate had no power to issue a warrant of arrest directly in the matter on receipt of chargesheet as the prescribed punishment for the offences Ganguly has been charged with is less than seven years. United Nations, Sep 21 : As India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched his second day of diplomacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with high-level meetings with Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Azali Assoumani of the Comoros, New Delhi's diplomats also fanned out to meetings at other levels. After calling on Akufo-Addo, Jaishankar tweeted, "Discussed our ongoing cooperation in the UN Security Council, especially on counterterrorism. Appreciated the achievements of our development partnership." India has close developmental relations with Ghana and supports several projects there in infrastructure, education and technology. Jaishankar tweeted that Assoumani appreciated "India's outreach in combating Covid-19 and dengue". He added that they "discussed taking forward our development partnership and working together on maritime security". Jaishankar also met with Nicaragua's Foreign Minister Denis Moncada and tweeted, "Interesting discussion on the global situation and its multilateral implications." India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj met with US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Nuland tweeted that they met "to advance #USIndia partnership, including at the UN and through the Quad. Our work with India is vital for global prosperity and security". The Quad, made up of India, the US, Japan and Australia, is centered on the Indo-Pacific region and is an important area in the growing cooperation between the US and India. Nuland was in India in March for the India-US Foreign Office Consultations at official's level under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a neighbour of Poland was discussed during Sanjay Verma, India's Secretary (West), met with Warsaw''s Under Secretary of State Marcin Przydacz. Przydacz tweeted after the meeting, "We talked about the security situation following the invasion of Ukraine and the global challenges it caused. Poland, India will also seek to strengthen economic relations." Verma said in his tweet, "Discussed bilateral, and regional issues, including Ukraine. Right tone set for our Foreign Office Consultations. So much to look forward to as we strengthen India Polish ties." (Arul Louis can be contacted at aru.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, Sep 21 : A delegation of former officials and intellectuals belonging to the Muslim community has met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the growing communal tension in the country. The five-member delegation has met Bhagwat recently and the meeting lasted for more than one and a half hour. During the meeting the atmosphere in the country and measures to strengthen communal harmony was discussed in detail. Former Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi, who was among the Muslim intellectuals who met Bhagwat, told IANS that he had sought an appointment with the Sangh chief regarding the communal atmosphere in the country. Following which the RSS chief met the delegation in Delhi. Speaking to IANS, Quraishi further said that both the sides (the delegation and the RSS chief) were unanimous that without strengthening the harmony between the communities, the country can neither be strong nor it can make progress. He said that in the meeting it was also agreed that all the parties should work to convince and motivate their people to strengthen the communal harmony in the country. Besides Quraishi, other members of the delegation included former Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and industrialist and philanthropist Saeed Sherwani. Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 : Equating elections with crop cultivation, leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra on Tuesday said that 'fertiliser' is being applied now by the BJP to 'harvest crops' in 2024 polls. Mishra made the remarks while speaking to media persons about the party's preparation for general elections 2024. Earlier, on Monday, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party national president J.P. Nadda in New Delhi. Mishra, who comes from a farmer background, said, "Crop cannot be cultivated in one single day. In order to get a good yield, one must sow the seeds at the right time, irrigate the field, remove weeds, and apply fertilisers as per process." "We are now at the stage of applying fertilisers. And in 2024, we will harvest the crop," he said. The BJP legislator also asserted that there is need for CBI and ED investigation in Odisha as corruption is at its peak in the state. However, Mishra said that he cannot say whether the Central agencies are going to do so or not. On the other hand, Congress and the ruling BJD criticised Mishra for his comment and said that the 2024 election result will say who is going to harvest crops in Odisha. Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said, "How will they apply fertiliser and yield crop as there is no seed in the crop field. The 2024 result will show who had applied the fertiliser and harvested the crop." Commenting on the CBI and ED probe in Odisha, Bahinipati said the Central agencies are not are going to those states where BJP is facing a challenge. Similarly, BJD leader and government chief whip in the Assembly Prasant Muduli said, "The result of recently completed panchayat election and several by-polls gives a clear message that people are with the ruling BJD and they will remain with us." United Nations, Sep 21 : Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, France's President Emmanuel Macron has called for healing the North-South rift and building a global coalition to act on problems facing the world. He said on Tuesday at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly, "Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, was right when he said the time is not for war, it is not for revenge against the West or for opposing the West against the East. It is the time, for a collective time, for our sovereign equal states to come together with challenges we face." "This is why there's an urgent need to develop a new contract between the North and the South, (an) effective contract, which is respectful of the (global needs) for food, for biodiversity, for education," Macron said calling for cooperation between the developed countries of the North and the developing nations of the South. "It's no longer time", he said, "for block thinking but to build a coalition of specific action to reconcile legitimate interests and common goods." Much of the problems of the world, whether it is the threat of famine, poverty, terrorism, nuclear proliferation or the conflicts around the world "are caused by divisions between us therefore it is our shared responsibility to help the most fragile to help the most vulnerable to cope with these challenges", he said. But often becoming emotional and raising his voice, Macron lashed out against countries staying "neutral" over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accusing them of being "complicit with a cause of a new imperialism". He said that "many cherish a feeling of injustice because of the problems of the economy, energy, and other consequences of the war conducted by Russia". "I know that there are countries here that have chosen a form of neutrality vis-a-vis this war and who are saying that they're not aligned," he said. "They are wrong, they are making a historic error," he said. The non-aligned movement "fought for peace, for the sovereignty of states for the territorial integrity of everybody" but "those who are keeping silent today, actually are in a way complicit with a cause of a new imperialism", he said. Macron also criticised countries opposed to sanctions because it may affect them economically. "Let us not muddle up cause and effect. Who here can defend the idea that the invasion of Ukraine justifies no sanction," he asked. He warned, "Consider that the day when something similar with a more powerful neighbour happens to you there'll be silence from the region from the world (and) who can say that's the best solution." (Arul Louis can be contacted at aru.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War 2M EUR was raised in this pre-series A, while the company is currently ramping up to its series A fundraising effort with expected closure during 2023. The successful completion of the pre-series A round comes as the company achieves a set of milestones with its proprietary cannabinoid lead products demonstrating impressive improvements in vivo, validating the potential of the platform to generate molecules with tailored modes of action. Nethaji Gallage, founder and CEO of Octarine Bio ApS, is thrilled to be able to close another successful funding round in the current uncertain market conditions: I am excited to welcome our new investor, DSM venturing, the venture arm of the global science-based and purpose-led company Royal DSM. They deeply understand Octarines technology and its broad market potential. I am also grateful to have strong backing from our founding investor, Oskare Capital, who has continuously supported Octarine in past funding rounds Gallage said. Alexandre Ouimet-Storrs, co-founder and managing partner of Oskare is excited to continue supporting Octarine: They continue the push to develop their proprietary cannabinoid platform as well as build out their technological platform for other applications. The platform will enable the company and its partners to have novel and superior cannabinoids that can offer groundbreaking solutions in the pharmaceutical and CPG industries. We are also very excited to have Royal DSM join us in this journey, Ouimet-Storrs said. Natural bioactives remain a unique source of innovation for health and consumer applications and certain bioactives stand to be game changers in underserved fields. Octarines technology platform is built using cutting-edge tools in synthetic biology to combine different genetic elements found in nature to create enhanced products and processes, providing access to new bioactive molecules beyond the reach of nature or man-made techniques. Octarines product pipeline aims to expand existing market boundaries by tapping into underexploited or completely new market spaces with broader demands. About Octarine Octarine Bio is a world leading Synthetic Biology platform developing superior bioactive molecules targeting critical overlooked areas where traditional technologies have failed to deliver ground-breaking solutions. With a core commitment to transforming and redesigning products and processes with sustainable bio-based solutions, Octarine brings together genetic elements from across the natural world to deliver new bioactive molecules beyond the reach of nature or man-made techniques, providing blue ocean market opportunities to our partners and customers. Octarines core programs focus on perfecting novel, and improved cannabinoids and bioactive tryptamines a for a range of applications within human and planetary health. Octarine was founded in 2018 by Nethaji Gallage (CEO) and Nick Milne (CSO) based on foundational research conducted at the University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Octarine is also an alumnus of the BioInnovation Institute, an initiative run by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. About DSM venturing DSM Venturing is the corporate venture arm of Royal DSM. DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals, and the planet. DSMs purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSMs products and solutions address some of the worlds biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental, and societal value for all its stakeholders customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. The company was founded in 1902 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. About Oskare Fund I ICAV and Oskare Capital SAS Oskare Fund I is the first AIFMD regulated Venture Capital Fund with an investment focus on innovative companies and teams in Europe working on novel therapeutics that target the endocannabinoid system (medical cannabis and other molecules) and the associated ecosystem of services and products to serve this fast-growing global market. Oskare Capital SA is the fund advisor to Oskare Fund I, which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, with Crossroads Capital Management Limited acting as the investment fund manager. Solea All-Tissue Dental Laser Not only does Solea provide a better experience for our patients, but it allows our dentists to deliver better clinical outcomes and perform more treatments per patient visit. This means we can provide superior care and do it all in fewer appointments." Elica Health Centers ("Elica") now offers dental patients reliably anesthesia-free, needle-free fillings and blood-free, suture-free soft tissue surgeries using the Solea All-Tissue Dental Laser (Convergent Dental, Needham, MA). By integrating Solea into their dental practices, Elica is fulfilling their mission to provide high quality, affordable health care to underserved populations confronted with barriers to accessing care throughout the Sacramento area. Solea is an advanced dental laser that replaces the needle and drill for a host of dental treatments. In fact, most patients dont need anesthesia for common procedures like fillings, said Nina Tecson, DDS, Elica's Dental Director. Not only does Solea provide a better experience for our patients, but it allows our dentists to deliver better clinical outcomes and perform more treatments per patient visit. This means we can provide superior care and do it all in fewer appointments. Solea has also allowed us to expand our scope of dental services, allowing our dentists to treat more patients in our offices, instead of referring to specialists, Tecson said. Elica CEO Tatyana Bak noted that many Elica patients face transportation and scheduling challenges that can create disparities in access to care. Because Solea is reliably anesthesia-free, dentists do not have to inject anesthesia and wait for it to take effect, which saves time. Additionally, dentists can perform multi-quadrant dentistry, which means they can perform procedures in all areas of the mouth and complete more treatments in a single visit. Patients are able to take less time away from work and avoid traveling for follow-up appointments. And a bonus for patients: they can leave the practice and go back to work immediately without that uncomfortable, numb sensation. Elica has integrated Solea in five locations to date. Maria Nunez-Ouji, DDS, a general dentist focused on treating children at Elica's Cadillac Drive clinic, is particularly impressed with how Solea benefits her pediatric patients. Many children come in nervous before theyve even had their first dental visit because of what theyve seen on TV or heard from adults. Solea enables us to treat multiple cavities on the same day, with no needles, no sound of the drill, and no numbness. Because the patient does not leave numb, they can return to school, camp, or even grab food immediately afterwards. These children will never need to feel anxious about the dentist again, and neither will their parents," said Dr. Nunez-Ouji. For more information about the Solea All-Tissue Laser and dental locations who offer the service, please visit http://www.ilovesolea.com. Medical professionals can find out more at http://www.convergentdental.com. For additional Information on Elica Health Centers, please visit http://www.elicahealth.org. About Convergent Dental Convergent Dental, Inc. (http://www.convergentdental.com) is a privately owned dental equipment and technology company. The Companys flagship product, Solea, is the only CO2 laser to be cleared by the FDA for all-tissue indications and delivers an anesthesia-free, blood-free, suture-free experience that you can count on. Solea is a true breakthrough in dental laser technology that offers a completely different experience for both dentists and patients when compared to traditional instruments or any earlier laser treatment. Solea enables increased new patient flow, better clinical outcomes, significant efficiency gains, and new procedures. Follow the company Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. About Elica Health Centers Elica Health Centers (http://www.elicahealth.org) offers quality integrated primary medical care, comprehensive dental/oral care, behavioral/mental healthcare and other healthcare services to tens of thousands of low-income patients annually in the Sacramento regionregardless of their ability to pay. Also, Elicas mobile clinics and street medicine providers conduct health outreach to homeless people and other underserved populations while providing links to non-clinical social services. Elica has over 480 experienced, highly trained providers and staff who embody our mission of Healing with Heart. Follow Elica on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. UbiHub AP/AI Smart City Platform improves public safety, delivers public Wi-Fi, and reduces energy costs with existing streetlight infrastructure. Eco Partnering Innovations (EPI) and Miller Alliance Group (MAG), Smart City technology solution providers and experts within ITS, Traffic and Planning and Ubicquia, Inc., a company dedicated to making intelligent infrastructure platforms that are simple to deploy and monitor, announce a strategic partnership. The organizations are collaborating to provide agencies with better insights into traffic safety and the intelligence required to increase traffic efficiency. Agencies are looking for flexible systems that can help them understand traffic patterns, improve congestion and reduce air pollution from cars. The I-95 corridor which stretches 1,917 miles from Maine to Florida sees an [average of 72,000 vehicles with maximum daily traffic reaching as high as over 300,000 vehicles. Among the 1,040 miles traversing through urban areas, over 60 percent is currently under heavy congestion. The UbiHub AP/AI video monitoring and analytics platform provides insights into vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic patterns. Combined with Edge AI, the UbiVu management console provides the data needed to reduce congestion, improve safety, and better allocate resources to ensure better managed traffic and parking. Along with these insights, agencies are able to use the technology to find new opportunities for revenue generation with real-time insights into parking availability and violation enforcement. When compared to conventional multi-vendor solutions, the UbiHub is a smart city workhorse that reduces the total cost of ownership by 42 percent, according to Northeast Group. Miller Alliance Group, LLC is excited to represent Ubicquia within the Smart City marketplace of the Carolinas, said Lori Miller, Principal-Owner of Miller Alliance Group, LLC. From streetlights to infrastructure, the innovative and intelligent suite of products from Ubicquia will help make communities safer, provide agencies with traffic safety insight, and repurpose existing infrastructure, saving money, and bringing projects to fruition faster by reducing implementation time. We are honored to represent Ubicquia in the Florida ITS, Traffic & Planning marketplace, said Stephanie Hoback, Principal/Owner of Eco Partnering Innovations, LLC. Ubicquia's smart city solutions are NEMA socket-compliant and compatible with more than 360 million streetlights globally allowing transportation professionals the ability to leverage existing infrastructure in a way that has never been done adding vision and insight for safety and efficiency using advanced intelligence. Collaborating with EPI and MAG was an easy decision for us. As traffic management becomes more prevalent, we are excited to use our smart city solutions to partner with companies working every day to drive safety, sustainability, efficiency and connectivity to communities, said Kyle Brown, Vice President WW Channels, Ubicquia. About EPI Eco Partnering Innovations, LLC (EPI) is a Florida Woman-Owned, DBE business specializing in Deliberate Technology Solutions for Smart Cities and Connected Vehicle applications. Our firm has strategic partnerships and over 28 years of cross-functional industry experience. We provide Smart City Solutions through products, partnering, and innovation. Our mission is to help promote safety, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity for communities and individuals. Learn more at https://www.ecopartnering.com. About Miller Alliance Group LLC Miller Alliance Group, LLC (MAG) is a North Carolina, DBE, woman-owned business providing Smart City Technology products and solutions with more than 20 years of expertise in business management. MAG is a strategic partner with a group of high-tech smart city mobility partners supporting autonomous vehicles and the next generation of smart cities. MAG specializes in the transportation industry, specifically within ITS, Traffic, Tolling and Parking. Learn more at https://www.milleralliancegroup.com. About Ubicquia Ubicquia offers municipalities, utilities, and communication service providers cost-effective and scalable platforms for deploying smart city, connectivity, and grid solutions. The Ubicquia suite of streetlight-mounted smart city and connectivity platforms include UbiCell, which enables smart streetlight control; UbiMetro, a streetlight small cell that accelerates 4G and 5G network deployments; and UbiHub, which delivers high speed wireless internet access and street level video and audio intelligence. Ubicquia's smart grid platforms include UbiGrid DTM+, a platform to monitor a utilitys distribution transformers and network in real-time; and UbiSmart AQM+, a sensor that monitors a citys air quality index, noise levels and environmental data. Ubicquias solutions install in minutes to help communities become smarter, safer, and more connected. To learn more visit http://www.ubicquia.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Scott Sparks brings a long history of value creation in private equity through operations improvement. His leadership and industry insight will be instrumental in helping our PE sponsor and management team clients develop new sources of enterprise value as the industry evolves Global supply chain and operations implementation consulting firm, SGS Maine Pointe, a member of the SGS Group, announced today it has appointed Scott Sparks as Managing Director, Private Equity. Sparks brings more than 20 years of experience partnering with private equity investors and executive management teams, dramatically improving financial performance and market value of their companies through operations improvement and margin expansion, increased capital efficiency, productive acquisitions, and organic growth. In his capacity as Managing Director, Sparks will take a strategic role in solving the unique and complex challenges faced by the private equity industry from pre-deal to exit. SGS Maine Pointe is on a steep upward trajectory and has recently been recognized as the #1 Supply Chain Consulting Firm in the US, said Sparks. Im thrilled to be joining this award-winning organization and to be a part of the team that takes the firm to the next stage in its evolution. With rising investment capital costs, an increasingly competitive environment for new acquisitions, and volatile and unpredictable revenue in many portfolio company industries, the PE value creation equation is shifting. Significant operations improvement has moved from optional to mandatory to maintain the returns that PE investors demand, said Jeff Staub, CEO of SGS Maine Pointe. Scott brings a long history of value creation in private equity through operations improvement. His leadership and industry insight will be instrumental in helping our PE sponsor and management team clients develop new sources of enterprise value as the industry evolves. I am truly excited to have Scott join the firm. Before joining SGS Maine Pointe, Sparks served as Managing Director of TriVistas private equity advisory business. Previously, Sparks held Senior Partner and other leadership positions in the Business Strategy and Supply Chain organizations at A.T. Kearney and Accenture. His work at these firms included partnering with large global clients to assess and develop business strategy, evaluate acquisition and new market growth opportunities, and improve operational performance across the value chain. He also gained valuable experience as a P&L owner and business operator; as CEO and President, he built two national businesses from launch to market leading positions. Sparks has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego. About Maine Pointe SGS Maine Pointe, a member of the SGS Group, is a global supply chain and operations consulting firm trusted by many chief executives and private equity firms to drive compelling economic returns for their companies. We achieve this by delivering accelerated, sustainable improvements in EBITDA, cash and growth across their operations, procurement and logistics. Our hands-on implementation experts work with executives and their teams to rapidly break through functional silos and transform the buy-make-move-fulfill supply chain to deliver the greatest value to customers and investors at the lowest cost and risk to business. We call this Total Value Optimization (TVO). SGS Maine Pointes engagements are results-driven and deliver between 4:1-8:1 ROI. We are so confident in our work and our processes that we provide a unique 100% guarantee of engagement fees based on annualized savings. https://www.mainepointe.com/ About SGS We are SGS - the worlds leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,700 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world. SGS has been delivering ESG and sustainability solutions and services to clients for the past 25 years and has been a carbon neutral company for the past seven years. We believe that it is essential to have policies and practices that promote an inclusive workplace, said Carolina Zamora. Evalueserve, a leading global analytics partner to more than 30% of the Fortune 1000, has been awarded the Compromiso Migrante seal by the State of Chile, specifically the National Immigration Service and the Labor Directorate (DT) in conjunction with the International Labor Office (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The companys Chile office is based in Vina del Mar, Valparaiso. Evalueserve has implemented multiple best practices around workplace diversity and inclusion and is the only company in the Valparaiso region to obtain this recognition. "We see Evalueserve as an employer of choice, said Nand Gangwani, Chief Operating Officer of Evalueserve. The Compromiso Migrante award acknowledges significant efforts made by our leadership, Human Resources, and Compliance teams, locally and across the globe, to build a workplace that any team member can prosper in. Evalueserve is committed to continuing to strengthen our programs to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that it is essential to have policies and practices that promote an inclusive workplace, said Carolina Zamora, Head of Latin American Operations for Evalueserve. We want our team members -- current, new, and potential -- to be part of this organizational culture. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to develop professionally regardless of a persons nationality, background, gender, or any other aspect of their identity. Currently, the companys operations in Chile have over 550 employees of 25 different nationalities, illustrating the companys inclusion, intercultural approach, and non-discrimination practices within its internal structures, management, and approach to the larger in-country ecosystem. The Compromiso Migrante program seeks to contribute to an inclusive, intercultural, and non-discriminatory Chile by promoting good practices regarding the work of Chilean and foreign people in institutions, companies, and associations throughout the country. To learn more about Evalueserves career opportunities, visit Evalueserves careers page here: https://www.evalueserve.com/careers/. About Evalueserve Evalueserve is a global company at the forefront of using product-led solutions to enhance and accelerate decision-making throughout enterprises. More than 30% of the Fortune 1000, including more than 25,000 platform users, rely on Evalueserves unique product-led solutions powered by domain-specific AI and more than 4,500 subject matter experts. Evalueserve is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Learn more at evalueserve.com. Contact Us For interview requests and any other information, please contact Carolina Zamora at carolina.zamora@evalueserve.com or Geoff Livingston at geoff.livingston@evalueserve.com. FileWall - Security product for Microsoft 365 Toby Bowers, Microsoft: Were happy to welcome FileWall for Microsoft 365 to Microsoft AppSource, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Microsoft AppSource offers partner solutions such as FileWall from odix to help customers meet their needs faster. odix, an Israel-based cybersecurity leader in File-Based malware prevention solutions, today announced the availability of FileWall for Microsoft 365 on Microsoft AppSource, an online cloud marketplace providing tailored line-of-business solutions. odix FileWall for Microsoft 365 is also available in the Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. The new FileWall for Microsoft 365 introduces the new generation of FileWalls SaaS security offering providing effective malware-disarming capabilities against file-based attacks across Microsoft 365s business applications. With 10 billion malware attacks annually, files are the threat vector of choice for hackers and cybercriminals. Hackers utilize the frequent usage of files and file sharing platforms to inject malicious code into a companys network. Research shows an increase of 630% in attacks over collaboration services during the COVID-19 pandemic. With such a high threat of vulnerabilities in collaborative cloud business applications, a new cybersecurity solution had to come to the market to close the security gap detection-based standard security systems have. FileWall is a native Deep File Analysis and CDR-based security application for Microsoft 365 applications such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. FileWall is designed to run in conjunction with existing Microsoft security solutions, such as EOP (Exchange Online Protection) and Defender, to provide comprehensive content inspection and malware-disarming capabilities against file-based attacks. The FileWall for Microsoft 365 launch uniquely positions odix as an innovator bringing game-changing security protection for its business users community. According to odix CEO Dr. Oren Eytan, FileWall introduces a new paradigm for Microsoft 365 users, enabling them to consume a unique and comprehensive security solution that is activated in an instant and supports the entire Microsoft 365 suite. After receiving positive feedback from the Microsoft 365 community using FileWall for Exchange Online, it was natural for us to extend the service and support other Microsoft 365 applications. Its aligned with odix vision to ensure our users can safely consume malware-free files with any cloud business application. FileWall safeguards users through the filtration of embedded active content, the enforcement of file type policies on nested files, and the disarming of content within. Toby Bowers, General Manager, Business Applications Group, Microsoft Corp., said, Were happy to welcome FileWall for Microsoft 365 to Microsoft AppSource, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Microsoft AppSource offers partner solutions such as FileWall from odix to help customers meet their needs faster. FileWall for Microsoft 365 is now available for direct purchase through Microsoft AppSource, the Azure Marketplace, or via the FileWall-certified partner program for Microsoft CSPs. The services currently supported in the package are Exchange Online and SharePoint. Microsoft Teams and OneDrive will be added to the package in the next few weeks at no additional cost for its users. Company bio odix develops and markets advanced anti-malware tools based on its patented Content Disarm and Reconstruction (TrueCDR) technology for preventative cybersecurity in enterprises of all sizes. odix technology prevents malware infiltration into organizational networks by removing all malicious code from a wide range of file types. Uniquely, odix protects files from unknown attacks, where legacy solutions fall short. odix solutions are trusted by enterprises in diverse sectors such as industrial, finance, insurance, government, and others. odix operates from its headquarters in Israel and regional offices in the U.S. and Europe. To learn more about odix, visit odi-x.com. For all media inquiries, please contact odix marketing department at: marketing@odi-x.com ScreenShot2022-09-19at104711AM.png The gin cocktail has been trending across both Latin America and Latin Europe, says Ivania Sher co-founder of Latin Gin. Many people are unaware that gin originated in Italy and quinine, the main ingredient of tonic water, originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Latin lovers are in luck. Southlake Texas is celebrating Latin Heritage Month. The Fiesta will return to Southlake Texas Townsquare Sunday, October 2nd, 1 PM-7 PM to celebrate Latin culture with music, dancing, food, and drinks. Latin Gin, the premier sponsor of the Southlake Hispanic Heritage Fiesta, is celebrating the Latin culture with a gin tasting near the main stage at Southlake Town Square. This years event will feature a cocktail tasting of four signature expressions to celebrate the Passion, Romance, Tradition, and Pleasures of the Latin American and Latin European lifestyles. Earlier this year Latin Gin dominated the 2022 SIP Awards International Spirits Competition. To the great surprise of more established brands, Latin Gin walked away with the Platinum Medal, the competition's top prize, beating out Hendrix, Bombay, and dozens of other brands in a unanimous decision by the judges. The gin cocktail has been trending across both Latin America and Latin Europe, says Ivania Sher co-founder of Latin Gin. Many people are unaware that gin originated in Italy and quinine, the main ingredient of tonic water, originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Carolina Delcalvo, board member of the Somos Southlake organizing committee said, "It's a fun event! An authentic experience and we are excited to have everyone here celebrating and enjoying our culture and heritage." ReadSpeaker is now integrated with Moodle, adding text-to-speech to the worlds largest LMS. Students can listen while learning in over 50 languages, 200+ voices. Text to speech is a great equalizer and force multiplier for online learning, opening new and exciting pathways for engagement and mastery for millions of students, not just those needing accommodations. ReadSpeaker, the most trusted, independent digital voice and text-to-speech provider for educational institutions and innovative brands worldwide today announced that it is now a Certified Integration Partner with the worlds largest learning platform, Moodle. With this partnership, students can listen to content on the Moodle LMS anywhere, any time and on any device and they can select from hundreds of different voices in over 50 languages. As of September 1, ReadSpeakers accessibility and engagement tools are fully integrated into Moodle LMS, expanding learning opportunities for more than 200 million learners. ReadSpeaker is the first text-to-speech provider to become a Certified Integration Partner with Moodle. Text to speech is a great equalizer and force multiplier for online learning, opening new and exciting pathways for engagement and mastery for millions of students, not just those needing accommodations, said Roy Lindemann, Chief Marketing Officer for ReadSpeaker. This partnership is extremely significant to the institutions and students we both serve, including those needing accommodations and those who simply want added capabilities to engage with learning materials. ReadSpeakers text-to-speech solutions for education and voice technology resources for schools, universities, community colleges, NGOs, corporations and other education institutions, transform written text to lifelike spoken audio with the touch of a button. ReadSpeaker tools allow users to engage with content in a wide variety of voices, languages and dialects, while also being able to personalize the reading speed, highlighting, font, text size, colors and more. ReadSpeaker also develops custom voices for institutions and brands, employing sophisticated audio and linguistic AI technology. In addition to being the world's largest learning platform with more than 330 million users globally, Moodle is open source and free to use. The functionality and scope of the ReadSpeaker offerings made them the right partner for Moodle and for our mission, which is to expand access to learning at unprecedented scale, said Carles Aguilo Collado, Technology Partner Manager at Moodle. ReadSpeaker is a great innovator in this space and brings our users the most trusted text-to-speech enhanced learning tools available today. Originally developed as a tool to support those with learning disabilities, ReadSpeakers work with Moodle is not new the plug-in is already in use in hundreds of Moodle sites. This new, deeply embedded global partnership brings ReadSpeakers text-to-speech capabilities to many more providers, institutions, and students. In todays hybrid and connected learning landscape, providing full access to multi-modal learning content is essential for educators and institutions, said Lindemann. Being able to offer and deliver whatever resources a student needs, on their own terms and on-demand is no longer a luxury, and this Moodle integration will further set that baseline worldwide. For more information about ReadSpeaker for Moodle visit: https://www.readspeaker.com/education/moodle/ See ReadSpeaker in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwQc7v2Cg98 About ReadSpeaker For over 20 years, ReadSpeaker has been giving a human-like synthetic voice to more than 10,000 education and industry applications in 70 countries. ReadSpeaker creates custom digital voices and offers more than 200 expressive off-the-shelf voices in over 50 languages to enhance the User Experience through engaging voice interactions. At colleges and universities, K-12 schools, and businesses, ReadSpeaker brings voice to websites and learning content. Learn more at ReadSpeaker.com or on LinkedIn and Twitter (@ReadSpeaker). About Moodle Powering hundreds of thousands of learning environments globally, Moodle is trusted by institutions and organizations large and small, including Shell, London School of Economics, State University of New York, Microsoft and the Open University. Moodles worldwide numbers across both academic and enterprise level usage makes it the worlds most widely used learning platform. ### Steve Curtin, CEO of The Gypsy Nurse. By knowing what drives and erodes their satisfaction, we can provide better resources to the travel nurse community, and to the healthcare facilities and staffing agencies relying on these professionals for critical roles. A BRIGHT SPOT IN HEALTHCARE: TRAVEL NURSES REPORT HIGHER JOB SATISFACTION New Study Shows 30% are more satisfied today than before the pandemic; 85% plan to continue their travel nursing careers Burnout, turnover and low morale have all taken a heavy toll on the healthcare profession in recent years. But for travel nurses, the pandemic appears to have increased resilience and galvanized the community, according to a recent survey. The study, Voice of the Travel Nurse (https://www.thegypsynurse.com/voice) reveals that 85% of travel nurses intend to continue in their careers. In measuring their satisfaction levels, 50% are as satisfied today as they were pre-pandemic; 30% say theyre more satisfied today. Voice of the Travel Nurse was conducted by an independent research firm and commissioned by The Gypsy Nurse (https://www.thegypsynurse.com/), the largest and most active online community of travel nurses in the world. The organization provides a variety of career resources to more than 500,000 followers and members across its digital channels. More than 1,000 travel nurses were surveyed. We commissioned this study to gain a more thorough understanding of travel nurse perspectives, said Steve Curtin, CEO of The Gypsy Nurse. By knowing what drives and erodes their satisfaction, we can provide better resources to the travel nurse community, and to the healthcare facilities and staffing agencies relying on these professionals for critical roles. Curtin will present the findings in detail on September 20 in Las Vegas at TravCon 22, the yearly conference for travel health professionals. (More details on the conference are below.) Additional Report Highlights Current satisfaction: 79% of travel nurses are satisfied or very satisfied with their current role. Compensation: Competitive pay attracts travel nurses to the profession, but once theyve established themselves as travelers, factors other than money take on greater significance in retaining them. Satisfaction drivers: Flexibility and the ability to make a difference in multiple healthcare settings are among the top factors contributing to travel nurses feeling fulfilled in their work. Other contributors: Healthcare facilities in which travel nurses work and staffing firms that arrange their contract assignments also contribute to satisfaction, with facilities having a slightly more substantial impact. Room for Improvement The study pointed to several areas for enhancement. For uncommitted travel nurses those who are uncertain or unlikely to continue their travel nursing careers they noted the following areas as troublesome: Patient ratios: 33% are dissatisfied with patient-to-staff ratios. Treatment: 33% are unhappy with how theyre treated compared to staff nurses. More than one-quarter (27 percent) are dissatisfied with how theyre treated by hospital staff. Communication is a central issue as well. Among committed travel nurses those who plan to continue working in travel only 64% received regular communications from their healthcare facility. When rating their experience with staffing agencies, 72% noted their agency keeps them informed regularly. Making Meaningful Change Curtin noted that while cultural changes cannot happen overnight, leaders should begin work now to identify issues so they can rectify them. Organizations that take time to honestly evaluate their work culture and make necessary improvements will attract more talent, he said. Its imperative for travel nurses to be viewed and treated as part of the core team, not a separate group. Leaders who integrate travel nurses into their organizations and keep them informed on key issues will enhance their culture and attract the best talent in the travel community. As nursing shortages are expected to increase sharply in the near future, Curtin emphasized that recruiting and retaining nursing staff is a shared responsibility among healthcare organizations and the broader community. All of us must advocate for safe work environments, better communication, and greater recognition for current and future nurses. To build a workforce that can support our healthcare requirements moving forward, educational institutions, government agencies and the private sector must all work with the healthcare community to advance the nursing profession. About The Gypsy Nurse The Gypsy Nurse is the worlds largest community of travel nurses with an audience of more than 500,000 members across multiple channels including TheGypsyNurse.com and TravCon, the leading healthcare traveler conference. The organization builds awareness of travel healthcare career options and offers travel healthcare professionals the knowledge, tools, and social connectivity required to build successful careers supported by a community of like-minded professionals. Earlier this year, The Gypsy Nurse acquired TravCon, the yearly conference for travel healthcare professionals. TravCon 22 will be held at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas from September 18-21. The conference is the largest in-person gathering of healthcare travel professionals in the United States. It enables attendees to earn continuing education credits, connect with other healthcare professionals, and be recognized for their contributions and work over the last year. For more information on TravCon 22, visit https://travcon.org/. For more information on The Gypsy Nurse, visit https://www.thegypsynurse.com/ For a full copy of the report and/or interviews with Steve Curtin and travel nurses: Maureen Carrig maureen@carrigcommunications.com 720/608-6987 Alexander Meskouris and Alicia Joseph, along with the experienced team at AMPM, note that the recognition of Great Companies represents the passion that the organization holds for serving as a one-stop-shop for tailored property management solutions. AMPM Property Group has recently been featured on Great Companies, a show that is dedicated to providing assessments of American businesses to educate others on the qualities that set them apart from other organizations within their respective fields. Host Alex Boylan addressed AMPM Property Groups firm dedication to quality service, highlighting how AMPM Property Group has implemented a wide variety of effective services to cater to the diverse needs of individual homeowners, investors, multiple-property landlords, and their tenants in the Theater District, Greenwich Village, and Hells Kitchen. AMPM Property Group upholds that much of their success is due to the hard work of Property Manager Alexander Meskouris and Tenant Manager Alicia Joseph. Alexander Meskouris has become well known within the industry for his experience with all types of rental property and innovative solutions for maintenance and leasing tasks, while Alicia Joseph facilitates all tenant management needs with great care and diligence. Alexander Meskouris and Alicia Joseph, along with the experienced team at AMPM, note that the recognition of Great Companies represents the passion that the organization holds for serving as a one-stop-shop for tailored property management solutions. The organization predicts that more accolades and awards will follow as a consequence of its commitment to quality, however, AMPM maintains that the most significant recognition is the success and continued support of its client base. About AMPM Property Group AMPM Property Group is a comprehensive property management company based in Manhattan that caters to the diverse needs and requirements of tenants, homeowners, investors, and multiple-property landlords. With Alexander Meskouris as Property Manager and Alicia Joseph serving as Tenant Manager, the AMPM team has built a reputation within the industry for the in-depth knowledge of New Yorks attractions, services, and neighborhoods as well as its dedication to quality solutions. AMPM Property Group utilizes its services such as responding to inquiries, handling applications and credit checks, screening prospective tenants, collecting rent payments, and more. These innovative solutions for clients ensure that owners are relieved of the stress of maintaining successful property management practices. For more information about AMPM, go to https://www.ampmpropertygroup.com/. About Great Companies Great Companies is a Roku series hosted by Alex Boylan and produced by Shane Farley that showcases great American businesses of all sizes by highlighting their history as well as their unique, innovative, or inspiring qualities. Great Companies aims to introduce viewers to the individuals and teams responsible for the success of each featured company and explores the strategies and cultures that have earned them recognition. This information empowers organizations investors, customers, employees, and collaborators learn more about each businesss strengths and plans to address the evolving needs of their clients. Dr. Iqbal Partnering with Smile Brands will provide stability and growth opportunities for me, my staff, and our patients. Smile Brands, one of the nations leading dental support organizations (DSO), is pleased to announce new partnerships with Aria Dental and Mike Majors, DDS, located in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Mustafa Iqbal leads a team of 19 across both San Antonio locations. Dr. Iqbal and his associates and teams are committed to providing reliable and affordable state-of-the-art dental care for the whole family. Together, the teams deliver general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, specialty dentistry, and emergency dental services to patients in San Antonio and the surrounding area. When looking to partner with a DSO, it was important for me to choose an organization that shared our values and was established in the industry, said Dr. Iqbal. Partnering with Smile Brands will provide stability and growth opportunities for me, my staff, and our patients. I look forward to spending less time on the administrative work and more time focusing on my craft, said Dr. Iqbal. Smile Brands will provide administrative support and services to the practices including purchasing, payroll, accounting, IT, billing, facilities management, and marketing. The businesses will continue to operate under the Aria Dental and Mike Majors, DDS names, and the existing staff will remain with the offices. The teams at Aria Dental and Mike Majors, DDS, are a great fit with our culture, said Steve Bilt, Smile Brands co-founder, and CEO. Dr. Iqbal and his team share our vision of expanding access to quality, affordable dental care and providing Smiles for Everyone. We look forward to providing additional support and resources for the teams, and supporting their practice growth goals. About Smile Brands: Smile Brands, based in Irvine, California, is one of the largest providers of dental support services in the United States. The company supports nearly 700 affiliated practices, with more than 7,500 dedicated team members across 30 states. Smile Brands supports a portfolio of over 75 brands including well-known regional brands: Bright Now! Dental, Castle Dental, Merit Dental, Midwest Dental, Monarch Dental, and Mondovi Dental. The company provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term agreements with affiliate dental groups, allowing affiliated practices to spend more time caring for patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental office. The organization receives frequent recognition for its award-winning culture and has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Glassdoor, Comparably, Stevie Awards, and more. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, California. Visit smilebrands.com for more information. Eric Rozenberg, author Imagine having to leave the only home you have ever known because of rising prejudice against your ethnicity, said Eric Rozenberg. I loved Belgium dearly, but the undercurrents of antisemitism were growing strong. Here in the U.S. we must also also maintain vigilance." Surrounded by rising antisemitism in Belgium, Eric Rozenberg and his wife Elsa made a life-changing decision in 2013: leave Europe for the U.S. so their three young daughters could grow up in a safer world. His book "Before Its Too Late: A Love Letter to My Daughters and America" released today on Amazon chronicles his familys journey and raises alarms about the future in a book he described as a labor of love. Imagine having to leave the only home you have ever known because of rising prejudice against your ethnicity, explains the Jewish author who left his native country at age 47. I loved Belgium dearly, but the undercurrents of antisemitism were growing strong. The United States is the greatest country in the world and here in the U.S. we must also maintain vigilance. Antisemitic movements have taken root everywhere. Rozenbergs book is a well-researched and compelling account that details the rise of antisemitism in Europe since the 1980s. He explains why this hateful movement led his family to leave Europe despite extensive familial and business ties there and why there should be concerns about what is going on in the U.S. today. His 372-page book is available for immediate purchase on Barnes & Noble and on Amazon. (https://geni.us/BeforeItsTooLate) About the Author Rozenberg is a Belgian-born American citizen, an entrepreneur, author, podcaster and public speaker. He is an outspoken advocate for the Jewish community with a passion for geopolitics. He can be reached at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrozenberg The Old Scraggly Tree: a lyrical poem that will paint a vivid picture for readers of all ages. The Old Scraggly Tree is the creation of published author Bobby Brunson, who resides in Portales, New Mexico, with his wife, Kathie. After thirty-plus years in the college store industry, Brunson is now retired and spends his time between babysitting grandchildren, leather working, and riding his motorcycles. Brunson shares, An old personified tree tells a story about the political and religious upheaval of his homeland. Everything changes when he is chopped down and turned into the Cross. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Bobby Brunsons new book will resonate with many as they consider the powerful imagery depicted within each verse. Brunson brings readers a powerful poetic experience that follows the life of a tree destined to be part of the event that changed the world. Consumers can purchase The Old Scraggly Tree at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Old Scraggly Tree, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Boston Children's Museum CreatedBy Festival 2022 CreatedBy is one of our favorite celebrations. Not only does it give us a chance to meet some of the most inspiring artists and innovators in the area, but it also gives us a chance to engage families beyond the walls of the Museum through live virtual events all STEM Week. Boston Childrens Museum is again supporting Massachusetts STEM Week with its 4th hands-on CreatedBy Festival 2022. The festival will highlight the inspirational work of local artists, technologists, innovators, and creative do-ers! The CreatedBy Festival will be held on October 15 at the Museum and is included with regular Museum admission. Massachusetts STEM Week is a statewide effort to boost the interest, awareness, and ability for all learners to envision themselves in STEM education and employment opportunities and compliment the formal instruction happening in the Commonwealth beyond STEM week. The Museum continues its annual support of STEM Week engagement to ensure that it can be celebrated not just by middle and high schoolers but also elementary school aged families. Boston Childrens Museum draws on its long tradition and history of STEAM innovation in service of children and families exploring, experimenting, and learning together. Formerly Boston Mini Maker Faire, the CreatedBy Festival has iterated and evolved over the years, to be a more family focused showcase that reflects the family audiences that visit the Museum. The CreatedBy Festival offers children and families the opportunity to see the work of local creatives and be inspired by the fun and fulfilling potential of science and art. Children will be able to actively participate in seeing, touching, and doing things they havent tried before. CreatedBy is one of our favorite celebrations here at Boston Childrens Museum. Not only does it give us a chance to meet some of the most inspiring artists and innovators in the area, but it also gives us a chance to engage families beyond the walls of the Museum through live virtual events all STEM Week, said Neil Tembulkar, Director of Strategic Initiatives. During this week, the Museum is thrilled to connect with educators, students, households, creatives, and community advocates for STEAM creativity. We hope you stop by to see, touch, and try something new - whether its a recycled art project or a 3D scanning rig, an artist gallery, or a remotely controlled robot. During MA STEM Week (10/17-10/21), the CreatedBy Festival will also be offering free daily virtual STEAM events for elementary school aged attendees, more information can be found at http://www.createdbyfestival.org Boston Childrens Museum is welcoming Boston School Department students for field trips to experience STEAM workshops on Wednesday October 19th if you are interested, please contact the Museum. The CreatedBy Festival works in collaboration with Massachusetts STEM Week, WBZ-TV/CBS Boston, and partners Artisan's Asylum, Brandeis Maker Lab, and New England FIRST. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Autodesk, Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool, The Lego Group, MathWorks, and MEFA on behalf of the U.Fund College Investing Plan are CreatedBy Festival sponsors. With their support, Boston Childrens Museum has been able to meaningfully engage a diverse variety of learners and community groups. Corporations interested in sponsoring the CreatedBy Festival should email info@BostonChildrensMuseum.org CreatedBy Festival content is free with regular Museum admission. Due to timed ticketing, advance online tickets are required. To reserve your tickets for October 15th, please visit https://bostonchildrensmuseum.org/ticketing For additional information, check out http://www.createdbyfestival.org About Boston Children's Museum Boston Childrens Museum engages children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. More information about Boston Childrens Museum can be found at http://www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org. Become a fan of the Museum on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Hours and Admission The Museum is open Wednesday Sunday with two set daily time slots, 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:30-4:30pm. To reduce touchpoints and enable timed visits, all ticketing will be done online. Members must also make reservations online. There are a limited number of visitor reservations available for each time slot. Adults, $20, children (1-15) and senior citizens, $20; children under 12 months and Museum members are always free. ### Many over the counter medications and prescription medications have side effects that include slower reaction times, decreased hand-eye coordination, difficulty concentrating or judging time and distance that are similar to the effects of alcohol and illegal drugs Central Florida Bonding, located minutes from the Orange County Jail in Orlando, Florida launches their newest blog focused on educating people on what impaired driving means. Hadi Khouri, the owner of Central Florida Bonding, states, you could face driving under the influence charges after taking an over-the-counter medicine (OTC). Many OTC medications and prescription medications have side effects that include slower reaction times, decreased hand-eye coordination, difficulty concentrating or judging time and distance, and other impairments that are similar to the effects of alcohol and illegal drugs. Medications often include warning labels but if you arent certain, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist about potential side effects. These tips and more can be accessed online at: https://cfborlando.com/impaired-driving/ Khouri adds, that a new medication might affect you in ways you didnt anticipate so always take precautions. Law enforcement officers are trained as drug recognition experts (DREs) to identify drug-impaired driving using a standardized evaluation that includes behavioral tests and physical assessments, such as breath alcohol testing, eye exams, and other behavioral and physical observations. If there is sufficient evidence that the driver is impaired, drug recognition experts can collect blood or urine samples. Refusing to take a required roadside test at the time of arrest means your license will be automatically suspended for one full year. After being arrested for DUI, you will likely receive a citation with instructions on how to complete the process. You must appear in court within 30 days of receiving the citation. If you fail to do so, you will be issued another citation and your license will be suspended until you pay the fine. Khouri states If you or a loved one finds themselves behind bars and facing charges of speeding, driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence, boating under the influence, reckless driving, or any other charge, Central Florida Bonding can help. Central Florida Bonding has bailed clients out of jail for numerous charges such as drugs, DUI, BUI, boating while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated, road rage, identity theft, domestic violence, child neglect, assault, battery, and more. To start the bail bond process, defendants are encouraged to call 407-841-3646. Central Florida Bonding is licensed to post bail throughout the state of Florida and with affiliated agencies across the United States. A bail bond agent is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year. All of the bail bond agents at Central Florida Bonding are experienced, knowledgeable, and licensed. They are ready to assist with paperwork, can explain the ins and outs of the bail bond process, and can answer questions regarding the criminal justice system. This Orlando bail bond agency serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, and Lake Counties. Defendants have benefited from the expertise of Central Florida Bonding since 1979. Khouri states, We have been helping Central Floridians for many years. We can help you too! Please rely on our experience and expertise to guide you through this stressful experience. Central Florida Bonding is located in the Cox Plaza at 2911 39th Street, Suite 300, in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about this bail bond agency, visit online at https://cfborlando.com/, or call 407-841-3646. Depending on the state in which the claim is made, the allowed time limit to file for compensation will vary. CommercialInsurance.net has announced the release of its latest resource A Comprehensive Guide to Workers Comp. This informative guide provides insight into workers compensation by exploring the origin of workers compensation, the need for a workers compensation policy, how workers compensation works and is processed, and tips for making a successful workers compensation claim. Workers compensation is when employees receive payment to recover from work-related illnesses and injuries, and historically, workers compensation dates back to 2050 BC when ancient China and Greece paid workers who sustained work injuries. Workers compensation policies are mutually beneficial to both the employees and the employer. The cost of a workers compensation policy varies depending on multiple factors including the state, industry, number of employees, and the insurance company. When filing a workers compensation claim, employees need to start the claims process immediately after an accident occurs and not delay. From an employers perspective, it is essential to ensure the injured employee receives immediate attention. According to CommercialInsurance.net, Depending on the state in which the claim is made, the allowed time limit to file for compensation will vary. When making a claim, three factors determine the eligibility of a claim- the injured employee must be eligible, the employer must hold an active workers compensation policy, and the employee must be injured while at work. To learn more about workers compensation, please visit CommercialInsurance.net here. About CommercialInsurance.net: CommercialInsurance.net is a two-sided marketplace that matches businesses to insurance providers. We exist to make the process easier for businesses to find an insurance company that can assist with their unique needs. For insurance providers, we make it much more efficient for agents and brokers to find customers who fit their solutions - helping both sides get successful outcomes. Cybereason, the XDR company, today announced the publication of the second report from the Cyber Defenders Council, a group of over 50 preeminent security leaders from public and private sector organizations across North America, EMEA, and APAC. The report, titled Bridging the Cyber-Business Divide: Will Regulation Reduce Cyber Risk and Improve Resiliency?, delves into the alignment gap between business and cybersecurity leaders and the negative impact this gap has on organizations ability to prevent cyber attacks. The report also explores the pros and cons of cybersecurity accountability regulation as a means to bridge this gap. Despite the progress security leaders have made to align cyber risk with business risk, a gap still exists globally, according to Lior Div, CEO and Co-founder, Cybereason. With cyber threats from nation-state actors on the rise, its important for security leaders, business leaders, and boards of directors to get on the same page regarding cyber risk. Its going to take bold and decisive action, grounded in innovative approaches like Defend Forward, to fundamentally change the calculus of cyber risk and reverse the adversary advantage. In addition to tackling cybersecurity regulation, the report also offers prescriptive guidance for organizations to help manage risk, including: Identify the different types of data your organization stores Note the systems holding different types of sensitive data Regularly conduct rigorous and realistic tests of incident response plans Include, prioritize and acknowledge all known risks We need something that makes the CEO, CFO, and audit committee chair wake up and do something about cybersecurity, says Dave DeWalt, a veteran security industry CEO and Founder and Managing Director of NightDragon, who has sat on 29 boards and served as guest speaker at the Cyber Defenders Council meeting. Council member Malcolm Harkins, Chief Security and Trust Officer for Epiphany Systems, believes cybersecurity accountability regulation is needed to get the C-suite and board to understand the importance of cybersecurity, and create the alignments inside organizations around it. Not all Council members favored regulation. Renee Guttmann, emeritus CISO for Campbell Soup Company, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Coca-Cola, and other large corporations doesnt think broad-based government regulation is the answer. Broad-based regulation will exacerbate the security poverty line situation for small and midsize organizations. About the Cyber Defenders Council The Cyber Defenders Council formed following an unprecedented year of ransomware attacks that blurred the lines between financially motivated and state-sponsored actors. The mission of the Council is to adapt an aggressive approach to cyber deterrence that came out of the U.S. Department of Defense for the global private sector. As cyberattacks become an increasingly powerful and prevalent geopolitical weapon, proactive, deterrence-focused approaches are needed to preserve the safety and security of individuals and organizations around the world. About Cybereason Cybereason is the XDR company, partnering with Defenders to end attacks at the endpoint, in the cloud, and across the entire enterprise ecosystem. Only the AI-driven Cybereason Defense Platform provides predictive prevention, detection, and response that is undefeated against modern ransomware and advanced attack techniques. The Cybereason MalOp instantly delivers context-rich attack intelligence across every affected device, user, and system with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Cybereason turns threat data into actionable decisions at the speed of business. Cybereason is a privately held international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 40 countries. Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/ Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook Media Contact: Bill Keeler Senior Director, Global Public Relations Cybereason bill.keeler@cybereason.com (929) 259-3261 Drivers in Janesville, Wisconsin, Can Purchase New Vehicles Online at a Toyota Dealership Individuals in the Janesville, Wisconsin area can find the perfect vehicle and buy it online at Hesser Toyota. The dealership provides an online car buying service, SmartPath, which lets prospective buyers purchase a vehicle from the comfort of their homes. With SmartPath, customers can save time by doing as much research as they want online while saving money by unlocking great deals on car financing and leasing. To buy a vehicle via SmartPath, buyers must follow the steps mentioned below: Step 1: Browse real-time dealer inventory and pricing online on the Hesser Toyota official website. Step 2: Use the available payment estimator to customize a payment plan with the terms and conditions that work for them. Step 3: Apply for financing instantly using SmartPath. Step 4: Share the chosen model and payment plan with the dealer to finalize the purchase. Step 5: Choose to get the vehicle delivered or pick it up from the dealership once the paperwork is done. Along with the new Toyota models, the dealership has a range of used vehicles for all budgets in top-notch condition. Additionally, the dealership has an array of high-quality certified pre-owned cars available at great prices. Drivers who already own a Toyota model can also visit Hesser Toyota to get their vehicles serviced or repaired. The dealership has a state-of-the-art service department to take the best care of all Toyota vehicles. Interested parties can contact the dealership in Janesville, Wisconsin, by dialing 608-7547754 for further information. Family Law Attorney Kyle Sellett Joins Elmhurst Family Law Firm, WKO Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC is pleased to welcome our new partner, Kyle Sellett. Kyles years of dedication to his family law clients have earned him a place as a partner to principals Maxine Weiss Kunz and Amanda M. Oliver. Kyle has been practicing exclusively in the area of family law since 2018, and he has earned a reputation as a deeply committed and knowledgeable attorney. Kyle takes a personalized approach to each case and maintains the firm belief that with each case there is an opportunity to establish his client and their family members in a new chapter of their lives. He has a unique ability to advocate knowledgeably and forcefully while keeping sight of the clients family needs and end goals. "You like Kyle the moment you meet him. Despite his skills and experience, there are no airs about him. He is a straight shooter; setting clear expectations and then delivering for clients. He's a real asset to our team." Amanda M. Oliver, Principal Kyle Sellett is welcomed by an impressive and devoted team of attorneys, including firm principals and founders Maxine Weiss Kunz and Amanda M. Oliver, Senior Associates Jennifer L. Fox and Alexis L. Seniff, Of Counsel Julie A. Johnson, and Associates Kelsey J. Burge, Tyler Neher and Whitni Hart. Maxine Weiss Kunz and Amanda M. Oliver have practiced exclusively in the area of family law for the entirety of their careers and joined forces in 2015 to create WKO and offer elite advocacy to each of their clients. The foundation of WKO is built upon their dedication to the fundamentals (up-to-date knowledge of the law, preparedness and aggressive advocacy in tandem with recognizing when the facts present an opportunity for a favorable settlement). This foundation is reinforced by the skills and passion of each of the firms members who work together seamlessly to deliver results. WKO attorneys are actively involved in the legal community. For example, principal Maxine Weiss Kunz currently sits as the Treasurer for the Illinois Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), a group of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict. Maxine is also a trained collaborative lawyer. Five attorneys of the firm are recognized by Super Lawyers, including Maxine Weiss Kunz, Amanda M. Oliver, Jennifer L. Fox, Alexis L. Seniff, and Julie A. Johnson (Of Counsel). Only the top 5% of family law attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers, a nomination process that includes peer nomination and independent evaluation. WKO also provides mediation services. Specifically, principal Amanda M. Oliver is a certified family law mediator and has assisted countless families in reaching amicable resolutions without the need for court intervention. Amanda is especially skilled in mediating complex family law cases involving high net worth estates; including estates that involve business interests, multiple realties, private equity interests, and other unique assets on vesting schedules. Amanda applies creative solutions to the most complicated issues. About Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC is a family law practice that serves families throughout the greater Chicago area from their convenient Elmhurst location. The firm was founded to meet a variety of family law needs that members of the community may experience. The lawyers of Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC represent people in cases involving divorce, child custody or child support proceedings, premarital and postnuptial agreements, parentage actions, post-decree modifications, appeals, and more. To learn more about Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, please visit: https://www.wkofamilylaw.com/. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys or schedule a consultation, please call 312-605-4041. From our headquarters in Texas to our facilities in Australia, CyberFortress provides a single source for the worlds fastest, most pain-free recovery of all a companys data, whether its on-premises, virtualized, in endpoints or in SaaS services. Bret Piatt, CEO of CyberFortress. Following the integration of its September 2021 acquisition of KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync from J2 Global, Jungle Disk has rebranded as CyberFortress, a global company providing managed data backups built to prevent business disruption through rapid recovery. The synergy of these combined products, services and specialists enables CyberFortress to provide a level of security and speed unique to the industry. For customers, the burden of managing such a complex and critical function can now be shifted to the credentialed backup and recovery specialists at CyberFortress. Once a simple nightly task, data backup has become a daunting endeavor. Downtime is unacceptable, so recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) must be measured in minutes. Data is everywhere in SaaS apps, laptops, servers, smartphones and the cloud. And the threat of cyberattacks, especially ransomware, has never been higher. For too many companies, backup has become disorganized and incomplete, requiring multiple vendors with different specialties, which must then be managed by the customer. CyberFortress provides comprehensive backup, Disaster Recovery (DR) and recovery, with coverage for all of a companys data protection needs, no matter its size. All backups are kept safe in a combination of highly secure, geo-separated data backup locations, and recovery can take as little as 15 minutes. CyberFortress is also differentiated by the quality and training of its people. The companys specialists follow a Four-Step Backup system, beginning with the creation of a data recovery map to understand what data a customer has, where its located, and what RTOs and RPOs are necessary. After building and executing on a custom backup and recovery plan, CyberFortress then continuously backs up, monitors and tests to help ensure data is ready for recovery at a moments notice. Customers will never have to wonder whether their data is recoverable because CyberFortress keeps them constantly informed with Continuous Readiness Reporting. Should a customer need to recover data, CyberFortress Rapid Recovery Force members are available directly by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year no matter where or when a data emergency occurs. We are building CyberFortress to address a pressing need in the market: no single company is providing comprehensive data protection for all different backup and recovery needs, so IT departments end up with a hodgepodge of different vendors to manage. From our headquarters in Texas to our facilities on the other side of the world in Australia, CyberFortress provides a single source for the worlds fastest, most pain-free recovery of all a companys data, whether its on-premises, virtualized, in endpoints or in SaaS services. We protect it all. Bret Piatt, CEO of CyberFortress. For more information on CyberFortress, please visit https://cyberfortress.com. Transfer Pricing and Competent Authority Experience Complement Firms Global Tax Practice KPMG Internationals Global Head of Tax Dispute Resolution & Controversy and the Co-Principal in Charge of KPMG LLPs U.S. Tax Dispute Resolution Practice, Sharon Katz-Pearlman, joined Greenberg Traurigs Global Tax Practice. Katz-Pearlman, known for her role in developing the tax controversy practice at the Big Four accounting firm, joins Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its New York City office to assist clients worldwide. As business becomes increasingly international and jurisdictions look for their share of revenue, tax disputes have been on the rise nationally and globally. With Sharons addition, Greenberg Traurigs capability to deliver tax controversy service and dispute resolution will continue to enhance our unmatched service and value in helping clients navigate complicated transactions and gain more certainty in an uncertain world, Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman Richard A. Rosenbaum said. Katz-Pearlmans addition expands Greenberg Traurigs highly regarded global tax team with her experience in transfer pricing, and Competent Authority proceedings, including MAP and APA matters. She represents large multinationals, partnerships, and other taxpayers domestic and cross border in all aspects of IRS disputes, enforcement, trends, and issues from pre-filing through post-appeals mediation and in litigation. In addition, she has substantial experience with the full range of Alternative Dispute Resolution techniques which are available to taxpayers seeking to resolve their domestic issues with the IRS. She also has years of experience advising large multinationals operating in many jurisdictions, on how to best manage the increasingly challenging global disputes environment. Katz-Pearlman was previously a special litigation attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury. I am thrilled to join a global law firm with Greenberg Traurigs outstanding reputation in tax and I look forward to collaborating with the firms distinguished tax professionals across the world. I love to build new practices and I was attracted to Greenberg Traurigs entrepreneurial culture and global resources which empower you to grow your area of business to best serve clients, Katz-Pearlman said. I have known Sharon personally for many years. She is an exceptional attorney and is highly regarded throughout the profession. We are excited about the tremendous opportunity Sharons deep experience advising clients with cross-border tax controversies brings to our practice and firm, said Greenberg Traurig Global Tax Practice Co-Chair Barbara T. Kaplan, who is based in the New York office. Being subject to taxation in more than one jurisdiction presents a financial concern for our clients managing multinational companies. Sharons deep experience in addressing such scenarios with preemptive planning or strategic guidance if a dispute arises, provides a meaningful benefit for our clients worldwide, Global Tax Practice Co-Chair and Amsterdam office Co-Managing Shareholder Thomas Van der Vliet said. Katz-Pearlman is an adjunct professor of Law, LLM Program at the New York University School of Law where she developed and instructs a course titled Civil Tax Controversies and Litigation. She recently served on the United Nations Committee of International Tax Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters Subcommittee on Tax Dispute Avoidance and Resolution About Greenberg Traurig's Tax Practice: To stay competitive in today's global marketplace, international companies must seek out greater efficiency in their tax planning and compliance, including coordinating tax decisions from country to country. For U.S. operations, an environment of increased scrutiny including passage of more restrictive legislation and a spike in audit activity at every level is quickly becoming the norm, likewise spurring a need for greater self-evaluation and for more frequent representation in controversies and litigation with tax authorities. Greenberg Traurigs multidisciplinary tax team works closely with clients to address these and other tax planning needs, as well as tax controversies and litigation issues. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program certifies that the firms U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. The expanded credit facility, which is currently untapped, affords our company the opportunity to . . . finance our growth initiatives. Health Advocates Network, Inc., a provider of quality clinical and non-clinical staffing solutions to healthcare systems nationwide, today announced it expanded its credit facility with JPMorgan Chase to $15,000,000 which will be used to invest in both M&A activities and organic growth. As Health Advocates Network completes its third year of business, the Company continues to execute its aggressive growth plan building de novo divisions supplemented by strategic acquisitions. The Company now has a national platform that provides Allied, Nursing, and Non-Clinical disciplines in acute care, sub-acute care and correctional settings. JPMorgan Chase has been a longtime partner in funding our growth initiatives at both Health Advocates Network and our prior business ventures, stated Kevin Little, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Health Advocates Network. We are pleased to again receive its support as well as the sponsorship of our shareholders who have invested equity capital in our two oversubscribed rounds. Health Advocates Network is scheduled to close its next acquisition in Q4 2022, with additional M&A opportunities currently under evaluation. The expanded credit facility, which is currently untapped, affords our company the opportunity to utilize its balance sheet to finance our growth initiatives, stated Eddie Albert, Director of M&A and co-founder of Health Advocates Network. With the healthcare staffing market for M&A activities continuing to normalize, we look forward to being increasingly aggressive in putting this financing to work. About Health Advocates Network Founded in January 2020, the Company operates its business through its brands Health Advocates Network, Staff Today and Acclivity Healthcare. Certified by The Joint Commission, the Company is built on a foundation of excellence, guided by its core values of quality and career advocacy. Health Advocates Network is led by experienced and respected healthcare staffing executives driven to propel the organization to become one of the most successful staffing companies servicing healthcare clients. Health Advocates Network is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information about Health Advocates Network, visit http://www.hanstaff.com. If you have recently bought out your lease and plan on selling it to take advantage of the market, My Car Auction can save you thousands of dollars on selling your car! What a lot of people do not realize is that when you buy out a leased vehicle, the company you leased from will issue what is called a lessor title. These lessor titles show both the new owner (lessee) and the company that the car was originally leased with (lessor). How is a lessor title different from a normal title? Great question. For an unknown reason to many, dealerships and used car companies will not take a lessor title. For these companies to buy your car, they will make you go to the DMV and take the lessor off the title. When you go to the DMV to do this, you will be required to pay the sales tax on the vehicle. The current tax rate of California for purchasing a used car is 7.25%. Luckily, there is a law in California that if you sell your car within 10 days of buying out the lease, you do not have to pay sales tax on the vehicle. That is where My Car Auction can help! My Car Auction will accept your lessor title, saving you thousands on sales tax! All you need to do is go to their website and get an instant offer in less than a minute! One of their professional buyers will contact you regarding the offer and ask you some questions about the car. From there, just schedule an inspection with the buyer and they will meet you at your house to perform a 15-minute inspection. Once they confirm the condition, they will finalize the offer and do all the paperwork for you! When the paperwork has been signed, they will hand you a check for the full amount of the car and automatically schedule a transportation truck to pick up the car within 48 hours. If you have just purchased your lease and want to sell it, dont wait and contact My Car Auction right away to save thousands of dollars on your car! To learn more about the best way to sell your car online, visit their official website at https://mycarauction.com to understand more about how to sell a car in California. ### The Chicago Lighthouse is a wonderful organization that provides education, employment, and specialized services. Were thrilled to partner with Ashlaur and Brinshore to build the organizations first residential development that will provide safe, affordable and accessible housing. McShane Ashlaur Joint Venture (comprised of McShane Construction Company and Ashlaur Construction) broke ground on The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse in Chicago, Illinois, for clients Brinshore Development and The Chicago Lighthouse. The new multi-family development will incorporate 76 affordable units for residents who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and veterans. The development will be the first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) building in the nation for the blind community. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 25 to mark the start of the project. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Congressman Danny Davis, and Alderman Walter Burnett, whose support was instrumental in gaining traction for the project, were in attendance. The Chicago Lighthouse is a wonderful organization that provides education, employment and specialized services, commented David Rintz, Regional Vice President Multi-Family at McShane. Were thrilled to partner with Ashlaur and Brinshore to build the organizations first residential development that will provide safe, affordable and accessible housing for residents who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, or veterans. Positioned adjacent to The Chicago Lighthouses current center in Chicagos 27th Ward in the Illinois Medical District, the nine-story structure will feature podium construction with three levels of parking, first-floor retail space, and six levels of units. The exterior will integrate an attractive mix of perforated metal panels, brick veneer, and fiber cement siding. At roof level, there will be back-lit translucent panels symbolizing a lighthouse. Units will be offered in studio, one-, and two-bedroom floorplans and will provide accessible, independent living for qualifying low-income households. Features will include Energy Star appliances, cultured marble vanities, WaterSense plumbing fixtures, and luxury vinyl plank, carpet, and tile flooring. Tenant amenities will include a fitness center, community room, and fourth-floor rooftop terrace. Outside, residents will be able to enjoy a courtyard with a dog run and a playground. To make the residence fully accessible for its tenants, the common areas will offer contrasting colors, lit braille unit signage, handrails on both sides of the corridors, and braille wallpaper. The development was designed with sustainability in mind to achieve Enterprise Green Communities certification. Completion of the project is expected for May 2024. LBBA is the architect. About McShane Construction Company McShane Construction Company was established in 1984 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois with regional offices in Auburn, AL, Irvine, CA, Madison, WI, Nashville, TN and Phoenix, AZ. The firm offers integrated design-build and build-to-suit construction services for the multi-family, industrial, commercial, health & fitness and institutional markets. For more information, visit the firms website at http://www.mcshaneconstruction.com. About Ashlaur Construction Ashlaur Construction has been Chicagos premier African-American owned MBE/DBE construction company for over 20 years. Since 2000, Ashlaur has performed as a subcontractor in the carpentry, flooring, and painting trades as well as a General Contractor on thousands of projects in the Chicagoland area. Ashlaur Construction has excelled in the Chicagoland marketplace including several projects within the Affordable Housing, Senior Housing, Public Facility, Mixed-Use Commercial, Multi-Family, and Tenant Improvement markets. More information can be found by visiting the firms website at http://www.ashlaurconstruction.com. The impact of music on the soul is something we intuitively grasp, but its impact on mental wellness is something we are still learning. Myndstream is leading that conversation on a global scale The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the most prestigious conference on the $4.4 trillion business of wellness, today announced a partnership with music-for-wellbeing leader Myndstream, a label that is home to award-winning artists with billions of streams. They will bring stunning performances and cutting-edge musical experiments to delegates each day of the conference being held in Tel Aviv, Israel from October 31 to November 3. An experiential keynote from Myndstreams Freddie Moross on the powerful impact of music on wellness will include a guest appearance by Derek Paravicini, an artist with autism whose dazzling piano improvisations have wowed audiences around the world. His YouTube videos have gathered millions of plays and his TED Talk has generated more than 1.6 million views. Adam Ockelford, professor of music at Londons University of Roehampton, and Paravacinis teacher and mentor since he was five years old, will speak about musics impact on autism. Each day, Myndstream will present creative experiences with music designed for wellbeing. Palm Reading, the talented musical duo of Charlie Laubacher and Skooby Laposky, creates ambient compositions generated directly from plant life and natural environmentscapturing plant biodata at an exact moment in time (whether their photosynthesis or water uptake cycles) to then give them a musical voice. These artists will unveil a musical and video performance aligned with the conferences 2022 theme of Open Hearts, Open Minds. Open for Business. They will blend the music of plants from both the Israeli and Palestinian territories to illustrate nature and music as healers that transcend political and cultural divides. The GWS named music for wellness a top global trend in 2020, and the experiments, platforms, apps and evidence have since spawned. Myndstream will bring their amazing talent, together with new ideas, techniques and technologies in music-for-wellbeing, to GWS attendees. When Freddie gave his closing keynote at the 2021 Summit in Boston, which included a performance from an extraordinary group of musicians, the audience erupted in a standing ovation, and I knew we had just ushered in a new era for the Summit, said Nancy Davis, GWS chief creative officer and executive director. The impact of music on the soul is something we intuitively grasp, but its impact on mental wellness is something we are still learning. Myndstream is leading that conversation on a global scale, and were thrilled to align with them to bring music fully into the Summit and the wellness world. Im particularly struck by their commitment to using music to positively impact neurodiverse individuals and their families. Its a privilege and an honor for Myndstream to be the music partner to the Global Wellness Summit, said Moross. We are strong believers in the need for high quality, accessible interventions to support peoples wellbeing on a global scaleand now more than ever this requires robust validation. Therefore, we couldnt be prouder to be associated with GWS, which is a catalyst for innovation and deep understanding in this incredible industry. Were very excited to be able to contribute some wonderful music experiences. Hopefully we will be able to showcase in a visceral way the power that music can have within wellness, and spark some interesting conversations on how the audio sense could be used to unlock value around the industry as a whole. More about Myndstream and Freddie Moross: Myndstream creates music designed for health and wellbeing. Aiming to become the most validated and impactful music business in the world, Myndstream sits at the intersection between art and science. It draws on its incredible roster of critically acclaimed wellbeing musicians, and its extensive expert advisory network, to create the highest quality music-led wellbeing programs. Myndstream is aiming to elevate the audio quality in particular therapeutic environments, and has built an affordable and accessible streaming platform just for spas. Myndstream aims to leverage the knowledge of its parent company, Cutting Edge Group, the leading international full-service provider of music for the film, television and advertising industries, to create effective and impactful soundtracks for spas around the world. Keynote speaker Freddie Moross is responsible for developing Myndstream and other wellbeing-focused business propositions within Cutting Edge Group, such as Aybe, a community-centered platform that supports the wellbeing of neurodiverse (ND) families with evidence-based tools and knowledge. More about Paravicini and Professor Ockelford: Paravicini is one of the most powerful music entertainers of his generation, yet he is blind, autistic and has severe learning difficulties. He began playing piano at age two and by age nine had performed a solo concert at the Barbican Centre in London. Dubbed The Human iPod, he has a staggering musical memory, with a repertoire of tens of thousands of pieces, all learnt quickly simply by listening to them. But he is also a deeply creative musician, famed for his unique improvisations: You will never hear him play the same piece twice. Hes been the subject of two high-profile TV series (Stan Lees Superhumans and Channel 5 UKs Extraordinary People) and is the subject of Professor Ockelfords book, In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicinicurrently being developed into a screenplay by David Seidler, who won an Oscar and Bafta for The King's Speech. Keynote speaker Adam Ockelford has authored over 20 books and his research focuses on how the human brain makes sense of music, particularly in people with exceptional musical abilities and needs. Registration for the 2022 Summit is open. About the Global Wellness Summit The Global Wellness Summit is the premier organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. Its future-focused conference is held at a different global location each year and has traveled to the United States, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. GWS also hosts other virtual and in-person gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights, Investor Reverse Pitch events and Global Wellness Symposiums. The organizations annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness. The 2022 Summit will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from October 31 to November 3. Nabr Network Releasing new features every quarter is another demonstration of our commitment to provide best-in-class software for community associations and community management companies. Nabr Network, the leading communication management system for community associations and community management companies, announced the release of several new features to its web and mobile platform. This marks the first announcement in Nabr Networks new quarterly release cycle. This release will include enhancements that drive efficiencies in business optimization and boost community engagement. Key updates include: Renter account management can be automated with a new Renter Account Expiration Date feature. A new Account Impersonation feature allows website administrators to see exactly what residents see in Nabr Network. Enhancements to the Photo Gallery feature encourage greater engagement with new comment and positive reaction options and custom Photo Gallery covers. New flexibility to the Community Feed offers custom interactive or administrator-only posting for individual Community Feed Channels. Nabr Network provides community management companies the technology their business needs to thrive in todays community association management industry, said Nabr Network. Releasing new features every quarter is another demonstration of our commitment to provide best-in-class software for community associations and community management companies. About Nabr Network Nabr Network is the leading comprehensive communication management system built for community association management companies, HOAs, COAs, and other neighborhood associations. Communities and community management companies across the country use Nabr Networks web and mobile platform to keep homeowners informed and empowered, while helping community managers work more efficiently. Additional information is available at https://nabrnetwork.com. Richard Ingersoll and Tuan Nguyen In this months episode of NEPC Talks Education, NEPC Researcher and University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldana interviews Richard Ingersoll and Tuan Nguyen about teacher shortages. Ingersoll is a professor of Education and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. His research examines K-12 teaching as a job, teachers as employees, and schools as workplaces. Nguyen, an assistant professor in the College of Education at Kansas State University, studies teacher leadership and school improvement, and teacher policy and the teacher labor market. Professor Ingersoll outlines the nature of teacher shortages, the success of federal and state policies implemented to address these shortages, and the role the pandemic may have played in exacerbating them. He explains that the conventional wisdom about teacher shortages is that there is an insufficient supply of incoming teachers to replace the number of teachers retiring. He notes, however, that the challenge of adequately staffing schools with high-quality teachers is also caused by too many teachers leaving the profession early in their careers, which means that policies should focus on retaining as well as recruiting teachers. Professor Nguyen describes his work with Chanh Lam and Dr. Paul Bruno to determine the magnitude of the current shortages by examining media references, policy documents, and other publicly available reports to estimate state-level teacher shortages. He explains that this approach is necessary due to the absence of a publicly available national data set on teacher vacancies. Nguyen and his colleagues found evidence of roughly 36,000 vacant positions and 163,000 positions filled by underqualified teachers, with large variation in the number of teacher vacancies and underqualified teachers reported across states for which estimates were possible. Ingersoll and Nguyen each offer recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders to consider in addressing teacher shortages. Ingersolls research has shown that teacher turnover and retention are closely tied to the working conditions in schools. Especially important is the amount of voice teachers have into key decisions in their schools. He recommends policymakers and district leaders incorporate teachers input into the decision-making process to improve retention. Moreover, teachers have valuable insights to offer, and policy changes would be better informed if they considered the experiences of educators. Nguyen proposes the creation of a national teacher vacancy database. He argues this would go a long way in helping researchers diagnose where teacher shortages are worst and avoid crafting blanket policy solutions that fail to allocate most resources to districts with the greatest needs. Both scholars also emphasize the role of respect and compensation in determining prospective teachers decisions to enter the profession and in-service teachers decisions to remain. A new NEPC Talks Education podcast episode, hosted by Christopher Saldana, will be released each month from September through May. Dont worry if you miss a month. All episodes are archived on the NEPC website and can be found here. NEPC podcast episodes are also available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, under the title NEPC Talks Education. Subscribe and follow! Travel Insights On Paris Travel: a comprehensive resource for first time or returning travelers to Paris. Travel Insights On Paris Travel is the creation of published author Normand Langevin, who received his Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Rhode Island College in 1968 and his Master of Arts degree, also in French, from the University of Rhode Island in 1970 where he was a graduate teaching assistant. He began his teaching career at South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island in 1969, where he taught French while finishing his masters. Langevin was then accepted and studied at Boston College in the PhD program in Romance languages. Before beginning his teaching at Foxborough High School, he did postgraduate studies in Paris under the auspices of Assumption College. The following year, Langevin began teaching for the Foxborough public schools, where he taught for thirty-four years. Over the years, he taught French, Latin, Spanish, and American sign language. Langevin shares, Preparing for your Paris adventure is serious; it can be a challenge and fun. Whether youre a solo traveler, going with friends or family, or even accompanying a group of students, these Parisian insights will be useful. The cost of your flight, your group size, and passport and related issues will be looked at in an attempt to prepare for your Paris adventure. As an American in Paris, you will be given insights on selecting a hotel, shopping, money issues, Parisian culture, and mores. You will also be advised of possible pitfalls to avoid. In addition, these insights are often interactive. The Useful Vocabulary and Discovery sections entice you to participate more fully in the adventureall to make your trip more meaningful than it would otherwise be. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Normand Langevins new book offers a significant number of helpful resources that will increase the enjoyment and ease of traveling in Paris. Consumers can purchase Travel Insights On Paris Travel at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Travel Insights On Paris Travel, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Waterproofing concrete with PENETRON ADMIX increases the durability and service life of concrete and effectively minimizes the future waterproofing related maintenance costs. Completed in July 2022, the construction and commissioning of the new weir, which draws water from the Tenn-Tom Waterway, will help the Northeast Mississippi Regional Water Supply District meet water quality regulations and increase output. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was specified to ensure impermeability and enhanced durability for the new concrete structures. Based in Fulton, Mississippi, a small town of just over 4,000 inhabitants in northeast Mississippi, the Northeast Mississippi Regional Water Supply District was created in 1988 to supply water to the municipality of Tupelo, MS. Over the years, it grew to also supply the communities of Fulton and Mantachie, plus industrial areas that include the large Toyota automobile assembly plant at the Wellspring industrial site near Blue Springs (MS). Today, the Northeast Mississippi Regional Water Supply District is the largest supplier of treated surface water in the region. The district draws its water from the Tombigbee River basin, which drains northeastern Mississippi and parts of western Alabama, a total area of over 13,700 square miles. A major feature in the basin is the Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway, which joins the Tennessee River and parts of the original Tombigbee River through dams and man-made canals, to serve as a navigation route between the Gulf of Mexico and the central United States. The recently completed $1.2 million expansion and upgrade project will ensure the District can maintain water quality standards to comply with the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, and expand output. Construction work included modifications to the water treatment plant, and a new weir, or water intake structure, that draws water directly from the Tenn-Tom Waterway in Fulton, Mississippi, within the Upper Tombigbee Watershed, an area of 594 square miles. The project included the construction of a new weir for the water treatment plant facility, as well as extensive repair and renovation work on the existing weir structures, adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. The structural engineers at Cook Coggin Engineers, a civil engineering company based in Tupelo (MS), asked B&B Concrete, the ready-mix concrete supplier, for an optimal waterproofing solution for the concrete walls of the new weir. After reviewing the cost benefits, and the on-site technical support available from Penetron, PENETRON ADMIX SB was specified to treat all concrete. A competitive product was originally specified for this project, but PENETRON ADMIX SB was ultimately specified based on our packaging, pricing, and successful collaboration with B&B Concrete on similar projects, adds Christopher Chen. When exposed to moisture, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX react to form insoluble crystals, which fill in microcracks, pores, and voids in the concrete becoming an integral part of the concrete matrix. The formation of the crystals throughout the concrete matrix prevents water, and any other liquids, to pass through the concrete even under conditions of constantly high hydrostatic pressure that would otherwise cause corrosion and resulting deterioration. Waterproofing concrete with PENETRON ADMIX increases the durability and service life of concrete and effectively minimizes the future waterproofing related maintenance costs, concludes Christopher Chen. The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs, and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives, and distribution channels. For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com, or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700. Temecula Valley is well-known for its beautiful vineyards and wineries, but were also making our mark as a booming craft brewery destination sure to please the most discerning zythophile, said Curt Kucera, event committee member and founder of Refuge Brewery. Visit Temecula Valley will host its second annual CraftHop event the weekend of Nov. 11-13, where guests can rub elbows with esteemed local brew masters and enjoy an innovative assortment of craft beers, mead, and spirits. Designed as a self-guided tour with no tickets required and a map available to download, CraftHop participants will receive a highly collectible, limited-edition logo glass at each stop. Long established as a premiere destination for wine lovers, Temecula Valley is also becoming a popular stop for craft beer lovers and currently boasts nearly 20 breweries, meaderies and distilleries. With more than 3 million visitors expected to the area this year, the Temecula Valley is poised for growth as a Southern California hub for beer aficionados. Participating CraftHop taprooms will offer guests a signature drink and, of course, a chance to taste a wide variety of brews including hazy IPAs, pale ales, malty stouts, and barrel-aged strong ales, just to name a few. Some will also offer complimentary food items. CraftHop visitors are encouraged to book an overnight stay for a safe and leisurely tasting experience and for extra time to enjoy Old Town Temecula, farm-to-table dining, and the Valleys many outdoor recreational activities. For up-to-date activities, events, and lodging options, visit http://www.visittemeculavalley.com. Temecula Valley is well-known for its beautiful vineyards and wineries, but were also making our mark as a booming craft brewery destination sure to please the most discerning zythophile, said Curt Kucera, event committee member and founder of Refuge Brewery. CraftHop gives visitors a wonderful and delicious opportunity to learn more about the creative process and to taste and celebrate each makers artistry. More information, including a CraftHop 2022 flyer and self-guided tour map, is available here here. Participants include the following: 36522 The Distillery at Oak Mountain (in Temecula Wine Country) 8 bit Brewing Company in Murrieta Aftershock Brewing Company in Temecula Batch Mead in Temecula Craft Brewing Company in Temecula Galway Spirits Distillery in Temecula Garage Brewing in Murrieta Inland Wharf Brewing Company in Murrieta Ironfire Brewing Company in Temecula Oscars Brewing Company in Temecula Refuge Brewery in Temecula Relentless Brewing Company in Temecula Stone Church Brewing in Temecula Temecula Brewing Company in Temecula Wild Barrel Brewing in Temecula About Visit Temecula Valley Visit Temecula Valley is the regions official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors. The Visitor Center is located in Old Town Temecula. For visitor information and assistance, please call (888) 363-2852 or go to http://www.visittemeculavalley.com. Andy Davis and Ethan Clare These additions to the TBGA team will drive our continued growth into advanced manufacturing supporting public and private customers through strategy, workforce development, and qualification. The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) is positioning for growth in advanced manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and regional economic impact with the addition of two defense and advanced manufacturing industry veterans to its programs team. Andy Davis takes on the new role of Director of Government Programs leading strategy and execution as TBGA supports government customers with increased resilience of the defense industrial base. Andy was most recently the Deputy Program Director and Chief Technology Officer for the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program (IBAS) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his IBAS assignment, he served as the Global Technology Advisor for the US Army covering all of Europe and parts of Africa. Among the many achievements in his distinguished career, Andy oversaw the Army ManTech program, served as the Army principal to and chairman of the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel, and was a founding member of the Armys Additive Manufacturing Community of Practice. Ethan Clare joins the team as a Project Manager focused on efficient execution of government programs, advanced manufacturing and supply chain optimization. Ethan held a distinguished role at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works where he drove advanced manufacturing technologies into production programs; his proposal leadership resulted in the capture and execution of over $1B in new business for Lockheed Martins Aeronautics business unit. Ethan has been involved in Additive Manufacturing for several years and comes to TBGA most recently from nTopology. Laura Ely, TBGA Director of Programs, provided her perspective, "TBGAs top priority is being a trusted partner; we achieve this through customer focus, strategic and technical insights, and effective program delivery. I am ecstatic to onboard Andy and Ethan who are exceptional in their character and capabilities. TBGA Founder and Managing Director, John E. Barnes, continues, these additions to the TBGA team will drive our continued growth into advanced manufacturing supporting public and private customers through strategy, workforce development, and qualification. Were proud that these efforts support economic growth by restoring our national manufacturing capability and improving domestic supply chain resilience. The Barnes Global Advisors is the largest independent Additive Manufacturing engineering consultancy. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, TBGA has a presence on six continents and across the United States. TBGA helps companies work through their AM adoption via strategy, design, leadership, training, metallurgy, economics and media and is comprised of seasoned specialists with well over 150 years of combined experience in AM. OXs enterprise B2B expertise, unrelenting focus on customer experience and performance measures, will be useful to Znode customers pursuing digital transformation, says Rupesh Agrawal, CEO of Znode. Znode, the enterprise B2B platform, has formalized a partnership with The Office of Experience (OX), a digital consultancy headquartered in Chicago, IL. Znode is an API-first ecommerce platform designed for manufacturers and distributors that are growing multiple digital sales channels. OX leadership has deep expertise in improving online buying experiences for enterprise B2B use cases across multiple industry segments. Znode is a platform to watch in the B2B ecommerce space. They have done a phenomenal job listening to customers and building a platform with native features for large enterprises that can support different business models across multiple regions, says Carlos Manalo, Founder of OX. Partnering with Znode will allow OX to offer more comprehensive ecommerce solutions to clients. Bryan Jones, CTO of OX, says, Znode is capable of a high degree of flexibility and composability through its API-first architecture. The platform has significant native B2B capabilities, and those features can be easily extended. OXs enterprise B2B expertise, unrelenting focus on customer experience and performance measures, will be useful to Znode customers pursuing digital transformation, says Rupesh Agrawal, CEO of Znode. Customers of both companies have exciting opportunities to look forward to as a result of this partnership. Visit officeofexperience.com for more information about the digital consultancy. To learn more about the enterprise multi-channel ecommerce platform, visit znode.com. About The Office of Experience The Office of Experience (OX) helps companies excel at every point of contact with their customers. By integrating strategy, design, marketing, and technology, OX ensures that the digital experiences of its clients operate as one, uniting expectation and reality to create value. Together, OX makes thoughtful plans, designs critical moments, and brings them to market. In an era where the experience is the brand, OX is built to transform. About Znode Znode is a multi-channel, multi-store B2B ecommerce platform developed to provide manufacturers and distributors the ability to centralize management of all ecommerce channels. Znode offers a rich set of native features to easily manage content, site search, product information, and catalogs. Created for the unique needs of B2B ecommerce, Znodes native B2B functionality supports account-based pricing, account-based catalogs, and many more native B2B features. The headless platform is composable with over 1,200 API endpoints allowing for greater extensibility, easier integrations, and consistent updates. Znode is a product of Amla Commerce. The Strangest Spiritual Secret: Your merit will make you a living Gods mercy will make you a life!: an impactful approach to living in faith. The Strangest Spiritual Secret: Your merit will make you a living Gods mercy will make you a life! is the creation of published author Tommy Boland, the founding pastor of Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He previously served under Dr. D. James Kennedy at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Boland is the author of Now What? Next Steps in Your Walk with Christ, he has created a new lifestyle process for personal evangelism titled Disciples Making Disciples, and he has authored a number of Bible studies and discipleship resources. Boland shares, The product of more than twenty years of Bible study, The Strangest Spiritual Secret provides the key that unlocks the door leading to living life in view of Gods mercy rather than your merit. Living in view of your merit will make you a living, but living in view of Gods mercy will make you a life that is marked by significance, meaning, purpose, and real joy. Tommy Boland discovered from painful personal experience that the inconsistency and lack of progress in his own Christian walk was not due to a lack of doing, but rather a lack of viewing. I knew I had been saved by grace, he writes, but I also believed I would remain in a state of grace only through the spiritual sweat of my brow. I thought my walk with Christ was rooted in my merit, not Gods mercy. I was running on the performance treadmill with the goal of keeping Gods blessings and brokering His favor through my good works every step of the way, not His grace, and it was exhausting! Living in the power of Gods mercy is not actually a secret, for it is the sum and substance of all the scriptures. Yet the majority of people who look to Jesus as Lord and Savior have never been seized by its truth; it remains a mystery for far too many of us. Tommy Boland is writing to every Christian believer who desires to live a life that truly matters. This book will help you do exactly that. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Tommy Bolands new book will challenge and encourage believers whether they are just beginning their journey or firmly established in their faith. Boland draws from decades of study and personal reflection to share in hopes of aiding others on their path to fulfillment in God. Consumers can purchase The Strangest Spiritual Secret: Your merit will make you a living Gods mercy will make you a life! at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Strangest Spiritual Secret: Your merit will make you a living Gods mercy will make you a life!, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. We are excited to receive NIH funding for this high-impact technology that can help researchers develop new diagnostics and treatments across a wide range of conditions, said Calvin Goforth, CEO of VIC Foundry. VIC Foundry, in collaboration with the University of Buffalo, has been awarded a $259,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. STTR grants support research and development to de-risk new technologies that have significant commercial potential. The grant will help VIC Foundry develop a microwave microreactor for in-situ capture and digestion of target proteins, leveraging an extraordinary acceleration effect of a unique microwave resonator on the binding and pyrolytic reaction rates. The microreactor can be directly coupled to mass spectrometry for ultrafast (near real-time), unambiguous detection of protein biomarkers. We are excited to receive NIH funding for this high-impact technology that can help researchers develop new diagnostics and treatments across a wide range of conditions, said Calvin Goforth, CEO of VIC Foundry. Proteins are the most important and established class of biomarkers for clinical diagnosis, monitoring, and management. In diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of many life-threatening diseases/conditions such as myocardial infarction, every minute counts and unambiguous detection of relevant protein biomarkers is crucial. Unfortunately, the workflow of current approachmass spectrometryis bottlenecked by the sample preparation process. The microwave microreactor technology will address this significant limitation. The proposed technology and product will streamline the workflow of mass spectrometry analysis of proteins, free end users from the laborious and tedious multiple sample preparation steps, and allow near real-time and unambiguous detection of protein biomarkers, as well as therapeutics, drug targets, and more. About VIC Foundry VIC Foundry is one element of the VIC innovation ecosystem that includes VIC Tech, VIC Investor Network, and various associated programs such as the VIC Fellows. VIC Foundry develops technologies that have substantial potential impact and commercial promise but need additional development before private equity funding. VIC Foundry further develops promising technologies by accessing various grant funding opportunities. Upon successfully completing the given grant-funded project, a new company is formed, VIC places an initial executive team, and the VIC Investor Network makes a founding investment into the newly formed company. To learn more, visit vicfoundry.com Click here for old website While Achut Dengs journey to the U.S. began almost three decades earlier, the author of the forthcoming YA memoir Dont Look Back first shared her story with an American audience in May 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Do you want me to go from South Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya and to America? Deng asked New York Times immigration reporter Caitlin Dickerson, whod asked the then-35-year-old single mother of three how she had come to work at South Dakotas Smithfield meat processing plantthe site of one of the nations largest coronavirus outbreaks. Listeners of the Timess Daily podcast then heard Deng start at the very beginning: in 1990, during the second Sudanese Civil War, a terrorist attack on the then six-year-olds village separated her from her parents, forcing her and her grandmother down a dirt road, too afraid for their lives to take a last glance at all theyd left behind. Almost unspeakable violence, loss, and trauma would follow this seemingly endless night on the run, as Deng joined tens of thousands of other refugees crossing war-torn South Sudan on foot into Kenya. There, in camps where food and fresh water were scarce, the few people she knew succumbed to violence or illness. Later, she found passage to the U.S.one of few girls relocated along with four thousand so-called Lost Boyswhere her hopes for the future were all but destroyed by further threats. The Daily podcast had become, for Molly B. Ellis, executive director of publicity for Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group, a part of her pandemic routine. I put [Dengs episode] on in the background, but as soon as she started speaking, I stopped what I was doing and raptly listened, Ellis told PW. She heard Deng describe her job processing pork and her initial reaction to news about the Covid outbreak: [I thought] if its going to be like malaria, I can go through it, Deng said to Dickerson. Its just going to be like any other thing Ive been through. Then, describing how the virus took hold of her lungs, Deng said that as she struggled for breath, fearing death, she deeply regretted withholding from her sons the truth about her past: [I thought] I havent even had a chance to tell them that they dont know their mom. When the episode ended, Ellis immediately shared it with Joy Peskin, executive editorial director for FSGs Books for Young Readers. I have never, in this regard, pitched a book, Ellis said. Joy was someone that I would trust to handle a really harrowing and sensitive topic with the thoroughness and sensitivity it deserved. Equally captivated by Dengs story and her desire to share it, Peskin reached out to Dickerson, who connected them; she began a conversation with Deng about a possible memoir suitable for her sons and other young adults. As an editor, all I ever want to do is help someone tell a story to one personin this case, it was three people, Peskin said. And then, if that can affect the larger community as well, even better. Peskins top priority, she said, was to give Deng the experience that she deserves to tell her story. She presented several potential processes and collaborators, and Deng ultimately chose to work with Keely Hutton, author of Soldier Boy. Pandemic restrictions, Dengs long hours at Smithfield, and the demands of parenting led to an entirely remote collaborationoften at odd hours. When the subject matter became too difficult, the co-authors took a break. It was a lot of chocolate-chip cookies, Deng said with a laugh, but it worked. In one of the books most harrowing scenes, six-year-old Deng hides inside her grandmothers traditional, hand-embroidered wrap under a hail of gunfire from rebel soldiers. There among other frozen, terrified women and children, Deng waited for hours, first for silence and then for daybreak, not understanding that her grandmother and most of the others had been killed in the attackand that she was all alone. Recounting this experience in vivid detail, while difficult, felt essential, both for Deng and for the publishing team who supported her through the process. Deng remembered reading over the scene in the middle of the night and feeling as though she were back in the boarded-up hut. I went back to that moment, Deng remembers. I didnt know that I was in my house anymore. She said she called Hutton at 2 a.m.: Her phone was always on, and so she was able to pick it up and guide me through it. A wrenching, wrenching, wrenching scene is how Peskin describes that passage. That hasnt happened to [many of us], but I think we can connectwe can imagine what that feels like, she said. If anything, in this political climate, I hope the book helps us to feel empathy. Emphasizing the need for books that do hard things, Ellis said that Deng will appear both in-person and virtually in the weeks following Dont Look Backs October 11 launch. She added that she envisions a long-tail game that includes collaboration with librarians and educators, to create a lasting foundation. Deng has shared the finished book with her sons, who are now 15, 14, and 8. As they continue to discuss its contents, she said theyve expressed a new understanding of certain behaviors, such as their mothers emphasis on cleaning their plates at home and at restaurants. My youngest said, Mom, now we understand that refugee girlthat little girl who was going to sleep starvingis still in you, Deng said, adding that his reassurance that when we say we are full, we are full, brought her to tears. Deng hopes that readers of her book can find a way to be open to lifeto feel their pain and then let it go. If you are going through a tough time in high school, you can say, well, if she managed to get out of that situation, I can too. Its the only way for me, she continued. If I kept looking back, I would be busy doing just that. My future would just fade away. Dont Look Back: A Memoir of War, Survival and My Journey by Achut Deng and Keely Hutton. FSG, $18.99 Oct. 11 ISBN 978-0-374-38972-7 BEIJING, Sept. 20 -- On September 19, Yuanwang-5, Chinas homegrown third-generation spacecraft tracking ship, returned to its home port of the China Satellite Maritime Tracking and Control Department(CSMTC) after completing its recent telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) missions. Yuanwang-5 had spent 69 days at sea, sailing more than 14,000 nautical miles, and completed two TT&C missions for the Wentian lab cabin module (LCM) and Yaogan-33 02 satellite. As an indispensable part of Chinas maritime TT&C network, Yuanwang-5 has been operating at sea for over 110 days in accumulation since early 2022. During its stay at the home port, Yuanwang-5 will receive material supply, as well as equipment maintenance and repair, so that it can set sail at any time to carry out follow-up tasks. Kicking off Banned Books Week, the Authors Guild hosted a Zoom webinar, When Your Book is Banned: The Authors Perspective featuring AG general counsel Cheryl Davis in conversation with three authors whose books have been subject to the challenges and bans in schools and libraries around the country that have escalated this past year: Sherman Alexie, whose 2009 YA novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was listed by the American Library Association as the Most Banned and Challenged Book from 2010 to 2019; Jonathan Evison, whose 2018 novel, Lawn Boy, has been subject to controversy since its release; and Ellen Hopkins, who pointed out that her 16 novels for middle grade and YA readers are routinely challenged, noting, its just my name getting my books banned. I dont think they have a clue whats inside. In introducing the panel, Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger noted that according to PEN Americas latest research, released yesterday, books addressing gender identity, sexuality, or race or they just have BIPOC characters have been challenged in 138 school districts which include 5,000 individual schools and involves four million students. These bans are incredibly undemocratic, she noted, It's a minority of people that are imposing their beliefs about what kids should read on their families. Teachers and librarians fear losing their jobs or being sent to jail for violating ill-defined rules of law. Authors fear not getting published, or being sold. And its the students who are losing out most of all by being restricted from what they can read. Evison noted that its ironic that Lawn Boy has been banned, as it tells the story of a boy with a special needs brother, an autodidact who grows up in a library and asks at one point, where are the books about me -- and thats exactly what a whole generation of readers are going to be asking themselves if these people have their way. Evison added that he doesnt really know why his book has been challenged and banned to the extent it has, as it has no graphic descriptions, although there are sexual references that are purposely presented in certain coarse language because of the context. What its critics object to, Evison speculated, is that its simply a story about marginalized people trying to have a voice. Responding to a question about what authors can do to get their books that are being challenged into the hands of teenagers, Hopkins suggested that depending on the community, authors under attack might want to attend board meetings to explain to communities why they are writing the books they are writing and why the books should remain in schools and libraries. A lot of these people have it in their minds that we are writing books to mess kids up. And were doing the exact opposite, were trying to help them, get the information they need to know not only who they are, but who their friends are, and where they want to go in life. You cant back down, you cant back away from those challenges. Hopkins also suggested developing a file of supportive correspondence from their readers, attesting to the value of whatever book is under attack, to more effectively demonstrate the point that their book adds value. Use your voices as authors to speak out against these kinds of efforts, Davis said, urging them to join library boards or even simply write to them in support of banned books. We have to use our numbers in a way that is actually effective, Evison added, These people are so good at insinuating themselves in these positions by being loud and bullying, but at the end of the day, it should be a numbers game. Alexie, who referenced his publisher, Little Brown, sending free books to students in Boise Idaho in 2014 after True Diary had been banned in their school, also suggested donating books to public libraries in communities where they have been removed from shelves in local schools. Of course, now theyre attacking libraries, he added. So its hard to say, depending where youre at, if the library can even accept those books or display them because of threats of legal action against them. Danger Building With Book Bans Hopkins explained that whereas challenges to books used to be, as she put it, A single parent coming in, now its a more organized effort, and these extremist organizations are intimidating teachers and librarians. They're not there to listen by the way: they're there to get their way, Hopkins said. They're not there to have a conversation or even develop some kind of understanding of what's in those books, why those books are important, and it's the kids who are in danger, [theyre] not getting what they need. There are kids who don't have access -- they can't buy books, so if they can't find the books they need in their schools that's a real danger, and those kids, when they come to me they are so thankful. It's not just they're thankful for the books, [they say] your book saved my life -- and that's not hyperbole. Hopkins noted that if challenges to books continue to escalate, so will soft censorship. Librarians will be even more selective and shy away from ordering controversial books, and teachers just arent going to have classroom libraries. It does speak to the power of the physical book, Alexie said, I always make the joke that these parents trying to ban books don't seem to be doing much about their kids phones. Any Internet search is far more terrifying than any book. But I think it says something to the permanence of a book that it scares them even more. If there is an upside to book bans, the three authors pointed out, its that books get a publicity boost from being challenged. Its the best p.r. imaginable, Alexie said, pointing out that sales of True Diary always spike when its challenged or banned somewhere, and Evison added that Lawn Boy being banned has helped his career. Its amazing publicity, Evison said, Ive had like five printings [of Lawn Boy] in the last four months. "Its actually been a boon Im embarrassed to admit it. Its hard to sell books. You tell them not to buy it, and human nature, theyre going to go ahead and buy it. But, Hopkins added, Its not how I want to sell books. If I sell books, its because I want readers want to read them on their own. Book bans throughout history have been, Alexie said, the first step in an authoritarian government, to the far left or the far right. This is not a minor issue. This is authoritarian thinking, these are people with authoritarian ambitions. Ive seen it on the right, but Ive also seen it on the left. And we have to stop it. LPR Supreme Court sentenced two OSCE ex-employees to 13 years jail term each for treason MOSCOW, September 20 (RAPSI) The Supreme Court of the Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR) has found two local residents and former employees of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) guilty of treason and sentenced each man to 13 years in custody. Dmitry Shabanov and Maxim Petrov have the right to appeal their sentences within 10 days, according to the Lugansk Informational Center. In the course of the hearings it was established that Shabanov was recruited by Ukrainian secret services to pass information on the movements of personnel, military equipment, armor and vehicles of the LPR Peoples Militia. Petrov, according to case materials, transferred secret information on the LPR Peoples Militia to his handler from the US Defense Intelligence Agency. LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik prohibited OSCE activities in the Republic since end-April. Mayor Steve Allender and Margie Rosario of the Black Hills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. MAYOR PROCLAIMS CONSTITUTION WEEK Daughters of American Revolution members joining Mayor Allender at Monday proclamation presentation RAPID CITY, SDMayor Steve Allender is proclaiming September 17-23 as Constitution Week in Rapid City. The mayor was joined by Margie Rosario of the Black Hills Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution at Mondays City Council meeting for presentation of the proclamation. Constitution Day is observed each year on September 17. With the Constitution Week proclamation, Mayor Allender is urging citizens of all ages especially young people - to reflect on the importance and ideals of the United States Constitution. In the proclamation, Mayor Allender recognizes the US Constitution has guided our growth, shaped our progress, and defined us as a nation of sacred laws and fundamental values and the document is the bedrock we build upon to make our nation more equal, more just, and more prosperous for all our people. With the proclamation, Mayor Allender is asking citizens to work hard at protecting the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution, remembering that lost rights may never be regained. Executive Proclamation Rapid City, South Dakota Office of the Mayor WHEREAS, September 17, 2022, marks the two hundred and thirty-fifth anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention; and WHEREAS, The Constitution has guided our growth, shaped our progress, and defined us as a Nation of sacred laws and fundamental values; and WHEREAS, The Constitution is the bedrock we build upon to make our Nation more equal, more just, and more prosperous for all our people; and WHEREAS, It is fitting and proper to accord official recognition to this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary; and to the patriotic celebrations which will commemorate the occasion; and WHEREAS, Public Law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September 17 through 23 as Constitution Week, NOW, THEREFORE, I, Steve Allender, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Rapid City, do hereby proclaim the week of September 17 through 23 as CONSTITUTION WEEK AND ask our citizens to reaffirm the ideals of the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the seal of the City of Rapid City this 19th day of September, 2022. __________________________________ Steve Allender, Mayor City of Rapid City, South Dakota The polling industry has faced criticism for underestimating Republicans through several cycles. Pollster Nate Cohn recently wrote that the 2022 polls could do it again. These continued misjudgments can undermine public faith in how the media covers elections. Worse still, they can affect the result of close races. Many 2020 Senate polls underestimated Republicans. In Maine, all polls taken during 2020 showed Republican Sen. Susan Collins losing. The last poll before the election had Collins down by six points; she won by 8.6 points. Similarly, the last poll for Montanas Senate race showed Republican Sen. Steve Daines losing by one point. Daines won by 10 points. South Carolina faced a similar problem, and Iowa, though not as dramatically, also dealt with inaccurate polling. Finally, polls in North Carolina showed Republican Thom Tillis losing. Tillis won. Bad polls can affect a race in various ways. One of the most important concerns campaign spending. In 2020, GOP donors spent millions in races propping up incumbents who they thought were in trouble. Conversely, donors may have abandoned candidates who they believed were too far behind. Many wrote off Collins. In Arizona, polls during the final week showed Republican incumbent Sen. Martha McSally down by as much as 10 points, but she lost by only about two. A Fox News poll from two months before the election had McSally down by 17 points. When that poll was released, much of the media counted McSally out. While its possible that the polls tightened, it seems more likely that she was never really down by 17 points. In Michigan, polls showed businessman and Republican Senate candidate John James down by an average of five points. James ultimately lost by less than two points. The results were so close that it took a few days to call the election. Moreover, polls earlier in the 2020 cycle affected media coverage. In Alaska, liberals crowdfunded for Public Policy Polling to conduct a poll of the states Senate race. The poll showed the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan at 39 percent, up only five points over Democrat Al Gross. This led to the viral campaign dont sleep on Gross and millions being spent on the race. Yet Gross lost by more than 12 points and underperformed President Biden in Alaska, which calls into question that early poll. Voter enthusiasm will differ in a race that is within a point or two versus one that has a five-point spread. New Mexico and Minnesotas Senate races ended up closer than those in South Carolina, Montana, and Maine, but polling outlets were far less active in New Mexico and Minnesota than in those other states. Had these two states received more polling, their races might have attracted more money and voter enthusiasm. And polling errors are not limited to Senate races. Polls in the last week of 2020 showed Donald Trump losing Wisconsin by as much as 11 points; Trump lost by less than a point. In 2021s New Jersey gubernatorial election, none of the nonpartisan polls gave the Republican candidate, Jack Ciattarelli, a chance at winning, yet the race was decided by just three points. As Cohn noted, the past might repeat itself. Yet several of the same outlets are making projections for November based on polls with less-than-stellar recent track records. These kinds of mistakes could affect the results this November and further diminish public trust in the organizations that conduct and publish these polls. Todd Carney is a lawyer and frequent contributor to RealClearPolitics. He earned his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. South Korean girl group Blackpink took to the stage on Jimmy Kimmel Live! ADVERTISEMENT The K-pop stars performed their song "Shut Down" during Monday's episode of the ABC late-night talk show. "Shut Down" appears on Blackpink's album Born Pink. The group released the album and a music video for "Shut Down" on Friday. Blackpink released a performance video for "Shut Down" on Sunday. The video shows the members perform the "Shut Down" choreography in a room with three doors. Born Pink also features the songs "Pink Venom," "Typa Girl," "Yeah Yeah Yeah," "Hard to Love," "The Happiest Girl," "Tally" and "Ready for Love." The album is Blackpink's second full-length album after The Album, released in October 2020. Blackpink will promote Born Pink with a new world tour, which begins Oct. 15 in Seoul, South Korea. The group added new North American shows to the tour last week. Blackpink consists of Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa. The group is signed to YG and made its debut in 2016. Olivia Wilde and the stars of Don't Worry Darling walked the red carpet Monday in New York. ADVERTISEMENT Wilde, who directed and produced the new psychological thriller film, attended a Q&A and screening of the movie at AMC Lincoln Square theater in New York. The actress and director was joined by cast members Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Sydney Chandler, Kate Berlant, Asif Ali and Douglas Smith. Florence Pugh and Chris Pine were not present at the event. Wilde wore a simple black dress with a cutout back, while Styles sported a blue velvet blazer with pinstriped trousers. Sources told Us Weekly that Wilde and Styles, who have been romantically linked since late 2020, sat on opposite sides of the stage during the Q&A. In the October issue of Vanity Fair, Wilde denied leaving her ex-husband, actor Jason Sudeikis , for Styles. "The complete [expletive] idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate," Wilde said. "Our relationship was over long before I met Harry. Like any relationship that ends, it doesn't end overnight." Don't Worry Darling is written by Katie Silberman. The film follows Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles), a young couple living in the seemingly perfect town of Victory, Calif., in the 1950s. Alice becomes suspicious of her husband's work on the mysterious "Victory Project." FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Don't Worry Darling had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival this month and will open in theaters Friday. The initial idea for the new "Quantum Leap" revival, premiering Monday on NBC, left reasonable hope for Scott Bakula to appear at some point as Dr. Sam Beckett. ADVERTISEMENT Now that Bakula has confirmed he declined to be involved, the new show seems to be making do as the best continuation original fans can hope to get. In the present day of 2022, Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) is part of the team that has relaunched the Quantum Leap project. Ben discovers a way he believes can allow him to return home -- a return trip Sam never made. Ben awakens in 1985 as a getaway driver in a bank heist. Ben has lost his memory, just like Sam did at the beginning of his show, so a hologram of his partner and present-day girlfriend Addison (Caitlin Bassett) guides him through his mission in the past. The basic format of "Quantum Leap" is evergreen. A time traveler arrives in a different era each week and fixes something that went wrong in the past. The bank heist is a fairly generic mission with which to begin the series, and looks noticeably like the Universal Studios backlot. Ben has to prevent his partner from getting caught and leaving his family in a lurch. Those are the sorts of personal good deeds Sam did in the original series. He only occasionally leapt into major events like the Vietnam War, or infamous historical figures like Lee Harvey Oswald. Sam was the heart of the original "Quantum Leap," though, demonstrating values of goodness, fairness and equal rights. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Although the concept would in theory allow any protagonist to be the time traveler, one hopes Ben will develop a similarly compassionate personality as the series continues. They have plenty of time to reintroduce Ben as he recovers his memory through the series. This time, "Quantum Leap" shows his relationship with Addison a bit before he steps into the Quantum Leap Accelerator. With the notion that Sam still is out there traveling through time, there was hope that Bakula could guest star in a very special episode in which Ben finds him. Bakula still could change his mind, but if he doesn't, then Sam will remain a name "Quantum Leap" can only drop from time to time. There are far more direct references to other characters from the original "Quantum Leap." Ernie Hudson plays Herbert "Magic" Williams, a character from a single episode of the original series. Characters also refer to the late Dean Stockwell's character, Al. This suggests "Quantum Leap" can continue Al's story via his descendants, giving the revival significant continuity. That ensures that "Quantum Leap" is at least trying to be a sequel rather than a remake. Whatever Bakula's reasons for declining, "Quantum Leap" is making more effort than they had to to continue the original story. As a series pilot, "Quantum Leap" actually spends too much time in the present. The 1985 plot feels rushed and slight as a result. Presumably, a major difference between this "Quantum Leap" and the original is that this one will tell parallel stories in the past and present. They've introduced three series regulars who cannot interact with the past -- Hudson, Mason Alexander Park and Nanrissa Lee -- so they'll have to have something to do in every episode. The series premiere has a lot of work to do, so there's every reason to have faith "Quantum Leap" will settle into more of a balance. Ben's leaps should remain the focus, but showing more direct reflections on the present is a worthwhile twist. The best reason to do "Quantum Leap" again is that enough time has passed that telling stories set in the '90s and '00s will be period pieces now. 1985 could have still happened within the original series, but awaiting what the show has in store for other eras has potential. Making Ben's hologram not only a woman, but his romantic partner, suggests new dramatic complications, too. In the original series, Al was the comic relief, and he was an endearingly sleazy counterpart to Sam's noble character. It wasn't an issue in his first leap, but if Ben ever leaps into someone with a romantic partner, that's going to cause some issues with Addison. Just having a female perspective on any situation Ben may find himself in will lead, hopefully, to exciting new dynamics. So, "Quantum Leap" is back, sort of. It's not Sam Beckett, and probably never will be at this point, but it is a modern update attempting to build off of Sam's story, which is better than a total remake. "Quantum Leap" airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EDT/PDT on NBC. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001 and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Read more of his work in Entertainment. "Quantum Leap" star Raymond Lee says variety is the best thing about playing a time-traveling physicist -- who inhabits other people's bodies in different decades and places -- on NBC's new sequel series. ADVERTISEMENT "I'm checking off a bucket list with every episode," Lee told reporters in a recent virtual press conference. "It's an actor's dream to not only be in different periods with different projects, but to do it all in one. It's the roles of a lifetime. I'm having so much fun." The original sci-fi show ran for five seasons 1989 to 1993, with Scott Bakula playing Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist whose experiments allow him to help people solve problems and correct mistakes. Dean Stockwell, who died in 2021 at age 85, played Sam's sidekick Al, who appeared to him as a hologram only he can see and hear. Al brought with him valuable information Sam needed to complete his tasks. The show ended with Sam stuck in the past and unable to get home. Premiering Monday, the new version casts Lee as Dr. Ben Song, the scientist who revives Sam's work, with the help of Ben's fiancee, Addison, played by Caitlin Bassett, who also appears to Sam as a hologram when he leaps in time. Ernie Hudson, Jenn Chou and Ian Wright co-star. "There will never be another Dr. Sam Beckett. But what we've created is a brandnew show with brandnew characters, and we're really excited to bring this show to you," Lee said. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! "What connects Ben Song and Sam Beckett are the main tenets of their belief in doing good and what it means to be empathetic." Lee recalled being in the sixth grade when his best friend was obsessed with the original "Quantum Leap," which was playing in reruns in syndication at the time. "It was the first real show I remember watching, and also my first introduction to scifi. And, so, I have very fond memories of just playing and then going home and watching it with him," Lee said. Deborah Pratt, one of the creators of the franchise, is an executive producer on the sequel and frequently on set to remind the cast and creative team about what makes Quantum Leap special. "She really says that the four tenets of 'Quantum Leap' are hope, heart, humor and history, and Ben really inhabits the first three of those," said Pratt's fellow executive producer, Martin Gero. "He's an incredibly hopeful character. He has a tremendous heart," Gero added. "The show is about empathy at its core, and he has a ton of that to give. And most importantly, because we want to make a really entertaining and fun show, is the humor. The humor was a big part of the original Quantum Leap. It's a really important part of this one." Bassett comes to the project as a real-life military veteran who served in Afghanistan. "Still shocked I'm not fired," she joked about her new career. "No, I'm having a great time. It was a dream [of mine] since I was a kid. And I think a lot of people join the military for a lot of different reasons, right? "But most of it's because that's kind of one of their best options. And I was in and it was an amazing experience, a growing experience. And, you know, you always dream, right?" After Bassett left the U.S. Army Intelligence and the National Security Agency, she went to law school. "I've made some smart choices," she said. "I was going to go to law school and I got my degree and I was going to go be a real adult. And then I got to New York, and I just was like, 'You know what? I've done hard things before. Let's give it a go.' And, I mean, by the grace of God, Martin and Bryan [Wynbrandt] and Steven [Lilien] found me." Bassett said she thinks viewers will be able to connect to the characters and feel good about the stories in the series. "It's a show that goes into people's homes, into people's families. It's about hope and it's a dream come true. I can't pretend like it's anything else," she said. Gero described Bassett as one of the show's "secret weapons." "She's literally never been seen before," he said. "The performances she gives in these episodes are so powerful, so incredible, and [she] doesn't feel like a novice in any way. It's a really extraordinary story that we're very happy to be a part of." Bassett said it is fascinating to play a character who is a hologram because she has the unique position of feeling emotionally invested in what is happening with Ben, while also being aware of what is going back at Quantum Leap headquarters. "But I can't physically affect anything, so there's an element of, like, me with my popcorn. And it's so much fun. You get to see something every week," she said. Gero also confirmed that Hudson's character Magic Williams, who runs the Quantum Leap program, is the same character who appeared briefly in the earlier incarnation of the series. "We were all looking for as much connective tissue with the old show without it being impossible to overcome for new viewers," Gero said. "We don't want to give too much away, but one of my favorite scenes in the whole show so far is between Mason [Wright] and Ernie where we find out Magic's kind of backstory. I think it's really powerful and beautiful and, again, it's just a fresh perspective on the old show in a way that I think only our show can do." Hudson said he remembered the character (played by Christopher Kirby) from when he watched the original series with his children. "I was fascinated by that character," Hudson said. "So, to step into those shoes and answer a lot of questions of what's happened to him and all that stuff, it's very exciting," Hudson added. "People say, 'You couldn't have been in Vietnam.' I went into the military in 1964. It's kind of, I guess, a compliment. But, yeah, it's great to be Magic." Spider-Man: Homecoming actress Laura Harrier is engaged to be married. ADVERTISEMENT The 32-year-old actress confirmed her engagement to French fashion consultant Sam Jarou in the new issue of Cosmopolitan. Harrier and Jarou, who has worked with Noon Goons and other brands, recently got engaged in Paris. "We did get engaged recently, which I'm very excited about," the actress said. "It was really simple and sweet in Paris," she added. "I never wanted one of those big showy public engagements. That's just not my personality." Harrier and Jarou first met in Los Angeles in 2019 and have kept their relationship largely private. Harrier said she knew she was ready for marriage after finding peace and security in her relationship and in herself. "The cliche of when you know, you know. I never really believed it until that happened to me. It's a funny feeling when you just find peace and calm," the actress said. "I also really do believe that you need to be ready within yourself before you can find somebody else to be with, which I also always thought was a cliche until I felt secure within myself and the person I am and where I'm at in life," she added. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Harrier played Liz Allan, Peter Parker's classmate and love interest, in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). She has since had roles in BlacKkKlansman and the Netflix series Hollywood. The actress will star with rapper Jack Harlow in an upcoming remake of White Men Can't Jump. "This was his first time acting," she said of Harlow. "He's very charismatic and I knew he'd be able to play the part, but he really impressed me. Our chemistry is great together. It felt natural and easy with him. And I think it's going to be a cute movie." The new White Men Can't Jump is written by Kenya Barris and Doug Hall and directed by Charles Kidd II, aka Calmatic. FILE - Robert Dear talks to Judge Gilbert Martinez during a court appearance in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Dec. 9, 2015. A federal judge ruled Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, that Dear, a mentally ill man charged with killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015 because it offered abortion services, can be forcibly medicated to try to make him competent to stand trial. The prosecution of Dear has stalled because he has been repeatedly found mentally incompetent since his arrest and has refused to take anti-psychotic medication for delusional disorder. Music and laughter echoed across the field behind The Southern Brewing Company on Friday and Saturday as hundreds gathered for the second annual September Days Festival. The festival kicked off on Sept. 16, with an opening performance by the alternative rock band The Getaway Company. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable. They were spotted at a naval base in the South China sea, Naval News says. China's HSU001 underwater drones are seen during a military parade in Beijing on Oct 1, 2019, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Besides aerial unmanned vehicles (UAVs), or drones, China has also been developing submersibles, both manned and unmanned, which are easily applicable for military use. A new report in Naval News, a publication focused on global naval developments, said the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had been building extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) under a key program that was until now unreported. Citing satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies, the report said two XLUUVs were spotted recently at a PLAN base in Sanya, Hainan island. Sanya is one of the most important naval bases of the Chinese Navy, responsible for deployments and activities in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing claims historical rights to most of the South China Sea despite protests from other countries in the region and has been developing artificial islands to back up its claims. The two submersibles have been at the Sanya base since March or April last year, the report said, adding that they may be awaiting trial. This may be the first indication of a much larger program, it said. XLUUVs, also called drone submarines, have already been developed by the navies of both the U.S. and the U.K., and China seems to be pursuing its own program. Drone submarine China already has the largest navy in the world by number with approximately 355 ships and submarines, according to the Pentagon. Yet the PLAN has only 12 nuclear-powered submarines compared to the U.S.s 72. Having drone submarines would measurably expand PLANs capabilities in performing ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) missions, Naval News said. The bigger the drones are, the longer the range over which they can operate. XLUUVs could also be utilized in minelaying, transportation, and even hunting enemy surface ships or submarines. In Oct. 2019 China publicly revealed for the first time a number of its unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) HSU001- at a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Military experts at that time said that the UUVs would be tasked with collecting intelligence and reconnaissance, mostly underwater. Lyle Goldstein, a Research Professor in the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) at the U.S. Naval War College, wrote in a blog that the mission areas of the submersibles would be seabed warfare, support for special operations such as in a Taiwan invasion scenario, and protection of Chinese remote bases in the South China Sea. China intends to circumvent the weakness in submarine warfare by cultivating undersea AI (artificial intelligence) and by developing highly capable UUVs, wrote Goldstein. The newly discovered XLUUVs in Sanya are said to be much larger than the HSU001s and similar to the Boeing-manufactured Orca XLUUV in size. The U.S. Navy in 2019 awarded Boeing contracts worth a total of U.S. $43 million to produce four Orca XLUUVs. The 15.5m-long submersible could be used for mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and strike missions. Deep-sea manned submersibles China has also been developing and testing manned submersibles in Sanya, Chinese media reported. Two deep-sea submersibles, Fendouzhe and Shenhai Yongshi, have just conducted the first ever joint operation in the South China Sea, according to Xinhua. They completed assigned tasks in the South China Sea including underwater real-time positioning, voice communication, target search and recovery, and rapid mobility and collaborative tasks, at a depth of 1,500 meters. The Fendouzhe set a national record by diving to a depth of 10,909 meters in the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest natural trench in the western Pacific in Nov., 2020. Although the submersibles have been mostly involved in civilian research projects, the technology can be employed for military purposes. China has been promoting military-civil fusion, a national strategy aimed at developing the Chinese military through encouraging investment and technologies from the private sector and academic institutions. Sophia Huang has been in incommunicado detention for a year amid repeated delays to her 'subversion' trial. One year after her incommunicado detention for "subversion," #MeToo activist and feminist journalist Sophia Huang has dismissed her defense attorney, suggesting she is under huge pressure to plead guilty and 'confess' to the charges against her, rights groups said. "Huangs current situation in the detention center remains unknown," the Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing campaign said in a statement on its Github page. It said that while Huang's family had hired defense attorney Wan Miaoyan to represent her, police had presented a letter signed by Huang terminating the lawyer's instruction. When Wan tried to visit Huang at the detention center, the request was denied on the basis of COVID-19 control and prevention measures. "Huang has been represented by a government-appointed lawyer(s) since then," the campaign said, adding that she is still being held incommunicado, meaning family and friends have no way of knowing how she is doing in detention. "This is a very worrying situation," it said. "[It] raises suspicions that Huang was coerced into making this decision." Police transferred Huang and Wang's cases to the Guangzhou municipal prosecution service on March 27. Both face charges of "incitement to subvert state power." Huang is being held at the Guangzhou No. 1 Detention Center after being transferred from the No. 2 Detention Center, while Wang was held in solitary confinement "for interrogation," activists said. Huang had planned to leave China via Hong Kong on Sept. 20, 2021 for the U.K., where she planned to take a master's degree in development with a prestigious Chevening Scholarship. Wang, who is a labor and healthcare rights activist, had planned to see her off on her journey. But both were detained before she could board her flight. 'Supplementary investigation' A friend of Huang's who gave only the name Tom said he was very surprised that Huang had apparently dismissed her attorney. "Firstly, the lawyer hired by her family is a good friend of hers," he said. "He was also her lawyer when she was initially arrested." "Under what circumstances did she make this decision? Was it voluntary? What sort of physical and mental state was she in? We have no way of knowing," Tom said. Since Huang and Wang's cases were sent to the prosecutor in March, they had twice been sent back for "supplementary investigation" due to lack of evidence, with the case once more sent to the prosecution in mid-August, he said. He said Wang was in solitary confinement for the first five months, with no contact with anyone outside the facility. "His mental and physical state was very poor at that time, because he was so depressed," Tom said. "He was sent back [to the detention center] after that, and may be recovering a little now ... at least he's slightly better off than during those five months in solitary confinement." Human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who was himself held in long-term, incommunicado detention from July 2015, said sending cases back for "supplementary investigation" is a common delaying tactic in such cases. "This practice has a very obvious impact on the rights and interests of the detainees," Wang told RFA. "The long-term and indefinite detention of detainees is itself a kind of punishment, which is seriously damaging to them." "This sort of physical and psychological damage is obviously a violation of the rights and interests of criminal suspects," he said. Calls for protection The overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network called along with dozens of other rights groups for Huang and Wang's rights to be protected in detention. "We, the undersigned civil society groups, call on Chinese authorities to respect and protect their rights in detention, including access to legal counsel, unfettered communication with family members, their right to health and their right to bodily autonomy," the groups said in a Sept. 19 statement marking the anniversary of Huang and Wang's detention. "We ... call for their release and for authorities to allow them to carry out their work and make important contributions to social justice," CHRD said. "We are deeply worried about [Huang's] physical and mental health, and reiterate that incommunicado detention is a grave violation of international law," it said. It said some 70 friends and acquaintances of Huang and Wang had been summoned for questioning by police across China, with some of them interrogated for up to 24 hours, or repeatedly interrogated. "The police also coerced and threatened some individuals to sign false statements admitting that they had participated in training activities that had the intention of subverting state power and that simple social gatherings were in fact political events to encourage criticism of the government," it said. Before being targeted by the authorities in 2019, Huang had been an outspoken member of the country's #MeToo movement, and had carried out a survey of sexual harassment and assault cases among Chinese women working in journalism. Huang was present at a million-strong protest in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019 against plans to allow extradition to mainland China, and was detained for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" in October 2019, before being released on bail in January 2020, a status that often involves ongoing surveillance and restrictions on a person's activities. Her travel documents were also confiscated after her return, preventing her from beginning a law degree in Hong Kong the fall of 2019. Huang had previously assisted in the investigation and reporting of a number of high-profile sexual harassment allegations against professors at Peking University, Wuhan University of Technology, Henan University and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. Wang started to work in rural development after graduating in 2005, before joining the Guangzhou Gongmin NGO in 2014 and director and coordinator for youth work. In 2018, he started advocacy and legal support work on behalf of workers with occupational diseases, and was a vocal supporter of China's #MeToo movement. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The leak could be a political attack on the democratic island's ruling party ahead of local elections in November. Chen Ming-tong, chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), speaks during a press conference in Taipei on January 22, 2019. Taiwan has dismissed social media posts leaking sensitive details of an alleged trip by its national security director to Thailand as 'cognitive warfare.' A Twitter account using the handle @andreny45652235 tweeted on Sept. 12 a claim that Chen Ming-tong had been in Thailand for purposes of tourism, but at taxpayers' expense. The tweet included photos allegedly taken of Chen at the airport, along with an official customs document and a hotel bill. The same post was also shared on Facebook. An official with the democratic island's national security bureau said the point of the tweet was to show that the whereabouts of Taiwanese officials is known to China, which has threatened to annex the island by force. The tweet was an example of "classic cognitive warfare," and had come from a short-lived account that was created last month and posted just six tweets before being taken down, the Taiwan News reported, citing an unnamed bureau official. If true, the post reveals the extent to which Chinese agents have infiltrated security systems in Thailand, the report said. It also signals to officials from other countries that China might be aware of the details of their trips to Thailand, the paper quoted the national security bureau official as saying on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate response from Thailand to the report. On Sept. 12, 2022, a Twitter account posted photos of Chen Ming-tong's customs clearance, flight information and hotel receipts. Credit: Screenshot from Twitter Cross-border issues Opposition Kuomintang lawmaker Chen Yi-hsin called for a direct response from Chen Ming-tong himself. "I didn't know anything about this, and neither, I believe, did the foreign affairs and national defense committee [of Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan]," Chen said. "Security should never be taken lightly ... the director of national security has yet to respond on the matter: he should explain it," he said. An official who answered the phone at the National Security Bureau declined to comment on the reports when contacted by RFA on Monday. "The bureau continues to closely monitor and analyze the national security situation, and will respond appropriately," the official said. Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said it wasn't unusual for Chen to travel overseas. "Director of National Security has many matter to discuss with other countries, including online security, regional geopolitical security issues, anti-terrorism operations, and drugs," Wang said. "It's not uncommon for them to cross borders." Attack on DPP Current affairs commentator Shen Ming-shih said the move was likely a covert attack on the DPP, which has seen its popularity plummet in recent weeks, ahead of local elections in November. "This is more political messaging than cross-strait intelligence operation," Shen told RFA. "It's not quite at the level of life-and-death, spy intrigue or combat yet." "The main target is the DPP and the [local] elections," he said. Lin Ting-hui, deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Institute of International Law, said the post was likely a deliberate leak by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intelligence service, using information obtained through its infiltration or relationship with the Thai authorities. Lin called on Taiwan's foreign ministry to lodge a protest with the Thai authorities, and demand that those who leaked the details of Chen's trip to Thailand be disciplined. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Secure Shield and Hangro allow the government back home to monitor calls and restrict access to the internet. North Korean trade officials now must install the Secure Shield program [left] on their cell phones and use Hangro software [right] on their computers to open a channel to North Korean-only email. North Korea is requiring trade officials dispatched to China to install invasive surveillance software on their smartphones and computers to allow the government to track their phone calls and restrict their online access, sources in China told RFA. Trade officials must install the software, called Secure Shield on their phones, so that the government can see who they are calling. A program called Hangro monitors their computer use. Trade officials must visit the North Korean consulate in Shenyang, install the newly developed software on their cellphones, and receive a memory storage device that contains the software for computers, a source with North Korea connections in the northeastern Chinese city told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity to speak freely. The order went out last month to all the North Korean trade officials in the three northeastern Chinese provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang, according to the source. Once you install the software, its name appears on the main screen. Then a message shows up in the middle of the screen, saying Your cellphone is secured, said the source. Along with the mobile phone identification number, there is an indication that the phone numbers and call details connected to the phone are being detected in real time, the source explained. RFA reported in July that smartphone users who want to access North Koreas closed intranet had to install an app that allows the Ministry of State Security to see where they have been, what websites they browsed, and whether they downloaded, watched or listened to illegal foreign media. The expansion of surveillance of officials outside the country is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced mandatory in-person meetings to move online, where it is thought to be harder to monitor the loyalty of dispatched personnel. North Korea previously attempted to use surveillance software outside its borders in 2020, according to the source. There was a conversion problem in the software because it was made for the North Korean government by a foreign developer, so it didnt work properly, the source said. The reason for the new software is because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now ideological learning sessions and home country meetings for the trade officials are conducted through self-learning and email communication, so the authorities believe that the changes have weakened loyalty to the party among the trade officials, the source said. In Dandong, which lies just across the Yalu River border from North Koreas Sinuiju, every trade official had to go to the consulate for a phone inspection, a North Korea-related source there told RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons. They were instructed to install the software on their computers, the second source said. The newly developed computer startup program detects the internet connection status in real time and opens a channel to use only North Korean e-mail. You can download instructions from Pyongyang, and access lecture materials and study materials only through North Korean e-mail, the second source said. The software, called Hangro, disables external emails from China and the rest of the world. It has become the only email channel where messages can be exchanged between the North Korean authorities and the company, said the second source. North Korean trading companies must pay $350 to the Shenyang consulate to use Hangro, the second source said. The trade officials are complaining saying that the authorities do not trust them and are forcing them to install software on their phones and computers that make conducting business uncomfortable and difficult. Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Farmers who lost crops in Bokeo provinces Huai Xai district are calling on the government to provide aid. Five villages in Huai Xai district in Laos Bokeo province have seen surrounding fields flooded by heavy rains and the release of water from upstream dams. Floods and mudslides have destroyed rice paddies well ahead of harvest time in northwestern Laos, as heavy rains and water releases from a dam wiped away the livelihoods of small farmers in five villages, sources in the country told RFA. Water released from the Nam Nhone dam pushed mud, sand and rocks onto fields in Pana, Hua Mouang, Hua Nam, old Nam Nhone, new Nam Nhone and Lao Luang villages in Huai Xai district in the northwestern province of Bokeo. Villagers there will now have to buy rice instead of growing their own, and are awaiting help from the central government. All the trees on the hill near my house had been cut down [for lumber] by the villagers, so when it rained it made a landslide so fast, and the logs and mud came down to the river, a villager from Lao Luang told RFAs Lao Service on condition of anonymity to speak freely. I havent seen a catastrophe like this in maybe 30 or 40 years. The damage was worst for people living at the river bank. Some of us lost some of our rice fields, but others lost all of their fields and even their house, the villager said. The 15-megawatt dam often releases water during heavy rains, but this is the first time that a release has caused a landslide. A resident of a different village nearby said that government aid is necessary if the fields are to be ready for planting next year. When it rained, it flooded all over the rice fields. Then the dam released water to make even more damage, the second villager said. When it flooded it destroyed everything. We cannot use [our fields] because sand and rocks came down the hill in a landslide that covered everything. Up until now no related department has come down to help people. The second villager said that local authorities did not give any warning prior to the flood. Residents are still waiting for relief and need rice, dry goods and other necessities. Thankfully nobody died, and none of the houses [in this village] were destroyed, the source said. Damage claims totaled about 10 to 20 hectares (25 to 50 acres) per village, according to the second villager. The rains have also toppled electric poles across roads, isolating the communities and leaving some villagers without electricity, an official from the Huai Xay district Department of Natural Disasters told RFA. Three rivers flow into the small dam upstream, he said. The waters cut off the roads so we cannot use them. The authorities are still repairing the road damage. The rice fields are not rice fields anymore. They are islands covered with mud, the official said. The authorities have asked the Transportation Department to assess the damage to the roads, the official said. An official from the Department of Labor and Social Services told RFA that authorities are in the process of assessing the damage and plan to ask the central government to help locals recover, but they dont know when that will happen. Nam Nhone dam is a small dam. Normally if there is regular rain without a landslide, it does not affect villagers rice fields when releasing water, the labor and social service official said. Villagers can even use the water to irrigate their fields, he said. The authorities should help villagers to restore their damaged farmland. Remove the logs, rocks and mud from the landslide. Additionally, the electrical poles and roads will be handled by the Department of Transportation, he said. Laos has constructed dozens of hydropower dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries in pursuit of its controversial economic strategy to become the Battery of Southeast Asia. The dams, along with the onset of climate change and deforestation, are causing more floods and mudslides during the May to October monsoon season each year. Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Written in English by Eugene Whong. There were 26 children among the group, caught near Myaungmya township. The children from a group of Rohingya arrested near Myaungmya township, Ayeyarwady region on Sept. 19, 2022 receiving food from villagers. Locals in Myanmars Ayeyarwady region told RFA that 42 Rohingya, including 26 children, were arrested near a village in Ayeyarwady regions Myaungmya township, A Nga Myin Chaung village resident, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA the Rohingya came by boat. They were captured on Monday after an unknown woman entered the village and was questioned by the local village administrator, the local said.. She was arrested near the Nga Myin Chaung administrators rice mill in the village at around 1:00 p.m., the source said. They were taken by the police after being questioned and eating at the village school. The group comprised eight men and eight women, along with 18 boys and eight girls under the age of 18. The group was taken to Myaungmya Police Station and tested for COVID-19, with a man and a woman testing positive, locals said. Inquiries from locals and Rohingya organizations found they were from five townships in Rakhine State along with three Rohingya from Bangladeshs Kutupalong refugee camp. On September 18, a group of 32 Rohingya, including a child, were arrested near Pathein townships Shwe Thaung Yan beach by military council forces and were sent to Pathein Prison. Nearly 800 Rohingya who tried to leave Rakhine state by land and water were arrested in different parts of Myanmar, according to data compiled by RFA based on the statements of local residents and local news media, between Dec. 2021 and Sept., 2022, Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the junta troops has been intensifying recently in an area where many Rohingya live in northern Rakhine state. Countries are evading existing sanctions to supply the junta with weapons and funding. Myanmars junta is using weapons purchased from abroad to commit war crimes against its people and must be targeted with new sanctions to end violence in the country, former military officers and political observers said Monday. On Friday, the United Nations human rights office in Geneva said in a report that countries should do more to prevent money and arms from reaching the junta, which rules through terror and repression. The office called for further isolation of the military regime, which it said had failed to govern effectively, suggesting U.N. members impose bans on arms sales and more narrowly defined sanctions to prevent its business network from gaining access to foreign currency. While the U.S., Britain, Canada and the EU have imposed sanctions on Myanmar since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, several countries have continued to supply the junta with arms most notably Russia, China and Serbia. Speaking to RFA Burmese on Monday, former army Capt. Lin Htet Aung, who is now a member of the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), said sanctions are key to cutting the junta off from the modern weapons and raw materials it needs to maintain its hold on power. The military's domestic production capacity cannot provide all the weapons it needs for the army, he said. Missiles and heavy weapons and their accessories, as well as ammunition used by its armed forces, are all imported from abroad. All these things, as well as raw materials, have to be purchased from foreign nations. The CDM captain said the military will continue to commit human rights violations, including bombing attacks on towns and villages, if the international community fails to level effective sanctions. On June 18 last year, the U.N. General Assembly approved a proposal to ban arms exports to the Myanmar military. One hundred and nineteen countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 36 countries including China, India and Russia abstained. Russian ally Belarus voted against it. Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and his team inspect weapons and equipment at the Higher Military Command School in Novosibirsk, Russia, July 16, 2022. Credit: Myanmar military Ineffective sanctions Observers told RFA that the junta continues to obtain military equipment and technology via large domestic and international arms brokering companies. Hla Kyaw Zo, a Myanmar political analyst based in China, said sanctioning these companies would have a significant effect on ending the juntas domination. Western countries consider their own interests and big arms companies are more or less connected with the Western world, so this issue is difficult to discuss, he said. If the West blocks [these sales] effectively, it'll be good, but I don't think they will press on the issue. According to a list compiled by NGO Justice For Myanmar, there are more than 150 companies selling arms to Myanmars military, 135 of which are based in Myanmar, Russia and Singapore. Yadana Maung, the groups spokeswoman, told RFA that many companies have been able to evade Western sanctions, meaning financial and military support continues to flow to the junta. Thein Tun Oo, executive director of the Thayningha Strategic Studies Institute, which is made up of former military officers, said using human rights to justify sanctions against Myanmar is weakening the defense of the country. All we have heard so far is the noise theyre making about human rights, he said. In reality, what we understand is that they are using that premise to allow those who are pulling the strings to obtain more power. He said the junta will continue to purchase arms from its allies despite attempts to block them. Propping up a brutal regime In February, former U.S. Rep. Tom Andrews, who serves as U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said in a report to the U.N. Security Council that countries should stop selling arms to the junta, citing a brutal crackdown on civilians since the coup. The report called out permanent Security Council members China and Russia, as well as India, Belarus, Ukraine, Israel, Serbia, Pakistan and South Korea, for selling the weapons, which Andrews said are almost certainly being used by the military to kill innocent people. However, analysts say it is unlikely that the sale of arms to the junta can be cut off completely as Russia and China, which are its main suppliers, wield veto power at the Security Council. In the meantime, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has visited Russia three times in the 19 months since the coup. During his last trip, earlier this month, he signed an agreement with Russian government officials to build a nuclear reactor factory in Myanmar. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Le Anh Hung's mother says she was told she couldn't visit him during appeal proceedings. Vietnamese blogger Le Anh Hung has lodged an appeal against his five-year sentence for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State. Hung, 39, blogged about Vietnamese politics for Voice of America and news of his appeal was announced by fellow activist and journalist Nguyen Vu Binh, who spoke with Hungs mother Tran Thi Niem. More than a week ago, when I visited Hung's mother, she told me that she had not been able to meet him at Temporary Detention Center No. 1. which is under the authority of the Hanoi Police Department, Binh said. They told her that on September 12, he submitted an appeal so she could not meet him before the appeal hearing. " RFA contacted Hung's mother again, but she told him she was too ill to give interviews. She earlier told RFA she had spoken with the Hanoi police investigator who told her Hung would probably be released next year after spending time in a mental hospital and in pre-trial detention. Vietnam's security agencies often refuse to let dissidents meet their relatives after an appeal is lodged even though, Clause 1, Article 22 of the Law on Temporary detention and custody (2015) stipulates: Those held in temporary detention can meet their relatives one time during temporary detention and one time after every extension of that detention. Those held in temporary custody can meet their relatives once a month. In case of an increase in meetings or if the persons to be met are not relatives, there must be approval from the body handling the case. The time of each meeting is within an hour. However, Clause 4, Article 22 of the above law also stipulates: The head of the custody facility shall not agree on a meeting with the person held in temporary detention or custody when [authorities are] questioning or interrogating the person or when they are involved in other procedural activities. A lawyer in Hanoi, who did not wish to be named for security reasons, said a person who appeals the original judgment would be considered by the procedural authorities to be a detainee who is participating in other legal activities. He also said that in most cases, when preparing for first-instance or appellate trials, it is very rare for the defendant to be allowed to see their relatives. Hung was arrested in early July 2018 on charges of "abusing democratic freedoms to invade or violate the interests of the State, organizations and individuals under Article 331 of the Criminal Code. After more than four years in detention and forced treatment in a mental hospital, he was brought to trial on August 30 in a trial without lawyers and relatives. The family only learned about the trial when Hung's mother called the investigator involved in his case who told her the outcome of the trial. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement on Sept. 16 calling on the Vietnamese government to immediately and unconditionally release blogger Le Anh Hung and stop harassing journalists who were convicted of trumped-up [charges of] conducting anti-state propaganda. Blogger Le Anh Hungs outrageous sentencing shows Vietnam will go to any length to stifle critical reporting of its policies, personalities, and rule, said CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin. Hung and all other journalists wrongfully held behind bars in Vietnam must be released. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a diplomatic solution that gives Russia and Ukraine a "dignified way out" of the crisis sparked by Russia's invasion. "Together, we need to find a reasonably practical diplomatic solution that will give both sides a dignified way out of the crisis," Erdogan said, speaking on September 20 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He said a lasting peace must be based on protecting Ukraine's territorial integrity and added that Turkey will continue to increase its efforts to end the war. "I invite international organizations and all countries to give sincere support to Turkey's efforts," he said. Erdogan said earlier that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to swap 200 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the seven-month war. He did not give full details about the swap, calling the people being exchanged "hostages" and not saying how many there were from each side. "Two hundred hostages will be exchanged upon agreement between the parties. I think a significant step will be taken forward," Erdogan told PBS TV late on September 19. Erdogan said he held "very extensive discussions" during talks last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional summit in Uzbekistan. "He is actually showing me that he is willing to end this as soon as possible," Erdogan said. "That was my impression, because the way things are going right now are quite problematic." The Turkish leader said Moscow's return of captured territories would play an important role in any lasting truce. "If peace is going to be established in Ukraine, of course, returning the land that was invaded will become important," he said. Earlier on September 20 the leaders of Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine said they plan to hold referendums for the territories to become part of Russia. Several countries have said such referendums would be a sham. Erdogan also commented on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying Turkey believes a comprehensive peace is possible. "We believe that it is possible to sign a comprehensive peace agreement between the two countries as soon as possible," Erdogan said. Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a cease-fire last week, ending two days of violence linked to a decades-old dispute over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The fighting, which each side blamed on the other, left more than 200 people dead. The clashes were the deadliest since a six-week war in 2020 that left thousands dead and saw Azerbaijan make significant territorial gains in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and PBS NOTE TO READERS: This week's newsletter is being published one day earlier to report on the strong reaction across Iran to the death of Mahsa Amini. Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what Ive been following during the past week and what Im watching for in the days ahead. The Big Issue The death of a young woman following her arrest by Tehrans morality police has led to widespread outrage among Iranians while sparking several days of protests. Mahsa Amini, 22, was detained in Tehran on September 13 while visiting the capital with her family. She died three days later in a hospital after slipping into a coma while in the custody of the police, who have maintained that she suffered a heart attack while denying claims by activists that she may have been beaten while taken to the police station to be educated. Her family has said that Amini didnt have any previous health problems. Her father, Amjad Amini, told an Iranian news website that witnesses saw her being shoved into a police car. The government has ordered an investigation amid fury on social media, as well as several days of angry protests in her hometown of Saghez and a dozen other cities in Irans Kurdistan as well as in Tehran and Rasht, according to amateur videos posted online. Protests also took place in several universities in the Iranian capital, Isfahan, and Tabriz. Why It Matters: Aminis death comes amid a tightening of Irans hijab crackdown and increased pressure on women who flout the rules. Regardless of whether Amini was beaten up or not, her tragic death has highlighted several decades of state harassment of women who dont fully respect the hijab restrictions. Many Iranians have in the past days called for abolishing the morality police and an end to the hijab rule that became compulsory in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution. In recent days, women protesting Aminis death have removed their head scarves in public and waved them defiantly, while some have set fire to them to show their anger and their opposition to the forced hijab. Justice, freedom, and optional hijab, as well as, "Death to the dictator" were some of the chants of protesters in the Iranian capital, where an iconic photo also shows a young woman burning her hijab and showing the victory sign while standing on top of a car. Whats Next: The establishment has used force and Internet disruption in an attempt to end the protests over Aminis death, which led to calls for an end to the Islamic republic. The state repression will only lead to increased antiestablishment sentiment, as well as growing public opposition against the morality police and the hijab rule. The calls for the truth over Aminis death and an independent investigation are also likely to continue. Stories You Might Have Missed Iran's vice president for women and family affairs, Ensieh Khazali, has been a vocal supporter of intensifying online censorship and clamping down on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). But Khazali has attracted criticism after it was revealed that her son emigrated to Canada and created a company that sells VPNs. The revelation has triggered calls for the vice president to resign. Iranian rights activist Melika Qaragozlu has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for protesting the country's mandatory hijab rules, her lawyer says. Mohammad Ali Kamfiruzi, Qaragozlu's lawyer, wrote on Twitter on September 19 that the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran recently handed down the sentence to his client for publishing a few seconds of video of herself without a head scarf on social media. What We're Watching Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in New York City to attend the UN General Assembly. This is Raisis first time attending the annual event, where he has already met with French President Emmanuel Macron and is likely to talk to other world leaders. He will also be greeted by protests by opposition groups and Iranian expatriates angry at human rights violations in the country and the death of Amini. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said on September 19 that he cannot rule out the possibility that the Iranian delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, will have a meeting on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal on the sidelines of the UN meeting. We have not left the talks," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Why It Matters: The UN meeting could provide a venue for diplomatic exchanges between Iran, the United States, and EU countries over the renewal of the nuclear deal. It comes amid an impasse in the nuclear talks following Tehrans latest response, which was described by the U.S. State Department as a step backward. Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. Until next time, Golnaz Esfandiari If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday. Exit polls and early results in Bulgaria suggest the center-right Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party of longtime leader Boyko Borisov has won snap parliamentary elections, the fourth such poll in 18 months. An exit poll conducted by the Gallup International pollster showed GERB with 24.6 percent, apparently edging out the reformist We Continue the Change (PP) party of former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, which is expected to take 18.9 percent. Polling data from Alpha Research had GERB with 25.5 percent, followed by PP with 19.9 percent. Early preliminary results largely mirrored the exit polling data with GERB with more than 25 percent of the vote, followed by PP with 22 percent with 12 percent of the ballots counted. Voter turnout on October 2 was estimated at about 30 percent. Petkov and former Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, co-chairs of the PP party, later conceded and declared they will not participate in a coalition with GERB. "It is GERB's responsibility to form a government. We promised that we will never participate in a coalition with GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and we will keep our promise," Petkov said, referring to an ethnic-Turkish-backed party, the DPS. Vassilev added that GERB and the DPS were both a "symbol of corruption" in Bulgarian politics. The Southeast European country of nearly 7 million people has been plagued by political gridlock since 2020, when it was rocked by nationwide protests as public anger over years of corruption boiled over. Much of the ire was directed at longtime leader Borisov and GERB. The latest government, led by Petkov, collapsed in June after just six months when one of its coalition partners quit. Petkov has struggled to deliver on his pledge to stamp out corruption. He has also backed Ukraine in its fight against Russia in a country traditionally friendly toward Moscow and accuses the Kremlin of helping orchestrate the collapse of his government, which refused to pay for gas in rubles as demanded by Russia. After casting his vote, Borisov told reporters that Bulgaria needs to clearly position itself on Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. "With this, aggression, with this war with a clear aggressor in the face of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin -- [I have] nothing against the Russian people -- with this farce with the referendums, Bulgaria must be very clear, categorical, and precise about its place in the European Union and NATO," he said, adding that Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone should be the first and most important task. Petkov rejected recent polls as questionable and voiced confidence that the vote will yield positive results for his party. "After this election, we will make a coalition with the Bulgarian people," Petkov told reporters after casting his ballot. "Today's election is very important. The choice is between going back to the years of transition or to break with this period once and for all and heading to a new prosperous and reformed Bulgaria. I believe that all Bulgarians today will make the choice for Bulgaria to move forward," Petkov said. As many as eight parties may break the 4 percent threshold needed to gain entrance to parliament and take seats in the 240-member legislature. One of them, the far-right Revival party which has been polling at around 11 percent to 13 percent, has taken advantage of a wave of populism sweeping Europe -- as witnessed by recent gains by far-right parties in Italy and Sweden -- spurred by economic fears and uncertainty first stoked by the COVID-19 pandemic and now Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The Revival party has promised to take Bulgaria out of the EU and NATO, and advance policies friendly to the Kremlin. While many experts dismiss the anti-Western rhetoric of the Revival party as little more than campaign bluster, they do caution that the party is doing the bidding of the Kremlin. Alpha Research polling showed Revival securing 10 percent of the vote. Early results gave Revival more than 11 percent of ballots counted. The DPS had 9 percent as did the Bulgarian Socialist Party. With reporting by AP The top medical official in the southern province of Hormozgan has rejected some Iranian officials' claims that Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after apparently being beaten by morality police, suffered a heart attack, saying the most likely cause of her death was a blow to the head. Amini, 22, died on September 16, a few days after being taken into police custody in Tehran for allegedly breaking the country's hijab rules. Eyewitnesses told journalists that Amini, who fell into a coma after being admitted to a hospital, appeared to have been beaten inside the morality police van while being taken to the detention center. Iranian officials have rejected the accusations, with Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi claiming that Amini had a previous illness and that the morality police "basically do not have the tools to beat the detainees." WATCH: Protests continued across Iran on September 20 for a sixth straight day. Iranian police denied accusations of mistreatment, calling Amini's death an "unfortunate incident." Dr. Hossein Karampour, in a letter on September 18, to Mohammad Raeiszadeh, the president of the Iranian Medical Council, urged the organization to fulfill its duties over Amini's death. Referring to the published pictures of Mahsa Amini in the hospital, which shows her bleeding from the ear and bruises under her eyes, Karampour wrote that these symptoms "do not match the reasons given by some authorities who declared the cause to be a heart attack," but rather "it is consistent with the symptoms associated with a head injury and the resulting bleeding." Karampour asked the president of the Iranian Medical Council to "act honestly and courageously to clarify and reveal the truth" and stand by the people. According to reports published on social networks, Amini had traveled from the western province of Kurdistan to Tehran to meet relatives when she was arrested by morality police on September 13. Amjad Amini, Mahsa's father, said in an interview with Emtedad news website that based on the calls of many girls who were detained with his daughter that day, he is sure that "she was beaten." Several other doctors, seeing the pictures of Amini in the hospital, have pointed out on social media that the cause of the bleeding from her ear could be a blow to the head. Her death has sparked street protests in Iran and strong international reactions. At least four people have been reported killed in Iran during protests over Amini's death. On Twitter, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Tehran to "end its systemic persecution of women and to allow peaceful protest," adding that the United States mourned Mahsa Amini along with the Iranian people. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda At least three people have been killed in Iran during protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman who was taken into custody by the country's morality police. Human rights groups said Mahsa Amini was detained for breaking Iran's strict religious laws requiring Muslim women to wear a head scarf. Protests continued across the country on September 20 for a sixth straight day. Iranian police denied accusations of mistreatment, calling Amini's death an "unfortunate incident." A Ukrainian man said 62 people hid in a basement used as a bomb shelter during World War II. Izyum was captured by Russian forces in March and retaken by the Ukrainian Army in early September. A local woman said that for much of the occupation, people stayed hidden underground as Russian troops went door-to-door with lists of people they were hunting. Ukrainian officials have announced efforts to urgently stabilize recently retaken eastern territory and stressed the need for rapid gains in order to deny Russia "any foothold on Ukrainian soil" with Russia's invasion nearing the seven-month mark. The rapid gains of recent weeks as Russian forces abandon occupied areas particularly in the region east of Kharkiv have left Ukrainian troops approach parts of the Donbas region long held by Kremlin-backed separatists as Kyiv seeks more Western arms to wage its defense. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on September 19 that Kyiv's forces in the Kharkiv region were "stabilizing the situation [and] holding our positions...so firmly that the occupiers are clearly panicking." "We are now confident that the occupiers will not have any foothold on Ukrainian soil," he said. "The pace is very important now," Zelenskiy said amid rapidly falling temperatures in the region and concerns about the basic needs of residents who have remained. "The pace of stabilization in the liberated areas. The pace of movement of our troops. The pace of restoration of normal life in the liberated territory." Zelenskiy said last week that around 150,000 Ukrainians had lived under Russian occupation in the Kharkiv region for the past five months. Late on September 19, the deputy prime minister in charge of reintegrating recaptured areas, Iryna Vereshchuk, said that the authorities had launched a pilot program of small cash payments to help residents around Kharkiv. She said each person would receive the equivalent of $33 and thanked the International Red Cross for its financial support of the project. Zelenskiy has said investigators discovered new evidence of torture amid the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers buried near Izyum, a key city in the Kharkiv region. The head of the regional military administration around Izyum, Oleh Synyehubov, said on September 19 that most of the 146 bodies exhumed from a mass grave there were civilians and "some of the dead have signs of violent death. There are bodies with tied hands and traces of torture." WATCH: Ukrainian security services say "people were tortured" by Russian troops at a local police station in the recently liberated city of Kupyansk. The Kremlin has dismissed allegations of Russian forces committing war crimes there as a "lie." Zelenskiy said on September 19 that the local administrative hub of Kupyansk had been retaken from Russian forces. In another sign of Ukrainian confidence amid the offensive in the east, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Hayday said that Ukrainian forces had retaken control of the village of Bilohorivka and were preparing to retake the entire province. Bilohorivka is just 10 kilometers or so from the city of Lysychansk, with Russian forces took in July after weeks of intense fighting. The Ukrainian General Staff on September 20 warned Ukrainians of the threat of Russian air and missile attacks throughout the country and said Ukrainian forces had repelled Russian operations in Mayorsk, Vesele, Kurdyumivka, and Novomykhaylivka. RFE/RL cannot corroborate battlefield claims in the areas of intense fighting. British defense intelligence, meanwhile, assessed on September 20 that Ukraine's "long-range strike capability" against Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters and airfield had forced a relocation of Russian submarines, "undermining" one of Moscow's main aims in its eight-year occupation of Crimea. In London, Prime Minister Liz Truss said the United Kingdom next year will meet or exceed the 2.3 billion pounds ($2.63 billion) in military aid spent on Ukraine in 2022, her office said on September 20. Britain's military support to Ukraine is likely to include equipment such as multiple-launch rocket systems, her office said in a statement. "Ukraine's victories in recent weeks have been inspirational," the statement said, after Kyiv's forces pushed the Russians out of almost all of the Kharkiv region in a lightning counteroffensive. "My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the U.K. will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security." With reporting by Reuters and AFP File photo: UK Space Operations Center According to media reports, the UK Ministry of Defense recently released its first independent doctrine document on national space power. The document focuses on four main topics including an introduction to the UK's space power, the goal of strengthening space power, clarifying space command, control, coordination and planning, and the employment of space power. Analysts believe that this marks that the development of the British military's space force construction has entered an "acceleration period". However, due to the limitation of its own strength, the UK's space force still faces many difficulties in its development. Senior Colonel Shao Yongling, a military observer, pointed out that this document further clarified and strengthened the relevant content of the UK's space militarization construction, that is, the UK should increase its investment in the construction of space military forces to realize the UK's space interests; should protect and defend its space interests, use space capabilities to help and address domestic and international challenges and ensure that it is well-positioned to respond to modern military conflicts; should make the most of its global partnerships, maximize national resources to accelerate innovation in space defense through an inter-government space program and maintain a strategic advantage. Shao believes that the construction and development of the British space force particularly emphasize cooperation and resource sharing with allies. While using the resources of other countries, it also proposes to use its own satellite system to provide strategic communication services for its allies. At the same time, it also pays attention to military-civilian integration and civilian-military use to reduce construction costs and make the means of situational awareness more diverse. However, she pointed out that many programs proposed by the UK involve many projects, but there are few timetables and proposals. Considering the UK's own shortcomings in terms of cost and technology, the prospects for space power construction are not optimistic. The construction of the space force is very costly as many related plans in the UK require huge investment, nevertheless the annual military expenditure of more than 50 billion pounds is also used for aircraft carriers and other plans. Therefore, funding is a big problem for the UK to develop space power, and it is not known whether there is corresponding technical support for the implementation. The capability to overcome this series of resistance has exceeded the national strength of the UK. At the same time, Shao pointed out that in recent years, countries such as the UK and the US have continuously strengthened the construction of space militarization. They are trying to expand the joint field and enhance the joint advantage to maintain their military hegemony in space. This has cast a shadow over the prospects for the global peaceful use of space. Western countries attempt to secure their military leadership by occupying the technological commanding heights in space. However, the militarization of space is contrary to the purpose of "peaceful uses of space". Most countries in the world hope that space can become a "pure land". China has also called for many times that space must be demilitarized and non-weaponized and must be used only for peaceful purposes. Editor's note: Originally published on military.cnr.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Using the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have captured the infrared images of a region in the eastern hemisphere of Mars and the near-infrared spectrum of the planet. Mars is one of the brightest objects in the night sky in terms of both visible light and the infrared light that Webb is designed to detect. This poses special challenges to the observatory, which was built to detect the extremely faint light of the most distant galaxies in the Universe. Webbs instruments are so sensitive that without special observing techniques, the bright infrared light from Mars is blinding, causing a phenomenon known as detector saturation. The astronomers adjusted for Mars extreme brightness by using very short exposures, measuring only some of the light that hit the detectors, and applying special data analysis techniques. Captured by the NIRCam instrument, Webbs first images of Mars show a region of the planets eastern hemisphere at two different infrared wavelengths. The NIRCam shorter-wavelength (2.1 microns) image is dominated by reflected sunlight, and thus reveals surface details similar to those apparent in visible-light images. The rings of Huygens crater, the dark volcanic rock of Syrtis Major, and brightening in the Hellas Basin are all apparent in this image. The NIRCam longer-wavelength (4.3 microns) image shows thermal emission light given off by the planet as it loses heat. The brightness of 4.3-micron light is related to the temperature of the surface and the atmosphere. The brightest region on the planet is where the Sun is nearly overhead, because it is generally warmest. The brightness decreases toward the polar regions, which receive less sunlight, and less light is emitted from the cooler northern hemisphere, which is experiencing winter at this time of year. However, temperature is not the only factor affecting the amount of 4.3-micron light reaching Webb with this filter. As light emitted by the planet passes through Mars atmosphere, some gets absorbed by carbon dioxide molecules. The Hellas Basin which is the largest well-preserved impact structure on Mars, spanning more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) appears darker than the surroundings because of this effect. This is actually not a thermal effect at Hellas, said Dr. Geronimo Villanueva, a researcher at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. The Hellas Basin is a lower altitude, and thus experiences higher air pressure. That higher pressure leads to a suppression of the thermal emission at this particular wavelength range (4.1-4.4 microns) due to an effect called pressure broadening. It will be very interesting to tease apart these competing effects in these data. Whereas the new Webb images show differences in brightness integrated over a large number of wavelengths from place to place across Mars at a particular day and time, the near-infrared spectrum of the planet shows the subtle variations in brightness between hundreds of different wavelengths representative of the planet as a whole. The preliminary analysis of the spectrum shows a rich set of spectral features that contain information about dust, icy clouds, what kind of rocks are on the planets surface, and the composition of the atmosphere. The spectral signatures of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide are easily detected with Webb. In the future, the team will be using these imaging and spectroscopic data to explore regional differences across the planet, and to search for trace gases in the atmosphere, including methane and hydrogen chloride. Hue Imperial City (Photo: SGGP) The event was held in both in-person and online formats in Hanoi and the central city of Hue, attracting the participation of regional and international UNESCO experts, and domestic managers and experts. Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong said that over 10 months, the pilot project was completed at both national and local scales, with the active cooperation and support of both domestic and international agencies, organizations and individuals. UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators is a framework of thematic indicators which aims to measure and monitor the progress of cultures enabling contributions to the national- and local-level implementation of the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It showcases the 22 indicators divided into four thematic dimensions featuring the most important aspects of sustainable development, from environmental to socio-economic affairs. The participants comments on the project results as well as policy recommendations developed based on these results will help improve the quality of the project. This will help Vietnam to contribute more effectively to the overall picture of global culture presented in a report on the UNESCO Culture 2030 Indicators to be published at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development MONDIACULT 2022, which will take place in Mexico from September 28-29. Vietnamplus Page Content Editor's Note: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this bill into law on Sept. 18. The California Legislature recently passed a bill prohibiting employers from penalizing workers for using marijuana during their off-work hours. Recreational use of marijuana has been legal in California since 2016. While off-duty use would be legally protected, the new bill does allow employers to fire or suspend workers for possessing, using or being impaired by marijuana while at work. The law will take effect in January 2024. For safety reasons, there are some exceptions to the rule on off-duty use. The bill "includes carveouts for the building and construction trades, federal contractors, federal funding recipients, or federal licensees required to maintain drug-free workplaces," noted Christopher Olmsted, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in San Diego.. "Its provisions also exclude occupations that are required by federal or state laws to be tested for controlled substances. That may include, for example, truck drivers who are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation." "I anticipate concern surrounding safety-sensitive positions," said Dalia Khatib, an attorney with CDF Labor Law in Sacramento, Calif. "This will also impact how seriously an employer should look at a person's conduct." Difference Between THC and CBD The bill will prevent employers from discriminating against an applicant or employee who fails a drug test that detects non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their urine, blood, hair or bodily fluids. Marijuana products with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) should not be confused with CBD (cannabidiol) products. THC is the component responsible for euphoria and intoxication. CBD is not intoxicating and does not lead to addiction, according to a 2019 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General. "Generally, employers are more concerned about THC products because such products can cause intoxication that may dangerously impair physical and mental abilities," Olmsted said. Under the California bill, "testing would be permitted to detect current impairment on the job by THC." If an employer requires a worker to take a test, the employer should fully understand what the test is evaluating. Currently available tests don't accurately indicate a level of intoxication from marijuana, like they do for alcohol. "CBD is not what most tests are looking for. Rather, tests that employers use are searching for evidence of THC in the employee's system," Khatib said. Even with a positive test result, it could be challenging for employers to determine whether someone is impaired and when the substance might have been consumed. "Unless there are obvious signs, such as odor that suggests very recent use during work, which could still be hard to determine, employers will have difficulty determining the timing of use," Gellar said. Recommended Practices There are some recommended practices that employers could implement if the California bill becomes law. "First, employers must ensure that they have adequate policies in place for drug testing. Without proper policies, employers may not even be able to test employees due to privacy concerns, with some exceptions," Khatib said. "Second, the employer should focus on the person's conduct while they are performing their job duties to determine whether they have reasonable suspicion that someone is currently impaired," she said. "Assuming the employer has the right policies, their second challenge comes in subjecting the employee to the test, as well as making sure the right test is used." Side Effects THC can impair attention, judgment and coordination, according to the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center in Rochester, Minn. The signs of marijuana use include: Headaches. Dry mouth and dry, bloodshot eyes. Lightheadedness and dizziness. Drowsiness. Fatigue. Nausea and vomiting. Disorientation. Hallucinations. Increased heart rate. Increased appetite. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. California law allows marijuana use for medical purposes. Cannabis may be helpful in treating certain forms of epilepsy, nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and loss of appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS, according to the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health. Some research suggests cannabis has modest benefits for chronic pain and multiple sclerosis symptoms. Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced its collaboration with Telenor Norway, Telenors wholly owned Norwegian telecommunications operator, in its business transformation program to become a digital telecommunications company. Through this engagement, Infosys will accelerate Telenor Norways modernization journey while supporting its Beyond Connectivity strategy. This collaboration will drive Telenor Norways business growth and make the company future ready. Infosys was chosen to assist Telenor on this modernization journey for its strong global transformation experience and diverse talent pool. As part of the engagement, Infosys will leverage its tools and accelerators to support the transformation of Telenors IT stack in areas of digital, Analytics & AI, and operations. The collaboration will also focus on upskilling and competency development. Infosys will jointly drive and execute Telenors modernization roadmap for capability uplifting, business agility, and revenue growth while ensuring operational stability to meet the companys transformation objectives. While assisting in Telenors Beyond Connectivity strategy, Infosys will jointly build the required IT capabilities and enable them to become a digital-first organization. This will result in faster time to market and new revenue streams for Telenor. Commenting on this partnership, Birgitte Engebretsen, CEO, Telenor Norway, said, In current times, it is imperative for an organization like Telenor Norway to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that our customers are provided with superior service. To do this, we have to be future-ready. Staying true to our strategy of Beyond Connectivity, combined with our powerful collaboration with Infosys, we are excited to embark on this modernization journey that will empower us to serve our customers better. Richard Stigaard, CIO, Telenor Norway, said, We look forward to our collaboration with Infosys to modernise our IT landscape, and transform into a product-based organization through a co-managed model, with a dedicated focus on touch-free operations. We are confident that with this initiative, we will welcome a new way of working that will accelerate our journey towards excellent user experience, bring business agility and drive operational excellence. Anand Swaminathan, EVP, Communications, Media and Technology, Infosys, said, "Ensuring customer success is vital for us at Infosys. Our primary focus in this endeavour is providing superior end-user digital experience and operational excellence for Telenor Norway and their customers. Our shared value system through this unique collaboration will enable Telenor Norway in their journey towards Beyond Connectivity with agility, simplicity and innovation. The Centre on Monday said that the new draft of the data protection bill is being prepared to augment efficient usage of data since it would largely be used by the industry. Speaking at the CII 'International Technology Summit 2022,' Dr Rajendra Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), noted that the government has put in place a proactive approach to deal with emerging technologies and subsequent threat levels. "The new Data Protection Bill is being prepared to augment efficient usage of data, with confidence that data would be protected while being used by the industry," he emphasised. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in an interview with Sansad TV, has said that the drafting of the Data Protection Bill is nearly complete and it is expected to see light of the day in Parliament during the next year's Budget session. The government last month withdrew contentious Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill 2019 that has seen 81 amendments in the past three years, aiming to introduce a new, sharper bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework and protects the data of billions of citizens. At the summit, Vijay Rai, Chairman, CII Delhi Panel on Technology, said that the Indian economy is predominantly agrarian, and farmer distress may be addressed by way of tech such as GPS, GIS, location, satellite data analysis. "Also, the country can achieve better healthcare accessibility through digital connectivity; remote sensing, GIS, GPS, Sat communication can help in disaster management and risk mitigation," Rai added. The Good Glamm group is in talks to acquire a majority stake in a digital content firm founded by Bollywood actor Twinkle Khanna, according to people familiar with the development. If the transaction of Tweak India goes through, it will be the 11th acquisition by the content-to-commerce company. It is a cash-plus-stock deal and it is in the final stages of documentation, said a person in the know of the matter. Tweak India is a female-focused multimedia platform across text, video, podcasts, radio, and event formats, with a focus on wellness, beauty, and an eco-friendly lifestyle. Following the acquisition, Tweak India will be housed under Good Media Co, led by Priyanka Gill. The groups media arm comprises POPxo, ScoopWhoop, MissMalini, and Baby Chakra, all of which Good Glamm acquired between 2020 and 2021. Khanna will continue to lead Tweak India as its CEO, the sources said. The current digital media platforms under Good Media Co have more than 65% audience in tier 2 and tier 3 cities whereas Tweak India has over 65% in tier 1 cities. This stake will help them double down on the tier 1 audience, one person said. Good Media gets revenue through brand advertising on its platform, driving affiliate sales, creating content, and running social media campaigns for brands. Its clients include fashion portal Myntra, ecommerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart, and Wipro Consumer Care, among others. Good Medias existing clients will be used for Tweak and Tweaks client base will be cross-sold to Good Media, the person added. The Prosus-backed venture has closed a series of acquisitions and raised back-to-back funding rounds amounting to Rs 1,885 crore last year as it sold its content-to-commerce playbook to investors. Founded by Darpan Sanghvi, Gill and Naiyya Saggi, the Good Glamm Group has three divisions: The Good Brands Co, which has a portfolio of direct-to-consumer brands; Good Media Co, and Good Creator Co, an influencer platform tracking 1.5 million influencers. The Mumbai-based company, which was last valued at $1.2 billion, has been facing trouble raising new funding as late-stage financing dries up and investors increasingly steer clear from loss-making tech firms. The committee met publicly Monday for an 8-minute meeting after going into Executive Session last week to interview witnesses as part of the sexual misconduct allegations. A vote was expected to move the investigation to a House vote but instead the committee voted to extend their investigation. The committee chaired by Representative Paul Schemel (R-Franklin County), made a motion Monday to continue the investigation and authorize additional subpoenas. Rep. Schemel also made remarks to those in Schuylkill County, included elected officials, that had urged the committee to impeach. All entries from which we have been attempting to solicit information through subpoena. So that process has been longer than we what we would've normally wanted. Also in previous impeachments there is been opportunity for individuals to, I would say, to remedy themselves. The most recent in my mind would be the Kathleen Kane impeachment where eventually Attorney General Kane resigned on her own. So there's been opportunity as well for this, where the Commissioner in question would do likewise there for solving the problem for the subcommittee. That is not occurred. So this process has gone longer than what perhaps, many would have wanted in Schuylkill County but we are trying to move through it. Prior to the motion to extend the investigation, a motion was made to made a criminal referral to the Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office, based on the testimony given last week. That motioned passed 5-1, with the single negative vote coming from Rep. Michael Zabel. Rep. Zabel would remark, "I wholeheartedly see the need for additional investigation, is what informs my previous vote. With regards to the criminal referral, which I believe is premature. Not inappropriate, but premature". The Attorney General's office had investigated the case after Schuylkill County District Attorney Mike O'Pake referred the case. The Attorney General ended their investigation on February 5th, 2021 by not filing any charges only stating, "Our office made a decision to close the case without filing charges and among our considerations was statutes of limitations." No further details have been provided when the committee will meet again or call on additional witnesses. The Pennsylvania House Subcommittee on Courts held a meeting on Monday as part of their impeachment investigation into Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage."We do believe that there's adequate evidence to move forward the investigation to complete that practice and it's still our intention to do so within the session so the House and potentially the Senate would have the opportunity to move forward." Rep. Schemel said. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! The voice at the other end of the line is calm and assured, informing the woman in a friendly British accent that her credit card details have been used to try and make a transaction in Mexico. My name is Martin Moore, Im calling from the Westpac fraud prevention team, he says. We do need to go ahead and cancel your card and send you a new card ... I do need to take you through quick security just to confirm Im speaking to the account holder. He asks the woman for some personal details. Wary, she becomes uncomfortable, and tells him she will call him back after making some inquiries and speaking to her personal banker. A public inquiry has found that violent offenders might still be at large despite evidence against them, and some victims might never get justice because of untrue statements made by Queenslands state-run forensics lab. In a situation Health Minister Yvette DAth believes is unheard of in Australia, the statements given to courts and prosecutors will be updated, with authorities set to reprocess samples across what could be thousands of cases including rapes and murders. Former Queensland Court of Appeal President Walter Sofronoff. Credit:Robert Shakespeare The state announced a commission of inquiry in June, after police began reviewing sexual assault cases back to 2018 when a process at the lab changed, halting detailed testing of low-DNA samples for major crimes and reporting the results as containing no or insufficient information. Former Appeal Court president Walter Sofronoffs interim report, handed to government this week and quickly rushed through cabinet on Tuesday before its public release, found the statements by Forensic and Scientific Services lab had been untrue or misleading. In fact, the possibility of obtaining a profile from these samples cannot be excluded, because the further technologies and methods previously used could reveal partial or full DNA profiles, Sofronoff wrote. However, three months after Lus report, Birbas told staff in another email the jury was out on what caused the breakages. The company would only recommend replacement if a patient was heavy or lived an active lifestyle. Others would keep the part. Another internal email says it was easier to remove the dual cones before they break. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which regulates medical devices, was alerted in 2018 to the higher-than-average number of breakages and approved the companys approach. A spokesperson said this week the part remained suitable for use but required the company to send additional information to patients. Lawyers for Al Muderis told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in a statement that all complaints had been investigated by the regulators and dismissed. The lawyers said dual cones need to be regularly replaced and that patients are responsible for maintaining their parts. Some amputees, after they receive osseointegration surgery, resume a very active lifestyle. Some patients break their dual cone due to excessive activity. Some patients resume riding, hiking, jogging, swimming and there have been patients who have even taken up skydiving, the statement said. Professor Al Muderis cannot limit what patients do, even though he advises them to not take up high-impact activities. However, the selective replacement approach was privately criticised within the companys own team of doctors, including by US surgeon Solon Rosenblatt, who accused the company of prioritising profits over patients in private correspondence to colleague Fred Hernandez. Chris Bruha was given the faulty part in July 2017. Credit:60 Minutes [Their] ONE AND ONLY loyalty is to MONEY, Rosenblatt said in one text message. In an email dated October 2018, he wrote: For a time, ALL patients who had received a Type B implant were sent a new reinforced dual cone manufactured by Bres Medical with instructions on how to replace the old one ... But that was becoming too expensive, so [the company] decided to only replace those dual cones as they broke! When asked about whether there were adverse findings against the part, Al Muderis told The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes: Not to my knowledge. He said he had insisted that the company replace the faulty cones and there had been no failures since. US patient Chris Bruha was given the faulty part in July 2017. Six months after his surgery, the company sent him a replacement part. The following year, that broke too. It just snapped and I went down, Bruha said. Im a retired firefighter so getting banged up is not a big deal. But its just disturbing when you go to take a step and nothing is there. Bruha paid $US150,000 for his osseointegration surgery but said he received limited support when the dual cone broke. His friend, who had no medical experience, replaced the parts in a painstaking process that took more than five hours. Later, Bruha received an invoice. They sent me a bill for the dual cones, both of them, which I just left and ignored, he said. Rosenblatt filed an official complaint with the medical regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), in December 2018. The complaint said Al Muderis had placed the public at risk of harm by practising in a way that constitutes a significant departure from accepted medical standards. Rosenblatt claimed the implant had not gone through sufficient testing before being used in more than 100 patients from Australia, the UK and US. Several of the implants have broken. Dr Al Muderis own research consultant suggested that the portion of the implant that could be changed should be changed as soon as possible, Rosenblatt wrote to the regulator. Fortunately, none of the patients who have experienced a broken implant have been severely injured. AHPRA was contacted for comment. A spokeswoman for the TGA said after receiving the 2018 complaint, the regulator launched an investigation and later issued a safety alert, which reminded patients about the two-year service life of the prosthetic and the need to inspect all components regularly. Osseointegration Group of Australia told the TGA it stopped using the faulty part in February 2019 10 months after Lus report called for immediate action. Rosenblatt confirmed to The Age, the Herald and 60 Minutes the defective dual cone was used in patients until a replacement was designed. We told patients were working on a new design; we dont have one yet. We dont have anything better, but obviously, you want to continue walking, he said. I [didnt] have any choice but to put back in another Type B dual cone. Loading Al Muderis said he was not responsible for the breakages. Im a clinician. Im a surgeon. We need to separate here between the engineering side and the manufacturing side ... I own the patent. I designed the parts, but I wasnt the engineer. Patients who received the faulty part were given a replacement part manufactured by Bresmedical, which Birbas said was made with added strength for patients that are at risk of compromising their dual cone. Some patients raised concerns about replacement parts. In an open letter to patients, Birbas criticised those who questioned the process. Loading Ultimately, a surgeon would use their clinical judgement to determine which implant is best for a patient, he said in a memo to patients. Typically, a patient does not have the clinical knowledge nor experience to question a health practitioner on what medical device is suitable for them. University of Sydney health law expert Christopher Rudge criticised Birbas response, saying it violates the patients right to transparent and informed treatment. Thats a big red flag, he said. Al Muderis has achieved fame as an Iraqi refugee turned high-profile surgeon. He became NSW Australian of the Year in 2020 and GQ Man of the Year for his contribution to medicine and refugee advocacy. Tanks roll on Croatia Columns of federal army tanks and armour have crossed into Croatia and attacked the republics forces in three small border villages, Croatia said. The border towns of Nijemd, Lipovac and Tovarnik were under fire from howitzers, tanks and cannons, a Defence Ministry spokesman in Zagreb said. A spokesman in Vinkoyci, about 35 kilometres away, said it appeared the attack was aimed at lifting a Croatian blockade of the federal army there. Kinney called up At 28, Simon Kinney measures the weight of his baton with astonishing assurance. On Wednesday he found himself in the pit conducting; the Australian Operas Der Rosenkavalier after only 24 hours notice, when Stuart Challender was forced to step aside due to ill health. Its the kind of scenario he regards as a challenge rather than a nightmare. The performance went swimmingly and the conductor himself admits to being extremely pleased. Gais day A man who is already behind bars after allegedly trying to kill a member of the Hamze clan has been charged over the drive-by shooting murder of Sydney crime figure Bilal Hamze outside a Japanese restaurant in Sydneys CBD last year. Samuel Rokomaqisa, 32, was charged over the murder on Tuesday at Silverwater Jail where he is already facing multiple charges over his alleged involvement in a failed plot to kill Bilals brother, Ibrahem. Samuel Rokomaqisa is arrested for his alleged involvement in a plot to kill Ibrahem Hamze. Credit:Nine Ibrahem is thought to owe his life to traffic police who pulled over a car close to his North Sydney apartment block in August last year before Rokomaqisa was subsequently charged. Homicide squad Commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said police were investigating whether Rokomaqisa was a hired hit man. He said he expected more people to be arrested in relation to the murder. The case of convicted child killer Keli Lane is among those likely to be caught up in the new no body, no parole laws set for introduction in NSW, but experts warn the change may result in little more than false hope for families after similar laws introduced in other states produced nothing. The NSW governments proposed bill, being called Lyns law after Lynette Dawson who was murdered by her husband Chris Dawson in 1982, would make co-operating with police and leading them to victims remains mandatory for any chance of getting parole. But at 74 and likely to receive a substantial minimum sentence later this year, its unclear whether strengthened parole rules would provide any incentive for Dawson, who has always maintained his innocence, to reveal the whereabouts of his long-dead first wife. Chris Dawson was found guilty of the 1992 murder of his wife, Lynette Dawson. Credit:Nick Moir, NSW Supreme Court David Jenkins, Lynettes nephew, said he doubts Dawson, whose lawyers have said they intend to appeal the verdict, will change. Well have to see what the sentence is to see if parole is a realistic possibility for him anyway. The father of eight-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs, who a religious group allegedly prayed over instead of getting medical help, has refused to view the evidence put against him in the murder case. A total of 14 people, part of a religious group made up of three families known as the Saints, which police say held differing views, have been arrested and charged in relation to Elizabeths death. Eight-year-old Queensland girl Elizabeth Rose Struhs died in Rangeville at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in January. Credit:Nine News Her body was found in a home at Rangeville in the Toowoomba region, west of Brisbane, in January. Two of the people charged are Elizabeths parents, Jason Richard Struhs, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs. Her death, police will allege, was the result of her being denied treatment for diabetes for about six days. Sweeping restrictions on the operations of Melbournes Crown casino, forcing punters to set limits on their time and losses, have passed the Victorian parliament. The casino will need to set the new limitations by the end of next year under the legislation, which passed the upper house on Tuesday afternoon, a month after the bill was first introduced to parliament. The Royal Commission into Crown Melbournes suitability to hold a casino licence delivered a scathing report in October last year. Credit:Scott McNaughton The full changes contained in the Casino Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Implementation and Other Matters) Bill 2022 must be introduced at the casino by no later than December 2025, to allow for the development of technology that does not currently exist. A cash cap of $1000 every 24 hours will need to be implemented by the end of next year to tackle money laundering, and anyone who gambles more than that will have to use casino-issued cards. The knives are out, yet again, for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But this time, were all in the crosshairs by association. It comes as a photograph of Meghan wiping away a tear after the Queens funeral service on Monday pin-balled around the Internet. A common thread in the comments section went something like this: Was it tears of guilt for the woman you disrespected? Criticising others sometimes comes really naturally, says Dr Meg Elkins, a behavioural and cultural economist at RMIT, of those who have condemned Meghan, pictured at the Queens funeral in London, for crying. Its often easier than criticising ourselves. Credit:Twitter We can all relate to that, says Dr Meg Elkins, a behavioural and cultural economist at RMITs Behavioural Business Lab. By this, Elkins means that weve all either indulged in Meghans perceived social crime expressing sadness about someone weve previously bitched about. Or were currently bitching about someone about whom we may in the deep dark of night ask ourselves: What am I possibly going to say when they die? How will I show respect to their loved ones without being deemed a stone-cold hypocrite? Russia on Tuesday sought to pave the way for the formal annexation of Ukrainian territory. The backing of referendum plans in areas its soldiers control were immediately dismissed by Ukraine and the West. The referendum plans come after nearly seven months of war, including a critical battlefield defeat in northeastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. Credit:AP In what appeared to be choreographed requests, Russian-backed officials across 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory an area about the size of Hungary or Portugal lined up to request referendums on joining Russia. The self-styled Donetsk (DPR) and the Luhansk Peoples Republics (LPR), which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent just before the invasion, and Russian-installed officials in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have asked for votes. ~Unforeseen issues stall legislative processes~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs was slated to clarify the last questions before it would go to a vote during Parliament today, Monday, September 19. This was the continuation of meeting number 23 for the Parliamentary year 2022/2023, which was proposed to amend the ordinance regulating the 12.5% cut on civil servants. However, the meeting was abruptly and unceremoniously adjourned by the Chairlady of Parliament due to a carried proposal aimed at adding an agenda point to the meeting. While it was not the outcome Prime Minister had expected, there remains another opportunity to return to Parliament once the meeting is reconvened to approve the laws. The previous meeting was scheduled to resume last week but was postponed due to technical challenges. Its unfortunate that we were not able to finalize this process after several attempts to do so. It remains the goal of the Government of Sint Maarten to see this law passed, stated Prime Minister Jacobs. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is traveling to New York later today for the United Nations General Assembly which was scheduled prior to the delays, as such she looks forward to the reconvening of the meeting upon her return. PHILIPSBURG:--- During today's Public Meeting of Parliament (Sept 19, 2022), President of Parliament MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten abruptly adjourned the meeting, convened to ratify the payment of civil servants' vacation pay, and begin the removal of the 12.5% cuts imposed on civil servants. MP Heyliger-Marten's action came after learning of the proposal to thank her for serving as Chair and relieve her of her duties. The decision to change the Chairperson resulted from MP Heyliger-Marten's reluctance to agree to work with all members of the Coalition. These very members form a majority that appoints the President of Parliament. According to members of the United People's Party/National Alliance UP/NA Coalition, the recent walkout on Parliament by MP Heyliger-Marten is consistent with challenges they have faced when attempting to discuss matters regarding Governing the Country. MP Heyliger-Marten openly objected to supporting the expanded UP/NA Coalition she was once part of as a member of the UP Party because she was unwilling to work with the two last MPs to sign the coalition agreement (MP Chanel Brownbill and MP Akeem Arrindell). Leader of the United People's Party MP Rolando Brison said he tried for several months to delay the removal of his colleague MP in favor of a more amicable solution despite the risk of instability it would cause. "I have exhausted every form of communication personally, with messages, emails, and meetings," said MP Brison. Despite sticking to his agreements as requested to improve himself, MP Heyliger Heyliger-Marten cut off communication with her Party Leader. He explained that both himself and MP Heyliger-Marten agreed that he would step down as Chair temporarily to allow himself time for reflection and improvement, which I did to the satisfaction of the vast majority of the UP board, UP MP's and Minister and other party supporters. "The time has long passed when I should have gone back to the position, but I chose to leave MP Heyliger-Marten in as Chair. I only requested that she continue supporting the Coalition, and I agreed to assist her where necessary. MP Brison said, "When it became clear that MP Heyliger-Marten was not willing to support the Coalition and was actually "fuelling the flames of the opposition", the UP/NA Coalition members decided they could not continue with her as Chair. The Chairperson must be a Member of Parliament committed to working with one another as a coalition. " The President of Parliament position is for an individual Member of Parliament that commits to being part of a majority that supports the Coalition in Government. "I tried several times to get MP Heyliger-Marten to listen to reason, but she has refused to work with me as Leader of the UP Party," said Brison. "The fact is, going in the direction MP Heyliger-Marten wants UP go to would result in the Government falling. This instability would bring an abrupt end to all of the ongoing hard work of the present Government, including UP Party Minister Omar Ottley, who currently holds two Ministries and is performing irrefutably well to the benefit of our people. She refused to step aside. Therefore, the Coalition decided the best course of action was to thank MP Heyliger-Marten for serving as President of Parliament and relieve her of her duty. Whether we agree or disagree, MP Heyliger-Marten would have my full support on matters relating to the public good as a member of the UP Party. My efforts to get her to listen to reason and work as part of a team will never end." Brison said, "Ultimately, as Leader of the Party, I would not allow a member of another party to reprimand and remove my MP, but I also have a responsibility to think of the greater good for the Country. A tough decision that can only fall on the party's leader." He said it was not an easy decision to request the proposal himself, "especially considering the person whom I admire and care about being on the receiving end," Brison expressed concern that the instability painted a discouraging picture of St. Maarten for investors and the rest of the world and lamented the need to put aside personal agendas to deliver on the promises made to the people. He also thinks that the MP putting her wishes ahead of handling the civil servants' legislation that would begin to reverse the 12.5% salary cuts is a bridge too far. "What should be treated as an internal matter is now affecting the people of the Country," said Brison. "We suffered through Hurricane Irma, COVID-19, and the closure of business. To ask anyone to risk the Government's fall and create further instability to keep one MP in the position of Chair of Parliament is unreasonable. We must put St. Maarten first. " MP Brison said he respects MP Heyliger-Marten's decision not to want to work with particular coalition members. However, once she makes that choice, it would have been best to step down from a position appointed by the coalition members who vote for the Chair of Parliament. "But I also have to respect the position of the other members of the Coalition. After three months of trying to find a solution to this situation, I accepted that I had exhausted all options. "Unfortunately, it had to be done." And I decided it would be best for such a motion to come from myself and not have another MP handle something that is a portfolio of the UP," said MP Brison. ~Hurricane Fiona threatens more countries~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs wishes to extend her thoughts and prayers to those who have been negatively affected by Tropical Storm Fiona turned hurricane, as well as those directly in the path of Hurricane Fiona. St. Maarten/St. Martin has been spared the full force this time around. Our people have learned from our experiences not too long ago and we were able to have plans set in place to secure our people. However, we must not take for granted that there has been great devastation in the region including loss of life as a result of flash flooding. We pray for all those negatively affected by the heavy flooding. Said Prime Minister Jacobs. The Prime Minister went on to say, We must keep our sister islands in mind, particularly the USVI as well as Puerto Rico, who recently shared in our devastation a few years ago while still dealing with the recent world pandemic. They are suffering from power outages as well as reliving very fresh trauma. We pray for Gods mercies while their leaders work to get their grids back up and running. As vulnerable island nations directly impacted by climate change, we know how difficult it can be to survive between disasters. I join with the people of St. Maarten in praying that there is no more loss of life and a swift recovery for our Caribbean neighbors. I also encourage those who can, to lend support where possible and make donations to known local and international agencies which offer assistance in times of disaster. In space, nobody can hear you scream, but with the right equipment, it is possible to detect a roar. That's what scientists discovered back in 2006 when they began to look for distant signals in the universe using a complex instrument fixed to a huge balloon that was sent to space. The instrument was able to pick up radio waves from the heat of distant stars, but what came through that year was nothing short of astounding. As the instrument listened from a height of about 23 miles (37 kilometers), it picked up a signal that was six times louder than expected by cosmologists. Because it was too loud to be early stars and far greater than the predicted combined radio emission from distant galaxies, the powerful signal caused great puzzlement. And scientists still don't know what is causing it, even today. What's more, it could hamper efforts to search for signals from the first stars that formed after the Big Bang . The instrument that detected the mysterious roaring signal was the Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission (ARCADE) (opens in new tab), which NASA built to extend the study of the cosmic microwave background spectrum at lower frequencies. Related: What noises do planets make? David Crookes Science and technology journalist David Crookes is a regular contributor to Space.com and our sister publication All About Space magazine. He has written many space mystery articles ranging from a weird signal from the Milky Way to investigating whether our brains can help prove the universe is conscious. The mission's science goals as ARCADE floated high above Earth's atmosphere , free of interference from our planet were to find heat from the first generation of stars, search for particle physics relics from the Big Bang and observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies. It accomplished these goals by scanning 7% of the night sky for radio signals since distant light becomes radio waves as it loses energy over distance. A surprisingly strong signal ARCADE was able to make "absolutely calibrated zero-level" measurements, which means it was measuring the actual brightness of something in real physical terms rather than relative terms. This was different from typical radio telescopes, which observe and contrast two points in the sky. By looking at all of the "light" and comparing it to a blackbody source, ARCADE was able to see the combination of many dim sources. It was then that the intensity of one particular signal became apparent, albeit over many months. "While it might make a good movie to see us surprised when we see the light meter pop over to a value six times what was expected, we actually spent years getting ready for our balloon flight and a very busy night taking data," said NASA scientist Dale J. Fixsen. "It then took months of data analysis to first separate instrumental effects from the signal and then to separate galactic radiation from the signal. So the surprise was gradually revealed over months." That said, the impact was still huge. Since then, scientists have looked to see where the radiation is coming from while looking to describe the properties of the signal. The latter became apparent rather quickly. "It's a diffuse signal coming from all directions, so it is not caused by any one single object," said Al Kogut, who headed the ARCADE team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The signal also has a frequency spectrum, or 'color,' that is similar to radio emission from our own Milky Way galaxy ." Scientists call the signal "radio synchrotron background" background being an emission from many individual sources and blending together into a diffuse glow. But because the "space roar" is caused by synchrotron radiation, a type of emission from high-energy charged particles in magnetic fields, and because every source has the same characteristic spectrum, pinpointing the origin of this intense signal is difficult. "It has been known since the late 1960s that the combined radio emission from distant galaxies should form a diffuse radio background coming from all directions," Kogut told All About Space in an email. "The space roar is similar to this expected signal, but there doesn't seem to be six times more galaxies in the distant universe to make up the difference, which could point to something new and exciting as the source." The Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission (ARCADE) mission's balloon is inflated prior to launch (Image credit: NASA) (opens in new tab) Is the space roar coming from inside the Milky Way? Whether or not this source is inside or outside the Milky Way is under debate. "There are good arguments why it cannot be coming from within the Milky Way, and good arguments for why it cannot be coming from outside the galaxy," Kogut said. One reason it probably isn't coming from within our galaxy is because the roar doesn't seem to follow the spatial distribution of Milky Way radio emission. But nobody is saying for certain that the signal isn't from a source closer to home only that the smart money is on it coming from elsewhere. All About Space (Image credit: Future) This article is brought to you by All About Space (opens in new tab). All About Space (opens in new tab) magazine takes you on an awe-inspiring journey through our solar system and beyond, from the amazing technology and spacecraft that enables humanity to venture into orbit, to the complexities of space science. "I wouldn't quite say that scientists have largely ruled out the possibility of the radio synchrotron background originating from our galaxy," said Jack Singal, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Richmond in Virginia, who recently led a workshop on the matter. "However, I would say that this explanation does seem to be less likely. "The primary reason is that it would make our galaxy completely unlike any similar spiral galaxy (opens in new tab), which as far as we can tell do not exhibit the sort of giant, spherical, radio-emitting halo extending far beyond the galactic disk that would be required. There are other issues as well, such as that it would require a complete rethinking of our models of the galactic magnetic field." Fixsen agrees wholeheartedly. "In other spiral galaxies there is a close relation between the infrared and radio emission, even in small sections of these others," he said. "So, if it is from a halo around our galaxy, it would make the Milky Way a weird galaxy, while in most other respects it seems like a 'normal' spiral galaxy." Extragalactic origin? Experts think the signal is primarily extragalactic in origin. "It would make it the most interesting photon background in the sky at the moment because the source population is completely unknown," Singal said. But since the universe is so vast this doesn't exactly narrow things down that much, which is why scientists have been working hard to come up with multiple theories for the signal's source. American physicist David Brown, for example, said the space roar could be "the first great empirical success of M-theory , " a broad mathematical framework encompassing string theory . "There might be a Fredkin-Wolfram automaton spread across multitudes of alternate universes, yielding recurrent physical time with endless repetitions of all possible physical events," Brown wrote on the FQXi Community blog (opens in new tab). What this supposes is that the early universe had much more real matter than today, accounting for the powerful radio signal. The space roar could be "the first great empirical success of M-theory," a broad mathematical framework encompassing string theory. - Physicist David Brown But if that is too far out, there are other theories to get your teeth into. "Radio astronomers have looked at the sky and have identified a couple of types of synchrotron sources," Fixsen said. Synchrotron radiation is easy to make, he said. "All you need is energetic particles and a magnetic field, and there are energetic particles everywhere, produced by supernovas, stellar winds, black holes, even OB stars," which are hot, massive stars of spectral type O or early-type B. "Intergalactic space seems to be filled with very hot gas, so if intergalactic magnetic fields were strong enough [stronger than predicted], they could generate smooth synchrotron radiation," he said. It is also known that synchrotron radiation is associated with star production. "This also generates infrared radiation, hence the close correlation," Fixsen said. "But perhaps the first stars generated synchrotron radiation yet, before metals were produced, they did not generate very much infrared radiation. Or perhaps there is some process that we haven't thought of yet." So what does this leave us with? "Possible sources include either diffuse large-scale mechanisms such as turbulently merging clusters of galaxies, or an entirely new class of heretofore unknown incredibly numerous individual sources of radio emission in the universe," Singal said. "But anything in that regard is highly speculative at the moment, and some suggestions that have been raised include annihilating dark matter, supernovas of the first generations of stars and many others." Some scientists have suggested gases in large clusters of galaxies could be the source, although it's unlikely ARCADE's instruments would have been able to detect radiation from any of them. Similarly, there is a chance that the signal was detected from the earliest stars or that it is originating from lots of otherwise dim radio galaxies, the accumulative effect of which is being picked up. But if this was the case then they'd have to be packed incredibly tightly, to the point that there is no gap between them, which appears unlikely. Could gases from large clusters of galaxies be the source of the space roar? (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, RELICS) (opens in new tab) How the 13-year-old mystery could be solved "Of course, there is also the possibility that there has been a coincidence of errors among ARCADE and the other measurements to date that have mismeasured the level of the radio synchrotron background," Singal said. "This does seem unlikely, given that these are very different instruments measuring in quite different frequency bands." Whatever the signal is, it's also causing issues when it comes to detecting other space objects. As NASA has pointed out in the past, the earliest stars are hidden behind the space roar, and that is making them more difficult to detect. It's as if the universe is giving with one hand and taking with another, but to have uncovered something so unusual is immensely exciting. When you're ruling out an origin from primordial stars and known radio sources such as gas in the outermost halo of our galaxy, it's a mystery any scientist would savour with relish. "Beyond that, I think we may need some brilliant new origin hypothesis that nobody has thought of yet." - Astrophysicist Jack Singal In order for scientists to finally resolve this 13-year conundrum, more research and evidence is sorely needed. As it stands, there is a debate over sending ARCADE back up given the advent of new technology, and given its precise set of instruments, immersed in more than 500 gallons of ultra-cold liquid helium to make them even more sensitive, there would certainly be no harm in doing so. But there are also new projects emerging which could help. "One of them will use the 300-foot [91 meter] radio telescope at Green Bank, West Virginia, to map the radio sky to higher precision than before," Kogut said. "Perhaps this will shed some light on the mystery." Singal certainly hopes so. He is working on the Green Bank Telescope project, making use of the largest clear-aperture radio telescope in the world to measure the level of the background as a primary, rather than ancillary goal. It will do this using a definitive, purpose-built, absolutely calibrated zero-level measurement taken at the megahertz (MHz) frequencies where the radio sky is brightest. (A megahertz is equal to a million hertz.) "This measurement is currently being developed by a team which I am on, utilizing custom instrumentation which will be mounted on the telescope," Singal explained. There is also going to be another measurement attempt, this one looking to measure or further limit the so-called "anisotropy," or variation of the radio synchrotron background, again at the MHz frequencies where it dominates. "That is not its absolute level, but rather the small differences from place to place in the sky," Singal said. "With some collaborators, I am trying a first attempt at that using the Low-Frequency Array [LOFAR] in The Netherlands. Both of these measurements in concert can help nail down whether the radio synchrotron background is primarily galactic or extragalactic in origin. Beyond that, I think we may need some brilliant new origin hypothesis that nobody has thought of yet." This article was adapted from a previous version published in All About Space magazine, a Future Ltd. publication. Additional resources Read more about the Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology (opens in new tab), Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission (ARCADE) mission from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Learn about synchrotron radiation (opens in new tab) with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Discover more about the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope from ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (opens in new tab). Bibliography Becker, K. (2017, August 28). Galaxy clusters offer clues to dark matter and Dark Energy. Phys.org. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://phys.org/news/2017-08-galaxy-clusters-clues-dark-energy.html Brown, D. Is Milgrom's modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) fundamental for philosophy, science, and the physical interpretation of string theory? Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/2985 NASA. Arcade - absolute radiometer for cosmology, astrophysics, diffuse emission. NASA. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/arcade/ Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (440) Jan 2014 (545) Feb 2014 (475) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (921) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sep 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (47) The 63rd meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI) of the Council of Europe will take place, September 22-23, at the Palace of Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs in a press release. The organization of this meeting in Bucharest takes place in the context in which Alina Orosan, Director General for Legal Affairs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs serves her second-term as the CAHDI chair. This session's agenda includes topics regularly addressed by the CAHDI, as well as current topics regarding the application of international law in cyberspace or the debate on the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of public international law. The CAHDI participants will also have an exchange of views with the president of this year's session of the International Law Commission (CDI), Dire Tladi, on the report of this body's current session. The CAHDI sessions are not public. On the sidelines of this session, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the CAHDI, is organizing, on September 21, 2022, an international seminar on the "State obligations on immunities of State officials under international law" topic.AGERPRES Romfilatelia launched an issue of postage stamps dedicated to the anniversary of 90 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and the Sovereign Order of Malta, which was presented on Monday by the Ambassador of the Order, Roberto Musneci. According to Romfilatelia, the topic chosen to illustrate the layouts of the joint issue had in mind the collaboration in the field of humanitarian assistance and numerous projects carried out by the Sovereign Order in our country in the field of medical assistance, disaster relief, support for the disabled, the elderly, the young, of Roma children and other categories of people in vulnerable conditions. Also, the Sovereign Order of Malta, through the Maltese Aid Service in Romania and the Romanian Association of the Order of Malta, has provided concrete support to our country in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a press release from Romfilatelia sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, reads. The Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta thanked Romfilatelia for the collaboration in making this issue of postage stamps. The stamp with the nominal value of 10 RON depicts a joint action of the Maltese Aid Service in Romania and the Romanian firefighters during an urgent snow removal intervention. On the stamp with the face value of 16 RON, volunteers of the Maltese Aid Service in Romania are presented while providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees at the border with Romania. The first relations between the Romanian people and the Maltese Order date back to the 13th century when, through the Diploma of the Knights of Ioannidis, King Bela IV of Hungary invited them to settle in southwestern Banat. At the same time, historians consider that the first hospital on the current territory of Romania was founded by them in northwestern Oradea, long before the one in central Sibiu, whose documentary attestation dates back to 1292. 90 years ago, in 1932, the foundations were laid for the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, at legation level, and on January 27, 1933, the first diplomatic representative of the Order, Count Michel de Pierredon, presented his credentials in Bucharest. The relations ended in 1948, without being explicitly denounced by the parties, and in 1962 the Romanian Association of Members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta was established, which will function in exile until 1991, the year in which bilateral relations are resumed, this time raised at the embassy level.AGERPRES BEIJING, Sept. 20 -- Recently, a base under the PLA Naval Aviation University organized a live-fire shooting exercise for J-15 fighter jets over the shore of Bohai Bay. According to a carrier-based aircraft flight instructor of the university, this exercise was a very intense one with several rounds of jets dispatched. And the complex weather conditions had made it much more difficult for the pilots to aim, shoot and drop bombs. The training has tested the pilots' ability to fire ammunitions in actual combat scenarios, verified the performance of weapons and equipment, and accumulated valuable experience for follow-up training. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu had a working meeting with counterparts from African states on Monday on the sidelines of the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, in New York, the ministry informs in a press release. According to the source, the meeting was attended by ministers of foreign affairs from Comoros, Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, Gambia, Mamadou Tangara, Cote d'Ivoire, Kandia Kamissoko Camara, and from Somalia, Abshir Omar Jama. During the same day, Minister Bogdan Aurescu had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Senegalese outside of the Republic of Senegal, Aissata Tall Sall. "The discussions with the five African counterparts have focused both on the development of bilateral cooperation and on the intensification of collaboration in multilateral fora, including to combat the multidimensional effects of the illegal war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, especially the food crisis. They were also a very good opportunity to reiterate the commitment and firm interest of our country for the revitalization and development of bilateral and sectoral cooperation with the states represented by the five ministers, with which Romania shares a traditional friendship. In this context, Minister Aurescu addressed to his counterparts the invitation to make a visit to Romania," the release reads. The head of Romanian diplomacy recalled that Romania's commitment to developing relations with African states was reconfirmed at the highest level during the participation of President Klaus Iohannis at the European Union-African Union Summit in Brussels on February 17-18, 2022. The discussions also focused on the latest developments in the Black Sea region, and Minister Bogdan Aurescu made a comprehensive presentation of the challenges created by the illegal, unjustified and unprovoked military aggression of Russia against Ukraine, as well as of the multidimensional support granted by Romania to Ukraine. Also, the Romanian minister expressed support for the implementation of the Agreement on Cereals from Ukraine - Black Sea Grain Initiative, concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 and noted that it is absolutely necessary for it to continue after October 30. In this context, he pointed out the need to continue support for Ukraine, including from the perspective of food security.AGERPRES Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting, on Monday, with the representatives of the leadership of the main international Jewish organizations, on the sidelines of the work of the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA), informs a press release sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). According to the cited source the head of Romanian diplomacy had talks with representatives of B'nai B'rith International, World Jewish Congress, Conference of the Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry, World Jewish Restitution Organization and Anti -Defamation League. The main topics on the agenda of Romania's cooperation with these organizations were addressed, the priorities within the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, including in the context of the 25th anniversary of its launch in 2022, as well as within the bilateral relationship of strategic importance between Romania and Israel, assessments on regional files, especially in the Black Sea region and the Middle East, the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Romania's actions to prevent and combat anti-Semitism, Holocaust education and the promotion of rights for Holocaust survivors and their descendants. The Romanian minister presented, in detail, Romania's assessment of the security situation in the Black Sea region generated by Russia's unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war against Ukraine, as well as its impact on European and Euro-Atlantic security. The head of Romanian diplomacy highlighted the multidimensional aid offered by Romania to Ukraine, including by receiving and hosting Ukrainian refugees, evacuating citizens of third countries, including the State of Israel (over 5,000) and facilitating the transit of grain from Ukraine through Romania, including through the Port of Constanta and the Danube ports. The Romanian minister also mentioned a series of priorities in the relationship with the United States, such as the increase in energy security, through civil nuclear energy projects, included. Bogdan Aurescu also emphasized the importance of making tangible progress regarding Romania's accession to the Visa Waiver, an essential common objective of Romania and the USA, long awaited by the Romanian society. At the same time, he referred to the intensity of bilateral contacts with Israel, highlighting the strategic nature of the relationship between Romania and Israel. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also addressed regional security developments, with reference to the Middle East Peace Process, reiterating Romania's support for a sustainable solution based on the solution of the two states, Israel and Palestine, to coexist in peace and security, as the only option viable that meets the aspirations of both parties. At the same time, Aurescu reiterated Romania's decision to strengthen its role as a regional model in terms of combating anti-Semitism and preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, including through the project of the National Museum of Jewish History and the Holocaust or the monitoring of the implementation of the National Strategy to prevent and combat anti-Semitism, xenophobia , radicalization and hate speech. He also mentioned the efforts of the Romanian Government regarding the granting of pensions for Holocaust survivors and the process of restitution of Jewish properties.AGERPRES The horrors witnessed during the Russian war in Ukraine are "a bitter lesson of the fragility of democracies," Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu told the opening on Tuesday of the Community of Democracies Youth Forum. "Your generation was raised to know no war. The values of democracy, the spirit of freedom and human rights which set the rules-based international order created the ground for peace and a better world for the generations to come. However, the horrors we have witnessed in Ukraine since the end of February, an attack not only on security, but also on the fundamental values and principles of democracy, is a bitter lesson of the fragility of democracies," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy in a pre-recorded message, told Agerpres. He added that "this is also a lesson about the resilience and strength of the democratic credo, even in young democracies and in the minds and hearts of the people." "The bravery of the Ukrainian people, including of young people just like you, in defending their liberty and democracy is an inspiration. Therefore, it is our moral obligation not only to support and assist them, but also to uphold and defend democratic principles worldwide," added Aurescu. The forum's theme is "Reversing the Democracy Disconnect," and the event is part of the series of events held by the Romanian presidency of the Community of Democracies (2019 - 2022). This was the third edition of the forum under the Romanian presidency of the Community of Democracies, after those in 2021. The Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization (MCID) has put into public debate the draft decision on the governance of the Governmental Cloud Platform that establishes standards, rules and obligations necessary for the operational, procedural and technical activities of the organization and functioning of IT infrastructures and cloud services. The Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Sebastian Burduja, stated that the draft includes suggestions from the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The government cloud project establishes the framework for "safer and more resilient" public institutions' IT systems. The aim is to increase the efficiency of spending public money, without having public institutions that carry out separate acquisitions of IT systems, if the related services can be provided through the government cloud. Transparency and responsibility are also taken into account - journaling, auditing, notifications, "strict" observance of citizens' rights and freedoms. Another aspect of the project, the mentioned source shows, is that it gives the possibility of easier interconnection of public institutions, reducing citizens' journeys to counters and bureaucracy, on the "one time" principle - the state asks the citizen for information or a document only once . "Assumed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), as a fundamental pillar of accelerating the digital transformation of the Romanian administration, the Government Cloud Platform will bring together projects already under implementation in the field of e-government, ensuring a legal framework for establishing a unified modality regarding the development of IT systems at the level of authorities and public institutions," the ministry press release states. AGERPRES The personnel norms in the medical field, which are old, must be adapted to the realities, on Tuesday said the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, at an online debate dubbed "Romania's Health Programmes: the intelligent use of patients' contribution", organized within the CursDeGuvernare Conferences /GoverningClass conferences. "It is important to understand that the personnel norms - whether we are talking about medical personnel or other categories of personnel working in the field of health - must be adapted to reality. We see that there are many things that no longer fit. Probably in the future we shall reach an area of flexibility for hospital wards. These wards, which traditionally have a certain number of beds and exclusively serve patients with certain types of pathologies, must become flexible and adapt to the needs of medical services in a certain moment. It is clear that these personnel norms, which are quite old, must also be adapted to the realities", said Rafila. He recalled the adoption of a legislative piece related to the possibility of financing telemedicine services. According to the minister, during this year or at the beginning of next year there will be a very big opening for the expansion of telemedicine services. "It is clear that from this year, the beginning of next year, there will be a very large opening for the expansion of telemedicine services, especially since we are always discussing patients' access to health services, on the one hand. On the other hand, we are discussing the lack of human resources in certain areas and it is clear that telemedicine is one of the normal, coherent answers. Moreover, there is also a strategy at the WHO level. The European region of the organization promotes such a policy to expand access to telemedicine services," the Minister of Health added.AGERPRES The local cultural heritage of the Otelec area, as a perfect stopover between bike rides on the banks of the Bega river, will be capitalized starting this weekend, with the temporary opening of a border crossing point with Serbia, with many tourists being expected to travel on the bicycle track between Romania and the neighbouring country, told Agerpres. The head of the Association for the Promotion and Development of Tourism (APDT) Timis, Delia Barbu, on Tuesday stated that a series of activities are to be launched in collaboration with the Municipality of Otelec, aimed at attracting travelers to the villages near the border. "We want to shed light on the local cultural heritage of the area, to retain in the location the travelers who use the bike track coming from Timisoara as well as from Serbia and Hungary and, subsequently, to develop local tourism services. With a series of elements of original presentations, the Otelec destination can surprise and satisfy the expectations of any type of traveler, regardless of whether we are talking about a passion for architecture, gastronomy, art or leisure. The locations and contacts presented now will remain promoted by the Timis Tourism Association for future travelers to visit the area outside of this weekend's events," explained Delia Barbu. After pedaling for 30 kilometres, starting from Timisoara on the longest asphalted bicycle lane in Romania, right at the end of the country towards Serbia, the tourist arrives in Otelec, where he/she can spend the night. Otelec is one of the ports where passenger ships and cargo ships used to dock. It is said that, in those days, every Thursday, a ship came from Otelec to Timisoara, and the housewives did their shopping directly from its deck. The story is reborn today, together with the development plans of the local authorities in this rural town. Those who arrive here can encounter colonies of nightingales, protected birds that feed on the salt meadows in the area, while the farmland is being used by both nesting and migrating birds that gather for the night. The Hungarian community in the rural town presents its culture and traditions in different ways, from gastronomic festivals to holiday shows, from exhibitions to various presentations. One of the objectives that can be permanently visited in the locality is the former school, today transformed into a museum and cultural centre managed by local plastic artist Geza Molnar. The building was built at the beginning of the 19th century and initially functioned as a school and house of prayer, being today the tallest rammed earth building in the locality and the oldest building in the rural town that has remained in its current form. The Otelec area also offers tourists the possibility to visit the Jewish cemetery, one of the 26 existing in the county, where members of Jewish families from the rural town are buried and who made important contributions to the life of the locality. Just four kilometres away is the village of Iohanisfeld, where visitors can admire a small ostrich farm. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca had, on Tuesday, at the Victoria Palace, a meeting with the representatives of the Coalition for the Development of Romania, in which context topics such as tax reform, Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, the Structural Funds and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) were discussed. According to a press release sent by the Government, among the topics of discussion were the protection of vulnerable consumers, reforms and security at risk. "The entire Government is involved in Romania's accession to the Schengen area. It is a wish for which even the representatives of the Coalition for the Development of Romania are taking steps, because increased mobility and saved time will contribute directly to the growth of our role in the European and international economy. The consultation with the business environment helped us to clarify our common priorities. As I have reiterated, to make sustainable government decisions you need numbers, correct, real and complete information. There will be a series of meetings of working groups that will focus both on the area of reforms and on the area of investments," said the prime minister, quoted in the press release. On topics related to the Education Law and health reforms, working groups will be formed next to the relevant ministries, the Government specifies. The delegation of the Coalition for the Development of Romania was formed by representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham), the Association of Romanian Businesspeople (AOAR), the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania (CCIFER), the Confederation of Employers Concordia, of the Foreign Investors Council (FIC), of AHK Romania and of the Romanian Business Leaders Foundation (RBL), told Agerpres. The government will continue to support the business environment with solutions to ensure an "appropriate" dynamic of the Romanian economy is maintained, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Tuesday, at the signing ceremony of the guarantee agreements for the new IMM Invest government programme, which took place at the Victoria Palace of Government. "Practically, we want nothing more than to continue to give assurances to entrepreneurs in Romania that, at the level of the Government and at the level of the other state institutions, as well as at the level of the banking system, we are looking for solutions so that we can support the business environment and succeed, through the measures we take together, through the sustained dialogue we have with the business environment, to ensure that an appropriate dynamic of the Romanian economy is maintained. I have said it every time, in a crisis situation, there is only one solution: investments , investments and investments again," said Ciuca. He added that the Government will continue to support the business environment, using both the national budget and European funds. The head of the Executive mentioned that on Tuesday morning he had a new meeting with the representatives of the Coalition for the Development of Romania, in search of solutions to support the business environment that covers the entire spectrum of economic and social activities. "I have the guarantee that through these steps we can continue to show the same level of solidarity and we can find the solutions that will support us to overcome as smoothly as possible the complicated situation we are going through today," added Ciuca.AGERPRES President Klaus Iohannis will lead the Romanian delegation that will participate in the high-level segment of the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in New York, the Presidential Administration informs. According to the source, the Romanian President's participation in this year's session will be an opportunity to highlight the position of our country regarding the current global challenges, in the context of the illegal and unprovoked aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which requires solidarity, unity and quick reaction, under the international law. "President Klaus Iohannis will also highlight, in his speech, the need for common solutions regarding other global challenges such as energy security, climate change, food security and access to education," the press release of the Presidential Administration also reads. On Tuesday, on the first day of the high-level segment of the general debates, the president will deliver a speech at the plenary session of the UN General Assembly. The Presidential Administration also informs that, at the invitation of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, leader of the African Union, the President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, and the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Iohannis will also participate in the Global Food Security Summit. On this occasion, the president will convey a message regarding our country's efforts to support grain transit from Ukraine and answer the concerns at the global level regarding a food crisis and how it can be avoided. The programme of the president in the US also includes a series of established formal events, included in the programme of each high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. As part of his participation in the UN General Assembly, President Klaus Iohannis will have a bilateral meeting with the President of the World Bank Group, David Malpass. The president's visit to the United States of America will also include a trip to San Francisco (California) on Thursday and Friday. On this occasion, Klaus Iohannis will have a meeting with members of the Romanian community. He will also meet with representatives of the management of some companies in the field of innovative technologies.AGERPRES The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) is organising, September 19-22, under its MoldArte project, a series of research visits to cultural institutions in the Moldovan cities of Soroca and Balti. The project partners participate in meetings with local decision-makers, with people who lead various cultural and tourism establishments, educational institutions, theatres, libraries, and also with folk crafts people and independent artists or artists on regular employment in order to improve knowledge of the cultural sector in Moldova and the development of possible partnerships and joint projects. "These visits aim to create a panorama of the cultural life in these cities, of the expectations of the local people: what they expect from the outside, from the inside, from anywhere, what their expectations are that would motivate them to open up to cultural co-operation, to this kind of relationship with Europe and with Romania. I hope that this project will continue to materialise some thoughts formulated now, because when those in the field formulate some needs and discover that perhaps international collaboration can answer these needs, they could become more open to this kind of interaction. I think things happen both ways. It's not something unilateral, Europe doesn't come up with money and respond to them, but they also open up to Europe and then things are somehow in both directions and it's naturally that it should be so. I think that this project is like a plinth for what is going to happen and I think that the resources that are on the moldarte.eu platform are very useful for any European cultural operator that would have Moldova as his or herpoint of interest," MoldArte artistic director Mirela Spataru told AGERPRES. Head of the Soroca Department of Culture and Tourism Grigore Bucataru pointed to the importance of allocating financial resources to support cultural activities and to promote local folk artists and craftsmen. He stated that, compared with other cities in Moldova, Soroca benefits from resources for the development of cultural activities and the organisation of events and expressed his hope that, following the meeting with MoldArte specialists, Soroca will get involved in future cultural projects both as an applicant and as a partner. "To us, this was an opportunity to promote ourselves, to make ourselves known. We have something to be proud of, we have something to show the world from a cultural and tourist point of view, and we want the discussions during this meeting to materialise into future projects, in support for funding, in the development of new partnerships," said Bucataru. As part of MoldArte, a series of courses and workshops by trainers from Romania will be provided in Chisinau in the coming days on subjects such as cultural management, cultural funding and participatory budgeting. The project implemented by ICR also includes the publication of articles and interviews on the way independent cultural activities are carried out, with the aim of covering a wide range of areas, from visual arts, to music and drama. Also, under MoldArte the series of podcasts on drama, literature and filmmaking continues, alongside training sessions for creating portfolios in literature, performing arts, visual arts and music and public discussions on various subjects of interest, mainly focused on the importance of education through culture, which can be followed on the project's online platform. MoldArte is a project funded by EUNIC under the European Spaces of Culture programme and organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut of Bucharest, the Embassy of Austria in Moldova and the Delegation of the European Union in Moldova. It is devised to develop the public cultural scene in Moldova, to stimulate the participation of cultural actors and their approach to current social and political issues. As many as 2,303 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 1,336 from the previous day, with 22,841 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Tuesday. Of the new cases, 575 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 - 308, and Timis - 166. The highest 14-day notification rate is in Cluj County - 2.25, followed by Timis County - 2.17. As of Tuesday, 3,256,352 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania. - Hospitalisations - As many as 1,562 people with COVID-19, down 142 from the previous reporting, including 161 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities. Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 124, down three from the previous day, are in intensive care. Of the 124 patients admitted to ICU, 114 are unvaccinated against COVID-19. - Deaths - According to the ministry, 16 Romanians, (10 men and 6 women) are reported dead in the last 24 hours, two in the age group 50-59 years, three in the 60-69 age group, five in the 70-79 age range and six in the age group over 80 years. All patients had comorbidities and five were vaccinated against COVID. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 66,937 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. Romania's salt exports to Central and Eastern Europe, namely Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Bulgaria and Poland, have recorded a significant increase this year, the Salrom National Salt Corporation reported on Tuesday. In 2022, the company also increased its production for the domestic market by over 100,000 tonnes from previous years. "The National Salt Corporation (Salrom SA) also fills in the place left vacant by the Donbas (Ukraine) Salt Authority in Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary has contracted, for this year alone, 200,000 tonnes of salt for snow removal, for which it will pay 10.2 million euros. Total salt exports to Hungary will exceed in 2022, 27 million euros, 10 million more than in 2021. Significant increases in Romanian salt exports in 2022 are recorded in Slovakia as well - over 82,000 tonnes (four times more than in 2021), Moldova and Bulgaria. Also, the amount delivered to Poland has increased," according to a Salrom press statement, told Agerpres. An increased production for the domestic market by over 100,000 tonnes has led to a doubling of revenues. "We are working in two, even three shifts, in order to be able to deliver what we have contracted," says Salrom manager Dan Dobrea. The company also started a series of investment in retooling, with one of the most important purchases being an automated salt mining machinery, worth 18.9 million lei, which has already been moved to the Praid mine and is about to be commissioned. Another similar machine will be purchased for Slanic Prahova. Salrom SA is the only salt producer in Romania and has approximately 1,500 employees. The company is 51% owned by the Romanian government through the Ministry of Economy, and the rest of the shares are owned by Fondul Proprietatea. The ruling coalition has started discussions on the 2023 national budget, aiming to finalise them in November, national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu announced on Tuesday. "Talks on the next year budget have begun in the coalition. I have already announced that it will be the first time in Romania's post December 1989 history when we start talks on the budget to complete them in November. You know how voting was done on Romania's budget: fast forward on Christmas Eve," said Ciolacu, at the Parliament House. He added that Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is collecting proposals from all ministers that could be included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan after negotiations with the European Commission, including on state pensions. "With the draft, we will go to Brussels to negotiate. It is possible that both the prime minister and I will go together to conduct these negotiations with the European Commission," said the PSD national leader. AGERPRES The 12th edition of the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (BIEFF ) proposes, for the first time, an international competition dedicated to films made by directors who are on their first or second feature film in their career, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday. Seven films that test the conventional limits of cinema are competing for the BIEFF 2022 Grand Prize worth 20,000 euros, consisting of post-production services offered by Avanpost. Among the surprises reserved for the public between September 27 and October 2 are titles appreciated and awarded by the juries of major cinematographic events. Both formally innovative and thematically challenging, the seven titles selected by Oana Ghera, artistic director of BIEFF, and Flavia Dima, associate curator, propose polemical approaches to some topics of contemporary interest, in ways that vary from to brave explorations of the surrounding realities up to fascinating exercises of imagination of surrealist inspiration, specify the organizers of the festival. The feature film "Super Natural", the debut of director Jorge Jacome, will be screened on the first day of the festival, at Cinema Elvire Popesco, followed, on September 28, by the film "Herbaria", directed by Leandro Listorti. On the same evening, the public can watch "Neptune Frost", an Afro-futurist musical with a political background. The film bears the signature of rapper Saul Williams and artist Anisia Uzeyman. The film "Piaffe", directed by Anne Oren, a story about the discovery of sexuality and the self told in a surrealist key, in which a foley artist prepares so intensely for a commercial in which she has to reproduce the sounds of a horse that her body mysteriously develops o tail will be screened on September 29, also at Cinema Elvire Popesco. The film "A Woman Escapes", directed by Sofia Bohdanowicz, Burak Cevik, Blake Williams, will be part of an event screening that will run in 3D Anaglyph format at Cinema Elvire Popesco, on September 30. On October 1, at 18:30, the national premiere of the film "El Gran Movimiento" will take place. On the same evening, the spectators will watch "Human Flowers of Flesh", directed by Helena Wittmann. The Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival is organized by the Manekino Cultural Association.AGERPRES The legal committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved, on Tuesday, the draft whistleblower law, under review at the request of President Klaus Iohannis, the Save Romania Union (USR) amendments being rejected, even though they would have facilitated the disclosure of irregularities in public institutions, according to a press release from the Save Romania Union. "The PSD-PNL-UDMR (Social Democratic Party, National Liberal Party, Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania) majority in the Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies re-adopted, today, the whistleblower law without taking into account the proposals of the USR that came to facilitate the disclosure of irregularities in public institutions by reintroducing anonymous reports," the quoted source states, told Agerpres. USR representatives claim that they formulated several amendments to this draft law, as a result of criticism from NGOs who showed that the form voted by the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition discourages anonymous reporting and, implicitly, the disclosure of irregularities. In this sense, the USR proposed that reports that do not include the name, surname, contact details or signature of the whistleblower in the public interest be examined and resolved to the extent that they contain sufficient information regarding violations of the law, and the majority of PSD-PNL- UDMR rejected the proposal. The integrity whistleblowers will have to communicate their personal contact data, which would obviously make them identifiable, it is shown in the aforementioned press release. USR MP Silviu Dehelean, vice-president of the Legal Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, maintains that PSD, PNL and UDMR continue to ignore European institutions, as in the case of justice laws. "Whistleblowers must be anonymous, but not in the view of the PNL and PSD. Otherwise, how could anyone denounce the corrupt heads of public institutions? I remind these people that the European prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has warned them that she will ask the European Commission to trigger against Romania the mechanism that conditions the granting of European money on compliance with the rule of law, if the law is not repaired. PSD, PNL and UDMR, however, continue to ignore the European institutions, as we have seen they did with the laws of justice," Dehelean said, as quoted in the press release. Yasmin Levy, the legend of Judeo-Spanish music, will perform in Bucharest, at the Palace Hall, on December 11, alongside her guitarist and the Bucharest Metropolitan Orchestra made up of over 80 artists, under the baton of conductor Daniel Jinga, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES. "I come from Israel to sing Sephardic music - the music of the Sephardic Jews who lived in Spain before 1492, the year they were forced to leave the Iberian territory. The text of these songs is in Ladino, the Old Spanish spoken more than five centuries ago, with influences from other languages as well. In addition, I am proud to combine the two cultures, Ladino and Flamenco, mixing at the same time influences from the Middle East. I am starting a 500-year-old musical journey, taking Ladino to Andalusia and mixing it with flamenco, the style that still carries the musical memories of the old Moorish and Judeo-Spanish world with the sound of the Arab world. In a way, it is a 'musical reconciliation' of history," said Yasmin Levy.AGERPRES ST. LOUIS A California-based company has taken over operations of South City Hospital, and the 190-bed facility is headed toward yet another sale. Should the sale be finalized, the new owners would become the fourth in as many years for the South City Hospital, formerly known as St. Alexius Hospital. The company, American Healthcare Systems, is operating South City Hospital under an interim management agreement, according to Mayer Klein, a Clayton-based lawyer listed in court records as representing the hospitals current owners, SA Hospital Acquisition Group. The companies also entered into an asset purchase agreement a few months ago. But the sale, which was first reported by the St. Louis Business Journal, is still in process, Klein said. Michael Sarian, chairman and CEO of American Healthcare Systems, said the company is just waiting on the transfer of the hospitals license, and the receipt of its Medicare and Medicaid numbers. The small, south St. Louis hospital has suffered years of financial hardship and a revolving door of leadership. Previous owners include Florida-based Promise Healthcare Group, which went bankrupt in 2018 and sold the hospital in 2019 to Americore Holdings. Americore Holdings filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2019 amid a flurry of lawsuits for nonpayment and allegations of mismanagement. In 2020, a bankruptcy court judge agreed to allow Americore to sell the hospital to SA Hospital Acquisition Group, a group of businessmen with backgrounds in health care and investing. The latest buyer, American Healthcare Systems, is a Glendale, California-based health care company that Sarian started after 10 years as president of hospital operations at Prime Healthcare Management. Sarian said his work at Prime was focused on turning around financially distressed hospitals, among them Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California, North Vista Hospital in Las Vegas, and St. Marys Hospital in Reno, Nevada. Sarian said he left Prime two years ago to form American Healthcare Systems. The companys first acquisition was Randolph Health Hospital in Asheboro, North Carolina. The company also plans to acquire a 350-bed hospital in Illinois. We want to take over hospitals that are in distress, and save those hospitals, break them into profitability, give them new life, and let them serve the community, Sarian said. When Sarian first took over South City Hospital, he said he was surprised at the shape it was in. He said paychecks were bouncing. Paramedics were bypassing the hospital. The patient census was 22. I said, This is going to make me bankrupt, Sarian said. But, he said, things are improving. He said he made much-needed additions to the physician pool, including an orthopedic surgeon and a gastrointestinal specialist. On Monday, he said, the patient census was 55. The hospital turned a small profit of just over $100,000 in August. He said the facility today has about 600 employees and is hiring more. South City Hospital was founded in 1869 by the Catholic order of Alexian Brothers. The main hospital is located at 3933 South Broadway. Until recently, the hospital operated the Lutheran School of Nursing about a half-mile north, at 2639 Miami Street. But in August, leadership said the school would be closing effective immediately. Sarian said American Healthcare Systems is not purchasing the Lutheran School of Nursing. My main focus is the hospital, Sarian said. I dont want to shift my focus. Because if I focus on the nursing school, Im not going to be able to focus on the hospital. ... I want to make sure the hospital survives. Alderman Cara Spencer, whose ward includes the hospital, said the nursing school campus has since fallen into utter disrepair and is in need of improvements. On Monday afternoon at the nursing school, boarded-up doors and ground-level windows were visible from the street. Spencer added that the hospital is an important employer in the community and serves some of the regions most vulnerable. Its imperative that they continue to operate, Spencer said. The St. Louis regions largest real estate trade group on Monday unveiled a plan to boost African American homeownership as part of an effort to redress its decades-long role in perpetuating housing discrimination. The St. Louis Realtors say the new initiative is an atonement for how it helped to keep the region segregated; many African Americans wanting to buy homes were denied mortgages, and real estate agents encouraged white homeowners to sell in fear that African Americans would move into their neighborhoods and lower property values efforts known today as redlining and blockbusting. St. Louis Realtors is painfully aware of the historical discriminatory laws, as well as the documented policies and practices of our national, state and local Realtor organizations that perpetuated discrimination against the Black community, said Katie Berry, president of the St. Louis Realtors. We apologize for all of these actions. Those efforts, the organization said, led to African Americans having the lowest rate of homeownership, at 45%, among any racial group in the country. White homeownership across the U.S. stands at 75%, according to the Census Bureau. Will Jordan, the executive director of the nonprofit fair housing agency Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council, praised the Realtors plan. He said the two organizations had often not agreed on housing issues in the past. The Realtors association is filling in history with the truth, he said. Thats very significant. ... You cant heal the community if you wont acknowledge the wrongs that have been done. The Realtors plan comes amid a nationwide racial reckoning that began in 2020 following the high-profile killings of several African Americans, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Their deaths sparked months of protests during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, many corporations sought to promote diversity and incorporate anti-racism training into their organizations. The National Association of Realtors, which is affiliated with the local group, released its own apology for racist practices in late 2020, calling its actions an outrage to our morals and our ideals. St. Louis Realtors effort began in July 2021. It released its plan Monday at Harris Stowe State University with more than four dozen community members and Black Realtors in attendance, including leaders such as St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and St. Louis Alderman Marlene Davis. The Realtors plan outlined 22 calls for action, including: Work to create a land bank in St. Louis County to address vacancy. Support state legislation that eliminates historic restrictive real estate covenants based on race or color that are still on the books, despite being outlawed in practice. Sponsor mentorship programs to attract and retain African Americans in real estate. The group plans to introduce legislation in next years state Legislative session to authorize St. Louis County to create land banks that would allow the county to sell vacant homes to the public. The homes titles would be free of liens or tax issues, the land bank would hold the title of any vacant home not sold at auction and maintain the properties until theyre sold. The group also said its efforts prompted the Missouri Real Estate Commission, which oversees the industry, to require a fair housing component in continuing education classes agents must take to renew their license. That will begin in 2024. We know we must continue to educate our members about the historical impacts importance and intricacies of their housing, Berry said. TUESDAY, Sept 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Sonia Dhaliwal knows exactly how bad childhood eczema can get. Thats because her young daughter, Ariah Nihal Khan, has struggled with a severe case of the skin condition ever since she was a baby. Ariah's symptoms were relentless and debilitating until the age of 3. They included rashes, skin discolorations all across her face, eyelids, hands and knees, and itching so bad that "she would literally wake up screaming and crying with blood spots from scratching," Dhaliwal said. "She was losing sleep. She wasn't eating well. She was cranky," her mom said. "And it had a big effect on her mood and personality." "Meanwhile, her pediatrician recommended lotions at first, and then prescription medicines," the Illinois resident noted. "A lot of them. I couldn't even begin to tell you which at this point, but a lot. And they weren't helping." Finally, Ariah found relief in a monoclonal antibody medication that a new study has found both effective and safe for children as young as 6 months. Called dupilumab, two biotech companies, Regeneron and Sanofi, jointly developed the drug and funded the study. It's marketed under the brand name Dupixent. The latest findings have already prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the approved age range for the drug, making it the first biologic approved for eczema among preschoolers. It's a move that the researchers view as major breakthrough in the care of pediatric eczema. "We had to make sure that the medication worked as well in young children as in adults and older children, and was just as safe," noted study author Dr. Amy Paller, chair of dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "We were relieved, and not surprised, to see the same safe track record in the young children as we saw in the adults." That's critical, said Paller, given that the majority of eczema cases begin by age 2, while 85% to 90% of cases develop by age 5. She noted that for young children with milder eczema, "lots of moisturizer and, when the eczema is active, medicated creams and ointments -- particularly lower strengths of topical steroids -- is enough. "But for the up to 40% of babies and preschool children with moderate to severe eczema, even stronger steroids creams and ointments are just not enough for good control," Paller added. Desperate for drug that will work Such was the case for Ariah. So, in the spring of 2020 her mother decided to look for a specialist, settling on the pediatric dermatology department at Northwestern. "But that was [during] COVID," Dhaliwal said. "So, they were shut, like everyone. And we couldn't get her in until August." When she did finally get in, she met with Paller. And Dhaliwal came prepared, "with an entire bag full of every medication we had tried since the beginning. I dumped it on the table and said, 'This is where we are with Ariah. Can you help her?'" Almost immediately Paller brought up dupilumab. She noted that she already prescribes it to children over 6, and that it's very effective and very safe. Oral steroids and other systemwide immune-suppressing options "have potentially serious side effects," Paller warned. In contrast, dupilumab, a once-monthly shot, "is very specific in its target, and thus does not have the [same] range of potential risks," she added. The good news was that the medication was approved for adults in 2017 and for adolescents in 2019. But the bad news was that at the time, the drug wasn't yet approved for younger kids, and Ariah was just 3. Still, Paller pointed out that "there was a clinical trial going on, for kids 6 and below," Dhaliwal remembered. "I had never heard of a clinical trial, or been involved with one. And the doctor explained that it would be a six-month blind study, which meant that I wouldn't know -- and she wouldn't know -- if Ariah was getting the drug or not, which gave me pause because I wanted something now that would work." After consulting with several doctors and friends, Dhaliwal took the plunge. "It was a big commitment," she acknowledged, with trips to the city for doctor visits and bloodwork every three to four weeks, some of which lasted hours. But almost immediately, she knew she had made the right choice. "Of course nobody could tell me that she was really getting the drug," Dhaliwal noted. But clearly she was, because within two weeks of Ariah's first injection, she saw an enormous change. "I think by then her skin cleared up by about 80%," Dhaliwal said. "She was a totally different child. It was incredible." Paller said Ariah's experience was echoed among many of the nearly 200 patients enrolled in the trial across 31 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Europe. Findings likely to change care Among children aged 6 months to 6 years, more than half saw "at least a 75% reduction in signs of eczema, and highly significant reductions in itch, with improved sleep," Paller noted, with no major side effects. Now, Dhaliwal is also able to do at-home injections, which are ongoing. Ariah's skin is now "about 90% clear," she said. "And I'm paying very close attention. Maybe most people wouldn't even notice anything. And she has not had any noticeable side effects that we can see." The findings from the trial Ariah participated in were published Sept. 17 in The Lancet journal. Dr. Robert Kirsner, chairman of the department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, agreed that among standard eczema treatments "few agents work reliably and -- as in children safety is paramount -- limited options exist." So, these findings are "welcomed news, and likely a game changer for patients, their families and for the physicians who care for them," he said. Two practical issues linger. One is cost. "This is an expensive medication," Paller warned. "In the United States, this medication costs $30,000-$35,000 per year. Fortunately, most insurance will cover the medication." And as long as Ariah is enrolled in a clinical trial, her treatments are free. The other issue is ease of use. "It's physically a hard shot to give," said Dhaliwal. "I don't love giving it. So, we're now enrolled in a new sub-study that will try out an auto-injector version of it, like an EpiPen, that's supposed to be much easier to handle." But even if it's not, Dhaliwal says she wouldn't hesitate to recommend the treatment to any parent whose child is going through a similar ordeal. "I would love as many kids who can benefit from it to benefit from it," she said. "I know it sounds so cheesy, but this drug really changed my daughter's life." More information There's more information on eczema at the National Eczema Association. SOURCES: Amy Paller, MD, professor and chair, dermatology, and professor, pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and attending physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago; Sonia Dhaliwal, Prospect Heights, Ill.; Robert Kirsner, MD, PhD, chairman and professor, department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery, University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, and director, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics Wound Center; The Lancet, Sept. 17, 2022 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger on Tuesday called an offer from state hospitals to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of the working poor not a serious proposal, saying loosened regulations for medical construction projects didn't go far enough. Berger's dismissal of the proposal late last week from the North Carolina Healthcare Association short-circuited any expectations though much improved compared to months ago that a Medicaid expansion agreement could be at hand. Still, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, an expansion advocate, urged Berger separately Tuesday to make a counteroffer. Expansion also would create an influx of several billion dollars from the federal government that the state is missing out on, Cooper added. North Carolina is one of a dozen states that haven't accepted the federal governments Medicaid offer originating from the 2010 health care law. "When we have lives at stake, ... we dont have any time to lose, Cooper said at an Executive Mansion event unrelated to Medicaid. Whatever it takes, we have to be all in on this. The House and Senate passed competing expansion proposals in June, and the next month Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore expressed their commitment to work together for the initiative. Senate Republicans insist any final agreement must contain provisions to increase the supply of medical services to handle the additional patients that Medicaid would bring. Chief on their list is scaling back and streamlining certificate of need laws that require health regulators to sign off on expansion plans by medical providers. Berger had complained in recent months that the North Carolina Healthcare Association, a lobbying group for over 130 hospitals, health systems and other groups, wouldn't accept a significant pullback of certificate of need laws. The association's offer, which came a few days after Cooper urged the hospitals to engage with Berger, would do away with such laws for psychiatric inpatient beds and beds to treat people with chemical dependency. Within five years, it also would scale back regulations for operating rooms in ambulatory surgical centers. Although Berger recognized the association's willingness to move on the issue, he criticized the form and the substance in a Legislative Building news conference. Berger said the association's offer looked like it was more to deal public relations than a substantive or a serious proposal." And he said the ambulatory surgical center rule changes would appear to make it so the only entities that could open such a center would be another hospital. It looks to me like its more designed to further entrench the monopolies that the hospitals have, Berger said. Association spokesperson Cynthia Charles said later Tuesday that there could be many more independently owned ambulatory surgical centers in the state if the proposal were carried out. The association has made a serious and fair proposal that took shape over several weeks, Charles said in a written statement. The General Assembly had said that they were interested in getting input from hospitals and health systems on this issue and we have provided it. The next steps are up to them. Berger didn't say specifically whether Senate Republicans would make a counteroffer, adding that the Republican-controlled House, the governor and the hospitals know their certificate of need position and that senators previously sent several alternatives" to the House. He wouldn't provide further specifics. The Medicaid bill passed by the House in late June directed Coopers administration to develop an expansion plan by mid-December after which legislators would take an up or down vote on it. The legislation left out supply-side medical reforms like certificate of need. In July, Moore called the Senate version a nonstarter. When the legislature's primary work session ended July 1, legislative leaders scheduled monthly three-day sessions, including one that began Tuesday, to take up any urgent matters or potentially an expansion agreement. Like the previous two monthly meetings, this week's session also will have no recorded votes. If action isn't taken by year's end, Medicaid expansion efforts would reset as a new edition of the 170-member General Assembly is seated in January. ST. LOUIS A former guidance counselor at a St. Louis County high school exchanged sexual messages with a 15-year-old student and had sexual contact or made inappropriate advances to at least nine other female students, he admitted Tuesday in federal court. James Q. Jenkins, 38, pleaded guilty to coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity and sending sexually explicit images to a minor. He still faces several other charges in St. Louis County, including second-degree rape, sexual contact with a student and furnishing pornographic material to a minor. Jenkins worked at Hancock Place High School during the 2020-2021 school year. Court documents said Jenkins used his position to build relationships with female students, often seeking them out and offering to help them work through problems at home, according to a plea agreement. He then contacted some on their cellphones and asked them to perform or describe sex acts. One student said he had sex with her even after she said no. Jenkins denied in the plea agreement that the encounter was not consensual. Teachers and other administrators told law enforcement officials they were concerned about his behavior, noting he often put off seeing male students in need of counseling while demonstrating alarming familiarity with female students. In 2021, Jenkins quit his job, saying his mother was ill and he needed more time to care for her. He then tried to get a job at an elementary school and law enforcement launched an inquiry, according to the plea agreement. That investigation revealed Jenkins had been placed on leave at his previous job in St. Joseph, Missouri, because he had inappropriate contact with female students. Hancock Place School District officials in September 2021 notified parents that Jenkins had been charged with multiple offenses. Prosecutors will argue for a 15-year prison term for Jenkins two guilty pleas. A sentencing hearing is set for December. No trial date has been set in the St. Louis County case. TOPEKA, Kan. A Kansas man who admitted running an illegal autopsy scheme has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for wire fraud. Shawn Parcells, 42, who lived in Topeka and Leawood, was sentenced Monday in federal court to one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorneys office said. He pleaded guilty in May. As part of the plea deal, nine other fraud counts were dropped. Parcells, a self-taught pathology assistant with no formal education, as owner of National Autopsy Services persuaded a client to pay $5,000 for an autopsy, according to court records. The client received an emailed autopsy report that appeared to be authored by Parcells. No pathologist was involved in the examination or report, which is illegal. Parcells gained national attention in 2014 when he assisted a privately hired pathologist in an autopsy of Michael Brown, the unarmed Black 18-year-old from Ferguson, who was fatally shot by a white police officer. The autopsy was commissioned by Browns family and no allegations of wrongdoing were raised in relation to it. But Parcells frequent media appearances led to scrutiny, including a CNN story revealing he had no specific certification or training. Between 2016 and 2019, Parcells made more than $1.1 million in Kansas from more than 350 clients for autopsies, most of which he did not perform, according to court records. Parcells, who ran three companies, was also charged in 2019 by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt with conducting illegal autopsies. In August, Parcells was banned from doing business in Kansas and ordered to pay more than $700,000 in restitution and fines for the state cases. He was also ordered to pay over $250,000 in restitution to 82 people that used his services. That came after he was convicted in November of three felonies and three misdemeanors related to providing illegal autopsies in Wabaunsee County. Prosecutors discovered that Parcells collected more than 1,600 biological samples, mostly human tissue, as part of the scheme. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment took custody of the samples and victims have until Oct. 6 to claim them. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Current students at Agape Boarding School told Missouri child welfare workers in recent days about extensive ongoing abuse that boys are enduring, according to a proposed petition included in a court motion filed Monday. One boy, according to students who spoke with Missouri Childrens Division employees, was handcuffed for two weeks. Another ended up with his arm in a sling, students said, from an overzealous restraint. Yet another lost so much weight after being demoted to Brown Town a designation given to the lowest level at Agape, where manual labor is required and meals are reduced that he reportedly resorted to stealing food to keep from starving. Those revelations were attached to a motion filed Monday by the Missouri attorney general in an effort to provide the court with additional information in a quest to shut down the Cedar County school near Stockton. Much of the information in the proposed amended petition comes from interviews with nearly a dozen current students who approached Childrens Division employees while they were at the school. As soon as the office received new evidence that further proves that there is an immediate health or safety concern for the students at Agape Boarding School, we have filed a Motion for Leave to file a Second Amended Petition that details that new evidence, said Chris Nuelle, spokesman for the AGs office. Our fight to protect the students at Agape Boarding School continues on. According to a Missouri Supreme Court rule, the AGs office and the Department of Social Services were required to file the motion with the court in order to get permission to amend their petition a second time. Many men who attended the school in their youth and have spoken with The Star over the past two years said they were subjected to physical restraints, extreme workouts, long days of manual labor, and food and water withheld as punishment. And, they said, students endured constant berating and mind games, and some were physically and sexually abused by staff and other youth. In court last week, Judge David Munton refused to let a former student testify because the teen left the school in July 2021. Munton said he needed to hear evidence of current abuse, not incidents from the past. According to the proposed amended petition, these new developments are sadly consistent with the dark pattern of behavior at Agape previously exposed by the Attorney Generals Office and DSS... The new information describes numerous examples of abuse reported to Childrens Division employees who have been placed at the school over the past 10 days to ensure students safety. Among the examples that students who were identified in the proposed petition by their initials reported to the child welfare workers: Multiple boys were placed in handcuffs with hands behind their backs, some for days and others longer, students said. One boys hands were blue and bloodied when the cuffs were removed after 100 hours. Another student, who refused to do jumping jacks, was punched in the stomach by a staffer while other staff members held him, then was placed in handcuffs for about two weeks, employees were told. He was forced to sleep in the handcuffs and they were only removed so he could go to the bathroom. A current staffer picked up a student and slammed him through a door that was magnetically locked, then restrained (the student) on the ground for about 40 minutes, according to independent accounts by five students. By all accounts, the document said, the student was hurt from the incident. Another current staffer restrained several students to the point of causing large bruising, loss of feeling in arms, legs and fingers and severe swelling. One student was diagnosed with ulnar nerve neuropathy, which is consistent with physical abuse, the filing said. Another resident was running as discipline and when he couldnt keep going, a current staff member threw him against the wall and applied pressure to his shoulder, then lifted him in the air and slammed him on the ground. The staffer then landed on the students shoulder and pressed his elbow into it. Days later, the student received medical care and the shoulder injury required his arm to be in a sling for three months. The sheer number of staff whose conduct toward residents has directly raised immediate concerns regarding the health and safety of the children at Agape and may constitute child abuse or neglect, including physical and emotional abuse, is remarkable, the proposed petition said. Some of most egregious examples of alleged abuse were attributed to Current Staff Member 5, who the filing said directs the facility, is intimately familiar with its structure and operation, participates in the management, and was fully aware of and condoned, if not promoted, Brown Town. That staffer grabbed one students hair and slammed his head onto the tile floor multiple times. As the student was restrained by other staff members, Current Staff Member 5 then put his knee on (the boys) head and into (his) arms. The proposed petition said the boys ear swelled two to three times its normal size and puss oozed from the back of his ear. He also suffered heavy bruising to his arms and a loss of feeling and numbness in his fingers and right hand for weeks afterwards. Current students repeatedly expressed fear to Childrens Division employees of retaliation for speaking with Childrens Division workers, including fear of being demoted to Brown Town and not being allowed to contact their parents. One student, according to the new information, wrote reminder notes for his meeting with the Childrens Division workers but was so fearful of retaliation that he hid his notes in his shoe in case he was searched by Agape staffers. The motion also said that Agape has continued to employ staff members who have exhibited conduct toward residents that may rise to the level of child abuse or neglect. Absent relief from this court, once DSS staff are no longer in the facility, the conduct previously exhibited by current staff at Agape directly raises immediate concerns, and there exists an immediate concern for the health and safety of the children at Agape. The new information provided to investigators continues to describe a pattern of conduct occurring at Agape that raises immediate concerns for the health and safety of the children at Agape and may rise to the level of child abuse or neglect, the proposed petition said. But for DSS employees currently present 24 hours a day at the facility, the Attorney General and DSS believe that this conduct would be occurring now and that the conduct will return as soon as DSS employees are no longer in the facility to ensure safety. The motion filed Monday said that Childrens Division workers had been at Agape since Sept. 8. During the past week, numerous current Agape students have proactively approached the Childrens Division workers, often surreptitiously, and requested to speak with them, the motion for leave said. DSS staff took appropriate action for the students to be interviewed. In these interviews, the students reported physical abuse by current Agape employees at times before the Childrens Division workers were present. The motion said current students also have thanked Childrens Division workers for their presence at Agape because the Agape employees have not physically or verbally abused the students while the workers have been present. According to the motion, DSS has reviewed each name that Agape provided on a Sept. 8 employee roster and found that multiple employees on the list have not completed background checks as required by a new state law. Failure to do so, the filing said, is grounds to cease the operation of Agape and provide for the appropriate removal of the children there. DSS also has learned that the school employs others whose names were not provided on the Sept. 8 roster, the motion said. Without knowing all employees who have been omitted from the September 8, 2022 roster, it is unknown how many employees have failed to comply with background checks, and who may present immediate health and safety concerns due to their proximity to children, it said. On Sept. 7, the AGs office and DSS filed a petition in Cedar County Circuit Court asking for an injunction to immediately close Agape and remove students, citing concerns about their safety. The petition stated that on that day, DSS had added a current Agape staff member to the states Central Registry after the agency found by a preponderance of evidence that the staffer had committed child abuse at Agape. Munton signed the order that night to immediately close the school and remove students. But by the next morning, he put that on hold and sent Cedar County Sheriff James Jimbob McCrary to Agape to determine whether the staff member was still working there. A new Missouri law prohibits someone from working at a residential care facility if the person has a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect or is placed on the Central Registry. Agape director Bryan Clemensen told McCrary that the staffer had been fired the previous day but still lived on the property. Munton scheduled a hearing for last Monday and ordered that DSS workers could be on the campus around the clock to make sure students were safe. DSS officials confirmed earlier this month that its investigators have substantiated 11 findings related to the school. In addition, three Agape employees including Clemensen and medical coordinator Scott Dumar have had reports substantiated against them, The Star has learned. But theyve appealed those findings and state law allows them to work at the school during the appeals process. Dumar also is one of five staff members charged last year with physical abuse of students. 2022 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com. PINE LAWN The City of Pine Lawn on Tuesday caught up on delinquent payments to a regional police force that plans to cut ties with the city as officials plan to hire a new agency. Meanwhile, St. Louis County Police say they would step in should Pine Lawn temporarily end up without a standing police force because of the changes. County ordinances require the county department to enforce state criminal statutes and respond to 911 calls in any municipality without a police department, St. Louis County Sgt. Tracy Panus said. The North County Police Cooperative will stop serving as Pine Lawn's police force Oct. 11, when its contract expires. Maj. Ron Martin said the cooperative is offering to police Pine Lawn on a month-to-month basis until it hires a new agency. The Vinita Park-based cooperative, which polices several north St. Louis County municipalities, had served as Pine Lawn's police force since 2016, when the city disbanded its own municipal police department. But the cooperative announced last week that it wouldn't seek to renew its contract with Pine Lawn while blasting officials for a history of late and overdue payments. The cooperative's announcement followed a vote by the Pine Lawn Board of Aldermen to open its police contract to bids from other agencies. Pine Lawn officials said the announcement caught them by surprise. By Tuesday, the city had fully caught up on about $127,280 in contractual payments that had come due, including roughly half of the amount that was overdue from August. But Pine Lawn still owes the North County Police Cooperative police training funds from municipal court fees that went unpaid for the last several years. State law allows for the collection of $2 fees for municipal court convictions that are to be used only for police officer trainings. The North County Police Cooperative says Pine Lawn hasn't paid the fees since 2016. City Administrator Lillian Eunice said the municipality will pay the fees, but an exact amount of the total owed was not available Tuesday. Eunice said Pine Lawn hasn't yet formally put out bids for a new police agency. The Board of Aldermen holds its next monthly meeting Oct. 10. ST. CHARLES Richard Darren Emery wiped out three generations of a family in less than a minute after a night out drinking in 2018, first killing his girlfriend, then her two children and their grandmother. This is someone who had a plan, Assistant Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe told jurors Tuesday in opening statements at Emerys death penalty trial. He literally went from one room to another one victim to another in order to kill them all. In December 2018, Emery shot 61-year-old Jane M. Moeckel, her two grandchildren Zoe Kasten, 8, and Jonathan Kasten, 10, and the childrens mother, Kate Kasten, 39, at a home in the 100 block of Whetstone Drive. These were not just random acts from someone who didnt have a plan from someone in some dissociative state, Groenweghe said. Emery admits to killing the two women and children, but his lawyers argue he suffered from mental illness that prevented him from understanding what he was doing. Emerys lawyer, Stephen Reynolds, argued Tuesday that Emery is guilty of murder but that none of the killings was premeditated. Reynolds is expected to offer evidence that Emery suffered from a borderline personality disorder that caused him to have no control over his emotions and actions. What was going on inside of his head in those 45 seconds? Reynolds said to jurors. Because thats the question in this case. It was just an outpouring, an explosion of pure emotion, rejection, loss, fear and anger, too. What happened Emery and Kasten met through mutual friends at a Guns N Roses concert in 2017 and soon began dating, Reynolds said. They moved quickly over the next 18 months or so, and Emery began to believe hed finally found the type of family hed missed out on his entire life, including through two failed marriages. He was helping Kasten look for a house, and she asked him to move in with her. Kasten had been widowed one year earlier. Her late husband, the childrens father, was a former Marine who died of cancer in April 2017. The night of the killings, Dec. 28, 2018, Emery had been out for a poker night and drinking at Throw Backs Bar & Grill in St. Peters and decided to come home after texting with Kasten. She had hinted at sex, Groenweghe said, but when he got home the couple began arguing. A fight began in a bathroom and spilled into the bedroom. Emery then shot Kasten twice, first in the shoulder and then in the head. Kastens mother, meanwhile, was barricaded in another bedroom with her grandchildren. She called 911 to report shots fired, and gunshots could be heard on the 911 call. Emery kicked in the door where Moeckel and the kids were hiding and shot them at close range with a 9 mm, Groenweghe said. Zoe was shot in the face; Jonathan was shot three times in the face and the side; Moeckel was shot in the face while she screamed to a 911 dispatcher, He shot us! Hes beating us up and shooting. Emery fired nine shots, authorities said. Police found all four victims dead inside two upstairs bedrooms in what authorities have described as a gruesome scene. Emery left the house with an AR-15 rifle, more than 400 rounds of rifle ammo, plus another 500 rounds of 9 mm ammo, Groenweghe said. He left the home, locked the front door and calmly drove away from the house slowly to avoid attracting attention. That behavior, Groenweghe said, showed a continuing course of conduct to escape responsibility. Officers found Emery after a seven-hour, overnight search. When police tried to stop his pickup, prosecutors said, he got out and fired several shots at officers on Cheshire Drive, near Muegge Road, before running off wounded. Police shot Emery once in the back and once in the buttocks. Police said Emery then tried to carjack another woman. She fought him off but suffered seven stab wounds in the attack. She survived and is expected to testify. The next morning, Emery took refuge in an unlocked Volkswagen parked in a lot of a U-Haul and used car dealership off Highway 94 near Interstate 70, Groenweghe said. About 7:20 a.m., police got a call from the QuikTrip at 2260 First Capitol Drive for a man bleeding in the store from gunshot wounds to the neck and hip. Police arrested Emery in a bathroom stall of the gas station. He told police hed gotten rid of the gun he used to shoot at police. Officers found the pistol and knife he used in the carjacking attempt. The trial Prosecutors played the 911 call in the courtroom and several body camera video clips from the bloody crime scene at Kastens home. Someone can be heard screaming Why? Why? in the tape. Then, a male voice can be heard saying What did you say? before a gunshot stops the womans screams. The body camera videos show a bloodied Kasten gasping for air as police wrap her head in clothing in an attempt to stop her bleeding. Police asked Kasten several times who shot her, but her answers didnt make sense. On Tuesday, Emery shielded his eyes with his hands while the body camera video played in court Tuesday and wiped his face with tissues. He is expected to testify. Darrens responsible, hell tell you, Reynolds said. Hell tell you that he was out of control. What he did is beyond words of horribleness. As difficult as this is, its not murder in the first degree. St. Charles Circuit Judge Michael Fagras is allowing video and still cameras in his courtroom for Emerys trial. The judge sealed the entire case file from the public last fall weeks before Emery was originally set for trial. The jury, including four alternates, includes 10 women and six men. They will be sequestered for the entirety of the trial. The latest reporting on this story can be found here. EAST ST. LOUIS A 23-year-old woman was found dead along a highway in the Metro East early Tuesday after a motorist told an Illinois State trooper that his girlfriend had jumped from a car. The Illinois State Police were called to a crash on westbound Interstate 64 at southbound Interstate 55 shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday. A trooper on the scene told a dispatcher that a man was near a car that was stopped partly in a westbound traffic lane. The man said his girlfriend was lying in the road behind the car and that she jumped out of the car, the trooper said. The trooper said the man appeared intoxicated and had a gun in the car. The trooper put the man in the patrol car while the trooper walked back on the highway searching for the girlfriend. The trooper later notified authorities that the woman was dead. St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the woman as Makenze Coulter. Coulter, 23, lived in Table Grove, Illinois. Dye said he couldnt immediately confirm any details about how she was killed. Dye declined to say if Coulters death was being investigated by his office as a homicide or traffic crash. He referred a reporters question to the Illinois State Police, but that agency was being tight-lipped. An Illinois State Police public information officer, Trooper Genelle Jones, said zone investigators havent provided details about the case to her. Jones released preliminary information, saying that a person was pronounced dead at the scene after police went to a single-vehicle crash at westbound I-64 at southbound I-55 in St. Clair County. The investigation is still in its infancy, Jones said in a release. Westbound traffic there was backed up for hours as police investigated. The lanes were reopened by about 9 a.m. CLAYTON There are at least $11 million worth of abandoned properties in unincorporated St. Louis County that need demolishing, but two council members cant agree on how to pay for it even with a mound of federal pandemic relief money at hand. Councilwoman Shalonda Webb and Councilman Ernie Trakas both represent large swaths of unincorporated county. Webbs district stretches across portions of North County from Hazelwood to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Trakas district in South County includes Mehlville and borders Jefferson County and the Mississippi River. Abandoned buildings attract crime, make it difficult to attract development and become eyesores in communities. Because both districts suffer from a problem with derelict properties, Webb and Trakas formed a stabilization taskforce more than a year ago to work together on a solution, according to a letter from Webb sent to Trakas in mid-September. They toured each others districts and collaborated with county departments to identify and execute holistic solutions, Webb wrote. The county public works department determined $11 million was needed to demolish at least 400 problem properties countywide. Webb proposed paying for it with some of the countys remaining $74.2 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act money, which aims to help communities recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Webb sought support from Trakas for her bill. I believe that moving forward together on this legislation will show that the work we all put in during the last year was fruitful, Webb wrote in her letter. Trakas responded to her letter a few days later saying he had already indicated, through his legislative assistant, that his answer was no. The councilman has his own $15 million proposal for South County that includes addressing problem properties and infrastructure. His bill is targeted specifically to his districts needs, Trakas wrote, and he remains adamant about ensuring his district receives its fair share. Trakas accused Webb of a political maneuver to set up his bill for failure. Webb chairs a working group of three council members tasked with deciding which uses of the federal money go to the full council for consideration. Webb plans to try to talk to Trakas again, she said at a meeting of the working group Tuesday. Maybe he thought I was encroaching on his territory, Webb said, and I just want to work collaboratively with him. So, Ill give him the opportunity, hopefully soon, to communicate with him one-on-one. Trakas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The letters between the council members were scheduled to be considered at the councils Tuesday night meeting. JEFFERSON CITY The possibility of a debate between the two major party candidates for U.S. Senate faded in recent days as both contenders appeared unwilling to compromise on their preferred conditions. Attorney General Eric Schmitts campaign said Nexstar, which in St. Louis owns KTVI-TV (Channel 2), was forced to cancel its debate after Trudy Busch Valentine refused to accept an invitation by a Monday deadline. Schmitt said he accepted the Nexstar invite. No one is surprised that the elitist Heiress Valentine is not ready for prime time, Schmitt said on Twitter. Jacob Long, spokesman for Valentine, fired back by saying the Democrat had agreed to a debate by various news outlets, including KETC-TV (Channel 9), KSDK-TV (Channel 5), St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis American. Alicia Elsner, general manager for KSDK, said Tuesday the debate had been called off after Schmitt did not confirm his attendance. Sadly but not surprisingly Eric is only willing to show up if every single one of his requirements is met, Long said, adding the attorney general wanted to speak in safe spaces owned by a conservative-leaning, out-of-town corporate media giant. Long also blasted Schmitt for not attending the Missouri Press Association candidate forum last week, which Valentine attended. Peverill Squire, political science professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, said that in general, the candidate trailing is expected to call for debates as a way to get back in the race. Multiple polls have shown Schmitt with a wide lead over Valentine. That makes Valentines apparent reluctance a bit of a surprise, Squire said. Valentine, he said, might be hesitant because, at this point, she is not a particularly polished candidate, and she may see personal campaigning and media ads as her route to victory. Schmitt, meanwhile, is assumed to enjoy a comfortable lead, so he doesnt see any reason to debate because doing so might give his opponent a chance to narrow the gap, Squire said. JEFFERSON CITY The top Democrat in the Missouri House filed legislation Tuesday to repeal the law that triggered the states near-total abortion ban after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The measure, sponsored by House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, is almost certainly dead on arrival during Republican Gov. Mike Parsons special session on tax relief. But it serves to offer a contrast between state Democrats and Republicans ahead of the Nov. 8 general election. Missouris current abortion law bans the procedure in all cases except medical emergencies. To highlight the continued threat to Missourians right to control their own bodies, today I filed legislation to completely repeal this harmful law, originally enacted as House Bill 126, Quade said in a statement. Preventing the state from imposing forced pregnancies on unwilling Missourians is a top priority; pushing through a fiscally irresponsible tax cut for the wealthy when nearly every area of state government is underfunded is not, she said. Try though they might, the governor and majority Republicans wont be able to change the subject from their record of disdain for individual freedom. A spokesman for House Speaker Rob Vescovo and House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, both Republicans, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes campaign has removed the names of two law enforcement officers from the list of endorsements, including one who did not, in fact, back Barnes. Barnes' campaign on Thursday released the list of nine endorsements from current and former law enforcement officers. One of them was John Siegel, who was listed as a police captain for the city of La Crosse. On Monday, the conservative website Wisconsin Right Now reported an interview with Seigel in which he said he never endorsed Barnes. Barnes spokesperson Maddy McDaniel told Wisconsin Public Radio on Monday that it was a mistake due to a clerical error, which was corrected on the campaign website Saturday. The Barnes campaign also removed the name of Racine County Deputy Sheriff Malik Frazier. Racine County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Lt. Michael Luell told CBS-58 that while Frazier personally supports Barnes in the U.S. Senate race, officers cannot publicly endorse a candidate according to federal laws. McDaniel said Fraziers name was removed out of an abundance of caution. Barnes is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in a contest that polls show is about even. Johnson campaign spokesman Alec Zimmerman accused Barnes of lying about who supports him." Siegel is a patrol captain with the La Crosse County Sheriffs Department and running as a Democrat to replace outgoing Sheriff Jeff Wolf. He told WISC-TV he had a brief conversation with a member of the Barnes campaign but said I didnt ever agree to put my name on anything or be added to a list. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into two flights of migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes last week from San Antonio. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, an elected Democrat, railed against the flights that took off in his city as political posturing. But he said investigators had so far only spoken to attorneys representing some of the migrants and did not name any potential suspects who might face charges. He also did not mention DeSantis in a news conference that appeared to mark the first time a law enforcement official has said they would look into the flights. "I believe there is some criminal activity involved here," Salazar said. "But at present we are trying to keep an open mind and we are going to investigate to find out what exact laws were broken if that does turn out to be the case." DeSantis' office responded with a statement that said the migrants had been given more options to succeed in Massachusetts. "Immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned, homeless, and 'left to fend for themselves,'" DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said. "Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected." The Venezuelan migrants who were flown to the wealthy Massachusetts island from San Antonio on Wednesday said they were told they were going to Boston. Julio Henriquez, an attorney who met with several migrants, said they "had no idea of where they were going or where they were." He said a Latina woman approached migrants at a city-run shelter in San Antonio and put them up at a nearby La Quinta Inn, where she visited daily with food and gift cards. She promised jobs and three months of housing in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and Boston, according to Henriquez. Salazar said the migrants had been "preyed upon" and "hoodwinked." Some Democrats have urged the Justice Department to investigate the flights, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, whose district includes San Antonio. A federal investigation might be complicated, however. It's not clear whether anyone boarded buses or planes unwillingly, or that their civil rights were violated. The rights of asylum seekers arriving to the U.S. are also more limited because they are not citizens. The constitution, though, does protect them from discrimination based on race or national origin and from improper treatment by the government. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 18, 2022. Editorial: Teaching students to scrutinize online fact from fiction A new Illinois law allows high schools to teach media literacy to students in all subjects. In case skeptics are tempted to portray this as some kind of underground conspiracy to indoctrinate kids, its exactly the opposite. Theres no agenda here other than to arm young people with better tools to distinguish fact from fiction and to be on the lookout for deliberate misinformation. This is an age where computer programs can generate video or alter photographs to make it appear that something concocted digitally actually happened in real life. There are thousands of people out there who have nothing better to do with their lives than to make up stories disguised as actual news. Before anyone has a chance to debunk such social media postings, an item might have already gone viral by being shared and shared again. Thats how QAnon got started. Todays political context is rife with examples. But the manipulation of media for surreptitious goals goes way back to include the John F. Kennedy assassination, U.S. moon landings and even the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. And because some people will believe anything, professional manipulators like Infowars Alex Jones gladly feed their conspiratorial appetites with nonsense, such as that the 2012 massacre of little kids at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut was faked and that grieving parents were just actors. Jones, at long last, faces multimillion-dollar court judgments for the harm he inflicted on the real parents of real Sandy Hook victims with his lies. So why turn high school students into misinformation debunkers? Young people who heavily rely on their phones to consume social media and internet content are probably the biggest recirculators of bogus content. Some think theyre sharing something funny. Others take it seriously and want to alert others. Either way, misinformation postings that deserve to die in obscurity wind up going viral and being accepted by the gullible as fact. The idea is to teach about asking questions about how such messages are constructed, Yonty Friesem, an associate professor of civic media at Columbia College in Chicago, told National Public Radio. Who is behind it? Whats going on here? And how does it affect me and society? And whats my role in how Im using media? Friesem helped write the new Illinois law. Among the questions he wants kids to ask is: How do you assess, like, the media effects on yourself but others to trigger emotions and behavior? In other words, how are people trying to manipulate their audience to win acceptance of bogus postings and get them to take action by recirculating it? This isnt about censorship but rather teaching healthy scrutiny among the upcoming generation of news consumers. More states should consider such laws to fight back against the Alex Joneses of the world. END CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) A convicted murderer serving a life sentence for killing a man in 1995 has confessed to strangling four women five years earlier, St. Louis-area prosecutors announced Monday. Gary Muehlberg, a 73-year-old inmate at the Potosi Correctional Center in southeastern Missouri, confessed to the 1990 killings after O'Fallon police Detective Jodi Weber reopened the cold case and linked one of the killings to Muehlberg through DNA testing, authorities said at a news conference. Prosecutors from Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis counties, which was where the victims' bodies were found, announced four new counts of first-degree murder against Muehlberg for the killings of Robyn Mihan, Brenda Pruitt, Donna Reitmeyer and Sandy Little. It may have taken a while, but your family member was not forgotten, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar told relatives of the victims who attended the news conference. Lohmar said all of the killings had connections to an area of south St. Louis that was known at the time for prostitution, but he declined to elaborate. He said authorities have not determined a motive for the killings. Muehlberg was sentenced to life in prison in 1995 for the killing of Kenneth Atchison. Lohmar said Muehlberg killed Atchison in a dispute over money. The body of one of the victims was found in OFallon, prompting Weber to reopen the case in 2008. She began trying to find a match of DNA samples. Finally, this spring, DNA evidence connected Muehlberg to Mihan. Incredible! Weber said when asked about her reaction to the DNA match. Prosecutors then began talking to Muehlberg and agreed not to pursue the death penalty in exchange for his cooperation, which led to his eventual confession, Lohmar said. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Muehlberg wrote a letter to Weber in August expressing remorse for the killings. I must live with my past the good and bad parts. No more running, he wrote. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said authorities continue to investigate to see if Muehlberg might have committed other crimes. There's at least some indication out there to suggest that, Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood said. Dawn McIntosh, the daughter of Donna Reitmeyer, said she was thrilled to learn of the charges. Because I dont think she rested in peace knowing that he was still out there," McIntosh said of her mother. "So Im glad he was caught. Saundra Kuehnle, now 75, recalled that her daughter Robyn had three dimples and a smile that lit up the room. Mihan was just 18 when she died. I had hounded the police and detectives forever, off and on, over the years, Kuehnle said. A long time to wait, but everything in Gods time. Whether out of ignorance or deliberate intent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis drew from a white-supremacist playbook when he tricked 50 immigrants into boarding a plane in Texas so he could stage the stunt of delivering them to wealthy vacationers at Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts. The similarities are too striking to be mere coincidences between DeSantis action and one pulled by the Little Rock White Citizens Council in 1962. Back then, it was dubbed the Reverse Freedom Rides an attempt to send Blacks to the North in response to Freedom Riders protesting public-transit segregation in the South. The Reverse Freedom Rides delivered busloads of Blacks, including to the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis, Massachusetts. It was a cynical attempt to suggest that white Northern liberals wouldnt be so supportive of civil rights if faced with an influx of Blacks at their doorsteps. Unemployed Black women who had recently been released from prison were chosen as a way to maximize the burden they would place on Hyannis residents. It was, of course, an overt act of racism consistent with prevailing attitudes among Southern segregationists at the time. Funny how DeSantis chose the same rationale to trick newly arrived immigrants into flying to Marthas Vineyard. Whats particularly strange about his ploy is that he had to import migrants from Texas for the flight since Florida doesnt border Mexico and, therefore, doesnt have a border problem. DeSantis tried to claim the problems experienced in states like Texas as his own, claiming that he was acting to protect Florida from an influx and asserting that hes trying to give Northern liberals a taste of their own medicine. In a speech, he stated: The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with every day is brought to their front door, they all of a sudden go berserk. There was, in fact, no sign whatsoever of people going berserk. Marthas Vineyard residents rallied to find shelter and food and help the migrants with longer-term logistics. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who, like DeSantis, is seeking reelection in November, has bused thousands of volunteer immigrants to Washington in an attempt to force Congress and the White House into addressing border security and immigration reform. Its a campaign ploy, for sure, but at least it directs the attention of Congress to a problem that Democrats as well as Republicans on Capitol Hill have neglected for decades. Comprehensive immigration reform would bring a far more orderly process. Now Abbott is busing immigrants to New York and Chicago as well. And he directed two busloads to empty out near the front of Vice President Kamala Harris official residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington. These ploys could be dismissed as little more than cynical campaign gestures if not for the serious history of racism at their roots. Jabbing his pole like a one-pronged pitchfork into the slow red river of rock, the ashtray salesman pulled out a hot wad of lava. I scrambled back as he swung it by me and plopped it into a mold. His partner snipped it off with big iron clippers and rammed it into shape. Dropping the now shapely mass into a bucket, the water did a wild jig. Cooling on a crispy black ledge were a dozen more lava ashtrays, each with the words "Mount Etna, Sicily" molded into it. As the red lava poured out of its horribly hot trap door, I unzipped the ski parka I'd rented at the lift. At 11,000 feet, even on a sunny day, it's cold on top of Mount Etna unless you're spitting distance from a lava flow. At the edge of the volcano, I surveyed the island. Old lava flows rumbled like buffalo toward teeming Catania. The island's sprawling second city butted up against a crescent beach which stretched all the way to Taormina Sicilys romantic cliffside haunt of aristocrats at play. And to my right was the hazy, high, and harsh interior. Sicily sights are hard to grasp; its historic and artistic big shots just don't ring a bell. The folkloric traditions such as marionette theaters promoted by tourist brochures seem to play out only for tour groups. And the place must lead Europe in litter. But there's a workaday charm here. If you like Italy for its people, tempo, and joy of living rather than for its Botticellis, Guccis, and touristic icons you'll dig Sicily. Sicily, standing midway between Africa and Europe, really is a world to itself. On this spirited island, in spite of Italian government and European Union pressure, the siesta persists and motorbikers hair continues to fly in the Sicilian wind. Palermo is an urban highlight of Sicily with lavish art, boisterous markets, and holy cannoli. In Palermo's markets, animals hang like anatomy lessons, sliced perfectly in half. Fichi dIndia, the fist-sized prickly pear that tastes like a cross between a kiwi and an orange, are peeled and yours for less than a euro. Palermo offers a great bone experience skull and shoulders above anything else you'll find in Europe. Palermo's Capuchin crypt is a subterranean gallery filled with 4,000 "bodies without souls" howling silently at their mortality. For centuries, people would choose their niche in death and even stand there getting to know their macabre neighborhood. Then, when they died, dressed in their Sunday best, they'd be hung up to dry. Cefalu was my favorite small-town stop. Steeped in history and bustling with color, it's dramatically set with a fine beach on a craggy coast under a pagan mountain. I dutifully toured Cefalu's museum and cathedral. But the real attraction is on the streets. As the sun grew red and heavy, the old women still in bathrobes it seemed filled their balconies as the young people clogged the pedestrian (and Vespas)-only main drag. Tsk-tsking at the age-old flirting scene, the women gossiped about the girls below. My friend tells me of the motorbike he lusts after. "It's a classic Vespa from the '70s with a body that's round like a woman's." Just then a guy gallops up on his very round and very blue classic Vespa. He declares, "It's the only Vespa I've ever owned. I got it when I was 14. That was in 1969. The year man first walked on the moon, that was the year I first rode this Vespa." My friend and a few other guys gather almost worshipfully around. The old women in the balconies and the miniskirted flirts suddenly no longer existed as that very round and very blue Vespa just dripped in Sicilian testosterone. Nearby, a cafe overlooks the beach. I sip my latte di mandorla (almond milk) with the locals who seem to be posted there on duty, making sure that big red sun goes down. Little wooden boats, painted brightly, sit plump on the beach. Above them, the fisherman's clubhouse fills what was a medieval entry through the town wall. I wander in. I'm greeted warmly by the senior member, "Il Presidente" the men go by nicknames and often don't even know their friends' real names. Since the 1960s, Il Presidente has spent his nights fishing, gathering anchovies under the seductive beam of his gas-powered lampara. As he takes the pre-Coleman stove vintage lamp off its rusty wall hook, I see tales of a lifetime at sea in his face. As he shows me the ropes he wove from local straw and complains that the new ropes just aren't the same, I lash him to the rack of memories Ill take home from Sicily. Italian aircraft firm Leonardo has developed the AW249 as a replacement for the earlier Italian A129 helicopter gunship. While the A129 was similar to the first helicopter gunship, the American AH-1, the AW249 is more similar to the American AH-64, the successor to the AH-1. The AW249 took its first flight in August and is expected to enter service in 2025 and begin replacing the remaining A129s, which entered service in 1990. In late-2014 Italy sent one of the new models (A129D) of their A129 helicopter gunship to Afghanistan for testing and, since that was successful, the A129Ds replaced the three older A129s that were already there to support a bomb removal team and some special operations troops still operating in the north throughout 2014. All A129s were upgraded to the A129D standard, The A129D is roughly comparable to the upgraded versions of the U.S. AH-1 (especially the AH-1W SuperCobra). The 4.6-ton A-129 was the first helicopter gunship designed and built in Western Europe and was developed in the 1980s and entered service in 1990. While it has been upgraded frequently since then, the only customer was Italy which bought all 60 of the production models. Turkey obtained a production license for T129, an A129 variant largely built in Turkey using Italian and Turkish components. In this case the A129 manufacturer is exporting more technology than manufactured items. The Turkish 129 weighs five tons and entered service in 2014. So far 76 have been built with more on order. Turkey has exported six to the Philippines. The A129D has advanced features first found on the AH-64. These include (Toplite); a longer (by about 50 percent) range targeting radar and optical system with zoom that allows the A129D weapons operator to spot targets for the A129Ds new Spike ER (range 8 kilometers) missiles or laser guided missiles or bombs from aircraft above (via the laser designator on the A129D). Toplite also enabled the A129D to fly in any weather, day or night. The 8-ton AW249 is a substantial improvement over the A129, with three hours endurance, 20 percent longer than the A129. The AW264 can fly higher and faster than the A129 and is more robust, especially when it comes to dealing with combat damage or emergency (hard) landings. The AW249 has better electronics, including electronic countermeasures. The AW249 carries more than twice the weight of weapons than the A129 (which carried 800 kg). Leonardo is seeking export customers but is running into formidable competition from the American AH-64, which entered service in 1986 and had been regularly updated. Over 2,400 have been built or are on order, most of them for sixteen (so far) export customers. The most recent export customer is Poland, which ordered 96 AH-64s. The only other competition is the Eurocopter (AirBus) Tiger. This is a six-ton gunship that entered service in 2006. So far 180 have been built. Tiger is used by France, Germany and Spain as well as Australia, which is replacing its 22 Tigers with AH-64s. View From the Edge: IBC 2022 Did I enjoy IBC? Of course; it was a great event. I love IBC. I am pretty sure I would rather see Christmas cancelled than IBC. Id certainly rather stand in the queue at Schipol talking to broadcasters than stand in the queue for the Christmas sales talking to the consumerism-minded. The moment I arrived back on the ground in Amsterdam after a couple of years away is the moment I remembered where my happy place is: networking with folks who are passionate about broadcast technology. All set with a backdrop of exhibition stands that give an indication of success (or at least ambition to succeed), and lubricated with an air of international viruses and odours that the Metaverse will never be able to synthesise. Real. Energising. Awesome. Indeed, I had a conversation with a few folks over the weekend, something along the lines of, Isn't it great to be back around a table with a beer, just able to talk about what we love doing. Wouldnt you do this every month? After a very short pause: Hell, no. You would die really quickly! How about every quarter? After a longer pause: Man, that would be nice, although not with the exhibition. Itd be just great to see friends, colleagues, clients, peers, and so on. The exhibition is too much like hard work for anything more than once a quarter. But yes, I think my body could survive a quarterly meetup with the tribe. But isnt the great thing about coming back after two years the fact that we all have so much to talk about. There is so much change in the industry. Perhaps we should do it every two years instead? After a very long pause: Not at this stage. I am just so happy to be back. Lets run out of things to say before we plan to spend more time apart! Naturally, there were a few issues. By now you have read enough of the OMG its going to have to move because Amsterdam cant run an airport topic. Or the Hotel prices are getting silly discussions. Naturally, you plan to take the train next year. (All the way from San Francisco?). And it might make sense to rent a house for the year next to Leidseplein. But all that stuff is symptomatic of success. When everything is excellent, all we can do is like - but when we spot a tiny flaw we can comment and share the queue in Schipol into a headline story, which is, in all reality, a distraction from what IBC was about. IBC found the industry in a great mood, and in great shape. There were some obvious things that stood out. Hall 14 had become Hall 5; it was no longer appropriate to house the OTT world in a tent on the doorstep. The Streaming community has not only grown up, but has muscled in among the old giants. IP-based operators are thrusting and elbowing the traditional telco players off the board. Satellite operators are looking across their empty stands to wonder what the cool kids are doing crowded around the computer-based demonstrations. And while there is still a large bloc of traditional broadcasters hidden in bland, meeting-room-format stands waiting for their next appointment to turn up to renew a 40-year-old contract, across the aisle there are Internet Unicorns who are flooded with people trying to squeeze into glass-sided meeting rooms, seated on beanbags and surrounded by colour. But dont be fooled by the performance. The Unicorns had very very little to show this year beyond their fan bases turning up. The real innovation in the streaming space is on the tiny stands dotted all around the north halls. The bigger the stand, the slighter the innovation is almost a hard-and-fast rule in IBC, and always has been. Nothing at all on any of the biggest stands made me go Oh wow, that's new. In fact, mostly my take was, Oh wow, you finally caught upthats been going on for 5 years. I was disappointed by the big guys, and I think that is a bellwether. With the news this year being dominated by Netflix being beaten up for reaching a phenomenal scale and saturation, and being bullied by short-sighted investors into ruining their product by introducing advertising just to please shareholders, the loftiest heights of the industry dont know where to go next, and are too busy delivering simple things well to be able to find ways to really wow the crowd. There is stress in those big public companies that is stifling their innovation completely at the moment. Billion-dollar contracts are cool, but disruption is cooler, and the Unicorns have done their disruption now, and its time for other actors to take the stage. So what was disruptive? My time was totally consumed by the explosion of interest in GreeningofStreaming.org, which is a constant delight to me. I am proud and excited that we, as an industry, seem to be finally growing up, taking our gloves off, and getting down to focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability across the board. It is a true change throughout the industry, and I think I have been lucky to be in the middle of that. But I will write more about that in these pages in the next month or so, so let me look at other disruption in the sector. One thing absolutely dominated: The Nordics. The Nordics were spreading all over IBC like COVID at an anti-vax party. Spawn of the Nokia and Ericsson schools and products of a great education system and long, dark winters in front of their laptops, the Nordic streaming companies came out en masse and were punching way above everyone else's weight this year. Everywhere I turned there was another diacritic sign attached to a brand, or a badge or a logo. Just as we mono-linguist English speakers were thinking Dutch branding was just German with a lot more Js in it, now the Scandinavians have graffitied all over the corporate alphabet with extra dots and circles, and put us all in doubt about how to read company names without embarrassment. They owned the show. There are a number of key conferences that have been growing in Sweden and Finland and Norway. They seem to have given the Nordic countries energy and confidence, and they brought it all to IBC. Lots of innovation. Lots of real deals laid on the table. Lots of skill. (Im very glad we named our companys new product Norsk by coincidence!) Move over US Unicorns: something is coming in from the Cold North, and it's the opposite of an ice-age. So, in summary of my experience of IBC, the warmth of reuniting with you all was fuel (obviously highly renewable!) for me. I would happily have had my travel cancelled for a month if we could all have stayed there and carried on and on. I look forward to many more! Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ahead of the Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in New York City on Sept. 21, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that it will pledge $10 million to the Fund the worlds best financing mechanism for fighting infectious diseases. Given the Global Funds outstanding track record of saving lives around the world, we feel our pledge is one of the best investments donors can make in global health, said AHF President Michael Weinstein. The Global Fund has demonstrated remarkable nimbleness in keeping existing programs going, while mobilizing new resources for COVID-19. The Global Fund also values the role of non-governmental and community organizations in creating a more equitable and sustainable public health system. We hope this pledge encourages wealthy donor countries, NGOs, and the private sector to contribute their fair share to the Fund so that it can meet or exceed the fundraising goal of $18 billion. On Sept. 21, donors will gather in New York to announce their commitments, including wealthy G7 and G20 countries. The outcome will determine whether the $18 billion goal can be achieved. The funding is vital for ensuring the Fund can continue its lifesaving work and expand its mandate to address other existing and future global public health challenges. AHF works in synergy with 31 Global Fund-supported countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, by implementing HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment delivery, and advocacy programs and providing AHF Fund grants to assist other non-profit organizations. The $10 million pledge will represent another facet of the collaboration with the Fund. Through its long-running Fund the Fund advocacy campaign, AHF has been a strong proponent of fully funding the Global Fund via robust international advocacy campaigns and government relations advocacy in Washington D.C., and throughout the 45 countries where it works. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005881/en/ US MEDIA CONTACT: Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF +1.323.308.1833 work, +1.323.791.5526 mobile [email protected] Denys Nazarov, Senior Director of Media Relations, AHF +1 323.308.1829 [email protected] Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation CELAYA, Mexico & GUANAJUATO, Mexico--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V. ("Bachoco" or the Company) (NYSE: IBA; BMV: BACHOCO), announces that the members of its ad hoc committee met today regarding the intention of certain shareholders of Bachoco to make a voluntary tender offer to purchase all of Bachocos outstanding publicly owned shares not currently owned by such shareholders, through a special purpose vehicle (the offeror) for a cash purchase price of $81.66 Mexican pesos per share (the offer price), as previously announced on March 25, 2022 (such offer, the offer or potential offer as the context requires). In April 2022, the ad hoc committee was formed, comprised exclusively of independent members of Bachocos board of directors (the Board), in connection with the aforementioned potential offer. The ad hoc committee engaged FTI Capital Advisors, LLC (FTICA), a wholly owned subsidiary of FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN), as an independent expert, to render its opinion to the Board as to whether the offer price to be paid by the offeror in the potential offer is fair, from a financial point of view, to the holders of shares of Bachocos Series B common stock, including any such shares represented by American Depositary Shares (collectively, the Shares), other than those held by Bachoco, the offeror or its affiliates (excluded shares). The ad hoc committee held a follow-up meeting on June 17, 2022, at which representatives of FTICA presented their preliminary perspectives as of the date of that meeting, while awaiting the commencement of the offer. On September 19, 2022, the ad hoc committee held a meeting at which representatives of FTICA rendered FTICAs opinion as of the date of such meeting, as subsequently confirmed in writing on and as of such date. Given the delay in the commencement of the offer, the ad hoc committee considered that it was prudent and consistent with Bachocos historical transparency and corporate integrity to publish FTICAs opinion and communicate it to the public. Consequently, today, the ad hoc committee received FTICAs written opinion, a copy of which is attached to this press release. Subject to the qualifications and assumptions on which it is based and the exceptions and limitations set forth therein, FTICAs opinion states that it is of the opinion, as of the date hereof, that the offer price to be paid by the offeror in the potential offer is fair, from a financial point of view, to the holders of Shares, other than excluded shares. FTICA expressed no view as to, and FTICAs opinion does not address, any other terms or other aspects or implications of the potential offer, and the foregoing description of FTICAs opinion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of its opinion, a copy of which is attached hereto. Based on FTICA's opinion, Bachoco's ad hoc committee considers the offer price, as announced on March 25, 2022, to be reasonable from a financial point of view, and therefore fair, to the Company's shareholders and will inform the full board of directors of the Company so that the latter, in turn, may issue its opinion, pursuant to the provisions of Article 101 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores (the "Mexican Securities Market Law") and other applicable provisions. In addition, the members of the ad hoc committee consider that the decision of a shareholder as to whether or not to tender its shares owned in Bachoco pursuant to the potential offer, if launched and, if so, how many shares to tender, is a personal investment decision based upon such individual shareholders particular circumstances. Accordingly, each shareholder is urged to make its own decision as to whether to tender its shares in the potential offer and, if so, how many shares to tender, based on all available information, including the shareholders investment objectives, the recent market prices of the relevant shares, the shareholders own views as to Bachocos prospects and outlook and any other factors that the shareholder deems relevant to its investment decision. As required by Mexican law, a copy of FTICAs opinion is attached hereto, with the understanding that the Companys shareholders should review the attached opinion in its entirety, including the qualifications and assumptions on which it is based and the exceptions and limitations set forth therein, and await the determination of the full board before making any decision with respect to the potential offer. This press release and exhibit can be downloaded from the SEC website at www.sec.gov and can also be found on Bachoco's website at https://corporativo.bachoco.com.mx/inversionistas/. COMPANY DESCRIPTION. Industrias Bachoco is a leader in the poultry industry in Mexico and one of the largest poultry companies in the world. The Company was founded in 1952, and began trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange and the New York Exchange in 1997. Corporate offices are located in Celaya, Mexico. Bachoco is vertically integrated; its main business lines are: chicken, eggs, balanced feed, pork, among other products. It has more than 1,000 facilities organized into 9 production complexes and 80 distribution centers in Mexico and a production complex in the United States. It currently generates more than 29,000 direct jobs. Bachoco has the following ratings: "AAA (MEX)", the highest rating assigned by Fitch Mexico, S.A. de C.V.; and "HR AAA", which means that the Issuer or the Issue is of the highest credit quality and was granted by HR Ratings de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. DISCLAIMER. The document contains information that could be deemed forward-looking statements regarding expected future events and results of the Company. The statements reflect management's current beliefs based on currently available information and are not guarantees of future performance and are based on our estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Annual Information form, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. These risks and uncertainties include risks associated with ownership in the poultry industry, competition for investments in the poultry industry, shareholder liability, government regulation, and environmental matters. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. This press release is not an offer to sell securities in the United States, Mexico, or elsewhere. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States, Mexico, or any other jurisdiction without registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of securities in the United States or Mexico must be made through the preparation of a prospectus or prospectus. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005459/en/ Investor Relations Area Phone:(461)6183555 Mail: [email protected] Source: Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V. DALLAS & MUMBAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Black Box, a leading Global Solutions Integrator (GSI), announced today that it has formed a Strategic Alliance Partnership with Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, to provide the most advanced Wi-Fi and LAN networks available. The partnership allows Black Box to drive innovation in connectivity, giving superior data and networking options. Black Box explains that networks using Beyond NextGen technology AI-based Juniper Mist Wi-Fi and LAN cloud services maintain the simplicity of Wi-Fi and wired networking while leveraging superior outcomes in data management, transfer, system maintenance and automated diagnostics. Speaking of their new global partnership, Jim McKenna, vice president of strategic partnerships for Black Box, explains, Were tremendously excited to form a global alliance with Juniper. They are a recognized market leader in secure AI-driven networks. He adds, System deployment and integration into existing and complex infrastructures utilizing cloud-based services and AI operability is the future. Juniper has proven themselves to be the true innovators in that realm, so our partnership is a natural fit for our respective organizations and clients. Enterprise director of solutions at Black Box, Juned Noonari, continues, Global integrators are challenged foremost to provide ease-of-deployment, uniformity, and predictability. Our Wi-Fi as a Service (WaaS) provides a futuristic approach toward the highest-quality service and the ability to preempt problems. We know of no other company on the cutting edge of that technology than Juniper. Our partnership is a welcomed one. Thomas Desrues, vice president of alliances at Juniper, explains, Our industry-leading Mist AI and cloud technology utilizes a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science techniques to optimize user experiences and to simplify operations across the wireless, wired and SD-WAN domains. Black Boxs expertise in this space and trusted relationships with Fortune 1000 enterprise companies make Black Box an ideal partner as we move this technology into the forefront of what is truly possible. Black Box designs, builds, and manages a full range of wireless technologies to support connected enterprises, delivering superior digital workplace connectivity across multiple industries. Forward-thinking clients turn toward Black Box to help incorporate Beyond NextGen data transfer into existing and future networks. More information about Black Box and the companys global solutions integration services is available at www.blackbox.com. Black Box is a trusted IT solutions provider delivering cutting-edge technology solutions and world-class consulting services to businesses across the globe. Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc. PR Link: www.wallstcom.com/BlackBox/220920-BB_Juniper_Networks.docx Image: www.wallstcom.com/BlackBox/Jim_McKenna.jpg Jim McKenna, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Black Box Image: www.wallstcom.com/BlackBox/juned_pic.jpg Juned Noonari, Enterprise Director of Solutions at Black Box Image: www.wallstcom.com/BlackBox/Thomas_D_headshot.jpeg Thomas Desrues, Vice President of Alliances at Juniper View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006090/en/ Black Box Contact Cassidy Huff Marketing Communications Program Manager Phone: +1. 512.908.4854 Email: [email protected] Agency Contact Carolyn Archambault Wall Street Communications Phone: +1.801.266.0077 Email: [email protected] Source: Black Box Wallbox is Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions Wallbox home chargers will be available for purchase in U.S., Canada, and Europe through the Fisker website Wallbox will offer installation services in Europe and North America LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR) ("Fisker") passionate creator of the world's most sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions and Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), a leading provider of electric vehicle and energy management solutions worldwide, name Wallbox as Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005492/en/ Wallbox is Fisker's global partner for home EV charging solutions. Photo credit: Michael Muller Fisker and Wallbox are partnering to offer Fisker EV owners Wallbox home EV chargers for purchase through the Fisker website in the U.S., Canada, and European launch markets. The Pulsar Plus, Wallbox's best-selling charger worldwide and one of the smallest smart universal EV chargers, will be available to the North American market through Fisker. In Europe, Fisker will be the first OEM to offer Wallbox's Pulsar Max charger, providing localized charging solutions to drivers in seven European countries. Like Pulsar Plus, Pulsar Max delivers top charging speeds and offers the full Wallbox energy management suite, including solar charging, so users can enjoy their EVs to the fullest. Both chargers display customized Fisker and Wallbox logos and can be installed in homes, offices, and multi-unit dwellings to provide straightforward and efficient charging. "Fisker is laser-focused on giving our customers simple and intuitive technology combined with clever design to make owning an EV easier. Together with Wallbox, we are providing class-leading, competitively priced chargers for Fisker owners," Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said. "Wallbox's track record of delivering well-designed, innovative, and dependable charging systems on a global scale makes the partnership a perfect fit for our customers and our business." "Making home charging accessible is key to accelerating the transition to EVs globally, and partnering with Fisker will allow us to support more drivers as they make the transition," said Douglas Alfaro, General Manager of Wallbox North America. "There is a natural alignment between our two brands, so we are excited to announce our partnership with Fisker." Fisker and Wallbox also plan to offer home installation services provided by Wallbox in Europe. In the U.S. and Canada, installation services will be provided by COIL, a recent Wallbox acquisition. Wallbox Pulsar Plus smart chargers will be available to Fisker Ocean reservation holders starting November 2022 in the U.S. and Canada. Wallbox Pulsar Max smart chargers will be available to Fisker Ocean reservation holders starting November 2022 in our European launch markets: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and The United Kingdom. Pricing to be announced. The Fisker Ocean, Fisker's ground-breaking all-electric SUV, is available in three trim levels: Extreme, Ultra, and Sport. The top trim Fisker Ocean Extreme travels 350 miles1 on a single charge, with dual-motor, all-wheel-drive, three driving modes, Revolve 17.1" rotating screen, SolarSky roof, California Mode, Smart Traction, and many first-to-market safety features, including the world's first digital radar, all for $68,9992 in the U.S. Production of the Fisker Ocean is on track for November 17, 2022, at a carbon-neutral factory in Graz, Austria. Deliveries to customers will begin shortly after. About Fisker Inc. California-based Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing the most emotionally desirable and eco-friendly electric vehicles on Earth. Passionately driven by the vision of a clean future for all, the company is on a mission to become the No. 1 e-mobility service provider with the world's most sustainable vehicles. To learn more, visit www.FiskerInc.com and enjoy exclusive content across Fisker's social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. About Wallbox Wallbox is a global company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy in the electric vehicle industry. Wallbox creates smart charging systems that combine innovative technology with outstanding design and manage the communication between vehicle, grid, building and charger. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 100 countries. Founded in 2015, with headquarters in Barcelona, Wallbox's mission is to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles today to make more sustainable use of energy tomorrow. The company employs approximately 1,100 people in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com. Fisker Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as "feel," "believes," expects," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "should," "is to be," or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology and include, among other things, the quotation of our CEO, the timing of the availability of smart chargers, the statements regarding the planned launch timing and delivery, pricing and estimated range of the Fisker Ocean, the Company's future performance, and other future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein due to many factors, including, but not limited to: Fisker's limited operating history; Fisker's ability to enter into additional manufacturing and other contracts with Magna or tier-one suppliers in order to execute on its business plan; the risk that OEM and supply partners do not meet agreed-upon timelines or experience capacity constraints; Fisker may experience significant delays in the design, manufacture, regulatory approval, launch and financing of its vehicles; Fisker's ability to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its planned products and services; Fisker's inability to retain key personnel and to hire additional personnel; competition in the electric vehicle market; Fisker's inability to develop a sales distribution network; and the ability to protect its intellectual property rights; and those factors discussed in Fisker's Annual Report on Form 10-K, under the heading "Risk Factors", filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as supplemented by Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other reports and documents Fisker files from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Fisker undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. 1 Based on Fisker simulations. Actual results vary with conditions such as external environment and vehicle use. Official EPA and WLTP ratings are forthcoming. 2 Pricing shown is for the continental U.S. and excludes delivery, finance, and government charges. Maintenance is not included. Pricing depends upon specifications and options chosen by customers as they configure the actual vehicle closer to production. Pricing does not include various state and federal incentives and benefits which may be available. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005492/en/ Photo credit: Michael Muller Fisker Contact: U.S. Media [email protected] European Media: [email protected] Customer service: [email protected] Fisker Inc. Communications: Matthew DeBord Sr Director, Communications Strategy & Storytelling [email protected] Rebecca Lindland Director, Communications [email protected] Fisker Inc. Investor Relations: Frank Boroch VP of Investor Relations [email protected] Wallbox Contact: Public Relations: Elyce Behrsin Public Relations [email protected] +34 622 513 358 Investor Relations: Matt Tractenberg VP, Investor Relations [email protected] +1 404-574-1504 Source: Fisker Inc. SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To further transform, strengthen and expand the semiconductor industry and ecosystem, the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) launches a new chapter: GSA Egypt. The regional division is set up in collaboration with the Egyptian Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), which is the executive IT arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Egyptian Information Telecommunications Electronics and Software Alliance (EITESAL), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representing the entire Egyptian ICT industry. Egypt is a large country with a young, highly educated population of more than 100 million, of which 70% are 40 years old and younger. A large network of well-reputed universities and institutes produces over 600 thousand graduates per year, with 40% in STEM disciplines, said Amr Mahfouz, CEO, ITIDA. In the global hunt for tech talent, Egypt is becoming a primary destination for leading tech companies establishing global development centers, and for local champions expanding internationally. GSA Egypt offers full membership benefits to both local and multinational companies within the country through this dedicated chapter. GSA Egypt members have access to the rich, open dialogues with subject matter experts on the industry, technologies, markets, business practices and business models with personalized, local representation, advocacy and highly-curated events. The GSA board of directors and I are committed to continually improving and reimagining how we expand to further serve and engage a more comprehensive value chain. In rapidly growing and emerging markets, like Egypt, we need to use our resources to stay ahead of the curve by delivering a valuable, neutral platform to maximize and grow the supply chain, said Jodi Shelton, CEO of GSA. GSA Egypt welcomes as members more than 20 Egyptian companies in addition to existing local arms of multinationals such ADI, STM and SIEMENS EDA. As chairman of Si-Ware Systems and board member of EITESAL, I am very pleased to witness the launch of GSA Egypt and look forward to further promoting the companies and technology in this region, said Hisham Haddara. The first GSA Egypt Summit event will take place in Cairo on January 19, 2023, combining an international executive audience, exciting topics and exclusive access to breathtaking cultural highlights for all attendees and spouses. For more information and to register for the Summit, please visit the event website. About GSA: GSA is Where Leaders Meet to establish an efficient, profitable and sustainable high technology global ecosystem encompassing semiconductors, software, solutions, systems and services. A leading industry organization that represents 300+ corporate members on six continents, including more than 120 public companies, GSA provides a unique, neutral platform for collaboration, where global executives interface and innovate with peers, partners and customers to accelerate industry growth and maximize return on invested and intellectual capital. Members of the GSA represent 70 percent of the $500B+ semiconductor industry and continue to grow. For more information, visit www.gsaglobal.org. Follow GSA on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and WeChat. About ITIDA: The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), is the executive IT arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and is primarily concerned with building the capacities of the local IT companies, attracting and servicing multi-national IT companies, and growing a qualified, sustainable, and deployable talent pool. ITIDA adheres to a Public-Private Partnership mode to achieve the goals of the IT industry and create a cooperative business environment. ITIDA is positioned as a one-stop-shop for foreign direct investors seeking to enhance their global offering using what Egypt has to offer and the competitive advantages of the country. About EITESAL: Egyptian Information, Telecommunications, Electronics, and Software Alliance (EITESAL) is a private sector, non-profit entity of ICTE companies, Multi-national corporations, Organizations and Institutions operating in Egypt. It aims to be the main driver leading the development, promotion and transformation of the Egyptian ICTE industry, improving the business environment for members by promoting their local and international interests and by creating a strong and positive synergy among Egyptian industry stakeholders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005196/en/ GSA Media Contact: Katie Olivier GSA [email protected] +1.214.272.0072 Source: Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HCL, a global conglomerate and UpLink, the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, announced today that applications have opened for the Global Freshwater Innovation Challenge. This is the first out of five Challenges of the HCL and UpLinks Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, a programme to source innovative solutions to conserve and restore freshwater ecosystems, from aquapreneurs (water focused entrepreneurs). The Initiative, launched during the Forums Annual Meeting in Davos in May 2022, will create a first-of-its-kind innovation ecosystem for the global freshwater sector. The last date to apply is November 08, 2022. Full details and eligibility criteria can be found at this link. HCL has committed $15 million over five years to support the water focused entrepreneurs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006263/en/ Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies said, An innovation ecosystem can enable water entrepreneurs with resources and mentoring to invest in creating new solutions and improving any existing ones for scale and impact. There are entrepreneurs and start-ups that have the potential to provide contextualized solutions to conserve freshwater and have been trying to create impact in small ways within small ecosystems. Out of these, many struggle to secure financing and lack the operational capacity to scale their solutions. HCL, through its large network and partnership with the World Economic Forums UpLink, is keen to ensure that these entrepreneurs are identified and supported. The first years challenge, called the Global Freshwater Challenge, will focus on: Improved decision-making : solutions that fill knowledge gaps, improve data collection, and create transparent and accessible data (i.e., solutions that monitor and forecast water use & demand) : solutions that fill knowledge gaps, improve data collection, and create transparent and accessible data (i.e., solutions that monitor and forecast water use & demand) Water quality restoration: solutions that tackle water quality by monitoring, treating, restoring or protecting it. (i.e. solutions such as solar distillers for water purification) solutions that tackle water quality by monitoring, treating, restoring or protecting it. (i.e. solutions such as solar distillers for water purification) Ecosystem resilience: solutions that protect source waters across the value chain and strengthen resilience to climate and weather-related shocks, taking into consideration the most vulnerable areas at risk (i.e. solutions that reduce water evapotranspiration from extreme heat, or ways to absorb and store acute flooding) Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director of the Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum says, The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative invites all entrepreneurs to participate to scale and accelerate their solutions and impact. Through this initiative, we seek to enhance freshwater resilience and better protect our water resource. The collaboration with HCL and Uplink will provide a platform for the top innovators to connect with public and private partners, as well as gain access to venture funds, to jointly transform our sustainable management and use of freshwater systems. HCL and UpLink are looking for: Stage: Impact-oriented start-ups that are at pilot, growth or scale-up phase, with demonstrated success towards scale (i.e., a proven track record with measurable results and impact). Solutions that represent an idea or prototype phase will not be considered. Impact-oriented start-ups that are at pilot, growth or scale-up phase, with demonstrated success towards scale (i.e., a proven track record with measurable results and impact). Solutions that represent an idea or prototype phase will not be considered. Business Model: Ideally seeking for-profit start-up companies or social enterprises with a sustainable, and ideally hybrid, funding model. Ideally seeking for-profit start-up companies or social enterprises with a sustainable, and ideally hybrid, funding model. Scale: Start-ups which demonstrate the potential to scale, particularly for communities most impacted, alongside a vision for achieving long-term financial viability and sustainability. Selected entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to work closely with industry experts, investors, and ecosystem partners to further develop their innovative solution, to scale and drive further impact. About HCL Group Founded in 1976 as one of Indias original IT garage start-ups, HCL is a pioneer of modern computing with many firsts to its credit, including the introduction of the 8-bit microprocessor-based computer in 1978 well before its global peers. Today, the HCL Group has business presence across sectors including technology and healthcare and comprises three group companies HCL Technologies, HCL Infosystems and HCL Healthcare. The Group generates annual revenues of over US$11.8 billion with more than 211,000 employees operating across 52 countries. HCL Technologies, a group company, empowers global enterprises with technology for the next decade, today. As a leading global technology company, it takes pride in its diversity, social responsibility, sustainability and education initiatives. HCL Technologies is also a strategic partner of the World Economic Forum. About UpLink UpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, dedicated to unlocking an entrepreneur revolution to support positive systemic change for people and planet. Launched at the Forums Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2020 in collaboration with Salesforce and Deloitte, Uplink is now a thriving ecosystem of 50,000+ entrepreneurs, investors and experts, who are collaborating around innovation for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For further information, visit www.hcl.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006263/en/ Dr. Pooja Arora | [email protected] Source: HCL Group CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (Hyatt or the Company) (NYSE: H) announced today that it will release third quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, November 3, 2022, before the stock market opens, followed by a conference call at 8:00 a.m. CT. Participants are encouraged to listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call, accessible through the Companys website at investors.hyatt.com. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Companys website for 90 days. Alternatively, participants may access the live call by dialing: U.S. Toll-Free Number: 888-412-4131 International Toll Number: 646-960-0134 Conference ID: 9019679 Participants should dial into the call at least fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled start time. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the call will be available for one week beginning on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. CT by dialing: U.S. Toll-Free Number: 800-770-2030 International Toll Number: 647-362-9199 Conference ID: 9019679 About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2022, the Companys portfolio included more than 1,150 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 72 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Residence Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006190/en/ Media: Franziska Weber + 1 312-780-6106 [email protected] Investors: Noah Hoppe + 1 312-780-5991 [email protected] Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On September 19, KBRA assigned a long-term rating of AA- with a Stable Outlook to the Turnpike Authority of Kentucky Economic Development Road Revenue Bonds (Revitalization Projects) 2022 Series B. Concurrently, KBRA affirmed the AA- rating and Stable Outlook on the Authoritys outstanding Economic Development Road Revenue Bonds (Revitalization Projects). Click here to view the report. To access ratings and relevant documents, click here. Disclosures Further information on key credit considerations, sensitivity analyses that consider what factors can affect these credit ratings and how they could lead to an upgrade or a downgrade, and ESG factors (where they are a key driver behind the change to the credit rating or rating outlook) can be found in the full rating report referenced above. A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at www.kbra.com. About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority pursuant to the Temporary Registration Regime. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006154/en/ Analytical Contacts Linda Vanderperre, Senior Director (Lead Analyst) +1 (646) 731-2482 [email protected] Peter Scherer, Director +1 (646) 731-2325 [email protected] Karen Daly, Senior Managing Director (Rating Committee Chair) +1 (646) 731-2347 [email protected] Business Development Contacts William Baneky, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-2409 [email protected] James Kissane, Senior Director +1 (213) 806-0026 [email protected] Source: Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Granite (NYSE: GVA) announced today that is has been awarded two construction contracts worth approximately $107 million on State Highway 288 near Houston, Texas. When combined with the previously announced $40 million contract on a different segment of SH 288, the additional segments give Granite more than $145 million of work on SH 288. The contracts were awarded and will be funded by the Texas Department of Transportation. They are anticipated to be included in Granites third quarter CAP. In total, the two projectsone centered on SH 288 at Cedar Rapids Parkway, the other on SH 288 at Dubuque Parkwaycover 24 lane miles in six miles of four lane highway. The scope of work includes construction of five new bridges, the reconstruction and reconfiguration of entry and exit ramps approaching the new structures, and new grade separations. Granite will set up a batch concrete plant to provide material for these projects. Coming on the heels of the recent completion of the Grand Parkway Project, Granite teams are ready for a seamless transition to the work on SH 288. The strong collaboration between our operating and estimating teams was critical to bid day success, said Domingo Gonzalez, Granite project executive. These adjacent projects are also a chance to continue our successful partnership with the local TxDOT teams on delivering the infrastructure that people need. The project start is expected in fall 2022 and anticipated completion is summer 2024. About Granite Granite is Americas Infrastructure Company. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE: GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granites Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit the Granite website, graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005317/en/ Granite Contacts Media Erin Kuhlman - 831-768-4111 Investors Wenjun Xu - 831-761-7861 Source: Granite Former director at NTT R&D to explore market potential of research, including attribute-based encryption SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NTT Research, Inc., a division of NTT (TYO: 9432), today announced that it has named Takashi Goto as head of its Technology Promotion Team, a group set up to help productize well-developed research concepts. Mr. Goto was previously a director in the NTT R&D Planning Department and before that a senior manager and senior research engineer at the NTT Information Network Laboratory Group. He joined NTT Research on July 1, 2022, succeeding Dr. Kei Karasawa, who has taken an executive position at NTT R&D in Tokyo. Mr. Goto will join the executive team at NTT Research, where he will be responsible for exploring the market potential for technologies under development at NTT Research, as well as NTT R&D. One of the first targets for commercialization is attribute-based encryption (ABE), a form of cryptography that allows for sharing data while preserving the data owners privacy. The mission of NTT Research is to conduct basic research tied to long-term goals, rather than specific product or service roadmaps. Yet, along the way, the companys researchers may generate technologies that have market potential. The purpose of the Technology Promotion Team is to test that hypothesis by interacting with a range of stakeholders involved in the commercialization of invented technologies or byproducts. Mr. Gotos task will be to interface with NTT operating companies, potential end users, possible third-party partners and standardization bodies. Technology promotion also involves feasibility studies, use-cases, competitive analysis, proof of concept (POC) demonstrations and related efforts. We are very pleased to welcome Takashi Goto to our team in Sunnyvale, NTT Research President and CEO Kazuhiro Gomi said. He is a talented engineer and manager with significant experience at NTT R&D and a keen interest in technology promotion, making him a perfect fit for this important role. A leading candidate for commercialization, ABE was Introduced in 2005 in a paper co-authored by NTT Research Cryptography & Information Security (CIS) Lab Director, Brent Waters. Two years ago, that paper was recognized with an International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) Test of Time Award. To date, NTT Research has been talking with NTT operating companies, on the assumption that ABE solutions could address security and privacy needs in the health care, medical, financial, education and government sectors. In November 2021, NTT announced an agreement with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), which includes conducting a POC platform of ABE aimed at making the UTS internal systems more secure. NTT Research is planning a hackathon event around ABE, aimed at showcasing innovative ABE-related applications. Mr. Goto is currently engaged in planning that event. I have long been interested in creating value and introducing NTTs superior technology to Japan and the world, so I am very excited about my new role at NTT Research, Mr. Goto said. My near-term plans include providing technical support for a commercialization project in Australia, evaluating recent technologies through the hackathon and improving the process of intellectual property management. In addition to ABE, other NTT Research-related technologies with potential commercial byproducts include applications of multiparty computation (MPC), another area of research for CIS Lab cryptographers, and implementations of the coherent Ising machine (CIM), a quantum computing-related technology that is an area of focus for the NTT Research Physics & Informatics (PHI) Lab. Supporting Mr. Goto at NTT Research are Mr. Fang Wu, a consultant and technology veteran, formerly with NTT Global Networks, NTT America, Lucent and Bell Labs; and Dr. Yannis Rouselakis, a software architect specializing in cryptographic technologies. To advance NTT Researchs core scientific mission, the company, unique among industrial laboratories, has advanced an open lab vision and over the past three years has established more than 20 relationships with premier research organizations in the U.S., Japan and around the world. About NTT Research NTT Research opened its offices in July 2019 as a new Silicon Valley startup to conduct basic research and advance technologies that promote positive change for humankind. Currently, three labs are housed at NTT Research facilities in Sunnyvale: the Physics and Informatics (PHI) Lab, the Cryptography and Information Security (CIS) Lab, and the Medical and Health Informatics (MEI) Lab. The organization aims to upgrade reality in three areas: 1) quantum information, neuroscience and photonics; 2) cryptographic and information security; and 3) medical and health informatics. NTT Research is part of NTT, a global technology and business solutions provider with an annual R&D budget of $3.6 billion. NTT and the NTT logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION and/or its affiliates. All other referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners. 2022 NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005197/en/ NTT Research Contact: Chris Shaw Chief Marketing Officer NTT Research +1-312-888-5412 [email protected] Media Contact: Stephen Russell Wireside Communications For NTT Research +1-804-362-7484 [email protected] Source: NTT Research, Inc. Study of the Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation System Shows significant Reduction in Blood Pressure in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. (Otsuka Medical Devices) a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings today announced the detailed results from the RADIANCE II US FDA IDE pivotal trial evaluating the endovascular Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation (uRDN) System as a treatment for hypertension. Principal Investigator Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, presented the study results in a Late Breaking Clinical Science session at the TCT 2022 Annual Meeting. The highly anticipated results follow ReCors announcement in July that the RADIANCE II study met its primary efficacy endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure at two months between uRDN and a sham procedure. Conducted as an international, multicenter study, RADIANCE II is a US FDA IDE, randomized, sham-controlled pivotal trial of the Paradise uRDN System in the treatment of patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Among 1038 patients screened for eligibility at more than 60 study centers in 8 countries, 224 patients with uncontrolled hypertension were randomized 2:1 to uRDN or a sham. Patients were to remain off antihypertensive medications throughout the 2 months of follow-up unless specified BP criteria were exceeded. At the 2-month primary efficacy endpoint, patients treated with the Paradise uRDN system had a mean reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure of -7.9 mmHg, compared to a reduction of -1.8 mmHg in the sham arm, corresponding to a statistically significant between-group difference of -6.3 mmHg (p These results are important to the field of hypertension treatment. RADIANCE II is the third and largest randomized, sham-controlled study to show that the Paradise uRDN System delivers meaningful reductions in blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension, said Study Principal Investigator Ajay Kirtane. On behalf of my co-principal investigator Professor Michel Azizi and the entire steering committee, I would like to thank the study patients, investigators, and coordinators who gave so much of themselvesincluding during the COVID pandemicin order to complete this rigorously conducted trial. Echoing these thoughts, study principal investigator Michel Azizi, Professor of Medicine at Universite Paris Cite, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France said, The results from RADIANCE II provide further evidence for uRDN as a potential therapy option for hypertension. The RADIANCE II results are strongly consistent across all measures of blood pressure within the study and are also consistent with the prior SOLO (off-medication) and TRIO (on triple antihypertensive combination treatment) trialsadding confidence in the treatment effect of the Paradise uRDN system across a broad spectrum of hypertension severity. These results align well with the recent consensus statement from the European Society of Cardiology, supporting the use of renal denervation for treatment of uncontrolled hypertension. Additionally, if these results are maintained over the long-termas already shown by the 36-month results of the SOLO trial and 24-month results of the TRIO trialthe reductions in blood pressure seen in the RADIANCE trials are of a magnitude previously shown in hypertension drug trials to be associated with cardiovascular risk reduction. The results represent progress toward establishing a new treatment option for patients with hypertension. said Kazumichi Kobayashi, Executive Deputy President of Otsuka Medical Devices. Through our global R&D efforts, we will continue to develop unique solutions for patients whose medical needs and conditions have not yet been met by existing treatments. We are thrilled with the results from RADIANCE II. This is further evidence that the Paradise uRDN System lowers blood pressure in a wide range of patients who are struggling to control their hypertension, said ReCor president and CEO, Andrew M. Weiss. ReCor looks forward to working with physicians and regulating bodies around the world to make the Paradise System treatment available to patients and their physicians who are seeking better control of their hypertension. Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. https://www.otsuka.com/en/ Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. https://www.omd.otsuka.com/en/ ReCor Medical, Inc. https://www.recormedical.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005879/en/ Otsuka Medical Devices Inquiry form: https://www.omd.otsuka.com/en/contact2/ Tel: +81-3-6361-7459 Media contact: Corporate Communications: Satomi Shimotori Product/clinical trials information: RDN project: Yusuke Kogata Source: Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) today announced a major expansion of its partnership with South Koreas Hyundai Heavy Industries Group by bringing Palantir Foundry to additional companies within the conglomerate. Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) will utilize the Palantir Foundry operating system across its shipbuilding subsidiaries Hyundai Heavy Industries Co, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in order to advance the Future of Shipyard vision. Teams across the shipbuilding subsidiaries will use Foundry to help them make better, data-driven decisions, focused especially on safety and operational efficiency. During the successful pilot phase, shipbuilding teams used Foundry to improve architectural design of ships, ensure quality on production lines, and bring the power of big data analysis to standard safety procedures. This expansion, valued at $20M over 5 years, deepens Palantir's partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries Group and helps with the digital transformation of South Korea's storied shipbuilders. As announced in January, Foundry is already in use across Hyundai Oilbank for crude oil selection, daily refinery operations, and more. Hyundai Doosan Infracore, another HHI Group subsidiary, has been using Foundry since 2019 for process management, parts management, supply chain optimization, and more. These contracts are valued at over $25M, bringing the total of our contracts to over $45M over 5 years. We will change the way we work by working with Palantir Technologies, said Taejin Lee, CDO of HHI Group. We aim to enhance the competitiveness of our group by setting up an environment where we can make data-based decisions. Todays announcement marks a significant step towards the formation of a joint venture. In January 2022, at an executive gathering at CES in Las Vegas, the two companies signed an agreement to establish a big data platform for use across the Group and in Hyundai Heavys core markets in both the public and private sectors. Hyundai Heavy is an industrial leader working at the leading edge of some of the most complex engineering challenges that we collectively face, said Alexander C. Karp, co-founder and chief executive officer of Palantir Technologies Inc. We could not be more enthusiastic about expanding our partnership and are actively working to extend access to our software across Hyundai Heavys operations, as well as the countrys commercial and government sectors. About Palantir Technologies Inc. Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Palantirs expectations regarding the terms and the expected benefits of the partnership. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and were based on current expectations as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Palantirs control. These risks and uncertainties include Palantirs ability to meet the unique needs of its customers; the failure of its platforms to satisfy its customers or perform as desired; the frequency or severity of any software and implementation errors; the reliability of Palantirs platforms; the terms and conditions of any strategic agreements or relationships; and the ability of Palantirs customers to modify or terminate their contracts. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the filings Palantir makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Except as required by law, Palantir does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006221/en/ Lisa Gordon [email protected] Source: Palantir Technologies Inc. Annual State of the TMC showcases emerging campuses at Texas Medical Center HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- William (Bill) McKeon, President and CEO of Texas Medical Center, today shared plans for the continued strategic growth of the Texas Medical Center at the annual State of the TMC, hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership. With a vision to become the worlds most comprehensive life science ecosystem, TMC is anchored by four districts the TMC Medical Campus, TMC Innovation Factory, TMC Helix Park, and the newly announced TMC BioPort. BioPort is TMCs newest initiative and will serve as the Texas Medical Centers biomanufacturing and medical supplies distribution engine. The district will span several hundred acres driving the much-needed repatriation of critical medical supplies and new cell and gene therapies. In addition, TMC BioPort will provide on-site upskill training center, creating over 100,000 new job opportunities for residents in the Greater Houston region. This vital initiative is aligned with the expectation that the US will significantly increase its biomanufacturing capacity to assure ready access to pharmaceuticals, therapies and medical supplies. Houston is advancing its position as the leading destination for life science discovery, said McKeon. Through our holistic, expansive vision, we are building every vital component necessary to advance the largest life science ecosystem in the world. Established in 1945, the beating heart of TMC is the TMC Medical Campus. Today, it includes over 60+ member institutions with more than 120,000 employees. Each year, the TMC Medical Campus serves 10 million+ patients and performs over 180,000 surgeries at leading institutions across more than 50 million developed square feet. TMCs ecosystem also includes the TMC Innovation Factory, opened in 2015 to support early-stage companies from around the world. Located within an historic Nabisco Cookie Factory, over 300 enterprises have come to TMC to take part in the Innovation Factorys programs and resources. To date, these companies have raised more than $5.8 billion in venture capital, with 13 health tech endeavors already benefiting from successful launches through the TMC BioDesign program. The newly announced TMC Innovation Factory Labs, scheduled to open Q1 2023, will provide 46,000 SF of turn-key lab solutions to further advance the pioneering efforts of these early-stage companies. In addition, TMC Helix Park, TMCs 37-acre life science campus, which broke ground in 2020, is slated for Phase One completion in 2023. TMC Helix Park is designed for intentional and incidental collaboration among industry, academia, and entrepreneurs and when completed will include over 6 million square feet of developed space and 18.7 acres of unique public green space. The TMC3 Collaborative Building, the first multi-institutional research facility in TMCs history, is currently under construction and slated for completion in 2023. To learn more, please visit www.texasmedicalcenter.com. About Texas Medical Center (TMC) Texas Medical Center (TMC)the largest medical campus in the worldis at the forefront of advancing life sciences. Home to the brightest minds in medicine, TMC nurtures cross-institutional collaboration, creativity, and innovation among its 106,000-plus employees. With a campus of more than 50 million square feet, TMC annually hosts 10 million patients, performs over 180,000 surgeries, conducts over 750,000 ER visits, performs close to 14,000 heart surgeries, and delivers over 25,000 babies. Beyond patient care, TMC is pushing the boundaries of clinical research across its extensive network of partner institutions on a daily basis, pioneering effective health policy solutions to address the complex health care issues of today, and cultivating cutting-edge digital health applications and medical devices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006149/en/ Media: Kirsten Lance [email protected] Source: Texas Medical Center BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: TME Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALTME), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announces that new data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 GLORIA trial in brain cancer will be presented by Dr. Frank Giordano, the principal investigator of the study, in a poster presentation at the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place in Tampa Bay, Florida, US from November 16 20, 2022. Details of the poster presentation are as follows: Presentation Title: Dual inhibition of post-radiogenic angio-vasculogenesis by olaptesed pegol (NOXA12) and bevacizumab in glioblastoma interim data from the first expansion arm of the German phase 1/2 GLORIA trial. Abstract ID: CTNI-67 Session Title: Poster Session Session Date: Friday, November 18, 2022 Presentation Time: 07:30 09:30 p.m. EST (01:30 03:30 a.m. CET, November 19, 2022) Presenter: Dr. Frank Giordano, Director and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University Hospital Bonn, Germany To register to the event, please click here. A copy of the poster presentation will be available on TME Pharmas website shortly after the event. About TME Pharma TME Pharma is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of the most aggressive cancers. The companys oncology-focused pipeline is designed to act on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking tumor protection barriers against the immune system and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, TME Pharmas approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses and enable greater therapeutic impact. In the GLORIA clinical trial, TME Pharma is studying its lead drug candidate NOX-A12 in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy. TME Pharma has delivered top-line data from the NOX-A12 three dose-escalation cohorts combined with radiotherapy of the GLORIA clinical trial, observing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA expansion arms evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in other combinations where the interim results from the triple combination of NOX-A12, radiotherapy and bevacizumab suggest even deeper and more durable responses. NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy has received orphan drug designation for glioblastoma in the United States and glioma in Europe. TME Pharma has delivered final top-line data with encouraging overall survival and safety profile from its NOX-A12 combination trial with Keytruda in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients, which was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer in October 2021. The company has entered in its second collaboration with MSD/Merck for its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Mercks Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The design of the trial is in discussion with regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe. The companys second clinical-stage drug candidate, NOX-E36, is designed to target the innate immune system. TME Pharma is considering several solid tumors for further clinical development. Further information can be found at: www.tmepharma.com. Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. Visit TME Pharma on LinkedIn and Twitter. About the GLORIA Study GLORIA (NCT04121455) is TME Pharmas dose-escalation, Phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab. About the OPTIMUS Study OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is TME Pharmas planned open-label two-arm Phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Disclaimer Translations of any press release into languages other than English are intended solely as a convenience to the non-English-reading audience. The company has attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original text in English, but due to the nuances in translating into another language, slight differences may exist. This press release includes certain disclosures that contain "forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on TME Pharmas current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks inherent in oncology drug development, including clinical trials and the timing of and TME Pharmas ability to obtain regulatory approvals for NOX-A12 as well as any other drug candidates. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and TME Pharma undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920006016/en/ For more information, please contact: TME Pharma N.V. Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D., CEO Bryan Jennings, CFO Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0 [email protected] Investor and Media Relations: LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31 [email protected] NewCap Arthur Rouille Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15 [email protected] Source: TME Pharma N.V. As a major restaurant tech player in Europe, Zenchef has developed a full suite of technological solutions to support the digitization of the restaurant industry PSG Equity's strategic and financial support aims to strengthen Zenchef's leadership position in Europe Zenchef plans to accelerate its growth and develop new solutions for restaurants and food lovers PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zenchef, a French restaurant tech1 leader that develops technology solutions for the restaurant industry, announced today an investment of over 50 million from PSG Equity ("PSG"), a growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth and build scale across Europe and the U.S. Zenchef: a major player in the digitization of the restaurant sector in Europe Founded in 2011 by Xavier and Thomas Zeitoun and Julien Balmont, Zenchef has established itself as a key partner in the restaurant industry by offering a set of technological solutions that aim to facilitate the customer experience and front-of-house operations. In ten years, Zenchef has managed nearly 50 million reservations for its partners, resulting in approximately 170 million restaurant diners, including more than 42 million in 2021. Through Zenchef's SaaS solutions, restaurants can control all their front-of-house operations (reservation and venue management, website and digital menu management, marketing activities, click and collect, mobile payments) from a single platform while owning their data. Having all these solutions in one integrated and comprehensive platform helps restaurant owners to increase occupancy, improve customer experience and minimize marketing spending, leading to better profits. Located in more than 15 countries, with a leading position in France, Belgium and Switzerland, Zenchef supports the digital transformation of more than 7,000 restaurants, including over 180 Michelin-starred chefs, such as Anne-Sophie Pic, Yannick Alleno ou Alain Passard, as well as major restaurant groups like Groupe Bertrand, Del Arte, Ninkasi and La Criee. A strategic partnership for Zenchef's European growth With PSG's support, Zenchef's management team aims to accelerate its growth in Europe, notably through a sustained growth strategy and by developing new B2B and B2C products to further strengthen its position within the restaurant tech sector. This strategy, which began last year with the acquisition and integration of the startup Billee, enabling the launch of Zenchef Pay, a mobile payment solution for restaurant bills, is expected to expand this fall with the launch of Zenchef's very first consumer mobile application. Dedicated to foodies, this free application will allow them to check in real time the availability of over 1,500 restaurants in Paris and to make reservations. It will include various features that are intended to make the user's experience more enjoyable, such as a geolocation service, themed restaurant rankings, reviews, and many more features. This application aims to serve as a launch pad for Zenchef to penetrate the mainstream foodie market and reinforce its commitment to restaurant owners by allowing them to have a closer relationship with their customers while also defending their independence thanks to the companys distinguished zero-commission approach. In an effort to capitalize on the growing market opportunities, Zenchef plans to increase its capacity significantly through an ambitious recruitment campaign in Europe. In a rapidly evolving restaurant market, we are delighted to begin a partnership with a restaurant tech leader and a company that is responsible and committed to restaurant owners, said Charlotte Lawrence and Edward Hughes, Managing Directors of PSG. With Zenchef, we believe we have identified not only one of the top software solutions on the market but also a scalable business with a strong brand and an ambitious and talented team that is particularly well respected by restaurant owners. Together, we believe these factors strategically position Zenchef to capitalize on the strong opportunities of the digitization of the restaurant industry. We believe this partnership with PSG marks the beginning of a new chapter of growth and reaffirms both the relevance of our solutions and our strategic position within the restaurant industry, added Xavier Zeitoun, Co-founder and CEO of Zenchef. In PSG, we have found an ideal partner with a strong track record in accelerating growth for software companies. With their strategic, operational and financial support, we are solidifying our ambition to become Europe's champion. In our view, PSG will enable us to identify the relevant synergies to better serve restaurant owners and their customers, and help us pursue our ambitious recruitment plan. With the upcoming launch of our first consumer mobile app, we are closer to fulfilling our mission to an industry that has been severely tested in recent years and to which we want to bring the best technological solutions. PSGs team works hand-in-hand with founders and management teams to support them in their day-to-day strategic decisions, drawing from their strength in M&A and international expansion, especially in Europe and the U.S., while pursuing a sustained investment plan. Zenchef is PSGs 8th platform investment in France and its 18th in Europe. About Zenchef Founded in 2011 by Xavier Zeitoun, Thomas Zeitoun and Julien Balmont, Zenchef is a leader in Restaurant Tech in Europe. Zenchef has developed a set of technological solutions to support the digitization of the restaurant industry. Thanks to a restaurant owner-centric approach, respecting personal data and without commissions on reservations, Zenchef has gained the trust of more than 7,000 restaurants in more than 15 countries. To learn more about Zenchef, visit https://www.zenchef.com/en-us. About PSG PSG is a growth equity firm that partners with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities, and build strong teams. Having backed more than 110 companies and facilitated over 400 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology, and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, Kansas City, London, Paris and Madrid. To learn more about PSG, visit www.psgequity.com. ____________________ 1 The Restaurant Tech industry refers to technology solutions used regularly in food establishments such as restaurants, cafes, and bars to improve the business process and enhance customer service. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005248/en/ Press Contact Zenchef: Magali Bluzat - [email protected] - +33 6 75 19 97 77 Press Contact PSG: Prosek Partners Ryan Smith, [email protected] - +44 785 475 0943 Source: PSG FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at Hertz rental car at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City, U.S., March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly (In Sept. 20 story, Hertz corrects its estimate in final paragraph to 1.8 million tonnes from 3.5 million) By David Shepardson and Joseph White (Reuters) -Rental car company Hertz Global Holdings plans to order up to 175,000 General Motors Co electric vehicles over the next five years, its latest move toward zero-emission models. The multi-billion dollar, multi-year deal could be the first of many GM agreements to supply electric vehicles to rental car companies, said Steve Carlisle, the automaker's North American operations chief, on a conference call. "It's an enormous first step," Carlisle said, adding that GM is in talks about similar deals with other rental car companies. GM shares fell more than 5% Tuesday afternoon following rival Ford Motor Co's warning late Monday that supply chain costs were $1 billion higher than expected in the third quarter. Ford shares were down more than 11%. Automakers have cut reliance on low-profit, bulk sales to rental car agencies as supply chain problems curtailed production. Carlisle said GM expects to deliver electric vehicles to Hertz at close to retail profit margins. GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a statement "each rental experience will further increase purchase consideration for our products and drive growth for our company." GM aims to have capacity to build 1 million EVs annually in North America by 2025. Carlisle said the sales to Hertz fits within that previously announced goal. Such deals would ease pressure on GM to hit EV sales targets through individual customer sales, a market dominated by Tesla Inc. Hertz's current goal is for one-quarter of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024. In April, Hertz said it would buy up to 65,000 electric vehicles over five years from EV maker Polestar, a joint venture between China's Geely and its Swedish Volvo unit. In October 2021, Hertz announced plans to purchase 100,000 Tesla electric cars, primarily the Model 3. The GM deal "spans a wide range of vehicle categories and price points from compact and midsize SUVs to pickups, luxury vehicles," the companies said. The first GM electric vehicles to ship to Hertz will be Chevrolet Bolt models starting early next year, Carlisle said. GM expects Hertz to deploy many of its EVs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, helping to meet California electric vehicle quotas. Hertz Senior Vice President Jeff Nieman said the company plans to offer EVs across its network, with priority to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Orlando. Hertz estimated customers could travel more than 8 billion miles in these EVs and save about 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions versus gasoline-powered vehicles. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang) Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) today announced it has been awarded an Option Year 3 contract renewal by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (G-EGD) program. The contract, which began September 1, 2022, is valued at $44 million. This is the third of three option years for the contract, which has a total value of up to $176M. With this award, Maxar will continue providing more than 400,000 U.S. government users with unclassified, online and offline, on-demand access to high-resolution commercial imagery. Access to geospatial data and products from other commercial industry providers such as BlackSky and Planet Labs PBC are also available through the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer contract. Since 2011, the G-EGD program has enabled warfighters, first responders, intelligence analysts and civil government users to tap into Maxars 125 petabyte imagery archive and daily imagery collections for time-sensitive, mission-critical planning and operations. G-EGD has been instrumental in enabling NGA to provide unclassified access to satellite imagery for a wide range of U.S. government users and partners throughout the war in Ukraine, said Dan Jablonsky, Maxar President and Chief Executive Officer. As the provider of G-EGD, Maxar is proud to help advance the U.S. governments long history of providing global security and humanitarian initiatives with geospatial data and imagery. During G-EGD Option Year 2, NGA developed a roadmap to integrate five commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data providers into the G-EGD platform by the end of 2023. To date, Maxar has developed ingest solutions for SAR data from Capella Space and ICEYE, to include data visualization and complete product discovery and delivery methods. Maxar will continue data integration efforts for Umbra and PredaSAR, a Terran Orbital Company, throughout Option Year 3. Anyone who supports a U.S. Government mission may request authorization to access G-EGD. With more than 1.1 million square kilometers of new imagery uploaded each day, users have access to current imagery as well as more than 6 billion square kilometers of archived imagery for time sensitive, mission-critical planning and operations. Connect with your government point of contact to determine eligibility. Maxars G-EGD team also offers monthly training webinars to educate government users on how to access and make the best use of the program. Click here or email [email protected] to learn more. About Maxar Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR) is a provider of comprehensive space solutions and secure, precise, geospatial intelligence. We deliver disruptive value to government and commercial customers to help them monitor, understand and navigate our changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use of space. Our unique approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with unrivaled speed, scale and cost effectiveness. Maxars 4,400 team members in over 20 global locations are inspired to harness the potential of space to help our customers create a better world. Maxar trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Any such forward-looking statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements, including those included in the Companys filings with U.S. securities and Canadian regulatory authorities. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as may be required under applicable securities law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005468/en/ Investor Relations Contact: Jonny Bell Maxar Investor Relations 1-303-684-5543 [email protected] Media Contact: Kristin Quinn Cody Maxar Media Relations 1-703-350-6753 [email protected] Source: Maxar Technologies Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, will unveil the B-21 Raider during the first week of December at the companys Palmdale, California facility. The B-21 Raider unveiling will be a historic moment, providing an exclusive view of the B-21 aircraft. The B-21 is the most advanced military aircraft ever built and is a product of pioneering innovation and technological excellence, said Doug Young, sector vice president and general manager, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. The Raider showcases the dedication and skills of the thousands of people working every day to deliver this aircraft. Since contract award in 2015, Northrop Grumman has assembled a nationwide team to design, test and build the worlds most advanced strike aircraft. The B-21 is a product of Northrop Grummans pioneering digital engineering practices and advanced manufacturing techniques together with breakthrough stealth technology. Northrop Grumman is proud of our partnership with the U.S. Air Force as we deliver the B-21 Raider, a sixth-generation aircraft optimized for operations in highly contested environments, said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. Six B-21 test aircraft are in various stages of final assembly in Palmdale, California. Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force confirmed in May that the B-21 first flight is projected for 2023. The actual timing of first flight will be based on ground test outcomes. The unveiling will take place at Northrop Grummans Palmdale site, during an invitation-only event. Northrop Grumman is a technology company, focused on global security and human discovery. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, advance and protect the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers toughest problems, our 90,000 employees define possible every day. GTC -- NVIDIA today introduced the NVIDIA IGX platform for high-precision edge AI, bringing advanced security and proactive safety to sensitive industries such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare. In the past, such industries required costly solutions custom built for specific use cases, but the IGX platform is easily programmable and configurable to suit different needs. As the platform for safe, secure autonomous systems, IGX improves human-machine collaboration. For manufacturing and logistics, IGX provides an additional layer of safety in highly regulated physical-world factories and warehouses. For medical edge AI use cases, IGX delivers secure, low-latency AI inference to address the clinical demand for instantaneous insights from a range of instruments and sensors for medical procedures, such as robotic-assisted surgery and patient monitoring. As humans increasingly work with robots, industries are setting new functional safety standards for AI and computing, said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. NVIDIA IGX will help companies build the next generation of software-defined industrial and medical devices that can safely operate in the same environment as humans. NVIDIA IGX Platform Ensuring Compliance in Edge AIThe NVIDIA IGX platform is a powerful combination of hardware and software that includes NVIDIA IGX Orin, the worlds most powerful, compact and energy-efficient AI supercomputer for autonomous industrial machines and medical devices. IGX Orin developer kits will be available early next year for enterprises to rapidly prototype and test products. Each kit comes with an integrated GPU and CPU for high-performance AI compute and an NVIDIA ConnectX-7 SmartNIC to deliver high-performance networking with ultra-low latency and advanced security. ADLINK, Advantech, Dedicated Computing, Kontron, Leadtek, MBX, Onyx, Portwell, Prodrive Technologies and YUAN will be among the first embedded-computing manufacturers to create products based on the IGX design built for the needs of the industrial and medical device industries. Also included is a powerful software stack with critical security and safety capabilities that can be programmed and configured for different use cases. These features allow enterprises to add proactive safety into environments where humans and robots work side by side, such as warehouse floors and operating rooms. The IGX platform can run NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, which optimizes the development and deployment of AI workflows and ensures organizations have access to necessary AI frameworks and tools. NVIDIA is also working with operating system partners like Canonical, Red Hat and SUSE to bring full-stack, long-term support to the platform. For management of IGX in industrial and medical environments, NVIDIA Fleet Command allows organizations to deploy secure, over-the-air software and system updates from a central cloud console. Building the Industrial EdgeNVIDIA is working with a broad ecosystem of companies to bring the IGX platform to market. One of the first companies to use IGX at the edge is Siemens, a technology leader in industrial automation and digitalization, which is working with NVIDIA on a vision for autonomous factories. Siemens is collaborating with NVIDIA to expand its work across industrial computing, including with digital twins and for the industrial metaverse. The collaboration will allow enterprises to complement work carried out using the NVIDIA Omniverse platform for 3D design and collaboration and the Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform with the powers of IGX. The platform enables data generated from digital twins in the virtual world to be used to train intelligent machines operating in real-life factories and warehouses using industrial-grade computing infrastructure from Siemens. Siemens is already adding next-level perception into its edge-based applications through NVIDIA Metropolis. With millions of sensors in factories, Metropolis connects entire fleets of robots and IoT devices to bring AI into industrial environments, making it one of the key application frameworks for edge AI running on top of the IGX platform. As part of our ongoing collaboration with NVIDIA to speed digital transformation, Siemens will bring IGX technologies to our industrial compute portfolio to help reduce repetitive tasks in the factory and better support workers, said Rainer Brehm, CEO of factory automation at Siemens. By more closely connecting smart devices on the factory floor and using that data for intelligent machine operation in production, we can increase efficiency and flexibility for our customers. Made for Medical Environments For healthcare, the IGX platform supports NVIDIA Clara Holoscan a real-time, AI computing platform for medical devices enabling the rapid development and production deployment of new devices that deliver AI applications directly into operating rooms, where over 300 million surgeries are delivered each year globally. More than 70 medical-device companies, startups and medical centers have already been using Holoscan to advance their efforts in deploying AI applications to clinical settings and evolving medical devices to a software-as-a-service business model. Among them are Activ Surgical, Moon Surgical and Proximie, which are building next-generation surgical systems. With Clara Holoscan and IGX, Moon Surgical said it saved significant engineering time in its imaging pipelines, management system and hardware while developing its next-generation Maestro surgical robot assistant. By harnessing NVIDIA Clara Holoscan to power Maestros next-gen capabilities, Moon is creating an exceptional surgical experience, said Anne Osdoit, CEO of Moon Surgical. This collaboration has accelerated Moons time to market and allowed the team to focus on developing novel features and algorithms, confident that cutting-edge computing architecture is at the heart of the Maestro System. To learn more about NVIDIA IGX, watch Huangs GTC keynote. Register for GTC for free to attend sessions with NVIDIA and industry leaders. Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) announced two major Italian initiatives today. The initiatives are aimed at further driving the Companys transformation of its global electrification value chain and supporting its aggressive decarbonization targets. According to the release, Stellantis and its joint venture partner, Punch Powertrain, signed a new agreement increasing production of the future-generation electrified dual-clutch transmissions for Stellantis hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The upgraded facility, developed within the Mirafiori Complex in Turin, Italy, will complement the existing capacity in Metz, France. The Company also announced that the Mirafiori Complex will be home to its leading Circular Economy Hub, starting with three activities for the sustainable use of vehicles and parts: vehicle reconditioning, vehicle dismantling, and parts remanufacturing, with the scope set to expand further globally. Todays announcements highlight both our commitment to Italy and our ability to take responsible decisions to anticipate the upcoming global change in our industry, as we push to achieve our Dare Forward 2030 targets, said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. I am very thankful to everyone involved in finalizing and executing these plans on our charge to becoming a sustainable mobility tech company with the bold objective to become carbon net zero ahead of competition. Shares of STLA are down 3.96% near end of day trading By Michael Elkins | [email protected] WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf plans to tell Congress that the bank could still face setbacks as it works to address longstanding regulatory issues, according to prepared testimony published by the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday. In his testimony, Scharf said while he is confident the bank can address its problems as quickly as possible, the complexity and volume of the issues means it is likely several years before all regulators' concerns are fixed. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder) Europe, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earlier this September, 22 Armenian musicians and their Maestro Gevorg Muradian of the AGBU-sponsored Artsakh Chamber Orchestra set off to show the world that they were back on track two years since the outbreak of the 2020 Artsakh War. Little did they know that two weeks after their successful European tour, their compatriots in border towns within Armenia would wake up to a similar fate that they did in Artsakh on the morning of September 27, 2020. Again, Azeri forces unleashed another widespread attack on cities and villages across the line of demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, resulting in over 100 deaths of Armenian service members defending Armenia's territorial integrity. This irony now gives more meaning to the Orchestra's mission to remind the international community of the indomitability of the Armenian spirit and the music that had been silenced during those 44-days of tragedy, chaos, and loss two years earlier. To learn more about the Orchestra and their tour, visit agbu.org. Attachment Carolina Gazal Armenian General Benevolent Union 917-745-6022 [email protected] Source: Armenian General Benevolent Union San Clemente, CA., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Risk Management (Aura), a Member of The Liberty Company Network of Insurance Brokers, announces the launch of Indisure, a new insurance program created exclusively for cannabis companies in all 38 legalized U.S. states. With the support of an AM Best A- carrier partner, Auras Indisure Cannabis Program offers a complete coverage solution with capacity for all aspects of the cannabis industry, including General Liability, Property, Products Liability and Cargo. With Indisure, we aim to provide the marketplace with products that create solutions for cannabis business owners. We are thrilled with our program partner, a best-in-class carrier, along with our strong panel of reinsurance partners that have made this possible. We look forward to helping our distribution partners with a great product to strengthen their portfolios, said Tony McIntosh, President, Aura Auras primary goal, as a Delegated Underwriting Authority (DUA) Managing General Agent (MGA), is to provide its trading partners with a healthy and profitable portfolio of cannabis businesses and to support insureds with products that provide solutions to their business exposure. As part of the program, Aura diligently underwrites its portfolio and requires insureds to be members of its risk management association. As a member of the association, clients will have access to helpful resources in support of safety and health and loss control, in addition to a litany of other value-added benefits including compliance support and a yearly industry event. Auras new Indisure Cannabis Program also guarantees an exceptional customer experience with modern, digital technology for ease of use, quick turn-around times, higher General Liability limit capacity, higher Property capacity with no coinsurance available and broader Products Liability and Cargo coverage and capacity. I am excited to bring this much needed new capacity to the underserved cannabis industry. The cannabis industry is filled with remarkably talented entrepreneurs with hard working employees, said Vance Ownbey, Chief Underwriting Officer, Aura Risk. The program allows for a mix of acceptable classes including medical dispensaries/recreational stores, wholesale cultivators, infused product manufacturers, testing labs, transportation/delivery and ancillary technology and products companies, and Property coverage considerations are available for the following: Cannabis Packaging Automated Nutrient Delivery Systems Surveillance Cameras and Equipment Extraction Equipment and Supplies Testing Lab Equipment and Supplies The Indisure Cannabis Program is available now. For agents and cannabis business owners interested in learning more, visit https://aurarisk.com/campaigns/indisure-1/ About Aura Risk Management Aura Risk Management (Aura) is an independently owned, full-service, managing general agency, handling the commercial and personal insurance needs for businesses, non-profits, and individuals. By managing risks with great care and providing industry best practices and counsel, Aura is able to serve and create value for stakeholders. To learn more about Aura, visit https://aurarisk.com/ About The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers is among America's fastest-growing privately-held insurance brokerages. Liberty provides entrepreneurial producers and agency leaders a unique platform to serve clients and create equity in a strong and welcoming culture built upon core values of Integrity, Excellence, Caring, Kindness, Fairness, Teamwork, Good Feelings, and Fun. To learn more about Liberty, visit www.libertycompany.com. Carli Saldsman The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers 9492094916 [email protected] Source: The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers New contract amendment with Public Health Agency of Canada for the supply of IMVAMUNE valued at USD 234 million, with additional options spanning 10 years valued at USD 180 million Under the new contract amendment, the majority of the confirmed order will be delivered in 2023 Furthermore, a multi-year contract valued at up to USD 20 million has been signed with the Canadian Department of National Defence, until 2031 COPENHAGEN, Denmark, September 20, 2022 Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today a revised contract with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to supply doses of IMVAMUNE smallpox vaccine at a value of approximately USD 234 million in addition to USD 180 million in contract options. This extends the USD 56 million contract awarded in June 2022 to a total value of up to USD 470 million. Furthermore, a new multi-year contract has been signed with Canadas Department of National Defence (DND) at a value of USD 2 million, in addition to USD 18 million in contract options. Through these agreements, the majority of the firm order supply will be delivered in 2023 with the option to procure additional doses annually until 2032 for a total additional value of up to USD 198 million. Paul Chaplin, President & Chief Executive Officer of Bavarian Nordic, said: With foresight and prioritization, Canada has shown the way to building a robust preparedness for its population. As a trusted supplier of smallpox vaccines to the Canadian authorities since 2008, we are pleased to extend and expand our collaboration for the next decade, thus helping to maintain the readiness for Canada to respond quickly to emergencies, such as the current monkeypox outbreak. About the smallpox/monkeypox vaccineMVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (marketed as IMVANEX in Europe, JYNNEOS in the U.S. and IMVAMUNE in Canada) is a non-replicating smallpox vaccine developed in collaboration with the U.S. government to ensure supply of a smallpox vaccine for the entire population, including immunocompromised individuals who are not recommended vaccination with traditional replicating smallpox vaccines. In addition to smallpox, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada and the European Commission have also approved the vaccine for use against monkeypox as the only vaccine having obtained this to-date. Bavarian Nordic has ongoing supply contracts with USA and Canada and has delivered the vaccine to a number of undisclosed countries globally as part of their national biological preparedness. In recent years, smaller quantities of the vaccine have been supplied in response to sporadic cases of monkeypox. During the ongoing 2022 outbreak of monkeypox, Bavarian Nordic has worked with several governments to fulfil the immediate demand for the vaccine through a number of supply agreements and is working to secure manufacturing of vaccines to fulfil the demand in the medium- to long term. About Bavarian NordicBavarian Nordic is a fully integrated vaccines company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of life-saving vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox vaccines and have been a long-term supplier to the U.S. Government of a non-replicating smallpox vaccine, which has been approved by the FDA, also for the protection against monkeypox. The vaccine is also approved for protection against smallpox and monkeypox in Canada, and as a smallpox vaccine in Europe. Our commercial product portfolio furthermore contains market-leading vaccines against rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates designed to save and improve lives by unlocking the power of the immune system, including an Ebola vaccine, which is licensed to the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. We are also committed to the development of a next generation COVID-19 vaccine. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com. Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. ContactsEurope: Rolf Sass Srensen, Vice President Investor Relations, Tel: +45 61 77 47 43US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors, [email protected], Tel: +1 781 686 9600 Company Announcement no. 36 / 2022 Attachment Source: Bavarian Nordic A/S TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MiniLuxe Holding Corp. (TSXV: MNLX; OTCQX: MNLXF) (MiniLuxe or the "Company") announces today that it has received TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") approval to commence a normal course issuer bid through the facilities of the TSXV permitting the Company to repurchase, for cancellation, up to 2,800,000 subordinate voting shares of the Company, representing approximately 4.99% of the Companys presently issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares (the "NCIB"). The NCIB will commence on September 20, 2022 and will terminate upon the earliest of (i) the Company purchasing 2,800,000 subordinate voting shares, (ii) the Company providing notice of termination of the NCIB, and (iii) September 20, 2023. Under the NCIB, the Company may not acquire more than 2% of its issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares in any 30-day period. The Company believes that, from time to time, the market price of its subordinate voting shares does not adequately reflect the Companys underlying value and future prospects and that, at such times, the purchase of the Company's subordinate voting shares represents an appropriate use of the Company's financial resources and will enhance shareholder value. The funding for any purchases pursuant to the NCIB will be from the working capital of the Company. The Company has engaged Canaccord Genuity Corp. to act as its broker for the NCIB ("Canaccord"). The NCIB will be made through the facilities of the TSXV and the purchase and payment for the subordinate voting shares will be made in accordance with TSXV requirements at the market price of the subordinate voting shares at the time of acquisition, plus brokerage fees, if any, charged by Canaccord. All subordinate voting shares purchased by the Company under the NCIB will be cancelled. In connection with the NCIB, the Company has entered into an automatic purchase plan ("APP") with Canaccord as the designated broker. The APP provides a set of standard instructions to Canaccord to make purchases under the NCIB in accordance with the limits and other terms set out in the APP. Canaccord will determine the timing of these purchases in its sole discretion based on purchasing parameters set by the Company and subject to the policies of the TSXV, applicable securities laws and the terms of the APP. To the Companys knowledge, none of the directors, senior officers or insiders of the Company, or any associate of such person, or any associate or affiliate of the Company, has any present intention to sell any subordinate voting shares to the Company during the course of the NCIB. The Company has not purchased any of its subordinate voting shares in the past 12 months through a normal course issuer bid. A copy of the Form 5G - Notice of Intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid filed by the Company with the TSXV can be obtained from the Company upon request without charge. About MiniLuxe MiniLuxe, a Delaware corporation based in Boston, Massachusetts is a digital-first, socially-responsible lifestyle brand and talent empowerment platform for the nail and waxing industry. For over a decade, MiniLuxe has been setting industry standards for health, hygiene, and fair labour practices in its efforts to transform the most used, but highly under-regulated nail care industry. MiniLuxe looks to become one of the largest inclusionary educators and vocational employers, with a diverse, predominantly female and BIPOC workforce on its talent empowerment platform. Today, MiniLuxe derives its revenue streams from talent (provision of nail care and waxing services) and product (through its own proprietary clean nail care products). MiniLuxe is driven by a fully-integrated digital platform that manages all client bookings, preferences and payments and provides designers with the ability to manage scheduling and client preferences, track their performance and compensation, and access training content. Since its inception, MiniLuxe has performed nearly 3 million services. www.miniluxe.com For further information Anthony TjanExecutive Chairman, MiniLuxe Holding Corp.[email protected] www.miniluxe.com Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") concerning MiniLuxe Holding Corp. (the Company) and its subsidiaries within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to the future financial outlook and anticipated events or results of the Company and may include information regarding the Company's financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, acquisition prospects and plans, addressable markets, budgets, operations, financial results, taxes, dividend policy, plans and objectives. Particularly, information regarding the Company's expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which the Company operates is forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "outlook", "forecasts", "projects", "prospects", "strategy", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" occur. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances. The forward-looking information contained herein includes information with respect to proposed purchases, if any, by the Company under the NCIB. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, without limitation, those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's filing statement dated November 9, 2021. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance, or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Forward-looking information, by its nature, is based on the Company's opinions, estimates and assumptions in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company currently believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. Those factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Despite a careful process to prepare and review forward-looking information, there can be no assurance that the underlying opinions, estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Although the Company bases its forward-looking information on assumptions that it believes were reasonable when made, which include, but are not limited to, assumptions with respect to the Company's future growth potential, results of operations, future prospects and opportunities, execution of the Company's business strategy, there being no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environments, future levels of indebtedness and current economic conditions remaining unchanged, the Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which the Company operates may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if the Company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which it operates are consistent with the forward-looking information contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made). Any forward-looking statement that is made in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. 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. Source: MiniLuxe Holding Corp. ACHESON, Alberta, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North American Construction Group Ltd. (NACG or the Company) (TSX:NOA.TO/NYSE:NOA) today announced it has finalized an extension and amendment of its senior secured credit facility (the Credit Facility). The facility maturity date has been extended by one year with a new maturity date of October 8, 2025. In addition to the extension of existing favourable terms, the overall capacity has been allocated to provide greater flexibility in operating the Companys joint ventures. We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank National Bank Financial and all of our syndicate partners for their ongoing backing, Jason Veenstra, Chief Financial Officer stated. It is encouraging to have all existing members extend. This low-cost facility continues to provide the liquidity and term needed for our business. The Credit Facility maintains overall liquidity of $475 million while adjusting NACGs borrowing capacity to $300 million (from $325 million) and increasing the allowance for equipment financing and joint venture financial support to $175 million (from $150 million). This allocation allows for greater flexibility in operating joint ventures and higher capacity for low-cost equipment financing. The Credit Facility remains comprised solely of a revolver with no scheduled repayments and is not governed by a borrowing base that limits available borrowings. Financial covenants are consistent with the previous agreement and are tested quarterly on a trailing four quarter basis. About the Company North American Construction Group Ltd. (www.nacg.ca) is one of Canadas largest providers of heavy construction and mining services. For more than 65 years, NACG has provided services to the mining, resource, and infrastructure construction markets. For further information, please contact: Jason Veenstra, CPA, CA Chief Financial Officer North American Construction Group Ltd. Phone: (780) 960-7171 Email: [email protected] The information provided in this release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words expected, estimated or similar expressions, including the anticipated revenues and backlog to be generated by the contract as well as schedule of work under the contract. The material factors or assumptions used to develop the above forward-looking statements and the risks and uncertainties to which such forward-looking statements are subject are highlighted in the Companys MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020 and quarter ending June 30, 2021. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements because of any number of factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond NACGs control. Undue reliance should not be placed upon forward-looking statements and NACG undertakes no obligation, other than those required by applicable law, to update or revise those statements. For more complete information about NACG, please read our disclosure documents filed with the SEC and the CSA. These free documents can be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedar.com . Dallas, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) recognized top partner agencies at a recent Partner Agency Summit at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, which was sponsored by UnitedHealthcare. The awards were presented to seven of the more than 400 feeding partners and organizations that work alongside the North Texas Food Bank to distribute food to those facing hunger in the Food Banks 13-county service area. With over 80 percent of the North Texas Food Bank food ultimately being delivered to those who need it through our feeding partners, these strategic partnerships are critical to our mission of closing the hunger gap in North Texas, said Anne Readhimer, North Texas Food Bank Vice President of Community Impact. It is such an honor to work with all of the agencies and organizations and to recognize the life-changing impact they are having on our communities. The following organizations were recognized at the event on September 9: Foundational Partner of the Year: Brighter Tomorrows, Inc Irving-based Brighter Tomorrows is engaged with the North Texas Food Bank through its support of survivors of domestic violence and their families. Over the last year they have consistently filled beds and at times had to turn clients to temporary housing in hotels, but they work tirelessly to place their clients in a safe space. Brighter Tomorrows was the recipient of an NTFB Be Our Guest grant in FY22 to support its broad goals to provide dignity to those they serve. Impact Partner of the Year: Kaufman Christian Help Center Kaufman Christian Help Center is a pillar in the Kaufman community and offers help to the community through programs such as a food pantry, mobile pantry, Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and many other programs. Kaufman Christian is a consistent partner to NTFB, always striving to add and increase programs and services in the Kaufman area. Transformational Partner of the Year: Seven Loaves Food Pantry The Storehouse of Collin Countys Seven Loaves Food Pantry has continued to creatively meet the needs of the Plano community. Every week, the pantry is serving a high immigrant population with dignity and respect. To support meeting the need, they have shifted from a choice pantry in a small space, to a hybrid model where all families feel welcomed. They have recently begun Project Hope, a referral and resource program for its neighbors, as well as The Academy, an educational program that teaches language, job and life skills. Progressive Partner of the Year: Community Missionary Baptist Consistently looking for partnerships to help its neighbors, Community Missionary Baptist was the first partner out of NTFBs mobile pantry progressive partners to increase to two distributions a month. It is well structured and efficient in operations and its sites are available to multi-area community and civic-minded programs as volunteer opportunities. Following an apartment fire in Oak Cliff that left many people temporarily unhoused, the organization was instrumental in helping to secure a site and volunteers to execute a pop-up mobile distribution that distributed 28k meals within 1 mile of the affected apartment complex with 24 hours of notice. Hope for Tomorrow Award: Catholic Charities of Dallas While NTFB has had many wonderful partners willing to provide insight as we learn and shape strategy within the Hope for Tomorrow space, Catholic Charities of Dallas (CCD) has been particularly generous. Within the Learn2Earn Workforce Development pilot, its feedback has been transparent and invaluable in improving processes. Catholic Charities is invested in providing holistic services to the community. The agency is willing to take on new challenges to better or more fully address the needs of individuals. Its dedication to providing food and other vital services to underserved groups including, but not limited to, immigrants, seniors, disaster victims, and the un- and under-employed is commendable. Hunger Hero Retail Agency of the Year: Amazing Grace Food Pantry Amazing Grace Food Pantry and its team go above and beyond each year to ensure that their local neighbors in the Wylie area have access to a variety of choices through their demanding work and dedication to the Retail Program. The team truly builds relationships with their retail stores and is always willing to go the extra mile for their partners. Their team is constantly looking for ways to improve their program and increase donations. The NTFB Retail Team appreciates the relationship that Amazing Grace has with both our team and its donors. Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Agency of the Year: MasterKey Ministries in Sherman MasterKey Ministries in Sherman is incredibly involved in making sure that it provides every avenue it possibly can so that no family is at risk of hunger. It has partnered with the NTFB in our CSFP drive-thru distribution, our Door Dash CSFP distribution, and the NTFB mobile pantry program. The agency was also involved with retail stores and with other faith-based organizations to help the community. In 2020, MasterKey was able to serve 1,800 families and they continue to serve families during these challenging times. The NTFBs two redistribution organizations, Crossroads Community Services and Sharing Life, also recognized outstanding partner agencies from their networks. Crossroads recognized as its Community Impact Awards recipients: Cedar Hill Shares, Harmony Community Development Corp, Royal Haven Baptist Church, Mission Oak Cliff, Kids Cove Community Outreach, and The MINT Foundation. Sharing Life honored Empowering the Masses as its Partner of the Year. ### About North Texas Food Bank The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization that sources, packages and distributes food through a diverse network of more than 400 feeding partners including food pantries and community organizations across 13 North Texas counties. The organization also provides food to children, seniors and families through various direct-delivery programs, including mobile pantries. In its last fiscal year, the NTFB provided access to nearly 137 million nutritious meals, a 9% percent increase over the prior year. In response to the ongoing elevated hunger crisis, the organization has launched a $500 million campaign, Nourish North Texas, to provide more food for today and hope for tomorrow by addressing the barriers to food security that our neighbors face. Jeff Smith North Texas Food Bank 469-891-7022 [email protected] Source: North Texas Food Bank MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open English, the leading English-learning platform in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market, today announced the appointment of three new board members who will support the company's mission of high quality, effective and affordable English-learning solutions. "We're thrilled to expand our board with three industry innovators who can offer their expansive expertise on how to better serve our student community and continue making English learning accessible to all," said Andres Moreno, founder, chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO) of Open English. "As our business grows and strengthens, so too does our board of directors, and these individuals represent the very best in their respective fields." Lee Kirkpatrick, Former Chief Financial Officer at Twilio; Board Member of Lincoln Healthcare Leadership; Board Member of Spreedly, Inc.; Board Member of Updater, Inc.; Board Member of Bilander Acquisition Corp. Lee Kirkpatrick offers a broad perspective on finance and its value as a partner across all functional areas. As CFO of Twilio, Lee built a global finance team that scaled the company to approach nearly $1 billion in revenue. Since 2019, Lee has advised private and public technology companies, including PagerDuty, Unity Technologies, Olo and Marqeta. "I look forward to being part of the tremendous growth that lies ahead for a mission-driven company like Open English,'' said Lee. "It's incredibly rewarding to join such a passionate team that's dedicated to improving people's lives." Sameer Samat, Vice President of Product Management at Google Currently responsible for Android and Google Play, Sameer Samat began his Google career nearly 14 years ago. Prior to that, Sameer was the executive vice president of products at Kofax, where he was responsible for product management, engineering and product marketing. Sameer holds a BS in computer science from the University of California, San Diego and graduated from the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development. "Through my own family experiences and my work on Android, I've seen first-hand how learning English can impact both the economic opportunities and wellbeing of a family, not only in the present but for generations," shared Samat. "Open English's ambitious vision deeply resonates with me, and I'm proud to join their board to continue propelling it forward," he concluded. Victoria Valenzuela, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at AppLovin Adept at navigating the intersection between legal, tax and accounting issues, Victoria Valenzuela currently serves as Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and corporate secretary at AppLovin, a leading marketing software company she helped take public in 2021. In her over 20 years of experience, she's advised both private and public global companies of all sizes, with employee populations ranging from 300 to 3,000, on a broad range of strategic, legal and regulatory issues. Victoria holds a law degree from Stanford University and was previously named a Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. "Open English's mission of making English accessible to all socio-economic groups truly struck a chord and motivated me to join their board," said Victoria. "Learning English or another critical second language can move the needle for a family and truly impact future generations," she added. To learn more about Open English, please visit https://investors.openenglish.com/. About Open English Open English is the leading English-learning platform in the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets, providing live, online instruction to 1.5 million students that have enrolled to date. The company is disrupting the brick-and-mortar language-learning market with a proprietary technology platform that offers unlimited, 24/7 access to live classes with native-speaking teachers. Open English offers customized learning solutions for businesses (Open English for Business), children (Open English Junior), and digital skills development (NextU). Open English has also expanded their business with Open Mundo, a new online language learning platform that offers French, Italian and Portuguese live classes. The company is headquartered in Miami, FL, with offices in Mexico City, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Bangalore and Sao Paulo. To learn more about Open English, visit OpenEnglish.com. Contact Information: Thais Oliveira VP, Brand Marketing [email protected] Related Images Image 1: New Open English board members From left to right: Lee Kirkpatrick, Sameer Samat and Victoria Valenzuela This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment New Open English board members New Open English board members Source: Open English Sydney, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies: Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX:YRL) has delivered a maiden inferred resource of 17,000 ounces of gold for its Parmelia deposit within the Mt McClure Gold Project in the Yandal Greenstone Belt of Western Australia. Click here Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR) has appointed experienced lithium-focused executive Alex Cheeseman as its new managing director. Click here Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF) has fielded further high-grade gold and silver results from a drilling campaign at the La Demajagua open pit deposit in southwest Cuba. Click here Venture Minerals Ltd (ASX:VMS, OTC:VTMLF) has identified shallow clay-hosted rare earth element (REE) mineralisation immediately adjacent to zones of tin mineralisation at the Mount Lindsay Project in northwest Tasmania following a re-assay of a hanging wall formation at the Reward Deposit. Click here Tietto Minerals Ltd (ASX:TIE) continues to add more high-grade hits to its gold kitty, this time from the latest step-out drilling completed at seven of the companys prospects at the 3.45 million-ounce Abujar Gold Project in Cote dIvoire, West Africa. Click here Tamboran Resources Ltd (ASX:TBN) and Bryan Sheffield have agreed to acquire Origin Energy Ltds 77.5% interest in three Beetaloo Basin permits in the Northern Territory through a joint venture entity. Click here Latrobe Magnesium Ltd (ASX:LMG) (LMG) is investing $39 million to establish Stage 1 of a magnesium production facility at its Tramway Road facility in Morwell in Victoria's Latrobe Valley which will create 43 new Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs. Click here Astro Resources NL (ASX:ARO) has executed definitive transaction documents with Greenvale Mining Ltd (ASX:GRV) to acquire an 80% interest in Greenvales subsidiary, Knox Resources Pty Ltd, and is already planning a diamond drill hole. Click here Nexus Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXM) has received commitments to raise about $5 million to advance drilling activities at the Crusader-Templar prospect and other regional exploration at the wider Wallbrook Gold Project. Click here Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT, OTC:ELTLF) has awarded an early contractor involvement (ECI) contract to Spanish engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Duro Felguera to develop the Oropesa Tin Projects mineral processing plant. Click here St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ) has outlined expanding lithium potential at the Mt Alexander Project in Western Australia, having identified more lithium outcrops across a 15-kilometre zone of pegmatite dykes. Click here Kingfisher Mining Ltd (ASX:KFM) has raised $4.25 million after completing the placement of 10 million new shares at an issue price of $0.425 per share. Click here archTIS Ltd (ASX:AR9) has launched NC Encrypt, its new independent encryption key management and bring your own key (BYOK) support for Microsoft 365 applications and SharePoint Server environments. Click here Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) continues to raise the prospects of the Callisto polymetallic discovery, unveiling further high-grade palladium mineralisation from the ongoing campaign at its 100%-owned Norseman project in Western Australia. Click here Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD) has entered into a clinical supply agreement with SHINE Technologies, a next-generation fusion technology company. Click here Hygrovest Ltd (ASX:HGV) has extended the term of its Investment Management Agreement (IMA) with Parallax Ventures. The extension will keep Parallaxs position as asset manager in place until June 30, 2023. Click here SensOre Ltd (ASX:S3N) has again leveraged its Discriminant Predictive Targeting (DPT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to target a fertile igneous complex, this time at the Moonera joint venture (JV) project in Western Australia. Click here AuKing Mining Ltd (ASX:AKN) has boosted its interest in the Koongie Park Joint Venture (KPJV) in Western Australia with Astral Resources NL by 5%, bringing its total to 80% after contributing to the projects exploration expenditure in the first half of this year. Click here Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) has enhanced the multi-element potential of Lang Well Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia through the identification of multiple large rare earth element (REE) targets. Click here Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS) has significantly increased the group mineral resource across its Tritton and Round Oak Minerals assets Jaguar, North Queensland and Stockman projects by 31 million to 51.9 million tonnes, and the ore reserve by 10.5 million tonnes to 16.5 million. Click here About Proactive Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle. With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors. In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006. For more information on how Proactive can help you make a difference, email us at [email protected] Source: Proactive Volta Finance Limited (VTA/VTAS) Dividend Declaration NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES Guernsey, 20 September 2022 Volta Finance Limited ("the Company") hereby announces a third interim dividend for the financial year commencing 1 August 2021. The Company announces that it has declared a quarterly interim dividend of 0.13 per share payable on 20 October 2022 amounting to approximately 4.75 million, equating approximately to an annualised 8% of net asset value. The ex-dividend date is 29 September 2022 with a record date of 30 September 2022. The Company has arranged for its shareholders to be able to elect to receive their dividends in either Euros or Pounds Sterling. Shareholders will, by default, receive their dividends in Euros, unless they have instructed the Companys Registrar, Computershare Investor Services (Guernsey) Limited (Computershare), to pay dividends in Pounds Sterling. Such instructions may be given to Computershare either electronically via CREST or by using the Currency Election Form which has been posted to shareholders and a copy of which is also available on the website www.voltafinance.com within the Investors Other Documents section. The deadline for receipt of currency elections is 12:00 (midday) on 3 October 2022. CONTACTS For the Investment Manager AXA Investment Managers Paris Serge Demay [email protected] +33 (0) 1 44 45 84 47 Company Secretary and Administrator BNP Paribas Securities Services S.C.A, Guernsey Branch [email protected] +44 (0) 1481 750 853 Corporate Broker Cenkos Securities plc Andrew Worne Daniel Balabanoff +44 (0) 20 7397 8900 ***** ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities. Voltas home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands. Voltas investment objectives are to preserve capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its shareholders through dividends. Volta seeks to attain its investment objectives predominantly through diversified investments in structured finance assets. The assets that the Company may invest in either directly or indirectly include, but are not limited to: corporate credits; sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt; residential mortgage loans; and, automobile loans. The Companys approach to investment is through vehicles and arrangements that essentially provide leveraged exposure to portfolios of such underlying assets. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets. ***** ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,460 professionals and 887 billion in assets under management as of the end of December 2021. ***** This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris (AXA IM), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the AIFM Directive) of Volta Finance Limited (the "Volta Finance") whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM. This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are U.S. persons for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States. ***** This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. ***** This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "anticipated", "expects", "intends", "is/are expected", "may", "will" or "should". They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance's investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance's actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements. Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved. The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IMs belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results. The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such. Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide - 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorite des Marches Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive. ***** WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wells Fargo will serve as the presenting sponsor for the Thurgood Marshall College Funds Leadership Institute, the organizations premier signature professional development program serving students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs). Wells Fargo has served in this role for more than 10 years. The 22nd Annual Leadership Institute: Empowered State of Mind, will take place in person from September 28-October 1 in New York City. The Institute, now in its 22nd year, is part of a larger mission to advance pathways toward economic mobility for HBCU students and intentionally diversify the future work force within corporate America. The conference hosts more than 400 HBCU students annually and provides organizations access to a talented and diverse student population while helping participants make connections to Fortune 500 companies and top-tier organizations. Wells Fargo is thrilled to continue supporting the Thurgood Marshall College Fund by sponsoring the Leadership Institute and continuing our more than twenty-year partnership, said Rob Engel, Chairman of Banking, Corporate & Investment Bank at Wells Fargo and TMCF board member. Wells Fargo is committed to advancing a more equitable future for our communities and to advancing pathways toward economic mobility for HBCU students. We look forward to providing significant career opportunities for our HBCU students at this years Leadership Institute. We are pleased to continue our relationship with Wells Fargo and appreciative of their intentional commitment to ensuring a diverse workforce with using talent from HBCUs, Thurgood Marshall College Fund President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said. The Leadership Institute is our signature event that demonstrates our commitment to ensuring our students enhance their 21st century skills to be competitive in the workforce. One of the highlights of the Institute is a recruitment fair where major companies and government agencies identify top talent and offer jobs, internships and continuing education opportunities. Six hundred program representatives are expected to participate in the Institute this year. Through dedicated programming and a commitment to reducing the cost of education for HBCU students through scholarships, TMCF and Wells Fargo are addressing some of the nations most difficult issues while creating both long-term impact and sustainable outcomes with underrepresented groups. About the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nations largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortunes 2022 rankings of Americas largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC Pink: XCPL), a venture development business that leverages knowledge, skill, and experience in the consumer products industry (the Company) today provides a post-merger update. CaaS will be the proprietary trading business arm of the XCPCNL Acquisition of Xerxes and ARMS from Centiment Capital. The fund will operate on short on crypto positions driven by artificial intelligence (AI) research and automated trading technology. The current algorithm is optimized for crypto markets and the strategy has been successfully tested against equities markets. The model will allow us to process public news, data streams, and behavior patterns to inform a long/short trading strategy. The models return two to ten percent per week. The Xerxes Team has been working in the Capital Markets since 2009 and have a collective 30 years of investing experience ranging from MBS and AI trading, all the way to long short equity strategies and transaction liability, including experience in places Like Barclays and Aon. It is necessary to create and test our algorithms in live environments to understand their returns, risks, and behaviors. Leveraging the Reg A will allow us to bring in the talent we need to begin testing earlier, allowing us to expand and improve existing products and develop new products. The funds will be used to expand our engineering team, add a customer success team, legal compliance, active trading and investment, said CEO Tim Matthews. XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC Pink: XCPL) encourages shareholders to visit their corporate Twitter account at https://twitter.com/RealXCPCNL. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may include, "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. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, possible, potential, predict, project, should, would and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Companys management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Companys filing with the Over the Counter Market (OTC). All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. About XCPCNL: Charlotte, NC-based XCPCNL Business Services is a venture development business that leverages its knowledge, skills, and experience in the consumer products industry. Our primary mission is to provide marketing, technology, and other business services to fast-growing consumer product companies and big-box retailers. XCPCNL is a minority-owned and controlled firm. To learn more about our businesses, services, and opportunities, please contact: [email protected] To learn more about XPCNL, visit www.xcpcnl.com For Inquiries: Email: [email protected] Source: XCPCNL Business Services Corporation FILE PHOTO: Chamath Palihapitiya, founder and CEO of Social Capital, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Reuters) -Prolific SPAC investor Chamath Palihapitiya is winding down two of his blank-check firms after failing to find suitable merger targets within deadline, as choppy markets dampen investor sentiment for the once high-flying acquisition vehicles. Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp IV and Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp VI will return the funds raised to shareholders, Palihapitiya said in a blog post on Tuesday. (https://bit.ly/3RZxOvR) The two shell companies will not be able to close deals by Oct. 14, after which they will shut down, according to regulatory filings. SPACs typically have up to two years from the time they list their shares to close a merger. The firms went public in October 2020 and raised $460 million and $1.15 billion, respectively, which they intended to invest in businesses in the technology sector. "Over the past two years, we evaluated more than 100 targets and while we came close to doing a deal several times, we ultimately walked away each time," Palihapitiya said. In the past, Palihapitiya's SPACs have merged with a range of companies including space tourism firm Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc and online lending startup SoFi Technologies Inc. One of the hallmarks of pandemic-era dealmaking, SPACs became immensely popular in 2020, attracting veterans such as former Citigroup banker Michael Klein, fintech entrepreneur Betsy Cohen and Palihapitiya. The investment vehicles rake in hefty returns for their sponsors, who typically collect a fifth of a SPAC's stock after it clinches a merger. The lucrative prize, known as "promote", is in exchange for bearing the cost of getting the shell company to the point of an IPO. But the practice has been criticized by some investors and lawmakers. Stubbornly high inflation, the Federal Reserve's rate hikes and regulatory crackdown has also sapped the appetite for SPACs. BuzzFeed Inc and Grab Holdings Ltd, some of the most high-profile companies that merged with SPACs, have lost over 50% of their market value so far this year. Others like business magazine Forbes and online ticketing company SeatGeek have scrapped their SPAC mergers. Billionaire investor William Ackman, who raised $4 billion in the biggest-ever SPAC, also told investors in July he would be returning the sum after failing to find a suitable target. (Reporting by Mehnaz Yasmin and Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shinjini Ganguli) Lift&Co. Expo has announced the dates for its upcoming event, the first one scheduled after a three-year paused caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, is slated for Jan. 1214, 2023. Lift&Co. is Canadas number-one cannabis conference and trade show, and the organization has released information about its Lift&Co. Expo Vancouver agenda. The expo will include a business conference on Thursday, Jan. 12, followed by industry days on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 1314. The event also has a consumer day on Jan. 14; the expo officially ends with an after party that evening. The Lift&Co. Vancouver gathering includes several new elements, including expo floor speakers corners and small-group Q&As, a new budtender program in partnership with Budtender Association, a get-free-tickets program for budtenders and consumers, an expo floor brand discovery pavilion that showcases micro and small-batch craft growers, and an all-new cannabis retailer zone. The agenda also features a new product-pitch competition and consumer lifestyle programming and activations. Past expos have drawn more than 10,000 participants, with more than 200 exhibiting companies and 130-plus sessions. This brand has history and has touched so many people, but the industry is changing and evolving, says Lift&Co. Expo senior vice president Lindsay Roberts in the press release. As we plan for Vancouver and the future, were sitting down for deep conversations and re-envisioning every element of the show based on the specific needs of each segment of the cannabis industry. Our mission is to serve the community positively and meaningfully and do our part to contribute to our industrys future success and progression. To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/EVECs About Lift&Co. Expo Launched in 2016, Lift&Co. Expo is the original large-scale cannabis trade show in Canada, serving the cannabis community as both a meeting place and a destination for discovery. Each Lift&Co. Expo showcases leading-edge content and premiere exhibitors in a high-energy setting for thousands of cannabis industry retailers, producers, growers, investors and decision-makers. Lift&Co. Expo is proudly produced by MCI. For more information, please visit www.LiftExpo.ca About CannabisNewsWire CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in todays market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge. To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text Cannabis to 844-397-5787 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only) For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor CannabisNewsWire (CNW) Denver, Colorado www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303.498.7722 Office [email protected] CannabisNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork. Agra Ventures Provides Farmako-Related Update on German Legalization of Recreational Cannabis Agra Ventures Ltd. ("AGRA" or the "Company") (CSE: AGRA) (OTC: AGFAF), a growth-oriented and diversified company focused on the international cannabis industry, is pleased to provide an update on its wholly owned subsidiary Farmako GmbH ("Farmako") by highlighting a web-based article (the "Article") regarding the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany. Entitled "Prohibition Treaties Will Not Stop Cannabis Legalization in Germany", the Article reinforces that Germany's government remains on track to proceed with its plan, despite prohibition treaties and protestors trying to stall process. Farmako is a pharmaceutical wholesaler of medical cannabis, extracts and accessories based in Frankfurt. The Article, and others like it, support the thesis of Company management that it, via Farmako, remains in a good strategic position in Germany. The Article predicts that the adult-use cannabis industry in Germany could be bigger than both Canadas and Uruguay's markets combined. The legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany could enable Farmako to: Expand its offering of cannabis extracts; Broaden its distribution of dried flower products; Produce and distribute a materially higher number of CBD and THC Testkits to the market; and Potentially increase the manufacturing and distribution of other cannabis products and accessories. In order to legalize cannabis in a jurisdiction the Article acknowledges that certain drug treaties may have to be broken, which is what the author believes will likely occur in Germany. For example, when Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018 it directly violated the UN drug treaties that it had previously signed.1 Almost four years later, recreational cannabis remains legal in Canada. Doctor's prescriptions for cannabis for medicinal purposes have been legal in Germany since early 2017, however, further decriminalizing cannabis for recreational use is now a priority for the country's current government within the next two years.2 For interested readers, the Article can be found here: https://ca.internationalcbc.com/prohibition-treaties-will-not-stop-cannabis-legalization-in-germany/. Management Commentary "An article like this shows that Germany - taking into account the challenges and experiences from other countries - will now take a very important role in establishing an effective framework for legalization to likely become a role model for other European and international countries. I believe that the legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany is a near-term reality, which I expect will create material value for AGRA and its stakeholders, despite some efforts to delay it. While German cannabis industry is picking up steam, education and regulation are keeping users safe, which is important to us here at Farmako," said Katrin Eckmans, Managing Director and CEO of Farmako GmbH. About Farmako Farmako GmbH is a GDP certified pharmaceutical wholesaler, focusing on medical cannabis and aiming at facilitating access to reliable cannabinoid therapy to patients with a high burden of suffering as well as providing efficient support to healthcare professionals: via fair prices, reliable product quality and the ability to supply as well as efficient service. It has already distributed medical cannabis to pharmacies in Germany since March 2019 and is fully licensed in the United Kingdom. Farmako is a wholly owned subsidiary of Agra Ventures Ltd. For more information please visit: www.farmako.de/en/. About Agra Ventures Ltd. Agra Ventures is a growth-oriented and diversified company focused on the international cannabis industry. The company is dedicated to the cultivation, distribution and marketing of high-quality cannabis and cannabis-infused products worldwide. Agra Ventures' primary asset in Canada is Boundary Bay Cannabis located in Delta, BC, which is one of the largest cannabis greenhouse facilities focused on the cost-optimized cultivation of high-potency cannabis. Abroad, the company's wholly owned subsidiary, Farmako GmbH, is focused on becoming Europe's leading distributor of medical cannabis. Farmako currently has active product distribution operations in Germany and is fully licensed in the United Kingdom. For more information about Agra Ventures, please visit www.agraventures.com and its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nick Kuzyk, Interim CEO E: [email protected] T: (800) 783-6056 The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement Except for statements of historic fact this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan" "expect" "project" "intend" "believe" "anticipate" "estimate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Agra Ventures described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators which are available at www.sedar.com. The post Agra Ventures Ltd. (AGFAF) Provides Farmako-Related Update on German Legalization of Recreational Cannabis appeared first on Marijuana Stocks | Cannabis Investments and News. Roots of a Budding Industry.(TM). COMTEX_414871809/2683/2022-09-20T09:16:37 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Bravada Gold Corporation(TSXV: BVA) (FSE: BRTN) (OTCQB: BGAVF) (the "Company" or "Bravada") has received assay results for the three deep reverse-circulation holes drilled during 2022. The holes tested below a banded vein zone discovered in Q4 2020 beneath mine waste and other overburden at the Feeder target, located approximately 450m south of the Wind Open Pit and where hole WM20-102 intersected 1.5 metres of 269.0g/t Ag and 0.404g/t Au within a thicker interval of banded quartz veining with anomalous gold and silver. The three 2022 holes intersected zones of low-grade disseminated gold and silver within the Truckee Formation, which is the host for the current resource of disseminated oxide gold north of the Feeder target. However, the banded quartz vein zone did not persist to the depths tested. Below disseminated mineralization in the Truckee Formation, however, many vein zones were encountered in the holes which are enriched in manganese, barium, tungsten, nickel, and zinc. President Joe Kizis commented, "It may be that the banded quartz veins intersected during 2020 and 2021 at shallower depths than we tested in 2022 are a result of boiling of a younger, and possibly less gold-rich hydrothermal fluid than the fluids responsible for the large, disseminated mineralization farther north. The widespread manganese-rich zones that we encountered deep during this program are very similar to late-stage black manganese carbonate veins that are unmineralized and cut gold mineralization in the Wind Pit. We now will direct our full attention at Wind Mountain to de-risking the disseminated oxide gold resource towards production with the next important step being the independent, updated Resource and PEA that is now well underway with results expected early in Q4 2022." Figure 1.Aerial photo of the Feeder Target showing 2022 RC drill holes and the pre-mineral fault/vein zone between uplifted impermeable Mesozoic basement rocks (southeast) and variably permeable Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks (northwest). To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5343/137824_e25d7aaea4b6bb7a_001full.jpg. Table 1.Details of 2022 Reverse-circulation drilling. To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5343/137824_bravada%20table%201.jpg. Figure 2.Variations in geochemistry are apparent between shallow precious-metal-enriched zones and deeper zones, with a possible vector to an upwelling source of hotter temperature fluids to the west. Precious-metal-rich zones in these holes are strongly silicified with relatively barren, clay-rich horizons above and between them. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5343/137824_e25d7aaea4b6bb7a_003full.jpg. About Bravada Bravada is an exploration company with a portfolio of high-quality properties in Nevada, one of the best mining jurisdictions in the World. Bravada has successfully identified and advanced properties with the potential to host high-margin deposits while successfully attracting partners to fund later stages of project development. Bravada's value is underpinned by a substantial gold and silver resource with a positive PEA at Wind Mountain, and the Company has significant upside potential from possible new discoveries at its exploration properties. Since 2005, the Company signed 32 earn-in joint-venture agreements for its properties with 19 publicly traded companies, as well as a similar number of property-acquisition agreements with private individuals. Bravada currently has 10 projects in its portfolio, consisting of 810 claims for approximately 6,500 ha in two of Nevada's most prolific gold trends. Most of the projects host encouraging drill intercepts of gold and already have drill targets developed. Several videos are available on the Company's website that describe Bravada's major properties, answering commonly asked investor questions. Simply click on this link https://bravadagold.com/projects/project-videos/. Joseph Anthony Kizis, Jr. (AIPG CPG-11513) is the qualified person responsible for reviewing and preparing the technical data presented in this release and has approved its disclosure. -30- On behalf of the Board of Directors of Bravada Gold Corporation "Joseph A. Kizis, Jr." Joseph A. Kizis, Jr., Director, President, Bravada Gold Corporation For further information, please visit Bravada Gold Corporation's website at bravadagold.com or contact the Company at 604.684.9384 or 775.746.3780. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. These statements are based on a number of assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions regarding general economic conditions, interest rates, commodity markets, regulatory and governmental approvals for the company's projects, and the availability of financing for the company's development projects on reasonable terms. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Bravada Gold Corporation does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137824 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Gelum Resources Ltd. (CSE: GMR) (OTCQB: GMRCF) (the "Company" or "Gelum"), reports that they have arranged non-brokered private placements consisting of a flow-through private placement and non-flow through for which units are currently being allocated. The Company will issue up to 3,333,333 flow-through shares at a price of $0.30 per share (the "FT Shares") and, up to 2,500,000 non-flow through units (the "NFT Units") at a price of $0.20 per NFT Unit (collectively, the "Private Placement") for aggregate proceeds of up to $1,500,000. Each NFT Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant, each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.45 per share (the "Warrants") for a period of 18 months from the closing of the Offering. The expiry of the Warrants may be accelerated if the closing price of the Corporation's common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange is equal to or greater than $0.60 for a minimum of twenty consecutive trading days and a notice of acceleration is provided in accordance with the terms of the Warrants. The common shares issued pursuant to the FT Shares, will be issued as "flow-through shares". All securities issued in connection with the Offering have a four-month and one day hold period in Canada from closing. Net proceeds of the Offering will be used to for exploration and drilling on its Eldorado Project and its ML Project in British Columbia and for general working capital. None of the foregoing securities have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor will there be any sale of the foregoing securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Gelum Resources Ltd. Gelum Resources is a Company led by seasoned management and advisors in the mining and financial sectors. The Company currently has two objectives under management. The first is to define a multi-million-ounce economic gold deposit on the 9028-hectare Eldorado Gold Project, located within the Bralorne-Bridge River gold district, only 190 kilometres north of Vancouver and 74 km northwest of the town of Lillooet, B.C. The Bralorne mines historically exploited the largest, highest-grade, longest-producing lode-gold deposit in B.C. Management is proud to have developed an excellent working relationship with the Bridge River Indian Band (Xwsten) the project is within the traditional territory within the St'at'imc territory (Traditional Territory) in which Xwisten and its members assert, hold and exercise constitutionally protected Aboriginal Title and Rights ("Indigenous Title and Rights"). The Company plans to complete a 3000m drill programme this fall. The second objective is to discover an alkalic porphyry and related skarn deposit within a prolific B.C. porphyry belt in the Interior Plateau region. The recently acquired ML property is accessible by 90% paved roads via Williams Lake, and the remainder by all-season dirt roads and secondary logging roads. The low to moderate relief allows year-round access and work. Airborne geophysics comprising magnetics and radiometrics was completed in early spring of 2022. For further information please refer to Gelum Resources Corporate Presentation: PowerPoint Presentation (gelumresources.com) On Behalf of the Board of Directors of GELUM RESOURCES LTD. David Smith, President For further information about Gelum, please contact: David Smith, President ([email protected]) or Marla Ritchie, Corporate Secretary ([email protected]) / Phone: 604 484-1228 Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE- Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about the business of the Company and its plans to list on the CSE. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company's management, including future plans for the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, investors should not unduly rely on the forward-looking information because the Company cannot assure that it will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. **NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES** To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137870 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2022) - Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA)(OTCQB: MDNGF) (the "Company" or "Midnight Sun") is pleased to report a second diamond drill rig from ATL Drilling Services Ltd. has been secured and mobilized to join the Company's current drill program on the Solwezi Licences in Zambia (see the Company's news release dated August 15, 2022). Al Fabbro, President and CEO of Midnight Sun, stated, "I am excited for this drill program and it is important to me that we get as much exploration done as possible this field season. The addition of a second rig will expedite our work to ensure we maximize Dr. Dorling's technical plan." ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MIDNIGHT SUN MINING CORP. Al Fabbro President & CEO For Further Information Contact: Al Fabbro President & CEO Tel: +1 604 351 8850 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 NEW RELEASE. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, 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, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in commodity prices, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/137740 PARIS, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial space leader Axiom Space and the government of Turkiye have signed a historic agreement to send the first Turkish astronaut to space. As part of a larger effort by Turkiye to expand its space exploration capabilities and establish a national human space program, a Turkish astronaut will be trained by Axiom Space for a future space research mission. Axiom Space will also enable Turkish science and research to be conducted in microgravity. Axiom Space and Turkiye sign agreement to send first Turkish astronaut to space Axiom Space, a U.S. based commercial space company, currently building the world's first commercial space station, is working with the TUBITAK Space Technologies Research Institute (TUBITAK UZAY) , under the direction of the Turkish Space Agency, Turkiye Uzay Ajans (TUA) to enable this effort. The spaceflight agreement was officially signed at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris, on 19 September 2022, with Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey Mehmet Fatih Kacr, TUA President and Chairman of the Board Serdar Huseyin Yldrm, TUBITAK UZAY Director Dr. Mesut Gokten, and other dignitaries. "As the 100-year anniversary of Turkiye approaches, we will celebrate this important milestone by working to send the first Turkish astronaut to space," said Dr. Mesut Gokten. "This mission is a part of Turkiye's ambitious 10-year space road map, which includes missions to the low-Earth orbit and the Moon as well as developing internationally viable satellite systems." said Serdar Huseyin Yldrm. The astronaut selection process is being managed by TUBITAK UZAY with support of Axiom Space, under the direction of the Turkish Space Agency on behalf of the Turkish government. Turkiye is evaluating scientific experiments via an open solicitation for on-orbit research. Further discussion between Turkiye and Axiom Space is underway to finalize the timeline for the mission. "Exploration is part of the human DNA and with this agreement between Axiom Space and the nation of Turkiye, we will train and fly the first Turkish astronaut and strengthen our commitment to use commercial space as a driver to expand the international community of space explorers," said Michael Suffredini, Axiom Space's President & CEO. "We are excited about Turkiye's role as a partner in commercial space and look forward to deepening this relationship as we work together to expand scientific and technological development on Earth and in orbit." Axiom Space is the commercial space industry's only full-service orbital mission provider, conducting end-to-end crewed missions. Axiom's broad range of services include training and flying private astronauts, access to training facilitates and instructors, hardware and safety certification, and operational on-orbit management. Candidates for flight complete Axiom's rigorous training curriculum over many months in preparation to live and conduct meaningful work in space. The expert team at Axiom Space is helping nations and organizations build human spaceflight programs, develop astronaut selection programs, and provide the expertise needed to expand the international community of space explorers to a larger and more diverse representation of humanity. This partnership is the latest agreement between Axiom Space and a sovereign nation that will expand international human spaceflight capabilities. Previous signatories include Italy, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). About Axiom Space Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth's orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axiom-space-and-turkiye-sign-agreement-to-send-first-turkish-astronaut-to-space-301627650.html SOURCE Axiom Space SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, has eliminated Returned Item fees (also known as Non-Sufficient Funds [NSF] fees) and Extended Overdraft fees from all personal and non-analyzed business accounts, effective today. Bank of the West's Returned Item fee was previously charged when a check, recurring debit card payment or automatic payment was presented against a customer's account with insufficient available funds. The Bank's Extended Overdraft fee was applied when a customer's account remained overdrawn by $15 or more for five days. Customers will no longer incur NSF fees or Extended Overdraft fees on their accounts. About Bank of the West At Bank of the West, we know money deposited in a bank has the power to finance positive change. So we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people's lives, and strengthen communities. We are redefining banking for a better future by focusing on areas where we believe we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable women entrepreneurs, and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses. 2022 Bank of the West. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Doing business in South Dakota as Bank of the West California. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bank-of-the-west-eliminates-returned-item-and-extended-overdraft-fees-301628738.html SOURCE Bank of the West NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW) called on world leaders to provide US$1.5 billion in urgent funding to support the UN's global fund for education in emergencies and its strategic partners in reaching 20 million crisis-impacted children in the next four years. ECW's new Case for Investment and 2023-2026 Strategic Plan set out a bold new ambition for the UN's breakthrough global fund, which has mobilized over US$1 billion and directly supported nearly 7 million children since its inception in 2016, and an additional 31.2 million with its COVID-19 response. Recent analysis from ECW indicates that as many as 222 million crisis-impacted girls and boys are in need of urgent education support. More than 78 million of these children are out of school altogether, with approximately 120 million not attaining minimum proficiencies in reading or math. World leaders, donors and other global advocates are joining ECW's global #222MillionDreams campaign in lead up to the Fund's High-Level Financing Conference, which will take place in Geneva in February 2023. "Despite its vital importance, education in emergencies remains chronically underfunded while needs are growing," said Ignazio Cassis, President of the Swiss Confederation, in support of the #222MillionDreams campaign. With the war in Ukraine, jumps in forced displacement, the specter of famine across the Sahel and East Africa, and other crises, education in emergencies funding appeals reached US$2.9 billion in 2021, up from US$1.4 billion the previous year, according to analysis from ECW's Annual Results Report. "Our case for investment is our case for humanity. It is our collective plea to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and universal human rights," said ECW Director Yasmine Sherif. ECW's Case For Investment outlines a value-proposition "to create a world where all children and adolescents affected by crises can learn free of cost, in safety and without fear," including important details on the Fund's efforts to address the climate crisis, engage the private sector, ensure gender equality, catalyze political support, and enhance flexible and high-impact interventions to reach those left furthest behind. "Investing in education is an investment in peace, stability and prosperity. Indeed, education is our investment in the future," said Alicia Herbert, ECW Executive Committee Chair. People looking to make a difference can call for leaders to take action, using the #222MillionDreams hashtag and by making individual donations to ECW. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/education-cannot-wait-calls-for-us1-5-billion-in-urgent-funding-to-reach-20-million-crisis-impacted-children-301625837.html SOURCE Education Cannot Wait Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley will host the seventh Mobility Innovators Forum on September 22nd at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco In-person event to focus on the importance of bringing open innovation mindsets to human-centered mobility as well as the need for close collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders and ecosystem players Virtual 'MIF Ignite,' breakout sessions moderated by Hyundai to foster potential networking and discussion opportunities with registered audiences Anyone interested in joining can register via the website SEOUL, South Korea and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced today that Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley will host the seventh annual Mobility Innovators Forum (MIF) on September 22nd at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco. Under the theme of 'Orchestrating Ecosystems,' participants will showcase and discuss how best to harmonize the interconnected innovations of mobility ecosystems to make a human-centered mobility future a reality. "We are extremely excited to return to an in-person event at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco with a distinguished roster of speakers for the MIF addressing this year's theme of 'Orchestrating Ecosystems' for human-centered mobility," said Henry Chung, SVP and Head of Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley. "With so many aspects of mobility innovation being dynamically affected by global events and economics, we are all looking forward to hearing how open innovation and other forms of collaboration can be best leveraged by our broad array of mobility innovation experts, covering government, corporations, universities, startups and investors." MIF 2022 will begin with an impactful keynote speech from David Hochschild, Chair of the California Energy Commission and will follow with in-person discussions held between mobility industry leaders, innovators, startups, and investors from both the public and private sectors. The event will include a series of talks with diverse topics such as 'Taking action: the NorCAL ZERO project', 'Preparing the next manufacturing', 'Scaling driverless technology, 'Co-design and create circularity,' and 'The next era of mobility'. Later in the day, a panel discussion around 'Investing in mobility innovation and supporting the ecosystem' will be led by Marianne Wu, Venture Partner of Congruent Ventures; Jake Wieseneck, Investment Principal at Maniv Mobility; Chris Stallman, Partner at Fontinalis; and Rens Valk, Investor at Shell Ventures. On the MIF website, visitors can learn more about the Group's diverse innovations through digital content at MIF Channel. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-cradle-to-host-7th-mobility-innovators-forum-under-the-theme-orchestrating-ecosystems-301627817.html SOURCE Hyundai Motor Group Improving diverse representation in the scientific community promotes equity in research and healthcare delivery WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce the recipients of their 2022 Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Awards. "Recent data from 2022 shows that the oncology workforce in the United States is not diverse, with only 4.7% of oncologists identifying as Hispanic/Latinx, 3% as Black/African American, and 0.1% as American Indian/Alaska Native. We have also seen evidence suggesting patients of color have better outcomes and tend to participate in clinical trials when they are interacting with physicians who look like they do," said Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, LUNGevity Research. "LUNGevity is proud to provide a platform to springboard junior researchers in thoracic oncology from underrepresented minorities and provide them support to launch their careers." The two awards, the Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Fellow Award and the Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Award, both aim to support diversity and inclusivity within the scientific lung cancer community with special attention being paid to populations underrepresented in STEM. Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Fellow Awards support early-stage lung cancer researchers, from populations underrepresented in STEM, who are interested in translational lung cancer research and are conducting their fellowship research. This year, the recipient of this award is: Rebecca Shulman, MDThe Research Institute of Fox Chase Cancer CenterProject: Synergistic expression of combined RT and dual-immune checkpoint blockade Dr. Shulman will use an animal model of metastatic lung cancer to test the hypothesis that radiation given in repeated and very low doses, in combination with immunotherapy, can further enhance the benefits seen with immunotherapy alone. Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Awards support physician-scientists who are interested in conducting lung cancer clinical research and are within the first five years of their faculty appointments. This year, the four recipients of this award are: Narjust Florez, MDDana-Farber Cancer InstituteProject: Young lung cancer: Psychosocial needs assessment Dr. Florez will study the psychosocial and financial impact of lung cancer in young patients (less than 50 years of age.) This population has seen an increase in lung cancer incidence in recent years, but little is known about their specific needs. The study will include a survey component as well as focus groups to understand the unmet needs of this group of patients. The information gathered in this study will be used to identify challenges unique to this population and develop the first clinical and research program of its kind for young lung cancer patients. Coral Olazagasti, MDUniversity of MiamiProject: Promoting lung cancer screening in Latinx patients with previous HNSCC Dr. Olazagasti will conduct interviews and use questionnaires to study Hispanic/Latinx patients with a history of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to understand their unique needs for lung cancer screening, such as barriers to screening, awareness of screening, and eligibility for screening. Head and neck cancer survivors with a history of smoking have up to a 13% risk of developing lung cancer. The goal of this research is to create the first lung cancer screening program tailored to and focused exclusively on Hispanic/Latinx HNSCC survivors. Ana Velasquez Manana, MDUniversity of California, San FranciscoProject: Lung Equity Through Social needs SCREENING (LETS SCREEN) Dr. Velasquez Manana will conduct an observational study in a multiethnic group of patients with unresectable lung cancer to determine the association between social needs, care utilization, and quality of life. The goal of this study is to fill a key knowledge gap in the care of patients with NSCLC and inform interventions to support patients at risk of social adversity during treatment to end disparities in lung cancer care. Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MDWeil Medical College of Cornell UniversityProject: Tumor draining lymph node immunomodulation to decrease recurrence in NSCLC Dr. Villena-Vargas will study the lymphatic system, a network of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and other diseases, as a way to reduce recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This project will use animal models to determine if immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance lymph node T-cell memory and increase their ability to recognize cancer cells in the body and prevent metastatic recurrence. These two awards were strategically created to support young researchers at different stages of their careers. LUNGevity uses a rigorous approach to choose awardees. Each research project for the two vehicles is evaluated by a multidisciplinary review committee of thoracic oncology leaders who are committed to mentoring underrepresented minority scientists. Dr. Villena-Vargas' research is being supported this year through our inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific-LUNGevity Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Award. "We are pleased to partner with LUNGevity Foundation to support Dr. Villena-Vargas' research into NSCLC focused on preventing recurrence. Building an inclusive community of researchers and treatment centers helps ensure everyone has a real opportunity to achieve optimal lung cancer care," says Luca Quagliata, PhD, BCMAS, global head of medical affairs for clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Through our Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program and this collaboration with LUNGevity, we are committed to supporting emerging research for cancer to help improve the development of and access to new treatment options." About LUNGevity Foundation LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer. The foundation works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, and to ensure that patients have access to these advances. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the diseasewhile promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity provides information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivorsand those who help them live better and longer lives. Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our visiona world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization. About Lung Cancer in the US About 1 in 17 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. More than 236,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers. Lung cancer takes more lives in the United States than the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined. Only about 23% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it is caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically. Please visit LUNGevity.org to learn more. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lungevity-foundation-issues-five-health-equity-and-inclusiveness-research-awards-301626982.html SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation StraighterLine expands its focus on flexible, career-aligned credentials with the acquisition of ChildCare Education Institute BALTIMORE and WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- StraighterLine, a creator of affordable, flexible and career-aligned postsecondary courses, today announced the acquisition of ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), one of the largest online training providers for early childhood education professionals. The addition of the early childhood education learning platform, which served more than 87,000 teachers and staff across more than 6,200 childcare centers in 2021, reflects StraighterLine's commitment to expanding access to training that closes persistent talent gaps and creates pathways to economic mobility. "As the pace of change in the labor market continues to accelerate, employers in fast-growing fields from early childhood education to healthcare are in search of new approaches to talent development that bridge the gap between learning and work," said Heather Combs, CEO of StraighterLine. "This acquisition is about helping to further the promise of flexible, affordable education to both meet the needs of employers and help more people chart a path to rewarding careers." Even before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing challenges, the nation's childcare programs had long struggled with a shortage of qualified early childhood education and care professionals and high turnover rates. A 2021 study from the National Association for the Education of Young Children found that more than eight in 10 early childhood providers were experiencing staffing shortages, and half were serving fewer children as a result of hiring problems. Just this month, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment reported that childcare employment is still down more than 8% since the start of the pandemic, even as the broader economy recovers. Since its founding in 2005, CCEI has launched more than 500 online childcare training courses to meet state licensure and Head Start requirements, as well as online certificate programs for nationally recognized credentials, including the Child Development Associate (CDA), Director Certificate, Early Childhood Credential, and other continuing education options. CCEI also manages the RegistryOne workforce management system, which helps state agencies and regulators collect and maintain data around early childhood education. "There is an urgent need for qualified early care and education workers across the nation," said Maria Taylor, president of CCEI. "This acquisition is about building more lifelong learning opportunities that give passionate individuals flexible pathways to careers. We are excited to join the StraighterLine family and further expand the potential entry points into this meaningful profession." The continued evolution of StraighterLine's offerings comes as most Americans continue to be skeptical about the value of postsecondary education and its alignment with jobs. Best known for its low-cost, competency-based courses that are recommended by ACE Learning Evaluations, StraighterLine supports learners by providing flexible and affordable pathways to their career goals. Through its partnerships with employers, including through Bright Horizons FastTrack, learners can upskill while working on a schedule and at a pace that meets their needs. This acquisition is a first step in StraighterLine's plan to expand its course offerings, building on a significant investment by BV Investment Partners in April 2020. District Capital Partners served as the financial advisor and Ropes & Gray LLP served as the legal advisor to StraighterLine for this transaction. To learn more about StraighterLine's courses and pathways, visit https://www.straighterline.com. About StraighterLine StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine's 215 courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. Visit https://www.straighterline.com for more information. About ChildCare Education Institute, LLC Based in the greater Atlanta area, ChildCare Education Institute provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 500 hours of English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/online-learning-pioneer-acquires-leading-training-provider-for-the-early-childhood-education-workforce-301628328.html SOURCE StraighterLine TOKYO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SignTime, is pleased to announce that it has successfully finalised a Series B funding round, raising 390,000,000 (USD $3,000,000, at the time of funding) at a company valuation of 2,600,000,000 (USD $20,000,000). "We are very excited to take the next steps in our growth journey and help more companies, in Japan and around the world, become more efficient and productive with the use of e-signatures and digital contracting," said Jim Weisser, CEO and Founder of SignTime. Jim Weisser, and SignTime co-founder Jonathan Siegel, who holds several patents in the e-signature market, are both serial entrepreneurs in the technology industry with multiple successful high growth company exits in Japan and in the US. They have been assisted in this venture by a team of expert advisors familiar with Japanese and global business practices and a team of experienced technology professionals in Japan. SignTime was founded in 2020 as a SaaS and web-based application that provides e-signature and digital contracting services. This includes well-known e-signature capabilities, along with contract drafting and templating functions, a database sending capability, and a secure digital contract repository with a unique tagging system that allows businesses to quickly access their documents from anywhere, in a highly secure fashion. Digital contracting improves every facet of a business with faster, cheaper, and easier contracting, with sales departments often experiences the most benefit and highest usage of the SignTime platform. SignTime removes paper-based hurdles, making it easier and faster to go from prospecting, to lead development and contract completion in record time. SignTime, headquartered in Tokyo, first focused on the local Japanese market, with digital 'hanko' support (Japanese business stamps used instead of handwritten signatures) and approval process features designed with Japanese businesses in mind, but has since gained clients globally. "Our client base is predominantly Japanese companies, with a mix of more internationalized companies operating in the Asia Pacific region," said Weisser, "and our major competitors are different in Japan when compared with overseas markets. In Japan, our major "competitor" is paper, and our paperless approach to documents is a superior product, with complete traceability, audit trails, and compliance within Japanese regulations and legal frameworks. Globally, our easy to use UX/UI and cost effectiveness separate us from the competition. In all markets, though, we make the sales process much easier." Key Investors: SignTime's Series A round included several angel investors and venture capital firms. Some of these, including Jonathan Siegel and Yoshimasa Aikawa, a SignTime advisor, are already connected with SignTime, while others are new to the company in the current funding round. Shizen Capital Mark Bivens, a Founding Partner at Shizen Capital with over two decades of VC experience across Silicon Valley, Europe, and Japan, commented, "At Shizen Capital, we are thrilled to back SignTime as lead investor. With its e-signature solution conceived specifically for the Japanese market, SignTime is driving digital transformation in the Japanese enterprise, and by extension across Asia." Jonathan Siegel Jonathan Siegel helped found SignTime. Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur who has founded companies in e-commerce, cloud services, and digital signatures and is currently managing partner at Xenon Ventures. He also holds multiple patents related to digital signatures. Jonathan is also a serial learner, having completed an MBA, a law degree, and a helicopter license. His book, 'The San Francisco Fallacy - The Ten Fallacies That Make Founders Fail' has been translated into Japanese. Siegel commented: "SignTime's growth in Japan is one of the most exciting business opportunities I've seen, and I'm excited to participate. We are driving the digital transformation (DX) of the Japanese workplace where the opportunities are seemingly endless." Yoshimasa Aikawa Yoshimasa Aikawa is currently an executive advisor to SignTime. At the beginning of career, he joined Fujitsu Kyushu Systems in 1982 as a Systems Engineer, and progressed through the ranks, eventually becoming Executive Director. Subsequently, he became President of Fujitsu Cloud Technologies in April 2017. He has extensive cloud experience both from his time at Fujitsu and while establishing Aitcz. Yoshimasa provides ICT consulting services to a variety of companies. "I am excited to be working with SignTime, driving the shift from a paper-centric office environment to a truly digital one. SignTime's product is not only fast and effective, it is also a safe and secure way to process contracts and other legal documents." Patrick McKenzie Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) is a Japan based angel investor, developer and entrepreneur. "I invested in SignTime to further support Japan's digital transformation. Take it from a former salaryman: too many smart people have wasted too much time dealing with antiquated processes. We should free them to bring their talents to bear on more important problems." Paul Oswald Paul Oswald has been working in software development for over 20 years. For the last 12 years, he has been the CTO and co-founder of MakeLeaps, a successful Japanese FinTech startup. MakeLeaps provides online quoting and invoicing services to the Japanese market. "Over the last 12 years, I've witnessed Japanese adoption of online products to replace paper ones at MakeLeaps. I'm confident that SignTime can make the same gains locally while spreading internationally as well." About SignTime: SignTime, based in Tokyo, is a leader in digital contracting and electronic signatures for documents of all kinds. Highly secure, legally compliant, easy to use, and scalable for businesses of any size, SignTime makes it simple to move away from paper based contracts and signatures for good. Since its founding in 2020, SignTime has grown rapidly, serving clients in its home Japanese market, as well as the Asia Pacific region, and among multinational clients. Media Contact: Terry AlbersteinNavigate Communication[email protected]+61-458-484-921 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/signtime-receives-series-b-funding-at-2-600-000-000-usd-20-000-000-valuation-301627847.html SOURCE SignTime CHANDLER, Ariz., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) proudly announces an education partnership with DriveTime Automotive, a brick-and-mortar car dealer and financier with nearly 5,000 employees around the nation. The partnership offers UAGC Full Tuition Grants to eligible employees that cover tuition, course materials, and fees. Additionally, the partnership offers 20% off tuition provided to immediate family members of DriveTime employees. UAGC helps more than 1,300 organizations across the US optimize the use of their corporate tuition assistance programs. "At UAGC, we welcome partnerships with companies like DriveTime, who are committed to offering access to affordable education to their employees, and employees' immediate family members," UAGC President Paul Pastorek said. "We take great pride in helping people continue their lifelong learning journey by preparing themselves for new opportunities with the marketable skills gained through their education." UAGC helps more than 1,300 companies and organizations across the country optimize the usage of their corporate tuition assistance programs. The partnership with DriveTime and UAGC provides a flexible online model and class format conducive to the scheduling demands of being an employee for the company. Coursework can be done from any location, and students are afforded the opportunity to take classes that accommodate their lifestyle and schedule. Students can leverage their employer-sponsored tuition program to start or complete a degree through courses that last five or six weeks, depending on the degree level, enabling them to study at the times that work best for them. "We are beyond excited to have established this partnership with UAGC. Providing access to higher education is a critical part of creating opportunities and improving lives," DriveTime Head of People Robyn Jordan said. "The DriveTime Brand Family values the growth of our employees, and this stands as a great example of how we invest in our people." Five DriveTime employees will celebrate their graduation from the University of Arizona Global Campus this upcoming fall, and 35 employees are currently enrolled in classes. "It has been an enriching experience and positively impacted my life," said Luis Mendoza, who graduated in May 2022. "I am proud to be part of the great DriveTime family." About the University of Arizona Global Campus The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 25,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. For more information visit uagc.edu. About DriveTime Automotive DriveTime is not your typical auto retailer. We're bringing a fresh and fun perspective to the pre-owned car buying experience, and we want you to come along for the ride. You can find us at the intersection of technology and innovation as we use our proprietary tools and over two decades of industry knowledge to redefine the process of purchasing, financing, and protecting your vehicle. As DriveTime, Bridgecrest and SilverRock we create opportunities and improve the lives of our customers, our employees and our communities by carpooling to a shared destination. That means placing a focus on putting the right customer in the right vehicle so they can be on the path to ownership. We are headquartered in both Tempe, Arizona and Dallas, Texas, but you can find our tire tracks across the nation as we continue to expand our footprint in new territories. Regardless of where you're located, if you've got DRIVE and you're looking to make an impact, we'd love for you to make a difference with us! View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-university-of-arizona-global-campus-partners-with-drivetime-automotive-to-offer-employees-full-tuition-grants-to-support-career-advancement-301628797.html SOURCE University of Arizona Global Campus BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC), the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, today announced that it will webcast its Investor Day event on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. ET. The presentation will be led by Tom Hill, Vulcan's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and will include presentations from other members of the management team on the Company's strategy, performance and financial outlook. Investors and other interested parties can listen to the webcast at the Company's website, www.vulcanmaterials.com. The event will be recorded and available for replay approximately two hours after its conclusion. Pre-registration is available by clicking here or by visiting the Company's website. Vulcan Materials Company, a member of the S&P 500 Index with headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel and a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt mix and ready-mixed concrete. For additional information about Vulcan, go to www.vulcanmaterials.com. Investor Contact: Mark Warren (205) 298-3220Media Contact: Janet Kavinoky (205) 298-3220 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vulcan-materials-to-webcast-investor-day-2022-301627619.html SOURCE Vulcan Materials Company MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weichert has been named to Forbes' Best Employers by State List for New Jersey. Weichert was the highest ranked native New Jersey company on the list, coming in third overall behind Microsoft and HP, which have a sizable presence in the state but are headquartered elsewhere. Forbes partnered with Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, to compile the fourth annual list. America's Best-in-State Employers were identified in an independent survey based on a sample of approximately 70,000 Americans working for companies with more than 500 employees across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In all, 1,380 companies were ranked among the top employers. "We are thrilled to be named by Forbes as one of the best companies to work for in New Jersey. At Weichert, we work hard to foster a community where sales associates and colleagues can thrive personally and professionally" said Aram Minnetian, president and COO of the Weichert Family of Companies. "From flexible work arrangements and comprehensive health benefits to exclusive perk discount programs and collaborative events, we have been able to help Weichert Community members achieve a healthy work-life balance, grow their businesses and careers, and enjoy great days at work." Unlike Forbes' national rankings of best employers, this list aims to capture the differences in how companies act and are perceived in various parts of the country. The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employees were also asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industry and state. The complete list of Forbes' Best Employers by State 2022 can be viewed on the Forbes website. For more information about Weichert or to find a local Weichert sales office, visit www.weichert.com. About The Weichert Family of Companies Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation's leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of 18 full-service real estate-related companies, Weichert provides an integrated real estate, mortgage, insurance and title settlement solution branded as All Under One Roof to simplify the home purchase experience for buyers and sellers. Weichert leverages its customer website, www.weichert.com, one of the most visited real estate websites in the nation, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick and easy access to listing information and the services of its real estate professionals nationwide. Like other family-owned and -operated businesses, Weichert enjoys greater public trust according to several national surveys. For more information, Weichert's customer service center can be reached at 1-800-USA-SOLD. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weichert-named-to-forbes-best-employers-by-state-list-for-2022-301627449.html SOURCE Weichert Co. The Air Force is starting a new organization to field-test unmanned systems and artificial intelligence technologies in the Middle East, the services top general in the region said. The small task force, dubbed Detachment 99, will look for cheaper ways to detect Irans aerial drones, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, head of 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central), said Monday at the Air Force Associations annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland. Its a small group of super-empowered airmen that Im going to provide resources to so they can rapidly innovate and experiment in our literal sandbox that we have in the Middle East, Grynkewich said at the conference. The group will resemble the Navys Task Force 59, which has tested commercially available, relatively inexpensive unmanned surface vessels on missions in Middle East waters since its founding last year. Detachment 99 would collaborate with Task Force 59, Grynkewich said. It also could work with the Air Force Academy, where Grynkewich is working to get funding for cadets to build drone systems, he said. The group initially will look to test multiple short-range surveillance systems that are below the million-dollar price point, preferably in the thousands of dollars, Grynkewich said. Aerial drones are capable of skirting radar and surveillance systems, especially when multiple militaries are involved that may not be able to share information quickly, he said. Detachment 99 would start with a small in-house active duty AFCENT team of about 10 people, said Capt. Kayshel Trudell, spokeswoman for the 9th Air Force. Trudell added that the Air Force is looking for volunteers. Neutering the Iranian aerial drone threat and regaining full air superiority in the Middle East is a priority for the Air Force in the region, Grynkewich told Stars and Stripes in a July interview. Various systems to counter specific drones exist but don't always work well together in the face of Iranian drones, which are some of the most advanced in the world, the general said. U.S. officials are looking into whether an Iran-affiliated militia was behind a rocket attack that targeted a U.S. base in northeast Syria on Sunday night, which U.S. Central Command said did not cause casualties. U.S. forces in Syria also have seen troubling behavior from Russian forces in the region in recent months, with transport planes and fighter jets flying over U.S. troops without any warning, Grynkewich said. He attributed that to the personal motivations of some Russian officers. Generals who were in charge of certain aspects of the Ukrainian invasion have been sent into Syria as their follow-up assignment because of their failure in Russia, and I believe some of those Russian leaders are trying to rebuild their reputation, Grynkewich said. NOME, Alaska (Tribune News Service) Up and down Alaskas Bering Sea coast, the scope of destruction left by a historic storm is becoming clear. The remnants of a Pacific typhoon pummeled roughly 1,000 miles of Western Alaska coastline over the weekend, damaging infrastructure and homes. The storm shredded sea walls, compromised drinking water systems, ripped homes from their foundation, deluged streets in Nome with sea water and left houses filled with silt. No casualties have been reported in the storm or its aftermath. A boy, missing in Hooper Bay as the storm raged, was later found safe. Otherwise, there didnt appear to be any reports of people still missing. By Monday, as the storm passed, residents in dozens of remote Alaska communities with a combined population of more than 20,000 continued assessing the full extent of the damage and began cleaning up. Residents, along with local, state and federal government officials, say they will need to work quickly to repair whats broken. Theres not much time left before winter freeze-up in much of the region. We just have to impress upon our federal friends that its not a Florida situation where weve got months to work on this, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Sunday. Weve got several weeks. On Monday, the governor said the assessment work is being completed to file a federal disaster declaration request, which is expected to be submitted Tuesday. If approved, the federal government would cover up to 75% of eligible disaster costs. Reports of damage The state identified five communities Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok and Nome as being greatly impacted by a combination of high water, flooding, erosion and electrical issues. Nome, where one vacant home being used for storage floated down a river until it was caught by a bridge, was among the many reporting road damage after recording tidal surges 11.1 feet above normal. State officials were looking closely at those five communities but also reaching out to every community in the region because of the numerous reports of damage, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Efforts to reach some communities have been difficult due to downed communication lines, he said. Dunleavy was able to fly over Chevak and get on the ground to tour Hooper Bay and Scammon Bay for several hours on Monday with two of his commissioners. He said there were two houses off their foundations in Hooper Bay, and there was road and erosion damage, but the communities he visited were reopening and cleaning up after the weekends storms and flooding. The damage was not as severe as was first thought, Dunleavy said. There are certainly things that need to be worked on, but things seem to be getting up and functioning in the villages that we were in today. Dunleavy is planning to head north from Bethel Tuesday to visit Norton Sound communities like Golovin and Newtok where he is expecting to see more severe erosion damage caused by the storm. He is also planning to head to Nome. Bryan Fisher, director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Monday evening the agency has received reports of 63 homes damaged across the path of the storm, and a dozen other types of structures that have also been damaged, including commercial buildings, fish camps and cabins, but those numbers are expected to rise as more reports are received. There is a greatly varying degree of damage reported to homes, from those that were completely blown or floated off their foundations to more minor wind damage to roofs and siding, Fisher said. Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, who leads the Alaska National Guard, traveled with Dunleavy Monday. He said that 20 State Defense Force members had been activated and at least 40 guardsmen would also be activated to help with the recovery process, some would be heading to Hooper Bay. As information comes in, we will get the troops to where they need to go, here at the hubs, and getting to the smaller communities, Saxe said from Bethel. Thats what were going to do over the next week or so. The Department of Transportation said it had surveyed damage to state-owned runways, roads and other infrastructure. The road to Shishmarefs landfill was damaged, said spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy. Transportation Commissioner Ryan Anderson said all state runways are operating in Western Alaska, but a couple, such as in Shaktoolik and Golovin, still need their runway lights to be replaced. There are also reports of outages of some Federal Aviation Administration equipment across the region that will need to be looked at, Anderson said. Nome Storm The east end of Nomes Front Street is torn apart, and on Monday, businesses were cleaning out muck left by the floodwaters in front of bars, restaurants and other businesses, some of which were still boarded up. Further east, a portion of the Nome-Council Road is completely ruined, a small bridge rendered barely navigable and a new hole entirely punched through the thin barrier island separating Safety Sound from the ocean. Its bad out that way, said Bryant Hammond, the incident commander for Nomes emergency operations center. A small number of miners and seasonal residents who stay on the far side of the washed-out section will have to rely on airplanes or other creative transportation solutions to transit back into town. We either build a new bridge or get ferry service, Hammond said. Many of the small seasonal camps and cabins used for subsistence by Nome residents are badly damaged, flattened or gone entirely, according to Hammond. Most state-owned airstrips remained relatively unscathed after workers removed debris left by high tides. Shaktooliks runway lights are broken, but its not clear how extensive the problem is, McCarthy said. Telecommunication coverage was inconsistent on Sunday in many communities. By Monday, service had largely been restored to impacted areas, said GCI spokeswoman Heather Handyside. Intermittent outages continued in Hooper Bay, Shaktoolik, Stebbins and St. George, mainly because of power outages or flooding that impacted equipment in homes, she said. Problems persisted in Elim and Golovin, where Handyside said stations were damaged by flooding. Mobile and internet services still were impacted in those villages on Monday, she said, but the company was working to restore services. The American Red Cross has 50 volunteers ready to help and will be sent to communities that are most in need. The Red Cross was preparing to send small teams to Bethel and Nome, and then on to smaller villages hit by the storm to survey damage as soon as Monday night, said spokeswoman Taylar Sausen. Were going to figure out where we are needed and what each community needs from us, Sausen said. Most support personnel will have to be flown to these communities since there are few roads in Western Alaska. Air support will be provided by the Alaska National Guard, small commuter airlines that routinely fly between these small villages and possibly bush pilots. On Monday, each community hit by the storm was dealing with its own set of issues. Flooded in Golovin At least three homes in Golovin were pulled loose from their foundations and floated during the storm, said Susan Nedza, chief school administrator for Bering Strait School District. Other dwellings that flooded were left with sheets of sand, silt and debris on Monday after waters had receded. The school and clinic were still surrounded by water on Monday, Nedza said. The schools dry food supply was destroyed because the windows and doors broke during the storm, she said. Nedza said some portions of town had power, while others were still without on Monday. She said on Monday they were trying to get a generator going to save the frozen food for the school. Alice Amaktoolik spent the weekend with her sister, Harriett Henry, in Nome. Henry gave birth to her first child, a girl, on Friday. On Saturday, the sisters learned that Henrys home in Golovin was significantly damaged by floodwaters. When Henry purchased her Golovin home it was in rough condition and not safe to live in, her sister said. During the last few years she had restored it with her family, recently purchasing new appliances and furniture. When it flooded there was 3, maybe 4 feet of water in her house, Amaktoolik said. So shes got to replace all her appliances, her bedding, everything. And she just had a baby on Friday. Henry plans to fly home to Golovin on Wednesday with her baby, Amaktoolik said, but she will live with family until shes able to clean her home and make it livable again. Its just been overwhelming, Amaktoolik said. Were all excited to have the baby, but now were kind of just here trying to figure out how were going to get her house back into living conditions before anything else ruins in the house. And we just have to figure out financially how were going to keep up with all of that. In Hooper Bay, relief and worry Photos and video out of Hooper Bay, one of the largest communities on the coast with a population of more than 1,300, showed buildings inundated by the ocean. More than 300 people sought shelter at the Hooper Bay School over the weekend, said Gene Stone, superintendent with the Lower Yukon School District. Residents banded together to serve about 1,000 meals to the community. On Sunday night, moose stew was on the menu. As dire as the weekend conditions were, by Monday local leaders said infrastructure had mostly been spared. A handful of homes had been wrenched from their foundations or otherwise damaged as to be uninhabitable, said Edgar Tall, a tribal administrator. Elders there have described the storm as the worst in their memories, he said. The airport runway was operable, the electricity was on and the water system seemed to be functioning as of Monday afternoon, Stone said. Tall, the tribal administrator, said he wasnt surprised the community had largely come through the storm without serious infrastructure damage. This towns been here for centuries, he said. The storm pounded dunes along the shoreline of Hooper Bay, peeling away sand. You can see our dunes are practically gone, wrote Bradley Lake on Facebook alongside a video of the erosion damage. Damage wrought by the storm is a good example of how erosion proceeds at all-time scales, said Rick Thoman, a climate scientist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dunes in the area, a protection from wave damage from other ocean storms, had been eroding for a long time but sustained massive loss during the storm, likely made worse by the fact that the ground is not yet frozen, he said. Disaster declarations The governors office said it was working with the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to request a federal disaster declaration as early as Tuesday. A federal disaster declaration can only be approved by the president, but state officials hope that will be considered on an expedited basis. Zidek, the spokesman for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said if that request is granted, it would be essential for the longer-term recovery process in the region, including with establishing individual and public assistance programs. A federal disaster declaration would also mean the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would enter into a cost-sharing agreement, with FEMA paying at least 75% of eligible costs, which would significantly reduce the overall cost of the recovery effort, Zidek said. He said Monday afternoon that priorities on the ground are changing rapidly as assessments of the storm damage are made. The focus is on providing basic needs for villages hardest hit by the remnants of the typhoon such as food, water, shelter and access to medical care. State agencies had been preparing for the storm. When Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration Saturday morning, Zidek said it provided access to the states disaster relief fund. This will enable us to support local and tribal governments ongoing response, Zidek said by email. The focus is on the critical life, health and safety needs of those impacted. Our goal is to support the local and tribal emergency response effort with regional and state resources because it is the fastest way we can help the people in need. When the governor issues a state disaster declaration, state law caps spending to $1 million, but Dunleavy can write a letter to the Legislature to request additional funds. Zidek said multiple Alaska agencies were ready Saturday with resources and funding to respond. A state emergency management specialist will head to Bethel on Tuesday, working with three members of the American Red Cross. The plan is for them to visit impacted communities, as needed, to identify and assess emergency needs. When everything goes wrong Warmer ocean temperatures allowed Typhoon Merbak to brew in an area of the Pacific Ocean that doesnt usually produce typhoons, said Thoman, the climate scientist. This is a clear signal of our changing environment, Thoman said. We had a typhoon form much closer to Alaska in an area where they historically have very rarely formed and the atmospheric (conditions) allowed it a direct hit into Alaska. Conditions aligned for the storm to hit Alaskas coast dead-on, he said. It wont be the last time. Chances are, as oceans continue to warm we will see more typhoons in this area, Thoman said. When everything goes wrong, these really extreme events can happen, he said. And no one is immune to it. Hughes reported from Nome, Theriault Boots and Williams from Anchorage and Maguire from Juneau. Information from the Associated Press was also used to this report. (c)2022 the Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage, Alaska) Visit the Alaska Dispatch News at www.adn.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The director of operations for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has been selected to oversee the defueling of the Red Hill underground fuel storage facility in Hawaii that was the source of widespread groundwater contamination, the Pentagon said Monday. Navy Rear Adm. John Wade will assume command of Joint Task Force-Red Hill, which was established in June. Upon taking command, RADM Wades sole responsibility is to ensure the Department's safe and expeditious defueling of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Monday. Wade will coordinate with the Hawaii Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and the community to defuel the Red Hill facility while making environmentally-protective decisions, Austin said. The Defense Department expects to have the roughly 125 million gallons of fuel in the tanks removed by July 2024. The Hawaii Department of Health ordered the tanks be emptied earlier this year in response to a jet fuel leak from the World War II-era facility in November. The fuel contaminated one of three wells the Navy uses for its water distribution system for about two dozen military housing communities on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Thousands of residents were temporarily relocated, and hundreds claim to suffer from long-term maladies related to using the fuel-tainted water. Members of four of those families filed suit in federal court earlier this month, the first of possibly hundreds of plaintiffs likely to seek compensation. On March 7, Austin ordered the facility to be permanently closed. Adm. John Aquilino, commander of Indo-Pacific Command, announced the establishment of Joint Task Force-Red Hill during a news conference on June 30, describing it as an operational approach to ensure mission accomplishment. Wade will report through Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Aquilino, to the Secretary, which will ensure awareness and support at the highest levels of the Department and as well as provide accurate and timely information to the local community, Indo-Pacific Command said in a news release Monday. Wades three-decade career includes tours aboard the destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford, guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold and the cruiser USS Cape St. George, according to his official Navy biography. He commanded the coastal patrol boat USS Firebolt, the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, Destroyer Squadron 28 and Carrier Strike Group 12 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Among Wades ashore assignments was director of maritime operations for U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command. He also served with the Armys 10th Mountain and 82nd Airborne Divisions as commanding officer of the Joint/Interagency Provincial Reconstruction Team-Khost, Afghanistan, according to the Navy biography. He became director of joint operations at Indo-Pacific Command in October 2020. NEW YORK The United Nations will be judged by how it addresses China's persecution of ethnic minorities, diplomats and human rights advocates charged Monday on the sidelines of the body's General Assembly, calling for forceful action after a report raised the specter of "crimes against humanity." For years, rights watchdogs and journalists have exposed brutal treatment of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the far western region of Xinjiang, where China is accused of a ruthless campaign of torture, sexual assault and ethnic cleansing. Those accusations have been widely accepted in the West, but were given a new imprimatur with the landmark report released last month by the U.N. human rights office. "Inaction is no longer possible," Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations' special rapporteur on minority rights said at a forum sponsored by the Atlantic Council and Human Rights Watch as world leaders descend on New York. "If we allow this to go unpunished, what kind of message is being propagated?" Jeffrey Prescott, a deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, suggested the integrity of the institution was at stake in its response to China. "How these atrocities are addressed goes ultimately to the credibility of that system, to the credibility of our international system itself," he said. "It's deeply disheartening to see a country that has been so central to the creation of the modern U.N. system, and enjoys its status as a permanent member of the Security Council, so profoundly violating its commitments." The U.N. report on China's alleged abuses was released in the final minutes of the last day in office of Michele Bachelet, now the former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Its release was believed to have been long delayed. Bachelet never explained the timing. China responded to its release with fury, calling it "a patchwork of false information" and portraying it as a fabrication cooked up by Western nations. It issued a lengthy rebuttal and vowed to stop cooperating with the U.N.'s human rights office, and Chinese diplomats are now lobbying others to thwart the possibility of further scrutiny of its campaign in Xinjiang. Rob Roe, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, called China's reaction unsurprising and said new action was merited. "We need to deal with this question. We need to deal with the question of what further sanctions will be required. We need to deal with the question of what further steps could be taken to respond to the extent of this crisis," he said. The U.N.'s report was drawn, in part, from interviews from more than two dozen former detainees and others familiar with conditions at eight detention centers who described being beaten, prevented from praying and forced to perform sex acts on guards. It said the evidence could constitute "crimes against humanity" but made no mention of genocide, which the United States and other countries have accused China of committing. Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the immediate predecessor to Bachelet as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his successor deserved credit for publishing the report, but said it was a "shortcoming" not to refer to the abuses as genocide. Likewise, he criticized it for not calling for the establishment of a formal U.N. commission of inquiry. "To be silent is to be an accomplice," he said. Rayhan Asat, a Uyghur lawyer who works for the Atlantic Council and whose brother is imprisoned in Xinjiang, urged the world to insist that action be taken, not just against China, but companies who profit off its abuses. "We should not let the Chinese government off the hook by normalizing what the state did," she said, "because at the end of the day, this is state violence." The Philippines without the United States as a partner is inconceivable, according to the countrys new leader. President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., son of the countrys late dictator who ruled from 1965-1986, made the comment during a visit to the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. "I cannot see the Philippines in the future without having the United States as a partner Many of the strongest corporate benefactors, really, to government and to the rest of society in the Philippines were coming from the United States," Marcos said in a video posted on his Facebook page of an interview with NYSE vice chair and chief commercial officer John Tuttle. Strengthening the U.S.-Philippines alliance is "extremely necessary" in a time of global economic and geopolitical crisis, according to Marcos. "They (partnerships) provide the stability in these highly unstable economic, political, geopolitical, diplomatic environment, he said. Both countries are "driven together by forces that exist now in the world, said Marcos, who assumed office in June. "We still look to the United States as our partner. When we are in crisis, we look to the United States ... I have to say that the reason we have done that, is that for the most part, we can say that the United States has not failed us." His comments come at a time of tension between the U.S. and China over the status of Taiwan and access to international waters. Marcos Jr. is on his first visit to the U.S. since taking office. He was scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, according to the U.N. website. The Philippines borders the South China Sea, where Beijing has aggressively expanded its territory by occupying small islets, reclaiming land and building military facilities. The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia have territorial disputes with China in those waters. Marcos, elected President in May, succeeds Rodrigo Duterte, who had sought closer relations with China and Russia and threatened to withdraw from an agreement that facilitates training by U.S. forces in his country. This weeks comments mark a clear departure from the Duterte administration, according to Patricio Abinales, a professor at the University of Hawaiis School of Pacific and Asian Studies. We cannot discount the fact that the U.S. has gone out of its way to reach out to Marcos soon after his election, sending top senior State Department officials to the Philippines, he told Stars and Stripes in an email Wednesday. China has fallen short on promises of economic assistance and increased investments made to Duterte, Abinales said. In the popular mind (of Filipinos), Chinese economic presence is equivalent to the illegal gambling networks and drugs, he said. So if you were Marcos II and you and your adviser surveyed the regional scene, then you will realize how much China has disappeared in the Philippines while the U.S. has tried to compensate for the lost Duterte years. This month, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez suggested that U.S. forces might be offered access to more military facilities, including a naval base in the islands. Facilities for visiting American troops were supposed to be built on five Philippine military bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. However, the only facility completed to date is a warehouse at Cesar Basa Air Base on Luzon. In March and April, 100 U.S. service members trained in the islands with 3,800 Philippine troops during the annual Balikatan drills. U.S. sailors and Marines are headed back for the Kamandag exercise, which runs Oct. 3-14. Kamandag, which focuses on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, replaced the annual PHIBLEX amphibious drills involving both countries forces on Luzon. Duterte called for the exercise to end in 2016 and it was canceled the following year. There has been increased military contact under Marcos, but it seems to be the acceleration of a trend that began toward the end of the Duterte administration, according to Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. Marcos has also publicly indicated displeasure at [Chinas] continued pressing of claims over waters and maritime features it disputes with the Philippines, he told Stars and Stripes in an email Wednesday. Whether the upcoming Kamandag exercise is more defense focused or continues to emphasize humanitarian assistance is probably less important than the fact that it provides a venue for U.S. and Philippine forces to work together, Chong said. BANGKOK Myanmar's military-ruled government on Tuesday denied reports it carried out an air attack on a school in the country's turbulent north-central region that killed at least seven children, accusing the media of distorting the truth. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the ruling military council, acknowledged at a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw. that there had been fighting last Friday in Tabayin township in Sagaing region. However, he blamed the government's armed opponents for the casualties, which in addition to children sheltering at the school included six adult villagers. Witnesses told The Associated Press and other media that two helicopters fired machine guns and heavier weapons at a school in a Buddhist monastery in the village of Let Yet Kone attended by 240 students from kindergarten to Grade 8 taught by about 20 volunteer teachers. A school administrator said that after about an hour of continuous shooting, about 80 soldiers charged into the monastery grounds, firing their weapons. The administrator, who used the pseudonym Mar Mar so she would not be identified by the authorities, said about 30 children were wounded, and 20 were taken away by soldiers along with three teachers. The number of children killed in the airstrike appeared to be the highest in a single day since the army seized power in a coup in February last year, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The army's takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide, but when the military and police responded with deadly force, armed resistance arose in the cities and the countryside. Fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where the military has launched several offensives, in some cases burning down villages, and displacing more than half a million people. There are six camps hosting displaced people in Tabayin, which is also known as Depayin. Zaw Min Tun told journalists on Tuesday that the incident occurred when soldiers went to check on information that there were members of the armed anti-government People's Defense Force and their allies from the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic rebel group, in Let Yet Kone. The People's Defense Force was established last year to oppose military rule. He said the armed groups' members herded the villagers into the monastery ahead of the fighting. "They forced the people to stay under the main building of the monastery. And then they started to fire on the security forces while using the villagers as human shields. The army shot back at them," Zaw Min Tun said. He said the army rescued the people hiding at the monastery after the armed groups ran away, and that when the soldiers found two children with serious injuries, they were immediately taken by helicopter to a military hospital. Other wounded villagers were taken to nearby hospitals, he said. He charged that the accounts of the attack on the school were made up to come just ahead of the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, where Myanmar's violent crisis will be debated. His account of the incident was challenged by the school administrator. "What Zaw Min Tun said at the press conference were words opposite to the truth. Teaching the students every day is our job. No one forced us into the monastery and there was no armed group in the village," Mar Mar said by phone on Tuesday. KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany Technical issues have stalled a Defense Department schools program that provides online access to student information, keeping families mostly in the dark on their childs academic progress more than five weeks into the new school year. The delay of the DODEA Student Information System Family Portal is systemwide at this time, and we are working with the vendor to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, Will Griffin, a Department of Defense Education Activity spokesman, said in a statement. The old online gradebook, called GradeSpeed, for grades 4 to 12, is no longer available, Griffin said. Students, teachers and parents are feeling the absence of GradeSpeed, according to concerns shared with Stars and Stripes and posted on social media channels. This is super frustrating, one parent wrote on a Facebook military spouses page in Germany. My kiddo needs the accountability. Some teachers are starting to send out progress reports, either on paper or online. At Ramstein Middle School, some parents received an email Tuesday to let them know to expect their student to come home with a written progress report that needs to be signed and returned. I understand that it has been frustrating not to have access to your students grades, one teacher wrote in an email to parents. In South Korea, Carolyn Pickering received a progress report Tuesday by email for one class out of seven for her older son, a student at Humphreys High School, she said. Her fifth grader, who attends middle school at Humphreys, came home with a stapled paper copy of five sheets, one for each subject. She had to sign each sheet and return it. One bad test at the high school can knock a student-athlete out of the lineup for that weeks game or tournament, Pickering said. It has been unsettling for students, to say the least, she said. Administrators have kept parents informed about the delays to the system, she said, an issue she chalks up to growing pains as DODEA looks to improve its digital infrastructure. I look forward to hearing, Wow, this is so much better than GradeSpeed, she said. The new system should allow parents to track grades, class schedules, assignments, attendance and teacher contacts. The cost to DODEA for the new system is about $900,000 annually, Griffin said. Work began a year ago to configure and integrate the system, he said. The goal was to launch the family portal at the beginning of this school year. The first priority is to get student accounts running by the end of this month, Griffin said. Parent account access will follow in October, he said. Once the family portal is functioning, students can access it through their ClassLink accounts and share information with parents, Griffin said. ClassLink is an existing system that allows students to access apps and digital resources. A Russian mercenary organization is trying to recruit 1,500 imprisoned felons to fill its ranks, but many are refusing to join Moscows faltering war effort in Ukraine, the Pentagon said. The Wagner Group, which has close ties to the Kremlin, also is trying to enlist foreign fighters from Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters. The move highlights the strain Russian forces are under in Ukraine, where the military has faced a series of major setbacks in recent weeks. Our information indicates that Wagner has been suffering high losses in Ukraine, especially and unsurprisingly among young and inexperienced fighters, the defense official said on condition of anonymity Monday. Likewise, the Kremlin also is struggling to fill out the ranks of its army, which was routed in Ukraines recent offensive to reclaim territory around Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city. Russians are performing so poorly that the news from Kharkiv province has inspired many Russian volunteers to refuse combat, the defense official said. Last week, video emerged of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin at a Russian prison, where he was offering prisoners release if they were willing to serve six months in Ukraine. One of Putin's closest allies, the oligarch who founded the Wagner mercenary group, goes to a prison to recruit criminals for the war in Ukraine. The will fee right at home in the Russian Army. English subtitles pic.twitter.com/dxCNLzDCHZ Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) September 15, 2022 The first sin is deserting. No one falls back. No one retreats. No one surrenders into capture, Prigozhin told them. Russias recruitment woes coincide with a war effort that has failed to achieve Moscows aims since its full-fledged invasion was launched in February, U.S. officials said. On Sept. 1, you might recall President (Vladimir) Putin called for the entirety of Donetsk province to be under Russian control by Sept. 15th, but Putins forces clearly have failed to deliver, the senior defense official said. In eastern Ukraine, Kyivs forces continue to make advances. The troops now control all territory west of the Oskil River and have liberated more than 300 settlements in Kharkiv province in the process. If you look at the geography, this is more than Rhode Island and Delaware combined, in U.S. terms, the senior defense official said. Still, questions loom over how Moscow will respond to its setbacks. In recent days, the Kremlin has stepped up attacks on civilian infrastructure. And Russian missile strikes and shelling in the vicinity of nuclear power plants have heightened concerns about a potential radiological disaster. On Monday, Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile had landed 300 yards from a reactor at the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. IZIUM, Ukraine The school was a shattered mess. Its six-month life as a Russian base and mechanic shop ended in August with a Ukrainian missile strike. Its years educating Izium's youth were over, but it had one last gift for the residents who needed so much: the wood that made up its lattice work, its chalkboards, its furniture and beams. A handful of elderly residents some prepared with gloves, sturdy woven bags, and hand tools came by Monday to salvage firewood from the rubble. It will be months, if not longer, before meaningful electricity, gas and running water are restored, and a chill is already settling in. This city in far eastern Ukraine was among the first taken by Russian forces after the war started on Feb. 24, and it became a command center for them. By early March, Izium was isolated no cell phones, no heat, no power. Residents didn't know what was going on in the war, whether their relatives were alive, whether there was still a Ukraine. They were liberated in a swift counteroffensive on Sept. 10 that swept through the Kharkiv region, and that continues in the south, near Kherson. But residents are still emerging from the confusion and trauma of their occupation, the brutality of which gained worldwide attention last week after the discovery of one of the war's largest mass grave sites. "We have nothing. We are taking wood to heat water for tea and to make porridge. Look at my hands! I'm 75 years old and this woman is even older than me. We are afraid of winter," said Oleksandra Lysenko, standing in a pile of bricks. "My grandchildren went to this school and I am looting it." A man nearby loaded the battered hood of a car onto his bicycle. He planned to use the part, which was spray-painted with the letter Z that has come to symbolize the Russian army, to cover an open window frame. When the war began nearly seven months ago, about half of Izium's roughly 40,000 residents fled, some of them into Russia itself. The rest hunkered down in basements or behind the thickest walls they could find. Russian soldiers handed out some food but rarely enough. Those with battery-powered radios discovered that the only signal was a Russian propaganda station, feeding them lies about which Ukraininan cities had fallen, how their government had abandoned them, and how they would be put on trial as collaborators if ever the Ukrainian army returned. So swift was the counteroffensive that the Russians abandoned their munitions and their armored vehicles, sometimes resorting to stealing clothes and cars from residents to escape undetected. It was Russia's biggest military defeat since the withdrawal of its troops from areas near Kyiv more than five months ago. Ukrainian soldiers have begun to collect brass buttons yanked in haste from an officer's uniform, or patches emblazoned with the Russian flag. They are also collecting Russian munitions, which fit nicely into Ukrainian weapons, and are repurposing the abandoned vehicles that haven't rusted into uselessness. The Russian occupiers scattered countless mines, which Ukrainian soldiers are painstakingly detonating one at a time. Every few minutes on Monday, until sundown, their enormous controlled explosions shook Izium, which is about a two-hour drive from Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv down straight rural highways. It may as well have been another world. "Is Kharkiv still Ukraine?" one woman hesitantly asked a visitor in the first few days after Izium was freed. There is now a tenuous cell signal just enough to send texts or make a phone call, for those who have a way to charge their phones. But on Monday morning expectations were running high for a more basic form of communication. By the time the mail truck pulled into the parking lot of a closed market, more than a hundred people were milling around, waiting for the first postal delivery since February. "I am happy that the mail is working. It means that life is getting better. We will live and hope for the best," said 69-year-old Volodymyr Olyzarenko. He already knew what the box sent by his adult children contained: warm clothes for his brother. But there will be hard days to come. A site that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said contains more than 440 graves was discovered last week in a forest on the northern outskirts of town, and investigators are exhuming the bodies to start the grim job of identification. Russian officials have distanced themselves from responsibility for the site. On the southern outskirts, where the fiercest battles raged, the entire village of Kamyanka is a hazard of explosives. Only 10 people remain of the 1,200 who lived there. Almost every yard is scattered with bombs and bullets. A Russian rocket launcher is rusting away in someone's driveway, the weather just beginning to take its toll on the white Z. And as the sun sets, the only sound is the barking of dogs abandoned by their owners. Natalya Zdorovets, the matriarch of a family of five that accounts for half the village population, said they stayed because it was home. They lost their connection to the outside world on March 5. "We were in a vacuum. We were cut off from all the world. We didn't know what happened. We didn't even know what was happening in the neighboring street because we lived only here," she said, gesturing to a yard filled with ducks, chickens, cats and dogs. Around 2,000 Russian soldiers settled in the homes vacated by terrified residents. Then suddenly, a little over a week ago, the village fell silent. The family had no idea why until the Ukrainian soldiers arrived. "We cried and laughed at the same time," Zdorovets said. "We weren't prepared to see them. We hadn't heard the news." (Tribune News Service) The Kremlin is moving hastily to stage sham votes on annexing the regions of Ukraine its forces still control, after Kyivs military drove Russian troops from large areas of territory taken in their 7-month-old invasion. The so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics, as well as Kherson, may hold their votes as soon as Friday, Interfax quoted officials as saying Tuesday. Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as illegal, and few countries are likely to recognize the results. Russian-backed officials in Zaporizhzhia, where they dont hold even the regional capital, still vowed to move quickly toward a vote. In Moscow, officials said theyd grant the regions requests to be annexed if they made them. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, whos now deputy head of the Security Council, said the annexation would be irreversible and enable Russia to use all possible force in self-defense in the newly acquired territory. The move threatens to escalate the conflict even further, potentially giving President Vladimir Putin the formal legal basis to use nuclear weapons to defend what Moscow would consider Russian territory. Annexation, even though its sure to be rejected internationally, would likely torpedo any future peace talks, as Russia has said it wont cede territory it considers its own while Kyiv has refused to give up any land taken by Moscow. Putin is laying down another ultimatum to Kyiv and its U.S. and European allies with the implicit threat of nuclear escalation, said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik research group. To guarantee victory, Putin is ready to immediately hold referendums to gain the right (as he understands it) to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory, she said. Either Ukraine retreats, or its nuclear war. President Joe Biden over the weekend said any use by Russia of chemical or tactical nuclear weapons would draw a consequential response. Theyll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been, he told 60 Minutes. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur. Russias MOEX stock index slumped as much as 11%, the most since the invasion started on Feb. 24, the worst performance globally on Tuesday. Annexation would help the Kremlin reassure supporters there worried by its hurried retreat from other territories in the face of the Ukrainian advance in the last few weeks. Were absolutely certain of the results of the referendum and determined to carry it out as soon as possible, Denis Pushilin, Russian-backed head of the Donetsk separatist republic, said on his Telegram channel as he made a televised appeal to Putin to accept the region as soon as possible. By making the occupied zones formally part of Russia under the countrys laws, the votes may also allow the Kremlin to deploy conscript troops there, in addition to the current force of contract soldiers and military contractors. The Kremlin so far has avoided full mobilization, aiming to limit the impact of the war on the broader population. But with the annexation referendums, Russia is moving at full speed to create the legal basis for partial mobilization, said Igor Girkin, a former Russian intelligence colonel who became a commander of the Moscow-backed separatist forces in Donbas in 2014. Russias parliament also rushed through amendments Tuesday to stiffen penalties for surrender, desertion and other breaches of duties in an apparent effort to boost discipline in the ranks. The sudden moves to hold the votes in areas where fighting is still widespread and Russian forces control only part of the regions planned for annexation underlines the Kremlins desperation to find a way to counter Ukraines sudden battlefield successes. Moscow had originally planned to hold the votes earlier this month, but put those plans on hold as Ukrainian counterattacks threatened to push its troops back. Authorities in the occupied zones are struggling to ensure basic services and security and tens of thousands of residents have been displaced, making organizing a true plebiscite all but impossible. Occupation officials said that they may use online voting, a technique that has been widely seen as a tool for fraud in Russian elections. So far this month, Ukraines military has retaken about 10% of the land held by Russia, routing Moscows forces in the Kharkiv region in the northeast and pushing on the Kherson area in the south. These have been the biggest setbacks for Russia since it pulled troops back from around Kyiv in the spring and led many observers to suggest the tide may be turning in the war. Ukraine detained hundreds of people for collaborating with the occupation authorities after the Russian retreat and has threatened them with long prison terms. Russian military bloggers and influential pro-Kremlin figures have been urging Putin to massively expand the scale of the struggling offensive in Ukraine, which the Kremlin continues to call a special military operation. Otherwise, Russia risks more reverses faced with a much larger Ukrainian force thats getting billions of dollars of advanced Western weaponry, theyve warned. Putin last week vowed to pursue the attack on Ukraine despite the severe losses, saying hes not in a hurry and is ready to step up attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NABLUS, West Bank Palestinian security forces on Tuesday exchanged fire with militants in the center of the West Bank's second-largest city, as angry residents pelted an armored jeep with objects and chased it away. One man was reported dead. The incident, sparked by an arrest raid against local militants, marked a rare case of deadly internal Palestinian fighting in the occupied West Bank. It also reflected the deep unpopularity of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which is widely seen as collaborating with an entrenched and unbearable system of Israeli military domination. Amateur videos posted to social media showed local youths pelting a Palestinian military-style jeep with bricks, stones and metal bars before chasing the vehicle from the central Martyrs Square. The sound of gunfire echoed through the city, known as the West Bank's business capital, for several hours. The violence was reminiscent of how Palestinians typically protest against Israeli troops. By midafternoon, the Palestinian forces had withdrawn, and the city remained quiet. The northern West Bank is known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants, and the Palestinian Authority has frequently had difficulties maintaining control in the area over the years. The authority maintains close security ties with Israel in a shared struggle against Islamic militants. This has helped fuel the perception that the PA is merely a subcontractor for Israel interested more in its own survival than improving the lives of its people. Israel's military occupation of the West Bank is now in its 55th year, with no signs of ending anytime soon. The last substantial round of peace talks ended in 2009. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, home to some 500,000 Israeli settlers, as the heartland of a future independent state. In recent months, the PA's standing has been further weakened as Israel carries out nightly arrest raids. Israel launched the crackdown last spring after a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, some of which were launched by militants from the area. Some 90 Palestinians have died in the arrest raids, many said by Israel to have been militants, or local youths who came out to protest the raids. Israel says it is forced to act because the Palestinian security forces have failed to do so. The Palestinians say it is difficult and humiliating to cooperate with the Israelis at a time when there is no political horizon. At the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid met Tuesday with Jordans King Abdullah II. In a brief statement, Lapids office said he talked about the need for calming the situation on the ground and halting terrorism ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays. Abdullah, whose country borders the West Bank and has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies there, called for maintaining a comprehensive calm during the upcoming period. In a statement released by his office, Abdullah called for a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. He also called for granting the Palestinians their just and legitimate rights. The United States has pushed both sides to restore quiet. But the Biden administration has failed to present a diplomatic plan, focusing instead on small measures to improve the Palestinian economy. Palestinian officials refused to comment on Tuesday's operation. But two Hamas militants were arrested in the raid, according to the men's families. One of them was close to another militant who was recently killed in an Israeli raid. Residents accused the Palestinian security forces of making the arrests on behalf of Israel and began shooting into the air and burning tires. Palestinian security responded with tear gas, and exchanges of fire took place. Hisham Yaish, a local resident, wrote on Facebook that his 53-year-old brother Firas was killed in a gunfight. He did not accuse either side of firing the deadly bullet, saying only his brother "was killed in the tragic incidents." But Hamas, which is locked in a bitter rivalry with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, said the Palestinian security forces had killed him. Hamas condemned the raid and accused the Palestinian Authority of collaborating with Israel. "While the enemy continues to carry out killings, arrests, Judaization and settlements, the authority identifies with it by continuing security coordination, suppressing our people, and pursuing and arresting resistance fighters in behavior outside all our national norms," Hamas said in a statement. In a statement to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Palestinian security spokesman, Maj. Gen. Talal Dwaikat, confirmed Yaish's death. He said the cause of the death was unknown, but claimed an initial report found that security forces were not in the area where he was killed. "Testimonies of eyewitnesses who were present in the area of the unfortunate accident confirm the authenticity of this account," he said. (Tribune News Service) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo teased but did not announce a run at the White House in 2024 during a speakers series event held Tuesday in New Hampshire thats known for hosting presidential hopefuls. Thanks for having an unemployed former diplomat out today, Pompeo said in Manchester. Today I get a chance to speak from the heart. For two decades, almost every candidate to take a primary debate stage in the months before a presidential election has made a trip to New Hampshires Queen City for an appearance at St. Anselm Colleges Politics & Eggs speaker series. Pompeo used his visit this week to lay the groundwork for a run at the nations top job, channeling both former President Ronald Reagan and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during his speech, and taking specific aim at a recent speech by President Biden. Im here because a few weeks ago, the president of the United States gave a speech and smeared half the country as enemies of the state. He essentially said if youre pro-life or you oppose his policies, youre a threat. Im here because Im not going to let that just slide by. Im going to stand up for the Americans that the president attacked. Because America deserves better than that, he said. Pompeo went on to describe Biden as too weak to lead the nation, a weakness he said is too prevalent in the United States today. And while none of us know the presidents heart, we do know his ideology. Because we see the impact every day. I can sum up the presidents principles in three words: woke, weak, and waffling, he said. Pompeos visit follows a stop there in August by former Vice President Mike Pence, whose own White House ambitions have been noted and whose relationship with his former boss is known to be, to put it lightly, contentious. Pompeo has been making plenty of signals of his own lately. A political action committee associated with the former CIA director recently launched ads in the early Republican primary states of South Carolina and Iowa, in which Pompeo expresses his support for more religious liberty. Lets make sure our religious freedom and our right to pray are never canceled, Pompeo says in the ad. On Tuesday Pompeo acknowledged his appearance in New Hampshire was suggestive of a pending campaign, but said he and his wife wouldnt make any announcements about his future until after the midterms. Im here. This is not random. Susan and me are thinking about what the right place for us to continue the fight that I spoke about today is. I believe in this country were fighting for. Whether well decide to get in the race and run for president I cant answer, he said. We are doing the things that one would do to be ready to make such an announcement. Elected three times to represent Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, Pompeo is also a veteran of the U.S. Army and graduated top of his class at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His name has been, for the most part, conspicuously absent from the many investigations that surround the 45th president, though he has, according to reporting, appeared before the January 6th committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol. What makes America exceptional is the people in this room, Pompeo told the audience of eventual, first-in-the-nation primary voters. 2022 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com . NEW YORK Prime Minister Liz Truss has kicked off her first visit to the United States as Britain's leader with an admission that a U.K-U.S. free trade deal is not going to happen for years. Truss said a trans-Atlantic deal is not one of her priorities a sharp contrast with the stance of her immediate predecessors as Conservative prime minister, Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Both dangled the promise of a deal with the world's biggest economy as one of the main prizes of Britain's exit from the European Union. "There (aren't) currently any negotiations taking place with the U.S., and I don't have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term," Truss told reporters aboard her plane to New York, where she landed Tuesday to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Truss said she was more focused on obtaining accession to the Trans-Pacific trade partnership and striking trade deals with India and the Gulf Cooperation Council of states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. "Those are our trade priorities," she said. Truss's downbeat assessment about trans-Atlantic trade came ahead of her first one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden since she took office two weeks ago. The two leaders are due to meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering in New York. Both were among scores of world leaders who attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday. Truss said her priorities for the meeting with Biden were "making sure that we are able to collectively deal (with) Russian aggression," and ensuring "we are not strategically dependent on authoritarian regimes." "I want to work with our allies like the United States, like France, the EU, the Baltic States, Poland to take on the challenge we face from Russian aggression," she said. "That should be our priority." That puts the U.K. broadly in line with Biden's tough stance toward Russia and China, but the trade impasse leaves the often-touted "special relationship" between Britain and the U.S. on the back burner. Supporters of Brexit say one of the chief benefits of leaving the bloc, and its vast free market of almost half a billion people, is the chance for the United Kingdom to make new trade deals around the world. U.K.-EU trade talks were launched with fanfare soon after Britain left the EU in 2020, but negotiations faltered amid rising concern in the U.S. administration about the impact of Brexit, especially on Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a border with an EU member, and Brexit has brought new customs checks and paperwork for Northern Ireland trade, an issue that has spiraled into a political crisis for the power-sharing government in Belfast. In response, Britain has announced plans to suspend the checks and rip up part of its Brexit treaty with the EU a move that angered the bloc and alarmed Washington. Biden has warned that no side should do anything to undermine the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the cornerstone of Northern Ireland's peace process. Truss says she wants to reach agreement with the EU, but will push ahead with rewriting the treaty if that fails. She has said the situation can't be allowed to "drift." With hopes of a U.K.-U.S. agreement fading, Britain has resorted to signing trade deals with individual American states. So far it has inked agreements with Indiana and North Carolina. Truss campaigned for Conservative leader on a promise to shake up Britain's economy by cutting taxes, slashing regulation and attracting more investment to the U.K. But the start of her term has been dominated by the death and commemorations of Queen Elizabeth II, which put Truss's political plans on hold during a 10-day period of national mourning. The war in Ukraine will be topmost in Truss's message when she makes her debut speech to the United Nations as British leader on Wednesday, urging more support for Kyiv and calling on nations to stop buying Russian oil and gas. After the United States, the United Kingdom has been one of the biggest contributors of military and civilian aid to Ukraine. Truss wants to reassure allies that she'll maintain the staunch support shown by Johnson. She will promise that in 2023 Britain will "match or exceed" the $2.7 billion in military aid given to Ukraine this year. EAGLE PASS, Texas (Tribune News Service) The journey to Martha's Vineyard began in Eagle Pass. This tiny Texas town, located 2.5 hours of sweltering highway southwest of San Antonio, has become a common point of entry for asylum seekers from Central and South America. Among them: the 48 migrants who were unwittingly sent to the posh Massachusetts island by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week after many said a mysterious woman who identified herself as "Perla" promised them jobs on the other end of the trip. On Sunday, a family from Venezuela turned themselves in to U.S. authorities in Eagle Pass, after wading through the mostly shallow water of the Rio Grande that runs under one of the bridges connecting the border town to Piedras Negras, Mexico. The family of four had been traveling for over a month, the mother, who identified herself as Carolina, told the Miami Herald. Her youngest child, just over a year old, gave fist bumps to a member of the National Guard offering migrants water and words of encouragement. There's nothing else for Carolina and others like her in Eagle Pass. Migrants who cross here are vulnerable to scammers and political opportunists, said Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), an advocacy group. "These people have no money or resources," Garcia said in an interview in Eagle Pass. "They're totally vulnerable to any offer of free transportation since they don't have any resources of their own. If you're a young mother without any resources, you're easy pickings for people who are going to use you as political pawns." Garcia and other volunteers came to the border to inform migrants of the pitfalls of trusting offers like the one that ended with migrants finding themselves on a Massachusetts island that was unprepared for them. Instead, they packed the bus carrying volunteers with nearly 30 migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, who Garcia said crossed the border with children the youngest one month old and no resources at all. The price for a bus ticket from Eagle Pass to San Antonio is roughly $50. None of them could afford that and they might have been stranded had LULAC not offered them seats. "We depended on the charity of others," said one migrant, Ricardo, who had traveled from Venezuela with his family, including two young children. They had started with nothing but hoped the United States would provide a better life. To get out of Texas, the migrants need to reach San Antonio, which offers a resource center for people who've just arrived in the United States. That's where the previous group of 48 who Garcia said were mostly Venezuelan received the offer for free flights. DeSantis has said he used taxpayer money to fly those 48 migrants from San Antonio to Martha's Vineyard to prevent them from ending up in Florida. "We've had people in Texas for months, trying to figure out how are these people getting into Florida? What's the movement?" DeSantis said at a Friday news conference. "And the reality is, 40% of them say they want to go to Florida." But most of the people on the LULAC bus said they wanted to go to New York. DeSantis' office did not respond to a request for comment late Sunday that asked who the state's "people" on the ground were or how they'd arrived at the 40% figure the governor cited. DeSantis' operation to move migrants from Texas to Massachusetts has generated national headlines and controversy. Several of those on the state-financed charter flights to Martha's Vineyard told news outlets that a woman named "Perla" approached them outside the migrant aid center in San Antonio last week. She promised them that they would have work papers waiting for them in Boston and gave some of them food and hotel rooms, according to various outlets. She then arranged for the migrants to board two flights that landed in Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday. Fleeing Venezuela The migrants who got on the flights were fleeing Venezuela, where the economy has collapsed under the regime of Nicolas Maduro, a left-wing, populist indicted by the United States in connection with narco-terrorism and corruption. The number of Venezuelans entering the United States has steadily climbed this year. In July, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported encounters with more than 17,000 Venezuelan nationals triple the figure in May and the highest number since January. Many are traveling through Panama's treacherous Darien Gap jungle region, where they face harsh conditions, disease and violence from criminal groups, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a research and advocacy group. CPB's Del Rio Sector, which includes Eagle Pass, has seen a huge jump in migrant crossings over the last fiscal year, with the number of encounters doubling, federal border statistics show. Once they've reached the border, many migrants seek political asylum. After passing a "credible fear screening" where refugees must demonstrate to U.S. authorities that they face a significant possibility of persecution in their homelands most are released. That means they can live and possibly work freely in the United States while awaiting an asylum hearing. Randolph McGrorty, executive director of Catholic Legal Services for the Archdiocese of Miami, said people traveling from Venezuela have "strong political asylum claims" due to the crisis in their homeland. Because of the fractured U.S. relations with Venezuela, it is difficult for the United States to deport people back there, he said. A similar situation exists with deportations to Nicaragua, said Maureen Porras, legal director at the nonprofit Church World Service. Cuba has also rejected deportation flights. More people from all three nations are coming to the United States as the situations there deteriorate, according federal statistics. All migrants must give Immigration and Customs Enforcement addresses where they plan to stay in the United States, so that the federal government can contact them. Flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard or busing them to Washington D.C. or Chicago, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has done, can complicate their ability to keep up with their cases and make court dates, said Angel Leal, a Miami immigration attorney. "When the states interfere with that and start transporting these immigrants to random states," Leal said, "it's going to cause problems." Still, those problems pale in comparison with the perils of the journey to the United States. Wilmary Munoz traveled to Eagle Pass from Venezuela, on foot, through the jungle between Colombia and Panama with her 7-year-old son. "Nobody saves you. You can stay, dying there, nobody is there to help you. Everyone is there for themselves," said Munoz, who boarded the LULAC bus with her son. "I had to give it everything I had, for him and for me." 2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit at mcclatchydc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. The Army National Guard is preparing to discharge up to 14,000 soldiers in the next two years for refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine, adding increased pressure to the challenges the entire military faces with recruiting and retaining troops, service officials said Tuesday. The Guard is waiting for the Armys approval to begin separating soldiers who will not take the vaccine, which is mandated by the Defense Department, and have not applied for medical or religious waivers, Anson Smith, deputy chief of the Army National Guard Strength Maintenance Division, said during a call with reporters. The Air National Guard has about 5,400 airmen who have not been vaccinated for the virus, though the service didnt provide an estimate Tuesday on how many of those could be separated or when. Some of those refusing the vaccine could have pending waivers. Smith said the Guard anticipates it will initially lose about 9,000 soldiers across the country in fiscal 2023, which begins Oct. 1. He said an additional 5,000 soldiers will be separated from the National Guard in fiscal 2024. The Army National Guard is already operating at about 98% of its goal end-strength of 336,000, meaning any loss of soldiers could impact the force, said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. The Air Guard has 97.2% of its authorized end strength of 108,000. Hokanson said recruiters at every location that he visits have told him that they are facing unprecedented challenges in getting new enlistees. If you look at last year and the years prior to that, we have always met our authorized end-strength and it's probably due to a myriad of factors that affect all services, he said. The factors include a low propensity among young people to enlist in the military and only about 23% of them meet the requirements to do so, the general said. The military is also competing against a strong civilian job market that is luring away potential recruits. To entice more recruits, Hokanson said the Guard is talking with lawmakers about offering health care to all members of the National Guard through the militarys Tricare system, which is estimated to cost about $719 million a year. Tricare is now only available to Guard members when they are on orders for a certain amount of time. About 60,000 Guard members do not have any health care coverage, he said. When you look at overall, the fact that there is no health insurance provided to the National Guard folks, and we asked them to be ready at a moment's notice, ... we really need to make sure that they're medically healthy and ready and if they're injured that they've gotten that treated so that they can really respond when we ask them to, Hokanson said. Health care is absolutely critical to making that happen. The Guard is also considering a change in the way that educational resources are available to troops. When a Guard member fills out a federal grant and loan application, they cannot call themselves an independent student as an active-duty service member can. Independent means though the student is younger than 25, the person is separate from his or her parents or guardian. Not being able to use the independent status cuts into the amount of financial aid that the Guard member can receive. We just want to make sure that there's a level playing field with them and they can utilize all the benefits that they're entitled to, Hokanson said. He also said the Guard would like to bring back an old recruiting tool from the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that allowed troops to receive a referral bonus for helping recruit a new member to the Guard. We need to make adjustments based on the current environment because, for the long term, our nation needs a National Guard the size that we are, or maybe even larger, to meet all the requirements that we have, Hokanson said. It's up to us to make sure that we fill our formations so that they're ready when our nation needs us. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Tribune News Service) The headstone at Belgiums Ardennes American Cemetery for U.S. soldiers who died in World War II read: Rest in honor and glory. But it featured no name. The U.S. military had identified the man only as Unknown, X-632 when he was buried. For more than seven decades, no one knew who was in that grave. Then, a team of German researchers began an effort to identify missing Americans, wanting to honor those who helped defeat the Nazis and bring democracy to their nation. And they uncovered the story behind the unnamed soldier. The soldier was exhumed, flown to the United States, and buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 13. There, a new headstone has a name: Newell Franklin Mills Jr. He was from St. Petersburg, an Army Air Forces pilot who went missing when his plane was shot down by Nazi fighters. Nothing can prepare you for the emotion, said Trisha Mills Oeland, his niece. Hes been found and is now being honored in the way he deserves to be honored. Mills enlisted in the Army Air Forces at 19 after graduating from St. Petersburg High School, where he was a star on the swim and dive teams. He was assigned to the 354th Fighter Squadron of the 355th Fighter Group and flew out of England. He was a hero, said Oeland, who lives in Oregon. The local newspapers detailed his exploits. 1st Lt. Newell F. Mills Jr., P-51 Mustang pilot shot down three German fighter planes during a recent Eighth AAF raid over the Holland-German border, reads a March 6, 1943, St. Petersburg Times story. The Germans were above us when we first saw em, Mills was quoted as saying. One was so close I felt like I could have hit him with my fist. Two years later, the Times reported that Mills destroyed a fourth fighter in an attack on a German airfield. That mission earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement and heroism. He was a badass fighter in the sky, Oeland said. He then wrote a letter to his father saying he got the ship and mission that he wanted but could not say more because it was top secret. According to a recent media release issued by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Mills was piloting a P-51D Mustang Fighter on April 7, 1945, as part of a mission escorting bombers to a target in Geesthacht, Germany. The formation encountered German fighters near Bremen, the media release says. Mills and the other escort pilots turned away from the bombers to engage the Germans. Mills and his wingman never returned to base and were never reported as prisoners of war. Mills was listed missing and was declared dead a year later. After the war, we put a lot of resources and time into looking for our soldiers remains, said Jim Bell, an identification specialist with the United States Army Past Conflict Repatriations Branch. Wed interview citizens from where the battle took place. Wed interview German soldiers. Wed go to the battlefield. The German military kept tremendous records. In 1949, that effort led the U.S. military to a cemetery near Bothmer, Germany. It contained a grave marked with a wooden cross that, in German, was scribed, Here lies nine American aviators, Oeland said. But they found 10 aviators when the grave was exhumed, she said. Nine were identified and the 10th was buried in Ardennes American Cemetery with the Rest in honor and glory marker. That same year, the military announced that Mills had been found in another German grave. That body was also buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery. My grandmother paid to have flowers put on that grave every year for 50 years until she died in 1995, Oeland said. Then, in 2010, Mills family was told there had been a mistake. The remains were those of another soldier. Mills was listed as missing again. My father hoped his older brother ejected and was living anonymously in a little German village somewhere, Oeland said. Still, only a small part of him believed that could be true, she said. Her father, Robert Lee Mills, flew in the Pacific Theater and was always tormented by not knowing what happened to his brother. Her father died in 2014. I wish he was with us for the call, Oeland said. Bell, the identification specialist, called Oeland in April. He said we found your uncle, she said. And its a 100% identification because they still had my fathers DNA from when they had to be sure it was not my uncle buried in the other grave. It was a miracle. She shared the news with a Facebook group dedicated to the 355th Fighter Group and received a message from a member. He knew who found my uncle, Oeland said. And he put me in touch with Stefan Illsemann. How he was found Illsemann is part of a group of German researchers seeking to identify unknown soldiers who died defeating the Nazis. He told me that, because of their efforts, he has a life of democracy, Oeland said. Mills was on the researchers list of names. In 2012, the researchers were investigating a plane crash near Bothmer, Germany, where Mills wingman had been found in 1946, a media release says. They interviewed villagers who, as kids, witnessed the aerial battle, Oeland said. The villagers recalled it was a beautiful afternoon with blue skies. They saw a plane get hit and a man eject. The villagers pulled the man from the river. He was dead, shot in the head on descent. They took his pistol, flight jacket and bar of chocolate. The German soldiers then shooed them away. Illsemann showed a picture of Mills to a witness, who identified him as the man pulled from the river and recalled he was buried with the nine other aviators in the grave exhumed in 1949, Oeland said. Illsemann contacted the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in 2019 to inform them of the discovery. Our historians began their investigation, said agency spokesperson Sean Everett. They identified Unknown, X-632 as the strongest candidate. The grave in Belgium was exhumed in July 2021 and the remains were sent to the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for testing and confirmed to be Mills, Everett said. Oeland said her grandparents home was adorned with photos of Mills and his medals and they honored him on birthday and holidays. They never stopped talking about him, Oeland said. I never met him, but I feel like I knew him. He has always been a part of us. He is where he belongs now. Were grateful that he has a headstone with his name. 2022 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Mr Jia, with an address in Naas, Co Kildare is charged with assault causing harm to the woman Yun Fei Jia of Monread Heights, Naas, Co Kildare, was charged with assault. A man has been accused of headbutting a woman during a workplace argument in a Dublin takeaway. Yun Fei Jia (42) had the case against him adjourned when he appeared in Dublin District Court. Mr Jia, with an address at Monread Heights, Naas, Co Kildare is charged with assault causing harm to the woman. The assault is alleged to have happened at Pizza Max, East Wall on December 13 last year. A garda sergeant told Judge Bryan Smyth the Director of Public Prosecutions consented to the case being dealt with at district court level subject to a judge accepting jurisdiction. The judge asked for an outline of the prosecutions case so he could consider this. The court heard it was alleged that the accused headbutted the woman in the face, causing a cut above her eye. She had since declined to make a statement. The garda sergeant said there was also no medical report available. The judge said he was accepting jurisdiction after hearing the summary of the allegations. This means the case can remain in the district court instead of being sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge ordered disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence and adjourned the case to a date next month, for the accused to consider how he intends to plead. Mr Jia was remanded on continuing bail. The charge is under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and he has not yet entered a plea. The boy lied about his age and told gardai he was exercising when found on the street at 3.20am A mother who worked night shifts has been fined for child neglect after gardai found her eight-year-old son wandering alone in his pyjamas on a street in central Dublin. The boy got out of his apartment after being left home alone by the single mother, who had agreed to work nights out of financial necessity as she feared she would lose her job if she refused. The woman (37) had denied the charge, her defence claiming her actions were inappropriate but did not amount to neglect. Judge Bryan Smyth convicted her of exposing the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health, or to seriously affect his well-being. She was fined 250. A garda told Dublin District Court he found the boy, wandering around in shorts and a long-sleeved pyjama top at 3.20am on a date in July last year. The boy took off running and stopped at his apartment. He claimed he was exercising and asked gardai not to tell his parents as he would get into trouble. He lied about his age, saying he was 12. The garda believed he was defending his parents. The woman knew she should not have left her son and was ashamed, her lawyer said. The garda had concerns about the cleanliness of the apartment, which was very untidy and had unwashed dishes across the kitchen. He also believed there was insufficient food in the fridge. The garda made repeated attempts to call the boys mother and she eventually replied and returned. In interview, she said she had called her son at 1.15am to check he was OK and he was a little bit sleepy. The child had been left alone all night on a regular basis, a State solicitor said. The defence said the woman fed her son and let him watch cartoons and play a video game before putting him to bed. Tusla investigated and had no concerns. Judge Smyth said the prosecution had not proved there was insufficient food, but found the child had been exposed. The woman knew she should not have left her son and was ashamed, her lawyer said. She knew money was not the priority and her son was everything to her but she had bills and rent to pay and had to provide for him. She felt she had no choice but to work nights when asked. The accused was now on a different shift and had child-minding in place. Ianos Carolea (36) had months earlier been arrested for exposing himself and carrying out the same offence in front of an undercover garda A cleaner at a HSE Covid contact tracing centre followed a man into the bathrooms and performed a sex act on himself in front of the victim, a court heard. Ianos Carolea (36) had months earlier been arrested for exposing himself and carrying out the same offence in front of an undercover garda in a city centre shop toilet. Judge Bryan Smyth fined him 500 at Dublin District Court when he admitted both offences. The court heard Carolea had already paid a very heavy price for his offending and was getting help. The accused, from Romania but with an address at The Hermitage, Balgriffin, Dublin 13, pleaded guilty to masturbating in public, at the HSE contact tracing offices, Heuston South Quarter on December 8 last year. He also admitted an earlier count of the same offence at the Marks & Spencer, on Mary Street, on June 8, 2021. The court heard it was reported to gardai that the office cleaner - Carolea - had twice followed a victim into the bathroom at the contact tracing centre. On the second occasion, the cleaner entered a bathroom cubicle without closing the door and slowly began to masturbate in front of the man. Ianos Carolea Paddy Cummins - IrishPhotodesk.i He could see the defendants penis in his hand making slow up and down motions, a garda sergeant said. The victim reported it to management who went to the gardai. In the earlier incident, a plainclothes garda was in the public toilets at Marks & Spencer at 2.45pm as part of an undercover operation when Corolea came in and nodded at him to enter the cubicle beside his. Moments later, Garda Seamus Donoghue said, the accused exited the cubicle and walked towards the undercover garda who was washing his hands. Carolea began masturbating in front of the garda and when a second plainclothes officer entered the bathroom, the accused didnt seem to be put off by this and continued with his act of public masturbation. The garda identified himself and Corolea was arrested. He was perfectly cooperative and helpful to the investigation," Gda Donoghue said. Carolea had no prior convictions. He was married with children but now separated as a result of the cases which had caused great upset distress and damage to the accused and his family, defence solicitor Michael Kelleher said. His family had stood by him and Carolea felt enormous guilt for what he had brought on them. A condition of his familys support was that he gets help, Mr Kelleher said, and a psychologists report was submitted to the court. The accused recognised what happened was not acceptable, it had stopped and would not happen again. He was now working in construction. Doctors requested an urgent scan of Ms Dohertys abdomen and pelvis after she complained of severe chest pain, but this was not followed up on A young mother bled to death following a systems failure in her care while she was an inpatient at University Hospital Limerick, an inquest heard today. The UL Hospitals Group issued an unreserved apology to the family of Susan Doherty (47) who died at the hospital on July 4, 2020, eight days after she presented there with a low white blood cell count, sore throat and a high temperature. Doctors requested an urgent scan of Ms Dohertys abdomen and pelvis after she complained of severe chest pain, but this was not followed up on, and she died after suffering a massive bleed to her spleen. Roland Doherty, husband of Susan Doherty with her mother, Shelia Moloney and Brother Rob Moloney at Limerick Coroners Court. (Picture Brendan Gleeson) Ms Doherty presented at UHL with a medical history of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune neutropenia - a blood disorder where the immune system attacks white blood cells that fight infection. She had been routinely receiving the therapeutic drug GCSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor), which carries a very rare risk of splenic rupture, it was heard. By the time she received the urgent CT scan nearly 24 hours later she had suffered a cardiac arrest. Ms Doherty died around midday on July 4, shortly after undergoing surgery to remove her ruptured spleen. Conor Halpin, senior counsel, acting on behalf of the UL Hospitals Group, expressed his deepest sympathies to Susans family and read out a letter of unreversed apology which was signed by Noreen Spillane, chief operations officer at the hospital group. Patients and their families put their trust in hospitals and in healthcare professionals and on this occasion we have fallen far short of the standards of care expected, Ms Spillane wrote. I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly for the sorrow and distress caused to you and your family over Susans untimely death and for the personal trauma experienced by you and your family. Roland Doherty, husband of Susan Doherty at Limerick Coroners Court. (Pic: Brendan Gleeson) Ms Spillane concluded: Valuable lessons have been learnt by the hospital and its staff. Eleven recommendations were made following an internal review by the hospital group but these have yet to be implemented. On July 2, 2020, after having showing signs of improvement Ms Doherty complained of significant pain in her abdomen as well as nausea. Around 9am on July 3, her condition deteriorated and doctors ordered an urgent CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis but she was sent back to her ward after a problem occurred accessing a cannula. The scan was never followed up by members of her care team, the inquest heard. Mary McKiernan, a senior nurse manager, who has since retired, said Ms Doherty was not monitored as per the hospitals protocols and that the patients ward was short staffed. Ms McKiernan said she pushed for Ms Doherty to receive an urgent CT scan after she became concerned for her. There was delay in weekend rostered on-call consultants being made aware of Ms Dohertys condition, it was heard, Ms McKieran said she was not aware of any system that would ensure urgent scans were followed up on. Ms Doherty was prescribed the drug heparin after it was suspected her abdomen pain was due to a blood clot in her lung. An urgent CTPA (pulmonary angiogram) was requested and prioritised over the CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis. Ms Dohertys condition further deteriorated and and it was determined she required a bed in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) for seriously ill patients, but none were immediately available. Ms Doherty suffered a cardiac arrest at five minutes past midnight on July 4, she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit after doctors successfully resuscitated her. Scans were not carried out until around 5am; the CTPA which had been prioritised over the CT scan was negative and the CT scan confirmed a major haemorrhage in Ms Dohertys spleen. She underwent emergency surgery to remove the ruptured spleen, but was pronounced dead around midday on July 4. The inquest heard that prior to being admitted to UHL, Ms Doherty had regularly been receiving the therapeutic drug, GCSF, for neutropenia, which carries an extremely rare risk of splenic rupture. After she was admitted to the hospital she received the drug heparin which is used in the treatment of blood clots which may have exacerbated her internal bleeding. Coroner John McNamara said it appeared that a conflict between clinicians working on the frontline of the hospital and capacity and access issues were at the heart of Ms Dohertys tragic death. He said if a CT scan had been performed on her earlier, it would have without any shadow of a doubt changed the trajectory of Susans treatment and eradicated doctors concerns about (a lung blood clot). Mr McNamara said it appeared that without a CT scan doctors were fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. He said an autopsy concluded that cause of death was due to shock intra abdominal haemorrhage, due to splenic rupture and, there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by any members of Ms Dohertys care team. Intensive Care Consultant, UHL, Dr Catherine Nix, told the inquest that doctors in America were using handheld bedside scans to fasttrack diagnosis in their patients and that this technology should be used more often in UHL and other Irish hospitals. Mr McNamara recommended the HSE and the UL Hospitals Group consider increased use of these scan devices. The coroner recorded a verdict of medical misadventure, but said there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by anyone involved in Ms Dohertys care. Ms Dohertys husband, Roland Doherty, represented by Sara Antonioni BL instructed by Rachael Liston, Liston Flavin solicitors, Cork, said: Its not going to bring Susan back, but the HSE accepted there were major failings. They need to change their systems to ensure this this doesn't happen again, I don't want anyone else to go through what I have been through for the last two years. Paying tribute to his late wife, he said: She always had a smile on her face no matter what, and she adored the ground our beautiful daughter Charlotte Rose (now aged 5) walked on, but she only had two years with her. ODoherty has been making a series of bizarre and unfounded claims in a new video on her website. ODoherty, who has been banned from a number of social media platforms for her outbursts, previously claimed journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered by the State. She has also previously come under fire for tweeting that the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand had the hallmarks of a "false flag" operation But now, ODoherty has now appeared in a YouTube clip proclaiming killer Bradys innocence. The claims comes despite the fact that Brady was found guilty of the murder of hero Detective Garda Donohoe after a wealth of evidence was presented in the Special Criminal Court, In the short clip posted by justice4aaronbrady it claims that ODoherty has taken the time to look closely and scrutinise the investigation into the murder and robbery at Lordship Credit Union. Aaron Brady Gemma has seen through the facade that was presented by the authorities in Aaron's trial, it states. She is fully aware of the collusion, coercion and criminality undertaken by members of the state to secure a miscarriage of justice. She then appears, holding a copy of Irish Light, the newspaper she previously launched alongside John Waters. Irish Light has been highlighting what is without doubt the greatest miscarriage of justice in the history of this state, she begins the video, apparently recorded at the scene of the shooting. The framing of a young man from South Armagh, Aaron Brady, for the murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe. The man has been framed by An Garda Siochana for covering up their colleagues murder. There is not to a shred of evidence linking Aaron Brady to this scene or to the murder of this man. And here in Lordship many, many people know the truth when we say to them there is an innocent man in Portlaoise prison. This flies in the face of the evidence that led to Brady being sentenced to life in prison for the capital murder of Detective Garda Donohoe. He was found guilty by an 11 to one majority jury verdict on August 11 following the longest murder trial in the history of the State. Adrian Donohoe was on active duty when he was killed on 25 January 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Brady was last month convicted of involvement in the robbery of 7,000 at the Credit Union on this date. However, according to Ms Doherty, the people of Lordship, know and they agree with us but sadly the corrupt Garda force that's ruining this country and destroying people's rights has people living in fear of speaking out. But we're not afraid, we have made sure of the people of this village and beyond get the truth about how this young father has been framed. Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe Those people who say that they care about Adrian Donahue, they know that his killer is still on the loose. So if they are true friends of Adrian Donahue they would want justice done for him, they would not want an innocent man framed. Aaron Brady's appeal is coming up in the coming months but we know how corrupt the courts are in this country and they protect An Garda Siochana because the courts are run by An Garda Siochana. I am pleading with the people of Cooley peninsula, of Dundalk, of South Armagh, to please come forward with any information until the truth. Most people know that the gardai are the most corrupt police force in the world. They know that because they've had their own dealings with them. "We cannot live in a country where an innocent young man (is) afraid and forgotten about because any day that could be your son. When found, sources said Dempseys remains had decomposed to such a stage that an initial visual identification was no longer possible. These are the first photos of the interior of the inner-city drugs den where the decomposing remains of murdered Tony Dempsey lay unreported by addicts for up to 10 days. The pictures, taken on April 9, 2021, the day a recovering heroin addict was moved into the Kevin Barry House flat by the Peter McVerry Trust, show how the small ground floor apartment was in pristine condition when handed over. The decision to house the woman in the flat came a month after she gave a media interview in which she told how she was living homeless in a tent by the side of the Grand Canal. But the woman, who said she had been taking heroin since she was a teenager, relapsed and the flat became a drug den for users to buy, sell and shoot up. Photos taken the day the flat was handed over to the tenant Murdered 28-year-old Tony Dempsey, who hailed from Inchicore in south Dublin, is understood to have been one of the users who regularly visited the flat. The former Rattigan gang associates remains were discovered by gardai on the floor of the flat off Coleraine Street, Dublin at approximately 6.20pm on Monday. Gardai believe Dempsey, who had suffered fatal head injuries in an assault, was killed by someone he knew in a drug-related row and may have lain dead in the property for as long as 10 days. When found, sources said Dempseys remains had decomposed to such a stage that an initial visual identification was no longer possible. Residents living above the flat where the remains were discovered said this week they had complained of a stench of decomposition and black flies coming up from the rear veranda of the flat for several days prior to the grim discovery. One resident told us: For three days, the smell was absolutely horrific. And it was coming straight up from the balcony area at the back of that flat. It was a real dead smell worse than anything any of us have ever smelled out of the sewers. One of my relatives came over and I told him to go out and smell it. I actually said to him: There must be a dead body or something down there. I said it but I never thought for one second it was a human being. And there were flies all over the balconies at the back of our flats. They reckon he had been there for a week and half, the poor lad. It was under our nose. Two residents of the flat complex who spoke to the Sunday World this week said they had been told the remains had been kept under blankets in the enclosed veranda for several days before being moved back inside the flat. They put him out there and put two blankets over him but afterwards they must have brought him back in again, one of the residents said. Victim Tony Dempsey Because he was inside on the floor when they [the gardai] found him. In the wake of the discovery of Mr Dempseys remains on Monday, the Peter McVerry Trust said it was aware the tenant had been struggling to manage the front door and that, as a result, staff visits to the property increased. The trust also said efforts had been made to support the client to surrender the tenancy and accommodate them elsewhere. The charitys CEO, Pat Doyle, said: Staff visited the property daily, including over the weekend, and they had no indication or evidence that someone was deceased at the property or in the vicinity. There is no suggestion that the tenant is suspected in any way of being involved in the murder. Despite the charitys assurances the property was being monitored, separate long-term residents of the block who spoke to the Sunday World expressed anger and frustration with the McVerry Trust, saying the drug use at the property had been going on for months. One resident told this newspaper there was a steady stream of drug users calling to the property stretching into the early hours of the morning, and numerous complaints had been made to Dublin City Council to that effect. Some of the people coming and going looked like something out of the living dead, one resident told this newspaper. Another resident questioned whether the McVerry representative who visited the property at the weekend had noticed the appalling smell or the abundance of flies when visiting the property. The deceased man, Tony Dempsey, was known to gardai. Although not considered a gangland figure, he was suspected by gardai of moving small amounts of drugs for Brian Rattigans gang in the Basin Street flats area of the capitals north inner city. In 2017, he had come under threat from the gang over a minor drug debt. The flat came with a cooker, hob and fridge Dempsey also had a number of convictions for violent assaults, including one dating back to 2018 when he was convicted of an assault in which a mans ears were bitten off. On that occasion, the court heard Dempsey had 46 previous convictions for a range of offences, including dangerous driving, not having insurance, criminal damage, public order, misuse of drugs, possession of a knife and possession of an explosive substance. Despite the extent of Dempseys criminal record, gardai were also aware that he had come from a difficult background. The court was told he had spent three quarters of his life either in care or incarcerated. He was placed in care 10 times in 10 years as a child. In recent years, Dempseys life was further blighted by personal tragedy. Both his mother and sister Chloe passed away in the past two years. This week, Marissa Ryan, CEO of Epic, a childrens rights organisation that advocates with and for children and young people in State care and aftercare, said: Too many young people leave care and fall into precarious circumstances, often due to trauma experienced as children, We must do better. When gardai and paramedics arrived at the flat on Monday evening, a number of people were present inside. A murder probe was launched after it became apparent Tony Dempsey had been badly assaulted and had sustained fatal head injuries as a result of that assault. It is not yet known if a weapon was used. As part of the probe, gardai have interviewed all those who were present in the flat at the time of the grim discovery and are also seeking to trace all those who visited the apartment over the previous 10 days. Gardai have also harvested CCTV from the flat complex and nearby buildings. Dempsey was well liked among those that knew him. Posting on social media this week, a family member wrote: I feel helpless. I hope the dirty scum rot and are caught very fast. The amount of people [coming] in and out of that flat had to have seen something. Please come forward. We deserve the answers so he can rest in peace and our family have closure. Its just not fair at all. It wont bring him back but we will get justice for you. Investigating gardai are appealing for anyone with any information in relation to this matter to contact Bridewell Garda Station on 01 6668200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Money launderer Palmer was seen partying with friends in Tallaght at the weekend A woman who was given an 18-month jail sentence in May after being caught with almost 100,000 of cash from crime was granted temporary release less than five months after entering the jail system. Convicted money launderer Lorna Palmer (35) can be returned to jail if she breaks the terms of her reviewable temporary release. Palmer was spotted partying with friends at a pub in her native Tallaght last weekend, with some local sources left surprised that she was out of prison already. It can be revealed that Palmer was released from the Dochas Centre for female prisoners in the middle of last month after being granted reviewable temporary release. As part of her release conditions, she must sign on at a garda station everyday and sign on at the prison once a week, a prison source said. Her temporary release can be reviewed at any stage but it is important to note that she met the criteria for this type of release as she was an enhanced prisoner who did not commit a violent offence and is deemed to be low risk of re-offending as well as having a job, the source added. When contacted, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Services said they do not comment on individual prisoners. Palmer had been in custody since late March of this year after pleading guilty to the charge last December. With standard remission of her sentence, Palmer would not have been due for release until next May. She was found to be in possession of nearly 100,000, which was the proceeds of criminal conduct, when gardai searched her Tallaght home in April, 2017, Dublin Circuit Court heard. When gardai asked her about envelopes containing around 700 and 2,000, that were found in a money box at her home, she said she did not know why people were posting money through the door. The court heard that Palmers partner was in custody at the time of the seizure, having been convicted of an offence of possession of drugs for sale or supply. Barry Fowler Her partner is Kinahan cartel gangster Barry Fowler, who was jailed for six years in July for supplying drugs shortly after being released from prison for another drugs offence. Fowler (37) of Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty to being in possession of 134,000 worth of cannabis on May 24 last year. Fowler is one of the countrys most notorious gangsters and he was previously convicted of being in possession of drugs and a submachine gun, and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. He finished that sentence shortly before the 2021 bust happened and has close links to the Kinahan-aligned Paul Rice gang in Tallaght. In July, the couple lost more than 500,000 in cash and property. Judge Alex Owens said in the High Court that Fowler and his partner Palmer had been living high on the hog of criminal enterprise. As a result of the case taken by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), Palmer lost the battle to keep the house described as her last refuge. The judge ruled that the property in Co Wexford, in Palmers name, was bought with the proceeds of crime, while Fowler dropped his opposition to have 99,000 in cash seized by Cab Judge Owens said the pair were awash with cash and the evidence in court involved vast sums of money. The father-of-five was beaten and shot after being dragged from a house in Ballymoney in 2015 Brian McIlhagga from Ballymena who was shot in Ballymoney A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Brian McIlhagga. The father-of-five was beaten and shot after being dragged from a house in Ballymoney on January 5, 2015. A 33-year-old woman who lived in the property was also attacked by the gang of masked men. Four children were present at the time and were left traumatised. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Major Investigation Team apprehended a suspect early on Tuesday. Mr McIlhagga, a 42-year-old father from Ballymena, was beaten and shot by a gang of masked men who dragged him from a house at Riverview Park in Ballymoney on January 5th, 2015, a PSNI spokesperson said. The man was arrested in the Ballymoney area this morning, Tuesday September 20th, and has been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave Police Station where he is currently helping police with their enquiries. A number of people have previously been arrested but subsequently released. In some of the incidents the men were described as being white and both spoke with an Irish accent UK cops have launched a hunt for the 'Irish' suspects behind a string of alleged cash-for-crash scams in Gloucestershire. Police have revealed that following publicity of a spate of such offences last month more cases have now been reported. The scams involve motorists being conned into thinking they have caused damage to another car. They are then told to hand over sums of cash to avoid expensive insurance claims. A police spokesperson told how one victim, aged in his 70s, withdrew 600 from a cash machine after being conned into thinking he had damaged the wing mirror on the offender's car. Last month police received several reports that motorists had been targeted in Gloucester and Cheltenham, and a warning about the scam was issued to the public, police said. Since then, more people have contacted police to say they also had been scammed. One incident happened on Thursday on Reservoir Road in Gloucester, but they did not hand over any cash. In the scam, motorists have been driving along the road when they have heard a loud noise from the passenger side of their vehicle. They have then pulled over, after being concerned they had been in a collision or something had hit their car. Those who did not stop immediately at the time were then followed by a motorist in a vehicle, who waved them to pull over. Once pulled over they were approached by either one or two men, and convinced into believing that they had damaged the offender's car wing mirror. They were then shown websites on a mobile phone of how much a replacement would cost. Victims then either went to a cash point to withdraw money, or would go home to hand over cash. Police said incidents have been reported in areas in Cheltenham including Queen's Road, Gloucester Road, London Road and Brooklyn Road. In Gloucester incidents have been reported on Reservoir Road and Grange Road. In some of the incidents the men were described as being white and both spoke with an Irish accent. One was aged in his mid to late 40s, of a stocky build, with short shaven hair which was greying. The younger male was described as being of a medium build with brown hair. Police are warning motorists to be vigilant to this type of 'crash for cash' scam, and to not hand over any money to fraudsters. Similar 'crash for cash' frauds include scammers slamming on their brakes at busy junctions and roundabouts so the driver behind cannot stop in time. If you feel you have been a victim, note as much information as possible about the driver, passenger, vehicle they were travelling in and circumstances of the incident. You can report information to police online Report fraud | Gloucestershire Constabulary or by calling 101. You can also contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online at Action Fraud. A total of 32 suspects in the gang that used violence, including torture, to further their criminal goals were arrested A violent gang linked to the Italian mafia has been taken down in Spain just one week after the Kinahan Cartel was dealt a major blow with the arrests of Johnny Morrissey and Gerard Mackin. A total of 32 suspects in the gang that used violence, including torture, to further their criminal goals were arrested across Spain for their involvement in large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering. The gang that has ties to the Italian Ndrangheta was smashed in a massive police operation that was backed up by Europol involving the deployment of some 500 law enforcement officers as well as special intervention teams, canine units, helicopters and drones. As well as the 32 arrests, the operation involved 40 house searches in Ibiza, Barcelona, Malaga and Tenerife. An indoor cannabis plantation with 600 plants was dismantled while other seizures included approximately 300,000 in cash, 18 kilos of amphetamine, 4.5 kilos of cocaine, firearms and ammunition. A growhouse was discovered during the operation against the Italian gang Europol said the sting operation followed a complex investigation initiated by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) who worked on the case together with the Italian Carabinieri (Arma dei Carabinieri) and Financial Corps (Guardia di Finanza), with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The investigation uncovered the existence in the Balearic Islands in Spain of an organised crime group linked to the Ndrangheta syndicate, Europol stated. The criminal gang is believed to have played an active role in cocaine and cannabis trafficking in between Spain and Italy, using vehicles equipped with hidden compartments and speedboats to transport the drugs. The members of this criminal organisation would routinely use violence, including torture, to further their criminal goals. Some of the arrestees are linked to a number of murders in Italy. "The investigation also uncovered the illegal possession of firearms by some members of this gang. The criminal profits were reinvested into real estate in Spain to hide their illegal origin, polluting the legal economy. Spanish police engaged in the action against the Italian gang Europol supported this investigation by providing tailored expertise and extensive analysis support and facilitating the exchange of information through its secure channels. The exploitation of the critical intelligence carried out by Europol was crucial for the case development. Europol revealed that during the live phase of the operation, a mobile office was deployed to Spain to facilitate the real-time exchange of information and crosschecks of the data gathered in the course of the action against Europols databases. The case was opened at Eurojust by the Italian authorities in April 2022. The Agency hosted two coordination meetings to facilitate judicial cooperation and provided support for the coordinated investigative efforts, including the organisation of an action day in Spain. This investigation was supported by the EU-funded Project ISF4@ON, an Italian-led initiative to tackle mafia-type organised crime groups active in Europe. It follows last weeks arrest of Johnny Morrissey, identified by US authorities in April as a key aide of the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang, who was held on suspicion of money laundering at his Costa del Sol home. His wife, the CEO of a Glasgow-based vodka firm called Nero Drinks police are saying was used as a front, was also held although she was released after a court appearance. Just days later, notorious Kinahan enforcer Gerard Mackin was also arrested in Spain for money-laundering offences. One of Irelands most feared criminals, Mackin (39) was lifted by Spanish police on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Irish authorities. Mackin has been the focus of a major money laundering investigation by Limerick gardai which has been ongoing for a number of years. Senior sources say that he is being detained by Spanish police and is expected to be brought to court in the coming days. Gerard Mackin It could take a number of weeks at least before his extradition to Ireland is finalised especially if the gangster decides to contest it. His arrest is not linked to that of Manchester-born Morrissey (62) who allegedly helped crime gangs launder more than 200m in 18 months. The Civil Guard released footage of the bald-headed Greater Manchester-raised expat sat bare-chested in a pair of tropical shorts in a chair as police searched his home. Officers were also filmed putting wads of confiscated cash through counting machines and searching cars at a separate address which were allegedly used to move money and drugs in hidden compartments. Detectives later claimed they had smashed the most important international criminal organisation in Spain specialising in cleaning dirty cash by arresting Morrissey. They estimated the Irish passport holder, a former Rochdale doorman identified earlier this year by US authorities as a Kinahan enforcer, could have laundered MORE than 200 million in the last 18 months. A spokesman for the Civil Guard, in the police forces first comments since the arrests of three people including Morrissey and his wife Nicola on Monday near Marbella, said: The Civil Guard, through an operation dubbed Whitewall, has smashed the most important international criminal organisation that operated in Spain dedicated to money laundering. In a little over a year and a half they could have laundered more than 200 million through the system known as Hawala. Mondays arrests took place after a lengthy probe led by the Civil Guard Units elite Central Operative Unit, responsible for the investigation and prosecution of the most serious forms of crime and organised crime. Officers from the Garda, Britains National Crime Agency, Europe and the powerful US DEA law enforcement agency, took part in the culmination of the police operation. Detectives said the starting point for the Spanish police investigation had been the seizure at the start of last year of 200 kilograms of cocaine and nearly 500,000 in cash hidden in vehicles with sophisticated concealment systems. One of the alleged members of the criminal organisation smashed by police ran a second-hand car dealership. As well as the three arrests in Spain, a former Costa del Sol-based Irish expat was held in the UK. The British monarchs funeral service took place at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday morning. An anti-imperialist group in Dublin marked the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II by throwing a coffin reading "RIP British Empire into the River Liffey. The British monarchs funeral service took place at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday morning. She was laid to rest beside her late husband, Prince Philip, at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Anti Imperialist Action Ireland, which describes itself as a socialist Republican organisation campaigning against Brit, EU and US Imperialism in Ireland, organised a protest in Dublin city centre to coincide with the funeral. The march was held in response to Irelands grovelling worship of the monarchy after the Queens death and saw protesters make their way from the James Connolly statue on Beresford Place to the GPO on OConnell Street. The group protested the GPOs flying of the Irish tricolour at half mast out of respect for the Queen. According to organisers, members of An Garda Siochana lined the building to prevent protesters from occupying it. Along the march, a coffin covered with black tarp and marked with the words "RIP British Empire" was thrown into the Liffey at O'Connell Street Bridge. Organisers said that they were mirroring the actions of James Connolly, who did the same thing while protesting Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee in 1897. In a series of tweets, Anti Imperialist Action Ireland wrote: This afternoon, Anti Imperialist Action organised a protest march starting at the James Connolly Statue at Beresford Place and marching around to the GPO, against the grovelling worship of the English Monarchy by the Free State ruling class. Along the march, a coffin marked "RIP British Empire" was thrown into the Liffey at O'Connell Street, just as James Connolly did in 1897 to protest the visit of Victoria. Slogans were chanted by the marchers, such as "You Say British King, We Say Guillotine" and "Get the Brits Out Now!". At the GPO, where the Free State establishment is flying the Tricolour at half mast for the recently deceased tyrant Elizabeth Windsor, a line of gardai prevented the protest from occupying the building. There was a heavy police presence throughout the protest, with three riot vans, a surveillance van, and members of the Special Branch and National Surveillance Unit trying to intimidate the Revolutionary Republicans. The tricolour above the GPO flies at half mast for the funeral of a foreign tyrant whose family brought nothing but misery to Ireland. The Irish people have no interest in licking the boots of the English royal parasites. Anti Imperialist Action Ireland also criticised President Michael D. Higgins and Taoiseach Micheal Martin for bowing to King Charles and Prime Minister Liz Truss during the Queens funeral. The planning consultant contended that the proposed development can be comfortably accommodated on the site Developer Noel Smyths Fitzwilliam Real Estate is to lodge plans for a nine-storey 245-bedroom hotel at Arnotts in Dublin in the coming days. The hotel scheme involves a two-storey element with set-backs over Arnotts and a three-storey element with setbacks over the department stores multi-storey carpark. The hotel scheme will involve the demolition and decommissioning of the top three open air levels of the carpark resulting in the removal of 145 car spaces. The lodging of the plans comes 10 months after Mr Smyths firm lodged plans for a 12-storey 159-unit build to rent scheme on the same site at Arnotts. That scheme involved the construction of a 12-storey over-basement element fronting Williams Lane, a five-storey element over the multi-storey carpark and a two-storey element over the Arnotts store. That proposal also involved the removal of the top three floor levels of the carpark. Noel Smyth Earlier this year, Dublin City Council requested further information on the scheme and the applicants earlier this month sought a six-month extension in which to lodge the new information. Four years ago in October 2018, Mr Smyth secured permission for a nine-storey, 257-bedroom hotel on the same site and with no substantial works on that scheme advanced, planning permission will have now lapsed necessitating the new application. That scheme attracted two objections and the support of Failte Ireland with the tourism agency telling the council the hotel would be a valuable addition to the accommodation stock in Dublin and would go some way to addressing the accommodation challenge being faced by the city. Planning consultant Tom Phillips told Dublin City Council that the 2018 proposal will facilitate the provision of a state of the art accommodation facility, whilst significantly improving the character of the area. Mr Phillips said the hotel scheme represents a very positive proposal for Middle Abbey Street and William Lane responding positively to the sites existing context. The planning consultant contended that the proposed development can be comfortably accommodated on the site andit is important to highlight that the development site is strategically located in the city centre on an under-utilised site. Footage of the incident that has been widely shared on social media shows the Garda vehicle being struck as a patrol responded to reports of several cars being driven dangerously in the area Footage of the incident that has been widely shared on social media shows the Garda vehicle being struck as a patrol responded to reports of several cars being driven dangerously in the area shortly after 7.30pm. Commenting on the one of the videos, Cllr Alan Hayes said: Cherry Orchard this evening. People cheering wanting car thieves to ram the Gardai. So many decent people being held hostage in their own community by an absolute minority. These are Japanese imported cars, he added. Easy to steal. If you have one, get an immobiliser & alarm. On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, the Chair of the local Joint Policing Committee, Councillor Daithi Doolan, said the local community is being traumatised by a minority. They are terrorised, he said. I mean they were on the phone to me long before that video was watched by people. People were ringing me in tears, frustrated but this is night after night after night and this is going back weeks and months. I was up there in January and witnessed this first-hand and bore the brunt of an attack when I was up there standing with the residents and I hope that last night and the video we have seen does land on the desk of the commissioner, does land on the desk of the minister. Cllr Hazel De Nortuin said the images and videos that were being shared regarding the incidents in Cherry Orchard were horrific and traumatising for residents living in that area. In a statement, gardai said that when officers arrived they observed two vehicles driving erratically. "Both vehicles failed to stop when requested to do so by gardai and one vehicle collided with an official garda vehicle. "No injuries were reported during the incident. Video footage shows a large number of people watching from the roadside as two cars drive at high speed up and down a section of road. Footage shows a car twice ramming the patrol vehicle before reversing. Gardai have appealed to any people who witnessed the incident to come forward. They are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Cherry Orchard area at this time and who may have camera footage, including dashcam footage, to make it available to investigating gardai. Anyone for information is asked to contact Ballyfermot garda station on 01 666 7200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Gardai said no arrests have been made and their investigation is ongoing. Local politicians criticised what they described as scenes of utter lawlessness. Fianna Fail TD Cormac Devlin said: "Videos posted online tonight show scenes of utter lawlessness in a Dublin community. "The clips posted online show cars driving erratically and ramming gardai without any fear or thought for the gardai on duty. "This is evidence of the shocking incidents gardai are forced to deal with as a small proportion of people terrorise a whole community. "We have to come down much stronger on what is pure lawlessness happening across the capital, and back the gardai with the resources and legislation to deal with those who behave with no regard for law or life. "My thoughts are with the gardai having to deal with those incidents this evening as well as the majority of good people being terrorised by these thugs." Cllr Doolin told Independent.ie last night, this hasnt come out of nowhere, adding: It was last night, last week, last month, last year. He said the incident underscores the need for more resources in the area to cope with anti-social behaviour, starting with more garda resources. And while a garda helicopter hovered over the area and the Emergency Response Unit was called in, he said there is only one Garda car available to patrol the entire Ballyfermot area, which he said is unacceptable. This wouldnt be tolerated in Blackrock or Foxrock or Lucan, he said. This is happening on a nightly basis and residents are absolutely terrified. He said he hopes the videos of the car-ramming incident will result in a much-needed response from gardai, Dublin City Council and the Government to tackle the problem. We need a plan for the area, he said. Cllr Doolin has previously spoken of neighbourhoods teetering on the edge of lawlessness and told a meeting of the Dublin City Council Joint Policing Committee in July that residents are living in constant fear and trauma. Were not talking about individuals in trauma but families and whole communities in trauma from intergenerational issues caused perhaps by drug-related intimidation, addiction, unemployment, mental health, violence, criminality, he told the meeting. If that happens over and over and over again in a concentrated area then the people are living with trauma all the time. They are living with violence or the threat of violence all the time and that manifests itself in very clear ways. Earlier this month, he spoke of a spate of incidents in which cars are being robbed and burnt out in the area, causing huge distress to the people living there, especially the elderly and the parents of young children. Survivor Gary Hoy said: I have campaigned for 10 years to get justice for what I suffered at Kincora. It haunts me and never leaves my mind Four RUC officers failed in their duty to victims of sexual abuse at Kincora boys home in the 1970s, a damning Police Ombudsman report will say. For the last seven years, the watchdog has been investigating how the RUC handled abuse at the notorious boys home in east Belfast decades ago. The investigation came after eight Kincora victims lodged complaints to the Police Ombudsman in 2015. The Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, has sent reports to the survivors, two of which have been seen exclusively by the Belfast Telegraph. In her conclusions, she said that based on the available evidence and other information that four named officers - two of high rank - failed in their duty to you and other victims of Kincora because they did not act on the information provided to them during the 1973-76 period. But the report states that as there was insufficient evidence to conclude that any identifiable officer may have committed a criminal offence, it was decided that a file of evidence was not required to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In 1981, three staff members at Kincora William McGrath, Joseph Mains and Raymond Semple were jailed for a number of sexual assaults. After an anonymous phone call in April 1973, stating that McGrath was sexually assaulting boys in the home, one constables actions consisted solely of obtaining a character reference for McGrath from Mains, his line manager. Mains said McGrath was a good chap, who held strong religious beliefs and was high up in the Orange Order. Following this, the constable recommended that police take no further action. Another victim was found to have raised concerns about McGrath sexually abusing a number of teenage boys, including himself, to a detective constable in 1974. The claims detailed that McGrath possessed a massage machine and had taken photographs or videos of boys when they were naked. The detective constable did not notify his line management, but rather passed the information to a named senior colleague, who instructed the detective constable to submit a report to him relating to the matter. The report, from March 1974 contained no information relating to William McGrath sexually assaulting a named individual, or other juveniles. Instead, it focused on McGraths political, religious and business activities. However, a number of sections of the document have been redacted, and so the Ombudsman and investigators could not review its full contents. The senior officer confirmed to an RUC investigation in 1980 that he received the report from the detective constable, but believed it had insufficient evidence to merit it being referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Ombudsman found that he ought to have supervised and directed the detective constable in taking further action. The report concludes there is no evidence suggesting a second named senior officer forwarded information provided by a named whistleblower on to Mountpottinger RUC station, and that the information she provided should have prompted him to launch a formal police investigation. Survivor Richard Kerr who filed a High Court case in 2015 against four government agencies in Belfast seeking damages for his experiences at Kincora was sent to live there in 1975 aged 14. He claims he was taken out of the care home and introduced to other men for sex at hotels, but the Ombudsman report refers solely to incidents at Kincora reported to the RUC. He says while he now has some sense that some of the truth has come out, he is disappointed that not all of it had. I understand these things take time, I understand there is a process. Its been very emotional and I just had to take it one day at a time. I knew this would not be easy. But, I also know that keeping onto these secrets keeps me sick and Ive got to get the truth out, one way or another, he told this newspaper. Theyre so determined for me not to speak my truth, and not to go to court. The state has gone out of their way to delay this. Seven years for this is ridiculous. An attempt has previously been made to strike out Mr Kerrs case at the High Court. I dont have much faith in the system, he added. The PSNI are saying they are not responsible for me or for any of that, but I explained to them that they took over the institutions and they took my files with them. Even though they changed their names, they have the information and they took on the responsibility. If we dont deal with the past, were not going to be able to look forward to the future and be able to stop this, or try and have a better way of dealing with it. Thats the point. Im relying on the state and its the same institutions that let me down in the first place. (From left) Kincora victims Richard Kerr and Gary Hoy. Picture by Presseye Gary Hoy, another survivor, added: I have campaigned for 10 years to get justice for what I suffered at Kincora. It haunts me and never leaves my mind. I was tortured in there and my mind is tortured every single day since. You cant get it out of your head. Nothing blocks it out. These findings took far too long, but I didnt need this report to tell me that the police were at fault. I now hope I can get my case to court without further obstruction by state bodies who neglected us vulnerable children and allowed us to be violated by sick predators repeatedly. Many ask me why my case is taking so long. No one wants the truth of what happened in Kincora to come out as we know it went right to the top. Why else were we ignored and left there to be ruined? Claire McKeegan, a partner at Phoenix Law who is acting for eight survivors of Kincora, welcomed the reports stark findings, which have confirmed their suspicions all these years and are further vindication for our clients who have civil cases before the High Court against the police, the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Department of Health and NIO. The Ombudsmans report also states that given the passage of time, it has not been possible to identify all those responsible for actions or omissions criticised by me. The majority of RUC officers mentioned are also now deceased, retired or were unable to assist in the investigation due to ill health. In the 1970s, the RUC had no protocols in place for the investigation of sexual offences against children, and so the Ombudsman also said that she has no recommendations to make to the PSNI as today they thoroughly investigate such issues. Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally, head of the PSNIs Public Protection Branch said the processes at the time were radically different to that of today, which are now very much based on a multi-agency approach, allowing all safeguarding agencies to effectively share vital information and promptly work to put protective measures in place for victims and potential victims. He said his thoughts are with the victims who suffered unimaginably. "Every time I looked up the line was out the door, Ms Ni Chorraidh said. "It was like that for a solid five hours Seven Coffee announced on social media that it would be open as normal ahead of the bank holiday. However, the Glen Road business had to pull the shutters down early on Monday afternoon after selling out of stock. We are having to close early today, as we have sold out of nearly everything, it posted on social media. What a day!! Thank you. Seven Coffee on Glen Road in Belfast The cafe was one of only a handful of businesses across Northern Ireland which remained open during the state funeral of the late monarch. Owner Seainty Ni Chorraidh was blown away by the huge level of demand for coffee and food. "This has been our busiest day since we opened and we have served triple the number of customers that we would on our normal busy days, she said. "We would normally be busy on a Sunday as practically nowhere within west Belfast is open but today, with everywhere else closed, we have been bombarded with customers and have been run off our feet. "We just completely sold out of every little crumb, today has been record breaking for us." Ms Ni Chorraidh said the lack of competition helped usher in new customers. I was talking to one customer who came from Holywood and Ive no doubt others travelled too, she said. "We had our regulars in as usual but there were a lot of faces I have never seen before. "We are a dog friendly cafe and a lot of dog walkers enjoy a coffee. Seven Coffee on Glen Road in Belfast As mourners lined the streets of central London and world leaders took their seats in Westminster Abbey a queue formed outside the west Belfast eatery. "Every time I looked up the line was out the door, Ms Ni Chorraidh said. "It was like that for a solid five hours. The deli bar ran out of meat and bread by mid afternoon with the soup and milk supply also drying up before the doors closed at 3.20pm. The owner is delighted her decision to open on the national holiday paid off. "I had no intention of closing, Ms Ni Chorraidh explained. Im not a huge fan of the Royals but I would never put those who are down. "I respect that people wanted to mark the occasion today, but we are always open we even open on Christmas Day." Seven Coffee on Glen Road in Belfast The venue, which faces Milltown Cemetery, even gave out free soup on December 25 last year. "A lot of people go to the graveyard at Christmas and we thought it would be nice to stay open for them, Ms Ni Chorraidh said. We do it for those who have nowhere to go. While we are based in west Belfast and are a community hub, we welcome everybody from all backgrounds. Eoin O'Fagan from Co Donegal had been using the new cameras which have been dotted around the shores of the loch An Irish Loch Ness Monster spotter has captured images of giant eel-like shapes that may be the first sightings of the mysterious creature on the newly installed webcams at the famous location. Eoin O'Fagan from Co Donegal had been using the new cameras which have been dotted around the shores of the loch to help people try to get proof of the existence of the monster. "I captured two very interesting video clips on two of the new webcams recently, he declared. The first at the Clansman webcam Loch Ness at 20.13pm on September 6, is of a water disturbance, and a long dark shape which was recorded for 4 minutes, and was the only darkened water visible in the recording of the loch in that time." He added that the second was captured at 7.35pm on September 15 at the Shoreland Lodges Webcam. Eoin has reported the sightings Eoin said: "An object visibly appears on the left near the shore and moves steadily to the right of the screen and out of webcam coverage. This object is black and long in the region of 6 to 8 feet long, like an eel, or rather a very large or giant one. Its dark black colour breaks the surface occasionally as it moves to the right." The 57-year-old Nessie fan, who has made multiple trips to Scotland to try and track the beast and made his first sighting back in 1987, now believes that the theory posited by Prof Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from the New Zealand University of Otago, that Nessie may be a 'giant eel' could be the right one. According to the Daily Record, he has submitted both sightings to The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. The five new cameras have been placed at various locations around the 23-mile-long loch in hopes of making it easier for Nessie fans to spot the creature from the comfort of their own homes. It'll mean Nessie fans can keep an eye on the loch 365 days a year hopefully leading to even more sightings of the creature. Last year an English dad and his daughter reported the eighth sighting of Nessie when, peering down at the loch beneath them at around 3.20pm on July 19 they saw something neither of them could ever forget. The movement was so unidentified that they felt the need to notify the relevant authorities, quickly filling out a form and sending it over to registrar Gary Campbell. Their story has been included on that years list, directly after a Cambridge man who saw a hump[] going against the waves, looking like a turtles back, black in colour with a green tinge to it back on June 2. The Official Loch Ness Sightings Register has been collecting tales from people who claim to have seen the monster for the past 25 years, although it also provides a definitive list going all the way back to Saint Columbas famous encounter in 565 AD. Goncalo Amaral claimed in a book, TV documentary and newspaper interview that the McCanns were involved in Madeleine's disappearance Madeleine McCann went missing during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007 The parents of Madeleine McCann have lost the latest stage of their legal battle over comments made by a retired Portuguese detective claiming they were involved in her disappearance. Lawyers for Kate and Gerry McCann argued that Portuguese authorities had breached their right to respect for a private and family life in the way the courts there dealt with their libel claims against Goncalo Amaral. He claimed in a book, TV documentary and newspaper interview that the McCanns were involved in their daughter Madeleine's disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann PA In a judgment published on Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights found that the couple's reputation had been damaged by the fact that they were made official suspects in the case for a short time, rather than Mr Amaral's comments. The McCanns now have three months to appeal against the decision. Their three-year-old daughter vanished during a family holiday to Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007. Earlier this year German investigators found new evidence against the prime suspect in her disappearance, a prosecutor revealed in an interview on Portuguese television. Convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner was declared a suspect in the case by Portuguese officials in April as a 15-year legal deadline approached, and he has been under investigation by German officials for two years. In May the McCanns said it was essential they find out the truth as they marked the 15th anniversary of their daughter's disappearance. Weather Eye with John Maunder Following the death of my sister Valerie in 2001, I wrote the hymn There is season (based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) which used the hymn tune Sandon". This was followed in 2006 when I was asked to write a hymn for the centenary of the Otago Presbyterian Support Services called We give God thanks for people helping people which used the hymn tune for O Perfect Love. My new hymn In the beginning is based on Genesis 1:1-25 and The Miners Hymn which was written following a mining disaster in Wales in the 1930s when 266 miners were killed. The hymn tune Gresford was named after the town where the disaster occurred. My part Welsh heritage means that the hymn is particularly meaningful to me. 1. In the beginning God made evrything Whose grace has blessed us from our day of birth Darkness did cover the face of the deep Now hear our prayer for this our time. 2. Creator God, with marvellous design The earth lacked form and emptiness prevailed Came lofty mountains, and expansive seas Ev'ning and morning made day one 3. Lord of the oceans, and expansive sky God called the dry land Earth and waters seas Look with compassion and always with great love God saw that evrything was good. 4. God made two lights, for day and for the night The world and all within it He did make God also made all the stars in the night sky Evning and morning made day four. 5. Creator God with marvellous design The earth was without animals and birds Look with compassion and always with great love Now hear our prayers for this our time. 6. In the beginning God made evrything The world and all within it He did make And there was evning with morning to follow God saw that evrything was good John Maunder A Tauranga bus driver is extending his thanks to members of the public who helped him after allegedly suffering an assault about three weeks ago. Bryan Simpson says he was attacked by a man who was obviously drunk wearing a spider man mask. Passengers on the bus responded by quickly coming to his aid. Two men Bryan describes as amazing gentlemen took the man wearing a spider man mask out of the bus following the incident. Another passenger, Tauranga Girls College international student Sunny Chung, responded by standing with him while he was in shock, and offering to get him a drink. Bryan says the situation unfolded very quickly. I was doing my last run, coming into the mount shopping centre near Mount Drury. As I was approaching I saw a guy stumbling around who looked drunk, says Bryan. I let people out through the back door and he came in and sat down with some girls at the back. I went down and told him he had to leave and I got some bad words back from him. He wasnt moving, so I went to the front of the bus to call my control and turned the bus off. While I was trying to get control, I was facing forwards the front windows when he charged up behind me and stuck the back of my head. I was flattened out on the steering wheel trying to figure out where I was, and went into shock. This could have happened to the best driver. Bryan says despite the hard hit, he didnt feel any pain. I heard a bottle hit the ground after he hit me. Im guessing he either hit me with his fist or the bottle, but at the time of the event I couldnt talk. It was really heartening though with the response of this situation. One girl from Tauranga Girls College named Sunny Chung came and sat with me when the guy was being taken away from members of the public. She said are you all right and stayed next to me even when I couldnt communicate. She stuck with me with her friend and got me a coffee when I stepped out of the bus. She was amazing. Tauranga Girls' College student Sunny Chung was the "guest of honour" at an event held at the NZ Bus Greerton depot to celebrate her courageous act. Photo: Supplied. Bryan says some other passengers on the bus were fantastic in supporting him during the event. Another two gentlemen dragged him outside of the bus and took him away. It is really heartening to know there are good people out there who are looking out for their bus drivers. Bryan says the best response from the public during a bus assault is to act the same way as Sunny and the two men did, but to not put themselves in any danger. The best way is to just help in some way or get the person off of the bus. These things happen so quickly. Being positive towards the driver is really good, those things really help. Bryan says when he saw the response from the passengers he felt really good. NZ Bus at the Greerton Depot had a thank you for Sunny afterwards with the Tauranga Girls College principal and gave a presentation to her. It was the first time weve ever acknowledged a member of the public outside the company. Trainer Stephen Webster, left, NZBUS general manager Bay of Plenty Ranga Arachchige, bus driver Bryan Simpson, Tauranga Girls' College student Sunny Chung, Tauranga Girls' College Principal Tara Kanji, NZBUS Tauranga manager George Rhind, and Bus Operator Jay Park. Photo: Supplied. Bryan says overall, despite this assault, bus crime is on a downswing after security guards were hired at bus stops earlier this year. There has been talk about youth crime near the bus stops a few months ago, but that has really quietened down. Things are looking a lot better at the moment. Drivers have to be really tactful about how we approach situations of conflict and how we ask people to get off the bus. There has been talks of getting security guards on the buses as the female drivers feel the most vulnerable at the moment. NZ Bus Bay of Plenty general manager of service delivery Ranga Arachchige says he held the event with Sunny as he wanted to let the community and bus drives know there are good people out there. There is a lot of negativity going on at the moment. We wanted the public in Tauranga to know that there are role models out there. We also wanted the drivers to know there are good kids out there too who are able to help. A survey of all 291 mayoral candidates in New Zealand reveals there's little love for the government's Three Waters reforms. The '2022 Local Democracy Reporting mayoral candidate survey' also shows that when it comes to this year's rates rises, those standing in the cities are more unhappy about them than those in the provinces. Of all the questions asked in the survey, including on climate change, Maori wards and rates, the one on Three Waters elicited the most clear cut response. Asked if the reforms were the best way to achieve the investment that was sorely needed in water infrastructure in many regions, 75.3 per cent said they were not. Comments attached to answers were often in caps or accompanied by exclamation marks, including this one from Whakatane mayoral hopeful Lesley Immink. "No - absolutely not! I do not have confidence in either the model, delivery of improved water infrastructure services or better value for money." The opposition was even more stark comparing North Island to South Island candidates, with just two out of the 58 Mainland candidates (3.4 per cent) backing the reforms. Current Southland mayor, Gary Tong, was one of those two lonely voices. He said that while they were required, "so much misinformation has occurred from a lack of early information from cabinet. Those wanting the top job at councils in the main centres were slightly less vociferous in their opposition, with 63.5 percent saying the reforms would not achieve their aims and the rest almost evenly divided between 'yes' and 'not sure'. "Wellington is a great example as to why reform of our Three Waters is needed, said leading mayoral contender and local Labour MP, Paul Eagle. The city has a mounting list of required water infrastructure fixes, following decades of under investment. Eagle is one of only two candidates, out of nine, to back the reforms. He said he was "focused on working with central Government to ensure Wellington can get on with fixing our pipes. Those asking for your vote this year were much more evenly divided when it came to the subject of this year's rates rises. When asked if they thought they were fair, 43.5 per cent said they were and 44 per cent said they were not. Candidates in urban areas were slightly more critical (51.3 not fair) than those in the provinces (42.2 not fair). Comparing councils is of course a fraught exercise and how fair a council's rates increase is will depend entirely on the scale of those in previous years and how high they are already compared to other similar sized councils. As with most incumbents, Ashburton's Neil Brown defended his district's 9.4 percent increase, one of the highest in the country, saying "lower rates mean decreased levels of service. Another incumbent, Central Hawkes Bay's Alex Walker, explained her council's 6.8 percent hike saying "we have the collision of issues - new property valuations, historic underinvestment in core infrastructure, unprecedented population growth, and increasing regulation." Interestingly Bruce Graham, who's taking on long standing mayor Bryan Cadogan in Clutha, said this year's four per cent increase "should actually be higher because they are being kept artificially low. The survey was sent out to all 291 mayoral candidates and garnered 202 responses, representing a 69 per cent response rate. -Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air. A youth with a BB gun has been found in Cambridge after schools were locked down due to concerns about a man with a weapon. Police were called to Swayne Rd at 10.40am after receiving a report of a male with a weapon, a police spokesperson said. Officers had since found a young person is possession of a BB gun. Schools had been advised they could come out of lockdown, the spokesperson said. Cambridge East school told parents at 12.03pm they had come out of lockdown and all students, staff and people on site were accounted for. Everyone did extremely well and responded to instructions. Earlier, Cambridge Middle School said in an email to parents that the school was advised to go into lockdown because of an incident at a neighbouring school. Please do not come to school or phone the school as you will not be attended to as your childs welfare and safety is our priority, it said. Meanwhile, in a text to parents, Cambridge High School said because of police instructions regarding a local situation, the school has gone into lockdown. All students are safely locked in classrooms and will remain there until the police give the all clear. -Rachel Moore/Stuff.co.nz. A 48-year-old Hamilton man has appeared in court charged with murder, after allegedly stabbing a man who tried to break up a fight with a pair of scissors. Police were called to a property in Roy St, Nawton at 11am on Saturday. A neighbour, who didnt want to be named, told Stuff a man had been fighting with his father all morning before police arrived. The victim, a passerby who saw the alleged abuse and pulled over to help the older man out, ended up getting involved. According to the neighbour who witnessed the incident, the victim was stabbed with a pair of scissors. The victim was treated by ambulance staff, but died at the scene soon after. The accused man appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Monday, with the assistance of a Burmese interpreter. The man, who was represented in court by barrister Truc Tran, faces a single charge of murder in relation to the incident. Judge Jonathan Down granted him interim name suppression and remanded him in custody to next appear in the High Court in Hamilton on October 4. Judge Down also ordered a Section 38 report be conducted on the mans mental wellbeing. The victims name and details have also been suppressed until the defendants next appearance. -Mike Mather/Stuff. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says the Government is taking concerns about emergency housing in Rotorua motels "very, very seriously". His comments came at the post-Cabinet press conference on Monday, where Robertson was filling in for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who is in the UK attending the Queen's funeral. It follows a Rotorua Daily Post report on Saturday that revealed a significant uptick in police callouts along the city's "motel mile", Fenton St, between 2018 and 2021. Rotorua police said emergency housing had increased the demand on their resources and that staffing had not been increased during this time. RotoruaNZ - the district's regional tourism organisation - has developed a dashboard to help would-be tourists avoid mixed-model motels. Asked by Local Democracy Reporting what the Government was doing to protect the tourism reputation of the city, Robertson said it was "working very closely" with Rotorua Lakes Council and other groups "to support all of the people in the district". "Obviously, there's been some stories in recent times about concerns that are being raised, we take those very very seriously. "It's a community where we have invested money and resources." He said that included the Provincial Growth Fund and $85m for housing infrastructure through the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund. He said the latter would support the building of 3000 houses. "We are working closely with the community. It has been a very challenging and difficult period. "No doubt, those who live in the area have had concerns, we've tried to deal with those as they've been raised." Robertson also highlighted "tourism funding" from the Government for the area. "Businesses in Rotorua have received significant amounts of money and support from us. "Rotorua is still a busy tourism town - I know that from talking to people who are there - but there are other issues that need to be dealt with and we'll deal with those." A TVNZ Sunday investigation through the issue of Rotorua's emergency housing in motels into the national spotlight earlier in the month. It followed extensive reporting on the issue by the Rotorua Daily Post. Te Arawa has called for an end to the emergency housing crisis and the issues associated with motels have been a hot topic among mayoral candidates. -Local Democracy Reporting is public interest journalism funded by NZ On Air. The New Zealand Defence Force completed its farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London overnight, joining with Commonwealth comrades to march in her funeral procession past Buckingham Palace. The main body of the Commonwealth contingent, 24 New Zealanders, 64 Canadians and 28 Australians, were part of a 1600-strong procession slow marching at 75 paces a minute down the Mall and on to Wellington Arch in front of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers around the world. Further down the procession were the Defence Advisers to the United Kingdom and four New Zealand Colonels Commandant, ceremonial representatives for the four NZ Army regiments attending. At around 1am on Monday the contingent was bussed to Wellington Barracks beside St Jamess Park in London, joining with UK Armed Forces to prepare for the march. For many in the contingent, the moment of rounding the corner near the top of the Mall, and looking down a broad thoroughfare lined with flags, was a powerful moment. Leading Aircraftman Laurelie Giles says she felt a surge of energy when she got to that point. You could feel this empathy coming from the crowd. They knew why we were there, to support the Queen. Gunner Reagen Powell, from 16th Field Regiment, says while death affects everyone, to see so many people feeling that, all at the same time, was a sombre realisation. For others, it was the moment standing to attention at Wellington Arch, when the Queens coffin was transferred from a gun carriage to the Royal hearse. That was an unforgettable moment, says Leading Youth Development Specialist Anya Ruri. We had been standing at attention, and it was hot, and then it was that moment that sent shivers down my spine. It was indescribable, and it was then I knew it was all worth it. Contingent commander Lieutenant Colonel Dean Gerling says that was the moment they said goodbye. I had a perfect view out of my left eye of her being transferred, and I had full visibility until she left. I probably had the best seat in the world to watch her depart. As they marched back to Wellington Barracks, the crowd clapped them. That really hit me, after it was all over. The crowd clapping and thanking us. It really tugged at the heart strings and you knew it was all worth it. The sailors, soldiers and aviators had arrived in the United Kingdom a week earlier and got straight into rehearsals at Pirbirght Camp in Surrey. In the early hours of Thursday morning (UK time) they were part of a full dress rehearsal with UK Armed Forces on the Mall. A highlight of the week was the visit to Pirbright by the Prince and Princess of Wales on Friday, to thank the Commonwealth contingents for coming this far. The New Zealand contingent returned the thanks by performing the Defence Force haka. The Defence Force contingent will depart the United Kingdom for New Zealand on Friday. The man charged with the murder of a woman in Cambridge last month can now be named. Name suppression lapsed and was not renewed for Aaron Nicholas Wilson, 42, when he appeared for callover in the High Court in Hamilton on Tuesday morning. Wilson is charged with the murder of Betty Maree Paparoa in Cambridge on August 8. He was arrested in Te Aroha later the same day, following a manhunt. Shouting and swearing broke out in the courtrooms packed public gallery during Wilsons appearance. Some of those present had to be escorted from the courtroom by court security guards. Through his counsel Ann-Marie Beveridge, he entered a not guilty plea to the charge. Justice Graham Lang allocated him a trial date starting on November 27 next year, to run for two weeks. Police charging documents state Wilson is of unknown abode. Since his initial appearance in the Hamilton District Court the day after his arrest Wilson has had a change of counsel, after initially being represented by James Buckle. In the intervening time Wilson had also undergone a psychological assessment at Waikato Hospital and had been deemed fit to stand trial. Wilson was remanded in custody until his next callover appearance on October 4. Emergency services were first alerted to the incident at about 1.20am on Monday, August 8, when they were called to a Richmond St, Cambridge, home and found a woman dead. Wilson was arrested in Te Aroha just after 1.30pm the same day. -Mike Mather/Stuff. A discussion about $4.6 million funding for elder housing in Katikati resulted in the Western Bay of Plenty mayor admonishing a councillor. At a Western Bay of Plenty District Council meeting last week, councillors were presented with a report asking them to approve an application to the Governments Better Off Fund for $4.6m for the redevelopment of elder housing in Katikati and $700,000 for development planning to leverage housing on Maori land. The council is entitled to $21.3 million in Better Off Funding, which can be used as councils see fit for projects that enhance community wellbeing, as part of the Three Waters Reform. Council must apply for this round of the funding by September 30 and all but two councillors voted to proceed with the application. Mayor Garry Webbers rebuke of councillor Margaret Murray-Benge arose during the public forum, where Omokoroa Residents and Ratepayers chairman Dr Bruce McCabe expressed his concerns about whether the elder housing project would be self-sustaining. He labelled the report totally deficient and claimed it was inadequate for council to make an informed decision. Dr McCabe suggested council not receive it and defer decision making until there was adequate, technical information and said he would refer the matter to Auditor General if it were approved. Next to speak was Omokoroa resident Kathleen McCabe. She said Dr McCabe had spoken to the quantitative assessment, the fact and figures and she would talk about the qualitative assessment i.e why is this needed. She said she had spoken to 13 real estate agents and accepted that wasnt the best information. I should really have market surveys and information from community housing providers, said McCabe. What they have said is there is absolutely no gap in the elder housing market, because there's a thing called rest homes, where if one has no money, one can get a subsidy from the government. She claimed three Official Information Act (OIA) requests from Dr McCabe about the technical information hadnt been provided and said: they've been clearly dodged. Webber responded information had been provided in the form of a letter. Dr McCabe interjected from the public gallery asking to clarify, but Webber told him his time for speaking was completed. Murray-Benge asked Kathleen McCabe to elaborate on what Bruce McCabe was going to say. Mayor Garry Webber. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive. But, Webber said: "With all due respect, that is unacceptable, and for an experienced councillor such as yourself, you should know better." Murray-Benge responded: "This is a public forum, and we're entitled to the information that is being presented to us." Webber said the OIA response from the chief executive was "in your [Murray-Benge's] hands" Next to speak in the public forum was chairman of the Waihi Beach Community board Ross Goudie, who said he supported Dr McCabe and requested the report be withdrawn and resubmitted at the last council meeting this Thursday. Council community and strategic relationships manager Jodie Rickard, who prepared the report, said its purpose was to have elected members adopt the two key projects for the application. Rickard confirmed the information in the report was sufficient for the funding application. She said there was significant work needed once the application was approved and staff would provide progress reports to elected members throughout the process. Anything that we are doing will be within the scope of the agreed investment principles that the elected members adopted on June 14, 2022. At the June 14 Policy Committee Meeting, the councillors and mayor unanimously agreed to consider using the Better Off Funding to achieve housing outcomes for the district and adopted principles that guided councils role and investment to achieve those outcomes. Deputy mayor John Scrimgeour asked Rickard what level of confidence she had that the application would be approved. Rickard responded: I'm going say publicly, very confident. Webber referred to SmartGrowth commentary from the Housing Minister Megan Woods. Anything that gets houses on the ground in this area is looked [at] reasonably favourably. Any New Zealander that doesn't think there's a housing crisis, then they're not living in New Zealand. SmartGrowth is a partnership between WBOPDC, Tauranga City Council, tangata whenua and the government to provide strategic direction for the Western BOPs growth. Murray-Benge said she could not support the recommendations and wanted the report received and for staff to come back with a proper business case for the full council meeting. Councillor James Denyer said he was supporting the resolution because housing is the single biggest thing to improve wellbeing. This is about leveraging council resources and government grants, not ratepayers funding. Councillor Mark Dean said the elder housing was an "incredible opportunity". Photo : Alisha Evans/SunLive. During right of reply councillor Mark Dean, who is not standing in this years election, said: I'm in a unique position because I don't have to say things that [will] get me elected again. I believe that this is an incredible opportunity. This is money that's given to us by the Government, and we're going to use it wisely because it's the moral and ethical thing to do. Elder citizens are not well off contrary to the misinformation that weve heard this morning, he said. We have a requirement that the people who get into these houses have to have a very minimal asset base. He said the elder housing portfolio was in desperate need of being updated and elected members had agreed on that. According to Rickards report, the two Katikati elder housing villages at Heron Crescent and Tui Place are more than 40 years old. Also, Katikati is one of the older communities in the Western Bay with 25 per cent of the population aged 70-84 years and a further five per cent over 85. The proposal is to build a new seven unit village on council land at Beach Road, to relocate current residents to under the same tenancy agreements. Then redevelop the 11 units at Heron Crescent into 17 purpose-built units for older people, to be provided as affordable rentals. There are future plans to redevelop Tui Place once Heron Crescent is complete. Nine councillors voted in support of proceeding with the application with, councillors Murray-Benge and Kevin Marsh against. Councillor Anne Henry was absent. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air. New Zealand produce company Seeka has announced it will build new Recognised Seasonal Employer accommodation housing for 140 people in Katikati. Situated in Sharp Road, the new building will replace the existing accommodation facility, and will significantly increase the number of people able to be accommodated in the area. The purpose-built accommodation will include two recreational lounges, along with modern amenities such as Wi-Fi. Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the decision to invest in RSE accommodation was made prior to Covid-19, but was delayed because of the uncertainty of whether RSE workers would be able to return to New Zealand. Now, with the peak of Covid-19 seemingly behind us, the development has been dusted off and enacted. In total Seeka had approximately 900 RSEs in 2022, with more allocated for 2023. Our RSEs are highly valued and have been a huge help during the labour shortage throughout the kiwifruit harvest and more recently our orchard operations. It is important that we are providing quality living arrangements for their time with us and this project will deliver them a comfortable home away from home. Michael says in total prior to Covid-19, Seeka hires between 4000 and 4500 RSE workers in total. He adds that the borders opening has not caused an increase in demand from RSE countries but has overall had positive reactions to the investment. Seeka is lifting the standard of accommodation across all regions. This investment is scheduled at about $5 million. With normality returning across the country, Michael expects Seeka to return to filling 4000 to 4500 RSE worker roles in the 2023 season. Seeka hires RSE workers from Malaysia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomons and is looking to recruit from Papa New Guinea. RSE workers complement the 800 permanent staff and 4500 seasonal workers the horticulture company needs each year. National Party leader Christopher Luxon says the party and the public can trust his account of the investigation into Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Luxon has a faced a day of questioning about why he wont release the terms of reference that shaped the investigation, led by lawyer Maria Dew, KC, into bullying allegations against Uffindell. He has also refused to release an executive summary from Dew, even to his own caucus. Luxon insists he has fairly communicated Dews conclusions, and says: Everyone trusts Maria, and they trust me. They trust me to represent the findings. But Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson says there's no reason not to release an executive summary. We did release an executive summary when Maria Dew did an inquiry for us, and I would expect that you as media and New Zealanders would want the same from Christopher Luxon. In 2019, the Labour Party commissioned Dew to investigate an alleged sexual assault by a staff member at a party camp. It released her eight-page summary. National MPs met to discuss Uffindells future with their caucus on Monday, but they were not given the report or even its executive summary discussing his conduct and allegations of bullying. Nevertheless, the embattled MPs caucus colleagues defended Uffindell on Tuesday and said they had faith he was reformed. Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says Maria Dews report has vindicated Uffindell, but he says he hasnt seen her report or its executive summary. Announcing the outcome of this investigation, National Party president Sylvia Wood says Dew has not substantiated the claims from Uffindells former flatmate. The specific claim was that, while Uffindell was a student at the University of Otago in Dunedin, he banged on his flatmate's door while screaming obscenities at her. The former flatmate told RNZ he bullied her with insults such as Hit the road, fatty. Although Dew has not responded to questions about her investigation, Luxon says she's comfortable with the way his party is portraying it. All the statements that Sylvia, myself and Sam read out yesterday were actually all run through Maria Dew as well, he says. They were a faithful representation, and she was comfortable we were communicating the findings of her report. A number of National MPs confirmed they did not receive Dews executive summary on Monday and relied on the party leaderships reporting of what Dew had concluded. Luxon says Dew found there was a fractious, deteriorating flatting relationship. But he says she concluded there was no ongoing bullying pattern from Uffindell after he left Kings College as a teenager. Uffindell, on Monday, says her investigation found the incident did not occur as reported in the media. At Kings College he attacked a younger student, joining with a group of 16-year-olds to assault a 13-year-old in the middle of the night. The victim says they came into his dorm room and hit him with wooden bed legs. Uffindell acknowledged the attack, saying he was a thug, and he told National about it before being selected as its Tauranga candidate. Luxon says the terms of reference will not be released, but he outlined the objectives of the investigation. One was to get clarity and conclusion around the events in Otago, he says. Secondarily to make sure that, subsequent to King's College, there was no ongoing pattern of bullying behaviour. -Glenn McConnell/Stuff. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. TL;DR: Auto companies like Ford continually research ways to prevent accidents between motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Ford's latest experimental solution could offer pedestrians a mobile app to better alert motorists to their presence. The technology would use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and complement the company's Co-Pilot360 system. Ford plans to demonstrate a new pedestrian safety system for its latest automobiles this week. It takes the form of a mobile app that pedestrians use to alert Ford drivers' infotainment dashboards without relying on line-of-sight. The app uses BLE to communicate with vehicles that support Ford SYNC, telling drivers whether a pedestrian or cyclist is nearby. Eventually, it could also alert drivers to construction sites. The tech leverages T-Mobile's 5G Advanced Network Solution with hyperscale computing. Bluetooth Low Energy lets the system work without pairing devices and has a negligible energy requirement. Ford plans to demonstrate it at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America's (ITSA) World Congress in Los Angeles from September 18 through 22. Some Ford cars already use the company's Co-Pilot360 system for the same purpose, but the new app could make it more effective. Co-Pilot360 uses sensors on equipped vehicles to help drivers react to traffic and pedestrians with auto-braking, automatic high-beam headlights, lane centering, intersection assist, and other features. The mobile app could make drivers more aware of people behind obstructions like buildings or steep hills. Another concept accident-prevention solution Ford and Designworks proposed in 2020 was a jacket that cyclists could wear to display emojis to motorists. Users could display three emojis on the back of the coat using a wireless remote attached to the handlebars: a neutral face, a happy face, and an angry face. The system could also display useful symbols like turn signals and a hazard symbol. There has been little-to-no information since then on when or if the jacket could become available. This week, Ford also updated its current policy of selling vehicles lacking certain non-essential functions to cope with ongoing chip shortages. At the end of Q3, the company expects 40,000 to 45,000 cars to be affected --mostly high-margin, high-demand models of SUVs and trucks. Owners can have these missing functions installed at service centers for free at a later date. WTF?! SpaceX's Starlink satellite system has, not for the first time, been threatened with destruction by a foreign government. Unsurprisingly, it was Russia that made the veiled threat against Elon Musk's company, which has been a huge asset to Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces. The warning came during a United Nations working group meeting on reducing space threats last week. Konstantin Vorontsov, a member of the Russian delegation, said that the country "would like to underline an extremely dangerous trend that goes beyond the harmless use of outer space technologies and has become apparent during the events in Ukraine. Namely, the United States and its allies use the elements of civilian, including commercial, infrastructure in outer space for military purposes." Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! @elonmusk keeps his word! Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world! @OMarkarova thanks! pic.twitter.com/hNZwsXkOCT Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 9, 2022 Vorontsov never mentioned Starlink by name, but there was no doubting what he was referring to. The Russian Foreign Ministry member and head of the country's UN Office for Disarmament Affairs delegation added a warning: "It seems like our colleagues do not realize that such actions in fact constitute indirect involvement in military conflicts. Quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation." "At the very least, this provocative use of civilian satellites is questionable under the Outer Space Treaty, which provides for the exclusively peaceful use of outer space, and must be strongly condemned by the international community," Vorontsov added. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded to the threat with a tweet emphasizing that Starlink is meant for peaceful use only. Starlink is meant for peaceful use only Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2022 The world's richest person has clashed with Russia on several occasions since he sent shipments of Starlink terminals to Ukraine so its citizens can continue accessing the internet in cities under siege. SpaceX has supplied over 12,000 satellites to the country, which now has well over 150,000 active Starlink users per day. Back in November, Russia tested an anti-satellite missile by destroying one of its old satellites. It drew international condemnation for the resulting debris field that SpaceX satellites have been forced to avoid. Musk responded by saying SpaceX can launch satellites faster than Russia can shoot them down. Earlier this year, Musk said that SpaceX could stop the ISS from crashing into Earth, a scenario put forward by the since-fired Russian space chief Dmitry Rogozin, who also made a veiled threat against the Tesla boss' life. Musk previously offered to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin in "single combat" to decide the future of Ukraine. If I die under mysterious circumstances, it's been nice knowin ya Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2022 It's not just Russia that has issues with SpaceX. A paper by government-affiliated researchers published by China's Modern Defence Technology in May said the Asian nation should develop methods to destroy the satellites, which had brought hidden dangers and challenges to the country. h/t: Futurism In context: This past weekend, EVGA announced that they would no longer produce graphics cards ahead of Nvidia's reveal of their RTX 4000 series GPUs. EVGA claimed their relationship with Nvidia was "abusive" and unfair, but a report from Igor's Lab claims EVGA's issues may have been partially self-inflicted. Many tech fans and enthusiasts were shocked over the weekend by the news that EVGA, one of the more popular AIB manufacturers, would no longer produce graphics cards based on Nvidia GeForce GPUs. EVGA stated that their relationship with Nvidia was "abusive" and accused Nvidia of having a "severe lack of communication" when it came to pricing for graphics cards. The lack of communication reportedly resulted in EVGA having significantly reduced profit margins, especially following the recent price cuts on higher-end Ampere graphics cards. EVGA notes that they have been losing hundreds of dollars on RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 tier cards ever since the recent market decline and subsequent price drops. However, a report from Igor's Lab claims that EVGA's issues with profits may have been somewhat self-inflicted. Igor notes that EVGA operates differently compared to other AIB producers like Asus, Gigabyte, and many others. Unlike those companies, EVGA outsources the circuit boards and coolers to third parties, which increases the overall cost of producing a card. Igor claims this outsourcing drops EVGA's profit margins to around 5%, as opposed to other manufacturers whose margins sit around 10%. According to Igor, EVGA's generosity has also been one of their downfalls. EVGA's graphics cards have had significantly longer warranty periods than competitors, and EVGA has also offered a "step-up" program, allowing a consumer to upgrade their GPU should their current card be rendered "obsolete" by a new release. Igor spoke to an anonymous competitor, who claimed that EVGA's strategy was "suicidal" and that "if it were profitable, we would have done it long ago." It's fair to assume that EVGA is being truthful with their claims regarding Nvidia's abusive treatment of manufacturers. Nvidia has been known to set strict guidelines and deadlines for product releases. A report from JPR shows that Nvidia's guidelines have allowed Nvidia's profits to grow rapidly, while the AIB manufacturer's profit margins have fallen nearly 20% since 2000. All in all, the dust of the situation is still settling and we currently do not know the whole story, as we've only heard EVGA's side of the story. It is also possible that Nvidia may not comment on the situation, leaving curious users further in the dark as to what is really going on. One thing is for certain: EVGA's upcoming absence from the graphics card market is unfortunate to see, and we hope they can find success moving forward in other product categories. In a nutshell: Nvidia's new DLSS 3 technology adds DLSS Frame Generation and Nvidia Reflex on top of the tried-and-tested DLSS Super Resolution to boost framerates even more. It will only work with RTX 40 series GPUs, with the cheapest currently starting at $899. The first games supporting it will arrive next month. Alongside the new RTX 40 series GPUs, Nvidia also announced the third generation of its Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology, which can deliver up to four times the performance compared to rendering at native resolution. Nvidia introduced DLSS with its RTX 20 series cards four years ago, and it's now available in over 200 games and apps. It improves performance by allowing frames to be rendered internally at a lower resolution and upscaling them using dedicated AI accelerators inside RTX GPUs, called Tensor cores. Nvidia improves upon this with DLSS 3 by adding Optical Multi Frame Generation to generate entirely new frames rather than just pixels, similar to motion interpolation found on TVs (although hopefully without the input lag penalty). In performance mode, DLSS 3 is reconstructing seven-eighths of the total displayed pixels. Super Resolution rebuilds three-fourths of the first frame (e.g. 1080p to 4K), with Frame Generation reconstructing the entire second frame. Since Optical Multi Frame Generation executes as a post-process on the GPU, it can increase framerates even in CPU-limited games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator. Unfortunately, DLSS Frame Generation is powered by the new fourth-generation Tensor cores and Optical Flow Accelerator of the Nvidia Ada Lovelace architecture, meaning it only works on RTX 40 GPUs. Lastly, DLSS 3 also integrates Nvidia Reflex technology, which synchronizes the GPU and CPU, eliminating the render queue and thus improving responsiveness and input lag. Over 35 games and applications have announced support for the new version of DLSS, including Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman 3, and Stalker 2. Justice, NetEase's martial arts MMO, will be the first game to receive support for DLSS 3 through an update launching on October 12. A Plague Tale: Requiem will be the first game with the new technology at launch when it comes out on October 18. Owners of RTX 20 and 30 series GPUs will still have access to DLSS 2.0 and Nvidia Reflex in DLSS 3-enabled games. Paypal's ex-COO (Chief Operating Officer) David O. Sacks was linked to the failed Twitter acquisition of Elon Musk. But, people familiar with the deal clarified that Sacks was not involved when the social media deal was proposed. Now, why is this businessman really linked to the Tesla CEO's Twitter deal issue? Who is David O. Sacks? Who is David O. Sacks? History Computer reported that David. O Sacks is a venture capitalist who has been involved in multiple U.S.-based businesses, which are most successful. (Photo : Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch) CEO of Zenefits David Sacks speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 at Pier 48 on September 13, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg Joe Rogan Experience Podcast: Bots are Trade-Offs? Other Controversial Things Meta's CEO Shared His name became well-known when he became Paypal's founding COO and product leader. The venture capitalist was able to establish a relationship with Peter Thiel, another Paypal co-founder. After that, he became a Paypal Mafia member. A few years later, Sacks was able to make connections with other businessmen who would become billionaires. However, he resigned from being a COO after eBay acquired Paypal in 2002. Although this is the case, Paypal's ex-COO was still able to form different tech firms, such as Yammer (an enterprise social networking service) and Geni.com (an American commercial genealogy and social network website). David O. Sacks Networth As of press time, his main organization is Craft Ventures. Based on his Crunchbase profile, this agency is an early-stage venture fund specialized in creating companies. Thanks to his efforts, David O. Sacks' network reached more than $150 million. But, other sources reported that his latest net worth this 2022 is around $200 million. David O. Sacks & Musk's Twitter Deal According to Bloomberg's recent report, the ex-Paypal COO was linked to Musk's Twitter deal. He reportedly exchanged a few emails with investment bankers. Based on his email messages, he was interested in investing in the social media acquisition of his old friend. On Aug. 30, Twitter served Sacks a subpoena as the social media giant wanted to acquire information from people who expressed interest in backing Elon's billion-dollar acquisition. However, David provided more detail about his contacts in a court filing so that the subpoena would not push through. Because a legal fight in Delaware was triggered, Sacks said the leaked emails were about setting up a meeting to discuss the Twitter acquisition. He clarified that the messages were not intended to show interest in investing in the billion-dollar deal between Musk and Twitter. On the other hand, he also denied he was one of the only four businessmen with whom the Tesla CEO talked regarding the social media acquisition. Although this is the case, he still admitted that Musk communicated with him, saying that Twitter only misinterpreted Elon's statements about him. Related Article: Elon Musk vs. Jeff Bezos and Neil Gaiman: Tesla CEO Bashes Bezos's Pet Project 'The Rings of Power;' 'The Sandaman' Writer Has Something to Say This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Daikin's air conditioners will soon have a design change as the Japanese multinational air-con manufacturer plans to let go of Chinese-made components. (Photo : Photo credit should read DIRK WAEM/AFP via Getty Images) Illustration picture shows airconditioning units in Antwerp, Tuesday 23 July 2019. Temperatures in Belgium are rising towards record heights. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM This will be a drastic change since Daikin has been relying on made-in-china air conditioning components for its AC units. As of writing, Daikin is among the top air conditioner developers and producers across the globe. However, it is still affected by China's strict zero-COVID policy. Because of this, Daikin wants to make its own AC core parts. These include components for conserving energy. Daikin's Air Conditioner to Have No Chinese-Made Parts? According to Nikkei Asia's latest report, Daikin is now encouraging its suppliers to manufacture the needed air-con parts outside China. (Photo : Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images) Air conditioning units are seen on the exterior of apartment buildings as temperatures continue to soar on July 14, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Europe is currently experiencing the most sustained period of extreme hot weather in 50 years. Also Read: BioLite Unveils New BaseCharge Portable Power Stations With Solar Panel as a Solution For Brownout The Japanese tech firm said it will start making air conditioners without Chinese-made parts as early as March 2024. For the past few years, Daikin has been relying on China for its AC parts. Back in 2020, 35% of its air-con components were imported from China. However, this import record decreased to 20% ever since Shanghai implemented COVID-19 lockdowns. Because of this, Daikin said it now needs contingency suppliers outside China. But, valves, large sheet metal, and other similar parts will still be Chinese-made. Meanwhile, Daikin explained that it would purchase other AC parts from Japan-based manufacturers, as well as other companies located in Southeast Asia. New Daikin E-Fridge to Arrive While Daikin is making efforts to exclude Chinese-made AC core parts, the Japanese appliance developer is also planning to unveil a new electric fridge. Cooling Post reported that the new Exigo E1500e would be launched at the IAA Transportation show, which will take place in Hanover. This new electric fridge will rely on the advanced Exigo platform. Aside from this, interested consumers can also expect other advanced features from the new Exigo E1500e. One of these is the ability to be powered up by an external electrical supply from trailer systems. If you want to learn more about the upcoming e-fridge of Daikin, you can visit this link. Recently, Amazon's best-selling TV soundbar dropped its price. Also, the Shark IQ robot was also discounted, slashing its price by 50%. For more news updates about air conditioners and other appliances, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Molekule Review: How this Indoor Air Quality Testing and Cleaning Product Can Improve Your Life This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla's Gigafactory Texas shared a milestone in its production as it finished its 10,000th Model Y electric vehicle that will soon deliver to dealerships for buyers to purchase from the company. It only shows that Tesla is already picking up the pace for its EV production for its many releases, something which gives a good sign for future releases including the Cybertruck. Tesla Giga Texas Milestone: 10,000 Model Ys The famous clean energy company announced earlier that it already completed its 10,00th Model Y and rolled out from Giga Texas, celebrating a milestone for the company's production of the EV. This number is only from the Gigafactory Texas to date, and more Model Y EVs are coming soon, alongside other vehicles from the company. It is one significant achievement for the company as there are many Gigafactories it has in the world, all focused on bringing new electric vehicles for release, soon available to the general public. The main focus of the Giga Texas is the company's budget SUV, as well as its future release of the electric pickup much awaited by the public from Tesla. Read Also: Tesla Cybertruck Prototype Closely Spotted by Drone Shot at Fremont Factory | What's New 10,000 Model Ys built at Giga Texas to date pic.twitter.com/4cOlnpCRa0 Tesla (@Tesla) September 17, 2022 Tesla Giga Texas Ready for the Cybertruck? (Photo : ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) According to Engadget, Tesla's primary production location of the Cybertruck would be in Giga Texas, and the recent milestone with the Model Y is a remarkable precursor which signifies the readiness of its future ventures. There is no news regarding the company's production or preparation for the Cybertruck, but this bears a good sign for the future of the Gigafactory for upcoming releases. Tesla's Gigafactories and the Cybertruck Tesla will center its Cybertruck production at the Gigafactory Texas, and it is where the anticipated electric vehicle pickup truck from the company will center its development and manufacturing. There are many leaks regarding the new EV which will be available soon, but it still faces delay for a 2022 release, with speculations on its availability next year. The company is relying on a casting machine to make the Cybertruck's "unibody" shell, coming from the 9,000-ton casting machine from the IDRA Group. Reports claim that this casting machine is in place for Giga Texas, soon producing the EV that the company promised the world long ago, with many competitors like Rivian, Ford, and GM already releasing their electric pickup trucks. Giga Texas and other gigafactories will soon deliver the Cybertruck using the casting machines in place, and it would speed up the process for its availability for all. The milestone achieved by Giga Texas for the Model Y is a good sign for the company's products in their latest gigafactory, something which would complement its future releases and manufacturing. The Cybertruck awaits the company's actions and ventures towards it, with its facilities ready to handle the workload and production. Related Article: Future Tesla Vehicles May Arrive Without Side Mirrors, Self-Driving Doesn't Need It Says Elon Musk This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sea Limited, Shopee's parent company, is reportedly laying off some workers in Indonesia, as well as in China and Singapore as it faces challenges in the market. According to the reports, the Singapore-based firm wants to win back the investors once again to mitigate its losses. The move will occur following the job cuts over the past weeks. Shopee to Layoff Employees in Three Markets (Photo : Markus Spiske from Unsplash) The e-commerce giant is reportedly axing 3% of the current workforce in three markets including Indonesia. According to Indonesian publication Kumparan, 3% of the workforce coming from three Asian markets will be axed soon. Regarding the layoffs, Shopee has already notified the staff in the affected regions about the decision. Although it's already announced that it will be taking place soon, the e-commerce titan did not reveal the specific number of employees who will leave the company. Sea Limited has been running two businesses at the same time. Aside from its popular shopping app across Southeast Asia, the corporation is also managing the mobile game "Free Fire" on the other end. "These changes are part of our ongoing efforts to optimize operating efficiency with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency across our business," Shopee said in an email. The memo suggests that the company will offer assistance and other packages needed by the staff. Amid the volatile market conditions, Sea is only one of few companies facing the aftermath of the pandemic. Since October, it has already lost about $170 billion or $239 billion (Singaporean dollar). The corporation is also on a tightrope in the competition against one of the biggest e-commerce leaders in the world: Alibaba Group Holding. Related Article: Shopee Cancels Job Offer to a Chinese Man While at the Airport in Singapore with Wife and Dog Shopee Withdraws in Europe and Latin America The global economic crisis has been hitting companies and their investments. It's no wonder why mass layoffs happen around the world because it's one of the ways that could protect them from the meltdown. According to Forrest Li, the chief executive of Sea, the top management bosses decided to ditch the compensation to adapt to the adjustments. Along with the changes in compensation, the company will also improve its policies. The Strait Times reported that Shopee is gradually withdrawing its investments from other markets, particularly in Latin America and Europe. Its connection with other countries is stained by geopolitical tension like in the case of India where Chinese firms have no reason to stay. The banning of Shopee in the country only doubles the struggle for the firm. Indeed, this was a very difficult decision to make, as the management mentioned in the internal memo. Despite that, Sea will guarantee that it will give the support that the employees need in these trying times. Read Also: Nearly 10% of Tesla Model Y Sold in August Are on 'Used' Listing in Australia This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai completed a significant upgrade to its production line as the company expanded it to deliver 22,000 units of the Model 3 and Model Y weekly from the plant. This change shows the significant capabilities of the Giga Shanghai, especially as it is the world's largest vehicle export hub with better production now. Tesla Giga Shanghai Production Expansion Now Complete (Photo : Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images) SHANGHAI,CHINA - MARCH 29: An aerial view of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory on March 29, 2021 in Shanghai, China. Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory is reportedly producing vehicles at a rate of about 450,000 cars per year. Reuters reported that Giga Shanghai's team recently completed an upgrade that aims to expand its production lines to deliver more electric vehicles to the world, soon releasing EVs to the world. Its main focus would be on the Model 3 and Model Y EVs, with the capabilities to manufacture up to 22,000 units per week. It beats the previous capacity that the plant has, but it is not yet fully ready to deliver electric vehicles a full capacity, especially as the company would have to test it first. The testing would begin by September 19, and it will ensue until November 30 from its statement. Read Also: Elon Musk: Tesla FSD Beta 10.69.2.1 Coming After AI Day, to Expand to Lower Safety Scores; 10.69.3 Follows Giga Shanghai to Produce 22K EVs Per Week The company is officially finished with upgrading the production line which aims to deliver 22,000 electric vehicles per week, something which is a new achievement for the Tesla China plant. According to InsideEVs, its Chinese foothold is known for centering on global production at the start of every quarter, and will only shift to its local deliveries towards its end. Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai At first, the public was awry about the Gigafactory Shanghai as they thought that it would have a less remarkable output compared to other gigafactories in the world. However, people who received the new Tesla Model Ys did not see any significant changes or differences with the EV. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once said that the Giga Shanghai is its most productive electric vehicle factory across the globe, having a fondness for the Chinese production plant due to its performance. The Shanghai production of the company can manufacture up to 3,000 electric vehicles per day, working at full blast. The Gigafactory over in Shanghai recently celebrated a massive milestone for the plant after it released the 1 millionth EV release of the company, citing the significant speed its overall manufacturing brings to all. It brings the total of EVs produced in the plant to 3 million, and that is massive for the almost five-year open manufacturing facility. Its many changes now aim to deliver more on the company's vehicles, centering on more productions and a high weekly rate to deliver EVs for different nearby regions. The plants reach areas like Europe and other nearby places for the Tesla cars it makes for the world. Related Article: Tesla Giga Texas Delivers its 10,000th Model Y-Is This a Good Sign for the Cybertruck? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Just recently, Lockheed Martin revealed that it delivered a 300-kilowatt laser to the Defense Department, as reported by Interesting Engineering. The laser will be for future use in Army high-energy laser demonstrations. So far, the new laser is the highest-powered one to date. (Photo : EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images) This photograph taken on June 13, 2022, shows the logo from US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin on display at the Eurosatory international land and airland defence and security trade fair, in Villepinte, a northern suburb of Paris. High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI) The laser was developed as part of the Pentagon's HELSI, which aims to expand the directed energy industrial base and boost laser beams' caliber. Lockheed was chosen by Pentagon in 2019 to scale its spectrum beam combined high energy laser structure to the 300 kW-class level as part of the HELSI project. The new laser will be used in a number of demo projects, such as the US Army's Indirect Fires Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) Demonstrator laser weapon system. It is expected that the laboratory and field testing will be conducted later this year. Rick Cordaro, Lockheed Martin's Advanced Product Solutions VP, said, "Lockheed Martin increased the power and efficiency and reduced the weight and volume of continuous-wave high energy lasers, which reduces the risk for future fielding efforts of high power laser weapon system." The laser comes with a higher energy capacity that can engage targets are more extended ranges. Additionally, it is more cost-effective as Lockheed Martin focuses on reducing the size and weight of the laser, so it becomes deployable on the ground, sea, and other air platforms. The company was picked among several vendors, and they were able to deliver within the given timeline. Also Read: Lockheed Martin Tests Layered Laser Weapon That Protects Soldiers From Large Enemy Attacks The Need for Laser Weapons Nowadays, the US military is working on achieving laser-centric warfare to keep pace with the adversarial states. Lasers are a key technology for laser weapon systems, and the Pentagon is aiming to fund directed energy weapons. The whole point of this venture is to expand the industrial base of companies that can enter into key markets in the future that deal with directed energy weapons and technologies. The US Army has also been discussing deploying laser weapons in the future. Lasers are vital for a number of futuristic battlefield operations. A laser weapon can be used to jam or disrupt enemy sensors and weapon systems. One of the major applications of laser weapons is to shoot down incoming missiles and drones. Among the advantages are that laser weapons can fire at a much faster rate compared to conventional projectiles. Hence, the laser can fire more rounds in a shorter period of time with higher accuracy. More importantly, it can take out the target without causing collateral damage to nearby structures or civilians. Lasers are also accurate and can be used for long-distance targeting. Related Article: Lockheed Martin Successfully Delivers HELIOS, US Navy Gains New Tactical Advantage This article is owned by Tech Times Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Uber blames its recent security breach and Slack attack on an infamous teenage hacking gang Lapsus$. It is worth noting that the Uber hack occurred a few days before the upcoming "Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV" of Rockstar Games massively leaked online. And the cyber attacker behind it claims to be behind the recent breach on the ride-railing app. (Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images) BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration a young man types on an illuminated computer keyboard typically favored by computer coders on January 25, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Uber Blames Security Breach to Teenage Hacking Gang Lapsus$ According to a recent report by Gizmodo, it has been a week since the internal systems of Uber experienced a breach. The breach got even more interesting as the hacker behind the Uber cyber attack claimed to be an 18-year-old teen. The attacker went on to take over the internal Slack messages of the renowned ride-hailing platform. The hacker also reportedly published a vulgar image on the internal websites of Uber accessing its internal systems. And as such, the tech giant was forced to take down some of its internal systems, as per a news story by The Verge. Besides its internal Slack, the giant ride-hailing app also took its Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services offline. (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 29: A sign is posted on the exterior of the new Uber headquarters on March 29, 2021 in San Francisco, California. A week after the Uber hack, the company now shared details regarding its recent security breach after swiftly carrying out an investigation. The tech firm now blames the security breach on a notorious hacking gang, which claims to be run by teenage folks, none other than, Lapsus$. The security update of Uber states that: "We believe that this attacker (or attackers) are affiliated with a hacking group called Lapsus$." It further adds that the cyber attacker "has been increasingly active over the last year or so." Teenage Hacking Gang Lapsus$ The Uber security update also notes that the teenage hacking gang has successfully attacked various renowned tech giants this 2022. What appears to be its latest victim believes that the hacker group is using similar techniques to breach the systems of these companies. The previous casualties of Lapsus$ are pretty serious. It includes massive firms, such as Samsung and Microsoft. Not to mention that Octa, Cisco, and Nvidia, to name a few, also suffered from similar attacks this year. Read Also: Uber Security Update: User Data Safe, 'No Evidence' of Access-All Features Operational Same Culprit for 'GTA VI' Rockstar Games Leak? The latest statement of the ride-hailing app mentions that reports point out that the attackers in the massive "GTA VI" leak are also the culprit behind the Uber breach. However, Gizmodo says that Rockstar Games has yet to confirm if Lapsus$ was also responsible for its recent breach. Related Article: Uber Security Breach: Hacker Claims to Access its Internal Systems This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A report from Reuters confirmed that Amazon will postpone its Spanish expansion until 2024. This includes the delay in construction of the new warehouses in the country. (Photo : THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images) A picture shows the Amazon logo on the frontage of an Amazon's centre in Bretigny-sur-Orge, on December 14, 2021. The reason for this sudden postponement is the slowed-down income and the decrease of online consumers post-pandemic. El Confidential, a publication from Spain, has reported this as they cited unidentified sources inside the company. At least 10 million square feet of space from Amazon were in the plans to sublet because of this same reason. Investors were shocked as growth of sales were slower than usual, which led the company to cost cutting such as postponement and delays of opening warehouses. As Amazon stated in the email that has been sent to Reuters, the commitment of the company in the country will remain. They added, "In 2022, we have opened new logistics stations, Amazon Fresh hubs and a logistics centre in Spain." No added information was given regarding the postponement. Other Postponements and Abandoned Projects Aside from Spain, Amazon also abandoned other facilities in the United States that are currently in the works or in the middle of planning. A report from Benzinga stated that over 42 facilities will not be opening after its announcements. Delayed openings for other warehouses were also reported as the constructions were either still unfinished or halted by the company. Hanover and Essex's Amazon delivery stations are currently in the works of shutting down where almost 300 employees will be affected. (Photo : KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images) Amazon and union workers attend rally outside the company building on April 24, 2022 in the Staten Island borough of New York City. - A recent push for worker unionization has gained traction and found some major successes in the United States. Founder and President of MWPL International Marc Wulfraat said that "There remains some serious cutting to do before year-end -- in North America and the rest of the world. But, having said this, they continue to go live with new facilities this year at an astonishing pace." Wulfraat also added that the announcement of closing establishments of Amazon are mostly delivery stations and smaller buildings. Currently, 1,200 logistics small and large facilities operate in the United States. As per Amazon Spokesperson Maria Boschetti, some of the closings of the company buildings, warehouses, and delivery stations were part of the shifting of the company to producing and constructing modern buildings. She stated, "We regularly look at how we can improve the experience for our employees, partners, drivers, and customers, and that includes upgrading our facilities." Also Read: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Supports Remote and Hybrid Work, No Plans on Returning to Office Amazon's Goal Yahoo Finance reported that Amazon is expecting its third-quarter net sales will start at $125 billion to $130 billion, which is 4% percent higher than their 13% year-over-year sales. Last Monday, the company's shares traded lower by 0.20% or $128.28. Related Article: Former Amazon Employee Found Guilty Over CapitalOne Breach in 2019 This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Inno Flores 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Singapore's Genesis Architects is aiming to build more of its project for Ukraine, particularly bomb-resistant homes, to protect the victims of the attacks from hostile forces during this present conflict. The project comes from architects Rudy Taslim and Lam Bao Yan, who use their expertise to design cost-effective homes in Ukraine for its citizens to live in and get shelter from many external forces present. Singapore's Genesis Architects' Project in Ukraine (Photo : Genesis Architects via Instagram) The Straits Times reported that two architects are now centering their projects on creating homes for Ukrainians, and it would help place them in mobile houses that would fit their needs. The couple's expertise in architecture helped them design a home that fits the European Union standards and uses locally-sourced materials. These mobile homes are made out of pine woods and styrofoam blocks, for starters, and they would help make a durable shelter for Ukrainians in need. It would also help in keeping them warm come the cold winter of the country, a season that is coming soon for all. Modular homes come with standard living needs like living area, toilet, and kitchen, with the capability to be interconnected and build larger homes. It is a cost-effective mobile home that is slightly bigger than container homes. Read Also: Jeff Bezos, Marc Andreesen Respond to Elon Musk's Tweet About Turning Twitter HQ into a Homeless Shelter Free, Bomb-Resistant Homes for Ukrainians According to Singapore Magazine, Taslim and Lam ventured to Ukraine last May and August, and it showed them the conditions which Ukrainians were forced to live in, due to the war. This sparked an idea for the architects to create homes that are bomb-resistant, as there is no way of telling when and where these weapons would come near them or drop above. Additionally, the firm is making these for free, with 200 homes already made, aiming to create 500 homes come wintertime. Ukraine and Russia's Conflict It is no doubt that those who suffer from conflicts and wars like this are the citizens who cannot even live their daily lifestyles and continue with their goals and aspirations. There was much humanitarian aid that came for Ukrainians who were left to scavenge for their survival daily, something which this conflict brought upon its innocent citizens. Many companies like Google, Intel, Microsoft, and more denounced the ongoing conflict from its early beginnings, but this did not stop Russia from its goals to get what it wants from Ukraine. Many were already pushed to the edge and brought a significant stand against Russia's efforts against Ukraine in the past few months, centering on this war. The United States already sanctioned Russia for its actions and part of it is the limit to technology access from American companies and products, now losing processors and the like. There were many efforts to help Ukrainians gain access to basic needs in the modern world, but one of the most important things now is a place they can call home and feel safe every day. This effort by Genesis Architect's Taslim and Lam is a massive effort to give Ukrainians what they need, especially in the coming days ahead. Related Article: Richest Man in Ukraine is Helping His Country's War Against Russia by Producing Portable Steel War Shelters This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS) took a photo of Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand, as reported by SciTechDaily. The photo offers a straight-down view of the mountain. (Photo : Phil Walter/Getty Images) WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 18: The crater lake of Mount Ruapehu showing the path the Lahar took ( bottom left) after breaking the crater wall on Mount Ruapehu on March 18, 2007 in the National Park, New Zealand. The lake levels rose, causing the crater rim to collapse to send the mudflow (Lahar) down the mountain. Mount Ruapehu Mount Ruapehu is a stratovolcano and is the tallest mountain on the North Island. A stratovolcano is a conical volcano made up of layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and pumice. The photo shows the Crater Lake that holds all the clues to what's going on in the volcano. Crater Lake is heated by a hydrothermal system that remains warm all year round and is highly acidic. Prolonged temperature spikes in the lake may be a sign of impending volcanic activity. You can view the photos here. Mount Ruapehu has been dormant since 2011, but recently, it started to show signs of unrest again as volcanologists started to detect moderate tremors in March 2022. They issued an alert about heightened volcanic activity and took periodic lake temperature measurements and sulfur dioxide emission samples to track the changes. During this time, volcanologists detected magmatic intrusion beneath the volcano, which suggested that magma was slowly rising under the volcano, but it stopped. As a result, scientists suggested that the eruption may have increased within the Crater Lake basin. Recently in July, the temperatures and emissions dropped to a level that is enough to lower the volcanic alert level. Also Read: Looming Eruption Prompts Warning To Stay Away From New Zealand's Lord Of The Rings Volcano Monitoring Mount Ruapehu Mount Ruapehu sits at a high altitude above sea level, but right now, the high altitude is a hindrance to scientists who want to observe what's going on. The low-resolution satellite images are not enough to tell the team how deep the magma is or if there are signs of unrest in the volcano. The volcano is one of the most frequently monitored volcanoes on the planet with satellite data, ground-based geodetic monitoring, and other techniques. On the other hand, the lake is unique because it is a closed body of water that only receives water from rainfall and snow, which allows scientists to measure the temperature of the hydrothermal system. It is also helpful for measuring the emission of sulfur dioxide, which is the first sign of an increase in volcanic activity. Volcano activity may lead to pyroclastic flows, which are very dangerous. When a volcano becomes active and experiences an eruption, it can produce sudden, intense releases of ash, rock, and gases. The gas and ash are propelled into the air, which then falls back onto the ground as hot ash flows. All of these can lead to debris flows, mudflows, and avalanches, which can cause damage to transport systems, buildings, and the environment. The photos taken by the ISS are helpful for tracking volcanic activity and alerting people of potential risks. Related Article: LOOK: Massive Volcano Eruption Seen From Space This article is owned by Tech Times Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Do Kwon, the co-founder of the failed crypto Terraform Labs, is the subject of a request from South Korean authorities to Interpol for the issuance of a "Red Notice" since his whereabouts are unknown, according to a report by The Financial Times. Where is Do Kwon? The crypto founder was previously thought to be in Singapore. However, on Saturday, the Singapore Police Force told the press that Kwon was no longer in the country. A Red Notice asks law enforcement agencies all around the world to find and temporarily detain a suspect pending extradition, surrender, or other legal action. However, Kwon previously tweeted that he is not hiding from anyone and is in "full cooperation" with the authorities. "I am not 'on the run or anything similar - for any government agency that has shown interest to communicate, we are in full cooperation and we don't have anything to hide," Kwon said in a tweet. "We are in the process of defending ourselves in multiple jurisdictions - we have held ourselves to an extremely high bar of integrity, and look forward to clarifying the truth over the next few months." I am not on the run or anything similar - for any government agency that has shown interest to communicate, we are in full cooperation and we dont have anything to hide Do Kwon (@stablekwon) September 17, 2022 But this doesn't seem to be the case after South Korean prosecutors asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice for the Terra CEO. South Korean officials issued an arrest warrant for Kwon last week on fraud-related allegations after the value of UST, the stablecoin used by Kwon's network, and its sibling token LUNA had a meltdown in May. The nation acted to cancel his passport after issuing the arrest order. $40 billion in investor capital was lost as a result of the massive meltdown. These investors, who lost their whole life savings in the crash, filed complaints accusing the company of running a Ponzi scheme. Read also: Terra 2.0: Luna Cryptocurrency Is Back After $40 Billion Collapse - Is it Faring Better This Time? "Clearly on the Run" The Financial Times was informed by a representative for the Seoul prosecutors' office that they are making every effort to find and apprehend him. "He is clearly on the run as his company's key finance people also left for the same country during that time," the spokesperson said in a statement. Kwon has not yet responded to the prosecution's request for Interpol's assistance in locating him. His most recent tweets on Twitter, which refuted claims that he was attempting to evade authorities, were still from the weekend, with his location set to Singapore. Related Article: CryptoWatch: Bitcoin Dominates, DeFi Market Logs Big Losses, and Terra 2.0 is Launched This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Energy-saving measures can be a good way to improve the whole economy in the UK, according to the latest research from Cambridge Econometrics. The study finds that pursuing "green" upgrades to households can create 140,000 new jobs in the next decade, as well. Home Insulation (Photo : Erik Mclean from Unsplash) UK researchers reveal the importance of insulating every home in the country. According to a report by The Guardian, there are already initial plans that encourage homes to have insulation. Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK chancellor, says that more plans on how to address the economy will be tackled on Friday, Sept. 23. The British government is preparing to provide a heat pump to each household at 5,000 ($5,709). However, every homeowner should meet a requirement for the home insulation, specifically since the price of the service will fall from 7,000 to 15,000 ($7,993 to $17,128). The report suggests that government support for this does not currently exist. Energy-Saving Measures Can Contribute to Economic Growth Last week, Energy Live News reported that the UK was facing a difficult situation because of the increasing energy bills. The problem is projected to worsen if the government won't address this issue. Per Cambridge Econometrics' research "Economic Impacts of Decarbonising Heating in Residential Buildings," the country could generate more jobs for the people by focusing on bringing energy-saving measures. Aside from improving the economy, the "green" upgrades can also pave the way for more social and health benefits to the citizens. The Guardian notes that people who dwell in "under-heated" homes can frequently acquire a disease. Those people who live in well-insulated homes can see an improvement in their well-being. To support the distribution of insulation and heat pumps to households, the UK government will need 4.2 billion ($4.8 billion) for this project in 2030. Meanwhile, a total of 9.3 billion ($10.6 billion)will be spent by households during this period. The modeling says that a lower heating cost will yield 11 billion ($12.6 billion) in savings for the homes. All in all, the government will need a total amount of 27.7 billion ($31.6 billion) from this year up to 2030. This investment cost will provide heat pumps and insulation to the communities. Related Article: Britain Promises NO MORE Coal-Generated Electricity By 2024-Calls Out Governments To Follow Its Action Insulation Can Save Energy Bills Since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia erupted, global gas prices have started to skyrocket. The crisis has heavily hit some countries which are dependent on them. The experts claim that insulating each home is an effective method to a cheaper energy bill. Although environmental activists are urging it to be implemented, the government has not yet made a move to make it happen. Over the past year, there's been a 50% decline in the insulation rates for households in England. If the administration wants to step up, it should provide cost-effective measures that will benefit all the people within the society. Read Also: New Survey Shows That 100% of the UK Car Buyers Are Willing to Switch to Electric Vehicles As Long As They Are Affordable. This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After launching its mission to Mars successfully, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is setting its eye on another ambitious space target: flying to the Moon. The nation intends to send its first expedition to the Moon in November this year, 2022. According to a report by UAE's The National News, the spacecraft, known as Rashid, will be deployed between November 9 and 15 from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida. When is the Exact Launch Date? Dr. Hamad Al Marzooqi, mission manager at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said that the probe would be deployed on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and be placed into lunar orbit by a Japanese ispace lander. However, officials have stated that the precise launch date will be revealed at a later time. "We've finished with the testing of the rover and we are happy with the results. The rover has been integrated with the lander and it is ready for launch," Dr. Al Marzooqi said in a statement. If the moon mission is successful, the UAE and Japan will join the ranks of the US, Russia, and China as countries that have sent a spacecraft to the lunar surface. The mission is a part of the UAE's larger aim to become a key participant in the field of space research. The Rashid rover is planned to investigate the moon's surface, surface movement, and interactions between various surfaces and lunar particles. Two high-resolution cameras, a probe, a tiny camera, a thermal imaging camera, and other gadgets will be carried by the 10-kilogram (22-pound) rover. The Emirates space agency gained notoriety when it launched the Hope probe and succeeded in placing it in the Martian orbit during its first mission. Hence, this will be the country's second huge exploration. The UAE also intends to build the most modern commercial satellite in the Middle East to create high-resolution satellite imagery. UAE also set an ambitious objective of creating a human colony on the Red Planet by 2117. Read also: NASA's MAVEN and UAE's Mars Mission Discover a Patchy Aurora on the Red Planet UAE Teams up with China The announcement comes at the heels of the China National Space Agency (CNSA) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) signing a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on future moon missions last Friday, Sept. 16. The UAE has made a deliberate effort to increase its space presence, as seen by the Emirates Lunar Mission and the recently announced collaboration with China. For instance, in the fall of 2019, the country dispatched Hazza Al Mansouri, its first astronaut, to the International Space Station. Sultan AlNeyadi, another UAE astronaut, will go to the orbiting lab as part of SpaceX's Crew-6 mission for NASA next year and stay there for six months. Related Article: Dubai Unveils a Spectacular $5 Billion Moon-Themed Luxury Resort This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. With the help of the e-commerce platform Farmers Business Network, a business with the financial support of a wealthy Brazilian family will provide US farmers with robots that spray pesticides and fertilizer, according to a report by Bloomberg. However, these are not your regular robots. They are autonomous, solar-powered, and AI-driven! Combining Agrochemicals and Robotics These robots are built to only apply fertilizer and weed killer in areas where it is needed. The technique is already being employed in Brazil, and the company claims it can cut product consumption by as much as 70%. As a result of the agreement, both businesses will collaborate with US farmers to market the robot and create fresh strategies for combining agrochemicals with robotics technology. The wealthy Brazilian Trajano family, who built their money in retail, supports Solinftec. The startup's technology makes the most effective use of herbicides and seeds by analyzing crops and weather data using artificial intelligence. With the partnership, Solinftec claims it can service more than 124 million acres in the following years, which is higher than its existing service area of 22 million acres (8.9 million hectares). Read also: 'World's Most Advanced Humanoid Robot' Conversation Video Addresses Fear of World Takeover How the Robot Works In order to help the grower make informed decisions regarding their fields, the automated equipment will scan the crops and record their growth rates, plant health, and the prevalence of any weeds. The robot works well with a variety of row crops, including maize, soybeans, cotton, wheat, canola, and many more, and is best suited for farms with a size of 500 acres or less, as per No-Till Farmer. The scouting and sprayer robots from Solinftec were also designed to help farmers use fewer chemicals, leaving a smaller carbon footprint. In addition to the ones being tested this year, the company already has 30 robots to deliver to producers in spring 2023, according to Leonardo Carvalho, director of operations for Solinftec. Solinftec sold roughly $27 million in green bonds this year and secured a $60 million investment from private equity investors The Lightsmith Group and Unbox Capital, which looks after investments for the Trajano family. The company anticipates reaching a $1 billion valuation by the time of the series C round, which will take place at the end of this year, according to Bloomberg. Related Article: Robot Dogs: 'Pack Assistants' Now Equipped With Surveillance Technologyb But What's the Concern? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms that the Optimus humanoid robot project needs some helping hand from the Autopilot team. The tech boss wants to prioritize the Tesla Bot project this time around. Tesla Bot Project is the Priority (Photo : Tesla) Tesla's Autopilot team is reportedly working on Optimus at the moment. The Autopilot feature, the selling point of Tesla's electric cars, has been a controversial topic so far. Last week, Tech Times reported that a plaintiff from California had sued the automaker because of its misleading claims regarding this FSD and Autopilot package. It could be remembered that the company has promised that the Autopilot technology and Full Self-Driving feature would be coming to the EV models. However, the car manufacturer only failed to deliver them and missed its goals to its customers. Other than that, Tesla has previously announced the arrival of one million robotaxis in late 2022. Immediately, it changed its plans to improve the overall FSD package, which is still considered in development at the moment. Going back to the humanoid robot project, some people believe that Tesla will have a drastic shift in its priority this time. It turns out that the company is currently focusing on bringing what's best for the Optimus venture. According to a report by Electrek on Tuesday, Sept. 20, Musk and his team are planning to revamp its self-driving feature for the robot. However, since Tesla always breaks its promises, many customers are worried that it won't happen anytime, just like what it did to the FSD Beta program. At one point, Musk was asked about the progress of the Autopilot fix last time. The billionaire answered that people would need to wait for some time because the Autopilot team is currently handling the Optimus program. The deadline for the AI team will be at the end of the month. It turns out that this falls on the Tesla AI Day 2. Sooner or later, we might finally see what's in store behind this robot prototype. Aside from that, the company could be preparing to introduce the revamped Autopark features and "Smart Summon" to the audience. The Trouble in Operating Robots For many years, we have seen a huge number of companies exploring the world of robotics--Tesla is one of them. However, handling robots comes with unpredictability, unlike EVs, which rely on FSD. "Self-driving cars weren't really proved to be as easy as anyone thought. And it's the same way with humanoid robots to some extent," Shaun Azimi, NASA's Dexterous Robotics Team lead, said in an interview with Reuters. If Tesla wants to leave a lasting impression on the crowd, it should double its effort in presenting "unscripted" actions for its robots, per Arizona State University professor Nancy Cooke. Related Article: Tesla Optimus as Gift for Old People? Elon Musk Talks About Humanoid Bot What Can the Optimus Robot Do? Musk says that the Optimus will be assigned to do dangerous tasks, particularly inside the plants. He adds that the company is doing its best to leverage AI so it can produce cheaper yet more effective humanoids in the future. As of writing, the company has several job postings for "Tesla Bot." It is currently looking for robot designers, engineers, and other related positions. Read Also: Tesla Bot Concepts Appear to be 'Unfeasible,' Experts Say | No Humanoid Robots Anymore? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The delirious series of Theo James in which he goes out naked almost all the time and of which (almost) nobody talks Lara Nicholson writes for The Advocate as a Report for America Corps Member. Email her at lnicholson@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter @LaraNicholson_. To learn more about Report for America and to support our journalism, please click here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Im writing this on Wangal land and Id like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay my respect to their elders, past and present. Im defined by many identities, and one is that Im the granddaughter of migrants who settled on stolen land. Its never lost on me that both my maternal and paternal grandparents chose to begin a new life in a place with a 40,000-year history of oral storytelling. I come from a family of storytellers and thats how Looking for Alibrandi came to be. In my family, stories about the past were a given: at Sunday lunch with the extended family; whilst travelling to the Burdekin where my mum grew up; or with my sisters on our parents bed every night, talking over each others voices. I wasnt always an attentive listener. My greatest regret is ignoring my maternal grandfathers stories because by the time I wanted to write about a girl discovering what life was like for her grandfather in an Australian internment camp during World War Two, my Nonno had been diagnosed with Alzheimers and it seemed as if we had lost a library. Volumes of stories about arriving in this country as a young man in the 1920s, buying a horse, getting a tattoo, and being interned, even though he was a British subject. So, I wrote about my Nonna instead, and thats why Looking for Alibrandi is about three women. I often wonder about that other book. Melina Marchetta in 1994, two years after Looking for Alibrandi was published. Credit:Sahlan Hayes This year marks the novels 30th anniversary and Ive spent a large chunk of it searching for manuscripts and articles and interviews. Its made me feel incredibly nostalgic. Its made me miss my dad and my grandparents. Its made me remember how suffocated I felt when I was a teenager, yet there was never a moment when I felt unloved and that has counted for so much. And I remember shame because shame lives very close under the thin skin of memory. I started writing because I was a lover of books from the age of seven, but never found myself in the pages of a novel. When you dont have an identity outside your extended family then you question your worth a lot more than someone who is constantly reassured by positive and warm representations of themselves in books, films, TV, mainstream media and national legends and heroes. Id like to say that cultural representation has become a bit better, but we are in the year 2022, so I have a problem with a bit better. I want to say we need to do better. And thats where the memory of shame comes from. Back then I didnt resent those people who left us out or who called us names. I resented myself. Theres an element of self-loathing that comes with being omitted from the narrative of your own society. At the time of writing Alibrandi, I belonged to a community of extended family. Our world was defined by culture and religion and we spent our weekends going to weddings and christenings and, of course, visiting my paternal grandparents. We called their home Nonnas because, despite everything, my paternal grandmother dominated and no one overshadowed her. I was a wallflower with a very outspoken inner voice that I allowed no one to hear. Back then, I knew three things in life: what it was like to belong to an Italian family, Catholic schooling and Sydney, particularly the inner-west. So, its no surprise that I wrote about a girl from an Italian family who lived in Sydney and went to a Catholic school. Josie Alibrandi was a combination of my two clever, vibrant sisters and me. She spoke words out loud that I had stored in my head forever. I understood every fibre of her being. She was my mouthpiece to the world and I will be forever grateful that she came calling. Australian author Melina Marchettas debut novel, Looking for Alibrandi, was made into an award-winning Australian film. I wrote the novel in my bedroom in my family home. Its the home where Im writing now as my daughter and I have lived with my mum for the past two years. So, the memories are rife. Of my first computer, after spending years on an electric typewriter. Of floppy discs that lost chapters of work. I remember looking up the yellow pages and ringing publishers. What did I have to do to submit a manuscript? The response was always the same. Typed, double-spaced, with a synopsis. Oh, and by the way, We receive 2000 unsolicited manuscripts a year and we accept about one or two of them. To be honest, I had never excelled at anything except a sprinting career in kindy and year 2. I had finished high school at the end of year 10 with nothing significant said about who I was going to be. I was a typist in a bank. What chance did I have of getting a novel published in the 80s? Advertisement Back then there wasnt really a genre called YA and, of course, there were few novels about a teenager from a non-Anglo/Celtic background. The manuscript was rejected about six or seven times during a four-year period. By the time I received any good news about it, I was working in a low-paying travel job and taking advantage of $25 plane tickets to travel the world any time I could. Those journeys, mostly on my own, were my greatest lessons in life and an escape from the smallness of my world. Im not sure who that girl was running through Red Square in the former Soviet Union, but she sort of impresses me these days. Pia Miranda, Elena Cotta and Greta Scacchi in a still from the film Looking for Albrandi. The week Looking for Alibrandi came out in September 1992, I was in my second year of university studying teaching. I failed a King Lear essay that week. I also remember a Korean cult declaring the end of the world on the very same day as the novels release, so I went into the experience with a sense of doom. Ive said often that Alibrandi is bigger than I am, and Ive spent the past 30 years trying to deal with, escape, reconcile, and embrace its great importance to me. I havent read it since I was forced to teach it for the HSC, because in the world of English teaching, theres nothing worse than marking 100 essays about your novel. Ive tried often to work out what it is about Josie Alibrandi that has stood the test of time. In a novel where theres no social media or mobile phones, set before the #MeToo movement and 9/11, how has she managed to find an audience in the past three decades? Perhaps its because many of us, regardless of culture and socio-economic status, grapple with our identity, with wanting to be accepted, and with being the underdog. Josie bucked the system whilst desperately wanting to be part of it. And of course, she didnt have it all, which made her relatable. It meant that readers were willing to go on the journey with her. Chanella Macri and Lucia Mastrantone in Looking For Alibrandi on the stage. Credit:Jeff Busby In the 2000 feature film, Pia Miranda brought something magical to her different to my Josie, but just as engaging and passionate. It became a very personal project for me, with my Nonnas house being used as Katias and my sister and parents in various scenes. Many of the students from the school where I was teaching at the time were extras and I loved that Sydney was shown as a functional city, and part of everyday life. More than anything, Ive always loved that Josie was the first female lead in an Australian film in the 21st century. Im not sure what Alibrandis legacy will be, but I love that women of colour, and those from non-English-speaking backgrounds, have expressed to me how important the novel was to them and how it inspired their own writing journey. Not because I was writing directly about their cultural experience, but because I was writing about the other. And much like the telling of their own stories, it was my story to tell. Advertisement Ive asked myself often, would readers have felt the same way about the novel if it wasnt written by me - an Australian girl at the time, whose father was born in Sicily and whose maternal grandparents were born in Sicily? What if it was written today? The same book with everything youve loved about it, except for one not-so-tiny detail. What if it was written by an Anglo or Celtic Australian? Yet, when theatre director, Stephen Nicolazzo, who identifies as queer Italo-Australian, introduced me to Vidya Rajan, a young Australian writer who identifies as Indian/Tamil, the vibrancy and the humour in her words shone. When Stephen cast Chanella Macri, an Australian Samoan-Italian actress, she asked him if he was sure, because she wasnt the Josie everyone knows. His response was that in 2022 she definitely was and I knew they were the right people to guide the story into this part of the century This week, my daughter is doing a speech about travelling back in time. If it was possible, I know Id travel back to September 1992. Id tell that girl whos awaiting the release of her novel that failing King Lear isnt such a big deal, that the world is always going to feel as if its going to end, so learn to deal with it. Id tell her that shes smart and worthy and beautiful and that her words will bring solace to others. That she will teach her own novel, that she will watch Alibrandi in Taormina with her parents, in the town where her dad was born, and that it will still be studied three decades on and that more than anything, no one is ever going to confuse her about where she belongs. Melina Marchetta at her Sydney home. Credit:Wolter Peeters And soon Ill be ready to open those pages again with my daughter, because I want us to read it together, in the way I know its been shared between many young people and their parents. Bs growing up in a different world now, one where our names arent anglicised (although still mispronounced) and sadly, where some of those who were called names, are the name-callers. My daughter will understand Josie because shes lived in a three-generational household herself and because there are complexities in her own life and identity. But for now, well watch the stage play together at Belvoir Street Theatre. Three generations of Marchetta women, as well as my sisters, nephews, brother-in-law, cousins and friends. I belong to a larger community now, one defined by so much more than the one I grew up in. Forever grateful, on Wangal land. Loading Looking for Alibrandi is at Belvoir St Theatre from October 1 to November 6. To read more from Spectrum, visit our page here. A former senior National Australia Bank employee has denied she acted alone in defrauding the bank of millions as she gave evidence against her alleged accomplice in court. Rosemary Rogers, a former chief of staff to the banks chief executives, has told the NSW District Court trial of Sydney businesswoman Helen Rosamond, whose company Human Group organised events for NAB, that she approved inflated invoices from Human Group as part of a fraudulent scheme with Rosamond. Rosemary Rogers and Helen Rosamond. Credit:Nick Moir/Louise Kennerley She denied on Tuesday that she had lied about Rosamonds alleged involvement in her deception of the bank. The jury has previously heard Rogers received a prison sentence in 2020 after pleading guilty to 27 counts of corruptly receiving a benefit and five of obtaining a financial advantage by deception. Rogers has told the court she received the benefits, including a house deposit, a BMW and a boat, from Rosamond, and she understood the cost of those gifts was covered by NAB when she approved Human Groups invoices. Loading The WHOs highest alarm is to declare a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC. It did this in January 2020. Unfortunately, just about everyone ignored it, so in March the WHO then had to unofficially declare a pandemic so people would sit up and pay attention. This is an example of the term pandemic being used politically rather than scientifically. And that should instantly make us sceptical about those who seek to declare it finished or unfinished. If declaring a pandemic over is as much a political act as anything, we should ask: who wins and who loses? The pandemic being over is very good for people who own vacant office blocks or cruise ships. Its very good for political leaders facing elections like President Biden. Its not so good for vaccine manufacturers (whose stock prices dropped on Bidens declaration) or scientists or journalists. Most importantly, its not good for people in insecure work who dont get paid sick leave and suddenly find themselves cut off from government isolation payments. vaccine manufacturers stock dropped on Bidens declaration. Credit:AP To extend this, consider all the globally-circulating viruses society does not think of as pandemics, such as HIV or hepatitis C. Every scientist in the world would tell you they are pandemics, says Professor Peter White, an expert on the history of pandemics at the University of NSW. These viruses most affect marginalised minorities gay men and drug users people who White points out are often portrayed as marginalised populations, doing naughty things who dont deserve to be given any respite. It is society that ends pandemics, not biology. The end arrives when daily life is no longer majorly disrupted by the disease, rather than when the disease disappears, says Tiarne Barratt, who has been studying responses to pandemics throughout history at the University of NSW. Nineteenth-century England used to celebrate a general decline in cholera epidemics and a return to life as normal with a day of thanksgiving. Modern England celebrated Freedom Day in mid-2021 when the government dropped COVID restrictions. From this perspective, therefore, we could consider the COVID-19 pandemic over now, as the disruption to daily life and state of emergency has passed, says Barratt. Lets recall Bidens quote: If you notice, no ones wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. One way of reading this is that Biden is saying the pandemic is over because we are treating it as though it is. This makes some sense. In Australia, our lives have returned to something close to what they were before 2020, with a bit of extra virus-hygiene. Media monitoring data from Streem somewhat backs this up, suggesting COVID media coverage remains high but other things capture our attention too now, such as the war in Ukraine, politics and the death of the Queen. Give me the numbers Globally, the rolling average of confirmed COVID-19 deaths is as low as it has been since early 2020. Globally, new cases hover at around half a million a day. Exclude the Omicron spike of early 2022 and thats about where weve been since the virus became established in the population. The below graph is really telling us the virus is here to stay. But the global view obscures whats happening locally. Look at Australias death rate in isolation, you could see these numbers and conclude our pandemic is just starting. Weve had a particularly unusual pandemic trajectory, says Professor Jodie McVernon, director of epidemiology at the Doherty Institute. Weve gone from nothing to worse. Most people have gone from horrendous to less. And thats a difficult headspace for many Australians. What is to come? Best case, says University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, our current variant BA.5 is as evolutionarily as good-as-it-gets. We will get waves of infection caused by waning immunity, but each time it comes back, the effect on us will be less severe. (I tend to think this unlikely virologists dont believe the virus has explored all its possible mutations; BA2.75.2 is already making scientists nervous.) Mid-case scenario: the virus continues to spit out increasingly antibody-evasive variants. Each one causes a new wave of infections. Thats not too bad, says Blakely, as those infections coupled with vaccination should provide good ongoing protection against serious illness. This has been our experience so far a new variant means a new wave of sickness but not necessarily a higher rate of deaths. Worst-case scenario: a black-swan. The virus throws a variant that is more antibody evasive and more lethal. Were all back to working from home and wearing masks. We need to accept as a society that we cant rule that out, says Blakely. We need to know thats there in case we need it. Declaring something a pandemic spurs people to action. Some fear that if we say the pandemic is over, complacency will set in. People might be less likely to mask up and vaccinate in general. Loading If the pandemic is over means we just go back to the way everything was, I think weve lost an opportunity, says McVernon. The important commonality between Blakelys three scenarios is that the virus will always be with us, and there will always be some level of suffering, long after we as a society have moved on. Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy erroneously referred to King Arthur as an example of the British monarchys proud history, notes George Zivkovic of Northmead. Everyone knows the lineage dates from King Viserys. The food title tiff continues. Anne Cook (C8) says Americans refer to pumpkin as squash, says Ros Bilbe of Lindfield. Has she never heard of pumpkin pie? Squash pie just doesnt have the same ring to it, somehow. John Woodward of Ashfield expects Cinderella returning home from the ball would have been literally squashed. Catherine DeMayo of Oatley thinks Warren Menteith (C8) may be yanking the wrong chain: Certainly call fruit and herbs by their Aussie names, Warren, but this may not be the fault of an errant American pawpaw and papaya are not the same fruit. The papaya is redder smaller and more oval, the pawpaw larger, yellower and rounder. So, the US cooking show may well have been using the former. Its not spring onion (C8), nor is it scallion. That what you speak about is a syboe! says John Elder, a MacIntosh man from Annerley (Qld) who adds, Yes, we did eat salad! Cue the tatties and neeps debate. Despite yesterdays devout support for the safari suit (C8), there are times when its just not on. Jack Dikian of Mosman remembers, The safari suit was sold as the go-anywhere attire for suave gentlemen who mixed work with play in the 70s. But when my late father wore his pale blue polyester fashion blunder to the one occasion youd think the suit was made for, Tarongas Western Plains Zoo, he was almost turned away. Apparently, stampeding bulls also see blue. Satellites could soon be launched into orbit from Toowoombas Wellcamp airport, but observers hoping to see rockets fired into the sky will be greeted by a more familiar sight a jumbo jet hurtling down the runway before taking off. Albeit with a giant rocket attached to its underbelly. Virgin Orbit launches its rockets from an airborne modified Boeing 7474-400. Credit:Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit signed a memorandum of understanding with the Wagner Corporation on Tuesday to launch satellites from a modified Boeing 747-400, which would take off from the Wagner-owned airport. The 21.3-metre LauncherOne rockets are dropped mid-air before their engines ignite, sending them into orbit. Two teenagers have been charged after a stolen white Mercedes-Benz was tracked speeding on a motorway and driving on footpaths in Greater Brisbane. The vehicle, bearing false number plates, was tracked by a police helicopter across Greater Brisbane from Redbank just after 9am on Tuesday. The Mercedes-Benz was seen travelling at high speed, at times on the wrong side of the road, overtaking vehicles within the Ipswich area. A police vehicle had minor damage to the bumper while trying to stop the Mercedes-Benz about 10am on John Street at Rosewood. An elevated sky rail station at Melbourne Airport is planned as part of the long-awaited $13 billion airport rail link project. The Victorian government revealed the proposal in its latest infrastructure pitch, which also promises a new station in Keilor East to link 150,000 people in the Moonee Valley area to the Victorian rail network. An artists impression of a new elevated station to connect the $13 billion airport rail link to Melbourne Airport. The government said the project, which will also include 12 kilometres of new track, an elevated rail bridge over the busy M80 Freeway and major upgrades to Sunshine Station, will be completed by 2029. An artists impression provided by the government shows the new station will connect to the airport near terminals 3 and 4. The beachside strip of Surf Parade has some of Inverlochs hottest real estate, but according to the latest government modelling coastal erosion will engulf dozens of houses in the Bass Coast town in the coming decades. Some properties on Surf Parade, which is separated from the beach by a thin sliver of dunes, are listed for sale with $2 million-plus price tags, and construction is hammering ahead on some blocks. Aerial shot of the Inverloch coastline showing how close the houses on Surf Parade are to the ocean. Credit:Eddie Jim Maps modelling the impact of climate change on Inverloch, released as part of the Environment Departments cape to cape resilience project, show that erosion would cover hundreds of metres of Surf Parade and eat into about a dozen private properties if the sea level rises 0.5 metres by 2070. By 2040, the modelling shows the surf lifesaving club building surrounded entirely with a 0.2 metre sea level rise. By 2100, erosion would reach more than 40 houses at Surf Parade and beyond with a 0.8 metre rise. Maritime unions and sea pilot representatives have raised safety concerns about a firm at the centre of a major safety probe that has been granted approval to operate at the Port of Melbourne. Australias transport safety bureau is probing the May breakaway and near-breakaway of two ships steered by employees of Poseidon Sea Pilots. Poseidons arrival will fuel competition and has caused angst among the cluster of firms who employ the pilots who guide giant ships through Melbournes ports and avoid dangerous supply chain-clogging crashes. Pilots have an intimate knowledge of Port Philip Bays shipping channels. Credit:Jessica Shapiro Poseidon recently won a $250 million contract to be the sole operator at the Port of Brisbane. Australian Maritime Officers Union executive officer Mark Davis, whose union represents Poseidon pilots, repeatedly raised objections about the firms training of staff which relies on computer simulators over on-water experience. Former West Coast Eagles premiership player Michael Braun, who was charged with three counts of breaching a family violence restraining order, has had his charges dropped by police. The 44-year-old faced Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after being charged with breaching a family violence restraining order on three occasions in March in Trigg. Ex-Eagles midfielder Michael Braun has had his charges discontinued. Credit:Getty Images The charges were laid against him in May, just months after confirming his split from wife, Bree Johnson. He pleaded not guilty earlier this year. The split was reported as amicable, with the couple selling their Trigg family home for $4.3 million in November 2021. Australians have cut their support for a republic to 46 per cent and want more time to decide on the divisive change after marking the death of Queen Elizabeth with an extraordinary endorsement of her time as the nations head of state. Voters have shifted in favour of the status quo when asked to decide a yes or no question on the difficult reform at a time of global attention on the Queens funeral and the transition to King Charles reign, shattering the narrow majority for change a similar survey revealed in January. Support for an Australian republic has dropped following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Credit:AP, Getty Images The exclusive findings show that only one state, Victoria, would back a republic and would do so with a tiny majority of 50.2 per cent, dooming a referendum to failure and repeating the rejection of the 1999 attempt to amend the Constitution. In a significant divide on gender lines, 59 per cent of women oppose the change while 49 per cent of men say the same, matching a pattern found in the past but also highlighting the challenge for republican advocates. Victorian upper house MP Fiona Patten has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery in the next few weeks to remove one of her kidneys. She revealed her cancer diagnosis on Tuesday evening and said the timing of her surgery meant she would have to spend some time campaigning for Novembers state election from her hospital bed. Fiona Patten revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer. Credit: My prognosis is good; the belief is that the disease has not spread and that I should make a quick and full recovery, Patten said in a statement. Many people stay silent upon a cancer diagnosis and are fearful of telling people because they will be judged or pitied. I want people to be able to talk about their health, be that physical or mental. I hope that by being public and transparent it might help others do the same. Bangkok: Government helicopters have attacked a school and village in north-central Myanmar, killing at least 13 people including seven children, a school administrator and an aid worker said on Monday. Civilian casualties often occur in attacks by the military government on pro-democracy insurgents and their allies. However, the number of children killed in the air attack last Friday in Tabayin township in Sagaing region appeared to be the highest since the army seized power in February last year, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Debris and soot cover the floor of a middle school in Let Yet Kone village. Credit:AP The armys takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide. The military and police responded with deadly force, resulting in the spread of armed resistance in the cities and countryside. Fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where the military has launched several offensives, in some cases burning villages, which displaced more than half a million people, according to a report issued by UNICEF this month. After months of grinding deadlock, the war in Ukraine has taken an unexpected turn: the Ukrainian lightning counter-offensive against Russian forces around north-eastern Kharkiv over the past fortnight has reclaimed some 3000 square kilometres of territory and sent the invaders scattering for their lives, reportedly leaving abandoned weapons and ammunition in their wake. It is too early to suggest that Ukraines success in the region heralds the beginning of the end. But it is a major boost to morale and gave Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky a public relations natural another opportunity for a propaganda coup with his visit to the city of Izyum, which until recently was a major Russian forward base. Ukrainian servicemen drive atop a tank in the recently retaken area of Izyum. Credit:AP It is also the strongest evidence since the improbable successful defence of Kyiv early in the war that Ukrainian forces, armed with local nous, devolved decision-making and Western-supplied modern weaponry, are, at least in the right conditions, capable of repelling what on paper appears to be a far stronger foe. Russian president Vladimir Putin has much less to crow about. Despite his recent posturing and sinister threats that he could reverse the Ukrainian gains, it is clear from the recent routs that many of his troops are unmotivated, their supply lines are stretched and his army in general remains hamstrung by internal chain-of-command bureaucracy. The Wall still divided Berlin when I visited in 1987, and its famous Komische Oper was in the Communist East. With no apparent sense of irony, the company achieved considerable success staging commercial Broadway musicals. The biggest hit of all, Fiedler auf dem Dach, had been in the repertory for 16 years by 1987. In reunified Germany 30 years later, Komische Oper Berlin scored again with Fiddler on the Roof (presented as Anatevka), staged by artistic director Barrie Kosky. That production is having its American premiere at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the show's enduring values are intactmusic, emotion, comedy, family, community, faithas long as you forget the designs and physical realizations of all other Fiddler productions you've ever seen, including the film. The musical values are superb and rich, with a vast orchestra (60-plus pieces, real strings, no keyboards) and opera-sized cast under conductor Kimberly Grigsby. Jerry Bock's familiar, redolent melodies never have sounded better from pit or stage. There's not a weak link among the singing principals, which is quite refreshing since Fiddler has a history of using vibrant performers of limited singing ability for some roles, most notably in the star turn of Tevye. It's wondrous, therefore, to enjoy the smooth, warm (even velvety) and expressive baritone of Steven Skybell in the role. Acclaimed for his portrayal of Tevye in the 2018-2020 off-Broadway Yiddish production (which he returns to in New York City in November), Skybell can daven like a cantor at one moment and pull off the show's humor the next, whether sly or broad. The supporting principals chiefly are New York-based musical-theater veterans, among them Tony winner Debbie Gravitte (as Golde), Lauren Marcus (Tzeitel), Drew Redington (Motel), Austen Danielle Bohmer (Hodel), Adam Kaplan (Perchik), David Benoit (Lazar Wolf), and Joy Hermalyn (Yente). There's no fault to find with any of them, musically or dramatically. They bring joy to their characters in a frequently-somber story, and their fullness of feeling washes across the proverbial footlights, even in the enormous Civic Opera House. Kosky has fused them into a palpable community. The dichotomy of Fiddler, of course, is joy, love and community in the face of impossible circumstances. The tale's dark side dominates almost all physical aspects of the production, except choreography (Silvano Marraffa). The Komische Oper Berlin design team has cloaked the production in a subdued, limited palette of blacks, grays, browns and some whites in the scenery (Rufus Didwiszuz), costumes (Klaus Bruns) and lighting (Diego Leetz original, recreated by Marco Philipp). The basic set is a vast box of mottled grayish walls enclosing the sides and back of the stage. Act one begins with a curtain wall far downstage, showing a slightly-blurry birch forest. The wall is broken by a double-door wardrobe, from which Tevye and all of Anatevka emerge to sing "Tradition." Then, the curtain wall lifts to reveal a turntable with a 20-foot tall construction on it of piled-up wardrobes, mirror frames, settees and chairs. Turning to reveal different angles, it totally replaces all previous delineations of Anatevka, without a hint of Marc Chagall imagery, with brown-stained wardrobes standing in for village homes. A scene from Fiddler on the Roof at Chicago's Lyric Opera. ( Todd Rosenberg Photography) Not done yet, the designers completely abandon this huge sculpture in Act II, played start to finish in a heavy snowstorm on a nearly-empty stage. The birch forest drop is far upstage, with a single wardrobe in the snow downstage center, representing Tevye and Golde's house. As stunning as it is unexpected, Kosky and his team seem to have embraced Shakespeare's idea that A sad tale's best for winter" by bringing winter to the stage. Reinforcing this, the production cuts the Act II comedy crossover number, "The Rumor," which few will miss. Particular credit is due to sound designer Peter Wiejaczka, who has mastered the considerable challenges of bringing clarity, proper balance and a natural sound to instrumental and vocal music and also dialogue. It's much better than previous Lyric musical theater productions. Drake Wunderlich, a 10-year-old violinist, is also notable as the Fiddler, whose wordless role has been expanded beyond the opening and closing moments. Wunderlich dispatches his solos live onstage as a 21st century figure dressed in bright green (the show's only vivid costume). He opens the wardrobe doors at the start, as if the musty clothes within might bring to life an old story, which is precisely what happens. One tiny problem: the cast and the Civic Opera House are so large, that sometimes one cannot tell who is speaking or singing, since we hear everything through the sound system and old-fashioned follow spots are not used (except for Tevye's interior monologues). Unlike traditional opera staging, Kosky does not always separate the key players from the ensemble. This Fiddler is a once-in-a-generation reimagining of an iconic American musical, with messages about the unchanging nature of bigotry, and the ceaseless nature of change, which remain all too current for our contemporary world. Audible Theater has announced casting for the world-premiere play Good Enemy, having a five-week limited engagement at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Performances will begin October 25 ahead of a November 6 opening. Good Enemy is a new play written by Audible Theater Emerging Playwright Yilong Liu and directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew. Joining the previously announced Francis Jue in the cast will be Ron Domingo (The American Pilot), Tim Liu (Nepotism), Geena Quintos (Soft Power), Alec Silver (Temping), Ryan Spahn (Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow), and Jeena Yi (Network). The play is described as follows: "A father learns that closing the door to his past means shutting his daughter out in Good Enemy, Yilong Liu's haunting and hopeful new play. When Howard (Francis Jue) makes a surprise cross-country trip to visit his college-age, Tik Tok-loving daughter, he's forced to confront the realities of their relationship and the rift between thema rift caused by Howard's refusal to face memories of his life as a young man in China. In a smart, thrilling story that deftly weaves two generations and two continents amidst sweeping social changes, Good Enemy explores the power of human connectionsaffirming that no one lives an 'ordinary' life, no matter how hard they might try." The creative team includes scenic design by Junghyun Georgia Lee, costume design by Mel Ng, lighting design by Reza Behjat, sound design by Mikhail Fiksel and fight/intimacy direction by Dave Anzuelo/Unkle Dave's Fight-House. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 47F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 47F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is running for reelection. Here he speaks during a news conference in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 11, 2020. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo) 2020 Election Controversy Casts Shadow Over Georgia Secretary of State Race News Analysis State secretary of state elections usually arent visible. An election for this state office usually isnt water cooler conversation. Unless, of course, that state is Georgia, which was one battleground in the hotly disputed 2020 presidential election, and the site of a highly visible runoff for both U.S. Senate seats on Jan. 5, 2021. It was to Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, that President Donald Trump made a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call, telling him in part, I just want to find 11,780 votes. Trump has maintained that the phone call, which included lawyers from both sides, was proper and aimed at addressing allegations of voter fraud. That phone call was included in the articles of Trumps second impeachment by the House of Representatives. Raffensperger also resisted pressure in the aftermath of the election and during the statewide recount, certifying Joe Bidens victory. The states 16 electoral votes went to Biden on Jan. 6, 2021. Raffensperger and his deputy, Gabe Sterling, say they have received death threats. Brad Raffensperger and his deputy Gabe Sterling both testified before the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6, 2021. Raffensperger was first elected in 2018, succeeding Brian Kemp, the current governor, who is running for reelection against Stacey Abrams. Hes now up for reelection too. He won a May 24 Republican primary victory by 52 percent to 34 percent over the Trump-supported Jody Hice. An estimated 75,000 Democrats crossed over to vote in the GOP primary, which Georgia allows under its open primary rules. Raffensperger, who beat Hice by more than 200,000 votes, would have won without the Democrats, but their support allowed him to avoid a runoff he could have lost. He now faces Democratic nominee Bee Nguyen. Some folks believe my opponent is a hero, Nguyen told a crowd of Forsyth County Democrats On Sept. 18. And I admit I breathed a sigh of relief when he did not find an extra 11,780 votes. But should the bar for an elected official be that low? In the words of Stacey Abrams, Not committing treason does not make you a hero. Bee Nguyen is the Democratic nominee for Georgia secretary of state. (Kevin Lowery/Courtesy of the Bee Nguyen Campaign) One question is precisely how many Democrats agree with her. Not committing treason might be quite significant in some voters eyes. A lot of people think [Raffensperger] was courageous and that he deserves reelection for that, even if they dont agree with him on other things, said a veteran Republican political observer who asked not to be named. For a lot of people, 2020 is the issue. There are Trump supporters who will not vote for him for any reason. But there are Democrats who will vote for him because of that. A lot of people who said, It seems like he was the guy we need to stand up to authority and do what is right. Democratic strategist Fred Hicks said of the crossover Democrats: They did it largely to support [Raffensperger] against the Trumpers. Once they get comfortable voting for someone, its easier to do it another time. [Nguyen] has to pull those people back. The Democrats rewarded Raffensperger for his not knuckling under to Trump, who made that phone call. He made these allegations, and Raffensperger said thats not quite true, said Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political science professor. But Bullock predicted most would return home to vote for Nguyen in November. They have the notion that Raffensperger would be far better from their perspective than Hice, but as a Republican not as good in their view as a Democrat would be, he said. The Republican observer said he thinks most Democrats who pulled a Republican primary ballottheir own party having had few contested racesdid so not primarily for Raffensperger but to vote for Kemp against the Trump-endorsed David Perdue. While they were there, they voted for Raffensperger, too, he said. Raffensperger faces his own challenges, including Trump supporters still resentful of his role in the election who may refuse to vote for him in November. Raffensperger, though, may have won goodwill with many public appearances since the election, patiently and tirelessly answering skeptical questions to dispel lingering suspicion among some about the elections. Many people said, I dont agree completely, but he struck me as honest. In a retail [political] setting, he did real well. There were a lot of people he converted in that setting, the Republican said. Georgias Election Integrity Act, which tightened up on 2020s liberal use of absentee ballots and drop boxes, and bans handing out free beverages to those waiting to vote, may also be seen as an attempt to woo back conservative Trump supporters. Democrats have labeled it voter suppression. Republicans point out that the two major elections held since its 2021 passagelast Novembers municipal elections and this springs primariesboth featured record turnout. A poll just released by the University of Georgia School of Policy and International Affairs and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, conducted between Sept. 5 and Sept. 16, shows Raffensperger well ahead of Nguyen by a margin of 50 to 31. The poll shows Kemps lead over Abrams at 8 points, well beyond the 3.3 percent margin of error. Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker leads incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock by 2 points, within the margin of error. Raffensperger now has tremendous name recognition, said Marci McCarthy, Republican chairwoman for the Atlanta metro areas DeKalb County. He has testified in front of Congress. Hes run many ads. Hes a household name. Hes featured in all sorts of mainstream media. Hes written a book, she said. Nguyen, meanwhile, isnt nearly as well known. She has raised less money, $2.2 million to Raffenspergers $3.8 million, according to state records. Shes running to become the first Asian-American woman elected to statewide office in Georgia and has a name many might find as hard to pronounce as Raffensperger. (Its pronounced when.) Nguyen has another problem, Hicks said. Far more Democrats than Republicans vote for the candidates at the top of the ticket but dont complete their ballots, neglecting to vote for down-ballot races such as the secretary of state. Drop-off is a very real issue, Hicks said, citing the Jan. 5, 2021, runoff elections. Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won their highly visible races determining control of the U.S. Senate. But a Democratic candidate for Public Service Commission further down the ballot lost by little more than 1,000 votes because so many Democrats didnt vote the complete ballot. Nguyen has a compelling personal story. Her parents were Vietnamese boat people, fleeing the Communist country in 1978 after her father, following South Vietnams defeat, spent three years of imprisonment starving and doing hard labor. When he was released, her parents decided to leave. They left in the middle of the night on a boat thinking that they were going to die, Nguyen said on Sept. 18 in Forsyth County. They were stranded at sea and thought they would drown, as so many like them did, before being rescued by a fishing boat. Nguyens older sister was conceived in a refugee camp and became the first member of the family to be born in the United States. She was born on the Fourth of July, but wait, it gets better, Nguyen told the applauding crowd. Her name is Betty Davis. Nguyen was born in 1981 in Ames, Iowa. Nguyen worked as the head of a nonprofit group empowering minority girls before joining the Georgia Statehouse in December 2017 after winning a special election to fill Abramss seat when the latter resigned to run for governor. She was the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Georgia Legislature and has not taken the same conservative political path many Vietnamese-Americans have followed to the Republican party. Shes very woke, McCarthy said. Its an amazing legal immigration story. They were boat people and came here with virtually nothing. But she is very woke. She identifies as a left-leaning Democrat across the board. Its counter to what her family fled. I find that really ironic. Hicks didnt put it quite in those words but hinted at it in his recommendations for what Nguyen needs to do to win. Summer polls showed Raffensperger far ahead, he said. Full disclosure: Hicks says hes donated to Nguyens campaign and had a fundraiser for her. Nguyen needs to find a new angle to her conversation with voters. The election is going to be litigated over and over again. [The] Dobbs [abortion decision] will be talked about ad nauseam. Shes got to find another issue people arent talking about if she wants to defeat Raffensperger, Hicks said. Hicks suggests the secretary of states role in regulating businesses. She needs to defuse the fear around having a Democrat in that position, among people who are business-minded and socially moderate or liberal, he said. Its an opportunity to show Republicans shes not anti-business or anti-people making money. The Republicans have done an excellent job of painting Democrats as being anti-business, as being socialists, as being Communists. And theyve succeeded partly because the Democrats never counter that argument, he said. A pro-business stance for the secretary of state, who also regulates such matters as business licensing, corporate registration, and professional certification, would reach beyond Republicans to groups even more critical for her. Hicks said business is a prominent but rarely talked about issue for minority men, many of whom want or need to become small businessmen. Problems with business licensing and borrowing can be significant obstacles when these men seek to become entrepreneurs to sustain themselves and their families, by being an employer and not just an employee, Hicks said. Making it easier to do business with the state of Georgia and access capital faster to get a license and renew it, its important to African-American men, Hispanic men, and Asian men. Its a big issue, but people dont discuss it, he said. The black male vote isnt as strong for Democrats as it used to be, although its still high at 80 percent. Several prominent rappers came out for Trump. This issue may be among the underlying reasons why. Hicks said he saw this first-hand when he ran Kwanza Halls successful 2020 congressional campaign to finish out the late John Lewiss term in 2020. Three African American men walked up to Hicks while he was handing out signs and told him they were voting for Trump. They felt the Democrats were anti-business, Hicks said. They found it difficult to find support as entrepreneurs. Trump, meanwhile, was pro-business. One of the three men had been in prison and was on probation. He told Hicks, Im still being punished. The Democrats have never done anything for me to make it easier. Trump, though, had created funding for small businesses that didnt exclude those with criminal records. Black men released from prison often cant find jobs and must become self-employed to survive. We won that race, Hicks said of Halls campaign, and that was a big reason why. We had messaging mail, texts, and calls based around that. A crashed plane, one of two, lies along Niwot Road between Highway 287 and N. 95th St. in Longmont, Colo., on Sept. 17, 2022. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP) 3 Killed in Colorado Midair Collision Identified DENVERThree people killed after two planes collided near Denver were identified Monday as the investigation into what went wrong continued. The victims from Saturdays crash of a Cessna 172 and a Sonex Xenosa light, homebuilt aircraftwere Daniel Wilmoth, 22, Samuel Fisher, 23, and Henry Butler, 69, the Boulder County coroners office said. The coroners office did not say which men were on which plane, but the Xenos was registered to Butler according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The Colorado Sun reported the Cessna was registered to the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. The school has a campus at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, about 18 miles northwest of Denver, which is where the Cessna took off from Saturday, with a flight instructor and a student pilot on board, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. It is investigating the crash along with the FAA. A crashed plane, one of two, lies along Niwot Road between Highway 287 and N. 95th St. in Longmont, Colo., on Sept. 17, 2022. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP) When reached by The Associated Press, Spartan Colleges Nick Brown said the college was grieving and declined to comment until the investigation was completed. NTSB investigator Mike Folkerts said Saturday that the Xenos took off from Platte Valley Airpark at 8:38 a.m., about ten minutes before the Cessna took off to the north from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, about 35 miles to the southwest of Platte Valley. The Xenos flew west and collided with the Cessna as it began turning east, Folkerts said. One of the planes crashed in a field, the other in a stand of trees, near Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, Colorado, about 40 miles north of Denver. The coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, draped with the Royal Standard, placed on top of a catafalque at the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall in London on Sept. 18, 2022. (Courtesy of Howard Cheng) A Quarter of a Million People Filed Past Queens Coffin in London to Pay Last Respects Around a quarter of a million people paid their respects in person to Queen Elizabeth II by viewing her coffin as it lay in state in London, UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has revealed. During the late monarchs four-day lying-in-state, which ended on Sunday, around 250,000 people went through Westminster Hall to pay their last respects, Donelan told Sky News on Tuesday, adding that her department was still crunching the numbers. Crowds watch as the State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in the Ceremonial Procession, following the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (by David Davies WPA Pool/Getty Images) On Monday, after the state funeral at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by dignitaries including hundreds of heads of state, tens of thousands of people turned out to watch the Queens funeral procession make its slow journey through the capital and on to Windsor Castle for the committal service. The monarch, who spent 70 years on the British throne, was finally laid to rest with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor during a private evening burial service attended by close family. The royal Twitter account published a picture of the Queen taken at Balmoral in 1971, with a quote from Shakespeares Hamlet: May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 2022 pic.twitter.com/byh5uVNDLq The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022 Phenomenal Donelan paid tribute to the volunteers who helped manage and support the proceedings in recent days, especially the queue for the Queens lying-in-state. Talking to BBC Breakfast, she called the queue phenomenal, praising the help of the Samaritans, the Red Cross, the police, and establishments across the South Bank that opened their doors to those queuing. It was a real team effort to enable people to have that moment to say goodbye and I want to pay tribute to everybody that was involvedall the volunteers, all the marshals, the stewardsit was incredible. The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St. Georges Chapel, in London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Aaron Chown/PA Media) Money Well Spent Pressed on Sky News about the cost of the state funeral, Donelan said that most British people would see it as money well spent. You saw so many thousands out there and I dont think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didnt deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years, she said. She said it would be downright preposterous to suggest otherwise. It was great sense of the community coming together. I always think of our late monarch as the glue that brought society together, she told the broadcaster. Asked on LBC radio if the coronation of King Charles III should be scaled down owing to the cost-of-living crisis, Donelan said that no plans have yet been made for the proceedings. But she said the government does want to give the nation a moment. She said: When we look back at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, it was a remarkable event where the country really came together. If you look back at the Jubilee, how much we did for that and how the country came together. And it can in many ways boost the economy as well. Rallying a community, bringing them together, is never a bad thing, she added. PA Media contributed to this report. Firearms are pictured in an exhibit hall at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center during the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Dallas on May 6, 2018. (Loren Elliott/AFP/Getty Images) Americans Under Felony Indictment Can Buy Guns: Federal Judge A federal judge in West Texas ruled Monday that it was unconstitutionalin absence of a historical precedentto ban those under felony indictments from buying guns. U.S. District Judge David Counts, appointed by former President Donald Trump, dismissed a federal indictment against Jose Gomez Quiroz, who was restricted from purchasing a firearm. The case, United States v. Quiroz, docket no. 4:22-cr-00104 (pdf), arose from Quirozs purchase of a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun when he was under a state burglary indictment. Quiroz allegedly lied about being under a federal indictment when he bought the gun. After the seven-day waiting period was over, he received the gun. But a few days later, the federal system indicated that the purchase was illegal, and Quiroz was later convicted or purchasing a firearm while under a felony indictment. He appealed the conviction, and Counts ruled in his favor. In his opinion, the judge acknowledged the real-world consequences of the case and valid public policy and safety concerns, but said that a precedent had been set by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June. Counts said that the landmark ruling invalidated the federal law that prevents people charged with a felony from buying guns. Although not exhaustive, the Courts historical survey finds little evidence that (the federal ban)which prohibits those under felony indictment from obtaining a firearmaligns with this Nations historical tradition, he said in the 25-page opinion filed in Pecos, Texas. Historical Precedent In June, the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court struck down New Yorks concealed carry gun permitting system on constitutional grounds in a 63 decision in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen. The court ruled that Americans have a constitutional right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. Only if a firearm regulation is consistent with this Nations historical tradition may a court conclude that the individuals conduct falls outside the Second Amendments unqualified command, wrote Justice Clarence Thomas in the majority opinion. In Texas, prosecutors wrote that the Second Amendment has always allowed laws restricting the gun rights of groups viewed by legislatures as posing a public-safety risk, including those accused but not convicted of wrongdoing, The Texas Tribune reported. But Counts said that he found no historical context for prohibiting gun purchases for those charged but not convicted of felony crimes. Counts also said that it was unknown whether a statute preventing a person under indictment from receiving a firearm aligns with this Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation, adding that this Court does not know the answers; it must only try to faithfully follow Bruens framework. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Fortescue Metals chairman Andrew Forrest during a visit to the Christmas Creek mine site in The Pilbara, Western Australia on Apr. 15, 2021. (AAP Image/Pool, Justin Benson-Cooper) Billionaire Pledges $6 Billion to Decarbonise Mining Empire Australian iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest has announced a $9.2 billion (US$6.1 billion) plan to eliminate his mining empires fossil fuel risk profile. Forrest announced his companys decarbonisation strategy during a CEO roundtable on Business leadership to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals in New York City. The event was part of U.S. President Joe Bidens First Movers Coalition, which was also attended by the secretary-general of the United Nations. Decarbonisation is understood as reducing or stopping the emission of carbon gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). Under the plan, Fortescue Metals Group aims to remove three million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, according to its press release on Sept. 20. The worlds fourth-largest iron ore producer vowed to eliminate exposure to fossil fuels, remove exposure to price risks associated with relying on carbon offsets, and invest in renewable energy generation and battery storage. The mining empire also said it would create a new green growth opportunity by producing a carbon-free iron ore product and commercialising decarbonisation technologies. Forrest noted the investment would generate attractive economic returns, including net operating cost savings of US$818 million a year from 2030, at prevailing market prices for diesel, gas and Australian carbon credits. The billionaire said in the press release, theres no doubt that the energy landscape has changed dramatically over the past two years, and this change has accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine. Fortescue is moving at speed to transition into a global green metals, minerals, energy and technology company, he noted. This investment in renewable energy and decarbonisation is expected to generate attractive economic returns for our shareholders through energy cost savings and a sharp reduction in carbon offset purchases, together with a lower risk cost profile and improvement in the integrity of our assets. Contradictory Data As energy companies including Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tintoembark on the race to phase out fossil fuel, some have raised concerns about the unintended consequences of decarbonising the built environment. A UK study published in 2012 warned that the move to decarbonise could lead to fuel poverty, eventually resulting in high fuel prices. It also said that the increase of renewable energy technology such as solar panels would mean moving energy generation into urban areas and hence potentially intensifying the urban heat island. Additionally, with green hydrogen being considered a significant part of Fortescues renewable shift, questions have been raised about the resources that go into producing green energy. As such, Australia only has a couple of green hydrogen pilot plants that produce a mere drop in the ocean of usable hydrogen. Australian oil and gas engineer Peter Castle argued in an op-ed on The Epoch Times that green hydrogen is only green because of a technicality; in reality, the electricity comes from the grid, so it is not 100 percent renewable. Green hydrogen requires green electricity sources, which in most plans involves enormous solar farms full of non-recyclable solar panels which take years to offset the energy used to make them in the first place. Blue hydrogen, in the immediate term, would probably be more green than green hydrogen, so to speak, he wrote on Sep. 5. He also questioned whether the shift to renewables would require a large-scale rebuild of the whole system, which would affect the electricity price, cost of living, Australias productivity and competitiveness. The answer to that is not clear, he wrote on July 19. We are replacing coal with technology that currently doesnt exist in the system at all, it requires immediate action. But they are relying on a lot of predictions being true at once. Replacing generation capacity with storage capacity is good in theory, but the required storage volumes are staggering, and the choice of technology that may achieve it is unclear. The most obvious risk is that we decommission all our existing technology that is proven and replace it with the new technology needed to maintain dispatchable capacity only to find it fails. The Department of the Treasury in Washington on Aug. 30, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) Biden Admins New Climate Cop Studied at CCP-Controlled University With Ties to Chinese Military A former employee at New Yorks financial regulator who once lived in China and earned a bachelors degree at a Chinese Communist Party-controlled university has taken an important position in the Biden administration. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currencya Treasury Department bureau overseeing the countrys largest banks and federal savings associationshas named Yue (Nina) Chen as the agencys first climate cop, or chief climate risk officer, according to a Sept. 12 statement. Her responsibility is to guide the bureau to focus on the development and implementation of climate risk management frameworks for the federal banking system. Chen will report to Acting Comptroller Michael J. Hsu, who said in the statement that Chen is an asset to the bureau, given her background and experience in both finance and climate-related financial risk. She replaces Jonathan Fink, who assumed the responsibility in an acting capacity in March while also serving as senior advisor to Hsu. Chen obtained a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Chinas Tsinghua University in 2000 and later earned a doctorate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tsinghua University is funded by the Chinese regimes Ministry of Education and supervised by the State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), a defense industry agency for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to Canberra, Australia-based think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Tsinghua University conducts defense research, including in areas such as air-to-air missiles and artificial intelligence, and the school is home to several defense-focused laboratories. The Pentagon also highlighted Tsinghua University in a 2020 report, noting how the university has ties to the CCPs military-civil fusion strategy, which allows the communist regime to leverage commercial technologies for military development. The CCP controls Tsinghua University through the schools party committee, which is headed by a Party secretary, Qiu Yong, who reminded students and teachers in a July speech about the importance of being loyal to the Party. Tsinghua University, like many universities and colleges in China, has its own United Front Work office, which is part of the CCPs sprawling bureaucracy headed by the United Front Work Department, a powerful Party agency. According to a 2020 ASPI report, the department coordinates thousands of groups to carry out foreign political influence operations, suppress dissident movements, gather intelligence, and facilitate the transfer of technology to China. The Washington Free Beacon first reported on Chens educational background in China. Chen Before taking on her new post, Chen worked for more than two years at the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), according to her LinkedIn profile. In May 2020, she became the first-ever sustainability and climate initiatives director at DFS, before she served as the inaugural executive deputy superintendent at DFSs climate division in November 2021. From 2014 until February 2020, she worked at the U.S.-based environmental organization The Nature Conservancy. Ninas long-term interest in conservation dates back to her childhood living near the woods in a small town in southern China, a biography posted on Rutgers Universitys website reads. However, Chen started off her career in the finance sector, working at Goldman Sachss asset management business, the Royal Bank of Canada, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group. Representatives for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. President Joe Bidens Sept. 18 statement that the COVID-19 pandemic is over prompted questions about why his administration hasnt ended the federal public health emergency and how the government or employers can continue to mandate Emergency Use Authorized vaccines. This article was originally published by The Defender Childrens Health Defenses News & Views Website In an interview aired Sept. 18 on 60 Minutes, President Joe Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic over, in the first such statement by a prominent political figure in the U.S. Biden made the comment from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which is being held for the first time since 2019. In his remarks, Biden, using the auto show as a point of reference, stated: We still have a problem with COVID. Were still doing a lotta work on it but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no ones wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think its changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it. Two weeks ago, 850 more teachers were fired in New York because they werent , yet Biden goes on @60Minutes yesterday and announces the pandemic is over and nobody is masking anymore. More evidence that covid policies have largely been political theatre. Midterms are coming. pic.twitter.com/S1MEmJElCM Castaway_RN (@Tinfoil_Travis) September 19, 2022 In the same interview, Biden also said the impact on the psyche of the American people as a consequence of the pandemic is profound. Following Bidens the pandemic is over declaration on Sunday, COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers on Monday lost more than a combined $9 billion market value in a stock sell-off. The companies shares dropped as much as 9%. No End in Sight to COVID Public Health Emergency Following Bidens declaration, Sarah Lovenheim, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the federal public health emergency remains in effect and that a 60-day notice would be provided by the agency before it is rescinded. A 60-day period means that the earliest possible date when the emergency declaration would be lifted is in late November well past the current Oct. 15 expiration date. HHS first declared the public health emergency on Jan. 31, 2020, and renewed it 10 times since, most recently on July 15. Remarking on the public health emergency remaining in effect even after Biden declared the pandemic over, Mary Holland, president and general counsel of Childrens Health Defense, told The Defender: It is an outrage that Biden has declared the pandemic over and yet federal and state emergencies and COVID-19 vaccine mandates remain. If its over, its over! No emergencies, no lockdowns, no mandates, no testing, no masks. Anything else is not only incoherent, its the essence of tyranny pointless, cruel restrictions that destroy lives. Holland said if HHS follows Bidens pandemic is over guidance and ends the federal public health emergency at the next opportunity on Oct. 15, the move will raise a host of liability and legal questions around COVID-19 vaccines and other Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) products, including tests and masks. The government seems to imagine it can call the pandemic over, reverse CDC guidance, yet continue to cling to emergency powers and mandate extraordinarily dangerous shots that dont stop infection or transmission of disease, Holland said. I do not believe the people or the courts will allow this absurd and dangerous situation to continue much longer. Some Republican lawmakers also questioned why the public health emergency will be renewed if the pandemic is over, The Washington Post reported. In turn, some White House staffers in particular, senior health officials reportedly were caught off guard and surprised by Bidens remarks. Bidens declaration has thrown a wrench into the White Houses efforts to secure additional funding to fight the virus and persuade Americans to get a new booster shot, according to the Post. In an appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy contradicted Biden, stating that the pandemic is not over because were losing about 400 people a day on average to this virus, adding his view that we need to get that number lower. We have people who are struggling with long COVID. As for the timing of Bidens statement, an article in STAT noted, There are no accepted metrics or defined international rules for when a pandemic has ended. Its over when people decide that its over, John Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, a book chronicling the history of the 1918 Spanish flu, told STAT. And most people seem to have decided its over. Administration Dials Back Covid-Related Restrictions as Midterm Elections Loom The Biden administration has turned the focus of its messaging to the importance of getting vaccinated and receiving booster shots, and to the wide availability of antiviral pills and other forms of treatment for those who contract the virus, The Hill reported. As The Defender reported earlier this month, Biden purchased 170 million doses of updated COVID-19 booster shots, which will be made available to the public as part of an autumn vaccination campaign. The Biden administration plans to shift distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics to the private sector by January 2023 despite preparing to extend its COVID-19 public health emergency.https://t.co/oSDiazOPo1 Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 6, 2022 According to CNN, Bidens remarks are aligned with the results of a recent Axios/Ipsos poll indicating 46% of Americans the highest level since the start of the pandemic say they have resumed their normal activities. In February, The Defender reported that an internal memo from an influential polling firm advised the Biden administration in the face of flagging poll numbers and feelings of fatigue on the part of the public towards COVID-19 countermeasures and mandates to present itself as having defeated COVID-19. Bidens most recent remarks delivered as midterm elections are looming are the latest, and most explicit, in a recent pattern of statements and announcements from his administration that have begun to walk back the prevailing narrative of the past two-plus years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Aug. 11 the reversal of its COVID-19 guidance, rescinding its previous distinctions between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. This was followed by the CDCs Aug. 17 announcement that the agency will undergo an overhaul as a result of its botched response to COVID-19. On Aug. 30, the Biden administration announced plans to shift distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics to the private sector by January 2023. On Aug. 31, the administration updated its guidance for federal contractors in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Under the new guidance, the federal government will not take any action to implement or enforce Executive Order 14042, which mandated the COVID-19 vaccines for federal contractors. This shift comes in the aftermath of a recent federal court decision that narrowed the scope of the Biden administrations mandate for federal contractors. In a letter sent to Biden following his declaration that the pandemic was over, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the leading Republican on the Senates health panel, asked the president when vaccination requirements for federal workers and contractors would be fully lifted and more federal employees allowed to return to in-office employment. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, who in April said the U.S. was moving out of the pandemic phase, balked at Bidens statement. In remarks made Monday, Fauci said, We are not where we need to be if were going to be able to live with the virus. Gregg Golsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, said he was dismayed by Bidens declaration, arguing, We are terribly under-boosted and under-vaccinated in this country. Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO) still classifies COVID-19 as a pandemic. However, the WHOs Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, last week said the end is in sight for the pandemic. Growing Number of Lawsuits Challenge Vaccine Mandates Bidens statement comes in light of the elimination, or significant loosening, of COVID-19-related mandates in the armed forces and throughout the U.S. The paradoxical juxtaposition that has the president declaring the pandemic is over while New York Citys Department of Education fires 850 unvaccinated teachers and aids shows once again that the governmental purpose is coercion and not public health, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chairman of Childrens Health Defense, told The Defender. Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy canceled Trident Order #12, which disqualified SEALS who sought religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. The news was followed by an administrative order by the U.S. Marine Corps stating that a Marines vaccination status cannot be used against them in fitness reports or other performance evaluations, according to the New York Post. The latest Marine Corps followed an order last month by a federal court in Florida temporarily blocking the Marines from taking disciplinary action against service members seeking a religious exemption. Separately, a group of 47 Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), last week submitted a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling on the U.S. Department of Defense to fully withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military members. Among other things, the letter states that 8% of the U.S. Armys 1 million soldiers face expulsion and the Army is, accordingly, facing difficulties achieving its recruitment targets In June, The Defender reported that internal U.S. Army documents indicated the Army was not meeting its recruitment goals and that a larger number of service members were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, compared to the official data presented to the public. Beyond the military, various state and local government jurisdictions have also quietly been removing or loosening COVID-19-related restrictions. In California, a new policy that came into effect Sept. 17 no longer requires school employees to show proof of vaccination or to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 7 announced that masks are no longer mandated to be worn on public transportation and in correctional facilities, detention centers and homeless shelters. On Sept. 14, a New York court ruled the New York Police Department could not fire an unvaccinated police officer who sued New York City over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. However, the New York City Department of Education continues to enforce its Sept. 5 vaccination deadline for teachers, with 850 teachers fired following this deadline. The firings come amidst a nationwide teacher shortage. And of interest to Americans and others planning on traveling to Canada, the Canadian government is reportedly considering ending its COVID-19 vaccine mandate and random COVID-19 testing at its borders. This shift in U.S. policy comes amidst a growing number of legal actions challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates. According to the National Law Review, the number of lawsuits challenging mandates has surpassed 1,000, with August bringing the highest number of new complaints challenging employer COVID-19 vaccination requirements since the wave of vaccine mandate litigation began. A changing attitude toward the vaccines and COVID-19 may be, at least in part, responsible for the sharp uptick in lawsuits challenging vaccine mandates over the past summer, the National Law Review said. This article was originally published by The Defender Childrens Health Defenses News & Views Website under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Please consider subscribing to The Defender or donating to Childrens Health Defense. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here. Biden: US Working With Mexico to Stop the Flow of Illegal Immigrants The United States is working with Mexican officials to stop illegal immigration, President Joe Biden said on Sept. 20. Were working with Mexico and other countries to stop the flow, Biden said after an unrelated speech in Washington. He was responding to a question about the jump in illegal border crossings during his first term in office. More than two million arrests have already been made at the U.S.Mexico border in fiscal year 2022, the most in U.S. history. Bidens administration already set the records for the most apprehensions in a fiscal year and a calendar year. Administration officials have been keen to point to an increase in immigrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba crossing the border, and Biden took up the narrative. There are fewer immigrants coming from Central America and from Mexico. This is a totally different circumstance. Whats on my watch now is Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. And the ability to send them back to those states is not rational, he said, before saying his administration was working with Mexico. But thats the difference. According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics, of the 157,291 unique illegal immigrants taken into custody in August, 35 percent were from Veneuzela, Cuba, or Nicaragua. That was a 175 percent increase from August 2021. Unique illegal immigrants are those who have not been arrested at the border in the past 12 months. Numerically, more immigrants from Mexico and northern Central America were captured, or 56,979 to 55,333. That group made up 36 percent of the unique encounters, but the number was down 43 percent from August 2021. Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest U.S. border, Chris Magnus, the commissioner of CBP, said in a statement. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Washington that administration officials are doing what we can to work with our regional partners to address this new challenge and process individuals in a safe, orderly, and humane way. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the Biden administration is not applying the Title 42 authority, which enables quick expulsion of illegal immigrants, to natives of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. CBP declined to answer questions about the exemptions, to which Biden alluded. On the Senate floor, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said that the sharp rise in illegal immigration has resulted in scenes of near chaos at the southern border and called on the Biden administration to halt what he described as de facto open border policies. Thune noted that one immigrant told an outlet that we come in free, no problem. That is the message that President Bidens immigration policies have conveyed, and the longer he continues with his de facto open border policies, Thune said, the more individuals are going to be encouraged to attempt the dangerous journey across our southern border. President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Somerset, Mass., on July 20, 2022, on tackling the climate crisis and seizing the opportunity of a clean energy future to create jobs and lower costs for families. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Bidens Energy Policies Encourage Global Instability Commentary When it comes to energy independencea key component of global stabilitythe America of 2022 could learn a lot from the America of 1942. In that year, American energy dominance powered the Allied war effort of World War II, making production substantially cheaper and producing an abundance of war material: aviation fuel, gasoline, synthetic rubber, and more. America would produce seven times as much aviation fuel as all the other major belligerents combined. She outproduced Japan in coal by more than a 10-to-1 margin and pumped 700 times as much oil. In short, American energy was a cornerstone of Allied victory. More recently, renewed American energy independence, which was becoming energy dominance, was a pillar of geopolitical stability. Increased American production created lower prices, which acted like a choke collar on hostile nations that rely on energy exports to fund their war machines. Simply put, Russia did not invade its neighbors when oil and natural gas prices were low and American energy exports were increasing. People often underestimate the degree to which energy markets impact military exercises and excursions, something that the Greatest Generation knew intimately. The Nazi war machine and the Imperial Japanese juggernaut were starved for energy by the Allies, who themselves were backstopped by a burgeoning American energy industry. Fast forward 80 years, and Germany is again being strangled by losing energy imports, while the rest of Europe is being threatened by the Soviet Unions hostile descendant. When America is producing affordable and abundant energy not only for herself but for her allies around the globe, then Columbias enemies think twice before stepping out of line. American energy dominance is not only pro-American but pro-peace. Inexpensive American energy is a key pillar to geopolitical stability. But that pillar was knocked down and the subsequent stability rent asunder by President Joe Bidens green energy boondoggles and anti-energy policies. Canceling pipelines; imposing additional taxes and regulations on coal, oil, and natural gas; promising to end these three industries in just a few years; and stonewalling new leases for drilling are just some of the ways he has hamstrung one of Americas greatest strategic assets. America cannot even keep the lights on here at home, with multiple states experiencing severe energy shortages in recent days. That projects weakness, not strength. By abdicating the global energy throne, America has left a power vacuum, which China, Russia, Iran, and others are thrilled to fill. This has left our supposed European allies in a bind, as Russias Vladimir Putin now has them over an oil barrel, with the ability to shut off the continents energy until sanctions are lifted. Germany, the largest economy in Europe, is facing a catastrophic shortage of modern fuels, and Germans are searching online for firewood at a rate that is a multiple of previous records. German industry will be brought to a grinding halt from this energy shortage and the economy forced to its knees. The industrial incapacitation that took years of American and British bombing campaigns and millions of Soviet casualties is now being accomplished much faster and less bloodily by simply shutting off Russian energy exports. Energy is not just a domestic policy issue, but a foreign policy requirement. Nations that are energy-reliant are vulnerable while those that are energy-dominant control spheres of influence. America would likely not be sending arms to Europe if she had already been sending tankers and freighters of affordable, reliable energy. But such exports presume a robust domestic energy industry capable of exceeding demand at home and projecting power abroad. Biden clearly never learned this lesson from history. Now would be a good time to start. Originally published in The Sacramento Bee. Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The BP Whiting refinery in East Chicago, Ind., on Sept. 21, 2017. (DroneBase via AP) BP Reaches $2.75 Million Deal Over Indiana Refinery Pollution TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.Oil titan BP reached a $2.75 million settlement over air pollution from its largest refinery after environmentalists complained of repeated emissions violations at the Whiting facility in Indiana. The agreement is the second in the past year between advocacy groups and BP involving the refinery on the southwestern Lake Michigan shoreline between Hammond, Indiana, and Chicago. Both cases involved releases of sooty particulate matter, which is linked to asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. We are thrilled to see BP held accountable for its dangerous pollution and lack of regard for our communities, said Amanda Shepherd, Director of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter. Christina Audisho, spokeswoman for BP America Inc., said the company welcomed the agreement. BPs commitment to safe, compliant, and reliable operations at the Whiting refinery and across our global operations remains unwavering, Audisho said. The 133-year-old refinerythe sixth largest in the United Statesprocesses around 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily, producing a variety of liquid fuels and 7 percent of U.S.-made asphalt. BP agreed in December 2019 to pay a $512,450 penalty and reduce soot from two large catalytic crackers that convert heavy oils into lighter oils and gases, said Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, which sued on behalf of the Sierra Club. The deal involved industrial boilers that provide steam to production units. As with the catalytic crackers, the boilers are subject to emission ceilings under the federal Clean Air Act. State records show violations dating as far back as 2015, said Schaeffer, who was a former enforcement director with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. District Judge Philip Simon ruled in April 2021 that three boilers exceeded particle emissions limits and ordered a trial on two others. The settlement on Sept. 15 would resolve all the environmentalists claims if it receives court approval. Under the agreement, BP would pay $1.75 million in civil penalties to a federal fund used for clean air monitoring and enforcement. The company also would pay $1 million for projects intended to boost health and quality of life in the area. They would include $500,000 to the nonprofit Student Conservation Association for tree planting around the Whiting refinery and along nearby roads. An additional $500,000 would go to local school districts for indoor air filtration devices in classrooms and other areas. Its a good penalty, we think, and the environmental projects theyre funding are going to be helpful, Schaeffer said, adding that groups would continue pushing for reduced emissions and stepped-up monitoring. Its never over with a big refinery, he said. By John Flesher Candidates Run in Ontario Trustee Elections to Remove Politics, Ideology From Classrooms A number of Ontarians concerned about political activism in public schools have decided to step up to run for school board trustee in the upcoming municipal elections, in the hopes of not only calling attention to this and other issues but also to bring about change. With the elections just over a month away on Oct. 24, The Epoch Times spoke with several candidates running for the job of trustee on various school boards in the province. All expressed a desire to remove politics and ideology from the classroom in favour of a more centrist and neutral approach. I dont want far-right ideology in schools. I dont want far-left ideology in schools. I want schools to be politically neutral, said Natasha Miklos, a candidate in the Kitchener municipality of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). These words that are being used, like diversity, is not diversity of opinion. Inclusion is raising up some and pushing down others. Its not including everyone. Miklos is running in the same district as Mike Ramsay, who served as a trustee in the region for over 30 years but in early June was suspended from all meetings until Sept. 30 for supposedly breaching the boards code of conduct. The suspension came shortly after Ramsay publicly criticized WRDSB chair Scott Piatkowski for cutting short a teachers presentation during a board meeting about sexually explicit materials available to children in school libraries. The teacher, Carolyn Burjoski, was later assigned to work from home and said she felt bullied, slandered, and abused by board members who spoke out against her in radio and television interviews. Cristina Bairos Fernandes, a candidate for the Waterloo & Wilmot municipality, said it was Ramseys suspension and the treatment of Burjoski that made her realize the WRDSB was in need of opposing voices. Cristina Bairos Fernandes, WRDSB trustee candidate for the Waterloo and Wilmot municipality. (Courtesy of Cristina Bairos Fernandes) Its just the lack of integrity, with disrespect within the board, she said. Fernandes said that when Ramsay was suspended, she and many other WRDSB constituents formed a delegation to voice their opposition to the board, but it was fruitless. She said she also contacted the ministry of education several times, but with zero response. Us, the constituents, are paying for these services, but nobodys answering our questions. How is that even remotely OK? she said. Sex Education David Sabine, a candidate running for trustee in the Thames Valley District School Board of London, said many parents are unaware of how their tax dollars are being spent in the public school system. Children are deliberately exposed to political activism in schools, funded by the taxpayer, and that needs to stop, Sabine said. He said parents have been reaching out to him about their concerns over the growing explicitness of Ontarios sex-education curriculum, as well as the books found in school libraries. David Sabine, a trustee candidate for the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ont. (Courtesy of David Sabine) Theyve sent me examples of books that they have found in elementary school libraries in London, he said. These examples are shocking. They need to be taken out of the school and sent back to the adult bookstore where that audience belongs. However, he said the biggest issue is a lack of transparency on the schools part in showing parents the materials to which their children are being exposed on a daily basis. What Im really concerned about is that taxpayers are unaware of how far its gone, he said. Common-Sense Policies The solution to these problems isnt through posting tweets or debating with school administrations, but through running in school board elections, says Peter Wallace, a candidate for the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. Despite both his children having already graduated from the public school system, Wallace said he found himself in a position to be able to run for trustee and determined it was the right course of action after he became aware of some of the problems in the public school system. Peter Wallace, a Trillium Lakelands District School Board trustee candidate, and founder of the Blueprint for Canada policy platform. (Courtesy of Peter Wallace) Wallace initiated a shared platform for Canadian public education policy called Blueprint for Canada, which lists a number of policy positions that he and some other candidates have adopted for the upcoming election. I realized that there are a lot of other trustee candidates out there who seem to be of the same mindset in terms of the things that were concerned about, he said. Chanel Pfahl, a trustee candidate for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), said she uses the blueprint as her campaign platform because it summarizes common-sense policies that she believes should be implemented in schools. Pfahl is a Barrie high school teacher who was suspended after posting comments challenging critical race theory in a Facebook group. She says that if she is elected trustee, her main goal will be to represent the public in the decisions that her school board makes. Right now, the publics not being represented in any way because its being run by people who are ideologically motivated, she said. I would just be working to give a voice to the majority. Critical Gender Theories Shannon Boschy, who is also running to be an OCDSB trustee, is a former high school teacher who says he is fighting against controversial ideologies and beliefs that have permeated so many Ontario schools. Boschy said critical gender theories, particularly regarding transgenderism, are becoming prevalent in Ontarios schools and that theyre leading to a culture of gender identity affirmation rather than one of helpful guidance for children. No ones allowed to disagree with or question a kid at all under threat of law, he said, adding that his stance against such ideology being imposed on schoolchildren has led to a number of attacks against his character both in person and online. We need to raise conversation, and, as well, as a school board trustee, part of my concern is to push back against these assumptions. Pfahl says its important to protect children from experimenting with harmful hormone blockers at a young age. Because they are kids, and they are prone to making bad decisions, so they need adults that are going to safeguard them and not just validate their every feeling and go along with whatever it is that they say they want, she says. Chanel Pfahl, a trustee candidate for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. (Courtesy of Chanel Pfahl) Fernandes says she believes that the public school system has stepped too far out of line with sex and gender education, and that changing the situation requires that trustees and school administration members be more transparent with their constituents and work to democratically carry out their constituents wishes. In the end, a trustees role is to truly advocate for their constituents and, most importantly, for the students, she said. Because really, it starts with the kids, when we look at our society. (LR) Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure, and Communities Dominic LeBlanc; Transport Minister Omar Alghabra; and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos make an announcement on ending vaccine mandates for domestic and outbound travellers, federally regulated transportation sector workers, and federal government employees, in Ottawa on June 14, 2022. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press) Challengers Set to Fend Off Feds Attempt to Throw Out Travel Vaccine Mandate Lawsuits Challengers to the travel vaccine mandate will tell a federal court judge on Sept. 21 their cases should go ahead and not be declared moot as argued by the attorney general. Canada was one of the few countries in the world that had a travel ban on unvaccinated citizens flying within the country and to different provinces. This travel ban has not been cancelled, only suspended, and so court action must continue, said lawyer Eva Chipiuk in a statement. Chipiuk works with the legal advocacy group Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which represents applicants in two of the lawsuits. One involves Peoples Party Leader Maxime Bernier and the other former Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford and five co-applicants. Even though the mandate isnt in place currently, Chipiuk wants a court to assess the potential breach of charter rights in case the government seeks to bring back mandates in the future. Other challengers to the mandate include businessmen Karl Harrison and Shaun Rickard, who were the first to file a challenge in December 2021, as well as Quebec lawyer Nabil Belkacem who represents himself. Were hopeful that the court will agree with us that the issue of Justin Trudeaus vaccine mandates for travel is far from moot, Harrison told The Epoch Times. He alluded to the government statement announcing the lifting of the measures, which indicated mandates were only suspended and could be brought back if deemed necessary. He also noted that Trudeau recently said if Canadians get up-to-date with their COVID-19 shots it will reduce the need to bring back restrictions. Canadians want to hear the government explain itself after cross-examination revealed the mandate to be more political theatre than science, Harrison said. No Recommendation Government witnesses in support of the mandate were cross-examined in late spring, from the Transport Canada official who wrote the travel mandate policy to epidemiologists working with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Revelations included that neither Health Canada nor PHAC recommended the imposition of vaccination, there was limited data on in-flight transmission of the virus and the government assessed that risk as low, and the COVID vaccines would never have been approved had they shown their current level of efficacy in stopping infection. Justice Department lawyers have argued the interim order imposing the mandate has expired and no longer exists in law. There is no live issue between the parties. An order will have no practical effect, says the attorney generals motion. While there continues to be an adversarial context represented by counsel taking opposing positions, a ruling on these Applications will have no practical benefit to any of the parties and would not be an appropriate use of scarce judicial resources. The Liberal government decided to impose mandates in the summer of 2021 and announced its plan in mid-August, shortly before dissolving Parliament and calling an election. The domestic travel mandate came into force in October 2021 and prevented unvaccinated Canadians from taking a plane, a train, and some marine vessels from within the country. According to a secret briefing given to the cabinet shortly before the mandates were dropped, and which was partly declassified during the legal proceedings, the measure had three objectives. The first one was to prevent infection and transmission in the transportation sector, the second was to improve vaccine uptake, and the third was to play a leadership role in protecting the health of Canadians. It was revealed during proceedings that the government knew in late 2021/early 2022 a primary series of COVID-19 vaccination provided limited and waning protection against the virus. The secret briefing noted that vaccine protection against infection and transmission from the Omicron variant after two doses is 20 percent or less in most studies by six months or more after vaccination. The hearing on Sept. 21 is not accessible to the public but will be broadcasted over Zoom. From Our Sponsor: Why Now Is the Time to Buy Gold & Silver with Goldco. Call 855-973-0470 for your FREE Wealth Protection Kit Today! Because everything it makes is in China China can compel Apple to do whatever it pleases And its not just Apple. Many major American companies are highly reliant on production in China, and all of them are subject to coercion by the Chinese Communist Party. At the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida, I sat down with leading China expert Clyde Prestowitz, who led the first U.S. trade mission to China in 1982. Prestowitz is the author of The World Turned Upside Down: America, China, and the Struggle for Global Leadership. He makes the case for reshoring manufacturing, especially of essential products, and for America to adopt an industrial policy to level the playing field with China. To any free, rule-of-law systemU.S., European, Japanesethe Chinese Communist Party is an enemy. Absolutely, Prestowitz says. Subscribe to the American Thought Leaders newsletter so you never miss an episode. Buy the DVD of The Real Story of January 6 Documentary: https://www.epochtv.shop/product-page/dvd-the-real-story-of-january-6, Promo Code Jan for 20% off. * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Jan Jekielek: Clyde Prestowitz, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders. Clyde Prestowitz: Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Jekielek: Its been Gosh, I think it must be a year and some since we last spoke about your fantastic book, The World Turned Upside Down. Its still a book that I recommend for people to understand the current realities the U.S. has vis-a-vis China and the Chinese Communist Party and the history that led us to this place, especially with respect to the trade imbalance. Lets recap how things changed over the last five to seven years with respect to how the U.S. deals with China. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, I think the Trump administration dramatically changed the approach of the U.S. to China on trade by imposing tariffs on imports of many goods from China. But there was also at the same time a deeper phenomenon going on, which was that the Chinese government was increasingly making life difficult for foreign producers in China, and not just American, but other foreign producers as well. The Chinese government was subsidizing and emphasizing more theft of technology from foreign companies. So there was already a beginning shift and then Trump came along and raised the tariffs. And Bob Lighthizer negotiated what turned out to be an agreement with China that the Chinese did not fulfill. But the non-fulfillment demonstrated to many Americans that the previous policies that we had been pursuing were not really realistic policies. Then came the COVID, and suddenly many global companies realized that when they had made their investments in China, they had never imagined that the supply chain could be a problem. But it became a big problem, partly because of COVID, partly because of increasingly tight Chinese government regulations. And then thirdly, because the Chinese adopted this lockdown system of dealing with COVID, which closed the ports, closed the factories. And we are still suffering from that infrastructure failure. Mr. Jekielek: Well, whats really interesting is that, in a sense, what you wrote in the book predicted this outcome, right? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, I think I told you on an earlier interview that when I first signed up to do this book, the Smith Richardson Foundation, which funded me, told me that they wanted me to write something outside the box. And that was in February of 2018. In March of 2019, The Economist magazine cover story was, the West made the wrong bet on China. At that moment, the box began to move and I had to run like crazy to stay ahead of the box. Im still running. Another important point that I should have hit earlier is that the national security threat posed by the offshoring of production to China began to become much clearer in the Trump years. And so the problem of semiconductors, the fact that the semiconductors are mostly not made in the U.S. anymore became suddenly a major issue, which then opened the field for not just semiconductors, but what about all the things that go into semiconductors, and so forth? In addition to the supply chain problem, suddenly you also have a national security issue related to the way that globalization was taking place in becoming so reliant upon Chinese-based production. Mr. Jekielek: What other areas are there like this and what steps are being taken to try to rectify this? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, right now California has declared that therell be no more gasoline for automobiles after 2035. So, that assumes that there are going to be a lot of electric vehicles, and electric vehicles need batteries. Where are the batteries all made? Well, theyre made in China. In addition to electric vehicles, California and many other states are heavily pushing the development of solar panels. Where are all the solar panels made? Theyre made in China. Okay, you can assemble the parts for solar panels in the U.S., and some companies are doing that, but the parts are made in China. Mr. Jekielek: Before we continue, I just have a message from one of our sponsors. For all of you with retirement savings accounts, Americas federal debt is now at $30 trillion. And our policies during this pandemic are causing inflation to soar to multi-decade highs. A lot of folks are rightly worried about what this will mean for the retirement savings. You can protect your life savings with the only thing that has always held value, physical gold and silver. To get started, you can call Goldco at (855) 973-0470 for a free wealth protection kit. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. They guarantee highest price buybacks, and they always offer free shipping. Ask how you can even get $10,000 or more in free silver. Dont wait, call (855) 973-0470. Now, thats (855) 973-0470. So theres been some talk of, I think its called friend-shoring. Mr. Prestowitz: Friend-shoring, yes. Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury, interestingly because Janet Ive known Janet forever. And for a long time, she was very conventional; globalization, free trade, normal conventional wisdom. Suddenly Janet Yellen is telling us we should friend-shore. Thats a huge shift. Mr. Jekielek: Maybe just quickly explain what that means for the benefit of our audience there. Mr. Prestowitz: Sure. So friend-shoring means that if youre a producer that sells in the U.S. market, maybe instead of putting your production in China, you put it in a friendly country like Canada, or Mexico, or the UK, but not in China. Mr. Jekielek: And so how much reshoring or friend-shoring, lets use both terms, has actually happened since this dramatic realization that you described? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, in the last couple of years, not a lot, but its growing momentum. And so for example, Apple Which is probably the single American company that is most reliant on China Apple has begun to move some of its production into Vietnam and into India. Other companies like Volkswagen, for example, have begun to move some of their production into the U.S. or into Mexico. So theres a growing momentum. Mr. Jekielek: And so what about the trade policy? We know that former president Trump upended the way the trade was done with China, how has that changed or not since? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, interestingly, the Biden administration has stuck pretty much with the Trump policy. Biden has been under a lot of pressure from industry to repeal the tariffs that were imposed by Trump, and largely he hasnt done it. On top of that, Biden has been very effective in getting financing for reshoring. So this CHIPS bill that recently passed the Congress is really going to very quickly result in at least a doubling, probably more than a doubling, of semiconductor production in the U.S. Mr. Jekielek: Lets look at the Chinese economic reality right now. So one thing we do know for sure, it looks like the real estate sector is imploding. And real estate is I think, to put it lightly, massively important to Chinese economic growth and so forth. So what is the actual reality there as far as you know? Mr. Prestowitz: China is in a tough spot right now. As you said, the real estate which accounted for at least half, if not more, of Chinese growth is in big trouble. Prices falling, banks going bankrupt, and empty apartments and houses all over the country. So its not going to be the growth engine anymore. And then on top of that, Xi Jinping and his drive to erase COVID has been closing down big cities: Shanghai with 30, 40 million people, Shenzhen, 30 million people, and Chengdu with 25, 30 million people. Theyre all just stopping, and so thats had a huge negative impact. And then on top of that, nature is catching up with China. Back in the 1990s, China had a young population, but now its getting old. And because of the old one-child policy, there arent many young people. So the workforce is declining and getting older. And so in fact, by the end of this century, forecasts are that the Chinese population, which is now 1.4 billion people, is going to be 700 million. If you do the numbers, so you look at the decline in Chinas population and say, Well, theyre going to be cut in half by the end of the century. And if you look at U.S. population, including immigration into the U.S, its a reasonable bet that the U.S. population will be 500 or 600 million by the end of the century. So we would be approaching the population size of China with a young population, whereas China is going to have a lot of old people. Mr. Jekielek: Since you mentioned lockdowns, lets discuss this. Every credible study now that Ive read about the impact of lockdowns on society tells us the impact is cataclysmic with marginal, at best, benefit in controlling a respiratory virus, like a coronavirus that results in COVID. As we speak, I believe its about 60 million people that are still locked down in China. So what is the Communist Party up to there? Mr. Prestowitz: Oh, it has been a huge human issue in China because, as you say, being locked down has multiple downsides for the individual in China, probably more so in China than in the U.S., because being locked down in China meant that a lot of people couldnt get food, had trouble just getting water. China has a much more densely located population, so people live on top of each other. And the human suffering in China was much greater than in the U.S., or anywhere else. And it has interestingly raised strife within the Communist Party. There are some Communist Party leaders who see it as a potential dead end for the party. Xi Jinping is in control. His opponents have to tread carefully, and they are treading carefully, but there is dissension within the party over the lockdown policy. And I mean, very impossible to predict, but if there were going to be some kind of an implosion or breakdown of the Chinese Communist Party, this could be the kind of issue that brings it. Mr. Jekielek: And so my own view on the lockdowns is simply that Xi Jinping and the Communist Party has been celebrating the success of the lockdowns as a means of dealing with COVID for years. And the Communist Party always has to be right. So, despite the incredible cost, they simply cant backpedal. Cant say, This was wrong. It sounds simplistic and crazy, but thats how these communist regimes work. At least thats my view. Im curious what your thoughts are. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, I think Xi has really Hes put himself on the line here. And as we know, this coronavirus, it mutates. I think theres a lot more lockdown coming and maybe the eventual lockdown is, lockdown Xi Jinping. Mr. Jekielek: So, we have this real estate bubble. We know real estate isnt going to be the driver of economic growth building. What do the other sectors look like, and how important is the current influx of U.S. capital, which continues to be significant? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, its important. On the one hand, there is an influx of U.S. capital, but theres also widespread discussion around the free world of the need to be not dependent on China. So for example, the German government unbelievably, because Germany thought it was an exception and that it could handle China. But the German government is now talking about putting limits on German investment in China and preventing German companies from transferring certain kinds of engineering technology to China. So, thats a new ball game. Thats a new environment that we will see evolving. A problem for China is, in a way, not so much capital. China has a lot of capital, but it doesnt have any consumption. If you look at its economy today, its exports are soaring. Its economic growth is almost entirely driven by exports, very little by domestic consumption. But the export game is getting more difficult because other countries are beginning to realize that theyre being essentially set up as targets by China. And so the rest of the world is adopting a different attitude. And I think its going to be very difficult for the Chinese to generate domestic consumption because that would, in many ways, reduce the dominance of the party. So its going to be very interesting to watch how this plays out in China over the next 5 to 10 years. Mr. Jekielek: Something thats happened within the last year is Russia invades Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine war, a shift in focus, if you will. I think prior to that, people were a lot more focused on China, but now Russia, Ukraine, Russia-Ukraine. And certainly, in the information space, its a massively dominant topic. So what is the impact of this on China? And of course China is coming out on Russias side here. And Ill just add as another piece is that theres this whole de-dollarization process starting to go on where theyre settling the petrol accounts with yuan and so forth. Mr. Prestowitz: I think that the Russian invasion, which as you said, Xi Jinping had kind of signed off. He met with Putin before Putin gave the order. Obviously, the two of them said that they had a no limit friendship. And so Xi gave the okay. Putin made his move. And on the one hand, the Putin move set a shock through Europe. And because Xi was attached to that shock, it also shifted the European attitude toward China. The Europeans began to see, Oh wow, these Chinese have been telling us that theyre good guys, but theyre not such good guys. And so a lot of the negative reaction to Putin has also rubbed off of China and then Xi Jinping. I also think, interestingly, that Ive been surprised by the European reaction. We still have to wait for the winter to see if the Europeans continue to hang tough. But so far, the Europeans have been hanging much tougher than I thought they would. And interestingly, thats particularly true by the countries like Poland, and Estonia, and Lithuania who were occupied by the Russians. They know what its like to be under the Russian rule. They dont want it, and theyre sending that message to the rest of the European Union, which I think is very powerful. Japan at the same time has never had a warm and friendly relationship with Russia. And the Russian role here combined with the threat that China poses to Japan has also woken the Japanese up. And so the Japanese are now doubling their national defense expenditure. Theyre loosening up on their willingness to participate in joint military operations. So theres been really a sea change from what weve been used to over the past 40 years. Mr. Jekielek: Well, but what about this other element where basically because of a larger proportion of accounts now being settled in non-dollar currency, what is the impact of that? Mr. Prestowitz: Dollar issue is interesting. Im skeptical that the Chinese and the Russians will be able to establish a viable non-dollar system. Im skeptical because neither the RMB, the Yuan, the Chinese currency, nor the ruble are reserve currencies. And theyre not reserve currencies for good reasons. And so if youre going to set up an alternative system without a reserve currency, you got to prove that to me. But from my perspective, if they were able to do it, I dont think it would be entirely bad for the U.S. On the one hand, it would reduce our ability to apply this kind of financial retaliation. On the other hand, it would force us to balance our own tree, and it would force us to bring more production into the U.S. to reduce our dependence on China and other suppliers, and bring the jobs, and the technology, the production back to the U.S. I dont think they can do it. But if they can do it, it doesnt worry me too much. Mr. Jekielek: Its a very fascinating perspective to be. I mean, maybe just explain the implications of these not being reserve currencies. My theory is that China might eventually take Russia to the cleaners with this exchange, right? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, China is not a reserve currency because if youre Chinese, you live in China. You cannot just go by dollars. If the Chinese government removed that repression, if they said, Hey, the market is open, you want to get dollars? Fine. All of the money in China would rush into dollars. There wouldnt be any RMB. The ruble is a little bit different because it does have backing by oil and gas, by real natural products, but nobody trusts the Russian government. And so its very hard to imagine that much of the world is going to put significant reliance on currencies that have no real backing. Well see. Mr. Jekielek: Yes. No. And this is just for the uninitiated, right? Its the idea that a currency will still be worth what its supposed to be worth is the issue here, as opposed to a government deciding randomly to change that, which is the reason why what you said would happen if Mr. Prestowitz: Right, yes. Well, over the last year and a half, the dollar has risen on average something like 20 percent. Think about this, the yen today is at 143 yen to the dollar. Thats what it was 10 years ago. Since its beginning, the Euro was valued at between a $1.25 and a $1.40. Today, a euro is like 95 U.S. cents. Now, why is that happening? Its happening because theres turmoil in the world, and people all over the world want to keep their money in a safe spot. The dollar is a safe spot. So unless other countries can become as safe as the dollar, its not going to go away. Mr. Jekielek: Well, so since were just on this, we are experiencing considerable inflation. And the information that Im getting suggests its much larger actually than the official statistics. You can look at the food price increases and so forth as some indicator of this. So what impact will that have on the trust people have in the dollar? Because that seems like a foundational question. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, its a very good question. And if you looked at it only in terms of inflation, it would worry people. But you have to look at, Okay, so we have inflation. Whats being done to deal with inflation? And Chairman of the Fed, Powell, has just been raising interest rates. Well, thats what you do to stop inflation. So if youre outside the U.S. and youre looking at the U.S,, and youre saying, Geez, Im holding these RMB or I have these euros and these yen, do I want to put them in the dollars or not? Well, yes, the Fed is doing what it should do. Ill say, Yeah, maybe I will. Mr. Jekielek: Well, and its also a question of relative inflation, because all these other currencies are doing spectacularly, or something like that. Mr. Prestowitz: Yes, exactly. Yes. Well, the other banks do it. Exactly. Mr. Jekielek: Right. Okay, thats super interesting. You mentioned a bit earlier that Apple has a particular dependency on the Chinese regime. Its not the only company I might add. Theres quite a few. But lets discuss a little bit of the impact of that reality. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, Apple went to China in the late 1990s. It moved its production facilities out of California, moved everything to China. At the time, Chinese labor was very cheap. The Chinese government was offering free land, no taxes for 25 years, utilities at half cost. It looked like a beautiful package for Apple. And Tim Cook who had worked for Dell before working for Apple, had taken Dell to China. He went to Steve Jobs and he said, We should go to China. And Steve agreed. And so Apple went to China. But now what has happened is that virtually everything Apple makes is made in China. So if theres a lockdown, and there is right now Apples facilities are in Chengdu. Theres a lockdown in Chengdu right now. And on top of that, increasingly youre seeing Chinese companies copying Apple technology and eating Apple share in the Chinese market. So even Apple, married as it is to China, has begun to experiment with moving some production to India and to Vietnam. But theres another element to this that I think people need to be aware of, and that is that we Americans think of Apple as an American company. And it is technically an American company chartered as a corporation in the United States, I think in the state of Delaware. But in fact, because everything it makes is in China and because whereas in America we have a rule of law, so the U.S. government cant compel Apple to do a lot of things, even if it wants to. Thats not true in China. China can compel Apple to do whatever it damn well pleases. And so Apple has, in a way, been captured politically by China. So when Apple testifies before the Congress or lobbies U.S. government entities, it presents itself as an American company, but officials have to keep in mind that it is in a way more subservient to Beijing than it is to In Washington, Apple has instant entree. It has armies of lawyers and lobbyists. Its powerful. In Beijing, its on its knees. And its important. And its not just Apple. Many major American companies are highly reliant on production in China. And all of them are subject to coercion by the Chinese Communist Party. Thats a very important reason why we need to reshore or friend-shore to make our companies much less dependent on China. Mr. Jekielek: So obviously, you describe a huge amount of exposure and a huge amount of leverage that Beijing has. This isnt the only Im holding a piece of Apple technology in my hand here, although its a bit older. I dont know where it was manufactured. But what other companies would be of note to consumers, to their viewers? Mr. Prestowitz: Think General Electric, think General Motors, Boeingvirtually any major manufacturing industry will be highly reliant on China. I mean, during the height of COVID, our masks were coming from China. The F-35 has a component thats made in China, that tells you the extent, the penetration of products made in China. Mr. Jekielek: Even something thats so sensitive. Mr. Prestowitz: Absolutely vital to national security, Chinese are piece of it. Mr. Jekielek: So what is the significance of the massive amount of dollars that China is holding? Mr. Prestowitz: Oh, it doesnt bother me too much. China doesnt have that much compared to what they need from us. I mean, if China were to sell all its U.S. dollar holdings tomorrow, it would cause a bump in the market, but it wouldnt be a catastrophe. Mr. Jekielek: What is the amount? Is it- Mr. Prestowitz: Oh, I think its on the order of maybe $200 or $300 billion. Thats big, but the U.S. dollar market is in trillions, not in billions. Mr. Jekielek: So another question, theres considerable Chinese and frankly other investments in American real estate, American land, land that has suspected national security issues related to it. Mr. Prestowitz: Right. Mr. Jekielek: For example, near military bases. So what is the significance of that in your mind? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, one of the things that bothers me in the U.S. China relationship is the ignorance of the U.S. side on the extent of and the limits to which the Chinese will go to obtain intelligence. So the Chinese have been buying up land near American bases. That land is not being bought in order to grow wheat. Theyre watching the bases. And when we talk about intelligence, we just automatically tend to think, Oh, intelligence, okay. Thats what the CIA does. Or, Thats what the military does. Its true in the U.S. But in China, all of them are doing intelligence. Even there was a figure, a number thrown out last week that China spends more money on domestic security than it does on its army, navy, and military security. Well, all of that effort thats being made of domestic security is gathering intelligence. And if you think about the hacking that has been done, Im sure that your insurance company, or your bank, or somebody has sent you a message to say, Oh my God, weve been hacked. Well, yes, China has gathered up millions, maybe billions of categories of classified information. So they know your name. They have your social security number. They know your telephone number. People that we would think are not critical in any way, but the Chinese are gathering that information. Sun Tzu, the Chinese war God or war theorist, he said, Know yourself, know the enemy. You have nothing to worry about, know the enemy. Well, Chinese really pay attention to Sun Tzu, and they know us very well. Mr. Jekielek: So weve talked about this on the show with multiple guests in the past, but so the Chinese, U.S. as the enemy? Mr. Prestowitz: It depends on The Chinese, 1.4 billion of them. So for the vast majority of those people, the U.S. is a country thats far away and doesnt concern them very much. Because theyre propagandized, they probably have a negative feeling about the U.S. But a lot of their kids come to university here. But if you talk about the Chinese Communist Party, yes, the Chinese Communist Party is an enemy. The Chinese Communist Party is a clear and present danger to any free rule of law system. U.S., European, Japanese. The Chinese Communist Party is an enemy, absolutely. Mr. Jekielek: So one of the things that comes through in The World Turned Upside Down, is you advocating for something which until recently is kind of an anathema, certainly in DC. And with basically this mantra of free trade at all costs, open markets. You are an advocate of establishing industrial policy in America. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, were doing it. Its happening. Congress just passed the CHIPS Act. Both parties voted for it to assure that we have a Not necessarily have an industry, but that we have the leading semiconductor industry. And the same kind of attitude is being taken toward other technologies, towards telecommunications. The U.S. government single-handedly has deeply wounded Huawei, the major Chinese telecom company. So we, de facto, are practicing industrial policy. Secretary Raimondo, at the commerce department, has set up a team of people to evaluate industries and identify those that are most important, that we need to have substantial production in the U.S., and how we need to do that. And so I have to say, Im a happy warrior. I have been personally arguing for and fighting for an American industrial policy for more than 40 years. And hey, finally its happening. Im a happy guy. Mr. Jekielek: Well, so maybe for the benefit of our audience, what does that mean? Mr. Prestowitz: So what that means is that the government plays a role in helping to finance or to entice investment and research and development in particular industries. Typically, the industries that youre talking about are advanced technology industries or industries that contribute. For example, on the one hand, you dont think of General Motors in the same terms that you think of Intel. Intel is clearly a high tech company. General Motors, you dont put them in the same category of technology. However, General Motors buys a lot from Intel. So if you want Intel to be strong, you also want GM to be strong. And so industrial policy would aim at being sure that Intels healthy and being sure that GM is in a position to keep buying a lot of Intel chips. Or if its not GM, then somebody else has to be a buyer out there. Mr. Jekielek: Well, and the context of this is that when you have these giant companies, like Huawei as an example, these are not independent multinationals working with profit as their primary motive, even though it is a motive. Theyre actually working at the behest of the Chinese regime. So you have these giant I mean, its kind of the epitome or You would still call it industrial policy, but its these companies are deeply intertwined with the national security and- Mr. Prestowitz: Well, an argument against what the Biden administration is doing is, Oh, its industrial policy. Its interfering in free markets. We dont want that. Well, the irony is that these companies, as we said, theyre active in China. So if theyre not subject to a U.S. industrial policy, theyll be wholly subject to a Chinese industrial policy. So you cant escape industrial policy. So if Chinas going to have one, we need to have one, if nothing else, to offset the Chinese policy. Mr. Jekielek: Thats a very interesting way to put it because, of course, they are leveraging what they have on these companies maximally constantly, because thats just how the CCP operates, right? Mr. Prestowitz: Right. Yes. Mr. Jekielek: They see it as their role to do that almost, right? Mr. Prestowitz: Yes. No, absolutely. And also, you have the aspect that U.S. venture capital has been very active in China. Well, if the Chinese are trying to propagate particular industries of technology, they will welcome, they will attempt to entice U.S. venture capital to invest in those technologies in China. Thats not good for the U.S. We want that invested in U.S. technology. So I think you cannot escape an industrial policy. Mr. Jekielek: So were at a very volatile time, it seems to me. We have this Russia, Ukraine war. Its not really clear how its going to turn out. All the powers are using extensive information warfare to make it harder to see whats actually going on, all the players, right? This is just the way things work these days. The Chinese economic situation is arguably the worst that its been in a considerable amount of time. Mr. Prestowitz: Yes. Oh, yeah. At the time in 2008, 2009, when we had what we called the Great Recession, that hit China pretty hard. But I would say this is even harder. China hasnt had this experience since the 1980s. This is a new impact for China. Mr. Jekielek: Well, and theres the debt to GDP, the ratio. China is highly, highly levered even compared to the U.S., which we say is very highly levered. Right? Mr. Prestowitz: Right, right. Right. Well, the Chinese GDP is leveraged in a different way. So the Chinese government doesnt have a lot of debt, whereas the U.S. government does have a lot of debt. Chinese GDP is more leveraged in terms of its growthis dependent on real estate. Real estate does have a lot of debt, which somebodys going to have to step in and take care of. So far, the national government of China has been able to put all of that debt onto the local governments, but the local governments dont have the taxing power to really handle it. So well see what happens. Itll be very interesting to see how Beijing handles that. Mr. Jekielek: Then on top of all this, they are locking down and wherever apparently they believe its needed. Mr. Prestowitz: Right, yes. Theyre tying their own hands, so well see what happens. Mr. Jekielek: Theres still this huge push, especially from some of these from the BlackRocks, from some of the hedge funds, to push massive amounts of capital into China, tie it to index funds, even given this reality. Right? Mr. Prestowitz: Right. Mr. Jekielek: So theyre basically saying, We think these are great growth opportunities. Mr. Prestowitz: Well, it has been. I think I sense that there has been a pullback from that. Ray Dalio hasnt raised the Chinese flag in the last several months. And I think that reality is beginning to also make itself felt on Wall Street. And what I really would like to see is some legislation that would prevent investment by index funds of any money that is coming to individuals, say, through social security or government pensions. I dont think that U.S. government source money ought to be invested in the Chinese market. And I think that message is beginning to be read, but I would like to see it clamped and stamped. Mr. Jekielek: Yes And to your point, I talked about this on this show three years ago, I remember this, the Military Thrift Savings Fund, basically the pensions of the veterans in military are Theres many of this- Mr. Prestowitz: The irony of a Korean vet whos fought in Chinese and Korean, his pension is investing in China, give me a break. Mr. Jekielek: Well, no, exactly. But were three years down the road and that still hasnt changed bizarrely somehow. Mr. Prestowitz: No, no. Mr. Jekielek: Right? Mr. Prestowitz: Right. Mr. Jekielek: And some of these companies are actually companies that are actively Chinese military involved companies. Mr. Prestowitz: Yes, thats crazy. Mr. Jekielek: So any final thoughts as we finish, Clyde? Mr. Prestowitz: Well, I think that an important thing to keep in mind is that China has a highly integrated and coordinated face to the world. The U.S. face to the world is a million different opinions. China, only one opinion gets spread to the world. But the truth is that there are a lot of differing opinions in China that may not be being expressed. And I think its going to be very interesting to see how the unheard voices get directed in China. Itll be fun to watch. Mr. Jekielek: You think that maybe they will decide to get out of the lockdowns and pin them on Xi? Mr. Prestowitz: Its very hard for me to imagine that And Xi Jinping has to have a lot of enemies in China. Hes put a lot of people in jail, so he has to have a lot of enemies. And if hes going to strangle China with these lockdowns, you have to imagine the enemies are going to try to take some action. So well see how it plays out. Mr. Jekielek: Well, Clyde Prestowitz, its such a pleasure to have you on again. Mr. Prestowitz: Thanks very much. Good to see you. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on June 15, 2022. (Yves Herman/Pool via Reuters) Coast Guardsmen Denied Religious Exemptions From COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Sue Biden Administration Guardsmen denied religious exemptions to the Coast Guards COVID-19 vaccine mandate are suing the force, alleging the denials violate federal law. Three Guard personnel who are Christians are leading the class-action complaint against the force, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and the Department of Homeland Security after their religious exemption requests were denied even though chaplains said each plaintiff held sincere religious objections to getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The three do not want to get vaccinated because they oppose how aborted fetal cells were used in developing or testing the vaccines. All three received final denial letters that were virtually identical aside from name changes and dates, according to the new lawsuit, filed in U.S. court in Fort Worth, Texas. None of the Plaintiffs appeal denial memoranda mention the plaintiffs respective duties, individual health risks, natural immunity, compliance with mitigation protocols, availability of less restrictive means, additional facts and arguments submitted in plaintiffs respective appeal memoranda, or a statement of the Coast Guards alleged compelling interest in denying an accommodation to the respective plaintiffs, it said. Natural immunity refers to the protection one enjoys after recovering from COVID-19, while mitigation protocols include masking and social distancing. Testing confirmed that two of the plaintiffs recovered from COVID-19 while the third believes he did. That treatment violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, plaintiffs assert. All are facing discharge for refusing to get a vaccine. The suit notes that Sean ODonnell, the acting Department of Defense inspector general, informed Austin that an investigation of adjudication of religious exemption requests found a trend of generalized assessments rather than the individualized assessment that is required by Federal law and DoD and Military Service policies. The Coast Guard and the Pentagon declined to comment on the suit. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to requests for comment. Certainly, from the Department of Defense standpoint, we still have a requirement to vaccinate when it comes to COVID. And so well continue to implement our measures, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagons press secretary, told reporters in a briefing on Sept. 20. Class-Action The suit is seeking class-action status for all Guardsmen who have not had their exemptions processed or who have had their exemptions denied despite chaplains attesting to sincere religious objections. The proposed class consists of all members of the United States Coast Guard who (a) are subject to a mandate of the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, or Coast Guard to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, (b) submitted a request for religious accommodation regarding such mandate based on a sincerely held religious belief, and (c) have received or will receive a purported final denial of such request from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, or Coast Guard, the suit states. The Coast Guard is part of the DHS in peacetime, but its COVID-19 vaccine mandate was imposed with references to Austins order for the military to get vaccinated. The exact number of members of the proposed class is unclear; the Coast Guard has in the past refused to say how many personnel have been vaccinated and how many have asked for exemptions. More than 1,200 Guardsmen have asked for religious accommodation from the mandate. At least 881 have been denied. My faith called me to serve my country in the Coast Guard. Now I find myself in a situation where I am being forced to choose between my faith and service to my country; its truly heartbreaking, Lt. Junior Grade Alaric Stone, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement. I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and religious freedom is a cornerstone of our Constitutional guarantees. There are more than a thousand other Coast Guard men and women who have religious objections to these vaccines and find themselves in a similar position. Our first President and Commander and Chief, George Washington, said it best when he wrote When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen. Rulings The suit is one of the first brought against the Coast Guard, but legal actions against military branches over how theyve handled the mandate have largely been successful. In one recent ruling, the Marine Corps was ordered not to discharge Marines who object to vaccination on religious grounds. The record shows that the other three-thousand-seven-hundred-plus religiously objecting Marine applicants are either denied already or rapidly proceeding to an apparently (on the present record) inevitable denial, and in either instance are awaiting forced separation from service; regardless of seniority; regardless of specialized skill and training; regardless of depth and breadth of experience; regardless of distinguished service; regardless of the current state of international turbulence and danger; regardless of the place and circumstances of each applicants service; and regardless of other considerations (for example, the difficulty in recruiting equivalent replacements), U.S. District Judge Steve Merryday, a George. H.W. Bush appointee, wrote in his order. A different judge told the Air Force not to discipline Air Force personnel seeking religious accommodation. Defendants fail to raise any persuasive arguments for why the Court should not extend the Preliminary Injunction issued on March 31, 2022 to cover the Class Members, U.S. District Judge Matthew McFarland, a Trump appointee, said. An appeals court later upheld the ruling and said there was significant proof that the Air Force discriminated against religious airmen. President Joe Biden (L) waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, S.C., on Aug. 13, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Democrats Vote Down GOP Resolution to Investigate Hunter Biden The Democrat-controlled House Oversight Committee on Tuesday voted down a GOP effort to investigate President Joe Bidens son, Hunter, over his foreign business dealings. Before it was voted down, Republicans proposed a resolution of inquiry that asks the president to hand over documents relating to the business dealings of Hunter Biden and other Biden family members, as well as their companies and investments. Rep. James Comer (R-Tenn.), the ranking member on the Oversight Panel, accused the Biden family of providing access to the highest levels of government to enrich themselves and said the investigation is needed due to national security implications. It is time for President Biden to answer some questions about his participation in his familys business schemes with some of our most significant adversaries for years, including the Chinese Communist Party, he said, likely referring to emails sourced from the younger Bidens laptop that showed he had communications with a CCP-linked Chinese energy firm. In those emails, he also suggested giving a 10 percent cut in a corporate organization to the big guy, referring to Joe Biden. If the Democrats vote against this resolution, then they are continuing in their coordinated effort to shield a potentially compromised President from necessary congressional oversight, Comer said Tuesday. We must shed light on the Biden familys international business schemes to determine if there is a national security threat. But longtime Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, said Republicans have misplaced priorities by trying to investigate the Bidens. This is a nakedly partisan effort, she said, claiming GOP lawmakers are obsessed with Hunter Biden, reported CNN. Preview Should Republicans retake the House after the 2022 midterm elections, Tuesdays Oversight Committee vote suggests it is a sign of things to come. Other GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate have signaled a willingness to probe the Biden familys overseas ties and family businesses. So do you mean to tell me that Joe Biden had no idea that his son was engaged in the sale of a cobalt mine to a Chinese company at the same time when the centerpiece of Joe Bidens energy policy is electric cars in the United States? Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) asked on Tuesday. That is just crazy, he said. In late 2020, Hunter Biden revealed in a statement that he was being investigated by federal authorities over his taxes, although he did not elaborate. At the time, the younger Biden and then-candidate Joe Biden said they were confident that the probe would show he did nothing wrong. Hunter Biden in late 2019 told ABC News that he acted in an ethical manner in relation to his private business deals. In retrospect, look, I think that it was poor judgment on my part. Is that I think that it was poor judgment because I dont believe now, when I look back on itI know that there wasdid nothing wrong at all, he said. However, was it poor judgment to be in the middle of something that isa swamp ininin many ways? Yeah. I gave a hook to some very unethical people to act in illegal ways to try to do some harm to my father. Thats where I made the mistake, Hunter Biden continued. So I take full responsibility for that. Did I do anything improper? No, not in any way. Not in any way whatsoever. DeSantis: Illegal Immigrant Flights to Marthas Vineyard Clearly Voluntary Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday that the flights he chartered for illegal immigrants to Marthas Vineyard were voluntary. It was clearly voluntary, and all the other nonsense youre hearing is just not true, DeSantis told Fox Newss Sean Hannity about last weeks flight to the exclusive Massachusetts island. And why wouldnt they want to go, given where they were? All the illegal immigrants who were transported from Florida to Marthas Vineyard had to sign consent forms and were given maps and numbers for services in the area, DeSantis said. Democrats have claimed that DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, have engaged in human trafficking by sending groups of illegal aliens to other parts of the country. For months, Abbott has been busing people who illegally entered the United States to New York City, Chicago, and Washington. The Democrat sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, announced he opened an investigation into DeSantiss transport of illegal immigrants. The sheriffs office claimed that one illegal alien was paid to recruit the others, and they were allegedly promised work or other benefits. A spokesperson for DeSantis, however, denied those allegations to news outlets and said they were abandoned, homeless, and left to fend for themselves. They were in really, really bad shape, DeSantis also said during Mondays Fox News interview. There are jobs available in Marthas Vineyard. There is lodging available in Marthas Vineyard. Had they lived up to what they bill themselves out as a sanctuary jurisdiction, they could have absorbed those people without a problem. DeSantis, who is up for reelection in November and is seen as a possible presidential contender in 2024, claimed credit for the two flights from San Antonio to Marthas Vineyard. He also targeted President Joe Bidens handling of a record number of crossings along the U.S.Mexico border. Around the same time as the Marthas Vineyard flight last week, Abbott sent buses of illegal aliens to the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. Harris has not issued a public response after the incident. Other than DeSantis and Abbott, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has also sent migrants to Democrat-controlled cities. DeSantis said last week that Florida paid to fly the migrants to Marthas Vineyard because many migrants who arrive in Florida come from Texas. U.S. border agents made nearly 2 million migrant arrests through August at the U.S.Mexico border this fiscal year, which began last October, according to government data released Monday. They include a growing number of Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and others who cannot be expelled to Mexico under a public health order in place since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Reuters contributed to this report. A student wears a facemask at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 11, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Ex-USC Social Work Dean Pleads Guilty in Ridley-Thomas Bribery Case A former dean of the University of Southern Californias (USC) School of Social Work pleaded guilty Sept. 19 to a federal bribery charge in a political corruption case, admitting she funneled $100,000 through the university on behalf of then-County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in hopes of earning his support for a lucrative county contract that would benefit her school. Marilyn Louise Flynn, 83, of Los Feliz, is scheduled to be sentenced March 20, 2023. The bribery charge potentially carries a term of up to 10 years in federal prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend Flynn satisfy her custodial term by way of home confinement. They also agree to a fine of no more than $150,000 against her, according to a plea agreement released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ridley-Thomasnow a Los Angeles city councilman suspended from office last October following a federal indictmentis scheduled to go on trial in the case Nov. 15. Ridley-Thomas has pleaded not guilty to one count each of conspiracy and bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud, and 15 counts of honest services wire fraud. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Then Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas speaks in Los Angeles on April 18, 2017. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Communities In School Los Angeles) Susan Shelley, a commentator on California politics and policy, columnist for the Southern California News Group, and host of the Howard Jarvis Podcast for KABC, told The Epoch Times Flynns decision to plead guilty is a hard hit on Ridley-Thomas. If he is acquitted then he would be back on the city council, she said. But its looking like he wont be acquitted because [Flynns guilty plea] is very bad news for him. According to her plea agreement, Flynn was trying to get an amendment to a contract between the School of Social Work and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in 2018 involving services provided by USC Telehealtha clinic with USC students providing online mental health and counseling services to clients referred by the county. The social work school was facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit at the time, prosecutors said. According to prosecutors, in April 2018, Ridley-Thomas allegedly arranged for Flynn to funnel $100,000 from his campaign account through the School of Social Work to a nonprofit operated by his son, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who had recently resigned from the state Assembly amid a sexual harassment probe. Prosecutors contend Ridley-Thomas wanted to provide the money to support his sons nonprofit but didnt want the funds linked to him or his campaign. The pair allegedly concealed the arrangement from the university, knowing it would have violated university policy, according to the plea agreement. Los Angeles City Hall on March 3, 2018. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) In May 2018, after the money transfer was completed, Ridley-Thomas allegedly set up a meeting between Flynn and a high-level county official to discuss moving forward with the amendment Flynn was seeking on the Telehealth contract. He subsequently voted in favor of the amended contract, which was expected to generate about $9 million a year for her school, prosecutors said. The indictment of Ridley-Thomas also alleged that he conspired with Flynn to obtain graduate school admission, a full-tuition scholarship, and a paid professorship for his son. His son later became a professor of social work and public policy at the universitydespite lacking a graduate degreeand was eventually terminated over questions about his original appointment and concerns by the university over the $100,000 donation. The other influential politician who received a full scholarship from USCs social work program was Rep. Karen Bassas reported by the Los Angeles Times in early September. Bass is the leading contender in the race for mayor of Los Angeles against real estate developer Rick Caruso. (L) Karen Bass in Los Angeles on April 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images) (R) Rick Caruso in Los Angeles on Aug. 12, 2019. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Caruso) Shelley said even though Bass probably wont be legally affected by the case before the Nov. 8 election, it doesnt look good for her at this point as a scholarship recipient in 2011 from Flynn. If theres going to be any kind of legal entanglement for Karen Bass, it would not be before the election, she said. However, its a vulnerability anytime you are connected in any way to a bribery case, especially when [someone] pleaded guilty. Flynn was dean of the school for 21 years until her departure in 2018. She had originally been facing the same slate of federal charges as Ridley-Thomas. Responding to news of her plea agreement, USC issued a statement last week saying the university is not a party to the criminal case but respects the judicial process. USC strongly supports the School of Social Work and the role it plays in training those who serve the public good. After the university learned during the summer of 2018 about unethical conduct by the former dean, we quickly disclosed the matter to the U.S. Attorneys Office, the statement read. Mark Ridley-Thomas is a giant figure in local politics, previously serving on the Los Angeles City Council from 19912002, then serving in the state Assembly and Senate before he was elected to the county Board of Supervisors in 2008, serving until 2020 when he returned to the city council. He has a doctorate in social ethics from USC and spent 10 years as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, beginning in 1981. A volunteer with Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting introduces a petition calling on China to cease harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience to passersby in Calimala Street in Florence, Italy, on Sept. 22, 2013. (Courtesy of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting) Italian Magazine Publishes Piece Exposing Beijings Forced Organ Harvesting, Hits Back After Criticism From Chinese Embassy Panorama, an Italian weekly news magazine, published an article exposing Chinas barbaric practice of forced organ harvesting, that is, procuring transplant organs from living, unconsenting, prisoners of conscience, and killing them in the process. The August 24 article titled China: When the State Wants Your Organs triggered a typical wolf-warrior-like response from the Chinese Embassy in Italy. However, Panorama did not back down. Instead, they published a second article reiterating the solidity of their sources and the groundlessness of the Chinese embassys accusations. The article by Panorama exposing Chinese regimes barbaric practice of forced organ harvesting, dated August 24, 2022. (Panormama/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Refuting Chinese Embassys Accusations In a statement published on its website, the Chinese embassy in Italy accused the article author of plagiarism and attacked those who presented credible evidence of forced organ harvesting as anti-China and human rights abusers. The embassy even said the United States fabricated the forced organ harvesting to defame China. In response to the Chinese embassys statement, Panorama immediately published another article, China has violated the medical ethics rules on organ transplants. It said, It should be remembered that China spreads false news 24/7 about the prison camps where Uyghurs, Falun Gong members, thousands of political prisoners are being held; and hid the real facts of the pandemic from the beginning. The case of illegal organ transplants taken from prisoners in China is a topic that has been discussed for many years and about which the most important international authorities have repeatedly asked the Chinese government for clarity. The article by Panorama, dated August 27, 2022, rejecting the request from the Chinese Embassy in Italy, stating that China violated ethics in its transplant practices. (Panormama/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) The article noted that the Chinese government violated two core values of medical ethics. First, it violated the dead donor rule, which prohibits the removal of an essential organ from a living person. The authors quote a peer-reviewed study published in the worlds leading medical journal the American Journal of Transplantation. One of the authors is Professor Jacob Lavee, a medical advisor on risk management for Sheba Medical Center and member of the ethics board of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He established and managed Shebas heart transplant unit and served as president of the Israeli Transplant Society. The peer-reviewed study found, from Chinese journal articles, 71 cases showing the organs were harvested prior to the donors death. According to the same study, the second ethics rule China violated is the ban on doctors participation in the execution of prisoners. These are our sources, and these are the evidence on which the international community agrees, the Panorama article said, The Chinese embassy in Italy simply does its jobdenouncing all these as false without giving any evidence to support its claim. VOC: Beijing Desperate to Deflect Attention from its Rights Abuses In an email to The Epoch Times, Michal Harmata, spokesperson for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC), refuted the Chinese embassys accusation that the VOC was established by U.S. intelligence agency to demonize China. Harmata wrote, The false accusation and obfuscations by the Chinese Embassy in Italy are not the first such claims made by the CCP, nor will they be the last. In August of this year, The cybersecurity firm Mandiant uncovered a web of disinformation websites, social media accounts, and forged documents aimed at discrediting VOC and Dr. Adrian Zenz. Previously, Dr. Adrian Zenz was the target of Chinese lawsuits after his research into the CCPs forced labor regime led to the United States banning cotton imports from Xinjiang. The ongoing efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to discredit VOC reflect an increasing desperation by Beijing to deflect attention from its human rights abuses. As VOCs China Studies team have documented, the CCP is guilty of brutal crimesand the free world is starting to push back. Harmata mentioned VOCs Xinjiang Police Files, a groundbreaking analysis that shows the direct involvement of the top Chinese leaders in the mass internment campaign against the Uyghurs. The analysis was done by Dr. Zenz, VOCs Director of China Studies, and vetted by a consortium of investigative journalists from around the globe. The Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington on Nov. 8, 2017. Established by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, it is a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue erected during Chinas Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The Xinjiang Police Files were cited by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as evidence of Chinas serious human rights violations in Xinjiang. A body of independent UN experts followed up the report and called for the Human Rights Council to convene a special session on China. Harmata said, VOC will not be silenced by the Chinese Communist Parties campaign of disinformation and harassment. VOC is a nonpartisan, educational, research, and human rights nonprofit organization authorized in 1993 by a unanimous Act of Congress, and will continue to fight for those that the Chinese Communist Party so fervently wishes to subjugate, silence, and oppress. Rejection of Embassys Request Sarah Cook, Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House, told The Epoch Times that Panoramas response is an excellent example of journalists protecting local press freedom and serves to expose and rebuff the Chinese governments pressure, as well as to remind readers of the credible facts on which the original report was based. A recent Freedom House report looked at Beijings media influence in 30 countries around the world, including Italy, and the local responses to it. Cook said, We found that the Chinese Communist Partys campaign to affect news coverage globally has expanded since 2019 and that the tactics used are becoming more sophisticated and aggressive. Freedom House report Beijings Global Media Influence 2022 showing a map of Beijing expanding its global media footprint. (Freedom House/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) We also found that journalists and others in democracies are pushing back, standing up for fact-based reporting, including on topics like the persecution of Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners in China. This incident in Italy perfectly captures those dynamics. It is part of a larger pattern of Chinese embassy representatives reaching out to local news outlets that publish reporting the CCP doesnt like, questioning its credibility, and implicitly or explicitly asking them to reconsider its publication. Cook also gave examples of Chinese influence that was successful, like an incident in Kuwait when an interview with Taiwans foreign minister that the Arab Times removed from its website under pressure. But often, the reaction from local journalists is indignation and rejection of the embassys request, an important way of protecting local press freedom. Cook said. EXCLUSIVE: Hospital With 1st COVID Vaccine Mandate in US Not Requiring Updated Booster The first hospital in the United States to mandate all its health care workers get the COVID-19 vaccine has quietly decided not to require the updated booster shot after facing staffing shortages, according to an internal email obtained by The Epoch Times. Houston Methodist Hospital in April 2021 announced it was mandating the vaccine. The hospital fired hundreds of employees who refused to get the original vaccines, and later mandated booster shots. But in the new email, the hospitals chief physician informed employees that they will not be made to get the newest boosters, which are produced by Pfizer and Moderna and aimed at the Omicron subvariant strains BA.4 and BA.5. At this time, Houston Methodist will not mandate the new booster, Dr. Robert Phillips, the executive vice president and chief physician executive at Houston Methodist wrote in the Sept. 12 email, which was reviewed by The Epoch Times. We will continue to follow the scientific data, the level of infections in the community and the availability of vaccines and may mandate the new booster in the future if necessary. Houston Methodist promoted itself as the first hospital system in the country to mandate the COVID-19 vaccines for all employees. The mandate went into effect in June 2021 and 153 health care workers were terminated for not getting the shots. In 2022, the hospital mandated all its employees get a vaccine booster shot by March 1. Spokeswoman Stefanie Asin said the hospital hadnt ended its vaccine mandate. We just arent mandating the new booster just yet. Waiting to see if we surge again and what the scientific data will show, Asin told the Epoch Times. Asked what scientific data was being used, Asin did not respond. The updated boosters were given emergency authorization in August by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on pre-clinical, or non-human, data. Human data for the shots are not expected to be available for months. Pressure to Boost While Houston Methodist is not mandating the boosters, Phillips pressed the 29,000 employees to have one. The bivalent (or hybrid) COVID-19 vaccines have arrived at Houston Methodist and will be available soon, Phillips wrote. He said that the shots are expected to rebuild immunity to the original coronavirus strain and defend against omicron variants. No citations were included in the email. In the same email, Phillips conceded that the original coronavirus strain was not in circulation, with 99 percent of sequenced tests at Houston Methodist showing infections from BA.4 and BA.5. The latter is the dominant strain in the United States. The vaccines perform poorly against infection, and some studies have shown negative effectiveness over time. Phillips, though, said that the vaccines were very successful in preventing infection and keeping you from a severe case of COVID-19. The doctor also said those vaccines have had very few documented side effects. We strongly recommend you get the booster to keep our patients, you and your family even safer from COVID-19, he wrote. The fall shot will be one of the most important COVID-19 vaccines offered to Americans since the initial doses. The hospital, which has been facing staffing shortages, will continue to require all new hires get the original COVID-19 vaccines and the new booster, according to its spokeswoman. The updated shots are only available as boosters. Houston Methodist gives bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to new hires, depending on the job and shift. The hospital also gives the same amount as a referral bonus to employees. Jennifer Bridges poses in Houston, Texas on June 22, 2021. (Francois Picard/AFP via Getty Images) Doctor Questions the Science Houston Methodist was also the first hospital system in the United States to mandate its private health care workers who are credentialed medical staff to have the shot. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden treats COVID-19 patients in her private practice, BreatheMD, and had privileges with Methodist. However, the hospital temporarily revoked her privileges and suspended her after she announced she was only treating unvaccinated patients in late 2021. She resigned and is suing the hospital for defamation. After being shown the email from Phillips about the change in the mandate, Bowden pointed out the notice did not provide any scientific data for the booster. While quietly retreating from forcing its employees to get the next booster, Methodist assures everyone the previous shots were very successful at preventing infection and the new shots are expected to rebuild immunity. The hospital is privy to an enormous amount of clinical data, why arent they sharing it? Bowden told the Epoch Times. Houston Methodist touts itself as leading medicine yet seems to have no data to back up its claims. Mandate Consequences Jennifer Bridges was a nurse at Methodist for eight years. She worked in the hospitals COVID-19 unit during the height of the pandemic. She was fired on June 22, 2021, for refusing to get the vaccine. She and other former Methodist employees sued the hospital in federal court, but the case was dismissed. They are still pursuing their case through Texas state court. Bridges now works as an emergency room supervisor. Bridges says she is angry that she worked on the front lines in the hospital at the beginning of the pandemic to treat COVID-19 patients and then lost her job over a vaccine mandate that is now being loosened. They targeted nursesfirst responderswho put our lives out there to treat COVID patients and threw us to the curb. People have lost everything, gone bankrupt, and one was homeless because they were fired for refusing to take an experimental shot against their will, Bridges told The Epoch Times. Methodist has no clear criteria for anything theyre doing. Its so back-and-forth with just whatever fits their needs at the moment, she said. Now they are claiming there is science behind it. Well the first two shots didnt work. All their nurses still got COVID. All the shots did was injure a lot of people. Bridges said current employees are unhappy. They call me Mother Methodist,' said the nurse. People are still contacting me all the time about getting bullied about the mandates or jumping on my lawsuit. People are quitting or getting fired left and right. Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of the Houston Methodist spokeswoman. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Familys Decades of Donations to Hoag Hospital Reaches $134 Million After Recent Gift Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., has received a $106 million donationthe largest in its 70-year historywhich will help fund research, expansion, and treatment capabilities. Officials announced Sept. 15 that the donation will boost the hospitals growth, after Hoag became independent of Providence Health in January 2022 after a 10-year affiliation. According to Robert Braithwaite, president and chief executive officer of Hoag, the hospitals focus is on maintaining our commitment to ensuring that no one needs to leave Orange County to receive world-class, comprehensive, compassionate care. Simply put, were driven to achieve the highest level of medical standards and outcomes for our patients, and this gift will help us achieve that goal, Braithwaite wrote. The money was donated by the estate of Audrey Steele Burnanda descendant of the Steele family that has been giving to the hospital, as well as other recipientssince the 1960s. Over the years, the familys donations to Hoag Hospital alone now total $134 million. A nurse and a worker stand in front of an emergency tent set up to handle an increase in COVID-19 patients outside of Hoag Memorial Hospital in Irvine, Calif., on Dec. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Through this remarkable gift, they once again have demonstrated their compassion for everyone who needs outstanding medical care, said Flynn Andrizzi, president of the Hoag Hospital Foundation. I cant think of enough words to properly express how moved all of us at Hoag are by their generosity. The nonprofit health care organization specifically wants the donation to help expand its services and programs locally in Orange County. Burnandwho died in 2020was the daughter of Harry and Grace Steele. The Steele familys Los Angeles-based company built the pumps that helped irrigate the San Joaquin Valley. The familys success led to contributions that supported medical research and advancement. The main vehicle for the familys giving was the Harry and Grace Steele Foundation, which donated about $165 million over five decades. The earliest gift to the hospital was $8 million to advance the early study and treatment of cancer and cardiology. The estate took over philanthropic efforts after the foundation closed its doors in 2006. In February 2022, the estate also gifted $57.5 million to the University of CaliforniaIrvine, to fund the establishment of a new research center devoted to studying the causes of, and treatments for, depression. Hoag Hospital did not respond to an inquiry from The Epoch Times by press time. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2020. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images) FBI Overstates Domestic Violent Extremism Threat, Removes Agents From Child Abuse Cases: New Whistleblower A new whistleblower has alleged the FBI is manipulating case files to make it seem like America has a bigger domestic violent extremism (DVE) problem than it does, while redirecting resources away from child sexual abuse investigations to prioritize Jan. 6 cases, according to Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). The new whistleblowers disclosures, Jordan said, indicate that the way the FBIs field office in Washington, D.C. handles DVE cases related to Jan. 6 diverge[s] from established practice in such a way that it overstates the national DVE threat. Instead of records reflecting a number of DVE cases stemming from a single, black swan incident in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, it appears on paper as if there has been a rise in DVE threats all around the country. FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a hearing before Senate Judiciary Committee at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 4, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Jordan raised the allegations with FBI Director Christopher Wray in a letter on Monday, saying whistleblowers have contacted elected officials about disturbing conduct at the FBI, including politicization within the Washington Field Office (WFO). This is not the first time Jordan has raised whistleblower allegations with Wray along these lines. In July, the Ohio congressman wrote to Wray about allegations supervisors were pressuring agents to reclassify cases as DVE even if they didnt meet the criteria. Since then, new whistleblowers have come forward with concerning information about how the FBI is deliberately manipulating the way case files related to January 6 investigations are maintained in order to create a false and misleading narrative that domestic violent extremism is increasing around the country, Jordan wrote. Manipulative Casefile Practice Creates Illusion of Extremism According to Jordan, the whistleblower alleged the FBI has not followed regular procedure with Jan. 6 cases, which should all be officially led by the WFO. Ordinarily, cases are characterized and labeled by the field office where they originate, with leads cut, or sent, to other field offices for specific assistance in that location. But the whistleblower alleged the WFO has used a manipulative casefile practice to create the appearance of a larger number of purported DVE cases by farming out Jan. 6 DVE cases to FBI field offices in other geographic locations. The manipulative casefile practice creates false and misleading crime statistics, the whistleblower alleged, according to Jordan. Instead of hundreds of investigations stemming from a single, black swan incident at the Capitol, FBI and DOJ officials point to significant increases in domestic violent extremism and terrorism around the United States. Police attack two protesters on the west side of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in this scene from the EpochTV documentary, The Real Story of Jan. 6. (Steve Baker/EpochTV) The way this is achieved, the whistleblower told Jordan, is that a task force in D.C. identifies potential subjects and possible locations where they reside, then sends information packets with instructions to open full investigations at local field offices around the country. But in fact the local field offices are only running the cases on paper at the direction of the WFO, according to Jordans letter. In other words, the FBIs case categorization creates the illusion that threats from DVE are present in jurisdictions across the nation, when in reality they all stem from the same related investigation concerning the actions at the Capitol on January 6, Jordan said. [T]here are active criminal investigations of January 6th subjects in which I am listed as the Case Agent, but have not done any investigative work, the whistleblower alleged, according to Jordans letter. Such an artificial case categorization scheme allows FBI leadership to misleadingly point to significant increases in DVE threats nationwide, Jordan wrote. These allegations are consistent with disclosures we have received from other whistleblowers that high-ranking FBI officialsincluding a senior WFO officialare pressing front-line agents to categorize cases as DVE matters to fit a political narrative. Child Sexual Abuse No Longer FBI Priority: Whistleblower Jordan also put to Wray the whistleblowers allegations that the FBI is pulling agents off the bureaus Violent Crimes Against Children program to prioritize Jan. 6 targets. In addition, the whistleblower disclosed that the FBI is sacrificing its other important federal law-enforcement duties to pursue January 6 investigations, Jordan wrote. The whistleblower recalled, for example, being told that child sexual abuse material investigations were no longer an FBI priority and should be referred to local law enforcement agencies. Such a posture is not only a dereliction of the FBIs mission to investigate violations of federal laws, but it is a grave disservice to the victims of child sexual abuse and other crimes that do not advance the FBI leaderships political agenda, he said. Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020. (John Minchillo/AP Photo) Congress first empowered the FBI in 1932 to immediately investigate disappearances or kidnappings involving a child of tender age, which is usually 12 or younger, according to the bureau. The FBIs investigative priorities in regards to crimes against children have traditionally been child abductions, contact offenses against children, such as abuse material, sextortion, and child sexual abuse tourism, the sexual exploitation of children, trafficking of children for sexual abuse material, and international parental kidnapping. Jordan expressed his outrage at this part of the whistleblowers allegations on Monday night during an interview on Fox News. Theyre juicing the numbers and theyre cooking the books, Jordan said. And theyre so focused on this theyre willing to pull agents from child trafficking cases to foster this narrative about half the country being extremists. Remember, weve had previous whistleblowers who came to us and said that they were being pressured to label cases as domestic violent extremism,' he continued. This whistleblower came forward and talked to us about how theyre cooking the books, making it seem like theres cases all over the country when in fact theyre all related to Jan. 6. Whistleblower Suspended: Jordan Jordan also revealed during the interview that the whistleblower, who he described as honest and brave, has now been suspended by the FBI. Today we learned that this newest whistleblower has been suspended from his job. So theres retaliation going against this guy for coming forward and telling us whats going on, Jordan said. The Ohio Republican noted that the FBIs action toward the whistleblower is an indication of what could be in store if the Democrats win both the House and Senate at the November midterms. Thats why this election in 50 days is so darn important. The way you send a message is put Republicans in charge and then what we have to do is get tough, he said. A member of the Secret Service in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2022. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images) Jordan pointed to the actions of the Department of Justice in the last six weeks as evidence of overreach by the Biden administration. [President] Joe Biden raided the home of a former president, took the phone of a sitting member of Congress, the inspector general of the Justice Department assisted imaging the phonehes supposed to be the independent oversight of the Justice Department, Jordan said. And, oh by the way, he also signed legislation which is going to unleash 87,000 IRS agents to come harass we the taxpayer, he added, referring to Biden. That happened in six weeks for goodness sake. So yeah, this election is critical when it comes to Americas freedoms, liberties, and the Bill of Rights. FBI Response The FBI responded Tuesday to the allegations in a statement to The Epoch Times, saying the bureau is charged with protecting the American people from a wide variety of threats, from terrorism, cyber threats, and violent crime to public corruption, hate crimes, and crimes against children. Our commitment to one does not come at the expense of another, the FBI spokesperson said, referring to allegations that resources are being pulled from child sexual abuse cases. The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is persistent, evolving, and deadly, the spokesperson continued. The FBIs authority to investigate a case as domestic terrorism requires the existence of a potential criminal federal violation, the unlawful use or threat of force or violence, and ideological motivation of any type. The FBI spokesperson said the bureau does not investigate ideology but rather individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and other criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security. We are committed to upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans and will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment activity, the bureau spokesperson said. This report was updated with the FBI spokespersons comments. Flat-Out Lying: Texas Governors Office Accuses NYC Mayor After Threat of Lawsuit Over Migrant Buses Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts office on Monday rebuked Mayor Eric Adams for selectively attacking his relocation program while taking sides with Democrat allies that failed to secure the U.S. border. It came a day after Adams said the city would launch legal action against the Lone Star State over the busloads of migrants sent to the Big Apple on an almost daily basis for over a month, during his appearance on CBS 2. Our legal team is looking at legal challenges we could do with Texas, the Democrat mayor told the news outlet after another six buses filled with illegal immigrants arrived in New York on Sunday morning. We believe there are some options we have, because when you involuntarily place someone on a bus, we believe that actually skates the law, Adam said. An Abbott spokesperson defended the legality in a statement provided to Fox News, as migrants willingly chose to go to New York by signing a voluntary consent waiver upon boarding. Press secretary Renae Eze accused Adams of flat-out lying and selectively attacking Texas busing operation, while conveniently ignoring migrants bused into New York City by Democrat-led El Paso and flown by President Biden. The Mayor of El Paso, Oscar Leeser, has sent at least 1,135 illegal aliens on 28 buses to New York since Aug. 23, as the city was overwhelmed by around thousands of new arrivals per day; The White House confirmed in October 2021 that the Biden administration has been flying unaccompanied children from the southern border to New York in the middle of the night. Instead of complaining about a couple thousand migrants being bused into his self-declared sanctuary city and using these migrants for political attacks, Eze said, Mayor Adams should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the bordersomething the President continues failing to do. The Epoch Times reached out to Adams office for comment. Record Apprehensions Official data published on Monday show Border Patrol apprehensions along the U.S.Mexico border topped a record high of 2 million so far this fiscal year. Texas has bused over 2,500 migrants to New York since Aug. 5, in addition to over 8,000 migrants to Washington since April and more than 600 to Chicago since late August. Abbotts office said the busing mission is providing much-needed relief to its overwhelmed border communities, while protesting President Joe Bidens open-border policies. The drop-off policy stemmed from the Biden administrations move to lift a Trump-era emergency public health order, known as Title 42, which had allowed for the quick expulsion of asylum-seekers entering the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also announced on Sept. 15 the arrival of two buses of migrants from Texas outside Vice President Kamala Harris residence at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington. The vice president had claimed the southern border was secure and denied the existence of a border crisis during her recent trip to Houston. Jasmine, 23, waits to recieve an abortion at a Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 14, 2022. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images) Florida Abortion Clinic Fined $193,000 for Terminating Pregnancies Without a 24-Hour Waiting Period A Tallahassee abortion clinic will likely face bankruptcy and be put out of business if a state agency goes through with its assessment of a $193,000 sanction. The hefty fine emerged after the Center of Orlando for Women became confused by the start date of a state law requiring a 24-hour delay before pregnancy termination. Respondent makes this election of rights and states that it disputes material allegations of fact in or relevant to the administrative complaint and wishes to have a formal hearing, Attorney Julie Gallagher, who is representing the abortion clinic, wrote in her response to the allegations. The state law requiring a 24-hour waiting period was finalized in April. However, the Center of Orlando for Women tried and failed to secure clarification from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as to its date of effectiveness, according to the Notice of Appearance and Election of Rights filed by the abortion clinic. Respondent alleges as ultimate facts in part that it acted in good faith and attempted to comply with the law as evidenced by the numerous attempts to discover the effective date of the change only to be told by an AHCA staff members that they couldnt say nothing other than AHCA is aware of the ruling, Gallagher stated in the notice. Although it was signed into law in 2015, the 24-hour delay requirement had been on appeal for seven years until the law was upheld in April by Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey. Out of 217 visits to the Center of Orlando for Women, 193 showed terminations were performed on the same day of the initial clinic and physician visit, according to the AHCA administrative complaint filed with the agency clerk on July 14. AHCA calculated the $193,000 fine based on the 193 abortions that did not meet the requirement for a 24-hour delay before the procedure is performed. The law allows for a $1,000 fine for each violation. In an interview with the Clinic Manager on May 11, 2022, at 1:45 p.m., she stated that the Clinic was aware of the 24-hour wait time for patients but was unaware when the 24-hour wait time was to commence, wrote AHCA attorney Gisela Iglesias in the complaint. The Center of Orlando for Women, through counsel, did not immediately respond to requests for comment but disputes the allegations and states that the $193,000 fine will likely lead to its bankruptcy and put it out of business. French television group M6 headquarters in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris on May 21, 2021. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters) French TV Stocks Slide After Merger to Challenge Netflix Collapses PARIS/MILANThe collapse of a deal to form a French TV giant to challenge U.S. streaming services such as Netflix knocked shares in M6 Group and TF1 on Monday. Frances two biggest private broadcasters gave up their merger plan on Friday citing French antitrust requirements that rendered the deal unworkable. Like other local broadcasters in Europe, M6 and TF1 are struggling to stay competitive as global video platforms increase their dominance of the industry and a tie-up was seen as an answer to those challenges. It is extremely disappointing, it shows the incapacity in France of pushing a unifying project to create a French media champion, said Mikael Jacoby, head of continental trading at Oddo Securities. At 1424 GMT, TF1 shares were down 3.3 percent and shares in M6 were 3 percent lower. The breakdown in talks came as Netflix and rival Disney+ prepare to launch an ad-supported subscription offer for their viewers, potentially eroding the advertising market share of TF1 and M6, Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Conor OShea noted. OShea added that German media group Bertelsmann needed to find a buyer by early next year for the 48.3 percent stake it holds in M6 through its RTL unit as the renewal of M6s broadcasting channel license will lead to a five-year ban on any sale. They need to find a buyer which will trigger fewer competition concerns, a Paris-based competition lawyer said, noting that the timing constraints meant the terms of a new deal would likely be less advantageous for the German group. On Friday Bertelsmann said the creation of national media champions to compete with the global platforms was still part of its strategy to which it remains firmly committed. RTL said on Monday it would meet with M6s leadership team and assess its options. Shares in Bertelsmann were down 1.3 percent. Cross-Border Versus National Consolidation Investors doubt a new suitor can be found in time and fears about a recession in the euro zone have hit media stocks hard. Hedge funds dont want exposure to the advertising sector, people are very worried about next year, a merger arbitrage analyst said. Pressure was also piling on TF1. One thing is certain, abandoning this M&A operation is a bad thing for TF1, which would should M6 be sold to a competitorface exacerbated competition, said Stephane Ekolo, global equity strategist at Tradition in London. The M6TF1 deal has been facing stiff opposition from French media group Vivendi which is now itself being cited, along with Altice, owned by billionaire Patrick Drahi, as a potential buyer, should Bertelsmann pursue its plans to sell its controlling stake in M6. Italian media conglomerate MediaForEurope, which is calling for cross-border deals rather than national consolidation to tackle the issues of the European TV industry, is also seen as a potential candidate for a deal by market observers. Formerly known as Mediaset, MFE was in the race when M6 was first put up for sale. MFE shares were up over 6 percent on Monday. MFE, Vivendi, and Altice declined to comment. By Julien Ponthus and Elvira Pollina Helping Taiwan Defend Itself From China Commentary The U.S. government is poised to pass a massive $6.5 billion aid bill that will release a torrent of military aid to Taiwan over the next five years. It is a substantial down payment on what could turn out to be decades of future military assistance to the island nation. The bill is critical in several ways. In the first place, while it does not extend major non-NATO ally status to Taiwana designation that permits Washington to expedite arms transfers and gives recipients better access to U.S. military technologiesit explicitly states that Taiwan shall be treated as though it were designated a major non-NATO ally. Second, it increased the amount of military aid to Taiwan by $2 billion, extending the bills spending out to 2027. This assistance will come in the form of Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which permits Taiwan with grants and loans to buy U.S. military equipment. This government-to-government scheme speeds up transfers and usually provides the lowest price to the purchaser. In fact, language in the bill actually requires U.S. defense manufacturers to expedite and prioritize the production of weapons purchased by Taiwan. Finally, the bill makes it easier for the United States to transfer excess defense articlesweapons and other military equipment that the U.S. military or Coast Guard no longer needto Taiwan. Around 20 years ago, for example, the U.S. Navy sold four decommissioned Kidd-class destroyers to Taiwan, basically at cost. In addition, the bill is intended to clear a bottleneck of backlogged military transfers to Taiwan worth over $14 billion, held up in part due to COVID restrictions, supply chain concerns, workforce shortages, and delays in shipping. These backlogged orders include an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16 Viper fighter jets, a $2 billion purchase of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks, and $620 million to replace aging Patriot missile system components. 12 F-16V fighter jets perform an elephant walk during an annual New Years drill in Chiayi, Taiwan, on Jan. 5, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters) The delayed deliveries also include many types of smaller, asymmetric weapons systems that Washington has long argued would be more useful in deterring and repelling a Chinese invasion. These include Stinger missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, the high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARSthe same weapon system used so effectively by Ukraine in its war with Russia), M109A6 Paladin howitzers, MS-110 reconnaissance pods (which can be fitted to aircraft and drones), and modern field information communications systems. Rounding out this package of backlogged orders are a $2.37 billion deal for Harpoon Block II surface-to-air missiles and $1 billion for SLAM-ER air-launched missiles. This new defense bill and the release of backlogged orders are critically overdue, especially since Chinese military mightand matching aggressivenessaround Taiwan are on the rise. Taiwan needs to take some serious steps in bulking up its defenses and make up for the dearth of arms purchases over the past 15 years or so. Taipei seems to be listening. Last year, Taiwan announced it would spend an extra $9 billion on defense over the next five years. In August this year, the Taiwanese government said it would increase the 2022 defense budget by 14 percent over 2021 to a record $19.41 billion. Moreover, one of Taiwans most ambitious (and sorely needed) weapons programsthe construction of a fleet of indigenous submarinesappears to be finally on the path of achievement. Taiwan has wanted new submarines (currently, its sub fleet consists of two 35-year-old Dutch-built boats, plus two ex-U.S. submarines that actually date from World War II) for decades. More than 20 years ago, the George W. Bush administration offered Taiwan eight diesel-electric submarines, even though the United States hadnt built a non-nuclear submarine in more than 40 years. The Bush administration then scrambled to find a European submarine builder willing to supply the technology to Taiwan, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. No nation wanted to incur the wrath of Beijing. Eventually, Taipei launched its own Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program in the mid-2010s. It secretly recruited expertise and technology from a variety of sources. According to a Reuters report, Taiwan stealthily sourced technology, components and talent from at least seven nations. The United States provided the submarines sonar and combat-management system, while the United Kingdom approved the export of submarine components, technology, and software to Taiwan. Taiwan was also able to recruit former or retired submarine engineers, technicians, and naval officers from Australia, Canada, India, South Korea, and Spain to work on the project. The IDS will be built by Taiwans shipbuilding company, CSBC, at a dedicated facility in Kaohsiung. Construction of the lead boat was begun in 2020; it is scheduled to be launched this month and commissioned by 2025. Ultimately, eight IDS are planned. All this is good news. Taiwanaided greatly by the United Statesis putting serious effort into making up for years of underspending when it comes to its national defense. Besides the usual mix of major platformsparticularly new tanks, fighter jets, and submarinesTaiwan is beginning to assemble a credible asymmetric defense capability especially suitable for protecting the island. It would seem churlish, therefore, to exhort Taipei to do more. That, however, is what it must do. As Ive said earlier, deterrence is a job that never ends, and Taiwan has a lot of lost time to make up for. New defense spending, U.S. military, and innovative weapons programs are a good start, but this momentum must be maintained for years, if not decades. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. HK Ex-District Councillor Rebukes Former Commissioners Accusations as Irresponsible Slander More than 10,000 people were arrested during the 2019 anti-extradition movement in Hong Kong. Of those, about 3,000 were indicted and approximately 700 are serving time in correctional institutions for rioting. Recently, Danny Woo Ying-ming, Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong (ICAC), and former Commissioner of Correctional Services (CS), criticized some district councillors for inciting the inmates to continue their protests during their official prison visits. Former Yau Tsim Mong district councillor Ben Lam Siu-pan said during an interview with The Epoch Times that Woos accusation was irresponsible, slanderous, and an attempt to deprive the district councillors of their right to apply for official prison visits. In an exclusive interview with the pro-CCP YouTube channel Ko Chi-sum Oil Pipe, Danny Woo Ying-ming used the analogy of triad members coaxing young people to commit crimes, to criticize some people for encouraging young people to participate in the 2019 riots. He also said that in 2020, a large number of district councillors continued to incite and called for continued protests during their visits with the incarcerated protesters. Hence, the CS Department started to require district councillors to provide the reasons for their official visits and limit visits to only inmates residing in the districts they serve. Ben Lam Siu-pan: Irresponsible Slander Ben Lam Siu-pan recalled in an interview with The Epoch Times that in his early days of serving as a district councillor in 2020, he could still use his status as a district councillor to apply in writing to the CS Department for an official visit. It was quite different from the arrangement of visits by relatives and friends. After entering the prison, district councillors can use an express lane and can meet the inmates in a special room with air-conditioning, no glass partition, and no need to use a telephone handset to communicate. Visit time was also not limited, and there was only one CS staff standing outside the room, and there might not be audio monitoring in the room, because sometimes these rooms were used by the lawyers and the inmates. Lam pointed out that starting from about mid-2020, the CS Department, like the Home Affairs Department, began to tighten how they treated district councillors. First, district councillors could no longer apply for official visits. There was one case in which the CS Department replied that the person in custody did not live in his constituency, so his application to visit was denied. But when I said I am sure that person in custody lived in my constituency, the excuse changed and the guard was not sure about the correct residential address of the person in custody, or rejected my application on the grounds that the pandemic restrictions did not allow such visits, thus depriving district councillors the right to apply for official visits. By late 2020, district councillors could only visit prisoners as a friend, and they must line up for one to two hours for a 15- or 30-minute visit, depending on whether the inmate was remanded or sentenced. Regarding Woos criticism of some district councillors inciting the inmates to continue to protest, Lam said that it was irresponsible slandering and was surprised that Woo made such a serious accusation in the absence of evidence. If there are indeed district councillors who instigated the inmates to continue to fight while visiting the prison, why havent the police done something about it in the past two years? Does Woos accusation fall within the scope of the freedom of speech protected by the Basic Law? As for Woos criticism of the 2017 Hong Kong film With Prisoners for discrediting and undermining the integrity of the Correctional Services Department, Lam, who is also a film critic, responded that he had watched the film. He found the film well-documented, with its sources of information from former inmates and former instructors. From such trustworthy sources he believes that the film reflects reality and speaks for the human rights of juvenile offenders. Lam also believes that Woos statement is unconvincing. There is almost no mechanism to check the power of prison staff. He suggested that prisons should install more CCTV cameras to eliminate dead spots; and at the same time, allow Justices of the Peace (JPs) the right to watch CCTV recordings to prevent abuse by prison staff. Wong On-yin: Violation of Privacy Rights Wong On-yin, a current affairs commentator who worked for the ICAC in the early 1980s, said on his YouTube channel that Woo made such statements without evidence and behaves like a CCP smear commissioner. He also questioned whether the CS Department had the right to eavesdrop on the conversations of inmates, relatives, and friends, and whether doing so constitutes violation of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and relevant international human rights standards. On the other hand, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung recently revealed in an exclusive interview with the pro-CCP media TVB programme On the Record that he does not agree with Legislative Council member Rev. Canon Peter Douglas Koons earlier proposal to cancel the criminal records of those imprisoned for anti-amendment incidents. He said in order to maintain the normal running of society, those who committed serious crimes must have their records retained. A boat lies washed up on shore after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Ricardo Ortiz/Reuters) Hurricane Fiona Slams Turks and Caicos as Category 3 Storm SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico/SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican RepublicHurricane Fiona bore down on Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a powerful Category 3 storm, slamming the Caribbean archipelago with heavy rains and life-threatening flooding after cutting a path of destruction through the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. U.S. officials said on Tuesday the storm had claimed four lives in Puerto Rico. A fifth person was killed in Guadeloupe earlier in the week. On Tuesday morning, the storm slammed Grand Turk, the Turks and Caicoss biggest island, and was moving closer to the main cluster of islands by afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 11 a.m. Eastern update. Fiona was on track to head north toward the eastern seaboard of North America, with Canadian officials warning of powerful post-tropical conditions hitting Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Price Edward Island by Saturday. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Turks and Caicos Deputy Governor Anya Williams said power outages had hit five islands but no deaths had yet been reported. Shutting the country down early is what helped us save lives, Williams said. She said her government was communicating with the British Royal Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, with the British Navy patrol vessel HMS Medway expected to arrive Tuesday night to help with rescue efforts. Jaquan Harvey, 37, a businessman who lives on Grand Turk, said that he and his neighbors learned some lessons from Hurricane Maria five years ago, a massive Category 5 storm, and were well prepared with supplies of food and water, and securing their property. Harvey said during the worst of Fiona, wind drove rain water through the seams of the windows and doors as the whole house shook. At about 8 a.m. Tuesday, the eye passed over Grand Turk. It was very loud, like there were giants outside shouting and roaring, Harvey said. You could feel the pressure of the air as everything rattled. To the south, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were stunned by the storms intensity and were struggling to cope with the aftermath. Workers remove utility poles in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Higuey, Dominican Republic, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Ricardo Rojas/Reuters) Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), arrived in Puerto Ricoa U.S. territoryon Tuesday to assess the damage, agency officials said. Officials said multiple FEMA teams, including two search and rescue units, were being deployed and several hundred FEMA personnel were already on the island. Hurricane Fiona was a painful reminder of Puerto Ricos vulnerability. Tuesday marked the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which killed about 3,000 people and destroyed its power grid. Thousands of Puerto Ricans still live under makeshift tarpaulin roofs. Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon, dumping up to 30 inches (76.2 cm) of rain in some areas. Nearly 80 percent of Puerto Rico remained without power on Tuesday, according to Poweroutage.us. Officials said it would take days to reconnect the whole island of 3.3 million people. It knocked down many trees, there are downed poles and here in the house we got water where it had never happened before, said Asbertly Vargas, a 40-year-old mechanic in Yauco, a town along the islands southern coast. A fence in the yard fell down and the land in the back slid a bit towards our house. But Im fine, Im alive. Puerto Rico power provider LUMA Energy said it had restored electricity to 100,000 customers but that it would take days for full restoration. Puerto Ricos grid has long been criticized as unreliable, but residents and consultants have complained that outages have become more frequent since LUMA took over operations last year. The grid is largely owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). On the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory with 40 low-lying coral islands and a population of about 40,000 about 700 miles (1126.54 kilometers) southeast of Florida, the governments National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) told residents of three eastern islands to shelter in place, and ordered businesses to close. Turks and Caicos Premier Washington Misick, who attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, issued a statement from London warning residents to prepare for the storm. Foreign governments issued travel alerts for the islands, a popular tourist destination. Similar preparations were under way in the eastern Bahamas, which the storm could skirt on Wednesday, when it was forecast to turn in a northwesterly track toward Bermuda. It could mushroom into a Category 4 storm in coming days, reaching Canadas Atlantic coast by late Friday, the NHC said. Hurricanes are deemed major by the National Hurricane Center once they reach Category 3 status, which is wind speeds of between 111mph and 129mph (178kmh208kmh). A Category 4 storm has catastrophic wind speeds of between 130mph and 156mph (209kmh251kmh). The most powerful Category 5 hurricane has wind speeds exceeding 157mph (252kmh). Dominican Republic In the Dominican Republic, severe flooding limited road access to villages, forced 12,500 people from their homes and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands. Fiona was the first hurricane to score a direct hit on the Dominican Republic since Jeanne left severe damage in the east of the country in 2004. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader canceled plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly to address the emergency. As of Monday night, the countrys emergency center counted more than 1.1 million people without drinking water as a result of failures in aqueducts and more than 700,000 without electricity, especially in the east of the country. It is my main duty to meet the needs and urgencies that are needed at this time in our country, Abinader said in a video posted Monday night on social networks. By Ivelisse Rivera and Ezequiel Abiu Lopez Commentary An 11th renewal of the federal governments emergency declaration is ludicrous. Is this about midterm elections? Is this about the presidential elections in 2024? Is this now purely about politics and the drive to hold onto accrued power amassed with the lockdown lunacy? Omicron as the current dominant variant and its subvariants (clades) is very mild for most people, even many high-risk people. They can adequately handle the infection and cope with it. The reality is that while Omicron can still present a challenge (as does seasonal influenza and common cold and a range of respiratory illnesses) to elderly persons and especially those with comorbidities (as well as obese persons, immune-compromised persons), its revealing itself to be no more severe than seasonal flu, and generally less so. Moreover, we have used repurposed therapeutics (as prophylactics and treatment) effectively and we have availability. We also know who is the at-risk group and how to effectively manage, and hospitals were given hundreds of billions of dollars in PPE, PPP, and COVID relief money to prepare. They are prepared. The data clearly showed very early on after the COVID vaccine rollout that there was no difference in terms of viral load between a vaccinated and an unvaccinated person. Thus, the policy was punitive and nonsensical, and not just for nurses, but for all employees subjected to it without any scientific basis. Hospitals and workplaces should take these employees back and pay them all lost wages. Do all they could to make them whole. Moreover, a large portion of the vulnerable population in the developed world is already protected against severe disease. Importantly, we have learned much about the utility of inexpensive supplements such as vitamin D to reduce disease risk, and as mentioned, there is a host of good therapeutics available to prevent hospitalization and death should a vulnerable patient, e.g. elderly in a nursing home or similar congregated setting or private residence, become infected. And for younger people, the risk of severe diseasealready low before Omicronis minuscule. This is the data. This is the evidence across global nations. Even in places with strict lockdown measures, there are hundreds of thousands of newly registered Omicron cases daily and countless unregistered positives from home testing. Measures such as mandatory masking and distancing have had negligible or at most small effects on transmission. Large-scale population quarantines only delay the inevitable. Vaccination and boosters have not halted Omicron disease spread; heavily vaccinated nations like Israel and Australia have more daily cases per capita than any place on earth at the moment. This wave will run its course despite all of the emergency measures. There is simply no justification for maintaining emergency status. So why would HHS move to renew it an 11th time? The lockdowns, the school closures, the shielding-in-place, the business closures, the personnel firings and shortages, and school university disruptions have done at least as much damage (and certainly more) to the populations health and welfare as the virus. The American population and most global nations that engaged in lockdown lunacy, etc., have been crushed, devastating economies and their peoples. We harmed and caused the deaths of our populations by the lockdown lunatic policies and especially our poorer minority populations and women, who could not afford to shield. We catastrophically shifted the burden of infection and illness from the cafe latte, laptop, Zoom class to the poorer in society who couldnt shield as they had to maintain front-facing employment to survive. They could not do remote work. Many business owners, laid-off employees, and children in America committed suicide due to the lockdown restrictive lunacy. The state of emergency is clearly not justified now, and it cant be justified by fears of a hypothetical recurrence of some more severe infection at some unknown hypothetical point in the future. We just cannot operate public health policy this way. If a novel severe strain or variant were to occur and it seems unlikely from Omicron (though we are placing the spike antigen under relentless selection pressure with suboptimal vaccinal antibodies, mounting suboptimal immune pressure, and in the midst of massive infectious pressure) then that would be the time we discuss a declaration of emergency. Legal scholar Jonathan Turley has weighed in on President Joe Bidens declaration that the pandemic is over, indicating that it is most certainly going to be cited in a variety of briefs in cases challenging emergency powers and policies used by the Administration. It was just a year ago, in September 2021, that the President imposed such rules to [ensure] the health and safety of the Federal workforce and the efficiency of the civil service. President Biden announced a similar requirement for federal civilian employees. Exec. Order No. 14,043, 86 Fed. Reg. 50,989 (Sept. 14, 2021). One such example could be the appeal now being considered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The issue of the sweeping pandemic authority being claimed by the Biden Administration is now going before the full court in an en banc rehearing. Turley went on to argue that since Biden is declarative that the pandemic is now at an end just as the Justice Department is defending pandemic policies in various courts, then this will pose tremendous challenges to the Justice Department in terms of defending the policies and mandates. Even if one were to argue that the policy should be reviewed as supported at the time, the continued viability of the policy can now be questioned in light of the Presidents own statements. Turley further notes if the pandemic is over, some may question the continued uncertain status of military personnel and federal employees on vaccine status as well as lingering mask mandates being used in some states and by certain businesses. Americans have sacrificed enough of their human rights, dignity, liberties, and of their livelihoods for two and a half years in the service of protecting the general public health. They have been attacked, demeaned, ostracized, castigated, and ruined financially in many instances given they were prevented from earning a living. Americans lost people to the virus, vulnerable people, and no one can deny that. COVID was punishing, especially the earlier strain (variants) on the vulnerable elderly and this happened largely because the government, the medical establishment, and medical doctors refused to recognize the value of early treatment and their actions ended up costing thousands of lives. But America lost most lives due to the lockdowns and school closures, and we lost above all, our freedoms. It is time to allow America to be unshackled from these COVID policies. Completely. Living life freely once again, taking reasonable precautions, unfettered by governments failed COVID lockdown policies, whereby not one has worked! The current emergency declaration must be canceled. It is time. It is time to bring this COVID pandemic to full closure and to move on to proper public legal inquiries as to the decision-making that went into the COVID response, particularly the rollout of the ineffective and safety-untested COVID shots. From the Brownstone Institute Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Groups of illegal immigrants receive food from the San Antonio Catholic Charities outside the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2022. The City of San Antonio Migrant Resource Center is the origin place of the two planeloads of mostly Venezuelan migrants who were sent via Florida to Marthas Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images) Illegal Immigrants in Marthas Vineyard Is Not a Win Commentary Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis decision to send illegal immigrants to Marthas Vineyard is not something to be celebrated. Dont get me wrong. It has been enjoyable to expose the hypocrisy of left-wing pro-illegal immigration enthusiasts and watch them squirm as their redoubts of elitism are inundated with the very problems they tell us are right-wing myths. The usual talking heads on cable television have reverted to the old standby of racism and xenophobia accusationsnothing new there. Republican governors like DeSantis and Greg Abbott of Texas have handled it well. Anyone who doesnt kiss the ring of diversity is our strength is used to being castigated as a Nazi or a fascist. The squeals about Hitlerite tactics and pure evil should subsequently be met with the appropriate response: laughter. That is largely what DeSantis and Abbott have done. Good. Fear of being called some type of phobe or having The Atlantic write mean things about you is the hallmark of the old conservative movement in America. Back then, the standard for determining acceptable discourse was whether or not your invitation to the beltway cocktail party circuit would be revoked. Those days are gone. But sending illegal immigrants further into the countrys interior, where they will inevitably be released into society, is not a win. Its not a win for this countrys citizens, and its not a win for the health of our government. Seeing bastions of left-wing disconnect come face to face with the repercussions of the policy positions that they support does not make the border any more secure. Yes, its temporarily amusing to see the confused looks on smug faces in a place where IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES ARE WELCOME signs practically litter the streets. However, any temporary satisfaction does not change the fact that 2022 will likely see the highest levels of illegal immigration on an annual basis, expected to reach up to 2.1 million. A Border Patrol agent organizes a large group of illegal immigrants near Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 20, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) The sanctuary cities will almost inevitably divert the necessary resources to address the arriving illegals. Taxpayer money will be directly subsidizing efforts to integrate them into society. These are all blue states that have fought against efforts to ensure election integrity, castigating voter ID as racist, and standing firm in their efforts to not distinguish between citizens and non-citizens when determining the population size. All the illegals transported there will almost certainly be able to cast a vote. Population estimates also determine how many electoral votes each state receives for presidential elections and the number of congressional seats in each state. When the 2020 Census Bureau Data was being collected, the original projections regarding population shifts expected Florida and Texas to both receive three new seats, while Illinois and New York were looking at a loss of two seats each. Instead, Texas only received two and Florida one, while Illinois and New York both lost merely one. Remember that both Illinois and New York are places where DeSantis and Abbott have been sending illegals. The number of illegal immigrants currently being transported to these jurisdictions may not be enough to impact this apportionment in the short term. But why would Republican governors actively support even an incremental expansion in Democrat prospects at power? More important than all of that, what about illegal immigrants who go on to commit crimes in this country, particularly violent crimes? Was owning the libs worth it if one of those illegal immigrantswho by law should not be in this countrymurders or sexually assaults an American citizen? The photo shoot of having illegal immigrants arriving at places such as Washington, D.C. or Marthas Vineyard are temporary moral victories that do nothing to actually address the problem of illegal immigration. America needs real solutions. The moves by Abbott and DeSantis have demonstrated to sanctuary cities such as Chicago and New York the type of chaos unleashed by unrestricted illegal immigration and the damage it does to local communities. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused Abbott of manufacturing a humanitarian crisis by busing illegals to her city. There is a real and persistent humanitarian crisis in Americaits in the border towns, and Lightfoot is getting just a small taste of the challenges that they have to deal with on a daily basis. Lightfoot and other members of her ideological persuasion are beyond convincing, however, and resources should not be diverted for such public stunts. Instead, Abbott should worry about reinvigorating and expanding Operation Lone Star on the southern border. This was the action taken by Abbott to deploy Texas National Guard troops to the border to try and fill the gap for the lack of support coming from the Biden administration in dealing with the open flood gates. While originally set at 10,000 troops, that number never arrived, and those deployed have been dwindling ever since the initiative began. On Sept. 14, another announcement was released that more service members would be sent home. Increased efficiencies were cited as justification for the latter. Its easy for me to write against reducing troop numbers at the border from the comfort of my office, but the fact remains: Theres a crisis on the southern border, and the national government is doing nothing to address it. Republican governors such as Abbott must have the courage to enact the measures that are commensurate with the magnitude of that crisis. Its easy to talk about an invasion on the border, but words are meant to convey truth; if thats the case, then theres a responsibility to address it. Use the resources under your control to begin shipping illegal immigrants back into Mexico, not the American heartland, to own the libs. The bus-fulls of foreign intruders should be sent back south across the border under the protection of the deployed National Guard. Illegal immigrants, who boarded a bus in Texas, are dropped off within view of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Aug. 11, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Is Mexico going to stop a U.S. military convoy that is enforcing the law of the land, an action only needed because of our southern neighbors total refusal to stopand in many cases encouragement ofillegal aliens pouring into this country? Let them try. At best, it will force the Biden administration to take the situation seriously and face the ultimatum of either fulfilling the constitutional duty to which he swore an oath or face an international crisis. At worst, it will force a crisis over the legitimacy of power between states and the national executive, creating a domestic crisis. Nobody wants that, but the options for defending the sovereignty of this country are rapidly diminishing. Instead, the Biden administration and the Washington establishment focus all of their concerns on the sovereignty of Ukraine while generally disdaining the notion of a sovereign United States. Meanwhile, DeSantis decision to send planes of illegal immigrants to Marthas Vineyard was a part of his states $12 million relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations. Similar to the critique of Abbott, why not use that $12 million to establish a means for deporting illegal immigrants back to the countries they are coming from or even citizens of? Again, are we too afraid of some type of backlash from Venezuela that we wont take the actions necessary to protect this country? Are our politicians more concerned with avoiding mean words from a communist regime in Caracas than securing the safety of Americans in their own homeland? Have we as a country become so spiritually weak and morally unsure of ourselves that we refuse to put the interests of our own people first? Instead of focusing attention on trying to make Democrats look like hypocrites, why doesnt DeSantis look to ally with fellow governors like Abbott and create a coordinated effort to begin shipping out illegal aliens and deterring future newcomers? The latter point is particularly important. Delusional ideologues like Lightfoot try to take the moral high ground when referring to humanitarian concerns. Still, the truth is that refusing to prosecute the laws of this nation is the root cause of the latter. Opening the door with zero threat of repercussion will attract more individuals attempting to enter the country illegally. Who can blame them? Anyone who has a basic understanding of incentives would expect such. Facilitating that process and refusing to provide an aura of deterrence is the true problem. Democrat anger is rational on that point, even if it misattributes the causes from which it springs. Obviously, free flights for illegals directly into the American heartland, where their arrival will be celebrated by bleeding heart liberals (before proceeding to quickly move them away from their actual vicinity), will incentivize more people to come. The true humanitarian thing to do for illegal immigrants, present and future, that are breaking the law in entering this country is to send them back from the direction they camenot further north. Most importantly, however, is that it is the true humanitarian thing to do for those that politicians are actually elected to represent: the American people. We need to say to those politicians: The time for moral victories is over. Start doing what needs to be done to protect our country. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A beta blocker eye drop that costs less than $10 may be able to help acute migraine sufferers by stopping the acute attacks from worsening or at least lessening their intensity, according to several ophthalmologists. The doctors find that timolol eye drops (0.5 percent) that are approved for a certain eye disorder, when used off-label, are an effective and relatively safe treatment for patients with acute migraine when used immediately after symptom onset. Dr. John C. Hagan, an ophthalmologist with over 50 years of experience said that for some people, treating their acute migraines involves using timolol in combination with other medications. So most of the people that we call success, dont use the beta blocker drops as sole therapy, Hagan told The Epoch Times. They use like an analgesic, Tylenol or aspirin, or they use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like Advil or something like that. Dr. Melissa Toyos, an oculofacial plastic surgeon who developed migraines in her late 20s, relies on several different medications to abort the acute migraine attacks. I have access to all of the migraine meds including many of the pricier ones and ironically, the triptans have caused chest pain and minimal improvements while otc [over-the-counter] Excedrin and beta blockers (along with CGRP inhibitors and anti-nausea sublingual tablets) have become my mainstay, Toyos said in an email to The Epoch Times. She said that the beta blocker eye drops help with nipping the migraine in the bud before it becomes full-blown and avoiding some of the less desirable side effects of other headache medications. Beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, have been around since the 1960s (pdf) and were initially approved to treat cardiovascular disorders. They work by blocking the action of adrenalinea stress hormone released by the adrenal glandsto allow the heart rate to slow down and the blood vessels to relax, thus improving blood circulation. When doctors prescribe beta blockers in pill forms for heart palpitation [patients], many of them reported that their migraines got better, Hagan said. This accidental finding has led to beta blockers becoming one of the main therapy options in preventing chronic migraines (15 or more headaches per month) when the drug is taken in pill form. Yet, while the pills are successful in treating chronic migraine, they are not effective for acute pain. Other conditions that these medications can treat include tremors, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Eureka Moment In 1978, a liquid form of a beta blocker, timolol eye drop, was approved by the FDA (pdf) to treat glaucoma, an eye disease that can lead to vision loss. Patients who were being treated for glaucoma reported that their migraines got better when they were putting their beta-blocker eye drops in every day, Hagan said. Dr. John C. Hagan. (Courtesy of John Hagan/The Epoch Times) In 2013, Hagans colleague, a glaucoma specialist, shared his clinical experiences using timolol eye drops for treatment of acute migraines and suggested Hagans daughters, who had developed migraines in their 30s, try the medication as soon as symptoms of a migraine began. The conversation sparked an interest in Hagan who wanted to know why the eye drops were effective for acute migraine but pills werent. Hagan dove into the literature and the limited studies on beta blocker eye drops, and after many hours of poring through the data and discussions, he and his colleague experienced a eureka moment. Then, it sort of dawned on us. It didnt take that long [to realize] that if you take a pill, a migraine pill, it has to go through the stomach, be digested, and then go through the liver where some of its drained off, Hagan said. It takes a long, long time to get a therapeutic level, if a therapeutic level is reached at all. And that was why it doesnt work [for acute migraine] when its taken in pill form. In a 2014 study of seven patients with acute migraines treated with beta blocker eye drops, in which Hagan is co-author, the eye drops are effective because they achieve therapeutic blood levels within minutes of being administered to the patients. The eye drops are quickly absorbed through the tear duct onto the nasal mucosa and into the veins where they go into circulation. The largest double-masked randomized trial to date on treatment of acute migraine with timolol eye drops was a study from India. Researchers examined a total of 619 acute attacks in 50 patients. The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology on Oct. 1, 2020, found that timolol was effective in alleviating migraine pain compared to placebo. The results observed give further support to the hypothesis that topically applied beta blockers may be an effective and inexpensive abortive migraine medication for some patients, with fewer adverse effects, the authors wrote. Struggle to Get FDA Approval Hagan and his colleague, for the past eight years, have reached out to academic institutions and more than 50 drug manufacturers who have the capacity to develop and fund a phase 3 randomized trial to demonstrate and confirm that timolol is effective, safe, and beneficial for acute migraine. A large clinical trial is needed prior to applying for FDA approval. While timolol eye drops may be used off-label for acute migraine, doctors may still be put off from prescribing it due to lack of information regarding how to best use it outside of what its approved for. But that may be remedied if the FDA approves it for a new indication, such as acute migraine, as all the necessary information will be available to help the physician make a decision. The responses from pharmaceuticals were not what Hagan had expected, with many initially expressing interest but later rejecting their proposal. As of February 2022, the response from pharma has been almost uniform, Hagan said in an article published in Missouri Medicine, adding that the three reasons given for the rejection were that it would be difficult to patent the medicine, the drug company didnt want to develop a cheaper product that would compete with their existing more expensive product line, and that there is not enough profit in this product with or without intellectual property to fund it. Without profit to make, neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Bradley Katz said, pharmaceuticals wont fund the study. No drug company is going to co-sponsor it because its generic, so theres no money to be made. Thats probably the biggest thing, Katz told The Epoch Times. Off-label Use Off-label use is when a drug is used for any other medical condition, or given in a different manner or dose than what its federally approved for. Since 2013, Hagan has been prescribing timolol eye drops to acute migraine patients. Two years ago, he worked with a family-owned pharmacy, OBrien Pharmacy, to develop a compounded timolol nasal spray to use off-label that would allow for even faster absorption to provide pain relief. A nasal spray would be the easiest, fastest, and most effective way to deliver the medication and it would also help people who have difficulty properly using the eye drops, Hagan said. The absorption of beta blockers topical to the eye, sublingual, and nasal has been studied, Hagan and his co-authors wrote in an article published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding in 2020. Nasal is the fastest (100 percent) being equal to intravenous administration in a study of 80 healthy volunteers. Katz has been using the beta blocker eye drop to treat his own migraines and also prescribing it to patients. He advises that acute migraine sufferers discuss with their doctor if they should try timolol. For some patients, it can be very effective its so inexpensive, Katz said, adding that the side effects are very few in healthy people. Its an eye drop that I often will recommend to patients as like a first-line treatment if they feel like theyre starting to get a [migraine] headache. They can just pop in a couple of drops, wait 20 minutes. If theyre not getting better, they can put in another set of drops. And if it works, great, and if it doesnt work, well then you havent really lost anything, he added. Dr. Sean Gratton, an ophthalmologist and a co-author of a 2018 small study that examined whether timolol was effective in aborting acute migraines, said in an article published in EyeNet magazine that the has found them [timolol eye drops] to be effective in a subset of patients who take them as needed. While relatively safe to use, timolol can cause some common side effects such as dry eyes, burning in the eye, or red eyelids. Timolol is not recommended for people with conditions like asthma, emphysema, or an irregular heartbeat, according to Katz. There is concern that the medication may worsen their condition. In addition, people whove had a negative reaction to beta blockers should avoid this medication, according to Hagan. Lanette Todd, an ophthalmic technician, has used timolol eye drops off-label for more than seven years without any issue although she has asthma. I dont have any underlying issues, so it was never a problem for me, Todd told The Epoch Times. Todd was diagnosed 18 years ago with ocular migraine that causes temporary vision problems in one eye that lasts for about an hour. Prior to using timolol eye drops, Todd said she took an aspirin and caffeine and just wait it out. She said taking the eye drop sublingually, or underneath her tongue, provided quicker relief than as eye drops. So I started out putting them in my eye, like one drop in each eye, and it helped a little bit, Todd said. Then we discovered if you put it under your tongue, put the drops in, then it would go to your system faster, kind of get in your bloodstream a lot faster through your saliva. Todds teenage daughter and sister also suffer from migraines and the beta blocker eye drops have helped with the acute attacks. The National Library of Medicine says that migraines result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. In addition, variations in many genes have been found to be associated with the development of migraines with or without aura. Carolyn Csongradi has suffered from migraines for over 40 years and said the eye drops were very effective in treating her acute attacks. But shes had to discontinue the medication because of the sinus congestion she experienced as a side effect. Csongradi is taking a daily anti-seizure drug, topomax, that is also used off-label to prevent migraine headaches. However, the drug doesnt stop a migraine headache that has already begun. Prevalence and Characteristics A screenshot of a chart showing the percentage of adults with a severe headache or migraine in the past three months as part of the 2018 National Health Interview Survey. (CDC/Screenshot by The Epoch Times) Migraine is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases, affecting about 1 billion people globally, according to the American Headache Society. In the United States, at least 39 million people suffer from the disorder. One in five women live with migraines, whereas one in 16 men experience them. Between 2.5 percent to 4 percent of children under the age of 8, and about 10 percent of children ages 5 to 15 (pdf), suffer from recurrent migraines. When they are very young, boys are far more likely than girls to develop migraines, but by adolescence, girls outnumber boys in terms of the prevalence of migraines. Katz said that children with migraines dont necessarily experience headaches like adults. In kids sometimes they dont get headaches as much as they get car sickness, Katz said. So, a lot of people who have migraines as adults are carsick as children. He added that some children who get stomach cramps or stomach pain for no apparent reason may be a pediatric manifestation of migraine. Migraine is considered a chronic, debilitating condition where headaches are only one of its symptoms that can last for a few hours to several days. Other accompanying symptoms may include extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. Some people also see an aura that occurs prior to or with a headache. According to a 1999 study, migraine cost American companies roughly $13 billion annually due to decreased productivity and lost workdays. Eleven years later, in a different study, researchers estimated that the total indirect cost of migraine in the United States was $19.3 billion due to 81 percent of missed workdays. Federally Approved Drugs Several newer drugs for acute migraine have been approved in the past several years. Three medications, which involve targeting a protein in the brain and nervous system called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) that can cause blood vessels to dilate and cause inflammation and migraine headache pain, were approved in 2019 to decrease the number of acute attacks. They are monoclonal antibodies administered under the skin once every month. The three drugs cost from $696.75, $640, and $696.90 for a one-time monthly dose for people without health insurance. A different class of drug known as serotonin 5-HT-receptor agonists, which bind to the 5-HT-receptors in the brain to inhibit the release of serotonin to reduce pain, nausea, and other symptoms of migraine, is a nasal spray approved by the FDA in 2019 for acute migraine with or without aura in adults. Patients may have to dish out $626 for a supply of six sprays if their insurance doesnt cover the drug, according to drugs.com, an online resource for comprehensive drug information. Also approved in 2019, CGRP pills used to treat acute migraine with or without aura in adults are listed for $996 for a supply of 10 pills. Toyos said she has tried almost everything for migraine and knows how important it is for patients to have access to all the medications that will help treat their acute migraine. I think what is important in this story is that our healthcare system can sometimes be oriented to the latest and greatest and good, solid, older medications might be overlooked in the market due to smaller profit margins, she said. When those medications are effective, both patients and our healthcare system benefit. It is important for migraine sufferers to have access to all medications that are useful so that they, too, can get back to their busy lives and remain productive even while living with migraine. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (R) meets Iran's counterpart Ebrahim Raisi ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Sept. 14, 2022. (Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan/Handout via Reuters) Iran to Join Asian Security Body Led by Russia, China DUBAIIran has moved a step closer toward becoming a permanent member of a central Asian security body dominated by Russia and China, as Tehran seeks to overcome economic isolation imposed by U.S. sanctions. Foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said last Thursday that Iran had signed a memorandum of obligations to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which was holding a summit at the time in Uzbekistan. The body, formed in 2001 as a talking shop for Russia, China, and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, expanded four years ago to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as a counterweight to Western influence in the region. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday to attend the SCO summit. He held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian state TV reported. Last year, the central Asian security body approved Irans application for accession, while Tehrans hardline rulers called on members to help it form a mechanism to avert sanctions imposed by the West over its disputed nuclear program. Iran will now be able to take part in the bodys meetings, although it is likely to take some time to achieve full membership, deputy secretary-general of the organization Grigory Logvinov told Russian state TV, which also reported the signing. Irans economy has been hit hard since 2018, when the United States withdrew from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers, including Russia and China, and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran. Months of indirect talks between Iran and U.S. President Joe Bidens administration have hit a dead end over several obstacles to reviving the nuclear pact. The U.S. sanctions and growing concerns about an emerging, U.S.-backed Gulf Arab-Israeli bloc that could shift the Middle East balance of power further away from Tehran have prompted Irans rulers to pursue closer economic and strategic ties with Russia, itself hit with sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Iran is determined to boost its ties with Russia, from economic to aerospace and political fields, Raisi said during his meeting with Putin, according to Iranian state media. The cooperation between Tehran and Moscow can significantly neutralize the limitations imposed on our countries by the U.S. sanctions, he said. In July, just days after Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia, Putin visited Tehran in his first trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. A delegation of 80 large companies will visit Iran this week, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported, in another sign of the growing ties with Iran. A member of the National Guard places a case of water in the back of a car at the State Fair Grounds in Jackson, Mississippi, on Sept. 2, 2022. (Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images) Jackson Residents File Class Action Lawsuit Against City After Recent Water Crisis Residents of Jackson, Mississippi have filed a class action lawsuit against the city and engineering firms after a recent water crisis left thousands of people without drinkable and running water. The suit, filed late on Sept. 16 in federal court (pdf), alleges that Jacksons water supply has been long neglected and ultimately led to it being completely shut down in late August, leaving over 150,000 people in the city and about 30,000 in the surrounding areas without running water. These residents lack more than just drinking water, or water for making powdered baby formula, cooking, showering, or laundry, the complaint brought by four Jackson residents reads. During the long period where the city pipes had no water pressureand were unable to facilitate the flow of waterresidents of Jackson could not flush their toilets for days at a time. Plaintiffs said that even prior to the latest water crisis in Jackson, the citys water supply was not fit for human consumption because of high levels of lead and other contaminants. This public health crisis, decades in the making, was wholly foreseeable by Defendants actions and has left Jackson residents in an untenable positionwithout access to clean, safe water in 2022 in a major United States city, plaintiffs said in the complaint. Repairs and Damages Among multiple requests, plaintiffs are seeking a ruling from the court to have the city make necessary repairs to the water systems, as well as to award an unspecified amount of money for damages. Defendants in the lawsuit include the City of Jackson; Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and former mayor Tony Yarber; former directors of public works Kishia Powell, Robert Miller, and Jerriot Smash; as well as Siemens Corp, Siemens Industry, and Trilogy Engineering Services. The city hired Siemens Corp. to install new water meters in 2010. It also hired Trilogy Engineering Services, a Jackson-based engineering firm, to work on the citys water systems in 2016. The plaintiffs are suing the companies for professional and simple negligence in exacerbating the catastrophic, preventable, and ongoing public health crisis. Lumumbas office, Siemens, and Trilogy Engineering Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The latest water crisis was triggered after one of the citys two main water treatment facilitiesthe O.B. Curtis Water Plantfailed on Aug. 29 due to long-standing complications that were exacerbated by heavy rain and flooding of the Pearl River. This prompted weeks-long efforts to distribute bottled water across the city. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and the Biden administration had also separately declared states of emergency for Jackson on Aug. 30. Last week, Mississippis health department determined that clean water had been restored to Jackson and the state lifted its boil water notice for the city. The boil water advisory had been issued in late July when tests showed high levels of turbidity. Jackson is facing a separate federal lawsuit filed in October 2021 by attorneys representing around 1,800 children. The suit alleges that city and state governments failed to stop lead contamination in the citys water supply, harming and poisoning children. Corey Stern, the lead attorney in the case, said the legal challenge is at least a few years away from being resolved, reported WLBT. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney answers questions during a press conference as premiers meet on the final day of the summer meeting of the Canada's Premiers at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C., on July 12, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito) Kenney Calls for Energy Industry Support in Albertas Challenge of Federal Impact Assessment Law Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has called on his provinces energy industry to intervene in the provincial governments court challenge of the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA). The IAA, or Bill C-69, which received royal assent in 2019 and which Kenney dubbed the no more pipelines bill, allows the federal government to consider the impacts of new resource projects and prohibit certain projects from being carried out if that act is believed to cause environmental changes. The act allows Ottawa to assess the environmental impacts of intra-provincial pipelines and other energy development projects such that the federal government essentially has veto power. During the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA) annual conference on Sept. 15, Kenney said the IAA presents an ongoing obstacle to the energy industry. He urged companies to file amicus curiae, or friend of the court briefings, in support of the Alberta governments court challenges against the IAA. Amicus curiae are filings from parties outside of a pending lawsuit that argue or present information in support of, or against, one of the parties to the lawsuit out of its own interests. (The) federal approvals process creates uncertainty and unnecessary delays and that is exactly why we kept our commitment to sue the federal government on the constitutionality of the bill, Kenney said at the AIHA conference in Edmonton, the Vancouver Sun reported. Trojan Horse In 2019, Alberta launched a constitutional challenge against the IAA, calling it a Trojan Horse that seeks to intrude into provincial jurisdiction. The challenge received support from Ontario and Saskatchewan, as well as from the Woodland Cree First Nation, the Indian Resource Council, and some oil and gas producers. On May 10, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled the IAA to be unconstitutional, saying that while the environment has to be protected, it should not be a reason to override the Constitution and the federal system. The IAA involves another existential threatone also pressing and consequentialand that is the clear and present danger this legislative scheme presents to the division of powers guaranteed by our Constitution and thus, to Canada itself, a court decision said at the time. The Alberta Court of Appeals ruling, however, is not binding on the federal government. In the Alberta Law review, Andrew Leach writes that the combined consideration of cumulative environmental effects, greenhouse gas emissions, and the link between pipelines and oil sands growth is likely to make it more difficult to approve a pipeline. This is because, when combined with recent changes to judicial review doctrine in Canada, the new regime will make it much more difficult for regulators and political decision-makers to justify such approvals. In July 2022, Ottawa announced plans to put the Alberta governments non-binding ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada to make a final decision on the legality of the bill. Heath High School shooting suspect Michael Carneal is escorted out of the McCracken County Courthouse after his arraignment in Paducah, Ky., on Jan. 15, 1998. (Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal via AP) Kentucky School Shooter Imprisoned 25 Years Seeks Parole PADUCAH, Ky.A Kentucky man who killed three students and injured five more in a school shooting a quarter century ago has a chance at parole this week. Michael Carneal was a 14-year-old freshman in 1997 when he fired a stolen pistol at a before-school prayer group in the lobby of Heath High School, near Paducah, Kentucky. He received a life sentence with the opportunity for parole after 25 years, the maximum allowed at the time for someone his age. The hearing that began on Monday is his first opportunity for parole and could also be his last. The parole board has discretion to release him, to defer the decision, or order him to spend the rest of his life in prison without further hope of release. Monday was dedicated to testimony from the injured and the close relatives of those who were killed in a shooting that still reverberates in this small community, where everyone seems to have a connection to the tragedy and several of the victims considered Carneal, now 39, a friend. Gwen Hadley, mother of Nicole Hadley, who was 14 when she was murdered on Dec. 1, 1997, expressed a sentiment that was often repeated on Monday, referring to Carneal only as the shooter. Wethe families, the survivors, and people that were at the school, and the whole communitywere given a life sentence by the shooter and didnt have the opportunity to get a second chance, a reduced sentence, she said, her voice cracking with emotion. The life sentence the shooter has given usI have made the choice not to be angry and to find joy in life. But I still really miss my daughter. And I dont like that I dont get to see her. Nicoles sister, Christina Hadley Ellegood, just a year older than Nicole, was in school at the time of the shooting and found her sister in the lobby with a bullet hole in her head. She does not believe Carneal shot at random that day, she said. Nicole was the first person killed and she had recently turned Carneal down for a date. Michael was not a kid who did not have friends, as hes led people to believe, she said. Nicole did not agree with how Michael treated people and the things that he did, but because she was so kindhearted, she was friends with him. Although Ellegood acknowledged that a child of 14 years old doesnt have a fully developed brain and may not fully understand the consequences of his actions, she said, I believe that Michael knew what he was doing the day of the shooting. He fired eight shots and hit eight different people, which in my eyes is a very difficult task. Also killed that day were 17-year-old Jessica James and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. Hollan Holm, who was wounded that day, recalled lying on the floor of the high school lobby, bleeding from his head and believing he was going to die. Almost 25 years later, I still have trouble being in crowds of people, he said. I get agitated and scan for sources of danger and exit routes. I get anxious when I am seated in a restaurant with my back to the door. But Holm also remembers Carneal as a child he rode the bus with every day and who he ate lunch with every day in third grade. Now that he is 40, he realizes just how immature they all were at 14, Holm said. I have to think that after 25 years, hes a different person than he was that day, as we are all different people today than we were 25 years ago, Holm said, adding that he would support supervised release if mental health experts think Carneal can be successful outside of prison. Missy Jenkins Smith, who was paralyzed by one of Carneals bullets and uses a wheelchair, said it is too risky to let Carneal out. He has said he was suffering from delusions and paranoia at the time of the shooting, and she worries what would happen if he stopped taking his medications. Jenkins Smith was in the band with Carneal and had considered him a friend. She even visited him in prison once. She has said she has forgiven him, but she does not think it would be fair for him to be set free. I could speak for hours about what my life has been like every minute of every day the last quarter century, without the use of my legs, she said. Ive been sentenced to life without the possibility of paroleafter living the consequence of Michael Carneals decisionto not be able to walk. I will continue to serve out that consequence. Michaels decision for me will be my entire life. On Tuesday, Carneal will make his case for release from the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grange. A two-person panel of the full parole board is hearing Carneals appeal. They have the option to release him or defer his next opportunity for parole for up to five years. If the two cannot agree on those options, they can send the case to a meeting of the full board next Monday. Only the full board has the power to deny Carneal any chance of parole, forcing him to stay in prison for the rest of his life. The parole hearing, which took place by videoconference, was broadcast on local television in Paducah and on YouTube. There was also a public showing at a local community college where a handful of community members gathered to watch. They included Tommy Fletcher, a teacher who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting, entering the lobby just seconds after it was over. In an interview after the hearing, Fletcher remembered the pain of that day when he stayed beside one of the students who died, but also the resilience of his community. On Dec. 2, 1997, school was open and students gathered for their prayer circle in the same lobby where their classmates had been shot the previous day. It was so empowering to see how everybody handled it, Fletcher said. It really brought us together. By Travis Loller Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer with Patterson Law, representing many of the families of victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, addresses the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the killings in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Truro, N.S., on Sept. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) Lawyers Cite Basic Mistake Made by the RCMP as Officers Responded to Mass Shooting The RCMP must be held accountable for mistakes the police force made in April 2020 when it failed to stop a gunman in Nova Scotia from killing 22 people during a 13-hour rampage, an inquiry into the massacre heard Tuesday. Lawyers representing most of the victims presented their final oral submissions to the commission of inquiry, which started public hearings in February and is expected to submit a final report with recommendations to improve public safety by March 31. Now is not the time to shy away from assigning accountability for the fear that it might have the appearance of blame, said Sandra McCulloch, whose firm represents the majority of the victims families. Our clients deserve a frank and honest assessment of what went wrong. The federal-provincial inquiry cannot lay blame or find criminal or civil liability. Instead, it is a fact-finding body that will issue non-binding recommendations to prevent similar tragedies. McCulloch said the evidentiary record shows the RCMP were not prepared for what happened on the night of April 18, 2020, when a man disguised as a Mountieand driving a car that looked exactly like an RCMP cruiserstarted killing neighbours and strangers in rural Portapique, N.S. The inquiry has heard that Gabriel Wortman, a 51-year-old denture-maker from Dartmouth, N.S., evaded police and killed another nine people the next day before he was shot dead by two Mounties who spotted him at a gas station north of Halifax. The (RCMP) had not readied itself and its members for such a large-scale event and we observed a widespread inability to think outside the box, with tragic consequences, McCulloch said. Our clients submit that this overall failure in preparedness led to a host of basic mistakes. These arent mistakes to be hidden behind a lack of funding or by viewing the event as a whole and calling it unprecedented . These are, in our clients view, basic mistakes which contributed to the unprecedented nature of the event. Lawyer Tara Miller, whose firm represents a relative of victim Kristen Beaton, who was pregnant when she was killed, said the publics trust in law enforcement has been shaken by what happened in northern and central Nova Scotia. The deaths of 22 people and Baby Beaton came at the hands of a monster, Miller said. When such evil reigns, we turn to those trusted with public safety to protect us. However, in this case, a cascade of failures, errors and missteps by the RCMP fundamentally impacted the trust Nova Scotians have in the RCMP to maintain public safety. McCulloch said the Mounties failed to recognize troubling events before the killings that should have flagged Wortman as a person of concern. Among other things, the inquiry heard he had a long history of smuggling drugs and alcohol from the United States and had assaulted a teenager in 2001, threatened to kill his parents 2010 and told someone that he wanted to kill a cop in 2011. The inquiry also heard from a woman who said she was told by an eyewitness that Wortman had choked his spouse in 2013. Brenda Forbes also testified that she spoke to two officers about the assault, but nothing was done. We submit that the RCMP had the perpetrator on its radar, and yet this radar appears to have been turned off again and again, McCulloch said. Whether this was because he was a wealthy white man who cleverly presented as pro-police or whether the RCMP just didnt take the time to note and actually investigate these red flags, the result is the same. The perpetrator was subject to no real scrutiny and was left free to devastate our communities. McCulloch also suggested that when the killing started in Portapique, the Mounties who responded were inadequately trained, poorly supervised and lacked the tools necessary to track a killer in the dark. The lawyer pointed to what she described as multiple communication failures within the RCMPs disorganized command structure and with the public. The inquiry has heard the RCMP used Twitter to warn the public that a killer was on the loose about 10 hours after the shooting started in Portapique. As well, the inquiry heard evidence that the Mounties initially rejected using the Alert Ready system to send intrusive warnings to most radios, TVs and cellphones, even though they had been encouraged to use the system years earlier. On another front, Miller cited evidence showing the Mounties had obtained a photo of the killers replica police car at 8 a.m. on April 19, 2020, but it took them more than two hours to relay that critical information on Twitter. By 9:37 a.m., (Kristen Beaton) was aware of the perpetrators name, had a picture of him and knew that he was the suspect in the Portapique shooting, Miller said. What she was not aware of and did not find on social media was that the perpetrator was driving a (replica) RCMP vehicle. Beaton was fatally shot just after 10 a.m. as she sat in her parked car in Debert, N.S. The tweet about the replica car was sent at 10:17 a.m. Lawyer Josh Bryson, who represents relatives of victims Peter and Joy Bond, said the RCMPs chain of command was unwieldy because decisions regarding additional resources required multiple layers of bureaucracy. Its not responsive and its not timely, he said, adding that his clients believe it took too long for the Mounties to set up a so-called critical incident command structure. As well, Bryson noted that an off-duty RCMP officer, Sgt. Andy OBrien, was issuing orders via two-way radio on the night of April 18, 2020, even though he was not in a position to make decisions and had consumed four to five rum drinks earlier that evening. From a lay-persons perspective that sounds preposterous, Bryson said. If I showed up today and told you I had four to five drinks of alcohol before giving my submissions, youd have grave concern. Bryson also pointed to testimony confirming the RCMP failed to secure crime scenes in Portapique, which explains why the bodies of the Bonds were not found for 18 hours. Meanwhile, McCulloch said her clients have drawn attention to the Mounties apparent rejection of multiple witness statements that accurately described the killers vehicle. As well, she suggested the RCMP have refused to acknowledge key shortcomings in their response, including evidence showing two of its officers opened fire on an emergency official when they mistook him for the killer. She also cited failures to collect evidence, delays in notifying the victims next of kin and protests that erupted when certain RCMP officers called to testify before the inquiry were exempted from direct cross-examination. As well, some of the decisions taken by the three commissioners overseeing the inquiry have left some of the victims relatives feeling marginalized, she said. For many, their faith in this process is dwindling if not lost, McCulloch said. They need to know that theyve been heard. A condemned inmate is led out of his east block cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, Calif., on Mar. 13, 2019. (Eric Risberg/AP) Letters From Death Row Offer Pen Pals a Leap of Faith Into the Unknown The story is without a happy ending for most prisoners sitting on death row in the United States. But the fact remains that most of the 2,450 men and women awaiting execution committed brutal crimes. Some feel remorse, while others do not. The victims families demand closure, but the gears of justice grind slowly. The months drag on into years and even decades before all appeals are exhausted. Until then, life continues on death row, though the condemned men and women facing capital punishment yearn for human contact. Ines Aubert founded the Connectdeathrow pen pal project seven years ago so that people could write to death row inmates. (Courtesy of Ines Aubert) There is a human need to have friendships and feel close to the outside, said a prisoner nicknamed Dog. Hes been on Arizonas death row for the past 19 years. While hes spent almost a decade in Supermax, a high-security area, he has an intense desire to talk to peopleregular people outside of the cold prison walls. I only had nine others to talk to for years and never face to face, Dog told The Epoch Times in a letter. So there was a need to have friends. Plus, my desire to minister and even help youth avoid the deceptions I fell forall play into decisions. Crime and Punishment By the substance and tone of Dogs letter, he is an intelligent and thoughtful man. Hes also conservative and Republican and believes in the death penalty in many cases, but not so much the criminal justice system that sent him here. Many will agree that it takes a hard hearteven a broken heartto commit murder. Some might argue that death row inmates dont deserve contact with the outside world. They are there to suffer consequences. But can any of us deny the dark potential in us all as we pass judgment on their humanity? Between darkness and light, there are moral questions many letter writers in Ines Auberts death-row correspondence program must answer for themselves. Aubert started Connectdeathrow (ConnectDeathRow.com) seven years ago as a largely solo project to connect everyday people with death row inmates through letter writing. They become friends and pen pals in every sense of the word. Ines Aubert (L) visits with death row inmate and pen pal Robert on the day of his execution. (Courtesy of Ines Aubert) Her project has provided opportunities for about 300 people to correspond, though death-row inmates know its short term. Both parties remain anonymous as letters go back and forth through the program. This makes the project safe and among other [things] has led to whole classes of juveniles each writing an inmate through Connectdeathrow, Aubert said. The students all express how much it means to them and that they will never forget the experience. One young letter writer asked a death row inmate: Do you think a book needs a happy end? Im not sure whether he was aware of the philosophical meaning of the question, Aubert said. Through her involvement in Connectdeathrow and a Swiss organization, Lifespark.org, Aubert has corresponded with 14 inmates for the past 21 years. The state executed one inmate, while several died of other reasons, and one or two stopped writing. Windows to the World All of them express over and over what it means to them to have a constant and reliable outside contact and often describe it as the window to the world,' Aubert said. Loneliness and the feeling of being forgotten by the world is a common topic. Not all my penfriends want to talk about forgiveness or remorse, but some do. I think the topic is too difficult for some, and they are too ashamed to face their crime. Aubert said one of her death row penfriends, Casper, voiced his desire to reach out to his many surviving rape victims. He died of cancer many years ago. All of my penfriends often talk about their everyday life and the bad living conditions, which remind me of torture sometimes, especially when they suffer from the heat in summer or cold in winter, Aubert said. The medical care is very bad, and many die of health issues that could have been avoided. How do the inmates feel about their execution? Some ignore the topic; others are ready to live life until then the best they can, Aubert said. Some talk about their inner world [being] much richer now that they are on death row. Some even look forward to their execution because it will set them free, as they call it. Dog writes, While I have stress and sometimes bad days, for the most part, the situation is better than what others have, and I have a hope that nobody can take away from me. Bucky, another death row inmate in Auberts program, told The Epoch Times in a letter his greatest fear of death row is losing his parents, simply because tomorrow is never promised. Heavy Loads to Bear For most death row inmates, letter writing is a form of catharsis and not having to face their day of execution alone. However, many death sentences eventually get overturned or commuted to life sentences. There were 11 executions in the United States in 2021, all by lethal injection. I want to humanize the men here and show that we are more than a number or the crime that brought us here, Dog said. As a death row inmate, I have very few ways to impact society in a positive way. Oak is another prisoner on death row and a participant in Auberts program. He said letter writing comforts him, knowing some people on the outside care despite his crime. Their well-being becomes very important to me, Oak told The Epoch Times, though hes not concerned about a legacy in his writing. Instead, he views letters as a way to touch the lives of the people I write. At first, it was more about feeling lonely and isolated. Writing letters only made him realize that life is more than himself. One of the greatest lessons anyone can learn no matter what station or walk in life they travel is life is not about me, Oak said. In 2014, French nationals Sigrid and Elodie began corresponding with death row inmates in the United States. Later, they co-founded an inmate pen pal program called Wire of Hope (WireOfHope.com). Our personal lives led us to move to the United States about the same time [Elodie in Nevada and Sigrid in Florida], and while we were still writing people in prison and becoming more and more involved with prison-related matters, we came to the idea of creating our own prison pen pal program, Elodie said. A Burden Shared Elodie has written to many death row inmates over the years, one that lasted four years. Another death row pen pal had his sentence commuted to life without parole. If I was hesitant to write someone with a death sentence initially, Elodie said, its because no matter how close you become in the end, the minute you start exchanging letters with someone on death row, you see the human in them. Elodie said she feared how she would handle one pen pals execution. At the time, my friend was still on death row; he would share quite often about his past with me. He never once ran away from accountability and always expressed remorse, but what he also shared with me was his will to live, Elodie told The Epoch Times. Sigrid said she has witnessed first-hand the power of pen pal friendships since both sides gain something valuable from the experience. I have written to four death row inmates. Because they are on death row and have appeals until the very last minute, they are not eager to talk about their case, she said. However, those who admit their guilt have expressed deep regrets. They have a deep [need] for people to see them as the person they are and not who they used to be. Most of them separate very clearly from their past. One death row inmate wrote: I used to wish I had someone to vent to, and now that I do, I no longer want to complain about anything. While most people who write death row inmates oppose capital punishment, Sigrid said, others see it as a looking glass into humanity. They want to bring support to people in a very dark situation, and that most of the world denies any shadow of humanity, Sigrid said. Becky, now 26, joined Wire of Hope about three years ago as she was interested in exploring the world of death row from the outside. She said while its fascinating to write to a death row inmate, its comforting to know she can offer some form of distraction from the daily prison environment. I have found that corresponding with an inmate on death row has brought us a lot of happiness, laughter, and unconditional support, Becky said. Becky said a common theme among death row inmates involves feelings of remorse and the desire for personal redemption. Thats on their minds 24/7, whether its spoken about openly or quietly lingering. She said that her pen pal feels overwhelming remorse for his crime. They have spoken about it, starting their correspondence as strangers, never judging as they became friends. Fear turns to acceptance over time, and of course, it is always their wish for things to have been different, to turn back the hands of time or take a different path in life, Becky told The Epoch Times. Aubert said its also important to remember the families of murder victims, which pen pals sometimes overlook. She said, Many pen pals of death row inmates focus solely on the welfare of the inmate and dont even think of the victims family. When there is an article in the media about pen pal [friendships] with death row inmates, theres often an outcry of people who condemn us for being on the wrong side [and] not caring about the victims. In my case, this is not true at all; neither is it [true] for many others who write inmates, Aubert said. If nothing else, she said writing a death row inmate requires compassion and a leap of faith into the unknown. Man Died From Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine: New Zealand Coroner The death of Rory Nairn, a New Zealand plumber, was caused by myocarditis stemming from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, a coroner confirmed. Nairn, 26, died on Nov. 17, 2021, just 12 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine. Coroner Sue Johnson led an inquest into the cause of Nairns death and publicly released the findings on Tuesday. The cause of [Nairns] death was myocarditis, due to vaccination with the ComirnatyTM Pfizer/BioN Tech COVID-19 vaccine, she said. Johnson used evidence based on expert findings by pathologist Noelyn Hung, who said the direct cause of Nairns death was acute myocarditis. [Hung] saw that it was not caused by Rory having rheumatic fever or by infection as there was no sign of a bacteria, virus or fungi, Johnson said. She also excluded all other known potential causes of myocarditis, for example, certain medicines such as the anti-psychotic medications clozapine and risperidone which can cause myocarditis. Johnson accepted Hungs medical opinion that the myocarditis was caused by the vaccine, as there was an absence of any other cause after numerous tests. But Johnson said the inquiry into Nairns death had not yet concluded, and she still had to determine whether it could have been prevented and if any recommendations were required. Nairn Not Warned of Myocarditis Risks The inquiry heard that Nairn reported his chest feeling weird the night he received the jab, also mentioning having heart flutters in the days following. But he believed it to be caused by the stress of his forthcoming wedding and the purchasing of a new home. On the night of his death, Nairn collapsed in the bathroom soon after planning to go to the hospital. Emergency services were called, but he could not be resuscitated. The pharmacist who vaccinated Nairn told the inquiry that he had not been warned of the risk of myocarditis from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Ministry of Health said it had issued warnings that outlined the risk of myocarditis as a rare side effect of the vaccine. But the manager of the pharmacy where Nairn got vaccinated criticised the ministry for putting myocarditis information in small bullet points. She said medical professionals had been informed about myocarditis, but she had missed the warning under the sheer volume of information received. As soon as we were notified, all practices were changed. Its just unfortunate that Mr Nairn had to pass away for that to happen, she said. A man comforts a young woman wearing a graduation gown within the crime scene of a shooting at Xavier University in New Orleans, on May 31, 2022. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) New Orleans Becomes Murder Capital of US, Homicides up Nearly 50 Percent New Orleans is now the murder capital of the United States, according to newly published data from the Metropolitan Crime Commission (MCC). Homicides are up by 46 percent year over year, up 78 percent since 2020, and up 141 percent since 2019 according to data from MCC, which tracks crime rates and aims to reduce them as well as expose corruption. An analysis by Fox News of data from the commission shows that there have been 52 homicides per 100,000 residents as of Sept. 11, meaning the city has overtaken St. Louis as the murder capital. However, a separate analysis by The Wall Street Journal of data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), a professional organization of police executives, pegs that number at 41 murders per 100,000 people. Overall, there have been 205 homicides this year alone, as of Sept. 11, according to MCC, although that figure has since increased to 208 following a recent double homicide in Treme and the killing of a 17-year-old in New Orleans East over the weekend. In St. Louis, there have been almost 45 homicides per 100,000 residents as of Sept. 17, according to data from the St. Louis Police Department cited by Fox. In contrast, there have been nearly 18 homicides in Chicago per 100,000 residents and 3.5 homicides per 100,000 in New York City. Investigators search the crime scene of a shooting at Xavier University in New Orleans on May 31, 2022. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) Long-Term Impact on City Elsewhere, carjackings in New Orleans are up 14 percent year on year, while armed robberies are up 42 percent, according to MCC. Shootings have declined by 8 percent year on year but are up 100 percent since 2019, according to the data. The barometer that many jurisdictions use to measure how effective their law enforcement is and how safe their city is, is the homicide rate, Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche told WWLTV. So, what you dont want to be, you dont want to be in the top 10. Goyeneche also noted that being the homicide capital of the country will not only impact the quality of life for those living in New Orleans but it will also have devastating economic consequences for the city as people flock to safer locations. Youll see more people that are choosing not to live here, Goyeneche said. You see more people that are looking for other employment opportunities. Other cities are recruiting businesses and conventions and tourists and theyre using our crime rate numbers against us to obtain an advantage. Members of the New Orleans Police Department investigate a crime scene in a file photo. (Max Becherer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP) Police Defunding, Staff Shortages Goyeneche told local TV station WDSU that the majority of the violent crimes were being committed in two main police districts: New Orleans East and Central City. He noted that a 50 percent reduction in crime in those two districts would result in a 25 percent reduction in violent crime across the entire city of New Orleans. The former head of the New York City Police Departments patrol division Fausto Pichardo was recently hired by New Orleans to help create policy changes for New Orleans Police Department to better help tackle rising crime. The latest data come after a midyear comparison survey from MCCA showed that violent crime has soared across the United States this year but that there was a drop in homicides. Overall, violent crime increased by just over 4 percent in 2022 when compared to the same time period in 2021, according to MCCA figures, while homicides declined by 2 percent year over year. That same report noted that the decline in homicides was not seen throughout the entire country, though, with Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Phoenix, and New Orleans all seeing a spike in homicides this year. The latest figures coincide with an ongoing push to defund police departments across the country and staffing shortages. Daryl Robert Harrison, also known as Prince Daryl Attipoe and Prophet Daryl Attipoe, pictured in a mugshot uploaded on Sept. 7, 2022. (Photo Courtesy of the Butler County, Ohio, Jail) Ohio Jury Convicts Man Who Claimed to Be African Prince on Fraud Crimes Case Draws Media Coverage in Ghana, Africa A federal jury has convicted a man of 10 federal fraud charges involving an $800,000 investment scheme in which he claimed to be a prince and a prophet. Daryl Robert Harrison, 44, was convicted after a jury deliberated at least 15 hours over the course of two days, concluding a two-week trial in U.S. District Court, Dayton, Ohio. News media in the African nation of Ghana picked up the story last week because Harrison also used the name, Prince Daryl Attipoe, a title that Harrison asserted he was allowed to use after a king adopted him in 2015. Harrison, who was born in Ohio, had traveled to numerous countries including Ghana, records presented in court showed. Authorities said both of his parents were U.S.-born. They also said Harrison had no known legitimate source of income as he scammed people in Ohio and elsewhere. In a verdict filed Sept. 16, the jury convicted Harrison of seven counts of wire fraud, and a count each of witness tampering, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Jurors acquitted him of five other charges: two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and a count of witness tampering. The seal of the U.S. District Court adorns a wall on the ninth floor of the Federal Building in Dayton, Ohio, on Sept. 6, 2022. (Photo Courtesy of Victoria Ellen) Past Crimes To Be Considered Federal sentencing guidelines are complex, so its unclear how much time Harrison could face. Federal officials did not immediately answer a reporters email Sept. 19, asking whether prosecutors would recommend a specific sentence, nor did they disclose when Judge Michael Newman might schedule the sentencing. During Harrisons trial, Newman blocked jurors from knowing that Harrison had been convicted over a previous Montgomery County investment scheme. The judge stated that the information would be unfairly prejudicial. However, Newman almost certainly will consider the past convictions when he sentences Harrison, Mike Allen, a Cincinnati attorney and legal analyst, told The Epoch Times in a text message Sept. 19. Harrison pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated theft and two grand theft charges in 2013, then was ordered to repay three victims a total of more than $150,000, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records show. In March 2014, prosecutors alleged that Harrison was failing to repay his victims and also failed to comply with a child support order. Records available online do not make it clear how much money Harrison had failed to pay. In 2018, a judge acknowledged that Harrison had not met the conditions of his community control. Nevertheless, the judge released Harrison from probation, stating that an extension of the supervision period will serve no further benefit, online court records show. Victims Were Members of His Church Harrisons Montgomery County convictions were filed under the name that appears on his birth certificate and U.S. tax returns. Less than a year after pleading no contest in that case, Harrison allegedly began the current scam, which included his use of several aliases. In a Sept. 19 news release announcing the guilty verdict, the U.S. Department of Justice said that, from January 2014 until September 2020, Harrison defrauded victims who thought they were investing in African trucking and mining companies. Harrison told investors he had direct connections with these companies, and they could expect to be paid returns of 28 percent to 33 percent on their investments, the release said. Further, the release said, Harrison and his stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison Jr., claimed to be ministers with Power House of Prayer Ministries, which sponsored religious services throughout Southwest Ohio and in Parker, Colo. Many investor victims were members of the congregation, the release said, alleging that up to 14 people were victimized. The Harrisons diverted investors money to rent a house in Colorado, purchase luxury vehicles, airplane tickets, hotel accommodations, and rental cars, the release said. Caught Traveling Out-of-State Harrison was indicted in 2020 under his usual name along with the aliases, Prince Daryl Attipoe and Prophet Daryl Attipoe. A resident of Colorado since late 2019, Harrison was free on bond for about a year. However, federal court records show that his bond was revoked after he was caught violating the conditions of his pretrial release. In September 2021, an officer pulled over Harrison for a traffic stop in Cheyenne, Wyo. That happened while Harrison was apparently traveling to Chardon, Neb., to preach unannounced at a local church revival, federal court records say. The trip from his home in Parker, Colo., to that destination would have taken almost five hours by vehicle. Meanwhile, Harrison had continued contacting a victim in the federal case and was telling her that she has been brainwashed and lied to by law enforcement authorities, a federal court record shows. In October 2021, Harrison was booked into a Douglas County, Colo., jail as a fugitive from justice. Shortly after that, the U.S. Marshals Service transported Harrison to Ohio to await trial. The trial was originally set for January but was delayed until March, and then September, at his lawyers request. Newman refused a request for a third delay. The Federal Building in Dayton, Ohio, includes the U.S. District Court where Daryl Robert Harrison, 44, stood for trial on 16 federal charges, beginning on Sept. 6, 2022. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times) Not a Pastor When Harrison testified last week, he asserted that he considered himself to be both a prince and a prophet, but he denied being a pastor. He also stated that he held at least a partial legal interest in African mining operations for gold, chrome, and diamonds, as well as other ventures. Harrison declared that he had intended to make good on promises he made to investors, but the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted his plans. Harrison also claimed that his enemies concocted allegations against him. His attorney, Christopher Deal, did not respond to a reporters Sept. 17 email asking for a reaction to the verdict. Harrison was being held in the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Ohio, awaiting sentencing. Newman, the same judge who presided over Harrisons trial, has set trial for Harrisons stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison Jr., on Dec. 5. That case involves a single count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Residents brave the flood waters brought by the La Nina weather cycle in Brisbane, Australia, on Jan. 12, 2011. (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) Pacific Communities Brace for a 3rd Consecutive La Nina Weather Pattern The La Nina weather phenomenon is poised to return for a third year in a row, which may result in dry conditions in the central Pacific and excessive rainfall in other parts of Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) said Tuesday. SPREP stated that the World Meteorological Organizations (WMO) La Nina alert comes with a warning from the WMO Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network urging communities in the Pacific to prepare for the weather pattern. SPREPs climatologist, Philip Malsale, explained that La Nina refers to the large-scale cooling of ocean temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean, coupled with changes in the tropical air circulation, such as wind and rainfall. It is important to note that every La Nina event is different and impacts vary from country to country, Malsale said in a statement. Pacific nations in the West may face above-average rainfall. These nations include Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Niue, southern Cook Islands, and southern French Polynesia. Conversely, other regions in the central Pacific will experience drier-than-normal weather, such as Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau, northern Cook Islands, and northern French Polynesia. Read More Tonga Volcano Ejected Record Amount of Water Into Stratosphere, Could Have Warming Effect SPREP stated that the onset of the triple-dip La Nina exacerbates the challenges already faced by Pacific communities struggling with ongoing impacts from the preceding La Nina event. Salesa Nihmei, SPREPs meteorology and climatology adviser, warned of the risk of waterborne diseases and water shortages in some Pacific island nations, particularly in Papua New Guinea islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu. There is a great risk of damage to infrastructure, crops, and livestock as well as food security. These impacts coupled with higher temperatures and sea levels associated with climate change means people will struggle to make ends meet, Nihmei said. Australia Bracing for La Nina Australians have been told to brace for more rain and flooding this summer after the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said in its latest climate update for the region that the La Nina Alert will remain in place given the high chance of the conditions returning. The Bureaus ENSO Outlook continues at La Nina ALERT, indicating at least a 70 percent chance of La Nina reforming later this year, the Bureau said. This is around triple the normal likelihood. La Nina events increase the chances of above-average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia during spring and summer, it added. BOM also noted that it had seen evidence that cooling is underway in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean is experiencing a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, where the waters are cooler on the oceans western side than on its eastern side, and westerly winds hit Australias northwest region. The La Nina weather phenomenon creates cooler and wetter weather conditions in Australia, often leading to above-average rainfall in eastern and northern Australia. If the climate modelling is correct, this will be the third year in a row that Australia has experienced the weather phenomenon, which has generated devastating floods along the east coast of the country. It will also be the fourth time Australia has experienced a consecutive La Nina event in the past 30 years since modeling on the phenomenon began in the 1990s. Victoria Kelly-Clark contributed to this report. A soldier watches another soldier receive his COVID-19 vaccination from Army Preventive Medical Services in Fort Knox, Ky., on Sept. 9, 2021. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Pentagon Still Has a Requirement to Vaccinate Troops After Biden Calls Pandemic Over The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday it is sticking to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate days after President Joe Biden proclaimed the pandemic is over. Since last year, the Department of Defense (DOD) has mandated that all armed service members get the vaccine. While there are medical and religious exemptions to the shot, they are rarely given out, triggering lawsuits and even a warning from the DOD inspector general. Certainly, from the Department of Defense standpoint, we still have a requirement to vaccinate when it comes to COVID. And so well continue to implement our measures, Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said during a news conference Tuesday, according to a transcript of his remarks. Echoing previous remarks from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the vaccine mandate, Ryder asserted, is about readiness and about war-fighting readiness. The Pentagon spokesman was responding to a question about whether the DOD will change its vaccine requirement in light of Bidens interview over the past weekend in which the president declared the pandemic over. Other officials in the federal government, including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and White House adviser Anthony Fauci, have attempted to recast Bidens comments to shape a narrative that COVID-19 isnt finished. What [Biden] really meant is that the very severe stage of the pandemic of having 3,000 deaths a daythat stage is no longer present, Fauci told Politico on Tuesday before adding that people should not be cavalier that were out of the woods. Concerns Republican lawmakers have warned that the COVID-19 vaccine may lead to the military losing thousands of troops who havent complied with the mandate. And it comes as current and former officials have said the military is facing a significant recruitment crisis as most branches have failed to meet recent thresholds. The Biden Administrations military vaccine mandate is clearly harming military readiness by creating unnecessary recruiting and retention shortfalls, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other GOP lawmakers said in a recent statement. Johnson and dozens of other lawmakers last week called on the Pentagon to rescind the vaccine mandate. In the past, you have insisted the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is an imperative for readiness, but increasing amounts of data raise legitimate questions about your assertion, the lawmakers wrote. We also know that natural immunity provides better protection against infection and death than existing Covid vaccines, yet the Department still refuses to recognize it in lieu of vaccination. A directive issued by the Marine Corps last week rolled back its strict punishments for service members who are seeking COVID-19 vaccine exemptions, although it came following a recent court order that temporarily blocked the branch from taking action against service members. According to the guidance, published Sept. 14, involuntary administrative separation processing of class members for refusing COVID-19 vaccination is suspended. It also directed commanders to pause all administrative actions related to the involuntary separation of a class member, regardless of the current status of the separation process. At first glance, it may look like a computer-generated scenery from a fantasy film, but the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East is a living, breathing, erupting landscape as real as the day is long. The 777-mile-long peninsula, spanning from the Pacific Ocean on its east coast to the Sea of Okhotsk on the west, is a magical land of conflicting landscapes. Red hot roaring volcanoes tower over labyrinthine ice caves, glistening lakes lay beneath vast starry skies, and the entire spectacle is a sight to behold. Daniel Kordan is a landscape photographer based in Bali. He has visited Kamchatka multiple times to capture its beauty on camera. In a photo series of the region bathed in the rich colors of natures bounty, Kordan describes beautiful Kamchatka as a land of pure wilderness and volcanoes. In January 2021, Kordan extended a visit to include the Kamchatka ice caves. Sharing the photos on Facebook, he wrote, It is hard to imagine, but these caves are located just next to the active volcano Mutnovskiy. So you are literally trapped between fire and ice, wandering these countless glacier corridors. The volcanoes comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The peninsula is covered in snow from October to late May each year because of the cold arctic winds from Siberia. At other times of the year, they play host to undulating fields of flowering rhododendrons. The Kamchatka river is bordered by volcanic belts made up of around 160 volcanoes, 29 of which are still active. At 15,584 feet, Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the highest volcano and the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere and has been almost continuously active since its first recorded eruption in 1697. Kordan has been so impressed by the Kamchatka region that he now organizes guided tours for other photographers. His Land of Giants tour, led by expert guide Anton Agarkov, includes a tour of the volcanoes; off-roading with experienced drivers; cooking over hot Tolbachik lava; meeting local wildlife, such as foxes and bears; and hiking trails through former lava fields. Many netizens have expressed their love for Kordans stunning photos, with comments such as, Nature sees you coming, and puts on the best makeup to let you do the best shots! and You just took me on a journey with this carousel, I felt like I was there. Kordan shares his work on his website and on Instagram, and has 1.8 million followers on the latter platform alone. Below are some more amazing pictures from the region: 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 An employee cleans up broken glass in the aftermath of a firebombing at CompassCare pregnancy center in Amherst, N.Y. in early June 7, 2022. (Dan Berger/The Epoch Times) Police, FBI Not Taking Far-Left Violence Seriously: CEO of Pro-Life Center That Was Firebombed The CEO of a Buffalo area pro-life center that was firebombed more than three months ago said that neither the Amherst Police Department (APD) nor the FBI is taking the case seriously, in part because of the politicization of the countrys security apparatus under President Joe Biden. The FBI and the Amherst police are stringing us along, Rev. Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare, told The Epoch Times. The FBI is not talking about any progress theyre making, from our perspective, no progress whatsoever and the Amherst Police keep giving us the typical media line: Were pursuing all of our leads, which at 105 days, makes me think theyre not pursuing any of their leads. The result has been that CompassCare has sued the APD to recover the video evidence that was collected at the scene by the authorities and never in the custody of the CompassCare workers, so that at least the center can take measures to protect themselves. The groups Buffalo office, which provides ethical medical care and support for women considering an abortion, was firebombed by pro-abortion activists in the early hours of June 7. The attack caused extensive damage and cost CompassCare half a million to rebuild the premises, which re-opened its doors in August. The graffiti Jane was here was scrawled on the side of the building during the attack, and Janes Revenge, a far-left pro-abortion group, took credit for the firebombing afterward. Amherst Town Attorney Stanley J. Sliwa told local media outlet Buffalo News that police would not turn over the video evidence to CompassCare out of concern that any dissemination of the video would compromise the investigation. [Police officials] do not wish the video to be publicly disseminated until they finish their investigation, Sliwa said. Releasing it would harm the investigation. Once the investigation is complete, well be happy to release the video. Apparently, they dont like the explanation, Sliwa said of CompassCare officials. They should understand that. In an interview with The Epoch Times, Sliwa appeared to suggest that publicity of the police investigation would stoke political violence from the right. Youre aware of all the nut jobs out there with guns and AK-47s, bombing and killing people because they have certain political views, Sliwa said. The police department is trying to keep a lid on that and trying to keep the investigation as quiet as possible in order to ensure that these people dont go further underground, as they may already be, he added. When asked about which people with AK-47s were engaging in violence over political views he was referring to, Sliwa said it was people that are part and parcel of the revolt against the United States government on Jan. 6, 2021. When asked if he was alleging that the people at CompassCare had something to do with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Sliwa denied it. Thats not what Im saying, he said. This Was Terrorism Harden said in addition to acting as a spokesperson for the police department, Sliwa has also been involved in the negotiations between CompassCare and the police department for the return of the video evidence. Actually we reached out to him after we exhausted all of our good faith efforts with the Amherst police department itself, said Harden. Harden said that despite the fact that they have a dedicated staff member in charge of cooperation with both the Amherst police and the FBI, he feels that both of the enforcement agencies have failed to cooperate with CompassCare, which is the victim of not just a crime but a terrorist incident. This isnt just like a criminal action, this was terrorism, a politically motivated crime to get other people to stop doing what theyre doing, said Harden. Harden says that he believes police have suspects on the radar but, for whatever reason, are refusing to arrest them. And hes been fearful of speaking out because of possible retaliation by the Amherst Police and the FBI. I dont know, but I think based on how they operate in the past I think their next move is character assassination against him, Harden said. The FBI responded to The Epoch Times request for information on the CompassCare attack, with the following response via email: The FBI is investigating a series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country, as well as to judicial buildings, including the US Supreme Court. The incidents are being investigated as potential acts of domestic violent extremism, FACE Act violations, or violent crime matters, depending on the facts of each case. The FBI takes all violence and threats of violence very seriously and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners at the national, state, and local levels to investigate these incidents. Double Standard Harden believes that theres a double standard between progressive politicians like President Joe Biden calling conservatives semi-fascist, while law enforcement ignores the terrorism thats being targeted at pro-life crisis centers like CompassCare by those in the far left. Harden said he was particularly bothered by rhetoric from Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono who was criticized last week for a literal call to arms against pro-lifers that she made on the Senate floor. That is how more and more women and those who support our right to make decisions about our own bodies, that is how we see it. And why? Because thats whats happening. Madam President, I yield the floor. But clearly, this is aliterally call to arms in our country. I yield the floor, Hirono said on Sept. 14 at the conclusion of her speech opposing Sen. Lindsay Grahams (R-S.C.) bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks. In a statement on Sept. 20 Alveda King, a pro-life activist and niece of the late civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., said that the rhetoric coming from Biden has been harmful to the country unfairly depicting conservatives as threats. Mr. President, your rhetoric is harmful and irresponsible, and it is only serving to further divide this nation, despite your promises of unity, said King. Whats interesting right now in America is the division is extreme, which is unfortunate, King told The Epoch Times. One symptom of that extremity is that Harden believes that some people in the Democrat Party are secretly rooting for far-left groups like Janes Revenge, which specialize in attacking pro-life crisis pregnancy centers such as CompassCare. Democrats are using the same language and they have coordinated efforts, even with Janes Revenge, said Harden. I think that if they started making arrests before the midterms, it would blow the Democrats out of the water and they will lose their power, Harden added about the alleged lack of progress by the Amherst Police and the FBI in the CompassCare arson case. The Epoch Times previously reported that there have been zero arrests in response to 50 attacks against pro-life groups nationwide between 2021 and 2022. The Epoch Times reached out to the Amherst Police Department, White House, and Democratic National Committee for comment. G | 3h 32min | Drama, Epic | 1959 Imagine youre a 23-year-old Jewish assistant director and production manager to 51-year-old director Fred Niblo. The year is 1925. Youre in Rome, shooting an MGM epic about a Jewish prince based on a screenplay by one of the most influential women in Hollywood at the time, June Mathis. Thats how it starts for a young William Wyler. Over 30 years later, based on Karl Tunbergs screenplay and work by skilled writers Gore Vidal, S.N. Behrman and Christopher Fry, Wyler remakes the original and his film wins 11 Oscars. Wylers film is, of course, Ben-Hur, the epic of epics, inspired by Lew Wallaces book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. (LR) Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, and director William Wyler on the set of Ben-Hur. (MovieStillsDB) Under the dark clouds of the Roman Empire, a carpenters son, Jesus the Nazarene, shapes the fates of two men. Wealthy Jew Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) reunites after several years with Messala (Stephen Boyd), his childhood friend, whos a Roman. But as Rome crushes Judean resistance, their friendship fractures, then breaks. When Judahs sister, Tirzah (Cathy ODonnell), accidentally cracks a roof tile, you hear its fateful fall on the Roman parade below and suspect that its not just their roof thats falling apart. And its true: The falling tile injures a high-ranking Roman official and spiteful Messala tears into their family and their world. Judah ends up a galley slave, and Tirzah and their mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), are thrown into secret dungeons. Judah comes back for revenge and bides his time. Feast for the Senses Decades before CGI appeared in movies, production, set, costume, and art design teams sweated it out. Here, they mobilized over 100,000 costumes, 10,000 extras, thousands of suits of armor, and hundreds of camels, horses, donkeys, and sheep, and that Judeo-Roman world comes alive: the march of a legion, the roar of a crowd, the sweltering heat of a Roman-occupied village, the bestiality of the arena. You hear every sound: the rattle of a soldiers sword against his belt, the rustle of a governors tunic, or the rusty turn of a key in a dungeon gate. And you almost smell the stench from a concealed prison cell. As the galley master growls at slaves, his drumbeat dictates the pace at which they must row: raise oars, down oars, strike oars, battle speed, attack speed, ramming speed! You lose yourself in the splendor of a Roman palace. You flinch at seeing the Valley of the Lepers almost as much as at the forbidding scarves that lepers use to shield their blighted features. The Race The famed chariot race is a filmmaking masterclass but mirrors excellence throughout the film. Wyler takes his time, showing us as many as nine charioteers in a solemn parade. Horses bearing charioteer standards ride yards ahead; their ceremonial hoof marks are the first you see on the smooth sand before racing-wheel and racing-hoof marks ravage every inch. You almost feel the hot breath of horses on your face, and their edginess at the starting block. As excited crowds spill over arena stands, trumpeters herald the arrival of Pontius Pilate (Frank Thring), who presides. Wyler and cinematographer Robert L. Surtees cannily swivel cameras between spots of fierce pace (two chariots astride or several together) and utter stillness (a mountainous statue staring up into the Roman sky). They mix this up with fleeting focus on the flow of pace; from time to time, the camera stares at upright dolphin figurines, inverted in sequence to mark the end of each lap. Unit directors, led principally by legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt, use car-mounted cameras to stay ahead of the horses. Yet repeatedly, over that third-of-a-mile stretch, the horses outrun the cars. Canutt then brings race cars in and gives them a head start. The horses outrun them too. Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur in the chariot race that kept audiences on the edge of their seats in Ben-Hur. (MovieStillsDB) Perhaps its for the best. Wyler secures breathtaking footage: four fiery manes charging past a beleaguered chariot or eight manes turning the giant corner, in unison. The horses themselves, all European, are a sight to behold either standing or speeding. Milk-white Andalusians at Judahs chariot and Lipizzans at others, including gorgeous glossy blacks at Messalas. Franklin Miltons sound engineering and recording team switch every few seconds between relative silence in one spotsay, ground handlers clearing an injured charioteer or a broken chariotand deafening galloping-wheeling in another. John Dunnings editing storyboards the action so seamlessly that you forget the entire sequence took at least a year to plan and as long as three months to shoot. And Miklos Rozsas score is as majestic as it is moving. Enduring Power and Life Wylers film overflows with symbols. A respectful crown on Judah and a shameful one on Jesus signifies Romes frivolity. Water here doesnt just quench thirst; it heals as well. The film argues that temporal power is no less real because its fleeting: a masters power over his slave, a rulers over his subjects, an armys over its rivals. It has real and lasting consequences. It hurts, it enslaves, and it kills. But theres a power that transcends it: the power to love and to forgive without regret or rancor. It, too, has consequences. It heals, it sets free, it gives new life. The narrators opening lines talk of Judea longing for a redeemer wholl deliver perfect freedom, hinting at imperfect freedoms all around. As soldiers march by a Jewish village, some Jews line up in awe, others in fear. A customer asks the carpenter Joseph (Jesuss father), still at work, why he isnt watching, too. Joseph answers, Weve seen Romans before. The man nods wearily, Yes, and we will see them again. The film doesnt promise the disappearance of persecution but the appearance of a new strength and a renewed faith. It also shows how often we mistake life for death, or how frequently we misread forgiveness as loss when its actually victory. (LR) Cathy ODonnell as Tirzah, Haya Harareet as Esther, Martha Scott as Miriam, Sam Jaffe as Simonides (Esthers father), and Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur on a lobby card for Ben-Hur. (MovieStillsDB) Wylers women characters are scarce but strong. Judah loves Esther (Haya Harareet), who doesnt hesitate to lose his affection if he wont give up vengeance and join her on a Christ-inspired path of forgiveness. Miriam and Tirzah would rather linger in agony and have Judah believe theyre dead than have him find them wretched outcasts. Leprosy here is a metaphor for the grip of sin; those who contract it are as good as dead to others. Those who break free of it gain new life. Judahs spirit of vengeance is a leprosy of sorts, hence Esthers insistence that he break free of it to find new life. As usual, Heston brings acting presence rather than prowess to the screen, and on this score, he delivers as few actors do. That said, he carries a princely bearing with more ease than he does an air of revenge. Boyd, however, carries Messalas malice effortlessly. Even when hes oozing charm, you suspect that he isnt in it all the way. Theres a part of him thats held back, even from Tirzah whom he fancies, almost like hes waiting for something ominous to happenor to cause it, if it doesnt. In one of the most rivetingly written and enacted scenes, the two men recall their days as boyhood friends in Judahs sprawling estate. Suddenly, Romes ambition rears its head and Messala confronts Judah, hoping to win an influential ally wholl expose Jewish rebels plotting against Rome. On this lobby card, Messala (Stephen Boyd, L) meets his boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) in a tense conversation while confirming their friendship. (MovieStillsDB) Its a four-minute scene, every second of it gripping. Watch their eyes hunting for weakness, their shoulders set in resolve, their hands raised in warning, their jaws clenched in contempt, the veins on their necks bursting with rage, their powerful voices booming in the peaceful courtyard. Wyler didnt need to bring lions in for his Roman epic. He already had them. Another Wyler masterstroke is the way he reveals Jesusby hiding him. He shows us the man, never his face. Wyler knows his audience. Whether Christian or Muslim or Jewish, he knows that the faith-conscious wont see his religious narrative as a waste of time. So he goes ahead with his Old and New Testament references and makes a nearly four-hour movie. Wylers single-mindedness helps him tell the story he wants to tell, with the nuance he intends, free of the self-consciousness that plagues other filmmakers whove handled biblical films. His unsparing intensity creates an overtly religious world sympathetically that still astonishes audiences, believers or not. Promotional ad for Ben-Hur, which tells how a carpenters son, Jesus the Nazarene, shapes the fates of two men. (MovieStillsDB) Ben-Hur Director: William Wyler Starring: Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Cathy ODonnell MPAA Rating: G Running Time: 3 hours, 32 minutes Release Date: Nov. 18, 1959 Rated: 5 stars out of 5 Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino rises in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 31, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Public Safety Minister Defends RCMPs Refusal to Say How Sanderson Died in Custody Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is defending the RCMPs decision not to release details surrounding the death of the man accused in a mass stabbing rampage in Saskatchewan. Mendicino says he understands the sense of urgency people feel about knowing how Myles Sanderson died after he was arrested on a rural stretch of highway in the province on Sept. 7. RCMP said Sanderson went into medical distress and died in custody, but they have not released a cause of death. Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said police wont provide more details until Saskatoon police and a provincial police watchdog have finished investigating. Sanderson was charged with first-degree murder after 11 people were killed and 18 others injured in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask. Sandersons brother, Damien Sanderson, was among the dead. Police named him as a suspect before finding his body near another scene. There were a number of significant flaws in the system here that have to be addressed, Mendicino said Tuesday. The only way that were going to be able to address that is if we have an independent investigation that is carried out by the appropriate authorities, which is exactly the process that we are following right now. The Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada are launching a joint investigation into Sandersons case, looking into why and how he was released from prison and whether the proper processes were followed. They say the findings will be made public. Parole documents show Sanderson had a lengthy criminal history, including 59 convictions as an adult. According to court records, that includes a violent incident in 2015 when he was charged with attacking one of the people killed in the recent rampage. Sanderson was released in August 2021 from his first federal prison sentence. He was on statutory release, which requires people to abide by strict conditions and allows them to leave prison after serving two-thirds of their sentence in the hope they will reintegrate into society. By May of this year, the Correctional Service declared him unlawfully at large and issued a warrant for his arrest. Speaking in the House of Commons earlier Tuesday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said while he believes in rehabilitation, the system must better protect communities from repeat violent offenders. Poilievre, who during his speech said he made a point not to say Sandersons name, said sympathy for those left to mourn the victims cannot be enough. Its time for these failures to end. Its time for our words to transform into actions, he said. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said she spent time last week with community members affected by the tragedy at James Smith Cree Nation and pledged the government would be there to assist with their healing. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) gestures while speaking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Putin Ally Deepens Russias Strategic Partnership With China LONDONOne of President Vladimir Putins closest allies sought on Monday to deepen a strategic partnership with China, expanding defense cooperation and strengthening coordination between Moscow and Beijing on major geopolitical issues. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has tilted more strongly toward China as the war and severe Western sanctions torpedoed Russias relationship with the United States and its European allies. Just before the invasion, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a no limits partnership, though at a meeting last week in Uzbekistan Putin said he understood that Xi had concerns and questions about the conflict. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, a close Putin ally, met Chinas top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Nanping to discuss the implementation of agreements Putin and Xi reached at their meeting. The development of a strategic partnership with China is an unconditional priority of Russian foreign policy, the security council said in a statement. Patrushev and Yang also discussed the Korean peninsula, Taiwan, and Ukraine. The sides agreed on further military cooperation with a focus on joint exercises and patrols, as well as on strengthening contacts between the General Staffs, the security council said. The deepening partnership between the Chinese regime and Russia has raised alarm in some Western capitals. In recent years the Chinese communist regime has participated in a number of Russian war gamesjoint military exercises designed to simulate how the countries would defend themselves against an attack. Moscow has repeatedly backed Beijing over Taiwan and criticized what it casts as provocations by the United States. The Chinese regime has refrained from condemning Russias military operation against Ukraine or calling it an invasion. Brenda Diaz photographed in the Bronx where she grew up. (Courtesy of Brenda Diaz) Radical New Curriculum a Factor that Drove Maryland History Teacher to Quit You know something is wrong by the way students react, she says A dream career as a high school social studies teacher in Marylands upscale Montgomery County ended this summer when Brenda Diaz saw the schools new curriculum. The new content was insidious, deceitful, and divisive, said Diaz. The tenured teacher with seven years of teaching experience in the county said that the COVID mandates also were a factor guiding her to get out of the public schools. True, medical mandates were the tipping point for me to quit, but I was already on the verge of quitting because of the new curriculum, said Diaz. Brenda Diaz doing a selfie with her social studies students. (Courtesy of Brenda Diaz) Born and raised in a working-class Latino neighborhood in New York, Diaz had climbed academic heights before landing at Gaithersburg High School as a social studies authority. She got into Georgetown University and right out of the blocks was selected as a White House intern. She went on to graduate from Georgetown with a major in International Relations from the School of Foreign Service and earned her masters degree in Secondary School Education at George Washington University (GWU). Fellowships and grants were hers for the taking: graduate school at GWU was financed by a prestigious fellowship aimed at the elite secondary school educators. I was so happy when I got accepted to teach in Montgomery County Public Schools where the competition for social studies teaching jobs is fierce, she said. But three years ago, the bloom on the rose started to fade. Previously, they were hiding critical race theory in the curriculum, now they arent hiding it, she said. Teachers at Montgomery Public Schools will deny that they teach critical race theory (CRT), insisting that they teach anti-racism, but the teaching guides show otherwise, according to Diaz. When guiding her honors U.S. History Class in 2019 at Gaithersburg High, Diaz noticed that the lessons were demoralizing her white students: You could see the shame and embarrassment on their faces. You know something is wrong by the way children react. They cower. They hide, she said. I took the initiative to show kids that white heroes had championed the abolitionist movement and took up leadership roles in the Civil Rights movement. One slide on the Teacher Resources Guide for Seneca Valley High School is entitled Critical Race Theory Tenets which includes subheadings such as The Permanence of Racism, Acceptance of Racism as a Permanent Part of American Life, and Racist Hierarchical Structures Govern Political, Economic, and Social Domain. On the other hand, there are parts of the new social studies curriculum that I love, especially that it emphasizes the range of diverse voices, including Native Americans, Blacks, Latinos, and women. But the new content insists on seeing all of American history through the frame of racial oppression, Diaz said. Teacher resource slide for social studies teachers in Montgomery County Public School System. (Courtesy of Montgomery County Public School System) The foundational lesson for high school students views everything through the lens of race, she said. When you constantly emphasize the framework of race you give the picture to the student that my race has always been oppressed, I cant be more, says Diaz, who had risen out of the shadows of the working class. A teacher has to do a delicate balancing act to avoid this problem. And it didnt help that the Social Studies department where I taught is very woke, she said, adding: I was constantly at odds with colleagues in my department. The American history lessons dont allow the students to do independent thinking but actually steered them to conclusions, instead of encouraging questioning and debate. A diagram in one teachers guide called Wheel of Power/Privilege is foundational to the new curriculum, she says. The diagram illustrates that the whole of society can be seen as a wheel in which power, privilege, aspirational body shape and white race are at the center whereas people of color, poverty, and undesired body shape are at the perimeter. Why are they teaching this way? Diaz asks. Its because somebody wants to turn us against each other. Resources for Teachers at Seneca Valley High include a unit titled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh. McIntoshs 50 examples of white privilege include this observation: I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me. Her stated objective is to attack the unwillingness of males to grant that they are overprivileged. The new curriculum encourages high school students to differentiate between the dominant history of the United States in contrast to counter narratives. Teacher resource slide showing contrasting views of the Pilgrim landing. (Courtesy of Montgomery County Public School System) One slide contrasts the received convention of Thanksgiving as a wonderful feast the pilgrims and Indians had to celebrate thanksgiving and to celebrate their friendship, with a historical plaque that deplores the pilgrim event as a Day of National Mourning. Diaz says the new materials, which she helped edit and critique two years ago, have moved the students from learning facts to seeing all versions of history purely as narrative. To make things worse, she says there are strict rules for keeping to the curriculum only. Until recently I had some leeway in how I presented the lesson plans in the classroom, but the leeway now is so small. The administrators closely watch you now to make sure you teach exactly the lesson plan. They are scripted, and you have to follow the script, she said. A one-time Democrat and Bernie Sanders supporter, Diaz says she learned to distrust the Democrat Party and now calls herself an independent voter. After seeing how the Democratic Party treated Sanders, I am now an independent. I dont believe in government anymore, but I am no Republican, she said. Having left her teaching job with Montgomery County in July, Diaz now applies herself to tutoring and consulting work. Yes, I know that many doors have closed since making the decision to leave the public school system, she says, but I also believe that some new doors are going to open. Chloe Cole, an ex-transgender teen, speaks in support of the Protect Children's Innocence as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) looks on outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 20, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) Republican Legislators Support Bill to Protect Minors from Gender Transition Procedures WASHINGTONRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and 10 other Republican legislators called for support of the Protect Childrens Innocence Acta bill prohibiting gender transition surgeries on minorsoutside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 20. If enacted, the legislation would make it a felony to perform gender-affirming careoperations, medication, or other procedures to change a minors biological sex. The penalty is up to 25 years in prison, or a maximum $250,000 fine. The Act, introduced by Greene on Aug. 19, would also prohibit the use of any federal funds or facilities for gender-affirming care. The bill is about protecting them [children] from being fast-tracked into permanent harm to their bodies before theyre old enough to vote, get a tattoo, buy tobacco, join the military, often drive a car, and go see an R-rated movie, Greene told the press. She said the bill will have more sponsors and pass in the next Congress, citing massive support among Republican voters. The current number of sponsors is 35, all Republicans. Ten of the co-sponsors attended todays event. This [gender-affirming care for minors] should never happen in the United States of America. As a matter of fact, it should never happen anywhere in the world, said Greene at the event. But theres an ideology that is sexualizing children and pushing this among the most innocent kids, the most vulnerable, and all of our society. And it has to end. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) with Republican legislators outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) Pro-transgender groups have strongly objected to the Protect Childrens Innocence Act. All people, including transgender young people, deserve access to health care that helps them live safe and healthy lives, said a statement issued by Dr. Kellan E. Baker, executive director of the Whitman-Walker Institute, an advocacy group for gender-affirming care based in Washington. Theres a lot of misinformation out there, but the reality is that the only form of gender-affirming care for children is social support that helps kids understand and explore their gender as they grow up. Bills attacking health-care providers and patients are dangerous political stunts, Baker added in the statement issued to the Advocate, an LGBT magazine owned by Pride Media. Ex-Transgender Teen Speaks Up Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old ex-transgender teen who became an activist, spoke in support of the bill. When she was 12, she said, she told her parents she was a boy. Then, she began testosterone therapy and puberty blockers at 13. And at 15, she had a double mastectomy. In her speech, she described having her healthy breasts cut off as a decision forced under extreme duress. The gender clinic presented my parents with the classic false dichotomy regarding children with gender dysphoria. Would you rather have a dead daughter, or a living son? Given these options, what loving parent wouldnt choose to transition their child? Scared for my life, my parents were prepared to sign anything the doctors asked. As a shy person who didnt socialize easily, Cole said she believed that if she subscribed to the transgender ideology, she would be an accepted, celebrated, and valued member of the most talked-about community on Earth. Being a transgender girl gained her celebrity status, she said. But that status evaporated after she decided to de-transition, Cole said. She lost her friends, and even the medical professionals who helped with her transition didnt know what to do. The big question remains how was a 12-year-old introduced to the idea that they could do something as ridiculous as changing their sex? asked Cole. She called transgenderism and gender identity gender ideology. She questioned how it went from being a relatively benign social oddity to a doctrine that has invaded nearly every academic, medical, and educational institution, seemingly overnight. Up until now, the media has been parroting the same ideologically driven talking pointsaffirm, affirm, affirm, she said. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) thanked Cole for calling out the disturbing trend. In her speech, Miller called gender transition procedures child abuse and added, I think it says a lot about where we are as a country by how we treat our children. Cole kept her head high and smiled often during the one-hour event. However, she experienced an emotional moment in the end when asked about her feelings. After a long pause with fingers on her mouth, she told The Epoch Times, Its hard to find the words, but Im really proud of myself. Chloe Cole, an ex-transgender teen, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) Need for Federal Law Greene said different laws in various states called for a federal law. She expressed concern that Democrat-controlled states were taking away parents rights to protect their kids from these horrific surgeries. On Aug. 31, California passed legislation to protect those who travel to the Golden State for gender-affirming care from their home states legal actions. New York has a similar bill currently sitting with the Judiciary Committee in the state Senate. Some Republican-controlled states tried to introduce laws banning gender-affirming care, to various degrees of success. On April 8, Alabama enacted the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act that makes extending gender-affirming care to minors a felony. Days later, parents of transgender children sued the state Attorney General. On May 13, a federal judge granted the plaintiffs a partial injunction to continue receiving transitioning medication. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) declared in his speech, Whether youre a medical professional, a teaching professional, [or] a counselor, if you participated in this, I advise you to prepare your lives for incarceration because were going to pass this bill next year, and its going to have teeth. Greene said she had the Republican leaderships support on this bill and that her committee assignment would not be an issue in January, alluding to the possibility that she would win reelection and the Republican Party would gain a majority in the House after the November midterms. She lost her House committee assignments in February 2021. Other Republican legislators present included Reps. Bob Good (R-Va.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), Lance Gooden (R-Texas), and Barry Moore (R-Ala.). President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 24, 2022. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) Republicans Complain About White House Doublespeak on Taiwan U.S. President Joe Bidens recent statement that the United States would militarily defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression and the apparent walk back of that statement by the White House has caused frustration and uncertainty among some lawmakers. When asked during a 60 Minutes interview whether he would commit U.S. forces to defend Taiwan from an invasion by communist China, the president responded decisively. Yes, Biden said, if, in fact, there was an unprecedented attack. Immediately after Bidens comment, the program ran a voiceover saying that a White House official said after the interview that U.S. policy has not changed. Officially, the United States maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity, in which it wont say whether U.S. forces would defend Taiwan. The apparent flip flop caused grief among Republican lawmakers, many of whom desire an end to the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity. Im wondering whats going through the big guys mind, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said during a Sept. 20 interview on Foxs Jesse Watters Primetime. He cant send a clear message. This isnt the first time hes done this. Almost every time hes talked about China and Taiwan, the White House has walked it back. Bidens interview with 60 Minutes marked the fourth time he said that the United States is committed to defending Taiwan. He made similar comments during an interview in Tokyo in May 2022, at an October 2021 CNN Town Hall, and during an August 2021 interview with George Stephanopoulos. Biden has clearly said on four occasions he will defend Taiwan, but his subordinates on four occasions have clearly contradicted him, China commentator Gordon Chang wrote on Twitter. He now has a constitutional obligation to explain to the American people if he is still commander-in-chief and the one making decisions. Some lawmakers fear that the frequent commitments to defend Taiwan by Biden and their subsequent denials by the White House will fail to deter Chinas ruling communist party from attacking democratic Taiwan, although the effort could be a deliberate attempt to obfuscate the administrations strategy. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, claims that Taiwan is a rogue Chinese province that must be united with the mainland. However, Taiwan has never been controlled by the CCP and has been self-governing since 1949. The United States and China maintain agreements that neither side will attempt to change the status quo by unilaterally pursuing either Taiwanese unification or independence efforts. We are not moving, Biden said during the 60 Minutes interview. We are not encouraging their being independent. Thats [Taiwans] decision. Sir Richard Branson speaks after he flew into space aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel in New Mexico on July 11, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Richard Bransons Virgin Orbit to Lift-Off From Small Regional Australian Airport Billionaire Richard Bransons Virgin Orbit could soon be launching satellites from a small regional airport in Queensland after signing off a deal to develop its third location globally. Founded in 2017, the company deploys Boeing 747s to carry rockets into the upper reaches of the atmosphere before firing them into space. The New York-listed Virgin Orbit has signed a memorandum of understanding with the local Wagner Corporation, who built the airport and neighbouring business park, and will push towards developing a national spaceport to perform an orbital launch demonstration as early as 2024. The project aims to capitalise on a maturing small satellite market, stimulate the local economy, and support the defence industry with a flight-proven national launch capability. A concept image of a 747-400 jumbo jet launching the LauncherOne satellite. (Courtesy of Virgin Orbit) Were thrilled to be working alongside Wagner Corporation, one of the regions most successful privately-owned companies, to bring the first national orbital launch to Australia, said Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit. Combining their deep knowledge of infrastructure development and affinity for aerospace with our proven, responsive LauncherOne [satellite] system, we have all the ingredients to bring spaceflight to Queensland, he said in a statement on Sept. 20. While John Wagner, chairman of Wagner Corporation, said the deal was a significant boost for Queensland and Australia. Attracting global companies such as Virgin Orbit is recognition of the strategic advantages that Wellcamp Airport and the Aerospace and Defence Precinct offers, and we are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship, said John Wagner, chair of Wagner Corporation. The Wellcamp Airport is located west of Toowoomba, which is located around 144 kilometres west of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland. It garnered headlines earlier this year after the state government mothballed a $223 million COVID-19 quarantine camp in the area. Meanwhile, Virgin Orbits development of the airport comes months after the Australian government established its Space Command in line with similar initiatives in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. The strategic move comes in response to greater technological development in space weaponry from Russia and China. Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre, speaks with Canada's ambassador to Russia Alison LeClaire as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, looks on during a ceremony in Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 5, 2020. (The Canadian Press/AP-Alexander Zemlianichenko) Russia Claims Ottawa Embassy Was Attacked, Summons Canadas Ambassador in Moscow The RCMP is investigating an alleged attack on the Russian embassy in Ottawa. The forces national division, which is responsible for protecting foreign diplomatic properties, says members have attended the embassy to obtain relevant information. The Mounties dont say when their investigation began, but Russias ambassador to Canada says someone threw a Molotov cocktail at the embassy earlier this month. Oleg Stepanov says the device didnt ignite, and no one was hurt. Russias foreign ministry summoned Canadas ambassador yesterday to register its frustration with the police response to the alleged incident. Moscow also claims police have turned a blind eye to what it calls aggressive demonstrators blocking public access to the embassys consular section. A spokesman for the foreign affairs minister says Melanie Jolys office is closely following the issue. Russia Triggers Plan to Formally Annex Occupied Ukrainian Regions KYIVRussian-installed leaders in occupied areas of four Ukrainian regions set out plans for referendums on joining Russia this week. In the apparently coordinated move, Russian-backed officials announced planned referendums for Sept. 2327 in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia provinces, representing around 15 percent of Ukrainian territory or an area about the size of Hungary. Russia already considers Luhansk and Donetsk, which together make up the Donbas region Moscow partially occupied in 2014, to be independent states. Ukraine and the West consider all parts of Ukraine held by Russian forces to be illegally occupied. In a post on social media addressed to Putin, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, wrote: I ask you, as soon as possible, in the event of a positive decision in the referendumwhich we have no doubt aboutto consider the DPR becoming a part of Russia. Ukraine on Monday dismissed the move as a stunt by Moscow to try to reclaim the initiative after crushing losses on the battlefield. The Russians can do whatever they want. It will not change anything, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in response to reporters questions at the start of a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. In a tweet, he added: Russia has been and remains an aggressor illegally occupying parts of Ukrainian land. Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington and its allies would reject any such referendums, which he said would bring Russia no benefits on the battlefield. Some pro-Kremlin figures framed the referendums as an ultimatum to the West to accept Russian territorial gains or face an all out war with a nuclear-armed foe. Encroachment onto Russian territory is a crime which allows you to use all the forces of selfdefense, Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and now hawkish deputy chairman of Putins Security Council said on social media. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the pro-Kremlin RT TV station, wrote: Today a referendum, tomorrow recognition as part of the Russian Federation, the day after tomorrow strikes on Russian territory become a full-fledged war between Ukraine and NATO and Russia, untying Russias hands in every respect. Reframing fighting in occupied territory as an attack on Russia could also give Moscow a justification to mobilize its 2 million-strong military reserves. Moscow has so far resisted such a move despite mounting losses in what it calls a limited special military operation rather than a war. Sullivan said Washington was aware of reports Putin might be considering ordering a mobilization, which Sullivan said would do nothing to undermine Ukraines ability to push back Russian aggression. Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, also referred to potential Russian mobilization plans, writing on Twitter: Sham referendums will not change anything. Neither will any hybrid mobilization. Damaged cars in the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters) Russia has declared capturing all of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces to be the main aim of its special military operation. It now holds about 60 percent of Donetsk and had captured nearly all of Luhansk by July after slow advances during months of intense fighting. But those gains are now under threat after Russian forces were driven from neighboring Kharkiv province this month, losing control of their main supply lines for much of the Donetsk and Luhansk front lines. The referendums were announced a day after Ukraine said its troops had recaptured a foothold in Luhansk, the village of Bilohorivka, and were preparing to advance across the province. Russia controls most of Zaporizhzhia but not its regional capital. In Kherson, where the regional capital is the only major city Russia has so far captured intact since the invasion, Ukraine has launched a major counteroffensive. Unverified footage on social media showed Ukrainian forces in Bilohorivka, which lies just 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the city of Lysychansk, which fell to the Russians after weeks of some of the wars most intense fighting in July. There will be fighting for every centimeter, the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai, wrote on Telegram. The enemy is preparing their defense. So we will not simply march in. Pro-Russian officials have said the referendums could be held electronically. Russia staged a referendum in Crimea eight years ago before declaring it annexed. Western countries have dismissed such votes as illegal and fraudulent. In a move designed to shore up Russias military in Ukraine, Russias parliament on Tuesday also approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination, if they were committed during military mobilization or combat situations. A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detectives cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel. Credit: Public Domain Movies BUY Jan 6 DVD: https://www.epochtv.shop/product-page/dvd-the-real-story-of-january-6, Promo Code EpochTV for 20% off. Feature Films: Cinema collection: http://epochcinema.com Epoch Original content: http://epochoriginal.com Feature Films: https://www.theepochtimes.com/featured-films * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Disabled Veteran Sees Coordinated Weaponization of Federal Agencies to Destroy MAGA Between President Joe Bidens speeches, the threat of armed IRS agents, FBI raids, government-directed censorship of conservative voices on social media, and the call from a Senate candidate to kill and confront MAGA, service-disabled veteran and small business owner Adam Hardage sees a coordinated weaponization of federal agencies to destroy the MAGA movement. On Sept. 1, Biden stood before a red background at Philadelphias Independence Hall and said Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. A week earlier, Biden told his audience at a fundraiser in Maryland that the extreme MAGA philosophy is like semi-fascism. At the reception for the Democratic National Committee on Sept. 8, Biden said extreme MAGA Republicans just dont threaten our personal and economic rights; they embrace political violence They threaten our very democracy. Hardage, a service-disabled veteran, CEO and Co-Founder of Remote Health Solutions, agrees. He described Bidens Independence Hall speech as a Nazi propaganda film, adding that it was very unprofessional to have Marines standing behind him because the military is supposed to be apolitical. These are very dangerous times from a very dangerous and committed group of idealogues, Hardage told The Epoch Times. Frankly, its unbelievable where we are. It is very dangerous language for a sitting president to vilify half of the American population. The statements he is making are very inciteful and irresponsible. It was the most inciteful and dangerous political event Ive seen in my 47 years. I dont know how else to phrase it. A Trafalgar Group/Convention of States Action poll conducted Sept. 25 found that over half of Americas Likely General Election Voters, 56.8 percent, said Bidens speech represents a dangerous escalation in rhetoric and was designed to incite conflict amongst Americans. The Fallout On Sept. 5, four days after Bidens Independence Hall Speech, several Jan. 6 prisoners were physically assaulted by a guard at the Washington, D.C. Correctional Treatment Facility. That guard, Lieutenant Crystal Lancaster, is notorious among the prisoners and their family members for being particularly vulgar and brutal toward the Jan. 6 prisoners in her loathing of Donald Trump and white people. According to a Dec. 16, 2021 letter (pdf) sent by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to Muriel Bowser, mayor of the District of Columbia, Kathleen Landerkinthe Deputy Warden at the D.C. Jailhas demonstrated a consistent pattern of public animus toward anyone who supports President Donald J. Trump. On Sept. 13, Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan labeled Trump Republicans as extremists and urged Americans of the need to kill and confront the extremist Republican movement because normal mainstream Republicans are the only ones worth saving. Armed IRS Agents In the meantime, while Biden, Ryan, and members of the liberal media try to fan a flame of hate for MAGA Republicans, the IRS is hiring 87,000 new agents who must be willing to use deadly force. The woman put in charge of those 87,000 new IRS agents willing to use deadly force is Nikole Flax, who coincidentally worked under Lois Lerner while the agency was targeting Tea Party groups for Obama. According to a December 2020 report (pdf), the IRS has a stockpile of 4,500 guns. That arsenal includes 3,282 pistols, 621 shotguns, 539 rifles, 15 fully automatic weapons, four revolvers, and 5 million rounds of ammunition. The whole thing smacks of the IRS treatment of Tea Party organizations under the Obama presidency, Mark Meckler, president and co-founder of Convention of States Action, told The Epoch Times. So that does make this seem incredibly relevant at this moment. Mark Meckler, CEO of Convention of States Action, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Bobby Sanchez/The Epoch Times) Meckler, an attorney, was also the founder of Citizens for Self-Governance and co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots back when conservative groups were being targeted by Lerner and the IRS. Now shes going to be in charge of the 87,000 agents, Meckler said. The only difference between then and now is the IRS is going to be much larger, much more funded, and they already know how to weaponize against their political enemies. And, as we saw in the advertising, one of the requirements is the desire and willingness to carry a firearm and to use deadly force. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) warned that half of the 700,000 audits that are expected to take place will be for people making $75,000 or less and that conservatives could be specific targets. Look, you already saw what Lois Lerner did in the IRS where she specifically went after conservative groups, Wenstrup told Fox Businesss Mornings with Maria Bartiromo. Tell me theres not reason to be concerned when we have the IRS taking action like this. Lois Lerner listens at a congressional hearing in Washington on May 22, 2013. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) The FBI Raids In the late evening hours of Aug. 8, the FBI made an unprecedented raid on the Mar-a-Lago home of former President Donald Trump. The raid was widely criticized, even by many politicians and liberal media outlets. They rifled through the closet of his wife, Melania, and even did a deep and ugly search of the room of his 16-year-old son, Barron. 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, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Local law enforcement officers in front of the home of former U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2022. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images) On Sept. 8, the homes of thirty-five senior members, MAGA Republicans, supporters of Donald Trump had their homes raided by the FBI, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon told Life Site News. A top former Republican leader and prominent attorney warned on Sept. 9 that the homes of more Trump supporters may soon be raided by FBI agents. In a Twitter post, Harmeet Dhillon alleged that someone on the Department of Justices (DOJ) Jan. 6 team told a Politico reporter that 50 or so search warrants and grand jury subpoenas were being issued to Trump alliesbefore it happened. Clients, already being harassed by House J6 Committee investigators. On Aug. 9, the day after the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago, the home of Trump supporter Lisa Gallagher was raided following a fabricated, anonymous tip that she had been at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. I was terrified, Gallagher told FOX News Tucker Carlson the day after the raid. Ill be honest with you, when my daughter woke me up telling me there were 3 armed FBI officers at my door I thought she was joking. On Sept. 13, FBI agents surrounded and blocked the vehicle of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell at a Hardees drive-through in Mankato, Minnesota. They demanded he surrender his cell phone. Their warrant requested he not disclose the existence of this subpoena for an indefinite period of time. Lindell is an advocate for election integrity and has been vocal about allegations of widespread voting irregularities and election fraud during the November 2020 general election. President Donald Trump and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro check out the new Endurance all-electric pickup truck on the south lawn of the White House in Washington on Sept. 28, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Lots of people are being thrown in jail, Meckler said. You look at Peter Navarro, an elderly professor being dragged off an airplane in handcuffs and shackles. Clearly, he was no threat to anybody. When we see these kinds of behaviors, and the disparate treatment, you know you are living under a regime where the police state is being used against the opposition. On Sept. 8, Bannon surrendered to authorities in New York. According to an indictment filed in New York Supreme Court, Bannon is accused of laundering money and committing a conspiracy to defraud donors through the We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign. According to Bannon, the phony charges are nothing more than a partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system. At least 11 people from Trumps inner circle have been arrested on a litany of allegations. Meckler also noted the number of Jan. 6 prisoners who have been incarcerated. Mostly youre looking at people with no criminal records with no history of violence, who even at the Capitol did very little that could be characterized as violence, Meckler noted. But theyre being treated like theyre national security risks and like terrorists. Its being done for a specific purpose. Its the same reason why the IRS was targeting all of my Tea Party friends. Its to dissuade people from being engaged politically. Government Directed Social Media Censorship There is also proven coordination between the Biden administration and social media giants to stifle the voices of conservatives. We saw this with Alex Berenson with COVID, with him being censored directly by Facebook and Twitter after the federal government specifically asked those entities to censor him, Meckler recalled. Writer and journalist Alex Berenson speaks on censorship and freedom of speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2021. (CPAC/Screenshot via NTD) Trump himself was banned permanently from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook soon after the Jan. 6 protests. Dr. Simone Gold, a board-certified emergency physician and the founder of Americas Frontline Doctors, a nonprofit that has spoken out against the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, appeared in a viral video documenting the potential of hydroxychloroquine in combating coronavirus. In July 2020, the video was banned from social media. On June 16, 2022, Gold was sentenced to prison for illegally entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted that the Biden administration was in regular touch with social media platforms about COVID-19-related misinformation, admitting they were flagging problematic posts for Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook censored the story about Hunter Bidens laptop because of FBI misinformation warnings in an Aug. 25 interview. Thats really state actor stuff, Meckler said. If they go after those private entities and ask them, encourage them or cudgel them into censoring points of view they dont like, I think the First Amendment is indeed implicated. Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington on Oct. 23, 2019. (Erin Scott/Reuters) In April, Nina Jankowicz was tapped to head the Biden administrations Disinformation Governance Board, quickly dubbed by critics as the governments Ministry of Truth. She previously played a key role in efforts to remove New York Post reports regarding the laptops contents. By August, in the wake of widespread criticism, the department was shut down by the Department of Homeland Security. Theres long been what I describe as the Nation-State Actor Theory, which is when a private company is acting at the behest of the federal government to censor, Meckler explained. Then they are actually subject to the restrictions of the First Amendment, and this is what were seeing. Fascists Are Always Liberals Too much of whats happening in our country today is not normal, Biden said during his Sept. 1 speech. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. MAGA Republicans have made their choice, Biden went on in his assault on conservatives. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies. Its so interesting, Meckler said of his experiences with Democrats since his foray into politics with the Tea Party movement. Whatever they accuse conservatives of doing is what they are doing. Its ironic, because if you look at the actual behavior of what Joe Biden is doing right now, and what the tech companies are doing in coordination with the administration, they are behaving as fascists. Meckler noted that the definition of fascism, according to Benito Mussolini, the creator of fascism, is Everything inside the state, nothing outside the state and nothing against the state. Meckler also noted how Jonah Goldbergs book, Liberal Fascism, traces the history of fascism. What he found was a consistent theme, that fascists are always liberals, Meckler said. It always comes from liberals, 100 percent. There arent exceptions to that. It always starts with benevolence and good intentions. Were going to do a good thing for people. So first were going to tell people they need to do this thing. If they dont do this good thing, we will inflict penalties. Ultimately, we will create jail time for people who dont do this thing and well put them in solitary confinement. Eventually, the people who dont support the good things we believe in, should just be killed. Thats the history of fascism throughout the world, and what youre seeing right now is the end game of liberalism turning into fascism. Meckler noted how COVID vaccines began as a suggestion. It Is Absolutely Coordinated This is absolutely coordinated, Hardage insisted, adding that the intent is to intimidate MAGA Republicans into silence. I believe what we are seeing is nothing less than a subversive, communist, globalist-attempted overthrow of the last bastion of freedom, which is the United States of America. Adam Hardage, CEO and Co-Founder of Remote Health Solutions, stands before the U.S. Capitol on March 12, 2020. (Courtesy of Adam Hardage) With the threat of armed IRS agents, FBI raids on the homes of anyone associated with MAGA, Bidens increased attacks against MAGA, and the call to kill and confront MAGA, it is the opinion of Hardage that there is now a direct result of the coordinated weaponization of federal agencies to target and silence MAGA. He also believes that when Democrats say we have to kill MAGA, they mean exactly that. Their rhetoric is becoming very dangerous and I believe Republicans and Americans as a whole would be well served to take very seriously what theyre saying, Hardage warned. Those threats are very real. Theyre going to take your job away from you, Meckler said. Theyre going to close down your business. Thats the behavior of a fascist regime. Im very cautious in my language so I do not say this lightly. Thats just the history of fascism. This is how fascism always progresses, from liberalism to fascism, and what were seeing is the Democratic Party and its supporters are in the end game of fascism. If you are against the state theyre going to call you a fascist, Meckler said. They are going to target you with the IRS and the FBI and they are going to throw you in jail. They are behaving like fascists at this point. Cargo shipping containers are seen (by a drone) in a storage yard surrounded by petroleum storage tanks and oil refineries in Carson, Calif., on Mar. 11, 2022. (Reuters/Bing Guan) Shortage of Cargo Ships Affecting Energy Prices The energy crisis in Europe and the resultant higher demand for cargo ships to transport fuels is creating upward pressure on fuel costs. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on the Kremlin. In response, Russia began curtailing gas supplies to the region, creating a scramble for energy on the continent. To replace Russian supplies, Europe is now left with no choice but to import oil and gas from other places. As ships carry fuel to Europe from more distant places, these vessels are occupied for a longer period and not returning back to service as they normally used to. This has sparked an increase in global freight rates, shipping experts told Bloomberg. Transporting a cargo of naphtha petrochemical feedstock, for example, from the Middle East to Japan now costs double what it did in March. In the United States, shipping a cargo of oil to China is at its highest level since 2020. The vessel shortage situation is becoming tighter as European utility companies park liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments on ships. As the regions shipping terminals are at full capacity, these utility companies cannot import supplies into onshore storage. Hence, the companies are forced to store supplies in vessels off the coast, which is also referred to as floating storage. This practice adds to the shortage of vessels. We would expect there to be more floating storage, Oystein Kalleklev, chief executive officer of shipowner Flex LNG Management AS, told Bloomberg. However, the LNG gas carrier market is mostly sold out for the winter, so we would expect traders to utilize the ships in their existing portfolio. Europes Energy and Social Crisis According to Ed Morse, global head of commodities research at Citigroup, Europes energy crisis could last for three or more years. Itll be somewhere between 2025 and 2027 that well see the prices in Europe coming back to where they were at the beginning of 2021, he said in an interview with Bloomberg. During a press conference in late August, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden also warned that the energy crisis facing Europe might last for several winters and that energy rationing may be required to manage the situation. Energy prices in Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe, broke through the threshold of 1,000 per megawatt hour for the first time last month. Limited electricity and energy supplies also pose social threats to Europe. While attending an event in Washington recently, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said that if Mother Nature decides not to cooperate, and the winter is actually harsh, that could lead to some social unrest. The legal team of former US President Donald Trump, led by Evan Corcoran, leaves U.S. court in New York City on Sept. 20, 2022. (Alex Kent/Getty Images) Special Master in Trump Case Says He Doesnt Want to See Records Marked Classified 'I don't want to see the material,' judge says in first hearing after being appointed A U.S. judge appointed as a special master in the legal battle over records held at former President Donald Trumps home said on Sept. 20 that he prefers not to see the materials marked classified that were seized by FBI agents. Lets not belittle the fact that we are dealing with at least potentially legitimately classified information. The government has a very strong obligation, as all of us, to see it to that that information doesnt get in the wrong hands, U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie, a Reagan appointee, said during a hearing in federal court in New York City. Its not just a matter, it seems to me, of being cleared. It is a matter of need to know. And if you need to know, you will know, he added. Thats the way I see it. If I can make my judgments withoutI dont want to see the materialits presumably sensitive material. If I can make my recommendation to Judge Cannon, right or wrong, without exposing myself or you to that material, I will do it. On the other hand, if I cant, we have to take another alternative. Dearie was speaking in the first hearing held since U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, chose the judge as the special master in the Trump records case. The U.S. government says it took 103 documents marked classified from Mar-a-Lago in August, along with over 11,000 non-classified documents. The government is trying to shield the documents from Trumps lawyers and Dearie, while Trumps team says it wants to see the papers. I believe we have a need to know, absolutely, James Trusty, one of Trumps attorneys, told Dearie during the hearing. He said that issues surrounding the lawsuit Trump filed against the government cannot be fully addressed without having some access to the materials. Trusty holds security clearance. He requested expedited clearance for other lawyers on Trumps team, who do not have clearance as of now, to enable them to also see the documents marked classified, which Trump has said he declassified. Cannon ordered Dearie to review all of the materials seized by the FBI and to ensure that the latest inventory disclosed by the government is accurate, among other duties. Dearie had a slightly different read of the order, saying Cannon asked him to address the classification status of the seized documents. Julie Edelstein, a Department of Justice National Security Division official, told Dearie that Trumps lawyers shouldnt access the documents in question. We would like to reiterate the point that your honor made that there must be a need to know to share classified information. And in addition to that, even if Mr. Trusty has a top secret clearance, that clearance alone without a reason should he have a need to know would not be sufficient to see a number of the documents at issue in this case, she said. Some of the documents are so sensitive that even members of the team that is investigating possible offenses here have not yet been provided the clearances to see these documents. Trusty said he was astounded that the governments position is that Trumps lawyers dont have a need to know. Its kind of an amazing juncture to be dismissive of even one attorney having access to the documents that form the justification for their raid, he said. A man waves a Sri Lankan national flag as he stands on a barricade blocking the entrance to president's office during a protest in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 11, 2022. (Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo) Sri Lanka Mulls Taking On More Debt From China, India to Pay for Energy Sri Lanka is considering purchasing solar panels through a credit line from India and China to offset rising electricity tariffs, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Tuesday. The Sri Lankan government raised electricity tariffs by 75 percent in August, the first increase in nine years, triggering protest among local Buddhist clergy who were struggling to pay their electricity bills. The Central Provincial Sangha of the Ramanya Nikaya said it would switch off the lights in all temples in the province on Poya Daya Buddhist holidayto protest against the increase in electricity costs, Daily Mirror reported. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Wijesekara proposed using renewable energy sources and installing solar panels for religious institutions, particularly those that pay higher electricity charges. We have the problem of foreign exchange, making it difficult to pay for imports. One solution we have to think is to have a credit line from India or China as panels are imported from them, he said, according to the Press Trust of India. The state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is heavily in debt, owing more than 80 billion rupees ($225 million) in fuel costs and another 46 billion rupees ($129 million) to renewable energy suppliers. Daily Power Cuts Sri Lankas population of 22 million people has been struggling with hours-long daily power cuts due to the governments acute lack of foreign currency to pay for essential imports. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) reportedly scheduled an 80-minute power cut on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing inadequate power generation caused by a fuel shortage. A few weeks earlier, PUCSL imposed power cuts on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, and later extended to Aug. 29 for the same reason. Sri Lanka also imposed a nationwide 13-hour power cut in March, according to local reports. CEB Engineers Union President Anil Ranjith said at a press conference on Sept. 15 that Sri Lankas ongoing power cuts could continue for at least three years if the government refused to increase the nations electricity supply. The demand peaks at night times. The power mainly comes from hydro, thermal and, if there is wind, then from wind power plants. If we dont have coal or oil, then we have to go for power cuts, he said, Economy Next reported. Until we increase our supply, through thermal, wind, [liquefied natural gas], coal or solar, and store our energy, the power cuts will continue, Ranjith added. IMF Agreement The International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier approved a $2.9 billion bailout fund under a new 48-month Extended Fund Facility to help restore Sri Lankas macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. The IMF said that its deal with Sri Lanka is contingent on approval by IMF management and the executive board, as well as on financing assurances from Sri Lankas creditors, including China, Japan, and India. President Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters on Monday that Sri Lanka will hold talks with major creditors India, China, and Japan, as well as private creditors. While we look at our issues of debt, we also have to repay what we have borrowed. This means we need 25 years from now to 2048. Then we will be 100, by then will be a prosperous society, Wickremesinghe said in his speech. Sri Lanka defaulted its debt in May. The island nation has $10 billion in bilateral debt as of August, of which 44 percent is owed to China, according to the Finance Ministry (pdf). Japan holds 32 percent of Sri Lankas debt, while India holds another 10 percent. A misinformation newsstand aiming to educate news consumers about the dangers of disinformation, or fake news, in the lead-up to the U.S. midterm elections, in midtown Manhattan, on Oct. 30, 2018. (Angela Weiss/Getty Images) State Department Agency Failing to Fully Counter Foreign Disinformation Campaigns, Says Watchdog The U.S. Department of States Global Engagement Center (GEC), which is tasked with countering disinformation, has been unable to completely fulfill its aim of exposing foreign propaganda, according to the departments Office of Inspector General (OIG). Despite having a clear legal mandate to coordinate Department and interagency efforts to counter propaganda and disinformation by foreign state and non-state actors, the centers legacy organizational structure, insufficient internal controls to properly manage contractors, and a limited strategic planning process affected its ability to fully meet its mission, a Sept. 15 report by the OIG states (pdf). The GEC was established in 2016 to counter terrorist propaganda, and its role was later expanded to coordinate government efforts and various agencies for countering and exposing foreign disinformation. The center has a budget of $74 million and employs 167 staff members who are mostly non-government contractors. The OIG found that there was a lack of coordination across the U.S. government departments to counter disinformation programs. Multiple government agencies who were involved in countering disinformation sometimes had competing coordination mandates. The Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence began their own separate agency efforts to counter propaganda. Even within the State Department itself, the Bureau of Counterterrorism officials had a challenging relationship with one of the divisions at GEC, according to the report. The lack of coordination hurt American efforts to expose disinformation. Foreign actors spend billions of dollars on disinformation campaigns to establish and legitimize their narratives using constantly changing technology, requiring an agile response from the U.S. government, the report states. Russian and CCP Propaganda The GEC leadership admitted during the OIG investigation that the problem of disinformation is serious and growing. The report alleges that prominent examples of such campaigns targeting U.S. national security include attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, as well as ongoing disinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines produced in the United States. A 2021 report by the Digital Forensic Research Lab of Washington-based think tank the Atlantic Council revealed that China was the most active country in propagating disinformation regarding the origin of the COVID-19 virus. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concealed information about the epidemic from the public and silenced eight whistleblower doctors at the time. Both the Russian government and the CCP regime have learned that spreading disinformation contributes to sowing distrust against the United States and winning over foreign audiences, Evan Anderson, CEO of INVNT/IP, an organization that fights state-sponsored intellectual property theft, said in an interview with The Epoch Times. Of the two, Anderson feels Russia has perfected the use of propaganda as a tactic. They mixed a percentage of truth with a slightly higher percentage of misinformation or propaganda and delivered it to an audience that was already inclined to hear it, he said. The tactic proved to be effective in affecting the way those people thought about certain topics. J.M. Phelps contributed to this report. DOJ Conducting Broad Criminal Probe Targeting Post-Election Challengers A grand jury subpoena, one of dozens served in recent weeks, indicates that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is conducting a criminal investigation into activities questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, including the appointments of alternate slates of electors and disputing the veracity of election results. The subpoena dated Sept. 6, which was first obtained by Red State, orders recipients to testify before a federal grand jury in Washington. They also must submit all communications related to post-election challenges, including theories of election fraud, whether then-Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to change the election outcome, and any strategies or options for ensuring the certification of Donald J. Trump as the victor of the 2020 Presidential Election. The widespread issuing of subpoenas suggests the DOJ is ramping up investigations focused on the former president and his allies just two months ahead of the midterm elections. The DOJ, according to the subpoena, is interested in documents and communications with a range from Trumps top advisers to state electors, local officials, and dozens more individuals in seven contested states where Trump and supporters have cast doubt on the election outcome. One line of inquiry relates to the Save America PAC, the main political fundraising channel used by Trump and created shortly after the election, which didnt return a request from The Epoch Times for comment. Another focus of the DOJ appears to be the question of so-called alternate electors. In the wake of the 2020 election, Republican electors in the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico cast dueling votes for Trump, while the certified electors in the same states voted for Joe Biden. Those involved in the efforts have publicly stated that they did so because of the disputes surrounding the election. Chilling Effect Along with the ongoing probe into the alleged mishandling of classified documents at Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence and a House committees inquiry over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, the DOJ investigation into efforts to dispute the 2020 election results appears to be having a chilling effect on Trump allies and supporters. Few people who were named as part of the subpoenas request for documents were willing to comment about the issue when contacted by The Epoch Times. The ones who did comment mostly hadnt received a subpoena themselves, although some indicated they had caught wind of it. I have no comments, and no opinion, Ash Khare, a member of the Warren County Republican Committee in Pennsylvania, who signed a form certifying the states 2020 results for Trump, told The Epoch Times when asked about the inclusion of his name in the subpoena. One of the most prominent attorneys named is Sidney Powell, who briefly served as counsel to Trump after the 2020 election and later filed lawsuits independently alleging election fraud. Powell told The Epoch Times that she wasnt previously aware of a subpoena naming her and noted that a Georgia subpoena to her was recently withdrawn. Alongside the federal probe, a grand jury in Georgia also is investigating alleged efforts by Trump and his allies to dispute that states election results. Conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell, who aided Trumps post-election challenge efforts, also is listed in the subpoenas records request. The attorney said she hasnt received a subpoena. I noticed that I am a search term. But thats all I know, Mitchell, chair of the Indiana-based Public Interest Legal Foundation, told The Epoch Times. She added that she has provided the Jan. 6 Committee with all responsive, non-privileged documents, and if the DOJ serves my attorney a document subpoena, we would respond to it in the same manner as with the J6 Committee: We will provide all responsive, non-privileged documents. A sign for the Department of Justice hangs in the press briefing room at the Justice Department in Washington, on April 18, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) Fishing Expedition Attorney Timothy Parlatore, whose client, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, was named in the subpoena, said that he isnt worried about the DOJ. It very much struck me as a complete fishing expedition, Parlatore told The Epoch Times. Usually, the DOJ is a lot more targeted with their subpoenas. Its definitely looking much more like a spray and pray, he said. Ask for everything under the sun, and maybe you get lucky that you might actually have something with one or two of these points. Given the timing, he said, the subpoenas are likely an effort to influence the midterm elections in which Republicans are seeking a reset in power dynamics. Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik enters the courthouse for a pre-trial hearing in White Plains, N.Y. on Oct. 20, 2009. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Lauren Bowman Bis, a spokeswoman for the Public Interest Legal Foundation, noted that the subpoena includes documents constituting any evidence that there was fraud of any kind in the 2020 election. This is a blatant overreach and will have the chilling effect to stop people from reporting election crimes, she told The Epoch Times. This subpoena is proof of what we already knew, the DOJ is full of partisan bureaucrats. Entire Trump Campaign Targeted Bruce Marks, a former Republican Pennsylvania state senator and lawyer who represented the Trump campaign in 2016, described the subpoena as outrageous. It looks like theyre investigating the entire Trump campaign, Marks, also named in the subpoena, told The Epoch Times. Its a retaliatory, politically motivated attack, he said. What theyre doing is subpoenaing people who dont have the resources to fight these subpoenas, and theyre using that as a backhanded way of getting the communications of the campaign, and its wrong. Marks asserted that the Trump campaign was following the playbook that took place in the 1960 presidential election, when the governor of Hawaii certified electors for Republican Richard Nixon while Democratic electors cast votes for Democrat John F. Kennedy, the ultimate winner following a subsequent recount that determined Kennedy had secured more votes in the state. Nothing was hidden. It was sent to the National Archives. It was sent to Congress. It was all done above board, he said. Marks, who led the election integrity challenge in 2020 in his home state, insisted that theres no basis whatsoever to think that I was involved in anything that was that was wrong. Im one of the few people whos actually proven election fraud in the United States, let alone in my own case, he said. In 1993, the then-36-year-old Marks initially appeared to have lost a Pennsylvania Senate race, but emerged as the winner after a federal judge found his opponent, William G. Stinson, had engaged in election fraud through numerous illegally obtained absentee ballots. He believes the subpoenas are a violation of attorney-client privilege and First Amendment rights, which protect the freedom to associate for political purposes. The disclosure of such communications will also make Republicans campaign strategies public, in turn, helping the Democrats in elections, he alleged. A string of phone seizures from Trump lawyers and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) by the FBI have also been unsettling, Marks said. Having lived in Moscow during the Soviet Union and later founded a law firm there in 1998, he said he had seen the impact of not having a fair and free political system. And it scares me that this is now happening in the United States. Officials at the Justice Department didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Mark Frerichs, a U.S. veteran and civilian contractor held more than two years in Afghanistan by the Taliban, in a file photo. (Charlene Cakora via AP) Taliban Releases American Hostage in Exchange for Afghan Drug Trafficker The Taliban has released an American engineer theyd kept captive since 2020 in exchange for a Taliban-linked Afghan tribal leader, who was serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison on heroin trafficking charges. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the prisoner exchange between American hostage Mark Frerichs and Taliban ally Bashir Noorzai took place at the Kabul airport on Monday, according to Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden said the deal to release Frerichs required difficult decisions that he did not take lightly, referring to the release of Noorzai, who was arrested in 2005 for smuggling heroin into the United States. His release is the culmination of years of tireless work by dedicated public servants across our government and other partner government, and I want to thank them for all that effort, Biden said in a statement. My administration continues to prioritize the safe return of all Americans who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, and we will not stop until they are reunited with their families, he added. Mark Frerichs is coming home after two and half years in captivity in Afghanistan. Thank you to our diplomats, national security professionals, and partners in Qatar for your work to secure his release. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 19, 2022 The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August last year when the United States withdrew its forces, resulting in more than 120,000 people fleeing the country. Washington does not recognize the Taliban government. Frerichs, 60, is a former U.S. Navy veteran from Illinois who worked as a civil engineer in Afghanistan for a decade. U.S. authorities believed that the Taliban-linked Haqqani network kidnapped Frerichs in Kabul in January 2020. He was last seen in a video posted by The New Yorker last year in which he pleaded for his release. A U.S. official said that Frerichs was accompanied by the administrations special presidential envoy for hostage affairs and was in stable health. His ultimate destination was not immediately clear, though a Qatari Foreign Ministry official said Frerichs would soon head from Doha to the United States. The Arrest of Bashir Noorzai Noorzai is an Afghan leader of his namesake tribe. According to U.S. prosecutors, Noorzai owned opium fields in Kandahar province and had subordinates convert the opium into heroin at laboratories in Afghanistan. U.S. prosecutors said that Noorzai relied on a network of distributors in New York City to sell his heroin, which he smuggled into the country by hiding it in suitcases and on ships. He was also accused of providing financial support to the Taliban in exchange for the ability to continue his drug trafficking activities with impunity. Noorzai was included on a list reserved for the worlds most prolific drug traffickers. Noorzai was arrested in 2005 and sentenced to life in prison on heroin importation and distribution conspiracy charges. He had spent 17 years behind bars before his release on Monday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Real Story of Christopher Columbus Commentary One of the most notable attacks from the political left is on American history, with the 1619 Project, the criticism of Americas historical figures, and the defamation and accusations against historical people and events. Thankfully, knowledge is power, and with the proper knowledge of true American history, Americans can stand in the way of leftist lies meant to deceive the next generation and tear down the United States. I highly recommend watching one of the latest episodes on EpochTV, A Brave New World & Christopher Columbus, the first of a three-part series entitled The American Story, to arm yourself with knowledge about true American history. In this EpochTV episode, host Timothy Barton, president of WallBuilders, and Jonathan Richie, assistant director of the American Journey Experience, sit among 160,000 items and artifacts from American history and tell the true story of Columbus, which runs very differently from what the political left would have Americans believe. Together, they address a rewriting of American history that ignores the existence of documents and artifacts to tell a story that Barton says may be more politically motivated than historically honest. What most people know about Columbus is that in 1492, he sailed the ocean blue. However, there is much more to his story. Today, many people are critical of Columbus. What many dont know is that he sailed four voyages to America, and each one was very different. So if indeed he was evil, which voyage was he evil on? If you dont know the story of the voyages, how do you even know he was bad in the first place? Barton asks. Why Did Columbus Sail to America? Columbus lived in Spain, while the country was struggling to reestablish itself after the various wars and conflicts of those days. Because of the conflicts, the trade routes to get to India had been shut off, causing people in the West to look for other options to get to India over land. While many pursued new routes, Columbus took to the history and science books dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, developing an idea that they could sail across the Atlantic and eventually reach India. Given the knowledge of the earth and the world at that time, this was an impressive plan he formulated. Technically, he did not discover Americathere had been Vikings who had landed there, among othershowever, in the Western world, no one had accomplished what Columbus did or documented it so well. The First Voyage: Columbus Makes Friends With the Natives Columbuss first voyage he believed was to India, but he instead landed in northcentral and south America. He moved from island to island, encountered some of the natives there, and tried to communicate with them. Richie says this is one of the most significant moments in world history because it begins the process of the Old World and the New World coming together. They discovered a world untouched by outside societies for hundreds if not thousands of years. Columbus was an Italian but was funded by Spain, therefore sailing for Spain. The hosts show the document with the signatures from the queen and king of Spain paying Columbus to go on his voyage. He journals and documents the culture and customs of the tribes he had met and become friends with, and wrote very highly of them, saying a better race there cannot be on earth. This does not go along with the narrative that he was a racist genocidal figure. Things did go awry, however. Columbus was sent with three ships, but one ship was lost. The tribes helped save the crew, but not all the crew fit on the two ships, which led them to leave some of the crew behind. The native tribe tells Columbus that they arent the only tribe on the island. They warned of another very warlike tribe, which would raid their villages, steal their men and women, and also were cannibals, eating the people they captured and enslaving the rest. Columbus was skeptical of this, thinking the world to be more civilized than that. So he left, returned to Spain, and began preparing for a second voyage. This was more of a colonizing voyage, meant to establish a trading post and find the mainland, as well as rescue the men they had left behind. A Brave New World & Christopher Columbus | The American Story Episode 1 The 2nd Voyage: Columbuss Men Get Eaten Upon Columbuss return, they found the men they left behind, but they did not find them alive. Instead, they discovered bodies that had been cannibalized. Outraged, Columbus and his men were ready to go to war to defend the honor of the men who had been eaten. Their native friends asked to create a coalition force and go with them because one of the kings wives had been stolen and another killed by the cannibal tribe. They sailed out, found the tribe, and defeated them in battle. Columbus enslaved some of the captives and sent them back to Spain. This instance is where Columbus is often painted as a slave trader, but Richie says you have to contextualize it. In the 1400s, after a war where you conquered a people group, there were two main options: you could kill all the people you defeated, or enslave them. The cannibal tribe would have a third option where you would eat some of the people. The only natives Columbus ever approved of enslaving were natives he had conquered in a justified war, where his men had been attacked and eaten, and that he had fought with his allies who were other native Americans. The EpochTV episode notes that Columbus did not turn on the natives but that he and other natives conquered this particular tribe. Interestingly, the tribe Columbus conquered (the Carib) is also a well-documented historical tribe, known for their horrific practices towards conquered people, such as castrating infants and fattening them like animals, then eating them. The Carib would keep women to be slaves or rape them, and any children born from the captives would be eaten. This was shocking and evil to Columbus and his men. The 3rd Voyage: Trouble in the Ranks On the third voyage, Columbus found that the Spanish he had left on the second voyage were in full revolt against him and did not want to be told what to do anymore. These men were not missionaries trying to cultivate or convert the native tribes, they were Spaniards who wanted to take the wealth and resources of the native lands. Columbus had put policies in place saying they could not take from the natives without giving something of value in return, and many did not like this. Columbus also found the Spaniards doing other bad things, such as enslaving and killing some of the natives. When he put a stop to it, the Spanish got upset and sent word to the king and queen accusing Columbus of being a tyrant and of doing the very things they were doing. So, the king and queen sent someone to investigate and get to the bottom of what was happening. Upon arrival, this person found Spaniards who had been hung for their crimes against the natives. This person put Columbus in chains and sent them back to Spain to stand trial before the king and queen. Interestingly, the only people the investigator had interviewed were the Spaniards who were revolting against Columbus. In Columbuss trial, he was able to tell the other side of the story, and upon hearing all the information, was exonerated of every charge against him. Reinstituted of his titles, Columbus was sent on another voyage. The 4th Voyage: Shipwrecked On the fourth voyage, Columbus was shipwrecked for over a year. The Spanish ignored his request for aid due to the previous tensions, but eventually, Columbus got back to the colonies and returns to Spain. Barton notes that all this information is laid out in detail and footnoted in the book The American Story, which is available on the Wallbuilders website. So heres the reality: Theres a lot more to the story than we hear most of the time, says Barton. He encourages people to refer to the original historical documents, which can be done by following along with this three-part series on EpochTV. We as a people need to stop trusting what somebody else tells us and we have to do the research for ourselves, says Barton. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, arrives at the United Nations headquarters for the 77th United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Trudeau in New York to Attend UN General Assembly, Meet With Allies Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in New York for a two-day meeting with allies and partners at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). As co-chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates group, Trudeaus UN agenda will include advocating for strong climate action, the empowerment of women and girls, and reducing inequality, according to a Sept. 17 news release. from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). He will also meet with world leaders to address the global food crisis and highlight Canadas role in supporting food security, said the release. Throughout the day today and tomorrow, were meeting with partners from around the world at the @UN General Assembly. Well work on solutions to some of the worlds most pressing issuesand well continue to be focused on building a better future for Canadians, Trudeau said on social media on Sept. 20. Trudeau will also participate in an executive roundtable on Unlocking and Realizing the Benefits of Inclusive Job Growth, with former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton. His agenda includes two summit meetings in the afternoon, including the Global Food Security Summit and the Christchurch Call Summit. Trudeau will be meeting with his counterparts, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Frances President Emmanuel Macron, where the news release said he will reiterate Canadas pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. Trudeau will hold a bilateral meeting with Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the South American country of Suriname. The final event on Trudeaus UN agenda for today is a meeting entitled Countdown to CBD COP15: Landmark Leaders Event for a Nature Positive World. He will be accompanied by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. Trudeau will co-chair the Ocean Panel leaders meeting, entitled Financing Ocean Solutions for People and Planet: Delivering on SDG 14. For the second day of the UNGA trip on Sept. 21, Trudeaus agenda includes more conferences and meetings with world leaders. He is scheduled to first attend the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Seventh Replenishment Pledging Conference. The Global Fund is a partnership between governments, private sector, non-profits, and people affected by the diseases, to support country-led prevention, treatment, and care programs. Trudeau will later host a meeting with regional partners in the Caribbean, with a focus of the meeting on supporting Haitis stability and sustainable development. The Prime Minister will attend the Welcoming Reception for Heads of Delegation hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Trudeau is expected to participate in additional meetings to discuss other global issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian War, as well as the topic of continued need to counter Russian disinformation, according to the release. Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly will also be in attendance at the UNGA meeting, according to the itinerary released by the PMO. Former President Donald Trump speaks at a "Save America" rally to support Republican candidates running for state and federal offices in the state at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, on Sept. 17, 2022. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Trump Says Election Phone Call With Raffensperger Was Perfect, DA Willis Basing Probe on Tiny Word or Phrase Former President Donald Trump has defended his 2020 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, stating that it was absolutely perfect, while taking aim at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after she threatened prison time for those convicted in her election probe. Trump made the comment in a statement issued via his Save America PAC on Sept. 19. It comes amid a probe into alleged efforts by Trump and a number of his allies to overturn the 2020 election. The election inquiry was launched last year and is being fronted by Willis, a Democrat, who has been working with a grand jury to convince officials in Georgia to investigate the matter. Willis says the probe is based on a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 elections in Georgia and elsewhere. Trump in his statement on Monday, criticized Willis for spending almost all of her waking hours, which arent many, on attempting to prosecute a very popular president. He added that Willis is basing her potential claims on trying to find a tiny word or phrase (that isnt there) during an absolutely PERFECT phone call, concerning widespread Election Fraud in Georgia. He further noted that many lawyers and other officials who were knowingly on the line during his call with Raffensperger had no problems with the call, and didnt voice any objections or complaints about anything that I said on the call which could be construed as inappropriate. Trump called the probe a strictly political witch hunt. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the election and ballot count during a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters) The phone call in question took place in January 2021 and during the conversation, Trump asked the secretary of state to probe potential voter fraud in Georgia. Willis says that during the call, Trump said he wanted to find over 11,000 votes needed to win the state. Raffensperger declined, noting the state did several re-tallies of the vote count. However, Williss probe has largely expanded in recent months and a number of close Trump allies and advisers, and officials from other states, as well as Raffensperger, have appeared before the special grand jury. Others who have given testimony include attorney Rudy Giuliani, who represented Trump during the 2020 election, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Trumps defense of his phone call with Raffensperger comes shortly after Willis said in an interview with The Washington Post that individuals involved in the alleged efforts to overturn the election results may face jail time. The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences, Willis said. Willis also said that Trump himself could be called to appear as a witness before the special grand jury, noting that a decision is going to have to be made, and that I imagine its going to be made late this fall. British Prime Minister Liz Truss leaves Westminster Hall after the Presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, London, on Sept. 12, 2022. (Markus Schreiber - WPA Pool/Getty Images) UK to Spend at Least 2.3 Billion Supporting Ukraine in 2023: Truss UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has pledged to spend at least 2.3 billion ($2.6 billion) next year on military aid to help Ukraine resist the Russian invasion. Having committed 2.3 billion in 2022 to Ukraines war effort, Britain is already one of the largest military donor to Ukraine, second only to the United States. As she prepared to fly to New York for the United Nations summit, the prime minister praised Ukrainian troops success in taking back around 3,000 square kilometres (1,800 square miles) from Russian hands, and pledged to at least match last years military aid. She said: Ukraines victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic, and political support they need. My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security. The British Armys M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) fires during Summer Shield 2022 military exercise in Adazi military base, Latvia, on May 27, 2022. (Ints Kalnins /Reuters) Truss will use the U.N. summit to drum up support for Ukraine, and will also try to rally world leaders to end the dependence on Russian energy following President Vladimir Putins move to turn the taps off on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which supplied gas to Western Europe. By turning off the taps of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter, Truss said, adding: Too many livesin Ukraine, in Europe and around the worldare being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all. UK Support Will Not Falter During the past year, the UK has provided Ukraine with hundreds of rockets, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles, and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment. The government said the precise nature of UK military support in 2023 will be determined based on the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces, but it is expected to include equipment like the Multiple Launch Rocket System, which has been decisive to the countrys battlefield success. The prime ministers official spokesman said she will warn allies at the New York summit that now is not the time to take our foot off the gas in opposing Putins invasion. Quite the opposite, she will be very clear that UK support to Ukraine will not falter, he added. We will continue to act to restore sovereignty and self-determination to Ukraine. Because this isnt just Ukraines fight, the whole world suffers when a regime like Putins is allowed to bully and blackmail its neighbours. PA Media contributed to this report. UK Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks to journalists at the Empire State Building in New York, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Toby Melville/PA Media) UKUS Free Trade Talks Wont Start Any Time Soon, Truss Admits Negotiations for a post-Brexit free trade deal between the UK and the United States will not restart in the short to medium term, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has conceded. Truss, who is set to hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden at a United Nations summit on Wednesday, downplayed the chance of talks resuming on a comprehensive transatlantic trade deal that had been billed by Brexit supporters as a major benefit of leaving the European Union during the 2016 referendum campaign. Truss, a former Brexit opponent who has switched to becoming a supporter, told reporters flying with her to New York, There arent currently any negotiations taking place with the U.S. and I dont have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term. Instead of the previously much-touted prospects of a UKU.S. deal, she said the deals with India and other allies are her governments trade priorities. Her predecessor Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a deadline for striking a bilateral trade deal by Diwali, the Hindu celebration being held on Oct. 23. In addition, Truss reiterated the UKs desire to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), one of the worlds largest trading blocs which includes Australia, Canada, and Japan. She also cited a potential agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Talks Stalled One of the obstacles facing future talks is the UK governments threat to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The EU said the move would break international law and has launched legal action against the UK. Biden has stalled on trade negotiations with Britain and has raised concerns about the impact of Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol on the Northern Ireland peace process. So far the UK and the United States have been striking smaller state-by-state agreements, with Britain signing deals with Indiana and North Carolina. But these are far less ambitious than the comprehensive free trade deal touted by Brexit supporters during the 2016 referendum. The main opposition Labour Party blamed Truss for the slow progress of UKU.S. trade talks, accusing her of tarnishing the UKs international reputation with her stance on the Northern Ireland Protocol. But Cabinet minister Michelle Donelan played down any suggestion that the UKs handling of the protocol was playing a role in the delay in securing a deal. She told Times Radio that the protocol has nothing to do with the lack of substantive trade talks, adding that the UK has a strong relationship with the United States. PA Media contributed to this report. UnitedHealth Group Can Move Ahead With Merger Despite Justice Department Objections: Federal Judge A federal judge in Washington approved UnitedHealth Groups multibillion-dollar plan to acquire Change Healthcare, giving the company a win over the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which had sought to get the deal blocked. The merger was announced in January 2021. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the deal in February 2022, insisting that the acquisition would give UnitedHealth, the largest health insurer in the United States, access to competitor data which would end up pushing up the cost of health care. In the lawsuit (pdf), the DOJ argued that the proposed transaction is likely to substantially lessen competition in relevant markets, thus pushing down the quality of services, raising prices, and limiting innovation. Any substantial lessening of competition in a relevant market violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act and is enough for the court to enjoin the merger transaction in full, the lawsuit argued. Change Healthcare operates a network which is used by hospitals, doctors, dentists, and pharmacies to exchange health insurance claims for reimbursement. UnitedHealth operates the Optum Insight data and consulting business. The company plans on integrating Change Healthcare into Optum. Combined, UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare, both of which offer competing health care claims processing software, service 38 of the countrys top 40 health insurers. By acquiring Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth would be in a position to get data on its insurance competitors, potentially giving the company an advantage against its rivals. In court, the two companies countered the DOJ by stating that UnitedHealth has policies in place to protect sensitive data and that UnitedHealth would be putting its business at risk if it exploited the data of other insurers, Bloomberg reported. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled in support of the merger deal. Nichols temporarily sealed his legal analysis supporting the ruling due to the possibility that it might contain competitively sensitive data, he said in a one-page order, according to Bloomberg. Selling Off ClaimsXten, Blow to Bidens Antitrust Push Meanwhile, the Judge ordered Change Healthcare to sell off its rules-based claims payment solution, ClaimsXten, as previously planned. UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare had earlier looked for a buyer for ClaimsXten in order to get the federal backing necessary for the merger. TPG Capital had agreed to buy ClaimsXten in a deal worth $2 billion. However, the deal is contingent on the merger happening. UnitedHealth has welcomed the judges decision. Jonathan Kanter, the State Departments top antitrust official, said that they are reviewing the opinion closely to evaluate next steps, according to Reuters. The case is the first major challenge against a health care deal that went to trial during the Biden administration. Its also a blow to the presidents antitrust agenda. In July 2021, Biden had signed an executive order to promote competition in the U.S. economy. No more tolerance for abusive actions by monopolies. No more bad mergers that lead to mass layoffs, higher prices, fewer options for workers and consumers alike, Biden said in his remarks at the signing ceremony. Protesters gather outside as Prime Minister Tony Abbott opens the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immuminty facility in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 12, 2014. (Robert Prezioso/Getty Images) Universities Need to Stop Being the Enablers of Social Activism Commentary In his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy said, civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Words clearly not understood by students at the University of Sydney given their outrageous, but not unprecedented, behaviour earlier this month. Requiring police to escort former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull away from swarming protesters as he was delivering a speech to the Sydney University Law Society is a new low even by Australian campus standards. What is clear is that Australias oldest and most prestigious institution of higher education has been hijacked by students who are determined to crush diversity of opinion on campusa core academic tenant universities must celebrate. The University of Sydneys betrayal of free speech and political pandering to left-wing activists has gone too far. There is a war on opinion being fought at every Australian university campus, but the weakness of university administrators and the dominating influence of cancel culture is having a chilling effect on free speech. Research published by the Institute of Public Affairs titled The Free Speech Crisis at Australias Universities confirms this damning reflection on the tertiary sector. According to the 2019 report, 59 percent of students felt they were sometimes prevented from voicing their opinions on controversial issues by other students. Even worse, 31 percent of students said they had been made to feel uncomfortable by a university teacher for expressing their opinion. Students walk from the quadrangle at the University of Sydney, in Sydney, on Sept. 22, 2016. (AAP Image/Paul Miller) Universities are fundamentally failing their students and enabling a culture of activism to develop on campus, crushing free expression. It is high time university administrators push back against activists who want to ban speakers because they dislike or disagree with what they are saying. Whatever happened to the Voltairean academic tradition of debate and civil discourse where one can wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it? According to research published by Econ Journal Watch in the United States, university staff increasingly align themselves with left-wing values. For example, the 2017 study found approximately 10 professors registered as Democrats for every Republican. Rise of Institutionalised Social Justice This phenomenon has coincided with the rise of the social justice universityan institution that takes affirmative action on issues like sustainability, indigenous, and gender issues. In fact, across Australias 42 universities, there are now 77 social justice policies pledging allegiance to one or more of the three ideologies listed above. It signals a new focus on activism over education in the tertiary sector. Universities adopting a social justice agenda as an institutional goal are in direct conflict with free intellectual inquiry. A university cannot be dedicated to an ideology and simultaneously open to challenging perspectives. More sinister perhaps is what the Turnbull incident says about students. Protestors who hounded the former prime minister off campus demonstrated a complete disregard for viewpoint diversity. Unfortunately, todays culture on campus is openly antagonistic to free speech. Former Chief Justice Robert French pointed to the culture of an institution as the key factor determining the degree to which free speech and academic freedom are exercised. A culture powerfully predisposed to the exercise of freedom of speech and academic freedom is ultimately a more effective protection than the most tightly drawn rule, he said, A culture not so predisposed will undermine the most emphatic statement of principles. Counter-protesters hold up signs while waiting for conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos to arrive at the University of California, Berkeley campus on Sept. 24, 2017. Although a student group cancelled plans for Free Speech Week, Yiannopoulos was able to speak on campus, surrounded by a heavy police presence. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) The University of Sydney has since apologised to Turnbull, claiming it looks forward to warmly welcoming him back to campus for any future events. But the damage was done long before Turnbulls truncated lecture. These sorts of crude spectacles act as a deterrent for other students and speakers. Free speech and learning are ultimately the poorer for it. The long-term cultural shift on campus follows a more practical shift in the education sector towards a big business model. As a result, those attending university are treated more like customers and less like students. The failure to protect freedom of speech at universities threatens educations core purpose, which is to impart knowledge and hone the mind through debate and challenge. Worse still, it threatens the future of democratic institutions which rely on the free flow of ideas in the public square. The civil contest of ideas is not only the very essence of university life but the very essence of political life in a flourishing liberal democracy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) followed by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Akizuki-class destroyer JS Teruzuki (DD 116) and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) in the Philippine Sea, on July 19, 2020. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Hong/Handout via Reuters) US Aircraft Carrier to Visit South Korea for First Time Since 2018 Amid Concerns of Pyongyang Nuclear Test A U.S. aircraft carrier will visit South Korea this week for joint drills for the first time in about four years, officials of both countries said on Monday, as the allies seek to deploy U.S. nuclear-capable strategic assets amid concerns the North Korean regime will soon conduct a nuclear test. USS Ronald Reagan will arrive at a naval base in the southern port city of Busan on Sept. 23, South Koreas Navy said in a statement. By conducting combined drills, the Navies of the two countries plan to strengthen their military readiness and demonstrate the firm resolve of the South Korea-U.S. alliance for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the statement said. Observers say Pyongyang also appears to be preparing to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. The North Korean regime has denounced previous U.S. military deployments and joint drills as rehearsals for war and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul. The visit will be the first to South Korea by an American aircraft carrier since 2018. That year, the allies scaled back many of their joint military activities amid diplomatic efforts to engage with North Korea. The COVID-19 pandemic further curtailed drills until this year, when South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol resumed many joint exercises and other displays of military power as a warning to North Korea, which earlier this year conducted a record number of missile tests after talks failed to persuade it to end its nuclear weapons and missile development. In April USS Ronald Reagan deployed to the waters between South Korea and Japan for the first time since 2017, and conducted joint drills with Japanese forces. This time the carrier and its strike group will train with South Korean forces. On Friday the United States and South Korea denounced North Koreas first-use nuclear doctrine unveiled this month as escalatory and destabilizing and Washington vowed to continue to deploy and exercise strategic assets to deter and respond to Pyongyang. By Josh Smith China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) US Faces Unprecedented Nuclear Threat From Allied China, Russia News Analysis Buried in the vast deserts of western China, there are hundreds of new missile silos slated to hold deadly payloads. Some of them will house conventional weapons, others nuclear, and Western leaders dont know which is which. Thats because Chinas communist regime co-locates its nuclear and conventional missiles, mixing them together and placing them under the same command centers. The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) rush to build these new missile silos, and to construct nuclear weapons to occupy them, corresponds to the regimes efforts to cement its leadership over a burgeoning bloc of anti-Western states that seek to end U.S. hegemony in world affairs. Or, in their terms, multipolarity. Chinas nuclear expansion, combined with its de facto alliance with Russia, will have far-reaching consequences for U.S. nuclear strategy, and the United States isnt prepared for the change, According to several experts. Thats because the U.S. nuclear arsenal and strategy have only ever been designed to contend with one adversary: Russia. The extension of the nuclear threat to several unique actors is therefore one of the great strategic challenges of the 21st century, and one the United States will only get one chance for a response. The United States certainly faces a significant challenge ahead as nuclear threats from not just one, but several actors, advance, Patty-Jane Geller, a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said in an email. It will need to ensure it has tailored deterrence strategies against each adversary, and find the most efficient way to develop a nuclear posture that can address multiple threats at once. Axis and Allies Chinas communist leadership is increasing its ties with nuclear Russia and working closely with nuclear aspirants such as Iran and North Korea. Those relationships are increasingly tinted with an explicitly anti-U.S. ideological backing. When CCP leader Xi Jinping met this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan for a security summit, their nations issued a joint statement, titled the Samarkand Declaration, vowing to pursue a multipolar world order. The language of that effort is important insofar as it builds directly on vocabulary that Putin has spent using to explicitly call for the ending of the United States position as world leader. A multipolar system of international relations is now being formed, Putin said in June. This is the beginning of the transition from liberal-globalist American egocentrism to a truly multipolar world. Despite the rhetoric, many experts have been reticent to take the growing alliance between China and Russia seriously. The two nations have a fraught history, after all, and their steadfast insistence on absolute sovereignty over internal matters means that neither side is eager to enter the sort of formal treaty that the U.S. and its allies might recognize as an alliance. Thats changing, however, and now, U.S. military leadership fears that the alliance might not only be real, but extend even to nuclear strategic cooperation. Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, the nominee to head the U.S. Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month that the United States would have to develop a strategy to contend with a unified nuclear threat from China and Russia. In a world where we now face two near-peer competitors, we must deter the pacing challenge of China and address the acute threats presented by Russia, Cotton said. As it turns out, when nuclear weapons are on the line and hostile regimes are champing at the bit to undermine U.S. interests globally, the fragility of the China-Russia alliance is a secondary issue to the damage it could cause. Speaking on the issue at a webinar in March, Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarah Kirchberger compared the SinoRussian alliance to that of Hitler and Stalin in World War II. The question is: How much harm can [Xi and Putin] do together, even if its just a very short term and very opportunistic type of cooperation, Kirchberger said. Because, if you look historically [at] how authoritarian countries have acted in unison, sometimes these alliances were very short term and ended abruptly, but they often caused great havoc. Its perhaps with that in mind that more hawkish lawmakers such as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have taken to describing China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as a new axis of evil, resurrecting the vocabulary of Americas World War II adversaries. While the rhetoric may come across as overwrought, it does make clear that there are now, once again, two international blocs vying for drastically different world futures. Nuclear Multipolarity Is Imminent For Geller, the most pressing issue of this new multipolarity is that U.S. nuclear arsenal and posture is only designed to contend with Russia, not China, much less both simultaneously. U.S. nuclear posture is currently sized to face only one peer nuclear threat (Russia), as it was designed about a decade ago based on assumptions of a more benign threat environment than we are facing today, Geller said. With the emergence of China as a second nuclear peer, the United States needs a new strategy that can deter both countries at once, which it will not be able to do sufficiently in the future with the current strategy and force posture. That prognosis is in line with the consensus of numerous experts who have said that U.S. nuclear strategy is in a bad place for securing deterrence because of the asymmetry that Sino-Russian strategic cooperation has wrought. Indeed, U.S. military leadership hasnt shied away from that it isnt prepared to simultaneously face down both China and Russia as nuclear powers, as it has never faced such a situation in history. In February, Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Stoss, director of plans and policy at U.S. Strategic Command, said, This is the first time ever that we have a three-party nuclear peer dynamic. We have no history of this, he added. This is epic. Likewise, then-Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten said in November 2021 that Chinas newly tested hypersonic weapon was likely intended for nuclear first use, meaning that it would be used in a surprise attack to initiate nuclear war. As to the question of whether the CCP and Kremlin would commit to real, joint nuclear planning, CCP officials said in September that SinoRussian high-level strategic cooperation was on the table. However fraught, tenuous, and opportunistic the relationship may be, Moscow and Beijing have joined forces against the United States, up to and including nuclear strategic cooperation. Multipolarity by the Numbers Russia has the worlds largest nuclear arsenal, with around 1,500 deployed nuclear weapons and more than 6,000 warheads in total. The United States, meanwhile, has about 1,400 deployed systems and 5,550 warheads. Between 1,500-2,000 warheads in both nations arsenals are retired and awaiting disarmament. China is reported to have around 350 nuclear weapons, although a 2021 Pentagon report warned that the CCP was drastically increasing production and modernization of its nuclear arsenal, and that it would have at least 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. The estimated number of nuclear weapons doesnt capture the true extent of Chinas warhead stockpile, however. Some experts have questioned the numbers available, and researchers have suggested that the true number of Chinese warheads could already be as high as 3,000. There are several reasons for this disparity. One is the extent of the thousands of miles of underground tunnels that the CCP is constructing to tend to its silos, which appears to suggest a far greater operation than previously expected. Another is the regimes focus on nuclear missiles that use multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). MIRVs are missile payloads that feature several warheads, each of which can be launched independently at separate targets, increasing the lethality of an individual missile many times over. Chinas DF-41 missiles, which the regimes new silos appear constructed to house, feature a MIRV that can hold up to 10 nuclear warheads. Add that the DF-41 has a range of 7,500 miles, and the discovery of hundreds of new missile silos in China takes on more serious implications for U.S. nuclear strategy. If the planned 350-400 new missile silos that China is constructing each house one DF-41 missile, it could signal an increase of 4,000 warheads to Chinas arsenal, each of which would be capable of hitting its own unique target virtually anywhere in the world. Chinas Nuclear Breakout Will Spill Over Adm. Charles Richard, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, described that turn of events as Chinas nuclear breakout, an unprecedented expansion of nuclear forces that should be of significant concern to the United States. Chinas growing power not only applies a new pressure point on U.S. strategic thinking, however. It also threatens to give rise to a host of potential conflicts throughout Asia. Geller is one of a growing number of experts who believe that China will use its nuclear arsenal to threaten, coerce, and cajole the United States away from interfering in regional conflicts. Chinas growing nuclear arsenal will enable it to backstop its conventional aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, she said. With the backing of a stronger nuclear force, China can calculate that more aggressive actions or escalating in conventional conflicts will be less risky. Chinas nuclear expansion will also hinder U.S. extended deterrence efforts as allies in the region become more threatened. Thus, governments like those in Taiwan or Japan, or even India, will fall more prone to being targeted by CCP aggression, as the regime will consider the United States less likely to be willing to risk conflict with a strong nuclear power. This problem is commonly referred to in international relations theory as the stability-instability paradox. In essence, the paradox maintains that two nations with similar nuclear capabilities will deter one another from engaging in nuclear war for fear of mutually assured destruction, which creates stability. The knowledge that neither side will use its nuclear weapons, however, increases the likelihood that the nations will pursue conventional warfare and indirect conflict, thus creating instability. As such, Geller believes that a vital component of U.S. nuclear strategy ought to be avoiding a situation in which Chinas nuclear power becomes so great that the regime believes it can prevent the United States from interfering in any conflict it may start. The most serious concern I believe is less so that we are at risk of China or Russia using nuclear weapons against the U.S., Geller said, but that the U.S. will ultimately back down in a conflict if it does not have a credible nuclear posture and strategy. To prevent this from occurring, the U.S. needs to get serious about reorienting its nuclear posture to deter two nuclear peers, and realize that business as usual will not suffice. China Could Coerce the United States To some extent, some argue that Chinas nuclear coercion of the United States has already begun. Following the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August, the CCP staged unprecedented military exercises. The drills encircled Taiwan, blocked international shipping lanes, and saw the launch of nuclear-capable missiles over Taiwan and into the exclusive economic zone of Japan. Rather than meet the aggression, or work to actively curb it, the Biden administration quietly postponed its own much-needed test of a nuclear-capable missile. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwans interest, the regions interests, to allow tensions to escalate further, which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future, national security spokesperson John Kirby said at a press conference. James Fanell, the former director of Intelligence and Information Operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said that the episode was only the beginning of the CCPs efforts to direct U.S. behavior. [Chinas] new nuclear arsenal provides the CCP with the same ability to blackmail the United States from taking more forceful measures to defend our allies as we have seen Vladimir Putin do to the Biden administration in the Ukraine, Fanell said in an email. Even in lesser cases, [China] could further use their nuclear weapons to force America and its allies to alter their behavior. Moreover, he said, with each successful attempt to browbeat the United States into demurring, the likelihood that the CCP will turn to intimidation as a preferred diplomatic tactic will increase. These nuclear weapons will be used to threaten any nation, like the United States, from coming to Taiwans defense in the increasingly likely event Beijing decides to conduct a conventional invasion of Taiwan, Fanell said. He added that the CCP would likely use its arsenal to command the ongoings of the Indo-Pacific region. By threatening the United States with nuclear fire, the CCP could coerce it away from placing new weapons systems in Korea or Japan, or even from entering the Taiwan Strait or the first island chain, which is the first ring of archipelagos east of the Asian coastline. Such an effort could effectively halt the United States 187-year history of conducting freedom of navigation operations in the Indo-Pacific. It is not hard to imagine this kind of blackmail being used by the CCP to stop diplomatic efforts such as the AUKUS or the Quad agreements, Fanell said, referring to two partnerships involving the United States and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. To that end, he described Chinas nuclear breakout as the single biggest factor for destabilizing the international order since the Soviet Union began building its own nuclear arsenal in the 1950s. And added that the regime was posturing in a similar manner to the Soviet Union, seeking to leverage its nuclear weapons to blackmail the world to bend to its demands. Speaking on the same issue, Geller said that the United States would need to expand its nuclear capabilities to prevent Chinas regional nuclear advantage from growing any further. The goal of the U.S. should be to show China that attempts to coerce the U.S. using nuclear threats will fail because the U.S. has the capability and will to respond to any first use of nuclear weapons, Geller said. To accomplish this, the U.S. will need to fill the perceived deterrence gap that now exists in regional nuclear capabilities. Tactical Nuclear Weapons Needed In contemplating what was necessary to restore a credible U.S. nuclear deterrent in a multipolar world, both Fanell and Geller came to the same conclusion: adapt or die. Given the dramatic change in the status quo in the Pacific, the United States number one priority must be in the rapid fielding of a credible and robust nuclear arsenal, Fanell said. In response to this new reality, the United States must dust off its previously learned policies and postures from the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Fanell said. Fanell added that the United States needed to expand its arsenal of strategic nuclear weapons across the triad of land, sea, and, air capabilities, and also to invest large sums into the fielding of tactical nuclear weapons to be positioned in Japan, Korea, and even Taiwan. Perhaps no capability was more vital to this effort, he said, than the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile (SLCM-N). The SLCM-N, a submarine-based tactical nuclear weapon, has been recommended by military leaders since the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, but was nevertheless scrapped by the Biden administration, which feared escalating tensions with China. One of these areas [of needed capabilities] regards the fielding of afloat nuclear naval weapons, like the SLCM-N, which the U.S. Navy has unwisely cut research and development funding and for which the Biden Administration remains positioned to eliminate, Fanell said. Instead of killing this program, the current administration should be seeking to enhance the speed with which the SLCM-N is fielded, but should also be looking for other ways to modernize and increase Americas nuclear arsenal. Geller agreed, adding that the United States would need to demonstrate both the capability and the will to field nuclear weapons in order to deter Chinasomething that the administration appeared hesitant to do. Fielding weapons like the SLCM-N can help show China that the U.S. has a proportional, credible option at this lower level of the escalation ladder, Geller said. The U.S. also needs to demonstrate the will to show strength when needed. Postponing a routine missile test in the face of Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, as one example, only hindered this effort. With the international order itself hanging in the balance, Fanell said that the United States national security efforts had already been hampered by the burgeoning multipolar order led by China and Russia. Now, he said, that security needs to be restored. Its a feat possible only through the forward deployment of new, tactical nuclear weapons. These may seem like provocative measures, Fanell said, but when measured against the backdrop of [Chinas] nuclear breakout this past 20 months, and Vladimir Putins nuclear blackmail over Ukraine, the U.S. does not have a moment to lose in restoring national security. White House and Pentagon officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Border Patrol takes into custody six illegal immigrants who were being smuggled from the U.S.Mexico border, through Kinney County, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) USMexico Border Arrests Top 2 Million in a Year for First Time in History Arrests of illegal immigrants at the United StatesMexico border rose above 2 million in one fiscal year for the first time, according to new statistics released by the Biden administration. Agents made about 203,500 apprehensions at the southern border in August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported on Sept. 19. That brought the total apprehensions in fiscal year 2022 to 2,150,639up by 24 percent from fiscal year 2021, with an entire month left. While campaigning in 2020, President Joe Biden and his advisers said that if he was elected, he planned to dramatically change the U.S. governments approach to immigration, including ending key Trump-era policies, such as the Migration Protection Protocols. However, he specifically mentioned not wanting to end up with 2 million migrants crossing the border. The timeline is to do it so that we, in fact, make it better, not worse. The last thing we need is to say were going to stop immediately the access to asylum the way its being run and end up with 2 million people on our border, he said at the time. Its a matter of setting up the guardrails so we can move the direction. The policies that former President Donald Trump put into place were the guardrails, according to Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. By undoing everything Trump had done, Bidens created this migration crisis, so the August numbers arent a surprise, Krikorian told The Epoch Times. Theyre just a continuation of the trend weve seen over the past year and a half. But they are a reminder of this administrations culpability for this disaster at the border. There are no indications that the trend is going to slow or reverse, even if Republicans capture a majority in Congress in the November elections, he said, because the executive branch is ultimately responsible for immigration policy. (CBP via The Epoch Times) More Venezuelans Administration officials said about a third of the illegal immigrants arrested at the U.S. southern border in August were from communist-ruled countries. Out of 157,921 unique individuals encountered at the bordersome are apprehended again after being deported55,333, or 35 percent, were from Venezuela, Cuba, or Nicaragua. That was a jump of 175 percent from August 2021. The percentage of Mexican and Central American natives taken into custody fell by 43 percent from that month. Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest U.S. border, Chris Magnus, a Biden appointee who heads CBP, said in a statement. The administration is working to secure our border and safely and humanely process and vet every individual encountered, but those fleeing repressive regimes pose significant challenges for processing and removal, according to Magnus. Chris Magnus testifies on his nomination to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Oct. 19, 2021. (Rod Lamkey/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Many Removals While setting a new record for border arrests, the administration is also on track to remove more illegal immigrants in a fiscal year than ever before. About 977,500 expulsions have been carried out among southern border-crossers this fiscal year through Title 42. That emergency order was promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the Trump administration because of concerns that illegal immigrants would carry COVID-19 into the country. Biden administration officials tried ending the order earlier this year but were stopped by a federal judge in May because officials didnt implement a public comment period as required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Title 42 enables quick expulsion of some illegal immigrants, but they arent penalized in any way. Some quickly try to cross the border again. Twenty-two percent of those apprehended in August were people who were arrested at least once in the previous 12 months, according to CBP. We Are Not Prepared If China Attacks Our Pacific Bases Commentary If China attacks Taiwan, it will do more than simply assault the island. Any Chinese strategic planner would have to advise his leadership that China would concurrently have to liquidate the U.S. bases in Japan, Okinawa, and possibly Guam, where the United States has long-range bombers. In addition, it faces significant U.S. forces, aircraft, and missile defenses in South Korea. The United States can easily launch operations from Korea in defense of Taiwan without actually degrading South Koreas defenses facing North Korea. Beijing cannot chance starting an operation and then finding itself opposed by U.S. forces that can quickly counterpunch from multiple locations, countries, and bases. Unfortunately, the United States is far from prepared, and some planners believe the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity will keep the United States out of any impending conflict. In the real world, however, once Chinese forces are on the move, the United States will have to go on high alert and move forces in position to support Taiwan, even if Americas political leaders are uncertain of what to do. China wont bet on strategic ambiguity, and its leaders understand they face a major obstacle to striking Taiwan. In short, even if the United States doesnt want to get into a war, preplanning and coordination will help to deter China. A significant panel of military experts, which I (Stephen) had the honor of co-chairing, put forward as the single most important step in planning the defense of the western Pacific the notion of an integrated command that includes the United States, Japan, and Taiwan, possibly also Korea. In the resulting book, Stopping a Taiwan Invasion, my co-chair and I concluded that the danger of events cascading in the wrong direction is increased without an integrated command to coordinate military operations, collectively move forces and assets where they are needed, and optimize fire against enemy targets. Today, theres only minimal planning, coordination, and training between the United States and Taiwan. While the relationship is a good deal closer with Japan and South Korea, theres no formal way for the countries to work together, or in coordination with the United States. Its urgent this be corrected. The United States has made some moves to improve its defensive posture in the eastern Pacific, and while these are welcome, they arent enough to ensure that U.S. bases and the U.S. Navy can survive a Chinese attack. Work needs to be done, including moving adequate war stocks to the theater, or making resupply easily accessible if theres fighting; hardening bases to sustain Chinese missile attacks and bombing runs; and moving the right equipment into the region now, not after a conflict starts. One of the best systems in the hands of the U.S. Army and Marines is HIMARS, the mobile, accurate artillery rocket system. HIMARS can stop Chinese invading forces that must cross the Taiwan straits, exposing them to counterfire. It can hit moving targets including ships and landing craft and, because its a shoot and scoot system, its very hard to neutralize. We know this for a fact because Russia has been complaining about its inability to knock out Ukraines American-supplied HIMARS, currently devastating Russian forces. Having HIMARS on Okinawa, as we presently do, or on the Japanese main island, isnt optimal and not game-changing. Taiwan will be getting HIMARS, but it may be a number of years before any systems are delivered, for the simple reason they take time to manufacture. Moving U.S.-operated systems to Taiwan is an alternative, and Marines could be deployed to the island in the near term. Obviously, this would stir a lot of controversy with China, no matter how militarily sensible such a move would be for the United States and Taiwan. A partial alternative is having the U.S. Marines move HIMARS batteries to Yonaguni, the westernmost inhabited island of Japan and the closest Japanese island to Taiwan. It has an airfield and runway that can support U.S. C-130s, which in turn can transport HIMARS units and ammunition to the island of Taiwan, about 67 miles away and well within HIMARS range. China has been harassing the southern Japanese island Yaeyama chain, sending armed Coast Guard ships trying to enforce Chinas claim of sovereignty, much as they are doing around Taiwan. From Japans point of view, fortifying them makes sense and is far cheaper than the current constant naval patrols aimed at thwarting the Chinese. At the military-to-military level, Japan and the United States have discussed moving HIMARS to Yonaguni, but no political decision has been made, an unfortunate situation that adds to the insecurity of American forces and increases the danger to Japan. The United States shares bases in Japan with Japans Self Defense Forces, making it sensible to share responsibility for defending them. Japan has Patriot air defenses, a system that so far has not inspired confidence against ballistic missiles. In a major setback for upgrading the protection of key air bases and ports in Japan, then-Defense Minister Taro Kono rejected buying AEGIS Ashore on the grounds that it was too costly and had technical issues. One way to help Japan change its mind about AEGIS Ashore, the only current American system that can offer significant protection against a Chinese attack, would be for the United States to share the cost. That idea is not on the table, but it should be. More broadly, efforts by the Pentagon to economize or devote resources to future systems seems inappropriate and counterintuitive as China ratchets up its threats to Taiwan and the regional balance of forces. A good example is the retirement of a number of Ticonderoga-class cruisers that carry the AEGIS system. These ships, even permanently in port, offer significant air defenses now, not some years from now. The Navy wants to dump them to save money. Japan, which operates its own AEGIS ships, could operate them and keep them in repair. Just as it makes sense for the United States to help defray Japans cost of deploying AEGIS Ashore, Japan can help out by taking these retired ships into its fleet. The United States and its friends and allies face a growing threat from China, and theres little doubt that if China attacks Taiwan, it will also attack American bases in the region. The time has come for far better organization and planning for the coming storm. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Stephen Bryen Follow Dr. Stephen Bryen is regarded as a thought leader on technology security policy, twice being awarded the Defense Departments highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. A Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy, Senior Fellow, Yorktown Institute, his most recent book is Technology Security and National Power: Winners and Losers. White House Says It Received Reports of Illegal Aliens Being Flown to Bidens Delaware Home The White House on Tuesday said the administration is monitoring for the possible arrival of illegal immigrants this week in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration has received reports that the same plane that transported illegal immigrants to Marthas Vineyard last week may be bringing more to to presidents home state of Delaware. We have been in close contact with the Delaware government. We dont know how the White House got alerted, she said. And I dont have specifics on where and who alerted us. I can tell you weve been in close contact with the Delaware officials on the ground. The administration is now working with state and local partners to help provide shelter and resources to those migrants, Jean-Pierre said. Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed responsibility for flying about 50 illegal aliens to Marthas Vineyard, which triggered the governor of Massachusetts to active the state National Guard. Within hours, those people were moved from the exclusive island to a military base on Cape Cod. Authorities in Delaware also confirmed they received reports of flights containing illegal immigrants. Officials in Rehoboth Beach, where President Joe Biden owns a home, have not yet issued a public comment on the matter. Were aware of the reports and continue to prepare for the possibility of migrants arriving in Delaware unannounced, Democratic Gov. John Carneys director of communications, Emily Hershman, told Fox News. Our teams at [Delaware Emergency Management Agency] and [Delaware Department of Health and Social Services] are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need. Opening Peoples Eyes DeSantis, who is up for reelection in November and is seen as a possible presidential contender in 2024, joins Republican governors from Texas and Arizona in sending illegal migrants to Democratic-controlled cities, in an effort to criticize the Biden administrations handling of the U.S.Mexico border where there have been a record number of crossings. Illegal immigration became a central theme of the 2016 election when then-candidate Donald Trump signaled he would construct a border wall to stave off the unfettered flow of people coming from Mexico. The federal government has the sole power to deport people and sets immigration laws, whereas governors have fewer options. Groups of asylum-seeking illegal immigrants wait outside the Migrant Resource Center to receive food from the San Antonio Catholic Charities in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images) Upon taking office last year, Biden issued a series of executive orders that dismantled a number of Trumps immigration rules. That included ending the construction of the U.S.Mexico wall, raising the refugee resettlement ceiling, and lifting other barriers to U.S. entry. Texas, which has sent more than 11,000 migrants to Washington D.C. and New York City since April, stepped up its campaign in recent days, dropping illegal aliens off near the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. I think its opening peoples eyes to the solution, which is lets have a secure border, DeSantis said in a press conference Tuesday. Hours before that, on Monday evening, the Florida governor told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the illegal immigrants who were transported to Marthas Vineyard signed forms, disputing a claim that both he and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are engaging in human trafficking. The Democrat sheriff in Bexar County, Texas, alleged that one illegal alien was paid to recruit the others, and they were allegedly promised work or other benefits. But DeSantis disputed the sheriffs allegation and said the flights were clearly voluntary. Those illegal aliens, he added, were in really, really bad shape before stating that there are jobs available in Marthas Vineyard. There is lodging available in Marthas Vineyard. Reuters contributed to this report. The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II makes its journey from Westminster Abbey in London to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Niall Carson/Pool Photo via AP) William Brooks: On the Passing of Elizabeth II: Can the Anglo-American Legacy Be Restored? Commentary North Americans of my generation inherited a world of relative peace and opportunity. We received our good fortune through the toil, courage, and sacrifice of ancestors, grandparents, and parents who worked and served through centuries of pioneer settlement, World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Despite a lingering Cold War with communism, we came of age trusting in the strength and fairness of free nations and the security of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In the Atlantic Triangle we welcomed scores of people who had been displaced by political revolutions and bloody conflicts. Aspiring immigrant families from around the world flocked to the shores of the UK, USA, and Canada for lives they knew would be enriched by the survival of Anglo-American virtues. We never thought that history could turn on a dime and that so much of what the British tradition stood for could be torn to pieces over a single lifetime. The English-speaking Conservative Heritage In his latest book Conservatism: A Rediscovery, American-Israeli scholar Yoram Hazony argues that, over centuries, the democratic culture of Western nations has been positively influenced by the English conservative tradition. Hazony defines a conservative as someone who works to recover, restore, and build up the traditions of his forefathers and to pass them on to future generations. Political conservatives regard the recovery and renewal of national and religious traditions as a way of strengthening a country over time. Thats why common men and women relate naturally to work, faith, family, and the task of national renewal. In contrast, political progressives contrive utopian blueprints for everyone at any time and place in history. The liberal paradigm is blind to the nation, Hazony writes. Nothing like the nation is to be found in the premises of Enlightenment liberal political theory. Globalists view the nation as little more than a label given to an amorphous mass of self-interested individuals that consent to be governed within a designated territory. Any celebration of national heritage is regarded as a bull-headed obstacle to the inevitable development of multi-cultural states. Over recent years multitudes of British Brexiteers, MAGA Republicans, and Canadian Freedom Convoy supporters have rejected this utilitarian view of nationhood. Loyal citizens in the UK, USA, and Canada are seeking to restore the cohesion of families, clans, tribes, diverse settlers, freed slaves, and immigrants who came together to form free nations over centuries of Anglo-American history. Only our deracinated and self-interested global elites desire the kind of post-national state favored by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A Worthy Procession of Anglo Icons Legions of people endured up to 20 hours in line to pay their respects to the deceased Queen Elizabeth II. Mourners sensed that Elizabeth was part of a worthy procession of Anglo icons that hark back to the ninth-century reign of Alfred the Great. King Alfreds courage and religious devotion prevented England from being overwhelmed by pagan invaders. Alfred promoted Christianity, unity, due process of law, classical learning, and military strength. In the 11th century, Cnut the Great and William the Conqueror led successful invasions of England, but the integrated Christian order established by Alfred survived the conquests and assimilated the conquerors. Edward I (12721307) was criticized for his brutal treatment of the Scots, but was credited with recognizing the authority of Parliament. Henry V (13861482) was celebrated by William Shakespeare as the battlefield commander who led his men once more into the breach. Henry VIII (15091547) is most remembered for separating the Church of England from the Rome and creating a sovereign English nation. Elizabeth I (15581603) defeated the Spanish Armada and reigned over a golden age for art and science. James I (16031625) supported increased trade and influence in the Americas. After Cromwells short-lived republic, Charles II (16301685) restored the Stuart dynasty and ensured the survival of the British monarchy. William III and Mary (16891702) deposed James II for his absolutist preferences and ultimately planted the seeds for a political democracy. In denying the principle of no taxation without representation to subjects settled outside Great Britain, George III (17601820) lost the American colonies. But by passing the American Constitution of 1887, the Federalist Party and President George Washington assured that Anglo traditions of national cohesion and democratic governance would carry on in the United States of America. Queen Victoria (18371901) defined her reign with strict standards of Christian morality and dedication to the English-speaking peoples. Elizabeth II (19522022) was the equal of Victoria in personal virtue and affection for her people around the world. In the modern era, Anglo-American political giants like Sir Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Stephen Harper, and Donald Trump stood out as leaders who sought to restore the greatness of their nations. It was the pre-woke Democrat President Kennedy who said: Ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country. Restoration Requires a Will to Carry On In the twilight of her life, an astute woman like Elizabeth II must have entertained some curious thoughts about the era of her reign. Throughout her life scores of deceitful intellectuals have cheered on the demise of all she stood for: faith, marriage, family, loyalty, impartial justice, duty, and national sovereignty. The conduct of Anglo-Americans has too often fallen short of our historic religious ideals, but as Queen Elizabeth is laid to rest, it is important to recall that the civil foundations of British particularism and American exceptionalism were created by 17th-century Englishmen who stumbled upon the worthy idea that government should serve the people and be subject to the law. Despite constant recriminations from the left, it is now clear that, given time, Anglo-American culture improved the lives of almost everyone it touched. Within the orbit of its influence, men and women live longer, eat better, enjoy more freedom, and have access to personal possessions and privileges that were once reserved for only the rich and powerful. The pomp and ceremony of Elizabeths funeral has touched countless hearts. Even those who have never shared the Queens deep Christian faith cant help feeling moved by the sacred and divine nature of her leadership. We will pray that our recollections of Her Esteemed Majesty and the pageantry of her funeral celebration might help restore the waning sense of moral virtue and national pride that has been sadly missing over recent decades. Let us hope that even in her death, Elizabeth has given Anglo-American patriots the will to carry on. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Debris and soot cover the floor of a middle school in Let Yet Kone village in Tabayin township in the Sagaing region of Burma on Sept. 17, 2022, the day after an air strike hit the school. (AP Photo) Witnesses: Burma Air Attack Kills 13, Including 7 Children BANGKOKGovernment helicopters have attacked a school and village in north-central Burma (also known as Myanmar), killing at least 13 people including seven children, a school administrator and an aid worker said Monday. Civilian casualties often occur in attacks by the military government on pro-democracy insurgents and their allies. However, the number of children killed in the air attack last Friday in Tabayin township in Sagaing region appeared to be the highest since the army seized power in February last year, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The armys takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide. The military and police responded with deadly force, resulting in the spread of armed resistance in the cities and countryside. Fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where the military has launched several offensives, in some cases burning villages, which displaced more than half a million people, according to a report issued by UNICEF this month. Fridays attack occurred in Let Yet Kone village in Tabayin, also known as Depayin, about 110 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Mandalay, the countrys second-largest city. School administrator Mar Mar said she was trying to get students to safe hiding places in ground-floor classrooms when two of four Mi-35 helicopters hovering north of the village began attacking, firing machine guns and heavier weapons at the school, which is in the compound of the villages Buddhist monastery. Mar Mar works at the school with 20 volunteers who teach 240 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. She has been hiding in the village with her three children since fleeing for safety to avoid the government crackdown after participating last year in a civil disobedience movement against the military takeover. She uses the pseudonym Mar Mar to protect herself and relatives from the military. She said she had not expected trouble since the aircraft had been over the village before without any incident. Since the students had done nothing wrong, I never thought that they would be brutally shot by machine guns, Mar Mar told The Associated Press by phone on Monday. By the time she and the students and teachers were able to take shelter in the classrooms, one teacher and a 7-year-old student had already been shot in the neck and head and Mar Mar had to use pieces of clothing to try to stanch the bleeding. They kept shooting into the compound from the air for an hour, Mar Mar said. They didnt stop even for one minute. When the air attack stopped, about 80 soldiers entered the monastery compound, firing their guns at the buildings. The soldiers then ordered everyone in the compound to come out of the buildings. Mar Mar said she saw about 30 students with wounds on their backs, thighs, faces, and other parts of the bodies. Some students had lost limbs. The children told me that their friends were dying, she said. I also heard a student yelling, It hurts so much. I cant take it anymore. Kill me, please. This voice still echoes in my ears, Mar Mar said. She said at least six students were killed in the school and a 13-year-old boy working at a fishery in a nearby village was also fatally shot. At least six adults were also killed in the air attack in other parts of the village, she said. The bodies of the dead children were taken away by the soldiers. More than 20 people, including nine wounded children and three teachers, were also taken by the soldiers, she said. Two of those captured were accused of being members of the anti-government Peoples Defense Force, the armed wing of the resistance to the military. Security forces also burned down a house in the village, causing residents to flee. A volunteer in Tabayin assisting displaced people who asked not to be identified because of fear of government reprisals said the bodies of the dead children were cremated by the soldiers in nearby Ye U township. I am now telling the international community about this because I want redress for our children, Mar Mar said. Instead of humanitarian aid, what we really need is genuine democracy and human rights. Myanmar Now, an online news service, and other independent Myanmar media also reported the attack and the students deaths. A day after the attack, the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper reported that security forces had gone to check the village after receiving information that the members of the Peoples Defense Force were hiding there. The report said members of the Peoples Defense Force and their allies from the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic rebel group, were hiding inside houses and the monastery and started shooting at the security forces, causing deaths and injuries among village residents. It said the injured were taken to hospitals, but did not mention the situation of the students. According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors human rights in Burma, at least 2,298 civilians have been killed by the security forces since the army seized power last year. The U.N. has documented 260 attacks on schools and education personnel since the coup, the U.N. Child Rights Committee said in June. By Grant Peck Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose with Mongolia's President during their trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Alexandr Demyanchuk/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) Amid Uncertain Times, Xi Jinping Met Putin at SCO Summit but Not Indias Modi Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping returned to Beijing late at night on Sept. 16 after a three-day trip to Central Asia. During his attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, Xi held one-on-one meetings on the sidelines with leaders from ten countries. However, he had no such meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chinas Xinhua News Agency said in a press release that Xi returned to Beijing immediately after the summit ended in Samarkand on the afternoon of Sept. 16. During the summit, Xi held one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Belarus, Pakistan, Mongolia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. It had been expected that Xi would also meet with Modi to discuss the Sino-Indian border dispute and other issues. However, according to the Xinhua News Agencys press release, that did not happen. Outsiders noticed that neither Modi nor Xi attended a pre-summit event on Sept. 15, which included a dinner and group photo. Indian media explained that Modi was one of the last leaders to arrive in Samarkand, and therefore could not participate in the pre-summit event. Not on Talking Terms U.S.-based Chinese current affairs commentator Chen Baokong believes that Modi must have intentionally avoided meeting with Xi. Chen said in his Sept. 18 Youtube program that leaders of the two countries have stopped visiting each other or talking on the phone since the India-China border war began and that Modi has refused to meet with Xi on any international occasion. Now the United States, Japan, India, and Australia have formed a quadrilateral alliance against the CCP. Under such circumstances, even though the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has an Indian presence, and Russia and India are old friends, Modi obviously did not want to make an appearance with Xi Jinping in the same venue, he said. Before the SCO summit, both India and China said the two countries had begun to disengage from the Gogra-Hotsprings border area in the western Himalayas. Both sides have stationed tens of thousands of troops in the border area and deployed a large amount of weaponry, including aircraft and artillery. In a statement released on Sept. 8, the Indian Defense Ministry stated that the Indian and Chinese troops in the area have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way, which is conducive to the peace and tranquility in the border areas. At a Sept. 9 regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning also claimed that the first-line troops of both sides started to disengage on Sept. 8 in the Ghanan Darshan area in accordance with a consensus reached at the 16th round of Sino-Indian talks at the military chief level. In June 2020, clashes between Indian and Chinese forces broke out in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh. It was the most violent and bloody incident between the two nations in 45 years, resulting in the death of at least 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers. Modi Meets Putin During the summit, Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin where the Indian leader indirectly touched on Russias invasion of Ukraine. I know that todays era is not of war and we have talked to you many times over the phone on the subject that democracy and diplomacy and dialogue are all these things that touch the world, he said. We will definitely get a chance to discuss how we can move onto the path of peace in the coming days, I will also get an opportunity to understand your point of view. Putin replied: I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine and I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Sergei Bobylyov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Commentator Chen said that Russia had previously touted that despite sanctions from the United States, Britain, and Europe, the worlds two countries with the largest populations, China and India, seemed to be supporting it. In fact, it is Xi Jinping and the CCP that supported Russia. India just remained silent, Chen said. India has a traditional alliance with Russia. India does not want to offend Russia as its priority is to deal with the CCP, he said. India had never said that it supports or opposes Russias war. Its just that India has not joined the West in imposing economic sanctions. India is Russias second-largest oil importer after China, so Putin feels as if India is his backer. But India is after all a democratic country, so Modi told Putin face-to-face that this is not a time for war. That is to say, Putin was wrong to start a war. Awkward China-Russia Relations The SCO summit was Xis first trip abroad since the start of the COVID pandemic nearly three years ago. The meeting between Xi and Putin on Sept. 15, comes as both countries are mired in a diplomatic crisis. According to Zhang Tianliang, a China expert and U.S.-based commentator, the SCO summit was an effort by China and Russia to form an alliance against free societies, but as things now stand, it did not achieve thatinstead, it created many rifts between China and Russia. When meeting with Xi, Putin said, We highly appreciate the well-balanced position of our Chinese friends in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. People walk by a destroyed building following shelling in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 18, 2022. (Sergei Chuzavkov/AFP via Getty Images) But Zhang said in his YouTube program on Sept. 17 that it is obvious that the CCP has doubts and worries about Putins Russia-Ukraine war. In fact, the CCP is very worried that Russia might lose the war, Zhang said. If Russia is defeated, Putin may not be able to control the domestic situation, and Russia may even fall to the West after Putins downfall, and stand with the West against the CCP, leaving it with nearly no allies in the international arena. As a result, China and Russia have to keep a distance from one another at a time when they desperately need each others support, he added. He believes that most SCO member states do not support Putins invasion of Ukraine. If Putin can invade and take over Ukraine, can he also invade and occupy those countries in Central Asia? Therefore, Putin could not get the SCO as a whole to support his war in Ukraine. In fact, Putins attendance at this meeting was a complete failure, he said. Students and community members stroll in the atrium of the Johnson Center for Fine Arts on opening night of the new art exhibit. "Weep, Their Banner of Monument" exhibit created by Dawn Holder is now open for all to see until Oct. 28. Photo by Isaac Glietz. The Leader of Opposition is leader of the largest party in opposition to the majority party. It is a statutory post defined in the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977. The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 only says that the largest opposition party should get the post. There is no mention or embargo of any minimum 10% of the strength of the House. Though not less than 10% of the strength of the House is loosely mentioned as a convention, it does not have the backing of the statute. There is no ambiguity in the statute which gives the numerically largest party in the opposition the right to have a leader recognized as the leader of the opposition by the Speaker. In the Delhi assembly, the only opposition party, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party, got the post of leader of the opposition although it had only three members in an assembly of 70 members. The BJP was the numerically largest opposition party to the AAP government in the assembly. (2015) The Act states that LOP is the Leader in that House of the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and recognized as such by the Speaker of the House. The procedure for recognising the leader of the opposition is well laid down. On a request being made by the numerically largest party in the opposition, its designated leader be recognised as the leader of the opposition. The statute gives the numerically largest party in the opposition the right to have a leader recognised as Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker. The Speaker should keep the hands off from formulating any new rules in an area where a clear statute exists. When a request comes from the largest party in opposition, the speaker is legally bound to recognise the leader of that party as the Leader of the Opposition. No power of discretion is vested in the speaker in the matter of recognising the leader of the opposition. The Office of the Leader of the Opposition is covered under a statute. Recognising a member of the house as leader of opposition is not a political or arithmetical decision, but a statutory decision. The speaker has to merely ascertain whether the party claiming this post is the largest party in the opposition. (P. D. T, Achary, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha) The Rules and procedures of the Goa State Legislature defines Leader of Opposition as under: Leader of Opposition means the leader of the largest single party and recognized by the Speaker as such. It is a triple test: He should be a member of the House; Of the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and Be recognised by the Speaker of the House. The Speaker could have a discretion when there are two or more parties in opposition to the Government, having the same numerical strength. In such a case, the Speaker shall, having regard to the status of parties recognise any one of the leaders of such parties as the Leader of the Opposition and such recognition shall be final and conclusive. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed its readiness to ground the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA and the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. In statement signed by its Chairman, NANS National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow, Ojo Raymond, on Monday, the student body said it is ready to go on a week-long protest till the Federal Government accedes to its demands on the resolution of the strike action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The statement reads, For the past few days, we have been protesting simultaneously round the states of the country to protest the continued ASUU strike which has lasted over seven months as a result of the crass irresponsibility of the Federal Government to fulfil the terms of the agreement they willingly signed with ASUU. As an association, we are saddened by this development which has resulted in the closure of universities. And, this act, we believe, is deliberate by the Federal Government to deny the children of the common Nigerian access to quality education, which violates the provisions of Chapter Two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). We are using this medium to reiterate that this protest continues and that we will not for any reason back down until the Federal Government takes the educational sector as a priority. It is quite pathetic that the Federal Government is making use of the armed forces to quench a genuine struggle of Nigerian students despite the fact that these officers are also victims of the system whose children are also affected the same way we are. Todays protest at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (domestic and international wings) is just a preamble of what is to come in days ahead. And, we are informing the general public and the international community to pay serious attention to this struggle because we have been duly informed of the plan of the Federal Government to mobilise heavily against this protest. This was even witnessed today as anti-riot police officers and men of the Air Force were mobilised to attack us not until they were prevented by the mass of Nigerian students. We maintain that this protest shall last a week here in Lagos State and would be held simultaneously at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigerian Ports Authority and the third mainland bridge until our demands are met. Recall that NANS protested yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The students could be seen with placards carrying various inscriptions such as No nation can develop without genuine commitment to education, and If you have money for election form, you can fund education. The protest was greeted by traffic gridlock amid the presence of a combined team of officers of the Lagos State Police Command, Rapid Response Squad, Lagos Airport Police Command, and other security agencies. Ebonyi State Police Command has dragged a 40-year-old man identified as Uche Awegbe before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court for allegedly threatening to kill the State Executive Governor, Engr. David Umahi. The suspect was said to have made the threat to kill Governor Umahi via text messages sent to the Governors phone on August 19, 2022. Also, in the a suit case marked MAB/ 634c/202, the man was accused by the Police of shooting two residents dead, unlawfully possessing guns, and causing communal crises in the state. The police prosecutor, Sergeant Obi Eberechukwu told the court that Awegbe sent the death threats on August 19, 2022, at Number 9, Umuoji street, Abakaliki. He was also accused of promoting inter-communal war in Effuim community, Ohaukwu local government area in 2021 which led to the death of some residents. The charge read: You, Uche Awegbe, on the 19th day of August 2022 at Number 9, Umuoji Street, Abakaliki, did threaten the life of Engr. David Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State by sending death threat message to him through your MTN phone number 09039946XXX thereby committed offence punishable under Section 12(1)(b) of Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, Cap 55, Volume 2 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009. You, Uche Awegbe, and others in charge numbers MAB/69c/2021,MAB/838c/ 2021 and MAB/891c/2021 on the 5th day of November 2021 at Effuim community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did go armed with guns and machetes in public without lawful occasion in such a manner as to cause terror and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 80 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009. Recently, the American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) hosted a meeting with a delegation from Iraq exploring the topic of "Civil and Human Rights Advocacy," sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The delegation of 7 of human rights leaders, lawyers, educators, Iraqi Parliament associates and community leaders were visiting the Metro Detroit area as part of the international exchange programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other governmental organizations, universities, and think tanks that promote global exchange and citizen diplomacy through Global Ties Detroit. One of the purposes of the exchange program is to learn about the state of human rights and civil liberties in America and the Arab and Muslim communities resilience and engagement on behalf of human rights. The delegation's main objective for its visit to AHRC was to better understand its role as a human rights organization, including its initiatives and types of human rights issues it handles. The delegation was also interested in learning more about the U.S. systems of government, how to advance diversity, civil rights and human protections for minorities and immigrants, as well as the social activities involved in integrating minority youth. The discussion addressed the organization's work to empower the community with the skills, resources, and tools to become informed and engaged citizens on matters related to human rights. AHRC is a strong supporter of building bridges, cultural exchanges and dialogue, said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. These cultural exchanges enrich and enlighten both the visitors and the hosts, added Hamad. The more we learn about each other, the more we realize that we as human beings are more alike than we are different, concluded Hamad. In governance, rare breeds like the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (of blessed memory), a phenomenal Governor of Lagos State, the first to be elected in 1979 are not common in the nation's polity. His leadership virtues were awesome and reference points by which he impacted millions of poor citizens and residents. He was a social reformer of a just and egalitarian state when he took over. Money did not influence him in any way, and till date, no one discovered his dirty linen that could be watched in public. Before his death, there was no story that he induced himself or anyone with graft. As the founding father of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, he remained an impeccable character, a great nationalist, hero and achiever of many first in the history of Nigeria. Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu's Administration discovered the best legacy that the late sage bequeathed and felt the state government should raise a solid foundation to understudy his virtuous life as immaculate and rationale to properly immortalize him. In this light, the state government establishes and dedicates an academy, The Lateef Kayode Jakande Leadership Academy to train and inspire youths and civil servants who wish to take responsibility as future leaders. The academy truly serves the worth of the enigma called "LKJ" to raise people-oriented and ideological leaders that can impact humanity positively. This approach speaks the truth about the need for society to raise devout defenders that will be society's standard bearers, not celebrities. All things being equal, the academy can nurture global leaders that would be the talk of the twenty-first century. A nation's great men and women that would not submit themselves to the worship of the "golden calf." With gross abuse of public offices in the political system, recently, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission "(ICPC) convened a sensitization dialogue for traditional rulers, religious leaders and community-based civil society groups in fifteen states to positive behavioural change with the topic: National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIT) to equip them as stakeholders on constituency-executive projects tracking initiatives. The aim is to bring together, concerted efforts to discourage corruption from being a national mindset. Since the return of democracy in 1999, endemic corruption pervading our national lives has led the federal government to establish two critical agencies to eradicate corruption from our polity. These agencies are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission (ICPC). Through these agencies, Nigerians gained more consciousness of perilous, endemic corruption eating deeply into the fibres of our nationhood than when corruption was generalized during the reigns of the military juntas in the past years. The EFCC and ICPC have been fighting the ugly incidences of corruption in their efforts to eradicate the savagery from the nation's polity, by trailing and reporting unimaginable financial crimes involving individuals in cyberspace and official corruption in high places. Typical examples are the Hushpuppi scandals, Maina-gates, Abba Kyari syndicates, Ahmed Idris-Sagas, and many other high profiled abuse across the arms of government. The precedent being laid by those at the top is severely impacting society men and women, and has descended to the lower rung of society. Almost everyone now feels addicted to the evils of corruption and is ever ready to justify corruption when challenged. In society where corruption thrives, it is a cankerworm against national development and national integrity. It signals the eventual collapse of national values and the nation's economy. With these antecedents, it becomes a welcome development for agencies like the ICPC to deepen their constitutional duties to save the nation from the inglorious mess with a total cleansing of the rot in the system. For instance, interacting with traditional rulers across the country as custodians of society would reinforce advocacy against the impulse of corruption. The ICPC should be bold to demystify the heinous act in public places as the highest crime against humanity and sin against one's country. The sensitization was indeed germane to getting the best solution to tame corruption in our system. The country is being plunged into the abyss of corruption despite the fight. It is imperative to revitalise, re-orientate and motivate every individual with core national values for the right decision-making in the larger interest of the public when occasions demand. The goal of that sensitization was to develop national ethics that could guide the conduct of all citizens and public officials to stand as devout defenders of the common good in whatever situation that comes up. Taking this into account, the time is over overdue to evolve national ethics that can raise the Nigeria's brand of conservatives to save the nation from indiscriminate bleeding of invaluable natural and financial resources. Why do we have to search for conservatives? Corruption in the system cannot be won successfully unless we identify every societal morals that can sustain the country and their suitabilities by which every child should grow along with his or her studies to inculcate the "good of society and nationhood" in the individuals. Doing so is the only way to berth a sane clime where people pride good character above lust and graft. The antidote is total cleansing and should commence in society, schools and religious gatherings to tame the scourge in politics and public offices. Perhaps, overwhelming Nigerians due to ambivalence of cultures have always abhorred "conservative elements" because they are cautious, prudent and mindful. They are the best brass that can save the nation from indiscriminate fraud in Nigeria's polity. The unwholesome effects of unbridled corruption in the high places from the military era to the present democratic dispensation have made manholes of the economy to an insatiable level of a country blessed with crude oil and limitless natural resources for over sixty years of independence. Yet, the nation's leaders cannot revive a single refinery out of three or four moribunds, to support domestic and foreign consumption of refined oil products to the nation's advantage. Twenty-two years of the fourth republic, the federal government grieved about the payment of oil subsidies than accepting to fix refineries gradually, as the bottom line to eliminate oil subsidies, boost home production capacity and gain more foreign exchange from exports. Also, the impact of cultures has made people to view every politician canvassing for votes or elective office as "deceptive" based on their belief that those seeking public office are doing so for self-aggrandisement. This is the mirror of a country we called our own and as such, it is urgent to recreate a nation where men and women are brought up with high pedigree of morals for public service with integrity. It is the national ethics and integrity policy that will lead the creation of ideologies that can help the nation's leaders to facilitate the path of a stable progress for the country. The dearth of ideologies in Nigeria from independence by which people could nurture their conscience in all honesty is obvious in the country's many woes. With 2023 barely six months ahead, every politician is viewed to have one spirit; the spirit of amassing billions instead of the spirit of particular ideologies because none has grown up to see and assimilate the culture of ideology as an integrity policy to earn public credibility to serve the country. With fantastic corruption, it is hard to absolve most religious leaders from the nation's plagues, many of these also adore the nation's wealth than exhorting the faith of their followers. It is time to breed the conservatives from various homes. Conservatives are a distinct class of people of high repute as a result of special upbringing and values orientation, they are more qualified as the pride of public service; people with worthy credentials and most fitted to defend the "common good." These are people that will not be influenced by the love of money or pervert the course of justice against their country. Nigeria inevitably deserves true public servants that would not dole out money as national cake, but instead fight scarcity to reduce widespread poverty. Ethics is concerned about the choice humans make in their decision on one hand, and the evaluation of the act (or conduct) as right or wrong on the other hand. In every society there are ethics and relativity at the national level may be a great tool to bolster national integration. Therefore, the ICPC needs to go around all the ethnic nationalities across the country with good researchers as a pressing development matter to harmonize the ethics of different cultures to evolve national ethics that can change the individual's negative mindset and attitudes that could ruin a prosperous nation. A good effort would save people from resorting to threat because the federal government gives a pipeline contract to one of them. This is shameful and selfish! One other area that must not be left out in the struggle to whittle down corrupt tendencies is to have a sustained media and advocacy outfit in the ICPC that can beam vigorous value re-orientation frequently across the country, and such unit in the ICPC must have the right calibre of people who understand their calling, and they must be motivated to serve the nation to the best of their abilities. Another area but not least is that, the ICPC should dispatch a special delegation to the council of traditional rulers in every local government area to inquire from the council, if it has invited the public- office holder(s) to a town-hall meeting. ICPC calling for a meeting as this would propel different stakeholders to do a credibility check collectively on the public figure(s) to promote good and accountable governance, restore integrity to the polity and save the name of such society from being dragged in the mud. The emphasis is to shift attention from the individual to the "good" of the larger society. Society should be seen as bigger than anyone to dutifully pursue its common good. The role that ICPC is playing to restore sanity to the system is remarkable. We need to face reality, seeing that the more we fight corruption, the more corruption is fighting back. Corruption has much to do with leadership, and to clear the stench on the nation's tables, the ICPC and EFCC must be resilient in the fight against corruption, by cascading vigorous campaigns at the grassroots. This piece was sent through [email protected] Anutin slams call to re-list cannabis as narcotic plant BANGKOK: Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday (Sept 19) slammed the proposal to re-list some parts of the cannabis plant as a narcotic, saying there is no evidence of improper use of cannabis under existing laws as claimed by the policys critics. Cannabishealth By Bangkok Post Tuesday 20 September 2022, 09:29AM Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul holds a bottle of cannabis oil. Photo: Bangkok Post He made the comment in response to a petition on Change.org signed by 1,363 doctors which called on the government to scrap the policy decriminalising cannabis use and possession, citing the lack of controls to prevent its recreational use and abuse by children and minors, reports the Bangkok Post. Instead, Anutin said the ministry is willing to explain any concern expressed by the group. The minister pointed out that current rules on cannabis use are set up with medical users in mind. The law doesnt support other uses beyond [medical use]. There are rules which prevent cannabis smoking in public, and sales are restricted to individuals over the age of 20, he said. Re-listing cannabis [as a narcotic] is ridiculous, and we wont do it because we have come so far. We havent seen any negative impact that is beyond our control. He expressed his confidence that the parliament wont reject the ministrys cannabis bill again once the lawmakers concerns are addressed. On an unrelated note, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha, who accompanied Anutin, said he has no problems working with the Bhumjaithai leader. The Democrat politician said the party has yet to explain the reason for its objection to the cannabis bill. Phuket water resources capacity gets a bump PHUKET: Sarawut Chevaprasert, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) was in Phuket yesterday (Sept 19) to officiate the launch of three projects that will expand the total capacity at Phukets three main reservoirs by a total of 850,000 cubic metres of water. Water-Supplynatural-resources By The Phuket News Tuesday 20 September 2022, 06:10PM At the Klong Kata reservoir in Chalong, Mr Sarawut also unveiled a project that saw new pipes laid from the reservoir to the water production facility on site, operated by the Phuket office of the Provincial Waterworks Authroity, in order to increase supply to the mains water network from the reservoir. He also inspected the Cherng Talay Municipality water supply pond and the Baan Khoktanode Monkey Cheek Project at the Bang Neow Dum reservoir in Srisoonthorn. Joining Mr Sarwut for his inspection tour were Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Somprat Prabsongkram, Phuket PWA Chief Graisorn Mahamad and other officials. According to a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket), the visit was also for Mr Sarawut as the Deputy Secretary-General of the ONWR to monitor progress and plans to bolster water reserves during the rainy season to prepare for any forthcoming periods of drought. Phuket uses about 80.9 million cubic metres of water a year, Mr Sarawut noted. Of that number, only 21.53mn cubic meters is supplied by the islands three main reservoirs, while small water resource development projects supply 1.49mn cubic metres, Mr Sarawut said. Water wells and mines supply about 21.02mn cubic metres, and other small water resources supply about 9.75mn cubic metres of water a year, he added. But groundwater sources supplied about 27.11mn cubic metres a year, Mr Sarawut said. Total water demand [in Phuket] is expected to reach 87.67mn cubic metres by the year 2027, and by 2040 it is expected to reach 104.93mn cubic metres, Mr Sarawut noted. Therefore, there is not enough reserves capacity to meet the demand for water, especially the need for water for tourism, he admitted. Increasing the potential for water reserves of Phuket during the rainy season to support the need for water during the dry season is important for water management, for consumption of water by residents and industries, especially the tourism industry, which drives the main economy of Phuket and the country, he continued. The three projects overseen yesterday were only part of the current 20-year plan to expand Phukets water-supply capacity, Mr Sarawut said. Of note, the official report by PR Phuket made no mention of the Phang Nga pipeline that is supposed to be undergoing construction to help bolster the islands water-supply capability. The project was approved by Cabinet in 2019. However, the project soon stalled, mired by bureaucracy, prompting Phuket Governor Narong to travel to Bangkok to raise the issue with headlining officials in the capital as one of his first acts as Governor on the island. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com . South Africa: N West ready to implement Cannabis Master Plan The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Cannabis Master Plan finds space in agriculture transformation in the province. The department made the commitment during a recent hybrid Cannabis Lekgotla hosted by the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the North West University. The Cannabis Legotla, attended by various cannabis advocacy groups, including the Cannabis Council of South Africa, Rastafarians formations, traditional leaders, academics, interest groups and individuals, and farmers, aimed to discuss the rollout of the National Cannabis Master Plan, and engage on the economic purpose of commercialisation and development of the herb. The Cannabis Master Plan aims to provide a broad framework for the development and growth of the South African Cannabis industry in order to contribute to economic development, job creation, inclusive participation, rural development and poverty alleviation. Speaking at the Lekgotla, North West Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Desbo Mohono, said every avenue to create employment and fight poverty must be pursued, allowing businesses to grow, emerge and thrive, while also using the capabilities of the State to create a conducive environment for farmers. As government, we always appreciate the direct, considered and constructive approach that higher institutions of learning take in responding to the challenges facing our country. That is why we saw it fit as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to rope in the North West University, in particular, looking at their research output, which is amongst the best in the entire country, Mohono said. The MEC said the department will work with traditional leaders in order to forge a partnership and make sure that people in communal land are not left behind by the train of this economic hub. The department will also set aside a certain amount of money in making sure that we train our farmers fully about how to be experts in this field. This will be done through roping in experts who we have met in this Lekgotla, Mohono explained. North West University Principal and Vice Chancellor, Dr Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, said the university is ready to contribute towards the implementation of the National Cannabis Master Plan to unlock the economic potential of rural communities. We must all work with the government to assist in the review of policy and regulatory framework that will fast-track the industrialisation of hemp and cannabis towards the realisation of economic investment and job creation, Tyobeka said. Establishment of provincial cannabis structure During the breakaway sessions, participants recommended that the province establish a Provincial Cannabis Structure with clear powers, functions and reporting lines. The participants also agreed that Action Plans and/or the adopted Programme of Action (POA) by Cannabis Lekgotla will be implemented. They further developed terms of reference for the Provincial Cannabis Structure and that the structure will meet on a quarterly basis. Head of Department, Thupi Mokhatla, said all the recommendations will be actioned by delegated institutions and stakeholders by the stipulated period. Application process for hemp permits opened Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, announced the opening of the application process for hemp permits effectively on 29 October 2021. This follows the declaration of HEMP as an agricultural crop under the Plant Improvement Act, no.53 of 1976. The declaration of HEMP as an agricultural crop now allows importation, exportation, cultivation, sale and research of hemp in South Africa. This is a step towards the development of the Cannabis Master Plan. Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa said government will review the policy and regulatory framework for industrial hemp and cannabis to realise the huge potential for investment and job creation. The hemp and cannabis sector has the potential to create more than 130 000 new jobs. We are therefore streamlining the regulatory processes so that the hemp and cannabis sector can thrive like it is in other countries such as Lesotho, President Ramaphosa said at the time. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Management at a Massachusetts car dealership accused in a lawsuit filed by the state of illegally charging Black and Hispanic customers more for remote starters, paint protection and other add-on products than it does for white customers is denying the allegations ABBY BUTREMOVIC, Wheeler Volleyball, Sophomore; Butremovic had 23 digs as Wheeler beat Montville in three sets for its second victory of the season. KATIE ANBARI, Stonington, Field Hockey, Sophomore; Anbari scored with 57 seconds remaining for the games only goal, lifting the Bears past East Lyme. Anbari leads the team in goals with four this season. RACHEL FEDERICO, Westerly, Volleyball, Senior; Federico had nine kills, six digs and served for two aces in a win over Mt. Hope. Westerly was unbeaten in Division II through Sept. 24. MYLES PRICE, Chariho Football, Senior, Price returned a lateral from teammate Collin Fitts on a punt return for the winning touchdown on the games final play to lift the Chargers over Coventry. Price ran about 25 yards across the width of the field after receiving the ball from Fitts. Vote View Results As winter looms, energy price hikes will soon hit home. Despite a new price cap, bills will still be double last year. And as households frantically seek ways to cut costs, many will be scrutinising their power consumption like never before. So is now finally the time to get a smart meter? As well as automatically sending regular readings to your provider, which should mean more accurate bills, these gadgets come with a monitor that shows your usage in real time. Keep tabs: As well as automatically sending regular meter readings to your provider smart meters come with a small portable monitor that shows your usage in real time This lets you track your spending and might nudge you to switch off lights or appliances when you are not using them. But there are pitfalls. You need only browse energy giants Twitter accounts to see messages from customers complaining that their meters have stopped working or caused inflated bills. We can also today reveal that some suppliers are now refusing to offer the devices due to a global shortage of parts. Meanwhile, there are concerns that firms will be able to switch struggling households to pre-payment meters at the touch of a button, leaving them at risk of being cut off. Here we explain what you need to watch out for before you sign up . . . Will I be able to get one? Energy suppliers have been ordered by the Government to roll out smart meters in homes and businesses across the UK. It is not a legal requirement to have one and customers can refuse if they wish. However, firms face hefty fines if they fail to meet strict targets which has led to many using heavy-handed marketing tactics. Last week Ovo sent a letter to customers informing them that, from October 1, only those with a smart meter would be eligible for its 100 per cent renewable electricity tariff. It said: Getting a free smart meter is the simplest way you can help to create a greener energy system. EDF Energy was criticised last month after sending a letter to customers that read: We need to install your smart meter as part of a Government-led upgrade. One customer wrote online: I am aghast at the letter I received from EDF Energy today. It is not essential that you install a smart meter in my home nor do you need to do so. EDF says it encourages customers to install one but makes it clear they can choose not to. However, some households are having the opposite problem. British Gas recently informed a customer that it cannot currently install smart meters due to challenges in the market. In a letter seen by Money Mail, the supplier said it would not be upgrading meters until later in 2022 or early next year. The energy watchdog indicated this is an industry-wide issue. A spokesman said: Ofgem is aware of concerns amongst stakeholders relating to stocks of smart meter equipment arising from a global shortage of semiconductor components. We are not aware, nor do we expect, that suppliers should be refusing installations because of this. Ofgem regularly talks to suppliers in case of any unresolved issues. When households are facing massive increases in energy bills, it is particularly important that suppliers are held to account and any bad practices are stamped out quickly. So far around 29.5 million smart meters have been installed in the UK which means around half still need upgrading. British Gas says shortages have been worked through and they are continuing to install smart meters, with more than 500,000 done this year. My new device doesn't work Teething problems: Amanda Overend's smart meter malfunctioned Mum-of-three Amanda Overend says EDF Energy pestered her to get a smart meter. Finally succumbing in June, she then found the device did not work. Its display remained blank, meaning Amanda has had to continue relying on old-fashioned meter readings and cannot view her usage in real time. And the 43-year-old, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire, is still waiting for her supplier to repair the gadget three months later. Amanda, who runs an online childrens bookshop called Books & Pieces, says: We are the kind of family that turns the light off every time we leave the room. That has become even more important now bills are rising. A smart meter would be really useful. She adds: When the engineer installed it, he said it wasnt uncommon for them (meters) not to work. EDF says it is fixing the device as a matter of urgency. How much will my bills drop? The key question customers ask is: can smart meters help them save money? They can be effective in helping monitor usage but you must act on the findings in order to cut your bills. Many suppliers have previously offered cheaper tariffs to customers willing to get a new meter. These disappeared when the energy crisis hit but are expected to return after wholesale prices stabilise. Industry insiders have also told Money Mail that the real reason behind the smart meter push is to encourage more people to take up time-of-use tariffs. These deals incentivise customers to use energy at off-peak hours by charging lower prices. For example, if you use your dishwasher or washing machine at night, you will benefit from a discounted rate. The tariffs are especially useful for people who charge electric cars overnight. Emphasis on this strategy has ramped up recently due to fears of nationwide blackouts this winter. Russias invasion of Ukraine saw wholesale energy costs soar overnight. As a result, countries are pushing households to ration their energy though Prime Minister Liz Truss has refrained from doing the same in the UK. Instead, the National Grid, which is responsible for keeping the lights on, plans to bring in a new scheme where smart meter customers are paid to reduce their energy usage. It is based on an initial trial by Octopus Energy earlier this year. Customers were given a two-hour window on specific days when they could use electricity. If they used between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of their normal levels of power, they received a credit. The scheme is set to be rolled out more widely from November. But last week several suppliers raised concerns. Octopus and E.ON warned the programme would fail because the proposed payments to households which hit their targets were too low. National Grid suggested it may not support companies who pay customers more than 52p for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity they saved by avoiding peak hours. But Octopus says customers need to be properly incentivised with rewards of at least 1 or 2 per kWh. Gareth Kloet, energy spokesman at GoCompare, adds: Time-of-use tariffs only work out cheaper if you use almost half of your electricity at off-peak hours. This just isnt feasible for most people. You can do some things like washing at night. But you still do all your cooking, for example, during the day. It might be beneficial for people who do shift work but otherwise it isnt worthwhile. There is no fee to have a smart meter installed instead the cost of the rollout is being added to all household bills over several years. However, there are reports of some firms charging customers up to 400 to remove the new technology. It's helped me slash my bills Savings: Mother-of-two Sarah Fitzgerald With bills rising, Sarah Fitzgerald says her smart meter has helped her family slash their electricity consumption. It means the mother-of-two, from Chelmsford, Essex, can cut back where necessary. To keep bills down, she has bought a Halogen heater one of the most energy-efficient types of electric heaters an air fryer and electric blankets. Development manager Sarah, 42, says: 'I know what I'm spending and my supplier doesn't bill me on estimated usage.' Can I trust the readings? Complaints about faulty smart meters have been building throughout the energy crisis. In the first three months of this year, among cases dealt with by the Energy Ombudsman, issues with smart meters were the second most common gripe. Many customers have reported receiving inflated bills because the readings logged are inaccurate. Others say their meters have gone dumb after switching supplier or that the display screen doesnt work. Some are also frustrated to find they are still being asked to submit readings each month despite having a smart meter. One reader told Money Mail her smart meter had not sent any readings to her supplier E.ON since Feburary. She wrote: I am a pensioner and as such do not want to receive an excessive bill nor have the threat of my gas supply being cut. E.ON has now arranged for the reader to have a new device installed. Older smart meters are more likely to cause problems. This is because early models known as Smets1 typically stop working when customers switch provider. The industry has since moved on to Smets2 devices, which should work regardless of which firm is supplying the home. Yet almost half of all smart meters installed 15.3 million are Smets1. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) says it has devised a fix. This involves remotely moving older meters onto a network so they retain their smart capabilities when a customer switches provider. More than nine million have been upgraded so far. As bills soar, some customers have been tempted to use their smart meter data to pay for their actual energy usage each month rather than making regular direct debit payments. However, it is worth remembering that most firms typically offer a discount of around 6.5 per cent to customers who pay by direct debit. This system also evens out bills for customers, ensuring they pay the same throughout the year and avoid bill shocks in winter. I can't get hold of one Frustration: Nicole Ratcliffe is concerned over her energy usage Mum-of-two Nicole Ratcliffe fears her energy consumption is running away with her but can't get a smart meter. The 41-year-old requested one from supplier British Gas, to help her keep track of usage. But the firm said this would not be possible due to 'challenges' in installing new devices. Nicole, from Manchester, says: 'I was surprised. I thought everybody was being pressured into getting the meters.' British Gas is investigating. Am I vulnerable to any risks? Technically speaking, energy firms can remotely disconnect smart meter customers if they fall behind on their bills. But Ofgem imposes strict rules that mean suppliers could not do this on a whim. They must first contact you to discuss possible repayment plans. Most providers are also signed up to trade body Energy UKs vulnerability commitment. This states that they cannot disconnect vulnerable customers such as those who are disabled or experiencing severe financial difficulties. However, there are concerns suppliers may instead switch struggling households to prepayment meters. If customers have a traditional meter, firms would need to install a new device. But those with smart meters can be switched over remotely at the touch of a button. Prepayment meters work on a pay-as-you-go basis. Most firms offer an emergency credit balance of 10. But it means that if you cannot afford to top up your meter, your supply could be cut off. In the industry this is cruelly referred to as self-disconnection. Customers on prepayment meters also typically pay higher prices, as standing charges are more expensive to reflect the extra administraiton involved with managing these accounts. Separately some households may have concerns about what suppliers are doing with customer data. Earlier this year Ofgem paved the way for smart meter readings to be taken every half hour. Cyber experts warned customers could be at risk of being burgled as criminals could hack your data to find out when you are not at home. Energy firms say customers can opt out of half-hourly readings and select once a month instead. For shoppers seeking ways to make their cash stretch further, a reward credit card has always been touted as a quick win. Yet with Sainsburys Bank reducing its points offering from November, are these cards still worth the effort? The answer is potentially yes if you are willing to use them for all your day-to-day spending. Reward credit cards give shoppers cashback or reward points for every pound they spend - but there are catches But there are pitfalls to watch out for the biggest being charges of up to 104 per cent APR if you dont repay the debt in full each month, wiping out any potential gains. Here, weve looked at the best cards for households spending 1,000 a month... Best for... Cash in your pocket For those only interested in cash rewards, the Amex Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card offers a healthy welcome bonus of 5 per cent cashback during the first three months, worth up to 100. After the introductory deal ends, youll earn 0.5 per cent cashback on spending of up to 10,000 in a year, and 1 per cent above that. You will need to spend at least 3,000 a year to earn any cashback. Putting 1,000 a month on the card for a year would get you a total of 160. The Amex Platinum Cashback Credit Card works out better if you spend more than 10,000 a year. It comes with a 5 per cent bonus offer capped to 125 in the first three months, and higher cashback rates of 0.75 per cent on up to 10,000, and 1.25 per cent above that. The cashback is paid annually. The annual fee is 25 but those putting 1,000 a month on the card would get 206.25 in bonuses. Best for... Points to spend in store The Amex Preferred Rewards Gold offers a bonus 20,000 membership points when you spend 3,000 or more in the first three months. This is on top of a basic earning rate of one point for every 1 spent (excluding some transactions such as foreign exchange purchases). Top deal: For those interested in cash rewards, the Amex Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card offers a welcome bonus of 5% cashback during the first three months, worth up to 100 After spending 1,000 a month for a year, youd have a total of 32,000 points including the welcome bonus. From October 12, you can also get a bonus 5,000 points for spending 10,000 in your membership year. The benefit of Amex points is they are versatile you can redeem them at High Street stores, airlines and hotels. Around 30,000 points can be traded in for gift cards of about 150 at Currys and Selfridges or you can use them to pay for 135 of purchases at Amazon. You get more value for your points by exchanging them with Amexs travel partners, including BA, Virgin and Eurostar. About 33,000 points can earn rewards such as a night away at a luxury Marriott Bonvoy hotel or a return economy flight to Los Angeles with Virgin Atlantic. To trade in Amex points for flights or holidays, you will need to convert them to points on a different scheme, such as Avios, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Hilton Honors. There are also other benefits, such as 5 back on Deliveroo purchases twice a month, as well as two complimentary visits to an Amex airport lounge (four from October 12). The card is free for the first year. After this there is an annual fee of 140, but you can cancel the card before it kicks in. Members can keep their points after cancelling if they have converted them into another points currency, such as Avios. Best for... Holidaymakers Take-off: The British Airways American Express credit card is a good option for collecting Avios points, as well as picking up a free flight for a family member or friend The fee-free British Airways American Express credit card is a good option for collecting Avios points, as well as picking up a free flight for a family member or friend. You earn one point for every 1 spent, as well as a 5,000 bonus if you spend 1,000 in the first three months after signing up. Spending 1,000 a month for a year would get you 17,000 Avios points almost at the 18,500-point threshold for a 1 Reward Saver return flight to a European destination. On top of Avios points, you get a free companion voucher for spending 12,000 a year, which you can use to take a relative or friend with you on the same flight in economy. Or if travelling alone, you can opt instead for a 50 per cent discount on the Avios price you pay for your flight. Youll still be charged taxes and carrier fees on the flights. More serious Avios collectors with big monthly spends should consider the Premium Plus Card, which gives you 1.5 Avios per 1 spent. You will also get a free companion voucher when spending 10,000 a year, and your partner or friend can travel in the same cabin if you book a premium or business-class seat. This has a 250 annual fee and interest on purchases is charged at 26 per cent if you do not clear your balance in full each month. The APR of the card an industry-wide measure designed to help customers compare the cost of credit, which takes into account its interest charges and fee is 103.7 per cent. Best for... your weekly shop Loyalty rewards: Tesco Clubcard points can be exchanged for three times their worth with its Reward partners, worth 45 Shoppers loyal to Tesco and Sainsburys can get money off their shopping with the stores own credit cards. With Tesco Banks credit card you can earn five points for every 4 spent in Tesco, and one for 8 spent elsewhere. Spending 1,000 a month outside of Tesco would earn you up to 125 Clubcard points, worth 1.25, or 15 a year. Clubcard points can be exchanged for three times their worth with its Reward partners, worth 45. Sainsburys Banks credit card is about to change its points system to give one point for every 2 spent at Sainsburys, Argos, Habitat and Tu clothing on top of its usual points awarded for using a Nectar card. Dont be tempted to overspend for the sake of getting bonuses. But add a family member or partner to your account to earn cashback faster. moneymail@dailymail.co.uk Waitrose is bracing for an uptick in sales of its Duchy Originals range which was started by King Charles in 1990. The upmarket grocer said that sales of the line, which includes vine tomatoes, green beans and blueberries, were likely to receive a boost. Waitrose executive director James Bailey said: People are in a more reflective mood. You will probably see an upswell of support for those Duchy Organics products in the medium or long term. Organic: King Charles founded the Duchy Originals brand in 1990 when he was the Prince of Wales to sell produce from Home Farm at his country house Highgrove Charles founded the brand in 1990 when he was the Prince of Wales to sell produce from Home Farm at his country house Highgrove. He has been an advocate of organic farming since transforming Home Farm to become organic in 1985. Duchy struck a partnership with Waitrose in 2010 and has since grown into the UKs largest organic food and drink brand. The first product was the Duchy Originals oaten biscuit. The range now spans 300 products. In 2020 Charles gave up control of the farm. It remained organic and maintained its partnership with Waitrose. British families are rushing to book winter holidays in the sun despite soaring prices. In a trading update, travel giant Tui said bookings at its UK arm for winter breaks overseas are up 9 per cent on pre-Covid levels. The surge in demand has come despite the average price of such holidays being 22 per cent higher than they were before the pandemic. Hot spots: Among the popular destinations for winter sun are the Canaries, Mexico, Cape Verde and Egypt (pictured) Among the popular destinations for winter sun are the Canaries, Mexico, Cape Verde and Egypt, Tui said. It follows a strong summer for Tui despite travel disruption as holidaymakers flocked to the Canaries, the Balearics, Greece and Turkey. Bookings by British holidaymakers for the summer were up 4 per cent on pre-Covid levels even though prices were up 18 per cent. But the UK demand was not matched elsewhere with overall bookings for the coming winter at 78 per cent of the equivalent period pre-Covid. The company also said flight disruptions are still at elevated levels. Outgoing chief executive Fritz Joussen said: The trend has been towards higher value or longer holidays with a higher overall holiday budget. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed there would be no let-up in Ukraines fight to regain its territory as Kyiv said its troops had crossed a major river, paving the way for an assault on Russias occupation forces in the eastern Donbas region. Reflecting the dramatic change in momentum since Ukrainian forces routed Russian troops earlier this month in the northeast, U.S. President Joe Biden offered his strongest prediction so far that the Ukraine would win the war. Theyre defeating Russia, Biden said in an interview with CBSs 60 Minutes. Victory would come only when Russian forces were completely driven from Ukrainian territory, and the United States would support Ukraine as long as it takes, Biden said. Russias turning out not to be as competent and capable as many people thought they were going to be. Crossing the Oskil River is another important milestone in Ukraines counter-offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region. The river flows south into the Siversky Donets, which snakes through the Donbas, the main focus of Russias invasion. Further beyond lies Luhansk province, the base for Russias separatist proxies since 2014 and fully in Russian hands since July after some of the wars bloodiest battles. Ukrainian troops have pushed across the Oskil. From yesterday, Ukraine controls the east bank, the Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote on Telegram late on Sunday. Serhiy Gaidai, Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, wrote on Telegram: Luhansk region is right next door. De-occupation is not far away. Gaidai said Ukrainian forces had regained full control of the town of Kreminna and the village of Bilohorivka. The two settlements are located on roads on the northern approach to the city of Lysychansk, whose fall after weeks of grinding battles in July put Luhansk wholly under Russian control. Bilohorivka, the nearer of the two to Lysychansk, is located just 8 km (5 miles) from the citys outskirts. Ukrainian forces swept through the Kharkiv region this month after bursting through the front line, sending thousands of Russian troops fleeing and abandoning their tanks and ammunition. In recent days, the pace of the Ukrainian advance has again slowed, but Zelenskiy said this was only because the forces were consolidating and preparing for further offensives. Perhaps it seems to some of you that after a series of victories we now have a lull of sorts, he said in his regular nightly address on Sunday. But there will be no lull. There is preparation for the next series For Ukraine must be free. All of it. ALARM OVER NUCLEAR PLANT Ukraine accused Russian forces on Monday of shelling near the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the countrys southern Mykolaiv region. A blast occurred 300 metres (yards) away from the reactors and damaged power plant buildings shortly after midnight, Ukraines atomic power operator Energoatom said in a statement. The reactors were not damaged and no staff were hurt, it said, publishing photographs showing a huge crater it said was caused by the blast. Russia endangers the whole world. We have to stop it before its too late, Zelenskiy said in a social media post. The strikes will add to global concern over the potential for an atomic disaster, already elevated over fighting around another Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the south, Zaporizhzhia, captured by Russian forces in March. Moscow has ignored international calls to withdraw and demilitarise it. Since its forces were driven out of Kharkiv, Russia has repeatedly fired at power plants, water infrastructure and other civilian targets in what Ukraine says is retaliation for defeats on the ground. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians. ILLUSORY GOALS Russias rapid losses over the past few weeks have shaken a Kremlin public relations campaign that has never veered from the line that the special military operation is going to plan. Officially Russia announced it was moving some troops out of the Kharkiv region to regroup elsewhere. But the losses are being openly acknowledged on state television, by commentators calling for escalation. Alla Pugacheva, 73, Russias most celebrated pop diva since the Soviet era, became by far the biggest mainstream cultural figure to oppose the war, with a post on Instagram denouncing the death of our guys for illusory goals that are turning our country into a pariah and worsening the lives of our citizens. Russian President Vladimir Putin met the leaders of China and India at a summit last week and acknowledged their concerns over the conflict, a rare nod to friction with the Asia powers he has turned to amid a total break with the West. He belittled the Ukrainian advance: The Kyiv authorities announced that they have launched and are conducting an active counteroffensive operation, he said with a grin at Fridays summit. Well, lets see how it develops, how it ends up. The Kremlin denied on Monday that Russia was to blame for atrocities that Ukraine says it has uncovered on territory it recaptured from Russian forces. Its a lie, and of course we will defend the truth in this story, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, comparing the allegations to incidents earlier in the war where Russia claimed without evidence that atrocities were staged by Ukrainians. Ukraine has sent forensic experts to a huge burial site in woods near the city of Izium, where it says 17 soldiers were found in a mass grave with some showing evidence of having been tortured under Russian occupation. In London, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and First Lady Olena Zelenska attended the funeral of Britains Queen Elizabeth II. Russia was banned from the ceremony. SOURCE: REUTERS She did it . . . THIS IS THE VERY BEST MIDTERM ADVERT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR!!! Objectively, it's funny, catchy and political junkies will probably watch it a few times . . . Here's the word from the Adkins camp and we're anxious to see what our readers think . . . Check-it . . . ADKINS RELEASES NEW TV AD: "Hidin' Biden" OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Amanda Adkins, Republican candidate for Congress in Kansas Third District, released a new TV ad calling out Sharice Davids for attempting to mask her 100% voting record with Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. "Sharice Davids is desperately trying to distract from her 100% voting record with Joe Biden that has led to economic devastation for Kansas families," Adkins stated. "Voters will hold Sharice Davids accountable in November for siding with Joe Biden over her constituents on every single vote." The ad features a jingle highlighting the economic hardships Sharice Davids and Joe Biden's policies have inflicted on Kansas families. Davids has attempted to distance her from Biden but votes with Biden and Pelosi 100% of the time in Congress. This year, the average Kansas family will pay an additional $8,666 for the same goods and services because of out-of-control spending in Washington. ################## Take a look via www.TonysKansasCity.com link/embed . . . Here's what is probably a better question . . . Why did Fl. Guv DeSantis come here . . . Anybody remember? Who did he endorse??? Anything ring a bell??? Didn't think so. And that doesn't bode well for Kansas Republicans as they suffer a classic marketing mistake. Their promotion was more memorable than their product. Meanwhile, here's the local endorsement of the controversial Martha's Vineyard party crash . . . "Conservative radio host Pete Mundo, speaking earlier in the program, called the flights arranged by the Florida governor as "one of the most savvy political moves I've ever seen in my lifetime" and suggested sending protesters outside the event to Martha's Vineyard. Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall said in his remarks that he asked DeSantis backstage, "How I could get a ticket to drive one of those buses from the border to the Delaware beach?" "The actions by DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who sent migrants to Washington, DC, were widely criticized by local officials in the cities where the migrants arrived unannounced, as well as by Democrats and the White House. President Joe Biden accused the Republican governors of "playing politics with human beings." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . At Kansas rally, Gov. Desantis doubles down on sending migrants to Democratic led states CNN TALLAHASSEE - Speaking in Kansas on Sunday, Gov. Ron DeSantis gave every indication he intends to capitalize on the latest wave of attention that has followed from his sending migrants to Massachusetts last week. "This is a crisis. Further reading . . . DeSantis' migrant flights point toward an ominous future of red and blue conflict | CNN Politics The spreading push from Republican governors to relocate undocumented immigrants into blue enclaves marks a new escalation of the red state drive to seize control of national policy from below, not only on immigration but on a broad array of domestic policies. Texas sheriff investigating flights to Martha's Vineyard AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into two flights of migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes last week from San Antonio. Stephen Colbert Wrecks 'Gaping' A**hole Ron DeSantis With A Brutal Fact-Check Stephen Colbert tore into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for "kidnapping" migrants and flying them to Massachusetts for a political stunt. And that's not all. "It turns out it was way worse than we imagined because he actually abducted them from Texas," Colbert said. Trump Fumes: DeSantis Stole My Plan for Shipping Migrants In recent days, Donald Trump has privately voiced his anger over Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis sending planeloads of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. Trump's displeasure, however, has nothing to do with moral revulsions at the governor using human beings as unsuspecting pawns for a political attack. Charlamagne says DeSantis is a 'genius' for flying immigrants to Martha's Vineyard Comedy Central host Charlamagne Tha God said it was "genius" of Republican governors to transport undocumented immigrants to sanctuary cities run by Democrats. Charlamagne led a panel discussion on his show on the move by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to fly immigrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts last week. You decide . . . Right now we play catch up with public safety news, follow-up crime reports and a strange number of car crash stories. Check TKC news gathering . . . Kansas City, Missouri suspicious death inside an apartment ruled a homicide The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department said a call that started as a suspicious death investigation Sunday night has now been ruled a homicide. Police said officers were called to an apartment in the 2900 block of Wabash Avenue around 9:30 p.m. to investigate an ambulance call regarding a man who was found unresponsive. Kansas inmates say medical care is so bad 'they will let someone die in here before they try to help' Inmate Terry Bowen barely copes with the pain from a variety of medical problems. Now he's on the verge of losing access to Tylenol - his over-the-counter pain reliever - at the Lansing Correctional Facility. So when the aches of his arthritis flare up, he'll just have to bear through the pain. The case against Roger Golubski Former KCKPD detective Roger Golubski is out on bond, even after federal prosecutors detailed seven more women who accused the longtime officer of sexual assault. Plus: A first look at KCUR's new investigative podcast, Overlooked, about Golubski and corruption in Kansas City, Kansas. Attorney representing 3 women suing KCPD welcomes DOJ investigation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An attorney representing three female KCPD employees who are suing the Board of Police Commissioners is relieved the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the department . "I'm happy there's finally going to be some transparency, some accountability and potentially some change," said Spencer Webster, principal attorney for Webster Law, LLC. Ex-KCK cop Roger Golubski helped send one innocent man to prison. Are there others? When detectives Roger Golubski and Terry Zeigler were paged to a fatal shooting April 17, 2000, they found a man covered in blood slumped behind the wheel of a burgundy car. It was after 10:10 p.m. Driver runs from scene after passenger dies in three-vehicle collision The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department says a driver fled the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident on Monday night. The three-vehicle crash at St. John and Oakley Ave. happened just before 10 p.m.Accident investigators were notified of the hit-and-run death and responded to the scene. Motorcyclist suffers critical injuries after 1-vehicle crash on Paseo KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A motorcyclist has suffered critical injuries after a single-vehicle crash Monday night on The Paseo near 58th Street in Kansas City, Missouri. At around 10:24 p.m. Monday, the driver of a black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle was headed south on Paseo, according to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. 1 killed in hit-and-run crash on US 71 Highway in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One person is dead following a three vehicle hit-and-run crash on US 71 Highway near 85th Street Sunday night. According to police, one person was driving a white Winnebago Minnie north on the highway followed by a friend in a white Dodge Ram 1500 Conversion van. Overland Park man, 81, accused of trying to murder wife spoke of suicide plan: affidavit An 81-year-old man accused of attempted first-degree murder after his wife was found injured in a Johnson County park last month allegedly told investigators he was trying to carry out a plan to "end our lives together," according to court papers. Robert A. Grandview police seek information on chest style freezer related to murder investigation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Grandview police are hoping to speak with people who may have contacted a man accused of murdering Kensie Aubry . In a press release, the department said it's looking for anyone who talked to Michael Hendricks over social media. This includes through Facebook or Craigslist. Investigators: School bus driver ticketed for careless driving after crash where bus overturned with elementary students on board Officials in Clay County, Missouri, say a school bus driver has been ticketed after her bus was involved in a rollover crash with students on board last week. The Clay County Sheriff's Office's Traffic Safety Unit has finished its investigation into the Sept. 12 bus crash that happened on Mt. Oak Grove parents worried after high school students overdose on fentanyl OAK GROVE, Mo. - Parents in Oak Grove, Missouri are worried. Last week, three students at the small town's high school overdosed on fentanyl, and now, they're in medical care. Police said they likely ingested the drug while intending to take other illicit drugs, like opioid painkillers. Lenexa Police Department using new technology to send text messages after 911 calls The Lenexa Police Department is using new technology to keep people safe. It's called SPIDR Tech and Lenexa is one of the first departments in the country to use it. The technology sends text messages to some callers after they talk to a 911 dispatcher. Liberty police mourn sergeant who died from medical emergency LIBERTY, Mo. - The Liberty Police Department is grieving after a sergeant died over the weekend from a medical emergency. "Yesterday, we lost a beloved brother in blue, sergeant, husband, father, and many other wonderful titles," Liberty police said on Facebook. The department said Sgt. Crime Lab Supervisor Has DNA Down To A Science A DNA analyst must also be detail-oriented, structured, and capable of working in a repetitive environment. It turns out, she says, that robotics handle much of the lab work, meaning analysts spend most of their time at their desks analyzing and reviewing data, documenting and producing a high volume of paperwork. Developing . . . Not really. Sorry. This is more of a symbolic move and TKC has a better chance of becoming Miss Missouri than this legislation stands in GOP dominated Jeff City. Still, here's a bit of publicity that the move deserves . . . House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, filed a bill Tuesday morning that would repeal Missouri's ban on abortion. "After Missouri's extreme new anti-abortion law took effect this summer, its poor wording spawned fears it also criminalizes prescribing or using birth control. Democrats implored the governor to expand his special session call to authorize the legislature to clarify the law and guarantee basic reproductive freedoms in our state, but he refused," Quade said in a statement. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the serious injury sustained by a 20-year-old man on the weekend in Toronto. - Metroland file photo Toronto Const. Andrew Hong at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He died on Monday Sept. 12 while he was on a lunch break in Mississauga. - Toronto Police Service photo About 200 trees will be planted in Toronto along with another 800 in Mississauga on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Volunteers can help as seen in this file. - Melinda Cheevers/Metroland Fridays for Future Toronto group planning another climate rally at Queen's Park Sept. 23 Global climate strike a chance for people from all walks of life to show their support, writes Colleen Lynch You may find it with the Best Tour Company in India. As a respected citizen of India you must explore the beauty, culture and heritage of India which is well known for India itself. (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - September 20th, 2022 - Indian Heritage is a very famous and popular country in enrite world. India is well known for its rich heritage and cultural values. You may find it with theBest Tour Company in India. As a respected citizen of India you must explore the beauty, culture and heritage of India which is well known for India itself. Our respected Nation is listed as a world heritage destination. There you will find more and more heritage and historical destinations in the entire World. 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Must visit the beautiful Agra with theBest Tour Company in India More detail Visit: Near Gaji's Restaurant. Kalakar Colony, Jaisalmer (Raj), INDIA 345001 +91-9636784713 delightfulindiaholidays@gmail.com ### Your money went on assistance to the poor and vulnerable. That's the message Minister of Soc The Command of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed what the ghost village of Bohorodychne in Donetsk region recently liberated from the Russian invaders looks like. "A ghost village. The houses are ruined, the roads are riddled with huge craters, and the belongings of the Russian invaders are scattered everywhere. This is what the village of Bohorodychne in Donetsk region, recently liberated by the units of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, looks like," the Command of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook. It is noted that the invaders lived in a local monastery. The enemy struck the church premises after the Ukrainian defenders had taken control of the village and mopped it up. For a long time, fierce battles were ongoing in the area of Bohorodychne. As reported, since September 16, unauthorized entry to the territory of communities of Donetsk region liberated from the Russian army is prohibited until stabilization measures are completed. ol From February 24 to September 20, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 54,810 Russian soldiers, including 160 servicemen over the past day. This is stated in the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook. Moreover, the defenders of Ukraine destroyed 2,216 (+2 over the past day) Russian tanks, 4,724 (+4) armored personnel vehicles, 1,323 (+10) artillery systems, 318 (+6) MLRS, 168 anti-aircraft systems, 252 (+1) aircraft, 217 helicopters, 925 (+5) operational-tactical UAVs, 239 (+1) cruise missiles, 15 ships/boats, 3,587 (+6) vehicles and fuel tanks, 125 (+3) special equipment units. Read also: Ukrainian missile and artillery troops strike 16 enemy objects over past day The enemy suffered the biggest losses in Bakhmut and Donetsk directions. ol On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer discussed the current situation in Ukraine and the issue of food security. This is said in a tweet posted by the Austrian chancellor. "It was a pleasure to meet my Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on the on the edge of the UN General Assembly. We talked about the current situation in Ukraine and especially food security, he wrote. A reminder that Austria joined the initiative to export grain from Ukraine by land corridor, which had been blocked due to the war started by Russia. Photo: twitter.com/karlnehammer iy President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement on the exchange of 200 prisoners. In Uzbekistan, I got together with President Putin, and we had very extensive discussions with him. And he is actually showing me that he's willing to end this as soon as possible. That was my impression, because the way things are going right now are quite problematic; 200 hostages will be exchanged upon an agreement between the parties [Ukraine and Russia]. I think a significant step will be taken forward, Erdogan told PBS NewsHour in an interview. According to him, when peace is established in Ukraine, the issue of returning the lands invaded by Russian troops will become very important. The lands which were invaded will be returned to Ukraine, Erdogan stressed. The President of Turkey also stated that he had been calling on Putin to return Crimea to its rightful owners since 2014, but no step has been taken forward so far. "We asked him [Putin] to return Crimea to its rightful owners. These are our descendants at the same time, the people who are living there. If you were to take this step forward, if you could leave us, you would also be relieving the Crimean Tatars and Ukraine as well. That's what we have always been saying. But since then, unfortunately, no step has been taken forward," he said. As reported, Erdogan met with Putin within the framework of the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Summit on September 16. ol Within the framework of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, a meeting of the First Ladies of the countries of the Lublin Triangle took place in New York. Today, the countries of the Lublin triangle met in the person of the First Ladies and in a special place. I met with my colleagues - First Lady of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda and First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausediene - at the Ukrainian Institute in New York within the framework of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly," Zelenska said in a Telegram post. According to Zelenska, they had a lot to discuss: the protection of Ukrainian women and children in host countries, children's education, in particular the opportunity to learn the Ukrainian language/continue studying in Ukrainian schools online along with visiting local schools, projects for children's recreation and health, and cultural initiatives. The First Ladies paid special attention to the issue of effective involvement of international organizations in overcoming social challenges arising as a result of the war in Ukraine. In particular, Mrs. Diana Nausediene offered to unite efforts of the First Ladies and international non-governmental organizations for the development of projects and initiatives. "I received absolute support and confidence that our closest friends and partners defend and will defend the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Global cooperation is always multifaceted, but let it be our triangle of like-minded people that is the basis, Olena Zelenska emphasized. iy Despite decreasing incomes amid the war unleashed by Russia, 81% of Ukrainians say they donated money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine at least once. Thats according to a survey run by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Ukrinform reports. The full-scale war affected every Ukrainian citizen: many report a decrease in income, deterioration of mental and physical health, separation from and loss of friends or family members, loss of jobs and homes. According to the poll, in August 70% of Ukrainians faced a decrease in income, 31% lost their jobs, and 9% their homes. "Despite the fact that the war affects people's lives and financial situation, almost all Ukrainians contribute to humanitarian and military aid," the statement reads. Some 81% of respondents have donated money to the Armed Forces, although 95% say lack money to live a comfortable life. In addition, 63% donated essentials to internally displaced persons (IDPs), 60% donated money to humanitarian aid, and more than half sheltered or otherwise helped IDPs. The survey was conducted from August 2 to August 9, 2022 using a Computerized Telephone Interviewing (CATI) method with 2,510 completed interviews. UNHCR staff deliver emergency relief items to Afghan refugees in Kheshgi refugee village in Pakistan's north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. UNHCR/Usman Ghani UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is continuing to support the government-led relief efforts in flood-hit parts of Pakistan, where the situation remains dire. Authorities and humanitarian agencies are racing against time to reach the affected population with close to 8 million people now displaced. UNHCR continues to coordinate logistics as part of a plan to transport over 1.2 million relief items to local authorities in the most flood-affected areas. So far, we have delivered over 1 million life-saving items to authorities for distribution. In addition, all 22 scheduled UNHCR airlifts transporting much-needed relief items have arrived in Pakistan. Some 7.6 million people have been displaced by the floods, according to the latest estimates, with nearly 600,000 living in relief sites. Many parts of the country, especially in the southern Sindh province, remain under water. Officials warn that it could take up to six months for flood waters to recede in the hardest-hit areas, as fears rise over threats of waterborne diseases and the safety of millions of people including women and children. In all, 33 million people have been affected by the floods. Pakistan is home to some 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees, an estimated 800,000 of whom are hosted in more than 45 'calamity hit' districts out of 80 affected locations. Four of the worst-hit districts in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces host the highest number of refugees. With the delivery of aid, UNHCR and partners have begun rolling out emergency cash assistance to flood-affected refugees to supplement the Governments monsoon response. Hundreds of vulnerable refugee families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab will receive one-time support. We are also part of a rapid needs assessment programme aimed at better understanding the needs on the ground. Inter-agency humanitarian teams have been deployed and reinforced with female staff to guarantee more comprehensive data collection from affected communities. In addition, UNHCR has trained more than 25 UN agency and NGO staff in multiple locations to ensure key protection principles are observed. Ensuring access to education remains a key priority as the floods have disrupted learning for some 30,000 refugee and host community children. UNHCR has started conducting detailed assessments on schools damaged by monsoon rains in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Some 69 schools have been damaged in refugee villages in Khyber Pakhtunkwa and Balochistan. As Pakistan faces a colossal challenge to respond to this climate disaster, UNHCR reiterates its call for more support for the country and its people, who have generously hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades. The scale of devastation from the monsoon on people and infrastructure is hard to comprehend. According to Pakistans National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), over 1,500 people have lost their lives, including 552 children killed. More than 12,900 injuries have been recorded since mid-June, over 4,000 of whom are children. Over 2 million houses have been destroyed or damaged across the country. For more information on this topic, please contact: Issack Hassan Issack struggles to find clean water and food for his children at a displacement site in Somalia, amid a drought that has displaced hundreds of thousands both within and outside the country. UNHCR/Nabil Narch UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has today released new guidance on the eligibility for refugee status of Somalis fleeing their country. The guidance aims to assist those adjudicating international protection claims by asylum seekers from Somalia and those responsible for setting government policy on this issue. Ongoing armed conflict and widespread human rights violations continue to affect the civilian population, placing lives in danger and compelling many to leave their homes in search of safety. Insecurity and attacks against civilians continue across large parts of the country. Ethnic and social minorities, women, children, and people living with disabilities are among those targeted. One recent attack on the Hayat hotel in Mogadishu left at least 21 civilians dead and 117 others wounded. UNHCR considers that others at risk include clan elders, electoral delegates, government workers and officials, police officers, off-duty soldiers, and humanitarian workers, among others. The deteriorating security situation, including human rights violations, exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, undermining the government and humanitarian actors ability to respond. Somalia is facing its worst drought in 40 years and there is a risk of widespread famine in the coming months. UNHCRs new guidelines assert that States must allow people fleeing Somalia to seek safety, and that their refugee claims be assessed according to international law. Those found to be fleeing violence, human rights abuses and persecution would meet the criteria for refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention, or under regional instruments, or UNHCRs broader mandate. At the end of 2021, there were 836,300 Somali refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, most of them almost 80 per cent (more than 650,000) - hosted in neighbouring and regional countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen, Djibouti, Uganda and Sudan. We applaud the commitment of neighbouring countries in upholding their international legal obligations by keeping their borders open to Somalis who are fleeing in search of safety. But we urge all countries including those further afield to do the same. They can also help provide further support to regional host countries, and increase resettlement places for Somali and other refugees at heightened risk in countries of asylum. UNHCRs International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing Somalia is available here: https://www.refworld.org/docid/6308b1844.html For more information, please contact: ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2022 ) :The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has been awarded three-star rating by the London-based Global Competition Review (GCR), in its annual ranking of the World's top antitrust/competition authorities. Alongside the three-star rating, GCR has shown CCP's performance indicator with upwards arrow as, "improving upon its previous accomplishments." The CCP's three-star rating brings it at par with the competition authorities of countries including, Switzerland, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, and Romania, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday. GCR's Rating Enforcement and star-rating is the result of an independent and objective process scrutinising information and data supplied by the competition authorities, the GCR's daily reporting, and interviews with lawyers and economists on the quality of an agency's work in their jurisdiction. Their analysis rates each authority on a scale of one to five stars. In Pakistan's country brief in the Rating Enforcement, the GCR noted: "The Competition Commission of Pakistan has made several substantial strides in the past couple of years and re-established itself as one of the region's key competition enforcers." Chairperson, Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan who re-joined in July 2020 credits this achievement to CCP's team. She stated that international benchmarking would help CCP maintain the right focus and it would contribute to its better performance. GCR particularly recognised and appreciated CCP's performance in enforcement, stating that: "With just 45 non-administrative competition staff and a starting budget of approximately 4 million, the CCP does well with its modest resources. " Referring to CCP's sugar order, it noted that "CCP's most eye-catching achievement of 2021 was the decision to impose a record fine of about 200.6 million (PKR 44 billion) in August 2021 against several companies for "compulsive or pathological" collusion in the sugar sector." Similarly, the dawn raids (search & inspection) according to GCR, proved to be an effective tool for CCP as the dawn raids in poultry, milk, tractor manufacturers, and other sectors resulted in uncovering the evidence of anti-competitive activities in these sectors. The GCR recognized that CCP made great strides on the legal front and achieving its financial autonomy. The GCR noted that "Underpinning its successes in 2021 was a major victory before the Lahore High Court in October 2020, which upheld the Competition Act as constitutionally valid. That endorsement was strengthened further in 2021 by the Islamabad and Sindh High Courts." Achieving financial autonomy has been termed as a major development in 2021 whereby the government agreed to hand over 3% of the fees and charges levied by a group of five regulatory bodies. "The decision was made after a decade of lobbying by the commission, as well as coordination and communication with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law and Justice."Ms. Hassan added that while CCP remains committed to enforcing competition law and making policy interventions where due, the benefits of competition law enforcement will only be visible to a common man when cartels shall pay the penalty for rigging the economy. Judicial review of cartel cases thus needs to be prioritized. Libreville, Sept 20(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2022 ) :Equatorial Guinea, one of the world's most authoritarian countries, has abolished the death penalty, state television announced on Monday citing a new law signed by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Capital punishment was "totally abolished" in the oil-rich central African nation after the president signed a new penal code, shared on Twitter by the vice president. The last official execution in the small country was carried out in 2014, according to Amnesty International, but international NGOs and the United Nations regularly accuse the regime of forced disappearances, arbitrary detention and torture. "I am writing in capitals to seal this unique moment: 'EQUATORIAL GUINEA HAS ABOLISHED THE DEATH PENALTY'," tweeted Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, one of the head of state's sons and viewed as his likely successor. A journalist on state television called the event "historic for our country" in a brief announcement at the end of a news programme. The measure will come into force in the 90 days following its publication in the official state journal and was approved by parliament in advance. President Obiang, 80, has spent more than 43 years in power, a world record when excluding monarchies. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2022 ) :Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel Tuesday urged the parents to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 during the 5-day immunization drive for children under aged 5-11 which would continue till September 24. "The campaign is successfully continued in Islamabad, Sindh and Punjab schools", he said while talking to ptv news channel. He also expressed satisfaction that the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for children was moving forward smoothly which would expand all over the country in next phases, adding, over 8 million children would receive two doses of Pfizer vaccine. "The basic aim of the vaccination is to protect the future generation against the virus," he said. Ministry of Health with the coordination of Ministry of education have completed NADRA based data of school children for the vaccination, he added. Government would carry out the vaccination campaign in different stages, he said, adding, in first phase 64 million Pfizer doses were approved upon which 16 million doses were yet we have received. The children would be administered two doses for full protection against the virus with an interval of 21 days after the first dose, he mentioned. Replying a question, he thanked US government that US through USAID, is supporting the Government of Pakistan's COVID-19 pediatric vaccination campaign for 5 to 11-year-old children. (@Abdulla99267510) Both General Qamar Javed Bajwa and EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka have discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation with European Union. RAWALPINDI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 20th, 2022) Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that Pakistan earnestly looked forward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations with the European Union based on common interests. He was talking to Ambassador of European Union Dr Riina Kionka who called on him in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation with European Union were discussed. They hoped to further increase bilateral engagement. Congratulating the Ambassador on assuming her new appointment, the Army Chief said Pakistan values its relations with European Union. Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador pledged to play her role for promotion of bilateral relations between Pakistan and European Union. Expressing deep grief over the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan, she extended sincere condolences to the families of the victims. She offered EU's full support to the people of Pakistan and appreciated Pakistan Army's efforts in assisting civil administration in rescue and relief efforts in flood-affected areas. The Army Chief thanked the EU's support and reiterated that assistance from global partners will be vital in rescue and rehabilitation of flood-affected people. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2022) Australia has ordered an additional 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to create a third squadron of the aircraft for its navy, Lockheed Martin, which owns Sikorsky, announced on Tuesday. "The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a firm-fixed price contract to produce an additional 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)," Lockheed Martin said in a press release. Australia bought the new helicopters through its Foreign Military Sales agreement with the United States and they will add a third "Romeo" squadron to the RAN's Fleet Air Arm, the release said. The helicopters were bought as part of Australia's Project SEA 9100 Phase 1, which stands for improved embarked logistics support helicopter capability to create a common fleet to support the RAN's air capable platforms, the release added. Lockheed Martin plans to deliver all 12 MH-60R helicopters between mid-2025 and mid-2026, according to the release. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2022) Direct flights to Tanzania could quickly restore the demand from Russian tourists, who are highly interested in this destination, Ilya Umansky, the head of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, told Sputnik on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a ceremony of presenting credentials to foreign ambassadors that Russia would continue working together with Tanzania and the Philippines in the field of tourism. "Tours to Tanzania, in particular, to the island of Zanzibar, were very popular. Tour operators used to appoint charter flights there. Now, the main problem is air travel, flights are difficult and take a very long time. If this issue is resolved, then then demand could recover quite quickly. Today, there are Russian travelers who go toward this direction both on their own and through tour operators, with a connection, for example, in Dubai or Istanbul," Umansky told Sputnik. Given that Russians are currently limited in the choice of foreign destinations due to Western sanctions, the country's travel industry is ready to work with any country seeking cooperation with Moscow in the field of tourism and air transportation, the official added. On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, with many of them closing their airspace to all Russian flights, which resulted in severe obstacles to air travel and interruptions in the operation of global airports. Moreover, on September 6, the European Union adopted a proposal to fully suspend a visa facilitation agreement with Russia. The suspension entered into effect on September 12. The decision complicated visa application process for Russian citizens and imposed more restrictions for multiple entry visas. Ethiopia on Tuesday rejected a report by UN investigators that accused Addis Ababa of possible ongoing crimes against humanity in its war-torn Tigray region, including using starvation as a weapon Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2022 ) :Ethiopia on Tuesday rejected a report by UN investigators that accused Addis Ababa of possible ongoing crimes against humanity in its war-torn Tigray region, including using starvation as a weapon. The Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia said it had found evidence of widespread violations by all sides since fighting erupted in Tigray nearly two years ago. This included the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel laureate, and its allies who were "intentionally causing great suffering" by denying aid to Tigray, a region of six million. Kaari Betty Murungi, one of the commission's three independent rights experts, and its chair, said the denial of food, medicine and basic services was "having a devastating impact on the civilian population". "We have reasonable grounds to believe it amounts to a crime against humanity," she said on Monday following the release of the report, the commission's first. "We also have reasonable grounds to believe that the Federal Government is using starvation as a method of warfare." Ethiopia's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Zenebe Kebede, said the commission was "politically motivated" and their conclusions were "self contradictory and biased". "There is not any single evidence that shows the government of Ethiopia used humanitarian aid as an instrument of war," the envoy told AFP, describing the report as "a mockery" and "rubbish". "Therefore we have no other option but to reject this report." He said investigators had ignored atrocities by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which ruled Ethiopia for decades before Abiy come to power in 2018, and which Addis Ababa considers a terrorist group. - Eritrea condemned - Fighting between government forces and their allies and rebels led by the TPLF reignited in August after a five-month lull. The return to the battlefield comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to try and peacefully resolve the nearly two-year war in Africa's second-most populous country. Authorities in Tigray announced this month they were ready to participate in talks mediated by the African Union (AU), removing an obstacle to negotiations with Abiy's government. But fighting has only escalated in the weeks since, with air strikes pounding Tigray and Ethiopia's ally Eritrea crossing the border to join the fight against the rebels. On Tuesday, the TPLF accused Eritrean forces of launching a "full scale offensive" across northern Ethiopia, where heavy combat has been reported on multiple fronts in recent weeks. AFP was not able to independently verify the claims. Access to northern Ethiopia is severely restricted and Tigray has been under a communications blackout for more than a year. Mike Hammer, the US special envoy to the region who just returned from 11 days in Ethiopia, said Washington "had been tracking Eritrean troop movements across the border". "They're extremely concerning and we condemn it," Hammer told reporters on Tuesday. "The presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia only serves to complicate matters, and inflame an already tragic situation."Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian forces in the early stages of the war when Abiy sent soldiers into Tigray to unseat the TPLF, accusing the group of attacking federal army camps. Last week, Eritrean authorities issued a general call for mobilisation. (@ChaudhryMAli88) A German law requiring telecoms companies to retain customer data is a breach of EU legislation, a European court ruled Tuesday, prompting the justice minister to vow an overhaul of the rules Berlin, Sept 20 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2022 ) :A German law requiring telecoms companies to retain customer data is a breach of EU legislation, a European court ruled Tuesday, prompting the justice minister to vow an overhaul of the rules. Firms Telekom Deutschland and SpaceNet took action in the German courts challenging the law that obliged telecoms firms to retain customers' traffic and location data for several weeks to fight serious crime. The case headed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, which ruled against the German legislation. "EU law precludes the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data," the court said in a statement, confirming its previous judgements on the issue. The Federal Administrative Court, one of Germany's top courts, had argued there was a limited possibility of conclusions being drawn about people's private lives from the data, and sufficient safeguards were in place. But the ECJ said the German legislation -- which required traffic data to be retained for 10 weeks, and location for four -- applies to a "very broad set" of information. It "may allow very precise conclusions to be drawn concerning the private lives of the persons whose data are retained... and, in particular, enable a profile of those persons to be established." The stated aim of the law was to prosecute serious criminal offences or hinder specific risks to national security, but the court said that such measures were not permitted on a "preventative basis". However, it said that in cases where an EU state faces a "serious threat to national security" that is "genuine and present", telecoms providers can be ordered to retain data. Such an instruction must be subject to review and can only be in place for a period deemed necessary. Following the announcement, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann hailed a "good day for civil rights". "We will now, swiftly and definitively, remove data retention without cause from the law," the minister wrote on Twitter. Data privacy is a sensitive issue in Germany, where people faced mass surveillance under the Nazi regime as well as in communist East Germany. Buschmann is from the liberal FDP party, which has made data protection a key plank of its policies. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser -- from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party -- said she did not "want to have old debates, but act pragmatically". Nevertheless, she added the court ruling still gave the government space to implement "what is permissible and urgently necessary". Faeser noted the ruling still allowed measures such as the storing of IP addresses as part of efforts to fight crime, which she said could help in combating sexual violence against children. sr/hmn/lth (@FahadShabbir) NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) EU foreign ministers discussed earlier in the day a proposal to develop a mission in the European Union that is focused on handling military assistance for Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters. "We have also continued discussing our proposal to establish in the European Union a military assistance mission," Borrell said on Monday. On Monday afternoon, Borrell chaired an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in New York City ahead of the high-level United Nations General debate that will start on Tuesday. Borrell added that work on establishing this mission is already underway and he hopes concrete results will result from this soon. All of the EU foreign ministers during a meeting earlier on Monday affirmed that their countries are determined to help Ukraine with military assistance, Borrell said. Honduras maintains ties with Russia at a good level, and will appoint a new ambassador in the next few days, Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina told Sputnik on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) Honduras maintains ties with Russia at a good level, and will appoint a new ambassador in the next few days, Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina told Sputnik on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "Well, we keep our relations, we have the relationship going through. We have an embassy in Moscow, and we will appoint a new ambassador approximately in the next days, so we keep the relation at a good level," he said. When asked about areas where Honduras would like to expand cooperation with Russia, the minister replied that Honduras needs investment. "The cooperation in some fields like energy and so, so we are trying to get this cooperation from many countries or friendly countries," he said. Speaking of anti-Russia sanctions, Reina said they have had less impact on Honduras than on some other nations. The 77th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off on Tuesday. The main event the general debate during which world leaders gather to discuss world issues starts on September 20. The 77th high-level week of the UN General Assembly is the first in-person gathering of the body since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poland and the Baltic nations have argued that the European Commission's new clarification on Russia sanctions will water down curbs on key Russian commodity exports, including coal, Bloomberg reported MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) Poland and the Baltic nations have argued that the European Commission's new clarification on Russia sanctions will water down curbs on key Russian commodity exports, including coal, Bloomberg reported. The updated guidelines reportedly allow EU operators to finance or insure transport of a limited range of Russian commodities to third countries to avoid undue impact on global trade in critical items. The ban on Russian coal imports to the EU was kept in place. The Bloomberg news agency cited sources familiar with ministerial talks in Brussels as saying that Poland and the Baltics had asked the EU's executive body to delay the publication of the guidance note until their concerns were addressed. Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie said the note referred to food items, chemicals used for fertilizers, energy commodities and some essential goods. Coal and related products were reportedly highlighted in the paper. But the group of concerned nations said it also made references to cement products and wood. Poland will equip a division protecting the country's eastern flank with US-made Abrams battle tanks and Apache attack helicopters, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced Tuesday WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) Poland will equip a division protecting the country's eastern flank with US-made Abrams battle tanks and Apache attack helicopters, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced Tuesday. "This American-style division will soon be equipped with Abrams and Apaches. We saw Abrams and Apaches working together. We saw that they create an impenetrable dam," he said. Blaszczak traveled to the eastern Polish town of Nowa Deba, close to the Ukrainian border, to oversee a joint military exercise of the 18th Mechanized Division of the Polish armed forces and US and UK troops. The minister said that the 18th Division, dubbed the Iron Division, was created four years ago to "close the Brest Gate," a large swath of flatlands that roll from eastern Poland to western Russia. (@FahadShabbir) The president of the French National Assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, will go to Ukraine and Poland next week, the Europe 1 radio station reported on Tuesday, citing a parliamentary source PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) The president of the French National Assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, will go to Ukraine and Poland next week, the Europe 1 radio station reported on Tuesday, citing a parliamentary source. According to the source, Braun-Pivet will lead a delegation of five lawmakers that will visit reconstruction zones from September 26-30, as well as places which host refugees. The delegation includes, in particular, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, Jean-Louis Bourlanges, as well as the head of the national defense committee, Thomas Gassilloud. The visit's program is in development, but it is not excluded that the delegates will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the report. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) The Russia maintains a multilevel dialogue and coordination with Sudan, while Moscow consistently advocates for speedy normalization of the political situation in the North African country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. "Russia has long-standing relations of friendship and cooperation with Sudan. A meaningful dialogue is supported at various levels, which contributes to the expansion of business interaction in the fields of geology, subsoil use and food supplies," Putin said at the ceremony of presenting credentials by foreign ambassadors, adding that "Moscow consistently supports prompt normalization of the domestic political situation in Sudan and the efforts of Sudan's leadership toward it." Putin recalled that the seventh meeting of the Russian-Sudanese intergovernmental commission was held in Moscow in August, and Moscow was looking forward to the implementation of all the agreements reached by the commission. In October of last year, the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, overthrew the government, declaring a state of emergency and establishing a transitional sovereign council under his leadership. Subsequent protests forced Burhan to sign a pact stipulating the reinstatement of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, releasing all political prisoners, holding elections in July 2023 and handing power to an elected civilian government. The political crisis persisted, however, and Hamdok stepped down on January 2. Weekly protests against military rule have continued in Sudan, resulting in dozens of deaths. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) The Russian parliament's lower house on Tuesday passed a law with amendments into the criminal code, introducing liability for desertion during wartime, looting, destruction of weapons and military equipment, and surrender. At a plenary session earlier on Tuesday, the lower house approved amendments on criminal liability for non-appearance for military service on conscription and desertion in the form of imprisonment for up to 10 years, as well as on the introductions of the concepts of mobilization, martial law and wartime into the criminal code. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif urged Iran on Tuesday to conduct an impartial investigation into the death of a 22-year-old woman who fell into coma while in police custody. Mahsa Amini was detained by Iran's controversial morality police in Tehran last week for wearing an "improper" hijab, an offense punishable by prison. She collapsed and died three days later. Reports suggest that police beat her on the head. "Mahsa Amini's tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority," Al-Nashif said in a statement. Al-Nashif demanded that Iran repeal mandatory hijab wear and stop harassing women. She said her office had received videos of women being slapped across the face, beaten with batons and thrown into police vans. The commissioner's office said thousands took to the streets across Iran in the days following Amini's death, prompting a heavy-handed response by Iranian security forces. At least two people were reportedly killed and several others injured. Iran says Amini died of a heart attack. President Ebrahim Raisi ordered a prompt investigation into the woman's death and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, who are of Kurdish origin. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) Unknown individuals have set a church on fire in southwestern Cameroon and kidnapped eight people, including at least one woman, media reported on Tuesday. Among the kidnapped Christians were five priests, one nun and two lay persons at the local parish of Saint Mary in Nchang, the Journal du Cameroun newspaper reported, citing the head of the national episcopal conference. Venezuela's intelligence agencies are committing crimes against humanity as part of a plan orchestrated at the highest level of government to repress dissent, UN experts said Tuesday Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2022 ) :Venezuela's intelligence agencies are committing crimes against humanity as part of a plan orchestrated at the highest level of government to repress dissent, UN experts said Tuesday. A team tasked with probing alleged violations in Venezuela said it had uncovered how members of military and state intelligence services were part of a well-coordinated structure implementing a scheme to stifle opposition. "This plan was orchestrated at the highest political level, led by President Nicolas Maduro and supported by other senior authorities," Marta Valinas, chair of the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, told reporters. "In doing so, grave crimes and human rights violations are being committed, including acts of torture and sexual violence." The mission, which was created by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2019, already warned in its first report two years ago that Maduro and top government ministers were behind likely crimes against humanity. In its latest report, it delved into the chains of command, and how intelligence services were used to quash opposing voices, listing a number of high-level officials by name. The report pointed to how Maduro and others in his inner circle were involved in "selecting targets" for detention by intelligence agents, including political opponents. The mission -- which has never been granted access to Venezuela -- based its findings on nearly 250 confidential interviews, as well as legal documents. - 'Torture ordered' by Maduro - It said it had documented the cases of 122 victims "subjected to torture, sexual violence and/or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" by agents with the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). The mission said it had also investigated at least 51 cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) since 2014. They included "opposition politicians, journalists, protesters, and human rights defenders," it said, adding that most of the abuse took place in the El Helicoide detention centre in Caracas. Former SEBIN employees had told investigators that in some cases, "torture was ordered directly by President Maduro," the report said, listing methods including electric shocks and asphyxiation. "Both SEBIN and DGCIM made extensive use of sexual and gender-based violence to torture and humiliate its detainees," the mission said. The experts said Venezuelan authorities had failed to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable. "The human rights violations by state intelligence agencies, orchestrated at the highest political levels, have taken place in a climate of almost complete impunity," mission member Francisco Cox said. Speaking to reporters, he stressed the importance of investigating all alleged abuses and bringing the perpetrators to justice. - 'Profound' crisis - The International Criminal Court has said it will investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, but Cox called for all "authorities, both national and international, that are competent to investigate." In a separate report on Tuesday, the mission also focused on rights abuses against people living in gold mining areas of Venezuela's southern Bolivar state. "Both state and non-state actors have committed human rights violations and crimes against the local population in the struggle for control over mining areas," it said, pointing to killings, disappearances, extortion and sexual violence. The experts said that the authorities had not only failed to prevent and investigate such abuses but appeared to have actively colluded with non-state actors in parts of the region. Mission member Patricia Tappata Valdez described the situation in Bolivar as "deeply troubling." The mission members are due to present their findings to the UN rights council next week. They will also face a council vote in early October on whether they can continue their work, with Venezuela arguing that the mission is superfluous, since it is cooperating with a UN rights office monitoring team. The mission members say their investigations are complimentary. "Venezuela is still facing a profound human rights crisis," Valins said. USM Graduate Students Awarded NASA-Mississippi 2022-23 Space Grant Consortium Fellowship Tue, 09/20/2022 - 11:21am | By: David Tisdale Six University of Southern Mississippi (USM) graduate students in its College of Arts and Sciences have been awarded the prestigious NASA-Mississippi Space Grant Consortiums (MSSGC) Graduate Research Fellowship for the current academic year (2022-23). The MSSGC is a statewide non-profit entity consisting of institutions of higher learning, which includes USM, coordinated and supported by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Its mission is to enhance and support aerospace science and technology efforts and activities in Mississippi, as well as promote a strong science, mathematics, and technology base at precollege, undergraduate, and graduate levels in the regions educational institutions. Part of that mission includes its Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which traces its roots to the founding in 1989 of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, established to include a network of universities offering programs in aeronautics and other space-related fields with the goal of encouraging recruitment and training of talented students, particularly women and minorities, to become professionals in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Fellowship recipients from USM include: *Ann Fearing of Hattiesburg, a masters degree student in biological sciences *Sarah Wright of Hattiesburg, a doctoral student in computational science *Aynslie Fritz of Hattiesburg, a doctoral student in polymer science and engineering *Emma Humphreys of Oxford, Mississippi, a masters degree student in biological sciences *Chelsea Drum of Jackson, Mississippi, a doctoral student in computational science *Chris Croshaw of Yakima, Washington, a doctoral student in polymer science and engineering NASA/MSSGC fellowship awards supplement and enhance basic graduate research support, such as graduate research assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships, and non-federal scholarships and fellowships. They are renewable up to three years for students making satisfactory research, academic progress, and engaged in K-12 outreach; one of the goals of the fellowship is to have graduate students work with K-12 schools and educators to improve the STEM experience and inspire younger students to pursue careers in STEM fields. The NASA-MSSGC fellowship is a very generous award for outstanding graduate students who are integrating their research with education, particularly with high school students, and this group is at the forefront in keeping with NASAs mission to expose STEM education, through the fellowship program, to a larger and more diverse pool of students in Mississippi, said Dr. David Cochran, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences who also serves as campus coordinator for the NASA-MSSGC. They take their graduate research and make it into accessible educational experiences for K-12 students. In recent years, weve also had a growing number of women and minority students chosen as fellows, which is a priority for NASA along with promotion of STEM education and deepening its footprint across America. Learn more about the MSSGC at http://msspacegrant.org/. A new connection between the sea and railway routes to transport goods to and from Vietnam was launched in Russia on September 6. The connection marks the growing logistics and bilateral trade between the two countries, facilitating goods transfer directly from Vietnam to Western Russia and vice versa. Vietnam Briefing explores the growing trade between both countries facilitated by the sea freight and rail routes. For the past seven decades, Vietnam and Russia have engaged in a well-established diplomatic relationship. Both sides are trusted partners in economic, social, and political aspects, with Russia being an important export market for Vietnam. As of January 2022, despite uncertainties due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Russia still witnessed positive signs. The export value of Vietnam to Russia was worth US$391 million and the import value at US$160 million, resulting in a trade surplus of US$231 million. Vietnams year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in imports from Russia was 80.2 percent and export to Russia up 5.32 percent y-o-y. Top exports of Vietnam to Russia include telephones (US$125 million), electronic devices (microphone and headphones) (US$20.9 million), coffee (US$16.3 million), textile footwear (US$14.4 million), and industrial printers (US$13.9 million), as per the Observatory. Meanwhile, the main imports to Vietnam from Russia include coal (US$52.8 million), iron (US$20.3 million), chemical fertilizers (US$19.7 million), pig meat (US$8.61million), and chemical compounds (US$6.92 million). Since the Vietnam-EAEU FTA came into force in 2016, the majority of tariffs have been brought to zero percent for Vietnamese exports to Russia. Goods transport between the two countries can be transported using three options, depending on the merchandise: air freight (higher costs but time-saving), railway transport (cost-effective and time efficient); and maritime transport (cheapest option but takes longer). The recent link between the Vietnam-Vladivostok sea freight route and Russias Vladivostok-Moskva railway route marks a new page in logistics, underlying exports, and imports between the two countries. Vietnam Briefing explores new opportunities for businesses in Vietnam when exploiting the maritime and railway routes, with the aid of a new linkage. Shorter shipping times between Vietnam and Russia In May 2022, FESCO (Far Eastern Shipping Company), Russias largest private transport and logistics company, announced its deeper penetration into the Vietnam market with the FESCO Vietnam Direct Line (FVDL), operating on the Vladivostok (Russia)-Hai Phong (Vietnam)-Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)-Ningbo (China)- Vladivostok (Russia) route. This container shipping line has facilitated a direct flow of goods from Russia to Vietnam and vice versa. The estimated time for a container ship to reach Vladivostok from Vietnam is 9-12 days, compared to 2021 when it could take up to 2-3 months. The regular sea route by FESCO allows goods to move directly from Vietnams Hai Phong or Ho Chi Minh City ports to Vladivostok without the time-consuming process of reloading at transshipment ports. In fact, reloading at transshipment ports can delay the delivery time by 2-3 weeks. The FVDL also helps to cushion the surging costs of freight; in 2021 maritime freight was up 60 percent a 40-feet container cost US$10,000 in September 2021. The same container now costs US$200-300 less, with projections for even lower costs in coming years when the route is in more stable operation. According to FESCO, in four months, the FVDL has successfully transported an estimated 5,000 containers as of September and is already making plans to scale up capacity. The Hanoi-Moskva rail freight: Cost-effective goods transportation RZD Logistics (a prominent Russian Railway logistics company) in collaboration with Vietnams Ratraco (a logistics and commerce company), has operated the Russia-Vietnam-Russia transport corridor since 2018. For the past five years, goods transportation by rail to Russia has been used intensively to meet the increased orders of Vietnamese exporters and importers, especially in the field of infant foods, beverages, footwear, and clothing. Rail freight has been considered the optimal alternative to sea freight due to lower costs and shorter delivery times. However, the faster delivery time advantage of rail freight has not been entirely true anymore since the operation of the FVDL as mentioned earlier. The estimated time for a Hanoi-Moskva shipment by RZD railway can take 24 days. As of July 2022, the number of goods transported by rail freight to Russia was already 4.5 times higher than the same period in 2021. The success of rail transport can be attributed to the lower freight, in the face of soaring sea freight since 2021. Besides, the ease of simplified procedures when placing a rail freight order has also encouraged more Vietnamese firms to favor the method. Russia-Vietnam rail freight was further boosted as early as 2022, when Russias biggest railway logistics company, TransContainer, announced their rail freight operations in Vietnam as they realized the significant potential in the market. TransContainers trains typically depart from Vietnams Hanoi, cross China, carry out transshipment at the Zabaikalsk station (on the Russia-China border), and finally arrive at Russias Moskvas Elektrougli station. The shipment takes an estimated 35 days and TransContainer expects to run at least two container trains on this route each month. The link between Vietnam-Vladivostok sea route and the Vladivostok-Moskva railway route FESCO and RZD Logistics on September 6 officially approved the connection between the FVDL maritime route and the Vladivostok-Moskva railway route to promote a more direct and efficient flow of goods. The connected routes adopt a digital security system that allows businesses to actively track their shipments in real-time and carry out customs clearance at Moskvas station. The link will help reduce delivery time while simplifying administrative procedures for Vietnamese exporters that wish to ship goods to western Russia efficiently. As FESCO aims to send more regular containers ship on its maritime route to scale up capacity while the rail freight between the Russian cities of Vladivostok and Moskva is planned to be upgraded, trade between Vietnamese firms and their Russian partners is bound to flourish. Australia and the European Union (EU) have resumed free trade talks in the Australian capital, Canberra. Negotiations over an trade agreement between Australia and the European Union began in 2017. Progress has not always been easy. There was dismay over Australias shelving of a lucrative submarine deal with France in favor of the AUKUS alliance with the United States and Britain. That anger has subsided. There were, though, also concerns in Europe about Australias environmental targets under the previous conservative Canberra government, which was a strong supporter of the fossil fuel industry. However, the recently elected Labor government plans to cut emissions by 43% by 2030. It is the first time environmental targets have been legislated in Australia and the new policy has kick-started trade discussions with Europe. The EU sent a senior delegation to Canberra this week, and there are hopes a free trade agreement can be signed by the end of 2023. The European Union is eager to harness Australian green hydrogen and other critical minerals, such as lithium, used in renewable power. Russias invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent impact on energy supplies, have intensified the EUs search for reliable suppliers of the minerals needed for energy and digital enterprises. Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament's committee on International Trade, believes Australia can play a big part in industrial decarbonization. We are going away from fossil fuels and Australia has a big volume of possible green hydrogen, of lithium, of copper and we want to get it in a sustainable way for the transformation of industry in Europe but also in Australia, he said. Australian negotiators want greater access for key farming exports, including beef, dairy, sugar and grain. However, analysts say that agriculture is a sensitive issue, with some members of the European Union wanting to restrict imports to protect local producers. As a bloc, the EU is Australias second largest two-way trading partner of goods and services. The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 countries. Officials have said Australia's position in the world as a global top 20 trading nation is underpinned by our advocacy for an open global economy. The Canberra government has signed more than a dozen free trade pacts with various countries and groupings, including Japan, the United States and China, its biggest trading partner. Its first free trade agreement was signed with New Zealand in 1983. Officials in the administration of President Joe Biden keep insisting that nothing about the United States policy toward Taiwan has changed, but the presidents own repeated statements that the U.S. would defend the self-governing island in the event of an attack by China are making those assurances difficult for many to accept. In an interview Sunday night with the CBS News program 60 Minutes, Biden, for the fourth time since taking office in 2021, said that the United States would respond militarily to a Chinese attempt to take over Taiwan by force. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has made reunification of the island with the mainland a major goal of his government. China maintains that Taiwan is part of One China, despite the fact that the island has been self-governing since 1945. For decades, the U.S. has tried to pursue a course of strategic ambiguity with regard to Taiwan. Relations between Washington and Taipei have been friendly, and the U.S. has for years sold military equipment to the Taiwanese government. At the same time, successive U.S. administrations have said they agree with the One China policy, with the caveat that any disagreement between Taiwan and China must be resolved without the use of force. Prior U.S. presidents have attempted to create uncertainty about how the U.S. would react to Chinese military action against Taiwan, though without creating specific obligations. 60 Minutes exchange Asked in the Sunday interview what Chinese leader Xi Jinping ought to understand about the United States commitment to Taiwan, Biden said, We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago. And that there's One China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. We are not moving we're not encouraging their being independent. That's their decision. Interviewer Scott Pelley followed up, asking, But would U.S. forces defend the island? Biden replied, Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack. Pelley then asked, So, unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. forces U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion? Yes, the president said. White House officials later told reporters that there had been no change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan. China reaction Chinese officials responded angrily to Bidens comments, saying that they had made stern representations to U.S. officials in their wake. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday, "We are willing to do our best to strive for peaceful reunification. At the same time, we will not tolerate any activities aimed at secession. "There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China," Mao said. Confirming suspicions Several experts contacted by VOA said that Chinas angry response aside, Bidens comments probably did little to change Beijings expectations about what would happen in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Beijing already has priced in an expectation of American involvement in any cross-Strait conflict that it initiates against Taiwan, Ryan Hass, a senior fellow and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution, told VOA. President Bidens comments validate assumptions. They do not alter expectations in Beijing of how America would respond in case of conflict. In an email exchange with VOA, Manjari Chatterjee Miller, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that Bidens repeated statements that the U.S. would support Taiwan militarily likely align with Beijings assumptions about U.S. intentions. I think Beijing has long been suspicious of the U.S. commitment to strategic ambiguity, so in a sense, President Biden's remarks are simply a confirmation of its long-held suspicions, Miller said. U.S.-China relations have been on a downward spiral for a while, and this highlights for China the importance of the [People's Liberation Army] planning for a Taiwan contingency. Concerns about miscalculations Miller said she is concerned that Bidens repeated statements on Taiwan might lead to a reaction from Beijing. The first time the president made a statement such as this on Taiwan, his aides walked it back, she said. But this is the third or fourth such statement. Yet U.S. policy on China has not officially changed, and the United States apparently continues to support One China. This confusion and lack of clarity on the U.S. government's stance means that there is now further uncertainty in what is already a very rocky bilateral relationship. She continued, To add to this uncertainty, President Xi has prioritized reunification with Taiwan, which means that there could be a reputation cost to him personally if the Chinese government is seen as not pushing back. So, I worry, not so much about a Chinese preemptive action on Taiwan, but a potential miscalculation on Beijing's part given that heightened uncertainty that could muddy its judgment. Potentially destabilizing Bonnie S. Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told VOA that she had focused on a different aspect of the presidents comments in the 60 Minutes interview: his assertion that Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. Glaser pointed out that historically, U.S. presidents have said they do not support Taiwans independence, and Biden reiterated that point Sunday. However, his addition of the suggestion that it is their decision could be seen by China as the real change in policy. The president made similar comments in November. I think that this is something that could truly lead the Chinese to decide to go to war, because they believe that the United States would actually support an independent Taiwan, she said. As [Biden] keeps saying these things over and over again and particularly these comments about letting Taiwan decide if it wants to go independent I think that it's destabilizing, Glaser said. I think the world wants us to have a clear and consistent policy. We need to deter, not provoke, China. And I'm not convinced what the Biden administration is doing is contributing to deterrence. President Joe Biden addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York Wednesday morning, where he highlighted U.S. efforts to strengthen global food security, replenish the Global Fund to fight AIDS and other pandemics, tackle supply chain issues and the climate crisis. In his speech, Biden also focused on Russias aggression in Ukraine. "Russia has shamelessly violated core tenets of the U.N. Charter. None more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force," Biden said about the invasion of Ukraine. Biden pointed out that The United States has marshalled massive levels of security assistance, humanitarian aid, and direct economic support to Ukraine. More than $25 billion to date. Our allies and partners around the world have stepped up as well. On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that while leaders will not ignore Ukraine, the gathering will not be dominated by it. We know that as this horrible war rages across Ukraine, we cannot ignore the rest of the world. There are conflicts taking place elsewhere, she told reporters. Greenfield outlined three U.S. priorities for the General Assembly: addressing global food insecurity; advancing global health and global health security; upholding the U.N. Charter and shaping the future of the United Nations. We believe this is a moment to defend the United Nations and to demonstrate to the world that it can still take the world's most pressing global challenges on, she said. Observers say Biden will seek to balance U.S. and European allies interests of supporting Ukraine and isolating Russia, with the myriad problems faced by the rest of the world. "The U.S. and its allies will be trying to convince non-Western countries that while there is a very strong focus on Russia's war on Ukraine, the West also cares about the global food crisis and [it] becoming [a] global recession, and what that will do to the developing world," Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group told VOA. Gowan said that during the early phase of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Western diplomats demanded support for Ukraine from their African and Asian counterparts but did not hear their concerns about food security and the economic shocks linked to this war. Now, the U.S. and the Europeans are really trying to send the message that they are sympathetic to the developing world's economic concerns, and that they will work to address those concerns, he said. Food and health security Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, exports of food and fertilizer from the region have been disrupted, pushing post-pandemic food prices even higher. Some 828 million people go to bed hungry every night, according to the World Food Program. The world is now not on track to achieve the U.N. goal of zero hunger by 2030, said Rob Vos, economist at the International Food Policy Research Institute. We need to invest a lot more in agriculture and food systems or particularly, to change things around in food systems such that they become more inclusive so that poor people can reap more benefits from it, that food prices stay low so that they're accessible, and that production becomes more resilient and sustainable, Vos told VOA. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will co-host a food security summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly Tuesday. On Wednesday, Biden will host a conference on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The U.S. has given $2 billion out of the $6 billion committed, to meet the $18 billion needed globally. As COVID-19 reminded us, global health threats do not respect borders. We must tackle COVID-19, monkeypox and other outbreaks and we must do it together, Thomas-Greenfield said. Security Council reform The U.S. will seek to advance efforts to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including forging consensus around sensible and credible proposals to expand Security Council membership, Thomas-Greenfield said. The UNSC is composed of five permanent members with veto rights China, France, Russia, the U.S., and the U.K., and 10 non-permanent members elected by UNGA. While UNSC reform is a decadeslong recurring narrative at the world body, the U.S. has only recently said that it wants to work on it, Gowan said. I don't think the Biden administration has a very clear plan for what sort of reforms he would like to see to the U.N. Charter, Gowan said. But since Russia's assaults on Ukraine in February, a lot of diplomats in New York have been asking if this organization is fit for [its] purpose, and the U.S. is responding to that general sense that you do need some reforms to the U.N. in light of this conflict. Gowan added that by showing its open to reform, the Biden administration can corner China and Russia by highlighting their reluctance to reform the council where they have the right to veto important decisions on global security. Thomas-Greenfield noted that the U.S. has and will continue to refrain from wielding its veto power except in rare, extraordinary circumstances. Since 2009, Russia has cast 26 vetoes, 12 of which they were joined with China, and the U.S. has only used our veto four times since 2009, she said. She said Biden will consult with other leaders during the assemblys high-level session to reach consensus on expanding the council. Observers say prospects of UNSC reform are dim. A key point of contention is whether new permanent seats should be created and whether they should have veto power. Proposals are under discussion to create a new category of permanent members without veto rights. In Cameroon, hundreds of women are protesting what they say is their underrepresentation in the country's efforts at peace, despite making up more than half the population. Women say they are most affected by the separatist conflict in Cameroons western regions as well as by Boko Haram terrorism on the border with Nigeria. In a song now referred to as their anthem, Cameroonian women ask to be given a greater opportunity to contribute to peacemaking and development. The women chanted the song several times Tuesday in Cameroons capital, Yaounde, as part of activities connected to the United Nations International Day of Peace, observed on September 21. The government says similar protests took place in the towns of Bamenda, Buea and Maroua. Among the protesters was Muma Bih Yvonne, co-founder of the Cameroon Women's Peace Movement. Mumah says women are underrepresented in the central African states efforts to establish peace in troubled spots. "The major national dialogue was held. When we took statistics, the representation of women was less than 15 percent. We recommend the continuing of dialogue until we have the sustainable peace that we all dream of." Cameroon's anglophone rebels want to create a breakaway state they call Ambazonia, separate from Cameroon's French-speaking majority. The U.N. says the rebel conflict has killed more than 3,300 people and displaced more than a half-million since fighting broke out in 2017. Cameroon organized what was called a major national dialogue in 2019 in hopes of resolving the separatist conflict in its two English-speaking western regions. The women say the conflict continues in part because their voices were not heard at the dialogue. The women on Monday also launched what they call the first-ever Women's Negotiations for Peace in Cameroon. Sonkeng Rachel, one of the organizers, says in crisis situations, women who are always considered by their communities as mothers of humanity, positive influencers and people having high moral standards, integrity and discipline should be given opportunities to speak. Sonkeng says fighters and government troops should immediately call a cease-fire before having a dialogue among themselves for sustainable peace to return to Cameroon. Sonkeng said women will meet with both fighters and government troops to negotiate an end to the separatist crisis in Cameroon's western regions as part of the new peace initiative. Sonkeng said women have proven that they can be the main peace negotiators because females provide humanitarian needs to affected populations, including wounded soldiers and fighters. She said while men flee or are involved in armed battles, women educate fighters and government troops on the necessity of building peace. The women's peace initiative is supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, a nonprofit body funded by the German government. The foundations representative in Cameroon, Nina Netzer, says the more women are included in official negotiations and in peace treaties and peace accords, the likelier it is for Cameroon to have sustainable agreements. "If any kind of continuous dialogue and negotiations are coming up, it is very important to have at least 50 percent of women negotiators because they can build bridges in between different actors, bridges in between government and non-state armed groups. Women have achieved crucial milestones." In February, the International Crisis Group reported that Cameroonian women and children have suffered disproportionately in the separatist conflict. The conflict, which began in 2017, has claimed more than 3,300 lives and displaced over 750,000 people according to the U.N. Meanwhile, the Boko Haram conflict, which started 13 years ago in northeast Nigeria, has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced two million across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The Cameroonian government says it has taken note of the womens plight but did not explain how it intends to address the issue. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, several nations that have long had a British monarch as their head of state are pondering charting a new course to become republics. In the Americas, this includes Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and the Bahamas, following the decision by Barbados to shed the monarchy earlier this year. Republicanism has also been on the rise in Australia, where a vote on leaving the monarchy could be held in coming years, according to some experts. But what about in Canada, a culturally diverse nation with a substantial proportion of French speakers? Observers say the process for abolishing the monarchy in Canada would be nearly impossible to launch in the short term. Abolishing the monarchy would require a feat of political maneuvering that has rarely been seen throughout the years, requiring unanimous agreement among the House of Commons, the Senate and all of the provincial legislatures, wrote Amanda Connolly from Canadas Global News, in a September 18 article about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ruling out such an effort in the near future. Canadas Indigenous people, who long suffered under colonialism and continue to experience its aftereffects to this day, nevertheless issued several statements of condolences to the British people after the queens death. While not calling for the abolition of the monarchy, Indigenous leaders have expressed concern that King Charles III could be less likely to support them in the process of reconciling the colonial past. French Canadians are seen as less enamored with the monarchy than many of their English-speaking compatriots. French Canadians trace their history back to the colonization of what is now Canada by France before the British conquered French-held lands and expelled many French-speaking inhabitants. Robert Lacey is a British historian who wrote The Crown: The Inside History. Most English-speaking Canadians will probably accept King Charles as their new head of state, Lacey told VOA. But whether French Canadians welcome him seems less certain. French Canadians are generally most indifferent or negative toward the monarchy, said Philippe Lagasse, who teaches international affairs at Ottawas Carleton University, speaking with VOA. This reflects the fact that the monarchy has come to be associated with assimilation, the historical oppression of the French population and, most importantly, a modernizing impulse that accompanied Quebec's Quiet Revolution in the 1960, which saw the [Catholic] church's influence greatly diminished and Quebec nationalism rise. But despite significant pockets of resistance to the monarchy in Canada, Lagasse sees no easy path to ending it. The monarchy will endure in Canada as long as it lasts in the United Kingdom, he said. The process for ending the monarchy in Canada is so onerous that the only plausible path to a republic is if the United Kingdom becomes a republic and forces a change on Canada. Asked what leaders in Ottawa might think, Lagasse noted, The reaction is muted at the moment. A lot will depend on the kinds of decisions that the king makes about his role and the Crown's presence in the realms. If the king courts controversy, that will cause concern. At the moment, though, it is too early to tell. Political scientist David Johnson of Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia said whether or not to retain the monarchy is a topic of discussion. Some Canadians said, We dont get to vote on this? We dont get a say in what happens? The answer is no, we dont get a say in this, Johnson told VOA. The monarchy is the natural default mode to the Canadian constitution. If we want to change that we have to rip out the hardware and software and put in new hardware and software. He added that republicans outnumber monarchists but that many Canadians are indifferent. The problem for the republican movement is to mobilize and work toward a constitutional amendment and that is difficult, Johnson said. There has never been a prime minister or premier who came to power on an abolition platform, not even [in] Quebec. "The ascension of King Charles III to the throne does not change anything for Canada," said Vismay Buch, a University of Toronto undergraduate student with an international relations focus. "He will be following the centuries-old tradition of the British Monarch being the Canadian Head of State. A poll in April found two-thirds of Canadians viewed Queen Elizabeth II favorably but that 51% did not favor Canada continuing as a constitutional monarchy. Reports that Eritrea is mass-mobilizing reserve troops has raised international concerns that the reignited war in Ethiopia's Tigray region could quickly escalate. A Tigrayan forces spokesman said Tuesday that Eritrean troops have launched a "full-scale offensive" supported by Ethiopian forces. Eritrean and Ethiopian officials have yet to comment on the reports or a series of airstrikes this month that hospital officials say killed Tigrayan civilians. In a tweet, a spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front said Eritrean forces have launched a full-scale attack in parts of the Tigray region with the help of forces from the Amhara and Afar regions. Getachew Reda said TPLF forces were defending their positions against their enemies. The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mike Hammer, ended his visit to Ethiopia last week, the third visit since he was appointed in June. In a news briefing Tuesday, Hammer said Eritrea must stop interfering with its neighbor's internal affairs. "We've been tracking Eritrean troop movement across the border, they are extremely concerning and we condemn it. All external foreign actors should respect Ethiopia's territorial integrity and avoid fueling the conflict. We couldn't be any clearer. We've said this repeatedly," Hammer said. "We will encourage those who might be able to communicate directly with Asmara that this is of extreme concern and must stop." Eritrea supported the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed when the war between Ethiopia and the TPLF broke out in November 2020. Tigray officials accuse Eritrea of committing rights violations against its people, a claim it denies. Hassan Khannenje, head of the Horn Institute for Strategic Studies, said Eritrea's mobilization of troops is guided by the government's fear of conflict spreading into its territory. "There is a sense that Eritrea perhaps expects some kind of incursions or attack from TPLF and so, in part, is an attempt to preempt that by increasing its own readiness as well as being ready to offer whatever support perhaps that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed may need," Khannenje said. A report released Monday by the United Nations Human Rights Council accused all sides of the Tigray conflict of crimes against humanity. It warned that resuming the conflict increased the risk of more crimes against the population. According to the report, the human rights researchers said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Addis Ababa government and its allied regional state administrations have committed and continue to commit crimes against humanity such as ethnic persecution and other inhumane acts. The U.N. investigators said some violations include extrajudicial killings, starvation, rape and sexual violence. A five-month cease-fire in the Tigray conflict came to an end last month. Khannenje said the return of Eritrean troops to Tigray will complicate the peace efforts ahead. "The potential entry of Eritrea into that theater complicates the entire equation when it comes to the search for peace," Khannenje said. "And so it's going to be important that the players, not just within Ethiopia but especially those who are trying to help the parties, come to a negotiated agreement that step the efforts in ensuring that this kind of escalation doesn't take place and that Eritrea is limited with regard to their engagement in Ethiopia." Hammer said the Ethiopian government and Tigray regional administration must resolve their differences through dialogue. "What is important here is that the parties recognize the United States is trying to serve their best interest, the best interest of Ethiopia, which is again to begin a process that allows them through dialogue to resolve outstanding complex and difficult political issues that the fighting is not going to yield victory for either side," Hammer said. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions by the war. Russians have held Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Ukrainian journalist employed by VOAs sister network Radio Free Europe, in captivity in Crimea for 18 months. He was arrested on charges of illegal possession of weapons, which he denies. In February, he was sentenced to a penal colony. Some human rights organizations believe he is a political prisoner. Iryna Solomko has the story. Law enforcement authorities in Hong Kong have charged the chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association with obstructing police while covering a story earlier this month. Ronson Chan is set to appear in court on Thursday. The hearing comes after two plainclothes police officers stopped Chan and a videographer September 7 for suspicious behavior as they covered a story in the citys Mongkok district for independent news outlet Channel C. Chan said he was arrested for not following police instructions. The journalist told VOA he was detained and spent 11 hours in a police station. He was able to post bail of about $63. His colleague was not arrested. Now, the 41-year-old veteran journalist is awaiting a decision on a request to have his case delayed for about six months. Ronson is due to join a Reuters Institute journalist fellowship beginning September 29 in Oxford, England. Neither Chan's phone nor passport was seized during his arrest. Chan said it was not clear whether he would have to enter a plea in court or whether the presiding judge would allow him to remain free while the case is pending. I suppose I dont have to plead guilty or not guilty at that moment; its just a mention, but the magistrate judge has to decide whether they give me bail or not. I dont think I have to go to jail now. I may get the bail, but I dont have the confidence that they will give me half a year, Chan added. Obstructing a police officer in Hong Kong carries a sentence of up to two years in prison. If I dont get a half-a-year bail, my plan to go to Oxford will have some changes," he acknowledged. Prior run-ins This is not the first time that authorities have sought Chan. Chan is the former editor of the now-defunct Stand News. He closed the online news site in December after authorities raided the newsroom and arrested seven staff members as part of a sedition investigation. Chan was questioned but not charged. The journalist has been chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association since July 2021. In recent years, the association has faced pressure from pro-Beijing politicians and media, alleging the press group has links to activist organizations. Hong Kongs media environment has faced challenging times since Beijing imposed a national security law two years ago following anti-government protests in 2019. The law strictly prohibits acts deemed as secession, subversion and foreign collusion. Since the legislation came into force, media outlets have been shut down, and local journalists have been arrested, charged and jailed. Some international reporters have had their visa renewal requests denied. Although sedition charges have been used to target Hong Kong's media, it is not among the offenses listed under the security law. Recent court judgments, however, have enabled authorities to use its powers under a colonial-era sedition law to target suspects. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders latest rankings for its World Press Freedom Index in 2022 saw Hong Kong descend from 80th place to 148th, with 1 being the freest, and 177 being not free. Western critics have said Hong Kongs media freedoms have deteriorated since the security law came into effect and seditious charges have been used to target dissidents. On Tuesday, local media reported a Hong Kong man was arrested outside the British consulate for alleged seditious intention after he played Glory to Hong Kong on a harmonica. Demonstrators often sang the song during anti-government protests. For the first time in India, a domestically-made vaccine that provides protection against cervical cancerthe second-most common type of cancer afflicting women in the countrywill be accessible to the majority of the population, including the poorest, according to leading healthcare professionals. The vaccine, Cervavac, is produced by The Serum Institute of India (SII), the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer. The vaccine shot is expected to launch by December this year, SII chief executive Adar Poonawalla said in a statement Tuesday. Cervavac will make India self-sufficient in controlling female mortality caused by cervical cancer. The government of India will induct it in the national [vaccination] program in a few months, Poonawalla said. The vaccine protects against the Human Papilloma Virus, the main cause of cervical cancer and a potential cause of other cancers. SSI says it will be accessible to both men and women at a price range of 200 to 400 rupeesabout $2.50 to $5. Dr. Smita Joshi, leader of the SIIs HPV vaccine study, said The vaccine will be chiefly beneficial for girls aged 9 to 15 or women who are not yet sexually active. If we vaccinate adolescent girls now, its effect on reducing the cancer burden in the country will be seen within three to four decades, she said. According to Joshi, the effectiveness of the vaccine is lower among adult women, who will require cervical cancer screeningspreferably with an HPV testfollowed by appropriate management for those who test positive for sexually transmitted HPV. Dr. Mayoukh Kumar Chakraborty, assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Kolkatas KPC Medical College & Hospital, said even though three highly effective foreign-manufactured HPV vaccines are already available in India, the cheapest of them is priced around $35 per dose. So, HPV vaccination was not included in the national immunization program following its introduction in 2008, he said. In a statement, SII said it is offering Cervavac at a lower price because of the companys philanthropic philosophy and to protect under-privileged children all over the world. According to Indias Science and Technology Ministry, cervical cancer kills about 75,000 Indian women per year. Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked awareness regarding preventative healthcare and India can now afford to start developing its own vaccines. Therefore, vaccination against HPV is the most promising initiative in the quest to prevent cervical cancer, he said. Joshi, who also leads the World Health Organizations HPV vaccine study at Jehangir Clinical Development Center in the city of Pune, said: The awareness about cervical cancer prevention in India, which includes vaccination and cervical cancer screening, is dismally low. There are many misconceptions regarding the disease, even among the educated population and healthcare providers, she said. It is advised that adolescent girls get HPV vaccinations, and that women between the ages of 30 to 49 get cervical cancer screenings, even if they have no symptoms, she added. Chakraborty, the gynecologist, said the upcoming Indian vaccine is expected to be effective. The countrys drug regulatory authority examined the data of Cervavacs immunogenicity trials conducted at 13 centers across India and approved the vaccine in July. It is expected to generate a robust response in 100% of the vaccine recipients, according to the third phase of the trials, he said. Joshi added: Through this initiative, the goal of eliminating cervical cancer from the country may be attainable. Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala, who has been an ovarian cancer survivor for ten years, thanked the Ministry of Science and Technology at the event announcing the impending launch of Cervavac. It is a great day for women in India and the world over, as there is life beyond cancer, she said. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in Russias war on Ukraine. All times EDT. 9:03 p.m.: Robert Lewandowski increased his support for Ukraine on Tuesday when the Poland captain pledged to take an armband in the countrys blue-yellow flag colors to the World Cup in November, The Associated Press reported. Lewandowski first showed his opposition to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine within days of it starting in February. He called for Poland to boycott playing Russia in a World Cup qualifying game. The two-time FIFA world player of the year received his gift from Ukraine great Andriy Shevchenko at Polands national stadium in Warsaw. Thank you Andriy. It was a pleasure to meet you! Lewandowski wrote on his Instagram accoun t. It will be an honor for me to carry this captains armband in the colors of Ukraine to the World Cup. The star forwards public stance helped ensure Poland did not play Russia in a World Cup qualification playoffs semifinal scheduled in Warsaw on March 24. We cant pretend that nothing is happening, Lewandowski said then, two days before FIFA and UEFA banned Russian teams from international competitions effectively removing Russia from the World Cup. After Poland advanced through the playoffs to the World Cup in Qatar, Ukraine lost to Wales in a playoffs final postponed until June to help the team prepare amid the war that shut down domestic soccer. 8:04 p.m.: In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, Ive just taken part in a high-level meeting on food security. This meeting took place within the regular U.N. General Assembly. The topic of food security is strategically important for our country. This is where we have and must retain a global role. This is what gives us economic strength and strengthens our moral leadership. The leadership of people who help others even when they themselves are in extremely difficult circumstances, he said. Zelenskyy added, Tomorrow I will participate in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Obviously, in a video format. But no matter what the format is, the position of our state will sound, as always, clearly and strongly. 7:19 p.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused the European Union of blocking 300,000 metric tons of Russian fertilizer from reaching the world's poorest countries, Agence France-Presse reported. "The height of cynicism is that even our offer ... to transfer for free 300,000 [metric tons] of Russian fertilizer blocked in European ports because of sanctions to countries that need it is still without an answer," he said in televised remarks. In July, an agreement with Russia and Ukraine was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, designating three ports for Kyiv to send grain supplies through a Russian blockade. A similar agreement signed at the same time allowed Russia to export its agricultural products and fertilizer despite Western sanctions. Russia is one of the world's major producers of fertilizer. 6:20 p.m.: Russians have held Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Ukrainian journalist employed by VOAs sister network Radio Free Europe, in captivity in Crimea for 18 months. He was arrested on charges of illegal possession of weapons, which he denies. In February, he was sentenced to a penal colony. Some human rights organizations believe he is a political prisoner. VOAs Iryna Solomko has the story. 5:15 p.m.: Ukraine will push for unprecedented and bespoke International Monetary Fund and World Bank packages worth tens of billions of dollars in the coming weeks to shore up its war-ravaged finances, the country's top debt management chief told Reuters. Ukraine's army has regained swathes of its territory from Russia in recent weeks but the financial and humanitarian costs of the nearly eight-month-old war continue to rise. Its budget this month estimated it faces a $38 billion shortfall next year, money that will need to either come from the Western backers and multilaterals or else be printed. Those Western backers and multilaterals are already set to provide around $20 billion this year. The International Monetary Fund looks ready to give it a boost by allowing countries struggling with global food price increases - a group that includes Ukraine - to draw more money from its main rapid financing facility. 4:23 p.m.: Kyiv residents braved the cold to queue for hours on Tuesday as McDonald's opened three branches in the Ukrainian capital that had been shut since the Russian invasion began nearly seven months ago, Reuters reported. The branches only opened for delivery services but customers waited outside the restaurants anyway to collect their meals from the motorcycle couriers who were next to them. For some, it offered a taste of what life was like before the invasion, and the reopening stood in marked contrast to Russia, where McDonald's has pulled out its business after a Western backlash against the war. 3:40 p.m.: VOA got exclusive access to an Island-class patrol boat provided to Ukraine by the U.S. VOAs Myroslava Gongadze joined the Ukrainian navy on patrol in the Black Sea near the Odesa Coast. 3:25 p.m.: Referendums organized by Russia in territories it occupies in Ukraine are worth nothing and Poland will not recognize the results, the Polish president said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. "(The referendums) are worth nothing - the truth is that the result is decided in the Kremlin and not by voting," Andrzej Duda told reporters during a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. 2:30 p.m.: 2:15 p.m.: Democratic and Republican senators urged U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday to impose secondary sanctions on international banks to strengthen a price cap G-7 countries plan to impose on Russian oil over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen and Republican Senator Pat Toomey introduced legislation imposing the secondary sanctions, which would target financial institutions involved in trade finance, insurance, reinsurance and brokerage of Russia oil and petroleum products sold at prices exceeding the cap. The two senators are both members of the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees sanctions policy. They said the ability to target banks would make it harder for Russia to evade the price cap by making deals with countries not formally participating in the G-7 scheme. 2:05 p.m.: Germany and Slovenia have sealed a deal that will see Slovenia send 28 tanks of Soviet-era design to Ukraine and get 40 modern military trucks from Germany, The Associated Press reported. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht agreed to sign a letter of intent on the deal with her Slovenian counterpart Marjan Sarec, her ministry said Tuesday. It didnt specify when the vehicles will be delivered. The agreement foresees Slovenian handing over 28 M-55S tanks to Ukraine and getting 40 military trucks, including five tankers. Germany has been keen to promote such deals under which eastern NATO allies hand off Soviet-era equipment to Kyiv and get modern equipment from Germany. 1:55 p.m.: Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, noting that the war between Russia and Ukraine is escalating, VOAs U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported. We are investing tremendous efforts in order to ensure that the war will be finalized by protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine once and for all, Erdogan said. We would like to launch an appeal to all the international organizations and the countries of the world to support the peaceful initiatives of Turkey to settle this dispute once and for all, he said. We need a dignified way out of this crisis and that can be possible only through a diplomatic solution which is rationale, which is fair and which is applicable," he added. 1:40 p.m.: 1:20 p.m.: U.S President Joe Biden will deliver a firm rebuke to Russia's war in Ukraine during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. 1:05 p.m.: Any referendums on joining Russia in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories would destroy any remaining window for talks between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukrainian publication Liga.net cited the Ukrainian president's office spokesman as saying on Tuesday, Reuters reported. "Without the referendums, there is still the smallest chance for a diplomatic solution. After the referendums - no," Liga.net quoted Serhiy Nykyforov as saying. He made the comments in response to Russian-installed officials in four occupied Ukrainian regions announcing plans for referendums over the next week on formally joining Russia. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter later that any referendums should be met by an increase in economic sanctions on Russia and arms supplies to Ukraine, including ATACMS missiles that have a longer range than any known Ukrainian weapon system at present. 12:50 p.m.: Both the U.S. Defense Department and NATO have rejected what they call sham referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, VOAs National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin reported Tuesday. 12:15 p.m.: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says plans by authorities in the Moscow-occupied territories of Ukraine to hold "sham" referendums must be rejected by the international community, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Tuesday. Scholz's comments came after Russian news agencies reported on September 20 that the so-called public council in Ukraine's Kherson region -- large parts of which have been under Moscow's military control since March -- urged the Russia-imposed authorities to "immediately" hold a referendum on the region joining the Russian Federation. Moscow has been moving ahead with plans to hold referendums on joining Russia in the occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya. A day earlier, groups calling themselves public councils also urged Russia-backed separatists who have controlled parts of Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014 to hold referendums on joining Russia. "It is very, very clear that these sham referendums cannot be accepted and are not covered by international law," Scholz told reporters as he attended the UN General Assembly. 11:50 a.m.: Moscow's planned referendums seeking to annex additional territory in Ukraine will have no impact, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday after Russian-backed officials in some Ukrainian territories unfurled the requests, Reuters reported. The Russians can do whatever they want. It will not change anything," Kuleba said in response to reporters' questions at the start of a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Earlier Tuesday Kuleba said on Twitter that Ukraine had every right to liberate its territories." 11:35 a.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday blasted what he described as U.S. efforts to preserve its global domination and ordered officials to boost weapons production amid the fighting in Ukraine, The Associated Press reported. Speaking while receiving credentials from foreign ambassadors to Moscow, Putin said the objective development toward a multipolar world faces resistance of those who try to preserve their hegemony in global affairs and control everything Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He added that the hegemon has succeeded in doing so for quite a long time, but it cant go on forever ... regardless of the developments in Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly cast his decision to send troops into Ukraine as a response to alleged Western encroachment on Russias vital security interests. The Russian leader described Western sanctions against Russia over its action in Ukraine as part of efforts by the U.S. and its allies to strengthen their positions, but charged that that they have backfired against their organizers and also hurt poor countries. As for Russia, we wont deviate from our sovereign course, Putin said. 11:20 a.m.: U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday addressed world leaders gathered at the annual U.N. General Assembly, painting a grave picture of threats to the global community including war, food security, and economic inequality but saying solutions lie in multilateral diplomacy. 11:05 a.m.: After battling supply chain issues, potato shortages and a hefty rebranding job, the successor to McDonald's Corp's business in Russia says it expects to have all 850 restaurants open by the end of the year, Reuters reported. Oleg Paroev, CEO of Vkusno & tochka, or "Tasty and that's it," painted a positive picture of the company's first 100 days, but withheld specific details on sales, revenue, new products and import markets. McDonald's quit Russia after a Western backlash against Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, which included a barrage of economic sanctions, and sold all the restaurants it owned to a local licensee, Alexander Govor, in May. Vkusno & tochka's results have exceeded company expectations since the reopening, but the challenges were also "much more complicated" than initially envisaged, Paroev said. 10:40 a.m.: The Ukrainian town of Izium was captured by Russian forces in March and retaken by the Ukrainian Army in early September. Izyium's residents told reporters with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about their desperate lives under Russian occupation A Ukrainian man said 62 people hid in a basement used as a bomb shelter during World War II. A local woman said that for much of the occupation, people stayed hidden underground as Russian troops went door-to-door with lists of people they were hunting. 10:25 a.m.: Germanys natural gas storage facilities are now more than 90% full in preparation for the winter heating season and rising steadily despite Russia cutting off deliveries through a major pipeline, The Associated Press reported. The head of the national network regulator, Klaus Mueller, tweeted late Monday that gas storage had achieved another milestone and that the stored gas will help in managing any potential gas emergencies and will flow back into the market. He cautioned that nevertheless, we must continue to save gas. The fuel heats homes, powers factories and generates electricity. The government tightened storage requirements in July after Russias state-owned Gazprom started reducing supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which has contributed to soaring gas prices. Germany introduced a requirement for storage to be 75% full by Sept. 1 and raised the targets for October and November to 85% and 95%, respectively, from 80% and 90%. The November target is roughly equal to the amount of gas that Germany used in January and February this year, when temperatures were relatively mild. Russia hasnt delivered any gas through Nord Stream 1 since the end of August as tensions mount over the war in Ukraine. 10:15 a.m.: Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has urged EU officials to avoid talk of further sanctions on Russia over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, repeating Budapest's warnings that such moves hurt the bloc's 27 members, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Szijjarto said in a statement that "The EU should...stop mentioning an eighth package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis." Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO, but is especially reliant on Russian gas and to a lesser extent oil. Hungarian leaders including Prime Minister Viktor Orban have criticized Moscow's decision to attack Ukraine but resisted punitive measures including gas, oil, and other sanctions while also meeting repeatedly with Russian leaders. 10:05 a.m.: 9:55 a.m.: Russian proxies in the eastern Donetsk region are trying to mobilize 500 factory workers, the Kyiv Independent reported Tuesday, citing Ukrainian military officials. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Russian proxies in Donetsk (region) canceled the mobilization deferment for around 500 Yenakiyeve Metallurgical Factory workers, it reported. The General Staff also reported that men are no longer allowed to leave Russian-occupied Crimea without the permission of military commissariats, the Kyiv Independent added. 9:40 a.m.: Russia on Tuesday gave support to plans by separatists which it backs in Ukraine to hold referendums paving the way for the annexation of swathes of additional territory, a direct challenge to the West that could sharply escalate the conflict, Reuters reported. In what appeared to be choreographed requests, Russian-backed officials across 15% of Ukrainian territory lined up to request referendums on joining Russia. Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson officials said the referendums would take place in just days - on Friday September 23 through to Monday Septeber 27. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions, with only around 60% of Donetsk region in Russian hands. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, said he would support the folding in of parts of Ukraine that voted to join Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, backed the referendums, which he said would change the path of Russian history and allow the Kremlin more options for defense of what he said would become Russian territory. "Encroachment onto Russian territory is a crime which allows you to use all the forces of selfdefense," Medvedev said in a post on Telegram. "This is why these referendums are so feared in Kyiv and the West." "It is equally important that after the amendments to the constitution of our state, no future leader of Russia, no official will be able to reverse these decisions." Asked about the referendums, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "From the very start of the operation... we said that the peoples of the respective territories should decide their fate, and the whole current situation confirms that they want to be masters of their fate." Ukraine said the threat of referendums was "naive blackmail" and a sign Russia was running scared. "This is what the fear of defeat looks like. The enemy is afraid, and obfuscates primitively," said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Ukraine will solve the Russian issue. The threat can only be eliminated by force." 9:10 a.m.: The Institute for the Study of War noted in its most recent report that Russian forces do not control all of Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where separatists say they will stage a referendum this week on joining Russia. This approach is incoherent, ISW said. 8:55 a.m.: The Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region will stage a referendum on joining Russia between September23-27, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday, citing local Russian-installed officials. Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics also said on Tuesday they will hold votes to join Russia on the same dates, September 23-27, Reuters reported. Russia recognized Luhansk and Donetsk as independent countries at the start of its invasion in February, and now says securing their territory is the main purpose of its "special military operation". 8:35 a.m.: Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Russian weapons were showing great effectiveness in Ukraine and that the country needs to enhance the capacity of its arms industry, Reuters reported. 8:15 a.m.: 8:05 a.m.: Russia's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination if they are committed during military mobilization or combat situations, Reuters reported. The bill, passed in its second and third readings on Tuesday by the lower house of parliament, the Duma, comes amid debate inside Russia about a possible mobilization, a step which could significantly escalate the conflict in Ukraine. "Until today, the Russian criminal code did not have the concepts of 'mobilization' or 'combat operations'," Pavel Chikov, head of the Agora law firm, which has represented a series of high-profile legal cases in Russia, told Reuters. According to a copy of the bill, seen by Reuters, voluntary surrender would become a crime for Russian military personnel, punishable by 10 years in prison. The Kremlin said last week that there was no discussion of a nationwide mobilization to bolster the military campaign in Ukraine, days after a surprise Ukrainian offensive forced Russia from almost all of Kharkiv region. But some Russian politicians and some nationalists have called for a full mobilization. 7:50 a.m.: 7:30 a.m.: One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's top allies said on Tuesday he favored holding referendums in two eastern Ukrainian regions in order to formally make them part of Russia, a move that would seriously escalate Moscow's confrontation with the West, Reuters reported. The statement by Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who is currently deputy chairman of the Security Council, marks a hardening of Russian rhetoric on Ukraine and is the strongest sign yet that the Kremlin is considering going ahead with a plan that Ukraine and the West have said would be illegal. He made his comments as Putin ponders his next steps in a nearly seven-month-old conflict that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and after a battlefield defeat in northeast Ukraine. The leaders of the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) a day earlier discussed combining their efforts to hold referendums on joining Russia. Officials in the Russian-controlled southern Kherson region on Tuesday also requested a referendum on joining Russia. 7:20 a.m.: The U.N. migration agency IOM says it is providing emergency assistance to displaced Ukrainians returning to the northeast of the country following the ouster of Russian forces. 7:00 a.m.: Ukrainian officials have announced efforts to urgently stabilize recently retaken eastern territory and stressed the need for rapid gains in order to deny Russia "any foothold on Ukrainian soil" with Russia's invasion nearing the seven-month mark, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on September 19 that Kyiv's forces in the Kharkiv region were "stabilizing the situation [and] holding our positions...so firmly that the occupiers are clearly panicking." "The pace is very important now," Zelenskiy said amid rapidly falling temperatures in the region and concerns about the basic needs of residents who have remained. "The pace of stabilization in the liberated areas. The pace of movement of our troops. The pace of restoration of normal life in the liberated territory." Zelenskiy said last week that around 150,000 Ukrainians had lived under Russian occupation in the Kharkiv region for the past five months. Late on September 19, the deputy prime minister in charge of reintegrating recaptured areas, Iryna Vereshchuk, said that the authorities had launched a pilot program of small cash payments to help residents around Kharkiv. She said each person would receive the equivalent of $33 and thanked the International Red Cross for its financial support of the project. 6:35 a.m.: 6:15 a.m.: Brittney Griner's detention in Russia and the country's invasion of Ukraine has the top WNBA players opting to take their talents elsewhere this offseason, according to The Associated Press. In recent years, Russia was the preferred offseason destination for WNBA players in the offseason because of salaries that can exceed $1 million. But that has come to an abrupt end. "Honestly my time in Russia has been wonderful, but especially with BG still wrongfully detained there, nobodys going to go there until shes home," said Breanna Stewart, a Griner teammate on a Russian team that paid the duo millions. Griner was arrested in February and later convicted on drug possession charges amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She was sentenced last month to nine years in prison. The U.S. State Department has reportedly tried to negotiate Griner's release, as part of a prisoner swap that would also include another American detained in Russia, but so far no deal has been reached. 5:57 a.m.: Izium, in far eastern Ukraine, was among the first cities taken by Russian forces after the war started on Feb. 24 and became a command center for the occupying forces. By early March, the city was almost completely isolated no cell phones, no heat, no power. Residents didnt know what was going on in the war, whether their relatives were alive, whether there was still a Ukraine. They were liberated Sept. 10 in a Ukrainian counteroffensive that swept through the Kharkiv region. But more than a week later, The Associated Press reports, residents are still emerging from the confusion and trauma of six months of occupation. 5:28 a.m.: Millions of windows in Ukraine are estimated to have been broken by artillery blasts and other explosions since Russia invaded at the end of February, according to The New York Times. As fall and winter approach, the shattered glass is creating yet another problem for Ukrainians: How to patch up their homes and other buildings to keep out the cold. 4:52 a.m.: British Prime Minister Liz Truss will pledge at a U.N. summit to meet or exceed the $2.6 billion of military aid spent on Ukraine in 2022 in the next year, doubling down on her support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion, according to Reuters. Truss, on her first international visit as prime minister, will call on other leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York to help end Russia's energy stranglehold on Europe. "My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security," she said in a statement before her speech to the summit. Truss will also meet U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday. 3:40 a.m.: 2:30 a.m.: Officials in two self-declared separatist regions in eastern Ukraine are calling on Russia to annex the territories, as Ukrainian forces continue to extend their recent gains, The Washington Post reported. The actions by authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk peoples republics are a sign of panic that Moscow's war in Ukraine is failing, the Post said, as Russia may be at risk of losing territory it had previously controlled in the eastern Donbas region. 1:15 a.m.: 12:30 a.m.: Russia has highly likely lost at least four combat jets in Ukraine within the last 10 days, taking its attrition to about 55 since the beginning of its invasion, the British military said, Reuters reported. There is a realistic possibility that the uptick in losses was partially a result of the Russian Air Force accepting greater risk in a move to provide close air support to Russian ground forces under pressure from Ukrainian advances, the Defence Ministry said in its daily intelligence on Twitter. Russian pilots situational awareness is often poor, it said. "There is a realistic possibility that some aircraft have strayed over enemy territory and into denser air defense zones as the front lines have moved rapidly." 12 a.m.: Ukrainian forensic experts have so far exhumed 146 bodies, mostly civilians, at a mass burial site near the town of Izium in eastern Ukraine and some bear signs of a violent death, the regional governor said, according to Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said some 450 bodies are believed to have been buried at the site in a forest on the outskirts of Izium, which was recently recaptured by Ukrainian forces during a counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region. Oleh Synehubov, governor of Kharkiv region, said the exhumed bodies included two children. "Some of the dead have signs of a violent death. There are bodies with tied hands and traces of torture. The deceased were also found to have explosive, shrapnel and stab wounds," Synehubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The forensic experts, dressed in white protective suits and wearing rubber gloves, have been working methodically for days to exhume and identify the bodies, whose makeshift graves were marked by flimsy wooden crosses. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday rejected Ukraine's allegations as a "lie." Residents have previously said some of the graves in the forest were of people who died in a Russian airstrike. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Pakistan's foreign minister said Monday that recent deadly floods are a disaster on a scale the country has never experienced, and that recovery will cost at least $30 billion. "It is said that in the story of Noah that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and I mean that's the sort of scale we are looking at here," Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, referencing the biblical story of the man who built an ark when flood waters came. The monsoon rains started in mid-June and continued through August. The powerful floods they triggered displaced millions of people and swept away homes and livelihoods. A third of the country has been submerged; more than 1,500 people perished. The World Health Organization warned of a second disaster if there are outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will send $50 million in assistance for emergency relief. The foreign minister told VOA in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly that recovery and reconstruction will be "colossal" and cost far more about $30 billion. Bhutto Zardari said he was not "a huge climate activist" before the floods, but having seen it firsthand, believes global warming is an "extremely existential crisis." "The issue of climate change, and many other challenges that we face, can't be handled by any one country alone," he added. "So we look forward to working with our international partners on these pressing issues." That, he said, includes finding ways to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis on countries like his own that emit relatively small amounts of greenhouse gases but suffer the largest impacts. The floods come as the country is already in the midst of a financial crisis and is feeling the impact of lost Ukrainian grain imports due to Russia's war. Pakistan has tried to take a neutral stance on the conflict, abstaining in a vote in the U.N. General Assembly on March 2 that overwhelmingly saw nations condemn Moscow's invasion of its neighbor. "I think we are adamant that we don't want to get drawn into any such conflict at this time," Bhutto Zardari said. His message to the international community is that dialogue and diplomacy are needed. "We've just come out of an incredibly long conflict in the region after what happened in Afghanistan," he said. "And we just don't think this should be the age of new conflicts." As for neighboring Afghanistan, which the Taliban took over 13 months ago, while Islamabad engages with the de facto authorities, they have not recognized them as the official government. "I think Pakistan, along with a lot of the international community, are looking for the interim Afghanistan government to take the appropriate steps to live up to the international obligations necessary so that this recognition process can go forward," he said, adding that it is in the interests of the region and the world if Afghanistan achieves peace and stability. On July 31, a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida, Ayman Zawahri, in a house in the center of the Afghan capital. The Taliban accused Pakistan of allowing the drones to use their airspace. Bhutto Zardari said "there's absolutely no evidence" of this. As for Pakistan's other neighbor, India, he said he has no plans to meet with his counterpart in New York this week, as relations are still sour over India's revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. With Ukraine swiftly recapturing territory in its northeast from Russia, the separatist leaders of the Moscow-controlled Luhansk and Donetsk regions said Tuesday they are planning to hold votes starting late this week for the territories to declare themselves as part of Russia. The announcement of the referendums starting Friday came after Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian leader and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that annexing Luhansk and Donetsk into Russia itself would make the redrawn Ukraine-Russia boundary irreversible and would give Moscow authority to use any means to defend it. Referendum voting in the region, populated by many Russian-speaking people, would most likely go in Moscows favor. But any declaration that the territory is part of Russia would not be recognized by either Ukraine or by the U.S. and its Western allies who have supplied the Kyiv government with billions of dollars in armaments to fend off Moscows seven-month invasion. The White House immediately rejected Russias plans for the referendums, saying they may be an effort by Moscow to recruit troops in the region in the wake of its recent defeats on the battlefront. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Bidens national security adviser, said the referendums violate the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, since the lands in question are part of Ukraine. He said Biden in a Wednesday speech at the United Nations General Assembly would issue a firm rebuke to Russia for its war against Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, Sham referendums have no legitimacy and do not change the nature of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. This is a further escalation in Putins war. The international community must condemn this blatant violation of international law and step up support for Ukraine. If Russia were to claim the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces as its own, it could set the stage for an escalation in the fighting if Ukrainian forces try to take them back. Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk region, said that the long-suffering people of the Donbas have earned the right to be part of the great country that they always considered their motherland. He said the vote will help restore historic justice that millions of the Russian people were waiting for. Ukrainian successes Since early September, Kyivs forces have swiftly recaptured large swaths of land in the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine that Russian troops took over in early weeks of the war. Moscow-backed leaders in the Russian-occupied Kherson region of southern Ukraine and pro-Russia activists in the partly occupied Zaporizhzhia region have also called for referendums on becoming part of Russia. Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by Putin, said on his messaging app channel that votes in separatist regions are important to protect their residents and restore historic justice and would completely change Russias future trajectory. After they are held and the new territories are taken into Russias fold, a geopolitical transformation of the world will become irreversible, said Medvedev, who also served as Russias president from 2008-2012. An encroachment on the territory of Russia is a crime that would warrant any means of self-defense, he said. Medvedev said Russia would enshrine the new territories in its constitution so no future Russian leader could hand them back. That is why they fear those referendums so much in Kyiv and in the West, Medvedev said. That is why they must be held. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that there are no prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is stabilizing the situation in its northeastern Kharkiv region after driving out Russian forces in a counteroffensive, and he called on the international community to speed up aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that at this stage, the pace at which things occur is very important. The pace of stabilization in liberated areas, the pace of movement of our troops, the pace of restoration of normal life in the liberated territory, and the pace of partners' support, he said. We speak about this honestly - the pace of providing aid to Ukraine should correspond to the pace of our movement. British Prime Minister Liz Truss said in a statement Tuesday that next year Britain will match or exceed the $2.6 billion in aid it committed to Ukraine in 2022. Ukraines victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need, Truss said. Slovenia is promising to provide 28 more tanks and Germany said it would ship four additional self-propelled howitzers. Ukrainian forces are also now deploying captured Russian armaments abandoned by Moscows troops as they fled the northeastern part of the country. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Tuesday that abandoned Russian T-72 tanks are now being used by Ukrainian forces to push onward into Luhansk. With world leaders gathering for the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York, Trusss office said she would use her meetings there to solidify Britains commitment to Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty and to catalyze global efforts to stop Russia from profiting off its energy exports while ending energy dependence on authoritarian regimes. Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the U.N. gathering with a pre-recorded message on Wednesday. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Somalia's national army said Tuesday it recaptured the small but strategic town of Booco in the country's central Hiran region from al-Shabab militants. The military said local militia backed them up in this latest offensive against the Islamist militants, who state TV said have controlled the town for 13 years. Somalia National Television (SNTV) reported that Army Chief Brigadier General Odawa Yusuf visited the Hiran region village of Yasoman on Tuesday, where troops also drove out militants with local support. Hiran Governor Hiran Ali Jeyte Osman spoke to VOA by phone. He said Booco was an al-Shabab stronghold that was used as the region's base for their so-called shadow court and to extort money from locals. Osman said in the last two days the army took over the villages of Garisiyani, Booco and Nur-Fanah, as well as many other locations. He said he wants to tell the Somali people that the al-Shabab fighters were cowards who can't compete with the army. The offensive came just a day after Somalia's government said the military forced al-Shabab out of 30 villages in clashes this month that killed more than 200 militants. Somalia's Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur praised local militias who backed the military in the fights against al-Shabab. Somalia's Information Ministry in a statement Monday night acknowledged the army had received air support from the U.S. during the offensives in Hiran. Somalia has been workimg to defeat the al-Shabab terrorist group for 15 years. Last month, the group attacked an international hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, killing 20 people and wounding more than 100. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud responded to the deadly siege by announcing a "total war" against the militants. The United States has been increasing its military activities in Palau in recent months amid rising tensions with China, according to Palau's top diplomat who is visiting the United States ahead of the first U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit next week in Washington. Palau Minister of State Gustav Aitaro urged countries to find alternative Pacific shipping routes in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan that would make the Taiwan Strait an unsafe international shipping lane. "Recently, we've had a lot of visits from the U.S. military to Palau: constructing radar systems in Palau, constructing airports, which does not mean providing us [with] guaranteed security, but at least it's a deterrence measure," Aitaro said during an event on Monday hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Aitaro said "if the conflict [in the Taiwan Strait] does arise, the next alternative route is through Palau to Japan," and that's why it's important for Palau, Japan and the United States to have a sit-down discussion on potential scenarios. "Deal with it before it happens. Let's not wait till it's too late," Aitaro added. Palau is one of the few countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Aitaro's remarks came as U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. In an interview Sunday with the CBS News program "60 Minutes," Biden, for the fourth time since taking office in 2021, said the United States would respond militarily to a Chinese attempt to take over Taiwan by force. Peace, stability across Taiwan Strait "The president's remarks speak for themselves. I do think our policy has been consistent and is unchanged and will continue," said Kurt Campbell, White House National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific. "Our primary goal is the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, to secure and stabilize the status quo, to make sure that there is a healthy dialogue and discussion, try to avoid escalation situations of inadvertence," Campbell added during the same event that took place in New York on Monday. The Taiwan Strait is one of the busiest shipping lanes and the primary route for ships from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan heading to Europe, the United States and all markets along the way. This year, 88% of largest container ships passed through it. Freely associated states The Republic of Palau is located close to the U.S. territories of Guam and is one of the Freely Associated States (FAS) situated closest to the South China Sea. FAS refers to Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia that had signed treaties with the United States. Under the soon-to-expire treaties known as Compacts of Free Association, the three Pacific Island nations receive grant aid and security guarantees from the U.S. government. FAS citizens can live and work in the U.S. without a visa. In exchange, the United States has the right to build military bases in these three island nations and can deny outsider access to those countries' waters, airspace and land. A State Department internal document from April said supporting U.S. military efforts, "especially given plans to base vital radar sites in the country, as well as an increased tempo of U.S. military training and exercises," are among the top priorities of the U.S. embassy in Palau. US-Pacific Island Country Summit Next week, the White House will host its first U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit. Scheduled from September 28 to 29, officials said the two-day, in-person summit shows the United States' enduring partnership with Pacific Island nations on key issues that include maritime security, climate change, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. Biden will host a dinner with leaders of Pacific Island countries at the White House. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will host a session on climate change at the State Department. Other meetings include sessions at the Chamber of Commerce, USAID, the Pentagon, the Department of Interior, Homeland Security and at the headquarters of the Coast Guard, where new initiatives will be announced. Senior U.S. officials had raised alarm of Chinese ambitions to seek a military footprint in the Indo-Pacific, while admitting that next week's summit is part of Washington's plan to remedy a lack of strategic approach to Pacific Island nations. After decades of relative inattention from policymakers in Washington and Beijing, the Pacific Islands region is emerging as an arena of strategic competition, which has significant implications for U.S. security interests, according to a report by the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace (USIP.) Citing recent developments that caused the U.S. concerns in the region, such as a secret security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China that's seen as likely laying the groundwork for a Chinese military presence, the USIP report suggested Washington can start investing more in its closest partners such as the FAS to limit China's influence in the region. Recent instances in which former U.S. President Donald Trump appears to embrace the QAnon conspiracy theory are raising concern among some lawmakers, veteran law enforcement officials and cult experts. Trump shared a picture of himself wearing a Q lapel pin, overlaid with the QAnon phrases The Storm is Coming and WWG1WGA, (an acronym for Where We Go One, We Go All) on his Truth Social account September 12. Trump has amplified at least 50 separate QAnon-promoting accounts since joining and actively using his Truth Social online platform, according to Alex Kaplan, senior researcher at Media Matters for America, a left-wing media watchdog. Just in case it wasnt abundantly CLEAR at this point, President Trump himself is making it UNDENIABLE that he is 100% aligning with the Q operation, John Sabal, an organizer of QAnon-focused conferences, posted on his Telegram channel. Sabal has previously stated the U.S. military is obligated to remove President Joe Biden from office, who the conspiracy theorist termed a rouge actor. QAnon debuted five years ago on a fringe online platform. Cryptic and false statements were repeatedly posted by an anonymous commentator known as Q, who claimed to be a U.S. government insider. Many followers of the movement, based on those postings, came to believe Trump is engaged in a secret war against deep state enemies, including former Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in 2016. According to the bizarre conspiracy, Clinton and other Democrats are part of a cabal of devil worshippers who abduct children to abuse and even eat. The former president, while not openly parroting that belief, does frequently espouse without credible evidence other related conspiracy theories, including that the 2020 presidential election results were altered to deny him a second term. A vile group of corrupt, power-hungry globalists, socialists and liberal extremists in Washington has been waging war on the hardworking people of Ohio, Trump said at a rally September 17 in Youngstown. Our biggest threat remains the sick, sinister and evil people from within our country. A melody played at the Ohio event that was nearly identical to a QAnon anthem titled Wwg1wga (an acronym for where we go one, we go all). The same song was previously heard at a Trump rally in neighboring Pennsylvania and in a recent video linked to the former president. As the music played during the Youngstown event, many in the audience pointed an index finger into the air, which some observers say denote the one in the QAnon slogan. Some online commentators, including Walter Shaub, a former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, compared the imagery to fascist rallies of the 1930s and 1940s. Others on social media contended the gesture, which had not been previously seen at Trump rallies, was too vague to definitively link to the QAnon movement, noting it might have been a reference to the America First theme Trump has invoked since running for president in 2015. The salute is also identified with the nonpolitical Salvation Army, a Christian movement founded in the mid-19th century. The fake news, in a pathetic attempt to create controversy and divide America, is brewing up another conspiracy about a royalty-free song from a popular audio library platform, Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Trumps post-presidential office, told VOA in response to a query attempting to clarify questions about the music and the salute at the rally. Last gasp of a dying cult The Ohio event was a QAnon fest, according to Barbara Comstock, a former Republican member of Congress. On CNN, she noted the rallys strange QAnon music and the obsequent gesture while discounting the significance of Trumps apparent embrace of the controversial movement. Noting that the event was lightly attended compared to the former presidents previous rallies, Comstock called the rally the last gasp of a dying cult. Frank Figliuzzi, a former assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, contends that Trump is embracing the QAnon movement in desperation, and the former president is aware of how dangerous it is. Not only do I think he knows it, but I think thats what attracts him to this. Its like a moth to the flame, Figliuzzi said on MSNBC. With Trump facing trouble on multiple legal fronts, his attraction to QAnon can be compared to the last act of a desperate man, Figliuzzi added. The former FBI official also expressed concern that Trump, perceived as the cults political leader, will in his desperation advocate violence. "The members take a step up and force the ending whatever that could be," Figliuzzi said. "That's what concerns me, and we've learned from January 6 it only takes a small number of people to do that." On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from conducting the electoral vote count formalizing Joe Bidens victory in the presidential election. More than 900 people have been arrested and charged with crimes in connection with the attack. As president in 2020, Trump said he did not know much about QAnon, adding he could not disprove its conspiracy theory. If I can help save the world from problems, Im willing to do it, Trump replied when asked if he, in line with the QAnon belief, was saving the country from a satanic cult of child sex traffickers. According to a study released in February, about 16% of Americans are QAnon believers, while this year about 80 candidates who believe in QAnon have been on the ballot for political offices in 26 states, including the Republican nominee for governor in Maryland, according to online news site Grid News. QAnon is a delusional and armed terrorist movement, according to Laurence Tribe, professor emeritus of the Harvard University Law School, who on Twitter called Trumps overt embrace of it a terrifying sign that he is desperate, and realizing he will be indicted, is preparing to wage open war on the United States of America. Its a testament to our tolerance that he isnt under arrest. Trump is realizing the populace is getting tired of him. Many Republicans see him as more dangerous, and he is escalating to violence, said Steven Hassan, a licensed mental health counselor who predicted in his 2019 book The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control that Trump would resort to calls for violence if he was not re-elected in 2020. Hassan told VOA he perceives Trump as a figurehead whom leaders of fringe groups attempt to manipulate rather than directing any conspiracy movements, QAnon being prominent. QAnon was specifically named by the FBI in a 2019 intelligence bulletin as among the fringe political movements very likely to motivate some domestic extremists to commit criminal and sometimes violent activity. Since then, QAnon has been tied to violent incidents. American disease There is a sordid history of conspiracy theories and prejudice to influence the American electorate including anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic movements. Conspiracy thinking is an American disease. It's in our bloodstream, according to Richard Shenkman, author of the book Political Animals: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics. It's been there from the beginning. Even the Founding Fathers were susceptible to conspiracy thinking. They believed that they were the victims of a European conspiracy, particularly in England, to keep them down, Shenkman said. Awful Disclosures, an anti-Catholic book, was widely read in 19th-century America, even though it was quickly exposed as a hoax. In the book, a Canadian nun recounted tales of perverse priests and barbaric penances forced on young captive women. A Catholic was not elected president of the United States until John Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. Conspiracy theories often target religions, races and other minority or vulnerable groups as scapegoats for economic trouble in a society. Most American presidents have just come up to the edge of conspiracy thinking and seeding the public square with nonsense ideas, but they were very careful not to get the mud on themselves, Shenkman told VOA. The difference between Donald Trump and all the other presidents we've had is his willingness to cross that line and just do the dirty work himself. Its phenomenal that he just seems to have no compunction about it. Even if Trump and QAnon fade, conspiracy theories are unlikely to disappear from American politics, Shenkman said. During periods of disquiet, like our current period, people find [conspiracy theories] appealing because they want easy answers to complex economic and social issues. We want certitude, and conspiracy theories are beautiful in that way. They give you a nice, simple answer, he said. Officials in Uganda have confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The countrys Ministry of Health says a young man died of the virus in central Uganda Monday, and several of his relatives who died earlier this month are also suspected to have had Ebola. The government has sent a rapid response team to the area to investigate. Ugandas Ministry of Health officials say the suspected Ebola case was identified Saturday in a village in the central Mubende district. The ministrys permanent secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine, says a 24-year-old man was admitted to a hospital for pneumonia and diarrhea. But his symptoms also included those of the deadly virus a dry cough, high fever, convulsions, blood-stained vomit and bleeding in the eyes. Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Atwine said the clinical team and the Uganda Virus Research Institute conducted tests for Ebola. The results were released yesterday evening and they confirmed Ebola, the Sudan strain, she said. Unfortunately, that morning of 19th, the patient who had been confirmed with Ebola passed on. Atwine said six of the mans relatives who died earlier this month three adults and three children from the same family also may have had Ebola. The World Health Organizations Uganda office says there are eight more people with suspected cases that are receiving care at a health facility. Ugandas health ministry has yet to identify the source of the infection but suspects wildlife to human contact. A rapid response team was sent to Mubende to investigate, put in place control measures, and use rapid testing on contacts in the community. But the World Health Organization says vaccinating those who were in contact with the infected or someone linked to them, known as ring vaccination, will not be possible. WHO-Ugandas head of disease prevention and control, Dr. Bayo Fatunmbi, told the briefing there is currently no effective vaccine available for the Sudan strain of Ebola. The ring vaccination that worked with [the] Zaire virus, will not be useful for this particular Sudan strain, he said. But theres another type of vaccine, Johnson and Johnson, that is being tested currently [to see] whether it will be useful for this particular strain. The WHO says ring vaccination has been highly effective in controlling the spread of the Zaire strain in recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO says Ugandas last Ebola outbreak in 2019 was the Zaire strain. Uganda last reported the relatively rare Sudan strain outbreak in 2012. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is helping Uganda deal with this latest outbreak. Amy Boore, the CDCs Global Health Protection program director, told reporters they were prepared to assist the Uganda Virus Research Institute. CDC headquarters is already in communication with UVRI (Uganda Virus Research Institute) and is already helping them develop plans for how they will continue to test and expand testing and have all the support they need during this, she said. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids and causes a hemorrhagic fever that kills up to 90% of those infected. The WHO says case fatality rates of the Sudan virus have varied from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks. The Sudan strain of Ebola, discovered in Sudan in 1976, is less common than the Zaire strain that was found that same year. The Zaire strain of Ebola was named after the country and river where it was found, the Ebola River in the former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRCs name was changed to Zaire in 1971 then changed back to Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. Health authorities in the neighboring DRC in late August declared a resurgence of Ebola after confirming a case in the countrys eastern North Kivu province. It was the fifteenth resurgent outbreak recorded in the DRC. The U.N. human rights office is calling for a prompt, impartial investigation into the death of a young Iranian woman arrested by the so-called morality police for allegedly wearing an improper hijab. Irans morality police arrested Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the minority Kurdish community September 13 in the capital, Tehran, for not wearing the hijab properly. U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says she fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at the Vozara Detention Center. She says Amini died three days later. There are reports that Ms. Amini was beaten on the head with a baton, and her head was banged against the vehicle by so-called morality police," she said. "Authorities have stated that she died of natural causes In recent months, the so-called morality police have expanded street patrols, subjecting women perceived to be wearing a loose hijab to verbal and physical harassment and arrest. Shamdasani says the human rights office has received many videos of violent treatment of women. The abuse included police slapping women across the face and beating them with batons while being thrown into police vans. Aminis death has triggered large-scaled protests across the country. Security forces reportedly have responded with live ammunition, pellet guns, and tear gas. Between two and five people reportedly have been killed, several injured and many arrested. Shamdasani says it appears Amini was subjected to multiple forms of discrimination because she was a member of the Kurdish community. There are conflicting stories about thiswhether she was in fact dressed appropriately in accordance with those rules but there were other reasons why she was arrested, whether it was, in fact a matter of discrimination," she said. "But the bottom line is that these rules should not exist. Women should not be punished for what they are wearingand there needs to be a clear investigation. Shamdasani says the government has responded to these calls. She says Irans president has called for a careful investigation into Mahsa Aminis death as has Irans judiciary chief. She notes, however, that Irans initial reaction to this case was to claim Amini died of a heart attack. This, despite medical records and witness testimony that show the contrary. She adds this is very worrying. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to leaders Tuesday to unite and take action to address the problems of a world teeming with turmoil. We are in rough seas; a winter of global discontent is on the horizon, he said at the opening of the annual weeklong gathering of presidents, prime ministers and other officials at the U.N. General Assembly. A cost-of-living crisis is raging. Trust is crumbling. Inequalities are exploding. And our planet is burning, he cautioned. We need hope .... and more. We need action. His immediate call was for easing the global food crisis. An essential element of that is addressing what he called the global fertilizer market crunch. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, it has imposed quotas on its exports of fertilizer. Russia is one of the worlds top exporters and the shortages it has created have led to steep price increases on international markets, making it unaffordable for some small farmers, with the potential to dramatically decrease their harvests. Without action now, the global fertilizer shortage will quickly morph into a global food shortage, Guterres said. He called for the removal of all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia. These products are not subject to sanctions and we are making progress in eliminating indirect effects, he emphasized. While there are no Western sanctions on either Russian food or fertilizer exports, Moscow claims that there are. A deal signed in Istanbul on July 22 is helping to get millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to international markets and is working to build confidence among shippers, insurers and buyers of Russian grain and fertilizer so they will resume at pre-invasion levels. Two giant screens in the assembly hall above the secretary-general showed a photo of the Brave Commander, one of the ships that carried Ukrainian grain to the Horn of Africa. He said it represents multilateral diplomacy in action. Meanwhile nuclear saber-rattling and threats to the safety of nuclear plants are adding to global instability, he said, alluding to the threatened Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, as well as rhetoric and actions from North Korea and questions around Irans nuclear program. Wider turmoil Guterres mentioned a litany of crises both new and entrenched from Ethiopia and the Sahel to Haiti, Syria and Myanmar that he said must be resolved. In Afghanistan, he said human rights are being trampled, especially those of women and girls, who have seen their rights disappear under the Taliban. He warned of the dangerous divisions between the global West and the South and geopolitical tensions splitting between developed and developing countries. The worlds top diplomat urged making conflict prevention and peace-building a priority. In all we do, we must recognize that human rights are the path to resolving tensions, ending conflict and forging lasting peace, he reminded leaders. All this conflict is leading to an unprecedented amount of humanitarian need. He said U.N. aid appeals are running a deficit of $32 billion. In his sea of bad news, he found a few glimmers of hope. In Yemen, the nationwide truce is fragile but holding, he said. In Colombia, the peace process is taking root. The worlds youth are also a source of hope, he said, as they work for a better future. Existential threat The secretary-generals strongest words were for the rapidly warming planet. The climate crisis is the defining issue of our time, he said. It must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organization. He worried that climate action has been pushed to the back of the international agenda, despite global public support for leaders to do more. Greenhouse gas emissions are rising at record levels and he said they need to be slashed by 45% by 2030 to have any hope of reaching the net zero target by 2050. To do that, he urged the world to end its "addiction to fossil fuels and accelerate its transition to clean, renewable energy. And as part of that, he said, Polluters must pay. Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies, the secretary-general declared, noting that G20 countries emit 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions. He said those funds should go to help defray the costs of climate change in countries suffering loss and damage from the climate crisis and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices. He urged unity to develop common solutions to common problems. Lets work as one, as a coalition of the world, as united nations, he said. U.N. investigators accuse the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro of a deliberate policy of repression to crush dissent by violent, abusive means to maintain its grip on power. The government barred the three-member Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela from entering the country. So, it has based its latest report on 246 confidential in-person and remote interviews and on reams of case files and legal documents. The experts say their investigations and analyses show the government relies on its military intelligence service, known as DGCIM (the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence) to repress dissent in the country. This, it says, is done through grave crimes and human rights violations that could amount to crimes against humanity. The report documents 122 cases of victims subjected to torture, sexual violence and other cruel or inhuman treatment. It says these crimes are carried out in intelligence headquarters in the capital, Caracas, and in a network of covert detention centers across the country. Mission chair Marta Valinas says Venezuelas civilian intelligence agency, SEBIN, (Bolivarian National Intelligence Service) also has tortured and ill-treated opposition politicians, journalists, human rights defenders and protesters. She says these acts of violence are not conducted at random by individuals acting alone in either the state military or civilian intelligence services. Instead, DGCIM and SEBIN were part of a machinery designed and deployed to execute the governments plan to repress dissent and cement its own grip on power. This plan was orchestrated at the highest political level led by President Nicolas Maduro and supported by other senior authorities, said Valinas. The experts say violations continue to this day and take place in a climate of almost complete impunity. They say the handful of intelligence officials who have been held to account have been low-ranking. Fact-Finding Mission member Francisco Cox says Venezuelan authorities have made no effort to hold perpetrators to account in a way that would provide justice and redress to victims. That is why in our report, we have taken the decision to focus on, and in some cases, name specific individuals in DGCIM and SEBIN. We have reasonable grounds to believe that these individuals are responsible for human rights violations and crimes against humanity and should be investigated, he said. The experts say they have sent 23 letters to Venezuelan authorities asking to meet with them, receive information and to give them the opportunity to respond to their allegations. They say they have received no response. The report of the Fact-Finding Mission will be submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council next week. U.S. lawmakers moved Tuesday to give the administration of President Joe Biden expanded authority to enforce sanctions on Russia for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Republican Senator Pat Toomey and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced a framework supporting the administration's efforts, along with G-7 leaders, to cap the price of Russian oil exports. "We're effectively depriving the Russian government of the profits that they probably are using to fund this war," Toomey told reporters on a press call Tuesday. "We're going to demonstrate whether or not the free world has the resolve to prevent a brutal autocrat from redrawing international boundaries because he thinks he can." The United States and G-7 allies are expected to agree on a price cap for Russian oil exports by December, around the time a European Union oil embargo also goes into effect. "If you want to set a worldwide price cap on Russian oil, you need to ensure that it's uniformly applied. And to do that, we believe you need the backup of the secondary sanctions. Otherwise, Russia will exploit big loopholes. And there are other countries like China that are already dramatically increasing their imports of Russian oil," Van Hollen told reporters Tuesday. "If the price cap works, just as the administration hopes and we hope, then sanctions are never triggered, because you have a worldwide price gap. These sanctions will only trigger if the administration is not successful at achieving that uniform price," Van Hollen said. The framework calls for monitoring Russian oil purchases and would allow Biden to impose sanctions on countries and financial institutions that attempt to profiteer off a cap on Russian oil. Since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United States has imposed harsh sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian oligarchs and the Russian banking industry. The U.S. and its allies also cut off Russian access to Western banking institutions and blocked many of Putin's family members and friends from traveling abroad. The U.S. Treasury Department "has sanctioned hundreds of Russian individuals and entities, and this includes a majority of Russia's largest financial institutions, key nodes and Russia's military, industrial supply chains, and the oligarchs and cronies who helped perpetuate Putin's war," Elizabeth Rosenberg, assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes at Treasury, told lawmakers earlier Tuesday. "The United States has been joined by over 30 countries collectively representing more than half of the global economy and imposing sanctions, the largest sanctions regime in modern history," Rosenberg said. Rosenberg told lawmakers the threat of a price cap was already having an impact on the global market, changing the behavior of countries that have not imposed it. "They can no less use the existence of the price cap to leverage lower prices from Russia. And in fact, we're seeing that already where Asian purchasers have used the price cap in order to leverage lower prices, cut rate prices for Russian energy. That's this policy already at work," she said. The Toomey-Van Hollen framework is set to become the first major bipartisan Russian sanctions legislation introduced in Congress since this February. Responding to a series of questions on Russias invasion of Ukraine, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told VOA that the democratic world should not be putting the [Alexander Lukashenko] regime and the Belarusian people into one basket. Here, its very important to distinguish the Belarusian regime that became accomplice to Russian invasion of the war (in Ukraine) and the Belarusian people, who are against this war and who are supporting Ukrainians in this situation, said Tsikhanouskaya in a sit-down interview with VOAs New York Bureau Chief Ihar Tsikhanenka. Tsikhanouskaya, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly as a member of an unnamed European countrys delegation this week, said that Belarus should not be viewed as appendix to Russia, even though [Russian President] Vladimir Putin wants to drag it back to the Soviet era. Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus since 1994, has faced a domestic legitimacy crisis since declaring himself the winner of a sixth presidential term in a disputed 2020 election. Rights activists and opposition politicians, as well as the United States and European Union, allege the poll was rigged. A crackdown by the Lukashenko regime has pushed most opposition politicians to leave the country fearing for their safety. Last month, Lukashenko, a close ally of Putins who allowed Russia to stage attacks on neighboring Ukraine from Belarus, wished Ukrainians peaceful skies and success in restoring a decent life. He said current disputes could not destroy centuries-old good relations between the Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: It's been exactly a year and two months since our last interview in Washington, D.C. And so much has happened in the world since then, particularly in the region that you come from. But for now, tell me, please, what are you doing here at the United Nations General Assembly? What are your plans? What's your agenda? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: So, first of all, it's very important to install a good relationship with the U.N. and we understand that the representatives of the regime of Belarus presented here and for us, for democratic society, for democratic movement of Belarus its very important that our voice is also heard. So it's important for us to be here to promote our alternative messages and for two years, we see that the U.N. is trying to do a lot toward Belarus, but much more can be done. And our task is to promote our ideas, to discuss how else the U.N. can be helpful in our situation. VOA: So youre saying Lukashenkos government is represented here by certain people and who are you representing here? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: Im representing here the Belarusians who are fighting against a dictator in our country. For two years, we are fighting with this cruel machine, with this regime under repressions and tortures, hundreds, thousands of people are in prisons. Hundreds of thousands had to flee Belarus because of the repression. But we want to build another country. People don't agree to live under dictatorship anymore. And we are making steps towards a democratic Belarus. VOA: And who invited you here? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: We are a part of one of the European countries' delegations and I have to say that a lot of countries want to help us, to help girls and boys to be held in different organizations. So I will not name what country helped us this time. But, you know, there are a lot of them who want to help. VOA: You will have a lot of what's called bilats, so bilateral meetings with heads of state, their cabinet members. What are your main top two, three messages to the world leaders? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: You know, Belarus now is discussed together with Ukraine because Belarus is beside Ukraine. Belarus became collaborators in this war and here it is very important to distinguish the Belarusian regime that became an accomplice to Russian invasion of the war and Belarusian people who are against this war, who are supporting Ukrainians in this situation. So don't put the regime and the Belarusian people into one basket. Second is that Belarus and Russia are two different issues, because in Belarus there is an understanding that we are not part of the regime. We are not part of Russia. We are not like an appendix to Russia and our two cases have to be approached differently. And the third one, maybe, is that the U.N. and democratic countries have to be braver and consistent in this situation, in the situation of Belarus and of course Ukraine. Consistency is our weapon, unity is our weapon. And I understand that there was some fatigue about the Russian situation and moreover there is some fatigue about the Ukrainian situation, but we do not have the right to give up now. You know it's easy to say that look, almost everything is done. What else can we do? You don't have the right to give up at this very crucial moment so be with us, stay with us, help as much as you can. And together we have to bring our country to democracy. VOA: The last two years have been particularly hard for you. Your own husband has been imprisoned by the Lukashenko regime only because he dared to run against Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for the last 28 years, and your husband was sent to jail for 18 years. It must be tough for you and it speaks volumes about your courage that you stepped in and ran instead of your husband. And it looks like, according to some, to most monitors of the elections, you beat Alexander Lukashenko. And in retrospect, do you have any regrets about this period over the last two years? What are your regrets? What are your joys? In other words, what makes you proud of what you've accomplished so far? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I'm proud by Belarusians. You know, I did what I could in these circumstances, but it's all Belarusians who sacrifice their comfort, their life, their families, some freedoms, you know, but they understand that they want to live in another country. They want to change our country for democratic and the people are not given up and even every small step of the ordinary Belarusians contributes to these changes. So I think that we achieved a lot during these two years. We are staying united as never before. We managed to build a strong coalition of different democratic countries who are supporting us. We managed to revive the old media that had been ruined in Belarus. Of course, not everything is achieved, so thousands of political prisoners are still in prisons. We didn't manage to split elites in Belarus. You can say that our strikes failed, but the fact that we are continuing is a huge advantage for us because we don't have the right to give up now when people are still in prison. So we are continuing to create multiple points of pressure on the regime from inside the country, outside the country in order to make this regime understand that nothing is forgotten, nothing is forbidden. And we will fight this regime until we gain our goals. VOA: Speaking of people who are still in prisons, how often do you hear from your husband? Do you talk to him on the phone? Do you get a chance to receive mail from him? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: Actually, it's very difficult to reach political prisoners and the only way, almost the only way, is to communicate through the lawyer. The lawyer visits my husband and the other prisoners, and we can send messages like this. In 2020 our prisoners got a lot of letters from people. Now, the regime doesn't allow these letters to be delivered to them. So the regime wants our heroes in prisons to feel that they are abandoned, that everybody has forgotten about them, but it's not so. We are continuing to work on the release of all of them. My letters are not delivered as well, but the letters of my children are delivered and the only way for my husband to see how the children are growing, that our younger daughter is starting to write letters. You know it's very important for him to see how they're growing up. VOA: I know you have two kids, two little kids. One is becoming a teenager, I believe. How are they taking this? Do they understand who their mother is? Do they understand where their dad is? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: My daughter is 7, the son is 12 and, yes, they do understand. They saw their daddy the last time two years ago. It was more difficult for me to explain to my younger daughter what's going on, why your daddy is not telling fairy tales every evening to her. But they know who Lukashenko is, that he's putting people in jail because they don't want change in our country. On the primitive level, they realize. But my task is to make everything possible so that my children don't feel that their daddy is somewhere apart because we are watching movies with him. The pictures of my husband are everywhere in my house for my children to feel the presence of their daddy in their life. VOA: You touched a bit in one of your previous answers on the Ukraine topic. Obviously, I'd like to talk to you extensively about this. Are you in touch with President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy on what's going on there on the ground? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: We haven't met with the President Zelenskyy, and we can really understand the cautiousness about meeting with me. But we understood more before the start of the war because they didn't want to spoil the relationship with the regime because they were afraid that war could start only from our territory. But after the 24th of February, when from Belarusian territory in the south had been launched, everything became understandable, but still there was no open communication with President Zelensky, but my team is working with his advisers, with the [Ukraine Foreign Minister] Dmytro Kuleba only working level and we see that they understand Belarusians. They know that we want to contribute to their victory, but still there are some obstacles that, you know, that influence our relationship. VOA: A lot of people in the West and, obviously, especially in Ukraine view Belarus and Belarusians as co-aggressors because as you mentioned earlier, Alexander Lukashenko offered its territory for [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine. How did it make you feel when you found out about it? And how do you think most Belarusians feel about it? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I think that it's a huge shock for the Belarussian people that Belarus became quite aggressive in this war, especially in the war against Ukrainians, because for many, many years and we had a wonderful relationship as nations, and our soldiers, for example, they don't want to go and fight against Ukrainians. And it was one of the reasons why our army wasn't sent to Ukraine to fight alongside the Russians, because the regime knew about the mood among soldiers, that they would definitely defect, change sides, but will not go and, you know, fight to preserve Lukashenko and Putin. They don't want to fight with Ukrainians. So, of course, people are scared with the war, of course, but they are against the war and they showed this very clearly. And for the first time since 2020, a huge rally took place in Minsk, in this anti-war inspiration. And on this day, about 2,000 people have been detained. So now not only are you an enemy of the regime, not only if you are against the regime, but also if you are against the war. VOA: Over the course of the last two years, you've been meeting with a lot of European leaders and their cabinet members and understand regional politics rather well by now. Why do you think Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: As I understand, he doesn't see Ukraine or Belarus as separate independent and sovereign countries. He wants to track us back to this Soviet era when countries are dependent on the Kremlin, but we are independent countries. He wants to show his empire ambitions, he doesn't understand that the Belarusians and Ukrainians already formed as nations. They cherish their identity. They cherish their language. So we want to move forward. We don't want to be part of the Soviet Union again. And the difference between Ukraine and Belarus is that Lukashenko was like an accomplice of Putin, and he gave our territory up without any fight, he became cooperant, it was easy for him, and the Ukrainians like are fighting for the territories. So if in 2020 the democratic movement won, maybe this war wouldn't even happen. VOA: Given what happened on February 24th, what Vladimir Putin has done, in one sentence, who is he to you today? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: He's the person who doesn't respect nations, who can sacrifice with the lives of his own people, with the lives of persons in the Ukrainian to gain his ambitions and thats it. He doesn't think about people, he doesn't think about international law, he wants to, you know, to leave something huge behind him, but hes failed. VOA: Like a legacy? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: Yeah. But he's leaving destroyed countries. He's destroyed [the] fates of people. VOA: Speaking of that, what is preventing Vladimir Putin from doing the same to your country? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I think that its the presence of the regime there. Lukashenko is very convenient for Putin, you know, he fulfills all the orders, he for sure doesn't control any military people inside our country, military sites. So Lukashenko, Putin just needs such a person in this regime, and he knows that Lukashenko is dependent on him. Without Putin's support, Lukashenko wouldn't survive in 2020. I mean politically survive. VOA: Some say that Ukraine's victory over Russia might be the best chance of Belarus becoming a democratic society. Would you agree with that? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I would say that the victory of Ukraine will give us the opportunity to use this chance, because we understand that when Ukrainians win, it means that Putin is weak, hence, Lukashenko is weak, and we will have to uprise again. We will have to use all the organizations that have been launched since 2020, to use all our political power and human power, you know, to get rid of the regime. For sure the fate of Belarus and the fate of Ukraine are interconnected. But I have to say that you can't solve only the Ukrainian crisis, because our countries are interconnected, and without free Belarus, there will be no safety for Ukrainians as well. There will be a constant threat to Ukraine and to our Western neighbors. So Belarus is part of this crisis and this crisis has to be solved. VOA: At the Belarus Democratic forum that was held last month in Vilnius, some criticized you for being too indecisive. They said that the Belarusian democratic forces have to become more aggressive. They have to become, in a way, more violent and assertive. Some even suggested that you have to create your own alternative army to overthrow the Lukashenko regime because clearly peaceful protest hasn't worked. It's been over two years now. What are your thoughts on that? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I still believe in the peaceful decision of the recent crisis. We need more support. We need more assistance from our democratic neighbors. But I understand why these voices rise. Some people are disappointed with the democratic forces, but that's why we decided to create and organize this United Transitional Cabinet where the representative on military affairs appeared. I understand that military people don't hear me because I'm not an authority for them. I can't speak the same language with them. But this person who became representative, his ex-colonel, he knows how to speak, he knows how to proceed, he will get the proper words, you know, to communicate with military officers inside the country. Of course, he helps those military volunteers who are fighting in Ukraine at the moment. I really don't think that it's possible to create an alternative army. We don't have our own territory and no one country will allow us to create an army on their territory, but to train people, to train partisans, can be crucial in one moment. VOA: If you don't believe in the military resolution of the problem, why did you get that person into your Cabinet that is a colonel of the army, retired colonel? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: Like the military part can be a part of changes, but it's not the only source of changes in our country. And now our military volunteers in Ukraine, the fact that this person is communicating with law enforcement in Belarus, you know, in the army creates stress for the regime. They understand that there can be a crisis or split among the army, that they are not loyal to the Lukashenko regime. So it's like steps forwards, but, for example, the same partisans are also very dangerous for the regime. So they can play their role in changes. But I will try to do everything possible so that this role will not be main. VOA: Let me ask you about your former colleagues, your former allies, people who were originally with you and it looks like you no longer communicate with them. They criticize you, they say that you stole the limelight, the spotlight, and you do not share the resources with them and you are holding on to power. What is your response to those people? Is that true? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I hear the voices that criticize me, but I think that we have to be united. ... I didn't do anything against, you know, Belarusians, and all this gossip about resources, about power, you know it's not true. We are welcoming all the people who want to work together with us or separately but in one direction. So let's be together. It's not necessary to be in one building, at one table, but when you see that you are working in the direction of getting rid of the regime, everybody's welcome. And it's very painful to see that the opposition structures are organized in opposition and democratic forces because our task is not to quarrel, is not to fight with each other, our task is to fight with the regime, but politics are unpredictable. VOA: Have you made any mistakes in the last two years that you really regret? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: Maybe I made mistakes before my participation in the presidential election. My mistake is that I, the same or similar to Belarusians who weren't involved in politics, I also thought, What can I do? How can I help? and lived my own life. As for political mistakes, you know, history will judge us and maybe something could be done better. Who knows? But we were in certain circumstances and, you know, at that moment, I thought that these were important steps. But, anyway, we can't change anything, so we have to look forward. VOA: Lets transfer from that historic perspective here back to New York, to the United Nations General Assembly. What is your message to the Belarusian people? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: It's difficult times for our country. We have to protect the very existence of our country, the independence and sovereignty of Belarus. But I ask you to stay brave as you have been brave for all these months. I ask you to support each other, to support those who are in a worse position than you are at the moment. And I know that we are not giving up, that we will not give up. I am so proud of you, that you and we understand the responsibility for our country at last. That we woke up at last. And I, from my side, I will do everything possible to be a voice here in our international agenda, but I need all of you and we need each other, and let's stay together. Let's stay united and I'm sure we will win. VOA: Can you please share your personal emotions at this moment? How does it make you feel to be here at the United Nations General Assembly and represent your people? TSIKHANOUSKAYA: I'm proud that I can represent such wonderful, hard-working, and brave persons who are not giving up, who know the price of democracy, and who have the right to remind democratic countries that it's so easy to lose democracy and so difficult to gain it. And on behalf of all Belarussians, I ask you to be with us, no matter how long it will last. And I'm proud. Im proud to be here as part of a free Belarus. This content is expired! Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again. Air travel disruption expected in Italy on 1 October. Cabin crew and pilots from several low-cost airlines are to go on strike in Italy on Saturday 1 October, Italian trade unions Filt Cgil and Uiltrasporti have announced. The industrial action will last 24 hours in the case of Ryanair, easyJet and Volotea, and four hours - from 13.00 until 17.00 - for Vueling. Saturday's strike, which follows similar actions in June and July, has been called in protest over working conditions, salaries and employment contracts. Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC reminds air travellers that flights are guaranteed during strikes from 07.00-10.00 and 18.00-21.00. Photo credit: Mikel Dabbah / Shutterstock.com. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share The bonfire of the inanities. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng isnt pulling any punches with his first moves in office. First, he unceremoniously fired the most senior civil servant in the Treasury. Now he is contemplating taking an axe to European Union regulations on financial services. But he is starting on the latter in a very odd way wading into the politically sensitive area of banker pay and possibly scrapping the cap on bonuses (currently at double ones salary) the EU introduced in 2014 in a belated response to the global financial crisis. This looks like ideological vice-signaling for a microscopic number of beneficiaries. Focusing on salaries of the very wealthiest would certainly send a message that trickle-down economics is leading the new governments pro-growth agenda. The principle is sound: Governments shouldnt be in the pay-capping business. No other sector has these restrictions, and the Bank of England has always made clear it was against the bonus cap. But the timing is absolutely terrible. Deciding to clean up an old piece of red tape now is tone-deaf amid a cost-of-living crisis and risks further aggravating the EU when tensions are already high. Advertisement Financial services contribute about an eighth of UK gross domestic product, yet the vital industry was singularly ignored during the Brexit negotiations. A new approach to the jewel in the crown as Prime Minister Liz Truss puts it, is long overdue, but coming in hot on bonus limits may prove counterproductive for the real prize the City of London hankers for regulatory equivalence, or a level playing field, with the EU. Dangling carrots on banker pay will butter few parsnips in Brussels, which is already sensitive about the prospect of the UK tearing up the rule book and creating a regulation-light Singapore-on-Thames. The vast majority of European banks keep to the one-times-salary bonus cap, as shareholders have to specifically approve lifting the limit to two times salary, which very few boards have decided to brave. Meanwhile, most UK banks went for the higher option over time. If ditching the bonus rule is viewed as a blatant regulatory divergence, it could backfire spectacularly and ruin a much more important financial-services equivalence deal with the EU. Advertisement There are, of course, potential advantages in unwinding much of the MiFID II legislation that came into effect in 2014. (Brussels is even ditching some elements too.) If this is just one part of the UKs Big Bang 2.0 package to improve the competitiveness of the City of London, then there may be broader merits, even if its tricky to pinpoint the specific benefits of relaxing pay rules. More details might be forthcoming at Kwartengs fiscal event planned for Friday. As a standalone measure, however, losing bonus caps would hardly be a game-changer when it comes to overall compensation. It could alter how banks reward their rainmakers. But if that means reducing base salaries in favor of a greater weighting to variable bonuses, that could actually result in lower overall pay in lean years, which, er, were in right now as deal volumes shrink. There are potential consequences for higher-end London house prices, too, because if base salaries do fall, then wealthy bankers will have a much harder time securing those monster mortgages. In recent years, banker salaries have also often been topped up by an additional allowance to get around the bonus cap. These did not come with pension or other benefit rights and can easily be reduced or removed. So vanishingly few bankers will suddenly get paid more. Although the extra tax from higher bonuses would be welcome, is it really worth it for the negative press? No wonder the past three Conservative prime ministers have avoided the issue. Advertisement Yet even if it raises questions about the governments priorities, the case for removing the cap is strong. Far more effective measures to control excess risk-taking have been put in place, so there is no regulatory justification for the ceiling to stay. The Financial Conduct Authority will still be keeping a very firm eye on compensation. Most importantly, losing the bonus cap would make it easier for the big US banks to rejig fixed salary costs and transfer employees to London. It should help stem the tide of top traders leaving for hedge funds. And it removes an impediment for UK-domiciled banks in compensating employees overseas in competitive pay markets like New York or Hong Kong (although local hire contracts are much more common across the industry now, to manage costs and get around issues such as bonus caps). So the UK has much to gain from raising the global attractiveness of the City, especially as Covid restrictions in Asia have led to a raft of banker relocations. But rule changes have to focus on ensuring a better place to do business overall, so it can attract institutions, not just individuals. Advertisement The EU could fight back. The Netherlands has probably been the biggest net beneficiary of financial-services business transferring from the City into the EU, particularly in derivatives and IPO listings, but it remains hamstrung in attracting top talent by its maximum 20% of fixed pay bonus rule. With just two years before another UK general election has to be called, tangible measures for the new pro-growth agenda are urgently required. Did someone mention Global Britain, aspiration nation and Brexit dividends? The klaxon alerts are deafening, as Liz Truss aims for a clear blue versus red divide between Tory tax-cutting and the opposition Labour party. But ditching bonus caps may be a political gift that writes itself straight into Labour election leaflets, as making life easier for bankers is not the sort of levelling up most voters envision. Banker pay never gets less sensitive. Sometimes anachronistic rules, however misguided, are best left untouched. At least until the timing is right. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Marcus Ashworth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European markets. Previously, he was chief markets strategist for Haitong Securities in London. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share When extreme heat or bitter cold threaten to overwhelm fragile power grids in places like California and Texas, theres an effective, old-school tool to avoid a shortfall: turn the lights off. But how to make that happen? The key may be demand response -- voluntary conservation programs that kick in during critical hours. In many cases, civic-minded citizens are doing their part, simply opting not to use appliances when the grid is most stressed. But others are being enticed with big financial carrots -- as well as gift cards. 1. What is demand response? Its an umbrella term for a variety of short-term, voluntary efforts that encourage homes and businesses to reduce electricity during hours when grid operators fret power supplies may not meet heavy demand. Getting consumers to switch off is a critical tool for helping California avoid blackouts during a mounting heat wave this week, as temperatures soared above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in some regions. Its also sometimes called power shaving, and can, in a way, be considered a form of rationing. Advertisement 2. What forms does it take? They range from a simple call to arms to time-based rates and a range of financial incentives. According to the California Public Utilities Commission, demand response efforts have evolved to encourage customers to shift electricity consumption from hours of high demand relative to energy supply to hours where energy supply is plentiful relative to demand. For California, that crunch comes between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when people return home from school or work and the sun starts to set on the states many solar farms. One example is the California grid operators Flex Alert notices distributed through Twitter and other channels, which alert customers to windows of time when they should conserve power. The notices were sent on both Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. 3. Does it really work? Advertisement Yes. Recent experience suggests that changing behavior has saved electric grids from calamity on hot days. For example, during a peak on July 20, the Texas grid operator managed to reduce demand by 2.5% from the level that officials had forecast for the day. Shaving just 1% of electrical demand during such conditions can significantly reduce stress on days of record demand, which some grids have experienced recently. Crypto miners and other big industrial companies in the Lone Star State are charged for their share of costs of building and maintaining transmission lines based on how much power they use during peak power demand hours, which encourages them to throttle back operations. Texas even has a competition designed to have companies out-conserve each other, resulting in as much as 30% reductions to annual power bills for the winners. 4. What makes it possible? First and foremost, power grids are no longer being taken for granted by the people who benefit from them. In an age of global warming and prolonged drought, theres growing consumer awareness of grid fragility as extreme weather becomes more common. Thus its easier for operators, governments and utilities to promote conservation campaigns on Twitter and other media. Thats especially true in Texas, where the grid failed during a historic 2021 freeze, and in California, which had rolling outages in 2020. Advertisement 5. Do people really get paid for cutting power use? In a way, sometimes yes. The wider use of smart meters and products like Google Nest allows companies to tap into demand-response efforts and control household thermostats, which can enable homeowners to receive credits on utility bills, gift cards and sometimes even amusement-park passes. OhmConnect, a free service available in California, New York and Texas, pays customers to use less power during times of peak demand, sells the collective energy savings back to the grid, then passes their earnings onto their users in the form of cash and prizes. Big commercial users and factories, meanwhile, can participate in programs that allow them to get compensated for slashing power use. Sometimes, these entities can even sell power theyve contracted to buy back to the grid at higher prices. 6. Where else is it used? Advertisement Demand response isnt just a California and Texas phenomenon. Other US grids have forms of it, including those on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Outside of the US, more countries are having to ratchet up conservation efforts. In Japan -- where a power crunch nearly brought blackouts to the capital earlier this year -- the government has been increasing calls for citizens to take steps, including watching an hour less TV a day or switching off the heater functions on toilet seats. In Europe, which has been crippled by a surge in electricity prices because of a shutoff of natural gas from Russia, there are aggressive efforts to slash energy use to avoid blackouts and freezing homes this winter, including turning down thermostats, dimming lights and taking cold showers. Reference Shelf A Bloomberg Businessweek article on how trimming energy use by companies is helping to save the grid in Texas. Californias guide to demand response efforts and a fact sheet on the power grids alert system. US Department of Energy website on demand response. From the archive: A QuickTake on Americas fragile power grid. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Russias recognition of Ukraines separatist Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics was the precursor to President Vladimir Putins Feb. 24 invasion of the country, and extending its control of those areas has since become his primary goal. Parts of the two eastern provinces, known collectively as the Donbas, have been effectively under Russian control since the Kremlin fomented and supported a separatist uprising in 2014. Now they are the main battlefield for Europes biggest armed conflict since World War II. 1. Whats the backdrop? Donetsk and Luhansk came under the control of the Russian Empire in the mid-18th century, soon after the discovery of coal (the name Donbas is an abbreviation of Donetsk Coal Basin in Ukrainian). The coal attracted industry and Russian settlers from the mid-19th century, turning the region into Ukraines industrial heartland. With its substantial Russian-speaking population, the Donbas was a bedrock of support for Viktor Yanukovych, who became Ukraines president in 2010. The Donetsk-born Yanukovych was toppled in 2014 by street protests over his decision -- under pressure from Moscow -- to renege on signing a trade pact with the European Union. Advertisement 2. How did the trouble start? Following Yanukovychs removal, which Russia saw as a Western-backed coup, Putin sent unbadged troops to annex Crimea, a peninsula jutting into the Black Sea from the Ukrainian mainland, in a semi-covert operation that faced minimal armed opposition. Backed by agents from Moscow, critics of the new pro-Western government in Kyiv tried to emulate that success by taking control in cities across the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. But this time there was resistance. Clashes broke out and an armed conflict developed in the Donbas. Russia denies allegations that it fomented the protests. Its clear many in the region wanted stronger ties with Russia, though not that they wanted to join it or fight. One of the first commanders of the separatist forces, Igor Girkin, otherwise known as Strelkov, was a Russian citizen and reputed intelligence officer who had been involved in Moscows operation to seize Crimea. 3. How has the conflict unfolded? Advertisement Mariupol, the second-largest city in the Donbas, was critical to Putins goal of securing a land bridge from Russia to Crimea and became a major focus of the war. During a three-month siege, Russian forces laid waste to its buildings and forced much of its pre-war population of almost 500,000 to flee. As the city fell in May, Russia concentrated on securing the entire Donbas, diverting troops from a failed attempt to take the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Russian artillery pounded Ukrainian defenses before inching forward at the cost of high casualties on both sides. The tide appeared to turn in September, when Ukraine recaptured a swathe of territory east of the city of Kharkiv. The Kremlin responded by organizing sham votes to approve of its annexation of the areas still under its control. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to take back all territories occupied since 2014, including the Donbas and Crimea. 4. Why is Russia focused on this area? Putin has made clear since at least 2007 that he doesnt accept Europes post-Cold War, U.S.-dominated security architecture. He since tried to carve out a sphere of influence for Moscow in the former Soviet space, pushing back against efforts by Russias neighbors to join or associate with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or, later, the European Union. He tried instead to build Russian-led equivalents -- the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Eurasian Economic Union -- but without Ukraine, a fellow Slav nation of at least 41 million, they could amount to little. Russia saw control of Donetsk and Luhansk as a way of ensuring Ukraine would remain within its orbit, but when that failed Putin invaded. Advertisement 5. How valuable are the provinces? The separatist territories are partly of value to Russia for the disruption they cause Ukraine, cutting key transport links and supply chains. The territories produce coal and are home to some substantial factories, but the economy has been largely destroyed, with the conflict leaving about 14,000 people dead in the period between 2014 and the start of Putins more recent invasion. Many more have died since, in particular during the siege of Mariupol, which was important as a manufacturing center and export hub for steel, coal and grain. One 2020 study estimated the cost of reconstructing the occupied territories at $21.7 billion, even before the widespread destruction caused by the 2022 invasion. 6. Why does the West care? Putin is demanding a wholesale restructuring of Europes security order and has now altered the borders that emerged from the collapse of the former Soviet Union four times -- twice in Georgia and, after Crimea and the Donbas, twice in Ukraine. He has also forced a much closer union on the embattled leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, with the result that a major thrust of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine was conducted from his territory. Thats worrying for neighboring Poland and the Baltic states -- all NATO members. They have sanctioned Belarus, given Ukraine weapons and financial aid and opened their doors to millions fleeing the war. Advertisement A Bloomberg story on Putins narrowing options following Ukraines counteroffensive. Related QuickTakes on the risks posed by fighting around Europes biggest nuclear power plant and why Ukrainian debt relief isnt matching its funding needs. An International Crisis Group study on Conflict in Ukraines Donbas. A report by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies on the economic challenges and costs in the Donbas. A Washington Post article on the siege of Mariupol. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share In December 2019, my husband submitted his final student loan payment. From the moment we got married and started attacking those student loans as a team, it took us 18 months to pay off $51,234.51. Of that debt, $34,134.51 were federal loans and $17,100 were private. There is not one part of me that begrudges the millions of Americans who are on the precipice of receiving $10,000 to $20,000 in student loan relief. From the outside, it appears as if my husband and I pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps to pay off that debt and heck, if we did it, then all student loan borrowers should have to as well. But thats simply not a practical, kind, empathetic or, frankly, a reasonable response. In terms of the bootstraps narrative, its important to acknowledge that my husband and I earned in the low six figures collectively and had no other debt besides his student loans. Granted, we live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, but during that time, we still had enough flexibility in our budget to pay off student loans aggressively and live our lives. There was no rice and beans. We still took vacations, went out to dinner, invested in our retirement plans and had a healthy emergency savings account. Advertisement However, this accelerated payoff strategy while balancing a well-rounded life would not have been possible without getting married. Well, thats not entirely true I couldve still helped make payments on his debt as an unmarried couple, but I didnt do that and dont advise anyone to. My husband would not have been able to afford such an aggressive repayment strategy, even living a modest life, on his salary alone, which included overtime. In fact, getting married negatively impacted his monthly payments. My husband, like many with federal student loans, was on an income-driven repayment plan, which caps your monthly payments based on a percentage of your discretionary income. That means those who arent earning a high salary but have significant loans will have a payment thats affordable relative to their income. However, filing a joint tax return meant my income counted in the calculation, and his monthly minimum payment went up by a significant amount. We made our decision to aggressively pay off the student loans based on what was in our best interest as a family and our mental health. Erasing his private loan made mathematical sense, but ditching the federal student loan debt at a rapid pace didnt make much sense on paper, especially because my husband was eligible for two different forgiveness programs thanks to his job as a teacher. Forgiveness programs, depending on the type, eliminate some or all remaining federal student loans after a certain amount of service. Advertisement Had we elected to not pay off his federal loans aggressively, we couldve paid off the debt slowly on his income-driven repayment plan and then ended up enjoying 2 1/2 years of a pause on payments during the pandemic that still would have counted toward his forgiveness eligibility. That wouldve been thousands of dollars back in our bank account with credit toward the remaining balance being forgiven on top of the $10,000 in relief. But for me, theres no regret. We decided not to pursue the forgiveness programs given the restrictions that would have kept my husbands career in a particular type of holding pattern for five years to a decade, depending on the program. For example, the Public Service Forgiveness Program requires you to work for a government or nonprofit organization for a decade before your loans can be forgiven. This means that if you have an opportunity or desire to move into the private sector before your decade commitment is up, youd relinquish the opportunity to have your federal loans forgiven. Thats a significant ask and could have long-term consequences on someones career and potential earnings. Advertisement Then, at the start of the pandemic, my income began to bottom out, and it was a huge sense of relief to at least be debt-free during a time when everything felt so volatile. Once the income concerns passed and financial stability returned, I still felt grateful to have gotten the debt anxiety off our backs. Look, I know hackles may still be raising for some and my anecdotal story isnt likely to change anyones mind but this is a nuanced issue with no perfect solution. The decision to provide one-off, lump-sum relief may be an imperfect option, but it will provide a much-needed financial lifeline to many Americans, some of whom did not entirely understand the consequences of taking on tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. Historically, little to no meaningful education was provided to student loan borrowers. It was simple for people to access thousands of dollars in loans and not totally understand how much interest would accrue or even the true likelihood of gainful employment after graduation. You couldve made a completely informed decision based on data and still your employment situation may not have resulted in the salary you needed to stay on top of your student loans. Advertisement Its easy to put a 2022 lens over this problem, but I matriculated in 2007 before the financial crisis and Im in the middle of the millennial generation. How many elder millennials were sold a bill of goods about the career opportunities and necessity of college only to end up being part of the mass layoffs and bottoming-out job market in the Great Recession? Then, when they finally began to feel some level of breathing room and financial stability, they were punched in the mouth by the pandemic. Sure, theres ample information and resources available for someone to be proactive and to do their own research. But we should be realistic about whether the average 18-year-old is making rational, practical decisions over emotional ones. Even parents can apply pressure about going to the school with the most prestige, no matter the cost. Its also frustrating to see how many people are pointing fingers at useless degrees and fancy schools as if those are the only graduates who will be receiving assistance. It isnt just liberal arts majors who struggle with the burden of student loans. Its also irrational to expect everyone to be a STEM major. For many, the concern is who will shoulder the financial burden of this student loan relief. Will it be the average taxpayer who either ground it out to pay off student loans or never even took them on at all? Its currently unclear, and understandably people are worried about their own wallets being hit to help someone else. However, there are plenty of ways in which peoples taxes support systems for which they receive little to no benefit personally but help the wider community. Advertisement Its always been strange to me how a contingent of people feel hellbent on making those coming up behind them struggle in the exact same way. We all know life isnt fair, and some of us will be cut breaks at times in our lives or receive bouts of good luck that others simply wont. But its a peculiar phenomenon to want people to struggle simply because you had to as well. Its also a fallacy that the next generation has the option to even follow in the footsteps of its predecessors. Will there be a portion of people who get relief who perhaps could be working harder? Sure. But will millions of Americans get a lifeline who have worked overtime or multiple jobs or had some unfortunate situations arise that are costly? Most definitely. Just because some people havent earned the relief to your personal metric doesnt mean the many hardworking people who are struggling shouldnt receive help. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Erin Lowry is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering personal finance. She is the author of the three-part Broke Millennial series. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been at loggerheads with leaders of the northern Tigray region since 2020. Their forces fought each other for more than 16 months before a truce was declared in March, then in August the two sides accused each other of staging fresh attacks. A United Nations human rights panel has reported evidence of widespread abuses. The conflict has pushed millions of people into hunger and tarnished Abiys once-illustrious reputation as a Nobel laureate. The nations misery has been compounded by the worst drought in four decades and soaring prices of grain and fuel. The authorities are also contending with 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 welcomed 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. Advertisement 2. What sparked the civil war? Abiy set about consolidating power under his newly formed Prosperity Party after taking office. This meant confronting the TPLF, which had dominated the ruling coalition since a Marxist regime was overthrown in 1991 and continued to govern the Tigray region. The TPLF refused to fall into line. Its leaders ignored a government directive to postpone legislative 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. The government eventually gained the upper hand and the rebels withdrew to within Tigrays borders in December 2021. The government continued air strikes on Tigray and fighting continued in the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions before the truce was declared. In September this year, the TPLF accused federal forces and allied troops from neighboring Eritrea of starting a new offensive in four areas in northern Tigray, raising fears of a resumption of all-out war. 3. Whats been the fallout from the war? Advertisement 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. The United Nations estimated in September that the war, and a drought in eastern Ethiopia, had left about 20 million people in need of aid. The situation was particularly dire in Tigray and Afar, 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 expert panel in September reported that all sides in the fighting have likely committed abuses such as extra-judicial killings and rape. It said that there were reasonable grounds to believe that in some cases, the violations amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity. 4. What are the other 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 border. Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based Islamist group thats linked to al-Qaeda and is seeking to expand its influence in the Horn of Africa, also staged an attack in Ethiopian territory in July 2022. Advertisement 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 multiethnic 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? Advertisement 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 also has yet to initiate a new program for Ethiopia -- a key requirement for debt restructuring -- after the previous one lapsed without any money being disbursed. Ethiopias central bank, meanwhile, has tightened currency controls. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been at loggerheads with leaders of the northern Tigray region since 2020. Their forces fought each other for more than 16 months before a truce was declared in March, but tensions lingered and in August the two sides accused each other of staging fresh attacks. The conflict has pushed millions of people into hunger and soured Abiys once-illustrious reputation. The nations misery has been compounded by the worst drought in four decades and soaring prices of grain and fuel. The authorities are also contending with 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 laid 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. Advertisement 2. What sparked the civil war? Abiy set about consolidating power under his newly formed Prosperity Party after taking office. This meant confronting the TPLF, which had dominated the countrys ruling coalition since a Marxist regime was overthrown in 1991 and continued to govern Tigray. The TPLF refused to fall into line. Its leaders ignored a government directive to postpone legislative 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. The government eventually gained the upper hand 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. In September, the TPLF accused federal forces and allied troops from neighboring Eritrea of starting a new offensive in four areas in northern Tigray, raising fears of a resumption of all-out war. 3. Whats been the fallout from the war? Advertisement 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 August, the United Nations estimated that the war, and a drought in eastern Ethiopia, had left about 20 million people in need of aid. The situation was particularly dire in Tigray and Afar, 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 other 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. Advertisement 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? Advertisement 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. (Updates to add context on the military operation in Tigray in 2020 in second section) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spent public money to fly about 50 Venezuelan asylum seekers from Texas to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, the ostensible point besides trolling and publicity, of course was to show that immigrants are a burden on red-state resources. But his stunt reveals a political and cultural corruption far deeper than the one the governor may have intended. First, it shows that the US has a blue-state elite that can no longer articulate or justify its own privileges for instance, living in an exclusive community such as Marthas Vineyard. Second, it shows that the conservative establishment has no real plan for fixing a broken US immigration system. Consider Marthas Vineyard, which has a limited population of about 16,000 residents, with a summer population swelling to more than 100,000. Real estate is very expensive. And the island is strictly zoned, making it hard to build a lot of dense, low-cost housing. Advertisement Marthas Vineyard is not my style I would rather be in Los Angeles surrounded by El Salvadoran pupuserias; none are listed on the island but I can see its attractions. I also concede that it is perfectly acceptable for people to decide to spend their hard-earned money on an expensive house in an exclusive neighborhood. Yet that is not necessarily the defense that left-wing intellectuals make, in part because of their increasing emphasis on egalitarian rhetoric and income inequality. It would be quite surprising if the wealthy residents of Marthas Vineyard, which has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1976, suddenly decided to embrace their inner Ayn Rand. Vineyard residents were certainly very kind and hospitable to the new arrivals before they were moved to the mainland. But altruism can only go so far. A true commitment to egalitarianism would mean constructing more affordable housing, for example, making it possible for not just immigrants but lower-income people to live and work there. Advertisement Even before the modest number of Venezuelan arrivals, the island was known for its extreme income inequality. Wages there are below the Massachusetts average, and living expenses prohibitively expensive. Those realities stem from decisions about land use made by the islands population.(1) Now consider the border towns of Texas. Most such towns are relatively cheap places to live and have a sizable lower-middle class. Whatever problems the flood of migrants across the Mexican border might create, at least it is cheaper for the state to pay their rent. So Texas Governor Greg Abbott should not be so quick to complain about border problems. Instead, he should recognize that immigration has been pretty good for Texas, at least large parts of it. These areas can do (and have done) well by focusing on services and amenities for people of lower incomes, supported by an ongoing population inflow. Advertisement Both sides in this debate are engaged in hypocritical rhetoric. Vineyard residents say they want to help but arent willing to make the changes on the local level that would be most helpful. Red-state politicians complain about what are, all things considered, their blessings. The larger point, of course, is that the US has too many arrivals living in immigration limbo. They can cross the border with an asylum claim and then live in the country while they wait for a slow and somewhat arbitrary judicial system to hear their claim. The US would do better with a system of more ex ante immigration approvals, and fewer hanging cases ex post. Most of the immigrants dumped by bus in front of Vice President Kamala Harriss Washington residence, for example, hold uncertain legal status. That is a recipe for trouble, as they probably do not yet feel they have a stake in the country and in the meantime they cannot legally work. People with a fixed legal status, and a home and a job to boot, are less likely to take some random plane or bus ride offered by strangers. Advertisement Perhaps the presence of so many asylum seekers from Venezuela will convince some wealthy island residents of the failures of socialism. More than that, their journey should be all the evidence any American needs of the utter dysfunctionality of the US immigration system. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Texas and Florida Are Going Full Belarus on Migrants: Andreas Kluth Can Immigrants Save American Democracy?: Romesh Ratnesar How to Make Progress in the Immigration Debate: Karl Smith (Corrects reference to blue-state elite in second paragraph.) (1) I am OK with such community-supported zoning restrictions when they apply to very limited local areas, such as Marthas Vineyard, and there are many options to look elsewhere. The problem arises when they start infesting a larger part of the US, as they have. Advertisement This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of economics at George Mason University and writes for the blog Marginal Revolution. He is coauthor of Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Earlier this week, President Joe Biden seemed to commit one of his trademark gaffes by saying The pandemic is over. The backlash was swift. Thats understandable, given that hundreds of people are still dying from Covid every day. But President Biden may be doing what comes naturally to many of us judging the situation by our own experiences. To truly understand where we are in the Covid pandemic, we need to be able to answer an essential question: Who are the 400-500 people who are still dying from this disease each day and what could be done to prevent these deaths? Its a surprisingly difficult question to answer. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, asked people not to be numb to these numbers on his popular Twitter feed, and people responded by asking the same questions Ive been posing to experts for weeks. Who is dying in late 2022? Is it nursing home residents? Anti-vaxxers? Essential workers? How many of them have had the vaccine? Boosters? Did we fail them, or did they fail to take care of themselves? Advertisement When I asked the CDC for relevant statistics, they sent me a widely circulated graph which showed the rates of death were much lower for vaccinated people. But without raw numbers on these deaths, its still hard to know why the death toll has plateaued at such a high level. In the same interview in which Biden remarked that the pandemic was over, the president also said that people seemed to be in pretty good shape. Thats a common perception, because most people who get Covid do recover and go on with life. Michael Osterholm, who is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, acknowledged as much on a recent episode of his podcast. Most people are not at high risk of death from Covid, he said, and yet people are dying What is it that makes people vulnerable to serious illness? Who is it thats ending up in our ICUs? We dont know. Our public health information systems are not providing us that kind of data. Advertisement There is at least some data suggesting that more boosters among the elderly would help. Theres strong evidence that a first booster makes a big difference, and that the risk of death is much higher for those over 65. And yet, Osterholm said, only 70% of Americans over 65 have had their first booster. (Only 26% have had a second booster.) Topol has also shared concerns about our lack of information. Not only do we lack detailed information on how many (if any) vaccine shots theyve had, we also lack data on what treatments they received. Did they get Paxlovid? Did they get bebtelovimab? he asked in the Los Angeles Times. (Bebtelovimab is a monoclonal antibody treatment.) Even if vaccines vastly reduce risk, it doesnt follow that anti-vaxxers are the root of the problem. Its easily possible for vaccines to be very protective but still see the majority of deaths among the fully vaccinated, simply because younger unvaccinated people face less risk than fully vaccinated seniors. Advertisement One reason clear data arent available is that the US doesnt collect that information in a uniform way, said Stephen Kissler, an infectious disease researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. A lot of public health happens at city level or lower so, because of that, its really hard to combine data across states to assess who is ending up in the hospital or dying of Covid-19, he said. The mix is hard to standardize. Another challenge has to do with the complex immunological landscape, he said. Its not just a matter of how many boosters people have that determines their level of protection, but when theyve gotten them. Add to that the fact that the most vulnerable people are more likely to get vaccinated. Theres another deceptive factor that can make it look like everyone is in pretty good shape, said Andrew Noymer, a demographer and associate professor of public health at the University of California, Irvine. The infection fatality rate, a number many were obsessed with finding early in the pandemic, is probably now close to that of flu. But the disease is killing a lot more people than flu because so many people are getting Covid. Its common for people to get Covid several times a year, whereas people tend to get flu at most several times a decade. Advertisement Even those public health experts who are furious with Biden for his remarks have had to concede they were wrong in claiming that wed crush the pandemic if only enough people followed the rules, stayed locked down, or masked up for 100 days. When this first arrived, we thought this would be a nightmare for six months and it would go away because wed all have immunity, said Noymer. That hasnt panned out. What Americans need is not to keep hearing the word pandemic but to get some clarity about what we should be doing. What do we owe our fellow citizens? What should we demand from our government? We dont all share the same values, but we should at least have the chance to argue over the same data. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Latest Covid Conundrum Is When to Get Yet Another Shot: Faye Flam Advertisement What Covid Treatment Will Cost You in 2023: Lisa Jarvis and Sam Fazeli Biden Is Unpopular, But Democrats Arent: Julianna Goldman (Corrects the percentage of Americans over 65 who have gotten a Covid booster in the seventh paragraph.) 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. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share In a city of law and lawyers, it may not seem surprising that summers celebrated lease is apparently being enforced to the end. On Monday, the temperature hit an unusually warm, and perhaps even hot, 88 degrees. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight With the autumn equinox only three days away, a thermometer reading in the afternoon seemed to refuse to yield an hour of summers stay. Rather than concede to the inevitable, it soared to an unautumnal peak eight degrees above average for the date. With at least a hint of Washington humidity in the air, Monday probably came reasonably close to whatever expectations many of us have of a typical summer day. It seemed a day to satisfy the demands of strict constructionists among weather watchers, who insist that until the equinox actually occurs on Thursday, it shall be summer in our city. Advertisement That 88-degree reading, noted by the National Weather Service at 1:02 p.m., outstripped last years 83. It failed by only eight degrees to touch the record for the date, the 96 degrees reached in 1895. An oft-recorded song with this month in its title contains a strain of melancholy as it reflects on the passage of time. The lyrics of the selection, September Song, note poignantly how the the days dwindle down. But on Monday, Washington witnessed what seemed a stubborn atmospheric refusal to replicate the time honored trend of many Septembers past. Instead, it seemed to keep alive, at least for another day, a season that is obviously fading. It defied time and the movements of the earth to give us the warmest day in more than two weeks. It was the hottest since the 91 on the eve of Labor Day. GiftOutline Gift Article Gift Article Share At least three schools in the Washington area were targets on Monday of the proliferating hoax known as swatting in which a false report is made to authorities of a violent incident in a school building. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Police searched, but no shootings or other violent incidents could be found, authorities said. Similar hoaxes or false reports reportedly occurred on Monday elsewhere in Virginia. In Culpeper County, for example, the school system said all schools were placed on lockdown after a caller to 911 reported an active shooter at one of them. Such calls have also been reported in recent days across the United States and have prompted a statement from the FBI. The bureau said it took the practice of making false reports very seriously, because it placed the innocent at risk and expended law enforcement resources. Advertisement In the Washington area, the targets on Monday included schools in Arlington and Loudoun counties. In Loudoun, both the county sheriffs office and the Leesburg police department were notified of acts of violence at Loudoun Valley and Loudoun County high schools, the sheriffs office said in a tweet. Loudoun County High School is in Leesburg. The sheriffs office described the notification as a hoax but said that authorities take such reports seriously and are investigating. In Arlington, police said officers went to Washington-Liberty High School, formerly known as Washington-Lee High School, about 2:20 p.m. in response to a report of a possible act of violence. Officers found no evidence of any shooting or injuries, police said. Washington-Libertys principal, Tony Hall, said in a message to parents that the report of a violent act at the school was made in a 911 call but was quickly determined to be a false report. The message said there was an increased police presence, but no threat and no lockdown at this time. The precise purpose and number of Mondays false reports could not be determined immediately, nor was it clear who was behind them. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share BELGRADE, Serbia Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday days after he endorsed Moscows aggression against Ukraine, Russian and Serbian media reported. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight During a rare visit to Moscow by a politician from Europe, the Russian president praised his countrys strategic partnership with Serbia. The visit came amid repeated warnings from the European Union that Serbia must align its foreign policies with the bloc if it really wants to become a member. Serbia is the only nation seeking EU membership that has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Dodik, a Serb member of Bosnias tripartite presidency, has frequently met with Putin, especially ahead of elections when he wants to show to the highly pro-Russian Bosnian Serb electorate that he has Putins support. Dodik last met Putin in June, months after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February. Advertisement Bosnia has a general election on Oct. 2 in which Dodik is running for the Bosnian Serb presidency. The elections are coming up and I wish you success, Putin said according to a transcript of the conversation published by Bosnian media. I hope that it will be so, after the results of the vote, that the position of the patriotic forces will be strengthened, which will enable us to further develop fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation. Moscow has often been accused by the West of seeking to destabilize Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans through its proxies in Serbia and Bosnia. Dodik has openly advocated tearing away the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia from a Bosniak-Croat federation and joining it up with neighboring Serbia. A U.S.-brokered peace deal in 1995 ended a war in Bosnia that left at least 100,000 people dead and millions homeless, but left the country deeply divided between its three main ethnic groups. Moscow has been exploiting the divisions by tacitly supporting Dodiks separatist policies. Advertisement On the eve of his visit to Moscow, Dodik gave an interview to Russias state TASS news agency where he repeated his separatist views but also added his endorsement of Russias invasion of Ukraine. For many years the West did not react to the extermination of the Russian population in Ukraine, there were daily murders and bombings in Donbas, Dodik claimed in the interview, referring to the separatist pro-Russian region in eastern Ukraine. All this was clear, and Russia was forced to retaliate. Putin also sent a separate message to Serbia and its populist President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday. Russia and Serbia are linked by a strategic partnership, Putin said, according to the Serbian media. I regularly talk to President Vucic during personal meetings and telephone conversations about key issues for the further development of the cooperation. Advertisement Although officially seeking EU membership, Serbia has during Vucics 10-year autocratic rule slid ever closer to Russia under Putin. Vucic is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly session, where he says he intends to send a message that Serbia has, under international law, the same rights to fight against the independence of its separatist former province of Kosovo as Ukraine has for those regions occupied by pro-Moscow separatists. Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians represent more than 90% of the population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly 10 years after NATO intervened to stop a bloody Serb carnage against independence-seeking Kosovo Albanians. Serbia has refused to acknowledge their independence. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share LONDON At least 250,000 people joined the huge line to see Queen Elizabeth IIs coffin lying in state for four days in Londons Westminster Hall at Parliament, an official said Tuesday. The figure was released a day after Britain ended 10 days of national mourning for the late monarch, who died on Sept. 8 in Scotland at age 96 after 70 years on the throne. On Monday, hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries attended her state funeral at Westminster Abbey, and huge crowds thronged the streets of London and Windsor to witness history and bid a final farewell to their queen before she was laid to rest in Windsor. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said officials were still crunching the numbers, but estimated that about a quarter-million people joined the longest queue most have ever seen for a chance to file past the queens coffin from Sept. 14 until shortly before her state funeral on Monday. Advertisement Many in the queue waited for up to 13 hours, braving the autumnal chill and spending entire nights shuffling for miles along the River Thames to pay their respects. The London Ambulance Service said staff and volunteers cared for around 2,000 people who lined up, and took 240 in for hospital treatment. The queen was interred late Monday alongside her late husband Prince Philip and her parents in Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel, a gothic church steeped in royal history for centuries. Elizabeths parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, known as the Queen Mother in later years, were interred there, as were the ashes of Elizabeths sister Princess Margaret. Outside Windsor Castle on Tuesday, cleaners were busy clearing up and international news crews were taking down their equipment a day after thousands packed the streets to watch the military procession escort the queens coffin from London to Windsor. Advertisement The nation certainly has come together. As for the crowd yesterday, it was unbelievable, really, said Marion Brettle, 73. I think the whole nation stopped, and thought, and listened, and watched. More than 26 million people in the U.K. watched the queens funeral service on television, provisional figures show, making the event one of the countrys biggest-ever TV audiences. That compares to about 32.1 million viewers who watched Princess Dianas funeral in 1997. The royal family were observing another week of mourning and arent expected to carry out official engagements. British media including Sky News reported that King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, flew to Scotland on Tuesday to grieve privately. Flags on British government buildings returned to flying at full-staff Tuesday, but those at royal residences will remain at half-staff until after the final day of royal mourning. ___ Follow all AP stories on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the U.K. monarchy at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share KAMPALA, Uganda Eritrea on Tuesday launched a full-scale offensive along the countrys border with northern Ethiopia in what appeared to be an escalation of last months renewal of fighting against Tigray forces. Tigrayan authorities in turn told their people to get ready for war. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The Eritreans are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces, including commando units, as well as allied militia, according to Tigray spokesman Getachew Reda. Eritrea is deploying its entire army as well as reservists. Our forces are heroically defending their positions, he tweeted. Later Tuesday, Tigrayan authorities, in a statement citing the regions existential challenge, asked their people to make themselves fully available for the all-round war we are waging to spoil our enemies dreams and aspirations once and for all. Advertisement A humanitarian worker in the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat told The Associated Press that Eritrean forces were shelling the surrounding areas. The worker spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety fears. It was not immediately possible to obtain comment from authorities in Ethiopia or Eritrea, which lies north of Tigray. Britain and Canada issued travel advisories last week telling their citizens in Eritrea to be vigilant after authorities there called up citizens to report for military duty. The war in Tigray is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and left millions without basic services for well over a year. Eritrean forces fought on the side of Ethiopian federal troops in Tigray when war started in November 2020. Eritrean forces were implicated in some of the worst atrocities committed in the conflict charges they deny. The war reignited in August after a lull in fighting earlier this year. Advertisement The U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa told reporters Tuesday that Washington has been tracking Eritrean troop movements across the border. They are extremely concerning, and we condemn it, Mike Hammer said of the troop movements. All external foreign actors should respect Ethiopias territorial integrity and avoid fueling the conflict. He reiterated a call for the warring sides to enter into talks saying that there is no military solution to the conflict. Inside Tigray now, millions of residents are still largely cut off from the world. Communications and banking services are severed, and their restoration has been a key demand in mediation efforts. The full-blown entry of Eritrea into the Tigray war looks set to complicate any peace efforts between Tigrayan leaders and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who mended ties with Eritrea as soon as he rose to power in 2018. But that rapprochement was viewed suspiciously by Tigrayan authorities, for whom Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki remains a foe two decades after Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody border war. ___ Associated Press reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report. GiftOutline Gift Article Billionaire Andrew Twiggy Forrests Fortescue Metals Group has issued a challenge to heavy carbon emitters around the world to follow its audacious bid to eliminate fossil fuel use from its business and cut its emissions to zero by 2030. Fortescue on Tuesday said it will spend $9.2 billion to fully decarbonise its mining operations and supply its customers with a carbon-free product within eight years. Cuts to operating costs will make estimated annual savings of $1.2 billion - a sign that a post-fossil fuel era is good commercial, common sense, Forrest said. Fortescue says it will invest in renewable energy generation and battery storage to power a green mining fleet, electrifying its rail locomotive ore haulage system. Credit: Ian Waldie We really must be taking this super-seriously now, Forrest told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after a high-level meeting in the US. So my challenge to industrial leaders all over the world is: take the first step. World leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Monday (US time) where Forrest presented his vision at a closed-door session with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, urging industry rivals to stop making excuses and follow suit. It appears our Reserve Bank governor is warming to his new role as the nations bad-news-deliverer-in-chief. Having already announced the most aggressive series of interest rate rises since the 1990s, Philip Lowe raised eyebrows again on Friday during a routine, twice-yearly grilling by a federal parliamentary committee by suggesting tax hikes could be part of the solution to yawning federal budget deficits. Philip Lowe during a hearing with the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In response to a fairly innocuous question about the interplay of monetary policy (interest rates) and fiscal policy (the tax and spend decisions of government), Lowe held forth with a short economic sermon on the limited policy options available to policymakers in Canberra to cover the growing expense of community demands for additional spending on disability and aged care, among other things. In uncharacteristically stark terms, Lowe outlined three options: You can raise more taxes to pay for the things the community want. You can cut back in other areas or we can get the economy to grow more strongly, so the pie is bigger. Queen Elizabeth IIs image is ubiquitous. Her face is on British money the blue 5-pound notes, the bronze 1-pound coin. Its on post boxes and stamps. The royal arms is on condiment jars and jackets. Since her death this month, Elizabeths face has been all over nonstop news coverage. But before long, the visage of King Charles III will replace his mothers in official and unofficial capacities. Post boxes across the UK will need to be given an overhaul. Credit:Alexander Coggin/The New York Times A lot will be changing. But there is a silver lining of sorts for this royal makeover. The cost of the monarchy, which is significant, comes with the ongoing costs which ought to be reined in and havent been reined in, said Norman Baker, a former government minister and the author of the book And What Do You Do? What the Royal Family Dont Want You to Know. In other words, everything is already so expensive that replacing one royal with another isnt a major investment. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Of all the qualities that have come to define Disneys Star Wars television shows, what stands out is the effortless way they weave in and out of the established canon. A show like Andor may feel relatively new, but characters such as the famed rebel leader Mon Mothma, take us back to the Star Wars we grew up with. Genevieve OReilly, the Irish-Australian actress who plays Mon Mothma, seems to conjure the regal power of her predecessor, actress Caroline Blakiston, who played the character almost 40 years ago in the third chapter of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi. In the new series Andor, the younger Mon Mothma appears in the infancy of the Empire, as an influential senator helping to build the foundations of what will become the good guys of the entire Star Wars saga, the Rebel Alliance. And OReillys task - taking on a part played previously by another actor - is not new to Star Wars. Ewan McGregor was tasked in the film prequels and the television series Obi-Wan Kenobi with the job of playing the younger Sir Alec Guinness. While it runs contrary to an actors nature to simply imitate, McGregor has said he had to let Guinnesss performance in. OReilly agrees. Mon Mothma, now played by Genevieve OReilly in Andor, has been a fan favourite ever since she ordered the attack on the Death Star. Credit:Lucasfilm Caroline Blakiston is always there, says the 45-year-old NIDA graduate. Ive played this character in different iterations over the last number of years, but I always go back to Carolines performance in Return of the Jedi at the very beginning. I dont go back to it too often, but at the beginning, before I start my work, I go back to her. Caroline originated the character, and she created something really special with not very much [scene time], OReilly says. She had such a weight to her. There was a pain at her core. And yet, she was this really iconic leader, female leader, and I feel like I have a responsibility to the character and also to Caroline and to George Lucas who created her all those years ago. Advertisement In a sense, the notion of Mon Mothma as a great female leader is impactful, but it owes an almost immeasurable debt to the earlier work of Carrie Fisher, whose performance as Princess Leia Organa, the senator of Alderaan captured by Darth Vader in the original 1977 film Star Wars, was dazzling. Princess Leia was, for many, the original female action hero. You cant underestimate the impact that Carrie Fishers portrayal of Princess Leia had on modern cultural cinema and storytelling, OReilly says. The older I get, the more important it is. When I think of what she did, particularly when I think of Return of the Jedi, in regards to her, that she was fighting, that she was on the ground; as a kid, that was the woman I saw. It is a debt owed by a number of key female parts in the Star Wars cycles, not just Princess Leia and Mon Mothma, but also Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Rey (Daisy Ridley). Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was first revealed in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, when he teamed up with Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). Theyre quite different, but they are women who are on the battlefield, OReilly says. For Mon Mothma, her battlefield is the senate. She is a voice for diplomacy. She is a voice for political solution. She is trying to affect change within a very male-dominated, empirical structure. She is trying to use words. Shes trying to gather allies. She is trying to oppose an ever-looming autocracy. We know where it goes. We know its a wrestle. We know there will be massive pitfalls. We know its not going to be easy. In that sense, OReilly says, Andor is an inherently political story, set in the shadow of the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Each of the live-action pieces have their own identity, and this piece led by Diego as Cassian Andor, who as we know in [the film] Rogue One, I introduced him as, This is Cassian Andor from Rebel Intelligence, so we know this is a spy thriller. We know it is about espionage and political intrigue, but if you look at the trailer, its also unafraid to be explosive and gritty and dirty. Advertisement Critically, Andor dials back the clock. There are touchpoints in Rogue One, snapshots for every character, little moments of truth of who they are, little pieces and shards that go back to who they were, say writer/producer Tony Gilroy. And the pieces that we had for Cassian were that hed been in the revolution since he was six years old. Hed been fighting since he was six years old. We know that at the end of [Rogue One], he says, My God, if we dont go out and make this final effort, then all of the things that Ive done, all the horrible things that Ive done for the rebellion, theyll be for naught. Itll be useless. So we know theres a very dark period. Gilroy says there were tiny navigational points in Rogue One that built from to create Cassian Andors story. It felt very important, particularly for a story where youre taking somebody on a five-year journey, to really, really be fully invested in their complete story, from origin and, as we know in Rogue One, to the end, he says. So the responsibility to have an abundant, real, important backstory was obvious. Tony Gilroy, who created Andor, on set with Diego Luna. It was a gift to start with the conclusion of the story - the events of Rogue One, which dovetail into the Skywalker family Star Wars trilogies - and then map it backwards, says Gilroy. This is about these huge titanic forces that are manipulating peoples lives, forcing them to make decisions. The story of revolution and what it really means is very complicated. Its very interesting to delve into as a writer, Gilroy says. By the time we get to Rogue One, whats great about building this show back in reverse and seeing the preceding four years is that a lot of scenes in Rogue One are going to take a deeper significance and a deeper resonance. That is not a happy moment for him. But there are so many things that will have been sacrificed along the way and so many regular people that have made just epic decisions about which way theyre gonna go and what theyre gonna give. Advertisement The larger question, for the shows star Diego Luna, is how much the audience can balance what it thinks it knows about Cassian Andor against a show that is going to constantly place him in high-stakes jeopardy. Im going to challenge everything you think about Cassian, Luna says. Everything that made sense when you were watching [Rogue One] is now going to be challenged. I do have that in mind. I know where it ends, and I can be very creative about how to get there. It triggers a different part of your creativity, when you start backwards. As an audience, not as an actor, theres nothing I like the most than going to see big shows about historical moments where I get to see whats in between what I know. To me, it celebrates, in a way, and it challenges audiences in a very special way. Its like you know this is possible. You know someone is capable of this. Well, Im going to tell you something, you dont know about what triggered that and, to me, that is when storytelling becomes fascinating. Forest Whitaker returns as Saw Gerrera is Andor. THE WHOS WHO AND WHATS WHAT OF ANDOR Who is Cassian Andor? Cassian is a human soldier and, later, intelligence officer, who became a hero of the Rebel Alliance after he played a pivotal role in obtaining the plans to the Death Star, helping to destroy the planet-busting space station in the events of the films Rogue One and Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope. The new series Andor is set five years before those historic events, so here we meet Cassian when he is still unformed, a kid from the wrong side of the galactic tracks trying to find his way in the galaxy. Wait, I never saw Star Wars. What you got? OK, its a long story but, in brief, the story of Star Wars is the story of a crumbling and over-governed Republic that is eventually overtaken by the charisma of a single senator, Sheev Palpatine, who reorganises the government into the First Galactic Empire and proceeds to cast a long and sinister shadow across the galaxy. Against him are the Rebel Alliance and, later, the Skywalker family of Star Wars fame. Andor is set in the infancy of the Empire, as the galaxy is slowly being to kneel under its boot heel. Advertisement It had a stellar cast, went on forever, and even though it lacked drama and snappy dialogue, television events dont come much bigger than the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Gauging just how big it was, though, isnt easy. In Australia, the TV audience for the broadcast of the funeral on Monday night peaked around 8pm, when 3.46 million metro viewers (in the five mainland capitals) tuned in across six free-to-air networks (Seven, Nine, 10 Bold, SBS, ABC and ABC News). The Queens coffin is carried by pall bearers in St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. Credit:Jonathan Brady/Getty The total audience for free-to-air TV at that time was 4.6 million viewers which was up about one-third compared to the same day a week earlier. That meant almost three-quarters of people who were watching free-to-air TV in the five big cities on Monday night were watching the Queens funeral. In addition, regional viewing peaked at around 1.527 million viewers. On pay TV, Sky attracted a peak audience of 188,000 for its coverage. All up, that suggests an audience at the 8pm peak of 5.17 million viewers. And given Australias population is about 26 million, that means about one in five of us tuned in via the TV at that time. After Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, a few hundred Australians, including business leaders, all federal MPs and Senators, state premiers, and even a few journalists including one of your humble columnists, were sanctioned by Russia. The retaliation against the Australian governments military and economic support for Kyiv means all those on the naughty list are banned indefinitely from entering Russia. But it turns out someone knows how to get un-sanctioned the conspiracy-curious former Nationals MP George Christensen. Will the Member for Manila become the Member for Moscow? Credit:John Shakespeare The former Member for Manila, who now describes himself as a blogger, podcaster, journalist and theologian, claimed on his Telegram account that hed managed to get allowed back to Russia after making a special plea to ambassador Alexei Pavlovsky. Wikipedia is false. An article currently went up on it claiming I am sanctioned by Russia, Christensen told his 25,000-odd Telegram followers. However, I appealed to the Russian ambassador to Australia, disassociating myself with anti-Russian rhetoric rife in Australia. As a result, the sanction against me was lifted. The European Union is ready to sign up to a free trade deal with Australia as soon as February now the federal governments climate laws meet the blocs exacting environmental standards. One of the unions top trade negotiators says that now progress has been made on environmental policy a stumbling block in previous talks there is room to negotiate on key concerns such as naming rights for cheeses and wines. Bernd Lange, chair of the EU parliament committee on international trade, says Europe wants a deal by early next year. Credit:AAP The EU is shopping for stable trading partners in critical minerals such as lithium as the war in Ukraine continues and subsequent sanctions on Russia take effect, while Australia wants to secure broader access for beef and dairy exports. Bernd Lange, the German chair of the European parliaments committee on international trade, said the EU was keen to seal the deal before the parliaments term ended. The NSW government will introduce new legislation into parliament this week to strengthen no body, no parole laws after former teacher Chris Dawson was convicted of murdering his wife. Dawson, 74, was late last month found guilty of murdering his first wife Lynette Dawson, 33, four decades after she vanished from Sydneys northern beaches. Her body has never been found. Main photo: Chris Dawson before the announcement of the verdict last month. Inset: Dawson with Lynette on their wedding day in 1970. Credit:Kate Geraghty Premier Dominic Perrottet said the governments proposed bill would mean offenders must co-operate with investigators and disclose the location of remains for any chance of release on parole. We will make it impossible for offenders who willfully and deliberately refuse to disclose information about their victims remains, to be granted parole, Perrottet said. London: Queen Elizabeth IIs final farewell stretched for more than 12 hours with two separate services taking place before she was laid to rest in a private burial at Windsor. In an event unlike anything witnessed in modern history, the day was replete with pageantry and symbolism bringing closure to the monarchs 70-year reign. Heres what you may have missed. A moving handwritten note At three years old, Charles Philip Arthur George became Britains heir to the throne. As his mother was proclaimed queen following King George VIs death, the young princes destiny was sealed. But it would be 70 years before he fulfilled his calling. Mourning his mothers death under the glare of TV cameras this week revealed some clues about what type of monarch Britain can expect. It also served as a reminder of the brutal rhythm of royal life, where mourning is conducted in public and within the bounds of excruciatingly detailed ritual. The final stages of the massive queue in central London to pass by the Queens casket. Credit:Getty On Wednesday, King Charles III led the procession behind the Queens casket walking with his siblings and sons, princes William and Harry. Crowds stretched for the two-kilometre journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where the family held a service before ceremonially handing the Queens coffin over to the nation for her public farewell. Queen Elizabeth II once said she had to be seen to be believed and this was true in her death. Like every monarch since Edward VII, members of the public are invited to file past the coffin before the funeral on Monday. On the banks of the Thames, the sense of poignancy was palpable as people lined up to say a final goodbye to their queen. The camaraderie among queue neighbours-turned-friends was reminiscent of a wartime generation: spirited and not willing to sit on the sidelines of history. Will King Charles III unify a nation in the same way as his mother? Can he forge the same sense of admiration and gratitude from his subjects? In his first address as monarch, 24 hours after he ascended the throne, the 73-year-old acknowledged the unrelenting reality of his tenure head-on: I, too, now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation. He also made an offer of reconciliation to his younger son, the Duke of Sussex, making mention of his love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas. It was a gesture of goodwill amid an increasingly sharp focus on the fractured relationship between father and son. We are seeing him publicly hand a significant olive branch to the Sussexes, says Nicholl, who understands Charles has wanted a genuine reconciliation with Prince Harry for a long time. In another example of how the King may balance family with duty, he barred Prince Andrew and Prince Harry from wearing military uniform during his mothers coffin procession but granted them permission to wear uniform for the final vigil at Westminster Hall. The privilege is normally reserved for working members of the royal family. King Charles III and the Queen Consort talk to students and pat Connie the corgi in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. Credit: Getty Images It is estimated King Charles III travelled 2400 kilometres during the first week of his reign. The notorious workaholic he skips lunch and works late into the night travelled to Northern Ireland with Camilla where they greeted crowds at Hillsborough Castle. Again, they shook hands, received flowers and at one point, Charles stroked the head and shook the paw of Connie the corgi. We have a lot of those at home, he told owner Eleanor Flynn. Editor at large of The Australian Womens Weekly, Juliet Rieden, who has accompanied Charles on a number of royal tours, wasnt surprised by the Kings natural ease with well-wishers. All of the royal family this week have shown that they are very keen to maintain a strong connection to the people, she says. They are doing so in the Queens memory and to comfort the people in their loss as much as people are comforting them through this time of grieving. Queen Elizabeth II shaking hands with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness in 2012. By then McGuinness was Northern Irelands deputy first minister. Credit:AP Speaking to dignitaries at Hillsborough Castle, Charles reflected on the role his mother played in reconciliation in Northern Ireland. My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those whom history had separated, and in extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts, he said. Making reference to Lord Louis Mountbatten, his great-uncle killed by the IRA in 1979, the King said the late Queen never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people . . . whose sorrows our family had felt. At a time of sour relations between nationalists and unionists in the aftermath of Brexit, his comments echoed the quiet diplomacy that defined Queen Elizabeth IIs reign. Another test will be how he responds to the discussions in various Commonwealth countries about their links to the Crown and potential moves towards becoming republics. The royal family at Westminster Abbey for the funeral of Lord Mountbatten. Credit:AP In the days following her majestys death, world leaders praised her subtle influence and strength of character. In a televised address, Barbadoss head of state Dame Sandra Mason highlighted her stoicism and concern for humanity less than a year after the Caribbean nation became a republic. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described her as a wise and encouraging guide, always wanting the best for our nation and greeting each change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian peoples judgment. The New Royals Queen Elizabeths Legacy and the Future of the Crown by Katie Nicholl. Credit: Such grace was less visible from her son at certain times this week. During the signing of the proclamation, he aired his frustration when a pen tray got in his way. At Hillsborough Castle, he grew impatient when he wrote the wrong date in the visitors book and struggled with a leaky pen. Critics focused on these moments while others excused his ill-temper, saying it was merely a sign of his humanity in what was a sleepless week following the loss of his mother. Anyone that knows Charles will know that he has a temper, says Nicholl. He cant bear incompetence, he cant bear lateness ... and he can be quick to lose his temper, particularly under pressure. But once hes had that little explosion, its forgotten about, and hes onto the next thing, she says. He doesnt bear a grudge. Loading Charles lifelong passion for the environment was a hallmark of his tenure as prince of Wales. In 2010, he wrote the book, Harmony, sharing his views on the state of the Earth and how its challenges are rooted in mankind. Insiders say he will be more cautious in his early reign, shifting his focus from campaigner to convener and bringing people together to resolve complex issues. The King and the Queen Consort are expected to move from their current London home of Clarence House to take up residence at Buckingham Palace. Charles has spoken of a desire to cut back on costs at the monarchical headquarters and his intention to open it up to the public more regularly. This is a different generation and times have changed, says Rieden. The questions of whether Charles will follow a century-old rule and give the Sussex children Archie and Lilibet prince and princess titles, including the right to be called his or her royal highness, remains. Nicholl believes if he does, it will come with a caveat. Theyre going to want loyalty from Harry and Meghan in return, she says. Theyre going to want support and to know that they can trust them moving forward. On Thursday, Prince William spoke of how the Queens procession brought back painful memories of how he and Harry followed his mothers coffin at her funeral 25 years ago. Undeniably, Charles divorce to Princess Diana and her consequent death contributed to public disapproval of the former prince. For a time, many believed the crown should skip a generation and go straight to William. New York: A Texas county sheriff is opening a criminal investigation into flights that carried dozens of migrants to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, from Texas last week, an act that Floridas Republican governor took credit for and which the White House dubbed a political stunt. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference on Monday that about 50 migrants were lured under false pretences on the streets of San Antonio, put up in a hotel, bused to planes and stranded unceremoniously in Marthas Vineyard, a wealthy vacation island, for nothing other than a photo op. San Antonio is the biggest city in Bexar County. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar believes the vulnerable migrants were preyed upon. Credit:AP Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is up for re-election in November and is seen as a possible presidential contender in 2024, claimed credit for the two flights from San Antonio while criticising Democratic President Joe Bidens handling of a record number of crossings along the US-Mexico border. DeSantis joins Republican governors from Texas and Arizona in sending migrants to Democratic-controlled cities, including buses of migrants from Texas dropped off near the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. You might have already ordered a pumpkin spice latte or started planning your family trip to the orchard, but fall doesnt officially arrive until Sept. 22. Thats the date of the autumnal equinox, which marks the first day of astrological fall each year. Heres what you need to know about the equinox before you kick off a season of crisp air, pumpkin carving and apple pie. When is the autumnal equinox in 2022? The autumnal equinox also called the fall equinox or September equinox usually comes on Sept. 22 or 23, though it has come as early as the 21st or as late as the 24th. In 2022, the fall equinox occurs at 9:04 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 22. What is an equinox and how many are there? An equinox marks a date where day and night are about the same length. Each year, the sun crosses the celestial equator twice, giving us the fall and spring equinoxes. The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, generally occurs on March 20 or 21 each year and marks the start of longer days and shorter nights. The autumnal equinox marks the opposite shorter days and longer nights and the start of fall. Heres where things get tricky: If youre in the Southern Hemisphere, the equinox dates are reversed. Spring begins in September while fall begins in March. Is an equinox the same as a solstice? While there are only two equinox days each year, there also are days to mark the beginning of summer and winter. Unlike an equinox, where days and nights are the same length, the summer solstice and winter solstice mark the dates when daylight hours are longest or shortest. In 2022, the spring solstice occurred March 20, and the winter solstice will be Dec. 21. What is the significance of the autumnal equinox? Aside from kicking off the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox carries significance in different myths, religions and cultures. In Greek mythology, the fall equinox marked Persephones return to the underworld, where she was reunited with her husband, Hades. In Japanese sects of Buddhism, Higan is celebrated for seven days around the fall and spring equinoxes. Modern pagans also celebrate the autumnal equinox with a Mabon feast to enjoy the gifts of the Earth. Is the harvest moon related to the fall equinox? The harvest moon doesnt fall on the autumnal equinox, but it is related. Its simply the full moon that occurs closest to the date of the equinox. In 2022, the harvest moon could be spotted on Sept. 10. How long is fall in 2022? Fall 2022 begins on Sept. 22 during the autumnal equinox and ends on Dec. 21 during the winter solstice. That gives you three months to enjoy scented candles, trick-or-treating, colorful fall foliage, seasonal squash and caramel apples. MILAN (AP) Giambarini Groups plants in northern Italy must keep zinc baths that rustproof steel and iron parts super-heated around the clock, seven days a week, an energy-intensive process that has grown exponentially more costly as natural gas prices spike. Methane to create molten zinc that forms a protective coating over high-rise support beams and wrought-iron fences used to take up just 3% of operating costs, but now it's as much as 30%. The family-run company has passed some of the extra cost to customers, but business is uncertain as rising prices for raw materials freezes the construction industry that Giambarini supplies. We dont know the future. We dont know if it will get worse or better, since clients dont know if they will have work, said CEO Alberto Giambarini, the third generation in his family to run the business. He has orders for the coming 10 days, instead of through Christmas, like in the past. We are living day to day. The energy crisis facing Italian industry and households like those across Europe is a top voter concern going into Sunday's parliamentary elections as fears grow that astronomically high bills will shutter some businesses, at least temporarily, and force household rationing by winter. Prices started going up a year ago and have only been exacerbated as Russia has cut back natural gas used to generate electricity, heat and cool homes, and run factories as Europe supports war-torn Ukraine. Already in July and August, industrial energy use dropped by double digits mostly because of scaled-back production which experts say could affect economic growth and employment in the coming months. At the same time, three-quarters of Italian households expect even more pain this fall with higher bills, according to the SWG polling institute. Already, 80% report important sacrifices to pay energy costs, such as delaying vacations, major purchases and eating out. Never in an Italian election campaign has energy been such a central talking point. Candidates have sparred over whether debt-laden Italy, which has already spent more than 60 billion euros to help families, businesses and local governments, should incur yet more debt to finance new relief. They're also facing off on whether Italy should consider investing in new nuclear technologies. But no party is discussing mandatory conservation measures, like many of Italys European neighbors. It is remarkable to see how much all these people are commenting on energy. Before the current situation, no one would mention the issue. But at the same time, they are neglecting if not ignoring completely the climate side of this, said Matteo Di Castelnuovo, an energy economist at Milans Bocconi University. No one is going to talk about rationing or reducing consumption. Most major parties, including Giorgia Melonis far-right Brothers of Italy and Enrico Lettas center-left Democratic Party, are largely following strategies pursued by the outgoing government of Premier Mario Draghi. They both advocate a European Union cap on natural gas prices, despite a failure to gain EU consensus in months of discussion, along with varying formulas to help families and offer tax breaks to businesses. Pollsters and energy experts say these similarities have made it difficult for voters to be moved by energy policy. Broadly, the campaign has focused on continued natural gas investments. For the Democratic Party, plants that regasify liquid natural gas are positioned as a bridge to other technologies as it sets a target to add 85 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030 in a country that for years has averaged just 1 gigawatt a year. The center-right coalition that Melonis party is leading wants to expand pipeline deliveries to Italy, which fits a longer-term strategy of making Italy a gas hub for Europe but does not address the EU goal of emission reductions by 2030. The right-wing coalition and small centrist parties also advocate a return to nuclear power, which Italians have rejected in two referendums decades apart. In addition to societal resistance, the technology would take at least two decades to implement, too late to help Italys commitment with the Group of 7 wealthy economies to fully decarbonize by 2035, said Matteo Leonardi, executive director of the environmental think tank ECCO. The political debate is largely focusing on lowering gas prices but not diversifying or discouraging households from consuming resources that would better support industry, Leonardi said. The response to this crisis, as they are saying in the rest of Europe, are renewables and efficiency," Leonardi said. You cannot face a war without arms. You cannot give the message that the state will take care of it, consume what you want." Italys famed textile industry, which gives French and Italian fashion houses their luxury edge, also is suffering. The small and medium operators that form the backbone of the system risk closure without a swift, systemic response from both Europe and Italy, said Sergio Tamborini, head of the SMI Italian Fashion System association. The bills that arrived in June and July were explosive, Tamborini said. Italys textile industry along with leather and accessories accounting for revenue of 100 billion euros a year is a luxury niche that Tamborini worries will be weakened by cheaper markets if costs aren't reduced. Dying and printing textiles is especially energy intensive, Tamborini said, and for some, it is a problem of survival. We should have had help already in September. We cannot wait for the next government to be active, because it could be Christmas or even after, he said, given the fractured nature of Italian politics. Meanwhile, Giambarini said his business has no immediate plans for short-term layoffs of 250 workers, but the outgoing government has been discussing new layoff programs to give businesses a way to avoid crippling energy costs. Shutting down even temporarily would be devastating, taking months to relaunch, said Giambarini, adding he was still deciding which party to back. We are waiting for the election and hope we will get a government that will indicate a better road out of this period of crisis, Giambarini said. NEW YORK (AP) Water.org announced a $1 billion plan Tuesday to help 100 million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America get lasting access to water and sanitation. The Water.org Water & Climate Fund, unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York, plans to use $50 million in philanthropic money to create a billion-dollar investment portfolio to help bring new water delivery and wastewater treatment projects to underserved communities, then use those communities utility bills to fund further projects. Amazon donated the first $10 million of philanthropic money needed for the fund. It was the days largest proposal at the conference, which convened world leaders from politics, business and philanthropy for the first time since 2016. And it showed how the conference encourages nonprofits to take on increasingly ambitious projects to tackle the worlds toughest problems. Actor and water access activist Matt Damon said he and his water.org co-founder Gary White are CGI OGs, because of their long ties to the conference, and that he worried about making his first commitment in 2009 because he was afraid to let people down. On Tuesday, he encouraged attendees not to worry about that. Please dont be afraid to engage, he said. Its a message that echoed throughout the two-day conference. The world needs heroes, said Joseph Deitch, founder of the Elevate Prize Foundation. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai won the foundations $250,000 Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner said she will use to support alternative schooling and advocate for the reopening of girls secondary schools in Afghanistan that have been closed since the Taliban takeover last year. Afghanistan girls have seen what it means to be educated, she said. They will fight. Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, said in an interview that the purpose of the award is to amplify the message of advocates like Yousafzai. Its how we inspire the world to feel more agency to do good, she said. Sasha Fisher, co-founder and executive director of nonprofit Spark MicroGrants, came to CGI seeking partners to provide $25 million to expand training and support programs in villages across Africa. The additional funding would be used to bring its community-building work to between three and five more countries. The things that are most scalable are also the most decentralized, so governments love the approach of getting small grants to villages to launch local projects and local businesses to accelerate economic development in their area, Fisher said. They know that its going to work if its started by people in that village. Villages that received funds from Spark MicroGrants weathered the pandemic better than those that didnt, according to the nonprofit. Those villages have also seen an increase in female leadership and a decrease in domestic violence. CGI also saw the launch of numerous new philanthropic ventures. Dr. David Fajgenbaum's new nonprofit Every Cure hopes to match generic drugs with rare diseases that currently have no treatment. Its a process that he knows has potential because he used it to treat his Castlemans Disease, a rare ailment where the immune system attacks vital organs. This is a huge issue, Fajgenbaum said. There are drugs at your neighborhood pharmacy that could cure you or someone you love, but the system is not built to uncover them. He chose to announce his nonprofit at CGI because it lets him tell his story with the right people in the room. I can share about how Im alive because of one of these drugs and hopefully inspire people to want to support this work, Fajgenbaum said. His presentation was certainly effective. Fajgenbaum received a standing ovation from the full CGI crowd. And former President Bill Clinton had already been won over. What I think could be great is if the presidents cancer program could do this for peanuts compared to what it costs to launch major medical research, Clinton told The Associated Press in an interview. They might save a lot of lives. 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. HARRISBURG, Pa. Money from Harrisburg will be used to repair the damage that storms have done to the Antietam Creek over the past several years. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has awarded $200,000 in flood mitigation funding to Lower Alsace Township for the second phase of its Stony Creek streambank rehabilitation project. The project aims to undo years of storm damage, which has resulted in heavy rains causing the Antietam Creek to flood and threaten the nearby Antietam Middle-Senior High School, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Mark Rozzi. The state money will be used to pay for work that is being done to rebuild the collapsed creek wall, dredge the creek to remove debris, remove dead vegetation, and replace sections of deteriorated sidewalks, Schwank and Rozzi said. The project's second phase will also rebuild a pedestrian bridge that was damaged by storms, providing a safe pathway for students walking to and from school. Heidi Rochlin, the superintendent of the Antietam School District, called the grant "amazing." "We've worked together with Lower Alsace Township and the community," she said, "and everyone has really pulled together with our legislators to get this money for our creek stabilization project." Rochlin said every time heavy rain is in the forecast, the district has to put out sandbags. "We were in dire straits, really," she said. "Every time there was a rainfall, we would get nervous that our hallways would turn into rivers." Rochlin said the project's first phase will be finished by next summer. Phase two will start after that and should be done by the fall or summer of the following year. Laureldale gets funding The state DCED has also awarded Laureldale $22,321 in greenways, trails, and recreation funding. The borough will use the money to install a walking path at the Dominic Manzella Community Park. The park was dedicated in 2007 to the late Dominic Manzella, who served nearly 60 years as the borough's mayor. BETHLEHEM, Pa. The Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission at City Hall Monday night approved a certificate of appropriateness involving construction materials and design merits for ArtsQuest's plans to erect a new cultural center. The site, located on Northampton Street between Second and Third streets in South Bethlehem, would be home to a new, semi-detached five-story, 73,485-square-foot building facing West Third Street, connected to a new, semi-detached one-story structure facing Northampton Street. The project comes with a $22.1 million price tag. Prior to the construction, ArtsQuest plans to demolish six buildings at its Banana Factory Arts Center site. The conservation commission denied ArtsQuest a certificate of appropriateness for the plan's demolition portion at its July 18 meeting. However, Bethlehem City Council overruled the commission and granted ArtsQuest the COA on Aug. 2. Monday night's design featured a few revisions. One involved increasing the building's fifth-floor setback from 6 feet to 12 feet. Another added granite aprons at storefronts along Third Street. The plan calls for also an open patio with a canopy on the top floor. ArtsQuest officials distributed example palettes of building materials to commission members under the premise that a picture is worth a thousand words. They included a dimensional panel siding system and an aluminum storefront framing system. Other materials to be used on the building include glass and brick on the ground floor. "It's a very serious-looking building in many ways," Gary Lader, chair of the conservation commission, said of the design Monday night. "...I think you have some room to have some more fun with it. But not too much." Specifically, the commission OK'd the delineation of proposed materials, which includes brick at the property's base. However, the board would like to see more of the color "red" in the bricks than what was proposed. The body approved also the building's siding and OK'd front-glazed glass, along with stone materials being used as aprons at the building's front. The 12-foot setback was considered favorably. Storefront signage will return before the commission at a future date. The board added the rooftop canopy was too "massive," and other approaches should be considered. "I'd like to see that (rooftop canopy) further explored," Lader said. "It's an important element and it sure stands out, and I think it needs to be further studied." BETHLEHEM, Pa. A new six-story mixed-used building is one step closer to reality after the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission granted its design a certificate of appropriateness. The project at 128 E. Third St., offered by applicant Michael Metzger and owned by Rocco Ayvazov's Monocacy Development, will include demolishing an existing structure and then constructing a building with aluminum storefront framing, brick masonry, cement plaster and aluminum-clad wood windows. Demolition was approved previously. Some of the building's specifics include a flat roof measuring roughly 80-feet wide and 68-feet high. The entry level includes commercial entities along Third Street along with support spaces for residential tenants. The upper floors include a total of 55 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The plan has no on-site parking. Glazed entry doors along with display windows encompass the ground floor design. The first floor will be full brick. Changes to window openings were altered from a previous design and now align vertically. The medical-office building component of development at the former Martin Tower site is up for review Thursday by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. The 53-acre site, to be called Tower Place, may be the last big chance for redevelopment in the City of Bethlehem. On Tuesday, an LVPC committee moved the plan for two three-story medical buildings forward. The rest of the Tower Place proposal includes 312 apartments, a convenience store with gas station, a hotel, grocery store, restaurant and more office space. That portion of the development is not on the commission's Thursday agenda. The two medical-office buildings to be discussed Thursday will cover 101,821 square feet at 1170 Eighth Ave. Martin Tower, headquarters of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp., was demolished in 2019. Bethlehem Steel filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and was dissolved in 2003. On Tuesday, the commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee took a preliminary look at Tower Place. The LVPC reviews big projects proposed for Lehigh and Northampton counties. Its 37 appointed commissioners vote on recommendations made by its professional staff, not on whether projects may proceed. Staff recommendations are forwarded to municipalities, which make land-use decisions. The medical buildings and parking lots around them present an opportunity to provide safe access for pedestrians, bicyclists, public buses and motor vehicles, according to a staff review of Martin Tower presented by Bambi Griffin Rivera, community and regional planner. There will be a sidewalk around the perimeter of the entire development, she said. When Commissioners Stephen Melnick and Stephen Repasch suggested the recommendations include standards for environmentally friendly construction, LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley had to rein them in. The commission's role is limited to planning, not building codes. Bradley said the LVPC staff and commissioners have to stay within limits. "There are times when the commission has skirted that line," she said. Going beyond the boundaries of the LVPC's role could put the commission or the City of Bethlehem in a bad position, Bradley said. At times in the past year, appointed commissioners have referred to projects allowed by local zoning as "ridiculous" or "a disaster." Darlene Heller, director of planning for Bethlehem, attended the meeting and said the city has an environmental review process, with recommendations passed on to developers. "We want to see developers install things such as solar panels," she said, but that is not required by city ordinance. The planning commission is an advisory body. The LVPC's professional staff reviews large projects proposed for Lehigh and Northampton counties and makes recommendations. The appointed commissioners go over and sometimes alter the recommendations. The commissioners vote on the recommendations, not on approval for projects. Final land-use decisions are made by municipalities. The full commission will meet virtually on Thursday at 7 p.m. Links to that meeting are available on the LVPC website. L. MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. - Authorities are renewing the plea for help in figuring out who attacked a woman at her apartment complex in Lehigh County earlier this summer. Surveillance photos were released of the two men believed to have jumped a 41-year-old woman as she was getting out of her car in the parking lot of the Valley Ridge Apartments in Lower Macungie Township. The men wore dark clothing and masks, and took off in a dark sedan after the attack around 11:20 p.m. on July 30, police said. A $2,000 reward is being offered for information that solves the case, said Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers. The woman was taken to the hospital with injuries, but police have not further disclosed what happened or the extent of her injuries. Anyone with information should call state police in Fogelsville at 610-395-1438 or anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or online. HARRISBURG, Pa. - A man whose wife was killed by dislodged ice attended the ceremonial signing of a bill that requires drivers to remove ice or snow from their vehicles within 24 hours following heavy snow or ice storms. Frank Lambert went to the State Capitol Tuesday for the ceremonial signing of Boscolas Christines Law by Gov. Tom Wolf, according to a news release from state Sen. Lisa Boscola's office. Christine Lambert, Frank Lamberts wife, was killed on Christmas Day 2005 when a large piece of ice dislodged from a passing box truck and crashed through the front window of the vehicle that Christine was driving. Wolf signed the bill into law as Act 90 on July 11, 2022. Named Christines Law, Boscola said her proposal would help prevent tragedies like the one that befell Christine Lambert and the Lambert family. Welcoming Frank Lambert to the State Capitol for this public signing of Christines Law is both a wonderful and solemn event, Boscola said. I have been fighting on behalf of Christine Lamberts memory to get a preventative law on the books ever since that tragic accident over a decade and a half ago. Its been a long road to get to this day, but it was a fight I had to win for Christines husband Frank and son Matthew. I cannot express how important today is for our family to witness Christines Law being signed into law by the Governor of Pennsylvania alongside of Senator Boscola, Frank Lambert said. Senator Boscola never gave up the fight to get Christines Law enacted. We cannot thank Lisa enough for her tenacity and compassion. Act 90 is first and foremost about public safety, Boscola said. The goal of Christines Law is to increase public awareness and make people more vigilant about clearing snow and ice from their vehicles so that the tragedy that befallen to the Lamberts dont happen to other families. She said Act 90 strengthens the previous law by deterring drivers and preventing tragedies before they happen. Before Act 90, state law would only penalize a driver when serious bodily harm occurs from a snow or ice projectile. Christines Law gives police officers discretion to pull over a vehicle where the buildup of ice or snow poses a potential hazard. Christines Law went into effect earlier this month, meaning snow and ice removal will be required for the upcoming winter. DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Set on 69 acres in the middle of Doylestown, Fonthill Castle is a fascinating look into the life of Henry Mercer. From the overstated colorized tile to the understated cement facade, New Jersey's Ed Longo and Barbara Burke are taking it in for the first time. "Pretty amazing," Longo said. While the castle is picture perfect, those like Carola Lehman and her pals, visiting from Germany, the grounds are worth a look, too. "You can take pictures, the grounds and the flowers are nice," she said. "Do you think the castle sometimes overshadows the grounds?" I asked CEO of the Bucks County Historical Society Kyle McKoy. "Absolutely. It's a fantastic building. It's kind of hard not to notice," she said. However, McKoy says that shadow is fading. "When COVID hit, people were forced outside, and we noticed how many people were using the grounds for hiking, taking photos, walking their dogs," she explained. With a $200,000 grant secured by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a landscape and architecture firm was hired to design a master plan for the grounds. This could include new passive trails, an update to the ground's water systems, replacing Fonthill's tent with a naturalistic community center, as well as chronicling the property's birds. It's a nod to Mr. Mercer's avian passion. He had wanted this to be a bird sanctuary. "A historic site is multi-dimensional. You can use the grounds, you can take a tour of the building. It's all for the community, it's for the legacy of the community," McKoy said. The legacy covers a lot of ground. With COVID-related school disruptions setting back children around the world, activists implored world leaders Monday to prioritize school systems and restore educational budgets slashed when the pandemic hit. The summit on transforming education, held at the U.N. General Assembly ahead of the annual leaders' meeting, called on the world's nations to ensure that children everywhere from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States don't fall too far behind. Seven years ago, I stood on this platform hoping that the voice of a teenage girl who took a bullet in standing up for her education would be heard, said Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, a U.N. messenger of peace. On that day, countries, corporates, civil society, all of us committed to work together to see every child in schools by 2030. It is heartbreaking that halfway through that target date, we are facing an education emergency." Nigerian youth activist Karimot Odebode was more pointed. "We demand you take responsibility, Odebode told the General Assembly. We will not stop until every person in every village and every highland has access to an education. The percentage of 10-year-old children in poor and middle-income countries who cannot read a simple story increased to an estimated 70% up 13 percentage points since before the pandemic shuttered classrooms, according to a report from the World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF and other aid organizations. Will the worlds leaders do enough to help their youngest citizens learn to read and gain the other skills they need to thrive? It will require addressing systemic problems that existed before the pandemic, dignitaries and students say. Countries will need to increase spending, change policies to increase access for girls and disabled students, and modernize instruction to stress critical thinking rather than rote memorization. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to radically transform education, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told reporters ahead of the education summit at U.N. headquarters in New York. We owe it to the coming generation if we dont want to witness the emergence of a generation of misfits. A closing statement from the United Nations after the full-day meeting said 130 countries had committed to rebooting their education systems and taking action to end the learning crisis. It was unclear what that meant specifically. Countries were asked to commit to devoting at least 20% of their national budgets to education. The education minister for the Central African Republic, Aboubakar Moukadas-Noure, said his country slashed education spending to 0.25 percent of the national budget during the pandemic to shift resources to the health crisis. He said the country has since increased education spending to 17% and will invest in teacher training with assistance from the World Bank and the French government. When COVID-19 closed schools around the world in spring 2020, many children simply stopped learning some for months, others for longer. For many, there was no such thing as remote learning. More than 800 million young people around the world lacked internet access at home, according to a study by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union in December 2020. More recent studies underscore the pandemics lasting effects. The learning losses from COVID were enormous, Mohammed said. The amount of time school buildings were closed because of COVID-19 varied widely around the world. At the extreme, schools in parts of Latin America and South Asia were closed for 75 weeks or longer, according to UNESCO. In parts of the United States, including cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, schools operated remotely from March 2020 through most of the 2020-2021 school year. There also were huge variations in the availability and quality of remote learning. In some countries, students stuck at home had access to paper packets, or radio and television programs, or almost nothing at all. Others had access to the internet and video conferences with teachers. The estimated learning delays on average ranged from over 12 months of school for students in South Asia to less than four for students in Europe and Central Asia, according to an analysis by consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Most of the worlds classrooms are now back open, but 244 million school-age children are still out of school, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said during the summit, citing data from the U.N. education agency. Most of those children 98 million live in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Central and Southern Asia, in a reminder of the deep inequalities that persist in access to education, she said. In many places, money is the key ingredient for stemming the crisis, if not fully reaching the leaders lofty goal of transforming education. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divider, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly, calling on governments to make education financing a priority. It is the single most important investment any country can make in its people and its future. On average wealthy countries invest $8,000 a year per school-aged child, compared to upper middle income countries, like some in Latin America, that invest $1,000 per year, according to a report from UNESCO and Global Education Monitoring. Lower income countries allot roughly $300 a year and some poor countries, just $50 a year per student. Rich countries should also step up spending, said Guterres. In recent years, Germany, France and the United States have given the most international aid towards education in low-income countries, according to a 2021 Center for Global Development report. The United States invested more than $1.5 billion annually from 2017-2019, according to the report based on the most recent available data. European Union countries will increase their international aid for education, said Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships for the European Commission. Plans include devoting 13% of the European Unions partnership budget and 10% of its humanitarian budget to help low-income countries improve education quality, empower teachers and help develop relevant skills. Urpilainen didnt specify exactly how much spending would increase. As top dignitaries urged individual countries to prioritize their youngest citizens, it was some of the youngest attendees at the summit who aired the most skepticism towards any prospect of change. After all, the U.N. lacks any authority to force countries to spend more on schooling. Yousafzai urged countries to devote 20% of their budgets toward education. Most of you know what exactly needs to be done, she said. You must not make small, stingy and short-term pledges. The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Follow Bianca Vazquez Toness on Twitter at http://twitter.com/biancavtoness and Jocelyn Gecker at http://twitter.com/jgecker ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Authorities in Alaska were making contact Monday with some of the most remote villages in the United States to determine their food and water needs, as well as assess the damage after a massive storm flooded communities on the state's vast western coast this weekend. No one was reported injured or killed during the massive storm the remnants of Typhoon Merbok as it traveled north through the Bering Strait over the weekend. However, damage to homes, roads and other infrastructure is only starting to be revealed as floodwaters recede. About 21,000 residents living in the small communities dotting a 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) stretch of Alaskas western coastline a distance longer than the entire length of California's coast were impacted by the storm. Many homes throughout the region were flooded, and some were knocked off their foundations by the rushing waters propelled by strong winds. Officials were starting the process of determining damage to roads, ports, seawalls and water and sewage systems. The state transportation department said most airports in the area were open, and officials were making either temporary or permanent repairs to the runways that still have issues, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The storm remained stalled Monday in the Chukchi Sea near northwest Alaska, but it was rapidly weakening after at its most powerful stage influencing weather patterns as far away as California. Coastal flood warnings were extended for an area north of the Bering Strait since water will be slow to recede in towns like Kotzebue, Kivalina and Shishmaref, National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo said. Shishmaref had seen water surges 5.5 feet (1.68 meters) above the normal tide level, while Kotzebue and Kivalina had smaller surges, but were both still without power Monday, she said. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Sunday identified five communities Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok and Nome as being greatly impacted by a combination of high water, flooding, erosion and electrical issues. Nome, where one home floated down a river until it was caught by a bridge, was among the many reporting road damage after recording tidal surges 11.1 feet (3.38 meters) above normal. Zidek said state officials were looking closely at those five, but also reaching out to every community in the region because of the numerous reports of damage. While the needs may be greater in some, we dont want to neglect those other communities that have minor issues that still need to be resolved, he said. However, efforts to reach some communities has been difficult due to downed communication lines. The states emergency operations center is fully staffed with military, state agencies and volunteer organizations to address the aftermath of the storm. Alaska National Guard members in the western half of the nations largest state have been activated to help, either in the communities where they live or elsewhere along the coast, he said. The American Red Cross has 50 volunteers ready to help and will be sent to communities that are in most need. Most support personnel will have to be flown to these communities since there are few roads in western Alaska. Providing air support will be the Alaska National Guard, small commuter airlines that routinely fly between these small villages and possibly bush pilots. Weather always adversely impacts flights in rural Alaska, but Zidek said the forecast seems favorable to conduct the response operations. Three may be another smaller weather front coming in, but its nothing unusual for this time of the year, he said. Dunleavy said he would request a federal disaster declaration as soon as agencies gather necessary information about the damage. If approved, the governor said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would cover at least 75% of eligible disaster costs, while the state would pick up the tab for the rest. On Sunday, Dunleavy said time was of the essence because freeze-up, meaning the start of winter, can happen as early as October. We just have to impress upon our federal friends that its not a Florida situation where weve got months to work on this, he said. Weve got several weeks. Much-loved musical Martin Guerre may be back and in a refreshed form, it has been revealed by the show's creators. The musical was first seen in 1996 in the West End, with frequent new revivals and modified productions appearing over the subsequent years, including a Watermill production in 2007 directed by Craig Revel Horwood. The show has a book by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (the writing team behind a little-known musical called Les Miserables), lyrics by Boublil, Edward Hardy and Stephen Clark, and music by Schonberg. It is set in early modern France, and follows the historical figure of the show's title. Schonberg and Boublil revealed in an interview with The Age that the show is being modified "very extensively" after the duo revisited the show during lockdown. Librettist Paul Hodge, who has previously worked on the Clinton musical, is also said to have joined the duo. Plans, as they stand, include a new production in 2024, after Les Mis producer Cameron Mackintosh gave the pair back the rights to the musical. Schonberg has said that the show will be seen "in a very prestigious theatre". In terms of what to expect, Boublil said: "Maybe by giving us that new freedom, we also felt able to look into ourselves and find new possibilities. Claude-Michel has come up with some unexpected music that would not have been in Martin Guerre 15 years ago and I have come up with, I hope, some new psychology and new ideas." Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke did not know each other when they began the process of playing Willy and Linda Loman in the Young Vic production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. But something happened in that rehearsal room, on that stage, back in 2019. A magic relationship was formed, a deep friendship. When the UK-based Clarke made her Broadway debut last year in Caroline, or Change, Pierce flew in from Louisiana to be in the audience at her first preview, in lieu of her wife, who was arriving in the United States from London later in the run. Now, they're back together in New York and are once again Willy and Linda at the Hudson Theatre, where the show is currently in previews. Here, Pierce and Clarke tell us about their friendship, and how that off-stage bond helps them find the joy in one of the heaviest plays ever written. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. This is your third go at Willy and Linda, and your first time doing it in America. What is it like to be back in the rehearsal room? Sharon D Clarke: It's an absolute joy. What is really wonderful is that [director] Miranda Cromwell is not remounting the production that we did in London. She's not going "we've got the show, so let's just do it." We're coming at it fresh. We're finding new things, mining, going deeper, and having fun. We just changed the top of one scene today, and it's absolutely beautiful. Wendell Pierce: What's amazing is that there's such a wealth of complexity to mine in the play. It's an ongoing thing, where there's always something more you can find. There are new discoveries almost every day. You hear something for the first time that you hadn't noticed before and it adds an element of what's at stake. There's a plethora of things to really explore. Sharon: This isn't the show that we did before. Wendell: All the bones are there. It's the same examination of whether your best days are behind you, or the false hope and promises and illusion of this desired life that is unobtainable, and this inability to see the love that you have around you. For me, it's about the inability that Willy has to see the wealth of love that he has, while he's looking for something materialistic Sharon: But then, all of his choices are out of love. Wendell: That's the paradox. Were these roles that you had always wished to play? Or was this a surprise when they came your way? Wendell: It was completely out of left field. I hadn't expected it. It wasn't something that I had thought about doing. As soon as the opportunity came, it was a no-brainer. Sharon: Also, being the actors of the color that we are, this is a classic play in the American canon that has not been open to our kind. So it's not ever a dream that I would've had. I wouldn't have thought "Can I play Linda Loman?" The minute that the opportunity comes up, you go "Can we put this in a different light so a new generation can see themselves represented?" And then you think "Okay, I see myself up there." Wendell: it just amplifies everything that's already there. I tell people all the time, "We're doing Death of a Salesman. Sharon: It's not a colorblind Death of a Salesman, it's not an all-Black Death of a Salesman. It's a Death of a Salesman for our times, especially coming out of the summer of Black Lives Matter. It heightens everything. When people see it, they go "You must have changed the script." Wendell Pierce (Willy Loman) and Sharon D Clarke (Linda Loman) backstage Dan Wooller, 2019 Wendell: That was always the joy, when people go "It's really wonderful how you changed that bit right there. That's not in the play." Sharon: "Yes, it is." It's visceral. Did you know each other when you first started rehearsals back in 2019, or did you become friends and colleagues doing this show? Wendell: I knew of Sharon. Sharon: I knew of Wendell. Wendell: And we have a mutual friend who I called and said "Hey, do you know Sharon D Clarke?" and he goes "Oh, man, I love her. You're going to be wonderful with her." Sharon: He said the same thing to me. Wendell: From the minute we met, there was this deep joy. Deep love. Sharon has taken care of me. Sharon: We take care each other. Wendell: She's become a dear friend. One of the joys of doing this Sharon: Is the gift of friendship. Wendell: There are moments in the play where it's like "I could just be right here with Sharon forever." Blessed moments. Sharon: Truly, the stage love of my life. Does that make the play easier to do night after night? Wendell: It makes the craft easier. She is a student of her craft. When you're putting out energy, she is accepting it and giving you something right back, and vice versa. There are moments when I hear just her voice and it moves me. A glance will move me. There's a connection that's so authentic and organic that comes from craftsmanship. When you have a masterful craftswoman like this by your side, it makes the exploration even deeper, so you get to go further and actually illuminate the play even more. Sharon: It makes it joyous. The subject matter that we are dealing with is heavy, deep shit. It's heartbreaking. It's torturous. It's harrowing. And when you can have those moments of joy and connection and creativity, and love, it makes the work such a pleasure. Sharon, this is your second autumn on Broadway now, having done Caroline, or Change this time last year. Sharon: I'm an old hand at it now. [Laughs] No. It's all very fresh and new and exciting for me. Caroline finished in January, so I didn't expect to be back already doing another wonderful, amazing piece of theater. I feel absolutely blessed, and I'm still like, "What? Really? Oh, my God." It's wonderful. I don't feel like an old pro at all. I feel like a giddy, young school gal. Wendell: And I love the range. In just two seasons, you will see such a range of this wonderful woman, this great actor. Wendell, what is it like for you to take on this role? Wendell: It's one of the great honors of my life. Not my career, my life. I think of all the men who wanted to play the role and didn't have the opportunity, and never would get the opportunity, and the obligation I owe to them. And to think that I'm connected to Lee J. Cobb and Dustin Hoffman and Philip Seymour Hoffman and George C. Scott and Brian Dennehy, what a humbling and honorable distinction to have. It's been a while since I've been on Broadway, and it's great to be back with this classic American play. It's profoundly moving. I can't even talk about it without being moved. I just had my costume fitting, and I put on the suit and hat, and I was just overwhelmed. I'm so thankful. It is a real honor that I step into with great joy, profound importance, and deliberate courage acting in the face of fear, not the absence of fear. Sharon: And you get to bring it home, baby. You get to bring it home. Find out more about the production on our sister site, where this interview first ran. Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday evening to celebrate the completion of the Wagon Wheel Trail Bridge in the city of La Crescent. The bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Highway 14/61 in La Crescent was Phase 3 of the Wagon Wheel Trail project. The total cost of the bridge was $3.5 million. It included $2.5 million that was passed in the 2018 bonding bill and a $1 million grant from MnDOT. Congratulations to the City of La Crescent on the completion of the Wagon Wheel Trail Bridge. Miller said. This collaborative effort between the local community and the state of Minnesota is the result of people working together toward a common goal. Im proud to have helped play a role in getting it done. The new bridge makes it safer for pedestrians and bikers to cross Highway 14/61 and connects La Crescent to La Crosse via the Wagon Wheel Trail providing new economic development and tourism opportunities for the community. JUNEAU A 36-year-old Randolph man was found guilty on Friday of three counts of possession of child pornography. Thomas Bryant, who currently resides in the Dane County Jail, entered guilty pleas to the three felony counts. Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Kristine Snow found him guilty and dismissed, but read into the record, two bail jumping counts. According to the criminal complaint, officials received a CyberTip on Jan. 22 that a Kik Messenger user uploaded six videos of suspected child pornography. The videos were shared with other users or group of users. The IP address for the user was at a residence in Randolph which led to authorities to Bryant after learning that Madison Police previously investigated Bryant for similar charges, and that he used the same email address that was used to obtain the videos. According to the criminal complaint: The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations executed the search warrant of Bryants home on May 3. Bryant was located in a bathroom and denied online access to Kik Messenger. He also said he had lost his cellular phone. However one of Bryants friends was at his home and gave authorities the number and the phone was found in the home. Bryant was already on bond at the time for a similar offense in Dane County. He was found guilty of two counts of possession of child pornography in Dane County in June. Bryants sentencing hearing in Dodge County is Nov. 17. Firefighters were dispatched at 4:39 p.m. Monday to the report of an appliance on fire in the basement of 159 Burchard St., Beaver Dam. According to BDFD Lt. Matthew Weidler, crews found light smoke coming from the rear door and deployed a hose line to the homes interior. They were met with dark smoke and heat when advancing downstairs to the basement. The fire was contained to the appliance and quickly extinguished. Crews remained on scene just for just over an hour to ventilate the building. The lone resident of the home was displaced due to smoke damage and St. Vincent de Paul is providing needed assistance. No one was injured during the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Beaver Dam Fire Department was assisted by the Beaver Dam Police Department, and the Dodge County Sheriffs Department Communication Center. Departments that were requested but then were cancelled en route were Fox Lake Fire Department, Horicon Fire Department, Juneau Fire Department, Waupun Fire Department, Hustisford Fire Department and Watertown EMS. JUNEAU A 48-year-old Milwaukee woman faces felony charges for allegedly bringing drugs into Fox Lake Correctional Center earlier in the summer. Angela Jefferson faces two felony counts of delivering illegal articles to an inmate and felony counts of possession with intent for sale of marijuana and cocaine. She could face up to 7 years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision for the possession with intent to sell cocaine charge, which has the lengthiest penalty. According to the criminal complaint: Dodge County Law Enforcement met with Jefferson inside Fox Lake Correctional Institution on June 30. She was told that they were monitoring her phone calls into the prison and had reason to believe that she had drugs on her person. Jefferson allegedly said she was already checked by staff when she was checked into the prison and asked to use the bathroom. She was told that it would be best to turn the drugs over because there was already a search warrant for a strip search. Jefferson was told that they could smell the marijuana on her person and asked for her cooperation again. She then agreed to turn over the drugs, but she said she still really needed to use the bathroom. The members of law enforcement told her that they were afraid if she used the bathroom that she would destroy the drugs, and that she could use the bathroom once she turned the drugs over. Jefferson told the officers that she did not want this on her record and she did not want to go to jail. She then pulled out two clear plastic bags that had several tied balloons inside each of the baggies. Jefferson used the bathroom prior to being interviewed. During the interview, she said she had been dating one of the inmates for two years. The inmate was scheduled to be released in 2024 for a Milwaukee case of victim intimidation. She said that she wasnt going to be paid for bringing the drugs to the inmate. However she shook her head yes when asked if the inmate intended to sell the drugs in the prison. She said that the inmate would then send money to her CashApp, and she would be able to pay other people. Jefferson admitted to bringing drugs into the prison earlier in the month. An initial hearing is scheduled on Oct. 10. The Harvey House made The Restaurant List out Monday from The New York Times, and is one of 50 places in America were most excited about right now, the paper wrote in its headline. The honor the 50 restaurants we love most in 2022 comes three weeks after the Madison restaurant was the subject of a 7-minute CBS Saturday Morning segment called The Dish. The intro to the NYT list reads, We traveled widely and ate avidly as we built the annual list of our favorite restaurants in America. From Oklahoma City to Juncos, Puerto Rico, to Orcas Island off the coast of Washington State, our food reporters, editors and critics found revelatory Ethiopian barbecue, innovative Haitian cooking and possibly the most delicious fried pork sandwich in the United States. It continues, While we love to see a dynamic new dining room open its doors, were equally impressed by kitchens that are doing their best work years in. So while some of our picks debuted just this summer, others have been around for decades. The one thing they do have in common: The food is amazing. The Harvey House joins Abaca in San Francisco; Anajak Thai in Los Angeles; Bacanora in Phoenix; Bonnies in New York City; Brennans in New Orleans; Canje in Austin, Texas; Daru in Washington, D.C.; and Dear Margaret in Chicago. We are completely humbled and thrilled to be included in The New York Times Restaurant List 2022. Wow, said Shaina Robbins Papach. We truly have the best team, guests and partners in this industry. Unbelievably grateful to do what we do. Robbins Papach opened the restaurant last summer on West Washington Avenue, with her husband, chef Joe Papach. After the CBS story aired she said she heard from lots of people. Its been really, really nice. In the piece, the couple talked about what they bill as a modern-day supper club and how they renovated part of a historic train depot to create it. When I read headlines like Russian charged with spreading propaganda I am shocked. I am not shocked because a Russian was charged with spreading propaganda I am shocked because its a headline. Accusing a Russian spy of spreading propaganda is like accusing Disney of trying to sell you a Mickey bar at Disney World. Duh. Its their job. The articles and they were in several news sources about this propaganda spreading went on to say there were ongoing Russian government efforts to meddle in the American political process, to shape public opinion and to sow discord and dissent. Again, its their job like really, its right in their job description. And frankly, they all deserve bonuses, because they have been quite successful at it, if you ask me. Details of this particular charge, years after the fact now, included one particular star player recruiting groups in Florida, Georgia, and California and paying people to attend protests. Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov was an exemplary asset who happened to be caught. He reportedly was has ties to the Russian Federal Security Service. No, this isnt a new series on Netflix. Its business as usual for the Russians. No, not all the Russians, and most of them dont even know this is going on as most of us dont know this is going on. But, this is what goes on behind the scenes, and vulnerable, hardworking people from both countries are the ones who pay the price. The reason I am shocked at the headlines is because none of this is new. Its 2022, and now its news, because somebody was caught. We might even say he was caught red-handed. Have you seen the old TV series, The Americans? Yeah, like that. We as Americans like to believe that skin cream takes 20 years off our faces, and a pill is going to take 20 pounds off in the week before the class reunion. So why wouldnt we believe all the nice people who feed us lies and conspiracy theories? Why wouldnt we happily take the money to go and protest something that they tell us is wrong?? But, when we believe that Russia would have our best interest in mind, we have truly drunk the Kool-Aid. If youve ever read a spy novel, watched a movie about espionage or even read a history book, you know that there are indeed people with ill intent in the world. As for our handsome, popular operative, he ran the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, which recruited U.S. political groups to further Russian interests. He controlled certain political groups in Florida, Georgia and California unbeknownst to the members who followed with fervor. But, enough about him. He isnt alone, and he isnt unique. Why just recently there were sanctions imposed on Natalya Valeryevna Burlinova and her Center for Support and Development of Public Initiative Creative Diplomacy. In all fairness who wouldnt join something with a title that impressive? And, how could we know it was funded by the Russian state? I know you just thought of Natasha and Boris and Rocky and Bullwinkle, right? Manipulating of the vulnerable, infiltrating activists groups, spreading propaganda are all as old at civilization itself. Ionovs group funded an all-expense paid trip to Russia for adventure-seeking Floridians. If theres one thing Floridians like, its free trips. But, it seems the stakes are getting higher and players getting bolder and the results are getting more damaging. Mostly, we could be concerned with so much being found out long after the damage is done. Its a little late for St. Petersburg, Florida, police to execute search warrants that deal with sowing discord in 2016. Charging 12 unnamed Russian nationals in 2018 seems a bit after the fact. But what do I know? I watch movies and series where they wrap it in two hours or six episodes and the good guys win. BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the seventh China-Eurasia Expo, which opened Monday in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Full of vitality and potential for development, the Eurasian continent is a key region for international cooperation on jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said in his letter. In recent years, China's Xinjiang has given full play to its location advantages to actively advance the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and promote the interconnectivity, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development between China and Eurasian countries, with positive results being achieved, said Xi. He stressed that China is willing to work with other countries to promote the Silk Road spirit that incorporates peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning as well as shared benefits, with the China-Eurasia Expo being a platform. Meanwhile, China is ready to work with other countries to pursue high-standard and sustainable development that benefits the people, and explore new spheres for Eurasian cooperation, elevate the cooperation to new levels, and promote common development and prosperity, Xi added. The expo is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday exchanged congratulatory messages with his Togolese counterpart, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi pointed out that China and Togo enjoy a profound traditional friendship. Over half a century since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, the two sides have always been sincere and friendly towards each other, staunchly supported each other on issues related to their respective core interests and of major concern, produced fruitful results in practical cooperation, and brought real benefits to their people, no matter how the international landscape has changed, he said. Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi said, the people of the two countries have supported and helped each other, and stood together to overcome difficulties, writing a new chapter of the China-Togo friendship. Xi said that he places high importance on the development of China-Togo relations, and is ready to work with President Gnassingbe to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen cooperation in various fields under the frameworks of the Belt and Road cooperation and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, lift bilateral ties to new levels, and make positive contributions to building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. In his message, Gnassingbe said since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, the Togo-China partnership has been firm, stable and fruitful. Thanks to the common concern and promotion of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations have grown stronger and achieved fruitful results, benefiting the people of the two countries, he added. Noting that China has always been Togo's key strategic partner in exploring a path of comprehensive and sustainable development, Gnassingbe said Togo appreciates China's continued commitment to firmly stand with African countries and strengthen China-Africa partnership for common prosperity. He added that Togo unswervingly adheres to the one-China principle, and he is ready to work with President Xi to continue strengthening the friendly and cooperative relations between Togo and China. (Source: Xinhua) A judge on Monday approved a motion to vacate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, the subject of the first season of the popular "Serial" podcast, who has maintained he is innocent in the 1999 slaying of his ex-girlfriend. 'She sat for him 12 times': The Nigerian artist who made a bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II Calls for Welsh Government to freeze rents and cut rail fares to help with cost-of-living crisis The leader of Plaid Cymru has today called on the Welsh Government to use its powers to act on the cost-of-living crisis and support renters, commuters and families. Ahead of First Ministers Questions today (Tuesday 20 September), the Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price MS, has urged First Minister Mark Drakeford to use devolved powers to halve train fares and cap bus fares and freeze rents. Mr Price has also called for the extension of free school meals to all secondary school students. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a package of measures in a bid to protect people against the worst of the cost-of-living crisis which included a rent freeze for both social and private tenants until the end of March next year. Earlier this month Prime Minister Liz Truss announced that the energy bills for typical household use across the UK will be capped at 2,500. It will come into play on October 1, the same day when the initial 80 per cent price cap hike was due to be introduced. However there remains concerns going into the winter about the impact the cost-of-living crisis will have on households this winter. Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price MS said: The cost-of-living crisis will be on a scale more devastating than most of us can ever remember. People will lose their livelihoods if not their lives. That is why it is crucial the Labour Government in Wales use every tool available to them to mitigate the impact of soaring energy bills and plummeting living standards. This should include an immediate ban on evictions, halving rail fares and cap bus fares until at least March 2023, the extension of free school meals to secondary school pupils, and a rent freeze which the Welsh Governments Labour colleagues in Scotland have been campaigning for. Failure to do so will represent a dereliction of duty by Labour in Wales to maximise the benefits of devolution. Plaid Cymrus message to the Labour Welsh Government is clear you have the powers to act on the cost-of-living crisis, use them. Welsh Government launches consultation over plans for tourism tax in Wales A consultation over plans to give local authorities across Wales the powers to introduce a tourist tax has been launched by the Welsh Government. The levy would be what has been described by ministers as a small charge paid by people staying overnight in accommodation in Wales. Tourist levies are common in many destinations across the world with more than 40 countries introducing some form of a local visitor charge. Levies are used to finance the maintenance and upkeep of tourist facilities as well as caring for the environments that tourists visit. However the hospitality industry in Wales have previously argued that the sector can do without the extra worry of a visitor levy hanging over cash-strapped businesses following a difficult two years caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the plans put forward by the Welsh Government, each local authority in Wales would have the power to decide if they want to introduce a visitor levy, and the money raised will be re-invested in local areas to support local tourism. This could then be used to help keeping the beaches and pavements clean, through to maintaining local parks, toilets and footpaths. The Welsh Government consultation seeks views on who should pay a levy, who would be charging and collecting the levy, how the levy could be best applied and how revenues from the tax could be allocated. Wrexham groups invited to apply for share of 50k community fund Local charities and community groups are being given the chance to secure a share Hafren Dyfrdwys 50,000 fund. The Community Fund , which opens twice a year, is encouraging non-profit organisations in mid Wales including Wrexham, Flintshire and Powys to submit their applications before the 14th October deadline. The Community Fund was created last year to support new projects that help improve community wellbeing through one of three key areas: People helping people to lead a healthier life and gain new skills Places: creating better places to live in and use Environment: looking after our natural environment, giving people greater access to that environment, or helping to protect water One previous recipient of a Hafren Dyfrdwy Community Fund grant was Wrexham-based Agri-cation CIC, who were awarded 9,408 in November 2021 for their Grow Together project. The scheme sees the community come together to grow vegetables and learn about the environment, improving the mental health and confidence of those who participate. Cheryl Reeves, Executive Director at Agri-cation CIC, said: The grant has helped us reach a lot of people in the community, especially after COVID when people were experiencing a lot of social exclusion. Weve managed to create somewhere where people can meet up and create new friendships and it is something that were grateful for as an organisation. A Hafren Dyfrdwy Community Fund grant is certainly something worth applying for. James Jesic, Managing Director of Hafren Dyfrdwy, said: Since the fund launched in September last year, weve awarded over 50,000 to seven wonderful projects across our region that are truly making a difference in their local community, so were thrilled to be able to continue this support this year, with another 50,000 to award. Were absolutely committed to the communities we serve we know there are fantastic organisations out there in our region with great new project ideas that just need that initial support, and with grants between 2,000-10,000 available, were looking forward to being able to offer just that. Hafren Dyfrdwy Community Fund will be accepting applications until 14th October 2022. If youd like to apply, or find out more about the Fund please visit hdcymru.co.uk/communityfund. Heavy rains and flooding produced by Hurricane Fiona continued to batter Puerto Rico Monday, leaving millions without power, clean water and safe shelter. Even as the Category 1 hurricane moved onto the impoverished Dominican Republic, destroying roads and power lines, as much as 30 inches of rain continued to pour down on parts of Puerto Rico yesterday. Streets are flooded on Salinas Beach after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. [AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo] The US territory is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico exactly five years ago today. The islands largely working class population has been rendered more vulnerable to such disasters by the looting of its state-owned utilities and other public assets under the terms of the financial restructuring imposed on the debt-ridden island by the US government. Climate scientists have explained that Hurricane Fionas heavy rainfall is an example of how global warming is influencing the intensity of storms. If you have warmer water, youll have more evaporation, which means you have more moisture in the atmosphere, which means you can get more precipitation, Kevin Reed, an associate professor of atmospheric science at Stony Brook University in New York told NBC News. A study co-authored by Reed published in April found that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was 10 percent wetter due to the impact of climate change. Although weaker than Maria, a Category 4-5 hurricane, Fionas slow-moving storm system and torrential rainfalls have produced even greater flooding than in 2017, according to authorities. The National Weather Service in San Juan on Monday urged residents to move to higher ground immediately, with Richard Pasch, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center, adding, Heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding continues across much of Puerto Rico. Authorities have reported at least three deaths, including a 58-year-old man swept away by a flooded river in the inland town of Comerio, but more fatalities are expected as rescuers reach remote areas cut off by mudslides and raging floodwaters. An island-wide blackout by the newly privatized electric company, LUMA Energy, which occurred Sunday morning before the hurricane made landfall, has left the islands 3.2 million residents without electricity. Officials admit it could take days if not weeks to restore power to many residents. An estimated two-thirds of the islands residents also lack clean water. Many residents only saved themselves from rising flood waters by climbing onto the roofs of their homes. There have been at least 1,000 water rescues, according to a press update Monday by the islands Governor Pedro Pierluisi. Evacuations of the towns of Caguas and Toa Baja were also taking place, the governor said. Pierluisi was elected governor as the candidate of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP), but joined the Democratic caucus in the US House of Representatives when he was the islands non-voting representative. Residents posted pleas for help on social media. A woman identified as Genesis Lian posted an appeal on Facebook, according to a report in the Miami Herald, begging for help for a group gathered with her that included a minor, a disabled person and an elderly person with diabetes. We need help, we need to get out of our houses in Playa de Salinas urgently. I already called emergency management and nothing, I swear Im swimming and Im very, very cold. I need to get us out of here, literally the beach is in the house, she wrote. In a cruel irony, a temporary bridge built by the National Guard after the previous one was destroyed by Hurricane Maria was washed away in the northeastern pueblo of Utuado on Sunday. Videos went viral in 2017 when residents of the town built a makeshift zipline to ferry supplies across the raging river in a shopping cart because of the lack of official support. Carmen, a retired New York City sanitation worker who lives in the southeastern city of Arroyo, described the devastating conditions in an interview with the WSWS Monday. We lost power at 10 a.m. Sunday and there has been no electricity in all of Puerto Rico since yesterday. The entire island has been affected due to so much rain and flooding, especially in the more mountainous parts. Trees and electrical posts have been knocked out, and the floodwaters were so strong theyve washed away a bridge. Many people are stuck in their homes until emergency crews can clear the roads and rescue them. There are some shelters to go to, but so many have lost their homes. This kind of flooding is worse than what happened during Hurricane Maria, Carmen said. The southeast is where the most devastating accumulating rain is occurring. In Guayama, Maunabo, Patilla, near the beach areas, there has been intense rain and flooding that has destroyed homes and businesses. Only 30 percent of the island has potable water. We have 78 pueblos in Puerto Rico, but only around 14 trucks of National Guard are helping, the governor said. FEMA and more first responders are supposed to be coming from the US mainland. Carmen also talked about LUMA Energy, the joint venture between Houston-based Quanta Services and Alberta, Canada-based ATCO, which took over the islands electrical transmission and distribution system from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) on June 1, 2021. Since then, residents have continued to be plagued by decaying infrastructure and frequent blackouts. The private utility company LUMA has been here more than a year, she said. They have not done enough for all the money theyre receiving. In the last months, there have been many demonstrations protesting the 15-year contract the government negotiated with LUMA. I saw the devastation of Maria, Carmen concluded. There is little or not enough effort to help the countryside in construction and rebuilding. The money has not been used to repair the damage, like for the schools. Instead, it has gone into some politicians pockets and not sent to where it is needed. According to a report in the Associated Press, the government has completed only 21 percent of more than 5,500 official post-hurricane projects in five years, and seven of the islands 78 municipalities report that not a single project has begun. Only five municipalities report that half of the projects slated for their region have been completed, according to an Associated Press review of government data. As Hurricane Fiona bore down on Puerto Rico, more than 3,600 homes still have tattered blue tarps serving as a makeshift roof, the AP reported. President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration for the island on Sunday and claimed that the federal government has hundreds of personnel on the ground to assist residents. Jill and I are keeping the people of Puerto Rico in our prayers as Hurricane Fiona passes over your beautiful island, Biden tweeted Monday morning. We are here for you, and we will get through this together. But residents can expect no more from the Democratic president than they did from Republican former President Donald Trump, who contemptuously tossed paper towels to desperate islanders after Hurricane Maria hit. Biden was vice president when President Barack Obama signed into law the bipartisan Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) in 2016. The act imposed a virtual financial dictatorship over the island, modeled on the robbing of public employee pensions and other city-owned assets in Detroit in 2013-14 and overseen by some of the very same federal judges. The action was aimed at making the islands residentsnearly half of whom live below the poverty linepay for the nearly $70 billion in debt controlled by Wall Street hedge funds like Aurelius Capital and other investors, who, according to the New York Times, had bought up the islands bonds at a discount, pocket[ed] the high interest and persuade[d] politicians to make decisions that would raise the value of their investments. The unelected oversight board imposed draconian measures, including the privatization the public schools and electrical services, the slashing of public employees jobs, wages and pensions, and increased unemployment. In 2019, the austerity measures combined with the disastrous response to Hurricane Maria triggered mass protests that led to the collapse of the corrupt administration of then-Governor Ricardo Rosello, alarming the US and Puerto Rican ruling classes. According to a report in the San Juan Star, US District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who is presiding over Puerto Ricos Title III bankruptcy cases, including that of PREPA, suspended a planned hearing on Monday because lawyers for the retirement systems were unable to consult their clients because they lack power service. Dozens of demonstrators affiliated with the patient advocacy group #MEAction gathered Monday on the sidewalk in front of the White House, chanting, Biden lied, we died, ME treatments now! and The pandemic is not over! Bidens lies are costing lives! They were joined online by thousands more who could not travel due to their condition. However, there was hardly a mention of the event in the mainstream press. One had to turn to social media to gather news on these developments. The protest, organized by Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients, had serendipitously been scheduled for September 19, one day after the airing of President Bidens interview on CBS News 60 Minutes, in which Biden declared, the pandemic is over. He added, No ones wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. Supporters of the Long Covid awareness organization demonstrate at the White House, Monday, September 19, 2022. [Photo by Kate Travis] Bidens statements amounted to a slap in the face to tens of millions of Americans who have had their loved ones suddenly taken away from them due to COVID-19 or suffer from its debilitating consequences and have been essentially ignored by the political establishment. Laurie Jones, executive director of #MEAction, shot back at Biden, saying, Not only is the pandemic not over, the disabling of millions of Americans from Long COVID and ME/CFS has become a national emergency. (Jennifer Brea, co-founder of #MEAction, gave this TED talk to contextualizes life with ME.) Indeed, the pandemic is far from over even after nearly 1.1 million Americans have died from COVID-19. Between 400500 Americans continue to die every day, the equivalent of the deaths suffered in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks every week. During the pandemic, COVID-19 has consistently been the third leading cause of death, including in 2022, as it has already killed more than 225,000 and counting. With the fall and winter seasons approaching, experts fear that a simultaneous surge of COVID-19 and the flu will have major consequences on the population and health systems which have already been broken by more than two years of incessant waves of COVID-19. Debilitating Long COVID already affects upwards of 4 million working-aged Americans, while as many as 12 million Americans have such severe Long COVID that they would likely meet the diagnosis for the complex, chronic disease ME/CFS, which often leaves patients unable to work and participate in daily life. Currently, the mechanism for both diseases is poorly understood and no therapies or medications are approved to treat the conditions. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, somewhere between 0.84 to 2.5 million Americans were affected by ME/CSF at a cost of $24 billion annually to the economy. Across the globe, an estimated 1530 million, including women, men and children, are suffering from ME/CFS, with roughly 75 percent unable to work and 25 percent so severely affected that they were housebound or bedbound. The #MEAction group, which calls themselves the millions missing, explained their precarious social position in their communities: Unable to work, socialize, or appear in public spaces, we are missing important parts of our lives. We are missing careers, missing time spent with family, and for the most severe, we are missing ordinary moments like going out in the sun, reading a book and socializing with a friend. They also note that millions of dollars are missing from government-funded research. This is further compounded by millions of doctors and other healthcare providers missing the medical education they need to diagnose and care for people with ME. The ranks of those suffering from symptoms related to ME/CFS have been compounded several-fold by the preventable COVID-19 pandemic, as Long COVID can present similar symptoms to ME/CFS and is believed to have a similar pathophysiology. According to the Financial Times, debilitating Long COVID may already impact up to 100 million people globally. Just in the US, the impact on the economy has been estimated at close to $750 billion per year by Harvard economics professor David Cutler. Yet spending to study ME/CFS has languished. Though the prevalence of ME/CFS is comparable to HIV/AIDS, for which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated close to $3 billion in funding between 1995 and 2014, on average only $5 million in annual funding was allocated towards studying the causative factor and treatment for ME/CFS. In 2017, funding was raised to a paltry $15 million per year. As the Brookings Institution noted in their most recent report, although Congress has dedicated $1.15 billion in NIH funding to study Long COVID, these grants are challenging to access, in line with the governments poor record on supporting such necessary work. The experience with supporting research and funding for ME/CFS is but a cautionary tale. CNNs Morgan Stephens was the sole reporter on the scene yesterday taking interviews with demonstrators and posting them on her Twitter account. One moving statement by protest organizer Terri Wilder was directed towards President Biden, saying, If you survey the people across the country and you ask them, Is the COVID pandemic over? the majority of the people will say, No! If you ask people if we should still be wearing masks, the majority will say, Yes. To say that [the pandemic is over] it is mind blowing that you said that! We are here today to demand that you declare ME and Long COVID a national emergency. In another shot, Stephen asks Gabriel San Emeterio, You have a chronic illness, you are tired, bedbound, what does it mean to be out here physically? Gabriel answers, Im putting my body on the line, literally. We are putting our bodies and our lives on the line. We are all going to crash, we are all going to worsen our symptoms. Our baselines of functioning might be lower permanently or for a long time. At one point, the protesters lay on the ground in a death pose, die-in version of a sit-in, repeating in unison, History will recall, Biden did nothing at all! At the end of the hour-long protest, Stephens noted that about two to three dozen people had attended the demonstration to bring attention to the inaction on Long COVID and ME/CFS, explaining how taxing even such an event can be on them. She then told her viewers she had to return home to rest as she too suffers from Long COVID. After several days of fighting, an uneasy truce appears to be holding along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. Nearly 100 people died and hundreds more suffered injuries when a long-standing conflict between the two Central Asian countries erupted in violence late last week. A military helicopter flies over the Kyrgyz-Tajik border near Batken, southwestern Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. [AP Photo/Danil Usmanov] The governments in Bishkek and Dushanbe each accuse the other of provoking this latest episode. Kyrgyzstan insists that Tajikistan sent troops and paramilitary forces into villages in its Bakten region. Its soldiers, allegedly confronting an invasion with tanks and armored personnel carriers, engaged enemy border guards in a firefight when they refused to leave. The Tajik military maintains, however, that its towns were first shelled from across the border and then repeatedly hit by heavy weaponry over the course of several days. Videos on social media appear to show a civilian bloodbath on both sides, with children and medics among the fatalities. Kyrgyz officials evacuated 136,000 residents from the area over the weekend, and one regional airport was reportedly packed with people trying to leave on Saturday. Some are now returning home. The immediate cessation of hostilities does not indicate any lasting end to the violence. While indicating on Sunday that his government is ready for negotiations and a peaceful resolution, in a statement just released on YouTube, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov emphasized his countrys readiness for military conflict, insisting that it is fully capable of defending its borders. Authorities in Bishkek continue to accuse Dushanbe of engaging in a disinformation campaign regarding who is responsible for last weekends deadly events. Since 2014 alone, there have been 11 major conflicts along a portion of their 600-mile-long shared border. In May of last year at least 54 people died in fighting. Both mountainous countries with large tracts of arid land and not enough agricultural resources to support their populations, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan each lay claim to the fertile Fergana Valley. According to the UN, Tajikistans population is expected to more than double by the end of this century, putting immense pressure on the already food-insecure country. Of the 7 percent of its land that is arable, the World Food Programme says 97 percent is vulnerable to soil degradation, which is expected to worsen as the effects of climate change intensify. According to the Ecological Threat Register, out of 157 countries studied, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are among the top most 19 endangered. They face the imminent threat of desertification. During the Soviet period, the two states were joined together in the Soviet Union, and questions related to access to water, grazing grounds, and farm land were resolved administratively. The regions extremely diverse and intermixed population moved back and forth across what are now government borders patrolled by armed forces. When the Stalinist bureaucracy dissolved the USSR in 1991, the newly-emerging ruling class in the two Central Asian countries each laid claim to different mapsone drawn in the 1920s and the other in the 1950sdemarcating Tajik and Kyrgyz territory. The death and suffering in the area are a direct consequence of the Communist Partys final betrayal of the struggle, initiated by the 1917 Russian Revolution, to unite the long-oppressed peoples of the former Tsarist Empire on egalitarian foundations. Current tensions are being exacerbated by the combined effects of the war in Ukraine, the US efforts to destabilize and break-up Russia, the rapidly escalating conflict with China, and the fight for Central Asias resources. Skyrocketing global grain prices are making it evermore difficult for poor and already food insecure countries to feed their populations. The COVID-19 pandemic and Western sanctions against Russia have seen masses of migrant workers from Central Asia, whose families rely on their remittances to survive, lose jobs. In addition to making the scramble for the Fergana Valley more important, these factors drive the corrupt and super-rich who rule Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to seek an outlet for mass social discontent in nationalist, military hoopla. Facing a debacle in Ukraine, Moscows ability to manage the conflict between its two, frequently unsteady, allies is increasingly in question. This weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed to both sides to de-escalate and find peaceful, political and diplomatic means to resolve their differences. Behind this muted response, however, the Kremlin is trying to hold onto its influence in these areas, which are of major geostrategic and economic importance. A few weeks prior to the present crisis, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov in an effort to speed up the signing of a new economic cooperation program for 2022-2026, which will further expand ties, increase trade turnover, the volume of mutual investments. The Russian statesmen described the Kremlin as keen to enhance cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in all current directions, adding, It is necessary. While short on arable land, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are both home to significant gold and iron ore deposits, as well as many other metals essential to industry. Because of their locations, they both offer potential transit routes for the shipment of oil and gas to areas otherwise highly dependent on sea lanes. During a recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan agreed to move forward with a long-stalled plan to create a rail link that will connect China to the Middle East, bypassing Russia in the process. Bishkeks deepening relationship with Beijing is also a dependency, with the majority of its $5.1 billion in foreign debt owed to Chinese banks. Meanwhile, the imperialist powers, which have a long involvement in both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, are pressing forward with their own agendas. UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres just appointed former leader of Kyrgyzstans US-backed Tulip Revolution, Rosa Otunbayeva, as special envoy to Afghanistan. The crisis in that country, brought on by 20 years of the US bloody occupation and the recent return of the Taliban to power in Kabul, is destabilizing all of Central Asia. It poses a particularly significant threat to Russia, which has a large Muslim population. The Kremlin, fully aware of Washingtons long history of using Islamic fundamentalism to destabilize Russia, has well-grounded fears that the surging power and influence of this movement will be used to foment separatist movements in its south and southwest. Russias Supreme Court just labeled Tajikistans main opposition party a terrorist movement. On Monday, Kyrgyzstan declared that Islamist militants were among the troops sent into its territory by Tajikistans military this past weekend. The last ballots were counted for the 2022 Swedish elections Thursday, confirming the lead of the right-wing parliamentary block by 176 seats to 173 in the 349-seat parliament (Riksdag). The traditional conservative partythe Moderateshas entered talks with the other right-wing parties to form a government based around their leader Ulf Kristersson as prime minister. In this photo taken May 24, 2010, Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson speaks during an interview in a basement in Stockholm, Sweden. [AP Photo/Niklas Larsson] Current Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson announced her resignation Wednesday evening. After a meeting Monday with Riksdag speaker Andreas Norlen, Kristersson stated that talks to form the new government could take several weeks. The true winner of the elections, however, was not Kristerssons Moderates, but the Sweden Democrats. The party, founded by neo-Nazis in the 1980s, is now the second-largest political party in Sweden. Though the other three right-wing parties (Moderates, Christian Democrats, and the Liberals) have asserted, in the face of widespread popular hostility towards the far-right, that they do not wish to place the Sweden Democrats in government, they all bear political responsibility for integrating the far-right party into official politics over the past decade. Whether or not the Sweden Democrats are formally included in the next government, it is already clear that they will play a decisive role in determining its policies. Kristersson is reportedly aiming for a coalition with the Christian Democrats or a three-party coalition that also includes the Liberals, with the Sweden Democrats backing the government on crucial votes from the outside. The Moderates lost almost 1 percentage point of the vote compared to the last election in 2018, whereas the Sweden Democrats vote rose by 3.1 percentage pointsthe largest of any party. The Sweden Democrats finished with 20.6 percent of the vote compared to the Moderates 19.1 percent. Around the world, fascistic leaders and news outlets celebrated the Sweden Democrats victory. Steve Bannon, the ex-strategist of Donald Trump, described it as a political earthquake, while the European Conservatives and Reformist Party, a coalition bloc of far-right parties in the EU, led by Giorgia Meloni, leader of the fascist Brothers of Italy, tweeted, Let this be an omen and model for the rest of Europe. Italy will hold an election on September 25, with the Brothers of Italy poised for victory. Referencing Donald Trump, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson vowed at the partys election night celebration to Make Sweden Great Again. His party has proposed a series of vicious anti-immigrant, law-and-order policies. They include ending permanent residency for migrants, raids on welfare beneficiaries homes to find malpractices, and the ending of residency rights through romantic partnership. The only foreign press allowed into the Sweden Democrats raucous [election] party was the Financial Times. Multiple foreign press requests were denied by the party leadership. The FT reported that there was one word on the lips of many Sweden Democrats MPs revenge. The partys chief of staff, Linus Bylund, stated that he was looking forward to journalist rugby. Asked to explain, he said this was where you pushed journalists about. Later, at the same party, Rebecka Fallenkvista Sweden Democrat candidate for Stockholmblurted out the Swedish version of the Nazi Sieg Heil salute as she drunkenly spoke to the far-right news site Samnytt. One reflection of the ruling elites embrace of this far-right filth was the forcing out of Annie Loof as leader of the relatively small Centre Party. Loof has been one of the more vocal critics of the right-wing, racist politics of the Sweden Democrats within the political establishment, and focused a considerable portion of her partys election campaign on a commitment not to cooperate with the Sweden Democrats in government. Under her leadership, Centre shifted from its traditional membership in the right-wing parliamentary bloc to support the minority Social Democrat government. However, the party helped secure a majority in parliament last year for the national budget drafted by the Moderates and Sweden Democrats, which Anderssons minority Social Democrat government agreed to implement. In July, Loof was the target of an attempted assassination by a member of the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement, many of whose members have run on the Sweden Democrat ticket. Instead of killing Loof, the attacker murdered Ing-Marie Wieselgren, a well-known psychiatrist. After Centre performed poorly at the polls, a concerted push developed from media outlets and political figures for Loof to resign so as to force a reexamination of the Centre Partys stance on the Sweden Democrats. This development carries on the general rush of Swedish politics to the right, as all the major political parties have adopted the anti-immigrant, law and order positions of the Sweden Democrats. The rightward lurch of official Swedish politics is being driven by powerful objective forces. The Swedish ruling elite has abandoned its long-standing pose of neutrality and flung itself behind the US-NATO war with Russia. Swedens application to join NATO and a sustained military build-up since 2014 have helped transform Scandinavia into the northern front of the imperialist powers war to plunder Russias natural resources and subjugate the country to the status of a semi-colony. At home, the Swedish ruling class intends to intensify its assault on what remains of the countrys social programmes and continue its homicidal pandemic policy. This deeply unpopular programme of war abroad and austerity at home cannot be enforced democratically, which is why the far right are being cultivated and brought into the political establishment. The financial press reacted to the Sweden Democrats unprecedented political strength with offerings of reassurance that the party does not threaten the imperialist powers interests. The FTs Tony Barber wrote, What will not change are the fundamentals of Swedish foreign and defense policy. The Sweden Democrats support the nations application to join NATO. The Sweden Democrats have also dropped their old hostility to the countrys EU membership. Beyond that, Swedens democratic processes and upholding of the rule of law remain strong. Barber explained that the Sweden Democrats differ from insurgent rightwing parties, claiming they have expelled their most extremist members. In fact, a recent report by Acta Publica found that nearly 300 right-wing extremists were running in this years elections, most of them associated with the Nordic Resistance Movement and running on the Sweden Democrat ticket. It must be stressed, however, that while the Sweden Democrats received 1.3 million votesin a country of 10.5 million peoplethere are not 1.3 million fascists in Sweden. The Sweden Democrats, to the extent that they have been able to gain a hearing among sections of the working class, have done so because of the bankruptcy of what is presented as left-wing politics in Sweden. Since the 1990s, the Social Democrats have spearheaded the charge to dismantle Swedens much-vaunted welfare state and enforce privatizations. In power for 20 of the last 28 years, the Social Democrats have relied throughout this period on loyal support from the Left Party in parliament and the trade unions outside parliament to enforce its anti-worker agenda. One of the most grotesque expressions of this political alliance is the criminal role the Social Democrats and Left Party played in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they aggressively promoted the anti-scientific conception of herd immunity. International finance capital latched onto the homicidal policies of Swedens left government as a key means to justify the abandoning of all COVID-19 mitigation measures and allowing the virus to perpetually rip through the population. The defeat of the far-right in Sweden requires Swedish workers to link their struggles with those of the international working class in Europe and around the world. Only an international movement of workers for genuine socialism, freed of the false friends of the corporatist unions and social democratic and Stalinist parties, is capable of offering an alternative to the impasse of capitalist politics. The conditions for the emergence of such a movement are rapidly emerging. A wave of strikes in the United States and Europe has begun to demonstrate the social power of the working class. It is to this social force that workers in Sweden must turn in the struggle to defeat the threat posed to their democratic and social rights by the rightward lurch of the entire political system. A powerful typhoon struck southern Japan Sunday night and continued to cause damage through Monday, creating widespread devastation and leading to the evacuation of millions of people. The storm, one of the strongest of the year, is the latest in deadly and intense weather patterns that have taken place around the globe this year. Photo of typhoon Nanmadol from international space station, Sept 18, 2022 At least two people have been killed and 115 people injured from floods and landslides caused by the storm. Approximately 9.7 million people were told to evacuate to shelters or move to sturdy buildings during the storm, with tens of thousands staying in emergency shelters. At least seven prefectures were without electricity Sunday night, impacting at least 337,520 households, according to Kyushu Electric Power Company. As of Monday afternoon, an estimated 286,000 households remained without power. Typhoon Nanmadol, or Typhoon Number 14 as it is known in Japan, made landfall Sunday around 7 p.m. near the city of Kagoshima on Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. The typhoon had winds reaching as high as 234 kilometers per hour (145 mph) as it reached the Japanese coast, and was classified as a violent typhoon, the highest Japanese category, similar to a Category 5 hurricane. The storm weakened slightly over Sunday night and into Monday morning with sustained wind speeds reaching 126 kilometers per hour and gusts as high as 180 kilometers per hour. It continued up the western coast of Honshu, bringing hundreds of millimeters of rain to different parts of the country. As of Tuesday morning, maximum wind speeds continued to reach 144 kilometers per hour in the central Hokuriku region. The storm has brought as much as 900 millimeters (3 feet) of rain to Kyushu, more than the average for the entire month of September. The Chugoku region on Honshu and the island of Shikoku also experienced heavy winds and huge amounts of rain. On Monday, officials continued to urge people on Kyushu to evacuate, citing the potential for additional floods or landslides. As the typhoon approached, Japans Meteorological Agency issued a rare special warning, indicating an imminent large-scale disaster and unprecedented danger from high winds, torrential rains, and storm surges. The warning had never been issued in Japan outside of Okinawa Prefecture. The agency stated on Sunday, The southern part of the Kyushu region may see the sort of violent wind, high waves and high tides that have never been experienced before. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave orders to officials to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of the people with a sense of urgency. These phrases are repeated almost ad nauseum by world leaders in times of disasters to distract and cover up their lack of preparations before crises occur. The prime minister also delayed his departure by one day for New York, where he is planning to give an address to the UN General Assembly meeting. He is now scheduled to leave Tuesday. Flood advisories were issued for regions farther north like Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture. Japans two main airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, canceled at least 800 flights, while trains to the most affected regions were also canceled. Other areas impacted by Nanmadol include South Korea, where the government issued typhoon advisories for Jeju Island and the southeastern Gyeongsang region. At least one person was injured during the storm, while at least 772 people from North Gyeongsang Province along the east coast evacuated, according to Yonhap News Agency. The typhoon is the latest example of increasingly intense and violent weather patterns around the world, which are being brought on by climate change. Warming temperatures, which are being created by human activity, generate more moisture in the air, fueling the intensity of storms and leading to more category 4 and 5 typhoons and hurricanes. Furthermore, a study published in May by scientists at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London found that at the time of another major storm in Japan, the 2019 Hagibis typhoon which killed 124 people, climate change had increased the probability of extreme rainfall by approximately 67 percent. The latest typhoon comes after Typhoon Hinnamnor, another Category 5 storm, struck South Korea earlier this month. The storm landed in southeastern South Korea on September 6, killing 12 people and bringing widespread flooding. In addition, floods in Pakistan caused by an early monsoon season and rainfall far exceeding the average have killed at least 1,545 people, although this is likely an underestimate. Intense heatwaves in China and Europe are further indications of the impact of climate change. While storms and severe weather cannot be prevented, the tools exist to mitigate their impact, both by taking the steps to address climate change and by having infrastructure in place to carry out the necessary evacuations to keep people safe. Capitalist governments have shown that there is no willingness on the part of the ruling class to address these issues that threatens the future of the planet. Climate change and other threats to humanity cannot be dealt with on an individual, national level, but requires an international, and therefore socialist, response. Nowhere is it clearer that Tokyo does not take this approach to disasters than in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to run rampant throughout Japan. The country has led the world for several weeks in new, official cases, with hundreds of thousands falling sick and hundreds dying each week. In a one-week period as of September 19, there were 563,880 new COVID-19 cases and 1,162 deaths. With millions forced to evacuate in the latest storm, and countless unable to socially distance, undoubtedly many more people will get sick as they seek safety in shelters and in large groups with family and friends. By refusing to address the pandemic, the government therefore compounds the dangers from natural disasters like Typhoon Nanmadol. The World Socialist Web Sites International Amazon Workers Voice recently spoke at length with Josh, a former Amazon worker in upstate New York who was terminated for distributing union literature at his workplace. His experience demonstrates the culture of repression which has been fostered throughout Americas corporations while workers are treated like industrial slaves. Joshs Twitter postings leading up to his removal show Amazons authoritarian actions. The 40-year olds Twitter postings about the BUF9 warehouse have gone viral. One tweet, published on August 28, explains that he got in trouble for defying a rule which forces a worker to get permission from a manager in order to go to the bathroom. The posting has been shared over 25,000 times. Today amazon gave me a verbal warning about going to the bathroom while not on break, he said. They denied me so I went anyway and I got in trouble. I think I have [to quit]. Its inhumane, he says. Not long after this, Josh said he was chased off of Amazons grounds by security as he was handing out union leaflets in his break room. Josh explained this situation to the IAWV. About two weeks ago [Amazon] held a meeting explaining that there would be no bathroom breaks unless you see a PA [Process Assistant]. Josh, victimized Amazon worker [Photo by ShrimpZoo] This new procedure requires Amazon workers to seek out the nearest available PA, of which there is maybe one per thousand people on the floor at any given moment, in a warehouse the size of a shopping mall. Amazon, the logistics behemoth which expanded its industrial and corporate net value to over $1 trillion during the pandemic, is notorious for its dystopian and pervasive system of control in each of its warehouses. Workers are greeted to a wrap-around system of surveillance and monitoring designed to track their speed and efficiency and stifle their slightest efforts to organize and defend themselves. The atomization of the warehouses the layout and algorithms seemed almost designed to isolate employees from one another, states Alec MacGillis in Fulfillment, a book about Amazon published in 2020. Amazons abuses were not only cruel, but illegal. A 2021 California state law stipulates that the operators of warehouse distribution centers cannot enforce rules which prevent compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities, including reasonable travel time to and from bathroom facilities, or occupational health and safety laws. This, however, is exactly what occurs throughout Amazons hundreds of warehouses. When Josh defied this new rule and his exposures went viral on social media, management began to target him. This included direct attacks on him online and in person. Vice News, Business Insider, all contacted me, he said. They also all contacted Amazon, thus alerting the company to his posts. Prior to having security chase him from Amazons premises, my boss brought me into his office. He shut the door and made sure there was no one watching. He had all the news information, he said. Having had Amazons abuses publicly exposed, the official sought a compromise with the worker. He said if I wanted to go to the bathroom, I could come and tell him in his office directly. Josh refused this offer on principle. This began the threats and intimidation. Amazon [managers] replied to my personal Twitter, he said. They were calling me stupid, all sorts of names. Josh recalled one official approaching him in person and confirming his online conduct. One guy who identified himself as a manager came up to me in the warehouse, he explained. He had claimed that I gave him a [union] flier. He also stated that one-half of the buildings management had replied to his Twitter post. I was fired verbally, he explained, stating that his boss had security chase him from the building. In mid-September, Josh received documentation that he had been terminated. This letter confirms that the date of involuntary termination of your employment with Amazon Services LLC is September 11, 2022, it states. No further details were provided relating to the cause of the firing. Attempts to appeal to the state for support proved useless. According to the worker, the local office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laughed at his requests to open a case against the employer. I called OSHA. It took many calls. It seems there is just one guy that handles all cases apparently in this area, he said. The lone OSHA representative was mad that I didnt have any phone numbers for them, but Amazon doesnt give us a number. That got him very mad. I had to call back a few times until he agreed to open a case. I dont know if they actually did and Ive never heard back from them. It seemed like a joke the whole process. They [OSHA] just refused to help me. I dont have any case number or anything, and they never called back or sent anything. Josh had fallen into a system which is overwhelmingly stacked in the favor of the corporation and for which there are few avenues for appeal. According to the National Employment Law Project, OSHAs response to the thousands upon thousands of complaints it has received [during the pandemic] from terrified workers around the country alleging employers are not following safe infection control practices, has been feeble. There is little the agency can do, says the report, which was published April 2020. Despite a promise by the Trump administration that the number of workplace safety and health inspectors would increase by 2019, the OSHA now has the lowest number of on-board inspectors in the last 45 years. The report states At this staffing level, it would take the agency a whopping 165 years to inspect each workplace under its jurisdiction just once. This situation hasnt improved substantially under the Biden administration. In June, the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health sent an open letter to the House Appropriations Committee citing a lack of consistent and aggressive enforcement of existing safety laws alongside the ever greater threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, heat and weather crises and other pressing developments. The national groups call for an additional $100 million in yearly funds to OSHA, among other things. The letter cites an April 2022 AFL-CIO report which classifies Transportation and warehousing as one of the countrys most dangerous industries. The Biden administration provided a derisory $20 million funding increase to OSHA last year, a mere a drop in the bucket toward what could be considered bare minimum level of adequate funding for the agency. For Josh, the question of workplace safety has increased importance. The young workers struggles with debilitating Long COVID have also attracted considerable attention on social media. I have bad asthma, he explains. I used to have issues with it before, but never to the point where I required an inhaler. Like many suffering from this multi-system and debilitating disease, Josh is unable to exercise anymore. I am 40 years old, but have the lungs of an 80-year old. My insurance wont cover [the cost of inhalers and treatment]. Before COVID-19, the stores are always out of stock. I currently have four puffs left in my inhaler to get me through tomorrow. COVID-19 ruined my life. Before, I was studying nature and horticulture. Now, Im hoping I wont be forced to sell my house, due to the combined impact of loss of the job alongside the victimization that occurred at the hands of Amazon. After Greek coast guard boats fired warning shots at the Comoros-flagged merchant ship Anatolian on September 10 in international waters of the Aegean Sea, tensions between Athens and Ankara continue to escalate. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the Aegean islands, including Kastellorizo, Rhodes and Carpathos, two kilometers from Turkey last week. Greece seeks constructive relations with its neighbors according to international law, she said at an event marking the 79th anniversary of Kastellorizos liberation during World War II. However, if necessary, it will effectively defend its integrity and its sovereign rights, she added. Speaking at a symposium in Rhodes, Sakellaropoulou denounced Ankaras claims, saying: As Turkish provocations intensify in Rhodes and the Dodecanese Islands, making false and unsupported claims and questioning our countrys sovereign rights, scientific debate becomes even more important on the 40th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The islands of Rhodes, Carpathos and Kastellorizo are supposed to be demilitarized according to the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty. However, there are armored and infantry units, land and air bases on these islands, in addition to the law enforcement forces stipulated by the treaty. Greeces rhetoric and provocative actions that have escalated tensions in the Sea of Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean have turned into a security threat for our country, said Turkish Speaker of Parliament Mustafa Sentop. In June, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatened to invade the islands, saying that the sovereignty of these islands will be discussed if Greece does not stop arming them. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also recently declared, Your occupation of the islands does not bind us. We will do what is necessary when the time comes. As we say, we could come all of a sudden one night. The historical conflicts between the Turkish and Greek bourgeoisies, inherited from the 20th century, have intensified in recent months amid NATOs war with Russia in Ukraine. Fearing the potential consequences for the Turkish bourgeoisie of NATOs war aims in Ukraine (regime change in Moscow, the dismemberment of Russia and its subordination to the imperialist powers), Ankara is not participating in the sanctions against Russia. It has tried to mediate an end to the war. On the other hand, Ankara sees as a threat Greeces role as an important military base for NATO against Russia, having developed strategic military ties with the United States and France. NATO views Turkeys growing commercial, energy and military ties with Russia as unacceptable for NATO. Turkeys purchase of Russias S-400 air defense system has led Washington to impose sanctions on Turkey. Moreover, in response to a possible US refusal to sell Turkey F-16 fighters, President Erdogan recently said: It is not only America that sells fighter jets in the world. England, France and Russia sell them. So it is possible to get them from everywhere. The possibility that Russia may be using Turkey to evade Western sanctions is increasingly alarming US and European powers. The US and EU are stepping up pressure on Turkey to crack down on Russian sanctions evasion amid concerns that the countrys banking sector is a potential backdoor for illicit finance, the Financial Times wrote on Thursday. On the other hand, Greece received its first two F-16 military jets from the United States last week as part of a $1.5 billion program to modernize its fighter fleet. The AP wrote: The two F-16s presented at the Tanagra airbase northwest of Athens are the first of 83 to be refitted with advanced electronics, radar and weapons capabilities by late 2027. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris earlier last week, said: We respond to challenges with readiness, and to those who threaten usand who say that they will descend upon our islands suddenly one nightwe say that we are waiting for them in the light of day, where it will be visible who has International Law on their side. Emphasizing Frances full support for Greece, Macron said, I would like to reiterate this despite the repeated provocations and the questioning of Greeces sovereignty: Our support and determination here is full. Tensions have risen further since Mitsotakis speech to the US Congress last May. There, Mitsotakis said: Greece extends the hand of friendship to its neighbors. But we will not tolerate violations of our sovereignty, violations of our sovereign rights and flights over Greek islands, which must stop immediately. I ask you, members of Congress, to take into account the danger of a new instability on NATOs southeastern flank when making decisions on arms sales in the region. He added, I ask you, members of Congress, not to forget a wound that Hellenism has suffered for 48 years and which is still not healed. I refer to the aggression in Cyprus and the violent division of the island. No one will ever accept two separate states in Cyprus. Mitsotakis received a standing ovation at the US Congress. Replying to Mitsotakis speech in Washington, Erdogan said: For me, there is no such person as Mitsotakis anymore. We go with politicians with personality and honor. Let Mitsotakis think from now on. The US will probably not make a decision based on his mouth. However, the US State Department announced the lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus for the fiscal year 2023 on Friday. US military bases in Greece have grown in line with NATOs military deployment against Russia, even as Ankara faced US sanctions over its military ties with Moscow. The Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the US sanctions decision, stating: We strongly condemn the expansion of the scope of the decision taken by the US in September 2020 to lift the arms embargo towards the Greek Cypriot Administration. We fully support the reaction of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) authorities regarding the said decision. It continued: This decision, which is in contradiction to the principle of equality of the two sides on the Island, and which will further strengthen the Greek Cypriot sides intransigence, will negatively affect the efforts to resettle the Cyprus issue; and it will lead to an arms race on the Island, harming peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. We call on the US to reconsider this decision and to pursue a balanced policy towards the two sides on the Island. The bourgeois press in both Greece and Turkey use nationalist rhetoric to promote the reactionary geopolitical interests of their own governments and to divide the working class. The possibility of this chauvinist demagogy escalating into a military confrontation between these two NATO member states is very real. NATOs war on Russia in Ukraine and the surge of military tensions throughout the Balkans and Central Asia is pouring fuel on the fire. The only way to stop a devastating war is through the revolutionary mobilization of the international working class on the basis of a socialist program unifying working people across national borders. This requires the building of Socialist Equality Parties in Greece, Turkey and throughout the region. Aevitas Creative Management has formed ACM Kids & Illustration, a new division focused on representing childrens authors and illustrators across all genres, character design, cover work and adult editorial. Agents across the company are expected to contribute clients to the new division, with senior agent Adriana Dominguez overseeing the unit along with Aevitas partner Rick Richter. More from Deadline In a press release, Aevitas Co-CEO David Kuhn said the launch builds on the companys current strength in this important area within our company. Co-CEO Todd Shuster noted that current clients have already produced a number of bestsellers in the categories to be encompassed by the new division. Now seemed like the perfect time to highlight not only the astonishing talent weve been so fortunate to support over the years but also our quickly growing portfolio of new clients, he added. Aevitas has more than 30 agents based in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and London, representing authors, performers, thinkers, artists, and public figures. Its list of illustrators includes New York Times bestsellers and recipients of many awards including the New York Times Best Illustrated, Pura Belpre, Christopher Award, Golden Kite and Orbis Pictus. Many have also collaborated with a variety of brands and organizations, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the New York City Subway systems MTA Art and Design program, The United States Postal Service, the Obama Foundation, National Geographic, O Magazine, Elle Decor, PBS, NPR, Pixar, DreamWorks, Netflix, Hasbro and Nickelodeon. Story continues Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. For a Rutgers football defense that is among the best in the nation against the run, Saturdays game against Iowa will be a litmus test for just how far their unit has come. Iowa, a team that perenially is among the best in the Big Ten in rushing, might be getting on track after a shaky start to the season offensively. So far this season, Rutgers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) has allowed just 97 yards over three games, the 32.3 yards per game from the defense is tops in the Big Ten. It has been a tremendous performance from Rutgers in stopping the run. For instance, they absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage in the season opener at Boston College, a 22-21 win for the Big Ten program. Iowa (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten), who traditionally hang their hat on their ground game, are bottom of the Big Ten in rushing this year, averaging 92.3 yards per game. Although that certainly got on track this past weekend in a strong 27-0 win over Nevada. The Hawkeyes had 162 yards of rushing, part of a balanced offensive effort that saw them gain 337 yards of total offense. Related Around the Big Ten: Troy Aikman takes a shot at his alma mater, UCLA, for poor attendance In talking on the Big Ten Network, former Illinois fullback Howard Griffith liked the development of Iowa this past weekend. In particular, their usually stout offensive line was showing signs of clicking. But what he kept saying was, its just not the quarterback. He needs to get the pieces around him back. That happened, Griffith said on the Big Ten Network on Monday. You start to see guys make plays, you started to see the explosive plays out of the run game. From the offensive line, (theyve) played much better than they have played in previous weeks. You saw them starting to get up to the second levels, to the linebackers, to be able to block there. You saw things starting to open. And so much of that is about confidence, right? They have to prove it to themselves that Hey, yes we can get that done and not necessarily listen to the outside noise. Now they have to be able to put that together. They have to be able to repeat. Story continues In terms of overall production, last season was a bit odf a down campaign from Iowa, who were No. 11 in the Big Ten averaging 123.6 yards per game. Iowa finished last season at 9-4 with a loss to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. Related Rutgers football's Greg Schiano is excited for Iowa and Kirk Ferentz, 'one of the best coaches in America, period' Iowa will travel to play at Rutgers on Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both programs (7 P.M. ET, FS1). Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire EXCLUSIVE: Keshet International has secured rights to Cuba Libre, a buzzy drama about a follower of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara thats being billed as one of Portugals most ambitious television series ever. The six-part biopic, based on the life of Ana Maria Silva Pais, will form part of KIs slate at Mipcom Cannes next month. Produced by Hop! Films for Portugals public service broadcaster RTP, the drama follows newcomer Beatriz Gordinho in the lead role of Annie, a young Portuguese woman joined the Cuban revolution and gave everything to Che Guevara. The show debuts on RTP tomorrow (September 21) and you can watch the trailer below, with English subtitles. More from Deadline Pais, whose story is told against the backdrop of the Cold War, was the only daughter of the Director General of Portugals secret service, the PIDE. Considered a culture lover and legendary beauty, she often clashed with her familys political opinions in a dictatorship-run Portugal and eventually escaped to Havana with her Swiss diplomat husband. There, she abandoned her life and joined the Cuban revolution, secretly falling in love with the storied Guevara along the way. Joining Gordinho (O Sitio da Mulher Morta) in the biggest international cast ever assembled in a Portuguese drama are Adriano Luz (Mysteries of Lisbon, Night Train to Lisbon) and Margarida Marinho (Meu Amor, Low-Flying Aircraft), who play her parents Fernando and Nita, and French-German actor Pierre Kiwitt (Das Boot, Charite II) plays her husband Raymond. Most of the casting was done over Zoom during the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. Henrique Oliveira (1986, Vidago Palace), Hop!s Managing Director, is producer, writer and director. This has been something of a passion project for me, and its taken 20 years to bring Annies story to screen having first read about her in a newspaper article, he said. This series is quite probably the most ambitious period drama ever produced in Portugal certainly in terms of its international cast and Im thrilled the team at Keshet International is representing it. Story continues Anke Stoll, KIs VP of Acquisitions and Co-productions, added: This is an incredible true story of a woman who changed so many lives to follow her passion and strong political beliefs. The team at Hop! Films have done a fantastic job bringing her vibrant story to life for TV viewers. Several companies are understood to have tracked the project but ultimately KI, which has sold several local language shows internationally, picked up the rights. Keren Shahar, KIs COO and President of Distribution, said: Adding this vibrant, colorful and authentic drama to our slate brings me joy. Not only is this a captivating watch, but Im thrilled that were helping to bring Annies life story to global audiences. Its fitting that more people will get to learn of her influential role in Cubas history. Other shows on KIs Mipcom slate include My Name is Reeva: I Was Murdered by Oscar Pistorius, Rabbit Films coming-of-age thriller Summer of Sorrow, which was selected for the 2022 MipTV Drama Showcase in April; Woodcut Medias Worlds Most Evil Killers and reality competition format The Perfect Dessert, which returns to Keshet 12 during the World Cup for a second season. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Olivia Wilde attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) The cast of Don't Worry Darling well, most of the cast glammed up Monday night for a screening and to talk up the much-buzzed-about movie with a Q&A before it arrives in theaters on Sept. 23. Director and star star Olivia Wilde, as well as actors Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Sydney Chandler, Kate Berlant, Asif Ali, Douglas Smith and Dita Von Teese appeared at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York City at an event that was broadcast at theaters throughout the country. Though actors Florence Pugh and Chris Pine were not expected to attend, many locations sold out. Pugh, who's rumored to have feuded with Wilde, has previously skipped press events. Wilde has explained that Pugh is busy working on the upcoming Dune sequel, but Pugh has publicly criticized how the film is being marketed, fueling rumors of a feud. Harry Styles Harry Styles attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Gemma Chan Gemma Chan attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Dita Von Teese Dita Von Teese attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Sydney Chandler Sydney Chandler attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage) Kate Berlant Kate Berlant attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Asif Ali Asif Ali attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Douglas Smith Douglas Smith attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Nick Kroll Nick Kroll attends the "Don't Worry Darling" event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) For whatever reason, Pugh and other cast members were not part of Friday's premiere of the movie at the 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival, where Wilde wore a dazzling, backless emerald gown from Valentino. So the Booksmart director was the sole representative from the film there. The entire cast did join Wilde when Don't Worry Darling was screened at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5. However, Pugh was not part of a press conference or photo call beforehand, and the women stayed apart on the red carpet. Wilde commented then on stories about unrest on the set. "As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself," she said. "I don't feel the need to contribute. I think it's sufficiently well-nourished." For what it's worth, Wilde raved about the "ferociously talented" Pugh in a magazine interview earlier this month. While the movie received a five-minute standing ovation in Venice, even that event was accompanied by drama, after footage of Styles appearing to spit on Pine went viral. Both Styles and Pine denied that spirting is what had happened. According to Rolling Stone, two sources from the production said problems began between the women around the same time that Wilde and Styles began dating in 2020. Two other sources told the magazine that the rumors were unfounded. "Do I think her and Flo hate each other? Absolutely not. Was it fun and enjoyable on set? Absolutely." a source said. "Were [Wilde and Styles overtly] romantic, or did she favor him? Nope. She was very professional." The movie opens everywhere on Friday. North Carolina residents helped four puppies get the care they deserve after finding the small dogs in a dangerous situation on the side of a road. In a post shared on Facebook over the weekend, Guilford County Animal Services said the four young canines were discovered in a suitcase that was fully zipped up "except for a small part." "Good Samaritans," noticed the bag moving around on the side of the road and stopped to check out the situation. They found the puppies inside the luggage. "They were shocked as to what they found and immediately brought them to the shelter," Guilford County Animal Services said on social media. RELATED: Rescue Dog Still Waiting for a Home After 2,555 Days in Ohio Shelters: 'The Perfect House Guest' "These puppies will now be medically evaluated and hopefully up for adoption or rescue soon," the post continued. "Thank you Good Sams for saving four lives today!" Four Puppies Found on Side of Road in a Suitcase Saved by Good Samaritans Guilford County Animal Shelter/Facebook Four puppies found in suitcase In August, another canine was rescued from the side of a road after a Good Samaritan spotted the puppy crawling alone on the hot asphalt of a busy Louisiana street, according to Greater Good Charities. After getting close to the dog, the animal lover realized that the animal, named Dobby, was emaciated, bald, and covered in scabs and called Iberville Parish Animal Control for assistance. RELATED: Missing Cat Reunites with Family After Using Home Doorbell Camera and Calling Out for 'Mom' Animal control took the frightened dog estimated to be around five months old when she was found to Bayou Buddies, a Louisiana animal rescue that placed the puppy in a foster home. As the days progressed, Dobby's caretakers learned the puppy had demodectic mange, which leads to hair loss and is caused by parasitic mites, and started treating the dog for the health issue. After helping to cover the dog's medical bills, Greater Good Charities flew Dobby to St Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey to start her search for a home, and on Thursday, Dobby found her family. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Feb. 25, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Gov. Kristi Noem is no longer the featured speaker at a Maryland Republican Party event scheduled for Thursday. Noem was slated to speak during the "Red, White and Blue" dinner at the Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, according to Herald Mail Media. Now, KellyAnne Conway, the former senior counselor to former President Donald Trump, will speak at the annual dinner for Maryland GOP members. We cant wait to welcome Gov. Noem to Maryland for our biggest event of the year," Dirk Haire, the Maryland Republican chair, wrote when announcing the event, according to Maryland Matters, a non-profit news site. "I personally look forward to hearing her share her experience in fighting for South Dakotans individual liberties as the federal government tried to impose hysterical Covid restrictions. More: How student loan forgiveness will affect South Dakota's college graduates, new workforce The governor recently underwent surgery for a back injury. Because of that, she will not travel to Maryland for the event and is instead sending her regards through video message, her communication director Ian Fury said. She was also slated to appear at a few other events on the east coast, but will be unable to go. Fury said Noem is anticipated to attend the Buffalo Round Up at Custer State Park and the gubernatorial debate in Rapid City, both on Sept. 30. During the summer, the first-term governor traveled to Alabama, Massachusetts and Nevada for various GOP fundraising and speaking events. She told CBS in July that she hasn't ruled out a possible run for president in 2024 but if Trump runs, she would support him. Noem has also run digital ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in recent months. Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Gov. Noem no longer speaking at Maryland GOP event A Warren city councilman accused of chasing down and handcuffing a woman who put Black Lives Matter stickers on yard signs for then-President Donald Trump has pleaded no contest to a lesser offense. Warren City Councilman Edward Kabacinski entered the plea Monday in 38th District Court in Eastpointe, the day his case was scheduled for a jury trial. Charges were authorized against Kabacinski, 48, in October 2020. A charge of impersonating a public officer, a one-year misdemeanor, was reduced to disturbing the peace, according to court records. A 93-day misdemeanor assault and battery charge was dismissed. Warren City Council Member Eddie Kabacinski faces off against a racial justice protester during a confrontation on Hoover Road in Warren, Saturday, Sept.19, 2020. Counterprotesters played blaring sounds out of speakers and hurled insults at protesters, who then crossed over Hoover Road and confronted counterprotesters. Pushing and shoving ensued, and shortly after, protesters returned to their side of Hoover Road. Councilman must take anger management classes Judge Kathleen Galen sentenced Kabacinski to 12 months of probation with conditions, including anger management classes and no similar conduct or assaultive behavior, in addition to $1,055 in fines and costs. Kabacinski's attorney, Stephen Rabaut, said the plea was taken under a section of the Michigan criminal code that allows for a delayed sentence. If Kabacinski does what he is required to do, the charge can be dismissed. The judge said she would review the matter in six months, Rabaut said. Mr. Kabacinski isnt happy about the resolution, did not want to enter a plea, but at the advice of counsel elected to enter the plea because he saw it was probably in his best interest," Rabaut said. Kabacinski could not be immediately reached for comment. Rabaut said delays in the case were primarily related to COVID-19 or trial scheduling. Warren City Councilman Eddie Kabacinski More:Warren councilman faces criminal charges for 'arresting' woman over Trump signs More:Warren City Council president blasts councilman arrested after selling Trump merchandise This is not the first time Kabacinski has had runs-in with police. He has a motion hearing Sept. 26 on an unrelated case in 41A District Court in Shelby Township after he was arrested by Utica police on a misdemeanor ordinance violation in 2021 after he allegedly peddled political merchandise without a sales permit during a Trump rally. Story continues In October 2021, Warren City Council members passed a resolution 5-2 to censure him for his misuse of his position as a councilman and removed him from committee assignments days after they said he was arrested for refusing to wear a mask inside the TCF Center during a Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission meeting. Warren City Council President Pat Green told the Free Press on Monday: "I'm glad the courts have resolved this, and I hope that the victims of his crime are satisfied with the court's rule." City of Warren city council member Eddie Kabacinski looks over maps as he listens to The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission holds its first public hearing on Oct. 20, 2021, at the TCF Center in Detroit. The hearings are an effort to solicit input on the draft maps they've drawn. Silly String versus handcuffs In October 2020, Kabacinski was investigated for his actions while attending a Trump rally in Eastpointe. St. Clair Shores police said when they arrived at Stephens and Kelly they found a Trump rally attendee had handcuffed a woman. An officer immediately took the woman out of the handcuffs, according to a police report. Police said the then-24-year-old Eastpointe woman was chased down and handcuffed by Kabacinski after she stuck three Black Lives Matter stickers on the Trump signs that were placed along the boulevard. When Kabacinski grabbed the woman, she sprayed him with Silly String, according to the report. It stated Kabacinski handcuffed her with her hands to the rear and sat her next to him until police arrived. Kabacinski told C&G Newspapers he detained the woman because she acted to "breach the peace" by putting a 5-by-8-inch Black Lives Matter sticker on a Trump-Pence sign. He claimed he is a former military police officer and federal law allows him to detain those who breach the peace or break the law. The woman was not facing criminal charges. Kabacinski, a first-term member of the nonpartisan Warren City Council, is a Trump supporter who donned a military gas mask during an April 2020 City Council meeting and complained about a loss of freedom because of actions Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to control the spread of the coronavirus in the pandemic's early days. In September 2020, he took heat after he stood with counterprotesters at a march to support a Black family who lived in his council district and was thrice the victim of attacks because they had a Black Lives Matter sign in their front window. More:Warren man, father plead no contest in attacks against Black neighbors More:Detroit senator, Trump supporters among candidates booted from primary election ballots Disqualified from seeking state office Kabacinski showed up at the march in military attire with a gun on his hip and carrying a large Trump flag. He stood with counterprotesters who he said were there to show support for law enforcement. In May of this year, Kabacinski was disqualified from running for state office by the Michigan Department of State because he did not pay outstanding fines or filed missing campaign finance reports at the time he filed an affidavit to run for office, violating state campaign finance law. Last month, Kabacinski was in an accident on I-696 that he said he and his campaign manager concluded was a targeted attack by those associated with the Democratic Party because of his political views. Michigan State Police told the Macomb Daily there was no indication the accident was intentional. The other driver was speeding. Kabacinski was wearing a neck brace and using a walker at the most recent City Council meeting Sept. 13, according to video of the meeting. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Warren councilman pleads in case of 'arresting' woman over Trump signs (Getty Images) The House select committee investigating the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January will hold its next hearing final hearing next Wednesday, Chairman Bennie ThompsontoldThe New York Times on Tuesday. Mr Thompson said this will likely be its final hearing barring new developments. The hearing comes after the August recess and after no hearings were held since the House reconvened. Before the House went for a break, Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney indicated that while the committee hoped to wrap up hearings in July, new developments meant that the committee would likely hold hearings in August. But the committee is also running out of time to present its report. Its mandate runs out on 31 December and Republicans are expected to take over the House of Representatives in Novembers midterm election. Similarly, three members of the committee will exit Congress at the beginning of next year. Ms Cheney lost her primary for Wyomings at-large district to Harriet Hageman, largely as a consequence for her constant criticism of former president Donald Trump and her membership on the committee. The committees other Republican, Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, chose not to seek reelection as did Democratic Representative Stephanie Murphy of Florida. Democratic Representative Elaine Luria, another member of the committee, also faces a difficult re-election campaign in Virginias 2nd district. The committee also to submit its final report before the end of the year, though Axios reported that it will likely not release the report until after the election. The last hearing was held before the FBI executed a search warrant on Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. Kate Winslet at the Emmys in 2021 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) (AP) Kate Winslet has returned to work after an accident on the set of her new film, Lee, in Croatia. The actor was admitted to hospital after an on-set accident, but resumed filming this week as scheduled, according to Deadline. Kate slipped and was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure required by the production, her representatives said. She is fine and will be filming, as planned, this week. Winslet portrays Lee Miller in Lee, a female photojournalist working for Vogue during the Second World War, who posed in Adolf Hitlers bathtub and documented the horrors of Nazi Germany. The director is Ellen Kuras, who recently made Inventing Anna for television and also is a distinguished cinematographer. Winslet is joined by Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough and Josh OConnor. The 46-year-old previously spoke about the project, clarifying that the film was not a biopic. To make a story about Lees whole life, thats a series worth for HBO, she said. What we wanted to do was find the most interesting decade in her life, the one that defined who she was and what she became because of what she went through. It was the period from 1938 to 1948 that took her right through the war and her most defining time. That is the story we want people to know about Lee more than the many other parts of her life. Winslet also has a role in Avatar: The Way of Water, which is scheduled to come out this December. The first Avatar came out 13 years ago and it holds many box-office records, including the title for the overall highest-grossing film, having made more than $2.8 billion. The post KISS Gene Simmons: I Dont Have Friends appeared first on Consequence. KISS co-founder Gene Simmons has admitted that he doesnt have any friends. The polarizing rock legend doesnt hold back when it comes to sharing his opinion, and hes burned his fair share of bridges over the years (just ask David Lee Roth). In a new interview, Simmons spoke just as candidly about his own solitude. Even today as I sit here, other than Paul [Stanley], and we only get together when we do stuff for the band How do I say this without sounding inhuman? I dont have friends, Simmons told Goldmine magazine. He continued: Yeah, if friends means, Gee, I dont know what Im going to do this afternoon. Hey, you want to come over and hang out? Im more interested in what I want to do, and I dont want to pretend that Im interested in what you want to do because I am not. Simmons previously opened up about his working relationship with Paul Stanley and his choice to actively not have friends in a 2006 interview on KISS website (via Blabbermouth). I have almost no friends, Simmons said at the time. On purpose. I prefer acquaintances. I dont expect anything from anyone and I dont want anyone coming to me with their problems. Everyone is a grown up. But I digress. Calling Stanley the brother I never had, Simmons goes on to say that the two live near one another but dont see each other often.x Meanwhile, KISS are playing a one-off date tomorrow (September 21st) in West Palm Beach, Florida, as part of their ongoing farewell tour. Theyll then appear at the Louder Than Life festival this weekend in Louisville and at the Aftershock fest next month in Sacramento, California. Get tickets to future KISS shows via Ticketmaster. KISS Gene Simmons: I Dont Have Friends Jon Hadusek Story continues Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. Puerto Ricans were reeling after a powerful hurricane left more than 30 inches of rain in some places, causing widespread flooding, power outages and destruction akin to the devastating Hurricane Maria five years ago. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Monday that Hurricane Fiona had left catastrophic damage after battering urban areas with 80 mph winds this weekend. The storm knocked out power to the entire island by Sunday, and more than 750,000 people were without running water earlier Monday morning because water pumps lacked electric power. At least two people died during the storm, and more than 1,000 people were rescued across the island. Large areas were cut off to rescue crews by heavy flooding and debris, and thousands of people were in shelters Monday as rescue efforts continued. Puerto Rican officials said one man died trying to work a generator and another was swept away by floodwaters. There were reports of other fatalities, although the full extent of deaths and injuries wont be reported until rescue crews are able to sift through damaged areas. Members of the Puerto Rico National Guard rescue a woman stranded in her house in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas on Monday. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo via Reuters) Members of the Puerto Rico National Guard rescue a woman stranded in her house in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas on Monday. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo via Reuters) Homes are flooded Monday on Salinas Beach after Hurricane Fiona. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Homes are flooded Monday on Salinas Beach after Hurricane Fiona. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Damages in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, are still being assessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) Damages in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, are still being assessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A Puerto Rico National Guard truck drives through a flooded street Monday in Salinas searching for people needing to be rescued. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A Puerto Rico National Guard truck drives through a flooded street Monday in Salinas searching for people needing to be rescued. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) The storm prompted a state of emergency in the Dominican Republic later Monday, and one fatality was reported there. But even though the fierce winds had left Puerto Rico, officials warned residents to stay cautious and remain indoors, pointing to severe flooding and ongoing evacuation efforts. Latest Radar Total Estimate from Hurricane Fiona (Sept 19 6 PM) Estimados de Radar mas recientes totales del Huracan Fiona (19 de sept 6 PM). #prwx#usviwxpic.twitter.com/rIhh43K5ma NWS San Juan (@NWSSanJuan) September 19, 2022 The destruction resurfaces memories of Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm five years ago. Maria was the deadliest storm to sweep across the island, causing more than 3,000 deaths, leaving lasting damage and creating fierce tension between the territory and former President Donald Trump. Story continues Officials planned to modernize the Puerto Rican electric grid after Maria using federal funds, but the effort has been slow and power is still largely supplied via a patchwork system of old equipment. Billions of dollars in relief funding for recovery after that hurricane hasnt been spent, and what has been allocated has largely gone to cleanup efforts rather than permanent works that could improve roads or utilities, The New York Times reported. Fiona was classified as a Category 1 hurricane but still caused widespread damage, underscoring the islands vulnerability to fierce storms that experts say will only become more frequent due to climate change. Residents affected by Hurricane Fiona rest Monday at a Salinas school being used as a storm shelter. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Residents affected by Hurricane Fiona rest Monday at a Salinas school being used as a storm shelter. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Some areas were hit with nearly 30 inches of rain, prompting severe flooding. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Some areas were hit with nearly 30 inches of rain, prompting severe flooding. (Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/Associated Press) Employees remove mud from a hardware store in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, on Monday. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) Employees remove mud from a hardware store in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico, on Monday. (Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A road is blocked by a mudslide caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on Sunday. (Photo: Stephanie Rojas/Associated Press) A road is blocked by a mudslide caused by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on Sunday. (Photo: Stephanie Rojas/Associated Press) President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration on Monday, ordering that federal resources be marshaled to help the island recover. The action allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster response and direct federal funding to the region. Biden also assured Pierluisi that the government would substantially increase the numbers of rescue workers beyond the 300 currently there. Power had been restored to about 100,000 people in some areas by Monday, but many parts of the U.S. territory home to 3 million were still without electricity, and officials warned it could be days before the lights came back on across the island. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... The U.K.s new culture secretary, Michelle Donelan, has made her first public statements about the potential sale of public broadcaster Channel 4 and the future of the BBC license fee. Were looking at the business case for the sale of Channel 4 and making sure we still agree with that decision and thats what Im doing, she said of selling the advertising-funded PSB. More from Variety Of the BBC, Donelan said: Its no secret that I have been a sceptic for a long time of the license fee but as I said before, the approach I take on all policies is one to base my decisions on evidence and to also listen. So Im only two weeks in the job, Im not going to make policy on the hoof, Im going to look at this properly. Donelan was appointed secretary of state for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the evening of Sept. 6, just two days before Queen Elizabeth II died. Among the departments varied responsibilities, DCMS were responsible for much of the organization around the Queens funeral, including the week-long, five-mile queue to see her coffin lying in state at Westminster Hall. Donelan took over the department from Nadine Dorries, who was understood to have been liked within the DCMS but widely unpopular in the television industry, partly because of her apparent commitment to privatizing Channel 4 and abolishing the BBC license fee. Donelan, who worked briefly for broadcaster Sky, was appointed by Liz Truss, herself voted in by the Conservative Party as their new leader only two weeks ago. While Donelan has previously described the license fee as an unfair tax, in her first public comments as culture secretary she was careful not to make any definitive statements about her plans for either the BBC or Channel 4. Story continues Im the type of politician that bases their decisions on evidence, that bases their decisions on listening, and thats what I will be doing over the coming weeks, she said on BBC Radio 4s Today program on Tuesday morning. I will take that approach when it comes to Channel 4 and every aspect of my brief. When asked about the BBC, particularly following their coverage of the Queens death and funeral, Donelan said: I think the BBC have done a tremendous job in the last few days and nobody could fault them. I went to see their operation and it was phenomenal and required everybody to really get their heads down and prioritize public service throughout this period and they did that, spot on, it was incredible. And it just showed the true value of the BBC. But for me that means its even more important that we make sure that the BBC is sustainable in the long term, she said. When you look at platforms like Amazon, like Netflix and other things, it does make you question whether in the long term, in a modern age, when the media landscape is changing so remarkably, then is it sustainable? And I think we need to ask that question. When Today host Justin Webb pointed out that neither Amazon nor Netflix had covered the Queens death, Donelan replied: Well we saw great work by a number of broadcasters but yes, the work that the BBC did was unique. But as I said a moment ago, we do need to make sure the BBC is sustainable in the long term, but also that we prioritize giving people choice, which I think is fundamental in a modern society. The Prime Minister spoke in the campaign about the importance of decriminalising not paying the license fee. We know that it particularly impacts women, we know the ramifications of that, these are big, big issues that we should be questioning and looking at again. I think thats right to do. Some U.K. reporters took Donelans comments to suggest she may not be as bullish as Dorries over either public broadcaster. Listening to new culture secretary Michelle Donelan on Today and it sounds very much like the Channel 4 sale is getting kicked into the long grass, tweeted Financial Times journalist Matthew Garrahan. The Economists Anne Mcelvoy replied: Agree with some review of licence fee in other words, the usual. Agree with some review of licence fee in other words, the usual anne mcelvoy (@annemcelvoy) September 20, 2022 The U.K. television industry has widely condemned the sale of Channel 4, with over 700 producers signing a letter to Liz Truss asking for her to scrap the policy. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. View of Seattle from Queen Anne Hills Kerry Park, near Tim and Susan Viall's first condo-sitting gig. Would you travel more frequently if you received free lodging in beautiful places? How about two weeks free in a lovely condo on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill? Or three weeks just outside Denver to watch a friendly, old cat? How about two weeks, no cost, in a beautiful four-bedroom house in Tucson, Arizona? House-sitting assignments have been great fun for us, and provide free lodging at those destinations. Assignments include watching over plants, a cat or other pets. Other destinations in the last few years include St. George, Utah (near Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks), Albuquerque, New Mexico and Denver (twice). All of the lodging is free, mind you; generally the home is nicer than ours (we check Google Earth to see what the home and neighborhood looks like). When we are contacted, by a New Orleans owner recently, we apply our criteria: is it a noteworthy destination, what are requirements (plants, cats, dogs), does it fit our schedule and do we want to travel that far? Several options we declined were Hayden, Idaho, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Sedona, New Mexico and Southern California. Red Rocks in Snow Canyon State Park, just outside St. George, Utah. The details: These are house-sitting gigs, sometimes with pets to watch or plants to water. In return, you get comfortable lodging and cooking privileges (saving money on dining out). During the day or evening you are free to explore the highlights of the area. We sometimes arrive at these assignments with our small camping trailer, and extend our vacation visiting friends or family along the way. It's one of two major benefits to our seven-year membership in the Affordable Travel Club. The primary benefit is to travel the U.S., Canada or the world, contacting one of several thousand club members in advance and arranging a night or several nights lodging during our travels. Lovely desert home in Tucson, Ariz., on two acres with a pool. Flying for the holidays this year?: Here's the best time to buy your plane ticket Club members will put you up for the night, offer you (usually) a snack and an evening libation and provide breakfast in the morning. You leave them a $20 gratuity ($15 for singles) as you depart ($30 in Canada). Along with the stay, you soak up local insight and make long-term friends with some of your hosts. Big benefits: You gain local knowledge from your hosts and save $100 or more compared to a night at a hotel or motel. Story continues We have stayed overnight with 15 different ATC members, including three in Canada. Without fail, they have been lovely people with nice homes and local knowledge they are eager to share about their city. Conversely, we have now hosted a dozen ATC members passing through our town, including a lovely couple from England who stayed with us three nights (they invited us to lodge in their home southwest of London when we get to Great Britain). Ferry departing Edmunds, Wash., near a house-sitting assignment in Edmunds, Wash. We learned of the club experience when we met a couple from Virginia seven years ago on a European cruise. They raved about their experience and shared their many travels utilizing ATC. About six months later, they invited us to split with them a one-month house-sitting gig in Seattle. We were convinced. The couple has traveled the world using their membership. During a weeks house-sitting stint in Taunton, England, they shared, We are in Taunton in Somerset enjoying pet-sitting with a very sweet springer spaniel whose owners are members of ATC. (The owners) have headed down to Cornwall while we're staying in their beautiful home. We lined up everything by emails and are happy to have this convenient place to stay while we explore places within an hour or two from Taunton. The owners have given us several hints about good places to see in the area as well as tasty restaurants and pubs to try. We take Bracken to a field where he can run and chase a ball; the dog is happy to stay at home alone for six-hour stretches, so we come back in time to give him his supper and we're able to prepare our own dinners here at the owners' house." The couple traveled on to Ireland and Scotland, using Airbnb for economical lodging. More travel must-reads from Tim Viall: ATC offers a club bulletin board for potential house and pet sitters. We post a notice as creative/flexible house-sitters and (post pandemic) are contacted about every other month for potential house-sitting assignments. When we joined, we saw the overnight lodging when traveling club option as the highlight. We now see house-sitting as a second major benefit. Soon, we will explore Vancouver Island, British Columbia with a three-week stay in a lovely home in Nanaimo, just a block from the Salish Sea channel and a short ferry ride across to Vancouver, BC (and a mostly outdoor cat to watch over). If you like meeting people and learning details of waypoints in your travels, an ATC membership makes sense. On the East Coast, the Evergreen Travel Club is very similar, with a larger membership of East Coasters. We also have met fellow travelers who have used housesitting clubs such as Trusted Housesitters, HouseCarers, MindMyHouse and other groups. For more information: Affordable Travel Club, affordabletravelclub.net; Evergreen Club, evergreenclub.com. Contact Tim Viall, tviall@msn.com; happy affordable traveling. This article originally appeared on The Record: Forget Airbnb, Expedia: These travel clubs can score you free lodging Photo: Julie Tremaine, Walt Disney Its no secret that of all the theme parks at Walt Disney World, EPCOT is the most delicious. You can sample your way through 11 different country pavilions representing the food, drink, and culture of each country, staffed by people who are actually from those countries. Even if you think youre a Disney expert, you havent done it all until a French woman corrects your pronunciation of Chateau Miraval Rose while youre wearing Minnie ears. Trust me. Even on its slowest days, EPCOT is an all-day eating and drinking affair. The park has some of the best restaurants and bars anywhere on Disney property. But the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival takes what is already great about the park and elevates it, adding more than 25 walk-up food booths with unique offerings ready for the tasting. The event has become so popular that Disney has extended it longer than ever this year: It started in July, its earliest kickoff ever, and runs through November 19. Read more Can you taste something from every booth at the festival in one day? Maybe, but I wouldnt recommend it. Instead, go in with a strategy, and be sure to time your treats in between rides (such as the excellent new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster). Ive been going to Food & Wine for many years, and this is what I do to get the most out of the experience. Choose your park entrance wisely Image: Walt Disney EPCOT is composed of two halves: Future World and World Showcase. Because Im more interested in the latter than the former, I usually go through the International Gateway, which is the entrance at the back of the park between the France and United Kingdom pavilions. Then, I can head straight to France for the glass of champagne I always get to start my EPCOT day, and make my way around the showcase from there. Story continues If youre planning on eating your way through the festival, Id recommend picking this entrance. Skyliner and water taxi go there, or you can take bus transportation to Hollywood Studios and grab the boat from there to EPCOT. That way, you can sample a couple of booths early, then make your way down to Future World for some rides. Pick your must-eat foods Image: Walt Disney EPCOT hands out Festival Passports around the park, which have the rundown of booth locations and their menus. Do yourself a favor and read through it early in the daythat way you can identify the booths that youd be most sorry to miss, and you can loosely plan your day around making it to those and spacing out rides and breaks in between. This year, I had a few things I really wanted to make sure I ate: The Beignet aux Trois Fromages (a savory doughnut with three cheeses) from France The Impossible Burger Slider with wasabi cream and spicy slaw from Earth Eats The Lamington (yellow cake with raspberry filling dipped in chocolate and coconut) from Australia Why did I pick those in particular? Well, I love French food, and I always try to go sample whats new in that pavilion; the festival is making increasingly excellent plant-based options and I like to see what theyve come up with; and I was pretty sure Id never eaten anything Australian, and that cake sounded delicious. (It was.) Consider the weather Photo: Julie Tremaine This year, I went on a really hot day at the beginning of September, when the temperature was in the mid-90s and humidity was high. It meant some of the foods I wanted to try wouldnt have sat right with me in that temperature, like the Schinkennudeln from Germany (pasta gratin with ham, onions, and cheese) and the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese from The Alps (with Alpine ham, baby potatoes, cornichons, and baguette). Ive had similar dishes in years past and Ive loved them, but this time around, I decided to skip them in favor of lighter bites. One thing I tried for the first time this year was the Dandan Noodles from China (spicy pork with sichuan sauce, peanut butter, sesame, and green onion). The rice noodles were light and the spice was a nice pick-me-up. Eventually, the heat gave way to a massive rainstorm and derailed some of my plans; I took refuge in the walk-in lounge of the Space 220 Restaurant instead of hitting more outdoor booths. One thing I would have loved to try, but missed because of the weather, was the Takoyaki from Japan (octopus, green onion, and cabbage bites topped with tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes, and nori). Get out of your comfort zone Photo: Julie Tremaine With booths from places as spread out as Hawaii, Greece, Brazil, and Morocco, the Food & Wine Festival is guaranteed to present you with some foods you havent tried before. I cant stress enough what a good idea it is to challenge your palate and try something you think you might not like. Worst case scenario, you dont like it and youre losing $5 or $6. Best case scenario, you love it and youve broadened your horizons. Im a pretty adventurous eater, so Im not intimidated by much. The way I forced myself out of my comfort zone this year was to branch away from the location-based booths and try one of the weird concept-y ones that just serve trendy food piled atop other trendy foods. I usually avoid those. But this time I walked up to the Flavors From Fire booth and immediately saw something I had to have: Smoked Corn Beef with crispy potatoes, cheese curds, pickled onions, and beer cheese fondue. It was incredible. I stood in the pouring rain eating this dish because I couldnt get enough of it. Sample the sit-down restaurants, too Photo: Julie Tremaine It can be difficult to snag a table at any of EPCOTs sit-down restaurants, either by reservation or walk-in. Food & Wine is a good opportunity to try some foods from those restaurants. The Canada booth, for example, is offering some of the greatest hits from Le Cellier, the Canada pavilions fine dining steakhouse. You can try the Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with truffle-butter sauce and the Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup. If you havent eaten at Le Cellier, be sure to hit that booth and youll 100% make it a priority to reserve a table next time youre in the park. Do more than eat Image: Walt Disney Theres more to this festival than just food and wine. Theres the Eat to the Beat concert series featuring acts like Boyz II Men, Taylor Dayne, 38 Special, and Postmodern Jukebox. There are also scavenger hunts built into the park to make it more fun for kids. Okay, not just kids. I got pretty excited when I spotted a hidden Remy. FILE PHOTO: The Citigroup Inc logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc introduced new diversity goals for gender, race and sexual orientation in its workforce for 2025, the bank said in a statement Tuesday. The company aims to boost global representation of women in assistant vice president (AVP) to managing director (MD) levels to 43.5% in 2025 from the current 40.6%. In North America, Citi seeks to increase the proportion of Black employees in the AVP to MD ranks to 11.5% over the same period from the current 8.1%. And in the United States, it also aims to raise the percentage of Hispanic and Latino AVPs to MDs to 16% from 13.7% currently. Citigroup became the first major Wall Street bank to appoint a woman, Jane Fraser, as its chief executive last year. In 2020, the company's chief financial officer, Mark Mason, was the only Black executive among about 80 leaders atop the six biggest U.S. banks when the murder of George Floyd prompted a global reckoning over racism. Since then, large banks have pledged to diversify their management and workforce. Citigroup also expanded its worldwide hiring goals to include 3.5% of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning in 2025 from the current 2.1%. And it further outlined aims for ethnic diversity in the U.K. and Brazil, and hiring college students from underrepresented communities. (Reporting by Lananh Nguyen, Editing by Nick Zieminski) This undated photo provided by the Edwardsville Police Department shows former Kansas City, Kansas Police detective Roger Golubski, who is accused of preying on Black women and girls for decades. Golubski will be released from jail pending his trial on charges involving two accusers who say he repeatedly sexually abused them, a federal judge ruled Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The former Kansas cop awaiting trial on accusations of sexually abusing and targeting Black women will be released from jail by the judges order, according to The Associated Press. Though the allegations were shocking, (and thats quite the understatement) the judge ruled the ex-cop would not pose a risk to the public. Roger Golubski, 69, was arrested and charged on six counts of civil rights violations related to the sexual abuse of a Black woman and teen over 20 years ago, reports say. The allegations also claim he tried to kidnap them. US Magistrate Judge Rachel Schwartz noted Golubski demonstrated reprehensible conduct, however, she ordered him to wait in the comfort of his home until his trial date. Read more More on the judges ruling from AP News: Prosecutors had also argued that he might try to flee, but Schwartz said his serious medical issues tie him to the community. Schwartz ordered Golubski to remain at home except for religious services and medical care, to be monitored around the clock, and to have no contact with possible victims or potential witnesses. Prosecutors filed a motion Friday that included graphic details of his encounters with the two accusers and that added complaints from seven other females who say Golubski harassed and abused them. Golubski has not been charged in those seven cases, but prosecutors argued they provided more evidence that he is dangerous and has shown nothing but utter contempt for the law. Golubski plead not guilty to the charges but faces a life sentence if convicted. As previously reported by The Root, the ex-officer allegedly targeted sex workers and those struggling with drugs and alcohol by threatening them into sexual acts and use them as informants. In another gruesome discovery, a number of unsolved murders of Black women are connected to this man. These incidents were identified between 1980 and 2004. Golubskis defense argued he doesnt pose a danger to society because he requires medical care for diabetes and a heart surgery. However, Assistant US Attorney Stephen Hunting argued hed be just fine. Mr. Golubski has terrorized a community for a long, long time, Hunting said via AP News. A chaotic day of reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was sending another plane of migrants apprehended at the border to President Bidens home state of Delaware ended when a top Delaware official announced Tuesday afternoon that there was no indication of any planes or migrants were headed to the state. "We have no reports of anyone arriving at this point," Jill Fredel, spokesperson for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. Speculation and flight data indicating a plane may be headed to Delaware from Texas, with a stop in Florida, sent Delaware officials scrambling to prepare for the arrival of dozens of migrants in the same way the community of Marthas Vineyard got surprised last Wednesday when nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants arrived in the wealthy island city. Latest updates: Gov. DeSantis threatened to send migrants to Biden's Delaware home. It was a no-show. DeSantis sued: Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard sue DeSantis in federal court. What the lawsuit says DeSantis defends migrant flights to 'sanctuary jurisdictions' Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday again defended his plan to steer migrants apprehended at the border away from Florida and send them to sanctuary jurisdictions around the country and kept up the drumbeat of intense criticism of President Bidens border security policies. But he did not confirm whether he had ordered more migrants from Texas to be sent to Delaware. Migrant planes: Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard arrived from Florida, sent by Gov. Ron DeSantis Delaware prepares for migrants: Officials keeping eye on Georgetown airport Speaking to reporters in Bradenton, DeSantis questioned why those denouncing his migrant plan arent expressing anger with Biden for allowing dozens of migrants to die last June in and around a tractor-trailer in San Antonio. I heard no outrage about that, DeSantis said. I dont hear outrage about the criminal aliens who have gotten through and victimized people... throughout the country, but you have 50 that end up in Martha's Vineyard, then they get really upset. Story continues He said Bidens border security policies are doing huge damage to our country and that nobody can deny there's a crisis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Monday reported that the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants along the southwestern border for the first time had surpassed 2 million this fiscal year, which ends at the end of the month. DeSantis said his plan took shape last year when he took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to help Texas Gov. Greg Abbot deal with the border crisis. Illegal immigration is often viewed as a border issue, but many immigrants who cross the border illegally in states like Texas, California, Arizona or New Mexico often do so as a part of a longer journey to final destinations elsewhere. For 48 Venezuelan migrants, that journey took an unexpected and highly public turn from the Texas border to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts in a move that some regard as a political ploy by the Florida governor. DeSantis said Tuesday that between 30 to 40% illegal immigrants who cross the border elsewhere intend to make their way to Florida, and often do so unimpeded if they are able to allude apprehension at the border in states like Texas. Many of the migrants turned themselves in at the border to seek asylum. Asylum seekers are either kept in detention or released on parole until their scheduled court dates before an immigration judge. That judge ultimately decides if the migrant is deported or granted asylum in the U.S. Migrants released on parole often find themselves released with little but a court date in the state that they were detained. But DeSantis took things one step further, mimicking similar strategies by other Republican governors, and sent the 48 Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard a wealthy island off the coast of Massachusetts DeSantis has been criticized for using the migrants for political gain, and he did not shy away on Tuesday when he said he sent the migrants to Martha's Vineyard to draw attention to the growing border crisis in the midst of upcoming high-profile political campaigns. He faults President Joe Biden for reversing border policies implemented under the Trump administration to turn asylum seekers away at the border without giving them a chance to present their cases. "It's already made more of an impact that anyone thought it could possible make," DeSantis said. "I think it's opening people's eyes to the solution. Which is let's have a secure border, let's have (them) remain in Mexico, let's take the cartel's seriously." "It will be a big issue in the elections, I can tell you that, but hopefully when we get through with that then we can have some rationality," DeSantis said. "This was an intentional policy (by Biden) to reverse policies that were effective... The biggest stunt was Biden coming in as President and reversing Trump's policies just so he could virtue signal." When you have the sheer numbers of people coming across [the border] illegally, even take out the criminal aliens, just the sheer numbers, you know, that has huge stress on the communities. Flight manifest unavailable Okaloosa County does not receive updates on flights like the one expected to land in Crestview Tuesday, according to county spokeswomen April Sarver. Much of what officials learn, she says, comes from the public, who might be using apps to trace flights coming in from Texas or just passing rumors back and forth on social media. And because there is no air traffic control tower at Bob Sikes Airport, outgoing and incoming air traffic is monitored by Eglin Air Force Base. "We get to hear the rumors too, but we wouldn't get anything official," Sarver said. I sure would like it if Gov. DeSantis would call and give me a head's up. From a public information perspective, a heads up would allow me to inform the public quickly and accurately." Sarver has learned from DeSantis's public statements that the charter company has apparently contracted with to conduct its migrant transport is Ultimate Air Shuttles, also doing business as Ultimate Jet Charters. She said she had been asked about obtaining a passenger manifest for the DeSantis flight, not confirmed those are not provided to the county and the county is not permitted to ask for such documents. Ultimate Jet Carters is the custodian of those records, she said. Second migrant plane reportedly in works Just days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arranged a flight that sent 48 Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Marthas Vineyard, a second plane with more migrants is reportedly headed to President Bidens home state of Delaware following a stop in Crestview, Florida. DeSantis, who is widely viewed as a 2024 presidential candidate, last Wednesday sent migrants to Marthas Vineyard, a wealthy area where former President Barack Obama has vacationed, despite the small island being unaware and unprepared for them. Reaction: Rubio defends DeSantis flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard, says "freak out" misguided DeSantis has previously said he planned to send migrants apprehended at the U.S-Mexico border to Delaware to call attention to what he calls Bidens reckless border policies. Critics slammed DeSantis for using migrants as political pawns. Flight plans were filed late Monday night for additional migrants to be flown from San Antonio, Texas, to Delaware. Like the flight to Martha's Vineyard, Tuesday's flight plan once again called for a short layover in Crestview, Florida. DeSantis under investigation: Texas sheriff investigating how migrants were 'lured' on flights DeSantis arranged Flight plans were filed late Monday night for additional migrants to be flown from San Antonio, Texas, to Delaware. Like the flight to Martha's Vineyard, Tuesday's flight plan once again called for a short layover in Crestview, Florida. Bruce Bowman, vice president and general counsel for Emerald Coast Aviation, the fixed base operator at Crestview's Bob Sikes Airport, insisted he knew nothing about the planned arrival. "I have no information about a flight like that," he said when contacted by a reporter early Tuesday. Bowman refused admittance to a USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA news crew to the Emerald Coast Aviation building or access to the airport tarmac to photograph the arrival of the plane coming from Texas. "You can take a shot through the fence," he said. Though no one in an official capacity would confirm the impending Crestview arrival of a plane of migrants en route to Delaware, a gaggle of media began gathering at the airport at about 10 a.m. There appeared to be a heavier than usual law enforcement presence at the airport on Tuesday morning, with approximately 10 deputies milling about around the airport campus. Bowman insisted nothing was out of the ordinary. "We have sheriff's deputies here all the time. We have a special task force to protect the airport." Nicole Hodskins, spokeswoman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, confirmed the deputy presence at the airport was more robust than usual. She said it had nothing to do with the anticipated arrival of a plane of migrants. "It has nothing to do with planes," she said. "We had information that there would possibly be protesters out there today. Theyre just out there to make sure everything stays peaceful." As 11 a.m. approached, a deputy confirmed no protestors had arrived. Delaware officials prepare for possible plane delivering migrants to Bidens home state Meanwhile, in Delaware, state and local authorities, along with local community groups, were busy preparing for the possibility of migrants a local airport near Bidens vacation residence in Rehoboth Beach. Delaware Gov. John Carneys spokesperson Emily David Hershman said the governor's office is aware of the reports and is preparing for the potential arrival. Our teams at [Delaware Emergency Management Agency] and [Delaware Department of Health and Social Services] are working with community organizations and other partners to make sure that migrants who arrive here have the support that they need, Hershman said. DeSantis defends migrant flights, but does not confirm a second flight to Delaware Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday again defended his plan to steer migrants apprehended at the border away from Florida and send them to sanctuary jurisdictions around the country and kept up the drumbeat of intense criticism of President Bidens border security policies. But he did not confirm whether he had ordered more migrants from Texas to be sent to Delaware. Speaking to reporters in Bradenton, DeSantis questioned why those denouncing his migrant plan arent expressing anger with Biden for allowing dozens of migrants to die last June in and around a tractor-trailer in San Antonio. I heard no outrage about that, DeSantis said. I dont hear outrage about the criminal aliens who have gotten through and victimized people... throughout the country, but you have 50 that end up in Martha's Vineyard, then they get really upset. He said Bidens border security policies are doing huge damage to our country and that nobody can deny there's a crisis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Monday reported that the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants along the southwestern border for the first time had surpassed 2 million this fiscal year, which ends at the end of the month. DeSantis said his plan took shape last year when he took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to help Abbot deal with the border crisis. He said he and his staff learned that roughly 40% of migrants apprehended at the border expressed a desire to move to Florida. The governor explained it was more effective to intercept migrants at the border than it was to track them down when they arrived in Florida as individuals or in small groups. If you can do [catch migrants] at the source and divert to sanctuary jurisdictions, the chance they end up in Florida is much less, said DeSantis. If we just ignore the source, then you're gonna have people trickling in [to Florida] five, ten a day, twenty a day. DeSantis said his plan is not ultimate solution to the border crisis, but it's opening people's eyes to the solution, which is let's have a secure border. He credited former President Trumps border security policies as successful and accused Biden of reversing them to signal that he was anti-Trump. This was an intentional policy to reverse policies that were effective, he said. DeSantis said the wealthy community of Marthas Vineyard struggled to cope with accommodating a small number of migrants, while border communities are being overwhelmed with far larger numbers of migrants. When you have the sheer numbers of people coming across [the border] illegally, even take out the criminal aliens, just the sheer numbers, you know, that has huge stress on the communities. - Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporter Jesse Mendoza in Bradenton This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly orders migrant plane to Delaware Then-US President Donald Trump arrives with then- Vice President Mike Pence for a Make America Great Again rally at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan on November 2, 2020. PhoPhoto by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images Liz Cheney in a searing Monday speech skewered Trump and members of the Republican Party. Cheney suggested that Mike Pence was "essentially" the acting president on January 6, 2021. "White House staff knew it, and so did every Republican and Democratic leader in Washington," she said. GOP Rep. Liz Cheney delivered a searing indictment of former President Donald Trump and members of the Republican Party on Monday in one of her first speeches since her primary defeat last month. Cheney this week gave the Walter Berns Constitution Day lecture at AEI, a center-right economic think tank in Washington DC, warning that America's freedom is in a perilous position and urging the country to hold Trump accountable for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. Cheney, as the top Republican on the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection, has long been one of the few outspoken GOP critics of Trump a stance that ultimately cost her her congressional seat after Trump spent months propping up her Republican challenger. But Cheney on Monday did not dwell on her political woes, opting instead to further rebuke Trump's actions, or lack thereof, on January 6, 2021. "I hope you all heard the testimony in our select committee hearings of Pat Cipollone, corroborated by Cassidy Hutchinson and others on President Trump's White House staff," she said. "Testimony that President Trump was the only person who refused to respond to desperate calls for help, even from his own congressional allies. He refused to come to their aid." Several witnesses, including Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the committee that they were puzzled by Trump's inaction as rioters stormed the US capitol on January 6. In her speech on Monday, Cheney suggested that Trump's second-in-command, Mike Pence, stepped into his superior's role. "If you watched our hearings closely, you understand that Vice President Mike Pence was essentially the president for most of that day," she said. "White House staff knew it, and so did every other Republican and Democratic leader in Washington." Story continues After Trump assailed Pence on Twitter for refusing to reject Electoral College votes for President Joe Biden, rioters throughout the Capitol began chanting "hang Mike Pence." Hutchinson testified earlier this summer that Trump defended the insurrectionists' call for violence, saying that "Mike deserves it." In his recent autobiography, "So Help Me God," Pence wrote that he was not afraid, during the events of January 6, but angry. "I was angry at what I saw, how it desecrated the seat of our democracy and dishonored the patriotism of millions of our supporters, who would never do such a thing here or anywhere else," Pence wrote. According to "The Divider," a new book by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker, Trump has said he would not pick Pence to be his running mate if he launches a 2024 campaign. "It would be totally inappropriate" to pick Pence as his running mate, Trump said, according to the book. "Mike committed political suicide," the former told Glasser and Baker. In her speech, Cheney also urged people to rewatch testimony from the committee's summer hearings and listen to what several of Trump's former officials said about the then-president's post-2020 actions while under oath. "How could Trump's refusal to act, his betrayal or our Republic, of our Constitution, of our principles, come with no cost?" she said. Read the original article on Business Insider Liz Truss has conceded that negotiations for a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US will not restart for years as she flew to New York ahead of a meeting with Joe Biden (Markus Schreiber/PA) (PA Wire) Liz Truss faced stinging criticism on Tuesday after she admitted that talks with the US on a trade deal seen as one of the great prizes of Brexit are unlikely to resume for years. The Prime Minister gave the candid assessment as she headed to New York for the United Nations General Assembly where she is due to hold talks with US president Joe Biden on Wednesday. The pair had been due to meet in Downing Street on Sunday, before the Queens state funeral which Mr Biden attended, but the meeting was postponed due to what one Cabinet minister today called extreme diary pressures. Speaking to reporters travelling with her to the US, Ms Truss said deals with India and other allies are our trade priorities. On the prospect of a US trade deal, she said: There arent currently any negotiations taking place with the US and I dont have an expectation that those are going to start in the short to medium term. Officials did not deny Ms Truss was effectively conceding it will be years before talks with the White House resume. Responding to the comments, the UKs former National Security Adviser and ambassador to France Sir Peter Ricketts tweeted that another promised Brexit gain bites the dust. Labours shadow secretary of state for international trade Nick Thomas Symonds said: The admission there is no prospect of a trade deal with the USA is terrible news for the UK economy it is costing billions in lost potential trade opportunities and holding back growth.There is no doubt the blame for this mess lies at the door of the Prime Minister, who tarnished the UKs international reputation as Foreign and International Trade Secretary. This is an embarrassment for Liz Truss. Backers of Brexit argued the decision to leave the EU in 2016 would pave the way for a free trade agreement with the US to dwarf deals with other nations and make up for any economic blow caused by leaving the EU single market. But hopes of a quick deal with the US have been partly thwarted by strained tensions between London and Washington over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.Although relations between the UK and Brussels have eased in the past few weeks, Britain has alarmed the Biden administration by pushing ahead with new laws to scrap large parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which established checks on some goods travelling between Britain and the region. The EU says this would break international law. Story continues When Boris Johnson last visited the US, Mr Biden played down the chances of a trade deal as he warned against tampering with the Irish accords. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan insisted on Tuesday that the hold-up on a US deal was not linked to the dispute with Brussels over Northern Ireland. Absolutely not, she said. We have a strong relationship with America that is a long, long relationship as a special friend and ally. We want to cement that. Ms Truss highlighted other trade deals the UK is pursuing including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes Australia, Canada and Japan, and the Gulf Co-operation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia. Mr Johnson and Indian PM Narendra Modi had set a deadline for a deal between the two countries by Diwali, the Hindu celebration on October 23. When app-based companies like Uber and DoorDash label their workers as contractors rather than employees, it doesn't just strip the worker of certain rights, it actually hurts you the consumer too. Rep. Pat Harkins It's called misclassification, and when companies do it, they deprive workers of wage, workplace health and safety, and unemployment protections and benefits under Pennsylvania law. This means workers are missing out on millions of dollars in wages; they are footing medical bills following a workplace injury; and they are denied unemployment compensation. We lose too. According to the state Department of Revenue, in 2019 worker misclassification cost Pennsylvania taxpayers between $6.4 million and $124.5 million in lost revenue. That is a lot of funding that could have gone to supporting schools, repairing bridges or providing more tax relief for our seniors. Law-abiding businesses are hurt too, because they miss out on opportunities to grow and compete when bidding for projects. Rep. Joanna McClinton Worker misclassification isn't just an issue in the gig economy. It is a problem in a variety of industries from construction to health care to online business. And it's widespread across the commonwealth in 2020 and 2021 nearly 50,000 employers misclassified nearly 400,000 workers. Whether a company is misclassifying one worker or 100, this is cheating the worker and the system. Companies are cheating and using this scheme to get rich at the expense of their workers and law-abiding employers. It is unfair and unethical, but there are legislative fixes. We have introduced a bill to begin to level the playing field for all businesses and, in turn, build a better Pennsylvania with better jobs, better roads, better bridges and better infrastructure for everyone. A 2022 report from the Joint Task Force on Misclassification of Employees, which was created under a bill we authored in 2020, provides an outline for action. The report was informed by dozens of experts, including other states, like New Jersey and Virginia, that have tackled this issue already. Our bill (H.B. 2810) is based on the task force recommendations. Story continues Our comprehensive plan would: Extend Act 72, the Construction Workplace Misclassification Act, to cover industries beyond the construction trades in Pennsylvania. Expand statewide clearance programs to require all state agencies to pull current licenses or not renew current licenses if a business is determined to have knowingly misclassified workers and not paid the fines and fees associated with that violation or previous violations. Boost penalties associated with worker misclassification violations by increasing the fines in tiers for first, second and subsequent violations, and by enhancing criminal penalties for known violations while maintaining summary offenses for negligent violations. Bolster specialty and support staff at the state Department of Labor and Industry to investigate instances of misclassification. More:Corporations exploit workers even amid COVID. They don't deserve to run the economy: Sherrod Brown Democrats have long supported Pennsylvania workers. We will continue to stand and partner with them to ensure a fair day's work earns a fair day's pay and the protections that should accompany it. Worker misclassification deprives workers of compensation, security, and rights and it has gone on long enough. It is time to act on the well-crafted recommendations of last year's joint task force and protect our workers, our law-abiding businesses and all Pennsylvanians. State Rep. John Galloway, D-140th Dist., represents a portion of Bucks County. Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-191st Dist., represents portions of Philadelphia and Delaware counties. Rep. Pat Harkins, D-1st Dist., represents Erie. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Misclassifying workers as contractors costs millions in revenue. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty A leading expert in Russias prison system, Olga Romanova, says the Kremlins latest recruitment tactic in the war on Ukraine is something out of her worst nightmares. Yevgeny Prigozhinthe head of Vladimir Putins shadowy private army, Wagner Grouphas been taking trips to Russian prison camps in order to enlist convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine, according to accounts from military analysts and videos that have emerged on Telegram from Russian prisons. And according to Romanova, who has dedicated the past 15 years of her life to monitoring Russias prison population as the head of the organization Russia Behind Bars, the recruitment campaign is targeting some of Russias worst criminals. Putins plan is to recruit at least 50,000 convicts and Prigozhin, who is an ex-convict himself, has already sent more than 3,000 inmates to Ukraine, including serial murderers, robbers and at least one cannibal, Romanova told The Daily Beast. As part of their work, Russia Behind Bars provides legal and charitable aid to Russias half a million prison population, and are often in touch with the families of inmates. Romanova told The Daily Beast that they started hearing reports about prison recruits being deployed to Ukraine as early as June. If in July and August they were brushing through jails in the central part of Russia, yesterday they traveled to the Urals, [which] has more than 35 prison camps and jails. In this video from #Russia, oligarch Prigozhin, who is close to Putin and runs the Wagner private military company, is pitching to prison inmates, trying to recruit them for his PMC to deploy in the #war against #Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/RPyUjEsmnW Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) September 14, 2022 On Sept. 3 Romanovas team said they were horrified to recognize one prisoner they had worked with in a video released by Ukrainian officials of a captured Russian fighter. According to Romanova, he was still wearing some of the undergarments the organization had provided to him as part of an aid package. Story continues Beaten and bloodied with his hands tied, the man was recorded saying there were ashniksfree civilian recruitsand kashniksRussian convictsfighting in Ukraine. We are not a battalion, we are just a bunch of people. Wagner took us showed us what to do but you cannot learn in one week, the inmate, who Ramonova said had been sentenced to nine years in prison before getting sent to fight in Ukraine, said in the video. An attorney for Russia Behind Bars, Ruslan Vakhapov, said Wagner Group has visited at least three prisons in Russias Yaroslavl region. Originally, Wagner grabbed mostly those convicted for homicideCriminal Code Article #105and robberyArticle 162. But now, their fishing net takes everybody in, including man-eaters. So far we know of one case of recruitment among Russian cannibals, Vakhapov told The Daily Beast. The murkiest characters go to Ukraine, he added. I just spoke with the wife of a serial killer convicted in Kostroma. He was supposed to spend five more years behind bars, but Wagner had freed him, so the wife was terrified he might [come back] and attack her for filing for divorce. Vakhapova and Romanova told The Daily Beast that since late June, Russia Behind Bars has received a flurry of panicked phone calls from convicts in remote prison camps and their relatives to discuss war recruitment. According to them, Prigozhin, whos known as Putins chef, has promised convicts freedom after serving six months on the front lines. Pretty much all murderers we have on our watch have been recruited and they die like flies in Ukraine. Out of the first 42 convicts recruited in the first group, only three survived, out of the second group of 66 convicts, only six returned, including one who had lost his arm, Romanova told The Daily Beast. Putins Chef Is Personally Touring Russian Prisons for Wagner Recruits to Fight in Ukraine, Reports Say In Ukraine, Prigozins army is often referred to as an army of orcs and goblins, a reference to Lord of the Rings. By arming these goblins and sending psychos and maniacs to the front, Putin shows the weakness of his army, which has been badly losing, Anton Naumlyuk, founder of Ukraines Graty media group, told The Daily Beast. Officially, Russian law bans private military campaigns, but Putin regularly decorates private Wagner Group mercenaries for their secret operations in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. Wagner Group conducted its first operations in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine in 2015. This phenomenon should be broadly discussed, since it illustrates the core of Russian power, a Wagner Group veteran, Marat Gabidullin, told The Daily Beast. Prigozhin has unlimited authority, he can kick a door to any prison colony open. Its time to look into this phenomenon now, before they start recruiting in orphanages. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Tuesday did not say whether he would support bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing future attempts to overturn presidential election results, saying only that he is "open" to looking at the bill. "I've expressed willingness to look at them," Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding that he hasn't read any version of the measure that would reform the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act. "I'm open to looking at the bill, but we'll have to see what the bill says... I'll wait to see what might come before the Senate." There are multiple bills circulating Congress that would, in part, clarify that the vice president's role in certifying the presidential election is solely "ministerial" and increase the threshold necessary for both chambers of Congress to object to a state's results. Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained. On Monday, U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., introduced a House version of the bill prompted by former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election an effort that included pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to object to certification of the election and involved the submission of false electors from Wisconsin and six other states. "Our proposal is intended to preserve the rule of law for all future presidential elections by ensuring that self-interested politicians cannot steal from the people the guarantee that our government derives its power from the consent of the governed," Cheney and Lofgren, members of the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol, wrote in a recent op-ed. The House bill would establish that there is one slate of electors for each state and require each state's governor to certify the appointment of the state's electors. Story continues It also would require one-third of the members of both chambers of Congress to object to a state's election results in order to force debate during joint session. A Senate version of the bill, led by Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, sets that threshold at one-fifth of the members of both chambers. Under current law, one senator and one House member are needed to raise an objection. Johnson has come under fire in recent months after the Jan. 6 committee revealed the Oshkosh Republican's office was involved in attempting to deliver false packets of electors from Wisconsin and Michigan to Pence moments before Congress was set to certify Joe Biden's presidential victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Johnson himself has repeatedly downplayed his involvement in the effort to pass to Pence the false electors, saying his involvement lasted just "seconds." Jan. 6 committee Chairman Bennie Thompson told the Journal Sentinel in June Johnsons connections to the false electors were not a priority for the group. Further investigation into those electors in Wisconsin and six other states, Thompson said, is being pursued by the Department of Justice. The DOJ has subpoenaed a number of people connected to the elector scheme as part of its probe in multiple states, including some of the false electors themselves. The House could consider the electoral relegislation as early as this week. Contact Lawrence Andrea at landrea@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson is 'open' to examining bills aimed at reforming electoral process WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia still belongs to the International Monetary Fund and the Group of 20 economies, but has been unable to veto work being done at such multilateral bodies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. Brent Neiman, counselor to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, told a conference in Washington that most G20 members agreed that business could not go on as usual while "there's this brutal war that Russia is conducting against Ukraine." "Russia and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have been unable to use the G20 to transmit misinformation," Neiman told an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Russia has not ... so far been able to, and I don't believe in the future will be able to veto the important work that we get done in multilaterals like the IMF and the G20." (Reporting by Andrea Shalal) Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Former President Donald Trumps battle with the FBI over its search of Mar-a-Lago has moved from South Florida to New York City, where a court-appointed special master on Tuesday indicated he has a very simple test for whether he sides with the Department of Justice. The special master, Raymond J. Dearie, said Tuesday that if Trumps lawyers don't officially counter whether the documents the former president took are classified, then Dearie will side with the DOJ. As far as I'm concerned, that's the end of it, he said. Dearie, a semi-retired federal judge in Brooklyn whos playing the role of temporary referee, wants to speed up the process and get federal agents back on track. And while Trump has been alleging on social media that he already declassified the records he swiped from the White House, Dearie is demanding that Trump put up or shut up. The senior judge wants Trumps team to clarifyin sworn affidavits where lies could mean jail timewhether or not Trump actually declassified them. Team Trump Pushes Back on Special Masters Declassification Question Dearie said he wasnt going to hurry, but noted that time is of the essence. He also cautioned Trump's lawyers not to be coy simply to avoid making mistakes and oversharing potentially damning information. This is not a criminal case. The plaintiff has the burden of establishing his right to relief, he said. When Trump lawyer James M. Trusty argued his team shouldn't be in a position where we have to disclose declassification defenses, Dearie wasnt having any of it. You can't have your cake and eat it too, Dearie shot back. Dearie is tasked with reviewing the seized documents and analyzing which ones can continue being used by the Department of Justice to build its case against the former president for putting the nation at risk by keeping more than 100 classified documents at his Palm Beach club long after leaving office. The FBIs investigationa delicate undertaking that could result in criminal charges against a former president for the first time in American historyhas ground to a halt following a bizarre intervention by a federal judge Trump appointed himself. When Trump sued the United States government he once led, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida answered his pleas earlier this month and, in an opinion that was widely criticized for its intellectual gymnastics, gave Trump exactly what he wanted. Story continues Trump Teams Reason for Picking Dearie as Special Master Revealed: Report Trump, waving his expired credentials, demanded the return of documents he claimed were protected by a presidents executive privilege or by the traditional attorney-client privilege that keeps legal correspondence private. To get that, his attorneys asked for special treatment and the appointment of an arbiter to play referee over the handling of hundreds of government records and some of Trumps personal items. Cannon froze the investigation and called for the appointment of a special master who answers directly to her. Trumps legal team put forward two candidates: Paul Huck Jr., a Florida attorney with a clear conflict of interest because hes married to a conservative federal appellate judge who may oversee appeals in this case, and Dearie, a well-respected federal judge who once approved the FBI surveillance of Trump associate Carter Page. The Justice Department suggested two of its own but agreed to go with Dearie. The senior judge in Brooklyn, who was once appointed as the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn by former President Ronald Reagan, is going to begin sifting through a gargantuan mountain of evidence. The Justice Department says it has 11,000 documents in question. Cannons order dictates that Dearie must distinguish between Trumps personal items, official presidential records that could be subject to executive privilege even though hes out of office, and classified documents. Dearie is also to verify that the FBIs detailed property inventory of things it seized at Mar-a-Lago is actually accurate. Hell be hearing from both sides, making an independent assessment, then sending his recommendations in reports to Cannon down in Fort Pierce, Florida. Dearie has been given wide discretion, as he can seek answers from the government agency that started this all: the National Archives and Records Administration. Historians there, who are tasked with building an accurate record of each presidency, were alarmed last year when they discovered that the Trump administration simply refused to turn over some materials on the way out. What followed were months of negotiations, an awkward visit to Mar-a-Lago to pick up boxes that should never have been there, and eventually a referral to the FBI when Trumps attorneys stopped answering questions. Trump-Appointed Judges Originalist Claim Is Absurd The DOJ started investigating, formed a grand jury in the nations capital, and sent subpoenas seeking the return of classified records. Even the counterintelligence chief got involved, heading south in May to see for himself. What he and visiting FBI agents saw there heightened their concerns, leading to the FBIs raid in August. Dearies review is meant to be limited to that FBI search, although anything he determines could have lasting implications on the investigationand could corner Trump into admitting to a crime. On Monday evening, Trump attorney James Trusty wrote to Dearie warning that his requests for additional details have already gone well beyond Cannons order and would force Team Trump to fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment. Dearie also shows that he wants to speed things up. Although Cannon ordered Dearie to finish his review by Nov. 30, court filings reveal that Dearie actually wants all records labeled and ready to review by Oct. 7. That could mean that we see actionand potentially damning conclusionsbefore Election Day this year. Making this sting even more, Trump has been ordered to pay for Dearies salary in the meantime. Trump Haunted by Thought of FBI Shoes in Mar-A-Lago Bedroom This legal fight is actually proceeding on two fronts, with the feds and Trump duking it out in Brooklyn while Cannons entire special master arrangement is on appeal in the Eleventh Circuit out of Atlanta, Georgia. The DOJ appealed her decision on Sept. 9. On Tuesday at noon, just before the special master hearing in Brooklyn, Trumps lawyers told the appellate court in a filing that this entire case is nothing but a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control. The government wrongfully seeks to criminalize the possession by the 45th president of his own presidential and personal records, they wrote. That means judges in Florida, Georgia, and New Yorkand perhaps at some point even the Supreme Court in Washingtonwill weigh in on who, exactly, owns these White House records and classified documents. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A sheriff in Texas has opened an investigation into whether a group of migrants were lured on board last weeks flights from San Antonio to Massachusetts. The flights were widely derided as a political stunt engineered by Floridas Republican Governor Ron DeSantis against Democratic sanctuary policies. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazars office announced on 19 September that his office is working with attorneys who are representing the victims as well as advocacy organizations regarding this incident. We are also preparing to work with any federal agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction, should the need arise, according to a statement from his office. The investigation marks the first law enforcement agency to launch a probe following demands from immigration attorneys and advocates and lawmakers to investigate allegations of fraud and kidnapping, among other charges. What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people who are already on hard times, they are here legally in the country at that point, Sheriff Salazar said during a press conference on Monday. They have every right to be where they are, and I believe they were preyed upon somebody came from our of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for, with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could be offered... to just be exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip, he said. Sheriff Salazar condemned what he called political posturing to send migrants out of state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott also has bused thousands of migrants from the state in protest of what GOP officials have characterised as President Joe Bidens open border agenda. In letters to US Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Lawyers for Civil Rights argued that individuals, working in concert with the Florida governor, made numerous false promises to our clients, including of work opportunities, schooling for their children, and immigration assistance, in order to induce them to travel. Story continues The legal group, which is representing a group of migrants who were sent to Marthas Vineyard last week, said passengers were told that the plane would be landing on the small island off the coast of Massachusetts not Boston when the flight was in mid-air. Once the planes landed, those who had induced our clients to travel under these false pretenses disappeared, leaving our clients to learn that the offers of assistance had all been a ruse to exploit them for political purposes, according to Lawyers for Civil Rights. Many of the groups clients were also held in hotels until the flights were filled and booked, according to the attorneys. This type of conspiracy to deprive our clients of their liberty and civil rights and interfere with federal immigration proceedings must be thoroughly investigated for violations of criminal laws, they wrote. This is a developing story. Health Minister Sylvia Jones speaks with media at Queenas Park in Toronto on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. Ontario hospital patients awaiting spots in long-term care can be moved to nursing homes not of their choosing up to 150 kilometres away, with charges of $400 per day if they refuse, the province announced Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov (The Canadian Press) Ontario MPP and Health Minister Sylvia Jones received backlash for promoting Smile Cookies week at Tim Hortons on social media on Tuesday morning. Smile Cookies at back at Tim Hortons. Starting today until Sept 25, you can pick up a smile cookie for only $1.00. Proceeds go directly to local charities.#supportlocal #smilecookies pic.twitter.com/gdVEChVgqg Sylvia Jones (@SylviaJonesMPP) September 19, 2022 Readers on Twitter were angry at the deputy minister for promoting Tim Hortons ads instead of focusing on the collapsing healthcare system. Tim Hortons Smile Cookies is an annual campaign available from Sept. 1925 that sends one hundred per cent of their proceeds from the sales of Smile Cookies to support more than 500 charities and community groups across Canada. MPP Sylvia Jones serves as the Deputy Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Health currently with the PC party. She replaced Christine Elliott in the 2022 provincial election. Premier Doug Fords government is facing a public blowback for the straining healthcare system which some have called 'an absolute disaster' in Ontarioplagued this summer by record long wait times and emergency room closures. Recently, the government announced new rules that can send hospital patients in southern Ontario awaiting spots in long-term care can be moved to nursing homes up to 70 kilometres away, while for those in northern Ontario, the distance is 150 kilometres. Here are the reactions from people around Ontario. Story continues Hospital departments closing down, staff out with COVID and this is what our health minister is focused on. Also, is it mandatory for any member of the Ford government to promote Tim Hortons? https://t.co/qhJPYPEnSA Jiggly (@JigglyPants44) September 19, 2022 Tim Hortons loves Smile Cookies as it provides them a temporary, cheap Avenue for the charity tax break. They get free publicity like a Health Minister who cheers for charity donations but remember this is funneling your tax $ to Corporate. You'll help more by donating directly. https://t.co/LMbJbS0beh Lorelei (@loreleismells) September 20, 2022 What is it with the @fordnation governments obsession with promoting fast food and Tim Hortons? Meanwhile systematically dismantling our health care system. Shame! https://t.co/JotvL1AODv David Griffin (@GriffinBlakely) September 20, 2022 Do your job and stop with the corporate promotions! How much are you and Ford's goon squad collecting from Tim Hortons?! SergeiSputnikoff (@static_solution) September 20, 2022 Why is it Doug Ford can shill for McDonald's and Tim Hortons and that us just something our media is playing with? But the PM sings in London and THAT'S a scandal? Phil Rickaby (@philrickaby) September 20, 2022 So ON healthcare is at a critical point, education is lacking, our green spaces are disappearing and what does the @OntarioPCParty and @fordnation do? Prop up Tim Hortons, like they need a boost for profits. Do your jobs for the people not your corporate donors. #priorities https://t.co/qEkdO7gc1Z RJP (@mendonca1969) September 20, 2022 The number of migrant arrivals reported along the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2022 surpassed 2 million in August, an all-time high driven in part by unprecedented levels of migration from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, according to government data published Monday. Migrant encounters along the U.S. southern border rose slightly to 203,598 last month, reversing a downward trend recorded in the previous two months, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data show. The number included 181,160 Border Patrol apprehensions of migrants who entered the U.S. illegally, virtually the same level as in July, as well as 22,437 migrants and asylum-seekers processed at official ports of entry, a slight increase from the previous month. With one month left, CBP officials stationed along the Mexican border have processed migrants over 2.1 million times in fiscal year 2022, a tally well above the previous record set in fiscal year 2021, when the agency recorded 1.7 million migrant encounters. One million of the encounters recorded by CBP this fiscal year, however, have resulted in migrants being rapidly expelled to northern Mexico or their home country under Title 42, a coronavirus-era order that blocks access to the U.S. asylum system, the CBP statistics show. The unprecedented encounters tally has also been inflated by a significant number of migrants trying to enter the U.S. multiple times and being counted multiple times after their expulsion to Mexico under Title 42, which does not carry criminal or immigration penalties, unlike traditional deportations. In August, almost a quarter of all migrant encounters involved individuals who had been previously apprehended by U.S. border authorities in the past year, CBP said Monday. Immigrants are processed by the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico on August 20, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. / Credit: Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images One of the main factors fueling the high levels of migrant apprehensions over the past year under President Biden is the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, who have journeyed to the U.S. border in record number in recent months. Story continues In August, migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua made up over one-third of all border apprehensions. Their arrival is part of a broader, unprecedented increase in migration from outside Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose citizens accounted for the vast majority of migrants processed by U.S. border officials before the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 25,000 Venezuelans entered U.S. border custody in August, a monthly record, making Venezuela the second-largest source of migrants to the southern border, behind Mexico. Nearly 7 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland as part of the largest displacement crisis in the Western Hemisphere, according to the United Nations. While many settled in other South American nations like Colombia, Venezuelans hoping to reach the U.S. have been crossing the Darien Gap, Panama's roadless jungle, in record numbers over the past month, Panamanian government data show. CBP officials along the U.S.-Mexico border also processed more than 19,000 Cubans and nearly 12,000 Nicaraguans in August. Unlike Mexicans and most Central Americans, the U.S. cannot generally deport Venezuelans, Cubans and Nicaraguans to Mexico or their home countries because of limits placed by Mexico and strained diplomatic relations with the authoritarian governments in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Because of this, most migrants from these countries are processed and then released so they can continue their asylum cases inside the U.S. The Biden administration has attributed the mass exodus from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to the policies of their leftist regimes and the dire economic circumstances faced by many people there. "Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest U.S. border," CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a statement Monday. This year's unprecedented migration wave has created formidable operational and humanitarian challenges for the Biden administration, which came into office promising to create a more humane immigration system, including through the reversal of several Trump-era hardline border policies. In El Paso, Texas, for example, U.S. border officials have been recently forced to release hundreds of migrants into the city because the holding capacity at its facilities has been exhausted. The record levels of border apprehensions have also become a political liability for the Biden administration, with Republicans in Congress and in governors' mansions across the country accusing it of being too lenient on migrants who enter the country unlawfully. The political showdown over border policy has intensified this month due to efforts by Republican governors in Texas and Florida to transport migrants to certain Democratic-led jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and Martha's Vineyard. A Venezuelan migrant is led onto a bus at St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Edgartown, Massachusetts, on the island of MarthaAs Vineyard. / Credit: Miami Herald Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Rob DeSantis, both Republicans, have argued that jurisdictions with so-called "sanctuary" policies that limit cooperation with federal deportation agents are better equipped to receive migrants. They've also said the tactic is designed to pressure the administration to enact tougher border policies. But the Biden administration and Democrats have denounced the migrant transportation scheme as inhumane, saying the Republican-led states are dehumanizing asylum-seekers for political gain. One of the reasons that border encounters rose in August was the Biden administration's continued effort to increase processing of asylum-seekers at ports of entry, which experts believe dissuades some migrants from entering the country illegally. In August, U.S. officials at ports of entry along the southern border admitted 15,906 asylum-seekers deemed to be vulnerable under humanitarian exemptions to Title 42, a 37% jump from July, according to government data shared with a federal court. Just over 130,000 of Border Patrol apprehensions in August involved single adult migrants, half of whom were expelled; 39,221 involved parents and children traveling as families, most of whom are released with court notices; and 11,013 involved unaccompanied minors, who are transferred to government shelters, according to CBP data. While migrant apprehensions have reached record levels under Biden, overall illegal border crossings were higher in the early 2000s, when Border Patrol had fewer agents and technology to apprehend individuals, including those seeking to evade detection. Editor's note: An earlier version of this report said CBP has recorded over 2 million arrests along the southern border this fiscal year. CBP has recorded over 2 million "encounters," which include Border Patrol apprehensions, as well as migrants processed at ports of entry. Trump legal team pushes back against Mar-a-Lago special master Hurricane Fiona causes major destruction in Puerto Rico Howard University acquires photos of influential Black photographer sheboygan hard rolls coming out of oven My fiancee is from a small town outside Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Chicago. Its a place where the cheese is plentiful, the bratwursts ubiquitous, and the sheer variety of frozen pizza more stunning than you could imagine. Were up there as often as we can be, and the last stop before we return to the city is always the Piggly Wiggly for one important souvenir: a bag of hard rolls. Before I had reason to travel regularly to this part of Wisconsin, I had no idea hard rolls even existed. You cant get them outside of the Sheboygan area (trust me, Ive tried). Theyre even harder to find than sport peppers outside of Chicago. But what are they, and why are they so special? Read more What is a Sheboygan hard roll? The hard roll is a yeasted dough that looks similar to a kaiser roll, round and bun-shaped, except its somewhat puffier, with a slightly dimpled split top. Despite the name, the hard roll isnt hard or crackly at all: Its exterior has a firm, elastic chew to it, and the interior is fluffy and soft. Theres even a unique scent to the hard roll that I cant quite find the words for, one thats at once bready and tangy. My description is doing hard rolls a disservice, because on paper, it all reads like an overblown description of a regular sandwich bun. But anyone who has tried one understands theyre unique. And theyre irresistible. Theyre used in all the typical ways youd deploy a bun, like sandwiches like burgers, though the bread is slathered in butter before the patty is placed, and the rolls are usually hinge-cut instead of fully sliced in two. Theyre also used to hold bratwursts, which was funny to me at first, since the ends of the sausage stick out awkwardly from each side. Now I cant picture eating a brat any other way, because the bun is as much of a delight as the encased meat itself. You dont just eat a hard roll, you tear into it. Story continues Most mom-and-pop burger stands in the area, most of which are open only during the summer, use hard rolls for pretty much everything aside from hot dogs. The Sheboygan hard roll is just one of those unspoken staples in the bakery section at the supermarket. If youre not from the area, its likely youd miss them altogether, since they just look like regular hamburger buns at first glance. Where to buy Sheboygan hard rolls There are two main bakeries that supply the area with hard rolls: Johnstons Bakery and City Bakery. Locals usually swear by one or the other. My fiancee insists we get Fuzzy the Bakers hard rolls, which hail from West Side Bakery. Though Fuzzy himself passed away earlier this year, the rolls still proudly bear his name. Though there are a lot of things that make these hard rolls unique, longevity isnt one of themjust like any other fresh-baked good, they go stale pretty quickly. Youll want to eat them within a few days of purchase. Think of it as one more reason to visit Sheboygan with regularity, in addition to the areas scenic lakefront and hiking forests. Make the grocery store your last stop before you hit the road, picking up some locally made brats and hard rolls by the armful. New York NY Mayor Eric Adams is seen giving speech at Gracie Mansion Event in New York City on September 20, 2022. Updated Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 7:49 p.m. Its been clear since the first busload of migrants departed from Texas for so-called sanctuary cities in the north that the Republican governors were OK ceding any moral argument about the policy of involuntary relocations. Now the victims of the most high-profile of those incidents are fighting back in the courts. Migrants who were say they were tricked into flying from Texas to Florida and eventually dropped off on Marthas Vineyard last weekend filed a class action lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who they say masterminded the premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme for his own political benefit. The plot, they say, violated several federal laws. The federal lawsuit was filed this evening, as public officials on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line were already taking a close look at whether DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have a legal leg to stand on in their ongoing shipments of migrants to northern cities. Read more If you were among the people who thought, How can that be legal, when you first heard that governors like Abbott and DeSantis were trafficking humans across state lines to score political points, count yourself in the company of the mayor of the countrys biggest city as well as a sheriff in the heart of deep-red Texas, both of whom are looking into what kind of legal action could be taken to rein in the practice. New York Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday that hed instructed his city attorneys to look into whether legal action could be taken against states, specifically Texas, that have spend busloads of migrants to be dropped off in his city. Adams confirmed yesterday that a migrant woman died by suicide in a city shelter, although its unclear if she was one of the thousands that have been bussed to New York by Abbott. Story continues Adams isnt the only one looking into legal action over the migrant shipments. Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar announced on Twitter yesterday that hes opening an investigation into an incident in which a Venezuelan migrant was allegedly paid a bird dog fee to lure other migrants from a local shelter in the county. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office has opened an investigation into the migrants that were lured from the Migrant Resource Center, located in Bexar County, TX, and flown to Florida, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Marthas Vineyard, MA. Bexar County Sheriffs Office (@BexarCoSheriff) September 19, 2022 The 48 migrants, he said, ended up being among those on a now-infamous charter flight sent from Florida to Marthas Vineyard, arranged by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and paid for with taxpayer funds. The Root has reached out to the U.S. Justice Department to see if the feds were also investigating any possible violations of law, but we havent yet received a response. WASHINGTON Rep. Liz Cheney said Monday that a fellow House member called former President Donald Trump "the orange Jesus" on Jan. 6, 2021, as Republicans gathered objections to 2020 election results. Cheney also criticized Republicans who have been defending Trump after the FBI seized classified documents from his Mar-a-Lago home. Cheney, R-Wyo., speaking at American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, recounted that on Jan. 6, before the attack on the Capitol, she was preparing remarks in the Republican cloakroom, where there were papers all around her. She said she asked a staffer what those papers were for, since there were so many members coming in and signing them. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, at a primary Election Day gathering at Mead Ranch in Jackson, Wyo. Cheney lost to challenger Harriet Hageman in the primary. The staffer told her they were objection sheets for members of the House to sign if they objected election results. Cheney said one member came in and said, "the things we do for orange Jesus." Cheney also criticized Republicans who have been defending Trump on the FBI's search of his Florida estate. "Those who are protecting Donald Trump elected leaders of my party are now willing to condemn FBI agents, Department of Justice officials and pretend that taking top secret SCI documents and keeping them in a desk drawer, in an office in Mar-a-Lago or in an unsecured location anywhere was somehow not a problem," Cheney said. GOP: GOP, long the law and order party, slams FBI, Justice Department over search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Graham: Lindsey Graham warns of 'riots in the street' if Trump is prosecuted, claims 'double standard' Some Republicans condemned the FBI in August for the search of Trump's Florida home. McCarthy warned Attorney General Merrick Garland to be ready for an investigation of the actions of the Justice Department, following the Mar-a-Lago search. Court documents released since the FBI's Aug. 8 search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida showed that Trump kept classified documents marked "secret" and "top secret." Story continues The FBI seized documents as part of an ongoing investigation that may involve criminal laws forbidding improper removal of sensitive documents and obstruction of justice. Trump returned 15 boxes of documents to the National Archives in January, and the Archives reported it in February. Cheney, who is vice chair of the House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, has vowed to keep fighting anyone who does not believe in the 2020 election presidential results. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cheney: House member called Trump 'the orange Jesus' on Jan. 6 A Jamaican man is charged with soliciting a Pensacola minor for sex after he messaged undercover Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents. Taje Ghavri Samuels, 31, of Kingston, Jamaica, is charged with one count of traveling to meet a minor to engage in sexual conduct, seven counts of transmission of harmful material to minors and one count of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, according to an FDLE press release. Sex stings: Santa Rosa sting operation nets 12 arrests; suspects accused of soliciting minors for sex Pensacola child crimes: FDLE charges Pensacola man with 10 felony counts for allegedly soliciting minor for sex "FDLE began its investigation in August when Samuels initiated online contact with undercover agents posing as a 14-year-old female," the release stated. "Using a common messenger application, he sent lewd photos of himself and arranged to travel to meet the agent." Samuels is currently held in Escambia County Jail without bond, according to Escambia jail records. Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578 This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FDLE: Jamaican man charged with soliciting Pensacola minor for sex The director of the Feeding Our Future nonprofit and 47 other people were charged Tuesday in what federal prosecutors say was a "massive scheme" to defraud the government of more than $250 million meant to feed needy children during the pandemic. In a news conference, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger described the scheme as the largest pandemic fraud in the country and said the charges amount to one of the largest federal fraud cases ever brought in Minnesota. "These 47 defendants engaged in a brazen scheme of staggering proportions," Luger said, hours before charges against another defendant were unsealed. "Their goal was to make as much money for themselves as they could while falsely claiming to feed children during the pandemic." The defendants were charged with crimes including wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and bribery. The indictments allege that conspirators shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to join the criminal enterprise, and later tried to cover their tracks by submitting fake invoices and enrollment forms with fictitious names pulled from such places as listofrandomnames.com. Luger described the wave of indictments unsealed Tuesday as "the first set of charges" in the continuing investigation. Several defendants were arrested Tuesday, but Luger said some have left the country. Prosecutors contend that the leader of the scheme was Aimee Bock, executive director of Feeding Our Future, whom they accuse of personally recruiting many of the conspirators and knowingly submitting more than 125 million false meal claims. Bock appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty. She was released with conditions. "The indictment is the beginning of the criminal process," Bock's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said in a written statement. "There's relief in the allegations against my client because we now know the government's position. The indictment is not evidence of guilt or innocence. I'm surprised that my client has been indicted because she did not commit any crimes." Story continues Co-conspirators are accused of using tens of millions of dollars to fund international travel, buy luxury cars and purchase homes in Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky and along the coasts of Kenya and Turkey. Tuesday's arrests mark the latest high-profile chapter in a federal probe that started more than a year ago and included a sweeping FBI search warrant operation in January that spilled into public view. According to charges, the alleged scheme exploited changes in the federal child nutrition program that were intended to make sure needy children received adequate nutrition amid the pandemic. As part of the changes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the federal food aid program. Regulators also let parents bring meals home instead of requiring children to eat on site. Prosecutors said the rule changes made it more difficult to oversee the meals program, rendering it vulnerable to fraud and abuse. After becoming an approved sponsor in 2018, Feeding Our Future battled state regulators over its explosive growth plans, filing a lawsuit that ultimately forced the department to approve dozens of sites that had been held up in the approval process for months. Luger said the conspiracy began in March 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, when the conspirators saw an opportunity to defraud the government. As part of a "pay-to-play" scheme, Bock and other company employees solicited and received bribes from people and companies seeking to join the fast-growing criminal enterprise, according to the charges. Many of the bribes were paid directly to Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee who was accused of receiving kickbacks ranging from $49,000 to $225,000, the charges say. Eidleh could not be reached for comment and court records indicate he does not have an attorney yet. Eidleh is accused of depositing more than $5 million in kickbacks, bribes and other fraud proceeds into bank accounts opened in the name of his shell companies. Many of the kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as "consulting fees" paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to conceal the true nature of the payments and make them appear legitimate, the indictment alleges. Bock benefitted from the expanding fees collected by Feeding Our Future, which typically kept 10% to 15% of all reimbursement payments for administrative purposes, according to the charges. In 2021, when Feeding Our Future collected nearly $200 million in reimbursements, its share of the money amounted to $18 million, the charges say. The indictment says Feeding Our Future also opened its own federal food aid sites in Minneapolis and Burnsville that falsely claimed to serve meals to thousands of children a day, seven days a week. Altogether, Bock's nonprofit sponsored more than 200 federal food program sites throughout Minnesota, according to the charges. "The sites fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed and despite having few, if any, staff and little to no experience serving this volume of meals," the indictment reads. Bock told the Star Tribune earlier this year that she never stole money or saw evidence of fraud among her subcontractors. The scheme was so lucrative that some conspirators were able to rent out restaurants at exorbitant prices just to create additional meal sites, according to the charges. In Willmar, for instance, conspirators paid more than $570,000 to rent the Faafan Restaurant for 11 months, almost three times the restaurant's annual sales before the pandemic. The site received more than $4 million in reimbursements, half of which was pocketed by the conspirators, according to the charges. "No one participating in this program legitimately would ever imagine they could make millions of dollars," Luger said. "It is not possible." Prosecutors said the conspirators did a sloppy job of concealing their crimes, submitting fake attendance rosters that were filled with hundreds of made-up names that could not be verified by local schools. Typically, Luger said, just 1% to 2% of the names appeared to be legitimate. In some cases, conspirators consulted websites to find names. But investigators found impossible fluctuations in the ages of the students listed on the rosters, noting that some kids went from 8 to 12 years old in a matter of months. The meal sites allegedly submitted fake invoices purporting to document their food purchases. Some did purchase and serve small amounts of food but inflated the numbers, the indictment adds. The indictment charging Bock also includes charges against three men Salim Ahmed Said, Abdulkadir Nur Salah and Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed who run the Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis. They claimed to have served 3.9 million meals to children between April 2020 and November 2021, propped up by fake attendance rosters, prosecutors contend. Said, Salah and Ahmed could not be reached for comment. According to charges, Safari received more than $16 million in federal money based on claims that it was feeding needy children. The charges noted that the restaurant generated no more than $600,000 in annual sales prior to the pandemic. Said and Salah sent much of the $16 million to co-conspirators via shell companies used to launder proceeds, according to the charges. Safari's ownership also paid more than $350,000 in bribes and kickbacks to Bock and Eidleh for sponsorship, the charges say. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) officials began questioning Bock about the sudden boom in sites that her organization sponsored in 2020. Feeding Our Future sued the state and claimed the education department was discriminating against a nonprofit that worked with racial minorities after the department halted payments to the nonprofit by early 2021. The FBI's investigation into Feeding Our Future began in May 2021, after state education officials brought information to the bureau. Though some state legislators have faulted MDE for not acting more aggressively on its fraud suspicions, Luger declined to assess the department's oversight. "That is not for me to say," Luger said. "We are pleased by the thorough cooperation we got from MDE throughout this investigation." Feeding Our Future's three board members voted in February to dissolve the organization in part because its bank accounts had been frozen by the federal probe. According to court documents, the government has seized more than $3.5 million from a Feeding Our Future bank account and more than $185,000 held in Bock's personal bank accounts. Authorities also took $13,462 in cash and a 2013 Porsche Panamera during the Jan. 20 search warrant operation at Bock's home. Luger said that the government has so far seized $50 million in property tied to the scheme, including 60 bank accounts, 45 parcels of real property, 14 vehicles, jewelry and other items. At least one defendant Fahad Nur is accused of fleeing the United States shortly after the January FBI raids. Nur is charged with four others in one indictment that alleged a $25 million fraud scheme. Nur's The Produce LLC was sponsored by Feeding Our Future and took in more than $11 million in federal funds as a vendor and food supplier to sites involved in the program. Nur could not be reached for comment. Prosecutors say he did not make any significant food-related purchases between initiating food operations around March 2021 through September of that year, yet received $3.5 million for food he claimed to have provided through the program. Days before registering the company with the state of Minnesota, Nur submitted fraudulent invoices to Feeding Our Future claiming to have provided 3,635 gallons of milk and more than 7,000 packed lunches to another co-defendant, the indictment says. Most defendants did not yet have an attorney. Others charged include: Abdiaziz Shafii Farah and Mohamed Jama Ismail, co-owners of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC in Shakopee, and who along with others opened more than 30 federal food aid sites around the state. The two are part of an eight-person indictment alleging a $40 million fraud scheme. Farah's attorney, Andrew Birrell, said in a statement Tuesday: "We have been conducting our own parallel investigation since the execution of the search warrants in January. We are grateful the matter is now before the Court and there can be a public presentation of Mr. Farah's side of the story to a federal jury. Rather than simply an indictment which is the product of a one sided presentation in secret by the government which reaches erroneous conclusions." Ismail could not be reached for comment. Liban Yasin Alishire, president and owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc., located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis. Alishire helped run Lake Street Kitchen LLC with Khadar Jigre Adan and Ahmed Yasin Ali. Alishire couldn't be reached for comment. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, owner and operator of S & S Catering Inc. in Minneapolis. Hassan and seven others are charged in an indictment outlining a $17.4 million fraud scheme. Hassan pleaded not guilty at a court appearance Tuesday. Her attorney could not be reached for comment. Sharmake Jama and Ayan Jama, who were the principals of Brava Restaurant & Cafe LLC in Rochester. They are charged in a six-person indictment with running a $5.6 million scheme. They couldn't be reached for comment. Haji Osman Salad, who operated Haji's Kitchen LLC in Brooklyn Park. He and four others are charged with carrying out a $25 million fraud conspiracy. Neither Salad nor his attorney could be reached Tuesday for comment. Staff writer Kelly Smith contributed to this report. On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: The world bids final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II The queen has been laid to rest. What's next for King Charles III? Plus, national political correspondent David Jackson says investigations involving Donald Trump may help him politically, Adnan Syed has been freed from prison after his case grabbed attention on the 'Serial' podcast, education reporter Alia Wong looks at school book bans and the Biden administration makes a prisoner swap with the Taliban. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Tuesday the 20th of September, 2022. Today, a look at yesterday's funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Plus, how ongoing investigations could help Donald Trump, and more. Here are some of the top headlines: Hurricane Fiona slammed Puerto Rico yesterday with relentless rain. Hundreds of thousands were without running water, and less than 10% of the island has regained electricity after an island-wide blackout. Government helicopters have attacked a school and village in Northern Myanmar, killing at least 13 people, including seven children. Civilian casualties and attacks by the military government on pro-democracy insurgents and their allies have been common in the country since a 2021 coup. And law enforcement authorities in Texas said yesterday that they're opening an investigation into how 48 Venezuelan migrants were brought last week from Texas to Massachusetts by Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis. A Texas Sheriff said they were lured into the trip under false pretenses. Queen Elizabeth II has been laid to rest. The late queen was celebrated at a funeral at Westminster Abbey, the same church where her coronation took place in 1953. During the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby praised the queen's life of service. Story continues Justin Welby: Her late Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen. Taylor Wilson: After the funeral, a private burial service was held and she was brought to her final place of rest at St. George's Cathedral on the grounds of Windsor Castle. She was laid together with her late husband, Prince Phillip, who died last year. St. George's is also the resting place of 10 other former British monarchs, including Henry VIII, who ruled in the early 1500s, and the beheaded Charles I, who ruled in the mid-1600s. A period of royal mourning has now begun and will last for seven days across Britain. King Charles III has already begun duties as monarch, but he's not been crowned yet. His coronation will likely take place at some point within the next year. Taylor Wilson: Ongoing investigations against Donald Trump might actually help the former president politically, but that could hurt the Republican Party. National political correspondent, David Jackson has more with producer PJ Elliott. David Jackson: Well, it helps with his voters. It helps him with his voters, his solid political base that feels like the establishment is against them. And this is yet another excuse for Trump to say that, "The political establishment, all they want to do is get me and throw me in jail. And while they're at it, they want to try to reduce your political voice." Since the search at Mar-a-Lago in early August, he's been pounding this drum and there's plenty of poll evidence to suggest that a lot of his supporters believe it, and if anything, it's only intensified his support. The problem is that a lot of the Trump-backed candidates for state and local offices, particularly candidates for the US Senate, are struggling and have seen their support decline since the Mar-a-Lago search. And the evidence there suggests that moderate Republicans and Independents are turning away from not only Trump, but Trump-backed candidates. So it's a weird cause and effect in the fact that all the investigations seem to be helping Trump with his voters, but they're hurting Republican candidates overall with all voters. PJ Elliott: So does this mean that the Democrats are most likely going to take control of the Senate this midterm? David Jackson: Well, they certainly have a better chance than they did maybe three or four months ago, no doubt. The primary season was very good for them. They have a much better chance to win the Senate now than they did when primary started back in March. And one of the reasons is because Trump's endorsement helped so many iffy Republican candidates win nominations. You've got guys like Herschel Walker in Georgia, Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania, J.D. Vance in Ohio, and a guy named Blake Masters in Arizona. Those are all first-time candidates who've made more than their share of mistakes and they're very associated with Trump. And the polls are suggesting that a lot of independent voters don't like that association with Trump and the Democrats and all of those races are either even or slightly ahead. So the feeling is that if they sweep those races, the Democrats will actually be able to control the Senate and actually expand their margin. PJ Elliott: So what about 2024? Is it a safe bet that if Trump decides to run again, that the nomination is his? David Jackson: Well, he's certainly got a good chance at it. If anything, the FBI search and the intensity of these investigations against him are encouraging him to run. I'm told he's definitely thinking more about running, if only to defend himself against all these investigations. He figures it will be harder to prosecute him in court if he's actually a candidate for president. So the fact is that the odds are much more likely that he will run, and given the increase in his support from his base, he goes into your average Republican primary with a solid support of maybe 25% to 30%, that'd be enough to win a lot of these primaries especially if it's a crowded field. So the fact is that I think the investigations do make it more likely he will he run and also make it more likely that he will be able to capture the nomination. Taylor Wilson: You can find a link to David's full story in today's episode description. Adnan Syed has been released from prison. He was sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years after being convicted of the Maryland murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee in 1999. Syed has maintained his innocence since he was 17. Now 41 years old, he walked out yesterday. Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ruled that his conviction be vacated because the state violated its legal obligation to share exculpatory evidence with Syed's defense. She ordered him released from custody and placed on home detention. The state now has 30 days to decide whether to seek a new trial against Syed or dismiss the case entirely. Syed's case became the focus of the hit podcast, Serial's first season in 2014. Legal experts have credited the hit show with bringing Syed's case national attention. The podcast explored problems with both Syed's defense and the prosecution's case. Host Sarah Koenig explored shoddy cell phone data, inconsistent timelines, ignored witnesses, and other possible suspects. Deirdra Enright, founder of the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law also credited a recent 2021 Maryland law allowing for people convicted of crimes as juveniles to seek new sentences after 20 years in prison. Prosecutors recently said that a year-long investigation into Syed's case revealed two alternate suspects and major reliability issues with evidence used to convict him. Prosecutors asked for a new trial at minimum. The state is waiting for DNA analysis to decide whether they want to pursue a new trial or drop the case entirely. Dozens of so-called parents rights groups, including a number of national organizations with hundreds of local chapters, are helping to drive book bans across the country. Producer PJ Elliott and Alia Wong have more. Alia Wong: Between July 1st, 2021 and June 30th, 2022 - so last school year, in addition to a few months surrounding them - there were more than 2,500 book bands enacted, and that affected more than 1,600 unique titles. So there were more than 2,500 decisions to ban a book and this bulk book banning, it spanned more than 30 states and more than 130 school districts. So these statistics really mark an escalation of a trend that traces back at least a year, and the people who are behind these bans are really getting more sophisticated in their tactics. Parents' rights activist groups are responsible or have played a role in roughly half of the bans that were enacted in the past school year. And these activist groups have really been successful in mobilizing supporters. A lot of these groups, or a handful of these groups rather, they have hundreds of chapters nationwide and are publishing lists of books that they want banned and distributing these lists. PJ Elliott: So what about the rest of this school year and even going forward? Are more books going to be banned? Alia Wong: Researchers anticipate that this trend will only pick up momentum as we wade into this school year. These activists, along with legislators who are in support of them and pushing for legislation that would also restrict access to books, they're getting a lot more savvy in their strategizing and their messaging is really resonating with parents. They're really taking up the mantle of being representatives or even warriors of parents who feel like their children are being indoctrinated, are being exposed to inappropriate material. These activists are really kind of channeling and leaning into these really visceral fears, and especially with the upcoming midterm elections, their strategies are proving to be quite effective. Taylor Wilson: The Biden administration has made a prisoner swap with the Taliban. An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years is coming home. The AP's Eric Tucker has more. Eric Tucker: The Biden administration has announced a prisoner swap involving the release of Mark Frerichs, who is a civilian contractor detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for the last two years. He's been released in exchange for a convicted Taliban drug Lord named Bashir Noorzai, who has been in jail in the United States for 17 years. Mark Frerichs was abducted in January 2020 in Kabul. He was a civilian contractor. He'd actually been living in Afghanistan for more than a decade doing civil engineering projects. The background and circumstances of his abduction and kidnapping have never been quite clear, but we understand that he was in Kabul and then driven away to another part of the country and held there by the Taliban. There had been negotiations for more than two years across successive presidential administrations to get Mark Frerichs home. The Taliban had made clear for a long time that the only way to do that was to release Bashir Noorzai. And it was not clear to people who were following this from the outside that that was a deal that was ultimately going to be palatable. Bashir Noorzai is a significant drug trafficker, that's what he was convicted of in the United States. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. And so this was a significant decision by the Biden administration to release someone in that position. However, the administration has said that it determined that the release of Noorzai is not likely to cause any security risk for Americans or deepen the drug trade in Afghanistan, and so it decided to make this deal. It's not clear what exactly about this moment led to the deal. We do know that President Biden in June decided to grant clemency to Noorzai, which really paved the way for this to happen. And then the administration has described to reporters what they say was this very narrow window of opportunity that opened this month to make this deal happen. We're still trying to sort out details as to what they're talking about and what that means and what this narrow window of opportunity was, but there was apparently something that happened within the last several weeks that really facilitated this to happen. Taylor Wilson: Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us on whatever your favorite podcast app is, where we ask for a five-star rating and review if you have a chance. Thanks to PJ Elliott for his great work on the show and I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Queen Elizabeth laid to rest, Adnan Syed freed: 5 Things podcast Piper Phillips. Piper Phillips Piper Phillips said a worker at a Joann Fabrics store told her son that boys shouldn't wear dresses. Phillips said her son got interested in wearing dresses a year ago, adding that it made him happy. Phillips made a viral TikTok about the incident; Joann Fabrics said the employee was fired. A mother said in a now-viral TikTok that a Joann Fabrics employee made several derisive comments about her son while they were shopping for fabrics to make him a dress prompting the company to fire the worker. Piper Phillips, 37, a dressmaker of four years who also goes by @Palousedressco on TikTok, took her 7-year-old son to their local Joann Fabrics store in Moscow, Idaho, on September 7 to pick up materials for his dress. Phillips said she wanted to cheer up her son after she received a call from his school's principal saying bullies taunted him for wearing a dress. At the store, Phillips and her son picked up a Spider-Man-patterned fabric. At the counter, the employee asked Phillip's son what he was making to which he responded a Spider-Man dress. The unnamed female employee expressed confusion about why Phillips was making a dress for her son. "She just stopped what she was doing," Phillips recalled. "She stopped measuring and asked us more questions. And I tried really hard to stop the conversation several times, and she just kept going." Phillips said the employee then began lecturing the two and told Phillips' son directly that boys couldn't wear dresses. The employee became irate and wouldn't stop lecturing the two even after the store's shift manager came over to tell her to stop, Phillips said. "I was seeing red, and I was just trying to stay calm," she said, adding that she was "very aware that my son was watching and listening and that I needed to model the appropriate behavior, and that's really hard to do in the moment." "So I just tried really hard to stay calm and to speak bluntly, and to the point, and clearly put up a boundary," she said. "I told her 'stop' several times." Story continues Phillips told Insider her son took an interest in wearing a dress about a year ago after watching "Frozen." "So, I bought him an Elsa dress-up kit, and he put the dress on, and twirled, and smiled so big and just loved it so much," Phillips said. "And then a few months later he found this fabric in my sewing room that was pink with butterflies on it, and he was like, 'Mom, I want to dress out of this.' And I was like, 'OK, you came to the right spot.'" A week after the incident, Phillips posted on TikTok about her experience at the store and amassed more than 4 million views. A Joann Fabrics representative told Insider in a statement that the employee was fired after making the "inappropriate, judgmental and derogatory remarks." "JOANN absolutely stands for inclusivity and creativity for all, and we are proud to support our thousands of customers and Team Members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community," the statement said. "We do not tolerate discrimination, disrespect or harassment in any form and terminated the Team Member immediately upon investigation." Phillips, who was also a former shift manager at that Joann Fabrics store, said she recalled working with the employee who would occasionally proselytize while working. "I'm glad to see that she's no longer there," she said. "But it's a reflection on the culture of that store and the company, how that kind of thing slips through the cracks and how that was able to go on for so long, at a supposedly inclusive diversity-oriented company." "I'd like to see a little bit more done, I think, before we go back," she added. Phillips told Insider she spoke with her son after the store experience and told him that people would say rude things but he should keep being himself and being proud of himself. She also offered advice for other parents based on her experience. "I would say that your child is going to learn from you how to think and how to feel and how to act, so if you model the behavior and you model the love and the confidence and the support that you want your child to have and it's like magic your child will receive that message," Phillips said. Read the original article on Insider A Texas law enforcement agency said Monday that it has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis political stunt involving the relocation of dozens of migrants from the Lone Star State to the wealthy Massachusetts island of Marthas Vineyard last week. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar was highly critical of the anti-immigrant operation, saying at a news conference Monday that the 48 people most of whom are from Venezuela were apparently exploited and hoodwinked into leaving a migrant resource center in his county by a hired scout, shuttled onto a flight to Florida and then unceremoniously stranded in Marthas Vineyard despite being told they were headed to Boston to receive expedited work papers. Rafael Eduardo, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, hugs another immigrant Thursday outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images) Rafael Eduardo, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, hugs another immigrant Thursday outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images) DeSantis, a Republican vying for reelection and possibly a 2024 presidential run, took credit for the stunt, saying Florida paid for the trip through a state program that funds migrant relocation. Salazar, whose county includes San Antonio, slammed it as nothing more than political posturing to make a point, but he declined to name DeSantis or anyone else as a target of the investigation. What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people that are already on hard times, right? Salazar said. They are here legally in our country at that point; they have every right to be where they are. And I believe that they were preyed upon. Somebody came from out of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for. Millions have fled Venezuela in recent years, putting their lives at great risk to escape political turmoil, widespread violence, economic crises and shortages of food, medicine and other essential items. Story continues Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard. (Photo: via Associated Press) Migrants, who arrived on a flight sent by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard. (Photo: via Associated Press) The Bexar County Sheriffs Office said that in addition to the investigation, its cooperating with private attorneys who represent the migrants and with immigrant advocacy organizations, several of which have demanded a criminal probe of DeSantis actions. One Boston immigration attorney assisting with the migrants cases, Rachel Self, said over the weekend that the migrants were given falsified addresses corresponding to random homeless shelters for their official paperwork, possibly to make it more difficult for them to stay in the U.S. Though they werent expecting the migrants last week, Marthas Vineyard residents and officials quickly arranged temporary accommodations for the new arrivals. On Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced that the men, women and children would be relocated to a Cape Cod military base that is better equipped to give them temporary shelter. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... If youve ever felt like its difficult to un-train YouTubes algorithm from suggesting a certain type of video once it slips into your recommendations, youre not alone. In fact, it may be even more difficult than you think to get YouTube to accurately understand your preferences. One major issue, according to new research conducted by Mozilla, is that YouTubes in-app controls such as the dislike button, are largely ineffective as a tool for controlling suggested content. According to the report, these buttons prevent less than half of unwanted algorithmic recommendations. Researchers at Mozilla used data gathered from RegretsReporter, its browser extension that allows people to donate their recommendations data for use in studies like this one. In all, the report relied on millions of recommended videos, as well as anecdotal reports from thousands of people. Mozilla tested the effectiveness of four different controls: the thumbs down dislike button, not interested, dont recommend channel and remove from watch history. The researchers found that these had varying degrees of effectiveness, but that the overall impact was small and inadequate. Of the four controls, the most effective was dont recommend from channel, which prevented 43 percent of unwanted recommendations, while not interested was the least effective and only prevented about 11 percent of unwanted suggestions. The dislike button was nearly the same at 12 percent, and remove from watch history weeded out about 29 percent. In their report, Mozillas researchers noted the great lengths study participants said they would sometimes go to in order to prevent unwanted recommendations, such as watching videos while logged out or while connected to a VPN. The researchers say the study highlights the need for YouTube to better explain its controls to users, and to give people more proactive ways of defining what they want to see. The way that YouTube and a lot of platforms operate is they rely a lot of passive data collection in order to infer what your preferences are, says Becca Ricks, a senior researcher at Mozilla who co-authored the report. But it's a little bit of a paternalistic way to operate where you're kind of making choices on behalf of people. You could be asking people what they want to be doing on the platform versus just watching what they're doing. Mozillas research comes amid increased calls for major platforms to make their algorithms more transparent. In the United States, lawmakers have proposed bills to scale back opaque recommendation algorithms and to hold companies accountable for algorithmic bias. The European Union is even farther ahead. The recently passed Digital Services Act will require platforms to explain how recommendation algorithms work and open them to outside researchers. An off-duty Chicago police officer was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after being shot in the face in the Irving Park neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. At 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, the female officer was shot during a road rage incident at Addison Street and Elston Avenue, Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said Larry Merritt, spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department. Brown said he spoke with the officer. She is talking and did not lose consciousness. The officer who was shot has non-life threatening injuries, Brown said. Thank God, he said. The shooter escaped in a black SUV, Brown said. No arrests have been made. The gunman fired shots from inside their vehicle, Brown said. No one else was in the car with the officer when she was shot, Brown said. Police dont know if there was more than one person in the shooters vehicle, he said. Preliminary information indicates the officer was rear-ended before she was shot, Brown said. He said officers have a license plate number of the vehicle that the suspected shooter was in, but they do not plan to release the plate number yet. Police later tried to stop a dark-colored vehicle in the 5000 block of West Lawrence Avenue in connection to the shooting, the Chicago Police Department said in a media notification. The suspects vehicle struck two police squad cars and one officer discharged their gun, police said. No one was struck, no injuries were reported and the driver of the vehicle escaped, police said. Northeastern Illinois University Police later found the vehicle unoccupied in the 5800 block of North Drake Avenue, police said. The off-duty officer is a probationary police officer, meaning shes a sworn member whos been a CPD officer for less than a year, Brown said. Brown said there is no evidence that the off-duty officer returned fire or displayed a weapon. Check back for updates. CINCINNATI An Ohio man accused of pretending to be a Ghanaian prince in order to defraud investors between 2014 and 2020 in a complicated business scheme is now facing two decades in prison after he was convicted by a federal jury Friday. Daryl Harrison, 44, was convicted on 10 charges following a 10-day trial, including wire fraud, witness tampering, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The Dayton, Ohio man was found responsible for defrauding investors for the church he ran with his stepfather by claiming to be a prince from Ghana. According to prosecutors, Harrison told investors he had direct connections with companies in the African nation and could get them an investment return of 28% to 33%. At the time of his May 2020 indictment, he was accused of defrauding 14 investors who collectively provided him with over $800,000. The indictment says Harrison and his stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison, said they were religious ministers affiliated with a nonprofit limited liability company, Power House of Prayer Ministries, founded by his stepfather. They held services throughout Dayton and Southwest Ohio, as well as in Parker, Colorado. Daryl Harrison, 44 Using an alias, Harrison solicited investors to pay into what he claimed to be African trucking operations and diamond mining enterprises. He reportedly withdrew thousands of dollars from the church's bank accounts within days of receiving investments. DeSantis investigated: Texas sheriff launches probe of migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard backed by Florida Gov. Former mayor: Two severely decomposed bodies discovered in former Rhode Island mayor's home Harrison and his stepfather then used the money to enrich themselves and fund items like cars, airplane tickets, hotel rooms, a rental in Colorado and more, prosecutors say. Harrison faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. His stepfather, Robert Harrison, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His jury trial is set for Dec. 5. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio man claiming to be African prince to defraud investors convicted Access to abortion has become a critical issue in the 2022 midterm elections after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which federally protected the right to the procedure. In Florida, incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio has tried to cast his Democratic challenger, Rep. Val Demings, as a "pro-abortion radical." "Val Demings supports abortion up until the moment of birth," Rubio's campaign tweeted Sept. 6. The tweet included a photo of Demings and text that said she "supports taxpayer-funded abortions." PolitiFact Rubio's campaign has tweeted the "until the moment of birth" claim more than five times. But that's not an accurate characterization of Demings' stance. PolitiFact found at least three times when Demings said she supports abortion up to "viability," or when a fetus can survive outside the womb. She also has said she supports abortion after fetal viability if the pregnancy "threatens the health of the woman," and voted for a bill that affirmed that stance. Fetal viability is generally around 24 weeks into a pregnancy, according to the National Library of Medicine. Doctors consider a pregnancy "full term" at 39 weeks. Val Demings supports abortion up until the moment of birth. pic.twitter.com/2FB0vQjzpe Team Marco (@TeamMarco) September 6, 2022 Christian Slater, a Demings campaign spokesperson, told PolitiFact that Rubio is "desperately lying" and that Demings would "fight to make Roe v. Wade law and protect women's constitutional freedoms." Demings' stance on access to abortion At a May 12 event hosted by Ruth's List Florida, a group that says it supports "pro-choice" women running for office, Demings detailed her view on abortion access: "I support abortions up until the point of viability or when it threatens the health of the woman, the mother." Story continues Questioned by CBS Miami's Jim Defede in August about what constitutes the "point of viability," Demings said it should be determined by a doctor. She reiterated that position in a Sept. 2 interview with the Miami Herald. "A woman or girl should have the right to an abortion up to the time of viability of the fetus," Demings told the Miami Herald. "I think that women, each woman, each child who may be the victim of abuse, sexual abuse, should be able to sit down with the doctor and let their doctor tell them what the point of viability is." Rubio's Communications Director Elizabeth Gregory told PolitiFact that Demings "voted for abortion up until the moment of birth" when she supported the Women's Health Protection Act. Gregory's comment mischaracterizes the scope of the legislation. It did not explicitly require states to keep abortion legal in all cases past the point of fetal viability. The bill was part of a Democratic push to codify abortion rights ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. Demings voted for the legislation in the U.S. House; it failed in the U.S. Senate. The legislation said governments may not prohibit abortion services before fetal viability. It also said abortions after fetal viability are allowed if a provider determines the pregnancy risks the woman's life or health. "That's how far the Women's Health Protection Act goes," said Leila Abolfazli, director of reproductive rights at the National Women's Law Center. "Abortion after viability has to do with a pregnant person's health." Maxwell Mehlman, a law professor and co-director of the Law-Medicine Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, told PolitiFact in August that physicians already have a legal responsibility to intervene when a patient's life is threatened. "The doctor has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of the patient," Mehlman said. "If they don't, in the most egregious situations, this has led to criminal prosecutions." Most states that limit abortion to a specific gestational stage include an exception for medical emergencies. For example, Florida's abortion law allows abortion past 15 weeks of pregnancy when a patient's life is threatened or to prevent "imminent substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function." Abortions at 21 weeks or later are exceedingly rare such cases account for about 1% of all abortions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our ruling Rubio claimed, "Demings supports abortion up until the moment of birth." Demings said at least three times that she supports abortion up to "the point of viability," or when the fetus can survive outside the womb. She also said she supports abortion after fetal viability if the pregnancy "threatens the health of the woman," and voted for a bill that affirmed that stance. Physicians already have a legal responsibility to intervene when a patient's life is at risk. And most states that limit abortion to a specific gestational stage include an exception for medical emergencies. We rate this claim Mostly False. Our Sources Marco Rubio, tweet, Sept. 6, 2022 Interview with Leila Abolfazli, director of reproductive rights at the National Womens Law Center, Sept. 15, 2022 Interview with Christian Slater, spokesperson for Demings' campaign, Sept. 12, 2022 Interview with Elizabeth Gregory, spokesperson for Rubio's campaign, Sept. 12, 2022 Miami Herald, Rubio tells faith leaders culture war is 'a fight between common sense and insanity,' Sept. 1, 2022 Miami Herald, Val Demings says she supports abortion up to 'time of viability' after Rubio attacks, Sept. 2, 2022 Florida Senate, HB 5 bill text, assessed Sept. 15, 2022 Florida Politics, Demings blasts Rubio for being 'extremist' on abortion, May 14, 2022 CBS Miami, 1-on-1 with Val Demings, Aug. 28, 2022 PolitiFact, Fact-checking Blake Masters: Mark Kelly voted to legalize abortion 'up until the moment of birth,' Aug. 1, 2022 U.S. Congress, Womens Health Protection Act, Feb. 28, 2022 PolitiFact, Fact-checking Pences claim on Democrats and abortion up to the moment of birth,' Oct. 9, 2020 PolitiFact, Anti-abortion group exaggerates how states regulate late-term abortions, June 12, 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Abortion Surveillance United States, 2019 Surveillance Summaries," Nov. 26, 2021 Clerk of U.S. House, roll call vote 65, Jan. 24, 2017 Clerk of U.S. House, roll call vote 247, July 29, 2021 This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: PolitiFact: Demings supports abortion to viability, despite Rubio claims Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images Prince Harry has addressed recent reports that he is not allowed to wear military uniform to the Queen's funeral next Monday (19 September), despite having served ten years in the army and touring Afghanistan twice. A rule is in place banning any non-working royals from wearing uniform to events, however an exception is being made for Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew (who is also no longer a senior working member of the family following accusations - that he has strenuously denied - that he slept with an underage victim of sex trafficking), when he guards the Queen's coffin during the Vigil of the Princes. He will be joined by Prince Edward, Princess Anne and the newly proclaimed King Charles III. A statement shared by royal reporter, Omid Scobie, who authored the Meghan and Harry 'Finding Freedom' biography, makes it clear that the prince is very keen for the conversation to remain focussed on the life and loss of his grandmother, as opposed to what he will - or won't - be wearing next week. The statement, attributed to a Sussex spokesperson, also stresses that Prince Harry's links to the army are no less strong due to him not being able to wear a uniform for the momentous and deeply sad occasion. "Sussex spokesperson: '[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'," the tweet reads. Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images This isn't the first time that Prince Harry's military uniform and service have been called into question in relation to a sombre event either: last year, following the passing of his grandfather, Prince Philip, King Charles' youngest son also attended the event in a morning suit, rather than military uniform. The dress code for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral was reportedly changed - by the Queen - at the last minute, and nobody wore uniform. Traditionally, men in the Royal Family would adopt military uniforms for such an event, however it was said that new dress code was implemented due to Harry having his honorary military titles revoked once he stepped down from his senior working role in the family. Story continues Those titles were gifted to him by the Queen, as opposed to garnered during his decade of service, meaning he would no longer be permitted to wear a uniform. Ex-servicemen and women are, however, able to wear their medals with pride to funerals, whilst donning a traditional morning suit or otherwise. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family during this very sad time. You Might Also Like The U.S. is negotiating with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to trade nearly 50 military aircraft flown across the border as the Afghan government collapsed last summer for help hunting terrorists in Afghanistan, according to two people with knowledge of the talks. The fate of the U.S.-donated aircraft has been in limbo for more than a year, after Afghan air force pilots flew them to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan last August to escape Taliban capture. The Taliban have insisted the aircraft a mixture of light attack planes and helicopters are Afghan property and demanded them back. But Uzbek authorities say they are the property of the United States and will not be returned. Little has been said publicly about the issue, in part because of the sensitivity of Afghan-Uzbek relations and Russias economic and military influence in Central Asia. But behind the scenes, U.S. officials have been quietly working to use the aircraft as leverage to gain a foothold in a region where the U.S. military no longer has a presence on the ground, according to a senior Defense Department official and a congressional aide with direct knowledge of the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks. The U.S. is planning to conduct an assessment of the aircraft to see if they are flyable, the official said. The goal is to provide a number of aircraft to the Uzbek and Tajik governments in exchange for an informal agreement to deepen our security relationships on border security and counterterrorism, the official said. The deal could include anything from increased intelligence sharing to, in the long-term, basing troops or aircraft in those countries as a regional staging post for keeping an eye on terrorist activity in Afghanistan something the Biden administration tried and failed to arrange before the withdrawal. Both countries border Afghanistan and are much closer than the American bases hundreds of miles away in the Middle East the U.S. military relies on for access to the country. Story continues But for now, its more likely the agreement would involve access to information the Uzbeks and Tajiks have about terrorist networks in Afghanistan. If I give you an airplane, then I call you and say, Hey, can you tell that guy who has a cousin in Afghanistan to go look at something that might be the nature of the relationship. That's a hypothetical, the senior DoD official said. It might not be that I want to fly from there, but it might be, do I have access to networks of people that have access into Afghanistan? The Biden administration touted the U.S. militarys ability to conduct over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations after American troops left Afghanistan last August. The U.S. has since conducted only one counterterrorism strike since then, a drone mission that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July. As the Taliban overran Kabul last summer, Afghan air force pilots flew about 25 percent of the total usable aircraft 46 total to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, according to a 2022 report assessing the collapse of the Afghan government. The aircraft included C-208 utility aircraft, A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft, as well as Mi-17, Mi-25 and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, according to satellite images analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Most of the planes had been supplied by Washington to build up the capability of the Afghan air force. Both Central Asian countries are certainly very interested in keeping those aircraft, the senior DoD official said. As for any kind of basing agreement, the issue isn't on the table at the moment, a DoD spokesperson said. DoD is not currently seeking any basing or permanent presence of U.S. military forces in Central Asia for any purpose," spokesperson Lt. Col. Rob Lodewick said. In the short-term, its unlikely either country would allow the U.S. to use their territory for basing given their close ties to Russia. Uzbekistan cooperated more closely with the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, leasing the Karshi-Khanabad air base to the Americans from 2001 to 2005 for Afghanistan operations. But that agreement was shut down amid unrest and pressure from the Kremlin. Uzbekistan also has close ties to the Taliban, and Uzbek society views any intervention in the Afghanistan conflict negatively. Further, any U.S.-basing agreement in Uzbekistan would require a change to Uzbek law, which stipulates that the country cannot host any foreign military base on its territory. Tajikistan, too, has a history of working with Washington, including permitting U.S. military planes to refuel at the countrys airports after the 9/11 attacks. But more recently, relations with Washington have been frosty, and the economy is also heavily dependent on both Russia and China. On the military front, Tajikistan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance of selected former Soviet states, and already hosts a Russian military base on its territory. However, of the Central Asian states, Tajikistan is by far the most cooperative on counterterrorism, the congressional aide said, noting that the country collaborates with the U.S. on border security and training. A State Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. STORY: The governments of Russia, the U.S., and France are all calling for restraint after fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, on their shared border, has killed at least 49 Armenian troops according to the Armenian government, and raised fear of another full-fledged war in former countries of the Soviet Union. Footage released by Armenia's defense ministry is said to show Azeri soldiers in an unidentified border area. Reuters can't independently verify either side's version of events. Azerbaijan says it was attacked by Armenia and sustained casualties, without giving specific numbers. Armenia, however, says several towns on the border were shelled early Tuesday morning, and that it responded to what it called a "large-scale provocation." And in parliament, its prime minister said that Azeri forces had attacked because Azerbaijan didn't want to negotiate over the status of disputed territory, Nagorno-Karabakh, that was at the center of their last war in 2020. Russia is the main powerbroker in this area and has a military base in Armenia. But Azerbaijan is backed both militarily and politically by the Turkish government, a NATO member. The war they fought in 2020 lasted six weeks. Both Washington and Moscow -- already dealing with the Ukraine war - issued statements stating any conflict needed to be resolved diplomatically, although Turkey called for Armenia to, quote, "cease its provocations." The last conflict was another chapter in decades of hostilities between the countries. It ended with Azerbaijan making significant territorial gains and Russian peacekeepers deployed to the area. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams is planning to end a vaccine mandate for private-sector workers, and the administration is also planning to dispense with a similar requirement for students who participate in extracurricular activities, four people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. The coming end of the mandates is the latest move by New York elected officials to roll back pandemic policies put in place by their predecessors. And while the shift in policy will come as welcome news to businesses, some parents and GOP lawmakers, who blasted the measures it could also inflame relations with labor unions and fired city workers. The mayor's office did not specifically comment on the upcoming shift or when it might happen. "We are constantly evaluating the latest science, data and policies to protect people from COVID-19, especially as more tools become readily available," mayoral spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement. "Vaccination has kept millions of New Yorkers safe and healthy throughout the pandemic, and we encourage every eligible New Yorker to get vaccinated and boosted." The head of a trade organization representing the city's largest private employers praised the looming move. The additional flexibility that this provides to employers is greatly appreciated by the business community, Kathryn Wylde, chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, said in a statement. It will accelerate return to office and the move beyond pandemic mentality. The private-sector edict, implemented by former Mayor Bill de Blasio during his last month in office, applied to every company located within the five boroughs with more than one employee. Over its nine-month life, however, it went largely unenforced. Since taking office, Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul have both steadily chipped away at several pandemic-era strictures. Adams has lifted vaccine requirements for bar and restaurant patrons, professional athletes and for students going to prom. Earlier this month, Hochul lifted a mask requirement for public transit and declined to renew emergency orders that gave her additional power in state government. The citys pending announcement is likely to focus on boosting economic activity and getting workers back into offices, a priority for the mayor. It could also kick up a fresh round of legal volleying over a separate policy mandating that the city's workforce be vaccinated, which the mayor has made no mention of relaxing. Any mother-child relationship is at least a little bit complicated. Add being the reigning monarch of the UK into the mix, and it becomes markedly more so. Though Her Majesty loved her four children and they loved her there is no question about that the Queens number one responsibility in her lifetime was being the sovereign. That, combined with her patented stoicism, made motherhood complex. The Queen became a mother for the first time at the age of 22 in 1948, giving birth to heir to the throne Prince Charles Philip Arthur George on 14 November, 1948 just six days before her and husband Prince Philips first wedding anniversary. The pairs only daughter, Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, followed less than two years later on 15 August, 1950. Both were quite young Charles three and Anne not yet two when their mother became Queen on 6 February, 1952, her entire life changing in the process. However, though she had produced both the heir Charles and the spare at the time, Anne Her Majesty was not yet done bearing children. She gave birth to Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward on 19 February, 1960, and, finally, Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis on 10 March, 1964 just a few weeks before Her Majesty turned 38. The 16 years that separate her eldest, Charles, from her youngest, Edward are significant. The Queens family at Buckingham Palace in 1972 (PA) For Charles and Anne, their mother the monarch was often away for long stretches of time working, including a tour of the Commonwealth in 1953, where she visited 13 countries over the span of six months, travelling from the UK to far flung locations like Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Uganda, and Bermuda. Young Charles and Anne were left at home, much like they were when the Queen visited Philip in Malta early in their marriage. Though the Queen loved being a mother, in Jonathan Dimblebys 1994 biography of Prince Charles, the author quotes Charles as saying it was "inevitably the nursery staff who taught him how to play and who watched his first steps. When not travelling, the Queen and Prince Philip would generally see their children after breakfast and dinnertime. Story continues Her relationship with each of her children is similar yet also very different with Charles, who was heir to the throne, now successor, their relationship at times developed a businesslike quality, much like an apprenticeship rather than a mother-son dynamic. Anne had a special place as the Queens only daughter, and Edward had the distinction of being the youngest. But it has long been reported that middle child Andrew was the Queens favourite. After Andrews birth, almost a full decade after Princess Anne, he leapfrogged his sister into being second-in-line for the throne. He was the first child to be born to a reigning monarch since 1857 and came at a time where there was speculation about relationship troubles brewing between the Queen and Prince Philip - rumours which Buckingham Palace denied. The Queen stood by Andrews side even when he was caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal in 2019 and stepped back from royal duties for the foreseeable future. (L-R) Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Philip, the Queen and Prince Andrew at Balmoral in 1979 (PA) Despite competing forces, Her Majesty loved her children, and they her. I simply dont believe that there is any evidence whatsoever to suggest that she wasnt caring. It just beggars belief, Anne told the BBC in 2002. We as children may have not been too demanding in the sense that we understand what the limitations were in time and the responsibilities placed on her as monarch in the things she had to do and the travels she had to make. But I dont believe any of us for a second thought she didnt care for us in exactly the same way as any other mother did. Anne added: Judging by some families, I think we are all on pretty good speaking terms after all this time and thats no mean achievement for quite a lot of families. I think we all enjoy each others company. In later years, after Her Majestys husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, passed away at age 99 on 9 April, 2021, her children swiftly rallied around her. (L-R) Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, the Queen, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Philip mark the diamond wedding anniversary of the Queen and Philip in November 2007 (Tim Graham/Getty) It goes to show how much they admire her and support her and [were willing to] help her pick up the pieces, royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter, tells The Independent. They dont see each other as often as they would like, but theres a warm relationship there. No time is this more evident than at the family Christmas celebrations at Sandringham, Arbiter says. They want to spend Christmas together at Sandringham, she adds. Its the one time of the year when they can all get together and be off duty. Their time together is so sacred. The Queen also looks forward to summers in Balmoral with the royal family and her children, as well as Christmas at Sandringham. Its an incredibly special time for them. Perhaps most poignant in describing her relationship as a mother to her four children came in an encounter with actress Kate Winslet, who was awarded the honour of a CBE at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Her Majesty asked Winslet if she liked her job, and Winslet who, at the time, was a mother of two said yes, but I love being a mum even more. The Queen replied to Winslet, saying only: Yes, it is the best job. Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper were both day one staffers on Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, joining the team shortly before the official launch. That their roles Andrew as head of rapid response and Megan as campaign research director would wind up being so collaborative was somewhat fortuitous. "We often joked that our personal life became a perpetual response meeting," the couple tells PEOPLE. Their connection eventually blossomed into something romantic that survived five moves, a handful of promotions and two campaign cycles. Four years after their relationship first began, the two traveled to the California coast a favored locale of the couple and the site of their first vacation together in 2017. As they revisited their favored haunts, getting seafood at Swan Oyster Depot and strolling through Lafayette Park, something was different than before: Andrew had a ring. On the couple's first trip to San Francisco, they "bonded sitting next to each other in Lafayette Park, which is on a hilltop overlooking the Bay," Megan tells PEOPLE. "In the same area of the park where we'd sat next to each other in 2017, Andrew got down on one knee." Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography The couple's September wedding held at Blue Hill Farm in Waterford, Virginia, in front of 100 family and friends was a spectacle of romance, family memories and, of course, several notable guests. Naturally, the event included more than a few nods to their day jobs. Andrew, who now serves as White House deputy press secretary and special assistant to the President, even began his evening toast with a classic Biden-ism, albeit with a twist: "I'm Andrew Bates and I'm Megan Apper's husband." RELATED: Second Gentleman Celebrates Wedding Anniversary with Vice President Kamala Harris: 'What an Adventure' Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography Megan, who is now a senior adviser in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs at the State Department, describes the interfaith ceremony as "moving for both of us." Story continues That's due in large part to the officiants, including Andrew's family pastor John Rights, who presided over his late father's memorial service and generously made the trip to help marry the new couple. There were other family touches, such as a string quartet that played music composed by the groom's late father, and remembrances of other loved ones, including Megan's late grandmother. Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography And, of course, fun was also on the evening's agenda, with the couple's favorite D.C. '90s cover band, White Ford Bronce "bringing the house down" after dinner. Among the special guests in attendance were former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, White House digital director Rob Flaherty, and White House senior adviser and special assistant to the president Remi Yamamoto. Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Senior adviser to the president Anita Dunn was also on hand and helped gift the couple a special wedding present (which included a letter and a congratulatory gift the couple opened in private) on behalf of President Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Andrew Bates and Megan Bates-Apper Ken Pak Photography As Megan and Andrew put it: "A lot can happen when you combine a rabbi, a minister, a '90s cover band, a bunch of beltway types, and an open bar." Associated Press German Marquez gave up one hit over six innings to help the Colorado Rockies end a seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Brendan Rodgers hit a home run for the Rockies, who were victorious for just the second time since Sept. 19. Trayce Thompson had two of the three hits for the Dodgers, who missed out on becoming the first National League team to at least 111 victories since the Chicago Cubs in 1906. Good morning, Taunton! Today is Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Do you remember the 21st night of September? We seem to recall that love was changin' the minds of pretenders. Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day readers! We hope you enjoy your 21st night of September. "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire. Let's take a look at today's top stories: 'In distress': Humans face 'Perilous Course' on threatened East Coast A team of USA TODAY Network reporters has been investigating how people up and down the East Coast are grappling with the climate crisis from the natural disasters that grab headlines to the quieter forces gnawing at our personal stability, homes and livelihoods. Journalists from more than 35 newsrooms from New Hampshire to Florida spoke with regular people this summer about real-life impacts, digging into the science and investigating government response, or lack of it. Much of the threat wont be as instant as a hurricane, though those will certainly increase in intensity, experts say. Instead, it promises to be more insidious, gradually eroding lives. See how some are working to find hope amidst the climate crisis, the warnings that others are offering, and those who refuse to simply be bystanders to climate tragedy. The Rev. James E. Taylor, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Mamaroneck, stands in the church sanctuary March 9, 2022. The church was closed after being severely damaged by several feet of flooding caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Weather Your three-day forecast. Join us Not one of our beloved digital subscribers yet? You can become one right now, and join the growing team of people dedicated to preserving great local news. Its so easy go to TauntonGazette.com/subscribenow and check out the options. For just a few cents a day, you get all-you-can-read local news, and youll be keeping local journalism alive in our community! Right now, $1 will get you a 6-month digital subscription. Check out all these stories and more at TauntonGazette.com. As always, we thank you for reading! This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Daily Gazette Daily Briefing newsletter Sept 21 2022 For first time in 233 years, Native American, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian all in U.S. House From left to right: Reps. Kaialii Kahele, Mary Peltola and Sharice Davids. Last month, Mary Peltola made history when she became first Native Alaskan and woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Last Frontier State. When Peltola was sworn in last month, Congress reached a milestone: for the first time in more than two centuries, the House has full U.S. Indigenous representation, according to Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele of Hawaii. "It has taken 233 years for the U.S. Congress to be fully represented by this countrys indigenous peoples," Kahele, the second Native Hawaiian to represent his home state, posted on Twitter alongside a photograph of him, Peltola, and Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. "Tonight, a Native American, a Native Alaskan & a Native Hawaiian are sitting members of the peoples House." In August, Peltola, a member of the Yup'ik people, won Alaska's special congressional election and will finish the remaining term of the late Rep. Don Young, who died in March. Peltola, former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich ran both in a special election to fill out the rest of Young's term and will run in the general election for a new term. After her Sept. 13, swearing in, there are now six Indigenous Americans who are representatives in the House. From left to right: Reps. Kaialii Kahele, Mary Peltola and Sharice Davids. 'They wouldn't have sat me back there.': Trump mocks President Biden on seat at queen's funeral Abortion center stage at PA rally: At rally for Dem Senate candidate in Pennsylvania - and beyond - abortion takes center stage Who is Peltola? Peltola is 49 and was born in Anchorage, Alaska. She attended the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Alaska. She also established the lobbying firm Sattler Strategies. She served as the executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and a councilwoman in Bethel, a small city in Alaska, from 2011-2013. U.S. House candidate Democrat Mary Peltola answers questions from a reporter prior to a forum for U.S. House candidates at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association annual conference at the Dena'ina Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Peltola won the special election for Alaskas only U.S. House seat on Wednesday, besting a field that included Republican Sarah Palin, who was seeking a political comeback in the state where she was once governor. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP) ORG XMIT: AKAND601 'A historic moment' "It's a historic moment," Lani Teves, an associate professor at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa told NPR. Story continues The representation, she told the outlet, can have a big impact on the political power of Indigenous communities across the U.S. "People need representation and young people need to see people that look like themselves, that come from their communities," Teves said. U.S. House candidate Democrat Mary Peltola celebrates after results are announced for the special election in which she won the race for Alaska's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. She also told the outlet that having members who come from Indigenous communities can mean issues important to those communities, including climate change and violence against Native women may get more attention in Congress. Contributing: Merdie Nzanga 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: In adding Peltola, Congress has full U.S. Indigenous representation A rendering of the Wholestone Farms pork processing plant planned for Sioux Falls. A former city councilor is chairing a ballot question committee aimed at opposing the vote that could ban the construction and operation of new slaughterhouses within Sioux Falls city limits. Sioux Falls Open for Business filed their statement of organization on Tuesday morning. The committee is chaired by Christine Erickson, who began began leading the South Dakota Trucking Association earlier this year, shortly before the end of her eight-year term as a city councilor. The committees treasurer is Lorin Pankratz, a Pierre-based private investigator and lobbyist. The statement says the committees purpose is to oppose the November ballot measure to ban future slaughterhouse facilities in Sioux Falls. More: Head of SD Trucking Association says Wholestone opposition sets 'damning' precedent Outgoing city councilor Christine Erickson gives farewell remarks at her final city council meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at Carnegie Town Hall. Erickson has criticized the opposition to Wholestones plan to build a $500 million pork processing plant in northeastern Sioux Falls, which she says followed all the rules and would be a benefit to the city as well as local farmers. More: Noem says fight over Wholestone is driving business out of South Dakota "That precedent that's being set is really, really damning," she said. "If somebody doesn't like your industry, somebody can just put it on the ballot." She's been joined in that criticism by both Gov. Kristi Noem and the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce in recent months. The opposition has come from Smart Growth Sioux Falls, another ballot question committee that has successfully petitioned to place the slaughterhouse ban on the November ballot in Sioux Falls, specifically in opposition to the Wholestone project. More: Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce urges members to vote against slaughterhouse ban Construction has begun at Wholestone's "custom slaughterhouse," where customers will be able to choose a farmer to provide a hog for butchering. It will be at the proposed site of the $500 million plant, which is near Benson Road and I-229. That opposition has been based around claims that the new plant would negatively affect water and air quality in the city, while also adding to the citys housing challenges. The committees funding comes from a handful of local companies, including POET and JDS Industries. Desperately rallying interest groups at the eleventh hour proves that Wholestones backers know their butcher shop scheme wont work," said Robert Peterson, the treasurer for Smart Growth Sioux Falls, in a statement. "More than 10,000 residents signed our petition, and theyre not going to be fooled into letting new slaughterhouses stink up our community, contaminate our water, or drive down property values. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Ballot committee backing slaughterhouse chaired by ex-councilor In Her Hands, a Netflix documentary produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, has won the 18th Camden Intl. Film Festivals audience award. While the in-person component of the Maine-based festival ended on Sept. 18, tallying audience award votes concluded today. Online screenings of the fests lineup are available until Sept. 25 to audiences across North America. Filmed over a two year period, In Her Hands tells the story of Zarifa Ghafari, who at 26 became one of Afghanistans first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position. The film documents her fight for survival against the backdrop of her countrys accelerated unraveling as Western forces announce their retreat and the Taliban returns to power. Directed by Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen (Watani: My Homeland), In Her Hands premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival on Sept. 9. Ayazi, who is a native of Afghanistan, escaped in 2021 after the Taliban took over. Now living in London, Ayazi attended CIFF. The former secretary of state and her daughter Chelsea Clinton served as executive producers on the docu, the first nonfiction film from their HiddenLight Productions banner. When we had around 60 hours of footage, we contacted Propagate Production one of the production companies on the film and they had worked on another documentary with (the Clintons), so they contacted them about our film, and they were interested in collaborating, said Ayazi following a screening of In Her Hands at the Maine festival. Im honored and grateful that they supported the project. Its important to get attention back to Afghanistan. We need more people to support it, no matter if they are politicians, filmmakers, journalists anything to support the film and the cause. If we dont take action, we will all regret it. Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, who attended CIFF with her Golden Lion-winning doc All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, who had previously criticized the Toronto and Venice film festivals for programming documentaries connected to Hillary Clinton due to her involvement in the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her issues with the backers of In Her Hands aside, she warmly greeted Ayazi at CIFF. Poitras, along with A Compassionate Spy director Steve James and Descendant helmer Margaret Brown appeared at the fest to screen their respective films and celebrate the launch of the Diane Weyermann Fellowship at Points North. Weyermann, the former chief content officer at Participant and former director of the Sundance Institutes documentary film program, died last October of cancer. The fellowship in Weyermanns name will champion filmmakers producing cinematic feature documentaries that take artistic risks. I love what this festival is doing in terms of supporting filmmakers, Poitras told Variety about her decision to attend CIFF for the first time. Also coming together to support Diane and her legacy was important to me. In her last days, Diane was giving notes on my film and Steve and Margarets films. So, its really meaningful that this Fellowship will continue to support filmmakers the way that Diane did during her life. Any of us who have worked with Diane, and there are many, we have a debt to pay forward. James added, Its a great festival, but the launch of the fellowship made it extremely special. Also garnering CIFF 2022 awards were Kamar Ahmad Simons Day After, which won the festivals Harrell Award, and Ekaterina Selenkinas Detours, which took home the Cinematic Vision prize. Story continues The 19th Camden International Film Festival will be held September 14-17, 2023. More from Variety Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Concerns over air quality and workplace safety at a Des Moines correctional facility have led a labor union to file a grievance and the facility to conduct air quality testing. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union Council 61, which represents workers in Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging unsafe working conditions at the Fort Des Moines Corrections Complex building located at 65/66 Gruber Street. In the complaint, filed on Aug. 29, the union alleges mold and asbestos in the building are adversely impacting the health of workers and residents. It poses an emergency health risk that officials are not taking seriously, union president Rick Eilander said. Pictures provided to the Register and submitted to OSHA as part of the complaint show apparent mold growing on air vents and on floors and pipes. The images also show a pipe leaking a blue and yellow liquid. Eilander wrote in the complaint that the images were taken in the basement and first floor of building 65/66 of the Fort Des Moines Corrections Complex. Jerry Evans, the director of the Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, said he was made aware of the complaints by OSHA on Aug. 30. He said given the alleged mold is located in an unoccupied part of the building, it does not pose a direct health risk to employees or residents of the facility. More: Iowa-based union's history-making president leads influential organization with tumultuous past A Band-Aid fix, according to the union The complaint states the issue was not raised with the employer or a government agency prior to filing. Evans also said he was not made aware of the allegations prior to the complaint being filed. However, Eilander said supervisors of the facility were made aware of the issue and instructed employees not to enter the basement, where the majority of the mold is alleged to be. Story continues Eilander said this is not a solution to the problem. "Well if there is mold in the basement, there is mold in the building. It just does not make sense at all," he said. In a news release, Eilander wrote: "There have been similar band-aid solutions at other state-owned facilities after OSHA complaints were filed and inspected," citing inspections at the Wallace Building and another District 5 corrections facility. When asked about the potential dangers of mold in the air vents, as alleged by Eilander, Evans said the department last conducted an air quality test of the building three or four years ago. Given the new grievances raised to OSHA, Evans said he is working with Polk County Public Works to schedule a new air quality test. Eilander said the employee who raised the issue with the union is allegedly having health issues as a result of the mold. He did not disclose the nature of the employee's health issues. Evans said he was not aware of any employees or residents raising concerns over health issues. After submitting the complaint, Eilander was informed that OSHA will not be conducting an on-site investigation of the conditions. "I am really disappointed in OSHA. They're not doing on-site inspections. They're not holding the state accountable for these situations," he said. More: Ex-union leader acknowledges defending company as COVID-19 ravaged Iowa meatpacking plant workforce Over $2 million of improvements The Fort Des Moines Corrections Complex contains offices and residential living for low-risk offenders. The facility provides full residential programming for men on probation or parole supervision, in addition to substance abuse treatment and transitional housing programs. The facility also serves as a halfway house for those with criminal convictions that do not warrant a full stay in the residential program, according to the facility's brochure. The buildings under question were constructed in 1905 as army barracks, according to the Library of Congress. The first floor of the building is office space and the second floor is housing for residents of the facility, Evans said. Evans recognized the buildings are old and have been in need of repair for some years. However, he said the department has dedicated over $2 million to making upgrades to the entire complex over the last fiscal year, including a $1.2 million bathroom project in buildings 68 and 70, an estimated $375,000 roof replacement project for the entire complex, new paved roads, eight new air conditioning units in building 65/66 and other mechanical improvements. Evans said the newly installed air conditioning units are on the first and second floors and do not pull any air from the basement. "It's an old building and we continue to address everything that is outdated," he said. "That facility is probably in the best shape it's been in for the last 20 years at least." OSHA did not respond to a request for comment. More: Anamosa prison sought to boost staff after 2 employees were killed. The months-long push yielded 1 fewer worker What about the residents? The Fort Des Moines Corrections Complex houses over 200 residents and serves 660 "justice-involved individuals," according to the Fifth Judicial District's 2021 Annual Report. Evans said the facility has not yet notified residents of building 65/66 of the complaint. "I think it would be premature to elevate one person's expressed concern to that level without having any supporting confirmation done by a professional entity that specializes in this area," he wrote in an email. According to Chapter 904 of the Iowa code, the Department of Corrections is obligated to adopt policies and procedures to prevent infectious diseases, defined as any contamination which may expose residents to serious health risks. Administrative rules associated with the code state that department staff are required to ensure facilities meet the standards of local health and safety regulations. The rules broadly state that a written policy must be in place to prevent the spread of any infectious diseases. Peter McRoberts, the policy director for the Iowa ACLU, said he and his team have not conducted an independent investigation into the issue and are therefore not aware of the severity of the complaint or whether or not the alleged conditions have impacted the health of residents in the facility. However, he said this is an issue the Department of Corrections should take seriously. "As we all can appreciate, the Constitution requires that anyone, either as a condition of probation or parole, who lives in a residential facility like Fort Des Moines, is guaranteed sanitary and safe conditions and that their health is not put at risk on account of anything beyond their control," he said. "To the extent that the residents there, the inmates, who don't have any choice in the matter, are potentially exposed to any type of conditions that can risk their health, that needs to be fixed immediately," he said. Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Union says Des Moines correctional facility is unsafe, has black mold Chinese-owned video streamer iQiyi has confirmed that it has blocked access in Singapore to ten gay-themed TV series. But it says that the move is temporary. The content was temporarily removed in compliance with the Infocomm Media Development Authoritys guidance towards R21 content, a company spokesman told Variety by email. R21 restricts viewing to people aged over 21. More from Variety The shows blocked include iQiyis Thai-language original KinnPorsche and Until We Met Again that fall into the Boys Love or BL genre. Soft-core romances between (mostly young and handsome) men have become hugely popular in Southeast Asia. And much of the audience for them is adult and female. The Singapore government recently said that it will continue to restrict and classify media content with LGBTQ themes, even after its planned decriminalization of same-sex relationships. The move to repeal a colonial-era law that criminalized sex between men was announced in August by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The law, Section 377A of the Penal Code, was introduced in 1938 and established a two-year jail term for any act of gross indecency between two men, either in public or in private. But Lee said that the law on marriage will be strengthened to only include heterosexual couples. We will continue to take reference from prevailing norms. LGBTQ media content will continue to warrant higher age ratings, said Singapores Ministry of Communications and Information in August. The countrys Films Act does not permit content which is deemed promotion of homosexuality or content with excessive depiction of sexual activity between individuals of the same gender. Story continues In June, Disneys animated Pixar film Lightyear was limited to those aged 16 and above by the countrys rating board, citing its depiction of a kiss between two female characters. The countrys IMDA, which oversees the sector, recently explained that according to its content code: Films that centre on alternative sexualities may be classified at (the) highest rating of R21. Non-explicit depictions of sexual activity between persons of the same gender may be featured at R21 rating. iQiyi says it will introduce stricter access controls as part of its user interface. The system will likely require use of a PIN code for individual titles. We are working on UI improvement and aim to reinstall respective content catalog once the required mechanism is implemented, the company said. The company told Variety that the incident would not have an impact on content commissioning or licensing as it expects that the proposed technological solution will allow it to make the catalog available again within Singapore after the current hiatus. iQiyi also confirmed that the BL shows have only been removed from access in Singapore in response to regulatory action. That means the series are currently available in Malaysia, Singapores mainly Muslim neighbor which effectively banned Lightyear and the latest Thor movie because of their LGBTQ elements. The incident is rich in contradictions. iQiyi established a regional headquarters in Singapore in order to be able to do things that it is not permitted to do in mainland China such as commission and screen Korean shows and LGBTQ content. Regional hit, KinnPorsche has never been available on iQiyi in mainland China. The incident also highlights the tightrope being walked by many international media conglomerates which have set their regional headquarters in a country which opposes many of the liberal ideals that they appear to stand for. Singapore is socially conservative and has one of the lowest rankings in the world for press freedom. Despite Singapores potential for such problems, the drift of personnel and media concentration is likely to continue. Hong Kong, traditionally Asias other media hub, is being undermined by the actions of its government and police. In the past 18 months several media outlets have closed, including leading opposition newspaper Apple Daily. And in recent days, Hong Kong police arrested and charged Ronson Chan, head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, with obstruction. The arrest may be a move to prevent Chan from traveling to the U.K. where he was due to take part in a fellowship program at Oxford University. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Ah, September. The heat of summer is on its way out and fall is on its way in. But don't worry, there are still plenty of books to keep you warm. So break out your mugs and fill them up with your favorite fall beverage (perhaps something pumpkin spice-flavored), and relax with a few new feel-good tales that feature a little laughter and a whole lot of love. For this month's roundup, USA TODAY staff read a collection of new rom-coms featuring a heated romance between a Napa Valley vineyard owner and a tech executive, a two-night stand with an unexpected twist and an international pop star who gets more than she could have imagined when she inadvertently ends up in Rome, Kentucky. Read more banned books: These 51 books are targets for book bans. Here's why you should read them now "Drunk on Love" by Jasmine Guillory 'Drunk on Love' By Jasmine Guillory. (out of four). Out now. At least half of Guillorys latest romance novel takes place in the bedroom, so if youre uncomfortable with literature that gets down and dirty, this books not for you. But if your reading preferences are more rom than com, youll love this steamy tale of Napa Valley vineyard owner Margot and tech exec Luke, who have a passionate fling at his place after meeting at a local bar. Unfortunately, the no-strings-attached one-night stand puts Margot in a bind when Luke shows up for his first day of work at Noble Family Vineyards and she learns hes her newest employee. Each has secrets to hide and walls to break down, and Guillory allows her characters to tackle them in a way thats relatable. Guillory also demonstrates why she's a bestselling author as she weaves in more serious threads about race and identity, what it means to be recognized and what it means to be successful. You'll be cheering for Margot and Luke until you turn the last page. Leigh Harrington "The American Roommate Experiment," by Elena Armas 'The American Roommate Experiment' By Elena Armas. (out of four). Out now. When Rosie Graham hears someone breaking into her apartment OK, her best friends apartment, her best friend who doesnt technically know shes using it she isnt prepared for it to be her roommates pro surfer cousin, Lucas Martin, the one shes been obsessively following on socials. Shes less prepared for them to become de facto roommates and partners in a quest to jumpstart the stalled-out draft of her latest romance novel. The American Roommate Experiment is the follow-up to Armas huge-on-TikTok The Spanish Love Deception (yes, Aaron and Lina make cameos) with a new twist on the Spain-Meets-New York story. Rosie and Lucas connection deepens with every swoony, steamy date youll want to get swept up too. Jennifer Ernst Beaudry Story continues "Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake," by Mazey Eddings 'Lizzie Blakes Best Mistake' By Mazey Eddings. (out of four). Out now. When a two-night stand turns into a lot more than Lizzie Blake bargained for, she sets her determined yet attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder mind on making a platonic relationship work with the too-hot-to-handle Australian baby daddy, Rake. For his part, Rake is actually quite a gentleman. And for reasons we must patiently wait to discover, he wants nothing more than to be an equal part of raising their unexpected child. Steamy scenes and smart writing will keep you wanting more as Lizzie and Rake navigate real-life circumstances and grapple with unrealistic boundaries. While the unwanted feelings loop that Lizzie and Rake create gets a bit repetitive, it gives us time to root for Lizzies success in a secret, sultry baking endeavor. Eddings sets this story up for not one, but two satisfying climaxes as Lizzy triumphs over her fritzy brain and her family, to turn all of her past (and present) mistakes into a very happy ever after. Danielle DeSiato 'Part of a widescale political attack': 'Gender Queer' author Maia Kobabe talks banned books "When in Rome," by Sarah Adams 'When in Rome' By Sarah Adams. (out of four). Out now. Rae Rose badly needs a break from her isolated life as the princess of soulful pop. But she gets more than she could have imagined when she inadvertently finds herself in Rome, Kentucky thanks to some inspiration from Audrey Hepburn. Rose ends up crashing with Noah Walker, a taciturn but caring pie shop owner who allegedly does not have the energy to fall in love. Luckily for readers, this is a well-written love story. Together, Rose and Walker learn to let their guards down and cautiously let love in. By the end, a burnt-out popstar with help from loving sisters and nosy but loving town members is finally able to build the life of her dreams. True love included. Mabinty Quarshie "The Make-Up Test," by Jenny L. Howe 'The Make-Up Test' By Jenny L. Howe. (out of four). Out now. "The Make-Up Test" follows brilliant and highly competitive student Allison Avery in her first year of graduate school at the prestigious Claymore University. Everything should be perfect when she lands a teaching assistant job with her dream mentor, except her co-TA is her ex-boyfriend and academic enemy, Colin Benjamin. When theyre pitted against each other for a distinguished research position, who will win? And can they rekindle their love in light of the competition? Featuring a plus-size heroine, "The Make-Up Test" provides some much-needed representation in the rom-com genre. When we meet Allison, shes confident and comfortable in her body, and her body poses no obstacle in her journey to romance. Its not all quaint, as Allison faces fatphobia from her classmates and family, which can be difficult to read at times. This sweet and funny story drags at times when it gets into complicated family dynamics. A series of miscommunications frustratingly complicates Allison and Benjamins love story, but I was still rooting for them until the very last page. Samantha Mangino This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jasmine Guillory's 'Drunk on Love' and other steamy September rom-coms WATSONVILLE, Calif., September 20, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Granite (NYSE:GVA) announced today that is has been awarded two construction contracts worth approximately $107 million on State Highway 288 near Houston, Texas. When combined with the previously announced $40 million contract on a different segment of SH 288, the additional segments give Granite more than $145 million of work on SH 288. The contracts were awarded and will be funded by the Texas Department of Transportation. They are anticipated to be included in Granites third quarter CAP. In total, the two projectsone centered on SH 288 at Cedar Rapids Parkway, the other on SH 288 at Dubuque Parkwaycover 24 lane miles in six miles of four lane highway. The scope of work includes construction of five new bridges, the reconstruction and reconfiguration of entry and exit ramps approaching the new structures, and new grade separations. Granite will set up a batch concrete plant to provide material for these projects. Coming on the heels of the recent completion of the Grand Parkway Project, Granite teams are ready for a seamless transition to the work on SH 288. "The strong collaboration between our operating and estimating teams was critical to bid day success," said Domingo Gonzalez, Granite project executive. "These adjacent projects are also a chance to continue our successful partnership with the local TxDOT teams on delivering the infrastructure that people need." The project start is expected in fall 2022 and anticipated completion is summer 2024. About Granite Granite is Americas Infrastructure Company. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE:GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granites Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit the Granite website, graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220920005317/en/ Contacts Granite Contacts Media Erin Kuhlman - 831-768-4111 Investors Wenjun Xu - 831-761-7861 Magnus Carlsen of Norway resigned after making one move against Hans Niemann and then switched off his video during an online chess game (Getty Images) Chess world champion Magnus Carlsen resigned from an online chess match against American rival Hans Niemann after making just one move in a deepening of the scandal surrounding the two players. The two were playing an online match in the Julius Baer Generation Cup on Monday when Carlsen, of Norway, resigned and turned off his webcam without saying anything after a single move. The match commentators were completely taken by surprise after Carlsens resignation, reported ChessBase. It was Carlsen and Niemanns first meeting since the Americans victory over Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup earlier this month - in which the Norwegian accused his opponent of cheating. Magnus Carlsen just resigned. Got up and left, said Chess24 commentator and chess grandmaster Tania Sachdev. Switched off his camera, and thats all we know right now. Were going to try to get an update on this. As Ms Sachdev was saying this, Niemanns webcam was seen being switched off as well without the player making any comment. Earlier this month, the worlds top player hinted that the young grandmaster, Niemann, may have cheated in his previous game between the two grandmasters. Carlsen sent shockwaves around the sport when he quit a $500,000 tournament in St Louis less than 24 hours after his surprise defeat to Niemann. Story continues Niemann denied the accusations of cheating, but admitted to cheating as a 12-year-old and then 16-year-old in online games. He insisted he had not cheated in order to beat Carlsen, before accusing his critics of trying to ruin his career. He said he would even be willing to strip naked to prove his innocence and stressed he was a reformed character after admitting to using computers to cheat in online games on Chess.com as a youth. Last week, Niemann also rejected claims that he had used a sex toy to beat Carlsen. The streak of 53 games during which Carlsen remained unbeaten was ended on 4 September when he was defeated by the 19-year-old Niemann in the Sinquefield Cup hosted by the St Louis Chess Club. Then-Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard before a debate in 2007. For our most current coverage:: One of the bodies discovered in Woonsocket ID'd as former Mayor Susan Menard The Rhode Island Medical Examiners Office is trying to determine the identities of two bodies found Monday in the home of former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard, according to the Woonsocket police. The Woonsocket police went to the house at 2 Marian Lane after a neighbor called and said he hadn't seen the woman and man who resided in the house for "a couple of weeks," Woonsocket police chief Thomas F. Oates III said. A man and woman in their 70s had been living in the house, according to Oates. More: Two severely decomposed bodies discovered in former Rhode Island mayor's home Police officers were able to force their way in through a rear window and found the bodies in separate rooms, Oates said, but they were decomposed and the medical examiner will have to make a positive identification, Oates said. The police saw no evidence that a crime had been committed, according to Oates. Menard served as mayor from 1995 until 2009, when she stepped down. A Democrat, Menard was first elected to the School Committee in 1981 and later served 10 years on the City Council, including as president. In April 2009, Menard's daughter died unexpectedly in her Newton, Massachusetts, home. Carrie Pilavin, 31, was married with two young sons, ages 2 and 4. jperry@providencejournal.com (401) 277-7614 On Twitter: @jgregoryperry Be the first to know. Sign up for our breaking news alerts This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Two bodies found in home of former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard Chinas alleged efforts to block Taiwans Miss Asia Global representative Kao Man-jung from waving the islands flag on stage did not stop her from competing in the pageant and taking home awards. Also known as Maggie Kao, the beauty queen took to Instagram to share images of herself holding the awards for Miss Talent, Miss Online Personality and Miss Diligent. She also landed among the top 20 contestants at the end of the pageant. "Thank you to the government and my mother who supports me the most, Kao said, according to Taiwan News. Thank you to everyone who supports Man-jung. I could not do it without you." More from NextShark: Man Accused of Racially Abusing a Bystander in Canada Will NOT Be Charged Taiwans Foreign Ministry condemned organizers at the 2022 World Congress on Innovation & Technology (WCIT) in Penang, Malaysia, for allegedly preventing Kao from joining other pageant contestants on stage last week. Taoyuan Department of Information Technology Director-General Karen Yu shared photos and video on Facebook showing Kao wiping away tears during the opening ceremony last Tuesday. More from NextShark: Hundreds gather to honor late advocate for Asian American seniors Im Ja Choi Event organizers later apologized to the beauty queen and said they could not allow her to go on stage because of a last-minute change, Yu wrote on the Facebook post. Featured Image via manjung0217 More from NextShark: NYPD Releases Videos Urging Chinese Community to Report Hate Crimes In the Deep South, some young people are facing a school-to-prison pipeline. When not supported academically, they are often forced out of school because of behavioral issues. In Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, one in three public school students is Black. More than half are low-income, and one-third live below the poverty line. Bacardi Jackson, childrens rights interim deputy legal director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, explained these issues are exacerbated by the funneling of money away from public schools, leading to continuing segregation in education. The SPLC is working to support those children disproportionately damaged by the system. A $1 million grant from the Gilead Foundation's Creating Possible Fund will help the SPLC in this effort. The foundation is the nonprofit arm of biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. The foundation states that its mission is to promote health prosperity for all. The grant supports several arms of the SPLC. On the education side, it will support litigation in the sphere of education. One specific suit is a class-action lawsuit taking place in Louisiana, where the SPLC is representing over 47,000 Medicaid eligible children with mental illness. "So, we are talking about really tragic circumstances that occur when the states failed to meet their obligations to provide what children are entitled to under the law, said Jackson. So, being able to have support for the litigation that is ongoing, to hold the state accountable is really important. The grant will help the SPLC research increased policing in schools in response to school shootings, specifically looking at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission in Parkland, Fla. They are also looking into a research project focused on Miami-Dade County in Florida, where a disproportionate number of young girls felt sexually harassed by school resource officers. If we don't fix the climates in our schools, if we don't deal with the sources of all of the indicators that show us how Black and brown people and children with disabilities are being harmed, then all of us are suffering, Jackson said. We are not in a healthy climate. Story continues Another area of the Southern Poverty Law Center that the grant is supporting is the criminal justice reform arm. Leslie Faith Jones, a senior staff attorney in the SPLCs criminal justice reform group. Jones said they are part of a collective to reduce the number of incarcerated Black and brown youth in Hinds County, Miss. We are not coming to tell Hinds County what to do, said Jones. We are coming in to support the needs that they have identified for themselves. "We can continue to invest in our young people, and that return on our investment will be safer communities for all of us, said Jones. Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at jstephenson@gannett.com or 334-261-1569. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: SPLC receives $1 million grant from nonprofit health foundation Explore editor Hi! Im Sara Rae Shields, Explore editor for the Yakima Herald-Republic. Im a very outgoing and sociable person and I want to share with readers whats going on in the Yakima Valley. I also want to hear from you. Lets create strong community bonds over the fun events and fascinating people to meet in the area. Im Wapato born and raised and love meeting locals and transplants. I spend a lot of time supporting the Seattle Sounders as part of the Dry Side Supporters, raving about my rescue dog, Telly and hanging out at local gathering spots like restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars. Prior to working for YHR, I was a GIS Specialist for the Yakama Nation and take great pride in the 15 years I spent working for my tribe. I also coached middle school girls soccer in Wapato and worked the front desk at a tattoo/body piercing shop. Santiago Ochoas reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund . For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. President Katalin Novak touched on the governments oft-promoted themes of Christian faith, peace and national identity in remarks posted on her Facebook page after she attended the funeral of Britains Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. The world is mourning a leader who placed her whole life in the service of her nation, Novak said. A leader has left us to whom her Christian faith was a daily reality. A leader who was able to remain calm, thoughtful, wise and dignified even in the most difficult situations. Somebody who knew that peace is a huge treasure. She said the Queen understood Hungarians and accepted and respected the differing historical, geographical and cultural features of nations, adding We strive to remain worthy of her legacy. God rest her soul. The accompanying photograph shows Novak wearing a wide black hat, a black dress, and pearl earrings with her husband by her side, and a large picture of the Queen in the background. The 27th International Book Festival Budapest will take place between 29 September and 2 October. The Budapest International Book Festival, now being held for the 27th time, is a noted event of the international book world, the region's defining professional and cultural forum. The festival awaits its visitors at the Millenaris, in a sophisticated environment, in an easily accessible, central location, with even more modern and beautiful exhibition spaces in the Reception (building G), and the Glass Hall (building D) and the park of the Millenaris. The Budapest International Book Festival traditionally hosts the world's most prestigious writers and poets. The guest of honour at this year's festival is Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, who will also receive the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest. Every year, the culture, literature, and book publishing of a country or region are presented as guests of honour. This year, the Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association, in cooperation with Bazis (Hungarian Literary and Art Association in Slovakia), will focus on the best of literature from Slovakia both in Hungarian and in Slovak languages. In accordance with our traditions, we will set up a separate stand for BAZIS in the fairgrounds of the Book Festival. On Thursday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m., the festival will begin with the opening ceremony, which will be held at the National Dance Theater. Within the framework of the Festival, the highly successful European Debut Writers Festival, presenting the talents of young prose writers from the member states of the European Union, will be held. The event is organized as a joint venture of the 27 countries of the European Union and will take place at the Europa Point of Budapest. /Ce projet a ete realise grace au soutien de lappel Creativite a leuropeenne de lInstitut franca. / This project will be organized with the support of the European Creativity Program of the French Institute. The Book Festival will be open from noon on the 29th of September; from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Slovakia at the 27th International Book Festival After the success of Slovakia as guest of honour in 2016, the country's literature will have another opportunity to present itself at the Budapest International Book Festival. With the participation of the civic association BAZIS, 29 volumes will be presented at the event with personal participation of the authors - among them are such names as Peter Balko, Silvester Lavrik, Michal Hvorecky, Katarina Kucbelova, Jana Juranova. Authors from the youngest generation will also participate (Nicol Hochholczerova, Dominika Madro, Alena Sabuchova) as well as children's book authors (Jana Bodnarova, Andrea Gregusova, Eva Urbanova). Another special feature of this years guest of honour is that, in addition to Slovak authors, representatives of the Hungarian literary life of Slovakia will also participate in several programs. Five Hungarian literary journals - Jelenkor, Tiszataj, Kalligram, Alfold and Irodalmi Szemle - will have a Slovak literary block. The Festival also pays special attention to Hungarian translators of Slovak literature. The volumes of Slovak authors will be presented by outstanding representatives of Hungarian literary life, including authors known in Slovakia as well, such as Pal Zavada or Gabor Nemeth. The Slovak exhibition stand will be opened by Gyorgy Dragoman and Anna T. Szabo together with the guests from Slovakia. Opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) MEP Klara Dobrev on Monday introduced members of its shadow cabinet, declaring that the shadow cabinet was there to ensure that DK was ready to govern. Dobrev told a press conference that Hungary could emerge from its crisis only if Prime Minister Viktor Orbans irresponsible government were dislodged. She said shadow cabinet members were respected experts in their respective fields. Deputy party leader Csaba Molnar will take up post of shadow chancellery minister and shadow deputy prime minister responsible for EU affairs and public administration reform. Zoltan Bodnar, a former deputy governor of the National Bank of Hungary, will be shadow finance minister, the only non-elected official, Dobrev said, noting Bodnars expertise in budgetary, fiscal and monetary policy. MEP Sandor Ronai, the shadow foreign minister, is tasked with restoring Hungarys image abroad and reviving Visegrad Group cooperation. The post of shadow interior minister has been assigned to Geza Musto, deputy mayor of Budapests 10th district, while Ferenc David will be shadow economy minister. Among other shadow cabinet posts, Agnes Vadai, former defence minister, will take up the shadow defence job. Asked why Ferenc Gyurcsany, the former Socialist prime minister, has not been tapped for a shadow cabinet position, DKs spokeswoman Olga Kalman said the DK leader had already made it clear that he would focus on leading the party and its parliamentary group, and would not accept a government position. Ruling Fidesz said in reaction that Dobrevs shadow cabinet was an attempt by Gyurcsany to return to power. We said so a long time ago and now theyre not even trying to hide the fact that Ferenc Gyurcsany is the one in charge on the left and wants to get back in power, and with his own people, no less, the party said in a statement. Fidesz said the left-wing oppositions spring election campaign had been nothing more than a show, insisting that Gyurcsany had been in control then, too. Gyurcsany and his people have already demonstrated how they govern, Fidesz said. They brought the country and the Hungarian economy to ruin, pushed Hungary to the brink of bankruptcy and into mass unemployment, and impoverished the people with a series of austerity measures and utility bill hikes. YORK COUNTY Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a California woman after locating approximately 20 pounds of suspected cocaine during a traffic stop near York. At approximately 12:35 p.m., Saturday, a trooper observed a Ford Expedition following another vehicle too closely while traveling on Interstate 80 near York. During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 20 pounds of suspected cocaine, which was concealed inside the vehicles seats. The driver, Imelda Ambriz, 34, of Los Angeles, California, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. She was lodged in the York County Jail. The York County Sheriffs Department and York Police Department assisted with the situation. Citroen is one of the newest car brands in the country, and they operate in the Indian market with just two cars - C5 Aircross and C3. The latter has been recently introduced in India, and it is, in fact, bringing some numbers to Citroens sales tally. Back in the days, when Citroen just had the C5 Aircross in the market, it struggled to post a 3-digit figure on the monthly sales tally. However, for the month of August this year, the company recorded sales of 850 units, which resulted in YoY growth of 1,600 per cent, as the French brand could only sell 50 units in the corresponding period last year. The brand registered sales of 25 units of the Citroen C5 Aircross, whereas the new C3 could find 825 buyers. The Citroen C3 is the automakers mass-market product, and it rivals the likes of the Tata Punch and some B-segment hatchbacks. The C3 is priced from 5.71 lakh for the entry-level variant and it tops out at Rs 8.06 lakh for range-topping trim. It is available with two powertrain options - 1.2L NA petrol and 1.2L turbo-petrol. Transmission options include a 5-speed MT and 6-speed MT. Also read - MG Motor India launches Service on Wheels doorstep repair program for its cars Also, the company has just launched the refreshed C5 Aircross in the Indian market. The mid-size premium SUV now dons a revised front fascia with sharper headlamps and bumper. The side profile remains the same, but a new design for the alloy wheels is used. Around the rear, the tail lamp design is refreshed as well. The powertrain on the facelifted model remains the same - a 2.0L 4-cylinder diesel engine that comes paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Prices for the Citroen C5 Aircross start from Rs 36.67 lakh, ex-showroom, making it rival the Hyundai Tucson and the likes. MG Motor India has launched a doorstep repair and maintenance program for its consumers called MG Service on Wheels. The initiative will provide MG owners with car repairs at their doorstep while being a faster and more efficient way of offering service to customers. The Chinese-owned British brand has launched the pilot version of the Service on Wheels program in Rajkot, Gujrat for now, but it will soon make its way to other parts of the country. The service suite will not just be addressing breakdowns and emergencies, it will cater buyers opting for periodic maintenance as well. It will cover most service operations that are otherwise provided only in a workshop. The program will be manned and operated by fully trained and certified technicians backed by MGs seamless customer support. This will bolster the service network and extend its reach across the existing market. MG Service on Wheels will operate as a mobile workshop equipped with all the necessary tools, spare parts, and other consumables and digital assets to support immediate and unforeseen yet urgent vehicle maintenance requirements. The program will be powered by a simple and effortless appointment booking system. It will allow customers to connect with the company and schedule their car maintenance at their convenience. Also read - Electric scooter battery catches fire, kills 8-year-old in New York City MG Motor previously introduced various customer-facing initiatives including- MY MG Shield and 'MG Care@Home'. While MY MG Shield is a unique and industry-leading car protection and care program; MG Care@Home initiative, rolled out in 2021, is designed to provide contactless repair and sanitization services to customers at their doorstep. As a mark of recognition for its novel and unique services, MG Motor secured the Number 1 ranking in J.D. Power India Customer Service Index (CSI) 2021 Study. To increase medical facility assistance pan-India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation proposed the usage of helicopters to ensure the delivery of medical care in time to accident victims last month. However, today at the 49th national convention of the All India Management Association (AIMA) Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that the air ambulance facility is soon going to be operational from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh. The Aviation Minister further stated that a request for proposal will be invited in the next couple of weeks for AIIMS Rishikesh so that helicopters can be pushed into service. Air ambulances are soon going to be operational. A Request for Proposal will be invited in the next couple of weeks for AIIMS Rishikesh so that helicopters are pushed into service to save precious time and lives, Scindia said. "We are working with the Road and Transport Ministry and the Health Ministry to look at Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The 'golden hour' we have for road accident victims, we can evacuate them from highways directly to the hospital and the first centre we are looking at is AIIMS Rishikesh," he added. Also read: 'Will VERIFY facts...': Jyotiraditya Scindia makes SIGNIFICANT remarks on Bhagwant Mann's deplaning row For its pilot project, the ministry had invited expressions of interest (EoI) from air operators who can offer one single-engine or twin-engine helicopter in the role of an air ambulance with EMS capability for six months based out of a helipad at AIIMS Rishikesh. This helicopter will be used to provide crucial service for victims of life-threatening trauma within the golden hour, the one-hour window after an accident when access to definitive care can make all the difference between life and death. According to the statistics shared by the ministry in the Parliament in March, only 49 air ambulances are currently being operated in India by 19 operators and around 4,100 patients have hired air ambulances in the last three years. (With inputs from PTI) Lufthansa, the German air carrier that's in the crossfire over recent allegations on Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for being deplaned, has replied to a Twitter user on the matter. However, Lufthansa is yet to issue an official statement in the matter. As per a reply on a Twitter post that was directed at the airline to clarify the matter, Lufthansa said, "Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change." The airline has not confirmed or denied if the delay involved CM Bhagwant Mann or not. Earlier, media reports stated that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a flight for being intoxicated. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned in Frankfurt for Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight as he was "too drunk to walk". Mann, who was on a trip to Germany from September 11-18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'. Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change. Best regards Lufthansa News (@lufthansaNews) September 19, 2022 After allegations were levelled against the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for being deplaned from a flight in Germany, AAP refuted the claims. His party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), strongly denied the rumours, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals. Officials in the Chief Minister's Office claimed that the Chief Minister could not board the flight because of an emergent health concerns. Levelling serious allegations against CM Mann, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said Mann's deplaning led to a 4-hour flight delay and he further slammed the Punjab government over their silence on the issue and sought clarifications on the incident. "Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention. These reports have embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe," tweeted Badal. As seen on flight tracking website Flightaware, Lufthansa 760 flight from Frankfurt to Delhi was delayed for 4 hours. It was scheduled to take off from Germany at 1.40 PM but took off at 5.34 PM and landed in Delhi at 4.40 AM, a delay of 3.45 hours. Aviation Minister of India, Jyotiraditya Scindia has given his first remarks on the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's deplaning row. On being asked about the incident, Scindia stated that the incident happened on the international soil and they will make sure to verify facts. He further stated that based on the request sent to him, Aviation Ministry will certainly look into the matter, however, it all depends on the data provided by Lufthansa, the German air carrier that allegedly deplaned CM Mann in Frankfurt. "This was int'l soil. We'll have to make sure we verify facts. Up to Lufthansa to provide data. I'll certainly, based on request sent to me, look into it," said Jyotiraditya Scindia, Aviation Minister of India. On request demanding inquiry into allegations about Punjab CM being deplaned from a Lufthansa aircraft,Civil Aviation Min says,"This was int'l soil. We'll have to make sure we verify facts. Up to Lufthansa to provide data. I'll certainly,based on request sent to me, look into it" pic.twitter.com/CPNuif41gL ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2022 Earlier, Lufthansa, the German air carrier that's in the crossfire over recent allegations on Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for being deplaned, replied to a Twitter user on the matter. However, Lufthansa is yet to issue an official statement in the matter. As per a reply on a Twitter post that was directed at the airline to clarify the matter, Lufthansa said, "Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change." The airline has not confirmed or denied if the delay involved CM Bhagwant Mann or not. New Delhi: Having left the masses talking about it after its intriguing poster, Junglee Pictures is here with the trailer of its upcoming medical campus comedy-drama DOCTOR G headlined by Ayushmann Khurrana, Rakul Preet Singh and Shefali Shah. Being yet another unique and engaging story by Junglee Pictures, Doctor G will see Ayushmann essay the role of a gynaecologist for the very first time in his career directed by Anubhuti Kashyap. The trailer says it all that Doctor G will take the audience through an interesting and fun-filled journey of a hopeful orthopaedic who turns a Gynaecologist and the struggles he faces being the only male doctor in a class full of women. With a plot of how a man navigates his way in a womans world, this high-on-comedy drama highlights a riveting subject in a light-hearted manner. While Ayushmann Khurrana has been instrumental in bringing many taboo subjects to the big screen in his career spanning a decade, DOCTOR G pushes the envelope with a fresh and humorous trailer showing him in a never seen before avatar that guarantees to entertain the audiences as he navigates his life with his professors and fellow classmates. The actor this time around is joined by powerhouse performer Shefali Shah, the coordinator of the medical college, Rakul Preet Singh who plays his senior in the film, and Sheeba Chaddha playing the role of his mother and whats interesting to witness is the dynamics shared between the ensemble cast with situational comedy and top-notch performances. Amrita Pandey, CEO Junglee Pictures says Doctor G was a script which fit so well in the Junglee Pictures slate, and we hope this clutter breaking trailer will get audiences to come experiences this campus comedy-drama in theatres. Anubhuti, the writers, the crew, and the powerhouse talent of Ayushmann Khurrana, Shefali Shah and Rakul Preet have brought this story alive so well Anubhuti Kashyap, Director says, Doctor G is a coming-of-age comedy drama set in a medical campus and is a compelling and hilarious look at a male gynaecologist surviving an otherwise female-dominated world. Ayushmann Khurrana has done an amazing job essaying the role of Doctor Uday Gupta. He along with Shefali Shah and Rakul Preet Singh, have brought so much to their individual roles that can make one relate to these characters and situations. The film addresses gender stereotypes in his personal and professional life enveloped in comedy and is something that will appeal to young-India. Written by Sumit Saxena, Saurabh Bharat, Vishal Wagh and Anubhuti Kashyap Doctor G is set to release in theatres on 14th Oct. Junglee Pictures upcoming slate also includes Woh Ladaki Hai Kahan?, Dosa King, Ulajh and Click Shankar to name a few. You may remember that during his independence day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the farmers to reduce their dependence on chemical fertilisers. He appealed to the farmers to adopt natural farming practices. "Natural farming, chemical-free farming can give strength to the countrys goal of becoming self-reliant," PM Modi had said. While addressing the Natural Farming Conclave in July this year, PM Modi had reminded the farmers that natural farming is a means of prosperity as well as respecting and serving our mother earth. When you do natural farming, you serve Mother Earth, protect the quality of the soil, its productivity. When you do natural farming you are serving nature and the environment. When you join natural farming, you also get the privilege of serving Gaumata, he said. This shows that the central government was working on bringing a policy related to natural farming and now as per various reports, it's all set to come out with the Pradhan Mantri-Promotion of Alternative Nutritious And Agriculture Management (PM-PRANAM) scheme soon. The PM-PRANAM scheme is aimed at discouraging the use of chemical fertilisers and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. Also Read: PM Kisan: BIG update for crores of eligible farmers, THIS important facility restored before 12th installment announcement Under the scheme, the states with lesser utilisation of chemical fertilisers in a particular year as compared to the average quantity in the last three years would be incentivised. The states would be provided with 50% of the fertilizer subsidy saving they do by using less fertilizer. It may be noted that farmers have been relying extensively on fertilisers like urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP), and Muriate of Potash (MOP) to increase their yields. The scheme will help the government reduce the fertiliser subsidy burden besides promoting natural farming. Last year, the centre spent around Rs 1.62 lakh crore on fertiliser subsidy and the same is expected to increase to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023. The reports said that states can use 70% of that incentive for farmers' welfare and related developments. Also Read: PM-KISAN: THESE farming families are not eligible for getting Rs 6,000 yearly benefit? The remaining 30% grant can be used for incentivising those panchayats, farmers and self-help groups who helped in reducing fertiliser use. The scheme may prove to be a game-changer for the agriculture sector as it will promote natural farming thus increasing yield, reduce subsidy burdern and incentivise states as well. According to government data, fertilizer requirements have been increasing in the last few years. The total requirement of Urea, DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate), MOP (Muriate of potash), and NPKS (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) rose by 21% between 2017-2018 and 2021-2022, from 528.86 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 640.27 LMT. This increased the subsidy burden as well. The government is still finalising the nitty-gritty of the PM-PRANAM scheme after taking inputs from all stakeholders. It's yet to finalize a launch date for the scheme. Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be on a day-long visit to Gujarat to address a town hall meeting in Vadodara on Tuesday. The AAP leader has visited the state multiple times in the recent past as Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Gujarat are due later this year. Last week, the Delhi CM held town hall meetings in the state where he interacted with auto-rickshaw drivers, lawyers and other people. Kejriwal will hold a press conference today before attending a town hall meeting to "give his message to the people of Gujarat," state AAP president Gopal Italia told PTI, adding that Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, however, will visit Ahmedabad on Wednesday to offer prayers at the Sabarmati Ashram before embarking on the party's campaign in north Gujarat. During his multiple visits to Gujarat in the recent past, AAP chief Kejriwal had announced a slew of "guarantees", including free electricity up to 300 units per month, allowances for women and unemployed youth, free and quality healthcare and education and the creation of jobs. Also read: 'Very serious': Kejriwal on Chandigarh University girl student leaking pvt videos of her hostel mates The ruling BJP in the state is trying to scuttle the AAP bid to expand its base ahead of the Assembly polls, alleged the Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP has alleged that the BJP threatened and forced 13 owners of various venues to cancel bookings to ensure that Arvind Kejriwal's programme cannot be held in Vadodara on Tuesday. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave refused to comment on the AAP leader's claim. Also read: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal makes BIG promise: 'If we get control of MCD...' Kejriwal tagged the tweet of AAP national joint secretary Isudan Gadhvi and said it was not right to prevent Opposition parties from holding programmes. Gadhvi tweeted, "In Gujarat, the corrupt BJP, which has been preventing our spokespersons from debate by threatening TV media, has now got bookings of 13 venues cancelled by threatening the owners so that Kejriwal ji's programme is not held in Vadodara. The BJP, scared of Kejriwal's popularity, is now rattled." Delhi CM Kejriwal also tweeted, "It is not right to prevent Opposing parties like this from holding programmes. You conduct your own programmes, let all the other parties conduct their programmes. Winning and losing continue. Bullying people like this is not right." Earlier on Sunday, Kejriwal had alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are trying to "crush" the AAP in the name of fighting corruption as they feared a defeat in Gujarat polls. Addressing the first-ever national conclave of his party's elected representatives in Delhi, the AAP chief also alleged that several (TV) channels' owners and their editors have been warned against giving coverage to AAP in Gujarat, threatening them with dire consequences. (With PTI Inputs) Vadodara: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday promised to implement the Old Pension Scheme for government employees in Gujarat like Punjab if his party is voted to power in the upcoming elections due in December this year. Addressing a press conference after a town hall meeting here, Kejriwal said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has issued an order considering the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the AAP-ruled state. "Government employees in Gujarat have taken to the streets in large numbers. Their main demand is the implementation of the old pension scheme. I guarantee them that when AAP forms a government, we will implement the OPS in Gujarat," Kejriwal told reporters. old pension scheme https://t.co/TNohcQVbXu Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 20, 2022 Interestingly, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day assured that if voted to power in Gujarat, his party will restore the old pension scheme. The AAP chief is in Vadodara to address a town hall meeting as part of the campaign to reach out to various sections of society ahead of the elections. "Like Punjab, we will implement OPS in Gujarat," the Delhi chief minister said. Kejriwal asked the protesting employees of the state government to continue their struggle. "If this (BJP) government does it (implement the OPS), then fine. If not, then we will implement it when the incumbent government changes after two months," he said. Kejriwal said state employees play a big role in electing or defeating a government. He urged them to promote AAP and work to dethrone the BJP government, which has been in power in Gujarat for the last 27 years. "As soon as AAP forms a government, we will resolve all your (government employees) issues," he said. Queried on a group of retired bureaucrats questioning his alleged attempt to induce public servants in Gujarat to help AAP in the upcoming polls, Kejriwal said they never raised the issues of protecting employees and corruption in Gujarat. "I would like to ask them (retired bureaucrats) to write once for the implementation of the OPS. All these forest guards, ex-servicemen, and NHM health workers are all citizens of the country and have democratic rights...If they are unhappy and want a change in government, then why can't this be done?" he asked. Gandhinagar: On the first day of JP Naddas two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, BJP national president flagged off e-bikes for the Namo Kisan Panchayat programme in Gandhinagar. On the occasion, Nadda outlined the Central Government's welfare programmes for farmers and praised Prime Minister Modi for launching them. "All the leaders used the name of farmers strategically but did nothing for them. If there is anybody who has done things on the ground for the farmers in independent India, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he quoted. The BJP chief, stated that the Modi government worked to strengthen the poor during the pandemic through the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. "When the tragedy struck a century ago, more people died of starvation than from disease. The corona pandemic was the biggest tragedy of the century. Prime Minister Modi worked to strengthen the poor people by giving 5 kg wheat, 5 kg rice and pulses to 80 crore people by running PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. The scheme is ongoing even today," he said."Nobody thought about the farmers. But PM Modi did the work of sending Rs 6,000 annually to the account of more than 11 crore farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The budget for the farmers has been increased by six times," Nadda further added. He expressed confidence in the work done by the BJP government in the state and at the federal level for farmers, saying that party leaders can confidently go among the public. Also Read: Don't believe PM Modi is behind 'misuse' of CBI, ED, says Mamata Banerjee "There are a few people who`ve always done politics in the name of farmers. But BJP has worked to alleviate the pain of farmers by understanding them. I can confidently say that it's just BJP leaders who can go among the public and say we`ve worked for you," he said. Later in the day, Nadda will participate in a mega road show in Morbi town. Later in the day, Nadda will take part in a massive road show in Morbi. Also Read: BJP retaliates on Kejriwal's allegations Here's his schedule for the second day in poll-bound Gujarat JP Nadda will hold organisational meetings at the state party headquarters in Gandhinagar on the second day of his visit. The state party leadership will provide him with a detailed report card on the preparations for the assembly elections later this year. He will also address a Professor Summit, where he will speak to professors and teachers from various academic institutions about the BJP's vision for the country and the contributions made by the Modi government in the field of education. The BJP leader will also speak at the conclusion of the mayor's conference, which is being held in the state capital. Mayors from BJP-ruled states are expected to attend the two-day conference in Gujarat. During the programmes, the Bharatiya Janata Party Chief will be accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP state president CR Patil. In the Gujarat elections later this year, the BJP will seek a sixth term in office. Gujarat has been ruled by the BJP for over 27 years, with Narendra Modi serving as its longest-serving Chief Minister from 2001 to 2014. (With Agencies Inputs) Bhopal: BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur has said that people in the two villages that she has adopted were forced to sell their daughters to give bribes to the police. A video of her speech went viral on Tuesday and the Congress was quick to raise questions on the BJP-led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. During a programme on Monday, Thakur said that the people in villages, which she has adopted, have no resources to earn for their livelihood. "They (villagers) make desi sharab (country-made liquor) and sell it to earn for their livelihood. Police arrest them and these poor people sell their daughters to pay bribes to police," Thakur was heard saying in a video that went viral on social media. The Congress attacked the BJP raising questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s `Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao` scheme. The opposition said that the BJP government was exposed by its own MP, who claimed that "daughters are being sold to pay bribes to the police." Also Read: 'If telling the truth is rebellion...': BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur backs Nupur Sharma amid protests over her remarks Sangeeta Sharma, a senior Congress spokesperson said, "She (Thakur) has levelled a serious allegation against her own party`s government. But, the question is, why did she not raise this issue in the Parliament? She has exposed the BJP government and it proved that the Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao scheme is just a slogan for the BJP." Pragya Singh Thakur, who is a BJP MP from Bhopal had defeated Congress` Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh in the last Lok Sabha elections. However, for the last few months, BJP MP has been sidelined by the party. Ramban/Jammu: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the saffron party stands exposed for self-centred agenda as all its acts are guided by brazen biases and short-sighted politics. The former chief minister said the BJP's manoeuvres in Jammu and Kashmir have left people in the lurch and said nothing is going to bail them out as the people have made a point to punish them through their votes. Abdullah, a member of parliament from Srinagar, was addressing a one-day convention of his party's block workers, office bearers and functionaries at Batote in Ramban district. "BJP stands discredited and isolated for its myopic politics. They stand exposed for their duplicity, deception and self-centred agenda, which has taken a heavy toll on the people's lives," he said. The NC leader said, "None of their acts are aimed at solving people's issues. So far they have only deepened the issues faced by people, the people of Chenab valley (comprising Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts) have particularly been left to God's mercy". Assailing the BJP for wielding delimitation as a weapon to establish its hegemony in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the geographical argument put forth by the delimitation commission in carving out new constituencies was a smokescreen. Also read: BJP slams Farooq Abdullah over his 'outsider' remark, says it is an 'insult' to J-K voters Had the BJP been sincere about giving balanced representation to Chenab and Pir Panjal region then Warwan, Marwah and Dashan would have been given an assembly seat, the former chief minister said. In reality, the far-flung areas of Jammu region have totally been ignored. BJP does not think beyond self-interests. Having diminished their deposit with the people, the BJP is now trying to conquer the region through back doors by gerrymandering constituencies and bringing outside voters. All they want is to capture the power, Abdullah said. "Exhorting the people, particularly youth, to register as voters," he said. "This time we will be voting for the future of our younger generation. This time it is about protecting our culture, our unique identity and our individuality. There is no scope for complacency. No one is going to help us. We all have to register for voting and subsequently vote in large numbers to stop BJP from achieving its nefarious designs that aim to disempower local Kashmiris, Gujjars, Dogras and Paharis," he said. BTEUP Results 2022: Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh, BTE UP Even semester result 2022 is expected to be released soon on the official website. However, there is no official announcement of the release of the results on the BTEUP official website. According to media reports, the announcement of the BTE UP Result 2022 for the DPharma, Polytechnic, and other even semester courses is anticipated shortly. Once the results are released, candidates who took the exam will be able to view and download them on the official website, bteup.ac.in. Candidates must provide their ID and password when prompted in order to view their BTE UP Even semester 2022 result for DPharma, Polytechnic program. It is essential that candidates maintain their admission cards close at hand when seeing the results on the official website. The BTEUP Even Semester 2022 test reportedly took place on June 25, 2022, in two shifts. Exams for the morning and afternoon shifts were given from 9 am to 11:30 am and 2 pm to 4:30 pm respectively. BTEUP 2022: Heres how to download Visit the official website of Board of Technical Education, Uttar Pradesh bteup.ac.in And then you will land on the homepage, here click on the result tab A new page would open and here click on the BTEUP Even Semester Result 2022 link A new login page will open again and now fill in your enrollment number in the blank space to get the result. Submit details and check the UP BTE 2nd 4th 6th Even Semester Result 2022 Download and take a printout for future references Candidates will be able to access the results online. Candidates will need to check their roll number, marks, aggregate mark, rank (if mentioned), disciplines, and other crucial information when they access the BTEUP even semester marks sheet 2022. Chandigarh: While the Chandigarh University (CU) authorities have declared holidays for one week at its campus in Mohali and students are leaving for home after their major demands were agreed upon, student unions in universities across the state including Panjab University (Chandigarh), Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) and Punjabi University (Patiala) have mobilized their cadre to raise support for CU students. Raising their voice against the "insensitive" and "unprofessional" handling of the entire issue by CU authorities besides premature statements by the Punjab Police including several senior officials, the student unions at different universities on Monday demanded not just clarity but an explanation from CU authorities and Punjab Police on the handling of the recent MMS scandal that rocked CU. Even as the CU authorities and Police continue to claim that the accused made only her own video, a large section of students believes otherwise. PU, Chandigarh witnessed two protests on Monday -- at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at different locations on its campus. Exhorting the student community to stand with those at CU, union leaders stressed several discrepancies in versions of the Police and what could be seen in the interaction between the prime accused and the warden. On the evening of September 17, five women students approached the warden that the accused was `caught` making videos. While the warden (now suspended) could be heard reprimanding the accused, she did not take any `action`. The students then approached the hostel manager who confiscated the 22-year-old accused`s phone. Allegedly, the accused admitted to making the videos. That same evening, around 7.30 p.m., protests broke out at CU. The accused was detained and later arrested. Speaking to IANS the women students said that what shocked them was the police`s statement that the girl had made only her own video and sent it to her boyfriend. This was also CU authorities` stance. "How could they arrive at that conclusion even before the forensic team had touched the phone?" said one student who did not wish to be named. In fact, the FIR filed by six girls against the accused was registered under section 354-C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 (E) of the IT Act. Besides the accused, two men have been remanded in Police custody. Another claimed that they had been told by the CU authorities not to speak with "outsiders" as the same would tarnish the institute`s reputation. "We are leaving for a few days as our parents are nervous, and quite understandably." The last two days also witnessed several rumors. In fact, the state government, Police, and CU authorities had to appeal repeatedly through media and social media, warning people not to pay heed to them. President of PSU (Lalkar), PU, Aman recalled: "On Sunday when we went to the CU campus, all efforts were made to stop us. We were clearly told that `nothing had happened and we were here to create trouble`. I do not understand how supporting fellow students is trouble-making. They have declared holidays. With no hostlers, how does the Police now plan to hold investigations?" Adding that now students have left the hostels, they plan to mobilize the support of the civil society, the student leader said: "Lawyers` forum and others are in touch with us. We want the CU to clarify why are they trying to suppress information. Also, what made the Police reach the conclusion that there were no videos of other girls? The hostelers told me that when the Police reached, the girls were forced to switch off their phones, and statements of those speaking against were not recorded." Simran Atwal of the Punjab Feminist Union of Students added: "We are in touch with students there as they need external help. It is a private university, and they are scared to speak up. What is the kind of security they have there? First, they were put in a hostel built for male students, and if someone is not safe inside a hostel, what does it say..." The organization, which acquaints women students on the campus with intricacies of the Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) says that the incident at CU and the way it was handled also questions the legal provisions and mechanisms made to protect women. "These practices are on paper, and seldom practiced. By the way, the external member of PUCASH is an animal rights activist," concluded another member of the organization. CG TET 2022: Chhattisgarh Teacher Eligibility Test, CG TET 2022 Answer Key will release soon for this year's Teacher Eligibility Test. Along with this CG TET model answer key, the CG TET question papers will also be released. Once available, candidates will be able to access these from the official website - vyapam.cgstate.gov.in. The CG TET Answer Key is expected to be out on 25 September. However, there is no official confirmation yet on the same. Chhattisgarh, CG TET 2022 exam was held on September 18, 2022 in two shifts. Nearly 71% candidates appeared in shift 1 and about 69% appeared in shift 2 of the exam CG TET Answer Key 2022: Here's how to download Step 1: Visit the official CGPEB website - vyapam.cgstate.gov.in Step 2: On the homepage, click on the link that read Model Answer Key TET20 Step 3: Click on the answer key for the paper you attempted Step 4: Download the pdf and save it Step 5: Take a print out if needed. Candidates will require their Chhattisgarh, CG TET admission card, along with additional login information, in order to access this answer key for the 2022 exam. Along with the release of this key, a link to submit objections will also be activated for all candidates. New Delhi: More state units of the Congress have passed resolutions backing Rahul Gandhi to take over as the party chief amid hectic activities over the upcoming election of the new AICC president. Sources said with Rahul Gandhi unlikely to contest or change his stand, the election for the top post in the grand old party will witness a contest after more than two decades. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is considered a frontrunner for the post as he is perceived to be having the backing and confidence of the present dispensation and is likely to be challenged by a G-23 member Shashi Tharoor, who has expressed his desire to contest. The poll process for the Congress president's election will begin on September 22 with the issue of the notification. The nomination filing will start from September 25 to 30. The election will be held on October 17 and the result will be out two days later. Amid the heightened political hubbub, Haryana and Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) were the latest to join the chorus favouring Rahul Gandhi to take over as party chief. With around 10 PCCs coming out in support of Gandhi so far, party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday that such measures have no binding effect. "But nobody asked anyone to pass any resolution. The Congress party workers are enthusiastic. Rahul Gandhi has not asked anyone to pass any resolution. The Congress president has not asked anyone. Also Read: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu Congress join other PCCs, want Rahul Gandhi to be party chief "They have been watching Gandhi walking for the past 13 days. They know the pain he is undergoing every day. They all can relate to him. Naturally, they pass the resolution. But the resolution has no binding effect," Ramesh said, referring to the Bharat Jodo Yatra yatra. "Entire party is immersed in making Bharat Jodo Yatra a success. Even so, it's important to reiterate that any member is welcome to contest for Congress President. This is a democratic and transparent process. "Nobody needs anybody's nod to contest, especially that of party leadership," Ramesh also tweeted. He said that whether Gandhi will contest or not will be known between Sep 24-30. Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu Kashmir units of the party have supported Rahul Gandhi as the next Congress president, a post he quit in 2019 after the Lok Sabha debacle. New Delhi: More than two dozen retired IPS officers have written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to "counsel" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against his "high-headed and boorish behaviour" with police personnel, prompting the AAP to allege that it is the handiwork of the BJP. The letter signed by several former state police chiefs cited a recent spat involving Kejriwal and Gujarat Police officials over the former's insistence to ride an autorickshaw during his poll campaigning in the state and said the AAP leader's "words and actions" created an "unfair spectacle" of the police force. Former Jammu and Kashmir Police chief SP Vaid, who is one of the signatories to the letter, said, "As experienced police officers, we know that a politician, especially one holding a post like that of a chief Minister, is free to conduct his business as he wishes but he should also understand that police are duty-bound to protect him and should not be needlessly dragged into politics." Through his "unpleasant words and actions", Kejriwal "intended to paint himself as a political martyr," the letter said, adding that however, in doing so, he "unfairly created a spectacle of the police force" not only in Gujarat, but throughout the country. "We, therefore, humbly request you to intervene as the Head of State and counsel Mr Kejriwal against such high-headed and boorish behaviour that is intended to undermine the police force of our country," the letter read. Today, me and 29 other senior retired IPS officers have written to the President of India about Arvind Kejriwal's belittling and demeaning behavior towards Policemen performing their legitimate duty. To score political brownie points, he has made distasteful remarks. pic.twitter.com/MRDgx5urTL Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) September 20, 2022 The AAP national convenor is involved in intense campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat, which is ruled by the BJP. AAP leaders, led by Kejriwal, have launched a no-holds-barred attack on the saffron party ahead of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. Citing the Gujarat incident, the letter written to Murmu by the retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers said the police officials enjoined with the duty of providing security to the chief minister and acceded to his request to go to an autorickshaw driver's home in his autorickshaw. In order to ensure that the requisite level of security was maintained and to prevent any lapses in the chief minister's safety, the police official concerned said he would accompany Kejriwal to the location, it said. "However, in response to the police official's prudent suggestion, Mr Kejriwal made certain distasteful and inconsiderate remarks. These curt remarks have caused deep injury to the police force," the letter claimed. As Kejriwal is the chief minister of the country's capital city, police were duty-bound to ensure his safety, it said. "It was disheartening to note that in order to score a political brownie point, Mr Kejriwal conducted himself in a manner that utterly belittled the police officers for diligently obeying their duties," it added. The letter also alleged that Kejriwal "unfortunately" was involved in such incidents earlier as well. Ahead of the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, the AAP leader had raised a "similar grievance" against the state police, demanding the complete withdrawal of his security, it said. Soon after the campaigning concluded, in a "completely conflicting stance", Kejriwal cited "threat perception" and alleged that he was not given adequate protection, the letter added. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prospects in the Gujarat Assembly polls, slated to be held later this year, are "very bad", which is why the letter was written. "Obviously, the BJP is behind this letter. The BJP's prospects in Gujarat in the forthcoming elections are very bad. Their own leaders lack any mass appeal and are completely discredited. "That is why the BJP has to now sought the help of some retired police officers. The AAP is gaining ground exponentially and the BJP is clueless on how to tackle the AAP, which is why such a letter has been written," the statement said. New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday (September 20, 2022) continued its attack on the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra over the shifting of a mega Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project from the state to Gujarat. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that the Rs 1.54 lakh crore plant has been handed over to Gujarat "ignoring" the economic interest of the state where it was originally planned. "Don't contribute to the development of Gujarat by weakening Maharashtra," he said. "(Deputy Chief Minister) Devendra Fadnavis should answer if he is the leader of Maharashtra or Gujarat," Patole asked as he targeted the BJP leader for his statement "Gujarat is not Pakistan, it is our younger brother". The Congress legislator also accused the Shinde-led government of "misleading" people on the Vedanta-Foxconn issue "The government seems to be supporting the transfer of the project from Maharashtra to Gujarat. If there is an investment in Gujarat, no one is against it, but this project from Maharashtra has been handed over to Gujarat. We will not tolerate if attempts are made to weaken Maharashtra and development of Gujarat is encouraged," he said. ALSO READ | Eknath Shinde reacts to Maharashtra losing Rs 1,54,000-crore semiconductor project to Gujarat: 'MVA govt didn't...' Patole added that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, of which the Congress was one of the three constituents, had offered a slew of incentives for setting up the semiconductor project in Maharashtra. "For this project, the MVA government had given a big package of concessions in many respects including electricity bill, water, land. Maharashtra is the first choice of industries for investment," he said. A blame game has started in Maharashtra following the announcement last week that a joint venture semiconductor project of Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn, proposed to be set up near Pune city earlier, will come up in Gujarat. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Mayors' Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Tuesday and laid emphasis on creating economic opportunities in tier 2 and tier 3 cities to reduce overpopulation. This direction came in line with his 25-year plan to make India a developed nation which he had mentioned on this year's Independence Day. PM Modi said that there should be a focus on developing industry clusters in such areas. He was virtually addressing mayors and deputy mayors of BJP in Gujarat as part of the two-day National Mayors' Conference. Also Read: National Mayors' Conference: PM Modi's BIG advice to reduce pressure on cities He said, "The states should start planning of tier 2 and tier 3 cities from now. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are now becoming the centre of economic activities. Our startups are taking place in those cities. We should focus on developing industry clusters in those areas. Small vendors must get training to use digital payments system. Mayors must take the initiative to ensure this. Listing out the development of urban infrastructure under his government, PM Modi said that the government is making efforts to make towns a centre of a holistic lifestyle. "India is making investments in its urban infrastructure. Till 2014, the metro network in the country was lesser than 250 km. Today, it has exceeded 775 km. Work is underway on 1,000 km of metro route. It is our effort that our towns should become a centre of a holistic lifestyle," he said. "The citizens of our country have placed faith in the BJP for the development of cities for a very long time. It is the responsibility of all of us to maintain it continuously, and increase it," PM Modi added. The Prime Minister further asked the attendees of the conference not to have "election-centric thinking" stating that it cannot do good for the development of towns."The thinking of the elected public representatives should not be confined to elections. We cannot do good for the towns with election-centric thinking. Many a time a good decision for the towns is not taken due to a fear of loss in the elections," he said. (With ANI inputs) MUMBAI: In a shocking incident, a canteen worker at the IIT Bombay has been arrested for allegedly recording a video of a girl student while she was using the hostel washroom, said reports on Tuesday. According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday night when the canteen worker was spotted filming a female student while she was in the toilet. A student at the reputed university spotted a mobile phone looming outside the hostel's bathroom window. She then alerted the hostel authorities after which the security staff of the IIT Bombay caught the man and handed him over to the police. The name of the arrested person is Pintu. The arrested person works in the canteen of IIT Bombay. A case has been registered against the accused under IPC Section 354C, said sources. IIT Bombay also later issued a statement claiming that "there was an attempt to violate the personal space of women residents of a hostel by an employee of the hostel night canteen." The "culprit was caught and handed over to the police," it added. Mumbai Police have launched an investigation into the matter, which also includes a cyber probe, the IIT Bombay said in the statement. The fresh incident at the IIT Bombay comes days after an MMS scandal rocked Chandigarh University. At least three persons who were earlier arrested in connection with the leaked objectionable videos case were sent to a seven-day police remand by a court on Monday. All three arrested persons were sent on seven-day police remand and their mobile phones are being sent for forensic investigation, sources said. According to advocate Sandeep Sharma, some videos found will also be probed. The three accused were arrested following massive protests by the students in Mohali. Protesting students alleged that a student made videos of girl students who were bathing. The videos were allegedly also posted on social media. The protesting students claimed that after the videos went viral, some girl students living in the hostel attempted suicide. However, the police refuted the claim. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on his part, ordered the setting up of a three-member-all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police officials to probe into the case. Three accused including a girl student from the college were arrested in connection with the case. The SIT team will be under the supervision of senior IPS officer Gurpreet Kaur Deo. "SIT will go to the bottom of the conspiracy. No person is to be spared if found involved. One student and two others were arrested. Thanks to DGP Himachal Pradesh for excellent co-operation. Electronic devices were seized and sent for forensic examination," said DGP Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. He further appealed to everyone to maintain peace and said, "Don`t fall to unverified rumours. Let`s work together for peace in society. Appeal to everyone to maintain peace and harmony." Earlier in the day sources said that the Chandigarh University varsity has been shut to students till September 24. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for the "decentralization" of urban planning stating that the planning should be done at the state level. The Prime Minister further said that with the development of satellite towns, the pressure on cities will reduce. Addressing a conference of Council of Mayors and Deputy Mayors of BJP in Gujarat via video conferencing, PM Modi said, "Urban planning has been stressed upon in this year`s budget. It is necessary that the urban-planning should be decentralized. There should be urban planning at the state level, everything cannot be done from Delhi. There are numerous satellite towns in the country which are developing around the big cities. Work should be done to develop the satellite towns strategically. Only then, the pressure on the cities will reduce". Also Read: PM Modi to inaugurate National Mayors' Conference today; here's what will be discussed The Prime Minister also hailed the conduct of the conference and said that it has a "major role to play in preparing a road map of India's urban development for the next 25 years during Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". PM Modi reminded the Mayors of the responsibility to work from the grassroots level. "Our country trusts BJP. It's the responsibility of all Mayors to work from the grassroots level. Better facilities to be provided and growth should be well-planned," he said. The Prime Minister remembered former Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was once a member of Ahmedabad Municipality and said that the work done by him is still respected. "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was once a member of Ahmedabad Municipality. He had also led Ahmedabad as a Mayor. After this start, he reached to become deputy Prime Minister. The work that he did decades ago in the Municipality is still remembered with respect. We shall follow his path for a better India and work for its development. All Mayors must follow Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas And Sabka Prayas," he said. New Delhi: Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tuesday said 'Agnipath' is a great scheme which was arrived at after "extensive deliberations" and "extensive study" of how other military forces have structured their manpower. He said this in an interaction on the dais after delivering a keynote address at an event here on 'India's Naval Revolution: Becoming an Ocean Power'. The idea got originated around mid-2020, "and it took around two years to bring it to fruition and to execution," he said. "It's a great scheme, and I feel it's long-awaited and should have been done many many years back," he said in response to a question on the Agnipath scheme from the host during the interaction. Admiral Kumar said there is a recommendation in the Kargil review committee report that the age profile of the armed forces needs to be brought down. The average age profile at that time was 32 years, and they said it should be brought down to about 25-26 years. "Since then the armed forces have been looking at various options on how to bring it down. But, this was one of the schemes which were arrived at after extensive deliberations and extensive study of what is happening in the world, how various other military forces have structured their manpower and so on," he said. The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022. Widespread protests had broken out in various parts of the country after the government had announced the scheme. The Navy chief also said that each letter in the word Agnipath symbolises various ideas. So, 'G' stands for the growth-oriented scheme, 'N' for nation building, 'I' for integration, 'P' for patriotism, 'A' for 'atmanirbhar' and so on, he said. Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is being widely projected as the oppositions top candidate to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, on Tuesday denied that he has any intention to contest the next parliamentary election from Uttar Pradesh`s Phulpur constituency. "I am shocked. There is no such thing, the Bihar CM said while adding that his only ambition is to unite opposition parties in the country. The Janata Dal-United leader said that promoting the new generation is his motive, while apparently referring to his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was standing just behind him. "I have no personal ambition to become MP or any other post in the country. My supporters may promote my name but I am looking to contest the election, Nitish Kumar said. "The way some people (BJP leaders) are dividing the society through communal agenda of Hindu-Muslim to take advantage in election, I am against it and hence I am working for the unity of maximum opposition parties in the country to get success in 2024 Lok Sabha election and my efforts will continue," Nitish Kumar said. "The present government in the centre is dividing the country. They are trying to take control over every organisation including the media. You people better know about it. There is no work in the country done by the Central government. The strong opposition is in the interest of the country to teach lessons to the people working on divisive politics," he said. It may be recalled that the Phulpur Parliamentary constituency lies in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and was once represented by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nitish Kumar has been repeatedly saying that he has no Prime Ministerial ambitions but his party has ben projecting him as opposition's top choice for the 2024 polls. However, top opposition parties have made it clear that they are far from any such understanding. During his recent visit to Delhi, Kumar met the opposition leaders, including Congress's Rahul Gandhi and ending with Arvind Kejriwal. Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav will reportedly travel to Haryana to participate in a rally which is likely to be attended by several leaders of opposition parties. Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha BJP leader Bishnu Charan Sethi passed away at the age of 61 on Sept. 19. He was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar on August 16 as per a PTI report. "He had developed a lung infection and suffered a brain hemorrhage. However, the end came due to acute cardiac failure," AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Superintendent S N Mohanth told reporters as quoted by PTI. Shri Bishnu Charan Sethi Ji made an outstanding contribution to Odisha's progress. He distinguished himself as a hardworking legislator and contributed greatly to social empowerment. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2022 Condoling his demise, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Governor Ganeshi Lal, Andhra Pradesh Governor BB Harichandan, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan paid their respects. Saddened by the demise of Shri Bishnu Charan Sethi, a prominent public figure in Odisha. A prolific writer, Shri Sethi was an eminent legislator. His demise leaves a void which is difficult to fill. My heartfelt condolences to his family, well-wishers and followers. President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 19, 2022 Sethi was a two-time legislator from Bhadrak district, he was the sitting MLA from the Dhamnagar assembly segment. He is survived by his wife. Sethi, who was also the vice-president of the state BJP, was virtually functioning as the leader of the opposition as PK Nayak remained bedridden due to post-COVID-19 ailments. A JNU alumnus, Sethi had qualified for the Odisha Public Service Commission twice but preferred to serve people as their representative. He began his public life as an RSS worker and later joined ABVP. Sethi's mortal remains were taken to Odisha Assembly premises, where MLAs cutting across party lines paid their tribute to the departed leader. From there, the remains were taken to the state BJP headquarters and finally to his native village in Bhadrak district, where the last rites were performed. (With PTI inputs) The ED has filed a charge sheet 58 days after the arrest of former education minister Partha Chatarjee in the Bengal SSC recruitment scam. The chargesheet was presented in the Bankshall Court, Kolkata on Monday. Some shocking revelations have been made in it. It mentions about 31 LIC policies of Arpita Mukharjee, who is an 'Intimate Friend' of Partha Chatterjee. According to sources, it has been alleged that Partha Chatterjee was paying Rs 1.5 crore per year for the premium of these policies. Most of these 31 policies have a premium of 50 thousand while some policies have a premium of 45 thousand rupees. This information came to light after the forensic examination of Partha Chatterjee's mobile phone. 31 LIC Policies According to sources, information about the premium on the policy has also been obtained from the documents in the bank. Partha Chatterjee was depositing money in the bank for Arpita Mukherjee's 31 premium. Based on this information, the ED claimed in court that a total of Rs. 1.5 crore was deposited in the bank. ED said that the Central Intelligence Agency gave this information. Firstly, the mobile phone of Partha Chatterjee was seized. The deleted data was collected from it. There was an SMS on the former minister's mobile stating that the amount of the LIC policy had been deposited. After seeing this, the officials of the central agency contacted the banks. Information about insurance came from it. Also Read: Another BIG breakthrough in SSC scam case, CBI arrests former chairperson Subiresh Bhattacharya Premium Paid by Partha Chatterjee After investigation, it was found that the premium amount for all these policies had been paid by Partha Chatterjee. Interestingly, the premium for this LIC policy has been paid since 2015. That is, this transaction has been done for the last seven years. Also Read: Big BREAK THROUGH in SSC Scam Case: Partha Chatterjee makes EXPLOSIVE remark, says 'I used to sign files SENT BY...' Chargesheet Against Partha Partha Chatterjee is accused of a SSC recruitment scam in West Bengal. ED filed a 172-page charge sheet in this case. The ED officials carried these documents in a trunk. According to ED sources, assets worth around Rs 103 crore have been seized in this corruption. Most of these assets are in the names of Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee. Some assets are also in the name of shell companies. Several flats of Arpita Mukherjee were raided by the ED on July 27 and 28. Around Rs 49.80 crore and gold jewelry worth Rs 5.08 crore were seized. Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday virtually inaugurate the two-day 'National Mayors' Conference' to be held in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. As many as 121 mayors and deputy mayors of BJP-ruled urban local bodies across the country will participate in the two-day event, which is being organized by the party's 'sushasan (good governance) cell, BJP national secretary Rituraj Sinha said. "PM Modi will (virtually) inaugurate the National Mayors' Conference on Tuesday morning by delivering his address. He will guide the invited guests on urban development," Sinha told reporters in Gandhinagar on Monday. BJP national president JP Nadda will also attend the inaugural ceremony, while others who will take part in the conference over two days include Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, he said. "Fadnavis will share his vision for urban development and Puri will brief the guests about various government schemes for urban local bodies. In all, mayors, deputy mayors, and other elected representatives from 18 states and Union Territories will participate in the conference and share their views on topics like waste management, traffic management, water-logging etc," Sinha informed. Mayors of Surat, Indore, Kanpur, and Panaji will brief the audience about the work they have done in waste management, cleanliness, and increasing revenue, among other areas, in their respective cities, he added. New Delhi: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she doesn't believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behind the alleged "misuse" of CBI and ED, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (September 20, 2022) said that the PM doesn't need "any validation" from her. Taking to his official Twitter account, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said, "No one in the BJP, and most certainly the PM, needs any validation from Mamata Banerjee." "Her entire Govt, top ministers, party office bearers and immediate family is under the radar of central agencies, because the Courts ordered investigation. She must account for the loot," he added. No one in the BJP, and most certainly the PM, needs any validation from Mamata Banerjee. Her entire Govt, top ministers, party office bearers and immediate family is under the radar of central agencies, because the Courts ordered investigation. She must account for the loot September 20, 2022 The remarks came after Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed a section of the BJP leaders for misusing the central agencies to serve their interests. "Every day, leaders of opposition parties are being threatened by the BJP leaders with arrest by CBI and ED. Should central agencies function this way in the country? I don't believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behind this, but some BJP leaders are misusing the CBI and ED for their interests," she said while speaking on a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly against the "excesses" of the central probe agencies. It is notable that the Central agencies such as CBI and ED are probing into several cases in the state, in which senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders are accused. "The CBI, which used "to report to the Prime Minister's Office is now under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry," Mamata, the feisty TMC boss, said. "The Prime Minister must look into the excesses of central agencies. The Prime Minister must ensure that the functioning of the union government and the interests of his party do not get mixed up," she added. (With agency inputs) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party`s presidential elections, said sources on Tuesday. Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi, leaving the party`s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing a nomination is September 30. Earlier today, Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, arrived in the national capital upon the call by the party`s interim president Sonia Gandhi. According to sources close to Venugopal, he was asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is "strictly part of organisational matters". He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This was the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today.This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president`s post, sources said.Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi`s go-ahead after he met her here. According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to "make internal democracy" in the party stronger.Sonia Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections. Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, also got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray. Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is "trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi" to contest rather than his own nomination. This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party`s president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19. Meanwhile, various state units including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir among others have already passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to become the president of the party.The election for the Congress president is set to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared two days after the polling on October 19. Chennai: Danfoss India, focused on energy efficiency and climate solutions on Tuesday said it has launched a career support programme for girl students in government-run schools in Tamil Nadu, the company said on Tuesday. Danfoss India has partnered with AVTAR Human Capital Trust for 'Project Puthri' to guide girl students of a government higher secondary school in Panruti under this initiative, a company statement said. The objective of the programme is to select girl students and develop them with the necessary skills and other employability training requisite for their self-sustainable careers, the company said in a statement. "Education and empowerment of girl students and enhancing the employability rate of women in the workforce is one of our diversity and inclusion goals. We look forward to welcoming several of our Puthri scholars as Danfoss employees in the long run," Danfoss India - Director Anju Mary Kuruvilla said. The programme assists the girls in academics by offering special classes by scholars, career guidance by skilled mentors and scholarships for higher studies, the release added. Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Tuesday made a big announcement that it will hold the party's annual Dussehra Rally at the historic Shivaji Park Ground in Mumbai whether it gets permission from the civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) or not. The Uddhav camp had on Monday asserted there was no other option but to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai next month and said it will approach the court if permission to use the iconic venue was denied to them. A delegation of the Uddhav-led Sena faction led by former Mumbai mayor Milind Vaidya met civic body officials today to inquire about the status of their application seeking permission to hold the rally. Whether we get permission or not, Bala Saheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena will gather at Shivaji Park for the rally. The administration must either give us permission or refuse it. We are very firm on our decision (to hold the rally at Shivaji Park). If we don't get an answer, Balasaheb's Shiv Sena workers will gather at Shivaji Park for the Dusshera rally, he said. It may be noted that both the Thackeray-led faction and the rival Shiv Sena group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have sought permission to hold a Dusshera rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. The Shiv Sena has been holding its Dussehra rally at the venue since its inception. The BMC has not taken any decision on the issue so far. Both factions, as an alternative, have also applied for permission to hold the rally at the MMRDA ground at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Last week, the Shinde faction got the nod for holding a rally at BKC. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena should get permission to hold the rally at Shivaji Park, and it should take recourse to law if the permission does not come through. If BKC ground has been made available for the Shinde faction, then the Uddhav Thackeray-led group should be allowed to hold a rally at Shivaji Park. Let the state hear the views of these two sides (at their respective rallies), said Pawar, an ally of the Thackeray-led Sena in the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress were alliance partners in the previous MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Mumbai: The ruling alliance of the BJP and Ekanth Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena, as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), have both claimed victory in the just concluded elections to gram panchayats in Maharashtra. After results were declared of the polls held on Sunday, in which voting took place on 581 panchayats spread across 16 districts in the state, both sides claimed they had won. BJP claimed that it won 274 gram panchayats along with its ally Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena winning 41 others. The party further said that NCP, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena have respectively won only 62, 37 and 12 gram panchayats. Speaking to news agency ANI after the declaration of the results, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "It is a verification stamp for our Shiv Sena and BJP alliance by the people of Maharashtra." The Chief Minister, who walked out of the Shiv Sena in June after a rebellion, said that the victory is a mandate by the people that they have "accepted" the alliance between the two parties. "It also clears that we`re not the Shinde faction only but we are the real Shiv Sena and people have accepted our alliance where we have won more than 300 panchayats. We will contest together in upcoming polls too," he said. Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil dismissed the BJP`s claims and said that it is the MVA that has secured victory in the polls. "As there are no party symbols allotted for the gram panchayat polls by the Election Commission, so everyone can claim victory. There is no truth in BJP-Shinde faction claims but on the contrary, the real fact is that NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress, means MVA has won the elections for gram panchayat with a clear majority over BJP Shinde faction," he said. West Bengal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against six companies and two peoplePartha Chatterjee and his close aide, Arpita Mukherjeein the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam. A 14,000 long page documents were submitted along with the chargesheet. ED on July 23 arrested both Chatterjee and his close aide in connection with the EDs probe into irregularities in the WBSSC recruitment scam. West Bengal SSC recruitment scam | Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed chargesheet against 6 companies and 2 people (Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee). 14000-page documents submitted along with the chargesheet. (File photos) pic.twitter.com/ISMFjZP2UG ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2022 A week after his arrest Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee relieved Chatterjee from all the posts from the party and also ministerial posts. Last week on Friday, the court gave Chatterjee CBI custody till September 21. He was earlier remanded to judicial custody till September 14. The court had also allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to further interrogate both Chatterjee and his close aide in judicial custody. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a search at six locations in Delhi and Kolkata at the premises of two software firms in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scam. The ED has said before the court that around Rs 100 crore has so far been recovered in the form of cash and assets of Mukherjee, the alleged aide of the former minister. New Delhi: Amid allegations that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Delhi-bound flight at the Frankfurt airport as he was "drunk", Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (September 20, 2022) defended him and said that the Opposition is spreading lies as they cannot find a fault in his work. Speaking to reporters in Gujarat's Vadodara, the Delhi CM said that the Opposition is slinging mud at Mann. "What Mann Saheb has done in the last six months, no government in Punjab had done in the last 75 years. After 75 years, Punjab has got a 'kattar' honest and hard-working chief minister," he said. "All this is a lie, all nonsense. The Opposition is trying to stop Mann but people are watching. They are happy with his work," Kejriwal added. Earlier on Monday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight at the Frankfurt airport because he was in an inebriated state. Will look into allegations that Bhagwant Mann was deplaned for being 'drunk': Union Civil Aviation Minister Earlier in the day, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that he will look into the allegations that the Punjab Chief Minister was deplaned for being "drunk". The minister asserted that it was important to verify the facts. "This was an incident on international soil. We will have to make sure that we verify the facts. It is up to Lufthansa Airlines to provide the data. Based on the request that has been sent to me, I will certainly look into it," Scindia told reporters on the sidelines of an event. Mann returned from his eight-day trip from Germany on Monday where he had gone to attract investments. (With agency inputs) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was recently gifted the famous cultural art of Uttar Pradesh- Sanjhi, by the famous Acharya Pundrik Goswami. The two met at the Vice Presidents Office in Delhi, where they discussed about the increasing threat of near extinction of the art form that belongs from the land of Mathura-Vrindavan. Sanjhi is said to be the symbol of the love of Godess Radha and the Gopis towards Shri Krishna as they used to decorate the walls and the land with different colors, stones and flowers. This art form gained its popularity in nearly 15 and 16 century and till now is preserved by the temples of Vrindavan. As Pundrik gifted Sanjhi, he even talked about how the art form and the artists are facing a threat of losing the art. This art is still prayed but in a handful of temples, Shri RadhaRaman Temple of Vrindavan being one of the main amongst these temples. This art form is put on exhibition in the time of Pitr Paksh according to the hindu calendar, as when the climate gets ready to welcome the winters. The Vice President also discussed the ways in which the government can help the artisans and the art to not just stay confined to the temple, rather to come out and be shown to the world for the beauty it holds. Pundrik also discussed on how this art can be taught with a spiritual motive to the new generation, for the purity of love a devotee shall hold for his God. Washington: Google CEO Sunder Pichai has held discussions with the Indian envoy in the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, about the technology giant's activities in India, particularly its aggressive push towards digitisation, as he became the first top Indian-American tech business leader to visit the country's embassy here. Thank you Ambassador Sandhu for the great conversation, Pichai said in a tweet after his visit to the Indian Embassy in downtown Washington DC late last week. This is for the first time that a top Indian-American tech CEO has visited the embassy here. Appreciated the chance to discuss Google's commitment to India and look forward to continuing our support for India's digital future, said Pichai, who in January this year was named among the 17 awardees to receive the Padma Bhushan. Technology that transforms; ideas that enable! tweeted Sandhu. Delighted to receive Google and Alphabet Pichai at the Embassy, he said. Exchanged thoughts on expanding India-US commercial, knowledge & tech partnership with Google, the Indian envoy said. Google under Pichai has made a massive investment in India and phenomenally expanded its footprint in a wide range of sectors including its training for the younger generation. It has announced an investment of about USD10 billion under Google for India digitisation. It also has partnerships with Reliance's Jio as well as with Bharti Airtel. In addition, it is partnering with India on workforce development and skill development. They are working with the government on the Digital India Programme, and the national digital literacy mission. During the meeting with the Indian Ambassador, Pichai was very appreciative of the very initiatives that have been taken by India and underscored how Google is looking at India in a very positive framework. The Ambassador highlighted the knowledge and education partnership. The Google CEO, during the conversation, is also believed to have discussed various ways in which its partnership with India forward in particular in the education sector. They also discussed digitisation efforts in India in which Google is involved, including digital payments and infrastructure digitisation. The Indian Ambassador noted that Google is an important partner in India's digital transformation, which is a priority for the government. Google and its parent company Alphabet have played an important role in the COVID-19 crisis last year. They put a lot of money in terms of supporting India, and they were part of the global task force of American CEOs set up in this regard. The Indian government has intensified its engagement with American CEOs. The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had a meeting with a number of CEOs from the Silicon Valley during his trip to California early this month. Sandhu himself met several CEOs during his recent trips there. He also visited the universities in Silicon Valley which are considered to be the hub of such innovation. They also had a number of venture capitalists and start-up entrepreneurs in San Francisco as part of India's latest push to have greater engagement with the American tech sector. New Delhi: The festive season is just a few days away, and we think it should be all about celebrating with loved ones. The song 'Boom Padi' is ideal for getting you pumped up for entering the garba grounds. The recently released upbeat song from Maja Ma, an upcoming Prime Video Amazon Original Movie, has been dominating the charts for all the right reasons. So, here are 5 reasons why Boom Padi' is the Garba anthem of the year: Spreading Joy All Around The English translation of the song's name, Boom Padi, is "sharing love and cheer." Well, one will realise that the title is more than appropriate after listening to this song and viewing the music video. The song's upbeat, vivacious energy will make listeners move to its beats. Madhuri Dixits all new avatar Its an absolute delight to see Madhuri Dixit performing a dance number. She has consistently been able to captivate audiences and admirers with her expressions and fluid dancing. Her first-ever Garba performance on TV is Boom Padi, and she has once again succeeded in enthralling her audience. Family Time is Fun time Ritwik Bhowmik and Srishti Shrivastava, Madhuri Dixit's on-screen children, join her in doing a garba. A family gathering for a good time filled with lots of positive energy and dancing to spread joy is symbolised by the song Boom Padi. Garba on Boom Padi just hits different Boom Padi has earned the appreciation and love of countless fans. Within the span of a few days from the release, this song has garnered over 11 million views on YouTube. People have also showed their love for the song on different social media sites. The Backbone of Boom Padi The real stars of any song are the ones who have created the song such as the composer, the singers, the lyricists, and the choreographers. This energetic song is sung by revered singer Shreya Ghoshal and the versatile Osman Mir. The song is composed by Souumil Shringarpure and Siddharth Mahadevan and written by Priya Saraiya. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Bollywood actor Armaan Kohli in the case of alleged possession of 1.2 grams of cocaine. The bail has come, more than a year, after he was arrested. A single bench of Justice N W Sambre granted bail to Kohli on a surety of Rs one lakh and imposed a slew of conditions on him. While granting relief, the HC said the 50-year-old actor, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in August 2021, shall not indulge in similar activities and directed him to appear before the drug law enforcement agency once a month. Justice Sambre said that if Kohli flouts any of the conditions imposed on him, the NCB can seek cancellation of his bail. The court said it would pass a detailed order later. The NCB had booked Kohli under various provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for consumption, possession and financing of banned contraband. The actor was taken into custody by the NCB following the arrest of a Nigerian national in the case. Kohli has featured in several Bollywood films and also participated in a popular TV reality show. He has acted in films like 'Jaani Dushman', 'Kohra', 'Veer', 'Dushman Zamana' and 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', among others. Mumbai: Emraan Hashmi has dismissed reports that he was injured in stone pelting during the shooting of his upcoming film in Kashmir. A few weeks ago, the Bollywood actor shared a picture on Instagram after he headed to Srinagar to shoot for his upcoming film. Some reports claim that the actor and the crew member faced stone pelting in Kashmir while shooting. However, Emraan dismissed the incident and took his Twitter to handle for clarification. Emraan also appreciated the warm and heartfelt welcome from the people of Kashmir. "The people of Kashmir have been very warm and welcoming. It has been an absolute joy shooting in Srinagar and Pahalgam. The news of me being injured in a stone pelting incident is inaccurate," the actor tweeted. Read the tweet here - The people of Kashmir have been very warm and welcoming, it has been an absolute joy shooting in Srinagar and Pahalgam. The news of me being injured in a stone pelting incident is inaccurate . Emraan Hashmi (@emraanhashmi) September 20, 2022 Earlier, taking to Instagram, the `Jannat` actor shared a picture and captioned it, "First time in the paradise city of Srinagar!! Countdown to Zero ... Lights camera ACTION." See post here - Emraan was last seen in the horror film `Dybbuk` alongside actor Nikita Dutta, which was streamed on Amazon Prime Video. He will be next seen in a family entertainer film `Selfiee` alongside Akshay Kumar, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty. Helmed by Raj Mehta, the film is all set to release on February 23, 2022. The actor recently shot for the song `Main Khiladi Tu Anari` which is a recreated version of yesteryear`s iconic song with the same title. Apart from that, it has been speculated that the `Jannat 2` actor is going to portray a negative character opposite Salman Khan in Yash Raj Film`s `Tiger 3`. The official announcement from the makers is still awaited. New Delhi: Popular television and film actress Sandhya Mridul opened up on being told about facing body-shaming in the industry. In an interview with Hindustan Times.com, she revealed that she did pad up for certain roles. Sandhya Mridul confessed that for Page 3 and Ragini MMS 2 she had to pad up. "For Page 3 I wore (breast) pads. For some scenes I did it. Here, I said it. There are characters like in Ragini MMS where I only suggested she should wear pads because that is the character. But you cannot tell me to get a boob job. For Ragini MMS it completely made sense to me." Aap bahar chalne ko tyaar nahi ho, chalo beer pila do, are other phrases Mridul had to hear. "Ye sab suna hai. That was another reason why I didnt do enough work. I have tried my best to not work for money. I have gone through phases where I have been extremely in difficult financial situations but I have still not caved in," she said. Earlier this month, Mridul took to social media and shared how a filmmaker asked her to get a boob job done for a film. I was like I am not changing my body for you. Tomorrow you will come and say change your nose. I wont do it. Someone told me Aapke toh boobs hi nahi hai, sorry. Mujhe bola gaya hai! For one film, they said, We love you but we need you to have big boobs for the character. I told them to go ahead and pad me," she said. Washington: Kanye West has given yet another unusual remark! West appeared on an episode of the `Alo Mind Full` podcast and revealed that he hasn't read a single book. He said, "I actually haven`t read any book". Kanye West further told hosts, Danny Harris, and Alyson Wilson, "Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me. And talking is like getting the Giorgio Baldi corn ravioli". His statement has shocked many because ironically, Kanye runs a school in California - DONDA Academy. Also, the statement comes right after a Page Six report that revealed Kanye West`s "secretive school" called Donda Academy makes parents sign an NDA or non-disclosure agreement for enrolment. The statements of two parents, whose kids have been attending the school, confirming the news were quoted by Page Six. However, Tamar Andrews, a consultant to the school, tried to debunk the families` claims. Page Six further quoted a Rolling Stones report wherein Tamar revealed that "the parents of each student only have to sign an informal agreement -- but didn`t specify what that agreement was." "Honestly, we don`t care if people know about the school," Andrews added."The people that want to come to the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area and they know that we`re there ... there is also certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don`t know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse." Malik Yusef, Kanye West`s longtime friend and collaborator, agreed, saying the school provides students with opportunities that other institutions do not."The process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees," he added. "I don't think Kanye needs to tell the world what he`s doing so that he can be under more scrutiny."According to Page Six, the tuition fee of the school is around USD 15,000 a year but nearly half the children admitted there have received some scholarship or financial aid. However, Andrews confirmed the Christian academy is still in the process of becoming accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. According to the US news portal, maybe this is why Kim Kardashian is hesitant about sending her kids to school. Earlier this month, Kanye asked Kim to send their kids to the academy and split their education between their Los Angeles school and Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California. Mumbai: Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, on Monday, reunited with the star cast and the director of his next family entertainer film `Cirkus` as the team shot for the grand finale episode of `Khatron Ke Khiladi 12`. Taking to Instagram, Ranveer shared a happy picture which he captioned, "The Kings of Comedy!!! #Cirkus ... this Christmas!!!". Here is the post shared by the actor: In the picture, the `Padmaavat` actor could be seen along with director Rohit Shetty, Varun Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Johny Lever and Siddharth Jadhav.Meanwhile, director Rohit Shetty dropped a string of pictures on Instagram from the finale shoot of `KKK 12`, which he captioned, "When my `Cirkus` met my Khatron Ke Khiladis! Thanks to my audience for making `Khatron Ke Khiladi` a big success! Ab Christmas mein `Cirkus` ko bhi itna hi pyaar dena!." Here is the picture shared by the actor: In the pictures, team `Cirkus` could be seen having fun with the cast of `KKK 12`. Actor Pooja Hegde shared a couple of pictures from the shoot, captioning it, "Did a bunch of crazy and entertaining things with this lot of crazy and entertaining humans #Cirkus2022." Here is the post shared by the director: Here is the picture shared by the filmmaker: Meanwhile, actor Jacqueline Fernandez was missing from the promotional episode shoot, as she is also a part of the Rohit Shetty directorial film.`Cirkus` is all set to hit the theatres on the occasion of Christmas 2022.`Cirkus` marks the second collaboration of actor Ranveer and director Rohit Shetty, in a full-fledged role after `Simmba`. Based on the 1960s era, the film also marks Ranveer`s first double-role of his career. Makers earlier unveiled the first look posters and the release date of the film. Meanwhile, the `Ram-Leela` actor will be also seen in Karan Johar`s next directorial `Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani` alongside Alia Bhatt, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra. The film is all set to release on February 10, 2023.Apart from this, he will also be seen in south director Shankar`s next, the official remake of the Tamil blockbuster film `Anniyan`. New Delhi: Sohum Shah has been garnering attention from the nation for his latest release, Maharani 2, and his role as a politician, Bheema. Even if this is the actor's first appearance as a politician, it is not surprising given the actor is well known for trying his hand at a variety of roles. Prior to this, Sohum Shah had roles in highly specialised films like Ship of Theseus and Tumbbad, both of which received rave reviews. This is the first time Sohum Shah is seen playing a role as mass oriented as Bheema and talking about the same, the actor said When Tumbbad premiered in Venice, I took my entire family including my mom, my brother, his son, and my wife along with me. My mom slept in between the screening. She got so scared of Dadi that she slept. When the film got over, my nephew was waking my mother. Later my mom said what kind of film do you make and how scary that Dadi in the movie was. Can you not make better films? She scolded me a lot. Talking about how Bheema from Maharani worked for the people of his town, Sri Ganganagar, he says So where I am from, they don't like films like Ship of Theseus and Tummbad, they enjoy content like Maharani. This is my first content which is so massy and accessible. Now when I meet people at weddings, they call me 'Bheema Babu', and now for the first time citizens of Ganga Nagar think that I have achieved something good as an actor Meanwhile, on the work front, the actor has an interesting lineup of Sanaa with Radhika Madan, Anthology, and Dahaad ICICI Bank has over 11 million credit card holders in India. Now in a move that may put an additional burden on credit card holders, the bank has introduced a new charge of one per cent on payment of rent using credit cards. In a message sent to its customers, the bank said, "Dear Customers, starting 20-Oct-22, all transactions on your ICICI Bank Credit Card towards rent payment will be charged at 1% fee." With this, the ICICI Bank has become the first bank to levy a charge on rent payments using credit cards. Payment of rent using credit cards There are various third-party platforms like RedGiraffe, Mygate, Cred, Paytm and Magicbricks that allow users (tenants) to pay rent using their credit cards. However, they charge a certain service fee in lieu of this. All the users have to do is input their credit card details on the platform, then go to the rent payment option and fill in the details like name, bank account number, IFSC code or add the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) address of the landlord and then make the desired payment. How will this impact credit card holders? Suppose you pay a rent of Rs 12,000 per month using your credit card, then the platform facilitating the payment also charges you somewhere between 0.4 per cent to 2 per cent. Let's assume the platform charges you 1 per cent for the transaction, thus the amount that will be deducted from your credit card will be Rs 12,120. Now, when your bill is generated, the ICICI Bank will levy its 1 per cent fee on the transaction (Rs 12,120), thus you will be paying back around Rs 12,241 to the bank. This means the one per cent charge will put an additional burden of around Rs 1,452 per year on the ICICI Bank credit card holders in this case. Why this charge? Financial experts say that while several platforms facilitate rent payment using a credit card, there is no mechanism in place to ascertain the authenticity of the landlord (except for RedGiraffe). Thus, the service may be misused by the cardholders as they can make payments to their relatives or friends by adding them as landlords to convert the payment into cash, thus facilitating cash withdrawal from credit cards by avoiding higher charges levied by the banks for the service. Banks charge somewhere around 2.5-3% for cash withdrawals from ATMs using credit cards. Metro rail network in India has now reached 750 km from less than 250 km in 2014, PM Narendra Modi says virtually addressing mayors' conference in Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the phase-one extension of the Kochi metro. An official, during the Kochi Metro inauguration stated that a "metro revolution" is happening in the country, with the number of cities having a transport network rising to 20 from 5 in 2014. The metro network in the nation has grown from 248 km in 2014 to 775 km and is still set on the path to growing even more. It is to be noted that the construction of 1,000 km of the metro is underway. "In 2014, the total Metro network in the country was 248 km. Today, the total Metro network in the country is 775 km. Another 1,000 km of the metro network is under construction. This is a part of the Metro revolution happening in the country under the Modi government," an official said. With PTI inputs New Delhi: Popular Tamil actress Pauline Jessica, popularly known by her stage name Deepa was found dead at her Chennai apartment on Sunday, September 18, 2022. According to a report in The Times of India, the 29-year-old Andhra-based actress left behind an alleged suicide note which was written in her diary. Deepa is known for her roles in Tamil movies like Thupparivalan and Vaaidha. Her shocking untimely demise has left her family friends and fans grieving. Bollywoodlife.com report states that the police found her cadaver hanging in one of the rooms of her Chennai house. They are speculating it to be a case of suicide. Several reports claim that she took the unfortunate decision due to her love life. A few days back noted Tamil lyricist Kabilans daughter Thoorigai, 28, died by suicide. She had worked as a costume designer in several Tamil movies and was also a celebrity stylist. The actress's body has been sent for post-mortem and an investigation is underway. New Delhi: The number of cyber attacks on Indian healthcare industry were second highest globally, with 7.7 per cent of total incidence on the segment being witnessed in the country in 2021, cyber security intelligence firm CloudSEK said on Tuesday. According to CloudSEK report on "Increased cyber attacks on the global healthcare sector", US healthcare industry faced 28 per cent of the total global attacks. "India recorded the second highest number of attacks, with a total of 7.7 per cent of the total attacks on the healthcare industry in 2021," the report said. The 7.7 per cent of cyber attack incidence in the Indian healthcare industry translates into over 71 lakh records, according to the report. CloudSEK is among the entities that provides cyber threat intelligence to Indian cyber security watchdog CERTin. According to the firm, the technological advancement in the healthcare industry like remote health monitoring, electronic health records and the Internet of Things (IoT) provided cyber criminals with more opportunities to attack the sector. The data collated by CloudSEK shows that there have already been 1.87 lakh records in the first four months of 2022. The dynamics of attack seem to have changed in 2022 at global level. Australia has been the most-hit country with around 70 crore records followed by Thailand which has faced over 10 crore records in the first four months of 2022, according to the report. New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on an 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. Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, and Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: WhatsApp entering film-making biz, movie to premiere on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube) Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for September 20, 2022 B61YCTNH4PV3 FFBCAC836MAC FFBCLY4LNC4B WOJJAFV3TU5E FFBCLLP5S98AW 4ST1ZTBE2RP9 WLSGJXS5KFYR FFPLFMSJDKEL FFTILM659NZB ESX24ADSM4K 3IBBMSL7AK8G FFPLNZUWMALS YXY3EGTLHGJX FFPLUED93XRT FFBCJVGJJ6VP XUW3FNK7AV8N (Also read: OMG! An 18-year boy hacks Uber, employees' thoughts someone is joking) How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, September 20, 2022 Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID. Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box. Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account. (Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules) San Francisco: Rockstar Games on Monday confirmed that it 'suffered a network intrusion' that resulted in the massive leak of 90 videos of Grand Theft Auto game 6, showcasing its engine, gameplay and more from an early development build. The leak provided a glimpse into GTA 6 development, confirming prior reports of the series' first female protagonist and a Vice City setting. "We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorised third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto," Rockstar Games said in a statement. At this time, "we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services no any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects". The company said it was "extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way". "Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations," said the gaming company. The title, informally known as GTA 6, will mark the first mainline game since 2013's GTA V, having racked up a record-breaking 170 million sales to date. The company said it will update everyone again soon and will properly introduce them to the next game when it is ready. The alleged GTA 6 footage comes via GTA Forums user "tepotuberhacker," posting various snippets of its open world in action from what appears to be an early development build. The over 90 videos also provide an extended look at robberies, NPC interactions, vehicles, and more from its sprawling sandbox. The footage appears to be from builds at least a couple of years old, suggesting development has been underway in tandem with recent years of GTA V content updates. A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake jolted west-central Mexico on a day when the country marked the anniversary of two major temblors that struck in 1985 and 2017. One person was killed when a wall collapsed at a shopping centre in Manzanillo, a beach resort in western Colima state, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday evening, after receiving a report from the Naval Ministry. Mexican President was in contact with governors of states most affected by the quake. Parts of the capital Mexico City also felt the tremor, reports Xinhua news agency. As many as 1.2 million people were left without power in Mexico City, the neighbouring State of Mexico, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco, according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), which later informed that electricity was restored to 68 per cent of those affected. The National Seismological Service (SSN) originally reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4, but two hours later it was updated to 7.7. The earthquake hit at 1:05 pm local time, according to the US Geologic Survey, which had initially put the magnitude at 7.5. Also read: Strong earthquake of 7.2 magnitude hit Taiwan, kills 1, derails train It further said that the quake was centred 37 km (23 miles) southeast of Aquila near the boundary of Colima and Michoacan states and at a depth of 15.1 km (9.4 miles). Michoacan's Public Security Department said there were no immediate reports of significant damage in that state beyond some cracks in buildings in the town of Coalcoman. Mexico's National Civil Defence agency said that the navy's tsunami centre had not issued an alert because due to the epicentre's location, no variation in sea levels was expected. However, that contradicted an alert from the US Tsunami Warning Centre. It said hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts within 186 miles (300 km) of the epicentre. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum also tweeted that there were no reports of damage in the capital. Alarms for the new quake came less than an hour after a quake alarm warbled in a nationwide earthquake simulation marking major, deadly quakes that struck on the same date in 1985 and 2017. Humberto Garza stood outside a restaurant in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood holding his 3-year son. Like many milling about outside after the earthquake, Garza said that the earthquake alarm sounded so soon after the annual simulation that he was not sure it was real. "I heard the alarm, but it sounded really far away," he said. Outside the city's environmental ombudsman's office, dozens of employees waited. Some appeared visibly shaken. Power was out in parts of the city, including stoplights, snarling the capital's already notorious traffic. (With IANS/AP Inputs) 21:15 | New York City (U.S.), Sep. 19. "Today, it is necessary to build an equal and fair society. Especially in the Andean and Amazonian regions, where the presence of the State is needed, but the State cannot do this work alone. We are convinced that we have to do it together with the private sector," he said at a meeting with investors and entrepreneurs in New York City. The Head of State noted that he is convinced education is one of the fundamental pillars to promote development in countries, too. "I call on you to invest in them (the countries), so that the population becomes more aware that only education can save the peoples," he remarked. In addition, the dignitary called for a head-on fight against corruption, a scourge that must be eradicated so that future generations realize that everything must be done transparently, so as not to harm citizens. "A number of ex-authorities are fugitive and behind bars. So, we think it is important to take a look at it so that future generations, not only in Peru but in other countries, can see that things can be done in a transcendent manner," he stated. Likewise, he emphasized that his Government is respectful of democracy, as well as of national and international investments, which are important for the stability of the country. "In the political arena, we are extremely respectful of democratic life. We ask you (entrepreneurs) to join us in said democratic line to continue shaping the destiny of our country, to give stability and security to national and foreign investment, without producing distrust," he added. ?? Actividad Oficial | Presidente Pedro Castillo sostiene reunion con inversores y representantes de empresas, en actividad organizada por American Society Council of Americas (AS/COA). #PeruEnONU https://t.co/aUH4hDUd9P TVPeru Noticias (@noticias_tvperu) September 20, 2022 (END) GSR/JCR/RMB The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Monday affirmed that the Government and the business community must work together to help solve major problems such as inequality and poverty, so as to improve the quality of life of more citizens.Publicado: 19/9/2022 YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. On September 19, within the framework of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, a meeting was held between the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, with the mediation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In the course of the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan underscored that the Azerbaijani armed forces must be withdrawn from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the use of force or the threat of force is unacceptable, and international mechanisms must be introduced to prevent further escalations. The Foreign Minister of Armenia highlighted the importance of immediate resolution of humanitarian issues, including the repatriation of prisoners of war. Minister Mirzoyan reiterated the readiness of the Armenian side to be involved in the process of comprehensive normalisation of relations. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who hosted Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in New York on September 19, encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov for the first direct talks since recent fighting. Secretary Blinken conveyed condolences for the lives lost and emphasized the need to prevent further hostilities, underscoring the importance of returning to the peace process. They discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month, the statement says. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan sent an official letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, presenting the large-scale military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Armenias sovereign territory on September 13, 2022, as well as the consequences of that aggression. In the letter the minister said that not only the military positions, but also the civilian infrastructure were targeted by the Azerbaijani armed forces. In particular, according to the data collected by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, at least 7600 people were evacuated from Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces. Most of the evacuees are women, children and elderly, including also persons with disabilities. The letter also said that as a result of the Azerbaijani military aggression, the study process in general educational and pre-school facilities has been stopped for security purposes. As a result, 24,873 students studying at 172 schools and 5808 children of 69 pre-schools in Syunik, Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor provinces were deprived of the right to education and prosperous future. The activity of other educational facilities, colleges and universities in these provinces is also under danger. The minister said that the targeting of students, teachers and educational facilities, the gross violation of the international humanitarian law and the right to education are unacceptable in all cases and must be strongly condemned. In his letter Minister Dumanyan asked the UNESCO Director-General to respond to the heavy threat caused as a result of the Azerbaijani military aggression and condemn such hostile actions of Azerbaijan, thus contributing to the prevention of further violations of the fundamental principles of UNESCO mandate and ensuring the protection of the rights of the population who were forcefully displaced, the civilian population and civilian infrastructure during the military operations. The special report prepared by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia was also attached to the letter. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Former Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has established a new organization which is called Center for Law and Justice: Tatoyan Foundation. I am initiating an active public activity which is going to have institutional bases. The Foundation has goals, among which are to ensure human rights and social justice in Armenia, the scientific-educational and research activity, raising the level of knowledge among society with public awareness raising, ensuring ties between Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora, ensuring pan-Armenian solidarity, protecting the national values, etc, Tatoyan said today. He said that the Foundation does not have and rules out any oligarchic funding. The foundation is based on the funding of the Diaspora-Armenians from US, Russia and Europe. The donation section in the website will be available soon, and those who wish can assist. Arman Tatoyan said that the staffers of the Foundation are previous employees of the Office of the Human Rights Defender. The Foundation staffers have carried out activities over the Azerbaijani aggression that occured on September 13-15. They have already prepared a report about the continuous Azerbaijani hatred and hostility, as well as the consequences of the aggression, he said. Arman Tatoyan said that everyones main goal should be to document, collect the proofs of the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression and present them to the international community. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The economic cooperation between Russia and Armenia both at inter-state and inter-regional level is developing actively, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach said during a press conference. 83 action plans were signed as a result of the 9th Armenian-Russian Inter-Regional Forum, according to which our regions (around 30 regions, although almost all regions of Russia are engaged in active economic partnership with Armenia) proposed concrete actions for the development of inter-regional, economic, social and cultural areas by 2027. Its quite a long-term and prospective cooperation program in all directions, he said. He reminded that in the first half of 2022 the trade turnover between Armenia and Russia increased by almost 50% or more than 1.6 billion dollars compared to the same period of 2021, and despite the negative forecasts of leading international organizations, Armenia has registered a double-digit economic growth. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi and his delegation will arrive in Armenia on October 4-5. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a decision instructing the Foreign Minister and the Head of the State Protocol Service of the Foreign Ministry to prepare the agenda of the visit, ensuring the implementation of the events during the visit of the guests in Armenia. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan handed over the bodies of 95 Armenian servicemen killed as a result of the latest attack on Armenia, Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Aram Torosyan told Armenpress. He said that these returned bodies are among the 207 who were killed or went missing as a result of the latest Azerbaijani attack. On September 17 Azerbaijan handed over the bodies of 32 servicemen to Armenia. On September 19 the Security Council of Armenia said that the number of those killed or missing as a result of the latest large-scale aggression of Azerbaijan reaches 207. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Any conflict situation between countries close to Russia is of a serious concern, Moscow supports the peaceful settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. I want to state that any conflict between the countries close to us is of a serious concern. We call on everyone to exercise restraint, strictly observe the ceasefire and firmly follow the trilateral statements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian President said. Putin said that the key to solving the conflict is the professional, joint work within the Armenian-Azerbaijani border delimitation commission, with the consulting support by Russia. He stated that measures are being taken through the CSTO to reduce the escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I want to note that, through the CSTO, measures are being taken over the escalation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. A special mission led by the CSTO Secretary General [Chief of CSTO Joint Staff] has been sent to the conflict zone. He was tasked to prepare proposals to the CSTO Security Council based on the results of the monitoring of the situation, Putin said. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Ashot Smbatyan met with Head of the State Security Service of Georgia Grigol Liluashvili, the Embassy said. The sides discussed the current security challenges in the region and highlighted the constant development of the cooperation between the security services of the two countries. Ambassador Smbatyan presented the situation created as a result of the latest large-scale aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenias sovereign territory. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. On September 19 the Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan held an online meeting with the Executive Director of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Ms. Eleonore Morel, and the Head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk Mr. Ilya Nuzov. The Defender presented the Ad hoc report of the Human Rights Defenders Office on the gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by the Azerbaijani Armed forces, specifically addressing the violations of the right to life and not to be subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructures, the Human Rights Defenders Office said. The Defender also answered the questions and presented the updated ongoing human rights situation in Armenia. YEREVAN, 20 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 20 September, USD exchange rate down by 0.38 drams to 417.92 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 418.13 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 6.97 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.03 drams to 478.06 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 20.34 drams to 22366.97 drams. Silver price down by 0.23 drams to 255.23 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. A delegation, led by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will visit Armenia on October 4-5. September 20, 2022, 15:51 IAEA chief to visit Armenia STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 20, ARTSAKHPRESS: Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a decision instructing the Foreign Minister and the Head of the State Protocol Service of the Foreign Ministry to prepare the agenda of the visit, ensuring the implementation of the events during the visit of the guests in Armenia. In global study by WISH, UK healthcare practitioners also most doubtful of receiving mental health support in the future DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lack of focus on mental health support, along with a mounting pressure on resources mean that healthcare workers in the UK would be the least likely to embark on the same career path if they had to join their profession again now, a global survey has found. WISH QF Logo Having borne the brunt of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from a healthcare perspective, only 35 percent of practitioners in the UK would still train as healthcare professionals if joining the industry now, as opposed to 90 percent in India, 85 percent in Nigeria, and 76 percent in Saudi Arabia. The study by YouGov, on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) , revealed that 59 percent of healthcare workers in the UK said that a higher workload has been one of the biggest changes they have experienced since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicates one of the factors contributing to a lack of motivation for healthcare practitioners, with others linked to the UK ranking lowest globally when considering trends they predicted to be prevalent in their industry over the next five years: Only 17 percent thought that an increased investment into research and development would be a trend, compared with those in India (60 percent), Nigeria (57 percent), Saudi Arabia (38 percent), Brazil (33 percent), and the US (25 percent) Only a quarter (25 percent) highlighted education and training of junior members of the team, compared with peers in Nigeria (57 percent), India (53 percent), and Saudi Arabia (46 percent) 41 percent saw attention on mental health and diagnosis as a developing trend; less than peers in India (59 percent), Brazil (54 percent), and Saudi Arabia (52 percent). In addition, 70 percent the highest number recorded thought that a pressure on resources in the industry would remain a trend in the coming years. This was much higher than their colleagues in Brazil (27 percent), Nigeria (28 percent), India (31 percent), Saudi Arabia (38 percent) and the US (57 percent). Story continues "These findings point to the frailty of the UK's health system and demand urgent corrective action through increased investment in workforce training and development, as well as a sharpened focus on mental health support and advocacy to ensure staff retention. The challenges highlighted mean that governments, policymakers, and industry leaders still have a lot to learn from the lessons of the ongoing pandemic. We urge them to accelerate efforts to address the concerns of healthcare practitioners and develop effective mechanisms to tackle the issues that are negatively impacting the national health system's ability to keep communities protected against future health emergencies," said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH. The survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, aimed to gain insights into the impacts of dealing with COVID-19 on healthcare workers' lives, shine a light on their experiences, as well as explore what the future of healthcare might look like according to those serving on the frontline of care delivery. WISH, a health initiative of Qatar Foundation , is a global platform which gathers healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators to unite in the goal of building a healthier world. The biennial WISH Summit, taking place October 4-6 in Doha, Qatar and virtually, aims to showcase WISH's evidence-based research and discuss how to translate these findings into practical, policy-driven solutions that help transform global healthcare delivery. The sixth edition of the summit will run under the banner of "Healing the Future." The summit will thoroughly explore the legacy of COVID-19 from various perspectives, including how to build more resilient and sustainable healthcare systems, improve our response to the mental health crisis faced by health and care workers, and harness the rapid progress in pharmaceutical innovation that has taken place during the pandemic. For more information on WISH, visit www.wish.org.qa . Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902072/WISH_QF_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wish-survey-reveals-uk-healthcare-workers-far-less-likely-than-global-counterparts-to-enter-industry-if-starting-their-careers-now-301627437.html Democratic members of New York's congressional delegation are showing their support for Francis Conole in the 22nd district race, while U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney netted a law enforcement union's endorsement in her bid for the 24th district seat. Law enforcement union backs Tenney The New York Law Enforcement Officers Union, Council 82, endorsed Tenney, R-Canandaigua, in the 24th Congressional District race. Ronald Walsh, Council 82's president, said in a statement that the endorsement "recognizes your strong and unwavering support for law enforcement, veterans and military families." The union represents more than 3,000 police officers, deputy sheriffs, county correction officers and emergency dispatchers. It also represents state correction lieutenants who work in the prison system. "Our local law enforcement, corrections officers and first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe," Tenney said. "I am honored to stand with law enforcement and fight to ensure they have the support and resources they need to keep our community safe." Tenney is running for reelection in the newly drawn 24th district that includes all or parts of 12 counties. All of Cayuga County is in the new district. Tenney's opponent is Democratic candidate Steven Holden. Gillibrand, New York Democrats for Conole U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is among the New York Democrats endorsing Francis Conole in the 22nd district. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said Conole is "the type of leader we need fighting for central New Yorkers in Congress." "A U.S. Navy captain who's spent his career serving our country, Francis is a fierce advocate for safeguarding our foundational freedoms, including the right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy," Gillibrand added. "I know that he will be a valuable and effective member of Congress for central New York, and I can't wait to see him lead." Joining Gillibrand in supporting Conole, D-Syracuse, are five members of the state's congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Brian Higgins, Joe Morelle, Jerry Nadler, Kathleen Rice and Paul Tonko. Higgins, D-Buffalo, described Conole as "a mission-driven leader." Nadler, D-Manhattan, also offered high praise of the Syracuse Democrat. "Francis Conole understands service at his core," Nadler said. "He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis months before the Sept. 11 attacks and went on to navigate a Navy warship in the Middle East and serve commanders in chief from both parties as a policy adviser. He's ready for his next mission in Congress." Conole is facing Republican candidate Brandon Williams in the 22nd district race. The district includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, plus a small part of Oswego County. Sept. 20, 1992 A band of white supremacists claiming to be nonviolent migrated to Auburn a week ago, ordered, they say, to make the city a command post. In the aftermath of a shooting by one of the group's ringleaders, various members last week bickered about who is in charge. All refused to say how many local adherents the party has, but agree they are looking for more. The group an offshoot of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based United States of America Nationalist Party claims to be interested only in promoting its doctrines of ethnic purity, aimed mostly against Jews and African Americans. "We are not a skinhead organization," said David Hall, the self-proclaimed "unit commander." Hall said the local party is controlled by the Philadelphia headquarters and is unaffiliated with Thomas Cool, a well-known local white supremacist. Hall said he's never met Cool. Cool disagreed, saying he met with some of the newcomers but is not a member of their group. City police unmasked the local cell's existence Monday after one of its members Keith Ernest, 25, of 3 Grover St. allegedly shot his neighbor during a personal dispute. In Ernest's apartment, police uncovered a cache of supremacist literature and an arsenal of weapons, including handguns, rifles, ammunition, black gunpowder, dynamite and other explosive devices. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- U Power, a Chinese skateboard chassis developer, entered into a cooperation agreement with the government of Feixi county, Hefei city on Sept. 20 at the ongoing 2022 World Manufacturing Convention for its commercial vehicle (CV) headquarters project. Under the agreement, U Power will set up its CV headquarters in Feixi county, which will be responsible for the R&D, production management, and sales of CV-related products. Local authority will assist the company with construction land, subsidies, and talent services. Photo credit: U Power The new project will be conducted in three phases, embracing trial production lines for chassis core parts and complete vehicles, an intelligent skateboard chassis production line, as well as a complete vehicle assembly line. It is noteworthy that the latest move came after U Power obtained the governmental support from Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In late August, U Power struck a deal with local authorities of Liudong New Area, Liuzhou city, regarding an industrial base for skateboard chassis. As one of the startups in China focusing on skateboard chassis, U Power joined hands with NVIDIA on March 23 this year, to adopt the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion AV platform architecture to build an HPVC (High Performance Vehicle Computer) on its UP Super Chassis. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas automotive chip supplier ChipON announced on September 20 the completion of its C2 & strategic financing round. Photo credit: ChipON The round attracted such investors as FAW Capital, Shanghai STVC Group, Zhangjiang Science Technology Venture Capital, Seekers Capital (Jiangyin), FAW Leaguer Investments. Upon completion of the round, ChipON will continue to deepen its partnership with automakers, including FAW Group, vigorously promote the R&D and commercialization of automotive chips with higher functional safety levels. The company plans to branch out into the high-end market of auto-grade chips, and expand its overall business layout of automotive chips with KungFu kernel as the core, eventually forming a full-stack KungFu ecosystem that integrates product, technology, and service. As a self-reliant player in the automotive chip field, ChipON holds powerful technical R&D capability, a strict quality management system, a strong technical services team, stable business policies, and numerous commercialized application cases. Its proprietary KungFu CPU cores, IP core, and nearly 50 auto-grade chips covering 8 to 32 bits have been deployed by major international and domestic mainstream automakers. After several rounds of financing, ChipON has attracted investors who are also well-known enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the automobile or chip industrial chains, state-owned innovation platforms, and professional investment institutions. If frog dissections turned you off biology in high school, youll be pleased to know they are no longer common as a classroom exercise, but frogs continue to contribute to science. A lot of research on this group of animals has led to fascinating discoveries in recent years, all without traumatizing students! Studies of a frog called the pumpkin toadlet helped scientists understand a drawback of miniaturization. These frogs have two obvious traits: they are very small, measuring half to three-quarters of an inch long, and they are terrible at landing after jumping. They leap into the air, moving randomly as they twist, flop, and then crash to the ground. Honestly, their flight and landings look exactly like those of a dead frog tossed in the air. The reason relates directly to their size. In most vertebrates, fluid sloshing around in the bony tubes of the inner ear provides feedback to the animal about their movement and position in space. Pumpkin toadlets are unable to orient their bodies when they jump in the air because their inner ears are too small. The fluid cant move around freely, leaving these animals without the ability to sense how they are moving in the air. Understanding how singing males attract females has been studied extensively. Most research seeks to understand what traits of an individual male are attractive to females. In a recent study of wood frogs, the focus was on what characteristics of a group of male frogs appeal to females. That matters because females will enter a small pond that has multiple males, but she may not have complete control over which male fertilizes her eggs. She releases eggs into the water, and males attempt to grab her and position their own body so their sperm (rather than sperm from other males) fertilize the eggs. In this study, researchers learned that females prefer groups of males who sing with a consistent pitch. So, it doesnt matter if males are singing in shrill tones or with deeply resonating sounds as long as everyone around them is doing the same. Teeth only evolved once, about 400 million years ago. Every species with teeth can trace their family tree back to a common ancestor an armoured fish in which teeth evolved. Studying evolutionary aspects of teeth, including the genes involved, is particularly informative in frogs. This group of animals has lost teeth about 20 different times in various lineages more than in any other vertebrate group. Theres a correlation between toothlessness in frogs and specializing in eating small insects such as ants and termites. Interestingly, pangolins and anteaters, both toothless, also specialize on these insects. A new species of glass frog discovered in Costa Rica in 2015 has been called the real-life Kermit the Frog. The resemblance is so remarkable that everyone who sees this frog or a picture of it, including me, is compelled to remark upon it. Perhaps future research will explore if this newly found frog agrees with Kermit that its not easy being green. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a wet week ahead for northern Arizona, with a 40-70% chance of rain showers dominating the forecast for most of the week. Tuesday through Thursday, much of northern Arizona should see a half-inch to an inch of rainfall, said NWS meteorologist-in-charge Brian Klimowski. I will not be surprised if some areas see over two inches of rain by Thursday night. The heaviest rain events are expected to impact the Mogollon Rim and northeastern Arizona, Klimowski said, though Flagstaff should keep its head up for the threat of flooding beneath wildfire burn scars. Flagstaff and Coconino County have been battling with post-fire flooding for months, though recent weeks have provided some respite. We can't let our guard down, Klimowski said. We're going to see some heavy rain this week. There is a threat of flash flooding. We just need to stay alert to the conditions around us as the storms sweep through. As a whole, Klimowski said weather in the northern Arizona region is in a transition season that combines elements of monsoon and autumn storms. This weeks rainfall can be attributed to a low-pressure trough on the west coast. It isn't atypical to see a strong trough come in and bring some resurgence of moisture, Klimowski said. What is unusual is how strong and deep this trough is and how slowly it's moving. This strong, deep trough is also accompanied by high winds in the upper atmosphere, which will cause individual storms to move more quickly. They'll have more of what we call wind shear available, Klimowski explained, so the chance for severe storms is elevated as well. While August brought a remarkable amount of rain almost double normal to northern Arizona, truly severe storms have been rare. When it comes to what these storms might tell us about forthcoming winter precipitation, Klimowski said, well have to wait and see. Theres few indicators from the short-term forecast that truly parlay into the long-term forecast at this time, Klimowski said. It does look like the next couple of weeks will be pretty active. We'll see what that brings for the rest of the fall and the winter. Conservative activist Virginia Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has appeared for a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. She did not answer questions when she arrived on Capitol Hill for the interview or later when she briefly left for a break. But Thomas did tell reporters she was looking forward to answering questions from the members of the committee. Cloud based technologies, especially business-to-business (B2B) livestreaming, helped establish communications among thousands of enterprises at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo. The four-day expo, officially launched in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Monday, attracted 3,600 enterprises from 32 countries and regions to attend its online events, displaying nearly 17,000 exhibits, including food, machineries, materials, and technologies in the fields of energy, commodity, finance and many others. More than 70 companies will try B2B livestreaming during the expo, with the first three streams launching at 11:00 a.m. Beijing Time (0300 GMT) on Tuesday. The expo will be held both online and offline. Covering an area of 40,000 square meters, the expo's offline event has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. For the first time, "Tianshan Forum" panel discussions will be held alongside the expo, where guests will discuss topics including Belt and Road, international sci-tech cooperation, finance development and health. source: CGTN by Gong Zhe Changes are underway to the landscape of downtown Beatrice as a condemned building starts to come down. The building at 413 Court St., owned by Larry Gehring of Beatrice, has been condemned since February 2019. Workers from Skyline Construction are in the process of demolishing the building, after a change order was approved by the City Council at a previous meeting. The City Council approved a change order at the last meeting for around $30,000, said City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer. That would include partial demolition to the building to the west at 411 Court St., but that also does not include landfill fees. Before landfill fees, the cost of demolition now stands at approximately $307,000. The demolition is beginning in the alley, and Tempelmeyer hopes the disruption will be minimal and limited to reduced traffic and parking on Court Street when that side of the building comes down. He estimated the demolition will take up to three weeks. The city does not own the lot, and Tempelmeyer said hes not sure what will become of the location once the demolition is complete. Once the project is completed, the city will look to recover funds from the buildings owner from any assets he may have. The city does not own the building, he said. We will look to collect our money like any other civil case, but at this point the city does not own the lot. State Patrol troopers arrested a California woman near York on Saturday after they found 20 pounds of cocaine concealed inside the seat of her Ford Expedition, the Nebraska State Patrol said. Imelda Ambriz, 34, was stopped for allegedly following a vehicle too closely on Interstate 80 at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, when troopers "became suspicious of criminal activity" while interacting with the woman amid the stop, the patrol said in a news release. Authorities searched the Los Angeles woman's vehicle and found 20 pounds of suspected cocaine, according to the news release. Troopers arrested Ambriz on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. She was taken to the York County jail. Editor's note: The 16th annual High Plains Book Awards recognizes regional literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains, including the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. highplainsbookawards.org The Childrens Book Award honors books written for readers under 12 years of age. Dear Peter, Dear Ulla, a finalist in the Childrens category for the High Plains Book Awards, is a middle-grade novel by Canadian writer Barbara Nickel. Nickel is a resident of Saskatchewan and sets part of her novel in that province. A few of the characters are based loosely on her own family. Dear Peter, Dear Ulla has two narrative threads. One thread is told from Peters point of view, from where he lives in Saskatchewan in 1939. The other thread is told from Ullas point of view, from where she lives in Danzig. The two are cousins who share the same birthday. Throughout the novel, they write letters to one another. The letters contain many historic details. The two narratives are enlightening as the structure allows readers to imagine what life was like in a country that was not at war (Peter in Canada), and they are also able to imagine what it was like living in a city that became controlled by the Nazis (Ulla in Danzig). Some of the details are heartwarming and domestic, while others are terrifying and intense. Middle-grade novels should tell an engaging, imaginative story. Nickel does this in Dear Peter, Dear Ulla. Nickel includes many details about rural life, music, language, and the Mennonite culture as the two cousins develop a close bond with one another that is heartwarming. Also, strong middle-grade novels require effective pacing. Nickel handles the pace well although, at times, it goes too fast. New details about characters or memories pop into the narration and scenes change rather quickly. The cousins letters, though, have distinct styles. The author handles voice well while capturing what is important from the viewpoints of twelve-year-olds. Outside of the letters, Nickels sentences are direct and move at a clip similar to that of a screenplay. For children studying World War II, Dear Peter, Dear Ulla would make an interesting addition to their curriculum. Students would have the opportunity to learn about Mennonite history in Canada and about some of the events of World War II in Danzig. Precious McKenzie is a professor at Rocky Mountain College, the author of over forty books for children, and the regional advisor for the Montana chapter of the Society of Childrens Book Writers & Illustrators. You are Invited October 8! Book Sale and Author Panels 11 AM 5 PM Billings Public Library Award Presentations MSU Billings Petro Theatre 7:30 PM no charge Editor's note: The 16th annual High Plains Book Awards recognizes regional literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains, including the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. highplainsbookawards.org The Medicine & Science Award recognizes works of nonfiction or fiction based on natural or physical sciences. A finalist in the Medicine & Science category, The Scenic Geology of Alberta showcases author Dale Leckies scientific expertise. With a doctorate in geology, a masters degree in geography, and a wealth of local knowledge, Leckie is an ideal person to translate Albertas terrain for both tourists wishing to explore the best of the provinces geological splendor and locals hoping for deeper insight into their everyday surroundings. The layout of the information is helpfully consistent with other guidebooks, beginning with a short general overview, including supportive figures and a map. Leckie expertly weaves together descriptions of the current landscape with the geological underpinnings, sprinkling in geological terms without slowing the narrative, and the directions and accompanying maps are clear. He also includes interesting details, such as where human engineering has had to intercede in the natural geological order to keep a village built on an alluvial fan from regularly flooding. Especially useful are warnings about potential hazards, whether due to rattlesnakes, private property boundaries, or the impact of weather on trail conditions. However, it is the inclusion of not only myriad photographs of the various sites but also full-color renderings by Canadian artists L. C. Cariou and Brent R. Laycock that sets this book apart, with the paintings offering an emotional connection to the landscapes beyond what the photographs portray. Although this is not a book focused on social history, Leckie does incorporate Indigenous stories and experiences tied to some of the specific areas he discusses, which adds helpful continuity from the deep, geological history to the more modern human context. I enjoyed these snippets, but since they are not directly tied to the authors areas of expertise, I would have liked an appendix or bibliography with references. Most guidebooks also have an index, and I found myself trying to refer to one only to be disappointed by its absence. Additionally, for those of us who are not steeped in the conventions of geological timekeeping, it would have been helpful to include a small note on the initial figure indicating that MA stands for mega-annum, meaning millions of years ago. Although the subsequent text makes this clear, not everyone may read (or remember!) that section. These are nitpicky complaints, though, and overall, the book admirably achieves its purpose. Julie Schultz is the treasurer and primary book buyer for This House of Books, the bookstore cooperative in downtown Billings. You are Invited October 8! Book Sale and Author Panels 11 AM 5 PM Billings Public Library Award Presentations MSU Billings Petro Theatre 7:30 PM no charge Editor's note: The 16th annual High Plains Book Awards recognizes regional literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains, including the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. highplainsbookawards.org The Medicine & Science Award recognizes works of nonfiction or fiction based on natural or physical sciences. Author Jillian Horton, M.D., tells us she chose to study medicine because her sister was rendered an incurable invalid by medical misdiagnosis. Years later, as an accomplished physician, Horton found herself seeking a cure for the ills of her own medical career. Her story, We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing, is a finalist for a High Plains Book Award in three categories: Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Medicine and Science. Those categories suggest the wide variety of readers, from casual to professional, who will find this up-close-and-personal narrative both delightful and disturbing. The author recounts her participation in a rehab retreat for burnt out doctors like herself who shared career ailments including exhaustion, depression, guilt over that lost patient, and disconnect from their families. Their woes readily suggest why doctors have the highest suicide rate among the professions. The physicians in the retreat had to look into themselves for their cures, and the author is clear on that point. But she is equally clear on another point: Burnout in physicians is a public health crisis lacking an overall remedy. The road to burnout begins in the standard medical training for interns and residents who work 28-hour days without sleep, overly absorbed in their careers from the get-go. They lose perspective, their better judgment, respect for self and, sadly, for their patients as individuals. Sounds dreadful and it is. But Hortons lively viewpoints and tone, ranging from wry irony to angst, offer the reader a balanced vision that the author herself has struggled to recover. That vision seems to come in part from two of her medical heroes, her muses, whom she admiringly acknowledges: the resilient Dr. Hawkeye Pierce of M*A*S*H, and the original physician, Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, whose work was a perfect blend of science and heart. William Kamowski is an emeritus professor of English at MSU Billings. You are Invited October 8! Book Sale and Author Panels 11 AM 5 PM Billings Public Library Award Presentations MSU Billings Petro Theatre 7:30 PM no charge A Billings 17-year-old has been charged as an adult with six counts of assault with a weapon after he and three other teens allegedly opened fire earlier this month on the house of another 17-year-old while he, his mother, two young siblings, and two other adults were home earlier this month. Not guilty pleas were required by District Judge Brett Linneweber in court Monday morning citing both the defendants age and the nature of the case. Linneweber also upheld a $50,000 bond set by Judge Mary Jane Knisely in a bench warrant. The 17-year-old suspect, whose initials are J.C., will also be required to wear a GPS monitor if released, and is barred from contacting any of the victims or going near the home he allegedly fired on. (The Billings Gazette does not generally identify juvenile suspects involved in criminal activity. All of the teens involved are identified by their initials. It is still possible the case could be tried in juvenile court.) According to a police investigation, J.C. and four other teen boys, two of which police apparently only know by their first names and the other two were identified as 18-year-old K.T.R. and 12-year-old J.N., were driving around the night of Sept. 10. Allegedly K.T.R. had a beef with the boy whose house they would shoot up. So, the teens drove to the house on Jefferson St., where four of the boysK.T.R., and J.C. along with the two boys only known as David and Jeffrey in charges pulled their hoods over their heads, got out of the SUV and shot about 12 rounds into the home, charges stated. The teen boy targeted by the group had noticed a vehicle pull up outside and went to look. He saw several people dressed in black exit the vehicle. Then he heard gunshots. As the bullets ripped through the house he dropped to the ground and called out for the rest of his family to do the same, he and his mother, referred to as L.M. in charging documents, later recalled to police. L.M. said shed been sleeping when she heard the gunshots. She told police her two other children, around 6 and 7, were also home along with two other adults. Police talked to others in the neighborhood and one witness said he saw the teens arrive, pull their hoods up over their heads and then speed off. But as they did so, the witness told police, the SUV collided with a different vehicle leaving the SUVs front license plate on the pavement. Police traced the plate to a trailer on Jackson Street where they found the damaged vehicle. As police were inspecting the vehicle, the owner came out of a nearby home to talk to police. At the same time a young man ran out the back. One officer chased the boy, later identified as K.T.R., who managed to escape. The other officer spoke to the vehicles owner. Police learned that a group of teenage boys had taken the SUV to the store and to pick up friends earlier in the night. The woman gave police permission to search both the vehicle and her home but did not believe there were weapons in either. Inside the SUV police found a spent 9mm casing. Hidden inside the home they found a 9mm pistol, a Taurus .38 revolver, ammo, and empty brass casings. Most notably police also found a stolen Christin Arm Rifle with a suppressor and a shotgun. There was no serial number on the shotgun. During interviews J.N., K.T.R. and J.C. allegedly recalled the night for police and admitted to the shooting, fleeing the area, colliding with the car which caused the two other boys, Jeffrey and David, to run away and hiding the guns at K.T.R.s home. J.C. is the only one involved in the shooting that has been charged to date. If convicted, J.C. faces 20 years in prison for each count of assault with a weapon. A transfer hearing to decide whether the case should continue in district court or be moved to juvenile court will be held at a later date. Teen-related shootings and homicides have been on the rise in 2020. Last week a group of teens was charged in connection to the shooting death of 15-year-old Khoen Parker in January. A 16-year-old faces a negligent homicide charge after he fired a round during an apparent fight that ricocheted and hit Parker in the side. On Friday, an 18-year-old woman was arrested after a 43-year-old man was shot in the 300 block of 25th Street North in downtown Billings. The woman has been booked into jail, police said. On Saturday morning, two teenagers were shot while on the Rims. At about 3:45 a.m., an 18-year-old man and 17-year-old girl were shot after an argument, police said. Both victims were taken in a personal vehicle to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Later in the day, police arrested 18-year-old Nathan Prettyweasel on two counts of assault with a weapon. A former Broadwater County commissioner has amended an earlier complaint in her lawsuit against the state, saying state and county officials showed bad faith and malicious prosecution when they continued to pursue charges against her despite a deferred prosecution agreement. This latest filing piggybacks on a March lawsuit filed against the state by Laura Marie Obert. It was filed Aug. 9 in Montana 1st Judicial District Court in Lewis and Clark County. In addition to the state, the new filing names Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson and Special Assistant Attorney General/Special Deputy Broadwater County Attorney Martin Lambert as defendants. Obert demands a jury by trial and wants damages proven at trial. Swanson, a Montana Army National Guard member, has been deployed with the 1-163rd Combined Arms Battalion to the Central Command area of operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. His office did not return a call seeking comment. Lambert did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday. The defendants have reportedly not been served yet. In the March lawsuit, Obert argued that officials violated a 2016 settlement agreement when they filed charges against her in 2020. At that time, Lambert filed a theft charge and official misconduct charge against Obert. The misconduct charge was based on allegations she supported a project beyond her lawful authority as a Broadwater County commissioner in which her husband was involved. The felony theft probe dated back to 2015. Court documents allege that of the $8,897 Obert received in addition to her salaried wages for "insurance purposes" that year, at least $6,521 was unlawfully obtained. Obert sought a settlement and the county determined it had overpaid her $4,257. She repaid that amount. She had directed the county finance officer to process her timecards and pay her up to 40 hours a week, instead of 26-32, for her work as a county commissioner. Officials said Obert learned she would qualify for insurance benefits if she worked a certain number of hours. The court dismissed both counts in 2021. The latest filing amends the March complaint and adds tort claims, which are claims for damages due to actions of the person who committed the act. The first two counts, breach of contract and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, remain basically the same. The amended complaint adds several more counts including allegations of bad faith by the state, violation of due process, and malicious prosecution by Swanson and Lambert. This latest filing alleges Swanson made repeated attempts to bring criminal charges against Obert even though others said such action was not appropriate. And they said his demands grew increasingly insistent as time went on. When others, such as the attorney generals office, didn't move quickly enough, Obert alleges Swanson demanded the Broadwater County Commission, without Obert present, appoint an independent county attorney, Lambert, to investigate and make a decision regarding Obert. The plaintiff seeks an award of damages suffered as a result of the states action. It also seeks action for malicious prosecution and any additional relief the court may deem appropriate. Obert was first elected to the commission in 2008, won reelection in 2014 and did not run for a third term in 2020. Her lawsuit states she did not run in 2020 because of Swanson's efforts to drive her from public office. A Wyoming woman is in custody on suspicion of lighting multiple fires in downtown Billings on Tuesday morning that brought emergency crews to a church and a pre-release center. Jodi Laurette Moore, 43, was arrested shortly after Billings Fire Department members responded to fire alarms at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and the Alpha House mens pre-release dormitory. While the dormitory was not damaged, doors to the 120-year-old church were destroyed and several of its windows were shattered. The homeless problem in Billings is becoming a bigger problem year by yearBut we have to continue to love them and do what we can to help them, said Allen Kent, a long-time parishioner at St. Lukes. BFD crews reached St. Lukes around 5 a.m., according to a social media post from the Billings Police Department, and officers immediately began an arson investigation. The churchs main doors, which Kent said were nearly as old at the church itself, were visibly scorched. The doors, and several windows broken by rocks would need to be replaced. Fire also damaged the foyer to St. Lukes, Kent said, the inside of which still stank of smoke hours after the flames were doused. He was unsure when church services would continue. Ive been attending this church for 50 years. Weve had break-ins before. Usually in the winter theyll break in to get out of the cold, but never has anybody tried to actually destroy the church, Kent said. Shortly after the fire at St. Lukes was reported, a fire alarm went off at an Alpha House dormitory about a block away. The dormitory was part of Alpha House, a pre-release program for men transitioning out of state and federal custody. There were 19 residents staying in the dormitory when fire crews arrived. A towel lit on fire and left in a waste basket set alarms off, said Dave Armstrong, chief executive officer of Alternatives, Inc. Alternatives oversees operations at Alpha House and other pre-release programs in Billings. The fire was quickly snuffed out and caused little to no damage to the dormitory, he said, and displaced none of the residents. By 7 a.m., Billings police identified and arrested Moore on suspicion of arson and criminal mischief in connection to both calls. Armstrong said Moore had no affiliation whatsoever with Alpha House, or any other Alternatives programs. It seems to me that this was totally random, Armstrong said. Moore is currently in custody at Yellowstone County Detention Facility, and criminal charges have yet to be filed against her. Last week, a Billings man was arrested and charged with one count of arson. County prosecutors are accusing John William Odom III of allegedly setting his South Side home on fire. Firefighters found the bodies of two dogs after dousing the flames. Odom pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday and is currently in YCDF on a $50,000 bond. Nobody was harmed by the fires started Tuesday morning, but the damage to the church was estimated $10,000, according to a statement from BFD. That included the charring to the church's front door, and smoke damage to its interior. The damage to the Alpha House dormitory, consisting mostly of smoke stains to an interior wall, was estimated to be $200. Montanas Secretary of State paid more than $1.2 million over a one-year period to a law firm it hired to defend several controversial new election laws being challenged as unconstitutional. Those payments to the law firm Crowley Fleck PLLP are only a partial accounting of the legal expenses racked up by Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, who has been named the defendant in at least five lawsuits challenging laws passed by Montanas Republican-dominated Legislature during the 2021 session. They also eclipse the $100,000 budget the Legislature provided Jacobsen to cover the expected legal expenses in anticipation of the laws they passed being challenged in court. Crowley Fleck provided a half-dozen attorneys who participated in a nine-day trial that took place in August, in which a coalition of plaintiffs are challenging several new election-related laws. Its unclear whether the trial costs are included in the $1.2 million. That total includes payments that began in July 2021 and extend through July 2022, according to a spending transparency website maintained by the state. Jacobsen spokesperson Richie Melby declined to answer questions asking for further details, including how much the firm has billed the state since then. Jacobsen's office has also hired a Crowley Fleck attorney in a separate, unrelated lawsuit against the Secretary of State. It's unclear whether any of the $1.2 million stems from that case, which is related to the office over-charging businesses for filing fees last year. Montana's Legislative Fiscal Division last week identified around $1.3 million Jacobsen's office had spent defending the state's new election laws, in excess of the $100,000 appropriated by the Legislature. "There may be a little bit that was spent on something else, but the majority of it was spent on those lawsuits," said fiscal analyst Kris Wilkinson, addressing lawmakers on an interim budget committee last week. Among the three laws challenged in last months trial were a pair of measures that Jacobsen lobbied heavily for during the 2021 session. One ended voter registration on Election Day and another instituted new, stricter requirements for voter identification. A third law, which Jacobsen didnt directly weigh in on during the session, creates tight limits on ballot collection practices by third parties. Crowley Fleck attorneys were brought in early last year to assist with the states defense against three lawsuits, which have been consolidated under the case that went to trial in August. Attorney General Austin Knudsen and lawyers from his office were also among the attorneys listed on court filings. But no AG lawyers were present at the trial, which included at least a half-dozen Crowley Fleck attorneys. In addition to lengthy examinations of the witnesses, the defense also hired a pair of expert witnesses who submitted reports and provided testimony at rates of $400 per hour. Payments to Crowley Fleck accelerated sharply this summer as the trial neared. For the year from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, her office reported $659,000 paid to the law firm. In just the first half of July, Crowley Fleck was paid $559,000. Yellowstone District Court Judge Michael Moses has yet to issue an order in the case, but his decision is likely to be appealed to the state Supreme Court. Depending on how the courts rule, Montana taxpayers could be on the hook for the plaintiffs legal fees. Alex Rate, an American Civil Liberties Union Montana attorney, said last week the nonprofit is providing pro bono representation to a coalition of Native American tribes and indigenous rights organizations in one of the three lawsuits included in the consolidated case. Rate said he didnt have an estimate of how much the ACLU has spent on the case, but the legal team would likely ask the state to pay attorneys fees if they prevail. Likewise, Rylee Sommers-Flanagan said her legal group is providing free counsel to a trio of youth organizations also challenging the election laws, but would ask the state to compensate legal expenses if they win. Jacobsen has tapped other parts of her office's budget to cover litigation costs. A recent update from the Legislative Fiscal Division notes that during the fiscal year that ended June 30, her office transferred more than $2.6 million into its operating expenditures budget, which covers a range of expenses, including legal fees. Since draining its initial $100,000 litigation fund in February, Wilkinson said the Secretary of State has paid ongoing litigation costs using their enterprise fund. That money includes payments for services provided by the Secretary of State, such as business filing fees. The office has added $1.6 million of those funds to its operating expenses budget since May, according to the budget report. A Spirit Lake Reservation man who pleaded guilty to producing and distributing child pornography has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to four victims. Johnson Tollefson, 29, must also spend the rest of his life on supervised release following his prison term, according to U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl. The social networking website Tumblr reported in late 2019 that a user had uploaded child pornography images during a private blog. An investigation showed Tollefson was that user, Klemetsrud Puhl said. Tollefson while in Minnesota produced child pornography that depicted a toddler-age female and later while in North Dakota distributed it to Tumbler users in exchange for other child pornography, Klemetsrud Puhl said. He was indicted in Minnesota for producing child pornography and in North Dakota for distributing and possessing it. The cases were combined for sentencing. U.S. District Judge Peter Welte in addition to ordering prison time and supervised release also directed Tollefson to pay $12,000 in restitution to the victims. There is little indication that an 18-year-old who died after being struck by an SUV in North Dakota was a political extremist like the driver claimed. Investigators say none of the witnesses they have interviewed support the idea that there was a political argument beforehand. Shannon Brandt struck Cayler Ellingson with his vehicle on Sept. 18 in McHenry. A family friend said the teen wasnt active in politics. Court documents said Brandt told a 911 dispatcher that he felt threatened after having a political argument with Ellingson, and that he believed the teen was part of a "Republican extremist group. North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind says authorities have talked to dozens of witnesses, and the confrontation doesn't appear political at all. Six Key Characteristics to Enable Your Optimized 5G Edge Infrastructure With the right solution, CSPs will be able to offer higher value and more focused services to monetize their 5G edge infrastructure for enterprise customers to tap into new revenue streams. Read on for a list of 6 key characteristics that can help CSPs make the best choice for their edge infrastructure provider. Cloud-Native Network Automation Sets the Stage for Next-Generation Telecom Networks Management and orchestration were once central themes of network functions virtualization architectures, but complex infrastructures posed an obstacle for full implementation. With new technologies now available, learn how to properly implement and reap the benefits of a cloud-native network automation (CNNA) architecture in this blog. Cloud and Edge: The Next Imperative For Communication Service Providers Access this custom site to understand the growing importance of cloud and edge solutions for communication service providers across critical market segments and leverage expert insights to determine what you should look for in a solution. Becoming a Data-Driven CSP In most CSP environments, data is spread across multiple business units in different architectures. So how can you enable analytics-driven insights for your organization?Access this custom blog post to learn why moving to the cloud can enable CSPs to become data-driven and deliver improved customer experiences. The Cloudification of Networks Is Here: 5 Ways Google Cloud and Intel Are Advancing CSP Networks Access this custom resource to learn about 5 ways that Google and Intel are advancing CSP networks with cloudification to help them do even more to help their customers modernize and meet their needs. CIO's Guide to Open Application Development The guide provides help for IT leaders trying to meet today's challenges by capitalizing on the historic shift toward open, connected environments. Best Practices for Migrating Virtual Machines to Google Compute Engine The migration process is not just one single, giant step. Read this article for guidance and best practices for migrating computing workloads to Google Cloud Platform. Google Cloud Platform for Data Center Professionals This guide is designed to equip professionals who are familiar with data centers and colocation facilities with the key concepts required to get started with Google Cloud Platform. Security at Scale with Cloud Computing Read this paper to learn how Google Cloud is committed to providing world-class security every minute of every day, everywhere in the world. Al Powers Smarter Investment Decisions - Intel Chip Chat Listen to this Intel Chip Chat podcast to learn how a natural language interface used on Intel Xeon Scalable processors available on Google Cloud Platform can help financial institutions make more informed decisions. Survey Report: Evolving Attitudes Toward Cloud Security This report examines the growing confidence in cloud security, how companies are basing their hosting decisions on the flexibility and integration offered by the cloud, and their plans to use the cloud for future workloads such as AI and ML. Intel IoT Developer Kit and Google Cloud Platform* Service Access this page to view training videos, code samples, and documentation for Intel IoT Developer Kit and Google Cloud Platform* Service. Intel IoT Gateway and Google Cloud Platform* Hands-On-Lab In this lab, you will use the Intel IoT Gateway and the Arduino 101* (branded Genuino 101* outside the U.S.) board (with a Seeed* Grove Starter kit) to connect sensor data up the Google Cloud Platform*. How to Plan for a Multi-Cloud World Read this paper to learn how an open-source strategy and consistent governance will help companies use multi-clouds to compete in the digital world. How Edge to Cloud Machine Learningis Transforming Predictive Maintenance Access this paper to learn how cloud machine learning can help prevent costly downtime and increase operational efficiency. A new book by NPRs education correspondent looks at the baleful effects of the COVID lockdowns on kids and their families, yet has no one to blame butyou guessed it. There are three ways to look back at the first year of the COVID pandemic. The first is to learn from the whole experience. Recall the fear, pain, and misery brought on by lockdowns, mask mandates, and social distancing, as well as the deaths that could have been prevented but werent because of politics (think the nursing home debacles). Remember the names of the experts, organizations, and politicians who exploited the crisis, demonized dissent, and ruined lives, repeatedly defying common sense. And then come up with ways to deal with future crises that minimize disruption, uphold fundamental rights, and most importantly, save lives. The second way to look at the pandemic is not to look back at all but just to move on. Take all the suffering, stupidity, and duplicity and flush it all out. Recognize that it was a weird time when nothing made sense and everyone dropped the ball. Look forward to a time when lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, and vaccine mandates are as unknown as they were before COVID. Hope and pray that the world will sort itself out and ignore all the doomsayers who want to bring back pandemic hysteria. The third way, however, is to remember the COVID years and lament the losses but learn absolutely nothing from them. To see all of it as some unavoidable tragedy that visited the nation and revealed how fragile human beings really are. Take some solace in the fact that it drove President Trump out of office, put the adults back in charge, and opened up possibilities for expanding the power of government and state-driven programs for the sake of public health. And adamantly refuse to question the false narratives that deluded so many Americans for so long, and continue to delude so many of them today. At first, NPR education correspondent Anya Kamenetzs new book, The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Childrens Lives, and Where We Go Now, seems to be taking the first approach, focusing on the harms children suffered during the pandemic. However, it soon becomes apparent that the third approach is where she is most comfortable: whining and ranting about the stolen year without really assessing its causes or developing practical solutions. As she states in her introduction: This book is a testimony of fierce love. Individuals did as much as they could. But it wasnt enough. This is meant to pull at the heart strings and inspire the reader, but even a cursory remembrance of COVID reveals the opposite: There was rather a large number of gullible adults entrusting their children to the whims of corrupt experts and politicians. But Kamenetz needs to have her heroes, who will be the strong independent mothers (including her) who suffered during the pandemic and, to a relatively small extent, their children. She also needs to have her villains, starting with President Trump (she obnoxiously begins each of her chapters with a quote from him, followed by the COVID death count at the time) along with the former secretary of education Betsy DeVos, school-choice proponents, people who opposed the COVID vaccine, nearly all conservatives, and of course systemic racism. For anyone not in the choir to whom Kamenetz preaches, her account of this time in our history and its impact on children is a frustrating slog, though its quite revealing as to how the left chooses to remember COVID. Despite relentlessly pushing the madness for two years straight, none of them will take responsibility for any of it. Organizing her book chronologically, Kamenetz begins in the spring of 2020, the first sign of the pandemic, at least in the U.S. Ostensibly, this would mean discussing the shocking course of locking down schools. However, instead of exploring how this happened and what immediate effect it had on students and teachers, Kamenetz uses COVID mainly as an occasion to defend public education. To those who contend that public schools are ineffective and expensive, she argues that the schools job has gotten more complex and expensive as theyve been required to provide more equitable services to a more diverse population with more varied and significant needs. While true, this raises the inevitable questions, Why have schools evolved this way? And is that good or bad? She merely assumes its good and dismisses the criticisms that suggest otherwise. To her credit, she does question whether it was good to shut down schools. Shes willing to say that it was a mistake and even admits that the decision on opening schools was determined by political affiliation more than the local course of the disease. Nevertheless, after writing this she conveniently refrains from admitting that it was largely her own political party that kept schools closed for so long. After weighing in on public education, Kamenetz returns to discussing COVIDs impact on food distribution. However, this is merely a jumping off point for exploring the expansion of the American welfare system. She explains how school lunches were a part of LBJs War on Poverty in the 1960s and enjoyed wide popularity, but were opposed by various conservatives and J. Edgar Hoover. COVID didnt exactly shut down this effort to distribute mealsno one starvedbut it apparently put a strain on it. She then transitions to the topic of childcare. Along with schools, nearly all day cares were closed as well. This put a heavy burden on parents of young children, causing many of them to quit their jobs if they werent allowed to work from home. For Kamenetz, the solution to this is clear: universal day care. Even though this wouldnt have kept day cares open during COVID, it would at least have guaranteed childcare to all parents. After taking the reader through a short history of childcare in America, she asks, Did the pandemic cause a large enough upheaval in the social order to change how we collectively think about care? In other words, will Americans think of childcare as a government endeavor rather than a private one? Clearly, she believes the former. True to form, she doesnt want to let a crisis go to waste, so she presents a solution that wouldnt work for a problem thats not relevant. This conversation segues to how children with special needs were deprived of key services, which launches yet another uninteresting history of a government program. She takes issue with the fact that parents must advocate for their children to receive individualized plans and services, though she hardly bothers with the great cost and bureaucracy required to provide these services nor how effective they are. Kamenetzs narrative picks up a little steam when she moves into the summer of 2020 and recounts the BLM and Antifa riots that followed the death of George Floyd. All of it is still very much one-sided, unconvincing, and unrelated to COVID, but its at least a change of pace. Like many on the left, she completely ignores the extensive damage of the so-called peaceful protests or that their gatherings directly violated COVID social distancing mandates. Rather, she resorts to empty pandering: If youre a white reader of this book, let me say something to you, white person to white person: If you aspire to stand with all the mamas George Floyd summoned, it means reckoning in detail with how white supremacy is visited specifically on children. In typical fashion, Kamenetz supports her argument by examining disparate outcomes between racial groups and concludes that racism must be the cause, never considering that this is a logical fallacy that confuses correlation with causation. The next peak in her narrative comes soon after as Kamenetz considers the mothers affected by the COVID response. True to form, she asserts that equal rights for women is still a far-off goal, the government is doing too little, and the patriarchy looms large. She quotes approvingly the feminist sociologist Jess Calarco: There are deep patriarchal norms that exist in society and they tell women, oftentimes for the economic benefit and power of men, that they should be the ones who are devoting their whole to their children and to family. Its clear that Kamenetz wants to use COVID to reignite the feminist movement for the 21st century. Instead of examining differences in income or different treatment under the law, this newest iteration considers the burdens of emotional labor, the failure of men to adequately contribute to childcare, and social welfare programs that could assist mothers. Its telling that all the testimony she uses are exclusively from women; a man might offer a different, more challenging perspective. The book starts winding down as Kamenetz enters the fall of 2020, when schools either stayed closed, offering only virtual instruction, or reopened with both in-person and online instruction. Even though remote learning proved to be a disaster and teachers unions were a big reason for keeping the schools closed, Kamenetz cant bring herself to criticize or blame them: Looking at all the factors that undermined the school reopening process in the United States, I dont see unions as the puppet master. This is pure deflection. Schools in red states reopened safely while those in blue states remained closed because teachers unions demanded it. Since most students settled for virtual instruction for much of the 202021 school year, many of them ended up spending most of their days staring at screens and avoiding human contact. This unhealthy arrangement subsequently precipitated a mental health crisis among young people. To illustrate this, Kamenetz recounts a few examples of kids who went through deep depression during the lockdowns. Once again, so much of this could have been avoided by lifting the lockdowns, but also once again, Kamenetz instead pushes for more public funding for mental health services for children. This brings her to the end of the stolen year, winter of 202021, in which she describes the January 6 protest in Washington D.C., the first COVID vaccines, and the contested presidential election. Beyond recounting recent history, she has surprisingly little to say about this, except to point out how polarized American society has become and how bad the MAGA crowd was. Although theres some closure in the final chapter as Kamenetz revisits some of the families she uses as case studies throughout the book, there is hardly any satisfying resolution. She supposes that COVID happened and will continue happening, despite the vaccine and vaccine mandates. And though government institutions failed the children and the American people at large during this crisis, that only means they need more money and support so that maybe they can do better next time. Overall, The Stolen Year is a good example of how political and cultural bias, the pushing of an ideologically driven narrative, makes an objective analysis of a worldwide crisis like COVID impossible. For all the research she does into various government programs, all the interviews she conducts with families across the country, and all the professional experience she brings to her topic, Kamenetz contributes nothing new or constructive to the conversation beyond the usual leftist talking points. She casts most Americans as victims with little agency, clamors for more government largesse, and whines about conservatives. Its evident that her heart bleeds for the families harmed by COVID, but she carefully avoids examining the real causes of that harm. Instead, she just uses the virus as an opportunity to advance her agenda, oblivious to the fact this agenda is unworkable and not what most Americans want anyway. Rather, what is desired is a reckoning for those who exploited COVID, justice for those who needlessly suffered (particularly young people), and a general return to normalcy. Kamenetz could have promoted some of this with The Stolen Year but squandered the opportunity. Partisan politics ultimately got the better of her and turned her book into a progressive sermon even her choir may have grown tired of hearing. CBC News: The House48:28How the World Economic Forum became the target of a global conspiracy theory Adrian Monck, managing director of the World Economic Forum, discusses how his organization became the target of conspiracy theories. Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen talks about the governments decision to cut funding to a group linked to hateful comments. Plus former premiers Kathleen Wynne and Christy Clark share their experiences of intimidation and threats, and our summer series wraps up with a trip to Alberta to talk with CPC MP Laila Goodridge. World Economic Forum says conspiracy theories 'poisoning' public debate The World Economic Forum best known for its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where some of the world's most powerful people in business and politics rub shoulders is no stranger to criticism. But in in recent years, the organization has become the target of widespread conspiracy theories. Chief among them: that the forum is trying to launch an authoritarian, socialist world government through a plan called "The Great Reset." Prominent Conservatives have also taken aim at organization. Conservative leadership frontrunner Pierre Poilievre has said that, should he form a government, his ministers would not be allowed to attend the yearly meeting. Adrian Monck, a managing director at the World Economic Forum, joins The House to talk about the origins of anti-WEF conspiracy theories and what Canadian politicians can do to stop their spread. Buffalo Public Schools are about to become the first large urban school district in the world to adopt Woz ED, a STEM career pathway program directed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the district announced Monday. The program will provide students from kindergarten to 12th grade with personalized instruction and hands-on activities that will build skills that will prepare them to pursue potential careers in animation, engineering, 3D printing, mobile app development and robotics. The activities will help them master mathematical thinking through projects such as piloting drones, coding and data analysis, the announcement said. Woz ED also will give students the background to enter the fields of artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, cybersecurity and data science. Wozniak developed the programs to help guide students into the many tech-based jobs that are currently available and are expected to become more important in the coming years. If learners miss the opportunity to develop an engineering mindset and computational thinking, they are less likely to benefit from technology as a consumer and/or a contributor, said Wozniak. We need to bridge the gap between current instructional design and the skills employers seek. It is more than providing access to computing devices. It is about teaching them to use technology to create things that will benefit them and society in the future. Woz ED was first introduced in Western New York more than a decade ago in the Salamanca School District and maintains a field office in the region. Woz ED Pathways districts also include Falconer, Genesee Valley, Kenmore-Tonawanda, Lackawanna, Lockport, Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda and Randolph. In her first State of the Schools address last month, Buffalo School Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said that a partnership was being formed with Woz Ed to provide the program at all grade levels in city schools. In the orchards lining the slopes facing Lake Ontario, the apples are hanging fat and heavy, ready to be picked. Cherry Bank Farm in Sanborn started selling gallons of its fresh-as-a-bite cider Sept. 15, marking the start of the sweet season. Folks who like its aged, alcoholic cousin once the best-selling beverage in America will have their sweet season start Sept. 29. Through Oct. 9, as part of the New York State Cider Associations Cider Week, Western New Yorks hard cider lovers will have a rare chance to experience a cornucopia of ciders, meet some of the makers and tour the living museum of more than 350 varieties of apples in a Lyndonville orchard, ready to power cider with their pucker power. On Oct. 9, Chef Lionel Heydel will offer a four-course menu at Harvest, in the Bent Opera House, informed with cider and apples, a bargain at $55. Clarksburg Cider Co. in Lancaster will host the biggest collections of ciders, ciderheads and cidermakers at its Oct. 1 Cider Fest. The cidery, at 4493 Walden Ave., opened in 2019. From 3 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, a $15 ticket gets you a chance to try more than 25 ciders. Therell be lawn games set up, if youre interested in hanging out, and live music. There will be cidermakers there, too. Heres more Cider Week events at local venues: Sept. 30: Tap takeover at Mile 303, 416 Main St., Medina. Expect tacos from Maizal Mexican Kitchen chef-owner Leo Rosario, five ciders on tap and cider cocktails all night. Bar opens 5 p.m., tacos begin at 9 p.m. Oct. 1 and 8: Orchard tour and cider tasting with award-winning apple grower Darrel Oakes, the brain behind LynOaken Farms' living library of apples, more than 350 varieties strong, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tickets, $14, include a glass of cider and a peck (half-bushel) of apples. Visit oakeswinery.com for tickets. LynOaken Farms, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and Steampunk Cidery, 10609 Ridge Road, Medina. You can also check out new cider releases, including single cultivar ciders, Eloquince the cider with a hint of Niagara County quince and more specials at the Medina cidery. Oct. 8: Tap takeover at Pressure Drop Brewing Co., 1672 Elmwood Ave. Sample a wide selection of unique ciders from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 9: Cider dinner at the Harvest Restaurant at Bent's Opera House, 444 Main St. Medina. Four-course meal, including cider-braised chicken with spaetzle and classic French tarte tatin, $55 including tax and tip, making this an inexpensive way to explore Niagara County's fine dining leader. To reserve your spot, visit harvestatbent.com. Also, get cider cocktails at the Shirt Factory, 115 W. Center St., Medina. 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. A Buffalo man who pleaded guilty to shooting two people in the city's Allentown neighborhood last year has received a determinate sentence of eight years in prison, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced. The sentence, which includes five years of post-release supervision, was handed down Monday by County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio in the case of Jose A. Castillo, 30. Castillo pleaded guilty July 6 to first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors said Castillo fired several shots at two men walking on Allen Street near Irving Place early on July 8, 2021, then fled on a bicycle. Both were taken to Erie County Medical Center, where one was admitted with serious injuries and the other was treated and released. Investigators arrested Castillo a week later in an apartment on Schiller Street, where they found him in possession of an illegal gun used in the shooting. A motive for the shooting was not given. South Africa: Deadline looms for water and electricity theft amnesty Residents of the City of Tshwane who have tampered with the water and electricity network have 10 days left to use the grace period to come clean and apply for amnesty to avoid fines and criminal charges. The City of Tshwane launched the Amnesty Programme for residents and business owners guilty of electricity and/or water theft to apply for amnesty to be exempted from prosecution and fines under certain conditions. The amnesty period aims to assist residents and business owners, who are guilty of illegally connecting to the electricity and water network, and benefitting from these services without being measured and paying for consumption; tampering with an electricity and/or water meter, resulting in the measuring of incorrect or lower consumption; illegally reconnecting and electricity, and/or water meter after a credit control disconnection. The amnesty period also aims to assist residents and business owners who are guilty of paying a bribe to remove an outstanding amount on an account or paying a bribe to illegally open a new municipal account without following the official process; and paying a bribe to have an electricity and/or meter bypassed to record incorrect or lower consumption. To qualify for amnesty, the applicants must complete the application detailing how the illegal connection was made; who facilitated illegal connection and/or fraud on the account; how and to whom money was paid to facilitate the tampering; and the amount paid and how frequently the bribe money was paid (monthly or once off). Benefits of applying for amnesty According to the City, some of the benefits of applying for amnesty include the metering will be corrected and the account holder will start paying for services correctly from the date the amnesty is granted. The tampering and illegal connection fine will be waived [and] no criminal charges will be levied against the person or company granted amnesty, the City of Tshwane said. The City has increased the fines for illegal connections and electricity theft to R200 000 for individual and household accounts, and R10 million for business accounts. In addition to the fines, the City will also lay criminal charges and pursue recovery of lost income. The amnesty application form is available at www.tshwane.gov.za, where an icon on the landing page of the website, which will direct the user to the amnesty page, where they will be able to download the form. The amnesty application forms are also available at all citys customer care walk-in centres across the seven regions of Tshwane. A dedicated email address has been created for this purpose where the forms can be submitted at amnesty@tshwane.gov.za SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-09-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Press Release September 20, 2022 SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA MANIFESTATION OF SUPPORT CONFIRMATION OF THE AD INTERIM APPOINTMENT OF DOLE SECRETARY BIENVENIDO LAGUESMA 20 September 2022 This is to convey my full support to the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of Atty. Bienvenido Estudillo Laguesma as Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, we will be working closely and frequently with the good Secretary in advancing labor legislation. It is therefore a relief that we are dealing with a veteran and a true professional who is always ready to accommodate our Committee's requests for information and guidance. Just last week, we had Sec. Laguesma as one of our main resource persons in our organizational meeting and briefing. Our distinguished appointee is returning to the Commission for yet another confirmation for the same position. Sec. Benny was appointed as DOLE Secretary by my father, former President Joseph Estrada in 1998. It is safe to say that Sec. Benny is our go-to guy for labor concerns. This time, he will be confronted with a new labor landscape, one where telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements are considered the norm; where our manpower development suffered serious setbacks due to the restrictions posed by the pandemic; and where another government agency is created to fully take care of our migrant workers. Fortunately, Sec. Laguesma brings his wealth of 22 years of experience in the DOLE and a total of 28 years in government service. As he vows DOLE to be a "more responsible and responsive institution that reaches out to needy workers, especially those in rural and far-urban areas" and more conscientious and committed to delivering services, especially to those with limited knowledge and access to DOLE, I am certain that he will serve the best interests of our labor sector. This representation is of the firm belief that with his competence, patriotism and unblemished record, Atty. Bienvenido Laguesma, true to his Spanish name, is a welcome addition to the Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A Lackawanna man who ran down another man with his SUV has pleaded guilty before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens to a felony charge of leaving the scene of a fatal incident, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced. Emmanuel Muniz-Figueroa, 29, faces a maximum of seven years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 15. He remains free on his own recognizance. Prosecutors said that fatal incident occurred about 2:15 a.m. on Aug. 28 after Muniz-Figueroa and Jose Matos, 52, had a physical altercation outside a home on Dona Street in Lackawanna. According to prosecutors, Matos pulled a kitchen knife during the fight and Muniz-Figueroa drove away in an SUV. Moments later, he drove back, and Matos ran in front of the vehicle, which struck him. Prosecutors said Muniz-Figueroa then left and did not report the incident. Matos died Aug. 31 in Erie County Medical Center. For 10 years, the West Side Bazaar has been a catalyst for entrepreneurship among Buffalo's immigrant and refugee communities and a popular draw for West Side residents and foodies. At little kiosks inside the 3,200-square-foot retail space at 25 Grant St., entrepreneurs served fragrant dishes from around the world Burmese noodle soups, Thai curries and Ethiopian specialties served on injera flat bread. Shopkeepers in stalls sell clothing, jewelry and accessories from India, Nepal and Thailand. Bon Appetit magazine, the Washington Post and USA Today have all written features on the international food court. Early Tuesday, a fire broke out inside the bazaar, causing extensive damage. No one was injured. But Buffalo fire officials estimated the total damage at $300,000 $100,000 to the building and $200,000 to the contents. The Fire Department said the fire accidentally started in a countertop fryer in the bazaar's communal kitchen, which all of the food stalls use to prepare dishes. Late Tuesday morning, as workers shoveled broken glass and sloshed through puddles of water, shopkeepers gathered and stared in shock at the damage to their businesses. It was not clear what the future of the bazaar holds. "We are working with the business owners to help them navigate this traumatic event and move forward," the West Size Bazaar posted to its website. "At this time, we do not have a reopening date. Thank you for your business." Construction is underway on a much larger facility on Niagara Street. But that $11.5 million project is still in the demolition phase and is not expected to open until about this time in 2023, said Erin Kelly, a spokesperson for WEDI Westminster Economic Development Initiative which formed the bazaar as a small business incubator for communities on Buffalo's West Side. Ranie Manuel, who runs Zigma Naturals with her husband, Jerry, who came to Buffalo from Burma a decade ago, cried as she looked at the damage. "Everything is burned," she said. She showed her hands that were covered in soot after touching the merchandise that was in their stall. Their stall didn't appear to be burnt, but there was heavy smoke throughout the building that covered everything in the store. Jerry Manuel was thankful that the fire happened early in the morning when no one was there. "Everyone was gone. So we saved the people, right? Thank God," he said. The fire was especially upsetting for the Manuels because five years ago in September, their house on Massachusetts Avenue burned down, they said. "That kind of triggered things," Jerry Manel said of his wife's emotional state Tuesday. "I hate this smell," she said of the smoke. Htay Naing, the owner of Nine & Night, a Thai food stall, had no idea what he would do next. "So sad," he said, standing outside on the sidewalk with Kap Thang of Thang's Family Restaurant, which served ramen. "I can't believe it's happened," Naing said. At about 6:30 a.m., Naing said, a friend called him to tell him about the fire at the West Side Bazaar. He raced to the scene and saw firefighters working on the building. He noted that on Monday, he and the other food stall owners had delivered their groceries for the week about $1,500 worth. WEDI officials told him they were trying to find another commercial kitchen where they could set up their businesses until the new bazaar opens next year. Thang held his 4-year-old son his arms, unsure of what he would do next. "Nobody knows yet," Thang said. The beer truck was turning right onto Forest Avenue, not far from SUNY Buffalo State, when the crunching noise could be heard. The truck ran over several plastic, 3-feet high vertical posts called bollards that were recently installed around new curb extensions. The idea behind them is to slow vehicular traffic and protect cyclists using newly painted bike lanes. The projects backers call the project good for cyclists and pedestrians. But those opposed to it say the bollards and other short-term measures have created a traffic mess. David Toscano, who lives nearby on Manchester Place, now avoids the intersection of Forest and Grant avenues. The intersection of Forest and Grant is a nightmare right now, Toscano said. The pilot project, pitched by GObike Buffalo and allowed by City Hall, encompasses Forest Avenue between Rees and Niagara streets. The project narrowed that stretch of Forest for vehicles to add bike lanes and the curb extensions, shortening the distance pedestrians have to cross the street. It's the kind of project that runs counter to the transportation mindset that has long favored drivers over cyclists and pedestrians. Municipalities across the region are building out their bike networks, or at least talking about it, as biking has become more popular. The past year has seen the installation of the regions first permanent, two-way protected bike track on Niagara Street in Buffalo and the completion of the 750-mile Empire State Trail. Recent construction also extended or improved the Shoreline Trail in the City of Tonawanda and the Town of Tonawanda and the Niagara Scenic Parkway, formerly the Robert Moses Parkway, in Niagara Falls. Not all of the projects have proved popular. Public outcry prompted Lackawanna to remove a two-way protected bike track on Ridge Road. Now the outcry is coming from the Upper West Side neighborhood, with complaints about the street not being wide enough to add the bike lanes. Big trucks, garbage trucks and school buses have flattened the bollards, raising a question about whether permanent versions would last long. Another complaint is the project has taken away parking on one side of the street, reducing parking spots for businesses, whose owners say business is suffering as a result. Brian Lauer lives on Danforth Street, one block from Forest. Theres no way for cars to pull over if the fire trucks come out, he said. With the buses, Im afraid one of the kids are going to get hurt or killed the way that its just set up there. A pilot project The temporary installations put in place by GObike Buffalo are a pilot project meant to get feedback. The project area includes a half-mile stretch of Forest between Rees and Niagara streets, an area where some 4,500 residents live. The pilot project was GObike's idea. It reached out to the city last year after receiving a grant, and the project includes a public outreach component. GObike organizers approached the city with a few ideas and concepts. The city, which worked with GObike to finalize a concept, permitted the work. The main reason we were there in the first place ... was because of the high volume of complaints about speed and reckless driving, alongside high levels of crashes, injuries, and unfortunately a death, said GObike spokesman Kevin Heffernan. We hope they understand we're there to improve safety. That often comes as an annoyance at first, but the implementations tend to settle as drivers and residents adjust, and the numbers of people out walking and riding increase. GObike promotes trails and greenways and complete streets in Western New York through advocacy, education, planning and engagement. The trial period arranged with the city's Department of Public Works, Parks & Streets will end when the department moves into snow removal mode, probably in November, Heffernan said. The bollards and rubber speed bumps will then be removed. The city plans to repave that section of Forest Avenue next year. The cost will partly depend on the final roadway configuration. Were seeing this as a good collaboration before we do the permanent work to really understand what the need is in that section of Forest Avenue, said City Engineer Nolan Skipper. The last thing DPW wants is to pave and stripe the road with potential changes without that public input as part of the process. If the temporary measures become permanent, concrete bump-outs like the ones on Niagara Street will be installed. The feedback We want to get the message out there that this is a pilot project installed by GObike, and DPW along with GObike is looking for public feedback to understand what is and is not working before moving forward to a permanent installation, Skipper said. Residents, neighbors and others are encouraged to continue providing feedback, GObike leaders say. The survey is ongoing until probably a couple of weeks, through mid-November," Heffernan said. Gobike says it has heard from some 450 people from the neighborhood and 500 who live outside the neighborhood. More than 700 flyers were distributed to nearby homes. Posters in eight languages were tied to streetlamps along Forest. And social posts included the survey. Veronica Gay has lived at 151 Forest Ave. for 20 years. She circulated a letter of protest with about 275-plus signatures from surrounding neighbors and business owners. She plans to mail it to Council members and Mayor Byron Brown in coming weeks. Its basically like a letter or protest," said Gay, president of the Forest Avenue Community Block Club. "In the letter it is giving the reasons behind why a bike path is not a good idea, at least not on our stretch of Forest Avenue. The Fire Department and all of the very big semis and delivery trucks use that, and its not wide enough. Im just looking to have my neighborhood be safe, she said. I dont want anybody to get hurt. Im not against a bike path. I just dont think that its a good fit for Forest Avenue. Rep. Brian Higgins is hopeful that the Canadian government will, over the next few weeks, move toward lifting its stringent travel requirements for U.S. citizens crossing the border into Canada and, possibly, make masks and the glitchy ArriveCan mobile app for air travelers voluntary. The Democratic congressman said Monday that a bilateral meeting of U.S. lawmakers and members of the Canadian parliament on Sept. 14 revealed a consensus in support of urging the administration of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end rigorous and sometimes contradictory preclearance requirements on Americans crossing the northern border. "As of June, if you came into Canada on a plane or train, you weren't required to be vaccinated. ... If you're in a car, you are," said Higgins Monday in a brief telephone interview with The Buffalo News. "Why does the mode of transportation determine who should and shouldn't be vaccinated?" Higgins said he also is urging the Department of Homeland Security on the U.S. side to lift its Covid-19 vaccination requirement. "We're at a point where the president announced the pandemic is over. I don't know that I quite agree with that, but we are in a final phase of a pandemic that will require people being vigilant and doing the right thing on behalf of themselves and their families," said Higgins. "Restrictions have been in place for 2 years, and it has hurt both the United States and Canada relative to our life qualities, but also the economics of our border communities. From June of 2019 to June of 2022, traffic is down at the bridges by 40%," he added. U.S./Canada travel is not bouncing back. And officials on both sides of the border are worried "At a time when most people are getting back to a semblance of normality, the border communities in the U.S. and Canada are not nearly where they should be," said Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo. "This is the beginning of the travel season for 2022 and we still have all this redundancy and obstacles that we need to get rid of." Higgins also said that he and other members of the United States-Canada Inter-Parliamentary Group agreed that, as a public health monitoring tool, Canadas sometimes unreliable ArriveCan app, may have outlived its usefulness. "Well, it shouldn't be mandatory, because you know what's happening here is we're all economic actors. If we're confident, we move. If we're not, we don't. I think what's happening with the reduction of cross border vehicular traffic is that people have adjusted their economic behavior to avoid the bridge altogether, to avoid going over to Canada, and Canadians into the United States," said Higgins. That new pattern of behavior does not bode well for the economic well-being of communities along the international border, he said. "But that has been the consequence of restrictions that have been in place for 2 years," Higgins added. The congressman said his office regularly receives calls from Western New Yorkers who are "frustrated and confused by the technology and frequently changing, disjointed requirements for crossing between the U.S. and Canada." As a result, he said, they bypass the uncertainty and hassle altogether. "It's time to acknowledge that we have been restricted relative to our movement between the U.S. and Canadian border for 2 years," said Higgins. "It's time to get back to, as much as possible and as safely as possible, to where we were." It will take months to demolish the Great Northern elevator, a process that began last Friday, in spite of the strenuous efforts and advocacy of local preservationists, architects, engineers and historians. In the meantime, as the steel bins, columns and brickwork are slowly torn apart, major questions remain about the process that led to this misguided destruction of a major Buffalo landmark, the last of its kind in North America. Buffalo needs those questions to be answered. First, why did it take more than two months for state Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo to formally dismiss the case after his second ruling on July 5 against Campaign for Greater Buffalos request for a temporary restraining order? Those two months prevented the Campaign from appealing his ruling, which it could not do until after a formal dismissal. This gave ADM enough time to position its equipment and start the demolition, which began the day after the judge finally dismissed the case on Sept. 14. Preservation efforts are races against time by their very nature, but in this case, the case for saving the structure was arbitrarily handicapped by a technicality. The campaign was denied due process for more than 60 days. Why? Buffalo needs an explanation. If it doesnt get one, then it needs an investigation. Second, why did the city cling to its insistence on an emergency demolition order in the absence of an actual emergency? While its true that a Dec. 11 windstorm tore a hole in the brick housing, its also true that this housing was not structural and collapse of the building was in no way imminent. Nine months later, the building was still standing looking the same as it did the day after the windstorm when ADM commenced demolition. At the very least, an action of this magnitude should have been brought before the citys Preservation Board so that others could weigh in on the wisest course of action. There was clearly time. Instead, then-Commissioner of Permit and Inspections James Comerford took ADMs word that the building had to come down. Its well-known that ADM has long been wanting to rid itself of this structure; this is the fourth time (since it took ownership in 1993) that the company has sought demolition permission for Great Northern. Far from doing its civic duty to a local historic landmark built in 1897, Great Northern was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 the city has basically ignored it. Its never been inspected and ADM has been free to defer maintenance that might have averted the windstorm damage. The third why? that must be asked every time another piece of Buffalo historic fabric is torn away is the question of the citys blind spot when it comes to preservation. Over and over, structures have been saved and reused, many of them in far worse shape than Great Northern. In addition to the many expert voices that spoke on behalf of the structure and the professionals who have volunteered their time, several advocates, including local developer Douglas Jemal, volunteered to lease or buy the building so that it could be preserved. The zeal that Buffalonians have for their historic buildings is a force unto itself and should be harnessed, not ignored. If ADM and the City of Buffalo had found a way to work together in favor of Great Northern rather than against it, this could have been one of the citys biggest development wins. It would have restored the faith of many who have stopped looking for positive guidance from Buffalos political leadership. Instead, stubbornly blinkered bureaucracy, corporate indifference and a judges seemingly capricious delay have combined to destroy an irreplaceable chapter of Buffalos history. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. I agree with everything that was written about Nick Langworthys candidacy and his reliance on Republican rhetoric to sell himself as a successor to Tom Reed, rather than telling us what he would do as a congressman to have a real impact on the lives of his constituents in the new NY-23. However, the writer neglected to mention that voters have an alternative to Langworthy. Contrary to what Langworthy would have you believe, his opponent is not Joe Biden. Max Della Pia, from Owego in Tioga County, is the Democratic candidate. It strikes me that if Della Pia had an R after his name, he would be a shoo-in for the job, because seldom do you meet someone more qualified, in terms of experience and personality, for elected office than Della Pia. He is a veteran with many years of leadership experience. Intelligent and compassionate, he is a good listener and is curious about the lives and needs of his potential constituents.(Definitely worth the time to Google. His website, unlike Langworthys, is very informative.) If elected, he sees himself as representing all his constituents, not just those who agree with him politically. SINGAPORE, September 20, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDCX, an award-winning digital customer experience solutions provider for innovative technology and other blue-chip companies, kicked-off its inaugural Transformative CX Talks event today. The three-day event brings together customer experience (CX) leaders from various industries to share insights on how global trends are impacting CX and the ways in which they are refining their strategies to drive customer satisfaction. Fueled by the acceleration of digital trends, there is greater expectation among end-users for a digital-first and digital-fast experience. Research1 found that in 2021, customer experience professionals had entered challenging terrain, with almost 90 per cent of leaders reporting that customer expectations have increased to an all-time high. Mr Ricart Valvekens, Chief Client Solutions Officer, TDCX, said, "We are at an exciting point in the customer experience industry. With more activities being done online, CX becomes the main, and sometimes the sole, channel for end-users to connect with and to experience a brand. Thus, the benefits to getting that customer interaction right are multifold." The Transformative CX Talks sessions will feature CX leaders from a wide range of industries, including technology, home-sharing and travel, digital advertising and social media. To hear from these established CX leaders, please visit the TDCX website at www.tdcx.com. About TDCX Singapore-headquartered TDCX provides transformative digital CX solutions, enabling world-leading and disruptive brands to acquire new customers, to build customer loyalty and to protect their online communities. TDCX helps clients achieve their customer experience aspirations by harnessing technology, human intelligence and its global footprint. It serves clients in fintech, gaming, technology, home sharing and travel, digital advertising and social media, streaming and e-commerce. TDCXs expertise and strong footprint in Asia has made it a trusted partner for clients, particularly high-growth, new economy companies, looking to tap the regions growth potential. Story continues TDCXs commitment to delivering positive outcomes for our clients extends to its role as a responsible corporate citizen. Its Corporate Social Responsibility program focuses on positively transforming the lives of its people, its communities and the environment. TDCX employs more than 17,000 employees across 26 campuses globally, specifically Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, India, Romania, Spain and Colombia. For more information, please visit www.tdcx.com. _____________________ 1 Source: HubSpot Annual State of Service in 2022. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005635/en/ Contacts For enquiries: Eunice Seow, eunice.seow@tdcx.com The pallbearers who carried the Queens coffin as millions around the world watched have been singled out for praise after faultlessly completing their monumental task. The eight soldiers from the Queens Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, carried the Queens 500lb lead-lined coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, throughout her final journey, which ended at St Georges Chapel in Windsor on Monday. Richard Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, said: These young guardsmen deserve particular praise. At least five of the soldiers had been serving in Iraq when the Queen died. (REUTERS) The team, led by Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones, was first seen emerging from Westminster Hall at 10.30am, where the Queen had been lying in state. They transferred the Queens coffin onto a gun carriage for the short journey to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey. They then carried Her Majestys coffin up the aisle of Westminster Abbey for the service, and then out again and back onto the carriage, where it was moved up The Mall and Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch. (PA) The soldiers returned again to move the coffin into a hearse, which was driven to Windsor. While the world held its breath, they then faultlessly carried the coffin on their shoulders up the steep steps of St Georges Chapel. Their final job was to move Her Majesty into her final resting place, beside Prince Philip in the vault under St Georges Chapel, after the Royal Family held a private ceremony. HM Queen Elizabeth IIs State Funeral: Best Pictures (Getty Images) (PA) (Getty Images) (REUTERS) (Sky News) (Sky News) (PA) (AP) (Getty Images) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images) Married father-of-one Jones walked ahead of Her Majestys oak coffin throughout the day. His team included 19-year-old Fletcher Cox from Jersey, who was at the back of the coffin. Cox was part of his schools Army Cadet Force and was awarded the Lieutenant-Governors medal in 2018, the highest honour a Jersey cadet can be given. Queen Elizabeth IIs death gathered a mix of feelings around the world. The historic role of the British monarchy and its relations with its former colonies is one of them. In South Africa, people are debating about the return of the worlds largest diamond, owned by the Queen. Known as The Great Star of Africa, the gem has 530 carats, mined in South Africa in 1905. It has an estimated worth of $400 million. The Great Star Of Africa | Source: Wikimedia Commons Reaction The Cullinan Diamond must be returned to South Africa with immediate effect, activist Thanduxolo Sabelo told local media, adding that: The minerals of our country and other countries continue to benefit Britain at the expense of our people. According to CNN, more than 6,000 people have signed a petition asking for the return of the gem. After sending condolences to all members of the Royal Family on Twitter, South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosas message received many posts from South Africans, claiming the return of the Great Star diamond. Don't forget to ask for our Shandis from Cullinan on her Crown. It's worth R400 million now. Thank you in advance Mr President. The Rascal (@Ficks16646304) September 9, 2022 According to the Royal Collection Trust, the Cullinan diamond was a gift to King Edward VII in 1907. It was two years after its discovery in a private mine in South Africas old Transvaal province. The Royal Collection Trust oversees the royal collection of the British royal family. A University of South Africa professor of African politics, Everisto Benyera, rejects the narrative. He told CNN those colonial transactions were illegitimate and immoral. Our narrative is that the whole Transvaal and Union of South Africa governments and the concomitant mining syndicates were illegal, Benyera said. Receiving a stolen diamond does not exonerate the receiver. The Great Star is a blood diamond. The private (mining) company, the Transvaal government, and the British Empire were part of a larger network of coloniality. Leigh-Ann Mathys, a national spokeswoman for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African opposition political party, joined the claim. We dont call for its return, as this implies that there was a valid agreement in terms of which the British royal family was borrowed the diamond. It is in their possession purely as a result of colonial tenacities that suffocated natives in this country and elsewhere, Mathys told CNN. Floods in Pakistan have caused misery for millions Windfall profits made by fossil fuel companies should be taxed to pay for climate damage, according to the UN Secretary General. Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly that polluters should pay for the impact of climate-related events. This question of who funds these losses has long dogged international negotiations. Poor countries say the rich should pay because of their historic carbon emissions. But richer nations reject any calls for compensation. Arguments over this question are likely to dominate discussions at the forthcoming COP27 summit in Egypt. As world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly in New York this week, there's no shortage of critical issues on their agenda. Mr Guterres recently visited Pakistan, a country he said was "submerged by a monsoon on steroids" From the war in Ukraine, to food and energy shortages and cost-of-living crises, "a global winter of discontent" is on the horizon, according to Mr Guterres. Central to that is the question of climate change, which the Secretary General believes to be the defining issue of our time. It is a case study in moral and economic justice, he says. Having recently seen the devastating flooding in Pakistan for himself, Mr Guterres is now doubling down on the need for the rich world to urgently address the demands of the poor. And there's little doubt whom he believes is responsible for the world's climate emergency. "The fossil fuel industry is feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns," he told the Assembly. "Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies. Those funds should be re-directed in two ways: to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices." The question of who pays for the impact of climate change that poorer countries cannot adapt to has been a bone of contention between rich and poor for more than a decade. Story continues Climate impacts in rich countries are hitting food production, such as sunflower production in France Richer nations baulk at the idea of paying "compensation" for their historic emissions of carbon dioxide which have driven up temperatures. Mr Guterres' team are quick to point out that the Secretary General is not talking about reparations or a funding facility. They believe the money could be used for practical steps - such as early warning systems - that would benefit struggling nations. But warning systems alone won't cut much ice with small island and developing states, which believe this issue of loss and damage funding is fundamental to their survival. According to newspaper reports, some of the world's poorest countries have prepared a discussion document for this week's gathering in New York that looks to a "climate-related and justice-based" global tax as a means of raising finance. Among the options are a carbon tax, a tax on airline travel and a levy on the heavy oils used in shipping. It is unlikely that these proposals will be adopted - and the long-running battle over loss and damage will continue at COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh in November. Developing countries will continue to push strongly for faster progress on finance for loss and damage, and they will at least have moral support from the UN Secretary General. At COP26 in Glasgow, all countries agreed that there should be a new framework on this issue, but there was no agreement on how it should be funded. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. Pimentel: Remember lessons from Martial Law, fight disinformation On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, the son of Martial Law victim, the late Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr., reminded Filipinos to look back, learn from the mistakes of the past, guard our freedom and democracy, and fight disinformation. "From a son who had seen his father suffer from the abuses of martial law and had witnessed his father imprisoned four times, I tell you this: the atrocities and abuses that transpired during this period were real - no amount of disinformation can change that." "Each of us has the responsibility of keeping the lessons learned from martial law intact. They should never be forgotten," he stressed. The state of the economy has been a major concern this past year and was nearly derailed further by a labor dispute. Early Thursday, rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement to avert a strike that could have shut down the nations freight trains, further adding to supply chain problems that have persisted since the start of the pandemic. Mortgage rates hit another high this week, topping 6% for the first time since the housing crash in 2008. A year ago the rate was below 3%. Small businesses are feeling the crunch as consumers pull back on spending, and income inequality has been on the rise. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to modernize airports during a stop in Boston and touted a commitment to electric vehicles at the auto show in Detroit. The midterm elections are right around the corner, so well take a look at how President Biden has altered messaging as well as his approval rating, potential abortion legislation, shifting politics in Georgia and the latest news on former President Donald Trump. This past Sunday was the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We listen to details on memorials from the day as well as the status of the mastermind behind the attacks. In other national news, there have been many societal changes since the start of the pandemic. Two suspicious packages, including one that exploded, were found in Boston. A onetime aid to Andrew Cuomo is suing the former New York governor. A deal ended a teachers strike in Seattle. Ken Starr, who investigated former President Bill Clinton, died. It was the 60th anniversary of President Kennedys moonshot speech. And there was an unwanted patron at a North Dakota bar. Details have been released for Mondays funeral services for Queen Elizabeth II as the United Kingdom mourns its longtime monarch. In other international news, Ukraine has made progress in pushing back its Russian invaders. We listen to details, as well get an update on the state of a nuclear plant and Russias attempts to influence foreign politics. Plus, Iranian citizens have been charged in a hacking campaign and the state of COVID in the Philippines. And finally, in health and technology news, a look at the perception of healthcare in the U.S. and concerns over misinformation on TikTok. Compiled and narrated by Terry Lipshetz from Associated Press reports A coalition of voting rights groups Monday announced opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would require Nebraska voters to show a valid photo ID before they could cast a ballot in future elections. Nebraskans for Free and Fair Elections, which includes ACLU of Nebraska, Civic Nebraska, Black Voters Matter, and others, will use social media and direct outreach to voters in an education campaign aimed at defeating Initiative 432 on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Organizers behind the campaign called "No to 432" said the proposal is an extreme measure that would enact one of the strictest voter ID laws in the country, despite there being no evidence of voter impersonation in the Cornhusker state. The coalition also said a new voter ID law would cost millions in taxpayer dollars to implement and maintain annually while at the same time putting up barriers for Nebraskans who are older, poor, a member of a minority group, or those with disabilities from voting. Whatever the intent of voter ID restrictions, there is a discriminatory impact, said Jane Seu, an attorney with ACLU of Nebraska, who said the added requirement would also inject further complications and frustrations into the voting process. Heather Engdahl, director of voting rights at Civic Nebraska, said Initiative 432 would require the Legislature to determine what constitutes a valid photo identification, which could potentially disqualify between 55,000 and 70,000 residents from voting, based on U.S. Census and Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles data. College students whose Nebraska-issued drivers licenses dont record their current campus address could be turned away from the polls, for example, or members of the armed forces whose military ID has an out-of-date address. Those on a fixed income, like many senior citizens across the state, may choose to spend their money on food or keeping their lights on rather than buying an updated identification card. One voter turned away is unacceptable, Engdahl said. But tens of thousands? That is extremely unacceptable. It might also put strain on voters in rural areas who must travel long distances to obtain a photo ID, those who would have to take time off from work, or those whose local DMV offices are open for a short time every week. Preston Love Jr., CEO and founder of Black Votes Matter, said the recent push to enact voter ID laws in Nebraska came after a massive turnout by Black and other minority voters led the states 2nd congressional district to cast an Electoral College vote for President Barack Obama. Voter restrictions are rooted in a group or groups who do not want to give up power, Love said. Because they dont want to give up power, they have to restrict the vote of those who can take the power. Thats the bottom line. Still, after more than a decade and nearly a dozen failed attempts at the Legislature, the push to enact voter ID laws in Nebraska led by Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling appears to have significant momentum going into the general election. As of August, Citizens for Voter ID reported $1.7 million in campaign contributions and just less than $1.2 million in expenses, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Contributors include $1.5 million from Marlene Ricketts, the mother of Gov. Pete Ricketts; $100,000 from Lincoln businessman Tom Peed; and $100,000 from Peeds business, Sandhills Global. All three donations were made in June. Marlene Ricketts has previously donated $376,000 to Citizens for Voter ID last November, according to campaign finance reports. An army of paid circulators hired by Vanguard Field Strategies crossed the state earlier this year gathering names several accusations about fieldworkers misleading potential signers were reported that ultimately secured 172,000 signatures before the July deadline. On Sept. 6, Secretary of State Bob Evnen a Republican who has supported voter ID proposals on both the campaign trail and at the statehouse announced the petition had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and had met the 5% threshold in 38 of Nebraskas 93 counties. A total of 136,458 signatures submitted by Citizens for Voter ID were deemed valid before counting stopped, according to Evnen, above the 124,000 raw number that was needed. The petitions also met the 5% threshold in 76 counties, double the number needed. Engdahl said while the petition drive was successful, Nebraskans for Free and Fair Elections which has not raised any money but has received in-kind contributions from its members believes support for Initiative 432 is a mile wide but an inch deep. Through one-on-one conversations with voters, or in town halls or community talks, as well as social media messaging, the group hopes to go more than an inch deep on the issue and explain to voters why they should vote against Initiative 432, she added. Love said most Nebraskans will have a photo ID and may not see what the big deal is if the law requires them to show it before they vote, but may be persuaded when they learn of the unintended consequences. People dont understand why they would be against it, so we need to let people know whats at stake here, Love said. Brazilian Regulator Wants Transparency in Crypto Sector, Prepares to Issue Guidelines (Source: Robert Rusell/Unsplash) Brazils markets regulator says it wants transparency in crypto and claims it is preparing a set of industry guidelines. The body is working in conjunction with the nations Economy Ministry in a possible further setback for MPs hoping to regulate the sector. Earlier this month, the Securities and Exchange Commission, known locally as the CVM, spectacularly u-turned on a distinctly laissez-faire attitude to crypto, announcing abruptly that it wanted to play a key part in crypto policy formation. The CVM is under new management, but its former chief had appeared happy to wash the commissions hands of the matter. Accordingly, MPs drew up a relatively pro-business private members bill that is now awaiting final confirmation from parliament. The eleventh-hour CVM intervention may require the President to veto the entire bill and scupper a process that began way back in 2015. In an official post, the CVM wrote that cryptoassets were one of the key matters discussed in a meeting with the ministrys policy creation unit held in Rio de Janeiro late last week. Joao Pedro Nascimento, the CVM chief, was quoted as stating that the comission was attentive to the issue of crypto and will soon issue its own advisory guidelines for the sector. He claimed that cryptos transparency issues needed to be explored. (CVM and Economy Ministry officials meet in Rio. Source: CVM) Nascimento concluded: The public needs to have information available [about cryptoassets] provided to it in a clear and objective manner. Crypto adoption is on the rise in Brazil. Earlier this month, government data revealed that Brazilians have spent more money than ever before on crypto purchases this year. In May, crypto buyers smashed their previous spending records by spending a combined USD 912 million on coins in the space of just 31 days. A number of major Latin America-based crypto players have also issued bitcoin cashback credit cards in Brazil which reward customers with BTC payouts when they make a fiat purchase. Diplomats and warriors understand the price of balancing war and peace with whatever justice may result from either choice. In early 2019, two men shared a mutual concern that formed the basis of the War, Peace and Justice Symposium taking place this fall into next spring. Over the last 20 years, we have been involved in the longest war in U.S. history, retired Marine Corps Col. Scott Buran said, referring to Afghanistan. A key question we want everyone to consider is: What outcomes do you, the American people, expect from the expenditure of national blood and treasure? Buran added. To address these questions and offer a better way forward regarding conflict resolution, we will hold a symposium in Carlisle. To set this effort in motion, Buran teamed up with the late J. Sherwood McGinnis Jr., a retired career Foreign Service officer. Former Dickinson College President Margee Ensign provided initial support, followed by several key local community organizations. The result has been a project led by a committee of volunteers who have developed a schedule of events meant to illuminate the human drama of war and its impact on society, From that effort emerged a partnership that has included the Association of the U.S. Army, the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cumberland County Historical Society, Dickinson College, the Joint Civil-Military Interaction Network and Penn State Dickinson Law. Other participating organizations include the U.S. Army War College and the U.S. Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. In todays 5 Questions, The Sentinel gave Buran an opportunity to delve deeper into the background, the mission and goals of the effort: Q: What is the philosophy behind the symposium? A: The cost of war is always high, especially for our veterans and their families. There are several questions that we hope to pose to the American people through the methodology of the symposium. They are: How can the United States, its allies, and partners the most powerful nations in the world achieve peace and justice in the face of persistent conflict among the people in a manner that justifies the expenditure of national blood and treasure? To answer this question, we must always revisit the essential questions: What is the nature and purpose of war? What is peace? What is justice? And what are the interrelationships between these three elements so we can better understand transforming conflict? And what is the risk of not pursuing peace with justice? During the symposium, we hope to dialogue with the entire Carlisle community to address and hopefully answer these questions. Q: What are your activities and how do your activities support the mission? A: We employ the humanities to convey a deeper understanding of the violence and conflict of war. As part of this project, participants will have the opportunity to attend various art, music, film, and theater experiences that will illuminate the imprint war leaves upon the human soul. In collaboration with the Cumberland County Historical Society and The Arts & The Militarys ART-ifacts Collection, we have opened the Project Welcome Center and exhibition at the G. B. Stuart History Workshop, 29 W. High St., Carlisle. The exhibit is organized in two parts around key themes the history of Americas war making, and the costs of war. Areas of focus including, but not limited to: What is Truth? Social Media and Warfare Play: An Iliad Wartime Leadership French and Indian War Just War Reconsidered Conflict Transformation Just War Tradition and Just Peace Women and Conflict Transformation Racism During War: Double Victory Moral Injury Human Security Protection of Civilians Use and Utility of Force Lessons Identified from Americas Longest War Current and Future Conflict For more details and a full schedule of events, visit www.warpeacejustice.org All events associated with this project are free and open to the public. Q: Who was J. Sherwood McGinnis Jr. and what example did he set? A: The project and is named in honor of J. Sherwood McGinnis Jr., who died Nov. 18, 2021. A career U.S. Senior Foreign Service officer, McGinnis had over 30 years of experience in national security, rule of law, governance, economic development and foreign policy. He was active in community organizations and worked as a professor at the local Army War College and Dickinson College. This project honors our colleague and friend to the community. Sherwood helped originate the concept of a community-based civil-military dialogue. His vision reflected the deep devotion that he had for public service and the need for an informed, inclusive discussion on national security in our democracy. He recognized the fact that, beginning with the founding of our country, we have always been a nation of war and peace. The question he hoped to illuminate through the symposium is: Which one will overshadow the other? Sherwood dedicated his entire heart, soul, and intellect in finding ways to promote peace with justice, both at the community level, but also in an international setting. Q: What do you hope the public takes away from the experience of attending a symposium event? A: There are five things that we would like the public to take away from having participated in the symposium. They are: Re-examine the nature, purpose, and consequences of war, and the meaning of peace and justice. Hear from the experts and engage with them on in-depth discussions. Learn through the humanities about a better way toward peace with justice. Expand your perspectives. Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of being an American citizen. Q: Where do you get your funding? A: The symposium is solely sponsored and funded by the Cor Christi Institute Inc., a 501(3) organization registered in Maine and dating back to 1985. It was founded by the late Msgr. George E. Tracy, chaplain, U.S Navy. Its mission is the renewal of ethics, moral leadership, and spirituality in vocations, and to address the poverty of affluence in society. The Pennsylvania Departments of Education, Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources honored 10 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools across Pennsylvania in recognition of their environmental sustainability efforts, including Shippensburg University. Spring-Ford Area School District and Shippensburg were recognized as 2022 ED-GRS schools, and officials also honored awardees from 2019, 2020 and 2021 during the first in-person ceremony since the pandemic, the Department of Education said in a news release Tuesday. The schools also received recognition through the commonwealths Pathways to Green Schools program. These schools are teaching the next generation to be good stewards of the environment and to protect our natural resources and public health, Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh said. Saving energy, reducing waste, and saving money are all interconnected, and these schools are setting the example for others to follow. Pennsylvanias Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate a commitment to promoting environmental awareness in the classroom and teach students and communities how we are all responsible for protecting our environment, Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty said. This mission is interconnected, and we applaud these schools for helping students actively engage in environmental sustainability practices and for raising awareness about the world around them. Since 2011, the ED-GRS program has nominated schools, districts, and institutions of higher education across the country for their dedication to reducing environmental impact and cost, improving health and wellness of schools, and providing environmental education to students. Our goal is to ensure all schools in Pennsylvania are healthy and environmentally friendly places to learn and work, DCNR Deputy Secretary for Administration Michael Walsh said. Connecting with nature and spending time outdoors is an important part of the educational experience, and necessary for all children. We congratulate the schools being honored today and encourage educators and students across the commonwealth to build a path toward a more sustainable future. Awardees show progress in the following areas: reducing environmental impacts, such as waste, water, greenhouse gases and transportation; improving health and wellness with consideration to air quality, lighting, thermal comfort, school nutrition and outdoor physical activity; and offering effective environmental and sustainability education that emphasizes hands-on, real-world learning, civic engagement, STEM connections and green career preparation. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to mark the completion of a $5.2 million renovation to the Carlisle Barracks Exchange shopping center. Today was the grand opening, General Manager Valerie Bright said in a phone interview with The Sentinel. The customers are excited about the renovation being completed. The upgrade brings a modern shopping experience. More than 378,000 customers in south-central Pennsylvania are eligible to shop tax-free at the newly remodeled 40,974-square-foot facility along Sumner Road on the post. They include active-duty service members, military families, retirees and service-connected disabled veterans. We are honored to say mission complete on this historic upgrade, said Amanda Hartfield, Exchange Northeast Region vice president. She said this was the first major renovation to the Carlisle Barracks Exchange since its construction in 1975. The overhauled center features a food court with Hunt Brothers Pizza, Chopz and Eddie Peppers quick-serve restaurants along with a Snack Avenue section offering pre-packaged foods. Before the project, the Exchange only had a Subway restaurant, Bright said. We figure more food concepts would satisfy the customers. Thats one thing. Upgrading the departments was another thing. Other improvements include new flooring and lighting; a facelift for all main store departments; new in-store BE FIT (fitness gear) and PowerZone (electronics) concept shops; a refreshed mall area with an updated barber shop, optical shop and pharmacy; and a remodeled customer service area. Work on the renovation began in February 2020 but progress was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction had to be completed in phases over a period of more than two years using funds provided by the Exchange, with the post contributing $1.2 million for the remodeled pharmacy and other improvements. To the Exchange employees who made this possible and saw this project through to completion, thank you for your persistence and continued efforts to provide base support to our Carlisle Barracks and surrounding military communities, Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Jeannette Molina said. You all kept the Exchange open and ready for business for our soldiers, families and retirees, and your efforts did not go unnoticed. We truly appreciate you and cant thank you enough. Hartfield, Bright and Molina participated in the ribbon cutting along with Army War College Commandant Maj. Gen. David Hill and PX Department Manager Melanie Morrison. Barracks officials said 60% of the Exchange earnings are reinvested in quality-of-life programs that support service members and their families. The remaining 40% of earnings are reinvested towards improving the shopping experience. Beyond the brick-and-mortar shopping privileges, nearly 142,000 honorably discharged veterans in southcentral Pennsylvania can verify their eligibility for a tax-free online shopping benefit at ShopMyExchange.com/Vets. The Carlisle Barracks Exchange is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 717-243-4893. When President Joe Biden announced a plan to forgive student loan debt, many borrowers who kept making payments during the pandemic wondered if they'd made the right choice. but the process for doing that hasn't always been clear. If you think you're eligible, here's what you need to know: Who is eligible for a refund? Borrowers who hold eligible federal student loans and have made voluntary payments since March 13, 2020, can get a refund, according to the Department of Education. For some people, that refund will be automatic. You can get a refund without applying if your payments brought your loan balance below the maximum debt relief amount: $10,000 for all borrowers, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers can check their balance in their studentaid.gov account. For example, if a borrower paid $100 a month for 10 months of the pandemic and their balance is now $8,000, that $1,000 will automatically be refunded. Then they can apply to get the rest of their debt forgiven. But if a borrower paid throughout the pandemic and still owes $14,000, they won't get an automatic refund. They can, however, apply to have $10,000 of that debt erased. Another group of people that has to apply for a refund is those who completely paid off their loan balance during the pandemic. If that's you, you're eligible for loan forgiveness, but you'll have to request a refund prior to applying for debt relief. Borrowers should confirm their eligibility for the loan forgiveness program prior to requesting a refund. For example, if a borrower had $5,000 in debt at the start of the pandemic and paid it all back during the freeze, but is eligible for up to $10,000 in forgiveness, they would apply for a $5,000 refund, then apply to have their debt forgiven. "Borrowers who paid off their loans during the pause will need to request a refund first, then request cancellation," said a spokesperson from the Department of Education. The refund is not available for private student loans. Eligible federal student loans: Direct Loans (defaulted and non defaulted) Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans held by ED (defaulted and non defaulted) Federal Perkins Loans held by ED (defaulted and non defaulted) Defaulted FFEL Program loans not held by ED Defaulted HEAL loans If you are not sure which loan you have, visit your dashboard at studentaid.gov and find the "my loan servicers" section. If you can't access your dashboard, you can call the Federal Student Aid office at 1-800-433-3243 to ask for loan servicer information. How can I apply for a refund? Borrowers who want a specific amount refunded can apply by calling their loan service provider. Right now, refunds are only being done via phone and not through any website or email. When the Biden Administration announced the forgiveness, loan servicers found themselves inundated with calls. But many borrowers now say they're not waiting long when calling. "I was on hold for about five minutes," said Megan McParland, of New Jersey, who graduated in 2018 and made several payments during the payment freeze. McParland requested a refund the first week of September. At first, she felt the servicer tried to dissuade her from making the request. But after confirming that she wanted to proceed, she was told that she would see her refund in about a month. Sierra Tibbs, a 47-year-old resident of Casselberry, Florida, had a similar experience. The entire phone call with her loan servicer took around 20 minutes. Tibbs applied for a refund after seeing a video online informing her that she could get back money she paid during the pandemic. If you are unsure who services your loan, or if the servicer changed during the pandemic, visit your student aid account dashboard and scroll to "my loan servicers" or call 1-800-433-3243. Before calling your loan provider to request your refund, you need to know your account number and the amount you want refunded. Loan servicers' phone numbers: FedLoan Servicing: 1-800-699-2908 Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.: 1-800-236-4300 Edfinancial: 1-855-337-6884 MOHELA: 1-888-866-4352 Aidvantage: 1-800-722-1300 Nelnet: 1-888-486-4722 OSLA Servicing: 1-866-264-9762 ECSI: 1-866-313-3797 Default Resolution Group: 1-800-621-3115 (1-877-825-9923 for the deaf or hard of hearing) How will the refund work? When you request a refund, the amount that you have paid during the payment freeze will be added back to your student loan balance, said Katherine Welbeck, Civil Rights Counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center. That amount is still eligible for cancellation and can be eliminated after you apply for forgiveness. You're eligible for debt relief if you had an annual federal income below $125,000 individually or $250,000 if you're married or head of household in 2020 or 2021. The application is expected to open in early October and you can apply until Dec. 31, 2023. It is unclear when borrowers will see debt relief. So far, the plan only mentions borrowers will be notified by their loan servicer when their debt is forgiven. There is also a possibility that forgiveness could be delayed if the Biden administration faces legal challenges. Laura Baum, a 30-year-old resident of Chicago, paid $5,000 during the payment freeze toward her $15,000 remaining debt. She is eligible to have $20,000 canceled since she was a Pell grant recipient when she was an undergraduate. At the beginning of September, Baum called her loan servicer and asked for a refund. But because of the uncertainty, she is planning to save that money until the Department of Education confirms her debt has been canceled. "I'm going to hold on to that refund until I absolutely see $0 in my student loans," Baum said. When is the deadline to apply? The deadline to apply for a refund is December 31, 2023. However, Welbeck recommends that you apply for a refund before you apply for debt forgiveness. "If you apply first, you can process the refund to get your money back, and then that balance in your account is canceled," Welbeck said. The application process for loan forgiveness is expected to take four to six weeks. The Department of Education is offering a subscription page where you can sign up to be notified when the application is open. How much can I get refunded? You can get a refund for the entire amount you paid during the payment freeze, according to the Department of Education. However, you can choose a lower amount. You might pick this option if, during the pandemic, you paid enough to get your debt below the maximum amount of forgiveness. You could get a partial refund, then apply to have your remaining debt wiped out. Say you had $15,000 worth of debt remaining at the beginning of the payment freeze and have since paid $8,000, but qualify for $10,000 in debt relief. You might decide to ask for a refund of just $3,000. Then, your debt balance will be exactly $10,000, and you can apply for maximum loan forgiveness. When will I get my refund? Borrowers should expect to receive their refund six to 12 weeks after requesting it, according to the Department of Education. But you might want to double-check with your loan servicer. McParland's loan servicer told her that she should see her refunded amount in 30 to 45 business days, but Baum was told that it would take 60 to 70 business days to see her money back in her bank account. Is the refund taxable income? It is not yet clear if the refunded money will be considered taxable income. Welbeck recommends borrowers check with financial advisers from their own state. Some states, such as Indiana, have already said they will tax debt relief for people who have their student loans canceled. Policies vary from state to state. Does the refund affect my credit score? Since the Department of Education has not yet announced how the cancellation or refunds will be reported to the credit bureaus, it is still uncertain if these amounts will affect borrowers' credit scores, said Welbeck. Should I start paying again when payment freeze ends? The pandemic payment freeze is set to end Dec. 31. If you have not seen debt relief by then, you are still expected to start making payments. Welbeck recommends that borrowers enroll in income-driven repayment plans before the end of the payment freeze. Income-driven repayment plans allow you to set an affordable payment amount based on income and family size. You can find more information about the four types of income-driven repayment plans here. Naomi Osaka rushes to help Daria Saville after she suffered a knee injury (Hiro Komae/AP) (AP) Naomi Osaka ended a four-match losing run in unfortunate fashion in Tokyo when opponent Daria Saville retired injured in only the second game of the match. The Australians career has been blighted by injury, including long-term knee and Achilles problems, and it is only this year she has returned to the top 100. Saville yelped in pain after playing a short forehand and collapsed to the court in distress clutching her left knee. She was able to walk away but did not risk continuing, shaking hands with Osaka after only 11 points. @naomiosaka advances to the Tokyo last 16 as Saville is forced to retire through injury with the score at 1-0 in the first set. Speedy recovery, @Daria_gav #TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/1jGDMVCrwc wta (@WTA) September 20, 2022 Osaka has had her own injury problems this year with Achilles and back issues and the former world number one had not won a match since the beginning of August. She will take on Brazilian fifth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round. Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenins struggles continued with a 7-6 (7) 6-4 defeat by Mexicos Fernanda Contreras Gomez. Emma Raducanu begins her Korea Open campaign in Seoul on Wednesday against Japans Moyuka Uchijima. Pawpaw tree With fall quickly approaching on Sept. 22, one might think of hitting up an apple orchard or sipping seasonal specialties like pumpkin spice lattes. But for Ohioans, fall also means pawpaw season is here! Thursday marks National Pawpaw Day, a celebration of the Buckeye State's native fruit. The small green fruit is native to the eastern U.S. and has been in the Ohio River Valley region for more than 30,000 years. Today, there are still wild pawpaw trees all over Ohio, usually found by rivers and in the shade. National Papaw Day was created in 2019 by Kentucky State University to celebrate and raises awareness of the fruit, according to National Today. Known as America's forgotten fruit, the Iroquois tribe made small cakes and fruit jerky from it, and other groups like the Osage and Algonquin also included pawpaws in their food supplies. Thomas Jefferson ate pawpaws at his home in Virginia, and when he was minister to France in the late 1700s, he shipped seeds to his friends in the country, reported National Public Radio. When the explorers Lewis and Clark were on an expedition in 1806, they ate pawpaws when their food supply was low. David Parrott, a forester with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said pawpaws have an underground following because they're not a commercial fruit you can buy in the grocery store. But events like the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival, which this year takes place from Friday through Sunday in Athens County, are making the fruit more well known. "It's a lot like mushroom hunters. There's a lot of mushrooms that you can only either grow on your own or find in the forest; you can't really buy them commercially, and I think pawpaws fall in that same realm," Parrott said. For those unfamiliar with the pawpaw, here are more facts about the green fruit. More:Plant Primer: Pawpaws, Ohio's native fruit, matures in fall More:Nature: Local couple has created an ecologically-friendly yardscape rich in native flora Story continues What is a pawpaw? Pawpaws are the largest edible native fruit in North America, Parrott said. The fruit is indigenous to 26 states in the U.S. It extends from northern Florida to southern Ontario and as far west as eastern Nebraska, according to Kentucky State University's Pawpaw Research Project, the only full-time pawpaw research program in the world. Pawpaws are also sometimes known as the Kentucky banana or the hillbilly mango. What does a pawpaw taste like? The kidney-shaped fruit is green with a creamy, avocado-like texture that tastes a bit like mango, pineapple and banana. Besides being eaten by itself, the fruit can be an ingredient in ice cream, bread, pudding and even beer, Parrott said. More:It's apple picking season, Ohio! Here are places to pick the fall treat near Columbus More:What fruits and veggies are available now to pick at farms around Columbus? Check our list How to eat pawpaws The papaw, official native fruit of Ohio Cut the fruit in half with a knife, and avoid cutting the hard seeds inside work around them. Scoop out the fruit with a spoon and spit out the seeds. You can also use a potato peeler for the skin. Pawpaws begin to blacken just three days after they're picked, so if you cannot eat them quick enough, freeze the pulp for later use. Where to find pawpaws Wild pawpaws can be find in state parks, the woods and near bodies of water, Parrott said. "In Columbus or really anywhere in most of Ohio, you usually find them in the understory, like the lower parts near streams ... lakes and creeks and in the floodplains." The pawpaw season is short, and typically last only eight weeks. In Ohio, pawpaws usually ripen in late August and as late as October, while the fruits in the Deep South are ready a few months earlier, late July or early August. Parrott said pawpaws don't usually get ripe until late fall, changing from green to yellow to brown. "The way to know that they're ripe is to squeeze on them," he said. "If they're really hard, they're not ripe yet; whereas, the mushier they are, the more ripe they get. "If you shake the tree and they fall out, that's usually a good sign that they're getting close to being ripe." They're not typically found in grocery stores because of the fruit's short shelf life. When is Ohio's pawpaw festival? Fresh pawpaws are seen at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Albany, Ohio, in 2018. Now in its 24th year, the Ohio Pawpaw Festival will take place Friday through Sunday at Lake Snowden in Albany, which is in Athens County. The weekend event will feature presentations, a pawpaw cook-off, pawpaw-eating contest, pawpaw artwork, live music and pawpaw competitions. Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Emily DeLetter contributed to this story. mwalker@dispatch.com @micah_walker701 This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here's what to know about Ohio's native fruit for National Pawpaw Day Cyborg cockroaches equipped with a tiny wireless control module that is powered by a rechargeable battery attached to a solar cell (Riken) Researchers in Japan have created cyborg cockcroaches equipped with wireless technology that allows them to be controlled remotely. The team from the Riken institutes Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) experimented with Madagascar cockcroaches, using wires to stimulate the leg segments of the 6cm-long creatures. An ultrathin solar panel was placed on the insects backs, which provided charge to batteries housed in specially fitted backpacks. After charging the battery with pseudo-sunlight for 30 minutes, the researchers were able to make the cockroaches turn left and right via remote control. The researchers hope the system could be used on cyborg cockroaches built to inspect hazardous areas or monitor the environment of difficult to reach places. Previous attempts to create cyborg cockroaches have involved replacing batteries or using a wired setup, however these methods could prove incovenient for the potential use cases of the technology. Considering the deformation of the thorax and abdomen during basic locomotion, a hybrid electronic system of rigid and flexible elements in the thorax and ultrasoft devices in the abdomen appears to be an effective design for cyborg cockroaches, said Dr Kenjiro Fukuda, a senior research scientist at Riken who led the study. Moreover, since abdominal deformation is not unique to cockroaches, our strategy can be adapted to other insects like beetles, or perhaps even flying insects like cicadas in the future. The research was reported in the scientific journal NPJ Flexible Electronics on 5 September. The research forms part of an emerging field of science and technologies that aim to manipulate and control insects. Earlier this year, neuroengineers from Rice University figured out how to hack the brains of fruit flies in order to control them remotely. The research could be used in everything from treating diseases to developing brain-machine interfaces, claimed the researchers, who described it as the holy grail of neurotechnologies. World leaders address the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City By Humeyra Pamuk UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters on Tuesday that he has received "positive" feedback from two U.S. senators he met in New York on their potential support for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to his government. Turkey made a request in October to the United States to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. Sentiment toward Turkey in the U.S. Congress has turned sour over the past few years after Ankara acquired Russian-made defense missile systems, triggering U.S. sanctions and Turkey's removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. That sentiment could derail the F-16 sale. "They're speaking positively," Erdogan told Reuters at the United Nations before his meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Erdogan is attending the annual U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) of world leaders. In recent days in New York, Erdogan met with U.S. senators Lindsey Graham and Chris Coons. Asked if he would meet U.S. President Joe Biden, the Turkish leader said he will be attending a reception to be hosted by Biden. No formal meeting is set for now, according to the official schedules of both presidents. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Grant McCool) A Colorado woman was placed in the back of a patrol car before it was hit by a train, leaving her with serious injuries, authorities said Monday. The incident first unfolded when Platteville police on September 16 responded to a call about a road rage incident involving a firearm in Fort Lupton, about 30 miles from Denver, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigations. Responding officers found a suspect vehicle and made a traffic stop. The driver pulled over just past the railroad tracks and the officer stopped behind the car on the tracks, according to the CBI. Two Fort Lupton officers arrived at the scene and detained the driver identified as 20-year-old Yareni Rios-Gonzalez on suspicion of felony menacing and seated her in the back of the Platteville patrol car, Colorado Bureau of Investigations officials said. A crushed patrol car is seen after being hit by a train in Colorado. - Larry Bases/Northern News Net While the officers cleared the suspect vehicle as part of the investigation, a train traveling northbound struck the PPD patrol car, CBI said. Rios-Gonzalez suffered serious bodily injuries and was taken to a hospital. She remains in a Greeley hospital with multiple injuries and is expected to survive, according to an updated news release from CBI on Monday. CNN has been unable to determine if Rios-Gonzalez has retained at attorney. CNN has reached out to the Platteville Police Department for comment. Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash while the CBI has been asked to investigate the womans injury while in police custody, the bureau said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick threatened to remove the states assets from banks that refuse to lend or invest in coal, oil and natural gas companies" (photo by Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications). Republicans in state capitals across the country are targeting an investing concept known as environmental, social and corporate governance criteria, or ESG for short. Describing these investment criteria as woke and misguided activism, GOP officials argue that by taking these factors into account when making investment choices, financial institutions are putting ideology ahead of making money. Experts on this investment criteria say that its the other way around, and that Republicans are losing money for their constituents by unnecessarily narrowing the options of the financial institutions the state does business with. Nineteen Republican state attorneys general wrote a letter to BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, which manages $10 trillion, according to Insider, in August. The letter accuses BlackRock of making decisions based on its alleged political agenda rather than the welfare of state pensions. A governance engagement strategy primarily focused on BlackRocks climate agenda necessarily overlays ESG factors on the core index portfolios that comprise a substantial part of many state pension funds, the state attorneys general said in their letter. They added, BlackRocks commitment to the financial return of state pensions should be undivided. State attorneys general in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Ohio were among those who signed the Aug. 4 letter. In its response, BlackRock called the attorneys general statements inaccurate and wrote we are disturbed by the emerging trend of political initiatives that sacrifice pension plans access to high-quality investments and thereby jeopardize pensioners financial returns. The same group of attorneys general along with Virginias AG have joined an investigation by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt into whether Morningstar, a financial services company, violated consumer protection law as it evaluated companies performance on ESG issues. Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, along with 14 other GOP state treasurers, threatened to remove their states assets from banks that refuse to lend or invest in coal, oil and natural gas companies. Attempts to pressure financial institutions to cut off the fossil fuel industry, Fitzpatrick said at the time, amounts to nothing less than an abuse of power by the federal government and should not be tolerated by states. Later, Fitzpatrick defended his leadership role in a nonprofit organization that an investigation by The New York Times found was working to punish companies that try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has also taken on the issue. On Aug. 23, he successfully pushed through a ban on considering ESG criteria in state pension fund investments. DeSantis said of his win against ESG investing, We are reasserting the authority of republican governance over corporate dominance and we are prioritizing the financial security of the people of Florida over whimsical notions of a utopian tomorrow. But Witold Henisz, vice dean and faculty director of the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said such policy developments are bad news for taxpayers in these states. When states say they cant do business with financial institutions that take climate risk and other ESG factors into account, that means theyre not doing business with the largest and most sophisticated financial institutions in the U.S. and in the world, which means they have to issue bonds and interact with smaller financial institutions which have less economies of scale and economies of scope and as a result, charge higher fees, he said. According to Deloitte, by 2024 half of all professionally managed assets globally will have investments in companies that take ESG issues into account. BlackRock has seven of the 10 largest ESG funds, according to Barrons, and its ESG-integrated portfolios covered $2.9 trillion in assets, according to its 2020 sustainability disclosure report. A 2021 survey on responsible investing by Nuveen, an asset manager, found that 75% of employees strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that employers that have ESG and responsible investing options care about their retirement outcomes. The Securities and Exchange Commissions resource for investors notes that the environmental component of such investment strategies might focus on a companys impact on the environment or the risks and opportunities associated with the impacts of climate change on the company, its business and its industry. The social criteria may relate to human rights issues or labor rights, and governance has to do with how the company conducts itself. Alison Taylor, executive director of Ethical Systems at New York University, said that climate issues, which Republicans have been most critical of when discussing ESG investing, are actually one of the better factors to consider when making these investment decisions. Depending on the issue, there is more or less a business case, more or less evidence showing that this issue will affect the bottom line of the organization, she said. Now where everybody has landed is climate change. I think that thats problematic for the Republican position because there are some of these issues where theres mixed evidence or theres not that much evidence that the issue will have a dramatic impact on the bottom line over the long term. But climate is certainly an issue where theres plenty of evidence that if you dont manage climate risk now, that will have a detrimental financial impact over the long term. North Carolina and Texas politicians have also spoken out on ESG investing. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R) prohibited several financial firms from having contracts with his state, which means that Texas pension funds can no longer work with huge companies like BlackRock, UBS Group AG and Credit Suisse Group AG. Hegar said he decided to focus on banning firms that boycott energy companies in his announcement of the decision on Aug. 24. Hegar said that state government entities would have to notify his office no later than 30 days after seeing the list of banned firms of the financial companies in which they have holdings. They also have to turn in an annual report to the presiding officer of each house of the Legislature and the attorney general that identifies all securities sold, redeemed, divested or withdrawn in compliance with the Texas Government Code. Texas has been targeting ESG investing for some time. Wayne Christian, a Republican on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas, criticized ESG as potentially hurtful to employment in the energy industry in January 2021, according to Bloomberg. In May of 2021, he said the SEC should protect oil and gas companies from ESG investing, the outlet reported. The following month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that says the states pension funds must divest, sell, withdraw, and redeem from companies that it characterizes as boycotting energy companies. North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who manages the states pension fund, has also criticized ESG investing and told top1000funds.com that the pension fund is going to take a different approach to environmental factors through shareholders voting instead of through a proxy vote by asset managers. We dont want our proxy to be used to promote policies that dont have anything to do with our fiduciary responsibility; to use these assets and vote these assets in a way that is contrary to our fiduciary responsibilities is not something we are going to do anymore, said Folwell, who has been criticized for his financial decisions in the past. Taylor said she sees Republican efforts to attack ESG investing as similar to the Republican focus on critical race theory in the sense that policymakers took a concept that many Americans werent familiar with and used that to their advantage to meet certain political goals. You can think about ESG as an attempt to sort of bring critical race theory to the private sector, she said. Taylor added, This stuff is wonky and its technical and its really disputed and a lot of people use the term in different ways. Its the exploitation of a level of misunderstanding and I think they hope that people will be like, Well, Disney really overstepped the mark. State Sens. Sandy Crawford, left, and Karla Eslinger, present their proposals for cutting taxes Monday to the Senate Appropriations Committee. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent) The Missouri Senate this week will debate an income tax cut that doesnt immediately lower rates as much as Gov. Mike Parson proposed but would, if passed, promise future reductions. Under a proposal passed on a party-line vote Monday in the Senate Appropriations Committee, the top state income tax rate for next year would be 4.95%. If state revenues continue to grow at a steady rate, the top tax rate would fall to 4.5% when the bill was fully implemented. In the vote, 10 committee members, all Republicans, supported the bill and three, all Democrats, were opposed. Parson called lawmakers into special session and asked that they cut the top tax rate to 4.8% as part of a package of cuts intended to decrease state revenue by $700 million annually. The bill approved by the committee would make a smaller immediate reduction in revenue but cost more in the long run. Official estimates were not available Monday. The plan, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, is intended to achieve the tax cut Parson is seeking while quieting concerns that cuts occurring too quickly could deprive the state of revenue necessary to maintain public schools and other programs. Hough said after the committee vote that he has been speaking with the 33 other senators to get their input so the bill can be passed quickly in a chamber that saw months of strife between GOP factions during this years regular session. The committee also approved a bill, sponsored by Sens. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, and Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, identical to the tax cut Parson proposed, but Houghs bill is the one that will come up for debate first. Along with an income tax cut, Parson asked lawmakers to approve a package of tax credits and other incentives intended to support the states rural economy by increasing the use of biofuels, building livestock herds and encouraging small meat processors to expand operations. Both the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Agriculture Committee approved separate bills Monday containing those proposals. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said he intends to bring the income tax cut bill to the floor on Tuesday. Parson called lawmakers into special session after vetoing a $500 million plan for tax rebates and a bill with the rural incentives. He said the tax rebate plan was underfunded and he wanted a permanent tax cut. The rural incentives bill he vetoed, Parson said, was flawed because it set a two-year sunset on the programs. Parson wants a six-year sunset. Parson has said the state can afford a permanent tax cut because of the massive general revenue surplus and continued strong growth in revenue. The state general revenue fund held $4.4 billion at the end of August and growth so far in the current fiscal year is almost 24%, compared to an estimate of 2.1% made in January. The three largest sources of general revenue in the state budget are income taxes, which brought in $10 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30; sales tax, which brought in $2.7 billion; and corporate taxes, which totaled $900 million. Under current law, the top income tax rate will, if the trigger for revenue growth is met, fall one-tenth of one percentage point each year until it reaches 4.8%. The trigger in current law is set at $150 million in new revenue. Houghs income tax cut proposal would: Reduce the current top rate, 5.3% on incomes of about $9,000 or more, to 4.95% on incomes greater than $7,847, for 2023. Cut the top rate another 0.15%, to 4.8%, for 2024 if revenue grows by $175 million or more in the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2023. Reduce the top rate three more times, by 0.1% each time, when revenue receipts are $200 million more than received in the highest of the previous five years. Exempt the first $1,000 in earnings above the standard deduction from income taxes. During the hearing, supporters of the bill said it will spur economic growth while opponents questioned whether the state will have sufficient money to pay for public needs. Missouri has not matched the rest of the country in economic growth in recent years, said Aaron Hedlund, chief economist at conservative think tank the Show Me Institute. States without an income tax are doing better, he said. The more we can reduce rates, the more we can accelerate growth, he said. Opponents warned that the prospects for a recession mean the state could quickly burn through the surplus and run short of money. If you are going to make a mistake of this magnitude, dont be in a hurry to do it, said Otto Fajen, lobbyist for the Missouri National Education Association. Editor's Note: This story has been updated as of 3:15 p.m. Sept. 21. Responding to a shots-fired report near downtown around 3 a.m. Saturday, Charlottesville police officers found a young man dying of wounds near Court Square. Daquain Maurice Anderson, 29, of Charlottesville, later died from his injuries at the University of Virginia Medical Centers emergency room, according to a police statement. Charlottesville Police have not said whether they have a suspect. The scene of Anderson's death became an impromptu memorial Monday afternoon, as three women placed stuffed teddy bears and balloons near the base of the insurance company building. They declined to be interviewed. Located at the corner of East Jefferson Street and the 200 block of North Third Street, that L-shaped asphalt driveway appears to be owned by a firm affiliated with the insurance company, which also owns a nearby storefront for a shop called the Charlottesville Cannabis Club. The only late-night business in that block, the club closes at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, according to its website. An official with the nearby Holy Comforter Catholic church said the church had been asked by a police investigator to supply any relevant surveillance footage. However, inside a brick house converted into professional offices, the massage coordinator at Love Face & Body Spa expressed surprise when informed, two days after it occurred, of Andersons death. Christina Shirley said that Loves massage therapists often work until after dark and deserved to know of a fatal attack in a neighborhood that, until now, seemed safe. Oh, my gosh, exclaimed Shirley. Its very alarming. Court records show that Anderson received a felony conviction in 2013 for a third offense of assault and battery of a family member. A five-year sentence was imposed and reduced to six months. A 2015 forgery sentence in Albemarle added to Andersons troubles and court records show that his assault and battery probation was revoked in 2016 and 2019 for probation violations. With a history dating back to 1836, the historic Federal/Greek Revival-style house called Avenel in the town of Bedford has long been a draw for history buffs and paranormal investigators and enthusiasts. This month, the sixth annual Paranormal Night will be hosted at Avenel. According to Irene Catlin, facility director of the Avenel Foundation, Avenel is said to have nine identified spirits inhabiting it. These include a German piano teacher who once worked and lived there; a young girl from one of the two families who called Avenel home over time; and two Civil War soldiers one Confederate and one Union who both experienced kindness from the homes owners during the bloody years of war. And, of course, there is the locally famous white lady. Although paranormal night at Avenel has been an annual tradition for the past six years every November, it was not until last year that the foundation started holding the event on what is officially recognized as National Ghost Hunting Day. Someone approached us last year and said, Why arent you doing it on National Ghost Hunting Day? Catlin said. The last Saturday is September is National Ghost Hunting Day. Thats why we now do our paranormal nights in September. Paranormal groups have come from all over to set up at the house, according to Catlin. The house and its rumors of paranormal activity have drawn visitors from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, West Virginia, all across Virginia, and has garnered website hits from England, the Philippines and Australia, she said. Anywhere from lights turning on and off, lights blinking Youll have someone touch you, like poke you on the shoulder, Catlin said of the reported activity. They used to always play with my husbands hair when he kept it longer. Youll hear footprints, a door opening. All kinds of things like that. Ive seen an orb for the first time. For $15 per ticket, from 7 to 10 p.m., attendees to Saturday nights event will be able to see paranormal groups equipment and get a behind-the-scenes look at the search for activity. The four paranormal groups slated to be there some new participants, and some returning will each set up in a different room of the house. They have this equipment that will pick up sounds that our ears cant hear, or will identify light source and such, Catlin said. Theyre going to be displaying and explaining their equipment. Although no action can be promised, Catlin said, the event is a learning opportunity and chance for people with similar interests to share an experience. Nicholas Hudson of the Lynchburg-based paranormal hunting group called MAPS is fairly confident of picking up paranormal activity. Thats kind of our staple, is Avenel House, Hudson said, who has done work there multiple times. One upstairs bedroom tends to be a hot spot, according to Hudson. He said he has heard voices and footsteps, and that every investigation at Avenel so far has yielded evidence such as photos and sound recordings. Were hoping we have something significant like we did last time, Hudson said. Like most organizations, historic Avenels activities were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. No events were held in 2020, Catlin said, including paranormal night. The closures did result in financial impacts, strapping the organization a bit. Avenel Foundation remained afloat and continued forward with some restoration and preservation projects, with help from various grants and fundraising events such as yard sales, luncheons, renting the house out as a venue, or hosting afternoon teas. Restorations over the past year and a half included replacing the back porch, re-doing four fireplaces, and re-mortaring the chimneys and foundation, Catlin said. The Oregon Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will not hear an appeal from 13 counties including Linn County seeking to maximize logging revenue. The court did not provide a reason for not hearing the case. The denial effectively ends years-long litigation that at one point seemed poised to give more than $1 billion in timber revenue to the counties. The counties gave forestland to the state decades ago, and Oregon manages the land, funneling timber revenue to the counties. Thirteen counties, including Linn, contended that the Oregon Department of Forestry breached a 1941 contract that said the Oregon had to secure the greatest permanent value of those lands to the state. The case was originally filed on March 10, 2016, and went to trial in Linn County Circuit Court in late October 2019. The next month, the 12-person jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. But in April, an appellate court struck down the verdict. That court ruled that seeking the greatest permanent value does not create an immutable promise to maximize revenue for the counties. Because the state's highest court declined to hear the case, the appellate decision becomes the final word. Linn County officials fear there are many issues left unresolved, including forest management decisions that could increase the risk of wildfires. Commissioner Roger Nyquist said he hopes to have a conversation with Gov. Kate Brown soon. He called the Supreme Court's snub "disappointing." In a statement, John DiLorenzo, who represents class action members, said the people who live in his clients' jurisdictions will not be able to have the benefit of the funds their local governments should have received long ago, funds they could have used for their schools, libraries, hospitals, public safety and other services Economic conditions in our rural counties are dire, he said in the statement. Now that the Supreme Court has chosen not to hear this case, it is time for the Legislature to serve the people by providing funds to rural schools, libraries, hospitals, public safety and county services so our citizens receive the support they were entitled to and so desperately need. The Capitol Press and Associated Press contributed to this article. Related stories: According to Kelly Degnan, the US ambassador to Georgia, there are questions from the American high-ranking officials regarding why the ruling team does not distance itself from the anti-American statements and attacks on the US by the deputies who have formally left the Georgian dream.Degnan spoke about this in the Post-Factum program of the Mtavari Arkhi and noted that there are real questions about the deputies who have left the "Georgian Dream" and are trying to sow confusion and further divide the society."A number of senior officials in Washington are asking me questions about the motives of those who continue to repeat lies and conspiracy theories that are consistent with pro-Russian disinformation. There are also questions about why the ruling party and government do not distance themselves more sharply from this disinformation.Questions are raised about the motives of those who seek to sow confusion and further divide society. "I think the real question is the following - what purpose does this serve, are they trying to damage the strong partnership that has existed between the United States and Georgia for 30 years," said Degnan.Deputy Speaker of the Citizens Levan Ioseliani said that the processes are the most difficult in the working group created for the issues related to the court as according to him, the demands of the opposition are rarely taken into account.According to Ioseliani, the opposition participating in the working group demands a change in the composition of the Council of Justice, which the majority does not have the political will to do."The working group continues to work on the matter related to the court, but this group is the one where the processes go most difficult and the demands of the opposition are taken into account the least. The main demand is a change in the composition of the Supreme Council of Justice, which the ruling party says requires constitutional amendments, for which we proposed the creation of a group working on constitutional amendments, if they believe that such type of changes are needed, however, I think they do not intend to create such a group. If they have the political will, it's easy to make the decisions that the recommendations of the US Embassy support, however, I don't see the readiness to do so," Ioseliani said. "PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE PRAY FOR MY GRANDSON," wrote Juanita Tacket on her Facebook page. It was a fear which turned out to be for nothing. Operator Orange Cote dIvoire has opened its Orange 5G Lab, devoted to digital professionals, start-ups and businesses, at an event attended by Mr Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, and a number of senior figures from Orange. Orange 5G Lab Abidjan offers services and support to economic players devised with expert partners such as Huawei, Nokia or ZTE. The free and customized Orange 5G Lab system is built around two concepts. The first is allowing economic players to discover new possibilities enabled by 5G, and the way it could positively impact their activities. The second is supporting, with the help of Orange 5G experts, innovative businesses keen to experiment with 5Gs potential for their product or service. This site will host a 5G demo space for different business sectors, conferences, training, co-working sessions, co-innovation and practical 5G application sessions. Jerome Henique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) explains: Like the Orange Digital Centre opened last year, the Orange 5G Lab will allow faster adoption of this technology by local businesses. They will not only be able to benefit from the expertise and tools available here in Abidjan, but they will also have access to feedback from more than 1,500 businesses and local authorities that have had access to an Orange 5G Lab worldwide including 127 that have already been able to set up testing based around their own practical examples. Orange has already opened 15 Orange 5G Labs, including two in Africa. This announcement follows hard on the heels of the news that Smart Africas capacity building arm, the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA), is expanding its footprint in Africa, with Cote dIvoire being the latest country to benefit from the digital skills development initiative. Launched in partnership with the Ivorian Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the initiative aims to help nurture the countrys nascent digital sector through provision of digital skills. Smart Africa is an alliance of 32 African countries, international organisations and global private sector players tasked with furthering Africas digital agenda. As well as Cote dIvoire, national digital academies will soon be rolled out in Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. SADA is also embarking on a programme to provide digital skills for African youth and entrepreneurs. Indonesia's parliament has this week passed into law a personal data protection bill. Apparently modelled on European Union legislation, it is widely reported to be a response to a number of data leaks and alleged breaches at government firms and institutions in Indonesia. Among institutions allegedly affected by the leaks and breaches have been a state insurer, a telecoms company and a public utility. However, possibly the most high-profile leak has involved a contact-tracing Covid-19 app that revealed the president's vaccine records. Reuters reports that lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved the bill, which authorises the president to form an oversight body to fine data handlers for breaching rules on distributing or gathering personal data. There will also be compensation for data breaches and the opportunity for individuals to withdraw consent for data use. Penalties include corporate fines and in certain cases imprisonment. The biggest fine is 2% of a corporation's annual revenue. A corporation could also see its assets confiscated or auctioned off. The law includes a two-year adjustment period, though how that works in practice is not clear. As for imprisonment, individuals can be jailed for up to six years for falsifying personal data for personal gain or up to five years for gathering personal data illegally. While some feel the law would force companies to improve their data protection, Reuters notes that there have been questions as to whether it will encourage government bodies to improve their data handling. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Russia's Ryazan Region have agreed to exchange information about mutual investments and export opportunities, Azernews reports. An agreement was reached during a meeting between representatives of Azerbaijan's Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and a delegation from Russias Ryazan Region, headed by Regional Deputy Prime Minister Artem Nikitin. During the meeting, AZPROMO Head Yusif Abdullayev provided information about the agency's activities, its main objectives, the favorable business and investment environment created in the country, as well as the joint activities conducted to expand ties between entrepreneurs. In his turn, Artem Nikitin spoke about the business opportunities of the Ryazan Region and emphasized the importance of cooperation development. Earlier, a mobile showroom of Russias Ryazan Region products and services opened in Azerbaijans Baku. The showroom was opened as part of the business mission of Ryazan Region to Azerbaijan and showcases more than 500 products from 57 enterprises of the region. Azerbaijan and Russia cooperate in different sectors, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented. Azerbaijan's investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of the investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion with $5 billion in the oil sector and $1.3 billion in the non-oil sectors. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.9 billion in 2021, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner. In an effort to recruit, educate, train, and retain dentists in southeast Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry will bring a new satellite dentistry clinic to the Health Center South Medical Tower in Dothan. The project is supported by a $3.4 million appropriation from the state of Alabama to develop this first-of-its-kind model to address the shortage of dental health providers in rural Alabama. The partnership between the state and UAB shows the commitment to providing critical dental services to the residents of the Dothan area, said state Sen. Donnie Chesteen, who was instrumental in helping secure the states financial support of the project. Dothan has 1.4 dentists for every 10,000 people, while the national average is 6.1. This new clinic will change that. The American Dental Association ranks Alabama 51st in the country for access to dental care, with 71 percent of Alabamas counties experiencing a dental shortage. In Dothan, there are approximately 60 general dentists for nearly 500,000 people within a 50-mile radius. The clinic will have eight exam chairs and the capacity to conduct more than 10,000 patient visits annually. It will be staffed by UAB School of Dentistry faculty, residents and dental students. One of its aims will be to identify, recruit and prepare the next generation of dentists committed to practicing in rural Alabama. We are looking forward to serving the residents of the Dothan community and surrounding region, said Russell S. Taichman, DMD, dean of the UAB School of Dentistry. Through this clinic, we hope to help alleviate some of the burden caused by the rural dentistry shortage across the state of Alabama. We are grateful for the help of our state and local leaders and our generous supporters as we work together to bring world-class dental care to this region. University of Alabama System Chancellor Finis E. St. John IV says the states support of this project was critical to address the dental crisis in the state. At its Sept. 16, 2022, meeting, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees unanimously approved plans to house the clinic slated to open in the summer of 2023 following renovations to prepare the building for state-of-the-art dentistry services in the Health Center South Medical Tower located at 2826 Ross Clark Circle in Dothan, owned and operated by Dr. Marnix E. Heersink and the Heersink family. We know that Marnix and Mary Heersink share UABs deep commitment to excellence, innovation and service to the people of Alabama, said UAB President Ray L. Watts. Health Center South was determined to be the ideal location for this clinic and those it serves, and I am appreciative of the Heersinks continued partnership and commitment to our shared goal of advancing health care in our state through this much needed endeavor. Health Center South already serves the health care needs of the Wiregrass, and its Medical Tower was explored among other options before its selection due to several factors, including location, existing health care infrastructure and ability to meet all of the requirements of a dentistry clinic. We appreciate that UAB has chosen to be in Dothan and that Health Center South is a good fit for this innovative clinic, Heersink said. We believe this clinic, along with its outstanding UAB staff, will fill a major need by providing increased access to dental care for those in our hometown and southeast Alabama. Heersink says UAB and the School of Dentistry have been instrumental in the lives of his family. His son Bayne Heersink graduated from the UAB School of Dentistry and completed a two-year UAB prosthodontic fellowship; he is now a dentist in Dothan at Foundations Dental Group, formerly Healthwest Dental Associates. This partnership between the UAB School of Dentistry and the Wiregrass is truly historic, Bayne Heersink said. I am thrilled about the care that this new location will provide for our region. The clinic will uphold the School of Dentistrys reputation for excellent dental care and education and provide easier access to that care for the people of our area. It will also provide a vital experience and exposure for students in a rural setting because we desperately need more dentists in outlying communities across the country. The UAB School of Dentistry is the only dental school in the state and is consistently ranked among the top-funded schools for dental research. For more information about the UAB School of Dentistry, visit uab.edu/dentistry. A DeFuniak Springs, Florida, woman is suing McDonalds for $13 million, claiming she ordered coffee from a restaurant in Dothan and was served cleaning chemicals that injured her. The 15-page suit was filed Monday morning in Houston County Circuit Court, seeking $3 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. According to the lawsuit, Sherry Head ordered a caramel macchiato from the drive-thru window at McDonalds on Ross Clark Circle in Dothan on Dec. 21, 2020. Head said she was told the drink was unavailable, as the machine was being cleaned. Then Head heard someone in the background say, No, its ready to go! according to the lawsuit. She was served the coffee with the lid on. She took a drink and experienced a burning and numbing sensation in her mouth and throat, the suit states. When she opened the lid, she saw something that appeared to be a chemical. Head said when she reported it to the store, according to the suit, the manager screamed to employees, I told yall you have to be more careful about that! before turning back to her and saying it was fine. When Head asked to see the label of the chemical that had been in her coffee cup, the manager refused, and did not call 911 or poison control. The manager then slammed the drive-thru window shut, according to the suit. Head called 911 herself, and emergency responders were also denied access to the chemical bottle, according to the lawsuit. The McDonalds listed in the suit is located at 3520 Ross Clark Circle near Montgomery Highway and across from Home Depot. It is among the local McDonalds restaurants operated by Murphy Family Restaurants. Owners Gerry Murphy and Cheryl B. Murphy of Enterprise are listed as defendants along with their company GCSC Enterprises LLC, McDonalds Restaurants of Alabama, McDonalds USA LLC, and McDonalds Corporation. We are aware of the complaint filed in the circuit court of Houston County, McDonalds owner Gerry Murphy told the Eagle. Immediately upon learning of this concern, we conducted a thorough investigation to understand the facts. The health and safety of our customers and employees is always a top priority. Heads attorneys Alyssa Baxley and Adam Maniscalco of Baxley Maniscalco LLP in Oxford, Alabama say she is suffering from injuries to her mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, digestive tract, and other internal organs, as well as anxiety, fear and mental anguish. According to Heads attorneys, she has been diagnosed with scarring and narrowing in her throat, difficulty swallowing, chronic gastritis, acid reflux and abdominal pain. She may need surgery to preserve her ability to swallow. This story, published first by al.com, includes information from Dothan Eagle staff reports. Vietnam has exported fresh durian to China under the official quota for the first time, and bigger volumes are likely in future, Thai and Malaysian competition notwithstanding. For years the fruit was exported to China unofficially, but recently Chinese authorities approved 76 origin codes for durian farming areas in Vietnam and 25 codes for packaging firms. Van Xuan Phat Import-Export Company, which has sent three containers, plans to export 1,000 tons of the fruit to China every month. Ha Duy Trung, owner of the durian brand 9 Phe, said: "Being allowed to export under the official quota is a very good opportunity for Vietnamese durian. I foresee bigger durian exports to China in the next five or 10 years." China imported 821,600 tons of fresh durian last year for US$4.2 billion, the biggest import of any fruit, according to customs data. After an 82% increase last year, imports will keep rising this year, Japans Nikkei newspaper has forecast. Vietnams total exports of the fruit in the first half of this year were worth over US$84 million, a more than 90% rise year-on-year, including US$2.86 million to China, up 123%, its biggest market, according to Vietnam Customs. Container trucks carry the first batch of fresh durian exported to China under the official quota. Sept. 17, 2022, in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo courtesy of Van Xuan Phat However, to gain a foothold in China, Vietnamese durian will have to overcome many hurdles, according to local businesspeople. The post-harvest technologies available in Vietnam could maintain the quality if durian only for three or four days and not for longer journeys by ship, an exporter said. Quality has become vital since China is getting stricter and stricter on plant quarantine and food safety and hygiene. It is also important for Vietnam to build strong durian brands to compete with Thai and Malaysian durian brands in China, businesses said. According to Nguyen Vu Thang, operation director of Van Xuan Phat Import-Export Company, Thai durian is most popular in China. "Vietnam has no strong durian brands now. Much remains to be done to compete with Thai and Malaysian durian." He said his company plans also to process the fruit to earn bigger revenues. The Chinese market is set to become even more competitive since Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines are also eyeing it, Thai newspaper Bangkok Post reported. Besides, Chinese firms are trying to grow the fruit in the provinces of Yunnan and Hainan and Guangxi region, and have not stopped trying despite failing several times. Consul General of Vietnam in Sihanoukville Vu Ngoc Ly and five members of a group of 70 Vietnamese escaping from illegal labor facilities in Cambodia, September 18, 2022. Photo by the Consulate General Almost 70 Vietnamese citizens have escaped several illegal facilities in Cambodia with support from the Consulate General of Vietnam in Sihanoukville City. A representative from the consulate said the escape happened Sunday night after staff at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh received a text message from one person in the group asking for help. The group were working in several facilities in Sihanoukvilles Chinatown. A screenshot of messages between the representative and the group of Vietnamese people shows that they reached out for help at 6:56 p.m. last Sunday and provided their location in the Chinatown. Evaluating that the situation was not too dangerous, the consulate representative, who wanted to remain anonymous, instructed the group to flee on their own. "Cambodian authorities have been strongly cracking down on establishments using illegal labor in Sihanoukville City," he said. "As the Vietnamese group was quite large and they all stayed at the same place, the people who run the facilities did not dare to do anything as they could not confront dozens at the same time, especially when there were some brave Vietnamese people in the group." Around three hours later, the group informed the representative that nearly 70 of them had successfully escaped in two groups, but some of them were still stuck. At 10:11 p.m., the group said they were all safe and asked for help to get back home. The consulate had the group taken to the Moc Bai International Border Gate in the southern Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh. The escapees reached Vietnam that night. Five of them missed the bus that night and were sent to the consulate office to rest for the night. They were sent home the next morning via the border gate in another southern Vietnamese province - Kien Giang. On Monday, border guards in the southern province of An Giang bordering Cambodia received 44 Vietnamese citizens handed over by Cambodian authorities. Most of them were illegal workers at casinos in Cambodia. This marked the third time this year that An Giang border guards received Vietnamese people returning from Cambodian casinos. A total of 111 Vietnamese people have been rescued from the casinos so far this year. According to a source from the Vietnamese Consulate Generals office in Sihanoukville, there are about 200-300 cases of Vietnamese nationals being held by Cambodian authorities, pending settlement of procedures to return home. These people have just been rescued from illegal establishments. On Saturday afternoon, over 50 Vietnamese workers fled a casino in Cambodia's Svay Rieng Province near Moc Bai border gate and were held by Cambodian authorities. On August 18, 40 Vietnamese swam across the Binh Di River to escape from the Phoenix casino in Cambodia to Vietnam's An Giang Province. One of two other people who had also attempted to escape a teenage boy drowned in the river, while the other was captured by the casino people. In most cases, the Vietnamese said they were held and made to work against their will at illegal facilities in Cambodia and subjected to torture. Some said theyd been tricked and sold. In the first half of this year, the Ministry of Public Security has busted several rings smuggling people to Cambodia for illegal work. Authorities have also rescued hundreds of Vietnamese citizens and supported thousands in Cambodia fulfil procedures to return home. The two land plots at the corner of Chu Manh Trinh and Nguyen Du Streets in HCMC's District 1 that have been seized by authorities from a corrupt deal. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Two land plots measuring 6,300 sq.m in downtown HCMC are set to be expropriated from a company that had paid a state-owned corporation well below market price for them. The city administration pulled the plug on what was found to be a corrupt deal, and impounded the plots on Nguyen Du and Chu Manh Tinh streets in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 from the Viet Han Saigon Trading Construction Service Co. Ltd. The Government Inspectorate last January said unidentified officials at the fully state-owned Vietnam Southern Food Corporation-JSC (Vinafood 2), one of the country's biggest rice exporters, had sold the lands to Viet Han at a throwaway price in 2015. Vinafood 2 had received the two plots from the city for constructing office buildings, commercial centers and hotels. It entered into a joint venture with Viet Han to develop the lands. But it sold them to the company at VND730 billion ($30.8 million) while the inspectors placed their market price in November 2015 at more than VND1.979 trillion, representing a loss of at least VND1.24 trillion to the city's coffers. Inspectors also found Vinafood 2 had illegally mortgaged its immovable assets to borrow thousands of billions of dong from banks. Viet Han has been instructed to hand over the lands to the city's Land Fund Development Center. By Trend The first surge in the growth of startup projects in Azerbaijan began in 2013, Advisor to the head of the Agency for Innovation and Digital Development under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transportation of Azerbaijan Agahuseyn Ahmadov told Trend. According to him, during this period active measures were taken to develop and support startup projects. The relevant reforms were carried out at the legislative level starting from 2018. In turn, Agency for Innovation and Digital Development of Azerbaijan set a course to create the necessary infrastructure and develop ways to support this ecosystem. Agencys support for the startup environment consists of financial, technical and technological, infrastructural, legislative support, transfer of knowledge and expertise, as well as of establishing relations between startups and relevant structures," Ahmadov said. "The support is aimed at developing cooperation between participants in startup ecosystem as well as creating new products and services. Other priority direction of agencies activities is development of human resources, i.e. IT specialists. This is necessary for the long term development of startup ecosystem of Azerbaijan. For example, the agency supported the training of 800 students in the field of information technology and this number is planned to be increased up to 2,000 in 2023. The agency believes that the more people are attracted to the IT sector, the better is the potential of these students to find workplaces and create new innovative companies, " he stated. "According to preliminary data, over the past two to three years, about $1 million have been invested in startups in Azerbaijan annually. The agency continues to actively negotiate on attracting potential investors to the country," the advisor said. Ahmadov pointed out that Azerbaijan is working to create a system of benefits and privileges for local IT companies. There are few factors that make Azerbaijani startups register their companies in foreign jurisdictions. First of all, this comes from the totality of benefits and privileges provided by a particular country. Companies that are registered in the US state of Delaware, or in the Cayman Islands and Singapore are more likely to attract American and European investments. If the case of registering a company in Azerbaijan is considered, the organization will first develop in the local market, and if successful, will aim to enter international markets. Accordingly, in order to enter, for example, the US market and attract US investments, its necessary that the company be registered in jurisdictions familiar to these investors. Based on all this, in Azerbaijan, Innovation Agency, together with other government agencies, is working to create a system of benefits and privileges for local IT companies and even more favorable environment for foreign investors," he stressed. "On the other hand, a start-up project leaving the country where it was created may be due to the fact that the project cannot develop further, since it has already completely covered this market. Of course, Azerbaijan is also working in this direction of analyzing the market, tools for creating demand for technologies, for example, in aerospace, oil and gas, financial and other areas. It's planned to create the very elements and conditions that will lead to an increase in the number of registration of IT companies and foreign direct investment in Azerbaijan," the Ahmadov said. "The development strategy of Azerbaijan until 2026 provides for the development of the IT infrastructure of the country. Azerbaijani agency together with other government agencies is carrying out relevant work in this direction. In particular, work is underway to train IT, specialists, invest in projects and support this ecosystem. In addition, activities are being carried out to attract international experience and expertise to Azerbaijan. Conditions are also being created for the relocation of foreign companies to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will be an attractive country for relocation and substantiation of foreign companies and specialists in this field in the country," he added. Ahmadov also reminded a venture fund is expected to be launched in Azerbaijan in the fall of 2022. "The project is almost completed and its launch is expected in the near future. The participants of the venture fund are Agency for Innovation and Digital Development, PASHA Holding and several private investors," Ahmadov concluded. Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (2nd from front, central line) pays respect to Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son arrived in London for a two-day trip to attend the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and meet Prime Minister Liz Truss. Besides paying tribute to the 96-year-old queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, at Westminster Abbey on Monday, he also attended a reception for representatives from various nations hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday night and another by Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly. He also met Charles and several new British cabinet members. He conveyed the deep condolences of the senior Vietnamese leadership to Charles, other members of the royal family and the government and people of the U.K. He highlighted Queen Elizabeth's role in the U.K.'s development and status, and her valuable support to Vietnam-U.K. cooperation. He also held meetings with a number of foreign leaders who were attending the funeral. More than 2,000 guests, including 500 world leaders, royal family members and officials representing nearly 200 countries and territories, attended the funeral. The queen was crowned in 1952 at the age of 25 after the death of her father, King George VI. Vietnam established diplomatic relations with Britain in 1973, and upgraded it to a strategic partnership in 2010. It has been seven years, but Duc Thuan still remembers vividly the moment when a man dragged him into a closed room and raped him on a bed. The 24-year-old from the southern province of Tra Vinh says he tried to fight but could not match his rapists strength. After letting go of Thuan the man warned him not to tell anyone about what happened. "My pulse was racing, I was panicking, I was ashamed," Thuan recalls. He kept out of touch with that man after that day, attempting to forget the horrific incident. Nguyen Van Minh, 34, of Hanoi, cannot forget his first sexual experience. He was less than 20 years old at the time, and had recently migrated from his hometown to Hanoi. After he dated a girl for a few months, she invited him to a motel and virtually demanded that they have sex. "I was afraid and panicky since I had been taken off guard, especially because it was my first time," he recalls. He cut off communication with her after that, but she persistently texted, made threatening calls and even tracked down his friends and acquaintances to find out where he was. After nearly two months of stalking and mental torture, Minh was finally rid of her. Sexually harassed men such as Thuan and Minh are not rare. Dr Nguyen Phuong Mai, a lecturer teaching cross-cultural negotiation and management at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, cites a study of students in 32 countries that found that 2.4% of male students and 1.8% of female students admitted to being raped in the past, indicating that men are more likely than women to be sexually attacked. A 2018 study by non-profit organization Stop Street Harassment found that 81% of women and 43% of men in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. According to a 2021 article published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), an estimated one in four men (or 2.2 million) aged 18 years and above experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. According to experts, there are three types of sexual harassment: behavioral forms such as touching; nonverbal forms such as displaying genitalia, lewd behavior and sending sexually explicit material; and verbal harassment such as being teased rudely, vulgar jokes and being dragged into unwanted sexual conversations. A 2018 survey by ActionAid, a non-profit organization that works against poverty and injustice, in Vietnam and the Vietnam Women's Academy, a public higher education institution in Hanoi, at four textile companies in Hai Phong City and HCMC found more than 53% of workers had experienced sexual harassment at work, 23% of them men. A survey of more than 800 male VnExpress readers, 29% said they had experienced sexual harassment one to two times and 26% said it happened frequently. Tran Quang Tung of Nghe An Province said he was powerless and did not know how to express his displeasure as a kid when his relatives and their friends touched his genitals. Now, at 32, he says he dislikes being touched without his consent. But his workplace was predominantly female, and he was often touched by his co-workers, especially since he looks masculine and physically fit. Older women colleagues would frequently touch him on his bottom, squeezed his chest and gush over his muscles. One day a colleague jokingly said, "That's my husband" and kissed him on his cheek. Tung was annoyed despite the fact he knew they were just joking and did not have any bad intentions. He could not confide in his boss because she also teased him. " I'm a human being, not a pet," he says. "I like being near and intimate but only with the person I genuinely care for. It is unpleasant to be touched by everyone." He could not take it any longer and one day quit his job. Writer and journalist Hoang Anh Tu thinks that a majority of people believe that "men are never at risk of being sexually harassed." "People assume that women touching males is a kind of compliment rather than harassment." Dr Mai says the stigma associated with male sexual desire prevents many people from speaking out, pointing out that only 13% of males report abusers whereas 39% of women do. She says that people often assume, based on social stereotypes, that men always have sexual desire and their body is a weapon, and so cannot complain they are being harassed when someone grabs them. "How can someone in possession of a weapon be defenseless?" Few people realize that men who are sexually harassed suffer from the same psychological trauma as women. Duc Thuan, a freelance photographer, says he is haunted by the trauma of being sexually harassed in the past. Photo courtesy of Thuan Duc Thuan was humiliated and enraged because he could not stand up to a male teacher. Six months after the incident he told his mother, but she persuaded him to remain silent to preserve his "honor" and because the situation "was not serious." Thuan became depressed, thinking that telling anyone was pointless. The past does not remain as quiet as he would like, and continues to haunt him Every time he sees news about a student being sexually abused or hears about a rape, he recalls his own past. His fixation with being sexually harassed makes it tough for him, especially when he is with his girlfriend. He says his trauma resurfaces whenever he is with her, causing him to panic and shove her away. "My mother believed what the other man did to me had no ramifications, but it wrecked my psyche." Minh too says being raped by his lover caused him to become fixated on that throughout his youth. After several romances, marriage and having children, he mustered the courage to tell a group of close friends to try and relieve the trauma. He says: "But when my friends heard it, they burst out laughing: Oh my, shouldn't you be glad it happened to you? they joked." He was embarrassed and realized his confession made him a butt of jokes. "It made me feel like I was being sexually harassed again for revealing it." Tu feels families should teach males about the dangers of sexual harassment and the law should punish perpetrators when the victims of sexual harassment are men. At a conference in 2014 Tran Van Do (then deputy chief justice of the Supreme People's Court and now chief justice of the Central Military Court) called for adding women to sexual harassment suspects since the perpetrator of intercourse could be a woman. Mai says Vietnam should have sex education in schools "to create a generation of civilized Vietnamese." Thuan chose to make his story public on social media earlier this year because he could no longer have his past trauma constantly hanging over him. He had no idea he was not the only victim of that male teacher, and many others spoke about their own unpleasant memories. Six other complaints were made to the police in addition to his. "My mother advised me to remove my post from the Internet. But she changed her mind after learning that many people had been victims, and realizing if I did not speak up, there could be many more victims." Press Release President Biden to Announce 21 Winners of $1 Billion American Rescue Plan Regional Challenge Funding Provides Regional Investments to Transform Local Economies, Create Good-Paying Jobs, Jumpstart Emerging Industries, and Prepare Workforce for the Future WASHINGTON Today, President Biden will announce the 21 winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the most impactful regional economic development competition in decades. Funded by President Bidens American Rescue Plan and administered by the Commerce Departments Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Regional Challenge provides each award winner funding to rebuild regional economies, promote inclusive and equitable recovery, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in industries of the future such as clean energy, next-generation manufacturing, and biotechnology. Awardees span 24 states and will receive between $25 million and $65 million to execute transformational projects and revitalize local industries. Projects include developing workforce training programs and connecting workers to jobs; providing support to family-owned manufacturers to transition from traditional automotives to electric vehicles; establishing a digital finance sector to support small businesses in Tribal communities; providing digital resources to small farms; renovating and repurposing industrial buildings for new businesses; rebuilding pharmaceutical supply chains in the U.S. to lower drug costs; building advanced manufacturing centers for testing and training, deploying solar energy on former coal land, and more. Additionally, private sector companies and local organizations are investing an additional $300 million in these local projects. Since day one, President Biden has been laser-focused on ensuring that economic opportunity is delivered to all Americans, especially communities that have grappled with decades of disinvestment or suffered economic distress exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. As we invest and grow critical industries in the U.S., we want to create industry hubs in diverse communities across the country. These grants will provide critical and historic funding directly to community coalitions to invest in new infrastructure, research and development, and workforce development programs while creating good-paying jobs, supporting workers, and prioritizing equity. Equity was a key consideration for project finalists, with a focus on rural, Tribal, and coal communities, as well as communities facing high and persistent poverty. Funding awards include $87 million to two primarily Tribal coalitions and, as part of EDAs $300 million Coal Community Commitment, over $150 million for projects serving energy communities impacted by the declining use of fossil fuels. These grants will support 236 rural counties, 136 persistent poverty counties, and 121 counties that include Tribal areas. Project winners brought together employers, labor unions and worker organizations, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations for their applications and will work together on implementing projects. With this funding, projects will create jobs directly in their community that offer supporting wages and career stability. Over $270 million of the funding will be allocated to develop workforce training and development programs and place workers in jobs. EDA is proud to ignite the bold visions of these 21 regional coalitions to craft ambitious and regionally driven plans to rebuild their communities, said Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. EDA asked communities directly what they needed to attract industry and workers to their region, and these grants are a direct response to their needs. Not only will the projects offer clear pathways to good jobs and competitive wages, but they will ensure that economic-based prosperity reaches all pockets of this country. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge winners: Central Valley Community Foundation (California) $65.1 million for the F3 - Fresno-Merced Future of Food City of Manchester (New Hampshire) $44 million for The BioFabrication Cluster Coalfield Development (West Virginia) $62.8 million for the Appalachian Climate Technologies (ACT Now) Initiative Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation (Michigan) $52.2 million for the Global Epicenter of Mobility Empire State Development (New York) $25 million for the Western New York's Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Four Bands Community Fund (South Dakota) $45 million for the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition Georgia Tech Research Corporations (Georgia) $65 million for GA-AIM Greater New Orleans Development Foundation (Louisiana) $50 million for H2theFuture Greater St. Louis, Inc. (Missouri) $25 million for the St. Louis Tech Triangle Indian Nations Council of Governments (Oklahoma) $39 million for the Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Cluster Invest Nebraska Corporation (Nebraska) $25 million for the Heartland Robotics Cluster North Carolina Biotechnology Center (North Carolina) $25 million for Accelerate NC - Life Sciences Manufacturing Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation (Oklahoma) $35 million for the Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster Initiative Osceola County Board of County Commissioners (Florida) $50.8 million for the Building Central Floridas Semiconductor Cluster for Broad-Based Prosperity Port of Portland (Oregon) $41.4 million for the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition Southeast Conference (Alaska) $49 million for the Alaska Mariculture Cluster Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative (Pennsylvania) $62.7 million for the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative The State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton (New York) $63.7 million for New Energy New York The University of Texas at El Paso (Texas) $40 million for the West Texas A&D Cluster Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority (Virginia) $52.9 million for the Virginia Advanced Pharma Manufacturing (APM) and R&D Wichita State University (Kansas) $51.4 million for the South Kansas Coalition The 21 BBBRC winners were chosen from 60 EDA-designated finalists that each received approximately $500,000 in funding and technical assistance to continue developing their cluster strategies. The funding for each coalition listed above is approximate, with awards to be signed later in September. Those 60 finalists were chosen from a Phase 1 applicant pool of 529 applications, which exemplifies the tremendous demand for transformational regional economic development approaches. EDA will continue to support all 60 finalists with the creation of a Community of Practice that will provide technical support, foster connectedness with peer regions, and build capacity. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is one of EDAs many programs aimed at building strong regional economies and supporting community-led economic development. EDA was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding under the American Rescue Plan to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. As a part of this funding, EDA allocated $300 million through a Coal Communities Commitment to support coal communities in pandemic recovery and help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities. Grantees for EDAs full suite of American Rescue Plan programs will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.eda.gov/ARPA/. About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov) The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. Press Release U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Boost Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Sector in Nevada WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Departments Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.7 million grant to the Nevada Department of Tourism, Carson City, Nevada, to support the recovery of the tourism sector in the state. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan. This grant will support construction of outdoor recreational visitor facilities in Boulder City and Carson City to enhance adventure tourism in the state and bolster the success of associated businesses. The EDA investment will be matched with $928,000 in state and local funds. President Biden recognizes the vital contribution the travel and tourism industry makes to the American economy, said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. This EDA investment in Nevada will help the regions critical tourism and outdoor recreation sector not only recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic but build back stronger for the future. The Economic Development Administration is dedicated to working with communities to support their locally-driven strategies to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. This project will enhance outdoor recreational opportunities in Nevada, supporting the long-term viability of a critical source of tourism-based economic development in the state. Ive always stood up for Nevadas thriving outdoor recreation economy, which brings hundreds of thousands of tourists to the state each year, said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. I passed legislation to direct economic development funds to tourism projects, and Im thrilled to deliver these meaningful investments to Nevada. Tourism is the backbone of our economy here in Nevada, said Senator Jacky Rosen. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan that I helped pass, Im proud to announce our state will receive millions in grant funding to boost the tourism and outdoor recreation sectors, create new opportunities for local businesses to thrive, and support sustainable economic growth. This project is funded under EDAs $240 million competitive American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program. EDA awarded $510 million in 2021 to all 50 states and territories. The two programs are designed to accelerate the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022. About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov) The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. South Korea is one step closer to making full use of the U.S.-manufactured Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, missile shield. Seoul has formed a government-civilian body to make a long-awaited assessment of the environmental impact on the THADD battery located in Seongju, approximately 300 kilometers south of the capital. South Korea decided to deploy the THAAD anti-missile defense system in July 2016 in response to missile and nuclear threats from the DPRK, and the first launchers became operational in May 2017. So far this year, the DPRK has launched more than 30 ballistic missiles and is expanding its range of nuclear-capable, short-range missiles that can target South Korea. In addition, the United States and other nations believe Pyongyang is preparing for its seventh nuclear test, the first since 2017. THAAD is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles; it carries no warhead and destroys missiles through impact. In a briefing to reporters, U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel called THAAD a prudent and limited self-defense capability designed to counter DPRK weapons programs. He noted that the United States and South Korea made an alliance decision to deploy THAAD to the ROK as a purely defensive measure to protect South Korea and its people from armed attack and to protect alliance military forces from the DPRKs weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile threat. The 2016 decision angered the Peoples Republic of China, which imposed cultural and trade restrictions on South Korea in response. Last month [August 2022], PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated Beijings opposition to South Korea further strengthening its THAAD system, claiming that it undermines the PRCs strategic security interests. Principal Deputy Spokesperson Patel emphasized that the goal of the United States is the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The U.S. harbors no hostile intent toward the DPRK, and our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and wiling to explore diplomacy with the DPRK to make tangible progress that increases the security of the United States, our allies and our deployed forces, he said. Were prepared to meet with the DPRK without preconditions, and we hope the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach. The United States congratulates Somalia on the formation of its government and looks forward to working together to address the nations challenges, said Ambassador Richard Mills, Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations. The challenges facing Somalia include reconciling the national government and federal member states, completing the review of the federal constitution, and achieving debt relief. The threat from the terrorist group al-Shabaab remains a serious concern, as demonstrated by the horrific attack on August 20, at the Hyatt Hotel in Mogadishu. Ambassador Mills strongly condemn(ed) the attack and said the United States remains committed to supporting Somali-led efforts to defeat al-Shabaab: We congratulate the Somali National Security Forces for their successful offensive to drive al-Shabaab from the Hiran region. . . .We are committed to using available tools to fight terrorism, including providing direct support to the (African Union) Transition Mission in Somalia and to Somalias security forces, as well as utilizing the 751 Somalia sanctions regime to designate al-Shabaab operatives who continue to threaten peace and security in Somalia and throughout East Africa. We urge other member states to do the same. As the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, the United States remains committed to respond to the unprecedented drought impacting over seven million people who are facing food insecurity. The recent warning that a famine is projected next month is a sobering call to action for us all, said Ambassador Mills. Famine, he added, is a challenge no one country can address alone: The international community must take concerted action, dedicating the necessary resources to prevent the growing loss of life and livelihoods. . . .The United States government has provided more than $700 million in assistance to Somalia this year amid the unprecedented drought, which constitutes more than 70 percent of all the contributions received so far by the Humanitarian Response Plan of the UN for Somalia. We encourage other international partners to expand their contributions for humanitarian relief. The United States strongly supports the Somali people and remains committed to working together to advance democracy and mutual prosperity for both countries. Owyhee Combined School is happy to welcome Katherine Weaver to our secondary teaching staff. Weaver teaches secondary English classes to both junior high and high school students. She hails from Kansas and migrated westward where she achieved her undergraduate degree in education and two masters degrees in Creative WritingFiction and Nonfiction from Sierra Nevada College. Weaver began her teaching career in Duckwater, working with grades K-3 and later moved on to teach in Fallon at Churchill County Junior High. She most recently taught in Battle Mountain. I wanted to be here, the area is beautiful. The people are warm, welcoming and accepting, said Weaver. She plans to remain in Owyhee because she loves the environment. Weaver wants to show students that they are writers and storytellers and be able to share their stories and writing. Weaver is a published author, having written a poetry collection, a short story collection and a Young Adult novel. As a Cherokee, she is especially passionate about researching and writing about her Ancestors on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Weaver loves the quiet locale of Owyhee and says it is the perfect place to continue her writing. My long term goal is to establish a publishing company for Native American writers, especially students. Our students are so talented, Weaver said. Katherine, welcome to the school and community. American Pacific Mining Corp has announced that Josh Carron has joined the company as vice president exploration. Carron, who will be based in Nevada, is a geologist with a range of experience over 20 years in the global gold exploration industry. American Pacific will benefit greatly from Mr. Carrons experience which is highly relevant to our companys exploration and development objectives, CEO Warwick Smith said. He has managed exploration programs leading to numerous significant gold discoveries, and much of his work has been focused in Nevada, where American Pacific is advancing several projects. One of his initial key mandates will be to review and assess the new projects in Idaho, Arizona and Nevada we have acquired from the pending Constantine Metal Resources transaction. Carrons experience ranges from discovery exploration, advanced stage exploration to mine site exploration in a variety of environments, including sediment-hosted gold with Carlin-style mineralization, epithermal gold and silver, porphyry gold-copper, greenstone and skarn systems. His previous company experience with Argonaut Gold, McEwen Mining and Western Pacific Mining, where he worked with American Pacifics president, Eric Saderholm, has provided Carron with skills in geologic mapping, 3D-modeling, project development, GIS data systems, and multiple drilling, logging and QA/QC procedures. The company said Carrons leadership and organizational skills acquired while serving as an officer in the US Army, along with technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills developed over more than 15 years of geologic field experience will help to create a valuable team member and a professional team leader. One of American Pacifics projects is the Tuscarora Gold-Silver Project in Elko County, about 12 miles southwest of Jerritt Canyon and 22 miles northeast of the Carlin trend. Exploratory drilling started at the site in early 2022 and continued through the year. American Pacific said in July that two of the veins showed very strong quartz responses. This is exciting from an exploration standpoint since these are the strongest indicators of untested veins within the entire land package, American Pacific President Eric Saderholm said. This summer American Pacific filed a technical report on its Gooseberry Project in Storey County, Nevada. We are excited about the emerging targets at Gooseberry, Saderholm said. The Phase II drilling program at Gooseberry is set to begin this fall or winter. American Pacifics high-grade, past-producing Madison Copper-Gold project is about 24 miles southeast of the Butte Mining District in Montana. Madison is under option to joint venture with Kennecott Exploration Company, a division of the Rio Tinto Group. American Pacifics recently announced acquisition of Constantine Metal Resources adds the zinc-copper-gold-silver volcanic massive sulphide Palmer Project in Southeast Alaska to the companys portfolio. ELKO Parking will be prohibited in front of the new District Court building on Idaho Street as a security measure, after the Elko County campus was expanded to two blocks. Elko City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to give Elko County permission to set up a temporary no-parking zone for vehicles in front of the building. The County must construct a permanent barrier within one year and fund the entire project. Elko County officials, led by Department 2 District Judge Al Kacin, requested the elimination of parking along 125 feet in front of building at 605 Idaho St. across from the Elko County Courthouse. Kacin told the City Council that court bailiffs from his Department and Judge Mason Simons Department 3 recommended the installation of barriers. Weve been advised by them to clear that area out just as a safety precaution, he said. Put up barriers to prevent assaults on the courthouse, which is the bottom line. Assistant County Manager Curtis Moore said the District Court is following an audit of the Elko County Courthouse from the U.S. Marshals Office from 2007 that gave safety recommendations. Among them is prohibiting vehicles from parking in front of the courthouse. The barricade is one of the first steps in trying to make this as functional, but also as secure as can be to meet those recommendations from the U.S. Marshals in that report, he explained. There are also plans in the future to seal off George Boucher Way between Idaho and Court streets, conjoining the Elko County buildings and properties into one campus, Moore said. The County is scheduled to appear at an October City Planning Commission meeting to begin the process. Department 3 Bailiff Mariah Drake told the City Council that although the report was written 15 years ago, it then recommended using the Boucher Way/Sixth Street for parking access only. Drake explained the County considered both the federal report that identified vulnerable areas for a possible car bomb, along with previous vehicle crashes on Idaho Street into storefronts for their decision. If you remember a couple of years ago, there was a crash into the Blohm Building on Fifth and Idaho, she said. How long did that take to get fixed? What kind of damage could that have done if somebody had been in the store at the time? Theyre holding court hearings now in this building where we have members of the public who sit right along that Idaho Street side, Drake continued. So we need to look at protecting members of the community who are showing up for court, but also the clerks staff so that we keep our County personnel safe. As far as the look of the barrier, City Manager Curtis Calder reminded the City Council that the City has the right-of-way to the street. The Council could approve a temporary barrier or red-zone signage, with plans to design something cosmetically appropriate, because we are in the redevelopment area. [That] would be a long-term solution. Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board Chair Catherine Wines suggested installing a planter box with trees and flowers to fill out the 125-foot space. Moore said he and the County Commissioners have already determined that the barrier should look nice. Its in front of our courthouse and something we take pride in. Were trying to make it as safe as can be and keep the public safe as well as our judicial officers safe, Moore said. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates have discussed energy cooperation and the implementation of joint projects, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and the newly appointed UAE Ambassador, Mohammed Al Blushi. During the meeting, the parties discussed local and global projects being implemented in the energy sector in Azerbaijan, as well as the work done on the development of electric power engineering and expansion of the use of renewable energy sources. They also reviewed the existing collaboration with the UAE companies, Masdar and TAQA, and the implementation status of the current projects. Moreover, green energy cooperation between the two countries was assessed as a joint contribution to the energy transition. They also exchanged views on a number of other issues of mutual interest. The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates were established on September 1, 1992. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $50.4 million in 2021. Last year, Azerbaijan and the UAE signed agreements on pilot projects in renewable energy. Under the agreement, the building of a 230-MW solar power plant is envisaged. On March 15, a groundbreaking ceremony for the 230 MW Garadagh solar power plant, to be constructed by the United Arab Emirates' Masdar company, was held in Bakus Gulustan Palace. The plant is designed to produce 500 million kWh of electricity per year and supply it to approximately 110,000 households. It will reduce gas consumption by 110 million cubic meters and environmental emissions by 200,000 tons. Facebook, Google, period tracking and other health apps, and religious nonprofits, such as Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC) that do not operate as health clinics, are all not subjected to HIPAA and can sell any personal health information to advertisers or turn them over to government authorities. (Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash) Policy, politics and progressive commentary The Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling overturning the 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Grahams introduction of a federal abortion ban bill both ushered in new legal concerns about the long-sensitive subject of health data privacy. While the federal government clarified that Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) trumps any state laws regarding abortion health, some limitations and loopholes allow facilities to obtain and share private health information from those seeking reproductive and sexual health care. It only applies to what the statute calls covered entities, so your health care provider is a covered entity, said David Orentlicher, Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman law professor at UNLVs Boyd School of Law and director of the UNLV Health Law Program. Other covered entities include insurance companies and health care companies that store data for providers. Shortly after Graham introduced a federal abortion ban bill, Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen joined 29 of her Senate colleagues and sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging stricter rules to protect abortion patients. In particular, HHS should update the HIPAA Privacy Rule to broadly restrict regulated entities from sharing individuals reproductive health information without explicit consent, particularly for law enforcement, civil, or criminal proceedings premised on the provision of abortion care, the senators wrote. The letter calls on HHS to focus on compliance and enforcement activity for reproductive health, as well as education of patients rights under HIPAA, including what information can be shared without a patients consent, how to file complaints with HHS, and more thorough education of health care personnel of what legal compliance with HIPAA looks like. Sites like Facebook or Google (and Google Maps, which routinely routes people to anti-abortion clinics), period tracking and other health apps, and religious nonprofits, such as Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC) that do not operate as health clinics, are all not subjected to HIPAA and can sell any personal health information to advertisers or turn them over to government authorities. If you post things on Facebook or do Google searches related to health, that is not covered, said Sharona Hoffman, a professor of law & bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Loopholes exist in HIPAA for law enforcement given that they go through the proper legal channels like getting a subpoena, she said. Currently, people who give birth can not be prosecuted for leaving their state to seek abortion services in other states, but health care providers in states with stricter anti-abortion laws, including Texas, Utah, Idaho and Arizona, are subjected to prosecution for performing abortions, Hoffman said. Information can be disclosed, despite HIPAA, making them more vulnerable to providing services that up until now theyve been willing to provide. The Dobbs decision puts healthcare providers in a terrible place where they have to consider the welfare of the patient against their own, she said. Facebook collects personal information about abortion seekers and allows anti-abortion organizations, like CPCs, to use that data to target and influence people, while period tracking apps can sell an individuals data, including when they menstruated last, according to a report by the charity Privacy International. The report notes that CPCs regularly collect peoples information from social media, including name, address, email address, ethnicity, marital status, living arrangement, education, income source, alcohol, cigarette, and drug intake, medications and medical history including sexually transmitted disease history, pregnancy symptoms, pregnancy history, medical testing information, and even ultrasound photos. Because the data is mined from social media and other sources that arent HIPAA regulated entities, it is excluded from HIPAA protections. There are at least seven CPCs in Nevada, with at least two in Las Vegas. CPCs use geo-fencing technology which can tag and target anti-abortion ads to the phones of people inside reproductive health clinics, deploy online chat services that share information with major anti-abortion organizations, and create apps that store vast data about an individuals menstrual cycles while spreading doubt about the effectiveness of birth control and using targeted social media ads that promote health misinformation, according to the report. HIPAA privacy protection is a 21st century development. The HHS initially finalized HIPAA privacy regulations in 2001, with a compliance date for health care providers by 2003. The HIPAA security rule that requires health providers to protect health data went into effect in 2005. Before that, there was no law protecting health information. That was fairly new and a huge deal, Hoffman said. We are way behind other countries. Rosen did not respond to multiple requests for an interview on the impact stricter HIPAA regulations would have on CPCs specifically. Last year, Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto introduced the DATA Privacy Act, which aims to protect a consumer privacy but would also protect the information of those seeking abortion and reproductive health care from being shared. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House. No hearings have been held on either bill as yet. While 110 House Democrats, including Nevadas Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford, co-sponsored the My Body, My Data Act, neither Nevada senator sponsored the companion bill. The bill was introduced shortly after the Dobbs ruling and would limit nonprofit organizations, commercial entities and individuals from collecting, retaining and using personal reproductive and sexual health information without written consent of the individual, or is strictly necessary to provide a requested service. The bill would not apply to entities covered by HIPAA or the disclosure of health information for the publication of newsworthy information that warrants public concern. Neither the Senate nor the House version has been scheduled for a hearing. A bird's-eye view of the Three-River-Source National Park in Qinghai province. [Photo by Fan Yongtao/for chinadaily.com.cn] China will build the world's largest national park system, and a layout plan for the system will be released soon, a senior official said on Monday. Li Chunliang, deputy head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said at a news conference that the plan is being drafted in accordance with the requirements of building a system with the largest scale of protection, the most diverse geographical features and the highest conservation value in the world. "We will encourage the local residents around the parks to take part in environmental protection, nature education and ecotourism services. That will give them real benefits and enhance their sense of the national parks belonging to the people," Li said. Under the plan, which was initiated by the administration in 2019, about 50 areas have been selected as candidates for national parks. The parks are expected to cover 10 percent of the country's land area and protect more than 80 percent of the key national protected wild plant and animal species and their habitats. In October, China announced its first group of five national parks, covering a total land area of more than 230,000 square kilometers and containing nearly 30 percent of the country's key terrestrial wildlife species. Since their establishment, the parks have made achievements in environmental and species protection. Giant Panda National Park in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces connects giant panda habitats that originally belonged to 73 nature reserves. About 72 percent of the country's wild giant pandas are under the park's protection, Li said. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces has unblocked the migration channels of wild animals. Since 2017, the number of Siberian tigers in the park has increased from 27 to about 50, while the number of Siberian leopards rose from 42 to 60. In Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, three Hainan gibbons have been added to the wild population in the past two years, bringing the total number to 36. "At the same time, a new group of national parks is being established in an orderly manner, and we insist on establishing new ones only after the operations of the previous ones have matured," he emphasized. At the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province in April, Li, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration official, said that China will establish national parks this year on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins. Li also said at the news conference on Monday that China's planted forest conservation area has reached 87.6 million hectares, ranking No 1 in the world, and the grassland area is 264 million hectares, ranking second worldwide. China is also one of the 12 countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, he added. On Sept. 16, local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an speech at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In the speech, he offered strategic views of and guidance on the development of the SCO, and made major proposals for SCO member states to enhance solidarity and promote SCO's future development. The Chinese proposals conform to the trend of the times and meet the demands of all parties relevant. They will help the SCO make greater achievements on a new journey and inject more energy in maintaining peace and prosperity in Eurasia and even the world at large. The SCO Samarkand Summit was one attended by the most state leaders and yielding the most deliverables in the history of the SCO. Under the joint efforts of Xi and other participating state leaders, the summit adopted more than 40 documents covering such areas as economy, finance, science and technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges, institution building and external interactions. In addition, the summit also adopted four important joint statements on safeguarding global food security, international energy security, addressing climate change, and maintaining a secure, stable and diversified supply chain under the promotion of China. These deliverables fully demonstrate the vitality of the SCO and indicate that the organization is an important force maintaining world peace and development. Global media commented that the SCO has set a good example of mutually beneficial cooperation for the international society. It has been shown that the Shanghai Spirit is the source of strength for the development of the SCO, and also the fundamental guide the SCO must continue to follow in the years to come, Xi said in his speech. "We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead," he added. Xi said political trust, win-win cooperation, equality between nations, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice are what make the SCO successful. These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. The five points answer to the questions of what kind of regional cooperation shall be promoted in the new era and how it should be promoted. They offer important guidance on the construction of the SCO and promoting healthy development of international relations. The five points will help SCO member states strengthen solidarity and cooperation and build a closer SCO community with a shared future. The successful experience of the SCO achieved in the past over 20 years fully proves that the five points will better bringing together countries from different regions, at different stages of development, and from different civilizations and traditions, and help foster a stronger force of collectivism, solidarity and cooperation. The world today is not a peaceful place. Rivalry between two sets of policy choices "unity or division", "cooperation or confrontation" is getting more acute. The SCO is facing multiple challenges in maintaining regional peace and security, and its member states are also confronted with mounting challenges in keeping their own security and stability. In the face of the complex situation, the SCO needs to keep itself on the right course, deepen cooperation in various fields, and continue to foster a favorable environment for the development and rejuvenation of member states. The five points will help the SCO promote true multilateralism in the global context and give the organization a greater role in building a fairer and more equitable global governance system. The five points put true multilateralism into practice and are beyond bloc politics. Today, some countries are following fake multilateralism that places their own interests above everything and trying to establish exclusive cliques, which seriously threatens the stability of the international order and the peaceful development of the world. The SCO remains committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as the principle of equality among all countries regardless of their size. SCO members states respect each other's core interests and choice of development path, keep to the path of win-win cooperation toward common prosperity, and stand for harmonious coexistence and mutual learning between different countries, nations and cultures, dialogue between civilizations and seeking common ground while shelving differences. The SCO Samarkand Summit witnessed the largest membership expansion of the SCO, which fully indicates that the organization is bearing a connotation bigger than just regional cooperation. As long as SCO member states keep carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit and march forward along the new path for the development of international organizations they have explored, they will be able to maintain long-term and stable development of the organization and jointly build their region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home. Nguyen Hoang Thao, Permanent Deputy Secretary of Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee, and Gladys Martinez Verdecia, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Cuba and First Secretary of the Artemisa Provincial Party Committee, at the meeting. (Photo: VNA) In the western province of Artemisa, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Cuba and First Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Ms. Gladys Martinez Verdecia briefly introduced the potentials, efforts and challenges of the locality. Although newly established in 2011, Artemisa has a proud history and many contributions to the Fatherland and Revolution. Ms. Verdecia emphasized the role of the province in the industrial and agricultural activities of the country. This is also the main agricultural product supply area for the capital Havana. On behalf of the delegation of Binh Duong Province, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thao congratulated the people of Artemisa in particular and the people of Cuba in general for these achievements, and expressed his belief that Cuba will persist in the renovation path suitable for development goals and the new situation. He said that the two localities have many similarities, great potential and desire to promote bilateral cooperation in diverse areas. The delegation of Binh Duong Province visited the Artemisa Martyrs' Memorial Mausoleum and respectfully bowed before the history of heroic struggle and fallen children of both nations, visited Martires de Tarara primary school, Amiguitos de los vietnamitas kindergarten and Ben Tre village, where there are bamboo groves bear the familiar silhouette of Vietnamese villages. The delegation also visited Mariel Special Economic Zone, the first and only special economic zone of Cuba up to the present time, and discussed with businesses from different economic sectors of Cuba. At the meeting with Angel Arzuaga, Deputy Head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the two sides jointly analyzed the possibilities of expanding cooperation and mutual assistance, reaffirming the importance of Party work in the current national context, and discussed the economic situation. Within the framework of the visit to Cuba, the delegation from Binh Duong Province also came to offer flowers and commemorate President Ho Chi Minh at the park named after him in Havana; worked with the Cuban Chamber of Commerce; visited and worked with leaders of Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital and La Pradera International Health Care Center; met and learned about investment cooperation opportunities with Labiofam Biotechnology Group, Cuba's leading scientific and economic unit. On this occasion, Binh Duong presented the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee for External Relations, Artemisa Province and a number of Cuban schools, hospitals, and other establishments and units with a total amount of USD45,000./. Seminar "President Ho Chi Minh: Life and career" (Photo: VNA) The Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium coordinated with the Belgian Labor Party to organize a series of special events to introduce President Ho Chi Minh's legacy, including the release of a book translated from English collected and compiled by the Indian historian Vijay Prashad, including 48 articles of President Ho Chi Minh. The book introduces President Ho Chi Minhs life, career and thoughts, and was first translated into Dutch, in addition to the French translation. At the festival, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao signed and presented books to readers. At the seminar "President Ho Chi Minh: Life and career", Mr. Phan Ngoc Lan, an overseas Vietnamese intellectual in Belgium, introduced Uncle Ho through small stories. The public can better understand Uncle Ho, a simple man with immense love for humanity and poor people in the world. President Ho Chi Minh was a brilliant, resilient and pure soldier who fought all his life for peace, independence, freedom, happiness and social progress. Mr. Lan said that he was extremely emotional when he was able to talk to the foreign public about President Ho Chi Minh. As a patriotic overseas Vietnamese, he wishes to spread the great values of Ho Chi Minh's morality, culture and ideology to international friends who love peace. Ms. Patricia Parga, a Belgian of Chilean origin, said that when she heard of President Ho Chi Minh, she understood more about him, about his communist ideal of eliminating the exploiting class; bringing independence, freedom and happiness to the Vietnamese people; and always wishing for peace in the world. Holding a book about President Ho Chi Minh, Ms Francoise, a native of Wallonia, said she knew very little about Vietnam. Listening to talks about Uncle Ho, she understood somewhat about the beloved President of the Vietnamese people. The book will help her better understand the background, career and contributions of President Ho Chi Minh to Vietnam and the world. As a participant in compiling a book about Uncle Ho in French, Mr. Dominique Meeus, a member of the Belgian Labor Party, feels extremely proud. He said that when he discovered documents about Ho Chi Minh in French, he discovered an admirable work that he did not know well. He said that he was so moved by the wonderful writing that really brought him to tears. Within the framework of the Manifiesta Festival 2022, the Vietnamese Embassy also displayed and introduced photos of the liberation and construction of the country, as well as introduced Vietnamese culture, cuisine and people, promoting tourism. The public enjoyed the unique traditional puppetry performances and the famous Vietnamese spring rolls. This year's Manifiesta attracted nearly 20,000 visitors. In addition to contributing to promoting the image, country and people of Vietnam, this was also an opportunity for the representative agency of Vietnam to exchange with partners about the situation in the region and the world, about the theory and experience in the cause of struggle for peace, justice and social progress. In addition, the event also contributes to strengthening the solidarity between Vietnam and Belgium as well as with the embassies of participating countries./. Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) According to the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, 60 Vietnamese fled a business establishment in Bavet Kandal hamlet, Bavet ward, Bavet city, Svay Rieng province towards the Bavet border gate at 2:30pm on September 17. While fleeing, four were caught by the business. Upon receiving the information, the embassy actively contacted Cambodian authorities to learn about the case, verify their identity and perform procedures to bring them home. It also asked the Cambodian side to intervene and rescue the remainder. By late afternoon on the same day, Cambodian police demanded the business hand over 11 more Vietnamese citizens, bringing the total number of people involved in the case to 67. The Vietnamese embassy and border guards are working with the Foreign Ministrys Consular Department and Cambodias relevant agencies to bring them home as soon as possible. The Foreign Ministry directed the embassy to ensure living conditions for the citizens while waiting for procedures to return home, continue working with the host authorities to review the possibility that there are still Vietnamese citizens in the business and request an investigation to protect legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese citizens. Those who need help could contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia at +855-23726274, the Consulate General in Sihanoukville at +855-34934039 or Citizen Protection Switchboard +84-981 84 84 84./. Ambassador Pham Viet Anh, the Board of Parents and students at the ceremony (Photo: baoquocte.vn) Six years ago, the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Den Haag and surrounding areas took the initiative and promoted the establishment of a Vietnamese class to help their children learn Vietnamese language. Representatives of the association and the Board of Parents were moved to review the memories of the first days of the class. Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands at that time, and her daughter, wives of diplomats and an overseas Vietnamese woman volunteered to be the first teachers of the class, held at the headquarters of the Embassy. Students of all ages were classmates. Many of the students couldnt understand or speak Vietnamese at that time, but are now able to communicate in Vietnamese. Teacher Do Thu Thuy, the diplomat's wife, has been teaching for 3 years, sharing touching memories at the direct class as well as difficulties at online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and students were very pleased to receive Vietnamese textbooks donated by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his visit to the UK and France in 2021. Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Pham Viet Anh was delighted that the Vietnamese community loves the Vietnamese language and aspired for their children to keep the Vietnamese language. On this occasion, the Ambassador introduced Uncle Ho's unique initiative in the movement "Killing the ignorance", which is: literate people teach illiterate people. He also showed photos of Uncle Ho thoughtfully visiting classrooms in the mass education movement, farmers writing letters on the main road, backs of buffaloes, and old people lighting kerosene lamps in simple classrooms. He advised and encouraged people to follow Uncle Ho's method, talking in Vietnamese language every day with their children and relatives. That is the best way to preserve the Vietnamese language while living abroad. At the opening ceremony, Ambassador Pham Viet Anh and representatives of the Board of Parents presented gifts and flowers to the teachers./. Photo: CPV The event saw the presence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Vietnam, H.E Mr. Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlwy; Director of the Department of MiddleEast-Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Mr. Bui Ha Nam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zamil Industrial Investment Company, Mr. Abdulla Al Zamil; President of Zamil Steel Holding Company, Mr. Nawaf Al Zamil; CEO of Zamil Industrial Investment Company, Mr. Mohammed Al-Sahib; General Director of Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam Co., Ltd., Mr. Krishnakanth Kodukula; and more than 200 distinguished guests who are leaders of businesses, representatives of ministries, government bodies and more than 30 press and media units. The anniversary was celebrated to look back at the development journey of Zamil Steel during the past 25 years in Vietnam, with many outstanding historical milestones in production, business development, and expansion activities. With its theme: 25 years of trust and quality, the event also delivered Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnams appreciation to customers and partners throughout the Asia-Pacific region for their support, cooperation, and trust in the Zamil Steel brand. Recalling the early days of establishment, Mr. Nawaf Al Zamil, President of Zamil Steel Holding Company, shared: In 1997, we were the first and only Saudi Arabian enterprise to invest in Vietnam and also the pioneer to bring the concept of pre-engineered steel buildings to Vietnam. When exporting the first orders to Vietnam in 1993, we realized that Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region are vibrant markets with huge development potential. With the ambition to bring a new type of product in line with safety and technical standards while still satisfying local architectural requirements, the management of Zamil Steel Holding Company decided to establish two representative offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in the early 1990s. After four years of exploring the market, we officially established Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam Co., Ltd. and its first factory in Hanoi in 1997. Zamil Steel Holdings President Mr. Nawaf Al Zamil. (Photo: CPV) From the very beginning, we received extensive support from the governments of both Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Vietnam, the Government of Saudi Arabia, and relevant ministries and agencies for improving the investment environment and removing difficulties to create the most favorable conditions for the operation of foreign-invested enterprises over the past 25 years. It is that support, along with the initial successes, that have encouraged us to increasingly expand production and business activities in Vietnam to become the leading steel structure supplier in the region today, said Zamil Steels President. In the review of the companys performance and achievement over the past 25 years, the General Director of Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam, Mr. Krishnakanth Kodukula, emphasized the expansion of the companys sales network and production facilities: From having only one factory in Hanoi with an initial capacity of 600MT/month in 1997, Zamil Steel Vietnam now owns two state-of-the-art plants in Noi Bai Industrial Zone (Hanoi) and Amata Industrial Park (Dong Nai), with total capacity reaching up to 120,000 metric tons of steel structures per year, making Zamil Steel Vietnam one of the largest steel structure manufacturers in Vietnam and ASEAN region. The sales network of Zamil Steel Vietnam has significantly expanded with 13 representative offices in 10 countries and a team of more than 1,100 staff and workers. As of June 2022, Zamil Steel Vietnam has delivered more than 7,000 projects for customers all over the world. The steel structures of Zamil Steel Vietnam are applicable in a variety of sectors, from factories, warehouses, workshops, and industrial complexes, to commercial centers, petrochemical refineries, schools, stadiums, airports, exhibition areas, etc. Many of Zamil Steel Vietnams projects have become essential parts of the socio-economic development of Vietnam and regional countries such as Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, etc. Highlighted projects included the Pit Building of the Formula 1 Circuit in Hanoi, the mega-scale VinFast factories in Vietnam, Phnom Penh and Siam Reap International Airports in Cambodia, the Petronas petrochemical refinery complex in Malaysia (which belongs to Malaysias national development program project - RAPID), and the Bangladesh Governments cyclone shelter project on Bashan Char island. General Director of Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam Co., Ltd Mr. Krishnakanth Kodukula. (Photo: CPV) Talking about the future development in Vietnam and ASEAN, Mr. Krishnakanth Kodukula emphasized that: The company has drawn out plans to invest significantly in digitalization and industry 4.0 initiatives. The investments show our confidence in the Vietnam and ASEAN markets. With such initiatives, Zamil Steel Vietnam will deliver higher quality, more innovative products and solutions to our customers. In the next five years, the market will see significant changes when Vietnam engages further in globalization and regional integration. As a result, the demand for high-quality steel structures will increase, which will be an opportunity for Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam to grow its market share. All these changes will strengthen Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnams position in the market and be the foundation for Zamil Steels sustainable growth over the next decade in Vietnam & Asia Pacific. said Mr. Krishnakanth Kodukula./. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, co-chairs the 17th Round of Strategic Security Consultation between China and Russia with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) FUZHOU, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Monday co-chaired the 17th Round of Strategic Security Consultation between China and Russia with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in east China's Fujian Province. The two sides agreed to continue to make positive use of the consultation mechanism, implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the SCO Samarkand Summit, and enhance mutual trust. They also agreed to support each other in taking the development path in line with their conditions, jointly safeguard global strategic stability, and continuously consolidate and enrich the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have maintained a strong development momentum in recent years. He said that the two countries have continued to deepen strategic coordination and firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. He added their cooperation in various fields has grown. The two countries have jointly upheld the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law. They also safeguarded global fairness and justice, and set a model of relations between major countries with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation for the global community, said Yang. China is willing to work with Russia to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state to continue deepening political mutual trust and strategic coordination to build a more secure and stable external environment for the development of the two countries, said Yang. He added China is ready to contribute more to safeguarding the common interests of the two countries and world security and stability. Patrushev said Russia adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports the measures taken by the Chinese government to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity concerning the Taiwan question. Russia is willing to maintain close strategic communication with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields and further strengthen coordination and cooperation in international organizations. The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on maintaining global strategic security, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other issues. Editor: ZAD BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said that the future of Taiwan lies in China's reunification, and the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots hinges on China's reunification. Once peaceful reunification is achieved under the "one country, two systems," it will bring tangible benefits to Taiwan compatriots, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. Zhu made the remarks at a regular press conference while responding to a media inquiry related to the white paper "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era," which dedicated a chapter to the benefits that China's reunification would bring to Taiwan and Taiwan people. After China's reunification, the systems and mechanisms for economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait will be further improved, and industrial and supply chains will be steadier and smoother, Zhu noted. And many problems that have long plagued Taiwan's economy and Taiwan people can be resolved through integrated cross-Strait development. Taiwan's cultural creativity will also be given a great boost, she added. After China's reunification, Taiwan's social system and way of life will be fully respected, and the private property, religious beliefs, and lawful rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots will be fully protected. Taiwan compatriots will also have a vast space for development and enjoy greater security and dignity in the international community, she said. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities have deliberately attacked and slandered the "one country, two systems," in moves purely made for selfish political gains, Zhu said, adding that if they willfully make provocations aiming at "Taiwan independence," they will push Taiwan people into the abyss of disaster. Editor: ZAD By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Germany have discussed the development opportunities for energy cooperation in new directions between the two countries, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and the newly-appointed German Ambassador, Ralf Horlemann. During the meeting, the parties touched upon the importance of the memorandum of understanding on strategic partnership in the energy sector signed between Azerbaijan and the EU. The parties emphasized that this memorandum is a message for German companies to focus on Azerbaijan's energy sector, especially green energy. Speaking about Azerbaijan's renewable energy projects, Parviz Shahbazov proposed to organize German missions to Azerbaijan and invited companies from this country to participate in the projects to be implemented in the renewable energy sector. The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Azerbaijan and Germany established diplomatic relations on February 20, 1992. On September 2, 1992, Azerbaijan opened its first embassy in Western Europe, in Germany, while on September 22, 1992, Germany established its embassy in Azerbaijan. The two countries are successfully cooperating in various fields of economy. Azerbaijan is the main economic and trade partner of Germany in the South Caucasus. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Germany amounted to $1.2 billion in 2021. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China will take further measures to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment, with a view to consolidating the foundation of economic recovery, according to the decision made at the State Council's Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday. Noting opening-up as China's basic national policy and foreign trade a strong underpinning for stable growth and employment, the meeting underscored the imperative for redoubled efforts to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment. "We are facing big pressure in keeping foreign trade and foreign investment stable, with a notable slowdown of imports and exports. The first and foremost issue is to help businesses secure orders, by using all policy measures available to the full extent, such as the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), the China International Import Expo, overseas warehouses and cross-border e-commerce," Li said. The meeting stressed the need to support enterprises in retaining orders and expanding market presence. Stronger efforts will be made to ensure energy and labor supply and logistics for foreign trade companies. Full support will be given when necessary, to ensure the delivery of contracts. The special funds for international economic cooperation and foreign trade will be used fully at a faster pace. Services for companies to participate in overseas exhibitions and conduct business negotiations will be improved. New forms of foreign trade will be promoted. A number of new integrated pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce will be established without delay. Greater support will be given to building overseas warehouses. Goods transport between inland localities and coastal ports as well as domestic land transport will be made more efficient, to speed up trans-shipment, inbound and outbound transport of goods. Industrial and supply chains will be kept secure. Unwarranted charges for port services will be continuously abolished. "We must roll out signature projects of critical importance without delay, to galvanize foreign investment, and bolster confidence and expectations," Li said. Supply of production factors will be ensured to speed up the launch of key foreign-funded projects. Further measures will be taken to facilitate the border entry and exit of business personnel and technicians employed by foreign companies, as well as their families. Leading provincial regions in foreign trade and foreign investment need to step up to their responsibilities, and better play their backbone roles. Related departments need to enhance coordination and services. "The eastern coastal provinces take up nearly 70 percent of our country's foreign trade. Their leading role must be fully brought to bear, to contribute their part to stable performance of foreign trade and foreign investment," Li said. The meeting decided that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed households in the manufacturing sector could defer the payment of five taxes and two fees (namely, corporate income tax, personal income tax, domestic value-added tax, domestic consumption tax and urban maintenance and construction tax as well as education surcharge and local education surcharge). Deferrals that have expired will be extended for another four months starting from September 1. Such arrangement shall enable 440 billion yuan (63.66 billion U.S. dollars) of tax relief. Editor: ZAD Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said on Monday that with the world facing multiple crises, it is more necessary than ever to prioritize the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which should serve as a "to-do list" for all leaders. Korosi told the third SDG Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, that "the 17 Global Goals are our to-do-list. They must be the to-do-list of all leaders in this room. We are the people who can get this, the to-do-list of the World done." The UNGA president noted that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed global development but cannot be "an excuse for inaction." "We must now regain the speed lost to the pandemic and to our inaction," he stressed. "In the coming year, we will reach critical milestones in the sustainability calendar, with important conferences on climate change, biodiversity, water, and disaster risk reduction," he said. The UNGA president called for "unlocking new commitments and spurring the adoption of innovative policies and partnerships based on scientific inputs." "Key transitions need to happen. Just to name a few, a transition to a renewable energy base and to green, inclusive and digital economies, where food systems must also be transformed," he said. For these transitions to take place in a just way, Korosi said that "we need a collective effort 'directed intelligently towards global goals.'" The UNGA president also urged renewing "our multilateral commitment on establishing a science support mechanism," adding that "it can assist member states in their efforts by means of providing transparent scientific indicators and validation for sustainable development." On development financing, he said that "we cannot neglect the critical issue of financing in our discussions," adding that that is why the High-level Meeting on Financing for Development will take place at the same time as the SDG Summit. Korosi called attention to "the linkage between climate change and water holistically," noting that "part of the solution we need to scale up is the action plan of the Water and Climate Leaders." Finally, he said: "We need initiatives from civil society, the voice and passion of youth, the support of the private sector but, most importantly, you, the member states to deliver on promises made." The annual SDG Moment aims to provide a snapshot of progress, highlight actions that show change is possible, and advance the transformations needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was created by the political declaration adopted at the first SDG Summit in 2019, which mandated the UN secretary-general to convene the event as part of every high-level week of the General Assembly from 2020 to 2030. Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Editor: WXL Ferrexpo Plc has announced that it has lost an appeal in a lawsuit with the former shareholders to invalidate a contract for the sale of a 40.19% stake in its largest Ukrainian asset, Poltava Ore Mining and Processing Plant (PGOK). "Ferrexpo Plc hereby announces that the company has been informed of a ruling in relation to the claim made to invalidate a share purchase agreement concluded in 2002 in respect of shares in Ferrexpo Poltava Mining. Pursuant to the 2002 share purchase agreement a 40.19% stake in FPM was sold to nominee companies that were at that time owned by the controlling shareholder of the group. In May 2021, the court of first instance ruled in favor of Ferrexpo AG (a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrexpo), and dismissed the claim, with an appeal filed by the claimants in June 2021," the company said. "The company has now received a judgement from the appeal court in respect of the claim, which states that the share purchase agreement concluded in 2002 is invalid and the 40.19% stake in PGOK shall be transferred to the claimants. Ferrexpo will proceed with protecting the interests of the company and its shareholders, and is exploring all options, including its right to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of Ukraine," Ferrexpo said. "Based on the details of the judgement provided by the appeal court, it is managements view that Ferrexpo AG has compelling arguments to defend its position," the report says. As reported, in 2002, four non-resident companies from VS Energy (Gilson Investments, Calefort Developments, Emsworth Assets and Trimcroft Service) sold their collectively 40.19% stake in PGOK to persons associated with the current majority owner of Ferrexpo, Kostiantyn Zhevaho. Then several additional issues were carried out, as a result of which a series of other resales, as well as a forced buyback of shares from minority shareholders under the squeeze-out procedure, Ferrexpo, listed on the London Stock Exchange, became the sole shareholder of PGOK. In 2005, these four companies filed a lawsuit to invalidate the sale and purchase agreement and conduct additional share issues. At the same time, Gilson sought to restore its stake in PGOK to 6.59%, Emsworth and Calefort - 12.14% each, Trimcroft Services - 9.32%. The Higher Economic Court of Ukraine in February 2015 upheld the earlier decision of the Supreme Court of the country and the position of PGOK in a corporate dispute that lasted for about 10 years, refusing the plaintiffs. However, at the end of 2020, these former shareholders of PGOK again appealed against this transaction in the Ukrainian court. The combat losses of the Russian invaders over the past day amounted to 160 soldiers. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the losses of the Russian Federation amounted to about 54,810 soldiers, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) reports on Facebook. In addition, over the past day, the invaders lost four tanks in Ukraine (since the beginning of the invasion 2,216) and four armored combat vehicles (total since the beginning of the invasion 4,724). During the day, ten artillery systems, six multiple launch rocket systems, one aircraft, five operational-tactical UAVs, one cruise missile and six vehicles of the occupiers were destroyed in Ukraine. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation lost 1,323 artillery systems, 318 MLRS, 168 air defense systems, 3,587 vehicles and tankers, 125 units of special equipment and 15 ships in Ukraine. A total of 252 aircraft and 217 helicopters were destroyed, and 925 unmanned aerial vehicles of the operational-tactical level and 239 cruise missiles were shot down. The occupiers suffered the biggest losses in Bakhmut and Donetsk directions. The data are being specified. Ukrainian IT specialists hacked into the website of the Wagner Group and copied all the personal data on mercenaries who are sent to war in Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said. "The website of the Wagner group, which gathers Russian prisoners for the war in Ukraine, has been hacked by the IT Army! We have all the personal data of the mercenaries! Each executioner, murderer and rapist will face severe punishment. Revenge is inevitable!" the minister said on the Telegram channel on Monday. An urgent discussion on September 19 among Russian proteges about the need for immediate Russian annexation of Luhansk and Donetsk regions indicates that the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive is causing panic among puppet forces and some in the Kremlin, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say. "Partial annexation at this stage would also place the Kremlin in the strange position of demanding that Ukrainian forces unoccupy 'Russian' territory, and the humiliating position of being unable to enforce that demand. It remains very unclear that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be willing to place himself in such a bind for the dubious benefit of making it easier to threaten NATO or Ukraine with escalation he remains highly unlikely to conduct at this stage," according to the ISW analyst report for September 19. It is noted that recent Ukrainian counteroffensive successes are further reducing the already poor morale among Russian units that had been considered elite before February 24. In addition, the size of the volunteer units that Russia can create is likely to be reduced. Analysts point out that the Russian forces have been constantly reducing the units they used as the main tactical ones there is a transition from battalions to companies, and in some cases to platoons, which drastically reduces the combat power of new units. At the same time, Ukrainian forces continue limited and localized offensive operations across the Oskil River and along the Lyman-Yampil-Bilohorivka line, as well as strikes against Russian military, transport and logistics facilities in Kherson region. Russian troops continue to attack south of Bakhmut. Ukrainian and Russian sources identified three main areas of combat activity on September 19: northwest of the city of Kherson, near the Ukrainian bridgehead on the Inhulets River, and in the north of Kherson region in Olhyne district. The possibility of transferring modern tanks to Ukraine is being discussed, a senior U.S. Department of Defense official said. "Tanks are absolutely on the table along with other areas. We're looking at the entirety of the Ukrainian armed forces and considering for the future what capabilities they will need and how the U.S. and our allies will be able to support Ukraine in building out those capabilities," he said at a briefing, the text of which was published on the website of the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday. In response to a clarifying question about whether the transfer of equipment is in the future or for the current battle in the coming months, the official noted that Soviet-type tanks could be provided for direct combat very quickly, but the United States is "open to other options." "In terms of the immediate fight the tanks that are available that could be provided very quickly with little to no training are soviet type tanks but we're certainly open to other options provided that the training, maintenance and sustainment can be taken care of," he pointed out. The official stressed that the U.S. Department of Defense understands that the day will come when the Ukrainian Armed Forces may want to make the transition and may need to switch to NATO-compatible models. "We're always very cognizant though with any new equipment that we provide to Ukraine or that our allies, our partners provide that there is substantial training, maintenance and sustainment consideration. So we want to make sure that when we provide capabilities that all of these are taken into account," he explained. Ukraine seeks to restore its territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991, there can be no agreement based on territorial concessions from Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "The key moment for Ukraine is the restoration of our territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991. There can be no agreement based on territorial concessions from Ukraine," Kuleba said at a panel discussion of the Council on Foreign Relations, while visiting the USA. Commenting on Russia's possible signals about alleged readiness for negotiations, the minister urged, first of all, to ask why the Russians are sending or will send such signals. According to him, this may indicate the difficult situation of the Russian Federation at the front and the desire to buy time. The minister once again called on the governments of European countries to explain to their own citizens that the cause of the economic and energy challenges facing Europe is not Ukraine or sanctions against the Russian Federation. The root cause of the problems is Russian armed aggression, which threatens both Ukraine and the EU, Kuleba stressed. "We even heard proposals to launch Nord Stream 2 to improve the situation, but just look at the situation with Nord Stream 1. Canada and Germany decided to ease certain restrictions on the Russian Federation, and this did not help them in any way. Russia continues to create problems with gas supply. There are still many challenges ahead, but we will jointly confront them," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said. The Verkhovna Rada adopted a statement to the United Nations, the European Parliament, the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, governments and parliaments of foreign states in connection with the aggression of the Russian Federation in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait. The adoption of relevant draft resolution No. 8015 was supported by 329 deputies at the plenary session on Tuesday, said Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos faction, on his Telegram channel. The Verkhovna Rada calls on the international community to condemn and state Russia's illegal actions in the areas of the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait, in the temporarily occupied territories that have been systemic since February 2014. The Ukrainian parliamentarians also call on the world to provide Ukraine as a victim of aggression with assistance in realizing the inalienable right to self-defense, as well as the need to take effective collective measures to eliminate threats to peace and suppress acts of aggression by the Russian Federation in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait, in particular, conducting operations to ensure freedom of navigation. The do-called "referendums" in the temporarily occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions will not change Ukraine's plans on de-occupation of its territories, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak has said. "Russian can schedule 'referendums' and other similar provincial theater performances for any dates it does not matter for Ukraine. This also does not change anything in the planning of our actions for de-occupation, as well as does not change anything for our partners. All of our territories, including Kherson, Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk, were and remain Ukrainian in line with the international law, and our actions there are lawful and comply with the concept of a defense war," he told the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency. In addition, according to Podoliak, the "referendum" itself in the midst of the war and active counteroffensive "looks not just absurdly, but exclusively in the style of Russia's especial idiocy of the recent days." "They do not have either legal or physical opportunities. Just pure primitive propaganda," he said. Podoliak also recalled that Russia had already planned to carry out a similar scheme in Kharkiv region. "And we can see the result. Their pseudo-referendum turnout had a negative value. Should we expect the same in the rest of the temporarily occupied territories? The 'observers' from Ukraine at these performances our HIMARS will show," he said. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed opportunities for cooperation, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov and Uzbekistan's Agency for Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Chairman Ilhom Khalpaev. During the meeting, the parties also discussed the roadmap signed between the two institutions within the international Karabakh business forum held in Shusha on September 16. "The delegation of the Agency for Entrepreneurship Development of Uzbekistan headed by Deputy Director Ilhom Khalpaev visited Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA). We discussed joint steps for the implementation of the road map signed on September 16, 2022, within the framework of a business forum in Shusha," Orkhan Mammadov wrote on his official Twitter page. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were established on October 2, 1995. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Uzbekistan was established in August 1996, while the embassy of Uzbekistan in Azerbaijan was opened in July 1998. The friendly relations between the two countries are based on shared values ??and historical ties, as well as a number of joint statements and agreements signed during bilateral visits and meetings. The volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan amounted to $111.9 million in 2021. Iran is awaiting the release of about $7 billion in funds frozen abroad, state media said Sunday, after it allowed an Iranian-American to leave the country and released his son from detention. The Group of Seven rich nations told Russia on Monday it must allow grain shipments to leave Ukraine to avoid exacerbating a global food crisis. "We urgently call on Russia to cease, without condition, its attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and enable free passage of agricultural shipping from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea," G7 leaders said in a joint statement at a summit in Germany. Search Keywords: Short link: The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) said on Friday that the authorities successive release of pretrial detainees in recent months represents practical proof of the seriousness in implementing the National Strategy for Human Rights and removes obstacles in the way of holding a constructive and positive national dialogue. On Friday, the Public Prosecution ordered the release of 33 pretrial detainees, in the latest such move since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for a national dialogue in April. In a statement on Friday evening, the NCHR said that "it appreciates this positive implementation of the spirit of the law. The decison will reintegrate those released into society where they can contribute in the process of building a modern country that allows everyone to participate in public life as long as they observe the constitution and laws." According to the General Coordinator of the National Dialogue Diaa Rashwan, more than 700 prisoners have been freed since April, including pretrial detainees who were released by the prosecution and other prisoners who received a presidential pardon. "The council is confident that the release of pretrial detainees will bridge the gap between people who hold different opinions on many issues, most important of which is the issue of human rights, including freedom of opinion and expression," the NCHR added. "These release decisions, and the work of the Presidential Pardon Committee, will lay the foundations for the new republic that is based on the rule of law and the rights of citizens ... and will make possible the implementation of the president's vision for building a country that embraces differing opinions that aim to achieve common causes," it added. Meanwhile, the 19-member Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue continues to make preparations for the anticipated launch of the wider process. The board is set to hold a meeting on Saturday, the sixth since it was formed in late July, to complete the process of choosing rapporteurs and assistant rapporteurs for 15 subcommittees under three main political, economic and social committees. The board will also discuss proposals submitted by some members to divide up the some of the main committees to facilitate debates, according to an announcemt by the general coordinator. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian authorities ordered on Thursday the release of a new group of 46 pretrial detainees, including prominent leftist activist and lawyer Haitham Mohamadein. The release came per a decision by the Public Prosecution, according to human rights lawyer Tarek El-Awady, who is a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee. Mohamadein was arrested in May 2019 on charges related to spreading false news and joining an illegal group. Since May, the Public prosecution has ordered the release of hundreds of pretrial detainees in groups as the government and various political forces prepare for an extensive National Political Dialogue that will discuss pressing political, economic and social issues. Last week, the prosecution ordered the release of 33 pre-trial detainees in various cases. Since the launching of preparations for the national political dialogue in May and the re-activation of the Presidential Pardon Committee in April, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has also pardoned a number of high-profile political activists who had received final sentences such as Hossam Mones, Yahia Abdel-Hady, Hisham Fouad and others. The re-activated pardon committee, which was first formed in 2016, receives the names of prisoners for presidential pardon consideration from: various parties and political forces, the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives and families, as well as directly through its own official website. The scope of the work of the re-activated committee has been expanded to include imprisoned male and female debtors. The pardon committee includes MPs Tarek El-Kholy and Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, human, and Egypt's former manpower minister Kamal Abu Eita. Search Keywords: Short link: On behalf of Africa, Egypt will host the the 27th session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November with the world picking up speed in its race against climate change to limit the rise in Earth's temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. COP takes place annually in a different host city. What is COP? The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and it assesses progress on combating climate change. All states party to the convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the convention's outcomes, including institutional and administrative arrangements. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany, in March 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognised UN regions which are Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and others, there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups, according to the UNFCCC. The latest edition of the conference, COP26, was hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, and took place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021. The annual conference usually witnesses the attendance of representatives of more than 200 countries, business leaders, NGOs, intergovernmental organisations, and religious leaders as well as thousands of media personnel. What is the Bureau of the COP? Rule 22.1 of the draft Rules of Procedure (FCCC/CP/1996/2) of the COP being applied provides for a bureau, comprised of a president, seven vice presidents, the chairs of the subsidiary bodies established by articles 9 and 10 of the convention, and a rapporteur. During each COP, the bureau leads the work of governments, acting as a focal point. It takes the lead on issues that need follow-up post-COP and is in charge of preparing forthcoming COP meetings. The bureau is traditionally responsible for advising the president and taking decisions with regard to the overall management of the intergovernmental process. It has overall responsibility for questions of process. Bureau members often consult with their regional groups on issues. The bureau is not a forum for political negotiations. It is mainly responsible for questions of process management. Moreover, it assists the president in the performance of his or her duties by providing advice and helping with various tasks (e.g. members undertake consultations on behalf of the president). The bureau is also responsible for examining the credentials of parties, reviewing the list of IGOs and NGOs seeking accreditation, and submitting a report thereon to the conference. The secretariat often seeks advice and guidance from the bureau on relevant matters. Search Keywords: Short link: The EU presidency on Saturday called for the establishment of an international tribunal for war crimes after new mass graves were found in Ukraine. "In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent," said Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which holds the European Union's rotating presidency. "We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals," he added in a message on Twitter. "I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression." The appeal follows the discovery by Ukrainian authorities of around 450 graves outside the formerly Russian-occupied city of Izyum with most of the exhumed bodies showing signs of torture. "Among the bodies that were exhumed today, 99 percent showed signs of violent death," Oleg Synegubov, head of Kharkiv regional administration, said on social media. "There are several bodies with their hands tied behind their backs, and one person is buried with a rope around his neck," he added. "Russia leaves only death and suffering. Murderers. Torturers," said Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Some of the remains exhumed included children and people who were likely tortured before dying, he added. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said that the graves likely provided more evidence that Russia is committing war crimes in its pro-Western neighbour, and French President Emmanuel Macron said what happened in Izyum were atrocities. "I condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed in Izyum, Ukraine, under Russian occupation," Macron tweeted. 'Tortured' The Ukrainian parliament's human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said there were "probably more than 1,000 Ukrainian citizens tortured and killed in the liberated territories of the Kharkiv region". Ukraine national police chief Igor Klymenko said they had found multiple torture rooms in the town of Balakliya and elsewhere in Kharkiv since the Russians were driven out. The United Nations in Geneva has said it hopes to send a team to determine the circumstances of the deaths. The announcement of this macabre discovery has raised a new wave of indignation in the West. The discoveries came a little more than five months after the Russian army, driven out of the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, left behind hundreds of corpses of civilians, many of whom bore the traces of torture and summary executions. "Deeply shocked' The European Union is "deeply shocked" at the discovery by Ukrainian officials of mass graves in the recaptured city of Izyum, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday. "This inhuman behaviour by the Russian forces, in total disregard of international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions, must stop immediately. On Thursday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted Russian President Vladimir Putin to face the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Ukraine. In Washington, US President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the wake of serious losses in his war in Ukraine. "Don't. Don't. Don't," Biden said, in an excerpt from an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" aired Friday evening. Biden was responding to an interviewer's question about the possibility of Putin, whose army is incurring heavy losses in the Ukraine counteroffensive this month, resorting to chemical or tactical nuclear weapons. "You would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II," Biden said. "They will become more of a pariah in the world, more than they have ever been," the US leader added. 'Pushing them back' On the ground, Ukrainian forces have recaptured thousands of square kilometres in recent weeks thanks to a counter-offensive in the north-east and now threaten enemy positions in the south, as the fighting and bombings continue. The Russians "are angry because our army is pushing them back in its counter-offensive," said Svitlana Shpuk, a 42-year-old worker in Kryvyi Rih, a southern town, and Zelensky's hometown, which was flooded after a dam was destroyed by Russian missiles. The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegoubov, said that an 11-year-old girl was killed by missile fire in the region. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donestk in eastern Ukraine which has been partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014, said on social media that Ukrainian firefighters were battling a fire there and that the bombing had led to cuts in drinking water. "The occupiers are deliberately targeting infrastructure in the area to try to inflict as much damage as possible, primarily on the civilian population," he charged. The Russian army denies targeting civilian infrastructure or residential areas. In its daily briefing in Moscow, the Kremlin said it had carried out "high-precision" strikes against Ukrainian positions in the Mykolayev and Kharkiv regions. In the relative calm of Kyiv on Saturday, hundreds of Ukrainians took part in a farewell ceremony at the Kiev national opera house for former ballet dancer and later teacher Oleksandr Shapoval, who was killed at the age of 47 in the east of the country while fighting the Russians. Shapoval was hit by mortar fire on September 12, near the town of Mayorsk in the Donetsk region. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt has called on governments and development partners to endorse its stance for countries and global institutions to provide adequate funding to face the effects of climate change as well as mitigation and adaptation programmes. Minister of Agriculture El-Sayed El-Quseir made the remarks during the first Arab Conference for Climate and Sustainable Development, which was organised by the Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) that Egypt hosted on Sunday under the theme Al-Akhdar Hayah (Green is life). This comes less than 50 days before the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), slated for 6-18 November in Egypts Sharm El-Sheikh city. As the official host of the COP27 conference, Egypt is determined attain results in terms of helping developing countries, especially in Africa, to benefit from climate financing. During the second edition of the Egypt International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF 2022), held on 7 September, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for the countries most responsible for climate change impacts to boost their contributions to support efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. El-Sisi made the comments after US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry stressed during the forum that 20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of total global emissions, while 24 countries in Africa cause only 0.55 percent of these emissions. Recommendations on climate action During his speech today, El-Quseir recommended that governments encourage the private sector to inject investments to support adaptation and mitigation projects by introducing incentives and tax concessions. He also highlighted the importance of supporting the legislations backing adaptation and mitigation measures in the face of climate change and taking comprehensive measures to reduce emissions and achieve sustainable development goals. The Egyptian minister also called for establishing a carbon platform to help local communities boost their capabilities to engage in establishing agricultural systems that are more resilient and sustainable, especially in the climate-vulnerable regions. El-Quseir also urged establishing early warning systems locally and regionally that enable farmers and others to take proactive measures amid the accelerating pace of climate change. The minister affirmed the need for large industrial countries to fulfil their climate commitments within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 2015 Paris Agreement, and the Kyoto Protocol. Egypts hosting of COP27 creates an unprecedented opportunity for member countries to expand their efforts aiming at implementing the climate related measures and solutions that address water scarcity, energy, and food systems, the minister added. Speaking at the conference, Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj stressed Egypts commitment to the Paris Agreement, which requires nations to put plans to reduce emissions. Boosting civil society participation The social solidarity ministry is keen to ensure a strong and effective participation by civil society groups and volunteers at COP27, El-Qabbaj said. The ministry is also keen to introduce a true image that showcases the great efforts of civil society in Egypt to provide all forms of protection to needy societal categories against economic, social, and environmental threats, she added. El-Qabbaj said up to 1,000 volunteers will participate in COP27. The ministry is also planning to organise a day for civil society on the sidelines of COP27 to highlight the role and success stories of civil society in the field of climate change mitigation, taking into account the global, regional and local dimensions at all levels, she added. The Egyptian government has repeatedly affirmed its keenness to allow the greatest possible number of local and foreign civil society organisations to participate and express their views in COP27. Egyptian Minister of Justice Omar Marwan, Minister of Local Development Hisham Amna, and Speaker of the Senate Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razek attended the meeting. Also, Secretary General of the CAEU Muhammadi Al-Ni and a number of Arab figures and Egyptian MPs were among the attendees. The conference discusses legislations and laws related to sustainable development and climate, ways of facing economic, industrial and agricultural repercussions on sustainable development. It also addresses the role of media, international and Arab institutions and civil society organisations in preserving sustainable development. Attending COP27 Egypt is making round-the-clock preparations to host COP27 and receive the largest number of attendees. Those interested in attending the conference can register on the official COP27 website here. Last week, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the number of people who have applied to participate in COP27 is double the number of participants during the past two editions of the conference, Madbouly said, without giving specifics. Meanwhile, Egypts EC4SDF, an observer non-governmental organisation (NGO) to COP27, said late in August that about 35,000 people from around the world so far have registered on the UN website to attend COP27. This puts the upcoming UN climate change conference in Sharm El-Sheikh on track to possibly become one of the most attended COPs, the NGO asserted. Egypt has reiterated that it would seek during the conference to push for implementing climate pledges on the ground within the framework of the Paris Agreement. Egypt will also urge developed countries to meet their promise to mobilise the necessary funds to help developing nations with mitigation and adaptation measures. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia and Ukraine have agreed to swap 200 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the seven-month war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US television. Erdogan made the announcement after talks last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional summit in Uzbekistan. Erdogan did not provide full details about the swap, calling the people being exchanged "hostages" and not saying how many there were from each side. "Two hundred hostages will be exchanged upon agreement between the parties. I think a significant step will be taken forward," Erdogan told PBS television late Monday. NATO member Turkey has tried to stay neutral in the conflict, supplying combat drones to Kyiv and shying away from Western-led sanctions against Moscow. Erdogan said he had the "impression" that Putin was willing to end the war. "We had very extensive discussions and he is actually showing me that he is willing to end this as soon as possible," Erdogan said. "That was my impression because the way things are going right now are quite problematic." Erdogan said Russia's return of captured lands would be an important part of any lasting truce. "If peace is going to be established in Ukraine, of course returning the land that was invaded will become important," he said. Asked repeatedly if Putin should be held responsible for invading Ukraine, Erdogan said there was no benefit in taking sides. "We are not going to defend a single leader. Instead, we have to look for a solution that will satisfy all the parties involved." Erdogan has repeatedly tried to bring Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky together in Turkey for truce talks. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Foreign Minister and President Designate for the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) affirmed that the loss and damage from climate change is a principal issue on the conferences agenda. Shoukry made his remarks on Monday in New York during a high-level meeting with the Group of 77 & China (G-77) titled Loss and damage: New and Additional Financing. The meeting was moderated by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of Pakistan, the current chair of the group. It was attended by representatives from the European Union (EU), Germany, South Africa, China, and UAE. According to Bhutto Zardari, the group officially proposed including discussions on loss and damage finance on the agenda of COP27, which is set to be held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh on 6-18 November. The Egyptian foreign minister noted that Egypt, as the host of COP27, held unofficial consultations on 10-11 September for convergence of relevant views among the parties concerned. Shoukry added that he was looking forward to an active engagement from all climate change stakeholders, including the G-77 & China, in dealing with the loss and damage caused by climate change in a way that helps COP27 come up with positive results. Egypt is a member of the G-77 & China, which is one of the main negotiating blocs in the UN for developing countries to work on boosting their economic and development interests. Search Keywords: Short link: Mastercard expands a regional hub in Egypt to support and further accelerate growth in the country, MENA and globally The expert team provides data, analysis, consulting, marketing solutions and payment strategies to help clients grow their businesses Advisors Client Services Hub team has risen to include over 60 local experts and will continue to expand through investment in local talent. Cairo, Egypt; 20 September 2022 Mastercard has announced the expansion of its Advisors Client Services Hub to serve regional and global markets from Egypt. The expert team facilitates innovative financial and payment solutions spanning cutting-edge financial trends like Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL), open banking, cybersecurity, and data monetization, and aims to establish Egypt as a regional financial hub that helps draw strategic investments into the country. This announcement supports Mastercards long-standing commitment to drive innovation across the Egyptian payments landscape and beyond, building on its decade-long presence in driving digital transformation across the market. Mastercards Advisors Client Services team offers support via real-time data, analysis, consulting, and marketing solutions to provide clients with payment strategies and innovative solutions to help them grow their businesses. At Mastercard, we are passionate about helping our customers grow their businesses by supporting them with superior and innovative payment solutions. With the expansion of our highly talented team of experts, we are well positioned to serve our clients all over the world, said Adam Jones, Country General Manager, MENA Central, Mastercard. Mastercard is committed to investing in local talent to solve for and evolve Egypts and the regions ecosystem to further drive growth and inclusion for all. Starting with six of the best local talents in 2019, Mastercard has expanded its Advisors Client Services Hub to over 60 experts within three years, with plans to further expand over the next two years. Mastercard is committed to accelerating growth in the country and creating opportunities for the Egyptian workforce, combining deep knowledge of the local market while fostering a global mindset. The move emphasizes Mastercards investments in local talents in all the markets it serves and its people-first business approach. As part of the technology companys commitment to women empowerment and driving gender parity, Mastercards Advisors Client Services Hub in Egypt is made up of a diverse team of talent, with women taking on leading roles that account for 55% of the total size of the team. Beyond the MENA region, Mastercard Advisors Client Services Hub will be working with global executives, exchanging knowhow and expertise, to bring best-in-class services to clients across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North American markets. On account of such efforts, Mastercard Advisors Client Services Hub has accomplished over 200 engagements in less than two years, a testament to its impact and influence. --- About Mastercard Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, 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. Short link: By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Strengthening primary health care is a vital and ongoing priority for the WHO in Azerbaijan, the latter's representative in Azerbaijan Khalil Ibrahim said, Azernews reports. he remarks were made during a meeting at the Ministry of Health with the delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Assessment Mission, which is on a working visit to Azerbaijan. Welcoming the guests, Minister Teymur Musayev stressed that the country attaches great importance to cooperation with the WHO. Musayev noted that over the past 30 years, significant work has been done in the context of mutual cooperation, and a number of countrywide, regional, and global projects have been successfully implemented. Recalling the meeting between WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henry Kluge and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the minister expressed confidence that the visit of the head of an authoritative health organization to the country will contribute to the further development of ties. Further, the minister noted the work carried out by Azerbaijan in the fight against COVID-19, as well as the country's assistance and international initiatives in this context. He stressed that Azerbaijan's global contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic was also highly appreciated by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus. Musayev also stressed the activities of the Azerbaijani representative office of the WHO in the work to improve and modernize the national healthcare system. In turn, Ibrahim noted that over the past five years, important efforts have been made in Azerbaijan to transform the healthcare system to strengthen it and achieve universal health coverage. Additionally, he stressed that the WHO office in the country supports the government of Azerbaijan in such areas as preparedness and response to COVID-19, infection prevention and control, emergency medical care system, mental health and psycho-social support in emergency situations, and others. Separately, the WHO Azerbaijan Office said that the healthcare system of Azerbaijan has been subjected to substantial changes to achieve universal medical coverage over the past five years. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides active support to Azerbaijan in the relevant field, working closely with local partners. As part of this support, WHO sent an expert mission to Azerbaijan to assess the needs and determine areas of support in primary health care, inpatient care, and training of medical workers. The mission includes nine international experts and eight medical specialists from the WHO Office in Azerbaijan. Later, the experts are expected to hold meetings at the Azerbaijan Medical University, the Azerbaijan State Advanced Training Institute for Doctors, medical colleges in Baku, and the Main Health Center of Baku. In addition, it's scheduled to visit ten public and private hospitals and primary health care centers in Baku and Shamakhi. The working visit of the mission will last until September 23. The WHO Office with the financial support of the EU has launched a three-year project "Support for COVID-19 vaccination" in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan and strengthen immunization programs since June 2021. This project is an integral part of the ongoing support of the EU and WHO to Azerbaijan. Slovenia will transfer 28 Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine in a armaments swap deal with Germany, Berlin said Tuesday, amid heavy pressure for Europe's biggest economy to supply battle tanks to Kyiv. Related Germany to provide 4 additional mobile howitzers to Ukraine Ukraine has repeatedly sought Leopard battle tanks from Germany to aid in its counter-attack against Russia, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government has so far refused. Berlin has instead struck deals with third countries, which transfer heavy weapons to Ukraine, in exchange for receiving supplies from Germany. In the latest such arrangement, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht announced she had signed such an agreement with her Slovenian counterpart for Ljubljana to send 28 M-55S tanks to Ukraine. In exchange, Germany will transfer 40 military trucks along with other supplies to Slovenia, she said in statement. "Together, we are adding to direct arms deliveries to Ukraine to support its courageous struggle against Russian aggression," said Lambrecht. Germany has already struck similar deals with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Greece. But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has slammed Germany's reluctance to directly send tanks, saying there was "not a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied". Berlin has argued that it will not "go it alone" on weapons deliveries, with Lambrecht pointing out that no other ally has transferred Western-made battle tanks to Ukraine. Scholz has been forced to repeatedly defend German's arms deliveries to Ukraine, insisting they have been substantial. Search Keywords: Short link: African Union chairperson Macky Sall said Tuesday that Africa "does not want to be the breeding ground of a new Cold War,'' alluding to the pressure mounting on the continent's leaders to choose sides over the war in Ukraine. Many African countries depend heavily on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Amid market shortages, Russia's foreign minister has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices. Western leaders, meanwhile, have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest. So far Africa has stayed somewhat neutral on Ukraine: Some 25 countries either voted to abstain or did not vote at all on the U.N. resolution that condemned the war in Ukraine earlier this year. ``I have come to say that Africa has suffered enough of the burden of history; that it does not want to be the breeding ground of a new Cold War, but rather a pole of stability and opportunity open to all its partners, on a mutually beneficial basis,`` Sall, the president of Senegal, told the General Assembly on Tuesday. ``We call for a de-escalation and a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine as well as for a negotiated solution to avoid the catastrophic risk of a potentially global conflict,'' he said. Some observers have called the efforts by Russia and the United States the strongest lobbying campaigns since the Cold War, when the continent was wracked by proxy wars as the U.S. and Soviet Union vied for influence. French President Emanuel Macron used his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to press nations not to stay neutral about condemning Russia's war in Ukraine. He declared that Moscow's invasion amounts to a new form of imperialism. The Soviet Union backed many African movements fighting to end colonial rule, and Russia's foreign minister has voiced support for reform of the U.N. Security Council to give African countries permanent seats and greater influence. Among those staying neutral is continental heavyweight South Africa. International Relations minister Naledi Pandor has said that finding an endgame to the Ukraine war will be South Africa's focus when it participates in the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly next week. ``We would want a process of diplomacy to be initiated between the two parties and we believe the U.N. must lead, the U.N secretary-general in particular,'' Pandor said. Sall emphasized Tuesday that Africa is ``a continent determined to work with all of its partners`` to address the continent's needs. More than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity on a continent of 1.4 billion people, he said. The continent was hard-hit by the global economic downturn amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when remittances stopped flowing and tourism halted. Given that Africa ``pollutes the least and lags furthest behind in the industrialization process,'' it should be allowed to exploit its oil and gas resources, Sall told the General Assembly. And Western countries should provide funding so that Africa can transition to cleaner sources of energy, but he said that it should not be considered aid. Instead it should be given in global solidarity ``in return for efforts made by developing countries to avoid the polluting patterns that have plunged the planet into the current climate emergency,`` Sall said. Search Keywords: Short link: World leaders convened in person at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York this week after lifting Covid-19 restrictions, but there is little to celebrate in a fractured world. The Russia-Ukraine war, the Iranian nuclear deal, and climate change are likely to dominate debate at the first in-person annual United Nations General Assembly (GA) meetings that kicked off on Tuesday after the lifting of strict Covid-19 restrictions. The theme of the 77th meetings are a watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges. The General Assembly is meeting at a time of great peril, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a news conference last week. Our world is blighted by war, battered by climate chaos, scarred by hate, and shamed by poverty, hunger, and inequality. Guterres said that this years theme stems from the recognition that the world is at a critical moment in its history due to complex and interconnected crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, humanitarian challenges of an unprecedented nature, a tipping point in climate change, and growing concerns about threats to the global economy. He added that the gathering of world leaders in New York must provide hope through dialogue, debate, and concrete plans to overcome divisions and crises. However, even Guterres had little hope that an immediate solution could be found for the Russia-Ukraine war that is taking place in the European heartland but has caused tremendous harm worldwide, particularly in poor and developing nations as the prices of food and energy have soared to the highest levels in years. When asked about the possibility of brokering a peace deal that would bring an end to the seven-month war between Russia and Ukraine, Guterres said it was important to be realistic. It would be naive to think that we are close My good offices are ready, but I have no illusions that, at the present moment, the chances of a peace deal are not minimal, he said. Reducing hopes that meetings could be held on the sidelines of the UNs annual high-level diplomatic event, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would not be attending, along with the leaders of China and India. The war in Ukraine and rising tensions between the US and China over Taiwan have polarised the world order in ways not seen since the Cold War, diminishing hopes that diplomatic meetings such as the GA could truly reach solutions to world crises. About 157 heads of state and representatives of governments planned to deliver speeches from Tuesday to Sunday in New York. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will address the Assembly in a prerecorded video speech. The GA voted on Friday to grant him an exemption to the rule mandating that all speeches must be delivered in person this year. US President Joe Biden, originally scheduled to deliver his speech at the opening of the GA General Debate on Tuesday as in previous years, was forced to delay his appearance by one day in order to attend the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday. The White House said Bidens speech, delivered as Al-Ahram Weekly went to print, would stress the importance of building a world alliance to confront the most pressing global challenges. He would also call for unity in support of Ukraine as it seeks to defeat Russian troops, push for world leaders to continue diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and seek to work together to counter the economic and military rise of China. The Western countries are expected to use the GA to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine and present it as an attack on world order, international law, and the principles of the UN Charter, which prohibits aggression against an independent and sovereign state. However, they will face pushback from leaders of the developing world in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who have grown weary of how the conflict has deflected attention from some of the major crises these regions are facing, from climate change to food insecurity and humanitarian suffering. We know that as this horrible war rages across Ukraine, we cannot ignore the rest of the world, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, acknowledging that other countries have expressed concerns about Ukraine dominating the week in New York. She added that to address those concerns leaders would also remain focused on food insecurity, health and the climate. In typically uncompromising language during his news conference last week, Guterres had lambasted the global response to the climate crisis as inadequate, unjust, and, at its heart, a betrayal. Whether its Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, small islands or Least Developed Countries, the worlds most vulnerable who did nothing to cause this crisis are paying a horrific price for decades of intransigence by big emitters, he said. Targeting the leaders of the worlds wealthiest nations, he reminded them that they are responsible for the vast majority of climate-related emissions and, even though they are also heavily impacted by record droughts, fires and floods, climate action in response appears to be on life-support. Guterres slammed the actions of populist politicians who were showing a shocking disregard for the poorest and most vulnerable in our world, pitting people against one another, employing discrimination, misinformation, and hate speech. The UN gathering this week will also bring Iran, the US and other parties under the same roof after five months of fruitless negotiations to reinstate the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. But the chance of a formal meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to reignite negotiations is minimal, according to US officials and Iranian and European diplomats. Both Iran and the West plan to make a case to the world in New York that the other side is to blame and must make concessions. Iran and the US have failed to agree on the final text of an agreement offered by the EU, leaving the talks stalled. The Biden administration will argue that Tehran is to blame for the impasse in the talks to contain its nuclear programme, saying it is making new demands beyond the scope of the deal. Iran will argue that the US is not demonstrating good faith and providing the guarantees that would make the deal worthwhile. Frances Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere, said that members of Europes negotiating team plan to capitalise on the GA to push very hard for full resumption of the deal and encourage the parties to compromise, especially Iran. Irans President Ebrahim Raisi, will be in New York on his first appearance at the UN General Assembly since taking office, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. They are expected to hold meetings with their bilateral counterparts on the nuclear deal except for those from the US. Former US president Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 despite Irans compliance and, as part of his maximum pressure policy, reimposed sanctions on Iran that targeted oil sales and financial transactions. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said he would have liked to meet President Bashar Al-Assad had the Syrian leader attended a summit being held in Uzbekistan, according to a report in Turkeys pro-government Hurriyet newspaper on Friday. News reports the previous day revealed that in recent weeks the Turkish Intelligence Chief Hakkan Fidan had held several meetings with his Syrian counterpart, Ali Al-Mulouk, the last taking place at the end of August. But developments in this direction date even further back. At the beginning of August, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that he had met briefly with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Al-Miqdad on the sidelines of the conference of the Non-Aligned Nations Movement in Belgrade. He said they discussed ways to strengthen the Turkish role in the reconciliation between Damascus and the Syrian opposition. Since February, at least, there have been intermittent reports of meetings between Turkish and Syrian security and intelligence officials. Clearly the momentum has picked up, for on 19 August 2022, Erdogan indicated that dialogue with Syria was possible. He hoped for peace and diplomatic communications with the Syrian regime, he said. The possibility of concluding peace and restoring diplomatic relations with Syria has resonated in many political quarters, judging from the many statements on the importance of rapprochement with Damascus. The constructive and realistic remarks of our foreign minister on Syria and the need to promote peace between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime offer a powerful incentive to the search for a lasting solution, said the leader of the National Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli in a speech to the MHP parliamentary bloc. Talks between Turkey and Syria should be elevated to the level of political dialogue. The removal of terrorist organisations is likely to be one of the issues on the agenda. The steps Turkey was taking in this regard would be precise and carefully studied. At the other end of the political spectrum, Kemal Klcdaroglu, head of the main opposition party, the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), welcomed the governments new direction. He and other CHP officials have long stressed the need for rapprochement with Syria and peace with the Assad regime. The Syrian regime has indicated that it welcomes the prospect of the restoration of relations with Ankara. During a visit to Moscow in February, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad said that his government was ready to normalise relations with Turkey. Syria and Turkey are neighbours. Were bound by a long history and 500 years of [Ottoman] occupation which is enough for us to understand each other, he said. However, he also stressed the need for Turkey to withdraw from Syrian territory and cease its military interventions in northern Syria. Russia, the Syrian regimes main backer, has been pressing both sides to communicate more closely and not just at the security-intelligence levels. The Turkish president has said that, on the eve of the Sochi summit in August, his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had asked him to reduce the areas of tension between Ankara and Damascus. With the Ukrainian crisis foremost in mind at present, Moscow is keener than ever to calm and secure the Syrian front. Regional stakeholders in Syria have also been encouraging Turkey to mend fences with Damascus. Foremost among these is Iran whose Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, on 22 August: We hope to see relations restored between Ankara and Damascus as this will serve the welfare of both peoples and the stability of the region It will be in Turkeys interest to revise its views on the Syrian question. Both Turkey and Syria have many reasons to compel them to grapple with some contentious issues and overcome differences. For Turkey, rapprochement and normalisation with Damascus could accomplish a number of objectives. The foremost would be for the Syrian regime to assume the task of countering Syrian Kurdish forces in the north and ending any Kurdish separatist project along Turkeys southern border. Turkish operations to this end have certain limitations, not least the continued US support for the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Secondly, better relations with Syria would create a more favourable environment for solving the problem of Syrian refugees in Turkey. The refugee question has been a source of mounting pressures on the Turkish regime especially in view of approaching elections next year, in which the refugees will be a hot-button issue. The opposition parties have already begun to capitalise on the adverse repercussions of the governments open-door policy towards Syrian refugees, now seen by large segments of the public as a cause of deteriorating living standards, rising unemployment and other problems. Starting a dialogue with the Assad regime would neutralise the refugee card as an opposition campaign stratagem. In fact, some observers suspect that the Turkish administrations acknowledgements of communications with that regime at various levels are little more than an electoral ploy. Thirdly, Ankara understands that improving relations with the Syrian regime will advance its foreign policy shift towards regional Arab powers, most notably Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain, that have been campaigning to bring Damascus back into the Arab order. The shift is in part informed by Ankaras awareness of the risks involved in another military incursion into northern Syria. In the Tehran summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey in July, the Iranian and Russian leaders explicitly cautioned Erdogan against launching another military operation in Syria. Now it appears that Turkey and Iran are engaged in an escalating intelligence war, even though they have no desire to clash over northern Syria. Damascus, for its part, has much to gain from improved relations with Ankara. Above all, it would help it to recover from its regional vulnerability, end its isolation and revive commercial and trade relations. Turkey, in short, could become a fresh lung to enable the Syrian economy to breathe again and reverse the deterioration in living standards. In addition, coordinating political positions with Ankara could help Damascus resolve major issues with the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition. Despite the many regional and international circumstances that encourage a Turkish-Syrian thaw, there remain some considerable obstacles. Among those is Ankaras insistence on including the militant Syrian opposition in the political process and amending the Adana agreement so as to allow Turkey to intervene militarily up to a depth of 35 km into northern Syria in order to fight Syrian Kurdish forces. As the agreement currently stands, the maximum depth is five km. Such demands do not sit well with Damascus which insists Turkey must withdraw its forces from northern Syria and end its support for the regimes adversaries. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna were in New York to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and had talks on Frances constructive efforts to restore stability in many areas of conflict worldwide, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. The meeting also took up the situation in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Sudan, he added. Shoukry said he is looking forward to Frances high-level participation in the upcoming climate summit (COP27), which wil be held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November, according to the spokesman. Both sides also discussed means of boosting economic and investment cooperation between their countries. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that the strategic partnership between the two countries is one of the main pillar of security and stability in the Middle East. During a meeting Monday evening on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the top diplomats agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation between Cairo and Washington, said foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. In July, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and US President Joe Biden renewed their commitment to the US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue that is co-chaired by Blinken and Shoukry and welcomed the continued implementation of its outcomes. This came during the two leaders' meeting on the side-lines of the Jeddah Summit when Biden reiterated that the US aims to continue to support Egypt in providing for its own defence, including through the continued provision of security assistance in consultation with the US Congress. Concerning economic cooperation, El-Sisi and Biden agreed to explore new ways to expand bilateral trade, increase private sector investments, and collaborate on clean energy and climate technology. Furthermore, they welcomed the recent US GreenTech Mission to Egypt and committed to launch the high-level Joint Economic Commission. Monday's meeting between Shoukry and Blinken took up regional and international developments of mutual concern, Abu Zeid added. Shoukry and Blinken focused on the situation in Libya, Syria, Yemen and the Palestinian territories, the spokesman said. They also discussed developments regarding Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The top diplomats also discussed preparations for the upcoming international climate summit (COP27), which will be hosted by Egypt from 6-18 November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Abu Zeid said. The repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis for food security also figured high in the meeting, he added. Following the meeting, Blinken tweeted: "Just concluded a meeting with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at #UNGA to discuss Egypts important contribution to regional stability and cooperation on a range of global issues, human rights, Egypts water security, and #COP27." Shoukry - US Envoy for Yemen Earlier Monday, Shoukry discussed with US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking the latest developments in the war-torn country. Shoukry briefed Lenderking on Egyptian efforts to consolidate the truce reached by Yemen's warring parties in April and to alleviate the humanitarian burden on its people. Shoukry also stressed to Lenderking the importance of preserving Yemens unity and sovereignty. Meanwhile, Lenderking asserted Washington's support for the UN envoy for Yemen in his efforts to extend the truce beyond its expiry date on 2 October. Shoukry and Lenderking also discussed the importance of resolving the issue of the FSO SAFER oil tanker that has been moored off Yemens Red Sea coast for 34 years to prevent ecological or navigational repercussions from any potentail sinking. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides agreed on Monday on strengthening various aspects of trade and economic cooperation between the countries. During their meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, Shoukry and Kasoulides affirmed the importance of implementing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two countries as well as Greece in October 2021 to connect their electrical grids, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. The meeting reflects the special relation between the two countries and the foreign ministers discussed coordination of stances in international forums in general, and the United Nations in particular, according to the statement. Shoukry congratulated Kasoulides on the latest natural gas discovery in Cyprus, expressing his aspiration to coordinate stances ahead of the ministerial meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), to be hosted by Nicosia in October. Established in 2020, the EMGF is an international organisation that embraces eight countries including Egypt and Cyprus and seeks to boost gas trade among regional states. During a ministerial meeting for the Cairo-based EMGF in June, Egypt signed a landmark natural gas deal with Israel and the European Union under which Israel will transport natural gas to the EU from Egypt after being liquefied. With the EU aiming through this deal to reduce its dependency on Russian gas amid the Ukraine crisis, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at the time that the deal is a big step forward in the energy supply to Europe but also for Egypt to become a regional energy hub. Besides Israeli gas, the EU also hopes that more Egyptian gas can be brought into Europe through less costly pipelines without having to be liquefied. Egypt, which achieved self-sufficiency in natural gas in 2018, seeks to become a regional energy hub. Egypts natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export revenues rose by 98 percent to reach $3.892 billion in the first quarter of 2022, Reuters reported citing data from the Egyptian petroleum ministry. Regional issues During Monday's meeting, Shoukry and Kasoulides also probed a number of key regional issues, including the latest developments in Libya, the statement said. In July, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed in a phone call with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades that Egypt looks forward to elevating cooperation with Cyprus, particularly at the levels of security, military, economy and energy, to achieve the interests of the two peoples. This came a month after holding the Fifth Trilateral Defence Ministers Meeting of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece in which they signed a joint statement within the framework of their armed forces keenness to support defence and security cooperation in addition to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean regions. In May during his official visit to Cairo, Kasoulides said that Cyprus fully supports Egypts stabilising role in the region, including its efforts in Libya and Palestine. Constructive bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus is crucial amid the recent international developments, the Cypriot minister said at the time. In a joint press conference with Kasoulides, Shoukry stated that Cyprus continues to deliver Egypts voice to members of the European Union regarding important issues linked to Egyptian national security and the efforts to enhance security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cypruss deep understanding of the circumstances of the region and the situation in Egypt has always made Cyprus a partner in efforts to strengthen Egyptian relations with Europe and the EU, Shoukry said in May. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto have affirmed the importance of finalising the outstanding contractual frameworks to launch a regular flight service between Egypt and Finland. Egypt and Finland, which are more than 2,000 miles apart, do not share direct flights. Egypt, which relies heavily on tourism as a source of national income, receives a large number of European tourists via air travel every year, including from Finland. In 2020, Egypt received more than 2.3 million tourists from European countries despite the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to Statista. Shoukry and Haavisto met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read. The ministers also agreed on exploring new areas of cooperation between the two countries in renewable energy, communications, information technology, and digital services. They also called for enhancing cooperation in the agricultural and fish farming, the statement said. Egypt and Finland share firm economic relations and broad cooperation in various fields, especially in tourism and energy, given that Finland is a world leader in clean and renewable energy. Egypt is working on increasing the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources to 42 percent by 2035. In March, a group of Egyptian companies, including the state-owned Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC), signed an MoU with the Finnish shipbuilding company Deltamarin to build a ship that would serve as the countrys first floating power plant. Search Keywords: Short link: Ethiopia's ambassador to Geneva on Tuesday rejected a report by UN investigators that accused Addis Ababa of possible crimes against humanity in Tigray, including using starvation as a weapon of war. Related UN report warns of crimes against humanity in Ethiopia "There is not any single evidence that shows the government of Ethiopia used humanitarian aid as an instrument of war," Zenebe Kebede, Ethiopia's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, told AFP. The Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia said it had found evidence of widespread violations by all sides since fighting erupted in the northern Tigray region in November 2020. The report said there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the Federal Government and allied regional State governments have committed and continue to commit the crimes against humanity of persecution on ethnic grounds and other inhumane acts". This included denying desperately needed aid, including food and medicine, to Tigray, a region of six million where the UN says famine-like conditions are present. The commission was made up of three independent rights experts and was created by UN Human Rights Council last December, despite opposition from Addis Ababa. Ambassador Zenebe said the commission was "politically motivated" and their conclusions were "self contradictory and biased". "Therefore we have no other option but to reject this report, as we have rejected the resolution that established it, and the very establishment of this mechanism as well," he said." Search Keywords: Short link: By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Turkiye have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the space sector, Azernews reports. The document was signed between the Azerbaijani satellite operator Azercosmos OJSC and the Turkish Space Agency within the framework of the 73rd International Astronautical Congress in Paris, France, on September 18-22. The memorandum provides for boosting cooperation in remote Earth observation and technology development, as well as the expansion of mutually beneficial, and knowledge-sharing programs to evaluate commercial and educational opportunities in the space sector. Moreover, the document will contribute to the joint activities of Azercosmos and the Turkish Space Agency in international space projects, active cooperation in the development of the local space ecosystem, space science, and other areas. A delegation from the Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Ministry and Azercosmos is taking part in the congress. In addition, Azerbaijan will host the 74th International Astronautical Congress in 2023. Azerbaijan and Turkiye collaborate in a variety of economic sectors and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP. In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defense cooperation, promoting regional stability, prosperity, and establishing new transport routes. The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. As of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.6 billion. So far, Turkiye is Azerbaijans second-largest investor followed by the UK. Additionally, Turkiye was one of the first countries that expressed its interest and readiness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijans liberated territories. Israel's prime minister on Monday vowed to begin production at a contested Mediterranean natural gas field "as soon as it is possible,'' threatening to raise tensions with Lebanon's Hezbollah group. Yair Lapid's announcement in a statement from his office came at a sensitive time in long-running efforts by a U.S. mediator to resolve a dispute over the countries' maritime border. U.S. officials have said they are making progress, but need more time to reach a solution. Lapid said it is "both possible and necessary'' to reach an agreement with Lebanon, which he said would benefit both countries and "strengthen regional stability.'' But he said that production from the Karish gas field is not connected to the negotiations and "will commence without delay, as soon as it is possible.'' Israel set up a gas rig at Karish in June, saying the field is part of its U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. Lebanon insists Karish is in disputed waters. In July, the Israeli occupation forces shot down three unarmed Hezbollah drones flying over the Karish field. Hezbollah's leader issued a warning to Israel over the maritime dispute, saying that "any arm'' that reaches to steal Lebanon's wealth "will be cut off.'' The heavily armed Hezbollah, which fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006, has repeatedly said in the past that it would use its weapons to protect Lebanon's economic rights. Still, Hezbollah officials have said they would endorse a deal reached between Lebanon's government and Israel. The two sides, which have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Protesters scuffled with Lebanese security forces Monday outside the Justice Ministry in Beirut, demanding the release of two people arrested last week during a bank heist. The clash came as a delegation from the International Monetary Fund held meetings in Beirut with officials over the country's economic meltdown and the limited steps taken by the government to pull Lebanon out of the worst economic crisis in its modern history. The crisis is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement. The Lebanese government has implemented few of the IMF's demands from a staff level agreement reached with the IMF in April. It l ists five "key pillars'' that should be implemented, including restructuring the financial sector, implementing fiscal reforms, the proposed restructuring of external public debt, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering efforts. The agreement also demanded that the country's 14 largest banks be held up as a standard for work on restructuring the sector since they control about 80 percent of the market. The smaller banks that have problems should be taken over by bigger lenders. Anger with local lenders who have been imposing informal capital controls including limits on ATM withdrawals for nearly three years has increased in recent weeks, with some depositors storming bank branches and taking their trapped savings by force. Monday's protest outside the Justice Ministry demanded the release of Abdul-Rahman Zakariya and Mohammed Rustom, who have been held since Wednesday after they broke into a bank branch and helped a depositor take her trapped savings to pay for her sister's cancer treatment. They joined Sali Hafez, who used a toy pistol to demand $13,000 from her trapped savings account. Hafez, who has been in hiding, has said she repeatedly visited the bank to ask for her money and was told she could only receive $200 a month in Lebanese pounds. On Friday depositors, including one armed with a hunting rifle, broke into at least five banks to demand their trapped savings, the largest number of such incidents in one day. The banks, citing security concerns, closed all branches for three days starting Monday. At one point on Monday, dozens of protesters tried to storm the Justice Ministry before stopping after they removed a metal gate. There are concerns that if the two men are not released, protests could intensify. In other parts of Beirut, protesters briefly closed several major roads in protest against deteriorating living conditions including almost nonexistent state electricity, a crash in the Lebanese pounds and rising poverty that has reached three quarters of the population since the economic crisis began in October 2019. The Lebanese pound hit new lows, reaching 38,600 pounds to the U.S. dollar on Monday. Search Keywords: Short link: A rare operation by the Palestinian Authority security forces to arrest a Hamas member sparked clashes in the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, multiple sources said. There were reports that a bystander, 53-year-old Firas Yaish, was killed in the crossfire but the Palestinian health ministry had not yet confirmed the death. A tweet, purportedly from Yaish's cousin Kawther, said it was "mourning" Firas's death. Unrest persisted through the morning, with hundreds of youths hurling rocks at PA armoured vehicles and the sound of gunfire ringing out across the city centre, AFP correspondents reported. The northern West Bank has suffered near daily violence in recent months. On the other side, Israel has conducted dozens of night-time raids in the area, particularly in Jenin, pursuing wanted individuals. Dozens of Palestinians, including fighters, have been killed in the raids that began after a series of deadly attacks against Israeli targets in March. Israel has put mounting pressure on the PA to crack down on alleged militants in the West Bank, threatening to intervene where the PA does not maintain order. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday in a bid to ease tensions and maintain a fragile ceasefire between the ex-Soviet countries and rivals following the largest outbreak of hostilities in more than two years. Blinken brought Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov together at a New York hotel on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly. It was the foreign ministers' first face-to-face meeting since two days of shelling last week by both sides killed more than 200 troops. Only Blinken spoke at the start of meeting at which the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations sat somberly on opposite sides, separated by U.S. officials. "We are encouraged by the fact that the fighting has ceased and there has not been'' a resumption of shelling, said Blinken, who has spoken several times to the leaders of both countries. "Strong, sustainable diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone," he said. "There is a path to a durable peace that resolves the differences." The meeting was held just a day after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia and condemned Azeri attacks, drawing complaints from Baku. Speaking ahead of Monday's meeting, Bayramov said his country is "satisfied with the level of relations'' with the U.S. and said his direct talks with Mirzoyan were not unusual. "We are always open for meetings," he said. The two Caucasus countries in have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region located within Azerbaijan but that had been long under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Yerevan since a separatist war ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed broad swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories held by Armenian forces. More than 6,700 people died in that fighting. Armenia and Azerbaijan have each blamed the other for starting last week's shelling attacks. Search Keywords: Short link: At least 11 schoolchildren died in an air strike and firing on a Myanmar village, according to the United Nations children's agency, an attack the country's junta said targeted rebels hiding in the area. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the strike, according to his office, which stated at least 13 people died, including the 11 students. The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since the military seized power in a coup in February last year, with nearly 2,300 civilians killed in a crackdown on dissent according to a local monitoring group. The Sagaing region in the country's northwest has experienced some of the fiercest fighting, and clashes between anti-coup fighters and the military have seen entire villages burned down. The UN children's agency UNICEF condemned Friday's violence in Depeyin township in Sagaing. "On 16 September, at least 11 children died in an air strike and indiscriminate fire in civilian areas," UNICEF said in a statement issued Monday. It said schools must be safe and never targeted. "At least 15 children from the same school are still missing," UNICEF said, calling for their immediate safe release. Guterres, who on Tuesday was hosting world leaders at the UN General Assembly, "strongly condemns the attacks by Myanmar armed forces on a school in Let Yet Kone" and offered his condolences to victims' families, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Such attacks on schools in contravention of international humanitarian law constitute "grave violations against children in times of armed conflict strongly condemned by the Security Council," the Guterres spokesman said, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable. Video footage obtained from a local community group shows a classroom with blood on the floor, damage to the roof and a mother crying over her son's dead body. 'They Just Attacked' The junta said they had sent troops in helicopters to Let Yet Kone after receiving a tip-off that fighters from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic rebel group, and from a local anti-coup militia were moving weapons in the area. The military accused the rebel fighters of using civilians as human shields, and said it had seized mines and explosives from the village. "Security members gave necessary medical treatment and arranged to send patients to a nearby hospital," the military said in a statement. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun on Tuesday accused the KIA of taking villagers to a monastery and then firing on troops from there. A villager contacted by AFP rejected the military's suggestions there were fighters in the area. "They just attacked the school. They say someone attacked them, then they fought back but this is not true," said the villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity for their own safety. The villager said the military had taken away some of the bodies and detained multiple people, including children and teachers. Save the Children Asia Regional Director Hassan Noor said schools should be off-limits during conflicts. "How many more incidents like this need to take place before action is taken?" Noor said, urging the UN Security Council and Association of South East Asian Nations to take swift action. ASEAN has led so far fruitless diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. The group's leaders meet in Phnom Penh in November. Search Keywords: Short link: World leaders called Tuesday for urgent efforts to address global food insecurity, with fears mounting of a disastrous harvest next year due largely to the war in Ukraine. On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, ministers from the European Union, United States, African Union and Spain met on food shortages which are seen as a key factor in conflicts and instability. "There is no peace with hunger and we cannot combat hunger without peace," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said as he condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's February invasion of Ukraine. "The truth is Putin is trying to blackmail the international community with food," Sanchez said. The Group of Seven major industrial powers at a June summit in Germany promised $5 billion to fight food insecurity but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there was still "great urgency." "The Russian war of aggression has caused and accelerated a multidimensional global crisis. Countries in the Global South with prior vulnerabilities have been hit hardest," Scholz said. President Joe Biden will address the General Assembly on Wednesday and announce new US aid, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. In his own address on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will finance shipments of Ukrainian wheat to Somalia which is facing risk of famine. Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain producers and the Russian invasion sent global prices soaring. Russia has cast blame on Western sanctions, an assertion denounced by the United States, which says it is not targeting agricultural or humanitarian goods. Turkey and the United Nations in July brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine to allow ships with grain to sail through the blockaded Black Sea. Putin has recently criticized the deal, pointing to shipments that have headed to Europe. US officials say some of the grain is then processed and sent to poorer countries. "Despite some of the misinformation that continues to come from Moscow, that grain and other food products are getting where they need to go to the countries most in need, predominantly in the Global South," Blinken said. "It's also helped lower food prices around the world. So it needs to keep going, it needs to be renewed. That is urgent." Long-term Fears Concerns are also mounting on the long-term impacts. A recent report by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a non-governmental US group, found that around 15 percent of grain stocks in Ukraine have been lost since the invasion began. Experts warn that disruptions in fertilizer shipments could seriously impede future harvests around the world. "It's very clear that the current food supply disruption and the war in Ukraine is having an impact on the next harvest," said Alvaro Lario, incoming president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. "There's one or two harvests per year, and already we're seeing that it's going to be devastating for next year," he told AFP, warning that the impact could be "much worse" than Covid. He called for longer-term action, which would entail billions of dollars of investment, to ensure the stability of food supply chains and to adapt to a warming climate. "We know the solutions and we have the institutions to make that happen. What is currently lacking is the political will, in terms of the investment," he said. In a joint report in July, UN agencies including UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization said that between 702 and 828 million people were impacted by hunger in 2021, or 9.8 percent of the world population. The figure was up by 46 million people from 2020 and by 150 million from 2019, showing the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the world's food economy. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recently that the world had enough food in 2022 but that the problem was distribution. If the situation does not stabilize this year, in 2023 "we risk to have a real lack of food," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: With the build-up to COP27, Egypts participation in the United Nations General Assembly acquires greater significance than usual, reports Doaa El-Bey The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened on 13 September, with the first day of the high-level general debate scheduled for Tuesday under the title A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interrelated Challenges. In a special message, Sameh Shoukri, minister of foreign affairs and president designate for COP27, highlighted the importance of not losing focus on climate action and urged all stakeholders to double their efforts to heed the call of millions around the globe for an urgent response to climate change. On the sidelines of the UNGA, Shoukri took part in a number of bilateral meetings during which he reviewed ongoing preparations to host COP27 and Cairos position on regional and international issues. With UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Shoukri hosted a closed Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action on Tuesday. The roundtable provided an opportunity for frank and informal exchanges between world leaders on climate impacts and rising carbon emissions that are hitting vulnerable communities the hardest. The roundtable highlighted significant gaps on climate change mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate finance, and addressed ways to strengthen international cooperation and re-energise the multilateral system to deliver demonstrable progress through a successful outcome at COP27. On Monday Shoukri participated in a high-level side event held by the G77 on climate change chaired by the foreign minister of Pakistan, the current chair of G77. During the meeting Shoukri underlined the importance of addressing the issues of loss and damage caused by severe weather events and reviewed the Egyptian presidencys vision of COP27, explaining that climate change loss and damage are fundamental to the international climate action agenda. Egyptian efforts to build on the truce reached by Yemeni parties in April topped the agenda of Shoukris meeting with the US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking. Shoukri underlined Egypts continued support for a resolution to the Yemeni crisis and the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis facing the Yemeni people and stressed the importance of preserving the unity of the Yemeni people and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen. Egyptian-US relations and cooperation and the war in Ukraine were discussed in Shoukris meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UNGA. Regional issues were also raised, including the situation in Palestine, the importance of holding elections as soon as possible in Libya, and the truce in Yemen. The two top diplomats also discussed US support for COP27 and Egypts water security. In a meeting with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, Shoukri pointed out that Egypt is relying on France France chairs the Security Council throughout September to spearhead constructive efforts to restore stability to the situations in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan and added that he was looking forward to Frances high-level participation in COP27. Other bilateral meetings held by Shoukri included meetings with the Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt and the Maltese Minister of Foreign, European and Trade Affairs Ian Borg. The meeting with Huitfeldt focused on strengthening bilateral relations and encouraging Norwegian investment in Egypt, particularly in clean energy, green hydrogen production, and chemical industries, but also including food and agriculture, natural gas liquefaction and shipping. Shoukri and Borg both welcomed the progress made in strengthening political consultation between Egypt and Malta and economic and trade cooperation. Meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Vopke Hoekstra, Shoukri reviewed the objectives of Egypts COP presidency, developments in the Ukrainian crisis and its economic impact on developing countries, and the international geostrategic situation. All the members of the UN are represented in the General Assembly and its function, as outlined in the UN Charter, is to promote international co-operation in the economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields, and assist in the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. Commenting on the urgent need for action to meet climate change goals in light of the latest floods in Pakistan, Gueterras warned during the UNGA opening session that unless action is taken now, unless funds are disbursed now, these tragedies will simply multiply, with devastating consequences for years to come, including instability and mass migration around the world. This years General Debate must be about providing hope, he continued. That hope can only come through the dialogue and debate that are the beating heart of the United Nations. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The 19-member Board of Trustees overseeing the national dialogue proposed by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi last April approved on Saturday the regulations governing the performance of its 19 sub-committees and the tasks of their rapporteurs and assistant rapporteurs. At the end of two meetings on 17 September, the board also called on political and civilian forces to collect proposals on what issues should top the agenda of the dialogue from citizens and public institutions. A statement by the board noted that the first meeting on Saturday saw an exchange of views with the 19 sub-committees rapporteurs and assistant rapporteurs, while the second focused on the drafting of internal bylaws and procedural rules governing the work of sub-committees, outlining the tasks of rapporteurs and assistant rapporteurs and the preparation of a code of conduct to regulate dialogue sessions. The above steps pave the way for the start of the dialogue in a way that serves the nation and the interests of citizens, said the statement. Saturdays two meetings were attended by the rapporteur of the Political Committee Alieddin Hilal; his assistant, AUC professor Mustafa Kamel Al-Sayed; the rapporteur of the Social Committee and former minister of youth Khaled Abdel-Aziz; his assistant AUC professor Hania Al-Shalakani; the rapporteur of the Economic Committee Ahmed Galal and his assistant researcher Abdel-Fattah Al-Gibali. While we took a long time preparing for President Al-Sisis initiative, good preparation is a precondition to ensure the success of the dialogue, said Emadeddin Hussein, a member of the board and editor-in-chief of the daily Al-Shorouk newspaper. Kamal Zayed, another board member, said it was now important to seek the views of ordinary citizens and public institutions across Egypts governorates, a process that would probably continue until the end of September, allowing the dialogue to begin in the first half of October. The 41-member Egyptian Alliance of Political Parties issues a statement on Tuesday welcoming the consultations with members of the public. The move aims to extend the national dialogue to every part of Egypt and make it a central topic of discussion among in places such as social clubs, cultural palaces and youth centres, it said. Ahmed Al-Sharkawi, a member of the board and of the Social Democratic Party, said opposition figures were on the whole happy over preparations for the dialogue. Negad Al-Borai, a human rights activist and board member, said he has hopes that the boards ninth meeting, expected on Saturday, will be the last. Al-Sharkawi and Al-Borai praised the release of prisoners and pretrial detainees in recent months. In the words of Al-Sharkawi, it sends a positive signal ahead of holding a constructive and serious national dialogue. On 16 September, the day before the boards two meetings, the prosecutior-general ordered the release of 33 pretrial detainees. A further 28 pretrial detainees were released on Tuesday 20 September. Tarek Al-Awadi, a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, said in a TV interview that more than 800 prisoners and pretrial detainees had been released since President Al-Sisi declared his national dialogue initiative in April. This is an ongoing process and we hope that the file of political prisoners and detainees will be closed very soon, said Al-Awadi. He added that the majority of those released had been detained under exceptional circumstances when the state was battling terrorist elements. Al-Awadi also said that, following the release of Al-Jazeera journalist Ahmed Al-Nagdi on 16 September, he expects two other detained Al-Jazeera journalists to be pardoned within days, and that President Al-Sisi had directed authorities to help those released reintegrate into society. The authorities will help those who lost their jobs because of their detention to regain them or find new employment. If there are any legislative obstacles in the way they will work to eliminate them, said Al-Awadi. The successive release of prisoners seems to have struck a chord with the US Statement Department which said on 14 September that it will provide Egypt with most of the $300 million tranche of aid that has been conditioned on human rights improvements. US news outlets cited senior US officials saying the move was made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri on Monday. Cairo has made progress by releasing some 500 prisoners and the Egyptian government made efforts to foster national dialogue, said a US official. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Maximum African participation at the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference was encouraged during the 18th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Dakar. Egypts initiatives on agriculture, energy, sustainable cities, and food and water security to adapt to climate change were reviewed at the 18th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Dakar, Senegal, on 15-16 September. Other Egyptian presidential initiatives aimed at restoring the balance between mitigation and adaptation efforts in response to climate change were highlighted during Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouads speech at the conference. Egypt is gearing up to host the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November. At the Dakar conference, Senegalese Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Abdou Karim Sall said Africa wanted to see a programme on mitigation and adaptation efforts in response to climate change, to advance talks on financing projects towards this end, and the development of the capacity to implement environmental projects. The Gabonese minister of environment stressed at the conference that it was important that the largest possible number of African ministers be present at the COP27, while ministers from Tunisia and Botswana suggested presenting successful experiences and innovative solutions at Sharm El-Sheikh. Fouad, also the ministerial coordinator and envoy for the COP27, reviewed an initiative on waste management that aims to see 50 per cent of African waste recycled by 2050 in order to reduce the production of methane gas. At present, only 10 per cent of Africas waste is being recycled. It was imperative to design institutional schemes to allow the private sector in Africa to be part of waste-management systems, Fouad said. She also referred to an initiative to support womens adaptation to climate change and to increase their knowledge of food habits that increase harmful emissions, which will ultimately reflect on the health of Africas future generations. She talked about biodiversity and the preservation of marine life, topics which are of interest to Africa to protect its natural resources. These subjects will be discussed at both the COP27 and the UN Biodiversity Conference, slated to be held in Canada in December. About 20 per cent of Africas population in more than 10 countries are at risk of being affected by climate change, Fouad noted, adding that between 2010 and 2022 some 172.3 million Africans were affected by drought, while 43 million were affected by floods. The African countries are the most at risk in the world due to food insecurity and water scarcity, Fouad stated. It is expected climate change will drive 78 million additional people to the brink of famine by 2050, more than half of whom inhabit Africa south of the Sahara, she said. Fouad added that six of the 13 initiatives of the COP27 presidency focus on Africa, while the objectives of two more also concern Africa. She noted that there are 598 million Africans who do not have access to energy and 930 million who do not have access to clean cooking fuel. Egypts initiative to ensure the fair distribution of affordable energy aims to unify African efforts to accelerate the energy transition and for this to become a reference point for the African countries and development partners, she added. Fouad and Sall met on the sidelines of the AMCEN Conference to ensure major African representation at the COP27. Fouad said she was hopeful there would be high-level Senegalese representation at the conference, which aims to turn pledges into action. In order for this to happen, it will be necessary to see the largest possible participation by African political leaders to speak on behalf of their peoples, she said. She added that she hopes more Africans will join the preparatory meetings ahead of the COP27 in October where the issues to be negotiated at the COP27 will be determined. Fouad also discussed with Tunisian counterpart Leila Chikhaoui the outline and timeline of the environmental programme of the Egyptian-Tunisian Higher Committee that will be signed before the COP27. They also reviewed the Egyptian-Tunisian programme to cooperate on hazardous and solid waste, integrated coastal management, the preservation of the marine environment, the promotion of sustainable production and consumption, the green and revolving economy, integrated air-quality management and pollution monitoring, natural reserves, biodiversity, ecotourism, and environmental legislation. Chikhaoui said Tunisia had updated its plans to combat climate change, explaining that her country would send 45 participants to the COP27, including 10 officials. Tunisia will also focus on the participation of youth and women at the conference and will encourage the private sector and financial institutions to implement climate policies on the regional and international levels. During her meeting with Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Fouad discussed including mechanisms to combat desertification in the activities of the COP27 as part of efforts to establish links between the agreements on climate, biodiversity, and desertification, something which Egypt has been calling for since 2018. Thiaw said it was critical to push for mitigation efforts in Africa with the same momentum as adaptation, especially since sustainable energy would likely become more and more important across the continent in the light of population growth and the lack of the equitable access to energy. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Sameh Khafagi, the man behind the COP27 logo, talks with Nermin Kotb about his design A logo needs to convey an immediate message to its viewer, using the simplest pictorial language. Idea, symbol, and colour must come together in a manner that can be instantly comprehended, and though the end result must appear simple the process by which it is reached is not. Designing the logo for COP27, which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh between 7 and 18 November, took several months and a team of 10 people, says Sameh Khafagi, the man in charge of coming up with the graphic. The nexus of ideas the logo needed to portray to an international, African, and Egyptian audience was the biggest challenge, says Khafagi, who has worked in graphic design for 18 years. Khafagi and his ream are no strangers to the issues involved in climate change, having designed the Egyptian Pavilion during COP26 which was held in Glasgow, Scotland. In a nod to the history of Egypt, the host country, the upper portion of the design represents the rays of the sun, echoing depictions in ancient Egyptian art of the power of the Aten, the sun disk. The Aten represents the sun, and its rays end with hands outstretched in a symbol of giving the land prosperity, warmth, and growth, says Khafagi, adding that the sun is also a symbol of Africa. Beneath the rays curves the line of the horizon, depicted in green to contrast with the golden yellow of the suns rays and represent the colour of the vegetation on the surface of the Earth. Beneath the horizon, blue lines are used to symbolise the worlds oceans and rivers, repositories of the water on which all life depends. To reflect the international dimensions of the summit, the letter O in COP27 encircles an image of the globe, which tellingly is turned to Africa, the continent in which Egypt, this years host, lies. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The independent transmission system operator ICGB, responsible for the commercial operations of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), will be auctioning available capacity starting October 1, ICGB AD told Azernews. The IGB begins operations with a total capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year, about half of which (1.57 bcm/y) have already been booked under long-term agreements reaching up to 25 years. The remaining available capacity will be offered through auctions on two of the leading capacity booking platforms, PRISMA and RBG. IGB has already signed contracts with both platforms and has been registered as a TSO. All auctions will be performed according to the ENTSOG Auction Calendar. "For the interconnection point at Komoti between the TAP and the IGB pipeline, ICGB will be offering the following capacity products on PRISMA: Firm Forward Flow entry capacity and Interruptible Reverse Flow exit capacity. For the interconnection point at Stara Zagora between the network of Bulgartransgaz and the IGB pipeline, ICGB will be offering the following capacity products on RBP: Firm Forward Flow exit capacity and Interruptible Reverse Flow entry capacity," the statement reads. Moreover, the company noted that upon active market interest in booking the pipeline's available capacity and given the ongoing war in Ukraine, strengthening Europe's determination to limit Russian gas supplies in the future, IGB is expected to see an increase in the total capacity reaching 5 billion cubic meters per year. "This can be achieved through building a compressor station in Komotini, Greece. Such a plan has already seen approval by the Greek national operator DESFA and is expected to be completed at about the same time as the completion of the LNG terminal near Alexandroupolis. The LNG terminal is being developed in great synergy with the IGB pipeline and together, the two energy infrastructure projects will form an entirely new, secure gateway for energy deliveries to the SEE region and the Western Balkans," the statement reads. The IGB gas pipeline is designed to connect the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe is 32'', and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction of Greece-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. With its unprecedented track record in combating hepatitis C, Egypt is a major participant in the UN-sponsored alliance of countries battling the disease. Egypts Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar attended on Tuesday 20 September the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE) meeting held in New York on 20 September 2022. The CGHE meeting aims to call for the formation of a UN Group of Friends dedicated to eliminating Hepatitis C. The coalition, formed in 2019 by the Atlanta-based Task Force for Global Health, works to spearhead global efforts to combat hepatitis in over 150 countries. The meeting brought together UN representatives, ministers of health and health leaders from over 20 nations committed to working together to achieve the World Health Organisations (WHO) goal of eradicating hepatitis by 2030. Egypt has made astonishing progress combating the hepatitis C (HCV), a disease endemic in Egypt since the 1960s. Campaigns combatting hepatitis began in 2006 with the creation of the National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis. To date, more than 50 million Egyptians have been screened for HCV, and more than four million have received treatment. The success of Egypts 2018 campaign, specifically targeting HCV, made Egypt the first country in the world to completely eradicate the virus. Ahmed Hassanein, a fellow at the University of Arkansas for medical sciences, said the 2018 campaign was unprecedented in terms of scale, speed, and results. The success of the campaign built on nearly two decades of groundwork laid down by Egyptian healthcare workers, and a renewed commitment by the Egyptian administration to neutralise this major public health threat, noted Hassanein. Egypts Ambitious Strategy to Eliminate Hepatitis C Virus: A Case Study, a report published in Global Health: Science and Practice, found that in 2008 one in 10 Egyptians between the ages of 15 and 59 had chronic HCV infection and 15 per cent of the population had HCV antibodies, suggesting they had been exposed to the virus. According to the paper, Egypt launched its first national HCV control programme in 2008, with an emphasis on increasing access to care. Its second national HCV mitigation plan began in 2014 with a focus on prevention, awareness, and better patient care for HCV patients. Adults over the age of 18 were subsequently offered screenings for non-communicable illnesses and hepatitis C as part of the 100 Million Healthy Lives programme, introduced in 2018. Egypt also began a programme to participate in the treatment of hepatitis C in other African states. The Egyptian experience can be replicated in other countries, says Hassanein. Egypts investment in scientific research, and its drug producing capacity which combined have significantly lowered drug prices, can serve as a blueprint to other countries with limited resources. Egypts success in combating hepatitis C was due to a complete shift in policy, Hassanein continues. What Egypt did differently this time around was to deal with the problem on multiple fronts. It instituted infection control measures, educated the public, and provided a national no-fee screening and treatment network. Before the national programme to eradicate hepatitis C, which is a significant factor in the development of liver cancer and other serious ailments, the virus was to blame for large proportion of fatalities in Egypt. Lessons learned from Egypts successful programme were included in the WHOs Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016-21 as part of the ongoing campaign to achieve the 2030 elimination target. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: A lot has been happening on the business front between Germany and Egypt, often thanks to the German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Business ties between Egypt and Germany go back many decades and have been growing steadily over recent years, with the total investment of German companies in Egypt estimated to be around $7.5 billion, according to Martin Wansleben, CEO of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK). Annual German investments pumped into the Egyptian economy in recent years range from between $0.5 and $1 billion, with the main areas being energy, railways, industry, and tourism. German businesses appreciate the professional, knowledgeable, and trust-based planning and execution of projects with Egypt, Wansleben told Al-Ahram Weekly during a visit to Egypt last Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GACIC). He noted that the GACIC with its 2,500 members is one of the biggest bilateral chambers of commerce in Egypt and the Middle East and works on advancing business and economic ties between Egyptian and German businesses. Speaking at the 70th anniversary celebration, Frank Hartmann, the German ambassador to Egypt, said that many Egyptian-German success stories started with the GACIC, which acts as a key pillar of joint economic cooperation and building bridges for German companies in Egypt. The GACIC was established in Cairo in 1951 as the first German Chamber of Commerce in the Arab world. It is a forum for building relationships and providing advice to German companies seeking to establish economic relations with Egypt and the Arab world and is also part of a global network of German chambers of commerce and industry spread around the world. Egypts massive infrastructure development is an area that has seen a major German presence in recent years. German companies are partners in $33 billion worth of projects in the energy and railway sectors. Moreover, the Egyptian government has signed a major contract, represented by the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), with German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) on the management and operation of the countrys first high-speed electric train network. Siemens Mobility has partnered up with Orascom Construction and the Arab Contractors in a contract worth $8.6 billion to build the network. The project is considered to be the biggest in the history of Siemens, one of the key players in German industry. This project aims to create the sixth-largest high-speed rail system in the world, underlining Germanys support for the project and its importance for German-Egyptian bilateral relations and global climate protection, Hartmann stated. This project will also align many German and Egyptian sub-contractors. The German companies are mid-sized businesses that will be looking beyond the project and valuing the general opportunities Egypt has to offer, he said. The German side is also fundamentally focused on training initiatives, according to Wansleben. Every investment in a project in Egypt is similarly linked to know-how transfer, he said. Wansleben also praised the Egypt Vision 2030 Strategy, adopted to help reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One priority is to secure and develop sustainable energy production and consumption, he said, adding that the Egyptian government was targeting the share of renewable energy exceeding 20 per cent of the electricity mix by the end of this year and 42 per cent by 2035. Wansleben highlighted the keenness of German companies to invest in the green hydrogen projects that Egypt has been adopting in its quest to diversify its energy mix and expand on renewable energy projects. Siemens Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) last year to jointly develop hydrogen-based industry in Egypt with export capability. As part of the initial steps, Siemens Energy and EEHC will pursue the development of a pilot project comprising 100 to 200 MW of capacity. Generally, German mid-sized companies deliver state-of-the-art technologies into energy projects, Wansleben said. They may not be as visible as contractor work, he added, but a lot of German technology is invested in existing and future energy projects. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Employees of Google and other US big-tech companies are being punished for speaking out on behalf of Palestinian lives. Google has signed a contract with the Russian army offering it advanced technologies amid the war on Ukraine: the companys employees are forced to choose between silence or retribution. Hows that for a story? How would the global media and world leaders respond to such troubling news? The news of course is false, but only when it comes to the protagonist. Russia is not partnering with Google, but Israels army is. The rest of the story remains true: critics inside Google are being punished for speaking out on behalf of Palestinian lives and rights. In late 2021, it emerged that Google is supplying the Israeli military with advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies through the so-called Project Nimbus. That will help Israel to expand its unlawful surveillance of Palestinians and support its illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories. A number of Jewish and Arab Google employees have voiced their concerns anonymously of course, in fear of retaliation against their companys newest client who is subject to investigation for suspected grave violations of human rights by the UN and for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The project, signed at the same time as the deadly 2021 Israeli war on Gaza that led to the killing of 66 children, has prompted Google employees to speak out about their companys ethical and legal obligations. The same has been true of Amazon employees. As more and more workers have spoken out, Google has responded by retaliating against one of the Jewish employees who spearheaded the activism against the company by transferring her to San Paolo in Brazil. Former Google marketing manager Ariel Koren resigned last month in protest against the repressive environment and patterns of intimidation against pro-Palestine employees by using HR warnings, harassment, even pay cuts and negative performance review feedback. If you think this is merely a workplace dispute, think again. The case here is about freedom of speech writ large. Silencing employees who speak truth to power is a logical consequence of years of normalising the suppression of Palestinian speech on social media. This censorship applies to everyone, from ordinary citizens who have witnessed the heavy hand of algorithmic bias against Palestinian content on Facebook, to celebrities like US model Bella Hadid who had her fathers Palestinian passport photograph mistakenly deleted by Instagram. What can be done to claim back our digital rights? First, we should call a spade a spade. Israel is an apartheid regime, as per the findings of internationally respected human rights organisations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Israel-based BTselem. But what are human rights to a state that raids six humanrights organisations and then claims to be the democratic oasis of the Middle East? Second, social media users should continue to express their opinions and speak out against violations of human rights. The companies concerned will eventually act, albeit slowly. We have seen the Facebook Oversight Board, established as an independent body to review Facebooks moderation policy, admitting that there is bias against pro-Palestine content at the company and instructing it to restore removed content. We have also seen Facebook-owned Instagram changing its algorithmic policies over public anger about removed posts relating to Palestinian content. Any talk about digital rights must start with what these rights look like in offline space. For decades, liberal policies had an impact on every major social justice issue in the world today, from racism to gender equality, sexual identity, and fighting authoritarianism at home and abroad, except for Palestine, made in a new and highly-recommended book of the same name by US commentators Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick. Liberal politicians worldwide should translate the UN General Principles of Business and Human Rights into their domestic law in order to ensure that due diligence on human rights is part of every contract with any foreign military, especially ones allegedly involved in the killings of civilians and children. *The writer is a member of parliament. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: I have kept it for more than 25 years and consider it to be an important guidebook, a royal one at that, to chart a renewed path of mutual understanding between the Islamic world and the West. When the former UK prince of Wales was proclaimed His Majesty King Charles III after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, I found it interesting to reread the speech that he delivered at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies back in 1995 on the occasion of his acceptance of becoming the centres patron. In introducing the former prince of Wales, the centres then director, F A Nizami, said that there were those in the West and the Islamic countries who had insisted on the inevitability of conflict between Islam and Western civilisation. The role of the centre was to reject such a reactionary and extremist vision, he said. In his introductory remarks, prince Charles expressed the hope that such centres would become important vehicles for the better understanding of Islam within Great Britain and beyond. He spoke highly of the Muslim communities in Great Britain as well as of the Muslim populations of the Commonwealth, and he referred to the splendid Festival of Islam that had been inaugurated by the late Queen Elizabeth in 1976. A very interesting part of his remarks concerned a talk that he had had in December 1990 with US general Norman Schwarzkopf, the commanding officer of the military campaign in 1990-1991 to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi troops that had invaded the tiny Gulf country in August 1990. He asked him to spare the religious symbols of Shiite Islam in southern Iraq, some of which were destroyed by the Iraqi army under the command of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. At the time of the inauguration of the centre in 1995, a war was raging in the former Yugoslavia, and the Muslims of Bosnia were being brutally targeted. This was one of the reasons, among others, why misunderstandings persist between the Muslim world and the West. The then prince Charles talked about the mediaeval Crusades and their impact on relations and perceptions of the other in Christianity and Islam. He dwelt on the opposing narratives of each side. He also spoke about the conflict between the Christian world and the Ottoman Empire, and how this confrontation had entrenched negative opinions about the other in both camps. He mentioned the French invasion of Egypt by Napoleon in 1798 and the subsequent Western colonisation of many Muslim territories, with this producing distrust and added antagonism between Christians and Muslims. On the other hand, he also discussed at length the history of Spain in the Muslim epoch that stretched from the eighth century until the fall of Granada in 1492, and how each side has interpreted it. The former prince of Wales left no doubt that under Muslim rule Spain played a major role in paving the way for the European Renaissance. He emphasised the shared values of Christianity and Islam with regard to justice, the importance attached to family life, the compassion towards the poor and disinherited, and the belief in the hereafter. However, extremists have led the West to believe that their vision and interpretations of Islam are the true essence of Islamic teaching. For the former prince of Wales, nothing could be farther from the truth than such erroneous impressions. He explicitly criticised the way the Western media depicts Muslim Sharia Law, and he stressed that it was a great mistake in the West to equate Islam with Muslim extremism. He said that a distinction should be drawn between those Muslims who choose to practise the teachings of Islam out of piety and the extremists who exploit such piety for political ends. Furthermore, he insisted that it was important not to confuse the religious beliefs of millions of Muslims with the violence that a minority amongst them may resort to, a violence that should be condemned by any civilised person, he said, regardless of his religious, ethnic, or political affiliations. I could not agree more. These remarks, made in the 1990s, are still relevant and not only for today but also for the future. They were delivered six years before the 11 September attacks in the US and the terrorism unleashed by a tiny minority among Muslims in the name of Islam in their evil design to perpetuate a civilisational conflict between Islam and the West. We should not fall into any such trap. Human civilisations prosper in coexistence and mutual trust and comprehension. Christianity and Islam should complement each other in leading the world on the path of peaceful coexistence, security, stability and prosperity for all. The writer is former assistant foreign minister. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: It was James Rosenau who came up with the law of motion for states and societies in the post-Cold War era. He said they would swing between integration and disintegration. Europe was the model of the former: countries and tribes that had been at each others throats for centuries now merged to forge an integrated entity in the framework of the liberal capitalist order. Examples of the reverse, as in the breakup of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and other such large entities, on the other hand, testified to an inability to manage plurality and diversity. However, a quarter of a century after Rosenau formulated this law and Fukuyama pronounced the end of history, the global situation is more complicated than ever. The UKs exit from the EU set in motion a phase of disintegration no one had expected. The Crimean peoples vote in favour of annexation with Russia revived a form of integration based on power equations, even if that brought about an instance of disintegration for Ukraine, which so far remains the current status quo. In the 1950s and 1960s, the nationalist school of political thought gained currency in the Arab World. It held that the bonds established by the relationship with the state should supersede all other social bonds, creating an overarching link between citizens that transcends religious and ethnic affiliations. Given the challenges this posed, the nationalists worked to promote national bonds through programmes that emphasised the common language, shared history, and common interests of all members of the same polity. They also stressed the common threat that constantly lurked everywhere: the enemies who conspired to fragment the nation. Therefore, it was no coincidence that this school of thought totally denied the existence of ethnic and sectarian differences. If it did acknowledge such differences, it created political indoctrination and formation mechanisms using educational, media and political party instruments to mould generations of ardent nationalists of all hues. One of the surprising consequences of the nationalist school and its drives was that it triggered countercurrents among minorities who found they could only express their culture and traditions in the framework of a nation state of their own. In the Arab World, the Arab nationalists had this effect. For years their answer to questions on the state of minorities in this Arab country or that they were as well content as the rest of the people. More often than not they would even refuse to use the word minority. There was no such thing, they said, since all citizens were equal and fused into a homogeneous whole. The nationalist school in Arab countries faced some tough tests in the second decade of this century. The most gruelling was the turbulence the West has termed the Arab Spring out of the belief that the revolutions and participant groups were calling for democracy, liberalism and capitalism. What emerged, in fact, was a religious fascism so far removed from nationalism that it did not even recognise the nation state. Its approach to the political sphere at home and abroad was founded on the superiority of its particular religious identity. The result has been an endless nightmare of violence, bloodshed and destruction, leaving devastated towns and cities and untold millions of dead, wounded, displaced persons and refugees. An appalling incident occurred in Syria where national unionism was carried out through a population exchange agreement between fighting parties whereby Shias would move to Shia areas and Sunnis to Sunni areas in a perfect exercise of ethnic cleansing. In that setting, terrorism found no moral impediment to detonating a bus full of people, creating a landscape of total carnage in which it was impossible to tell Sunni from Shia. Such scenes remain commonplace in Syria and Yemen. Similar tragedies constantly erupt in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya and Sudan. Combined, they form a profound picture of resistance to change, regardless of whether it is engineered through quota systems, regional partition, a military-civilian power sharing formula or arrangements struck between religious leaders, tribal elders or provincial chiefs. Disintegration has been the order of the day. Major international and regional efforts, both diplomatic and political, are needed to salvage whatever possible. However, we have another, contrasting scene in the Arab World. It comes from the monarchies that managed to avoid the Arab Spring entirely or countries that were able to come out the other end in a relatively short time. These countries ushered in a new phase by launching deep and sweeping nationwide reform programmes aimed at achieving comprehensive development by tapping the nations full demographic, geographic and historical. In addition to the Gulf countries, this club of nations includes Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and more recently Tunisia. All have accommodated to their domestic diversity and all are involved in the constant quest to achieve regional stability and economic cooperation between Arab countries and between them and any ready and willing neighbours. The AlUla Declaration, adopted in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, marked a turning point in favour of the understanding that domestic reform processes must be accompanied by a reform in the tenor of relations in the Arab region and its environment. Expressions of this realisation took various forms, the most salient of which was the Arab-US summit in Saudi Arabia between nine Arab heads of state and the US president. I believe that more such Arab summits with other world powers will build on this. As we have seen, the two dynamics that Rosenau had identified are tangibly evident and unfolding in the Arab region. While disintegration persists, bent on its insularism, introversion and narrow-mindedness and the consequent tragedies, cooperation is growing with peace initiatives, maritime border planning, the establishment of economic forums, and the clarification and redefinition of national interests in ways that facilitate the diplomacy of construction and development. The relationship between the two is delicate and precarious. Perhaps Iraq stands midway between the two orientations as it is still caught in the previous phase of Arab history that was characterised by fits of internal polarisation and polarisation between Iraq and the outside world. Iraq is an integral part of the Arab Gulf and its social and historical traditions, but it is also situated in the zone of great upheaval in the Arab world: the Arab Mashriq, or Levant. In the Gulf, the ruling dynasties had the ability to maintain stability. With the discovery of oil, the means increased to attract and assimilate all within the framework of the nation state. Meanwhile, the Levant has faced the spectre of partition since Sykes Picot and the centuries of ethnic sectarian divisions and strife before that. Iraq stands somewhere in between, at a loss. It wants to cooperate with Egypt and Jordan in the framework of what Baghdad itself has called the New Levant, in which oil and gas have a central role to play. At the same time, it is captive to the gravitational pull of Iranian influence, which draws it away from its national identity, as well as to the historical pull of the Saddam Hussein era and the nationalist structures that preceded that. The dialectic between the processes and products of integration and disintegration will remain on the agenda of Arab history for the foreseeable future. The main burden of this dialectic falls on the proponents of cooperation and integration because their reforms can not take hold completely until stability prevails over the forces of disintegration. And the dimensions of the latter are numerous, which is what the problem is. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: On 10 August, Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli announced plans to reduce the countrys electricity consumption through a number of austerity measures, including turning off the lights in government buildings after working hours, reducing street lighting, and not allowing shopping malls to have their air-conditioning set at below 25 degrees Celsius. The government has argued that such steps will help Egypt save 15 per cent of the natural gas used in generating electricity. Exporting it instead will increase Egypts earnings from natural gas exports by $450 million per month, it says. The decision came as a result of domestic and international pressures and the challenges and opportunities faced by the Egyptian state. These global and domestic problems need to be understood in order to appreciate the governments decision, the solutions which it offers, and the gains which Cairo hopes to reap from them. The European continent, Egypts neighbour to the north of the Mediterranean Sea, is facing an energy shortage due to the Russian-Ukrainian war that started in February. The shortage is even more severe because of the high demand for energy during the post-Covid-19 economic recovery. As the Russian-Ukrainian war has raged, and the West has reacted by imposing economic sanctions on Russia, Moscow has reacted by reducing its natural gas supplies to what it calls unfriendly countries in what some European diplomats have called a gas war. Europe is highly dependent on energy imports from Russia. In 2021, the EU got 40 per cent of its natural gas, close to 45 per cent of its total imports, from Russia, amounting to 155 billion cubic metres of gas. The rest of Europes natural gas supplies come from Norway, Algeria, Qatar, and other exporters. In 2021, the EU also got 27 per cent of its petroleum and 46 per cent of its coal from Russia. Energy shortages as a result of restrictions on Russian exports have led to an increase in energy prices and the general cost of living in Europe. Natural gas prices have increased in Europe by 127.6 per cent since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Germany, energy now costs 35 per cent more than it did at the same time in 2021. In the UK, energy prices have reached record highs, and the economic situation is such that some people have had to make a choice between eating or heating. Europe is in a race against time to find a replacement for Russias natural gas. In March, the EU announced a strategy called REPowerEU, which aims to reduce Europes dependence on Russian natural gas by two-thirds over a year and to make it independent of Russian fossil fuels by 2030. Europe has also introduced austerity measures to reduce energy consumption and its reliance on Russian natural gas. In July, EU member states reached a deal to voluntarily reduce the use of natural gas by 15 per cent between August 2022 and March 2023, although countries can file for exemptions under certain conditions. EU member states also announced that they would temporarily shift electricity generation from natural gas to coal, in order to reduce their dependence on Russian gas. Meanwhile, Moscow has been using Russian gas as a weapon to retaliate against western economic sanctions. It has drawn up a list of unfriendly states, including those who refuse to pay for their gas purchases from Russia in roubles, in order to increase the demand for the Russian currency and support it despite the Western sanctions. Russia is also cutting off its gas supplies to the European countries. It is refusing to operate the Nord Stream 1 pipeline at full capacity, for example. This carries Russian natural gas from the port city of Vyborg across the Baltic Sea to the city of Greifswald in Germany. The pipeline closed for a few days in July for routine maintenance, but was then reopened a few days later. However, Moscow is refusing to operate it at full capacity and has reduced its gas exports through the pipeline. Moscow has also refused to receive a turbine necessary for the operation of Nord Stream 1. This was sent from Germany to Canada for maintenance, but then it was said that allowing the turbine back into Russia would go against the European sanctions on technology shipments to Russia. Germany is arguing that sending the turbine back to Russia, and Russias agreeing to receive it, would not go against the sanctions. Russia has said that it will not take back the turbine due to missing documents and technical issues, both of which are denied by the Europeans. It has announced that it will reduce natural gas shipments to Germany by 40 per cent and from 160 million cubic metres per day to only 100 million. Germany is Russias partner in the Nord Stream pipeline and the industrial powerhouse of the EU. Italy, too, has seen a reduction in its Russian gas deliveries by half. The Russian gas company Gazproms deliveries to Europe are now less than 30 per cent of what they were before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has completely cut off gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark. It has also greatly reduced supplies to other European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Russia is using gas as a weapon, said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The worst case scenario of a total cut-off of Russian gas is probable, she stated, adding that Europe would refuse to surrender to Moscows blackmail. But the energy crisis between Europe and Russia is an opportunity for other gas exporters around the world. Kadri Simson, the EU commissioner for energy, has announced plans for Europe to replace the natural gas it exports from Russia with gas from alternative exporters such as Azerbaijan, the US, Canada, Norway, Israel and, more importantly, Egypt. DOMESTIC BACKGROUND For years, Egypt have been aiming to turn itself into a global energy hub that would export energy to importers in the region through the exportation of natural gas from Egyptian gas fields and the liquefaction of gas at plants in Edko and Damietta. The energy crisis in Europe may be an opportunity for Egypt to take a further step in this direction. Egypt produces about 66 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year, and before the governments energy austerity decisions in August, it consumed 62 billion cubic metres of this, with the surplus of $4 billion worth of gas being exported. The western European countries are currently suffering from energy shortages because of the cutting of Russian gas supplies due to the Russian-Ukrainian war. The price of one million British thermal units of gas (mbtu) has risen to $30, and this rise in price is also an opportunity for Egypt. Exporting natural gas, instead of consuming it locally, would raise the governments earnings. Natural gas is sold by the ministry of petroleum to the ministry of electricity for the purpose of local consumption for only LE3 per Mbtu. If exported, it could be sold for $30 in the European market. Before the energy austerity measures were introduced in August, 60 per cent of natural gas consumption in Egypt was used for electricity generation. If the energy austerity measures are properly implemented, and a part of Egypts natural gas is shifted to exportation, then they could shift about 174 million cubic metres, or 570 million cubic feet, of natural gas per day from local consumption to exportation. This is about a third of Egypts export capacity. According to the government, the amount of electricity generated in Egypt would not be affected by the reduction of the use of natural gas in electricity generation. This is because the gas would be replaced by another type of fuel mazut fuel oil. This also did not start with the austerity measures in August, as since October last year the government has been shifting the countrys power stations from using natural gas to mazut, in order to save more natural gas for exportation, a step which has led to an increase in export revenues from $100 to $150 billion over the past few months. However, Egypt has not completely stopped using natural gas to generate electricity. It will still be used for electricity generation even if the current changes are fully implemented, but the share of natural gas in the energy mix will decline, while that of mazut will increase. The advantage of using mazut instead of natural gas to generate electricity is that mazut is cheaper than natural gas, as each mbtu of mazut costs only $14, while natural gas can be exported at $30 per mbtu. Mazut has a significant disadvantage, however, as it causes more environmental damage. Both types of fuel are polluting, but mazut emits twice as much carbon dioxide as natural gas. This is a classic example of the trade-off between protecting the environment versus enhancing economic performance, something that causes a lot of debate and controversy in every country. ECONOMICS The government has decided that economic performance is for the moment more important than sustaining the environment through these hard economic times. This is especially the case given Egypts recent shortage of foreign-currency reserves. These fell from $33.38 billion in June to $33.1 billion in July. One way of trying to raise them is by exporting natural gas instead of consuming it locally. The preference for economic performance over the environment also comes at a time of opportunity for Egypt because of the energy crisis in the EU, which means a good export market for gas in Europe. It has recently been announced that the EU will aim to replace natural gas from Russia with gas from alternative exporters, including Egypt. Egypt had started taking steps in the direction of turning itself into a global energy hub even before the August austerity measures. On 15 June, on the margins of the seventh East Mediterranean Gas Forum meeting in Cairo, an important agreement was signed between Egypt, Israel, and the EU on exporting Israeli natural gas to the EU after liquefying it in Egypt. The agreement was signed by EU Commissioner Simson, Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, and Egyptian Minister of Energy and Petroleum Tarek Al-Molla. Elharrar said that the agreement showed Egypt and Israels commitment to share our natural gas with Europe and to help with the energy crisis. Al-Molla said that it was official recognition from Europe that Egypt is a regional hub for gas trading and a global hub in the field of energy and that the European Union considers us as among their primary suppliers. Egyptian diplomats said the agreement would not have a negative effect on Egyptian-Russian relations, because Moscow was aware of Egypts strategic importance and of Cairos desire to have good relations with all parties. They said that the agreement, which includes Israel, would not reduce Cairos commitment to the Palestinian cause. On the same day, von der Leyen granted Egypt 100 million euros in food relief. Egypt relies on Russia and Ukraine for 80 per cent of its wheat, and it has lost a significant amount of these supplies because of the war. She said at a press conference with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi that Russias war against Ukraine has exposed our European dependency on Russian fossil fuels, and we want to get rid of this dependency We want to diversify to trustworthy suppliers, and Egypt is a trustworthy partner. She commended Egypt for its sun and wind, the energies of the future. However, the agreement did not state a definite schedule or set a timetable for Israel and Egypt to export a definite amount of gas to Europe at a particular time. The details and conditions of the agreement are still vague. Furthermore, the amount of natural gas exported to Europe from Egypt and Israel (vast as both countrys natural gas resources may be) will never be as large as those provided by Russia, the country with the worlds largest natural gas reserves and largest exports. Therefore, Russia still holds a considerable amount of leverage. These gas-exportation opportunities, auspicious as they may be, are also not long term. Fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas will probably remain the main components of the global energy mix for decades to come. However, the EU and others have plans to gradually reduce the fossil-fuel component of their energy mix and are moving towards less polluting forms of energy such as nuclear, solar, and wind. The steps that have been taken by the government will have a positive effect on the overall economy today, but in the longer term Egypt will have to adapt to the global movement towards sustainable energy and sustainable development. *The writer is a political science lecturer at the British University in Egypt, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, UK. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: American University in Cairo Sun 25, 6-7.30pm (Online Event): Understand and Cope with Anxiety, anxiety serves in many ways, but when it is excessive, it harms our well-being. Where to draw the line between healthy and problematic Anxiety? How to handle worries that go out of proportion? Is it time to seek professional support? Join this workshop to learn more about anxiety and how to cope with it. The link is https://e.cglink.me/2kZ/r300076634 Mon 26, 7 - 8pm (Online Event): Financing Nature: Pro-Environmental Behavioral Change is a Gerhart Center Webinar Series session featuring Vian Sharif, the founder of nature and biodiversity insights platform NatureAlpha, and head of sustainability at FNZ Group. Tues 27, 6-7pm (GMT+2) (Online Event): Discovery at Rosetta, a virtual book talk with British historian and journalist Jonathan Downs celebrating the bicentennial of deciphering the Rosetta Stone in 1822. You can register to attend through Zoom https://e.cglink.me/2kZ/r300076055 Discovery at Rosetta: Revealing Ancient Egypt book by Jonathan Downs is published by AUC Press (2020) and is available for sale worldwide in major bookstores and online book retailers. AUC New Cairo Room P087, Abdul Latif Jameel Hall Mon 26, 1-2pm: How to Become a Whole Leader in the Future of Work, this Willard W. Brown International Business Leadership seminar will feature Jon Foster-Pedley, dean and director, Henley Business School Africa, and chair for the Association of African Business Schools, who will discuss leadership and the future of work. The session will be moderated by Samer Atallah, associate professor of economics and associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research, AUC School of Business. Moataz Al Alfi Hall Mon 26, 4.30 - 6.30pm: As part of AUCs continuous efforts in shaping a better, more sustainable world within Egypt and the region, AUC is participating in COP27 to support the agenda for climate action and continue its role in educating the public and diffusing innovation for a sustainable future. The session aims to introduce to the AUC community the master plan for events and activities at AUC pavilion at the Green Zone COP27. Amir Taz Palace 27 Al-Syoufiya St, off Al-Saliba St, Al-Khalifa District, Tel 02 2514 2581 Every Saturday and Tuesday, 1pm: Enshad Dini (religious chanting) workshop by Munshid Mahmoud Al-Tohamy. Every Sunday and Thursday, 4pm: The singing workshop of Amir Taz Palace Choir. Beit Al-Harrawi (The Arab Oud House) Mohamed Abdu St, behind Al-Azhar Mosque, Tel 02 2510 4174 Every Saturday, 3pm: Teaching music theories to students applying to professor Marwa Abdel-Moneim. Teaching reading musical notes for beginners, by Professor Elham El-Hajj, 4pm. Saturday and Wednesday of every week, 4pm - 8pm: Teaching the sections of the Arab Oud House (the oud, and the mandolin). The Child Creativity Centre (Beit Al-Aini) Al-Azhar district, behind Al-Azhar Mosque, Tel 02 2514 2990 Every Saturday, 10am: Chess tournament for kids with Hoda Salah. A workshop for the childrens choir of Beit Al-Aini, supervised by Iman Suleiman, 11am. Yalla Music workshop for teaching musical instruments by Hebat Allah Bahaa, 1.30pm. Workshops for auditions and theatrical acting supervised by Mohamed Ezzat, 4.30pm. Sunday of every week, 12pm: Art and etiquette workshop by Rahma Mohsen. Every Monday, 10am: Glove puppets making workshop by artist Rahma Mahgoub. Wednesday of every week, 2pm: Decorations, visual art workshops. Diwan Bookstore Novelist Reem Bassiouny will sign her new book Alhalawany Trilogy of the Fatimid in the following days at Diwan Bookstores branches. Downtown Mall, Al-Tagamoaa Alkhamis Thurs 22, 6pm Capital Business Park, El-Sheikh Zayed, 0122 1503483 Fri 23, 6pm 105, Abu Bakr El-Seddiq St, Heliopolis, Misr Algedida, Tel 02 2690 8184/85/ 0122 6000168 Sat 24, 6pm 159, 26th of July St, Zamalek, Tel 01222 40 7084 Sat 1 Oct, 6pm Talaat Harb Cultural Centre Al-Sayyeda Nafissa St, Zeinhom area, Tel 02 2362 2647/ 2362 8174 Every Monday, 1pm: Art workshop, teaching drawing supervised by Rahma Mohsen. Every Saturday, 12pm: Artistic skills development workshop with Sarah El-Guindy. Embroidery art workshop with Amany Reda, 2pm. Every Sunday, 12pm: Wax making workshop with professor Dalia El-Sherbiny. Every Wednesday, 2pm: Arabic calligraphy workshop with Mohamed Fawzy. Every Friday, 2pm: Doll making workshop with Rahma Mahgoub. Saturday and Wednesday of every week: a workshop (integration) for Talaat Harb choir team and people with special abilities, 1pm. Every Thursday, 1pm: Reading and narration workshop. Every Saturday, 12pm: Artistic workshops and skills development for people with special abilities, supervised by professor Dalia El-Sherbiny. Every Sunday, 8pm: Information and Question an online workshop and Book of Delivery, a book summary on the centers Facebook and WhatsApp pages. ALEXANDRIA Bibliotheca Alexandrina Chatby, Alexandria 21526, Tel (03) 4839999 Main Hall Thurs 29, 8pm: Poetry recital by Hisham Elgakh. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: US President Joe Biden plans to urge reform of the UN Security Council when he attends the General Assembly, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday. With US officials frustrated by Moscow's veto of Security Council measures and declarations over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden could urge reforms in private to the UN secretary general and other officials, or take them public, said Sullivan. "I expect that the president will speak substantively to the question of UN Security Council reform while he is in New York," Sullivan told reporters. The question of reforming the Security Council comes up during every international crisis, when one of the five permanent members (United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France) uses its veto power to stifle resolutions backed by others. But the way in which Moscow has used its veto power since the Ukraine invasion has prompted Washington to revive the issue and push for enlarging the Security Council. "I think this will be on the agenda and you may very well see him make a public statement" with specific actions, Sullivan said. "The world can see that when a permanent member acts in this way it strikes at the heart of the UN Security Council, and so that should lead everyone collectively to put pressure on Moscow to change course," he said. In his presentation at the General Assembly, Biden will focus significantly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a violation of the UN Charter, according to Sullivan. The charter's message is "countries cannot conquer their neighbors by force," he said. Biden "will speak to every country, those that have joined our broad-based coalition to support Ukraine, and those who so far have stood on the sidelines," he said. Biden will also make announcements about the US government's investments to address global food insecurity, heightened by the invasion of Ukraine, Sullivan said. Search Keywords: Short link: The six-month period started in April upon a directive from El-Sisi to exempt Sudanese expats in Egypt from fines or fees for delaying the renewal of their residence permits. In a meeting with Egypts Minister of Manpower Hassan Mohamed Shehata, the Sudanese minister affirmed that El-Sisis decision was made to protect the rights of the Sudanese community and to address any problems they may face, a statement by the Egyptian cabinet said. The meeting between the two ministers came on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Arab Labour Conference organised by the Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) in Egypt with the attendance of labour ministers and representatives of trade unions from 21 Arab countries. For his part, Shehata highlighted the strong brotherly relationship between the two countries, pointing out that Egypt and Sudan have a long history of relations on all levels. The minister expressed Egypts complete readiness for any cooperation with Sudan, especially since there are already protocols signed between the two ministries to exchange experiences in all work fields. The meeting discussed the Sudanese request to exchange expertise in training, safety, occupational health and labour inspection, as well as digital transformation and women's work and rehabilitation. In March, El-Sisi held a meeting with Sudans military leader Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Wednesday in Cairo, to take part in a series of discussions on the political front to seek a way out of the Sudanese crisis. Egypt has frequently expressed it keenness to help maintain its southern neighbours security and political stability. This includes reaching a consensus among all Sudanese parties on managing the transitional period without foreign interference. The two countries have intensified coordination and enhanced bilateral relations throughout the past decade, exchanging high-level visits, conducting several joint military exercises, and exchanging views on key issues of mutual concern. Egypt and Sudan have also adopted similar visions on their dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, expressing fears over their water security due to Ethiopias unilateral filling and operation of the mega dam. By Trend Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) of Turkiye wants to strengthen relations between Turkiye and Azerbaijan in commercial area, bringing the volume of trade to a higher level, Head of MUSIAD Mahmut Asmali told TurkicWorld, Trend reports. "The Business to Business (B2B) meetings organized last year in Baku with the framework of MUSIAD, Small and medium business Development Agency of Azerbaijan and International Business Forum (IBF) contributed to creation of new partnerships between Azerbaijani and Turkish businessmen, " he said. Asmali noted that Turkish companies are actively working on reconstruction of liberated Karabakh region and investing in the region. "Among these companies are MUSIAD member companies. MUSIAD continues to be active in this area in Azerbaijan," he added. Asmali stressed that the cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan and the ongoing joint projects promoted to the contribution to the economy of the two countries. He also said that the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions between Russia and Ukraine had a big impact on the global economy. At the same time, these events didn't have an impact on Turkish economy. "After the pandemic, one of the biggest measures to support Turkish economy has been exports. Despite fears that tensions between Russia and Ukraine could disrupt this trend, this has been avoided to date," he said. Asmali added that due to the tension between the two countries, the problems facing the European economy are obvious. However, despite this, Turkiye's exports continue to grow. The US has become Turkiye's second largest export market. Events in the region and the pandemic have contributed to Turkiye's increasing entry into the American market. Along with this, thanks to successful diplomacy, Turkiye is also seeing a significant increase in exports to the countries of the Middle East, he said. Asmali noted that MUSIAD will continue the changes started in 2022 with a larger strategic plan in 2023, which will take steps to increase exports and expand activities. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued the directives in a meeting with ministers today to follow up on the project. He also ordered the government to boost state facilities' ability to serve people with special needs in accordance with the international codes in this area, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. The meeting tackled outlining a vision for establishing the prosthetics complex in Egypt in accordance with the latest international technological and medical standards, the statement said. The meeting reviewed outcomes of talks with various global companies and foreign field visits to get acquainted with the latest technologies in this regard. The establishment of the complex will be based on various main axes, the most important of which is the target of establishing high-quality components, transferring technology, localising industry, and enhancing scientific research and development. The complex will comprise a group of factories that will produce components for prosthetics, orthoses, pre-fabricated materials, wheelchairs and mobility aids, orthopaedic shoes, and silicone products, the statement noted. Supporting persons with special needs Egypt allocates EGP 5 billion annually to support people with disabilities, according to Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj, who attended the meeting on Tuesday. There are nearly 10 million Egyptians with special needs, according to the latest statistics issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in 2020. In January, El-Sisi ordered the creation of a comprehensive database for people with mobility impairment nationwide and followed up on a plan to establish the industrial complex for prosthetic devices. This came a month after El-Sisi ordered the establishment of a special fund for Egyptians with special needs and the inclusion of the needs of Egyptians with special needs in the countryside-focused Decent Life national project. The directives in December were announced during an event for the differently-abled in Cairo that was held in celebration of the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. El-Sisi ordered in November 2020 consolidating the states efforts to produce advanced prostheses in Egypt with the assistance of foreign expertise. The Egyptian government provides a host of medical, social, housing, political, and educational services to persons with disabilities and has announced securing tens of thousands of job opportunities for this sector over the past years. In March this year, El-Qabbaj said 300,000 students will be added to the social solidarity ministrys initiative to pay the tuition fees for students with special needs, raising the total number of beneficiaries to 500,000. The ministry has also established more than 630 rehabilitation and training centres for people with disabilities, El-Qabbaj added. Egypt declared 2018 as a year for persons with disabilities. Egypts Presidential Pardon Committee announced on Tuesday that the release of a new batch of 28 pretrial detainees is underway after completing the necessary legal procedures, stressing the step comes following coordination with the states concerned authorities. The Presidential Pardon Committee also thanked President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for his support to the committee as well as the prosecutor-general and the minister of interior for their efforts to make the work of the committee successful, a statement released by committee member and human rights lawyer Tarek El-Awady said. El-Awady shared the list of the 26 names, with the committee confirming that it continues to coordinate with all concerned authorities to release new batches during the next stage. Since May, the Public Prosecution has ordered the release of hundreds of pretrial detainees in groups as the government and various political forces prepare for the extensive National Political Dialogue that will discuss pressing political, economic and social issues. Last Thursday, the Egyptian authorities ordered the release of a new group of 46 pretrial detainees, including prominent leftist activist and lawyer Haitham Mohamadein. Since the launch of preparations for the National Political Dialogue in May and the re-activation of the Presidential Pardon Committee in April, El-Sisi has pardoned a number of high-profile political activists who had received final sentences such as Hossam Mones, Yahia Abdel-Hady, Hisham Fouad and others. The re-activated pardon committee, which was first formed in 2016, receives the names of prisoners to be considered for presidential pardon from various parties and political forces including the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives and families, as well as directly through its own official website. The scope of the re-activated committee has been expanded to include imprisoned male and female debtors. Search Keywords: Short link: The United Nations' massive annual summit returns in person Tuesday to a world divided by multiple crises starting with Ukraine. After two years of pandemic restrictions and video addresses, the UN General Assembly is again asking leaders to come in person if they wish to speak -- with a sole exception made for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But the death of Queen Elizabeth II disrupted the summit anew. President Joe Biden of the United States, by tradition the second speaker on the first day, will instead speak on Wednesday. The first day will feature French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the leaders of the two largest economies of the European Union, which has mobilized to impose tough sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "This year, Ukraine will be very high on the agenda. It will be unavoidable," top EU diplomat Josep Borrell told reporters in New York. "There are many other problems, we know. But the war in Ukraine has been sending shock waves around the world." But UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been urging leaders not to forget other priorities such as education, the topic of a special summit on Monday. "Education is in a deep crisis. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divide," Guterres told the summit. He warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning, with poor students lacking technology at a particular disadvantage, and conflicts further disrupting schools. In a report earlier this month, the UN Development Programme said Covid has set back humanity's progress by five years. Talks between rivals Other leaders to speak Tuesday include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has staked out ground as a broker between Russia and Ukraine, including through a deal to ship out badly needed grain to the world. Erdogan is also expected to meet in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, a dramatic rebound in relations after the Turkish leader's strident criticism around the Israeli treatment of Palestinians. In the type of last-minute diplomacy common at previous UN sessions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken convened a first meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia since a flare-up in fighting. "Strong, sustainable diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone," Blinken told them. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was visiting despite a hostile reaction from the United States. He met Monday with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, who urged Russia to allow a security zone outside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, whose occupation by Moscow has raised mounting concerns. Also high on the agenda for the UN week will be Iran, whose hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, is traveling to the General Assembly for the first time and will meet Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron. In a US television interview ahead of his arrival, Raisi said that Iran wanted "guarantees" before returning to a nuclear deal that former president Donald Trump trashed in 2018. "We cannot trust the Americans because of the behavior that we have already seen from them. That is why if there is no guarantee, there is no trust," he told CBS News' "60 Minutes" program. Biden supports a return to the 2015 agreement, under which Iran drastically scaled back nuclear work in return for promises of sanctions relief. But the Biden administration says it is impossible in the US system to promise what a future president would do. "There is no better offer for Iran," Colonna said ahead of the meeting with Macron. "It's up to them to make a decision," she said. Raisi can expect to be dogged by protests during his visit including by exile groups that have called for his arrest over mass executions of opponents a decade after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Search Keywords: Short link: Pakistan alone has suffered an estimated $30 billion in climate-related damage this year, but the industrialised countries are still not living up to their responsibility to provide assistance. In a year of the extraordinary droughts, floods, fires and other disasters that climate change has visited on different parts of the world, Pakistan has suffered the most from torrential floods caused by unusually heavy monsoons and melting glaciers. So far, the floods have caused more than 1,480 deaths, destroyed 1.7 million homes, displaced 33 million people, and wreaked untold damage on essential infrastructure and production, generating unprecedented food and health crises. We cannot blame nature alone for these calamities. Humankind bears a significant amount of the responsibility because of the damage it has inflicted on the climate through harmful emissions that have raised our planets temperatures to increasingly dangerous levels. Sadly, the trend has not begun to reverse due to a failure to commit to pledges to stop the harm, as though the cumulative damage already caused since the first Industrial Revolution has not already been enough. Moreover, when the industrialised nations are asked to come through on their mostly unfulfilled promises of assistance to the developing nations, their answer is to deliver lectures and sermonise about the need to save the planet. This is already groaning from the damage they have caused, threatening more and worse crises ahead because of the ongoing abuses against the climate, nature, and the environment. The loss of life and damage that Pakistan has sustained, as have other developing nations have, is one of the most contentious issues in climate action. The destructive impacts of climate deterioration on nature and the environment and on human habitation and peoples lives is a subject that is radically different from the question of climate adaptation. The affected societies are unable to cope with the impacts on their own due to a lack of sufficient financial and material resources and/or their inability to cope with them. As this blight appears to be targeting the poorest and most vulnerable societies, dealing with it has become one of the most crucial areas of climate justice. This subject has been raised regularly since negotiations on climate action began in the early 1990s. Appeals were made to the industrialised nations to furnish financial support and technical assistance as compensation owed to the developing nations for the damage they have sustained as a result of the industrialised nations production and consumption practices that have wrought damage to the environment and violated climate safety. Unfortunately, the appeals were rejected or fell on deaf ears. In the field of climate action, climate-related losses and damage include weather events that exceed documented ranges, frequent hurricanes and cyclones, increasing droughts, extreme heat waves, rising sea levels and consequent coastal erosion, desertification, loss of soil fertility, and the increased salinity of seas and oceans. The continuous and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources can turn inhabited and arable land into uninhabitable wasteland. All of the foregoing result in the loss of life and livelihoods, leading to population displacements and mass migration. Although broadening the application of climate-mitigation and adaptation measures may reduce the risk of exposure to climate-related losses and damage, these may be of a severity and magnitude that far exceeds the scope and capacities of normal climate-mitigation and adaptation efforts which, at all events, have suffered declines and slowdowns despite all the pledges. Recent scientific studies have shown that even if climate action improves enough to keep the earths temperature from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above its average temperature before the first industrial revolution, such efforts will not be able to repair much of the damage that has already been inflicted on some natural resources. For example, more than 70 per cent of the coral reefs in the tropics will disappear, to the detriment of the biodiversity and marine life in these reefs. This in turn will harm the sources of livelihood of the societies inhabiting neighbouring coastal areas. In 1991, the Small Island States Alliance submitted a proposal on precautionary measures to safeguard their coastal environments against the threat of rising sea levels. It was rejected. The question of climate-related losses and damage appeared for the first time in the framework of a proposal submitted in 2007. But it took another seven years before the Warsaw Mechanism was created to study the subject, and even then the mechanics offered no funding of any sort to those who had suffered the damage. Subsequently, the negotiators managed to get an article on losses and damage incorporated into the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 (Article 8), but again this does not provide for a binding funding mechanism to deal with the damage that has been inflicted. The industrialised nations also insisted on including a provision to the effect that the inclusion of this article in the agreement was not an acknowledgement of responsibility or an obligation to offer compensation. More recently, thanks to more urgent and evidence-based demands from the affected developing nations, the Glasgow Summit in November 2021 showed indications of a readiness to arrange funding for climate-related losses and damage. Then, during the preparatory meetings for the forthcoming UN COP27 Climate Change Conference to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November, clearer signs of support for the idea came from industrialised nations like Canada, Denmark, Germany, and New Zealand, as well as from Scotland and Wallonia in Belgium. Nevertheless, the discussions have yet to yield anything binding or anything that offers a prospect for sufficient funds, which is to say that there has been no progress in favour of the funding proposal of the Santiago Network for averting, minimising, and addressing loss and damage apart from some modest donations. Returning to poor Pakistan, a third of which is still under water. The country has suffered an estimated $30 billion in immediate damages, with the American economist Jeffrey Sachs maintaining that at least half of this is the result of climate change while the other half may be chalked up to annual weather shifts and local land use practices. As of this writing, international aid and donations have not yet reached one per cent of the estimated losses. The US has contributed $50 million and Canada $5 million. Other donations may be forthcoming, but they remain paltry compared to the needs and to the extent of the damage the industrialised nations have inflicted on the climate. The industrialised nations are responsible for around 60 per cent of greenhouse-gas emissions from 1850 to 2020, yet, combined, they only represent 15 per cent of the worlds population. According to Sachs, Pakistan was responsible for around 0.3 per cent of harmful emissions during the same period, while it is home to three per cent of the worlds population. Such figures epitomise the disparity and inequity that characterises todays world, as well as the evasion of responsibility on the part of those who should assume it and the consequent perpetuation of climate deterioration. It is the factually demonstrable destruction arising from this that hits the poor and vulnerable the hardest. Many hopes are being pinned on the forthcoming COP27, which has taken upon itself the task of spurring the fulfilment and implementation of pledges and commitments in climate mitigation, adaptation, and funding. It is expected to urge the negotiators to work out rules for climate action that make it obligatory to advance the cause of damage and loss funding and assistance and to agree on specific funding resources and emergency response agencies for this purpose. At the Glasgow Climate Summit last year, 134 developing nations submitted a request for a funding mechanism to deal with losses and damage that they estimated would come to around $300 billion by 2030. Naturally, this does not include loss of life, for which there can be no compensation. If a breakthrough can be achieved in this major area of climate action, it will give a considerable boost to the credibility of international cooperation in a world that is suffering from a deficiency of trust and a surplus of crises. An Arabic version of this article appeared on Wednesday in Asharq Al-Awsat. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The National Police Agency has issued two Interpol alerts detailing new methods of drug smuggling by hiding narcotics in aircraft or ship components. The Purple Notice is one of eight alerts Interpol issues urging cooperation among the police forces of its 195 member countries. One notice details the discovery of 402.8 kg of methamphetamines in helical gears, which are components used to make airplanes and ships slow down. The shipment came from Mexico and was intercepted in Busan on the way to Australia. Police discovered 135 methamphetamine packets weighing around 3 kg each. A helical gear is 3-4 m long, and inspectors are often reluctant to look inside them because dismantling them can cause them to break. In other incidents, a group of smugglers were nabbed in Busan in 2020, hiding 902 kg of methamphetamines in helical gear, while in 2021, 35 kg of cocaine was discovered in the void space of a ship, which is often hard to spot. Australia has created the National Emergency Management Agency, a merger of two government-run bodies, the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Emergency Management Australia. A third consecutive La Nina event is underway, which typically brings above-average rainfall in spring and summer. Climate experts have warned that global warming is making this naturally occurring weather pattern even worse. Australia is preparing for a potentially damaging spring and summer. Severe storms, intense rainfall, and large hail are expected to hit the eastern states in the next three months, while bushfires are expected in northern parts of Australia. With a third La Nina weather event underway, Australia is changing the way it prepares for natural disasters. Two key emergency agencies are being merged after criticism of the official response to record-breaking floods earlier this year. Officials have said the new agency will improve Australia's response to natural disasters. Earlier this year, residents in some flood-hit towns were forced to fend for themselves because emergency services were overwhelmed. Volunteers in the city of Lismore, north of Sydney, took to small boats and other watercraft to rescue residents stranded in fast-moving floodwaters. Murray Watt, the federal minister for emergency management, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the authorities will now be better prepared. "It will be a difficult time and that is why I think we need to make sure as a federal government that we are fully prepared. By combining the disaster response and disaster recovery capacity of the federal government it leads to a much more coordinated effort," said Watt. Over the past 18 months, many communities in Australia have been affected by floods. Some have been inundated more than once. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Australian homes are now vulnerable to flooding, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. Other experts in Australia are urging communities to prepare their own flood disaster escape plans. This includes identifying the best route to safe locations, always having at least half a tank of fuel in a vehicle, and turning off electricity, gas, and water at the mains before departure. Australia is a land familiar with nature's extremes. Heatwaves are its deadliest natural hazard. An official inquiry into the 2019-'20 Black Summer bushfires warned that climate change was inevitable, and that "compounding disasters" in Australia would become more frequent. The October 2020 report of the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements said that natural hazards -- such as wildfires, floods and storms -- could happen simultaneously or one after another. Samsung maintained its lead in the global semiconductor market in the second quarter of this year, widening its gap with Intel. The Korean electronics giant overtook its U.S. rival last year to become the world's top semiconductor maker. Market researcher Omdia said Sunday that Samsung took up a 12.8-percent share of the global semiconductor market in the second quarter, compared to Intel's 9.8 percent. In the previous quarter, Samsung's share was 12.5 percent and Intel's 11.1 percent. Despite falling demand for semiconductors amid a global economic downturn, Samsung fared well thanks to strong server and foundry chip business. But Intel suffered losses due to a slowdown in demand for PCs and disruptions in the supply chain. SK Hynix ranked third with a 6.8-percent share, followed by Qualcomm (5.9 percent) and Micron (5.2 percent). Intel was overtaken by Samsung for the first time in 2017 but regained the top spot in 2019 and 2020. It was eclipsed by Samsung again last year, however, due to strong demand for memory chips. Drug crimes linked to the Japanese yakuza, Chinese triads and Russian mafia have surged in Korea over the last four years as international syndicates establish Korea as a distribution base. According to the National Intelligence Service, international drug syndicates are smuggling narcotics into Korea or using the country as a laundering point to hide their source. During one raid in July last year, customs officials in Busan discovered 403 kg of methamphetamines hidden in aircraft components. The number of drug offenders who are caught here has remained at around 10,000 a year since 2015, but the number of foreigners among them surged from 932 in 2017 to 2,339 last year. An increasing amount of smaller hauls for local consumption is being smuggled into Korea by international parcel. In May, 19,968 amphetamine pills were found in a Buddha statue that was mailed from Thailand. In March last year, 979 grams of ketamine was found in a pack of hair tonic, while 4 kg of methamphetamines were discovered in bath powder. Most narcotics give off a strong odor that can be detected by sniffer dogs, but smugglers attempted to mask it by hiding them in these scented products. Shipments seem to be on the rise. Police seized some 1,295 kg of narcotics in Korea last year, up more than four times from 2020 and eight times from 2017. Their market value totaled a record W450 billion last year (US$1=W1,394). Due to the explosion of cross-border parcel deliveries based on dark web transactions, more and more people in Korea have access to drugs. The increased demand has led to methamphetamines being sold at much higher prices in Korea than in their place of origin mostly in Southeast Asia. Rising profit margins here have apparently galvanized international crime syndicates to expand their distribution channels in Korea, the NIS said. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilov Azerbaijani Culture Minister Anar Karimov has addressed a scientific-practical conference on "Cultural Economy in Azerbaijan: Shusha - development impulses", Azernews reports citing Azertac. In his speech, the minister highlighted the main issues that lie ahead after the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation. The process goes through several stages, one of which is the cultural revival of culture. Anar Karimov named Khari Bulbul Music Festival, Vaqif Poetry Days, Majlisi-uns, and other cultural events held in Shusha after the liberation. The minister also drew attention to cultural economics. "If until now we were thinking about the spiritual side of culture, now it is time to concentrate on cultural economics. The two-day international conference features discussions on the cultural economy with the participation of well-known experts. Today, we will also discuss issues such as tax benefits and copyright protection," he added. The minister also touched on the principle of operations of the agencies engaged in creative activity. "Culture and creative industries are reflected in the state program for 2022-2026 as areas with priority development prospects. Our main task is not to interfere with those institutions engaged in creative activity. On the contrary, they are a single force to play the role of a bridge between private sectors and state institutions. From this point of view, meetings are repeatedly held with institutions and sectors involved in the creative industry, and many proposals are listened to," Anar Karimov said. The minister stressed that the contribution of creative industries to the economy is always on the agenda. He emphasized that creative industries are one of the priority areas for 2030. One of the most important goals of the Culture Ministry is to attract investment from the private sector to creative industries and provide tax benefits. The conference was followed by panel discussions. The international scientific-practical conference is being held under the topic Think4Culture within the Year of Shusha in Azerbaijan. The conference highlights the prospects of the cultural economy in Azerbaijan. Local and foreign experts in the field, from fifteen countries, including Turkiye, Britain, Israel, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, and other countries, are participating in the international conference. The large-scale conference was co-organized by the Culture Ministry and the Institute of Economics operating under the Ministry of Science and Education. Health authorities have authorized the use of Korea's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, SKYCovione, for booster shots from Monday. The vaccine, which requires two jabs at an interval of about four weeks, had only been used to provide the initial two shots for adults since Sept. 5 but is now available for third and fourth jabs. KYODO NEWS - Sep 20, 2022 - 10:56 | All, Japan The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea agreed Monday that the two nations will continue discussions toward an early resolution of the issue of wartime labor compensation. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that he and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin welcomed working-level talks on the issue when they met in New York on the fringes of the U.N. General Assembly's annual gathering. As for a possible summit between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol when they are both in New York, Hayashi said, "Nothing has yet been decided," stopping short of clarifying whether the matter was brought up during their talks. Seoul had said the two leaders were arranging a meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday in the U.S. city. The foreign ministerial meeting came as South Korea is exploring how to deal with the issue of court orders to liquidate assets in the country seized from two Japanese companies that had been sued over alleged forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The companies have not complied with the compensation orders as Tokyo maintains that all claims stemming from its colonial rule, including compensation for Koreans forced to work, were settled "completely and finally" under a bilateral agreement signed in 1965. A public-private consultative body was set up in July, with Yoon's government seeking to prevent the liquidation of Japanese corporate assets in the hope of avoiding a further deterioration in bilateral relations. Yoon won the presidential election in March as the conservative main opposition party candidate with a pledge to take a future-oriented approach toward relations with Tokyo. In May, he replaced Moon Jae In, who saw Tokyo-Seoul relations sink to their lowest point in years while he was in power from 2017. Following the launch of the new South Korean government, expectations have been growing that a summit between Kishida and Yoon could lead to better bilateral relations. The summit would be the first in-person talks of the two East Asian nations' leaders since December 2019. In June, Kishida and Yoon met in person in Madrid for the first time as leaders of their respective nations, attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization gathering as Asia-Pacific partners. But they only spoke briefly on the sidelines of the gathering. Since Park took up his position as foreign minister following the president's inauguration, he and Hayashi have met frequently, holding talks in Phnom Penh in early August and in Tokyo in mid-July. On the security front, meanwhile, Hayashi and Park pledged to ramp up their bilateral and trilateral defense cooperation involving the United States to counter North Korea, which repeatedly test-launched ballistic missiles earlier in the year in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Concerns are growing that Pyongyang may carry out its seventh nuclear test, which would be its first since September 2017, as the nation is believed to have completed the necessary preparations. Related coverage: Japan, South Korea stress need for better ties before key court decision KYODO NEWS - Sep 20, 2022 - 11:34 | All, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left for New York on Tuesday to deliver an address at the U.N. General Assembly, with Japan calling for a rules-based international order amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's growing maritime assertiveness. During the trip, Kishida is also arranging to meet with other leaders gathering for the assembly's one-week general debate session starting the same day, including U.S. President Joe Biden, diplomatic sources said. "As the international order has been shaken by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I will convey Japan's positions, such as strengthening the role of the United Nations," Kishida said at the prime minister's office before his departure from Tokyo. His remarks came as concern is growing that the U.N. Security Council has become dysfunctional since Russia -- one of the five permanent members of the principal body to tackle threats to international peace -- launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February. Kishida may also hold talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in New York, as Tokyo and Seoul try to improve relations that have deteriorated over wartime history and other issues. In his speech during the U.N. session, Kishida is expected to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. Japan will host next year's Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, where his constituency is located. The annual U.N. event comes amid the war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan, which has divided U.S.-led major democracies, and Russia and China. The G-7, comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union, has imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. China has been intensifying its military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. It held large-scale, live-fire drills near Taiwan last month following the visit to the self-ruled island by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary, opposes official contact between the island and the United States. The war in Ukraine has revealed the dysfunction of the U.N. Security Council. Russia vetoed a U.S.-led draft resolution condemning the invasion, with China abstaining from voting. Kishida will call for reinforcing the roles of the 193-member United Nations and reforming the 15-seat council, Japanese officials said. In order to increase momentum toward the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Kishida is slated on Wednesday to host a leaders-level meeting of the "Friends of the CTBT" on the sidelines of the U.N. assembly, the officials said. Representatives from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands will also attend. Kishida is also considering giving a speech at the New York Stock Exchange, according to the officials. He is expected to call for investment in Japan. Kishida put off his departure initially scheduled for Monday to monitor damage caused by a strong typhoon in Japan. KYODO NEWS - Sep 20, 2022 - 21:42 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan on Tuesday began its rollout of vaccines against the Omicron coronavirus variant as part of efforts to stem the ongoing seventh wave of COVID-19 infections in the country. Those aged 60 and older and medical workers yet to receive their fourth shots will be given priority, with eligibility to be expanded from around mid-October to those aged 12 and above and vaccinated at least twice. The government also plans to start workplace vaccinations in late October. The distribution of the updated vaccines comes as national infection numbers continue on a downward trend from their August peak. The central government plans to provide the shots, which are free of charge, to all who want them by the end of the year, ahead of the highly infectious year-end and New Year period. Local governments will be able to bring forward the scheduling at their discretion. The boosters, which are made by U.S. pharmaceutical firms Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. and tailored to the BA.1 subvariant, were approved for production and sale in Japan by the health ministry last week. According to a Kyodo News survey, 80 percent of the capital cities of the nation's 47 prefectures have said they would begin vaccinations by the end of this month. The rollout arrives as Japan's seventh wave of coronavirus infections, largely fueled by the BA.5 subvariant, shows signs of subsiding. While the country saw record daily infections of around 261,000 in mid-August, Tuesday's total of about 31,700 was also the lowest since early July. The government has said it aims for municipalities to administer over 1 million shots daily between October and November. It intends to "accelerate the pace of inoculations" and is "preparing a system to handle over 1 million shots a day," Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Kato told a press conference. The health ministry is urging the public to take the vaccine, also expected to be effective against the now-prominent BA.5 subvariant, when it becomes available, and is also considering the introduction of products adapted to the new subvariant. On the first day of inoculations at a vaccination venue in Tokyo's Minato Ward, Masahiko Miura, 76, said he canceled his fourth shot of the conventional vaccine to get the new Omicron-tailored version. "I thought it would be best to get the one for the strain currently around. It doesn't mean I'm not going to get infected, but I've come here to get vaccinated so I don't spread it to others," he said. People will be able to take the booster once five months have elapsed since their previous shot. But as some countries require an interval of three months or less, the ministry is considering shortening the gap and will make a decision by late October. KYODO NEWS - Sep 20, 2022 - 22:41 | World, All Myanmar's ruling military said Tuesday that sharing social media posts by a pro-democracy shadow government, or even liking them on Facebook, can construe endorsement and be punished with a jail term of up to 10 years. Spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that the parallel government, called the National Unity Government, and its related organizations, including the People's Defense Force, are terrorist groups and therefore those who support them via social media are supporting terror acts "directly or indirectly." The People's Defense Force is the NUG's umbrella organization waging guerilla warfare against the military following a February 2021 coup that ousted the democratically elected government of then-leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The NUG maintains that the military has lost over 20,000 soldiers in the fighting. The military, which has found itself on the defensive in some areas, appears to be stepping up its pressure on supporters of the pro-democracy forces. The military spokesman said simply clicking the "Like" button on Facebook or sharing posts made by such groups as the NUG and its armed umbrella group, as well as by people who support the groups can lead to between three and 10 years in prison. The NUG's Facebook page has 1.32 million followers. Related coverage: Myanmar's Suu Kyi gets 3 more years in prison for election fraud Myanmar postpones hearing of detained Japanese filmmaker Myanmar junta to implement 5-point consensus with ASEAN this year Handmade silk carpets of Nanzhao County in China's Henan Province are gaining popularity among foreign merchants thanks to exquisite weaving skills, innovation in production and sales methods. Produced by Xinhua Global Service LUSAKA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three women were killed while 35 others were injured in a road accident in the early hours of Monday in Nsama District in Zambia's Northern Province, the country's road transport and safety agency said Monday. The accident, which involved a light truck that was carrying 58 women from the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) who was traveling back from a conference, occurred when the truck overturned while descending a hill. Alinani Msisya, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), said the accident occurred when the diver of the light truck lost control and overturned as it was descending the hill. "The agency has dispatched a team of officers to investigate the cause of the road traffic crash to ensure that such incidences are mitigated," he said in a statement. The full accident investigation report will be made available to the public in due course, he added. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema expressed sadness on the death of the accident victims. "We are saddened to hear the tragic news... We send our message of condolences and prayers to the church and the affected families. We also wish the injured a quick recovery," he said in a statement. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Zambia, often caused by the poor state of roads, reckless driving, and some instances of overloading. Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Representative Vice President Wang Qishan attends the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II held at Westminster Abbey, together with heads of state from various countries, members of the royal family and government representatives, in London, Britain, Sept. 19, 2022. Wang has attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the invitation of the British government. (PA Wire/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Representative Vice President Wang Qishan has attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, at the invitation of the British government. On Sunday afternoon, Wang paid tribute to the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall. On Monday morning, he attended the state funeral for the Queen held at Westminster Abbey, together with heads of state from various countries, members of the royal family and government representatives. Wang told the British side that at a time when Britain is in national grief following the Queen's death, Xi appointed him as the Chinese president's special representative to attend the funeral in London. This fully demonstrates the goodwill of the Chinese president, government and people for the British royal family, government and people, Wang said. As Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II witnessed the changes of the times and was a symbol of British national spirit and cohesion, said Wang, adding that the Queen was deeply loved by the British people and had made important contributions to the development of China-Britain relations. He conveyed to King Charles III the mourning for the late Queen from Xi, the Chinese government and people, and extended sincere condolences to the British royal family, government and people. King Charles III conveyed a message to the Chinese side, thanking and welcoming Wang's attendance at the Queen's funeral as the special representative of Xi. He said that the British royal family cherishes the friendship with Chinese leaders very much, attaches importance to the development of Britain-China relations, and hopes to continue to cooperate with China in sustainable development and other fields in the future. On behalf of the British government, British Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey thanked Wang for making a special trip to attend the Queen's funeral, noting that the Queen always attached importance to Britain-China relations. The work of the new British government is underway, and the government hopes to further strengthen cooperation with China in such areas as economy and trade, environmental protection, climate change and multilateral affairs, Coffey said. NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Speculative behaviors of Wall Street firms and grain giants in the global market, and the U.S. government's support for such businesses, have aggravated the worldwide food crisis amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, a U.S. expert has said. Frederic Mousseau, policy director at the Oakland Institute, pointed out that a major problem is the jump of prices resulting from market speculation by investment companies and big food corporations. As soon as the Ukraine crisis started, "a number of speculators jumped on the market to buy futures of food, to bet on the market. So prices became very high," said Mousseau in a recent interview with Xinhua. The expert, who has been working on the subject for nearly two decades, argued that the global food market is largely dominated and controlled by a handful of U.S. and European businesses. "We've seen huge profits from these firms in this past year," Mousseau said, citing soaring profits of global food giants. These companies have benefited from the increasing prices, at the expense of many poor countries who could not purchase adequate food on the global market because of the "crazy" manipulation, Mousseau said. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed the Food Price Index increased to 159.7 in March, up from 135.6 this January and 125.7 in 2021. In addition, the U.S. government's decades-long protection of the country's large agribusinesses has contributed to the food crisis, the expert said. The United States failed to take any measures to curb speculation, and it supported funds and banks in taking shares or investing on a large scale in the agricultural sector overseas, including in Ukraine and Africa, Mousseau said. Big investment firms in the United States have invested in almost all agrochemical companies concerning the fertilizer, seed and pesticide sectors, the expert said. The U.S. decisions in terms of agri fuels, support to farmers, and whether they export or keep the supply and what to do with production have a big impact on global markets, Mousseau said. Describing the United States as "hypocritical," he said that while Washington told other countries "not to restrict trade, not to protect their market, not to restrict exports, the United States is dominant in the market." The policy expert also proposed that the most vulnerable countries should take measures to enhance their own food security, including reducing their dependence on food imports and promoting local crop production. Produced by Xinhua Global Service JERUSALEM, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced Monday it will start to produce natural gas from a disputed Mediterranean maritime field "as soon as possible," despite U.S.-brokered border demarcation talks between Israel and Lebanon. "The production of gas from the Karish rig will commence without delay, as soon as it is possible," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office said in a statement, adding the production "is not connected to the negotiations (with Lebanon)." Israel claimed that the Karish field is located within its economic zone while Lebanon claims in disputed waters. According to a report on Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the negotiations have entered their "final stages" in the past few days. "Israel believes that it is both possible and necessary to reach an agreement on a maritime line between Lebanon and Israel, in a manner that will serve the interests of the citizens of both countries," the Prime Minister's Office said. Such an agreement will be "greatly beneficial and strengthen regional stability," it added. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova An international scientific-practical conference on "Cultural economy in Azerbaijan: Shusha - development impulses" is underway in Shusha, Azernews reports, citing Azertac. The conference highlights the prospects for the cultural economy in Azerbaijan and is being held under the title of Think4Culture within the Year of Shusha. Local and foreign experts in the field, from fifteen countries, including Turkiye, Britain, Israel, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, and other countries, are participating in the international conference. The large-scale event was co-organized by the Culture Ministry and the Institute of Economics under the Ministry of Science and Education. The conference started with an observation of a minute of silence to pay tribute to Azerbaijani martyrs, who died as a result of the recent Armenian provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border. Founder and head of several business accelerators and international innovation centers in Israel Tal Catran, First Deputy Culture Minister Elnur Aliyev, and Director of the Institute of Economics Tal Catran made opening speeches at the conference. Israeli expert Tal Catran said that the past day was interesting for the guests. Both sad and happy feelings were experienced during the trip to liberated territories. He pointed out that the guests were fascinated to see the rapid restoration of Karabakh and its return to its previous state. "Today, around two trillion dollars of income is obtained from the culture and creative field in the world. This is exactly what we will discuss today at the conference. Discussions about the future of Karabakh will be held continuously," said Tal Catran. First Deputy Culture Minister Elnur Aliyev said that the major purpose of holding such events is to enhance the development of cultural and creative industries in liberated territories. He noted that the city of Shusha plays a great role in the culture of Azerbaijan. The city is the hometown of many great cultural figures, like Azerbaijan's prominent composer Uzeyir Hajibayli. "The major objective of the conference is to reveal the potential of Azerbaijani culture. One of the distinctive aspects of Azerbaijani culture is its peace-loving nature. Our culture is humane and does not spread hatred and intolerance. We want our culture to take its place in the world's creative industry market, contribute to our economy, and the products created by cultural figures to be recognized worldwide. We have a great potential in the cultural economy," said Elnur Aliyev. Director of the Institute of Economics Nazim Imanov said that before the conference, studies were conducted on the economy of culture. Interest in this field has already arisen mainly among scientists. Cultural economy expert Ornela Ramasauskaite spoke on the topic of cultural revival in liberated lands. She stressed the importance of a statistical monitoring system for data collection in this field. She called to bring together more companies specialized in cultural economics. Cultural revival & cultural economy in liberated territories Next, a panel discussion on "Cultural revival and cultural economy in liberated lands" was held as part of the conference. Multi-disciplinary designer Nej Nejla Guvenc, Corporate Finance, and Private Equity professional adviser for the investment and development Rahul Yadav, head of the International Relations Department at National Conservatory Jahangir Salimxanov, Experience UK Advisory Board and Executive Committee Member Emily Smith spoke at the panel moderated by Tal Catran. Nej Nejla Guvenc shared her experiences in the field of creative culture in Turkiye. She said that non-governmental organizations should also work actively for the development of the cultural economy, and interest in this field has increased in Turkiye over recent years. "Turkiye is a country that invests the most in the gaming sector in Europe this year. There is also a huge development in the field of non-fungible tokens (NFT). People are selling their creations virtually in the form of NFTs. I think that work should be done in this field in Azerbaijan as well," she said. Rahul Yadav said that Shusha has great potential in the field of cultural economy. He noted that Shusha should become a special platform. For this, it is necessary to work on a special strategy for determining the duties of various institutions and specialists in this field. "The government of Azerbaijan has great experience in infrastructure and management. Through this experience, Shusha can become a big platform," Rahul Yadav added. Jahangir Salimxanov noted that it would be good to implement virtual broadcasts in order to spread the cultural heritage of Shusha. He said that it is necessary to create opportunities for professionals in the field to come here and do work in the field of cultural economy. Emily Smith touched upon a great potential for implementation of various projects in Shusha in the field of cultural economy. She pointed out that in the future, it is possible to hold virtual conferences in Shusha and organize a number of programs with artists. "You can share live broadcasts and videos from Shusha on the Internet. I am a witness to the great potential of this city. The participation of many institutions in the projects, to be implemented in various fields of the cultural economy, is also an important issue," Emily Smith said. The economy of culture in sustainable cities and communities Financial expert Karl Rheinberger delivered a report on the "Economy of culture in sustainable cities and communities". In the report, the German expert talked about the development of the cultural economy in Shusha, using world experience. He pointed out that the availability of a wide database and high ranking in international rating indicators are important from the point of view of investing in the country. "This year has been declared the Year of Shusha in Azerbaijan. It is important to use the concept of a smart city in the construction of cities in liberated areas. This has a positive impact on economic development. The perspective of Azerbaijan is very broad," Karl Rheinberger said. Round-tables dedicated to liberated lands Round-tables on "Development Impulses from Shusha for Shusha" were organized at the conference. They discussed the cultural and sustainable economies that create synergy and social impact on the liberated territories, efficiency options for public-private partnerships in the cultural sector and cultural financing, society as a tool for the integrity of liberated territories, and culture as the background of the country's branding strategy abroad and how the circular economy can generate income in creative industries. BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 80 percent of all Chinese students have returned to China after finishing their education abroad since 2012, the Ministry of Education said Tuesday. The 2020-2021 academic year saw international students from 195 countries and regions studying in China, up 35 percent from 2012, the ministry said. China has signed agreements on mutual recognition of academic qualifications and degrees with 58 countries and regions, and established Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in cooperation with 159 countries and regions, according to the ministry. International education cooperation has also been carried out in designated places in China, in partnership with international organizations, and within the framework of multilateral mechanisms, the ministry added. A visitor learns about endoscopic surgical robot at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Visitors learn about wind power equipment at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Visitors view commodities at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Visitors view a robot at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Hao Jianwei) A visitor takes photos at the booth of China's leading train maker CRRC Corporation Ltd. at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A visitor views commodities at the booth of Kazakhstan at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Hao Jianwei) A visitor learns about an online traveling service platform at the booth of China Unicom at the seventh China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2022. The seventh China-Eurasia Expo, slated for Sept. 19-22, has attracted 3,600 enterprises to attend its online events. Covering an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the expo has set up three zones featuring themes including investment cooperation and commodity trade. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "We cannot let them down. This is a definitive moment... The perils we face are no match for a world united... Let's get our world back on track," the UN chief stressed. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN secretary-general and the president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday joined world leaders and goodwill ambassadors in a global call to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and get back on track to building a better world that "leaves no one behind." With time running out on the achievement of SDGs, and against the backdrop of calls for bold solutions to solve the world's deepening challenges in this year's UN General Debate, which opens Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened the third SDG Moment to urgently spur stronger commitments to ensure successful SDGs implementation. "The world has a long 'to do' list," Guterres told world leaders, asking for more finance and investment from the public and private sectors, to meet growing needs. Acknowledging the current "moment of great peril" for the world, characterized by conflicts, climate catastrophe, division, unemployment, massive displacement and other challenges, the secretary-general said that although "it was tempting" to put long-term priorities to the side, development could not wait. "The education of our children cannot wait. Dignified jobs cannot wait. Full equality for women and girls cannot wait. Comprehensive healthcare, meaningful climate action, biodiversity protection -- these cannot be left for tomorrow," he underscored, highlighting that across all these areas, young people and future generations are demanding action. "We cannot let them down. This is a definitive moment... The perils we face are no match for a world united... Let's get our world back on track," the UN chief stressed. Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) The UNGA president, Csaba Korosi, echoed Guterres' words and said that it is timely and more necessary than ever to "re-dedicate ourselves to the SDGs" as the world falls behind. "The pandemic was a postcard from the future, a bleak future of interlocking global crises. One that we want to avoid and that we can avoid. We must now regain the speed lost to the pandemic and to our inaction. Solutions are at hand," he said. Korosi added that it is time to "get serious" about saving the world, with all pleasant and unpleasant consequences that this entails, and asked UN member states to deliver on promises made. Holding a placard of the 17 SDGs at the podium, Prime Minister of Barbados and UN Environment Champion of the Earth, Mia Motley, said that "a world that is driven by a climate crisis cannot provide a sustainable future for us. Are we so arrogant to believe that there will be no failed societies and no extinct species, as history shows us otherwise?" Motley urged young people to lead a revolution to "change our habits to end plastic pollution and waste," and "hold the leaders' feet to the fire" to make the world a better place to live in. Amanda Gorman, a poet, activist and supporter of UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), shared one of her inspiring pieces about leaders' accountability and ending poverty. Meanwhile, SDG advocates and K-pop superstars, the BLACKPINK, appeared in a video message inviting the world to take specific actions to tackle climate change and boost sustainable development. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, UNICEF goodwill ambassador, hosted the event. She reminded the room that time is running out, "as we are nearly halfway to the 2030 deadline" to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. "We all deserve a just, safe, and healthy world to live in. The present and the future is on your hands," she told the General Assembly. According to the Sustainable Development Goals report 2022, the confluence of crises -- the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the Ukraine crisis are creating "spin-off impacts" on food security, health, education, the environment, peace and security. The combined crises could lead to an additional 75 million to 95 million people living in extreme poverty in 2022. Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) The world also faces a global education crisis with an estimated 147 million children missing more than half of their in-person instruction over the past two years. Additionally, women and girls remain disproportionately affected by the socioeconomic fallout of the pandemic, grappling with an increase in unpaid care work and domestic violence. Countries have taken action to advance the SDGs and tackle the multiple crises by strengthening social protection, developing sustainable policies, and expanding essential services. According to the report, while countries have taken steps to keep the promise of the SDGs, the severity and scale of the world's challenges call for an urgent and collective response as set out in Our Common Agenda, which was launched by the secretary-general in 2021 and seeks to rescue the SDGs through stronger international cooperation and reinvigorated multilateralism. The annual SDG Moment aims to provide a snapshot of progress, highlight actions that show change is possible, and advance the transformations needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was created by the political declaration adopted at the first SDG Summit in 2019, which mandated the UN secretary-general to convene the event as part of every high-level week of the General Assembly from 2020 to 2030. Many exhibitors attending the 19th China-ASEAN Expo said they will seize the opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The four-day expo concluded on Monday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A total of 267 domestic and international deals have been signed, with an investment of over 400 billion yuan (about 57 billion U.S. dollars), up 37 percent compared to last year. The landmark RCEP is the world's largest free trade deal to date, which came into force on Jan. 1 this year. The RCEP countries 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. Produced by Xinhua Global Service * Connected with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by land and sea, Guangxi has built closer economic ties with ASEAN countries amid China's wider opening-up. * China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Official data showed that in the first eight months of this year, trade between China and ASEAN rose 14 percent year on year. NANNING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- As a fresh batch of imported fruits hit the shelves of a local grocery store in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, shoppers flocked in large numbers to grab the new arrivals. Imported fruits such as pink grapefruits and durian from Thailand are no longer a rarity in the market, said Zhang Lichun, manager of a Nanning-based fruit company, adding that fruits from Southeast Asia have been on the company's top-selling list for years. Connected with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by land and sea, Guangxi has built closer economic ties with ASEAN countries amid China's wider opening-up. This momentum was visible at the just-concluded 19th China-ASEAN Expo, during which a record 267 domestic and international deals were signed, with an investment of over 400 billion yuan (about 57 billion U.S. dollars), up 37 percent from last year. People visit the 19th China-ASEAN Expo at Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) BOOMING TRADE At the first China-ASEAN Expo in 2004, Trung Nguyen Legend, a leading Vietnamese coffee company, displayed its products, which were well-received by Chinese consumers and have since attracted buyers from all over the country. "China is one of our most important overseas markets, with more than 300 distributors. This month, our first flagship coffee store will open in Shanghai," said Li Wuqiang, sales director of the Shanghai office of the Vietnam Trung Nguyen Legend Group. Over the past 19 years, the China-ASEAN Expo has provided a platform to facilitate the entry of ASEAN enterprises into the Chinese market. According to ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, the platform provided by the expo is critical to strengthening business networks and regional connectivity among companies, traders and investors in the region. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Official data showed that in the first eight months of this year, trade between China and ASEAN rose 14 percent year on year. At Qinzhou port in Guangxi's Beibu Gulf, a gateway port to ASEAN nations, tonnes of cargo is shipped every day to overseas markets. In the first half of the year, the imports and exports between Qinzhou port and ASEAN countries hit 4.88 billion yuan, up 48 percent year on year, with significant increases in trade with Indonesia and Vietnam, according to official data. The Beibu Gulf Port also serves as an important transit point in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage. In the first eight months of this year, the trade corridor saw 498,600 TEU containers transported by the railway intermodal freight trains, up 26.8 percent year on year, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. "Thanks to improved cold-chain logistics, land transport has gradually replaced air freight to meet our demand of importing more durians, as sales at a local store in Nanning can reach up to 100,000 yuan daily during the peak season," Zhang said. As Guangxi enhanced its infrastructure construction over the past decade, the region's foreign trade volume with ASEAN countries rose from 74.75 billion yuan in 2012 to 282.12 billion yuan in 2021, an average annual growth rate of 15.8 percent. Workers pack Luosifen rice noodles at a food-processing company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) DEEPER ECONOMIC INTEGRATION At a smelting workshop belonging to South Manganese Group Ltd., manganese ores are processed into electrolytic manganese dioxide before being sold domestically and exported to Japan as a raw material for batteries. According to Li Jianjun, general manager of the company's marketing department, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has reduced the tariff on manganese ore in Malaysia, making the industrial chain connecting China, ASEAN and Japan more competitive in the international market, and promoting the development of the regional economy. Yang Chunting, head of the regional commerce department, said that Guangxi has pushed forward its cross-border industrial, supply and value chains with ASEAN countries in manufacturing, trade, logistics, markets and services. A shipment of 6,960 bags of prepackaged Luosifen, an iconic dish originating in Liuzhou, Guangxi, and known for its pungent smell, left for Malaysia last month. The smelly yet tasty dish -- a specialty food in the region -- has been sold to dozens of countries and regions worldwide, generating sales revenue of 50 billion yuan last year and boosting the income of over 200,000 rural households. "Our company began exporting to the ASEAN market in April 2020 and a total of 764,900 bags of Luosifen have been exported to date. The value of Luosifen sold to ASEAN countries in H1 has already exceeded last year's total," said Ou Haoxuan, with Guangxi Luobawang Brand Management Co., Ltd., a major Luosifen producer. Guangxi, with a population of 57 million, has made significant progress on achieving high-quality economic development during the past decade. An aerial photo taken on Sept. 13, 2022, shows the Qinzhou Port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin) Over the past 10 years, the region's gross domestic product has more than doubled, reaching 2.47 trillion yuan in 2021, while 6.34 million people were lifted out of poverty during the period. In 2021, the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in the region increased to 38,530 yuan and 16,363 yuan, respectively, 1.9 times and 2.4 times that of 2012. Lan Tianli, chairman of Guangxi, said at the expo that Guangxi stands ready to build consensus and deepen cooperation with other parties, jointly promote cross-border financial innovation and strengthen financial infrastructure construction to better serve China-ASEAN trade and investment facilitation. (Video reporters: Liang Shun, Qin Guanghua, Huang Kaiying, and Wang Wei; Video editors: Zhang Yucheng and Cao Ying) TEHRAN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that sanctions, terrorism, war and bloodshed are all ramifications of unilateralism, Iranian official news agency IRNA reported. Raisi made the remarks to reporters upon arrival at an airport in New York to take part in the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. He stressed the UN should not be the organization of major powers solely, but of all nations, adding he will use the opportunity in the session to shed light on Iran's positions and views. He said one of the global issues that can be discussed at the meeting is some powerful countries use sanctions to pressure other countries, the result of which is in conflict with peace and security. The Iranian president added terrorism, war and bloodshed are the other major problems that need to be addressed through collective wisdom. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day before leaving Tehran, Raisi ruled out the possibility of holding any meeting or negotiation with U.S. officials during his visit to New York. "No planning has been done for holding negotiations or meetings with Americans on this trip, and we have no plan to meet them," he was quoted by the Iranian presidential website as saying. BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's electronic information manufacturing industry has maintained steady expansion over the past decade, an official said Tuesday. From 2012 to 2021, the added value of the industry grew at an average annual rate of 11.6 percent, and its operating income increased from 7 trillion yuan (about 1.01 trillion U.S. dollars) to 14.1 trillion yuan, said Qiao Yueshan, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. During the 10-year period, China's technological innovation had strengthened in fields such as integrated circuits, software and 5G, Qiao told a media conference. Looking to the future, Qiao said the ministry will work to strengthen breakthroughs around key links of industrial chains, cultivate competitive enterprises, and promote the high-quality development of the electronic information manufacturing industry. AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A shipping container loaded with products of New Zealand and Pacific Island nation Vanuatu left Port of Tauranga on Saturday for the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2022. More than 200 companies from New Zealand have participated in the previous four editions of the expo in China, which is by far New Zealand's largest trading partner. The COSCO SHIPPING container, which was heading to China on Saturday, carried a wide range of products from New Zealand and Vanuatu, such as dairy products, honey, juice, and art crafts. The container is expected to arrive at Shanghai Port in early October. COSCO SHIPPING is the official international shipping service provider for the CIIE. The CIIE is to be held in Shanghai on Nov. 5-10. Produced by Xinhua Global Service UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the first plenary meeting of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) TEHRAN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that sanctions, terrorism, war and bloodshed are all ramifications of unilateralism, Iranian official news agency IRNA reported. Raisi made the remarks to reporters upon arrival at an airport in New York to take part in the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Ebrahim Raisi attends a swearing-in ceremony in Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 5, 2021. (Photo by Javad Salarheyli/Xinhua) He stressed the "UN should not be the organization of major powers solely, but of all nations," adding he will use the opportunity in the session to shed light on Iran's positions and views. He said one of the global issues that can be discussed at the meeting is some powerful countries use sanctions to pressure other countries, the result of which is in conflict with peace and security. The Iranian president added terrorism, war and bloodshed are the other major problems that need to be addressed through collective wisdom. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day before leaving Tehran, Raisi ruled out the possibility of holding any meeting or negotiation with U.S. officials during his visit to New York. "No planning has been done for holding negotiations or meetings with Americans on this trip, and we have no plan to meet them," he was quoted by the Iranian presidential website as saying. People look at an aircraft at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) HEFEI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. The total exhibition area is 59,000 square meters. "The world economy is facing greater downside risks and uncertainties. Holding the World Manufacturing Convention at this critical moment provides the world economy with a platform to deepen exchanges and pursue cooperation," said Christian Wulff, global chairman of the Global Alliance of SMEs, at the opening ceremony of the convention via video. More than 640 enterprises are exhibiting their products at the convention, and 568 projects with a total investment worth 367.7 billion yuan (52.9 billion U.S. dollars) are expected to be signed during the event, according to the organizer. Exhibitors are seen at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) A staff member introduces aeroengine components at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) A garbage sorting robot is displayed at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) People look at tractors at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) People visit the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) People look at new energy vehicles at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) People look at a high performance rice transplanter at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) People look at a tractor at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) A kid visits the booth of the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) Models of wheels of high-speed train "Fuxing" are displayed at the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2022. The 2022 World Manufacturing Convention opened Tuesday in east China, highlighting the latest products, technologies and applications in the manufacturing sector. Themed "Creating a beautiful world with manufacturing," the four-day event in Hefei, capital city of Anhui Province, features nearly 40 events including exhibitions, seminars and other activities. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) On September 19, within the framework of the high-level week of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, a meeting was held between Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan respectively on the initiative and with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the press service of the Foreign Ministry reports. During the meeting, Minister Bayramov drew attention to Azerbaijan's position on ensuring peace in the region in the post-conflict period and the necessary steps in this direction. Bayramov stressed that on September 12-14, carrying out provocations and attacks on Azerbaijan, Armenia provoked clashes, as well as the fact that Armenia violated the preliminary ceasefire agreement reached within a few hours, which led to additional losses. He noted that Azerbaijan is not interested in destabilizing the situation in the region as a party conducting large-scale reconstruction work in the region and placing former internally displaced persons there. The minister recalled that despite the grave consequences of the occupation of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan for 30 years, Baku put forward a proposal to sign a peace treaty immediately after the 44-day Patriotic War and consistently takes initiatives in this direction. According to him, despite the efforts of Azerbaijan in the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, opening communications, delimitation and demarcation of borders, as well as in the humanitarian direction, Armenia hinders the processes and grossly violates its obligations within the framework of tripartite statements. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov once again stressed the readiness for urgent negotiations between the leaders towards ensuring lasting peace in accordance with the tripartite statements and the results of the meeting in Brussels. "This is where we started. This is where we come back for," said a Malaysian businessman, who is proud to be part of the past 10 years of development in the southern Chinese city of Foshan. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in New York, the United States, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen on Monday on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly. During the meeting, Wang said China and Ethiopia are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners that trust each other. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than half a century ago, no matter how the international situation changes, bilateral relations have been developing in a sound and steady manner, with ever-deepening mutual trust and practical cooperation at the forefront of China-Africa cooperation, he said. China highly appreciates that Ethiopia adheres to the one-China principle and stands firmly with China on issues concerning China's core interests, Wang said, noting China will continue to uphold justice on issues concerning Ethiopia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. China attaches importance to deepening and promoting the mutual trust and friendship with Ethiopia, and is willing to join hands with Ethiopia in pushing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to new levels, he said. Demeke thanked Wang for visiting Ethiopia last year when the country was facing difficulties, adding that Ethiopia cherishes its deep and strong friendship with China. Ethiopia is ready to strengthen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, and carry out all-round bilateral cooperation, he said, expressing the hope that China will heighten its support for Ethiopia's personnel training. He said Ethiopia highly agrees with the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and will continue to stand firmly with China. Demeke briefed Wang on Ethiopia's commitment to advancing the peace process aimed at ending the conflict in the northern part of the country, and spoke highly of the China-proposed Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa (HOA). Wang said China appreciates Ethiopia's peace efforts, supports the country's independent handling of its own affairs, will continue to offer as much help as possible to Ethiopia in its endeavor to cope with its temporary difficulties, and jointly safeguard the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. China appreciates Ethiopia's active support for the Outlook on Peace and Development in the HOA, and backs its proposal for institutionalizing the HOA Peace Conference, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to maintain close communication with relevant parties, and encourage regional countries to build consensus, handle regional affairs independently and advance regional integration. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen (2nd L) in New York, the United States, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan will maintain close high-level exchanges and carry forward their unbreakable all-weather friendship, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Monday. In a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Samarkand, during which the two leaders conducted in-depth and friendly exchanges, jointly charting the course for the development of bilateral relations and injecting strong impetus into China-Pakistan all-weather friendship. China, Wang said, is ready to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, build flagship projects along the Belt and Road, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community of a shared future. He added that at present, Pakistan is fighting severe floods and is faced with complex and arduous tasks of post-disaster reconstruction. Noting the Chinese government and people will always stand by the Pakistani side, Wang expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Pakistani government and with the united efforts of people of all walks of life, Pakistan will surely overcome its difficulties soon, achieve more vigorous, safer and sustained development, and play a more important role in regional and international affairs. Wang expressed the hope that the Pakistani side will well implement the upgraded protection mechanism to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan and provide a solid guarantee for the practical cooperation between the two sides. Calling the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a historic milestone, Zardari said he firmly believes the congress will be a complete success and help China achieve greater prosperity. Pakistan has always regarded its relationship with China as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, which has become a common understanding of the Pakistani society, he said. Zardari expressed his gratitude for China's support for Pakistan's fight against COVID-19 and floods. The Pakistani side is ready to work with China to follow through with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, keep close strategic collaboration, consolidate the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and deepen the all-round cooperation between the two countries, he said. Pakistan will continue to unswervingly uphold the one-China policy, and firmly stand by the Chinese side on all issues concerning China's core interests, including those related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zardari added. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (2nd L) in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) SHANGHAI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 30 global professional services institutions signed contracts Tuesday to set up branches in Lujiazui, a finance zone in Shanghai, the Lujiazui Administration Bureau of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone announced Tuesday. On Tuesday, about 200 representatives from the world's top accounting firms, law firms, consulting firms, and other high-end professional services providers attended a meeting on promoting Lujiazui into a global hub of investment information and services. At the summit, professional services institutions such as DLA Piper, Mazars, and CBRE also signed strategic cooperation agreements with the bureau to promote investment. The Lujiazui Financial City is already home to many of the world's leading law, accounting, consulting, and human resources services providers. A development plan for global professional services providers released by the bureau on Tuesday seeks to attract more leading and intelligent professional services institutions and promote high-quality industry development, said Yuan Yefeng, deputy director of the Lujiazui Administration Bureau. TEHRAN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday urged the United States to remove its "economic terrorism" against Iranians instead of weeping "crocodile tears" for the death of an Iranian woman. Making the remarks in a reaction to Washington's concerns over the recent death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman in police custody in Iran, Amir-Abdollahian tweeted that an investigation has been launched into her "tragic death." Amini died in a hospital after police custody in Tehran, triggering public anger and sympathy among the Iranian people. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted that "we will continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for such human rights abuses," with Amir-Abdollahian responding that U.S. officials saw human rights as "a tool against adversaries." "Instead of shedding crocodile tears, U.S. must end economic terrorism" against Iranians, he noted. SHENZHEN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- "00:00" -- an ice cream packaging design, carries the meaning of "both the beginning and the end." The ice creams, in the forms of an iceberg, a flame, and a pill, correspond to climate warming, sharp forest decline and health, respectively. The design, made by inDare Design Strategy Limited, won the German iF Design Gold Award in 2021. The company has received the "Red Dot: Best of the Best" award three times and one iF Design Gold Award since 2016. "These top industrial design awards have brought us both glory and growth," said Levo Chen, founder of the company. Chen was a designer for a Hong Kong company for five years before relocating to south China's Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, to start his own company in 2015. "If I have an idea, I can go to the electronics market, visit some factories and get some samples before I make a product prototype, probably by the next day." Chen said Shenzhen, which is located in the Pearl River Delta region with its developed manufacturing capacity, provides fertile soil for industrial design. He said that Hong Kong's financial, tourism and retail industries are very advanced, but that there are relatively few opportunities in the fields of digital and electrical appliances. Shenzhen has given him a suitable stage to display his talents. Shenzhen, a city known for its "copycat products" about a decade ago, now has won the largest number of German top industrial design awards in China for 11 consecutive years. This year's Red Dot Product Design and iF Design Award lists show that Shenzhen has won more than 600 awards, accounting for about a quarter of the total in China. The award-winning designs included Skyworth G90, a gaming monitor equipped with a large 48-inch 4K OLED screen, and Innozen's physical aids for disabled children, which have helped about 230 children in China. By entering and participating in top industrial design awards competitions and events, China's companies can learn from others and keep moving forward, said Feng Changhong, president of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association. Liu Liang, founder and CEO of Shenzhen-based Califor Design Company, believed that good industrial design can double the benefits of products and make people's lives better and more convenient. In his company's exhibition hall, Red Dot award winners such as a foot mouse specially designed for disabled users, a splash-proof nail clipper, and a hot water bottle suitable for the blind all convey such a design concept. In 2008, Shenzhen became the first city in China to be awarded the title "City of Design" by UNESCO. Since 2012, numerous local companies with strong innovation ability have developed rapidly, such as Huawei, TCL, Mindray Medical, Hytera and Skyworth. Up to now, there are more than 150,000 industrial designers and more than 1,400 professional industrial design companies in Shenzhen, more than half of which are high-tech companies. In 2021, the total output value of Shenzhen's industrial design hit 15.6 billion yuan (about 2.25 billion U.S. dollars), up 16 percent from the same period in 2020 and accounting for half of the country's total. Shenzhen has won a total of 1,825 iF Design Award awards and 1,176 Red Dot Product Design Award awards since 2012 and international recognition of Shenzhen's design strength and excellence has been increasing, said Feng. In 2013, the only overseas exhibition hall of the iF Design Award was launched in Shenzhen. Reasons behind the launch included Shenzhen's openness and inclusiveness, policy support from the local government, its developed manufacturing industry and the presence of numerous young designers, according to Ralph Wiegmann, CEO of iF International Forum Design, organizer of the design competitions. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Photo by Liao Pan/Xinhua) NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here Monday with French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Congratulating France on taking the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, Wang said that China and France, both permanent members of the Security Council, shoulder important responsibilities in maintaining international security and stability. Both China and France advocate a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, sustaining the core status of the United Nations, and championing the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said. China is ready to maintain high-level exchanges and strengthen solidarity and coordination with France to jointly tackle the ever-emerging global challenges and inject more positive energy and stability into the world, said Wang. For his part, Colonna said France-China relations are very important and both countries have the diplomatic tradition of staying committed to keeping peace. Amid the profound changes in the international landscape, the goal of France and China to sustain the world peace and stability has not changed, neither have their efforts to mutually rely on each other to jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Colonna said. The French side is satisfied with the close and good communications between both heads of state and the smooth advance of bilateral exchanges, she said, expressing thanks to China for helping France Airline restore direct flights to China as well as for helping French students resume their study in China. Colonna voiced hope that the two sides will deepen cooperation in such fields as climate change, biodiversity and food security. China and France have maintained an overall stable relationship amid the ever-evolving international landscape, thanks to the strategic communication between the two heads of state, which has provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral ties and multilateral cooperation, Wang said. Appreciating France's consistent adherence to strategic independence, Wang said China is ready to strengthen coordination with France and advance cooperation in areas like climate change, biodiversity and food security so as to jointly deal with global challenges. They also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Colonna expressed concern over a protracted and escalating conflict while Wang said China always advocates solving the disputes through dialogue and will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace talks. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (2nd L) in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan will maintain close high-level exchanges and carry forward their unbreakable all-weather friendship, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Monday. In a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Samarkand, during which the two leaders conducted in-depth and friendly exchanges, jointly charting the course for the development of bilateral relations and injecting strong impetus into China-Pakistan all-weather friendship. China, Wang said, is ready to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, build flagship projects along the Belt and Road, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community of a shared future. He added that at present, Pakistan is fighting severe floods and is faced with complex and arduous tasks of post-disaster reconstruction. Noting the Chinese government and people will always stand by the Pakistani side, Wang expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Pakistani government and with the united efforts of people of all walks of life, Pakistan will surely overcome its difficulties soon, achieve more vigorous, safer and sustained development, and play a more important role in regional and international affairs. Wang expressed the hope that the Pakistani side will well implement the upgraded protection mechanism to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan and provide a solid guarantee for the practical cooperation between the two sides. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (2nd L) in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Calling the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a historic milestone, Zardari said he firmly believes the congress will be a complete success and help China achieve greater prosperity. Pakistan has always regarded its relationship with China as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, which has become a common understanding of the Pakistani society, he said. Zardari expressed his gratitude for China's support for Pakistan's fight against COVID-19 and floods. The Pakistani side is ready to work with China to follow through with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, keep close strategic collaboration, consolidate the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and deepen the all-round cooperation between the two countries, he said. Pakistan will continue to unswervingly uphold the one-China policy, and firmly stand by the Chinese side on all issues concerning China's core interests, including those related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zardari added. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with members of the newly-elected leadership of the China Islamic Association in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Wang Yang Tuesday met with members of the newly-elected leadership of the China Islamic Association. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called for full implementation of the Party's basic policy on religious affairs and efforts to rally Islamic figures and Muslims closely around the Party and the government for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Wang congratulated the success of the 11th National Congress of Chinese Muslims and spoke highly of the work of the association over the past six years. Wang called on the association to maintain the correct political direction, uphold the banner of patriotism and socialism, further strengthen the Chinese orientation in developing Islam in China, and facilitate the adaptation of Islam in China to socialist society. Wang also urged the association to conduct strict governance of its operation, improve the democratic oversight of its leading members, and address pressing issues that matter to the sound development of the religion. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with members of the newly-elected leadership of the China Islamic Association in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) TEHRAN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Oil Ministry said on Monday the country will soon purchase 9 million cubic meters per day of gas from Russia through Azerbaijan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The ministry announced the plan in a report providing details of a 40-billion-U.S. dollar deal between the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Russia's state-owned gas producer Gazprom reached in July. The ministry added it will soon receive 6 million cubic meters per day of gas from Russia under a swap deal to export them in LNG (liquefied natural gas) to other countries from southern Iran. The deal also includes the completion of gas pipelines from Iran to Pakistan and Oman and finishing a number of LNG production projects in the country. The ministry's news service Shana has reported that the development of Iran's Kish and North Pars gas fields, as well as six oilfields, boosting pressure in the South Pars Gas Field, completion of LNG projects, swap of gas and petroleum products and construction of gas transfer pipelines are some of the deal's highlights. By Trend Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi's three-day visit to Armenia, which started on September 17, caused serious resonance, Member of Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) Vugar Iskenderov told Trend. Pelosi made strong statements against Azerbaijan after meeting with the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan on September 18, calling Azerbaijan the 'culprit' of the September 12-14 events on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Nancy Pelosi's visit to Armenia and her statements with gross and biased distortion of the reality in the region create obstacles to sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus, encourage separatism, incite ethnic hatred, deepening contradictions. He noted that certain forces fueled by the Armenians in the US have recently become active again. The reason for this is also related to the upcoming US elections. "Nancy Pelosi's visit to Armenia is aimed at building the support of the Armenians during the pre-election period. Pelosi is thinking about how to keep her seat in Congress, and therefore wants to stand out by becoming a kind of 'godmother" for Armenians'," Iskenderov said. According to him, the whole world watched as Pelosi, known mainly for her support of separatism, showed a similar position in connection with Taiwan. Recently, she openly demonstrated her support for separatism by visiting Taiwan. As a result, things almost came to a diplomatic crisis between the US and China. And now Pelosi has appeared in Armenia. And precisely after another military provocation by Armenia. There is no doubt that this trip will also lead to tension ", - Iskenderov said. The deputy noted that her crocodile tears are a game designed for a primitive audience. "Why did Pelosi, who cares so much about the 'security' and 'territorial integrity' of Armenia, keep silent for 30 years about the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia? Why has she never visited Azerbaijan in these years? In a word, her true intentions are obvious. However, everyone knows Azerbaijan's determination. Pelosi's unfounded statements, made in order to get the votes of the Armenians, will not be able to make us deviate from the path of truth," he said. Member of Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) Jeyhun Mammadov said that Nancy Pelosi's visit to Armenia and her statements are evidence of open support for separatism. "Recently, she openly demonstrated her support for separatism by visiting Taiwan. Another such visit, this time to Armenia, once again showed that she supports separatism and not the peaceful coexistence of peoples. Undoubtedly, Pelosi's main goal in this visit is to enlist the support of the Armenians. The 82-year-old Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US congress is not thinking about retirement, but about keeping her seat in Congress. It should be noted that she has always been pro-Armenian, and her statements during her visit to Armenia that go beyond all diplomatic boundaries once again testify to this," he informed. "Nancy Pelosi, who poses as a supporter of truth and justice, has never visited Azerbaijan during the 30-year Armenian occupation, hasn't demonstrated support for Azerbaijan, has not condemned the atrocities of Armenians against Azerbaijanis. Why didnt she issue a statement condemning the vandalism of Armenians who destroyed all settlements, infrastructure, graves, and religious and historical monuments in the territories they occupied?." Mammadov added. He noted that Azerbaijan has been striving for a fair and peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict for all 30 years, but Armenia has always frustrated these attempts. As a result, Azerbaijan independently implemented four resolutions of the UN Security Council, freeing its lands from the Armenian occupation. "It's well known that Armenians were the ones who committed the genocide of the Turkic peoples throughout history. To say that Armenia 'was subjected to genocide' is a false statement. Such statements seriously hinder peace and security in the region," Mammadov concluded. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on the screens) speaks during Transforming Education Summit at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for action in five areas to transform education. At the Transforming Education Summit, Guterres stressed the need to protect the right to quality education for everyone, especially girls, everywhere. "Schools must be open to all, without discrimination. We must recover the years of education lost around the world because of the pandemic," he said. "From this platform, I appeal to the authorities in Afghanistan: Lift all restrictions on girls' access to secondary education immediately. Girls' education is among the most important steps to deliver peace, security and sustainable development, everywhere," he added. As teachers are the lifeblood of education systems, there is a need for a new focus on their roles and skillsets, he said. Today's teachers need to be facilitators in the classroom, promoting learning rather than merely transmitting answers, he said. "We also need to tackle the global shortage of teachers, and look at increasing their quality by raising their status and ensuring they have decent working conditions and continuous training and learning opportunities, and receive adequate salaries." Schools must become safe, healthy spaces, with no place for violence, stigma or intimidation. Education systems should promote the physical and mental health of all students, including their sexual and reproductive health, said Guterres. The digital revolution must benefit all learners, he said. "I urge countries to improve connectivity for students and educational institutions." None of the above will be possible without a surge in education financing and global solidarity, he warned. "During these difficult times, I urge all countries to protect education budgets and ensure that education spending translates into progressive increases in resources per student and better learning outcomes. Education financing must be the number one priority for governments. It is the single most important investment any country can make in its people and its future." The international community has a critically important role to play, he said. Development partners should reverse cuts and dedicate at least 15 percent of official development assistance to education. International financial institutions should make resources and fiscal space available for developing countries to invest, he said. Guterres urged international financial institutions to draw on the newly launched International Finance Facility for Education, a new tool that aims to mobilize 10 billion U.S. dollars to help 700 million children in lower-middle-income countries to access quality education. Education is in a deep crisis. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divider, said Guterres. Some 70 percent of 10-year-olds in poor countries are unable to read a basic text. Either they are out of school, or in school but barely learning. Even in developed countries, education systems often entrench rather than reduce inequality, reproducing it across generations. The rich have access to the best resources, schools and universities, leading to the best jobs, while the poor, especially girls, face huge obstacles to getting the qualifications that could change their lives, he noted. Displaced people and students with disabilities face the highest obstacles of all. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning worldwide. But the education crisis began long before, and runs much deeper, he said. Education systems are failing students and societies. Too often, curricula are outdated and narrow. Education systems take little account of life-long learning. Teachers are under-trained, undervalued and underpaid. The digital divide penalizes poor students. And the education financing gap yawns wider than ever, said Guterres. "We will not end this crisis by simply doing more of the same, faster or better. Now is the time to transform education systems," he said. Quality education must support the development of the individual learner throughout his or her life. It must help people learn how to learn, with a focus on problem-solving and collaboration. It must provide the foundations for learning, from reading, writing and mathematics to scientific, digital, social and emotional skills. It must also develop students' capacity to adapt to the rapidly changing world of work. It must be accessible to all from the earliest stages and throughout their lives. And it must help us learn to live and work together, and to understand ourselves and our responsibilities to each other and to our planet, said the UN chief. "At a time of rampant misinformation, climate denial and attacks on human rights, we need education systems that distinguish fact from conspiracy, instill respect for science, and celebrate humanity in all its diversity," he said. The Transforming Education Summit will only achieve its global goals by mobilizing a global movement, he said. "Let's move forward together so that everyone can learn, thrive and dream throughout their lives. Let's make sure today's learners and future generations can access the education they need, to create a more sustainable, inclusive, just and peaceful world for all." The Transforming Education Summit is convened by Guterres on the sidelines of this year's UN General Assembly high-level week to gaulvinize global action for education. Monday's leaders' meeting was preceded by Friday's mobilization day and Saturday's solutions day meetings. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during Transforming Education Summit at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Photo taken on Sept. 19, 2022 shows UN Transforming Education Summit at the UN headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Wang said that the world today is far from peace, as the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to end, and the Ukraine crisis was inflamed. Considering the China-U.S. relationship is now at a low ebb since the establishment of diplomatic ties, many people are concerned that the two countries are entering a new Cold War, he said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of then U.S. President Richard Nixon's visit to China and the publication of the Shanghai Communique, and it is an important year to sum up experience and set out on a new journey, Wang said. Against the current decline in certainties and the rise in uncertainties over the prospects of China-U.S. ties, Wang elucidated five "certainties" about China: First, the prospects of China's own development are certain, he said, noting that the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will plan and formulate the next development blueprint and goals of the country. The Chinese economy possesses enough scale and resilience. In China's endeavor to realize modernization, more than 1.4 billion people are striving toward common prosperity, which will provide more market and development opportunities for countries around the world, including the United States, he said. Second, China's resolution in reform and opening-up remains certain, Wang said, noting China will continue to deepen its reform, open wider to the world, establish a new system for higher-level openness, build an open world economy, and further promote economic globalization. Third, China's policy toward the United States is certain, Wang said, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the United States, and U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly emphasized that the United States does not seek a new Cold War with China, that it does not aim to change China's system, that the revitalization of its alliance is not targeted at China, that the United States does not support "Taiwan independence" and that it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. The key is that the United States should return to a rational and practical China policy at an early date, he said. Fourth, China's attitude of continuing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is certain, Wang said, adding that China welcomes the development of U.S. enterprises in China and will continue to provide a market-oriented, internationalized and legalized business environment. Wang noted that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation should do more addition instead of subtraction, join hands instead of letting go of each other's hands, and tear down walls instead of erecting walls. For their respective concerns, he added, the two sides should hold talks instead of confronting each other, negotiate instead of coercing each other. Fifth, China's willingness to carry out multilateral coordination with the United States is certain, Wang said. History has proven and will continue to prove that China-U.S. cooperation can accomplish many important tasks that are beneficial to both countries and the world. Therefore, the two sides should uphold the political foundation of bilateral relations, particularly earnestly abide by the one-China principle. Some Americans claim that China is the only country capable of challenging the present international system, which is not the fact, Wang stressed. China is a builder and beneficiary of the present international system, so is surely a defender of it, Wang said, adding that it is not necessary for China to create another system. What China opposes is unilateral bullying and the Cold War mindset, Wang said, urging both sides to jointly conform to basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter and universally recognized international laws. Stressing that China-U.S. relations concern the destiny of both countries as well as world peace and stability, Wang said both sides should work together to find a way of peacefully coexistence for two major countries with different social systems, histories and cultures. Wang encouraged the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, U.S.-China Business Council, and American Chamber of Commerce to be guardians of mutually beneficial cooperation, promoters of peaceful coexistence, and facilitators of friendly mutual trust, and to play an active role in returning China-U.S. relations to a healthy and stable development track. Noting the serious challenges facing the U.S.-China relations, the American representatives said that, as the two largest economies in the world interdependent with each other, the United States and China will bring more benefits to people of both countries and the world if they can manage well bilateral ties, reduce impediments and negative factors, and jointly tackle challenges of climate change, public health, food and energy security. U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation has brought tangible benefits to both sides, and the American business community is committed to long-term operation in China, they said. In the spirit of cooperation, the two sides should work in the right direction, continue to conduct constructive, multi-level and fruitful dialogues, build small steps into great achievements, enhance mutual trust and contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity, they said. WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather, and geopolitical conflicts have sent shock waves through the global food market, leading to sharp increases in the prices of major crops and causing food shortages in many parts of the world. The United Nations and the World Bank, among other international organizations, have warned of the severe consequences of the global food crisis, noting that the situation is going from bad to worse. Meanwhile, the United States, a major force behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict, is reaping the benefits of the global food crisis, as U.S. agricultural giants see their stocks go up and wealth grow, despite hundreds of millions suffering from food insecurity. WORSENING FOOD CRISIS Even before the COVID-19 pandemic reduced incomes and disrupted supply chains, chronic and acute hunger were on the rise due to factors including conflict and climate change, according to the World Bank. The disruption caused by the conflict in Ukraine has added to price pressures, with costs likely to remain high for the foreseeable future and expected to push millions of people into acute food insecurity, the World Bank noted. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has lifted food prices and hit the poorest the hardest, World Bank President David Malpass said in April, warning that the food crisis will last for months and probably into next year. Ukraine and Russia are both major grain exporters, and Russia is also a major fertilizer exporter. The escalating Ukraine crisis and Western sanctions against Russia have led to higher costs of grain, fertilizer and energy, which together resulted in higher food prices. "Because the cost of fertilizers has in some cases quadrupled, many farmers cannot afford them anymore, and that will be affecting the harvest this year and next year," Maximo Torero, UN Food and Agriculture Organization's chief economist, said earlier this month. "If the war continues, in 2022 and 2023 we could potentially have a food access problem coupled with a food availability problem, because Ukraine and Russia would significantly reduce their exports, including fertilizers. This is a situation we have to avoid," said Torero. "While needs are sky-high, resources have hit rock bottom," the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said in a recent statement, noting that it requires 24 billion U.S. dollars to reach 153 million people in 2022. Since 2019, the number of those facing acute food insecurity has soared from 135 million to 345 million, with a total of 50 million people in 45 countries "teetering on the edge of famine," according to the WFP. AMERICA TO BLAME The Russia-Ukraine conflict is without doubt a major contributor to the current global food crisis, and the United States, which poured oil on the flames in the conflict, is to blame. In the Western narrative, the Ukraine crisis is entirely caused by Russia. But analysts pointed out that the situation in Ukraine has evolved to where it is today because the United States has been squeezing Russia's strategic space to safeguard its own hegemony. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the United States and its allies have imposed rafts of sanctions on Russia, further disrupting the global supply chain that has already been crippled by the pandemic, and leading to a spike in global food and energy prices. In a fact sheet published in July, the U.S. Treasury Department attempted to clarify its sanctions policy on Russia, saying that Russian agricultural and medical products are not targets, while noting that it strongly supports UN efforts to alleviate global food shortages. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, said later in July that the U.S. promises to exempt Russian food supplies from sanctions had not been fulfilled. Russia, a major grain and fertilizer exporter, has been complaining that Western sanctions impeded its exports despite a UN-brokered deal. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for unimpeded access of Russian food and fertilizer to the global markets. REAPING ENORMOUS PROFITS A few countries, including the United States, have manipulated the global food trading system and made huge profits during times of crisis. In every global food crisis since the Second World War, the United States played a prominent role. The global food security issue has been consciously manipulated by the United States for pursuing its hegemony and making profits, Cihat Yayci, a retired Turkish admiral, told Xinhua, perceiving the United States as a mastermind of such speculations. According to an article from the Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health, consolidation in U.S. agriculture started in the 1950s, with the shift toward fewer and larger farms, pushing smaller farms out of business in the next few decades. U.S. government policies encouraged farmers to scale up their operations, prompting consolidation and market concentration, eventually realizing agricultural industrialization. With the support of a few large multinational enterprises in seed, fertilizer, grain processing, grain trade and beyond, the United States has secured its dominance of the global food system. Four big companies currently control the world's agriculture commodity trade -- ADM (The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company), Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, three of which are American. Monsanto, a U.S. agricultural giant, controls a big share of the global seeds market, leading to a strangle-hold on seed varieties, distribution and price. Stock prices of ADM and Bunge skyrocketed after the outbreak of Ukraine crisis. Even with ups and downs, ADM's stock price is still some 30 percent above its price at the start of the year. Cargill, a private company, has seen the wealth of its owners surge amid soaring commodity prices during the pandemic and Ukraine crisis. The company now counts 12 family members as billionaires, up from eight before the pandemic, according to a report published in May by Oxfam GB, a British charity organization. "It is morally indefensible that people in East Africa are dying of hunger while the fortunes of the world's super-rich are fuelled by skyrocketing food and energy prices," said Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB chief executive. Enditem (Xinhua Correspondent Wang Feng in Istanbul contributed to the report.) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Monday that the United States is not where it needs to be regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said that "the pandemic is over." In a talk with the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, Fauci said that much depends on how the country handles future virus variants. "How we respond and how we're prepared for the evolution of these variants is going to depend on us," Fauci was quoted by The Hill as saying. Fauci raised concerns that only 67 percent of the country was vaccinated and "only one-half of those have received a single boost." Fauci noted that more than 400 deaths in the country are reported daily due to COVID-19. Fauci's comments came a day after Biden declared "the pandemic is over" during an interview with CBS News that aired Sunday evening. "We still have a problem with COVID," Biden said. "We're still doing a lot of work on it...but the pandemic is over." Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez in New York, the United States, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Photo by Liao Pan/Xinhua) NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez here Monday, hailing the bilateral ties between Beijing and Havana while stressing the need for a stronger alignment of the two countries' development strategies. The meeting between the two diplomats came as they were both in New York attending the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Wang told Rodriguez that China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades and good brothers who trust each other and share a common destiny. Noting that the heads of state of the two countries have forged good friendship and maintained close communication, Wang said China is willing to work with Cuba to deepen the two countries' unity and cooperation, and consolidate and develop their special friendly relationship under the guidance of the consensus between the two leaders. Wang thanked the Cuban side for firmly supporting China in defending its core interests, saying China, likewise, also firmly supports Cuba in defending its sovereign independence, and firmly supports Cuba's faster development and revitalization. China is convinced that Cuba will continually make new and greater achievements along the path of building socialism. China and Cuba should further align their development strategies, Wang said, suggesting that the two countries steadily push forward cooperation related to pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative, expand cooperation in such fields as agriculture, tourism and renewable energy, and turn the high-level political mutual trust between the two countries into more results in practical cooperation. Rodriguez, for his part, wishes the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a full success. He thanked the Chinese side for the enduring support for Cuba's just cause, especially the solidarity shown and help provided when Cuba was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters. Cuba, the foreign minister said, is pleased with the deep friendship and political mutual trust that have been forged between the two countries' leaders. Havana supports the series of important proposals from the Chinese side, including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, he added. Cuba will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle and unwaveringly support China's stance on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, Rodriguez said, adding that his country opposes any and all politically motivated anti-China moves. Wang said the international situation right now is full of crises and chaos, but good prevails evil, unity is strength, and persistence leads to victory. China has full confidence in the bright prospect ahead for the progress of human society, and is willing to join hands with Cuba and other developing countries in strengthening solidarity and collaboration, upholding equality and justice, jointly tackling global challenges, and promoting common development and prosperity. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez (2nd L) in New York, the United States, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Solomon Islands' Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele in New York, the United States, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed the relations between China and Solomon Islands during a meeting on Tuesday with Jeremiah Manele, foreign minister of the Pacific island country. The meeting was arranged on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Wang told Manele that under the guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, fruitful outcomes have been yielded as a result of the all-round exchanges and cooperation between China and Solomon Islands over the past three years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, which has brought tangible benefits to the people of Solomon Islands. Political mutual trust between the two countries has been strengthening, and the foundation of bilateral relationship has become more consolidated, Wang said, adding that facts have shown that the decision to establish diplomatic relations between China and Solomon Islands is in full accord with the fundamental interests of Solomon Islands and its people. China, the state councilor said, appreciates the Solomon Islands government's effort to lead and unite its people, adhere to independence and self-determination, and firmly stick to its self-chosen path of development. China has always been Solomon Islands' trustworthy friend and will continue to support and help Solomon Islands where it can, and accelerate common development to realize the national rejuvenation of their respective countries, Wang said. The cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is an example of South-South cooperation, Wang said, noting that developing countries also have the right to development, and their people deserve to live happy lives. China has been actively pushing forward the cooperation with Pacific island countries, specifically building six cooperation platforms, which cover storage of emergency supplies, climate change, poverty relief and development, agricultural cooperation, disaster prevention and mitigation, and fungus and grass technology. Manele wished the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a full success, and thanked China, which has become Solomon Islands' largest development partner, for its support for Solomon Islands as the latter will host the 17th Pacific Games in 2023. He added that such support will help improve the country's infrastructure and change its national outlook. Manele reaffirmed Solomon Islands' commitment to developing relations with China, saying that his country has already signed an agreement with China on jointly pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative and will actively engage in the China-proposed Global Development Initiative. Solomon Islands, Manele said, looks forward to enhancing practical cooperation with China in various fields and pushing for greater advancement of bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in such areas as agriculture, policing, education and fishing, and promote projects such as the athletes' village for the Pacific Games as well as Solomon Islands' national hospital facilities. LAGOS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 300 people have been killed in separate flood-related incidents in Nigeria so far this year as heavy downpours continue to lash the country, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday. At a technical meeting on flooding on Monday in Abuja, the country's capital, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, director general of the NEMA, said a total of 29 states have experienced heavy flooding with more than 500,000 people already affected. According to the official, more than 100,000 others are displaced and living either in temporary shelters, including schools and other public buildings, or amongst benevolent host families. He told his audience some states in the northeast and central regions of the country are expected to record heavy floods due to predicted above-normal rains coupled with excess water spilling from major dams in the regions. "The situation requires urgent attention of all stakeholders to match this early warning with early action," Ahmed said, advising all affected states to move communities at risk of inundation to safe higher grounds, and prepare adequate stockpiles of food and non-food items to enable people to "have a fair level of comfort during periods of possible displacement." He added the agency is monitoring the situation and will consider the activation of emergency operation centers to coordinate the flood disaster response in all states at risk. SYDNEY, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Offenders in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) who refuse to provide information on the location of their victims' remains will be ineligible for parole under new laws. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Tuesday that the government's proposed bill would mean criminals must cooperate with investigators and disclose the location of remains for any chance of release on parole. "Being unable to locate a loved one's body is extremely distressing and traumatic for the families and friends of victims and it denies a victim the dignity of being laid to rest appropriately," Perrottet said. "These laws are to stop inmates convicted of murder or homicide offenses from getting parole unless they cooperate with police to end the torment of families and return to them the remains of their loved ones," he said. The law, which is still under proposal, will mean the State Parole Authority is obliged to refuse parole unless it receives written advice from the Commissioner of NSW Police Force as well as other relevant information to determine whether the offender has cooperated satisfactorily to identify a victim's location. The change in law is receiving much attention as it followed the high-profile case of Chris Dawson, who was convicted last month of murdering his wife, Lynette, over 40 years ago, with the body never found. Corrections minister Geoffrey Lee said the reforms are modeled on laws in other jurisdictions and would apply to all current and future inmates in NSW to capture convicted offenders who have not yet been considered for parole. "Any offender in prison coming up for parole should really think hard about maintaining their refusal to cooperate with police if they want to retain their prospects of getting parole," Lee said. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors per patient in Brunei's hospitals is no longer limited from Tuesday. Haji Mohd Isham, the country's health minister, said at the latest weekly briefing that two visitors are allowed at one time for a patient. Each visitor is required to show a negative antigen rapid test (ART) result for COVID-19 on the same day. Visitors are not allowed to visit patients in the holding ward or isolation ward. However, a caregiver may be allowed to be with the patient, depending on the assessment and suitability of the patient's condition. Children under the age of 12 years are also not allowed to visit. The health minister said Brunei saw a slight increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases last week, with a daily average of about 215 cases compared to 179 cases per day in the week before last week. A total of 46,728 ART test results were uploaded to the government platform within one week, with 3.2 percent of them being positive. Currently, no hospitalized cases are held in the intensive care unit and four cases still require assisted breathing. As of Sept. 19, 78.3 percent of Brunei's population have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while 10.3 percent have taken a fourth dose. The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and China's Sinopharm are those administered in the Southeast Asian country. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Pakistani soldier was killed in Pakistan's northwestern tribal district of North Waziristan as terrorists opened fire from the Afghan side of the border, the army said in a statement on Tuesday. The attack happened on Monday when the militants shot across the border, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement. The Pakistani "troops responded in a befitting manner," causing heavy casualties to the militants, the statement added. "Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan," said the statement. The ISPR said that the Pakistan Army is determined to defend the country's borders against the menace of terrorism. By Trend French Lagazetteaz.fr online newspaper published an article titled "Azerbaijan rejects Armenia's unfounded accusations before the UN Security Council, convened by France", Trend reports. The article says Azerbaijan resolutely denied Armenian representative's groundless allegations during the September 16 session, stating that these accusations testified to Armenia's unwillingness to fulfill its international obligations promoting peace, stability, and cooperation in the region. "It's ironic to see Armenia, which has occupied Azerbaijan's territories for 30 years and practiced ethnic cleansing, is now claiming principles that it continues to violate and appealing to the Security Council, whose resolutions the country refuses to implement, hoping that its impunity will last forever," the article cited Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Yashar Aliyev. By resorting to political and military provocations on the border, Armenia is trying to evade the application of the agreements signed between the two countries, impede the normalization of interstate relations, involve third parties in resolving bilateral issues, expand the tension area to support its territorial claims and revenge ideas. "Azerbaijan is a proponent of regional peace, stability, and development. Establishing neighborly relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the key to creating a secure, sustainable, and prosperous future in the South Caucasus through full-fledged normalization of relations," the article said. The article also covered that the border delimitation and demarcation, as well as the opening of transport communication through the activities of a bilateral commission, are two directions in the process of interstate normalization. In addition, the article stressed that it was Azerbaijan, which initiated the process of normalizing interstate ties with Armenia, based on mutual recognition and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, as well as signing a peace treaty based on these principles. BEIRUT, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The EU diplomat to Lebanon said here on Tuesday that the bloc is ready to support Lebanon on condition that the crisis-ridden country implements needed structural reforms, according to the Lebanese presidency. EU Ambassador Ralph Tarraf made the remarks in a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, with the attendance of ambassadors of Switzerland and Norway, to express their growing concern about the current situation in Lebanon. The bloc is ready to support Lebanon "politically and financially, in the context of implementing a sound economic recovery plan and an IMF program," Tarraf said. "We urged the president to do his utmost to support and actively contribute to implementing crucial economic, monetary, and fiscal reforms that Lebanon has committed to," he noted, stressing "now is the time" for Lebanon to implement measures it agreed with the International Monetary Fund, as detailed in a staff-level agreement between the two sides in early April. For his part, Aoun said Lebanon needs political and sovereign reform and structural changes in the system. "It is difficult to run a country governed by three different leaders, which is why we are witnessing this kind of constitutional chaos, especially that the newly elected MPs (parliament members) have divergent affiliations," he said. ANKARA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained 10 Islamic State (IS) suspects in security operations on Tuesday covering four provinces, the state-run TRT TV reported. Seven suspects residing in the central provinces of Ankara and the three others, all foreign nationals, in the provinces of Konya, Kayseri, and Gaziantep were caught in simultaneous police operations. Their identities were confirmed after the police in Ankara examined the images in the digital materials obtained from detained IS members and some online public-accessible images. The police said the suspects had carried out armed activities. A large number of digital materials and organizational documents were seized during the raids. The Turkish government designated the IS a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks in Turkiye since 2015. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Wang said that the world today is far from peace, as the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to end, and the Ukraine crisis was once again inflamed. Considering the China-U.S. relationship is now at a low ebb since the establishment of diplomatic ties, many people are concerned that the two countries are entering a new Cold War, he said. Against the current decline in certainties and the rise in uncertainties over the prospects of China-U.S. ties, Wang elucidated five "certainties" about China: First, the prospects of China's own development are certain, he said, noting that the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will plan and formulate the next development blueprint and goals of the country. The Chinese economy possesses enough scale and resilience. In China's endeavor to realize modernization, more than 1.4 billion people are striving toward common prosperity, which will provide more market and development opportunities for countries around the world, including the United States, he said. Second, China's resolution in reform and opening-up remains certain, Wang said, noting China will continue to deepen its reform, open wider to the world, establish a new system for higher-level openness, build an open world economy, and further promote economic globalization. Third, China's policy toward the United States is certain, Wang said. China and the United States have different systems, which are chosen by their own people, he said, adding that the two countries can neither substitute nor defeat one another. Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the United States; and U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly emphasized that the United States does not seek a new Cold War with China, that it does not aim to change China's system, that the revitalization of its alliance is not targeted at China, that the United States does not support "Taiwan independence" and that it has no intention to seek a conflict with China, Wang said. The key is that the United States should return to a rational and practical China policy at an early date, he said. Fourth, China's attitude of continuing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is certain, Wang said, adding that China welcomes the development of U.S. enterprises in China and will continue to provide a market-oriented, internationalized and legalized business environment. Wang noted that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation should do more addition instead of subtraction, join hands instead of letting go of each other's hands, and tear down walls instead of erecting walls. For their respective concerns, he added, the two sides should hold talks instead of confronting each other, negotiate instead of coercing each other. He urged the U.S. side to stop unilateral sanctions which do not conform to international law, and to stop engaging in small groups and cliques that exclude China. Fifth, China's willingness to carry out multilateral coordination with the United States is certain, Wang said. History has proven and will continue to prove that China-U.S. cooperation can accomplish many important tasks that are beneficial to both countries and the world. Therefore, the two sides should uphold the political foundation of bilateral relations, particularly earnestly abide by the one-China principle. Related: Chinese FM tells American representatives five certainties about China People gather in the Zocalo Square after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) MEXICO CITY, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook west-central Mexico on Monday, causing some structural damage on the anniversary of two previous major earthquakes in 1985 and 2017. One person was killed when a wall collapsed at a shopping center in Manzanillo, a beach resort in western Colima state, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, after receiving a report from the Naval Ministry. The president was in contact with governors of states most affected by the quake that hit at 1:05 p.m. local time (0605 GMT), notably Colima and Michoacan, though parts of the capital Mexico City were also jolted. According to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), 1.2 million people were once left without power in Mexico City, the neighboring State of Mexico, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. And electricity had already been restored to 68 percent of those affected. The National Seismological Service (SSN) originally reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 , but two hours later updated the magnitude to 7.7. According to the SSN, the epicenter was located 63 km south of Coalcoman, in Michoacan, with a depth of 15 km. By 3:20 p.m. local time (0820 GMT), the seismological service had registered 168 aftershocks with the largest magnitude of 5.3. The earthquake occurred shortly after an annual nationwide earthquake drill commemorating the devastating 1985 earthquake that claimed thousands of lives and toppled buildings throughout downtown Mexico City. It was also a repeat of the temblor in 2017, when a strong quake hit just minutes after a scheduled drill, killing hundreds. Millions of Mexicans across the country participated in the drills, evacuating high-rises in an orderly manner. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum tweeted, "fortunately there was no major damage" in the country's capital following Monday's quake. People gather in the Zocalo Square after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) Soldiers patrol after an earthquake in central Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) Members of the Mexican National Guard patrol in the Zocalo Square after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) A member of the Mexican National Civil Protection works after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) A rescuer is seen after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) People make calls after hearing an earthquake alarm in the Zocalo Square in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) A couple hugs each other after hearing an earthquake alarm in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) People move outside a building after hearing an earthquake alarm in Mexico City, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2022. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 shook Mexico on Monday, according to preliminary data, with further details unavailable at the moment. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo) BEIRUT: Iranian officials informed a Lebanese technical delegation in Tehran on Tuesday that Iran could provide 600,000 tonnes of fuel over the course of five months to Lebanon to help with its power shortage, according to Lebanese TV station al-Manar. If the fuel deal is approved, Iran would supply fuel directly to the Lebanese government for the first time after sending some to its ally Hezbollah, a powerful armed group that is a part of Lebanon's coalition government. Although Lebanon has experienced power outages for several years, the country's economic collapse in 2019 has depleted state coffers and slowed imports of fuel for government plants. Because of this, most homes in the country now receive only one or two hours of state-provided electricity per day, and the cost of private generator subscriptions has skyrocketed with fuel prices rising around the world. According to sources who spoke to Reuters without providing further details, Iran earlier this month "gifted" Lebanon fuel that met the requirements needed to power Lebanon's power plants. The Iranian embassy in Beirut announced on Monday that fuel ships could reach Lebanon in two weeks. According to local television station Al-Manar, Tehran had offered to supply 600,000 tonnes over a five-month period. The amount was confirmed by a power ministry source, who also said the deal would be completed the next day. A spokesman for the Energy Ministry told Reuters on Tuesday that "we have sent a technical delegation to Tehran and they are studying the details." Iran supplied fuel last year to Hezbollah, a group classified as a terrorist organization by the US and some other Western countries. In an effort to evade US sanctions on Iran's energy sector, that fuel was shipped to Syria and then to Lebanon by trucks. During the last year, the United States took no action. The US embassy declined to comment on Tuesday. Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly urged the Lebanese government to buy fuel from Iran to help with the country's energy crisis. Windfall tax on crude oil to cut from Rs 13,000 to Rs 10,500 p.t Petrol and diesel prices are going to be cheaper by Rs 3, know today's price? Petrol and diesel prices increased or decreased, know today's prices here United States: According to officials familiar with the situation, the Politico newspaper reported that the United States is considering the possibility of delivering 50 military aircraft to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in exchange for aid in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. According to the report, the agreement includes aircraft donated by the US that Afghan Air Force pilots fled the country for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan after the Taliban took control. One of the officials said it was intended to exchange a portion of the aircraft for a "deeper security relationship" with the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for border security and counter-terrorism. The US provided a variety of light attack aircraft and helicopters to the deposed Afghan government. The Taliban claims ownership of these planes and is demanding their return. Officials in Uzbekistan said in August that they had no intention of returning the US-owned plane to the Afghan side. In August 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, but they have been unable to contain the country's worsening economic, humanitarian and security crises. Thousands of Afghans have left the country for fear of the Taliban, widespread human rights abuses and the denial of freedom to women and girls. 'My dear friend, I'll not wish you on your birthday in advance because..,' why Putin said this? Pelosi denounces the "illegal" attacks on Armenia by Azerbaijan Putin urges "no further escalation" following clashes on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border that have claimed close to 100 lives Russia may be kicked out of UN thanks to Ukrainian activists 20 September, 01:04 PM Exclusive The flags of 193 UN member states fly in front of the entrance to the Palais des Nations in Geneva, where the institutions of this organization are located (Photo:Jean-Marc / UN Photo) Created to preserve peace, the United Nations has repeatedly seen its efforts to take important security decisions stymied by Russias Security Council veto. To put an end to this, the participants of the Kick Russia out of the UN initiative have set out to prove that Russia illegally appropriated membership of the international organization. In December 2016, when Russia decided to create a so-called joint group of troops in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia, the Ukrainian delegation repeatedly called on the UN Security Council to consider the situation in Georgia and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country within its internationally recognized borders. Video of day Taking advantage of its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia blocked this proposal. In March 2017, when sham voting took place in occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ukraine once again initiated discussions at the UN Security Council. Russias provocative actions are similar to its policy of militarization in the Crimea and its complete disregard for human rights on the Ukrainian peninsula, Volodymyr Yelchenko, the then Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, said at that meeting of the Security Council. Most of the member states of the Security Council condemned Russias aggressive policy and called on Moscow to stop its occupation of Georgian territories, but Russia again blocked the adoption of the statement confirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. Such decisions, as well as resolutions on the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces, require the consensus of the five permanent members of the Security Council the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, and Russia. But there are many examples of the latter (and China) abusing its veto rights, blocking consideration of issues and decision-making aimed at ensuring peace and guaranteeing security in the world. This has been the case with the wars in Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine. Due to the presence of such a member of the Security Council as the Russian Federation, this UN body is currently de facto non-working, says Serhiy Haidai, a political technologist who, together with his communication agency, undertook to ensure public support for the Kick Russia out of the UN initiative. Maksym Baryshnikov, a lawyer and one of the initiatives founders, goes as far as to describe the very membership of Russia in the Security Council illegal. Also, in his opinion, its termination will contribute not only to the effective work of the Security Council, but also to the earliest possible victory of Ukraine and the establishment of long-term sustainable peace. Two months ago, the initiative group founded by members of the Public Hub NGO, mainly lawyers, decided to seek consideration of the issue of the illegality of Russias presence in the United Nations and, as a result, the deprivation of its powers on the Security Council and other bodies of this organization. The main argument of the Kick Russia out of the UN group is not even that Russia is an aggressor country in the organization that is supposed to prevent wars, but that Russia has never gone through the statutory procedure of admission to the United Nations, and so is not a legal member. How Russia usurped the Soviet Unions place in the United Nations In April 1945, representatives of 50 countries gathered in the U.S. city of San Francisco, where for two months they drafted and eventually signed the UN Charter. This document announced the creation of the United Nations, a new international institution that would prevent another World War like the one the world had just experienced. Unlike Russia, Ukraine, at that time the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (UkrSSR), was one of 50 founding countries that signed the Charter. The document, which in fact became the constitution of the newly created organization, enshrined its key values: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity. As well as the procedure for accepting new members through the decision of the General Assembly based on the recommendation of the UN Security Council. In addition to the Ukrainian SSR, the founding countries also included the Byelorussian SSR and the Soviet Union itself. So, when the latter ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine and Belarus became independent states and simply changed their names in the register of UN members. But Russia declared itself not only the heir, as each of the former Soviet republics was recognized, but also the successor of the Soviet Union. And thus took its place in the UN and the Security Council. However, the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a legal entity, which Russia also recognized in some documents, Baryshnikov notes. So, if the Soviet Union does not have a continuation, then what could the successor countries be? What is also interesting, Baryshnikov continues, is that Russia is not mentioned in Article 23 of the UN Charter, which lists the states that are permanent members of the Security Council the Soviet Union is still listed there. But why did Russia take its place, and not another former republic of the Soviet Union? In response to this question, the Russians refer to the Almaty Declaration. In late 1991, the heads of states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (i.e. parts of those countries that were formed on the territory of the Soviet Union) gathered in Almaty, where Russia requested and received their support in its desire to take the place of the Soviet Union in the United Nations. After that, the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin wrote a corresponding letter to the then Secretary of the United Nations, in which he called on the organization to consider Russia as the legal successor of the Soviet Union. Based on this letter, the nameplate Soviet Union in the United Nations was replaced by Russia. Russia simply sat down in the chair of the Soviet Union and changed the nameplate with the tacit consent of other members, says Haidai. But in other, similar situations, the organization has insisted on going through the acceptance procedure, he noted. For example, when Yugoslavia fell apart, Serbia wanted to take its place in the United Nations, but it was forced to go through the procedure stipulated by the Charter. In the case of Czechoslovakia, both newly formed countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, were also accepted through a corresponding vote. What is more, while studying the documents regarding Russias entry into the United Nations in 1991, the members of the initiative group found a conclusion by the organizations legal advisor, who at that time said it was not possible for Russia to assume membership of the UN without going through the required procedures. Articles 3, 4 and 110 of the UN Charter establish three stages of such a procedure: an application by a country that is not waging an aggressive war or threatening it, with a request for membership, then a conclusion by the Security Council, and finally the vote of the General Assembly, says Baryshnikov. In addition, the parliament of a candidate state for joining the United Nations must ratify the Charter of the organization and send a letter of ratification to its secretariat. Russia hasnt fulfilled any of these conditions, the lawyer says. At the same time, membership in the United Nations is highly valued by Russia. Russians consider it as one of the three main pillars-guarantees of the security of the countrys existence, say Baryshnikov. He mentions the recent statement of Russias former president and deputy head of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who included Russias thousand-year history, its status as a nuclear power, and its place in the UN Security Council among such pillars. So, our effort to deprive Russia of this place will contribute to increasing Ukraines security, Baryshnikov says. Whats next In order to gain public support both in Ukraine and abroad, the initiative group created an international petition titled Kick Russia out of the UN! It contains a call to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to provide documentary evidence of the reasons for Russias membership in the UN. In the absence of such documents, we demand that Russias fictitious membership of the United Nations be terminated, the document reads. The petition has gathered almost 90,000 signatures in two months. The initiators of the group are aiming to collect one million. Such a number of people supporting the initiative is necessary to draw the attention of the world media to it, explains Haidai. This will help make the problem of the illegitimacy of Russias membership of the United Nations a matter of global discussion, and then it will be difficult for politicians of other countries to ignore it, he comments. In addition to collecting signatures for the petition, the initiative group is also working in other areas, for example, it is preparing a rally at UN headquarters in New York, where a general debate will take place on Sept. 20-26 within the next session of the General Assembly. On an ongoing basis, the members of the group establish contacts with the ministries of foreign affairs of the UN member states and have already sent their materials and proposals to more than 60 foreign agencies. They are also conducting a dialogue with academic circles in the United States and the United Kingdom to raise the issue of Russias membership of the United Nations for discussion among specialists in international law and international relations. Were trying to knock on every door we see and enter every hall, and theyre opening to us more and more often, says Baryshnikov. In addition, the Public Hub is in constant communication with Ukrainian authorities. On Aug. 23, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations officially appealed to the secretariat of the organization with a request to provide documents on the legality of Russias UN membership. This is a big step, since Ukraine has never taken such actions before, Haidai says. In addition, as far as we know, with this request, for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the procedure of non-confirmation of the credentials (of a member of the organization) has been initiated due the appeal of an individual country, Baryshnikov added. If the United Nations recognizes that Russias membership is illegal, the organizations next step is to strip the powers of the Russian delegation in the Security Council and the General Assembly, the lawyer says. There have already been such precedents in the history of the organization. For example, the long-term deprivation of the powers of the delegation of the South African Republic due to the policy of apartheid, says Baryshnikov. Later the United Nations can launch an operation to support peace and security, e.g. with the use of its own air forces on the territory of Ukraine. If there were no Russia in the Security Council, the United Nations could have taken measures from closing the skies over Ukraine up to (introducing) a military contingent, Haidai says. In addition, the issue of reparations will arise after Ukraines victory on the battlefield and the restoration of its state borders, and this issue should be decided by the United Nations, he added. But, if Russia remains in the organization, it will be impossible to make such a decision, he said. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Researchers are warning of the increasing presence of non-native plant species in Nepals mountains, a threat that may be growing with climate change Ageratina adenophora, also known as Mexican devil, Crofton weed or banmara, growing in India. The plant is native to Central America and is a common sight in Nepals hilly districts. Photo: Rupendra Rawat / Alamy When Pramod Bhattarai assumed his office as the chief conservation officer at Nepals Langtang National Park in November 2021, invasive species were not on his agenda. The growth of non-native plants had been a concern when he was stationed in Banke National Park in Nepals southern lowlands, where they were crowding out the native vegetation that feeds the parks protected animals. But having never heard reports of invasive species in Langtang, in the Nepali Himalayas, he was confident that the high-altitude park was not troubled by the problem. This assumption was shattered when Bhattarai found parts of the park invaded by non-native trees and bushes. Thanks to climate change, the vegetation, in general, is shifting upwards, and it is bringing invasive alien species such as banmara to compete with native grasses, Bhattarai tells The Third Pole. As a result, musk deer and Himalayan tahr [a large wild goat] in the park might soon face difficulties in finding food. Ageratina adenophora, a flowering plant known locally as banmara, is native to Mexico but now grows wild in many parts of the world. It is a concern for conservationists in Nepal because it spreads quickly and grows so densely that native plants are crowded out. It is also toxic to livestock and native mammals. Globally, invasive species have been identified as one of the top five drivers of biodiversity loss. Their impacts often involving out-competing or predating native species have been observed in different ecosystems across the world, from high mountains to wetlands and oceans. Consequently, stakeholders such as Bhattarai are calling for comprehensive research into the problem in Nepals highlands, and appropriate strategies to deal with it. The upward shift of invasive species Lantana camara, an invasive species native to Mexico, growing in Nepal. The species has been found in Nepals high-altitude protected areas, including Langtang and Shivapuri Nagarjun national parks. Photo: Perreten Ursula / Alamy Nepal has ample experience of the damage that invasive species can wreak on protected areas. Mikania micrantha, a species of a vine native to the Americas, has been found in Chitwan National Park in Nepals lowland Terai landscape since the 1990s. During the 2021 count of the parks flagship one-horned rhinos, 35% of rhino habitat was found to be invaded by Mikania, according to Babu Ram Lamichhane, the chief of the National Trust for Nature Conservation-Biodiversity Conservation Centre (NTNC-BCC). The fast-growing vine smothers the native plants which provide food for the rhinos, which has forced the animals to seek fodder outside the park, causing conflict with local communities. Maheshwar Dhakal, chief of Nepals federal Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, says that while lowland areas have been seriously impacted by invasive species, reports of the problem in Nepals high-altitude protected areas are still hypotheses for now. We need a detailed and comprehensive study to prioritise control measures there, he says. But Laxman Prasad Paudyal, the chief conservation officer of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, which spans 960-2,732m above sea level, echoes Bhattarai regarding the presence of invasive species in Nepals mountains. I have seen non-native species such as Lantana camara and Ageratina adenophora [banmara] while travelling around the park, says Paudyal. Native to tropical America, the shrub Lantana camara can form dense stands of vegetation that suppress native vegetation, and is toxic to livestock and wild mammals. Paudyal says the only reason the issue is not considered disastrous in the park is a lack of comprehensive research outlining the scale of the problem. Research efforts underway In the absence of government reports on invasive species in high-altitude areas, some academics have been working to fill the information gap. So far, research efforts have largely been focused on either a particular protected area or species. Examples of invasive plant species in Nepal Latin name Common name(s) Origin Major hotspots in Nepal Impact on native ecosystems Ageratina adenophora or Eupatorium adenophorum Mexican devil, Crofton weed, banmara (local name in Nepal) Central America Almost all areas of Nepal Forms dense stands which suppress the growth of other species through competition. Toxic to livestock. Lantana camara Common lantana, West Indian lantana Central and South America Southern plains and mid-altitude hills Outcompetes native plants in forests and along rivers. Toxic to livestock. Bidens pilosa Cobblers pegs, kuro (local name) Tropical Americas Between 100m and 3500m Forms dense stands which outcompete native plants and crops. Obstructs roads and trails. Parthenium hysterophorus Santa Maria feverfew, carrot grass, kanike, padke Central and South America Southern plains Invades and degrades the quality of pasture. Produces chemicals that reduce agricultural productivity. Toxic, and can cause health problems in humans and animals including contact dermatitis and asthma. Mikania micrantha Bitter vine, American rope, mile-a-minute North, Central and South America Eastern and central Nepal Grows very fast, smothering native plants, including trees and grasses. Source: Invasive Plants of Nepal A team led by Dipak Khadka, a researcher at Kathmandus GoldenGate International College, conducted a survey in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in 2018. At altitudes between 1,400 and 2,100 metres, they recorded nine invasive plants species, including Ageratina adenophora, Lantana camara and Bidens pilosa. They have affected the protected fauna by destroying their food, Khadka says. For example, to protect leopards, you need to protect deer or other similar herbivores. [These, in turn] need enough grassland and bushes, but they are [displaced] by [invasive] plants. These species are less palatable to the parks wild herbivores. Khadkas team conducted a follow-up survey in the national park in June 2022, the results of which are yet to be published. But, he says the survey showed that the presence of invasive species such as Lantana camara and Bidens pilosa is on the rise there. Its high time they started some control measures. Invasive species Parthenium hysterophorus, native to tropical America, growing in the hills of Surkhet in western Nepal. Photo: Bharat Babu Shrestha Seerjana Maharjan, a scientist at the governments Department of Plant Resources, studies Parthenium hysterophorus, a flowering plant native to South America which can have significant negative impacts on agriculture. Maharjan has forecast an alarming growth of the invasive species in three protected areas in Nepals hilly regions: Langtang National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area and Manaslu Conservation Area. Whereas the Terai, the lowland region, has been found most suitable for the plant now, the suitability will gradually shift to Siwalik [highlands between 120-1,800m], mid-mountain and high-mountain regions in the future, all thanks to climate change, Maharjan tells The Third Pole. Maharjan is concerned that the species impact goes beyond the competition with native plants. They also decrease the soils fertility for local agricultural produce, [an impact that] lasts much longer. Further, their pollens cause allergy and other health issues among people and animals living in the area. Another team of researchers from Nepal and the United States has studied the possible growth of Ageratina adenophora in the same Chitwan-Annapurna landscape region and came to similar conclusions in a 2020 paper. All protected areas and three physiographic regions (Siwaliks, High Mountain, High Himalaya) are likely to gain climatically suitable areas in future climate scenarios. The upper elevational distribution limit of the weed is expected to expand by 31-48m in future climate scenarios, suggesting that the weed will colonise additional areas at higher elevations in the future, the paper reads. Vulnerable protected areas Protected areas in Nepal Map by The Third Pole Bharat Babu Shrestha, a botanist at Tribhuvan University, warns that Nepals high-altitude protected areas are being left vulnerable to spreading invasive species. A recent study co-authored by Shrestha, which drew on published literature and first-person experience, found at least one invasive species in 15 out of 19 protected areas in Nepal, 12 of which were high-altitude. The study emphasises the lack of research in mountain areas, stating: There was no study on invasive species in the Ramsar sites [important wetlands] located in the High Mountains (Gosainkunda, Gokyo, Rara and Phoksundo lakes). Protected areas in Nepal [with their] rich biodiversity are no longer protected from invasive species, says Shrestha. The buffering capacity of protected areas has become weaker thanks to these very species, and it has an impact not only on the environment but also on tourism we have seen how the growth of Mikania micrantha meant the loss of rhino habitat in Chitwan. But so far, dedicated programmes to control invasive species have been focused only on national parks such as Chitwan and Shuklaphanta in the lowlands. These are run by the government in association with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and have included manually cutting Mikania micrantha, and releasing beetles to destroy Parthenium hysterophorus. Shrestha feels that authorities should act now to control invasive plants in Nepals mountains before the problem becomes as severe as in the southern lowlands. Controlling measures are more effective when you apply them in early stages, he says. Its the right time for authorities to shift their focus northwards. Maheshwar Dhakal, who became chief of the federal Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in August, says controlling invasive species will be a priority during his term. But, without a comprehensive study of the problem in northern regions, he could not comment on what has to be done there. We need to study the nature and extent of the invasion of individual species in individual protected areas before that; research will also be our priority from now onwards, Dhakal says. Researchers agree that more research is key. There is a lack of comprehensive knowledge of biological invasions drivers to the protected areas, dispersal pathways, and ecological impacts of the invasive alien plant species, concludes the study co-authored by Shrestha. Further research on the above topics, together with regular monitoring and survey of the invasive alien species in each protected area, can generate data and knowledge required for the authorities management decisions. This story first appeared on The Third Pole and Onlinekhabar is republishing it under the Creative Commons licence. Home Politics Heres why Nepal opposition leader KP Sharma Oli is unpopular among indigenous people in his constituency File: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in his home district, Jhapa Near the dense Geuriya forest of Kamal rural municipality ward 5 in southeastern Nepal, there was a burial ground of local indigenous people. After the Armed Police Force settled its battalion on its northern side in 2002, several efforts were made to remove this. But, the locals were against it as the place was linked to their existence. Back then as well, the locals did not want the police to stay there but due to the insurgency, they were compelled to remain silent. The burial ground of indigenous people started shrinking after police began living there. In 2009, the then head of the battalion, Ganesh Thada Magar proposed to build a stadium dedicated to the indigenous people on the burial ground. Over a decade down the line, the stadium has become a headache for Nepals opposition leader KP Sharma Oli. Here, we explain why. The history of Indigenous Peoples Stadium Indigenous Peoples Stadium of Jhapa. Photo: Chandra Bahadur Ale Then, stakeholders, family members of the buried individuals, local leaders, and government authorities discussed the proposal through several meetings over four months. Finally, they had an agreement to name the stadium Adivasi Janajati Rangasala (Indigenous Peoples Stadium), which would be under the control of indigenous people. The head of the Damak Area Administration Office, local bureaucrats of Topgachi and Lakhanpur, and representatives of political parties and indigenous people, all signed the agreement. Afterwards, in the fiscal year 2010/2011, sitting finance minister Surendra Pandey allocated the budget of Rs 10 million for building the stadium. The contract to build the stadium was taken by the APF itself. According to the agreement, 845 bones from the burial site were gathered in one place and a pillar was built there to honour the indigenous people. But, in the fiscal year 2011/2012, the budget for the stadium was not allocated. Again in the fiscal year 2012/2013, Rs 10.5 million was allocated. With that budget, the works of building parapets and fencing started but could not take complete shape. Until 2014, due to irregularities in budget allocation and work, the Indigenous Peoples Stadium did not receive any priority. The Oli connection CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli. Photo: Chandra Bahadur Ale But in 2015, after KP Sharma Oli was appointed as the prime minister, the stadium was renamed Madan Bhandari Stadium after the late CPN-UML leader. Afterwards, the budget for the stadium was allocated regularly. Although the allocation of budget for the stadium was regular, the development did not address the identity of the local indigenous people. Thats why we posed obstruction, says Dipen Bala Rai, the general secretary at Indigenous Stadium and Memorial Academy. Following that, KP Sharma Oli shifted the project to build an indigenous peoples stadium to Damak-3 in his hometown. Although the stadium is shifted to Olis hometown, nothing has been done there. The current government is also ignoring the project. After the formation of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government, the locals even went to Kathmandu, asking to allocate the budget for the stadium. But, the federal government remained indifferent to the stranded Indigenous Peoples Stadium. The costly move Indigenous Peoples Stadium of Jhapa. Photo: Chandra Bahadur Ale In the recently held local elections, KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML could not secure its seats in Kamal rural municipality, a place where the majority of voters are from indigenous communities. The main reason behind it was the stadium project that is in limbo. Due to the same issue, Oli can also face tough times in the upcoming parliamentary elections, says Rai. From changing the name of Phalgunanda Hall of Damak to politicising the Indigenous Peoples Stadium, the leadership of CPN-UML has been attacking us. Its a humiliation against our ancestors, he adds. Meanwhile, the UML claims that the name of the stadium was changed with the consent of locals, but later, Nepali Congress politicised the issue. After the continuous protest, party chairman Oli convinced everyone regarding renaming the stadium and building another Indigenous Peoples Museum on 6.69 acres of land, says Hom Bahadur Thapa, a UML leader. According to him, the Nepali Congress made the matter political agenda after finding some indigenous communities against the stadium. With an expectation to get financial aid from a donor agency, the stadium was renamed after Madan Bhandari, he says. But, Rai is not satisfied with this argument. If naming the stadium after Madan Bhandari can garner financial support, why cant it happen with the name Indigenous Peoples Stadium? It clearly shows that they are not with the indigenous community, says Rai. Even many local leaders of that UML accept that their party has been unable to understand the sentiments of the public. We even had a neutral name. If the stadium was renamed Madan Bhandari Indigenous Peoples Stadium, things would have been different, says one leader of the CPN-UML. This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length. Photo: Pixabay Let us consider that a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl developed an affection for each other. After a year, they have a consensual sexual relationship. Now, the question here isis it statutory rape? If yes, who is to be blamed, the minor boy or the minor girl? Then, who is the culprit? According to section 219 of Muluki Criminal Code, 2017, the boy has committed statutory rape against the girl who is now 16 years of age, two years shy of the age of consent even though they might have been involved in a consensual romantic relationship or even though, the sexual engagement was the result of their curiosity. According to the code, the boy, after conviction, is likely to be sent to a juvenile correction home and after he attains the age of maturity, to jail. Considering the structure and traits of our society, he is more likely to be given the label of a sexual offender that would haunt him for the rest of his life. This is just because the age of consent in Nepal is 18 years. But, if there had been the Romeo and Juliet Law in existence, this problem could have been solved quite easily. Nepals rape law vs Romeo and Juliet Law File image The law in Nepal does not regard the consent of a girl below 18 years as valid because it is presumed that such minors lack the cognitive capacity to effectively guard against the manipulation by adults, and hence are incapable of consenting willingly. The minors are vulnerable to exploitation because their conscience is yet to fully develop. Therefore, the state must protect her. On the one hand, this assumption is true to its fullest; on the other hand, it is equally important for the nation to protect the adolescent male from being convicted and labelled as a sex offender in event of romantic involvement with a close-in-age female as allowed by the Romeo and Juliet Law. The lawmakers increased the age of consent in 2017 without considering that even a minor boy can be a victim in the case of romantic sexual engagement who unreasonably is to be considered a delinquent and now, they (the lawmakers) are disinterested in making an amendment to address the gap in the law. Due to the upscaled age of consent, which was 16 prior to 2017, the number of prisoners convicted in rape cases has skyrocketed. The report of the Department of Prison Management shows more than 27 per cent of the total prisoners are convicts of statutory rape and the figure does not seem to fall down any sooner. One of the key reasons behind these numbers is the conviction of minors in romantic sexual engagement. In fact, many law scholars predict that the upscaled age of consent in a society like ours where the culture of marrying at a young age has not been phased out completely and where increased cases of eloping at a young age are prevalent is likely to cause a hype in adolescent conviction in rape. The prediction cannot be denied also because society is rapidly changing. Teenagers are exposed to the internet, and developed technologies and frequent interactions with these have exposed them to the temptation of curiosity and experimentation. All these facts directly or indirectly have contributed to the increased conviction of teenagers in statutory rape. The convictions of teenagers in rape when the boy and girl have engaged in consensual romantic relations adversely affect the teenagers whole life. Thus, not only the state fails to dispense justice, it scars such teenagers for life. Lets not mention the financial burden that the state has to bear to manage the penitentiary. There is where Nepal needs the Romeo and Juliet Law. The need for reform Photo for representation only This should not be construed that it has been suggested to lower the age of consent nor does it suggest providing amnesty to rapists. The statutory requirement of the age of consent is just fine and yes, the offenders of statutory rape must be incarcerated. However, the time demands reform to address the gap in the law. The introduction of the Romeo and Juliet Law in section 219 of the Muluki Criminal Code can be the solution. The Romeo and Juliet Law is an exceptional clause that provides some degree of protection to the offenders of the statutory rape laws where the minor has consented to sexual intercourse and where the age difference between the minor and the alleged offender is small. It can also be understood as a clause that protects teenagers who are close in age from facing sex crime charges and convictions when they have consensual sex even when one or both teens are below the legal age of consent. Many states in the US have adopted the Romeo and Juliet Law as a reform of the age of consent in statutory rape. For instance, the Texas Romeo and Juliet Law provides protection to the alleged teenager if he is no more than three years older than the alleged survivor, who is at least 14 years old at the time of their sexual relationship. It is worth mentioning that even Indian courts have acknowledged the Romeo and Juliet Law such as in the case of Vijaylakshmi & Anr vs State (Crl O P(MD) No 3775 of 2012 (Mad HC) (India). Many countries around the world have acknowledged this gap in their statutory rape law and have already started to take action for reform. It is high time that Nepal also introduced the Romeo and Juliet Law to address the gap in the existing rape law. If not, Nepal must start to build Jails to incarcerate the future of the nation. By Trend A total of 282 servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan received various degrees of injuries while suppressing large-scale provocations of the Armenian troops on September 12-14, Trend reports. The Trend film crew visited the military hospital and talked to the wounded servicemen. "On September 12, the Armenian armed forces units committed provocations along the border with Azerbaijan. Our military unit, being on full alert, gave a worthy response to the enemy's provocation. Following the Presidential Order, the servicemen are provided with special care and attention. I will continue my service after recovering from the injuries, said Ilknur Aliyev, who was wounded following the Armenian provocation. Ali Aslanov, another wounded soldier, pointed out Azerbaijani Army's superiority on the battlefield, while soldier Talat Nasirov expressed his preparedness to defend the motherland. "Armenia's military bases were destroyed as a result of our army's brilliant retaliatory operation. After recovery, I will return to service to defend the motherland. Doctors are doing everything necessary for us to recover," he said. Amrah Aliyev, who got also injured during the recent Azerbaijan-Armenia border clashes, noted that he continued to fight despite his injuries. "We all were focused on crushing the enemy, and we did it," he stressed. Lieutenant Colonel of the Medical Service of the Main Clinical Hospital of the Armed Forces Salahaddin Tahmazov told Trend that the medical condition of the wounded is improving. Some of the servicemen underwent successful surgical treatment, while some soldiers with mild injuries have already returned to duty. The Ministry of Defense told Trend that the medical care for Azerbaijani servicemen is always at a high level. Modern equipment and highly professional medical personnel allows the full provision of the necessary medical care to the wounded. Institute will be first nationwide with advancing health equity as founding priority PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Efforts to make New Jersey a healthier, more equitable state took a major step forward today with the announcement that Acenda Integrated Health will serve as the "incubator" organization to launch the state's first public health institute. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded a two-year, $1 million grant to Acenda, a statewide nonprofit organization based in Glassboro, to serve as administrative, operational, and strategic home for the development of New Jersey's public health institute, the first nationwide with a mission to advance health equity. Today, 33 states are served by a public health institute; New Jersey's would be the first to have advancing health equity as a founding priority. "This is a remarkable development in the effort to establish a public health institute in New Jersey," said Maisha Simmons, RWJF director of New Jersey grantmaking. "A lot of dedicated advocates across the state worked hard for this moment to arrive. RWJF is proud to be a partner in helping all people in our home state live their healthiest life possible." "Acenda looks forward to working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and New Jersey's health leadership to incubate an innovative and impactful public health institute that leads the nation in its focus on health equity," said Melissa Fox, Acenda's chief operating officer. The institute will promote collaboration and enhance capacity in New Jersey, where public health infrastructure and systems are strained by a lack of funding and capacity. It will play a key role in a reimagined public health system in the state, as recommended by a report released in March by RWJF, the Nicholson Foundation and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), with the New Jersey Department of Health. The report capped a 10-month planning process that engaged a wide range of key stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, and the faith community. The report found "two striking situations underscore the need for a public health institute in New Jersey: the state's racial and ethnic inequities in health outcomes and underinvestment in the state's public health infrastructure." Both issues were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and must be addressed in the public health institute's development, the report stated. Story continues "We look forward to continuing to explore how a public health institute will build upon New Jersey's progress in advancing health equity and innovations, helping to reduce New Jersey's health disparities and addressing social determinants of health," said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. "A statewide convener that brings together multi-sector stakeholders around public health is essential to effectively address prevalent public health issues and truly achieve collective impact," said Manuel Castaneda, community health director at New Brunswick Tomorrow. "I look forward to seeing Acenda Integrated Health fill the incubator role that will lead to the launch of New Jersey's first public health institute." Acenda received the RWJF grant after a competitive proposal process. Among the organization's strengths are its experience with advancing racial equity, focus on racial justice, extensive work with communities of color, and financial capability. Acenda is committed to reducing health disparities through a variety of public health-related initiatives, including reducing black infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. In many other states, institutes have successfully used an incubator organization to support their administrative and financial needs as they develop. The incubator's top priorities will include recruiting a diverse, multisector Board of Trustees to provide strategic guidance and oversight of the institute's development, including hiring an executive director. The NNPHI will provide mentorship and ongoing guidance on strategic development, building partnerships, governance and other topics, as needed. "The National Network of Public Health Institutes welcomes Acenda Integrated Health as incubator of a New Jersey public health institute," said Erin Marziale, NNPHI Senior Director of Network Engagement. "Incubators are a best practice that enables emerging institutes to hit the ground running and demonstrate value quickly to key stakeholders, including historically-marginalized communities. As technical assistance and connectivity providers for public health institutes across the country, NNPHI looks forward to helping build a strong foundation for New Jersey's efforts." New Jersey's public health infrastructure and system have been strained for decades by lack of funding, insufficient coordination across health and related sectors, and the impact of social and economic determinants of health on New Jersey's residents. New Jersey ranks 31st in the U.S. in state funding for public health, according to the Trust for America's Health. A report from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University found that New Jersey has the lowest median per capita state appropriation for public health among states examined in the report and only half the public health workforce per capita as neighboring Connecticut, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The March report co-produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation identified four potential roles for a public health institute in New Jersey: Collaborate within communities to advance health equity through authentic relationships and support capacity building, using a social justice framework Function as an assertive, responsive, nimble fiscal and administrative entity to support public health initiatives and health equity Serve as a community-driven, trusted, and independent convener that leads the administrative, operational, and strategic efforts in the development of a public health institute Support and use an accessible, easy-to-use, modern data infrastructure About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. About Acenda Integrated Health Acenda Integrated Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to industry-leading prevention, treatment and wellness services compassionately delivered to ensure that every individual, family and community achieves their greatest potential. Acenda is at the forefront of innovative community-based services, providing over 100 health and social service programs throughout New Jersey. For more information, visit www.acendahealth.org. Follow Acenda on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acenda-awarded-1-million-grant-by-robert-wood-johnson-foundation-to-launch-new-jerseys-first-public-health-institute-301628723.html SOURCE Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Reuters) -American Airlines Inc on Tuesday confirmed a data breach and said while an "unauthorized actor" gained access to personal information of a small number of customers and employees through a phishing campaign, there was no evidence of data misuse. Shares of the carrier, the latest U.S. company to suffer a cyber attack, fell 2.6% in afternoon trade. Recently, Uber Technologies Inc and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc also disclosed similar breaches, leaving investors and customers worried about data security. "We are also currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future," the airline said on Tuesday. It discovered the breach in July and engaged a third party cybersecurity forensic firm to conduct an investigation to determine the nature and the scope of the incident, according to a Sept. 16 consumer notification letter. American Airlines has notified customers that personal information such as address, phone number, driver's license number, passport number and/or certain medical information may have been accessed by the hacker, the letter showed. "We regret that this incident occurred and take the security of your personal information very seriously," Chief Privacy and Data Protection Officer Russell Hubbard said in the letter. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shinjini Ganguli) SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global AI in retail market size is anticipated to reach USD 40.74 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 23.9% from 2022 to 2030, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The rising prominence of advanced technologies, such as chatbots and voice recognition programs, has furthered the growth potential. Moreover, the emerging online retail sales, increasing focus of retailers on improving customers' shopping experience, rising reliance on digital marketing, and growing investments in AI, accompanied by supportive government regulations, are the crucial factors contributing to the progress of the industry worldwide. Grand View Research Logo Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report: The chatbots segment is projected to advance at the fastest CAGR of 30.0% from 2022 to 2030, owing to the rising prominence of advanced technologies, such as voice recognition programs. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) segment held the largest revenue share in 2021, due to surging demand to boost customer retention and return on investments. CRM will also gain traction due to seamless communication, social media integration, and data collection for retail businesses. Natural language processing (NLP) will grow with an uptick in data analysis and the trend of mobile interfaces and touchscreens. For instance, NLP will remain instrumental in sentiment analysis to analyze customer messages, call center interactions, online reviews, and social media posts. Asia Pacific will contribute significantly to the global market growth during the assessment period. The growth outlook is mainly due to investment in cutting-edge technologies to streamline the supply chain. Read 145 page full market research report for more Insights, "AI In Retail Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Technology (Chatbots, Natural Language Processing), By Sales Channel, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. AI In Retail Market Growth & Trends AI algorithms play a pivotal role in assessing a considerable amount of data collated from consumers' online behavior. Moreover, AI-driven image and video analytics have become trendier to help filter out and classify images and less important visual content, expediting investments across developed and developing economies. Story continues Adopting AI in retail helps provide better outcomes and engage customers in the virtual world, which is expected to increase demand for AI in retail in the coming years. For instance, in January 2021, Google LLC launched Product Discovery Solutions for Retail. This product is a suite of services created to improve retailers' e-commerce potential and aid them in delivering personalized consumer experiences. The image and video analytics segment is poised to gain a significant share in the AI in retail market during the assessment period, partly due to the growing prominence of in-store promotional strategies and image search. To illustrate, eBay uses AI to streamline image searches, enhance buyer-seller trust, and boost shipping and delivery times. Meanwhile, Amazon prioritizes AI to expand visual search and facial recognition, among others. Stakeholders anticipate the virtual assistant segment to contribute significantly to the global market. The trend is mainly attributed to the growing prominence of voice-powered search queries and personalized shopping experiences. Prominently, intelligent virtual assistants have reshaped the industry dynamics, helping retailers handle customer queries seamlessly. Major players in the market are consistently investing in advanced technologies and introducing customer targeting and tailored solutions to stay ahead of the competition. For instance, in August 2020, Kenco, a company that provides logistics services based in the U.S., launched DaVinci AI to create predictive insights, boosting supply chain and prescriptive actions. AI In Retail Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global AI in retail market based on component, technology, sales channel, application, and region: AI In Retail Market - Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Solution Services AI In Retail Market - Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Machine Learning Natural Language Processing Chatbots Image and Video Analytics Swarm Intelligence AI In Retail Market - Sales Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Omnichannel Brick and Mortar Pure-play Online Retailers AI In Retail Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Supply Chain and Logistics Inventory Management Product Optimization In-Store Navigation Payment and Pricing Analytics Virtual Assistant AI In Retail Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East and Africa List of Key Players in the AI In Retail Market NVIDIA Corporation Microsoft Corporation Google LLC IBM Corporation SAP SE Oracle Corporation Sentient technologies Intel Corporation Salesforce, Inc. Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: AI In Asset Management Market - The global AI in asset management market size is expected to reach USD 13.43 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 37.1% from 2020 to 2027. Artificial intelligence in asset management refers to the automation of IT assets lifecycles with intuitive workflows and making informed decisions about asset vendors and capacity. Asset and wealth management firms are exploring potential artificial intelligence-based solutions to improve their investment decisions and extract insights out of their historical data. The current landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in asset and investment management includes the management of digital assets and physical assets and investment advisory consumer applications. For instance, The Vanguard Group, Inc., a U.S.-based investment firm, offers the PAS (Personal Advisor Services), which runs on automated algorithms and can potentially prompt customers with investments-related advisories with insights from human advisors. AI In Education Market - The global AI in education market size is expected to reach USD 32.27 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 36.0% from 2022 to 2030. Digitalization and technological advancement are innovating industrial sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, education, and banking and finance. The education sector is no exception when it comes to the impact of AI integration on growth. Rapid implementation of innovative technologies such as AI in education is developing the teaching and learning experiences. AI In Media & Entertainment Market - The global AI in media & entertainment market size is expected to reach USD 99.48 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 26.9% from 2022 to 2030. The increasing popularity of virtual creation in the media and entertainment business, and its ability to create high-definition graphics and real-time virtual worlds, are driving the market forward. Artificial intelligence(AI) is helping media companies to leverage these benefits by enhancing content management across various phases in the workflow of content processes, including smart content analysis and categorization, automatic image tagging, scalable personalization and predictions, time-saving content creation assistance, and text intelligence and analysis, and voice-controlled platforms. Browse through Grand View Research's Next Generation Technologies 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: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Astra ESG Solutions Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-retail-market-to-hit-40-74-billion-by-2030-grand-view-research-inc-301628201.html SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Work boots market demand analysis defines that the North America is anticipated to hold a market share of 25.0% in 2022. Global market research report on work boots records the Asia Pacific region as the fastest growing region in the market. The promising CAGR of 7.3% (2022-2032) is attributed to the governments in China and India investing huge amounts of capital NEWARK, Del, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a latest report by FMI, the global the work boots market is anticipated to observe growth at a CAGR of 9.2% and is likely to touch a valuation of USD 26.5 bn by 2032, while it holds a revenue of USD 11.03 Bn in 2022 Government schemes to help industry recover from the damage done by the covid-19's spread. These schemes involve subsidies on the raw materials and government promotions of the local small businesses for the revival. Government compliances and private space raising the security standards for their workers along with new boot material and technology strive the growth for the work boots market. Rapid industrialization, government initiatives and latest sole technology collectively grabs traction for the work boots market, fueling the sales of work boots in new regions. Growth prospects of the market with the increasing industries in the multiple regions with the scope of future around the latest technology. New technology like sensory and material-based technology is anticipated to fuel the sales of work boots. Request a Report Sample to Gain Comprehensive Insights@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-15578 Key Takeaways from Market Study The work boots market is expected to increase with a market share of 25.0% in North America. Europe is expected to account for 22.89% market share during the assessment year. Based on material, the leather segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period of 2022 and 2032. The growth prospects are attributed to non-conductivity that protects from fatal electric shocks, protection against punctures, falling objects, burns, cutting hazards, and extreme weather condition. Construction segment has the highest market share in the work boots market in the application category, holding a market share of 4.95% by 2027. The higher growth is there because these shoes comes with qualities like impermeable, resistant to casting oils, concrete & fuels, no resistance loss, water resistance, and protection against chemicals Story continues The latest sensor technology, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and mixed material for better grip are some elements used in the new boots. These boots and their success is going to define the future prospects for the work boots market. The companies are now working on producing industry-specific boots such as factory smart boots, outdoor work boots, and healthcare smart boots. Researchers and boot makers have developed smart boots for the healthcare industry. says a Future Market Insights analyst. For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-15578 Work boots Market by Category By Material, Work Boots Market is Segmented as: Leather Rubber Plastic Waterproof Polyurethane By Product, Work Boots Market is Segmented as: Shoes Boots By Application, Work Boots Market is Segmented as: Construction, Manufacturing Oil & Gas Chemicals Transport Mining Food Pharmaceutical By Region, Work boots Market is Segmented as: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia Oceania MEA Competitive Landscape A new market research report on work boots states that as market rec recovers from the course of the pandemic, government and private players are investing in the industries to enhance its productivity and transform its workings. Therefore, higher adoption of industry worker gear is pushing the key player to make the boots more reliable, strong, and comforting. Timberland Pro has introduced its new set of waterproof work boot that comes in different toe styles such as steel and composite toe. These are electrical hazard protection and blood-borne pathogen resistance. These boots have revolutionized the boot industry and have pushed the sales of work boots around the industrial spaces. Indian company, Black Diamond Safety has introduced its safety shoes for the factory workers around the nation. The USP is the aggressive pricing of these shoes while not compromising with the safety checks available. DKMILY DRY introduced its waterproof safety boots for men that comes in steel tow variants and are slip resistant, static dissipative and can be used on any construction site as the company claims them to be indestructible. SureWerx, a leading global manufacturer of safety, tool & equipment products, announced recently that it has acquired MEGA Comfort International Inc. This will expand its sales and distribution channel for better sales. Click on the Below Link to Buy this Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/15578 Table of Content 1. Executive Summary 1.1. Global Market Outlook 1.2. Demand-side Trends 1.3. Supply-side Trends 1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis 1.5. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Market Background 3.1. Market Dynamics 3.1.1. Drivers 3.1.2. Restraints 3.1.3. Opportunity 3.1.4. Trends 3.2. Scenario Forecast 3.2.1. Demand in Optimistic Scenario 3.2.2. Demand in Likely Scenario 3.2.3. Demand in Conservative Scenario 3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis 3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis 3.5. Supply Chain Analysis Read More TOC Have a Look at Related Research Reports of Consumer Product Insights Snow Boots for Women Market Size: The global snow boots for women market is anticipated to strengthen its roots at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2022-2032, while it is forecasted to reach a value of USD 1.15 Bn by the year 2032. It is currently valued at USD 848.7 Mn in 2022. Duck Boots Market Type: The global duck boots market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 7.9% between 2022-2032, while it is anticipated to reach a value of USD 299.5 Mn by the year 2032 Cotton Candy Maker Market Share: In 2022, the global cotton candy maker market is valued at US$ 107.2 Billion. The market is anticipated to reach nearly US$ 169.3 Billion by 2032, with a growing CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2032. Hangers Market Forecast: The global hangers market size is expected to be valued at US$ 483.4 Million in 2022 Refurbished Sneaker Market Sale: The global refurbished sneaker holds a market value of US$ 180 Million in 2022, is anticipated to accumulate a market value of US$ 407 Million by 2032 About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com (Bloomberg) -- Chinese crypto billionaire Jihan Wu is expanding into the physical asset space. Most Read from Bloomberg Wus Bitdeer Technologies Holding Co. spent S$40 million ($28.4 million) buying Le Freeport, a maximum-security vault in Singapore, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because the transaction was private. Dubbed Asias Fort Knox, Wu acquired the repository for fine art, precious gems, and gold and silver bars, from shareholders led by Swiss art dealer and founder Yves Bouvier, the people said. A representative for Bouvier declined to comment. Wu confirmed the transaction in a text message in response to queries from Bloomberg News. The purchase took place in July, according to records with the accounting regulator. Wus acquisition ends years of Bouviers troubled attempts to sell Freeport which is located near Changi Airport. Wu is considered one of the most influential people in cryptocurrency markets, having co-founded the worlds largest miner Bitmain Technologies Ltd. Wu, who has long-term residency in Singapore, relinquished control of the Beijing-based company early last year. Fully Committed The price Wu paid represents a sharp discount to the S$100 million it cost to build the facility. Freeport opened in 2010 to fanfare as part of Singapores push to lure luxury collectors, wealth managers and bullion-trading banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UBS Group AG. The low, flat building was designed by Swiss architects Benedicte Montant and Carmelo Stendardo and includes energy-saving features such as thermal insulation and vegetation-covered walls to help maintain the precise temperatures and humidity levels inside. A 38 meter-long sculpture of polished steel by Israeli artist Ron Arad greets visitors at the lobby once theyve passed security checks and a body scan. Story continues About three quarters of the total price went to creditors including DBS Group Holdings Ltd., according to one of the people. After repaying debt and costs, Bouvier, who held 70% of Freeport, got about S$5 million from the sale, together with other shareholders. The new owners are fully committed to supporting the Freeport Group with a view to expanding and improving the facilities and services, according to a letter signed by Freeports Chief Executive Officer Lincoln Ng to reassure tenants that there would no disruptions. Bitdeer is the sole shareholder of Straitdeer Pte., which in turn owns Asia Freeport Holdings Pte., the entity controlling Le Freeport, according to records with the accounting regulator. Asia Freeport reported a loss of S$14.3 million in 2018, based on the latest publicly available financial statement. Wu, who turns 36 this year, controls Bitdeer, a cloud-mining service that was spun off from Bitmain. It operates proprietary mining data centers in the U.S. and Norway, and was seeking a US listing in a SPAC deal. (updates with more details on facility in sixth paragraph and Wu in last paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Chicago home service company continues legacy of providing premier services to local communities CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deljo Heating & Cooling, the leading home service company in the Chicago area, is celebrating 100 years of providing homeowners with premier services and comfort. The company, which was founded in 1922 as Del-Nard Fuel Oil, is highlighting the occasion with an open house from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 6. Deljo Heating & Cooling is celebrating 100 years of providing Chicago homeowners with premier services and comfort with an open house on Oct. 6. During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the team, apply for open positions, tour the facility, and explore the Deljo Academy "Operating for 100 years is an extraordinary accomplishment," said Bob Clement, who spent over three decades as the owner of Deljo Heating & Cooling before recently retiring. "For the past 30 years, our team has worked to create a positive atmosphere that spreads to our loyal customers. We are a family-operated business that treats our team and customers like one of our own. That's the Deljo way. "As we look toward the future, we will continue to evolve and innovate to meet the demands of our customers while adapting to new technologies that will take our company to the next level." Growth and expansion have been major factors for Deljo over the past decade. After spending 25 years in its previous building, the company moved into a new facility in the Sauganash area in 2020. Placing an emphasis on creating HVAC stars of the future, the company also launched the Deljo Academy. The 5,000-square-foot training facility is geared toward providing state-of-the-art training and support to employees and new team members. With high-quality trainers on board, new recruits can find themselves in company vans within a few months. "At Deljo, we believe that the most valuable asset of our company is the people who come into work every day," said Luke Weiden, general manager of Deljo Heating & Cooling. "We want all of our employees to grow both personally and professionally while achieving their full potential, and we are always looking for skilled technicians to join our growing team. That's how a company exceeds 100 years of service, and our training facility will continue to help foster those excellent results in our technicians to ensure continue creating value for our customers." Story continues For more information about Deljo Heating & Cooling, please visit https://deljoheating.com/. For more information about the Deljo Academy, please visit https://deljoheating.com/deljo-academy/. About Deljo Heating & Cooling Started in 1922, Deljo Heating & Cooling is a family-operated home service company that specializes in heating and cooling solutions. Serving the Chicago area, the team at Deljo Heating & Cooling offers reliable HVAC services year-round to ensure comfort in your home or business. Their full complement of quality indoor comfort services includes heating, air conditioning, HVAC system, and indoor air quality work completed by knowledgeable technicians whose extensive training and experience help ensure your satisfaction. For more information, visit https://deljoheating.com/deljo-academy/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 hripley@ripleypr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deljo-heating--cooling-celebrates-100-years-of-excellence-301627520.html SOURCE Deljo Heating & Cooling Atef Hassan/Reuters Roughly 1 million barrels of Russian crude could be redirected come 2023 as Europe's new sanctions kick in. Energy research firm Kpler broke down potential destinations where Russian oil could pivot to as Moscow seeks new markets. Those nations include Indonesia, Pakistan, and Brazil, among others. Once Europe's partial ban on Russian oil kicks in this December, the direction of those crude flows could change dramatically as Moscow seeks new buyers for its excess barrels. In a Friday note by Kpler's Viktor Katona, the research firm highlighted seven different nations other than China and India that could see an uptick of Russian oil deliveries in 2023. Indonesia Indonesian President Joko Widodo has acknowledged the potential for buying Russian oil, and Kpler sees the country as a top prospect for a surge in imports from Russia. "Very much alike India, Jakarta is seeing discounted barrels as a way of mitigating inflation after the government hiked fuel prices by 30% in early September (as the country's $34 billion subsidy system was getting untenable), inflation worries have come to the forefront again," according to the note. The last time an Indonesian refiner purchased a Russian crude cargo was December 2016. In Kpler's view, Indonesia could see a potential influx of 100,000 to 150,000 Russian crude barrels per day. Pakistan Pakistan, too, has publicly weighed buying Russian crude, Kpler explained, as the government in Islamabad has reportedly asked the nation's refiners to consider buying discounted supplies from Russia as crude prices soar. Still, there are some reservations. "Given that Pakistan is effectively buying crude from two Middle Eastern producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE it remains to be seen whether domestic refiners would risk antagonizing their relationship," Kpler said. Pakistan could see a jump of roughly 50,000 to 100,000 additional barrels per day from Russia. Brazil Kpler anticipates that Brazil's October elections will rejuvenate its international ties to so-called BRICS nations, of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Story continues Meanwhile, Brazil has ramped up its intake of domestic production throughout 2022 and flows to domestic markets are at their highest since 2019. At the same time, its exports have dipped slightly. "Given that Urals is of very similar quality to Brazil's Tupi or Buzios (same density, higher Sulphur content), refining a discounted crude could free up a substantial portion of Brazilian production to maximize profits," Kpler's Katona wrote. Brazil could have see an uptick of roughly 100,000 to 200,000 barrels per day from Russia moving forward, according to Kpler. South Africa Historically, South Africa has only had one delivery of Russian crude, which came earlier this summer, according to Kpler. But its status as one of Russia's BRICS peers means it stands as a likely candidate for higher volumes. What's more, the nation's Natref refinery, Kpler noted, is less likely to self-sanction from doing business with Moscow compared to BP- and Shell-owned Sapref. There could be a potential impact of 50,000 to 100,000 barrels per day flowing from Russian ports to South Africa. Sri Lanka Since August, Kpler reports that Sri Lanka has already started buying one cargo per month of Russian crude, and the research firm expects this pace to continue moving forward. As it deals with massive debt and political turmoil, Sri Lanka's oil imports are set to remain depressed, but that could open it up for a small increase in crude deliveries from Russia. Kpler said the nation could see a marginal increase of about 20,000 to 30,000 Russian barrels per day. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait It's unclear whether any Middle Eastern nations will step up as buyers of Russian crude, but Kpler noted that refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in particular will be operating at full tilt once Europe's new sanctions begin. "Given that these refineries will be effectively reducing exportable volumes, all this in a period of elevated crude prices, the temptation might be to feed Urals into the refineries and let the likes of Arab Light flow freely in Asia," Kpler wrote. The potential impact for these Middle East countries are both the highest and lowest, with a range of zero to 500,000 barrels per day flowing from Russia. Read the original article on Business Insider The Community Futures Development Association of B.C. will receive $5.5 million to support businesses and enterprising not-for-profits impacted by natural disasters across the province REVELSTOKE, BC, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Devastating wildfires and floods are causing immeasurable damage in countless communities across British Columbia, with the Fraser Valley, Interior and Northern regions being hardest hit. These communities are suffering from the impact. Photo Credit: MCpl Nicolas Alonso, Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Canadian Armed Forces Photo (CNW Group/Pacific Economic Development Canada) In response, the Government of Canada is taking action to strengthen its emergency preparedness, and ensure affected residents and businesses have the resources they need to address climate-related challenges, build resiliency, and stay safe. Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister for International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced over $5.5 million in funding through PacifiCan for the Community Futures Development Association of B.C. (CFBC) to implement a disaster recovery and economic adjustment initiative in British Columbia. This initiative will provide coaching and training services for businesses and enterprising not-for-profits in communities impacted by wildfires and floods. It will also deliver support to those affected by the mill and mine closures in northern B.C., providing tools to adapt to the evolving economy. Key components of the initiative include access to program ambassadors offering economic recovery expertise and disaster planning, a collection of online workshops, customized training for specialized businesses, and peer mentoring. This funding through PacifiCan will allow CFBC and its network to equip B.C. organizations in rural and remote communities with the skills and strategies to restore operations, mitigate impacts of future disasters, and compete effectively in the global marketplace. The disaster recovery initiative is expected to support an estimated 900 small businesses and help maintain 4,500 jobs. Story continues In addition to this initiative, the Government of Canada is also developing the country's first National Adaptation Strategy. This will help Canada become more prepared and resilient for the impacts of climate change, including natural disasters like wildfires and floods. Resources will be available through CFBC's Taking Care of Business website starting in October. Businesses looking for more information about the disaster recovery and economic adjustment initiative should contact their local Community Futures office. Quotes "Countless British Columbians suffered unimaginable losses last year due to the unrelenting wildfires and floods that ravaged our province. The PacifiCan funding announced today ensures that Community Futures British Columbia can equip businesses with the tools they need to recover from recent disasters, build resiliency, and prepare themselves to address climate challenges well into the future." - The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada "Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies. When they are in trouble, our communities are in trouble. We are pleased to be working in partnership with PacifiCan to provide the support and assistance that our small businesses so desperately require to recover from the series of disasters that have impacted our communities over the past five years." - Wendy McCulloch, Executive Director, Community Futures Development Association of B.C. Quick facts The 2021 wildfire and flooding season in BC was the costliest in Canadian history. Repairing infrastructure damaged due to floods is expected to cost nearly $9 billion. Fires destroyed 90 per cent of the Town of Lytton, displacing up to 50,000 people, and costing $18.4 million to rebuild. Since 2017, PacifiCan has provided approximately $2.8 million in non-repayable contributions to the Community Futures network to support small and medium-sized enterprises impacted by wildfires, floods and mill closures. PacifiCan is the Government of Canada's regional development agency dedicated to British Columbia. PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in British Columbia's economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth. Associated links Stay connected Follow PacifiCan on Twitter and LinkedIn Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378 TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388 SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/20/c0695.html The Intersectoral Action Fund addresses complex public health challenges TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Canada is one of the healthiest countries in the world, and everyone in Canada deserves opportunities to thrive and lead a healthy life. The Government of Canada is taking action to address systemic health challenges and barriers so that every individual has the resources and opportunities for health and wellbeing. Health inequities are the systematic, unfair, and avoidable differences in health outcomes. Health inequities have long existed in Canada, but have become even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic disproportionately affected the mental and physical wellbeing of many groups in society, including Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized communities, as well as people from lower income households, children, youth, and seniors. Today, Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Adam van Koeverden announced an investment of close to $790,000 through the Intersectoral Action Fund (ISAF). This funding is helping five Ontario-based organizations to address some of the complex public health challenges that affect health equity and wellbeing. The Public Health Agency of Canada, through the ISAF, is funding projects across the country to improve the conditions for health and the systems and structures that shape them and to help everyone in Canada reach their full health potential. Quotes "Our government is taking action to address health inequities and improve access to healthcare for all. Through this funding, we are taking important steps to improve health equity and wellbeing of people in Ontario. Together, with the support of community organizations within and outside of the health sector, such as early childhood, transportation, housing, and food security across the country, we will keep working towards improving our health care system so it works for everyone." Story continues The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Health "These organizations play an important role in helping the Government of Canada strengthen its efforts to address our country's complex public health challenges. These projects will help build a healthier future for communities in Ontario." Shafqat Ali Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre "With these funds we will develop a much needed plan for action on the social determinants of health to better understand the needs of LBQ women and non-binary people." Helen Kennedy Executive Director, Egale "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how precarious working conditions impact workers' health, undermine public health, and worsen health inequities particularly for racialized, low-wage, migrant, and women workers. This funding will support collaborative efforts between health and labour partners to improve working conditions as a social determinant of health." Brynne Sinclair-Waters Executive Director, Ontario Employment Education & Research Centre "Supporting community resilience, and healthy human and natural systems is at the core of what we do at TRCA. We are honoured that the PHAC has chosen to fund TRCA's Growing Healthy Towers project, which is working with more than 20 organizations, across two regions, and 12 sectors, investing in neighbourhoods experiencing intersecting climate and community health issues." John MacKenzie Chief Executive Officer, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority "With the support of PHAC, STEPS looks forward to convening stakeholders coast to coast to reimagine the role of parks and culture programmers in designing equitable cities." Alexis Kane Speer Executive Director, STEPS Public Art "Our Safe at Home Hamilton Working Group recognizes the multiple barriers to economic security that women and gender diverse peoples experience when living with or have a history of partner violence. These funds will enable us to strengthen multi-sector supports to remove these barriers." Patricia O'Campo Ph.D. Executive Director, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto Quick Facts The ISAF launched in May 2021 to support action on social determinants of health. The Fund helps build capacity in communities to advance intersectoral action on social determinants of health, particularly as they move towards the difficult work of recovering from the pandemic. Social determinants of health refer to the broad range of social, economic and environmental factors that relate to an individual's place in society (such as gender, race, income, education, or employment) and that determine individual and population health. These determinants are shaped by the distribution of wealth, power, and opportunities within and between populations. Intersectoral action refers to the ways that different groups and sectors of society work together to enhance the health of our communities. The ISAF supports communities to build capacity for such action, and helps ensure that the social determinants of health and health inequities are understood and addressed. Fourteen projects were selected for funding through the ISAF. These projects will address the root causes of long-standing community health challenges or those heightened by COVID-19, or proposed activities that build on or advance intersectoral initiatives to expand their reach or impact. Associated Links SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/20/c1933.html InnSuites Hospitality Trust Phoenix, AZ, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InnSuites Hospitality Trust (NYSE American: IHT) maintained its strong rebound in the First Half of Fiscal 2023 (February 1, 2022, to July 31, 2022), with revenues of approximately $3.8 million, up 25% from the prior Fiscal Year First Half. Total Consolidated Fiscal Second Quarter Net Income increased 271% or approximately $450,000, to $283,605. Earnings Per Share based on this First Fiscal Half Consolidated Net Income was $0.03 per share, up $0.05 from the prior First Fiscal Half last year of ($0.02), an all-time First Fiscal Half rebound. Total Trust Equity increased to $4,058,266 at the end of Fiscal First Half 2023, up 28%, or $898,736 million, from the $3,159,530 reported at the end of the prior Year Fiscal First Half. Net Income before non-cash depreciation expense was $628,041 for the Fiscal First Half ended July 31, 2022, up 218%, or $430,433, compared to prior Year Fiscal First Half ended July 31, 2022. Total Revenues for the Twelve Month Trailing Period ended July 31, 2022, were approximately $7.2 million, up 46% from the previous Twelve Month Trailing period. Operating Income for the same Twelve Month Trailing period (ended July 31, 2022), improved by $1.6 million, compared to the same previous twelve month period (ended July 31, 2021). Consolidated Net Income of approximately $812,355 for the most recent twelve month period (ended July 31, 2022), was an improvement of $1.46 million, up from the same prior year twelve month period (ended July 31, 2021). IHT hotel operations continued to contribute to the solid start in the current 2023 Fiscal Third Quarter, with both the Tucson Hotel and Albuquerque Hotel achieving near record revenue for the Fiscal First Half of 2023 (ended July 31, 2022). With the rate of improvement declining some in the current Fiscal Third Quarter (August 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022), increased Hotel Operations, Revenues, and Profits are increasingly facing the headwinds of a higher interest-rate potential recessionary environment. Story continues On December 16, 2019, IHT committed to a $1 million diversification Investment in UniGen Power Inc., efficient clean energy natural gas electric generation innovation. Subsequently IHT exercised 275,000 of UniGen warrants increasing total IHT investment to approximately $1,398,750,currently, with approximately two million Warrants and one million potential shares from convertible debentures outstanding which, if fully exercised could increase the IHT percentage ownership in UniGen to approximately 25%. In early 2020 worldwide Covid restrictions were put in place which slowed down Innovation development and restricted vendor related travel. Subsequently UniGen experienced several developmental delays and increased costs. UniGen is currently seeking additional funding to allow its first prototype to be assembled within the next six months with potential new funding from a number of sources including a possible additional infusion of debt and/or equity funds from IHT which, if consummated, could potentially increase the fully diluted ownership of IHT above 25% UniGen ownership. The UniGen diversified Investment is speculative and it may require additional time and additional IHT investment. IHT management believes that, although highly speculative, over time, the UniGen investment will be successful, and if so, highly profitable. Said James Wirth President, CEO, and IHT Board Chairman: With 2023 Fiscal First Half revenues and profits continuing to rebound, along with the recently completed profitable Fiscal Year 2022, strong positive upward trends continue. IHT management believes that due to hotel real estate held on the books of IHT at low book values believed to be significantly below current market value and due to the high potential of the UniGen diversification investment, the future of IHT looks promising. IHT management continues to believe that recent market IHT stock valuations, especially in the current turbulent and uncertain times, do not fully reflect the future potential of IHT. Accordingly, IHT continues its corporate stock buyback program. Said Sylvin Lange Chief Financial Officer (CFO): IHTs strong operating results and IHTs increasingly strong balance sheet, both reflect a significant rebound from the prior Covid slower travel. The NYSE American has confirmed IHT is in full compliance with NYSE American listing terms. On June 29, 2022, the Board of Trustees of IHT announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.01 per share, which was paid on July 29, 2022, to shareholders of record as of July 15, 2022. This announcement continues an uninterrupted, continuous 52-year history of annual dividends, since its initial NYSE listing in 1971, with semi-annual dividends paid January 31, 2022, and July 29, 2022. For more information, visit www.innsuitestrust.com and www.innsuites.com. Forward-Looking Statements With the exception of historical information, matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements regarding IHTs review and exploration of potential strategic, operational, and structural alternative diversification investments, and expected associated costs and benefits are forward-looking. Actual developments and business decisions may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that could cause IHTs actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include the uncertain outcome, impact, effects and results of IHTs success in finding potential qualified purchasers for its hospitality real estate or finding a reverse merger partner, the success of timing, and/or available development cash of the UniGen clean energy diversification innovation, the continuation of semi-annual dividends in the year(s) ahead, and other risks discussed in IHTs SEC filings. IHT expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof, all of which are expressly qualified by the foregoing, other than as required by applicable law. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Marc Berg, Executive Vice President 602-944-1500 email: mberg@innsuites.com INNSUITES HOSPITALITY CENTRE 1730 E. NORTHERN AVENUE, #122 Phoenix, Arizona 85020 Phone: 602-944-1500 By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli An agreement on the air traffic with Israel is being discussed at the Azerbaijani parliament, Azernews reports. The issue has been included in the agenda of a meeting of the parliamentary committee on economic policy, industry, and entrepreneurship during which the members of the parliament will discuss the bill on the approval of the "Agreement between the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the government of the State of Israel on air traffic". Following the meeting, the document is expected to be recommended for discussion at a plenary session of the parliament. The document states that the Tel Aviv agreement of June 30, 2022, on establishing air communication between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State of Israel consists of 25 articles and additions. The contract provisions stem from the provisions of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation as well. In accordance with the agreement, the sides have the right to designate one or more air carriers to perform the agreed services on the relevant routes. Azerbaijan and Israel have been expanding bilateral cooperation over years. Cooperation between the two countries is based not only on economic partnership but also on traditional historical and cultural roots, as well as mutual respect and trust. During the 44-day Second Karabakh War, Israel was among the first countries to express support for Azerbaijan's just position and territorial integrity. In addition, Israeli companies are involved in the restoration and reconstruction process in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. In 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $928.4 million. Virginia529 Give the Gift of Education During College Savings Month Richmond, Va., Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Schools are officially in session, and parents across the country are back in the routine of drop-offs, pickups and homework. September also marks College Savings Month, the perfect time for parents to start thinking about --- and saving for --- their childrens educational future. To support families in sharing the gift of education, Virginia529, in partnership with Gift of College, announced today the availability of its Invest529 gift cards at hundreds of CVS drugstores across the country. Invest529 accounts can be used to fund qualified higher education expenses at eligible educational institutions nationwide and even overseas. They can be used at public or private schools, graduate schools, vocational schools, registered apprenticeship programs, toward K-12 tuition expenses, and the repayment of certain student loans. Customers can go to any CVS retail location and purchase Invest529 gift cards in denominations ranging from $25-$200. Recipients then redeem the gift cards through GiftofCollege.com, adding the value to a new or existing Invest529 account. Education is getting more expensive each year and more families are saving in 529 plans for their childrens post-high school education --- whether its trade school, a bachelors degree or community college. Parents need creative solutions for funding their childrens post-high school education, said Mary Morris, Virginia529 CEO. Our gift cards make a great birthday, holiday or anytime gift for family members and friends. We hope that these gift cards and our online gift center will help more families successfully prepare for the future. Invest529 gift cards can also be purchased online at Walmart.com. Visit Virginia529.com/gifting/find-stores to find an Invest529 Gift of College gift card retail location near you. CONTACT: Devon Copeland Virginia529 804-225-2452 dcopeland@virginia529.com OSLO, Norway, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahoot!, the global learning and engagement platform company, is announcing today the launch of its web platform and mobile apps in Korean. With this launch, Kahoot! is expanding and personalizing the user experience of its products across Asia, providing millions of lifelong learners with premium content and meaningful learning experiences in their own language. Kahoot! is now available in Korean making learning even more awesome for millions of lifelong learners The addition of Korean marks a new milestone for Kahoot!, now supporting 16 languages in the web platform and mobile apps. Korean is the fourth Asian language available in Kahoot! after the launch of Japanese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. "South Korea owns one of the most remarkable digital infrastructures in the world with a top performing education system at all levels. The blend of these two elements, in combination with the popularity and usage of Kahoot!, make it a great time for us to accelerate the adoption of digital learning tools at scale among schools, universities and businesses of all sizes across South Korea," said Eilert Hanoa, CEO, Kahoot!. In the last year, over 9 million teachers globally hosted a kahoot session in K-12 and higher education classrooms to create interactive lessons while fostering creativity among their students. Moreover, hundreds of global organizations including 97% of Fortune 500 companies, use Kahoot! to energize their employees facilitating communication, training sessions, presentations, meetings, and events at the workplace. Taking learning and engagement to the next level with CLASSUM Earlier this year, Kahoot! announced a partnership with CLASSUM , the South Korean education technology company that enhances online and offline communication in the classroom and the workplace through digital learning spaces. CLASSUM and Kahoot! have a unified vision of increasing learning engagement through social interaction, friendly competition and gamified experiences for learners of all ages. Story continues "Our partnership with CLASSUM is a strong foundation in our strategy to expand our presence in the Asian market, and offer easier access to multi-user Kahoot! licensing across Korean schools, universities and corporations of all sizes," said Hanoa. Youjin Choi, CEO of CLASSUM said, "I want to congratulate Kahoot! on the launch of their apps and web platform in Korean. We are so honored to be able to deliver this news to our many Korean users as an official partner of Kahoot!. For the past few months, CLASSUM and Kahoot! have worked closely together to promote more active communication in learning and foster engaging educational environments. We look forward to witnessing the efforts of our two companies to create higher quality educational experiences around the world, providing great value to businesses, schools and institutions." With the launch of Kahoot! in Korean, CLASSUM can further spread social learning, a culture in which people learn together. CLASSUM has also recently released its 4.0 update to break down the boundaries between educators and learners and facilitate communication-centered growth. Hundreds of games available in Korean To celebrate the launch of Korean, Kahoot! has released hundreds of new high-quality games that users can play with friends, family and colleagues with content from premium Kahoot! partners. Through these kahoots, users can learn math, STEM, SEL, test their general knowledge or discover new ways of learning languages with exclusive content from Drops in Korean . To explore these new content offerings and learn how to access Kahoot! in Korean, read our blog post . Visit Kahoot! News to stay up to date on company news and updates. About Kahoot! Kahoot! is on a mission to make learning awesome! We want to empower everyone, including children, students, and employees to unlock their full learning potential. Our learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share, and host learning sessions that drive compelling engagement. Launched in 2013, Kahoot!'s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. Since launch, Kahoot! has hosted hundreds of millions of learning sessions with 8 billion participants (non-unique) in more than 200 countries and regions. The Kahoot! Group includes Clever, the leading US K-12 EdTech learning platform, together with the learning apps DragonBox, Poio, Drops, Actimo, Motimate, and Whiteboard.fi. The Kahoot! Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices in the US, the UK, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Kahoot! is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker KAHOT. To learn more, visit us at kahoot.com . Let's play! Media contact: Alejandro Viquez alejandor@kahoot.com Kahoot Logo (PRNewsfoto/Kahoot!) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kahoot-is-now-available-in-korean-making-learning-even-more-awesome-for-millions-of-lifelong-learners-301627730.html SOURCE Kahoot! TipRanks The stock market is often a game in reverse psychology. That is, when the mood gets too euphoric, its often a sign it is time to sell. Likewise, when sentiment hits the skids, that could be the ultimate signal the time is right to load up the truck. And on that subject, J.P. Morgans Marko Kolanovic thinks we are at or at least near the bottom. The firms global market strategist believes the Feds hawkish stance has left stocks very oversold, and while inflation remains persistently high BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MDVIP, the market leader in personalized healthcare with a network of over 1,100 primary care physicians nationwide, today announced it has been named by Fortune and Great Place to Work as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Healthcare. This is MDVIP's second consecutive year earning a spot on the prestigious list of the top 50 small and medium healthcare employers around the country. MDVIP, the national primary care physician network, has been named again by Fortune and Great Place to Work as one of the Best Workplaces in Healthcare for 2022. 95% of MDVIP employees say you feel welcomed when you join the company MDVIP's ranking as a best workplace in healthcare is based on an analysis of confidential survey feedback from over 161,000 employees working at healthcare companies in the U.S. Employees anonymously answered over 60 questions addressing key performance indicators, including their experiences of trust, the company's values and the effectiveness of company leadership. "We are honored to be recognized once again by Fortune and Great Place to Work for our ongoing commitment to create a positive workplace culture that is inspiring, inclusive and makes people proud to work for MDVIP," said MDVIP Chairman and CEO Bret Jorgensen. "This distinction is only made possible by our dedicated employees who have continuously provided essential support to our network of primary care physicians and patients during one of the most challenging periods for the healthcare industry." MDVIP has been a Great Place to Work-Certified company since 2018. As part of the criteria for its Best Workplaces in Healthcare list, Fortune evaluated results from the Great Place to Work surveys, which included the following highlights for MDVIP: 95 percent of employees say you feel welcomed when you join the company 95 percent of employees say facilities contribute to a good working environment 92 percent of employees feel management is approachable and easy to talk with "It is our privilege to spotlight the Best Workplaces in Healthcare, and we congratulate MDVIP on earning this recognition two years in a row," said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. "Physicians are among the many healthcare heroes and heroines on the front lines, and organizations like MDVIP have tailored their support to meet rapidly changing demands from the pandemic. We applaud their commitment to maintaining an inclusive, high-trust culture." Story continues About MDVIP MDVIP leads the market in membership-based healthcare that goes far beyond concierge medicine services with a national network of more than 1,100 primary care physicians serving 371,000 patients. Published research shows that the MDVIP model identifies more patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, delivers more preventive health services and saves the healthcare system hundreds of millions of dollars through reduced hospitalizations and readmissions. In response to growing consumer demand for a more personalized healthcare experience, hospital systems are incorporating the MDVIP model into their primary care offering. MDVIP is also partnering with employers to offer an executive health program as a benefit to their employees. The company has been certified by Great Place to Work since 2018 and is recognized by Fortune as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Healthcare. For more information, visit www.mdvip.com. Follow MDVIP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. About the Best Workplaces in Healthcare Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Healthcare by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than 161,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations in the healthcare industry. 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. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do 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. Media Contact: Nancy Udell MDVIP Media Relations 561.310.5455 nudell@mdvip.com MDVIP Logo (PRNewsfoto/MDVIP) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mdvip-named-again-to-fortune-best-workplaces-in-healthcare-2022-301628217.html SOURCE MDVIP Middlefield Canadian Income PCC Net Asset Value Middlefield Canadian Income PCC Middlefield Canadian Income - GBP PC (a protected cell company incorporated in Jersey with registration number 93546) Legal Entity Identifier: 2138007ENW3JEJXC8658 Net Asset Value As at the close of business on 16 September 2022 the estimated unaudited Net Asset Value per share was 146.95 pence (including accrued income). Investments in the Company's portfolio have been valued on a closing price basis. Enquiries: JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited 01534 700 000 Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) is a one-time gene therapy that provides healthy copies of the RPE65 gene for retinal cells that are lacking the normally functioning gene1 DORVAL, QC, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. and the pan Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) have successfully concluded negotiations for Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec), a one-time gene therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with vision loss due to inherited retinal dystrophy caused by confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutations. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Logo (CNW Group/Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.) Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a major cause of early onset blindness2. RPE65-mediated IRDs are rare, serious, and progressive conditions that ultimately lead to severe visual impairment and blindness. Prior to the approval of Luxturna, there were no available pharmacological treatment options for this form of inherited blindness2. "We are thrilled to have positively completed these negotiations for Luxturna, one of two pioneering targeted gene therapies Novartis has introduced in Canada for patients and families devastated by rare, debilitating or life-threatening genetic diseases. For all Canadians who urgently need treatment with this innovative therapy, this is an important step to achieve access," said Andrea Marazzi, Country President, Novartis Canada. "We will continue to work collaboratively with provincial and territorial jurisdictions so that patients whose vision is impaired as a result of a mutation in both copies of the RPE65 gene can have access to Luxturna through public drug plans as quickly as possible." "This type of inherited eye disease affects children and young adults and creates a significant impact on the entire family," said Doug Earle, President & CEO of Fighting Blindness Canada. "For the majority, it can lead to complete blindness as cells in the retina, the light sensitive tissue of the eye, gradually stop working, work less effectively, or die2. Having access to a treatment that can help restore sight, can be life-altering for a child or young adult and their family. We encourage the provinces to recognize the hope Luxturna represents and prioritize access as there are no approved alternative treatments available for these Canadians." Story continues About RPE65 mutation-associated inherited retinal dystrophy Mutations in both copies of the RPE65 gene affect approximately 1 in 200,000 people and can lead to blindness3,4. Early in the disease patients can suffer from night blindness (nyctalopia), loss of light sensitivity, loss of peripheral vision, loss of sharpness or clarity of vision, impaired dark adaptation and repetitive uncontrolled movements of the eye (nystagmus)4. Patients with mutations in both copies of the RPE65 gene may be diagnosed, for instance, with subtypes of either retinitis pigmentosa or Leber congenital amaurosis5. About Novartis in Gene Therapy and Rare Disease Novartis is at the forefront of cell and gene therapies designed to halt diseases in their tracks or reverse their progress rather than simply manage symptoms. The company is collaborating on the cell and gene therapy frontier to bring this major leap in personalized medicine to patients with a variety of diseases, including genetic disorders and certain deadly cancers. Cell and gene therapies are grounded in careful research that builds on decades of scientific progress. Following key approvals of cell and gene therapies by health authorities, new treatments are being tested in clinical trials around the world. About Novartis in Canada Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a leader in the healthcare field, is committed to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative products to improve the well-being of all Canadians. Over the last 5 years, our average annual research and development investment in Canada was $47 million. Located in Dorval, Quebec, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,000 people in Canada and is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. The company prides itself on its commitment to diversity and to nurturing an inclusive and inspiring environment. Novartis is recognized as a Great Place to Work, ranked among the Top 50 Best Workplaces in the country and is proudly named on the 2021 Best Workplaces for Women in Canada and Best Workplace for Mental Wellness lists. For further information, please consult www.novartis.ca. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com. Luxturna is a registered trademark of Spark Therapeutics Inc., used under license by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. References Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) Product Monograph. April 20, 2022 Patel U BM, de Leseleuc L, et al. Voretigene Neparvovec: An Emerging Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Inherited Blindness. CADTH Issues in Emerging Health Technologies Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2016. 2018 (169) Novartis. Data on file. 2018. Astuti GD et al. Comprehensive genotyping reveals RPE65 as the most frequently mutated gene in Leber congenital amaurosis in Denmark. European Journal of Human Genetics 2016; 24: 107179. Morimura H et al. Mutations in the RPE65 gene in patients with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa or Leber congenital amaurosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 1998; 95: 308893. SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/20/c7657.html Adroit Market Research Geographically, North America region will hold the major market share due to intensifying use of social media platforms and online services for recruiting during the forecast period. Dallas, Texas, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Growing living standards and a lack of time have given rise to an innovative rise strategy that is anticipated to have a positive impact on the online recruiting market. The scope of the applicant has also expanded as a result of changes in social media usage and other networking websites, which is projected to lead to a growth of the global online recruitment market in the years to come. The size of the global online recruitment market was USD 29293.4 million, and by 2029, it is projected to increase to USD 47316.1 million, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. Many companies make all communication procedures online, including posting job openings, verifying applicant status, and conducting online interviews. These elements are likely to fuel the growth of the online recruitment market throughout the course of the forecasted timeframe. How organizations operate internally and interact with their customers is changing as a result of digital transformation. However, in the majority of cases, digital transformation entails investing in software and data technologies, such as hiring solutions and online hiring channels, in order to scale back or completely eliminate administrative tasks and boost operational performance within and across departments and hiring teams. Online recruiting assists in accelerating routine hiring processes in a number of ways. Companies can automate administrative tasks like scheduling interviews and managing application documents. Online recruiters can quickly evaluate candidates with the help of ATS solutions because the application tracking system keeps all of the necessary candidate data in one location. The candidate's cover letter, portfolio, and evaluation will all be on the same page, eliminating the need for them to read a resume before going on. Story continues Request a pdf brochure @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/26 HR automation software is a common tool used by recruiters. These integrated technology solutions support the recruitment, nurturing, engagement, and application conversion of candidates. These solutions automate the hiring process to streamline it and make it more efficient. These are some important factors that may contribute to the global online recruitment market's expansion. In terms of application, the hotel & catering segment is dominated the global online recruitment market. The adoption of web-based recruiting platforms is anticipated to create significant advancements in the hotel and catering sector. In 2020, it had a 21.5% market share overall. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality sector has a turnover rate that is two to three times higher than other industries. Several internet venues, like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, among others, are effective for the hiring process. The North American region accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020. Increasing use of social media platforms and other online services for recruiting will probably fuel growth in this region over the course of the projection period. The major firms in this area are also working on AI technologies to continue to dominate global technological advancements. Due to the rapid adoption of AI in the region's key countries, including China, Japan, and India among others, Asia Pacific is predicted to hold the second-largest share in the worldwide online recruitment industry. For instance, the marketing and advertising agency WeLove9am and Tribepad Ltd., a provider of recruitment software, established a partnership in 2021. With the help of the collaboration, Signature Senior Lifestyle Care Homes will be able to offer its clients a simple online application process. Purchase a single user copy @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/26 global online recruitment market scope: Metrics Details Study Period 2019-2029 Market Size in 2029 USD 47316.1 million Segment Covered By Job Type , By Application, By Region, By Job Type Covered Part-Time and Permanent By Application Covered Finance, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, IT, Hotel and Catering, and Others Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa and South America Key Players Profiled LinkedIn, Self-Management Group, Pymetrics, HackerRank, Ultimate Software (UltiPro), iCIMS, Monster Worldwide, Jobvite, Ideal, SAP SE, Textio, Recruiterbox, Naukri.com, Zoho Corporation Major Points from Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Market Outlook 4. Online Recruitment Market by Component, 2019-2029 (USD Million) 4.1. Part-time 4.2. Permanent 5. Online Recruitment Market by Application, 2019-2029 (USD Million) 5.1. Finance 5.2. Marketing 5.3. Sales 5.4. IT 5.5. Hotel and Catering 6. Data Visualization Software Market by Region 2018-2028 (USD Million) 6.1. North America 6.1.1. US 6.1.2. Canada 6.2. Europe 6.2.1. UK 6.2.2. Germany 6.2.3. France 6.2.4. Rest of Europe 6.3. Asia Pacific 6.3.1. China 6.3.2. Japan 6.3.3. India 6.3.4. Rest of Asia Pacific 6.4. South America 6.4.1. Brazil 6.4.2. Mexico 6.4.3. Rest of South America 6.5. Middle East & Africa 7. Competitive Landscape 8. Company Profiles 9. Appendix Looking for DISCOUNT? If yes, then request for discount at https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount/26 Access research repository of Upcoming Reports @ https://adroitmarketresearch.com/upcoming.html About Us: Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps. Contact Us: Ryan Johnson Account Manager - Global 3131 McKinney Ave Ste 600 Dallas, TX 75204 Email ID: sales@adroitmarketresearch.com Phone No.: +1-9726644514, +91-9665341414 Connect with us: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn ANACLA, BC, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Parks Canada celebrated the installation of a plaque at Huu-ayaht First Nations' Kiixin Village and Fortress (Kiixin) to officially commemorate the designation of Kiixin as a National Historic Site of Canada. Caption: On September 20, 2022, Timothy Christian, Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr., Parks Canada President and CEO Ron Hallman and Karen Haugen, Superintendent of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve unveil the commemorative plaque on a beautifully carved cedar frame at Kiixin Village and Fortress National Historic Site at Anacla, British Columbia. Credit: Parks Canada (CNW Group/Parks Canada) Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Kiixin is the site of a 19th-century village and fortress that exhibits evidence of continuous occupation of the area for almost 3,000 years, dating back to 1000 BCE. It is also the only known traditional First Nation's village of more than 100 villages on the southern British Columbia coast that still features significant, standing traditional architecture. The site's natural features made it an ideal location for occupation and defense. It is characteristic of Nuu-chah-nulth defensive sites and warfare patterns, resource extraction and commercial practices, and illustrates changing Nuu-chah-nulth political and economic patterns in the 18th and 19th centuries. To this day, it remains a sacred site to Huu-ay-aht First Nations people. In 1999, the Government of Canada designated Kiixin as a national historic site, with the official recognition referring to four distinct archaeological sites, which include the main village and fortress and two related archaeological sites. In 2002, a commemorative plaque was presented to Huu-ay-aht First Nations by Parks Canada, and today, both parties came together to reveal the plaque which has now been installed on a beautifully carved cedar frame at the Kiixin Village and Fortress for visitors and locals to enjoy. Huu-ay-aht First Nations has three Sacred Principles: iisaak (Greater Respect), Hisuk ma cawak (Everything is One), and uuauk (Taking Care Of). Since declaring Kiixin a national historic site in 1999, these sacred principles, as they pertain to the land, Huu-ay-aht's Hahuui (traditional territory), have been upheld, protected and valued, and efforts will be made to continue honouring these principles for years to come. Story continues Huu-ay-aht First Nations offers guided tours of Kiixin, with traditional knowledge holders, to enrich and teach all who are interested in learning about the history, culture, and traditions of the first peoples of this land. Tours take place between May and September. More information about Kiixin and the tours can be found at kiixin.ca. Quotes "Today, Parks Canada is honoured to join with Huu-ay-aht First Nations in commemorating Kiixin Fortress National Historic Site. National historic designations are the most significant form of historical recognition that is bestowed by the Government of Canada. Parks Canada has enjoyed a positive relationship with the Huu-ay-aht and this designation would not be possible, nor as meaningful, without this Nation's commitment to preserving and sharing its knowledge and history." Ron Hallman, Parks Canada President and CEO "This official installation of the plaque signifies the importance of Kiixin and the rich history it tells. Kiixin is the main attraction of Huu-ay-aht's cultural tourism as it offers a truly unique cultural experience for guests who come and visit Huu-ay-aht's Hahuui (traditional territory). Now, when visitors come to Kiixin, they will hear our stories, see our culture and understand the great Canadian national historical site designation it holds." Robert J. Dennis Sr. Chief Councillor, Huu-ay-aht First Nations Quick Facts The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. Huu-ay-aht First Nations is an indigenous community located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is a part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, formerly called the Nootka. Huu-ay-aht is a party to the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, a modern treaty that grants its five member-nations constitutionally protected self-government as well as ownership, control, and law-making authority over their lands and re-sources. For more information, visit huuayaht.org. Kiixin is managed by Huu-ay-aht First Nations. Huu-ay-aht First Nations is a self-governing First Nation and signatory to the Maa-Nulth First Nations Final Agreement. The Traditional Territory and Treaty Settlement Land is situated in Barclay Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, at the entrance to Alberni Inlet. The Nation is committed to balancing the objectives of strong and diverse economic growth with environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Parks Canada works together with Huu-ay-aht First Nations on a cooperative management board to operate Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. While Kiixin is outside of the national park reserve boundary, historic designations, such as the one for Kiixin, occur under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and present and commemorate all aspects of Canada's history. The Government of Canada is committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples, based on a recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. National historic sites represent thousands of years of human history. These are places of profound importance to Canada as they bear witness to our country's defining moments and illustrate its human creativity and cultural traditions. Each national historic site tells its own unique story, part of the greater story of Canada, contributing a sense of time, identity, and place to our understanding of Canada as a whole. Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the national historic importance of the sites, people and events that have marked Canada's history. The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To nominate a person, place or historical event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application Related Links Kiixin National Historic Site of Canada Huu-ay-aht First Nations Kiixin Village and Fortress National Historic Site - Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada Parks Canada Agency Media Images SOURCE Parks Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/20/c3179.html Fortune Business Insights Portable Generator Market to Grow at 5.4% CAGR; Position Strengthening Strategies Deployed by Leading Players Such as Aggreko and Yamaha to Spur Competition: Fortune Business Insights Pune, India, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global portable generator market size is projected to reach USD 5.87 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. Rising incidence of natural disasters across the globe will play a central role in augmenting the growth of this market, shares Fortune Business Insights in its new report, titled Portable Generator Market Size, Share and Global Trend by Fuel (Diesel, Gas, and Others), Power Rating (Below 5kVA, 5-15kVA, 15-45kVA, 45-75kVA), By Application (Residential, Commercial, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019 to 2026. Weather-related natural calamities such as hurricanes and floods have spiked in terms of frequency in last few decades. According the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a staggering 315 natural disasters occurred in 2018, causing nearly 12,000 deaths globally. Industry Developments: January 2019: Yamaha Motor Corp launched its new line of portable inverter generators called EF2200iS. These generators will be an addition to the companys existing portable generator offerings and will feature an LED control panel and larger power capacity, whilst being lightweight. February 2017: Atlas Copcos Portable Energy Division unveiled its novel and powerful portable generators at the CONEXPO 2017 held in Las Vegas. The companys QAS generator series is engineered specifically for the market in the US, while the iP generators are designed to be fuel efficient and compact. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/portable-generator-market-100155 Report Highlights: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019-2026 Forecast Period 2019 to 2026 CAGR 5.4% 2026 Value Projection USD 5.87 billion Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2018 USD 3.88 billion Historical Data for 2015-2017 No. of Pages 240 Segments covered By Technology, By Application and Regional Forecast Growth Drivers Lack of Access to Stable Power Supply to Propel the Market Speedy Economic Development in China and India to Fuel the Market in Asia-Pacific Bulk of the burden of these disasters was borne by countries in Asia, with Indonesia accounting for half of the total deaths, the OCHA highlights. Furthermore, the world suffered an economic loss of approximately USD 131.7 billion as a result of these calamities. One of leading factors aggravating the intensity of loss created by such tragedies is poor energy and power infrastructure. A study conducted by the European Commission found that restarting power generation in flood-hit regions can take up to 3 weeks. Portable generators, therefore, can prove to be critical during and after such events for rehabilitation and recovery purposes. As per the portable generator market report, the value of this market stood at USD 3.88 billion in 2018. Story continues Market Driver: Lack of Access to Stable Power Supply to Propel the Market Deficient, poor, and interrupted power supply in developing and underdeveloped economies is one of the top portable generator market trends. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) revealed in its The Energy Progress Report that close to 840 million people across the globe are deprived of electricity. The report states that by 2030, 650 million people will still be living without electricity. The challenge looms large in case of remote areas in underdeveloped regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa where a whopping 573 million people live without electricity. In such a dreadful scenario, portable generators can prove extremely useful, not just in providing electricity to remote areas, but also to substantially enhance the quality of life of the underprivileged, which bodes well for the portable genset market growth. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/portable-generator-market-100155 Regional Analysis Speedy Economic Development in China and India to Fuel the Market in Asia-Pacific With a market size of USD 1.33 billion in 2018, Asia-Pacific is poised to dominate the portable generator market share during the forecast period. One of the main reasons for the regions leading position is the unprecedented economic rise of India and China. These countries are heavily investing in establishing strong and durable grid infrastructure to meet their energy demands. Poor energy infrastructure in most African countries is creating several growth opportunities in the Middle East and Africa region for the market. Moreover, African countries are exhibiting promising economic growth, which is attracting MNCs into the region and upping the demand for portable generators in the continent. Competitive Landscape Increasing Operations of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Intensify Competition Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are gaining significant ground in emerging economies and their energy demands are consistently growing, which has brightened the portable generator market outlook. These SMEs are primarily engaged in manufacturing where the demand for uninterrupted power supply is high. The report also comprehensively answers the following questions: What are key factors driving the growth and development of this market? What challenges does the market face and may face in the future? Which regions are emerging as the most promising ones in the market? Who are the key players and what are their key strategies? Which segments are set to lead the market share in the coming years? Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/portable-generator-market-100155 List of Key Players Covered in the Report: Wacker Neuson (Germany) John Deere (United States) Manlift Group (United Arab Emirates) Briggs & Stratton (United States) Kohler-SDMO (France) Kirloskar Electric Co. Ltd (India) Himoinsa (Spain) Caterpillar Inc. (United States) PRAMAC (Italy) Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (United States) Aggreko (United Kingdom) Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) Cummins Inc. (United States) Scope of the Report: 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 Global Portable Generator Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Fuel Diesel Gas Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Power Rating Below 5kVA 5-15kVA 15-45kVA 45-75kVA Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Residential Commercial Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa North America Portable Generator Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Fuel Diesel Gas Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Power Rating Below 5kVA 5-15kVA 15-45kVA 45-75kVA Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Residential Commercial Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Country U.S. Canada Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/portable-generator-market-100155 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and UN Secretary-General have in New York discussed bilateral cooperation, as well as the recent Armenian border provocation, Azernews reports, citing the ministry. During the meeting held on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly on September 19, the parties exchanged views on Azerbaijan-UN cooperation, future activities, and the latest regional developments. [I] was delighted to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. We discussed further deepening of multiple areas of Azerbaijan-UN cooperation. I briefed Secretary-General about the latest regional situation as a result of Armenian provocations, Bayramov tweeted. Bayramov underlined that Azerbaijan-UN ties have improved throughout the nation's 30 years of membership in the organization, and the country has undertaken large-scale actions within the UN, notably in the area of fostering peace and security. The minister expressed satisfaction about the recent visits of the Chairman of the United Nations General Assembly and other high-level officials to Azerbaijan, which had contributed to the sustained development of relations. Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement and its initiatives in this respect were noted. Bayramov also provided thorough information regarding Armenia's large-scale provocations as well as Azerbaijan's peace-building efforts in this respect. The Azerbaijani top diplomat briefed his interlocutor about the restoration and reconstruction work on the liberated territories, as well as the return of internally displaced people to the region, emphasizing the importance of increasing international efforts to eliminate the threat of landmines in these territories. Guterres, for his part, said that Azerbaijan has exceptional constructive ties with the UN and that it is critical to enhancing cooperation in all areas. Guterres praised Azerbaijan's leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement for its internationally significant achievements. He emphasized the significance of the normalization process and the reduction of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the discussion, the parties also discussed other matters of mutual interest on the UN agenda. In the same vein, Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan discussed the Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization process following the recent border clashes on the sidelines of the 77th UNGA session. The meeting was organized under the auspices of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During the meeting, Blinked asked the parties for a follow-up meeting in late September. Secretary Blinken conveyed condolences for the lives lost and emphasized the need to prevent further hostilities, underscoring the importance of returning to the peace process. They discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said. Today I hosted direct talks between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. As I conveyed during the meeting, it is time for troops to disengage and diplomats to return to the table, Blinken tweeted. TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - RBC Global Asset Management Inc. ("RBC GAM Inc.") today announced changes to several of its Funds, including a transition from the specified percentage pricing methodology to a fixed management fee, as well as an administration fee reduction. RBC (CNW Group/RBC) Transition to a fixed management fee for certain RBC Funds RBC GAM Inc. will transition from the specified percentage pricing methodology to a fixed management fee for the following RBC Funds (collectively, the "Portfolios"): RBC Select Very Conservative Portfolio (Series A, T5) RBC Select Conservative Portfolio (Series A, T5) RBC Select Balanced Portfolio (Series A, T5) RBC Select Growth Portfolio (Series A, T5) RBC Select Aggressive Growth Portfolio (Series A, T5) RBC Select Choices Conservative Portfolio (Series A) RBC Select Choices Balanced Portfolio (Series A) RBC Select Choices Growth Portfolio (Series A) RBC Select Choices Aggressive Growth Portfolio (Series A) RBC Managed Payout Solution (Series A) RBC Managed Payout Solution Enhanced (Series A) RBC Target 2025 Education Fund (Series A, D) RBC Target 2030 Education Fund (Series A, D) The management fee of the Portfolios is currently variable and is determined on a basis such that all fees and expenses that comprise the management expense ratio (the "MER"), other than the additional cost of HST, will be equal to a specified percentage of the portfolio. The specified percentage includes the management fee, administration fee, taxes (other than the additional cost of HST), other fund costs and any fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which the Portfolios invest. Effective January 1, 2023, the management fee will be fixed, and the MER of the Portfolios will comprise the management fee, administration fee, taxes, other fund costs and any fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which the Portfolios invest. By fixing the management fee, investors will be able to more easily compare management fees of the Portfolios to other mutual funds. Story continues The management fees will be fixed at the rates set out in the table below and will be disclosed in the Portfolios' simplified prospectus. In all cases, the management fees will be set at levels that are the same or lower than current levels paid by each Portfolio. Portfolio Series Management Fee Current (Variable)1 New (Fixed) Change RBC Select Very Conservative Portfolio A 1.45 % 1.44 % -0.01 % T5 1.44 % 1.44 % No change RBC Select Conservative Portfolio A 1.58 % 1.58 % No change T5 1.59 % 1.58 % -0.01 % RBC Select Balanced Portfolio A 1.67 % 1.67 % No change T5 1.67 % 1.67 % No change RBC Select Growth Portfolio A 1.76 % 1.76 % No change T5 1.77 % 1.76 % -0.01 % RBC Select Aggressive Growth Portfolio A 1.85 % 1.85 % No change T5 1.86 % 1.85 % -0.01 % RBC Select Choices Conservative Portfolio A 1.69 % 1.68 % -0.01 % RBC Select Choices Balanced Portfolio A 1.88 % 1.87 % -0.01 % RBC Select Choices Growth Portfolio A 2.06 % 2.06 % No change RBC Select Choices Aggressive Growth Portfolio A 2.25 % 2.25 % No change RBC Managed Payout Solution A 1.39 % 1.39 % No change RBC Managed Payout Solution Enhanced A 1.58 % 1.58 % No change RBC Target 2025 Education Fund A 1.40 % 0.88%2 See note 2 D 0.79 % 0.69%3 See note 3 RBC Target 2030 Education Fund A 1.59 % 1.58%4 -0.01 % D 0.89 % 0.87%5 -0.02 % 1 As disclosed in the 2022 Interim Management Report of Fund Performance of each Portfolio. 2 Transition to fixed management fee of 1.40% results in no change. Coincident fee reduction based on declining fee schedule as described in the Portfolios' simplified prospectus will result in an effective management fee of 0.88%. 3 Transition to fixed management fee of 0.78%% results in a -0.01% change. Coincident fee reduction based on declining fee schedule as described in the Portfolios' simplified prospectus will result in an effective management fee of 0.69%. 4 Based on declining fee schedule as described in the Portfolios' simplified prospectus, management fees will decrease to 1.40% effective January 1, 2025 and 0.88% effective January 1, 2028. 5 Based on declining fee schedule as described in the Portfolios' simplified prospectus, management fees will decrease to 0.78% effective January 1, 2025 and 0.69% effective January 1, 2028. The Independent Review Committee of the Portfolios considered and provided a positive recommendation for the proposed changes after determining that they would achieve a fair and reasonable result for the Portfolios. Unitholders will be sent a written notice detailing the changes at least 60 days prior to the effective date. RBC GAM Inc. lowers administration fees for certain RBC Funds Effective January 1, 2023, the administration fees for the following funds and applicable series will be reduced: Fund Series Administration Fee Current Effective January 1, 2023 RBC Emerging Markets Bond Fund (CAD Hedged) O 0.05 % 0.02 % BlueBay Global Monthly Income Bond Fund O 0.10 % 0.02 % BlueBay Global Sovereign Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.05 % 0.02 % BlueBay Global Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.05 % 0.02 % BlueBay $U.S. Global Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.05 % 0.02 % BlueBay European High Yield Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay $U.S. Global High Yield Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay Emerging Markets Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay Emerging Markets High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund (Canada) O 0.10 % 0.05 % RBC Emerging Markets Balanced Fund O 0.05 % 0.02 % RBC Emerging Markets Multi-Strategy Equity Fund O 0.05 % 0.02 % RBC Emerging Markets Dividend Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC Emerging Markets ex-China Dividend Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC Emerging Markets Equity Focus Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC QUBE Low Volatility Emerging Markets Equity Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC Emerging Markets Small-Cap Equity Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC Vision Fossil Fuel Free Emerging Markets Equity Fund O 0.15 % 0.10 % RBC GAM Inc. reviews administration fees on an ongoing basis. These fee reductions are part of RBC GAM's commitment to leadership in delivering value to investors. Administration fees are used to pay for the following operating expenses of a fund: regulatory filing fees, fees and expenses associated with the Independent Review Committee, recordkeeping, accounting and fund valuation costs, custody fees, audit and legal fees, the costs of preparing and distributing annual and semi-annual reports, prospectuses, fund facts, statements and other investor communications. Please consult your advisor and read the prospectus or Fund Facts document before investing. There may be commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses associated with mutual fund investments. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. RBC Funds, BlueBay Funds and PH&N Funds are offered by RBC GAM Inc. and distributed through authorized dealers in Canada. RBC GAM Inc. is a member of the RBC GAM group of companies and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. About RBC Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 92,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. About RBC Global Asset Management RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) is the asset management division of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and includes money managers BlueBay Asset Management and Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management. RBC GAM is a provider of global investment management services and solutions to institutional, high-net-worth and individual investors through separate accounts, pooled funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds and specialty investment strategies. The RBC GAM group of companies manage approximately $540 billion in assets and have approximately 1,500 employees located across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. SOURCE RBC Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/20/c2142.html For the 5th Time, RealManage Appears on the Inc. 5000, Ranking No. 3317 With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 159 Percent Inc. 5000 Medallion America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies Plano, Texas, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In August, Inc. revealed that RealManage is No. 3317 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segmentits independent businesses. "I could not be more proud of our RealManage Family of Brands team," states Chris O'Neill, RealManage Family of Brands CEO. "I am grateful to work with such outstanding people and represent a company leading the industry in innovation and customer service." The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23. "The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today." The RealManage Family of Brands, which includes RealManage, GrandManors, and CiraConnect, is one of the fastest-growing association management companies in the country, currently ranking number three among the nation's HOA/condo management companies. This year, the company announced a strategic partnership with American Securities LLC, a leading U.S. private equity firm, to support RealManage's top operations and accelerate growth through acquisitions, branch openings, and organic growth. Story continues More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Methodology Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine's September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. About Inc. The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc., offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/. Attachment CONTACT: Amanda Causey RealManage Family of Brands 866-403-1588 marketing@realmanage.com TGS ASA NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INTO OR WITHIN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, , HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA, THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OSLO, Norway (20 September 2022) Reference is made to the announcements on 29 June 2022 and 24 August 2022, and the offer document dated 24 August 2022 (the Offer Document) regarding the recommended voluntary exchange offer by TGS ASA (TGS or the Offeror, ", OSE: TGS) to acquire all outstanding shares (the Shares) in Magseis Fairfield ASA ( Magseis Fairfield, OSE: MSEIS) against an offer consideration (the Offer Consideration) of (i) 0.0426 ordinary shares in TGS and (ii) NOK 2.3592 in cash (the Offer) per Magseis Fairfield share. On 6 September 2022, TGS announced that it had received clearance, with the applicable regulatory waiting periods expiring, from the relevant competition authorities in the jurisdictions where filings were required, thereby satisfying a condition to consummation of the Offer. Reference is also made to the announcement made by Magseis Fairfield on 14 September 2022 regarding the conclusion made by PricewaterhouseCoopers AS, as an independent expert engaged by Magseis Fairfield, that the Offer, from a financial point of view, is considered fair to the owners of shares in Magseis Fairfield. For further details, please refer to the announcement made available on https://newsweb.oslobors.no/message/571176 Based on the closing price of the TGS shares of NOK 152.3 as at 19 September 2022, the value of the Offer Consideration was equal to NOK 8.85 per share in Magseis Fairfield. The share price of Magseis Fairfield on 28 June 2022, the day immediately preceding the announcement of the Offer, was NOK 5.60. The period for the Offer (the Offer Period) will expire on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, at 16:30 (Norwegian time), subject to extensions at the sole discretion of the Offeror. The complete terms and conditions for the Offer and procedures for accepting the Offer are set out in the Offer Document. The Offer can only be accepted based on the Offer Document. Shareholders who want to accept the Offer must fill out and return the acceptance form, which is included in the Offer Document, prior to the expiry of the Offer Period. Story continues Acceptances of the Offer already received will remain binding, and there is no need for shareholders that have already accepted the Offer to take any further action to confirm their acceptances or otherwise. Completion of the Offer remains subject to the fulfillment or waiver by the Offeror of the conditions for the closing of the Offer as set out in Section 3.1 (Summary of the key terms of the Offer) and Section 3.3.4 (Conditions for completion of the Offer) of the Offer Document (including the condition for acceptance of the Offer by shareholders representing more than 90% of the shares and votes of Magseis Fairfield on a fully diluted basis), other than regulatory approvals condition which was announced as satisfied on 6 September 2022. However, to the Offeror's knowledge, none of the conditions for the Offer that refer to events that shall or shall not occur are, as of the date hereof, not satisfied or capable of being satisfied. The Offer Document and the acceptance form are, subject to regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions, available at www.abgsc.com, where also contact information can be found for questions related to the Offer and the acceptance form. The acceptance form includes information on how and where to submit the form in order to accept the Offer. Advisors ABG Sundal Collier ASA is acting as financial advisor to TGS and receiving agent for the Offer. Advokatfirmaet Schjdt AS is acting as legal advisor to TGS. Arctics Securities AS is acting as financial advisor and Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is acting as legal advisor to Magseis Fairfield. Contact: TGS: Sven Brre Larsen, CFO Tel: +47 909 43 673 Email: investor@tgs.com About TGS TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions Important notice It may be unlawful to distribute this announcement in certain jurisdictions. This announcement is not for distribution in Australia, Canada, the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Japan, South Africa, the United States or to any other jurisdiction where such distribution would be unlawful. The information in this announcement does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in such jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute an offer for sale of, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States. The Offer or Consideration Shares referred to in this release 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. The information contained in this announcement is for informational purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. TGS does not intend to conduct a public offering in the United States. The Consideration Shares will only be sold to persons outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act. For U.S. persons or to persons that are otherwise subject to the securities laws of the United States, the Consideration Shares will only be sold to "accredited investors," as defined in Rule 501(a) under Regulation D under the U.S. Securities Act, pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 506(c) under such U.S. Securities Act. Copies of this announcement are not being, and should not be, distributed in or sent into the United States. In the United Kingdom, this announcement is for distribution only to and is directed only at persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments which fall within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order"), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc") of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iii) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement is 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 relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. This announcement has been prepared on the basis that any offer of securities in any Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Regulation (EU) (2017/1129, as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation") (each, a "Relevant Member State") will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation, as implemented in that Relevant Member State, from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of securities. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make any offer in that Relevant Member State of securities, which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this announcement, may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for TGS to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Regulation, in each case, in relation to such offer. Neither TGS nor any of the advisors have authorised, nor do they authorise, the making of any offer of the securities through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by TGS which constitute the final placement of the securities contemplated in this announcement. Neither TGS nor any of the advisors have authorised, nor do they authorise, the making of any offer of securities in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company to publish or supplement a prospectus for such offer. This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws and regulations of various international, federal, and state jurisdictions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding the Offer or the future plans and objectives of TGS or Magseis Fairfield are forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Neither TGS, Magseis Fairfield nor any of their advisors and/or any of their affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents or any other person(s) accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information or opinions in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from this announcement) or any other information relating the Offer, TGS or Magseis Fairfield. The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in TGS is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither TGS, Magseis Fairfield nor their advisors assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. Russian President Vladimir Putin. Contributor/Getty Images Russian stocks plunged Tuesday on signs that Moscow may escalate its war on Ukraine. Lawmakers are advancing legislation to heighten punishments for military crimes, raising fears of full mobilization. Russian officials also announced plans to hold sham annexation votes in occupied parts of Ukraine. Russian stocks fell Tuesday on signs that President Vladimir Putin could escalate his war on Ukraine after his military suffered a stunning rout earlier this month. New legislation in Russia's parliament would heighten punishment for military crimes, such as desertion, damage to military property, and insubordination, raising fears it could lead to a full mobilization later. Some hard-line lawmakers have been calling for an expansion of the military draft since it gave up huge swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow moved to hold sham referendums to fully annex occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. While annexation wouldn't be recognized as legal, it raises the prospect that any attacks on Russian forces there could be claimed as attacks on Russian soil, potentially escalating the war. Related video: How sanctions on Russia hurt Putin's closest allies The ruble-denominated MOEX stock index tumbled 8.7% to hit the lowest point since August 16, while the dollar-denominated RTS stock index sank 9.2%. Russia's potential move to annex occupied Ukrainian territory is a sign of a stark escalation of the conflict with Kyiv, dashing hopes that the war could find an end sooner than previously thought thanks to Ukraine's strong counter-offensive and steep Russian military losses. Putin is now seemingly doubling down on the Ukraine invasion with the potential legislation, further strengthening his grip on a war effort that seems to be slipping away in its sixth month. He also called for Russia's defense industry to increase its output of weapons. Meanwhile, Russia's finance ministry is considering plans to raise taxes on energy exports, Kommersant reported, as the Kremlin looks to shore up its budget and war chest amid Western sanctions. Read the original article on Business Insider Company Logo Global Security Orchestration Market Global Security Orchestration Market Dublin, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) Market by Offering (Platform & Solutions, Services), Application (Threat Intelligence, Network Forensics, Compliance), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global SOAR market size is expected to grow from an estimated value of USD 1.1 billion in 2022 to USD 2.3 billion by 2027, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.8% from 2022 to 2027. By organization size, Large enterprises to account for a higher market share during the forecast period Organizations that have more than 1,000 employees are considered as large enterprises. Large enterprises are the early adopters of SOAR solutions as they are more susceptible to cyberattacks. Large enterprises have large team size, which requires the maintenance of a large IT infrastructure. Hence, it becomes difficult to effectively manage and handle the organization's entire network infrastructure. Due to an increase in cyber threats, network security is at risk, as sensitive business information and documents are regularly communicated via emails and other networks among employees, clients, and vendors. Due to their complex infrastructure, traditional security services fail to identify these security gaps. SOAR solutions not only identify such security gaps but also offer immediate remediation from evolving threats. Large enterprises are moving toward the adoption of the BYOD and CYOD trends. Therefore, they require SOAR solutions to protect their systems and endpoints that are interconnected to the enterprise network. SOAR solutions are essential for these enterprises, as they have a large fleet of assets, bigger work orders to be managed, and critical information to be taken care of. By vertical, retail and eCommerce to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Story continues The retail and eCommerce vertical comprises store retailers who operate from fixed Point-of-Sale (PoS) locations and non-store retailers. The vertical tops in terms of cost-cutting, improving revenue margins and adopting the latest technologies. It is one of the most targeted verticals by cyberattackers because of potential payouts and a huge number of monetary transactions made via VISA, MasterCard, and other payment processing networks. This leads to the adoption of comprehensive security solutions as data risk is present at all levels, from various transactions to the confidentiality of the personal information of customers and employees. Retail organizations are geographically distributed across locations. Cyberattackers target this vertical because of the potential payouts and the record of several monetary transactions made via Visa, MasterCard, and other payment processing networks in the industry. This leads to the adoption of comprehensive security solutions in this vertical, as data risk is present at all levels, from various transactions to the confidentiality of personal information of customers and employees. Currently, retailers are adopting new technologies such as location-based marketing and internal work localization from one floor to another to attract customers and take full advantage of online business opportunities, which are vulnerable to threats. The increase in the number of cyberattacks and data theft activities have increased the adoption of network security software solutions by retailers to protect the confidential and private information of their customers. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview and Industry Trends 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Growing Incidents of Phishing Emails and Ransomware 5.2.1.2 Soar Helps Security Teams Fight Against Alert Fatigue 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Lack of Trust in Third-Party Applications 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Soar Addresses Dearth of Skilled Cybersecurity Professionals 5.2.3.2 Introduction of Ml/Ai-Powered Soar Solutions 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Lack of Modern It Infrastructure 5.3 Use Cases 5.3.1 Splunk Use Case 5.3.2 Sumo Logic Use Case 5.3.3 Rsa Security Use Case 5.4 Value Chain Analysis 5.5 Ecosystem 5.6 Porter's Five Forces Model Analysis 5.7 Key Stakeholders and Buying Criteria 5.7.1 Key Stakeholders in Buying Process 5.8 Pricing Model Analysis 5.8.1 Pricing Model of Key Players 5.8.2 Selling Prices of Startup/Sme Players 5.9 Technology Analysis 5.9.1 Advanced Siem Platform 5.9.2 Ai and Ml Integration 5.10 Patent Analysis 5.11 Trends and Disruptions Impacting Customer Business 5.12 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 5.13 Key Conferences and Events in 2022-2023 6 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Offering 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Platform and Solutions 6.2.1 Platform and Solutions: Market Drivers 6.3 Services 6.3.1 Services: Market Drivers 6.3.2 Professional Services 6.3.3 Managed Services 7 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Application 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Threat Intelligence 7.2.1 Threat Intelligence: Market Drivers 7.3 Network Forensics 7.3.1 Network Forensics: Market Drivers 7.4 Incident Response 7.4.1 Incident Response: Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market Drivers 7.5 Compliance 7.5.1 Compliance: Market Drivers 7.6 Workflow Management 7.6.1 Workflow Management: Market Drivers 7.7 Other Applications 8 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Deployment Mode 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Cloud 8.2.1 Cloud: Market Drivers 8.3 On-Premises 8.3.1 On-Premises: Market Drivers 9 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Organization Size 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises 9.2.1 Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Market Drivers 9.3 Large Enterprises 9.3.1 Large Enterprises: Market Drivers 10 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Vertical 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance 10.2.1 Bfsi: Market Drivers 10.3 Government 10.3.1 Government: Market Drivers 10.4 Energy and Utilities 10.4.1 Energy and Utilities: Market Drivers 10.5 Healthcare 10.5.1 Healthcare: Market Drivers 10.6 Retail and Ecommerce 10.6.1 Retail and Ecommerce: Market Drivers 10.7 It and Ites 10.7.1 It and Ites: Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market Drivers 10.8 Other Verticals 11 Security Orchestration, Automation and Response Market, by Region 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Overview 12.2 Market Evaluation Framework 12.3 Revenue Analysis of Leading Players 12.4 Market Share Analysis of the Top Market Players 12.5 Historical Revenue Analysis 12.6 Ranking of Key Players in Market 12.7 Evaluation Quadrant of Key Companies 12.7.1 Stars 12.7.2 Emerging Leaders 12.7.3 Pervasive Players 12.7.4 Participants 12.8 Competitive Benchmarking 12.8.1 Evaluation Criteria of Key Companies 12.8.2 Evaluation Criteria of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises/Startup Companies 12.9 Company Evaluation Quadrant of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises/Startups 12.9.1 Progressive Companies 12.9.2 Responsive Companies 12.9.3 Dynamic Companies 12.9.4 Starting Blocks 12.1 Competitive Scenario and Trends 12.10.1 New Product Launches and Product Enhancements 12.10.2 Deals 13 Company Profiles 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Key Players 13.2.1 Ibm 13.2.2 Cisco 13.2.3 Rapid7 13.2.4 Palo Alto Networks 13.2.5 Splunk 13.2.6 Swimlane 13.2.7 Tufin 13.2.8 Fortinet 13.2.9 Threatconnect 13.2.10 Trellix 13.2.11 Sumo Logic 13.2.12 Siemplify 13.2.13 Logrhythm 13.2.14 Resolve 13.2.15 Exabeam 13.2.16 Manageengine 13.2.17 Knowbe4 13.3 Other Players 13.3.1 D3 Security 13.3.2 Qvine 13.3.3 Cyware 13.3.4 Logichub 13.3.5 Cyberbit 13.3.6 Logsign 13.3.7 Sirp 13.3.8 Tines 14 Adjacent Markets 15 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bm1t0h Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Syed leaving the courthouse after being released from prison. Kevin Richardson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Adnan Syed, the subject of the first season of the hit podcast "Serial," was released from prison on Monday. Sarah Koenig, the host of "Serial," told The New York Times that she "did not see this coming at all." A judge on Monday vacated Syed's conviction in the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Eight years after the hit podcast "Serial" covered the conviction of Adnan Syed for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, Syed was released from prison on Monday. "Serial" host Sarah Koenig told The New York Times, which bought Serial Productions in 2020, that she was "shocked" at Syed's release. "I did not see this coming at all," Koenig said. "One of the first things I did was call Adnan's brother and then his mother they told me they didn't know either. The prosecutors who filed the motion to release him kept it pretty tight, it seems." Syed, who is now 41 years old, had been behind bars for 23 years after being sentenced to life in prison at the age of 18. In 2014, the first season of "Serial" raised doubts about Syed's trial and conviction, without coming to its own conclusion about whether he murdered Lee, his former girlfriend. A Baltimore judge vacated Syed's conviction on Monday after prosecutors revealed that evidence pointing to potential alternate suspects was never turned in, and that they no longer had faith in the case. "I felt almost disoriented for about a day," Koenig said. "Like the city prosecutor's office suddenly pulled off a rubber mask and underneath was a scowling defense attorney." "Serial" surged to the top of Apple Podcasts on Tuesday after a new episode was released detailing Syed's release. Prosecutors have 30 days to decide whether to pursue a new trial against Syed, but Koenig said on the new episode that the chance of that is "remote, at best." Read the original article on Business Insider (Revises arrival date of Golar Penguin; shows Al Mafyar is docked) Sept 20 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (L). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Umm Slal 261,000 Sept. 21 Qatar South Hook Golar Penguin 155,000 Sept. 21 United States Dragon Gaslog HongKong 174,000 Sept. 22 United States Isle of Grain Gaslog Seattle 155,000 Sept. 22* Algeria Isle of Grain Al Mafyar 261,000 Sept. 23^ Qatar South Hook BW Pavilion Leeara 162,000 Sept. 25 United States Isle of Grain Flex Rainbow 174,000 Sept. 25 Nigeria Dragon Ribera Duero Knutsen 173,000 Sept. 29 United States Milford Haven LNG Enterprise 174,000 Sept. 29 United States Isle of Grain BW Pavilionaranthera 171,000 Sept. 30 United States Isle of Grain Golar Glacier 162,000 Oct. 10 United States South Hook Cool Runner 158,000 Oct. 17 United States South Hook BELGIUM Al Mafyar 261,000 Sept. 20 (A) Qatar Zeebrugge Fraiha LNG 206,000 Sept. 22 Qatar Zeebrugge Georgiy Ushakov 172,000 Sept. 22 Russia Zeebrugge Simaisma 143,000 Sept. 25 Qatar Zeebrugge BW Tulip 171,000 Sept. 28 United States Zeebrugge Al Sheehaniya 206,000 Sept. 30 Qatar Zeebrugge Al Ruwais 210,000 Oct. 8 Qatar Zeebrugge Lusail 143,000 Oct. 10 Qatar Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS SK Resolute 180,000 Sept. 21 United States Gate British Listener 174,000 Sept. 23 United States Gate Maria Energy 174,000 Sept. 23 United States Gate Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date estimated based on flows data (Reporting by Nina Chestney) Lineup includes a travel and campus backpack designed for eco-conscious, on-the-go consumers who value simplicity and style ANAHEIM, Calif, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Targus, a leader in laptop cases and mobile computing accessories, announced today that it has introduced a new line of contemporary backpacks to its EcoSmart Collection of sustainable laptop cases made from GRS-certified recycled plastic bottles. The new Sagano EcoSmart Collection features a Campus and Travel backpack, designed for eco-conscious consumers to carry, protect, and organize their tech and other daily essentials with ease and simplicity. Targus' new Sagano EcoSmart Collection of backpacks protects your essentials while protecting the environment "Our extensive consumer research demonstrates that today's consumers prefer eco-conscious brands and products," says David Dorantes, director of product marketing, Targus. "Our new Sagano EcoSmart backpacks achieve that by offering a practical, high-quality carrying case solution that is also better for the planet." Created to fit 15"-16" laptops, the functional and eco-friendly Sagano EcoSmart Campus Backpack (available in gray and blue) is made from seven recycled water bottles. It features a slim profile design with a padded laptop compartment and a spacious, zippered front pocket for easy access. A handy workstation keeps pens, an ID, and keys organized while the outside has two convenient side pockets for reusable water bottles. Whether headed to school, the office, or simply bringing gear to the nearest coffee shop, this bag is consciously designed to protect your essentials, as well as the environment. Made from nine plastic water bottles, the Sagano EcoSmart Travel Backpack (gray) is designed to carry 15"-16" laptops and other essential gear with style and ease. Offering multiple pockets and a contemporary profile, this bag is equipped with safety features like the SafePort Sling Protection System to secure a laptop from the inside, while the RFID-blocking pocket helps keep personal information safe from the outside. Story continues The Sagano EcoSmart Backpacks are available for sale now at Targus.com and through participating retailers. Visit our website for more product details and pricing. About Targus For more than 35 years, Targus has been revolutionizing mobile computing accessories for large enterprises and consumers, alike connecting people and technology in meaningful ways. From laptop bags to tablet cases to peripherals and universal docking stations, we persistently conceive, design, and produce innovative, productivity-boosting solutions that make the complex, simple; and seamlessly integrate into the lifestyles of mobile professionals wherever they work at home, in the office, or wherever they go. We cross categories, regions, industries, and lifestyles with a breadth and depth of products that provide you with the solutions you need to live, dream, and do. Headquartered in Anaheim, California, Targus has global operations in more than 24 offices and distribution in more than 100 countries. Learn more about us at Targus.com, like or follow us on Facebook, and LinkedIn. *Targus, EcoSmart, Sagano, and SafePort are trademarks or registered trademarks of Targus International LLC in the U.S. and in certain other countries. All logos and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/targus-launches-sagano-ecosmart-collection-of-contemporary-laptop-backpacks-made-from-recycled-plastic-bottles-301628790.html SOURCE Targus MILWAUKEE, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- USG Realty Capital, a leading investment sponsor specializing in opportunity zones, announced today the commencement of its newest ground-up opportunity zone project for Investors Choice OZ Fund, Elevation 1659, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 76-unit multifamily community is being developed by Ogden & Company, Inc. Elevation 1659 is scheduled for completion in September of 2023. USG Logo "Elevation 1659 is located in one of the top opportunity zones in the country with one of the strongest social impact studies directly related to this project," said Greg Genovese, CEO and founder of USG Realty Capital. "It's always a big day when we break ground on a new project, and our developer partner, Ogden & Co., has been wonderful to work with. We look forward to Elevation 1659 becoming a big success for all our investors and a great new addition to this Milwaukee neighborhood, creating an exceptional positive social impact for the community." Elevation 1659 is located one mile north of downtown Milwaukee in an up-and-coming neighborhood where many investors and companies are searching for affordable, urban-oriented commercial and multifamily projects. According to Smart Growth America, the project's Milwaukee census tract currently ranks in the top 40 qualified opportunity zones in the U.S. In addition, data compiled by DRC Impact Reporting shows the Milwaukee metropolitan area ranks better than 66% of major U.S. cities in terms of housing affordability, and wealth building for longtime residents is predicted to increase for the local and surrounding regions. "We are very excited for Elevation 1659's construction to begin," said Jason Pietsch, Ogden's real estate investment specialist for the project. "In the coming days and weeks, tree removal, building demolition, and subsequent site prep will commence. These initial steps will lay the foundation, quite literally, for the rest of the project a project we believe will be among the premier Class A apartment buildings in the Milwaukee market." Story continues The project itself is poised to be a strong competitor against other multifamily developments already in the area, offering higher quality amenities compared to similar properties within a one-mile radius. In addition, Elevation 1659 offers a lower carbon footprint and an overall positive impact on the metro Milwaukee community as the neighborhood is expected to experience greater economic gain and lower crime rates. Investors Choice OZ Fund by USG Realty Capital launched in June 2021. Since that time, the qualified opportunity zone fund has added four more projects to its portfolio and continues to seek qualified ground-up multifamily, senior living, storage, and manufactured housing projects. The $50 million offering focuses on projects with investment equity targets ranging from $5 million to $10 million per project. About USG Realty Capital USG Realty Capital is headquartered in Silverdale, Washington, with divisional headquarters for asset management and capital markets in Santa Barbara, California. The USG Opportunity Zone Investment Platform was created by USG Realty Capital, an alternative investment company, and has successfully launched three opportunity zone investment funds. To learn more, please visit www.usgre.com. This is not an offer to sell securities. An offer to sell securities may be made only pursuant to the applicable Private Placement Memorandum for the security ("The Memorandum"). All investments involve risk. An investment in securities is speculative, illiquid and involves a high degree of risk and there is no guarantee that investors will receive any returns. Risks may include real estate risks; opportunity zone regulatory risks; the volatility of multifamily, single family, medical office, general office, retail, industrial, self-storage, and senior living industries; the impact of COVID-19 outbreak; limited redemption rights; restrictions on transferability; no guarantee of cash distributions; distributions may be paid from any source; reliance on management; financing risks; the fees paid to the manager may not be determined by arm's-length negotiations; conflicts of interest; and tax risks. Contact: Jill Swartz Spotlight Marketing Communications 949-427-1389 jill@spotlightmarcom.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usg-realty-capital-breaks-ground-on-multifamily-housing-project-in-milwaukee-further-diversifying-its-first-of-its-kind-investor-directed-portfolio-301628300.html SOURCE USG Realty Capital For more than half a decade, Zopper built a platform for small- and medium-sized businesses, helping merchants with invoicing and payments through its point-of-sale platform. It sold that IP to PhonePe in mid-2018, but instead of joining the fintech giant, Zopper has been working on a new venture from scratch and independent of PhonePe. That business, an API platform for insurance infrastructure, said on Tuesday it has raised $75 million in new funding. The New Delhiheadquartered startups Series C funding was led by Creaegis. ICICI Venture and Bessemer Venture Partners, as well as existing backer Blume Ventures, also participated in the funding, the startup said. Zopper, an 11-year-old startup, has raised $96 million to date. It didnt disclose the valuation at which it closed the round. Zopper works with insurance providers and creates byte-sized, personalized products that it then supplies to distribution partners. This approach differentiates Zopper from many of its competitors in India that are aggregating coverages from different manufacturers and attempting to cut the distributors and directly reach consumers. "If you look at the penetration of insurance in India today, it's just 3 to 4%," said Surjendu Kuila, founder and chief executive of Zopper, in an interview. "If you're trying to bring new people to the fold of insurance, you just cannot sell them schemes that are priced above $37 to $50 a year." Offering customers slivers of insurance coverages in smaller sachets, too, hasn't proven successful because there's no margin for anyone to make money, he said. Zopper is attempting to solve this by partnering with banks, nonbanking financial institutions, retail chains, mobility firms that already have a captive customer base. "These partners need an insurance platform, and that's what we provide," he said. Kuila claimed that no other firm is taking this approach and hence has not been able to lower their cost of customer acquisition. "That's the reason why even Policybazaar [online insurance aggregator that became a public company last year] is not profitable," he said. Zopper, in contrast, has been profitable for over 18 months, he said. Story continues "Our thesis from the early days has been clear: There's already an infrastructure. Somebody has poured capital expenditure to build that infrastructure. So why don't we then use technology to streamline that instead of creating everything from scratch," he said. Zopper's current porfolio of insurance coverage Image Credits: Zopper Zopper currently has presence in over 1,200 Indian cities and has partnered with over 150 players in the industry, including retail group Amazon, ride-hailing startup Ola, retail chain Croma, phonemaker Xiaomi, Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, and Equitas Small Finance Bank. "We truly believe in Zoppers vision of transforming and automating the insurance distribution model in India. Over the years, they have demonstrated their tech and product innovation value to their ecosystem partners and insurers," said Prakash Parthasarathy, managing partner at Creaegis, in a statement. "All this has been achieved in a very capital efficient manner and our investment will help its accomplished management team led by Surjendu and Mayank to scale and improve access to a wider customer base. We are privileged to be their partner and we are committed to support their journey given our experience in this space. The startup plans to deploy the fresh funds to significantly scale its workforce and also explore opportunities to acquire smaller startups, Kuila said. It's in no hurry to go public. He said Zopper is initially aiming to first reach nearly $1 billion in revenue, and over the course of about five years it will file for an initial public offering. The startup's sale of its previous business to PhonePe was misreported by many as its acquisition by some news organizations. Kuila said PhonePe never held any stake in Zopper, and the startup, which counts Tiger Global among its backers, continues to be supported by its early backers and new investors. "Given ICICI Ventures successful investment track record in the Insurance sector, we think Zopper is well positioned to capture this long-term growth opportunity," said Gagandeep S. Chhina, director of Private Equity at ICICI Venture, a firm that began investing in local firms over 30 years ago. "We are excited to support the management teams vision to establish Zopper as a leading Insurtech player with its scalable technology, multiple insurer tie-ups and partnerships with distribution channels across sectors." By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The French Foreign Ministry has condemned the attack by an Armenian extremist group on the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris, Azernews reports, citing French Ambassador Zacharie Gross. Gross posted the statement of the French Foreign Ministry on the incident on his official Twitter account on September 20. "We deplore the unacceptable incidents that targeted the embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris. The French authorities have taken all measures to re-establish the security of the embassy and enable it to function normally. They remain vigilant so that such incidents do not occur again," the statement reads. Following the recent border clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian military forces in response to the latter's provocation, a number of Azerbaijani missions overseas have come under attack and were vandalized by Armenian fanatical groups. On September 18, Armenian extremists in France stormed the building of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris. The attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris by a group of radical extremist forces of the Armenian diaspora in France was demonstrably accompanied by a gross violation of French laws and generally recognized international legal norms. The embassy building sustained material damage during the attack, posing a threat to the diplomatic mission's normal operations and the lives of its staff. On September 19, 2022, French ambassador to Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, and the note of the protest over the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris by extremist Armenian groups was delivered to the ambassador. Baku condemned the development of conditions for extremist Armenian organizations' acts and the failure to prevent them in time. Deep regret was expressed for France's failure to fulfill its obligation to ensure the security of diplomatic missions by the host country in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Also, it was demanded that the act of vandalism, which endangers the diplomatic mission and its staff, should be thoroughly investigated by the French law-enforcement agencies, an appropriate legal assessment should be issued, the guilty individuals should be brought to justice, and compensation should be provided for the damage caused. A former college employee in Iowa who convinced a teenage Stafford County girl to send him nude pictures and videos pleaded guilty to four charges Monday in Stafford Circuit Court. Shiran Brian Nathaniel, 48, of Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of three counts of producing child pornography and computer solicitation of a minor. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Michael Levy on Nov. 28. As part of a plea agreement worked out by prosecutor Sarah Watkins and defense attorney Ghislaine Storr-Burks, other charges were dropped. According to the evidence, Stafford Detective T.S. Martin began an investigation in May 2021 after a county resident learned that his daughter was in an inappropriate online relationship with a grown man. The relationship began in late 2020 with online chatting and progressed to nudity and requested sex acts. The girl told police that she granted the defendants requests because he seemed to care for her. The girl was 14 when the investigation began, but was 13 when the online chatting began. Martins investigation led to Nathaniel, who at the time was the alumni relations director at Morningside University in Sioux City. He was extradited to Virginia in November and has been in the Rappahannock Regional Jail ever since. Child pornography was recovered from Nathaniels home in Iowa prior to his extradition. As summer turns to fall, new cases of COVID-19 are continuing to drop across the nation, state and Fredericksburg area, where most recent counts were about one-third of their total four weeks ago. Things have been going downward, said Allison BalmesJohn, public information officer for the Rappahannock Area Health District. We see that as a really good sign. She cited several positive measurements in the health district, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. There were 387 new cases reported in the health district on Friday for the previous seven days. Four weeks earlier, on Friday, Aug. 26, the district reported that 1,109 people had tested positive for the weekand that doesnt include people who test at home and dont report the results to the state. Hospitalizations havent done the same nosedive, but have stabilized somewhat, according to data. There were 28 people in the areas three hospitals, as of Friday, compared to 37 patients four weeks ago. In addition, measurements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that community levels, which look at the number of people hospitalized with COVID and the overall impact on the health care system, have dropped from high levels five weeks ago to low levels across the region. However, another measurement, the transmission levelwhich rates the presence and spread of the virus in a communityremains high throughout the local health district, according to the CDC. The other indicator of COVIDs impact are deaths, which tend to lag behind reports of new cases and hospitalizations. Twelve fatalities from the virus have been reported in the last five weeks, according to the RAHD. Also this fall season, boosters meant to offer better protection against the recent contagious strains of omicron are availableand Caroline Hayden of Spotsylvania County and her husband both got the latest shot. I believe the risk to us in our 80s is greater for COVID, she wrote in an email. We would not think of not getting the bivalent, the booster that combines protection against the original strain of the virus and omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. People whove gotten Pfizer or Moderna shots can get a bivalent booster at least two months later, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The shots are similar and can be interchanged, although as Hayden said, many people tend to stick with the manufacturer they started with, as she did with Moderna. The only difference is the Pfizer vaccine is for ages 12 and over and Moderna, ages 18 and above. More information on specific recommendations for younger children and the immunocompromised is available at vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine. As of Tuesday, 61% of people ages 5 and older, 66% of adults and 82% of senior citizens have been fully vaccinated, according to the state health department. However, less than half of them have received a second booster shot. Some people have grumbled about getting ongoing boosters, but Hayden said she looks at it this way: People seem to forget how many shots are required for school children and travel anyway. Just add COVID to the annual list. Speaking of things to do every fall, late September and early October are prime times to get the annual flu shot, and BalmesJohn suggests that people start thinking about when they want to schedule appointments. Those interested can get both vaccines at the same timeor even in the same armif theyre so inclined, she said. Each local health district in the RAHD offers immunizations clinics one day a week featuring COVID vaccines and bivalent boosters. Clinics are held in Spotsylvania on Mondays; Fredericksburg and King George, on Tuesdays; and Stafford and Caroline, on Wednesdays. Were pretty booked for the next few weeks at several of the clinics, BalmesJohn said, underscoring the need to schedule an appointment. Residents also can go online to Vaccines.gov to make appointments for COVID boosters or flu shots at local pharmacies, groceries and health departments. The RAHD also plans to offer bivalent boosters at the LaRumba Latinx Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Old Mill Park in Fredericksburg. EDITOR'S NOTE: This piece was corrected to reflect that it August Youngkin made clear that he wants the Virginia Department of Education (not the Virginia Board of Education, as originally written) to force teachers to tell parents if their children come out as LGBTQ+ or even ask questions about sexual identity. SINCE ascending to the governors mansion in January, Glenn Youngkin has wielded the expression parents rights with all the aplomb of a rambunctious child swinging a lightsaber in a glass store. The problem with parents rights as Youngkin talks about it, of course, is that he pits one parents rights against anothers. If one parent insists her child not be exposed to evolution, and another parent in the same class insists her child is, someone is going to lose. So the question becomes, whose rights is Youngkin defending? Apparently, Youngkins moral compass is the deciding factor, and thats bad news for those who disagree with him. The onslaught began on Day One. In Executive Order 1, Youngkin denied the rights of parents who want their children taught the realities of institutional racism. How many parents is that? If a survey of parents in Missouria decidedly more-conservative state than Virginiais correct, the answer is most of them. Evan Rhinesmith and J. Cameron Anglum, both of the St. Louis University School of Education, asked Missouri parents: Should schools be allowed to teach about how racism can exist in society and its institutions? Their results, published in the March 2, 2022, edition of EdWeek, concluded: [S]upport for allowing racism-focused instruction is significantly greater than opposition. Youngkins concern is for those who, for a variety of misinformed reasons, will not accept what scholars have repeatedly provenracism remains a significant issue in Americas legal and political and social systems. (Brandi Blessett of the University of Cincinnati has been particularly important in establishing this.) Then there is the issue of sexual identity. In August, Youngkin made clear that he wants the Virginia Department of Education to force teachers to tell parents if their children come out as LGBTQ+ or even ask questions about sexual identity. On Friday, Youngkin put it in writing. The title of his guidelines2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for all Students and Parents in Virginias Public Schoolsis a study in propaganda. When it comes to students and their gender identity, the document denies them privacy, and strips them of dignity. First, the guidelines state that parents alone can decide how their children and young adults will talk about their sexuality and orientation. To ensure parents are able to make the best decisions with respect to their child, the report says, school personnel shall keep parents fully informed about all matters that may be reasonably expected to be important to a parent, including, and without limitation, matters related to their childs health, and social and psychological development. Second, this document puts teachers in the middle. A central factor in the success of any teacher is his or her ability to build a trusting relationship with students. Under this policy, teachers will not be able to do so. Rather than be a trusted adult kids can turn to, teachers will be required to act as state-paid moles outing their students. Whats the potential harm in letting parents decide about these issues? We all hope that parents would embrace their children who come out, but the research is quite clearparents too often are the problem. We know that LGBTQ+ students are at significantly greater risk for suicide than their peers. Not because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society, according to the Trevor Project. Having one accepting adult in an LGBQ+ youths life, Trevor Project research has shown, lowers the risk of suicide for these youths by 40%. Teachers are in a prime position to play that accepting adult role. We know that too many parents fail on that front. Lesley University has researched youth homelessness, which is significantly higher among LGBTQ+ individuals than their peers. While there are many reasons for LGBTQ+ youths living on the streets, the family unit is often at the core of the problem. Half of all teens, the university reports, get a negative reaction from their parents when they come out to them. If a teacher suspects abuse, he or she is required by law to report that concern to the statenot talk with the childs parents. If a student comes out to a teacher and says theyre worried about how their parents will react, does it make sense to report that child to their parents, knowing the potential dangers? Thats Youngkins idea. Every day, the moderate, ah-shucks facade that Youngkin hocked on the campaign trail is falling away. He hides behind words like dignity and respect. But beneath that sweater vest is a lightsaber. And he sees more of us than one might believe as Darth Vader. Fremont Public Schools and the Dodge County Assessors Office are alerting local residents to errors in postcards sent to county residents. Dodge County residents of the Fremont Public School District began receiving their Notice of Tax Increase postcards on Monday, FPS stated in a prepared statement. The tax request for 2021 is not correct. Neither is the corresponding increase reflected on the postcard. FPS said the postcard reflects property taxes for the general fund and special building fund, leaving out the bond funds. The 2022 estimated taxes on the postcard correctly utilized all funds inflating the estimated increase column. A news release from the Dodge County Assessors office said the estimated increase was calculated incorrectly. The assessors office said the postcards didnt originate there. Instead, they stem from LB644, a bill introduced by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair. Passed by the Legislature in May 2021, the bill requires all taxing subdivisions to participate in a joint public if they are proposing to exceed the 2% plus allowable growth (based on real property valuation growth certified by the county). Taxing subdivisions include counties, school districts and community colleges. LB644 requires counties to notify affected taxpayers of the hearing by a postcard, outlining the proposed property tax request. Property tax requests and calculation of the corresponding tax levy rates are very technical in nature, said Mark Shepard FPS superintendent of schools. We literally spend hours calculating and recalculating our property tax request, the assessed valuations related to each request and ultimately the tax levy rate. Our board of education requests exactly what is necessary to fund our operations and meet our outstanding bond obligation. Shepard noted the repercussions when notices are incorrect. Mistakes such as this, although correctible, add to the public distrust of taxing entities and should not happen, Shepard said. The time and location of the public hearing also were published in error incorrectly stating that the hearing would take place on Sept. 26 at the Burt County Courthouse. Instead, the Dodge County public hearing will start at 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Educational Service Unit (ESU) 2 offices, 2320 N. Colorado Ave., in Fremont. FPS said Dodge County Assessor Debbie Churchill is working with Vanguard and NACO (Nebraska Association of County Officials) to re-print and mail corrected postcards. Hopefully, there is enough time to have corrected postcards reprinted and mailed for the Tuesday, Sept. 27 meeting, stated the assessor in a news release. Should you have any questions or concerns, you are urged to call the phone number shown in the first column under the name of the political subdivision. The school districts overall budget is decreasing, due in part to the utilization of federal funds provided as part of the stimulus package, said Brad Dahl, FPS associate superintendent. The districts operating fund the general fund is increasing 1.64%. Dahl said the board of education will consider the tax levy at its special meeting on Sept. 28 and this will maintain a levy very close to the districts 2021 levy of $1.223. This is the message that was shared publicly on Sept. 12 during a budget/levy update as part of the board of education meeting, Dahl said. The Fremont Tribune published a story about the budget in its Sept. 14 edition. FPS said to view the presentation materials online go to: bit.ly/3QUZv82. The Fremont Public Schools district was notified late last week that postcards in Douglas County were sent out to the wrong addresses in some cases. FPS has prided itself on being open with the public and presenting information in an understandable way, Shepard said. The intention of LB644 was to add a layer of transparency to the budget/levy setting processunfortunately it has added to the confusion. No injuries were reported during a structure fire the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 20 on Military Avenue and South Broad Street. According to Fremont Fire Department Fire Chief Todd Bernt, a call came in about a structure fire around 9:45 a.m. Crews were already in the area at Care Corps LifeHouse for a squad call. As they were coming out of LifeHouse, the crew saw smoke coming out of the neighboring building and called for other on-duty firefighters to respond. When we showed up we had heavy smoke on approach. Probably within 20 minutes, we pretty much had it knocked down, Bernt said. The fire was contained by 11 a.m. After the fire was out, crews were overhauling the area, checking for hot spots and making sure that the fire was 100% out, he added. A fire investigator with the Nebraska State Fire Marshals office was en route to the scene. The hope is that the cause of the fire would be discovered later Tuesday, Bernt said. Fremont Rural Fire Department was called in for mutual aid. Arlingtons and Hoopers fire departments were also called in to help man the Fremont station and take other calls while crews were fighting the fire, Bernt said. More information will be reported on when it is made available. Angelina Jolie, the U.S. actress and UN special envoy for refugees, arrived in Pakistan's Sindh Province on September 20 to visit areas devastated by some of the worst flooding in the country's recent history. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global humanitarian group, said Jolie's tour is a show of support for affected Pakistanis and an effort to boost understanding of the situation, hear from victims, and prevent future disasters. Officials in Sindh said she initially visited the Dadu district, where she "spoke to women and children about their problems and needs," an official told RFE/RL correspondent Niaz Ali in Karachi city. Jolie was previously in Pakistan as a special UN envoy after a deadly 2005 earthquake and after flooding in 2010. Pakistani officials say around 1,500 people have died from the flooding after intense monsoon rains and glacial melting, and many others rendered homeless. Humanitarian groups and experts warn that disease and a lack of health care are the biggest ongoing dangers. The floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure. Pakistan and the United Nations have already appealed for international assistance to rebuild. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited flooded areas on September 10 to raise awareness of the disaster. "Today it's Pakistan, tomorrow it could be your country wherever you live," Guterres said, repeating expert warnings that climate change is likely to exacerbate natural catastrophes. "This is a global crisis,... it requires a global response." Gov. Jared Polis speaks on the rollout of the transportation bill in 2021 in the Capitol rotunda in Denver. The Foundation for a Better Life promotes positive values to live by and pass along to others. Go to PassItOn.com. In 1992, a pair of University of Colorado at Boulder professors found themselves baffled. The armillaria bulbosa, aka the humungous fungus, had been declared the worlds largest organism. Michael Grant heard this over the radio. I thought, No! We cant have that! he recalls. Surely, the quaking aspen, populus tremuloides, was the largest. Surely, the cloning creature was being ignored here the single root system accounting for several trees. Jeffry Mitton, a colleague of Grants also specializing in the species, most certainly agreed. Yes, it would be hard to find a clone that covered more ground. But to be considered the largest, weight had to be considered, and some number of trees definitely outweighed this spongy fungus. The two set out to prove a point. Not really scientific, Mitton says. Just to say, you know, mines bigger. They pulled up handy data on a massive clone in Utahs Fishlake National Forest, described in 1976. The clone reportedly covered 106 acres and contained an estimated 47,000 stems. Imagining the clone once moving across the landscape with the glaciers, the professors came to call him Pando, Latin for I spread out. (Yes, Pando is male.) They wrote in the journal Nature: An average individual aspen shoot (stem plus leaves and branches) would easily exceed 100 kg in mass while the accompanying root system would probably exceed 30 kg. So for Pando, they reasoned approximately 6 million kilograms 13 million pounds. The blue whale and giant sequoia had nothing on that, they wrote. Nor did some humungous fungus. They concluded: Quaking aspen, the most widespread tree species in North America, can now take its rightful place as an acknowledged giant among giants. And that was that, they figured. A fairly light argument, Mitton figured, one made in a few paragraphs. And yet, within the next two or three years, (Pando) was in about 50 different newspapers. It was on radio programs. We got sick and tired of being interviewed about it. Pando is still all the rage. Just see the headlines from last year. The Most Massive Organism on Earth, The New York Times called him. The Worlds Largest, Forbes put it. That title is probably wrong. The now-retired professors who popularized Pando are the first to say so. They maintain aspen to indeed be the planets biggest single organism. But the biggest clone? The previous research on Pando simply made him a convenient proxy for their quick case. So with Colorados forests being the most aspen-concentrated in the Lower 48, might the biggest actually be somewhere here? Its possible, says Paul Rogers. Hes the director of the Western Aspen Alliance, the trees scientific clearinghouse based at Utah State University. Theres never been a systemic search that Im aware of for the largest aspen clone out there. Theres a fair chance that another one would be found at some point, he says. However, its sort of a needle-in-the-haystack prospect. And we just dont have a great mechanism, we dont know where to look, and it would probably take a huge effort. So it boils back down to: Whats it worth, and whats it all about? Probably not worth the cost or manpower, experts agree. Doesnt seem likely to be fruitful and is almost certainly not good science, Grant says. We dont need to one-up Utah. And yet, Coloradans have tried. Kebler Pass has become the unofficial contender. The 30-mile stretch west of Crested Butte looks impressive all right, with fall gold rolling as far as the eye can see. But, says Mitton: That doesnt mean a single aspen clone goes for miles and miles. He glances at a famous John Fielder photo perhaps one that contributed to Keblers reputation. The shark teeth-like promontory known as the Dyke scrapes the sky above a multicolored canopy, different shades of green, yellow, orange and red all clustered at different heights, all growing, seemingly, as separate brothers and sisters. I suspect those are different clones, Mitton says. But thats just one snapshot of an immense forest. Could a mighty clone spring elsewhere on the pass? Or, perhaps more likely, elsewhere in the state? The question is likely to linger with more pressing matters facing aspen. One is the phenomenon known as sudden aspen decline. A thin shield of bark has always made stands susceptible to parasites and disease. But the U.S. Forest Service reports that in this century whole swaths have been observed healthy one year, dead and dying the next. The agency suspects warmer temperatures are making the trees more stressed and vulnerable. Generally speaking, theyre not very well adapted to drought and long-term drought conditions, says Jim Kravitz with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. Man-made climate change is seen as a grim factor. But there are others, Rogers explains others causing the death of the globes largest known organism. Pando is the victim, too, of mismanagement, Rogers determined in a study released last year. Where hunters and predators once diminished them, deer have rampantly chomped away saplings. Cattle have been allowed to graze, further trampling the clones attempt at regeneration. The result: a village without youth for the future. Its been around for a long time, and now its crashing down on our watch, Rogers says. That hits me right in the chest. Thats the message. This things survived for a long time, and then we humans at large start fiddling around, and now its kind of unraveling. And that, he says, is what matters. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Lt-Gen Heydar Piriyev, rector of the Azerbaijani National Defense University, and a delegation from the Kazakh Defense Ministry met to explore military education cooperation, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry. Welcoming the guests, Piriyev expressed his pleasure to meet the Kazakh Defense Ministry's Military Education and Science Department delegation in Azerbaijan. The guests were then given a thorough overview of the National Defense University's history, structure, and organization of the educational process. During the meeting, the parties discussed the present situation and possibilities for the growth of cooperation between the nations in the sphere of military education, as well as issues of mutual interest, the ministry said. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan cooperate in trade, economics, transportation, logistics, cultural, and humanitarian spheres. During the official visit of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Azerbaijan in August, the two countries signed a number of agreements to expand the area of bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, Azerbaijani and Kazakh military personnel compete in many categories in the annual International Army Games. Days after the popular Keyhole Route on 14,259-foot Longs Peak was shut down for the recovery of a body, additional information has been released about what led up to the deadly incident in Rocky Mountain National Park. Park officials have since identified the deceased person as Russell Jacobs, 25 and of Westminster. Jacobs was on Longs Peak on Friday late afternoon when he contacted a friend via a cellular device, reporting that he was lost and that weather was rapidly deteriorating. Jacobs didn't have the right gear for winter conditions, nor was he prepared to spend the night at an elevation of 13,000 feet. This information was ultimately relayed to park rangers, who were able to contact Jacobs via text, ascertaining his location and his plan to move toward the Anges Vaille Shelter. This is a stone shelter that's found along the Keyhole Route at about 13,400 feet of elevation, above a section known as the 'Boulder Field.' After determining that Jacobs was headed to this shelter near the top of the peak, communication with him was lost. Members of the park's search and rescue team started their search of the Boulder Field and Keyhole areas of the route on Friday afternoon. Harsh weather made the search difficult, amid 35 mile per hour winds, accumulating snow, and below freezing temperatures. Crews reached the Anges Vaille Shelter, but could not locate Jacobs. Crews sheltered in the Boulder Field area overnight, as snow and sleet continued to fall. With no sign of Jacobs, crews continued their searching prior to sunrise the next morning. Jacobs' body was found by another hiker on Saturday, roughly 80 feet above the 'Ledges' section of the route. The person who discovered Jacobs' body described conditions in the area as icy, with this portion of the climb taking place entirely on rock. His party was reportedly able to flag down a search helicopter in the area and Jacobs' body was recovered the following day. No information on cause of death has been released. The 'Ledges' section where Jacobs was found is located just past the Keyhole notch, consisting of narrow ledges flanked by a cliff. Painted marks on the rock are used to help hikers navigate this section, meaning snow and darkness can make this portion of the route much more difficult to follow than it would be in favorable conditions. Getting off-route in this area can put hikers into much more dangerous terrain. Longs Peak is a mountain that's notorious for bad weather. The final push to the summit is a long, slow scramble that means quite a bit of commitment, with weather on much of the peak hidden from hikers until they pass through the Keyhole notch. In total, the Longs Peak route is about 14.5 miles long with about 5,100 feet of vertical gain. It's worth noting that a large portion of the climb is very rocky, which can be more physically taxing on the body than a simple trail and can make ice a major concern. Several high-elevation sections are also very exposed. This route should not be taken lightly. Condolences go out to those impacted by this death. DENVER A mentally ill man charged with killing three people at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015 because it offered abortion services can be forcibly medicated to try to make him competent to stand trial, a federal judge ruled Monday. The prosecution of Robert Lewis Dear, Jr., 64, has stalled because he has been repeatedly found mentally incompetent since his arrest and he has refused to take anti-psychotic medication for delusional disorder. Dear faces 179 counts in state courts for the attack on the clinic, which injured five law enforcement officers along with claiming three lives during the course of a five-hour standoff. During a three-day hearing in late August, prosecutors argued that medication had a substantial likelihood, based on research and the experience of government experts, to make Dear well enough to meet the legal standard for mental competency being able to understand proceedings and assist in his defense. Dears lawyers and experts, however, said the governments plan did not take into account Dears age and his health problems, including untreated high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which could be worsened as a result of the medications side effects. Dear, who has called himself a warrior for the babies," intended to wage war against the clinic because it offered abortion services, arming himself with four semi-automatic rifles, five handguns, two other rifles, a shotgun, propane tanks and 500 rounds of ammunition, prosecutors have alleged. He began shooting outside the clinic before getting inside by shooting his way through a door, according to his federal indictment. According to experts who testified and Dears lawyers, Dear has persecutory delusions that cause him to believe that the FBI is following him because he called a radio show in 1993 to criticize the agency over the law enforcement siege against the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He also believes his lawyers are working for the FBI and the judge is also in on the arrangement. Dear mentioned the radio call in one of many outbursts during the recent hearing, where he also claimed the shooting was a success and told the judge to go to hell because he did not get to testify. He largely remained quiet after Senior Judge Robert Blackburn warned him that he would not tolerate any more disturbances. The judge said he concluded the outbursts were not the result of Dears mental illness but of selfish, childish and disaffected arrogance. After Dears prosecution bogged down in state court over the competency issue, Dear was charged in federal court in 2019 on 68 new counts under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Federal prosecutors have said they would not seek the death penalty against him if he is convicted, but life in prison instead. Two of the people killed in the attack were accompanying friends to the clinic KeArre Stewart, 29, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and was a father of two, and Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two who grew up in Oahu, Hawaii. The third person killed was a University of Colorado at Colorado Sprngs campus police officer, Garrett Swasey, who responded to the clinic after hearing there was an active shooter. Prosecutors had to prove four things in order to get a judge to involuntarily force medications on the defendant, Dear: The government must have a substantial interest. That involuntary medication will significantly further the government interests, which requires the court to find was that the use of these antipsychotic medications as set forth in the treatment is substantially likely to render Mr. Dear competent to stand trail, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Pegeen Rhyne. That no other alternative medications or methods of treating the competency issues will be effective. That its in the defendants best medical interests. Dr. Robert Sarrazin, a psychiatrist who works with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, testified in the August hearing that he believed Dear would respond well to several anti-psychotic medications and could be competent for trial within four to six months of beginning the drugs, according to earlier Gazette reporting. Doctors have proposed a treatment plan involving paliperidone, aripiprazole, haloperidol and olanzapene. Dear could face three life sentences if convicted. A review hearing in a Colorado Springs court for Dears state charges got pushed from August to Sept. 30 to allow for Judge Blackburns ruling. Editor's note: This story includes information from previous Gazette reporting. A former employee of Hope & Home, a Christian-based foster care agency in Colorado Springs, can proceed with legal claims that she was subjected to a sexually and racially hostile work environment, severe or pervasive sexual harassment, disparate treatment and disability discrimination, a federal District Court judge in Colorado has decided. In the Aug. 29 ruling on a request from Hope & Home to dismiss ex-worker Olivia Ballage's sex and race discrimination complaints, Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell granted one dismissal, pertaining to Ballage's assertions that she faced discriminatory retaliation under Title VII. The federal Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of "race, color, religion, sex or national origin." The judge is allowing Ballage's remaining claims to proceed to the discovery phase, in which both sides discuss witnesses and evidence they intend to present at a trial. Ballage is representing herself in the lawsuit, an unusual move known as "pro se," Latin for "in one's own behalf." Ballage, who describes herself as an African American woman, filed a lawsuit against Hope & Home in May 2021, alleging Executive Director Ross Wright withheld paychecks after she returned from maternity leave but did not do so to other employees on maternity leave. She worked at the organization from 2015 until her termination in 2019 and claims during that time Wright stared at female employees' breasts while talking to them and looked them "up and down in a sexual manner." Ballage also asserts she was fired in July 2019 after she says she discovered Wright was "sexually pursuing another female employee finally pinpointing some of my uncomfortability [sic] around Ross (Wright)." The board chair whom The Gazette contacted when the lawsuit was filed last year said that Ballage never reported such allegations while on staff. At least eight other ex-female employees and foster parents said they reported similar experiences, including that Wright tried to pursue sexual encounters with them, to the organization's board of directors. They called for Wright to be fired, citing an abuse of power and lack of accountability. The Hope & Home board hired a third-party workplace investigator in September 2019 to examine the claims. An undisclosed report of the findings determined "there was no merit to their claims," the board chair told The Gazette last year. Another board member said nothing was ever proven and that members thought highly of Wright's longtime management of the agency. The only female board member at the time, however, resigned her position the day after members received the report on the investigation, telling The Gazette that after reading the report, she "did not feel comfortable continuing" her leadership role as a board member. Three women affiliated with Hope & Home also filed claims of workplace discrimination in April 2020 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Denver. The commission dismissed the claims in February 2021, stating there was no determination of a violation involving discrimination and that the agency had chosen not to investigate. That action allowed the women to file civil lawsuits, if desired. Ballage was the only one who has pursued that route. Foster parent Meghan Jackson, who switched her state licensure from Hope & Home to another Colorado Springs child placement agency after hearing some employees complain about Wright, was part of a group of women that presented more than 100 pages of material alleging licensing violations on the part of the organization to the Colorado Department of Human Services and the Child Protection Ombudsman of Colorado in March 2020. "I have been shocked at how difficult this has been, given the amount of evidence we submitted," Jackson said Monday. "I'm shocked this has been such a fight for something that has affected so many people. "There are so many barriers to getting justice for sexual harassment, and this happens much more frequently than we realize." Wright told The Gazette in May 2021 that the accusations were untrue and that he believes they arose from what he described as extended "harassment and stalking" over his organization accepting lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual couples as foster parents. The group of women who oppose his continued leadership of Hope & Home say Wright mischaracterized the situation, as Colorado law requires child placement agencies to accept qualifying parents regardless of sexual preference or identity. Hope & Home recruits, trains, certifies and supports foster families in Colorado Springs, Denver, the San Luis Valley and the Western Slope and is one of the largest agencies in the state. Ballage is seeking pre- and post-judgment costs, along with an unspecified amount of "damages, interest, punitive damages, lost pay, benefits and front pay, compensatory damages and costs," according to the lawsuit. It's been more than three years since Jepsy Kallungi, a Colorado Springs woman, disappeared. And it seemed that her husband, Dane Kallungi, 39, would go to trial next month to face a charge of first-degree murder in connection with her strangulation death. But on Monday afternoon, both the prosecution and the defense indicated they were not ready for trial and asked Judge Jessica Curtis for a continuance. Dane Kallungi's jury trial is now scheduled to begin Feb. 7 and is expected to last at least eight days. Before his trial gets underway, Dane Kallungi will appear in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court for a motions hearing on Jan. 6. On the night of March 20, 2019, Jepsy Kallungi returned from Fort Carson, where investigators say she was having a sexual relationship with a soldier stationed at the base, according to an affidavit. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Dane Kallungi killed his wife because she was having an affair. At 10:30 p.m., someone used Jepsy Kallungi's phone to make a 911 call, but the caller immediately hung up. That call was the final one made from her phone. That night was also the last night anyone heard from Jepsy Kallungi before she went missing, with police launching an official investigation into her disappearance in April 2019. For two years the investigation remained open, until Dane Kallungi told his ex-wife, Alaine Kallungi, that he had killed Jepsy Kallungi in a phone call recorded by police. "I put her on the floor and it was like there was still some kind of breathing going on even though she was gone and I just, just regretted that," Dane Kallungi said on the phone call, according to the affidavit. Dane Kallungi put his wife's "body into the trunk of his vehicle, took his son to school the following morning, then went to work," the affidavit states. "After work, Dane took Jepsy's body to a remote area in Teller County where he buried her in a clandestine grave." Dane Kallungi was arrested in New Mexico in June 2021 on suspicion of first-degree murder. If convicted of first-degree murder, he would serve a mandatory sentence of life in prison. A Teller County couple are at large after a slew of stolen vehicles, keys and checkbooks, as well as drug paraphernalia and a rifle, were recovered during a search of their home Thursday, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office. Officials on Monday said the Teller County Narcotics Team, in coordination with the Teller County Sheriffs Office Emergency Response Team and patrol deputies, executed a search warrant on the residence near Florissant, but that Jerry Spinnichia, 42, and Emily Spinnichia, 40, were not home during the search. A 1993 Ford Mustang, stolen from Colorado Springs, with the suspects' court paperwork inside as well as seven all-terrain vehicles and five motorcycles with altered or removed Vehicle Identification Numbers were found at the home, according to the sheriff's office. Other seized items include "several hundred" keys to houses, post office boxes and vehicles, a computer etching and engraving device "used to create VIN plates," vehicle titles not in the suspects' names, stolen business and personal checkbooks, a .22-caliber rifle and drug paraphernalia. Officials also found residue from an unspecified drug at the home. According to online court records, Jerry Spinnichia was most recently arrested in March on suspicion of aggravated motor vehicle theft, a Class 3 felony, and is out of custody after posting a $10,000 bond. He faces trial by jury on Feb. 6, 2023. Records show Jerry Spinnichia has a criminal record dating back to 2004, when he was first arrested on felony theft charges, including motor vehicle theft. In 2006, he was arrested and charged with theft four times and convicted of three of those felony theft charges. In 2019, he was convicted of theft between $750 and $2,000, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and a judge dismissed a felony drug possession charge and child abuse charges in a separate case that year. Records also show that Emily Spinnichia was convicted of DUI in 2008 and pleaded guilty to child abuse and drug possession charges in 2020, for which she received two years probation. Thursday's search comes on the heels of a weeklong search between Aug. 16-24 in Teller County that resulted in the arrest of eight people and the confiscation of 167 fentanyl pills, three grams of methamphetamines and 30 pounds of black-market marijuana, all intended for distribution with a combined street value in excess of $30,000, according to Sheriff Jason Mikesell. The team also recovered 500 shotguns, a short-barreled rifle and prescription drugs, along with items apparently intended for packaging, distribution and use of illegal substances. Felony warrants have been issued for the Spinnichias, who officials said should be avoided if seen. The sheriff's office urged anyone with information about the couple to contact local law enforcement agencies or, to remain anonymous, contact the Teller County Sheriff's Office at tellercountysheriff.com/anonymoustips. The city of Colorado Springs has selected the interim parks, recreation and cultural services director to lead the beloved and cash-strapped department permanently. Pending a confirmation vote of the Colorado Springs City Council, Britt Haley, manager of park design and development, will step into her new role ahead of major change for the city because voters will select a new mayor and five city councilmembers in April. The new leadership could set new direction for the department, she noted. "I think its important our department be prepared for supporting the new leadership and their priorities," Haley said. The city may also ask for an extension of the Trails, Open Space and Parks sales tax in April and, Haley said, she expected a potential question will be her highest priority in the coming months. The question may simply ask voters to extend the .1% dedicated tax without any changes to how the money is distributed within the department, she said. "I think we have got to balance what voters have told us. ... They definitely support the TOPS program as it is," she said. Voters rejected a measure last year that would have doubled the dedicated parks tax and dedicated more funding for maintenance. Haley will also face a major funding backlog for parks projects, estimated at $270 million in 2021 by a third-party study. With so many competing projects ranging from developing new parks to replacing restrooms, Haley said, prioritizing needs and identifying new sources of funding will be key. Haley has been with parks since 2017 and also brings a legal background to the job. That includes positions such as the corporate division chief in the Colorado Springs City Attorneys Office, the chief council and chief deputy legal counsel for the Office of the Governor of Colorado, and the assistant attorney general in Denver, among other positions. Her work as a lawyer prepared her to work on the complex real estate transactions that happen in the parks department, contracting and procurement as well as human resource issues, she said. In her position as manager of park design and development, she worked on an $8.9 million land purchase of 341 acres in two parcels intended to fund the reclamation of Pikeview Quarry. The reclamation work is currently underway, she said. As director, she will also have to fill key parks department positions. She will have to hire someone to fill her position as the manager of park design and development and find a new park operations and development manager. Kurt Schroeder retired from the operations and development management position earlier this year and the city is still accepting applications to fill his job, Haley said. If confirmed, Haley would replace Karen Palus, who left in June after leading the department for 10 years and overseeing complex projects, such as the new Pikes Peak Summit House. US President Joe Biden accompanied by the First Lady Jill Biden arrive at Buckingham Palace in London, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. Markus Schreiber/Pool via REUTERS Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on measures for the design and construction of Zabukh and Sus villages, liberated from occupation, in Azerbaijan's Lachin ?istrict, which is part of the Eastern Zangazur economic region. According to the decree, in order to carry out work on the design and construction of the mentioned villages, from the funds envisioned in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022, 800,000 manats ($470,590) has been initially allocated to the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons for the restoration and reconstruction of the territories liberated from occupation. The Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan has been instructed to provide funding in the amount specified in the first part of this decree. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has been instructed to resolve issues arising from the decree. The decree comes into effect from the date of its signing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Armenian delegation including Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and a delegation with Azerbaijan including Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in New York City, New York, U.S. September 19, 2022. Craig Ruttle/Pool via REUTERS A man stands next to a screen with the logo of Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City March 13, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Baku has returned the bodies of 95 Armenian servicemen to Yerevan, Azernews reports, citing the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons. A search was conducted for the corpses of Armenian military personnel, who were killed in the area as a result of the Azerbaijani armys counter-attack operation against large-scale provocations perpetrated by the Armenian armed forces on the state border on September 12-14, the committee said. The bodies of 95 Armenian military personnel were examined on September 20 in cooperation with the Azerbaijani Military Prosecutor's Office. The bodies were handed over to Armenia through the International Committee of the Red Cross after it was determined that there were no marks of violence on them. Azerbaijan has honored its commitment to international humanitarian law and human ideals once again. The humanitarian process of transferring the bodies of Armenian personnel to the opposing side will be carried on, the committee said. To recap, units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13. The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps. The clashes between the sides ensued as a result of the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 79 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed. So far, the Armenian government reported 207 losses among its own military personnel. Moreover, 293 soldiers and three civilians were wounded, and 20 soldiers were taken prisoners. Rep. Ronny Jackson says he has no immediate plans to challenge Sen. John Cornyn in primary Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrives to address the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky FILE PHOTO: The USS Higgins is docked in the northern Israeli city of Haifa September 6, 2009. The destroyer is one of 18 American ships deployed globally with Aegis interceptor systems capable of blowing up ballistic missiles above the atmosphere. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on measures for the design and construction of liberated Shukurbayli village in Jabrayil District, part of the Eastern Zangazur economic region. The decree notes that the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons is initially allocated 1 million manats ($588,235) from the funds provided in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022 for the reconstruction and restoration of the territories liberated from occupation in order to carry out work on design construction of Shukurbeyli village. The Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan has been instructed to provide funding in the amount specified in part one of this decree. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has been instructed to resolve issues arising from this decree. The decree enters into force from the date of its signing. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals ultimately found the dismissal of "Juror G" did not violate the U.S. Supreme Court's prohibition on intentional race-based exclusions of jurors. The prosecutor, explained Judge Anthony J. Navarro, had made clear his problems revolved around Juror G's statement about the justice system which was not openly linked to Juror G's race. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev decreed on additional measures in connection with an overhaul of the Dashkasan-Khoshbulag-Astaf road in Dashkasan District. The decree stated that the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has been allocated 9.5 million manats ($5.5 million) from the amount indicated in subparagraph 1.26.18 'Allocating funds envisaged for state capital investments in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022' in order to complete the overhaul of highway, which connects nine settlements with a population of 7,000 people. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has been instructed to provide funding in the amount specified in part one of the decree and resolve issues arising from it. The Community Health Center of Mason City will celebrate its four year anniversary on Friday, Sept. 30. The organization will be serving free root beer floats to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. that day by drive-thru in their parking lot. We are celebrating with our patients and staff and also welcoming anyone who would like to come learn more about our services, said CEO Renae Kruckenberg. The Community Health Center of Mason City opened its doors on Oct. 1, 2018, and offers medical, dental, and behavioral health services all under one roof. They have played a role in providing rapid COVID-19 testing in the community over the last couple of years. The health center, which did a complete renovation of the building located at 404 N. Federal Ave. in Mason City, accepts insured, underinsured, and uninsured patients. They have a sliding-fee scale based on income and household size for those that qualify, according to a press release. In addition, they accept Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance. We have a long history of providing comprehensive, accessible healthcare for all. We also staff a financial advocate to assist patients and non-patients with obtaining insurance. Kruckenberg said. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina's hospitals and hospital systems on Friday unveiled an offer that could shake up stalled negotiations to pass legislation that would expand Medicaid to cover hundreds of thousands of low-income adults in the state. The North Carolina Healthcare Association said the offer sent to Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper also contained reforms to some state laws that require regulatory approval before certain medical buildings can be constructed or services offered in a region. Senate leader Phil Berger this summer accused the association of refusing to compromise on certificate of need rules. Changes to these rules were contained in the Senate version of an expansion measure approved in June. Berger said they were needed to increase the supply of medical services that would be needed to treat the growing Medicaid population. Cooper, a big expansion proponent, told reporters earlier this week that it would make sense for hospitals to negotiate with Berger on those rules, which hospitals contend help community facilities that disproportionately serve the uninsured or underinsured remain open. Our board of trustees has made the difficult decision to propose certificate of need law reforms, board chair Dr. Roxie Wells said in a news release. CON law changes could threaten the survival of community hospitals if they are not implemented carefully. We are putting a lot of trust in legislative leaders to do this correctly. The House passed its own expansion bill during the final week of the General Assembly's primary work session this year that contained none of the medical supply-side proposals that the Senate wanted. House Speaker Tim Moore has said Republicans in his chamber would prefer to handle those provisions separately from expansion. Moore's office was still reviewing the offer late Friday, Chief of Staff Neal Inman said. Berger spokesperson Lauren Horsch said the same thing, adding: We appreciate the NCHAs willingness to come to the table with a proposal. There was no immediate response late Friday from Cooper's office. The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday for what's expected to be a three-day administrative session with no recorded floor votes. They are next scheduled to return to Raleigh in October. North Carolina is one of a dozen states that have yet to accept the federal governments offer to cover people who make too much to be insured by traditional Medicaid but too little to receive subsidized private insurance. The federal government would pay 90% of the medical costs of expansion. The association said its proposal would have hospitals paying a majority of the state's share to cover another 600,000 people at a cost of over $550 million annually. The state's hospitals also would participate in a federally funded program that would enhance their Medicaid reimbursement rates for providing care, providing new revenues. The proposal would do away with certificate of need laws for psychiatric inpatient beds and beds to treat people with chemical dependency. It also, within five years, would scale back regulations for operating rooms within ambulatory surgical centers, which the association says would result in a loss of revenue for them. Each day the General Assembly waits is a day that harms 600,000 North Carolinians, association president and CEO Steve Lawler said. We hope that any legislation crafted will be done in a thoughtful way that protects health care facilities that take care of people and improve community health. GREENSBORO A former inmate and a retired prison warden worked together Monday with the same goal in mind: registering people with felony convictions to vote. Such a goal would have been unreachable a year ago, but a recent N.C. Appeals Court decision allows people on probation, parole or post-release supervision for felony convictions to register and vote in elections. An appeal is pending before the state Supreme Court. The ruling stems from a March 28 order by trial judges that struck down a state law passed in 1973. In a 2-1 decision, the trial judge panel declared the 1973 law violates the state constitution largely because it discriminates against Black residents. For so many years, it has been locked up that once you committed a felony that voting was not even on the table for you, Sharion Wanton said Monday while staffing a voter registration booth outside the Guilford County Courthouse in Greensboro. Wanton, who served eight years in a Florida prison for dealing in stolen property, now works as a peer counselor for the Guilford County Reentry Council. She sat at the booth alongside Charles Hinsley, who was a prison warden in Illinois. Whatever effort I can do to support initiatives that are going to reform our community, our criminal justice system, I try to become a part of it, Hinsley said. He volunteers for Unlock the Vote, an initiative launched by Forward Justice the organization that filed the lawsuit seeking to restore voting rights for more than 55,000 people convicted of felonies in North Carolina. By 1 p.m. Monday the first day the booth was in Greensboro four people with a felony record were registered, Hinsley said. A similar booth placed outside of the Guilford County Courthouse in High Point for three days last week resulted in about 13 voter registrations, according to Hinsley. The voter registration booths will be set up in the plazas outside both courthouses 505 E. Green Drive in High Point and 201 S. Eugene St. in Greensboro from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 13. We got a lot of people interested, he said. A lot of people come to the table, curious, with lots of conversation about it. And many people say they are registered and others say what they want to think about it. Hinsley said people are cynical that their vote will actually count. I try to encourage them and give them the reasons for how valuable it is, as a citizen, to have such a right and to exercise that right. According to a news release from Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers, the Reentry Council, You Can Vote and NAACP are conducting a voter registration campaign for those inside the Greensboro and High Point jails. Second chance is a big factor here, Wanton said. We have to give people a second chance. And sometimes a third chance, but at least get an opportunity to make a change in life not just with voting, but with employment, with housing, all that matters. 'Our world is in peril': At UN, leaders push for solutions UNITED NATIONS (AP) The world's problems seized the spotlight Tuesday as the U.N. General Assembly's yearly meeting of world leaders opened with dire assessments of a planet beset by escalating crises and conflicts that an aging international order seems increasingly ill-equipped to tackle. After two years when many leaders weighed in by video because of the coronavirus pandemic, now presidents, premiers, monarchs and foreign ministers have gathered almost entirely in person for diplomacy's premier global event. But the tone is far from celebratory. Instead, it's the blare of a tense and worried world. We are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, adding that our world is in peril and paralyzed. He and others pointed to conflicts ranging from Russia's six-month-old war in Ukraine to the decades-long dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. Speakers worried about a changing climate, spiking fuel prices, food shortages, economic inequality, migration, disinformation, discrimination, hate speech, public health and more. 4 Ukrainian regions schedule votes this week to join Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian-controlled regions of eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans Tuesday to start voting this week to become integral parts of Russia. The Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war following Ukrainian successes on the battlefield. The scheduling of referendums starting Friday in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions came after a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said the votes are needed and as Moscow is losing ground in the invasion it began nearly seven months ago. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by Putin, said referendums that fold regions into Russia itself would make redrawn frontiers irreversible and enable Moscow to use any means to defend them. In 2014, Russia sent troops into Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and then held a referendum there that paved the way for its annexation by Moscow. The upcoming votes, in territory Russia already controls, are all but certain to go Moscows way. But they were quickly dismissed as illegitimate by Western leaders who are backing Kyiv with military and other support that has helped its forces seize momentum on battlefields in the east and south. US: 48 exploited pandemic to steal $250M from food program MINNEAPOLIS (AP) United States authorities charged 48 people in Minnesota with conspiracy and other counts in what they said Tuesday was the largest pandemic-related fraud scheme yet, stealing $250 million from a federal program that provides meals to low-income children. Federal prosecutors say the defendants created companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food nutrition programs. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served, and the defendants used the money to buy luxury cars, property and jewelry. This $250 million is the floor," Andy Luger, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said at a news conference. Our investigation continues. Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies' claims for reimbursement. Feeding Our Futures founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, was among those indicted, and authorities say she and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks. Bocks attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said the indictment doesnt indicate guilt or innocence. He said he wouldn't comment further until seeing the indictment. Fiona swipes Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico faces big cleanup CAYEY, Puerto Rico (AP) Hurricane Fiona blasted the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm after devastating Puerto Rico, where most people remained without electricity or running water and rescuers used heavy equipment to lift survivors to safety. The storm's eye passed close to Grand Turk, the small British territory's capital island, on Tuesday morning after the government imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas. Storm surge could raise water levels there by as much as 5 to 8 feet above normal, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. While the storm was still lashing the archipelago late Tuesday, officials reported only a handful of downed trees and electric posts and no deaths. However, they noted that telecommunications on Grand Turk were severely affected. Fiona definitely has battled us over the last few hours, and we're not out of the thick of it yet, said Akierra Missick, minister of physical planning and infrastructure development. Late Tuesday night, the storm was centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of North Caicos Island, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the center. Arbiter in Trump docs probe signals intent to move quickly WASHINGTON (AP) The independent arbiter tasked with inspecting documents seized in an FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home said Tuesday he intends to push briskly through the review process and appeared skeptical of the Trump team's reluctance to say whether it believed the records had been declassified. We're going to proceed with what I call responsible dispatch," Raymond Dearie, a veteran Brooklyn judge, told lawyers for Trump and the Justice Department in their first meeting since his appointment last week as a so-called special master. The purpose of the meeting was to sort out next steps in a review process expected to slow by weeks, if not months, the criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. As special master, Dearie will be responsible for sifting through the thousands of documents recovered during the Aug. 8 FBI search and segregating any that might be protected by claims of executive privilege or attorney-client privilege. Though Trump's lawyers had requested the appointment of a special master to ensure an independent review of the documents, they have resisted Dearie's request for more information about whether the seized records had been previously declassified as Trump has maintained. His lawyers have consistently stopped short of that claim even as they asserted in a separate filing Tuesday that the Justice Department had not proven that the documents were classified. In any event, they say, a president has absolute authority to declassify information. In the case of someone who has been president of the United States, they have unfettered access along with unfettered declassification authority, one of Trump's lawyers, James Trusty, said in court Tuesday. FDA concedes delays in response to baby formula shortage WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged Tuesday that its response to the U.S. infant formula shortage was slowed by delays in processing a whistleblower complaint and test samples from the nations largest formula factory. A 10-page report from the agency offers its first formal account of the factors that led to the ongoing shortage, which has forced the U.S. to airlift millions of pounds of powdered formula from overseas. The review zeroed in on several key problems at the agency, including outdated data-sharing systems, inadequate staffing and training among its food inspectors, and poor visibility into formula supply chains and manufacturing procedures. For things that are critical to the public health, if you dont have some understanding of how all the pieces fit together, then when you get into a crisis or a shortage you have a real problem, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told The Associated Press in an interview. To a large extent thats what happened here. Califf said the FDA will seek new authority to compel companies to turn over key information. Aaron Judge hits 60th homer, within 1 of Maris' AL record NEW YORK (AP) Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run Tuesday night, matching Babe Ruth and moving within one of Roger Maris American League season record. The New York Yankees slugger drove a 3-1 sinker from Pittsburghs Wil Crowe 430 feet to the left field seats leading off the ninth inning. Judge's third home run in two games and ninth in September thrilled a screaming crowd at Yankee Stadium. He answered pleas for a curtain call despite New York's 8-5 deficit. He equaled Ruths total for the 1927 Yankees and has 15 games remaining to match and surpass Maris total for New York in 1961. Judge leads the major leagues with 128 RBIs and is among the AL batting leaders with a .316 average as he tries for the first Triple Crown since Detroits Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Ruth became the first major leaguer to hit 60 homers when he connected off Washingtons Tom Zachary for a two-run drive to right in the eighth inning on Sept. 30, 1927, the next-to-last game of the season. 'Serial' host: Evidence that freed Syed was long available The creator of a true-crime podcast that helped free a Maryland man imprisoned for two decades said Tuesday that she feels a mix of emotions over how long it took authorities to act on evidence thats long been available. The judges order to release Adnan Syed and vacate his murder conviction Monday came after the local prosecutor started a unit to review sentencing and a new Maryland law relating to juvenile sentencing provided a mechanism for reexamining the case, all after the Serial podcast in 2014 turned the details of the case into an obsession for countless amateur sleuths. Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby immediately applauded the judge's decision as a victory for justice, but Syed's win came as a bittersweet reminder to those who had been aware of the gaps in the case for years. In a new episode of Serial released Tuesday, host Sarah Koenig noted that most or all of the evidence cited in prosecutors motion to overturn the conviction was available since 1999. Yesterday, there was a lot of talk about fairness, but most of what the state put in that motion to vacate, all the actual evidence, was either known or knowable to cops and prosecutors back in 1999, Koenig said. So even on a day when the government publicly recognizes its own mistakes, its hard to feel cheered about a triumph of fairness. Because weve built a system that takes more than 20 years to self-correct. And thats just this one case. Koenig argued that the case against Syed involved just about every chronic problem in the system, including unreliable witness testimony and evidence that was never shared with Syed's defense team. Cowboys for Trump cofounder appeals ban from public office SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico politician and Trump supporter who was removed and barred from elected office for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, is attempting to appeal that decision to the state Supreme Court. Cowboys for Trump cofounder and former county commissioner Couy Griffin on Tuesday notified the high court of his intent to appeal. The ruling against Griffin this month from a Santa Fe-based District Court was the first to remove or bar an elected official from office in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol building that disrupted Congress as it was trying to certify President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Griffin was previously convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, without going inside the building. He was sentenced to 14 days and given credit for time served. Griffin has invoked free speech guarantees in his defense and says his banishment from public office disenfranchises his political constituents in Otero County. NTSB wants all new vehicles to check drivers for alcohol use DETROIT (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all new vehicles in the U.S. be equipped with blood alcohol monitoring systems that can stop an intoxicated person from driving. The recommendation, if enacted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, could reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes, one of the biggest causes of highway deaths in the U.S. The new push to make roads safer was included in a report released Tuesday about a horrific crash last year in which a drunk driver collided head-on with another vehicle near Fresno, California, killing both adult drivers and seven children. NHTSA said this week that roadway deaths in the U.S. are at crisis levels. Nearly 43,000 people were killed last year, the greatest number in 16 years, as Americans returned to roads after pandemic stay-at-home orders. Early estimates show fatalities rising again through the first half of this year, but they declined from April through June, which authorities are hoping is a trend. I woke early Thursday at my home in West Tisbury, one of six small towns on the island of Marthas Vineyard, to find deer munching my shrubs, an early fall chill in the air and the disturbing news that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had flown about 50 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, to the islands airport. Local officials were notified only 20 minutes before the migrants arrived. The migrants say they were told, falsely, they were headed to housing and jobs in New York or Boston. Many were confused, according to Edgartown Police Chief Bruce McNamee. We have talked to a number of people whove asked, Where am I? And then I was trying to explain where Marthas Vineyard is. It was cruel, of course. It was deeply cynical. But the disgraceful stunt made for striking political theater. DeSantis is sometimes described as Donald Trump with a brain, which, depending on your point of view, is either reassuring or very scary. DeSantis faces reelection this November and is considering his own White House bid. His surgical strike into a distant liberal enclave showed he is serious as a heart attack, as they say in Florida, about competing for Trumps voters. As he undoubtedly wanted, DeSantis ginned up endless headlines and liberal outrage, catnip for his campaign. He told reporters on Thursday that his goal was to share the burden of illegal immigration with Democratic states. It shouldnt all fall on a handful of red states, he said. Still, his performance clearly fell flat here. Using Florida taxpayers money, he chartered two planes to fly a few dozen people, including at least 10 children, thousands of miles, on flights originating in San Antonio to a rural Massachusetts island that sees its population ebb and flow by tens of thousands every summer. A tourist bus or two more wont make much difference here. In recent months, DeSantis who attended Yale and Harvard Law has publicly mocked the Vineyard as a symbol of Democratic elitism. He apparently prefers the nearby smaller island of Nantucket, which even Vineyarders consider elitist. On Aug. 9, according to the Boston Globe, the Florida governor was scheduled to be the featured speaker at a $5,000-a-couple fundraiser sponsored by hedge fund owners on Nantucket. If DeSantis hoped to spur anti-immigrant sentiment on the Vineyard, he failed. The island has welcomed immigrants for years. More than 12% of the 17,000 full-time residents are foreign born, according to the 2020 census. And for all the breathless reporting that calls the Vineyard a playground of the rich, its also an increasingly diverse community. Some 22% of residents are nonwhite. In any case, islanders more than met the DeSantis challenge. St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Edgartown quickly rounded up 50 cots and mattresses and housed the migrants. An emergency room doctor came down from Boston, while lawyers offered pro bono services. Five restaurants donated far more food than the group could possibly eat. High school students studying Spanish came to translate. Donations poured into a Community Services fund. So many volunteers rushed the church with toys, clothes, bedding and other supplies that the police finally pleaded for a stop to keep traffic flowing. DeSantis isnt alone of course. Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona have bused about 10,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., since April, overwhelming services so badly that last week District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency. On Thursday, two buses from Texas dropped 101 migrants from Colombia, Venezuela and other countries near Vice President Kamala Harris official residence. The fact that Fox News and not the Department of Homeland Security, the city or local NGOs were alerted about a plan to leave migrants, including children, on the side of a busy D.C. street makes clear that this is just a cruel, premeditated political stunt, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. The DeSantis migrants are now being housed in dorms on a military base in Cape Cod as their cases are sorted out. There are worse places. The summer crowds are mostly gone, the skies are cerulean and the leaves are starting to drop. But affordable housing is tight and the winter economy doesnt have many jobs. Most of the newcomers presumably will face immigration hearings. At some point, perhaps they can stake their claims on the American dream. They may yet thank DeSantis for the free ride away from intolerance. By Trend The French La Gazette online newspaper published an article about the recent visit of Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Yerevan amid tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, her insincere promises to Armenians and anti-Azerbaijani statements, Trend reports. According to the article, this visit doesnt serve either the political and economic interests of the US, or the establishment of peace and stability in the region. As the article said, one of the reasons for the US officials visit to Yerevan and her statements against Azerbaijan is that Pelosi is one of the major defenders of Armenian interests. Besides, the article named as one of the main factors the upcoming midterm election in the US. Mentioning political and economic consequences of the visit, the article stressed that the main goal of Yerevan now is to get out of the most difficult economic and political situation in which it has found itself with minimal losses. Yerevan pins its hopes on the US. Given the US strategic goals, Armenia is of no importance to it, and Washington is unlikely to fulfill any of the promises made to Yerevan. The losers will be the Armenian society and political authorities of the country, who arent aware of the current realities, the article said. At the same time, according to the article, Azerbaijan is a key state in the South Caucasus and plays an important role in ensuring the energy security of Europe. Pelosi knows that the US has little economic influence on Azerbaijan, even on the contrary, Washington has high economic expectations from Baku. However, trying to enlist the support of Armenians in the election, she doesnt hesitate to act against the global interests of the US, and to make statements which threaten the future peace and stability in the region," added the article. A 22-year-old Helena man was charged with two felony counts of attempted deliberate homicide and two felony counts of assault with a weapon after allegedly shooting and injuring two men on Aug. 18. Jory Jerae Songer was served an arrest warrant Monday at the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center, where he was already in custody for another incident. Around 1 a.m. Aug. 18, officers responded to the 800 block of Abbey Street for a report of an assault with a weapon. Authorities discovered two males who had been shot, and the suspect had fled the scene. The two victims were transported to the hospital via ambulance and neither suffered life-threatening injuries, authorities said. According to a press release from the Helena Police Department Tuesday, authorities identified the suspect after spending several days sifting through surveillance footage provided by Helena Housing Authority and surrounding businesses and schools. Documents filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court say the footage shows the suspect vehicle, which had been reported as stolen a few days before the shooting, stopping on the north side of the Stewart Homes apartment complex. Someone got out of the vehicle and walked toward the south end of the building, where the shooting occurred two minutes later. The residence was occupied by a man and his young child. On the night of the shooting, the man's nephew and the nephew's friend were staying the night. While the young child was asleep inside, the male resident, a friend, the nephew and the nephew's friend were outside socializing when someone in a mask and all black clothing including a hoodie approached them. There was a verbal altercation before the masked man started shooting, court records say. Authorities arrived and found the male resident on the ground outside the apartment with a gunshot wound to his thigh. The mans friend was outside with a shot to his left forearm. Six shell casings recovered from the area indicated that the two were shot by a 40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Both the nephew and his friend said they could feel bullets hitting the ground near their feet before they ran inside to avoid being shot. The suspect ran toward Butte Avenue. Surveillance footage shows the suspect vehicle heading west on Butte Avenue, then turning onto Cooke Street, and then down an alley in the general direction the suspect was last seen heading. Officials and two witnesses believe Songer was picked up by the stolen vehicle after the shooting. The stolen vehicle was recovered Aug. 19 in Helenas Yesco parking lot, after an employee reported she saw a man and his dog sleeping in it the day before. The vehicle was searched, and a Great Northern parking garage ticket with the date Aug. 15 was found inside. A Helena Parking Commission employee said the vehicle was parked on the upper level for several days. On the morning of Aug. 17, a man and a woman and their dog entered the vehicle in the parking garage. The man and dog looked similar to those the Yesco employee described. The man entering the car was identified as Shay McPhee after an officer recognized him and his dog. A bowl of barbecue wings from Walmart was found in the vehicle. Walmart surveillance footage showed McPhee and a woman allegedly stealing the wings and other items before driving away in the stolen vehicle. Authorities recognized the woman as Patience Walker (Davis) based on prior encounters with her. On Sept. 9, an officer recognized McPhee in a vehicle with Songer. McPhee was arrested for outstanding warrants unrelated to the shooting investigation. Songer gave authorities a false name and then ran away. The officer contacted Probation and Parole after learning Songer was on probation with a request to search his backpack after spotting drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. A significant amount of meth and a scale were found inside the backpack, along with a white half-face mask with a depiction of a skull on it. Songer was later arrested for the drugs and booked into Lewis and Clark County Detention Center. Officials interviewed McPhee on Sept. 9, and he admitted to using the stolen vehicle with Walker (Davis) because he thought it was hers. He denied being involved in the shooting and requested an attorney. On Sept. 13. Walker (Davis) was arrested for outstanding warrants unrelated to the shooting. She admitted to stealing the vehicle and using it with McPhee. She initially denied being involved in the shooting, but later admitted to driving the stolen vehicle to the Stewart Homes complex around the time of the shooting to drop off Songer on the north end so that he could visit some friends who lived there. She could not provide an exact time of when this occurred because she stated that she was using drugs at the time. Her recollection of the route she drove matched that on video surveillance. She said she was on her way to a Town Pump gas station when Songer got in the car again and said he couldnt find his friends. She stated she did not expect to see Songer again that night. Walker (Davis) denied knowing about the shooting. She stated she didnt end up going to the Town Pump but couldnt provide a reason why. She then drove to East Helena in a round-about way. On Sept. 14, Songer was interviewed by authorities. Songer stated the shooting wasnt planned. He also admitted to using drugs that day. Songer then backtracked and denied knowing anything about the shooting besides what he had heard. He said, It wasnt a planned hit. I wasnt there, though. Songer ended the interview by stating It was not a planned assassination. I had no involvement, and I dont wanna talk. All are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Helena man who shot at law enforcement outside his home last year was sentenced Monday to 42 years behind bars. District Court Judge Kathy Seeley sentenced Bryan Arvidson to 40 years in prison with none suspended for attempted homicide and six months in jail for obstructing a peace officer. These two sentences will run concurrently. Arvidson was also sentenced to six years with five suspended for criminal endangerment and six years with five suspended for tampering with evidence. These two sentences will run consecutively, for a total of 42 years. "This case, like most, took time and dedication from investigators and members of the County Attorneys Office. We appreciate the work from everyone involved," the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook Monday. On Oct. 1, 2021, a deputy was dispatched to Strandberg Drive for a report of gunshots. According to the probable cause affidavit filed in District Court, Arvidson, who was 29 at the time, agreed to stop firing until he had taken proper precautions to not hit any people or livestock. However, the affidavit says he kept shooting. The crisis negotiator team for the Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office and Helena Police Department arrived at the home in an armored vehicle. Arvidson came outside holding a shotgun and a pistol, the affidavit says. Attempts to negotiate were unsuccessful, and authorities shot him in the leg with a .40mm non-lethal "direct impact" rubber munition in an effort to stop him. Arvidson made it back into his house, where his wife and children were. The affidavit says he fired multiple rounds, and at least two hit the armored vehicle. On Oct. 2 around 5 a.m., his wife and children left the residence. Arvidson remained inside until a SWAT team deployed flashbangs. He was found guilty by a jury in April and received credit for 352 days served in jail. Ad Meliora is Latin for towards better things. This is the direction Dr. Brian Barrett, who taught Latin last school year at St. Andrew School in Helena, hopes to guide the private Catholic school to as its new principal. For me personally, this year the quote I keep coming back to in my mind is Hebrews 4 because Im taking on something new here, said Barrett. I hope that Im doing it in a way that is at the service of this particular school community ... I know how much forbearance is required of others' to work with me in this role, and I hope that I can reflect that forbearance that I see in the community and everyone else I am coming into contact with. He will build off the work of GG Grotbo, who was the previous principal and now serves as the advancement director at St. Andrew. Barrett is standing outside to see students off at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday. Theres traffic, hellos, goodbyes and a few hugs as the high school students gather their bags and head toward a bus waiting to take them to the school's annual Salt and Light Retreat at Legendary Lodge, a camp owned by the Diocese of Helena on Salmon Lake. Barrett stepped into his role as principal on July 1. St. Andrew has been an independent Catholic school for 26 years, since it opened its doors in 1996. The school was accredited in 2014, and it now serves grades K-12. Their mission on the school's website reads: Trust in God, listen to His Word, and seek the Holy Spirits guidance. Each school year, the school picks a theme, and the theme for this year is First Corinthians 13:7. Love bears all things - Omnia suffert caritas..." said Barrett. "I think the work of renewal is hard, and it requires a great deal of forbearance on everyones part. Thats the theme I hope we continually come back to as we try to understand what it is were trying to accomplish as a school community. Barrett met his wife, Dr. Hannah Hemphill, on their first day at Notre Dame, where they both studied theology. Hemphills doctorate is in theology, and she is the assistant professor of Catholic studies at Carroll College and a scholar of Saint Thomas Aquinas, whose teachings she wrote her dissertation on. Barretts doctorate is in theology as well, with a specialty in patristic theology, the study of the early Christian writers who are designated Church Fathers. One of Barretts favorite Church Fathers is Origen, who was an early Christian scholar, ascetic and theologian from Alexandria. His favorite Saint is Catherine of Sienna because, in short, of the beauty of her thoughts, writings, advice and accountability. Early on, in my own education, I knew I wanted to study theology, said Barrett. I went through Catholic school, and ... (theology) was the only thing I was good at and enjoyed. I loved thinking about everything else I was studying in relation to what I was learning in my theology classes. Barrett and Hemphill initiated and directed Notre Dames study abroad programs in Jerusalem from 2011-2014. This included organizing and conducting pilgrimages in the Holy Land as well. After this, they moved to Helena. (We) love the Helena community. Its a great place to raise a family," said Barrett. "Its a wonderfully tight-knit Catholic community. Its beautiful here ... I love the mountains. Hemphill and Barrett currently have three daughters. Two attend St. Andrew in third grade and first grade, and the other is 9 months old. In his free time, Barrett enjoys spending time with his family and doing outdoor activities. Barrett will also be the academic director for the Diocese of Helenas permanent diaconate formation program that is being reanimated on top of his busy schedule this fall. Thats what makes a Catholic community precisely what it is, right? That we identify with one another in love and not because we just like each other or because were related to each other, said Barrett. Im really just impressed with the dedication and devotion of families to this particular school. Its been very moving to work with them and get to know them in this way. Citing sparse interest in workforce training grants, Republican state lawmakers and administration officials on Tuesday moved to shift $6 million in federal funding from that program to one that would provide interest-free loans to Montana businesses to automate manufacturing processes. But Democratic legislators and labor representatives objected to the proposal, arguing that the limited applications for the workforce training program were due to an onerous application process, a lack of advertising for the grants and a low ceiling on the amount of grant money per worker. The money for the program is part of Montanas share of the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal pandemic relief program signed into law last year by President Joe Biden. Liane Taylor, a division administrator with the Department of Commerce, told the committee that while $1.2 million from the workforce training grant program had been awarded to businesses in the state, only $128,000 of those contracts had been fulfilled. With a workforce shortage showing little sign of abating, Taylor said businesses need to become more productive and efficient with their current workforce. The jobs that would be automated are physically demanding jobs, those that are dull, have high turnover, and those are the jobs that also have the highest work comp issues, workforce injuries, et cetera, Taylor said. Montana AFL-CIO Political Director Amanda Frickle objected to the proposal during public comment, arguing that the department could have done more to investigate why the original workforce training program didnt attract more applicants. We are dealing with a workforce shortage issue, this is not going to be resolved simply by equipment upgrades, Frickle said. And so we really have to figure out as a state how are we going to solve this issue. The program would award loans of up to $500,000 per business. Paddy Fleming is the director of the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, which would help the Department of Commerce administer the grant program. I think its more of an issue that there are no people to train, Fleming told the committee. Whats a manufacturer to do, other than try to automate a job that no one will apply for anyway? Allocations of the federal funds are overseen by several advisory committees made up of lawmakers from both parties and representatives of Republican Gov. Greg Gianfortes administration. Both Frickle and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, one of the two Democrats on the committee, suggested the committee instead take a closer look at why the training program failed to attract more interest. The committee's executive branch members and Republicans lawmakers instead voted in favor of the proposal, which passed without Democratic support. It still needs final approval from Gianforte. A Maddock woman accused of causing a rabies scare by bringing a wild raccoon into a local bar says her family is "traumatized" by her arrest and the euthanizing of the animal the family was nursing back to health. Erin Christensen, 38, said she is hoping to pay for an attorney through a GoFundMe "Justice for Rocky" page that has been set up to help her. She did not specify to the Tribune what she would consider justice. It's illegal under North Dakota Board of Animal Health laws to keep a wild raccoon. Law officers allege Christensen brought one into the Maddock Bar on Sept. 6. Authorities don't believe it came in close contact with any bar patrons, but the incident prompted the state Health and Human Services Department to issue a warning about potential rabies exposure. Christensen was arrested on Wednesday after officials with the Benson County Sheriff's Office and the state Game and Fish Department executed search warrants at three residences in and near Maddock, one of which was hers. Game and Fish Enforcement Division Chief Scott Winkelman has said it appeared that Christensen tried to evade authorities who were searching for her and the raccoon. The animal was killed so it could be tested for disease. Christensen said "Police brought a battering ram to break down the front door of the house," and that "The amount of manpower used to find and kill Rocky ... is impressive. A shock-and-awe campaign." Christensen said her family found the raccoon on the side of a road about three months ago, and initially did not disturb it because they thought its mother might still be nearby. She said that the next day it was apparent the animal had been abandoned, so her family decided to save it from certain death and rehabilitate it to the wild. "He was still being bottle fed, and he was learning how to forage food that we would place around trees and obstacles," she said. Christensen believes authorities could have observed the raccoon rather than immediately killed it. "My children are devastated and inconsolable," she said. "They cried for hours, yesterday. No good deed goes unpunished; clearly that is a harsh lesson for young people to learn." Health and Human Services has stressed that rabies "is such a serious disease with a nearly 100% fatality rate." The agency stressed that anyone in the bar who might have had contact with the animal should talk to a doctor "as soon as possible." Deputy State Veterinarian Beth Carlson said the raccoon was delivered to the North Dakota State University veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and testing began Thursday. Christensen said the raccoon showed no signs of illness, and that her family was only "trying to be good stewards of nature by caring for Rocky." "He was only starving, lonely, and afraid," she said. "He had three good months with my family. Were sad that he will no longer grow into his raccoonness." Christensen was arrested on charges of giving false information to law enforcement and tampering with evidence, and for a Game and Fish violation of unlawfully possessing a furbearer. Formal charges still were not filed late Friday afternoon. The arresting charges are misdemeanors that together would carry a maximum punishment of a couple of years in jail and fines totaling $7,500. Christensen is free on $1,500 bond. Maddock is a town of about 500 people in Benson County, about halfway between Carrington and Rugby. When you order a pizza and the total comes to $25 and you hand them a $50 bill, have you ever had the restaurant tell you that they are going to keep your change in case their expenses are higher in the future? We know this sounds absurd, but not for the state government. Over the last two years, the state of Montana has over collected $1.6 billion in unanticipated, unexpected and unappropriated money from you, the Montana taxpayer. It is money that we did not need to run the state government for the biennium. Recently, there was a call for a short special legislative session to return your overpayment. The call for the special session has fallen short of the needed votes to get your money back to you in a timely fashion. While your Republican majority may have disagreed on the timing of returning your money this fall, from many conversations with our colleagues, the silver lining is that this will be a top priority for your Legislature to accomplish in the opening weeks of the 2023 session. DECATUR Police are hoping the public can help identify a man who robbed the Circle K gas station, 205 W. 1st Drive in Decatur, at gunpoint around 1:30 a.m. Sept. 7. The robbery is this weeks Crime of the Week focus from Decatur police who said the man grabbed a quantity of cash and fled on foot, running eastbound toward Franklin Street Road. In a news release, police describe the suspect as aged in his late teens to early 20s, 5-feet-10-inches tall and of skinny build. He was wearing a green hooded sweatshirt with the numbers 227 written in yellow across the back. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 217-423-8477 (TIPS). Crime Stoppers will pay $500 or more for information leading to an arrest. By Trend The visit of Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Yerevan amid tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, her insincere promises to Armenians and anti-Azerbaijani statements have become the subject of extensive discussions, Trend reports. Show hosted by Pelosi in Yerevan and her temporary friendship with Armenian revanchists. The main topic of discussion now is the reasons which prompted Pelosi to make ridiculous and unfair statements against Azerbaijan. Its appropriate to note here that the Armenian separatists and revanchists arent the only ones in the world who are sympathetic to the US official. For example, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which is the subject of a conflict between China and the US, has fueled the conflict by heightening military tensions in the region. Beijing issued statements condemning the visit, signaling to Washington that it wont give up its claims over Taiwan. Naturally, there are special reasons why the US is so interested in this region. Its known that China's economy is growing rapidly, and China's growth can lead to the end of US economic dominance in the world. According to experts, the US supports the separatists in Taiwan in its own interests and plans to reduce Beijing's economic growth by drawing China into a military conflict. From the details of Pelosi's visit to Yerevan, it has become clear that her own interests are more important to her than national interests, the security and development of people, and the statements of the US official to Azerbaijan in Yerevan, as well as their reasons, should be approached in the context of these special interests. Pelosi's political past and present make clear what interests she serves. Shes one of the main defenders of Armenian interests in the world. For example, she is one of the US officials who advocated a resolution against Turkiye, supported by the Armenian diaspora. Besides, one of the main reasons contributing to its rapprochement with Armenia is the upcoming midterm election to the US Congress. The purpose of her show in Yerevan after the crushing blow of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the Armenian armed forces, which committed a provocation on the border, was to enlist the support of Armenian revanchists. The future will show that Pelosi's promises to Armenians in Yerevan, and her inflammatory statements are nothing but empty words, and the staged show, tears at the monument to the so-called genocide were aimed at winning the votes of the Armenian lobby in the US. Pelosi's insincere statements in Yerevan At a press conference in Yerevan, Nancy Pelosi mentioned the security, and inviolability of borders of Armenia, expressing her concern about this. The question arises: if the US attaches such great importance to the issue of the security of states, then why didnt it put pressure and impose sanctions against Yerevan, which for almost 30 years occupied Azerbaijani lands? Does the issue of border security concern only Armenia? One of the most outrageous points in Pelosi's speech was the statement about Azerbaijan's involvement in the commitment of a vandalism act against the Armenian population in Karabakh, the destruction of historical monuments. Its interesting that for 30 years neither Pelosi nor other US officials noticed the occupation of Karabakh, the destruction of Azerbaijani cities and monuments, and the presence of one million Azerbaijani refugees. Besides, none of them made any statements about the Armenian atrocities, and now they groundlessly accuse Azerbaijan of vandalism, and destruction of historical monuments. It seems that Pelosi said everything that came to her mind in Yerevan, just to attract the attention of Armenians before the election. Political and economic consequences of visit of US official to Yerevan for Azerbaijan and Armenia The main goal of Yerevan now is to get out of the most difficult economic and political situation in which it has found itself with minimal losses. Yerevan pins its hopes on the US. Given the US strategic goals, Armenia is of no importance to it, and Washington is unlikely to fulfill any of the promises made to Yerevan. The losers will be the Armenian society and political authorities of the country, who arent aware of the current realities. Everyone knows, in the hands of which state are the economy, military and political system of Armenia. Naturally, the treacherous policy of Armenia toward its masters will have serious consequences, and this will become apparent. Pelosi's anti-Azerbaijani statements in Yerevan wont have any economic or political impact on Baku. Official Baku keeps a firm position, and no force can make the country turn off this path since the truth is on its side. Pelosi is well aware that Azerbaijan is a key state in the South Caucasus, as well as the country's role in ensuring the energy security of Europe, but she doesnt seem to shy away from acting against US global interests, making statements that threaten future peace and stability in the region, just to enlist Armenian support. She's also aware that the US has little economic influence on Azerbaijan, but even on the contrary, Washington has high economic expectations from Baku. For example, its enough to refer to the letter of US President Joe Biden to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to once again see how important Baku is for Washington. "Azerbaijan is also critical to realizing the immense potential of Trans-Caspian cooperation to help stabilize markets in the region and globally, and Azerbaijan is playing a critical role in helping stabilize European energy security, including through the Southern Gas Corridor and by providing crucial fuel supplies to Ukraine," the letter said. I welcome your continued steps to help achieve Azerbaijans full potential, including by promoting a diversified economy, contributing to global goals to fight climate change through investments in renewables, strengthening the rule of law and accountability, and boosting the standard of living of the Azerbaijani people. The United States is committed to our continued partnership and cooperation," added the letter. Thus, Pelosi's visit to Yerevan wont serve either the establishment of peace and stability in the region or the political and economic interests of the US. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. BRISTOL, Tenn. Members of the Bristol Tennessee School Board are questioning a new state law that mandates tutoring and/or summer camp for most third-graders before students who dont pass a specific, single test can be promoted to the fourth grade. In aligning with the law, the School Board unenthusiastically passed a new promotion and retention policy during Mondays meeting. Board member Jill Harrison said she didnt want to vote, but understood it had to be done to comply with the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act, signed by the governor in February 2021. Some portions of it I do believe give our teachers and staff support in looking at students who need support and reinforcement over the summer, and making it mandatory that they have to do it which is good to have that support from the state but in coming to that decision and whether to retain or not there should be a little more discretion, Harrison said. I think we are all in agreement that we are not in agreement with what the state is telling us to do, board member Jim Butcher said. The ideas are really good. Its just theres probably better ways to do this. In summarizing the law during last weeks work session, Director of Schools Dr. Annette Tudor said third graders who score below proficient on the English Language Arts portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program test must be retained if no remedial action is taken. According to the law, students may retake the test during the summer, but for those without a proficient score, tutoring for the entirety of their fourth-grade year and/or summer camp will be required, depending on the individuals test results. Students who are English language learners with less than two years of ELA instruction, students who have already been retained in K-3 and those with a disability impacting reading may be promoted. While the intentions of the law may be good, Tudor said there is not a lot of support from school boards around the state. The ELA TCAP test is not a reading test thats the argument from educators across the state, Tudor said. It is standards-based assessment We have a variety of ways to measure reading ability those things are not considered. It is solely based on one test and then what we do in terms of intervention. Tudor said she agrees with the intent of the law but feels it robs professional educators of the autonomy to make the best decision for students. A draft resolution critiquing the new laws lack of consideration of a variety of data points was scratched from Mondays agenda; however, Butcher said a new resolution may be in the works for the board to express its stance on the issue. A Long View woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 16-month-old boy. An autopsy listed fentanyl as the cause of death for the toddler. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website. Haley Godshall, 24, also pleaded guilty in Catawba County Superior Court to five unrelated habitual larceny charges, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and possession of Schedule II controlled substance. Godshall is one of two women charged in the death of toddler Kingston Jenkins. Daisy Bare is the other woman charged in the case. Bare is scheduled to appear in Catawba County Superior Court on Oct. 24. On the morning of Nov. 7, 2021, Godshall telephoned Kingstons mom, Alexia Jenkins, and asked to keep Kingston for the day, Assistant District Attorney Nancy Lee told the court. Godshall and Jenkins were close friends, and it was not unusual for Godshall to spend time with Kingston, Lee said. Godshall and Bare picked up Kingston around 10:45 a.m. They took him to Godshalls home on 24th Street Southwest in Long View, Lee said. Lee said Godshall and Bare smoked methamphetamine before getting the child. Upon arriving at the home, Godshall fed Kingston some oatmeal then Godshall and Bare decided to watch a movie. Kingston fell asleep on Godshalls bed. Kingston was lying between Godshall and Bare on the bed, Lee said. Godshall and Bare smoked methamphetamine at the home, Lee said. Bare told investigators that Godshall pulled a bag of fentanyl out of her bra while on the bed. The bag was then passed between Godshall and Bare, Lee said. The two women fell asleep after consuming the drugs. When the women woke up, they realized something was wrong with Kingston and took him to a hospital, Lee said. The child arrived at Frye Regional Medical Center around 7 p.m. He died that same day, Lee said. Superior Court Judge Karen Williams asked if Kingston was exposed to the fentanyl by particles in the air when the bag of fentanyl was passed between Godshall and Bare. Lee said the levels of fentanyl in the childs system were more than what he would have been exposed to through particles in the air. Lee said it is unclear if the child ingested fentanyl while the two women were asleep. I lost my son, but I also lost someone I trusted, a friend, someone I loved, Kingstons mother, Alexia Jenkins, said to the court. I wish things could have been more careful. I dont hate anyone. Godshall was sentenced to a minimum of 33 months on the involuntary manslaughter charge. She received a minimum sentence of 20 months for the remaining charges. The sentences will be served consecutively, Judge Williams said. I have no doubt that Miss Godshall loved the baby, wanted to care for the baby. But based on her addiction, the disease of addiction, was not in the best position to care for anybodys child, Williams said. I am grateful that the family has a forgiving heart and has sought counseling through their religious belief. State health officials are cautioning North Carolinians to take precautions to prevent mosquito-borne illness following the confirmation of four cases of West Nile virus. Although the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services declined Monday to identify the four infected individuals, citing healthcare privacy laws, officials said the cases were in several parts of the state. On Sept. 13, the Forsyth County Department of Public Health announced that mosquitoes in the county have tested positive for the virus. Forsyth has not confirmed any local cases of the virus in humans. The last confirmed case in Forsyth was a single infection in November. The mosquitoes tested positive for the virus as part of regular monitoring and testing that the countys Environmental Health Division does every mosquito season. Crews are treating areas where the West Nile-positive insects were found in order to kill the adult mosquitoes. The current case total is double the typical number for this time of year, DHHS said. Fall is when most cases of mosquito-borne illnesses are reported. Most people who contract the West Nile Virus have no symptoms, DHHS said, but rare, serious cases can be deadly. While the most common symptoms of West Nile are mild, about 20% of infected people will develop a fever with other symptoms, such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. DHHS said about 1% of infections led to serious health conditions, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) and meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and surrounding tissues). Detecting a number of West Nile virus infections is a reminder to take precautions, especially because there are two months of active transmission season ahead of us, Michael Doyle, the states public health entomologist, said in a statement. DHHS recommends these steps: Use mosquito repellent that contains DEET (or equivalent) when outside in areas where mosquitoes might be present. Use caution when applying insect repellent to children. See EPA.gov/insect-repellents for advice on repellants that will work for you and your family. Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside, or keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning if possible. Reduce mosquito breeding by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths at least once a week. Other mosquito-borne viruses include eastern equine encephalitis virus and La Crosse virus. Insect repellants are effective against the mosquitoes that carry these diseases. Go to www.NCdhhs.gov and search West Nile or go to www.cdc.gov/westnile for more information. In your September 25 issue . . . BOTH STRONG DEMAND AND SHORT SUPPLIES have been driving butter values heading into the fall baking season, which is the time that typically posts the strongest sales. In July, there were 314.4 million pounds of butter in cold storage. That was off 5.4% from last year and was the lowest mid-year level since 2017, revealed USDAs Cold Storage data. STRONG BUTTER PRICES, near $3.15 per pound, have been propelling milk checks. The trend could continue for the foreseeable future as recent investment in processing capacity has focused largely on cheese. Overall, cheese output has climbed 2.7% in the first seven months of this year. IN AUGUST, THE CLASS IV MILK PRICE topped the Class III level by $4.71 per hundredweight (cwt.), the largest premium Class IV has held since September 1998, reported the University of Missouris Scott Brown. FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE YEAR, Class IV prices have averaged $2.29 per cwt. above Class III. Compare this with 2015 to 2021, when Class III prices averaged $1.47 per cwt. above Class IV. AS A RESULT, FEDERAL ORDER COMPONENT PRICES posted the third straight record for butterfat from June to August. The latest price of $3.40 per pound of butterfat was 15 cents higher than the previous record from September 2014, according to federal order data. U.S. BUTTER PRICES TOP those in both New Zealand and Europe. Overall, American butter was fetching a 70-cent premium when compared to the Kiwis. Those high prices have caused imports to flow to the U.S. ITS ALSO ONE REASON THAT CLASS IV futures have held strong on the CME, with both September and October contracts selling over $24 per cwt. compared to Class III, which hovered near $20. WHILE MARKETS STILL PREDICT a strong Class IV on the CME for the next two months, those prices begin to slip with a November Class IV in the $23 range, followed by $22 figures for December through March. Subsequent prices traded under $21 per cwt. for the following months. SINCE THE OPENING FORECAST of a $9 midpoint per kilogram of milk solids (kgMS) for 2022 to 2023 milk, New Zealands Fonterra Co-op lifted that forecast to a $9.50 midpoint one month later on June 22 and then dropped it to a $9.25 midpoint on August 25. Fonterra, the worlds largest dairy product exporter, handles over 90% of the countrys milk. THAT FORECAST WOULD YIELD a $17.43 Class III milk price with a $19.05 figure for milk at average test, projected the University of Wisconsins Mark Stephenson. Fonterras forecast comes with a range of $16.01 to $18.84 for Class III and $17.51 to $20.60 for milk with average test on a U.S. scale. New Zealand milk prices can be an indicator for other countries. U.S. DAIRY PRODUCT EXPORTS posted the fourth straight month of gains with volume up 5% compared to the same month last year. Overall, international sales remain on a record pace, having grown 3% this year. DUE TO CONTINUED GROWTH in dairy exports, USDA revised its forecast for 2022 from $8.4 billion to $9.5 billion, largely on strong shipments to Mexico, South Korea, and Japan. High product prices this year also caused USDA to project lower sales in 2023 at $9 billion. AT 44.5 BILLION POUNDS, FLUID MILK SALES FELL to a 66-year low. Even worse, last years one-year decline was the largest drop on record. After eight consecutive years of growth, whole milk fell, too. THE NATIONS TOP 50 CO-OP LIST remained largely the same. The 50 largest co-ops handled 81.4% of the nations 226 billion pounds of milk last year, while the top 5 procured 49%. To learn more, see page 513. According to Vyugin, no catastrophe has occurred in the Russian economy, according to him, the comprehensive sanctions introduced against Moscow only achieved the expected effect in 30-40%, as Russia was able to successfully mitigate their impact. Edespite this, he believes that Russia has serious problems, as soaring export revenues will decline. If there were no sanctions, the Russian economy could have grown by 6% this year said Vyugin, who during his career was Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank before retiring from the Moscow Stock Exchange this year, in an interview with Reuters. In January-February, you could see a very strong recovery, and then a strong negative shock came. Instead of a 5% increase, we got a 4% drop, so the sanctions are working, he said. It is regularly said by Russian officials (and by the way quite often in this country as well) that the sanctions imposed on Russia do not work and that Russia is resistant to sanctions. President Vladimir Putin expects GDP to fall by just 2% this year, a more optimistic forecast than the Economy Ministrys forecast of a decline of around 3%, but well ahead of the World Banks April forecast of an 11.2% decline indicated reports Reuters. In their first spring 2022 forecast, Western analytical institutes greatly overestimated the effects of the Russian sanctions, expecting a decline of over 10%. According to the data received since then, a decline of between 4-8% is expected this year (this has already appeared in the updated Western forecasts), which is deeper than the impact of the corona crisis. Moreover, there will be no talk of a rebound here: the Russian economy may still shrink next year, according to the forecasts of Russian banks and the central bank, the decline may be between 1 and 8% next year (the large standard deviation covers considerable uncertainty), and the economy may reach it in 8-10 years the pre-crisis level. Meanwhile, the balance of the Russian budget is also deteriorating, so there is no question that Western sanctions are not working. Russias current account surplus the difference between the value of exports and imports more than tripled to $183.1 billion in the first eight months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, as revenues jumped due to rising energy prices while imports fell due to sanctions. fell back. According to the central banks expectations, this surplus will decrease in the second half of the year. According to Vyugin, the outlook is bleak as there is no end in sight to the conflict. The numbers can be varied, but the main result of the sanctions is that the process of economic growth in Russia has been interrupted for several years He told. While export earnings are high, the economy is receiving very strong support, he said. If exports are heavily restricted it will cause serious damage and we will see the next cycle of falling GDP. After imposing some of the toughest sanctions on Russia in modern history, including the withdrawal of some of its leading banks from the global financial system, Western countries and their allies are now preparing to limit the use of Russian oil and gas. Meanwhile, China benefits from cheaper energy supplies from Russia, while Moscow looks east in search of alternative markets. Vyugin expects some of the impact of the sanctions to be delayed, particularly in the technology sector, which is highly dependent on imports. Industry sources told Reuters last month that Russian airlines, including state-controlled Aeroflot, have begun dismantling planes to obtain parts they can no longer buy abroad due to sanctions. The world will move forward, but Russia will only use some second-rate technology and spend huge resources to recreate what the world already has, but the country cannot import. Vyugin said. If the situation does not change, the level of technological development in Russia will gradually decrease, he added. Cover image: Getty Images CONCORD Cabarrus College of Health Sciences will host a fall festival for the community on Saturday, Oct. 1 as the culminating event in a yearlong celebration of its 80th anniversary. The festival will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the college, 401 Medical Park Drive in Concord, on the campus of Atrium Health Cabarrus. All are welcome to attend this free community event. We have spent the last year celebrating a remarkable milestone, said Cabarrus College President Cam Cruickshank. We have been developing healthcare leaders, educating future medical professionals and caring for our community for 80 years. This fall festival is our way of thanking and celebrating with everyone who has helped make that possible: our community, our students and staff, Atrium Health and of course our incredible Cabarrus College alumni. The Cabarrus College Fall Festival will offer activities for everyone, including alumni group photos, a 1-mile campus stroll, bounce house, doughnuts and cider, bingo, caricatures, face painting, music, photo booth, outdoor games, tours of the college and health screenings. We are so excited to invite the community onto our campus to share our anniversary celebration with us, said Cruickshank. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our alumni to connect with one another, for students and staff and their children to enjoy a beautiful fall day together, and for the community to have an opportunity to see our campus and learn about our college and its history. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences evolved from the Cabarrus County General Hospital School of Nursing, founded by Louise Harkey in 1942 to meet the demand for registered nurses after many local nurses were recruited for service during World War ll. Since then, the college has expanded its program offerings to include 16 degrees in 10 health science disciplines, added a number of bachelors and masters degrees, and has become a part of Atrium Health, one of the nations largest health care systems. The college also recently partnered with the Cabarrus County School system and Atrium Health to launch the Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute (CHSI) in August. CHSI is a tuition-free, early college high school designed to help local students get a head start in their health care careers. Cabarrus College is fully invested in this community, said Cruickshank. For the last 80 years weve educated nurses and other healthcare professionals whove cared for generations of Cabarrus County residents. We are continuing to grow and add new programs that will enable us to keep doing that for the next 80 years. Our future is bright, and we look forward to sharing a day of celebration with the community. For more information about Cabarrus Colleges 80th anniversary Fall Festival, visit CabarrusCollege.edu/FallFest. LONDON (AP) The United Kingdom and the world bade farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers and crowds in the streets of London and at Windsor Castle to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age. In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchills was filled with spectacle: Before the service, a bell tolled 96 times once a minute for each year of Elizabeth's life. Then, 142 Royal Navy sailors used ropes to draw the gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey, where pallbearers bore it inside and about 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers gathered to mourn. Keep scrolling for video and a photo gallery from the day's events The trappings of state and monarchy abounded: The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard and atop it sat the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereigns orb and scepter. But the personal was also present: The coffin was followed into the church by generations of Elizabeths descendants, including King Charles III, heir to the throne Prince William and 9-year-old George, who is second in line. On a wreath atop the coffin, a handwritten note read, In loving and devoted memory, and was signed Charles R for Rex, or king. Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer, the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told the mourners. The service ended with two minutes of silence observed across the United Kingdom, after which the attendees sang the national anthem, now titled God Save the King. The day began early when the doors of Parliament's 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of her coffin. Monday was declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth, who died Sept. 8 and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London to witness history. They jammed sidewalks to watch the coffin wend its way through the streets of the capital after the service. As the procession passed Buckingham Palace, the queen's official residence in the city, staff stood outside, some bowing and curtseying. Mark Elliott, 53, who traveled to London from the Lake District in northern England with his wife and two children to watch the procession, got up at 1:30 a.m. to stake out a good viewing location near the palace. I know we dont know the queen, but shes been our head of state for 70 years, you feel as though you know her, you feel as though shes part of the family. It is kind of moving, he said. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his sermon at Westminster Abbey that few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen for the queen. More people lined the route the hearse took from the capital to Windsor Castle, and many tossed flowers at the cortege as it passed. Millions more tuned into the funeral live, and crowds flocked to parks and public spaces across the U.K. to watch it on screens. Even the Google doodle turned a respectful black for the day. As the coffin arrived at the castle, there were poignant reminders of her love of animals: A groom stood at the roadside with one of her ponies, Emma, and another member of staff held the leashes of two of her beloved corgis, Sandy and Muick. During the committal ceremony in St. Georges Chapel on the castle grounds, Dean of Windsor David Conner praised Elizabeth for her life of unstinting service to the nation but also her kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family and friends and neighbors. Then the crown and the orb and scepter were removed from atop the coffin and placed on the altar separating them from the queen for the last time. Her coffin was lowered into the royal vault through an opening in the chapel's floor. Charles looked weary and emotional as mourners sang the national anthem. The queen will be laid to rest later with her husband, Prince Philip, at a private family service. *** VIDEO *** MORE COVERAGE *** PHOTO GALLERY Likely damage to the hydraulic structures of Kyiv hydroelectric power plant (HPP) as a result of a missile strike will not cause catastrophic consequences, the website of PrJSC Ukrhydroenergo reported on Monday. "The hydraulic structures of Kyiv HPP are in good condition, a dam failure is unlikely, and the likely damage from a missile attack will not cause catastrophic consequences," the company said. As Ukrhydroenergo said, in the event of a missile attack by Russian troops directly on the dam of the Kyiv hydroelectric complex, a critical threat to the population is not predicted. "Since the plant itself and the dam were designed and built in the 60s, taking into account the threats of that time, with a significant margin of safety and stability, it is not so easy to destroy or significantly damage massive hydraulic structures with a missile attack," the company said. At the same time, the company explained that in the event of damage to the metal gates of the dam, a gradual uncontrolled leakage of water from Kyiv reservoir may occur, resulting in a short-term flooding of some areas in the lower basin of the hydroelectric complex. However, the flood zones will be insignificant and known to both the State Emergency Service and local authorities. Therefore, local residents will be notified in advance, Ukrhydroenergo added. "From the point of view of reliability, the hydraulic structures of Kyiv HPP, like other plants of the company, do not raise any doubts, which is confirmed by the relevant conclusions of the interdepartmental commission, which conducts their examination every five years," the company's website states. As Ukrhydroenergo informed, the hydraulic structures of Kyiv HPP are equipped with control and measuring gear in the amount provided for by the project. The composition and number of controlled indicators correspond to the current regulatory documents. The hydraulic structures are equipped with an automated system for managing the safety of hydraulic structures, which provides round-the-clock continuous monitoring of the main indicators of the state of structures. Constant operational control and functioning of the automated system for monitoring the safety of structures ensure the timely identification of any prerequisites for changing the state of structures and preventing an emergency. "Therefore, Ukrhydroenergo considers the dissemination of unfounded assessments of catastrophic consequences of a possible breakthrough of the Kyiv HPP dam as a dubious, inappropriate, and sometimes harmful activity aimed at escalating panic," the company concluded, refuting the information of a number of media about the alleged catastrophic consequences in the event of a missile attack on the hydraulic structures at Kyiv hydroelectric power plant. Ukrhydroenergo operates all major hydroelectric power plants located on the Ukrainian sections of the Dnipro and Dniester Rivers. Rockstar Games has revealed that an attacker breached its network and accessed early development footage of the next version of its well-known video game Grand Theft Auto 6. In a statement, Rockstar said confidential information had also been taken by the attacker. "At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects," the company added. Take-Two Interactive Software, the parent company of Rockstar, issued an SEC filing notifying its investors of the attack. A Message from Rockstar Games pic.twitter.com/T4Wztu8RW8 Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) September 19, 2022 Images and videos from the stolen material appeared on the Internet over the weekend. An individual who claimed to be behind the theft posted about 90 video clips on the messaging app Telegram and claimed to also be in possession of source code. Though Rockstar issued DMCA notices to both Twitter and YouTube seeking to have the stolen material taken down, the material has spread across the net and keeps surfacing in one forum or another. GTA 5 was the second best-selling game of all time, with 165 million copies sold. Commenting on the incident, Claire Tills, a senior research engineer at security firm Tenable, said: There isnt enough information available to reasonably conclude that LAPSUS$ is behind the Rockstar Games leak. While the attacks linked to LAPSUS$ and the incident at Rockstar share tactics, they are relatively simple ones which isnt a very convincing connection." In July, Tills wrote a detailed research note on Lapsus$ which has carried out a number of attacks this year. Mimicking tactics is relatively common among threat actors. In the aftermath of LAPSUS$s flashy rise to infamy and then sudden quiet period, ransomware and extortion actors have sought to emulate their tactics because, frankly, they worked," Tills said. Threat actors focus on opportunistic data theft and threats to publicly release the stolen data, attempting whatever tactics they deem necessary to put pressure on the victim to pay up, such as threatening customers, partners, insurers, investors and courting attention from the news and social media. "In the case of Rockstar Games, the attacker is threatening to leak more Grand Theft Auto content, which Rockstar can allegedly prevent if it pays up. Sophos principal research scientist Chester Wisniewski said: "Its unclear what the initial compromise was at Rockstar Games at this time, but someone claiming to be the same hacker as Uber has been posting in-game footage and claiming the attack began with a social engineering attack, similar to the attack on Uber. "This is unsurprising as it is an incredibly effective technique for initial compromise and takes advantage of the trust placed in privileged insiders." By Trend Al Jazeera TV channel broadcasted a video report on Azerbaijan's activities to return former internally displaced persons to their native Aghali village, Trend reports. According to the report, Azerbaijan is working to restore its territories liberated from occupation during the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Houses, shops, and a school have been built, and jobs have been created in Aghali village, the report said. A total of 70 families have already been returned to the village. Residents of Aghali shared their emotions in connection with the return to their native lands. include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a tough, smart, caring leader, and he just got the battlefield best of Vladimir Putin, a do-or-die, obsessed, evil leader. The clever, tricky, intelligence-guided triumph was obviously encouraging and inspiriting for Zelenskyy's fellow Ukrainians who have suffered so much. After all, it was said by many, the Ukrainian military had no chance at all against Putin's Russian military with its advantages galore, but glory, glory hallelujah for this brave Russian neighbor supported by weapons and other means by the United States and Europe. Questions still plague Ukraine. One is whether it can use this victory to pile up others to the point that the Russian military is clearly done for. Another is whether the Russians will retreat even if that happens, whether Putin will bow his head in shame, bring the soldiers home and help rescue his own people from withering away. No. He won't, except as a tactic. Given what we know about the man, there is no way he would out-and-out surrender and trash his world-dominating causes. He would first have to convert to being a second Queen Elizabeth in terms of virtue and wisdom except that he might be removed from power or assassinated if his multitudinous safeguards don't work. True enough, he has been popular with the Russian people, although that may not last, and he does love Russia. include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/templates/double_ads.asp"; ?> It almost seems that, in his inner self, he is Russia, and more than that, he is the Soviet Union, the multinational, totalitarian, malicious entity that vied with the United States to be the world's superpower and lost and went away. It was the gravest geopolitical tragedy of all times, according to Putin, who didn't exactly like the recently deceased, worthy Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev ended a war with Afghanistan after 10 years instead of 20. He wisely worked with President Ronald Reagan to end the Cold War and lessen nuclear threats. His dedication to communism shifted to something more nearly like democratic socialism, and when Soviet states decided to go their own way, he did not like it but did not intervene militarily. To Putin, a former spy for the Kremlin and downright murderous in the cause of self and Russia, all of this was disaster, the end of the earth and maybe the solar system. He lost his attachment to ineffective communism, but has brilliantly done international harm that can maybe further his ambitions. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. While Russia itself is decaying, it still has mountains of nuclear weaponry, enough to wipe out this, that or the other nation. To his monetary benefit, Bill Clinton helped Russia become the world's foremost uranium power, according to a trustworthy New York Times account, and the Biden administration has been buying uranium from Russia to supply our nuclear plants. The quivering issue now is whether Putin might use nuclear weaponry to win the Ukrainian war. If he does, even with toned-down missiles, what would we do? Respond in like manner and risk nuclear war or even choose to respond differently but decisively, still a gamble that might bring tragedy? This much should be said, namely that a Russian conquest of Ukraine would be step one in trying to get other countries in a renewed Soviet Union, meaning millions more lives lost. Those who think our financial support of Ukraine is wasted money should consider the conceivable cost of its defeat. It doesn't follow that anything goes. Putin, in the meantime, is exchanging hugs with Xi Jinping, president of China, ever more dangerous to the United States and the world, and someone who might back him up and sell him weaponry, for starters. These two together are an awful threat. President Richard Nixon broke up such an alliance in the 1970s through a trade deal with China, but the good does not always hang in there. (COMMENT, BELOW) Jay Ambrose, formerly Washington director of editorial policy for Scripps Howard newspapers and the editor of dailies in El Paso, Texas, and Denver, is a columnist living in Colorado. include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> Westminster Hall displayed Queen Elizabeth's casket as hundreds of thousands of mourners came through to pay their respects for over four days. I was unable to fly to London and join the ten-mile-long line of sad and miserable people, so I did the next best thing. I joined the checkout line at WalMart. Westminster Abbey hosted Queen Elizabeth's funeral Monday attended by world leaders and royal relatives. Naturally some cable pundits couldn't resist exploiting a solemn state funeral to whip up racial animosity. CNN wanted to know why Queen Elizabeth is getting more funerals than George Floyd. Queen Elizabeth was buried in the Royal Vault in St. George's Chapel in Windsor Monday, sealing the end of her era. One thing will never end. As the casket was secured into the vault, the Queen was advised to get an autumn booster shot, as scientists expressed fears that her death could get much worse. GET ARGUS' DAILY SMILES to your inbox. Sign up for the JWR update. It's free. Just click here. President Biden spoke at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus gala in Washington saluting Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Thursday. These dinners are fun. The banquet featured repeated toasts in broken English, but it's always tough to get Joe Biden away from the microphone once he gets started. Martha's Vineyard residents were able to dispatch the planeload of arriving illegal migrants to a Massachusetts army base Friday. The residents pointed out that the Vineyard indeed has one homeless shelter. It's where CEOs sleep after their wives kick them out of their house for sleeping with the nanny. The White House notes the arrival of Venezuelans is legal since we admit escapees from political persecution. The arrivals declined Governor Newsom's offer of asylum in California. They just came from a collapsing communist hellhole with no electricity, California will just give them nasty flashbacks. Disney cast black actress Haile Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid in a feature movie based on the animated film in which Ariel was depicted as white. This won't last long. Once somebody points out that historically a mermaid is a sailor's symbol for a prostitute, they'll give the role to a congressman. (COMMENT, BELOW) include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> For more than a week, many of us have been reflecting on an event even more dramatic than the demise of a beloved British monarch: the deadliest terror attack in history on Sept. 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 and injured more than 6,000 innocent victims in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Notably, 21 years ago, our British allies were first to endorse invoking Article 5 of the NATO Charter, "... an attack on one is an attack on all ..." We must now focus on how we will respond if, God forbid, an adversary is planning another devastating attack on our homeland. Is our government doing everything necessary to protect our country and citizens? We don't think so. Twenty-one years ago, our military responded quickly and effectively to the 9/11 terror attack. Within hours, U.S. and allied intelligence agencies knew it was planned and perpetrated by al Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, and protected by Afghanistan's vicious Taliban regime. Within days, several thousand U.S. Special Operations troops and CIA Special Activities Division personnel were in the region, linked up with indigenous allies. include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/templates/double_ads.asp"; ?> On Oct. 7, we launched an aggressive air-ground operation to drive Taliban troops and al Qaeda terrorists out of Kabul. On Nov. 25, the 15th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed southwest of Kandahar the first American combined-arms combat force to arrive in Afghanistan. By Christmas 2011, the Taliban and al Qaeda were driven from power and into caves along the Pakistani border. Osama bin Laden, the architect of the 9/11 terror attacks was found and killed on May 2, 2011, during a raid by U.S. Navy Seals. The story should have ended then. But it didn't. For nearly two decades after the 2001 victory against al Qaeda and the Taliban, the U.S and our 22 allies in the International Security Force coalition attempted to build a "pro-western, anti-Islamic-terror government" in Afghanistan. It cost nearly 2,500 U.S. military personnel killed, over 22,700 wounded and more than 3,700 American civilian contractors killed. Thanks to the Biden administration, these lives were squandered. No one in their right mind argues that honorably ending the war in Afghanistan was the wrong thing to do. The Trump administration's plan for a "conditions based" withdrawal was the correct approach. But doing the "right thing" the wrong way is always potentially disastrous. The Biden "National Security Team" has done everything wrong. Their decision in July 2021 to abandon the vital, multi-runway, secure base at Bagram, less than 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of Kabul, guaranteed calamity. The president's subsequent promises to "... get all American citizens and Afghan allies out by Aug. 31" were phony and cemented catastrophe. More than a thousand Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan contractors became hostages to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Leaving billions of dollars' worth of advanced military equipment at Bagram will result in these weapons and materiel being used against us and our allies by innumerable terrorist organizations. Worse yet, our open southern border offers terrorists of all stripes an open door to commit atrocities against American citizens. Our credibility as a reliable partner in a confrontation with Communist China, Iran, North Korea or Vladimir Putin's Russia has been irreparably damaged. Crucial allies like Israel now have doubts about U.S. trustworthiness. The Biden administration furthers our decline by turning the world's finest military force into WOKE social justice warriors. Very few of those we need in our all-volunteer military want to serve in a WOKE socio-cultural laboratory. While our enemies prepare terrorist attacks against us, our "leaders" are forcing our troops to avoid gender-based pronouns and hate one another. God help us. (COMMENT, BELOW) Would you pay $100 for a bottle of North Carolina wine? The owners of Dynamis Estate Wines think so. They are banking that customers will be able to taste the difference given to the wines by the soil and geography of their Brushy Mountains property and the extra care they take in the vineyard and the winery. Dynamis opened its tasting room on the winerys sprawling, 1500-acre estate in June. Its just 45 minutes from Winston-Salem, off Business 21 and less than a minute from the I-77 exit. But once you enter the property, you wind up and up a driveway for about 2 miles until you reach the heart of the vineyard and tasting room. The tasting room is at the easternmost ridgeline of the Brushy Mountains, said Jennie Hess, Dynamis director of estate hospitality. The elevation here is 1,640 feet. The property was once primarily an orchard and still has a few acres of apple and peach trees. Grapes were planted there in 2015 and Dynamis was established in 2019, the year of its first vintage. Everything is grown, produced and bottled on the estate, Hess said. Property owner Harry Crosby previously sold grapes to other wineries. But now he has formed a partnership to make Dynamis wines with winemakers Katy Kidd and Matheson Worrell and vineyard manager Joseph Geller. The property has 30 acres of grape vines. Our main grapes are French vinifera, Worrell said. They are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot. Pinot gris and traminette also are planted on the estate but are sold to other wineries and not used in Dynamis wines. Dynamis currently makes five wines for sale: a sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon and two red blends. A rose made with malbec is set for release early next year. Worrell and Kidd also plan to make a sparkling wine from chardonnay in the next few years. The 2020 sauvignon blanc ($35) is made in a French style with malolactic fermentation and aging in concrete which allows for some oxidation without imparting any oak flavors associated with barrel aging. The result is a clean wine without the zesty quality of a New World or New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The 2019 merlot ($50) received stainless-steel fermentation and aging in a variety of containers, including new French oak. It has plum and herbal notes and only light tannins, bolstered by good acidity. The 2019 cabernet sauvignon ($100) was harvested late and fermented in oak vats. Its also 100% free run which essentially means the grapes were not pressed as with most wines. Free-run wines typically yield less, but produce softer wines that avoid the sometimes unwanted phenolic compounds that come from pressing grapes. Dynamis, thus, was able to produce a softer, more elegant cab with medium body, black fruit and cedar and, like the merlot, good acidity. The cab and merlot are made in a more French style. But the two red blends are more powerful wines, similar to what comes out of California. The 2019 Alpha ($95) is a blend of cabernet, merlot and petit verdot. Unlike the cab and merlot varietals, this is more heavily extracted with deeper color, flavor and tannins. The grapes were fermented and aged in different ways to add complexity. The result is a wine with good concentration but medium tannins and moderate alcohol. The other red blend is Dynamis most concentrated, most extracted and most like a wine from the Napa Valley. The Alpha is more elegant, but the Mountain is more about power, Worrell said. The Mountain ($125) is a cab and petit verdot blend that has a bit more cab but is almost 50-50. It is riper, more full-bodied, with slightly more alcohol at 14%. Worrell confessed that they were realistically aiming this wine at fans of such powerful and highly regarded California red wines as those from Caymus Vineyards and Opus One. Still, the Mountain probably isnt quite the fruit bomb people often encounter in California wines. Were shooting for balance in our wines across the board, Kidd said, adding that they were all food friendly and generally moderate in alcohol. As to how Dynamis justifies its high prices nearby Raffaldini charges $65 for its top wines after being in business 20 years Worrell, Kidd and Geller said that it starts with the vineyard. Our cool thing is the geology of the mountain, and the rocky soil, Geller said. Whereas so many N.C. vineyards have to deal with clay soil, which is not conducive to growing grapes, Dynamis property has more rocky soil that allows good drainage and deep root development desirable traits in any vineyard. The higher elevation and mountain breezes help promote gradual ripening and tone down the humidity that can lead to diseases in grapes. As a result, they can pick the cabernet well into October at fairly high ripeness say, 25 to 26 brix which gives them a jump start on producing a quality wine. The vines are happy up here, Geller said. We just see a big difference in the quality of the fruit here compared to fruit from lower elevations, Worrell said. The sloped property also gives the vines some protection from frost. Were sorting the grapes in small, 40-pound lots, instead of half-ton bins, Worrell said. Were looking at precision and quality over quantity. If its not in perfect condition, were just not going to make it. Worrell and Kidd also said that they use a lot of technology and advanced equipment in the winery to make the best wine they can. A large vertical press gives the winemakers more control over the extraction of juice from the grapes. An oscillating destemmer also helps them sort ripe from unripe fruit. They use barrels of varying size to control oak flavors and tannins. They also have temperature-controlled, concrete egg-shaped containers for fermentation and aging and oak vats for fermenting. We like to have as many options as we can for adding complexity, Kidd said. Dynamis made about 2,500 cases last year and may go up to 4,000 this year, but it plans to stay small. Visits to the winery for tastings are by reservation only, Wednesdays through Saturdays. Tastings are $45 for a self-guiding tasting or $55 for a guided tasting. Prepared snacks from Barking Coyote Kitchen in Elkin are available for an extra fee. Though some people may roll their eyes at paying $100 a bottle for a North Carolina or any wine, Worrell said that customers are paying. And Dynamis wine club which starts at more than $500 a year is already up to 75 members. Worrell said that Dynamis wines have done well in side-by-side tastings with coveted California wines, and Dynamis wants to show that North Carolina can be taken seriously in the wine world. He said he and Kidd looked at RDV Vineyards in Virginia as an example of a premium winery on the East Coast. We looked at the quality of these wines and said we can make wines as good, Worrell said. We buy the best equipment. We sort the best grapes. We take losses on our end. This is a high-tech winery, and we give a lot of attention to detail. "We think North Carolina needs to take itself a little more seriously. Q: I tried to find an answer in the Winston-Salem ordinances and didnt see any information. If I want to put a flagpole in my yard, what are the city guidelines or regulations as far as size and placement of flagpole and what type of flag I can fly? For instance, can I fly a big collegiate flag? S.B. Answer: Chris Murphy, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County planning and development services director, gave us this information on flags: There are no regulations. A flag is considered a sign that does not need a zoning permit in any district. There are no size limitations on local, state and national flags. Flags with a corporate logo or a flag for an organization can be flown with an American flag. A corporate flag or a flag for an organization cannot be larger than an American flag with which its flying. Q: Slappys Chicken has been closed for remodeling for 19-20 months now. Is it really planning to reopen and, if so, when? M.D. Answer: Slappys posted on the Facebook page July 4 that the restaurant had gotten the green light and was working on the remodeling but didnt have an answer as to when the restaurant will reopen. We will definitely let you know when were finally ready, the Facebook post said. Q: There are times when my neighbors dog barking wakes us up. What is the ordinance on dogs barking? A.N. Answer: A barking dog is classified as a noise ordinance violation, and you should call your local law enforcement agency, according to the Forsyth County Animal Services Division, which is part of the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office. To report excessive barking in Winston-Salem, call the police nonemergency line at 336-773-7700. In Kernersville, call 336-996-3177. In other parts of Forsyth County, call the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office at 336-727-2112. If the noise continues after law enforcement has spoken to the neighbor, the person disturbed by barking can take out a criminal summons at the magistrates office at the county jail. The neighbor would be charged with violating the ordinance. For the owners of dogs that like to bark, here are some tips from the Humane Society that may help: Dont yell at your dog to be quiet. It just sounds like youre barking along with him. Be consistent. If youre training a dog not to bark, everyone in your family must apply the training methods every time your dog barks inappropriately. You cant let your dog get away with inappropriate barking some times and not others. Remove the motivation. If your dog barks at people or animals passing by the living room window, for instance, close the curtains or put the dog in another room. If a dog barks at passersby when in the yard, take the dog in the house. Dont leave your dog outside unsupervised for long periods if they are prone to barking. Teach dogs that they will not get attention when they bark. Your attention only rewards them for being noisy. Samaritan Ministries hosts fundraiser Samaritan Ministries will hold its annual SAM & Eggs fundraising breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 28 at Truist Stadium, 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem. The breakfast is intended to increase awareness and support for the ministrys mission of helping the hungry and homeless in the community. Reservations are required and can be made at SamaritanForsyth.org/sam-and-eggs The deadline is Friday. Former Winston-Salem marketing and communications director Ed McNeal has been appointed as the new communications director for Forsyth County government. County officials said McNeal emerged as the top candidate after a nationwide search. McNeal, who began his new job last week, has more than 25 years of experience in communication, most recently serving as Winston-Salems top communicator. McNeal will be making $105,476.80, county officials said. County Manager Dudley Watts said he was excited to work with McNeal to improve county communications across all departments. During this years annual budgeting process, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners created a new centralized communications and public information department, in an effort to improve communications with the community. In a resident survey on county services conducted in 2020, respondents identified communication as an area theyd like to see enhancements in. Ed brings experience with organizational leadership and knowledge of the complex media outlets that will greatly enhance our efforts to serve this community, Watts said. McNeal is a graduate of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga., with a bachelors degree in radio and television broadcasting. He worked as a reporter at TV stations in Valdosta, Panama City, Fla., and in Winston-Salem. In 2001, he joined the city as a marketing coordinator for recreation and parks. In 2005, he became the marketing and communications director for the city, a position he held until May 2022. McNeals annual salary as the citys marketing and communications director was $116,000, city officials said. Since leaving the city job, McNeal has been working with local governments through his own company, McNeal Communications LLC. McNeal said hes especially fortunate to have the opportunity to apply my experience to the services provided by Forsyth County. Ive worked closely with different departments over the years and am eager to get started, he said. Government communications is all Ive wanted to do since leaving broadcast journalism 21 years ago, and to be a part of creating a team approach in Forsyth County government is a high calling. While conceding that incidents involving ammonium nitrate may be among the most severe and highest-profile accidental releases both in the United States and around the world, the Environmental Protection Agency proposes leaving the highly explosive chemical unregulated as it updates rules covering the storage of hazardous substances. In a report to be released Tuesday, a pair of national environmental organizations points to the Jan. 31 Winston Weaver Co. fire as clear evidence that the EPAs approach puts lives and communities at grave risk. Companies should be required to disclose the presence of ammonium nitrate at their facilities and have approved risk management plans in place to protect workers and surrounding communities, Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform note in their 19-page report. If the more than 1 million pounds of ammonium nitrate stored on site at Weaver or even a significant portion of it had exploded, the damage would have been catastrophic, the organizations note. The fire, which took days to extinguish, destroyed the facility that had operated for more than 80 years at 4440 N. Cherry St. and was exempt from many local safety measures because it was not within the Winston-Salem city limits when it opened. In August, EPA Administrator Michael Regan former secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Policy proposed changes to the agencys Risk Management Program, which requires facilities that use extremely hazardous materials to develop detailed plans for how they would prevent incidents such as fires and leaks, and how to respond to those emergencies if they do occur. The revised RMP would further protect vulnerable communities from chemical accidents, especially those living near facilities with high accident rates, the EPA said in its announcement of the recommendation. When finalized, the rule is expected to make communities safer by reducing the frequency of chemical releases and their adverse effects. But ammonium nitrate, a common ingredient in fertilizer that also is used in explosives, is not one of those chemicals whose presence would mandate a risk management plan. Because ammonium nitrate is not on the EPAs RMP list, Winston-Weaver was not required to disclose the chemicals presence under federal guidelines, a reality that angered neighbors and some local officials who had no idea that a potential explosive was stored in high quantities in a facility surrounded by more than 6,000 residents and dozens of businesses in a one-mile radius affected by a voluntary evacuation. EPA must expand the RMP program to cover ammonium nitrate production and storage facilities, as well as other highly hazardous chemicals, Tuesdays report insists. Systemic set of risks The Winston Weaver incident was one of three major chemical fires in a two-week period highlighted in the report. In mid-January, 200 firefighters in Passaic, New Jersey, battled a blaze at a furniture warehouse for three days. The fire, in a densely populated area, threatened to ignite 3 million pounds of chemicals, including chlorine pellets. Twelve days later, six workers were injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in Westlake, Louisiana. Officials said the facility had the potential to release 660,000 pounds of highly toxic gas across a 25-mile radius. Chronicling multiple events that threatened communities within a brief period of time is an effective way to make the case for more oversite of chemicals, said Stan Meiburg, former deputy administrator at the EPA who now directs Wake Forest Universitys graduate program in sustainability. Its useful to see incidents such as the Weaver fire as not just a series of one-offs, but as an example of a more systemic set of risks from industrial operations close to where people live and work, he explained. Even if it is true that accidents will happen, thats no reason not to take steps to minimize their occurrence and their consequences. To illustrate the potentially volatility of the Winston Weaver fire, the newly released report highlights another incident: a 2013 ammonium nitrate explosion in the town of West, Texas, that killed 15 (including a dozen first responders), injured 250, leveled an entire block, and damaged or destroyed more than 150 buildings, including two schools and a nursing home. The 30 tons of ammonium nitrate that ignited and caused $150 million in damage in the Texas explosion represented jut 5 percent of what was stored at the Winston Weaver plant at the time of the fire. In August of 2020, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate more than four times what was stored at the Weaver plant ignited in a Beirut, Lebanon, warehouse, triggering an explosion that caused 220 deaths and 7,000 injuries, left 300,000 homeless and caused $15 billion in property damage. In August of 2020, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited in a Beirut, Lebanon, warehouse, triggering an explosion that caused 220 deaths and 7,000 injuries, left 300,000 homeless and caused $15 billion in property damage. In 1995, 2.5 tons of ammonium nitrate, detonated in a rental truck in an act of domestic terror, destroyed much of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring 850. Timothy McVeigh was convicted and executed by lethal injection in 2001. Similar to West, Texas In addition to ammonium nitrate, more than two-dozen other chemicals totaling 2,000 tons also were stored at the Weaver site. Had the fire reached other chemical storage locations, it could have caused a chemical fire, explosion, or release with a much larger radius and several immediate health hazards, the report notes. Following the Texas explosion, the Chemical Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates chemical accidents, recommended that ammonium nitrate be added to the list of substances regulated by the EPAs Risk Management Program. That didnt and still hasnt happened. The conditions found at the West, Texas, facility by the (Chemical Safety Board) are extremely similar to those present at the Winston Weaver facility almost a decade later, but have yet to be addressed in the EPAs chemical disaster prevention rule, the organizations conclude in their report. If the draft rule is not strengthened, facility workers and neighbors across the country will continue to bear the human, environmental, and financial costs of more preventable disasters. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico state district court judge on Tuesday disqualified county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin from holding public office for engaging in insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The judgment from state District Court Judge Francis Mathew permanently bars Griffin from federal and local public office. It arrived amid a spate of lawsuits aimed at sidelining political candidates and elected officials linked to the Capitol riots. Griffin was previously convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, without going inside the building. He was sentenced to 14 days and given credit for time served. The new ruling immediately removes Griffin from his position as a commissioner in Otero County in southern New Mexico. He also is barred from serving as a presidential elector. Mr. Griffin aided the insurrection even though he did not personally engage in violence," Mathew wrote. "By joining the mob and trespassing on restricted Capitol grounds, Mr. Griffin contributed to delaying Congresss election-certification proceedings. Griffin said he was notified of his removal from office by Otero County staff, who prevented him from accessing his work computer and office space at a county building in Alamogordo. Griffin, who served as his own legal counsel at a two-day bench trial in August, called the ruling a total disgrace that disenfranchises his constituents in Otero County. The actions that are being taken are, I believe, perfect evidence of the tyranny that we're right now living under, Griffin said. The left continues to speak about democracy being under attack, but is this democracy? Whenever you're removed from office by the civil courts by the opinion of a liberal judge. A flurry of similar lawsuits around the country are seeking to punish politicians who took part in Jan. 6 under provisions of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which holds that anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution can be barred from office for engaging in insurrection or rebellion. The provisions were put in place shortly after the Civil War. It was written to deal with former Confederates ... and it's basically been dormant ever since with one or two odd exceptions, said Gerard Magliocca, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. There was nothing else that could be described as an insurrection against the Constitution until Jan. 6. At trial, Griffin invoked free speech guarantees in his defense and argued that removing him from office would cut against the will of the people and set a dangerous precedent. Elected in 2018, Griffin withstood a recall vote last year but isnt running for reelection or other office in November. Mathew wrote that Griffin's arguments disregard that the Constitution itself reflects the will of the people. Griffin overlooks that his own insurrectionary conduct on January 6 sought to subvert the results of a free and fair election, which would have disenfranchised millions of voters. The lawsuit against Griffin was brought by three plaintiffs in New Mexico with assistance from the Washington-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Supportive briefs were filed by the NAACP and progressive watchdog group Common Cause. A federal court declined a recent request to take up the case. Tuesday's judgment is a historic win for accountability for the January 6th insurrection and the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in the United States," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics President Noah Bookbinder said in a statement. Griffin, a Republican, forged a group of rodeo acquaintances in 2019 into the promotional group called Cowboys for Trump that staged horseback parades to spread President Donald Trumps conservative message about gun rights, immigration controls and abortion restrictions. This year, Griffin voted twice as a county commissioner against certifying New Mexicos June 7 primary election, in a standoff over election integrity fueled by conspiracy theories about the security of voting equipment in the Republican-dominated county. Two other commissioners eventually agreed to certify, but Griffin cast the lone dissenting vote while acknowledging that he had no specific basis for questioning the results of the election attributing his decision to my gut feeling and my own intuition. Griffin is among a dozen people charged in the Jan. 6 riot that had either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the two and a half years before the attack. Of those, seven have been convicted of crimes for their participation. Unlike Griffin, the members of Congress targeted for disqualification were neither charged nor convicted of crimes associated with the Capitol riot. In Georgia, a federal judge allowed a 14th Amendment challenge against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green to advance, but a state administrative law judge found there wasnt sufficient evidence to back voters claims that she had engaged in insurrection, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Greene was qualified to run. Greene won her primary, and the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the decision last week to leave her on the ballot. The federal appeal is pending. In North Carolina, a federal judge blocked the state elections board from formally examining whether U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who spoke at the rally that preceded the riot, should remain on the state's May 17 primary ballot. Cawthorn narrowly lost that election, and later in May a federal appeals court reversed the lower court decision. The panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the trial judge got it wrong when he ruled that an 1872 law that removed office-holding disqualifications from most ex-Confederates also exempted current members of Congress like Cawthorn. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed as moot because Cawthorn isnt on the November ballot. Arizona state courts have kept U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs and a state legislator on the ballot amid efforts to disqualify them. A judge agreed in April with the lawmakers that Congress created no enforcement mechanism for the 14th Amendment, barring a criminal conviction. Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Mark Sherman in Washington, and Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to show that Mathew is a New Mexico state district judge, not a U.S. federal judge. WINDSOR, England Queen Elizabeth IIs coffin has been lowered into the royal vault at St. Georges Chapel, in Windsor Castle, at the conclusion of her committal service. The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the British royal household, broke a rod known as the wand of office as the royal family and hundreds of mourners bid a final farewell to the late monarch. Andrew Parker, who is the former head of Britains domestic secret service MI5, broke the white rod and placed it on the queens coffin. The ritual symbolizes the end of his service to the monarch. Earlier David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, paid tribute to the queen, telling 800 mourners gathered at the chapel about the queen as someone whose uncomplicated yet profound Christian faith bore so much fruit. He said: In the midst of our rapidly changing and frequently troubled world, her calm and dignified presence has given us confidence to face the future, as she did, with courage and with hope. With the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors beginning later this week, were glad that while visitors to Winston-Salem will doubtlessly enjoy our many attractions and amenities, we wont have to explain to them why a modern, business-friendly city like ours still has a Confederate monument standing downtown. It was removed in March 2019 after being declared a public nuisance and we feel its safe to say that its generally not been missed. For that matter, were glad it wasnt there to mar our highly valued National Black Theatre Festival in August. It would have been a thumb in the eye of the cultured celebration. Similar decisions, here and elsewhere, have led to similar removals of dishonorable monuments. Virginia removed or renamed 71 Confederate monuments or symbols in 2020; North Carolina did so with 24. And rightly so. Its undeniable that such monuments honor people who fought or were led to fight on behalf of the cruel practice of slavery and the belief in white supremacy and against the United States. But these facts have not diminished the desire of the statues sponsor, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), to seek redress from the courts. After failing to make any headway in the Forsyth County Superior Court or the state Court of Appeals, the organization took its case to the N.C. Supreme Court in August, where its now being deliberated. The statue was first erected in 1905 and there it stood for more than a hundred years, much longer than the Confederacy itself existed. But following the dramatic and violent Unite the Right rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville in 2017, many communities began to reexamine their Confederate monuments and what they might be supporting. Winston-Salems statue was dismantled and put in storage in 2019. The N.C. legislature has regularly passed laws to protect Confederate monuments and prevent local communities from removing them, most recently in 2015. Winston-Salem and Forsyth County were able to bypass that block because the property on which the statue stood had been sold to a private company, which agreed that it should be removed. But the UDC claims that the ownership of the statue isnt clear and should be established by the court. If it can claim ownership, that opens the possibility of reinstalling the statue. So its fighting, at great expense, to restore a symbol of hatred and division. Winston-Salem is not the only community still struggling with what should be a settled issue. In Alamance County, where protests have erupted over a Confederate statue in Graham, a Superior Court judge last week dismissed a case for removal brought by the local NAACP branch. Similar cases are pending in Gaston and Iredell counties. The UDC has options Winston-Salem has said it would hand the statue over if it could be placed on private property, so that it can be enjoyed by other individuals who enjoy seeing such monuments, as City Attorney Angela Carmon put it. But thats not good enough for the UDC. It must put its thumb in the communitys eye. Human beings are complicated and multi-faceted. Were sure there are individuals in the UDC and elsewhere who somehow sincerely see past the evil enacted by the Confederacy, to their own family history or some sense of heritage. But the day has long passed for memorializing people who went to war to maintain the right to own human beings as property. The UDC seems to have little regard for how its monument affects the African-Americans whose ancestors were once the victims of this evil practice or those who would prefer we emphasize our equality and shared humanity. If its members can retain some sense of regard for their ancestors, they should also have some regard for their ancestors victims. And if they cant, they should work to find that private property where they can express their fealty in private. This isnt the most pressing issue of the day and thats the point. We have more important matters to deal with than an unworthy cause that survived for fewer than four years yet cost the South so much. The UDC should withdraw its case and move on. By Trend As many as 22 people were arrested during protests in Rasht city of Irans Gilan Province (northern Iran), last night, Deputy Chief of the Law Enforcement Command of Iran's Gilan Province Colonel Hossein Hasanpour told reporters, Trend reports citing ISNA. The deputy chief noted that among the protesters, the rioters seriously damaged the property of the state and citizens under the pretext of Mahsa Amin's death. Hassanpour added that despite the police warning, the rioters called on the citizens to disrupt the order and create provocations. On September 19, protests were held in several cities of Iran. The protests were prompted by the murder of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini by Tehran's morality police. As previously reported, the girl was beaten while in custody for allegedly violating strict hijab rules. Hijab was made mandatory for women in Iran shortly after the countrys 1979 revolution. Women who break the strict dress code risk being arrested by Irans morality police. Based on the dress code, women are required to fully cover their hair in public and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. Both Lincoln entries in the "Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska" contest have advanced to the next round. New York City Transit Authority R211 Rail Car, built at Kawasaki's rail car plant in Lincoln, and the MIRA surgical robot from Lincoln-based Virtual Incision both won their head-to-head contests with other Nebraska products and are now in the final eight of the first-ever bracket-style tournament that pits Nebraska-made products against each other. Kawasaki's rail car will now compete against the EagleSpan from Behlen Building Systems of Columbus, while the MIRA robot will go up against the Road Zipper made by Lindsay Corp. of Omaha. The NE Chamber, which is sponsoring the contest, said in a news release that more than 4,600 people voted in the first round. Voting for the next round started Tuesday and runs through Sunday. Cast your vote at nemanufacturingalliance.com/coolest-thing-made-in-ne.html. The Nebraska Public Service Commission has scheduled a public hearing next month to address complaints about service quality from three of the state's largest landline phone providers. PSC spokeswoman Deb Collins said the commission has received about 200 complaints in the past two years concerning what are called Price Cap Carriers, which are large, multi-state carriers that receive money from the Nebraska Universal Service Fund. The largest of those carriers, CenturyLink, Windstream and Frontier, have been the subject of the vast majority of those complaints and will be the subject of the hearing that's scheduled for Oct. 26 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the South Campus of Metropolitan Community College, 2909 Edward Babe Gomez Ave., in Omaha. Audio of the hearing will be streamed online at psc.nebraska.gov/stream. Telephone service quality issues are something we are always concerned with, PSC Chairman Dan Watermeier said in a news release. The length of time it takes carriers to resolve consumer problems and their reluctance to repair or replace aging infrastructure needs to be addressed. This hearing will allow us to hear from both the telecommunication carriers and the citizens directly affected by these issues. Members of the public who have experienced a telephone service outage from any of the three companies are invited to submit in-person testimony during the hearing. Those unable to attend the hearing may submit written testimony. A testimony form is available on the PSC website. Written testimony must be emailed to psc.telecom@nebraska.gov by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2. We hope to hear from anyone who has recently experienced service quality issues involving these three carriers," Watermeier said. "If you are unable to attend the hearing, we would encourage you to submit written testimony. Windstream, which provides service in Lincoln and dozens of cities and towns in Southeast Nebraska, said in a statement that it "always strive(s) to provide the best possible customer service." "We will monitor the hearing and work to address any issues that may come up," the statement said. Lin Li, Ph.D., from Orebro University in Sweden, and colleagues conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to examine the risk for overall and specific groups of cardiovascular diseases among people with ADHD. A total of 5,389,519 adults born between 1941 and 1983 without preexisting cardiovascular diseases were identified from Swedish registers. Incident cardiovascular disease events were examined during Jan. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2013. The researchers found that 38.05 percent of individuals with ADHD and 23.57 percent of those without ADHD had at least one diagnosis of cardiovascular disease after an average of 11.80 years of follow-up. After adjustment for sex and year of birth, there was a significant association seen for ADHD with an increased risk for any cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio, 2.05). The association was attenuated but remained significant after further adjustment for education level, birth country, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidemia, sleep problems, and heavy smoking (hazard ratio, 1.84); further adjustment for psychiatric comorbidities attenuated the association, but it remained significant (hazard ratio, 1.65). The strongest associations were seen for cardiac arrest, hemorrhagic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease/arteriosclerosis (hazard ratios, 2.28, 2.16, and 2.05, respectively). The number of COVID-19 cases dropped again in Nebraska last week, hitting the lowest level since late May. The state recorded 1,772 new cases last week, down from 2,121 the previous week and 2,936 the week before, according to state data reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nebraskas current case rate is the 15th lowest among the states. In general, cases in both Nebraska and the United States have been falling since mid-July. Case levels in the state also are at half the rate they have averaged for the pandemic and less than 10% of the peak level hit in January. But the unpredictable pandemic has produced such lulls before, only to see cases spike again, particularly in late fall and early winter. Case numbers at this time last year, for instance, were three times higher than they are now. And it's widely acknowledged that current case reports are an undercount. Fewer people are getting tested for COVID, and more are using at-home tests that aren't recorded in official tallies. While President Joe Biden declared the pandemic over in a "60 Minutes" interview Sunday, he noted that COVID is still a problem for the United States. Indeed, despite the fact that cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska and the U.S. are down, the nation last week still recorded a daily average of 392 COVID-related deaths. The toll, while down from past peaks, has averaged more than 400 lives lost a day from June through August. The virus remains among the leading causes of death in the U.S. Health officials continue to urge people to get booster shots when they become eligible. The latest bivalent booster, which is aimed at both original COVID and its omicron offspring, now is available in pharmacies and doctors' offices. The Pfizer booster is recommended for people 12 and older and the Moderna shot is recommended for those 18 and older. It's not yet clear how many people will get the boosters. Health officials caution that the vaccines' protection, as well as protection from prior infections, wanes over time. Nebraskans' uptake of the shots has dwindled with each new dose. More than 1,254,000 people, or 67.7% of all Nebraskans, now are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, meaning they have gotten their initial two-shot series. But only 53.4% of those fully vaccinated have gotten a first booster and only 35.9% of those 50 and older with a first booster had gotten their second booster. An average of 171 Nebraskans were hospitalized with the virus last week, down 1.9% from the week before. The state added two new COVID deaths last week, bringing the total number of confirmed or probable deaths to 4,490. The state has recorded 535,000 confirmed cases of COVID. The search of Lincoln's landfill for evidence in the apparent homicide of a 49-year-old man came to a close last week after authorities from three law enforcement agencies spent 60 hours sifting through 1.9 million pounds of trash, according to police. "We believe that we have located all evidence that we reasonably feel will be located," Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said Tuesday, reading from a news release that did not describe what, if any, evidence law enforcement found in its "tedious" search of the landfill that lasted seven days. Search crews from the Lincoln Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol began sifting through the city dump Sept. 6, seeking evidence in the death of Ronnie Patz, whose remains were discovered outside the Motel 6 near Northwest 12th and West Bond streets Sept. 1. "It's specific items that we're looking for at the landfill, a specific bag that we're looking for at the landfill," Assistant Police Chief Jason Stille said at a Sept. 7 news conference, where the department announced the search but declined to say what kind of evidence it was looking for. It's unclear if police found the specific bag Stille mentioned. Vollmer said he did not have further information Tuesday morning. The search of the city dump, which Vollmer said ended Sept. 14, marked the latest public development in an investigation that began at about 2 a.m. Aug. 31, when police, responding to a report of an unresponsive man, found 61-year-old Ronald George dead of stab wounds to his neck near Third and P streets. Police have publicly linked the deaths of George and Patz to 55-year-old William T. Wright, who has been charged with the second-degree murder of George near the People's City Mission, where all three men were known guests. Prosecutors have not charged Wright with any crimes relating to Patz's death, but Stille described him as the "only person of interest" in the ongoing investigation. Wright and Patz checked into the Motel 6 together sometime Aug. 29, and by 8:30 p.m. that evening, Patz had been killed, according to police. Investigators didn't uncover his remains for another 50 hours, after Wright had been arrested for George's killing. Stille said video surveillance from the motel showed Wright discarding items in the motel's dumpster at 5 p.m. Aug. 30. Before police knew about Patz's death, a garbage company took the dumpster's contents to the landfill at about 4 a.m. Aug. 31, prompting the weeklong search of the dump. In the news release, the department thanked partnering agencies and the equipment operators at the landfill, without whom the "search would not have been possible." A former Lincoln priest is facing sexual assault charges in Canada, while another former and defrocked Lincoln priest was killed earlier this month by a hit-and-run driver. Jean-Pierre Pilon, 50, is facing two counts of sexual assault, according to Canadian news reports. Ontario Provincial Police investigators spoke to a victim in March, who told them the assaults occurred between 2015 and 2020 at Pilons church in Campbellford, about 110 miles northeast of Toronto. He was charged with the assaults in late July. But more than a year before that, Pilon who had served the area since 2010 had been stripped of his priestly duties after his host diocese fielded complaints of sexual and professional misconduct. The allegations do not involve children, the Diocese of Peterboroughs bishop said in a statement. Pilon was never officially part of the Lincoln Diocese he served the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, throughout his career though he was ordained by Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz in 2002 after seminary. He stayed in Lincoln for two years, helping at Sacred Heart and Cathedral of the Risen Christ, said Dennis Kellogg, a spokesman for the Lincoln Diocese. The diocese has no record of complaints against Pilon during his time here, Kellogg said. And Pilon was not among the 14 former Lincoln priests identified as predators in the Nebraska attorney generals report last year on clergy sex abuse of children. Paul Margand was. The 60-year-old was ordained in 1985 and served Holy Spirit in Plattsmouth and St. Teresa and Pius X High School in Lincoln. But not for long. In 1987, he was charged with first-degree sexual assault and served three years in prison. The attorney generals report listed Margands whereabouts as unknown. But hed ended up just south of Philadelphia, in Deptford, New Jersey. At about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 1, he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while walking, and died later at a hospital from his injuries, according to Deptford Police. Glantz took control of a bank account that belonged to the Alvo Fire Department in April 2018. He was a member of the Alvo Board of Trustees and was the village water operator and fire chief when the investigation was conducted. Investigators found numerous instances of misuse of funds. A transaction of more than $3,800 was made to a financial company in October 2018 for past-due payments on a home mortgage. OMAHA The controversial RV park that was proposed along the Platte River near Valley has been dropped. Brad Brown, who builds high-end homes in the Omaha area, had proposed developing what he described as Nebraska's "premier RV park." The plan would have put about 250 RVs on land that abuts about three-quarters of a mile of riverfront immediately downstream of the Sokol Camp residential area. The land is being sold to someone else instead, the Omaha World-Herald has learned. Valley Mayor Cindy Grove said Brown's attorney informed the city that "the property was no longer a strategic fit (for Brown) and he is pursuing other opportunities." Brown did not respond to a request for comment. The proposal had sparked a backlash by neighbors who said the development would bring noise, congestion and increased flood risks. The development would have been on the river side of the levee. Mary Kroupa, a member of the Sokol Camp board, said the board has been informed that the land has been sold and will not be developed into an RV park. "We are elated," said Kroupa, who is the treasurer for the board and who was the lead resident in the legal fight against the RV park. Sokol Camp residents took the city of Valley to court earlier this month over the city's approval of a conditional-use permit for the RV park. The council had approved the conditional-use permit after the city's planning commission had rejected it. Valley attorney Jeff Farnham said the council had planned to go into executive session at Tuesday evening's budget hearing to discuss the suit. That no longer will be necessary, he said. Rich Tesar, who lives in Sokol Camp and serves on the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District board, echoed Kroupa's elation. The NRD had advised the city that the development could increase the potential for damage from flooding. This will put to rest a real struggle for those of us living in the Sokol Camp subdivision," he said. The Saudi British Bank (SABB) has joined Buna, the Arab payment system operated by Arab Regional Payments Clearing and Settlement Organization (ARPCSO), a subsidiary of the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), as part of its commitment to provide the best innovative solutions to improve the customers experience. This will enable them to send and receive cross-border multicurrency payments in a safe, cost-effective, risk-controlled and transparent manner. Buna is the first regional system specialised in providing clearing and settlement services for payments in multiple currencies across the Arab region, which provides modern payment solutions that comply with international standards, principles and compliance requirements. The system aims to increase opportunities for economic and financial integration in the region, in addition to strengthening investment relations with trading partners. Yasser Al-Barrak, Chief Executive Officer of Corporate and Institutional Banking at SABB, commented: "We are proud to have joined "Buna" platform, as this partnership aligns with the bank's plans for digital transformation, providing the latest banking payment solutions that comply with international standards and principles, and achieving excellence in payment operations in the region by leveraging the latest and most secure technologies. "SABB's commitment to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 is reinforced through encouraging such projects, which play an important role in stimulating economic and financial growth in the Kingdom and the region as a whole." he added. Mehdi Manaa, Chief Executive Officer of Buna, said: We are pleased to welcome Saudi British Bank as participant in Buna. We will be happy to continue collaborating with SABB on enhancing cross border payments in compliance with global standards and international best practices. With more banks joining Buna from different countries, we are enriching our network and realizing our vision to empower economies and strengthen integration within the Arab world. At this occasion, I would also like to thank the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) for its continuous support to Buna. TradeArabia News Service BURLINGTON Voters will have four opportunities to learn more about the Echo Lake issue before heading to the polls Nov. 8 for a nonbinding citywide referendum. The city has scheduled four public meetings to discuss the issue and answer questions about the future of the troubled manmade lake. The meetings are scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Burlington Public Library, 166 E. Jefferson St.; 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at Veterans Terrace, 589 Milwaukee Ave.; 1:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the library; and 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at Veterans Terrace. City officials will be available to answer questions about Echo Lake and the issue being presented in an advisory referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. Advisory means that Burlingtons elected leaders are not required to follow the wishes of the voters. The city must decide soon whether to remove the dam at Echo Lake and allow the impoundment to drain permanently into the White River, or whether to invest in rebuilding the dam and dredging the lake. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has determined that the city-owned dam no longer meets state safety standards, and must be either improved or dismantled. If the dam is removed and the lake is drained, a restored White River would resume flowing naturally through the 70-acre area now occupied by the impoundment. The dam was built on the White River in the 1800s as a source of power for local industry. Supporters of removing the manmade lake say that doing so would be better for the environment and more natural, while those advocating to save the lake say it is a treasured community asset worth salvaging. .Borrowing $1.5 million to remove the lake would cost the average Burlington homeowner $20 a year, or a total of $409 over 20 years. Borrowing $5 million to save the lake would increase property taxes by $68 a year, or a total of $1,368. The state has approved a $1 million grant regardless of which project the city chooses. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to consider offering additional funding if the city chooses to remove the dam and drain Echo Lake. For the referendum, city officials have included millions of dollars in optional amenities that could be added to the project, such as bridges across the river or a decorative fountain on the lake. With those additional expenses, the referendum will ask voters to choose between hypothetical options of removing the lake at a cost of $7.7 million and rebuilding the lake at a cost of $8.1 million. Burlington aldermen elected not to hold a referendum strictly on the question of whether to keep the lake. The referendum will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot alongside statewide elections for U.S. senator and governor. City officials plan to send informational mailings to all residents within the next week or so. State law requires municipalities to provide objective information without advocating a preference in local referendums and elections. 1. Yes. All council members should get a good idea of whats at stake for Fort Hoods future. 2. Yes. Sending a large delegation shows the citys commitment to the Army post. 3. No. Its a waste of taxpayer money. Sending a smaller group would be more efficient. 4. No. Harker Heights and Copperas Cove arent sending anyone. The trip is unnecessary. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the value is, before knowing how the conference turns out. Vote View Results A new equilibrium has yet to emerge for global office real estate given the adoption of hybrid work model. Landlords are contending with higher vacancy rates, lower rent, and lower values over the next few years. Growing recession risk adds to the downside risk, according to S&P Global Ratings. Overall, office space usage could settle at 15 to 20% below pre-pandemic levels over the longer term, it stated. S&P Global Ratings expects negative rating bias to increase for rated office REITs, and the credit implications to unfold over next two years given the long-term nature of leases and the diversity of tenants and assets. While delinquencies of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) backed by office loans remain low, we believe the class B subsector will face ongoing challenges in the hybrid work environment and we will be examining the potential rating impact on conduit and single borrower CMBS deals, stated the global ratings agency in its review. US banking sector exposure to loans, collateralized by nonresidential commercial properties, including offices, seems more manageable for larger banks. However for regional and community banks, it might be less manageable, it added. S&P Global Ratings warned that local governments' revenue bases are at risk through lower property-related taxes and fees, particularly if assessed values for office assets go down. According to CBRE, office vacancy in the US reached 16.9% as of June 30, 2022, the highest it has been since the Great Financial Crisis and one of the highest globally. (For comparison, office vacancy in Tokyo deteriorated to about 6% compared to about 2% pre-pandemic.) A resurgence of Covid cases, along with commuting and safety concerns, have delayed the return to office, and employees are settling into rituals of remote work. Despite increased vaccination rates and a lower death rate from Covid, office utilization remains low globally; it has been somewhat stronger in Tokyo, where office utilization is about 60% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to the US, where office utilization was only about 44% for a 10-city average as of July 2022, according to Kastle systems, which tracks keycard access to buildings, stated the report. While S&P Global Ratings expects an uptick in office utilization after Labor Day in the US, overall office occupancy levels will likely remain well below pre-pandemic levels for the next few years, particularly given secular headwinds and slowing economic growth. "We expect office landlords to face several years of slow growth, with weaker prospects for leasing and fewer new development projects. While the operating performance for office REITs has been relatively resilient due to the long-term nature of their leases and a stable tenant base, pressure will mount as leases expire," said the ratings agency in its review. Tenants are reconfiguring the workspace to adapt to the hybrid work model, leading to an overall reduction in footprint in many cases. As a result, landlords will likely need to keep rent concessions high to attract tenants, pressuring profit margins and cash flow. "While leasing activity has recovered materially from 2020 levels, leasing volume remains 15%-20% below pre-pandemic levels in the US, and we expect a portion of the upcoming lease maturities to be at risk as tenant demand remains soft" it stated. "Still, we think the impact of remote working will be gradual given the prohibitive costs to end a lease prematurely. Rather, we would expect tenants to negotiate with landlords or consider moving to higher quality properties with better amenities," it added.-TradeArabia News Service DEAR READERS: Anyone using social media likely gets friend requests all the time some that they accept, others they decline, still others they just ignore. But what if that request comes from their boss? How should they respond if they really don't want their supervisor to see things they post? It's a tough dilemma, says Nancy Rothbard, the David Pottruck professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the chair of the management department. "In our research, we found people are less comfortable connecting with a boss on social media where they disclose personal information like Facebook and Instagram. If you use an open online social media strategy where you share a lot of personal information this can backfire." Bonnie Whitfield, the HR director for Family Destinations Guide, says it is important to remember there is no rule that says you have to accept a request from or follow everyone who asks. "You have every right to decide who sees what you post, especially when it comes to your supervisor," stresses Whitfield, who says she would advise anyone in that situation to take a pass. "I would advise that employees do not accept the friend request or follow the supervisor back on social media. This is because it could lead to some awkward situations down the road. If the supervisor does not know how to act, they might feel like they have to reciprocate in some way. This can make for a very uncomfortable working environment if both parties are not on the same page about their expectations and boundaries." However, there are options beyond ignoring or declining requests, according to Rothbard and Whitfield. "There are two strategies that can work well. First is the 'content' strategy in which you are more curated about what content you share. The second is the 'custom' strategy in which you customize who can see different types of content using lists and other customization tools," Rothbard says. "The 'content' strategy is easier to implement, but it might feel constraining. The 'custom' strategy takes more effort to implement, in terms of time and skill, but allows you to self-express in appropriate ways to different audiences." Whitfield suggests setting up two accounts, "one for work, where they post things about their daily tasks, accomplishments and thoughts on how they are doing, and one for personal use, where they post things about their personal lives outside of work," she says. "This way, there is no confusion or misunderstanding between employees or supervisors when it comes time for evaluations or promotions because everything is clear." _______ Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com. The government of Ukraine recently appointed a top diplomat whose primary goal is to counter Russian disinformation about the war reaching audiences in Latin America, Ambassador Ruslan Spirin told The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald in an exclusive interview. Spirin, who was appointed special envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean in August, urged the regions governments and citizens to seek alternative information to contrast the content published by Russian outlets RT and Sputnik, whose Spanish language platforms have millions of viewers in Latin America and have been the source of political concerns in the U.S. They are distributing disinformation and propaganda. They are experts, they know how to manipulate their people and they are releasing that same information in six languages, spending millions of dollars to transmit an image that is not right, said the special envoy in a video call from Kyiv. Conducting the interview in Spanish, he also thanked Latin American countries that voted in the United Nations to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine and have contributed financial support to the more than 8 million Ukrainian refugees. But he also called on countries to cut trading with Russia and withdraw their money from Russian banks so they dont end up financing the war. While many Latin American countries have voted to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations, they have stopped short of imposing sanctions on Russia or canceling trading agreements. Spirin, a seasoned diplomat who has held high-ranking positions in government and was ambassador to Mexico until 2020, was also careful not to criticize countries like Cuba, whose state media have peddled Russian disinformation. He said he believes that is a result of Russia President Vladimir Putins pressure on the islands government, which has a standing debt with Russia. Regarding the Cuban government, of course, we would like it to support us in international organizations, in the U.N., Spirin said. Cuba declined to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscows invasion of Ukraine in March and later voted against expelling Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council. We understand that Russia has a lot of influence there (in Cuba) because of the debt, but the countries of the world are supporting peace instead of the occupying aggressors, he said. And Im sure the people of Cuba are supporting the same thing. He called on Cuban authorities to seek more information about what is happening on the ground. We are telling the truth, and for that, we dont need to expend millions, he said. For Spirin, the truth his government wants audiences to know is that of a country fighting to the death to expel barbaric invaders and whose army is turning around the conflict despite early expectations of its defeat by a much more formidable Russian force. What Russia tried to conquer for four months, the Ukrainian army has recovered in four days, he said, speaking of the latest Ukrainian counteroffensive that allowed its forces to take back from Russia hundreds of miles of territory and about 300 towns and cities in the Kharkiv region. More crucially, he says, it is not only Ukraines independence that is at stake. We are defending our families and our land, and we are also defending the territories of Europe because some Russian deputies are saying that they are determined to conquer other countries, and that is a global threat, Spirin said. We are defending the entire international security system here in Ukraine; we are defending the whole world against global evil. It is a war between civilization and barbarism, a police state dictatorship and Ukraines democracy, the ambassador added before recounting some of the horrors committed by Russian troops during the war in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns, in many cases confirmed by foreign media and human rights organizations. The Ukrainian diplomat also denounced Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, including maternity hospitals, schools, churches and shopping malls. The air alarm sounds several times a day, and we must go down to the basements to hide in safe places because a bomb or missile can fall on our heads, he said. But we are no longer afraid; we are tired of being afraid. Were still working, and were still living our lives. Editors note: Third of a series. Parts 1 and 2 appeared Saturday and Monday. KEARNEY Talking about suicide and depression should be as easy as talking about a broken arm or a head cold. If it were, many lives would be saved. So says Dr. Zachary Keller, a psychiatrist at the Richard Young Behavioral Health Center. He hopes that calling 988, the new national suicide and mental health crisis hotline, will soon be as routine as calling 911 for fires, accidents and health emergencies. Technology and the isolation of COVID has perpetuated a distrust of the health care system. People are not seeking services even though most suicides, like any other ailment, are very preventable, he said. Everyone knows someone who has attempted suicide or has had family members who have had mental health issues, he said. One in four Americans fit into that category, he added. Yet the topic of suicide remains hush-hush. Young people are especially reluctant to share their feelings of depression and hopelessness with their parents. They dont want to burden their parents. They think they are the only ones having these feelings, but not until they come in here do they realize they are just like everyone else, he said. School boards, everyone needs to be more proactive in order to help students. They dont have the tools to deal with this, he added. Lacey Witt, R.N., the director of behavioral health at Richard Young, believes 988 will save lives, too. Richard Youngs emergency number is 800-930-0031, but when people are in a mental health crisis, the last thing they can do is remember a lengthy 800 number, she said. The need is critical. At the Light Up the Night 5K run on Sept. 9, held by CHI Health and Richard Young to raise money and awareness for mental health issues, Witt offered some sobering statistics. For ages 10-34, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the country. Theres one suicide death every 11 minutes, and 46,000 Americans died from suicide last year, she told the crowd. Nationwide, suicides are rising. She believes social isolation during COVID-19 contributed, but our world was already being shaken by division before the pandemic. Domestic abuse cases have risen, and suicides have climbed. There is rising substance abuse and overdoses, too. Keller echoed that. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, deaths from overdoses soared by 30% between 2019-20 and another 15% between 2020-21, but he suspects that many drug overdose deaths may have been suicides. In this current climate, everyone is trying to crawl out of the COVID hole, but with the lack of resources, it becomes a problem, he said. CHI Health Richard Youngs staff of 53 includes two psychiatrists, six nurse practitioners and multiple psychiatric nurses, therapists and techs. Several new techs and nurses have recently been added. But Keller, a 2005 graduate of Kearney High School, believes that still may not be enough to meet the demand. As of late August, Kellers appointment calendar was filled until mid-November. The shortage of mental health practitioners and nurses stretches far beyond Buffalo County. Keller said the states six or seven psychiatric hospitals are all operating at capacity, and far western Nebraska lacks such facilities. None exist between Ogallala and Denver, 200 miles west. He said waiting for the state legislature to provide more funding is never going to be enough. We have a big beautiful building, but we dont have any funding to expand services. Good Samaritan has partnered with Richard H. Young Hospital since Richard Young opened in 1986. A few years later, it became solely owned by Good Samaritan Hospital as an extension of the hospitals other units, such as cardiac, orthopedic and maternity services. It has not been used solely for inpatient psychiatric care since the early 2000s, when mental health across the nation shifted from less inpatient care to more outpatient care. Some Richard Young space is now being used by Buffalo County Community Partners, which advocates for mental health and more in this region. Witt, who has been the director at Richard Young for three years, is working hard to serve the public in these stressful times. We see more people reaching out, and we need to put the resources in front of them, she said. She said people who walk into Richard Young seeking help can get immediate assistance and arrange for further assistance. That does not necessarily mean hospital admission. Nor does in-patient treatment fix a persons mental health needs, she said. Instead, it stabilizes an acute need and provides a solid plan to follow after discharge, she said. Good mental health requires community effort, she said. Beyond the hospital walls, We need to make sure schools ask the right questions. We need to define populations who are at high risk for suicide, such as middle-age rural farmers. We need to educate people on the signs of depression, social isolation and changes in behavior. These could indicate someone in trouble, she said. We need to try to de-stigmatize mental health problems. Its OK to say, Im not doing well. Students should know the warning signs and be able to say to mom or dad or a teacher, Hey Im not doing well, she said. She compared mental health care to patients who go to the ER with a fracture. Theyre in pain, they get an X-ray, and when they leave, theyre told to follow up with an orthopedist, she said. Its the same with us. We stabilize you, and when you leave, you need to stay on your medication, follow up with a doctor and get set up with a therapist. We try to utilize that just like another illness or injury. Witt said there is now better trauma care, and better medications, many of which can be injected once a month instead of swallowed as a daily pill. Long-acting injectables have helped keep people with severe mental illness out of the hospital, she said. Treatment has improved for people with bipolar disorders and schizophrenia, too. Witt said Richard Young is part of a larger system that works with schools and hospitals to keep people safe. Mental health is just as important as cardiac care or diabetes. People are more apt to say something about mental health problems if they know theyre not alone, she said. KEARNEY Evan Boyd grew up in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota population 2,000. He knows a thing or two about rural Midwest communities, but he also got a taste of big-city life while working in Columbus, Ohio, Chicago and Philadelphia. When he applied for the library dean position at the University of Nebraska at Kearney earlier this year, Boyd wasnt sure what to expect. Honestly, I was very on the fence about Kearney, he said. Im from a small town, but I had not lived in one in a decade. It didnt take long for the 39-year-old to recognize what he was missing. When I got here and I met the people on campus and the people in the community, thats when I realized this would be a great opportunity and this is a community that I wanted to be a part of, said Boyd, who interviewed in late March and was hired in May. He started at UNK on Aug. 1, replacing longtime Dean of the Library Janet Wilke, who retired June 30 after 15 years in that position and 34 years total at Calvin T. Ryan Library. Boyd previously served as an assistant professor and director of library services at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and director of the Lapp Learning Commons at Chicago Theological Seminary. Most recently, he was the library director and archivist for United Lutheran Seminary, where he managed libraries at the institutions campuses in Philadelphia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The move to Nebraska brings Boyd closer to family and allows him to join a university thats committed to serving students. The student population here is very diverse, and the institution is doing a lot of work to make sure its practices are equitable and inclusive of the whole student population and the faculty and staff populations. Those are big things for me, said Boyd, whose academic interests include religion, sexuality and gender studies. He holds a bachelors degree in youth and family ministry and masters degrees in religion and library and information science. Boyd already sees several strengths to build upon, starting with the library staff and faculty. We have an amazing group of faculty librarians and staff who are focused on the student and faculty experiences and supporting their work, he said. The Calvin T. Ryan collection is another strength, according to Boyd, who highlighted a partnership between libraries across the University of Nebraska System that provides expanded access to online resources for UNK students and faculty. The kind of resources that partnership brings us is rarely seen in an institution of our size, he said. One of Boyds first big projects is completing a strategic plan to ensure the library is meeting the needs of patrons across campus and the community while properly supporting its own employees. He also plans to ramp up promotion of the resources and services available there, including the Learning Commons, Writing Center, Peer Tutoring, digital repository and university archives and special collections. I want the library to be seen within the campus community and the broader regional community as a strong resource for assistance for whatever kind of research youre doing, Boyd said. The second major project on the horizon is a $25 million renovation that will modernize the 59-year-old campus library. Scheduled to begin in late 2022 or early 2023, this project includes a number of changes that will enhance the layout and look of the nearly 100,000-square-foot building, creating an inviting and engaging environment for students, staff, faculty and other visitors. The benefit of the remodel period is that its going to allow the librarians and the staff in the library to rethink how we function and how we interact with the student and faculty populations, Boyd said. At the end of the day, were going to have better space for students and better space for the staff and faculty who work in this building. The most significant changes will occur on the main floor, with redesigned entrances that make the building more accessible and visually appealing, improved access to services and resources, more space for student lounges and individual and group study areas and new work stations that are better suited for a modern library. On the second floor, improvements will be made to the archives and special collections area, making it easier for people to work with these materials. Calvin T. Ryan Library is also in need of cosmetic and mechanical upgrades. The renovation will update the lighting, flooring, ceilings, paint, furniture, restrooms, IT infrastructure and HVAC systems, extending the buildings useful life and increasing energy efficiency. There will be no more orange carpet in the building when we are done, Boyd said with a smile. The renovation is planned as a multiphase project, allowing library operations to continue during the work. Its expected to be completed in summer 2024. The project is funded by bonds issued through LB384, a legislative bill that extended a state-university partnership addressing deferred maintenance needs across the NU System. Without a strong library, an institution of higher education would not be able to provide a quality education, Boyd said. The library is part of the supporting structure that allows students and faculty to produce quality work, think deeply and learn new things. LEXINGTON The Nebraska Fire Marshal is investigating a fire in a room at a former Lexington motel. At 10:43 a.m., the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the LR Ranch Motel at 605 East Pacific St., which was once a motel, for a fire in an apartment room. Lexington Police Department officers Luke Pinkelman and Kareem McDougall were the first on scene and kicked in the doors to apartments adjoining Room 30 to check for occupants, but they found the apartments empty. Firefighters responded to the scene with two engines, their air trailer and an ambulance. As firefighters started extinguishing the blaze, they began moving into Room 30 and the adjoining apartments to knock down the fire. No one was inside Room 30 at the time of the fire, said Dahlas Holbein, assistant fire chief. Firefighters began leaving the scene at 11:43 a.m. In addition to LPD, firefighters were assisted at the scene by the Dawson County Sheriffs Office. OMAHA An Omaha attorney will spend 100 days in jail, maybe more, after a period of madness that included three DUIs, a handful of domestic disputes and several violations of a protection order his former mistress took out against him. Douglas County Judge Daryl Lowe sentenced Ben Maxell last week to the jail term and extended a probation term to November 2023. Maxell, 46, still faces sentencing for a third DUI, which took place near Red Oak, Iowa, and which could add to his time behind bars. Lowe allowed Maxell to stay out of jail while he gets his affairs in order. He is to report by Sept. 26. Judges typically dont allow defendants that much time. I threw the book at you, Lowe said. But it wasnt a big book. Maxell could have faced more than a year in jail had the judge run the sentences one after the other. Lowes official sentence was 180 days. Because sentences are reduced for good behavior, Maxell will serve about 100 days at the Douglas County Jail. Maxell told the judge that his life began to unravel with the death of his grandfather, essentially his surrogate father. Every three months, he said, something else would happen and he would sabotage himself and jeopardize his career. Maxells law license was suspended in June 2021. A referee with the Nebraska Supreme Court will hear ethics charges against Maxell and recommend anything from reprimand to suspension to disbarment. The high court will then decide. In addition to citing the misdemeanor convictions against Maxell, Kent Frobish, assistant counsel for discipline with the Nebraska Supreme Court, has filed ethics violation charges over allegations that Maxell collected $9,000 of client fees in three different civil cases and did little to no work for the clients. Maxell, an attorney since 2003 who not long ago had his name on the marquee of an Omaha law firm, told the judge that he has lost a lot. He had an affair with a neighbor, ending his marriage. The girlfriend then accused Maxell of drunkenly assaulting her, pouring beer on her, spitting on her and urinating on her and a pile of her clothes. Its just been a nightmare, Maxell said. I should have known better. I was just so lonely and lost. ... I lost tens of thousands of dollars. I have lost, most importantly, my friends. Maxell said a newspaper article on his travails was deeply distressing to some of his relatives. Lowe blanched at that. They suffered because of your actions, the judge said, not because the news media reported his actions. Further, Lowe said, I gave you chances. You didnt take advantage of them. Maxells actions, and second chances, were extensive. According to court records and police reports: At least five times between August 2020 and July 2021, Omaha police and Douglas County sheriffs deputies were called to incidents involving Maxell and the woman with whom he had an affair, a neighbor when Maxell was married. On Aug. 27, 2020, Maxell entered the womans house while she was getting ready for work, threw her on the floor and sat on top of her. A sheriffs deputy wrote that the woman said Maxell put his knees on both of her arms to ensure she couldnt leave and spat on (her) while she was pinned. According to the woman, he then said: It sure would be a shame if there was an accident and you fell down the stairs. On Sept. 25, 2020, Maxell forced open the womans front door, breaking the door frame. The woman said he began physically striking her, pinned her down on the floor and pressed his thumb in the center of her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe, a deputy wrote. On Nov. 27, 2020, the woman told Maxell that she was leaving his hotel room. He grabbed her to pull her back into the room and, as they struggled, Maxell struck the woman in the lip and the eye, possibly with his elbow, the woman said. Omaha police wrote that the woman had a bruise on her lip and her left eye was swollen. In April 2021, the womans 19-year-old son called 911 and reported that Maxell almost killed his mom. The woman later wrote that Maxell waved a screwdriver in her face, stating, I should just kill you! The woman wrote in a sworn affidavit that he took nude photos of her, urinated on my washed hair and spit on me. In addition to those incidents, Maxell was cited for drunken driving three times, twice in Douglas County, and several times for driving while his license was suspended. His blood-alcohol content in one Douglas County case was 0.21%, more than 2 times the legal limit of 0.08%. For the Douglas County driving infractions, John Ashford, an assistant city prosecutor, told the judge: These arent mistakes; these are decisions Mr. Maxell made. This is a jail case. Period. Douglas County prosecutors said they reduced several misdemeanor domestic assault cases against Maxell because of the victims reluctance to testify. Lowe originally gave Maxell probation after he pleaded to a couple of disturbing the peace misdemeanors. Thursday, he pleaded to several probation and protection order violations. Maxell violated the protection order by texting the woman numerous times and begging her back. Prosecutor Rachael Henderson asked Lowe to extend Maxells probation to November 2023 so that he will continue to be under the supervision of the court. At her request, Lowe also required Maxell to participate in a batterers intervention program. Henderson took issue with Maxells attorney, Peder Bartling, telling the court that Maxell was not an accomplished drinker. While on probation, prosecutors say, tests showed Maxell had both alcohol and amphetamines in his system. I would argue that hes accomplished quite a bit while drinking, Henderson said. However, Bartling and Maxell said, the drinking stopped six or seven months ago. Bartling noted that Maxell hasnt failed a urine test during that time span. He has sought therapy for chemical dependency and other issues. The woman who was the subject of Maxells obsession has moved to Texas; the two havent had contact in months, Bartling said. Mr. Maxell has spent a lifetime adhering to the law with the exception of this period of madness, Bartling said. It was an aberration. It was atypical. It was out of character. Simply put, this is not who Mr. Maxell is. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnsons office wont say whether he would support a bipartisan measure aimed at clarifying how electoral votes are tallied to prevent future attempts to overturn a presidential election. The newly released proposal seeks to clear up vague wording in the Electoral Count Act, a law former President Donald Trump sought to exploit to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Asked whether the Oshkosh Republican planned to support the proposed bill, Johnson spokesperson Alexa Henning said only, The senator has previously expressed openness to looking at proposals for reform of the (Electoral Count Act), and he will do so. The legislation would clarify that a vice president has no authority to reject a states electoral results, something Trump unsuccessfully tried to get then-Vice President Mike Pence to do on Jan. 6, 2021. The measure would also increase the minimum number of members of Congress needed to lodge a formal objection to certifying a states electors. That threshold would go from one member from both the House and the Senate to one-third of members from each chamber. In the run-up to certifying the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnson indicated he would object to the certification of electors in key swing states won by President Joe Biden. But he changed course after the assault on the Capitol and voted to certify them. The legislators proposing the measure Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. are members of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. The proposal is intended to preserve the rule of law for all future presidential elections by ensuring that self-interested politicians cannot steal from the people the guarantee that our government derives its power from the consent of the governed, Cheney and Lofgren wrote in a Wall Street Journal column Sunday. Wisconsin Reps. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, and Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, plan to support the bill, their spokespeople said Tuesday. Spokespeople for U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, and Reps. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville; Ron Kind, D-La Crosse; Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau; Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah; Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay; and Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, did not immediately say whether the lawmakers will support the measure. Tiffany and Fitzgerald objected to certifying Bidens wins in Arizona and Pennsylvania. State electors The bill would also clarify that theres only one legal slate of electors from each state. That provision comes after Trump officials sought to send competing slates of electors to Congress from several states including Wisconsin in an effort to delay or prevent the certification of Bidens win. The Jan. 6 committee revealed text messages showing an aide to Johnson tried to hand a member of Pences staff official-looking documents falsely affirming Trump won Wisconsin and Michigan as Pence prepared to affirm Bidens electoral victory on Jan. 6, 2021. That text conversation came just after a lawyer representing Trump asked the Oshkosh Republican to deliver the fake slate of electors to Pence, according to text messages released by the conservative outlet Just the News. Johnson later called that lawyer, former Dane County Circuit Court Judge James Troupis, a victim of the radical left. Wisconsins fake electors, Troupis and another attorney are defendants in an ongoing lawsuit alleging they broke several criminal and civil laws in their effort to subvert the election. This bill will clarify that you cant have fake electors, Pocan said in a statement. Senator Ron Johnsons attempt to provide fake electors after the 2020 election would now be even more illegal. The House could vote on the legislation as soon as this week. Its unlikely that the Senate will vote on the measure this month. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes' campaign is blaming a "clerical error" for listing a La Crosse County Sheriff's Department captain as one of nine endorsements from law enforcement officers when the officer did not, in fact, back Barnes. Barnes' campaign on Thursday released the list of nine endorsements from current and former law enforcement officers. One of them was John Siegel, who was listed as a police captain for the city of La Crosse. On Monday, the conservative website Wisconsin Right Now reported an interview with Seigel in which he said he never endorsed Barnes. Barnes spokesperson Maddy McDaniel told Wisconsin Public Radio on Monday that it was a mistake "due to a clerical error," which was corrected on the campaign website Saturday. Barnes is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in a contest that polls show is about even. Johnson campaign spokesman Alec Zimmerman accused Barnes of "lying about who supports him." Siegel is a patrol captain with the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department and running as a Democrat to replace outgoing Sheriff Jeff Wolf. He told WISC-TV he had a brief conversation with a member of the Barnes campaign but said, "I didn't ever agree to put my name on anything or be added to a list." Enoc Group has reiterated its commitment to support Emiratisation during Careers UAE 2022 by offering more than 80 job opportunities across downstream and corporate divisions within the group. In 2022, the group achieved 50% Emiratisation. The various energy career opportunities were revealed during Enocs participation at the 21st edition of Careers UAE, which is being held from September 20 to 22 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Candidates will be able to apply for jobs directly through Enocs careers page, either from the stand located at Sheikh Saeed Hall 1, or remotely. Young talents Enoc is recruiting young talented Emirati nationals in the energy sector in specialisations including chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering, sales, marketing, business development and the legal field, to support the groups growth strategy, IT & Cyber Security. Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, Enoc, said: Aligned with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support the growth of the nation to become a hub for world-class talent, we are invested in local talent and fostering an environment where they can use their knowledge and capabilities to contribute to the development of the UAE. In support of Emirati talent, we continually offer opportunities for talent to be part of a company that is shaping the future of the energy sector. Over the years, Enoc Group launched various initiatives to support the growth and development of Emirati talent, including the first-of-its-kind comprehensive Graduate Development Programme (GDP) in 2016. The programme focuses on developing the functional, behavioural, professional, managerial, and leadership skills of UAE nationals. SAP's solutions Enoc Group also partnered with global technology company SAP on its Young Professional Programme. The SAP Training and Development Institutes Young Professional Programme is a 3-month-long programme, through which 18 unemployed or underemployed university graduates gain digital and soft skills and become certified SAP Associate Consultants on SAPs latest solutions. Enoc Group has hired 13 of the programme graduates. The group has already achieved 100% Emiratisation at executive management, 77% Emiratisation at senior management. Enoc has a robust on-the-job-training culture that provides job shadowing, cross-functional projects, and temporary assignments. As part of skill enhancement, Enoc provides training opportunities for the young UAE National students from various local colleges/institutions. The group also offers an Internship Work Placement for students in their final two years of university studies and a summer training programme for the high school graduates and students in first two years of university studies.-- TradeArabia News Service FAIRPLAY, Colo. "Forty years of wondering" are finally over for the family of Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer. The man who murdered Oberholtzer is going to prison. Probably for the rest of his life. A jury on Thursday found Alan Lee Phillips, now 71, guilty for murdering two women in 1982, 21-year-old Annettee Schnee and Oberholtzer, who was a 29-year-old mother of one when she was shot twice in the back as she was apparently escaping after being kidnapped while hitchhiking near her home in Alma, Colorado. Oberholtzer was born in Racine and graduated from Park High School in 1971 before she relocated to a community near the mountain town of Breckenridge, Colorado. Its been a long 40 years of wondering. I felt so happy for all the officials and sheriffs and detectives and everybody in Colorado who could put this to a close," Oberholtzer's sister, Laurie Merlo, of Sturtevant, said in a phone call Monday afternoon. I feel cheated that I had to live most of my adult life without my sister. Her daughter feels the same way, cheated. Law enforcement are describing the late Oberholtzer as a hero. Had Oberholtzer not been brave enough to fight back against her kidnapper like she did, prosecutors said, the case would likely have remained cold permanently. Bobbi Jo was a fighter and is a hero, Linda Stanley, district attorney for the 11th Judicial District, said in a statement. "She fought back and because of that we were able to get DNA evidence to convict Annette and Bobbi Jos killer after all this time." The jury deliberated for about five hours before finding Phillips guilty on eight counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery. Merlo was unable to travel to Colorado for the trial and it was not broadcast on TV or online. Upon hearing the verdict, Merlo said she her feelings could be described as being "between relief and satisfaction, of finally knowing that he had been convicted on all counts. It was a very emotional thing to hear. Two murders Schnee and Oberholtzer did not know each other, and it does not appear that either knew Phillips. But both women disappeared the same day: Jan. 6, 1982. Phillips had lived free in Colorado for 40 years after the murders without being so much as a suspect. The lack of arrests led to the high-profile killings becoming known as the "Rocky Mountain Cold Case." Phillips faces life in prison when he is sentenced at a hearing set for Nov. 7 in Fairplay, Park County, Colorado. A Denver Police detective in retirement continued independently investigating the case, running into endless dead ends and resigning himself to believe that he would likely die before the murders were solved. The detective, Charlie McCormick, was able to get in touch with United Data Connect, a company that performs forensic genetic genealogy analysis. That company used DNA found at the crime scenes to identify Phillips, who was arrested Feb. 24, 2021. Like Oberholtzer, Schnee was believed to have been hitchhiking when Phillips picked them up, kidnapped them, zip-tied their wrists together, and later shot and killed them. He dumped the bodies in different places. Investigators said Phillips was rescued the night that the women disappeared from the top of nearby Guanella Pass when his truck got stuck during a snowstorm, Denver-based KUSA-TV reported. Friends and family discovered Oberholtzers body day in a snow drift on the summit of 11,542-foot Hoosier Pass, near Breckenridge, one day after she disappeared. Schnees body was discovered six months later by a boy fishing in a creek in rural Park County. "This case being so old, this (verdict) shows theres no case that cant be solved," Deputy District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, who helped prosecute the case, said. After Phillips was arrested, Oberholtzers widower, Jeff Oberholtzer, issued a statement that concluded with the following: I cannot thank enough all who never gave up the search for the truth. They are, without doubt, extremely dedicated and extraordinary individuals. Phillips is finally in the hands of the judicial system. May justice be served. Reporting from the Associated Press is included in this story. Small planes are easier to electrify, but larger ones aren't far behind. Chalabala/istock via Getty Images Electric planes might seem futuristic, but they arent that far off, at least for short hops. Two-seater Velis Electros are already quietly buzzing around Europe, electric sea planes are being tested in British Columbia, and larger planes are coming. Air Canada announced on Sept. 15, 2022, that it would buy 30 electric-hybrid regional aircraft from Swedens Heart Aerospace, which expects to have its 30-seat plane in service by 2028. Analysts at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab note that the first hybrid electric 50- to 70-seat commuter plane could be ready not long after that. In the 2030s, they say, electric aviation could really take off. That matters for managing climate change. About 3% of global emissions come from aviation today, and with more passengers and flights expected as the population expands, aviation could be producing three to five times more carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Aerospace engineer and assistant professor Gokcin Cnar develops sustainable aviation concepts, including hybrid-electric planes and hydrogen fuel alternatives, at the University of Michigan. We asked her about the key ways to cut aviation emissions today and where technologies like electrification and hydrogen are headed. Why is aviation so difficult to electrify? Aircraft are some of the most complex vehicles out there, but the biggest problem for electrifying them is the battery weight. If you tried to fully electrify a 737 with todays batteries, you would have to take out all the passengers and cargo and fill that space with batteries just to fly for under an hour. Jet fuel can hold about 50 times more energy compared to batteries per unit mass. So, you can have 1 pound of jet fuel or 50 pounds of batteries. To close that gap, we need to either make lithium-ion batteries lighter or develop new batteries that hold more energy. New batteries are being developed, but they arent yet ready for aircraft. Air Canada and United Airlines have ordered 30-seat regional hybrid-electric planes from Heart Aerospace that can go about 125 miles (200 km) fully electric and 250 miles (400 km) as hybrids. With a 25-passenger configuration, the company says the hybrid distance doubles. Heart Aerospace An electric alternative is hybrids. Even though we might not be able to fully electrify a 737, we can get some fuel burn benefits from batteries in the larger jets by using hybrid propulsion systems. We are trying to make that happen in the short term, with a 2030-2035 target for smaller regional planes. The less fuel burned during flight, the fewer greenhouse gas emissions. How does hybrid aviation work to cut emissions? Hybrid electric aircraft are similar to hybrid electric cars in that they use a combination of batteries and aviation fuels. The problem is that no other industry has the weight limitations that we do in the aerospace industry. Thats why we have to be very smart about how and how much we are hybridizing the propulsion system. Using batteries as a power assist during takeoff and climb are very promising options. Taxiing to the runway using just electric power could also save a significant amount of fuel and reduce the local emissions at airports. There is a sweet spot between the added weight of the battery and how much electricity you can use to get net fuel benefits. This optimization problem is at the center of my research. Hybrids would still burn fuel during flight, but it could be considerably less than just relying entirely on jet fuel. How hybrid electric aviation could work on large aircraft. I see hybridization as a mid-term option for larger jets, but a near-term solution for regional aircraft. For 2030 to 2035, were focused on hybrid turboprops, typically regional aircraft with 50-80 passengers or used for freight. These hybrids could cut fuel use by about 10%. With electric hybrids, airlines could also make more use of regional airports, reducing congestion and time larger planes spend idling on the runway. What do you expect to see in the near term from sustainable aviation? Shorter term well see more use of sustainable aviation fuels, or SAF. With todays engines, you can dump sustainable aviation fuel into the same fuel tank and burn it. Fuels made from corn, oilseeds, algae and other fats are already being used. Sustainable aviation fuels can reduce an aircrafts net carbon dioxide emissions by around 80%, but supply is limited, and using more biomass for fuel could compete with food production and lead to deforestation. A second option is using synthetic sustainable aviation fuels, which involves capturing carbon from the air or other industrial processes and synthesizing it with hydrogen. But thats a complex and costly process and does not have a high production scale yet. Ampaire reported that its hybrid electric EEL had fuel savings up to 40% compared with a standard version of the similar Cessna Skymaster. Ampaire Airlines can also optimize their operations in the short term, such as route planning to avoid flying nearly empty planes. That can also reduce emissions. Is hydrogen an option for aviation? Hydrogen fuel has been around a very long time, and when its green hydrogen produced with water and electrolysis powered by renewable energy it doesnt produce carbon dioxide. It can also hold more energy per unit of mass than batteries. There are two ways to use hydrogen in an airplane: either in place of regular jet fuel in an engine, or combined with oxygen to power hydrogen fuel cells, which then generate electricity to power the aircraft. The problem is volume hydrogen gas takes up a lot of space. Thats why engineers are looking at methods like keeping it very cool so it can be stored as liquid until its burned as a gas. It still takes up more space than jet fuel, and the storage tanks are heavy, so how to store, handle or distribute it on aircraft is still being worked out. Airbus is doing a lot of research on hydrogen combustion using modified gas turbine engines with an A380 platform, and aiming to have mature technology by 2025. Australias Rex airline expects to start testing a 34-seat, hydrogen-electric airplane for short hops in the next few years. Due to the variety of options, I see hydrogen as one of the key technologies for sustainable aviation. Will these technologies be able to meet the aviation industrys goals for reducing emissions? The problem with aviation emissions isnt their current levels its the fear that their emissions will increase rapidly as demand increases. By 2050, we could see three to five times more carbon dioxide emissions from aviation than before the pandemic. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency, generally defines the industrys goals, looking at whats feasible and how aviation can push the boundaries. Its long-term goal is to cut net carbon dioxide emissions 50% by 2050 compared with 2005 levels. Getting there will require a mix of different technologies and optimization. I dont know if were going to be able to reach it by 2050, but I believe we must do everything we can to make future aviation environmentally sustainable. Gokcin Cnar receives research funding from the government and other entities to work on sustainable aviation technologies. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 How To Deter Russian Nuclear Use in Ukraineand Respond if Deterrence Fails Sept. 19, 2022 (EIRNS)If you are a regular reader of this report, you were probably shocked to learn last Thursday that the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, had co-authored an article published on the Ukrainian news site Ukrinform on Sept. 7 which claimed that there were indications that Russia was preparing a nuclear strike in Ukraine, and that it is therefore extremely necessary ... [that] any Russian attempts at practical steps in the use of tactical nuclear weapons must be preempted by employing the entire arsenal of means at the disposal of world powers. We warned you at the time that such an outrageously dangerous and provocative article could never have been written, let alone published, without the prior approval of the U.S., U.K. and NATO forces running the war. Warning confirmed. Over this past weekend, the Atlantic Councila Washington-based think tank funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, NATO, and the U.S. State Department, and which has played a leading role in openly promoting war against both Russia and Chinapublished a Memo to the President of the United States calling for precisely that policy of preemptive nuclear warfare, under the headline How to Deter Russian Nuclear Use in Ukraineand respond if deterrence fails. The author, Matthew Kroenig, is the acting director of the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, a former CIA and Defense Department analyst, and is a well-known and unfortunately influential promoter of war, under the guise of deterrence theory. In May of 2022 he was appointed as a Commissioner on the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. Kroenigs Memo presents various policy options if the U.S. fails to deter Russias use of a nuclear weapon, including: 1) increased arms shipments to Ukraine; 2) a limited conventional strike on the Russian forces or bases directly involved in the attack; and 3) the United States could use nuclear weapons to respond to and deter further Russian nuclear use in Ukraine. Kroenig writes that he prefers a combination of options #1 and #2, but he leaves open the possibility that full deterrence could require option #3i.e., full-scale thermonuclear war between the United States and Russia. The London Economist magazine, one of the British Empires foremost policy outlets, preferred to call for the U.S. to ship Ukraine longer-range ATACMS munitions for the HIMARS launchers that have proved so effective, which it previously hesitated to supply. The Economist argues, apparently with a straight face, that escalation with Russia can be avoided by not firing those longer-range missiles into Russian territory, and that Ukraine will surely comply. Need we remind the Economists editors of the explicit warning issued by Russias ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, on Sept. 14? See how many swastikas and Nazi symbols are on Ukrainian military equipment... [I]f these warriors have long-range American missiles, they will use them without hesitation in our country. Such a scenario would mean direct involvement of the United States in a military confrontation with Russia. High-level American military officerssuch as Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, who is about to become commander of the U.S. Strategic Commandare already parroting threats like those crafted by the Atlantic Council and the Economist, against both China and Russia. The pro-British war party in the U.S. is even issuing provocations in the form of gaffes by President Biden, who yesterday announced in a CBS TV interview that the U.S. would send American soldiers to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasiona clear violation of decades of American policy towards China. Behind this drive for war, is the financial Establishments drive to impose deadly Schachtian austerity on a subject world as their system plunges into a breakdown collapse. That New Dark Age is already roaring into Europe, where portions of the population in a number of countries have begun to stir in protest. U.S. President Joe Biden says American forces would defend Taiwan if China invaded the island. Biden spoke in answer to a question from a reporter on the American television news program 60 Minutes. The reporter asked if the U.S. would deploy troops to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. Biden answered yes. Bidens position on the issue appears to go beyond long-standing U.S. policy on Taiwan. Tensions between Taiwan and China have been increasing in recent months. China considers Taiwan a rebel territory. Chinese officials have said the government plans to one day reclaim the territory and would use force to do so if necessary. Taiwan rejects Beijings territorial claims. The U.S. has long observed what it calls a one-China policy. Under this policy, the U.S. recognizes the Chinese government in Beijing. But the U.S. keeps informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan. American law states that based on this relationship, the U.S. is required to assist Taiwan in defending itself. However, the U.S. has not been so explicit about how that assistance would or could be provided. Biden is the first to publicly say American troops would defend Taiwan from China. When asked for a reaction to Bidens latest statement, a White House spokesperson said the U.S. policy toward Taiwan had not changed. "The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn't changed. That remains true," the spokesperson said. Chinas government criticized Bidens statement. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing that the comments sent a "seriously wrong signal" to those seeking independence for Taiwan. China was "strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to Biden's statement, Mao said. The spokesperson said Chinas opposition had been officially registered with U.S. officials. She warned that China also has the right to take necessary measures to counter any separatist activities related to Taiwan. American officials have said the U.S. government does not support official independence for Taiwan. Biden repeated this position in Sundays broadcast. Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence, he said. Were not encouraging their being independent. Taiwan's foreign ministry expressed its thanks to Biden for stating the "U.S. government's rock-solid security commitment to Taiwan." The island will continue to strengthen its self-defense abilities and deepen its close security partnership with the U.S., the ministry said in a statement. Tensions increased last month after China launched missiles and flew fighter jets in areas surrounding Taiwan to protest a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other officials. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story explicit adj. clear and exact encourage v. to talk or behave in a way that gives someone confidence to do something commitment n. a promise or strong decision to do something _________________________________________________________________ What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 1. Write your comment in the box. 2. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. 3. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. When it comes to making lunch for their kids, moms and dads have usual favorites. For some parents in the United States, those favorites are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches also known as PB&Js. Fruit like apples and bananas are also popular. But one mother has an unusual go-to ingredient for her childrens lunches. Jenny Mollen uses funny-looking candy eyes. She has learned that her children will eat any healthy food if it has edible eyeballs attached. The eyeballs are really pieces of candy. Her children laugh while they eat healthy foods like bell peppers, kiwis, or dates. The writer and actor says candy eyes make lunch more fun. She wrote about her creative school lunches in a book, Dictator Lunches: Inspired Meals that Will Compel Even the Toughest of Children. Honestly, first of all, just buy yourself some candy googly eyes. They (are) tried-and-true, she said. She admits that you lose something nutritionally by giving children candy. But she thinks that getting children to eat healthy food by putting candy on it is worth it. Mollens lunch tricks bring together food and craft. She uses tricks because her two sons do not like to eat different kinds of foods. So, she decorates their food to look like animals or even their favorite Pokemon characters. She makes edible bugs made from dates, pretzel sticks for the legs, and, of course, candy eyes. She also uses leftover Chinese food to make panda bears from rice and seaweed. Mollen notes that she puts yogurt into fruit like strawberries and raspberries and then tops with some granola, a mixture of oats and nuts. She says her lunch projects are easy to do. And her sons think they have won a big prize at their midday meal. The edible art is not hard to make. To create it, she says you only need a few tools a vegetable peeler, shaped containers and cutters, and some special knives. She says she does not have to buy special ingredients. She uses leftovers from dinner the night before and everyday items from her food storage area. She likes using sunflower seed butter to stick her creations together. This idea of making food fun-looking is not new. Some Japanese parents are known for creating artful lunches, called bento boxes. They often have cute, animal-shaped rice balls and flowers or other shapes made from vegetables. Mollen says making fun-looking, artful lunches for her children helps ease her guilt. She says, I (am) a working mom and not the mom doing pick up and drop off. Im not with them at the park after school every day. I (am) usually working. Her artful lunches are her way of reminding her children that she is thinking of them. Mollen says she also wants to teach them healthy eating habits. She says that by getting kids to eat vegetables at a young age, they will grow up to eat healthy foods later in life. She also says it is a good way to get children to try foods from other cultures. If they need to be tricked sometimes, that is okay. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. Mark Kennedy reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Fun Lunches Help School Kids Eat Healthy Foods Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story go-to adj. something that is trusted to do a good job ingredient n. one of the things used to make a food or product edible adj. able to be eaten tried-and-true adj. known to be good or effective craft n. a skill used to create something decorate v. to make something more appealing by putting designs or similar things on it peeler n. a device used to remove the skin from a fruit or vegetable cute adj. having a pleasing, youthful appearance habit n. a usual behavior or way of behaving Activists are seeking Endangered Species Act protection for an extremely small snail. The tiny, shelled animal is only known to exist in water sources along the Nevada-Oregon border in the western United States. The snail species is called the Kings River pyrg. The Western Watersheds Project sent in the request for protection to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week. The Kings River pyrg is a springsnail found in 13 distant springs around 321 kilometers northeast of Reno, Nevada. There are plans to open a huge mine in the area for processing the metal lithium. The Western Watersheds Project says the biggest threat to the snails survival is changes to groundwater flows caused by the 113-meter open-air mine. The Bureau of Land Management approved the mine plan last year, but it is currently being disputed in U.S. District Court in Reno. Erik Molvar is a wildlife biologist and executive director of the Western Watersheds Project. He said federal officials put the snail at risk of extinction by quickly approving the large lithium mine. Increased U.S. production of lithium is central to President Joe Bidens plan for a more environmentally friendly future. Lithium is an important element in the production of electric vehicles. Worldwide demand for lithium is estimated to increase by six times by the year 2030. Molvar said he agrees the U.S. must make the change to renewable energy -- but not by mining in sensitive environments. The groups request says that groundwater pumping used by the mining project will reduce or stop flows to the springs that support the snails. The legal case against Lithium Americas project was sent in by a Nevada animal farmer on February 11, 2021. It was later joined by area tribes and other groups, including Western Watersheds Project. The case claims the mining would violate federal protections of many kinds of animals. Lithium Americas and the Bureau of Land Management say that none of the springs would suffer effects that would hurt the snails. They add that claims saying otherwise were based on an incorrect use of groundwater models. Those models were sent in after the governments environmental examination was completed. Tim Crowley is a Reno spokesman for the Canada-based Lithium Americas. He said, Lithium Nevada has done extensive work to design a project that avoids impacts to the springs He added that the springs are more than 1.6 kilometers away from the mining location and that the location was chosen after extensive research. Molvar said the snails were at risk even before any new mining was thought about. He said, Were down to a very few, tiny little habitats in only 13 springs, so we cant afford to lose a single population. Im Andrew Smith. Scott Sonner reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story extinction n. the state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely sensitive adj. easily affected by something in a way that is not pleasant or good pump v. to remove water or air from (something) with a pump impact v. to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone) location n. a place or position afford v. to be able to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed _______________________________________________________________________ What do you think of the protection of animals? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Saudi Electronic Info Exchange Company (Tabadul), a leading provider of innovative digital and smart financial services, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fintech Saudi initiative in Riyadh. The MoU will strengthen collaboration between the two parties to launch joint projects to support the fintech industry in line with Saudi Vision 2030, said a statement. The MoU was signed by Feher Alshareif, Tabaduls Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, and Nezar Alhaidar, Fintech Hub Manager at Fintech Saudi. It aims to support fintech startups and scale up their capabilities in the logistics sector and unveil initiatives to scale up the kingdoms fintech industry. Alshareif said: This MoU cements Tabaduls position and contrinutes to increasing the adoption of our fintech solutions for the logistics sector through multiple fintech channels in collaboration with our strategic partners at Fintech Saudi. This also supports our goal of becoming the leading provider of integrated digital logistics solutions in the Kingdom and one of the top digital logistics providers globally. Alhaidar said: At Saudi Fintech, we are creating an ecosystem that brings together creative entrepreneurs and prepares fintech companies to design and deliver innovative solutions that would elevate logistics services in line with the objectives of the Financial Sector Development Program and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. As per the MoU, the two parties will collaborate to build and develop a convenient fintech ecosystem and raise awareness of the industry. The two parties will launch mutual projects and initiatives and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and products. They will also scale up cooperation and exchange expertise to serve their common goals and outline a clear framework for their collaboration, said the statement. TradeArabia News Service Venezuelas government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicolas Maduros wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions. The swap of the Americans, including five oil executives imprisoned for nearly five years, is the largest trade of detained citizens that the Biden administration has ever carried out. It amounts to an unusual gesture of goodwill by Maduro as he looks to rebuild relations with the U.S. after vanquishing most of his opponents and follows months of secretive talks, including repeated visits to Venezuela over the last year by Washingtons top hostage negotiator. LEXINGTON First degree murder charges against Adalberto Saenz-Gonzalez has been dismissed after his co-defendant, Francisco Hernandez-Corona, was acquitted in the drive-by shooting of Marcus Keyser. Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman filed the motion to dismiss the first degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony charges on Monday. District Court Judge James Doyle approved the motion at the states cost on Tuesday and Saenz-Gonzalez was released from the Dawson County Jail, where he had been held since July 26, 2021. Saenz-Gonzalezs co-defendant, Hernandez-Corona, was acquitted of the same charges last week following a five day trial. The jury deliberated for four hours before returning with a verdict. Saenz-Gonzalez was previously scheduled for a jury trial in November for his charges. About 2 a.m. July 6, 2021, Lexington police officers, Dawson County Sheriffs deputies and Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded to an anonymous report of possible gun shots in the 800 block of West Ninth Street in Lexington, but did not find anything at that time, according to the Lexington Police Department. About 3:10 a.m., Medical Rescue was dispatched to 800 W. Ninth St. for an unresponsive male lying on the ground with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Marcus Keyser, 23, was pronounced dead at that time. Officers found several bullet holes at the residence Keyser was found in front of, as well as the neighbors home. Two more bullet holes were found in a vehicle parked along West Ninth, according to court records. No brass ammunition casings were located at the scene. Keysers cellphone had a health application that recorded his steps and distance traveled, as well as a time and date stamp associated with the information. According to that data, after leaving Caseys, Keyser walked 300 meters to West Ninth Street, arriving at 1:44 a.m. After this, there was no health or phone activity. Based on this information and the report of the gunshot at 1:47 a.m., it is believed Keyser was killed around this time. Saenz-Gonzalez and Hernandez-Corona were arrested for minor in possession on W. 9th St. during the early morning of July 6. The case of Keyser's murder remains open. LEXINGTON Lexington Community Foundation (LCF) assumed a partnership role with the Lexington Racquet Complex fundraising committee to raise the necessary capital to complete the project. The LCF Board of Directors approved a $75,000 Project Grant to the Lexington Racquet Complex at the Annual meeting in July. The project is estimated to cost $2.4M. The City of Lexington committed $1.2M to assist in the projects construction. The city was awarded a $600,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development - Civic and Community Center Financing Fund, leaving the fundraising committee $600,000 to raise in public support. The committee has raised $431,000, 72% of the $600,000 goal. After much success, the committee is wrapping up the major gifts portion of the campaign and moving on to a public appeal utilizing Give Big Lexington. The Racquet Complex is a participating organization in Give Big Lexington, and the committee hopes to wrap up the fundraising by the end of the year. Republican governors have been sending more migrants released at the U.S. border with Mexico to Democratic strongholds, raising questions about their legal status, how they are lured on board buses and planes and the cost to taxpayers. Florida's Ron DeSantis flew about 50 Venezuelans last week to the small, upscale island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. During the weekend, Texas' Greg Abbott bused more migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' Washington home. Since April, Texas has bused about 8,000 migrants to Washington, 2,200 to New York and 300 to Chicago. Arizona bused more than 1,800 to Washington since May, while the city of El Paso, Texas, bused more than 1,100 to New York since Aug. 23. Here are some questions and answers: Are migrants legally in the United States? Yes, temporarily. Tens of thousands of migrants who cross the border illegally from Mexico are released in the United States each month with notices to appear in immigration court to pursue asylum or on humanitarian parole with requirements to report regularly to immigration authorities. Migrants may seek asylum if they enter the country illegally under U.S. and international law, and U.S. authorities have broad authority to grant parole based on individual circumstances. Migrants must keep a current address with authorities, who schedule appointments in a city with the nearest court or immigration office. They must apply separately for permission to work. Last year, it took an average of nearly four years for asylum cases to be decided in immigration court, according to the Biden administration, leaving migrants in a legal purgatory that shields them from deportation. The backlog in immigration courts has mushroomed to more than 1.9 million cases, according to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. To avoid massive overcrowding in detention facilities, the administration began releasing many migrants on humanitarian parole. The Border Patrol paroled nearly 250,000 migrants from August through June, including 40,151 in June, the latest figures released. In the previous seven months, it paroled only 11 migrants. Are these migrants kidnapped? Kidnapping is a high legal threshold, but migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard say they were taken there on false pretenses. Migrants sign waivers that the transportation is free and voluntary. DeSantis used a state program in which migrants deemed "unauthorized aliens" can be moved "from Florida," though the governor has acknowledged the flights originated in Texas. They stopped first in Florida, before going to Martha's Vineyard, but DeSantis has not emphasized that. Instead, he maintains that the two flights were a legitimate use of funds because the migrants otherwise would have aimed to go to Florida, though he offered no evidence of that or say how migrants might have been vetted. Migrants who boarded the flights told The Associated Press that a woman who approached them at a San Antonio shelter promised jobs and three months of housing in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and Boston. Doesn't the Biden administration bus and fly migrants around the country? Yes, but under different circumstances. Like earlier administrations, it transports migrants between detention facilities, often on their way to being removed from the country. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had more than 4,800 domestic flights in the last year, including 434 in August, according to Witness at the Border, a group that criticizes U.S. enforcement. The top five destinations from March to August were: Alexandria, Louisiana; Laredo, Texas; Phoenix; and Harlingen and El Paso in Texas. ICE also buses many migrants. The Department of Health and Human Services transports unaccompanied children to "sponsors," who are often family, or child-only detention facilities. Did anyone ask for this? Republican-led states say they are sending migrants to "sanctuary" cities that welcome immigrants. While the definition of a sanctuary city is slippery, a sudden influx of migrants can test attitudes and limits of generosity. Chicago's "Welcoming City Ordinance" prohibits asking people about their immigration status, denying services based on immigration status and disclosing information to federal immigration authorities. New York limits cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities, partly by prohibiting police officers from participating in joint enforcement and or by letting immigration agents work in city jails. In Martha's Vineyard, the six towns that make up the island south of Boston haven't issued any "sanctuary" declarations. The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for restrictions, keeps an extensive list of "sanctuary" jurisdictions, which, by its definition, limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. They include Boston and seven other Massachusetts cities. None of the towns in Martha's Vineyard are on the list. Who's paying and how much? Texas has committed billions of dollars to Abbott's "Operation Lone Star," an unprecedented move into border security that includes the bus trips, prosecuting border crossers for trespassing and a massive presence of state troopers and the National Guard. The Florida Legislature allocated $12 million for its program for the current budget year. The city of El Paso, which last week contracted a private bus company at a cost of up to $2 million, plans to seek reimbursement from the federal government. As Hurricane Fiona continues to thrash the Caribbean with torrential rain slamming the Dominican Republic on Monday before leaving Puerto Rico without power 45 Nebraskans deployed to the U.S. territory for a search and rescue operation that could last as long as three weeks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday night activated Nebraska Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team of Nebraska-based first responders and private citizens that departed the Lincoln Airport for its mission Monday afternoon. The deployment marks the first time the task force has been activated in more than a year, the first time the group will fly to a disaster site since 9/11 and the first time the force will leave the continental United States for a rescue operation. "We always have the opportunity to go serve neighbors, whether it's in the state of Nebraska for floods, whether it's down in Florida or Texas for hurricanes, and now we just have the opportunity to do it at a greater level," said Capt. Dan Ripley, a Lincoln Fire and Rescue operator who will lead the task force during its deployment in Puerto Rico. "We don't really think about the bad things. We're there to do good things. We're there to be aggressive in what we do, to help people get better, out of situations that this hurricane has placed them in." Ripley, who has previously led the task force in its at-home operation responding to Nebraska's 2019 floods, said the exact nature of the group's mission in Puerto Rico remains fluid, but will "be in the purview of search and rescue." The hurricane, which struck the island's southwest coast Sunday and threatened to dump up to 30 inches of rain Sunday and Monday, has brought flooding and mudslides, destroyed swaths of island roads, enveloped an airport runway and temporarily disabled the territory's power grid. The fraught conditions, Ripley said, are nothing new for the task force. "We're prepared for that," he said. "It's gonna be a state of things that some of us have seen before from prior deployments, but also an opportunity for us to go help those in those situations that are pretty rough." Nebraska Task Force 1 most often travels by ground, as it did to Louisiana last August, carrying with it a hefty cache of tools and equipment used in operations. The task force has slimmed its payload to adapt to air travel, Ripley said, and will rely on FEMA resources to help fill in the gaps once on the island. The task force one of 28 FEMA-affiliated teams across the country includes first responders from Lincoln, Omaha, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Grand Island and Papillion. The task force also includes a doctor, a structural engineer and a pair of K9 handlers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Representatives from over 120 countries are in Abu Dhabi this week to discuss how standardisation can be leveraged to lower international trade barriers and support climate action. More than 5,000 delegates are taking part, physically and virtually, in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annual Meeting 2022, which opened on Monday (Sept 19) and is being hosted by the UAEs Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). The event will run till September 23. Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, underlined how backing the global standardization agenda stimulates international trade and supports sustainability. He said: This weeks meeting is vital not just to the global industrial ecosystem, but more broadly to trade, economies, and climate action. Standardization supports the global economy and increases confidence in international trade. But standards also support Sustainable Development Goals and ISO and its members are committed to driving climate action. Together, we aim to push economic and trade relations to new heights, which will position the UAE as an international hub for industry, trade, and business. Ulrika Francke, President of ISO, said: The past year has shown sustainable and green growth at the top of the global agenda. The value and relevance of standards in this regard are increasingly being recognized, but we have further work to do. I have seen first-hand how standards shape our world. It takes collaborative leadership, agreed standards and regulation, established policies, and great initiative to solve global problems. Several agreements will be signed between various global standards bodies with the aim of increasing trade flows and collaboration. The link between trade and climate is a key focus at the event. Delegates will address how countries and standards bodies can build on the London Declaration, which was made in 2021 to support climate action through global standards. Senior officials will also discuss the progress of ISO members so far and explore how they are strengthening their climate change policies. Food security and water scarcity are also key topics being discussed from a standards context, with delegates exploring how standards can support more resilient food systems and create a circular economy for food. One session will explore how innovative water technologies can help address water scarcity, especially in developing countries. TradeArabia News Service TUESDAY, Sept. 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- As opioid overdose deaths continue to soar, a Canadian program points to one way to save lives: providing "safer" opioids to people at high risk of overdose. That's the conclusion of a study evaluating Canada's first formal "safer opioid supply," or SOS, program. Such programs aim to prevent overdoses by giving vulnerable people an alternative to the increasingly dangerous street supply of opioids. In this case, the London, Ontario-based program provided clients with a daily dose of prescription opioid tablets, as well as basic health care, counseling and social services. The result was a rapid drop in emergency department trips and hospitalizations among the 82 clients studied, the researchers found. And over six years, there was not a single overdose death. "I think this is a landmark study," said Thomas Kerr, director of research at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, in Vancouver, Canada. Kerr, who was not involved in the study, acknowledged that SOS programs are controversial and have their critics. Concerns have included the possibility of opioid pills being sold, or people crushing the tablets and injecting them, which carries the risk of overdose or infection. But criticisms of safer supply have been made in the absence of data, Kerr said. "The whole conversation has been clouded by misinformation," he said. "When we're talking about matters of life and death, we can't rely on people's opinions." Kerr said he hoped the new findings "will mute some of the misinformation." The study was published Sept. 19 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). It comes amid an ever-worsening opioid epidemic. In the United States, opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise for years, and the situation worsened after the pandemic hit. In 2020, nearly 92,000 Americans died of a drug overdose largely involving opioids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The crisis has mainly been driven by illegally made versions of the painkiller fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin, health officials say. Illicit fentanyl is sold in various forms, including pills made to look like other prescription opioids. It's also commonly mixed into other illegal drugs, like cocaine and heroin, to boost their potency. The result is that users are often unaware they're taking fentanyl. Safer supply programs are based on the principle of harm reduction that overdoses, infections and other consequences of opioid addiction can be prevented, without requiring people who misuse drugs to be completely abstinent. The new findings come from a program begun in 2016 at London InterCommunity Health Centre. It provides clients with hydromorphone (Dilaudid) tablets, dispensed daily, as well as many other services including primary health care, treatment for infections like HIV and hepatitis C, counseling, and help with housing and other social services. The researchers, led by Tara Gomes, of Unity Health Toronto, looked at data on all 94 clients who entered the program between 2016 and March 2019. They compared 82 of those people against 303 individuals diagnosed with opioid addiction who did not take part in the program. Over one year, the study found, emergency department visits and hospitalizations fell among program clients, while remaining unchanged in the comparison group. And while clients had medication costs covered by Ontario's prescription drug plan their yearly health care costs outside of primary care plunged: from about $15,600, on average, to $7,300. Again, there was no substantial change in the comparison group. Dr. Sandra Springer is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Conn., who has helped craft practice guidelines for the American Society of Addiction Medicine. "This study is further evidence that programs that meet patients where they are and provide easy access to clinical care for treatment of opioid use disorder can save more lives and reduce health care costs," said Springer, who was not involved in the research. Opioid dependency itself can be treated with medication-assisted therapy, which involves counseling and medications like buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. "While this SOS program did not provide traditional medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder to all participants, those medications were available to patients through the program," Springer noted. And, she said, other research has shown that when people who use drugs are offered "compassionate care," they are more likely to accept "evidence-based treatment." The extent to which SOS programs will spread remains to be seen. In 2020, Health Canada announced funding for several additional pilot programs. And last year, New York City opened two overdose prevention sites where people with opioid addiction can use the drugs in a clean, supervised setting, and be connected with health care and social services. The sites are the first publicly recognized overdose prevention centers in the United States. Kerr said that in the face of an opioid crisis that is only worsening, "the status quo response is not sufficient." "We have to try new approaches," he said, "and scientifically evaluate them." More information The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more on opioid use disorder. SOURCES: Thomas Kerr, PhD, director, research, British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, professor, social medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Sandra Springer, MD, associate professor, medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; CMAJ, Sept. 19, 2022, online Was this page helpful? A Madison man originally charged with attempted murder for shooting a man in the back following a drug deal that went bad last year pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge. Xavier J. Bandera, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless injury and possession with intent to deliver THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, for the March 11, 2021, incident in which he shot then-21-year-old Alfredo Dorentes-Ortiz. A doctor at UW Hospital told police the bullet just narrowly missed Dorentes-Ortizs heart but caused multiple injuries to other organs including his liver, stomach and diaphragm, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court. According to the affidavit, two others who were with Dorentes-Ortiz told police they had gone to a home in the 300 block of North Pinckney Street in Downtown Madison so that Dorentes-Ortiz could buy marijuana products from Bandera. The Dane County District Attorneys Office said the product was marijuana oil. The two remained outside while Dorentes-Ortiz went into the home. A short time later, one of the witnesses said, Dorentes-Ortiz quickly exited the home with a bag that appeared to contain marijuana products, the affidavit states. The witness said he saw a man about 6 feet tall with a bony build come out of the home, pull out a small black handgun and fire it at Dorentes-Ortiz, hitting him in the back from a distance of about 6 feet, according to the affidavit. Bandera has been out of jail on $150,000 bond since March 23, 2021, but Circuit Judge Julie Genovese ordered him taken into custody Monday and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. No date for sentencing had been set as of late Monday. He faces a combined up to 16 years in prison on both charges. Bandera has no previous criminal record in Wisconsin, according to online court records. He told Genovese he has a bachelors degree in Asian language and culture. His attorney, Brian Brophy, called his client a sweet kid and said he had not violated the conditions of his release. He said Bandera had applied, but not been hired for, numerous jobs and was working for a family friend. Continuing its Southeast Asian expansion, Petromin has, through its subsidiary National Auto Parts Company (NAP), acquired a leading Indian auto-tech platform, SpareIt This smartphone-based application is a procurement platform that links garages with suppliers and logistic providers creating a competitive Ecommerce marketplace. Essentially, SpareIt serves as an integrated solution enabling workshops to manage their entire workflow via digital job cards and connect with their customers directly. Shifting gears Leveraging Petromins industry expertise of 60 years in premium lubricants, multi-modal mobility solutions and multi-brand dealerships, NAP has now shifted gears to transform the regions aftersales auto parts segment into a technologically driven entity. A signing ceremony was held in Jeddah, where NAP leadership agreed on acquisition of the companys majority stakes together with an infusion of fresh capital in the startup. This partnership will largely accelerate NAPs digital footprint beyond the kingdom, while achieving Petromins sustainability goals in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. On the occasion, Steve Horne, CEO National Auto Parts Company, and Prashant Kamdar, CEO of SpareIt, were the official signatories of the contract; while Kalyana Sivagnanam, Group CEO, Petromin Corporation, Sanjay Nigam, Managing Director India and SE Asia Petromin Corporation, and Romi Chugh, Co-founder of SpareIt, witnessed the exchange along with several attendees from Petromin Corporation. Rapid disruption Horne said: NAP is rapidly disrupting the regions aftermarket auto parts industry by developing a modern digital infrastructure to facilitate customer convenience and accessibility. Our investment in SpareIts integrated E-commerce platform delivers efficiencies, increased footfall as well as competitive prices and services. Currently functional in India with over 7,000 active garages, the app will soon be introduced in the kingdom. Chugh said: We believe that our vision can dramatically speed up the global rollout trajectory in terms of product features, deeper penetration across garages and access to a significantly broader auto spare parts marketplace. Petromins strong management strength will help us evolve rapidly into a large enterprise while effectively avoiding the pitfalls seen in the typical journey of a startup. Nigam said: Investment in SpareIt marks a cornerstone for Petromins business development in India. We intend to increase our penetration in the region and believe that a tech-enabled approach is key to build a scalable and sustainable business across the various verticals of Petromin. During our study of the market and screening opportunities in India, SpareIt stood out with their vision, rapid execution ability and maturity, along with the drive of its founders, making it an ideal addition to NAPs profile. EV service hubs Today, several leading OEMs and 3PL companies in India, use this network as their EV service hubs. With strong B2B customer engagements and the support of business conglomerates like, Petromin, the team is planning to further train in excess of 5,000 workshops to achieve an EV-ready status. This collaboration will prove symbiotic for the automotive value chain in Saudi Arabia and India, pushing them higher to become economies of scale.-- TradeArabia News Service Scott Kelly, the former NASA astronaut who has orbited the Earth 8,300 times, will give a free talk at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorates Distinguished Lecture Series in Madison. Kelly will talk about his space travel during An Evening with Captain Scott Kelly: The Sky Is Not The Limit in Shannon Hall at the Memorial Union. The 90-minute talk will include a question-and-answer session. No tickets are necessary, admission is free and open to the public, and the event will be live-captioned. Kelly completed four space flights, including two stays as commander on the International Space Station, one of which, in 2015, lasted a record-breaking 340 days. During his mission he conducted three spacewalks and studied how longer periods in space affect the human body. Time magazine documented his journey in a video series and an Emmy Award-winning PBS special. Kelly put out the New York Times bestsellers, Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery, an autobiography chronicling his experience during his longest space trip, and Infinite Wonder, a collection of his photographs from the International Space Station. His most recent book, Ready for Launch: An Astronauts Lessons for Success on Earth, also a Times bestseller, was published in April. The best part was the challenge of doing something incredibly complicated and risky, working hard at it and being successful, Kelly said in an interview with Harvard Business Review. Youve got to put a lot in, and you need the help of many, many people on the ground and in space to do it. So, theres a lot of teamwork, a lot of collaboration. Hurricane Fiona is continuing its ruinous path Tuesday after devastating Puerto Rico with flooding rain then ripping through the Dominican Republic, where more than a million people were left without running water and dozens of homes were destroyed. Nearly 800 people were brought to safety by emergency workers in the Dominican Republic, according to the country's emergency management director of operations, Juan Manuel Mendez. At least 519 people were taking refuge in the country's 29 shelters Monday, he said. The eye of the hurricane slammed into the nation early Monday, battering communities with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said. That's after the storm wreaked havoc across Puerto Rico Sunday and into Monday, leaving the US territory in a blackout and bringing destruction not seen on the island since Hurricane Maria in 2017, officials said. At least three people have died the severe weather, including one in the French territory of Guadeloupe and two in Puerto Rico, according to officials. In Puerto Rico, a 58-year-old man was swept away by a swollen river behind his home in Comerio and another man in his 30s died in a fire accident that occurred while he was trying to put gasoline in his generator while it was turned on, officials said. As of Monday afternoon, at least 1,018,564 customers across the Dominican Republic had no access to running water as 59 aqueducts were out of service and several others were only partially functioning, according to Jose Luis German Mejia, a national emergency management official. Some were also without electricity Monday as 10 electric circuits went offline, emergency management officials said. It's unclear how many people are impacted by the outages. Heavy rainfall continued to soak eastern regions of the Dominican Republic Monday evening and life-threatening flooding is expected to continue into Tuesday. Fiona strengthens as it pushes north Fiona intensified into a Category 3 storm as it moved away from the Dominican Republic's northern coast early Tuesday with sustained winds whipped up to 115 miles per hour with gusts as strong as 130 miles per hour, according to the hurricane center. The designation now classifies Fiona as a major hurricane, the first of the Atlantic season. But the most powerful stages of the storm may be yet to come, as Fiona is expected to escalate into as high as Category 4 by the time it is expected to pass near or to the west of Bermuda on Thursday night. The storm's center will likely continue to push northward, moving near or to the east of Turks and Caicos on Tuesday, according to the forecast. Hurricane conditions will likely be seen in Turks and Caicos Tuesday and by late Monday or early Tuesday the Bahamas are anticipated to be under tropical storm conditions, the hurricane center said. Fiona leaves behind devastated Puerto Rico Even as a tropical storm warning was lifted over Puerto Rico, the island continued to be lashed by the hurricane's outer bands, soaking regions already struggling under dangerous flooding and destruction. As Tuesday marks the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's catastrophic landfall, some who lived through the 2017 crisis say Fiona's flooding destruction could be even more severe. Juan Miguel Gonzalez, a business owner in Puerto Rico told CNN that his neighborhood had still not finished its recovery from Maria when Fiona struck. But this time, he says, the flooding brought even deeper damage to their homes. "A lot of people -- more than (during) Maria -- lost their houses now ... lost everything in their houses because of the flooding," Gonzalez told CNN's Leyla Santiago. "Maria was tough winds. But this one, with all the rain, it just destroyed everything in the house." Most of the damage inflicted on the island is rain-related, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi told CNN Monday evening. More than 1.2 million customers are still in the dark as of early Tuesday, according to estimates from PowerOutage.us, which notes updated information on restoration efforts is limited. Pierluisi said he hopes it will be "a matter of days" to restore power for most customers. The company that oversees the territory's power grid, LUMA Energy, previously said transmission line outages were contributing to the blackout, and on Monday said it had restored power to over 100,000 customers. Critically, power was restored to one of Puerto Rico's most vital medical facilities on Monday, according to the territory's health secretary Dr. Carlos Mellado Lopez. "The power system at all the hospitals in the Medical Center Complex has been restored," Mellado said in a Sunday night tweet. "Our patients are safe and receiving the medical care they need." Many of those without power also have no water, as rain and flooding impacts to filtration systems left only about 35% of customers with water service as of Monday, the governor said. Emergency crews battled against unrelenting rain to rescue approximately 1,000 people as of midday Monday, said Maj. Gen. Jose Reyes, adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard. In addition to the hundreds of Puerto Rican National Guard members aiding in rescue and recovery efforts, the White House said Monday that President Joe Biden told Pierluisi during a phone call that federal support will increase in the coming days. "As damage assessments are conducted, the President said that number of support personnel will increase substantially," the White House said. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also announced the state would send 100 state troopers to assist relief efforts in Puerto Rico. She also said teams from New York Power Authority are available to help with power restoration. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. NABLUS, West Bank (AP) Palestinian security forces exchanged fire with militants in the center of the West Bank's second-largest city Tuesday as angry residents pelted an armored jeep with objects and chased it away. One man was reported dead. In separate violence, Israeli police said late Tuesday that an 84-year-old woman was beaten to death in central Israel and that they were searching for a Palestinian suspect. Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the killing pure evil. The fighting in Nablus, sparked by an arrest raid against local militants, marked a rare case of deadly internal Palestinian fighting in the occupied West Bank. It also reflected the deep unpopularity of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which is widely seen as collaborating with an entrenched and unbearable system of Israeli military domination. Amateur videos posted to social media showed local youths pelting a Palestinian military-style jeep with bricks, stones and metal bars before chasing the vehicle from the central Martyrs Square. The sound of gunfire echoed through the city, known as the West Bank's business capital, for several hours. The violence was reminiscent of how Palestinians typically protest against Israeli troops. By midafternoon, the Palestinian forces had withdrawn and the city remained quiet. The northern West Bank is known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants, and the Palestinian Authority has frequently had difficulties maintaining control in the area over the years. The authority maintains close security ties with Israel in a shared struggle against Islamic militants. This has helped fuel the perception that the PA is merely a subcontractor for Israel interested more in its own survival than improving the lives of its people. Israels military occupation of the West Bank is now in its 55th year, with no signs of ending anytime soon. The last substantial round of peace talks ended in 2009. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, home to some 500,000 Israeli settlers, as the heartland of a future independent state. In recent months, the PA's standing has been further weakened as Israel carries out nightly arrest raids. A survey published Tuesday found that 26% of Palestinians are satisfied with the performance of President Mahmoud Abbas, while 74% are hoping for his resignation. It also projected that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would defeat Abbas in an election, even in the West Bank. The survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research questioned 1,270 people and had a margin of error of three percentage points. Israel launched the West Bank crackdown last spring after a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, some of which were launched by militants from the area. Some 90 Palestinians have died in the arrest raids, many said by Israel to have been militants, or local youths who came out to protest the raids. Israeli police released few details about the deadly attack in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon. But they released a photo of a young Palestinian man from the West Bank wanted in the beating and asked the public for help in finding him. Lapid, who was at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, called the killing a shocking attack by a despicable and cowardly terrorist. Israel says it is forced to act because the Palestinian security forces have failed to do so. The Palestinians say it is difficult and humiliating to cooperate with the Israelis at a time when there is no political horizon. Earlier Tuesday, Lapid met with Jordan's King Abdullah II. In a brief statement, Lapid's office said he talked about the need for calming the situation on the ground and halting terrorism ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays. Abdullah, whose country borders the West Bank and has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies there, called for maintaining a comprehensive calm during the upcoming period. In a statement released by his office, Abdullah called for a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace" that would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. He also called for granting the Palestinians their just and legitimate rights. The United States has pushed both Israel and the Palestinians to restore quiet. But the Biden administration has failed to present a diplomatic plan, focusing instead on small measures to improve the Palestinian economy. Palestinian officials refused to comment on Tuesdays operation. But two Hamas militants were arrested in the raid, according to the mens families. One of them was close to another militant who was recently killed in an Israeli raid. Residents accused the Palestinian security forces of making the arrests on behalf of Israel and began shooting into the air and burning tires. Palestinian security responded with tear gas, and exchanges of fire took place. Hisham Yaish, a local resident, wrote on Facebook that his 53-year-old brother Firas was killed in a gunfight. He did not accuse either side of firing the deadly bullet, saying only his brother was killed in the tragic incidents. But Hamas, which is locked in a bitter rivalry with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, said the Palestinian security forces had killed him. Hamas condemned the raid and accused the Palestinian Authority of collaborating with Israel. While the enemy continues to carry out killings, arrests, Judaization and settlements, the authority identifies with it by continuing security coordination, suppressing our people, and pursuing and arresting resistance fighters in behavior outside all our national norms, Hamas said in a statement. In a statement to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Palestinian security spokesman, Maj. Gen. Talal Dwaikat, confirmed Yaish's death. He said the cause of the death was unknown, but claimed an initial report found that security forces were not in the area where he was killed. Testimonies of eyewitnesses who were present in the area of the unfortunate accident confirm the authenticity of this account, he said. MEXICO CITY (AP) A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Mexico's central Pacific coast on Monday, killing at least one person and setting off a seismic alarm in the rattled capital on the anniversary of two earlier devastating quakes. There were at least some early reports of damage to buildings from the quake, which hit at 1:05 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey, which had initially put the magnitude at 7.5. It said the quake was centered 37 kilometers (23 miles) southeast of Aquila near the boundary of Colima and Michoacan states and at a depth of 15.1 kilometers (9.4 miles). President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said via Twitter that the secretary of the navy told him one person was killed in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima when a wall at a mall collapsed. In Coalcoman, Michoacan, near the quake's epicenter, buildings were damaged, but there were not immediate reports of injuries. It started slowly and then was really strong and continued and continued until it started to relent, said 16-year-old Carla Cardenas, a resident of Coalcoman. Cardenas ran out of her familys hotel and waited with neighbors. She said the hotel and some homes along the street displayed cracks in walls and segments of facades and roofs had broken off. In the hotel, the roof of the parking area boomed and fell to the ground, and there are cracks in the walls on the second floor, Cardenas said. She said the towns hospital was seriously damaged, but she had so far not heard of anyone injured. Mexico's National Civil Defense agency said that based on historic data of tsunamis in Mexico, variations of as much as 32 inches (82 cm) were possible in coastal water levels near the epicenter. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center said that hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts within 186 miles (300 kilometers) of the epicenter. Irlanda Villa, of coastal Coahuayana, Michoacan near the border with Colima, said some walls had fallen, but the big fear was that a tsunami would follow. We were afraid the sea would go out, but in the end everything is fine. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum tweeted that there were no reports of damage in the capital Alarms for the new quake came less than an hour after a quake alarms warbled in a nationwide earthquake simulation marking major quakes that struck on the same date in 1985 and 2017. The magnitude 8.0 quake centered near the coast of Guerrero state in 1985 killed at least 9,500 people. More than 360 people died in the magnitude 7.1 quake that struck in 2017. This is a coincidence, that this is the third Sept. 19 earthquake, said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle. Theres no physical reason or statistical bias toward earthquakes in any given month in Mexico. Nor is there a season or month for big earthquakes anywhere on the globe, Earle said. But there is a predictable thing: People seek and sometimes find coincidences that look like patterns. We knew wed get this question as soon as it happened, Earle said. Sometimes there are just coincidences. The quake was not related to or caused by the drill an hour or so earlier, nor was it connected to a damaging temblor in Taiwan the day before, Earle said. Humberto Garza stood outside a restaurant in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood holding his 3-year son. Like many milling about outside after the earthquake, Garza said the earthquake alarm sounded so soon after the annual simulation that he was not sure it was real. I heard the alarm, but it sounded really far away, he said. Outside the city's environmental ombudsman's office, dozens of employees waited. Some appeared visibly shaken. Power was out in parts of the city, including stoplights, snarling the capital's already notorious traffic. AP writers Christopher Sherman in Mexico City and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report. Two people are dead and two others were transported to a local hospital following a mass shooting that occurred at Roosevelt Road and 23rd Avenue outside the Las Margaritas bar early Sunday, according to authorities. Kenosha Police officers responded shortly before 2 a.m. in the area for a call of four shooting victims, according to Lt. Joseph Nosalik, Police Department spokesman. We had officers in the area that heard gunshots and we also received multiple 911 calls, he said. There are four victims that suffered gunshot wounds, two of those victims died...one victim died at the scene. The other victim died at the hospital. The remaining victims were transported to local hospitals for their injuries, Nosalik said. Their conditions were not immediately known. Specific victim data is not being released at this time, he said. No suspects were in custody. Police scene tape closed off a field in an alley behind 23rd Avenue and Roosevelt Road. Public access from 24th Avenue to 22nd Avenue on Roosevelt was closed for a time and the public was advised to use alternate routes for travel. While the bars open sign was still on, the doors were locked. At the corner, shards of glass accumulated near the buildings. Residents who live in the neighborhood next to the bar said they were awakened by a series of loud popping gun shots. One man who declined to give his name said he feared retaliation. He was planning to move away from the neighborhood. Theres a Dumpster on the driveway right now. Were packing up. Were out of here as soon as we find somewhere else we want to be, he said. The man said he had made the decision after the shooting that injured three people outside the bar on Aug. 20. According to a criminal complaint in the earlier shooting the three people were shot by Damon A. Blakey of Zion, Ill. following a physical altercation. The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 am and the fight reportedly began inside Las Margaritas. Blakey was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon, first-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon, first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by an out-of-state felon. The confrontation continued outside onto 23rd Avenue, according to the criminal complaint. Thats when Blakey allegedly opened fire, shooting a man and two women. One of the women was his girlfriend, who he allegedly shot by accident. The neighbor said it was the large pizza-sized pool of blood in our neighbors front yard that convinced him that he needed to find another place to live. What was that? Two, three weeks ago? And now this? he said. Yeah. Anyone with information on Sundays incident is encouraged to contact the Kenosha Police Detective Bureau at 262-605-5203. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact the Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333. RACINE The man accused of using the identities of two other people to obtain their absentee ballots was in Racine County Circuit Court on Monday with some high-profile legal counsel. Michael Gableman is the former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos last year to investigate alleged irregularities in the 2020 presidential election a post he was fired from in mid-August. Gableman had endorsed the conservative challenger to Vos, Adam Steen, in a contentious Aug. 9 primary election that Vos narrowly won, after which Vos called Gableman an embarrassment to the state. Despite claims to the contrary, Gableman found no evidence of widespread election fraud that could have swung the 2020 presidential election in Donald Trump's favor. Multiple recounts and studies have affirmed Joe Biden won Wisconsin by a margin of more than 20,000 votes in 2020. Gableman appeared in court Monday on behalf of Harry Wait, 66, who is charged with two felony counts of misappropriating identification information and two misdemeanor counts of election fraud concerning absentee ballots. Wait admitted he requested the absentee ballots of Mayor Cory Mason and Vos. He alleges his intent was not to commit a crime, but to show how easy it was to get someone elses ballot. Wait initially announced his intention to represent himself. Gableman said he learned about the case on Saturday afternoon and that Wait was unrepresented, so he reached out to see if he could assist in the short term. Wait was in court on Monday for a preliminary hearing, but Gableman successfully sought to have the preliminary hearing rescheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 7. Attorney Gableman is now employed by the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, which bills itself as a nonprofit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family and religious liberty. On Monday, Gableman clarified that he has not been cleared by the Thomas More Society to represent Wait for the duration of the trial. Gableman said his role at Monday's hearing was limited to seeking a continuance in order to help Wait find legal counsel. I want to make sure all of his legal rights are safeguarded, Gableman said. Wait is president of the Racine-based HOT (Honest, Open and Transparent) Government group. Its website promotes narratives of election fraud and gives members advice for how they can take back Wisconsin. Earlier this month, Gableman voiced similar sentiments at a dinner hosted by the Republican Party of Outagamie County, where he said a revolution was the only way to keep an honest government, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Case history According to the criminal complaint, Wait used MyVote.wi.gov to request absentee ballots belonging to Mason and Vos on July 26. Mason's ballot was delivered to Waits address in the Town of Dover, but Vos' was never delivered. As the two victims of the alleged crime, there is a protection order in place that prevents Wait from interacting with Mason and Vos. Wait previously objected to the order, but was unable to change Judge Robert Repischak's mind. The Department of Justice announced on Sept. 1 that it would be pursuing criminal prosecution in the matter, more than a month after the allegations became public. Wait had sent an email to Racine County officials including Vos and Mason themselves admitting to what he did, sparking rebuke from Vos, a Republican, and Mason, a Democrat. Wait also uploaded videos of himself to the internet using identifying information belonging to Mason and Vos to order the ballots. Conversely, Vos said of Wait, in a statement to the Journal Sentinel: "His actions are sad. If election integrity means anything, it means we all have to follow the law Republicans and Democrats alike." Reporting from the Associated Press is included in this article. TWIN FALLS Its been talked about for months, but now its official. Property owners will be responsible for new city utility accounts. The Twin Falls City Council voted Monday to hold landlords responsible for the payment of city services, such as water and sewer, for the rental homes they own. Renters who have fallen behind in paying their city bills collectively owe $100,000 in delinquent charges, city staff told the City Council. The ordinance will gradually shift responsibility to the landlords as new tenants move in. Effective Jan. 1, all new accounts will be opened in the property owners name. Current accounts will be grandfathered in the renters name until they move out. On Monday night, the motion passed by a 5-2 vote. During discussion prior to the vote, council member Spencer Cutler said he was concerned that this might allow renters to behave vengefully toward landlords by letting water run. Ive been back and forth on this issue, Cutler said. One thing Im hung up on is it gives renters leverage over a landlord where they could, if they know theyre going to be skipping out could turn the water on, turn the sprinklers on, and the landlord could three days later find theyre stuck with a thousand dollar bill. Assistant Finance Director Brent Hyatt informed the council that the city has implemented 9,000 cellular meters to allow people to monitor their water usage digitally, and that a system could be set up to send emails or text messages if excessive water was being used, such as in the scenario Cutler described. Mayor Ruth Pierce commented that landlords could require a larger deposit to cover utilities. My reality has been that I as a renter have paid for everything, council member Jason Brown said. So this one has been a little more difficult for me personally. Its estimated that the city writes off more than $100,000 from delinquent accounts per year. And that doesnt include the labor costs of trying to collect payment. Vice Mayor Christopher Reid said that ultimately the taxpayers of Twin Falls were being held liable by the current system. All 53,000 of us who live here are paying for those renters because they skipped town, Reid said. The majority of us are paying for those individuals. The motion to approve the ordinance passed with Nikki Boyd voting no and Cutler abstained. RUPERT A family-owned storage business has opened in town. After four years, Hurley Storage, a newly constructed, family-owned facility, is open to the public for storage of boats, RVs, furniture and personal items, according to a press release. The facility, at 1121 S. Countryside Drive, across from Les Schwab Tires on U.S. Highway 24, serves all of Mini-Cassia and is located where Teeter Auto Wrecking used to be. Teeter Auto Wrecking was started in 1951 by Hurley Teeter and continued to operate under his son Dave Teeter until 2018. Hurley Teeters grandson, Greg Teeter had the idea to provide the community with a storage unit facility that included the amenities he thought other local storage companies lacked like 24-hour, seven-day-a-week access, a fully fenced area with state-of-the-art security system and gated entry, video surveillance, online billing and reservations, and convenient office hours. A variety of storage unit sizes are available and the company offers a contactless reservation system and exceptional customer service with a stress-free storage experience and a clean environment. Hurley Storage office hours are from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and has 24-hour access. For more information call 208-719-7003. Anyone driving along Interstate 15 a few miles south of Idaho Falls who likes to keep a close eye on their pocketbook will notice something interesting around Exit 113. Its the price of gasoline at the truck stops and convenience stores in that area. Thats where penny-pinching consumers can find some of the cheapest fuel prices in the state of Idaho, according to gasbuddy.com. Just off that exit, the cost of regular unleaded gasoline on Friday was around $3.78 per gallon. Of the top 10 gas stations in the state based on cheapest fuel prices shown by gasbuddy.com, the top four are in Idaho Falls and three of those are just off Exit 113. The fifth-cheapest was in Shelley at $3.99, and truth be told the sister station for that store in Firth is the same price. It goes without saying that the pumps there have been very busy. Beyond that, the top 10 in Idaho is rounded out by stations in northern Idaho Oldtown, Post Falls and Coeur dAlene. In southeast Idaho, heading north of Exit 113 toward Idaho Falls, the picture changes. Get off at the Broadway exit and the cheapest gas is $4.17 a gallon. It goes up from there in a large majority of cases in town. Why the difference? Why does one little piece of southeast Idaho have a corner on less expensive fuel that other stations even within a short driving distance dont seem to want to compete with? To be fair, the lower prices weve been seeing since the time prices were averaging over $5 per gallon are welcome. The current disparity, however, is puzzling. According to the website statista.com, Idaho has the seventh highest average price per gallon in the nation at $4.50 as of Sept. 7, following, in order, Hawaii, California, Nevada, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. Go down South and it gets much better. One of the reasons states like Louisiana and Texas and neighboring states are among the lowest is obvious. The cost of crude oil is the driving factor in the price of gas with crude oil prices determined by supply and demand. Theres more pumping going on in states like Louisiana and Texas. From there, the factors determining the price of gas in Idaho, according to the state attorney generals office, include tax rates, refining costs and profits, distribution, and retailer costs and profits where the price includes the retailers cost to buy the gas and the costs of operating the station, such as wages, benefits, equipment, and taxes. According to the AGs office, neither the attorney general nor any other state entity has authority to determine the appropriate price for a gallon of gas, instead letting the marketplace determine the price of gas. State law does allow the AG to intervene in situations where there is reason to believe retailers are engaged in price fixing or price gouging. Now, lets think back to February 2021 when the state average was $2.45 a gallon. At that time, gas prices in Idaho had increased 20 cents within a month, the largest increase in the country, and in the Treasure Valley, the increase was as much as 34 cents a gallon higher than the cost at the end of 2020. The prior spring, the state was in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AGs office investigated the price of a gallon of gas based on the states price gouging law immediately triggered during an emergency declaration. The probe found the profit margins of Idahos three largest gas retailers was more than 60 cents per gallon when the margin is typically about 10 cents per gallon. That November, retailers settled the case for $1.5 million in credits that would go back to Idaho consumers. In a rare op-ed by AG Lawrence Wasden, he pointed out that less than two months later, gas retailers were in front of the Legislature urging major changes to the law that allowed his office to investigate them, saying a future investigation and settlement would no longer be possible. Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, proposed a bill limiting the scope of those investigations should Idaho enter another state of emergency. The bill passed with veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate and headed to the governors desk for his signature. At the time, Matt Berry, president of Berry Oil in Idaho Falls, said Wasdens investigation didnt take into account the whole picture, that rural gas business was hurt dramatically, and margins needed to increase in order for retailers to remain open as an essential business, with a need to protect business and employees in order to survive. We see that need. At the same time, consumers have a need to be protected as well. Thats where Idaho consumers can show their power at the pump, taking their business to the retailers whose prices are the lowest, giving the higher-priced retailers incentive to drop prices and decrease margins. Were already seeing that along Exit 113. Idaho Sen. Jim Risch has every reason to hope that Republicans gain control of the Senate after Novembers midterm elections. That would mean he would be back as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a lofty position he held during the Trump administration, and that fellow Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo would lead the Senate Finance Committee assuming that he is re-elected. But whether Republicans can take back the Senate thats another question. Its a 50/50 deal, which is a general way of saying I dont know, Risch told me. He is more certain about the GOPs prospects in the House. Republicans will take the House, he said. As long as you have one of the two bodies, you have at least partial ball control. If you dont have either one, they could ride over the top of you. But we are going to take the House, so that makes it less important to have control of the Senate. Two years ago, when Senate control was hanging in the balance, Risch offered some gloomy predictions if Democrats were to gain a majority. He thought the party would move to end the filibuster (the 60-vote requirement for getting most bills passed), grant statehood to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and add more seats to the U.S. Supreme Court to negate the courts conservative majority. None of those things happened. Moderate forces in the Democratic Party decided, wisely, that ending the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court would not be a good idea. Those things wouldnt work nearly as well with Republicans in the majority. And for some reason, statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. which probably would keep Democrats in the majority in the foreseeable future has not been discussed much. So the Senate sits with a 50-50 split, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking tie votes. Technically, that gives Democrats a majority. But that can all change on a dime with the midterm elections and several tight races hanging in the balance. In some ways, these midterms are a sequel to the 2020 presidential election although neither President Biden nor Trump are on the ballot. Those denying the validity of the last election are out in force on the Republican side, and Biden has labeled Trump supporters as a threat to democracy. Well see whether Trump, or Biden, are assets to their party. It depends on the state, Risch says. If its Massachusetts, then not so much. If its Idaho, then (Trumps) greatly helpful. For Biden, folks love him in Delaware, but he gets no traction in red states such as Idaho. It remains to be seen how the abortion issue plays out. Again, it depends on the state. The polling Ive seen suggests that the Supreme Court decision has not moved the needle at all as far as pushing people one way or the other on the issue, Risch says. Polling suggests that it has raised the enthusiasm on both sides for single-issue voters. Im not sure that at the end of the day it makes a lot of difference. People who are pro-life will vote pro-life and those who are pro-choice will vote pro-choice. One thing that Risch is certain about is the prospect for Crapo. I have a bold prediction, he said, chuckling. Sen. Crapo is going to win by a landslide. Who can argue? A Democrat has not held the U.S. Senate seat in Idaho since Frank Church, and that was back in 1980. When Mike talks, people listen, Risch says. Republicans have lunch together on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays and we discuss a lot of things. Mike seldom talks at those meetings, but when he does people are very much tuned into listening to him especially on financial matters. Mike does not get angry. Hes very pragmatic and he is interested in problem solving, I could not ask for a better working partner. Its a partnership that likely will continue for at least another four years, when Risch will be up for re-election. Hell be 83 by then, so well see what the distant future holds. DMCC, a flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, has signed an agreement with the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) that will see the two entities hold the ICA Annual Congress 2023 in Dubai. Set to take place from February 15 to 17, 2023 at DMCCs Almas Conference Centre, the event will see hundreds of gemstone industry leaders come together to share opportunities and address the challenges facing the industry to advance the coloured gemstones sector. The congress comes straight after the JGT Dubai, which takes place in the Dubai World Trade Centre from February 12 to 14. Clement Sabbagh, President of the International Coloured Gemstone Association, said: The ICA Congress is a unique event that brings together the most diverse and prestigious leaders in the coloured gemstone sector. With each Congress, ICA presents dynamic speakers, compelling panel presentations and opportunities for our incredibly diverse industry to come together as one and share ideas, seek avenues of collaboration, and challenge each other to explore pathways to strengthen and grow the coloured industry. ICA is a non-profit organisation and the only worldwide body specifically created to benefit the coloured gemstone industry. It comprises over 500 gem industry leaders from mine to market, including miners, gem cutters, suppliers, retailers, trade associations, gemological laboratories, academia, museums, and other members of the gemstone ecosystem. Hosting the ICA Annual Congress in Dubai comes as part of DMCC broader efforts to enhance the global trade of precious stones. So far this year, DMCC has held four tenders of coloured gemstones at its Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), the worlds largest precious stone tender facility. The DDE creates ideal conditions for the trade of coloured gemstones, with its white crystal windows allowing potential buyers to examine and assess coloured stones without concerns related to tinted light. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: Since we last partnered with ICA to hold their Annual Congress in 2007, DMCC has become a catalyst for global commodities trade. From a position of almost zero precious stones trade we have built Dubai into one of the worlds leading diamond trade hubs. In the past few months alone we have witnessed one of the world's purest pink diamonds, a record-breaking ruby and other rare stones grace the floor of our iconic Dubai Diamond Exchange as the worlds precious and coloured stones communities seek out DMCC to conduct their most essential business. DMCCs star continues to rise and we have our sights firmly set on coloured gemstones, as part of diversifying our precious stones commodities range and building the next major hub for the sector worldwide. We are delighted therefore to once again be partnering with ICA, the worlds leading authority on coloured gemstones, to hold their Annual Congress 2022 in Dubai at this crucial moment for DMCC and the wider industry. Given its mandate to attract, promote and enable trade through Dubai, DMCC has established a comprehensive set of facilities and services for members and industry professionals to trade with confidence. Dubais geographical location places it at the centre of the precious stones industry, allowing DMCC to support the entire supply chain, from miners, and manufacturers, to wholesale dealers and retailers. The agreement with ICA will further contribute to the UAEs position as a global trade hub and a world-leader within the gemstone industry. - TradeArabia News Service The 31st annual Danville-Pittsylvania County Fair roared back to life this weekend with a classic slate of rides and carnival foods including a crazy concoction pickle pizza joining the midway culinary experience. The fair kicked off Friday and runs through this coming Saturday. Following a fatal shooting last year, theres extra security planned, organizers announced on Facebook. The added precautions include extra security, more cameras, bag checks and metal detector screenings before entering the gate. Our goal is to keep things running as fast and efficient as possible, but you may want to allow some extra time to enter the gate especially if you are arriving at a peak time, the social media post stated. As a reminder there are absolutely no weapons allowed on the Fairgrounds property. James E. Strates Shows is back this year with a midway of rides, games and shows. Among the more unique food offerings will be pickle pizza, making its debut this year at the fair. Its no surprise that Danville Pittsylvania County customers love to eat, Marty Biniasz, a spokesperson for Strates Shows, wrote in a news release. Concessioners Doug and Laurie Dills a couple with a fitting last name came up with the pickle pizza creation. Its made with hand-tossed dough, a special dill-flavored dressing sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese and dill seasoning, a news release stated. Then, layered on top are thin slices of bright green pickles. What sets Strates Shows midway food apart is the quality of the ingredients used and the freshness of the final product served to the fairgoer, said Biniasz. Most of the menu items are made to order in front of the customer. Additionally, due to the volume of product sold, new batches are always in production. In addition to pizza, other time-honored carnival favorites will be part of fare including corn dogs, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, funnel cakes and deep fried Oreos. The Strates Shows, a 99-year-old family owned and operated outdoor amusement and carnival business, is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, according to a news release. The business recently listed its top-10 rides based on ticket scans from last years Danville-Pittsylvania County Fair. At No. 10 is Zero Gravity, where patrons stand against the wall as the ride begins to spin at dizzying speeds. As the ride pivots vertically, the g-forces kick in and pin riders in place. Coming in at No. 9 is The Wacky Worm, known as the the perfect first coaster for young riders as colorful caterpillar. Jumbos Flying Elephants ranked as the No. 8 ride. For No. 7, the Dream Wheel posts a panoramic view of the midway from 72 feet above the ground while riding in a family-sized gondola.s in at No. 6. The ever-famous Merry-Go-Round, a carousel constructed by the legendary Allan Herschell Company, is a time-honored classic at Now. 5. A drivers license isnt required for the No. 4 top ride with the Scooter/Bumper Cars. At No. 3, the Sky Flyer is a 98-foot-high vertical swing can be seen dancing in the sky. As 24 riders slowly rise to the top, the tower begins to rotate and centrifugal force kicks in. Music, lights and sounds keeps the action spinning on the No. 2 ride of Muzik Express. Topping the list of the favorite ride is the Giant Wheel, known as the king of the midway. At 105 feet in height, it dominates the fairgrounds and the surround community. Learn more about the fair online at dpcfairgrounds.com. We watched the great and solemn events in Britain over the last few days. But we heard not a mention of North Carolinas important connections to the royal family, to Elizabeth and Charles. Understandably perhaps, because our connections are not so much with the late Queen Elizabeth II or her son King Charles III. Our connections run to earlier British royals, to another Queen Elizabeth and another King Charles, whose names ring many bells for North Carolinians interested in history. Some, perhaps many of us, remember from our school history lessons that the first Queen Elizabeth was a friend and patron of Sir Walter Raleigh, who sponsored the first attempted British colonization in North America at the settlement we know as The Lost Colony. We learned that the settlers of the Lost Colony recognized Elizabeth I as their queen by naming the first child born in the colony, Virginia Dare, in honor of their unmarried and virgin queen. Manteo and The Lost Colony site are in Dare County, which is named for Virginia Dare, thus indirectly honoring the first Queen Elizabeth I. Hundreds of years after her death or disappearance, the memories of Virginia Dare and that of her queen are kept alive each summer in Manteo when the symphonic drama by Paul Green, The Lost Colony, features Elizabeth as an important character. Year-round at the Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, visitors can encounter life as the English settlers experienced it. Included is a ship, named Elizabeth II, newly constructed but made to demonstrate how the first settlers crossed the ocean on a ship named for their queen. So, North Carolina, especially in Manteo and Dare County, holds fast to its connection to the first Queen Elizabeth. Our state has even closer connections to British kings named Charles. It got its name from them. North Carolina, and South Carolina too, got named for King Charles. But its not clear which one. Do we owe our states name to King Charles I, who reigned from 1603 to 1649 when he was beheaded, or his son King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 until his death in1685? Here is the case for Charles I, as explained by the late H.G. Jones in his classic book, North Carolina Illustrated, 1524-1984. In 1629, King Charles I granted to his attorney general, Sir Robert Heath, a vast tract extending from near the present northern boundary of Florida to the southern shore of Albemarle Sound, an area named Carolana in the Kings honor. Carolus is Latin for Charles. Efforts to establish active Carolana colonies did not work out. Meanwhile, in 1649, Charles I was deposed and executed. But the Carolana name stuck and was used to describe the region. In 1660, the monarchy was restored, and Charles II became king. H.G. Jones explained what happened then, making the case for the state names connection to Charles II: The restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 left Charles II with heavy debts to those who had engineered his ascension to the throne, and on 24 March 1663 he rewarded eight of his leading supporters with a charter for a vast slice of North America from the 31st to the 36th parallels from the Atlantic to the South Seas (essentially the same lands previously granted to Sir Robert Heath in 1629). Over this province of Carolina, as the name was now confirmed in honor of Charles II, the Lords Proprietors were given broad feudal powers. Later the province was divided into North and South Carolina, so both states can claim their names came from King Charles II. Elizabeth and Charles. North Carolinians can claim connections to the names of both royals. Dumisani Khumalo was assassinated on the night of Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 September. He had been an advisor to the Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini, who died in March 2021, and was also advisor to his son, Misuzulu Zulu, whose ascension to the throne is disputed. Dumisani Khumalo was returning from the reed dance when he was killed in front of his home by several gunmen. Opponents of the Zulu king had predicted a bloodbath if this traditional festival celebrating the virginity of young women was to be held. Nevertheless, 10,000 people gathered in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, for the first public ceremony since the coronation of the new Zulu king, Misuzulu Zulu, in late August. Provincial officials of the ruling ANC denounced the act of cowardice and lamented the death of a pillar of the royal family. Dumisani Khumalo, the right-hand man and advisor to former King Goodwill Zwelithini, had helped his son Misuzulu ascend the throne. KwaZulu-Natal is notorious for political assassinations. This death does not bode well for the upcoming major ceremony in Durbans stadium. On October 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to present the new king with the certificate that officially recognizes his coronation. The question is whether the presidents seal will end the succession war that has raged since the death of former King Goodwill Zwelithini, who ruled for 50 years. The Cape Verdean Defense Minister, Janine Lelis, said on Monday that very concrete steps have already been taken to acquire an aircraft by the country, which is preparing the creation of the Military Aviation Authority with the support of Portugal. Portugal will support Cape Verde in the creation of the Military Aviation Authority. We will be strongly supported by Portugal in the implementation of this military aeronautical authority, the Air Force will be supporting us, as well as for the drafting and conclusion of the military programming law, said the minister at a press conference in Praia, to announce the beginning of the reform process of the Armed Forces of Cape Verde. We have a very strong bilateral cooperation underway in which we are given technical assistance to elaborate the issues that are essential for us and whose national competences sometimes are not abundant, added the minister. For the minister, the acquisition of the aircraft for the Coast Guard is essential and fundamental to reinforce the forces, in a process that will be done through ASA, the company that manages Cape Verdean airports, according to a resolution published in June. As part of the reform, the government also intends to review the Strategic Defense Concept, in force since 2011, but whose framework has changed since then, noted the minister. And as changes she pointed out the economic crises, health, climate change, cyber attacks, increase in piracy and terrorism, international trafficking, geopolitical tensions and the impacts of the war in Ukraine. The internal security context itself has changed and these are some of the reasons that justify the need to review the Strategic Defense Concept, continued the minister, for whom these challenges threaten the rule of law, so it requires the strengthening of institutions, particularly the Armed Forces. The redefinition of the framework structure of the Armed Forces, the identification of military specialties essential to the fulfillment of missions, the building of a military information service and the implementation of the military programming law are other points of the reform of the Cape Verdean military institution. For all these measures, the minister foresees an increase of funds in the State Budget for 2023 for Defense, and specifically for the Armed Forces, which have been demanding more resources to be able to develop their activities and respond to the countrys challenges. The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, traveled this 19th September to New York to attend the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, which will be marked by the war in Ukraine and the food, energy and climate crises. Speaking to journalists at the Osvaldo Vieira international airport in Bissau before travelling, the Guinean President also said that there will be a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the sidelines of the general assembly to analyze the situation in Guinea-Conakry, Mali and Burkina Faso. The head of state, who also assumes the ECOWAS acting presidency, will also participate in the annual meeting of the Malaria Elimination Council, as chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. The high-level debate begins Tuesday at the General Assembly in New York with leaders from around the world. The Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, defended today that the oil companies will resume the gas projects in Cabo Delgado, considering that there is more security than before the attack on Palma and that the world demand requires it. The success in fighting terrorists in the Mocimboa da Praia Palma axis, which includes roads and access to the port, provides a situation of greater stability than before the attack on the town in March 2021, said the Mozambican head of state at a conference on gas in Maputo. On the other hand, the new context, especially with the cut of gas supply from Russia to Europe, allows Mozambiques supply to go beyond the volumes to be produced estimated by the initial studies of the projects. The rise in energy commodity prices appears favorable to the profitability of investments, he stressed, emphasizing that the figures are well above the models used in 2019 to launch the Rovuma basin projects. In this context, it is our expectation that development activities will be resumed by the concessionaires of area 1, the consortium led by TotalEnergies and which suspended the construction of the gas liquefaction plant due to deteriorating safety conditions. Similarly, Nyusi advocated for as soon as possible, the final investment decision in area 4, led by ENI and Exxon. The Mozambican President said he will hold more specialized meetings with the sector to study other support measures to maintain security. The terrorists are on the run and the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) are stabilizing all affected districts, with local administration and public services returning, he added. Last week there were more than 10,000 people in Palma, he added, a population that is also timidly beginning to return to Mocimboa da Praia, he concluded. Ways of enhancing further Moroccan-American intelligence were reviewed Monday in Rabat at a meeting held between Abdellatif Hammouchi, Head of national police & domestic intelligence agency and Avril Haines, Director of U.S. National Intelligence. Talks also covered regional security situation, the threats facing some countries of the world, the dangers posed by the links between terror organizations and organized crime networks, including cybercrime and transnational crimes, said a statement issued by national police. The two officials discussed cooperation prospects between Moroccan and U.S. security and intelligence services for the preservation of security and peace at regional and international levels, added the statement. The meeting comes after the high-level bilateral talks Mr. Hammouchi had with the U.S. official on the sidelines of the working visit he paid to the United States on June 13-14. It shows the strong partnership existing Morocco and the U.S. in the field of security & intelligence, besides the convergence of views on strategic issues of common interest. Mrs. Haines is the first woman to lead the U.S. Intelligence Community. During the Obama administration, she served as Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor from 2015-2017. From 2013-2015, Haines was the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Her mission is to lead the IC in intelligence integration, forging a community that delivers the most insightful intelligence possible. That means synchronizing collection, analysis and counterintelligence to enable national policymakers receive timely and accurate analysis so that they can make educated decisions. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have identified definitive biological links between African ancestry and disease processes that affect an aggressive cancer type called triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Their analysis of TNBC tumors from a diverse patient population yielded a large set of genes whose expression differed in patients with African ancestry compared with patients with European ancestry. In the study, published Sept. 19 in Cancer Discovery, the scientists identify the expression of 613 genes associated with African ancestry and more than 2,000 genes associated with regional African ancestry in patients with TNBC. They also describe distinct patterns of immune responses in patients of African descent that may explain patterns of disease progression and outcomes. Together, these findings provide a foundation for future research into better treatment options for this cancer, which has the worst survival outcomes of all breast cancer types. Many people are not aware of the geographic origins of their ancestors, nor how much of their DNA was inherited from each source, known as genetic ancestry. "Previous studies of racial differences in TNBC analyzed data from African American patients and relied on self-reported race," said senior author Melissa B. Davis, associate professor of cell and developmental biology research in surgery and director of health equity in the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Our study is the first to determine each individual's ancestry not only by African descent but also by specific regions within Africa." TNBC tumor cells have no estrogen or progesterone receptors and scant amounts of HER2/neu protein on their surface, making them challenging to treat as they don't respond to hormone therapies or anti-HER2 drugs that block cell proliferation. The subtype represents about 33% of breast cancer diagnoses in African countries compared with less than 20% in other nations. African American women have twice the risk of developing TNBC and a higher risk of mortality than white Americans of European ancestry. For their current study, the investigators performed ancestry estimation on breast tissue samples from 132 patients and RNA sequencing on a subset of 26 cases provided by the Englander Institute of Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine; the University of Alabama, Birmingham; and the International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes (ICSBCS), now headquartered at Weill Cornell Medicine. The ICSBCS was established in 2004 and features partners across different regions of Africa as well as the Caribbean and Central America. This study drew samples from ICSBCS founding member the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana, as well as the Millennium Medical College St. Paul's Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After identifying the expression of genes associated with African ancestry at the country and regional levels, the researchers examined the affected biological pathways and estimated proportions of immune cells in tumors. They discovered that women with TNBC with a high degree of African ancestry, primarily East Africans from Ethiopia, had significantly higher immune cell populations infiltrating tumors than women with a lower degree of African ancestry who were mainly African Americans and West Africans from Ghana. "Increased immune responses in TNBC tumors in women of regional African descent will be particularly interesting to researchers studying the benefits of immunotherapies," said lead author Rachel Martini, a postdoctoral associate in surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. "This recent discovery gives us hope that we will continue to find answers and contribute to solutions for a disease which has long afflicted all ancestries, but shows greater burden in Africa," said Dr. Ernest Adjei, consulting pathologist at KATH. "The ICSBCS provides a great platform for strong research collaborations into the future as we work together for improved outcomes in breast cancer management." The investigators also found that several African ancestry-associated genes detected in normal breast tissue switched expressions in tumor tissue. "These findings suggest that some ancestry-specific differences in gene expression may be in response to malignancies," Martini said. Finally, the researchers examined the data by self-reported race and found some of the same pathways they had associated with ancestry. However, they also found others imprinted on tumors relating to diabetes and obesity that were not associated with ancestry. "This finding suggests it's essential to look at both race and ancestry when exploring disparities in TNBC development and outcomes," said Davis, who is an ethnicity scholar at the New York Genome Center and also serves as scientific director of ICSBCS. "For example, we could potentially harness aspects of the diabetes or obesity pathways in tumors as targets to treat cancer patients with comorbidities." "The team's most recent findings add to a robust legacy of studies utilizing the ICSBCS biorepository that are clarifying the role of genetic ancestry related to breast cancer risk," said co-author Dr. Lisa Newman, chief of the Section of Breast Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and ICSBCS medical director and founder. The investigators are now looking more deeply at gene expression differences to determine the master regulators of the pathways they identified and performing single cell analysis to learn more about the tumor microenvironment. "We want to get to the bottom of the molecular features driving disparities in TNBC before we move our work into the clinical space," Davis said. Explore further Breast cancer risk in African-Americans tied to genetic variations More information: Rachel Martini et al, African Ancestry Associated Gene Expression Profiles in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Underlie Altered Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcome in Women of African Descent, Cancer Discovery (2022). Journal information: Cancer Discovery Rachel Martini et al, African Ancestry Associated Gene Expression Profiles in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Underlie Altered Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcome in Women of African Descent,(2022). DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0138 New "bivalent" vaccines target Omicron subvariants as well as the original strain that emerged in China. France became the latest country on Tuesday to authorize new COVID-19 vaccines that have been updated to target Omicron subvariants ahead of autumn booster campaign. Here's what you need to know about these "bivalent" vaccines, which means they also still target the original strain that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019. Mutating to evade immunity Two of the first vaccines developed to fight the original strain were made by the US-German team of Pfizer-BioNTech and by US firm Moderna, both using new mRNA technology. While traditional vaccines use a weakened or inactivated germ to prepare the body for a future attack from the real virus, mRNA deploys snippets of genetic material that carry instructions showing the body's cells how to produce a proteinin this case, COVID's famous spike protein. The body's immune system then triggers antibodies to fight off that spike protein, making it ready for when the real coronavirus comes knocking. However, the COVID virus has mutated throughout the pandemic, growing new spikes to help it evade the immune response built up by the original vaccines. The Omicron variant, which has milder symptoms but is more infectious, has become dominant across the world this yearparticularly in recent months its subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Vaccine makers have been racing to catch up, aiming to provide updated booster shots ahead of an expected new wave of COVID cases in the northern hemisphere's winter. Aiming for BA.4 and BA.5 Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna first tweaked their original vaccines to include the spike protein seen in the BA.1 subvariant, while also still targeting the original strain. Then both vaccines were further tweaked to include the spike proteins on the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The US Food and Drug Administration approved both BA.4/5 vaccines late last month, and officials there hope millions of Americans will receive bivalent boosters throughout September. The European Union's medicines watchdog EMA approved Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech's BA.1 vaccines at the start of this month. The EMA then approved Pfizer-BioNTech's BA.4/5 last week, saying its recommendation was based on clinical data from the older BA.1 version. Canada meanwhile authorized Moderna's BA.1 vaccine at the start of September. Clinical trial data remains sparse for the newest BA.4/5 vaccines, which the US approved based on animal studies showing they produced a greater immune response and lowered levels of the virus in the lungs, compared to older shots. Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, said he was "still not convinced" about the superior efficacy of the BA.4/5 vaccines because there had not yet been clinical trials into their effectiveness. However, the vaccines are "very promising" and have no new safety concerns, Flahault told AFP, adding that there would be much more data in the coming weeks as the US bivalent booster campaign gains steam. The concept of adapting a new vaccine without carrying out full clinical trials every time is not a new one. Influenza vaccines are updated annually, and are now quadrivalent, targeting components of two influenza A and two influenza B viruses. US health officials have said that in the future newly updated COVID boosters could be recommended every year, similar to influenza vaccinesunless drastically different variants emerge. Other bivalent vaccines On Tuesday France's National Authority for Health gave the green light for three bivalent vaccinesModerna and Pfizer-BioNTech's jabs targeting BA.1, as well as Pfizer's against BA.4/5. The French health authority recommended that those at risk of severe disease or caregivers get any one of the three vaccines as soon as they become available as part of an autumn booster campaign. France has already ordered several million doses of bivalent vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the health ministry told AFP. There are already signs of a COVID resurgence in France, where the number of cases jumped by more than 65 percent last week after two months of decline. Other vaccine makers are working on bivalent jabs, including one from France's Sanofi and Britain's GSK that targets the earlier Delta and Beta strains. The EMA is reviewing that vaccine as well as another from the Spanish pharma firm HIPRA targeting the Alpha and Beta strains. Explore further UK approves Pfizer bivalent COVID vaccine ahead of booster drive 2022 AFP Engie has taken the final investment decision in the development of one of the worlds first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen projects, to be located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Scheduled for completion in 2024, the first phase of the Yuri project will produce up to 640 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year as a zero carbon feedstock for Yara Australias ammonia production facility in Karratha. This will be key to developing a Pilbara Green Hydrogen Hub, serving local and export markets, and building on existing export infrastructure and abundant renewable energy resources in the region, said the company. The Yuri project is being developed with the support of a $47.5 million grant from the Australian Governments Arena Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Fund and a $2 million grant by the Western Australian Governments Renewable Hydrogen Fund. Engie has executed an agreement with Mitsui & Co, pursuant to which Mitsui has agreed to acquire a 28% stake in the joint venture company for the Yuri project, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions under the agreement. Engie and Mitsui intend to operate the Yuri project through this joint venture company. The project will include a 10MW electrolyser powered by 18MW of solar PV and supported by an 8MW battery energy storage system, generating renewable hydrogen for use in Yara Australias ammonia facility at Karratha. Permitting is completed, a 100% offtake contract is in place with Yara and construction is set to commence by November 2022, thanks to a consortium made of Technip Energies and Monford Group, selected as EPCC contractor for the project, it said. Once commissioned it will be among the largest renewable energy-powered electrolysis in the world, which will provide lessons to accelerate the hydrogen industry in Australia and demonstrate the ability to integrate electrolysers with ammonia plants. The project will also share knowledge and experiences in the areas of community engagement, permit processes and industry participation. I am delighted to see the Yuri project moving forward very concretely as it fully illustrates one of the pillars of ENGIEs hydrogen roadmap: industrial decarbonisation. Thanks to Australian authorities, we pave the way for hydrogen market development worldwide, said Engie Executive Vice President in charge of Thermal Generation, Hydrogen and Energy Supply Activities, Sebastien Arbola. TradeArabia News Service Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, thoracic spine, and conus medullaris of patient A with monkeypox-associated encephalomyelitis showing abnormal T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery signal in the right frontal and left frontal lobes (A), bilateral basal ganglia (B), bilateral medial thalami and right splenium (C), central thoracic spinal cord (D), and gray matter of the conus medullaris (E) Colorado, JulyAugust 2022. Credit: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2022). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7138e1 As the monkeypox outbreak continues to spread around the globe, a rare but potentially serious complication of the virus has been discovered by Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS, associate professor of neurology and infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Pastula is the lead author of a study, published in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, that found two cases of monkeypox-associated encephalomyelitisinflammation of the brain and spinal cordin patients in Colorado and Washington, D.C. Among the other researchers on the paper is Ken Tyler, MD, professor of neurology. Pastula and Tyler first warned of the neuroinvasive potential of monkeypox in August in a review published in Annals of Neurology, writing that the disease "likely has the potential to be neuroinvasive based on animal models, previous case series, and preliminary reports currently under investigation. Even though neurologic manifestations of human monkeypox virus infection are rare, given the increasing cases throughout the world, neurologists should be prepared to recognize, diagnose, and treat potential neuroinvasive disease or other neurologic symptoms." We spoke with Pastula about both papers, and the current state of monkeypox. Q: What was your initial concern about the neuroinvasive potential of monkeypox during this outbreak? A: We have a neuroinfectious disease group here at the University of Colorado School of Medicine that Dr. Tyler and I are part of, and we were concerned about the increasing numbers of monkeypox virus cases. Historically with monkeypox and its cousin, smallpox, there have been reports of neurologic syndromes associated with them. It's rare, but they have been described. With the increasing numbers, we were concerned that we might start seeing neurological effects. That's why Dr. Tyler and I wrote the review in early August warning people to be on the lookout for these. Q: When did you first see the actual cases of encephalomyelitis in the two affected patients? A: It was just a couple of days after that paper published in August that we were alerted to the case in Colorado. We got our neuroinfectious disease group together to help figure out what was going on and worked with the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment and CDC. We also learned of a second case in the District of Columbia. The CDC wanted to combine those cases for the report, so my colleagues in the District of Columbia provided information on their case, we provided information on our case, we did a literature review, and then worked on some messaging around that. Q: Can you give an overview of what happened with these two patients? A: In general terms, this report describes two young, presumably healthy, gay men who contracted a systemic monkeypox virus infection. There was no known contact with someone infected with monkeypox that they knew of, but they developed the systemic illness and the characteristic monkeypox rash. In one case five days and the other case nine days later, they developed inflammation of the brain and the spinal cord. We don't know whether it was from the virus getting into the brain and the spinal cord, or whether the systemic infection triggered an autoimmune reaction that caused the immune system to target those regions, but we treated it like it could have been either. Both cases were treated with the appropriate antiviral medication, and then, considering there might have been edema or an autoimmune component to this, both were given steroids for a time. We tried them both on IV immunoglobulin, which is an immunomodulatory medication, but it wasn't successful in making their symptoms better, so we switched after a few weeks to a plasma exchange to remove that "inflammatory soup" that might have been going on. Q: Was the treatment successful? A: Whether it was time, the antivirals, or the other immunomodulatory treatments, we don't know. But both patients improved. At last follow-up, about a month afterward for each, they were out of the hospital and walking, but needed an assistive device. We hope they continue to improve. Q: What is the main purpose of the report you wrote for the CDC? A: It shows that neurologic syndromes associated with monkeypox virus infections are rare there are more than 20,000 cases of monkeypox reported in the United States and we found two who developed encephalomyelitis, so we're talking much less than 1% of cases. But if you have enough people getting monkeypox, you will see rare cases. The reason we wrote that review and these reports was to make clinicians aware that in people who have monkeypox virus infections, they can sometimes cause a neurologic syndrome. It's rare, but it that may happen. Q: The monkeypox outbreak started in May; what is the current state of it? A: There are still cases going around, but they do not seem to be increasing exponentially as they were before. If anything, it seems like the cases are leveling out. It seems that vaccines are getting to the higher-risk populations. There's more supply, and we have been doing intradermal injections, as opposed to subcutaneous injections, which allows you to use one-fifth of the dose. So theoretically, we have five times the number of doses. Additionally, people seem to have been temporarily changing behaviors and have been more cautious with their close contacts during this outbreak. Explore further Prevalence of concurrent HIV, STIs high in persons with monkeypox Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Europe's medicines watchdog said Tuesday that COVID-19 cases and death rates were falling, but warned the pandemic "is still ongoing" as it urged countries to roll out booster programmes before the winter. Data collected over the last few weeks "showed that there has been a decrease in the overall number of cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 in Europe," the EU agency's head of vaccine strategy Marco Cavaleri said. "However as autumn approaches we need to prepare for a new wave of infections in line with the trend shown by the virus in the past two years," Cavaleri said, speaking at a European Medicines Agency press conference. The EMA did not give exact figures. US President Joe Biden, in an interview aired by CBS on Sunday, said the pandemic was over in the United States. "The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lot of work on it... but the pandemic is over," Biden told the CBS news programme "60 Minutes" in an interview taped as he walked the floor of the Detroit Auto Show last week. The Amsterdam-based EMA however said it still considered the pandemic as ongoing on the continent. "What is clear to me and what should be very clear from Dr. Cavaleri's presentation is that we in Europe still consider the pandemic as ongoing," its chief medical officer Steffen Thirstrup told journalists in the online meeting. "It is important that member states prepare the roll-out of the vaccines and especially the adaptive vaccines to prevent further spread of this disease in Europe," he said. The EMA last week approved the first vaccinean adaptive version of Pfizer/BioNTech's Comirnatyto specifically target the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 types of the coronavirus' Omicron variant. The vaccine also targets "the original strain of SARS-CoV-2" and comes 11 days after the drug watchdog approved vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna against the Omicron BA.1 variant. Some countries like Portugal and Denmark were already rolling out these vaccines, particularly to the elderly, but in other European countries people showed resistance to the idea of getting yet another COVID shot. "We've seen polls in the Netherlands and Hungary pointing to a large degree of hesitancy among the general population for having these boosters," he said. "I find it very concerning," he said. 2022 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain One of the sessions at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm, Sweden (19-23 September) focuses on how the environmental footprint of diabetes care can be mitigated. The presentation will be given by Dr. Fiona Adshead, Chair, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, Newton Abbot, UK. "In the last few months, the impact of climate change has become clear with floods, fires and heatwaves becoming part of our daily news," says Dr. Adshead. "The human cost is huge and yet the stark reality is that climate change is manmade. Solving this crisis requires transformative change. Each country needs to undergo a green transition to achieve a net zero economy. Each sector needs to act, and healthcare must play its part." "First do no harm" is a core value underpinning healthcare, and yet an unintended consequence of its delivery is its own contribution to global warming. Healthcare is estimated to contribute 4.4% of global net greenhouse gas emissions, so any effective national green transition must include a net zero health system. Achieving a net zero health system is based ultimately on clinical transformation, how care is delivered that not only improves health outcomes and financial efficiency but also reduces environmental impact. In effect, a consideration of environmental impact must become part of every health care decision. Dr. Adshead discusses: How the UK's National Health Service is becoming a net-zero health system and place this in a global context. Why the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition was created by the NHS to bring companies together to respond to the evidence that pharmaceutical products and medical devices were accountable for much of the NHS's carbon footprint. How by sharing data and expertise, the group was able to create the world's-first GHG life cycle assessment guidance on how to measure the carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals and medical devices; one of the key building blocks to assess environmental impact. one of the key building blocks to assess environmental impact. The opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of diabetes care that will be highlighted through a case study referring to Novo Nordisk, a major manufacturer of diabetes and obesity medications, showing how care pathways assessment methodology guidance has been applied to diabetes, through "take back" schemes and the emerging area of reducing the impact of clinical trials. How several international collaborations are accelerating action and bringing together stakeholders for transformative change. Dr. Adshead says that addressing the environmental impact of diabetes care is integral to the transition towards tomorrow's net-zero health systems and today's tools, collaborations and partnerships can help make this happen. She notes, "Every health care decision needs to reduce environmental impact as well as improve health outcomes, and we know from case studies that reducing environmental impact can improve health outcomes at the same time. "Clinical trials are key to developing innovative new treatments. Globally we estimate they generate around 100 megatonnes CO 2 emissions per year, about the same as the whole of Belgium. Reducing their impact is key and that's why we are developing an approach to help make this happen. One aspect we are looking at is reducing the travel footprint associated with clinical trials." Dr. Adshead will give her presentation during the session "The heat is on! Diabetes and climate change" on September 21, 2022. Explore further Reducing the environmental impact of global health aid is essential, expert says Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain New research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm, Sweden (19-23 Sept) indicates that type 2 diabetes (T2D) takes a greater toll on the mortality and life expectancy of women, younger people and smokers. A woman with T2D has 60% increased chance of an early death and will live five years less than the average woman in the general population. Men with T2D, meanwhile, have a 44% increased risk of dying prematurely and live 4.5 years less, indicates the modeling by Mike Stedman, of Res Consortium, a healthcare consultancy in Andover, UK, and Dr. Adrian Heald, of Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK and colleagues. Smoking shortens the life expectancy of people with T2D by ten years, while diagnosis at an earlier age (before the age of 65) reduces life expectancy by over eight years. As many as 3.5 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with T2D, the most common form of the condition, with numbers expected to rise in future years. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people, but onset at a younger age is becoming more common globally. People in England with diabetes are known to have a 50 to 70% higher risk of dying prematurely than individuals without diabetes (this is known as the age-standardized mortality ratio or SMR). Little is known, however, about how demographic and lifestyle factors might affect the size of this risk. The researchers worked out the life expectancy of T2D patients in Salford, UK (11,806 participants, 55% male, average age 66.2 years) over a ten-year period and compared this to life expectancy figures for the general population of the same age and sex. They then looked at the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors on mortality rate and life expectancy of the individuals with T2D. The data used included the participants' health records from 2010 to 2020 (stopping before the COVID-19 pandemic), Office for National Statistics information on life expectancy of the general population and information from the Index of Multiple Deprivation. A total of 3,921 of the participants died (2,080 men) during the ten years studied, compared to an expected 2,135, giving a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.84, meaning that the risk of an early death was 84% higher in people with diabetes than in the general population. The increased risk of early death was greater for women with T2D than for men with T2D (96% vs. 74% greater risk of early death). This surprised the researchers because T2D is generally assumed to have a greater effect on men's health than on women's. When the results were adjusted to take into account levels of deprivation (Salford is one of the most disadvantaged areas of England), those with T2D still had a significantly higher risk of an early death. With adjustment for deprivation, a woman with T2D was 60% more likely to die early than someone in the general population, while a man with T2D was 44% more likely to die prematurely. The results also suggest that T2D has a greater effect on the life expectancy of people diagnosed at a younger age. Those diagnosed below 65 years old had a 93% higher risk of an early death and lived more than eight years less than people of the same age in the general population. Those diagnosed at 65 and older lost less than 2 years. Smoking had the largest effect on the mortality and life expectancy of people with T2D. The modeling found that people with T2D who smoked were 2.5 times more likely to die prematurely than people in the general population. Smokers with T2D lived ten years less than people in the general population; non-smokers and ex-smokers with T2D lost three years of life expectancy. The modeling found that a female smoker who was diagnosed before the age of 65 was 3.75 times more likely to die prematurely and lived 15 years less than a woman in the general population of the same age. Dr. Heald says, "Our modeling suggests that type 2 diabetes has a greater effect on the life expectancy of women, smokers and those diagnosed at a younger age. "A woman with type 2 diabetes, for example, might live five years less than the average woman in the general population, while someone diagnosed at a younger age might lose eight years of life expectancy. "It is vital that the groups at the highest risk are made aware of not just the increased risk that they face but also the size of the risk. Doing so may make the health advice they are given seem more relevant and so help them make changes that can improve their qualityand lengthof life." Explore further Smoking, physical inactivity associated with early death of people with type 2 diabetes and certain cancers Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain While social distancing and wearing masks kept the 20212022 flu season milder than pre-pandemic levels, experts who expect flu cases to rise this year as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted are urging people to get their flu vaccine to prevent the nation's health care system from being overwhelmed by influenza and the pandemic. David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, discusses what you can do to protect yourself during the upcoming flu season. What can we learn from last year's flu season and what should we expect this year? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 20212022 flu season was mild and driven by A(H3N2), a strain that was covered in last year's vaccination and is being included in 20222023 vaccines. The CDC's preliminary figures from last season show 8,000,000 to 13,000,000 flu illnesses, 82,000 to 170,000 flu hospitalizations and 5,000 to 14,000 flu deaths. However, as precautions loosen, we are seeing rates rise. Pediatric deaths, for example, rose from one death in the 20202021 season to 33 this past season. In comparison, 199 children died from influenza in the 201920 flu season. When is the optimal time to get a flu shot? The CDC recommends that people age 6 months or older receive flu vaccinations, which is effective for about six months, by late October. The vaccine is effective for about six months so if you get vaccinated too early there is a chance your immunity might wane. Certain children may need a booster shot after the initial vaccination. Check with your doctor. The nasal mist vaccine is an effective alternative for people between ages 2 to 49 with normal immune systems. It is not for pregnant women, children receiving aspirin or asthmatics under age 4. Can you get COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time? Yes. The CDC originally recommended a two-week spacing between COVID-19 and other vaccinations, since it was closely monitoring reactions for this new vaccine. Now you can get your COVID-19 shot or booster and flu vaccination at the same time. Studies show having them together does not affect efficacy. Who is especially vulnerable for contracting the flu? Everyone 6 months of age or older should be vaccinated, but it is especially important for those who are at higher risk for complications and mortality. The CDC estimates that 70% to 90% of annual flu deaths are in people over 65. Vaccination is important for people with chronic conditions like heart disease and is also critical for caretakers and essential workers who are more likely to transmit the virus if not vaccinated. Pregnant women should receive the flu shot to prevent severe symptoms and help confer some immunity to their newborns. Black, Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Natives also had higher rates of hospitalization and intensive care unit admission for the flu according to the CDC, so flu vaccination is important. How can one person's flu vaccination possibly save lives? As we have seen with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, people can unknowingly have the flu and gravely affect vulnerable elderly, children and those who have impaired immune systems, such as cancer patients and people with HIV or pulmonary disease. The more you suppress influenza through vaccination, the less opportunity the virus has to mutate and infect more people. You'll also have lower viral loads and will shed the virusand be infectiousfor shorter periods of time. How can a flu shot help me if I do contract the flu? Getting a flu shot reduces your odds of getting sick. If you do, your illness would be less severe. A 2018 study found that flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit with flu by 59% and a 2014 study showed that flu vaccination reduced children's risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit admission by 74%. How are the coronavirus and the flu similar and different? Both are spread predominantly through respiratory droplets and contact. There seem to be more asymptomatic cases of coronavirus than influenza, but both are capable of being spread before a person knows they are infectedabout one to two days before symptoms appear. Influenza contagiousness is usually over within a week, while coronavirus is around 10 days. Both can cause a spectrum of illness ranging from mild to critical illness and death. Flu symptoms can be confused with COVID-19. If you start feeling ill, it is important to quarantine and test for COVID-19 to rule it out. Are influenza vaccines safe? Flu vaccines are the most tested and adverse effects are small. Extremely rare side effectslike allergic reactioncan happen, but the risk is still lower than with many other common medications. Unless someone with an egg allergy has had an allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, they should get the vaccine. If their allergy is serious, they should be monitored while taking the shot. Also, there are two vaccines not made in eggs: rIIV, a recombinant protein, and ccIIV, which is made in cell culture. Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over others? Yes, for some people. For the 20222023 flu season, the CDC preferentially recommends three vaccines for people 65 years and olderFluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine or Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccineover standard-dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. Can you get the flu from the flu vaccine? The vaccine takes two weeks to be effective, so people still could contract the flu during this period. The vaccine exposes your body to a weakened form of the virus, which allows you to mount an immune response. Essentially, you are getting a "mini flu" illness, which is why some people may feel ill after getting the vaccine. Explore further Experts say now is the time to get your flu shot Provided by Rutgers University-New Brunswick Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain What will the next pandemic look like? Health officials from across the globe gathered in Geneva in late August at a World Health Organization meeting to focus on how lessons learned from COVID-19 might best prepare civilization for the "next one." Titled "Scientific Strategies from Recent Outbreaks to Help Us Prepare for Pathogen X," the conference brought together leaders in research, pharma, government and nonprofits. Among the speakers was Jun Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Wang has conducted extensive research into antiviral drug resistancewhen influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 evolve and are no longer affected by medicines designed to treat them. Wang discusses some of the big ideas coming out of the conference. What makes world health leaders so sure there will be another pandemic? If you look at history, you can see that infectious disease pandemics are occurring more frequently. The human population is growing. We keep encroaching upon, invading the territory of wild animals that are reservoirs of pathogensviruses, bacteria, and other deadly microbes. It is highly likely that, just as we saw with COVID-19, new pathogens will continue to jump species as human territory overlaps with that of wild animals. When it comes to discussing "the next one," it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. What will 'Pathogen X' be like? It's possible it could be an entirely new pathogen that jumps species, moving from infecting an animal to sickening humans. But we know about the most obvious candidates for Pathogen X because these infectious diseases are already out there from recent decades: flu, Zika virus, Ebola, dengue, Nipah, Rift Valley fever and monkeypox. They have already killed and harmed people but have not spread throughout human populations on the scale of COVID. However, those bugs continue to evolve and, sooner or later, with the extent of human travel and population growth, any one of them might become widespread and cause big problems. If we don't know for sure what the nature of Pathogen X will be, can we actually prepare? Are there lessons learned from COVID-19 that apply, nonetheless? We certainly can prepareand we must. We've learned many lessons from our battle with COVID and we can apply many of those insights now. First, we should start developing vaccines and antivirals for the high-priority pathogens listed by the World Health Organization. The goal is to have drug candidates that pass Phase I clinical trials so they can be immediately available for Phase II and III trials when outbreaks emerge. Second, we need to study drug resistance in parallel to drug development. We know resistance is inevitable. Related to our research at Rutgers, we are currently working on predicting how SARS-CoV-2 can evade Pfizer's oral drug nirmatrelvir. It's just like playing chess, right? We must be one step ahead. If we know, we can start to design the second generation of drugs to escape the resistance problem. Third, we learned about the value of disease detection and making testing kits widely available. Antivirals typically only work at the early stage of infection, so a fast and accurate testing kit is essential. Combating a pandemic requires consolidated efforts from basic science researchers, clinicians, government agents, biotech companies, pharmaceutical industries and the whole society. How can you speed up clinical trials? How can you speed regulatory approval? With COVID, we did come up with vaccines and some treatments quickly, but we will need to work harder and creating new, more adaptable systems to allow more innovations to move through the system more quickly. Those are key issues that must be solved if we want to do better in the next event. What's an important message you would like the public to know from your own experiences and insight? The public generally pays more attention to chronic diseases than it does to infectious diseases. Perhaps that's because so many survivors of chronic disease are among us, often in pain, while those who contract infectious diseases either pass away or recover without treatment, so they do think it is important. With COVID, we lost over 6.5 million people worldwide. So the important message for Pathogen X is basically that we should devote more funding and resources for infectious diseases. We can never, never underestimate the evolutionary power of pathogens. Explore further Key antiviral treatment for COVID-19 still effective despite resistance fears Huge clumps of E. coli (red) infecting diabetic mouse bladder. Credit: Soumitra Mohanty Lower immunity and recurring infections are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that the immune systems of people with diabetes have lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, which compromises the urinary bladder's cell barrier, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. The study is published in Nature Communications. Diabetes results from lack of insulin and/or decreased insulin action. Insulin is a hormone that regulates glucose (sugar) and thus energy to the cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body stops producing insulin, while in type 2 diabetes, the cells have become less sensitive to insulin, which contributes to high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is a common disease that affects the health in many ways. One effect is that it compromises the innate immune system, leaving many people with increased susceptibility to regular infections, such as urinary tract infections (UTI)s caused by E. coli bacteria. In people with diabetes, these are more likely to lead to general blood poisoning (sepsis) originating in the urinary tract. An endogenous antibiotic Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now investigated whether glucose levels in people with diabetes (type 1, type 2, or prediabetes) are linked with psoriasin, an endogenous antibiotic which is a part of the innate immune system. Using urine, urinary bladder cells and blood serum samples from patients, the researchers analyzed levels of psoriasin and other peptides necessary for ensuring that the bladder mucosa remains intact and protects against infection. The findings were then verified in mice and urinary bladder cells with and without infection. "We found that high glucose concentrations reduce the levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, while insulin has no effect," says Annelie Brauner, professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet who led the study. "People with diabetes have lower levels of psoriasin, which weakens the cells' protective barrier function and increases the risk of bladder infection." Estrogen therapy reduces bacterial population Professor Brauner's research group has previously shown that treatment with estrogen restores the protective function of bladder cells in humans and mice and thereby help to regulate the immune response to a UTI. The researchers therefore tested how estrogen treatment affects infected cells exposed to high glucose concentrations. They found that the treatment boosted levels of psoriasin and reduced bacterial populations, indicating that the treatment may have an effect also among patients with diabetes. "We now plan to probe deeper into the underlying mechanisms of infections in individuals with diabetes," says the study's lead author Soumitra Mohanty, researcher at the same department at Karolinska Institutet. "The ultimate goal is to reduce the risk of infection in this growing patient group." The study was conducted in collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Capio and Uppsala University in Sweden and Universitatsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Explore further New findings may reduce the risk of infection for patients with urinary catheters More information: Diabetes downregulates the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin and increases E. coli burden in the urinary bladder, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Diabetes downregulates the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin and increases E. coli burden in the urinary bladder,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32636-y Dr. Chung Sub Kim. Credit: Michael Holahan, Augusta University Social avoidance is a common symptom of PTSD, and scientists working to better understand why have laboratory evidence that while stress hormone levels consistently increase in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, there can be polar opposite consequences in parts of the brain down the line. In response to a significant stressor and a subsequent surge of stress hormones, some rodent models experience the expected short-term increase in the excitability of neurons in areas of their brain key to memory and to how they see their environment, as part of the natural instinct to fight or flee. Other genetically identical mice instead experience a decrease in neuron excitability in this key area called the dorsal hippocampus, Dr. Chung Sub Kim, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his colleagues report in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Too little neuronal activity in the hippocampus has been linked to PTSD in humans; and detailed brain imaging of people with PTSD indicates structural and functional changes in key brain areas, like the hippocampus. Glucocorticoid receptors for the stress hormone cortisol are highly expressed in the hippocampus and have been shown to be more highly expressed in PTSD patients than controls when they reexperience stressful situations. "We are trying to answer the question as to why hippocampal activity is decreased in PTSD or depressed patients," Kim says. "We know it happens, but the mechanism we don't know." One of the things they are finding is that, like humans, some mice just seem more susceptible to a lasting impact from a major and/or chronic stressor and that both their behavior and internal molecular response to stress are distinctive from their more resilient peers. "One was affected directly by stress, and another not so much," Kim says. To mimic stressful scenarios like a bullied child or armed robbery, the scientists created a scenario where a male mouse, which is naturally aggressive, established his territory, then repeatedly attacked another mouse who ventured into that territory. Again, somewhat like human victims, some of the mice did not seem phased after the attack, rather were still naturally inquisitive about the other mouse; while the susceptible mouse clearly avoided The aggressor. In the "susceptible" mice, Kim and his colleagues found increased expression of receptors for stress hormones on neurons in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus of their brain. Those plentiful receptors appeared in turnand perhaps counterintuitivelyto enable elevated expression of the protein HCN1, a natural modulator of neuron activity and connectivity already found in naturally high levels in the hippocampus. HCN1 is a major research focus for Kim, who has evidence that even a single episode of significant stress can further increase HCN1 expression in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus and bring neuron excitability down. Also increased in the susceptible rodents was the protein TRIP8b, which regulates HCN channel levels. "Stress changes everything," Kim says. The scientists found that this cascade resulted in an increase as well in another natural tamping down mechanism, called hyperpolarization-activated current, which was known to be increased by stress but just how was unknown. Again, the changes were specific to the dorsalin humans the back partportion of the hippocampus. Even months later, these levels which drove down neuron excitability remained high, and the susceptible mice continued to avoid contact with the aggressive male mouse. The reduced neuron excitability did not change even in response to direct application of a stress hormone to the neurons, which again should increase neuron excitability. The susceptible mice also experienced impaired spatial working memory, which for humans is basically trouble remembering where you left your car keys and how to get to work. The clearly different expression of the HCN1 protein in this region of the hippocampus may be the molecular mechanism driving susceptibility to social avoidance, Kim and his colleagues write. "They have some malfunction in hippocampal information processing," he says. Whether those changes are permanent is not certain but at three months, a long time in mouse years, they were still present: The average mouse lives maybe two to three years, while the average human in the U.S. lives into their late 70s. But in the "resilient" mice, expression of the stress hormone receptor and HCN channel did not increase, but neuron excitability did, in the immediate aftermath of stress. "There are clearly physical differences in the response to stress in the two mice that correlate with their behavior," Kim says, even though you would not suspect the differences in these genetically identical rodents. More work still needs to be done to understand exactly why some mice are resilient and others are susceptible to emotional trauma, the scientists write. In the mouse, the dorsal hippocampus is more linked to learning and memory while the ventral hippocampus is linked to emotion-related reactions like anxiety, Kim and his colleagues write. Comparatively speaking, the dorsal hippocampus has less neuron excitability and is clearly the most reactive to chronic stress. HCN channels are involved in a variety of physiologic processes like sleep and wake states, taste and fear learning. Work by Kim and others has found evidence of a link between HCN channels and mental diseases, including depression and anxiety. The adrenal gland releases cortisol and adrenaline as well in response to a fearful situation like someone threatening you. The increase helps prepare the body for the so-called protective flight or fight response, by making adjustments like increasing levels of glucose, which your body uses as fuel, while suppressing functions like digestion and reproduction, which are not considered essential in that moment. PTSD has also been shown to produce changes in the amygdala, which helps perceive and store memories of emotions like anger, fear and sadness and recognize threat; and the medial prefrontal cortex, which is thought to be important to cognitive functions like attention, habit formation and long-term memory. Explore further Jumping gene found to be strongly linked to depression, fear and anxiety More information: Jiwon Kim et al, Glucocorticoid-glucocorticoid receptor-HCN1 channels reduce neuronal excitability in dorsal hippocampal CA1 neurons, Molecular Psychiatry (2022). Journal information: Molecular Psychiatry Jiwon Kim et al, Glucocorticoid-glucocorticoid receptor-HCN1 channels reduce neuronal excitability in dorsal hippocampal CA1 neurons,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01682-9 pHLIP-ICG can locate cancerous lesions and illuminate them with a fluorescent molecule, making them potentially easier for surgeons to see and remove. Credit: URI A research team from the University of Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospital in Providence has demonstrated a potential new weapon in the fight against bladder cancer. The researchers showed that a cancer-seeking molecule called pHLIP used in combination with an FDA-approved fluorescent dye called ICG can successfully target tumors in human bladders, lighting up cancerous lesions to make them easier for surgeons to see and remove. In a separate experiment reported in the same study, the researchers showed that pHLIP peptides combined with a powerful toxin called amanitin could penetrate and kill bladder cancer cells in a petri dish. The researchers say the findings could set the stage for a potential clinical trial to test the effectiveness of pHLIP-based treatments in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. "Bladder cancer can be a devastating disease, and case rates are rising particularly here in Rhode Island," said Yana Reshetnyak, a physics professor at URI and a study co-author. "Our results suggest that pHLIP peptides could potentially be used to aid in fluorescence-guided surgeries or in targeting therapeutics to bladder and perhaps other urinary tract cancers." The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Urology. A cancer-seeking peptide Reshetnyak and Oleg Andreev, also a physics professor at URI, have been developing pHLIP technology as a potential cancer-fighter since 2004, as part of an ongoing collaboration with biophysicist Donald Engelman of Yale. The molecule targets cancer cells through their acidity, which is a hallmark of malignant tumors. While the area surrounding healthy cells has a fairly neutral pH of around 7.4, cancer cells have a much lower pH between 5.5 and 6.5 (lower numbers indicate more acidity) in their vicinity. The pHLIP (short of pH-Low Insertion Peptide) molecule is derived from bacteriorhodopsin, a membrane protein that enables some single-celled organisms to convert light to energy. Bacteriorhodopsin consists of seven peptide helices bound together in a protein complex. Experiments by Engelman showed that one of those heliceswhich would eventually become known as pHLIPcould only cross a cell membrane when the surrounding pH is low. When Reshetnyak joined Engelman's lab as a postdoctoral researcher in 2003, she got the idea to try using this helix to seek out cancer cells. "We knew that cancer cells tend to be acidic, and here we had this peptide that only crosses a cell membrane when the pH is low," Reshetnyak said. "That's when we started thinking this might be useful in cancer treatment." She worked with Andreev and Engelman to further study the peptide, showing that it can indeed target cancer cells while leaving surrounding healthy cells untouched. They also showed that they could attach other molecules to pHLIPchemotherapy drugs, immuno-modulating drugs, or fluorescent molecules useful for tumor imaging. The pHLIP peptide could then deliver those molecules directly to cancer cells and either tether them to cell surface or escort them through the cell membrane. A new weapon against bladder cancer To test whether pHLIP agents might be helpful in treating bladder cancer, the pHLIP team worked with Dr. Dragan Golijanin, director of Genitourinary Oncology at The Miriam Hospital. Golijanin's team selected 26 patients whose bladders needed to be removed as part of their cancer treatment. After the bladders were removed, his team injected a solution of pHLIP molecules combined with a fluorescent molecule ICG. Golijanin then used a cystoscope, a small camera placed in the bladder, to examine the inside of each bladder. The experiment showed that pHLIP-ICG illuminated tumors with high specificity and sensitivity. In fact, pHLIP-ICG improved cancer detection by 17% compared to a widely used diagnostic method. Golijanin says the results suggest that pHLIP-ICG has potential for fluorescence-guided surgery. Not only does it find tumors that other techniques miss, it also works faster than other methods, making pHLIP-ICG potentially more practical for use in the operating room. "We showed that you could potentially do cystoscopy by injecting pHLIP-ICG about 15 minutes before the procedure, and you can see all the malignant lesions," Golijanin said. "This could give us better cancer clearance and better resection of tumors at the time of cystoscopy. And it's much less cumbersome than other methods that take at least an hour, which is not a pleasant waiting time for the patient." The results expand pHLIP-ICG's promise in fluorescence-guided surgery. A phase 1 fluorescence-guided surgical clinical trial on breast cancer patients is currently underway at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. These new results suggest that pHLIP-ICG could also aid in bladder cancer surgeries. For the second part of the research, the team tested pHLIP combined with amanitin, a toxin derived from mushrooms. Using several different types of breast and bladder cancer cell lines, the experiments showed that pHLIP-amanitin was able to penetrate and kill cancer cells when their pH was low. Those results suggest that pHLIP-amanitin can successfully target and kill malignant lesions while minimizing effects on surrounding cells with normal pH. A phase one clinical trial led by Cybrexa Therapeutics, is currently testing pHLIP linked to another cytotoxic drug, exatecan. These new results suggest that pHLIP-amanitin could be another potential therapeutic combination. Taken together, the researchers say, the results suggest that pHLIP could be useful in diagnosis as well as surgical and therapeutic treatments of bladder cancer. "This approach to imaging and the approach to treatment go hand-in-hand because they follow the sample principle," Golijanin said. "I think it has the potential to revolutionize how we treat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer." More information: Anna Moshnikova et al, Targeting bladder urothelial carcinoma with pHLIP-ICG and inhibition of urothelial cancer cell proliferation by pHLIP-amanitin, Frontiers in Urology (2022). Anna Moshnikova et al, Targeting bladder urothelial carcinoma with pHLIP-ICG and inhibition of urothelial cancer cell proliferation by pHLIP-amanitin,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fruro.2022.868919 Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111369 The Laboratory of Neuroimmunology of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest (IEM), Hungary, led by Adam Denes, describes the presence of a direct interaction site between microglial cells and the cell body of developing neurons, and reveals its role during brain development. The discovery may be of importance for developmental disorders affecting the nervous system. The study presenting the results of the research was published in Cell Reports. The scientific community knows microglia as the main immune cell of the central nervous system and as the main regulator of inflammatory processes in the brain. The role of inflammatory processes and microglia is also increasingly recognized in neurodevelopmental disorders. The investigation of the role of microglia in physiological and pathological conditions has become a dynamically developing research field in recent years. The research group has accumulated a significant amount of knowledge in the field of microglia-neuron cell communication, and several of their publications on this subject have received international attention. They have discovered a novel form of communication established by direct contacts between microglia and the cell body of nerve cells, named somatic microglia-neuron junctions, and revealed the role of these specialized contact sites in microglia-mediated protection of injured neurons. Although the important role played by microglia during brain development had been suggested by many previous studies, the exact cellular communication pathways enabling microglia to influence the development of neurons and the formation of neural networks in the brain has been unclear. Microglia (green) contact newborn neurons (red) in mouse hippocampus. Credit: Institute pf Experimental Medicine, EOTVOS LORAND Research Network In particular, it was not well understood how and through what types of connections developing neurons that have not yet established interaction with other neurons in the absence of synapses may recieve guidance from microglial cells to develop into complex networks in the developing neocortex. Among the members of Adam Denes' research group, Csaba Cserep and his student Dora Anett Schwarcz played an outstanding role in the implementation of the research program, with further contribution of the research group of Istvan Katona at IEM. During their investigations, the researchers used both high-resolution molecular anatomy techniques, combined light and electron microscopy, and ex vivo imaging studies. Using a multifaceted approach, the researchers proved the presence of direct connections between microglia and developing neurons both during embryonic development and after birth. "The special, dynamically changing anatomical connections between microglia and developing, immature neurons are similar to the previously discovered somatic microglial junctions in many ways, and their special molecular composition and ultrastructure enable microglia to continuously monitor and effectively influence the development and integration of neurons into complex networks," said Csaba Cserep, the first author of the work. When the researchers inhibited the communication through the key microglial receptors that are highly enriched at these sites, the development of the normal structure of the cerebral cortex was disturbed. Therefore, microglia should be considered an important regulatory cell type of brain development via these special interaction sites and beyond. "More thorough understanding of microglial mechanisms that are required for the proper development of the brain may help to find novel therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders and other forms of brain diseases that represent an unresolved challenge worldwide," concluded Adam Denes group-leader, the last author of the publication. Explore further Synapse-related genes in microglia are changed by contextual fear conditioning More information: Csaba Cserep et al, Microglial control of neuronal development via somatic purinergic junctions, Cell Reports (2022). Journal information: Cell Reports Csaba Cserep et al, Microglial control of neuronal development via somatic purinergic junctions,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111369 Provided by Institute of Experimental Medicine Wizz Air, a leading sustainable airline in Europe, has reported high passenger numbers between June and August, having carried almost 13 million passengers during the peak summer months, representing a 76% growth year-on-year. Over the summer, Wizz Air has continued to expand its network, adding 63 new routes to 38 diverse and exciting destinations across Europe and beyond. The airline welcomed 13 brand new Airbus aircraft between June and August, taking the size of its fleet to 165. The airlines ultra-modern and efficient fleet strengthens its position as one of the worlds most sustainable airlines, and will enable Wizz Air to further reduce its environmental footprint by 25% per passenger kilometre by the end of the decade. Wizz Air is committed to growing and diversifying its UK network, and now operates more than 60 routes from across the UK. Reaffirming its continued investment in the market, the airline recently announced that it is launching nine new routes from London Luton and Gatwick Airport this autumn, to destinations including Tallin, Estonia; Hurghada, Egypt; Prague, Czech Republic; Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; Agadir, Morocco; Marrakesh, Morocco; Grenoble, France; and Verona, Italy. Evelin Jeckel, Network Officer at Wizz Air said: We are proud to have flown a record number of passengers over the peak summer season, especially given the well-documented challenges facing the entire travel industry. The three months were another exciting period of expansion, with some major highlights, including the announcement of 20 new routes from across Europe to Saudi Arabia and the launch of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi flights to Kuwait and the Maldives from October. Not only this, but we have relaunched a number of routes in time for the winter season from bases across Europe, giving our customers even more choice when deciding on their next destination. We want to thank our loyal customers for continuing to choose Wizz Air for its low fares, diverse route network, great onboard service, and ultra-efficient aircraft. TradeArabia News Service People wearing pedometers walk more than those without a tracker, even if they don't see the step count. Credit: BYU Photo Almost half of American adults don't meet recommended weekly physical activity levels, but new BYU research suggests a surprisingly simple way to help increase exercise time: just strap on an activity monitor. The study found that those wearing a pedometer walked an average of 318 more steps per day than those without a tracker, even if the walkers had no specific fitness goals or incentives, and even when they couldn't see the step count the pedometer kept. "Humans are hardwired to respond to what is being measured because if it's being measured, it feels like it matters," said BYU Marriott School of Business professor Bill Tayler, an author of the paper. "When people go get an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, of course it's going to affect their behavior; they obtained the device with the goal of walking more. But it's helpful for individuals to know that even without trying, just being aware that something is tracking your steps increases your activity." Since modest increases in physical activity have cumulative benefits, the study's findings may also be useful to those in healthcare or businesses that have a vested interest in public health. "If I were an insurance executive, I'd be interested to know that you can hand out basic fitness trackers to people, and as long as they put them on, they're going to walk more," Tayler said. To determine how being monitored affected people's step counts, the research team came up with an ingenious experiment design. "We wanted to find out, absent goals and incentives, does simply tracking fitness change behavior? Until this study, no one had convincingly shown what we've shownfrom an academic point of view, it turns out this is a super hard question to answer," Tayler said. That's because to prove that people walk more with a pedometer, researchers need to know either 1) how much people walk before they put on the pedometer or 2) how much they walk compared to another group of randomly selected people who are not wearing a pedometerbaseline measurements that both require a pedometer. The team's workaround was to use the iPhone's default step tracking feature, which few people were aware existed when the researchers began gathering data. "It was a bit of a sneaky way to get the data we needed," Tayler said. At the start of the study, the team asked all 90 participants' permission to pull information generally from their phones, without telling them that their step counts from the weeks prior were being recorded. This provided the elusive baseline measure of how much participants walked when they weren't being actively monitored. The team then gave some of the participants a pedometer without a display, while keeping the rest of the participants in the dark about the study's purpose. After another two weeks, the researchers again accessed step count data from the subjects' iPhones and saw that wearing a pedometer was associated with higher step counts. "Measurement and tracking precede improvement," said BYU graduate Christian Tadje, who spearheaded the research as a student working with the Healthcare Industry Research Collaborative. "If you want something to improvefor example, a key performance indicator in the workplace or a personal health goalour study shows that you should consider tracking your progress." The paper was published in the American Journal of Health Behavior and additionally coauthored by BYU professors James LeCheminant and Joe Price. Explore further Does a Fitbit make you more active? More information: William B. Tayler et al, The Effect of Wearable Activity Monitor Presence on Step Counts, American Journal of Health Behavior (2022). William B. Tayler et al, The Effect of Wearable Activity Monitor Presence on Step Counts,(2022). DOI: 10.5993/AJHB.46.4.1 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain New research, led by the University of Glasgow and published in the British Journal of General Practice, assessed patient data from across the U.K. and found that not enough people with chronic kidney disease were routinely being given this recommended test. The study results have prompted renewed calls from kidney specialists to encourage more patients to be given access to this test. Chronic kidney disease is a long-term condition, where the kidneys don't work as well as they should. It's a common condition, with 1015% of the general population affected. However, in the early stages it rarely has symptoms, and most people are unaware they have it. While it can affect anyone, it is often associated with getting older, and it is more common in people who are black or of south Asian origin. Only a very small number of people (1 to 4%) with chronic kidney disease will progress to kidney failure requiring treatment, either dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, by using a series of simple blood and urine tests, GPs could help identify more high-risk people and refer them to hospital before they progress to this late stage. In turn, nephrologists (kidney specialists) may be able to slow patients' progression to kidney failure, or prepare them for dialysis or transplantation, ultimately saving lives. In 2021 NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines on chronic kidney disease recommended the use of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE), which includes measurement of protein in the urine (albuminuria). The KFRE allows doctors to define an individual's risk of kidney failure, allowing those most at risk to be referred for specialist care in a timely way. The KFRE test is currently available for anybody with chronic kidney disease stage 3 or worse. However, in this study researchers found that the KFRE test is only probably performed in a tiny minority of those eligible, largely due to lack of awareness. Despite chronic kidney disease being a common condition, many patients do not know they have it and they may not understand the importance of attending for blood tests and of providing urine samples. Albuminuria tests are cheap and easy, available to everybody, and ideally should be performed in anybody with chronic kidney disease at least once a year. The study shows that, currently, this only happens in around 2025% of people with chronic kidney disease. Without the albuminuria tests, patients cannot have KFRE tested and therefore may miss out on important treatments. Researchers estimate around 7580% of people with chronic kidney disease are not routinely having their urine tested for albuminuria, and may therefore be missing out on early, preventative treatments to reduce risk of kidney failure, heart disease and death. The research also found that KFRE test results were more likely to be elevated in non-white ethnic groups, in-keeping with the previous literature suggesting that non-white people are at the greatest risk of chronic kidney disease progression. University of Glasgow researcher and a NHS kidney specialist, Dr. Jennifer Lees, said, "Kidney disease is common amongst adults, but only a small number of people need to see kidney specialists. It is important that all people with kidney disease receive the right treatments at the right time, and these blood and urine tests are an easy way to ensure this happens. Our research shows that at present, not enough people with kidney disease have their urine tested, and therefore may be missing out on the best treatments." Dr. Michael Sullivan, from the University of Glasgow's School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, said, "GPs need to identify which patients will benefit most from referral to hospital clinics. The KFRE is effective at helping GPs identify and refer these patients early, before kidney disease becomes more advanced. More patients with kidney disease need to have access to this new tool. Our research shows that for this to be possible, more patients need to bring urine samples to their GP." For this study the researchers studied more than 1.8 million patients in SAIL (The Secure Anonymized Information Linkage Databank, a national data safe haven of deidentified datasets principally about the population of Wales) and around 465,000 UK Biobank participants. The paper "Potential impact of NICE guidelines on referrals from primary care to nephrology" is published in the British Journal of General Practice. Explore further Kidney failure risk equation bests eGFR for predicting ESKD More information: Potential impact of NICE guidelines on referrals from primary care to nephrology. British Journal of General Practice. ISSN 0960-1643 Journal information: British Journal of General Practice Potential impact of NICE guidelines on referrals from primary care to nephrology.. ISSN 0960-1643 researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/4666598 (In Press) Studying beta-amyloids as abnormal proteins that cause Alzheimers disease has not translated into a useful drug or therapy. Credit: Shutterstock The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies. In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer's, may have been based on fabricated data. One year earlier, in June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved aducanumab, an antibody-targeting beta-amyloid, as a treatment for Alzheimer's, even though the data supporting its use were incomplete and contradictory. Some physicians believe aducanumab never should have been approved, while others maintain it should be given a chance. With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind? Escaping the beta-amyloid rut For years, scientists have been focused on trying to come up with new treatments for Alzheimer's by preventing the formation of brain-damaging clumps of this mysterious protein called beta-amyloid. In fact, we scientists have arguably got ourselves into a bit of an intellectual rut concentrating almost exclusively on this approach, often neglecting or even ignoring other possible explanations. Regrettably, this dedication to studying the abnormal protein clumps has not translated into a useful drug or therapy. The need for a new "out-of-the-clump" way of thinking about Alzheimer's is emerging as a top priority in brain science. My laboratory at the Krembil Brain Institute, part of the University Health Network in Toronto, is devising a new theory of Alzheimer's disease, which was recently described in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. Based on our past 30 years of research, we no longer think of Alzheimer's as primarily a disease of the brain. Rather, we believe that Alzheimer's is principally a disorder of the immune system within the brain. The immune system, found in every organ in the body, is a collection of cells and molecules that work in harmony to help repair injuries and protect from foreign invaders. When a person trips and falls, the immune system helps to mend the damaged tissues. When someone experiences a viral or bacterial infection, the immune system helps in the fight against these microbial invaders. The exact same processes are present in the brain. When there is head trauma, the brain's immune system kicks into gear to help repair. When bacteria are present in the brain, the immune system is there to fight back. Alzheimer's as autoimmune disease We believe that beta-amyloid is not an abnormally produced protein, but rather is a normally occurring molecule that is part of the brain's immune system. It is supposed to be there. When brain trauma occurs or when bacteria are present in the brain, beta-amyloid is a key contributor to the brain's comprehensive immune response. And this is where the problem begins. Because of striking similarities between the fat molecules that make up both the membranes of bacteria and the membranes of brain cells, beta-amyloid cannot tell the difference between invading bacteria and host brain cells, and mistakenly attacks the very brain cells it is supposed to be protecting. This leads to a chronic, progressive loss of brain cell function, which ultimately culminates in dementiaall because our body's immune system cannot differentiate between bacteria and brain cells. When regarded as a misdirected attack by the brain's immune system on the very organ it is supposed to be defending, Alzheimer's disease emerges as an autoimmune disease. There are many types of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which autoantibodies play a crucial role in the development of the disease, and for which steroid-based therapies can be effective. But these therapies will not work against Alzheimer's disease. The brain is a very special and distinctive organ, recognized as the most complex structure in the universe. In our model of Alzheimer's, beta-amyloid helps to protect and bolster our immune system, but unfortunately, it also plays a central role in the autoimmune process that, we believe, may lead to the development of Alzheimer's. Though drugs conventionally used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases may not work against Alzheimer's, we strongly believe that targeting other immune-regulating pathways in the brain will lead us to new and effective treatment approaches for the disease. Other theories of the disease In addition to this autoimmune theory of Alzheimer's, many other new and varied theories are beginning to appear. For example, some scientists believe that Alzheimer's is a disease of tiny cellular structures called mitochondriathe energy factories in every brain cell. Mitochondria convert oxygen from the air we breathe and glucose from the food we eat into the energy required for remembering and thinking. Some maintain that it is the end-result of a particular brain infection, with bacteria from the mouth often being suggested as the culprit. Still others suggest that the disease may arise from an abnormal handling of metals within the brain, possibly zinc, copper or iron. It is gratifying to see new thinking about this age-old disease. Dementia currently affects more than 50 million people worldwide, with a new diagnosis being made every three seconds. Often, people living with Alzheimer's disease are unable to recognize their own children or even their spouse of more than 50 years. Alzheimer's is a public health crisis in need of innovative ideas and fresh directions. For the well-being of the people and families living with dementia, and for the socioeconomic impact on our already stressed health-care system coping with the ever-escalating costs and demands of dementia, we need a better understanding of Alzheimer's, its causes, and what we can do to treat it and to help the people and families who are living with it. Explore further Progress on early detection of Alzheimer's disease More information: Felix S. MeierStephenson et al, Alzheimer's disease as an autoimmune disorder of innate immunity endogenously modulated by tryptophan metabolites, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions (2022). Journal information: Nature , Science Felix S. MeierStephenson et al, Alzheimer's disease as an autoimmune disorder of innate immunity endogenously modulated by tryptophan metabolites,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12283 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. NEW YORK (AP) New York City will lift its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private-sector employers on Nov. 1, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday in another sign of the citys gradual return to pre-pandemic norms. The city began requiring almost all private businesses to ban unvaccinated employees from the workplace in December 2021, just as the Omicron wave began claiming hundreds of lives in the city. It remains the largest place in the U.S. to have made vaccines mandatory as a workplace safety measure. Some workers who refused the shots were fired. The mandate also grabbed attention for its potential impact on professional sports, though just before the Yankees and Mets began their seasons, Adams gave a special exemption to athletes and entertainers. Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving had famously been barred from playing in home games because of the city's vaccine rules. Adams, a Democrat, announced the relaxation of the rules at a City Hall news conference where he got his own updated COVID-19 booster shot. Employers will be free to continue requiring workers to get vaccinated as a condition of employment. This puts the choice in the hands of New York businesses," Adams said. Proof of vaccination will for the time being still be required for municipal workers, including police officers, firefighters and teachers, the mayor said. The city is still in the process of firing hundreds of workers who refused the shots. Were in a steady phase of pivot and shift. We do things, we roll things out slowly. Right now, that is not on the radar for us, he said. Most Broadway theaters stopped requiring proof of vaccination over the summer, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this month that masks were no longer required on public transportation, including subway trains and stations. Asked about the differing rules for public and private employees, city Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said, We're looking at all of our policies and thinking about a glide path towards normal. President Joe Biden has announced a new initiative that would eventually allow consumers to see a more complete price on airline tickets before they buy them. That would include baggage and change fees. The White House says the proposed rule from the Department of Transportation will prevent airlines from hiding the true cost of airline tickets, which would help consumers save money up front and encourage more competition among airlines to offer better fares. The requirement will apply not only to airlines directly but also on third-party search sites such as Kayak and Expedia. The rule would need to go through a 60-day comment period before final approval. In his first Missoula City Council meeting as mayor Monday night, Jordan Hess presided over a decision to select his replacement as council vice president. Council voted in Ward 5 Representative Stacie Anderson on Monday. The only other nominee was Ward 6 council member Sandra Vasecka. I look forward to working with all of you and thank you, Ms. Vasecka, for your willingness to serve as well, said Anderson, who will preside over council meetings if the mayor and president are absent. Six council members voted for Anderson: Gwen Jones, Mike Nugent, Jennifer Savage, Heidi West, Mirtha Becerra and Anderson herself. Three councilors voted for Vasecka: Daniel Carlino, Kristen Jordan and Vasecka. John Contos and Amber Sherrill were absent Monday. Ward 2 council member Mirtha Becerra nominated Anderson. I think that shes been wanting to serve and I think its important to have someone who wants to be in that role, Becerra said. I think that she brings experience and an attitude of collaboration and I feel confident that she will do a great job along (with) President Jones in providing guidance to this council, representing this council and being our council ambassadors in the community. Jones echoed Becerras support for Anderson, noting the position usually goes to council members based on seniority. I appreciate people throwing their hat into the ring to basically sign up for more work in what is already not necessarily a well-paid position, so I appreciate that, Jones said. I appreciate people stepping up. I think I will support Stacie in this, Jones went on. Shes been on council not quite as long as me but a long time. Anderson was elected to council in 2017. Vasecka, meanwhile, nominated herself. Theres no doubt that Stacie would be great at this job, Vasecka said. I also think that I would be good at it as well. Ive had years of experience collaborating with folks that dont agree with me and I think that I would take on this role very seriously. I would put aside personal beliefs to work together and collaborate, and I believe that I would be able to work with Gwen and work with Jordan in dispatching the duties of vice president in case you two arent available for the night. Carlino and Jordan voted across the political aisle in support of Vasecka, citing a desire for a diversity of voices representing the citys government. I think both nominees would be great at being vice president, Carlino said. I think Im going to actually vote for Sandy on this one just because of her firm commitment to free speech and seeing all sides to the issue, not to say that Stacie doesnt do that as well, but I just think a balance in leadership as well could be good, but I think either nominee would be great for vice president. One public commenter each spoke in favor of Anderson and Vasecka during the meeting. Low teacher pay and educational equity topped the public education topics at a City Club Missoula event on Monday afternoon. Experts included McCall Flynn, executive director of the Montana Board of Public Education, Lance Melton, executive director of the Montana School Board Association and State Representative David Bedey (R-Hamilton), who also chairs the Legislatures Education Interim Budget Committee. I think a compelling case for change can be made that our current education system is based upon a model that was appropriate and highly effective in the 1900s when we were industrializing this country, Bedey said. But now the economy has changed and the approach that we need to education is different. Recently, the constitutional authorities on education in Montana met to discuss their goals and how they can move forward to accomplish them as the Legislative session nears. The group, which included representatives from the Board of Public Education, the Board of Regents and others, reached consensus on four areas: embracing proficiency-based learning models, transforming the teaching profession, the importance of career and technical education opportunities and access to early childhood education. Im highly optimistic about the future of education in the state of Montana, Bedey said. During the event attendees brainstormed questions for the panelists in small groups. Monica Tranel, who is running as a Democrat for Montanas western U.S. House of Representatives district, asked what is being done to address low teacher pay across the state. The average starting salary for a teacher in Montana was $32,871 during the 2019-2020 school year, the lowest of any other state in the country and nearly $8,000 less than the national average, according to an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute. School district salaries are set by school boards through a collective bargaining process, which is dependent on a districts priorities and adequate funding, Melton said. Montana has a significant gap between beginning-teacher and average-teacher pay. Between 2006 to 2018, public school boards in Montana increased the states ranking for average-teacher pay from 48th to 29th place, according to Melton. It would cost about $111 million a year to raise all teacher salaries in Montana by $10,000 a year, he added. During the most recent legislative session, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 143, also known as the TEACH Act, which aims to incentivize increases for starting teacher salaries by providing state funding to offset the expense. I think that may be the way that we continue to work toward something that would make a remarkable change there, Melton said. Another commenter noted that the Board of Public Education is considering recommendations from the Office of Public Instruction that eliminate words like equity and "ethics" from teacher preparation standards and asked what steps are being taken to protect minority students. While I cant necessarily explain why words like equity are being removed and possibly replaced by equality of opportunity, which is in our constitution, Flynn said, I can tell you that we still very much understand our role to set those minimum standards. She provided the crowd an analogy to better understand the role of the board as a group in the middle of a lake, each with an oar, trying to get to land, which represents a perfect public education utopia flushed with resources and free of controversy. You can imagine we may not all be rowing at the same speed, we may not be going to the same points on land, but were all generally trying to get somewhere, Flynn said. In the analogy, the board provides a road map and general idea of how to get to where youre going. Our school boards really then take that road map and determine how they want to implement that on the local level, she said. Melton added that schools in Montana provide Individualized Educational Plans for students with disabilities or other challenges that affect their educational experiences. The discussion weve been having about personalizing learning is really directed toward pursuing that goal for everyone and that means everyone, regardless of their circumstances, Melton said. Were committed to making sure that the education thats provided to them levels the playing field so to speakequality of educational opportunity, not just an output but an outcome. Several major development projects in Missoula are slowly but surely moving forward. In her directors report to the Missoula Redevelopment Agencys board during the monthly meeting last week, Ellen Buchanan gave an update on five large projects that are all in the very early stages: the Riverfront Triangle, the Sleepy Inn, the Montana Rail Link trestle, the Scott Street area and the Midtown Master Plan. First, board member Ruth Reineking asked if there was any update on whats happening with the Fox Site, also known as the Riverfront Triangle, in downtown Missoula. The large chunk of land next to the Clark Fork River just west of the Orange Street Bridge has sat undeveloped for decades, and includes a city-owned parking lot and several acres of privately owned dilapidated structures. In April, developers Dean Bosacki and Sadek Darwiche (who lives in Jackson, Wyoming) presented the board with plans to build a hotel, an event center, housing, retail space and parking structures at the site. Since then, however, there has been little information and not much happening at the site. Darwiche has not responded to a request for comment from the Missoulian. Buchanan told Reineking that things are moving along behind the scenes. "There is a lot of interest and a lot of movement, Buchanan said last Thursday. Well know a lot more next week about whats going on. Probably some different players. Reineking asked if that meant that different developers than Bosacki and Darwiche. Buchanan responded that Reineking was correct. The city has been trying for decades to find the right partner to fully utilize the Riverfront Triangle site, which sits in an Urban Renewal District where developers are eligible for Tax Increment Financing. Before the pandemic, local restaurant and music venue owner Nick Checota and his wife had announced plans to build a $100 million civic event complex on the site, including luxury condos, restaurants and a public plaza, but had to cancel once COVID hit. Before that, a local team called Hotel Fox Partners had planned a similar development, but they also backed off. In her report, Buchanan also said the Scott Street housing project is still moving forward. A local company called Ravara Development is planning on building at least 70 permanently affordable Community Land Trust homes along with other market-rate homes in the Northside neighborhood. Architectural and engineering development for both the Community Land Trust and the market-rate portions of the project are progressing to the point that some realistic pricing is on the horizon, Buchanan said. This will allow us to assess ratios of housing types and price points for the Community Land Trust portion. City staff and Ravara continue working on a purchase and sale agreement for the Community Land Trust land and shared parking agreement. Work on a development agreement will follow. Next, Buchanan told the board that the citys plan to redevelop the site of the former Sleepy Inn motel on West Broadway is underway. The vandalism that the city was experiencing seems to have been deterred by the new fencing around the perimeter of the property, she said. We are trying to remove the building as quickly as possible and were able to get a materials inventory done last week to identify hazardous materials that needed to be abated prior to the removal of the structure. A plan to convert the Montana Rail Link trestle bridge into a crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists over the Clark Fork River on West Broadway is also moving along. We have begun working with (engineering firm) HDR to develop a scope of work for this project, Buchanan said in her report. Staff met with HDR, MRL and other city departments to talk through the extent and details of this initial effort. Buchanan said the goal is to bring a professional services contract and other documents to the board for consideration in October. Buchanan also said that ECONorthwest, the prime consultant that will be working on a the Midtown Master Plan, will be in Missoula with a team in the last week of September. The first public workshop will be the evening of Sept. 27 at the Missoula Family YMCA. During their stay, the team will be meeting with small discrete groups and stakeholders in an effort to receive broad input from the Midtown community, Buchanan said. The site is also a federally designated Superfund cleanup site where the BLM and DEQ have since 1999 spent more than $83.7 million to perform reclamation and implement water treatment, primarily to stem the flow of acid mine drainage into water on the reservation. The mines were permitted by the agencies in 1979 and '81. In 1993, Montana, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Fort Belknap Reservation sued mine operator Pegasus Gold for Clean Water Act violations related to acid mine drainage, which had contaminated surface and groundwater on the reservation. When the company declared bankruptcy in 1998, reclamation and remediation work fell to the state and federal agencies, which have spent the mines' posted reclamation bond and taxpayer funds to sequester and revegetate multiple cyanide heap leaching sites, waste rock dumps and mine pits. The agencies also established and operate multiple water treatment facilities at the site. Water treatment will need to operate forever. Acid mine drainage occurs when sulfide-laden rock underground is dug up and exposed to air and water, such as mine tailings and open mine pits created through exploration mining or commercial mining. Once exposed, sulfides react with air and water to form sulfuric acid, which can react with metals in surrounding rock and gets washed into waterways. Earlier this month, the BLM withdrew 2,688.13 acres of public land in the area from eligibility for new mining claims for 20 years, in an effort to protect reclamation and remediation work in the area. The agency plans to withdraw an additional 912.33 acres. Blue Arc's claims are on private land in the area, and as such are not subject to the withdrawals, but the DEQ has not issued a permit for mining the claims. After refusing to immediately comply last week with a Billings judges order issued from the bench, the state health department said Monday it would follow the court's direction to revert to a 2017 rule allowing transgender Montanans to update their birth certificate using a form. The department has received the courts order clarifying the preliminary injunction and despite disagreeing with it, intends to comply with its terms, spokesperson Jon Ebelt said in an email Monday. However, it was unclear when the department would have the process in place to allow people to make updates to their vital records. At least one person trying to change their document was unable to Monday afternoon. Citing the department's past actions, one of the plaintiffs in the case said late Monday they were waiting to see how the department would act. Based on the conduct of the department through the course of this litigation, we are absolutely in a place of actions speak louder than words, said Alex Rate, the legal director of ACLU of Montana. Until we see actions by the agency, its difficult to take them at their word. In a sharply written version of his Thursday bench order, Yellowstone County District Court Judge Michael Moses took the state to task Monday for what he called its demonstrably ridiculous claims of confusion over his previous order to revert to the 2017 rule. This spring Moses preliminary injunction blocked a 2021 state law that required a person to have gender-affirming surgery and petition a court to be able to change the sex marker on their birth certificate. The state held a rules hearing in June on a proposal to only allow people to update birth certificates if there was a data entry error on the original document. By Sept. 10, the state health department permanently adopted that rule. Ebelt said in the email Monday that the department stands by its actions and analysis concerning the April 2022 preliminary injunction decision, as set forth in its rulemaking that addressed critical regulatory gaps left by the court. Since the department has now received the courts clarification, it is carefully considering next steps in the litigation. In his written order, Moses rebuked the health departments actions, writing the state interpreted his order as allowing them to have carte blanche to enact whatever regulations they want." Moses order rejected the argument by the state that his initial injunction left no regulatory process for changing ones sex on a birth certificate and that the order put DPHHS in an uncertain regulatory situation. Indeed, the court finds these claims are demonstrably ridiculous, Moses wrote. He also attached the 2017 rule to his written order to make his directions plainly clear. The court attaches, as Exhibit A, the 2017 DPHHS regulations that defendants will return to, for clarity for defendants, and to avoid any future claims of confusion, Moses wrote. If defendants require further clarification, they are welcome to request it from the court rather than engage in activities that constitute unlawful violations of the order. Moses in his Monday order did not issue any contempt findings against the state, but did say motions for contempt based on continued violations of the order will be promptly considered. Ebelt did not provide a timeline for when the state would start using the 2017 rule again to update birth certificates. On Monday after Moses released the written version of his order and before Ebelt said the department would comply with it Shawn Reagor, the director of equality and economic justice with the Montana Human Rights Network, called the state Department of Public Health and Human Services Office of Vital Records seeking to update his birth certificate. Reagor was told his call would be sent to the person that handled those requests. He was then directed to the departments public information office, where he left a message that had not been returned by Monday evening. After the department's statement saying it would comply with the order was released, Reagor was in the Office of Vital Records in Helena but was told his birth certificate could not be updated and that he needed to speak with Ebelt. Reagor also said he spoke with the department's chief legal counsel Monday afternoon, who told him the department was still analyzing the ruling. Reagor said he would next try the department's director, followed by Gov. Greg Gianforte's office. "The court makes it very clear they need to be making changes now, but I keep being sent to someone who will not call me back and refuses to make changes," Reagor said in a text message Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Reagor said the administration is continuing to attack the trans community and continuing to try and make it difficult for trans people to live in this state." In a statement Monday, Gianforte's office said The governor has the utmost confidence in DPHHS and the Montana Department of Justice as they carefully consider and take next steps. Rate said he was frustrated with how long it has taken since Moses Thursday bench order for the state health department to comply. He added the plaintiffs will be actively monitoring what the department does next. The department knows how to implement that order because they did so without incident for years, so it should take no time at all for them to revert and begin processing applications, Rate said. I have a 10-year-old. Sometimes it takes two or three reminders for my 10-year-old to do what they (were told to). In my legal experience, I have never seen a defendant, much less a sophisticated state agency, require not one, not two, but three clear court orders to do what they are legally obligated to do. Moses' order is part of a lawsuit filed last year where the ACLU of Montana sued the state on behalf of two transgender Montanans over the 2021 law passed by GOP state legislators. The lawsuit is on behalf of Amelia Marquez, a Billings resident, and a trans man identified as John Doe in court proceedings. It is against the state of Montana; Gov. Greg Gianforte; the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, which handles birth certificates; and department Director Adam Meier. Meier has since left the position and was replaced by Charlie Brereton.